After leaving Underberg where we had climbed the mountain (by car) to Lesotho, we headed for the coastal town of Port St Johns. Since we had been unable to get our GPS in Durban, we decided to drive the long way around and pick up our GPS at King Shaka International airport where one was available. That was a good move. While we didn't need the GPS too often because Anthony was an excellent navigator, it did come in handy on several occasions and we all felt better having it.
The road trip to Port St Johns was an easy shot out of Durban where we sped along on the N2, a mostly four lane highway with shoulders and passing lanes. This was followed by a rather lengthy loop that took us through the black African villages of Bizana, Flagstaff and Lusikisiki in the province of Kwazulunatal. What I came to understand after several weeks of driving through rural south Africa is that while the mornings are relatively calm, the afternoon is a time of frenetic movement in the more rural areas. Perhaps it is a confluence of factors between people completing their shopping before an early nightfall (remember we're pretty far south in winter in the southern hemisphere), kids leaving school in droves (and in well starched uniforms I might add) and those holding traditional jobs finishing work for the day. Whatever the case may be, not only was it very intense to drive through these towns but the roads out to the villages were full of people walking both directions on both sides of the rode -- shoulder-less roads I may remind you. I don't think I every really got used to it -- and I can hardly describe the intensity of it with all the descriptive words I'd like to share with you. But I can say that it was an experience I won't forget, and that I suspect most western tourists won't ever see as they enjoy their very delicate wine country tour through the towns of South Africa's very cushy wine country. We saw the real thing :)
PS In Port St. Johns, we stayed at a hostel called the Jungle Monkey. I had promised my travel companions that we would stay at a mix of places and not just 5 star lodges. Here's where I made good on my promise. Lonely Planet had described Port St Johns as a bit of a hippy town. Well, I think that was a wild exaggeration. What we discovered at the Jungle Monkey is that a bunch of hippies had developed some backpacker facilities some decades ago and likely had been living and smoking pot there ever since. But to their credit, they did have a decent place to grab a meal and a well-trained cook who had an authentic pizza oven much to our surprise and delight.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
South Africa Part II - The Road Trip Begins (July)
After our amazing safari, Shaul, Anthony and I flew to our next destination, Durban, where we would stay the night before picking up our rental car. Durban is on the coast and is also adjacent to the largely white owned sugar cane industry. While we expected Durban to be more of the city that it is, we were both pleased and a little put off by our accommodation which was the Durban Gay Guest House. Behind several layers of security, we were greeted by our friendly host, LLewellyn, who showed us into a very nicely designed, modern guest house. The only off-putting element was the extra security gate at the bedroom level AND the security alarm in each room. This was the part of south Africa that I had, thankfully, put out of my mind. On the very positive side, we spent the evening with a Dutch friend of Anthony, a physician who is working on an HIV prevention study in women, who took us out to a bustling place where the final from the world cup was on TV. Since none of us really cared (except for the straight Dutch guy) we had an emotion free evening as the World Cup finally came to an end. It was interesting to see the somewhat evenly divided crowd of fans, since the Dutch had been fairly brutal occupants of South Africa during the colonial days. There was an entire article on this in the NY Times for those interested in why the oppressed would root for their former oppressors.
Following Durban, we drove to Himesville, about 4 hours away, without the GPS I thought we had ordered from Avis. The map looked simple enough -- north and then west. And it turned out, for once that, it was, in fact, that simple. We stopped in a lovely colonial town called Howick for lunch that had a charming little town centre, a waterfalls, a quaint local museum (common in South Africa) and a good number of very reasonably priced antique stores. It was too bad that I was following my discipline of not buying antiques as I struggled to keep my weight down -- both personally and, for this purpose, the weight of my luggage.
We also ran into an interesting phenomenon that begin in Howick -- no two people in South Africa agree on how long it will take to drive from point-to-point. What started out as a simple inquiry turned into a bit of an unstructured survey. And I received at least 4 answers for the time it would take to get to our final destination of Underberg. For the curious this was: 3 1/2 hours, 45 minutes, 90 minutes and 2 hours. Turns out that 2 hours was about the right answer given that we were on two lane "tarred" roads which were beautifully scenic as we were rising in altititud but where the occasional very large truck gets in front of you. One learns to appreciate 4 lane highways but also to appreciate the a ride in the countryside does not require that you pass every vehicle in sight -- just many of them. Or you will never get there.
Anyway, we were pleased to get to our next accommodation, Moorcroft Manor, which was a combo motel and charming guest house with a roaring fire, lovely dining room AND internet access! We enjoyed several nights stay there though since we were about 1400 meters in altitude it was a bit chilly.
This stop included our visit to the mountain top visit to Lesotho which involved about 8 hours of driving on gravel roads up to the Sani Pass. For those who want to see more, please use this link: http://www.drakensberg-tourism.com/sani-pass.html
And for those who want to know more about this very long day, please feel free to query me over a glass of wine. It is one of those places you will only see once in a life time. The scenery is spectacular and the people you see living in the barren land on the mountain top REALLY challenge every concept one holds but what it really takes to survive in this world.
On that note... I will post now. More of the driving tour when I return.
Following Durban, we drove to Himesville, about 4 hours away, without the GPS I thought we had ordered from Avis. The map looked simple enough -- north and then west. And it turned out, for once that, it was, in fact, that simple. We stopped in a lovely colonial town called Howick for lunch that had a charming little town centre, a waterfalls, a quaint local museum (common in South Africa) and a good number of very reasonably priced antique stores. It was too bad that I was following my discipline of not buying antiques as I struggled to keep my weight down -- both personally and, for this purpose, the weight of my luggage.
We also ran into an interesting phenomenon that begin in Howick -- no two people in South Africa agree on how long it will take to drive from point-to-point. What started out as a simple inquiry turned into a bit of an unstructured survey. And I received at least 4 answers for the time it would take to get to our final destination of Underberg. For the curious this was: 3 1/2 hours, 45 minutes, 90 minutes and 2 hours. Turns out that 2 hours was about the right answer given that we were on two lane "tarred" roads which were beautifully scenic as we were rising in altititud but where the occasional very large truck gets in front of you. One learns to appreciate 4 lane highways but also to appreciate the a ride in the countryside does not require that you pass every vehicle in sight -- just many of them. Or you will never get there.
Anyway, we were pleased to get to our next accommodation, Moorcroft Manor, which was a combo motel and charming guest house with a roaring fire, lovely dining room AND internet access! We enjoyed several nights stay there though since we were about 1400 meters in altitude it was a bit chilly.
This stop included our visit to the mountain top visit to Lesotho which involved about 8 hours of driving on gravel roads up to the Sani Pass. For those who want to see more, please use this link: http://www.drakensberg-tourism.com/sani-pass.html
And for those who want to know more about this very long day, please feel free to query me over a glass of wine. It is one of those places you will only see once in a life time. The scenery is spectacular and the people you see living in the barren land on the mountain top REALLY challenge every concept one holds but what it really takes to survive in this world.
On that note... I will post now. More of the driving tour when I return.
Friday, August 6, 2010
The Beginning of South Africa -- A Memorable Safari
A journey through wondrous South Africa
After nearly three weeks traveling with my friends Anthony and Shaul, we have been fortunate to see more of South Africa than many South Africans themselves. At least that’s what we’ve been told. There were SO many adventures that I hardly know where to begin. So perhaps it’s best to proceed in chronological order.
Our wonderful Swazi guide, Sendile, picked us up at 8:30 AM at the Maguga Lodge in Swaziland for our drive across the border and into the region where the famous Kruger National Park is located. Sendile had driven numerous guests to the Kruger Park area but never to the safari lodge we were going to. He came prepared with the a map printed out from the lodge’s website – which it turns out were decent but not very complete. At some point, about an hour from our destination (we now know) the tar road ended and the rocky dirt road took over. As we passed one of the last towns denoted on the map, we were left more and more to instinct and a few odd signs. Fortunately, there were two favorable conditions: Sandile had pretty good instincts and the dirt road we were on came to an abrupt halt at the entrance to a game reserve. It just wasn’t the one we were going to. We then recalled the small sign a few kilometers (KM) back that MIGHT have been our turn and headed in that direction. About 25 km later – still on dirt roads (e.g. rocky as can be) in our standard Toyota auto – we arrived at the Aruthusa Lodge in the Sabi Sands game reserve. It was about 2:45PM and we were greeted by numerous lodge staff all in their safari gear who told us our first game drive was at 3:30. Did we want to eat or go on our drive? That was a no-brainer even for us.
So first, we went to our accommodations which were these luxury chalets of about 1000 sq feet each about 10 minutes walk away from the main lodge. No, we weren’t roughing it but we were definitely in the wild. We were strictly instructed not to walk alone at night on the paths back and forth from our rooms as animals, including lions and elephants, are known to wander through. That made some sense since there was a watering hole about 300 feet from the back of the dining area. So we always had to be escorted by a guide who carried a flashlight and checked for game that might have gotten into the camp. Exactly what the guide would have done for our safety with a flashlight is beyond me but I obeyed the orders anyway. Better to be cautious, right?
Over the next 4 days, and about 8 game drives, we had the time of our lives and without further ado, I will share with you that we saw the “Big 5” – lions, leopards, water buffalo, elephants and rhinos. Even though I had just been on safari in Tanzania, this was different. First of all the rhino sightings were my first. But more than any safari I’ve been on, this was the closest I’ve been to the animals themselves. This is attributable to the fact that we were in a private game reserve and this enables the guides and trackers to go “off road,” an experience unto itself.
But the “Big 5” wasn’t all we saw. There were giraffes, kudu, wildebeasts, antelopes, warthogs, hyenas, zebras, mongoose, hippos, jackals, guinea fowl, rodents of every kind and even a tree snake. But of course, this wasn’t a zoo so we saw many of these animals on multiple occasions on our early morning and late afternoon (into darkness) game drives. But also because this wasn’t a zoo, we actually saw the predation process live. And that came in several forms. On our first evening, we saw a rather large leopard up in the tree eating her catch. While it sounds a bit gory (and I couldn’t watch it all) there is something special about seeing what you’ve seen on TV upfront and in person. We were probably only 10 yards away as the leopard devoured her dinner. We saw this scene several times over.
And, even more true to the documentaries, we saw the ultimate of nature’s wonders: a leopard killing her prey. I will spare you the details. But I will say that often times leopards will carry their kill up to a tree in order to enjoy their meal. In this case, however, there was no tree of any size around. And after taking what seemed like forever to put the warthog out of her misery (about 15 minutes), the leopard was approached by two hyenas. Sure as shooting, the hyenas stole the warthog away from the leopard. And this may be hard to believe but many of us actually felt badly for the leopard. After all, she had done the hard work. Is there justice?
After nearly three weeks traveling with my friends Anthony and Shaul, we have been fortunate to see more of South Africa than many South Africans themselves. At least that’s what we’ve been told. There were SO many adventures that I hardly know where to begin. So perhaps it’s best to proceed in chronological order.
Our wonderful Swazi guide, Sendile, picked us up at 8:30 AM at the Maguga Lodge in Swaziland for our drive across the border and into the region where the famous Kruger National Park is located. Sendile had driven numerous guests to the Kruger Park area but never to the safari lodge we were going to. He came prepared with the a map printed out from the lodge’s website – which it turns out were decent but not very complete. At some point, about an hour from our destination (we now know) the tar road ended and the rocky dirt road took over. As we passed one of the last towns denoted on the map, we were left more and more to instinct and a few odd signs. Fortunately, there were two favorable conditions: Sandile had pretty good instincts and the dirt road we were on came to an abrupt halt at the entrance to a game reserve. It just wasn’t the one we were going to. We then recalled the small sign a few kilometers (KM) back that MIGHT have been our turn and headed in that direction. About 25 km later – still on dirt roads (e.g. rocky as can be) in our standard Toyota auto – we arrived at the Aruthusa Lodge in the Sabi Sands game reserve. It was about 2:45PM and we were greeted by numerous lodge staff all in their safari gear who told us our first game drive was at 3:30. Did we want to eat or go on our drive? That was a no-brainer even for us.
So first, we went to our accommodations which were these luxury chalets of about 1000 sq feet each about 10 minutes walk away from the main lodge. No, we weren’t roughing it but we were definitely in the wild. We were strictly instructed not to walk alone at night on the paths back and forth from our rooms as animals, including lions and elephants, are known to wander through. That made some sense since there was a watering hole about 300 feet from the back of the dining area. So we always had to be escorted by a guide who carried a flashlight and checked for game that might have gotten into the camp. Exactly what the guide would have done for our safety with a flashlight is beyond me but I obeyed the orders anyway. Better to be cautious, right?
Over the next 4 days, and about 8 game drives, we had the time of our lives and without further ado, I will share with you that we saw the “Big 5” – lions, leopards, water buffalo, elephants and rhinos. Even though I had just been on safari in Tanzania, this was different. First of all the rhino sightings were my first. But more than any safari I’ve been on, this was the closest I’ve been to the animals themselves. This is attributable to the fact that we were in a private game reserve and this enables the guides and trackers to go “off road,” an experience unto itself.
But the “Big 5” wasn’t all we saw. There were giraffes, kudu, wildebeasts, antelopes, warthogs, hyenas, zebras, mongoose, hippos, jackals, guinea fowl, rodents of every kind and even a tree snake. But of course, this wasn’t a zoo so we saw many of these animals on multiple occasions on our early morning and late afternoon (into darkness) game drives. But also because this wasn’t a zoo, we actually saw the predation process live. And that came in several forms. On our first evening, we saw a rather large leopard up in the tree eating her catch. While it sounds a bit gory (and I couldn’t watch it all) there is something special about seeing what you’ve seen on TV upfront and in person. We were probably only 10 yards away as the leopard devoured her dinner. We saw this scene several times over.
And, even more true to the documentaries, we saw the ultimate of nature’s wonders: a leopard killing her prey. I will spare you the details. But I will say that often times leopards will carry their kill up to a tree in order to enjoy their meal. In this case, however, there was no tree of any size around. And after taking what seemed like forever to put the warthog out of her misery (about 15 minutes), the leopard was approached by two hyenas. Sure as shooting, the hyenas stole the warthog away from the leopard. And this may be hard to believe but many of us actually felt badly for the leopard. After all, she had done the hard work. Is there justice?
Friday, July 16, 2010
A beautiful and small kingdom - Swaziland
I’m sitting at a lovely guesthouse at the foot of the Drakensborg mountains in the stunning region of Kawazulu Natal one of the most mountainous regions in the northeast of South Africa. Apologies to all for my delays in posting. I won’t make excuses , As the trip has progressed it’s been more challenging to keep focused on the blog. But there has also been a dramatic change in internet access during my time in Africa . While I’ve continued to get daily access to my blackberry – there are seemingly random moments when the little red light starts to flash. It doesn’t appear to have any rhythm I can detect. But that’s not important right now…
My friends Anthony and Shaul joined me on July 2 in Swaziland where I got to tick country number 88 off my list but I couldn’t drag them up there merely for that occasion. We stayed 5 nights total in Swaziland which is about 4 nights more than most people who come to gamble at one of their casinos and leave. What a mistake they make!
We spent the first three nights at Reilly’s Lodge in the Milwane Game Reserve. The Reilly family has been working to preserve wildlife in Swaziland for decades and one of the Reilly sons, now in his 80’s, is still leading the efforts both at the lodge and for the conservation efforts of the country as a whole. We had the good fortune of eating dinner around the fire with Mr. Reilly and to listen to his stories about wildlife preservations, the threats from poaching over the years and the efforts – fully supported by the King – to maintain a focus on wildlife preservation that enables the survival of the nation’s wild animals, preserves the eco-system for future animal and plant life, and enables eco-tourism – of which we were a part. Our lunch overlooking the hippo pond and our walk through the preserve that brought us within site of crocodiles, zebra, kudo, daiku and other animals too numerous to mention was a real gift from the people of Swaziland.
Speaking of the people, we were really pleased to have gotten to the know people just a little bit. Swaziland has been a peaceful country for many decades (aided by the British they fought off Dutch colonialists a century or so ago (one good thing the Brits seem to have done) and have maintained their independence every since – a landlocked nation within South Africa where they preserve their monarchical and polygamous system even today. While the country is poor by western standards, the living conditions don’t appear as desperate as what I’ve seen more recently in South Africa.
There is a certain calm, peaceful and inviting dimension to Swaziland which is very endearing. We were particularly lucky to have had the same guide and driver for the entire time we were there so by getting to know him a bit, we got to appreciate the warmth of the people. (of course we’re tourists and we understood that) but I can attest to other destinations where the people have been less open and gracious and open. We also noticed that the country had quite a few other non –Swazi citizens. In particular we met quite a few people from Mozambique and Zimbabwe who told us they were there because it was a calm, accepting and peaceful society.
