Babai Travelogue-1

Babai Travelogue

Travelogue 1

 

Table of Contents

‘96/10/30       Egypt & Israel: London, Cairo, Aswan, Nile Cruise, Giza, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem............... 2

‘96/12/08       Dubai, London, Spain: Madrid, Toledo................................................................................... 10

‘99/11/20       Morocco: Casablanca, Marrakesh, ........................................................................................ 13

‘99/12/23       Greece: Athens, Delfi, Heraklion, Rodes,............................................................................... 17

‘00/04/28       Colombia: Medellin................................................................................................................. 23

‘00/12/01       California, Arizona: San Francisco, Carmel, Esalan, San Diego; Phoenix, Grand Canyon... 25

‘01/01/15       Iran-1: Yazd, Kerman & Bam, Nayab, Hamedan............................................................ 27

‘01/06/04       Thailand: Bangkok, Floating Market, Ayuthaya, Phuket, Sukhothai, Chiang Mai................... 31

‘02/04/17       Peru: Lima, Iquitos, Amazon, Leticia, Cusco, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu........................ 36

‘02/10/06       Bermuda Cruise: Hamilton, Horse Shoe Bay.......................................................................... 41

‘02/10/18       Hiking: Huntington State Park................................................................................................. 41

‘02/12/12       France: Paris, Dijon, Lyon, Geneva, Avignon, Orange, Marseilles, Nice, Bordeaux, Nantes, 43

‘03/01/12       Cross Country Skiing: High Point, Sussex County, NJ........................................................... 50

‘03/01/18       Cross Country Skiing: Mountain Trails, Catskill, NY............................................................... 50

‘03/09/17   Turkey: Ankara, Cappadocia, Konya, Antalya, Fethiye, Kas, Aphrodisias, Pamukkale, Ephesus/Kusadasi.51

‘03/09/17       Turkey Notes........................................................................................................................... 53

‘04/05/29       Boston: Boston Common, Harvard Square, Faneuil Hall........................................................ 55

‘04/09/04       Italy: Rome, Perugia, Siena/Chainti, San Gimignano, Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Cinque Terre, Bellagio,.......56

………         Italy notes.................................................................................................................................. 59

‘05/03/17       Iran.2: Semnan/Susangard, Caspian Sea (Chalus, Jadeh Do Hezar, Fuman, Masuleh, Rasht)............. 63

‘05/10/29       Iran.3: Rezvan Shahr, Bandar Anzali...................................................................................... 64

‘06/09/12       Panama 09/28: Panama City, David, Boquete, Volcan, Cerro Punta, Boca Chica................. 65

………….....… Panama Notes...................................................................................................................... 68

‘08/04/20       UK: Bournemouth................................................................................................................... 70

‘08/05/08       Iran-4: Tehran, Food............................................................................................................... 71

‘09/03/18       Iran-5: Tehran......................................................................................................................... 71

‘09/11/27       Argentina & Chile: Buenos Aires, Rosario, Cordoba, Mendoza, San Rafael, Tuyun,  
                         Topungato, Santiago, Montevideo...................................................................................... 72

‘10/10'17       GA: Smokey Mountains: Blue Ridge, Blairsville, Atlanta........................................................ 77

‘11/09/01       Turkey: Istanbul, Fethyie, Oludeniz........................................................................................ 78

‘12/02/01       Panama: Santiago, Santa Fe, Pedazi, Boquete, Guadalupe, Cerra Punto............................ 79

‘12/09/01      Turkey, Portugal, Spain: Istanbul, Fethiye, Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, Obidos, Evora,Faro, Tavira, Seville, Dusseldorf  82

‘13/11/14       Panama: Boquete-Volcancito cabin........................................................................................ 87

‘14/01/10       Panama: Boquete-Volcancito cabin........................................................................................ 92

 

‘96/10/30         Egypt & Israel: London, Cairo, Aswan, Nile Cruise, Giza, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem

Wed, 10/30/96: 

This week is the last week of my assignment at SCB. Today I decided to take two weeks off and materialize my childhood dream _a trip to Egypt. I went to a travel agency near the World Trade Center in the afternoon and met an Egyptian travel agent who said he would take care of my reservations to Egypt and Israel and that he would contact me the following day. He did not call the next day. I called the British Airways and made a round trip reservation for $1256 (NY-London $387 + London-Cairo $869).

Thursday, 10/31

I bought “Let’s go to Egypt and Israel” book and started to read it. I also took a few passport pictures and called the Egyptian Consulate to get information on the requirements for a visa.

Friday, 11/1/96

I went to the Consulate of the Egypt on 2^nd Avenue and 59^th Street. I had called them the day before and they had told me that they would be open at 9:00am and it would take about an hour to get my visa. I had to wait until 9:30am till the clerk arrived, was setup at his desk, his tea was brought to him and then I could submit my application. He told me to return at 11:00 am The whole process took a bit over two hours which was not too bad after I saw how slow things could be there.

I had lunch with Trevor Seeney at etc. Jay Maruzewski joined us. After lunch I went to British Airways office to pickup my tickets but their computer was down. I went to American Express to purchase some travelers checks. I had to go through some final handover with Luis Rojas and Christine Sheehee, then said good-bye to my colleagues and left the office at 5.30pm.

Saturday, 11/2/96

I read my travel guide, packed, left messages for Domenica Protheroe  and Greg Joshua and talked to Marica. Fred Hood called to say Good-bye and wish me a good trip.  I had left a message for him the previous day thanking him for his help on the project and he said he had played it for Al Beck. I’ll miss the old man.

Hiroko called to say good-bye. She called a second time and asked to meet. She came over at 3:00p. We talked for a while and went to one of the neighborhood restaurants and had a civilized dinner. After dinner we came back home, I picked up my bag, took a taxi, dropped off Hiroko at her place and continued to the airport. I went to the ticket office to pickup my ticket; I also changed my return date from Saturday to Sunday 11/17/96. This way I could use one extra day of the weekend. The 8:30 pm flight was over-booked and I had to take the 9:00 pm flight. We took off at 9:30p and arrived at London’s Heathrow airport at 8:00a (+5) after a 5.5 hours flight.

Sunday, 11/3/96            London/Cairo

I exchanged $40 for 23.07 BP (@1.734 rate plus 2.50 commission), bought a one-day underground ticket for 3.90 BP and took a one-hour ride on Piccadilly Line to New Hyde Park. It was damp and drizzling. The bridle path at the park looked beautiful. I purchased a 10 BP ticket for a 2-hour bus tour on “The Big Bus Tour”.

I took visited the Parliament Square, Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, London Bridge, Tower of London, Thames, and Buckingham Palace. After a quick lunch of smoked salmon sandwich I walked around for a while and then took the Underground back to Heathrow. The city was very lively and charming - more than what I had expected. We took off at 4.30pm, moved my watch two hours ahead and arrived at Cairo’s new Airport at 11.30pm, after a 5-hour flight. I spent three hours on the line for passport inspection; exchanged $300 for 1016 EP (@3.388) at Thomas Cook and shared a van with a German who paid 50, a  suspicious Japanese couple who paid 30 and myself who paid 10. I got off at Horris Hotel on 26th of July Street - it was recommended in my guidebook. The rooms were on the 13th floor and the restaurant on the 14th floor of the building. I got a quiet room for 43 EP per night. When I was going back to my room for the second time the elevator got stuck between floors; we waited for about 10 minutes until the staff could open the door from outside and I was asked to jump out.

I went to the restaurant to ask for some mineral water and had to wait for about 15 minutes for somebody to go out and get the water. I went to my room, took a shower, sat down in the balcony which had a good view of the city and wrote my journal. I can see the tower of Cairo from here. It’s 3:00 am and last night I only dozed off for a couple of hours in the plane. It is time to go to bed.

Monday, 11/4/96 - Cairo

I woke up rather late at 12:00pm. I could hear the chaotic sound of the traffic from my room. I went to the balcony to get my first glimpse of the city in daylight. I could see the roofs of all buildings around; it seemed as if they had been bombed during WWII and never repaired ever since. I walked to Obera Sq., Ataba Sq., Adli St., and Talat Harb to Tahir Sq. and stopped at a restaurant recommended in the guidebook for their “Koushry” but they were out of it. I tried a cheese pizza; it was really Egyptianized (10 EP), went to American Express and booked a Nile cruise tour from Aswan to Luxor for $416 + $289 airfare.

As I was walking around the city I met Frank, a great salesman. I asked him for an address, he took me to his a perfume shop, showed me his picture with Mohammed Ali, and started his sales pitch. I told him I might come back the following day. He said that they would be closing the shop the next day for six months to go to his village to make perfume. I ended up buying a perfume holder that had been made by his mother for 20 EP after haggling it down from 25 EP. A person, possibly the store owner who had hired Frank on commission basis, brought a Fanta soda which was so sweet I could not drink more that a few sips of. I left the shop before he could talk me into buying a silver necklace. I felt dizzy for a few minutes, possibly from the soda; walked to the Tahir Sq. and asked a cab driver named Hisham for the direction to the Nile. He started talking about himself and the fact that he had taught himself English and that he would take the tourists for tours of the city. He showed me a book he had compiled of recommendations from his satisfied customers; it was a great portfolio. We arranged for a full one-day tour of the city and the pyramids for 100 EP after my return from Luxor. I walked to the Nile and took a boat ride for 10 EP. The captain said they would leave in 5 minutes for a 40- minute ride; I had to wait for 40 minutes till the boat was full and then we went for a 20-minute ride. I was the only single person on the boat and the rest of the passengers were young couples holding hands. It seems the Nile is the hottest dating spot.

I walked back to the hotel to make sure I can get back my passport that they had held, possibly for registration with the police, at the reception desk, paid my bill, walked to my room and saw a black cat straying in my room. I had left the window to the balcony open but I could not figure out how the cat got to the 13th floor of the building. I walked back to Tahir Sq. and at a popular restaurant on Talat Harb St. I had a Shawamar and Koushry - a filling dish made of macaroni, fried onion, chickpeas, yellow peas, barley and a tomato based hot sauce. I Walked around for a while, stopped at a gahwah (coffeehouse) and visited a couple of small ancient food markets. At one stand I picked up two dates marked for 2 EP for a kg. When I asked the price for two, the salesman said 2 EP; I put them back and kept walking and then went back to the area near my hotel. At 11pm the shops and streets were still crowded, even the barbershop had customers. I walked through another vegetable market that was very lively before going back to my hotel at 11.30pm

Tuesday, 11/5/96           Aswan

I woke up at 1:30am and could not go back to sleep. I thought it should be a bad omen when I saw the stray black cat in my room. The wake up call I had requested rang at 3:58 am - not bad at all. I had a 25-minute cab ride to the airport, settled the price at 20 EP before boarding the small Fiat; the car was so tiny I has to squat all the way to the airport to avoid smashing my head on the roof when we got into potholes. The police had sealed off section of the road to the airport so the driver had to take an alternate road. When I arrived at the airport I had to go to four different desks until I was able to get my boarding pass. It was amazing how efficient these guys were in wasting time. The flight was scheduled at 5:45am and we took off at 6:00am, and landed at the Aswan airport at 7:00am. I negotiated the cab fare to “Presidential Nile Cruise” with a few drivers and brought down the price from 40 to 15 EP. We had a speedy ride to the sailboat, handed a 20 EP bill to driver and the driver, Misham, did not return the change. He said 20 EP is a good fare and added I could complain to the police if I wanted to. I finished my registration quickly and was the first passenger on the boat at 8am I napped on the deck for a while. At about 11:30 other passengers started to show up. At 1:00 pm. we had a buffet lunch; it was very good. I had a feast on the delicious cucumbers, tomatoes, and lemons. At 3:00pm we started sailing on Felucca on the Nile to see the mausoleum of Agha Khan, the Nubian village, a Nilometer, Elephantine Island - a name given by the Greeks due to the shape of the rocks in the island which are very similar to elephants. The Felucca is an old fashion speedy sailboat that seats about twenty passengers. We had afternoon tea after returning to the boat. I met Omar H. Tiwana of Pakista, a lawyer at Asian Development Bank, 6 ADB Ave, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila POB 789, 0980 Manila, Philippines Tel: 632-632-4410, and his wife, Aishe, an educated nice couple. At 7pm in the company of Omar, Aishe, Rita Lockhart and her mother _ Janet Tite of Medina, Ohio _ took a van which Omar had reserved through American Express to a boat and rode to Aglikia Island to see the Sound and Light Show. The temples on the island were removed from Philae Island when the Aswan dam was being built. The island consists of three temples: Temple of Isis - the Mother of the Nature, the goddess of purity and sexuality and sister and wife of Osiris - Osiris and Isis’ mother. The show was OK at the cost of 100 EP.

After the show we went back to the boat and had dinner. I then walked on the port along the boats; there were at least one hundred of them; the Nile Cruise seemed to be a booming business. I met Captain Cook (Hamido) who insisted on selling his services or at least some marijuana; I had to walk away from him.

Wednesday 11/6/96

I woke up at 7:30am and after breakfast took a bus ride to Aswan dam with the boat group. Fourteen temples had to be relocated prior to building the dam in 1970’s. I visited Aglikia (Philea Islet) again - the Temples of Isis, a papyrus and perfume shop; it was a sales pitch and a total waste of time. I wished they would stop marketing activities here. Finally after lunch we started to sail. At 4:00pm we arrived at Kom Ombo temple (45 km north of Aswan) located on the Nile. We toured the temple that was mostly built by the Romans. We arrived at Edfu at about 8pm and toured the town for a while. I was stopped by a young gift-shop owner, Mohammed, 29, who was from Luxor and has three shops in town but was unhappy because he could not find a good wife in Edfu and had to ask the female tourists to have sex with him.

Thursday 11/7/96

This is our third day on the boat. After breakfast we took a bus to the temple of Edfu; It is a magnificent, well-preserved monument. We walked around the market and as usual were pushed to buy something by the many vendors. Omar recommended buying a Gabalay for that evening’s party on the boat; I picked up a white one and paid 35 EP for it. We visited the cemetery. At about 1:30pm we started to sail to Luxor. We passed by the locks where we had to wait for a couple of hours; at peak tourist season the wait can be up to three days.  After dinner I took part in the play “Murder on the Nile” with Rita. Tarak, our guide had insisted on having the play. In the practice session I initially had the role of the director and Omar the role of the husband, but since I could not interrupt the play as often as I should have, I took the role of Rita’s husband and Omar played the role of the director. I participated in the potatoes rolling contest in Gabalay dress. A string was tied around my waist with a potato attached to the other end of the string. I had to roll ahead a potato on the floor by shaking and aiming the hanging potato at the potato on the floor. I won the contest. Our guide, Tarak, took my prize _ a bottle of wine. It was a fun night. I also attended in the mummification contest with toilet paper with Rita as my partner; we lost; Rita was too slow to unroll the toilet paper and wrap around me.

Friday 11/8/96

We visited the Valley of the Kings, Ramsses II, Thutmosis III, the Temple of Hatshepsut - a huge temple not unlike the facade of a modern cement office building. We took some pictures with Omar at the Memnon Statutes.

In the afternoon we visited the Temple of Karnak, a magnificent temple with sphinxes on the road leading to the entrance, followed by halls and yards with a total of 132 great columns and a 150-ton obelisque carried from Aswan in one piece. The temple was built by a series of kings from the Old Dynasty through the Romans; it had been covered by sand and Napoleon undertook the task of uncovering it. Later on we visited the Temple of Luxor, another impressive monument that at one point had been covered fully by sand over which the Ottomans had built a mosque. After the discovery of the temple they left the mosque intact atop the temple. I went to the mosque and sat there for a while watching the crowd and the site. When I left the mosque a teenager asked me to buy liquor for him from a liquor shop that only sold to foreigners. I took a horse carriage ride back to the boat. At night I went to the Karnak Light and Sound show with Rita, her mom, Omar and Aisheh; the temple looked very impressive under the lights (ticket 60 EP). After dinner we watched a belly dancer dancing on the boat.

Saturday 11/9/96

Today was the check out day. I woke up at 6:00am and took a taxi from the Sheraton Hotel to Hotel Novotel (5) and ferried to the West Bank (5). I then took another cab to the Valley of the Kings (15), purchased tickets for Rita and myself for the Tomb of Nefetari (100); it was discovered in 1904 and just last year was reopened to the public after a long closing for renovations. Only 150 people can visit it each day in order to preserve the site. I walked around; the small village with the surrounding hills in the early morning hours looked very pretty. A few kids approached me and asked for money. I gave them all my small bills; then one of them - an eight-year old girl - followed me until I had to give her a dollar bill. She gave me a small statute in appreciation. Only when I thought it was safe, I saw a two-year old boy chasing me and crying for money; I had to run away to the hills. I came across the Temple of Ramsses III, a great monument which I entered from the back. A self-proclaimed guide finally showed me a real Nilometer. After leaving the temple I passed by a small very scenic village, walked back to the ticket office and waited for a while for Rita, her mom and our guide, Mr. Williams, a 68-year old charismatic Coptic Egyptian from Thomas Cook Tourist Office. They arrived at about 9:00am. We drove to the Valley of the Kings and visited the tomb of Nefetari. It was amazingly well preserved. The colors of the paintings were extremely bright and lively. The artists were able to use the minerals from the mines in the area for the coloring. We then visited the Tomb of Tutan Kanum, another well-preserved tomb; also visited the Tomb of Ramsses II. We drove to the Temple of Hatshepsut that I had already visited. I hiked on the nearby hills while my company visited the temple. The antiquity was felt all over - it was part of the scenery. I then walked to the main street and as usual was stopped by many vendors. One of them tried to sell me the sculpture of hand for 500 EP that he claimed he had excavated himself. He reduced the price to 100 but when I told him I need to show it to my guide, he backed off and said it would be dangerous. We drove back to the boats after my company showed up and ferried back to the East Coast. I said good-bye to Rita and others, walked around for a while, stopped at a decent cafe and had lunch, and sat at a coffee shop for a while. At about 4pm I visited the Luxor Museum; it had a small but rich collection of artifacts from the area. I walked back to the boat area. On the way I saw a teenager American girl who dropped a few postcards in a mailbox, and then prayed for their safe trip to their destinations. I had a few fruit cocktails at Sheraton, picked up my luggage from the boat and took a taxi to Luxor Airport.  I settled the fare for 12 EP with the driver. On the way, he asked for 5 EP for a toll that I gave him and then again he asked for a 1 EP toll that I refused. At the airport I gave him a 10 EP bill. He asked for more; I told him to go get a police; he sped away. I checked with someone about the toll and he said there was only a 1 EP toll. The flight to Cairo took about an hour. I took a taxi to the city. The driver, calling me his Moslem brother, recommended I stay at Girsham Hotel on Talat-Harab Street. The hotel was OK but had cold water most of the time. I went to bed at about midnight. 

Sunday 11/10/96

I woke up at 9:00am and walked to Tahir Sq., bought a metro ticket at Sadat Station for .5 EP or 50 piasters (Pt or Irsh, Plural: U-Roosh). I kept the ticket to pass through the turnstile at the destination and got off at Mar Girgis (St. George) station to visit the Coptic Cairo.  

Visited the following:

·         Coptic Museum, a beautiful collection of Coptic artifacts.

·         Church of Mari Grigis, a charming circular church where the somber Orthodox Christian prayers were in session.

·         Church of El Mu’allaqa (the hanging church, St. Mari) where the prayers were going on. I met Omar and his wife.

·         Walked down a narrow alley to Abu Serga, St. Barbara (Inside: St. Cyprus and St. John chapels). These two churches were restored during the Caliph who did not like this act therefore he ordered the architect to destroy one of them. The architect walked so long between the two to decide which one to destroy that he finally died of exhaustion, as a result the Caliph spared both churches.

·         Ben Ezra Synagogue: Well-restored.

·         Fustat - City of the Tents:                I walked about 500 meters north on St. Marie Grigis to the Mosque of Amr, Egypt’s first mosque, a very huge site with beautiful columns in covered areas all around the yard. On Friday afternoon prayers up to 70,000 prayers attend. Two guides and two shoe keepers asked for bakhsheesh.

·         Abu Saffein: I walked about 500m past the Mosque of Amr to Abu Saffein and visited:

Virgin Mari church (El-Dem Shiria):   A beautiful, simple, small church

Church of St. Shenouda:                 Very old, brick walls and wooden ceiling

At none of the churches anyone asked for donations or entrance fee.

I asked for directions from a Coptic family and they gave me a ride to Nilometer; it was a charming building on Roda Island, about 20m deep. It is now dry but before construction of the Aswan Dam the water could rise all the way to the top. I took the spiral staircase all the way to the bottom. I then walked around the area for a while but could not find a decent place to have lunch. I found a bakery where ants were walking over loaves of breads in the window shelves; I entered and picked up a loaf on the inside trays but the cashier could not change my 20 EP bill. I walked around in vein for a long time to change the note. Finally I came across another bakery where I could get a few loaves of bread before taking a cab ride to the Islamic Cairo. The traffic was very bad. The driver would shut off the engine after every few yards where he had to stop. An 8-year old girl student was trying to board a bus and a man pushed her aside to get on board. A woman in full Islamic cover had put her child on her shoulder in a way that the child was covering her view from the incoming traffic. She crossed the street with no hesitation, expecting the cars to stop for her.

I visited the following sites at Islamic Cairo:

·         Ahmad Ibn Tulun Mosque: a grand, old (879 CE), most sublime building

·         Rafaii Mosque, I had to recite: ”Ashhado An La Ella ha Ell-lalla” to get in with no admission. It had a huge interior with four columns in the center and four adjacent to each wall with beautiful artwork on the walls and the ceilings. Initially I mistook the mosque for Sultan Hassan Mosque that was across the street; I went back to Hassan Mosque later on.

·         Citadel (El Qal’a): 

¨       Mosque of Sultan En-Nasir Muhammad Ibn Qaaoun, small, beautiful with pharonic and Coptic columns.

¨       Mosque of Mohammad Ali.      

à         Interior: Alabaster walls with wood on the upper parts and beautiful ceiling with possibly the world's largest chandelier (365 lanterns).

à         Courtyard: A 17-m deep well in the center of the court with the greatest echo. My shouts resonated for about one minute. Also a pretty ablution dome and a beautiful French clock on a tower, a gift of King Louis Philippe of France to Mohammad Ali in 1845 in appreciation of Ali’s gift of the obelisque from Luxor Temple that now stands in Palace de la Concord in Paris.

·         Museum of Qasr el-Gowhara: Built in 1811 by Ali and named after one of his wives. Ali invited 500 of his mamluk allies and slaughtered them here. In one room there were a few tapestries on the walls. A few of these were presented to Ka’ba in Mecca.

·         Suleiman Pasha Mosque: Built in 1527. A charming small garden and a pretty small prayer hall behind the Military Palace.

·         Court of the Military Museum that consisted of a few tanks and airplanes that seemed to be from WWI era.

·         Revisited Rifai’s Mosque. The attendant opened the door to the burial chamber of King Fouad, King Farouk who was Egypt’s last king, and the Shah. The tombstone of the Shah read:

            Born: Aban 1, 1298.

            Died: Mordad 5, 1359.

·         Sultan Hassan Mosque (1356 CE), Jewel of the Mamluk architects, built by stones from the pyramids at Giza. In the company of a guide and a group of French tourists I walked to the roof and all the way atop one of the minarets. 

I stopped by at the Tourist Police to find out how to get to Tahir Sq. Two policemen and two young civilians had to consult

to give me a bus number and finally one of the young guys walked me to the bus stop.

I stopped at two Egypt Air offices to buy a ticket to Israel and both told me I had to go to Air Sinai, a subsidiary of Egypt Air which was closed at that time. They could not tell me if I could book a flight through a travel agent.

Monday 11/1/96                        Giza

I woke up at 7:00am, checked out from the Gresham Hotel and walked to Tahir Sq. to take a bus to the Giza. At the bus stop met Ali, a law student at the Cairo University who works at a restaurant at nights. The streets were very crowded and the traffic was awful. The bus ride took about 45 minutes. Near Giza Ali pointed to me one of the pyramids few miles away; it was a hazy day and when I looked at his direction I saw the awe inspiring pyramid at a distance. Ali recommended I should also visit Saqqara, and he said since there were no roads between Giza and Saqqara he would take me to a government agency, possibly hi buddy,  where I could hire a camel or a horse. After arriving at Giza, we went to the second floor of a building with a stable on the ground floor. I paid $80 for a full day trip on horseback with a guide and left the stable for Giza about 2 km away but the horse was too slow and Omar, my guide, mentioned that after visiting Giza I could take a car to Saqqara. I went back to the stable and asked for my money back. We settled at a Giza tour for $40 and a faster horse. The horse, Kanni, was much faster than the first one and I enjoyed the many fast trots on the open vast dessert. I visited Cheops (2250 B.C.E.), 146m high, and Chephren, 143m high. I walked through a long tunnel to the burial chamber. Since I had no camera flash I asked Hirokoni, a Japanese tourist to take a picture of me and gave him my address and 10 EP to mail me the picture. He asked me to pose for a second picture in case the first one was not good. He did not accept my additional 5 EP; I never received a picture from him. I visited the pyramid of Mycerinus and then rode to the Sphinx a few hundred yards away. Omar, my guide, said I could get a cab ride to Saqqara for 60 EP. At Sphinx, a driver, Hosni, offered me a car ride to Saqqara. I asked him to give me a price with no haggling. He offered 20 EP. I got in the car and asked Hosni to buy some bread for lunch. He stopped at a bakery and bought bread and then some cheese at a grocery. The hot bread wrapped in newspaper was really delicious. We arrived in Saqqara in half an hour where I visited the Step Pyramid (2630 BCE), the oldest, and an inspiration for the construction of the other pyramids by the future pharaohs. I then visited the Tomb of Mere-ruka, a burial site with many rooms and beautiful drawings on the walls. Before leaving I decided to take a picture of one of the walls. While preparing my camera the attendant showed up, waited until I took the picture and then asked me if I had a ticket for the camera. I gave him some bakhsheesh. I walked to the Pyramid of Titi, a very small one. The guide entered the site, turned on the lights and we walked to the burial chamber. I touched the burial stone and a piece of amber came off into my hand.

I left the site at 2:30pm and arrived at Memphis in about 30 minutes. The site consisted of the following:

·         Ramsses II statue, about 18m long lying down; it was the main piece at the site.

·         The temples of Ptah, Apis, Hathor, Ramses, sarcophagus of Amen Hotep and Sphinx of Ramses.

We drove back about 20 km to Giza. After saying good-bye to Hosni who seemed to be a nice Egyptian man. He said the next time I’d go back, I could be his guest at his home. I took a bus to Tahir Sq. at 3:30pm. At one stop six men boarded the bus, five of them were smoking. I went to the American Express office at the Nile Hilton and booked a flight to Tel Aviv for the same day at 10:30 pm for 1180 EP ($350).

I tried to contact Omar by calling information to get his phone number at Ramses Hilton but the operator hung up on me. I went back to the Nile Hilton and got his number but he was not in his room. I left a message for him and rested for a while at the Hilton and did soe writing. On the way to hotel I met Adel, a sergeant in the army who invited me to dinner. I told him I was in a rush to go to the airport therefore made plans to meet after my return. He complained about the low pays and he also knew about the perfume salesmen trick - Frank about whom I wrote before. He told me that Egyptians think of foreigners as wallets who have to be turned over and shaken empty.

It seems the friends can get very intimate with each other here. It is very common to see two men _ with big mustaches _ walk hand in hand and they do not have to be gays. Basically the scene of men walking hand in hand or arms around each others’ is very common. It seems that the sense of touching is very strong here and since until just recently people of the opposite sexes could not touch each other in public, touching among the people of the same sex has become commonplace.

Another interesting scene is the bus scene. The buses are so full that people have to hang up to three layers from the doors. There are no official bus stops therefore it is common to see people jumping on and off the buses at each corner. The drivers do not even have to slow down. The most common sound is the sound of the horns of the cars. In high traffic intersections there are five to ten policemen who control the traffic, otherwise in other intersections with no traffic police, the red light has no meaning. It is a wonder a people who have so little value for the time can get in such a rush once they when sit at the wheels. Passers-by have no fear of the cars and they jump in front of the cars to cross the streets.

I stopped by at a restaurant that Adel had recommended. Inside looked sleazy, with two ugly waitresses. I asked for the menu; there was none. I asked for a Stella beer, the national Egyptian beer. The male waiter said they just ran out of it and tried to give me an imported Stella at three times the price of the local one. No surprise! I left the place and found a clean restaurant for dinner; after dinner since still had a long time before my departure I went to a cafeteria for a cup of tea before going back to the hotel to pick up my luggage. I was not in the mood to haggle with the cabdrivers and had enough time therefore I took bus #27 at Tahir Sq. to the airport. The bus must have been one of the busses taken from the Axis _ possibly Italy _ at the end of WWII. At least this nation does not have to impress the tourists with anything since its monuments do the trick. The bus was filled with fumes. After few minutes _ sharp at 9:30p _ the bus driver left the station. I arrived at Terminal 1, the old airport, and at that point I found out that the bus does not go the New Terminal (#4) that is mostly for international flights; The sales agent had told me that my flight would take off from that terminal. I took a cab to New Airport and asked a guard for El-Al Terminal and he said it was at terminal #1. My cab driver, Mahmud, drove back to terminal #1 as if in a suicide mission and he did ask for a big tip. When I finally arrived at the security desk at 10:30pm the guards said the plane had taken off. I went to the office of El-Al and a clerk OK’ed my ticket aboard air Saina which had a flight the following night. When I left the terminal I saw Mahmood waiting outside patiently. He drove me back to the city. The salesmanship started as usual; he said I should go to Magie Hotel that is a much better hotel than Horris. I told him I was too tired and just wanted to go back to my own hotel to rest. He did add that if I go to Magie hotel, to tell Mr. Mokhtar that Mr. Mahmud from the airport has sent me and to ask for ‘special discount’ that in my guidebook was translated as “rip-off”. I arrived at the hotel and checked in. I went to the restaurant across the hotel to get a soda, but the boy at the counter said they were closed. I went back to the restaurant of the hotel and asked for a soda to take out and they said they have no take out service. I went back to my room and left my luggage and went to a juice shop and had two mango juices and a mineral water. Four people had to collaborate to come up with the price in English. After a very long day I went back to my room to sleep.

?1

Tuesday 11/12/96          Tel Aviv

I woke up at 8:30am and after breakfast at the hotel went to American Express and changed my ticket. I will be flying tonight on El-Al and return on Saturday on Air Sinai. I went to Egyptian Museum at Tahir sq. The building does not look enormous from the outside but inside there is an endless array of artifacts from Ancient Egypt; there should be at least one million different pieces on display. If one spends only a minute to view each item, it should take about three years to go through all the items at the museum. The were no descriptions for majority of the objects on display but the task of collecting all of these artifacts under one ceiling should have been a tremendous effort. It seems that everything ever made by the ancient Egyptians have been excavated and gathered here. Some of the most interesting pieces were the elaborate horse carriages, the huge (20’ x 30’) wooden and golden burial chambers, the tools used in daily life and of course the Royal Mummy Room (separate admission of 60 EP). In the room there were eleven mummies and some of them were extremely well preserved with all parts of the face, hands, teethes, eyelids and ears still intact. They were the Mummies of Ramses II (about 4’ long), Amen Hotep I, Thutmosis IV, Seti I, and Ramsses V. By this time my legs were sore from yesterday’s riding. I left the museum at 1:0pm and took a cab to Fatimid Cairo.

Fatimid Cairo - Visited the following sites:

·         Madras of Sultan El Ghouri where they have the dance of the Whirling Dervishes on Wednesdays and Saturday nights. Omar had seen this dance and highly recommended it.

·         Mansion of Gamal ed-din (16th Cen.), spacious with many rooms for him and his three wives.

·         Mosque of El Muayyad, 1415, very old with original interior, beautiful alabaster multi-color walls

·         Bab Zuweila, one of the three remaining gates of the Fatimid Cairo

·         Mosque of Sahib Tala, 1160

·         Street of the Tent Makers and Saddle Makers

·         Al Azhar Mosque: It was not as magnificent as I had expected. Part of it was closed and under reconstruction due to a fire. The guide “butcher” Mahmud Mohammad walked me inside and to one of the minarets. As he was showing me around, he was trying to sell copies of Koran to western tourists. I wanted to see the famous library but after talking to a guard, a sheik and a translator did not succeed and had to give up.

·         Mosque of Sayydinn el-Hussein, Cairo’s most venerated Muslims' shrine. It was beautiful. I did manage to take a picture.

I took a quick tour of the Northern El Muizz St. and then took a cab to the Nile Hilton were I relaxed for a while and then went to Restaurant El Haty near the Horris Hotel and a dinner of pigeon - a delicacy here. It was a large, well-decorated, clean restaurant but throughout the dinner there was only one more couple at the restaurant. I went to Horris, picked up my luggage, took a cab to the airport and arrived there at 9:00 pm thinking I had to waste 1:30 hours until my departure time. When I arrived at El-AL ticket booth, a young woman asked me to follow her, asked for my passport, and I think once she saw the country of birth in my passport she was sure that I was a terrorist on a hijacking mission. For the next one hour a team of five people were questioning me and inspecting my luggage. It seemed that I would miss my flight again in which case I had to forget about going to Israel. Throughout the questioning everybody was rather polite except at the very end, when I thought I was cleared, they walked me to another room for a quick body search where a new woman told the Egyptian staff “ Search this man” while pointing to me. At this time I was ready to start cursing but I resisted the temptation. They searched me from over the clothes and I did not even have to take off my sneakers - that surprised me. I was also surprised that they had to use Arab staff for the body search. I was finally finished by 10:15pm; boarded the bus to the plane and took off at 10:30pnm. It was a short and convenient flight. We arrived at Tel Aviv at 11:30pm. At the immigration desk I was the second person in the line. I noticed the clerk, a young oriental girl, stamped the passport of the passenger in front of me. When it was my turn, I asked her if she was going to stamp my passport and she said yes. I asked her to let me talk to her supervisor. She asked if there would be a problem with stamping my passport. I nodded and she just stamped the card that was handed over to me on the plane and I was finished in less than twenty seconds _ I thought of Cairo's Immigration where I had to wait for three hours even though I had a visa. I stopped at the Information Desk to inquire about transportation to Jerusalem. The clerk said I could use a ‘sherut’ (van). I found a sherut where a college professor from Ohio was waiting. I waited for some time for more passengers. I checked again with Information for a hotel in Jerusalem; the female clerk called a hotel and confirmed a room for me. I waited for a bit longer until six passengers showed up but since the sherut had the capacity of eight passengers, we agreed to pay 34 shekels (normally 30) so that the driver would not wait any longer. We departed for Jerusalem at 12:30am.

