• 2018 - A Year in Numbers

    2018 A Year in Numbers

    Jan 14, 2018 - First event
    Nov 6, 2018 - Last event
    Here is how it all went down in between those two dates. 
    Oh, and 30 states visited of which only 8 states were only driven through. 

  • 2019 - A Year in Numbers

    2019 A Year in Numbers...

    and counting...

    Updated 12/22/19

    First trip January 19, 2019

    Classes taught - 97

    Miles driven to and from destinations (travel upon arrival not calculated) – 15,242 miles

    Miles flown – 41,561 miles

    Miles by train or bus - 705 miles

    Hotels nights – 70

    Nights spent by the grace of friends and family – 55

    Nights spent in the car - 4

    Hikes taken - 15

    Countries visited – 4, Canada, India, Nepal, Japan

    States visited (stopped and did more than just have a meal) – 24, AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, PA, NY, NV, TX, MO, NM, MT, MN, WI, UT, VA, WI, IL, MA, OH, TN, NC, WA

    States driven through – 13, NY, PA, DE, MD, UT, ND, IN, ID, WY, WV, IN, KY, SC

    Last trip completed - December 20, 2019 

  • 2020 - A Year in Numbers

    2020 A Year in Numbers...

    and so it begins...

    Updated 2/19/20

    First trip January 8, 2020

    Classes taught - 9

    Number of events - 4

    Miles driven to and from destinations (travel upon arrival not calculated) – 1,899 miles

    Miles flown –  3,660miles

    Hotels nights – 14

    Nights spent by the grace of friends and family – 7

    Nights spent in the car - 0

    Hikes taken - 1

    Countries visited – 0

    States visited (stopped and did more than just have a meal) – 3 PA, AZ, TN

    States driven through – 1, KY

    Last trip completed -  2/18/20


  • Asia 2012

    Asia 2012

    Since I have been back everyone has asked how the trip was and I hesitate to answer. I am not sure I have a good answer to that. I don't want to complain because I would seem ungrateful. I don't want to overstate because it might be a little gauche. My verdict is sort of out. What I can say is:

    We went to so many different places because I travel in fear of never having the opportunity to go back. I treat my travels as once in a life time experiences that I hope one day I will have the luxury of repeating. It is a blessing to be able to travel and to travel as well as we have. But we have worked so hard to earn the points that has afforded us with so many wonderful trips. That said...
    Bangkok was a hot, weird trip . We got to see some really great monuments with enough time to look around to imagine the history of where we were. But yet, we were rushed from location to location (because of the weird driver we had) I don't think I ever truly got to appreciate the things that we were looking at, at the time it was happening.

    Bangkok was overall not what I expected. It was a lot more congested than I imagined. Not only with the people but all the monuments. It was crazy how many there were and the proximity from one to another.

    Khao Lak was exactly what we wanted, a quiet resort away from the crowds of tourists in Phuket. This is where I was most conflicted on my trip. I love the solitude and did not like it when people showed up at the pool (it only happened once), but yet I always felt like there was something missing. The resort was away from "action" of the city and access to the city was not convenient, which made me feel uneasy. I liked being able to walk across the street to get the things I wanted or to go on an adventure at a whim. Or if we were in the states we always have a car. I brought a book, but it was awful. The walks on the beach were nice but got old...quickly. I think it was because I did not bring a camera on one walk and did not bring a pale on the other walk.

    For the next resort trip, there will be much consideration and re-thinking how I would want to do it.

    Chiang Mai, I don't know if I had expectations for this portion of the trip. All I know is that I wanted to take a class in jewelry making to expand my skills and I was able to meet that goal and in a way that I had hoped for but not expected. This would be the highlight of the my trip.

    In Chiang Mai I was able to find a source for silver beads as I had hoped for, but by then I was had already given up on shopping. So I shopped out of obligation to myself.

    Chiang Mai will also be the place where I made connections with people that I will carry with me for a long time. For this I am grateful and excited for the future. My memories of this enchanted place will be warm.

    By the middle of the trip I was shopped out and I think I had only spent $50. I think at this point I have shopped so much in Asia on my other trips that there was nothing more I really wanted to buy. It was all looking the same. In our daily lives we are no longer accumulating "stuff" so it was hard to buy anything. The fact that it was hard to find a bargain did not help either. And for whatever reason was a little stymied by, well, all of it. I could not make a decision to save my life. Not sure why, but there it was. I was convinced that when I saw that awesome something I would buy it, that never really happened. Much of what I saw I could buy in the US so I gave up.

    Throughout the trip we were blessed with "good" weather. We were only caught in the rain a couple of times, while all other times, when it rained, we were conveniently already traveling in a car or inside. The daily threat of rain was to our advantage as it imposed a lot of appreciated breezes and relief from the heat. (Which we NEVER had in Dubai.) This threat of rain also created an overcast of clouds, thank goodness! So for the most part we were lucky!

    In conclusion Andy and I both got to see and do things that were unexpected; and our lives are fuller because of these experiences. For that I am happy we went to Thailand. Our experiences in Northern Thailand were so rich that I am anxious to go back to explore the things we did not get to do. I think my wanting to make the most of our time created a sense of urgency that sort of took away from trip. But without it, we would have never seen and done as much as we did.

    Returning to the states after almost 3 weeks was a shock to our system and our wallets. It has taken almost 2 weeks for our bodies to get used to eating American food again. But the idea of paying $2 for a bottle of water, this will take a little longer.
    Was it a good trip? You decide...

    Japan

    Long uneventful ride brought us to Japan. First impression, There are a lot of convenience stores.

    Our hotel room was amazingly smaller than the Hong Kong one, but the bathroom was bigger. Yes, that is suppose to be a double bed.

    Suffering from jet lag, the morning came very quickly so we headed to the fish market, which was on every top 10 things to do in Tokyo list. The market was a complex matrix of seafood stalls, groceries and restaurants. I didn't think I would see the day that Andy would agree to have sushi at 11am, but we did have breakfast at about 6:30am. Can't say we completely enjoyed it. (see food blog below for more details.)

    Hotel room or closet?


    Fish. Tiny, little dried fish.


    Fresh edamame.


    Offerings at the fishmarket.


    The entrance. Meiji Shrine

    The recycle bins.


    This man is sweeping the leaves off the gravel. Not really sure why there was not a blower, maybe as to not disturb the tranquility?

    Got to watch a wedding in progress. Made it just in time for this snapshot.

    The temple the Meiji Shrine.


    Wooden plaques that you could purchase to post a prayer.

    We ventured to the subway and navigated through a simple system that well, did not take us where we wanted to go. (Was misguided on the map.) So we hailed a cab to take us to our final destination, the Meiji Shrine. What a beautiful setting in the middle of such a metropolis. I could not help but imagine all of the trees that used to be in this area before the concrete jungle started to take over.

    The caretaking of this facility was amazing. But as the trip continued, this would be a standard everywhere we went. We were so impressed with how clean it was everywhere we went. Even the markets were clean. The strangest thing was how difficult it was to find a trash can. But yet, there was never trash on the ground. When there was a trash can, it was divided for recycling. Amazingly enough, if you inspected the bins, you would find that they were actually orderly. (yes, I looked inside of several!) You know that if it was the US, there would be garbage in the plastic bin and plastic in the paper bin.

    And smoking? Asians are notorious smokers, but we never had smoke in our face. (Unlike Italy, where it was everywhere.) Even on the streets, there were designated smoking areas. And the sidewalks had "no smoking" painted on it. And people actually followed the rules. This was so right it almost felt wrong.

    The Japanese mostly were considerate people. I observed every taxi driver checking the car seat for things we may have left behind. When asking a stranger for directions, they would walk you there, even though it was out of their way AND share their umbrella when it was raining and sacrifice themselves. (Why do I get the feeling that they walk through tourist areas with their heads down, thinking, "oh please don't ask me, oh please, oh please don't ask me, I really have to go somewhere...") It almost felt like they were under some obligation to help any wondering tourist. Even a little boy on the train scooted over and offered me the seat next him. He was about 9 and was traveling alone...there was not adult telling him what to do!

    The housekeeper in the morning saw me carrying the communal iron and board back to its storage in the hall; very quickly grabbed it from my hands and made an apologetic noise. Oh the shock of a guest having to put something away. The chef at tempura restaurant saw Andy pull out a pill and quickly ordered a glass of water for him.


    Another temple. Kanda Myojin Shrine

    We got to see another wedding, this one, up close.


    What is so interesting about a wedding party taking pictures. The dude in bike shorts on the right...

    Walked right up to the temple and did his morning prayers, never mind he just ruined all of the wedding pictures! What was I saying about considerate people? He must not have been Japanese!


    We finally made it to the Palace...too late. ugh.

    Japanese night life. Just like NYC and HK.


    Getting cleansed by the smoke from the incense at yet, another temple. Asakusa Kannon Temple


    The lantern in the middle is HUGE.


    The shopping arcade in front of the temple. I am sure it is extra busy because it was Saturday. Not only with tourists, but also locals.

    The temple and a 5 story pagoda.

    The line for tickets at Tokyo Dome. The game was about 4 hours away. I guess they don't believe in getting pre-tickets?

    This entire scene at Tokyo Dome was impressive for one reason, the Japanese REALLY love their baseball. Like Really. I know here in the US we love our baseball, but I seriously don't think as a nation we love it as much as they do. This was truly a family thing. The diversity of people going to the game was astonishing. There wasn't just the occasional grandma or girlfriend, there was a lot of them. What convinced me that they were more than just going to be supportive of the boy in their lives was the fact that they were seriously decked out in uniforms and mascot colors. And the look on their faces was enthusiasm.

    I get the girlfriend who thinks that she is cute by wearing a jersey, but this was somehow different...


    The most unexpected thing I found was the diversity. Tokyo is much like any other metropolitan city. It seemed as if you can get just about anything you want. No matter where you are from, foreigners could feel right at home. And there was no shortage of foreigners living in Tokyo. How do I know? Nothing like listening to a Pakistani speaking fluent Japanese with an accent; or seeing a Southeast Asian girl holding hands with a Japanese boy.

    Overall Japan was a great place to visit. There were many places that we found amazing but we were more impressed with the people and the society. Much like Dubai, the people were generous, kind and considerate. We never felt like we were imposing nor did we ever get the feeling that we might be taken advantage of as tourists. No one rolled their eyes when we could not communicate our needs, instead they found a way to help. The politeness that is infamous in Japan was apparent everywhere we went. There was not a place that you could get away from it, even at the McDonalds. Despite the modernist of Japan there were many aspects of the Japanese culture that will always be a standard. We will probably never go back to Japan because of the expense, but if we every do we would head outside of the city.

    Thailand

    With such a busy work schedule we did good just to book our hotels before we left. So we took a few hours on the last day in Japan to plan our Thailand trip. Yes, we really waited to the last minute, but you gotta do what you gotta do. With a plan in hand we headed to the airport and we were off to Bangkok.

    On the ride from the airport to the hotel I felt like I was in Vietnam again. The sites felt very familiar.

    After spying the breakfast buffet at the hotel (clearly made for tourists) I felt that it would be best to find something more local. So I took a walkabout around the neighborhood of our hotel on our first morning to look for breakfast. The first thing I found were warm, crispy cups of coconut pudding (for lack of a better description). They were amazing.

    The neighborhood we were in was definitely for tourists. Hookah bars, massage parlors, restaurants advertising Pad Thai noodles, tour offices and laundry services. It was obvious we had to leave the area to find better.

    After the hardship of getting around in Tokyo we decided to investigate hiring a driver. Our first taxi driver was young and humorous so we negotiated a fee and hired him on. We told him to take us to a place that he liked for breakfast, but somehow we never made it there. The first place he took us to was a commercial restaurant which turned out to be closed. To kill time, he took us to the marble temple. It was amazing.

    The marble temple was a prime example of exactly what I wanted to see in Thailand. The traditional architecture was amazing. I could not help but be in awe of the magnificent of the structures. There was so much detail to everything. Nothing was well enough alone. There was always more to the more. I was so excited for the rest of the trip to unfold.


    Wat Benchamabophit, the marble temple

    The ceiling. I don't remember any of the temple "spaces" that were left "plain". Almost every inch of available space was a canvas for some sort of art.


    52 Buddha statues each showing different mudras.

    Brought to you by Pepsi?

    Spode? in Thailand? I checked, it was real. And it was being sold at a sidewalk vendor

    The driver was not very willing to take us to the places we had our list saying that there were too many people there. He stated that he had an idea and wanted to take us somewhere so we went along with it. I am not sure why we agreed to such ideas considering that we had no idea where he was taking us but we did. It is not to say that the hour drive that was taking us past the airport and away from the city was not worrying me. The thought of being kidnapped for ransom kept running through my head, and the Travel Channel show "Locked Up Abroad" was just not going away. I found myself reading all of the highway signs trying get a bearing of where we were going and if it matched what he was saying. When I finally saw a tourist sign pointing to where were "going" I could feel my nerves relaxing.After an hour's drive we arrived, Ayutthaya. Still unsure of the significance of the local our first stop was the king's palace.Unguarded and in the middle of what looked like a park it did not look like much. But I had a look around anyway. There I bumped into two college buddies from NYC and Boston traveling around Thailand for the summer; they had just finished their nap on the park grounds. They told me that they could no longer handle the craziness of Bangkok so they hopped on a train and stopped in Ayutthaya. Thanks to them I was given a little history of the area. It would turn out that this was the capital of Thailand before Bangkok. Huh. This oughta be interesting. They offered me their map and we were off. I wish I had a picture with them.The ride back to Bangkok was the most awkward 3 hours of our entire trip. During our visit to Ayutthaya there was about 30 minutes when we lost each other. Because of a communication gap the driver and Andy got separated from me and well, it would seem that he decided to pull and illegal with the car and got caught by the cops. This did not make him very happy and there was a lot of silence for the entire ride back. As if it was not bad enough, our 1 hour drive turned into an additional 2 hours of stuck in traffic in Bangkok. I wanted to slit my wrists soooo bad. Just when you thought things could not get any worse, at dinner the driver made a full blown pass on me. Like really.It was like a scene out of a bad movie. Before dinner I went to the restroom which was located in the back of the restaurant and was met there by the driver on my way out. There was a squirrelly look in his eyes, but I passed it off. Then he grabbed my arm and said, "Do you like me?" So I pushed him back and said, "sure", and kept walking. then he grabbed my hand, in that funny kind of way, "you like me?" Oh dear gaahhhd. Seriously? Did the driver seriously just propose the unthinkable. Yes, yes he did. Let me just say dinner was a little uncomfortable.So begs the question, what were we thinking when we decided to hire him for the next day? You would have that we were partaking in some those Thai opiates or something. But tomorrow is going to be different. We had a game plan. If he did not take us where we wanted to go we would cut it short.I suppose it all worked out. We went to all the places we wanted to see and got to see things that were not on the list because the driver had his own ideas. So in the end it was all worth it.


    Despite how this all looks, I am still amazed at how new they really are.


    Wat Phra Si Sanphet - This was built to house the remains of kings.


    Wat Mahathat

    This was little on the erie side for me. But cool.

    Scientists taking readings from the statues.

    Everywhere we went there was continuing restoration work.


    As old as this looks, hard to believe that it was built in the 1300's

    141 feet long

    A perspective.

    Notice the people at the end, and this only halfway down.

    The feet. Look at the person at the end.

    There are absolutely no pictures in the world that could ever convey how magnificent this statue really is. Nothing can truly prepare you for the overwhelming feeling that you get when walk into this temple. Of all the things we saw in Thailand this was by far the most impressive. I had no idea that I was capable of being that impressed.
    I was so caught up in the scramble of people who were there trying eek their way in that was completely caught off guard. Between worrying about taking off our shoes and being considerate of others I suddenly found myself inside the temple. And there it was. OMG. The words "holy shit" actually came out of my mouth...oops. Not good in a place of worship.


    Wat Pho


    Wat Pho


    Restoring the mosaics.


    Wat Pho, this was just so pretty.


    Rambutan (a tropical fruit)


    Ruber tree farm. If you look closely you can see the taps.

    Wat Arun, one word, HUGE.

    View from the top of Wat Arun. Throughout the trip there were always clouds threatening to rian. There's some in the distance if you look carefully. "Bangkok" is across the river.

    The scariest descent of the trip. The stone steps were so narrow, my feet barely fit the width. Word to the wise, when climb down, walk pigeon toed!


    The Grand Palace


    To show respect to the king you must wear appropriate clothing, so they loan it to you for a $10 deposit. I was lucky I got a matcing outfit.


    The shear number of structures within the Grand Palace compound was astonishing. if the weather is better I would have spent more time, but the heat was over the top that day and there was little relief from the imposing sun.


    The Rosary Church, view from the public waterboat.


    A view of the city from the top of Wat Ratchanadda

    .


    This is the driver, he followed me up the temple, then asked me to take his picture, but would not smile. Weird. Did I mention, at the next temple he made another pass at me? Andy put an end to that.

    Day 5

    This morning we left the craziness of Bangkok and headed to the beach. The flight to Phuket was yet another cultural experience. It was much like the flight to Disney, except with less white people. It became clear that everyone was going to the beach and could not wait to get there as they all clamored around the gate though their number was not up. I hate that. The extra $10 we paid for a premium seat not only gave us little extra leg room (3") but allowed on the plane first which meant that we were not fighting off the hoards of people. It was interesting to watch the people who pushed to get on the plane first, claim seats that did not belong to them, then get booted from those seats. hmmm. Imagine that.

    We were greeted at the airport by the nicest mini van to date on the trip, making for a nice 1 hour ride to the hotel. The driver was in a very, shall we say, hurry? Wow. I don't know why I was ok with this guy passing around curves on two lane roads. Maybe I have become used to crazy Asian drivers. I do know that had we been in the states I would not have been laughing.

    OMG, the resort is amazing. Pictures can not describe how nice this place was. We were greeted with cold pineapple juice and frozen towels rolled into a ball. I wondered if they would bring those to the pool regularly. We shall see. We were immediately invited to sit down in the lobby to enjoy our drink as the receptionist brought the check-in to us. After which we were taken to our room along the way given a short tour of the property. We learned that the resort had only been open one day after a 1 month hiatus. With only 75 rooms available, they had 7 rooms booked. yeah, we had the whole place to ourselves.

    There was virtually no one on the beach or at the pool, and as nice as it is, it has left me wondering if I really liked this. The quietness is a little eerie and there is a bit of guilt that has also played in my head. All of these people are here for just about 20 people.

    We settled into our room quickly and headed to the beach which lasted about 30 minutes. Waves too rough for Andy so we headed to pool. I think I lasted about an hour. I was already bored. So I headed to the front desk to figure out some activities for the rest of the week.

    We chose not to go to Phuket because there would be too many people and opted for a location that was a little out of the way looking for less of a crowd and quietness. We surely got that and now I am starting to wonder if it was the right decision. The lack of action has already gotten to me. hmmm. What the hell am I suppose to do with myself?... I think we had been here 3 hours.

    This is a family owned resort employing the family including the cousins. You would have never known that it was anything less than a corporate owned hotel. The knowledge that it is family owned made us feel really good about our choice. The resort was opened its doors 10 days before the tsunami hit. Holy cow. Luckily, they built the buildings according to the tsunami standards and it survived. After a few days of walking the shoreline, it was evident that it was the only resort to survive on the strip. And to date, only one was being rebuilt but won't even be open until 2013.

    The resort lobby, there were doors, this was a completely open area.

    The pool, all to ourselves.


    I still can not believe that this was only $46/night and included breakfast!


    View of beach for lunch at the resort.


    The massage cabanas


    I miss these, cold towels. Everywhere we went we were greeted with these.



    Khao Lak City center


    A converted pickup truck, AKA taxi?

    Day 6

    Dear Gaahhhd, has it really only been SIX days??? It feels like a lifetime ago when we left. Not sure what I am going to do with myself for another 10 days of this. Argh. Nothing another massage won't fix.

    Morning massages outdoors do not suck. Being in the low season means that there is only one therapist on staff and thus no couples massage. Life is hard. This therapist was better than the last. She understood a little better on how to assess problems areas but only knew one technique. I like my massages in China better. But not complaining.

    More coconut shakes and another massage completes our day.

    Day 8 - After the storm

    Bike number one, chain was broken. Went back to hotel. Bike number two, hmmm, chain was missing. Third one was a charm. This time the girl waited for me to ride away before leaving the bike area.

    The sun made an appearance today in time for my bike ride. I thought this would be a welcome sight but it made for the most grueling ride. OMG it was hot. I was completely drenched by my first stop which was only about 2.5km away.

    I rode into town looking to book a tour to Phang Nga. But every tour agency was closed. I think they were all napping for lunch. I finally gave up and headed back to the resort.
    Stopping at a convenience store for water and soda, the proprietor asked where I was from. After a brief conversation I ventured to ask if she knew of any tour agencies in the area. Of course she replied, "I have a good friend." Leary of what was to come, I fielded it out. To my surprise this was going to work to out. She arranged for a driver from 8-4pm and a private boat tour for Andy and I, with the stipulation that if Andy could not get on the boat we would be refunded. Yeah.

    Then somehow the conversation turned to the tsunami. She asked if I spoke Thai. (no) Then she told me that I should try to learn a little at time like she learned English. And that she spoke no English until after the tsunami (6 years ago). From there the conversation began the story of how her life changed after the storm. Apparently it was a turning point.
    Before the storm she had only a few close friends, her family was quite poor and her life was about the bubble she lived in. After the storm she lost so many of those friends and family during the storm that she had to reassess her existence. She started opening up and appreciating life around her and all the people that she was missing out on. Now she has so many friends, a thriving business and was happier than she was before the storm.


    A remote fishing village in Phang Nga


    Our long boat, the driver taking a break on shore.


    James Bond island, a great example of a limestone island.


    A crocodile. Made the idea of swimming a little scary...


    So I jumped in...somewhere else...for TWO seconds.


    So cool, we actually went under this island.


    3K year old cave drawing under one of the islands.


    Prawn farm. They were everywhere.


    Wat Sawan Kuha Temple, inside a limestone cave.There are cave
    temples all over Thailand.


    Life in a fishing village...


    May not look like much to us, but people were genuinely happy.


    No this was not lunch...


    Life in a fishing village...

    Does not get more fresh.

    We ate at the same restaurant where the king and queen ate. They posted a picture of the event for all to see.


    Even in a fishing village there is a phone booth. But it was a little out of use. It has been replaced with cell phones and satellites.


    Ther market in Khao Lak.

    A view from the top. Heading north to Chiang Mai.

    We went along with where ever the driver wanted to go to lunch. After a 30 minute ride past prawn farms, rubber tree farms and many villages we finally arrived in a bay where there was a fishing village. We would have never found this place on our own. We were very skeptical upon arrival; it did not look like much. But after a walk over a foot bridge to the end of the docks we were pleasantly surprised to find a waterside restaurant.

    The driver negotiated a feast for us and what a nice job he did. The owner even came over and unshelled all of the crab for us. Then for whatever reason, they brought 4 more crabs. yummy.


    Remnants of a resort, the land is now for sale. (destruction from the tsunami.)


    The only picture I have of an elepant is in the back of a truck. He was getting a bath.


    Need a shrine? There were shrine outlets everywhere.


    Every house and business had one of these in front.


    A little narrow? This is a TWO way road.


    Doctor fish at the fish spa. Our feet were soooo clean.

    We packed it up and headed north for Chiang Mai. A city of over 300 temples. That statistic even surprised our driver (he was young). Our hotel was in the old city, a moated city inside of a city. Sort of interesting. The last time I was in city like this was Avignon, France. What a difference!

    In Chiang Mai we were pleasantly surprised by almost everything. It was drastically different from Bangkok. The people there were nicer, the weather was so much cooler and the massages were HALF the price. Whoohooo. Yup, you got it, a massage everyday for $6!

    Even though we were really templed out we did squeeze in 4 or 5 more. I just couldn't stand the idea of not seeing the sites when the opportunity presented itself. I am glad we did, the temples in Chiang Mai were a little more humble than those in Bangkok. The one fact that had me really perplexed was that these old structures were really only about 750 years old. For all intents and purposes, this is old, but when you compare them to those in Japan, they really weren't. Considering that Bhuddism is older than Christianity? Where are all of the older temples? I think I am going to have to figure that out for the next trip.


    Doi Suthep, the largest temple in Chiang Mai


    You can buy a bell, write you name on it and hang it around the temple for luck.


    Just pretty.


    An "Emerald" Buddha. Not really, it's glass.


    People were encouraged to write a prayer on a shroud that will cover the temple.


    150 steps to the temple.


    Donation boxes, you can choose which temple or project you would like your money to be directed.



    The Silver Temple (Wat Sri Suphan)


    The oldest temple in Chiang Mai, I think it needs a power wash.


    A secret garden. I squeezed my hand through the gate to snap this pix.

    Wang Kum Kam was the capitol before it was moved Chiang Mai due to the numerous floods.This was another unplanned part of our trip. In search of an antique mall, the driver brought us this city, just outside of Chiang Mai. Can we say lost in translation? It was a good mistake. We totally would have missed out on this great adventure. Even though he refused at first, I am glad that the driver decided to come on the tour with us. He ended up being our translator and he had never seen these sights before either. It was so nice to be able to share this experience with him and that he was willing to jump out at every stop to answer all of my inquiries.


    Excavation and renovation.


    A picture of the temple before they excavated.


    Pra that Khao Temple


    There were more than nine sites being excavated.


    Khan Tom Temple


    An umbrella factory.


    They actually make the paper. Mulberry trees for the paper.

    Boiled in vats.

    Beaten to a pulp after boiling.

    Pulp goes into a bath.

    A fine layer of pulp is washed onto a screen.

    The screens are allowed to dry, and the paper is ready.

    Umbrella frames are made.

    Glue is applied to the frames and the paper is placed onto the frames.


    A design is added.


    Fans were made in a similar way.

    Even the rods are cut from bamboo by hand.


    The kitchen and the restaurant all in one.

    ...and this would be the seating for the above restaurant.


    A bead store.

    The view from our bathroom.


    The moat around the city.


    Our driver, he was so cute.


    Went to a silk factory. Larva

    Cacoons

    The cacoons are boiled...


    As the silk is pulled from the cacoons onto a spinner.

    Each cacoon produces 500-900meters of silk.

    The silk is dyed in organic materials, coffee, orange peel, bark, etc.


    The silk is woven in a loom.

    My Food Obsessions

    One of the best things that came from my ethnic upbringing was my exposure to a very wide variety of food. Not only to Vietnamese food but also other cultures. My father considered himself a bit of a gourmand and mother worked with women from all over the world, which exposed her, then in turn exposed us. She loved trying new recipes and different foods. This exposure has allowed me to open to all of the weird food that we see when we travel. For me it is so much fun to try new things (within limits). Despite what you may think, I too have limits and have no desire to become the next Andrew Zimmern. (He does it for the camera; I on the other hand do it for the experience, hoping to find the next great thing.)
    Some of the best adventures during our trip was our hunt for food. Our research took us to many places that would make the rookie traveler cringe, but these would be the best finds. Neighborhood markets that were hard to find that raised even the eyebrows of the locals. We often got perplexed looks from the front desk and drivers when we asked to go to those locations. While there, we turned quite a few heads, but there was always an approving smile when we ate our purchases.
    It was always in these out of the way hard to find places that the best treasures were found.

    At the fish market we found huge variety of fresh and dried seafood, curiously, there were also numerous vendors selling omelets? And there were lines of people buying it for snacks and taking bags home. What could we do but also partake. That was about all we ate. It was a little unexpected. The egg had a spongy consistency, sweet and served with hot mustard. It was not until we had sushi that it occurred to me what it was for. (At least what I was familiar with.) They use it as an ingredient in sushi.

    The freshest sushi can be found at the fish market. I actually got Andy to eat sushi at 10am! We ordered a variety plate and had no idea what 60% of it was. So we closed our eyes and shoved them in. It was indeed fresh, the oysters were some of the best that I have ever had, the fish? It was probably good, but we had a really hard time with it. I jumped into the raw shrimp like it was nobody's business, big mistake. eeks, oh, what it took to get the taste out of my mouth. Then there was the sea urchin. I have heard about this stuff for years and how wonderful it is. Well, there it was, up close and personal; I actually had to talk myself into it. I won't be going back for seconds.

    Yes, it took me 10 minutes to talk myself into eating this one. argh.


    Still hungry after sushi we took in a bowl of ramen on the sidewalk at the market. This food stall was hopping with people. They made one thing for one price, no deviations and the tea was free. They were so busy they ran out of spoons so we sipped from the bowl (just like everyone else who didn't have a spoon.) This was about as simple as it got, two old guys cooking soup, one young guy taking money, and two more guys washing dishes and cleaning the tables as fast as they could. All along a sidewalk. There is a lesson here.



    On recommendation from Amex, we sought out this restaurant, Tonkesanto. When we pulled up were completely unsure this was even a restaurant. I looked through the windows and started walking around looking for the front door only to find out, that was the front door. Thank goodness someone left while were standing outside. Well then. Again there were 2 main dishes on the menu. So we took one of each. (clueless) It was simply breaded pork cutlets (2 different cuts, one with fat, one without) served with rice, miso soup, a pile of finely shredded cabbage (that kept coming) and some condiments that we squeezed over everything. Kudos to Amex.


    Amex did so well for us the first time, we took another try. This time tempura. We really wanted to try all of the Japanese standards. Another winner. Again, all they did was tempura. Several cooking stations throughout the restaurant we sat and watched while the chef, caught dinner out of the tank, killed, butchered, battered and fried our dinner. Even the shrimp were live. Served again with rice, some great condiments, rice and a variety of salts. The head of the shrimps were a particular favorite. The miso soup had a little surprise in it that I have never experienced before.

    This guy was making mini cakes filled with red beans. This smelled soooo good we bought some.
    We each ate one and promptly gave away the rest. I guess we are not red bean cake people.

    An unexpected find, this tiny little restaurant was served udon (Japanese noodles) like Chipotle does. You pick your noodle, then there is a self service bar of fried protein and vegetables for you to choose from; then finally you add broth. Altogether this was a piping hot bowl of goodness.


    Huan Penn, a popular local Northern Thai cuisine restaurant chosen by the hotel owner. Dishes were picked by the driver. I barely know what we had, except, there was a pork, fish, sausage and another pork dish. They both made great suggestions.


    Always on the hunt for meat on a stick. Pork sausage of sorts, with pork fat and lemon grass. Found in all over Bangkok, but this one (coincidentally, our first one) was the best. Found way off the beaten path. $.33 a stick. We went back for seconds.


    I love walking into a restaurant and having absolutely no clue how to order. (not really) Best thing to do, look around, see which dish has been served the most and point! Works out about 8 out of 10 times. This was my second bowl of soup for lunch. Though meals are costing about $1-$1.50, by American standards these are really small meals. Kieu standards, these are reallllllly small meals. Thank god they are cheap.


    We finally made it to lunch where we had our first meal, and of course we had the utmost cliché of Thai meals, Tom Yom Gung. On every self respecting Thai menu in the United States, next to Pad Thai noodle, it could not be anymore expected from the common tourist, but we did not care. And we were so glad we ordered it, as it was the absolute best Tom Yom Gung we had ever had, and even thereafter. Can I just say again how good it was? We can still taste it. For this alone, we would forgive the driver for taking us to such a commercial restaurant and making a stipend at our expense.

    Crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside. They were warm cups of coconut goodness. Sort of like coconut pudding.

    This "restaurant" was literally on the sidewalk outside of a school at the gate. I wondered if they actually lived there as there was a tv with cable (you can see it at the very back of the picture.) The little girl was my waitress, she was so cute and polite; thinking about her still makes me smile. The meal, one of the best of the whole trip. Someone else was having it at another table so I pointed and ordered one.

    Fried pork belly stir fried with mixed vegetables. There was also a yummy fish sauce concoction that everyone sprinkling all over everything. Monkey see, monkey do. It was sooo good. My dinner, $1.


    Street food. Corn was everywhere in Thailand. Boiled or grilled, on or off the cob, dipped in a sugar and salt water.


    Chestnuts roasting, but only in Chinatown. They come from China, so that is the only place you find them in Bangkok? huh. Oh, expensive, but good.

    I didn't know Heinz made more than one ketchup.

    I was told this was a Vietnamese noodle house. Close, but not quite. Still good. Less than $1. But a small bowl. I did not feel like being piggish so I went somewhere else for more food. :)


    Pad Thai noodle from the most popular Pad Thai place in Chiang Mai. No like.


    Last meal in Bangkok. It was a little late (7pm) and the owner was not happy, but she obliged. Stir fried garlic children, basil, rice and a...fried egg? That was one of the best surprises on the trip. I think I am going to start ordering it from now on.


    Perfectly fried basil with pork.