My friends Anthony and Shaul joined me on July 2 in Swaziland where I got to tick country number 88 off my list but I couldn’t drag them up there merely for that occasion. We stayed 5 nights total in Swaziland which is about 4 nights more than most people who come to gamble at one of their casinos and leave. What a mistake they make!
We spent the first three nights at Reilly’s Lodge in the Milwane Game Reserve. The Reilly family has been working to preserve wildlife in Swaziland for decades and one of the Reilly sons, now in his 80’s, is still leading the efforts both at the lodge and for the conservation efforts of the country as a whole. We had the good fortune of eating dinner around the fire with Mr. Reilly and to listen to his stories about wildlife preservations, the threats from poaching over the years and the efforts – fully supported by the King – to maintain a focus on wildlife preservation that enables the survival of the nation’s wild animals, preserves the eco-system for future animal and plant life, and enables eco-tourism – of which we were a part. Our lunch overlooking the hippo pond and our walk through the preserve that brought us within site of crocodiles, zebra, kudo, daiku and other animals too numerous to mention was a real gift from the people of Swaziland.
Speaking of the people, we were really pleased to have gotten to the know people just a little bit. Swaziland has been a peaceful country for many decades (aided by the British they fought off Dutch colonialists a century or so ago (one good thing the Brits seem to have done) and have maintained their independence every since – a landlocked nation within South Africa where they preserve their monarchical and polygamous system even today. While the country is poor by western standards, the living conditions don’t appear as desperate as what I’ve seen more recently in South Africa.
There is a certain calm, peaceful and inviting dimension to Swaziland which is very endearing. We were particularly lucky to have had the same guide and driver for the entire time we were there so by getting to know him a bit, we got to appreciate the warmth of the people. (of course we’re tourists and we understood that) but I can attest to other destinations where the people have been less open and gracious and open. We also noticed that the country had quite a few other non –Swazi citizens. In particular we met quite a few people from Mozambique and Zimbabwe who told us they were there because it was a calm, accepting and peaceful society.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Fast Forward -- Trekking with the Gorillas in Rwanda
I'm a little behind on my writing but before I take off on the 20 night camping safari to from Kenya to Victoria Falls, I want to reflect upon my gorilla trek in Rwanda.
I arrived in Kigali last Sunday expecting to find a neat yet bustling town. After the 1994 genocide (for which I recommend a Google search for some of the details), Rwanda has become known as a country of progress and reconciliation -- with, as I learned, a bit of normal political tension layered on top. And that picture was mostly accurate, at least until I did a Google search for recent news articles and found that there is quite a dissident movement growing here which included a grenade attack at a central market in Kigali just last month. Glad I didn't read about that until I left :)
In any event, I had a very nice driver named Omar who drove me the 2.5 hours to Ruhungeri near the Volcano National Park which is home to about 275 gorillas that are divided into approximately 10 families. Omar told me that life in the country has progressed though things are still very challenging. In fact, the poverty is as stunning as all we have seen on TV and the life there is very, very basic and rural.
But Omar has clearly adopted the message that there is ONE Rwanda. When I inquired about his family background -- was he Hutu or Tutsi (the two main groups here) he answered, "I am Rwandan." That was a good wake up call about the sensitivity around the genocide and where the line is drawn on trying to identify people by their ethnic or group heritage.
While I was lucky to get to town by dinner time, my travel companion, Bill struggled with the typical African flight delay from Kenya of about 8 hours. I was so pleased that my flights had connected seamlessly. Later I appreciated that I was due my turn! :) (for another post)
So to the treks. I had two treks that were so different that I really appreciate how much there is to study about these gracious, almost human animals. According to the guides, the gorilla's genetic make up is about 97% the same as humans.
Our first day we went to the departure site at the national park and were divided into groups of less than 10 -- an effort by the government to preserve the habitat and to maintain some distance and safety for the animals. As we later learned this was challenging even with our group of 7.
Once driven to our drop-off location, day 1 entailed a 20 minute walk across farm land and about an equal amount of time (or slightly longer) once in the national forest. We came across our family rather quickly though the guide said it could take 20 minutes or 2 or more hours. We definitely hit the low range of time and distance taht day. What we encountered was a family who were just beginning their 9 AM nap (love that) and were cuddling and playing gently in their day nest. It was a wonderful site as the Silverback (the daddy who weighs more than 400 lbs) lay on his back with paws up in the air and with his entourage surrounding him which includes a small number of males, a larger number of females and about 4 little baby gorillas which were SO cute. When I get to Mauritius I will try to post some pictures but they look just as you would imagine: big, furry, gentle, pressed in noses, big paws and a blissful sweet appearance (unless you make them mad which seems pretty hard to do.) How do I know that? Well I was having my picture taken with my back to a nearby gorilla who had been resting peacefully. Within a second, my friend Bill whispered to me, "the gorilla is moving." Well it took several seconds to process and when I turned around, this mid-size female was ambling in my direction, very slowly and appearing quite mellow. I calmly moved to one side, and the very nice gorilla kept moving along in her desired direction and that was that.
We had about 1 hour total with the gorilla family and it went by so quickly it seemed like only 5 minutes. It was really a thrill and worth the time to visit the very beautiful, green and hilly country of Rwanda.
Stay tuned for a completely different experience and the endurance test of finding our gorilla family on Day 2.
I arrived in Kigali last Sunday expecting to find a neat yet bustling town. After the 1994 genocide (for which I recommend a Google search for some of the details), Rwanda has become known as a country of progress and reconciliation -- with, as I learned, a bit of normal political tension layered on top. And that picture was mostly accurate, at least until I did a Google search for recent news articles and found that there is quite a dissident movement growing here which included a grenade attack at a central market in Kigali just last month. Glad I didn't read about that until I left :)
In any event, I had a very nice driver named Omar who drove me the 2.5 hours to Ruhungeri near the Volcano National Park which is home to about 275 gorillas that are divided into approximately 10 families. Omar told me that life in the country has progressed though things are still very challenging. In fact, the poverty is as stunning as all we have seen on TV and the life there is very, very basic and rural.
But Omar has clearly adopted the message that there is ONE Rwanda. When I inquired about his family background -- was he Hutu or Tutsi (the two main groups here) he answered, "I am Rwandan." That was a good wake up call about the sensitivity around the genocide and where the line is drawn on trying to identify people by their ethnic or group heritage.
While I was lucky to get to town by dinner time, my travel companion, Bill struggled with the typical African flight delay from Kenya of about 8 hours. I was so pleased that my flights had connected seamlessly. Later I appreciated that I was due my turn! :) (for another post)
So to the treks. I had two treks that were so different that I really appreciate how much there is to study about these gracious, almost human animals. According to the guides, the gorilla's genetic make up is about 97% the same as humans.
Our first day we went to the departure site at the national park and were divided into groups of less than 10 -- an effort by the government to preserve the habitat and to maintain some distance and safety for the animals. As we later learned this was challenging even with our group of 7.
Once driven to our drop-off location, day 1 entailed a 20 minute walk across farm land and about an equal amount of time (or slightly longer) once in the national forest. We came across our family rather quickly though the guide said it could take 20 minutes or 2 or more hours. We definitely hit the low range of time and distance taht day. What we encountered was a family who were just beginning their 9 AM nap (love that) and were cuddling and playing gently in their day nest. It was a wonderful site as the Silverback (the daddy who weighs more than 400 lbs) lay on his back with paws up in the air and with his entourage surrounding him which includes a small number of males, a larger number of females and about 4 little baby gorillas which were SO cute. When I get to Mauritius I will try to post some pictures but they look just as you would imagine: big, furry, gentle, pressed in noses, big paws and a blissful sweet appearance (unless you make them mad which seems pretty hard to do.) How do I know that? Well I was having my picture taken with my back to a nearby gorilla who had been resting peacefully. Within a second, my friend Bill whispered to me, "the gorilla is moving." Well it took several seconds to process and when I turned around, this mid-size female was ambling in my direction, very slowly and appearing quite mellow. I calmly moved to one side, and the very nice gorilla kept moving along in her desired direction and that was that.
We had about 1 hour total with the gorilla family and it went by so quickly it seemed like only 5 minutes. It was really a thrill and worth the time to visit the very beautiful, green and hilly country of Rwanda.
Stay tuned for a completely different experience and the endurance test of finding our gorilla family on Day 2.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Jerusalem and the tale of two cities...
When I was younger and traveled to Israel, my heart was captured by the history and the beauty of Jerusalem. It is a rough kind of beauty with some spectacular sites sitting side by side with buildings that are crumbling and in need of great repair. There is always some construction project trying to create a bridge between old and new that makes this dusty town even dustier. And when the weather is hotter, there is often a warm wind blowing (as opposed to a cool breeze) that can be a bit stifling even though Jerusalem is at a higher altitude then Tel Aviv and supposed to be cooler in temperature. Perhaps that's true in winter. But this was spring and it was quite warm and a little gritty from the wind bouncing the sand off the streets and side walk. In any event, I arrived at the bus station from Tel Aviv without a map so I followed my instinct (mostly correct) which took me directly through a Hassidic neighborhood as I made my way to my favorite antique shop in Jerusalem. Since it was a Thursday afternoon I had no fear of offending the religious for improper dress (shorts) or for schlepping my bags which might be considered work on the sabbath.
Back to the Hassids. I was immediately struck that this group of Jews appears to be living in the 17th century -- which I suppose is no one's business by theirs -- but that's not really the entire story. It just so happens that these religious devotees live in modern Israel which is supposed to be a secular democracy with freedom to practice religion to whatever degree you wish. But it seems like there is a religious state within a state which, as you can imagine, comes with a lot of implications for the society as a whole.
I know this isn't news but after spending about a week in Tel Aviv where ultra hip is "in" the contrast of finding myself in the middle of a shtetl (the Yiddish term for the Jewish ghetto) was jolting. And what I was reminded of quite quickly is that it's not just religious in quaint little neighborhoods, it's almost everywhere in Jerusalem. So while Tel Aviv is about 90% secular, I'd guess that Jerusalem is probably about 60% or more religious. At least that's what it seemed like to me. I'll leave the cultural and political implications of all that to another time. Let's just say that while they have their right to practice, a right is not a mandate to command others to do likewise or to live off the rest of the society financially. And it seems like Jerusalem has tilted in that direction, especially when many families (and I'll include men and women here) don't work because they don't have time because they have to "learn" and pray. And, therefore, by the way, the state financially supports their communities more than seems rational. It's hard to believe but it seems like Israel has moved from a secular socialist state to a capitalist economy, with a huge carve out for the ultra religious who enjoy the benefits of welfare and subsidies more than one might expect. I'm sure it's not just the religious who survive on welfare but from everything I've read, and the debate that is taking place in the newspapers and among politicians, it sure seems like a lot of them have found the state to be a very convenient and permanent funding source.
Luckily as I made my way to the home of Betty Van Essen (my friend Shaul's mother) the area where I was headed was much more secular and a whole lot more comfortable. After all the neighborhood of Talpiot sits adjacent to the German Colony which was originally founded by Christians in the 19th century. (These German Christians were later found to be Nazi sympathizers and were eventually exiled to other parts of the world.) Not only is life a bit more contemporary on the opposite side of town from where I entered but it is also an easy walk to the Old City -- a stroll I took early Saturday morning when it was still cool and quite beautiful since we were in the throes of spring and everything was in bloom. I will say that it was very solitary since it was Shabbat morning and everything was quiet. It gave me a real opportunity to appreciate the surroundings, especially all the flowers, which stood in sharp contrast to the rocky, historic terrain through which I passed on my way to the Old City.
In any event, one of the purposes of my visit that weekend -- in addition to seeing Betty and Shaul's sister Guelit -- was to take a one day seminar on the future of Jerusalem which was sponsored by a group called Ir Amim. This is a civic group which is trying to educate Israelis and others to think hard about what Jerusalem means to all its inhabitants, Muslim, Jewish and Christian and how to think critically about finding a way to the future. They are not necessarily knee jerk lefists but they are definitely more left than right. After all, it's not a bunch of settlers running these tours which, by the way, was attended mostly by Israelis and not tourists. And it certainly challenges conventional wisdom when the guide announces that he's a retired officer in the national police. At least in the US you don't think of the police as a hot bed of leftist activism. In any event, for more information on what this group does, you can check out there website at http://www.ir-amim.org.il/eng/
I labeled this post the tale of two cities. It is meant really to be thought provoking about the tale of two cities comparing Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, comparing religious and secular Jerusalem and comparing Arab and Jewish Jerusalem.
Israel is a complicated and interesting place and being there stimulates all of those complicated thoughts in one's head -- so much so that it can make your head hurt. I had a chance to hear a lot of Israeli feelings about the unfair and undeserved pressure that Obama is putting on Israel. While I don't have too much sympathy for that position, it was, nonetheless, interesting to hear this view from so many people, especially on the left. The future of the Jews and Arabs is complicated and no one knows the best way forward. And, unfortunately, years of enmity breeds fear, finger pointing and anger that is difficult, perhaps impossible, to put aside. All I know is that not finding a solution is costly in every way imaginable for all the people involved. Hopefully, some group of leaders on both sides will figure that out and find a way. Unfortunately, I think it will be a long time before any real progress is made. You always want to think that it will happen "this time" but something tells me we're in for many more rounds of diplomacy ahead. And life goes on for better and for worse. Back to the bubble of Tel Aviv.
Back to the Hassids. I was immediately struck that this group of Jews appears to be living in the 17th century -- which I suppose is no one's business by theirs -- but that's not really the entire story. It just so happens that these religious devotees live in modern Israel which is supposed to be a secular democracy with freedom to practice religion to whatever degree you wish. But it seems like there is a religious state within a state which, as you can imagine, comes with a lot of implications for the society as a whole.
I know this isn't news but after spending about a week in Tel Aviv where ultra hip is "in" the contrast of finding myself in the middle of a shtetl (the Yiddish term for the Jewish ghetto) was jolting. And what I was reminded of quite quickly is that it's not just religious in quaint little neighborhoods, it's almost everywhere in Jerusalem. So while Tel Aviv is about 90% secular, I'd guess that Jerusalem is probably about 60% or more religious. At least that's what it seemed like to me. I'll leave the cultural and political implications of all that to another time. Let's just say that while they have their right to practice, a right is not a mandate to command others to do likewise or to live off the rest of the society financially. And it seems like Jerusalem has tilted in that direction, especially when many families (and I'll include men and women here) don't work because they don't have time because they have to "learn" and pray. And, therefore, by the way, the state financially supports their communities more than seems rational. It's hard to believe but it seems like Israel has moved from a secular socialist state to a capitalist economy, with a huge carve out for the ultra religious who enjoy the benefits of welfare and subsidies more than one might expect. I'm sure it's not just the religious who survive on welfare but from everything I've read, and the debate that is taking place in the newspapers and among politicians, it sure seems like a lot of them have found the state to be a very convenient and permanent funding source.
Luckily as I made my way to the home of Betty Van Essen (my friend Shaul's mother) the area where I was headed was much more secular and a whole lot more comfortable. After all the neighborhood of Talpiot sits adjacent to the German Colony which was originally founded by Christians in the 19th century. (These German Christians were later found to be Nazi sympathizers and were eventually exiled to other parts of the world.) Not only is life a bit more contemporary on the opposite side of town from where I entered but it is also an easy walk to the Old City -- a stroll I took early Saturday morning when it was still cool and quite beautiful since we were in the throes of spring and everything was in bloom. I will say that it was very solitary since it was Shabbat morning and everything was quiet. It gave me a real opportunity to appreciate the surroundings, especially all the flowers, which stood in sharp contrast to the rocky, historic terrain through which I passed on my way to the Old City.
In any event, one of the purposes of my visit that weekend -- in addition to seeing Betty and Shaul's sister Guelit -- was to take a one day seminar on the future of Jerusalem which was sponsored by a group called Ir Amim. This is a civic group which is trying to educate Israelis and others to think hard about what Jerusalem means to all its inhabitants, Muslim, Jewish and Christian and how to think critically about finding a way to the future. They are not necessarily knee jerk lefists but they are definitely more left than right. After all, it's not a bunch of settlers running these tours which, by the way, was attended mostly by Israelis and not tourists. And it certainly challenges conventional wisdom when the guide announces that he's a retired officer in the national police. At least in the US you don't think of the police as a hot bed of leftist activism. In any event, for more information on what this group does, you can check out there website at http://www.ir-amim.org.il/eng/
I labeled this post the tale of two cities. It is meant really to be thought provoking about the tale of two cities comparing Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, comparing religious and secular Jerusalem and comparing Arab and Jewish Jerusalem.
