Ponta Delgada, Azores

April 21, 2007


Since we were unable to dock in Casablanca and Gibraltar, the Captain decided to “add” Ponta Degada in the Azores to our schedule.

Small and picturesque it was fun to walk the black and white patterned cobblestone streets of this small and quaint tourist and fishing resort that lies some 800 miles in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Portugal, it’s mainland.

The baroque cathedral is like no other I have visited. The cappuccino and apple tart that I enjoyed in a picturesque sidewalk café were delicious and the visit to the colorful and busy Saturday market were a great way to enjoy a relaxed and casual unplanned day in this exclusive port.

And now, we are setting sail for New York City!!! I can’t believe that my Grand World Voyage is almost over! After New York there will be two more days at sea and then I will be back in Ft. Lauderdale boarding a flight to Atlanta…Home Again!

Oh my…what a trip! To think that I have traveled more than 25,000 miles…been to over 40 ports of call….eaten delicious and exotic food from many different cultures…seen sites and monuments that I have only dreamed about…and enjoyed the company of interesting and colorful people….it is simply overwhelming! I can’t wait to see all my friends….and share my many adventures….a trip of a lifetime that I feel very lucky to have enjoyed!

Funchal, Maderia Portugal



April 19, 2007

We were scheduled to go to Casablanca, Morocco on April 18….however, due to recent terrorist attacks and State Department warnings the Captain decided to abort our plans and sail to Gibraltar instead. Luckily I was in Casablanca more than 30 years ago…the first place I ever traveled in the world on a memorable trip with my friend Hugh Latta…so although I was disappointed I was not completely unhappy…after all, I had never been to Gibraltar and seen the famous apes…so that would be fun! Well…the best laid plans…..we arrived in Gibraltar around 11 pm after leaving Malaga….we got to within 20 feet of the dock. The seas were so rough we pulled away some 50 to 100 feet waiting for some 45 minutes or so hoping the swells would relax…no such luck. Another move out another 100 or so feet for a half hour or so…no avail…we simply were not able to dock in Gibraltar and tendering was certainly out of the question. So, we set sail for Funchal, Maderia, Portugal! So much for those famous apes! (Travel mates laughed that they had been to Gibraltar three times and have still not been there! It is obviously a rough place to dock!)

After a day at sea we finally arrived in Funchal, Maderia…a small volcanic island in the Atlantic that is a Portuguese protectorate. Nearly 500 years old, Madeira capital is one of Europe’s prettiest ports. Docking, I was fascinated to look out and see the high rugged but green hillsides covered with low-rise white stucco buildings each with their terra cotta roofs. The “unity” of this design feature added a special charm to this special place.

We visited the picturesque fishing village of Camara de Lobos, made famous by Winston Churchill who loved paint from the terrace of a small restaurant overlooking the colorful harbor. We continued on to Cabo Girao, the second highest sea cliff in the world (the highest is apparently in Taiwan!) Here as we gasped at the sheer drop-off of the cliff and we purchased hard candies made from eucalyptus and fennel (funcho…from which the name Funchal is derived!) from a smiling toothless peddler. We marveled at the thousands of small terrace gardens that cascade down every possible hill and valley abounding with luscious bananas and grape vines…after all Maderia is probably best known for its delicious wine by the same name.

A take-your-breath-away cable car ride brought us to the top of the city to a small village called Monte, some 2,000 feet above sea level. The highlight of this adventure was the “sledge” ride down the paved roads to another village of Livramento. I sat, along with one other person, in a large wicker basket that was mounted on sled-type wooden runners. Two men dressed in white with black-rimmed straw hats ran along side or rode on the back runners and “controlled” the sledges as we flew down the steep roads dodging traffic and pedestrians alike. This thrilling ride would have been memorable enough, but the fact that it was pouring down rain only added to the overall excitement. I got soaked to the bone. I can honestly say that I have never experienced anything like it!

My memorable day in Madeira ended with a late lunch at the famous Reid Palace Hotel. This five-star hotel overlooking the entire harbor provided a beautiful lunch that featured multi courses of delicious food of the area. It was a perfect way to end a perfect day in a perfect setting!

Malaga, Spain

April 17, 2007

If I were to tell you that on the road from Malaga to Granada to visit the Alhambra I passed over two million olive trees….trees planted in row after row after row on mountainside and dale as far as the eye could see…and if I told you that each and every one of the olives grown on those trees has to be individually picked by hand, you might not believe me! What a memory! I will never eat another olive that I don’t see those trees in my mind! And the same visual memories will materialize as well when I eat asparagus. You see, planted in small gardens in and around the olives are low “mounds” of earth that appear to be barren mounds growing nothing. But on closer inspection there are individual spears of green asparagus popping up in straight rows. Like the olives, each of these spears must be cut by hand…thus you see scores of people bending over, low and heavy carefully cutting each spear. If you look really close you will see bundles of these freshly cut asparagus scattered on the mounds waiting for collection. What hard work! If the smoky blue-grey olive trees, and the brown asparagus mounds are not visual imagery enough, add carefully planted groves of slender tall popular trees with golden leaves blowing in the gentle breezes and you have a good picture of the Spanish country side. These images are as strong as any along the trip!

Some two hours after leaving the coast we arrived in Granada to visit the incredible Muslim-Hispano 14th century complex known as the Alhambra. This breathtaking example of Muslim architecture is surrounded by walls and towers, and inside, places, military buildings, a fortress and administrative offices. Detailed mosaics, prism-style cupolas and stone-cast latticework offer a surprising grace and sophistication. Water features abound. Fragrant blossoms add color and aroma. Cobblestones, worn from countless steps, and meticulously shaped topiary meld together to create a movie-like setting that conjures up images of hundreds of years of sophisticated life.

My day in Malaga and Granada was one that I will never forget including the delicious luncheon of paella and fruit. What a place!

Egypt, Israel, Ephesus, Athens, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Italy, Monaco


As you can see from the many reports below the last few weeks have been extremely busy. I have had little time to sit and catch up on my travels…so have decided to put all into one lonnnnngggg email. Enjoy at your leisure!

April 2-4, 2007

Egypt

If you are ever at a loss for where and how to spend your birthday, I would suggest Egypt….I certainly enjoyed mine there this year.

My special day started a day early when I opened the many cards that friends had given me before I left. How nice to read so many warm greetings from so many good friends. So appreciated.

Docking at Sharm-El-Sheikh early on the morning of April 2, I was soon whisked off to the airport to catch a charter flight to Luxor. I must admit that I was a bit surprised to see the many luxury resort hotels lining the Red Sea. From the Ritz-Carlton, to the Four Seasons, the Hilton and so many others, Sharm-El-Sheikh has become THE place to vacation in this exotic part of the world. Apparently the diving and snorkeling are renown…I’ll have to return!

Arriving an hour later, I was soon standing at the entrance of the fabulous Karnak Temple. Built over a period of two millennia by generations of Pharaohs, this 62 acre site took my breath away! Of course, I have studied the soaring great Hypostyle Hall with his forest of giant pillars and columns rising some 75-80 feet above the ground….but seeing it in reality can’t be beat! As I walked down the grand “street” and listened to the guide explain how one Pharaoh after another added to the complexity of the site, I couldn’t help but feel very humble and a bit overwhelmed. That feeling continued as we visited the nearby Temple of Luxor with even more columns…more history…more wonderment! But the highlight was yet to come…a nighttime visit to the Karnak Temple for the famous sound and light show. As we slowly waked through the ruins we were surrounded by voices…by light…and the place came to life in a spine-tingling manner. Amazing!!! At the end of our stroll we sat overlooking the sacred lake where the Pharaohs and Priests had come to cleanse themselves and prepare for their daily rituals, and as the sound and light show continued it was “inturptued”..mixed, if you will, with the sounds of the Muslim call to prayer. What a contrast…what sameness. To think that after all these years, the city of Luxor is still alive with humans committed to their beliefs and hopes for the afterlife.

April 3…my birthday!...and I find myself walking in the Valley of the Kings…the vast “City of the Dead” where 62 magnificent tombs have been discovered. Here I was able to venture into these tombs…and wonder at the depth of color of the hieroglyphics carved into the desert rocks and painted with various mineral and stone dyes which have maintained their rich hues though all these years. I can only imagine how colorful the Temples must have been, for they too were once covered in these same vivid colors. I stood in awe thinking of the archeologists that first discovered these ancient tombs…of their excitement…their dedication…and their skill at unearthing and exposing this richness to the world. I looked into the eyes of the young children that were visiting the site with us wondering if they were as inspired as I was…wondering if they would be the next great “explorer” to find the next great tomb! Such a special place. But I must admit that with all this history…all these fabulous tombs…all the specialness of the place, I will never forget my visit to this valley because of one special tourist that was there with us. Standing among us was this “woman" …a tall blonde creature. She was dressed in a scant flowing chiffon dress that caught the slight warm breezes. Her large white-rimmed sunglasses reflected the brightness of the sun. She was memorable….AND she was wearing 6 to 8 inch stilettos! Bright red shiny satin numbers! Unbelievable! We were all taken aback. Several, including me, snapped photos of this inappropriately dressed tourist wondering what she was thinking. As I got closer for an even better photo opportunity she became even more intriguing…for you see, “She” was a “He”…proudly standing arm in arm with her man…an older elegant gentleman that seemed very proud of his ability to have such an “attractive” young thing on his arm! I sure hope they enjoyed their visit as much as I did! And I couldn’t help but chuckle that our next stop was at the Valley of the Queens! (The burial place for the wives and children of the Pharoahs) I assume the loving couple visited there as well!!!! After a brief stop at the Hatshepsut Temple which rises out of the desert plain in a series of brilliant white terraces, merging with the sheer limestone cliffs and surround it we took a Nile river taxi back to the hotel and were soon in flight en route to Cairo…the home of the Pyrmaids.

