Turkey 2014

Sunday, 16 November 2014   Sitting at the ferry terminal, waiting for the passenger ferry back to Istanbul, after 2 nights in Bursa.  I had decided to include Bursa in our Turkey itinerary, after reading it has been the silk center for Turkey & was the western terminus of the Silk Road. Also a capitol prior to Istanbul, so lots of history. 
Kitap Evi Hotel was delightful—Converted old bookstore inside the historic city wall.  They picked us up from the port & brought us back—on them.  The trip in to Bursa mid-day Friday seemed to take at least an hour, but little traffic for the faster return, leaving some time before the boat departs.      Flight from Athens to Istanbul on Thursday went smoothly.  We had arranged with Marmara Guest House to get picked up at the airport—the way to go, with luggage.  The guest house is about 3 blocks from both the Blue Mosque & Aya Sofia in the historic Sultanamet neighborhood of Istanbul.  A small place, the spiral staircase is tight, head clearance limited a few spots.  I had reserved the  “exquisitely furnished” top floor room, with the canopy bed.  Lucy noted it has something of a hostel feel.  The guesthouse staff were friendly.  Breakfast included many jams made by mother of the staff.    Dinner first night in Turkey was a disappointment.  Not so much the food—mixed plate kebab.  Or the entertainment—a 3-member band.  It was the price—60 Lira for my main dish alone.  That’s about $25.  So much for Turkey being less expensive than the European Union countries.  ‘My fault—I asked for their most popular tradition kebab & they saw the opening for giving me the most expensive. With a ferry departure at 2:30 pm, we didn’t have much time for exploring on Friday morning.  We headed toward the Blue Mosque, with varied info on it possibly being closed on Fridays at mid-day.  A young man near the mosque approached us, told us the mosque was closed.  I asked him about the nearby Cisterns.  He proceeded to TAKE us there & even paid his own (reduced) entrance fee, explaining that his family had a nearby carpet shop, where he wanted to take us, no obligation.  After spending about half an hour looking at numerous carpets, we said we might be back next week, to their disappointment.  I was thinking:  rent for a space right next to the Blue Mosque has to translate to not the most competitive prices. Pics of Istanbul - https://picasaweb.google.com/102259876019428056805/Istanbul2014#

  The sea bus, from Istanbul's Yenikapi dock to Mudanya, didn’t have the spaciousness of Puget Sound or Howe Sound car ferries—just a boat packed with bodies.  About a 90-minute crossing.  Ride was waiting for us.  As noted, Friday afternoon traffic in to Bursa was slow (but not by Seattle rush-hour standards bad).  A van cut in front of us, which provoked our driver in to pulling alongside, rolling window down & ranting at the other driver.

  After settling in to our spacious suite at 12-room Kitap Evi Hotel, complete with modern clawfoot tub (we didn’t manage to get #1, which reportedly has an antique Turkish bath), we were invited for a welcoming drink in the bar, by the real-wood-burning fireplace (it was notably cool, raining lightly on arrival).  We took the advice of hotel staff, to go for a traditional kebab dinner up the street, where the tab was about ¼ of the previous night, in a quaint upstairs of a house.

  After my most restful night of the trip & a varied breakfast spread (see pic), we set out to see Bursa.  Shoes off, Lucy’s head scarf-covered, we explored the Grand Mosque, then visited the silk market next door, where we made several buys.  While the silk now comes from China, the tailoring of scarves and other silk clothing is locally crafted.

  On to visit the Green Mosque & Tomb.  As we were leaving, we encountered Yunus.  Good English—he explained he lived in the States for a few years, adopted by a family  He began by telling us he is hired to do restoration of the mosque tiles.  After some visiting & talk about historic crafts, Yunus led us to his nearby store, well-stocked with ceramics & carpets—new & old.  He tells us he travels Eastern Turkey in his van, buying old carpets.  After looking at many, we narrowed it down to 6, then 5.  Asking price for all 5 was about $800, with shipping,  I got the price down to $530.  While I could have held out for a lower price, I wanted Yunus to see the deal as profitable.  Counting on him to ship the carpets to us, I didn’t want to push too hard for a bargain (a la the necklace in Athens, where the shopkeeper made sure I knew he didn't make a fair profit) & leave him unhappy.

  After dinner last night, we followed Yunus’ suggesting—to go watch whirling dervishes in a center hid up on a hillside in Bursa, walking distance from our hotel.  Saturday night, the dancing was preceded by an inspirational talk (no translation—we were the only non-Turks there).  We were befriended by a school teacher, who in turn introduced us to a ship’s captain who spoke good English, had lived in Vancouver BC for 4 years, who took us under his wing---in to watch the dancing & then showed us around the center.

  Back at the hotel, Lucy found Yunus on Facebook, asked him to be a friend.  Within minutes he responded!  He then, rather late at night, called Lucy (via Facebook) & sold us the 6th carpet—a small matrimonial one, which he brought to the hotel this morning.
Bursa pics - https://picasaweb.google.com/102259876019428056805/Bursa#
https://picasaweb.google.com/102259876019428056805/BursaMosques#
https://picasaweb.google.com/102259876019428056805/BursaDervish#

Early morning, Tue, 18 Nov, Marmara Guest House, Istanbul

  On debarking from the ferry ride back from Bursa, we literally ran in to the Istanbul marathon.  ‘Looked like wall-time for the 4 – 5 hour group, as we pulled our bags across the road between them.  Roads were closed for the marathon, so we walked a ways. We should have followed the recommendation of taking the tram.  Instead, we did hail a taxi—the driver should turn in his keys &  retire—he couldn’t read the address on the Marmara Guesthouse card, without us loaning him readers.  He was still befuddled.  I ended up giving him the 50 Lira he demanded, due to special challenges from road closures.

  Great evening meal that night nearby, at a TripAdvisor suggestion.  Yesterday morning we walked about 3 blocks up the hill to Topkapi Palace, the opulent compound of the Ottoman rulers, who peaked in the 16th ti 18th centuries.  Talk about conspicuous consumption.  How did those sultans manage without Viagra? - 4 wives and a couple hundred concubines! We toured the harem also.  Beautiful mosaic tile work everywhere.

Topkapi Palace pics - https://picasaweb.google.com/102259876019428056805/TopkapiPalace#

On the way to the Grand Bazaar, we stopped at a lambskin “factory” store,  Lucy spied a very nice red lambskin & I got a wallet—to replace the one lifted from my pocket in Naples.  Of course, the shopkeeper had an upstairs room with old carpets,  We looked at some.  Prices were gratifyingly high, making us feel we did a decent job of bargaining with Yunuk in Bursa.

  The Grand Bazaar, in my 20-minute revue, doesn’t merit inclusion in 1000 Places to See Before You Die.  It lacked the historic character of the Tetouan medina I visited in the 1970s in Morocco.  While the walkways were old, glass storefronts make it look like just a semi-quaint super mall.

  Next we made our way via twisting streets of more shops to the Spice Bazaar.  A smooth shopkeeper sold Lucy a variety of spices, including the much more expensive saffron from Iran.

https://picasaweb.google.com/102259876019428056805/GrandBazaarSpiceMarket#

We found our way back to the guesthouse, in time to shower & rest, prior to dinner at a sit-on cushions restaurant up the hill a couple of blocks, build over ruins that can be viewed through the glass floor.

  Wed morning, 19 Nov, Marmara Guest House

As has been the case most of the trip, early to bed, early to rise.  The bed here is hard. the comforter too thick.  I’ve felt rested during daytimes, even if not sleeping through the nights.

  Yesterday we saw Aya Sofya, mosque turned museum.  Lots of visitors, even tho’ mid-November is in to the off season. I can’t imagine what the crowds must to like during high season. We then visited the archaeological museum.

https://picasaweb.google.com/102259876019428056805/AyaSofyaArchaeology#

Lucy still had energy for the Museum of Turkish & Islamic Arts, but it was closed—‘listed on our 3-Day Museum Pass—no mention it’s been closed for months for renovation.  One less museum didn’t disappoint me—gave us an hour to rest before our hamam—the guesthouse made a reservation for our Turkish baths & we were picked up here taken to the old baths, in use since the 1500s.  Separate baths for men.  After steam room & sauna, my masseuse laid me on a marble slab, lathered me up & worked on my tight muscles.  After more steam & sauna, I followed the example of other bathers (all locals—no fellow tourists), I laid on the marble slab for a while, followed by dumping pans of hot & cooler water over me.

  We fly to London this afternoon.

