Bob is Traveling

Chicago Area Trip

2008-10-07T17:09:00.004-04:00

Chicago's Calling
Blowing into Chicago for the jazz festival and architecture with a side trip to Wisconsin and Iowa.

Wisconsin

A stop in Milwaukee! to the Museum of Art and then a visit cranes and Frank Lloyd Wright summer home.

Iowa

A quick trip over the Mississippi to see Little Bear and some of the other mounds in Effigy Mounds National Monument.

Chicago

A food tour to look for the mythical Chicago sytle pizza. A visit to Millennium Park. Architecture tours of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, historical skyscrapers, and modern skyscrapers. And a four day free jazz festival.

Chicago

2008-10-07T17:08:00.003-04:00

The El in the Loop
Took CTA from Ohare and it rose into the El at the Loop. I came to Chicago for Architecture, Jazz, and pizza not necessarily in that order. I wasn't disappointed with any of them.

Oak Park
Frank Lloyd Wright's first home was in Oak Park you can tour the house and see the beginning of his ideas. It's also the place where he built many of the houses. I walked the streets with a rented ipod nano and listened to an audio about the neighborhood.

Millennium Park and Grant Park
Plensa's Crown Fountain is two towers showing images of typical Chicagoans staring and smiling and then letting loose a spray for everyone to cool everyone off. Kids of all ages love it.

It's a perfect match with Chicago previous landmark the Buckingham Fountain that opened the MTM show.

The Bean is really a Cloud Gate but Kapoor's name didn't stick. But the crowds stick as everyone wanders around watching themselves, the city, and the crowds reflected in a metal fun house mirror.

The amphitheater was designed by Gheary and holds many free concerts. Great sound.

Food Tour

The Chicago food tour takes you on a walking, culture learning, neighborhood viewing, eating, smelling, and tasting tour of North Chicago. Along the way you visit some local ethnic places and some exotics like the Spice House where Tom of the food network talked to us about pepper and cinnamon. Tasty.

A lot of stops were just Chocolate. Choose one.

But what can I say the highlight was still Bella Bacino's Chicago stuffed pizza.

Jazz Fest
Three days of free jazz on three stages after an kickoff show by Sonny Rollins in Gheary's amphitheater.

With Sonny Rollins, Vjay Iver, and Ornette Coleman, this was the most adventurous selection of groups I've seen in a major festival and the shows were packed. Well it helped that they were free and the weather was perfect.

Robie House
The Robie house in South Chicago near the University can be reached by taking the CTA and walking (quickly) out of the ghetto and across Washington Park hoping that you don't run into the bicyclist who complained about me being on his path. Surprising because everyone else in Chicago was amazingly friendly. A father and son stopped in Oak Park to ask if I needed directions. A woman on the CTA to South Chicago asked if I needed directions. Overall the friendliest city experience I've had in the US. At any rate, for the return trip I took the bus from the museum to get back to the loop.

But before that I visited the Robie house. The house is considered Frank Lloyd Wright's premiere Prairie House design. The exterior has been renovated but only a room or two inside. Still an interesting place.

Architecture Tours
Chicago has many of the early Skyscrapers in America and now many of the modern ones. The Chicago Architecture Museum has many tours and cruises that highlight the culture, history, and architecture of Chicago led by well trained guides. The tours are interesting because you are joined by people from around the world and the US but no one from Chicago.

v=0"border="0" alt="" /> The Historical Skyscrapers covers Burham from White City and Louis Sullivan and the Art Deco era. Fascinating stories about the building the city from scratch after the fire.

Chicago is the closest US city to Shanghai in terms of new skyscrapers. The modern skyscraper tour takes you past the tallest building in this hemisphere the Sears Tower and explains several other modern and post modern buildings. Great tour

The Night train leaving the loop heading back to Ohare.

Chicago, yeah it's my kind of town (groan)

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Next stop Home

Iowa

2008-10-07T17:07:00.003-04:00

Mississippi River, Marquette, Iowa

A short trip to Iowa to see a mound of dirt. Well mostly an excuse to take a hike and see the Mississippi again.

Effigy Mounds National Monument
Native Americans built numerous mounds throughout the country which mystified Europeans. Only some contain burial remains. Many were plowed under or built over. These are among the best remaining. Some are in the shapes of animals. This one shows the outline of Little Bear. It would be easy to pass them by without the outlines marked. But it's a nice walk with great overlooks of the Mississippi.

Done with the Mighty Mississippi and Wisconsin's corn and soy fields. It's time to leave the dirt behind and head to Chicago for architecture and jazz. Chicago

Wisconsin

2008-10-07T17:05:00.004-04:00

Milwaukee

Milwaukee Museum of Art

Flew into Chicago but drove immediately to Milwaukee. Milwaukee? Yes to see the Museum of Art which is one of the most highly rated American buildings this century. It's as much a piece of art as anything in the museum. Built like a ship the sails on top open and close twice a day.

The great hall opens up to the sky and out onto Lake Michigan.

Nice town even with the giant flying octopus. Really. Must be a frequent visitor because the people didn't seem frightened. But then there had been a Mexican culture festival that day and it is a brewery town so maybe they were thinking calamari fajitas and (more) beer for everyone. I wonder if Squiggy was there?

International Crane Organization

A home for all species of Cranes founded by the group that helped preserved the Whooping Cranes. In the twenties they were down to two herds of 22 and 7 when a hurricane in Louisiana wiped out the seven. Now there are thousands. Unfortunately most of the cranes here were kept in either small enclosures or in Crane City. I couldn't go into Crane city but wandering on the native prairie trails I found it by the sound a sorta of “Whoop there it is” moment.

Don't get them mad! Being a bird and unable to fly is enough to make them rake you with their claws and take a few snaps with their beaks.

Mirror Lake State Park

A state park that is known for the reflections in its abnormally calm water. I heard the same line about the bay near Strahan Tasmania but it seems wherever I go there are no still waters.

Taliesin

Frank Lloyd Wright's summer home and school. Lots of long lines and views both internally and externally. It's very similar to his winter home in Scottsdale. He used them as test subjects for his ideas.

After Taliesin I didn't have the stomach for House on the Rock so I took a quick trip across the Mississippi to Iowato look at some piles of dirt.

UK

2007-12-10T20:11:00.000-05:00

London's Calling

Exploring Scotland and Northern England before visiting London.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt="Flag of Scotland 4505" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2116/1912728368_618cb3f218_m.jpg" border="0" /> Flag of Scotland

Glasgow

Lomond

Isle of Skye

Isle of Lewis

Standing Stones of Callanish

Nessie

Rosslyn Chapel

Edinburgh

Melrose Abbey

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Hadrians Wall

York

Fountain Abbey

London

The Higlight reel would include Isle of Skye, Standing Stones, the castles, Rosslyn Chapel, the abbeys, and York.

glasgow

2007-12-10T20:10:00.000-05:00

I arrived in Glasgow 4 hours late due to a flight delay arriving to grey skies. I asked for directions from the rental car
station to Glasgow and it must be a test for tourists driving in the UK they said turn left and go through the next three
roundabouts if you make it you'll be on the M8 heading into Glasgow.
I made it through the roundabouts without anyone cursing at me (that I could see). There was plenty of traffic and one way streets but
I found my hotel a narrow boutique one on a street that had just been
converted into a pedestrian walk except for one single lane.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt="Flag of Scotland 4505" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2116/1912728368_618cb3f218_m.jpg" border="0" /> Flag of Scotland

The late flight had left me little time to explore Glasgow. I opted out of going into a museum and instead wandered through
town. I walked from the east side up to Queen Street Station and through the shopping areas and some of the back streets.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Glasgow Georges S 3928" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2317/1911463371_9c8d1c5893_m.jpg" border="0" /> Glasgow Georges S

One of a rotating group of pipers on the main streets.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Glasgow piper 3932" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2267/1912328742_7525681d23_m.jpg" border="0" /> Glasgow piper

Can you imagine Scottish Idol with competing bagpipe players? Check out the other contestant from Edinburgh

More pipes fer you from Glasgow players if yer wantin more.
Glasgow Piper

But it's not all bagpipes there buskers also play guitars and this talented sax player
Glasgow Sax

Sauchielhall Street is the main shopping street and was crowded on Saturday afternoon.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Sauchielhall St Shopping in Glasgow 3933" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2401/1911503605_e2c7874ba4_m.jpg" border="0" /> Sauchielhall St Shopping in Glasgow

It was not so crowded behind the scene on the side streets.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Glasgow back street 3934" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2125/1911476247_6a2395ad04_m.jpg" border="0" /> Glasgow back street

Row houses were common these are being remodeled near the University

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Glasgow row houses 3947" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2114/1912330632_184588c632_m.jpg" border="0" /> Glasgow row houses

I came upon a croquet field near Glasgow university and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. I've seen croquet players in
Guilan China but wasn't expecting them this far north - I was expecting to see scots throwing a caber (partial tree trunk) or
playing golf (plenty of courses). Imagine my surprise to find out croquet was invented by their ancestors in Ireland.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Glasgow crouet court 3957" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2221/1911486609_0c31adda71_m.jpg" border="0" /> Glasgow crouet court

Anyone for Croquette.mpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAiyjdCkFVo

The Kelvingrove is an interesting building.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Glasgow art gallery 3958" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2021/1912304144_05e995a369_m.jpg" border="0" /> Glasgow art gallery

Across the street is the transport museum with a similar architecture style

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Glasgow Musteum of Transport Steeples 3962" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2112/1911464925_3a43374ea4_m.jpg" border="0" /> Glasgow Musteum of Transport Steeples

Lots of churches throughout the city.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Glasgow church 3969" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2218/1911481053_2ecbae13cb_m.jpg" border="0" /> Glasgow church

The River Clyde runs through the center of Glasgow. I crossed over the bridge past the large Mosque to the Citizens Theater
to see Hamlet - nice sets, good Hamlet (Andrew Clark), great Ophelia (Samantha Young).

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Glasgow Night over the River Clyde 3970" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2162/1912299960_6dc48e7ef4_m.jpg" border="0" /> Glasgow Night over the River Clyde

I didn't have much luck finding local music. The only live music I found was a local band playing Pink Floyd's Money. I kept
my money and kept walking. But lots of nightlife with people dressed up.
In fact the nightlife spilled out from a restaurant below the hotel and into the pedestrian mall forcing me to keep the
windows closed. - No A/C so it was either noise or stuffy air.

My room had a super tiny bathroom which was surprising as Scots are the second most obese people - next to Americans.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Glasgow Cathedral 3985" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2036/1911448409_3108a1c11b_m.jpg" border="0" /> Glasgow Cathedral

Sunday morning was cold but with clear blue skies so I walked to the cathedral.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Glasgow Cathedral 3986" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2249/1911450841_7745c06151_m.jpg" border="0" /> Glasgow Cathedral

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Glasgow Cathedral doors 3988" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2065/1912294490_465bd44c67_m.jpg" border="0" /> Glasgow Cathedral doors

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Glasgow Cathedral Stone 3994" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2128/1911446577_8ecb85118e_m.jpg" border="0" /> Glasgow Cathedral Stone

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Glasgow Cathedral 4004" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2370/1912276738_b3ecb59e70_m.jpg" border="0" /> Glasgow Cathedral

Only place I've ever found a cathedral hotel (right across from the catherdral and down the hill from the graveyard) in a
building of the same time and style as the Cathedrals surrounding offices. Even better was that it had the Cathedral Bar
and a Chatedral Beer Garden. It was cold and a Sunday so the beer garden was empty.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Glasgow Cathedral Bar and Beer Garden 4010" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2217/1912289588_c9e6522edf_m.jpg" border="0" /> Road to Ft Williams

Next stop Loch Lomond and Fort Williams

Or return to UK

lomond

2007-12-10T20:09:00.000-05:00

Loch Lomond, Fort William, and the Road to Skye

Headed out West from Glasgow along the River Clyde through the suburbs of Clydebank and Dumbarton and then alongside Loch Lomond. A beautiful blue lake surrounded by mountains. It's fabled for its "bonnie bonnie banks" but Bonnie wasn't around.

Loch Lomand

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Stopped at Luss a cute village of stone cottages for lunch and picture taking.

Fort Williams

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I drove northwest to Fort Williams a small city on Loch Linnhe that refers to itself as the outdoors capital of Scotland. There's even an indoor aquatic diving school - not what you would expect from Scotland.
Great scenery coming into town.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Ben Nevis 4084" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2362/1911606903_6e38608909_m.jpg" border="0" /> Ben Nevis

Just north of town is Ben Nevis the tallest mountain in the UK at 4406 feet. An estimated 100,000 climb it every year.