Our day started with a visit to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. This vast building is beautiful in its vastness and overwhelming in the amount of objects it houses. Thirty years ago, when I first visited Cairo, I remember the museum being a very tired and dirty place with dim lighting and dusty cases filled with piles of stuff. Well, time has certainly helped this special collection. Granted, the museum still lacks the polish of other equally exciting places but the contrast between now and then is amazing. The cases have been cleaned…there is some lighting, the graphics are improved…it is a nice place. And as we saw later in the day in several years there will be a new museum presently being built in the desert along side the pyramids. Our guide, a PhD in Egyptology, explained that it is his hope that the older museum will concentrate solely on the 5,000 objects unearthed in the re-discovery of King Tutankhamen’s tomb. Regardless, it was a pleasure to spend the morning marveling at the beauty of early Egypt. How much fun it would be to spend days sketching and being inspired by the boldness and simplicity of that design!

A short ride and we soon found ourselves in Giza, the home of the pyramids and the great Sphinx. A lot has happened at this site since I was here as well. For sure, the camel drivers are still there offering a photo opportunity for $1.00 and a “ride” of two minutes for $5.00. The pyramids still rise out of the sand as they have for 5,000 years. Tourist still abound. But the Sphinx has come alive. When I first visited here the base of the Sphinx was submerged in sand. Today, that sand has been removed to reveal a complex structure and environment. And the work continues. No doubt, when I return there will be even more to ponder. I feel so privileged to have been able to, once again, stand at the base of these magnificent structures. To wonder at how they were constructed and to contemplate the meaning of life…and afterlife.

We traveled by bus through the desert that has become alive with fertile irrigation and endless farms growing all manner of produce and grain. “Cities” are springing up left and right and will in a few years be hustling and bustling as Egypt continues to prosper. We rejoined the ship in Alexandria where I unfortunately missed seeing their famous contemporary library and museum complex….a good reason to return to this exotic land!


April 5-6, 2007

Israel

I must admit that before I starting making plans for this trip I had never really thought about traveling to Israel…but now that I have been there I am so glad that I have…and, like so many other places, I would enjoy a return visit for more in depth time there.

We arrived on Holy Thursday….what a time to be in Israel…and especially this year when the holy calendar merged with five Christian sects: Protestants, Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and Coptics (????....I never really understood the fifth sect!) and the Jewish holidays as well. Our guide said that in all his years of living and working in Israel, he had never seen so many people in the city of Jerusalem…..my luck to be there! City streets were blocked off for pedestrian traffic only which only complicated the traffic of this normally busy city. Apparently additional tourist buses had been brought in to the country to handle the crowds, but this too only made for an extraordinarily crowded experience…one that I enjoyed despite the crowds.

Our arrival was apparently “historic” in that we were either the first Holland American ship…or the first ship….which I find hard to imagine…to come into the port of Ashod since 911! The local newspapers and television crews were flooding the dock requesting interviews….bands played…gifts from small children were distributed…it was a major production.

I found the countryside of Israel to be very different that I had preconceived. Much more hilly…mountainous even!...greener…and very fertile, the country was alive with an energy that could be felt from the moment we left the ship.

We were given a small map that highlighted the Palestine vs. Jewish areas of the country. I felt much uninformed about the whole situation…and this map helped to put the years of conflict into some perspective. For instance, I didn’t realize that Bethlehem was a Palestine region…complete with a high concrete wall surrounding it that reminded me of being in Berlin before THE wall came down. Like the Berlin wall, the Bethlehem wall is covered in graffiti extolling a variety of political opinions. Our Jewish guide had to leave the bus as we entered the “checkpoint Charlie” entrance into this ancient walled city. There we met our Palestinian guide who attempted to show us the Church of the Nativity. It was here that we met the first of the crowds that were to follow. There was a large aggressive and persistent group of Russian Orthodox Priests and Nuns who got to this special church (reportedly “the” spot where Baby Jesus was born!) just before we did. This is an apparently very important stop for them….many were “overcome” with emotion. They burst into song….as they pushed and shoved and made their way to “the” spot. Once there, they fell prostrate in tears, kissing and caressing the alleged holy spot of birth. I could only take so much of this madness and eventually opted to find a quiet spot in the church to await my fellow travelers who were just as persistent in seeing the spot themselves. As I enjoyed my time for people watching, this attractive woman, Joy, sat beside me and we started talking. She said something about she just couldn’t take all the crowds as she had just rejoined the trip after seven weeks. A bit more conversation and I realized that she was the critically ill patient that we had all watched being airlifted via helicopter from the ship as we approached Australia. The poor woman had almost died from internal bleeding and no doubt would not have made it without the assistance of three crew members who donated their unusual rare blood and literally saved her life. After two weeks of intensive care in Australia and another four or five weeks back in the states, Joy and her husband decided to join the ship again. My conversation with her helped to pass the time while we watched the bedlam of the religious pilgrims.

Leaving Bethlehem and joining our Jewish guide again, we eventually made our way to Jerusalem where we struggled to negotiate the buses and crowds. We went to the Mount of Olives to look back over the ancient city. We toured the Garden of Gethsemane and marveled at the thousand year old olive trees as well as the beautiful church built on the edge of the garden. We carefully walked through the Jaffa Gate and began our visit in Old Jerusalem in the Jewish quarter where we eventually made our way to the Wailing Wall. I was fascinated to see the large families of super orthodox Jews making their way to this special and most holy spot. I, of course, had seen Hassidic Jews before with their long black coats, broad-brimmed hats and curls tucked behind the men’s ears….however, rarely, if ever, had I seen the supper supper supper orthodox Jews with the large mink hats. Our guide explained that the men with gold coats and mink hats were the ultimate orthodox….so many devote people struggling to make their way to the wall. I elected to stay back and give them my space at the wall. Some of our group did indeed make their intense way to the wall and left private messages rolled and placed in the joints of the stones….very moving.

A stroll through the Muslim section of town…and then finally to the Christian section where we walked to the Via Dolorosa, passing the Stations of the Cross eventually ending up at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the alleged site of the crucifixion. I must admit that I was thankful that we were on this section of the street on Thursday and not the next day…Good Friday!....I can’t imagine what that must have been like….crowds beyond description! All in all, this long and tiring day was memorable and moving!

Good Friday was equally memorable and a bit easier. We sailed during the night docking at Haifa, site of the recent bombings. That incident was never mentioned….and just as good. We visited the beautiful Bahai Gardens before traveling inland to Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee. The Church of the Annunciation, the apparent spot where the angle told Mary that she would have a child, was closed to the public for private masses celebrating Good Friday. This very contemporary building, built in the 1960’s is on the site where countless other buildings have been built and destroyed over the years. Some of our group ventured into the Church of Mary’s well, a Greek Orthodox building. It seems that any spot of place that is mentioned in the Bible has a church built over it. We lunched at a Kibbutz guesthouse called Nof Ginossar were we visited a museum that houses the remains of a small wooden boat …over 2000 years old…discovered on the banks of the Sea of Galilee in the 1980’s. After lunch we drove to Tabgha and Capernaum where we visited the remains of the Synagogue where Jesus worshipped which rests besides the remains of St. Peter’s home. This ancient archeological site is creatively covered with a very contemporary church that is “suspended” canopy-like over this important site. This creative building was built to celebrate the visit of the pope in 2000…only the second pope to ever visit Israel! A final stop at the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus gave his famous sermon ended a most enjoyable and memorable day and visit to this special and historic place….the Holy Land!


April 8, 2007

Kusadasi, Turkey with a visit to Ephesus

Our day, another Virtuosi day, started with a visit to the house of the Virgin Mary where Jesus’ mother is said to have lived the last years of her life. The site has been officially declared a shrine of the Roman Catholic Church as was visited by Pope Paul VI in 1967. Next we continue to the most impressive site of Ephesus for a visit to the Great Theatre dating back to the Hellenistic period. In the 1st century AD, the theatre was successfully reconstructed and expanded by the Romans until it reached a seating capacity of 25,000. This is also the place where St. Paul preached to the Ephesians. Still used for performances today the acoustics are excellent. The Marble Road which runs between the theatre and the Celsus Library is part of a sacred walkway that leads to the Hadrian Temple. A highlight of the day was to visit the recently excavated section of the ruins known as the “Terrace Houses”. These impressive homes were finely decorated with mosaics and frescoes giving a true impression of the ancient lifestyle of the wealthy. Walking through the streets of this most impressive site we were all amused at the “latrine”…a communal toilet complete with 80…count ‘em….80 marble “toilets” all aligned. Apparently this was a very popular meeting place for the rich and famous!

Our lunch was on the lawn of a very lovely small boutique hotel overlooking the harbor. We enjoyed delicious Turkish delicacies, with artist working along side us and costumed performers. The warm sea breezes made for a most memorable and enjoyable day in this very beautiful part of the world….a place that I could easily return for an extended stay!