  Seattle-bound on a flight out of Philadelphia, stuck in the middle seat of a packed plane,  2 rows from a screeching baby.  The 8.5 hour flight from London was more relaxed—plenty of empty seats so I moved up & had Seats A & B to myself.  And my own video screen—I watched 3 movies.  This plane has no screen, even for communal viewing & not even any music for headset listening.  Oh well, this too will pass.  Lucy a has an ear ache—a cold coming on.  I feel fine.  No bouts of anything during the 3 weeks.  The script of Cipro will be saved for next trip.

  Our night in London (West Drayton, about 20 minutes from Heathrow), was mostly uneventful.  Hostess at the Oakwood B&B has family living in Puyallup! Indeed, 7 degrees of separation, it's a small world...

Athens 2014

Thursday, 13 Nov, Plaka Hotel, Athens   Just had our last buffet breakfast here.  Like the Sorrento hotel, the options were so many that we won’t need to think about lunch.  We fly to Istanbul today, after 3 days in Athens.  Flight from Rome was mostly empty, some fine vistas of Greek islands as we came in.  Cabbie from the airport tried to get us to use him during our stay,

but he asked 6 Euros over the 39 on the meter when we arrived at the hotel.  We got around a lot on the hop on/hop off city bus.  First afternoon we walked around the Acropolis, along a street of vendors in historic Plaka neighborhood, including Zorba Jewelers.  Nice shopkeeper, quick to argue the investment perspective on buying a lovely gold necklace with various gems embedded, made in their workshop here.  Up to the rooftop terrace at the hotel, for a panorama of the Acropolis by night.  Dinner the first night in an outdoor cafe just steps from the hotel—very tasty lamb.
  Pics of Athens -
https://picasaweb.google.com/102259876019428056805/Athens2014#

Tuesday we did the Acropolis, after taking the double decker on a tour of the port—I recommend skipping that hour, as aside from some harbors with lots of small boats moored, it wasn’t remarkable.
Acropolis pics -
https://picasaweb.google.com/102259876019428056805/Acropolis#

After the Acropolis, we did the nearby Acropolis Museum.  Followed, next morning, by the Archaeological Museum.  Big place, LOTS of statues, stellas & vases.  And jewelry.  Lots of history in this eastern Mediterranean.  https://picasaweb.google.com/102259876019428056805/AthensMuseums#

Then a walk through the National Gardens, a nod to statue of Zeus, on our way back to Zorba Jewelers.  My foot cleaning with little fishes in a tank softened me up, to drive a bargain on that necklace.  They had offered to take about half off the asking price of 6000 Euros (that’s right--3 zeros, not two!).  I offered 2000, which was summarily dismissed (“Not one Euro under 2950!”).  But when I came up to 2500, the game was on again.  They tried 2750.  Then 2600.  ‘Talked of kids to support, keeping the craftsmen in their workshop busy making new pieces.  When I held firm at 2500, they relented, clearly not happy about it—expecting a traveler with money to come here should be more willing to pay the expected price.  Lucy is beholden.

  Another nice day.  We’ve had excellent weather the whole trip so far.   We’ll call a taxi for the airport in a few minutes.

Italy 2014

Italy 2014



Fri am, 31 Oct, Rome



My laptop says 7:40 pm.  I think that is 5:40 am here this week, if Rick Steves is right—that Italy is now standard time, a week before the US.  Usually, Italy is 9 hours later than West Coast time.



Lucy is sleeping soundly.  I, on the other hand, on the left side of the bed, due to my inexorable assignment to sleep between her & the entry in to the room, am cat-napping, after getting some sleep, going to bed 2-3 hours earlier than usual—which of course is meaningless with the 9 hour change.  I don’t feel sleep deprived, after not even try to sleep on the red-eye to Berlin. I watched, on my personal TV in the seat back in front of me, almost 6 episodes of Season One of Breaking Bad, after first filling in the story of BC & the Sundance Kid, the leap from the bluff being the unforgettable scene from that classic when Paul was still young.



Nate dropped Lucy & me off at Sea-Tac at 5:30 am Wednesday morning.  Via JFK & Berlin, we arrived on time in Rome just before noon yesterday. 



Exiting the airport was so easy we didn‘t even pass through Customs & get our passports stamped.  Our nice ride was waiting, from FCO Airport in to the city, via a maze of freeways then city streets.  Good move, John, deciding no car rental this trip to Italy

http://john-at-large.blogspot.com/2009/11/finally-big-retirement-trip-northern.html



Instead of 45 minutes, I could easily have taken more than half a day, making my own way in a rented car, repeatedly asking directions in Spanish (which is closer to Italian than most languages.  Like Brazil, I think I can get across my message better than I can understand the reply in the other Romance language.) 



We have a view of St Peter’s dome from our balcony window.  Named “A View of Rome”, I found this B&B via TripAdvisor.  Host, Daniele, was charmingly welcoming, giving us some pointers on what to see & recommending a couple of restaurants nearby.  An old building, the B&B has been recently been renovated.  Bathroom clean, shower a bit small.  Good bed.



We went to Hosteria Pizzeria Da Vito e Dina for a nice dinner this evening, marred slightly by my knocking the olive oil in to my water glass, spilling it in to my plate of lasagna, which the friendly staff promptly replaced.  With both mushroom (I should have touristed up & taken a pic of the waiter & the tray of huge mushrooms we were invited to choose from) & brochette for appetizers, a half (0.375 liter) bottle of wine to go with main courses, a bill of 70 Euros wasn’t bad.  The dollar has gained some strength against the Euro in recent months—now about $1.30 = 1 Euro, 0.77 Euro equals a dollar.



Fri, 31 Oct, Rome



Livio, co-operator of the B&B with Daniele, is very affable.  After a breakfast chat with him, we walked a couple block to the Metro, caught a train to Spagna, emerged at the Spanish Steps, where a free walking tour was promoted by reviewers on TripAdvisor.  Kiosk guy & bank guard had no clue.  Just about 10:00 am, Manuela arrived, flag on stick.  After a couple of hours working our way past historic monuments, including the Parthenon, we arrived at St Peters, where the line waiting to visit the church circled around the huge plaza that can accommodate 70,000 to hear the Pope speak from a balcony on Sundays.  Manuela informed us we could skip the line by joining a tour of the Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel, then get side door access to St Peters.  Which we did.  Unfortunately, my camera battery went dead part way through the museum.  Pics prohibited in the Sistine Chapel anyway.  ‘Busy walls & ceiling.



For pics of Rome walk & Galleria Borghese, go to

https://picasaweb.google.com/102259876019428056805/ItalyRomeWalkGalBorghese#



Hit “Slideshow”. To return here, use back arrow rather than close the window on your computer screen.



Saturday we visited the Galleria Borghese, walking up through the extensive park from the Metro.  A mansion crammed full of art. We spent the afternoon on the double-decker bus, seeing sites of Rome.



Sunday morning I decided to not try to catch the early (7:35 am departure) fast train to Naples.  Next train was 10:10.  We got there with time to spare.  I had done a miscalculation of the lodging bill at View of Rome, so I was in need of Euros.  All 3 of my cards got declined at the one cash machine I could find at Termini, the big Rome transit hub, so I got 200 E from a cash exchange booth, paying their premium price.



The tickets were expensive for the fast train.  I might tell you how expensive by the receipt, IF I still had it.  After the fast train arrived in Naples, we found our way to the Circumvestuviana—the commuter train around the Bay of Naples.  In contrast to the expensive fast train, this one was very inexpensive – 4.20 E each to get to Torre del Greco, stop  for Villa Patrizia B&B.  Then again, it was by far the most expensive train ride of my life—as I was getting on, computer bag over one shoulder, another bag over the other, a guy was blocking the door—not moving in to the train. I pushed past him & a few minutes later reached for my wallet..  You guested it—GONE!   After getting the cargo pants for this trip, I was disappointed to find, with so many pockets, none had zippers.  The front pockets, where I’ve been keeping my wallet, are not that tight.  Without doubt, it was the guy making me push past him that found me easy pickings.  We called credit card carriers as soon as we got to the B&B.  One Mastercard already had multiple $1000 + new charges on it.  Chase will eat those, but no recourse for the 400 Euros.



Robbie, here at the B&B, has been great.  He picked us up at the train station, brought us to their lovely villa overlooking the bay.  After we  made our calls about stolen cards, we decided the vacation needs to go on*.  Robbie drove us over to the Herculeum (AKA Ercolano) ruins—little sister to Pompeii, also buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in  AD 79.  We timed it just right--to join a tour by an enthusiastic guide who alternatively explained in English & Italian



*If vacationing is about making memories, bring on the misfortunes!!