    The restaurant at a Muslim fishing village. We ate where the king AND queen had eaton. The restaurant posted a picture of when they had visited, I think in the 80's. (look above the banister)


    Before...

    After...fruit to cleanse the palate.


    Hanging out at school gates when they let out will always yeild yummy treats. On today's menu, popsicles. $.15. The one he is holding up, cocoa. Other than coconut, I could not identify any other colors so we kept it safe. God forbid we choose incorrectly and got durian.


    Another great meal suggested by Fron (our driver). We told him we would take him to his favorite breakfast. Way out of town, but worth it. Boiled chicken, a bowl of chicken broth, and the rice was cooked the chicken fat skimmed off the top of the broth. I know this meal all too well. I think everyone in Asia has made a version of this dish. (refer to China trip 2)

    I did notice that the driver had a little more on his dish and wondered why I did not get any of the good stuff. (That would be the giblets.) He had not noticed and immediately remedied the situation. Then stated, usually they foreignors don't eat that stuff...to his surprise....

    For whatever reason papya salad made me a little nervous. So I figured the safest thing to do was have the driver pick the restaurant. We made it inside just in time before the downpour! phew.


    Papaya salad. A popular dish in Thailand, ever more popular among the young girls. Low in calories.


    Must be popular, as this guy was cutting buckets of papya.

    Things we saw and did not dare eat


    This looked and smelled soooo good, but we knew better. Raw shrimp from a stall on the streets? Not the safest. Kept walking.


    Larva? all I can say is eeeewwwww.

    More ewwwwww.

    What is Wrong with this Picture????

    We see so many things in our travels. And some of them, we can not help but take a picture for the simple fact that it amuses our quirky sense of humor. It may not make you laugh and it may make you wonder, but it's not about you.


    We found this guy walking the streets of Omo Tesando in Tokyo. Andy was completely impressed that I was able to get this shot discretely. Do not mistake, this really was in Japan, despite the McD's in the background, just a coincidence. I think wrongness of this picture is just obvious. But I need to put my words to it...And you wonder why Americans have a bad rap...Stop doing this crap!


    Translation:
    Thai Trad. Massage $10/hr
    Foot Massage $10/hr
    Oil Body Massage $13.50/hr
    Aloe Vera Body Massage $16.65/hr
    Aroma Body Massage $16.65/hr
    Swedish Body Massage $16.50/hr
    ....
    do you get the picture? BTW, the prices went to half when we got to Northern Thailand.


    Andy was completely amused. This is one of the armed guards the palace. He is on a cell phone and is wearing a mask.



    What is missing from this picture? For us who live in the northeast, hard to believe that this car does not come with heat. According to our driver no cars in Thailand come with heat.


    How much do you love your king or queen. This vendor has a frame for sale. If you can not tell these are easily 10ft tall.



    They take this seriously...

    Attention

    Passengers who would like to take Durian into the aircraft, please contact airline staffs at check-in counter.


    I get the whole praying for a prophecy thing, but put a coin into a flashing machine? It wasn't exactly in the temple, but it might as well have been.


    So there I was sitting at the sales counter making a purchase, when I realized that there were things moving in the jar on the table. Upon inspection....they were serious about this stuff.


    There are at least three things wrong with this picture.


    Ronald does different poses in foreign countries?


    These vending machines were all over Tokyo. The two on the left are drinks, the two on the right are cigarettes. Despite the fact that they are all over the city, I don't think we saw a butt on the ground once.


    My Class in Repousse
    During our trip to Northern Thailand I had the opportunity to take a class. Under advisement of the hotel owner armed with a note written in Thai (also written by her) I headed to the temple to ask if they would be interested in teaching me their craft. To my surprise they said yes.


    I was given a pattern to follow.


    Handmade tools.

    Etch the pattern using a hammer and chasing tools.


    Heating the piece...


    Helps the shoe polish stick.

    Polish.


    My classroom


    Tar is heated...

    Then poured into the piece.


    My classmates


    Detail is added.

    Power polishing.

  • Boondocking My Way to Vegas

    Boondocking to Vegas 2018

    March 2018

    Road Trip 2018

    I would say that I have no idea how this road trip came together but that would be a lie. Despite the randomness of the events, there was some planning. Actually there was a lot of planning, but about 90% of went out the door the night before I was to leave. So here is how it all came together.

    The original plan, drive to Las Vegas via Kansas through Denver. Arrive in time for the Glass Craft & Bead Expo. After the show drive back to Denver, leave car at MIL’s house, fly back to CLE for 2.5weeks. Fly back to DEN for the Rocky Mountain Bead Bazaar, then drive to Kalispell, MT to teach, then finally drive home.

    When it became clear that no one could join me on this drive, I had to turn this into an adventure. Never before have I driven across the country on my own. The furthest solo drive has been a 10 hour drive to Appleton, WI. This started to seem a little daunting. But the more I thought about the freedom of being alone the more it became a challenge.

    Being alone and driving a Toyota Sequoia I potentially had enough space to do a little “car camping”. This way I could idealistically wake up every morning at a trailhead for a hike. The prospects were starting to get me excited. Some time ago I had seen an advertisement for a backseat mattress, I thought it was so cool but had not purpose for it. Now that I had the perfect reason to buy one, I just needed to do the research to make sure it would work. I put Amazon to work. Along with the mattress, I ordered a Sheewee and hot water heating coil that I could plug into the cigarette lighter in the car, neither of which worked and have since been returned.

    When traveling, it is all about the creature comforts, things that make you feel whole and a routine. All of that in mind, I packed my car with a down comforter, sleeping bag, body pillow, an iceless cooler (stocked with proats for breakfast, salads, veggies and egg salad for lunch), bag of snacks to help keep me awake, and a my phone loaded with the complete collection of “How to Speak Mandarin” to occupy my time. The plan was to eat breakfast and lunch on the road and stop for dinners allowing me to optimize my drive time leaving more time for hikes.

    Two days before departure, the car was packed for the show leaving enough room for the backseat mattress and the front seat for the cooler. This gave me a lot of time to think of the little things I did not pack, like toilet paper for the campsites and a jug of water just in case I needed it after a hike. For the most part I had thought of everything.

    After weeks of looking at maps and querying my friends on FB the decision would be to drive through Kansas to Vegas as it was the shortest route. The night before departure we made a last minute decision to go South through Oklahoma which proved to the best decision we could have made because 2 days later there was a snow storm through Kansas. Phew. Additionally, it would turn out that most of the campgrounds in the north would not open until after I reached Vegas.

    Andy and I had found 2 campsites in MO for the first stop. The campsite I would choose would be dependent on how far I could drive on that first day. That was until I started talking to a friend who planted this little seed about spending the night at a Walmart. Apparently this was something her boyfriend had always wanted to do just once in his life, just for fun. And somehow it became a thing in my head. By the end of the conversation I was determined to stay at a Walmart before the end of my trip.

    Though there was an opportunity to be at Walmart that first night I was not compelled to stay after one of their employees confirmed that “only weirdos parked their cars in our lot at night”. Hell to the no. I used the bathroom, brushed my teeth and took off to the campgrounds.

    There is nothing like having other people in my head as I pulled into a pitch dark parking lot at the Mark Twain National Forest. What was I thinking? Am I really doing this? Hey Andy, are you really, really sure I can do this and not get booted? It took about 15 minutes to calm my nerves as I locked the doors, turned off my car and settled in the for the night. Surprisingly I slept well. The thing that had me most worried that night was Andy. I was able to talk to him when I arrived but was never able to regain cellular service to say goodnight. I worried so much that he would be worried about my safety I drove away first thing the next morning to find cell service. I skipped the hike. I would make a better plan for the next night should that be the case again.

    The next stop would be Oklahoma via the Ozarks, what adventures was before me that day I could have never guessed. Stopped at a gas station to brush my teeth, use the facilities, get a cup of hot water for tea and fill up the gas tank. Another stop at Walmart to look for a new hot water coil, another fail. Then there was the quick turn around on the highway somewhere around Branson when I saw a big sign for the “Creation Experience Museum”. Yup, I just had to do it. Morbid curiosity had gotten the best of me. After all, there were replicas of dinosaurs outside of the building!

    I was greeted immediately upon entry, they were very welcoming. The tour being free, there was no turning back. I was able to talk them into giving me the “condensed version” of the guided tour due to the impending storm outside. I told them that I did not want to get back in my car for a four hour drive wet. They agreed that it was a really bad idea; condensed tour it is. Let me just say, “WOW”. To think only 6 years before I thought a friend was pulling my leg when he told me about this group of people. They really do exist. Walking away from this experience I will say this, at least these people seemed respectful and were not judging (at least not openly). They believed in their convictions and were just there to share it. I can respect that, don’t know about the rest of it though.


    It was sort of a dare (mostly to myself) but I couldn't help myself.


    My fearless leader complete with replicas of dinosaurs.

    It had become late in the day by the time I reached the Ozarks for my lunch stop. The hike would not happen. I felt it pertinent to reach the next campground area before dark. It was a little challenging not understanding my surroundings the night before.

    Now that I have had a taste for free overnight parking, it became a challenge. 18 hours in a car will do that to you. Lots and lots of ways to change your current reality. Though I had a campground planned ($25) I thought it would be more fun if I could get away with either a Walmart or perhaps at a casino. I drove to the Walmart for what has become my evening ritual, use the facilities and brush my teeth. Ascertained that the parking lot was way too busy and way too bright for any kind of sleep and left for the casino. At the casino I found where the semi’s and RV’s were parked, consulted with the security guard and joined them for the evening.


    Parking at the Casino

    Getting comfy in my comforter.

    The one thing I noticed driving through Amarillo, TX were the numerous donut shops. What was up with the donuts shops along the highway. This would be my opportunity to stop. I was greeted by the Chinese proprietor who seemed quite pleased to see me that he started to speak to me in Chinese. (I might have answered him, but I had only been through 2 discs!) I ordered my favorite, bavarian cream filled. He threw in a couple of donut holes, one tasted like Koolaid, the other strawberry. I did not finish any of them. (Remember the cheap thrill part?)


    Texacola, OK (OK/TX boarder)

    I felt like I had arrived on the set of Deliverance.

    Arriving in Albuquerque early I found my way to the nearest National Forest, Cibola, where I hoped to hike. On my way to the top of the mountain, I drove by the next intended campground and never turned back. With no signs stating I couldn’t park overnight, I chose a quiet spot in the corner of the lot at the top of Sandia Crest. There I found my first hike, a sunset and an outhouse. What more could a girl want? Actually, running water would have been nice. I opted out of brushing my teeth on this night.My fourth drive across OK, TX and NM to Albuquerque was like the previous three, terribly boring. But this time productive. I was able to finish 2 discs on “How to Speak Mandarin” and discovered that I could only absorb about 45minutes at time before switching to some other form of entertainment.

    Brocolli and greens beans sauteed in garlic with a bite of BBQ made for a great dinner, cold, but good.

    Lounging in my new "recliner". One more reason why I love the extra large center console.

    A sugar treat for the drive, but I feel like I got jipped with the prize.

    At the top of Sandia Crest, NM

    Sunset over Albuquerque, NM

    Yet I couldn't get a good signal. huh.

    Onward to Prescott, AZ to find a dormant volcano, a National Park and another hike on a lava field. Interesting that this would be my third lava field hike in the US, none of which were in Hawaii; who knew?

    Sunset Volcano National Park

    Wupkati National Monument

    Only four hours left to Vegas, I opted to stop in Prescott for the night to stay with my son (free) allowing me to have an easy day heading into the show without the pressure of a schedule. Again, best intentions. What I thought would be a nice night in a real bed turned into a very early morning wake up call by a barking dog in the upstairs apartment. Ugh.

    The best was saved for last, I stopped for a final hike before reaching Vegas. Last minute planning was not helpful at all. What I thought would be a moderate, 4.4mile hike turned into a challenging, 6.5mile hike. The Gold Strike Trail was almost my undoing with a near mishap scaling down a boulder, yipes. But I was rewarded for all my efforts with an oasis at the end of the trail. It was simply beautiful and somehow I was blessed enough to arrive during a lull and had the entire space to myself for about 10 minutes. It was short but you gotta take what you can get during a holiday week. My body would pay for this excursion for the next 2 days.

    Colorado River

    My reward at the end of the hike.

    Yes, this was part of the trail

    There was an electrolyte station provided by a
    private citizen.

    Overall, it was pretty much a cheap thrill both figuratively and literally. With exception of gas, I only spent $37 for the entire trip. $15 went to a truck stop for some of the best St. Louis BBQ I have ever had. (Half a chicken and a rack of ribs would feed me for lunch and dinner until I reached AZ.) $20 begrudgingly went to a National Park. I visited more Walmarts than I care to admit, but they did serve their purpose on more than several occasions. And for some odd reason I felt like I was getting away with something because I never made a purchase.


    Best BBQ in St. Louis. Dinner that became lunch, dinner, lunch, lunch.
    Ribs, yum

    Walmart would not happen until the turnaround from Vegas. Headed to Denver I chose to get a head start on this very long 11 hour leg of the trip by leaving directly after the show. But knowing that it would be dark by the time I arrive at any destination I chose to stop at the most convenient, Cedar City, UT Walmart. My routine would begin again. Use the facilities, brush my teeth, find where all the other RV’s are parked and settle in for the night. Walmart was officially checked off my list, of things I have done for no real good reason except to be able to say I did it.Surprisingly, I only used the bushes twice and two outhouses. There were no showers for 3 days, but I was sure to shower the night before I left and changed my clothes, underwear and socks daily. As hard as I tried I was only about 75% successful at keeping a daily routine. Most importantly I never felt the urge to go to a hotel or veer off course.

    Officially halfway through the trip, I caught a flight home from Denver for a two week break. I will return to Denver armed with experience and an extra pillow for the turn around.

    Look closely, that glowing past the RV is indeed Walmart!

    Morning hike in Utah. No clue where I was, but there was a marked trail.

    I love driving through Utah.

    Salt Wash View Area, Utah

  • Boondocking release 2.0

    Boondocking, release 2.0

    May 2019

    After last year’s epic trip I just had to do it again. It has been an entire year and I longed to be on the road again with just me and sleeping in the nest of my car. Having learned so much on that trip, this was going to an even better trip.  

    Equipped with all of last year’s experiences I was determined to make this a more adventurous and productive trip...so I thought.

    I thought I was so prepared for this trip, but was I? Last year I found myself in the middle of WY needing an oil change. That was NOT going to happen this year. I checked. And having just replaced my car battery a few weeks before, I was totally ready. Then the maintenance light came on. Uggggghhhh. Really? What now? Crap! Tire rotation. At least there was a Costco at a sheduled stop. Dinner, a tire rotation and gas, I should be good right? Then the car would not start. WTH? I JUST replaced the battery. Well, apparently this girl did not tighten the bolts really well and they came loose on the first leg. I was lucky that we were able to figure this out rather painlessly and I was on the road again. Phew!

    By the time it was all said and done I finally pulled into a pitch dark campground, same place as last year. But this year, it was over casted and the moon was not out. That was sort of eerie, it took a little bit to get settled in. I have discovered that first night is always a test. All of the questions start playing in my head, is this memory foam bed going to work out, did I plan properly for weather, did I have enough blankets, pillows, clothes, etc.

    Yes, the memory foam was so much better than the blow-up from last year, until that is,  my butt started sinking, and sinking, and sinking…to ONE side. Note to self, don’t roll the memory foam mattress into thirds, you will rollllll off the side as you sink! Alllll night long. Three position switches later, I finally fell asleep only to wake up the next day with my body and neck completely contorted. Ouch. Good thing I had an electric heating pad! (Yes, it plugs into the cigarette lighter.)

    Refolded the mattress into a double and re-arranged the car I was really ready for the rest of the trip.

    Two Walmart parking lots, later I arrived in Prescott, AZ for my first shower and bed of the trip before heading to the final destination of Las Vegas. Ironically, the A/C was blowing so hard I was colder in this bed than I had been in my car the previous nights. Oy.

    After seven days Vegas for a show, I drove to Denver where my car would be parked at a friend’s house waiting for my return.

    What does it take to prepare for a trip that involves:

    3 events in 3 states
    8 nights on the road
    6,000 driving miles
    3 plane flights
    4 climate changes 
    and 21 classes?

    First you have to first organize it by segment, travels then shows. Then consider the climates, locales of stops and activities. Once all of these things are considered, you can start packing.

    Because I flew back home before finishing the last two legs, I would only prepare kits for the first event (Las Vegas) then the rest when I returned to home. Three lists have to be created (one for each show), all of the equipment gathered and packed so that any equipment that does not cross over is boxed separately and labeled to reduce the need to pack and unpack unnecessarily. That was the easy part. The beauty of driving means all I can easily transport all of the equipment.

    Next comes the physical pack of the car. Having upgraded my sleeping arrangements from a blow up mattress, which failed last year, the theory was that a mattress of some sort would be an upgrade. So I bought what was listed as a twin size memory foam mattress but turned out to be a queen when it arrived (this is what happens when you buy from an auction site). Hmmm. Not wanting to cut the mattress (because it would just be a waste) I chose to roll it. Sigh, see above. Fit the mattress, all of the equipment plus full size cooler and luggage in the car. Good think I have a large SUV.

    It is all about the creature comforts when are on the road. If you are going to travel for any length of time these little things will make or break a trip. Having decided that my truck would be my home for at least 6 days on the road I had to pack all of the things that made me feel like I was home. The sleeping arrangement was first and most important. A down comforter, body pillow and a feather pillow would do the trick. There is nothing like being under a comfy, warm blanket when you wake up in the morning and it is 30 degrees in your room/car. Additionally an electronic lunch pail (mini crockpot) to heat up food, electric mug for hot water for my mornning tea, heating blanket for sore muscles, and lastly electric cooler for homemade meals, because eating out every day is not what it is cut out to be.

    Sustenance on the road is vital when you are driving through large parts of the country where there could be hours between real food. A variety of something salty, crunchy, sweet, protein, fiber, tea and of course a gallon of water is so important. Unfortunately, after day one, I hated everything I had chosen for snacks. Good thing I packed regular food too; Proats, green salads, and egg salad.

    Then there are the just in case something comes up. Of course adequate hiking gear for every possible climate: 3 pairs of shoes for hiking, hiking poles, slip-on traction cleats, 3 jackets – all in different weights, 2 pairs of gloves, 2 hats, a fanny pack, and a backpack for water and camera. Additional incidentals for the ride a bath towel and a bathing suit for the potential swimming whole. A kitchen towel for eating in the car, trash bag for refuse, and invertor for the electric appliances.

    The extra things that people don’t think about. A carabiner for your keys and watch at night so you can hook it in a convenient place near where you sleep. Window shades for extra privacy, this makes me feel like no one can watch me. Invertor for appliances that do not have a cigarette lighter attachment.

    What complicates the pack even more are the multiple climate changes. Starting at 39F when I left home, to 72 in Texas, to 29F in New Mexico, 80F in Nevada then snow in Montana. Oy. In the end I would drive through fog, rain, sleet, snow, wind and sunny days. The worse would be wind, fighting windy conditions for more than 4 hours was horrible on my arms.

    Pack it all up with a little prayer that it will all fit and you are ready to hit the road.

    Things that I learned from the first trip.

    A blow up mattress has a huge possibility of failing, upgrade to a mattress pad of some sort. Single stalled bathrooms are a lot more private, like the ones at Starbucks. Walmart is actually a really good option for overnight parking. There are lots of rest stops around the country that are safe, clean and allow overnight parking. Window shades are a really good thing when you are in a parking lot that is lit up. Leaving later in the day meant that I would be able to just pull in after dark and go right to bed. While allowing me daylight hours to explore a new area or take in a hike.

    What does a typical day look like on the road with me?

    Night routine: Starbucks, brush teeth, wash face. Arrive at parking for the night. Pull clothes for the next day so that it can go in the bedding (to be warm in the morning), change underwear, fill electric mug with water, turn in for the night.

    Morning routine: Turn on car (to get it warmed up), check the weather, dress, go into a Walmart brush my teeth, wash my face, plug in my water heater, prep my tea, pull a Proats out of the cooler for breakfast. Hit the road.

    Day routine: Hit the road and drive for 8-9hours. Take in a hike or go antiquing for the morning all weather dependent. Make a stop where there is something interesting to see. Catch up on the phone with people I have not spoken to in a while or some more recently but still need to converse with. Listen to a lot NPR, I now feel like I know Joshua Johnson intimately. Catch up on all of the current politics I did not know I needed to know. Additional breaks for gas, potty, food and water.

     

    The leg home

    After more than 2 weeks of being away from home I was more than ready to be in my own bed. But no, there would be a 5 day detour back to California for a family emergency before I was finally able to go home.

    Arriving at the airport I quickly discover the flaws of my packing as I am not prepared with any of my "flying" travel accoutrements. My Pre-check id, my noise canceling headset, my carabiner to clip my water bottle on the flight, my instant oatmeal for breakfast, ugh. All of the things that make my life a little less stressful and more comfortable on a long travel day. Ugh.

    I also came to realize how long it had been since I have flown without Pre-check, yearsssss. And how quickly I miss that privilege. So incredibly annoying to not only remove your shoes but take off the sweater I was wearing, remove my laptop and so on. oy. OH, and I got a pat down because there was something suspicious about the collar of my shirt. No there are not collar stays in my collar.  Uggghhhh.

    During the stop overs

    Not only was there the usual business of teaching at the events, along the way there were several amazing hikes, some great antique areas that I will be re-visiting if I do this again next year. I was able to make time to visit many friends along the way, some of whom drove a long way to meet up with me. I was able to take advantage of meeting with people, rather than just a phone call, about opportunities for 2020.  

    The turn around

    In the end I was home for 11 days between the first leg and the turn around leg. After CA I flew home to OH then I flew from OH to CO for the second show in Denver, CO for five days; to Logan, UT for two days just a pit stop; to Kalispell, MT for the third and final event for four days. Finally, I would turn around and go home. When I finally got my car back it was interesting how I felt like I was home again. I never thought I would miss just sitting in my car as I did and that it would bring me so much comfort to be in it.

    In the end I only spent a total of 3 days sleeping in my car, half the number I had planned because of the kindness/insistence of my friends when they found out I was passing through their hometown. Though it was a joy to visit everyone, I do still love the solitude of my car. 

    I was so tired by the time I got home but am grateful for the many opportunities and experiences my job has afforded me. It is quite a charmed life I get to live. 

    An Overview
    White lines indicate flights, dotted are by car and white dots are stops.

  • Boondocking, Part 2

    Boondocking, Part 2 - the return

    May 2018

    Roadtrip Part 2

    I returned to Denver via airplane two weeks later to make my return trip. Five days in Denver, 1 show and 5 classes later, I was off to my next destination. Our original plans no longer in place, I took a break between teaching to spend some much needed days off with friends. How was I so lucky to have friends who were happy to indulge my hiking obsession?

    Two and a half days in the middle of the week between classes would be my weekend. I hung out while other people cooked for me, included me in their family celebration, showed their town to me and the beauty which is Montana. I got to see what it was like to live in a town of 7k people and started reconsidering where my next homestead would be.

    My journey would take me to northern Montana, Kalispell. What a surprise that would be. Having never heard of it, I just assumed it was another small town. How wrong was I? So much bigger than I anticipated. I spent 3 days teaching at Powderhorn Trading which would present another first in my career. Never did I think I would teach at a facility that sold guns and mounted deer heads! Ha. I guess I can now check that off my list. I’m just sorry I didn’t snap any pictures. You will just have to trust me on that fact.

    In a hurry to get home I packed it up and high tailed it out of Kalispell Sunday night after class. I had calculated that if I put in a few hours of driving in that night I would be able to make it home by Wednesday instead of Thursday. With that much time away from home I just wanted to get home. I spent the night at a rest stop, again in my car. By morning I had discovered my beloved backseat mattress had failed overnight. It was no longer staying inflated, argh.

    I took the southern route through Montana for my return to Ohio because of a critical mistake in my planning had a package going to Livingston (my first stop in MT) rather than Kalispell. The goal for the day was to make it past the boarder of Montana and North Dakota and of course with a stop for a hike. Seeing signs regularly for Glendive, MT I was compelled to stop for a little looksy. What a nice surprise.

    Makoshiko State Park in Glendive, MT was much like the nearby Theodore Roosevelt National Park, another hidden gem. This being a last minute stop meant that I would just make an educated guess on the hike. As luck would have it, I picked the most popular hike at the park and got to see the one thing I wanted to see, cap rocks. Which were on the bill boards along the road. Yeah me. AND I chose a day when there were very little visitors. I love having a trail to myself. No one smoking cigarettes, no one being unruly, and definitely no one to get in my way. The lesson from this hike? NEVER start a hike at the top of a hill. Because ending a hike with a climb up really sucks! I do enjoy the reward of a decline after a climb.

    With 17hours left to drive, my next plan was to put in about 10hours so that I could make it home by Wednesday afternoon. Well, you know what they say about best laid plans. Two hours into my drive Tuesday morning I was exhausted and already falling asleep. Up until then I had never had to fight off sleep, not even during part 1. This time I was completely struggling. So I made another unplanned stop in Minneapolis to have lunch with my aunt. Who of course insisted that I stayed the night. This turned out to be the right decision as I completely passed out that night for 9.5hours.

    26 days out of 42 on the road I discovered a few things about myself. I really can spend time alone and like it. As much as I like being with people I am perfectly happy to be by myself. I prefer waking up cold than waking up warm, but I like going to bed warm. I like sleeping in my car and actually missed it the last night on the road when I actually had a bed. It is all about the space that you create for yourself. It has been since my twenties that I have traveled alone, I never realized that I missed it. I am truly excited for the next opportunity to drive across the country alone.

    The stats:

    5,672 miles driven

    18 classes taught

    16 states

    9 Costco’s (it became a thing)

    3 shows

    3 roadside rest stops

    2 National Forest parking lots

    1 Walmart parking lot

    1 casino parking lot

    Weapon of mass destruction.

    The things you see on the road. I got nothing for this one.

    Over looking Paradise Valley in Livingston, MT

    What can I say? I like taking pictures of dead trees.

    My hosts in Livingston, MT.

    Pine Creek Trail
    Livingston, MT


    Makoshika State Park, Glendive, MT
    Kinney Coulee Trail

    Always fun trying to take a selfie alone on a trail.


    Cap stones, created by hundreds/thousands of years of erosion.

    Makoshika State Park, Glendive, MT

    Kinney Coulee Trail

  • China 2010

    China 2010

    My Trip to China

    Aug. 24 - Preparation
    As an opportunity presented itself we made a very quick decision to go China with only 10 days to prepare. With a girlfriend in tow, I scrambled to get together appointments, travel plans, visas, and goals for the trip. At the same time I had to stay focused on the store, having been gone for a week there and about to be gone for 10 days, I needed to get organized first.

    Nothing would be easy during the 10 days before the trip. We had to scramble applications for visas and apply for a rush visa ($275!) and of course I had recently thrown away my extra passport pictures, stating, I won’t be needing these! Ugh. Had to get those replaced. Then there was the 2.5hours we got stuck I the accident on I-271. And of course there was a visit from my evil twin on her way to Chicago. (Wasn’t it so convenient for us to live halfway between NYC and Chicago?) Despite all of these distractions, I remained incredibly calm. This was especially unusual for me. However, this was bound to end.

    Five days before the departure I started to panic. There was only FIVE days left to finish planning and I am going to bed waayyyy too early. So I started pulling late nights, which progressively got later the closer we got to departure. 1am, 2am, 2:30am…3am. Instant messaging China was interesting. I don’t think it occurred to anyone there, that I was 12 hours behind them!

    T-minus 1 day.
    The store schedule was far in advance I actually had to pull a shift the day before departure! But again, I was so calm. My calmness is starting to cause stress. How is that?

    At 4:45pm two more travel buddies arrived to join me on my adventure, Ginny and Marie. I can not believe that despite the fact that I only gave Jean, their mother, 2 hours warning she was able to get it together and arrived in the nick of time. Upon their arrival I was off. (Ginny and Marie are “flat” projects.)

    The half hour packing that I had planned for turned into 2 hours. I still have no idea why it took me so long.

    Sept. 5 - Take off.
    Despite myself, I agreed to arrive at the airport TWO hours before the flight. Ugh. This is so against my travel religion. Final phone calls to husbands, a big hug of excitement, a travel prayer and we were off.

    Part of my preparation for this trip was the mental prep of how to handle the fact that I look like I might be Chinese. That said, I fully anticipate EVERYONE to treat me like I AM Chinese. I don’t know a lick of of Chinese! I can not even say, “I don’t speak Chinese.” !!! This oughta be interesting.

    The flight was pure indication of things to come and I had 15 hours to figure out how I would handle it every time “it” came up. I needed something from the flight attendants and well, they just assumed that I was Chinese and do you think I understood anything they were saying? Note: I’m Vietnamese. Then I asked to have my water bottle filled. You would think this was a simple task right? I got HOT water. Did I ask for hot water? When was the last time you asked to have a water bottle filled and they gave you HOT water? Let me tell you when… when they think you are CHINESE!

    Day 1 - Arrival
    The first scene was of no surprise to me, a sea of people winding through lines to get past immigration. Despite the long lines, they were incredibly efficient and organized, and we got through them quickly. It is also of great delight to report that Ginny and Marie also passed through immigration without incident. At the immigration counter I pulled them out of my passport and asked the officer to stamp them. With a huge smile (wish I had a picture) he acknowledged my request and made it evident that this was not his first time at bat. He did hesitate to stamp Ginny as her head was smaller than the stamp but with a little insisting he was delighted to oblige.

    Arriving in Shanghai I felt a little out of sorts. It was at the airport that I realized how completely unprepared I was for this trip. What was I thinking? That I would just show up and everything would just magically fall into place? That there would be so much English that we would be able to navigate? IT’S ALL CHINESE! Can you believe that? LOL. What to do? I had NO idea how to get where were suppose to go. I understood there is a metro, but it is ALL CHINESE! Did I mention that I don’t read Chinese either?

    I looked around for help. There was the universal information desk. Not too enticing. Then there were the 3 young “college” kids sitting at the Shanghai Expo 2010 volunteer desk. They looked eager, young and like they might just speak a little English. They win.

    So much for the English; but they sure were eager. As we approached they immediately jumped out of their seats and started bowing. I asked them how to get to our hotel and they started scratching their heads, did a little commiserating and decided that we would best take a taxi. They were able to tell us about how much it would cost so that was helpful to know that we could not be scammed though we almost did get scammed.

    While at the desk, a woman abruptly approached us and asked if we needed car. She said she had transportation and would be able to help us. She did not tell me the cost, only that it “may be less” than the taxi. Hmm. The kids were not very happy about her approach and began to argue with her. Then she started getting aggressive… uncomfortable. She prompted us to go to “her” counter; I started to, but my instincts kicked in. I told her that I would be over in a moment and looked to the 3 kids for encouragement…

    Well, the girl, standing in the middle, turned her head slightly away from the woman and ever so slightly started to shake her head while trying to tell me “NO!” with her eyes. Wow. Then she leaned towards me and whispered “taxi cheaper”. On that note we started ignoring the other woman. Our new friends kindly finished giving us the information, handed us a tourist map and firmly said “free”.

    We got off to a good start. There were no tourists in the taxi line which indicated that we were on the right path. Our driver was speedy Gonzalez, which prompted the best line of the night, Deborah, “There are no seat belts in the taxi.” That was simply priceless. Welcome to China Deborah!

    Settled into the hotel and went on a walk at 10:30pm looking for dinner. We found a 24hour fast food chain and paid a premium for 2 bowls of dumpling soup. 18Y=$3 for both of us! Found a bakery, breakfast! Then the find of the night, a massage parlor. Woohoo.

    Nothing like walking into a “massage parlor” at midnight, being greeted by four young, good looking, Chinese girls in short shorts, black nylons and heals! Oh, and their boss, a dude. I decided that we would take the most expensive item on the menu “Oilmassage western style” (not a typo), 68Y=$11.50. It turned into an awesome 50 minute back massage. Best way to end an evening after a very long flight.

    Arrival

    Immigration officer, scrutinizing Deborah. (she does not look like her passport!) This would not be the last time.

    The first thing I encountered in China. Still at the airport, this is "sterilized" water machine. Are they trying to tell me something?

    Our first meal. Dumpling soup at a 24hour fast food joint. I think it cost us $2. I am sure it would make any self-respecting Chinese person cringe, but this is better than any dumpling I have ever had in the US.

    The hotel #1 lobby. Looks snazzy huh? Smoke and mirrors! IF only the rooms were so nice.

    This the opposite wing of our hotel.

    First morning, enjoying a croissant we bought the night before at the local bakery...in my Snuggy! ha. It became quite an asset on the trip.

    Another view of the hotel.