April 9, 2007

Piraeus, Greece with a visit to Athens, the Acropolis & Cape Sounion

We began our visit to Athens with a scenic drive past the marina with tons of beautiful yachts and the usual freighters. Memories of the Olympic Games returned as we passed many of the 2004 venues. After an hour or so of scenic travel we arrived at the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, built in the 5th century BC. The temple’s location, 180 feet above the sea on the edge of a mountain affords a 360 degree view of the blue Aegean and distant islands. Many cruise ships passing Sounion today still pay their respects to Poseidon by lowering the ensign, blasting the ship’s whistle, and pouring a libation over the side of the ship. Back in Athens we plodded our way up to the top of the Acropolis. Being Easter Monday there were scores of families and tourists that made the journey a bit frightening. Slippery and worn marble stairs and pushing crowds are not a good combination! Once at the top of the Acropolis, I was pleased to see the myriad of scaffolding indicating an enormous amount of continuing restoration. The temple, which was open and approachable when I first visited in 1975 is now cordoned off and thus more protected. We later went pass Hadrian’s Arch, indicating the border between the Greek and Roman cities in Ancient times. We enjoyed seeing the Temple of Olympian Zeus, which took 700 years to complete. It was fun to see the presidential guards at the Palace dressed in their white billowy skirts and tight hose. The day ended with a visit to the 1896 Olympic stadium….a full day in an exciting city!

April 11, 2007

Dubrovnik, Croatia

What a beautiful city! Wow! I will definitely return here. “Those who seek paradise on Earth” George Bernard Shaw once wrote, “should come to Dubrovnik”….and I agree!!! The old town is a walled city in which there are tons of small alley ways with gracious cafes and shops, apartments, museums, and churches. A walk down around the harbor with tons of colorful fishing boats and a coffee at one of the many cafes made for a special morning in a special place.

Dubrovnik was special for another reason. The ms Prinsendam, another Holland American ship was docked side by side us in the main port. It was apparently an historic day for Holland America to have two of their main ships in the same port on the same day…so much so that the CEO and President joined us for a special joint cocktail party and presentation including the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra and Children’s Choir. You have never seen so many tulips and so much champagne and canapés in all your life! Tours of both ships were offered to the opposing passenger lists and I was able to see the ship that I will be on next year for my cruise around South America and Africa…it was a great day in a great city.


April 13-14, 2007

Civitavecchia and Livorno, Italy

Although many of my fellow passengers went to Rome (about 45 minutes away!) I chose to enjoy some Etruscan Treasures by visiting Targuinia and Tuscania.

We started the day visiting the magnificent Etruscan burial grounds in Tarquinia. The Necropolis which contains thousands of tombs dating from the 6th century to the 1st century BC showcases colorful tombs which were built for wealthy couples and are splendid with colorful and detailed frescos.

Later we visited the Palazzo Vitelleschi, an excellent example of Renaissance architecture which houses the impressive Archaeological Museum which further explained the mysteries of the tombs.

A fabulous, if simple…..salad and lasagna…lunch was enjoyed overlooking Lake Bolsena in Marta. Tuscania village is located on a plateau overlooking the Marta river and is one of the oldest and most picturesque cities of Italy. This Medieval city hosts two great Paleo-Christian basilicas built in the9th century and are still well-preserved…there is a certain serenity to this charming place.

The next day, again having just been in Florence in December, I opted to visit the charming walled city of Lucca. The majestic Cathedral of San Martino, the oval shaped Piazza Anfiteatro, and the Church of San Frediano all made this walled city a very special place. The home of Puccini, this old city was alive with a huge outdoor flea market with tons of antiques and “stuff” filling every small alley and square. I enjoyed a delicious coffee and brioche while I “people watched” to my heart’s content….what a morning! After a rather harrowing ride in our new “coach” into the country side where the stone walled gravel road allowed for some two inches on each side of the bus we enjoyed yet another wonderful Italian luncheon in an old farm house famous for its limited production of wine. Simple pasta, salami, cold cuts, and biscotti with “holy wine” made for a memorable meal….but more memorable was the return bus trip. The same walls held the bus captive and as we left we were met by a “wall” of oncoming cars….tons of them. Here we were out in the middle of Tuscany in the middle of no where in this huge bus and all of a sudden we find ourselves in the midst of major grid lock! A Funeral! What a mess. The cortège of mourners did not want to back up to allow us to leave and there was no way the bus could maneuver and back up…so after many minutes of shouting and hand waving and a couple of cars backing into the low ditch, we finally made our way out and on to our next stop…the magnificent Villa Torrigiani….the summer residence of a former silk producing family. What a place! High 25-30 foot ceilings each with its own beautifully painted and preserved frescos, beautiful silk draperies and wall coverings and unbelievable gardens (the camellias are over 300 years old and are about 30 feet and pruned into beautiful conical shapes!!!)…still owned by the original family. Sadly, to maintain this beautiful home the current “prince” has resorted to opening his family home…he sold the tickets at the front gate!

I love Italy and these most recent days have only underscored why! What a beautiful place…I so look forward to returning to spend time painting all that beautiful scenery!


April 15, 2007

Monte Carlo, Monaco

With beautiful spring breezes and amazing blue skies, I enjoyed a full day of simple sight-seeing this wonderful city on the French Riviera. For the grand sum of three Euros I bought a “carte tourist” and was able to use the local bus system for the whole day. So, I simply went from one line to the next sitting on the bus and enjoying the scenery to the end of the line and back again. I eventually stopped for a few, and unsuccessful, minutes at the beautiful Casino. Wow…what a place. If Dubai reeks of new money…Monte Carlo reeks of old money! Yachts, villas, classic automobiles, and beautiful people are the words that keep coming to mind in trying to describe Monte Carlo. I just can’t imagine how there can be so much money in one small place…but it is definitely here…too bad all the shops were closed for Sunday…otherwise I might have been forced to shop!

Salalah, Oman

March 29, 2007

Salalah Oman provided the jumping off point for a long and exhilarating day visiting the Lost City of Ubar and The Rub Al Khali Desert.

I assume that Oman has the wealth of other Middle East countries…but to see Salalah following Dubai, made it seem like a small, prosperous, but unassuming village.

As we left the city on what was to be a three hour (each way!) four-wheel drive, I was surprised to see tall mountains in the distance. I falsely assumed that this was a desert country…and indeed it is…but there is a very impressive and massive mountain chain that follows the coast. Soon we were some 2,500 to 3,000 feet above sea level overlooking layer after layer of old and majestic mountains. I was reminded of being in Montana without the rushing river in the valley. The terrain leveled off…the mountains faded into the distance and soon we were truly in the middle of the desert….flat…dry…and endless desert! After a few miles we turned off the paved highway and began bouncing out way over a gravel/sand road that went from being outlined with small rocks to define it to a mere “path” that our skillful drivers seem to know. We dodged herds of donkeys and camels who decided that they owned this desert and they would take their time letting us pass. We saw and commented on the mirage effect that we saw in the distance. It was funny how thirsty I became in this vastness…with soaring temperatures and no water! We scared a huge lizard as he scurried across the sandy “road”. All of this leading us to a massive oasis miles from nowhere….the Lost City of Ubar! Discovered by US satellites in 1989, this once thriving city was the hub of the frankincense trade and dates back to 5,000 BC! (Frankincense is made from the sap of a small tree with shedding bark!) Although it has been designated as a World Heritage Site, the excavation is slow and seemingly less professional that I have seen in other ancient archeological digs. But it certainly underscores the value of water…the beauty of an oasis…and the rich history of this old country.

Moving further into the dessert and putting the cars into major four-wheel action we “skated”, slid, and jostled our way over the rolling sand dunes. Only one of nine cars got stuck and was quickly rescued by another land cruiser equipped with a heavy-duty winch. We soon left….in order!!! There were 9 cars in our caravan…and for some strange reason the drivers were insistent that they go in line and in order. It was comical watching these drivers teasing one another by trying to get “ahead” of their assigned number. Once we freed the stalled vehicle we went a few miles further until our guide…a very handsome man with a long flowing robe and beautifully tied paisley turban explained that we were in the middle of the “Empty Quarter”….a no-man’s land where there is never any water and never any life. The borders of Saudi Arabia and Oman and the other neighboring countries are rather vague in this region…and since there is really no reason to want to “claim” the area…it remains “empty”! Again, I was reminded of American’s west…of the moguls that you see on the snow slopes of Aspen…only this time, the “snow” was sand! Beautiful!

After a delicious “picnic” of fruit, boiled eggs, and sweet “cake” was enjoyed in a Bedouin camp we made our way back over the bumpy and sometimes frightening “road” just in time to make our sailing….we knew we would not be left behind as the captain’s wife, Applelonia (that’s her name!!!) was with us on the tour and she laughed that she had the key!

Seeing the deserts of Oman and experiencing the isolation of this exotic land for only a few hours makes me have great appreciation for those that have lived and worked here for centuries….including the camels, the “ships” of the desert. It was a great day to remember!

PS: Just a note to let all know that I am enjoying all the notes and cards that people sent with me on my trip. Each day as I open and read yet another, I am reminded of all the friends I have and how I can’t wait to see you all…thanks!

Dubai, United Arab Emirates,

March 25-26, 2007

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

One of the most fascinating things that I am taking away from my world experience is that we indeed live in a world of contrast. There are so many memories of happiness contrasted with sadness, richness and poorness, hot food vs. milder food. The concepts and ideas are, of course, endless. And perhaps there is no better example of contrast that leaving India and arriving in Dubai one of the seven United Arab Emirates.

I felt as though I were in a series of movies as I explored this fascinating place.