For Herculeum pics, go to

https://picasaweb.google.com/102259876019428056805/ItalyHerculeum#



Hotel Antiche Mura in Sorrento is thankfully only about 3 blocks from the train station (Even ‘though the weather is quite comfortable, I think my life-long propensity to sweat with even moderate exercise has worsened. We got a great rate (80 E/night, huge breakfast buffet included), big, comfortable room.  Instead of fitting Pompeii in on the day we traveled, again on the Circumvestuviana train, from Ercolano to Sorrento, we took a ferry to Capri for the afternoon.  Pleasant, mostly sunny weather.  Lucy window shopped while I hiked past one estate after another, to a vista at the SW corner of Capri town.




For Sorrento & Capri pics, see

https://picasaweb.google.com/102259876019428056805/ItalySorrento#br />
&

https://picasaweb.google.com/102259876019428056805/ItalyCapri#



Next day we hopped back on the Circumvestuviana to Pompeii & meandered around the ruins during the mid-day.  Back to Sorrento for a 2nd night. Pompeii pics at



https://picasaweb.google.com/102259876019428056805/Pompeii#



Wed morning we boarded a crowded Sita bus for Amalfi.  Rather small bus—good thing, given the narrow, twisting road above the sea.  I deleted most of my pics taken on the move, but a few will give you an idea of this awesome coastline & road.  When I bought the tickets, I was told there was a landslide before Amalfi—that the bus wasn’t able to go thru, but there would be mini-bus service.  Repeated efforts to talk to the bus driver about what was to happen were useless—he dismissed me with “I don’t speak English”.  All passengers were left to figure things out on their own, when the bus stopped, short of the road closure.  No mini bus, to take us on to Amalfi.



I went in to a shop where the bus turned around & the nice keeper allowed me to call Pio, our B&B host.  I informed him of the road closure & being abandoned by the Sita bus driver, with no way to get past the landslide, other than walk.  Even tho’ we’d left the largest suitcase in Rome, we were not going to walk with the luggage we had for 5 days.  Pio arranged for a friend to come get us, taking side roads up the mountain—for less than half the price of a usual taxi rate (I assume Pio chipped in—to his benefit rather than have our room sit empty 2 nights).



Amalfi Coast pics at

https://picasaweb.google.com/102259876019428056805/ItalyAmalfiCoast#



Our deck at Eva Rooms B&B in Atrani is straight up from the surf crashing in to the ancient walls of the historic town.   Tall ceiling, antique furnishings.  Pio is an affable host. The Russian sunning himself on the adjacent deck has a resemblance to Puten—physically & temperament—he didn't so much as look our direction.   Breakfast on the patio.  We roamed around Amalfi, caught a bus up to Revallo.  After 2 nights, we caught another Sita bus, with more white-knuckle cliff hugging road on our way to Salerno, where we caught the fast train back to Rome.



Eva Rooms & Atrani pics -

https://picasaweb.google.com/102259876019428056805/ItalyEvaRoomsAtrani#



Back to A View of Rome B&B for 3 more nights.  Saturday we caught the Metro to Palentine Hill, the Forum & the Colosseum, then found the fabric shop Lucy had learned of.   We then walked to Trevi Fountain, only to find it under major renovation (which is the case with many historic places.  Alas, preservation often means looking at scaffolding). Pics -

https://picasaweb.google.com/102259876019428056805/ForumColosseum#



About dusk, we hiked past the Spanish Steps to the Spagna Metro station.  A crowed time of night on Rome streets, a closure of the Metro station resulted in an immediate crush of people in the entrance to the station.  We  managed to retreat & made our way back to the B&B near the Vatican via foot.



Sunday we went to the Museum of Rome, then meandered through an area of clothing shops, before walking back to the B&B.  Planning to return to a favorite restaurant, we found it closed.  We found Mamas, with a TripAdvisor  rec in the window.  ‘Turned out to be great.  I’ve had my fill of pasta for a while. Museum pics -

https://picasaweb.google.com/102259876019428056805/NatLMuseumOfRome#

Costa Rica November 2013

Oct 28, Tue eve, Atenas, Costa Rica

Big old laptop in front of me, I‘m sitting in the lovely dining room at Atenas B&B, in the hills west of San Jose. Earlier, Mary, Annie, Jerry & I finished off a couple rounds of Flor de Caña (Nicaraguan rum) & grapefruit juice, with a chunk of fresh pineapple added. Considering the red-eye to Miami last night, I’m feeling surprisingly alert. We landed in San Jose late morning. 'Got escorted to the National Car rental, where, as expected, we ended up with a sizable add-on for insurance, despite my letter from MC, re our insurance coverage via the card. As we followed Highway 1 westbound, I took the wrong fork—the 2 lanes leading in to downtown Alajuela. It would have saved us half an hour if I had stayed left on the single lane that I now conclude was Highway 1. We didn’t see any road signs to help us choose. Hopefully we won't rue the decision to pass on the $12/day for GPS. While a relatively small country, travel times are easily under estimated. The rain started while we were on the road, but really came down, along with lightening & thunder, after we arrived at this hilltop B&B.

Mary knows Annie from her acupuncturist's office, from which Annie retired about 6 months ago. And from Salem's Saturday Market, where Mary sells organic, fresh-roasted coffee & Annie is a master gardener in residence at times. Her husband, Jerry, is a retired forester. We’ve been planning this Central American trip for months. One agenda is coffee: Mary roasts the coffee she sells at the market.  She hopes to connect directly with small organic coffee growers in our too-brief 2 & ½ weeks, ending with a visit to Arturo’s farm in Honduras. Mary met Arturo at a coffee fair in the States a couple years ago.

Oct 30, Orosi, Costa Rica

After a beautiful morning in Atenas, appreciating the lovely hilltop location at Atenas B&B, including meeting a Dutch couple who have spent a whole month in Costa Rica, we packed up & made our way to Café El Toledo, where we had a superb coffee tour with Gabriel. After his father became ill due to traditional coffee farm use of chemicals, 15 years ago they began to pursue organic alternatives. A work in progress, Gabriel is still learning & enthusiastic about better health for himself, his family, their workers & the land. Mary bought a kilo of green beans from him. Annie gave him some new information, from Dr Bruno, the acupuncturist she worked with, about arthritis & un-organic coffee.

For pics of Atenas, go to
https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/AtenasCostaRica#
(Hit “Slideshow”, then Back Arrow to return to blog)

After our 3-hour visit to Finca El Toledo, we hit the road, destination Orosi. I lost us a few minutes by turning the wrong way on Route 27—heading toward the coast by mistake. Turned around, we made good time until we encountered a stretch of freeway closed for construction. City streets near San Jose led back to the freeway, but we may have made the wrong decision in a round-about & again were stuck in surfaced streets for some time. We arrived in Orosi after dark, found a placed for dinner, where the owner called Walter for us. Walter is owner of Hostel Casa del Café. Originally from the Netherlands, he decided Holland was too crowed & over-regulated, so he began traveling, looking for a place to live. While visiting Cuba, he met Suzanna. Now married, they have 4 & 2-year old boys.

This morning, before breakfast (it gets light early here), Mary & I went looking for natural hot springs along the river. Following paths thru the coffee, we made it to the river, but no luck spotting the hot springs. It seems ironic to display on the tourist map of the area a prominent notation of the “best kept secret of locals”. In fact, despite the map & asking numerous locals, Mary & I had no luck finding the hot springs. Mid-morning, we went looking for coffee-wood carvers in nearby Cachi—Casa del Soñador. 'Nice brothers, with a quaint workshop, continuing the artistry of their father. Mary commissioned a carving of a hummingbird--from a coffee root—to display in her Songbird Java booth at the Salem Saturday Market. We went in search of Brewha, a hostel reportedly run by young northwesterners who also make beer. No wonder locals didn’t know them—we did find their location on the mountainside, with a “For Sale" sign on the fence. We visited Tapati National Park in the afternoon. Only about 10 km up the Orosi River from town, but very rough road—mostly rock & very bumpy. We made it & the road in the park was much smoother. We hiked down through the rain forest to the river. I “jumped” in, scooting downstream until I found deeper water. Next time I'll look for a deeper pool for my refreshing dip.

