USA Dec. 2013

     On TV is an ad to protect you from foreign terrorists and other bad happenings, it is a steel underground shelter, complete with shower, toilet, kitchen, electricity, a little home, at only $129/ month. Did not say how many months. Oh, and can be installed underground  in your backyard in one hour. 

     Am grounded in Washington DC, due to icy rain. Staying at a Sheraton Hotel, with the most incredible bed and bedding. Like a cloud, white and soft. Had hash browns for breakfast, God bless America. Finally got out of arrivals, no mean feat as I had to locate my bags that were not with me due to the cancellation, and going the wrong way on the inter terminal train. Me and signage are am interesting combination. Now it is about 3AM. I come thru the door and there was my little sister, with a big hug, warm socks, big smile, life is good after all. 

Paros Dec. 2013

     'My Island' is fading away as the ferry heads to the mainland. The sun has no competition from the clouds today. Two days ago it was bitterly cold and wind so strong the ferries could not sail. We have passed the Portes, the  two rock islands with a channel between reminding us of a portal. These are the rocks that the Samina ferry ran into and sank. A reminder of sea disasters. In a few days the wind and cold will return and Paros will again be isolated. 

   I have given away my motorcycle helmet and taking the marble I have saved for years. Am I finished here? That thought is heavy for my heart. This home is closer than others I have had in my life

    In the more modern Greece, the older ways are fading. No more donkey man in town selling vegetables to your door. I saw one man on his donkey in a village, maybe the last one. Cars have replaced them. At a table close to me is a man with his lunch in a plastic bag, it is four hard boiled eggs. Not the Goodies hamburger place on board, and he is fingering his comboloi, worry beads. 

   Ah, the driving here must be experienced to believe it. Cars stopped on the road to pick fruit, passing on blind curves, roads so rutted one could fall in, no stopping at the few stop signs, me included, when coming back to my place late in the night, I am the only one on the road and feel put upon when another car deins to be there too, people walking toward me in my lane and do not move to the side, not noticing that I cannot swerve into other lane because there is a car coming in it. 

   Many of the art students come back for  multiple terms, I am not the only one smitten by this mysterious island. 

    Smoking, I ask please no smoking at my table as I am getting a cold, 'don't worry the smoke will go away'. Huh?

   Gotta love the Greeks. 

Athens Oct. 2013

    Been coming to Athens for 23 years and it still so interesting. 

   Views of The Parthenon up side streets which makes it a beautiful surprise. It still has scaffolding. It is still magnificent. 

    The click of worry brads. Remember to put the toilet paper in the bin, nod my head for no, say 'neh' for yes. 

 Metro stations have graves and artifacts from 5th century BC. 

 Added are hop/on-off buses, two different companies, with two lines, one for Athens and one for Pireas. Also a little train that goes around the city, also in Pireas. 

  Change booths in Monastiraki. McDonalds is gone from there. Plaza is finally open and covered with graffiti as the whole of the city. Like being inside a paint box. 

  Contemporary art dispersed among the ancient marble sculptures in the Archeology museum, the first one was bright red in a room of amphorae, quite a shock. 

   Went to watch the Oxi Day (Independence Day) parade, Syntagma square was blocked off with big police vans, that is the place I was told to go. I realized if I found a place to watch, I would miss the AA meeting and I was to meet a friend. So, off I walked-far. 

    Had lunch with his family in a Korean/Japanese restaurant and desert at a yogurt shop. Things have changed. 

   On the ferry to Paros, stopping at Syros which had two hills sparkling with lights, on one is an Orthodox Church, the other a Catholic one. Exciting, Paros is next. 

Austria Oct. 2013

    From the train in the way to Vienna, I am treated with the most picturesque countryside. I can hear Julie Andrews singing while skipping over the hills.    

    Graz was the 2nd capital of the Austrian Empire in the 16th century.

    The armory museum is the biggest in the world, preserved from the 1700's. 

     Dogs can come into restaurant.

Smoking everywhere, restaurants full and the streets as well. Payback is hell.  Had the best Schnitzel in years, pastries are heavy and undercooked, candies and cookies do not appeal to me. Good thing. Then, there is pumpkin seed oil. So tasty and can be used for so many dishes. Yesterday I had:  Saures Rindfleisch. Thin sliced beef kind of floating in pumpkin oil and vinegar, surrounding a pile of onions, and a sliced egg on top. Delicious. Another speciality is a sausage on a roll with raw horseradish grated on top. 