Israel is a complicated and interesting place and being there stimulates all of those complicated thoughts in one's head -- so much so that it can make your head hurt. I had a chance to hear a lot of Israeli feelings about the unfair and undeserved pressure that Obama is putting on Israel. While I don't have too much sympathy for that position, it was, nonetheless, interesting to hear this view from so many people, especially on the left. The future of the Jews and Arabs is complicated and no one knows the best way forward. And, unfortunately, years of enmity breeds fear, finger pointing and anger that is difficult, perhaps impossible, to put aside. All I know is that not finding a solution is costly in every way imaginable for all the people involved. Hopefully, some group of leaders on both sides will figure that out and find a way. Unfortunately, I think it will be a long time before any real progress is made. You always want to think that it will happen "this time" but something tells me we're in for many more rounds of diplomacy ahead. And life goes on for better and for worse. Back to the bubble of Tel Aviv.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
A Respite In Israel
When I arrived at the airport in Istanbul for my flight to Tel Aviv, I was quite nervous about the interview given all the interesting stamps in my passport (Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and two for the UAE -- in, out and back in as I circled the Gulf). And as my heart pounded, I guess this is Jewish guilt, the security guy asked me why I was coming to Israel. I immediately replied that I was coming to Israel to rest and relax. Rest in Israel?, he said. And that was the end of the interview.
Interestingly, that is exactly how it turned out. Not to be trite, but it was fun, relaxing and fairly social including meeting some new folks that I met, visiting with Shaul's mother and sister in Jerusalem and connecting with old friends who are stationed in Tel Aviv with the US embassy.
Best of all, the weather was exceptionally beautiful. Warm --but not too warm -- clear and sunny virtually every day. And for those of you who aren't familiar with Tel Aviv, it is a totally walkable city with lots of interesting neighborhoods and little nooks and crannies that you just wouldn't find without a month's time to wander and get lost -- as lost as one can get in a really small town that's really a very manageable small city.
Emblematic of the stay was a really neat experience I had on my first day. I should backtrack to explain that I stayed at the apartment of a friend with whom I am trading days at my place in San Francisco. I should add that the apartment is in a really terrific location and is very pleasant. In fact, after staying in hotel rooms for 2 1/2 months I was quite pleased to have a kitchen and a bit more living space. And that brings me to my first story.
I arrived from Turkey on a Saturday night. To add a little twist to the drama, the owner of the apartment, who was away for most of the time, passed off the keys via his office in Istanbul so I was really on my own when I arrived. I had been there once before but it was a very dark entry hall, I was unfamiliar with all the locks and I was just a bit tired after shlepping my abundant amount of luggage up to the apartment. I finally made it into the flat and headed to the kitchen for some water where I discovered there was no table to be found. Ok, no big deal but that was part of what I expected as part of my time in Tel Aviv. To hang out in the kitchen, cook some food, write my blog, read my paper etc. And I'm so sloppy when I eat that I was paranoid that if I had every meal on the couch, it would turn some other nasty shade by the time my host arrived home in several weeks.
I pondered this important question for a few minutes and went to bed hopeful that I would have a brainstorm in the morning -- which I did. I woke up recalling from my last trip that there is an Ikea north of Tel Aviv. I could resolve this quickly and just MOVE ON. After all, I realized this was just a silly little "problem."
But I really didn't want to start figuring out the buses, take a taxi back with my purchase and I especially didn't want to assemble a table, probably one of my least favorite things to do and something I'm really bad at. Instead, I got up and went for a walk, deciding that I would figure it out later.
So, I wandered down the main boulevard of Tel Aviv which is called Diezengoff, stopping for breakfast at a kiosk not too far from home where I was waited on by two handsome gentlemen who told me I could have whatever I wanted from their abundant case of sandwiches and accompaniments -- anything that would make me happy they each said in unison. What more could I ask for? Maybe I would eat every meal at this kiosk just a few blocks from home? After a fabulous sandwich stuffed with tuna, eggplant, hummus, pickles, roasted peppers, fresh tomatoes and every imaginable vegetable, I continued my stroll, ultimately making my way to Allenby Street. Allenby is an odd combination of retail stores, restaurants, bars (gay and straight), strip joints, flop houses, felafel stands, hardware stores and a few antique shops. After wandering in a big loop up and down Allenby, I was a little spaced out and stepped into the street at one point and almost got swiped by a car. I immediately stepped back onto the curb, turned around and found myself staring at a tiny antique store as narrow as a wedge of cheese.
As it turned out, this was a gem of a store overflowing with lots of interesting things including art deco dishes, old propaganda books, pottery of various sorts, food and candy tins, old photos and who knows what. Excited by all these antiques (at bargain prices I might add) I struck up a conversation with the owner, another handsome young guy (you get the theme) who was quite friendly and solicitous of my various antique interests. I bought a something from nearly every category mentioned above and, naturally, he was appreciative and kept trying to find more things to sell. At the end of this shopping spree which totaled about $80, the table situation crossed my mind and I asked him where I could find some cheap furniture. Since there wasn't room in his store for anything but knick knacks, I figured it was no offense to ask for a referral. After he gave me directions to a little neighborhood nearby that sells furniture (there's lots of segmented selling zones in Tel Aviv), he said "where are you living anyway?" One one hand I was a little reluctant to give my address to a stranger (even a member of the tribe) but I quickly got over it and said I was living at 21 Sokolov to which he replied that he lived at #8 Sokolov and he had a folding kitchen table that I could borrow and I should call him that night. And sure as shooting, I called him at 7PM and 5 minutes later I had a table for the duration of my visit. I guess that could happen anywhere but it sure seemed like a very happy set of coincidences and, possibly, a good omen for 3 enjoyable weeks ahead. Stay tuned...
Interestingly, that is exactly how it turned out. Not to be trite, but it was fun, relaxing and fairly social including meeting some new folks that I met, visiting with Shaul's mother and sister in Jerusalem and connecting with old friends who are stationed in Tel Aviv with the US embassy.
Best of all, the weather was exceptionally beautiful. Warm --but not too warm -- clear and sunny virtually every day. And for those of you who aren't familiar with Tel Aviv, it is a totally walkable city with lots of interesting neighborhoods and little nooks and crannies that you just wouldn't find without a month's time to wander and get lost -- as lost as one can get in a really small town that's really a very manageable small city.
Emblematic of the stay was a really neat experience I had on my first day. I should backtrack to explain that I stayed at the apartment of a friend with whom I am trading days at my place in San Francisco. I should add that the apartment is in a really terrific location and is very pleasant. In fact, after staying in hotel rooms for 2 1/2 months I was quite pleased to have a kitchen and a bit more living space. And that brings me to my first story.
I arrived from Turkey on a Saturday night. To add a little twist to the drama, the owner of the apartment, who was away for most of the time, passed off the keys via his office in Istanbul so I was really on my own when I arrived. I had been there once before but it was a very dark entry hall, I was unfamiliar with all the locks and I was just a bit tired after shlepping my abundant amount of luggage up to the apartment. I finally made it into the flat and headed to the kitchen for some water where I discovered there was no table to be found. Ok, no big deal but that was part of what I expected as part of my time in Tel Aviv. To hang out in the kitchen, cook some food, write my blog, read my paper etc. And I'm so sloppy when I eat that I was paranoid that if I had every meal on the couch, it would turn some other nasty shade by the time my host arrived home in several weeks.
I pondered this important question for a few minutes and went to bed hopeful that I would have a brainstorm in the morning -- which I did. I woke up recalling from my last trip that there is an Ikea north of Tel Aviv. I could resolve this quickly and just MOVE ON. After all, I realized this was just a silly little "problem."
But I really didn't want to start figuring out the buses, take a taxi back with my purchase and I especially didn't want to assemble a table, probably one of my least favorite things to do and something I'm really bad at. Instead, I got up and went for a walk, deciding that I would figure it out later.
So, I wandered down the main boulevard of Tel Aviv which is called Diezengoff, stopping for breakfast at a kiosk not too far from home where I was waited on by two handsome gentlemen who told me I could have whatever I wanted from their abundant case of sandwiches and accompaniments -- anything that would make me happy they each said in unison. What more could I ask for? Maybe I would eat every meal at this kiosk just a few blocks from home? After a fabulous sandwich stuffed with tuna, eggplant, hummus, pickles, roasted peppers, fresh tomatoes and every imaginable vegetable, I continued my stroll, ultimately making my way to Allenby Street. Allenby is an odd combination of retail stores, restaurants, bars (gay and straight), strip joints, flop houses, felafel stands, hardware stores and a few antique shops. After wandering in a big loop up and down Allenby, I was a little spaced out and stepped into the street at one point and almost got swiped by a car. I immediately stepped back onto the curb, turned around and found myself staring at a tiny antique store as narrow as a wedge of cheese.
As it turned out, this was a gem of a store overflowing with lots of interesting things including art deco dishes, old propaganda books, pottery of various sorts, food and candy tins, old photos and who knows what. Excited by all these antiques (at bargain prices I might add) I struck up a conversation with the owner, another handsome young guy (you get the theme) who was quite friendly and solicitous of my various antique interests. I bought a something from nearly every category mentioned above and, naturally, he was appreciative and kept trying to find more things to sell. At the end of this shopping spree which totaled about $80, the table situation crossed my mind and I asked him where I could find some cheap furniture. Since there wasn't room in his store for anything but knick knacks, I figured it was no offense to ask for a referral. After he gave me directions to a little neighborhood nearby that sells furniture (there's lots of segmented selling zones in Tel Aviv), he said "where are you living anyway?" One one hand I was a little reluctant to give my address to a stranger (even a member of the tribe) but I quickly got over it and said I was living at 21 Sokolov to which he replied that he lived at #8 Sokolov and he had a folding kitchen table that I could borrow and I should call him that night. And sure as shooting, I called him at 7PM and 5 minutes later I had a table for the duration of my visit. I guess that could happen anywhere but it sure seemed like a very happy set of coincidences and, possibly, a good omen for 3 enjoyable weeks ahead. Stay tuned...
Monday, April 26, 2010
Rhodes -- A fascinating and beautiful island
After the last posting about the Traveler's Century Club, I have to admit that I chose Rhodes purely because it added to my "country count" and it was very convenient to access from southwest Turkey. And now, I have to say that Rhodes was one of the most memorable and enjoyable parts of the trip. It was beshert -- or meant to be -- as they say in Yiddish.
Rhodes is a Greek island in the Agean Sea just an hour or two from Turkey by ferry depending on whether you catch the slow or fast ferry on a given day. On the day I left the Turkish port of Marmaris the slow ferry was running. Let's just say that the trip felt very authentic. As we boarded and I was looking around, I thought that it might have been a converted fishing vessel -- and it had a whiff of one, too. But all that was soon forgotten as I was surrounded by a large group of boisterous Greek travelers who had been on holiday in Turkey and were returning from a chorus competition of some sort. As soon as everyone had settled down and gotten some tea, the group broke into a chorus of Greek folk songs (and others) to pass the time on our 2 1/2 hour journey. Talk about atmosphere. They were having a grand time and I was right in the midst of it all. I couldn't think of a better way to return to Greece for the first time since 1980 when I had a one day layover in Athens on my way to a semester in Israel.
Rhodes itself turned out to be a delightful island with an Old Town that is very well preserved and a new part of the city which is laid back, warm (in every respect) and friendly. (There is also a rich Jewish history on the island but I will save that for another post.)
I lucked into a well situated hotel I had found on the internet for 30 Euro per night that even had a view of the sea from my deck. And the front desk manager, George, was a font of knowledge which he eagerly shared with me in his near perfect English. So everything about the experience was enjoyable. The island is slow paced yet there is plenty to do and the blue green color of the water is just spectacular. If you ever have the opportunity to include Rhodes in your travel itinerary, I highly recommend it. I gave it only 3 days due to other scheduling pressures but I would suggest at least 5 days on the island.
To learn more about the island, check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodes
And for a day trip into the countryside to the spectacular seaside town of Lindos, please check out:
http://www.lindoseye.com/
And for a map of the Aegean so you can see where Rhodes is situated (closer to Turkey than Greece) go to:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/europe/greece_rel_1984.gif
Next posting: the Jewish experience on Rhodes.
Rhodes is a Greek island in the Agean Sea just an hour or two from Turkey by ferry depending on whether you catch the slow or fast ferry on a given day. On the day I left the Turkish port of Marmaris the slow ferry was running. Let's just say that the trip felt very authentic. As we boarded and I was looking around, I thought that it might have been a converted fishing vessel -- and it had a whiff of one, too. But all that was soon forgotten as I was surrounded by a large group of boisterous Greek travelers who had been on holiday in Turkey and were returning from a chorus competition of some sort. As soon as everyone had settled down and gotten some tea, the group broke into a chorus of Greek folk songs (and others) to pass the time on our 2 1/2 hour journey. Talk about atmosphere. They were having a grand time and I was right in the midst of it all. I couldn't think of a better way to return to Greece for the first time since 1980 when I had a one day layover in Athens on my way to a semester in Israel.
Rhodes itself turned out to be a delightful island with an Old Town that is very well preserved and a new part of the city which is laid back, warm (in every respect) and friendly. (There is also a rich Jewish history on the island but I will save that for another post.)
I lucked into a well situated hotel I had found on the internet for 30 Euro per night that even had a view of the sea from my deck. And the front desk manager, George, was a font of knowledge which he eagerly shared with me in his near perfect English. So everything about the experience was enjoyable. The island is slow paced yet there is plenty to do and the blue green color of the water is just spectacular. If you ever have the opportunity to include Rhodes in your travel itinerary, I highly recommend it. I gave it only 3 days due to other scheduling pressures but I would suggest at least 5 days on the island.
To learn more about the island, check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodes
And for a day trip into the countryside to the spectacular seaside town of Lindos, please check out:
http://www.lindoseye.com/
And for a map of the Aegean so you can see where Rhodes is situated (closer to Turkey than Greece) go to:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/europe/greece_rel_1984.gif
Next posting: the Jewish experience on Rhodes.
Update on my quest to join the The Traveler's Century Club -- 100 Countries/Territories
As some of you may remember from the email which introduced this journey, one of my goals is to add to the number of countries/territories that I've visited -- at least according to the rules of the Travelers Century Club. www.travelerscenturyclub.org
I know that many of you are sitting on the edge of your chairs wondering what number I'm at -- so here you go. Wait no longer -- I am now at 84! The additions during this trip so far include:
1) New Zealand
2) Tasmania
3) China
4) Macau
5) Bahrain
6) Qatar
7) Kuwait
8) Ajman (UAE)
9) Ras Al Khaimah (UAE)
10) Sharjah (UAE) (previously driven through this area but my feet had not touched the ground until this visit -- which is my rule!)
11) Umm Al Qaiwain (UAE)
12) Turkey (Europe)
13) Turkey (Asia)
14) Dodecanese Islands (Rhodes)
According to the plan as it stands today, I have just a few more than 16 countries left to visit. So if all goes well, I will reach 100 by the time I return to the US in September. And then, I can officially join the meshugana (Yiddish for crazy person) club that is for people who have been to 100 countries/territories or more. Get ready to celebrate!
New places yet to visit on the round-the-world journey include:
1) Rwanda
2) Tanzania
3) Zanzibar
4) Kenya
5) Malawi
6) Zambia
7) Mauritius
8) Swaziland
9) Lesotho
10) Namibia
11) Ghana
12) Bulgaria
13) Macedonia
14) Kosovo
15) Albania
16) Montenegro
17) Croatia
18) Slovenia
I know that many of you are sitting on the edge of your chairs wondering what number I'm at -- so here you go. Wait no longer -- I am now at 84! The additions during this trip so far include:
1) New Zealand
2) Tasmania
3) China
4) Macau
5) Bahrain
6) Qatar
7) Kuwait
8) Ajman (UAE)
9) Ras Al Khaimah (UAE)
10) Sharjah (UAE) (previously driven through this area but my feet had not touched the ground until this visit -- which is my rule!)
11) Umm Al Qaiwain (UAE)
12) Turkey (Europe)
13) Turkey (Asia)
14) Dodecanese Islands (Rhodes)
According to the plan as it stands today, I have just a few more than 16 countries left to visit. So if all goes well, I will reach 100 by the time I return to the US in September. And then, I can officially join the meshugana (Yiddish for crazy person) club that is for people who have been to 100 countries/territories or more. Get ready to celebrate!