Neptune's Steps

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Just west of Ben a canal connects Loch Lochy north of Fort Williams to Loch Linnhe. The locks connecting them are called Neptune's steps. I was fortunate to catch a pair of boats stepping down. It's a slow process waiting for the locks to drain but very interesting. It's a manned lock unlike the canals I found in London which must be operated by the boat travelers.

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This is a ladder of eight locks that raises vessels to a height of 70 feet above sea level over a distance of 500 yards

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Check out the old guy on the right taking pictures of the boats going through the locks he must be retired with nothing better to do - what a loser. :)

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That night I walked along the river and found this stunning view of the harbor along Loch Linnhe.

In a computer center they will store your baggage as you hike but as one young woman found out the tour provider may arrange for the storage but they don't include the cost in their tour. The proprietor of the shop is a former head chief in London so I think he's used to complaints. He couldn't recommend a place in town for dinner because he always eats at home. I had a decent lasagna at a modern style pub called The Tavern.

I stayed in new but very basic motel a Premier Travel Inn that is connected with a restaurant and pub. This is a popular budget chain for truck drivers and pensioners. It was quieter than many higher classed hotels. The next morning, I had the standard Scottish breakfast - 2 eggs, "Canadian" ham, mushrooms, cooked tomatoes, beans, bread, croissant, 2 sausages, and coffee. Coffee is not a surprise in this land of tea as they often start the day with it.

On the road to Skye

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Continued north turning west at Invergarry and uncovering some great scenery on the road to Skye.

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The castle at Eilean Donan.

Next stop Isle of Skye

Or return to UK

skye

2007-12-10T20:07:00.000-05:00

Isle of Skye

I Crossed onto the Isle of Skye (the Misty Isle) at Kyle of Lochalsh. You used to have take a ferry but then they built a bridge to bring more tourists. At first they charged a toll but people complained the toll was keeping the tourists away and now no toll and more tourists.

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Skye's Black Cuillin form the most challenging range of mountains in Scotland. Black barren and made of jagged rocks. They rise above the smaller red hills which are eroded granite.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Highland ground cover 4157" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2099/1911616167_257f7f5e14_m.jpg" border="0" />This is the typical ground cover.

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320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Isle of Skye bog 4170" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2041/1911634273_e6eb870e87_m.jpg" border="0" />

Often the heath turns into a bog - bring your wellies.

I drove north on a single lane road that followed the coast. The single lane roads are a single lane road with traffic in both directions with many pull offs to allow traffic to past. I had to pull over to let others by but everyone was friendly.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Curious Sheep 4187" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2007/1911610755_de83d82fa0_m.jpg" border="0" /> Curious Sheep

The scenery was shared with sheep all over the hills and fields.

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The Old Man of Storr is like the Old Man of the Mountain in New Hampshire that collapsed in 2003 but this old man still stands

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Isle of Skye looking across the Bay of Raasay 4192" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2006/1911637029_34394e4a2d_m.jpg" border="0" /> Isle of Skye looking across the Bay of Raasay

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River gorge waterfall

At one point on the road I stopped and walked past this river gorge to walk along the top of the cliffs on the coast.

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An Cailc is a ruin at the bottom of the cliff. They used to dig out Diatomite (clay like substance), run it to the coast on a special railway and then cart it down the hill for drying before it shipped out. It was used insulation, filtration for beer, and dynamite. That beer must had a kick.

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At Kilt Rock I found the waterfall I was looking for. I had seen photos but none specified where it was. It's right at the Kilt Rock overview.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Kilt Rock 4234" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2057/1911649869_e2356d1162_m.jpg" border="0" /> Kilt Rock

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Isle of Skye 4243" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2068/1911623587_3c995b82fb_m.jpg" border="0" />

I continued around the northern end of island past craggy peaks, sheep, and heath. There were some cattle and lots of white houses.

I stayed the night in a Skaebost Country Inn an old country inn with an elegant wood paneled library, snookers room, stylized whiskey bar, golf course, and a great restaurant. I dined on pigeon breast in tomato salsa, mushroom risotto with asparagus, Macleods ale, and a smooth but indistinct red wine. They had two common areas one classic sitting room with leather chairs and a new one with free wireless and a plasma TV.

Next stop Isle of Lewis

Or return to UK

lewis

2007-12-10T20:06:00.000-05:00

Isle of Lewis

I left early in the morning driving across the Misty Isle through a morning mist from Skaebost to Uig for the ferry to Lewis.

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The ferry crossed over to Tarbert on isle of Harris which is really the Isle of Lewis. Lewis has two major sections connected by a small Isthmus somewhere in time the received separate names Harris to the South and Lewis to the North.

Beware of the day of the week, Lewis is essentially closed Sunday for religious devotions - no gas or ferry service.

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320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Tarbert harbor Isle of Lewis (Harris) 4291" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2087/1912585758_df9205ade6_m.jpg" border="0" /> Tarbert harbor Isle of Lewis (Harris)

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Tarbert harbor 4292" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2010/1912585228_05a3096a9b_m.jpg" border="0" />

I was in a hurry and couldn't find an open restaurant in Tarbert but then I found a fish and chips take out run by a stereotyped old salt. The chips were tasty.

On the road to Hushinish

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I headed north out of town leaving Harris behind and turned onto the single lane road to Hushinish. I heard that it had some of the most spectacular scenery in Scotland and they weren't wrong. Rocky hills to the east and the bay on the right the road wandered up the coast. There were several small ponds along the road with the mountains of Harris across the bay in the background.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Traffic On the road to Hushinish 4302" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2357/1912593096_065b879ddb_m.jpg" border="0" />

At one point cattle blocked the road but I s-l-o-w-l-y worked my way through them.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" A private home 4319" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2083/1911739807_12688fae1e_m.jpg" border="0" /> A private home. The road goes through his front yard.

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And Sheep! Everywhere on the hills, along the road, and on the road. They seemed to like to sit on and next to the road some gave me looks when I was rude enough to interrupt the repose - these were British sheep after all.

Others were skittish jumping up out of the way while a few fell victim to heard mentality and stampeded away. I might have laughed at them but I kept thinking about the preview to the movie Black Sheep where genetically altered sheep strike out at humans and quickly excused myself.

Cry of the Scottish Sheep audio

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End of the road to Hushinish.

The reward at the end of the road is the Beach. A surprise after driving over rocky hills and heath to discover a perfect sandy cove. Crossing over the hill to the east you can see the next island with abandoned buildings and castle.

The water was cold but not bad - definitely okay for toes. The weather was surprisingly warm I was in short sleeves in the Western Hebrides in October - wow.

My main goal in coming to Lewis was to see the Standing Stones but I'll save that for the next page.

I had dinner in my hotel (Royal) in Stornoway. A small but busy town. I had my second helping of black pudding and hagis - delicious.

Black Houses

The next morning I drove out to west coast to Arnold to see the black house. These houses were in use until the sixties they are made with earth walls and thatched roof held down by a net and stones. Humans lived in left side and animals on the right to keep the place warm.

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There was a peat moss fire in living room with no fireplace. The smoke stayed in insulating the thatch roof and preserving the lumber. The thatch was recycled each
year becomings fertilizer.

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They were called black houses not because of smoke but because new houses were white.
The new style houses aka White Houses were white with fireplaces chimneys, no animals, and white walls - and yes I asked they liked lavender trim.

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After a hard morning crossing the heath I head back to Stornoway for a donut and chicken sandwich on a very nice soft roll.
A good visit to Lewis, I didn't get to the Butt of Lewis but otherwise it was great. The Butt is the northern tip of Lewis know for its lighthouse, birds, and wind.

It was a long ferry ride across The Minch back to Ullapool on the Isle of Britain. It was a even larger ferry than the one to Tarbert. I drove off and quickly passed through Ullapool. A nice looking place I was sorry I missed the guitar festival (weekend was full of great solo guitar players in an annual festival).

Next stop The Standing Stones of Callanish

Or return to UK

callanish

2007-12-10T20:05:00.000-05:00

The Standing Stone of Callanish

On the western coast of the Isle of Lewis in Callanish are three sites of standing stones. Similar to Stonehenge but uncovered and not fenced off so you can walk up to and among the stones. The stand on top of a small hilltop with a small village nearby. They are very dramatic up close at the end of day.

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Four thousand years old, one other visitor leaving said it was beautiful and another adult family complained and laughed at them - you make the call.

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The story is that before the stones there were fields with circular crops then 5000 years ago a stone circle later more were added to form a cross.

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Bones were buried in the middle later then it was ransacked. The long tail of the cross points south to where the mid summer eve moon sets behind the highest mountain on the isles, legend has it when the sun rose on the midsummer morn, the Shining One walked the stone avenue heralded by the call of the cuckoo. Fortunately I was there in October. Some of the stones were used for local buildings but most remain.

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The stones are ancient different heights some over 15.5 feet

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The third site is closer to the water's edge. It's a beautiful site with water on two sides. 5000 years ago the sites were closer to water and the current fields were forest before climate change. Now peat moss has taken over.

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Next stop Loch Ness

Or return to UK

ness

2007-12-10T19:54:00.000-05:00

Loch Ness, Stirling, and Falkirk

It was a busy road out of Ullapool with very impatient drivers pushing me to ignore the scenery. It didn't work I drove between the river and barren mountains and was reminded of the Tibet river outside Lhasa but this was even more barren.

I stayed in Inverness at nice friendly B&B (Bannerman) and walked downtown for dinner at Riva, a sleek modern restaurant. Here as in several restaurants for salad had a small bowl of mixed veggies with lots of flavor instead of being mostly lettuce. I had another great mushroom risotto with asparagus and a desert tort and ice cream was only very good. Rissotta was much more common throughout the UK than it is in the US.

Loch Ness

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Loch Ness is just south of Inverness I drove down to visit the Uruhart castle at Drumnadrochit. It was destroyed by Scottish Jacobites to keep English from regaining control.

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View of Loch Ness.

Nessie!

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Best shot of Nessie.

I watch all day and finally caught Nessie in the act.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Reindeer IMG_4529" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2249/1911920071_b16e04460a_m.jpg" border="0" />In the Cairgorns near Aviemore there is a reindeer herd brought over in 1952 I only had time to see couple they have in a padlock but the rest run wild in the mountains. If you have time you can visit them and hand feed them. There is also a little museum on reindeer both real and fanciful. The next day I heard the herd was quarantined with blue tongue disease - a common disease in Europe.

Heading south I stopped at Killkrackie Pass a nice peaceful place at a bend in the river when a fighter jet flew down blasting the air waves.

This is the site of the first battle of the 1689 Jacobite rebellion. The fourteen foot wide soldier's leap across the river here was allegedly jumped by a government soldier fleeing from the highlanders.

Stirling

Next stop was Stirling, I stayed in town (The Golden Lion) near some pedestrian streets. It was another case of too much noise from streets as boys shouted out to girls who were sitting in the window on the second floor across the street at a party. Those Scots love to party.

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King Robert

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The highlight of Stirling is the castle. King Robert the Bruce ruled from here and Mary Queen of Scots lived here as an infant. It's an interesting historical place and well preserved but still undergoing renovations.

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Stirling Castle pages in training

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Falkirk Wheel

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Falkirk is a busy and confusing city but I finally found the wheel which connects the Union Canal with the Forth & Clyde Canal.

Instead of a regular lock system they built a eight story high wheel that lifts the boat from the bottom to the top.

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Next stop Rosslyn Chapel

Or return to UK

rosslyn chapel

2007-12-10T19:53:00.002-05:00

Before heading to Edinburgh I drove to the small village of Roslin just south of the city to see the Rosslyn Chapel, a featured setting of the DaVinci Code and an very elaborate chapel. The building was in 1481 and was covered in 1997 to protect it from the elements.

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Both inside and out it's covered with very detailed designs. The main ceiling has 4 different motifs. Green men statues are scattered throughout and along a band of sculptured vines that go around the inside of the chapel.

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Lady's Chapel

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In the back of the main church is the Lady's Chapel with another elaborate ceiling and carvings of thirteen musicians and stain glass windows.

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Next stop Edinburgh

Or return to UK

edinburgh

2007-12-10T19:53:00.001-05:00

I stayed at nice modern hotel (Ten Hill Place)only one block from Nicolson St and not far from High Street. That evening I walked up to High Street and the Royal Mile, lots of shops, people, and bagpipers. You can get a complete highland outfit custom fitted or off the rack kilt jacket socks and everything. After dinner I dropped in at the Royal Oak Pub which is know for its occasional folk music (just missed some pickers) and for being a favorite haunt of Rebus. I brought a Rebus with me to Scotland read on the plane and get in the mood.