   Graz has the most preserved old town in Europe, and the biggest town of Italian architecture outside of Italy. Poverty is the best preservation for architecture and monuments. Older buildings have had plaster scrolled decorations added in later times. 

     Landhaus the council chambers, has   Baroque interior and most beautiful stucco ceiling design, now, with modern council round table and chairs. Quite a contrast. 

     One building is covered with frescos from 1360 depicting Greek and Roman Gods. The owner was not titled and so to compensate and show his wealth, made these beautiful frescos with Italian artists. 

     The Kunsthaus is the House of Art for the modern artists, it looks like a big blue bladder. 

     Dom of Graz is very plain on the outside and was connected to the government house for the head of Styria, with a bridge so Emperor Frederick III  could come to church without mixing with the common folk. The confessionals are works of art comprised of inlaid wood of different colors. The pulpit is carved in very high relief and glowing from gold leaf. Lots of carved marble statues on the altar, marble was brought from Italy, mind you, not such good roads then. What a feat.

    

China 2013

    A new place to take your date in Shanghai is the Hagen Dazs cafe. Quite a status symbol, it is pricey. 

     In a museum I went to the displays of calligraphy scrolls are framed by carved wooden decorations, each one different. 

    I saw a woman shoot snot about 3 feet into a corner in the Shanghai train station, reminds me of penquins. 

    Snack bought st station: peanut milk drink. Hope it does not need to be either hot or cold, I took it on the train trip to Beijing. It is very tasty, but not the nuts at the bottom. 

    Marlboro's are 15 yuan. 

    A woman got on the metro, asked a young man to get up for her and he would not even acknowledge her. Wow. 

    No queuing up here for train. Woman just came in front of me, guess it seemed like a good spot. 

     Sephora has a tep story shop, the sakes girls are dressed in frilly, cutesy dresses, typical for young women to look like children. 

     People are so thin, from front to back they look flat. 

    So hot in Shanghai that people are laying on the stairs going to the metro, there is a breeze coming from down below. 

     Sidewalks are tricky, bicycles, electric scooters go thru red lights at will, no looking for pedestrians, like they are wearing blinders. 

   Went into several upscale hotel lobbies. Ritz Carlton was the best. Twin circular staircases with water cascading from under into pools. Water, water everywhere. 

     Airport has green arrows in the floor to direct you to customs, how efficient. They processed hundreds of people so quickly that it seemed as if they just walked thru. New Yotk could use some of this. 

   Snack time: humm- fish lips or duck neck- you decide. 

Italy Sept. 2013

    Here I sit beside a canal in Milan. Yes, this city has them as well. It used to be full of them, now the city has covered them for car traffic. Makes it humid and fraught with mosquitoes. I having my first meal outside my room. I am that conservative. Service, mediocre. Bread as bad as I remember, entree flat. That is why I have my own food. However, I wanted the experience. Italian women know what they want and get it. Lesson to be learned.

    I have seen The Last Supper and the Cathredral out from restoration. It has been many years since I was here and both were covered up. Would not dream of ordering a cappuccino-only for morning here. Now the next table will smoke, funny how normal it seemed when I smoked. 

     First day I walked for 9 hours, covering three museums, then slept for 12 hours. All the great masters are here to be admired, and, I know how lucky I am.

     Lost again. Gmail has messed up my mail. I was on the quest to fix it. Tried to do it myself, too scared of the implications. So, found an 'Apple' shop and started on the walk to find it. 11/2 hours later, after some wrong turns, I found it, only for it to be closed! Many places, it seems, are closed on Monday as well as Sunday. The directions from my iTouch were not very good. Asked young man at the bus stop if the bus goes to the train station. Yes. As he bus was coming, a man opened the store. I gave up the bus for that and he was not in the shop-hiding- I think. It was a phone shop, not Apple at all. Waiting for another bus, I ask the driver if he goes to the station, yes, he says. Now I know to ask- do you stop at he station? After I saw the sign pass and on the way out if town, I ask him, he is embarrassed, let's me out, and I walk back. 

   Now yesterday was a big smile day. Rode on the Vaporetto in Venice, up and back on the Grand Canal in the afternoon, four hours for a round trip. Every moment was a treasure. One building more beautiful than the last. Cold and blustery made it different from the postcard view of golden sun shinning on it all. I could feel the play, "Merchant of Venice" as we landed at the Lido. Casanova at the boat landings all around the city. Leonardo da Vinci teaching, Verdi composing. Wonderful. 