There was such a huge transformation in just a one-hour flight from Cairo to Tel Aviv; an organized airport, transportation and decent highways. The grass around the airport was being sprinkled. We arrived at Jerusalem (60 km) at 1:30am. I found a hotel with the help of a few young men who were hanging around. I checked in at Hotel Arcadia at 57 Jaffa St. Tel: 972-02-6221998, a clean nice room for $50 a night. I went to bed at 2:30 am

Wednesday 11/13/96     Jerusalem

I woke up at 7:30am and showered; the water pressure was even better than that in New York. I noticed the pins were pulled out from my brush and holes made in my soap bar during the search at Cairo’s Airport. After having breakfast I walked to the Old City and booked a walking tour at Zion Walking Tours at the Citadel (Jaffa Gate). We started the tour at 11:00am. Our guide, Stanley, was an American College professor who had also served in the Korean War. We visited the Armenian Section, the Ruins of the New Church, Cordo (corridor, Latin: heart), Mount of Olive and the Western Wall. The first temple was built here by Solomon in the 10th century BCE. It was destroyed by Nebu Chadnezzar in 587 BC. The second temple was built in 516 BCE and in 70 CE, the fourth year of the Jewish revolt; Romans destroyed it again. The Jews believe that the Holy Ark was located closest to the Western Wall, making this wall the holiest site in Jerusalem. After Omar and Moslems arrived in the 7th Century, the Umayyad Caliphs built the two Arab mosques that still dominates the Temple Mount: the silver-domed Holy Al Agsa Mosque (built 715) and the magnificent Dome of the Rock (691). It was one of the more quite days at the Wall and there were not too many people praying there, nevertheless one could feel the extremely spiritual sense of the site. I entered the prayer hall, left a wish in the stones which were full of other prayers left by the people _ they are removed every year _ wondered around for a while and by the time I went back to join my tour group, they had left leaving me behind. I walked out of the Old City through the Dung Gate and passed by a long stretch of land which was the Moslem’s Cemetery by the walls of the Old City at the Golden Gate and St. Stephen’s Gate.  I reentered Old City through the Damascus Gate. In front of the “Dome of the Rock” two Israeli police officers asked me to show them my passport to confirm that I was a Moslem from Iran since the 7:00-13:00 visiting hours were over.  Inside the mosque a Moslem man again made me show my passport to make sure that I am a Moslem. My trying to proof my religion by reading a verse of Quran did not work. I finally entered the mosque; It was indeed magnificent, I sat down for a while to absorb and praise its beauty. Anything more than this would possibly have been perfect and therefore blasphemous at the time of construction since perfection is only for the God. Every square centimeter of space was a world of wonders and art. The symmetrical and asymmetrical patterns on the columns and the walls were just magnificent. A stone that looked like raised rocks covered one side of the pillars. I had to touch them a few times to feel smoothness of marble. The walls all the way to the ceiling were covered with beautiful drawings and Arabic writings. At the center of the mosque, a few steps under the ground the huge 8x8 m Rock was located. Finally the guardian showed up and this time he did not ask for bakhsheesh, bust asked for sadaghe (a different form of bakhsheesh) for the sheik; I refused to give him money in this holiest site. I left the mosque and walked around the courtyard. Every small pillar or altar was built extremely tastefully. I walked to the Al Agsa Mosque that is on the same Courtyard and sat there for a while to enjoy the visual beauty of the site. The task of building these two mosques was nothing less than pharaonic. I circled around the Islamic and Jewish sections until 7pm. The beautiful all stone walls and roads in the Jewish Section were restored between 1948-1957. The white stones give the area the impression of an ancient city.  By this time my legs were sore. In the Islamic Section a young shopkeeper, Ayer, son of the owner, invited me to his clean restaurant. He complained about the discrimination of the American tourists who do not eat at his restaurant. The customers were mostly Germans. Another shopkeeper invited me to his shop and reduced the price of saffron flowers from NIS30 for 10 grams to 20 for 50 grams. I went to my hotel to sleep early so that I can get up earlier to use more of the daylight.  I was very fascinated with what I’ve seen today and glad I was able to make the trip. It’s been a great visual and spiritual experience. The city is a great historical site; it’s peaceful, very spiritual and the crisp fresh fragrant air is very uplifting; it’s the perfect place for the resurrection of a prophet.

Thursday, 11/14/96

I woke up at 6:30am and after breakfast took Jaffa Road to Jaffa Gate, took a walk around, sat down at the Citadel and read my tour guide until 9:00am when my tour started. At exactly 9:00am I heard the owner of the tour company, an interesting 72-year old man, calling me from down the block. I started the tour with a group of ten people and our knowledgeable and dedicated tour guide, Ellen, an American who had immigrated to Israel. We strolled on the rooftops of the Old City’s Market. The highlight of the tour was the walk on the underground passage of the Western Wall. The tunnel runs for about 1km and exposes the many facets of the ancient cultures, the Herosd’s Road, his bridge, and the Wall (one of the rocks weighs 500 tons and measures 42’x10’x10’. In one of the chambers we could see the ashes left behind after the Romans burned the city. I left the tunnel from the new exit. This new exit was completed about two years ago but the old government delayed opening it to avoid any confrontations with the Arabs. After the opening by the new government of Netanyahu there were some serious protests by the Arabs claiming the exit would deteriorate the structure of the Dome of the Rock, but in reality the exit was far enough from the mosque not to affect it in any way. The tour was a great observation of the ancient history of the city. After the tour I lunched at Cordo Culinaria, a restaurant decorated in the fashion of the old Rome. As the customers entered, the waiters would start playing their trumpets and then clad them in robes and put headbands on them and after sitting them fanned them with long straw fans. The olives were great, the pea soup was delicious and the main dish, chicken and grilled squash was mouth watering; it was a fun experience. At the end of the meal, taking a picture of the customers lying down on a sofa with the waitresses feeding them grapes was in order.

I walked to the Islamic section one more time and entered the Dome of the Rock. I entered the prayer hall but the afternoon prayers were in session and a big crowd of men and women were praying. I was the only one not praying which looked awkward therefore I left the place hoping to go back there the following day. I walked to Damascus Gate and at the bus terminal took Arab bus #75 to At Tur Village atop the Mountain of Olives. The fare was NIS 1.50 but I had only 1.40 of change. The driver accepted my change. I got off at the Jewish cemetery. There was a beautiful view of the city from the hilltop. I climbed higher to the Chapel of Christ’s Ascension; it was closed. I walked down the hill and visited the Church of Pater Noster (also called Elona, Greek for ‘Olive Grave’). The prayers were written in 77 languages on tablets all over the church. I visited the Church of Gethsemane and then another fascinating church that looked like a deep dark dungeon with many lights on. I walked down, looked around and tried to ask about the church from an orthodox Christian but he did not stop reading his prayer book.

I started walking back to the Old City. On the way met Ellen, my tour guide, who stopped and gave me a ride to Jaffa Gate. She was a godsend; my legs were in pain from all the walking and the soreness from the riding at the Pyramids. On the way to my hotel I met Suki, a Korean girl who was studying Judaism for one year in Jerusalem. I also met Owen from Rochester who said he was going to the Dead Sea on a one-day tour. I inquired about the transportation for Saturday’s trip back to Tel Aviv and then registered for a tour to Masada and the Dead Sea at Benyehuda hustle, on Benyehuda Street and King George, starting at 3:30am the next day, Friday. I had a quick dinner on Benyehuda. An eight-year old Arab boy asked me for money or my pen while smoking. He reminded me of another six-year old boy I had met at the Valley of the Kings who was smoking and asking for money. I went back to my room for an early sleep. Tomorrow I will see the sunrise from Masada at the Dead Sea. It is 450m below the sea level.

Friday 11/15/96

I woke up at 2:45am and walked to Benyehuda hustle. The van arrived at 3:30am. I was the only passenger. We drove to Jaffa Gate and picked up the rest of the passengers who were mostly staying in Moslem Section where there are many inexpensive hustles. We arrived at Massada a little past 4:00am. I started hiking and arrived at the hilltop at 5:00am. I waited until sunrise appeared at about 6:15am. It was a time of silence to absorb the density of history of the site and the fresh air. It was a bit cloudy yet the sunrise was just perfect. The patches of the dry and colorful ground at the Dead Sea were glowing under the sun.

I met Asami Honda of Nagoya, a young girl who is a part -time waitress and more of a full-time traveler. I took some pictures. After the sunrise I walked around and visited the remains of the fortress. I descended the hill at 7:00am and arrived at the van at 7:30am. We drove to the Dead Sea and arrived there at 8:00am. I swam for about an hour. It was an interesting experience; the water is so heavy filled with the minerals that one cannot sink in it, but it was extremely bitter and acidy. After the swim I showered but Owen, the student from Rochester left the thick layer of minerals all over his skin. After breakfast we drove to a nearby site and took a nature walk. We drove to Jericho and visited a monastery and the Jericho Wall. Had lunch and stopped at Qumran to see the excavations at the site of the Dead Sea Scrolls. We drove back to Jerusalem and arrived there at 2:00 pm It was a great trip even though our driver, Mohammad was the least helpful. He would just drive and at each stop would just mention the name of the site and the departure time. He must have been bitter showing the sites of this land that now belong to another people.

I went to the Old City and walked to the Western Wall and back to the hotel to take a shower and a nap. I then went back to the Old City and tried to enter the Dome of the Rock but I was told that they are closed after the evening prayers. I asked for directions from a few Arab kids. They followed me for a few steps and then asked for money. When I told them I would not give them any money they became very offensive and one of them started looking for rocks to throw at me. At this time a few Israeli soldiers showed up and the kids backed off. I walked to the Armenian Section Restaurant. Before I enter I could hear the sound of a magical flute being played. The player, Valodya of Armenia, had come to Jerusalem four month earlier for a festival and had stayed. He was a great master of the instrument. I cried during his playing and had to go to the bathroom to wash up. I sat at his table and tried to talk to him but he spoke no English. I asked Genya, a Russian waitress to act as our translator. I would not forget the sound of his music. Su, the other waitress, was an Australian woman whom I had asked for directions to the Old City on my first day in Jerusalem - it’s a small world. She has studied journalism, came to Jerusalem for political writings and had initially hated the place because of the roughness of the Jews to Arabs but now has adjusted to the situation. The wine was good; the appetizer, Armenian yogurt, cucumber with tomatoes and olive oil was delicious. I had a great time. Tomorrow I will go to Nazareth.

Saturday 11/16/96         Nazareth

Today is my last day in Israel. I woke up at 6:30am, packed, checked out and left my bag at the front desk. I went to Ron Hotel next to Egged Tours on Jaffa St. and asked if I could go on the tour to Nazareth. The person at the desk made a phone call and they sent the bus to pick me up ($54). After a few more pickups we changed to a van and started the trip. Our guide, Yuki (Yukivet), was a very knowledgeable person and did a great job of describing the history of the places we were driving by. We drove by the Judea Mountains and the Bedouin tents.

In Nazareth we visited the Church of the Annunciation and then drove to Capernaum to visit the House of St. Peter. We also visited the Sea of Galilee where we had lunch (a local fish called St. Peter, similar to bass which Jesus fed one thousand of his followers with one of them) and went for a boat ride. We visited another synagogue and a church and a park where the Christian would come to baptize in the waters of the Sea of Jordan. The religious fever was very high.

We arrived at Jerusalem at 6:15pm. I tried to find a sherut to the airport but because of the Shabath there was no service to the airport unless I would get a private ride for $80. I took a sherut to Tel Aviv at 6:30p. The driver was kind enough to stop on a fork on the highway near the airport and let me off. He said I could walk 1-2 km distance to the airport. It was about 7:30p and I had enough time until my departure. I decided to take a shortcut; went down a ramp and walked through a citrus grove for about 20 minutes in the direction of the airport where I could see the bright lights. The smell of the tangerines had filled the air. When I arrived at the other end of the grove I faced a long wire fence; took a detour and walk for another 10 minutes until I arrived at a place where the wire fence was shorter and I could climb a few tree stems to the top of the fence and jump over it. I walked along the highway for about half an hour. When I hailed a cab the driver told me I was on the wrong side of the road. I crossed the road and walked for a while before getting a ride to the airport.

Since I was flying on Air Saina, I thought going through the passport check would be faster but I was in for a big surprise. The checking of the luggage was even more exhaustive than that at Cairo’s Airport. The fist woman involved five other people to find out my motives for taking this trip and to check my luggage. They inspected my luggage for an hour and the inspection of my camera took about 1:45 hours. This time they also checked the sneakers I was wearing. At the end the woman apologized for the delay and walked me through the gates to the departure hall around 9:50p. The flight was one hour late and we took off at 11:30. I took a taxi and the driver started the same familiar act of recommending a cheaper and better hotel. At the hotel asked for a wakeup call at 6a and went to bed at 2 am

Sunday 11/17/96                       Departure from Cairo

Today is the last day of my trip. I took a taxi to the airport and arrived there at 7:00a. I was lucky to get to the airport since the cab driver did not know exactly where to drop me. He had to stop near the airport and ask for help from a waiting passenger who happened to work at one of the currency exchanges at the airport and shared a ride with me. At the airport the ticket agent asked if my ticket was confirmed or not. I had all forgotten about it but I had to tell him that I had confirmed it at the American Express. It seemed he had no way of verifying it; I was able to get a boarding pass. I waited at the departure hall for a while, watching the sparrows who had nested there. The flight took off at 8:30a; I took a seat at the business class. We arrived in London where we had a 1 1/2 hours stop over and finally arrived at JFK at 4 pm

At the immigration desk, I was the very first person in the line. An old passenger tried to get ahead of me but the officer who had just finished with his last passenger noticed this and asked me to go thorough the other side of his desk. The officer at the customs said, ‘welcome back’ and let me through. I hailed a cab and got home at 5 pm.

‘96/12/08         Dubai, London, Spain: Madrid, Toledo

Sunday 12/8/96

Tomorrow I’ll be leaving for Dubai.

Woke up rather late. Hiroko called in the afternoon. I went out for an evening walk at Carl Shultz Park.

Monday 12/9/96

I gave exclusive rights to Kenny Shusterman of Bellmark Realty to rent Vanderbilt apartment, paid some bills, took care of the gifts for the doormen, packed, and called Marica and Faramarz. Hiroko called again to say good-bye. I arrived at JFK at 9:30pm to find a long line at Virgin Atlantic’s check-in counter; their system was down and my flight was postponed from 10:55pm to 2:00am.

Tuesday 12/10/96          London

I arrived at Heathrow at 1:45 pm; just late enough to miss my connecting flight to Dubai aboard Emirates. I took a Flight Interruption Manifestation for British Airways at Virgin Atlantic’s Desk to depart at 11:35pm and then took the Speedlink, a very convenient 40-minute bus ride (normally 15 pounds) to Gatwick using my voucher. I called Phil Tumminina at home in Dubai. He told me that the visa they had obtained for me when I was in Egypt had been expired and I had to wait until they could renew it. I stopped at Thomas Cook office and made a reservation for a bed and breakfast (38 pounds + 4.5 charge) at Kitsbridge House (Tel: 01342-714422). The Greek owner showed up in ten minutes to pick me up and we drove for five minutes to his place. There were four rooms on the second floor; mine was a clean one with double bed and shower with shared bathroom. I watched TV for awhile and went to bed at 10pm but had a difficult time sleeping because of my coughing.

Wednesday 12/11/96     Madrid

I woke up at 7:00am and after breakfast the female housekeeper gave me a ride to the airport. I called Shandra, an Indian, who works for Phil and is responsible for the application development. He said I should be working through a vendor and we would discuss the rate when I arrived in Dubai; this new arrangement was different from our first conversation when I was in New York and he had said I needed to discuss the rate with John Malcombson, a British who was in charge of the operations. He had no news about my visa and asked me to call him back at 1:00pm. I left my luggage at the airport, bought a one-day underground pass for 10 pounds and took the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station (1/2 hour). I toured the area for a while and then took the Victoria Line to Green Park, changed to Piccadilly Line and got off at Leicester Sq. (the theater center). I called Shandra and Phil, took the Piccadilly Line to Russell Sq. to the British Museum; it was one of the sites in London that I wanted to see. I headed back to Victoria Station at 6:00pm. Since I did not expect my visa any time soon I decided to go to Madrid to be away from the cold and damp weather of London; I checked the flight schedules and called Phil to tell him of my plan. I took the Gatwick Express to Gatwick and arrived there at 7:00pm, bought a round trip ticket for 218 pounds, bought a book on Spain, picked up my luggage and rushed to the boarding gate. Only 10 percent of the seats were filled, therefore I gathered it was not tourist season. We took off at 8:30 pm and arrived in Madrid at 11:00pm after 3.5 hours. The grounds were wet; it had just stopped raining. I withdrew 20,000 pts from Chase ATM and took a cab (2,000 pts flat rate) to Central Madrid and checked in hustle Montalvo,c/Zaragoza (Tel: 265 5910) , between plaza Santa Cruz and Plaza Mayor. I took a small but very clean and convenient room for 3500 pts a night.

Thursday, 12/12/96

I had a very difficult time to go to sleep last night; I could hear the rain most of the night. My coughing did not help the situation much. I woke up at 10:30am showered and went out. My hotel was just a few steps from Plaza Mayor, a huge courtyard with buildings around it. There were many vendors' stands in the middle of the plaza selling their wares; it looked like a temporary flea market setup for Christmas; it was still raining. I Walked to Puerta de Sol and on to San Jeronim. There were a large number of video game arcades and lottery salespeople. I went to the Tourist Office to get some maps and guides. On the beautiful Passe de Recolectos I walked by Fuente de Neptuno, Plaza de Cibeles and Plaza de Colon. I lunched at a restaurant and at 2:30 took Madrid Vision bus tour. We drove on de la Castellana to Serrano and Goya to Genova, Sagasta, San Bernado, Bailen (Royal Palace), and Calle Mayor. I got off at Royal Palace, and visited Cathedral de la Almedena. It was raining most of the day.

Friday, 12/13/96

It has been raining nonstop since last night. I had breakfast in a coffee shop near the hotel, bought a subway ticket (130 pts.), and entered the metro. I asked a few people for the train to Muse des Padro. The language barrier became a problem; I could not find anyone who spoke English. Finally a young guy who was going to make a phone call talked to me in broken English; he then closed his notebook, walked with me to the subway and we boarded Ventas Line and got off at Bauco; at this time the rain was coming down heavily. He asked the directions from a passer-by and walked with me to the museum; he then apologized that he could not accompany me any longer since he had to go to school. I called Phil a couple of times but each time ran out of change and the line was disconnected. I spent a couple of hours at the museum which has a selection of 7000 (1500 on display) of 16th century of El Greco, Diego Velazquez, Goya, Rubben, and many other painters. I then I walked to the Retiro Park. By this time the rain had stopped and the sun was shinning. The huge peaceful park _ with very symmetrical design _ reminded of a similar park in Vienna. The sun was glowing at this time; and it was indeed great walking in the park. After walking for a couple of hours in the park I continued to Huertas and the Plaza Santa Ana; lunched at Cerveceria Alemana, a place frequented by Ernst Hemingway; it had an old cafe charm. I then stopped at Viva Madrid _ a charming bar with beautiful tiles and ceiling _ and then went to Los Gabriels bar that had many museum quality tiles on the walls. I went to Lavapies and La Latina, two neighborhoods comprised of working class people; continued to Gra Via to telefonica office and called Phil and tried to make a reservation to Dubai. I had a few beers, sandwiches and tapas at a few bars. The rain continued on and off; by this time I was looking forward to warm and sunny skies of Dubai.

I planned to go to Toledo the next day. I was exhausted by this time, went home and had a good sleep.

Saturday 12/14/96         Toledo

The man at the concierge who looked like a distinguished politician knocked on my door at 7:00am to wake me up. Last night I had not heard the rain therefore I was hoping that after three days it would have stopped but still it was drizzling. At 7:30am all stores but a few coffee shops were closed; it was still completely dark. I had breakfast at “muse de Jambon”, took a cab to Atocha (370 ptz), bought a round-trip ticket to Toledo (2160 ptz), waited for about twenty minutes and took the 8:25am train. The conductor punched out both of my tickets assuming the person next to me was with me. When we arrived at Toledo I had to go to the office with him; after consulting with a few of his colleagues he wrote a note on the ticket and stamped it; on the way back, the conductor accepted the explanations. At this time the rain had finally stopped and one could see the patches of sunshine through the clouds; Viva Sunshine. After three quarters of the way we arrived at Agador, the first time I could see a fully Islamic architecture influence in Spain; I had seen two other Islamic sites in Madrid. One was across the street from “Nuestra Senora De la Almundena” where there were some rock and brick relics on one corner of the block with an Islamic name for the street and the other one was a few Arab shops in Lavapies borough.

We arrived in Toledo at 9:50am. The station was the replica of an Islamic building; even the bathrooms were squatting style. Toledo was the capital of Spain until 1500’s. I headed towards the town that is located on a series of hills with a very picturesque view. Many people were walking in my direction - naturally I followed them until we arrived at a military academy that I mistook it for Alcazar. I entered the compound and arrived at square building with a huge plaza in the middle; three floors of terraces were packed with people. I found out that there was a graduation ceremony of the cadets and the crowds were the relatives of the cadets. The flags of Spain were hanging from everywhere; it was a picture perfect scene for a Franco movie. It was around 10:30am and the ceremonies were to begin at 11:00am Having seen enough, I decided to leave the place; I walked back on the downhill road and crossed a bridge and passed a gate to enter the town. After a short walk I arrived at “La Cathedral”, a magnificent church completed in 1500’s. There were many statutes and artworks on the walls. I believe the church could be one of the most artifacts-packed churches in the world. There were many chambers all around the church. I left the church and started walking around and enjoying the beauty of the town; everything was beautifully constructed. I could not stop taking pictures of (I had to buy a disposable camera) many curvy steep narrow alleys to the houses, their balconies, hanging plants and of course the monuments. The weather and the sunshine were just perfect. I visited the El Greco museum and Muse (hospital) Santa Cruz - a charming building with two floors in the form of a cross with very high ceilings. I crossed the bridge and left the town and continued to the train station. I left Toledo at 4:30pm. and arrived in Madrid at 6:10pm; tTook the Metro to Anton-Martin Station and started walking around before going to Plaza Santa Ana for tapas and beer at a restaurant. It was a beautiful Saturday evening and it seemed every body was out to enjoy the weekend; the crowd was very festive as Christmas was approaching. I called Greg Joshua in New York but could not contact Phil. I tried to pay for my hotel by credit card but the old man at the desk said he could not process the card and added that only the younger man who works during day time can process it. I went to a bank and took some cash from ATM; paid my bill and asked for a wake-up call at 6:00am. I went to bed at 1:30 am.

Sunday 12/15/96

I woke up at 6:0am and took a 20-minute cab ride to the airport for my 7:55 flight. There were less than a dozen of people on the plane; the line for the Heathrow Airport was much more crowded than Gatwick’s. I took seat number 10A, right behind the seats by the emergency exits, therefore I had a great legroom. I should remember next time to ask for seats 10A or 10F on 737’s. we had a smooth two-hour flight to London.

I was not yet sure if Phil had been able to obtain my visa. I had called him from Madrid and had left a message for him to fax my visa to Emirates Office at the airport. After arriving in London I checked with the Emirates’ office to see if they had my visa; since it was Sunday, there was no one at the office to check that therefore the supervisor had to walk to the office and after a while came back empty handed. I had called the British Airways from Madrid and the earliest flight I was able to make a reservation for was on Monday at 15:45. Emirates had an 11:00am from Gatwick and a 13:45 from Heathrow on Sunday which both were full. Asked a clerk to put my name on the waiting list for 11:00 am, but my ticket which was issued by Virgin Atlantic was transferred to British Airways, therefore things did not look too good for that day. I called Phil again and he said that he had just faxed my visa. I asked another lady to check for the fax; by the time she called back to say that my visa was there it was 10:20. The clerk asked for my ticket to put me on stand-by and when she saw that my ticket was for B.A., she said I should go back to Virgin Atlantic, switch my ticket back to Emirates, and then try the 13:45 flight from Heathrow. I ran to the train station and took the train to South Terminal, explained my situation to the staff, got a new receipt for Emirates, took the train back to the North Terminal and arrived at the desk at 10:50.  surprised clerk told me  they just closed to doors to the plane. I insisted on getting on board; they gave up and gave me a boarding pass but said that they would not guarantee a seat. I picked up my garment bags at the storage desk and ran to the gate. I was at the gate right at 11:00 am and there was still a line of 20 people waiting to get on board. I was issued a ticket and took my seat. We took off at 11:30 am I remembered the saying of Churchill, “We shall never surrender”.

Monday 12/16/96           Dubai

We landed in Dubai at about 12:15 am I took a cab to Hotel Forte Grand cross the street from the airport. Phil called; in the morning we met at the restaurant and after breakfast drove to the office. I met Chandra, the Indian who is in charge of the development and discussed the rate and when I told him I was asking for $100-120, he said he could get Seri Lankan contractors for $25 an hour. We discussed the possibility of working on a fix-price project for the conversion of the system S/36 code to AS/400; I gave him a proposal with a price tag of $100K. By the midweek Phil told me that London had told them to work with another firm, therefore I ended up doing some reports for them. The response time of the AS/400 was so bad that the task became very frustrating.

Thursday 12/24/96 Christmas Eve.

The past nine days things were very uneventful. By the midweek received a call from Bill Greban at TSR saying that Pfizer wanted me to work on their project as a Systems Architect. On Sunday night, 12/27/96 decided to leave since my visa was going to expire in a couple of days and I had to leave the country to reapply for a new one. I told Chandra of my decision on Monday and took my original flight to New York on Tuesday.

While in Dubai, I was not able to figure out how it had become such a successful country in attracting businesses. The city was very much developed and still construction was going on everywhere at full speed. The manager at Shahrzad, the great Persian restaurant at the Marriott said that only 20% of the income was derived from oil and the rest is from commerce. All the work force were Indians, Pakistani and African males or Filipino females. The service was very good and the government has kept the prices in check. The native population is about .5 million and there are about 1 million visitors. The city looks like a modern American town for the most part.

‘99/11/20         Morocco: Casablanca, Marrakesh, Fez

Sat. 11/20/99 I boarded Morocco Royal Air at about 7pm for a 7:30pm depature, but due a problem in the cockpit we were held till 11:30pm.

Last week I had decided to take the week of Thanksgiving off. I could not find a flight to the Islands therefore I checked the Internet for a tour to Morocco. The only name that came up was Sarah Tours. I called Hamid at the company and made a reservation for an 8-day trip for about $1,500 (land). I booked a flight from Pan Express for $700 that was less expensive than that quoted by the airline office. I received the itinerary and got a LP guide to read on the sites that we were going to visit.

I talked to a middle age lady from Washington D.C. who was sitting next to me and was going to Morocco for two weeks for trekking in the desert. We arrived in Casablanca at 11:00pm after a 6.5hrs flight.

Sunday, 11/21/99

The immigration desk was rather fast. I bought a train ticket and boarded a fast train to Casa du Port and then took a short taxi ride to Hotel Afna that is the old name of Casa. The driver gave me a quote of 20dm ($1 = 9.7 dm), but when I gave him a 50dm note, he gave me back only 20.  After check-in I had lunch at Pizza Hut, took a cab to Hassan Mosque, the second largest in the world at the cost of $750m paid by the people. It was a huge hall with rather beautiful tile-work and wood ceilings _ though it was not comparable to Dome of the Rock. I took a cab to the old Medina and walked around for a while. I tried to find a couple of sites using the directions given in my guidebook but did not succeed. Nobody knew the name of the sites I was looking for. While looking for the Central Market, I met Mohammed. He showed me his student card and said he was a student of Economics though he did not look like a student. We walked by the Central Market that was closed by this time. He insisted that I join him for a drink. We went to a bar where I ordered a mint tea. He talked about his country, his trips, politics and everything else. I finally got up to leave after leaving some change for my tea on the table, but he asked me to pay the bill for the four beers he had had. I told him I did not have money and left the place. I looked for a French restaurant that my book recommended as having the best seafood. I asked a few people and finally when I found the place, I found out that it was closed on Sundays. I found another restaurant, but no customers were in sight. The last restaurant was more like a bar. I stopped at a full-house McDonalds' and sat down to eat my Big Mac. As I was eating I was wondering about the cause of the popularity of the brand. It is that not McDonalds' food is more delicious than the food of any particular restaurant in a given country. I was also wondering about the similar tastes that people around the world have. It was interesting to see that people around the world do enjoy the combination of the sandwich and the fries. I left the place and asked for the directions to my hotel from a Traffic Police who was ticketing a driver. He kindly drew a map for me and said goodnight. After about 20 minutes I was about one block away from my hotel when I saw two guys walking towards me. One of them, a teenager asked me the time and when I stretched my arm so that he can see the time, they noticed that I am a foreigner. They accosted me and started walking with me and when I ignored them, one of them said that they were not asking for money. At the reception I asked for my messages. I had one from someone by name of Abdul Latif Chakir. I called him and he said he would be my new guide. He said that we would be going to Marrakech the following day whereas based on my itinerary I was supposed to meet my tour group at the airport and then drive to Rabat. I told him to call Hamid, the tour agent in U.S. to clarify. He called back after a while and said he could not reach Hamid and asked if he could come to see me to explain the situation. After a while the phone rang, I went to the lobby and met him and another huge guy that later I found out was Abdul's boss. He showed me a new itinerary that was faxed to him on Nov. 20^th.  He said he would pick me up at 9:00am at the hotel. I was not happy with the situation but did not have much choice. I think it was a mistake to look up a tour agent on the Internet and give him my business. OK, I told myself; I am one of the pioneers of shopping for a trip on the Net.

Monday 11/22/99           Marrakesh

I had breakfast at the hotel. Abdul showed up promptly in a Mercedes. We had an uneventful pleasant 200km drive to Marrakesh. The countryside was mostly green. As we entered the old Medina, my guide Hussein was waiting for us at the gate. He drove to Hotel Alomorvid. They told me they had no record of reservation for me. I had to get a room on my own (380dm). I visited the following sites:

Koutoubia         A 12-century Mosque with a 70'' minaret that is visible from most of the town

Menara Gardens It leads to a site containing a huge pool and a small post house for the king. The pool was used to train soldiers for sea wars.

Bahia Palace:    It contains a series of courthouses indicating it was built in stages.

The Dar si Said:  Museum of Modern Arts and Crafts: There was a big collection of carpets in a beautiful building.

The Saddian Tombs:

A series of tombs inside and outside of a mosque. The tile designs were pretty. This huge site was discovered in the 9^th century by the French. I could not figure out how it could be hidden.

The Badia:        Also called "The Incomparable". It is the most impressive ruin in the city. Sadly, it was mostly ruined. Only a huge pool in the center, sunken gardens, a shell of a hall on one side, and some rooms in the lower level for the visitors to the Palace are left. Its construction was started in 1578 by Ahmed el Mansur. At the opening ceremony of the Place the king asks his fool to comment on the building. The fool says 'it will make a fine ruin', and a fine ruin it was. In 1696, it took a new king 12 years to destroy the Palace to use the pieces to build a new palace in Meknes. My guide did not mention this. I read it in my guidebook.

                        In one corner of the yard there was a room with a 10^th century Menbar in it. I took a picture from it; the guard noticed the flashlight of my camera, entered the room and asked me to give him the film. I apologized and told him I will not print the film, but he did not back off and said he could loose his job for that. After a few minutes haggling - with Hussein translating - I gave up and took out my camera to remove the film. Only at that time he gave up. Hussein told me to give the guard some money. I had to shake the guard's hand. It cost me 50dm.

Hussein also selected two shops for me to visit. Prior to each visit he gave me an introduction about the quality of their merchandise, the first one an antique shop and the second one a leather shop. I had forgotten to tell him in the beginning that I was not there for shopping. Finally we drove back to the hotel. Meanwhile Abdul had checked with the office and had found out that a reservation was made for me under the name of another travel agent, Zinab Tours.

Tue, 11/23/99.

Abdul picked me up at 9:30am. We drove to Majorelle Gardens, a tropic style dense garden owned by Yves Saint-Laurent. I asked him to drop me off at Kotabbia Mosque, said good-bye to him and finally stated tour of the city on my own.

Medresa Ben Yussef:    The dorm of the students on the second floor was interesting. Each room had a tiny hole in the ceiling leading to a private flat.

Muse Prive de Marrakech:

The most impressive palace; maintained by private donations. It contained some beautiful paintings and crafts, a pretty hammam, and the nicest bathroom in town.

The kobba Ba'Adiyan:   The charming dome is the only thing left.

The Mouassine Mosque:   A small unimpressive building.

I walked around the souk and then went back to Jama El Fana Square. I took a long walk to Mellah (Jewish neighborhood) and visited the Jewish Cemetery.  By 2:30pm I was so tired that I could no longer walk. I entered the small yard of a small movie house on a narrow alley and sat on a bench for a while to recover. I then walked back to Jame el Fana and had a tagine at Argane. I asked the recommendation of the waiter but ended up having an oily tagine. I went back to the souk and walked some more. Finally I did my first shopping, a small backpack for 150dm haggled down from 370dm.

Wed. 11/24/99

I woke up at 4:45am. Abdul picked me up at 5:30. We arrived at Casablanca airport at 8:00am where I met Javad, my new guide and the rest of the group, Joyce, her daughter Lee Ann of West Palm Beach and her friend Ilene from Boston. They had just returned from Agadir. We drove about 90 km to Rabat and checked in at Meridian (Tur Hassan). I took a nap by the pool under the pleasant sunshine and had lunch with the girls. I then walked to the mausoleum of Mohammad V, where his son, King Hassan who just died a few months ago is also buried. I walked towards the Medina, but could not find it and had to head back to hotel. I asked for direction from a traffic cop who was very friendly. He said that U.S. and Morocco were friends. I then again had to ask direction from a well-dressed guy. He told me in French that he was going in the same direction and said I could walk with him. He was a student from another town. As we arrived at the hotel he told me that he had not eaten and asked for some money. I met the group at 3:30pm. We went back to the mausoleum and then to Chellah. It is the impressive remains of a fort with a beautiful garden and a magnificent view and the ruins of a few buildings. 

Visited Hassan Tower, another fort. We then drove to the Mellah, the Jewish section, which was on the outer walls of the old Medina. Apparently the rulers would house the Jews outside the Medina to have them under their protection. We toured the Medina and then headed back to the hotel.

Thurs. 11/25/99              Meknes and Fez

I was ready in the lobby at 9:00am but the girls did not show up till 9:30am. We boarded the van and drove to Meknes. We only made a couple of stops there to take picture and have lunch. I had a good tagine.

On the way we stopped at a stand and after the usual haggling, Javad bought two buckets of olive oil each weighing 5 liters for 170dm -

Moulay Idris:     I entered the complex for a tour. It was a combination of a mosque, a shrine and a few more halls. It was located in a nice village.

Volubilis:          The gorgeous ruins of the Roman city. It is the finest archeological site in Morocco. There was a well-preserved olive oil pressing room, the Triumphal Arch with clear Latin writings on the top, the penis sculpture at the entrance to the whore house and beautiful tile-work on the floors, all overlooking an expansive beautiful green field. We finished the tour in about an hour. I asked for a 15-minute break and wondered around alone. When I went back to the van, I asked the group if they would like to stay longer to see the sunset that I thought would have been magnificent _ all the arches, columns, and the walls should have been magical under the sunset.  I could not talk them into it and we left the site.