In Question of Blood Ian Rankin's story takes you the high and lows classes of Edinburgh and political and personal cross issues.

I returned to the Royal Oak the next day to take a Rebus tour that started from their after you had your pint. A fascinating walk with a great guide through the highs and lows of Edinburgh and Rebus's stories including the city morgue, Fleshmarket Close, and an ancient cemetery and discourses on poets, history, Jekyll and Hyde and that damned new parliament building which isn't really a parliament it more... well don't get your tour guide started - or maybe you should :)
Well worth the time.

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Edinburgh's Nicolson St

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Edinburgh Piper

More Edinburgh Pipes

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Edinburgh church

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Edinburgh Red Telephone

Edinburgh Castle

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The Edinburgh castle castle is large and well maintained a big tourist stop and bit more warlike than the more statesmen like Stirling castle.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Edinburgh Castle King Robert 4684" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2352/1912949926_76495d213a_m.jpg" border="0" /> King Robert

This is the place where the Kings were crowned and I saw the Scottish Honors (crown jewels) - the crown, the royal scepter, and the sword of state.

A good visit to history.

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St Giles

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St. Giles Cathedral is a very large space and impressive but the interior is ornate than others but but it has very nice and large stained glass windows.

It's been said that for the better part of a thousand years St Giles' has been at the physical and spiritual heart of Scotland's capital city. It still stands out on the Royal Mile.

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Calton Hill

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The Royal Mile is part of the old city I went down hill to new city and then climbed up Calton Hill for an excellent views of the Firth of Forth, old city, new city, Arthur's seat, and you can just barely see one of the famous Forth bridges.

On top of the hill is Nelson's Tower built like a telescope, a couple of observatories, and the forever unfinished copy of the acropolis

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I went underground on a tour beneath High Street and St Mary's close, it was disappointing but I did learn about plaque and the close (alley) was a sewer that drained down the hill to a cesspool until they cleaned it up and changed it to the Princes Street Gardens.

Edinburgh has cleaned up a lot since then (and since Rebus started) I wish I had more time.

Next stop Melrose Abbey

Or return to UK

melrose abbey

2007-12-10T19:51:00.000-05:00

The skies were mostly clear as I stopped in nice village of Melrose for coffee and cakes. A perfect British day in a perfect British village. The abbey has some very dramatic views with its ravaged Gothic architecture opened to the sky.

The abbey first opened in 1146 was one destroyed by the English three times. The last time it was one of many destroyed by Henry VIII when they rebelled against his power over the church and sided with Rome - he wanted the infant Mary to marry his son?

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Next stop Hadrians Wall

Or return to UK

hadrians wall

2007-12-10T19:50:00.000-05:00

Hadrians Wall and the Lake District

All Along the Watchtower

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I crossed the border entering England and drove B6318 West following the wall through Northumberland National Park between Newcastle and Carlisle. I stopped at Vindolanda an old Roman fort that has been excavated and partially rebuilt with a small museum

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Vindolanda is an ancient Roman fort now partly restored with a museum of Roman artifacts and history.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Hadrians Wall 4851" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2264/1912246827_2ade6c1e1e_m.jpg" border="0" /> Hadrians Wall

I then went to the Steel Rigg parking area to walk along part of the wall. The wall of stone (sometimes topped with grass) wanders across the top of a hill in a ragged march across the countryside.

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There are several places to park as well as public transportation and great walking trails.

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HG Wells War of the World and the movies had the Martians in tripods but these wind turbines still bring those back to mind - seemingly striding across the British countryside.

Carlisle disappointing from my brief stop - one pub stopped serving food before I arrived and another was out of what I ordered - maybe it was a long summer of ugly Americans. :(

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The Lake District was a different story even in the rain. Lake Wasdale is one of the more remote but beautiful places in the lake district. You travel down a single lane dead end road to the Wasdale head. At the inn at the end of the road I had
a nice couppa and cake before braving the rain. Beautiful unspoiled lake with mountains dropping dramatically into the water.

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Wasdale Head

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Lake Wasdale

Next stop York

Or return to UK

york

2007-12-10T19:49:00.001-05:00

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I had the misfortune to stay at the Hilton with the worst beds ever in a Hilton. Otherwise a nice hotel right across from the Clifford Tower and the Castle museum. However York itself was a different story with lots to see and enjoy.

York also has the national railway museum with several royal trains maintained for viewing. You get to see how the rich and famous traveled before private jets.

To get in the mood of York and especially the surrounding countryside I brought a Peter Robinson novel. Detective Banks who long moved up from London to suburban Yorkshire has no shortage of cases to challenge him. Piece of My Heart combines insights into life in the 'shires with a train trip from York to London as he investigates a case that leads back to a sixties rock festival with Pink Floyd and a Syd Barrett type character from a local band. A fun read revisiting the sixties rock history.

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But the highlight is the huge Minster cathedral - the largest in northern england and co-opted by Henry VIII to be his northern england church and so spared his wrath of destruction.

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Inside are various chapels based upon earlier buildings surrounded by huge stained glass windows some predating the technology to create red stains on glass.

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They practice the Minster bells every Tuesday and you can hear them from outside or at some local restaurants (including the Cafe Concerto) during dinner.

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Its also fun to take the tower tour to climb to the top of the cathedral and view the city. There is also a tour of the crypt so you can tour the Minster from top to bottom.

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The Minster is famous for its Rose window.

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The clock has two knights below it that ring the chimes with their swords every quarter hour.

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One of the rare places where the city walls are still mostly intact. It's great to work around the city.

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York's center is a maze of shopping, restaurants (check out funky El Piano and the neighborhood French La Rustique), and history. Including this famous landmark overlooking a store front York Red Devil.

Next stop Fountain Abbey

Or return to UK

Fountains Abbey

2007-12-10T19:47:00.000-05:00

Fountains Abbey

This abbey northwest of York was founded in 1132 and destroyed by Henry Viii in 1539 - there he goes again.
It's a natural heritage site including the water gardens that were added in the 1700s and a deer park.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Fountains Abbey 4964" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2199/1913453800_6164a68bc6_m.jpg" border="0" /> Fountains Abbey Wiki

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Monk for a day

They have a special program "It's a Monks Life" where dressed in robes kids are initiated in the life of a monk.

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320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Fountains Abbey Green Man 4987" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2118/1913472480_482de7e6d7_m.jpg" border="0" /> Fountains Abbey Green Man
A close up of the Abbey's famous green man. The green men are creatures still entwined with nature surrounded by leaves with vines growing out of faces.
They are considered to be figures of rebirth wiki

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Next stop London

Or return to UK

london

2007-12-10T19:46:00.000-05:00

London is a great international and all too British city but the crowds!

I stayed in Kensington (Park International) a good hotel in a convenient but not overly crowded area. A couple of interesting places to eat a nice polish place La Daqoise for potato pancakes and The Muffin Man for breakfast and tea(coffee). You're only a quick tube trip away from most parts of London.

There are too many books about London life but I ended up with a newer book by Nick Hornby who wrote High Fidelity. A Long Way Down is about 4 people in London who meet while planning to jump off a building. Not nearly as depressing as it sounds these four characters show different parts of life in London. And Hornby who wrote "About a Boy" manages to bring comic relief in along the way.

The center of London's tourist, theater, and other night life Piccadilly Circus wiki is lovingly lorded over by Eros and surrounded by neon signs ala Times Square. Why called a circle because it's a circular open space at a road junction, better than calling it the Piccadilly roundabout.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Eros over Piccadilly 5007" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2032/1913532930_f49b9fee11_m.jpg" border="0" /> Eros over Piccadilly

What is Eros aka Cupid doing in staid old London - he's not. It's a statue of his twin brother Anteros the god of selfless love - it was statue dedicated to charity.
However that's a fact that clearly the crowds of young locals and tourists are blissfully unaware of and are looking up to Eros for guidance for the night in swinging London.

Speaking of night life, I saw the comedy "49 Steps" a light spoof of the early Hitchcock film. They play around with intentionally cheap props such as running in place on top of boxes to simulate a train top chase. It's jolly good fun.

On the darker side, I saw Patrick Stewart as Macbeth. A dark dingy WW II bunker is the stage and this time the captain of the enterprise and the x-men goes down into the darkness. The London press which has seen more versions of Macbeth than I have raved about it. I loved the witches rapping. Also did a nighttime London Walk on Jack the Ripper but the group was so big it was split into three groups all of which were too big. And skip Pompidou for desert too much cost too little flavor.

I didn't get to any hot new London clubs because I was too busy seeing the Richard Thompson band at the roundhouse. A newly redone stage from the sixties with one of longest lasting singer songwriter guitarist from that era. He played several songs from his new album and had the crowd going crazy.

I also John Hiatt solo at the Barbicon a modern fancy theater in a rougher area. The audience so polite. I saw three concerts in England and the crowds only got excited when they were forced to stand at the Roundhouse. On the the bright side they were not as obnoxious as some American audiences but also not as much fun.

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Portobello is the famous street market selling antiques and tourist items. There are several markets throughout London. Camden Market for one aims for a hipper but still touristy ambiance.

The British museum has a great exhibit on the Enlightenment in a extra long library styled room they traced the development of enlightenment from the classification of knowledge through the change that made us base our awareness on what could be found and tested. There were also tons of cool artifacts and weird stuff (technical terms).

Also check out Ciao Bella a very popular family run Italian restaurant.

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St James Park stretching from Buckingham Palace towards Trafalgar Square, just one of the great parks in town.

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320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Watching the crowds watching the guard 5019" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2054/1912741939_6f79dff7ec_m.jpg" border="0" /> Watching the crowds watching the guard

I was on tourist duty watching the crowds watching the guards watching the crowds, it looks like stressful duty standing and having your picture taken with all manner of tourists.

I watched a part of the 202nd anniversary celebration of the Battle of Trafalgar and watched cadets parade in front of dignitaries while the band played.

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Westminster Abbey

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London's Canals

I didn't know that London had a canal system but it has been cleaned up and renovated. People fish in it, live on it, live near it boat shaped buildings, walk, jog, and bike along it. A great escape from the crowds and traffic.

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If you're lucky you'll get to watch a boat cross through because the locks are unmanned. When your boat reaches the lock,
you must enter the lock, close the gates and change the water level, and then open the lock yourself.

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London Tours had a special tour walking past the London Canal museum, along the Regents Canal, and ending up at Camden Locks. wiki

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320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Big Ben 5042" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2360/1913527070_44af839b3b_m.jpg" border="0" /> Big Ben

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Crack in the Tate 5044" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2026/1913529376_de877836b8_m.jpg" border="0" />Crack in the Tate

First it was London Bridge falling down and now the new Tate Modern Museum has a crack in its floor. Well actually this one was designed by the artist Louise Bourgeois. It's great fun, you can stick your foot in the crack, just stare at in wonder, or watch everyone's reaction to it.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Another tourist 5045" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2310/1913525152_bae0114f63_m.jpg" border="0" /> Another tourist

London is a very international city welcoming people from all parts of the world and now it seems from parts unknown.

As I said the crack in the Tate was very popular - everyone wanted to see it.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Walking Millennium Bridge at Night 5047" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2189/1913572586_3a9cc80e2f_m.jpg" border="0" /> Walking Millennium Bridge at Night

London spruced up for the Millenium with a new walking bridge and the eye.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" The Eye 5048" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2366/1913566662_58e03280f6_m.jpg" border="0" /> The Eye

The eye is nice but not worth the long wait. The best part of the visit was eating at Wagamama a very popular chain of Japenese ramen noodles restaurants - served quickly on communal tables with attitude. The food was great. The Strada Italian chain next door isn't bad either.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Inside the Eye 5050" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2012/1913534184_881ecc74c6_m.jpg" border="0" /> Inside the Eye

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Top of the Eye

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One of the most famous roads in the world and an obligatory stop - Abbey Road.

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320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Sunset on Londons Alberts Monument 5002" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2178/1912731173_5d8f78cffd_m.jpg" border="0" /> Sunset on Londons Alberts Monument

Even though the sun has set on Victoria and Albert's England world power it's still chasing the moon with a mixture of classic British culture, British kitsch, and an international flair.

320px; CURSOR: hand" alt=" Chasing the Moon 5003" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2376/1913528098_8cd7c3d07b_m.jpg" border="0" /> Chasing the Moon

Return to UK

Canada

2007-07-19T20:09:00.000-04:00

I took a summertime journey to cool down in old Montreal during the world largest Jazz festival and took a side trip to Quebec.

