tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90651906768812239532024-03-13T20:17:54.370-07:00You Gotta Start SomewhereBlog page mostly for Shawna, but Gary uses is to more easily distribute his trip reports of late. Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.comBlogger300125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-13577312391138047102020-03-04T22:35:00.001-08:002020-03-04T22:35:23.530-08:00South America 2020<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">South America 2020</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Winters are long and
bleak in the Pacific Northwest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With all
major house projects completed, I was facing a lot of time with little to
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, the solution was to get
away for a good chunk of that winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But where to go?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d done SE Asia
last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cheap cruises always beckoned
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided to explore a few places in
South America before considering myself done with that continent.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
One goal was to
drive Patagonia, the southern end of Chile and Argentina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another was to cruise around the south
tip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps I could put all this
together in one trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, of course I
could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had all winter.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Many of the world's
cruise ships re-position seasonally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
the spring, they move from the southern hemisphere and the tropics to Europe
and Alaska.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the fall, they go
back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These cruises are often very good
deals, offering many days aboard for little money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent months studying the options and
watching for deals.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
There wasn’t much
from the west coast to South America, but there were several ships going there
from Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I figured visiting my
sister in Spain, before sailing across the Atlantic would work well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was near picking one from the Mediterranean
to Buenos Aires when another option showed up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Norwegian cruise
line had a ship going from Barcelona to Miami, then continuing through the
Panama Canal, and on down to Chile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
price for both was little more than the direct cruise and offered many more
days aboard, as well as the experience of going through the canal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, despite my growing dislike for NCL, I
booked it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Cruising around Cape
Horn proved a little more elusive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
were no bargains there, especially for going solo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lin was not interested for a number of
reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I figured my daughter Jen
could be tempted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d cruised together
in the past and I knew this one would interest her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
She had reservations
about the total cost though, and said that if she had to travel that far, she’d
want<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to see Antarctica while at it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Princess had a ship going the right way at
the right time that included Antarctica.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I decided to sweeten the pot by subsidizing her fare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She took the deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It ended up costing me less than if I’d done
it solo, and she got a good bargain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Though with air fare and extras, it was still an expensive excursion for
her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
With those parts
set, I had two weeks in between cruises for the road trip in Patagonia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A companion on that adventure would sure be
convenient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enter Tony, who’ll I’ll
introduce later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We agreed on a shared
trip so everything was falling into place.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I was now booked
from mid-November through January 22 or so when Jen and I would disembark in
Buenos Aires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there, I’d be on my
own to see what was left to see in that part of the world while I made my way
home.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Always eager to
check things off a list, and fill in the blanks of my map, I wanted to hit the
remaining countries down that way as I didn’t expect to go there again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Uruguay is right next to Buenos Aires and a
place I was interested in exploring so that would be next.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
That left the two
landlocked countries of Paraguay and Bolivia to get to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were right on the way home, but in no
way convenient to visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both countries
are very poor, with little air service or tourist infrastructure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I considered traveling by bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s possible, I guess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The map shows a highway between them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But a look on Google Earth shows it to be
just a dirt road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were a few
flights, but not cheap.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
And then there was
the problem of visas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The U.S. charges
residents of those countries a hefty fee to apply for a visa to visit the
States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They, in turn, retaliate by
charging us the same fee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seems a bit
self-defeating, though, as they could sure use our tourist dollars.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
In any case, it
would be $160 apiece for the visas, in addition to the hassle of getting
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found that Paraguay would issue
the visa on arrival if I flew into the main airport in the capital of
Asuncion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That seemed like the only
logical way to do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bolivia, though,
was not so accommodating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d have to
send them my passport and they wanted proof of yellow fever vaccination, or
some such thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I was about to give
up on them when another idea came to mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps I could just slip across the border somewhere without all the
hassle and expense of a visa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t
like there was much in the country I wanted to see anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I looked into that possibility.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Cusco, Peru is not
too far from the Bolivian border.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d
been there a few years previously and really liked the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could get to the Bolivian border by rental
car from there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using Google Earth and
street view, I explored the various border crossing options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The town of Desaguadero seemed like the best
option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A small bridge separated the two
countries there and locals seemed to be wandering back and forth
unimpeded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw no sign of border
control, at least on the Peruvian side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A second highway crossing a few miles away was my back-up plan.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Although Cusco was
more or less on the way home and not terribly far from Asuncion, there were no
direct or cheap flights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I booked the
best I could find.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The last stop would
be Colombia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d made a brief stop in
Cali a few years back and liked it, so since it was on the way I figured
visiting another city made sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
picked Bogota.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
In the future, I might try traveling a little
more on the fly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I don’t trust my
ability to make lots of reservations through my phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I liked the security of having everything
planned and reserved ahead of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
did it all on my home PC over a few months, so was able to handle it all
carefully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would have been nice to
have had more flexibility, but I was OK with making a plan and following it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
In all, I had seven
airline reservations involving 13 legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Three cruises were set and paid for. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had my train ticket from Madrid to Barcelona
and even the reservation to visit the Sagrada Familia there which was booked
well in advance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had 12 different
hotel reservations, and three rental cars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’d paid for and arranged the permit to take a car from Chile into
Argentina, and reserved our ferry passage in Chile where there was no other
option.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Not wanting to trust
electronics to keep all that information for me, I printed out a separate page
for each reservation and kept them in order in a folder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had hard copies should anything happen to
my phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I’d learned to exploit the
internet rather than using guide books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’d found lists of things to see in each city, edited them appropriately
and printed them out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt quite well
organized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in addition to the lack
of flexibility, I found a disadvantage of this approach was that reservations
made long in advance are subject to change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One hotel cancelled on me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
three flights had itinerary changes that were not convenient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, of course, many of these reservations
were non-refundable, so any disruption of the trip as planned would have cost
me plenty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been lucky in that
respect though in almost always making good my plans.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Another smart thing
I did before leaving was upgrade my credit card.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got one specifically geared to
travelers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a little pricey, but
offered the very tangible benefit of access to airport lounges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eric got this card first and said it worked
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was anxious to try it out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After months of preparation,
departure day finally came.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lin dropped
me at SeaTac.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got through to the
departure area quickly with time to try out the lounge access.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were actually three or four to choose
from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first one I found was merely a
restaurant where I was granted about $20 credit towards food and drink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t hungry so just had a beer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I moved on to the next one which was a full
lounge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite nice, with help-yourself snacking
food, open bar and a very comfortable setting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It changed my whole perspective on arriving early for a flight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of it being wasted time in an
unpleasant waiting area, it was being pampered in a pleasant atmosphere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were newspapers, WiFi and charging
outlets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Airports needn’t be awful
places.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
My flight to LA on
Alaska was fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Connecting
internationally there is always a pain as it involves going out and finding the
faraway terminal, then going through full security once again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I got that done in time to hit another
lounge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time it was the Korean Air
lounge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first, they were turning
people away as though they were closed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But I was processed in and enjoyed my visit there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The long flight to
Madrid was on Norwegian Airlines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
are a low budget operation that I’d used once before and wasn’t too impressed
with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they were my best option in
this case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I needed to check a bag,
which was extra cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When buying the
ticket, I’d found that I could book the bag, a meal and extra leg room for one
reasonable price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those things combined
to make it like a full-service airline and still a bargain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turned out to be a nice flight.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Emilio met me at the
Madrid airport as Karen had a swim meet that day. I got a nap at their house before she arrived
late that afternoon. Emilio made his
Spanish tortilla for dinner.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It had been six or
seven years since I’d been in Madrid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was nice to be back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next morning
Karen and I took the metro downtown and joined a walking tour of the city in
English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Miguel was a good guide and
even Karen learned a little more about her city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tour ran long and we had to run before it
reached the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Clara, Emilio and Karen</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back at the house,
Karen’s youngest daughter Clara arrived with her family. That would be husband Manu and daughters
Alba and Leire. It was my first time
meeting Leire and I’d only met Manu briefly once before. He was very personable and I was surprised by
his ability and willingness to speak English.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Once again, Emilio
cooked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time his signature paella
which was delicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After another
siesta, we watched a couple of movies on TV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In English with Spanish sub-titles which satisfied everyone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Monday morning the
18<sup>th</sup>, we had plans to visit a nearby town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would be joined by Caroline, someone they’d
only met recently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Caroline is a recent
college graduate from California that had just arrived to teach English for a
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s a distant relative by
marriage and a very nice girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
seemed to really appreciate having Karen as an English-speaking resource in her
new world.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We met up at a bus
station and all rode to Alcala de Henares.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
we rode, I noticed tall towers and what looked like an old city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Must be there, I thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we stayed on the bus a while longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon the driver was telling us that we were
at the end of the line and must get off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Emilio puzzled over his phone and finally announced that we must
backtrack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Karen shook her head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently in her opinion, Emilio’s sense of
direction no longer lives up to his confidence in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a couple more stops for him to study
our location, we arrived back at the tall towers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least we didn’t ask anyone for directions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The town was very
pleasant with old stone buildings, pedestrian malls and covered porticos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a good stroll and checking out the
cathedral and other notable buildings, we found a hearty lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> We bused back to Madrid and said goodbye to </span>Caroline.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Tuesday morning
Karen and I walked to the market and then went downtown to the Coleccion Masaveu art museum (not
the Prado) which was enjoyable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emilio
stayed behind to prepare the main meal of pig cheeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That may not sound that appealing, but they
were delicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
That evening we
drove to a theater and watched the newly released movie “Joker”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disturbing, but good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The theater was nearly empty, yet we had
assigned seats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For dinner we ate at a
restaurant familiar to them and had tapas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They were excellent, especially the octopus in sweet potato.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I managed to spill wine all over my main/only
pair of pants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully it washed out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Wednesday the 20<sup>th</sup>,
Karen and I took a long walk that passed by their old neighborhood among other
places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although I’d been there many
years ago, it didn’t feel familiar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
final meal prepared by Emilio was a nice fish lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was time to go.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
My brief and
enjoyable stay in Madrid kicked off this long trip very well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They dropped me at Atocha train station and I
was off to Barcelona.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The train station
was nice, though notably was lacking WiFi and bathrooms were hard to find.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I boarded the train and was off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>High speed rail is wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fast, smooth and roomy with big windows and
ever-changing scenery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If only air
travel could be so pleasant.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Interestingly, I’d
ridden this route 40 years previously on my first visit to Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that case, it was an overnight train that
bumped and jostled for many hours before chugging into Barcelona at dawn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time it was 2 ½ hours in daylight.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I figured out the Barcelona
metro system and bought a ticket good for two days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I probably didn’t get my money’s worth from
that, but it was nice to know I could jump on it anytime it was
convenient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found my way to the right
stop and walked the few blocks to the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The room and bed were rather small, but overall, it was fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The location was excellent, just a couple
blocks from the Rambla and amid loads of restaurants.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
My only real visit
to the city previously had been just two years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Karen and Emilio had met me there the day I
passed through on a cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d seen
quite a bit in those few hours and I really liked the city.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I checked out my
neighborhood that evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the
Rambla which is the heart of the city for tourists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a broad walkway along a tree-lined
street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is full of people selling and
entertaining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also pick-pockets I’m
told, but never encountered any.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In all,
the city was a happening place at night.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The next morning, I
took the metro a few stops up the hill, then climbed further up to Parc
Guell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were lots of steps and some
old viaducts mostly designed by the city’s famous architect, Gaudi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great view of the city from up there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I walked all the way back, catching most of