Throughout the drive we passed beautiful fields and short hills covered with olive trees and green with the produce. The best wine of the country is made in Meknes. We arrived at our hotel (Sheraton) in Fez at 5:30pm, checked in and had dinner at 7:00pm.

Friday 11/26/99             Fez

We met Javad at 9:00am and drove around the walls of the town before entering the Old Medina. It was older than the Medina in Marrakech and had more character. There are no streets here _ only alleyways; so narrow that when a donkey is going through, passer-byes have to get in stores in order to avoid being run over by the donkeys.

Bou Inania Medresa:                  With impressive old wooden doors and tile works.

The Karaouiyne Mosque:           A huge mosque with a capacity of 22,000 covering a large area in Medina.

As we were walking in a narrow alley, Java turned into a doorway; we followed him in. Suddenly we felt a very strong stench. There were lots of animals’ skins on the ground; we were in a tannery. There were many vats filled with different vegetable colors. Many young people were in them up to their knees. We walked upstairs to get a better view of the place. The workers would first soak the skins in vats with limestone to remove the hair. Then they would soak skin in vats with vegetable colors. The leather was then placed under the sun to dry up. We saw many fresh skins and even cows' heads with the horns attached. One of the workers picked up a skin from a cow's head and showed us how to cut it to make slippers from them. I was thinking about the book titled "Sinuhe, the Pharos Physician" and the description of the place where he would mummify the corpses. I thought the stench would have been similar to him.

Dar Zaouia:

This one was not a historic site but my group ended up spending a few hours at this carpet shop. The salesman first took us the rooftop for a view of the city. He then took us to the workshop where three young cute girls were sitting at the mill and weaving at a very fast pace. We listened to his speech about the quality of his carpets. By this time Joyce was so impressed with what she had seen and heard that she moaned, "I am ready to buy". I am sure the salesman was as excited as Joyce was. We went to the main room and the show began. At this time I left the place to do some walking. After a couple of hours when I went back the show was still on. Finally Joyce ended up buying three carpets for herself for about $5000 (after a generous flat 15% discount), one for her daughter and one for Eileen. I think Javad did very well on his commissions.

Javad took us to a run-down but well-decorated restaurant. The couscous I had was not good. I should have selected the restaurant before giving him a chance for another commission opportunity. I thought he would be happy with his commission on the carpets and would not try his game for a lunch - I was wrong again.

After the meal Javad lead us to a Kaftan (local dress) shop for more shopping; this was getting to become shameful - almost all of the day was planned for shopping and making commissions. I walked out of the place to walk around. Then we drove to a pottery shop for even more shopping. There were about 18 kids and men working in a dusty room cutting tiles - it was a good case of child and adult labor abuse. Javad had already justified the scene by saying that they make good money; I guess enough not to starve. Then we saw a very fast potter at the wheels, the paint room, the kiln and finally the shop. The place was not inspiring at all.

We then visited the exterior of an old palace still used by the Royal Family. Javad took me to the train station to purchase a ticket (131dm for first class) to Casablanca for the following day. I had called the airline in the morning but could not get a seat. We then drove back to hotel. I met Rachid, another guide from Sarah Travel. Javad and the rest of the group were heading for Marrakesh in the morning and my train would leave at 7:00pm I had the whole tomorrow to myself. Javad recommended that I have Rachid to show me the sites around the city.  Javad said he would also reserve a room for me in Casablanca. I was to take my 11:00am flight from Casablanca to NYC; I wanted to make sure that I could take my flight on Sunday. When I had called to confirm my flight, I was told to be at the airport three hours prior to departure time.

I said good-bye to Javad and the driver; then sat by the pool and had a beer. The weather was cool and pleasant.  Tomorrow is my last day of sightseeing in Morocco. So far Volubilis, the Roman Ruins, has been the most impressive thing I have seen here. I can claim that there was no mystery about Morocco for me. It has been a typical Islamic country similar to Egypt. Each greeting is initiated with the intention of some personal gain. On the van today I was thinking about the God and Islam as his last religion; how Islam and its teachings have resulted in such attitude of dependence. It was hard to count the number of the beggars all around. The country should have a huge tourist income in addition to its rich land and agricultural products; though one cannot see many signs of a relatively decent standard of living.

Saturday 11/27/99

I Met Joyce at breakfast table; then walked out to meet Rachid, my guide for today. Javad had introduced him to me the other day for a one-day tour of the suburbs of Fez. When I asked him for the price, he said it would cost $50 for the car and some tips for himself. We drove by the following sites:

Ifrane: A one-hour drive from Fez in the Atlas. It is built in a beautiful surrounding by the French. There was a very nice lake with ducks in it. The town was under police control since the new King was staying in town. There was some snow on the ground and the hills were covered with evergreen trees.

Azrou (stone): A clean small town. Took a walk around without any annoyance from the vendors.

Sefrou:             This is a city older than Fez. It is very clean and built well planned. I walked in the charming Medina. At the end of the town as I was approaching a rundown alley a man approached me; I avoided him. As I was returning he again approached me and apologized. He then introduced himself as Zakaria and said he was not asking for money; he said he was a Zen follower and his dream was to go to India someday. He said he had convinced the captain of a Phlippino ship to take him to India but when he was boarding the ship he was arrested by the Police and was sent back. He said he had obtained a passport and is selling legume (vegetables) in the market to save enough money for his trip. He seemed very free spirited. He had read many Western authors and had traveled all over Morocco. He said he was living in a cave where he was paying only 10dm rent a month. He invited me to visit his cave and have tea with him. The idea seemed enticing but I told him that my friend was waiting for me to go back to Fez. Then he asked for some money to buy cigarettes and newspaper to do the puzzles; I told him I could not help him. He followed me to the car and talked to Rachid but Rachid was not very friendly to him. Once he found out that Rachid was my guide he turned to me and said, "You are not a free man"; that hit me. We left Sefrou and made a couple of more stops along the way before heading back to Fez. At the recommendation of Rachid we visited another tannery where I ended up buying a backpack. I stopped at a few ATMs since I was out of cash. Finally I was able to use my Visa Card. Rachid then took me to Hotel; I paid him 900dm, picked up my luggage at the reception and waited in the lobby until 6:00 pm I walked towards Gare de Fez. Near the train station stopped at a local restaurant and had chicken (pollute). I boarded the train at 6:40pm and left Fez at 7:00.  A man with his old blind grandfather entered my wagon. The old man was talking for most of the trip. I shared the wagon with two couples and a few other guys each for a few stops. We arrived in Casablanca at about 11:30pm. I walked to a hotel next to the train station where Sarah Tour had made a reservation for me. They could not find my reservation but I ended up getting a room anyway.

Sunday 11/28/99           Casablanca - New York

In the morning as I was checking out, the receptionist told me that I had a room reserved for me and that I should have told them about it. I told him I had mentioned that. I had breakfast at the hotel and walked to the train station to go to the airport. As I was entering the station, a cab driver invited me to ride his cab. When I told him I was going to take the train, he said the train to the airport was not running!

‘99/12/23         Greece: Athens, Delfi, Heraklion, Rodes, Lindos

Kiki Zikou/Dolphin Hellas: 16 Syngrou Ave. 117 42 Athens Greece

Telephone (011-30-1) 922-7772 or 922-7773 or 922-7774 or 922-7775                               FAX (011-30-1) 923-2101

E-mail:   dolphinhellas@server.travelling.gr 

When to Go

Spring and autumn are the best times to visit Greece. Winter is pretty much a dead loss outside the major cities as most of the tourist infrastructure goes into hibernation from the end of November to the beginning of April. However, there are initiatives to extend services, so this may slowly change.

Conditions are perfect between Easter and mid-June, when the weather is pleasantly warm in most places, but not too hot; beaches and ancient sites are relatively quiet. Public transport operates on close to full schedules; and accommodation is cheaper and easier to find than in the mid-June to end of August high season. Conditions are once more ideal from the end of August until the end of November as the season winds down.

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PACKAGE TO GREECE AND THE GREEK ISLANDS FOR MR RAY                        13 days /11nights

Mr. Ray below is a suggested itinerary for Greece and the Greek Islands at the best possible price. Please have in mind that no reservation has been made as of yet Please e mail your response or call us at 718-9323232 and ask for Jeanie. Thank you for your request and we wish you happy holidays and a healthy New Year

DEC 23 New York - ATHENS

Departure on your overnight flight to Athens. Meals and refreshments served on board.

DEC 24 ATHENS

Morning arrival at Athens International airport. Our English-speaking guide will meet you and you will be transferred to a class Best Western-Athens Gate hotel. Balance of the day at leisure.

DEC 25 ATHENS

Merry Christmas. Full day at leisure.

DEC 26 ATHENS

After breakfast you will take 1/2 day Athens City tour. Guided visit to Acropolis and sightseeing tour of the Greek Parliament building, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Adrian's Arc, Temple of the Olympian

Zeus, Zappion Gardens, Royal Palace, Kallimarmaron Stadium, National Academy, etc.

DEC27 ATHENS HERAKLION (CRETE)

After breakfast you will fly to Heraklion Crete and transferred to A class Capsis Hotel for your 4 night’s stay.12/27-30

DEC 31 HERAKLION - RHODOS

After breakfast take the flight to the island of Rhodos & stay at A class hotel Mediterranean Hotel - 4 nights.12/31-1/4

JAN 04   RHODES-ATHENS-USA

After breakfast take the flight to Athens to connect for your international flight back home.

TOTAL COAST $1830pp.  Plus airport taxes $89 PP  Plus $94 travel insurance (optional)

Thursday 12/23/99 I woke up early and arrived at the office at Phizer at 7:30 am. I had to resolve a problem with Mexico. The rest of the staff went to visit the Chairman _ most of them with their children. I left the office at 3:30p.m, took a bus and arrived at JFK Delta Terminal at 5:00 pm. The traffic was heavy with Holiday travelers. When we hit the jam on the highway I was concerned that I might miss my flight. We took off at 6:00 pm and arrived at Athens Airport at 9:15 am (8:15 flight time – 7 hours time difference). We were one hour ahead of schedule. It was drizzling but the weather was mild. I exchanged some money (1USD = 324 dr.) and went through the immigration desk very quickly. My driver was waiting for me at the terminal with a dog next to him. We left the building and a few more dogs started following the cab. He told me he would bring them food sometimes and that was why the dogs were jumping all over him. We boarded his clean Mercedes and took a 30 minutes ride to St. George Hotel in Kolonaki. It is about a 15-minutes walk to Plaka the old part of town.  As I was registering at the hotel, Patrizia, a young girl from the travel agency, with a helmet under her arm, showed up to give me some tourist information. I was a bit sleepy, so after unpacking, took a nap. It was a bit chilly but I did not turn on my heater. I walked to Plaka and walked though the beautiful old streets and around the magnificent Acropolis. I stopped at Bretto, a very old ozo bar with ancient barrels stacked against the wall and color bottles all around and a very delicious ozo. Later as I was walking around I saw four men who were pointing a laser light around the ground as a dog was chasing the spotlight frantically; it was very amusing. I met Andreas, a guy from Cyprus who was there on business. He invited me to a tea but I asked for a rain check. I then walked back to my hotel at 11:30 pm I could not go to sleep until 2:00 am The music from the hotel restaurant below me was too loud.

Saturday 12/25/99 - Christmas Day.

I woke up at 11:00 am and walked to Kolonaki Sq. and Vasilisis Sofia section; visited the National (Royal) Gardens and it's zoo - it was very crowded with families taking their children out for the Holidays. The weather was very mild, unlike the previous day. When I left the park I almost ended up at Syntagma (Constitution) Sq. the main square in Athens. Walked to Plaka. By this time it was past noon. I had lunch outdoors at one of the restaurant on the main Street Kidathineaon with my companion _ a stray dog with beautiful innocent eyes that I felt bad not to share my lunch with. I then walked up the hilly alleyways up to Acropolis where I could get a panoramic view of the city and then headed towards the back roads around Acropolis. I came across the Temple of Agora, which was closed. By this time two stray dogs that had been following me for a long way stopped _ I assumed it was the end of their territory _ and a new dog took over as my guide. I was planning to get to the train station at Monastriki but ended up at Theosesis, a different station. I bought two tickets (170 dr. each). The train arrived shortly and it took ten minutes to get to Pireaus, the port section of Athens. I walked along the port packed with huge ships. The port was very quiet due the Holidays. I took the train back to Monastriki. There were many shops around but they were all closed. I walked in the pleasant back alleys of Plaka _ a place called Psiri, a Soho-like area to the North of Plaka. There were a few tavernas open but with very few customers. I walked back to the Plaka and Syntagma. This time I walked along Acadimias and then cut into Lycavitos Road. It was a very hilly street with some part covered with steps. On the way stopped at a church. Many people were buying candles and waiting in the lines to get to the altar to light them. There was a Mass going on inside. I continued on Lycavitos and suddenly ended up in front of my hotel _ St. George. I climbed the beautiful hill to the top of Lycavitos. It was a beautiful green area filled with plush evergreens and cactus. On the top I could see a magnificent view of the whole city with Acropolis and the sea behind it. I sat down at a bench for an hour and watched the sunset. The rays of the sun were reflecting on Acropolis and the motionless ships behind it as if the time had frozen. It was a scene as unforgettable as the sunrise over the Dead Sea from atop Mossad near Jerusalem. I walked back to the Kolonaki Sq. and stopped at a very crowded coffee shop filled with mostly young couples. It did not feel like Christmas there any longer. By 6:00 pm I was hungry but I could not find an open restaurant in Kolonaki area. I walked to Hilton Hotel to try a Cypriot restaurant _ Othello, but I could not find it. I assumed it was closed like all other shops in the area. I walked back to Kolonaki and had a Souvlaki with a double order of roasted potatoes at Café Neon. I then walked back to my hotel and went to bed at 9:00 pm

Sunday 12/26/99

I woke up at 2:00 am and could not go back to sleep. I left my bed at 4:00 am, showered and left my room. There was  only one person at the taxi desk in the lobby. I walked along Kanari to Syntagma and then onto Monistiraki; passed a large church with a sparkling Platia in front of it. At the end of the street turned right onto Athina and walked for about five minutes till I arrived at the Meat and Fish Markets; they were both closed. At the end of the Meat Market there were two large restaurants packed with younger well-dressed people; they should have come here from Christmas Eve celebrations. It was 5:30 am by this time. I chose the first restaurant called Giannopolous and took a seat outside. I happened to get an unfriendly waiter. When I asked for pasta soup that based on my Athens' guide was supposed to be a tripe soup the waiter said they did not have pasta. I walked into the restaurant and showed the guy what I wanted. He said something that I did not understand but he did show up with the dish shortly. It was a hearty soup. There was a couple sitting next to me who had ordered the same thing. When they got up to leave I noticed that the plate of the woman was still full to the rim; I guessed whose idea it was to go there that morning. Later on a drunkard guy showed up who stood near me and started to drum on a butcher's stand; he was not obnoxious though. I asked my waiter for the check and he complained again about something; I thought he must have been really overworked. I then headed back to Monistiraki and walked the back alleys to the ancient ruins. The sun was not up yet but under the moonshine I could see. I walked around the ruins and then up a hilly street to the stairs leading to the road around Acropolis. There was no one around, not even the stray dogs. I saw only a few cats. I arrived at the top of the hill at 6:20 am The city below was bright with many glowing lights. At 6:30 am the church bells started ringing. I waited for the sunrise to appear from Lycavitos Hill from where I had watched the sunset over the Acropolis the night before. I could see the whole perimeter of Athens. It stretched about two miles to the East, about a mile to the South and about three miles to the North. I was surprised that these dimensions could house about 4.5 m. people _ about half the population of the country where the typical tall building is only six stories high. Gradually the moon disappeared under the clouds. At 7:15 am the city lights went off and all I could see was the city filled with plain white buildings. It was Sunday therefore not many people were up yet. At 7:30 am I started to descend the hill passing through the beautiful narrow streets on the north side of the Plaka _Psiri before getting to Plaka. Most places were just getting ready to open. I walked around for a while before one of the cafes was ready to serve me a cup of coffee. I walked back to the Acropolis and waited for the opening time. Based on the sign at the door the hours were 8:30-2:30 but the gate was not opened at 9:00. I walked along the fences to the north. I came across a guard who told me the first gate was for the theater and asked me to continue further north for the entrance to Acropolis. When I arrived at the north gate the guard told me that they were closed for the Christmas Holiday. By now the image of the site was so set in my mind that I felt I did not have to see the place from a near distance. I crossed the street and climbed the slippery cliffs to get on top of a hill to see another panoramic view of Acropolis and the town. I circled around the Acropolis and walked on the alleyways of Psiri, and then went back near the meat market to try Dippo, a famous restaurant at the corner of Sokratus and Theatrou but the place was closed. I walked to Monistriki and went to Sigalas, next to the church on Ermon. It was a very old restaurant with a very warm atmosphere; old barrels of wine and many old pictures decorated the walls. It was just before 11:00 am; I ordered some red wine and lunch. A nice Greek music was being played. Later on an couple showed up who asked for soup. The old man returned his dish because it was not hot enough - I had read that Greeks have their meals not very hot. Later on an old lady showed up who had purchased her souvlaki next door but insisted on taking a seat here. The waiter gave up after a short argument. After a satisfying lunch I walked to the Temple of Agora and lied down on a field for a while. The sunshine felt good on my face after having the bottle of red wine. I then walked around Psiri and continued onto Plaka and then back to Kolonaki. I was hoping for an early sleep but when I arrived at the lobby of the hotel I heard a very loud music from the restaurant. When I checked it out, I found that that there was a wedding reception going on. I went to my room and tried to go to sleep with no avail; left my room and walked to Kolonaki where I had an ice cream and a cheese pie. Then I walked back to my room and again tried to go to sleep but the music was just too loud. The music stopped at 2:00 am but then I could hear the sound of the furniture being moved around until 3:30 am.

Monday 12/27/99

I woke up at 6:00 am, showered and had breakfast at the restaurant of the hotel. Today I planned to visit Delfi which my agent in New York had arranged. At 7:20 boarded the hotel van - I was the only passenger. We drove to Syntagma and I boarded the Go Tours bus and departed at 8:00 am We had a three-hour ride - about 150 miles - including a stop for coffee and anther one for shopping where I left my group and went for a walk in the charming hilly back alleys of the town. When I returned, our guide, John complained that they had been waiting for me for 20 minutes.

Delfi is the beautiful ruins of a complete ancient city one on side of a beautiful hill. It is comprised of Temples of Apollo, Athenians, Delinas and a few more sites. There were a theater and a stadium in perfect conditions _ specially the stadium which was located at the end of the compound in a very serene area - it should have felt great to work out there and mingle with young boys. After the sightseeing we took a short drive to a restaurant for lunch. I shared a table with a couple of Japanese who live in London and the husband works for Arthur Anderson. There was another single Japanese guy who was taking a few days off after a business trip to Germany. At 3:00 pm we started the ride back to Athens with a stop at the same coffee shop we had tried in the morning _commissions please? I went for a walk this time. The wind was so strong that I had to hold on to a wall to maintain my balance, though I did enjoy the scenery. We arrived in Athens at 6:00 pm. I got off the bus at Syntagma, walked to my hotel and rested for a while. I then went to Plaka at 8:30 and had an ozo at Bretto before going to Byzantinum at 18 Kidathenon St. that was recommended in both of my Athens guides. The grilled octopus was not on the menu, but I was able to get it and it was delicious.  I had lamb fricassee. Five young guys from Seattle and Portland took the table next to me. They had taken a couple of weeks off and had already been to France, Amsterdam and Rome with a next stop in Cairo. After the dinner I asked my waiter - a middle age guy with salt and pepper hair - if there was a backgammon club in town. He turned to a well-dressed guy whom he was talking to on the sidewalk and asked him if he could help us and then left us alone. The guy introduced himself as Alex; he said there are two casinos, one in Parines about 60 km away and the other one in Corinth, about 180 km away. He told me that he had been to Iran and Saudi Arabia and owned a nightclub so he could have an excuse for his wife to stay out. He invited me to his club for an ozu with orange juice. We drove in his car to his club near Inter Continental hotel - a place called Mullen Ruz as I later learned. We sat at the bar where he ordered an ozu with orange juice for me. Then he introduced me to the bar lady, Catherina, a very pretty girl who quickly took a seat next to me at Alex's suggestion. She started talking and said that she has been working there for three weeks and was looking for a day job; then she started asking me to order champagne for her. Each time the waiter would return with a bottle - labeled Pirna, similar to Perrier with a similar top that he would unscrew and pour but there was no fizzle in the glass. I did not mind the phoniness of the whole affair assuming I would pay a reasonable tab. We talked for a while and finally when I felt that Catherina was not going to stop ordering the drinks I decided to asked for the check and leave. The waiter put a check in front of me for 126,000dr (about $430); I was shocked. I asked for Alex who showed up quickly. I told him he should not try to screw me after I had told him in the car that one reason I had chosen Greece to visit was due the honesty of the Greek I had heard of - though I knew I had only myself to blame to accept the first request from Catherina. Alex accepted to cut the amount in half. I gave my credit card to the waiter but Alex said he would prefer cash. I gave them 50,00dr in cash and asked them to put the balance of 13,000 on my card. The waiter came back requesting for some form of picture ID. I signed the blank slip and before I had a chance to get my copy they took a taxi for me and sent me away. I was so upset that I could not go to sleep for a couple of hours and woke up at 4:00 am

Lessons of the night:

·         When travelling do not ever accept invitations of any kind from anyone under any circumstances.

·         Do not trust anyone regardless of your judgement of the individual - it is not to say that no one can be trusted - rather my judgment of an individual must not be trusted. In this fashion I do not have to pass a judgement at all _ either right or wrong.

·         Learn to say 'No ', firmly and decidedly. It can save one lots of trouble. I could have told Catherina that I would have loved to keep her company but I could not spend the time there.

·         Do not make any assumptions. I assumed I could afford the drinks therefore allowed myself to be cheated. It turned out to be a huge rip off but hopefully a lasting experience.

Tuesday 12/28/99          Heraklion, Crete

I left bed at 6:00 am, showered and packed, had breakfast at the hotel, checked out at 7:30 and took a taxi to Olympic Domestic Terminal and checked in for the flight to Crete. I then went to a Police Station across the street from the Terminal. I explained the story of the previous night and asked if I could file a complain there. One of the officers said I should go the Police Station where the club is located at and said I should possibly go to court which was a lengthy process. I went back to the terminal, boarded the bus and waited until it was full before heading to the plane. We departed at 8:45 am and arrived at Crete's Capital - Heraklion Airport at 9:30 am I waited for 5 minutes till my driver showed up; we had a short ride to my hotel - Capsis Astoria at Platiea Eleftenas. I told the person at the reception that I had not had a decent sleep for three days and asked for a quiet room. I went to my room on the top floor of the hotel facing the back street. All I wanted was to go to sleep. As soon as I hit the pillow I noticed the annoying buzz of the motorcycles from the street. I picked up a towel from the shower and walked towards the sea, but there was not a sandy beach to lie down. I went back to the hotel and called Anna of Merridian Travel in Athens who was the counterpart of Agean Travel in New York and told her I needed a place to sleep and requested a room in a quite hotel. After 15 minutes the nice attendant from the lobby called me and said they have a room in the inner section of the hotel on the same floor but with no view and sent someone to show me the room. I moved my stuff there but when I went to bed still I could hear the buzz from the street coming through the roof. Finally I was able to sleep for about an hour. I woke up at 1:00 pm and walked to Archeology Museum just across the square from my hotel. There was a very dazzling collection of the artifacts of Minoan Civilization, almost as rich as the one in Cairo Museum with some similarities. The elaborate artistic expression in the pottery, sculpture and jewelry was just amazing; I thought every artist should visit this collection to realize how creativity can soar - especially in a civilization four millenniums old. I saw the gold pendant of two bees depositing a drop of honey in a comb - the one that Ann, the lady I had met at a bookstore before my trip, had praised so lovingly. Later I noticed that piece was the imprint on the museum ticket. I had a simple lunch at a restaurant in the square and then walked around and went through Dedalon Street to get to Morosini Fountain and the small park next to it which was filled with the deafening sound of the singing sparrows. I came across a maze of streets filled with coffee shops and bars packed with young people; I sat down at a chair but the seat made of a sinking fabric was very uncomfortable; got up and walked around only to notice that all shops were using the same type of seat - was it possible that all these places were owned by the same entity? I finally found a bar with different chairs where I sat down to have an orange juice. I opened my journal to write but I could not keep my eyes open; I walked to my hotel and went to sleep at 8:00 pm 

Wednesday - 12/29/99

I woke up at 6:00am; bought two bus tickets from the stand next to my hotel and walked to the nearby Venizelon Plateia - next to Morosini Fountain for a ride to Konossos. At 8:00 am, as the church bell rang, all three ladies in the line _ a young, a middle-age and an old one - who were the only people in the line, started crossing their chests.  I saw that gesture again repeatedly done by the older people in the bus every time we crossed churches. After a 20-minte ride got off the bus, paid the 1,500dr. admission fee and entered the compound. The site is the ruins of a 1500-room Minoan Palace of 1700B.C. after an earthquake destroyed the first palace which was built in 1900B.C. The ruins were reconstructed during a 20-year period by Evans, an Englishman who used his own inheritance. He managed to ship a few of the excavations to the Museums in London and Paris - I guess just to keep the tradition of British looting. During the first 1.5hrs I was the only visitor - besides a few construction workers. On departure used the bathrooms almost complete with toilet seats, soap and dryers _ a rarity _ though there were no locks on the doors. The site was so heavily reconstructed that is was difficult to appreciate the site for its antiquity. This site attracts more the one million visitors annually.

After leaving the site, I climbed an alleyway across the street and walked for a while. A van passed me as the driver was sounding his horn on the peaceful hours of the quiet morning. At the end of the alley the driver turned around and started selling bread from the back of his van to people who had came out of the homes by this time. I took the bus back to town and got off at the Stone Gate, one of the a few built around the town in 1500's. I walked along the wall until I got to a place where I could climb it. It was more than 30 feet wide at some places; there were even a few garden atop it. I then visited a few churches and the Market before walking to the port to the huge Koules Fort. Climbed a wall that had been built to protect the port from the waves and walked on it for about half a mile into the Cretan Sea; a young guy followed me. We came across each other at the end of the wall where I pointed out to him to tie his shoe laces since that was not a place to trip. We took pictures for each other.  I turned around and after walking a few hundred feet looked back but could not see the guy. I hoped his shoe laces had not been untied again. After arriving at the shore found Ippokampos restaurant across the street from the Fort; it was recommended in my guidebook. It was a good seafood place with great calamari. The stray cat, my lunch companion had a feast on all the fish bones I gave him. After lunch I walked around the town. I checked with a couple of travel agencies to find out if I could arrange any plans for my last day in Heraklion. I was hoping for boat ride to Santorini or a hiking trip to Samaria Gorge - it is said the 15 km. hike is a must-do. I was told that since we were out of the season there were no ferries to Santorini and that the Gorge was closed during winter. They did recommend that I could take a trip to Town of Rethymno on my own. I walked to the popular hangout place on Dedalou to spend the evening.

Thursday 12/30/99         Rethymno

This is my last day on the Crete Island. I woke up at 4:00 am and could not go back to sleep till 7:00 am. I went to the bus station at the port near the Koules Fort; I had just missed the 9:45 bus. I bought a two-way ticket for 3,000dr. for 10:45 departure for the 1.5 hrs. ride to Rethymno. The two buses at the station had different spellings of the town on their front signs. I saw the only eastern style bathroom at the station. Item three on the Rule of Conducts Sign at the bathroom read "Do not piss out of the toilet."

The ride was through the windy hilly green mountainous roads with a good view of the Cretan Sea. There were two conductors on the bus; one of them seemed to be a guest conductor who was treated very nicely by the driver and the other conductor. He was offered a seat and tangerines from a bag next to the driver's seat. The main conductor would sell the tickets and the guest conductor would tear them off - I thought it should be easy to have a low unemployment rate in this country but the extra manpower could be put to a better use; for example cleaning up the environment from al the empty plastic water bottles. I got off at the main station at the end of the town and walked along the street by the sea; climbed some stairs to a small church built just under the old rocky walls of the Old Town and then to the Old Town and in a short time was able to walk most of the alleyways three times. The town was overbuilt with the usual buzzing motor cycles. I just could not imagine how noisy this place should be in peak summer time. In the wide boulevard they were building a row of shopping stalls. I thought in a few more years all the land will be covered with commercial space and maybe that would be the nail in the coffin of the tourism in the country. I saw a sign that read "Parking is starkly prohibited". Lunched at Samari on the Venetian; it was O.K. Two guys and a woman took the table next to me as each put his/her cell phone on the table and reached for cigarettes _ what a homogeneous society. The use - or rather misuse - of the cell phones is a phenomenon here, though I had noticed their widespread use in Morocco and Turkey also _ I should have bought the stock of Nokia. After lunch walked along the street by the beach until I came across Boom - a quite coffee shop with seats facing the beach. I had tea and was served a local liquor similar to ozu to mix with my tea. I walked to the bus station and took the 3:45 bus to Heraklion. The bus had the usual pair of conductors. This time the driver was smoking. The clouds started moving over for a change in scenery. We arrived in town at 5:15 pm. I bought some oranges from a young vendor near the station, walked to Koules Fort and watch the sunset - the boats at the port had given the sunset a beautiful backdrop. I walked along the 25 Aguoustou which is the lifeline of the city and is comprised of Titos and Markos Churches and Loggia, a building with charming arches used as an administrative building. The street leads to the Town Market and then extends to Morosini Fountain and Parko El Greco which is so heavily filled with birds that one can see a dark rain. The street extends to Dedalou filled with cafes and young customers. When I got there, I had sat for a drink before dinner.

Friday 12/31/99 - Last day of millennium           Rhodes

I had breakfast at the hotel at 9:00 am; this time there were a few other customers besides myself. I then went to the Tourist Office next to my hotel and asked the receptionist for some suggestions. She said I could visit some of the nearby villages. I had a 4:30 pm departure time; I thought I might not have enough time for that; walked around the center of the town and some of the back alleys which were not too appealing. There were a few tourist-oriented bars and restaurants but they seemed rather fake. Walked to the port and then back to the town center. At this time the stores were starting to close for observation of the New Year. I went to the square in front of my hotel; they were setting up a platform for the New Year's Eve celebrations. Went to my hotel at 3:45, packed and took a taxi to the airport. I checked in quickly but I was told there was a half hour delay. Left the terminal and sat outside under the sunshine; there was a pleasant breeze blowing. The plane took off at 5:00 pm - I thought they were punctual to call the delays. I watched the last sunset of the millennium; it looked beautiful. I was thinking what the new millennium would bring to mankind - an impossible prediction. Would the man at start of the millennium been able to predict what would be in store for the human race - electricity, phone, film, flying and cures for many illnesses. I thought about the pottery works I had seen at the museum in Heraklion. With all the advances in science, it seemed that Man's expression of inner feelings and emotions a few millenniums ago was rather comparable to today's Man.

We landed in Rhodes after a short flight. My friendly driver was waiting for me; we drove about 15 miles to Hotel Mediterranean on Cos Street. My diver was giving me information about the island and small towns as we were passing them. After checking in at my nice room and shower I went for a walk. Almost all business were closed by this time. I was getting hungry but could not find a decent place to eat. The only place I entered told me their kitchen had already closed. I went back to my hotel. The guests were already waiting in the lobby for a New Year's Party at the only restaurant in the hotel. I went to my room and asked for room service but they told me the only thing they could serve me was toast. I asked for the manager who called me later to apologize and tell me all the cooks were all working at the restaurant. He recommended I go to the restaurant in a nearby hotel. I went there but they were closed; I walked to town center at about 10:00 pm. By this time the town was preparing for a big celebration in the Main Square. I finally bought a sandwich from a truck selling food. The square was almost packed by this time. Soon the food stands that were setup on the sidewalks started to serve food including paella, sausages, souvlaki, pastry and hot wine. I was still so hungry I ended up trying all the different foods. By 11:00 pm the musician started performing on a large platform setup for the occasion in the huge square. Behind us was the harbor with a lighthouse in the background. It is supposedly the site of the famous Colossus of Rodes (as the story goes it was made by the bronze remains of a ten-story Heliopolis siege tower built by Alexander's general to capture this island but it was capsized in a hidden hitch dug by Rodians in 305B.C.). There was a stone church to the right of us and a small charming fountain the middle of the square. In front of us were the beautiful rocky buildings of the town administration. A young guy in long hair and a long coat appeared and sang; he had a beautiful voice. His hair was blowing with the pleasant breeze as the stage mist was rising under the colorful lights; the choreography was splendid - it was an enjoyable moment. Even though the place was packed the cowed was very reserved and well behaved - there was no pushing or screaming. I was very glad to be there at that moment. Had I not left my hotel in search of food I would have gone to sleep and have missed this moment. As we reached the midnight there was a choir, champagne opening, a speech and then the fireworks on tiny sailboats on the water. Then the young singer started to sing again and before long it started to rain. It was the second time I saw rain in Greece - the first time was when I arrived at Athens' Airport. It was a beautiful way to end the celebrations.  

Saturday 1/1/00 - The first day of the New Millennium      Lindos

I woke up at 9:00 am, walked to Old Town and visited various sites for about four hours. The most impressive building was the Palace of Grand Masters. It was completed in 1346 by the Knights. After the fall of Jerusalem in 1291 the Knight Hospitallers of St. George - dedicated to protecting pilgrims and running hospitals in the Holy Land, took refuge in Cyprus and then by 1306 they had become more interested in the wealthier and better-positioned Rhodes. As we were landing in Rhodes I was looking at the map of the location which is very close to Turkey. I was wondering that island had not been captured by the Turks. Only after visiting the Old Town I could figure out why the Turks could have not captured the town. Around the Old Town there was a pair of huge moats, each over 60 feet wide. It seemed impossible to cross them. The main street descending from the Palace is called Odos Ippoton (Knights Street). It contained the Inns for the Knights of Spain, France, Italy and England. The buildings are now occupied by administration offices of the Preservation of the Town and a couple of French associations. The Palace and the Municipal Bath were closed for the Holidays but the town and its many alleyways were so charming that I ended up walking around for hours. I entered a deserted school built by the Turks. It was filled with old books and paintings on the floors and walls of the classrooms. I went through them for a while. I walked out of the Old Town, had lunch and visited Smith Park. It was a short walk from the Old Town along the beautiful narrow long Pindon Street. I visited the Temples of Zeus, Atinas, Aphrodite, Sanctuary of Arthemis and the well-preserved Stadium. This stadium was very similar to the one I had seen in Delphi. A father and his two children were playing soccer there. I walked back to the top of a hill in the Park and sat on a bench. I could see the beautiful tall green cliffs descending to the beach and all the mountains in the horizon.