Montreal

Quebec

Or return to the start of the Blog
Can't wait to get back.

Montreal

2007-07-19T20:04:00.000-04:00

I Flew to Burlington VT and drove up I-89 to the border. It was cheaper than flying international and gave me an opportunity to see the northern end of Lake Champlain.

There was only a 5 minute wait to cross the border, much easy than an airport. The road on the Canadian side was not a limited access highway and went through a couple of small towns. Closer to Montreal I entered a set of highways that flowed into the isle of Montreal and then onto to an underground highway that took me to the end of the Old Montreal for my first hotel. The drive took 2 hours.

This was a small old European style hotel with great charm but the walls were porous, giving me the opportunity to hear through the walls the girls next door talking about their hot night out when they returned at 3 AM and the snoring from the man who took their place. And at time of the day and night, I could hear people sounding like they were stomping on the floors. Quaint doesn’t mean quiet. When I returned from a day in Quebec I stayed at the Ritz Carleton - much nicer.

But the location was ideal. Old Montreal is centered around three main landmarks; Place Jacques-Cartier, Notre Dame Basilque, and the St Lawrence Seaway

Place Jacques-Cartier square with it’s outdoor restaurants, sketch artists, street musicians, and general fun atmosphere.

Listen to some Street Music

At night they threw light sticks out of a 3rd story window for the crowd to gather. But unlike New Orleans the crowd didn’t have to "work" to earn the prize. I’m surprised I don’t think Mardi Gras in February in Quebec would have a big tradition for undressing outdoors. The street singer you hear in the background is doing his classic rendition of purple rain. It’s impossible to describe the full version and fortunately I don’t have audio of it but feel free to listen to part of Nights in White Satin if you dare.

The square is also a popular place for post formal parties, wedding receptions and just dancing.

The square is also surrounded by a great selection of restaurants in old stone buildings along cobble stone streets. A very scenic area.

The other major landmark is the Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal. A beautiful gothic church completed in 1829 that is in operation both as a church and tourist center. You can tour the church during the week and they have a video show on the history of the church at night but they still have an open Mass on Sundays where you can hear the Mass in French and listen to the organ and choir.

Listen to the Church Bells

Behind the main church is a more modern chapel but still striking in its own way.

Candles

Listen to the organ and choir during Sunday Mass.
Mass Audio 1
Mass Audio 2
Mass Audio 3

During Mass protestors outside were carrying signs deploring sexual abuse. Everytime the church door open during Mass they would play some French song through a bull horn. I don’t know what the song was about but they were very angry. This was the week before the Los Angles case settlement came out. It looks the Montreal has a longer way to go.

Listen to their Protest Song

There is another Notre Dame in town, the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel on the other side of Place Jacques Cartier .

The third highlight of Old Montreal is the St Lawrence Seaway. The river walk is lined with several piers, parks, and museums. This is where they held the July 1st Canada Day celebration and fireworks. During the day there were festivals in the street. At night what do Canadians do? They go watch the fireworks over the St Lawrence.

North East of Old Montreal is the Latin Quarter the gay and hip centers of town. Further east about 3 KM is the old Olympic Stadium that still looks like a spaceship that has landed and held up by cables from the towers while it is being retrofitted for another voyage. The truth is that retractable roof never worked well so it’s not flying anywhere. But it does look cool.

Also on the site is the Biodome where you can see wildlife from Northern forests, St Lawrence, Polar climates, and tropical forest.

Hyacinth Macaws

Canadian Crab

Bat Cave

Across the Rue Sherbrooke is a large park containing the Jardin Botanique gardens created in the 1830s. Besides the usual flower gardens there are a Chinese garden, a Japanese Tea Garden, and the Insectarium. Two unique area are the Alpine garden showing mountain flora and a Prime nation forest showing the plants used by the aboriginals and a unique open building showing the story of the forest and its inhabitants. The Insectarium is a collection live and dead insects from around the world from scorpion, tarantulas, and beautiful butterflys.

In the Insectarium a train of ants carries their colorful cargo across the room

A block away are the iconic apartments setup for the Olympic participants.

Montreal has a wide range of architecture from the old stone building of Old Montreal, the gothic Gare Montreal train station, the spiraling outdoor staircases of the Latin Quarter. There are several unique neighbors of town homes and apartment buildings with their own style. Interspersed among all this history are many modern buildings such as the stadium, Biodome, Biosphere on the site of Expo 67, and more buildings throughout the town.

The center for the architecture is the CCA (not shown) one of the top 3 architecture libraries and research centers in the world. This is a modern building built around one of the few remaining stone homes on the old Golden Square Mile. The golden square mile was once the home of the wealthiest Canadians but many homes were cleared for modernization. The museum has weekly talks each Thursday and a strange sculpture garden with abstract architecture shapes and a pair of chairs hanging overt the highway.

A connection to North Carolina is the 23 story Aldred building an art deco skyscraper built in the same manner as the Suntrust nee CCB tower in Durham and the Empire State Building in New York.

During the short time I was there I found festivals all over town. Streets were closed off for vendors and music. There was a long one along St Dennis showcase exciting and high quality art work. Another was near Pointe-a-Calliere, the museum about the birthplace of Montreal, showcased different cultures. Others were focused on a particular beer or other drink

The big festival was the annual jazz festival is centered around Place de Arts which contains the Contemporary Art Museum, the large concert hall Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier and the smaller Theatre Maisonneuve. Both are excellent halls for performances. The jazz festival was also spread over several local clubs and halls as well as at a half dozen temporary stages ranging a from small tent for acoustic guitar shows to the large stage where a 100,000 people would gather for the big festival shows. This year featured Brazilian and African nights.

The crowd gathers while an Italian band plays.

Montreal streets are often crowded but the city always felt safe to walk. They also have a very good Metro system. They say you can travel using the metro and underground walkways throughout the underground city and find all the shopping you need without dealing with the weather.

Montreal has several large parks but the most distinctive is Mount Royal which literally stand above the town. Many people walk the trails and enjoy the view of the city from the top.

Next stop Quebec

Or return to Canada

Quebec

2007-07-19T20:01:00.000-04:00

It’s a 3 hour drive from Montreal to Quebec. I went up the east side of the river where Hwy 20 is a smooth trip on the return trip I used Hwy 40 on the west side which was a little more scenic but required a few turns to switch roads even though the highway remained the same name – very strange.

I stopped for gas in a busy town off Hwy 20. I had a choice between a Petro Canada or Shell, I opted to go Canadian. I swiped my card and was rejected. I kept trying to no avail. I went inside and asked the sales girl but she didn’t really speak English and my French is useless. We struggled with it but she finally said I needed to use another card. So I cross the street to the Shell. My card was taken but then a voice came out from the gas pump. I asked it, Parlez vous anglais? She said come on in. I went in and the sales clerk asked if it was an American card because they didn’t work at the pump. Problem solved, I pumped first and paid inside.

The tourist highlight of Quebec is it’s old city. It sits both on top of the hill overlooking the St Lawrence River and along the river’s banks. Some of the old cities walls remain – I think that may be a unique view in North America.

360 view of Quebec

Quebec River View

The two landmarks on the top are the Citidal, an underground fortress that once controlled the river and the Chateau Frontenac hotel which towers above the city in its Victorian beauty. It’s known as the most photographed hotel in the world.

They are currently excavating around the hotel as part of a historical site. The pulley was used to lift dirt out of the dig.

There is a long boardwalk going from behind the hotel to the Citidal with great views of the river and old city.
A funicular (small tram that rides down the hill on a track) will take you down to the lower village near the river with the Musee de la Civilization that has a very interesting exhibit on the history of Canada and Quebec which shows a different view of history than the familiar American one but still similar in many ways.

The village inside the walls was a high quality tourist stop with many excellent restaurants, street performers, musicians., and shops. It looks like a typical French city. Some streets reminded me of old Lyon. The food in Quebec was also excellent. Even though Montreal has more restaurants per capita than any city besides NYC I had better dinning experience here. I had a chicken and asparagus crepe followed by a better crepe of strawberries and ice cream at Au Petit Coin Breton in the lower village. A nice duck in light orange sauce at Restaurante La Caravelle in the upper village. And surprisingly, a magnificent omelet at the Hilton.

Listen to a sample of different Street Musicians including a Beatles song played on wine glasses. How French can you get.

All in all, too short a stay as I headed back to Montreal to see Van Morrison.

Return to Canada

Kentucky

2007-07-19T19:06:00.000-04:00

A short trip I took to Louisville and the Mammoth Caverns.

Louisville

Mammouth Cave

Or return to the start of the Blog

Louisville

2007-07-19T18:53:00.000-04:00

Louisville KY situated on the Ohio River and famous for a horse race.

I didn’t make it to the Races but did get stop at the Speed Museum which surprisingly had nothing to do with Horse Racing or NASCAR but did have a hauntingly beautiful statue of a Blind Woman Listening.

And while I didn’t go to see the horses run for the roses I did run into a couple of Painted Ponies on Main Street.

Eternal childhood survives at the Louisville Slugger Factory tour in downtown Louisville. You get to see and smell the bats being made. Ahh

Around the block is Glassworks with several glass design firms and open viewing of artists at work.

The Jazz Factory next door is a very nice club.

I couldn’t take pictures of the Muhammad Ali Museum but if you have the time and interest you can watch videos of his major bouts. It's certainly the greatest boxing museum I have seen but the clips and stories from rest of his life were even more interesting. Float like a butterfly sting like a bee was more about him then just his boxing.

The Ohio River looks better in the old frontier movies than it did on this cloudy day.

Next stop Mammoth Cave

Or return to Kentucky

Mammoth Cave

2007-07-19T18:04:00.000-04:00

Mammoth Cave, halfway between Louisville and Nashville, is the world longest cave. The National Park has extensive forests with camping, a river ferry, and wild life like this turkeys.

Unlike many caves, most of these passageways don’t have the stalagmites. A Sandstone cap above the caves prevents the water from dripping into the caverns leaving them rough stone but they are hauntingly long. This tour was a 4 mile hike 200-300 feet below ground.

This is one of the oldest tourist attractions in America with the first tours offered in the early 1800s but it doesn’t have the flash to grab the worlds attention any longer.

Halfway through the tour you stop for lunch in an underground cafeteria. The food is ported in. Once a company tried growing mushrooms for export but the Mammoth Mushroom turned out not be so mammoth.

After lunch the trip becomes more interesting with the trail leading down where in ancient times the passageway collapsed and then back up. Part of the latter part of tour takes you through a narrow winding passageway where you can see boulders precariously wedged into place above you.

The Mammoth Tour passed through safely to a last lecture rest stop.

This tour was the longest of the upright tours and ended up at the Niagara entrance where the water flows off the sandstone cap and through the limestone layer and drips into the passageway creating the more familiar cave formations including their most famous the Niagara Falls.

Return to Kentucky

China

2006-11-30T09:59:00.000-05:00

Going to China

Why China?
Because of

- Pictures of the Li River

- Dreams of the Himalayas

- China's ancient history and its amazing turmoil and changes

- Because it's the biggest fastest growing place in the world

Why now? Because a respectable tour offer arrived in my mail complete with a China expert, Tibet and all the other major highlights of China except the Great Gorges. It was too good to pass up.

A Chinese proverb says A thousand-li journey should start from the earth beneath your feet.

So dig your toes in deep before you click on...

Beijing Capital city of 13 Million and home of Tian'an Menen Square, the Forbidden City, and the gruesome Night Market.

Xian Historic capital and home of the amazing Terracotta Warriors

Lhasa Fantastic views of the Mountains and Cultures - Yak Yak Yak

Chengdu Spicy smoky city hiding the Pandas

Guilin Tourist town a great stop for the lights, Caves, traffic, waterfall, and the Li River

Yangshuo River Life, beautifull scenery, and a nice compact tourist town.

Shanghai Big City life 17M people and building. Up up and away.

Conclusion A trip of two and a half weeks that could barely scrape at the six thousand years of civilized history, the 1.3 billion people, and the future.

Conclusion

2006-11-30T09:58:00.000-05:00

The End of the Journey

Highlights

- Lhasa for the mountain and people views

- The Li River including Yangshuo

- The Terrocotta Warriors

- The Pandas

- The Great Wall

- Shanghai river between the Bund and Pudong

On the down side

- the vendors and their constant sales pitches

- Dreary smoggy dirty cities

Back to Basics: Many public bathrooms (W/C) have a common set of shared sinks that connect to separate rooms of toilet for each sex. You can see westerners walk into a wash area and wonder if they walked in the wrong door.