    Smoking everywhere. 

Big Mac and small fries- €5

Train mestre to Venice-€1.20

Local bus-€2.50

Carbonara-€8.00

Spinach pasta-€12.00+€2 cover, €2 water, €2bread, ouch. Pasta tasteless.

Toilet-€1.50

Electric cigarettes shops all over.

Real cigarettes in street vending machines as well as condoms

Vending machines for snacks in small 6'x5' holes in the wall

Marlboro's £3.50

England 2013

     Before the movie starts, Virgin media shows short films to show debut new movie makers. Bravo Richard. 

    WalMart has come to London. Called ASDA.

   The  London skyline is so very different, once it started it seems to go pell mell. It will look like Shanghai soon and not LONDON. And, nothing prettier than the English countryside. 

    Pubs are called that because they are public meeting places. 

   So nice to be called - love- and I can hear caring in voices. Not all the time, that would not be reality. So many accents that I cannot identify. 

     How do you cross the English Chanel thru the Chunnel on a bus? Each bus is sealed in a silver compartment, connected like a train. Feels like being inside a Russian doll. There is a sign for toilets, have not figured out how that works. I am on the  iDBUS, a new and comfy subsidiary of SNCF, French rail. Viva la France.  The bus has the biggest windows ever and a camera in the front which is televised on screens for us to see where we are. I have the front seat, only three on the bus, like the front on a London double decker. 

France

    The driver of the iDBUS I took from London to Lyon, bought me coffee, fed me new tastes from his plate, gave me a metro ticket and tickled my foot. 

    Where I am staying, the receptionist does not know which side of the street or block the hotel is on. Got a longer walk than I planned for. To get there, Also a long walk, no street sign for my street, after ggoing many blocks the wrong way. Very tired pulling the heavy bag that has three packages of Lavaza coffee that I got with coupons and one from Lynette in England. And, big books. And bus food. 

     Public bus for wheelchairs has center doors that open with a tongue like piece that comes out to lay on the curb, voila. Wheelchair drives in. No stopping for the driver and so easy for the chair.

    Even tattoo places have style. 

    Ultraviolet light in hand dryer.

McDonalds has free standing order yourself computers in many languages. And, offer mayonnaise without asking.

   How can people be so thin and eat so much cheese and bread. And, what cheese . OMG! 

    Sylvie my hostess in chambery, has walked me to new heights, by that I mean mountains. Holy cow. There are prostitutres waiting in the pull out areas of the highway, very convienent.
Food is the best I have had in ages. 
 

Russia 2013

 Among the Russians , ColonThubron

     The trouble with us Russians is that we're hopelessly religious. Of course Communism's a religion.  It's never existed , in any country, as anything else. It has its own dogma, it's own prophets, and even-ugh-it's  own embalmed saint. What else is that Lenin mausoleum? It's pure paganism, or a throw back to the relic/worship of early Christians. 

    The Russian is like an onion: the more you peel him , the more you weep. 

   Why don't they smile? It would be frivolous.  

     This time in Moscow there was ice cream on every block, last time in 1991, when it came, it was gone. Now it is foreign made and the familiar-Magnum. GUM department store is full of very expensive brands. Last time-hardly anything. English AA meetings. New section of Moscow is where the skyscrapers live. That is a different sight. Still not able to see the mummy of Lenin, have missed all of the modern mummies, they all have been in restoration. 

     At the Hermitage the, very boring guide who also would not answer questions, marched us by a Carravagio show to look at 200 paintings of Soviet military men. Screw that. This is what I went back to see:  The Lute Player and St. Jerome. No contest. 

     Finally I have been inside The Church Of Spilled Blood. This is beyond my descriptive words. Soaring interior, open, totally covered with mosaics. Years of restoration and so worth it. My mouth dropped open and stayed there. A truly magnificent tribute to Christianity and artistic endeavor. I am so lucky to have come back to see it. Worth the long journey from Beijing. 

    Спасена

      

San Francisco May 2013

    Took me 5 trips to Russian visa place to get my visa, 3 hours to get a Chinese one.  And China is multiple entry for one year. Russia is very date specific. Still. 

    Enjoyed the city from house sitting at dear friend Nancy's. Concerts, friends, wandering. The city bus talk in three languages: English, Spanish and, Chinese. At noon a horn goes off AND talks-very sci-fi. Spooky in my book. 