Sunday 1/2/00

I walked to the Square near the Old Town and took the 11:30 am bus to Lindos. This small town is located about 50 km. from Rhodes. Along the way the driver picked up her young daughter who sat on the dashboard and kept her dad's company throughout the trip. It was a nice drive passing through the scenic countryside and a few villages and the seashore. I had jotted down the last return trip at 15:30 from the schedule posted at the bus stop. When I wanted to confirm it with the conductor, he told me that on Sundays the last return bus was at 14:30. After arriving at Lindos, I walked up the narrow alleys - covered with steps at some points and with beautiful pebble work at others. The pebble work reminded me of the gorgeous pebble-works made by the Romans at the Volubilis ruins near Fes, Morocco. The Acropolis of Lindos was a stunning site on top of a mountain with a magnificent view of its surrounding sea and mountains. The ruins of the Temple of Athina date back to 340b.c. The site also contained a 13^th century Church of St. John among a few other temples. I met two Israeli girls. We took pictures for each other. I walked back to the town and then to the beach. I saw a restaurant located a couple of hundred yards away. I walked there and asked the waiter if he could serve me in twenty minutes I had before I had to go back to the bus. He recommended fried calamari vs. grilled octopus that I wanted. I ate and had to run back to the bus stop. The bus driver was a friendly old man who would wave to many people on the road and would cross his chest every time we passed a church. I wondered how his acts would be treated back in States. I asked the conductor to let me off at Bodini Park in the Rhodes. Since it was the last bus of the day, the conductor got off before we arrive at the city. He had told the driver to let me off at the Park though. The park was an old small narrow charming landscape with a long wide canal. I Saw a few peacocks but could not find the deer mentioned in my guide. I walked around the park for a while to enjoy the peaceful quiet though I still could hear the motorcycles afar. I left the park and walked towards my hotel. At one point I had to ask the directions to the main square from a family who were leaving a house. The husband confirmed the direction I was pointing to but the wife said there was a shorter way and asked me to follow her and her young daughter. As we walked we talked about New York City and Disneyland. She offered me some popcorn and said she knew that popcorn was very much an American thing. We then said goodnight. I offered a chocolate to the young pretty daughter who gladly accepted it. I went to my room to rest for sometime. I then walked to nearby restaurant Ellinikon on Kos Street; this was the same place I was that their kitchen was closed when I wanted to eat there on New Year's Eve. It was a large floor with a few rooms connecting through charming arches and was very tastefully decorated. There were only two tables occupied, one consisting of a large party and the other one occupied by married couple. I was seated at a table next to the couple who were both smoking. The swordfish and the local red wine I had were both excellent and the service was very attentive. An orthodox priest and his wife (?) took a table near me - that was a good place to spend some of the donations.

Monday 1/3/00

This is my last day in Greece. I was planing to go to Kamiros today. It is a less visited site with a large Acropolis. I left my hotel and walked across the street to the beach. The beach was so inviting that I lied down there to enjoy the sunshine, even tough it was windy and it was the coldest day I had spent in Rhodes. I saw a young guy who was snorkeling. Later on two old ladies got in the water. I was tempted; I went back to hotel, picked up a towel and put on my bathing suit and headed back to the beach. I took a dive and swam for a while. I then walked to the Old Town, lunched, and walked to Ippoton. The street was very quiet by this time and the place seemed so fascinating that I just sat on the steps of one of the Inns to absorb its rich history and wonder how well the site was preserved. I then walked back to Acadia Gate and the park behind it. On the way back to my hotel I stopped at an Internet café. I had dinner at the hotel's restaurant where I was the only customer. Later on only one more party showed up.

Tuesday 1/4/00

I woke up at 6:45 am and took a cab to the airport. The plane took off at 8:20 am for a 45-minute flight to Athens. My New York Delta flight was at 12:00. After check-in called my credit card company to find out if I was overcharged at Mullen Rouz. I was told that the company had rejected an $850 charge from them, and that the fraud department had already contacted me - I was disappointed and relieved. There were many smokers at the terminal. I went out and lied down on the grass under the sunshine. I went back to the terminal at 11:30, waited in line to exchange some currency. By the time I was waiting in the passport line they announced my name and asked me to rush to the gate. As I was walking to the gate, my name was announced two more times. By the time I arrived at the gate the bus had left. I had to wait a couple of minutes until a van showed up to drive me to the waiting plane. We had a 10.5-hours flight to New York.

‘00/04/28         Colombia: Medellin

Monday, April 28, 2000

Mun Chan has been persisting that I should go with him to Colombia. On one conversation with him - after going through the flight schedules and the long layovers - I told him clearly that I was not going with him but he called me the next day anyhow and told me that he had made reservations for me. I gave up and decided to go. In the afternoon I went to Liberty Travel to pick up the ticket. When I arrived at the office Mun was waiting for me. He told me that the family of Olga, his girlfriend in Medellin, has been stopped on the highway and their car and their belongings stolen. He was concerned abut his safety but by this time I had decided to go therefore I shrugged the danger and told him to go anyhow even though every one had told me it was a dangerous place to go.

Thursday, May 4 - To Medellin, Colombia

Woke up at 4:30am. Mun ringed me down in a cab at 5:00 am. He already had an argument with Mohammed, the doorman; apparently Mohammed was not at the door when he had arrived.

We boarded the American Airlines at 6:30 am. and arrived in Miami at 9:30 am. Our connecting flight was at 3:00pm. We rented a car and drove to South Beach where we lied down near the beach and the had lunch at a sidewalk restaurant (La mamba) where a few of the waitresses from time to time perform a group dance. After lunch we drove back to the airport and boarded the ACES airline at 3:00pm and arrived in Medellin at 5:00pm. The plane was 1/3 full and we had a nice flight. As we were landing at the small airport we could see the beautiful scenery of the very lush green hills all over. We landed and went through the small airport. At the exit John Sepulveda (Tel: 270-5602) was waiting for us. He is a cab driver and was asked by Olga's friend to pick us up. He had studied in NJ but had gone back to Medellin. His wife would come to US and work here during golf season. We had a pleasant one-hour ride to city and checked in at Sheraton Four Points ( 574-321-8088). We walked to the next-door mall where I had a small dinner. Since I was tired I went back to my room early and went to bed.

Friday,  May 5, 2000

I woke up and Mun called me to tell me that Olga was with him. We had breakfast together. Mun and I went for a walk in a nice neighborhood near the hotel. The streets and houses were pretty similar to a decent place anywhere in the rural areas in States. We changed some money at the mall ($1 = 1830 pesos). We then went to Olga's house (313-8907) where his mom has setup a restaurant in the backyard of the house; it was a very cozy place. I met the family - mom and Pablo, his very nice brother who said he was working at the restaurant to save five hundred dollars so that he could go to Ecuador for a one-month vacation. Later on his father who is divorced and lives nearby showed up and joined us; he was a very interesting person. He had lived in US in the sixties and spoke fluent English in addition to a few other languages; he had taught English before his retirement. He told me he had never heard the Iranian dialect and told me he would like to ask me a couple of questions and wanted me to answer them in Farsi. His first question was "How's your sex life?" I had to describe it to him followed by full translation. His second question was "Do you believe in religion?". Again I answered him in Farsi with subsequent translation. I think it was very effective way for him to get to know me. By this time a typical Colombian meal was served; it consisted of beans, rice, eggs, sausages and fried pork skin. After lunch we went back to hotel where the guide (Robinson Restrepo- 0334488228) I had called earlier for a tour of the city ($6 per hour) was waiting for me. He had lived in Miami for seven years before deciding to go back home. We drove to El Tosoro (gold mine) , a mall with a panoramic views of the city where I could use a PC in a store to check my e-mails free of charge. We then drove to Endigado that is a middle-class neighborhood and to Pablito Paisa Park in the West. The park had a good view of the city and many couples were hanging out. We then stopped at a park where there was the huge sculpture of the "Men rising from the water to the stars" of Rodriguez Aranas Buttancur.

We then visited Parque De Bolivar, the main square of the city where the large brick Cathedral Metropolitania is located. Later on we drove to a poor neighborhood though the houses were relatively decent and the area was clean and again there was a beautiful view of the city. By this time it was raining hard. We then drove back toward the hotel. We stopped by a fruit stand where we tried a few of the native fruits, including a juice called Mara Kuja extracted from a fruit similar to passion fruit. John - the taxi driver -  called me to thank me for the offer of a one-day tour of the city I had asked him but since he could not find a baby sitter he told me he could not make it. He asked me though not to go to Peneon (the Rock), since the guerillas had more presence there.

At night I had dinner with Mun and Olga at a restaurant in the mall where Linea, Olga's sister and her husband joined us. We then drove to a disco where we took a table and had a lot of drink and danced; no one got drunk. At 3:00am, Pablo who had joined us gave us a ride back to hotel.

Saturday, May 6 2000.

I called Robinson in the morning for a tour of Oriente - the mountainous countryside. I had originally wanted to go to Santa Fe - an old city about three hours away from the city but Olga told me the road is dangerous. Robinson showed up in a short time. We drove toward the airport and then to El-Retiro, a charming small village. We drove though a narrow street filled with houses and small shops till we arrived at the main square. There was the butcher stand followed by the vegetable vendors in front of the square and then the church on the north side. We walked to the south side of the square, took a seat in the porch and had black coffee (tinto) and empanadas. I then walked into the church where the priest was christianizing a dozen babies by robbing a wet cotton over them as the acquaintances filming the ceremony. I then left the church and told Robinson to meet me at the end of the street. As I started to walk the heavy rain started and I had to take shelter in a very small coffee shop at the invitation of one of the two women.

Two kids where in the room I got in; the room was filled with very old movie posters and it seemed as if the time had stopped in that particular room. I waited there for about one half hour until finally Robinson showed up to pick me up. We then drove higher in the mountains, passed by the horse farms and the flower farms and a waterfall. We visited San Antonio, a small village similar to El Retiro. We had lunch on a roadside café and then visited Tutucan, another park for the middle class people with pools, restaurant and a mock small town. We drove to Reonegro - an unimpressive sprawling town and then headed back towards the City. We stopped at a roadside café where we had a delicious arepa, made of corn bread and a rather sweet cheese.

Sunday, May 7 2000.

I had breakfast with Mun and then took a taxi to Parque De Bolivar. At the square a band was playing classic Spanish music. I visited the Cathedral Metropolitania again and then we did some shopping in the market. The prices were rather firm. A guard holing the leash of a vicious dog was walking around which scared Mun amusingly. We walked to Parque De Berrio where Mun took the metro to the hotel and I went to the opposite direction to visit the Botanical Garden. The metro was rather new and had a very neat design with beautiful stations. At each station and on each platform a soldier was on guard. I got off at the wrong station. Two soldiers were doing a body search of two young guys. When I asked for the directions from an attendant he used his card to let me in and told me to get off in the next station in the opposite direction. The Garden was rather a nice place; I was hoping to be able to see the orchid flower show my guidebook had mentioned, but there was none. I left the park, walked around the University and then took the metro back to Parque Berrio. I decided to walk back in the same direction. I walked along the left sidewalk of the Street (Carrea 51) that was occupied by the vegetable vendors and at one block by fish vendors selling fish. It was surprising that they were not using ice to keep the fish fresh; that block stunk. I then turned to a side street and walked along the junkyards and factories before walking back to Carrea 51 and taking the other side of the street covered with vendors selling junk stuff.  Both sides of the street were lined up with many funeral houses. The nicest one was called "La Esperenza" - The Hope (it is also a female name). I passed by a butcher shop whose sign read "Yoko Carne". I walked back to Paque Berrio Estacion where a band of musicians where playing guitars and singing a sad song. When they finished one of them took a bottle and two cups from his back, poured the drink and shared among three of them. The last person - a woman who the surest way to identity her sex was her nail polish took the bottle. After a few sips they played a happier song though there were not many contributions yet. As I was walking to Paque De Bolivar, the thunderstorm started; I ran to a restaurant with a great view of the street leading to the square and the square itself on the second floor where I took a seat. Subsequently a fight stared on the street between two guys; one of them had his elbow in cast. Immediately six soldiers showed up of nowhere to separate them. They performed the usual body search concentrating mostly around the groins and then they were let go. At this time about one dozen harikrishnas approached the square, and started the music and dance. The peace settled quickly. I had a lunch of picadas consisting of fries, beef, chicken, sausages and fried pork skin though it was not good. I sat there for a couple of hours watching the activities of the people below. I saw many vendors selling all sorts of things on many different sizes of trays or carts.

I took the metro to the last station and then returned to the station near my hotel where I took a cab to the hotel. The taximeter stated at 10 pesos and at the hotel it read 36; I gave a 2000 pesos note to driver he and gave me back a 500 p. coin. I talked to Mun and we decided to meet at 8:00pm for dinner. I went to the mall, walked around for a while, and took 50,000p cash from ATM using my visa for exit visa at the airport. I met Olga and Mun and we went to a bowling alley and played bowl for a while and then went to the Pink Zone for dinner. We ordered some crêpes. The conversation turned to the possibility that I may take a long vacation in South America and I asked if Olga would be able to teach me some Spanish. At this time Mun suddenly got furious and got the impression that I was after Olga trying to pick her up. He reminded me that I had mentioned that if he broke up with Olga I would go out with her; an issue I had brought up just to indicate his pointless relationship with Olga after a few breakups. We had an argument, ate, and took a bus ride back to hotel.

Monday, May 8 2000.

I woke up at 5:30am checked out and took a cab in the front of the hotel. The driver could not close the trunk and he had to use a rope to hold the door halfway closed. It crossed my mind that this maybe a trick to separate me from my bag on the road so I had to watch the trunk until we got out of the town and there were no more traffic lights. In my guidebook it was mentioned never to separate your belongings from you. I had all my documents in the bag. After about 50 minutes we arrived at the airport and I paid him the pre-negotiated fare of 24,000 pesos plus tip. The check in line was long and there was a long desk with three guards checking the contents of the bags; I bypassed the table without anyone noticing me and went on the line but made sure that they were not using any tags to mark the bags. At this time Olga came to me and told me that I could give her my passport and ticket so that she could have them stamped at a different desk in which case I could pay half the usual exit visa. I had to wait in front of the line for a while till she came back and said she was at the front of her line and asked me to go in person to get the exit visa. I changed lines and took the stamped paper, went back on the first line and had a short Q&A session with an inspector and finally got my boarding pass after paying $24 exit visa. When I entered the gate I had to wait in another line where my bag's contents were searched thoroughly. The guy tried to open my mouthwash and could not; I had to help him. Another soldier inserted a screwdriver into my slippers to make sure they were not hollow; they did not check inside my shirts though. The plane took off at 10:00am and arrived at Miami at 1:30pm. I was supposed to fly back to New York on Tuesday morning. I decided to go back the same day. Went to American Airlines desk, paid a $75 fee and I was put on the waiting list. I could not board the 6:00pm flight but was told there was another direct flight at a different gate. This time I could board and our flight took off at about 7:00pm; we arrived in La Guardia at 9:20pm where I shared a cab to the city with Vipol, an Indian web programmer.

‘00/12/01        California, Arizona: San Francisco, Carmel, Esalan, San Diego; Phoenix, Grand Canyon

Friday, 12/1/00  Cindy was working late; she got home at 11:00p. We had the dinner I had cooked.

Saturday, 12/2  

Cindy was deep asleep at 5:30a. I woke her up, we packed and left home at 6:10a for our 6:50a Delta flight to San Francisco. Our car service did not show up; we took a taxi to JFK and arrived there at 6:35a. We then ran to the front of the line and after check in rushed to our gate; we were the last passengers who boarded the plane. We had a four our flight to Salt Lake City and then after a 1.5hr layover arrived in S.F in 1:20min. We rented a car at Hertz ($940 for 11 days), checked in at Aterthon Hotel on Ellis and walked to Union Sq. where we took a cable car to China Town. It was quiet at 8:00p. We had Chinese dinner and took a cab to our hotel.

Sunday, 12/3

When I went to pick up the car I noticed I was given a ticket for parking violation (street cleaning). We drove to Golden Gate. It was rather cold; we bought a pair of fleece jackets. We drove to the beautiful Palace of Fine Arts and the Marina. We lunched at KFC and then drove to Presidio and Twin Peaks. Met Judy Kim, Cindy’s friend at border Café. Drove to Coit Tower, it was closed. Drove to Japan Town and had an uninspiring buffets at Umeko.

Monday, 12/24 

We checked out from our hotel and drove to Napa Valley; we were lost a few times even though our car was equipped with navigator, a real life saver. We stopped at Mondavi for a one-hour tour and tasting. We then drove to Stag’s Leap winery, had a great tasting and purchased a Fay for about $100. We then drove to St. Helena, checked in at pleasant El Bonita (707-963-3216). We went to bed at 7:00p.

Tuesday 12/5.

Drove to Bodega Bay where we had a pleasant brunch and took the scenic Highway 1 to San Francisco and continued to Santa Cruz and Monterey; we checked in at Monterey Bay and had dinner at 10:00p at next door hotel.

Wednesday, 12/6

Drove to 17-Mile-Drive (Pebble Beach), the quaint Carmel with a beautiful beach and finally the scenic Big Sur. The scenery between Carmel and Big Sur was magnificent. We checked in at Esalan Institute, a self-improvement center. The staff was friendly and the guests were typical West-Coast middle age people. The meals were health-oriented buffets.  We saw one of the most beautiful sunsets. At night we went to the mineral spa; it had a view of the beach underneath.

Thursday 12/7  

We went to the spa and did laundry, walked at the beach prior to heading for LA at 1:00p. The scenery on Route 1 was very pretty. We arrived at Santa Barbara at 6:00p. The main street was filled with shops with charming Latin arches. It took us one hour to drive to beautiful Ventura. The Townhouse was magnificent. We had a memorable dinner at Carpaccio. We then headed to LA and arrived at Hollywood at 12:00a. While we were parking to check in at Roosevelt Hotel three suspicious looking Spanish were hanging around outside the hotel. I asked for a quiet room at the front desk but was given one facing the street; I had to change it to a pool front room.

Friday 12/8.      

Drove to Beverly Hills and brunched at French Country Café. I called Eftekharis and drove there. After lunch drove to Bahram’s store and then drove to his house to meet Banafshe and Parsa.

At 4:00p drove toward San Diego with a stop at Marina Del Rey. In San Diego as we were looking for a restaurant a man approached us and told us his car had ran out of gas and he had lost his money. He asked for $16 to buy gas and promised he would mail it to us; I had no change therefore he got away with a twenty dollar bill. We dined at Old Town and drove to Tijuana; it was a wild place with young people crowding the streets. On a few occasion I saw the police arresting offenders.  Passing red lights looked the norm. We stopped at a disco for a couple of hours. When we were passing the border back to US I hesitated showing Cindy’s passport to the agent. He said, “Speak” to find out if she spoke English.  I had to present her passport.

Saturday 12/9.   Drove to Old Town for brunch and then headed for Arizona. The drive was uneventful and fine. I called Behjat to tell her that we were going there; she gave us her home address. When we finally got there we noticed that the house was located in a closed off complex with a gate but no attendance; we needed to punch in a code to open the gate. We waited for a while wondering what to do. At this time a car left the complex; Cindy drove in quickly before the gate closes. We found the house with the help of navigator. The door was open but no one was home. We entered and after a short time Behjat and Massoud showed up; they were coming from a catering. We had dinner and went to bed.

Sunday 12/10.   We headed for Grand Canyon after breakfast and packing a lot of food they had prepared for us. The drive was nice except a speed and illegal pass ticket for $135. By the time we arrived there it was dark. We checked in at El Tavor Hotel ($276 for two nights), had dinner at the old restaurant. It was Cindy’s birthday. We finally opened the bottle of Fay and had it in the lobby in front of the fireplace.  

Monday 12/11.  We walked around the park enjoying the beautiful scenery and the brisk weather. They were some deer around the park that amused us for a while – we took many pictures of them.

Tuesday 12/12.  We decided to walk down one of the trails. We walked downhill for about an hour. The cliffs looked splendid. It was cloudy. By the time we decided to return it started to snow. It took us about three hours to get back to the base. It was rather cold and especially Cindy was exhausted. The snowflakes were the largest I had ever seen. We had never expected to see snow here. Overall it was a great experience. Early in the afternoon we headed back for Phoenix. It was snowing heavily throughout the trip. The roads were getting more quiet but dangerous to drive. We finally made it to Phoenix late at night. The city was dry and there were no signs of snow. When I told Massoud that it was Cindy’s birthday and I could not get her the cupcakes she had wished to have he suggested we get some. We ended up having a very pleasant small party in the backyard filled with flowers.

Wednesday 12/13. I woke up early in the morning but had not left the bed. Massoud knocked on the door to wake us up. The alarm clock we had set did not go off. We drove to airport, dropped off the car and flew back to New York.

‘01/01/15         Iran-1: Yazd, Kerman & Bam, Nayab, Hamedan

Monday 1/15/2001

Cindy was off for Martin Luther King’s Birthday but had to go to office for a couple of hours. The day before she had invited Parviz to move in with us from his hotel (Bentley). He said he would be seeing his friend for an apartment and will be moving out in 7-8 days. I picked up Cindy after packing. We had lunch at Korea Town and did some gift shopping and Cindy bought some vitamins (Royal Jelly and Deah) for mom. I got a haircut at Cindy’s suggestion. Parviz showed up at 8:00p. At 8:50p I called Tel Aviv Car Service. Cindy went to kitchen to cook for Parviz. I left home at 9:00p and arrived at JFK at 9:30p. I checked in at Virgin Atlantic within five minutes.

11:10p. The plane took off for London on time.

10:30a. (+5). I arrived in London’s Heathrow, Terminal 3 & checked in at Iran Air.

4:00p. Left London for Tehran. I was able to bring my 2 carry-on bags with the help of the lady who had done my check in.

Wednesday 1/17.

Arrived in Tehran after 5 hours (+3.5) flight. The sky was rather black with smog as we were landing. I used a free phone to call dad to tell him I was on my way home. Dad was waiting in front of the house at 2:00a. We sat down and talked until 5:00a.

Thursday 1/18   Feri came in the afternoon. After picking up Donya, I picked up Tahmineh from a birthday party. Farshid, Nasrin, and Saba came over for dinner.

Friday 1/19.       Feri, Farshid and Fariba came over.  I went to Fariba’s so that Donya can get her Barbie’s clothes. Met Habib and he drove us to Sologhun, the nearby village. The snow-filled hills looked beautiful. After coming back home we again drove to that area and had dinner in a coffee shop.

Saturday 1/20.   Drove to Sangan with Feri. Again there was a beautiful snowfall.

Sunday 1/21.     I took the 7:35a metro to Imam Khomeini, had Halim and walked around bazaar and Sirus. I met Feri at 9:00a. We walked to Golestan Museum but it was closed. We visited the charming Glass Museum. There were two pieces dating back to 7 to 8 millennium B.C. I tried to get in at Church Enjili to no avail. Visited the eye-popping National Jewels Museum and stopped at popular Naderi Bakery for a coffee.

Monday 1/22    

I went to National Museum. It was closed. I visited Malek Museum - a collection of furniture, paintings, stamps and rugs. I then met Feri and had lunch at bazaar where a beggar was arguing with the cashier – they had given her leftover food that she did not approve of. We then walked to Golestan Museum; there were seven separate halls and exhibitions with some interesting paintings of Iranian artists. In one gallery there were some pictures taken by Naser-Addin Shah, some from his wives dating back to 1890s – they had scary faces with hair and legs like tree stumps. We stopped at Sofre Khaneh Sonnati Sanglaj in City Park for tea; there were some nostalgic pictures and décor. Feri tried a travel agent for ticket to Yazd but we were too late for our departure date. We stopped at Feri’s. I met Hediye. We then visited Fekrat, DDS. When we got home mom said she had talked to Farshid; he had apologize for his forgetfulness and ignorance and had said whatever I say he would agree. Farshid and Ms. Sarkhosh came over for dinner. Dona came over with some flowers for me. Ebi called in from Germany.

Tuesday 1/23.

I went to the nearby Internet shop (T1800-hr. T800=$1). Feri came over for dinner. We had a heavy snowfall.

Wednesday 1/24.          We visited Mahin with mom and Feri. She looked rather fine but was aggravated with the behavior of her children; they were making life so difficult for her. Majid seemed to be very sick and impossible to deal with.

Thursday 1/25.  It snowed again. Taheri’s came over for dinner.

Friday 1/26.       Farshid and Feri were over for lunch. Cindy called me and told me I could stay longer. Susan, Mr. Sadigh Shahin and Habib came over. We made a snowman.

Saturday 1/27.   I took a car service to Fekrat, DDS and went to Feri’s for lunch.

Sunday 1/28.     At 8:30a Donya’s aunt rang the door looking for Donya. She had not shown up for her exam. I told her she was not there. I then got dressed and went to Fariba’s. Donya had slept over. We got her dressed and sent her off. We went to Farshid’s for lunch. Taheri’s came over.

Monday 1/29.    I took the car service to Fekrat, DDS. The driver was talking throughout the trip, complaining about life and people. We were lost and I was late for our appointment. I then visited Hediyeh and we talked about her marriage issues. She said Feri treated her like a child and she had lost respect for him due to his pessimism. We went out for a ride but the traffic was so bad we returned home. Later that evening we went to Mr. Sadigh. Aunt Mehri and Taheri’s came over. Susan had prepared the most delicious eggplant I had ever had.

Tuesday 1/30.   I went to Fekrat, DDS, and stopped by at Feri’s. We went to Sa’ad Abad Palace in Tajrish and visited the charming grounds and Reza Shah and Shah’s palaces. I slept over at Feri’s.

Wednesday 1/31. We went to book fair where Hediye bought me a couple of Hafez books. We then lunched at Nayeb. I went back home. Mom said that Donya had gone there directly from the school and when she could not see me there had started to cry.

Thursday 2/1.    It was the 22^nd anniversary I had left Iran. Fariba brought Halim for breakfast. Feri brought white fish. I went out for a walk with Feri, Tahmineh and Donya. I called Cindy.

Habib also brought some Halim. I took a nap with Donya in the afternoon; I was up until 2:30a reading “Baghe Marshal”. I called Cindy; she was upset since I had not called her as promised; she hung up on me.

Friday 2/2.        Cindy called at 8:00a and ended up crying. She said the “M” word and asked me to return. She cried again. I talked to Parviz for a while. Cindy called me a second time to convince me to return home. We went to Taheri’s for lunch; Habib, Aunt Mehri, Nasrin/Rayhane were invited. For lunch we had Fesenjan, eggplant, Baghali and shirin polow. We had ash in the afternoon. I went to bed at 10:00a exhausted.

Saturday 2/3     Yazd

I woke up at 2:00a at left bed at 4:00a. Feri came over. We had halim and took a taxi to airport. We had a one-hour flight to Yazd and arrived there at 7:00a. We took a cab to Amir Chakhmagh Sq. Visited Hamameh Khan, a charming teahouse in a converted public bath.

We walked to the old bazaar and the ancient back alleys. We entered an old caravanserai where a friendly worker took us to the roof and gave us a brief description of the sites. We visited the charming “House of Malek Khan”, converted into a guesthouse with a helpful attendant. We then took a taxi to “Masjid Jameh”; it had a beautiful tile work and open partly without a wall. The attendant opened to door to a 4000-year old Qanat and we walked about 30 meters down to its opening. We could then walk to the roof of the masjid for a view of the surrounding neighborhood.  We then walked to “Six Badgir” located inside a shrine; it was closed and we could not find the attendant, Mr. Mohammad Razavi even after finding his house and knocking on his door. We also visited the following sites:

Alexander (Eskandar) Prison: It was a rather new building. We asked for and were given access to next door “Tomb of 12 Imams”, an 11^th century mausoleum; it was one of the most original sites with a rather intact dome.

Baghe Dolat:     Summer resident of Khrim Khan Zand with a 33m tall badghir. 

We then had a good lunch at Zeytun, a newly opened restaurant on the edge of town and then checked in at Safaiyeh’s hotel (T15,700). We took a taxi to Dakhmeh (The Tower of Silence), visited a Zoroastrian cemetery and walked towards the hills. There were two circular structures atop two adjacent hills. In old days the Zoroastrians would place their corpses there to be eaten up by the birds. In that way they would maintain the purity of the soil.

Mirror House: It was closed for the day.

Ghal-eh Assadan: This is a temple where the sacred fire has been burning since 470A.D. (it was transferred here from its previous site in 1940.

We then waked in the back alleys and visited the “Mola Esmail Mosque”. We then went back to hotel and had a light dinner.

Sunday 2/4

The driver, Mr. Honarbakhsh, was waiting to drive us to ChakChak, a Zoroastrian temple 60km away in the mountains. During the drive he talked of decency of the Zoroastrians. They are supposed to take the annual trip to this site at least once in their lifetimes. He dropped us at the bottom of the hill where the temple was located and we climbed for about 20 minutes. Feridoun, the friendly attendant came to welcome us and open the door to the temple for us. The temple was located underneath a 50m cliff with a couple of trees projecting out of it. The site felt holy. One of the signs inside read, “There is one road in the world and that is the road of righteousness”. As we were walking in the grounds I was thinking what would have been the fate of the country had Islam never penetrated it. We then drove back to the city and visited Mirror Hall (Talar Ayneh), previously a house of Zarafzadeh; where Reza Shah had spent a night. After the revolution the government took it over, the heirs returned to country from abroad and after reclaiming it they donated it to be used as a museum. We then visited a few factories where they would grind henna and spices using stone wheels. We then shopped at bazaar for Yazd silk napkins and body wraps, lunched at hotel and departed for Tehran at 3:15p. Mom and Donya returned from public bath. Donya said she had a GPA of 20 in her exams. Mom said the Mr. Sadigh and Susan have had a fight after Susan tells him that that they were invited to Taheri’s but when hey show up there late everybody had left. He thinks that Susan had lied to him. Cindy called at 9:00p. She said Parviz had quit his job and was driving her crazy.

Monday 2/5       Kerman, Bam

Ms. Taheri called us to invites us for Halim on Friday. I asked mom to call Mahin but we could not find her phone number on her phonebook; apparently the children needed a piece of paper and they had ripped off a page from hers. I took a taxi to airport and met Feri for our 3:15p flight to Kerman. The plane was packed and it had very little legroom but it took off on time. We had planned to go to Bam overnight but Hamid, the driver that took us to city told us that the roads were dangerous at night. He took us to bus terminal but there were no buses at night. We agreed to get a one-way ride from him at 7:00a for T7000, with a stop in Mahan. We checked in at Akhavan Hotel (recommended in Lonely Planet – T11000) and went for a walk. Feri asked a young man for a decent place; the young guy walked us to a street and showed us Alborz, a new and very good restaurant (T6200).

Tuesday 2/6

Hamid was waiting for us at 8:00a. We drove to Mahan (35km) and visited:

Aramgah Shah Nematollah Vali: An old tomb with beautiful garden, tile work and seven old doors given as a gift by Shah if India.

Bagh Shahzadeh: A 130-year old very beautiful garden built by Abdol Hamid Reza Farmanfarma, a grandson of Naser Addin Shah. He used this garden at night for smoking opium. It is said that they have the most beautiful moon and the best opium in this town. I talked to Mehrdad, the brother of the girl who was selling postcards. He said that he was almost blind and was asking if there is a technology whereby he could read using a computer. We then drove to Bam for about 1:20min and Hamid dropped us off at Citadel, a 2000-year old and the largest dirt building in the world. We spent there a couple hours and then took a cab to Ali-Amini Hotel; it was full. The driver, an opium addict and dealer, was complaining of the bad drug market due to high prices. We had lunch and walked around the back alleys and the market. We then boarded a bus to Kerman. Met the 13-year old illiterate Farhad and his twin brother Iraj. Their sister is a college student. Their teen-age friend told me the large number of the young girls in the bus was going to Kerman to look for husbands. Checked in at Akhavan Hotel and visited the contemporary Art Museum (Sanaati); There was an exhibition of the proliferate Seid Ali Akbar Sanati, displaying a large selection of painting and sculptures.

We then dined at excellent Khaneh Sayyah located on the grounds of the museum. It had a pleasant ambiance and live music and good food (T5700). We then walked back to hotel and had a chat about family affairs, mom and Hediye.

Wednesday 2/7. After breakfast we walked to Tourist Office (Miras Farhangi) near Vali Asr Sq. The site was the house of Harandi; Reza Shah had used the renovated dirt (khesht) building. We asked for a guide and were given a booklet from the Shah’s time. We then visited the following sites:

National Library: A beautiful yard and a very large interior with many arches. It had previously been a textile factory.  

Moayedi Icehouse:        A fully renovated dirt icehouse now used as a children library. When I got in there was a children play in session and the place was packed with children.        

Gombade Sabz (The Green Dome):        A 9^th century – mostly damaged in 1896 earthquake. We had to look for a while to find the place; it is in an alley cross the street from Agha Ali Mosque. The Dervishes Center is located across from it.

We visited “Eebrahomi Complex”, including a working public bath; there were two customers bathing in the very old building. We then walked through the Blacksmiths Market to get to “Ganjali Khan Sq.”. There was a caravanserai on one side and the Hamman with wax dummies on another. We then visited the teahouse “Chai khanehe Vakil”; it had elegant brick arches and tiles. We had lunch and teat there. There was a very old man playing tar and singing. We walked through the Bazaar to “Masjed Jameh”, built in 14^th c. with beautiful tile-works.   

We took a taxi to “Gonbad Jabaliye”, an octagonal rock structure dating to1st millennium.  it was adjacent to a cemetery with a row of mountains in the background and a man-made forest nearby it. We then walked for about 1.5hrs on the straight street to Shohada Sq. On the way we stumbled upon the ruins of “Ghal-e Ardshir” and “Ghal-e Pol Dokhtar”, two adjacent 1500yr old citadels. We also visited the grounds of a hospital in a charming building and also an icehouse.

At the Shoda Sq., we visited the “Tomb of Moshtaq Ali Shah”, a dervish who was stoned to death in 1206h.g. His crime was to recite Quran while playing a tar. The site was attractive; it had three green domes. There was only one beautiful girl meditating. She said the following story about him:

At the time of his sentence he begged, “If you have no mercy on me then have mercy on your town”. People kept throwing stones. He then said, “Have mercy on your woman” with no avail. He then said, “have mercy on the cats of your town” and still people kept throwing stones at him until he died. In one year Agha Mohammad Khan Ghajar attacked Kerman, destroyed the town, his soldiers raped the women, killed all the cats and blinded 60,000 men.

Masjid Pa-mennar:         A 12^th c. mosque with attractive tile-works.

Ebrahimeh Religious School: It has 150 students. I checked inside on of the rooms, it was dark and covered with mattresses; each room housed at least ten students. There was a tall beautiful Badgir on one side. We then walked to “Ghanj Ali Khan Sq.” and walked through the rest of bazaar to Tohid Sq. We had tea in a teahouse. Feri made calls to Tehran from a phone center. I tried to call Cindy (T450m) but there was answering machine. We then took a very long walk and dined at Alborz.   

Thursday 2/8.    We visited the bazaar again and killed some time by a man who had put on a show of strength. We then did some shopping (cumin, 16k/kg) and picked our luggage from the hotel. We bought some “Kolompeh”, a cookie filled with dates. We were at the airport at 4:15 for our 5:40 flight. We were advised that we security may be tight for the anniversary of the revolution. The inspection was rather through. The person in front of me was arrested for hiding drugs in the hills of his shoes after they were taken off and placed under the laser.

