Author: Julie

December 2015 – January 2016

In spite of our extensive previous travels with friends and family, we had actually never been to New Zealand or Australia, and Julie and her sister, Pam, had this “idea” that we could see it more intimately by “biking” the country! Now, although we wanted the physical challenge of biking, we were not willing to completely “rough it”, so we planned a 3-part vacation by chartering “back-to-back” cycling trips with Backroads Active Travel Company and following it up with a week exploring the east coast of Australia.

Part-1: Backroad’s Multisport Trip in New Zealand’s North Island
Our trip began on Christmas Day, 2015 as we flew from Washington, D.C. through Los Angeles and Sydney to Auckland, New Zealand. After checking-in for the night at the Auckland Hilton, we connected-up with family, Pam and her husband, A.J., and with friends, Peter and Nikki. For dinner, the 6 of us explored the local marina and docks, viewed the historic America’s Cup boats, and sampled the local cuisine before preparing for the next day.

The next morning, we met up with the other 14 “adventurers” and our 3 Guides, Heidi, Johnathan and Max, loaded up into three vans and traveled east to the Coromandel Peninsula where we had lunch in Pauanui and began our afternoon with a 3-mile hike to explore local fauna and flora of the Broken Hills area. Then we checked into chalet cabins on the edge of an undisturbed rain-forest ravine at the Puka Park Resort. This was only about a mile from the coast, and so we walked to the beach and explored the popular local recreational area. That night, we had dinner outside at the Miha Restaurant, located high up on a hill overlooking the surrounding vineyards, countryside and Mercury Bay.

The next day we boarded our bikes for the first time, and then rode to board a ferry, after which we began a challenging bike climb up Pumpkin Hill along the Mercury Bay coastal road in the wind. This ride would take us 18 miles to Mercury Bay Vineyard for lunch and a little wine, but a significant number of riders got lost along the way. After recouping, we rode another 6 miles to the beach where we were outfitted onto our 2-man sea-kayaks for the 1.5-mile paddle to Cathedral Cove – a section of beach where low-tide exposes a beach tunnel that towers beneath a lands-head that extends into the bay. After beaching our kayaks and exploring the area, our guides surprised us by setting up a “pop-up” coffee service on the blanket on the beach. After a return kayak trip back to our starting point, we rode the vans back to the hotel for drinks and dinner, and to get ready for the next day’s adventure.

 

The next day, we shuttled in vans to Karangahake Gorge, where we explore the remnants of an historic mining area. We hiked over 5 miles through tunnels, over the ruins of wash plants, across suspension bridges, and along mining-car train tracks to eventually reach a beautiful swimming hole with crystal clear water and inviting jumping-off points. After a refreshing swim, we had a picnic lunch, before hiking out of the gorge to rejoin our vans for the trip to Rotorua. Our hotel here was a resort on Rotoiti Lake where we were treated to a dinner or pork belly and snapper, and an enchanting evening socializing on the lake’s grass lawn and strolling along the lake’s edge.

It was now Thursday, December 31st, and after breakfast, we began the day with a vigorous bike ride of only 16 miles through the quiet local countryside. Upon returning from the cycling loop, we showered, ate a barbeque lunch of chicken, beef and lamb before collecting ourselves and heading to the “Agrodome” – a working sheep farm where we got to visit various “fiber-providing” animals up-close, and where we were treated to demonstrations of herding dogs and competitive sheep shearing. On the way back from the Agrodome, some of us took on an extra adventure of “Zorbing” – rolling down a hill inside of a double-hulled, giant plastic ball that’s partially filled with water! It’s a crazy minute-long ride that we all would recommend. Upon returning to the hotel, we cleaned-up again and prepared to visit a Maori marae at Taheke. We were welcomed into their ancestor’s house, the Whare Tupuna, in a traditional “calling” event, and spent a number of hour’s getting to meet and learn from on of the tribal leaders, Sean, and his wife, Jen, and their family. We had a local dinner prepared by them, and the men of the group were then privileged to learn a haka. – a Maori war chant made famous by New Zealand’s World Championship Rugby Team. When we returned to the hotel, that night was New Year’s Eve, and since we were only 2 hours from the Earth’s “date-line”, we ordered a bottle of champagne and celebrated the occasion as a precursor for the rest of the world.
2016 would begin with a 21-mile cycle ride along the white cliffs of the Paeroa Range through grasslands and farmlands to the Waikite Hot Pools. Here we were treated to a good swim and soak in geothermal pools while enjoying a lunch of lamb burgers, fries and a beer. After lunch, we rode a short distance to the Waiotapu Geothermal area, where we walked along artist’s palate of colorful pools of boiling mud and steaming water filled with arsenic, sulfur and mercury.

We then checked into the Millennium Hotel on Lake Taupo, before taking a short drive to Taupo Bungy for a chance to jump from New Zealand’s North Island’s tallest Bungee platform – more than 160 feet. Some took the plunge headfirst, but many of us chose to take the drop on the “swing” instead. That night, the six of us took dinner on our own at Mulligan’s Irish Pub before making a wine stop at a local store and making a gentle stroll along the lake back to our hotel.
After breakfast in the morning, we made a short trip to Huka Falls and took a 3-mile hike along the Waikato River. Huka means “great body of spray”, and the falls were not so impressive in height, as they were in water speed and volume. We then traveled to the River Valley Café in Hawke’s Bay wine region, for a meal of chowder and salads. The Café was a kitschy little place with knick-knacks and lots of charm, and from here we were to kick-off on one of our more difficult bike rides thus far – 33 miles with a substantial uphill to start. Wouldn’t one know it, Rocky’s bike chain broke on the climb, and after an hour’s delay to get it fixed, he and Peter rode and still caught nearly everyone on the ride. We checked into a lavish private hotel called the Mangapapa Petit Hotel. It consisted of only 12 rooms, and so we had the whole property, and it was a magnificent, quaint but modern place. That night, we traveled a short distance to the Elephant Hill Winery Restaurant for our best meal, by far, thus far on our trip. Dinner of chicken, fish or beef followed appetizers on tuna, venison and pork-belly, and desserts included cheesecake, mousse and crepes, all accompanied by their own wines! Back at the Mangapapa, we took a leisurely stroll around the gardens and readied ourselves for the next day.

On Sunday, we would have the opportunity to bike from our hotel up the Te Mata Peak Road, riding 36 miles and climbing over 1100’ of elevation. The first part of the ride was relatively level, past wineries and out to Cape Kidnappers Point, where we took pictures of the ocean and ourselves. Then we stopped at Clearview Winery for tasting, trying hard to avoid the rain and to maintain an ability to continue to cycle. The route then took us over hills and the Tukituki River, past vineyards and wineries, until we reached the scenic overlook of the ride on Te Mata Peak. From there, it was mostly downhill back to the town of Havelock North, where we stopped for a late lunch at The Rose and Shamrock Village Inn. Finally, we returned to the hotel to get ready for dinner there, hosted by David and his staff, and preceded with a rousing sing-along with one of our group, Steve, at the piano. After a dinner of lamb chops, we took time to explore the hotel rooms more fully while drinking nightcaps with David, the manager. We were very much impressed by the gold-plated plumbing and the original Chagall’s, Picasso’s and Tiffany lamps spread between our rooms.