    In front of the Shanghai Railway Station. Look closely, there is a KFC...I would soon find out they are EVERYWHERE!

    Deborah and I were in dispute as to what this was, (I say cow). These funny things were in every car, even the expensive ones!

    Day 2 Subways, trains, and taxi’s

    So much for the 8 hours of sleep I was hoping for. 5:30am. Awake. 4 hours of sleep.

    Best thing heard today. Deborah, “Are you going to take a shower? Did you see the floor in that shower?” (hesitate) Kieu, “you know you can wear those in the shower”, pointing to the hotel slippers provided, which were already on her feet. More hesitation. Kieu, “you know we can eat the croissants we bought last night and you can put the plastic bags they came in on your feet.” I will report that she did consider about the wrapper for a moment but opted for the slippers, then opted out of the shower.
    I left Deborah at the hotel to have her final “western style” breakfast as I took my first walk about to find a mobile service. And true to form, it would not happen without incident. After a walk around an entire city block, I was joyous to find a mobile store (China United Mobile; would not recommend). OH, did I mention the heat? Not sure how I am going to survive the next trip…Dubai.

    While there, as if it was not enough to struggle with communication, a customer came in and started yelling and throwing things around. Literally! Then he pushed the female manager then POLICE showed up, TWO of them! And do you really think the sales girl helping me could stay focused? Oh, boy!
    For my troubles I was rewarded with my second meal in China. I came across a row of street vendors. Yummy hot, fried dough in several flavors, Chinese corn on the cob and fresh, hot soymilk. Total: $1.50.

    Our first subway in China was a rude awakening; there is a security check point. Despite travel within the country we are asked for passports and our bags are put through an x-ray machine. Again, could this happen without incident? Wellll….The officers started searching Deborah’s bag and discovered a OFF! Unsure of why it was not permitted, Deborah struggled to tell them it was bug spray. Somehow I did not think that was the problem. Until one of them pointed to the sign with a line through a flame. Ohhhh, it was an AEROSOL can and was being confiscated for a flammable. Well, then. Knowing how important it was to her, I chugged a bottle of water and proceeded to spray the contents into the water bottle. I got the look of approval from the security officers.

    Next came the fast train; 300+ km/hr. That translates to 185+mi/hr. Yipes. It was the quietest smoothest ride I think I have ever had on a train. $8/one way. Wow.

    Day 3
    Another city another hotel. For the second time we have arrived at a hotel late last night and left to fend for food on the streets. Yippie. As luck would have it there was a street vendor in front of the hotel with a grill and meat on a stick. Woohoo. Nothing like grilled squid. Deborah opted out.
    4 hours sleep again. Not sure what the problem was but I was not tired.

    Our second appointment today was surprisingly two ladies who met us at the hotel to take us to their office. Being in China, to be working with women was a relief. There was little consideration or thought as to how to conduct yourself as to not offend.

    We quickly became friends, as one of them asked about our plans for the evening. Shopping of course. To their delight this was their after work plans too! They proposed we join them for a ‘girls night out’! What a blast. To be shown around by locals who had the same interest as we did was more than we could ask for.

    Dinner was a terrific buffet of all of my favorites, grilled oysters, fresh dumplings, shabu shabu, a tea bar and so much more. Chinese style of course.

    Shopping at the Mall in China proved to be an interesting adventure. This was our first break since arriving in China and we were hopeful to do the “shopping” that we had heard so much about. We were quickly disappointed. All the deals we were hoping for could not be found. This was like any other mall in the US! Wahh? The mall styled just like an American mall, but the store names were mostly ones we had never heard of. There was actually a store with the caption “American styling” under the store name. It looked like a Polo shop (but not Polo to be found). Then there was a store (can not remember the name, it was something French) that had “Paris 1979” under the name. The funny part was, our companions commented on how they thought the whole Paris thing was fraud. But I argued that perhaps they meant Paris, Texas. Funny, even the Chinese know better. Ha!

    Hotel #2, This is by far one of the best hotel rooms I have ever stayed in, and it was $49! wow.

    We were so impressed we took pixtures!

    One thing I learned, get a Japanese owned hotel.

    The bathroom, oh so clean. And equiped with all the best amenities. All the hotels gave up toothbrushes and toothpaste! And not the crapy ones.

    An excavated hillside. This was a very common site. It also seemed so arbitrary too.

    Heading out to a village.

    Which was only 10 min from the sky scrapers.

    A watermelon farm.

    Houses at the village which will propably not be there in 10 years.

    A door store.

    Yup, WalMart! I am going to check it out on the next trip..for sure.

    Dinner with our new vendors. We are holding up purple sweet potatoes. Why? Because I was told just a week before that they came from Japan! I guess they grow them in China too.

    The shopping mall.

    Day 4 – Matazuma’s Revenge

    It was a long arduous night. At about 10pm last evening a monster took over my stomach. I have never felt so much pain. I swear baring a child was easier. At least I knew then that once I pushed out the alien it was over. Last night, there was no end in sight. I remember thinking after fourth visits to the toilet it was over, but at 3am it started coming out top-side. For sure this would be the end of it, right? But nooooo. My body hurt, my head hurt, my stomach hurt. All I wanted to do was upchuck. The thought of travelling again was killing me. We were due to leave again in the morning.

    The hotel helped us arrange a driver for the 2 hour ride to the airport and 3 pit stops. Luckily he was the best driver we could hope for. Not only did he drive in a way that did not make me feel sicker (rare for a foreign driver), but he truly had our best interest in hand, despite his complete lack of English. Everywhere we went he made sure we had our purses, a bottle of water and that we were sticking to the schedule. After all we had to be at the airport for a flight that afternoon.

    For 4 hours we communicated with a dictionary and lots of hand jesters. I learned how to say horse and airport. (don’t ask). It took me 2 hours to effectively ask him his name. Unbelievably it was Andy! OMG was that really possible? (I am sure it is spelled differently.) It took me 15min to tell him he had the same name as my husband! When he finally understood he gave the biggest laugh. ? I wish I had a camera, the look was priceless.
    Just when I thought the worse had passed and I was in the clear, the monster reared his ugly head at the airport. Having not eaten all day because the thought of food was making me sick to my stomach, a major sugar low was kicking in…in the middle of the security line. On the brink of blacking out Deborah pulled out glucose tablets and saved the day.

    Thank gahhhd for a 5 hour delay due to weather which gave me an opportunity to sleeeeeeep…on 3 airport benches. Poor Deborah left to defend me all by herself. The waiting area was a full house and she was getting the dirty looks from people who wanted a seat while her “friend” was slumbering out on THREE! (Sorry Deborah!)
    OMG we finally made it to our next location at 3am! That would be 3 late night hotel arrivals in a row! It was so late we did not even notice how awful the hotel was.

    The front view of Hotel #2.

    The back view of Hotel #2, what a contrast.

    Andy, our taxi driver

    West Lake. It suppose to be famous.

    We only had a few minutes.

    So we drove through, took some pictures and used the WC.

    Inside the temple at West Lake.

    We were very amused by pagodas, so we took pictures of everyone we saw!

    Hanzhou skyline.

    One of maybe 3 clean toilets...that would be a squat toilet. Which most of them were.

    This was at the airport.

    Day 5 – Changing Hotels

    My first full night’s sleep since arriving in China, both Deborah and I got up at 12pm! Upon waking up it became very clear to us this hotel was not going to work. We had to leave and fast. With and exit strategy in hand we made our way to the front desk. And do you think that was as simple as that? I actually had to defend our reasons for leaving the reservation early. And despite the fact that we paid for a penalty of an additional night they were not satisfied to just let us leave. I stayed firm, got my deposit back and finally left.

    Our diligence was rewarded with the much anticipated BEAD SHOPPING, granted it was at 6pm, better than nothing. We had done some research about the Li Wa Plaza and let me just say, they are ALL wrong. I don’t know where these people were, but really? 200 vendors? Not a chance. More like 500! If anyone ever thought Tucson was overwhelming? Tucson has nothing on this place. The only way I could possibly explain it is claustrophobic and fantastic!

    Such a pretty vending machine.

    View front Hotel #3. Notice how far the foliage is from the street.

    Just sort of funny seeing all the trees on top of buildings.

    Back seat of a cab. She was allowed out for good behavior.

    Day 6 – Mou

    Quote of the day, Kieu, “all the Chinese I know I learned from a taxi driver.” I arrived in China knowing 2 words, hello and thank you. This was the most I had ever struggled in a foreign country.

    The vendor visit was most interesting. After a 2 hour drive both Deborah and I had to use the bathroom so we B-lined for the first one we saw. That was when it became clear why there were no lights on in the building. Our hosts hesitated to let use the bathroom then explained that they had NO electricity. It had been storming for the past 12 hours and it would appear that their electricity was knocked out. So Deborah and took turns holding the door cracked open so that we could have a little light in the bathroom. I am sure they were horrified by the situation.

    The meeting was in a hot, steamy conference room with no lights. Eek. Communicating was not much better. It would appear that they could not really speak much English. My liaison (who was the person I had been working with for a year) could speak less English than she could write. And despite the iced tea bottle they gave us, I was dying in the heat and my head was still swimming from being sick. Can we say keep it short and simple!

    In a hurry to get back to shopping we were making every excuse to get out of there. BUT of course they wanted to have lunch. Hard to pass up, so we said if we can get something fast would be best. The response, “KFC?”. I guess that would be quick. Off to the center of town we all went, including the driver. Somewhere in the 5 min. drive they changed to McD’s. Why not, right? We all had McD’s, including the driver. Yes, it tasted the same, but I have never seen those nugget sauces. American sauce (bbq), Italian sauce (I think it was marinara) and Malay sauce (not a clue, did not try).

    Mou informed me that he had a brother who spoke English (and he did, and he spoke English quite well with a British accent to boot!) Throughout our drive when we could not make our point, he would pick up the phone and call his brother. Genius! After a little discussion with his brother Mou choose the shopping area for us. Great choice. We were dropped off at a local gift market. All the tacky Chinese stuff you could ever want. Silk purses, pillow cases, lanterns you hang from the ceiling of restaurants, the list went on. Deborah got her first taste of how cheap things could be in China. Here is also where I found out Americans are stupid!

    Deborah and I were both advised by separate parties to bring one dollar bills to use in the markets. I can not believe I fell for that. But my senses did kick in before we left and I figured out the flaw in that line of reasoning. Of course as idiot Americans we would be more than happy to pay One Dollar for just about anything, like a bottle of water, a key chain or a Coke. Right? Isn’t that what it costs at home? The reality is these things do NOT cost a dollar in other countries. They cost more like a Quarter! Really. So if you carry foreign currency you will make out like a banshee.

    This became very clear in the market. I needed to buy a strap for my camera so I asked how much and the guy said, “One”. I started pulling out 1 Yuan. To which he quickly he then said 5. Huh. Still cheap so I did not resist and paid him. Only later did it occur to me he thought I would give him 1 Dollar! Had I paid the US dollar he would be ahead 1.7 Yuans! ($1=6.7 Yuans)

    There were all kinds of food vendors around but we chose 1879, a German restaurant. (really) Equipped with a German menu; written in German with English subtitles and German beer. The only thing missing were Germans. There were all kinds of German goodies being served up. Kraut, wursts, steins nothing was left to chance. Being the ass that I am, I had to test my theory; did these Chinese waiters speak German? So I asked the waiter who arrived, “Sprechen sie deutsche?” (do you speak German?) The response, “huh?”…I will take that as a No! The food was not bad, it was the most expensive meal we would have during our stay. We shared a steak, potatoes, and vegetables. Dinner was $30.




    Deborah was always amazed as to how much the packed on a bicycle.

    The market

    A lamp store. It was just so pretty.

    Store grand opening. I will have to remember this for the next store. (I thought it was funeral when they were coming up the street.)

    Hotel #4

    Hotel #4

    Never thought this would be an "amenity" in the hotel room.

    They are gas masks!

    Our bowl and utensils were in shrink wrap. huh.

    See the big bowl on the left. That is for rinsing your dishes before you use them! Didn't figure this out til it was too late!

    Fried dumplings. Yummy!

    Fried noodles.

    I snuck in this pix of the table next to us. These were a bunch of teenagers after school. They ordered stewed neckbones and were given gloves to eat them with!

    I was amused by the A/C units.

    The BEAD MALL. ALL of these stores sold beads.

    t

    The food court next to the Bead Mall.

    Yummy.

    I never let Deborah come down this aisle.

    .

    McD's

    Mc D's

    Mou the other taxi driver we liked so much.

    McNugget sauces i have never seen before, Malay, Ital, US

    My typical breakfast. This spoke to my heart.

    Our German Meal

    Snacks!!! Chicken feet??

    Chinese Pringles

    Day 7 – The Massage

    After a long and very rough day of bead shopping I decided to seek out a massage. Upon arriving at the Massage Parlor conveniently located on the 11th floor of our hotel we were quickly greeted by girls whom, by Deborah’s description, “were dressed for a wedding”. We were looking for either a full body massage or shoulders and feet massage. Wow, who knew that would take 15 min. to work out? We should have just walked away. But noooo, onward…to my first “Japanese Massage”, that is code for full body.
    We were led to a shower and asked to take one, so we did. Then while were standing there all wet in our towels, a “sweet” (and I say that loosely), little (literally), Chinese girl (definitely not a woman) started making small talk with us. Unsure why we were still standing there we got impatient after a few questions we started prompting, “massage now?”!!! It took them 45 min. from the time we reached the reception desk to the time we hit the massage table. Yipes. We should have just walked away.
    The little Chinese girl informed us that she was “nomba fiteen” and that she will do our massage along with “nomba too”. So I took one for the team and I took #15 and let Deborah have #2. How do I describe this massage… a bit of a nightmare come to life? This person talked to me like I was a dirty, old white guy. Just imagine in a very high pitched voice and very bad accent, “ah, you hab beautiful skeen”; “you from amerika?”, “where you husbond?”. The only thing she left out was “I love you long time!” OMG! Was she ever going to stop talking to me during my massage? She actually asked me if she could come to work for me! Then there was the constant giggle, hee, hee, hee, hee. Really, like it was in a freaking movie.

    Did I mention her crotch? The massage table was a very low bed and she was short (remember? About 5’) so when she leaned over to do my back she had her crotch practically in my head! Then #15 climbed on the bed and straddled my legs. Then she started whining, as if her voice was not whining enough, about how hungry she was. I just want to know why she has not had “lunch” yet at 9:30 pm???? Then, really, did I really want to know?

    Steamed Dumplings (not bad)


    Soup Dumpling (yes, that is a straw)

    Making of a chop

    Deborah's name in Chinese.

    .

    A chop in progress.

    Day 8 The only thing missing was a bicycle.

    Quote of the day, the person at the information desk at the airport, “What wearing?”. Kieu, “The person I am traveling with is a black women.” That was quite the embarrassed look I got. Ha. But I have to say I loved using Deborah as a marker in China. Talk about no mistaking! Cuz we all know telling someone to look for an Asian woman was not going to work out well in CHINA.

    It was quite a day. We left southern China on a flight back to Shanghai, then there was the 1 hr bus ride between airports to get us much closer to our hotel; from there we were picked by the hotel shuttle for a 15 min. ride; after check in we got into the cab to the subway; then finally the subway to another cab to SHOPPING!
    We found ourselves in tourist central. Nothing but rows and rows of goods for the everyday tourist in China. This would truly test our negotiating skills. And despite all of my best efforts the only thing missing is the one item I have been searching for throughout my trip, a cricket cage! I promised to look for one for a friends school project. It would be quite ironic if I found this in NYC next month.

    For dinner we “found” ourselves at Nanxiang Steamed Dumplings. On my list of must do’s in Shanghai, I was starting to doubt that we would have the time to go. As luck would have it, it was located in the area we were shopping. And just as we were talking about dinner, we literally turned around and it was in front of us! I was smittened when I saw this on “Tony Bourdain’s No Reservations” a few months before. Dinner was one of the most expensive that we had had, and the most disappointing. Fizzle.
    We shopped until we were practically kicked out. This was our last night in China.

    Day 9 – Departure

    Our final hotel was a place that you feared to look too closely. It was a good thing that we were there only long enough to sleep.
    In the morning we were joined by 3 Chinese college students for the airport shuttle. I didn’t think anything of them until one of them said, “You gotta be kidding”, in Perfect English…They were Americans! Ha. One of the first we had met during the entire trip. On the ride I asked where they from. They replied, “Ohio”. Get out of here! OMG, no way. Then I said, “Where?”, “Oh, a small town you probably won’t know where it is.” I insisted, “Where”, “Hudson”. OMG! Deborah and I were so excited. They could not believe we were from Chagrin and Solon! Did I mention the flight attendant on the way to Shanghai was originally from Chagrin Falls? We actually knew the same people! Too funny.

    Final Thoughts

    In comparison, what we saw of China was much like NYC but in a different language; congested, dirty and smelly...just more of it and still under construction. There was an extreme number of new buildings under construction in every city we were in. The number of cranes were astounding. But they were not happening on new property, they were happening on existing property. The government is systematically taking down all villages and single family homes and replacing them with high rises. I am left to wonder about the historical buildings and their destruction. Where will China be in 30 years when there is nothing older then 100 years? How can they destroy history like that?

    You can see where China wants to be by looking at the shopping malls and the "western" styles that are being imitated. But I never came to understand how their society could support the cost of such styles which were driven by "western" prices. If this is the trend for China, average daily wages must change or they will find themselves in debt...much like the financial crisis of the US today. The disparity between social classes seemed great. If it says anything, the cost of using highways (tolls) is far greater than an average person could afford, let alone the price of a car. Even I thought it was too expensive to use. If those were the same prices in the US I would not be able to afford to drive to downtown Cleveland but maybe twice a month.

    There is much more to China than what we saw and I regret not having the time to be more adventurous.

    Overall this was an uneventful trip for me. I really don’t think that I had many expectations for this trip except that I expected to find really cheap stuff. We found some but our time was so consumed with moving from one place to another and between appointments that there was little time to be adventurous. I look forward to leaving the cities on the next trip to see the history that has made China so rich...before it is all destroyed.

    Airplane food when you go overseas is sooo different.

    My lunch in Tokyo, at the airport lounge. Soooo much better than the one in Detriot. We got carrots there!


    More airplane food.

  • China 2011

    China 2011

    March 21, 2011

    Day 1 – Take off

    3.5 days after a seemingly endless road trip home from Santa Fe I am off again to CHINA! A very unsuccessful trip to Tucson this year secured my decision to return to China. This time I am joined by girlfriend Karen and new professional colleague Kevin.

    Karen a seasoned traveler has been almost unsettlingly quiet. She has asked little to no questions and has been completely content with the radio silence in between my trips. Wow. I don’t think I could handle it myself… my travel partner who was doing all the planning took off for weeks and not returning until right before take off?

    Now that we are on our way, it has been brought to my attention that she was enjoying the fact that this was one of the few times that she did not have to do the planning for a vacation. Though this is a nice thought, I have to admit it is freaking me out just a little. I hope she realizes what she is in for.

    Kevin I fear is quite the opposite of Karen. Having never owned a passport Kevin rushed expedited a passport then a Chinese Visa. Timid is an appropriate description for Kevin. For weeks we have been talking about this trip and though he wanted to go, it took a few weeks before he purchased the tickets. The best thing about Kevin joining us is that he is bringing his Chinese- American, college friend, who happens to be living in Beijing. She has agreed to come for 5 days and interpret for us. Bonus. I am so looking forward to her guidance during meal time!

    After 2 delays, one in CLE and one in DTW for almost 2 hours we are on the plane. Karen seated on the aisle, I have the window, Kevin about ten rows back and another Kevin between Karen and I. huh. Who just so happens to be from Flynt, MI, which is the same place our Kevin was from. Double huh.

    My cat nap on the 40 min. flight to DTW was my undoing. Now 11pm, I am showing NO signs tiring. I am sure I will pay for this tomorrow.

    The flight was the perfect time to get in some chick flicks, Eat, Pray Love (completely self-indulgent movie); Julie and Julia (cute); and Smash That Camera (documentary about a paparazzi photographer, not as interesting as it could have been). I also thought it would be to prudent to play the Berlitz language video games and brush up on some Mandarin. (ha, ha, like I had enough Mandarin under my belt to brush up on!)

    Day 1.5 Hong Kong

    We arrived in Hong Kong a little later than I anticipated. It is a good thing that Hong Kong is so much like NYC, late night people. We checked into the hotel, met up with Marie and headed out for dinner. I was ready to hit the streets to get my first meal! As luck would have it, our hotel was a couple of blocks from the Temple Market. One of the more popular street markets with lots and lots of food vendors. Yummy.


    Welcome to Hong Kong! Can this room be any smaller?

    We later found out this was the standard.

    Steamed Pork Buns. I am taking the pix because I hate steamed pork buns!ha.


    The train station in HK. So nice and clean.

    Day 2 Clean!
    Sleep was difficult, I kept dreaming that I had to chase down a guy who stole my luggage. When I caught up to him, I had to beat on him until he finally let go of my bag…ugh.

    Working on less than 4 hours of restless sleep we headed for the train station to Guangzhou.

    This morning we learned that Starbucks in China does not open until 7am!

    Now that it was daylight I finally see what people mean when they say that HK is just like NYC but with a lot of Chinese people. For me the major difference is, HK is much and I do mean much, cleaner. The train station was amazingly clean.

    Day 2.5 Guangzhou

    Guangzhou! So happy to arrive in Guangzhou with to a familiar face! Marie was able to contact the driver we had last on our last trip and arranged for him to pick us up at the train station. I told her to remind him that I was the one who was traveling with the black woman last Fall. He remembered immediately! Ha. ha.

    On our ride to the hotel Marie and Mu talked a lot about my last visit. It was so nice that he remembered it the way I do. Marie liked him too. Unfortunately the hotel that we chose is so close to where we are going that his services would not be needed. Mu felt that we did really well with our hotel pick. I disagreed. I told him that it was not good for him. :)

    It is interesting to me how my view of this city has changed. I think on the last trip I was so busy and concerned with business, getting around, not getting lost, not getting screwed, our schedule and not being sick, that I did not get a chance to look around and enjoy what was here. It has also been interesting to listen to Marie compare the city to other parts of China.

    The hotel was located on an “island” and was an area that frequently by foreigners. Going to our room I was surprised to see that it was only 5 stories high! So unusual for a hotel in China. It felt like everything in China was a high rise, so to be in such a short building was comforting. Walking around the area to look for food we discovered that this area has been preserved from the colonial days. The buildings were very western and there were cobblestone streets and sidewalks. It felt like a quiet neighborhood in France or England but with Chinese food and souvenirs.

    Breakfast was in a corner “café” of stir fried noodles, then there was the late lunch at McD’s! Marie was enjoying the fact that she was around Americans and getting her fill of American food and my other companions were already moving on from the Chinese food. I ate on the streets.


    The Chinese medicine market.

    Look closely, those are dried seahorses.

    Say "Beeeeeaads!"



    Shop after shop of beads.

    Inside the "Bead" mall.

    Shops on the walk to the bead market.

    Day 3 A Long Day

    In the morning we met in the hotel lobby to start our day. Upon Marie’s arrival I noticed that her engagement ring was different from what I saw the night before so I commented. It would appear that the jade center stone (which was beautiful) had popped out! Ugh. For the next hour we searched her room and the hotel. I felt so bad for her. We never found the stone.

    Giving Marie some space to breath, Kevin and I went ahead to do our business. Karen decided to stay behind today to go jogging and relax…at Starbucks! Which was right around the corner. This was her vacation to relax and do whatever she wanted. Her reports from her jog only made me jealous that I did not bring my tennis shoes and workout clothes so that I could do the same.

    Asia is a bit of a peculiar place in that everywhere you go you have to pay in cash. No credit cards no checks. Even the plan tickets are paid in cash. So in an effort to not have to carry that much cash, Kevin had this great idea that we would go to a Chase Bank branch here in China to access our monies since we both had accounts there. That way we did not have to carry so much cash. Well. After 20 minutes of looking for a cab then a 20 minute ride, we arrived at the Chase “office” which …did not do over the counter transactions. The location was so far out and the traffic was starting to get heavy we decided to take the subway which appeared to be under the building…sort of.

    The subway station, though under the building, was a block’s walk underground. All I could think about was that we would not make our rendezvous with Karen. One connection, two trains, 6 stops and 5 blocks later we finally arrived at our meeting point, half an hour late. I felt so bad. I chose Karen as a travel partner on this trip because I did not have to worry about her taking care of herself and occupying her own time. What I learned was that (though she is good about that) she was no different from the rest of us. She was not “alarmed” but funny little thoughts of “what might have happened” did go through her head. “did they get arrested, is someone in trouble…” I don’t know why but I take such delight in this thought. She is just like the rest of us!

    Tonight we went to one of Marie’s favorite restaurants. It was Taiwanese style food. I did not see the difference but went with it. We ordered boiled chicken served at room temperature, something I had been wanting to try since the last trip. This was something my mother makes and it was to my understanding that it was very good in China. The first bite was fantastic, the second was raw. We sent it back. They NUKED it! So much for “room temperature”.


    Liz Taylor died yesterday.

    They actually make a holiday so that you can sweep your ancestors tombs.

    A bucket of LIVE scorpians for sale. Not at the medicine market.

    The crew. Karen, Marie, Kevin and me.

    This one was for the Clinic!

    Funny, Deborah and I have the same pix last year.

    Day 4 The Bank
    Guangzhou to my surprise is a very late rising city. 10 am and most of the shops are still not open and neither are the street restaurants. Breakfast is such a big deal in Asia that I was surprised that most of them were not open. Yesterday Kevin and I found a little soup stand where Kevin had “the BEST wonton soup” of his life. It was quite tasty and cost us $1.10 for the bowl! Today I found a Vietnamese sandwich shop for breakfast. Being an “imported” item my sandwich was $2, yipes that is was just as expensive as the states! It only “looked” like a Vietnamese sandwich.

    The banking issue from yesterday caused us to re-evaluate our situation. In need of money I had Amex wire money overnight for pick up in this morning. On the way to the bank we decided to open a checking account with a Chinese bank.(After some research I was told that it was nearly impossible to open a Chinese account. Having Marie by our side we were confident that we would be successful. Well, I can say with confidence that had it not been with Marie’s help, it would have never happened. I had to fill out my form FOUR times! The first time, I did not use the right pen! The second time, I just an “X” instead of a check mark. The third time, I scribbled out ONE letter at the very end. The wire transfer took 3 tries also, one of which was because I did not write in uppercase block letters! I can see how it is impossible without a native speaker!

    For lunch, McD’s. This time I joined in but of course I had to have the local Chinese McD’s dish, chicken wings. Why have a hamburger? And how were the wings? Dear god, I had no idea McD’s knew what five spice was. Just kill me. My least favorite thing to eat in China and there it was in my McDonald’s chicken wings! Uck.


    Tonight we sat by the water for dinner. Karen had spied an interesting restaurant on one of her jogs around the area. The location was a beautiful and a perfect fit for tourists. The food, well, not so much.


    My companions and their distractions.

    The view at dinner

    Day 5 Final Day
    Today is Marie’s last day with us. We had been shopping for beads since our arrival in Guangzhou. I was mentally exhausted and in need of a break. So today I was determined to finish my business so that we could take the next day off to go touring. With some negotiation we arranged for exchanging money for our purchases and shipping of all of our boxes. Everything was neatly boxed up and on its way home.
    We stopped again at Kevin’s new favorite place to eat and found the area completely packed with patrons. Unlike in the morning.

    Along our walk back to the hotel we did a little shopping. This was when Karen found out that it was not so easy to buy shoes in China for an American. The sizes don’t go up that high. However, by default, I got a great pair of Clarks. Who knew they were knocking off Clarks! $12


    The local food court.


    Fresh noodles being made.


    Dinner!, one of the best of the week. Rice cooked in a clay pot with chicken and veggies.

    Day 6 A Relaxing Day
    Got up at 6am! Uck. I guess my body is limited to 8 hours of sleep!
    Since I was able to finish my business we decided to go to HK a day early. With an afternoon train scheduled we took the morning to relax. And for the first time on the trip I hit up Starbucks. I was surprised that they understood exactly what I wanted. (They spoke Starbuckese!) I did wonder if they found it a little annoying; all the crazy American orders.

    On my way out of Starbucks I bumped into an American with his 11year old son from Indiana. They were in China adopting an infant. Somehow we got into a conversation and he told me that he was traveling with 5 chidren (11-3yrs). I gave him The look and said “..and you’re adopting ANOTHER one?” His answer? “yeah, that’s what we do.” I only have one comment, “huh?”…moving on…

    Starbucks in hand I headed over the foot bridge to find myself some breakfast. This is always the best part of the day for me, looking for food. This morning I discovered that I knew more Mandarin than I thought. We went to the neighborhood across the street to find breakfast. There I found rice crepes, warm soy milk, and a croissant for Karen. While getting my crepes the owner started asking me questions. I had already indicated what I wanted by pointing, but I guess he needed more confirmation. My first reaction was to throw up the “I don’t know shrug.” Before I could shrug, I realized that I totally understood him. He was trying to verify my order. Whoohoo. I got exactly what I wanted. The in flight Berlitz game was working.


    The children in the park.

    We spent the rest of morning on the island. It was Sunday and the island was bustling with school children, couples getting their wedding pictures taken and packs of people working out. Walking through the park we were approached by school children. A boy with his mother approached us and started pushing her son to speak English with us. Hello, how are you? Where are you from? What is your name? This was great! That mother was so smart to get her son to practice his English. We indulged them by asking questions back. What is Your name? What are you studying? How old are you? It was so much fun other children came over and we started quizzing them too.

    A woman going swimming and this guy who was fishing? Both parts of that sentence were just wrong in so many ways.

    This was just down right amusing. Not only is fuhhhreezing out that morning, we just finished a discussion of how we didn't think you could swim there because it was discuuuusting. And then this. Yup, she went in, and yup, that was a styrofoam block she tied to herself with a rope.

    We had no idea where he was taking Nemo.

    There were at least 20 couples having their wedding portraits done in the park. Apparently it is a big deal in China. I completely missed the picture of the bus load of them.

    The park

    So much for Tai Chi in the morning. These people were dancing for their daily excercise.

    Mu came to take us to the train station. With more than a couple of hours to wait we went to Ikea. Let me note here, that Marie did foreworn us about going to Ikea in China on a weekend. Wow. She was not kidding. It was definitely a family outing for the Chinese to go to Ikea. We thought it would be good idea to go to Ikea to have lunch. Wouldn’t it be ironic to have Swedish meatballs in China?...at Ikea? Well, maybe not so much. OMG! The place was crawling with people. I think it took us 10 minutes just to get to the cafeteria, and this was not a particularly large store. When we finally arrived the line was so long we turned around. Now were running short on time.


    When I said it was crawling with people...

    I really meant it.

    This was the line to get into the cafeteria.


    Ikea

    A mad dash to another restaurant, packing our food to go, we RAN to the train station. Phew. By the way, the closed door that says “Restricted Area” over it at the train station is the Chinese way of saying, “Restricted to those who do NOT have a ticket.” I know a little scary to go through a guarded door in a communist country unsure if you are allowed to or not, right?

    Even though we were going to HK, (which is now part of China since 1997), we had to go through immigration. Show passports and everything. Then there was the border patrol somewhere about half through the trip. You could actually see the demarcation and the guards? Really? I wonder how it was Before they were part of China. Scary.

    The Chinese/Hong Kong border.

    Tonight we ended up at the Night Market in HK. It is an outdoor market that is about 3 blocks long where vendors come to sell their goods…to tourists. There were all kinds of things from funny bumper stickers to jade trinkets. It is much like little Italy in NYC; millions of tourists looking for a bargain to bring back to their friends at home. Reflecting on my evening I am realizing that the prices I was given were really cheap. There was little room to negotiate even though I tried my hardest. At the end of the day I got a good deal even though I was only able to negotiate a 20% discount. This is so different from Shanghai, where the prices started 3 times higher than what you end up with If you are a good negotiator.

    I was completely amused by the toilet Pull on the right.

    The cleanest bathroom in HK! had to take a picture. There was even an attendant. I thought I was Dubai again.

    I think my bathroom on the cruise was bigger.

    How small is that room again?

    Just in case I did not illustrate well enough...I am laying across BOTH beds. The wall to the right is the wall to the bathroom!


    Day 7 “We are not in the US”

    Today Karen and I decided to take the day off to go see the sites. We headed for Tian Tan Buddha (aka The Big Buddha) and The Peak. To get there and back required a train, a cable car, a bus and a taxi. As we headed to the Big Buddha (I hate that name btw…) Karen mentioned that there was a cable car, which I completely poopoo’ed. Really? I started flashing back to Paris and that ridiculous funicular at the Sacre Coeur. I was absolutely out. Then there was the other flash back of the largest Buddha outside of Asia in Hawaii… my only comment, “That’s it?”