the notable architecture on the way.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguibnlX3q2kN0-P8LEjwAgIj8qHNjKubgYTpkaThipj8KoWWwEIt3G4UFegwmLZgfVl2Usv5TpjHSZvHeQ-Bnzg7p5ebjXGkEgUkOFBiFsvNxD9JHg_57lMjjwFBHzkB5acnyOiZWjO14/s1600/IMG_20191121_122505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguibnlX3q2kN0-P8LEjwAgIj8qHNjKubgYTpkaThipj8KoWWwEIt3G4UFegwmLZgfVl2Usv5TpjHSZvHeQ-Bnzg7p5ebjXGkEgUkOFBiFsvNxD9JHg_57lMjjwFBHzkB5acnyOiZWjO14/s320/IMG_20191121_122505.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gaudi's Barcelona</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
That afternoon was
my appointment to see the Sagrada Familia which seems to be the most in-demand
cathedral for tourists these days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tickets weren’t cheap and I’d bought mine weeks in advance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hit my time slot and went in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, the inside was as impressive as the
outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an unusual and impressive
work of art. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgFYyqcQ4gvMCYaCgF5WoFzREUjjY51MLaYn8BMFc7vYfikBLphXHKkIehyB-FFDj2tkcOwly5Z1SYZRFEue_IM4SuimpYqoifxpP1o_mtOnQWwU-VsOsN-YzoqBGeUja97Eb7vv6cJo/s1600/IMG_20191121_171601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgFYyqcQ4gvMCYaCgF5WoFzREUjjY51MLaYn8BMFc7vYfikBLphXHKkIehyB-FFDj2tkcOwly5Z1SYZRFEue_IM4SuimpYqoifxpP1o_mtOnQWwU-VsOsN-YzoqBGeUja97Eb7vv6cJo/s320/IMG_20191121_171601.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sagrada Familia interior</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The food that
restaurants seemed to be pushing was paella.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But since I’d recently had Emilio's there was no point trying
others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I settled for burgers and
pizza.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Safe bets anywhere in the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Saturday morning, I
had time before checking out so took a long walk to Montjuic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a small mountain park not far from the
Rambla and the port.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was quite a
hike, but got some good views including my ship in port.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nice to know it was there waiting for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
My walk back down
kept being detoured by fences, walls and roads that didn’t go where I wanted
them to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally made it down to
street level all hot and sweaty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Took
the metro a couple of stops and got back to my room with just enough time to
shower and get out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Barcelona is a very
nice city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Easy to deal with and get
around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plenty of English is spoken and
prices are not bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots to see and nice
pedestrian-only streets to do that by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The weather treated me well, and no political riots erupted during my
time there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was all good.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I considered a taxi
to the port, but it wasn’t that far so took the metro a short ways, then walked
the rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check-in procedures for the
ship weren’t bad and I was soon in my cabin.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I’d booked an
ocean view room for this leg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means
a window of some sort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And mine was of
the worst sort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My cabin had to be the
least desirable on the whole ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was on the lowest passenger deck and the farthest forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being at the bow where the sides of the ship
are coming together, the outside wall was curved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since my cubic cabin was not, they had a deep
window box that led to a small porthole that in turn led to a tube connecting
it to the hull of the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a
peephole more than a window.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
And being so low, it
was barely above sea level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During rough
seas, the waves came into the tube and swirled around washing the window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was more like watching laundry in the
washing machine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being so far forward,
the ride was rougher with waves slapping the hull noisily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And being the last cabin meant I was up
against a mechanical room that had all kinds of weird sounds going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, none of this bothered me much.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The ship was the
Norwegian Star which is the same ship I’d crossed on two years previously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, it was familiar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The crew was all different however.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It was about this
time I received an e-mail from NCL (Norwegian Cruise Lines) that changes had
been made to the itinerary of my NEXT cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That would be between Miami and Chile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The letter said that the two stops in Colombia were being dropped and in
their place we’d be going to Grand Cayman and Limon, Costa Rica.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The curious reason given was “mechanical
issues”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Hmm, I was not too
happy with that since I’d been to both of the added ports and had little
interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d not been to Santa Marta
and Cartagena, and still haven’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
wondered when we’d get the full story.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It didn’t take too
long before a little more came to light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Conversation with passengers who’d stayed on from the previous cruise
informed me that the ship had been experiencing serious problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently one of the four engines had been
taken off line due to a fire or explosion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Several mechanics had come aboard in Venice to work on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’d missed two stops on that previous
cruise because of the problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Presumably
they couldn’t go fast enough to stay on schedule with the new top speed of 17
knots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But NCL was being totally mum on
the situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rumors abounded, but no
one knew for sure the current situation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We departed
Barcelona on time for our overnight trip to the island of Majorca.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just happened to notice two ships still in
port as we pulled out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I noticed
those same two ships already docked in Majorca when we got there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interesting that we were all on the same
itinerary, but also interesting that they had both passed us in the night,
obviously making a faster speed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After the breakfast
buffet, I got off the ship and walked the fair distance to town, passing
apartments and presumably vacation rentals along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main city, Palma was nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I walked all over and hit the usual tourist
sights of castle, cathedral, etc. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWHqUhWc52fNzsj1Qw79v8Lrzuf2i6DuglsJhxsXmQFoGs-GS-Wwh1Tg1So8H7ooupwrQ5BGx-K5nBmBbeJfvjktnTRCauZlxYkQRo8g8YgI9aywlEYqBPUFNvSoi-sc5tzCfIpR7jnyE/s1600/IMG_20191123_104625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWHqUhWc52fNzsj1Qw79v8Lrzuf2i6DuglsJhxsXmQFoGs-GS-Wwh1Tg1So8H7ooupwrQ5BGx-K5nBmBbeJfvjktnTRCauZlxYkQRo8g8YgI9aywlEYqBPUFNvSoi-sc5tzCfIpR7jnyE/s320/IMG_20191123_104625.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Palma on the island of Majorca</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Next stop was Malaga
and it was one day and two nights away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The seas were a little rough in between.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On the second morning, it was announced that due to the conditions we’d
encountered, we’d be an hour to an hour and a half late arriving. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, it turned out to be just about two
hours late.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hmmm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Max speed of the ship, I wondered?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Malaga is a lovely
city and probably my favorite port.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
think I’d been there once with Karen 30 years previously but had no
recollection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I walked all over and
enjoyed the parks and especially the castle high on the hill overlooking the
city.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5w7d4zpLYdy_5LL9DdDm6F4KjkYQ_u-DFzJBKyuEhiRVbCmDpY4-DswbXZhzpfm6ZJE3Uvy3vf6F_pE6dNGWmW-raL1aEAjlwo6smdIXFwJ8wXqCDwmBa9v0ZT8dFq1-KjxjLNUqtRnE/s1600/IMG_20191124_161642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5w7d4zpLYdy_5LL9DdDm6F4KjkYQ_u-DFzJBKyuEhiRVbCmDpY4-DswbXZhzpfm6ZJE3Uvy3vf6F_pE6dNGWmW-raL1aEAjlwo6smdIXFwJ8wXqCDwmBa9v0ZT8dFq1-KjxjLNUqtRnE/s320/IMG_20191124_161642.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Malaga</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
That night at
dinner, I talked to a guy who knew the ropes about bringing booze aboard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cruise line makes a lot of money selling
liquor and therefore doesn’t want anyone bringing their own on board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I learned that in the Spanish ports, the
government did the security screening getting back on the ship and the cruise
line therefore didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since Spain sure
didn’t mind you buying their booze and taking it onto the ship, they let it
through.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Monday the 25<sup>th</sup>
we arrived Cadiz on time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The city was
interesting, with narrow streets and surrounded by water, but not
spectacular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Viewed nice parks, a
theater and a cathedral, but the main castle was closed.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTh389GQ0bvxlBqP0Ics7AKZwFf_k5eN6bpOV4iT4pqv7rj591sAxBlUc-LhFWlf81s2s2K_7iPvScsQgInaU71G9TxfYEfzG4vLTksYRgp4GV-aZM6kEgWnfp-xrbTJDy2AH1i9dwrCs/s1600/IMG_20191125_120134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTh389GQ0bvxlBqP0Ics7AKZwFf_k5eN6bpOV4iT4pqv7rj591sAxBlUc-LhFWlf81s2s2K_7iPvScsQgInaU71G9TxfYEfzG4vLTksYRgp4GV-aZM6kEgWnfp-xrbTJDy2AH1i9dwrCs/s320/IMG_20191125_120134.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Narrow streets of Cadiz</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Arriving back at the
ship, I noticed the government security point set up right beyond the duty-free
shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I bought a bottle of wine and
brought it through, no problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt
so devious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made the mistake of taking
it to the dining room though, where they charged me corkage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My booze smuggler friend had been wrong on
that aspect.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Tuesday, November 26 was a
day at sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrived the next morning
in Funchal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the town on the
island of Madeira that I’d stopped at on my previous crossing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Madeira is part of the Azores (or is it?) but
far southeast of the other islands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is however definitely part of Portugal.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Funchal, Madeira</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Funchal is a great
little town on a beautiful island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did
a full tour last time seeing the steep mountains and lush valleys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, this trip, I just walked the streets,
found internet and had a relatively cheap beer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since internet service and alcohol were so overpriced on the ship, I
made it my mission when going ashore anywhere to circumvent the cruise lines
stranglehold on them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We set sail that
evening for our last stop before crossing the Atlantic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only that’s not exactly what happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At some point, the captain made a PA announcement that due to adverse weather, we were skipping Punta Delgada and
proceeding directly to Miami, with a possible stop in the Bahamas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I, and many others, didn’t hear this
announcement and only much later heard of it from others.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I went down to check
the TV monitor in the lobby and sure enough, it showed us heading southwest
instead of northwest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No further
announcements or explanation were made during the entertainment that
night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No evidence or even description
of the weather was given.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very poorly
handled.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Two issues came to
mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could accept the cancellation if
actually necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But surely this
weather didn’t just appear out of nowhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The cancellation must have been a possibility that morning before we got
off the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why didn’t they warn us
that we might be missing our next and last stop before several days at
sea?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The affect was that those of us who
relied on land-based WiFi to communicate with the outside world had been
tricked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Family and friends expecting to
hear from us the next day would not be hearing from us for a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any business we were hoping to take care of
would have to wait.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
NCL could have made
up for this by granting us some free internet time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, of course, they don’t give away
anything, so that didn’t happen.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The second issue was
the ever-present question about the condition of the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Were we at full<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>power, or still limping along on three
engines?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No word from the bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Keep them in the dark” remained the policy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was logical to speculate that if the ship
couldn’t make full speed, then it wouldn’t be able to get to Miami on time
sticking to the original schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Punta
Delgada was a few hundred miles out of the way, and a day in port delay.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Clearly, deleting
that stop and chugging directly towards Miami would solve that problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to mention, the fact that this shortcut
and speed reduction would save them tons of fuel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not normally a conspiracy theorist, but
this sure had the feel of a cover-up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
One other clue added
to my suspicions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t go quite
directly towards Miami but doglegged south.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There could be good reasons for that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But one possibility was suggested by another passenger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another NCL ship was also crossing the
Atlantic at about the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
much bigger Epic was headed from the Mediterranean to Puerto Rico.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were right on that direct course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could we be staying close to them due to our
hobbled condition?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All speculation, of
course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NCL wasn’t saying anything.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The next few days
were at sea with not much to report.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are lots of activities to be sure, but it is possible to
eventually get bored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found fewer and
fewer things of interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I skipped the
art auctions as it was all the same stuff and I knew I wasn’t going to buy
anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to one bridge session
but didn’t really enjoy the atmosphere there so didn’t return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather warmed up so I did go to the pool
a couple of times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some football games
were on TV over the weekend, but having to watch the limited commercials
repeated so frequently was unbearable.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
In all, it was
enjoyable enough, but did drag on a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One thing not enjoyable was getting sick to my stomach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That occurred after eating two meals in a row
at the buffet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe just a
coincidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sent notice to the ship
just in case and never heard anything back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was before the coronavirus outbreak.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We did stop at NCL’s
private island in the Bahamas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d been
there once before and it held little interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After a little beach time and the buffet lunch, I went back to the ship.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We docked in Miami
the next morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I, and many others
were staying on for the next cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
were to wait in the lounge while others disembarked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My stuff was meanwhile moved to my new
cabin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, we were all sent down
to process off and back onto the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most people just had their passports stamped and returned directly to the
ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to get off and did.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It was a pretty good
walk from the pier to anything else, but I was up for that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hiked the mile or two and found myself at
the Bayside Marketplace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a nice
area of restaurants and shops that I was familiar with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The beer was just as expensive as on the
ship, but I’d rather give someone else the money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it was nice that I had real telephone
connectivity with Lin and others instead of through the internet.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Port of Miami</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Then it was back to
the ship and the beginning of a new cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was a huge back-up of people trying to embark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, I was able to get around
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then my new room key did not work
in my new cabin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems they screwed
that up for all of us returning to the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After waiting in line the first time, even my second key didn’t
work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I finally got in though, my
new cabin was wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After booking
another “window” room, a price drop allowed me to book a balcony cabin for just
$35 more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Another lifeboat
drill and a bunch of new passengers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What I wasn’t expecting was a lot of new crew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cruise director, general manager and
entertainment troop were all different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For the first time, it was a female cruise director.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was from Colombia and stunningly
beautiful.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We set sail on our
revised itinerary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole first day
was at sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was hoping for some
explanation as to what the mechanical issue was that had caused us to miss those
first two ports that we’d paid for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Silly me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NCL wasn’t volunteering
any information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I saw the guy who
all questions and complaints were to be directed to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked him when the reasons for our
itinerary change might be explained to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His response left me dumbfounded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
He essentially said
that if I’d received that letter, that was all the explanation I was due or
would get.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What more did I need to
know?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Questioned further, he denied
knowing any more and claimed ridiculously that he had no way of finding
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The message was clear that I
shouldn’t be asking such inconvenient questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow, what arrogance!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried not to let my growing disgust with