Day 8 of our North Island Multisport Trip began with a short drive to the base of Le Mata Peak, and a pastoral 3.5-mile hike through the redwood forest groves and up the grassy ridgelines to the summit. From there, the group surveyed the past day’s routes, took pictures and returned to the Mangapapa hotel for lunch and departures to the Napier Airport. We said our “good-byes” to our newest friends, and set off on our flights to Wellington, and then to Christchurch on the South Island to begin the second part of our adventure.

 

 

September 2015

On Sunday, September 20th Julie and Roc continued their 2015 European Adventure by flying from Prague in the Czech Republic to London’s Heathrow Airport. There we were met by our good Shell friend, Guy, who drove 90 minutes from Southeast England to pick us up and take us to he and Sue’s house, a converted “double Oast” named “Lymden Oast” located near the town of Stonegate! Oast buildings were a type of kiln built during in the 19th century to dry hops. After we unpacked in our bedroom on the Oast’s second floor, Sue made us an excellent English traditional Sunday dinner of leg of lamb, potatoes, mashed carrots, and string beans, followed with drinks by the fireplace in their sitting room.

On Monday, we drove a short distance to the town of Tonbridge Wells to explore town and have lunch. We walked through the village, looking at an old church where Princess Elizabeth once attended, and window shopping the stores that that line the old town built when the town hosted summer visitors for the curative waters that might cure their ills. Now, the town is home to a huge pedestrian street of shops, in addition to an indoor mall with a Marks & Spencer’s store. The day was cool and overcast and so we had lunch indoor.  As we left town to return to the Oast, typical English rains began to fall. That evening, we went to a local pub, “The Bull” for drinks and a dinner of fish and chips, ribs and lamb burgers. The evening was followed-up back in the sitting room, in front of a fire, playing a card game called “Frustration”.

Tuesday was a rainy, cool day, and we traveled by car to visit Sue’s mother, Jo, in the town of Bromley for afternoon tea and biscuits.  We then returned to the Oast in time for dinner with Guy’s mother, Shirley. That evening we all had a lovely time catching up since we had last met years before.

On Wednesday, September 23rd, we took the train from the nearby town of Wadhurst, into London, where we caught the “Tube” to travel to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Stadium, soon to be the home of the West Ham Football Team.

 

This stadium would host tomorrow’s World Cup Rugby Match for which we had tickets, and we used this preview to walk around the area and to tour the ArcelorMittal Orbit, the tallest sculpture in England. Located at the top is a beautiful observation deck and a series of inverted mirrors. To get back down, we walked the series of 450 steps and connecting ramps that wrap around the sculpture.

We then had lunch at a sports pub, “The Football Club” located in the adjoining shopping mall, “West End.” We felt completely at home in our rugby jerseys, watching the many soccer games that surrounded us on television. After returning to London on the “Tube”, we exited at the Waterloo Station and began a walking tour to the London Eye. From the giant wheel, we could see much of downtown London.  After the 30-minute ride on the “Eye” we walked across the Thames to Big Ben and Parliament, and then on to Westminster Abbey, King James’ Garden, and Buckingham Palace.

 

 

 

 

We then strolled through the park to Piccadilly Circus for shopping and dinner. After a light dinner, we made our way through Leister Square to Charring Cross where we caught the train back to Stonegate for Rugby Match watching on television.

Thursday morning, we relaxed with Sue & Guy. Julie went out to the edge of the yard and picked blackberries. Later that day, Roc and Julie retraced yesterday’s route taking the train and tube to the QEII Olympic Stadium to attend the RWC Match of New Zealand vs. Namibia. We arrived early enough to enjoy the Fan Zone, including free Coca Cola, signs and flags for everyone. All of the fans were in full rugby attire and there was a big screen showing rugby matches, with volunteers making sure everyone was having a good time. There was lots of food and drinks, and even champagne available.  We entered the stands early and people watched, listened to an Irish band and watched the teams’ warm-up. It was a predominantly a New Zealand crowd, but there was lots of cheering for the Namibian team. A large group of fans from France were behind us and there were locals to each side.  New Zealand scored in first five minutes and the game was on.  Namibia eventually had 2 field goals and one try. But, by the end of the game, New Zealand was out front: 58-14. It was a fun game!  The stadium personnel funneled everyone out one direction and we easily caught the tube and then the train arriving back at the Oast at midnight.

Friday, September 25th was Sue’s birthday, and after breakfast, Julie and Roc took a long walk along the local footpaths through the valleys and farmers’-fields to the “The Bull” Pub at Three Leg Cross in Ticehurst for beer and cider. Later that day, we all caught the train into London and walked about Coventry Garden for shoppers, stopping at SoHo for a drink. We then headed to “The Archer” for a celebration of Guy and Sue’s daughter, Nicola, and her fiancé, David’s, engagement. After a bit of partying, we were off to visit nearby Chinatown, for a birthday dinner of duck, scallops, beef and chicken.  Eventually, we took the train home, arriving back at 11:30pm.

We began Saturday leisurely with a light breakfast. That day, we were all meeting for lunch at “The Bell”, including Nicola and David, some of their bridal party, as well as Guy and Sue’s younger children, James and Frankie. That afternoon, Julie and Roc walked some of the footpaths of Lake Bewl, stopping for a drink on the return at The Bull” before walking back to the Oast. That night, we were on our own, as the Kent Family had tickets for the England-Wales Rugby Match in Twickingham – a match disappointedly lost by England. Julie and Roc watched on television and relaxed in front of the cozy fire.

Sunday, we spent time doing laundry and getting ready for our Rugby Match that night – Ireland vs. Romania. Tonight Guy and Sue were our guests, and it so happens that the rest of their family was going, as well, since David’s family is from Ireland. This game was in Wembley Stadium on the opposite side of London from QEII Olympic Stadium that we had traveled to before. We drove to the Wadhurst train station where we caught transport to the game. The crowd was pro-Ireland, and the large Wembley Stadium allowed it to be filled to the max, setting a new RWC record of over 89,000 fans! Romania played well, but they were no match for the strong Irish Team which won handily. Again, when the match ended, we made our way back home for another late night.

 

Monday, we packed and then took the final occasion to take a longer walk around Lake Bewl. The walk started at the Lake’s Marina, and we made our way across the damn and through the meadows until we exited near the town of Ticehurst and made our way back to “The Bell”, where we had fish and chips for lunch. That night, we watched rugby, played cards and went to bed early to be ready for our trip the next day.