 

Friday 2/9

We went to Taheri’s for Halim. We then visited aunt Shamsi and went to Feri’s for a rest. We were invited to Mr. Ziaii and his wife Manizheh, Nasrin’s sister.

Saturday 2/10.   It was the anniversary of the revolution. I finished reading “Baghe Marshal” by Hassan Karimpoor. The main character of the book faces the woman who was chosen as his bride after 30 years – after falling in love with another woman, abandoning the first woman and spending 20 years in jail in London. The woman who had longed him for so many years says, “I do not want to give up the joy of being in love for 28 years”, and later on writes the following poem by Sohrab Sehperi to him:

Naresideh be derakht

Kuche baghist ke as khabe khoda sabztar ast

Va dar an eshgh be andazeh parhaye sedaghat abist

Mi ravi ta tahe an kuche ke az poshte bolugh sar be dar mi arad

Do ghadam mande be ghol

Paye favareh javid asatir zamin mi mani

Va tora tarsi shafaf fara mi girad 

 Dar samimiat sayyal faza khash khashi mi shenavi

Kudaki mi bini

Rafteh az kaje bolandi bala, jujeh bar darad az laneye nur

Va azu mi porsi

Khanehe dust kojast

Also quoted in the book, “Human being is strange. As long as his wishes re not met he assumes that his happiness depends on achieving them. When he has achieved what he had wished, he assumes his well being depends on what he has not achieved yet and is unable to do so”.

I had a chat with mom about Feri and Hediye but she was unyielding.

In the afternoon I went for a walk toward Kan; the gardens on the two sides of the road were filled with trash. Signs of poverty could be seen everywhere. The people passing by were workers with filthy clothes.  In the evening we went to Nayeb for dinner. I had invited Tahei’s, Sadigh’s, Shafaii’s and Habib. It was a decent meal (T117k for 24 people).

Sunday 2/11.    

I visited Museum of Iran Bastan. The pottery works from 3-5M BC were splendid and well preserved. There was also a very well preserved carriage wheel made of fine wood and metal from 500BC. I then walked to Naderi; it was packed with mostly young men and a few girls. I met Feri at 4:00p and went to his home and then went out for a pizza.

Monday 2/12.   

We drove to Ushan, Fasham, Meigun with Feri and Hediyeh. We took a ski lift ride; Feri and Tahmineh were somewhat scared initially. We then drove to Dizin.

Tuesday 2/13.  

Nasrin called me to talk about her bad situation with Farshid. I met Farah and her daughter Elhm tat Fariba’s.

All family gathered for the delicious kebab that Habib brought over.

 

Wednesday 2/14           Hamedan

We took a 5-hour ride to Hamedan with Feri, Hedi and Tamineh. The ride was pleasant. We visited:

-          Gombade Alavian:              A well-preserved 12C mausoleum

-          Aramgahe Baba Taher:        The grandson of Omar Khayyam; he developed the mystic form of poetry.

-          Tappe-ye Hekmataneh:        The ruins of the ancient city consisting of mostly well-preserved walls and rooms and a  small museum.

We drove to Emam Sq., a large, old and charming square packed with people. We then checked in at the best hotel of town, Bou Ali, dined and went out for a ride. It had started to snow. The weather was cold but not as much as I had expected. The city is surrounded with snow covered mountains.

Thursday 2/15. 

We visited:

-          Aramgah-e Ester va Mordekhay:      The most important Jewish pilgrimage site in Iran. It contains the tomb of Esther, the Jewish wife of Xerxes. It had beautiful dome and small interior.

-          Avicenna Memorial:                         Modeled on Gombad-e Kavus Tower near Gorgan, built in 1954.

We set for Ali Sadr Caves, the cave containing a few lakes. It is located about 100km from the city. The road to it was mostly deserted with a lot of snow. We then saw a road sign for the cave but as son as we entered it we got stuck in the snow. We had to push the car out and turned back. It seemed that the cave was closed. We then drove to the nearby village. Feri asked for directions from a shopkeeper and he asked we had seen the cave. When we told him that the road was closed, he said we could walk there and pointed to the site just behind his site. We were very happy that we could finally see the place after the long drive we had taken. It was a majestic cave, up to 40m high with 12km of water up to 8m deep, covered with stalactites. We took a rowboat and toured the site with a guide.

We drove back to Tehran, went for dinner at Nayeb and I stayed over at Feri.

Friday 2/16       

I went to see Daryush with dad. All his hair had turned white. He was in good moral and a good speaker as always. His daughter asked for my help for going to Canada after finishing her college.

 

Saturday 2/17

This was my last day in Iran; I had my last dinner with all the family. Fariba and Donya stayed over. I woke up at 5:00a; Donya was asleep next to me. She looked like an angel. I kissed her and then said good-bye to family, Farshid drove Feri and me to the airport. The inspection and check-in were easy but I had to run around for a while to pay a tourist tax. 

I had an 8-hour layover in London; I took the underground to Hide Park, walked around there and visited a few sites, including the Buckingham Palace and the beautiful Westminster Church. I then went back to the airport for my flight to NY. Cindy and Parviz had come to pick me up. Parviz had brought the bottle of Tequila and we had a couple of shots in the car. 

‘01/06/04         Thailand: Bangkok, Floating Market, Ayuthaya, Phuket, Sukhothai, Chiang Mai

Avia Travel            800-950-AVIA - from West Coast                     Air Brokers Int'l     800-883-3273

Thai Air Pass        4 domestic flights for $259 - s/b purchased in US. Check for flexibility in schedules.

Before departure Read "Love in a Duty Free Zone" by Pico Iyer in Travelers' Tales Guide Thailand, the Stories

of Life on the Road. The article is excerpted from "Video Night in Katmandu"

The following two phrases are from article "The Secrets of Wat Krabok" a temple for cure of the drug addicts by the monks.

"Travel can be a form of escapism as addictive as drugs”.

                                "Travel is limiting the comfort of the body to gain freedom of the mind".

ATM Card              Thai Farmers Bank or Bangkok

Safety Deposit Box: Bank Skok's Safety Deposit Center. 34^th fl. Chan Issaro Tower, 942/81 Rama IV Rd. (near Silom Rd. Intersection). 150b mo.

Traveler's Checks                get a better rate than cash. 10b for each exchange so bring $100-checks. 

When                     Nov.-Feb.

Festivals                Royal Barge Procession. Elephants Roundup (Nov.)

Loi krathong-Nov. The tradition of setting baskets of candles on water in Nov. so that the water spirit will carry last year's

sins away.

Song krau-Apr.:                                    The start of Thai New Year

Vi sakha puja:                                      The celebration of Buddha's birthday

Excursions            Chao Phraya- Reua duan:                 Express boat 

River cruise to Ayuthay Historical Park

1-day cruise          Muang Boran (Ancient City-1/2 hr South of B.), Crocodile Farm, Sam Phrau Elephant Village (Nakhon Pathom)

                                Bang pa-in

2-day cruise          Kanchanabrui, Hua in, Phetchaburi, Pattaya, Khao Yai National Park

Quiet Site              Temple of Dawn - Sunday morning

Sites in Bangkok Buddha Monthon, Damnou Saduak floating market, The Grand Palace, Chinatown, Taoist Temple, Guilded Buddha, excursion to Nakhon Pathon, River Wai Bridge, Jim Thompson's House, Susan Pakkard Palace, Boat tour of the Thonburi Klongs & visit Wat Aru.

                                Chatuchak Weekend Market – On the highway to the Airport – Saturday 6:00am

Wat phra ko          Royal Temple

Wat Po                   the 50-m reclining Buddha (emerald-actually jasper) Statute.

Wat Trimit              House 3-m statute of Buddha cast of 5 tons gold                        

Wat Benchambopit The marble temple - modern

Wat Saket              Contains one of the largest bronze statutes of Buddha-at the base of Golden Mount

                                Can be seen from all over town.

Monks allowed only 2 meals a day, both before 11:00 a.m.

West of B.:             Rose Garden - Susan Sam Phrau 8-6.

                                Phra Pathom Chedi: Beyond Rose Garden-Town: Nakhon Phathon. 130 m. high, the tallest & oldest.

Bars, Restaurants Sios off Thanon-sukhumwit. Thanon Luang Susan in Patpong

Boxing                   Patchadamneon Stadium (Mon. Wed. Thurs. Sun.). Lumphini (Tue. Fri. Sat.)

Cooking School   Oriental Hotel - Weekly courses by the finest chefs - 02 47 2918 x1044

Horse racing         Royal Turf Club & Royal Bangkok Sports Club on weekends

Hotels                    Very exp. > 4500b exp. >3000, mod. >1500 inexpensive: < 1500

                                Ko Samui: Hotel Bann Talig Ngam: 5000b         

Hua Hin: Hotel Sofitel Centra - elegant 5000b

        L.P. p226       Parallel to Khao San but more quiet is Truk Mayom, an alley reserved for mostly pedestrian traffic. J&Joe (02 281 2949) is a sprawling old teak complex w/ pleasant rooms (100-260b). always full. New Joe-380b.

                                Orchid House-upscale-near Vieng Tai hotel on Rambutri - apt. style rooms - 400b

Massage               Wat Po (140b). Best & kosher.  Also Wat Mahathat & Parinayok

Thai Dance Drama: The National Theater (Ratchin rd. tel: 224-1342 - weekends)

                                The Chalerm-krung. Royal Theater at intersection between Charon Krung & Triphet Rd.

                                Tel: 22-0434 - twice weekly

Best resorts:          Phuket's Amanpuri 10-70k.  Ko Samui's Bann Taling Ngam

Unspoiled Islands               Ko Phnagan, Ko Phi Phi, The Similian Islands

Phuket:                  1 hr flight. Take boat tour to Phi Phi & Phang Ngaby

Samui:                   1 hr flight. Ang Thong Marine Park. Hire boat to ko Phngan & ko Tai

Phitsanuloki          Magnificent architecture at Sukhothai

Khorat                    45-min. flight, 4hrs train, ruins at Phmai - 37 miles & Buriram: 94 miles.  

Krungthep             Bangkonk              kloong                    Canal                     sampnas                               canoe-shaped boats

Bhikhus Gautama               Buddha

San phra pjam     spirit house          

Bot                          Building of worship, housing one or more statutes of Buddha - for important ceremonies

Viharn                    "                                                                                                     - for meetings & meditation-sermons

Stupa                     Building topped with a spire, built in the honor of Buddha

Fun                         Sanuk                    no fun                    mai sanuk             Cheers                   Chai yo

Cool heat              jai yen                   

Never mind           mai pen rai

Papaya                  malagaw               lichee                     linchee                   mango                   mamuang             Pineapple             saparot

Wednesday 6/4/2001

I woke up early in the morning for our 11:00a flight to Thailand. Cindy had arranged it a few days prior to our June 6^th engagement. I packed, woke up Cindy and went down. I could not find a taxi to the airport. Sixto called a limo service; it showed up in 5 minutes and we arrived at the airport just on time. We arrived in Tokyo in 13 hours in the next day due the 13 hours time difference. The plane was rather empty and I found a seat to lie down and take a nap. Before arriving in Narita one of the flight attendants gave us a bottle of Champagne; I guess she had assumed we were on our honeymoon. We had a 4-hour layover in Tokyo. We walked around the airport, took a shower in a very clean rest area and had coffees. The second leg of the trip from Tokyo to Bangkok took about 6 hours and we arrived there at 22:00 local time. Pomm, our guide was waiting for us; we boarded the car and were driven to hotel Peninsula. It was after the rush hour and we missed the traffic I had heard about. After check in we found out that our room had only a sliver of river view we were supposed to get. We agreed to pay $10 extra a night for a room which had a nice view of the river.

Friday 6/6

We woke up at 6:00a and went for a swim in the beautifully designed swimming pool and then had a big breakfast at the dining room. Pomm picked us up at 8:00a with the driver and she gave us a tour of the beautiful Wat Phra Keo (Emerald Buddha) and Grand Palace. She then took us to two jewelry shops but we did not buy anything. After she saw some interest from Cindy she insisted on going to a third shop; I asked her to drop us at Wat Meung Lak; it was drizzling. We walked around a couple of beautiful streets and arrived at Wat Pho at 1:00p. A street vendor approached us and said that the Wat was closed. He recommended that we visit a few other wats and then go back there. He then called a tuk tuk, negotiated a rate of 30 bahts ($1=B45), a low rate since it was the Amazing Thailand promotion week and the tuk-tuk was a government controlled tuk-tuk. We drove to Standing Buddha and visited a 30m statute of Buddha built by two monks in 60 years. A young man approached us and introduced himself as Nun, a journalist who had written an article about that wat. He then said that it was the Amazing Thailand week and recommended that we visit the Export Center, a Jewelry shop; he added that it was the last day of the sale. The tuk-tuk driver took us there but the prices were high. He then drove us to the Temple of Sitting Buddha. We met a man there who said was from Phuket and showed us his Bank ID card and album of his visit to Australia. He then talked of gems and suggested we pay a visit to Tiffany Center, where they had the best prices and he had bought a piece of Jewelry for his wife. We drove there but again the prices were more of a rip off than a good deal. Then the tuk-tuk driver recommended a shop but by this time we had had it. We then drove to another wat, the Lying Buddha and then finally drove to wat Pho. It had a huge ground with many ornamental chedies (burial structures) and the famous 30m Reclining Buddha. They had a massage hall where we had a very satisfying massage (B250 for an hour). My masseur gave me the phone number of her boyfriend for our drive to the Floating Market the next day. We then took a taxi and asked the driver to recommend a good Thai restaurant. The drive took a while; he crossed the river twice and when we complained, he said he wanted to avoid the traffic. He took us to Silom Village, a touristy shopping mall and we had a decent meal. We then took a taxi to Shangri La Hotel where we took the hotel ferry cross the river to our hotel.

Saturday 6/7

We visited the Jim Thompson House, the house of an American entrepreneur, an ex-CIA agent who revitalized the silk industry in Thailand. The charming house was an assembly of teak houses brought over from parts of the country. We then took a taxi to National Museum. Somsak, the driver (Tel: 587-7154) was very helpful and agreed to take us to the Floating Market the next day. We spent a few hours at the interesting museum. We then asked for the direction to the Royal Barge from a man who was sitting at the ticket booth; he took us a tuk-tuk, negotiated the rate (B60) and give him directions to the location. When we got off the tuk-tuk a man approached us and told us that the place would be closed until 3:00p; he was not pushy and did not offer us a ride. We ignored him, walked through a very poor area with many shacks (later I found out that the residents were Vietnamese refugees) and arrived at the Royal Barge. It was open. It was a collection of a dozen ornamental boats for the kings mostly built in the 19th century. We then took a fast boat (B200) to Wat Arun, another tall colorful Chedi visible from a distance. We then took a tuk tuk and I asked the driver to take us to a wat in Chinatown. The driver stopped at Wat Rajanadda and offered us to go and visit it. We then drove to Wat Sudit; it was a beautiful wat with many sitting statutes of Buddha all around the yard. The Prince was visiting the wat and it was filled with the uniformed staff. We then visited Wat Trimit where a 4-ton gold statute of Buddha is located. A monk ordination was in progress in the main hall; in another section a Chinese funeral was under way. The driver then dropped us off at wat Bovonives. We visited a bridal shop, bought a pizza hut and took a taxi to Lumpinee Park for a Thai Boxing match. It was exciting. Cindy placed a bet with a funny Chinese bookie. Prior to the end of the match the guy came over and handed B350 winning money to Cindy. We then took a taxi to our hotel and arranged with the driver (Budd: 01-731-9651) for a ride to the Floating Market the next day for B1200.

Sunday 6/8

Budd picked us up at 6:45a. We arrived at Damnoen Saduak Floating Market in 1.5 hours. The boat drivers had lined up on the street and were inviting the cars to their sites. Budd stopped at the first site; they showed us the engine boat and asked for B2000 for the tour. We negotiated the rate down to B1200 and invited Budd to join us and set for the market. We used the engine to ride along narrow canals but when we arrived at the crowded market our guide turned off the engine. We rode slower than other boats using the oar due to the weight of the engine. The market was lively; many food vendors were selling food out of their boats. There were also stalls along the canal and the vendors were selling souvenirs. We then rode along a wider river with houses built on the water, visited a wat where Cindy bought some fish food and fed the hungry fish. We then rode back to our starting point where Budd was given his cut. We drove to the nearby Nakhon Pathom and visited Phra Pathom Chedi, the tallest (127m) Buddhist Temple in the world. It had a large ground with bells and halls all around it; it was crowded with many visitors. We then drove to Samphran Elephants Grounds (B350) where we saw a magic show and an elephant show; we had to leave prior to start of the crocodile show to make it on time to our next stop, the Rose Garden (300B). They performed shows on Ordination into the Monkshood, Fingernail Dance, Boxing, Ethnic Dance and Swordfight. Budd then drove us to city and we went to New Cosmo, a seafood restaurant he recommended for dinner (B2,800). The food was good. After the dinner he dropped us off the hotel where we signed up for a Ayuthaya (B1,200 ea.) tour for the next day.

Monday 6/9      

We woke up at 6:00a and after breakfast rode the hotel ferry to River Sun Cruise. We boarded a bus at 8:00a and drove for an hour to Ayuthaya. Our guide, Paisan was giving us some information on Thailand as we were riding. We visited Bang Pa-in Palace. We then drove to the impressive ruins of Wats Mahathat, Virhana Phra Mongkol Bopit and wat Nah Phra Mane.

We then drove to the river and boarded a boat at 1:00p. We had lunch on board and then sat on the deck watching the scenery along the river. There were many wats built on the water. We arrived in Bangkok at 4:15p.

Tuesday 6/10   

We woke up at 5:30a and after breakfast took a taxi to airport (B500) and bought two r-t tickets to Phuket (B4,600 ea.); the plane took off at 8:00a for a one-hour flight to Phuket. The scene of the small rocks coming out of the water was magnificent as we were approaching the island. We purchased bus tickets (B80) and waited for half an hour until the van was full and took a 40-minute ride to the city. The van stopped at Diamond Travel. We booked a room at Phi Phi Island Village Motel for two nights (B3300 ea.) and r-t ferry tickets (B650). It was 10:30a and the ferry departure time was 2:00p. A young guy at the travel office approached us and offered a tour of the city for B40. We boarded the tuk tuk and he told the driver to drive. He took us to a jewelry shop despite Cindy’s objections. I then asked him to drive us to a restaurant of LP’s choice, but he said that it was not a good place and insisted on taking us to a place of his choice. I did not budge but when we got there the place was closed. I asked him to take us to another restaurant. This one was located on a hill with a good view of the city. After lunch we drove to the ferry and waited for a while until the departure time. We met an Italian couple on their honeymoon. The ferry ride was fine even though the ferry was an old one. After a 2-hour ride we arrived at Phi Phi where the Motel’s boat was waiting for us. It took us 20 minutes to get to the motel which was located on the Northern part of the Island, a rather more quiet and beautiful part supposedly. After checking in at the motel the attendant asked me for my ferry ticket. After he saw that we had a 3:00p departure time he said the free water taxi is only at 11:30a otherwise we had to pay a B100 for a taxi. They had prepared our room as honeymooners room with flowers on the bed, floors and the bathroom per as Cindy’s comments at the travel office. We went into the water but noticed that the beach was very shallow. We then noticed that loud noise of the boats continuously hovering around the motel; it was not unlike the drills they use to dig the streets of New York. After swim we went to bed rather early and fell asleep.  

Wednesday 6/13          

I woke up early in the morning. The sound from the boats was still filling the air. We decided to cut short our stay and go back to Bangkok. Cindy called the travel agent and they agreed to refund our money for the second night. We signed up for a 4-hour tour of the Phi Phi Li (B500+B200 for snorkeling equipment). It was well worth it. The Island was magnificent with emerald waters and a small beautiful sandy beach. We snorkeled in a couple of places. We entered a small strait where the water was the most beautiful and the scenery was just heavenly. We passed by a prehistoric cave but we did not have time to stop by. When we got to the ferry we still had some time; the ferry was newer and the ride much more pleasant. We took a shower in the bathroom of the ferry and went to the deck to enjoy the beautiful scenery. At the port in Phuket the Travel Agent’s driver picked us up and took us to the office. They gave us a cash refund even though we had paid by credit card. We went to dinner at Mae-porn and went back to office to pick up our luggage. Someone at the office gave us a ride to the airport (B400). The 7:40p plane was cancelled and therefore we had to take the 8:40p flight. We had planned to take the 10:30p bus from Bangkok to Sokhutai. We were not sure if we had enough time to make it to the bus. Cindy tried for some concession from the airline to no avail. We were able to get to the Northern Bus Terminal by 10:15 but were told that the only bus leaves at 11:45p. We bought two first class tickets (B256) and boarded the bus. They had assigned seats. There was a stewardess who gave us blankets. We slept through most of the trip.

Thursday 6/16   

We arrived at Sukhotai at 5:30a. There was only one tuk tuk driver with his agent. They came to us and encouraged us to take their tuk tuk to town. They wanted to take us to a hotel of their choice but when I mentioned Sawadiphongs, a L.P.’s choice they both agreed that it was a good hotel. We took a super deluxe room for B500, took a nap and had breakfast at Northern Palace, a hotel cross the street from ours. Upon leaving the restaurant a young tuk tuk driver offered us a ride but another driver approached us; he spoke some English and showed us the pictures of the Sukhothai National Park we planned to visit. We agreed on a 4-hour tour for B250. Suko, the driver picked up his wife on the way and dropped her off at a hospital on the way to the park. The park had manicured grounds and about eight Wats. Suko stopped at a site where some pottery pieces were placed on a table. I assumed it was a stop for shopping. When we approached the table we met three archeologists of Duke University of Australia. They had removed broken pottery pieces from a furnace and had separated them into bags. They said after they have studied the pieces they would put them back underground. The site has been from a few periods and therefore their findings could not be conclusive. They talked about glazing materials and historical sites. They recommended that we visit Si Satchanalai-Chaliang, another historical site more original and less restored than Sukhotai. Suko then drove us back to the city. We took a walk around the streets and the market. The city was small and lively with many motorcycles. We stopped at a monastery where the young monks were relaxing. We talked to them for a while. One of them, Monet, a 7-year old shy boy got the attention of Cindy and she teased him for a while. We stopped at fancy Dream Café and had a mediocre dinner. After dinner we decided to skip visit to Si Satchanalai and go to Chiang Mai the next day. We checked with the bus company and found out that the last bus was leaving at 1:30a. I arranged for a tuk tuk at 1:00a, asked for a wakeup call at front desk at 12:30a and went to sleep at 10:00p. When we woke up it was 2:00a. We did not have the wakeup call and had missed the bus. I went down to inquire. They found my wakeup call request in the garbage can. Since they did not speak English I could not find out why the piece of paper had ended up in the garbage. The girl had assumed the call was for 12:30p. That still did not explain the situation. I went back to room and slept.

Friday 6/15       

We went to Northern Palace Hotel and after breakfast asked for a cab to Si Satchanalai (B1000). In a short time a driver with an old car showed up. The ride was just over an hour. The park looked more original than Sukhothai. There was one impressive sitting statute of Buddha visible from a large opening in the surrounding wall. At one of the stops the car did not start; we had to get off the car and push it until it started. On the way back we stopped at the bus station and inquired about the departure time for the bus to Chiang Mai and then went back to our favorite restaurant at the Northern Palace Hotel. We placed our orders. After 15 minutes the young girl came back and said we could not get our Phadthai since they were out of shrimp and noodles. We asked for vegetables; it came with pork and we had to return it. By this time it was about 3:50p and our morning driver was waiting to take us to the bus station for our 4:15 bus. I thought it would be a complimentary ride since the guy had made decent money in the morning. Cindy said he would ask for the fare, we bet for an ice cream and I lost. The 4:15p bus was canceled and we had to wait until 5:30p (B170). The bus was full and we had to stand for the first hour of our trip until people got off and seats became available. We arrived in Chiang Mai at about 11:00p and took a tuk tuk to Galare Guest Host (B720). We then went out to Night Bazaar. The street was packed with people walking around and the business was in full motion. We went to an open air Chinese restaurant and had a decent meal. When Cindy asked the proprietor about the night life, the guy paused for a moment and then said, “Disco; no that is not for you; how about a massage? I will arrange for a driver to pick you up and drive you back to your hotel.” The driver showed up in a short time and took us to the massage parlor. It was not as good as wat Pho’s. The driver then took us back to our hotel.

Saturday 6/16

We left our room at about 10:00a. The streets were deserted. We had breakfast and took a tuk tuk to old city. We visited a few wats and then started to walk to Dukswam wat but found out it was far away. We then saw a golden temple far away in the mountain. It was Wat Suthep. We took a van that drove us to the University where we took another van to the wat high in the mountain. The weather was cool and refreshing. The wat was a very large lively complex; it is one of the holiest sites in the Northern Thailand. Many people, especially young kids were paying their homage. We took a lift up and enjoyed the peaceful ambiance of the site. We then took the very long staircase down and took a van back to the city. The van fumes made me queasy and by the time we got to the city I was not feeling well. I had to lie down for a while to recover. We then took a taxi to the travel agency we had been to in the morning and booked a two-day trekking trip (B1000). After a rest we went out to the Night Bazaar. We then had a delicious meal at an open-air restaurant in the Ansula Market.

Sunday 6/17.    

I received a phone call from the front desk at 8:00a. The two trekking guides were there looking for the copy of our passports. The travel agent at the office had asked us for them the day before. Due to the robberies of the trekkers the police requires these copies to fight the robbers. We went to a couple of places but could not find a place. Ya, the younger guide asked me to give him our passports so that he could get copies; I did so. At 9:00a the van showed up with a Canadian couple on board. They had to wait a few minutes until we check out. We then drove to a travel agency where we had a quick breakfast and other members of the group joined us. One of them, Paula, was an American living in Australia. Another girl was from the West Coast living in Pennsylvania. She was carrying a huge backpack - too big for her petite size. There was a tall Irish girl, Channels; and there were two European girls who did not talk much. We stopped at a market for some shopping and then drove to Huay Namdung National Park, about 1 ½ hours away. We took a 1/2h walk to a waterfall where we went under the cool water. We then had lunch and walked to a hot spring. There were two geysers where boiling water was bubbling out from the earth. There were a couple of hot bath cabins down the river. We walked there and Cindy and I were the only ones who tried them; the water was too hot though. We then hiked for about three hours over a scenic path; at times it was exhausting. We finally arrived at our destination. It was a small location where only one tribe family lived. Our hut was located behind theirs. All nine of us were going to sleep in one large wooden room. We took a bath in the river and then sat on the terrace while Ya and Poon, our older guide were preparing our dinner in the next door room. Cindy joined them and helped them with grinding garlic. I stopped by there and they offered me some Thai whisky. The dinner was plain rice and soup. We then went to bed; I woke up many times. It was rather cold and uncomfortable floor. Only after sunrise I was able to go to sleep for a couple of hours.

Monday 6/18    

When I woke up Cindy was already up. After breakfast we walked for about half an hour where we boarded elephants and took a relaxing fun 1½ hours ride. The elephants were very tame and knew the road. The trainers basically did not have to do much. Our guides swam down the river. After the elephant ride we walked for another ½ hour to our raft camp. Poon and Ya helped the local person to make a new raft while we were resting. A few of the tribeswoman showed up with the wares pushing every body to shop. The pushing became more of harassing. Cindy called me at one point asking for B45 to buy something. An old tiny tribe’s woman was chasing her and chanting “Chagi, 45 bahts” as she was dancing in a funny way. It was very amusing to watch her. I swam in the river and then we had some plain noodle soup for lunch before setting out for our rafts in two groups. The river’s current did not seem to be very much but on a few occasions we were almost capsized. In one occasion we almost lost our luggage after the makeshift tripod where our luggage was placed broke. In one occasion I fell in the water and my leg was caught between the raft and a rock; I could have lost my leg. In another case Poon and I were in the water and lost the raft and all the girls ended up riding in the raft alone. At one time the petite girl from PA fell in the water; I had to help her to swim to the other raft while trying to save her camera from getting wet. Throughout the trip Poon stayed calm; he managed to have fun (Sanuk in Thai culture); at times he would hit the water hard with his staff pretending he was hitting the crocodiles in the water. After a two-hour exciting ride we arrived to the end of our adventure, stopped at a shop where we were served some fruits and then took the van back to the city and our hotels. We showered, dined at our favorite open-air restaurant in Anusula Market and did some shopping at the Night Bazaar. 

Tuesday 6/19   

We stopped at the travel agency to pay for our 7.45p flight to Bangkok. There was not much to do for the rest of the day. We walked around, did some more shopping and then checked out and took a tuk tuk to the airport. After arrival we took a taxi to Peninsula Hotel. This time we were given a room with a full view of the river. At night we decided to go to the night market; it happened to be the same as Patpong, the infamous red-light area in Bangkok. We walked around for a while and then were invited to go-go bars by a tout. The young guy said there would be no cover charge and we had to buy just one beer. After we sat down and got our beers and paid for them (B100 ea.) someone approached us and asked for the cover charge; when we protested he backed off. We watched a boring show for about ½ hour and then left the place. I then stopped at Super Girls for a short time before taking a taxi back to the hotel.

Wednesday 6/20          

I went for a swim and then breakfast. I wasted some time changing my travelers’ checks to Bahts. I left the hotel and walked the streets for some time before taking a 1-hr cab ride to wat Pho for a massage. A tuk tuk offered me a ride to Wat Saket (Golden Mount). We arrived there at 7:00p but the wat was closed. The area leading to the wat and the wat itself were very peaceful and pretty. I walked around for sometime. I noticed a nice bar with wooden windows and decided to get a drink there. I entered the bar and asked for the Thai whisky. The two young girls took out a bottle from the shelf and offered it to me. I could not make them understand that I needed only one shot to drink there; I gave up and left the bar. I walked back to the alley where the wat was located, sat at the sidewalk at enjoyed the beautiful view of the wat in the sunset light. At one point two monks left the wat and left the door open. When I approached the entrance to try to sneak in a guard dog started to bark. I had to back off. I took a taxi back to the hotel and went back to my room.

Thursday 6/21  

Pomm, our guide, picked us up at 6:00a. We were driven to the airport for our 6-hour flight to Narita where we had a 4-hour layover before starting our 11-hour flight back to NY. After we had left the airport Cindy noticed that I had left my backpack at the airport. We had to go back to United Terminal. My bag was sitting at the service bag area. I picked it up and then we took a taxi home.

‘02/04/17         Peru: Lima, Iquitos, Amazon, Leticia, Cusco, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu

Telephone

Operator                100         International         108         Directory                103

Peru: 51                 Lima       01           Cusco                    084         Iquitos                    094        

Per Capita             $3,800, 26 millions, 89% Literacy

Literature:              Mario Vargas, Joe Maria Argudas, and Cesar Vallejor

800-523-3273      Airlines  Continental http://www.continental.com/onepass LX837614&EJ831469 4085 POB 4365 Houston, TX 77210 74k

800-231-0856      Cfm# of cxl’d flight-Toronto OFTPSD 542.79*2 Use by July 18, 2001 for int'l flights only   45-Ontario: 26+D.C.:35

800-525-0280      NY-Cancun 35000 Phoenix              Peru: 5/17/02        #1952:   15:35-22:30          6/1/02    #1953    23:20-08:00

May 19   2111       Lima-Iquitos         0700-0830            Be at office at 1100 (take a taxi)

May 25                   Ship docks at        0700                       full day in Iquitos

May 25                   Iquitos-Lima         1900-2030            (also 0900-1030)

May 26                   Lima-Cusco          0630-0730

June 1                    Cusco-Lima          1100-1200

Air:                          160 * 4 = 640        + Cruise:                975 *2

info@amazontours.net     

Fernando: As discussed, please make reservations for:

Mr. Ray

 ******AS DISCUSSED, YOUR OFFICE MUST CONFIRM ALL FLIGHTS FOR US!!!!

1) MAY 18, 2002  SATURDAY           Areo Continente  #2111 Depart LIMA @ 7:00AM Arrive Iquitos @ 8:30AM

2) AMAZON RIVER CRUISE -"THREE FRONTIERS"-RIO AMAZONAS

Sunday May 19 - Saturday May 25 Depart NOON 5/19 Iquitos Dock;

be at Amazon Tours, Requena Street #336 Iquitos, Tel: 233931 ext. 1 BY 11:00AM

Double Occupancy Cabin w/window Arrive Iquitos Dock 7:00AM 5/25

3) MAY 25             SATURDAY           Areo Continente #SJ518 Depart Iquitos 7:00PM Arrive LIMA 8:30PM

4) MAY 26             MONDAY               Areo Continente #N6 1141 Depart LIMA 6:30AM Arrive Cuzco 7:30AM

5) JUNE 1             SATURDAY           Areo Continente #N6 1144 Depart Cuzco 11:00AM Arrive LIMA 12:00PM

******AGAIN, AS DISCUSSED, AMAZON TOURS MUST CONFIRM

******ALL FLIGHTS ON AREO CONTINENTE FOR US!!! TOTAL AIR $640 TOTAL CRUISE $1950 TOTAL: $2590

What to bring

Insect repellent – Avon’s nontoxic (no DEET) Skin So Soft Oil (not the lotion)

Lotomil or imodium

Puncho, Boots (rainforest), Flashlight, clock, penknife, sewing kit, cord, small padlock, plastic bag, Rubber band, Safety pins

Soap, toilet paper, sun-block, first-aid kit

Earplugs for noise, Student Card, spare glasses, Cap, Uumbrella

Money

Currency               Nuevo Sol/100 Centimos  1999 exchange rate: S/3.35              2002: Airport: 2:38 – Cusco: 2:44, Travelers Checks: 2:37

Bring fresh bills

Traveler’s Checks: Up to 10% commission, at Banco Credito and Interbank. Use Amex, Bring mostly as insurance policy.

VISA ATM              To use, pay entire bill and add enough money to cover withdrawals; Check with VISA

                                MBNA: 4% charge (1% going to VISA corporation)

                                Make sure PIN has only 4 digits (know the numerical values of the alpha codes)

                                Chase:   ATM: $3 per withdrawal

                To Change PIN:                   Go to branch with 2 valid IDs

                Traveler’s Checks               Through American Express: 800-221-7282

Lost cards             Lima: VISA: 441-2112, 428-9898    MC: 422-1290      AX: 424-6410

Cab                        Do not change large bills. Ask,         “Tiene cambio de cinquenta soles?” Do you have change for 50 soles?

Costs                      lowest hotel: $15                                 Economy: $25      1^st Class: $50-80

Taxes                     High-end (but not low-price) hotels charge up to 25% for taxes and services.

                                Some better restaurants may include it in the prices on the menu (IGV or Incluye Impuesto)

Miscellaneous

Time                       GMT – 5                 NY: GMT – ?         (10 Lima == 11 NY)

Jellyfish                 Dousing in vinegar will de-activate unfired stingers; Use Calamine lotion or antihistamine to reduce pain

Fabio- Taxi            917-559-6244      www.Rcp.net.com               http://www.rcp.net.pe

When you arrive at high altitude, try not to over exert yourself. Drink the coca tea (mate de caca).