For Orosi & Cartago pics, go to
https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/CartagoOrosi#

Thurs, Oct. 31, Villa BelMar, Playa Hermosa

After an early breakfast at Casa del Café, we departed Orosi. Walter wanted us to stay longer, given no other guests & he welcomed our being good listeners. He as well at Jonathan at Atenas B&B advised against driving all the way from Orosi to Playa Grande on the north coast in one day, but we decided to go for it. As happened going to Orosi, we got stuck in congestion south of San Jose. Perhaps in part due to missing turn offs or leaving round-abouts the wrong direction. But, I think the highways are not complete, so it's impossible to entirely avoid traffic lights & city streets in southern San Jose. Highway 27, a toll road going toward the coast, was very nice. We expected Highway 1—the Panamerican Highway—to be similar. Not so. Old pavement, no passing lanes, even on hills. Lots of trucks. Even so, we got to the north coast by mid-afternoon. Less than an hour to Playa Grande, where we have reservations for tomorrow night, we decided to stop at the closest beach to Liberia—Playa Hermosa. Several weeks ago, we were considering Villa BelMar here in Playa Hermosa as a destination, but came across a couple of traveler reports that weren’t complimentary & chose Playa Grande instead. But, we were ready to stop as soon as we reach the beach & we found Villa BelMar all but empty. The pool is clean & refreshing. The beach delightful, the ocean too. Awesome sunset. 2 doors down the beach, we had a seafood dinner that matched the wonderful setting, Back to Villa BelMar, for another swim & cigar. It’s getting close to being late enough that I can sleep 'til dawn. Daylight comes early here, with darkness falling early too. While Costa Rica is essentially south of the US east coast, for some reason they are on Mountain time.

Fri, Nov 1 eve - La Marejada Hotel, Playa Grande

Early walk on the Beach in Playa Hermosa today, framing pics with trees. A local pointed out a big monkey in a tree. Soon there was a family. More time in the ocean & pool. Mid-day we packed up & visited Playa Coco (pretty bay with boats but littered beach) & Ocotal—very picturesque.

Pics of Playa Hermosa & Playa Ocotal - https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/PlayaHermosaCR#

We arrived at La Marejada Hotel in Playa Grande about 4 pm. ‘Looked like a swampy area, a collection of junk across the street. Expecting to be unimpressed, owner Gail greeted us & quickly made us feel welcomed. Pizza & fish tacos at the restaurant next door, we got to the beach via a 3-miute walk, to catch the very end of sunset. We checked with park rangers—There may be leatherback turtle sightings after 10 pm tonight. If so, we can reportedly be quickly escorted to see them. We decided against trying to see leatherback egg laying who-knows-when during the night. With a downpour mid-evening & lots of lightening, probably wise. Early morning walk on Playa Grande. Even with the sun low in the sky, I’m shade-seeking, after getting more color yesterday than I thought. A fishing heron. Jerry doing his yoga amongst the rocks. Back to La Marejada for breakfast, then a boat tour through the estuary (Las Baulas Marine Park), sighting various birds, crocs & howler monkeys. AC quit working in Mary & my room. And, Mary noticed a steady trail of small ants. Gail, graciously moved us to another room. Originally from Boston, after 17 years in the US Virgin Islands, she came here 7 years ago. She & her kids were drawn to the excellent surfing at Playa Grande. Formerly an ER nurse, she gets called on medical emergencies, including people hauled out of the dangerous surf here. She mentioned being unable to save some. The Star Taco dreadlocks owner calls her his hero, after resuscitating a boy of a friend. On the advice of my buddy Paul’s son, Barry, a surfer who loves Costa Rica & will soon manage to return, we found little Star Taco & had a nice chat with the owner, a very nice & interesting guy . I was looking forward to a fish taco on the beach, but he explained fish doesn't keep so he doesn’t offer fish tacos. Checking in with the park ranger about the turtle observation overnight, I was told one leatherback laid her eggs. But, when that occurred seemed uncertain. The time to be prepared tonight is an hour later, with the changing of the tide. If they come ashore near high tide, that looks to be early hours of the morning, so we are going to pass of trying to sign on--$25/person, no see, no pay.

Sunday, Nov 3, early am, Playa Grande

To bed too early, waking up before dawn. Beautiful sunset at the end of a beach walk yesterday. After having Internet access at Atenas & Orosi, I can't get on here. The others can. And, I’m told I have signed on to the Marejada signal & it’s strong, still no Internet for me. So, I’m forced to take a vacation from checking my email. They will figure out apartments issues without me at home. I do hope I’ll have Internet access at future stops, that I haven’t somehow messed up configurations on this oversized, outdated laptop that I’m going to scuttle when I get home. Dawn is breaking. Mary’s awake too—we are heading to the beach for our last sunrise in Playa Grande.

Note on $ exchange: I knew better, but the gal at the airport enticed me with a better rate for exchanging more $--from 425 to 435 colones/$. Most everywhere we’ve been in Costa Rica, $s are welcomed, at 500/1. Meals at restaurants are expensive—often about $15/person, by the time the 13% tax is added on. We keep looking for attractive sodas—where locals eat--but end up at tourist spots. Last day in Costa Rica & border crossing reported in Nicaragua blog.

Pics of Playa Grande & the estuary - https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/PlayaHermosaCR#

Nicaragua 2013

Early morning, Mon, Nov 4, San Juan del Sur, Nica 'Sitting on the balcony at Hostal Ariki, in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. Roosters are crowing, but I can’t see light in the sky yet—again, too early to bed, slept well but awake early. Making our way up the Costa Rican coast yesterday, checking out beaches & hamlets, I forgot we were low on gas. Once I noticed it, we were told the nearest gas station was about 30 km away. It was turn-off-the-AC & coast when possible, but we made it to the gas station. What is it with me & rental cars? About 5 years ago, I ran out of gas on the way back to the airport from a family reunion.

When planning the trip, we debated where to drop off the rental car. One alternative was in the city of Liberia---catch a bus to the border. One travel writer wrote about chaos at the border, with a long line of trucks . I opted for braving it to the border. Indeed, there was a very long line of trucks & trailers, but the road was open to bypass them. I expected to see the National Car Rental office approaching the border, but suddenly we were there. Once we off-loaded, AFTER GOING THROUGH Costa Rican Customs, I asked where the Nat’l Car Rental office was. I was told back at the bomba—the gas station about 3 km before the border. I drove back there, only to be told the office was back at the border. On return, I began catching glimpses between the trucks & trailers--of a row of offices, amongst them the National Car one. I arrived about 4:50 pm. The office closed at 5:00! Already checked through CR Customs, all our bags sitting by the border, I hate to think how it would have played out if I had wasted a few more minutes! The car agency gal gave the car a quick look & signed me out. She probably wouldn’t have caught the drooping lic plate, if we hadn’t fixed it. Leaving Atenas B&B on day 2, the steep exit caught the rear license plate, causing one side to droop. Gabriel at El Toledo coffee tour gave us a partial fix with a screw, but it still hung lower on the the R side. Approaching the border, we took a detour in to the town of La Cruz, to a supermercado, to buy a small tube of super glue. It did the trick. I walked quickly back to where I'd left the others & bags—they had put all our bags in a big cart, pushed by a local. But within about 50 meters, a uniformed gal told him he’d reached his limit, so we unloaded everything & began pulling & carrying over the border. Soon a pack of guys from Nicaragua began grabbing our bags. Another big cart, all bags in, we all tried to keep an eye on the cart while we got processed through Nica Customs. In all, it maybe took 45 minutes to cross the border The cart & crew of several got us to a cabbie—‘Not big, but his hatchback was tied in place after most of our bags were stacked in. I carried a couple small ones on my lap, delighted to be in the front seat, so I could talk with the cabbie about our destination, Hostal Ariki. We hadn't decided for sure if we were going to stay in San Juan del Sur. But nightfall was at hand as we left the border & it was the closest alternative. We found Casa Ariki on line. The taxi driver wasn't familiar with it, but, with the address & after asked a few people in the street, we arrived. Friendly greeting from the young proprietor, Baldo.

Mary, Annie & Jerry were dazed on arrival, from being crammed in the back seat & inhaling exhaust fumes for the duration of the 45 minute trip from the border. We got bags in to our rooms & followed Baldo's rec--to a waterfront restaurant for dinner—thatched roof, open to the bay. Several rounds of Flor de Caña (Nica rum) went well with our fish dinners.

Now I can see the beginning of the day—San Juan is surrounded by nearby mountains. I’m going to see about a 1-way car rental to Esteli, in northern Nica. By the time we pay 4 bus fares & consume time getting places, a car rental may to the way to go, if the drop off is possible.