On Tuesday, September 29th, we rose early and Guy drove us the 2-hours back to Heathrow airport for our flight back to the USA. We so enjoyed our time spent with good friends in England and in attending the Rugby World Cup Matches. However, it had been 6-weeks since we had left the USA, and it felt good to finally be returning home to reconnect with friends and family.

September 2015

After our 3-week sailing adventure along the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia, we were set to begin the “overland” portion of our adventure. The 6 of us, (Julie and Roc, Nikki and Peter and Terry and Elaine), caught a bus from Split to Zagreb, Croatia. The trains do not move efficiently between these two cities, and so the “Express Bus” is a much better option. The bus was large and modern with coffee service aboard and a stop every two hours, (a 6-hour trip.) Along the way, we passed Roman aqueducts while traveling the “A1” – a very modern highway toll-road and lots of tunnels. Our driver also took the occasion to stop along the way to pick up his family members and gather his lunch bag from relatives. When we arrived at the bus terminal in Zagreb, we took a taxi into the center of Zagreb, and then had a short walk along a pedestrian-only area to our hotel – The Hotel Dubrovnik. This hotel was built in 1929 and our room was in the old, original part of hotel.  We were located on the city’s Jelevic square – the center of town – and within easy walking distance to most major attractions of town. On the square, we sat outside and had dinner while watching the crowd that had gathered to celebrate Croatia’s win in Euro-Championship Basketball Tournament!

Sunday began with a huge breakfast buffet at the hotel and was following with a walking tour of town, taking in: the old Cathedral, the local vegetables market, the famous Stone Gate, and St. Marks Church with its “National” tiled roof.

Roc climbed the ancient Fire Tower for a panoramic view of the “old town”. We then boarded a Funicular to travel back to town center when a cannon went off right above our heads, scaring us to death! It turns out that every Sunday at noon the cannon fires and we just happen to catch it while only yards away! We then made our way to the City’s Observation Deck and Restaurant where we had lunch and drinks while watching the changing of the guard in the city square from above. That afternoon, we took a long, walking U-shaped tour of the city’s parks, museums, and botanical gardens, ending up at the train station in front of a large set of fountains and museum. It was a beautiful day, and people were relaxing on the grass, reading books and soaking up the sun. On the way back to the hotel we came across a local food fair and enjoyed BBQ spareribs and local music. We returned to the hotel, went for a dinner of “volcano” pizza on the square and then met up in the Observation Deck for viewing the city’s lights at night. The day was polished-off with nightcaps in the hotel bar while meeting sports fans from the country of Georgia who were there watching Euro-Basketball, but were excited to talk about the upcoming IRB Rugby World Cup which we would be attending later this month.

On September 7th, the 6 of us flew from Zagreb to Istanbul via Turkish Airlines. Although it was only a 2-hour flight, we received drinks, a nice sandwich, salad and chocolate mousse. Upon exiting the airport, our preordered limo met us at the airport and we headed into the city old town to the Skallion Hotel. We checked in and then headed for a walk, exploring Little Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the main Hagia Sophia and its associated obelisk and gardens. We then walked to a little restaurant located on a nearby rooftop (for the view of the city) for dinner of kabobs before wandering to a local Greek-Turkish restaurant for evening drinks and deserts.

Tuesday was spent “walking the city” – starting in the morning, we took the local tram to the Karakoy district across “the Golden Horn” in search of the world’s best baklava at a restaurant named “Karakoy Gulluoglu”. The historic restaurant was 3 blocks behind the tram stop and it took us a while to find it, only succeeding after asking many locals for directions. We had seen a story on this establishment on the travel channel and decided to go and have a taste for ourselves. While there, we had 5 different kinds of baklava with a Turkish tea for 15 lire ($5), and it was all fantastic! Next we climbed a nearby narrow street up the hill to Galata Tower, where we rode an elevator and climbed to the observation deck around the top. From there, you could see the never-ending city stretching to the horizon. Next we took the tram back to the Sultanahmet, (mosque, palaces and obelisks), walking among the structures hoping to get into Topkapi Palace. However, it was “closed” on Tuesdays. We then headed for the Grand Bazaar, finding a Starbucks along the way, (and acquiring the “souvenir mug”). We walked throughout the Grand Bazaar, finding everything and anything, and purchasing some spoon and bowls as gifts. Outside of the bazaar, we stopped for lunch – a kebab wrap and a fresh-squeezed juice drink. Then, we wandered on to Istanbul University, – a treed and spacious campus surrounding the stunning tower Beyaal. It was also originally used as a city fire lookout, but now it is covered with cell and satellite structures, and used for traffic and weather advisories. Nearby, we visited a huge mosque at the top of the hill (the view was great) and saw Suleimon the Magnificent’s tomb. Back at the hotel, Peter and Roc went in search of bus tickets to get us to Varna, Bulgaria later in the week – an adventure that took them miles around town to find a Travel Agent! Dinner that night was a group affair at the local Greek-Turkish restaurant that we had drinks at the night before. We ordered “The Palace” – a large, mixed kebab platter that arrived with a lit candles located in each corner. The proprietor insisted it wouldn’t be enough, but it was plenty for the 6 of us, and it was delicious.

On September 9th, we arranged an all-day tour of Istanbul through the hotel. It started by on a bus collecting other adventurous people from their hotels, and then making our way to a waiting boat on “the Golden Horn.” We boarded the boat, and began a guided tour of “the Golden Horn” region before passing under the local bridges and into the Bosphorus Sea. We then traveled east along the European side of the Bosphorus, first seeing the old navy yard, several old palaces converted to modern hotels, and the Rumeli Fortress at the foot of the William the Conqueror Bridge. This is the narrowest point between the two continents at 624 meters. We turned around and then traveled the Asian Side of the Bosphorus, seeing homes that cost millions of Euros. Returning to the port, the tour continued with a short bus ride to Pierre Lottie Hill for a view of the city, followed by heading down the hill for a short cable car ride. Next, it was on to see a short, commercial, fashion show for leather jackets (Roc modeled!) and then on to lunch. Our tour lunch was a traditional meal of bread, lentil soup, salad, and mixed kebabs, with a sweet baklava for dessert. Our tour continued with a trip to the Dolmabahce Palace, once the home of Turkey’s last ruling Sultan, prior to his exile. It was built over a period of 13 years, and has the largest reception hall in the world! It is now a fully-restored museum with its original floors, draperies, furniture and glass chandelier from Britain and France. There was even a clock tower and Aviary on the grounds, along with Turkish cannons that were once the largest in the world. Our tour then continued by crossing the Bosphorus to the Asian side of Istanbul, and up to the top of Asian Hill for drinks and an overlook of the city. To get there we traveled over the largest Bosphorus Bridge – standing at 64 meters over the water and 1500 meters long (7th largest suspension bridge in the world!) Pedestrians are only allowed on the bridge a single day each year. Our tour ended with a ride back to the hotel for drinks and packing, before getting a quick carry-out from the local Burger King, which we ate while drinking wine in Elaine’s hotel room.