Perhaps, the first movie would have starred Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy …set on the banks of the “creek” (looked like a swiftly flowing river to me!) in “old” Dubai. Touring one of the best small museums I have ever visited in the Al Fahidi Fort, I loved seeing the reproduction of a desert dwelling complete with its “wind tower”. Barbara, our excellent port lecturer, had shown countless examples of this ingenious architectural devise that has been used for centuries to cool the buildings in this arid and hot region of the world. These square towers extend far above the highest level of the buildings and have slot openings that capture the wind and somehow send it down into the building in a cool breeze. Stepping inside the grass hut and standing under the wind tower I was amazed at the strength and coolness of that breeze being forced through the tower. When I entered the old fort I was surprised to find a very contemporary interpretive museum that explained life in the desert with ingeniously presented displays that were as informative as any I have seen. My photos of the museum look like I have captured people on the street. Soon I found myself aboard a small abra, or open air ferry-type boat that whisked me across the creek to the souks. (markets!) The first was the spice souk….the sounds, the smells, the hustle and bustle of this exciting working market sent me into a sensory overload. Cinnamon, saffron, nutmeg mixed with frankincense and dried dates tempted my pallet and simultaneously stimulated color sense as well. These small spice stalls blended flawlessly into markets selling fluorescently colored plastic pails along side Rolex watches, fruit and hand-tailored clothing. Freshly picked oranges perfectly stacked in a pyramid contrasted against the neatly displayed stuffed animals of a children’s store. Think of this with hoards of dark-skinned men gliding in and out of the crowds in their crisp white robes with black head bands over red checkered (or white!) head scarves. Women in their berkas (sp?), the full black dresses and head coverings that cover all but a small slit for their hazel-colored eyes! (Apparently, there is a new mode of this traditional dress….I saw a number of women in the souk that had a larger opening around their face. They were still “covered” but instead of black fabric, they had metal (some gold!) face “masks” that covered their noses and mouth. One of these masks was more creative than the last. I was particularly amused by one lady that was sporting a big handlebar moustache of gold under a triangular nose guard! My only regret is that I wasn’t able to photograph them….we had been warned repeatedly that we MUST NOT photograph the women of Dubai). A short walk and the spice souk became the gold souk. You have never seen so much gold in such a small space in all your life…..brassy harsh gold. This over-the-top presentation was like melting icing of an elaborately gilded wedding cake. Needless to say, I didn’t buy anything! But what a movie! Certainly an award winner for set decoration and costumes!

A short ride and my movie set changed….this time to a 21st century extravaganza that is truly indescribable. I kept thinking “unbelievable”, “unreal”, and “unimaginable”. I have never seen so many cranes in my life. High-rise after high-rise is springing from the earth as workers (making approximately $200. a month!) toil 24 hours a day seven days a week. Our guide claims that one quarter of the world’s cranes are indeed in Dubai…and I believe her. The style of the architecture is equally unimaginable. Swooping facades, shining metal, spiraling stairs, solar piercing spires and inconceivable shapes are being combined in one building…and then being repeated over and over again to form small cities within the larger city. Buildings are competing against one another to become the tallest and indeed, the actual heights of most buildings is not published because the developers are waiting to the very last minute to make the final determination of their spire or last few floors to ensure that their building is indeed THE highest. This was emphasized when I realized that the buildings surround one such soaring tower were forty stories tall themselves and looked like small low-rise buildings in comparison to the taller soaring construction.

City planning is going beyond imagination as well. We visited the sales office of The Palms where one developer is building three separate “palms” plus the World in the ocean off the coast. (I remembered seeing something about this on one of the Sunday morning talk shows not long ago…but seeing it for real drove its creativity home). These ambitious projects consist of dredging soil from the ocean floor and combining it with stones and other earth (from the desert I presume!) to form a large circular enclosure in which a stylized “island” in the form of a multi tiered palm tree resides. The truck of the tree connects the entire project to the mainland and provides a spine for mass transportation. The fronds of the tree are scheduled to provide land for single family homes, multi-family homes, low and high density living, commercial areas, and resort and spa facilities (the Atlantis hotel is well underway!) Because of the design, each home or business will have waterfront access. The sales office proudly announced that once offered the first Palm sold out in 72 hours. I can’t imagine! So, they are building two more such projects. Their “world” project is a loosely stylized map of the world of some 300 islands. You can purchase any one of these islands (97% are ready for purchase!) starting at 4 million up to 40 million dollars and then you get to develop it yourself! This project is not connected to the mainland at all and each island must provide a boat(s) to get back to shore…talking about a traffic jam! It just all seems like Disney gone mad!

A visit to the world’s tallest hotel, the Burj Al Arab…also built out in the ocean and connected by a bridge …gave me a chance to see the Palms and the World from atop the hotel. The plan made sense once I saw it from that perspective. (I had a memorable “tea” atop that hotel and I will not tell how much I paid for it!) The madness continues. We heard of plans for a huge underwater hotel, for a 900 acre amusement park in the desert and for a new airport that will be the largest and busiest in the world (double Atlanta’s Hartsfield!) We saw the indoor snow slope…yes, Dubai has a huge fully working snow resort incased in metal and standing in the middle of the dessert…I saw it with my own eyes! Amazing! It just goes on and on!

Movie # 3….I was a busy boy in Dubai!!!!.....Arabian Nights: An evening Safari with Camel Ride and Barbecue complete with belly dancers and shisha (the famous Arabian water pipe). My travel agent is a Virtuosi travel agent which means that I get several “perks” along the trip….Dubai was one of those days and our night in the desert was one I will never forget. From sliding over, under and around the sand in fast moving range rovers to riding the camel (almost falling off…I was scared to death!) to eating while perched on layer after layer of Persian carpets piled high on the sand to enjoying the moves of a very sensuous belly dancer…it was truly like something you would see in the movies. I even got a henna tattoo that may take months to fade! What fun!!!!

If all this wasn’t enough…the best was saved for last. I got to see my good friend Becky Ward. Becky is a managing principal of TVS & A, a large Architectural and Interiors firm based in Atlanta. She and her colleagues are doing over 40 buildings for one developer and Becky, and her colleagues, are completing the corporate offices. She comes to Dubai regularly and as it so happened was here at the same time I was. We were able to meet in her 35 floor suite which provided yet another view of the building frenzy and then we enjoyed a delicious dinner together before I sailed for Oman later that night….I made the ship with 10 minutes to spare! Phew!

So, Dubai, like so many other places, gave me yet another chapter in my book of CONTRASTS…..I am just not sure that there will ever be a more colorful example. I am overwhelmed trying to describe it….what an amazing place!!!!

INDIA

March 17-22, 2007… INDIA

Where and how does one begin to describe the depth and richness that is India? The textures, the colors, the aromas, the smiles, the animals, the sounds, the food, the sadness, the happiness, the strength, the history, the religion, the continuity…..so much….so complicated…so memorable.

Arriving in the south of this great country at the port of Cochin I was whisked off to catch a plane to go to New Delhi for a four day/three night overland adventure to Agra and the Taj Mahal and then on to Jaipur. Oh my, what a trip!

Although it was dusk and quickly turning to night we were amazed at the beauty of the capital city of New Delhi. Passing through Embassy Row, we marveled at one special Embassy after another. Wide boulevards and green parks were outlined with cleanly swept streets. There was a stateliness about this part of the city that was surprising. Our evening was spent at the beautiful Taj Mahal Hotel in the middle of the diplomatic section of town. It was at this lovely 5 star hotel that we were treated to a memorable dinner….a dinner with a special name that starts with a “P”…I asked several times and could never quiet get the exact word…but basically a sampling of delicious Indian Curry….presented on a spectacular silver platter with rice, grilled prawns, grilled chicken all surrounded by five or six silver bowls with various curries: lamb, chicken, Dahl, lentils and yogurt. Truly memorable….absolutely delicious!

Morning found us on a quick city tour to see the spectacular government buildings, the parks, and the city in general. Soon we were headed out to Agra and the depths of this exciting country unfurled from behind our large plate glass windows of our bus. The traffic was amazing….the slums were amazing…the children were amazing….the saris were amazing…the vegetables carts…the thousands of cows (many with brightly painted horns of blue or yellow or red or even stripes of these colors!) were amazing…the scooters with husband in helmets driving while their wives sat side saddle holding sleeping babies were amazing…the constant sounds of horns beeping were amazing….the five hour ride seemed like five minutes! The entire ride our excellent guide, Mahesh, explained in very simple and understandable terms some of the complexity of Hinduism, Sikhism, and other religions and sects such as Jainism (who wear NO leather and are strict vegetarians including not eating any vegetables grown underground like potatoes or onions for fear that in harvesting them that an ant or insect would be harmed) and the Parsees (sp?) who don’t bury or cremate their dead but leave for nature to care for. Mahesh went into great depth about arranged marriages (90% of marriages are still arranged by parents today) and how astrology dominates one’s life in India. He shared with us his own marriage experience 13 years ago when he had five minutes to “decide” to “accept” his bride. He explained that as a Hindu he chooses the day he worships and to which god (he fasts and worships on Tuesday….his father on Friday and his mother on Wednesday). What a great teacher Mahesh was giving us as much information as he could while his colorful country passed before our eyes outside our windows.

Eventually we arrived at the Oberoi Amarvilas Hotel in Agra. WOW! A umpteen star hotel! As we were greeted with flower garlands and beautiful women giving us the red dots for our foreheads and handsome turban clad men offering a cool drink we were astonished to look out the main window to see that the Taj Mahal itself was our vista. You couldn’t have asked for more!....well…not until we got to our rooms and opened the curtains to reveal a private balcony overlooking the gorgeous gardens and pool of this special hotel and once again…the Taj sat there as our backdrop…so close you could almost touch it. Unbelievable! We soon found ourselves crossing the moat of the nearby Agra Fort with its imposing gates and walls of red sandstone that dominates the center of the city and, like our hotel, overlooks the Taj Mahal in the far distance. In the early evening we drove to the Taj itself to enjoy its splendor at the end of the day with the dusk light….what a memory! Although it was Sunday and there were thousands of locals there to pay their respects (The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum built by Emperor Shah Jehan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal…and where the Emperor himself was later buried as well) seeing the Taj Mahal in sunset was one of those moments in my life that I will never forget. What a spectacular building…what a special site. You can see pictures all day…but there is nothing like being there for real!