San Juan del Sur, Tue am, 11/5 My interest in another rental car was out-voted—too expensive, gas in additional to rental + insurance. Plus, bus travel is part of the full experience of traveling with Guia Juan (that would be me). We consulted with Baldo & Sarah, our friendly hostel owners & decided on a pickup ride to Playa Hermosa, after lunch until sunset, about a half hour ride on much improved road post Survivor Nicaragua filming there. I elected to ride in back. Lots of surfers at the beach, but waves weren’t breaking right for most of them. I caught a few body surfing, but no thrill rides. A few minutes before the splendid sunset, which just happened to frame a sea-stack, given our location, my camera battery ran out! Mary & Annie both promised to share their pics with me.

We have a shuttle ride to historic Granada at 9:30 am. Plenty of time for breakfast at the Gato Negro, an ex-pat coffee shop/bookstore, with a menu that is something of a blog by the opinionated ex-pat owner.

For pics of San Juan del Sur & Playa Hermosa, Nicaragua, go to https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/SanJuanDelSurNica#

Wed am, 11/6, Miss Margrit's B&B, Granada

The van from San Juan to Granada yesterday went smoothly. We had the whole van to ourselves & our luggage. Rosa was here to greet us. In addition to teaching English, she works for a non-profit coffee coop outside of León, affiliated with an organization back in Pennsylvania, where she hails from. And, in exchange for the penthouse suite, Rosa helps Chris out with this fabulous B&B. Chris, from England, named the house after his mother. Per Rosa, he has built the B&B in recent years, adding on to the historic front part of the house. We walked to the central plaza, on our way to the Garden Café for lunch, then to Iglesia Merced, for pics, including the fabulous stained glass windows & the spiral staircase to the tower, with views over the cathedral to Lake Nicaragua.

Friday morning, Nov 8, Hotel Austria, León, Nicaragua

Headliner for our stay in the colonial city of Granada was Miss Margrit's—Chris’ B&B. Lovely place, friendly, helpful people, refreshing pool, great breakfasts. Chris was away when we arrived, taking a fellow Brit to climb the big volcano on Ometepe.  Despite returning exhausted, he was cheerfully helpful. The devotion of his rescue doggy, on Chris' return, following a couple of days of separation, was adorable.

We took a horse-drawn carriage ride, including along the Lake Nicaragua shoreline. We didn’t have time for a visit to the nearby islets in the lake. We had the carriage drop us at the market, which was not attractive. I readily followed Mary—usually an avid market shopper-- to the exit, when she began feeling claustrophobic. Our plans for visiting Matagalpa, coffee-region of northern Nica have been scuttled. We got an email from owner of the B&B where we had reservations--a family emergency has led to closing the B&B down. Otherwise, we might have taken our chances with chicken buses, collectivos & taxis to get to Honduras. But that prospect, with all our luggage, isn’t appealing. I went to offices of both international bus lines, Tica & Transnica. I’ve found both their websites to be rather limited. Tica does not go through Esteli, the larger city in the north, where we would pick up the international bus. Transnica has one bus a day. It does stop in Esteli, but arrives, IF on time, in Tegucigalpa at 9 pm--inadvisable time to be getting off a bus with lots of luggage, even tho' we are looking forward to being greeted at the bus station by Arturo, whom Mary met at a coffee fair in Portland a couple of years ago. Tica’s route is via León, no where near Matagalpa, departing Managua at 5:30 am. Granada is more than an hour from Managua. Managua was devastated by an earthquake in 1972. Considered one of the prettier cities of Central American, rather than rebuild, the city spread out, in a hap-hazard, unattractive way, so visiting Managua is no longer on the to-do list of most travelers.

For pics of Granada, go to
https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/GranadaNicaragua#

Chris arranged a minivan for us, for the trip yesterday from Granada to León. Roberto was our nice driver. More than enough room for the 4 of us & all our luggage. For $35 each, we stopped for over an hour at Apoyo Lagoon, the Crater Lake of Nica—with shoreline steps away, water clear & warm, kayaks waiting. Pretty spot. Next, the climb to Catalina, a town filled with artisans, many specializing in pottery. We met one of the older artists, now 80, who has been making pottery since she was 10, following in the tradition of her parents & grandparents.  I bought a couple of candle globes—with openings to reflect the candle light. Then lunch on the crater rim, the Apoyo Lagoon below, Granada & Lake Nica in the distance. Lovely day. Roberto was a conservative driver (a reassuring rarity in Latin America!). In the rush to unload all of stuff, we left a camera & my pottery buys in the van, which Roberto brought in to us before he left. Down the road a ways, he spied Mary’s bag with her swimsuit & serape, turned around & brought them back to her. Yes, we will give Roberto & his tierratour.com kudos on TripAdvisor!

For pics of Apoyo Lagoon & Catarina, go to https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/ApoyoLagoonCatarina#

In contrast to soulless Managua, León is an intact colonial city, with the largest cathedral of Central America. 1 & ½ hours north of Managua, we have seats purchased for tomorrow morning & have the luxury of getting to the bus station at a more reasonable hour--to hop on the international Tica bus about 6:30 am, with arrival mid-day in Tegucigalpa. The Austria Hotel is just a block from the plaza & cathedral. It doesn’t have the character of Miss Margrit’s, but it’s pleasant enough. I took a bath in the big tub last night. The AC works well, important in this city noted for being hot, in a country which is already warm by my Pacific NW standards. Rosa (at Miss Margrit's) was going to try to put us in touch with her coffee cooperative, located in the mountains above León, but so far no email link from her. We are here near the end of the rainy season in Central America, referred to as the “Green Season”. While somewhat north of the equator, their “summer” is December to April. First night in Atenas, near San Jose, we had a huge lightening storm, buckets of rain. Jonathan told us we could expect mornings to be dry, afternoons rainy. While we’ve had some pm rains (including last night during dinner, lightening in the sky), overall it’s been less rainy than I expected. A tropical storm is now raging outside the Austria Hotel. Just minutes after we got back here from our excursion to Las Peñitas for sunset on the beach, followed by Pargo (fish) dinner. The most amazing sunset, including rocks & crashing surf in the foreground, a rainbow behind the beach. Our arranged taxi failed to arrive on time. 20 minutes later, the last bus of the day came by & we hoped on,. Back at the hotel, we are told they tried to get word to us that the taxi was delayed. Now the desk person tells they can’t line up a 5:30 am taxi—‘sounds like that taxi service is boycotting us since we didn’t wait for them!

For pics of León, go to
https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/LeonNicaragua#

For pics of the fabulous sunset at Las Peñitas, go to https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/LasPenitasNica#

Honduras 2013

Comayagua, Sat eve, Nov 9, Hotel Posada de mi Viejo

We were there over an hour ahead of time, but we could not sleep, knowing the one & only Tica Bus today to Honduras was coming by León, reportedly about 6:30 am. It did stop for us, just before 7, & began it’s international trek. Border crossing was WAY easier than the gauntlet from Costa Rica in to Nicaragua. The Tica guy took our passports & $8 each, either payment for leaving Nicaragua or for entering Honduras. We stood outside the bus for about 10 minutes, got back on & continued our way toward Tegucigalpa. Not crowded, I found an empty seat, so Mary could put her leg up. Pretty countryside, very green (now the end of rainy season). When the bus rolled in just before 1 pm, Arturo was waiting for us. He met Mary almost 2 years ago at a coffee fair in Portland. A coffee farmer here, he & Mary have exchanged emails & planned this visit for months. Art is from Puerto Rico, a 20-year retiree of US military, now the proud owner of 21 acres of coffee in the mountains outside Comayagua, a historic city that was the first Honduran capitol. Art also works as a contractor on the US Army base here. None of us slept well last night, anxious to catch the bus this morning. Mary is already asleep & I’m heading that way.

Sunday night, Nov 10, Comayagua

Art picked us up after breakfast & took us to Finca El Rosario—his coffee farm in the Montecillo Mts west of here. Probably only 25 km as the crow flies, over 1 & ½ hours by road. Near the community of San Jose, at about 4500 feet elevation. He is building an eco-lodge, has lots of plans for improvements to his coffee production & providing a special experience for travelers. We spent about 3 hours walking the finca, talking about his plans, snapping lots of pics. On return to town, we went to Don Ricardo’s restaurant next to the church & central plaza, where, over jalapeno steaks, chicken fajitas & drinks, the animated conversation continued.