    Then we arrived at the base of the mountain. So much for that hill I had envisioned in my little brain. My mind was changed immediately; cable car with a glass bottom it is! We waited for almost an hour to get our tickets and finally onto to the cable car. To our delight we were joined by an American executive living in HK who was acting as tour guides for some British colleagues. This was a great bonus as we too got the guided tour from someone who had been there numerous times.
    The scenery from the cable car was spectacular. We could see the airport in the distance and was able to get a really good idea as to how big that airport really is. Then there was the wooden foot path, which we were told would take a leisurely hiker 2.5 hours to walk. If only I had brought hiking shoes, it looked so cool. Then there were the occasional ancient grave sites.

    The footpath over the mountain to the temple.


    Peace out!

    Glass bottom. And yes, those are my new shoes that will probably never see light again.

    Almost there.

    Look closely, that is grave site. View from the cable car.

    A short walk through the village and a “park” brought us to the base of the Buddha. Wow, it was HUGE. The one in Hawaii paled in comparison. I was so impressed I could hardly stand it. 268 steps up the granite staircase we were finally at the Buddha, and I will never do the hike over the mountain on the foot path! Eek. I was glad that though I was with an avid runner, Karen was out of breath too!
    We acquired meal tickets by making a “donation” to the temple which also gave us access to the shrine inside of the Buddha. Inside we viewed old scriptures written in blood! A relic and memorials of people who had passed. It was so peaceful.

    On our way to the temple for our lunch, Karen discovered that she had lost our meal ticket. I was not concerned. I thought for sure we would find it, but if we did not, it was for a good cause so I would not mind buying another ticket. I approached the ticket office and proceeded to tell them of our woes. The ticket girl asked, “Did you buy the ticket here?” (as in this counter) “Yes, I buy from you.” “Did you buy from me or her?” (pointing to another ticket girl who was not there earlier. “Yes, I bought it from you, here.” (pointing to her and her desk.) “Which meal did you buy?” “The standard” “You buy here?” “Yes!”…then she turned, grabbed a ticket next to her and handed it to me. Unbelievable! It was our ticket. Someone had turned it in. Karen’s response, “we are not in the US.”

    Lunch was one of the best meals we had had the entire trip. 5 courses, all vegetarian served in a very busy hall. Karen pointed out that we were the there were no Caucasian tourists having lunch. That was so disappointing to me. But it does please me that she noticed and that she had joined me.

    How big was the Big Buddha...It was this big.

    An entire store of Chopsticks. There were Sterling Silver chopsticks too.


    Actually, it was this big.

    The red sign points to the US, about 15k miles away.

    I guess you should have a little something for everyone. Notice the cowboy hat mixed in.

    This was my effort in taking a pix with the Buddha and our Starbucks.

    Up the steps

    Down the steps

    I thought this was almost sad. The sound construction in such a tranquil place. It was so displaced, like the crane in the background.

    Inside the temple.


    Keep your eye on the base of the hill...


    ...a graveyard...

    ...in tiers along the hillside.

    Day 8 Lights out

    Today we planned to do a little more shopping for beads; then more shopping. Karen was having suits custom made while we were there so we headed to her final fitting. In Hong Kong there are dozens of tailors who could custom make a suit in a couple of days. One of Karen’s goals for the trip was to find clothing for work. Until the plan ride over she had no idea it was possible to have suits made within budget and during our stay. Our flight companion had pointed us in the right direction and we were able to find a shop that was able to accommodate Karen’s needs. I was jealous that I did not have a need for the suit.

    This is Patrick, he was from Africa. He saw us walking through the hallways of an office buildling and invited us in for a look. There were stock piles (like the one behind him) of uncut stones. The two behind him were moonstone and tiger eye.

    Then Patrick asked if we wanted to see the back room. duh. That would be a mound of Kunzite on the left, and Tourmaline on the other tables. oooh.

    The hallways were lined with "offices" that looked like this inside. Piles of raw gems and minerals.

    Looooaaads of pearrlllls. oh, and Karen.

    Getting fitted for her custom made suits.


    Karen picking out her fabrics.

    It was like Xmas, the suits were delivered to the hotel for her.


    A happy customer.

    They even embroidered her name on the inside of the jackets.

    On our walk back to the hotel tonight I met my match. A light pole. OMG, I hit that pole so hard I thought I knocked out my teeth. So there we were walking and talking along the sidewalk. And at some point I turned my head to say something to Kevin…Boink! I hit the side of my face, bounced backwards and proceeded to hit my crotch too! I hit it so hard, my ears were ringing and the top of my head was immediately pounding. I almost landed on the ground but caught myself. Catching my breath on the ground I started checking my teeth for chipping. Karen saw it in slow motion, freaked her ought enough that she thought I knocked my eye out of its socket. Ouch!

    We continued our shopping trek working our way through the markets. Hong Kong is the knock off mecca. It felt much like Canal Street in lower Manhattan. And just like in NYC, Karen and Kevin (the white people) were approached by whispers of “gucci, chanel, fendi”. Whereas I was not. Funny how they look like they might be interested in such things, but I did not?


    Always this busy and everywhere.

    Streets of HK.


    That would be a mosque in HK. I don't know why, but I totally did not expect that.

    Dinner on the streets. Yes, that is a dish of mini conchs. Karen is having soy noodles, Kevin...General Tao's chicken.
    Outdoor eating.
    The buffet.

    Day 9 The Peak

    This was our last day in HK and I wanted to see as much as I could. We headed across the water to Hong Kong Island to the Peak. An 8 minute ferry ride for $.50 took us across the water where we would pick up a $2 bus ride to the top of the mountain. $5 gave us entry to the escalator to the top of a viewing platform. Still overcastted! It was probably the worst day of the trip to go to the Peak. We had to imagine what it could have looked like. The view did give us a good idea of how dense Hong Kong is.

    From the Peak we wanted to go to Stanley Market which was on the other side of the mountain. So in my mind I’m thinking there must be a bus that would take us there right? Oh, but no. We had to take the tram to the bottom (where we had started) then take a bus around the mountain. Ugh. So we hired a taxi for an extra $7 (between us) to take us directly to Stanley Market.

    Stanley Market was listed as a must see in Hong Kong. That was why we went and well, Karen and I disagree. It was more of what we had already been experiencing. The difference was that it was by the beach. This was a coastal community settled by the Brits and there were plenty of reminders of their presence. Pubs, fish and chips and beer. We opted for a Chinese lunch.

    Despite my best efforts to get multiple massages on this trip it would be. So tonight was determined to get a massage to prepare for the long flight home. I found a little place near the markets and the price was right. They were all so nice and eager to the job. I told them that I wanted a very hard massage and that it needed to be at least an hour. No problem. That is until she got to my legs at which point this non-English speaking girl said, “need more time.” “You do a lot of shopping. I feel it here.” That would be around my aching knees. One and half hours later I was relaxed and soar. She took the hard massage to heart.


    The Chinese like their basketball!

    This was above the bus driver. It says:

    NOTICE, It is an offence in the law for a passenger to talk to a driver.

    I guess we won't be asking for directions...

    Overcast view of Hong Kong Island from Kowloon, where we were staying.


    View of HK from the Peak


    Couldn't talk Karen into joining me. Grilled, dried cuttlefish.


    That's the grill.

    Then it goes into the press. = Yummie.


    Swarovski, couldn't help myself.

    Wind!

    at the Peak, HK island

    More Wind!

    Stanley Market area.

    The kitchen was in the middle of the restaurant.

    A companion at our table.

    Entry to the restaurant.

    This pix was taken inside of the bus. This is how close we were the BILL BOARD!

    Mochi stand. (Japanese style ice cream)

    Kevin's obsession wtih "I" everything.

    Day 10 Departure

    Another early morning we headed for the airport. Our connection in Tokyo was an interesting one. Again we found ourselves delayed due to mechanical issues. ( I say better delayed than to find yourself in the middle of the ocean.) Upon this news a very ugly, irate American got out of his seat and proceeded to berate a flight attendant. Really? The problems were so bad that we had to switch plans. So during our de-boarding, we could here this ass yelling all the way out. And of course he was already at the counter yelling at the counter people by the time we made it off.
    By the time we were on the second plane he was amazingly quiet. The flight attendant informed me that they had a little talk with him. Hmmm. Did you know it was illegal to insight people on a plane?

    At immigration entering the US I learned that not everyone knows that Hong Kong is part of China. When filling out your re-entry form to the US, you are asked the questions, which countries did you visit. I answered, “China.” When the immigration officer asked me I mentioned that I also went to Hong Kong, but since HK was part of China I did not write it down…right? His answer, we’re not really sure either, so I will go ahead and write here for you.

    Final Thoughts

    China the second time around was much better than the first. I saw things in a completely different light and actually look forward to another trip when I can take out more time to go to the outskirts. I am sad that Deborah did not get to experience some of the things that Karen and I did. A few things did not get any better, like squat toilets and carrying your own toilet paper. Hand wipes is also a staple along with bottled water. As for the food, I can not say that I love Chinese food, but this was definitely the better trip then the last. I still hate five spice!
    Hong Kong is much like NYC with all of the tourist traps included. Even though you make the effort to take the road less traveled there is seems to be little disparity between the neighborhoods. It was all “local” mixed with the tourist stuff. HK was also much more expensive than mainland China. There are also far more English speaking people there and getting around is not only easy but cheap.
    I am unsure that I would find a need to return to HK for anything more than business. For me it was too much like NYC. I can not say that I truly enjoy NYC. Once you have seen the sites do you really need to see it again? There are many other places I would much rather see.

  • China 2018

    Sept 5, 2018

    About My Journey

    People ask me all the time what it’s like to go to China so I thought I would approach it a little differently with this blog and share aspects that made this trip so memorable with the hopes that it will give you a little insight through my eyes. Perhaps one day you will join me on this crazy adventure I call life.

    For me, China is sort of like a love hate relationship. I hate it as much as I have love it. The trip is long and arduous, communication in all forms is challenging and for the most part, I don’t love the food. (Let it be known I prefer Americanized Chinese food. I do realize that makes me the epitome of an American.) Once I am there, there are many things that are really great. I have seen and experienced things I will never be able to anywhere else in the world and my trips continue to expand my view of the world outside of my bubble, good and bad.


    Outside The Forbidden City. Hard to believe we are standing next to a major boulevard.

    Sculptures made from broken porcelain.

    This is the first monk I have ever seen in China. Seems strange.


    he most beautiful day

    My goal for this trip was to visit the Great Wall of China to check off another bucket list item. And though our plans were loose, somehow we chose the absolute most beautiful day. This day the weather was the best it had been since we arrived. we were given a little reprieve from the heat and humidity with clouds and an amazing breeze. It was like mother nature was giving us a little kiss everytime the breeze kicked in.

    From Beijing there are many places where the wall is open to the public, the most popular places are the ones closest to the city. Even before the experience at the Forbidden City, I knew that the site I wanted to visit to be further away where there are still original, non-reconstructed Wall. This pick would put us 2 hours out of the Beijing where the tourists were sparse and the sites were amazing. I can not imagine a better location for our trek.

    Arriving on the site and seeing the Wall up close was one of the most overwhelming experiences of my life. The Great Wall was more than I could have ever imagined. Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. My breath was literally taken away and I almost started crying. I can not even begin to describe what it was like; I am unclear I even know how. People say you can not understand the Grand Canyon until you are actually standing at the edge and looking down into it. Having been to the Grand Canyon I would agree with that statement. And the experience at the Wall was similar but in a bigger way. Perhaps it is because at the GC you CAN get a sense of how big it is. Whereas the Wall was absolutely Unbelievably large. Looking in both directions as far as the eye can see is about 12miles (so they say). And standing there imagining FIVE THOUSAND MILES! Mind blown.

    The Great Wall of China was more than anything I had ever hoped for. A once in a lifetime experience. Check!


    Guard Tower

    Not everything was renovated.

    Miles of "trails" being built in anticipation of tourists.

    A billboard ad for new development next to the Wall. You too can live in luxury next to a historic site.

    Many of guard towers were occupied by locals selling drinks, snacks and souveniers. They would make the trek everyday carrying much of their goods in a backpacks.


    The first Praying Mantis I have ever seen in the wild! He played nice and stood still for this picture.

    A Perspective

    This trip would prove to be different from my previous travels as I gained a new perspective on so many things. My travel companions would show me that perspective. Enjoying my surroundings in a different manner than I have before. Taking more time out to just sit and to be in our space but with a drink became something that I would actually enjoy. As much as we had a schedule, I was relieved to know that we did not have to fill every waking minute. Despite the schedule we were not obligated to fulfill every aspect of it. Mind blown!

    Interactions with locals is another reason why I travel. From these interactions I continue to gain more insight to the world beyond what is reported on the news and what we see on the internet. It is in these conversations that things come to life and are real. Some of the most memorable conversations were with our translators. Jocelyn who seemed as interested in us as we were in her and was completely star struck when she found out that she had met someone who worked for NASA (Emily), that she squeeled in delight, truly. She was so impressed, saying that she had never met anyone from NASA before.

    Another was with Rafi how was born and raised in Hong Kong yet he was not really a Chinese citizen because his parents were immigrants. These kinds of conversations about foreign government just absolutely spins my idealist American perspective. As much as I am critical of some of these kinds of policies, hard to believe it took going out of the country to learn about some American policies. Like the weird rule that says an Australian traveling through China to the US needs a Visa! Had they traveled directly to the US, they don’t need a visa. What??


    Bonzai trees at Chi Lin Nunnery

    I never know what I will discover on a trip. What I do expect is that I always come home a little more educated. My world view is a little wider.

    Some Quieter Spaces


    Orchid Garden

    I guess these 3 found a "quiet" place for a nap. They were sleeping for about 30min!

    Despite it all

    On this day, Sunday, lined up, very orderly along one side of the pathway were women. Hundreds of women on cardboard boxes seemingly just hanging out. This is a public walkway in Hong Kong used to get across busy intersections. I was told that they were homeless, but it seemed so odd, they were ALL very clean, on cell phones, put together and looked like working people. Some were grouped, eating, conversing, playing cards, simply communing. While others were on their own in spaces that were delineated by the size of their cardboard box. Just hanging, primping, talking on the cell phones doing fairly innocuous things.

    Who were these people? Why were they here? I just couldn’t accept the fact that they were “just” homeless people. ?. Not only were they in this passage but they were on the sidewalks below for several blocks.

    And the local government tolerated this every night? Didn’t seem right. I was even more confused when we returned a few days later and there was not a single person on the ground. This could not be right.

    So when I got home I did a little research on the internet and discovered that they were immigrant home workers on their day off. Sunday is a regulated, mandatory day off for these workers. And in a sense, they ARE homeless, because during the week they live in people’s homes taking care of the household and children. But with no home of their own, every Sunday these people gather in these corridors, parks and streets for respite. If only for a few hours.

    I am in awe.

    Dumplings Anyone?

    We took an afternoon to learn how to make dumplings. This informal class at a local's apartment not only gave us a taste for homemade dumplings, but an insight to life in Hong Kong.

    I am never happy to have to share my time with other "tourists". I was happy to be wrong about these people I assumed were tourists. (Right? Why would locals take a dumpling class?) We were joined by a Hong Kong immigrant, Indian family. It turned out that one of the sons was home from London on holiday and wanted to do something fun. Especially since his mother failed at making dumplings just weeks before.

    In the end, they gave more insight on the Hong Kong culture as the sons were both born and raised in HK. They were happy to converse with on such diverse topics as politics, culture and food.

    It is moments like these that I continue to travel. To be able to enjoy the diversity in the world.


    Rafi, Mina and I can't remember.


    Do you think anyone will notice I licked my fingers? lol.

    The Wet Market

    As part of the dumpling class we visited a "wet market". Basically an outdoor market where you can get groceries.


    Why the difference in carrots? One is locally grow and one is imported.

    Tofu vendor

    Persimmon

    Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan)

    So Many Temples, So Little Time

    After my trips to Thailand I thought I have had enough of temples, but for some reason temples are still seductive to me.

    I had no idea there were so many temples left in China. The main difference between temples in China and those I have been to before was the scale. Every temple we visited were on properties that were sprawling and vast. Additionally all of the properties had multiple temples on them unlike others I have seen. The most uninteresting fact, between the temples seemed to be a consistent architecture, art and design; they were all seemingly the same. Which gave me a bigger appreciation for the diversity of temples in Thailand.

    After about 4 temples, the challenge for me was to find temples that would separate itself from the “standard". And though they were so similar, I am still drawn to seeing as many as I could.


    Fang Xexuan Temple, Beijing

    Fang Xexuan Temple, Beijing

    Temple of Heaven (I think, they are all looking alike.)

    Temple of Heaven, Beijing

    Temple of Heaven, Beijing

    Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family,
    Guanzhou

    Tian Tan Temple, Hong Kong

    The Forbidden City, Beijing


    The Forbidden City, Beijing

    Almost all of the temples had similar ceiling designs in different colors.


    The Forbidden City


    Every rooftop had these figures on them.
    They indicated the status of the rulers.


    Nan Lian Garden

    Chi Lin Nunnery, Hong Kong

    I Travel to Eat

    There is a lot of truth to that statement. When I travel I take advantage of what I am lacking in Ohio, culinary diversity. Though they say that Cleveland is one of the most diverse cities in the country, it does not mean that the food is any good. Yes, you can get everything from Indian to Polish food here, but it is all so watered down. And even though I may not love Chinese food in China, I do enjoy the food that choose to eat there.

    My love affair with noodles, dumplings and snails were all fulfilled on this trip. Some better than others. Disappointingly was the lack of street food on this trip, though I did find some. Most importantly was they got in my tummy!

    Like all trips I have taken overseas with my friends, at some point they find their limit with the local food and at some point we will find ourselves at a more “continental” restaurant. I am just happy to report that this time fast food chains were NOT involved. Phew.

    • Carving inside of a carving, inside of a carving.
    • Didn't think I would be able to catch it. Yup, totally proud of myself.
    • I got it twice!
    • Doors, they are a thing.
    • Door knobs are yet another thing.
    • Door knockers are another thing.
    • Tiananmen Square
    • There is a first for everything and this is the first time I had ever seen a Gingko tree.
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    • Our translator, Jojo
    • Our first photo of the trip. Lets me honest, we took this so we would remember how to get back to our hotel.
    • Our other translator, Jocelyn
    • I think this is the look they were giving me everytime I turned my back.
    • Nothing like a foot massage after a long day of shopping, touring, and I can't remember.
    • Pet market in Guangzhou.
    • Random wet market, Hong Kong.
    • Panjiayuan Flea Market, Beijing;Lots of treasures to look.
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    • He was just not going to smile for Mom and Dad who are out of the shot.
    • Not clear what these kids were doing but there were birds hanging around waiting.
    • Things to do on a Saturday morning in the park. Fan dancing for excercise.
    • Hundreds of people would gather in the park to play mahjong and cards. I think I need to learn for the next trip.
    • Beijing Rd, Guangzhou. ;Interesting that they left sections of the road open exposing ancient roads underneath as a reminder of what was there. These roads date back to 900A.D.
    • Phone booths, unclear if they still work, but definitely still around.
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    • This was our happy accident. We went the wrong way to our destination and foudn this instead. How fortunate for us!
    • Shrine
    • Shrines to commemorate the dead.
    • Dafo Buddhist Temple, Guangzhou, China; I think this is the best photo I shot on this trip.
    • Probably one of the most odd Buddha figures I have ever seen.
    • 26m Buddha carved from a single piece of White Sandalwood at the Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple).
    • Lantau Island
    • Tian Tan Buddha, Lantau Island
    • Tian Tan Buddha, Lantau Island
    • Tian Tan Buddha, Lantau Island
    • Po Lin Monastery
    • Gondola ride up to Tian Tan Buddha, Lantau Island
    • Po Lin Monastery
    • Burned incense
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    • Hard to tell but these are gigantic incense.
    • Iron urn
    • Not clear why I was taking glamour shots of a cow, but it turned out really well. Now if only I could do this with people.
    • Having fun.
    • Ceiling decor.
    • Chinese scaffolding.
    • A peak inside of a showroom in Hong Kong. Mound and mounds of raw gems.
    • aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
    • Going to the airport.
    • Shot from the taxi along the highway.
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    • One of the most interesting finds at the show. A fish carving from a large geode.
    • Wood carvings from Western Red Cedar.
    • Gourds were very popular and not just for tourists.

    The Show

    The Hong Kong Gem and Jewellery show is considered the 2nd largest show of its kind in the world. Because of its size it is held in two venues 40 minutes apart (Asia-World Expo and Hong Kong Convention Center). Without much expectations we headed for the Asia-World Expo where there is supposed to be Gems and Pearls. And well, let me just say, wow. Having been to the Bangkok show (3rd in the world) I did not expect this show to be so big. It is one thing to read about it but it quite another to be there.

    The big difference between this show and Tucson (the largest show in the world) was the quality. The Hong Kong show was a huge step-up in quality. Here we found piles and piles of high end pearls; and Rows and rows of diamonds and fancy gem stones some worth over a million dollars for one piece. Among all of the loose gemstones for sale were finished jewelry pieces and giftware. One of the best things we found but didn’t buy were cashmere scarves. It was one of the most amazing things I had ever touched in my life. It was definitely the Rolls Royce of cashmere, I think I have been ruined for life. Then there were the tools; you know the ones that cost about $10k, take up an entire room and we all drool to have but can’t seem to justify, yeah, those tools. At least was allowed to play with one.

    We walked away with very little by way of product as most of the show was order only. But I would do it again for the experience and exposure to a whole new world I never imagined.


    Impressive temporary "showrooms" on the show floor.

    Unfortunately photos were not allowed on the showrooom floor so there are not many to share. But I snuck in a few.

    Shhhhhhh.


    A small look at the showroom floor

    The Crush

    I am pretty sure I had already come to this conclusion previously, but again by day 2 of the trip I concluded that I could never live in such a place. Holy cow, the possibility of a peaceful sanctuary just seemed impossible.

    The crush of people was sometimes maddening. Despite being in China already for some 13 days, finding ourselves in the middle of rush hour in the Hong Kong subway system was completely suffating. I actually surprised myself when I found myself not handling it well. I simply don’t remember ever feeling so crowded despite this being my 7th trip to Asia.

    Popular tourist sites were so overwrought with people. The fact that I was able to get shots without people in them is a testament to my patience and the ladies I was traveling with, as they were willing to hang around until I got my shot. Everywhere we went people were fighting for their shot and unabashedly so. It was unbelievable seeing the rush of people across the courtyard at The Forbidden City when the gates opened. I could only assume that these people were running to be the first there to get their picture.


    How everything changes in time. This time, there were less bikes than before and public rental bikes were all over the city.

    Night life in Hong Kong.

    At The Forbidden city overlooking the courtyard before they opened the gates.

    Look closely at the stairs.

    Rush hour in the MTR. Lets not do this again.

    My Obsession with Flowers

    If you have been following me long enough, I am pretty sure it has become clear that I am obsessed with taking pictures of pretty flowers. Why? Because I don't have to ask them to stay still or smile nice. But mostly because I have this crazy idea that IF I am ever going to capture the most perfect, professional image of my life it will be with a flower as my subject.

    We took some time out to visit an Orchid garden. Among all of the orchids in the garden, I believe only 5 plants were blooming. Can you say, wrong season??? Oops.

    More Images

    I had so much fun playing with my camera trying to get the perfect shot. I was able to pull some off while others were just meh.
    Have a look here.

    • Cold Noodles
      This became one of my favorite meals of the trip.
    • 20180901_101501
      Cappucino. Why take a picture of a cup of coffee? Because it tasted funny. Cows in other countries eat different things, it reveals itself in the milk. blah
    • Ducks
      I have not clue what these were, I presume cakes. Never ventured to have any, but they were so darn cute!
    • Fruit
      No clue what these were, but needed to take the picture.
    • Dessert
      More unidentified desserts.
    • Pho
      Beef Pho
    • Souffle
      Afternoon break with an Austrian dessert.(Nockerln) I have never seen it in a restaurant and have not had it since my visit to Austria in 1987! So of course I had to have some. Wasn't as good as I remembered them. I guess that is what you get when you order an Austrian dessert in CHINA!
    • Crawfish
      Ventured out alone for this meal to spare Emily from this feast of carcasses. Crawfish with garlic sauce (what else!). ;;In the back, soy noodles and wild celery salad take out for Emily.
    • Beed noodle soup
      Beef noodle soup for me, tomatos and eggs for Emily.
    • Soy Milk
      Dim Sum bfast. Warm soy milk and fried dough.
    • Wrapped
      Apparently restaurants can not afford to wash their own dishes, so they bring it in washed and wrapped in plastic. So strange.
    • Dumplings
      Dim Sum. Soup dumplings. had the entire basket to myself1
    • Cherry Beer
      Cherry beer? Never had one, had to try it. It was from Belgium. Tasted a little like cough syrup.
    • Zanpa
      A Japanese favorite, recommended by Mary.
    • Octopus
      Finally! street food. Octopus tentacles.
    • Spicy Beef Soup
      Spicy beef soup with crispy chicken on the side and a cold bottle of Zanpa (sparkling Japanese wine).
    • Snails
      My obligatory plate of snails.
    • Octopus
      Nothing like a hot bowl of ramen and some octopus!
    • Breakfast
      Starting the day with a bowl of hot soup with mushrooms and tofu.
    • Handmade noodles
      Handmade spicey noodles and yes, another bowl of cold noodles because I can. Saved for the flight the next day!
    • First dinner
      Who knew I would have to go to mainland China to have the best Margarita of my life. I had 2.
    • Grilled Shrimp
      Grilled Shrimp
    • Pasta
      Porcini mushroom pasta. It was meh.
    • Scallops
      Scallops on the half shell and GARLIC.
    • Burger
      Veggie burger? seriously. Perfect meal for Emily.
    • Coconut
      A trip to Asia would not be complete without at least one of these.
    • Chopsticks
      Interesting, they gave us 2 sets of chopsticks. I think one is meant for handling shared foods.
    • Dim Sum
      Dim Sum bfast;Rice crepes with mushrooms and sweet soy sauce.
    • Din Tai Fun
      Dumplings from Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese chain making its way around the world. Can't wait to have it again in Seatle!
    • Dim Sum
      Dim Sum with a side of tripe.
    • Chow mein
      Crispy chow mein and vegetables.
    • Pho
      Vietnamese Pho made by Chinese people. Tastes like it was made by Chinese people. I'll still take it.
    • Pancakes
      Chive pancakes for breakfast
    • Diverse breakfast.
      Diverse breakfast.
    • Egg custard
      Steamed bun with egg custard inside. Could have been better.
    • Frozen Yogurt
      Avocado yogurt shake. It was about as big as Emily's head. haha
    • Indian Food
      A little break from Chinese food with...Indian food.
    • Dumplings
      More dumplings, because I love dumplings as much as I love noodles.
    • Fried Rice
      Traditional Chinese dinner with our translator. She ordered.
    • Lunch
      Egg plant in a clay pot, beef and vegetables and plate of Gai Lan. One of our best meals at one of the most local restaurants in Guangzhou.
    • Lesson
      Jocelyn (our translator) show us how to eat Gai Lan without knife or choking.
    • Chicken
      Crispy chicken with the head on and Chinese broccoli (Gai Lan) again.
    • Mooncake
      Mooncake. It was Harvest Moon season, so mooncake was seen everywhere.
    • More Pasta
      Lobster Pasta
    • Onigiri
      Onigiri!!! OMG, this my new travel food. Made by the Japanese as food on the run. Made fresh everyday with a variety of fillings. (Lets be honest, I only had the smoked salmon.) This was the perfect food for our lunch at the show; fresh, tastes good, had all the right nutrients and cheap. What's there not to like? Wish I could get it here in the US.
    • Wonton
      Wonton soup and what else? Nooooodles. Emily had the tomatoes and eggs in the background.
    • United
      Fried noodles, a salad, and a roll. I am not even sure how this meal makes sense to anyone. United provided some of the worst airplane food I have ever had.
    • Amaretto Sour
      We finished our trip with a toast and an Amaretto sour. For me this trip officially marks a record for the most alcohol drunk on a trip, ever. Thanks to the company I was keeping, I learned a little more about taking my time.

  • Cruising...Never Again

    Our First Cruise and Last Cruise

    October 2009

    Well, despite my best efforts to book a cruise line that is suppose to be a good one, I failed. This being our first cruise there were certain expectations set forth by friends who were seasoned cruisers. We were told the following:

    1. Don't worry about motion sickness, you won't even feel the waves….Whu??? Really, what kind of joke is that? Thank god I was not naïve enough to go without some sort of precaution. We packed wristbands for me and Bonine for Andy. THANK GOD!! By the time we reached the high seas we were both feeling the effects of it. The only time we felt good was when we were sitting in bed or at a table. Walking around? Huh! That was miserable. It would also appear that we were not the only ones feeling the pain, as we observed the people around us with the tinge of green around their faces.

    2. The food is great! Expect to gain some weight. You can not get around the food!...Again, let me say Huh? What food? We went looking for the food and did not find it. Our first meal was a lousy burger on the pool deck. Andy thought it was ok, but I think he was just hungry. Not content to settle there I decided to wait for dinner. We went to one of the sit down restaurants and ordered conservatively, I did not want to over eat. After all there was still plenty of time to gorge ourselves. I ordered the baby shrimp cocktail and sea scallops. Andy ordered the ceasar salad and tortellini. My shrimp cocktail I, code for "bay" shrimp cocktail, was some sort to shrimp hash and cocktail sauce. I passed. Ceasar salad was good. Scallops were good except there were only 5 of them, and I would not exactly call them "Sea" scallops. They were again of the "Bay" variety. (ie a little small for this girl's appetite.) The scallops were accompanied by some sort of cheesy paste disguised as grits? The tortellini? Lets just not speak of them. I decided that since the meals were inclusive we should just finish up and go to another location. Why not? What else was there to do, right. We skipped dessert and headed to the other restaurant. Can you believe it? It was the SAME menu! Another pass. After hanging out in our room for awhile we decided to hit the buffet. What the heck. I was not feeling really well and needed something comforting. There was indeed a buffet and there was food but it was not really hitting the spot. I had asparagus, which was good and mild which made me feel good, there was turkey piccatta? Pass. French fries! Fresh and crispy, the way we like it. We both needed the salt. After about 10 minutes I see what I had come for, a PASTA BAR! Yippie! I was finally going to be reallllly satisfied. Let me say again, wellll. While standing in line for the pasta I started feeling the pings of …throw up. Yup! It starts to hit me. Pass. We took dessert back to the room. Neither of us ate it. We just had to lay down. The final word on the food, the fries were great! Did I mention they ran out of coke?

    3. There is so much to do on a cruise. You won't be board. Let me first of all point out that I am currently on the ship on this computer writing this blog. Hmmm. Well, we headed to the casino and checked it out. Unfortunately, we were both feeling a little sick from the motion that standing in a room with loud noise and smoke was not cutting it. Shopping? Yes, there was plenty of that, but again, Andy and I do not buy, cigarettes, jewelry or chachtkies. Especially the overpriced kind. (remember, I am way too cheap for that.) There seems to be a lack of open space. By open space I mean areas that you can sit at outside. I was so looking forward to sitting outside and relaxing. But the areas that are outside were crowded and always full of very loud music and cigarette smoke. I fear that I am getting old.

    4. You can totally relax on a cruise…HUH??? What up with the 8am wake up alarm EVERY morning? Yup. Every morning at the strike of 8am, the flippin' cruise director would make some sort of announcement I could not understand THEN thought it would be cute to sing some freaking "good morning" song. Just kill me. As if it that was not enough, the first morning, they decided to do a staff emergency drill, which meant that they would sound the alarms. The second morning was to the lovely sound of some sort of maintenance on the boat. Was there one morning that they were not doing some sort of work on the boat? That would lead you to think that maybe we should go to bed earlier and get our rest in on the other end. Well, well, well. That was not to happen either as there were partiers up the hall making all kinds of ruckus. On another night, they were playing the music sooooo loud we could hear it 2 decks below the bar!

    Now that we are back and we have been fully scammed… I think the reality is, cruiselines are like the airlines. They have cut back. The days of ice cream for snacks on a 3 hour flight and appetizers on real china with silverware in first class are over. Which leads me to believe truly luxury cruising is also gone

  • India 2019

    India 2019

    How would I describe India?

    Now that I have been back for a week that seems to be the question everyone has been asking me. I never thought such an easy question could be so complicated. As I converse with people who have been there in recent years, I have found that I am not alone. There was however a common theme, there seems to be two camps of people; people who loved it and people who hated it. I cannot say that I am in either camp, my verdict is still out. I think the better question is, would I go back?