On September 10th, Peter and Nikki and Julie and Roc checked out of the hotel early to transport to the city’s bus station. Terry and Elaine would be flying out later to Budapest. Upon checking out, the Hotel Skallion gave us a nice box of candies as a “thank you” gift. The taxi took us to another part of town where the bus station was designed very much like an airport. We found our Gate (122) at Terminal 2, and waited for our Metro Busline bus to Bulgaria to arrive. While there, we watched a very orderly process of buses loading and unload, including an extended family who apparently unloaded their entire household from the bus luggage, (including dishes, clothing, and sleeping mattresses), which they proceeded to set in the middle of the road. Once we boarded the bus, the attendant collected all of our passports and tickets, later returning them to us after they had been entered on a ledger. Shortly into our 9-hour trip, we were serves a mid-morning snack of hot chocolate and raisin cake. After another hour and a half of travel, we exited the suburbs of Istanbul, and countryside finally became pastoral, dotted with crops of grains and vegetables. After a lunch and bathroom stop, we traveled a few more hours to the coast of the Black Sea where we finally arrived at the downtown bus station in Varna, Bulgaria – a popular Eastern European resort town that caters to Russian tourists looking for an inexpensive holiday. We caught a taxi to our hotel, The Panorama, located across the street from the beach at the Black Sea. After dropping our bags and admiring the view of the coast from our windows, we explored the local area for a grocery and pharmacy. With “shopping” take care of, we walked to the end of the local pier into the Black Sea and ate at restaurant that was built into an old, converted, grounded Galleon.

The next morning, we decided to walk-tour this historic town of Varna. In the center of “old town”, we strolled through open markets and Russian Orthodox Churches, and ended up at the region’s Archeological Museum, where 5,000 years of the city’s history were chronicled. We then made our way to the “Sea Garden” – a scenic vista park along the coast of the Black Sea with flowers, a zoo, an amusement park, monuments and lovely, tree-covered walks. Finally, we ended up at a public beach where Peter and Rocky took the occasion to take a swim in the Black Sea. After drying off, the group collected at a local beach bar for drinks, before returning to the hotel to prepare for dinner on a beach restaurant.

The next day, we checked out of our hotel and walked to the nearby train station for our trip to Bucharest, Romania – a 9-hour trip with beautiful scenery and interesting activities along the way. Crossing between the two countries was an exercise in transferring train engines and cars at the border and completing immigration aboard the train. The Dining Car was part of our train, but it was empty and unmanned making the decision to take lunch along with us a wise choice. Upon arriving in Bucharest, we walked to our nearby hotel and then began a late evening a search for dinner. After walking the wrong direction for a bit, we finally found a very nice Italian restaurant about two miles from our hotel.

Sunday, September 13th was Roc’s birthday! We celebrated by walking to Old Town Bucharest and taking in the views of the remnants and ongoing restoration of the destruction remaining from World War 2 bombings. In spite of the work, the streets were lined with shops, cafes, street musicians and many tourists looking for bargains and exploring the historic sites. We ate lunch at a Greek Gyro shop and then walked to south of town to visit the Eternal Flame, National War Memorial and beautiful city parks. We even ran across the Romanian Rugby Federation Headquarters where preparations were just completed for the upcoming Rugby World Cup. We would be watching their team play against New Zealand in a few weeks in London. Later, we returned to Old Town and had celebrated Roc’s birthday with dinner at a traditional Romanian restaurant.

Monday’s weather was beautiful, and we took the occasion to walk north to city’s Arch de Triumph at Herastrau Park, which was beautifully landscaped with flowers and swans and lakes. We then returned to de Gaulle Piata for lunch – a piata that had been renamed for Hitler and Lenin during past occupations. After lunch, Roc and Julie walked through Park Kiseleff to Victory Square, and then onto Ion Voicu Park – a pretty little square surrounded by old mansions and populated with children playing.

Tuesday morning, we checked out and walked back to the train station for an early train to Budapest, Hungary. At the train station, we were the first people into McDonalds for breakfast when they opened at 4:30am. We then picked-up some KFC chicken strips to-go for lunch aboard the train.  This trip was to be about 13 hours long, and we were a little worried about the growing Syrian Refugee crisis ongoing in the Region.  During the long trip, the 4 of us played cards, ate food, and drank wine. This train was an “Express” and so there were only a few stops and one delay at the border, where the engine was again changed.  We finally arrived at 7:00pm, squeezed into a taxi, and went for a ride to Buda side of Budapest to check-in at the Burg Hotel. This was an elegant little hotel, overlooking the Cathedral and the Fisherman’s Bastion.  After unpacking, we walked 2 blocks down the street for a traditional Hungarian dinner of boar ravioli, chicken paprikash and cucumber salad.

Wednesday would be spent sightseeing in Budapest – a city that we have been to before, and one of our favorites. After a huge, buffet breakfast at the hotel, we met up with Peter and Nikki and walked to the Fisherman’s Bastion, down and around the Castle and to Government Offices for Peter to pick-up his new Hungarian passport. We then shortcut back through the tunnel under the Castle, where we crossed the Danube River on the famous Chain Bridge into Pest. Once there, we strolled through the pedestrian shopping area, stopping for drinks and shopping.  Later that evening, we had dinner of traditional Hungarian Goulash, back on the Buda side of the river, in a local restaurant only a block from our hotel.

Thursday, September 17th was time to move on again to the city of Prague in the Czech Republic. In taking the train from Bucharest to Prague, one had to pass through Budapest anyways, so it was an opportunity to be taken advantage of. This train trip was a bit different, as in addition to several planned stops along the way, there were two unplanned stops for technical problems. Tickets were checked not only at every border crossing, but at every stop! In addition, police swept the train at each crossing, checking passports and identification in response to the Syrian Refugee crisis. The trip required us to cross first into Slovakia then into the Czech Republic. When we arrived, we left the train station and walked uphill to the hotel, only to find that we had been “bumped” from our reservations, and moved to a sister hotel around the corner. We were apologized to and told that the reason was that the local soccer team, AC Sparta, had a game in town and their hotels was fully booked. After settling in, we walked into the center of town for a dinner of pork ribs and goulash.

The next day, we explored Prague by walking first to Old town and then across the Charles Bridge to explore the Cathedral, Palaces and Castle on the other side.  We sampled the street food and local wines and beers. We ended the day with dinner in an old, rustic pub with kolbasz (a type of sausage) and rabbit legs.