   Tour of  Chinatown. Walter Ulum Place is only street in US named for a Chinese. From Canton were brought the first 50 immigrants  for mining, food prep., laundry. That worked out so well it grew to 70,000. 39 men to a woman. So flowed the sex slave trade. 40% of women that came were forced into prostitution, and very young. In the SFChinatown  were 8,000. Most families lived in a room either: 4x6, 5x7, 10x10. No kitchen, shared toilet. Tough. 

    There were so many street people, too many, the drunks are a big problem for the city. Many times in a restaurant or in the street there would be a person screaming obscenities or gibberish. Sad for the best city in the USA.  

Scotland 2013

    On the way to the Orkney Islands: Looking out the bus window to the west coast mountain terrain, glacier gouged glens, covered in green, waterfalls draping themselves like silver ribbons from  top to bottom like a Christmas Tree. Amazing Grace played with bagpipes and drums makes it complete. Life is good. Skarbrae is a 5000 year old village on the north of the island, they even recycled, my kind of people.     

    Purple is the color of Scotland, easy to see why as flowers of all kinds are purple.  Nice to see a beautiful part of your land honored as the national color. The other color is grey: houses etc. made from local stone. Scarecrows are called Tatty Boogles and are found in normal and unusual places. 

    No trees on the Orkney Islands. 

     Monument to the original Braveheart-William Wallace. It is a tower of power. Beautiful castle of Ben Robbie and a picture perfect one at the shore of Loch Ness.  Seems that Nessie might just be an Ore Fish, sure looked like it when I looked it up.  Oh, and the dragon fly seems to be the inspiration for the story of Peter Pan, written by local J. M. Barrie.
   A word about the much awaited Military Tattoo in Edinbourgh.  Wow, it lived up to all that I had imagined.  Who does pomp better than the UK? No one.  So many tricked out pipers and all the drums and marching. Makes one go weak at the knees.  I did not realize that there were other countries represented. In fact the Mongolian National band was there, funny as I just came from there.  More throat singing, awesome.

     Boutique cinema has leather Laz-E-Boy chairs, tables and free Pringles.

    Anything goes as far as hair color and dress. 

    Jenners is a dept. store in Edinbourgh was first 'shopping center'

    A fort is wood and a castle is stone.

    Dunedin is old name for Edinbourgh.

    Argyle means triangle.

    Loch means dark hole in Galic
      List of some famous inventors:
CRT for TV: John Logie Baird
Phone: Alexander Graham Bell
Trans Atlantic Cable: Wm. Thomson
Beta Blockers: James Black
Chloroform: James Young Simpson
Colors in light: James Clerk Maxwell
Cloud Chamber: CTR Wilson
Pneumatic tire: Robert Thompson + Dunlap
Screw propeller: Robert Wilson
Tarmac: McAdams
Lighthouse: Stevenson brothers
Bridges: Thomas Telford
Steam engine: James Watt
Napiers Bones, logarithms, decimal     notation: John Napier

Andrew Carnige

Any names seem familier?
And last but notleast is the ship and Scotch -Cutty Sark. 
So there..






       

    

    

Trans Mongolian Rail Journey

Finally I am on the long train ride from Beijing to St. Petersburg.  This one is broken up by the Naadam Festival, lot of time in Gers, Lake Baikal and then the train.  These Gers/Yurts are upscale from the ones on the Silk Road.  Yes, indeed.  Satiny fabric all around the interiors, crystal chandeliers in the restaurant Ger, not a cooking pot in the Ger.  The train varied from the Chinese, Mongolian, Russian.  Mongolian had the best interior, carved wooden arches, Russian the worst food and most expensive.  I did not partake of any of it.  I knew better.  Tried to get a cup of tea from the Mongolian one, but the waiter was drunk and was accosting the young women.  Could not be bothered with us older ladies.  Does not know what he was missing, experience counts.
     The compartments were set up as bunks all the trip.  That meant that we all stayed in our beds so we did not interfer with the others.  Us top bunk ladies read a book a day.  Drawback was that we did not see the landscape go by.  Now, the steppe is actually the same all along.  Does not mean it would have been cool to watch it between pages of the: who done it books.
    Mongolian flag:  I think it is very interesting: Had written this before, then Goodle decided that my internet connection was a naughty one with the Russian hotel and-poof-it was gone.  I really do not like this interference in my life. Flag: top is the sun, moon and fire.  Ying yang means relationships. side bars mean protection, Mongolia is like the juicy burger meat of a burger and China and Russia are the buns.
     On to Moscow: what a difference since I was here in 2011.  There is ice cream on every corner and  Gum department store is full of very big name brands.  And, skyscrapers abound. Our hotel was built for the Olympics-Las Vegas size. Our tour bus has orange LED lights sweeping along its side. 
   ST. Petersburg.  I could not see the Church of The Spilled Blood last time I was here and this time: It is the most fantastic interior ever.  Covered floor to multiple storied ceiling with
mosaics.  Jaw dropping, fantastic work, amazing in the real sense of the word. Hermitage: another place of unimaginable art works, means place of hermits. What a place to be one.The Mariinsky  theatre is named for a Maria.  Different mosaics, huge vases and columns coverd with Malekite, or Lapis. Many palaces, and ballet, opera, theatre.  Best view is a night cruise on the Neva, marvelous. 