NCL ruin the rest of the cruise.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
First stop was Grand
Cayman Island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Been there, done
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has good scuba diving and nice
beaches, but not much else to offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
went with some others from the ship to a nice beach within walking
distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was only locals there and
very pleasant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather was hot.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
On the way back we
stopped nearer town where they rented snorkel gear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did that for a while, but there wasn’t a
great deal to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Off-shore a little
ways though was kind of a waterborne playground setup of blow-up rafts and
stuff to climb on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I played on that
until scolded away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps just for
kids or additional fee applies. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Beach on Grand Cayman<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Next port was Limon,
Costa Rica.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d been there only briefly
more than 20 years ago, so it was essentially new to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s not a primary hot spot for cruises
and therefore didn’t have much to offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After walking the town, I ended up sharing a taxi with an
acquaintance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were taken to a few
outlying places of minimal interest.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The following day
was a highlight of the cruise--transiting the Panama Canal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We entered the locks near Colon, then spent
much of the day sailing through the large lake that makes up most of the
passage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had someone narrating
things on the PA, giving history and pointing out things of interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That afternoon, we arrived at Miraflores
locks near Panama City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d been there
from the land side just the previous year, so it was familiar to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I was viewing it all from the ship’s
perspective.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Through the Panama Canal</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We made no stop in
Panama but got a good view of the capital city from the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon we were out in open water again for a
couple more sea days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we passed
Ecuador and the equator, I was surprised at how hot it wasn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sea temperature was only in the 70s and
the air likewise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was expecting hot
and humid, but not so.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Our first South
America stop was Salaverry, Peru.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
a small port that serves the larger city of Trujillo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A bus took us from the cruise ship and dumped
us at the gate to the port.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was
nothing there but buses for the expensive ship sponsored shore excursions and
a few taxis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NCL had provided no maps or information that I recall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Peruvian beach</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
A few of us pooled
together for a mini-van tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That took
us for a brief stop at the town square in Trujillo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent the time trying to find WiFi and
contact home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we went out of town a
ways to a couple of native ruins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
city was gritty and the countryside not at all pretty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I left wondering why they chose that as a
cruise stop at all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Next came Lima.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, a bus was needed to get us out of the
port, but it only dropped us outside the gate in an ugly industrial area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And again, no information, maps or
suggestions as to what to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A friend and I went looking for WiFi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it
wasn’t a very conducive neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
one point a local was cautioning us strongly against going any further down the
road we were walking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“mucho mafia” he
repeated and made gestures as to being robbed and having our throats cut.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
OK, enough warning
for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We turned around and returned to
the starting point where we grabbed a taxi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jen and I had been in Lima a few years previously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d seen the few sights downtown and knew
that Miraflores was the only other area worth visiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we headed there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Miraflores is on the
coast at the south edge of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s definitely
the nicest area and the center of tourist activity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather was ideal and we enjoyed a pleasant
stroll around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We returned by Uber which
was dirt cheap, but quite the ordeal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Like many taxi drivers, he indicated that he knew where to go, but had
it wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he tried to drop us at
the Port Tavern instead of the actual port, we had to protest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His second attempt got us closer, but he had
to try a third time before actually delivering us to the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’d think that “cruise port” would be
easier, especially since I can say that in Spanish.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Also of note, the
driver cautioned us to keep cell phones out of sight while passing through one
neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That kind of thing only
happened to me once before and it was in almost the exact same place with Jen
that previous trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rough city.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Next stop, next day
was Pisco.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, they couldn’t dock in
Pisco for some reason, so we anchored off shore near Paracas, Peru.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fast boats took us to the dock and then
buses all the way in to town this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And now two and a half months later, looking at my notes and the map of
town, I can’t remember a thing about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Suffice it to say that Pisco was not a memorable place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unless you were going to do the expensive flight
over the Nasca lines, there was no reason to be there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Pisco, I think</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Back at the boat
dock however in Paracas, it was nice to walk along the boardwalk where there
were many restaurants and stalls selling stuff.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
In all, I’d say that
the long coast of Peru has very little going for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s cool, dry and windswept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No palm trees or pretty vegetation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And no nice beaches that I noticed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The towns poor and ugly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
During that next day
at sea, I noticed some very small boats out in the ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first thing I thought was that it must be a boat that had
drifted free of a dock somewhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
then I saw many more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not close enough
to verify fishermen, but that must be what they were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seemed so small to be beyond sight of land.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After that day we
arrived at Arica, Chile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is located
at the edge of the Atacama desert, the driest place on earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I expected a miserable dust bowl, but Arica
was actually a nice place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rivers do
bring water from the mountains to irrigate parks and trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather there was bright and sunny as
expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It was a busy little
city with lots of stalls set up along the streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After my fill of that I took the challenging
hike to the top of the barren hill and Morrow Arica.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The landscape looked like the moon with nary
a weed growing anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great view from
up there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Arica, Chile </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
And then came the
stop at Coquimbo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d spent the night
there on my only other trip to Chile ten years previously so it was vaguely
familiar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before getting off the ship, I
noticed a sign in the lobby saying that it was 15 kilometers to the city
center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I could clearly see the
cross overlooking the city right near-by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I asked at the desk and was informed that the sign was correct and that
it was actually a long way around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
didn’t think so.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
As I was leaving the
ship, I noticed “Miss Colombia” and asked her about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, no, we are docked right in town she
confirmed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told her of the incorrect
information posted in the lobby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
promised to look into it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
surprisingly, when I returned to the ship several hours later, the sign had not
been changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m done giving them the
benefit of the doubt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll assume it was
intentional as a ploy to sell more shore excursions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I walked all over
Coquimbo, first trying to reach the cross on the hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time a lady warned me of a dangerous
neighborhood in the direction I was headed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She suggested an alternate route which I took.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a vigorous climb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I returned to town to find the usual WiFi and
cheap beer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this time I also found a
much-needed haircut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it was 5 or
6 dollars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I walked to the seaside
fortress at the other end of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots
of walking in all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Coquimbo</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I also bought a
bottle of wine to take on board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew
it would be detected, but the corkage fee was less than buying the ships wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d done this at one other stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And despite being set up for the situation,
they mishandled it both times.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It was on to the
final destination and end of my month-long journey on the Norwegian Star.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was ready to get off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The port was San Antonio, Chile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a nothing town, but accessible to Santiago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think cruise ships used to dock regularly
at the much more interesting Valparaiso, but were moved away for some reason.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I’d purchased the
surely overpriced, but convenient, bus transfer to the Santiago airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plan was to meet Tony there and fly south
the same day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, let me introduce Tony
and tell that story.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Tony lives and works
in Santa Barbara, Calif.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lin had lived
there briefly ten years ago or so and met him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I guess they dated briefly but mostly became bike riding buddies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony is an enthusiastic bicyclist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s also interested in hiking and all things
outdoors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So Lin has invited him up to
stay with us a couple times in the summer so that he could enjoy our outdoor
activities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s borrowed one of her
bikes and had a very good time here.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I met Tony that
first year and liked him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s quiet,
easy-going and very easy to please.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s
almost child-like in his enthusiasm for some things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So last summer while he was here and I was
planning, I asked if he’d be interested in joining me for any of this
trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He quickly jumped on the driving
Patagonia part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That fell over Christmas
and New Years which was perfect for him since he didn’t have family and his
office was closed then.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Tony and I
coordinated plans over the next few months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His travel experience was limited, so he went along with whatever I
recommended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d first planned to drive
from Santiago and back, but later realized that the good scenery didn’t start
until a good 500 miles south of Santiago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That distance could be covered in an airline flight cheaper than the gas
to drive it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we booked flights to
Puerto Montt and a rental car from there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Tony flew from Los
Angeles to Santiago, arriving a couple days before me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had a good time exploring the city on
foot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a very new experience for
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Weeks prior, I’d received
notification from the airline of a schedule change delaying our previously
well-timed flight down to Puerto Montt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I informed him of this but he said he’d received no notice so was
abiding by the original schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I arrived at the
Santiago airport and confirmed that the flight was indeed later in the
evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony showed up early with time
to kill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The saving grace was my lounge
pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were able to enjoy some good
food and pleasant atmosphere while waiting. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Now a word about
smart phones, sim cards and such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>International travel brings up lots of problems and solutions when it
comes to phones and how to communicate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At one end of the spectrum, you can just seek out and use WiFi where
available to do all needed communication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since just about every hotel has WiFi, this can work out if no problems
come up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A better option is a sim card
for the country you are in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
converts your phone into a local phone, allows free calls within the country
and gives internet access almost everywhere through cell phone data.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
But this solution
involves buying the card, installing it and doing whatever it takes to activate
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Easy for some, but a likely source of
problems to some of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, a sim card
is generally only good in one country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So it becomes cumbersome if traveling through many.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
My final option is
that my phone plan gives me the option of full connectivity almost anywhere for
$10 per day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A little expensive, but
totally convenient in that I don’t need to do anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I didn’t buy any sim cards, used WiFi
most of the time, and used a day of phone and data when needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It worked out OK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just had to remember that I had a phone if
needed, and to turn off that function when it wasn’t, to save money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve yet to see the bill though to see how it
worked out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
In any case, on that
day, we were waiting in Santiago for out evening flight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both the rental car agency and the hotel were
expecting us much earlier than we’d be getting there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To my surprise, I was able to reach both by
phone and convey our late arrival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No
problem in both cases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was somewhat
of a relief.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Anxiety was
never-the-less ratcheted up again with a further delayed departure, slowness
leaving the gate and an endless taxi to take-off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought we’d never be on our way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we finally arrived Puerto Montt, tired,
frustrated and anxious to reach our hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Car rentals in Latin
America can be a time-consuming ordeal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But this one went smoothly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
picked up our tiny Suzuki Swift and set out for the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony was driving and I was trying to navigate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d bought a card with data for all of South
America and installed it in my Garmin GPS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’d been unable to test it though so was hoping it would work
right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We floundered around in the dark, reading
signs, using my trusty compass and navigating by wits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We arrived downtown
and circled around the one-way streets a few times before locating our place to
stay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was late and we were
tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, check-in at 1:00 AM
went well and we were soon set for the night.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Being December and
well south of the equator, days were long and dawn came early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were up and rarin’ to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of ferry schedules, our flexibility
was limited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d made reservations for
that night at the embarkation point that was not that far away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d not planned any of the details so now
consulted the map.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had all day to
reach Hornopiren, so opted to loop north and see more sights on the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We’d have loved to
have found a nice coffee shop on the way out of town for a good breakfast and
hot coffee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But such is not to be found
in Chile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the country is
notably devoid of American franchises of any kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With rare exception in big cities, there are
no McDonalds, Starbucks, KFC etc. in Chile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We found instead a little bakery and then a stand selling coffee next to
where fishermen were selling fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was all good despite the fact that coffee in Chile was almost always
instant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got used to it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Somewhat sated, we
headed north out of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not sure what
I did, but the GPS came to life and provided reliable info from then on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a little wandering, we found the
highway to Volcan Osorno.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The beautiful
volcano was reflected perfectly in the large lake in front of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather was perfect with glorious blue
skies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We soon learned that this was not
the usual for the region.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The highway took us
by the volcano and some waterfalls to another picturesque lake at the end of
the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The air was clean and the
scenery beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there, we followed