If you sleep in a bus with a camera around your neck, it will be cut off by a razor.

Train                      Buy tickets at least one day in advance.

Travel

Council travel       212-661-1414 – for tickets to Peru

eXito Latin America            800-655-4053. Exito@wonderlink.com short/long term tickets 

Purchased outside Peru for Trips in Peru:     Number of Coupons & Price: 1-$96                                2-$190   3-$278

                                Roy: Said I can book the flights in Lima cheaper. Peak travel is mid June – Mid August.

                                Lima – Cusco:      Lan Peru               Leave May 21: 07:45 – Return May 27: 06:00              

                                                                                                Special Visit Peru Pass =   $190 + 67 (tax + fee)

                                                                Groupa Taca        Leave May 21: 0600-0715                Return May 26 08:00-09:25                                                                                                                                                               $128+67                (Asked Roy to keep this ticket for me)

                                Lima- Trujillo        Lan Peru               Leave May 26 17:15-18:00 – Return May 29 18:45-21:00 (stop at Chiclayo)

                                                                                                $190+67

                                                                Aero Continento 877-359-7378 2                  

                                                                                                $182       Leave May 25 07:45-08:45 (17:16-18:15) – Return May 29 09:00-10:00(18:45-19:45)

Early morning flights are more likely to be on time

Cusco                                    No PM flights due to winds – sometimes they leave earlier than scheduled to beat bad weather 

               

www.traficoperu.com         Check for new flights         

20 May Lan Peru - LP 35 J                Chavez Int'l (LIM), Lima 11:10AM - Velazco Astete (CUZ), Cusco 12:25 PM. Non-stop 320 1h15min                 134.00 + 24.12 = 158.12

Wilderness Travel               510-558-2488      Sends small groups; call for info.   

                                                Will mail catalogue. See PDF catalogues at http://www.wildernesstravel.com

International Expeditions 205-428-1700        Offers the best tours in the Amazon. 888-228-1232. Carolyn mailed me a nice catalog.

                                                May 25^th: Hotel in Lima

                                                May 26: To Aquitos for one week. $3,185.00 (Flight from Miami to Lima: $313 - optional)               

InkaNatura                            215-923-3641      Asked to call Peru for tour info.        In Peru: 84-243-408 Postmaster@Inkanatura.com.pe

Peru Tourist Center             212-398-6555

AMAZON                               WWW.IETRAVEL.COM

Exploration                           800-446-9660

http://www.ticotravel.com/peru/tours/best.htm

Wildland Adventures          206-365-0686

Tour operators

Lima

Lima Tours                           424-7560              inbound@limatours.com.pe

Fertur Peru                            427-1958              Use for countrywide info and good prices on national/int’l flights. Ask for Siduith Ferrer Herrera.

Infotour                                 431-0117

Cusco

United Mice                          221139                  calle pelateros

Peruvian Andean Treks      225701                  Avenida Padro 705, Cusco                               postmaster@patcosco.com.pe         Contact for brochure

Hotels

Lima

Room rates

Posada del parque             433-2412              Monden@telematic.com.pe              parque Hernan Velarde 60               Monica and Leo.~$30 breakfast

Hostal El Patio                     444-2107              ossa@mail.cosapidata.com.pe        Diez Canseco 341a            $38

                San Antonio          447-6766              gfer@amauta.rcp.net.pe                    Ramon Ribeyro 301            $50         $40. Pickup $9

                Aleman 445-6999                              haleman@correo.dnet.com.pe        Arequipa 4704                     $60

Cusco

Marquesas, Amaru, San Blas

Amaru hostal                                                        amaru@telser.com.pe

Casa de campo                                                   paula96@telser.com.pe   

Hostal El Arqueologo         23-2569                 vida@net.cosapidata.com.pe           Cusco, Ladrillos 425           $30

Sites to visit

Trujillo(truhiho)                    Good base for seeing Chan Chan (the huge adobe capital of Chimu) and Moche pyramids

Ausangate                            and Machu Picchu are main hiking center in Cusco.

Huaraz                                   Spectacular Cordillera Blanca 

Bus in and fly out of the Manu National Park

ACEER (Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research 88-255-8206)         Canopy walkway near Iquitos – 1 week

Cusco

Flight                                      From Lima to Cusco - Sit on the left side for views of Salcantay’s 6271m peak.

Buy Boleto Turitico              $10; access to 16 sites. Buy at travel agents. Check the dates of validity.

Plaza de Armas                   with Avendia Sol being the main business street. Take the pedestrian plaza between Plaza del Tricentenario and Huaynapeta for great views.

Take a bus to Pisac             (at calle Huascar 128. $.20) and ask to be dropped off at Tamo Machay (stunning Imperial Baths) and take a 2-hour walk back to city with stops at:

Puca Pucara                         fortified hunting lodge

Salumpuncu                         Moon temple

Sacsayhuamau                   Fortress above Cusco

Take a 1-2 day trip to Urumba Valley.

Train ticket to M.P.               Huauchaq Station               reservations: 238722.         6am Mon-Sat.

                                                90 min. to Allantaytambo + 90 min to M.P.

The Camino Sagrado de los Incas - A truncated Inca trail, starts at KM104 of the Pan American Highway, 8KM from M.P.

Gastronomy

Water                                     Do not drink, including ice. Boiled OK but remember in high altitudes water boils in lower temperature.

Salads                                   worst culprits for causing illness and un-peeled fruits

Typical dishes are:

Kapchi, brad bean or mushroom stew, or soup with potatoes, milk, eggs and cheese;

Adobo de Chancho, pork stewed with chicha de Jora (corn beer) and condiments; 

Also Puchero (vegetable soup) and pepian de conejo (rabbit stew).

Dictionary

Lavanderias         Laundry                

Almuerzo              lunch, main meal of the day

Chifas                    Chinese restaurants - offer a good value.      Tallarines: noodles

El menu inexpensive set menu

La carta menu

Spicy foods           la criolla

Mate de coca        coca tea – good for acclimatization

Café con leche    coffee with milk

Cuzquena             Peru’s best beer

Picanterias            restaurant0

Arroz                      rice

Pan                         bread

Huevos                  eggs

Queso                    cheese

Cuy                         guinea pig

Chicharrones       deep-fried pork skin

Carne de res        beef

Aji                           Chili

Frijoels                   beans

Hangos                  mushrooms

Yuca                       yam

Helado                   ice cream

Creveza                 beer

Baja                        down – when getting off the bus

Esquina corner – to stop at the next corner

_________________________________________________________________________________________

DAY 2 / URUBAMBA VALLEY
Visit the colorful Indian market in Pisac to see a blend of color, tradition and people. At a distance of 30 km. (19 miles) from Cusco, and an altitude of 2,970 meters (9,700 ft.), Pisac is located right at the entrance to the Sacred Valley. After lunch, continue to Ollantaytambo, the oldest continuously occupied settlement in the Americas, its narrow streets, complete with canals unchanged

Dear Ray:

Here we send you this tentative itinerary because we don't know how long you would like to spend in our country. If you like this we will send you the quotation, also you can make the necessary changes if you want.

TENTATIVE ITINERARY

01-Arrival                                                              Hotel in Lima

02-Lima/Arequipa by plane                                              Hotel in Arequipa

03-Arequipa/Colca Canyon                              Hotel in Chivay town

04-Colca Canyon/Arequipa                              Hotel in Arequipa

05-A.M.: City Tour +Visit to Sta Catalina Monastery.

     P.M:                   Flight Arequipa/Juliaca. Hotel in Puno

06-Full day tour to Uros+Sillustani.  Hotel in Puno

07-Full day tour to Taquile.                                Hotel in Puno.

08-Puno/Cusco by bus or train.                        Hotel in Cusco.

09-Cusco:P.M.:City Tour +Visit to the 4 nearby ruins:Qenqo, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay and Sacsayhuaman.

Hotel in Cusco.

10-Full day tour to the Sacred Valley: You will visit Urubamba, Chincheros, Ollantaytambo, Pisac and its Indian

Market. (This tour is offered only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Hotel in Cusco.

11-Cusco/Machu Picchu by Vistadome or Inka Train (the best classes).

Hotel in Aguas Calientes.

12-Machu Picchu/Cusco                                    Hotel in Cusco.

13-Cusco/Lima by plane.                                  Hotel in Lima.

14-A.M.: City Tour +Visit to the Gold Museum. Transfer to the airport to take your International Flight.

If you want to make a extension to the Jungle of Iquitos or Puerto Maldonado only let us know.

Please, check all the information and let us know what kind of accommodations would you like to make the quotation.

Best Regards, Patricia                                        ERTUR PERU.

________________________________________________________________________________________

http://www.silvanatours.com.pe/documents/pdf/Eng/Cusco-ing.pdf        M.P. PDF Site       - Sites & Pictures

INFORMATION

       Dirección Regional de Turismo

       La Cultura Ave. 734, 3rd floor, Cusco.

       Phone number: (084) 263176 - Fax (084) 223761               direccion@tourcusco.com  or turismo@tourcusco.com 

       Tourist Information Bureau                                                        Portal Mantas St. 188, Cusco

       Servicio de Protección al Turista

       (Tourist Protection Service)

       PromPeru/Indecopi

       Portal Carrizos St. 250, Main Square, Cusco.                        sptcus@indecopi.gob.pe

       Hotline: Lima                                                 (01) 224-7888      24 hours

       Toll Free (from Peruvian provinces):        0800-4-2579        tour@indecopi.gob.pe

WEBSITES

       http://perutravelnet.com/atractivos.asp

       http://www.raingod.com/angus/Gallery/Photos/SouthAmerica/Peru/IncaTrail/index.html

       http://200.37.137.237/viaje2/ciud9.htm

       http://200.37.137.237/viaje2/ciud18.htm

       http://www.magicperu.com/places.htm                                    Various towns/areas

       http://www.travelfile.com/go/PERU.html

       http://www.cbc.org.pe/CMUNDO.HTM

       http://geog.gmu.edu/gess/classes/students/studgeog411/miked/library.html

       http://www.machupicchuperu.com

 

Friday, May 17, 2002

We boarded our Continental Flight at 4:00PM and landed in Lima at 10:00PM local time (7 hours flight time).

Naster, our guide was waiting for us. We boarded the minivan and drove to Manhattan Hotel near the airport ($50>40), where we picked up our domestic flight tickets.

Sat., May 18

We woke up at 6:30AM and after breakfast were driven to the airport for our 8:30AM flight to Iquitos aboard Tran Peru. After check-in we walked to the gates but we were told we had to go to the bank to pay $4 airport tax. I had to rush to the bank and by the time I got back to the gate it was 8:20 and we had to run to catch our flight.

When the plane landed we got off and walked to the building as Cindy was filming the scenery; meanwhile a guard approached us to hurry up. When we got to the building we were accidentally told that we were not in Iquitos. The stop was not mentioned in our tickets therefore we assumed we had landed in Iquitos; we had to rush back to the plane for the remaining 50 minutes flight.

Apparently Fernando, the person who had booked our tour had changed the itinerary.

At Iquitos airport I called El Dorado Hotel to make a reservation but they hang up on me. Meanwhile Cindy found the Tourist Desk where we able to book a room at that hotel for $40(<60 a="" after="" again="" amazon.="" amazon="" built="" but="" ceviche="" check="" couple="" cruise.="" dirty="" edible.="" happened="" in="" including="" it="" kitchen="" lp.="" me="" o:p="" of="" on="" our="" overlooked="" pascana="" recommended="" restaurant="" seafood="" see="" shacks="" slum="" the="" to="" took="" transportation.="" tributary="" tuk="" was="" we="" whom="">

After lunch we walked to Belene Market. By this time it was raining and the smell of the rotten food in the market was unpleasant. We took a tuk-tuk to Plaza des Armas and had a drink.

Sunday, May 19

We were picked up at 11:00am and driven to the dock. We sailed shortly after aboard Amazon, a rather old boat that soon we found out had a broken engine. It was supposed to be pushed by another boat until the broken part was purchased from Miami and flown in. After a simple lunch we went for a sunset nature sail in the evening.

Monday, May 20

We woke at 6:30am and sailed to a tributary for bird watching.

We then sailed to a native Indian village where they put a dance show for us and then they started the trade (sale) of their merchandise. T-shirts were hot commodity. The chief offered the largest blow dart for my T-shirt but since my denim jacket was soaked in the rain I had to forgo his offer.

We visited the gallery Francisco, a semi-famous painter with close ties to Paul White, the owner of Amazon Tours. A few people from our group purchased $1000 painting.

After lunch and a rest we headed for jungle walk; the ground was too wet and after Cindy got a few bytes from the ants we decided to return.  At the edge of the jungle we saw a chained monkey who had gone crazy and was jerking off and rolling over on the ground.

Tuesday, May 21.

We went for a nature sail at 6:30am and saw mostly birds and monkeys.

In the afternoon we docked at Caba Concha village and sailed to Caba Concha (horselake) lake where we fished for Pirhana for a couple of hours; they would byte frequent but only few of us was able to catch one. When we returned to the village, Cindy started to film the kids to their great amusement. The residents of the village seemed to be very happy and were enjoying the evening dip in the lake.

Wednesday, May 22

We had anchored at Santa Rosa when we woke up in the morning. We then rode to Leticia in Colombia where we took a tour from Anaconda hotel to the zoo where I had a painful bite by a fleece? We then drove to the border of Brazil, the city of Tabatinga. There was along line of Peruvians waiting in the line for free immunization by the Brazilians. We then visited a dirty meat/produce market; overall the standards of living seemed to be higher in Brazil than in Peru or Colombia. 

In the evening a group of Germans boarded our boat.

Thursday, May 23.

We set for a jungle walk at 9:00am on the high lands for a couple of hours. The jungle was lush, mostly dry enough to walk and the scenery was very Amazonian. Segundo, our guide, did a great job explaining the trees and bushery. Towards the end of the trip we had two people with cuts from their falls and one person who fainted.

Friday, May 24.

We set to visit the natives’ village of Iagus; there was a welcome dance and the usual trading.

After lunch a group of passengers went to Francisco party.

I went for a nature ride in the afternoon – Cindy stayed back due to fear of mosquitoes. Alfredo spotted a boa on a tree and Segundo was able to use a pose to capture him. We also spotted an owl that escaped when Alfredo tried to capture him.

After dinner Alfredo said that the boat was moving too slowly upstream and we were to use two speedboats in the morning to make it to our 9:00am flight from Iquitos to Lima.

Sat, May 26.

We woke up at 4:30am. At 5:30am the fist speed boat loaded the luggage, Eric and Isar Shy, and the Germans. Cindy and I were the last two people on the line and ended up on the front row seats of the second boat. After ten minutes the second boat had engine problem; we tried to tow them for a short while but the captain of our boat gave up and left them to be picked up by the boats from Rio Amazon. A heavy was pouring throughout the two-hour trip but we made it to Iquitos on time at 8:00am, took the van to the airport and flew to Lima at 9:00am.

At Lima’s airport we took a cab (S40>15) to town. The driver took us to the wrong hotel and we had to get another taxi to our beautiful hostal San Antonio ($49>40). When we left the hotel the driver was still waiting for us. We drove to Plaza des Armas, visited La Cathedral and took a tour of San Francisco church. We then took a carriage ride, had a break at Vehjo Passage, and took a taxi to the beach in Mira Flores to see the sunset.

Sunday, May 26 - Cusco.

We woke up the driver who was sleeping in his car while waiting for us; took a ride to the airport for our 6:30am flight to Cusco. At Cusco’s airport a driver offered us S5 for ride to town. The second driver asked for a $1.00. We took his cab; he gave us some useful information about the town and finally introduced himself as Jose Cuba (226176 C: 651576 lu10hc@yahoo.com ) and showed his name as a recommended guide in LP to us. He said he would give us a tour of Pisac Market for $40. After check in our hostal, Corihuasi ($40>30) I called him, he drove us to:

Sacsayhuman   A huge impressive rock ruins; the massive rocks were accurately fitted atop each other.

Tombo Machoy A beautifully wrought ceremonial stone bath.

Puca Pucara     A stone fortress

Jose then stopped for lunch at a local market where we had a very original native food of potatoes and ox tail in a small tent. We then drove to Pisaq Ruins along a lovely road and visited Pisaq Market where Cindy and I did some shopping and had a few servings of orange juice at the lively market. We returned to Cusco at 5:30pm.

Our room was extremely cold and I was shivering under four layers of blankets until we ordered a heater. Cindy was getting sick too.

Monday, May 27.

We both woke up sick in the morning with pounding headaches, the symptom of high altitude sickness. We took a short walk around the Plaza des Armas and visited La Campania Church before going back to our room in the afternoon. 

Tuesday, May 28.

We took a taxi to Sacsayhuman and rested under the beautiful sunshine on the splendid grounds facing the majestic rock structure. We the hitchhiked to town.

In the evening as we were looking for a place to dine we were approached by Arturo Baez (baezarturo@hotmail.com) who asked us to try the restaurant he was working for. The Alpaca dinner I had was decent.

After dinner we went for a walk around the plaza. We saw a stray dog who would run from one garbage can to another, put his head into them and bend them to pull out the food scraps; we followed him for a while amused by his behavior. Cindy ran to a deli, picked up a sandwich fed him after we found him in the Plaza. We then spent some time surfing at in Internet café.

Wednesday, May 29.

Visited the following sites:

-      Muse de Historia Natural

-          La Merced, consisting of a church, a charming yard and a museum with a solid gold monstrance covered with over 1500 diamonds.

-           San Francisco: The museum was closed but the keeper approached us and gave us a detail private tour in Spanish. There was a large collection of painting including the largest in South America (9*12m), and a room with a great echo.

-           San Perdro and Santa Barbara Churches

-          Muse Inka, a large collection of Inka Artifact in a beautiful house

-          Viewed the Christie Corpus Parade for a while. It was going on for the whole day.

In the evening we went for the 7:00pm mass at San Francisco but there were only a dozen of worshippers.

Thursday, May 30.

Jose Cuba picked us up at 8:00am. We drove to the following sites:

-          Chinchero: A charming village about 20 km from Cusco with a beautiful church. The natives were getting ready for the parade.

-          Moray:        The impressive experimental terraces that look like an amphitheater about 100m below ground level. The Inkas experimented the optimal climate for the crops here. It was a dusty hard-to-reach drive from Maras.

-          Salinas:      The fascinating 3000 Salt Pans filled by a mineral spring; the water is vaporized to generate the salt.

-          Urumba:      A small town along the Sacred River Urumba. We lunched at a pleasant garden restaurant.

-          Ollantaytambo:      

The ancient town with the massive fortress built in the form of terraces Jose took us to a hostal owned by his friend where we took a rest before visiting the fortress.

During a break in a restaurant we had a big argument.

Cindy talked about a few items (Nescafe, shearling, Cognac and $USD) that were prized to take to Korea.

I asked “Was it easy to bring it in?”

She answered “To bring in what?”.

I felt that she was not listening to me.

The day before we had the following conversation:

Cindy:   They found the body of Shandra Levy in a park. There were a few other murders in the park

I:          In the same park?

Cindy:   In the same park.

I left Cindy in the restaurant, walked in total darkness to the train station and purchased tickets to Macch Picchu after waiting for about 15 minutes. Since there was no time left to 7:30 departure time I took a taxi back to restaurant to picked up Cindy, drove back to hostel and picked up our luggage and then drove to train station.

The train ride was slow; it was as if we had gone back in time. Jose had arranged for us to be picked up by someone from hotel Ima Sumac but since there was no one there we walked to the hotel.

Friday, May 30.

I woke up at 5:00am and after shower and breakfast walked to the bus stop and purchased a round-trip ticket ($9) for the first bus departing at 6:30am. By 6:20 the bus was full and we departed for Machu Picchu (Old Mountain). As soon as we started the road became heavily misty. When we arrived at the site the mist was so heavy that we could not see much for an hour until the sun came up.

The site was an impressive massive rock structure. It was built by carving a huge hill and building the stone walls and rooms around it while leaving the huge boulders on the hill alone. The rocks were transferred via the river from long distances and then heisted the to site. The site was a wonder by the sheer amount of the earth that had to be removed and the amount of the rocks that had to be bought up on the hill and carved. The site has 300,000 visitors a year. There was another very impressive hill across the river.

Pat & Alpert                  PO Box 72516 Las Vegas, NV 89170                  702 795 2674

Nitza & Izhar Shy           15505 Grove Oak Dr. Santa Ana, CA 92705        714 544 1314

‘02/10/06         Bermuda Cruise: Hamilton, Horse Shoe Bay

Sunday October 6 – Sunday Oct. 13

$499. Left Sunday 4:00pm. Arrived Tuesday noon. ~700 miles. Hourly speed: 16 knots.

Took a taxi to Horse Shoe Bay, a beautiful, clean, private beach. He weather was very nice.

One day we rented a scooter ($68) and rode to the beach and Hamilton.

Met Ray & Peggy of NYC, and Brian and Melissa of Long Island at Dinner table.

 

‘02/10/18         Hiking: Huntington State Park

Saturday Oct. 18

We woke up at 7:00 am and met Charlie Cook at 8:00am at the museum of Natural History for the 1.5 hours rise to the park. The park was magnificent with beautiful Fall Foliage.

Directions:

-          Turn right on 72 St, follow to West Side Highway

-          N. to Saw Mill pkwy

-          N. to Cross Country Pkwy

-          E. to Huchinson Pkwy

-          N. to Merrit Pkwy to Exit 44

-          N. on Rt. 58 for about 10.2 miles to Sunset Hill Rd.

-          Right on Sunset Hill Rd, follow about .7 mile to parking area

Also Path stated in New York Times – October 8, 2004

Harriman State Park, about 30 miles north of NYC.

Trail: The Long Path: It extends from GWB to Windham, in the Catskills. Pick up a map at the visitors center (between Exists 17 & 18 on the Palisades Parkway; $4) and make sure to include Turkey Hill on the itinerary. Starting from the hikers’ parking lot off Route 6 about a mile from Exit 18, the moderately steep half-mile section of the path ascends Turkey Hill to a panoramic view of a valley and vibrant fall foliage.   

‘02/12/12         France: Paris, Dijon, Lyon, Geneva, Avignon, Orange, Marseilles, Nice, Bordeaux, Nantes,

Depart: JFK - TERMINAL 8 ' Thu, Dec 12 at 6:15pm                    American Airlines flight 44 (Non-Stop) Arrive: Paris de Gaulle, France (CDG) - AEROGARE 2 TERMINAL A ' Fri, Dec 13 at 7:20am Seats: 34F, 34G

Depart: Paris de Gaulle, France (CDG) - AEROGARE 2 TERMINAL A ' Tue, Jan 07 at 5:55pm          American Airlines flight 121 (Non-Stop)

Arrive: JFK - TERMINAL 8 ' Tue, Jan 07 at 8:25pm

ack/Brunch Status:

______________________________________________________

Tourist Office:                       444 Madison Ave. @50 16^th Fl.         838-7800              info@francetourism.com

Pass Visite                            Zones     1-3          1-5          1-8

1day       55           110         155

2              90           175         225

3              120         245         280

http://www.lonelyplanet.com

http://franceguide.com      

www.sncf.com                     Tickets to be mailed            free time-table     horaires

http://www.raileurope.com/us/          877 456 7245                       Reservations:       0 836 35 35 39                     Discovery: for 2 w/ Sat. night stay

From-To                1 / 2 w    1^st            1                              Discovery              peek/off                 Time                       Distance

Paris-Lyon            1              $101                       $74                                                         2000-2200            320m

                                                                                p90                         p68                         p Thu 12/28 Thu                 

                                                                                p71                         p54                         o Sat  12/30 Thu

                                                                                p71                         p54                         o Sat  12/30  Sat 

Paris-Cannes       1                                             p127                      p95                         1620-2159

France Saverpass: 2 adults, 4 days unlimited in 1 mo.

                                                                $196                       $171

                1 Additional day (6 max)    $25                         $25                        

                Total:                                      442+ 15 (shipping)              = $457   Cfm. #: 7357129                 85% Refund if not validated

Period:   12/13/02 – 1/7/03                392+17=409

To Begin Travel on Your Pass

To validate your pass, present your passport and your pass to a railway official at the ticket window in the train station (not the conductor) who will enter the first and last date of your travel period. This must be done before boarding a train, bus, boat, plane or renting a car for the first time.

As You Travel On Your Pass

Before boarding the first train or ferry of each day, write the date in ink, in the appropriate box on your pass. At the time you rent a car, present your pass and 1 car voucher for each rental day.

Seat Reservations and Overnight Travel

A pass allows the boarding of a train, bus, plane, or boat, but does not guarantee a seat. Seat reservations are optional for most trains but are mandatory for all TGV, Thalys, Cisalpino, AVE, ES* (Eurostar Italia) and X2000 trains and selected EuroCity and InterCity trains and for all sleepers and couchettes. Reservations are subject to availability so reserve in advance. Reservations for all seats, sleepers, couchettes and trains noted above are subject to an additional fee for pass and ticket holders. Seat reservations, sleepers and couchettes can normally be purchased from Rail Europe at the same time that you buy your pass. Use the special notes box on the Order Form to specify reservations when you book your pass. Travel on certain high-speed trains (such as the X2000 in Sweden, ES* (Eurostar Italia) in Italy, AVE in Spain, Thalys and Eurostar) require a supplement.

EuroPass                              $348 5-days                         $728 – 15-days    20% discount for 2 adults.

Facts

120,000 km of sentiers balises (marked walking paths)

Hotel:                                     Formule 1, budget hotels in the outskirts of towns. 150F

Bike:                                       VTT         60-100F day.        Also some municipals rent inexpensive bikes

                                                SNCF     Runs bike rental service (Train + velo)

Paris

La Carte Musees et Monuments

Valid for 70 venues in Paris; 1/3/5 days: 80/160/240F

Paris Mosque                       Mint tea

Pantheon                              View from the roof (Cemetery of Hugo, Voltaire)

Restaurant:                           Auberge Nicolas Flamel at 51, rue Montmorency.

                                                The oldest house in Paris owned by Nicolas Flamel (Harry Potter), died in 1418, the alchemist; book binder.

Lyon

Vienne                                   Echo of Roman glory

Provonce

Arles                                       2000-yr old amphitheater

Nimes

Orange

Gordes village

Oppede-le

Vieux                                      Near Avignon. Splendid church of St. Trophime

Vocabulary

De l’eau                                 some water

Une carafe d’eau                a jug of water

Thursday 12/12/2002

Tel Aviv car service picked us up at 3:50p; with some traffic we arrived at JFK at 5:00p. We could not use the electronic machines for our International flight and therefore had to get our seat assignments at the check in desk. The security was tight and we had to wait for about 30 minutes in line before finally boarding our plane at 6:05p for our 6:15p flight to Paris.

Friday 12/13      Paris

We arrived at Paris Du Gaul at 8:00a; it was still dark and drizzling. We bought 2-day unlimited tickets (zones 1-5, 16.8€), took the B train to Bastille and checked in at Pax Hotel (62€). We went to be for a nap and woke up at 4:00p. we took the metro to St-German des-Pres, walked to St-Michel, Sorbonne – where the guard let us in the building), Pantheon (Odeon, the doomed landmark tomb of  a few French writers), walked around the charming old streets and went back to Sorbonne and dined at a restaurant. We then took the metro to Montmarte and walked around the sex shops and Mollen Rouge; we missed to visit Sacre Coeur. We then took the metro to Ave. des Champs-Elysee. The trees were illuminated on the beautiful boulevard. We visited the Virgin Records. When we went back to the hotel the Chinese attendant could not register us for one extra night at the hotel.

Sat. 12/14

We woke up at 11:00am. When I asked to extend our stay another night, I was told that they had no vacancy. We had to go back to our room, pack and leave our luggage at the front desk. We took the C Metro to Versailles where we took an audio-guide (9.50€ after 3:30p). We took a walk in the beautiful garden. We then walked back top the metro station where we bought some pastry and cheese and took the SNCF train back to Paris and got off at Eiffel Tower. It was beautifully illuminated. At this time it was drizzling. We walked across the bridge to the beautiful Fountains of Place du Trocadero. We were able to book a new room at Hotel Herse D’or in Marais near Bastille (45€). We then walked to Pax Hotel, picked up our luggage, dined at a Moroccan restaurant (La Kbylie) at Bastille and checked in our hotel.

Sun. 12/15

We stooped at the bakery near our hotel and picked up some bread and had coffee there.

We walked to Palais Gernier (L’opera de Paris), the splendid Rue de la Paix, Place Vendome (where JP Morgan had a beautiful building) the beautiful Jardin des Tuileries, walked along the Seine and crossed the Pont (bridge) Neuf to Plais de Justice, St. Chapelle, the Bird and Flower Markets and Notre Dame where the mass was in progress. We had lunch at the nearby restaurant, La Rosace and then walked to Louvre where we ended up taking a nap. We made a failed stop for Mint tea at the Moroccan restaurant before retiring for the day.

Mon. 12/16.

We woke up at 12:20a with a knock on our door by the cleaning person. I had stayed up overnight for a few hours. After a breakfast from our neighboring boulangerie we took the metro to Place du Trocadero where we saw the girl taking picture with a crab as a pet; walked through Eiffel Tower to Champ du Mars’ shrubbery, Ecloe Militaire to Unesco. We visited Les Invalides, the beautiful tomb of Napoleon. In the Photo gallery of the WWII Jews, I opened a door and saw the boardroom in session. We saw a person carrying a box of champagne into the room. We walked through another huge square of shrubbery to Pont Alexander to Champ Elysee and continued onto Ave. de. Morigny to beautiful rue Faubourg St. Honore, comparable to Madison Ave., with Elysee Palace located at the beginning of the street. We visited Palace de Madeleine on rue Royale, created by Napoleon as a temple of victory. We then walked to Palace L’opera and took the metro to Port D’ivry (Chinatown). Due to an accident we had to get off 2 stops before our destination and take the bus. We could not find the restaurant that was recommended by Lonely Planet and found another decent restaurant, Chinatown. When we went back to our hotel I tried to call TGV train but the voice message said that their hours were 07:00-22:00. We asked for a wakeup call at 7:00a.

    

Tue. 12/17         Dijon, Lyon

I woke up at 6:30a and took the metro to Gare de Lyon. We inquired about Dijon and Lyon departures. The TGV to Dijon was scheduled at 8:45a. We made a reservation (3€ on our Eurorail; we had purchased our tickets back in U.S. for $196 for 4 segments + 1 additional segment for $25 + $15 shipping) with a continuation to Lyon at 8:44p. We sat in the 2^nd class and when we found out about it we moved to 1^st class. The train was very fast and we arrived at Dijon at 10:21am, left our luggage at Left Luggage (2 for 5€) and walked to Cathedral St. Benigne, a 12^th century structure. On the way out we entered the University Student Union Building where Cindy smelled food, found the kitchen and we found out we could lunch there. They told us the ticket booth would open at 11:45a. We then walked to Old Town, walked back to the Student Union, bought lunch tickets (3€), waited in the line, picked up our lunch and ate at the cafeteria. I tried a squat style bathroom. Cindy tried the ladies room but the door was locked. I told her she should use the men’s room I walked her there. As I was leaving I noticed a hole on the door. When Cindy came back she told me that a man had exposed himself from the hole on the door. We then walked back to Old Town and to Rue Liberte and Rameau. We visited the beautiful Plais des Ducs et des Etats de Bourgone where there was an exhibition of German Water Project in German. I stepped into another huge room where the construction workers were renovation it; I noticed the beautiful marble-like walls and when I paid more attention I noticed that it was paint on plaster walls.

We walked around the old street and the main shopping area and visited Notre Dame Cathedral where there was a baptism in progress and we ended up signing the register book. We stopped at a beautiful coffee shop and I wanted to try the Caspian tea on the menu but all the people around us were smoking, we had to leave. We stopped at a shop and Cindy bought some mustard. By 3:45p we had toured most of the town therefore we walked back to the train station and took the 4:45 train (SNCF, non-TGV) to Lyon and took an empty cabin in the 1^st class car.

We arrived at Gare de Perrache in Lyon at 7:00p. After calling a few full hotels for reservation unsuccessfully, we were able to get one at Hotel de Vichy, the name mentioned in Lonely Plant. We had to ask about half a dozen people how to get out of the train station and the connected metro. We finally found the hotel not too far from the station. We found out the name of the hotel was changed to Le Lys Bleu (at 60 bis, rue de la Charite – 04 7837 4258). We paid 34E for one night stay and then went out for a walk along river Rhon in the light drizzle. The streets were mostly quiet and by 8:00p most stores were closed. The fair in the nearby park was over also. Nevertheless the city looked lively. We settled for Munzur restaurant for a Turkish dinner. We had a chat in mix French, English, Turkish and Arabic with the owner, a Kurd refugee. He played tar for us until a new customer interrupted him. He said he had a good life in Lyon and added that Bush was a bad man.

Wed. 12/18

We walked on famous pedestrian rue Victor Hugo to Place Bellecour, one the largest public squares in Europe. People were skating on one corner. We stopped at Regent brasserie for a drink, For dined at Le Nord, a restaurant that was recommended to use by a cooking school where we had not been able to make a reservation. The food was OK. I had oysters, goat cheese salad (not very strong like that in U.S.), salad, cod fish and fromage blanc (yogurt). When we asked for pepper, it was placed on the table, the wine was poured only once, my salad arrived wrongly and had to be returned and we go the wrong check and it had to be returned also. The service was un-rushed and casual (87€).

Thurs. 12/19

We bought bread from the boulangerie, cheese and butter from Fromagerie, had coffee at a charming coffee shop and picked up some fruits and juice from the supermarket under our hotel and ate at our hotel.

We then walked to SNCF office at Bellacour and booked a ticket to Geneva (28€) for the following day. We walked to Bonaparte Bridge on Saone River to Vieux Lyon (old Lyon). We walked on the narrow cobblestone streets. St. George,  St. Jean and St. Paul cathedrals were all closed. We visited a few of the Trabooules (secret passages) linking two streets. We then took the uphill street to Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere (hill of prayer); the view of the white structure was beautiful, so was the beautiful promenade surrounding it. On the way out we saw a well-dressed man who was urination on the back of the basilica. After walking down a long set of stairs to town level we visited St. Jean. We walked back to Presequile in Lyon and visited the beautiful Place de Terreaux with its magnificent fountain of chariots with a woman and four horses built by Frederic_Auguste, also responsible by New York’s Statue of Liberty. We entered the beautiful Hotel de Ville on the square. When we tried to enter the backyard the guard stopped us; we tried to peek through a jar door and the same guard opened it and let us to take a look inside. It was a huge lobby with a magnificent 3-storey round staircase with gilded walls. We then walked to Roman Amphitheater remains. When we arrived in our hotel we asked for a 6:00am wakeup call but the lady at the front desk said that her alarm radio was broken. We went out to look for an alarm clock to no avail.