New places yet to visit on the round-the-world journey include:
1) Rwanda
2) Tanzania
3) Zanzibar
4) Kenya
5) Malawi
6) Zambia
7) Mauritius
8) Swaziland
9) Lesotho
10) Namibia
11) Ghana
12) Bulgaria
13) Macedonia
14) Kosovo
15) Albania
16) Montenegro
17) Croatia
18) Slovenia
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Turkish Hospitality
I found the Turkish people to be warm, hospitable and happy that international visitors have made their country a destination site. That was entirely true outside of Istanbul and virtually true within the city. But I have to share with you a rough 24 hour period that was, let's say, trial by fire.
It actually started in Dubai where there was a standoff between United Airlines and Turkish Air about my reservation and whether it had been cancelled. (Turned out it was a human error on the part of United) But that wasn't known at the time. And as I was standing in the Dubai airport for 2 1/2 hours (after midnight) and the Turkish Air representative refused to call United, I wasn't feeling very "welcome" to Turkey.
Ultimately I placed a call to United on my blackberry and shoved it in front of the rep and the two of them had a terse conversation -- which in the end meant something I suppose. The happy ending is that at about 2:05AM, the Turkish air representative declared that a seat was available and that I should run for the gate (having to go through immigration still) to catch the flight at 2:25 AM. Fun :)
After a smooth flight, I arrived in Istanbul around 8 AM and, of course, my room wasn't ready. But I had prepared for this possibility by identifying a walking tour that was starting near to my hotel at 9. I figured if I was moving around I would be fine for a few more hours. And if the guide was knowledgeable and, perhaps, a cutie, even better. Check. Check. The tour was followed by an authentic Turkish lunch around the corner from the hotel at a place called Doy Doy where about 30 Turkish guys and I dined. My $10 got me a mezze plate, chicken skewer with rice and vegetables and a diet coke. Nice.
I came back took my nap and then asked the hotel manager (who I like very much) for a recommendation for dinner. He suggested fish and since I'm trying to be good AND since one is surrounded by water everywhere in Turkey, I said sure. He also said that the restaurant will send a car. Mistake #1. Never accept a "free" ride to the restaurant. Need I say more?
Here's the long and short of it: There is a phenomenon with fish places (at least in Turkey) where the primary goal is to rip off the tourists for as much as they can possibly get. And since fish is cheap and plentiful, fish restaurants charge extraordinarily exorbitant prices -- say $50 or $80 or more for a modestly sized pan fried fish which costs no more than $5 at the wholesale market. But don't think there's any transparency about any of it. There's this whole drama where they wheel in the table of fish, pick up every last fish and talk about it, wheel the cart out, bring out different fish, take them away, weigh some and not others and so on and so forth.
For me, I wound up with an extraordinary dinner bill of $212 US which was probably about 75% more than the meal was worth. Among other things (mind you I'm leaving out the details) is that the restaurant insisted that I had ordered two main courses in addition to three small appetizers. That would have been enough food for 3 people let alone one but that didn't seem to matter at all since this was one big farce! I refused to let them even put the second fish on the table despite repeated efforts to do so because I felt that would have been an acknowledgement that I, indeed, ordered that darn fish.
By the time the bill came I had caught onto this situation and began to converse with two lovely British couples sitting behind me who informed me that they had been through the same theater more than once. In fact, after they observed my encounter with the fish salesmen (they weren't waiters, really), the Brits called the staff over and the Brits themselves wrote down the price for each item and handed the "check" to the wait staff. All this before even one item was served at the table. Lessons learned, I suppose. My takeaway was never to eat fish in Turkey again. And I didn't. The next place I ate anything from the sea was on my departing flight on Turkish Air where it was included in the price of my ticket :)
To conclude this little story, I paid the $212 in cash for this delight. The last thing I wanted to do was to give these guys any of my credit card information. And I didn't want to engage with them very much because we were on a very long pier and I didn't want to wind up swimming back to shore -- or worse. But that wasn't the end. I took the issue to the hotel manager the next day and I told him that I expected to see the money back and that he should feel free to tell the restaurant that I would be happy to call the police. Whether that would have worked or not isn't clear but I wanted them to have a lot of hassle if they were going to so blatantly rip people off. I wasn't the first and I certainly won't be the last. (I now know that there are plenty of postings on Trip Advisor on this one and all of its variants!) In the end, 100 Turkish Lira showed up in an envelope at the hotel. And I learned a lesson.
Back to the hospitality part. Admittedly, it took a few days to get over this incident and I was feeling a bit uneasy about my host country. (There was also a cab ride that cost $16 for a 5 minute drive but I'm not going into that one.) The sad truth is that the Turkish economy overall is still developing and a few people will go beyond looking for an extra $1 or $5 to capture some larger sums of money. It is unfortunate because once the tourists begin to figure it out (after about 2 days) it creates a bit of a bad vibe between visitors and our hosts. And, at least on my trip, Turkey became a place where I started to watch the bill at restaurants much more carefully and to be more cautious -- not for my physical safety but from preventing a continuous flow of little, petty rip offs. In fact, I know there were others but I didn't obsess over them. I just prevented as many as I could through more caution. And it seemed to mostly work, at least in my head.
On the more positive side, I actually liked the Turkish people quite a bit. I was touched, for example, when I was on the tram and a teenager with kind of wild hair and outfit gave up his seat and took an elderly gentleman by the arm and helped him sit down. Or the staff at the Sarnic hotel in Istanbul who couldn't have been more gracious. Mehmet, the manager, Ergin the front desk guy and Murat the owner's brother were warm, generous and a pleasure to be around.
And, perhaps most memorable, there was the pudgy seven year old boy at a food stall in Bursa (the 1st Ottoman capital) who was gushing with pride as he took my order, served me and then took my money and made change. He kept looking at his dad to make sure he was doing things right and the father both gave him guidance and wide smiles of approval as the boy completed the sale. It was a special moment which I probably related to on some level because of all my days as a busboy and waiter.
And as if my little shishlik sandwich experience wasn't enough, I decided somewhat impulsively that I really needed some baklava. That's my stubborn sweet tooth kicking in no doubt. Conveniently, within five seconds, I encountered a stand with all sorts of sweets most of which I remain clueless to identify. But that didn't make a difference. So I stopped, got the attention of the purveyor and pointed to the baklava, pushing two fingers up in the air to indicate how many I wanted. All was good. The man took out some paper to prepare my gooey goodies to travel -- not that they would last more than a minute. And then, much to my surprise, the gentleman, who didn't speak a word of English, signaled that he was offering the baklava to me for free. While I appreciated the gesture, I felt rather badly about it since I'm certain I have more resources than he. I insisted at least twice that I wanted to pay him but he absolutely refused. So maybe it was a higher power intervening since the fish incident had taken place less than 24 hours earlier? Who knows? But I certainly won't forget that courtyard in Bursa for a long time to come.
These were by no means the only acts of generosity by my gracious Turkish hosts. One more cute story relates to a long distance bus ride between Izmir and Mamaris which is about 6 hours down the coast. I was a bit flummoxed at the end of the ride as I thought there were several more stops to go. But as the bus emptied, I realized we had made it to our destination. So as I was getting off the bus I left one of my bags in the overhead -- something I never do since I usually make a habit of keeping all my carry-on bags at my feet when traveling by bus. In any event, by the time I realized I was missing this bag (with insignificant items I might add), the bus was 100 yards away and 2 seconds from exiting the lot. I threw my hands up in the air, dropped all my papers, started to run and, frankly, probably looked a bit crazed. Within an instant, another van driver saw me, understood exactly what was going on, and accelerated his vehicle to literally cut off my bus before it could turn back onto the highway. Within seconds, the bus driver opened the door and the attendant handed me my little orange bag. I then turned to thank the driver of the van but it was gone. So I will never have an opportunity to thank that gentleman for helping me out. But his efforts provide an opportunity to think of his act of kindness as being typical for the Turkish people which it really is.
It actually started in Dubai where there was a standoff between United Airlines and Turkish Air about my reservation and whether it had been cancelled. (Turned out it was a human error on the part of United) But that wasn't known at the time. And as I was standing in the Dubai airport for 2 1/2 hours (after midnight) and the Turkish Air representative refused to call United, I wasn't feeling very "welcome" to Turkey.
Ultimately I placed a call to United on my blackberry and shoved it in front of the rep and the two of them had a terse conversation -- which in the end meant something I suppose. The happy ending is that at about 2:05AM, the Turkish air representative declared that a seat was available and that I should run for the gate (having to go through immigration still) to catch the flight at 2:25 AM. Fun :)
After a smooth flight, I arrived in Istanbul around 8 AM and, of course, my room wasn't ready. But I had prepared for this possibility by identifying a walking tour that was starting near to my hotel at 9. I figured if I was moving around I would be fine for a few more hours. And if the guide was knowledgeable and, perhaps, a cutie, even better. Check. Check. The tour was followed by an authentic Turkish lunch around the corner from the hotel at a place called Doy Doy where about 30 Turkish guys and I dined. My $10 got me a mezze plate, chicken skewer with rice and vegetables and a diet coke. Nice.
I came back took my nap and then asked the hotel manager (who I like very much) for a recommendation for dinner. He suggested fish and since I'm trying to be good AND since one is surrounded by water everywhere in Turkey, I said sure. He also said that the restaurant will send a car. Mistake #1. Never accept a "free" ride to the restaurant. Need I say more?
Here's the long and short of it: There is a phenomenon with fish places (at least in Turkey) where the primary goal is to rip off the tourists for as much as they can possibly get. And since fish is cheap and plentiful, fish restaurants charge extraordinarily exorbitant prices -- say $50 or $80 or more for a modestly sized pan fried fish which costs no more than $5 at the wholesale market. But don't think there's any transparency about any of it. There's this whole drama where they wheel in the table of fish, pick up every last fish and talk about it, wheel the cart out, bring out different fish, take them away, weigh some and not others and so on and so forth.
For me, I wound up with an extraordinary dinner bill of $212 US which was probably about 75% more than the meal was worth. Among other things (mind you I'm leaving out the details) is that the restaurant insisted that I had ordered two main courses in addition to three small appetizers. That would have been enough food for 3 people let alone one but that didn't seem to matter at all since this was one big farce! I refused to let them even put the second fish on the table despite repeated efforts to do so because I felt that would have been an acknowledgement that I, indeed, ordered that darn fish.
By the time the bill came I had caught onto this situation and began to converse with two lovely British couples sitting behind me who informed me that they had been through the same theater more than once. In fact, after they observed my encounter with the fish salesmen (they weren't waiters, really), the Brits called the staff over and the Brits themselves wrote down the price for each item and handed the "check" to the wait staff. All this before even one item was served at the table. Lessons learned, I suppose. My takeaway was never to eat fish in Turkey again. And I didn't. The next place I ate anything from the sea was on my departing flight on Turkish Air where it was included in the price of my ticket :)
To conclude this little story, I paid the $212 in cash for this delight. The last thing I wanted to do was to give these guys any of my credit card information. And I didn't want to engage with them very much because we were on a very long pier and I didn't want to wind up swimming back to shore -- or worse. But that wasn't the end. I took the issue to the hotel manager the next day and I told him that I expected to see the money back and that he should feel free to tell the restaurant that I would be happy to call the police. Whether that would have worked or not isn't clear but I wanted them to have a lot of hassle if they were going to so blatantly rip people off. I wasn't the first and I certainly won't be the last. (I now know that there are plenty of postings on Trip Advisor on this one and all of its variants!) In the end, 100 Turkish Lira showed up in an envelope at the hotel. And I learned a lesson.
Back to the hospitality part. Admittedly, it took a few days to get over this incident and I was feeling a bit uneasy about my host country. (There was also a cab ride that cost $16 for a 5 minute drive but I'm not going into that one.) The sad truth is that the Turkish economy overall is still developing and a few people will go beyond looking for an extra $1 or $5 to capture some larger sums of money. It is unfortunate because once the tourists begin to figure it out (after about 2 days) it creates a bit of a bad vibe between visitors and our hosts. And, at least on my trip, Turkey became a place where I started to watch the bill at restaurants much more carefully and to be more cautious -- not for my physical safety but from preventing a continuous flow of little, petty rip offs. In fact, I know there were others but I didn't obsess over them. I just prevented as many as I could through more caution. And it seemed to mostly work, at least in my head.
On the more positive side, I actually liked the Turkish people quite a bit. I was touched, for example, when I was on the tram and a teenager with kind of wild hair and outfit gave up his seat and took an elderly gentleman by the arm and helped him sit down. Or the staff at the Sarnic hotel in Istanbul who couldn't have been more gracious. Mehmet, the manager, Ergin the front desk guy and Murat the owner's brother were warm, generous and a pleasure to be around.
And, perhaps most memorable, there was the pudgy seven year old boy at a food stall in Bursa (the 1st Ottoman capital) who was gushing with pride as he took my order, served me and then took my money and made change. He kept looking at his dad to make sure he was doing things right and the father both gave him guidance and wide smiles of approval as the boy completed the sale. It was a special moment which I probably related to on some level because of all my days as a busboy and waiter.
And as if my little shishlik sandwich experience wasn't enough, I decided somewhat impulsively that I really needed some baklava. That's my stubborn sweet tooth kicking in no doubt. Conveniently, within five seconds, I encountered a stand with all sorts of sweets most of which I remain clueless to identify. But that didn't make a difference. So I stopped, got the attention of the purveyor and pointed to the baklava, pushing two fingers up in the air to indicate how many I wanted. All was good. The man took out some paper to prepare my gooey goodies to travel -- not that they would last more than a minute. And then, much to my surprise, the gentleman, who didn't speak a word of English, signaled that he was offering the baklava to me for free. While I appreciated the gesture, I felt rather badly about it since I'm certain I have more resources than he. I insisted at least twice that I wanted to pay him but he absolutely refused. So maybe it was a higher power intervening since the fish incident had taken place less than 24 hours earlier? Who knows? But I certainly won't forget that courtyard in Bursa for a long time to come.
These were by no means the only acts of generosity by my gracious Turkish hosts. One more cute story relates to a long distance bus ride between Izmir and Mamaris which is about 6 hours down the coast. I was a bit flummoxed at the end of the ride as I thought there were several more stops to go. But as the bus emptied, I realized we had made it to our destination. So as I was getting off the bus I left one of my bags in the overhead -- something I never do since I usually make a habit of keeping all my carry-on bags at my feet when traveling by bus. In any event, by the time I realized I was missing this bag (with insignificant items I might add), the bus was 100 yards away and 2 seconds from exiting the lot. I threw my hands up in the air, dropped all my papers, started to run and, frankly, probably looked a bit crazed. Within an instant, another van driver saw me, understood exactly what was going on, and accelerated his vehicle to literally cut off my bus before it could turn back onto the highway. Within seconds, the bus driver opened the door and the attendant handed me my little orange bag. I then turned to thank the driver of the van but it was gone. So I will never have an opportunity to thank that gentleman for helping me out. But his efforts provide an opportunity to think of his act of kindness as being typical for the Turkish people which it really is.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Turkey Part II.....
I have just returned to Istanbul after a journey across southeastern Turkey, along with a ferry ride to the Greek island of Rhodes where I spent 3 enjoyable days exploring and learning.
One of the things I've taken to heart on this trip is that you can't do everything -- even if you have seven months to travel. And, to my parents' credit, one of their last suggestions (of many) as I was leaving Florida in January, was that I should pace myself. That was very good advice -- especially since I've been wanting to visit Turkey for so long and it is such a VAST country. I have resisted temptation to see it all.
Keeping their advice in mind, but also remaining focused on my quest to visit 100 "countries" (which also includes many non-country territories in the definition), I decided to explore the Southeast coast and environs. The added benefit of this route is the proximity of the Dodecanese Islands (specifically the island of Rhodes) which is about 1 hour off the coast of Turkey. It is much closer to Turkey than Greece but more on that later.
As you all know, the entire Turkish region is rich in history and the ancient city of Ephesus is a great example where a number of civilizations were built, seemingly right upon each other. So one can begin to get their history straight (at least for a few minutes) and get a feel for how fully functioning societies (right up to the public library and the nearby brothel) operated in centuries gone by. The guide told a cute story about how the men used to tell their wives that they were going to the library but instead used a tunnel underneath to cross over to the rather sizeable brothel directly across the street. I'd guess that the story is probably true. It makes sense, doesn't it? For a more official version of the history around Ephesus written by someone (hopefully) who can get all of their facts properly associated with the correct periods (Byzantine, Greek, Roman, Ottoman) please see the great authoritative source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephesus
The other site I visited in the region was Bergama, a center for medicine and wellness in its day. On that day I was touring with two Cuban American physicians and they said that this site had been included in their studies as a significant place in the history of medicine. As the tour went on, I came to appreciate that when Bergama was at its height, the definition of medicine was quite different than today. It was really a forerunner to modern medicine but the symbols remain such as the famous snake we see on pharmacies, medical centers, texts etc. That said, though the guide was generally quite knowledgeable, he was certain that brain surgery among other treatments for the head (which he called psychology) had been conducted there in the 3rd and 2nd Century AD. I'll leave it to you to draw your own conclusions. I can't even think about it.
http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/galeri/aegean/photopages/002.html
So you now have as much fill as I did about the ancient civilizations that were present here in Turkey. For my next posting, I will wrap up Turkey and share some of my experiences about the people and the culture of Turkey.