Naadaam Festival in Mongolia

     Throat singing originated here, I am told. I hear it everywhere, during the festival and at dinner as background music. We have heard many variations of it at a special concert along with the national orchestra, several folk dances and a contortionist of jaw dropping moves. Ouch.

    The Naadaam opening ceremony was of epic proportions in the number of people involved. The colors of the costumes, designs, fabrics- so rich. Was able to see the wrestling, ankle bone throwing, archery, horse racing. The revered white banners were brought from the government offices to the arena with much ceremony on many horses rode by men in ancient costumes.  This part is from the Gengis Khan days. He is much honored and his outline is inscribed into a mountain outside of Ulaanbaatar. Families were wearing their finest costumes to honor this festival.
     Hundreds of wrestlers came on to the field, and two by two they came to a winner. How that happens is a mystery to me. Somehow the same one can win this multiple times and then acquires the title of: Giant.  Well done.  Yes, they do wear blue or red  bikini's, tall boots, leather off the shoulder bolero jacket and a cap. The winner then does a dance that mimicks an eagle, flapping his arms and prances around a bit.
     Horse racing is done by children ages 5-12.  After they have gathered a distance away from the grandstand, they are taken over the hill to start the race. All we see is the finish.  They come over the hill racing as fast as they can, creating a dust cloud so you can really see-the Mongol Heard.  In the days of Ghengis, that would have been terrifying. The last horse in is called-Full Stomach.
     Archery is done by men and women.  The target is not the round one we are used to, instead it is a flat one, on the ground, with the center colored red.  The judges hang around the targets to indicate the score, and, I am told that no one has ever been shot.  So, the contestants are very good. I have seen a man on a racing horse hit a very small target.  They do have the gens of Ghengis.
    Ankle bone tossing.  It was, or still is the bone of the sheep. Rather like Tiddly Winks.  Very loud cheering as the shooter sits on a stool about 4 inches high, a good ten feet from the target of more bones on a little altar like goal.  He flicks it off his 4th finger with his thumb and can hit it dead on, and fast.
     The table of honor has on it a 'foot print' shaped, rather sweet, hard bread.  About 6 high, stacked in a circle, with some salty yogurt balls on top.  This is eaten with milk tea.  I did spring for our group, they did not seem to like it as much as the President of Mongolia did.  I was within feet of him at the festival.  He came to see every event.  Bravo for him.  
      Upturned toes on shoes means they do not harm the soil which is so important. 
     Now, you know the rest of the story.

Tallinn, Estonia Aug. 2013

     Far, far different from Russia, where I have come from. Much has been rebuilt from indiscriminate bombing and destruction from occupiers.  Old town looks much as it did in its glory day. Was a busy trading city.

     Very much a coffee and cafe culture and, my favorite  coffee-Lavazza  is available.

     Blankets available for you to wrap up in at the cafes. 

     Movies are: €4

     SKYPE came from here, thank you.

     Free Wi-Fi is a personal given

     

     Been to the grocery to try new foods. It is all a guessing game. Hope tonight's dinner is sesame coated schnitzel. Really wanted a beef steak, I must have missed beef amount the seafood. Picked herring etc. 

    I am so tired, enough churches etc. cannot figure what to do next, staring st the guide books, so, have gone to the movies-twice- and had popcorn. 

   Cannot check in for flight to Scotland, will go early to sort it out. Aaarrgg. 