You would hope that a new economy would learn from older ones and build their infrastructure with the best technology. Unfortunately even thought northern China is dry and consistently short on water they don't use the water saving Australian style toilets. Yet they were in use in wetter southern city of Chengdu.

Exophobia: There were westerners in the major cities and tourist spots and I always saw some but not many on the streets when I ventured out. Beijing and Shanghai felt like being in New York very cosmopolitan. In Chengdu and Xian I felt more conspicuous, the people were shorter than in the major cities and there were less westerners. I hadn't experienced both sticking out in the crowds race wise and unable to understand signs or words at the same time before, I hope I remember the feeling when I meet visitors. However - outside of the street vendors - the people were non threatening and I never felt unsafe.

Culture Shock: I found out that our tour guide had never heard of Brad and Angelina - this was when they had just adopted a child and were at the top of the headlines.

She is so cultured and intelligent but yet so ignorant of the focus of American media - it made me jealous. :)

One final view and soundclip of China from our last stop Shanghai .

As the sun sets over Shanghai a busker signals the changing nature of China by skipping the traditional music and instruments in favor of a western guitar and song.

Shanghai Subway Stretto

Some books and links that I found useful

Books

River Town - Peter Hessler. Recollections of a young writer living and teaching in a river town as China began to re-emerge into the world.

Death of a Red Heroine - Qiu Xiaolong. a mystery in 1990 Shanghai that opens up the culture as well as telling a good story

Sounds of the River - Da Chen. Country boy goes to Beijing University as China begins to open up - highlights the cultural shock of going from the country to the city to the world

Wild Grass - Ian Johnson. Three stories of conflict and change in modern China revealing some of the hidden issues and conflicts that still exist

Culture Shock - Kevin Sinclair, Iris Wong Po-Yee. A guide book to visiting and living in China including customs, much more forgiving of the Chinese government that most

Sons of Heaven - Terrence Cheng. Novel about two brothers on different sides of the events at Tian'an Men Square in 89.

Links

List of world heritage sites in China

China tourism site

Anti government site

General news feed

Another government news source

Blog that collects anti government articles

Government news site

Radio Free Asia news on China

China Blog list

About China

General news feed

Government television CCTV 9 is in the English channel available in some hotels and in the US on the Dsatellitelite Network.

Conversational Mandarin Chinese Online

Travel site with forum

Shanghai

2006-11-30T09:57:00.000-05:00

Shanghai- Last stop and finally an answer as to why so many Chinese think they should sell westerners watches. See the Nanking Statue - at the end of this entry.

Hear the 1,500,000,000 voices of China all at once. Okay maybe not all 1.5m

We flew over many new buildings with blue roofs on the way to shanghai. Was it for good luck or because of a new building material I don't know. The farmland on the way is in small patches as local farms still survive.

Pudong and the Bund
City Life and Tourist Spots

River life in the big city - the Bund and the Pudong

One tour member who had been to Shanghai in the late eighties before the Pudong was started remarked that he felt like an Indian coming back to Manhattan now after selling it for $24.

The classic view of the Podong from the Bund. The Pudong was farmland until 1990 when government started clearing the land and building the space age skyline.

River view

Industry on the River

The Bund is the old western portion of Shanghai. It used to be subdivided with sections ruled by Britian, the US, and other countries. A raised walkway follows the river giving an view of the river and the Pudong across the way.

This barge toats a Large television screen along the river

Tour boats cruise up and down the river. I recommend a cruise at sunset.

At the time of the picture (October 2006) the building on the left was said to be the third tallest in the world and the one on the right half way done to being the tallest.

Sunset on Shanghai

Skyscrapers

Yangshuo

2006-11-30T09:55:00.000-05:00

Yangshuo - A major tourist stop along the Li River, they have a shopping street called West Street but I think they were too busy selling other items to get around to selling watches.

We cruised under cloudy skies and occasional showers past river life including villages, water buffalos, water taxis, and bamboo rafts with fisherman, tourists, and vendors.

Traveling the Li River
Impressions of the Li River

Traveling the Li River

Kelp Fishing

Li River Side Reflection

The bike rider was given a ferry ride across the river.

The limestone Karst rise above the Li River.

Red Flag

A working village along the river.

I'm not sure if this was a double date or a hired cruise.

Water Buffalo

Cleaning in the River

Playing in the River

More Water Buffalos

Li River Sample

One of the few rice paddies that we passed.

A Tourist city with a western attitude.

When you exit the boat you are led through a covered gauntlet with vendor stalls on both sides as far as you can see. Finally, you break free onto West street with more shops and vendors to entice you.

Actually the vendors had it toned down a notch, maybe because we were on a later boat.

Impression on Sanjie Liu

On the banks of the Li, we sat and watched a show unfold on the river. Torch carriers and singers danced their way across the water under colored lights and in front of the majestic Li River scenery. Modern music and traditional folk songs filled the air. The audience was entranced.

Review of Impression on Sanjie Liu

An extravagant folk show.

Impressions of Li

What are you looking at?

The Cormorants are famous for being harnessed by the Chinese throughout history for fishing. Natural fishing birds, their beaks or necks were strapped stopping them from swallowing their catch. However if they returned to the boat the fisherman took the fish but gave them a bite size reward. Now they primarily do tourist duty.

In the Airport book shop I found the books that I had expected to see but hadn't found. There were a series of white covered books about America. One was called "America's Unforgivable Crimes" which included pictures of Dylan, LBJ, miners, hurricanes, and a news clip on George Bush's record 1000 jobs lost. The text was in Chinese but there was a quote in English America is not heaven but a highly civilized country. What can you say to that?

Next stop Shanghai

Or return to China

Guilin

2006-11-22T20:41:00.000-05:00

Guilin – a major tourist hot spot, some vendors sell themselves instead of watches.

Arrived in Guilin, a major tourist city and the starting point for the Li River Cruises. The Chinese are not shy about color, these metallic palm trees of different colors are in the Guilin airport.

We drove through level rice fields with mountains of Karst rising randomly in the background. We didn't stop but it seemed the farmers were using primative wooden equipment.

The Chinese are not shy about colors. Colored lights highlight the formations in this Reed Flute Cave.

These rocks are dramatically reflected in a pool in a large room of the cave.

Elephant Trunk Hill

Guilin Traffic, the black mercedes in beginning was stoppd duet to an acident, it's left front side banged in.

Tasty fruit from street vendor.

Collecting seaweed (river weed?)

View over Guilin

Playing Croquet in a courtyard on a hard surface rather than the traditional western lawn.

Bamboo fleet

Working on the River

Sword Sharpening Rock - Legend has it that a general was sent by the emperor to bring stability to the area and he worked so hard at keeping his sword sharp he wore his way through the rock.

Cormorants in waiting

An old set of houses attached to the inner city wall, still being used.

Solitary Beauty Peak

The worlds largest man made waterfall. Each evening the water falls off the top of this building in downtown Guilin causing a massive traffic jam.

Falling Water Guilin Style

The music you hear was piped into the street.

Night time in Guilin, a very popular tourist town due to its location on the Li River. There were more Chinese than westerner tourists. However westerners received special attention, I stopped counting after seven solicitations during an evening walk through the main streets.

A night marketplace selling tourist gifts.

I passed a doorway open to a badminton gym.

Li River Trip -
The next morning we began out trip down the Li River, starting about a few miles downstream of Guilin. Our boat had three levels, the first two covered.

A typical kitchen on the back of a tour boat cruising the Li River - lunch is included.

In the morning, the boats head downstream from Guilin in a single row.

Next stop Yangshuo

Or return to China

Chengdu

2006-11-21T19:32:00.000-05:00

Chengdu - Pandas don't wear watches.

Folk Music Overture Audio

A fascinating start, we were able to watch our take off on the airplane's monitors as a camera showed us the runway then the ground disappearing as lifted off. We flew through cloudy skies over white mountains while the monitors switched to Tom and Jerry cartoons! Obviously, they found language independent entertainment.

Chengdu in Sichuan is known for its spicy food and spicy girls. At least according to our female tour guides, the women are so spicy that they dominate the families and the men enjoy it.

Interesting factoid Comparison: The Richest person in China is now a woman who owns the Nine Dragons Paper Company that is a packaging paperboard manufacturer. The wealthiest American is a man who owns a software company.

The tourist part of town
Panda Breeding Center
City Life

Tourist Town

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Plant Wall" src="http://static.flickr.com/103/301937212_1436823262_m.jpg" border="0" />Plant Wall

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Tea House" src="http://static.flickr.com/122/301938953_c4e2a7658e_m.jpg" border="0" />A traditional Tea House on a lake park still used by retired locals as well as tourists. Wandering friendly polite practitioners will incessantly try to induce you to get a massage, shoeshine, or an ear cleaning.

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Tea House Massage" src="http://static.flickr.com/113/301938570_6ea72fd0a4_m.jpg" border="0" />Tea House Massage

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Tea House Ear Cleaning" src="http://static.flickr.com/107/301938334_70916a50ed_m.jpg" border="0" />A pick and a tuning fork are used to shake loose earwax - supposedly very relaxing.

BBC article on ear cleaning.

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Tea House View" src="http://static.flickr.com/106/301938761_66aea59c07_m.jpg" border="0" />

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Dinner for tourists" src="http://static.flickr.com/104/301933720_698cd96c81_m.jpg" border="0" />A New antique dinner theater catering to tourists featuring music, dancers, comedic acting, and Changing Faces.

See this article on Changing Faces

The ancient categorization of instruments in China is called "Ba Yin" (eight sounds from instruments made of different materials) refer to the following: Jin (metal), Shi (stone), Si (string), Zhu (bamboo), Pao (bottle gourd), Ge (leather), Tu (clay) and Mu (wood).

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Folk Dancers" src="http://static.flickr.com/103/301933966_6296af9f3f_m.jpg" border="0" />

Panda Breeding Center

The Panda Breeding Center is nicely done with the Pandas close, friendly, and active in the mornings.

You can see infants in incubators but you are not allowed to take pictures.

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Cleaning up the Carp" src="http://static.flickr.com/113/301933460_f20adac2c4_m.jpg" border="0" />Cleaning up the Carp from a pond

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Bamboo" src="http://static.flickr.com/112/301930867_7de295d58f_m.jpg" border="0" />One of the rare views of Bamboo during a two week tour of China and this was at the Panda Breeding center. One of two major natural icons of China that I didn’t see much of, the other was rice paddies.

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Panda Chewing" src="http://static.flickr.com/111/301936998_d83102a284_m.jpg" border="0" />Panda Chewing

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Panda Chewing 2" src="http://static.flickr.com/114/301935358_1d08b7573c_m.jpg" border="0" />

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Panda Chewing 3" src="http://static.flickr.com/107/301935608_e19cc75e52_m.jpg" border="0" />

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Panda Chewing 4" src="http://static.flickr.com/101/301935886_fded9044bb_m.jpg" border="0" />

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Panda Chewing 5" src="http://static.flickr.com/112/301936147_481c1969e2_m.jpg" border="0" />

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Panda Chewing 6" src="http://static.flickr.com/103/301936431_4877011471_m.jpg" border="0" />

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Three Pandas" src="http://static.flickr.com/113/301939147_33cb904ba0_m.jpg" border="0" />Three Pandas

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Panda Chewing 7" src="http://static.flickr.com/121/301936757_20938b201e_m.jpg" border="0" />It's 400 Yuan to have your picture taken with a panda. You must wear plastic bags over your shoes to get near and plastic gloves to pet him. A photographer takes pictures with your camera while you pet the panda they are feeding.

The first Panda was brought to the West by a bohemian socialite Ruth Harkness in 1936 after her husband died trying to bring one back. (This was back in the time of the original King Kong movie). This is a very well received book about her story.

Of course now Pandas are struggling to survive and are a cash cow (Bear?) for the government of China.

There is large group of panda lovers sharing photos from around the panda world in the Flickr.com group Pandas Unlimited You’ll need a free flicker or yahoo account to view their photos.

Red Pandas, an unrelated breed, were lively and territorial cutting wide paths to avoid each other.