a lesser road along the fjords to eventually reach our destination for the
night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The road was sometimes gravel,
quite curvy and hilly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony loved the
challenging conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I noted the
numerous fish farms along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can
see where all the salmon on the menus comes from. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Along the way we saw
a sign for “pump track”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wouldn’t have
known what that was if not for Tony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
it’s an off-road bicycle thing that he’s totally into.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we stopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people were very friendly and it turned
out to be a good place for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
Tony got to take a circuit on their pump track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Tony on the pump track</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Our accommodations
for the night were fine, with a shared bath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But the small town had no restaurants to speak of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ended up eating in the room from our
supplies of convenience store food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bread for Tony, cheese for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
rained that night.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
In the morning, I
had a paid reservation for the ferry and knew where the dock was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I had to pick up the actual tickets
somewhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We set out and found the
office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a cumbersome affair with
people taking a number and waiting to purchase or pick up the tickets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I’d paid a good sum to a “fixer” to
procure the tickets, I was confident that all would go smoothly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I was wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When my turn came, I was informed that they
had no record of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was offered a
stand-by position on the ferry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
wouldn’t do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I invoked my $10 phone
calling privileges and called the agency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To my surprise, I got through to someone that could speak English and
deal with the issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said she’d take
care of it and get back to me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Meanwhile, I went
back to the office and took another number.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When my turn came, she issued me the tickets. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, after all the formalities of filling out
forms, showing passports and providing plate numbers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not sure just what had happened, but we were
glad to be going with the boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it
turned out, the ferry was not totally full.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We could have shown up that morning with no reservation and gotten
on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we couldn’t take that chance of
being delayed a day or more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This ferry
was once a day, and the only way through.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Boarding the ferry</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The ferry ride was
spectacular, taking about 3 ½ hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
proceeded down a long fjord with steep tree-covered mountains on either
side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Waterfalls poured from the hills
frequently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The terrain so rugged that
no highway had been built nor one anticipated that could circumvent this ferry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were on the only highway to southern
Chile.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
This ferry ride was
unique in that it was in two parts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
offloaded from the boat onto a gravel road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our entire contingent of cars and trucks proceeded for about ten
kilometers to the other side of the peninsula.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There, we drove onto another identical ferry for the second part of our
transit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a much shorter ride.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Chilean fjord</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
When finally off, we
were free of the confines of a ferry schedule and on our own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Up to this point, I’d planned and reserved
all accommodations, but now we’d need to find a place each night. Fortunately, Chile is good for that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The equivalent of roadside motels
abound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most are called cabanas and are
stand-alone structures or little duplex cabins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sometimes it is just rooms rented out by people with large houses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The few bigger towns have actual commercial
lodging, but for the most part we were dealing with individuals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They all wanted cash and few did much
paperwork.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And especially this far
south, English was useless. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Speaking of
English…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite all my travels in the
Spanish speaking world, my ability with the language remains quite
limited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s very frustrating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve tried to cram more into my head but have
reached the sad conclusion that it’s very difficult to pick up a foreign
language in later years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of what I
know, I learned prior to high school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How I wish I’d studied it more when I had that opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony’s Spanish was considerably less than
mine, but he tried gamely.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Communication was
sometimes difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We both had
translators on our phones and could usually decipher things in writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the rapid talking was usually impossible
for me to pick up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And unlike most other
places in the world, everyone there assumed that we spoke Spanish and would
spit out a whole bunch of words before my gaping incomprehension became
apparent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another frustration I found
was that even after telling someone that I didn’t know much Spanish and asking
them to speak slowly, it rarely helped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead of using some gestures and finding simpler words, they’d just
keep repeating things loudly and rapidly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then look annoyed that we didn’t understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few would try their limited English, but
that was not common. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We’d done little
research for our road trip through Patagonia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We knew we wanted to go as far south as we had time for, then return
north through parts of Argentina and be back in time for our return flight to
Santiago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beyond that, we had no plan.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The highway was
mostly good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot of it paved, but much
gravel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being summer, there was lots of
construction and maintenance going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some of the gravel road had dust, mud or large potholes, but most of it
was pretty good driving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We probably
averaged about 60 km per hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Towns of
any size were far apart, and gas stations infrequent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We filled up at every opportunity and never
had a problem.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Scenic Carretera Austral</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We came to the town
of Chaiten, which I’d read a little about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It sits at the base of a volcano.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That volcano was assumed to be dormant until it erupted unexpectedly in
2008.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wiped out a good portion of the
town and changed the landscape considerably.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The government declared it off-limits for tourist lodging so there
wasn’t any place to stay there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oddly, though, we saw lots of new homes constructed right where they can be wiped out
again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It was dinner time,
so we found a place to eat in Chaiten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a pizza/burger joint themed on the volcano.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many photos were on the walls and the owner
wanted to tell us about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My burger
would have been great if the bacon had been cooked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do they really eat it that way?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After buying a few
more supplies at a grocery store, we continued down the road for another hour
or two to La Junta. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a sleepy
little town without much to offer, but it did have accommodations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first place we inquired though had no
vacancies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Uh-oh, we feared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would this be a common thing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It turned out no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We asked where else we might look and she
directed us down the street to a place called “Museo”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We found the museum
and they did have a room for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
place was unique, to say the least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was an old wooden house, as that’s what most all of the construction was around
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had creaky uneven floors, low
ceilings and weird stairways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had
obviously been added onto and modified many times over the decades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A wood stove was burning to keep things warm.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
But what made it a
museum was the large amount of funky stuff on display.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was way too much furniture and loads of
other interesting items cluttering up the place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were shown a couple of rooms to choose
from, each with their own drawbacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
chose the one with no windows and low ceilings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The bathroom was nearby and the price was cheap.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Bear in mind that
this was summer and the wood stove was going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This part of the country seems to be either cool or cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stove apparently isn’t quite adequate in
the winter, so the beds were equipped with heavy blankets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony counted nine layers on his bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mine must have been similar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sleeping under such a load provided some
exercise.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The ideal weather
we’d encountered our first day out of Puerto Montt was long gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were in a temperate rain forest and
consequently it remained cool and cloudy with occasional rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It never rained hard, but never remained dry
for long either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reminded me a little of
Ketchikan, Alaska.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything was sure
lush and green because of this however.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were loads of rushing streams and waterfalls.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Lots of wildflowers</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The weather had a
tendency to keep us on the move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
never seemed nice enough to get out and explore much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe we just kept expecting it to get better
further down the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any case, we
were covering our intended route too quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We did make one stop at a place called “Hanging Glacier”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t too far off the highway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We reached kind of a ranger station to find
that going further would cost a healthy entrance fee and require a long hike.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
With misty rain
falling, we were trying to decide whether to do it or not, when a ranger
pointed out that we could see the glacier by standing on a nearby rock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did, we saw, and decided to not get all
wet for a closer look.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On down the road
we proceeded.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Plenty of livestock</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Further south, we detoured a little to visit the port towns of Puerto Aisen and Puerto
Chacabuco.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The former was a busy place
where we were able to locate a hardware store for a couple of needed
items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the latter, I was surprised to
see the Norwegian Star anchored in port.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our paths crossed again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And a
few miles out of town we stopped at a lonely roadside waterfall, only to have a
bus pull up and eject a crowd of tourists to see it also.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, they were from the Star.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Damned cruisers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The Andes mountain
range dominates the west side of South America, running the full length of the
continent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They go as high as 20,000
feet near Santiago and make for some very high mountain passes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I didn’t realize is that they aren’t
nearly so tall down at the south end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are still steep and spectacular mountains, just lower with passes that
aren’t much of an obstacle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
And like mountains
on the west coast of North America they catch moisture on their west slope and
create a dry area to the east.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we
continued down the highway we found ourselves more or less on the dry side when
we reached Coihaique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The area was still
attractive, but gone was the lush greenery, replaced by pastures and some rocky
hills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I didn’t mind much
but Tony much preferred the wet and green.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We realized that if we were to drive all the way back north on the
Argentine side, it would be pretty barren.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We studied the map and re-thought our options.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It was Christmas Eve
and we wondered if we’d have trouble procuring a room on Christmas day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were well ahead of schedule and not sure
how to use up our remaining days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Coihaique being the only big town that far south, we decided to take a
room there for two nights and come up with a plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found an actual hotel at the edge of
town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The comfortable room with private
bath and included breakfast were all welcome.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The town was nice as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the busy downtown, a whole
block seemed dedicated to Christmas wrapping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Card tables were set up on the sidewalks and people were wrapping other
peoples last minute gifts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many
restaurants were closed for the holidays but we found one and had a good
dinner.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Staying two nights
in one place gave us a chance to do laundry… always something to deal with on
long trips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And having a balcony allowed
for a good place to dry things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thankfully hotel management returned my shorts that the wind took and
deposited below.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Considering our
options, we figured we’d covered the best parts of the highway and that there
wasn’t a whole lot more to see further south.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So we decided to spend Christmas day driving as far south as we felt
like, then returning to the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
a full tank of fuel we set out that morning after breakfast.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We went another 100
miles or so south to a big lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looked
like a good turn around point, so we did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The road was good and scenic, though not at all like the lush green
mountains nearer the coast.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We found one point
of interest along that stretch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A gravel
road took us to a parking lot and small visitor center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then a short hike got us to “Las Manos de
Cerro Castillo” or hands of the castle hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was cliffs with ancient hand prints still visible.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Also on the way
back, the Argentine border was close by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So we decided to go see if crossing the border was going to be a
challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we found the Chilean
checkpoint at the last town some distance from the border and decided against
going to the trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was surprised to
see a modern airport at this little border town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It apparently served Coihaique, many miles
away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Tony and I split the
driving, though if he’d had his way, he’d have been behind the wheel most of
the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His enthusiasm for driving
mountain roads equaled that of his zest for mountain biking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was thrilled that rental cars in Chile
come with manual transmissions, and viewed all curves and hills as challenges
for his driving skills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gravel was just
one more obstacle to be dealt with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
our econobox had only about twelve horsepower didn’t bother him at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just added to the challenge.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
One stretch of
highway on this run had a long hill with numerous hair-pin turns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony had driven down it, but the uphill climb
came during my stint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was salivating
at the chance to squeal the tires on that run a second time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, at his request, we stopped at the top and
I got out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He raced down and back up in
pretty good time and was exhilarated. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was happy to have not been riding along.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Later in the trip, I finally had to ask him to
cool it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sliding around curves in the
gravel was surely fun, but an accident out in the middle of nowhere, Argentina
would be extremely inconvenient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
agreed and slowed down.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Back at our nice
hotel, we found good dinner again in town and slept well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we woke to no water at the taps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our man in charge apologized and provided a
bucket of water for flushing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Now we had to plan
our return trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we went east from
there into Argentina, it would be like driving through Nevada.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d make good time with little to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And finding ourselves with days to kill,
making good time wasn’t a priority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So,
we elected to backtrack up Hwy 7 for a ways and maybe see anything we’d missed
coming south.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we’d cross over into
Argentina and go as far north as time allowed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Before leaving
Coihaique though, Tony had seen an interesting cemetery that he wanted to
visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We managed to find it again and
spent a little time walking through it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Quite interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The graves
were all little concrete buildings and each generally served a whole