One of the things I've taken to heart on this trip is that you can't do everything -- even if you have seven months to travel. And, to my parents' credit, one of their last suggestions (of many) as I was leaving Florida in January, was that I should pace myself. That was very good advice -- especially since I've been wanting to visit Turkey for so long and it is such a VAST country. I have resisted temptation to see it all.
Keeping their advice in mind, but also remaining focused on my quest to visit 100 "countries" (which also includes many non-country territories in the definition), I decided to explore the Southeast coast and environs. The added benefit of this route is the proximity of the Dodecanese Islands (specifically the island of Rhodes) which is about 1 hour off the coast of Turkey. It is much closer to Turkey than Greece but more on that later.
As you all know, the entire Turkish region is rich in history and the ancient city of Ephesus is a great example where a number of civilizations were built, seemingly right upon each other. So one can begin to get their history straight (at least for a few minutes) and get a feel for how fully functioning societies (right up to the public library and the nearby brothel) operated in centuries gone by. The guide told a cute story about how the men used to tell their wives that they were going to the library but instead used a tunnel underneath to cross over to the rather sizeable brothel directly across the street. I'd guess that the story is probably true. It makes sense, doesn't it? For a more official version of the history around Ephesus written by someone (hopefully) who can get all of their facts properly associated with the correct periods (Byzantine, Greek, Roman, Ottoman) please see the great authoritative source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephesus
The other site I visited in the region was Bergama, a center for medicine and wellness in its day. On that day I was touring with two Cuban American physicians and they said that this site had been included in their studies as a significant place in the history of medicine. As the tour went on, I came to appreciate that when Bergama was at its height, the definition of medicine was quite different than today. It was really a forerunner to modern medicine but the symbols remain such as the famous snake we see on pharmacies, medical centers, texts etc. That said, though the guide was generally quite knowledgeable, he was certain that brain surgery among other treatments for the head (which he called psychology) had been conducted there in the 3rd and 2nd Century AD. I'll leave it to you to draw your own conclusions. I can't even think about it.
http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/galeri/aegean/photopages/002.html
So you now have as much fill as I did about the ancient civilizations that were present here in Turkey. For my next posting, I will wrap up Turkey and share some of my experiences about the people and the culture of Turkey.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Itinerary Update
With all of the planning, there is always room for some creative change when circumstances dictate. A few weeks ago, I learned that my tour in Ethiopia had been cancelled due to lack of participation. After several weeks searching out alternative providers, I came across a brief posting on a travel forum about the upcoming Ethiopian election which was to occur right in the middle of my visit. Well, I love democracy and all that but in 2005 the election turned violent, and I'm not to anxious to be a first hand witness to this year's election as a solor traveler. I might like to be an election monitor some day but perhaps under the auspices of the UN or some other NGO. So, Ethiopia is going by the wayside this time.
The revised itinerary now includes:
1) A visit to London from May 10-14
2) Travel around northern Italy with cooking school for 4 days near Florence from May 14-27
3) A gorilla trek in Rwanda May 30-June 2
4) The previously sent itinerary picks up from there with the 18 night camping safari from Kenya to Zambia. Yes, that's 18 nights!
Note: there are a few travel days in between so no need to worry about "missing" days
The revised itinerary now includes:
1) A visit to London from May 10-14
2) Travel around northern Italy with cooking school for 4 days near Florence from May 14-27
3) A gorilla trek in Rwanda May 30-June 2
4) The previously sent itinerary picks up from there with the 18 night camping safari from Kenya to Zambia. Yes, that's 18 nights!
Note: there are a few travel days in between so no need to worry about "missing" days
Monday, April 12, 2010
Meandering through Turkey....
After a bit of a rough start in Turkey (stay tuned), I came to find my way around Istanbul and to appreciate this wonderful, historic city. For the size of the city (18 million), it is remarkably easy to get around and, after about 5 days or so, to feel grounded even though English is less frequently spoken in Turkey. (They had their own empire, afterall!) Ironically, it took years for me to feel like I could get my bearings in London but Istanbul seemed easier -- in large part due to the simple, modern tram line that crosses the city.
For about $1 you can ride from the Grand Bazaar through Sultanahmet (home to many of the historic sites) down to the Spice Market, across to Galata (more historic sites including one of the neighborhoods that was home to both the Jews and Italian Genovese) and then along the Bosphorous which separates Turkish from European Asia and connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.
If you only rode the above ground tram you could stay busy seeing the sites in Istanbul but then you would miss the Istiklal Caddesi a lengthy pedestrian walk that runs through the center of the Beyoglu, the area populated by Europeans living in Istanbul during the Ottoman Empire. It is now home to boutiques, contemporary restaurants. galleries and any number of places of interest, including former consulates, churches and the minority Sufi muslim house of worship. (for more on where the expression "Whirling Dervishes" come from you can use this link to learn about this Sufi traditional dance. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mawlawi_Order
I spent 8 stimulating, frenetic days in Istanbul so I will spare you the minute by minute rendition. But a few highlights include the cooking course at the small hotel where I stayed, the beautiful and awesome Hagia Sohpia and the Blue Mosque where I saw up close none other than German Prime Minister Angela Merkel who was on a state visit. Since my "encounter" with the Prime Minster happened on my first day in Turkey, it was a fun way to start my state visit.
Of the two hotels I stayed at in Istanbul, my favorite was a small tourist hotel in Sultanhamet which is Istanbul's Old Town. It had been listed as "gay friendly" on some travel website and after two weeks in the Gulf, I decided to stay some place that would be a bit more personal as one commonly finds in small hotels. As it happens they were very friendly but I think I only saw one gay couple there the entire time.
It turned out that the general manager is a pretty savvy marketing guy and he told me that LGBT is one of his target markets. So it was more friendly than gay but that's ok. I met some very nice people there including an Italian man and his Jewish wife from NY and a nice German couple with their child among others. And, what was very helpful for me, the staff was incredibly gracious and warm, and acted as my personal tour directors throughout my stay.
As you may recall from an earlier posting, I had good fun at the cooking course in Shanghai and one additional benefit of this particular hotel is that they have a regular cooking class as well. Turns out that this was an especially fun time with an interesting group of people including a well traveled and friendly Australian woman, an earnest American couple who were with Teach for America (she in Liberty City in Miami) and a very cute, straight and fun loving Kiwi guy who gushed about how much fun he had at gay pride in Amsterdam. Why do I always meet the friendliest straight guys? Luck, I would say.
For about $1 you can ride from the Grand Bazaar through Sultanahmet (home to many of the historic sites) down to the Spice Market, across to Galata (more historic sites including one of the neighborhoods that was home to both the Jews and Italian Genovese) and then along the Bosphorous which separates Turkish from European Asia and connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.
If you only rode the above ground tram you could stay busy seeing the sites in Istanbul but then you would miss the Istiklal Caddesi a lengthy pedestrian walk that runs through the center of the Beyoglu, the area populated by Europeans living in Istanbul during the Ottoman Empire. It is now home to boutiques, contemporary restaurants. galleries and any number of places of interest, including former consulates, churches and the minority Sufi muslim house of worship. (for more on where the expression "Whirling Dervishes" come from you can use this link to learn about this Sufi traditional dance. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mawlawi_Order
I spent 8 stimulating, frenetic days in Istanbul so I will spare you the minute by minute rendition. But a few highlights include the cooking course at the small hotel where I stayed, the beautiful and awesome Hagia Sohpia and the Blue Mosque where I saw up close none other than German Prime Minister Angela Merkel who was on a state visit. Since my "encounter" with the Prime Minster happened on my first day in Turkey, it was a fun way to start my state visit.
Of the two hotels I stayed at in Istanbul, my favorite was a small tourist hotel in Sultanhamet which is Istanbul's Old Town. It had been listed as "gay friendly" on some travel website and after two weeks in the Gulf, I decided to stay some place that would be a bit more personal as one commonly finds in small hotels. As it happens they were very friendly but I think I only saw one gay couple there the entire time.
It turned out that the general manager is a pretty savvy marketing guy and he told me that LGBT is one of his target markets. So it was more friendly than gay but that's ok. I met some very nice people there including an Italian man and his Jewish wife from NY and a nice German couple with their child among others. And, what was very helpful for me, the staff was incredibly gracious and warm, and acted as my personal tour directors throughout my stay.
As you may recall from an earlier posting, I had good fun at the cooking course in Shanghai and one additional benefit of this particular hotel is that they have a regular cooking class as well. Turns out that this was an especially fun time with an interesting group of people including a well traveled and friendly Australian woman, an earnest American couple who were with Teach for America (she in Liberty City in Miami) and a very cute, straight and fun loving Kiwi guy who gushed about how much fun he had at gay pride in Amsterdam. Why do I always meet the friendliest straight guys? Luck, I would say.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Kuwait-Bahrain-Qatar
As many of you know, I sometimes like a challenge. This time, it was to see how a gay Jew travels around the Gulf as a single male on a US passport. I'm pleased to report that it was none too eventful. First, I think the American passport is still worth a heck of a lot when passing through various immigration posts. Second, I don't usually speak about my background to people I don't know so I'm not really trying to test the waters on either an ethnic/religious front or, for that matter, on sexual orientation. So maybe it wasn't that gutsy after all. And now that I think about it, it's probably pretty common for business men to be on their own and in Arab culture men travel in groups and on their own quite often. The way women socialize and move through society is really more interesting. Let's just say that 95% of the people you see socializing (in the hotels where westerners gather) are men.
So you might ask what exactly I did in these countries. A few quick highlights:
-- in Kuwait there is a private collection of Islamic art that is really quite wonderful. It is nicely curated and has good English language placards. Next time you're in Kuwait stop by the Tareq Rajab museum which is a bit out of the center of downtown Kuwait. I'm having trouble getting a working link at the moment but this article refers to it. http://www.asiarooms.com/travel-guide/kuwait/museums-in-kuwait/tareq-rajab-museum-in-kuwait.html
-- in Bahrain there are two worthwhile destinations including the Portuguese fort and the National Museum. Definitely see the national museum first and pick up the guide of 101 Things to Do in Bahrain. I think Bahrain's geography -- protruding into the Arabian Gulf-- put Bahrain in a strategic position that various invading and colonizing forces found enticing. The fort is actually a world heritage site and there is a decent museum and audio guides you can rent. http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/qalatalbahrain.html
-- Qatar feels calm and "steady as you go" relative to its Gulf neighbors. It's booming but in some type of contolled fashion. I asked one person who said that the economy is simply (or better stated intentionally) more diversified than many of the other Gulf states. They have oil, of course, but they also are making a play for tourism, consulting services and media. For example, Al Jazeera, the media outlet, is based in Qatar. And while they have their biases, they are making a run at open debate. In fact, I saw a debate between Hamas and Fatah in front of a young audience of Palestinians. In the end, I felt like it was a standoff with neither side winning the day. Interestingly, when they polled the audience, close to 90% voted "no confidence" in either side of the Palestinian leadership. For an interesting re-cap of this debate, you might want to check out this link to an op-ed written by the Chairman of the Doha Debates which sponsored the dialogue. The sidebar at the beginning of the article summarized the outcome by saying: "Face to face in a congenial setting, Hamas and Fatah agreed -- on nothing." It's an interesting read. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/opinion/03iht-edsebastian.html
And not to leave out a recommendation for a museum in Qatar, I can enthusiastically recommend the Museum of Islamic Art. Both the building and the collection are exquisite.
http://www.qma.com.qa/eng/index.php/qma/collections/1
That's it fow now...the next post is Turkey.
So you might ask what exactly I did in these countries. A few quick highlights:
-- in Kuwait there is a private collection of Islamic art that is really quite wonderful. It is nicely curated and has good English language placards. Next time you're in Kuwait stop by the Tareq Rajab museum which is a bit out of the center of downtown Kuwait. I'm having trouble getting a working link at the moment but this article refers to it. http://www.asiarooms.com/travel-guide/kuwait/museums-in-kuwait/tareq-rajab-museum-in-kuwait.html
-- in Bahrain there are two worthwhile destinations including the Portuguese fort and the National Museum. Definitely see the national museum first and pick up the guide of 101 Things to Do in Bahrain. I think Bahrain's geography -- protruding into the Arabian Gulf-- put Bahrain in a strategic position that various invading and colonizing forces found enticing. The fort is actually a world heritage site and there is a decent museum and audio guides you can rent. http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/qalatalbahrain.html
-- Qatar feels calm and "steady as you go" relative to its Gulf neighbors. It's booming but in some type of contolled fashion. I asked one person who said that the economy is simply (or better stated intentionally) more diversified than many of the other Gulf states. They have oil, of course, but they also are making a play for tourism, consulting services and media. For example, Al Jazeera, the media outlet, is based in Qatar. And while they have their biases, they are making a run at open debate. In fact, I saw a debate between Hamas and Fatah in front of a young audience of Palestinians. In the end, I felt like it was a standoff with neither side winning the day. Interestingly, when they polled the audience, close to 90% voted "no confidence" in either side of the Palestinian leadership. For an interesting re-cap of this debate, you might want to check out this link to an op-ed written by the Chairman of the Doha Debates which sponsored the dialogue. The sidebar at the beginning of the article summarized the outcome by saying: "Face to face in a congenial setting, Hamas and Fatah agreed -- on nothing." It's an interesting read. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/opinion/03iht-edsebastian.html
And not to leave out a recommendation for a museum in Qatar, I can enthusiastically recommend the Museum of Islamic Art. Both the building and the collection are exquisite.
http://www.qma.com.qa/eng/index.php/qma/collections/1
That's it fow now...the next post is Turkey.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
The Arabian Gulf - amazing place
I was given the opportunity to open my eyes to the Gulf region when my friend Richard was serving in the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi a half decade ago. As a person who is gay and Jewish, the notion of traveling to this part of the world was more of a personal journey to visit friends and to gain exposure to the local culture. I must admit I was a little scared the first time I was out there. And as we know, fear often comes from ignorance or unwillingness to learn.
Since that first visit about 5 years ago, I have come to have a greater appreciation for what this corner of the world is about. I can't say I fully understand it, but I am glad to have had personal exposure and so I can continue to learn. And form opinions.
I should say that the various societies and lifestyles in the Gulf region are somewhat different. The first lesson is not to paint an entire group of people with one brush. Dubai, as we all have read, has made a focused effort to make themselves a destination for trade and tourism. And when I say tourism, I mean tourism for Europeans as well as those in the Arab world who are looking for something more relaxed. And that, in itself, contributes to the social milieau.
And it is definitely more relaxed in Dubai -- to a point. It is relaxed in that there is entertainment, beaches with people wearing (or not wearing) western bathing attire and there is a free flow of alcohol in "private" which it turns out is not very private at all. I had the privilege of attending the opening of Art Dubai which benefited from a rather free flow of alcohol. Technically, I suppose it was a private event, but it was as public a private event as I've seen.
At the same time, some of you may have read about the arrest of a British couple for some type of sexual encounter. I don't really know what it was or think it's worth clarifying. But what it reminds us is that there is ABSOLUTELY a line that cannot be crossed. And I don't know enough about this line to opine upon it. My suspicion is that the line shifts around a lot -- perhaps in a good way. I think the government is inclined to provide more personal freedom than many of their neighbors but they also are trying to avoid Dubai becoming a sin city. That unto itself is not unreasonable. I know, for example, that there is a club that is gay on Thursday nights that has been operating for quite a while. Obviously, they could do something about it if they wanted to. But they choose to let it operate. Why?
And that question becomes even more powerful when you travel through the other Emirates as I did on this trip. I went to Sharjah (15 minutes north) as well as Ajman and Ras Al Kaimah where the shift in religious presence was obvious. In one shopping area, for example, I'd say 80% of the women were fully covered. This is all within 1 hour of Dubai. So like many things in all societies, it is a delicate balance between the varying beliefs, mores and societal demands.