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Red Panda Chewing 1" src="http://static.flickr.com/101/301937437_a303c33e26_m.jpg" border="0" />

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Red Panda Chewing 2" src="http://static.flickr.com/111/301937616_9616915ed2_m.jpg" border="0" />

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Red Panda Chewing 3" src="http://static.flickr.com/115/301937846_23024ef9f1_m.jpg" border="0" />

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="School kids at the Zoo" src="http://static.flickr.com/100/301938137_727403a941_m.jpg" border="0" />School kids at the Zoo

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Bird on a Tree" src="http://static.flickr.com/119/301931492_1b4caeb68c_m.jpg" border="0" />Bird on a Tree

City Life

We stopped at a Brocade Silk Factory, watched carpet weavers, and had time to spend money. Also, saw amazing silk embroidery - one could have passed for an oil painting while others were under glass that flips with some revealing different pictures on other side. Perhaps the best of educational shopping stops.

See Article on Silk Brocade in Chengdu.

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Brocade Silk Weaving" src="http://static.flickr.com/121/301933038_84a8c15285_m.jpg" border="0" />A pair of weavers are needed to manage the process. This one weaves the pattern.

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Brocade Silk Weaving 2" src="http://static.flickr.com/113/301931784_8ff7d21fdc_m.jpg" border="0" />

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Brocade Silk Weaving 3" src="http://static.flickr.com/115/301932040_1c34db9e11_m.jpg" border="0" />While one sits on top to manage the silk threads.

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Brocade Silk Weaving 4" src="http://static.flickr.com/106/301932304_a1eeec3582_m.jpg" border="0" />

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Brocade Silk Weaving 5" src="http://static.flickr.com/112/301932531_576bbf2755_m.jpg" border="0" />

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Brocade Silk Weaving 6" src="http://static.flickr.com/111/301932760_f7afd573a3_m.jpg" border="0" />Putting it altogether, the spools are crossed over weaving the silk threads into the pattern.

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="On the Street" src="http://static.flickr.com/107/301934991_1ee9b02849_m.jpg" border="0" />On the Street

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Bicycles Lane" src="http://static.flickr.com/112/301931007_6e2e25aca5_m.jpg" border="0" />Bicycle Lane

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="On your mark" src="http://static.flickr.com/116/301935148_6d0bd42ef1_m.jpg" border="0" />A crossing guard holds back the hoard of bicycles, motor bikes, and pedicabs.

All this on a street with cars.

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="City Street Market" src="http://static.flickr.com/100/301933253_06aec76d42_m.jpg" border="0" />A back street near the center of Chengdu with street stalls selling to locals, also a parking lot for bicycles and motor bikes.

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Bicycles" src="http://static.flickr.com/101/301931165_2db319dc4c_m.jpg" border="0" />Two Wheelers

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="McDonalds" src="http://static.flickr.com/107/301934875_10120b583e_m.jpg" border="0" /> McDonald's special at the time was a Korean burger - a quarter pounder with Asian vegetables on top; instead of pickles and cheese, their regular burgers used cucumber and a spicy yellow sauce.

Interesting Factoid: The Red and Gold colors of McDonald's signs are the same colors used by the Imperial and Communist governments. They go well with the Chinese Flag.

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Cartier and Communism" src="http://static.flickr.com/119/301933117_ad926fbe1e_m.jpg" border="0" />Around the corner from the street market the price goes up. That's a statue of the old chairman saluting the Cartier and Burberry emporiums.

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="How to call a cab" src="http://static.flickr.com/113/301934691_ec9b719938_m.jpg" border="0" />This statue of Chairman Mao in the center was jokingly said to be him educating the youth on how to hail a cab.

10px 10px 0px; float: right; width: 320px;" alt="Riding in traffic" src="http://static.flickr.com/104/301937922_a7df18f299_m.jpg" border="0" />Riding in traffic

Chengdu surrounded by mountains, is smoggy with very few sunny days. Outside the tourist areas, it was fairly dreary, humid, and full of construction dust and dirt.

Walking down the street alone a westerner can’t help but feel like a stranger in a strange land. It’s a humbling experience to know that you stand out because of your skin, you can’t understand the voices, you can’t begin to comprehend the alphabet used in the signs, and that you’re totally at the mercy of your wits and the kindness of strangers.

Next stop Guilin

Or return to China

Lhasa

2006-11-14T21:57:00.000-05:00

Lhasa - Until recently Tibet was the land that time forget, but now they also sell those watches here.

Crazy Yak Overture Audio

I have always wanted to visit the Himalayas and while Lhasa is two days from Everett, it was close enough to feel it. Due to the mountains, Tibet also maintained its isolation longer than most parts of the world, together with its unique specialization in spiritual thought it remains a very special place. However, China brought the world to Tibet in its infamous peaceful liberation.

On the way to Lhasa
Home Visit
Potala
Tibetan Idol Street Music Performances
Crazy Yak
The Market
Sera Monastery

The impact of the still clashing cultures is highlighted in the mystery novels of Eliot Pattison.

The Tibet guide gives an introduction to Buddhism, history, culture, as well Lhasa and Tibet. It has introductions by the Dali Lama and Richard Gere.

On the way to Lhasa

Flying from Xian to Lhasa we passed over an amazing view of mountains.

320px;" alt="Flying to Lhasa" src="http://static.flickr.com/105/290542230_4b1ad24dba_m.jpg" border="0" />

320px;" alt="Flying to Lhasa" src="http://static.flickr.com/111/290542495_b47b0d045e_m.jpg" border="0" />

320px;" alt="Flying to Lhasa" src="http://static.flickr.com/106/290542733_b4acc203a0_m.jpg" border="0" />

320px;" alt="Flying to Lhasa" src="http://static.flickr.com/102/290542939_911189d5db_m.jpg" border="0" />

320px;" alt="Flying to Lhasa" src="http://static.flickr.com/122/290543155_4e22b06834_m.jpg" border="0" />

The news has been about the train to Lhasa that opened this year but the airport is clean and modern. It's a 60km drive to Lhasa along the Lhasa river with villages near the road and mountains in background - a bumpy but beautiful trip.

Roadside cafe

320px;" alt="Lhasa River Bend" src="http://static.flickr.com/117/290545787_73520720b8_m.jpg" border="0" />Lhasa River Bend

320px;" alt="Mountain Reflection" src="http://static.flickr.com/104/290547609_cac486060f_m.jpg" border="0" />Mountain Reflection

320px;" alt="River view" src="http://static.flickr.com/100/290550586_6f699f4eaf_m.jpg" border="0" />River view

320px;" alt="Small Town Tibet" src="http://static.flickr.com/107/290552148_c59220879c_m.jpg" border="0" />Small Town Tibet

At 13000 meet Lhasa is a two and a half mile city compared to Denver Mile High status, thus altitude sickness is a concern. The recommendation I read was "When you arrive, take a rest. Don't get carried away with your first trip and do anything too drastic," said the alert, adding that soothing drugs … would help alleviate the symptoms. The consensus was that you must rest when you arrive for a day or more or a week if you are heading to the mountains. Our tour had two people that couldn't function at all with the lowered oxygen during our stay. Others used medication, oxygen bottles, and oxygen pillows (a pillow that when you squeezed it released some extra oxygen your way.)

I was felling light headed and bought a local remedy suggested by a tour guide, it worked for me.

Walking around corner of the hotel I found several women who laid out blankets covered with trinkets, jewelry, and tourist articles. They were persistent but not as physical compared to those in Beijing – perhaps a benefit of the lowered oxygen.

In many ways they reminded me of southwestern native Americans. The houses along the road coming into the city were small courtyard designs looking like the adobe houses in southwestern US. No zoning was in place so houses, trailers, and animals intermingled at will. The people have high cheek bones and darker skin than the Chinese again similar to the Navaho and Hopi. Their jewelry was also similar consisting of silver, beads, and turquoise. Plus they also have a strong spiritual belief system distinct from western religion. Unfortunately, too many also struggle with alcohol and a depressed work ethic.

Windhorse is a film that uncovers Tibetan family life while promoting its message of freedom. Great views of the market, Lhasa, and the villages. It also reveals the secret to making yak butter tea!

Tibetan Dinner Deconstruction - Dinner at Sundowner Inn including barbeque yak meat, spicy chicken, the usual vegetables, soup, and of course watermelon for desert. Somehow I don't think Watermelon is native to Tibet.

In the morning, I walked to river after breakfast. I passed three woman walking together, one walking her dog the other two swinging their prayer wheels. We saw many people practicing there religions devotions in Lhasa on a daily basis.

320px;" alt="Changing River View" src="http://static.flickr.com/108/290540637_045e2cda3a_m.jpg" border="0" />Changing River View

I also passed an Army station. Lhasa is said to have 200k Tibetans, 200k Chinese immigrants, and an unmentioned 350K Chinese soldiers (just in case). The hotel was in the Han (Chinese) section of town. The highlights are in the older and still mostly Tibetan central part of town.

320px;" alt="Walking the Potala" src="http://static.flickr.com/114/290554671_360acecb7f_m.jpg" border="0" />Walking around the Potala, an act of devotion.

320px;" alt="Business Scheming" src="http://static.flickr.com/104/290540562_0a95d2c726_m.jpg" border="0" />Others have business on their minds.

Home Visit
We stopped to visit a visit a middle class family with 4 generations living in an old courtyard house.

320px;" alt="Hot Water Heater" src="http://static.flickr.com/110/290544508_813a3fa67c_m.jpg" border="0" />They used this Solar heater for water, and heated 1 room using left over wood pallets and yak dung.

The Grandmother and mother used to make carpets now sew, father teaches history at mid level school. Also living in the house are their twenty five year old daughter and her child.

Middle Class Worries

Smiling Faces of Benevolent Dictators - a required PC balance to the religious paintings.

The home includes a special religious room with small beds set aside for an annual visit by a monk and lama.

The Grandmother walks around Polata each day. They served us the two special Tibetan drinks - Yak butter tea & beer. The Yak butter tea drew at best mixed reviews but I heard no complaints about the beer.

Home Kitchen

Home Toilet

Beer and mountains seemed to go as well in Tibet as Colorado although they favor different brands. Say Yi Ping Pijiu for a bottle of beer, Gan Bei! for Cheers!, and Hen Hau Chi! for Tastes good! No translation for less filling.

320px;" alt="Lhasa" src="http://static.flickr.com/120/290545247_97a5e0b40a_m.jpg" border="0" />Lhasa Market View

320px;" alt="The market" src="http://static.flickr.com/112/290552790_4d02343265_m.jpg" border="0" />The market

Potala
The Polata is 400 ft higher than 13300 of the city requiring extra effort and oxygen to reach the top. It was the world's largest building until we started building skyscrapers.

The two tones of the building have significance. The Dali Lama and the Tibetan government traditionally use the palace. The Red is for the religious portion while White indicates the parts used for government offices. All but two of the Dali Lama's are buried in casket hidden in elaborate golden statues.

Kundrun is a film by Martin Scorsese about the life of the current Dali Lama.

Little Buddha is a fantasical story of an American child being evaluated at the reincarnation of a lama, it includes flashback to the life of Siddharta played by Keanu Reeves.

Looking up the Potala

Mountain View seen from the base of the Polata

Mountain View across from the Polata

Up the Potala - a long walk

Mountain View from the top of the Potala. Sorry no pictures allowed inside the Polata

When you go up, you must go down the Potala

This woman saw me taking pictures and stepped away from her husband and child to pose for me.

320px;" alt="Mountain View" src="http://static.flickr.com/101/290548291_750b85b35d_m.jpg" border="0" />Mountain View

320px;" alt="Potala Toilet" src="http://static.flickr.com/116/290549839_5e3c7ca90c_m.jpg" border="0" />Potala Toilet, I thought the zero star rating was a little harsh compared to others I had seen. At least it had a great view.

320px;" alt="Mountain View" src="http://static.flickr.com/115/290548525_1372e20f34_m.jpg" border="0" />Mountain View

New apartments built between the Polata and the mountains

320px;" alt="Prayer Flags" src="http://static.flickr.com/105/290549966_e5ec5cca6a_m.jpg" border="0" />Prayer Flags

320px;" alt="Prayer Flags on the Potala" src="http://static.flickr.com/113/290550240_fed0bc5574_m.jpg" border="0" /> Prayer Flags on the Potala

320px;" alt="Mountain View" src="http://static.flickr.com/109/290548656_62fa665070_m.jpg" border="0" />Mountain View

320px;" alt="Two Icons of Lhasa" src="http://static.flickr.com/119/290554149_0235c47f3e_m.jpg" border="0" />Two Icons of Lhasa. Walking back to the hotel I passed through the center of town with Tibet’s icon - a Wild Yak. And then there is the commercial icon on the billboard behind it.

320px;" alt="Yak Statue" src="http://static.flickr.com/100/290539412_d2d2181333_m.jpg" border="0" />Yak Statue

Tibetan Idol - Music performances
These young musical prodigies stopped me while I was walking back and played for their supper. A lock for when they start up Tibetan Idol, send in your votes now.