After dinner at the hotel we arouse very early so we could once again visit the Taj and enjoy the sunrise over this special building. Mother Nature cooperated even more by providing a partial solar eclipse….so the morning light was even more special than normal…again another moment…and this time the crowds were almost non existent. We donned booties for our shoes to protect the marble floors and proceeded to enter the building to observe the tombs inside. The white marble is interlaced with intricate designs inlayed with tens of thousands of semi-precious stones….beautiful! No wonder this magnificent building took 22 years to construct.

Our bus excursion continued as we made our way toward Jaipur . En route we stopped at Fatehpur Sikri, the City of Victory, whose audience halls, palaces and mosques are perfectly preserved. This vast imperial capital with over 500 splendid buildings was abandoned after only fourteen years due to lack of a water supply. What a spectacular place. This site is one that needs more publicity as it is indeed a special and unusual place that deserves more attention and visitors.

Like our ride the day before I couldn’t help but be impressed with the depth of humanity that passed before us as we continued on to Jaipur in the state of Rajastan. Hardworking people went about their daily lives eking out a living with every moment. From vegetable stands with their immaculate displays of fresh vegetables and fruits, to stands selling treats, “fast” food, motor shops, and even barber shops (a mirror nailed to a tree and a rickety table with a few scissors and a variety of lotions and creams where “full service” is provided from a shave, haircut, facial, or massage!) everyone was moving and working…the women balancing water jars, rice bowls, even live chickens on their heads. Every moment was more colorful than the last. We passed a small funeral cortège of a peasant man whose corpse was draped in white muslin and sprinkled with rose petals. Mahesh explained that since there were no mourners with only four men carrying the covered body that the person was probably a street person and had no relatives. Regardless the people on the street stopped what they were doing to pause as the body passed before them. Memorable! The further we went the dryer the terrain got and the more mountainous and hilly the landscape became. Camels became more frequent. What colorful creatures these animals are how proud each owner is…they have gone to great pains to “decorate” them with special sheared patterns in their fur as well as colorful “blankets” of fringes and poms on their reins. Nose rings that help control the movement of the animal, like a horse’s bit, were works of art. Many camels appeared to be tattooed…I wondered if it was branding, or just henna that had been applied. Regardless, these animals seem to know they looked special because they walked very erect with their heads held high as they pulled heavy carts laden with all manner of goods and materials. Our beautiful and big and very red Volvo bus maneuvered in and out of this constant caravan constantly dodging the sacred cows that “owned” the roads….what a scene! (I tipped the driver very well….what a magnificent job he did!!!!) The trip was just as exciting as the day before and though long seemed quiet short and enjoyable. We were soon in Jaipur at the Rajputana Sheraton Hotel for another luxurious night.

Day four of our great adventure found us spending our morning at the magnificent Amber Fort. On the crest of a rugged hilltop and overlooking Lake Moata, the fort lends a majestic strength that evokes thoughts of legends and fairy tales. I could almost see the harems (rumored to be as large as 3,000 women!) assembling under the many canopied buildings awaiting the Maharaja. Some of our group rode the brightly painted and draped elephants to the top of this high hill while others bounced their way up in crowded and springless jeeps. In the afternoon we continued to explore by first visiting the Jantar Mantar better know as the Observatory. Built between 1728 and 1734 this outdoor “park” is filled with 18 different marble and stone instruments all designed to tell the time as well as the astrological settings. Amazingly, even today they are accurate to within 20 seconds….truly unbelievable! Before leaving for the airport we were treated to a visit of the City Palace, the home of the last remaining queen of the last Maharaja of Rajasthan. She supplements her vast empire by using part of her palace as a museum as well as a venue for special events. One courtyard, for instance, was being staged for a major party or benefit that was to happen that night….oh to have been a fly on the wall and seen the people that would be at that party! The place was so majestic with white clad men all draped in brightly red turbans guarding the palace. We learned later that these men were the direct descendents of previous guards dating back for years….the only way to get such a position was to be born into it.

My trip to Agra and Jaipur will forever be one of those special times in my life and I am most grateful and humbled to have been able to have such a lively adventure!!!

My last two days in India were spent in Mumbai (Bombay!). Located on the banks of the Arabian Sea and sprawling over seven islands linked by causeways and bridges this city is the home to some 17 million people. From double storied slums with small ladders leading to the second story to large and dramatic high-rise apartment buildings that sell for millions of dollars, Bombay, like the rest of India, is a study in contrast. There was much to see in this exciting and busy place: The Gateway of India – an Indo-Saracenic style archway built in 1911 to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary, The hanging gardens of Malabr Hill with an assortment of topiary hedges trimmed into animal shapes, Jain temples, the Victoria Terminus Railway station that sees at least 1 million people in and out of its gates daily, Elephanta Island with a huge stone caved carved into the solid rock with multiple pillars of the various manifestations of Lord Shiva. (There were some 125 steps leading up to the cave….surrounded by “friends” (vendors!!!) selling every trinket known to tourists. There were even sedan chairs available to avoid the steep stairs…but I decided the men would faint if I opted for a chair…so I slowly sweated my way up avoiding buying anything!) One of the most unusual sights I have ever seen was a stop at the “dhobi ghats” the open air laundry where some 5000 men rent a small concrete vat filled with what looked to be very dirty water and bring bundles and bundles of laundry they have collected from across Bombay to be soaped, soaked, boiled and beaten. The next day after being aired, pressed, folded and wrapped the bundles are returned fresh and clean to their owners. What an amazing experience…and what hard work for these men!

I was equally amazed to learn from our guide about the unbelievable service provided by the men known as the “dhabawallahs”. Get this!....The men of India are to be revered and respected and their wives insist on providing hot meals for them at work. And as everyone knows a respected man would NEVER been seen carrying his own lunch to work, nor would be seen eating in a restaurant…so what’s a man…or his wife…to do? Hire a dhabawallah! These uneducated illiterate men come to tens of thousands of homes each morning to pick up special lunch boxes (usually with four layers or tiers) filled with the appropriate food for a hard-working professional man. By train, cart, bus and bicycle these dhabawallahs relay and deliver these boxes to their respective owners in time for lunch. Apparently because of the design of the boxes the lunch is still hot! They return after a short time to retrieve the specially numbered boxes and then return the cleaned boxes to the wives so they can do it again the next day. Apparently the system is flawless…no one ever gets the wrong lunch and it is always on time and always hot! I can think of some business that should take note!

As I read this account I am exhausted…and indeed after my return from Agra I slept 12 hours! That said, my experience is India is like non other I have ever had. I experienced every range of emotion I can imagine. My mind is on overload from the colors and textures and specialness of this exotic place. This world is indeed a richer and more colorful place because of India!

Malaysia,

March 12-13, 2007

Leaving Vietnam we soon arrived in Port Kelang Malaysia, the gateway to the most exotic city of Kuala Lumpur. On the hour ride from the port to the city center we stopped at the famous Blue Dome Mosque to marvel at its beautiful gardens and vast space! The mosque holds over 24,000 people….and its blue dome is spectacular.

Soon we found ourselves in Kuala Lumpur, known as the “Garden City”….aptly named because of its vast open green spaces of luscious parks and outdoor spaces. We enjoyed a visit to the National Monument, designed by Felix de Weldon, who also designed the Iwo Jima Memorial in Washington, DC. And surprise! Surprise! This monument looks amazing similar!

A visit to the Lake Garden gave us a chance to enjoy a colorful and noisy bird Park, a serene Butterfly Garden, and an Orchid Garden…nature at its best.

Whisking past the glorious white Kuala Lumpur Railway Station we marveled at the Moorish design from 1910….what a total contrast to the National Mosque which is adjacent. This very contemporary building, with it’s umbrella-shaped dome summarizes my feelings about KL…old vs. new….tradition vs. new thinking….fascinating!!!!

We became acutely aware of the British influence when we visited the polo fields of the old Royal Selangor Club, St, Mary’s Anglican Church and the former British Secretariat, now known as the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, currently the seat of the Supreme and High Courts.

Without question, the highlight of the day was a visit to the 88 story Petronas Twin Towers. Malaysia is rich in oil and this major company’s headquarters designed by Oscar Pelli is proof enough. Made entirely of stainless steel and glass, the towers soar to the sky in a rather geometric and symbolically Islamic manner. Another example of how architecture can capture the spirit and vibrancy of a culture. Seeing that building was reason enough to come to KL!

My next day was spent in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. Penang comes from the modern Malay name Pulau Pinang, which means “island of the betel nut tree”….the capital city is Georgetown. The island of Penang is connected to the mainland by the Penang Bridge…over five miles long and apparently the fifth longest bridge in the world.

Our adventurous day in Georgetown began with an exhausting climb to the largest Chinese Temple in South East Asia…Kek Lok Si Temple. Since our visit fell just a few days after the end of the Chinese New Year’s celebrations, we were lucky to see the temple bedecked in thousands…and I do mean thousands of colored paper lanterns….yellow and/or red….all hanging above us like a canopy of floating clouds. Couple that sensory overload with the chants of crimson-clad monks and you can imagine the feeling. How spectacular the place must look like at night with each of those lanterns aglow with the small votive candles they protect…it must be beautiful!