    The answer is yes, but only in the right circumstances. India is the most challenging country I have ever visited. There is a huge social aspect to it, the class system, the poverty, the life style. It is completely different from what we know as Americans. (Please keep in mind this is a very American perspective.) While there, I was asked by a lovely young, educated man (21), what I liked best about the US. I quickly answered that it was clean and organized. (Yes, I recognize that there are countries that are cleaner and more organized. This was a general question.) I think my answer was a reflection of where I was physically, at that moment. For me India was utter chaos.

    So what is the right circumstance for a return visit? A wedding. Indian weddings are notorious for being amazing. I would love to experience that. The opportunity to be in the South, I understand it is completely different there. Or perhaps the opportunity to volunteer with an organization. Mostly an opportunity that is directed and confined. I don’t think I would ever just explore as we did in Peru or even in China. It would have to be a focused trip.

    Not The Expected Journey

    I was unsure of what to expect from this opportunity but I felt strongly enough that I wanted to go. I waited 3 years for the invitation to join a group of Vietnamese Buddhists on a pilgrimage to India and Nepal. The birthplace of Buddhism. I had never wanted to go to India before this because of all of the stories I had heard of poverty, crazy hot foods and general lack of cleanliness. But this seemed like the right opportunity. It felt like if I was to ever go to India it would be for something like this.

    When asked what I was hoping to get out of the trip my answer was simple. An experience that I would not have otherwise and maybe, just maybe to underscore my faith in Buddhism. But in the back of my mind, it was more about the opportunity to go places that I would not have gone to on my own. That is just honest.

    When asked what I expected? Hours of prayer and meditation. Which I got and then some.

    From the beginning this trip was problematic, as things seemed very archaic. The “booklet” that was sent was a photocopy. Literally. And it was ALL in Vietnamese. Did I mention that I don’t read Vietnamese? Luckily, there is thing called Google Translate, and it came in very handy. The booklet laid out in no uncertain terms that this was not a trip for tourists (oops) and that unless you were Buddhist or are seeking to be Buddhist, this was not a trip for you. Well, it wasn’t like I did not qualify. The booklet lacked what I would consider as substantive. That was ok, I had my aunt for that.

    My aunt was the person who invited me to join this excursion. Co Hoa (my aunt) lived what I would describe as a monastic life. After her husband left her for another woman, she chose to dedicate herself to her religion and sits in prayer and meditation for more than 6 hours a day. She has chosen a simple life letting go of material needs and wants. She appears to be happy and someone who wants for nothing but to be with her scripture and religion. She seemed like the right person to partner with on a religious pilgrimage. In the end, she would become one of the many “challenges” of the trip.

    Believing that I might never return to that part of the world and aware of the difficulty in reaching such a place from the US I decided it would be best to take advantage of the trip by rounding it out with a few extras. I scheduled an extra week onto the trip with a friend (Mary) to see the iconic Taj Mahal and do a little business. This would be the highlight of my trip. Had it not been my commitment to Mary, I would have left India long before the end date of the tour.

    With ticket and visa in hand I embarked into the unknown. This was the most trepidation I had ever had before a trip, but my heart was open and ready for perhaps transcendence.

    Starting From the End

    I thought it would be best to start at the end of my trip because it was the most non-controversial part of the trip.

    Mary, my friend from Tokyo had previously mentioned that she wanted to go to India. Considering she was so “close”, I thought it would be nice to invite her to join me after I was done with the “tour”. But even this was not quite how it happened. At the end of the trip I thanked Mary for agreeing to join. To this she quickly corrected me and pointed out that she invited herself! She remembered how emboldened she felt for such a bold move. Ha! However it happened, I was most thankful for her presence and giving me something to look forward to; to salvage my trip.

    We kicked off her part of the trip with the Taj Mahal. We hired a tour guide for our excursion, and in the words of Mary, “He was worth every penny.” For me it was doubly so. I had already been there a week before and was given a different perspective (doom and gloom) of the king who built it. This time, we were guided by a Muslim who would share the beauty and the loving story from which the site was built. It was a blessing to see it from a perspective of appreciation. Shortly after we arrived Mary found herself in tears of happiness. This had been on her list for as long as she could remember and she was finally there. Wow, what a great feeling to be a part of that with someone. For me, the Taj was more than I had expected, amazing and beautiful.

    My trip with Mary was the kind of traveling I like to do. The opportunity to stay with local people, sharing home meals and being able to participate in gatherings with locals is the best way to experience a foreign country. Luckily for us we had a mutual friend who happened to be in Jaipur during our stay and invited us to stay with his family. We experienced local food the way that everyday people enjoyed it. Despite the gas we enjoyed every moment. We also went to a couple of “western” restaurants because I was desperate for a break from Indian food. But they were not so “western”, there was always something that was a little “Indian” to it. Just like in China, there was always something “different” about it. Meh.

    We got to go shopping at local markets instead of just tourist markets. Where according to Mary, the men were all staring at my legs because I was wearing shorts! It was winter in India too and it was cold, like 60˚F cold. Oh, my. We found the jewelry market but didn’t buy any jewels. We got to visit a couple of manufacturers of gemstones to see how business was conducted in India.

    Then there were the magnificent sites found in coffee table books. Along with site images, never before had I enjoyed street photography as I did on this trip. This was the first time I couldn’t get enough of taking pictures of people. The color of our surroundings was amazing. India never disappointed with hundreds of photo opportunities. I came home with more than 2k images. Despite all of the pretty pictures to be had there were just as many of real life that were not taken. It was only on the second day of the trip that I had decided how unfair it would be to be taking pictures of the piles and piles of filth and the poverty that was present almost everywhere.

    In the conclusion, India is rich in history, though you can say that about any place in the world. India has amazing sites, I was lucky enough to visit about 5 Unesco World Heritage sites. India was not as hard to navigate as I had assumed. With the right planning and private drivers we were able to navigate our way fairly easily. I made a few mistakes along the way, but was able to remedy them before they became problematic. Like many tourist destinations, in such countries, we had to be on our guard for scammers at every corner. It is just a fact of being a tourist. Poverty and grime is just a part of life there. It is not a country for the timid or first time travelers. Life there is hard and it is a hard trip to take. I had mentally and emotionally prepared for poverty and begging that we would encounter. I believe that being resolved before arrival allowed me to less conflicted.

    Would I go again? Mary and I did agree that we would meet in India again for a wedding. Something we would both like to experience. Indian weddings are notorious for being over the top and quiet the party. Aside from that, my verdict is still out. It is unclear to me how different other parts of India would be. But I think that for most tourists, India is much like Jamaica, if you don’t leave the resort everything is great. Similarly for people who visit India, they stay within the confines of tourist locals which makes it much easier than venturing out with the locals.

    The Pilgrimage – not really a travel blog, more like a journal.


    I would be the only person to travel alone to meet up with the group. This simple act would have the monks overly concerned. And despite best efforts to assure them that I would be fine on my own to make my way to the agreed hotel, they stayed at the airport until my arrival…without communicating it with me. But as luck would have it, I accidentally left the airport and was made to stand outside where I bumped into the Vietnamese looking monk and Vietnamese looking people, who ended up being the group.

    Though I was willing to wait 2 hours for the arrival of Co Hoa, they insisted on transporting me to the hotel so that I may get proper “rest” in the meantime.
    The first morning I reluctantly joined everyone in the dining room for breakfast. As expected, no one spoke to me. So I sat with the roommate I was assigned the night before while waiting for my aunt to join me. We were given a leisurely morning as they waited for the rest of the group to arrive.

    Our first outing would be to the National Museum in Delhi. And despite the short bus ride, there would be a prayer service on the way. OMG. As if that was not enough, when we arrived at the museum, there was another prayer service in the museum. So why the museum? Because there is a relic of Buddha there. And we were not the first to do such a thing. There was already a group gathered doing the same thing and we had to wait for them to clear the area before we were able to take our place in front of the display to conduct our prayer hour. Wow.

    On Day 2 we were set to leave Delhi. My suspicions of organization or lack thereof revealed itself early. We left 1.5 hours late that morning because they were unable to pack the bus due to the overabundance of luggage and oh, could it be the 10-15 boxes of stuff they brought along of food (literally snacks and other things for the trip), charitable goods and lord know what else. There was just a lot of stuff! Oh, how many people were on this trip? 40! 43 if you include the tour guide and the 2 drivers.

    As soon as we were underway that morning to the Taj, there would be a worship service, chanting and bells not to be left out. Then came the lecture about the site we were to see. AND of course the obligatory sermon. Yeah, didn’t realize that Buddhists did sermons, but they really do. It was a four hour trip to reach our excursion which included a stop for the bathroom and another for lunch. You wonder how the group got behind schedule, snort. Our next hotel would be another 6 hours away where they finally fed us dinner at 10pm!

    By Day 3 I was abundantly clear about my life for the next 10 days! To such I started a score board. Every day would start at about 4am, get dressed go to breakfast (which by day 4 I was no longer eating at that hour) and get on a bus by 5am. Ride on the bus for a number of hours during which there would be a worship service or two or… four; a sermon or two or… six, a lecture or two or four; testimonials or two or lost count; and finally “karaoke”, which I did not bother counting.

    For those still reading at this junction, let me define all of this. Just to underscore the point, most of this was happening on the bus.

    Worship/prayer service – For Buddhists it means sitting together to chant scripture, out loud. It is led by a monk and memorized by the congregation. For me, having only been to a couple dozens of these in my life time as a child, I would have no clue what was being said. And despite my knowledge of Vietnamese I still have zero understanding of the words that were being chanted. Additionally, there is a brass bell rung in sequence with the chanting. I don’t truly know why they use a bell, except that it acts like a metronome. Unfortunately for me the bell was being rung directly next to me by the nuns. The constant ringing amplified the motion sickness I was experiencing from being on a bus for long hours.

    Luckily, the night before leaving on this trip I read a quick blog of the top 10 things you should bring on your trip to India. One of the items on the list were ear plugs for the city noise. Despite already packing my noise canceling headset for the plane I decided that ear plugs were small and light enough that it should not make a difference. By day 4 they were in my pocket ready for the bus rides. This further explains why I lost count for the score board. The ear plugs allowed me undisturbed sleep on the bus!

    So the question is, does a sermon or worship count if I slept through it? According to my therapist friend it does because one does “hear” in their sleep. However, if I was snoring so loud as to disturb or be disruptive to other people it would not count. Just in case you were wondering. In case you were wondering further, when awake, I would use this time to meditate.

    Sermons – I have never known Buddhists to have sermons. This is the first time I would experience this. And it got deep. Sermons are exactly that, talks about how to live your life according to scripture by interpretation of the monks. The sermons on this trip were mostly conducted by two of the four monks. One of whom thought himself a poet and would recite poetry as part of the sermon; the other thought himself a comedian and would make jokes along way. This is cute and but by at some point for me it just got annoying, not only because there were wayyyyy too many and over the top, but because at the end of a joke or poem they would literally say, “Clap your hands.” My interpretation of that, “Praise me, I did something really good.” Nothing like a little Buddhist humility. (If you continue reading, it is only going to get more cynical from this point on.) It also did not help that I barely understood the Vietnamese.

    Lectures – These were talks about the site that were about to see. Historical information meant to be informative. Lectures were generally reserved for the “in house India” monk. This monk had spent the past 10 years living and preaching in India, thus he was considered the expert on all things India. At some point I stopped listening when I started fact checking some information that I considered sensationalized. And I was right. Some of the information was incorrect and a product of folk lore made out to be facts. If you know me, you know that I prefer to stick with the truth when presented with historical “facts”.

    This monk, like the others, also like hearing himself speak…a lot. Lectures could have taken about a fourth of the time but because he literally repeated himself three or four times. It draggggggged on and on and on and on. . I decided that perhaps it was my lack of Vietnamese that I thought it was repetitive; nope, it really was repetitive. To amuse myself I started counting just to make sure. This was later verified when other people from the group mentioned it in conversation One more reason why I started tuning out.

    Testimonials – Another new concept for me as a Buddhist. I had never witnessed Buddhists making testimonials about their faith. I believe that as a way to “kill time” on the ride the monks started asking people to come forward to make testimonials about their decision to join the pilgrimage. This, by the way, also included monetary offerings to the “temple/monks”. Yes, there were public rallies to give additional monies to the cause (I will define this later in the blog).

    Karaoke – Short of a karaoke machine, there would be much singing, all in Vietnamese of course. There were several people who thought themselves singers and would sing Vietnamese folk songs. Some became singalongs while others were just “entertainment”. Again, despite my parents’ best efforts to expose my sister and I to Vietnamese traditions, some things just did not stick. This would be one of them.

    During the entire trip communication was one of my biggest challenges. I would describe my knowledge of the Vietnamese language as that of and eight year old. Thus, when scripture is discussed, it was all tongues to me. My parents are from the North, which, by default, makes me a northerner too. People from different parts of any country usually have a different accent (and sometimes dialect), but in this case it was purely accent. Their sound and tones were different from what I was exposed to thus comprehension was a challenge. At some point, I was told that my Vietnamese was quite “stiff”. I have no idea what that really meant, but then I started asking people to speak more “stiffly” so that I might understand them. It sorta worked.

    The Unicorn

    By Day 2 I discovered that I was quite the unicorn. As much as I thought I was going to be with “my own people”, in my gut I knew that I would be different. I did not put much thought into these differences going into the trip because I felt that my focus was not to be with the group but to be with my faith. Even as I am writing this I am discovering how idealistic these ideas were.

    From the beginning, the differences were very stark. I do not dress like them, think travel-Americana. I did not look like them, what? How could this be? Well, all my life I have known that I my looks were very homogenous Asian and did not have really strong Vietnamese markers. Regardless of which Asian country I was in, the natives always thought I was one of them with exception of Vietnam. Vietnamese people have never in my life been able to identify me as one of them. I did not sound like them, as mentioned, my Vietnamese is very “stiff”. With exception of one person, I had spent more time in the US and came to the US at the youngest age, which also meant that I was the one who spoke the most English. Then there was this crazy fact, I looked like some famous actress (don’t ask me who), which added to the intimidation. Lastly, I was the only one not tied to a temple of any sort, my only connection was my aunt.

    All of these traits would put me on the outs with the group. I discovered through conversation that there was some hesitation to converse with me because some thought I was crasher from another race thus they assumed I would not be able to speak Vietnamese and shied away. Even on day 10 someone told me that she was surprised to hear me speak Vietnamese. Ugh. Then there were a few who thought I was someone famous and also shied away. Luckily, there was a couple who was amused by this fact and made it the reason to engage with me. It was also revealed that I appeared intimidating because I was so quiet. Hello people, no one was talking to me, of course I was quiet.

    Identifying this early on in the trip, I made a point to converse with people (in Vietnamese) and to put myself out there during meal times. I also used my camera as a tool to engage with others. It only sort of worked. I think it made people more comfortable with my presence but it was not enough to motivate them to do more. In the end, I think that this was more about them then about me. One of the many lessons from this trip. You can only be who you are, it is not up to you to make others accept you.

    The Highlight

    By Day 5 I found the light that would be my salvation. There was a group of four “kids” who were mostly in their late 20’s. They were all members of the same temple in Iowa and were on the trip to be “helpers”. At some point I overheard two of them discussing how to create a photography effect. Having knowledge of this, thanks to my sister, I decided it was my opportunity to engage. It was a start. That evening I decided to invite myself on their excursion into town to go shopping. From there they became my salvation. They were willing to converse with me in Vietnamese AND English as needed; I related to them the most because of their sense of adventure. But mostly because there was mutual respect between us.

    The Monks/The 3 Amigos

    This would be the most emotionally challenging “thing” I have ever done. I had no idea what I was going to encounter and the depths of which it would affect me. My hope was that I might hear things that were profound and enlightening, things that might give me more meaning to my understanding of Buddhism, my faith. Or perhaps even make my faith stronger. Instead, I left disenchanted and disgusted with what I was witnessing. My heart was broken and I could not reconcile what I was experiencing.

    This trip was “sponsored” by one of the most respected monks in the US. He (the poet) was joined by three other monks, one residing in Florida (the comic), one in India (the story teller) and a very young, 23 year old monk from Vietnam (the Boy). Additionally, there were 6 nuns, some of whom came directly from Vietnam, the others from around the US with some connection to the lead monk. The rest of the group were made up of people from around the country, all of whom were somehow affiliated with the temples mentioned.

    My expectations (so I thought) were simple. Mindful, respectful, do-gooders. Right? A group of people who were seeking to give charity and do charitable work while strengthening their faith. My assumption was, if you are willing to go half-way around the world on a pilgrimage perhaps you would have a heightened understanding of your faith and religion. I was grossly wrong or perhaps my understanding of said truth is grossly different from, almost, everyone on that bus.

    What I found was a group of people who were (mostly) willing to believe everything they heard and follow along without question. They obediently did what was asked and seemingly happy to do it.

    So what really was the problem? To understand my discord with the situation I need to first define what Buddhism means to me. For me, at its core, Buddhism is about humility, compassion, kindness and understanding. Materialism is something that should not be embodied. It is about simplicity. It is about living well by doing right by others. To reach nirvana you must also create merit. Merit, creating good deeds for others. I do not believe in doing deeds for the sake of merit. I believe that you should do good deeds because it is the right thing to do, and if there is merit to be earned it will come in its time. Much like the concept of respect, it is earned. Just because you gave a dollar to a charity does not mean you should earn merit.

    All of this said, I do recognize that for most Vietnamese Buddhists, my understanding of merit is different. They not only believe but demonstrated during the trip that you can earn merit by handing a panhandler money.

    My expectation is that religious leaders should embody these concepts and that it is their vow to share this understanding. My naivety resulted in great disappointment.

    It was only Day 2 when I first witnessed the disgusting acts of the monks. In India there is a HUGE disparity between the rich and the poor. To say that they are simply poor is an understatement, most of those who are panhandling are homeless and seeking out some sort of existence. It is common knowledge that they prey on tourists for hand-outs especially at tourist sites. At times there would be masses of these people begging and it was quite overwhelming. I do not give to panhandlers. It was and is a clear choice that I had made before going to India. I believe that my monies are better served by giving to larger institutions, this is very personal philosophy. But if someone was to choose to give to panhandlers, that is their choice and I would not judge that, until I did. I also believe that charity is simply that, something that should be given without expectation of reward. When you hand someone money, ultimately it is out of your hands. What they do with it is up to them.

    On this day, I watched as the Comic gave money ($0.12) to a young boy. The boy immediately took the money and tried to buy a snack from another boy who was standing near. The monk did not find this acceptable and insisted that the translator tell him so. They actually went back and forth (between the monk, the translator and the boy) on this until the monk eventually gave up.

    The next day the Comic stopped a tuk tuk full of school children to hand them money. Again, about $0.12 each. This was a random group of kids who were NOT panhandling. They were simply driving by. But do you blame them for stopping when there is someone handing out money? Lets be honest, I would totally stop. Furthermore, the monk saw me with my camera and insisted that I took pictures of him giving money to the needy. Because it would make for a “beautiful picture”. The same monk would look around and find random people to give money to. Random people! He identified them as “pitiful” looking, waved them closer and give them money. I witnessed this time and time again. I will never forget the look in some of these peoples’ faces. I don’t even know how to put it into words. For me this is total and utter disrespect. Can you imagine someone handing you money because your looked pathetic? OMG.

    Every time there was money given the monks would be proud of themselves and the group. It was brought up on the bus. “Look how much merit we created.” “Look how we changed their lives.” They even had the audacity to tell the group that the only time panhandlers came around were to busses of Vietnamese people, because they were the only ones who were charitable among all of the tourists. They were so proud of themselves.

    The taste in mouth was souring quickly. Yet I remained hopeful that we would be doing charitable work soon and it would make up for all that was wrong. I was so wrong. The distasteful comments continued. “Look at those people, we should pity them.” “Despite the opportunities given to them (the poor), they chose to be beggars.” “Indian people are just like the American Blacks, they just do whatever they want to.” “Did you know that poor Indian mothers purposely cripple their children so that they can make more money begging?” Should I go on?

    At some point I found myself writing this to a friend, “Well, after 4 days my disappointment grows. I am profoundly disgusted by the bigotry of the monks disguised as pity. They might call it sympathy but translated I say it is pity. Sigh. Lesson of the day, how to walk away.” My disgust would only grow as the trip continued.

    Like the Christian world, Buddhist monks and nuns live by contributions from the congregation. During this trip, there were many times that the group would be asked to open their wallets to contribute to the cause at hand; another temple in India, monks in need, school children, etc… In the end, over $20k was collected. Woah. However, after distribution there were monies left over, to the tune of $4k! The Poet decided that he would ask the two largest donors if they would like to have their money returned or if they would like the money to be redistributed to his temple. This was done on the bus! In front of the entire group. What do you think happened? Duh. Really?

    That same day we went to an elementary school to distribute school supplies to 500 children. While there, the principal mentioned that the children could only afford one set of school uniform each. So the Poet offered to buy them a second set at $5 each totally $2500. He then asked the group for the money and once again raised money for the cause. I would like to know why the $4K surplus was not used for the uniforms?

    The Three Amigos (I don’t count the Boy Monk because he was a complete departure) and the nuns were always consumed with having their picture taken. It was so narcissistic. Always was the we need to take a group picture at every site to commemorate the trip. They spent more time taking pictures of themselves than communing with the site. And since it became known that I knew how to take pretty pictures, I became everyone’s personal photographer. To the tune of over 500 photos. At some point I found myself walking away.

    These kinds of actions would be throughout the trip. My disdain only grew. The event that pushed me to finally walk away? The “charitable” work we were doing.

    The Poet shared his excitement for this event. A most joyous thing that we were doing and that he was very proud to be able to set this up for the group because we would earn so much merit for it.

    We were in Bihar, the absolute poorest state in India. Where there is a very large homeless community. The monk had worked with a local hotel to allow us to use the courtyard in front of the hotel to feed the hungry. Hot food was ordered through the hotel to be provided to these people. Our job was to facilitate the distribution of said meals to some 300 people. Not sure how the word got out, but before we knew it, the courtyard was filled with men, women and children. We were so overwhelmed that they had to close the gates to keep control of the population.

    People who were allowed through were asked to sit down on the ground in rows for the meal. Plastic plates and bowls were distributed though some people brought their own. Large stock pots of rice and lentils were brought out for distribution. We spooned out the food into the plates on the ground. People ate with their hands as it is customary in India. (Utensils were no provided.) The lack of organization and instruction created chaos, it was a frenzy. No one knew how much to distribute and if there would be enough to go around. I decided that if someone was asking for more food I would just give it to them, after all, they were hungry! Some took seconds in their own bowls to take home. This apparently was a conflict for some of the people in the group and resisted. I made the argument that they were simply hungry and that this was for charity, there was no reason to pass judgement nor should we limit the charity, after all it was Just food. If I was hungry and living on the streets, I am sure I would have done the same. Perhaps they had someone on the other side of the gate who also needed a meal. Whatever the case, there should not have been hesitation to dish out food.

    The entire scene was surreal and repugnant. I could not find anything about this that was joyous and dignified. As if it were not enough, this happened. The Comic monk, as he watched the people eat with the look of disgust, said to me, “Look at them, they eat like dogs and pigs. Pity isn’t it?” It felt like a knife in my heart. I was completely destroyed by these words, by these actions. It was more than I could bare. I had had enough. I found a corner and sat quietly. One of the kids saw the look in face and asked if I was ok. As the seconds ticked I grew more and more hurt and the tears found their way to the surface; I couldn’t stop crying. I felt betrayed.

    When we returned to the hotel, I just couldn’t be with “them” anymore. I was at my wits end. I felt as if my heart was broken. I felt shattered to my core. Everything I just witnessed contradicted everything I held sacred and beautiful. How was it possible that these so called faithful people could be so ugly? How was this behavior acceptable? I wanted no part of it. I could not be a part of it. I just wanted to run away. What is wrong with these people?!

    This kind of behavior would continue throughout the rest of the trip. I did my best to tune it out. As I questioned my current reality I decided that that this was the journey. How to find understanding and compassion for ignorance. Luckily I had a friend in the group (ironically one of the kids) and a friend in the states who would help me back to my path. And though I still feel disappointment today as I write this journal, I feel that there was a path and I need to find more understanding of it.

    After the food line, I started walking away from the group as I felt necessary. While everyone else filed in line and did as they were told, I found it interesting that no one would ask me about my absence. For me, this departure took a tremendous amount of strength. I felt that it was a test of my core beliefs. When do you stand behind your beliefs? Never allow the majority to dictate your path. Being alone does not mean you have been defeated, sometimes to stand alone is to be true to yourself.

    The Czechs

    We were in Bihar for four days. While there we would get up every morning at 4:30am for morning prayers at the temple, return for breakfast at 7am and depart at 9am to do “charitable” work of some sort. Then every evening after dinner we would return to the temple at about 7pm for more worshiping until the temple closed at 9pm. Four days of this.

    After the incident with the food line, I needed some space. I decided that it would be best to walk away from “practicing” and spend some time on my own. As I walked through the town I found myself at a “western café” (their description) owned by a couple from Russia. This was their annual pilgrimage to India; five months in Bihar to commune with other Buddhists and be vegan restaurateurs. It was amazing. I lunched there earlier that day and felt that it was a safe place to be and perhaps have someone to speak English with.

    There I met a young couple from Czechoslovakia hanging out in the café conversing with a former American practicing Sadhu. They welcomed me into their circle. It was amazing. They could see that I was distraught and invited me to share my story. In the end, the couple challenged me to seek out another monk to seek guidance. Through their own experience, they felt that I needed to find another person who exuded happiness, kindness and joy. They believed that these people existed and that I just needed to be open to finding them; for when I did I would be able to see a better way. Fortunately, there was much opportunity to find said person because there were 3,000 monks hanging out at the temple that week for a conference.

    In my heart I knew that this existed, I just needed a little reminding. That there are people who just radiate a certain energy that their presence was enough to impact you. Without a word, without anything just their presence. I took the challenge. I would walk the temple grounds with a different purpose. I would contemplate my path forward and seek someone who could assure me of that path.

    On the last night in Bihar I found him. He was just standing there making conversation with some French people about what we were watching. His energy was true and seemed genuine, so I asked him to speak to me. Of course he said yes. He politely listened as I shared my disappointment in the Three Amigos while not successfully holding back tears. He acknowledged how I was feeling and in a few sentences set me back on my path. He reminded me that they were human, with human faults. That their actions were simply made up of their life experience, and though their behavior was unfortunate they are still human. He gently pointed out my wrongs; that I had forgotten this simple fact, and that I needed to find compassion for their ignorance. I believe he was right.

    My Aunt, the Blindside

    I was so excited to embark on this trip with my maternal aunt. As a family we are not close to any of our aunts and uncles. After all, we are from a war torn country. Family separate for decades without seeing one another. Opportunities to reunite are few and far in between. What I knew of my aunt was limited and brief. I thought I knew who she was, until I did not. By the time we were about 6 days into the trip she would stop speaking to me. I came to realize that she was very silent and even stopped looking at me and for the life of me I could not figure out why.

    Things had already started falling apart for me on this journey and I could not bear yet another aspect going wrong. So I put on my big girl pants and breached the topic. Why are you not speaking to me? What have I done to create such sadness for her? She refused to “speak” to me. Instead in anger she yelled at me and told me that I should think about it. That if I had thought about it I would have the answer for myself. Confused and distressed I chose a path that I thought would defuse the situation, I apologized for creating an unhappy situation and offered to leave. She refused my apology stating that I “had nothing to apologize for”. Asking, “why would you apologize?” And concluded with, “you are just ignorant about life. You don’t understand anything.” Sometimes you just can’t win for losing. And on this day that would be my reality. With nothing more to offer I walked out of the room and we did not speak again, period.

    It took a conversation with older lady (73) in the group before I understood where I went wrong. Apparently my prompting her to join the group instead of sitting alone was disrespectful. My insistence of verifying information instead of just accepting lore as facts was disrespectful. My helping her to reduce stress was just insulting. The bottom line, I was just too American.

    She whom I thought would be my guide through this trip blindsided me. Sigh.

    The Take Away

    My heart was broken and I felt shattered but I never gave up on my faith. The Buddhist in me is reminded that everything happens for reason, the American in me wishes it were an easier path without a trip halfway around the world. This was all a learning exercise in compassion and understanding. How will I find way to forgive others for their human failings? How do I stand and be true to myself while those around me chose ignorance. How can I create an environment of positivity despite the cynicism of the majority?

    I am left with much introspection about my own strength and willingness to be myself in the face of adversity. I have grown some as a result of this trip but I believe that this will be a never ending journey. I can only hope that I will continue to see things more positively and not allow disappointment to sway my resolve.

    A Month Later...

    As I have visited with friends shortly after the trip I have retold this story many times. Every time I have done so I learned something more about my journey. One of the most interesting points was about my will. I was told that I was a strongly opinionated person and that it was hard to sway my opinion. This took me a back a little. Yes, I have very strong opinions about that way life should be, but if my philosophy is flawed no one has yet to call me out. I am deeply resolved that treating people as you would treat yourself should be a way of life. Treating people with the respect that you would expect for yourself is simple. Being humane to other humans should not take a revelation. If having a strong core belief in humanity deserves criticism I guess I will live a life of criticism.

    I also discovered in my story telling where my expectation came from. This took a month to discover. If I grew up with these so called “practices” how did I now know how this was going to be? It turns out that when I went through the process of confirmation over 20 years before with the renowned Thich Nhat Hanh, this was not how things were conducted. What I had modeled in my head from 20 years ago set the stage for my expectations and disappointment.

    There is much more that I need to contemplate about my trip as I continue to digest it. This I know for sure, despite the hurt, my life has been altered in a good way. I find myself more sensitive than before, more fervent in my philosophies on life, and more devoted to a path of understanding.

    Thank you for making it all the way to the end. I hope to meet you again along the way.
  • Jamaica

    Jamaica 2015

    The story of my first world problems

    Lets start from the end first. We both concluded that we would never come back to Jamaica. There was nothing there that we felt was worth our time and effort. The food was good, but the guy in Cleveland seems to do just as good a job as anything we had while were there. And if we were to pick a beach vacation, there are better options.

    For me, this was the first time that I can remember feeling so unsafe. From the very first day I felt like I needed to be careful of where I was parking my car, how I was holding my purse where we were driving. Driving up to the local market (Charles Gordon Market) we kept on moving. Little outlets for food on the street, never once stopped. (And I live for this stuff.) Driving through the inner part of Mobay, wow. I felt like we might get car jacked.

    Never before have I been scammed immediately. The first night we stopped at a strip of “bars” along the highway in search of food. There I met a seemingly helpful man. I was obviously out of place among the locals. He asked what I was looking for and was more than happy to help. He walked me down a couple huts, introduced me to his friend who sold me some dinner. Walked me out to the car and told me that the right thing to do for his help was to buy him a beer. Really? I hate that kind of crap. The next day on our drive to Negril the same thing happened. A man on a motorcycle starts pointing at our tire and tells us to pull over. (I had a bad feeling about it, but went ahead and did it.) There was no imminent problem, the hub cap was a little loose but was held on by zip ties. I said thank you and started to walk away, at which time he told me that the right thing to do was to buy him a beer. Uggggh.

    Food, where do I begin. We had our list from the internet, we got a list from the locals and where the two lined up we went there. Seemed like a good plan, but nooooo. I don’t get this one. Usually when we arrive in a new place we find out where the locals go and it all works out. This time we were pointed to nothing but tourist restaurants.

    *Scotchies, the number one place to go for jerk chicken in Mobay, why??? There were quite a few tourists there, but there were equally the same number of locals. We were a bit underwhelmed. Our guy in Cleveland does a better job without the fancy bbq and wood.

    *Juici Patties, on the list of must haves for native Jamaican food. Meh, it was like any other pattie I have had in the Bahamas. This particular place was equivilant to any other fast food place in the US.

    *Then came The Pelican, on the top 5 of every list. Highly rated. Why??? This equivalent to a Jamaican version of Denny’s. (I will say this, the spinner was very good. Basically a dumpling that was in with the oxtail stew. Did you notice I said spinner, not spinnerS? Yeah, about that. It about an inch long.) Mediocre at best.

    *Chillout Hut, recommended by several locals, was on several top 10 lists. We were told we would pay more for the view but that was ok. We are always willing to pay for good food. We were on the hunt for good seafood. Again a place for tourists. The food, meh. Expensive for a whole lot of mosquito bites. Oh, they did not have conch or lobster, or oxtail, or curried goat. We had the fish, escovitched. The guy on the streets of Thailand with his little wok did a better job.