Fri. 12/20          Geneva

After waking up a few times throughout the night I went to sleep at 4:00a and woke up at 5:40a by a wakeup call from the front desk. We took the tramway to Port-Dieu and barely made it to our 7:39a train to Geneva. The scenery was varied with some shabby farmhouses and frosty fields. We saw one of the most beautiful sunrises where the whole horizon was fiery red like a melting rod. We arrived in Geneva at 9:34a. We stopped at the post office for some maps. We tried to change some money but the line at the post office was too long. We walked along rue Monte-Blanc to Pont (bridge) Monte-Blanc. The Rohn River was one of the most beautiful river I had ever seen; it was clear with a fast current and the snow-white swans and the geese were swimming on the banks of it. When we passed the river we came across a skating ring where mostly kids were skating. The streets were packed with people. We walked to the old town where the streets and buildings were most charming.  Most of the stores were antiques shops. We stopped at a nice restaurant where I had a very good smoke salmon salad and Cindy bought some very delicious chocolates.

We stopped at a music shop where I was able to open a CD, sit on a couch and listen to the CD. We stopped at a few bank to get information on opening an account. Finally we were able to meet someone at Credit Swiss; the minimum balance was $350k with 1% interest and 1% in commissions. We took a bus to the beautiful Jardin Botanique where we sat down for a while to enjoy the scenery before taking the bus back to city. We stopped at watch shop where Cindy wanted to buy a pocket watch (Aerowatch – Nuntucket) for 380E but when Cindy offered 350E he rejected it.

We walked back to river and had a drink and took the 8:00p train to Lyon. We moved to a beautiful room with a fireplace.

Sat. 12/21         Avignon

We woke up rather late. After check out we walked to Munzur restaurant for lunch and then walked to Gare Perrache where we tried to look for the bus station but nobody knew where it was, even at the information desk with a sign reading “Metro, train, bus”. We decided to the metro to Gare Port-dieu. The ticket line was very long with Holiday Season travelers. I tried to get guide to help us to show us how to use the automated machines but it was getting too close to 2:19p departure time. I decided just to run to the platform and use our Eurotail ticket by the time we got to the platform the train was pulling out. When we went back down stairs and tried to use the machine we noticed that our credit card was missing a chip required by the machine. We had to wait in the line again to buy our 17:31-19:59 ticket to Avignon (24.60€). The train was about 10 minutes late and crowded. We sat down in a car with 4 other passengers. At the start of the trip a young girl received a phone call and kept taking until another Fabriz, another fellow passenger asked her to stop. She stopped quickly and then apologized. After arriving at Avignon and leaving we left the train we came across the beautifully illuminated rue de la Republique. We took the 5-minute walk to our hotel Innova (36€) that Cindy had reserved earlier in Lyon. The proprietor had given the code to front door to Cindy and had left the key in our room. We went out for a walk. The city looked splendid with most charming streets and buildings. When we arrived at the end of rue de la Republique we saw the most beautiful square at the Place du Palais with Palais des Papes on the right of it. The square was beautifully illuminated. We dined at Le Vietnam before going back to our room.

Sun. 12/22

Cindy was not feeling well due to the antibiotics she was taking for her tooth. We asked the kind professor-looking proprietor for help. He looked up the yellow pages to find out the on-call doctors on Sundays and then made a phone call for a home visit. I went out to get some breakfast and stumbled on the Sunday Market by the Gare SNCF where I bought some fruits. I went back to our room and shortly the engineer looking doctor showed up. After examining Cindy he prescribed a doctor. His fee was 45E. The proprietor looked up the Sunday paper for an open pharmacy. We walked there and picked up Cindy’s medicine. Cindy felt better shortly after taking it.

In the afternoon we visited the beautiful Palais des Papes. This was where a series of ten popes resided over a period of 100 years beginning in 1309. The Palais was a huge complex, including two rooms each larger than 50*15m.

We dined at Song Long Vietnam restaurant.

Mon. 12/23        Orange

We went to the bus station next to Gare SNCF and took the 14:15-15:05 bus to Orange (4.80€). We visited the beautiful Theatre Antique, the only Roman theatre in Europe with a fully standing wall; the other two are in Turkey and Syria. We then walked to Arch de Triomph and walked around the City Hall area. A band in black suits was walking around the square and playing Christmas music as a juggler was accompanying them.

They had set up a fenced area in the square and had filled it with donkeys, lambs and goats. As I started feeding the fig biscuits I had they managed to squeeze out of the cage and caused a chaos before the attendant showed up and took them back into the cage.

Tues. 12/24       Marseilles

We took the 8:00-9:50 bus to Marseilles (16€). The scenery was beautiful with the early morning fog and vineyards on both side of the two-lane road. Densely planted trees covered both sides of the road. There were only 9 passengers in the bus and every one except us got off the bus at Aix. When we arrived at Marseilles we called a few hotels and finally booked a room at Grand Hotel (32€). We took the metro to our hotel, checked in and then walked to Port Vieu. On the way we stumbled on the Arab Market; it was very lively. When then walked to the beautiful port where the fish sellers were finishing their day. We stooped at haagen Dasz for ice cream where Cindy bought me a tiny chest for Christmas.

We took the 14:00 ferry (8€) to Chateau Dif (Dante’s Monte Crisco was filmed here). The clear waters were beautiful and the view from the Chateau was magnificent. On the way back we stopped at the Arab Market after getting lost for a while and bought a lot of stuff for a big salad. I went out to buy some water and flowers for Cindy.

Wed. 12/25       Christmas Day

We walked to Arab Market where we bought pizza and pickles and had it at the side walk café. We walked to Port Vieux and continued to the beach across Fort St. Nicholas where we sat down on the rocks and enjoyed the views. We walked to Jardin de Pharo and then continued through the uphill streets to Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde. The view of the city from the top of the cathedral and specially the sunset were beautiful. The Christmas Mass was in session. We descended the hill to Vieux Port, stopped at the Arab Market to pick up some bread, chicken, vegetables, pickles and wine and went to our room for a Christmas dinner feast.

Thurs. 12/26      Nice

We made a salad for breakfast. Cindy went to do laundry and I went to SNCF office to book seats to Nice. The office was moved to 9 Montegrand. There were 6 people waiting and only one staff (of the three desks). I got the info I needed and went back to our hotel, found out were the laundry was and went to meet Cindy. We went back to SNCF office one more time to reserve our seats to Nice and Bordeaux. On the way to Viuex Port we stopped at Arab Market again. We walked to St. Jean along the beautiful port. We then stopped at our hotel, picked up our luggage and took the 19:50-22:26 train to Nice Ville. Our hotel, Les Orange (36€) was 5 minutes walk from the station. We then walked to the beach in the light drizzle. The water was turquoise and the pebble beach was only 20” wide. We continued to Vieux Nice; it was lively at midnight. There were many restaurants and cafes with many customers. On the way back to hotel we got lost and had to wonder for a while before making it back to our hotel.

Friday 12/27

I woke up at 6:30a. we had planned to take a walk in Nice, op the train to Monte Carlo, return to Nice and take the 13:33-22:27 Train to Bordeaux but we liked the city so much that we decided to stay the day in Nice, I went back to sleep and woke up at 11:00a. We had breakfast at a nearby coffee shop and then walked to the beach; it looked beautiful. By this time it was raining. We walked to Vieux Nice, visited the Flower and Produce Markets. On the way to Parc du Chateau we stumbled on a very ornate cemetery. The chateau was an huge park with a very beautiful waterfall on the peak and a good view of the city and the beach. On the way back to hotel we got lost again.

We took the 17:00-17:17 train to Monte Carlo. When we arrived there it was raining. We visited the Price Palace located on the top of a hill. It was rather quiet and most stores were closing. There was a good panoramic view of the town. Before returning to Nice we stopped at a super market and had some very delicious yogurt. The 19:44 train was cancelled   

And the 19:58 train was 10 minutes late. When it arrived it was packed with Italians and we almost could not get on.

Sat. 12/28         Bordeaux

We had a salad with the ingredients we had bought the night before from Rue d’Italy from the Arab Market. We walked to the beach and sat there for a while to enjoy the sunshine, returned to pickup our luggage and took the 13:33-22:27 train to Bordeaux. Prior to boarding the ticket agent said I did not need a reservation since the reservation on EuroRail had to be done one day in advance. We sat down in an empty car with six seats. I did not notice that the label on the car indicated that two of the seats were reserved. On the first stop an old lady with her small dog entered our car. Cindy complained that she was allergic to the dog and insisted that she would take another car. The old lady pointed out that had a reservation. I had to ask Cindy to give in. At the beginning of the ride we had a great view of the beaches of Cor d’azur. After passing Marseilles we found an empty car to sit in. At Bordeaux’s gare St. John we took bus No. 7 to Place de Tourny, buying the ticket ion the bus. When we got off at our stop most restaurants were still crowded. We checked in our room (29€) at hotel De Famille (76, Cour George Clemenceau). The hotel was an old (300-400 years old per as proprietor), elegant building and our room was rather large. We went out for a walk. The city looked beautiful with mostly conformed 3-4 story buildings, wide streets, many plazas. We both loved the city.

Sun. 12/29

By the time we left our room it was 12:00p but the streets were very quiet. We stopped at tourist office for maps and info. As we were walking we stumbled into the magnificent Great Theatre, built in 1773. There was a line; the attendant let us to walk in the lobby to view the beautiful grand design. The performance was “La belle aux bois dormant” (Sleeping Beauty) by Tchaikovsky. We found out there were two performances and decided to come back at night. We had some tea at the adjacent beautiful restaurant filled with the theater customers.

We walked to the huge Esplande des Quinconces with its tall tower and huge fountain. We walked in the beautiful jardin Public. We then dined at bistro Romain at Place Gambetta. The meal was rather ordinary; I had my tiny Caprese’s mozzarella balls and paper thin smoked salmon. We went to the theatre at 7:00p, bought our tickets (14€ ea.) went back to our room to leave our backpacks and returned to the theatre. The interior was as impressive at the exterior. The 50-person plus band great as were the dancers. The theatre sat about 700 people and it was almost full.

Mon. 12/30.       Bordeaux - Nantes

We walked to SNCF office to inquire about the schedule to Nantes and St. Malo. After some talk we decided to stay one more night in Bordeaux but after going back to SNCF and finding out that on Jan. 1 there was only one morning train to Nantes we decided to leave in the afternoon. By the time we had breakfast and got back to our room it was past noon but the hotel proprietor did not object to our checking out. We left our luggage at the office and continued our walking tour of the city from where we had left out the day before. By this time the drizzle had started. We visited many beautiful streets,  plazas and buildings including the beautiful place de Parlimant where we sheltered in a beautiful bookstore and Cindy decided to get a haircut. By the time we got back to our hotel it was 16:00. We picked up our luggage and took the bus for our 17:09-21:12 train to Nantes.

At Nantes I bought two train tickets. Cindy asked a Chinese cab driver if he knew where our hotel (St. Patrick) was located. When she inquired about the fare the driver responded: “The fair for the train?”  We took the taxi for the short ride to our hotel. After checking in, we went out to the Old Town. The area was lively with many students crowding the small restaurants. We dined at a Turkish restaurant. The architecture of the town was unique with some similarities to a Spanish/Latino town.

Tuesday 12/31   Nantes – St. Malo

We walked around the Old Town and visited the following:

-          Passage Pommeray, a delightful shopping arcade opened in 1843

-          Cathedral St. Pierre et St. John, the magnificent gothic building with mostly white interior, one the best we ever saw.

-          Chateau de Ducs de Bretagne (Brittany), a medieval castle with a moat, high 6-feet thick walls. The interior buildings were closed and we could not get access to the rampart. The attendant said the building will reopen in 2006.

-          Jardin de plantes, the beautiful park near Gare SNCF, with a lake and a large variety of ducks and trees including sequoias from U.S.

We took the 17:58-19:13 Nantes-Renne and the 19:56-20:50 Renne-St. Malo. At Renne Station there was a glass room with a dozen seats for non-smokers cordoned off from the rest of the smoking floor. A few minutes prior to our departure from Renne Cindy called a few hotels and luckily Hotel de la Mer told us they would live the key to our room on the door.

On the train the conductor found a passenger without ticket and had she leave the train at the next stop.

At St. Malo the buses were not running on the New Year’s Eve and we had to wait for a taxi for 20 minutes.

At the hotel the proprietor had left a note on the door indicating our room number. We then headed out; the streets were quite (about 10:00pm). Our hotel was in St. Servant, about 15 minutes walk from the Old Walled Town. We tried a couple of restaurants for dinner but they said they were full. At the last restaurant the chef greeted us and gave us the last available table. The dinner was the most pleasant surprise. The delicious menu consisted of the following:

The oysters were great, so was the creamy delicious foie gras and the lobster ravioli. The champagne, Nicholas Fonnttain was also very good. At midnight as I was getting up to kiss Cindy the lights were turned off and everybody got up to kiss his/her neighbors; it was rather quiet and reserved. We could see the harbor in the light. The dinner was overall memorable. 

Wed. 1/1/03     

We walked to the Old Town I the rain. The walls and the houses looked impressive. We walked around the charming town with beautifully organized rock-façade 4 to 5-storey buildings. The town was full of creperies and we tried one of them but it was nothing to write home about.

We climbed the wall. It was about 20 feet tall and 20 to 25 feet wide. As time went by the number of visitors scrolling increased. We walked on a jetty, a wall built stretching into the water; it was windy. The view of the sea and the islands on the horizon was picture perfect. We then walked on the beach along the eastern wall. It was drizzling on and off for most of the day. I asked a few people for the directions to Gare SNCF but it seemed everybody was from out of the town.

In the evening as we were walking the port we came across a beautiful catamaran with a spaceship like cabin. As we were praising it a guy came us to greet us. He then told us he did not speak much English and asked hid girl friend, Ann to help answering our questions. They invited us inside for a tour of the boat. It had 2 30hp engines with maximum 25 knot speed for a prize of 450K.

Later that evening as we were walking along the wall we noticed a crowd. When we approached we noticed that they were looking at the high waves hitting the 30’ tall wall and then jettisoning 20 feet into the air. It was a very amusing scene.

Thursday 1/2/3              Mont St. Michele

We woke up rather early and made it to tourist office by 9:30a to inquire about the means to get to St. Michele. Per as Lonely Planet the buses to Pontoson and then onto St. Michele did not run that often specially in the winter. Fortunately there was a 10:00-11:00 bus across the street.

The small village was filled with tourist attractions, gift shops, restaurants and even museums. The abbey, visible from a few miles afar was on the top of a hill. On top of the abbey there was one of the heaviest winds I had ever experienced. The clouds looked beautiful as did the waters below and the rainbow that appeared for a short time. We were finished visiting the site by 1:00p and decided to take the 1:00p bus back. On the way out the line for the tickets (7E) had become very long. On the way back we got off at Gare SNCF to get schedules to Dinan and Honfleur. We then walked around St. Malo and had some very delicious ker-y-pom (a crusty apple pie).

We then walked to the beach to watch the high tides hitting the wall and roll back to hit the incoming waves. We watched the beautiful sunset. After going back to our hotel we asked the lady at the adjacent bar to make a 6:15am taxi appointment for us.

Friday 1/3/03     Dinan, Honfleur

When we left the hotel at 6:15a our taxi had not shown up. I tried to look for the public phone that the night before we were told existed outside the hotel but I could not find it. Cindy saw a passing car and ran towards it screaming, thinking that it was our taxi. The car happened to be a police car; it stopped and Cindy told the story to the two male and a female cops. One of the cops loaded our luggage in the trunk and we got in. they drove us to Gare SNCF while passing a few red lights and we barely made it to our 6:44-07:03 Dol and then the 7:16-7:39 Dol-Dinan train. In Dinan we took a short walk to the old town, bought some delicious croissants from a bakery and went inside a brasserie for a cup of coffee and waited there until it got brighter. We then entered the walled old town and walked in the most charming street, rue du Jerrual and its continuation, the steep rue to petit Fort. The houses were colorful and ancient, some 400-500 years old. The timber on some of houses was bending and it looked as if the houses were imploding. We arrived at a small river and a beautiful bridge. On the way back we came across the rampart and walked on it for some time watching the city below. Near the charming place des Merciers, we came across a beautiful promenade with a small park in lower level where there were a few pretty deer.  Cindy threw them a piece of bread and they ran to pick it up. Soon we ran out of bread but they kept looking up on us as if begging for more good French bread. I had to go and buy some bread from the bakery we had stopped at earlier in the day. We then came across a beautiful tearoom. The owner, a tall well-dressed guy told us that his tearoom with 200 tea warmers was the second largest after the one in Trenton, Tennessee. He was an ex-banker who was raised on Long Island. I had a meticulously prepared Darjeeling; he used a timer for brewing each tea.

We boarded our 12:43-13:10 Dinan-Dol train but it did not leave the station on time and after a short while we were told that the train was out of order. We had to wait for more than 1.5hrs until they arranged for a minibus to pick us up and drive us to Dol. We had a quick lunch and, picked up our luggage we had left at the office earlier in the morning and took our 15:00-17:29 train to Caan.

When we arrived in Caan, I bought a bus ticket to Honfleur (13.50€) and took the 50-minute ride to that town. In Honfleur, across the bus station, we checked in at the clean Etap hotel (31€), with a great space-age shower and finally a soap holder.

We took a short walk around the picturesque small port, picked up some bread, wine and cheese and went back to our room.

Saturday 1/4/03

We left our room at 12:00; our checkout time had passed and the code to our room was expired. The cleaning lady left her lunch to open the door for me to get my watch. 

We had a delicious seven-course meal at La Tortue, walked around the few streets of the town a few times, and stopped at the tourist office, the library and the bookshop.

In the elevator of our hotel the only other passenger looked at the bread I had bought and said, “No good pain”. I had already mentioned that to Cindy.

Sunday 1/5/03

Took the 10:00-10:30 bus to Le Harve, crossing the sleek bridge and got off at Gare SNCF. The first train to Paris was at 14:30. We tool a short walk around the town that looked like a US town, sat at a Kebab house until our departure time. We arrived in Paris at 16:30, checked with information and found out we could use the last segment of our ticket to go to Brussels. We then took the metro to our old hotel. When we got off the station, the area looked almost like having gone back home. We checked into our hotel and then walked on St. Antoin to beautiful Hotel De Ville (City Hall) and George Pompido Center, where we rode the tube like escalator for a nice view of the city and visited a modern art museum. We then took the metro to Sacre Coer, used our Metro ticket for a ride up the hill on Furnicular and visited the beautiful church.     

Monday 1/6/03  Brussels

We woke up early for our 07:15 TGV train to Brussels; the train was about 20 minutes late. After a 1.5-hrs ride we arrived in Brussels, took metro to City Center and visited the Palace and a few streets. It was very cold and we decided to take the 4:00pm train back to Paris. By the time we got to our hotel I was feeling rather sick. Cindy went out and came back with some sushi.

Tuesday 1/7/03

We packed and then walked to Les Halles and along the Sain before going back to our hotel and taking the train to the airport.

‘03/01/12         Cross Country Skiing: High Point, Sussex County, NJ

Sunday

We woke up at 6:00 am and met Charlie Cook at 7:15am at the museum of Natural History for the 1.5 hours ride to the park. It was cold and windy but sunny. We skied from 9:00a to 2:oop. It was exhilarating; we were sweating from the activity; had lunch outdoors on a tree trunk. 

Phone:   973 02 1222         1489, Rt. 23, Sussex, NJ 07461                                       Trail Pass: $15                     Rental:   $16

http://xcskihighpoint.com

‘03/01/18         Cross Country Skiing: Mountain Trails, Catskill, NY

Saturday                We woke up at 6:00 am and met Charlie Cook at 7:15am at the museum of Natural History for the 2.5hrs ride to Catskill. It was very cold but sunny and no wind with lots of fresh snow. We were sweating after a short time. There were many trails with very few skiers. It was a great day of skiing.

Phone:   518 589 5361       Rt. 23A, Box 198, Tannersville, NY 12485      Trail Pass: $13                     Rental: 15              info@mtntrails.com

‘03/09/17         Turkey: Ankara, Cappadocia, Konya, Antalya, Fethiye, Kas, Aphrodisias, Pamukkale, Ephesus/Kusadasi

Pergamum/Canakkale

Depart:                   Thurs. Sept 18^{th _} #401       JFK-FKF: 4:00p-5:35a+1                    #3396    FKF-IST: 9:10a-12:55p      

Return                    Wed.   Oct.    8^{th _} #3461    IST –FKF 1:50p-3:55p                        #404       FKT-JFK 5:20p-07:30p      

Pacha Tour           212 764 4080/4   Clara      226 5^th Av. 3^rd Fl. (26&27^th)                Grand Turkey Tour: $3,017 http://www.pachatours.com

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/index.cfm

http://www.fezbus.com                                       Fez Tours – Bus, Gulet Cruise. LP/p101. From Fethiye,              3-day cruise $104

Mediterranean

https://www.compassyachting.com                         https://www.blueguide.com    0252 612 5921                    info@blueguide.com

                                                                                Fethyie – Marmaris:                            4-day Sept: $175

Pacha Cruise:                                                      Antalya – Kas  - Finike – Genovese - Antalya                4-days - $340

Single Best day cruise:                          Kas to Simena Islands              

Antalya

Antalya- Kas         185km

Visit the old quarter of Kaleici

Excursion boats:  Roman Harbor at Kaleici; visit the Lower Dudden Falls, Gulf of Antalya Islands -  $14 incl. Lunch.

Bodrum, Mugla

9/18        1. Thu. Departure to Turkey.

9/19        2. Fri. Arrival in Istanbul

Pacha Tours guide and driver picked us up at the airport and after a short ride we checked in at the hotel. We then waked to the market, Soleimanieh Mosque, the Port, we then headed back to hotel for a nap and a simple dinner at the cafeteria where we met our two fellow travelers, Marsha & Ken from Arizona.

9/20        3. Sat. Istanbul/Ankara

Morning drive to Ankara, the capital of Turkey since 1923. Visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations a converted Roman bath to explore Ankara's ancient past, which dates from the Paleolithic Age.

Our bus picked us up at 8:00a for a 5-hour drive to Ankara. The scenery was nice and the roads were fine. Alp, our guide told us about the country trough out the trip. We met Feri at Ankara Civilization Museum and then we drove to Ataturk mausoleum and to our hotel. We then took a long walk in the clean well-planned streets of the city. 

9/21        4. Sun. Ankara/Cappadocia

See the accommodations of the 13th century traders, as you visit the Agzikarahan Caravanserai. Continue to Cappadocia where you will explore Ortahisar in the afternoon.

We took a 6-hour drive to Cappadocia. We visited the Whirling Dervishes performance at night.

9/22        5. Mon. Goreme/Avcilar/Pasabagi/Dervent/Ozkonak/Uchisar

Entire day to enjoy the natural beauty and the cultural depth of this unique region: watch a demonstration of how the colorful kilims (carpets) that incorporate the earth tones of the region are created, explore the frescoed interiors of Goreme's cave churches, which date from the 8th century, stroll through the underground galleries of Ozkonak where the first Christians hid themselves from rivals for months at a time undetected, take a walk in Avcilar, Pasabagi and the red valley of Dervent where you will admire the chimney like volcanic formations and a brief photo stop at Uchisar.

                Feri & I had joined a few other travelers for dinner/cultural dance at Sara Yaki restaurant, built in a cave.

9/23        6. Tue. Konya/Antalya Area

Morning drive to Konya, Turkey's oldest city and home to the world-renowned sect of the Whirling Dervishes. Visit the Museum and the Mausoleum of their founder -- Mevlana. Continue south to the lovely Mediterranean coast.

We took a pleasant walk along the Med after check in at the hotel.

9/24        7. Wed. Perge/Aspendos/Antalya

Explore the remains of the Greco-Roman cities of Perge and Aspendos, where you can sit in one of the best-preserved ancient theaters in the world. A coin dropped on stage can still be heard in the last row today. In the afternoon, visit the Antalya Museum, home to many of the treasures excavated in the region.

Perge was a huge town (pop. 150,000) with a large cladrium, tepidarium, and frigidarium (common to most Roman baths) and a covered path with running streams. Two of the marble stone on a corner wall were still standing with vivid green colors.

Aspendos was a theater very similar to the one we saw in Orange, France. In orange I heard the best kept Roman Theater was in Aspendos and that’s how I decided to visit Turkey.

We had a nice alfresco lunch, a backgammon game with our driver, Memet, had a Jewelry stop, and at the town museum with a large collection of statutes, including the impressive Hermes and ½ of Hercules (the other half being at the Met.). 

Mid Tour Break

9/25        8. Thursday, We left our tour in the morning, took a taxi to Fethiye (300km, 3 hours, $80) and drove to Oludeniz, checked in at clean Hotel Arlik near the beach. (50m ($1=1.35m) for two rooms). We then had lunch and swam in the salty green deep waters of the Med. We then took a dulmas (minibus) to Fethiye and had a nice dinner at Megir, in the main restaurant alley of the town.

9/26        Friday. The bus we had reserved (50M for 3) the day before at the beach for the 12-island tour picked us up at 9:30am. The boat departed at 11:30. The cruise was fun with a few stops for swim at beautiful shores.

We met Captain Durmus Oztas, the owner of a new boat on one of the islands; he gave us a tour of his nice boat and told us we could charter it for a group of 10-12 people for one week for $7,000 including food and domestic drinks. There would be additional cost for imported wine. Greek islands charge $350 per island.

Address:                Buzburun B.L.D. 48710, Marmaris

Fax:                        00902524562580

Cell                         00905435121459

We able to find the fish market after landeding at the port. We bought some fish and left it at restaurant Osman and then walked to the travel agency (Sepmatik Yachting http://www.blueyachtcruise.com) for a 4-day cruise to Demre ($130 each). As we left the office we saw a big crowd entering the Antique Theater for the Annual Presidential Concert. We were allowed in. The concert began with a piece from Strauss and a couple of Italian arias by a very good tenor. We left at the intermission. We had a very good dinner at Osman, but when we got the bill ($40), it was more than what we had thought the bill would be since we had already bought the fish. Osman agreed that we pay him the next day and offered us some Turkish coffee.  He sat with us and talked about his son who is back in U.S.

9/27        Sat. We took a dulmas to Fethyie and stopped at Osman to pay him. We then walked to Sempatik to make the payment for our cruise to Appo (Abdul-Rahman).  We then walked to Lycian Tombs and enjoyed the hike and the views of the Med from atop the hill. We then had a very enjoyable lunch at Pasha Kebob (L.P.). later that day Feri and I went to the beach and had a drink at a local bar.

9/28        Sun. We checked out from our hotel and took a taxi to Sempatik. We bought some drinks and walked to our boat.

                Our fellow passengers were 2 German brothers (Ruff & Christian) and a few four Australian couples.

                Rolf.badenhoop@cgeg.com                             Badenhoop-mainz@t-online.de                       Klausbadenhoop@guix.de

               

The cruise was fun. Due to high winds we anchored at Oludeniz. Cindy swam the ½ mile to the shore and went to Arlik hotel to get our security deposit back. At night we slept on the deck under the beautiful skies and a nice breeze.

9/29        Mon. We cruised by Sunken City at docked at beautiful Simena. Hamideh, an old lady, became our tour guide and directed us to the castle on the hilltop; the view was beautiful. On the way down we came across some  Lycian Tombs (pictured in L.P.). At night we docked at Pirates Bay. We went to bed at 9:00pm; a few couple went to the village disco and the music could be heard till 3:00a.

9/30        Cruising the Med.

10/01      Wed. We watched the sunrise before a swim. After arriving at port, we took a short bus ride to bus stop where we took a minibus to for our 3-hour drive to Antalya (3m ea.).  The first half part of the trip the road was very scenic with the shore to our right. Right before arriving at Antalya the bus broke out; we called Pacha Tours in Istanbul and they told us to wait at nearby Hotel Sea Surf to be picked up by our bus.

                The bus picked us up in an hour and we drove to beautiful Festival Hotel near Antalya.

10/02      8. Thu. Aphrodisias/Denizli

Morning drive to Aphrodisias, a cultural center of the ancient world renowned for its school of sculpture. See an outstanding selection of statues in the local museum. After lunch, drive north to Pamukkale, the ancient healing city of Hierapolis. Soak in the soothing splendor of its cascading hot springs. "

Aphrodisias, a park-like Roman ruin was magnificent. The snow-like dried-up cascades of Pamukkale were beautiful.

10/03      9. Fri. Ephesus/Kusadasi

Proceed to Ephesus one of the best-preserved ancient cities in the world. You will truly feel you have traveled back in time as you stroll along the 2, 000-year-old marble streets to such famous sites as the theatre where St. Paul preached and the Celsius Library. In the afternoon, visit the last earthly home of the Virgin Mary.

The library of Celsius and the public open toilets were fabulous.

Stayed at nice Kusadasi/festival Hotel on the Med.

10/4        10. Sat. Pergamum/Troy/Canakkale

Drive along the Aegean coast to ancient Pergamum, the city where parchment was invented and home to the famous physician, Galen. Stroll through the remains of the Asclepion, one of the foremost medical centers of ancient times. Continue to the legendary city of Troy immortalized in Homer's Iliad. Continue to Canakkale.

Pergamum was a cute small town with some leftover Greek homes. The hill top Pergamum was splendid and was the remains of Asclepion and the 7 layers of old civilizations at Troy. 

At night stayed at beautiful Kale Resort Hotel on the Med in Canakkale (0286 232 83 32, http://www.kaleresort.com)

10/05      11. Sun. Gallipoli/Istanbul

In the morning, cross the Dardanelle Strait to Gallipoli, site of the infamous World War I battle. Visit the museum, Anzac Cove and Lone Pine. Lunch at Gallipoli and drive to Istanbul, the only city that truly bridges Europe and Asia.

At night stayed at hotel Aziyade (Festival http://www.aziyadehotel.com) in an old charming local neighborhood.

10/06      12. Mon. Istanbul

In the morning you'll tour the Roman Hippodrome, Suleymaniye Mosque and the Blue Mosque. In the afternoon, continue with Topkapi Palace and shop at the Grand Bazaar.

In the afternoon, went back to Sulan Ahmet Sq. for a walk.

10/07      13. Tue. Istanbul

Watch Istanbul come to life as you enjoy a morning cruise past the Roman walls, palaces and mosques along the Asian and the European coasts of the Bosporus. After lunch visit Saint Sophia where Christian mosaics dating from 536AD and Islamic calligraphy from 1453 live side by side in testimony to the beauty and longevity of both religions. Then, add spice to your life back home by bartering at the Spice Market.

Our guide dropped us at Taksim Sq. at the end of the tour. The area was an old European style neighborhood.

At night Feri & I went to Kumkapi Meidani Fish Market for a nice dinner and live music.

10/08      14. Wed. Departure (B)

Transfer to airport. Fly to USA

 

‘03/09/17         Turkey Notes

Hotels:

Istanbul Erboy ***

AC, Erboy is located at the old city center and in walking distance to main historical places such as Topkapi Palace, St. Sophia, Blue Mosque, Covered bazaar, underground cistern. 85 Rooms with private facilities, direct dial phone, Satellite TV, Hair Dryer, 1 Bar, Terrace Cafe and Restaurant with Panoramic view of the Bosporus, 1 Restaurant with Indoor Capacity of 80, Safety Box at Reception, Laundry Service. 13 miles from the airport.

Tel: (212) 513 3750            Fax: (212) 513 3759           Address: Ebusuud Cad No:32 34410 Sirkeci ISTANBUL

Ankara - Esenboga *****

Tel: (312) 399 4700            Fax: (312) 399 4703           Address: Esenboga yolu 16. Km Saray Beldesi Kecioren ANKARA

Surmeli:                                 Tel: (312) 231 7660            Cihan Sok. 6 Sihhiye 06430

Cappadocia Kapadokya Inn ****

No AC, 200 rooms, 420 beds, private bathrooms, telephone, music, restaurant, 2 bars, cafeteria, TV hall, parking, shopping center. 24 hours a day at the reception, where free of charge safety boxes are at your disposal for your valuables. Rooms all equipped with mini bar, satellite antenna television, radio, direct telephone and bathroom with hair-dryer and toilets. A laundry, dry cleaning and ironing service delivers your clothes within 24 hours. The distance to Nevsehir airport is 20 miles, to Kayseri airport 50 miles.

Tel: (384) 343 3470            Fax: (384) 343 3480           Address: Goreme Kavsagi Ortahisar 50650 Urgup NEVSEHIR

Antalya/Kemer Festival Tekirova ****

AC, 116 Rooms. Music, Direct Dial Telephone, Telephone, Private Bathroom, Shower and Toilet, Hair Dryer, Balcony, Restaurant(s), Breakfast Hall, Snack Bar, Cafeteria, 3 Bars (Lobby, Cafeteria, Pool). Internet, Health Cabin, Babysitting, Market, Parking Lot, Dry Cleaning, Laundry Service, and Generator. Outdoor Swimming Pool, (with children section), Turkish Bath, Sauna, Jacuzzi, Fitness Center, Coiffeur, Garden, Playing Ground for Children, TV Room, Disco, Tennis, Table Tennis, Volleyball, Jogging, Cycling, Water Sports} Banana, Jet ski, Canoe, Windsurf. 65 miles to Antalya Airport.

Tel: (242) 821 45 45           Fax: (242) 821 45 50          Address: P. O Box 111 Tekirova 07995 Kemer ANTALYA

Pamukkale Traverten ***

AC, 57 rooms, 7 Suites. Direct Dial telephone, Balcony. 2 Bars, 2 Restaurant- Indoor Capacity: 150, Outdoor Capacity: 250, Safety Box at Reception, Laundry Service, Parking, Garden, Outdoor Swimming Pool, Pool for children, TV lounge. The distance of airport is 45 miles

Tel: (258) 272 2154            Fax (258) 272 2004            Address: Pamukkale Kasabasi DENIZLI

Kusadasi Festival ****

AC,  250 rooms satellite antenna television, direct telephone, and bathroom with hair-dryer and toilet products. A laundry, dry cleaning and ironing service delivers your clothes within 24 hours. In the basement, a Hamam and sauna. The distance to Izmir airport is 50 miles.

Tel: (256) 614 4800            Fax: (256) 612 6000           Address: Kadinlardenizi Mah. Kusadasi AYDIN

Canakkale Iris ***

AC, 74 Rooms, 1 Suites, Direct Dial Telephone, Private Bathroom, Satellite TV, Minibar, Hair Dryer, Balcony, Safety Box at Reception, Laundry Service, Dry Cleaning, Doctor, Health Cabin, Generator, Market, Parking.  Tennis, Billiards, Outdoor Swimming Pool, Children Swimming Pool, TV Hall, Disco. The distance to Istanbul airport is 200 miles.