   

Colombia March 2013

     I can pole dance after all. I am sure somewhere there are photos of my expertise on Facebook.  I am not and will not be a Facebook person.  It was in Cali, on the Chiva bus 'city tour' by night.  What that means is that it is a bus/truck with a dance floor, two poles, seats around the perimeter, very loud music, alcohol available, driving around the city.  Hot and heavy.  Good fun, for a while.  Not the city tour I thought, however, it was a laugh, we waved to many people and got lots of smiles.
     The Pan Am highway is getting some parts upgraded.  Thank the highway gods.  We drove to Lake Quilotoa from the village of Chugchilan to see the emerald crater lake.  The attraction of this is the hike down to the hostel where we started.  Not big enough of an attraction to get me to do it.  At 12,841' in altitude it was all I could do to walk to the toilet.  The lake was spectacular and not quite bubbling from deep in the earth,  but active. It was very cold, I slept with my sleeping bag and the heavy blankets.
      Some observations:  Trucks have lights on the wipers.
People on motorcycles put plastic bags on their feet or high plastic booties that come to the knees. 
Gas is about $.50.
This is the dental capital for braces, the percentage of people wearing them is very high.
My dental week:   $1.00 = 1,800 COP
  Panoramic Xray   20,000
  Root Canal Dr. started but tooth was cracked so charged me only for consultation   60,000
  Surgeon to remove tooth  150,000  He looked and sounded like Anthony Robbins
  Surgeon to open implant for crown  100,000
  Medications   50,000
  Dentist that co-ordinated it and did implant finishing that I started last Fall in Nicaragua.  950,000
  Loosely the total came to $738.00
Yea for medical tourism.
   Guatepe  has a very big rock called El Penon de Guatepe.  The locals have made a staircase going up and behind that, one coming down in bricks for a totel of 644 steps up and 644 down.  I stayed at the bottom and had  lovely coffee. Escobar the drug lord, had a lake side home here.  We took a boat to see it, it is now a modern ruin.   From there we went to Medellin, the home base of Escobar and the artist Botero.  A museum for just his work and many statues in the plaza outside of the museum of large pieces he donated,  he loved his city. I can see why.  After Escobar was killed, this city took it back.  My hat is off the the city leaders.  They made a cable car that goes to the favela so people there can come to work in the city,  Three big black square buildings up on the favela hill, full of libraries and places to study.  The ticket is included in the metro ticket price. Also libraries in metro stations!
    Parks like I have never seen before, one called the Barefoot Park.  Places to soak your feet, another with jets, a sheet of water falling from 30 degree angled support that you can walk under or stand in front of.  This city is now a jewel.
     Cartegena is supposed to be the jewel of So. America, and it is well preserved.  The old city is inside the wall and the old part outside of the wall is preserved as well.  The modern part, and it is big like Panama City, is on another island removed from the old part.  Standing on the wall for sunset, you can experience the different parts and see how well it is separated.
   Oh, and it is stinking hot. 
  Our hotel staff took time from their day to show us how to cook a Paisa meal, from Paisano, friend.
Beans, meat, coca rice, potatoes, fried banana, smashed plantain, salad.  Yumm, especially the coconut rice.
    
  