    *Pork Pit, on several top 5 lists for jerk. Ok, so this is pretty local. Did not see any tourists there even though it was on the hip strip. If you stick to the jerk it was good. The shrimp tasted like left overs, the roti was unappetizing, they were out of chicken wings and corn.
    *Lobster Trap, on several top 5 lists for seafood. On this last night we decided to take an early dinner and drive 30min to what should have been a great meal. For a place that was so highly rated with a website, it felt a little peculiar that the street leading to the restaurant was in such disarray. But why not right? It was supposed to be next  the water where the local fishermen had their boats, so I assumed it was like a little fishing village, seemed to make sense. Pulling, there were no cares nor people. Hmmm. So I went in to check it out. There were tables without chairs, I walked past and open kitchen, nothing on the stove, no one around. In the “dining” area I found a woman sweeping the floor. (She gave the look of, why are you here. I get the fact that I stick out like a sore thumb, but really?) Me: Are you open. Her: Yes. Me: For food? Her: Yes, but you need to call ahead. Me: huh? Her: You need to call and they bring. Me: Ok, I’ll go get my husband. On our return, Her: Do you have a cell phone, you can call. Me: No. Her: Ok, you can use mine. (She dials and hands me the phone.) Me: The operator says the number does not work. Her: (she tries again) Ok, it work now. Me: There is an answering machine. Me to Andy: Lets to Pier 1.

    *Pier 1, on several top 5 lists for seafood (probably number one.) Having looked at the menu and reviewed it online, it was clearly another tourist restaurant, but we don’t care. We want food and are willing to pay for it. We pulled in behind the chain link fence which went around the parking lot of the restaurant (there is a reason I mention this). We are approached by a security guard, who asks us, “are you here for the restaurant?” (Well no shit Sherlock, there ain’t nothing else here!) Me: Umm, yes. (politely) Him: I’m sorry but the restaurant is closed for a private function. OMG!! Nexxxxt…

    *Jerkies – on several lists, suggested by locals. We had driven by several times and knew
    where it was. It looked really busy with locals. Me: I’ll take the brown stewed chicken. Her: Sorry, no more. Me: Ok, I’ll take the curried goat. Her: Sorry, no more. Me: uhhh, I’ll take the curried chicken. Her: Sorry, no more. Me: Fine, I’ll take the jerk chicken. I’ll also take the conch, grilled. Her: that will be an extra 30min. Me. Ok, I’ll take the curried conch. Her: that will take an extra 15 min. Me: Fine.
    In the end, this would be the best jerk we would have and the curry was amazing. We ordered more for lunch the next day. We were not about to let go of this one for sure thing.
    It was exciting and disappointing to find out that the Jamaican restaurant in Cleveland was about as good as it gets. Now we know.
    Our trip did not have a good start and hindsight is 20/20. (We should have cancelled.) 36 hours before the trip we received notice that our Airbnb reservation was cancelled. The host stated that she was in a dispute with her husband over the property. Oy. But after some hustling, I found another unit at the same location, for about 30% more chaching. What are you going to do? Right. So off we went.

    The flight was a quick reminder that we were going to a third world country. I guess I had forgotten and was not quite in the mindset for such a trip. But reality is a like a slap it face wake up call. And there it was, I rented a car to drive in a third world country on the Other side of the street. Holy cow. All I wanted to do was pee my pants. What??? What was I thinking. Oh, that’s right, I had not done ANY research about this trip until the night before and had not gotten that far because I was busy trying to get a new reservation. The stress of driving on the opposite side of the street was amazing. The entire time, the only thing in my mind was left, left, left. The honking, the reckless passing, the pedestrians who don’t like the sidewalk, the motorcycles, the constant honking, oh, and the cars arbitrarily stopped on the street. I know it is far worse in China, Thailand, and many other places, but the difference was I was driving. Driving is in NYC is less nerve racking than this was. At least in NYC I didn’t have pedestrians walking in the middle of the street, cars passing illegally come right at me, and cars just stopped all over the place. Never again.

    We reserved a condo on a property called Palmyra. I had read a little about the property but its reality did not hit me until we were there. Palmyra was built over 10 years ago with the intention of being a 5 star resort. The property is made of 3 buildings over 100 units per building. But construction had stopped on the third building at about 75% to completion because the money had dried up. It was such a shame because whoever designed the property did a fantastic job. The only other place that I have been to that was so well designed was the Ritz Carlton in Marco Island, FL. And even then I would argue that this was far superior. It was very well thought out. Unfortunately, at only about 40% sold and no income, all of the services had disappeared. The pool bar, the restaurant, the spa services, all unavailable. The place was like a ghost town. (Perfect for us.)

    As you talk to the locals, they seem to all know the story and how sad it was that it is just rotting away. This story was unbeknownst to us until the last day. Which then explains everything. The wear on the carpeting, the peeling paint, the lack of employees.

    So what about these first world problems I am speaking of? The truth is, we still have options and we are going back to a roof over our heads, food on the table and the option of taking another vacation. How bad could our lives be? My take away from Jamaica?  I have a lot of first world problems that can should only be viewed as comical. Going home I get to reflect again on my life and put it all in perspective. But just for fun here is the rundown of our first world problems in Jamaica man.

    First world problem
    The bright side

    The pool was closed every day we were there.

    We got to sit by the pool and was able to go in the shallow end one day.

    The electricity was shut down during the day for maintenance. There is no elevator.

    We were moved to the first floor.

    We never got really good food.

    We had one great meal.

    We no longer had an ocean view.

    We had a room.

    The mildew smell throughout the unit.

    I did not get sick.

    The A/C was so loud that we could not open the window.

    We had A/C.

    The internet never worked properly for any length of time.

    We were on vacation and shouldn’t need the internet.

    We had to move rooms.

    We got to move rooms.

    We did not have enough towels. It took them 24 hours and 3 requests to get towels.

    We had towels.

    The rum cake we bought was moldy.

    We had other things to eat.

    It rained 5 of 6 days.

    We got to go to be in the sun. It did not rain all day. Just a lot.

    Driving on the left side of the road.

    It is not permanent.

    I almost hit a truck full of goats.

    I didn’t hit a truck full of goats.

    The safe had no batteries.

    Nothing was taken.

    The daily sacrifice of blood to mosquitos.

    Not nearly as many as in Peru.

    Went to the bank to exchange money, it was closed. Went to a second bank, they don’t exchange money.

    Found a cambio.

    Went to the market to buy bread. They only had Wonderbread.

    We bought English muffins.

    There were no services available on the property.

    We did not need any services.


  • Metal Immersion 2019

    Through the years, Metal Immersion has become THE event that I look forward to most. Being the first event of my calendar year, it is a great way to kick off my teaching schedule. 2019 would be no different. How great it was to gather with likeminded people to exchange laughs and our crafts.

    After the success in 2018 the attendees unanimously asked to create a charitable project. So once again attendees were asked to collect unused toiletries from their travels throughout the year for a project which would be donated. My heart is warmed by the overwhelming response in which were able to create over 130 packets of toiletries to be donated to Women's Center of Montgomery County in need. Additionally, there were generous donations of full size toiletries which will be used at local shelters. The contribution of time, craft and product was completely overwhelming. During the Friday Night Social and without direction, everyone found a corner to which they could best pitch in to this effort and got the job done. I could not have asked for more from this wonderful group of people.

    Though the focus of Metal Immersion is teach/learn with all the classes that are offered, for me it has become much more. As a group we communed and learned so much about one another and the power in being around positive attitudes. We shared stories, laughs and even some tears. I learned more about myself and much about humanity from which I will grow. I can only hope that others got the same.

    I am excited for 2019 and what will come in 2020 as I begin to prepare for next year’s events. I know I sound like a broken record when I talk about Metal Immersion, but I can not help myself. Thank you everyone for making it a Success. (I know I don’t do this often enough, but I WILL put a feather in my cap for this success!)

    Until we meet again.

    Always,

    Kieu

     

  • Paris/Dubai

    Paris/Dubai 2010

    October 2009 - Planning

    After weeks, and I do mean weeks, of planning and manipulating, I was finally able to score 2 business class tickets to Dubai...and Paris! For 2010. Our flights required stops in Europe and Andy has never been AND it did not cost extra so we expanded our trip to include Paris. Coincidentally, our 10th wedding anniversary would be in the middle of the trip.

    Despite having an entire year to plan, it would not be until July 2010 before I would find time to plan. And I barely made that happen. Thank goodness my girlfriend got a teaching contract in the UAE and my brother in-law was studying Arabic. Together they would give us all the info we needed. Ha!

    July 2010 A Nugget

    While researching our trip, I came across a little nugget...The International Jewelry Show of Dubai was happening in the middle of our vacation!! Wooohooo. The trip is now a write off..at least partially.

    September 2010 China
    An unplanned trip took me to China. There was definitely no time to think about Dubai. We will just have to wing it.

    Sept. 25 - Chinatown, NYC
    And we were off. Packed it in the car and headed for NYC. Andy wanted to drive so that we could be more leisurely about our travels. Try as we might to miss NYC traffic, the last hour took 2.5 hours. We arrived just in time for dinner.

    We picked up Mike (my brother in law) and headed to Chinatown in Flushing. This is the first time I had been to Chinatown since my visit to China. The similarities were shocking. I never realized how similar the two places are. The biggest shock to my system was being around so many Chinese people who spoke ENGLISH. I had to remind myself I was in the US and not to insult someone by asking, “do you speak English?” Which, almost passed my lips several times. Ooops.

    Dinner was at a food plaza my sister had been geeked about for the past year. She has dying for me to go. I think I would have been much more impressed if I had not just come back from China 10 days before. The dumplings sucked, what can I say.

    Sept. 26 – Reservations
    Spent the day in Stamford, CT at an artshow then went shopping for a cricket cage in Chinatown which we never found (long storie). Then I spent the rest of the day looking for a hotel reservation in Paris. This was suppose to be the easy part of the trip. But for some reason (the UN in session), all of Paris was booked and I can not put my hands on a reasonable rate. My brother in law suggested the IBIS hotel and to my surprise was able to immediately find a hotel, IN Paris! phew.

    Sept. 27 – Take off

    Up to this point I had not been excited in the least about this trip; arriving at the airport, the excitement finally kicked in. I had butterflies in my stomach and I was just excited. This is the first real adventure I was taking with my husband after 10 years of marriage. No idea what took so long.

    Arriving at the airport I immediately flashed back to previous European trips…Hoards of people trying to do ALL do the same the at the same time and NO one to direct them, and NONE of them wanting to play nice. There were at least 75 people violating 6 ticketing kiosks. I don't think that "forming a line" is a European's vernacular.

    My best efforts to avoid the hoards of people at the kiosk was in vain. The guy at baggage check-in just pointed us to the kiosks to get our boarding passes before he would let us enter. (I did try to tell him we were flying upper class but it fell on deaf ears.) Not helpful.

    Like a good girl I joined the swarm. (more like a lemming) and quickly discovered a machine that was not being used, even though there were so many people standing around. (not my problem) Me being me, I asked the guy in front of me why the computer was not in use. He didn’t know, so I urged “him” to step forward. Low and behold, it worked! Ta, ha!. I guess my line just got shorter. My triumph was short lived. A French women stepped in front of this guy and pushed him off…huh? Let me just say she got out of MY way! I was glad for this first experience. It reminded me to prepare for “European” attitudes in large groups. Note to self, brace yourself and defend your position.

    At baggage check I looked around for the “special” line. When I did not see it I resigned myself to the fact that there was not a separate line for “upper class” travelers. (“upper class” seems to be the designation of choice in periodicals when talking about business/first class travel.) I was wrong. When we got to the counter the attendant immediately said, "do you know there is a line for upper class across the way?" We do now. She agreed to check us in anyway. I can't get my 15 min. back. Oh well.

    This is Andy’s first trip overseas, longest flight, and first time flying business class so we wanted to soak up all the amenities. We headed directly to the executive lounge. International carriers really know how to do it right! The buffet was a great spread of French “snacks”. Unlike the sucky domestic carriers where you only get bags of carrots and peanuts, and paid for your drinks, this was very refreshing.

    While there, I noticed a woman traveling with a baby and of course the thought was, she is about to make a bunch of upper class passengers very unhappy. I knew that as soon as that thought crossed my 2 brain cells I was doomed. Lemme just say, doomed I was. She was sitting in my seat! Not a problem! We were willing to wait for her to move or figure it out. So she got up, placed the baby on the seat and proceeded to ask me to watch the baby while she fetched her ticket from her bag which was already in the overhead compartment. (really?) Gee, surprise, she was in the wrong seat! Now she was ready to move. But along the way she asked me to help her (move the water bottles, the baby bottles, the stuffed toy, the pillow…dear gahd! did she move in?) and then she asked Andy to get her bag from the overhead. Did I mention that she was spread out between TWO seats?

    The flight attendant who was making his way up the aisle noticed the exodus and Andy reaching for her bag (which I am sure HE had put there in the first place). He look confused the realized what was happening. He quickly grabbed her bag from Andy with a horrified look. ( I am sure it went something like this… “OMG, a passenger is moving bags for another passenger?) eeegads.

    So again she spread out in two seats at her new location, only to find out again that the seat next to her was about to be occupied. Oops. I was feeling sorry for that passenger. Funny, when he arrived (he was on his cell phone), he slowed down at his seat, checked out the situation and kept on walking. (I overheard him say on the phone, “there is a baby in the seat next to me…) He cased out the area and found another seat. Lucky him, business class was not full.


    The first course, cheese plate, cold cuts, pesto, scallop souffle.


    Second course, boullabaise.


    Andy's second course, steak.

    Day 1 – Paris

    Charles de Gualle airport is not at all as I remembered it. I suppose things do change after 20 years. (Hard to believe it has been that long since I have been in Paris.) It took us 3.5 hours from the time we arrived at the airport to the time we arrived at the hotel, which was only 30min. from CDG! Wah? Huh. Well, smart me wanted to take the train (supposed to be cheaper and faster, conveniently located at the airport). But to reach our “final” destination there were 2 train changes, 3 flights of stairs (maybe more, lost count) UP! then 3 flights down! I thought Andy was going to kill me. Then one final flight up to the street.

    When we finally made it to the street, a taxi took us to the “rest” of the way…sort of. The taxi stopped at the right address but there was no hotel, but instead an apartment building? My brother in law mapped the wrong location. We were in southeast Paris but the hotel was actually outside of Paris. North! 27km to be exact. OMG, just kill me. This added 45 minutes in a taxi.

    We finally arrived in the right place at 3pm and passed out, as either of us slept on the plane.

    On our first day we discovered that French people could be really rude, however, they could be nice too. Three people stopped to help me with the baggage up and down the stairs in the subways stations. They saw Andy’s disposition and offered to help carry the luggage. One guy went so far as to ask if I needed help beyond that point. Wow. Good Start.

    Day 2 - More steps

    People really don’t know until they know. Having been to Paris and Europe before I was very leery of how well Andy would cope, as stairs and steps are particularly challenging to him. And I was right.
    Despite the fact that Paris is a metropolitan city, it is a very old one. There are few ramps, escalators and elevators. When there are escalators there are still steps to get to them or they were only available going UP? huh? I don’t get it. Most of the old monuments have nothing to assist handicapped people. And bathrooms in restaurants are mostly down winding steps. Travelers with handicaps take caution.

    These are all things I had considered before I committed to this trip. But of course there were other people’s opinions, “It’s a modern city, you’ll be fine.” “There’s lots of transportation, it’s easy to get around.” … Bastards! They just don’t realize that even high curbs and cobblestone can cause problems.
    Whoever told Andy we should go to Bastille Sacre Coeur should be taken out, stripped, and beaten! (I believe it was his doctor who should have known better.)
    Going to Sacre Coeur was suppose to be an easy trip with only one subway change…that is until I screwed up and put us on the Wrong platform. Resulting in extra steps. Ugh. Down an extra set of stairs and up an extra set of stairs we went.

    Arriving at the “base” of the church there was suppose to be a funicular to take us to the top…Uh, someone (his doctor) failed to mention there was a cobblestone street, UPHILL BEFORE the funicular. He Also failed to mention that there was also 1.5 flights of stairs before the church STEPS. (I always assume there is a set of steps in front of a church so I’ll give him that one.)

    Then what about the ass at the top of the funicular who told us that the bus transport was at the bottom of the hill? I should take him out too. Because halfway down the hill, a women told us the bus we wanted was at the top! Just beyond where the ASS was. Just a little tormented?


    Bastille Sacre Coeur. Paris


    View of Paris from Sacre Coeur. This is the best place to see all of Paris


    Just a really pretty candy store along the cobblestone walk uphill.

    Despite all of these challenges we did find our way to the Arc de Triomphe, where we bumped into our first tourist scam. (You might want to take notes.) Standing on the sidewalk looking through my purse a guy stopped in front of me, bent over, picked up a gold ring, handed it to me and said, “For good luck.” And walked away. Five seconds later he turned around and said, “Do you have money for food, to eat?” and pointed to the ring. Can we all say SCAM? So I handed it back to him and told him to go buy himself some food! Make no mistake our getaway was not that simple.

    Immediately after this incident a well dressed young man approached me and asked, “how do get to the middle?” pointing at the Arc de Triomphe, which is in the middle of a very busy traffic circle. By assumption I pointed to the closest set of stairs that looked like the led to an underpass. Uh, no? We got to the bottom, he looked at me, I looked at him and we agreed we would walk around the circle to find another passage. As he would put it, “Crossing the boulevard seems a little dangerous.” Ha, ha. No kidding. A traffic circle in the middle of Paris with 5 spokes feeding into it, dangerous? Ya think?

    Along the walk I learned that my companion was in Paris for a grant/job interview. He is an Iranian, living in Berlin, who speaks English, German and Persian. None of which were helpful to our cause as either one of us spoke or read French.

    Next on the tourist path, the Eiffel Tower. Andy was underwhelmed. All I have to say is, wasn’t it red at one time?
    On the way to the top we met a group from Toronto who’s comment was, “Cleveland, that beautiful country.” Then came the Australian, Claire, from Brisbane with the vertigo husband. (He didn’t go past the second level so we accompanied her to the top.) Andy offered to hold onto her belt if she wanted to lean over the edge for a look, her husband was not so amused!

    On the way down we met guy from Kansas City, MO, which is where Andy and I first met. He said we were first people to ever ask, “Kansas City, Kansas or Kansas City, Missouri?” Really? He was impressed.


    My cliche lunch, or should I say quiche lunch.


    Andy's lunch, dried salami sandwich and the best fries we have ever had!


    In the underpass.


    "ahhhhhhhh."


    Arc de Triomphe, picture taken by my new friend.

    The Eiffel Tower from the Arc.


    Mohin my tourist pal for the moment.


    Those are crystal embedded stairs.


    Just pretty.


    I thought this was ironic, as Cleveland has one of the largest collections of Monet. And I had to go all the way to Paris to see it? Not.


    National Museum


    National Museum of Art


    Can't remember.


    More military.


    This is suppose to be a pix of pigeons pooping on tourists passing underneath.


    The park in front of the Eiffel Tower.


    Another view.


    Arc de Triomphe from the Eiffel.


    Claire, from Australia.

    Look closely, that is the US flag, pointing in the direction of NYC, 5849KM away


    So I decided to sneak in a pix of these guys in uniform. Didn't think they would notice. But then he approached me and started pointing to my camera.


    Then he asked if it was good pix. As he noticed I was looking at my screen. Fortunately for me the play back was other pix. He was a little embarrassed so I scammed him into standing for another picture! LOL!

    Day 3 - Welcome to Paris!

    After a very long night of jet lag and rowdy 15 year old Dutch kids in the room next door, we finally dragged ourselves out of bed for more tourists stuff.
    At the train station we asked for assistance to ride on a “special” elevator to the platform which required an attendant with a key. On the way down, there was a very distinct odor of uh-hum. The attendant made a sniffing sound and said, “ouf” (so French) then he said, “Welcome to Paris!” It was a good laugh.

    So away we went to the Bastille, underwhelmed. Then the Louvre, completely outstanding. Then St. Chappelle, oh so beautiful, and finally Notre Dame, not as big as you think but still big. Is it over yet?


    The Louvre


    More military detail to my right.


    River Seine


    Look familiar? The french version of the cow in China. ha!


    Another cliche meal. French onion soup.


    Stec au pomme frite


    St. Chapelle, near Notre Dam



    Outside


    Inside


    Notre Dame


    Inside, during mass.


    Hotel bathroom. Notice the lack of shower curtain and shower head.

    Day 4 – Onto Dubai

    Another day, another airport. We knew that flying upper class afforded us a few privileges but this next one takes the cake. Despite being told that security check was to the right, after receiving our boarding passes at the “elite line” we were instructed to the left. Where 2 nicely dressed attendants opened a roped area and allowed us to proceed…to the “private” customs and security gate. Just for the upper class flyers. Nice.

    It is always interesting to people watch at the airport. Regardless of where you are there is always free entertainment. The boarding area was particularly crowded, standing room only. Air France really needs to expand their terminal. It was so crowded that the upper class and coach lines were really marred, which, I am sure, is the reason we got the complete stair down by a fellow upper class passenger. Little did he know, ha! we were flying with him! So hard to believe.

    Arrival was a gasp, literally. Since when do Men spritz cologne in public…in an airplane? My head was just swelling. Then came the brick wall of heat that hit me as soon as we walked outside. Desert heat comes with humidity? Gag.

    Starbucks


    Chocolate Camels. They made me smile.


    The ski slope inside of The Dubai Mall. Doesn't look real does it?


    Chicken Curry and flat bread.

    Day 5 – It’s so Clean

    As luck would have it our hotel was located 3minutes walk from the metro station. But man, even those 3 minutes were brutal in the mid-day sun. wow. I am really starting to wonder if I am going to survive the heat!

    Upon entering the metro station it became very clear that Dubai was going to live up to everything the press had reported. The metro station was equipped with elevators, escalators AND people movers AND it boasted ZERO emissions trains. Did I mention how clean it was? You could practically eat off the ground. Andy and I even agreed that the 10second rule applied here. (This is not even thought in NYC!)

    First stop, the Dubai Mall to find a bikini and a power cord for my laptop. My bikini went missing before we left then I left my power cord at my sister’s house. At the electronics store I approached a gentleman and proceeded to ask, “do you speak English?” answer, “Of, course, why shouldn’t I?” “I don’t know why.” Huh, not what I expected. Okay then. This is going to be a very easy trip.

    The famous indoor ski slopes were located at this mall and yeah, it is exactly like the pictures. Everyone was dressed in ski wear issued by the facility. So the women were in full length, black ski jackets with their black head scarves and the men in blue with their which scarves. This was just hilarious to me! The only thing I could think was, in the US we think of snowmen when we are all bundled up like that in white; what do you call one that is black?

    The mall was simply impeccable, from the selection of stores and restaurants to the cleanliness. I have never been to a mall this clean before. Attendants in the restrooms to dispense soap for you and squeegee the counters when you are done? Trash cans were so pretty we had a hard time distinguishing them from the art. It was endless.
    In the afternoon we headed to the spice souk, a market we had read so much about. It sounded so exotic. Clearly this was a tourist market, but it was fun anyway. Most of the spices are from other places, so we only bought spices that were from the region.

    Tonight we had the best dinner so far. Directed to this area by a vendor at the spice souk, we found ourselves down a back alley where there were several local restaurants. We chose the busiest restaurant that looked the least like a tourist trap. It was filled to the brim with local men, not a woman or tourist in sight. As much as we looked like tourists, we tried to not act like tourists. I was careful to watch the other patrons to figure out the protocol. But I am sure that my handi-wipes turned a few heads. I could have saved myself from the stares had I been observant enough to notice that there was a wash basin in the restaurant for washing your hands! Smart. Clean up after our meal was easy.

    Lack of a picture menu we were clueless so we pointed to the table next to us and indicated that we wanted what they were having. Couldn’t be bad, most everyone was having the same thing. It turned out to be chicken curry (not curry chicken, and definitely nothing we had EVER had before). OMG was it good. YUM. It was accompanied by a dish of raw vegetables and fresh flat bread directly from the oven to the table, we were in heaven. Did I say YUM? YUM! The waiter was so kind, he watched us the entire time and if it looked like we needed something he just brought it; more sauce, more vegetables, more bread. It was so good we both considered licking our plates but resisted since no one else was licking their plates.

    I am always worried of being ripped of when I am in a place where I can’t speak the language so I also tried to be mindful of how much people were paying for their dinners. The check was about $7 for both of us! I guess we got a good deal.


    Fogged up camera from the Dubai humidity.


    Burj al Kahlib (10 min. later) The talles buildig in the world.


    Mall of the Emirates


    The Dubai Aquarium at the Dubai Mall. This is the "world's largest panel of acrylic".


    Taking pictures outside were always a challenge because of the humidity.

    Day 6 – Sites

    We headed to the Mall of the Emirates and the Burj al Khalib, both are amazing. It is so hard to believe that Dubai can support so much shopping. We have now been in 2 malls and they were both stacked with the best of the best of stores and brands. Chanel, LV, Fendi, Tifanny, Cartier, Bulgari, and the list goes on, and on. And they were all in duplication. If there is one Chanel there are SEVEN, Louis Vuitton – THREE. And So on. Wow. Is there really that much shopping in this town to support that many high end stores? This completely dwarfs Rodeo Drive in Hollywood or even Fifth Avenue in NYC.

    As an American, you could not want for anything. It seems as if EVERY American brand was represented here. If you missed food from home, it is all here. Baskin Robbins, TGIF, Johnny Rockets, I can not even think of a chain that I did not see. (Well, I didn’t see IN n Out, but anyway...) The only thing that was really “missing” was the dirt. Every place we have been to, has been is so clean. We at the food court at the mall and there were people to pick up our trays. Really? I thought this was fast food? I almost felt guilty handing someone my tray.

    I was in desperate need for a tall, icy, cold Coke tonight. So, on our walk back to the hotel I made a pit stop at Burger King which was at the gas station across the highway. I knew that BK would come through with ice. They don’t seem to like serving it here. I think that was the best Coke I have ever had.

    Day 7 - Abu Dhabi

    The bus station was probably the grungiest place we had been to in all of Dubai. But we were rewarded with another great meal. The restaurant was hot and steamy but the waiter was kind enough to turn on the A/C unit that was near our table. For both of us $6 got us grilled chicken and rice, chicken curry and 2 drinks. YUM!

    A clean, air conditioned luxury bus took us to Abu Dhabi for about $4 each.

    Abu Dhabi is much crowder than Dubai. The buildings are older and it was not as clean.

    We made our way to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, the eighth largest mosque in the world. It accommodates 40,000 worshippers. I can not begin to imagine a larger or more beautiful mosque. This is truly the most beautiful man made facility I have ever seen/been in. The serenity there warmed my heart and immediately brought me peace. It was amazing. I can not even put what I felt into words.

    When we arrived there were abayas for the women and robes for the men. I was a little concerned to put on someone’s sweaty robe but to my delight they were freshly laundered. When we were done they were put into a laundry bag.

    Our timing could not have been better. The taxi driver told us that there would not be tourists there as most tourists came in the morning. He was so right. We also arrived while it was still daylight, but by the time we left it was nightfall so the mosque was beautifully lit up. Did I mention how amazing it was?

    Not surprisingly, it was so clean I took off my shoes and enjoyed walking on the cool marble. The bathroom was equally as beautiful. The ablution was amazing. But out of respect I chose to not take a picture. There were attendants everywhere.

    On our way back to the bus station we were overcome by the sweet smell of a bakery. I chased it down and found a lovely local bakery. It was hopping with activity. Having no clue what anything was and trying hard not to make trouble, I took two of everything. How bad could it be, right? Then I noticed the bakers working feverishly on what looking like calzones. People were buying these by the dozen, so of course I had to have one. The guy asked which one. I said one of each. He was clearly amused. They turned out to be freshly made flat bread with melted feta cheese, spinach and combinations of. Oh so yummy. If we had not just had dinner I would have finished it.


    Sheik Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi


    The world's 8th largest mosque.


    The courtyard.

    We were required to cover.


    Even the restrooms were beautiful, I could not help taking a picture.


    The other side of the sinks. All in layed marble.


    Their idea of Hommos. The peas were so tender they melted in your mouth.


    Arab pizza? Feta and spinach. There was a line for these yummies.

    Day 8 - Shwarma

    Today we had lunch reservations at the Burj al Arab Hotel, probably the most famous and most photographed hotel in Dubai. It looks like a sailboat on the water’s edge. To get on the property you must have a reservation of some sort. Since we simply could not afford the $1500/night rate, we opted for the cheapest meal we could get, lunch at the Japanese restaurant. It was the worse and most expensive meals we had. We actually paid $20 for a bottle of water. Eek.

    At the restaurant the hostess is Malaysian, the waiter is Chinese, the manager is from the Philippines and the cooks are all Chinese. Huh. This explains why there was so much Chinese food and it tasted a bit lacking in the Japanese department. Where is the Japanese in all of this? Oh, the guests. The best part of our meal was the Wagu beef, the Aussie version of Kobe beef. Geez, even the beef was a knock off!

    The hotel was, well, tacky and did not impress. It was like one big cliché. The oddest part was that there were NO Arabs to be found. 98% of the people I saw were Asian and I only saw one white person other than Andy. The staff was Asian too. The manager informed us that of their guests, Americans made up less than 2.5%.

    The haze across the city made viewing very hard, we could barely see anything. We really only got to see a little bit of the Palm Jumeirah and the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Both are great sites, but so disappointing not to be able to see anything else.

    For dinner we headed to Al Mallah for shwarma, meat grilled on a vertical rotisserie. This was the one of two planned meals on this trip. We can now officially say, “WE are NOT shwarma people”. Up to this point we had had it a few times on the streets but were not impressed. So we thought that going to Al Mallah, the oldest and best shawarma house in Dubai, would finally satisfy our palate. Not. Uck!

    At Al Mallah, we bumped into an American couple from Philly! Jeff was born in Dubai and his wife was from Philly. They had just moved to Dubai a few months before she got a job in Dubai. (Much to his parents’ delight but her parents’ chagrin. So funny how things work out.)

    Jeff was so impressed that we were eating at Al Mallah because it was such a local place. According to him, 15 years ago there was nothing there but Al Mallah, Pizza Hut and Carl’s Jr. Really? Al Mallah, Pizza Hut, Carl’s Jr. and the desert? That’s it. Really? I could not even imagine. This area was so built up, you would have thought you were in NYC. I still can not get over Pizza Hut and Carl’s Jr.? Of all things.

    He was clearly excited that we were eating at one of his favorite places. So we lied and told him the shwarma was GREAT!


    Jumeirah Mosque


    Though beautiful, this mosque paled in comparison to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque.

    Burj Al Arab Hotel


    Lobby view looking straight up.


    Sister property, Jumeirah Beach Hotel

    Day 9-11 – Atlantis

    Our last three days were spent mostly at the Atlantis Dubai Resort. Located at the top of Palm Jumeirah, Atlantis is an architectural marvel. We were impressed from the moment we walked in. From the greeter who sprinkled rose water into your hands to the 30ft Chihuly sculpture. I had a hard time figuring out where to start.
    We chose to stay on a resort for our final days so that we would not need a vacation from our vacation when we got home. So we indulged ourselves at the beach and the pool. There is nothing like laying out on a bed of cool water on the pools edge with a fountain trickling in your ear. Somehow I stopped feeling hot. Did I mention the guy who came around to wipe off your sunglasses for you? Really.

    The lunch buffet was one of the best I have ever had. (I hate buffets, usually.) Hard to believe that on this buffet I had bread that was as good as what we had in Paris and pasta that was simply out of this world. This buffet was so big I don’t think there was anything missing, Indian, Japanese, Chinese, American, Italian, and it went on. The desserts were also international. I left quite full.

    The property also had boasted some pretty impressive shopping. I don’t think I have ever been in a place that had its own Tiffany’s store. Not just a counter inside of a gift shop but an actual store. Here I was introduced to Paspally Pearls, let me just say, Mikimoto has nothing on them. The manager was kind enough to educate me on his store and introduced me to a one hundred and thirty thousand dollar strand of pearls! Yes, that is $130,000! And these were the “cheap” ones. Apparently there was a $300K strand over at the Dubai Mall.

    At some point we figured out that it was less expensive to take a 20min. taxi off the property to eat than it was to eat there. So we ventured back into the city for our final meal at our new favorite chicken curry restaurant. Being our final meal we had to completely indulge, so we had drinks, chicken curry, lentils, and chicken tikka…for $8! I was so sure we were not screwed the first time we were there. Although, $7 was a cheap meal the first time we were there, it became clear that we were screwed.

    Day 12 – Departure

    4am came so quickly this morning I opted out of a shower. Was there a good reason to wake up? We were only getting on a plane for 6 hours to Amsterdam. We had a 6 hour layover in Amsterdam so there was a lot of time to kill. First order of business, a shower. I had discovered that the airport lounges were usually equipped with showers, so I took advantage. That was a nice surprise. The showers were equipped with all the amenities so you don’t have to provide anything. Which was a good thing because I did not have anything. Shampoo, razors, toothbrush…etc. I fully expected locker room style showers but was surprised with a private shower room. Not just a stall but a room with a security key. I can not believe there were TEN of them. I wonder how many people actually took advantage. It was so nice to be fresh for the next flight to NYC.