On a personal note, I want to thank my former colleague, Norah and her husband, for hosting me and looking after me and introducing me to many of their friends in Dubai. It gave me a bit more exposure to the complex social environment which exists there -- and which makes it such an interesting place. I met a variety of people, including Saudis, Persians, Lebanese, local Emiratis as well as some gay men who were both Emirati and from other parts of the Arab world. This shouldn't be so surprising since there is a thriving arts scene in Dubai.
Next: the tour of the Gulf to Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar
Since that first visit about 5 years ago, I have come to have a greater appreciation for what this corner of the world is about. I can't say I fully understand it, but I am glad to have had personal exposure and so I can continue to learn. And form opinions.
I should say that the various societies and lifestyles in the Gulf region are somewhat different. The first lesson is not to paint an entire group of people with one brush. Dubai, as we all have read, has made a focused effort to make themselves a destination for trade and tourism. And when I say tourism, I mean tourism for Europeans as well as those in the Arab world who are looking for something more relaxed. And that, in itself, contributes to the social milieau.
And it is definitely more relaxed in Dubai -- to a point. It is relaxed in that there is entertainment, beaches with people wearing (or not wearing) western bathing attire and there is a free flow of alcohol in "private" which it turns out is not very private at all. I had the privilege of attending the opening of Art Dubai which benefited from a rather free flow of alcohol. Technically, I suppose it was a private event, but it was as public a private event as I've seen.
At the same time, some of you may have read about the arrest of a British couple for some type of sexual encounter. I don't really know what it was or think it's worth clarifying. But what it reminds us is that there is ABSOLUTELY a line that cannot be crossed. And I don't know enough about this line to opine upon it. My suspicion is that the line shifts around a lot -- perhaps in a good way. I think the government is inclined to provide more personal freedom than many of their neighbors but they also are trying to avoid Dubai becoming a sin city. That unto itself is not unreasonable. I know, for example, that there is a club that is gay on Thursday nights that has been operating for quite a while. Obviously, they could do something about it if they wanted to. But they choose to let it operate. Why?
And that question becomes even more powerful when you travel through the other Emirates as I did on this trip. I went to Sharjah (15 minutes north) as well as Ajman and Ras Al Kaimah where the shift in religious presence was obvious. In one shopping area, for example, I'd say 80% of the women were fully covered. This is all within 1 hour of Dubai. So like many things in all societies, it is a delicate balance between the varying beliefs, mores and societal demands.
On a personal note, I want to thank my former colleague, Norah and her husband, for hosting me and looking after me and introducing me to many of their friends in Dubai. It gave me a bit more exposure to the complex social environment which exists there -- and which makes it such an interesting place. I met a variety of people, including Saudis, Persians, Lebanese, local Emiratis as well as some gay men who were both Emirati and from other parts of the Arab world. This shouldn't be so surprising since there is a thriving arts scene in Dubai.
Next: the tour of the Gulf to Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Beijing...
After spending two weeks in the warm climes of Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, I got a bit of a shock when walking through jetway I was blasted with what seened like an icy cold wind. The gig was up. Fortunately, I had packed my hat, gloves, scarf and boots -- but this was in preparation for the winter in Lesotho in Southern Africa, not for China. I actually new it might be cold in March but I had dismissed or, more accurately, repressed any notion of cold weather after my summer in Australia and NZ. Wrong.
In fact, the first experience in Chinas was there was no way to escape this freezing corridor as the door to the terminal was sealed shut -- at 3 in the afternoon. I had decided for sure that the Chinese health authorities had quarantined our plane because they caught on to my minuscule cough. As you can imagine, the jetway quickly filled with more than 200 people -- who, I might add, included mostly impatient Chinese and a few Westerners who were too fearful to speak up. As the minutes ticked by, the atmosphere became more and more agitated and the bones became considerably colder.
Finally, it emerged that this was an innocent mistake -- a horrified clerk came running up and opened the door apologizing profusely in Chinese to a very impolite and unappreciative crowd. But, alas, I was in Beijing -- a very cold, grey, stark place that felt like the communist capital I had read about in the media.
I only had two days and decided that I would first see the legendary Tiananmen Square, the Hall of the People and the Forbidden City all of which are located together within one extended complex. As it happens, I was there during the annual communist party meeting so it was FULL of security, road blocks etc. This certainly helped paint an image of Tiananmen Square as it might have been in 1989 during the student protests. But there were no protests to be seen though we know they're happening in the hinterlands and on the internet -- as the battle between Google and China has illuminated.
I made it back to my hotel that evening though with a few challenges as I had gotten myself turned around a bit. Between a few nods and gestures from a guard when I showed him my map and a persistent offer for a rickshaw ride from a guy trying to make a yuan, I made it back to the hotel which was actually very nearby.
So for the first 24 hours everything was dreary and gray. But as in many hotels in China this one, too, was attached to a mall. And here, the communist party meetings were very far away indeed. Although I was searching for a place to eat, I was enmeshed in 10 floors of name brand sub-stores all within one big department store. While I have seen similar set-ups in Macy's with Gucci, Izod or whatever, China takes this to a new art form. Virtually, every department store is a brand sales experience of mammoth proportions. I did see one small corner tucked away on an upper floor with regular ladies bras etc but that was it within this 10 story shopping behemoth. In China, it's all about the brand. So there is at least one way to escape the drab existence of Beijing.
And then, there's also nature. As it turned out, the gray, dreary day turned overnight into a small snow storm that blanketed the entire city and surrounding countryside with about 5 inches of fluffy, glistening snow. As you all know, snow usually does the trick (as long as it doesn't turn to slush) and everything felt considerable more bright, vibrant and alive.
So what did my second day have in hold for me on this sun and snow drenched morning? Well, I was scheduled to see the Great Wall. Into the knapsack went the scarf, gloves and hat. And, onto my feet of course, went the hiking boots. After about a 2 hour journey, we came upon the Great Wall (and it is every bit as great as the photos you see) and after about a 15 minute lecture, the guide said "go hike, I'll meet you here." And so I did. It was actually a lot of fun -- pulling myself along the ice and snow covered steps among thousands of other travelers, few of whom were from the West. It seemed that most of the tourists were Chinese and other south and south east Asianers. In any event, it was an exhilarating experience (cleared out my lungs for sure) and I was fortunate that at the end, I was able to buy a real Chinese made t-shirt with a picture of the wall draped in snow that says I climbed the Great Wall. I also got a certification that I climbed the wall which, by the way, was paid for in advance of climbing. They're prepared to capture your tourist dollars at every turn.
Speaking of which, one other little amusing parts of Beijing was the tour to the medicine doctor who was kind enough to offer a natural alternative to flow max (based on a diagnosis he made by taking my pulse), and an opportunity to buy jade and cloisonne at factories the size of 10 football fields. But the highlight I say in jest was a one-on-one class on the tea ceremony with a stunningly beautiful Chinese woman who used all over her power to sell me tea. It actually worked a little (I write this chuckling to myself.) I wound up buying two small containers of teas that I liked during the tasting. Plus they threw in the ultimate bonus as a special gift -- a "pee man." Yes, you read this correctly. They have a "pee man" that is part of their gig. This is a ceramic little dude who pees up in the air when you pour very hot water on him. Don't ask if there is any significance to this. There's not. It's simply part of the new Chinese capitalism. They'll sell anything that moves -- in this case a Japanese invention -- the "pee man."
Any of you who come over for tea when I'm back in San Francisco, will get a chance to see him in action :)
On that note, it's time to say good-bye to Beijing and hello to the Arabian Gulf in my next postings
In fact, the first experience in Chinas was there was no way to escape this freezing corridor as the door to the terminal was sealed shut -- at 3 in the afternoon. I had decided for sure that the Chinese health authorities had quarantined our plane because they caught on to my minuscule cough. As you can imagine, the jetway quickly filled with more than 200 people -- who, I might add, included mostly impatient Chinese and a few Westerners who were too fearful to speak up. As the minutes ticked by, the atmosphere became more and more agitated and the bones became considerably colder.
Finally, it emerged that this was an innocent mistake -- a horrified clerk came running up and opened the door apologizing profusely in Chinese to a very impolite and unappreciative crowd. But, alas, I was in Beijing -- a very cold, grey, stark place that felt like the communist capital I had read about in the media.
I only had two days and decided that I would first see the legendary Tiananmen Square, the Hall of the People and the Forbidden City all of which are located together within one extended complex. As it happens, I was there during the annual communist party meeting so it was FULL of security, road blocks etc. This certainly helped paint an image of Tiananmen Square as it might have been in 1989 during the student protests. But there were no protests to be seen though we know they're happening in the hinterlands and on the internet -- as the battle between Google and China has illuminated.
I made it back to my hotel that evening though with a few challenges as I had gotten myself turned around a bit. Between a few nods and gestures from a guard when I showed him my map and a persistent offer for a rickshaw ride from a guy trying to make a yuan, I made it back to the hotel which was actually very nearby.
So for the first 24 hours everything was dreary and gray. But as in many hotels in China this one, too, was attached to a mall. And here, the communist party meetings were very far away indeed. Although I was searching for a place to eat, I was enmeshed in 10 floors of name brand sub-stores all within one big department store. While I have seen similar set-ups in Macy's with Gucci, Izod or whatever, China takes this to a new art form. Virtually, every department store is a brand sales experience of mammoth proportions. I did see one small corner tucked away on an upper floor with regular ladies bras etc but that was it within this 10 story shopping behemoth. In China, it's all about the brand. So there is at least one way to escape the drab existence of Beijing.
And then, there's also nature. As it turned out, the gray, dreary day turned overnight into a small snow storm that blanketed the entire city and surrounding countryside with about 5 inches of fluffy, glistening snow. As you all know, snow usually does the trick (as long as it doesn't turn to slush) and everything felt considerable more bright, vibrant and alive.
So what did my second day have in hold for me on this sun and snow drenched morning? Well, I was scheduled to see the Great Wall. Into the knapsack went the scarf, gloves and hat. And, onto my feet of course, went the hiking boots. After about a 2 hour journey, we came upon the Great Wall (and it is every bit as great as the photos you see) and after about a 15 minute lecture, the guide said "go hike, I'll meet you here." And so I did. It was actually a lot of fun -- pulling myself along the ice and snow covered steps among thousands of other travelers, few of whom were from the West. It seemed that most of the tourists were Chinese and other south and south east Asianers. In any event, it was an exhilarating experience (cleared out my lungs for sure) and I was fortunate that at the end, I was able to buy a real Chinese made t-shirt with a picture of the wall draped in snow that says I climbed the Great Wall. I also got a certification that I climbed the wall which, by the way, was paid for in advance of climbing. They're prepared to capture your tourist dollars at every turn.
Speaking of which, one other little amusing parts of Beijing was the tour to the medicine doctor who was kind enough to offer a natural alternative to flow max (based on a diagnosis he made by taking my pulse), and an opportunity to buy jade and cloisonne at factories the size of 10 football fields. But the highlight I say in jest was a one-on-one class on the tea ceremony with a stunningly beautiful Chinese woman who used all over her power to sell me tea. It actually worked a little (I write this chuckling to myself.) I wound up buying two small containers of teas that I liked during the tasting. Plus they threw in the ultimate bonus as a special gift -- a "pee man." Yes, you read this correctly. They have a "pee man" that is part of their gig. This is a ceramic little dude who pees up in the air when you pour very hot water on him. Don't ask if there is any significance to this. There's not. It's simply part of the new Chinese capitalism. They'll sell anything that moves -- in this case a Japanese invention -- the "pee man."
Any of you who come over for tea when I'm back in San Francisco, will get a chance to see him in action :)
On that note, it's time to say good-bye to Beijing and hello to the Arabian Gulf in my next postings
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Shanghai..
So, we all think about Shainghai as an international city both historically and certainly ever more so in the future.
But whatever the future holds, I was immediately confronted with the fact that my taxi driver didn't under a word of English nor the Chinese version of the hotel name that someone in Beijing had written out for me. Yes, I had my reservation sheet from the hotel but that didn't do much good in English. And the Chinese version wasn't working, so what to do next? Frantic, but thinking quickly, I remembered the phrase list at the back of the Time Out Shanghai guide that was resting in my backpack. I flipped quickly through the book and, much to my relief, found the name of the hotel written in Chinese. I passed the book to the front of the taxi and all was good. But this only one of several times the phrase book came in handy. So I have to thank Abby and Ed for providing their Time Out Shanghai book before I left SF.
There were so many notable things about Shanghai I hardly know where to begin and I don't want to bore you to tears with a very long entry. So here's some highlights:
--the 1/2 day walking tour around Shanghai with a fellow named Peter Hibbard, a historian affiliated with the Royal Asiatic Society who, I should note, has recently been recognized in some significant way by the Queen. (I don't want to misrepresent it so I'll leave it at that) Turns out that this man knows virtually every detail of the architectural history of Shanghai as well as every alley, vestibule and every nook and cranny of where to see both Shanghai's diverse architectural richness as well as places to point out the more subtle changes that are sweeping the lives of the people in Shanghai. I recommend him highly for anyone traveling to Shanghai but suggest you find a group to join as it will make his rather fancy price more affordable.
--the Jewish tour of Shanghai run by a very nice Israeli guy, Dvir Bar-Gal, who is passionate about bringing to light the history of the 20,000 Holocaust refugees who escaped to Shanghai during the war. (He did point out that there was a Chinese Diplomat in Vienna, Dr. Ho Feng Shan, who issued many visas but whose assistance to the Jews went unrecognized for decades. More recently Dr. Ho has been recognized at Yad Vashem so I will look for information on him when I get to Israel in a few weeks)
I should note that while there was no extermination in Shanghai, the conditions under the Japanese were deplorable; a significant number of refugees died from disease and some were imprisoned in wretched conditions at various times. And as the Japanese increasingly controlled Shanghai, they forced the Jews out of several neighborhoods and into a ghetto called Hongkou. So while it was a refuge, and many Jews made the best of it through cunning resourcefulness, it was a fairly horrible existence unto itself. And I should add, something I didn't learn about in Sunday school.
For those interested in this topic, you can check out the website www.shanghai-jews.com and you can google also for additional materials on the subject. But you should also know that while Dvir's tour focuses on the 20,0000 Jews who found refuge in Shanghai during the war, there is a rich Jewish history reaching back hundreds of years. So you might also "google" a bit about the Iraqi and Russian Jews who established communities in China long before the war. The Iraqi Jews in particular (the Sassoons, the Khadoories, the Hardoons) have a fasciinating history as traders and economic powerhouses who were also philanthropists and deeply engaged in the Shanghai community of their day.
-- the two cooking classes I took were the social highlight of Shanghai. I met a lot of interesting people from across the globe and had a very nice time both learning some Chinese cooking techniques and visiting a local food market. And as luck would have it, I met a very nice Swiss gay guy in the class (with a Chinese boyfriend) who showed me a bit of the arts scene in Shanghai and took me to a very nice tapas restaurant for dinner.
-- I had some really delicious peking duck and a hefty order of steamed dumplings in Shanghai (yes, I had it in Beijing too) for a mere $12. When I was finished stuffing myself, they brought a bowl of soup that was large enough to feed a table of 6. Unfortunately, I couldn't eat another thing and had to explain to my non-English speaking wait people that I was leaving it untouched. Next time.
-- and last, but not least, I attended a lecture of the Literary Guild, that was, coincidentally being held while I was in town. The person I went to hears speak is a woman named Tess Johnston, a retired Foreign Service Officer, who just published a short book about the overseas assignments that influenced her most in her years living abroad: Berlin, Vietnam and Shanghai. It was a nice event and the reading included some delightful personal touches about life in the foreign service. It made me wonder whether I still have a career overseas left in me -- perhaps stamping visas somewhere for a few years.
Shanghai is a city that is both rich in history and poised for change. It has a wide variety of architecture (new and old), culture, digital buzz, youth, migrant labor, pollution, a yen for the future and more. I would gladly spend another week there taking in more of their symphony, jazz, art and museum scene and revisiting some of the historical sites that captured my interest. It's a city that is much like London or Paris in Europe. You can probably visit any number of times and still find ways to enjoy the vibrancy of this fascinating place. Maybe I'll go back in December for an encore.
But whatever the future holds, I was immediately confronted with the fact that my taxi driver didn't under a word of English nor the Chinese version of the hotel name that someone in Beijing had written out for me. Yes, I had my reservation sheet from the hotel but that didn't do much good in English. And the Chinese version wasn't working, so what to do next? Frantic, but thinking quickly, I remembered the phrase list at the back of the Time Out Shanghai guide that was resting in my backpack. I flipped quickly through the book and, much to my relief, found the name of the hotel written in Chinese. I passed the book to the front of the taxi and all was good. But this only one of several times the phrase book came in handy. So I have to thank Abby and Ed for providing their Time Out Shanghai book before I left SF.