 

On Saturday, we walked through Old Town to finish our shopping and then stopped at a little island beneath the Charles Bridge where Nikki and Peter put a lock to demonstrate their love. We then decided to hike up to the old city wall and observatory at top of the hill. The view from there was beautiful, but we were disappointed that no one can walk on the top of old wall. So, we had a drink before trekking back down the hill and back to island for a traditional Czech meal of goulash, cheese board, pasta, and chicken escalloped with sauerkraut. After lunch we went in search of the local football jerseys for AC Sparta, finally finding them in the local Nike Store. After picking up gifts and jerseys, we walked to the Dancing Towers for a drink on the rooftop and to watch the sunset.  Then, we went to dinner at a local patio waterfront restaurant, complete with heaters and blankets for the cooling evening.

Sunday, September 20th would be our last breakfast together with Peter & Nikki, before we headed to the airport for our flight to London.  Our trip of Eastern Europe was over and took us on boats, planes, buses and trains as we got a chance to experience people and cultures that we had long wanted to do. But now, it was time to switch gears, and to get ready to experience the 2015 IRB Rugby World Cup with friends in London.

August & September 2015

Our 2015 adventure began with leaving Washington, D.C. after celebrating Julie’s 39th birthday for the 22nd time with our sons, their wives and our two grandchildren. We flew Delta to London-Heathrow, where we stayed at the Hilton for the night ready to fly British Air to Split, Croatia early on Wednesday, the next morning. Once in Split, we took a short taxi ride to Trogir Marina – a well-positioned boutique marina located on an island between an industrial port and an “old-town” marine trading village. We met up with our close friends and traveling companions, Peter and Nikki, and, after depositing our gear into our cabin on the boat, began a walk through the ancient town of Trogir. The streets were lined with all sorts of local vendor booths and shops selling heather sachets, olive oil, soaps and souvenirs, along with all sorts of market foods and clothing. The light rain that developed did nothing to dampen the activity, as we stopped at a local shop and had a big lunch of mussels (as a starter), followed by grilled octopus, beef, kolbasz, cheese and zucchini fritters. It was all washed down with pivo (beer) and cider. We then walked off our gluttony by shopping through the Marina stores finding a unique shop that sells bags made of sail-material. After returning to the boat to relax, visit, unpack and stow our gear, we waited for the skies to clear before setting out again to ogle the yachts in harbor, and make our way to a nice, little restaurant where we dined on mixed mussels and grilled prawns – Awesome!

Thursday, August 20th began as a day of perfect weather in the 60’s and 70’s, ideal for the day’s sail to the island and town of Vis. The island of Vis is farthest west from Croatia’s coast and was historically controlled by Italy, and the Italian influence is prevalent even today. The harbor was full of sail boats, all backed-in to the wharf, as is common in the Mediterranean. Once we were set, we set out to explore the town, only steps from our boat’s stern. While there, we walked to the neighboring town of Kut, a quaint seaside town of old stone with a church from the 1500’s and a fortress with cannons to protect the town.  We then returned to Vis and traveled to the far side of the bay to investigate an old cemetery, ringed with olive trees. In this town, the markets were again filled with seashells, heather sachets, and olive oil. We ate ashore in Kut at a small, local restaurant, where the island’s specialty: mussels, followed by eggplant casserole with anchovies, pasta Faggioli, and grilled sea bass. We then stopped and had street food for dessert -12 mini donuts with powdered sugar and chocolate, (white and dark), made to order for us while we waited. These, of course, we ate with a pear liqueur as a nightcap.

Friday was again perfect weather, and after morning cappuccinos and breakfast pastries, we set sail for the famous island and town of Hvar.  Hvar is a protected bay shielded from the sea by another island. The water there was crystal blue, but the small bay is dominated by super yachts with names such as: “Lotus”, “’joy Me”, and “Spirit”. Hvar is a high-end playground for the rich-and-famous, and luxury tourist spot for us! The wharf there is reserved for luxury liners only, so we were required to take a mooring ball and longline our stern to the shallow, rocky wharf. Lunch was a traditional Croatian goulash, mussels, and grilled shrimp and scallops! Walking about the town, we ran across the youth hostels and local topless beach.  Since the view was good, we stopped for drinks where we met some young British recruiters on holiday and talked rugby with them. Roc and Peter then decided it was time to “burn some calories” and hiked to the top of the local fortress above the town! From that vantage point, the harbor and town, with its luxury ships, offer a beautiful view.

Saturday morning, we set sail back to another marina in Trogir to trade in our 3-cabin boat, (“Martana”), for a 4 cabin boat, (“Kaja”). Another day of great sailing weather allowed us to get there before midday, dock-up next to our “new” boat and move all of our gear from one boat to the other. However, problems with “Kaja’s” GPS System and a non-functioning head, (toilet), delayed us for all afternoon. These problems, coupled with an incoming storm and the mass exodus of all of the marina’s other sailboats for “Yacht Week”, convinced us to “stay put” for the night! So, in consolation, we walked down the coast to a wonderful restaurant, “Frankie’s”, where we sat outside in the upstairs balcony overlooking the bay and treated ourselves to a lavish meal of mussels, veal and chicken!

The storm passed in the night, and, in the quiet of the morning, we had the full attention of the marina staff in trying to ready “Kaja” for us to be able to leave. With one of the boat’s heads permanently nonfunctioning, we convinced the staff to “jet blast” the waste storage from its tank (a very nasty job), which would allow us to proceed with an acceptable situation. The boat would then have only a single functioning head! We finally left port and laid course to Vela Luka on the northwest end of the island of Korcula. This would be on-route to Dubrovnik, where we would rendezvous with other friends coming aboard in a few days. Vela Luka is a quiet, historic town with a town quay that we tied-up at. Down the street, we found a nice family restaurant, where we dined on mussel risotto and shared an excellent order of lamb chops! That evening, we shared cocktails on the boat, played cards and toasted with local pear “palinka”!

The next morning, we set sail for the city of Korcula, an ancient town for which the island is named. Korcula is famous for being the birthplace of the famous explorer, Marco Polo! We were lucky enough to get there at a reasonable time to avoid the rush for boat space on the wharf. However, this port does leave the boats tied-up there open to the waves directly from the sea. That means that ferry traffic and large ship passing by the bay drive waves onto the moored boats, requiring them to be carefully tensioned in order to keep their sterns from hitting the pier. Once getting water and electric hooked-up, we went to explore the old-town. This is an ancient “walled-city”, with stone walls surrounding it, and narrow walkways crisscrossing within, up and down steep hills. Nikki and Julie explored the shops while Peter and Roc climbed the local church’s bell tower for a panoramic view. That night we sat at a table on the wall’s water’s edge, enjoying the starry sky, the ocean’s gentle breeze and great food! Strolling back to the boat, we stopped for gelatos and finished off the evening with “toasts” to the places we visited thus far.