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were all different, some
simple and some elaborate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
extensive and apparently all the important people of the city were interred
there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Back on the highway,
we returned to the lush green mountains nearer the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, rushing streams, waterfalls and
challenging roads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It really was a
beautiful drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was lots of
livestock along the roads, often roaming free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We didn’t see that much wildlife, with the exception of foxes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think I’d ever seen a fox in the
wild, but saw three in Patagonia.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We backtracked north
finding one stretch of alternate route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And we took a side spur to the sleepy little town of Puerto Cisnes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a good walk around, we had a tasty
lunch at a place that surely doesn’t see many tourists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Tony embraced the
dining experience and seemed to enjoy whatever meal was delivered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was rarely just what we were
expecting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Tony doesn’t drink at
all, so would often order coffee with meals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But his favorite was hot chocolate and he found many places that served
up a fine mug of that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one meal he
ordered pizza, coffee AND hot chocolate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The waitress looked confused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
just shook my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some things are just
wrong.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
A ways further north
and it was time to go east and head for Argentina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The highway shown on the map turned out to be
a minimal dirt road winding deep into the mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point we came upon a big pick-up truck
laying on its side in the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t
see how that happened, but help was on site trying to right it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main attraction of this whole area was
white water rafting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were many
businesses advertising rentals and tours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The rivers did indeed look exciting.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After quite a ways,
we came to the cute little town Futalaufu, still in Chile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the accent on the last syllable, we did
learn how to pronounce it, but it wasn’t easy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found lodging in someone’s cabana located
behind their main house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like most, it
was rustic and unique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The guy built a
fire in the wood stove for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony slept
in the loft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And like most of our
accommodations, it had some kitchen supplies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’d bought instant coffee so were able to heat water and get ourselves
going in the mornings.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Typical Cabana</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
We set out knowing
we’d be crossing the border soon for the first time and hoping all our
paperwork was in order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon we came to
a station with a roof over the roadway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It appeared to be a drive through border crossing as we have on the
Mexican border.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
But as we waited,
the short line didn’t move and a van load of people behind us unloaded and went
into the building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, we needed
to also, so did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We lined up behind the
van people and presented our paperwork to the clerk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He, of course, asked questions in Spanish to
which we mostly shrugged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony, for some
reason, didn’t have the exit paper with his passport that he should have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That brought scowls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But after much perusing and stamping, we were
waved away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Done, we thought, and
went back to the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as we were
starting to drive through, the guy from a second window in the building came
out and waved us over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d only
completed the passport side of the process, he was the customs guy and we
needed his OK as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So back in we
went and presented all the same stuff to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He added some more stamps and initials and we were finally cleared to
go.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
But that was just
the leaving Chile half of the deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
couple miles down the road, we came to the Argentine border office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This too, was just a little building along
the gravel road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We parked and went
inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ritual was similar, with two
or three different people all looking over the paperwork and doing whatever their
narrow job required.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole process
was terribly inefficient and bureaucratic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But our paperwork was in order so we had no problems.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I thought the border
between the two countries were essentially on the spine of the Andes and along
the continental divide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Further north,
border crossings are at high mountain passes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here, not at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were in a
valley at an elevation of only about 1000 feet.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The countryside
gradually changed from mountains to grassy farmland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not too far into Argentina we were stopped at
a police checkpoint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, this might not
be good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remembered Cambodia and the
need to bribe the police there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this
was different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The police were very
polite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They checked our paperwork and bid
us a good day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The first town of
any size we came to was Esquel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a
pleasant place with wide streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since
we had plenty of time, we got out and had a good walk around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The downtown was busy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was unusual about the city was the total
lack of stop signs or traffic signals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Every intersection was a free-for-all and it seemed to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a contrast to the preponderance of 4-way
stops at home.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We had lunch at a
sidewalk restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During out time
there, a wedding procession went through the main intersection twice honking
and yelling.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The dry side of the Andes</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We continued
northward with not much of a plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next
up was the city of San Carlos de Bariloche.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It sounded vaguely familiar as a place worth visiting, but we hadn't done any research and I wasn’t at all sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
initial entry to the city was through an industrial area with a road blocked
off due to some minor accident. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
poor favellas on the hillside, it wasn’t at all impressive until we found our
way down to the lake and downtown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then
it looked rather nice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After meandering
around some, we found a hostel within walking distance of what looked to be the
good part of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now Argentina was in
the midst of yet another financial mess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Inflation is running rampant and the government is trying to keep things
under control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people love foreign
currency as theirs devalues daily. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
there are laws and taxes to discourage them hoarding it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d heard that U.S. dollars spent well there
so had brought some along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Yes, indeed the
hostel would gladly take dollars and give a good rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rub though was that the money had to be
in almost flawless condition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Apparently, some banks won’t take tattered bills, so everyone down the
line gets pickier and pickier so as not to get stuck with a bill no one will
take.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All rather silly as worn out bills
spend fine in the states.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Anyway, I came up
with the money in crisp bills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did
get local money as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oddly over the
four week span that I was in and out of Argentina, I didn’t notice the
inflation issue at all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The city sits on a
large and very scenic lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
mountains and trees around, it is an alpine setting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kind of reminded me of Lake Tahoe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there are lots of Germans in Argentina
and this seemed to be a prime location for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The town had a Bavarian/Austrian vibe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing about it felt like Latin America
except for the language.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithpwx7UHmrPB1Mei-LJ30oF7vlD2eQgdd488mUTCejaIQais_ARbn-5f2TN6iZ-UyHEIn6_JyONAD3pBCW879f-8AEKaPc_NPUYfrBS_G1Dxf-oD8VrqBsOyT0OafZhme6YQ_FDFSnr8/s1600/IMG_20191228_162618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithpwx7UHmrPB1Mei-LJ30oF7vlD2eQgdd488mUTCejaIQais_ARbn-5f2TN6iZ-UyHEIn6_JyONAD3pBCW879f-8AEKaPc_NPUYfrBS_G1Dxf-oD8VrqBsOyT0OafZhme6YQ_FDFSnr8/s320/IMG_20191228_162618.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The weather was
somewhat cool and windy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The air crisp
and clean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked along the lake
which had nice parks and such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An ice
rink was built on stilts almost over the water, which seemed odd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went in for a look.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was full of kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ice was mostly puddles and the kids all
wore helmets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see we’re not the only
country gone nuts over head safety.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilL2yg55TVyej9i3Xp2R5ZA8mclfjSVwmqCW39aL3OmgLRbjVAa0hs3ZYD6XhbnBMK0xA1mTb9X8e87OEyvYfqxHnGg3sl2yEmZaNwqiD8C-CAlWl1Az3dOdadK0vPpnPTW4YmbOQQrew/s1600/IMG_20191228_091951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilL2yg55TVyej9i3Xp2R5ZA8mclfjSVwmqCW39aL3OmgLRbjVAa0hs3ZYD6XhbnBMK0xA1mTb9X8e87OEyvYfqxHnGg3sl2yEmZaNwqiD8C-CAlWl1Az3dOdadK0vPpnPTW4YmbOQQrew/s320/IMG_20191228_091951.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We continued
checking out the attractive town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then
finally settled on a Bavarian style restaurant for dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a steak and a local Malbec.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seemed appropriate for our first night in
Argentina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both were very good.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Our hostel was basic
and the breakfast minimal, but we decided to stay another night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was more to explore in the local area
and we had the time to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They gave
us a nice tourist map of the area and suggestions as to where to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that came in English, which was nice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Off we went in the
car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lake has numerous arms and
inlets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our loop drive went by many
scenic places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got out and took a few
hiking trails.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were huge and
interesting trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one location, a
chair lift took us to a rocky mountain top for a spectacular view of the whole
area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lunch we enjoyed outdoors at a
small marina.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpx6CA4-X8HNvBysERhioZn2D1qFQSWks_9mKmfCWiJuXwMDo99hoKzsoqHU4RhM50vamzMQHcP4iQiXGX-bvtmeiqtzpiP_CO5udvHu3W8vi31CtAyQieCNaNFqw7Nx0ge5oVUiKOAYg/s1600/IMG_20191228_143331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpx6CA4-X8HNvBysERhioZn2D1qFQSWks_9mKmfCWiJuXwMDo99hoKzsoqHU4RhM50vamzMQHcP4iQiXGX-bvtmeiqtzpiP_CO5udvHu3W8vi31CtAyQieCNaNFqw7Nx0ge5oVUiKOAYg/s320/IMG_20191228_143331.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
There were many
expensive homes in the area, often built of logs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And lots of businesses catering to tourists
such as tours and boat rentals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
was skiing nearby in winter as well, so this was the all-season vacation
spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I imagine the rich and famous from
Buenos Aires go there frequently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The following day we
headed out again, north on the route of seven lakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plan was to continue north a ways further
then cut back west into Chile, then south to Puerto Montt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We still had time to kill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could easily have driven back to Santiago,
but there were too many contrary plans in place to make that work out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The countryside was
pretty desolate and the roads lonely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
alternated between pavement and gravel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The scenery was always pleasant though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Livestock was more prevalent than other vehicles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We made one more
stop in Argentina at the town of San Martin de los Andes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had a big public beach that many were
enjoying, along with food carts and other vendors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked up and down it searching for a
bathroom/outhouse but there weren’t any.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Where did all those people go?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Finally found a grimy bano in the bus station a couple of blocks away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Eventually, we reached the border crossing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the same routine as previously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lonely outpost on either side of the border
required two stops and the approval of a few bureaucrats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We successfully processed back into Chile.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We were ready to
stop for the night, but had a hard time finding a place to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first town of any size, Cunco, was a
rough-looking place that didn’t seem to have any accommodations, if we’d dared
to stay there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next town wasn’t that
far, but the road turned out to be very winding and slow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, we arrived at Villarrica.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looked OK with a cute downtown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were at the Spanish equivalent of 1<sup>st</sup>
and Main and spotted a hostel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
upstairs over a drugstore or something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The girl spoke a little English and we got a basic room at a basic
price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dinner across the street was just
fine after a long day of driving.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
In the morning, we
actually found a good place for breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I forget the theme, but it had many glass display cases mounted on every
available wall showing off thousands of key chains and coasters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Also curious was how many people they had on duty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were at least ten people bustling
around doing various preparations chores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I assume they were expecting to get much busier.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Parking was not free
downtown after 9:00 am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t quite
make the deadline and the parking marshal was right there to ring up our small
fee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony hated paying to park and grumbled
about that for a while.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We were in the area
of Chile known as the Lakes Region and there were certainly several pleasant
lakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With time to burn still, we
headed east to the lakeside town of Pucon, that looked as though it might have
something to offer. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
On the way, we
turned off and went up the mountain to a ski area on the side of Vulcan
Villarrica.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being summer, it was quiet,
but we walked around the lodge and even hiked up to the nearest remaining
snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t much of a ski area by
our standards, but had a good view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
another spot, Tony took a longer hike while I stayed with the car and caught up
with my trip notes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The city of Pucon
turned out to be worthwhile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the
lake and nearby ski area, it too was an all-season resort area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The downtown was up-scale and attractive with
loads of restaurants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We parked and took
a long walking tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather was
perfect and we ended up eating lunch outdoors at an Arabian restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Huge sandwiches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Found a convenient store that was a
supermarket below and a full hardware store upstairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We bought snacks and I found tape to repair
my pants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, it worked.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Pucon had a nice
beach and with the weather so warm, I figured it was time for a swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony went walking instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The water was a little cool, but it felt good
to enjoy one of the natural lakes of the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Pucon</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After that, we took
another walk together to the far end of the beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There, they were doing parasail rides, but
different from how I’d seen it done elsewhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The boat was just a zodiac like thing that didn’t look powerful enough,
but obviously was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pilot and paying
passenger were pulled directly away from the beach and into the strong
breeze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While outbound, they let out a
lot of rope and the parachute ended up quite high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was then cut loose and turned back in to
shore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the wind, it got back
easily, circled a bit and landed back at the starting point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All fun to watch.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We’d pretty well
used up the day so decided to stay another night back at the same town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony didn’t want to deal with parking
downtown, so we searched outside a ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Didn’t have much luck finding lodging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We even parked and walked several blocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many places posted signs for cabanas but when
we tried, we’d find locked gates, or nobody home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes the place just looked uninviting
and sometimes they only provided a phone number to call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We weren’t going to do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After quite a bit of frustration, we found a
hotel that was very reasonable and more convenient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they had free parking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an odd place with our room upstairs,
around a few corners and down some long hallways.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The next morning was