From the Chinese temple we visited the Thai Buddhist Temple of the Reclining Buddha…allegedly the fourth largest reclining figure in the world! Surrounding this impressive figure with his gold body and pearl fingers and toes I was fascinated to see the hundreds of small glass-enclosed mausoleum cases holding beautiful urns. The front of each case hosted a photograph of the deceased as well as the birth and death records….and each was protected and blessed by the reclining Buddha….very moving!

Across the street we were lucky to see yet another Buddha…this time the Standing Burmese Buddha. Religion certainly plays a major role in this part of the world and it was interesting to see the contrast of the Muslims in KL and the Buddhist in Georgetown.

A long ride around the island gave us a chance to see the growth of elegant high-rise condos going up all along the beautiful beaches. We enjoyed yet another beautiful butterfly park before stopping at a small fruit stand to sample a variety of local fruits and vegetables…including the famous Betel nut leaf. I was particularly interested in seeing a nutmeg fruit. I never knew that nutmeg had a pulpy and apparently sweet fruit about the size of a large plum surrounding the seed. The seed is encased in a husky skin which is dried and ground into the spice known as mace…and then the left over seed is the actual nutmeg. Some of our group sampled the Dorian fruit…the stinky fruit!....others tasted one of thirty different varieties of bananas that are grown on the island….all in all an interesting stop!

Returning to the ship we passed countless factories where thousands of computer and IT equipment are made. These factories have provided much need jobs for thousands of Malays and contribute to the overall feeling of wealth and prosperity we experienced in this exotic port and country!

Singapore, Republic of Singapore

March 11, 2007

It’s easy to give one word to describe Singapore…CLEAN! What an amazing place. There is virtually no pollution, no trash, no chewing gum on the streets…Clean! Clean! Clean! This cleanliness has indeed become a trademark for this, the smallest country in Southeast Asia. Everywhere you go there are signs…the small red circles with the diagonal bar running through…showing what you may not do and what the fine will be….$500.00 for spitting….$1000.00 for littering….$600.00 for gum….you name it there is a symbol and a fine! There are so many of these signs that the tourist t-shirt shops all have some variety of these symbols printed on the shirt and available for 1 dollah…1 dollah….big size!!!!

My day started with a visit to Chinatown to run through the stalls….with the ever present merchants trying to sell us tourists their junque!...and calling it junque is being kind! While in Chinatown I enjoyed a very passionate lecture about TEA from one of the country’s leading experts and sellers. I learned more about tea in one hour than I ever knew existed and was reminded that when one finds his or her passion it is a good thing. This lovely gentle man is committed to educating the world on the finer properties of tea…he is very convincing.

From Chinatown we ventured to “Little India” for more ethnic shopping. Scattered in among the trinkets and flower stalls were stalls selling CD’s of exotic sounding music. The aromas of the spices from the adjoining restaurants mixed with the smells of fresh fish from the “wet market”….such an exotic experience.

It seems that strong ethnic communities are the norm here. When Mr. Raffles laid the city out in the early 1800’s he provided certain land and sections for the various ethic groups that were migrating to this beautiful part of Asia. Those areas thrive today. It was fascinating to see row after row of colonial styled buildings of shop/homes where the two or three stories house small shops on the lower levels and living facilities on the upper floors. Each of these “malls” were beautifully and intricately colored in many pastel hues with white heavily ornate trim….all falling in the shadows of tall multi-storied modern high rises. Mix in an occasional Chinese Buddhist or Indian Hindu temple and your have a colorful city indeed….a city of dramatic contrasts with an extremely high standard of living ranking 11th in the world. Yet, through all this hustle and bustle of 21st century commerce there still remains an awareness of the past and, because of the “village concept” a nice human scale. It is a lovely place.

Lunch was a given….A steak at the Long Bar of the famous Raffles Hotel!!!! Starting with a Singapore Sling (a virgin one in my case!!!!) and ending with a delightful and tasty steak lunch I was fascinated by this beautiful and historic old landmark of the city. With more than 17 dining venues and countless high-end shops, Raffles is the place to see and be seen. I will always remember sitting in the Long Bar, nibbling on parched peanuts and throwing the shells on the floor as we sipped those tasty drinks under wicker fans slowly moving the humid air….I felt like I was in a movie!

Returning to the ship I marveled at the scores of barges being loaded with containers….yes, Singapore is a busy port… a place to which I will return.

Vietnam,

March 8-9, 2007

Having heard how beautiful Vietnam was, I was anxious to see it first hand and was thus pleased when I saw two stops on our itinerary. I never realized that visiting here would be so emotional and would bring back so many memories of the late 60’s and 70’s. For the two days that I spent in this exciting country I couldn’t help but think of the many anxious moments I spent years ago wondering if I would be sent here to fight what seemed then…and now…to be an unnecessary war.

Our first stop was Na Trang, a lovely fishing and beach village of some 300,000 people. Walking along the seven kilometers of beautiful park that borders the protected sandy beaches, I thought of my friend Louis Valente who was here during the war. I wondered if he had had a chance to enjoy those beautiful beaches. Did the big hustle-bustle boulevard exist when he was here? Did he enjoy some of the same wonderful food I did? As I climbed the 180 steps to the tall white Buddha that over looks the city at the Long Son Pagoda I pictured our soldiers that were here before me, wondering what prayers they offered at the top. Walking across the busy Ha Ra Bridge I marveled at the fisherman that skillfully maneuvered the large round wicker basket boats that they use to get from shore to their anchored colorful fishing boats. I enjoyed the guide explaining that the boats, painted deep royal blue to match the sky with a touch of red for luck. At the Po Nagar Cham Towers, built between the 7th and 12th century I watched Vietnamese Buddhists praying and making offerings including a wedding party with fifty or so women….all fifty of them…all dressed in white silks pants covered with the traditional long over dress…in this case a vivid, almost blinding bright chartreuse green. I have never really liked that particular color and seeing it en masse at this ancient temple did nothing to change my mind. Soon we found ourselves in a small home where skillful women worked in tandem to weave straw mats that they use as sleeping mats. This beautifully crafted weaving is back-breaking and apparently they are only able to weave three such mats a day and sell them for the equivalent of seven dollars a mat. Equally impressive was a visit to an embroidery studio where the ancient art of creating detailed stitching continues. These double-sided pictorials are created with a thread so fine that it is difficult to see and comes in probably 10 values of the same color. How those women were able to thread their needles is beyond me.

Sailing overnight, the next day the shipped docked at Phu My (pronounced Foo May). Leaving early, via air-conditioned bus (it was 95 degrees with 85% humidity) to travel some two hours to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon and still commonly called by that name) I was impressed with the non-stop hustle and bustle of the business. There were thousands of small shacks jammed in beside one another on both sides of the road. Next to a mechanic shop would be a bridal shop (more of the bright chartreuse and some electric hot pink!) next to a Mom and Pop café next to a nursery with intricately shaped topiaries. It was difficult to know when we left one small city and entered another. But with each mile the traffic slightly increased as did the honking and beeping and dodging and weaving in and out of traffic. I learned early on in the trip to look to the sides of the bus and never look forward because my heart would never have stood seeing the thousands of near misses with traffic. It seems that Saigon has some 9 million people….9 million! And, 4 million scooters….all 4 million on the road at once! What a scene! Chaos! That said, after more than 10 hours on the road, we never saw a single accident…so they obviously have some method to that madness. If so many scooters isn’t memorable enough, I will never forget the women on the scooters. It seems that is has become very fashionable for the young Vietnamese women to be as pale skinned as possible...a task not easily accomplished for these dark-skinned people in a part of the world with bright tanning sun. So, how do they accomplish this feat?. They cover up! From head to toe these poor women are bedecked in all manner of garb to keep the sun off. Most have a “coolie” hat with their faces covered in a quilted face mask that Velcros to the back of the head. A scarf tied around the neck protects any spots that might be exposed. Long sleeve shirts are worn over elbow length gloves. Their spiky stilettos are worn over cotton socks. Not an inch of skin is visible…and remember…its 95+ degrees. What we do for vanity? When our guide was asked how he, a single man of 30something, ever saw these women to decide how beautiful they are….with a twinkle in his eye he diplomatically answered that all Vietnamese women are beautiful and to prove it he goes out at night…..once the sun goes down, all that garb comes off!

Saigon is a very busy and lively city. Members of our group said that they would have never recognized Saigon as the same city they had seen five years before. There are modern high-rises going up everywhere. Parks abound. Shops are full and busy. The city pulsates with a life that is very encouraging. Although poverty still exists there seems to be energy to the city that says…Watch out! Here we come!

We passed by the historic buildings such as the Hotel D’Ville, the former city hall. We saw the old Rex Hotel and the Notre Dame Cathedral. We drove past the site of the former US Embassy where we remembered seeing the helicopters air-lifting so many as the city fell. (The original building was destroyed and the US has built a new complex to house the US Consulate….the Embassy, of course, is in Hanoi, the capital city.) We visited the Thien Hau Temple, dedicated to the Goddess Protector of Sailors which dates from the 18th century and where hanging from wires in the ceiling was a grid of spiraled incense. The pattern, the color, the smells…..what a place! My travel group, the Virtuosi Group, arranged for a memorable tour of the former Presidential Palace, now known as Unification Hall. This is the site where in 1975 the tank burst through the gates and South Vietnam surrendered unconditionally to the North. Greeted by a marching band, dancing children dressed in traditional dress, and trays of freshly harvested coconuts we were treated as royalty. After a tour off this impressive building we soon found ourselves in the former conference room where we enjoyed a multi-course luncheon complete with a floor show of traditional music and costume. I couldn’t help but ponder what dignitaries had been in the same room thirty years before.