The morning was Tuesday, August 25th and it was Peter’s birthday! For breakfast, we had traditional walnut fig pastries with our coffee, and then set sail for Polace. The sailing was great, and we ate a light lunch aboard as we enjoyed the blue seas and fair wind. In Polace, we backed the boat up to Spongo Restaurant’s private wharf where we would incur no docking fees. We preordered dinner (a fish pot for two and a mixed pot for 2), and then walked to explore the 2nd Century Roman ruins that the city is built upon. We took note of the local paths that would allow one to explore the area further, and decided that tomorrow would be a good time to journey on them. Back at the boat, we met new “neighbors” who had docked next to us – 9 men – former schoolmates on a “reunion” sailing trip – who were having a great time! At dinner, we had grilled octopus for starters, followed by our “pots”. However, we had obviously made a key mistake, when we found we had enough food to feed 8 people, instead of only the four of us. To celebrate Peter’s birthday, Nikki ordered a birthday cake! We all sang “Happy Birthday”, ate cake, and polished dinner off with joyous shots of grappa, before we called it a night.

Wednesday morning, we had a light breakfast, and then set off hiking the trails we had noted the day before, heading into the hills to a place called “Velalike Jezzerra”, a “inland” lake. The lake is brackish waters with intermittent overflow from the sea, and along its shore we saw fish, sea urchins and sea cucumbers. The mountain path was very old – made of huge stones – obviously set in place through massive manual labor over a thousand years ago. After we returned to our boat, we set sail for Sipanska Luka, (“Luka” = Bay), on Otuk Sipan, (“Otuk” = Island of).  Another day of excellent sailing weather brought us a pod of playful dolphins off our bow. Good sailing, saw dolphins. Sipanska Luka is a very protected bay and a quaint little town of only 500. The island of Sipan is the largest of the Elephanti Islands located just offshore and to the northwest of Dubrovnik. Here, for the first time, we were required to actually anchor and test out the dingy and motor. Upon getting to shore, we noticed a crowd in the center of town, where the locals had turned out for a Bocce Ball Tournament – serious stuff – with spectators crowded around the court and a local bar. We joined the crowd and were amazed at the skill these people had rolling a ball over a bumpy, uneven surface. After we walked around the town, gathered a few supplies, we returned to the boat where we cooked pasta onboard. We finished the evening with a rousing game of cards, music and nightcaps.

On Thursday morning, August 27th, we took our dingy back ashore for a breakfast of fresh croissants. While waiting for the local supermarket to open, Peter and Rocky explored the local church grounds before we all eventually returned to the boat to begin our short trip to the city of Dubrovnik. There was no wind today, so we motor sailed our way into port. Along the way, we passed 4 large cruise ships, as Dubrovnik is a major port for tourists and travelers. The Marina Dubrovnik is up a small river that flows to the sea and is some ways from the city proper and old-town, but it was an excellent marina with laundry service, 3 restaurants, great showers and a refreshing swimming pool. Peter and Roc hiked up the mountainside to explore an old Church and graveyard, and after getting lost at least once, finally found their way back before darkness fell. That night, we relaxed on the pool patio and took dinner poolside at the local restaurant.

Friday we had breakfast onboard our boat, and then took the bus to old-town Dubrovnik where we were to meet our friends for the day, and explore at the sights of the old walled city. Roc and Peter went ahead first while the girls waited at the marina for a special delivery of liquor. Once in the old city, Roc found their way to the “Buza” (hole) bar, located seaside outside of the wall on the edge of the cliff.  Eventually, the girls found them, as did Terry and Elaine, and Rick and Mary Jane, our guest and friends that would be joining us for the last week of sailing. It was great having drinks with old friends, and grabbing some lunch in the middle of old town. The afternoon was spent catching up on news from “the states” while walking and shopping about town. We decided to ride the panoramic airway tram to the overlook above Dubrovnik, walked around the old town Marina, and had drinks in an old Irish bar. As the sun fell, we returned to the Marina on the bus and enjoyed a casual pizza dinner overlooking the marina’s yachts.

Saturday started with a light breakfast, and we prepared the boat as Terry and Elaine, and Rick and Mary Jane, arrived and settled into the two stern cabins. Once aboard, we set sail for Otuk Mljet and a small town called Okukjle. The wharf there was small and underdeveloped, with room for only a few boats. But the locals were welcoming, and we had our first group dinner at the highest peak of a local residence/restaurant, served by their family members. It was a great dinner of grilled fish and grilled prawns that everyone enjoyed. The dark, night-time trek back to the boat, however, was another matter as everyone was exhausted from the long, adventurous day.

On Sunday, we ate breakfast on the dock of a local family restaurant and then set sail for the port of Lastovo on Otuk Lastovo. Unfortunately, there was little wind that day, so we occupied ourselves “dragging” from the swim ladder behind the boat, and finally motoring our way into port. Lastovo was another small but pristine port with a welcoming wharf and a hotel with restaurant right ashore. We all met on the hotel’s balcony for dinner that night, before retiring to the boat for a lively game of cards and some ill-advised drinking!

On Monday, the last day of August, after a breakfast buffet on the hotel’s balcony overlooking the bay, we set sail for a return to Vis. Again, the wind was poor and we needed to motor sail for most of the day, but we arrived in Vis, eager to show our friends one of our favorite locations thus far. We again backed into a prime spot on the wharf right in front of café tables within a step from our boat’s ramp! After re-exploring the towns of Vis and Kut, and shopping at the local market, we settled into a little Italian restaurant between the two towns where we dined on a lasagna casserole and all of the accompanying Italian sides. We again had desert on the street with the same local vendor selling chocolate donuts and corkscrew fried potatoes.

Tuesday morning, after breakfast, we set sail for the short trip to Hvar. Along the way, we took the time to marvel and sail alongside a large square-masted ship also heading to Hvar. Again, we took a mooring ball and long-lined our stern to the shallows by the rocky wharf. This required us to use the dingy to line-ferry ourselves from the boat back-and-forth to shore. Unfortunately, with 8 people now on-board and a very small dingy, this required multiple ferry-trips to move us back and forth without the ability to stay dry! However, everyone made it onshore and took the opportunity to explore the town. Again, a group climbed to the ancient fortress up the hill, while others took the time to shop or chill at a local vendor. That night we visited a waterside Croatian restaurant that served a delicious local specialty of potatoes and onions with Cevipicci (lamb). After making it back to the boat safely, everyone relaxed with a drink and shared their day’s adventures.