New Years eve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We aimed south with still
a couple of extra days on our schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We detoured east to loop around one more lake, but by then had seen
enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped in the middle of one
town to consult the map.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t even
get out of the car, but while there, Johnny-on-the-spot parking guy slipped a
tag under the wiper and was there to collect his ten cents or so just as we
were about to pull away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They sure get
the job done, much to our annoyance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
A little later, we
got caught in a traffic tie-up that appeared to be due to an accident up
ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I walked forward to investigate
and people kept asking me for a report of what was going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They didn’t seem to grasp that I really
couldn’t communicate very well with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since we were just aimlessly sight-seeing anyway, we opted to go around
rather than sit there indefinitely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
ended up on about 25 miles of bad road that eventually led us back to where we
were headed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We then saw a freshly
mangled small tourist bus that must have been the cause of our delay.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Another nice Chilean lake</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We bought gas, then
searched for a place for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we
got lucky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A cute restaurant overlooked
the river with a good view of the surrounding mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The menu was readable and the girl spoke good
English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The place had a firehouse theme
which was interesting and the food was good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Score!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After that we got on
the main freeway that connects Puerto Montt with Santiago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only it wasn’t quite a freeway since we had
to pay toll.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also got stopped in
another police checkpoint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But like the
one in Argentina, the cops were polite and after checking our documents, sent
us on our way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We ended up in the
town of Frutillar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was on a different
bank of the same lake we’d passed the first morning of this road trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The town was ugly with not much going on as
we searched out accommodations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found
a rustic cabana and did business with the gruff old man that owned it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We needed instructions on how to light the
water heater and such.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We then set out
looking for dinner, but there was nothing nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then remembering that it was supposed to be a
lakeside town and we didn’t see any lake, we figured we were in the wrong part
of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We drove down off of the bluff
to find the very nice tourist area by the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Osorno volcano was reflected beautifully in
the setting sun.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
But it was New Years
eve, getting late, and some places were closed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We finally found a nice restaurant open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tony got pasta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw abalone on
the menu and couldn’t resist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It won’t
be found on menus in the states and I hadn’t had any in probably forty
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our very generous meals
arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The abalone was rather tough
and not all that delicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We both had
leftovers for lunch the next day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We awoke January 1 to
noisy birds and a crowing rooster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed
instant coffee in the room before hitting the road again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We looped north around the big lake, then
down the east side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony had done a
little research and found that there was a road up to the ski area on the
volcano.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After a couple stops
along the road to appreciate the view of the lake and its very clear water, we
located the small road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was paved all
the way up and a great drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped
at one spot for a short hike before reaching the ski lodge.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Again, it wasn’t
much of a ski area, but probably plenty for the skiing population of the
region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oddly, I saw a carload of guys
return from the mountain, removing their ski boots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The nearest snow was way up the
mountain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It appeared they’d skied down
the pumice covered mountain.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Back down and around
the lake we arrived at the town of Puerto Varras.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony had read of a museum that looked
interesting and we stumbled on it right away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was easy to find as it was a house with the bow of a boat grafted
onto it protruding towards the highway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We stopped and went in as it was run on donations only.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Museum at Puerto Varras</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The place was the
work of one man who was working upstairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He collected stuff, painted and added on to his house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The construction was very haphazard and
totally interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I appreciate that
kind of thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His collections included
old typewriters, a stoplight, and a slew of other odd stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I liked his artwork.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After lunch in town,
we headed south again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were now very
near Puerto Montt with still a day and a half to kill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I opted to go to Chiloe Island and Tony
agreed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a good-sized island with
ferry service across a narrow strait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The people there reportedly think of themselves as rather special, and
identify more as Chiloeans than Chilenos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The map showed a penguin colony and a lighthouse conveniently located.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
As we neared the end
of the road, we didn’t know what to expect at the ferry dock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remembering our earlier experience, would we
be turned away for lack of a reservation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Would we have to go wait in line and provide all sorts of documentation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many ferries were there per day?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Might we have to wait for one the next day? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
All questions were
soon answered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we approached, we were
waved forward and directly onto the ramp and the waiting large ferry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shortly after we got on, the ramp was raised
and we were off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A guy came around with
a portable credit card machine, quickly ran our charge and that was it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a contrast in efficiency and unnecessary
paperwork.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
On the island we
drove another twenty minutes to the main city of Ancud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A working port town, it was rather ugly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most buildings looked as though they hadn’t
been updated or painted in 50 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We stopped for a walk around and found the place pretty dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, it was New Year’s day so much was
closed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We then set out to
find a place to stay which turned into quite the odyssey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were no Ramadas or Motel 6es.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only little private hostels and cabanas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We passed a few possibilities and ended up on
a lonely road that took us a long ways out of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We returned, checking out all possibilities
along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some cases, signs led
us to nothing, in others, no one answered when we banged on the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many other places just looked unpleasant.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We headed back in
the direction of the ferry remembering accommodations along that highway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pulled into one rural cabana resort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nobody was at the office, but as we were
leaving, a greasy guy wandered over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I asked about accommodations, he looked me over as if considering
whether I met the high standards of their place or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He finally said that they did.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Very anxious to
finally get settled for the night, but feeling leery of the choice, I asked if
we could see the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He grumbled, and
led us down the path.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right before our
cabin, was an angry German Shepherd tied up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He barked viciously at us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony
had been bothered most mornings by birds, dogs or other noisy things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wasn’t thrilled with this mean dog.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The room was pretty
shabby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could have gone either way on
the decision to stay there or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then
Tony went into the bathroom and came out with one thin purple bath towel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He asked if we’d be able to get another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The guy shook his head no.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
With that, Mr.
easy-to-please Tony had reached his limit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He dropped the towel and said “let’s keep looking.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked away without a word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was surprised at his backbone there and had
to laugh at the whole situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fortunately, we found a much nicer place soon after that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After enjoying our
delicious instant coffee in the room the next morning, we headed out for the
penguin colony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Signs led us there and
Tony had read up on it a little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
driving across the beach a ways, we were waved into a parking lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The penguins were on small islands just off
shore, so we’d be viewing them on a small boat tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Signs indicated we’d need to wait a while for
the first one so we walked the beach and checked things out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The tour was only
about $10 each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boats were big open
skiffs with outboard motors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were
located in a protected bay with a shallow flat beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our boat was rolled out by hand on its
trailer and put in the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was
no dock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather than make us wade
through the water to the boat though, they had a clever solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Six or eight of us were led to a set of steps
that led up to a platform a few feet above the sand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was on wheels so the same guys rolled us
out to the boat where we could board without getting wet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The process was reversed when we came back
in.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Going to see penguins</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The tour lasted 40 minutes or so and was
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got up close to the penguins
where they lived on the rocks and swam in the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other birds such as cormorants were there as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The water was very clean and we
could see lots of bright red starfish.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After that, we drove
out to a far end of the island to the lighthouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lighthouse wasn’t too special, but the
location was great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The clouds were high
enough for a good view in all directions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Several far-away volcanoes could be seen.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The landscape was
rolling hills with tall grass and few trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A cool breezed brought fresh air and a growing appetite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was time for lunch.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We headed back into
town in search of food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But like finding
a place to stay, that can be elusive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
told Tony to stop at the first Burger King he saw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that was, of course, a joke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was nothing of the sort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What they do have is shabby food shacks or
storefronts with a sign out indicating what they have to offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Places to eat aren’t that obvious, and then once
found, most aren’t very appealing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
But we found one
that looked good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went in, sat down,
and waited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And waited some more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were only a few customers there but
they seemed to occupy all of the waitress’s time and attention.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
When I finally
caught her eye, she looked surprised and asked something to the affect of “Oh,
you want to eat here?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I avoided using
any smart-ass sarcasm and indicated yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We waited several more minutes without her making another
appearance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, mild-mannered Tony
had had enough and out we went.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
This time we found
nothing else for a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Signs would
advertise a restaurant, but inevitably they’d be closed or no longer in
business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, along the highway we
came to a place that looked promising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
went in to check it out and was immediately greeted by the husband and wife
team that wanted to serve me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I waved
Tony in and we sat down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were no
other customers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We learned right off
that there was no menu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were
offering the meal of the day, and that was it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Today’s offering was merlusa, a white fish, which I’d had and liked but
which Tony hadn’t been interested in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
told me to go ahead though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I ordered my meal,
and in the confusion, Tony thought he’d ordered just coffee, but I suspected
they were bringing him a meal, as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sure enough out came two big plates of food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it turned out fine as Tony discovered
that he liked the fish just fine after all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The island of Chiloe
is famous for its old wooden churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
don’t remember the exact history, but I guess they were built by missionaries some
three hundred years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most are still
standing and being preserved today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are many scattered about the middle of the island. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were headed that direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But after lunch, it seemed to be getting late
and we were ready to just get back to Puerto Montt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We turned around and
went directly to the ferry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The process
was just as quick and easy returning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And it was a nice ferry ride to boot.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Puerto Montt is a
good-sized city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were approaching it
from a different direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately,
the GPS led us right into and through the middle of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a different hotel reserved this time,
in the heart of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That can be
convenient, or not, when you have a car to deal with.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We couldn’t find any
place to park nearby so ended up walking several blocks back to the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it was hard to find due to the fact that
the front was boarded over with plywood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We finally found the sign on the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It turned out to be a reasonably nice place in disguise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got access to their garage, we fetched the
car and checked in.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Chile had had recent
political problems with riots and such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Santiago got most of the action, but apparently this city was also
either hit or thought they would be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
whole downtown area was fortified with plywood and sheet metal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Made it look ugly and rather sinister.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Tony went out for a
walk, but I had some business to attend to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Back around the first of November, we got burglarized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That coupled with the bicycle stealing event
of a couple years previously, left us feeling not nearly so secure there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lin’s always been nervous about being home
alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This caused her to be really
paranoid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was two weeks before I
was due to leave on a trip that I could hardly cancel or postpone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
So, I bought a good
security camera system and got busy installing that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It involved putting up seven cameras and
running wires from all of them to the central hard drive and monitor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She also wanted lots more motion activated
lights, which I installed as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
whole system linked to our phones so we were getting alerts every time Radar
moved about the porch or a car went down the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But she felt more secure.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Then a couple of
weeks into my trip, the burglar returned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At lease we assume it was the same guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was at night when Lin wasn’t home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She only viewed it later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he
spent a full hour at the house walking around and looking for a way in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, she had things locked up tight
then.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The cops were called
again and they viewed the video, agreeing that it was creepy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lin suspected that whoever it was, was coming
up from the creek across the street from us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The property that the creek runs through belongs to the city and
connects to other unoccupied properties for a good long ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve never been down to the creek as the
hillside is steep and it’s thick with berry bushes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
But Lin saw what
looked like a trail and some drug paraphernalia nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And video footage showed someone coming from
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Police even commented that there
is a big network of trails that connect to some homeless encampments elsewhere.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
A third incident was