There were so many notable things about Shanghai I hardly know where to begin and I don't want to bore you to tears with a very long entry. So here's some highlights:
--the 1/2 day walking tour around Shanghai with a fellow named Peter Hibbard, a historian affiliated with the Royal Asiatic Society who, I should note, has recently been recognized in some significant way by the Queen. (I don't want to misrepresent it so I'll leave it at that) Turns out that this man knows virtually every detail of the architectural history of Shanghai as well as every alley, vestibule and every nook and cranny of where to see both Shanghai's diverse architectural richness as well as places to point out the more subtle changes that are sweeping the lives of the people in Shanghai. I recommend him highly for anyone traveling to Shanghai but suggest you find a group to join as it will make his rather fancy price more affordable.
--the Jewish tour of Shanghai run by a very nice Israeli guy, Dvir Bar-Gal, who is passionate about bringing to light the history of the 20,000 Holocaust refugees who escaped to Shanghai during the war. (He did point out that there was a Chinese Diplomat in Vienna, Dr. Ho Feng Shan, who issued many visas but whose assistance to the Jews went unrecognized for decades. More recently Dr. Ho has been recognized at Yad Vashem so I will look for information on him when I get to Israel in a few weeks)
I should note that while there was no extermination in Shanghai, the conditions under the Japanese were deplorable; a significant number of refugees died from disease and some were imprisoned in wretched conditions at various times. And as the Japanese increasingly controlled Shanghai, they forced the Jews out of several neighborhoods and into a ghetto called Hongkou. So while it was a refuge, and many Jews made the best of it through cunning resourcefulness, it was a fairly horrible existence unto itself. And I should add, something I didn't learn about in Sunday school.
For those interested in this topic, you can check out the website www.shanghai-jews.com and you can google also for additional materials on the subject. But you should also know that while Dvir's tour focuses on the 20,0000 Jews who found refuge in Shanghai during the war, there is a rich Jewish history reaching back hundreds of years. So you might also "google" a bit about the Iraqi and Russian Jews who established communities in China long before the war. The Iraqi Jews in particular (the Sassoons, the Khadoories, the Hardoons) have a fasciinating history as traders and economic powerhouses who were also philanthropists and deeply engaged in the Shanghai community of their day.
-- the two cooking classes I took were the social highlight of Shanghai. I met a lot of interesting people from across the globe and had a very nice time both learning some Chinese cooking techniques and visiting a local food market. And as luck would have it, I met a very nice Swiss gay guy in the class (with a Chinese boyfriend) who showed me a bit of the arts scene in Shanghai and took me to a very nice tapas restaurant for dinner.
-- I had some really delicious peking duck and a hefty order of steamed dumplings in Shanghai (yes, I had it in Beijing too) for a mere $12. When I was finished stuffing myself, they brought a bowl of soup that was large enough to feed a table of 6. Unfortunately, I couldn't eat another thing and had to explain to my non-English speaking wait people that I was leaving it untouched. Next time.
-- and last, but not least, I attended a lecture of the Literary Guild, that was, coincidentally being held while I was in town. The person I went to hears speak is a woman named Tess Johnston, a retired Foreign Service Officer, who just published a short book about the overseas assignments that influenced her most in her years living abroad: Berlin, Vietnam and Shanghai. It was a nice event and the reading included some delightful personal touches about life in the foreign service. It made me wonder whether I still have a career overseas left in me -- perhaps stamping visas somewhere for a few years.
Shanghai is a city that is both rich in history and poised for change. It has a wide variety of architecture (new and old), culture, digital buzz, youth, migrant labor, pollution, a yen for the future and more. I would gladly spend another week there taking in more of their symphony, jazz, art and museum scene and revisiting some of the historical sites that captured my interest. It's a city that is much like London or Paris in Europe. You can probably visit any number of times and still find ways to enjoy the vibrancy of this fascinating place. Maybe I'll go back in December for an encore.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
China - A unique nation where all looms large
At first I thought that my blog postings would continue in chronological order (Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai) but upon reflection I think I will write first about Hong Kong and Shanghai. And then finish with Beijing in a few days.
Why is that? As I may have commented in one of my earlier posts, this adventure has evolved into an exploration of the former British empire. While some of these countries remain part of the commonwealth today along with the pomp and circumstance –- others like China have brought former colonies fully into their control.
In any event, while the entire visit to China was enlightening and full of fun experiences, there is something about the historical transformation in both Hong Kong and Shanghai that call out for attention. Starting with Hong Kong, it is important to recall that 1997 was the formal turnover of Hong Kong to the Chinese. It is a little startling to think that while many other gems of the British empire were given up in the 50’s and 60’s, the British were able to hold onto Hong Kong for so long.
But today it is part of China’s” one party, two systems” experiment and also part of what I’d like to call its “two system , one tension system .” What do I mean by that? Well, we all know Hong Kong as being an economic power center of Asia. After all, Hong Kong sits on an island with hardly any resources or manufacturing and yet it is an economic titan. Because of its historic place in the British empire which means today there is a large English speaking, well educated and affluent population, Hong Kong has always maintained a key role in the region. Well my assignment is not to write a book about it, but what I did learn is that it appears that China is doing everything it can to create a rival capitalist center of China on the Mainland – and that is in Shanghai. And this leaves the future of Hong Kong unclear -- just as it was for the decades before the 1997 turnover.
As we know, the Chinese have been relatively careful to maintain the status quo on Hong Kong and to avoid creating an untenable political or economic environment that would alienate either the Chinese population or Hong Kong's economic machine. I was told by someone that, in fact, they rather enjoy having this free market possession within their control. It's something they can "play" with. But it is also clear that Shanghai is in their sights to become the new Hong Kong, the new capital of capitalism in China, and even, perhaps, THE global economic powerhouse of the 21st century in Asia. It has the potential to be the economic capital of the region – the leading trading hub for the region as well as the gateway to 1.3 billion people whose material needs and production capacity are growing by the second.
My impression is that while Hong Kong is a bustling hub stuffed cheek to jowl, where business is everything and the local population stays highly focused on getting their business done. At the same time, they are very concerned about the future; there is a new leader looming and it is casting a large shadow. And they know it
One personal example of the focus on business became apparent the first morning I was there. I had arrived late at night and so wasn’t too familiar with where I was. As I began to look for a bit to eat, I noticed a man in a yarmulke passing me on the street. It caught my attention. Then came #2, #3, #4. I noted this to myself (who couldn’t notice this in Hong Kong?) and went about my business for the day. I returned from my outing during rush hour and the busy streets turned into a whirl of people and activity. I thought it was New York on steroids. The thought of getting a cab for the 1 mile trip was a pipe dream so I started to walk map in hand. It wasn't too challenging I must admit as everything in Hong Kong is well marked in English --thanks to the Brits. Finally, I got to a place that was familiar and I knew I just had to continue straight for the remaining distance. Happy with myself, I stuck the map in my pocket and carried on. A few minutes later, I heard someone from behind say “excuse me, sir, but you dropped your map.”
When I turned around there was a hassid standing there in full regalia – the long robe, pais, tzits, black hat. Everything. He handed me the map and was on his way – right in the direction of my hotel – talking in English to a 40 something Chinese business man the entire time. Curious as can be, I approached the front desk clerk (a nice gay guy I had met several times already) and asked if there was anything special going on in town, mentioning explicitly that I saw a lot of men with little hats on their heads. Non-plussed, he immediately replied that it was the week of the Hong Kong jewelry show and that’s why they were there. Now I understood.
I also learned that there are some stunning parts to the island side of Hong Kong at Repulse Bay (don’t know the history of that one) which includes a spectacular coast line which runs some distance outside of downtown. As is inevitable, the coastal roads are replete with condo towers that hug the expansive mountains behind them while reaching miles into the sky overhead. Check out this site.
http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/attractions/hk-repulse-bay.html
The Repulse Bay area can be breathtaking, overwhelming and a bit shocking all at the same time. One prays that there will never be seismic action on Hong Kong after traveling that coast line. But otherwise, it is stunning.
Stay tuned for China II and more on my fun time in Shanghai...
Why is that? As I may have commented in one of my earlier posts, this adventure has evolved into an exploration of the former British empire. While some of these countries remain part of the commonwealth today along with the pomp and circumstance –- others like China have brought former colonies fully into their control.
In any event, while the entire visit to China was enlightening and full of fun experiences, there is something about the historical transformation in both Hong Kong and Shanghai that call out for attention. Starting with Hong Kong, it is important to recall that 1997 was the formal turnover of Hong Kong to the Chinese. It is a little startling to think that while many other gems of the British empire were given up in the 50’s and 60’s, the British were able to hold onto Hong Kong for so long.
But today it is part of China’s” one party, two systems” experiment and also part of what I’d like to call its “two system , one tension system .” What do I mean by that? Well, we all know Hong Kong as being an economic power center of Asia. After all, Hong Kong sits on an island with hardly any resources or manufacturing and yet it is an economic titan. Because of its historic place in the British empire which means today there is a large English speaking, well educated and affluent population, Hong Kong has always maintained a key role in the region. Well my assignment is not to write a book about it, but what I did learn is that it appears that China is doing everything it can to create a rival capitalist center of China on the Mainland – and that is in Shanghai. And this leaves the future of Hong Kong unclear -- just as it was for the decades before the 1997 turnover.
As we know, the Chinese have been relatively careful to maintain the status quo on Hong Kong and to avoid creating an untenable political or economic environment that would alienate either the Chinese population or Hong Kong's economic machine. I was told by someone that, in fact, they rather enjoy having this free market possession within their control. It's something they can "play" with. But it is also clear that Shanghai is in their sights to become the new Hong Kong, the new capital of capitalism in China, and even, perhaps, THE global economic powerhouse of the 21st century in Asia. It has the potential to be the economic capital of the region – the leading trading hub for the region as well as the gateway to 1.3 billion people whose material needs and production capacity are growing by the second.
My impression is that while Hong Kong is a bustling hub stuffed cheek to jowl, where business is everything and the local population stays highly focused on getting their business done. At the same time, they are very concerned about the future; there is a new leader looming and it is casting a large shadow. And they know it
One personal example of the focus on business became apparent the first morning I was there. I had arrived late at night and so wasn’t too familiar with where I was. As I began to look for a bit to eat, I noticed a man in a yarmulke passing me on the street. It caught my attention. Then came #2, #3, #4. I noted this to myself (who couldn’t notice this in Hong Kong?) and went about my business for the day. I returned from my outing during rush hour and the busy streets turned into a whirl of people and activity. I thought it was New York on steroids. The thought of getting a cab for the 1 mile trip was a pipe dream so I started to walk map in hand. It wasn't too challenging I must admit as everything in Hong Kong is well marked in English --thanks to the Brits. Finally, I got to a place that was familiar and I knew I just had to continue straight for the remaining distance. Happy with myself, I stuck the map in my pocket and carried on. A few minutes later, I heard someone from behind say “excuse me, sir, but you dropped your map.”
When I turned around there was a hassid standing there in full regalia – the long robe, pais, tzits, black hat. Everything. He handed me the map and was on his way – right in the direction of my hotel – talking in English to a 40 something Chinese business man the entire time. Curious as can be, I approached the front desk clerk (a nice gay guy I had met several times already) and asked if there was anything special going on in town, mentioning explicitly that I saw a lot of men with little hats on their heads. Non-plussed, he immediately replied that it was the week of the Hong Kong jewelry show and that’s why they were there. Now I understood.
I also learned that there are some stunning parts to the island side of Hong Kong at Repulse Bay (don’t know the history of that one) which includes a spectacular coast line which runs some distance outside of downtown. As is inevitable, the coastal roads are replete with condo towers that hug the expansive mountains behind them while reaching miles into the sky overhead. Check out this site.
http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/attractions/hk-repulse-bay.html
The Repulse Bay area can be breathtaking, overwhelming and a bit shocking all at the same time. One prays that there will never be seismic action on Hong Kong after traveling that coast line. But otherwise, it is stunning.
Stay tuned for China II and more on my fun time in Shanghai...
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Singapore: a social and political experiment
I have just landed in Hong Kong from Shanghai. Silly me, but I had forgotten that Google might not be fully accessible on the mainland. I had written this post right before leaving Singapore with the intention of editing it once I landed in Beijing. It didn't work out that way. It is now 9 days later and I'm able to access my blog again. One country -- two systems.
So therefore, I present you Singapore Continued.... (Stay tuned for China in the next few days.)
My first day in Singapore I wandered through the contemporary art museum and the national museum both of which adjoin Fort Canning, an important site for the British colonial army, especially at the time the Japanese invaded and occupied Singapore.
The contemporary art exhibit was fascinating as it featured dissident artists from Malaysia and Indonesia. This surprised me a bit as my naive impression is that everything in Singapore is sanitized. Well, I think that is mostly true. Except when they want to stick it a little bit to their neighbors.
One needs to look back historically and recall that Singapore and Malaysia were bound together as recently as 1965. And the conflict between the dominant Chinese population in Singapore and the poorer Muslim Malays continues to this day. Yet, I don't think you will find a dissident art exhibit by Singaporean artists. There are limits. They will acknowledge dissent among their rivals but you won't find much evidence of dissent internally.
This is a good moment to note that the stereotype of Singapore being a spotless city, where littering could bring the death penalty, is just not true. In fact, one can see various degrees of litter at different points in the city, most notably in the Malay section of town. This is especially true around the Malay cemetery which is part park and part burial ground. It is evident (at least to me) that the government is thumbing its nose at the Malays by leaving the public land around their neighborhood in a fairly seedy condition. It is certainly a contrast with the rest of the city where you see municipal workers sweeping up everywhere and the modern economy moving at a brisk pace. Not to leave a false impression here -- the Malay section of the city has its charm, including an ethnic heritage museum, a well preserved Mosque and a pedestrian area bustling with tourist shops. It was the bordering cemetery area, which is at a fairly prominent cross roads in the city, that I observed this rather perplexing scene. (I had actually remembered this same area being similarly littered when I was there a few years back but thought it was just an outlier of some sort.) But now I think it is to some degree a political and societal issue. I've tentatively concluded that the municipality intentionally leaves this park/burial ground in somewhat poor condition. When I asked the guide about it, she said the park always looked this way and then moved on to the next topic. Perhaps I will have a chance to learn more on my next visit to Singapore.
At the same time there is this vexing question of litter around this one area, you will find a tight knit and bustling Indian community doing its business and being economic leaders. And you will find a heightened recognition of the "Peranakan" community. This is essentially a recognition and respect demanded --and now given --to the various inter-married minorities which have evolved over the centuries whether they be Chinese, Malay, Indian, Europeans or others. And, of course, the Chinese are economic entrepeneurs almost like no others.
Well, I will leave it up to you to consider the question of how multi-ethnic and religiously diverse societies function in real life. I think Singapore makes a very decent, albeit imperfect, effort to to align and support its various ethnic and religous communities. You should have no doubt that this is a capitalist society to its very core. Just stop at any indoor shopping mall which you will find on virtually every block and you will see for yourself!
So therefore, I present you Singapore Continued.... (Stay tuned for China in the next few days.)
My first day in Singapore I wandered through the contemporary art museum and the national museum both of which adjoin Fort Canning, an important site for the British colonial army, especially at the time the Japanese invaded and occupied Singapore.
The contemporary art exhibit was fascinating as it featured dissident artists from Malaysia and Indonesia. This surprised me a bit as my naive impression is that everything in Singapore is sanitized. Well, I think that is mostly true. Except when they want to stick it a little bit to their neighbors.
One needs to look back historically and recall that Singapore and Malaysia were bound together as recently as 1965. And the conflict between the dominant Chinese population in Singapore and the poorer Muslim Malays continues to this day. Yet, I don't think you will find a dissident art exhibit by Singaporean artists. There are limits. They will acknowledge dissent among their rivals but you won't find much evidence of dissent internally.
This is a good moment to note that the stereotype of Singapore being a spotless city, where littering could bring the death penalty, is just not true. In fact, one can see various degrees of litter at different points in the city, most notably in the Malay section of town. This is especially true around the Malay cemetery which is part park and part burial ground. It is evident (at least to me) that the government is thumbing its nose at the Malays by leaving the public land around their neighborhood in a fairly seedy condition. It is certainly a contrast with the rest of the city where you see municipal workers sweeping up everywhere and the modern economy moving at a brisk pace. Not to leave a false impression here -- the Malay section of the city has its charm, including an ethnic heritage museum, a well preserved Mosque and a pedestrian area bustling with tourist shops. It was the bordering cemetery area, which is at a fairly prominent cross roads in the city, that I observed this rather perplexing scene. (I had actually remembered this same area being similarly littered when I was there a few years back but thought it was just an outlier of some sort.) But now I think it is to some degree a political and societal issue. I've tentatively concluded that the municipality intentionally leaves this park/burial ground in somewhat poor condition. When I asked the guide about it, she said the park always looked this way and then moved on to the next topic. Perhaps I will have a chance to learn more on my next visit to Singapore.