Tue am, 11/12, Comayagua

Packing to head home. Yesterday we visited the local market, cathedral, with allegedly the 2nd oldest bell tower in the world & historic center of Comayagua. A local tourist guide managed to befriend us. We could have figured out going up the bell tower for noon ringing on our own, but he took me to a place in the market where I got some Honduran cigars at better prices than the shop on the plaza. Art brought green coffee beans, to fill up the extra bag I brought along. We thanked him for everything, promised to return to stay in his El Rosario eco-lodge when it’s completed. Maybe we can fly here, go visit Matagalpa, across the border in Nicaragua, the coffee region we didn’t get to, due to transportation issues & too little time to get from there to here.

For pics of Finca El Rosario & Comayagua, go to https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/ElRosarioSanJoseComayagua#

Tuesday night, Nov 26, Edgewood, WA

A couple days after getting home my cough began. Repeat of a year ago, when I came back with a cough from our trip to Cuba & the Yucatan. I'm still coughing, but I have faith that I'm getting better. Mary & I agree—next trip I need to shed the distorted perception of myself as a 20-something backpacker—cover less territory, más tranquilo.

Cuba 2012

........................... DFW, 7 a.m., Monday, Oct 29, 2012.............................. 'Got some sleep during the 3+ hour red-eye from Seattle. Given the chance for an exit row, I took it, only to find my seat was narrow & didn't recline. I hope my exit-row seat to Cancun is more comfortable. Yesterday, trying to cover all bases in prep for being out of country for 2 & ½ weeks, the anxiety was manageable. A close loss by the Seahawks distracted me, along with the Giants’ sweep of Detroit in the World Series. Hurricane Sandy did significant damage & took reportedly 11 lives in Eastern Cuba & is heading up the Atlantic Coast, with unusual & serious forebodings. I grabbed a big duffel bag, tossed in a bunch of tank tops, several pairs of shorts, snorkel & fins, reflectors (a tradition—prompted by driving after dark our first Cuba trip, dodging dark carts & bikes on the narrow Cuban road shoulders) & baseballs. ‘Printed copies of 2 packing lists & scanned them. No ah-hah recognitions of things overlooked. Mary starts packing literally weeks in advance & usually has what I’ve overlooked. Nate volunteered to drive me to the airport, Lucy no longer liking to drive after dark. Half a mile up Chrisella, I remembered I hadn’t put my Lonely Planet Cuba & my Spanish dictionary in my back pack & persuaded Nate to turn around in the rainy night, to go back & get them. I always forget something. Hopefully that was it. Sister Mary & Niece Deanna arrived in Cancun Saturday & will meet me at the airport this afternoon, to catch a Cubana flight on to Havana. We planned this trip last March, missing the music, cigars & ambiance of Cuba. I was wrong last visit, 4 years ago—to be with the Cuban people upon Obama’s election, predicting he would abolish the stupid embargo & Cuba would rapidly become a suburb of Miami. NOW my prediction: upon reelection, Barack is going to quit pleading with obstructionists in Congress & begin using executive orders, one of which will be to quash the embargo!............................. Tuesday night, Casa Particular Deysi, Blanco No. 109, La Habana........................ Mary & Deanna showed up while I was waiting in the Cubana check-in line in Cancun. Great timing. No problems getting through customs there. On arrival in Havana, we got past the medical check point (where we anticipated we might be required to buy temporary medical insurance. But at Customs, my carry-on bag had been tagged for inspection—because of the dozen baseballs! I followed the customs person, first to one x-ray machine, then to another, much bigger one, where the balls got several minutes of scrutiny. Finally deemed to be free of explosives, I was allowed to put them back in my bag & I rejoined Mary & Deanna. They had found taxi-driver, Guillermo, sent by Rigo to pick us up. On the way in to Centro Habana, we were delayed a few minutes after Guillermo’s taxi had a flat tire. Finally arriving on Calle Blanco, Rigo was there to greet us, informing us his parents’ casa particular(CP—Cuban bed & breakfast) and his were filled with family from out of town, as a relative needed to come to Habana for medical care. Rigo had arranged with Deysi, to put us up in her CP, right next door. Dinner time by the time we got our bags in to the 2 rooms, Mary turned to her Havana Good Times (HGT) ap that was working on her phone. We learned that Restaurante Castropol was within walking distance—2-3 blocks to the Malecon. Then about the same distance along the now closed-to-traffic Malecon, waves crashing over the wall, to the Castropol, where Landy was our waiter. A handsome 24-year old, Landy’s personableness was matched by our delicious meals........................... https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/Cuba20121st ....................... After Deysi served us breakfast this morning, we walked to Habana Central, to change Canadian $ in to CUCs & check on our rental car. Seeing a huge line outside the Cadeca (money change), we decided to look elsewhere to change our CAD $ in to Cuban CUC’s. Near the Hotel Sevilla, where we were to pick up the rental car the next morning, I decided to check in, to verify it was reserved & available. The line for Cubacar at the travel agency wasn’t long, but it didn’t move fast. While waiting in line, I decided to cancel the rental car. Mary had found so many things to do in & around Havana on her Good Times ap, I envisioned a rushed trip in the rental car, with a wish to be back in Havana, with too little time left before our return flights to Cancun on Nov 9. The cancellation went surprisingly quickly, once I got to talk to the agent. While not the best exchange rate, the reception desk at Hotel Sevilla readily changed our money. Again consulting Mary’s Good Times ap, as well as my Lonely Planet guidebook, we checked out a few CPs in Havana Vieja, as the beds at Deysi’s aren’t great, nor is the water pressure in the shower, which isn’t hot. We didn’t find a better CP, either because they were up too many stairs for Mary’s sore knee, the beds weren’t an improvement or there weren’t empty rooms. Toilets without seats didn’t score points with the girls either. We talk to Rigo in the morning. Maybe visiting family will be gone & we can stay with him or his parents. We had an enjoyable break during our CP search—we happened on to Restaurant La Lluvia de Oro, where the group Cubano Tradición was performing. We sat right next to the “stage” & befriended band members—see pics. ‘Great sounds......................... https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/CubanoTradicionBand ............................... So happy last night with dinner at Castropol, we returned tonight. Landy’s night off. Our waiter tonight gave it a good try, but we decided not to double-tip, even tho’ the food was again very good. Tired from our exploits today, we didn’t even go past the nearby Casa de Musica, which last night had a line down the block, waiting to get in. ................. 1:30 a.m., Sunday , 4 Nov, Casa Lilly, 13th floor, No. 301, Avenida de los Presidentes, Vedado................................. Wed morning I walked to nearby Hotel Dueville, to buy bus tickets for the next day to Cienfuegos. And to check email. First, I picked the one computer that was not working—‘couldn’t get connected to the Internet. I left to buy the bus tickets, lacked enough CUC’s so I had to walk back to the CP to get more. On return, another computer was free. I remember Internet access 9 years ago and 4 years ago as not fast, but manageable. This time it seems much less available & extremely slow, maybe in part because I’ve grown accustomed to much faster speed at home. I hope I succeeded in posting a vacation greeting, replying to emailers—to call Kim for apt business, Dawn regarding the beach. Back to Casa de Deysi, to pack up & move just a few doors down the street to Rigo’s CP. Up a long flight of stairs to the “1st floor”. He had one room for the 3 of us. More on Rigo's lodging below............................... https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/MoreHabana .............................. We caught a double-decker city tour bus, that took us along the Malecon (waterfront promenade), past government buildings & monuments& stately neighborhoods. We got off at the warehouse that now houses the art market, but we didn’t get a full look at it as Deanna was getting tourista symptoms. We got her back to Rigo’s & Mary I left her to rest, toilet at hand & we went to dinner. The 2nd bed was small, short & lumpy—the most uncomfortable bed we’ve found is all our CP investigations. And the bathroom sink was not properly hung n the wall & fell off. Fortunately no pressure water line broke. To top off, my stomach had been feeling queasy. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I suddenly vomited. Fortunately on to a tile floor. While Rigo had a nice breakfast waiting for us in the morning, we were happy to take our day packs & head for the bus to Cienfuegos, leaving much of our luggage in Rigo’s care. While the tour bus had a toilet in the back, both Deanna & I were feeling much better & handled the 4-hour trip to Cienfuegos without a problem. The bus dropped us south of town, in Punta Gorda, a finger of land extending in to the Bahia de Cienfuegos. We had a list of CPs as potential lodging. I hired a bike taxi to take us around. After passing on the first place & finding no vacancy at the 2nd, we found Alejandra's Casa de Oshun, with 2 vacant rooms, bay slapping at the edge of the back yard, with sunrise to the east, the front just across the street from the bay, with sunset to the west............................. https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/Cienfuegos .......................... After getting checked in to the Oshun, we caught a cab in to town, to the Parque Jose Marti. We found the same band we had listened to our 2 prior visits. After buying some wood carvings, we found the wire artist from last visit, a former school teacher who makes much more money selling his wire sculptures to tourists than he made as a teacher. Then the jiniteros found us. After visiting for a while, we asked about cigars. Before long we were negotiating for boxes in the Parque, just as we had our last visit. 