Wednesday morning, we took a leisurely start with a light breakfast ashore, the stowing of the dingy, and a short sail to the town of Stari Grad. Because the wind was again poor, we again took the occasion to drag behind the back of the boat and enjoy the crystal-blue seas. Stari Grad was a very nice town with a beautifully wide wharf. The only issue, however, was that the showers and mariner’s restrooms were a 1/4-mile up the hill at a campground! An electrical problem with our shore-power plug forced us to hunt the local stores for a replacement and repair, and while the women shopped for local crafts, the guys finally fixed it. That night we made reservations at a little hillside, traditional Croatian restaurant where we ate a traditional Croatia dish consisting of potatoes and lamb cooked for 3 hours under a cast iron bell on a wood fire – it was so tender and delicious! The group also sampled lobster salad, grilled lamb chops and grilled sea bass. That night we moved our party to the wharf with music from our ipod and drinks from the boat, and were soon joined by passing locals who danced and drank with us into the evening hours. All-in-all, one of our favorite towns!

The next morning started lazily with everyone rising at their own preference and wandering off to the many cafes that lined the wharf. We, (Julie and Roc) took a leisurely walk to the far end of town where we found a waterfront café that looked over the local protected swimming area, where residents were getting their daily exercise. After cappuccinos, we returned to meet up with everyone at the boat, and set sail for the city of Bol. The recreation peninsula at Bol is one of the most photographed and popular beaches in Croatia, but the public wharf is at the quaint, old harbor of the waterside town, a few miles away. Julie, Roc and Nikki took a water-taxi to the Bol Beach, which was composed of smooth, white stones of varying sizes. Located there were lots of lounge chairs, music clubs, and cafes right at water’s edge and plenty of activities for everyone, including water slides, parasailing, tubing, banana boating, etc.  Nikki and Julie took a 10 minute wild “inflatable sofa ride” behind a manic speed boat! After barely staying aboard and landing on each other from jumping over waves, they decided they needed to be rewarded with some local Limon ice cream! What an adventure! After returning and joining up with the group, we found a nice restaurant for diner, before everyone set off to find a quiet place to people-watch.

The morning of September 4th we were awoken by the waves of the morning ferries arriving into the town’s port. We grabbed coffee and some croissants before setting sail for the trip back to Trogir to return the boat. The weather forecast was for storms later that day, so we decided to take up a spot in Marina Trogir Seget that afternoon before it would arrive. Arrive it did, and the evening was a wet affair with everyone beginning to pack and doing laundry at the local marina’s facilities. We also had dinner at the marina, eating local gnocchi, before calling it a night under drenching conditions.

On Saturday morning, September 5th, it was time to leave our boat. Everyone was busy packing and moving gear off the boat, receiving our “check-out”, ordering taxis, and getting breakfast. The continued storm from last night didn’t make things any easier! Since Rick and Mary Jane would be staying in Split a while longer, and the other 6 of us would be traveling by bus to Croatia’s capital city of Zagreb, we all caught a single taxi for 8 and headed into the main terminal/port of Split. Split is a large, industrial city with lots of 1950’s-style high-rise apartment buildings. Mary Jane and Rick said their “good-byes” to us to check into their hotel there, where they would explore for 2 more days before continuing the vacation in Germany. The rest of us got lunch and waited for our bus to start the next leg of our adventure.

June 25, 2015

Ascending Mt. St. Helens

As a matter of fact, we had not planned to climb Mt. St. Helens in late June of 2015. However, because of a fortunate confluence of circumstances, our good friends, Peter & Nikki, had already committed for an addition spot that suddenly came available, and they were kind enough to invite me (Rocky) along. The trip was planned by another good friend, Cliff, a seasoned geologist and volcanic hobbyist, who had already climbed Mt. St. Helens five previous times over the past 20 years, all since the catastrophic eruption of the mountain that took numerous lives in 1980. Since Julie was committed to family obligation, Rocky took them up on the offer with only a couple weeks of notice, having most of what would be needed already stored in the closet.
The trip would begin with air flights from Orlando to Portland, where the “Team of Ten” would assemble over Thursday and Friday. After collecting rental cars, the earliest arrivals on Thursday would briefly sightsee in Oregon along the Columbia River before heading to our assembly point at a quaint motel in Woodland, Washington.

Friday, as we continued to assemble, we traveled north to the side of Mt. St. Helens which collapsed in 1980. Although authorities were wary of the grumbling volcano that year, and had evacuated much of the immediate area, no one expected what actually happened. An earthquake destabilized the entire north face of the mountain which slid down the valley uncovering the weight which held the volcanic forces in place directing a massive eruption sideways destroying everything within may miles of that north face. Today, the first beginnings of plants and animals are showing life among the desolate landscape.

 

Having time left in the day, we re-circumnavigated the mountain and went to the south face near where we would ascend from tomorrow (Saturday). In that area are remnant “Lava Tubes” – geologic features remaining from streams of lava where the ceiling solidifies while molten rock continues to flows in an “underground river.” Sometimes, the molten rock empties the underground channel leaving a “hollow tube” of igneous walls, floor and ceiling. Peter, Buddy and I decided to “hike” the 1 ¼ mile-long “Upper Tube” at Ape Caves, requiring headlamps and sturdy footwear to navigate the treacherous ripple and pock-marked wet floors and numerous ceiling cave-ins in pitch-darkness. The “hike” took us 2-hours, and although the surface temperature was 95 degrees, it was 42 degrees in the cave. Unfortunately, the ankle-busting terrain took one casualty as Buddy twisted his ankle and would be unable to ascend the mountain the next day.

Saturday required waking at 3am, gathering our 9 remaining climbers and making the 90 minute drive to “Climbers Bivouac” at elevation ~3800’ to start at ~4500’ ascent to the crater’s rim at 8365’. We signed in at left for the first part of our journey through 100 year-old forest for the first 2 hours until we emerged from the tree-line at ~4800’ elevation. Beyond this point, our assigned-day climbing permits were required. These are scarce items as only 100-per-day are made available, and they are grabbed-up almost immediately. Graciously, Cliff had done this for the group and we set off now scrambling over boulders and rocks for the next 3 1/5 hours. Our choice of days aligned with record high temperatures for the area, and as the thermometer exceeded 95 degrees, our climb became that much more difficult. Unfortunately, the grueling, strenuous and dangerous climb took its toll and 3 more of our party stopped before reaching the top of the boulder fields and began their descent down.

 

With our remaining group of six, we continued our ascent, eventually leaving the boulder fields and beginning the final 1000’ ascent on steep-faced “ash” – which was actually an assortment of unstable pea-gravel and unrooted boulders that slid-down 1 step for every 2 taken. Finally, after another 1 ½ hours of struggle, we reached the summit!
Once there, after 7 hours of climbing, we relaxed, caught our breaths, ate lunch and toasted each other with champagne. The view was spectacular as the haze cleared, and slowly, a cold front came in causing us to don our coats.