    Final thoughts.

    There are no Arabs in the UAE. We only now know that Arabs make up 20% of the population. Had I known that I would have never bothered with learning Arabic! Ala wu sahalan. I love saying that.

    Dubai was the most civilized place I think I have ever been. The people there were incredibly nice and kind. I do not remember ever being uptight with anyone. Nor do I remember ever witnessing anyone being upset or any kind of altercation. Women appeared to be well respected in this country and it wasn’t just me. I watched how other people were being treated and it universal.

    All of the taboos you hear about seem to be over-rated rumors. You should expect to be arrested if you are doing something disrespectful, but if you are reasonable person this should not be a challenge. I would definitely never wear daisy dukes outside of the resorts, but you could wear spaghetti straps and sun dresses.

    The heat AND humidity was incredible. I thought I was surely going to melt. For an Asian girl who doesn’t really sweat, I sweated. It did not take long to figure out that even the slightest bit of snug clothing was too snug. My sun dress was the best thing I could have packed. This is not an ordinary desert.

    Andy and I decided that we would like to go back in about 15years to see how much it will have changed. To see if Dubai’s charm is still intact or if the world will cast its influence upon it. To see if they follow through with their vision and be able to sustain it.


    A traditional wind tower.

    Atlantis, Dubai


    View from our room.

    Our room. Such a contrast to Paris

  • Peru

    Peru 2015

    Day 1 – and away we go

    It has been 2 years since my last trip out of the country, and for some odd reason, I am nervous. I find myself with a knot in my stomach, hmmm. I am quite unclear what it is. Am I worried about a new country, am I really prepared, did I pack the right equipment, the right shoes? Or is it because this is the first time I am taking this kind of trip? What about the altitude? What if I am the one who ends up on that horse? Oy. Onward.

    Happy to see that my travel companions played along with my little joke. :)

    Day 2 –

    First breakfast in Lima provided by the hotel. Well, that was interesting, you would have thought we were in China again. There were plenty of Asian food on the buffet (about half of it) and I suppose that would be appropriate because there were plenty of Asians in the restaurant, hmmm. So strange. I skipped it and opted for eggs to order and some toast.
    On the list for our short stint in lima, see downtown, royal palace, find a bead store and the catacombs…(hmmm, why don’t I have any pictures of that? Because they did not allow us to take pictures. So imagine 20K skeletons.) Much of what we saw in Lima reminds me of Mexico, not surprising.

    Before heading off to the airport for the next leg of our trip, I was able to have our driver take us to his favorite restaurant. Oh, what a treat. I love going to restaurants frequented by taxi drivers, it always seems like they go to the best places. Today the specialty was ceviche de mar. Ok, lets admit it, I was really apprehensive about eating raw seafood in a foreign country, but it seems to be the national dish. And Guillermo told me that the specialties of the house were: 1. Ceviche and 2. Arroz con pata (rice and duck NOT chicken). After a moment of deliberation and reasoning in my head, I decided to go for it. Of course I enjoyed it, but the question was, would I come to regret it later….

    It was the best ceviche of my life. At first real meal Karen learned a tortilla as we know it is not a tortilla in Peru….it’s an omelet. She ordered a dried skate tortilla. I think she was expecting a fish taco. Welllll, not so much. She got an omelet of dried skate. (Not clear that even I would eat that.) All was made right with Pisco Sours. That’s one way to kick off this adventure…onward to Cusco.


    Day 3 – Cusco

    Holy cow last night was fuuhhreezzing. The house is a 2 story condo where the heating unit was a small, portable propane thing that was on the first floor. The second floor had nothing but blankets. Argh. I could not get comfortable all night.

    Waking up, the altitude has already hit me, the light headedness, the pressure in my sinuses and headache…The decision, to take the altitude sickness pills now or wait? Perhaps my body will catch up and I will acclimate. Should I give my body a chance to do it’s job?…Lets see what my Facebook friends have to say….That lasted about a half hour before I decide to take the freaking pills.


    No one seemed to be in a hurry for breakfast this morning as we casually headed out to find coffee and sustenance. We found Starbucks, wooohoo. On the walk into town it is becomes clear to me that Cusco a tourist town. Finding local eats will be a challenge.

    So where do I go to find food? The local markets. Mercado Central de San Pedro would be first on my list. There we found where the locals go shopping along with a few tourist offerings sprinkled in (because obviously they knew better). The smells the colors, the offerings, hmmm, looks like every other market I have been to in other parts of the world, but with a Peruvian flare. This being my first visit to South America, I am realizing that is really is no different from Asia. It is just a different ethnicity. Sort of cool.

    Nothing like basket of warm rolls at the convenience store next to the rental.

    Plenty of tourist goods,
    Lots of locals means, it has to be good. Noodles for breakfast. No matter where I go, this is the ultimate comfort food. This was an amazingly fresh bowl of soup. I am pretty sure it was only $1USD.

    Best seat in the house.
    Went to the trekking tour office for our mandatory orientation meeting. There we met our fellow trekkers and our fearless leaders. Our counterparts seemed like nice people ready to have fun and meet the challenge. The guide, not so much. I was completely unimpressed. But perhaps it will be better on the trail.

    Cusco at night Oddities
    Random door decoration. Hmmmm, Out?
    The ChocoMuseo would provide our fun for the day. There we took a chocolate making class and learned all about the cacao bean and its process from farm to table. It was a great opportunity to learn about something at its origin. By the end we all had a bunch of chocolate to take home with us.
    Pisco Sours would end our early night as we prepared for our big adventure.
    I guess there was going to be a concert.

    Day 4 – Salkantay Trek – 1

    Pick up at 6’ish from our condo, this was not to be as easy as it sounds. The roads were too narrow for the bus make up. So we had to walk to the bus with our tote and equipment, luckily they sent people to help us carry the bags, phew!

    On the bus we met Tom (29 years old from San Francisco). This would be his first adventure of this kind. He had a nice demeanor about him and seemed very happy to be there. Next would be John and his kids Lauren (26 years old) and Remi (22 years old) from London. Lauren was immediately a ray of sunshine. She introduced herself to everyone and went directly to the back of the bus, where the bad kids sit. ;)

    Then came Neil and Katie (dating couple of 8 years from Liverpool). As soon as Neil got into the van he said “funny, and we thought we would be first.” Yeah, so much for me trying to figure out the timing of the pick-up at the orientation.
    Chris (from Australia, can’t remember which city) would be last. He really was out of the way and the only one who was staying at a hostel. He was the iconic hostel type toting a small guitar and what seemed to be his entire life in a heavy canvas backpack. He was on holiday in South America for THREE months.


    (Karen is already passed out. teehee)
    Our second stop, on the 4 hour bus ride to the trailhead, would be at a little town where we were told we could use the toilet and were “invited” to half a piece of bread and coca tea. (The "invitation" came with a price.)

    This stop would also yield the first incident of the trek, and yes, I would bear the burden of that. On the short walk up the road to the facilities, I stepped into a drainage grate. Where I stepped was exactly enough separation between the grates for my foot to go through (no other area on this grate was bigger) and my leg went all the way down to the point where my crotch actually hit the grate. Oy. Once again, we are in a foreign country and Karen had to witness this. It happened so fast, I am not even sure who all pulled me out of the hole. (I knew that was going to bruise in more than a few places.)

    I was lucky that this fall only resulted in some bruising, this could have been the beginning and the end of my trek. I was most impressed by the concerns that was expressed by Neil and Tom. Both of whom individually pulled me aside to asked me how I was. Wow, I didn’t even know these people yet and they were so genuine. It was not until here that the group would officially come together and formerly meet one another. I get a feeling this is going to be a good group of people.

    We arrived at our first site where we would have a beautifully cooked meal of trout and rice (started carb loading in anticipation) for lunch. After lunch we were given the option to take a side excursion to see a lagoon (1.5hour hike) or just go directly to our first campsite. Well duhh, of course I am going to take the lagoon. Any opportunity to see more, right? We are in Peru, we are in the Andes, I have to see everything I could possibly see.

    So the group split up. Maruja (the second guide) would lead the slow group (Emily, John and Katie) directly to the campsite, while Fabian would lead the fast group to the extra hike. I assessed the hike by site and decided that it would not be problem and was not different from any other hike I had done in the recent past. ¾ from the top I quit. I had had enough. I couldn’t breathe, my muscles were tired and I just couldn’t go on. And there was still another 3 hours to go to get to the campsite. But noooooo, my fellow trekkers were not going to let me quit. So I pushed on and made it. On the way back down I asked Karen if she thought it was worth it, I didn’t get an answer.
    The fun was just beginning. We were to hike 5km uphill to our destination. I did the math and decided that it should be a piece of cake. I had recently hike 7.5km uphill in Alaska without a problem. This would prove to be a very different kind of hike. Altitude was now the game changer. Something that I did not anticipate at all. At first it was about every 20 steps that I would have to stop to catch my breath, then little by little it would become, every 10, then every 3. I had become so fatigued that I started questioning my body. Would my legs support my body weight enough to keep me from falling backwards on a rock climb?
    No longer able to calculate the distance I had left to our final destination, it became a mental game of just putting one foot in front of another. Karen and I were at the back of the group during the first half, but I was slowly falling behind her. At some point Chris stayed with me, but I could tell he was stronger so I told him that I really needed to just work at my own pace, hoping that this would let him off the hook. (I am glad that he moved on without me.)
    This trek became the toughest mental and physical challenge of my life. I stopped taking pictures to focus on my breathing and steps. My vision became impaired as the boulders I was seeing started moving, not like I was hallucinating, but they started looking wavy, obscured. Sort of like what happens right before you pass out. By then I lost sight of my fellow trekkers. The colored dots that were their backpacks had long disappeared and could no longer use them to keep track of the trail. I had to find confidence in my own skills to find the right trail.

    This trek would be more than an exercise, it was a metaphor for my life. When I started getting overly confident with myself, my skills, my life, God would remind me that maybe I shouldn’t be. That every step of the way should be deliberate and calculated. I should reflect on the step behind me, assess the step in front and based on the information make a decision that is right.

    As the sun went down beyond the mountains, the temperature drops into the 30’s. I was without proper clothing. I did not anticipate being out in the elements as long as I was, my hands were numb because I only had fingerless gloves and was now starting to shiver. My head was in a fog from the altitude and it was by shear will that was to keep me going. My only thoughts now turned to, how will I break the news to Karen that I can’t do this.
    The doubts started swimming in my head. I know that I am being challenged spiritually, am I up to this challenge? Is it really a spiritual challenge or was it really a physical one. Can I do this vs. do I want to do this? For what felt like hours upon hours I deliberated these question in between the steps, the breathing, the cold. As if that was not enough, I started dry heaving. I think this is where I knew that it was no longer spiritual but physical. My body had had enough, it just wanted to lay down. No amount of reasoning could make this better.

    The sun had gone down and it was getting dark. At some point Fabian was waiting for me, he informed me that they had sent for a horseman and a horse. He told me that the horseman would meet me, take my pack and take me on another 10 minutes where there would be a horse for me. Thank gahhhhd. The horse was a most welcome site.

    I was the last to arrive at camp, where they had hot tea waiting for me. I was so cold my teeth were chattering and my hands were shaking. All I wanted to do was lay down, but they insisted that I took some hot tea. In the commissary tent I was met by my fellow trekkers who all seemed equally cold. Katie very quickly saw the sickness in my eyes and asked the guides to provide oxygen. I am again grateful to have people around me who were so caring.
    So weak and nauseous I could only muster down a cup of tea before asking to lay down. Karen followed behind me to our tent. Her sleeping bag had yet to be delivered so I insisted that she jumped into my sleeping bag, but lets me honest, I was so cold I needed the extra body warmth.
    They delivered the oxygen tank, but it didn’t work. I was so tired at this point I almost didn’t care.

    Day 5 – Trek 2, the longest trekking day

    After a very cold, restless night of sleep, riddled with the sounds of animals and an avalanche, we were awaken by a cup of coca tea at 6am, frost on our tents and “personal” wash bin. All of which I could give a shit. All I knew was that I am freezing my ass off, my head hurts and I am still in the same clothes as yesterday. I guess I was so exhausted and cold it never occurred to me to change. (So much for the pj’s I packed.) But I was in good company, Karen was in the same state of freezing.

    At breakfast I discovered that we were all in the same boat. No one slept well, no one was warm and half of the people skipped dinner as Karen and I had. And though I felt better, I was still in no mood to eat. Eating was now a chore. Knowing what we had ahead, I forced down what food/fuel I could muster.

    After yesterday, I would have to change my plan of attack. This would be a mental game and I would have to move forward at a pace that my body could handle. All I had to do was make it through the first part of the trek, an uphill hike for 2 hours. Then the rest of the hike would be easy, a downhill hike to lunch.
    Don't let the smiles fool you, they were faking it!

    There was no problem at all…until there was problem. Having a good ole time, until we were in sight of the camp. Step by step it suddenly got harder and harder, the final 100meters felt impossible. I decide to take my time because we were at the middle of the pack and I would not be holding anyone up. Upon arrival Karen found herself a hill to pass out on. I followed suit on another hill. Again, I was ready to call it quits.
    I guess I had hit my wall.

    I was woken for lunch. OMG, is that fried food they are serving?…baarf. My mind told me I had to eat. I took one bite and that was over. I took myself outside as far as I could away from the tent to start dry heaving again. I returned to force down some soup but that would be my limit. Again I excused myself from the table to collapse on a pad of dirt outside the tent until I was woken after lunch And the siesta that was given. (Oh dear gaaahhhd, I just want to sleep for a year!)

    Not sure what happened, but perhaps the nap did me good and I found my second wind. We were now heading into lower altitudes and into the jungle. Hmmmm, lower altitude = no more altitude sickness; jungle = bugs…the good and the bad.

    Dinner tonight meant an opportunity to for re-fuel after almost 24 hours of little to none. We were greeted by 2 platters of glorious popcorn! It is the creature comforts that make hard trips easier. Tom, “I think I am going to finish this platter before everyone gets here.” Me, “I don’t think I care.” Shovel in more popcorn. Upon Lauren’s arrival to the table, “Popcorn!!!!”

    Day 6 – Trek 3 – Hot Springs

    This morning we were given the option to take the bus to the next campsite or to trek rolling hills to see coffee plantations, villages and farms. I am feeling a lot better, I opt for the trek. If I am going to do this, I am going to do this. Emily and John elect to take the bus.
    When we arrive at camp it is ready to receive us. By the time we are ready to leave, camp is almost packed up.

    We arrived at our first stopping point where there is a small village for trekkers and we were attacked by biting flies. Looks like the organic bug repellent isn’t working. I am ready for the real stuff. The flies that are biting are leaving a blood blister at EVERY bite site. OMG. I am starting to freak out.
    At lunch the bugs start attacking and I decide to deploy the mosquito net. I brought one, I am going to use it. I don’t care how asinine it looks, I put it on. Wow I never thought that mosquito net would reduce so much stress! I was so much more comfortable not fighting off bugs from my neck and face. Now for the real bug repellent, organic stuff out the door!

    During our lunch I discovered that the repellent I had was crap compared to my British counterparts. Huh, in the US the percentage of deet is about 35% in the UK, you can get 95%!!! I offered to buy Neil and Katie’s left overs at the end of the trek. But true to form, Neil gave me his bottle right then stating that they had a second bottle. Woohooo.

    After lunch we were given much relief with a bus ride to the next campsite where we had the option to go to the hot springs or hang camp…We ALL opt for the hot springs.
    I think I can get onnnne more on there. Holy shit. While we are at it, lets pack the hikers inside! (kepts my mosquito net on because it just m ake me feel that much more relaxed.
    Oh the glorious hot springs. What a welcome relief. This would be the first time in 3 days that we would wash ourselves. I am grateful that our group, unbathed were not a stinky bunch. Having passed many other trekking groups it became apparent that I had not smelled anyone in our group like I was smelling the other groups. Again, thank gahhhhd.

    Even though the hot springs were (in the words of Emily) “heaven”. Some of us would pay for it. As Katie and Emily came out of the pools they were swarmed by biting flies. Let me say that again, biting flies. My skin is crawling just writing about this. The end result was Katie with over 60 bites and Emily with more than 300 bites on both arms and legs. (I don’t think I will ever complain again about my bites.) ahhhhhhhh

    Day 7 – Trek 4 – Ziplining

    After such a hard 3 days of hard trekking, the majority of the group was done. Any option other than trekking seemed to be a good option. They decide to go zip-lining. Though Chris and I want to trek to see ruins, it was no longer an option.

    The rest of day was spent at Hydroelectric (the train station) for 4 hours! Oh, yeah, there are things you are can do there. You can go the restaurant and shop around. Let me just say their idea of shopping around and mine are quite different. This is was tiny strip of shacks all offering the same thing, water, soda and snack items. Wow the shopping was great. *snark*

    Instead I found my way to the river nearby. All I wanted to do was soak my feet in cool running water. And there it was, ahhhhhh. My turn to find nirvana in a river. Unfortunately the river was a little stinky and Chris felt it wasn’t really safe to go swimming, but putting our feet in would be ok. And let me just say it was one of the best feelings I can remember having. Even better than the hot springs.
    Despite the fact that our legs were in the water, the bugs were still attacking. I was constantly swiping black biting bugs off my legs Under water! Holy cow the bugs in this country are vicious. It was so disgusting. Needless to say, this is what made our time there short. I wanted to so badly to sit there longer.
    Tonight we arrived at Agua Calientes, a small tourist town where most people stop on their way to Machu Piccu. Here is where we will finally get a real shower and a meal in a real restaurant. On the menu “loma” or otherwise known as alpaca. For all intents and purposes, it was red meat a lot like filet mignon but with a gamey flare. Like all other meals in Peru it was accompanied by French fries. For me it was a bit uninteresting. Tom benefited from my left overs. J

    Day 8 – Trek 5 - Machu Piccu

    4:45 am, in the bus line and ready to go see sunrise. 200 people in front of us thinking the same thing. 5:30am, the buses start filling up and in orderly fashion it all begins. One after another the buses fill with both locals and tourists making their way to the promise land.
    Arriving at the gate to MP was a bit surreal. I felt like I was in a mob of people, clutching their E-tickets at Disneyland, clamoring to get on this cool ride. Ascending a flight of stairs, where at the top they would check our tickets against our passports and allow us passage to the sacred land.
    After winding our way up along switch backs like ants in an ant farm we arrived as a group to a terrace that would be our viewing platform. Fogged in. sigh. You could hardly see the ruins.
    From here we waited patiently for the rise of the sun to hopefully burn off the clouds and reveal the splendor of MP. The mountains around us were majestic. So high and so solemn as they stood still for our viewing. As if just waiting for their picture to be taken. The sun took its time to rise. And there it arrived, slowly peaking its way over the mountain and slowly, methodically burned off the fog to reveal the splendor of MP.

    If I am to be truly honest, for me, the moment was lost on me. Too many people, too much buzzing around me. My head was swimming in frustration events of the morning. I found myself withdrawing and searching for why I was there in the first place. After 2 years of talking about it, and months of planning I wanted my wow moment and it had passed me up. Of course at the time I agreed and nodded with the excitement of everyone, but I was just not there. I can intellectually write about it now and reflect on my memories of the vision I beheld, but I just couldn’t grasp the moment while I was there. I began to question my experiences as a whole.

    For the next few hours, our guides walked us through the ruins and shared stories and the history that was MP. With a hug and tip we bid our guides farewell on the grounds of MP.

    My head was swimming with conflict, I had been waiting and planning for this moment for 2 years! And suddenly it was over. And I wasn’t coming back. I need redemption, I want redemption. I want “the spiritual” journey that so many before me had reported. I wanted my due. I wanted a do over. How am I going to get a do over??? In my head I scrambled to work through my problems.
    It seemed as if everyone was done and we were now heading out of MP. But somehow, we agree to just go outside to get a bite to eat and use the WC. Phew, I had a moment to think about my next move.

    John was happy for a beer and dog.
    By the end of lunch 7 people decide to go back to town, they were done and got what they came for. Tom, Lauren and I decided to go back for a little more exploring. But it was clear, I would be the only one to use their ticket to Huayna Piccu. Only 400 people per day are allowed entry into Huayna Piccu and we were one of the lucky few. I just could not allow it to go to waste and perhaps this would be my redemption.

    Arriving at the gates (11:10am) I was denied entry. The attendant told me I was too late and that the cut off was 11am. (I had no idea there was a cut off.) She was clearly conflicted about her decision as she had closed out the sign-in sheet. Luckily she took pity upon me and allowed entry. With a stink eye, she told me I had to leave by 2pm. I was literally the last person allowed on the trail.


    From the beginning of this hike, I considered every step, after all, this was redemption. I knew that I was on my own journey and it was up to me create an experience I could treasure.

    The hike up was quite nice as I was greeted by people on their way down, all of whom were so encouraging and telling me that I was so close and that it was so worth it and to keep going. (It felt like they were all placed there just for my journey, because I needed them.) In return, I had the opportunity to help another hiker who had misjudged his own abilities.

    3 minutes shy of the top I was turned around. The ranger was done for the day and closing up shop. Again a lot of creative begging gave access to the top, and as return for the favor of helping his friend, a Spanish speaking hiker gained me access for a little longer.

    I had my space and my own time at Huayna Piccu and in that space I remembered how to be with myself.

    The top Looking back at Machu Piccu

    Day 9 – Back in Cusco


    Last night was a rush of good byes. No one anticipated such an abrupt end to our adventures. It was quite sad, not being able to say proper goodbyes to our new friends. The buses that came to get us separated us into 3 groups to take us back into town. Sigh.

    After such a long and hard 5 days we all agreed to a slow quiet day of getting coffee and hanging out in Cusco. We found a creperie for breakfast (it sort of sucked), so we headed for Starbucks. It is almost shameful how much Sbux we had consumed on this trip, but for me it was the creature comfort I did not expect that I would need.

    We took in free walking tour to learn about Cusco. Which was is always sort of interesting when you are accompanied by a scientist who can disprove all the science theories being thrown into the crowd. Hmmm. Emily was not very pleased by the hokus pokus science. I think she was quite relieved when we encountered John and family in the square, thus promptly ending our tour.

    How nice to be able to have a proper good bye.

    After a late lunch we would return to the house to send Karen on her way home.
    i
    I think this almost killed Emily. I couldn't leave Peru without trying the national dish.

    Day 10 – Pisac

    Lauren, one of our trekking friends, joined us to Pisac today.

    In Pisac I found the moment that would make my trip. The weather was beautiful and there was just enough silence. Then there it was, the moment that brings everything to life. In the middle of the market, with a breeze on my face and the sound of church bells ringing so clearly; it was glorious. I could see the mountains in the distance and feel the energy of the people. In that moment I realized, nowhere else in the world would I have this experience; it was then that I felt it, “I am in Peru”.

    I have always talked about the journey vs. the destination; the people you meet, embracing the culture, the riches of the surroundings. And throughout my travels there have always been “moments”. However, it was on this trip and on this day that I have the realization that this is why I travel. To truly be present. I felt as if I was being embraced. This will change my life.


    Day 11 – Salineras and Moray

    I negotiated a driver today to take us to the salt mines. I had seen pictures and though I had read that it was quite touristy, I still felt like it would be a miss. I am glad Emily agreed to go.

    First stop was Moray, an archaeological site. Now that we were back in high altitude the thought of walking up was just a challenge. I am unclear whether or not there were words between Emily and I when we arrived at Moray, but one this was clear, neither one of us were going to walk down to the bottom. A view from the top and few snaps of the camera we were done. I believe the exact description was that we pulled a “Chevy Chase’s Vacation”…”ok, lets go.” Lol. How nice to be traveling in agreement.


    Arriving at Salineras was bit different. There didn’t seem to be a choice, we could not in our right minds pass this up. So with a deep breath we walked down. We took our time to soak it all in despite all of the tourists and the trappings thereof. I don’t know how long we stood there just in awe of the site before us, but it was quite wonderful. Wow. The site of it all was amazing; unlike anything I had ever seen before.

    Hard to believe that it is has been thriving since the Incans and still providing for people today. All from one spring.We took our time back up the hill. Conquering one tier at a time. We both agreed that it was well worth the pain of it all.

    A very low key dinner. I don't think Emily could have handled another "national" dish.

    Day 12 – Back to Lima

    Again in agreement this morning, we would take our time to the airport with a pit stop at Starbucks. Ahhhh. How nice. Starbucks…..
    At the airport I was reminded of how easy travel is in a foreign country. They let me walk through security with my coffee cup in hand! And when I set off the metal detector, the security guard smiled at me and pointed to the cell phone I had forgotten in my pocket. Without grudge, but with a smile she had me step back and place my phone on the conveyor belt. Wow. Why can’t our TSA be this nice? I was not treated like hoodlum or terrorist, but simply someone who had an oversight. Novel.

    What a relief it was to be sea level once again. Relief from altitude sickness was almost immediate. Emily was suddenly giddy and talkative. Amazing what happens when you are no longer pre-occupied with pain. She told me that she felt as if her mind was not longer foggy.

    Tonight we went to a food festival, The Mistura 2015, La feria gastronómica del Perú. We thought it was a great opportunity to have a cultural experience in Peru. Festivals are great places to be with people in their native settings and it being a food festival? Bonusssss. There were so many offerings it made our head spin. From chocolate to ceviche, it was hard to choose what to eat.

    I was most impressed with how clean the grounds were. I have never been to a festival that was so clean. There was not one over flowing trash can. There were recycling trash cans all over and people were actually segregating their trash. There no drunken and disorderly people. Smokers were few and far between (mostly kept to the drinking areas). Where there was a concert people were not pushy at all. What more can you ask? It was the most idealistic festival experience I had ever been to.

    As if that was not enough for one night, we moved on to the Magic Fountains in downtown Lima. (More proof that altitude was not affecting us.) There we were greeted by water fountains choreographed to music. I know this is about as tacky sounding as it gets, but to my surprise it was a wonderful display. There is a good reason why it is on the top 10 things to do in Lima. Just fun to walk around all of the water exhibits and to watch other people interacting with it. (Yes, they made interactive water fountains.) What a great way to spend an evening with your family. Emily and I enjoyed watching the water as much as we enjoyed watching the people having fun with it. How refreshing.



    Day 13, last day in Peru

    I was awaken this morning to stomach trouble. I thought I could ignore it until I was truly ready to get up but, noooooo. That was not to be. Holy crap (and I mean that literally) I did not make it to the bathroom. WTF??? I guess I should feel lucky that it did not happen on the trek or when Emily was awake, right? My stomach has not been right since Day 2 of arriving in Peru.

    I had not eaten a proper meal in almost 2 weeks, nothing has been ‘deposited’ in a manner in which I am used to, and my stomach feels like there is void in it. Oy.

    Set with a plan, Emily and I set out to see what could of Lima. First on the list, exchange dollars. But not at the bank but on the street in front of the bank with 2 ladies carrying pockets full of money. Really? Really, this is how it is done and it’s legit. Really. Totally weird and crazy, but totally more legit than it was in China.

    Now able to breathe again, we set out to enjoy as much of Lima as we could. Shopping in Miraflores, a walk to the cliffs that overlooked the ocean (it was overcast), and some paragliding. Why not right? Lets go out with a bang. Unfortunately, it was not to be. The winds would never pick up enough to take us out, but then, I had decided that I would not partake in fear of motion sickness. Still sad that Emily could not get it done.
    Onward to Chinatown, a place where we were hard pressed to find Asians, let alone Chinese people. I thought it would be an interesting excursion, perhaps not so much.

    With our remaining Soles, we decided that we should have a really nice dinner to hold us over for the long flight home. A place that we could sit for a quiet meal to reflect on our adventure. And we did we decide on? Italian. Yup, Bodega La Trattoria, that was the place. But oh, what a good dinner it was. And a perfect ending to our trip.
  • The 50

    The 50 states - a Re-cap Now that I have officially finished visiting the 50 United States all of the obvious questions have started coming in. What was your favorite state? What was your least favorite? Which state would you most like to re-visit? But before I answer those questions, here is the story…

    A few years ago we were out to dinner with a group of friends and the question, how many states have you visited came up. At that time it occurred to me that I had visited about 30 states. Then shortly thereafter someone was critical of the fact that I had seen more of the world than I had of the US. At that point it became a new bucket list item. Afterall, when you have passed the halfway mark, why not just finished off the list and besides, I need to get back to seeing the rest of the world, right?

    So the journey began, but it was not to be as easy as a layover in a state or just driving through. There had to be qualifiers; you have to visit something or at least have a meal, but it couldn’t be fast food. It has to be a local place or it had to be the birthplace of that fast food chain, if so, you have to do a tour. The first 30 or so states were visited, shall I say organically. When I was young, my parents liked going on road trips, so the first few were via my parents (5 states). Then of course there were the obligatory trips with ex-beaus to their homesteads (2 states). And then there was my first girls’ road trip in my twenties down the Eastern seaboard from MA to FL (7states). Throw in my first job that required travel (6 states). Sprinkle in a bunch of miscellaneous travel for fun because someone invited me (12 states).

    For the final 20, Andy and I decided that we would make a concerted effort to finish them. Taking our time during business trips (3 states) detouring to neighboring states and driving the long way home. Let me say there are a quite a few states between Ohio and Texans (5 states added). Then there was the trip that we have lovingly named “The Great American Road Trip”. We flew to Denver, from there we made a circle heading east then back to Denver (7 states, 12 days.) Still counting? That brings me to Alaska, Minnesota and Iowa, the last three states, which required a very deliberate effort. Check, check and CHECK!

    As you can see not all states were for pleasure which means that it was not necessarily at a pace that was conducive of enjoyment. Thus to answer the questions, which state did you like the most or least, I am unsure that it would be a fair judgement. I can say that there were bright moments on this journey of the 50 and there were some that did not shine as much.

    Here are some of the most memorable.

    Alaska – glaciers are amazing.
    Arizona – The Grand Canyon and Sedona are more than what anyone could possibly describe in words or through pictures.
    California – other than the traffic and the urban jungles, what is there not to like?
    Maine – Sunrise at Acadia National Park, must go back for more hiking.
    New York – Niagara Falls
    Hawaii – Sunrise at Haleakala
    Florida – Sunset in Key West Wyoming – Yellowstone National Park, Flaming Gorge
    South Carolina – Blowing Rock
    Tennessee – Graceland, yup, I actually said Graceland. Where would I like to return for more? Utah – I want to see and hike more of Utah Alaska – Denali and the northern lights Arizona – to hike the Grand Canyon Maine – to hike Acadia National Park Montana – Glacier National Park Wyoming – more hiking, more hiking, more hiking
    Pennsylvania - Laurel Mountain State Park

    Just for fun we started a list of all the iconic foods we have had in their birth places.
    BBQ – Carolina, Memphis, Kansas City
    Washington State apples
    Idaho potatoes
    Philly cheese steak, at both Pat’s and Gino’s
    New York cheese cake and pizza
    California wineS and oranges
    Jucy Lucy – Minneapolis
    Maid Rite – Marion, IA
    Virginia ham and peanuts
    Etouffe – NOLA
    Maryland blue crab
    Maine lobster Florida gator and oranges
    Chicago pizza and hot dogs
    Alaskan salmon
    Kentucky fried chicken (at the original Kernel Sanders)
    Hawaiian bread
    New England Clam Chowder
    Boston baked beans and cream pie

    In Conclusion I can say that we live in an amazing country. And it is a shame that most Americans have never and may never experience it. My life has been incredibly blessed with travel and experiences and I completely revel in it. I wish that everyone was as lucky as I have been.

  • The First 100 Days

    Funny how 20 years fly by when you are not paying attention. I was 27 when I purchased my first house as a single mother. At the time I would describe the house meh. The plan was to be there for 5 years, definitely no more than 10 years. But then somehow here we are 20 years later.

    20 years later the child is now a man, I am remarried, I have had several career changes, but now in my late 40’s I think life is finally settling in.

    So why the move? It all started when I decided I could no longer work in the bowels of a basement which lacked natural lighting. A friend told me that I would last about a year, I made it to almost 4 when we started the search. And of course there was the need for single level living for Andy. 18 months later we finally found a house that would be ours until the next one, in 5 years. (Check back, I’ll let you know how that planning worked out.)

    After a 9 day closing delay which included a 3 day delay due to a hurricane; seriously, our lender was in Texas. We finally got our keys. Since then, the question has been, “Do you love it?” “How is the new house?” “Is it great?” I seriously don’t know. I have been too busy to notice and I miss my first house. I actually grew to really loving it and now I wonder if I am going to be the same way when I say goodbye to this one.