3 boxes later, all promised to be slipped out of the fabrica, we had boxes of allegedly Cohiba Esplendidos, Montecristos & El Presidentes. Our first smokes from each box have been disappointing—hard to smoke, bad taste. Maybe we just got lucky with our purchases of boxes on the street in the past, usually 1 CUC/cigar. 2nd morning in Cienfuegos we hired a taxi to take us to El Nicho, a series of waterfalls in the foothills of the Sierra del Escambray to the east of Cienfuegos. Books in the past have described a very bad road that required a 4-wheel drive. Now the road is paved all he way. Granted, chuck holes a plenty, but now an easy drive of a little more than an hour. Very pretty. Not far up the path we were greeted by a handsome fellow with a lifeguard shirt on. He readily fell in to step with us & guided us up the series of falls. I jumped in to the pool below the largest, Delightful temperature. And the neck massage under the edge of the fall was wonderful too................................. https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/ElNicho ............................... The botanical garden, on the way back to town, didn’t amount to much. It’s good that we didn’t make a special trip to see it.................................. https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/CienfuegosArboretum ...................... Running short of CUCs, we asked our driver to stop at a cadeca. He found one in a neighborhood with NO line. But, when I looked for my passport in my pack, needed to change money—I couldn’t find it. I had shown it at the entrance to El Nicho. I was about to conclude that somehow it wasn’t returned to me & I'd have to go back to get it, when I looked in the back of a folder in my backpack, of various pp l had brought along & there it was! Before dinner, we went to a nearby grand old home, Palacio de Valle, to a rooftop performance by a local band. Beautiful day, great vistas to go with the fun-loving music.................................. https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/PuntaGordaPalacioDeValle ...................................... Alejandra was a friendly hostess, cooked us great breakfasts both mornings & a wonderful lobster dinner our 2nd night. Bus ride Saturday back to Havana was uneventful. We didn’t have lodging set up. Rigo didn’t have space, plus we didn’t want to stay in his room again, even if he freed up a 2nd. On arrival, he made some calls, took us around the block to look at a couple of CPs. Both felt claustrophobic, dark, dingy. We said no thanks. But before we left the 'hood, we left a bunch of things with Rigo & his family--shirts, other clothing, glasses, chocolate, coffee, shoes, Then we went across the street to say ”hi” to Rigo’s parents, who were unable to lodge us because reportedly friends with a member needing surgery are there. Abel, & maid Melba, were home, We had such fun during our stay 4 years ago. We broke out the rum & the frolicking began. As we were leaving, Aide & Rigo's sister Sonja arrived home. Quick hellos & a promise to visit again before we leave.................................. https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/CasaAbel2............................. Mary had found Casa Lilly on the Good Times ap. A few km from the Centro Habana, in the Vedado neighborhood—a CP in a high rise. We confirmed by phone that Lilly had room for the 3 of us. We are delighted. Expansive views-- on the 13th floor! Fresh, bright, a wonderful change from the old historic CPs in Havana Centro & Havana Vieja. Lilly is very nice & welcoming. ‘Has a nice father & dog. Other family members, including 2 children, we have yet to meet—also live on the rest of this 13th floor...................................... https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/CasaLillyVedado................................ Mary’s getting a sore throat & not feeling great. But—it's Saturday night, so we went out. The shrimp & pork at the nearby La Fontana Restaurant were good. My fish not so much. By the time we were done with dinner, it was time to walk the several blocks to the Jazz Club, where a trio did a strong hour's performance, Cubanos stay up late, especially on the weekend. There’s still noise on the streets & it’s after 2 a.m. Time to see if I can sleep thru the rest of the night (I’ve been waking up during the night a lot—not surprising, as we’ve been going to bed much earlier that usual for me)................... Tue, 6 Nov, just after Sunrise, Havana, Casa Lilly........................... Another beautiful cityscape at dawn. Mary & Deanna sleeping. While they love to see sunrises, I've let them sleep. Deanna is mostly over her stomach bug, but Mary has had several days of respiratory distress—it started in her throat, spread to her ear & has now migrated down to her chest. The awful vehicle emissions on the streets of Havana have not been helping. Hindsight: we should have done the car rental & spent less time in Havana. While Mary had lots of Havana sights on her Good Times ap, many involve being in the midst of the emissions being spewed out constantly. Election day! ‘Much less talk of our elections with Cubans this visit, compared to the Obama win of 2008. I give my prediction: after his re-election, Obama is going to quit trying to win Congressional approval, learn to use executive privilege &, amongst many needed changes, get rid of the embargo. Cubans just listen to me, do not share my hopefulness. While some see improvements with recent changes, most still see the system as broken, the government as not helpful. Sunday we had a nice, big breakfast on the 13th floor balcony, view out toward the Florida Straights. ‘Included Songbird Java, Mary giving grounds to Lilly’s help. We hailed a collectivo taxi (pre-1959 American car), shared with another rider, for $0.50 each & got dropped off near the Parque Central, walked down the Prado tile pathway, with many small classes in session—children learning to draw, groups of women sewing. We meandered through Habana Vieja, took pics at the famous Bodeguita del Medio, but didn’t stop for a drink, as the bar was too crowded. We had a great lunch near the Plaza del Catedral at a palador Mary had read about on Conner’s HGT ap. ‘Great meal. A big table of French travelers next to us. We’ve seen many such groups, probably tour groups, of Europeans. All 3 of us managed to fit in to a 3-wheeler open-air cab to return to Casa Lilly from Habana Vieja. Running short of drinkable bottled water, we asked to stop at a market on the way, only to learn some close at 6 pm on Sundays. We found a 24-hour market, picked up a couple of 5-liter bottles (about 1 & 1/3 gallons each), along with a bottle of Havana Club rum & a big bottle of coke, for our drinks with feet up, back in our room. Sunday night we walked to a restaurant recommended by Conner. ‘Not one of her best. Mary didn’t feel like eating much. My chicken was okay, but the sauce on Deann’s shrimp was bad. The restaurant's solution was to offer us another plate of chicken, which we gave to a most grateful bellman in Lilly’s high-rise (20 stories in all). I made my way back to the Hotel Presidente, about 3 blocks down the Ave. de los Presidentes, for an update on my email woes, taking along my laptop, to see if I could use their Wi-Fi, rather than their computers. I did get on & had better success getting to my email settings, re-did my vacation greeting & sent a couple of emails, cc to myself & WA-la, I got the email in my In-box. It didn’t access the 4 days or so of emails from when I initially did the vacation greeting on Oct 31, when I must have inadvertently forwarded all incoming emails to who-knows-where. After another breakfast on the 13th floor balcony, I walked down to Hotel Presidente, to talk to the tour desk about changing our Cubana flight to Wed instead of Fri. Mary’s respiratory problems are persisting & the awful vehicle emissions each time we are walking in Havana are further aggravation. The travel agent told me she doesn’t work with Cubana Airlines, I’d need to go to their office. I asked if she could call them. The line was busy. She told me where Cubana offices are—about 10 blocks away. The good news when I got there—they had about 8 agents, one of which was immediately available. She checked, sad no seats available Wed. ‘Moment of concern, when I asked her to verify our Fri seats & she initially didn’t find the reservation, but soon did! Mid-day, we went to visit John Lenin Park, a few blocks away, in Vedado. We took turns sitting next to John, on his park bench. After a pleasant lunch in an art studio/restaurant, we took a collective/taxi to an open-air artisan market. I decided to wait until we return to the big art market, to buy mementos & door prizes for our end-of year party. Just before sunset, we caught a collective taxi in to Centro Habana, to check out House of Music (next show to start of 11 p.m. Around the corner, we found the House of Tango, a dingy place were a pleasant gal told us about tango & other dance lessons, with a couple of guys singing tangos off-tune. From there, we walked to La Floridita, for pics with Ernesto (an update for me—the one from 4 years ago is featured on the intro to this travel blog) & daiquiris. For this trip, I brought along "The Sun Also Rises", to read when I can't sleep. I think my blog style DOES resemble Hemingway narrative ('open to any venture capitalists who want to publish me!). We then walked to our favorite restaurant, Castropol, on the Malecon, for yet another wonderful meal, served not by Landy, who was off, but by also charming Marcelo..................... Dawn, Wed, Nov 7.................................. Lilly came out to tell me last night: that Obama won! She was excited. I had spent much of the evening watching CNN in the bar at the Hotel Nacional, which has played a major role in Cuban Politics in the past. It was looking good, when the girls were ready to head homeward. After breakfast Tue morning, I hailed Gabriel’s Czech cab & struck a deal to take us about 60 km to Jibacoa & wait a couple of hours while we snorkeled. Gabriel is a pleasant guy. First spot we snorkeled, most of the dark spots we had seen from shore were seaweed & not interesting snorkeling. 