Returning to the ship, tired and hot, I couldn’t help but be a bit overwhelmed with nostalgia. But, likewise, I was encouraged to know that these beautiful people seem to be thriving and finding their own special place in today’s world. I feel so lucky to have been able to visit such a special place…I would like to come back sometime!

Hong Kong
March 4-6. 2007

What words can you use to describe Hong Kong? Let me try a few: Razzle, Dazzle, Neon, Hustle Bustle, Rolls Royces, Glamour, Shopping, Ferries, High-Rises, Fishing Boats, Lights, Energy, Food, and two more very special words….Jeanne Thornhill!

My good friend in Atlanta, Dick Bunn, put me in touch with his cousin, Jeanne Thonhill who has lived and worked in Hong Kong for over fifteen years! What a dynamic person she is and how generous she was to share her adopted city with me.

The ship pulled into Hong Kong Harbor known as Victoria Harbor around one in the afternoon. The decks were filled with almost everyone on board…each more excited than the other (especially the shoppers!). High rises, both residential and commercial, soared around us so densely packed into the hill sides that it seems unimaginable to live and work there. We learned that there is an average of over 16,000 people living in each square mile of Hong Kong. Compare that with only two people per square mile in Australia and you get some idea of how populated this exciting city is. As usual, Holland American had arranged for us to be berthed in THE spot…at the Harbor City in the Ocean Terminal on the Kowloon side of the city. Hong Kong Island is a short (and very inexpensive) ferry ride across the harbor. It wasn’t long that I found my way to the Marco Polo Hotel where I met Jeanne. It was instant friendship! We walked a couple of blocks to the famous and beautiful Peninsula Hotel where we dodged all the Rolls Royce Limos (there was one bedecked in pink bows and ribbons for a wedding!) where we enjoy a beautiful and delicious High Tea. The scones, cucumber sandwiches and small delicate chocolates set in such an historic space gave Jeanne and me a chance to chat and for me to learn about her exciting life in this exciting city.

For the past 15 years, Jeanne has worked as a personal chef and assistant for a wealthy Chinese man. She apparently thrives on her work. She usually prepares dinner for him and one business associate…sometimes lunch and/or breakfast. An occasional party or special event might also be on her schedule. In addition to her cooking duties, she has some oversight responsibilities on his personal staffs and even helps him with his interiors. She is a busy and talented person. Since he is an extremely busy man, Jeanne never knows from day to day exactly what her schedule will be…but her charming and pleasant demeanor allows her to be flexible and agreeable. My hat is off to her!

After tea, Jeanne and I grabbed the Star Ferry and in about 10 minutes were on the Hong Kong side where we took a taxi to retrieve her car. What a great tour guide Jeanne is. Off we went, with her skillful maneuvering in and out the busy traffic of Hong Kong. She pointed out sight after sight explaining what was going on in various sections of this exciting city. She highlighted her office building where she has a kitchen and does most of her cooking. We continued on enjoying the drive eventually arriving at a very exclusive part of town that looks more like a national park than a busy city known as the Shek-O district. Here, nestled among other large estates I soon found myself in a very contemporary wood and glass house that hovers over the ocean below…one of Jeanne’s employers many homes. My…so beautiful. I have seen nice contemporary houses….and this was one of the best. With one bedroom (there is a guest house with two or three bedrooms!) the house is simply furnished and beautifully appointed. I was particularly impressed with the Japanese bathing area….complete with a huge sauna and dunking tub detailed to the nth degree. So beautiful! Jeanne showed me the Chinese kitchen as well as the Western Kitchen (She prepares only Western food…when Chinese food is requested it is either catered or one of the other staff prepares it). We walked around the infinity pool talking about the special parties they have enjoyed. Apparently, Jeanne’s employer uses this house sparingly….I can’t imagine not living there all the time!

For dinner, we made our way back to the city and found a lovely restaurant overlooking the harbor back to the Kowloon side. Most of the buildings are normally aglow with tons of lights, but since we were there for the very end of the Chinese New Year’s celebration there were even more lights. Jeanne and I chatted and chatted and chatted….what a special evening!

The next morning since Jeanne had a bit of business to attend to I took a long Harbor cruise which gave me a close first hand look at the coast line and the plethora of high-rise structures that ring the harbor. Cramped in among those tall buildings we came upon colorful fishing boats, jammed into a protected part of the harbor….what a contrast.

The afternoon was spent again with Jeanne, this time going high up on the Peak (The highest part of Hong Kong) to the #1 House (as she called it!) to retrieve some special equipment that she needed in the office kitchen. Again, although slightly more traditional, it was a treat to see the beautiful main residence of her boss. Three or four stories, each with a magnificent view of Aberdeen below, again, my breath was taken away with the scope of this beautiful house.

Returning to the office was equally interesting to see where Jeanne actually spends much of her time preparing delicious food for her much respected employer. Very impressive.

Since Jeanne had to work the next day I decided to take an hour’s fast ferry to Macau, an island colonized by Portugal for 400 years. What a contrast to Hong Kong. Although very busy, the pace seemed to be different and far more European in feeling…..mixed with Las Vegas….Macau, is the gambling center of the area and, like Las Vegas is chocker block full of casinos. I visited the recently opened WINN Casino…what a beautiful place…and Yes! I won enough to pay for my day.…great fun!

So, although it has been twenty years since I was in Hong Kong before, I do not intend to let that length of time elapse before I return. It is such an exciting and vivacious city and pulsates with non-stop energy and it was great to enjoy it through the eyes of a “native”….thank you Jeanne!!!!!

The SCRABBLE Nazi

March 1, 2007


In my continued love of “enjoying” the characters on board the ship I am amazed that they just seem to get better and better….like I’ve said so many times before, you just can’t make this stuff up!

On “sea days” at 1PM you will probably find me in the Hudson Room playing SCARBBLE with Jane Young, aka “The SCRABBLE Nazi”. Another SCRABBLE player, Shane, introduced me to her and our initial conversation went something like this:

“Oh hi, Charles” Shane said as I spotted him and Jane playing….”meet Jane Young”. “Jane, this is Charles….you should play with him sometime”

“I don’t play with beginners” Jane snarled!

“Oh, Charles is far from a beginner” Shane came to my defense.

“Well”, Jane retorted, “Do you know these words” referring to some very obscure words she had scribbled on her score pad….words that only someone that sleeps with the SCRABBLE dictionary would ever know

“No!” I replied…”Don’t know those words!”

“Well!” Jane quickly retorted…”If we do ever play and you don’t know those simple words, then there’s no question that I will beat you”. Shane looked at me, almost embarrassed that he had introduced us. I smiled and left letting her enjoy her bravado.

A couple of days later, I found a note awaiting me when I returned to my cabin. Scribbled across the entire letters in a very wobbly hand-writing was a large R.S.V.P. Jane, the SCRABBLE Nazi, was inviting me to play. My first reaction was to write her a note graciously declining her kind invitation. I went to dinner failing to take the note with me. When I returned, I had second thoughts and decided that I would not be intimidated by this crazy old woman…so I tore my original note up and penned a new one agreeing to meet her the next day. The battle was on!

When I arrived at the appointed time, there she was….her own board all set up…plain paper and two pens…it seems that she insists on keeping her own score and her opponent must likewise keep their score.---- I was soon to learn why!!!!! Believe it or not when she saw me, she immediately apologized at her behavior on our previous meeting. I suspect that my friend Shane had told her how soundly I had always beaten him and had convinced her that I was indeed NOT a beginner. I smiled and graciously said something like, “I don’t even know what you are talking about”….right! I knew…and she knew…EXACTLY what we were talking about. The woman had been rude to me and finally realized it.

Well, she went over the rules of how we could use the dictionary to check on words we already had in mind as well as some silly rule that she likes to turn in more than three letters of the same kind and to always try and maintain a board with three vowels….I said, OK…I will play by HER rules! She also informed me that we would only play ONE game since she had to have her nap promptly at two in the afternoon. She drew the letter closest to A and thus was OFF and running….making some big score and beginning her constant chatter about how good she is and about this is a word and that is a word and if I play this or that in that place it will block you and you will never beat me because I know all these words and on and on and on. I was soon to learn that this chatter is one of her techniques…after all who can think with all that nonsense going on. We continued to play….and I held my own. Yes, she beat me…but only by one or two points…I held my own! So, as I got up to leave since she had to go for her nap, she looked up and said “Where do you think you are going!” “Are you a sore loser, or what?” “No”, I said, “it’s time for your nap”. “Nap…like hell” she yelled, not when I can beat someone in SCRABBLE”…I had her attention and we played another game…and again, it was a very very close score.

After a couple of days of playing…and not winning, I got lucky! I had two seven letter words back to back…she was running scared! To her credit, she got busy and at the end of the game we had tied! Amazing that she caught up to me! In our second game, I had another lucky draw and actually beat her…wonder why…two or three times during the game I counted her score realizing that she was adding a point here and a point there….I am convinced that I won that first game although the score didn’t reflect it. I don’t think she is cheating…I just think in her haste to impress me with her big obscure words and her enthusiasm gets in the way of her accounting skills.

I play her again today…and this may be the last of our games. She is impossible. As my friends walk by and see us playing, they stop to say hello and observe….Jane can’t stand it! She snarls something rude to them, embarrassing me. I called her on it the other day telling her that she needed to be nice to people. “Why?” she snapped! “Because”, I said, “God is watching!” She waved me off mumbling something about how an old woman like her didn’t have to take foolish chatter from strangers who know nothing about SCRABBLE. So, I told her...”Maybe, I should take a break from playing….I don’t like the uncomfortable feeling of being around someone so grumpy” “She said, you just don’t like losing” drawing yet another high scoring letter and using yet another unknown word!!!!!!!!