 

 

 

But now, it was time to consider our way down, and, although the snow-pack and glaciers were small, there was still some opportunity to “glissade” down the top part of the mountain. Some of us chose the “sitting method, (those with “tough” butts), sliding down over 500’ in elevation. But, this enjoyment was short-lived, as we needed to spend the next 4 ½ hours making our way back down. It was a long and trying journey, but definitely one of great accomplishment and personal satisfaction.

May 16, 2015

Bayou Fête XII Washington DC

The largest crawfish boil east of Louisiana all started 12 years ago. Hosting a crawfish boil 1,500 miles from home is extremely expensive. In 2003, due to high costs and poor productions, LSU, ULM, UNO, and NSU, decided to pool our resources so we could host a better quality event for our members. By doing so, and contributing an annual membership start up fee, the big alumni chapters were able to supply the ticket numbers while hosting an event for far less money. Like wise, by joining resources with the larger chapters, the smaller chapters were able to create an official Washington, DC chapter while hosting a boil up here for their alums at a minimum cost. Interesting enough, we were in the red for the first DC LCC boil, barely consuming 300 lbs of crawfish, and unable to float two kegs. Fast forward through 12 highly successful years, along with the addition of Centenary, Tulane, LA Tech, McNeese, Grambling, Southeastern, Loyola, ULL, and Nicholls, we have proudly created the largest crawfish boil east of the Florida Parishes with over 10,000 lbs, 50 kegs of beer, tons of jambalaya, live Louisiana band, and much, much, more.

And thus we spent the day with friends and family eating crawfish and drinking beer while enjoying the Fort Hunt Park!

May 3, 2015

Washington DC

Experience the explosion of color when thousands of azaleas at the National Arboretum light up the forest with their subtle shades and colors.The Kurume azaleas were brought to North America from Japan.  The Glenn Dale Azalea Hillside is filling in after the azaleas were rejuvenated several years ago. This year, about 60% of the hillside is closed off to the public due to a family of bald eagles nesting there for the first time in over 60 years.

 

 

April 19, 2015

Washington DC

The cherry trees here in Washington DC were a gift of friendship from Japan in 1912.  Three thousand trees of several varieties were planted on the Northern Bank of the Tidal Basin and in Potomac Park.   From this gift comes the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, a festival of color and the beginning of spring .

 

April 18, 2015

Saturday, April 18th brought us the opportunity to share the day with our son, Michael, and his family and friends, at a nearby Virginia institutional event – The Middleburg Spring Races – a steeplechase event that is a combination of history, horse racing, picnic and social.
It was a great day with fantastic weather, out in the Virginia countryside about 90-minute drive from Washington, D.C. The Spring Race event is a fundraiser that benefits INOVA/Loudoun Hospital, Glenwood Park Trust and Local Charities, and has a fantastic history.
The event was started by Daniel Cox Sands in 1911, and was originally planned for entertainment for the local farmers over whose crops and yards the race took place. It was reported that families came from miles around on every sort of transportation with picnic baskets to watch the spectacle. After a hiatus for World War I, the race was resumed in 1921 under its present format held on the estates of Sands and his neighbor, Hitt. From then, there is a long and colorful history reporting lost horses off course and famous participants, including John F. Kennedy while Jacqueline watched in the stands. Ever since Daniel Sands death in 1963, Trustees oversee the 112.2 acre Glenwood Park, which hosts prestigious hurdle races during each year.

We were lucky enough to be invited by one of our son’s good friends, Cory, who regularly reserves picnic area along the rail before the final turn. With a collection of friends and family, and with food and drinks of all kinds, the social began at 1pm, interspersed with a new race running every ~30 minutes.

Cory would keep everyone updated on the race’s favorites and odds, and we would ride the roller-coaster of emotion between the thrill of seeing galloping hooves just meters away, followed by the disappointment of having one’s choice not even finish.

Either way, the people, food, drink and weather could not have been better and we felt incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate!

January 2015

Ho Chi Minh City (Sai Gon), Vietnam
We arrive in Ho Chi Minh City via bus and embark on a panoramic city tour including the Old Saigon Post Office, a beautiful yellow building that replicates a French train station, and the Opera House, a traditional ornate building also built by the French during their colonial period.

 

 

We also tour the Norte Dame Cathedral, the largest cathedral in all of Indochina. We then enjoy the hospitality of a local middle class family for lunch. Our hostess is a seamstress with three children and three generations living in her house. Her house is a typical 4 meter wide building that is two rooms long with a stairway in the middle that rises 5 stories high, providing 2 rooms with a bathroom under the stairs on each floor. She serves us an excellent 6 course meal of fried spring rolls, sticky rice, a chicken curry, a vegetable dish, a fish stew and fruit for desert. After lunch, we check into the Hotel Intercontinental of Sai Gon to get cleaned up and prepare for our evening’s entertainment.

The evening starts with a trip to a Water Puppet Show at the Rong Vang Theater by the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Company – an art which is practiced today only in Viet Nam. The “stage” is a pool of water, and the puppets are controlled by sticks, pulleys and strings under the water. The show is one of everyday life in the villages of the rice fields showing planting, harvesting, and fishing and displays incredible creativity and artistry.

After the show, we go to a traditional Vietnamese restaurant for a dinner that locals might go out to dinner for.

That leaves us time to walk to the Opera House where there is a show using bamboo that is a combination of gymnastics, dance and ballet. The show is in its last night at the Opera, and it “brings down the house” with its energy and incredible coordination. We finish the evening with a gentle stroll back to our hotel as the streets are abuzz with people enjoying the beautiful evening.

The next morning starts with a buffet breakfast before boarding the bus for a trip to the city’s Reunification Palace, formerly the Presidential Palace before the fall of the South Vietnam government in 1975. The Reunification Palace has preserved the rooms and offices of South Vietnam’s government as the French originally designed it, and as the Americans supported it. The building are compete with the bunkers and tunnels that provided former President Diem’s escape during the coup that deposed him and eventually resulted in his death.

 

After a brief return to the hotel, we re-boarded the bus for a trip to a Vietnamese restaurant for lunch followed by a trip north out of Sia Gon to the area of Chu Chi where the high ground in the bent of the river provided a setting for extensive tunneling by the locals. Although the tunnels were began during the reign of the French as a way for the local to avoid their oppressors, they were extensively added to during the years of the Vietnam War. The USA’s approach to dealing with these tunnels was to carpet bomb them from B-52 drops, leaving the ground surface by 1972 a cratered, barren area. However, the original jungle and rubber trees have grown back, and the tunnels have been preserved, along with examples of booby-traps and life underground, as an historical site. We entered a number of the tunnels, which are characterized as extremely “tight” for average-sized Americans, requiring walking in a crouch while hunched completely over.

After our trip to the tunnels, we returned to the hotel to prepare to go out to a restaurant for our Farewell Dinner, another 7 course meal of traditional Vietnamese food, with a series of toasts and friendly goodbyes. The next morning would see us leave for the airport early, and begin our long series of air flights back home.