    Day 1, the cars were already loaded and ready to go when we go the keys. And so it began.

    Day 2, the assistant resigned, she was having “boyfriend issues” and somehow was unable to get to work. We did not ask her to come back. (That is another blog for another day.) The movers arrived for the first round of moving; the studio, the “warehouse”, my office and all the furniture for the new studio. One very large moving truck.

    Day 3, More moving, attend a funeral for a friends husband.

    Day 4, Woke up to full blown Vertigo and I am on the couch for the next SEVEN days. Had to cancel a show. First time in my career that I had to cancel a commitment. I just wanted to die!

    Day 8, Moving resumes. Everyday, drive to new house with a truckload, unload, unpack, sprinkle in some light construction and home improvement along the way. Repeat for the next 20 days literally. By the end, we calculated that I moved the equivalent of a 24ft moving truck.

    Day 29, the second round with the movers and 2 moving trucks; we sleep in our house for the first time but we are not quite living there yet.

    The first 100 days in our new home was more like 90 days of day in and day out work. Get up, go straight to work, eat while standing and start again the next day. In that time, I opened every single box that was moved, organized them into new homes, re-boxed as necessary, and spreadsheet the contents and locations. I ate more fast food and processed foods than I had in the last 5 years combined. And I climbed an average of 30 flights a day going between the main floor and the basement. How do I know? I counted one day because I was curious, and that was a light day. I don’t remember the last time ass looked this good.

    Life as I knew it was turned up side as my daily routine went out the door and routines became a thing of the past. I felt like I was in a race running to get things back to normal so that I could start living again. The to-do list grew faster than I could keep up. For every one thing I checked off I added 2 more. Everyday I worked to finish at least one project while I started 2 more.

    Weekly I continued to drive 50 minutes each way to the old house to pick up mail and do a walk through to ensure that the heat was still working, no leaks had sprung, the lights were off (often they were not due to showings) and that no one had littered in or out of the house (showings again). Yup, the struggle was real. A real pain in my… Oh, then there is the 3 times a week driving Andy to PT sprinkled with all the other errands that Andy could not run. (I continued this until it was finally sold in June 2018!)

    In the first 40 days included 3 trips out of state (a total of 15 days), an anniversary, yes another funeral, and a holiday. Three more holidays would happen before the end of 100 days. And Andy had total knee reconstruction. That is about all of the personal stuff other than the everyday living stuff of course.

    On the business side, I picked up the slack and worked both jobs (Andy’s and mine) for the first 2 weeks post-op. Wrote 3 show proposals for 2018 which completed my bookings for 2018. Then of course there were the 4 articles for Lapidary Journal for 2018 and 2 more yet to be done.

    By day 90 all but 3 frames have been hung totalling 88! Going from a house that had NOTHING on the walls for the last 10 years this was a welcome change. Seeing old family pictures that have been in boxes was like Christmas again.

    There were 5 major construction projects that were contracted, to date (June 2018) 3 of the 4 were complete, and 3 of the 5 have failed. Of course the biggest, most costly project; the ONE luxury upgrade that I gave us is still not finished, to date. Contractor has not been paid in full. I find it interesting that I did not have a crew working for me but I was able to finish my 150+ projects by day 100. Hmmm.

    The home warranty has been put through quite a workout during this time. The water softner was replaced, the furnace had been fixed, the drain in the kitchen had to be unclogged, and soon there will be a hot water tank.

    Luckily the house was mostly move-in ready. Though I do not love some of the aesthetics, I am living with it until I have more time to think about it and of course more time to do something about it. I am learning that it is ok to take the time I need and not everything needs to be done yesterday.

    The goal was to make our new house a home, to feel like it had been lived in for a while. I think I did a pretty decent job.

    The hardest adjustment has been remembering where I had stored everything. I can’t find anything, thus the spreadsheet, which has come in quite handy.

    The best parts of our new home? Our new neighbors who moved in just a month before we did. It has been 20 years since we have had neighbors we talk to, it is almost weird. So far the sentiment seems mutual and I am confident that it will continue. Then there is the new studio and office that I mostly love. And lastly, Cuyahoga National Park is at the end of the street, which means I can go hiking at any time.

    For now I do not love our new home, it is just a house. It is not my forever home but it is a very nice home. Our hard work has afforded us a comfortable home and life. Mostly it is a place to hang my head and do my work. With such a busy schedule I have lived here less than half the time. I still don’t have a bearing as to where the house is geographically relative to anything. But who knows, maybe in 4 and half years I will hate leaving it.

    The many boxes of the move. The office before.

    My office after. The fireplace screen has since been replaced
    with something from this century.

    The New Studio!!!

    Helping the renovations along. One of my late nights
    before the move.

    One of the my proud projects.

    A small sample of the many house we looked
    at, lets just say no.

  • Vietnam

    Vietnam 2007

    December, 2006

    Impressions

    I can not say that there was much I did not expect of my trip. I have always known that Vietnam was an industrial country that had actually gone backwards to a 3rd world class. I could actually see when time stopped for this country. For me that is very sad. In life you always hope for progress, to see that an entire country was stunted was unthinkable and I am sad for its people.

    The people there seemed very motivated to get ahead but yet they were resigned to their disposition. Sort of different, I had a hard time understanding it. One thing I did notice was the industrious nature of the society. Not much is left for waste and everyone seemed to be entrepreneurs. People appeared to work mostly for themselves; even the shops were mostly run and operated by the proprietors. I have always been told of the “Asians” and how they seem to be motivated; something I wrote off as a crude generalization. But it became very apparent to me how much truth there was to this. It was part of the society.

    It is hard for me to put my finger on my impressions. The way I was treated was probably unlike most people who visit a foreign country. I was not a native person or a tourist. My ties to this country made me the odd ball, with that I was treated quite differently. It was okay to cozy up to me but yet at the same time I could be taken advantage of for tourist dollars.

    In the end much of what I experienced, the same could be said of other travels in other parts of the world, just different scenery and language. If you are willing to step off the beaten path you will find that everyone is just like yourself. It could also be that the place I am in my life brings greater joy to all of my experiences and open to being with people I do not know. I am sooooo looking forward to going back.

    These are not quite the pictures I had hope for. So much for having a photographer for a sister. She was not as snap happy as I had hoped.

    First day, and we are already enjoying our second lunch inside of Bien Thanh, an indoor market place. Their idea of a food court.

    Christmas in Saigon.

    Chu Son, our driver in Saigon.

    A sales girl in her Store. A typical size for this market.

    Ceramics.

    Coming back from the market with my "aunt", who turns out to be 3rd cousin.

    Grandfather's home. I think the pool is new. We are in the far in of the courtyard shooting back at the house.

    Completely overgrown. There not as many trees when I was there last.

    Pictures were taken from right to left, the house is built in a right angle.

    The built in gazebo. My 4th cousin, co Luu.

    In front of the my birth home with my sister. The gate has been change (if I remember correctly). The house is a "U" shape, so there is the same to the left of the picture. The bottom floor is the carport/garage with 4 floors above.

    Pedicure?? This is a street vendor...um, no.

    Giang, our driver in Hanoi. I get the feeling he does not know his pix is now on the web, hee. hee.

    Stuck in Hanoi airport on a 4 hour delay. The airline served us breakfast. My sister's comments.

    My last dinner in Vietnam, joined by all the cousins, a meal of egg rolls.

    Below are my journal entries. It was written for my own edification, a little indulgent and sometimes corny. I hope you enjoy it for what it is worth.

    Dec. 6, 1 day before departure.

    In anticipation of a snow storm I have decided to drive to Detroit the night before to meet up with Diem. We are staying with her friend Pat who lives in Ann Arbor. She will drive us to the airport in the morning and keep my car until I return.

    Dec. 7, Day 1 Glad stocks just went up.

    We got off early to the airport (unusual for me) in hopes of scamming an upgrade. But somehow I get the feeling that upgrades really did not happen for international flights as easily as they do for domestic flights. Well, I was right and we were on a pretty full flight. ugh.

    Security is always an adventure. On this trip the culprit was a one gallon size Ziploc bag. TSA regulations states” All liquids, gels and aerosols must be placed in a single, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag. Gallon size bags or bags that are not zip-top such as fold-over sandwich bags are not allowed. Each traveler can use only one, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag.” I only had TWO bottles of liquid that both fit in the palm of my hand! so I threw it into my carry on. Harmless right? I even took the time to put it into the security basket for them. Thinking that disclosure should give me some brownie points, maybe not? On the other side of the belt they pulled it out and proceeded to ask if I had a gallon size Ziploc bag? (Of course not! you Nimrod!) I politely said, “No, I am only carrying two bottles.” (therefore, did not need a bag to carry my stuff.) But then that was a rhetorical question right? Did they not just x-ray my things to see that not only did I not have the zip loc bag but I did not have any other liquid items?? She refused to return my lotion and spritzer.

    Thanks to the quick thinking of my sister, she quickly dumped out her bag of snacks and handed it to me. When I put my two bottles in, I was allowed to proceed. This new little regulation must have been devised by SC Johnson! My advice is to invest quickly, first quarter should be a good one.

    Almost there
    The pit stop in Tokyo was interested. Despite the brief layover (2 hours) I immediately got the sense of the Japanese’ anal retentive attitude towards order. A quick bowl of ramen in the airport was enough to hold us over.

    The flight
    It has been a long time since I have flown internationally. I have to report not much has changed. It is just long and tedious. To my sister’s chagrin I brought along a neck pillow (a real one, not a blow up) and a blanket. She thought I was nuts, but it became these little things that made the trip a lot more comfortable. Then there were the snacks. The other passengers must have been so jealous.
    Diem’s theory of sitting in the middle section with an aisle was brilliant. We were not disturbed by anyone the entire flight.
    The flight was not as bad as I thought it would be, even though I only slept for 2 hours. I was surprised at my lack of tiredness.
    The flight was the first realization that I was no longer a minority. It was an interesting feeling. There have been many times in my life that I felt Americans need to go to a foreign country to understand the struggles of minorities. Now I feel that all American minorities should go back to feel a sense unity.

    My sister and I have always felt like outsiders, if not for our skin color but our twin status affords us many looks also. Twins Days has allowed me to feel like I have a support group but even there we were an oddity. Asian twins make up less than 5% of the twin population around the world. Still the odd man out.

    On the leg from Tokyo to Saigon it all changed, the majority of the people were Vietnamese (unlike the first leg which was predominately Japanese and Chinese). We could understand almost everyone on the plane. As cool as that was it because very clear we no longer had a “secret” language to communicate with. So I looked at my sister and said, “Hablamos Espanol?” That was so much fun! We had a new “secret” language again.

    12 am
    We finally arrived. A surprise greeting from our cousins at the airport made me feel at ease. I have never met them but they made me feel as family always does, welcome. They brought a midnight snack for us, fast food (funny, we were soooo hoping for something more local.)
    It is Friday night, the city is still bussling. The mopeds were still out in full force. In the center of town was still a tribute to the sickle and hammer and lots of tributes to Uncle Ho.
    It is soo hot and humid out, I just want to melt. My turtleneck and pants were killing me. Thank goodness for break always.

    We pulled up to the hotel and was surprisingly greeted by a lit Christmas tree! It was so funny to me. The front desk guy remembered my sister from 2 years ago. The hotel is small and quaint. What I was equate to a bed and breakfast. Our room is on the 3rd floor, no elevator. Ugh.

    3 am
    I thought for sure I was going to sleep forever, but the porcelain god called. My feet were greeted with vertigo. The lack of water and exhaustion had come to a head. I thought I was going to die! I could not find my bearings and just wanted to hurl.

    Day 2

    Our relatives live about a block from the hotel so it was a convenient place to stay. My first walk to their house this morning was a bit of a culture shock. A wave of motor bikes came towards me on what I thought would be a quiet side street. Wow.

    Their home was interesting. It is actually a building in the middle to downtown Saigon next to a very large supermarket/department store. Sort of like a Super Walmart of sorts. Their first floor is occupied by 5 business and they live in the 3 floors above, sort of like apartments. This is my mother’s side of the family, my great Aunt and her children. It became apparent to me after wondering the streets of Saigon that they are a little more privileged than most. Hard to imagine given the standards that we are so used to living with.

    For the duration of our stay in Saigon we had a driver, chu Son. He has his own cab and has been driving our family for years. Whenever they need him he makes himself available to us. So we hired him by the day at the rate of $24/day. The nice thing about him is that he is a safe driver and beyond that, he was trust worthy. As a precaution we decided to leave our purses and all of our belongings with him in the car, I can not imagine that this would be possible anywhere else. He got us on our schedule and even asked if we wanted to take an afternoon nap! He must not drive Americans very often. hee, hee.

    We made many offers to feed him lunch, but he refused. It was almost weird how he would just appear at the curb when we were ready to leave any location. He just knew.
    The business aspect of the trip was a lot easier than I thought it would be. My Vietnamese was working well on the streets but I struggled during real negotiations. I did give myself a break, it has been more than 30 years since I have been around native tongue speakers from the South, the dialect is a little different (my family is from the North).

    We got so much done today that I have decided to go to Hanoi (the north) early. We weill depart on Monday and enjoy Sunday with the family.

    It was no surprise that the family was impress with our healthy appetite. Our first breakfast of rice crepes and meat was wonderful. One plate was ordered for each of us, a small one for my cousin and a large one for each my sister and I. In the end Diem and I ordered 2 more. Our five plates of food, one coffee, one wet wipe…$3.00. And tipping is not practiced. Wow.

    Lunch was my favorite, Bun Oc, conch soup, can never get enough of this stuff. Two bowls, two can of Coke, one wet wipe…$2.00! It was so good we went again later this afternoon. ?

    Day 3, Sunday

    2 am came so quickly, jet lag is unforgiving. Thank goodness Diem was also sleep challenged. We had a nice opportunity to chat and laugh until 5 am.

    Day 3 was another day of running to get in the business of souvenirs for the staff and family. It rained most of the day. We lucked out. It rained mostly while we were inside.

    Went to the famous Pho Hoa restaurant for Pho, the traditional Vietnamese soup for breakfast. Can not say that I was so impressed.

    We took this slow day to visit my parents’ home before they left for the US. It did not surprise me that the house is much smaller than I remembered, still impressive even by today’s standards. We also visited my Grandfather’s home, just around the corner, funny how we remembered the trip to be his house to be such a Journey. Today we would just walk that distance, back then they would have a cyclo pick us up!

    My grandfather’s house was even more impressive. A traditional Asian estate with a courtyard, a gazebo and a Coi pond. All of which are now over grown. The estate is occupied by a French diplomat with live-in help. Despite the help, the property is in disarray. Sort of sad.

    Went to cho Lon.

    Day 4, Monday

    5:30 am, a little more sleep tonight, but still early. Diem is not doing much better. We gave up trying to sleep and started preparing for our departure to Hanoi. Our lunch in Saigon was burnt rice. I had never heard of this dish until I saw it on No Reservations, with Tony Bordain. We did not go to the exact place that he did, but it was good!

    Flying to Hanoi was a trip! Vietnam Airlines was different. The flight was on a brand new Boeing 777, wow what a great ride. Despite the sophisticated airplane they are still printing paper tickets! This caused me to believe that I might be in for a shock. To my surprise there were no live stock on board! ha, ha. And the food like Japan Airlines was phenomenal! I can not believe how good airline food is in a foreign country. No nasty Subway sandwiches.
    Hanoi was an immediate surprise, the contrast between Hanoi and Saigon were so stark. The new sophisticated airport was the first indication that we had left Kansas. And I could see a highway! from the air. Riding from the airport I could see that there was more order, the homes were more modern and there was new construction. Something that I did not see in Saigon.

    Diem arranged to have a driver meet us at the airport. Someone she thought was trustworthy. Well, she got the wrong guy. On the ride to the hotel it became apparent that she had arranged the wrong driver. This was the guy that screwed her on her previous trip and she failed to throw away his card. And true to form, he was getting ready to do the same thing. So we cut him loose and looked for a different driver.

    With much luck the first driver we met was an independent (much more motivated), had character, gave an honest price and stuck to the price. The second driver we met seemed stated a price and started changing the price the closer we got to our hotel. We were staying in the high rent district of Hanoi. The decision was easy and Giang (the driver) was committed. Still leery of people in general we decided that we would not commit for the entire week until the end of the first day. The decision was not hard.

    Giang turned out to be a delightful person with great work ethics and he genuinely seemed to care about my welfare. He is a very funny person who enjoys great laughs. I found myself looking forward to seeing him every morning because we laughed all day. He had the same sense of humor.

    Day 5, Tuesday

    I slept through most of the night. What a relief.
    Breakfast was interesting. I came to discover the use of MSG was still abundant. They would literally add spoonfuls of MSG to your bowl of soup! argh. It took a few days but I finally figured out the source of my continual headaches compounded by exhaust fumes from the numerous motor bikes. In addition, I have also been suffering from smoker’s cough in the mornings which I believe is also from the pollution.

    I continued my search today for a manufacturer. My few appoints yielded some opportunities. My driver confirmed that doing business in Hanoi is a little peculiar. I can not seem to get people to finalize things for me. They tell me they can work on the project but they make no effort to me when it will start, when I can have a delivery or the cost. I have to almost be rude to get an answer. I had money wired to a Western Union location. Simple. It was the monies were confirmed, but yet I could not get them to continuously work to give me the money. After 30 minutes, the clerk said it will be a little longer, she was waiting for a fax confirmation. I then reminded her that I had already been waiting for 30 minutes which provoked her to call to tell them to go ahead and send the fax. Wouldn’t you know 1 minute later.

    We went to the silk village today. When I got there I realized that it was quite different from what I expected. This so called village was in the middle to of an urban city just 20 minutes from down town Hanoi. I had imagined going way outside of the city to some rural dirt roads. Not at all. The village was quite small with many store fronts all selling silk. You can walk through the village in about 10 minutes with just window shopping.

    It was pretty quiet today. I guess the tourists and the people did not come out until the weekend. I was able to browse at my own leisure. While walking you could hear the sound of the looms working behind the store fronts. It was very interesting. I was able to locate a vendor who was willing to custom make the fabric I was looking for. Yippie.

    To my delight this person invited me to their home in the village for lunch. They were having a feast today to commemorate the death of some relative. I agreed to go if she would invite my driver. Although she did, he declined. The meal was as I remembered from my family. All of the same fixings. The men and the women ate separately, men downstairs and women upstairs. All on straw mats on the floor.

    Today I also got an opportunity to ride on my first “xe om”. A ride on the back of someone’s motorbike, something that my sister had instructed me not to do on any terms. Oh well. The vendor who is manufacturing my silk wanted to take me around to find an embroiderer. She felt that the fastest way to get around was on her motorbike, even though I offered my driver. It was a blast!

    Tonight we went to get my first ball of Oc, conch/snails. I was so excited. Some of my sister’s colleagues made the invitation. That was all this restaurant served it was sooo good and so busy. Needless to say that was just not enough food, we followed up by going to another restaurant, again transported by motorbikes. This time we were in the heart of downtown. What a kick. My sister later qualified that you should never ride with a stranger.

    Day 6, Wednesday

    Went to Bat Trang, the china village today. I thought I would try to find the one item that I knew for sure I would have success. This village was as expected. A remote village well outside of city limits with a dirt road. I was feeling much more satisfaction. A real village. True to expectation, every store front had some sort of china offering. It was so much fun.

    Being that we were in a remote location I insisted that Giang joined me for lunch. He found a little restaurant in the village and ordered, the house specialty, Fried Rice. He did however, qualify that had we gone back to Hanoi for lunch it would have been much better. Our meal was fun, but with Giang everything was fun.

    Earlier in the day we had a discussion about Viet Kieu, the name used to refer to Vietnamese people who were born in Vietnam, left to live in another country and have returned. I am a “Viet Kieu”. However, on this day we would use the term in a derogatory way. For us, it described people American Viet Kieu’s who were back and acted as if they ruled the world because they had money. But the reality is, they just had more money than the typical Vietnamese citizen (just about all tourists visiting a 3rd world country do). In the US, they were simply the middle class. These are the type of people I would describe as ugly Americans. Obnoxious and pushy. The irony was that my name is also Kieu. Thus the reason why people laughed every time I introduced myself, it only took me 6 days to figure this out.

    While we were at lunch there was another table full of Viet Kieu’s. We had a good laugh. True to form they were being obnoxious. Then came the check, they started fighting over it. We agreed it was a bit gauche. We agreed that things should just be agreed upon ahead of time and everyone should just be responsible for themselves unless it was a special occasion. So I decided to take the opportunity to just head everything at the pass. I told Giang directly that there would not be negotiations and that I would pay for lunch. He wanted to refuse but threw up his hands and give in. hee, hee.
    The food here has been incredible. We have taken advantage of the low prices to eat everything we have been missing for the past 30 years. Being my first visit back, everything was an adventure. My stomach held up very well. We had two opportunities to go to restaurants and both were not only expensive ($2/person) but also jut not really good. Tonight we went to Cuoc Ngon restaurant, (directly translates to the Good Area). First notation, lots of tourists. But we were smart, we only ordered 2 items to test and we were right, it was terrible. So we left to seek better food. We decided to walk around downtown and head towards our hotel instead of taking the driver.

    On our walk tonight was stopped everywhere there was a crowd. Everyday, depending on the time, vendors would magically appear on the sidewalk and create makeshift restaurants. Their offerings would typically be just a few items, obviously a specialty. The inexpensive cost of meals allowed us to eat to our hearts content. We stopped at 8 different locations tonight. Even though we were pegged as tourists and were way overcharged at certain junctions, we still made out under $5.


    Day 7, Thursday

    Tonight my sister and I decided that we would make the 45 min trip to who I thought was my great uncle. After much discussion with my mother, it would turn out that this person is a 4 cousin. He is a cousin to my maternal Grandfather. My sister had met and stayed with his family on the last trip so there was a little history. She was a little surprised to learn that he was still alive given his kidney problems. So we felt that it was a priority to visit. In addition I could not pass up the opportunity to visit with family that I have never met.

    His home was pretty much as I expected. A traditional Asian home with inlaid furniture and some cheesy family portrait that was printed to an enormous size. My cousin in his day was a well known opera singer in Vietnam which explained the upscale home and the live in servant.

    My favorite thing to do while visiting another country is to go where the locals go. I have always hated the touristy places. When there is an opportunity to go where the locals live that is the best.

    Day 8, Friday

    My last day in Hanoi. I spent the day tying up loose ends. Giang and I have become much more comfortable with each other. He has invited my sister and I to his home for dinner. That was such an honor.

    Before leaving for Vietnam we decided that we would pack old clothes to be left behind for the poor. This would also give us more luggage room and relieve our burden as we went. In addition, we also brought all the hotel toiletries and give away. My sister insisted that we carried these in our pockets to give the pan handlers when they approached. Uncomfortable with this concept I decided that Giang should help me.

    Giang told me that there was an area in which there were many homeless people and that it would be an appropriate place to give away. We had our mission. It was harder than it was suppose to be. I guess today they found homes? Because no one was around. We had to find a new place, he went to the highway where there is an overpass. Sure enough there were a few people there sorting through recyclables. They were so confused. We waved the over to the car, they refused, then finally after yelling to them what our intentions were they hesitantly came over. I offered the toiletries and old clothes, they agreed take all of it, but they did not say thank you. Giang explained that they were in shock. That he was sure they had never had anyone make such an offer and that they were indeed grateful. I trust that he was right.

    For lunch today, I had made a bet with Giang. I had bet him lunch that our 11am appointment would be late. She never showed. Giang took me to join his other driving buddies for lunch. We had “com buoi”, translated, dusty rice. These are meals that were common for everyday, the American version of meatloaf and mash potatoes. They were given this term for the reason that you are served along the streets therefore would become dusty. The tables and chairs are equivalent to the size of a playschool set. It was great to meet his friends and enjoy a local meal.

    Our day ended early so Giang dropped me off to take an afternoon nap until our last appointment, ha, ha. Instead I decided to seek more food after dropping off my stuff at the hotel. On my walk I encountered Giang with his friend having a leisurely cup of tea on the sidewalk. They were so surprised to see me they invited me to join them. I could not pass it up. The tea was so bitter I thought I was going to choke, but I had to finish. It was a good time.

    In the end, my appointment cancelled so Giang invited me to his home early to help cook. I was more than happy. On our ride he started to prepare me for what to expect. We had made several jokes about the fact the he was so poor that he had a straw roof. Then he said that he had a wood burning stove. Then I mention that he might have a dirt floor in his kitchen, that was when he did not laugh. oops. I guess I hit that one right. Though he did not say anything, he was not offended, thank goodness. Right before we got there he said that where he lived was considered “nha que”, the country.

    He had a small home in the middle of what I would consider the poor suburbs. The first floor was his wife’s tailoring business, with a kitchen behind and several floors above. Not sure how many. We were entertained in a bedroom/dining room/living room. It became very apparent to me that these were not well to do people and that they made just enough to pay the mortgage and eat.

    Giang had mentioned 3 times since the morning that he had gone to the market to buy a chicken before picking me up. I did not understand the significance until the meal was served. It was very clear to me that they did not often have chicken, let alone meat. And the chicken was butchered at home. I was so honored. Giang wanted us to have a true home cooked local meal. He impressed upon me that there would be nothing fancy or special to eat. In the end the meal was much like what mother cooked on any given day, I knew that his family only had such a meal on special occasions.

    We ate on a straw mat on the ground. As promised he served a boiled chicken and we all ate it with our fingers and spit out the bones into our paper napkins (a roll of toilet paper dispensed from a cute holder). There was soup and stir fry in addition. They could not afford a dining table. Another reality, dining tables are for the well to do.

    As a hostess gift I brought Giang’s family tea and banh com (a rice and bean dessert). Earlier that day I had asked the maid at the hotel what she enjoyed giving if she was going over for dinner to which she answered banh com. It was also convenient that we were staying in an area that specialized in this dessert. There at least a dozen purveyors on the street and Giang had told me where the best place was, the place where he and his wife had ordered from for their wedding. They were so surprised but delighted! Giang actually asked me why. I answered because you are suppose to bring something for the hostess, he thought it was sort of strange.

    Giangs family were very kind and warm, it was a wonderful experience, one that I will not soon forget.

    Our visit was cut short by a phone call from one of my vendors. They had finished the sample for my review and wanted to bring it to my hotel before I left the next morning.

    After my meeting at the hotel Diem and I went out with the 19 year old doorman. He had mentioned earlier in the morning that there was a night market (street fair) on the weekends and that we should go. He seemed to beam when he was telling me so I insisted the he took us out. What a blast.

    The market stretched several blocks through Hanoi and was only a few blocks from the Hotel. It was like any other street festival that I had been to the US just different wares and food. We got there a little late at 10pm. We did not know there would be a curfew at 11pm. We had finished most of the market when I noticed that people were breaking down. I thought it was a little early so I asked Bon (the doorman) and he said the police where coming through and shutting them down. So we headed home, on the walk home we came across a dessert place selling “cem caramen” (flan/custard). We had had it a few nights prior and knew that this was our last opportunity. So we sat down on the sidewalk and ordered some. I did not notice that there were very few people left of the street and the street lights were mostly dimmed until the police drove by with their loudspeakers. I asked Bon what it was about when he said that the police were enforcing the curfew. This was a little freaky to someone who came from a free society.

    Day 9, Saturday

    We said our goodbyes to Giang last night because the National Library of Vietnam where my sister had been working all week arranged a driver for us to the airport. We arrived at the airport about 6am to find that the flight had been delayed until 11am. ugh. Our flight with Vietnam Airlines earlier in the week was also delayed. I suspect that the flight was delayed for lack of passengers.

    On the flight was a couple from Oklahoma, I could tell from his Sooners baseball cap. I could not help myself and commented on his cap which sparked a conversation about football, which Diem was more than happy to engage in given that the Michigan fan was still feeling a little slighted about the title game. I am sure they were a little surprised by two English speaking Vietnamese girls talking football. ha, ha.

    We finally got back to Saigon at about 1pm and went to our first appointment to review samples that were promised. It amazes me how much easier it has been to work with women on this project. They understood completely what I as trying to do, it was amazing. But it also made a lot of sense women should understand purses better than men. I thought it was unusual that I would be dealing with women at all, but I welcomed the opportunity.

    From this appointment we were given a referral to a gentleman who manufactured purses. She agreed to make an introductory call. What a blessing! Here we were on our last day of business in Vietnam and it was all coming together. The referral was brilliant. There were few questions, this guy got it from the beginning! I was finally seeing success from this trip. For the last few days I was wondering if the trip would be fruitful, but I see now that there were many strides made.

    Day 10, Sunday

    We got up early and started preparing for my departure at 12 am. We decided to spend the day shopping and squeezing in any food that I had been craving but had not gotten yet. At about 3pm we gave up. Exhaustion was catching up with me a wicked way. We headed back to their house and spent the rest of our time visiting with our cousins.

    Our cousins had planned a farewell dinner for me and had called all the family members to join us. We were treated to egg rolls. It did not occur to me until I was sitting down that I was having one of the most traditional meals that Vietnamese people make. It was funny to me that most people thought egg rolls were Chinese.

    It was nice that so many people came over to join us at dinner. They were great people. We talked about the US and how different things were, as most of them had not had the opportunity to visit. When I am with foreigners I am shocked by all of the misconceptions they have about our lifestyle. Through the conversation I was then asked my impression of Vietnam. I had not yet put any thought into that. One cousin jokingly said it must me that of taxi’s because my entire trip was spent in a taxi. Everyone laughed.

    On the way to airport, Diem and I discovered that we had the wrong day. I was suppose to fly home the night before! ugh. It was 10pm and we were feeling that I was screwed. We proceeded to the airport anyway and hoped that there would still be space on the plane.

    I made a decision upon arrival to the airport that I would only speak English to reduce confusion for myself, it was not received very well. I explained my problem to the supervisor and she informed me that they could not re-issue tickets at the airport and that I needed to go to the Northwest downtown office. Of course I reminded her that it was no 10:30pm on a Sunday. She then took my ticket and started making some calls and worked on the computer. At 10:45pm she came back to me and informed me that she could not help and that she was closing the flight in 20 minutes. I gave her the evil eye and told her that I would call Amex to take care of it.

    10 minutes later, Amex had Northwest on the line and they made all the arrangements. However, the supervisor was still not satisfied so I put her on the phone with Northwest. After much rumbling everyone was satisfied and I was issued a boarding pass. Amex was able to arrange with Northwest to issue my boarding pass without re-issuing my ticket until I got to Tokyo.

    Day 11 Monday

    I arrived at Tokyo Airport at about 7am. I am amazed at the order. Security was brilliant, the attendees were very polite. They helped you with your belongings. They Asked your permission to do a detailed search, they gave you slippers if they wanted to inspect your shoes, there was even a suggestion box asking for ways to improve their process. Somehow I get the feeling that someone would actually take comments into consideration!
    My flight was not until 2pm, so I took the opportunity to go to Narita. A city that was 15 minutes via train from the airport, I could not pass it up. In Narita is a Buddhist temple and a sanctuary. The town from what I gathered was built around it. Today I lucked out, being a Monday and early morning there were very few tourists and the locals were also limited. It was nice to have such solitude. The weather was a little a brisk, such a nice change.

    My quick trip into Japan was everything I had imagined. The streets were cobblestone, little shops along the way and incredibly clean. Everything was so orderly. Even though Narita was not considered a tourist destination there were plenty of souvenir shops to be had.

    The sanctuary was much more than I had ever imagined. To say that there is a famous temple there was a far cry from the truth. There were many temples and shrines. The property was several centuries old and was built to honor many dignitaries. Each of which had its own character, the oldest monument I saw was from the 1700’s. Around the grounds was a bamboo forest, it was exactly like I had seen in the movies. Being an off day I felt as if I had the entire place to myself. The peace was exactly what I needed. It has been a long time since I took the time to take a walk to gather my thoughts.

    I had lunch in Narita and did a little souvenir shopping. In those few hours I quickly realized how expensive Japan is. To think I was not in a tourist destination and it was that expensive, I can not imagine going to Tokyo!

    My last purchase in Japan was a cup of Starbucks! I had not had a cup of coffee since the night I drove to Michigan. I can not believe how good that was!

    Day 11.5, Monday again.

    Another full flight, and I had a middle seat without the company of my sister. I got lucky with a very nice guy from Detriot. On this leg I was able to get about 6 hours sleep. I was so relieved, but I think the break in Narita was the key. It allowed me to stretch my legs.

    Back in Detroit, Diem’s friend Pat agreed to pick me up just in case I came off the plane with vertigo. Luckily it all worked out and I was on my way home. I was shocked to see that all of the snow had melted and I barely needed a jacket outside. Home was a welcome sight.

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