Semarang, (Borobudor) Java, Indonesia
February 28, 2007

Arriving in Semarang, Indonesia, after Bali, was like arriving in a different country. Since Bali is predominately a Buddhist society and Semarang (or Java!) is predominately Muslim the architecture is directly affected…very different….and it seems so is the economy and/or spirit as well.

Where many temples with bamboo or tin roofs dominated the landscape in Bali, tile roofs on mosques adorned with stainless steel “onion” domes were the norm in Java. Too, the number of shanties, the debris on the streets, and the temperament of the people were different too. Bali seems to be more alive than Java. I would like to return to Bali….not so sure about Java!

That said I had a memorable day leaving the ship early to travel via an air-conditioned bus through the Candi residential district on route to the highlands of the interior dotted with numerous volcanoes. About half way through our 60 mile trip we stopped to visit the Ambarawa antique train museum in Bedono. Eventually boarding an old steam engine train for an hour’s ride into the rice fields, I was reminded of when my friend Hugh Latta and I visited Cuba a couple of years ago and took the exact kind of train into the sugar cane fields. What a great way to see the country side up close and personal. As we slowly chugged along, workers would stop to wave….mothers with their cute smiling babies would greet us…and we got an up close personal look into the small, but immaculate homes of these hard-working people. I will always remember one man forever. Knee deep in the muddy rice paddy, using a long sturdy stick for balance, this elderly man would use his bare foot as kind of a shovel heaping mud from the wet soil up onto the “fence” of mud that separated one terrace from the other. With that same foot he would tamp the fresh mud into place creating a strong and tidy barrier to control the water and thus the success of his crop. Slowly, but steadily, the man worked, moving with the rhythm of a dancer. I couldn’t help but ponder what he was thinking as he toiled under the hot sun knowing that he was working to feed his family. His image is certainly etched in my memory.

We eventually arrived at Borobudor –the inspiring temple of Borobudor! As our guide book so aptly described: “The inspiring monument of Borobudor stands unique among other Buddhist temples. Its creation, without the use of modern engineering and technology remains a mystery today. It was built by Buddhist Kings of the Sailendra Dynasty, possibly to enhance the image of Buddhism when Hinduism was growing in strength across the Indonesian archipelago, and for more than 1,000 years it lay hidden under the dense jungle vegetation. According to historical accounts, it would appear that Borobudor may have been deserted soon after its creation, when the Sailendra Dynsty was overthrown by the Hindu Majapahit Empire around AD 850. Borobudor, the largest single monument in the Southern Hemisphere, was then covered by jungle until its re-discovery in 1814 by Sir Stamford Raffles. Over the next century, Borobudor was cleared and the process of restoring the two million pieces of andesite stone began.” We climbed the steep steps to each of the ten terraces which indicate the path to Nirvana. We finally made our way to the final Great Stupa that overlooks the other 72 Stupa, each with a Buddha protected inside. The views were spectacular. I couldn’t help but think what Angkor Wat in Cambodia must be like. Traveling with us was Chris Ranier, a National Geographic photographer who explained that Borobordur was indeed reminiscent of Angkor Wat but pailed in size….I can’t imagine! So I now I must go to Cambodia!

On our return trip we stopped at a quaint coffee house to enjoy some strong Javanese coffee. There, our kind guide scurried up a tree to retrieve a bunch of “dragon’s eye” fruit that we had seen growing all along our route. The natives protect this delicate fruit by weaving loose rattan baskets that they tie onto the branches. The fruit, about the size of a small marble has a thin but fuzzy brown skin. The translucent fruit is deliciously sweet…I can see why the birds would like them…I did too!

So, although I don’t think I will return to Java for a long time, I certainly enjoyed my experience there and am so pleased that I have walked the ancient steps of Borobudor, eaten Dragon’s Eye fruit, and savored Javanese Coffee. I am a lucky man!

Bali, Indonesia
February 26, 2007


I LOVE Bali! I love the people of Bali! I love the temples of Bali! I love the smells of Bali! I love the temples of Bali! I love the food of Bali! I love the temples of Bali! Oh, did I mention the temples of Bali? What a great place.

Since the depths at the dock aren’t deep enough for large ships we had a rather long tender ride….and apparently, for some, a rather rough one, thus we were a bit late for our “VW Safari of Exotic Bali and Mt. Batur” tour. I know, it sounds hokey…but trust me it wasn’t!!! This tour had been billed as an “open-air” ride on local transportation so we were all very surprised when we finally cleared the tenders to find 40…count ‘em!...40 open-air VW Jeep-like vehicles (some called them “things”) awaiting us. Each car had a driver and guide in the front and only two passengers in the back….our own private guide for 8 hours of touring over this exotic island….what fun!

Whisked off to travel through the back roads we passed small living compounds one after another. Since there are some two million people on the small island of Bali and 230 million in all of Indonesia living conditions are fairly dense. It is apparently very common for children to marry and return to the family home with their new partner thus conserving space and being there to assist the elders.
Our enthusiastic guide explained to us that although most of Indonesia is Muslim, Bali is predominately Hindu…particularly Bali-Hindu. Thus each village has at least three large temples. With the wind, the traffic noise, the speed of our driver and after I embarrassingly asked three times for him to explain why three, I finally gave up…assuming they just are covering all bases. He further explained how each family compound had at least one temple…sometimes more….in honor of the spirits departed. Thus as you pass through the crowded streets you see thousands…no hundreds of thousands! …of temples with fancy top pieces, carvings of every imaginable god and deity many draped with sarong like fabric…many in black and white which apparently represents good and evil…the ying and yang of life. Many alters? or temples areas are “protected” with fading small brightly colored and fringed umbrellas. It is all so very colorful and magical and confusing. Although our guide did his best to explain this complex philosophy it was very hard to comprehend and I am sure that most of my explanation is flawed … regardless I found the imagery, the color, and the overall feeling of these dramatic buildings memorable. Couple this dramatic architecture with the varying smells you encounter like the strong sickly sweet smell of the “dorian” fruit (a heavily textured…spiked…café au lait colored fruit) with diesel fumes and other “city” smells and you have an experience that every sense remembers! Equally memorable were the plethora of rice fields….terrace after terrace after terrace. One greener and lusher than the last. What a beautiful crop! Gentle breezes blowing the tall grasses like a slow moving ballet coupled with the creative “scarecrow-like” bamboo poles slightly bent with kite-like colored fabrics and streamers blowing…all of these sounds and sights and smells made for lasting memories

Our first stop was in the gong region. It seems that craftsmen that deal in one area all live in the same part of the city….the gong makers live in the same area…the silversmiths live in the same area…the wood workers congregate, the furniture makers, the horn carvers…area and region after another. My car-mate related it to how our car dealers all seem to be on the same street. The concept must work or they wouldn’t continue to live like this. We watched as these highly skilled craftspeople using the most primitive of tools and conditions were producing beautiful looking (and sounding!) gongs. These gongs are used throughout the country for ceremonial purposes. As much fun as seeing this beautiful work are my memories of visiting this facility are a little more basic. As fate would have it, I needed the toilet! Oh my! Why do I always have to go in the most inopportune places? When I approached the guide asking him if there was a facility available, I could tell by the look on his face that I was in for an experience. Let me just say this about that…listen to your mother and go before you leave the ship or hotel! The other memory is less colorful, but in an almost silly and superficial way summaries the difference in cultures….the family dog greeted the crowd at the door of the compound and like most dogs was aggressively territorial. He started barking and snarling with all his might….to the point that we all backed off and refused to enter….not that he was going to allow us to enter. Finally the elderly craftsman reluctantly tied the aggressive animal to a tether but did nothing to control his barking. The poor animal barked and barked and barked and barked…so loudly and so vivaciously that it made it most uncomfortable for all of us trying to absorb this special place.

We eventually made our way to a very large and obviously important temple where, after we climbed several flights of very tall and uneven steps, we came to the main “courtyard” (since I don’t know the real term for the area) where individual families had erected small temple like structures within the larger context. Again the guide did his best to explain all the intricacies of his cherished belief system. It was curious to see how one family had decorated their temple vastly different from the other and reminded me of our country cemeteries with those plastic flowers…only this time the Indonesians used faded draped fabrics..

As our driver rapidly whisked us through the tight back roads of this colorful place, I soon realized why that type of vehicle had been chosen…a bus would have just never made it. But it certainly gave us a close-up wind-blown (and sun-burned!) experience. Eventually we found our way high up on the mountain ridge overlooking the picturesque Mt. Batur. Still an active volcano, the lava fields from the last major eruption (1970’s???) and the huge crater lake dotted with small villages all made for a most enjoyable vista as we dined on a delicious buffet of Indonesian delicacies.

Sadly, the afternoon was spent going from one craftsman location to the other with the mandatory “shopping” experience. I endured this part of the tour because it was interesting to see how the various craftsmen worked We visited the silversmiths, the wood carvers…amazing!....and the painting factory…oh! The painting factory….the worst example of bad painting I have ever seen….only one step up from a factory that produces those paintings on black velvet. Just terrible! But I did it and I will not let this unfortunate experience damper my enthusiasm for this exciting and exotic place.

I will definitely return to Bali…such a beautiful place so full of rich color and friendly hard-working people! I know there is much more for me to see…to explore and to absorb and I can’t wait to return!