when she found that someone had been in our attached storage building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was nothing worth stealing in there,
but the guy had left behind two books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was telling because during our burglary, some things were moved around
and not stolen.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
On top of this,
Radar didn’t like being left alone all day everyday and was finding ways to
escape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Always some neighbor a few
blocks away would take him in and call one of the numbers on his tag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure he’d be smart enough to find his
way home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It always worked out fine for
him and he enjoyed the adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
getting hit by a car loomed in his future.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
So Lin had to start
locking him in the house during the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This meant coming right home after work to let him out instead or doing
whatever else she might have wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Needless to say, all of this was a stress and imposition on her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was feeling guilty and helpless to do much
for her from afar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt I should come
home and deal with it all, but that would have been extremely costly and
difficult at that point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
And with Jen on her
way down, and our cruise paid for, I was obligated to stay away for another
three weeks at least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I did make the
offer to return home after reaching Buenos Aires with Jen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lin appreciated that, and left the
possibility open.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I decided to take
the opportunity to call the Renton police from Puerto Montt and try to get some
action from them on our personal crime wave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The phone call was frustrating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The sergeant I talked to was all about telling why nothing had gotten
done and why nothing much could be done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He challenged all my theories and nixed all my ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed to be my job to provide some solid
proof before they’d invest any effort into trying to solve things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Homeless people living on or passing through
city property to commit crime was not something they felt any responsibility
for.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The only helpful
action I could get him to commit to was that if Lin called and requested an
officer, that he could probably be talked into following the trail a ways to at
least determine if anyone is living close by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As it turned out, Lin recruited some neighbors to hack into the brush
there and whatever trail had been, is now obliterated and blocked off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So that was never done. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Anyway, after
butting heads with the Renton PD, I went for a walk myself around town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It felt safe enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The open park-like area near the water was
nice and inviting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the downtown area
was not pleasant, looking like a war zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And that night loud head-banging party music from somewhere permeated
the hotel room until early morning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Friday the 3<sup>rd</sup>
and our road trip was at an end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took
our trusty but under-powered car back to the airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was remarkably undamaged and the return
was easier than expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony and I had
different flights but they were at near enough times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We again enjoyed a visit to the available
lounge before boarding.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We both arrived back
in Santiago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d be waiting an hour or
two for Jen’s flight coming from Lima.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It turned out to be delayed a few minutes further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony, meanwhile, went to take care of the
formalities in picking up the car he was renting in his name only.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They informed him, however, that they’d run out
of cars so wouldn’t be honoring his reservation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fortunately, he was able to get a better deal at the next counter.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Jen showed up as
expected, and our well-timed rendezvous of three flights went off as
planned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The three of us plus mucho
luggage piled into the rental.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fortunately, Tony had realized that a bigger car than that Swift would
be necessary.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I plugged in the
address for our reserved lodging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
think it was set to shortest route instead of fastest and we ended up on some
slow crowded city streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And some
ugly graffiti-adorned neighborhoods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But we eventually got to the downtown area of our rental.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
In seeking out a
rental for the three of us, I’d found the best deal in what was an apartment
rented out by a private individual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
can be a good deal and is probably suitable for a long-term stay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it tends to be too much hassle for
short-term.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
In this case, I was
dealing with a guy that needed to know when I’d be there as he would have to
meet me, show me in, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no
reception desk to get the key at.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
trying to keep him updated on our arrival time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course, that’s not necessary with a conventional hotel.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
When we arrived at
the location, much like in Puerto Montt, there was no place to park or even
pull over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We couldn’t read addresses so
only knew approximately where the place was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After circling the block a couple of times on the one-way streets, I
just had Tony find a place to park temporarily while I went and checked it out
on foot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found the place and called
the guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some confusion ensued, he
promised to be right there, but it took several minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile Tony and Jen were waiting around the
block in a no parking zone, wondering when I was coming back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was getting frustrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
But he finally
showed up. A door to parking was opened and I went to fetch the others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The apartment was nice and roomy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were on the fifteenth floor with a nice
view of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stressful
situation resolved nicely.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After settling in,
we went for a walk about town and to eventually find dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony had already spent a couple of days in
the city, but hadn’t been to this part of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We went by Plaza de Armas, the center of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were tons of people there and at first
I feared that some sort of political activity was getting going. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it wasn’t at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just the normal throng of locals out and
about.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We walked several
blocks along a park towards the restaurant area I remembered from my visit ten
years previously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Along the way we saw a
few of the stoplights that had been disabled by rioters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also a long row of motorcycle cops with riot
gear standing by for any trouble.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We arrived in Bellavista
and it was as I remembered it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Interesting restaurants and bars lined both sides of the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Colorful murals abounded and it had a very
lively vibe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a short tour, we
ducked into a courtyard area called Patio Bellavista.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This had five or six nice choices for eating
or drinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No doubt some of the
priciest in town, but still reasonable by our standards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We picked one and had a good meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony wanted to walk back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jen and I splurged and spent about $3 on an
Uber ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great bargain.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevKafPcMxVHcsNHpQeH2KYDS9Y22WN0euQYllA52-sV1W9rNwwPiXw_oJ7MFA-Yw3tcQrrA2bimU-ml4Ogm9nRzIjPKZW8Rs03w2WvkkNAk2I-vL1Vvd7iUXR0Xe3LDRwL91cRnSw8OE/s1600/IMG_20200103_194242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevKafPcMxVHcsNHpQeH2KYDS9Y22WN0euQYllA52-sV1W9rNwwPiXw_oJ7MFA-Yw3tcQrrA2bimU-ml4Ogm9nRzIjPKZW8Rs03w2WvkkNAk2I-vL1Vvd7iUXR0Xe3LDRwL91cRnSw8OE/s320/IMG_20200103_194242.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Colorful Bellavista neighborhood of Santiago</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I’ve had a few “small
world” experiences while traveling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Finding common acquaintance with someone around the world is surprising,
but not that uncommon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ten years ago, I
visited Chile and spent a few nights in Valparaiso.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During that visit, I met a lady named Malena
and we hit it off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d expressed
interest in returning to see her and to travel together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She initially was all for it, then found
reason to back away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We maintained some
very occasional contact over the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A while back she quit responding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I figured maybe she got involved with someone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Anyway, flash back forward
to January 4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saturday morning, we all get
up in Santiago with the plan of going to the very interesting city of
Valparaiso for the afternoon and overnight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tony mentioned that he may have a date for that night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes, knowing we’d be in that city and that he’d likely have an extra
night on his own, he’d checked an on-line dating site to see if there was
anyone interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he had a coffee
date set up for that afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Remembering Malena’s
tendency towards afternoon coffee, it naturally came to mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Her name isn’t Malena, is it?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why, yes, it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the age matched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Must be the same person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually he produced a photo that was the
same one I’d seen of her ten years previously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I told him it was definitely the same gal, and that the photo was quite
old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are the chances?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a pretty good-sized city.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
She didn’t know I
was going to be there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And she had no
way of suspecting that Tony and I had any connection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They did meet for coffee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He contacted her the next day but she said
she had plans with her kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony
reports that they wrote a few mails, and that it was he that quit writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end he never mentioned my name so she
is still in the dark, as far as I know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My diagnosis is that she likes meeting new men, but doesn’t want to get
involved.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
But backing up
again, the three of us had coffee in the room, then went out looking for breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We almost settled on a Starbucks as the only
option when another place opened up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Much better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we loaded up
and left the apartment. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We had one more
sight to see in the city so drove back to the Bellavista neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We weren’t sure about parking and the
security of the car with all our stuff in it, but finally left it parked on the
street and hoped for the best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked
a few blocks back to the top of the street where the cable car and funicular
can both be accessed for a ride up to the top of the hill.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We bought tickets
for the funicular and rode on up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From
there we walked all over, got up close to the huge statue and enjoyed to great
view of the whole city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back down, we
discovered that Tony, in searching for something in the trunk had failed to latch
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amazingly nothing was touched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parking marshal was there to meet us though
and collect his due.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
As a result of the
political turmoil in Santiago, several traffic lights were out of
commission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some enterprising young men
capitalized on this by appointing themselves traffic cops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had on fluorescent vests and stood out
in the intersections directing traffic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then they held out their cups for tips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tony thought they were performing a great public service and even tipped
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought they were just getting
in the way and extorting drivers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
There were sometimes
more than one working an intersection and they didn’t necessarily
coordinate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their actions seemed more
geared towards expediting the tippers than smooth traffic flow.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was Saturday
morning so traffic wasn’t too bad leaving Santiago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The GPS led us to the highway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But traffic there was quite heavy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We slowly progressed west towards the
coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My initial idea was to go into
Vina del Mar first for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is kind
of the modern upscale sister city of Valpo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We aimed for that,
but when we came over the hill, I saw a much bigger expanse of high-rises than
I remembered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a huge city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Traffic was awful and it didn’t look like
parking would be possible if we could locate some place to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we managed a U-turn and proceeded to
Valparaiso.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
There we got
lucky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pulled into an industrial area
to get our bearings and look at the map.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Being able to park, we got out for a look around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we saw a local restaurant that looked
interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it was delightful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Locals, no tourists. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was another “meal of the day” deal with no
menus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We just had to take what
came.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And a lot came. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They found us a waiter that could speak a bit
of English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The food and atmosphere were
perfect.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Valparaiso restaurant</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We again had
reserved rooms in a private residence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Valpo is a world heritage site and as such, all of the best parts are
preserved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No new hotels can be
built.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consequently, few conventional
hotels exist and lodging is where you can find it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found our place in a very good location at
the end of a small street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parking was
tricky and turning around would not be easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fortunately, we wouldn’t need to drive anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Driving the hills of that city is a fright
anyway.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Our abode was a big
and interesting old house, as are most buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our host showed us to our two rooms and gave
us a handful of keys to deal with the various locks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A wall and iron gate separated the house from
the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly crime was a concern
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The place was funky but just
right for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had balconies with a
great view of the fascinating city.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Throughout the
country we’d seen some political graffiti and indication of anti-government
sentiment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it seemed to run hottest
in Valpo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They clearly hated the
president, Pinero, there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our host
didn’t hide his sentiments that way either.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After settling in,
Tony headed out to explore and to his eventual date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jen and I set out to see the sights on our
own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Due to medical issues, she wasn’t
keen on a lot of long climbs and descents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But there was no good alternative from our location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were at the top of a long bunch of steps
that would take us down to base level.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
At the bottom was
the taxi stand and many more businesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We traversed the bottom of the steep hill to the next road that led
up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the way we passed a park area
that’s kind of the center of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here
we encountered a burning sensation in our eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were lots of people about and no sense
of panic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But many were wearing masks or
otherwise covering their mouths or eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It must have been tear gas or something similar lingering from some
previous event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hurried through and
got clear of it soon enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never
learned what it was or why it was there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Soon we reached the
ascensor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is an outdoor, public,
diagonal elevator that can be used as a way to get up one of the steep hills in
lieu of the long climb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s cheap and
well worth it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Up we went and arrived at
Cerro Concepcion, I believe.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
This was the main tourist
area with restaurants and tourist shops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Walkways along the edge of the hill provided nice views.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We happened to run into Tony along
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jen and I walked all over,
stopping once for a beer and then later to eat.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Dinner was at a
pizza place where we were led up to balcony seating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the table next to us a group of young guys
proceeded to pull out a bag of dope and roll their own joints there at the
table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They then lit up as the pizza was
delivered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one seemed to think
anything of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>South America has surely
liberalized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We took a taxi back
up the hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That required some
negotiation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The guy was obviously very
familiar with the steep hills and went screaming up them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He almost ran over a dog, which Jen would