2nd spot was coral reef right from water’s edge--Too shallow for comfort in some places, but we had a variety of coral & fish to watch close up. I picked through the coral washed up on the beach, finding "letters" for my one & only grandchild, Juliet Ann Lowry. At 5, she's a social worker in the making. When I asked what she wanted me to bring back, she'd like another Mexican wooden animal with bobbing head. She added that I should also remember to bring back gifts for Lauren & Jake (Kate's friend Brian's kids). It was partly cloudy, not very windy. Overall, good conditions & a nice, fresh break from the noise & pollution of Havana. We made a deal with Gabriel, to take us to the airport Friday. His phone # is 052733052—for those who want a guide to the closest good snorkeling to Havana..................... https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/Jibacoa .............................. We went to Hotel Nacional to watch election returns on CNN. Mary & Deanna wandered around the posh hotel, took in some live music & dancing while I watched results look increasingly positive—Michigan & Ohio for Obama early in the evening, Florida results looking increasingly strong for Barack. As we walked away from the hotel, looking for a cab, we were assailed by a young jinitero—inviting us to his “best live music in Havana, 2 blocks away. We bit & followed him & his girl friend, both practicing their English, lecturing us on not wasting time on sleep while in Havana, after we told them we’d had a long day & were about ready for bed. The “2” blocks were more like 6. The bar was smoke-filled, almost empty, with no live music. The positive outcome: Having walked the 6 blocks, we decided we could walk the last few blocks to Casa Lilly, conserve our fast-dwindling supply of CUCs for other things than a taxi. After breakfast Wed we caught a collective taxi to the Capitolo, meandered thru Habana Vieja to the art market in the old warehouse. We shopped for a couple of hours, picking up gifts and door prizes for the end-of-year party. Still not tired of Castropol, we returned for lunch, hoping to see Landy one more time. Marcel was working & took care of us................................... https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/MoreHabanaVieja ....................... On to Abel & Aide's, to finish the visit we started on Saturday. A couple of Mexican doctors, here in Havana for training, Jorge & Joaquin, joined in. When cigars were brought up, we wanted more than Abel had in house. He called his source, told us he’d have them the next afternoon (Thursday) & invited us to dinner............................. https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/CasaAbel3 ................................ Thursday morning we caught the bus to Playa del Este. I went in. Not seeing other swimmers further out, I limited body surfing to shallow water. The guy with the lifeguard emblem on his shirt was blatantly focused on noticing if we checked out his buff physique—I didn’t have any faith that he was in fact a lifeguard. We all 3 got 30-minute massages. Back in Havana, short of CUCs to pay Lilly & buy more cigars from Abel, I tired my Canadian MC in a cash machine—it got rejected. I went to nearby Hotel Inglaterra, where staff said we’d need to go in to a bank to use the card. Too late in the day, we went ahead & changed US $, even though there is an extra penalty to convert them—a way of Cuba retaliating against the embargo. Back to Lilly’s to shower, then back for dinner at Abel’s. Jorge & Joaquin again joined us for drinks & a delicious chicken dinner. When we finally got around to cigars, we ended up getting 3 boxes, for a US $100 bill. If the Mexican Customs says we can’t bring in more than 1 box each (25 to a box), we will tell them they can have the ones we got in Cienfuegos, as the few we’ve tried so far have been really bad—some won’t draw at all, others only with great effort—And, they taste bad--harsh. Big mistake—buying from jiniteros in Cienfuegos. (Did I write that already? “Worth repeating—we’ve been told many times, from many sources--DON’T buy cigars from those who approach you on the street. We were happy with Abel’s last time. Hopefully he’s done right by us again...................................... https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/HabanaFinale .............................. Packing time. Taxi will be here at 11 am................... Jose Mari Airport, Havana, Fri 3:30 p.m.............................. We just got sandwiches & colas, “thanks” to Cubana Airlines. Our flight to Cancun, scheduled for 2:00 p.m. departure, is now estimated for 7 p.m. departure. Our plane is reportedly held up due to weather in Mexico City. Cubana won’t put another plane on the tarmac to fill in. They didn’t come to the gate to tell people. We happened to learn from other travelers. We had time this morning to catch taxis to & from Centro Habana, to buy cheese, more ron (rum) & snacks for the trip. With our remaining CUCs. I handed out my remaining reflectors to bicycle taxis. Gabriel (our taxista to Jibacoa for snorkeling on Tue) borrowed a very nice car to bring us to the airport. I tipped him with my last baseball. So far, no scrutiny by Cuban customs. We’ve taken bands off the cigars that we expect to be crappy—the ones we bought from jiniteros in Cienfuegos. We’re trusting that the 3 boxes we got from Abel last night are good ones. If Mexican customs catches we have more than 1 box per person, we’ll give them the Cienfuegos losers, that, so far, have been hard to smoke. We met a California coupe in the airport, waiting as we are to get to Cancun,. They, with destination Cancun, are lucking ones, as are we. Other are missing connecting flights.................... Tuesday morning, Nov 13, Cancun Airport................................. Cubana Air did get us to Cancun of Friday evening, in time to catch the bus to Playa del Carmen. Jerry, Deanna’s friend, was wondering where we were. He had arrived & checked in to Luna Blue the day before. Deanna had discovered Luna Blue on line, highly recommended by TripAdvisor. Indeed, it was nice. AC when we needed it. Screens on windows, for fresh air when we had enough of the AC. Weather was quite pleasant, not too hot, usually a breeze. The spacious room that can sleep 3 had kitchen, with stove & fridge. Saturday morning we walked 3 blocks to the beach, paid over 300 pesos. At 12-13 pesos to the $, way over-priced--for 6 beers & a small order of guacamole. On further thought, the umbrella that came with the deal was priceless--I began turning red quickly, so I spent most of my time under the umbrella. Even though I walk in the shade whenever possible (to try & reduce sweating, in additional to avoiding sunburn, I still have ended up with lots of color............................... https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/PlayaDelCarmen ....................... Sunday morning we struck a deal for $40 to go to Akumal, about a half hour south of Playa, to snorkel. First at the Laguna de Yagul, with it’s calm inlets with a wide variety of fish, then in the bay, in hopes of finding turtles. Mary & I thought better of the swim out to the edge of the boat channel. Deanna & Jerry saw only some big fish. On our way back, we stopped at a couple of cenotes—fresh water swimming holes that are all over the Yucatan. Very green........................... https://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/AkumalCenotes ..................... We had a delicious chicken dinner, prepared in our kitchen on Sunday night. We’ve been going out less at night, especially me. Mary & I are both hoping our coughs go away soon. With wi-fi in the room, I’m happy to check email & update Craigslist ads, catch up on some of what’s been happening with Lowry Rentals. The other 3 went to the Playa Bodeguita del Medio Cuban hangout a couple of times. The music was good, the mojitos were awful.. Tuesday night we had a great last dinner at a Uruguayan dinner house. My flight leaves at mid-day, so here I am, with the other 3 coming for late afternoon departures. Summing up: now home 8 days, I'm still struggling with the cough we blame Rigo for giving to Mary & me. I've summoned enough energy to do Picasa albums, which brings back good memories of the trip. I've had a sore neck since being a passenger when Nate's little Honda got t-boned last summer, It's tough to look right & left, let alone turn to see behind. So, without consciously thinking about my stiff neck, it probably contributed to my decision to cancel the car rental & perhaps that was a very prudent decision. We did get our fill of Havana. Our jinitero connections weren't as enjoyable this time. I'm looking forward to trips to Mexico & Central America with Mary, to check out more coffee regions. At Abel's, friendly Mexican doctor, Joaquin, assured us we will be totally welcome to stay with him in his pueblo májico, Papantla, in Veracruz State, a coffee growing region.