Contestant Number 1

Contestant Number 2

Crazy Yak
Dinner was at the Crazy Yak followed by a set of folk dances and music. Yak Yak Yak.

320px;" alt="Crazy Yak Cafe" src="http://static.flickr.com/122/290541423_5db3e55601_m.jpg" border="0" />Crazy Yak Cafe

The house band similar to American Mountain music included Hammer dulcimer, ehru (fiddle), hand drum, cymbals, sanxian (banjo), and singer.

320px;" alt="Crazy Yak Cafe House Band" src="http://static.flickr.com/120/290541151_27718039dd_m.jpg" border="0" />Crazy Yak Cafe House Band

320px;" alt="Tibetan Dancer" src="http://static.flickr.com/116/290553319_65dd26ae07_m.jpg" border="0" />Tibetan Dancer

320px;" alt="Tibetan Dancers" src="http://static.flickr.com/120/290553484_db6bde7fda_m.jpg" border="0" />Tibetan Dancers

320px;" alt="Crazy Yak Cafe" src="http://static.flickr.com/103/290541878_7e1f0754a0_m.jpg" border="0" />Crazy Yak Cafe

320px;" alt="Mountain View" src="http://static.flickr.com/103/290548740_8ea565b802_m.jpg" border="0" />We arrived with the 1st snow of year on the local mountains

Every Tibetan tries to make the pilgrimage to the Jokhang temple at least once in their life. It's the most holy temple in Tibet. We visited on a Wednesday when the lines were extra long because the current Dali Lama was born on a Wednesday. The locals often walk around the temple, there are three concentric circles with separate walkways. The largest circles the entire old city.

Pilgrims will walk or if lucky hitch part of the way to make it to the temple. The most dedicated will prostrate themselves as they travel. Essentially lying facing down getting up and repeating the motion for each body length. Outside the temple, you can see many people and families spending the morning prostrating themselves. Their prayers are for everyone, prayers for individual benefit are not kosher.

The Tibetans wait on long lines and are pushed and prodded by guards to keep moving once inside the temple. Westerns have a separate line and can breeze through but are not allowed in the small chapels that the Tibetans go through - a trade off for the believers. Chanting ommanipadmehum they move through the chapels stopping to lay their heads against the stone or glass, sometimes leaving money.

This family brought their young monk from Northern Tibet. It took them three months to make the trip. They will then stock up at the market and share a truck ride home with others.

320px;" alt="Jokhang Pilgrims" src="http://static.flickr.com/109/290545013_5c96688293_m.jpg" border="0" />Jokhang Pilgrims

320px;" alt="Jokhang Pilgrim" src="http://static.flickr.com/114/290544864_a0f8e49688_m.jpg" border="0" />Jokhang Pilgrim

320px;" alt="Mother and Child" src="http://static.flickr.com/120/290547450_e110b4b3a4_m.jpg" border="0" />Mother and Child

320px;" alt="Tibetan Family" src="http://static.flickr.com/112/290553828_f95deb4d02_m.jpg" border="0" />Tibetan Family

320px;" alt="Prayers Wheels" src="http://static.flickr.com/99/290550442_97439e9638_m.jpg" border="0" />Prayers Wheels

320px;" alt="Jokhang Pilgrims" src="http://static.flickr.com/112/290545160_dbea35ca4b_m.jpg" border="0" />Jokhang Pilgrims

The Market
The Barkhor is a market that surrounds the temple. It is visited by Tibetans from around the country and tourists from around the world. The market had the best behaved vendors we encountered I didn't have to say Ming du (no) very much - maybe a benefit of the religion or the low oxygen levels?

320px;" alt="Barkhor" src="http://static.flickr.com/116/290539776_213f5ba549_m.jpg" border="0" />Barkhor

320px;" alt="Ancient Thing Store" src="http://static.flickr.com/104/290539594_c5f4942898_m.jpg" border="0" />Ancient Thing Store

320px;" alt="Buddha Calling" src="http://static.flickr.com/109/290540395_ff877353db_m.jpg" border="0" />Buddha Calling?

We discovered a supermarket I dubbed the "Harris Tibet" after the US brand “Harris Teeter.” I blame the low the level of oxygen.

320px;" alt="Meat Market" src="http://static.flickr.com/107/290546505_18ca094a8b_m.jpg" border="0" />Meat Market

DIY clothing, home spun wool and thread.

320px;" alt="Snack" src="http://static.flickr.com/110/290552626_dafebe22d1_m.jpg" border="0" />Snacks

320px;" alt="Tibet Supermarket" src="http://static.flickr.com/117/290553049_2f7e4fffbd_m.jpg" border="0" />Tibet Supermarket

320px;" alt="Shopping" src="http://static.flickr.com/102/290551979_d33bb49faf_m.jpg" border="0" />Shopping

Roof top view from a restaurant in Lhasa aka a view from the rooftop of the rooftop of the world.

320px;" alt="Barkhor" src="http://static.flickr.com/114/290539991_59ec7b6194_m.jpg" border="0" />Barkhor Market in downtown Lhasa

320px;" alt="Barkhor" src="http://static.flickr.com/120/290540180_7ea1192b8d_m.jpg" border="0" />Barkhor Shoppers

320px;" alt="Visiting Monks" src="http://static.flickr.com/112/290554582_e70c901a71_m.jpg" border="0" />A group of monks visiting Lhasa from the countryside to beg for money to rebuild their monastery. Most monasteries were heavily damaged or destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.

320px;" alt="Jokhang" src="http://static.flickr.com/118/290544693_ed25cb25db_m.jpg" border="0" />Jokhang

Sera Monastery
The Sera monastery is a teaching center for monks where debates are held in old Sanskrit. Even local Tibetans can't understand the repartee but the monks are enthusiastic and obviously enjoying themselves. A slap with the palm down indicates a correct response, if it is palm side up one should study harder. Not the stereotype of the monk contemplating his navel. It can make you wonder, are they questioning each other on the finer points of scripture, or if the westerner in the blue jacket is funnier looking then the one in the beige coat.

320px;" alt="A Sera Debate" src="http://static.flickr.com/122/290551281_187a2e3c0f_m.jpg" border="0" />A Sera Debate

320px;" alt="Monks" src="http://static.flickr.com/104/290547266_d9ab5cc19e_m.jpg" border="0" />Monks

320px;" alt="Monk making his Point" src="http://static.flickr.com/110/290546897_baca8457d2_m.jpg" border="0" />Monk making his Point

320px;" alt="Sera Monastery" src="http://static.flickr.com/122/290551534_cd58a2c780_m.jpg" border="0" />Sera Monastery

320px;" alt="Mandela" src="http://static.flickr.com/106/290546314_bb7b3dffd0_m.jpg" border="0" />Mandela

320px;" alt="Mountain View" src="http://static.flickr.com/118/290548912_e34a7fb7a7_m.jpg" border="0" />

320px;" alt="Mountain View" src="http://static.flickr.com/113/290549168_a67851bf1a_m.jpg" border="0" />

320px;" alt="Sera Monastery" src="http://static.flickr.com/110/290551789_aa26f663f5_m.jpg" border="0" />Sera Monastery

320px;" alt="Roadside Buddha" src="http://static.flickr.com/115/290550930_8585c498ae_m.jpg" border="0" />On the reluctant ride back to the airport we passed a Roadside Buddha

320px;" alt="Wandering Yaks" src="http://static.flickr.com/118/290555033_f5e9a5fcc5_m.jpg" border="0" />and several wandering Yaks.

Links

tibet news feed
Tibetan Village Project
Radio Fee Asia Tibet
There are also several videos on youtube that cover the takeover, demonstrations, and scenery.

Next stop Chengdu

Or return to China

Xian

2006-11-04T11:55:00.000-05:00

Xian - they sell those watches here too.
Tang Overture Audio

TANG DINNER
MEDICINE MARKET
TERRACOTTA
STREET
DUMPLINGS
CHINA IS AROUND THE CORNER

Xian pronounced like si-an - one of the pre trip struggles was how to pronounce Chinese cities especially those beginning with X and they wonder why some many Americans are X-enophobic. Xian
was the capital of China during much of it's history. It was one of the endpoints of the Silk Road. Now it's a small industrial city of 8 million people best know for it's Terracotta Warriors and it's drivers.

First impression was a Smog covered airport even though it was fairly empty for one serving 8M people. The trip to town carried us through corn fields, construction, large billboards, eventually neon lights on the high rises. The old center town is still surrounded by its original wall which is also lit up at night but all the neon lights couldn''t overcome the smog and dirt.

Inside the east Gate of Xian

Eastgate

Xian City Wall and Canal

These unarmed soldiers were training on the and were impressive just by the fact they were there.

The Great Goose Pagoda was built to hold the original Buddhist scriptures brought back to China from India and translate to ancient Mandarin. These became the official basis for Chinese Buddhism and are recognized as some of the best archives of Buddhist writings.

The pagoda is now surrounded by a new park with lakes, a nightly waterworks show, a meditation garden overwhelmed by piped in loud classical pop soundtrack, an amusement area for kids, and a KFC for the hungry. It''s a fast changing country and sometimes the changes don''t agree with everyone.

Lighting a Prayer Candle to Buddha.

Inside the Temple

Old Guard Snack Time, finally

Across the way presides a statue of Xuanzang the Monk who walked back from India with the sutras overlooks this park on one side and more towers under construction on the other side.

Tang Dynasty Dinner
Tang dynasty dinner is a favorite tourist night out with a good meal, rice wine, and green tea. The show begins with all woman band playing native instruments including a moon guitar, ehru (violin), pipa (lute), hammered dulcimer, zither, and reed pipe - very similar to early American instruments of guitar, fiddle, banjo, hammered dulcimer, zither, and harmonica. But the music has a different tone and the singing is an entirely different style featuring the highest octave the singers can reach.

Tang Dinner Sampler

Tang Dynasty Dinner Band

Pipa Glare

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Tang Music

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The band moved to a side stage while on main stage a professional performances of various dancers was staged.

Tang Dancers

Another of several educational sales opportunities was a stop at a Jade store. Where we able to spend a few minutes watching Jade being Carved before we were able spend an hour picking out Jade or Agate items to take home.

Here''s the educational message - the hardest Jade is the most expensive. Jade changes color over time going from light to dark green to brown. Many of the Jade items are very nice and you will want to take some home.

Wholesale Medical Market
Our tour guide brought us to a fascinating unscheduled stop at a wholesale Medical market - All natural including local herbs, dog penises, bats, etc...

Medicine Market View

Beijing

2006-10-23T23:15:00.001-04:00

Beijing - aren't those watches cute.

First Glimpse of Beijing
Arriving by night into a city of high rise hotels - big, new, and in ultra modern western style. The lobby in the hotel has 3 singers backed by a 3 piece band singing in English Ben E King's Stand By Me. This is China?

Stepping out onto a busy wide avenue crowded with holiday week cars, bicycles, and pedestrians I turned down a side street and as the street became progressively darker I past by small shops, high walls, and ended at a teenage hangout around park cars. A joker called out "Hello" and they all laughed. This is China?

Welcome to Beijing.

Tian'an Men Square
Night Market
Great Wall
Summer Palace
Hutongs

With the increase number of cards, pedicabs no longer rule but they are still an important part of the transportation system

First stop was the historical heart of China - Tian'an Men Square and the Forbidden City.

Long lines of Chinese people waiting to enter the square and visit Chairman Mao tomb. Tour groups have special privileges. The square was decorated for holiday week with large flower beds a large model of Lhasa's Potala Palace and an even larger Beijing 2008 Olympic display featuring the pervasive five mascots.

And for us westerners there was a full contingent of watch sales persons offering Rolex, Gucci, and Mao watches.Hello Looky at Watch - Rolex Vendors Audio

We also caught a glimpse of the darker side of China where a woman wearing a pro party t-shirt was being hassled and led off by soldiers possibly under the suspicion that she was a Falun Gong supporter trying to disrupt the holiday week festivities. However modeling with the guards is just as popular in Tian'an Men Square as it is at Buckingham Palace.

Following the Flower in Tian'an Men Square

Everyone found a Kodax moment.

A 360 view of Tian'an Men Square

No view of Tian'an Men would be complete without the iconic view of Chairman Mao.

Snack Time

Food is an important part of Chinese culture, check out the snack bar at the square.

The Forbidden city was home of the Emperor, his wives, concubines, and bureaucracy and now serves as the seat of the current government. The first view of historic China.