At the same time there is this vexing question of litter around this one area, you will find a tight knit and bustling Indian community doing its business and being economic leaders. And you will find a heightened recognition of the "Peranakan" community. This is essentially a recognition and respect demanded --and now given --to the various inter-married minorities which have evolved over the centuries whether they be Chinese, Malay, Indian, Europeans or others. And, of course, the Chinese are economic entrepeneurs almost like no others.
Well, I will leave it up to you to consider the question of how multi-ethnic and religiously diverse societies function in real life. I think Singapore makes a very decent, albeit imperfect, effort to to align and support its various ethnic and religous communities. You should have no doubt that this is a capitalist society to its very core. Just stop at any indoor shopping mall which you will find on virtually every block and you will see for yourself!
Singapore -- a city of contrasts and contradictions
I have come to admire Singapore in the course of two visits, this one being my second. Singapore has a rich and complex history that involves, of course, a significant European colonial period with all of its complexities and complications. In our visit to Port Arthur in Tasmania (which I neglected to mention in my last post) we were exposed to the insidious effects of "convict" labor as a means of colonial expansion. It was more of a bizarre social experiment where children and adults were sent thousands of miles for a variety of sometimes (perhaps most times) petty crimes like stealing a handkerchief. I'm sure there were real criminals among them but geez
Nonetheless, flash forward and I'm standing in the awesome Asian Civilization Museum in Singapore when our guide told us that the building had been originally built by Indian "convicts" brought to Singapore by the British. I then realized that my round the world trip is really a study in the implications of British colonialism since I will touch virtually all the commonwealth countries on my journey. Perhaps I need to add Nigeria to my itinerary.
More on the polyglot society of Singapore in my next posting.
Nonetheless, flash forward and I'm standing in the awesome Asian Civilization Museum in Singapore when our guide told us that the building had been originally built by Indian "convicts" brought to Singapore by the British. I then realized that my round the world trip is really a study in the implications of British colonialism since I will touch virtually all the commonwealth countries on my journey. Perhaps I need to add Nigeria to my itinerary.
More on the polyglot society of Singapore in my next posting.
Tassie II
We continued our exploration on Tassie for about 8 days. Had the honor of seeing a platypus in his (or her) natural habitat and, later on, penguins up the coast near Bicheno, a charming little beachfront town. Stayed in some wonderful (and inexpensive) beachfront accommodations as we meandered up the coast.
Stunning sights at Wineglass Bay are as dramatic and inspiring as all the guidebooks promise and definitely worth the stop. We hiked for about an hour to get to the must stunning lookout and were very proud of all the calories we burned to get there. My traveling companion, Shaul, claims we only burned 2 calories. I hope it was at least 100.
Our final evening on Tassie was in Launceston which exceeded all expectations for interesting architecture and charm. According to a local we ran into at an art gallery, Launceston has one of the largest number of preserved historical buildings in all of Australia. Will spend a bit more time there on the next trip as the surrounding towns also had some charming buildings and grounds that we rushed by since it was our last day.
I should also add that I mastered driving on the left just in time to fly off to Melbourne where we relied solely on public transit. But I feel confident for the driving in South Africa in a few months time.
Stunning sights at Wineglass Bay are as dramatic and inspiring as all the guidebooks promise and definitely worth the stop. We hiked for about an hour to get to the must stunning lookout and were very proud of all the calories we burned to get there. My traveling companion, Shaul, claims we only burned 2 calories. I hope it was at least 100.
Our final evening on Tassie was in Launceston which exceeded all expectations for interesting architecture and charm. According to a local we ran into at an art gallery, Launceston has one of the largest number of preserved historical buildings in all of Australia. Will spend a bit more time there on the next trip as the surrounding towns also had some charming buildings and grounds that we rushed by since it was our last day.
I should also add that I mastered driving on the left just in time to fly off to Melbourne where we relied solely on public transit. But I feel confident for the driving in South Africa in a few months time.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Tassie....
Just beginning our adventure into Tassie. Haven't met such warm and outgoing people in a very long time. Starting at lunch on Friday, a local couple overheard us chatting about our plans and graciously offered to give us tips and advice starting with the local bakery on Battery Point that both had delicious pastries but also wonderful views of the harbor. The special bonus with that little hike (and it was a very little hike) were the music students playing their classical instruments in the park sitting above the harbor view. It was a story book experience.
Yesterday was the market at Salamanca Place for which Hobart is renowned. It's a market of diverse offerings from arts and crafts to food, flowers, antiques and everything you can imagine. We bought fresh jam, organic cheeses, bread, marinated figs, a breed of pears we' never heard of, fresh blueberries, poppy seed cake and many more delicious things that I can't remember. We have enough food for at least 2 picnics and probably more.
We also attended a service at the oldest Jewish Congregation in Australia, built on the land of a Jewish convict -- and we even saw one of the benches where they brought convict Jews for Saturday services. It was a lovely old shul which included a prayer on the wall for the safety of the Royal Family and a plaque commemorating the gift of a sephardic Torah from Lady Sara Ezra, a member of the famous Sassoon family from India. You get a real sense that Tassie was a trading crossroads and the Jews were very much a part of it. Flash forward to 2010 -- we were 7 people at the service: my friend Shaul and I, a few native Aussies, a British couple, a woman of Dutch origin, a woman whose family came from Egypt via Spain (just like in the history books) and one other American. They welcomed us with open arms and in fact the British couple almost begged us to come visit them at their home. In the spirit of connecting with real people on this trip, we are going to have dinner with them tonight. It will be a special evening I'm sure.
We're off on out day trip to see some of the wilderness sites that are ubiquitous on this island. Updates to follow...
Yesterday was the market at Salamanca Place for which Hobart is renowned. It's a market of diverse offerings from arts and crafts to food, flowers, antiques and everything you can imagine. We bought fresh jam, organic cheeses, bread, marinated figs, a breed of pears we' never heard of, fresh blueberries, poppy seed cake and many more delicious things that I can't remember. We have enough food for at least 2 picnics and probably more.
We also attended a service at the oldest Jewish Congregation in Australia, built on the land of a Jewish convict -- and we even saw one of the benches where they brought convict Jews for Saturday services. It was a lovely old shul which included a prayer on the wall for the safety of the Royal Family and a plaque commemorating the gift of a sephardic Torah from Lady Sara Ezra, a member of the famous Sassoon family from India. You get a real sense that Tassie was a trading crossroads and the Jews were very much a part of it. Flash forward to 2010 -- we were 7 people at the service: my friend Shaul and I, a few native Aussies, a British couple, a woman of Dutch origin, a woman whose family came from Egypt via Spain (just like in the history books) and one other American. They welcomed us with open arms and in fact the British couple almost begged us to come visit them at their home. In the spirit of connecting with real people on this trip, we are going to have dinner with them tonight. It will be a special evening I'm sure.
We're off on out day trip to see some of the wilderness sites that are ubiquitous on this island. Updates to follow...
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Wondrous Sydney
Arrived safely and easily from New Zealand, just a 3.5 hour ride away. Sydney is a world class city with the Opera House as an iconic emblem of everything that Sydney has to offer -- beautiful views, expansive harbors, bays and beach and a very cosmopolitan, bustling downtown.
My friend Shaul and I spent two days walking every which way with stops at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Botanic Gardens which, unfortunately, is infested with flying foxes (very large bats). The groundskeeper promised they were harmless but they weren't very appealing.
One surprise in Sydney is that we had the pleasure of standing near the very distinguished Governor of New South Wales, Marie Bashir, as she was leaving a ceremony commemorating the 68th invasion of Singapore by Japan. As part of the British commonwealth, the governors of Australian territories (or states) are appointed by the Queen. I'm definitely game for offering my services to assist the Queen in staying close to her subjects.
In search of a real challenge, we picked up our rental car and headed to Canberra via the Coast and then the mountains, driving almost always on the left :) The coast is as stunning as you've seen on television. But the surprise -- and this is not to be missed -- is the drive across the mountains via the Royal National Park. We both remarked that the drive inland reminded us of the road to Hana (on Maui) with numerous hairpin curves and spectacular views, both of which could take your breath away. Don't skip this jaunt on your trips to Australia! Unfortunately, there were no kangaroo sightings. Just a sign warning us not to hit them.
By the way, for those of you who have seen Invictus and got a sense for what Rugby players look like (at least the movie star version), I had the pleasure of having the Sydney Roosters on board my flight from Auckland to Sydney. Well, what can I say. These rugby players were as big and athletic in person as the South African team looked in the movies. It was hard not to take notice. :)
Back to the real world. Today we head out from our very spartan B & B in Canberra to see the capital city. Stay tuned....
My friend Shaul and I spent two days walking every which way with stops at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Botanic Gardens which, unfortunately, is infested with flying foxes (very large bats). The groundskeeper promised they were harmless but they weren't very appealing.
One surprise in Sydney is that we had the pleasure of standing near the very distinguished Governor of New South Wales, Marie Bashir, as she was leaving a ceremony commemorating the 68th invasion of Singapore by Japan. As part of the British commonwealth, the governors of Australian territories (or states) are appointed by the Queen. I'm definitely game for offering my services to assist the Queen in staying close to her subjects.
In search of a real challenge, we picked up our rental car and headed to Canberra via the Coast and then the mountains, driving almost always on the left :) The coast is as stunning as you've seen on television. But the surprise -- and this is not to be missed -- is the drive across the mountains via the Royal National Park. We both remarked that the drive inland reminded us of the road to Hana (on Maui) with numerous hairpin curves and spectacular views, both of which could take your breath away. Don't skip this jaunt on your trips to Australia! Unfortunately, there were no kangaroo sightings. Just a sign warning us not to hit them.
By the way, for those of you who have seen Invictus and got a sense for what Rugby players look like (at least the movie star version), I had the pleasure of having the Sydney Roosters on board my flight from Auckland to Sydney. Well, what can I say. These rugby players were as big and athletic in person as the South African team looked in the movies. It was hard not to take notice. :)
Back to the real world. Today we head out from our very spartan B & B in Canberra to see the capital city. Stay tuned....
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The end of the beginning..
When you talk to people about New Zealand they're always enthused about the south island. Well I'm a contrarian kind of guy and was pretty skeptical. In fact, travel along the eastern coast -- highlighted by a train right from the ferry station at Picton to Christchurch was pleasant (lots of rolling hills, endless plains with grazing sheep and periodic ocean views as the train periodically joined the coast -- was just ok. And Christchurch was just plain gritty.
But take the train that crosses the Alpine Alps and you'll have an entirely different, exhilarating experience. Both the trip through Arthur's pass and then up the western coastline (by bus) from Greymouth are breathtaking. The absolute highlight was at Punakaki, (www.punakaiki.co.nz) an exquisite site where tectonic events have created a large expanse of intriguing "pancake" rocks that intersect with nature as these enormous rocks and the Tasman sea come together.
http://www.travelplanner.co.nz/maps/index.cfm?incl=22
A few more days in Nelson with a harbourside room and a fabulous meal at a very fine restaurant were the crowning events of the New Zealand trip. Well.. and one more thing. I almost missed my flight to Australia from New Zealand. Even an experienced traveler can make mistakes. Who knew that the international terminal in Auckland was a 20 minute walk from the domestic terminal. I was just looking for signs for the lounge. Long story short, I hustled myself with a bit of sweat on my brown and made it with enough time to spare for a very comfortable 3 hour journey to Sydney.
Next up... Sydney.
But take the train that crosses the Alpine Alps and you'll have an entirely different, exhilarating experience. Both the trip through Arthur's pass and then up the western coastline (by bus) from Greymouth are breathtaking. The absolute highlight was at Punakaki, (www.punakaiki.co.nz) an exquisite site where tectonic events have created a large expanse of intriguing "pancake" rocks that intersect with nature as these enormous rocks and the Tasman sea come together.
http://www.travelplanner.co.nz/maps/index.cfm?incl=22
A few more days in Nelson with a harbourside room and a fabulous meal at a very fine restaurant were the crowning events of the New Zealand trip. Well.. and one more thing. I almost missed my flight to Australia from New Zealand. Even an experienced traveler can make mistakes. Who knew that the international terminal in Auckland was a 20 minute walk from the domestic terminal. I was just looking for signs for the lounge. Long story short, I hustled myself with a bit of sweat on my brown and made it with enough time to spare for a very comfortable 3 hour journey to Sydney.
Next up... Sydney.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
New Zealand -- fun, fun, fun.
The first part of the New Zealand adventure has been filled with --- adventure! My timing couldn't have been better. The weather is great and February is a month of great significance here in NZ. The Kiwis are warm and friendly, if not a bit insecure about where they stand relative to their larger Aussie neighbors who have more land, natural resources and, evidently, wealth.
Luckily, I was able to see much of the North Island which is much underrated and deserves a good amount of time for your visit here. Start planning and let me know as I want to come back :)
Highlights include:
-- a trip to the Northland, Bay of Isles and the Waitangi Treaty grounds where a treaty was signed between the native Maori people and the Europeans on February 5, 1840. I was there on Feb 4th with preparation for the festivities in full flight. This added a sense of the history and made it easy to imagine being there at Waitangi at the time of the signing. It is set in a beautiful spot in the Bay of Isles, about 5 hours north of Auckland. There were tunning views and important history to be learned.
-- Auckland, the northern commercial capital, is a great city -- small in size, but large in character, charm, activities and views. Really liked it there. So much so that I rented a bike so I could explore on my own within the city and across the harbor in Devenport. Future Kiwi visits, don't forget to rent those bikes. I'll fill you in.
-- Napier -- you've got to check out www.artdeconapier.com What a cool town. Destroyed by an earthquake on Feb 3, 1931, this town has one of the most well preserved examples of art deco design in the world. Really enjoyed the all too brief time here, and am thinking about coming back (in the future) for the festivities of the art deco weekend held annual the third weekend in February.
-- Wellington - the political capital. I had little time so decided to focus on what I couldn't see elsewhere in New Zealand: their political system. As luck would have it, I witnessed the debate on the day their conservative George Bush type Prime Minister gave his equivalent of the state of the union. It was a big debate on tax cuts. More of the same :) They mostly follow the British parliamentary system here so lots of catcalls, hissing and jocular banter among the debating members of parliament. Really entertaining to watch this form of democracy in action.
I'm off on the Alpine rail crossing today which traverses the Kiwi Alps. Then up to Nelson which is known as a hip (like me), artsy town.
Over and out. Next update from Oz.
Luckily, I was able to see much of the North Island which is much underrated and deserves a good amount of time for your visit here. Start planning and let me know as I want to come back :)
Highlights include:
-- a trip to the Northland, Bay of Isles and the Waitangi Treaty grounds where a treaty was signed between the native Maori people and the Europeans on February 5, 1840. I was there on Feb 4th with preparation for the festivities in full flight. This added a sense of the history and made it easy to imagine being there at Waitangi at the time of the signing. It is set in a beautiful spot in the Bay of Isles, about 5 hours north of Auckland. There were tunning views and important history to be learned.
-- Auckland, the northern commercial capital, is a great city -- small in size, but large in character, charm, activities and views. Really liked it there. So much so that I rented a bike so I could explore on my own within the city and across the harbor in Devenport. Future Kiwi visits, don't forget to rent those bikes. I'll fill you in.
-- Napier -- you've got to check out www.artdeconapier.com What a cool town. Destroyed by an earthquake on Feb 3, 1931, this town has one of the most well preserved examples of art deco design in the world. Really enjoyed the all too brief time here, and am thinking about coming back (in the future) for the festivities of the art deco weekend held annual the third weekend in February.
-- Wellington - the political capital. I had little time so decided to focus on what I couldn't see elsewhere in New Zealand: their political system. As luck would have it, I witnessed the debate on the day their conservative George Bush type Prime Minister gave his equivalent of the state of the union. It was a big debate on tax cuts. More of the same :) They mostly follow the British parliamentary system here so lots of catcalls, hissing and jocular banter among the debating members of parliament. Really entertaining to watch this form of democracy in action.
I'm off on the Alpine rail crossing today which traverses the Kiwi Alps. Then up to Nelson which is known as a hip (like me), artsy town.
Over and out. Next update from Oz.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
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