Ecuador March 2013

    Got me an official Panama hat at the hat factory.  When I was in Panama I was told they really came from Honduras and because it was 'discovered' in Panama, it became known by that name.  Now, I am assured it is really from the county side in Ecuador. Made from a grass that grows by the water.
   Windows in the area of Cuenca are not only tinted a very dark blue or green they are in interesting shapes. Such as deep curve, steps, pointed, corner angle. Far more fun than a straight and clear one.  
  Ecuador is the closest to the sun of the world, the world bulges and the Andes are very high.  Concerning altitude, I seemed to have found the answer for it.  Besides not going there.  I took Gingo Biloba and Vit C twice a day and drank lots of water.  No problem. Much better than the drug I took on the Silk Road.  No side effects. 
   Ecuador has so much, mountains, volcanoes, deep valleys, desert, huge bromiliades and tulip trees.   Roses are a big export, there are valleys full of green houses. 
   Yes, the leaders were not who I was to be with, they were brilliant.  Domingo from Spain and Katie from the UK.  The end story of the wrong trip is that the US local agency booked me on the wrong trip.  Did not want to give me any compensation because, after all, I took the trip.  Well, yes, I was there.  In the end I got about half of the value of it back.  
   We drove one hour to go 10 KM up a very windy, steep and full of road works to get to the volcanic crater lake at 4,000 meters.  There was the lake, emerald green and still emitting gases from the center of the earth. The earth is so black, that is why it is know as the agricultural part of the county.  Where the road is cut thru, the earth undulates in big arcs.  This is high in the Andes, so I could see how violent the area was and is. 
   A funny part of the trip is that if you call the Dragoman truck a bus, you must wear the 'truck pants', which are big panties with a drawing of the truck on the back.  It usually cures the person that made that mistake.  Except for the one that likes the limelight.  Always one.
    On to the Amazon. The boat trip down the Rio Napo took about 7 hours, sitting on a board with a small cushion. But, hey, we are on an adventure.  On the river was this flotsam, it can be seen in many rivers, looks like froth.  It is from protozoa mixing with sub-terranian  gases.  Some were so thick they resembles a cream colored brush. We are on a special boat that is kinder to the erosion that is happening on the river banks due to big motor boats that go fast. Our boat was narrow and shallow. As we go closer to the lodge, we passed our local guide paddling in his dugout canoe.  His name is Junanchito.  He will lead us on the 'walk' in the jungle.  He leads the way cutting thru with his machette.  Where is Indiana Jones or Tarzan? Very exciting for this mature white girl until the rain comes.  I do mean RAIN. So hard it goes up my nose under my hat.  This is a rain forest.  Humm.  He cuts me a walking stick as we are climbing over fallen logs as high as my hip, streams, mud so thick our Wellies get stuck. There was a tree that was about 30' in diameter, it is the place to go when lost or feel in danger from animals as you can shelter in its root system which are like wings and they cannot sneak up on you.  We are shown many plants used for medicine, one was Dragon Blood, put some on a sore tooth area. I am sure it got better.  Was just about to try the Tarzan vine swing when a big black spider fell on the inside of my elbow area and bit me.  I had to swipe it three times for it to let go.  Ouch, it burned for a day and was hot and red for many days,  So, now swing for me that day. One of the young men had gotten a yellow slicker, so when he flew thru the air, it was like Robin-of Batman fame.  We had him do it again, it was so cool. As the walk went on, I did slip down a bank and my legs got so heavy I could hardly lift them.  Katie held my hand and encouraged me until we finally could see the lodge. If I let my mind wander for a second, I tripped, twice. 

Northern Peru March 2013

    There are amazing pre Colombian ruins to see in the North.  Chan Chan at Huanchaco which is close to the sea which was important to the people of that time.  They are adobe cities, and pyramids made so high as to boggle the mind.   Huaca de Sol and Huaca de la Luna, pyramids to the sun and moon.  Layers upon layers of building.  When it was time for a new ruler, another layer was put upon the previous one, painting, carvings and huge plazas.
   Cochineal is a red dye that comes from an insect the lives on the prickly pear cacti.  The Spanish monopolized the dye to create the " Fiery Latin Red" as described by the English.  It was excluded in England.  Too hot.  It was used in the Cardinals cloaks because it is so rich.  It is so vibrant that is is now used in Campari, and lipsticks. 
   Pre-Colombian civilizations are so removed from Western concepts of empires and literacy that they are the nearest we can get to an alien mind set.
   Punta Sal-there  we camped on the beach, I do mean on the sand.  Hot in the tent, should have just slept on the sand with the bugs.
    Mancora is the nearest town and known for the reed fishing boats the locals use today.  Not so prosperous except that is is now a holiday beach place.  The boats are similar to the ones seen on Lake Titikaka. 
  I was so taken with the pyramids, what small humans can do, amazes me constantly.
 

Eccuador bits March 2013

    I cannot figure how to change a post,  so will do another. Taxi's and police have pick up trucks with a back seat and small bed. 
    Indigenous ladies  have a folded piece of fabric on their heads, white blouse with embroidery, transparent sleeves. Fabric draped over one shoulder, w layer skirt, cream under and black panel over, open on one side. Shoes are like espadrilles that are open in the back with a bit of strap, so cool. Many strands of golden beads for necklace, edging up the ladies necks. Belt is woven of many colors.
  I missed getting the shoes as I spent all my money so I would not have it to cross the border, thought I could get them on the other side. NOT. As we crossed the border into Colombia, there was not one person dressed in anything other than western clothes.  Maybe that invisible border line is not so invisible after all.