Forbidden City's Emperors Dragon

Forbidden City's Emperors Lion

Forbidden City's Canal

Temple of Heaven Music from the Temple of Heaven Courtyard

Dancers welcome visitors to the Empress's Dinner - Baked Camel Paws and all.

Another view of China where the food culture comes out from the darkness with what must be the worlds most exotic snacks.

What to Choose? Even the locals have difficulties.

Night Market Sales Team

Night Market Choices

Still undecided?

A delicacy

Some many choices so little time.

But then it's a country that had 30/40 million starve during the great leap forward.

Night Market Popularity is no joke.

There is no weakness in the Chinese sales approach except maybe in arm strength as I was finally able to free my arm from one woman who tried to drag me to her gift stall.

The Great Wall is everything you expect. We were told to climb east but the holiday week crowds were so thick that I turned around and climbed west if only to avoid inciting a case of Wall Rage.

Climbing Up the Great Wall

Great Wall's Standing Guard or perhaps they were on leave, but you can't argue with those white socks.

View from the Great Wall

Great Wall Rampart Steps

Beyond the tourists

Climbing Down the Great Wall

A view from lunch at the Commune under the Great Wall - an ultra modern resort of condos not communes.

One of the "value added" features of China tours is "free cultural education stops" at factory stores. This is a weaver working on a silk carpet. Seriously, amazing handicrafts and you have to wonder how much longer that even China will have people willing to spend the time it takes to make a carpet.

Silk Carpet Weaving

The Summer Palace of the Emperor brought up the question as to which Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was the one who battled Flash Gordon. Our normally expert tour guides didn't have the answer handy.

Summer Palace Lake View, a beautiful palace surrounding a peaceful lake.

Summer Palace View

The long corridor is covered inside and out with copies of classic Chinese paintings to meditate upon as you stroll along.

We took the Dragon ferry across the lake.

AnEmpresss used a defense fund to build this marble boat and the dynasty collapsed.

Hutong is the name in Beijing for the old city featuring narrow lanes and courtyard houses that was home for most people until the 1950's when renovation began tearing down the old cities and building first Soviet style apartments and now modern western condominiums. In every city we visited there were neighborhoods like this filled with men playing cards, checkers, or chess.

A wild pedicab ride in the Hutong

Hutong view from Pedicab

Opening your Home for tour visits - a new job for a displaced worker. They have layoffs in China. Perhaps the work was outsourced to India or Vietnam?

Beijing Condos, an improvement over a collapsing courtyard in the Hutung but not as nice as a refurbished Courtyard house. However with 1.3 Billion residents housing is an issue.

When I returned, SNL's weekend update reported that the US population reached 300 Million and China's official reaction was "Ahhh, that's so cute."

Coda: Beijing Opera Sample Audio

Next stop Xian

Or return to China

Washington, District of Columbia, and Northern Virginia

2006-07-03T06:15:00.000-04:00

Washington, the District of Columbian and surrounding Maryland and Northern Virginia.

Downtown, Monuments, and all

Great Falls

C&O Canal

Steven Udvar-Hazy Air Museum

Return to Bob is Traveling's Home

Great Falls National Park near DC

2006-07-02T08:58:00.000-04:00

Next stop C&O Canal National Historic Site

Or return to DC Overview

C&O Canal near DC

2006-07-02T08:57:00.000-04:00

The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park follows the Potomac River upstream from Washington DC with a series of locks

and long walking paths.

Next stop New Air & Space Museum Addition

Or return to DC Overview

DC - Downtown, Monuments and all

2006-07-02T08:15:00.000-04:00

Washington is an amazing city.

From the monuments.

Next stop Great Falls National Park

Or return to DC Overview

NE USA

2006-06-24T22:45:00.000-04:00

Flying into the Hartford airport which is north of Hartford and just a short drive up the interstate to the Massachusetts borders and then on to the Berkshires.

Massachusett's Berkshires

New York State

Vermont

New Jersey

New Jersey

2006-06-24T22:37:00.000-04:00

Looking down from Mt Tammany, the Delaware River Gap opens a path from New Jersey into the Pocono Mountains.

The Appalachian Trail connects with the blue trail as it leads along a series of cascades and waterfalls. Touch the water.

Or return to NE USA

Vermont

2006-06-24T22:35:00.000-04:00

The street sign says it all – you’re in Vermont.

The Green Mountains.

The Green Mountains are among the oldest mountains in the world, obviously this rock had long stopped rolling.

A mysterious island in the middle of the mountains.

What a view!

Spring water rolling over the rocks.

Blue view of the Green Mountains.

A cider press, crushing the cores for the elixir to fuel the cider and donuts – an apple country delicacy.

Photos aren’t allowed so you’ll have to trust me the Ben & Jerry’s tour is worth a taste.

Burlington’s harbor overlooking Lake Champlain.

Church Street at night in Burlington during the jazz festival.

Next stop
New Jersey

Or return to NE USA

New York State

2006-06-24T22:33:00.000-04:00

HoweÂs Cavern in upstate New York.

A close up of a ancient flow on the floor.

A tight winding path at the end of the tour Â the highlight of the cave. DonÂt go if youÂre claustrophobic.

Above the caverns, the view of the countryside (and cows).

A pair of wild Stallions in the Streets of Saratoga.

Hey, theyÂre better than cows.

Singer songwriter John Gorka playing at SaratogaÂs Care Lena, the countryÂs oldest continuously run coffee house. Oh, Abraham.

Crown Point in New York where a pair of pre revolutionary forts protected the narrow entryway to Lake Champlain.

Mysterious shadows on the river.

Crossing the lower Adirondacks on the way to Lake Placid.

Overlooking Mirror Lake in Lake Placid.

The Storm King Art Center in the Catskills.

Andy GoldsworthyÂs Storm King Wall snaking down the hill and through the lake.

I think they take their name too seriously Â really, the thunder and rain wasnÂt necessary.

Next stop
Vermont

Or return to NE USA

Massachusetts Berkshires

2006-06-24T22:18:00.000-04:00

Passing through the Berkshires on a cloudy day in late spring 2006.

Boats on a blue lake in the Berkshires near North Adams.

RayÂs church, cleaned up by Arlo which lead to the AliceÂs Restauranmassacreee. As they say, a good deed never goeunpunisheded. Now itÂs an upscale restaurant holding small concerts.

Next stop New York State

Or return to NE USA

Washington DC - Steven F. Udvar-Hazy

2006-05-14T16:44:00.000-04:00

The National Air & Space Museum of the Smithsonian is one of the world's most popular museums with lots of toys to enjoy from Lindberg plane to Space capsules but in the last few years, a new toy box has open up, and this one has the BIG Toys. The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located next to Dulles Airport where it has enough room for larger planes from the Enola Gay to the Enterprise shuttle.

The fun begins when you enter on the 2nd level and you are face to face with a Curtiss P-40E Warhawk

But looking down from the edge, you get your first glimpse of one of the highlights of the museum - the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird - the fastest jet in the world. With its flat black stealth, style the blackbird is also one of the coolest designs.

A new addition to the museum is centered on the restored Space Shuttle Enterprise. Here you can get close enough to truly appreciate its size.

The annex also has numerous exhibits of early rockets and satellites to love.

Vega

SRTM

TDRSS

Tucked away in the back corner there is a special collection of the ‘antique hi-tech’ computers used to control the missions. This is an essential visit for anyone who believes that we were innocent of computers until Jobs and Wozniak first picked an Apple from the tree of knowledge.

The rest of the museum contains more pieces of history including exhibits dedicated to early flight, gliders, and an early 707.

Bigger, and I believe better, than the museum on the mall - definitely worth a trip.

Museum Link

Return to DC Overview

Australia

2005-12-21T16:17:00.000-05:00

Arriving in Ayers Australia - after almost 30 hours of flight time and 19 hours of airport hiking (27 hours flight and 18 hours waiting) I quickly schedule a trip to Uluru - the heart of the red center.

Uluru - the Heart of Australia in the Red Center

Kata Tjuta

Kings Canyon and the Garden of Eden

Great Barrier Reef

Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation

Port Douglas and the 4 mile beach

Sydney

Sydney Beaches

Blue Mountains

SW Tasmania

Strahan

Cradle Mountain

Freycinet

Tasmania Peninsula

Great Ocean Road

Victoria

Melbourne

A trip of five and half weeks that didn't even cover two thirds of the country.

Uluru - the Heart of Australia in the Red Center

2005-12-21T16:03:00.000-05:00

The Red Center is an unofficial name for the Ayers & Alice Springs area close to the center of Australia. I thought of it as the Big Empty. Empty with only scrubs and small trees for miles and then suddenly these amazing rocks.

Sunrise slowing revealing Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock). One solid rock that resists erosion more than the soft ground around it leaving it towering above the surroundings

The locals request very politely that you not climb Uluru but it is allowed when the weather is okay. And as you can it's very popular to climb.

I decided not to climb,

A) Because I was asked politely not to

B) To save my knees from the downward climb

C) Because 13 people died climbing it last year

D) All of the above

There is one permanent pool of water around the rock but others are created when the rain is funneled down from the top of the rock into a pocket. Interestingly the bushes in the Red Center were greener than usual while I was there in September because it had rained in July. The plants are used to surviving on very little water.

This pattern on the site of Uluru is called the Brain.

Next stop Kata Tjuta

Or return to Australia

Kata Tjuta

2005-12-21T15:57:00.000-05:00

Kata Tjuta is 35 KM from Uluru and was formed around the same time but with different materials creating an entirely different set of rocks. Boulders were carried from the Peterson Mt Volcanoes into a hollow area creating Kata Tjuta while the lava flowed on until it solidified at Uluru as one rock.

There a couple of walks one into the Gorge which gives a nice claustrophobic experience. The other is the valley of the
winds which leads into the center of Kata Tjuta.

Next stop Kings Canyon

Or return to Australia

Kings Canyon and the Garden of Eden

2005-12-21T15:53:00.000-05:00

Kings Canyon which 250Km from Ayers has a famous walk around the ridge with an optional descent into the canyon’s center which is famously called the Garden of Eden.

The Garden of Eden is a tropical oasis at the bottom of the canyon in the middle of the semi arid outback. It is full of palm trees, ferns, a small stream, and a pool surrounded by canyon walls that people love to jump into - Truly surprising and beautiful.

Next stop Great Barrier Reef

Or return to Australia_TOC

Great Barrier Reef

2005-12-21T15:44:00.000-05:00

I left Ayers in the Red Center and flew to Northern Queensland in the North Eastern corner of Australia. This is the kickoff point for the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. I arrived in the Cairns airport which is surrounded on one side by the Pacific and three sides by mountains Cairns which is the large tourist town but stayed in Port Douglas which is the 2nd largest town and actually has a beach.

The Barrier Reef stretches for hundreds of miles along the Queensland coast. The southern portion has been the most popular area in the past but due to a lack of environmental care, the coral is no longer as colorful and the fish not as plentiful. So the best undersea viewing has moved north. There are several islands with resorts some very exclusive but I took a day cruise from Port Douglas. The Quicksilver is the biggest and best known carrying hundreds of people out.

They took us out to their own private platoon anchored in the reef. From there they take can take you to dive spots, but most people stay onboard and go snorkeling off the platoon, ride in the glassed in semi submersible, or step into a platform under the ocean with a diver’s helmet on. I lucked out with a very calm and sunny day. Still they suggest you rent wet suits to protect against any Stinger jellyfish that might be around and can cause excruciating pain before they kill you. Australia is well known for their deadly creatures. But it's No Worry mate.

Even though my Kodak underwater camera didn’t function too well you can a taste of the view.

Next stop Daintree Rainforest

Or return to Australia

Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation

2005-12-21T15:34:00.000-05:00

My first taste of the rainforest was over it by taking the Skyrail in Kuranda. You fly over and through the treetops. Later in the area they say you can see birds flying among the trees but while it was quiet the view was spectacular.

North of Port Douglas is the Daintree Rainforest, a wandering road leads you to the croc invested Daintree River. An unique cable ferry is the only way to make the crossing.

The road continues through an amazing tropical rainforest with more shades of green than you can imagine.

A trail off the road leads you through the rainforest to a mango grove where the roots of the mango trees poke up through the mud trying to capture whatever moisture they can.

The paved portion of the road ends at Cape Tribulation not really a town but a few scattered business and resorts and one great beach separating the rainforest from the barrier reef. A beautiful beach but when you first approach it you must pass one of the famous Australian road signs (think Kangaroo, Cassowary, Wombat, crocodile) warning the swimmer of the marine stingers and offering some temporary relief.

Next stop Port Douglas

Or return to Australia