Tel: (286) 232 8100            Fax: (286) 232 8028           Address: Mola Cad. 17070 Guzelyali CANAKKALE

Gulet Cruises:     

Pupa      Aug: 900E/day w/ 3 cabins 2,600E/day for 12 cabin    90 252 316 7715                 www.pupa.com.tr

                Flama    Aug: 820-3,5700E/day + food 25E/day                                                           www.flamatours.com

Financial Times Article on Joys of Istanbul                 Oct, 2005                                              Tyler.brule@winkorp.com

Istanbul hit list

Buy lamps & kilims from Elements

Enjoy a late-night supper at 360

Walk, eat, walk, drink and walk along Baghdad Street

Visit the Princes’ Islands & ogle at the architecture

Pretend to be a local at Bebek Café

Order a cruiser from Vicem Yachts – Turkey’s answer to Riva

Stock up on slippers at Narin

Go for toasted sandwiches at Mamaris Bufe

Go house-hunting around Gukurcuma

‘04/05/29         Boston: Boston Common, Harvard Square, Faneuil Hall

We took the 9:00 bus at 139 Canal Street (FungWah Bus Co. $10 one-way) and arrived in Boston at 1:00pm. A Chinese Street fair was in progress. We stopped at the famous China Pearl (9 Tyler St) for Dim Sum and then walked to Boston Common and walked in the park until our hotel shuttle picked us up at 3:00pm. After check in at DoubleTree (400 Soldiers Field Road, reserved on PriceLine for $80), took the shuttle back to Harvard Square to visit Harvard Campus. We then took the subway to Boston Common and walked around quaint cobble-stone Beacon Hill streets.

5/30        Sunday

We took the shuttle to Long Wharf and walked to Charlestown Bridge for our 3-mile Freedom Trail walking tour, ending in the crowded Faneuil Hall/Quincy Center/Boston Common.

We then rested at Boston Common for a while before walking to Pier 4, Anthony’s Seafood restaurant with a nice view of the harbor; it was overrated. We took a can back to our hotel

5/31        Monday

We took the shuttle to Harvard Square where we had breakfast and then took the subway to Boston Common and rested around Faneuil Hall. We took the bus at 6:00pm and arrived in New York at 11:00pm.

‘04/09/04         Italy: Rome, Perugia, Siena/Chainti, San Gimignano, Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Cinque Terre, Bellagio,

                                                Como, Milan, Venice, Bologna, Modena, Parma

09/05      Sunday

After returning the A/C to Home Depot, had a haircut, packed and tool a cab to Delta at JFK where we were told that our flight was on Alitalia; we had to take a shuttle to their building. Cindy asked for a bulk seat and we ended up right behind the partition separating us from the business class, net to Barbara, an Italian woman with her 2-year old noisy son Johnny. We had an on-time departure at 9:35pm. The flight was full; the service was just enough to get by. I had a good sleep. We arrived at Rome Leonardo Davinci Aeroporto. I exchanged $100 for 62€ (including a 20% commission @ $1.28).

We then took the Leornardo Express train (9€) to StazioneTermini (45 minutes), and took a 20-minute walk to hotel Tizi. We then walked to Piazza Republica, via Nazionale to Quatro Fontani to Piazza di Spagna (the Spanish Steps). It was very crowded. We walked on the area’s charming alleyways. We continued on via del Corso to beautiful Fontana Di Trevi; at 10pm it was still very lively. We had a pizza at Crispi, where the owner happened to be Iranian and started a heated conversation on American government atrocities.

09/06      Monday

Walked to Piazza Venezia and visited Foro Romano, Campidoglio and continued to Coliseum and Piazza Navona to Pantheon. After marveling inside for some time, bought a Chianti and some food for a nice impromptu picnic at the piazza for a lovely meal while enjoying the view of the gorgeous building around the square.

We then walked to Piazza Novana and hopped on the first bus that arrived; it took us to Vatican City where we walked around and sat to watch the nightfall on the square.  

09/07      Tuesday

Walked to Villa Borghese and enjoyed the tranquil grounds waiting for the next admission; visited the opulent Galleria, a rich collection of artifacts compliments of Cardinal Scipione Borghese (10€ + 5 for audio guide). The highlights were statutes of Apollo e Dafne, Rape of Persephone and David by Bernini. We then had a decent lunch at Cantina Cantarini at Piazza Salustio 12 followed by a siesta in our room.

09/08      Wednesday

We visited the Vatican City once more where the line was curve for half a mile. We took the Metro to Ostia Antika, the remains of a huge Roman city over 2000 year ago; it was a pleasant area to explore with very few visitors.

At night walked to the charming Tratsvere area and enjoyed the village-like surroundings of the restaurants and streets. 

09/09      Thursday

I took the Metro/bus/walked  to Villa Adriana in Tivoli, the huge villa built by Emperor Hadriana, with many parts of it still standing.

I then walked for some time before taking the bus to villa D’este, the magnificent multi-level garden converted from a convent be d’este in 1550. It had many terraces with water spouting grotesques and spectacular fountains and waterfalls all powered by gravitational force.

In the evening too the train to Prugia (2.5 hours) and checked in at the lovely Hotel Anna, in a 400-year old building.

We visited the lively town piazza with Fontana Maggiore in its center. It was filled with students sitting at the steps of the cathedral and enjoying beer and coffee. We had a delicious pasta at Victoria, at the piazza.

09/10      Friday

We walked to the other end of the town to the municipal offices and after a detour entered a formidable arched fortress with very high ceilings before stumbling into a series of escalators that took us of the old town and into the new town. We found the bus station where we bought tickets for Siena (10€). At night attended a Calabrian folk dance at the main piazza. For dinner we ended up at Victoria again; Renault, our French waiter the tough life in Italy, its bureaucracy, the high inflation of the EU and stagnant salaries, 60% taxes and the burden the Arabs are imposing on the society. He said Fabio, the chef, with a great international experience made only 2000€ monthly.

09/11 Saturday

Woke up at 6:30 and took the 8:00-9:40am bus to Siena. The scenery was nice with some of the most beautiful farmhouses. In Siena, took the escalator up to the old tow, a hilly 13-c city with charming narrow curvy stone-paved streets frozen in time. Most of the buildings were built by brick, unlike stone-built Perugian ones. To find our charming hotel Alma domus (next to St. Catherine) we ended up circling the area three times while asking for directions. Siena is a city of 50,000 people with 23,000 students.

09/12      Sunday

We enjoyed the serene walk around the town. In the afternoon, took a bus tour of the Chianti with our friendly guide, Marco, with a few stops to enjoy the beautiful scenery under the gray skies, similar to that in Napa valley, before arriving at Zonni winery and tasting a few of Chianti Classic wines. They are aged at 14-18c temperature, 80% humidity, aging 1-2 years in barrels. They are aged in large oak barrels (3-7000lt, up to 30 years old) for a few months. If the wine shrinks (using a glass meter atop the barrel), they pump more wine into the barrels to extract the air in order to avoid causing the air to spoil the wine. The wine is the switched into 350lt French oak barrels (2-3 years age) to avoid too much oak flavor. These barrels are then used for scotch, grappa or balsamic.

The wine is normally 80% Sangiovese grapes. In Reserva, they use up to 90% Sangiovese and 10% of up to three varieties of other grapes to balance the final flavor of the wine.

09/13      Monday

Shopped for breakfast and had a pleasant one at Piazza del Duomo, before walking to piazza Grasci for our bus to San Gimignano. We checked in our room atop restaurant Vehicco Mura overlooking the beautiful Chianti valleys. The city is a small version of Siena with stone buildings from the 13^th century, with twelve towers up to 150’ tall. There was a charming park. We spent some time around the two beautiful piazzas of the town filled with tourists. We had a nice meal on the terrace of Le Vehicco Mura overlooking the magnificent green valley.

Note: Visit neaby charming towns Colie Val d’Elsa and Volterra.

09/14      Tuesday

We had a long hike on the beautiful Chianti valley; the scenery was great, filled with the vineyards, olive and corn fields,

Walked to a few beautiful houses mostly turned out to be agro-tourism bed & breakfast. We talked to the owner of one of them, Gino, a charming old man, owner of Casa Marina & Gino, asking 6.5m for his house and land. After a full circle around the valley, we arrived at porta san Jacopa, on the opposite side of the town.

In the afternoon, shopped at one of the gourmet shops and had a lovely picnic supper at the terrace of our hotel which is closed on Tuesdays. 

At night listened the thunder and the rainfall for a few hours

09/15      Wednesday

I looked out of the window and saw most of the valley in a heavy mist from the rainfall the night before. We picked up some delicious biscuits at Bobli. Cindy purchased our bus tickets to Florence from the office of Hotel Promotions near Porta San Giovanni; we took the bus to Poggisbani and changed for the bus to Florence. The bus left us at near the train station and it took us ten minutes to walk to hotel Armonia. Marco, the attendant gave us a hard time for not calling in advance to confirm our reservation but finally gave us a room. We walked to the nearby Pizza del marcato Central, the huge indoor market where we had a decent lunch. After leaving the market, we stated walking in the charming historical area of the city. Within a few hours we managed to see most of the points of the interest, del duomo with its magnificent tile works specially on the floors, the great piazza Republica with imposing buildings, and piazza della signaria, with more 

meautiful buildings and cathedrals on its perimeter, Uffizi, and the bridges.

We attended a concert at St. Stefanno church at night. 

09/16      Thursday

We stopped at Mercato Central and bought some delicious fruits for breakfast. We then visited galleria Academia, ate at Nerbone at the mercato, walked around the town and visited porta vecchio, and hiked to michalangelo park, where the African vendors were blasting the music. We had a brown out and managed to have a quiet picnic and a beautiful view of the city.

09/17      Friday

Walked in the residential part of the town and stopped at Citibank for some advice. We then walked to Santa Croce, the largest Franciscan church, a remarkably elaborate structure with many sculptures and paintings. We then tried to visit Uffizi, after waiting for some time in the line, give up and reserved two tickets for Sunday (11 + 3 fee). 

09/18      Saturday

We woke up at 6:30 and took the one-hour bus to Lucca; walked around the old wall to enter the town and stumble into the large number of antique vendors setting shop on the streets; using all the space around the town center. We managed to have a nice walk around the charming town over the walls before the tour groups show up.

We took the train to pisa, walked across the town and visited the impressive  Cathedral; I hiked to the roof of pisa for a beautiful view of the surroundings.

09/19      Sunday

We visited the Uffizi museum. It was a large collection of 11-15c paintings including those of Michaelangelo. We had a pleasant dinner at Il Latini with our fellow diners from LA, Japan and Puglia.

09/20      Monday

We took an early train to La Spezia/Corniglia, (part of Cinque Terre) where we took a 5-minute bus ride (vs. hiking 360 steps) up to the small town. After check in at Da Cecio, we hiked the easy path to Manarola & Riomaggiore. The scenery of the tall cliffs and the water were splendid. We descended the cliffs and swam in the beautiful green waters.

We watch the beautiful sunset back in Corniglia.

09/21      Tuesday

We hiked the scenic challenging path to Vernazza & Monterosso (3,5 hours). Vernazza, the smaller town was more charming but both packed with tourists

On the return we checked into room #6 with double large windows and beautiful view of the waters and the mountains.

09/22      Wednesday

We heard the four bells as usual; the third bell rang 55 times at 7am. We also heard the interesting whistle of Merlot, an African gray bassaro, filling the valley.

We took the path down to the beach but ended up in the rocky part with strong waves. After return and lunch, took the correct path to the beach. The waves were strong and were hitting the rocks hard. We had a short swim but had a hard time getting out of the water. We both got some bruises.

I went back to town and picked up some cold cuts, wine and grapes, and with the tomatoes and basil we had picked up earlier, had a beautiful supper, while enjoying the romantic sunset over wavy waters.

09/23      Thursday

Our train to Monterosso was late and we missed our connection train to Como. In Monterosso we had time for a drink and for a short swim at the public beach. We took the 13:00-17:05 train via Milan. We then took a one hour bus ride to Bellagio.

09/24      Friday

Walked along the beautiful alleys of the charming town; it was not too crowded. In the afternoon took a boat ride to the spanish-style town of Verrena and had a nice meal at Vecchia Varena. By the time we left the restaurant the wind was getting very cold. After a 40-minutes wait took the ferry back to Bellagio. After a 40-minute arrived at Bellagio. We almost missed to get off the boat as it was docking from the back.

09/25      Saturday

We visited three properties around Bellagio. One in Gineva for 300E on a 1000m hilly lot was the most charming. We walked around the charming alleys of the town, rested at the lake and Cindy fed the ducks

09/26      Sunday

We picked up some wine and stuff at the Deli (with the friendly old lady)  and had a nice picnic lunch on the grounds of our hotel, with some grapes that the father of the proprietor pick up for us. We then took the last tour of the lovely town and took the 17:00-19:00 boat to Como. The ride was a pleasant one with a great view of the villages on both side of the lake.

In Como we had time for a dinner where I left Cindy and had a long walk to the train station to but tickets to Venice. We then took a short walk in Como and then headed to train station

09/27      Monday.

After a long wait at the deserted  station, we boarded our 1:30am train to Chiasgo where we had to wait again for a long time. We had a hard time to find out which platform our train will be arriving at. There were no attendants and the platforms were partitioned for visa checks. Finally our 2:45am train arrived, but to our dismay we found out that it was a sleeper train and all cars were full and without a reservation we could not get on board. We had to wait at the station for 5:00am train to Milan. We tried to take a nap in the waiting room but it was very cold and smoky. The Milan train left at Garibaldi station, where we had to take a taxi to Milano Centrale for 7:15-11:30 train to Venezia. We spent the day walking around piazza St. Marco. The piazza was magnificent, with its open square with shops all around and two bands at restaurants across each other play familiar theme while crowds feeding the many pigeons looking for handouts. The alleys leading to pizza were packed with tourists and shop and many beautiful views of the canal. With no cars, the town was peaceful fun to walk around.  

The architecture was splendid the old structures standing for so long intact were amazing.

09/28      Tuesday

We purchased a one-day canal pass and rode the vaporetto a few times. On the way back from Lido, across the great canal, we got off at Gardinos and walked the pleasant non-touristy alleys lined up with charming homes. We asked a couple for a good restaurant and they recommended  Giorginio. We we’re the first customers at the door and the kitchen help invited us to take a seat. We sat in the sidewalk and before long all the seats were filled with tourists. When Cindy asked from the Romanian waiter about their customers, he said that they got only tourists. He complained about life in Italy and 17-hour workdays.

09/29      Wednesday

We walked to San Marco once more. Parts of the piazza were flooded. We had a salad at Brek and took the train to Bologna. We walked around the piazza Maggiore, the main square of the city located just behind our hotel. It looked very impressive in the lights of the night. In another street on the opposite side of our hotel we stumbled into a few bars packed with beer-drinking students. Further down on the same street there were many students hanging out on the grounds with their beer bottles. 

09/30      Thursday

We took a train to Modena and visited the Cathedral. For lunch we stooped at a restaurant with good antipasto and tortellini.

Marco, a fellow diner, joined us and with little English he spoke, he told us of his love of American movies, John Wayne and William Holden, music (Elvis and Polanka) and his live of American liberty. He said America was like a bear, strong and likable; it should be treated with respect not to anger it. He was a very lively conversationalist. He talked of Pavoratti who lived in Monte Carlo in order to avoid taxes.

We then took another train ride to Parma and visited the 14-c university still in use.

10/01      Friday

After an espresso in our hotel, visited the lively food market and piazza Maggiore, had a god lunch at Tamburini and took the 14:38 train to Rome.

We revisited Piaza di Spagna (Spanish Steps) and Tivoli Fountains. We stumbled into a church where they had a Opera performance that we decided to see. It was a good program and we enjoyed it.  It was a good program and we enjoyed it.  We walked to Piazza del Popolo which looked splendid at night. We stumbled into a church where they had a Opera performance that we decided to see. It was a good program and we enjoyed it. 

10/02      Saturday

We took the bus to the train station and barely made it to our plane. We had an un-eventful flight back home.

 

 

………                                    Italy notes

09/4 – Sat:             JFK         9:30p      -               ROM: 12:00n        $595       David

10/2 – Sat.             ROM       9:45a      -               NWK: 12:35p

Sun	Mon		Tue	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
				1	2	3	4   Rome
5   Rome	6		7	8	9   Perugia / train	10	11  Siena / bus
12	13 San Gimig		14	15  Florence	16	17	18
19	20 Pisa, Cinque T		21	22	23 Como / train	24	25
26	27	Venice	28	29  Bolognia	30	1 Rome	2    Rome  9:45a

09/4 – Sat:                             JFK         9:30p      -               ROM: 12:00n        $595       David

10/2 – Sat.                             ROM       9:45a      -               NWK: 12:35p

American Express - Lex.    T.C. Euro:              $1.30      (9//1/2004)                            Euro TC to USD TC: $1.15                               

Tourist office:                       630 5^th Ave. & 50^th (Rockefeller) 245-4822

Country code:                       39                          

Italy Rail                                 8days                     299-199 (Flo-Rom: 48-30

                                                15days                   373-249

                                                Kilometric              364-256                 up to 20 trips/3,000km        (1-5 people use)

Flexible RailPass:                After 19:00 will count toward the next day

Europass Saverpass:         Unlimited 1^st Class for 2 for 5,8,10 or 15 days in 2 months.

	Days	Air	Cash	ATM	TC	CC	Total
Italy	28	2*595	100E	1600	1000

http://www.italian-link.com                

http://www.alfanet.it/            ?

www.cts.it                              Student travel org.

http://www.mondoweb.it/home_eng.htm English Yellow pages               

www.excite.com                 Key in Italy

www.informaRoma.it          Rome

www.travel.it                         Useful Tourist info

www.wantedinrom.com     Events, classified (Share an apartment)

http://www.atlastourandtravel.com/newfrontiers.htm  

Check for tour packages    800 366 6387

www.railpass.com               800-722-7151                                      car + gas + insurance + tolls è expensive 

www.eurail.on.ca                 888-667-9734                                      L.P.

Dining

Meals:                                    Three courses:     antipasto (appetizer), primo (1^st course, pasta or soup), secondo: (main, meat or fish)

Hotels:

www.FamilyHotels.it           www.bookings.it

Hostelling Int’l                      www.hiayh.org                                                                     Collect 6 stamps (L5,000)

Rome     http://www.hotelkennedy.net             Info@hotelKennedy.net                     09/05: 85€, then 129€

                md0991@mclink.it                                                                                                                                                                              No Vacancy

http://www.bandbinrome.com/BedandBreakfast/BB_Eng1.htm                Check the site, many hotels, Safety ???

http://www.bbitalia.it                            info@bbitalia.it                                     Rome – B&B - 4 days ~ 250€                            See email

http://www.adriatichotel.com/prezzi2.htm

http://www.58viacavour.it/En.html

http://www.capitolium.org/eng/fori/augusto.htm

http://www.EnjoyRome.com/main.html

http://www.RomaTourismo.com

Florence http://www.emmeti.it/Welcome/Toscana/Firenze/Alberghi/azzi.it.html    46-77€   hotel-azzi@liberto.com (+39) 055 213806

                Mia Cara               055 290 804         Angela   - ask for back rooms           60€ 

Venice   http://www.veniceby.com/ilgambero               ilgambero@veniceby.com                65-170€                 è 190€                                                 Vacancy

                http://www.eurocheapo.com/venice/listings/selection/doni.asp                                 115€

Bellagio                 Giardinetto            Piazza del Cheisa                                                               52€ D/B, breakfast 6€         031 950 168

Sun	Mon		Tue	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
				1	2	3	4   Rome
5   Rome	6		7	8	9   Perugia / bus	10	11  Siena / bus
12	13 San Gimig		14	15  Florence	16	17	18
19	20 Pisa, Cinque T		21	22	23 Como / train	24	25
26	27	Venice / train?	28	29  Bolognia	30	1 Rome	2    Rome  9:45a

 

Sun         9/5          12:00      Arrive Rome DaVinci

                                                Check – in:  Hotel Tizi, Via Collina 48, ROME (4 nights) - Tel:  011-39-06 482 01 28

62 E/248 E – Bathroom.  8/23 confirmed Antonio & Marie-Elena. 

                                PM          Explore Trastevere area / Rome at Leisure

Mon      9/6        AM              Piazza Venezia

                                                Aracoeli (Church of)

                                                Campidoglio

                                                Foro Romano

                                                Colosseo

                            PM              Piaza di Spagna (Spanish Steps)

                                                Trinita Dei Monti

                                                Tritone

                                                Fontana Di Trevi

                                                Piazza Colonna

                                                Pantheon

                                                Piazza Navona

Tue       9/7        AM              Castel S. Angelo

                                                S. Pietro

                                                Musei Vaticani

                                                Piazzale del Gianicolo

                            PM              Terme di Caracalla

                                                Porta S. Sebastiano

                                                Domine Quo Vadis

                                                Catacombe

                                                Circo di Massenzio

                                                Tomba di Cecilia / Metella

                                                Villa dei Quintili

Wed      9/8            AM          S. Maria Maggiore Basilica

                                                S. Giovanni Basilica

                                                S. Paolo Basilica

                                                EUR – modern quarter

                                PM          Villa Borghese

                                                Cavalli Marini

                                                Pincio

                                                Piazza del Popolo

                                                Via del Corso / Via di Ripetta / Via del Babuino

Thur      9/9        AM              Depart for day trip to Tivoli – Tivoli Gardens

                            Lunch

                            PM              Depart for Perugia

                            12:14          Direct Train #2482 depart Roma Termini

                                                 Arrive Perugia 14:50 – 2^nd Class 10,12 E (2hrs 36mins)           

                            13:48          Direct Train ES #9340 depart Roma Termini

                                                 Arrive Perugia 15:53 – 2^nd Class 17,15 E (2hrs 5mins)

                            18:14          Direct Train #2484 depart Roma Termini

                                                 Arrive Perugia 20:50 – 2^nd Class 10,12 E (2hrs 36mins)

                            19:46          Direct Train ES #9342 depart Roma Termini

                                                 Arrive Perugia 21:53 – 2^nd class 17,15 E (2hrs 7mins)

Check – in:  Albergo Anna, Via dei Priori 48, PERUGIA (2 nights)            Tel & Fax:  011-39-075 573 6304

Lonley 42 – 46 E / website also 42-46 E / Phone quote 48 (??) – NO Bathroom.  Faxed confirm 8/23/04.

PERUGIA

Fri         9/10      Day at Leisure

Sat        9/11      AM              (ck departures)     Depart for Siena (not on a major train line – no direct)

                            (10:30)       Sena bus:  Lazio-Umbria-Toscana line.  Depart (daily) Perugia 10:30

                                                Arrive Siena 12:00 - 9 E - (90 mins)

                                                SIMET bus

                                                Check –in: Albergo Alma Dolmus, SIENA (2 nights) -                                                 Tel:  01139-0577 44177

                                                Phone quote 55 €– No Bathroom.  Faxed confirm 8/23/04.

SIENA

Sun       9/12      Day at Leisure

Mon      9/13      PM              Depart Siena for SAN GIMIGNANO (thru Poggibonsi)

                            13:29          -13:52                    14:00      -14:27                    14:34      -15:03                    15:37      -15:59

                            16:35          -16:57                    17:39      -18:08                    18:38      -19:03                    20:10      -20:33

                            21:22          -21:44                    2,05 E

                            PM              Check – in: Le Vecchie Mura, Via Piandornella 15, SAN GIMIGNANO (2 nights)

---a twisting walk down the 1^st right off V. San Giovanni as you walk up from Porta San Giovanni)

Tel:  011-39-0577-940-270 / email:  info@vecchiemura.it

50 € – Bathroom.  Email confirm: 8/23/04.  Phone confirm 8/27/04 – Roberto.

                            Dinner Break – Le Vecchie Mura

SAN GIMIGNANO

Tue       9/14      Day at Leisure

Wed        9/15        Breakfast

                                AM          Leisure

                            ****             Marco / Armonia - requested that we call on 9/15 AM to advise what time we will be arriving to Firenze – will hold room only until 3:00PM.

                            PM              Depart  S. Gimignano for Firenze

                            13:53          -15:06                    16:00      -17:08                    16:58      -18:12                    19:04      -20:07

                            20:34          -22:08                    21:45      -22:45                    4,55 E

                     PM          Check – in:  Armonia, Via Faenza 56 (1^st floor), 50123 FIRENZE (5 nights)   Tel:  011-39-055-211-146

8/27/04 – Phoned reservation, spoke with Marco.  45 € – NO Bathroom (7 rooms total / 3 toilets & 2 showers).

FIRENZE

Thurs    9/16      

Mon      9/20       AM               Depart Firenze S. M. Novella for Pisa Central (pass thru)

                            9:25             -10:27                      10:25       -11:27                      10:50       -12:17                      4,95 E

                            Pisa             Leaning Tower of Pisa

                            PM               Depart Pisa Central – Connect La Spezia - for Cinque Terre – CORNIGLIA

                            17:03           -17:55/18:15                            18:29                       17:35       -18:44/19:02                            19:17                      

                            19:03           -19:52/20:20                            20:34                       19:38       -20:45/21:10                            21:25                       10,25 E

                            PM               Check – in:  Da Cecio, 19010 CORNIGLIA (3 nights)                        Tel:  011-39-0187 812 043 / Fax:  011-39-0187 812 138

                                                8/27 – Phoned reservation, spoke with Carmello (owner).

                                                60 € – Bathroom & sea view – rm no. 2 or 6.

8/30 – Confirmed rm w/credit card no via phone w/Geshinto- advised to call again 9/19 to advise what time we will arrive.

CINQUE TERRE

Tue       9/21      AM              Hike to from Corniglia to Vernazza

                            PM              Hike from Vernazza to Monterosso

                            Transport via local train/shuttle from Monterosso to Corniglia / or HIKE

Wed      9/22      AM              Hike from Corniglia to Manarola

                            PM              Hike from Manarola to Riomaggiore

                            Transport via local train/shuttle from Riomaggiore to Corniglia / or HIKE

Thur      9/23      PM              Depart Corniglia to connect La Spezia - Como

Check – in:  Giardinetto, Piazza del Chiesa, 22021 BELLAGIO (3 nights)

Tel:  011-39-031 950 168

8/27 – Phoned reservation, spoke with Eugene.  Confirmed again 8/30 phone – rm no 18 or 20.

52 € – Bathroom.  Will hold room until 4:00PM.  Must call/pay in advance if later than 4:00PM.  Breakfast NOT INCLUDED 6 E/person.

LAKE COMO – BELLAGIO

Fri         9/24      Day at Leisure

Sat        9/25      Day at Leisure

Sun       9/26     

Mon      9/27      1:31            Depart Como S. Giovanni – Train # 10746

                            1:36            Arrive Chiasso – connect to Train #303

                            2:45            Depart Chiasso – Train # 303

                            7:36            Arrive Venezia S. Lucia

                                                Check – in:  NO HOTEL - Night train to Venice

VENEZIA

Mon      9/27      7:36            Arrive Venice

                            AM              Drop off luggage & Check – in (room ready by 11:00 latest):  Albergo Santa Lucia, Cannaregio 358 (on Calle della Misericordia), 30121 VENEZIA (2 nights)

                                                Tel:  011-39-041 715 180

                                                90 € – Bathroom.  Breakfast 5 E/person addtl.

                                                Confirmed via email 8/30 w/credit card.

                            AM              Breakfast – Brek (Lonely), Rio Terra Lista di Spagna, Cannaregio 124.  7:30AM – 10:30PM.  4 – 6 E.  (near hotel). 

                                                OR – Mercato Rialto (7:00AM – 1:00PM) – principal open-air market north on the San Polo side of Ponte di Rialto – produce/bread/cheese/salami are concentrated around Campo Beccarie – next to city’s main fish market (closed Mondays).

                            *** Do not order fresh fish/seafood on Monday’s at restaurants in Venezia – fish market closed on Mondays.

Tue         9/28        Day at Leisure   

BOLOGNA

Wed 9/29           Depart for Bologna

                            7:23            Direct Train # 713 depart Venezia S. Lucia –                                Arrive Bologna Central 9:16 – 2^nd Class 12,09 E (1hr 53mins)

                            7:30            Direct Train # 2953 depart Venezia S. Lucia –                              Arrive Bologna Central 9:44 – 2^nd Class 7,90 E (2hrs 14mins)

                            8:04            Direct Train # 2229 depart Venezia S. Lucia –

                                                                Arrive Bologna Central 10:07 – 2^nd Class 7,90 E (2hrs 3mins)

                            8:44            Direct Train ES #9465 depart Venezia Mestre –

                                                                Arrive Bologna Central 10:18 – 2^nd Class 18,33 E (1hr 34mins)

                            9:19            Direct Train # 703 depart Venezia Mestre –

                                                                Arrive Bologna Central 11:16 – 2^nd Class 12,09 E (1hr 57mins)

                            AM              Check – in:  Albergo Garisenda, Galleria del Leone 1, Via Rizzoli 9, BOLOGNA (2 nights)

                                                90 €– Bathroom. 8/30 Confirmed on phone w/ Lora w/credit card.

Thur      9/30                                         

Fri         10/1      AM              Depart for Rome

ROME

Sat        10/2      9:45            Depart for New York – DL 8244

                            12:50          Arrive Newark     

Rome

Hotel:                                                     Tizi, Via Collina 48, ROME (4 nights)                                              Tel:  011-39-06 482 01 28

Airport (Leonardo Da Vinci/ Fiumicino) to city               - 8.80$, pick up maps at Tourist info beyond Customs

Bus/Metro                                              .77€        Day pass: 3.10€, weekly: 12€          print map:              http://www.atac.roma.it

See:                                                       

Tabularium:                                          The 1-C underground gallery connecting the buildings of Capotoline / warehouse of official records

Foro Romano                                       Poetic collection of architectural detritus 

Domus Aurea                                       Palace

Market at Camp Del Fioro:                Freshest produce, before 9:00am

Opera                                                     Coliseum & Baths of Caracalla

Nightlife                                                 Dinner at a trattoria in working class of Trastevere & stroll the cobblestone alleyways, climb the Gianicolo

hill for a moonlight panorama

Festival of the grape                           1^st week in September – at Basilica of Maentius

Restaurants                                         

Fiachetteria Beltramme                     ultra traditional 7-table bistro, hallowed recopies

Ditirambo                                              outstanding innovative Italian cooking                                            06-687 1626

Hole in the wall La Vinera                                 Wine bar

Ostia Antiga                                          at Viale dei Romagnoli: Well-preserved, can be reached by metro,

Piazza Navano,                                   nightlife - try Tre Scalini Café ( tartufo)

Café Greco/bar                                   Rome’s oldest café (casanova, Gothe)

Da Meo Patacca:                                 Food&Ent.             30 Piazza Mercanti                                                                             06-583-31086

Hassler Hotel,                                      Overlooking Spanish Steps                                                               06-699 340

2001 Food Articles                              :

La Buca (hole) di Ripetta                   Near Piazza del popolo, between Tiber & The Villa Borghese

Ambasciata d’abruzzo      

Taverna Falavia   in Dolce Vita

Casala                                                   On via Flaminia, a few miles outside Rome; 18^th Century castle. Lunch, Anti-Pasta, Lamb

Il Fico Vecchio                                     In Grottaferrata, in the Caselli Romani, hills a few miles S.E. of Rome. Lunch, best pastas.

Perugia

Hotel:                                                     Albergo Anna, Via dei Priori 48, PERUGIA (2 nights)                                  Tel & Fax:  011-39-075 573 6304

The Ancient ruins of Roma (Lazio)

Siena

Hotel:                                                     Albergo Alma Dolmus, SIENA (2 nights)                                                        Tel:  01139-0577 44177

Wine tasting                                          Enoteca Italiana Permanete – military fortress of 1560 / Chianti

Osteria le Logge                                  Great pasta & grilled meats off the gorgeous Piazza del Campo

San Gimmigno

Hotel:                                                     Le Vecchie Mura, Via Piandornella 15, SAN GIMIGNANO (2 nights)       Tel:  011-39-0577-940-270

Florence / Firenze / Tuscan

Hotel:                                                     Armonia, Via Faenza 56 (1^st floor), 50123 FIRENZE (5 nights)                Tel:  011-39-055-211-146

Tourist info                                            http://www.firenzeturismo.it/Categorie/English_version.asp?IDCategoria=529

http://www.mega.it/fbnen.htm

Hotels                                                    www.promHotels.it

Medieval village of San Gimignano (Tuscan & Umbrian countryside)

Excursion to Siena & Pisa, Cinque Terre

Free bikes                                             at train station, Piazza Strozzi, large public parking lots, from 7:30am

Free tours                                              at Duomo, by church volunteers 

See                                        

San Miniato                                          Late afternoon Gregorian chant/vespers by monks at this 11c most beautiful Romansque Church

Sunset                                                   hike up to Oltrano’s Piazzale Michelangiolo

Listen to music                                     Piazza della Repubblica (from café Paszkowski), campari at next door neighbor, Gilli’s  

Mercato San Lorenzo                         Marketplace / butchers, fish, cheese + flowers & fruits . 0070:14:00

Boboli Gardens                                    picnic spot, behind Palazzo Pitti, hike to the top 

Restaurant                           

Il Latinin                                                 Great unlimited memorable food & wine/grappa at long shared tables                  32€         055 210 916

Café Caruso                                         One block from Ponte Vecchiho, lunch,

Cantinettta del Verrazzano                                wine bar – Chainti /self service lunch, sandwiches  @ via dei Tavolini /                 2+6 ***

Gelato                                   

Vivoli                                                      Via isole delle Stiche 7r, one block west of Piazza Santa Croce

Carabe                                                  Via Ricasoli, 60r

Festival del Gelato                              Via del Corso -

Gelateria delle Carrozzo                    at the foot of Ponte Vecchio  

Venezia / Il Veneto

Venezia-Firenze: 36-23€ 3hrs via Bologna

No.1 & 82 motor coaches (vaporetti) on Grand Canal, passing Gothic and Byzantine palazzi

Bologna / Modena

The Quadrilatero, Food District in medieval city, food emporium, 66mi N. of Florence       http://www.tamburini.com

Campania

Pmpeii                  15mi S.E. of Naples, 147mi SE of Rome, buried 79AD, excavated 1800s

Amalfi Coast        30mi stretch of hairpin curves, South of Naples, awe-inspiring, SITA buses 2€

                                (sail the Amalfi coast, on island’s cooperative water taxi (15$) + thermal water swim .

                                Positano: Limoncello, mozzarella, rent a car in Solerno (17mi E. of Positano)

Napoli / Campania– Capri, Pompei, Paestrum, Costiera Amalfitana

Isole Eolie-Sicilia

(Parco Naturale Fanes-Sennes-Braies (Trentino N.W.)

Milano /Lombardia

Hot in summer

Day excursions to Bologna, Genoa, Lugano (Lake) on Swiss border, Venezia

Milan – Venezia: 0705-0957, 0605-1057, 0905-1157 & hourly till 1600

Apunas                                  NYTimes, 5/21/06

In Tuscany, dozens of high villages clinging to mountain flanks, and Italy’s largest cave system  -

Trekking, swimming

66 miles from Florence, near Lucca, a rental car needed.

Tourist office                        www.garfagnanaturistica.info          

Stay in huts (rifugios) thru summer

                                                Rifugio la Mesta, in village of Trassilico  39-0583-722150         all-year, 20E,

Antica Trattoria dell’Emremita inside 1000-yr old monastery at the Eremo di Calomini

See                                         Ponte del Diavolo, the Devil’s bridge, 14c