never have forgiven him for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He dropped
us a few blocks above our place saying that he wouldn’t be able to turn around
if he went further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had a point
there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
While Vina was much
changed from what I remember, Valpo was essentially the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If anything, the artwork was better than
before, and the character of the place remains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Much of the public painting around the city is obviously professionally
done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know who does it or pays
for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some other looks more like
random graffiti.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I like the overall
effect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I have mixed
feelings about the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The character
is enticing, but it isn’t particularly friendly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parts are ugly and I’m sure dangerous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll try to remember only the good aspects,
as I’ll probably never be back.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The next morning
Tony and I walked up the road a ways looking for a place for breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But at 8:00 on a Sunday morning everything
was dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later, he went out on his own
and Jen and I went looking for food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
didn’t find much, but at the bottom of the steps we were able to get some
pastry and peaches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We then found an
alternate path up through some open gates and past lots of barking dogs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Soon we loaded up
and headed out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Destination was San
Antonio and our next cruise ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
no hurry, we stuck to the coast and scenic roads as much as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took us about two hours to get there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
With some time to
spare, we parked and took a short walk in the town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found a grocery store and bought some wine
to take aboard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We then found the port,
though our ship and the way to get to it seemed elusive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We finally saw others dragging luggage and
confirmed that they were headed for our ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tony seemed anxious to get on with his day so we took our bags and got
out, losing one bottle of wine in the
process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Goodbye Tony and hello Coral
Princess.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I’d sailed once on
Princess almost 20 years previously and had a favorable impression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was hoping they hadn’t gone too far
downhill since then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our embarkation
procedures went very well and quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Soon we were aboard and enjoying a buffet lunch.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Our cabin was a
balcony on deck 11, port side aft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
were happy with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went to explore
the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was roughly the same size
as the Norwegian Star and equivalent in most ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned that Jen had bought the drink package.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had contented myself with catching cheap
beers in port and buying an occasional drink on the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when I learned what she paid and how much
less it was than NCL charges, I gave way to temptation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t get my money’s worth, but it sure was
nice to just drink what you want when you wanted it without seeing a price tag.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Our 6:00 pm
departure time came and went with us still tied up to the dock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, the captain came on with the
announcement that for whatever reason we were unable to get the fuel we needed
when we needed it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wouldn’t be fueled
until later that night and then due to other circumstances wouldn’t be able to
actually set sail until about 2:30 the next afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was very apologetic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
He also said that because
of the delay, they would have to drop Punta Arenas from our itinerary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, they were crediting each of us $75
for that loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NCL wouldn’t be crediting
anything, I knew, so that was welcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He went on to inform us that a big storm was raging along the coast
further south and that we might be further delayed by that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He told us what channel on the TV we could
tune in to see real time weather data about that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, NCL never did that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And wave heights of ten meters certainly
sounded significant to me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
So, my initial
impression, is that these cruise lines all have problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that some deal with it a lot better than
others.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Monday morning, we
were still in the port of San Antonio, but we were allowed off the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a lot to see there, but we didn’t pass
the opportunity to be on land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could
be a while before we get there again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Anyway, it turned
out to be worthwhile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t go into
town as it wasn’t much, but there were loads of vendors near the dock selling
all sorts of stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bought a
belt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Further down the way they were
selling fresh fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then beyond that
there were big sea lions right on the beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You could walk right up to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I didn’t go that far, but it was a good photo op.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Princess offers the
choice of traditional dining with the same waiter and table mates throughout
the cruise, or the freestyle plan of just go when you want and sit where
assigned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We chose the traditional and
the later seating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a table for
eight, but it was only us and another couple that ever came.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The other couple was
nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nancy and Brian from
Colorado.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Slightly older than me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We seemed to enjoy easy conversation over
dinner each night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One more couple at
our table would have been better though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Service was spotty initially, but eventually they got it worked
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our waiter was great and learned to
anticipate our every need.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We did set sail on
the revised schedule and the Captain announced that a stop in Puerto Montt had
been added.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With that we’d be sailing
down the passage east of Chiloe island in more protected waters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The delay was giving the storm a chance to
blow out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The downside was that this
came at the expense of time spent in Antarctica.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He assured us we’d still have plenty of time
there and would see a lot.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Of course, I didn’t
care about stopping in Puerto Montt since I’d recently spent two nights there,
but it all made sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The original
schedule had four days of cruising in Antarctica, so I didn’t think cutting
that to two would make much difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In any case they seemed to be trying to come up with the best plan and
they kept us informed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After a day at sea,
we were going through the strait that Tony and I had crossed by ferry just a
few days earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The captain told us of
a cable strung across the strait that we would just barely fit under.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure enough, near the ferry crossing was a
very long cable that we just fit under.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We then had to detour well south before docking in the morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Presumably the water was too shallow to go
direct.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I’d seen most of
what there was to see in the area and gave Jen a briefing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was just planning to go ashore, walk around
some then return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it was her first
visit there and she was hoping to see more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The ship offered some tours of course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But they were expensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once on
shore there were other cheaper excursions to choose from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She got a bus tour going by the lake,
waterfall and to the volcano.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, low clouds and rain prevented very good sightseeing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Jen also had the
internet package.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The service and price
were both better than I’d seen on NCL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In any case, I had contact with Lin and could access my e-mail if
necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That plus the booze package
took away two reasons for going ashore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But it also freed up time there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I walked around the
town some more, bought some socks, and got kind of wet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We left port that evening, sailed the inside
passage and broke out into the open ocean again at about 9:00 the next morning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The delay tactics
must have worked out well, as the sea was calm enough by then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a day and night at sea, we entered
Beagle Passage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This long narrow strait
between islands took us mostly east towards Tierra del Fuego.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were now well beyond the furthest south
that Tony and I had reached by road.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The scenery in the
passage was beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mountains, trees,
glaciers and waterfalls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The area is
totally uninhabited and pristine, much like areas of SE Alaska.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d occasionally passed other vessels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of the passage, we would have
turned left to reach Punta Arenas, but since we were missing that, we turned
south to wind our way through the straits of Magellan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That eventually led us to the town of Ushuaia
the next morning.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZg0xWW7QsiExvsTJTRiRL8HooygGmThV_UFJH3UAuyBXtuSOr3uN8kEi8lofl4oOjruPv7ie7ygHCvd6N04bh_vV_VxKjuA7YZUVuHEIwUa7QPTc2Nwhx3MGErSYzNU9yZ3EqGQt7Mb8/s1600/IMG_20200112_072958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZg0xWW7QsiExvsTJTRiRL8HooygGmThV_UFJH3UAuyBXtuSOr3uN8kEi8lofl4oOjruPv7ie7ygHCvd6N04bh_vV_VxKjuA7YZUVuHEIwUa7QPTc2Nwhx3MGErSYzNU9yZ3EqGQt7Mb8/s320/IMG_20200112_072958.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Ushuaia is in
Argentina and bills itself as the furthest south city in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a few villages beyond it but
nothing of its size more southerly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was mostly settled by Germans and definitely had a German influence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s other claim to fame was that it became
home to a large prison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like Alcatraz,
it was viewed as a very remote place to send the worst prisoners away for a
long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now it’s mostly a tourist
economy that thrives on cruise ships.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We got off the ship
there with no definite plan for the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As usual we were greeted by people touting their tours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We opted for one that seemed to hit all that
there was to see and do in the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
$100, it was about half the price of the same thing booked through the cruise
line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t leave for an hour though
so we had time to walk around town.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Our tour took us by
small bus west to a little train station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The rail line was originally to the prison, but was long ago converted
for tourism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had little steam
locomotives and small passenger cars on a narrow-gauge track.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Eventually we loaded
up and chugged on down the track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
made one stop at a waterfall, then again at the end of the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s billed as “fin del mundo” or “end of the
world”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it pretty much is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The prison pre-dates the highway that now
connects Tierra del Fuego to the mainland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So prisoners brought there by ship were not much of an escape risk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had nowhere to go.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Our bus met us there
and took us to other sight-seeing places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Much of the area is protected park with lakes and seashore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another stop was a lodge where we got a bite to eat, followed by a pleasant walk through the woods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the final
stop was at a remote post office on a lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It billed itself as the furthest south post office in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can see how they like to exploit their
position.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
In all, it was an
enjoyable tour and a good way to spend our time there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was back to town and back on the boat.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The next morning we
were circling the island that is Cape Horn, the bottom end of the
Americas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You might think that the cape
is named for the shape of South America down there, which does resemble a
horn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that is not the case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was named by a Dutch explorer after the
town of Hoorne in the Netherlands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Spanish may have changed that to Hornos which means oven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That goes along with the theme of Tierra del
Fuego which was named for the smoky fires early explorers saw there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the English translation became Cape
Horn, because Cape Oven would have sounded stupid.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
As we circled the
island and cape, many people were up on deck in the cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And t</span>he ships crew was up there with liquor
carts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently passing Cape Horn is
something you’re supposed to celebrate, even at 8:00 in the morning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Anyway, we left that
behind and sailed straight south across Drake Passage towards Antarctica.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This water is notoriously rough with high
winds, but it was calm as could be for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The air temperature was in the 40s with overcast sky but good
visibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About as nice as can be
expected, I imagine.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After another day at
sea, we neared Antarctica and saw our first iceberg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then eventually spotted seals, penguins and
whales.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some on board were fully
equipped for this viewing with cold weather gear, expensive binoculars, cameras
and tripods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had none of this so
didn’t spend that much time up on deck trying to view and photograph the
wildlife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was plenty to be seen
and I got my fill.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The ship had, I
think, three scientists on board with various fields of expertise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They gave lectures in the theater most days
and were on the bridge during viewing times to narrate what there was to
see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They knew all about the wildlife,
geology, ecology and history of the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In all, they were quite good and informative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I especially liked the guy with the extremely
snooty sounding British accent.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I’d expected our
exposure to Antarctica would simply be cruising by the peninsula and
islands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it was much more planned
than that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went into specific bays
for good views of spectacular glaciers and other features.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we went by a few of the scientific
stations set up and occupied by various countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather remained calm with glassy smooth
seas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The temperature remained just
above freezing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except for fog one
morning, the weather was about as good as could be hoped for.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
During our visit to
one location, a contingent from the Polish station came out to the ship by
small boat, came aboard, and talked a little about their life and work
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why Poland has an interest in
Antarctica, I don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason
they were keen to come out to the ship was apparently for the buffet.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We only saw a tiny
fraction of Antarctica… the warmest, nearest and most inhabited part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet it was extremely bleak, wild and desolate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The vast, cold emptiness of the rest of the
continent is hard to fathom.<br />
<br /></div>
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<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I think most, like
me, were satisfied with what we got to see of Antarctica.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s truly a luxury to get to explore such a
hostile environment in such comfort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
headed north and spend another full day at sea.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr53w21U8J0GIdaivmZjP108WRVlMEm5vJHQOnxzo4MsnaZPXX9zkWlXsd3i67qWALkeQRKgq_-bvF5YMWsyYIdx0bp8i1gv58GefRMjpdR7LAZTD1eBU3vAAwO02j0JTHgaakQj4K0KQ/s1600/IMG_20200115_111823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr53w21U8J0GIdaivmZjP108WRVlMEm5vJHQOnxzo4MsnaZPXX9zkWlXsd3i67qWALkeQRKgq_-bvF5YMWsyYIdx0bp8i1gv58GefRMjpdR7LAZTD1eBU3vAAwO02j0JTHgaakQj4K0KQ/s320/IMG_20200115_111823.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It was during this time that the ocean finally got a bit rough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t get seasick, but both Jen and I had
colds at this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We laid low and
eventually recovered.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We next arrived at
the Falkland Islands which I was anxious to visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I clearly remember the Falklands war in the
80s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was such a far-off place but
made big news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Falklands are
windswept nearly treeless islands in a cool climate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The population is so small as to make even
those two small islands one of the least densely populated places on
earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s mostly sheep grazing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We anchored off of
Stanley, the capital and only real city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The ship's lifeboats were used as tenders to take us ashore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The town was not much at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was very quaint and very British.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone spoke English which was nice, and
they drove on the left.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We walked around a
while and saw almost all there was to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A museum of the war was the highlight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, war heroes and defending the island seemed to be the whole
theme of the place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Down along the water
were a few parks and monuments dedicated to those that had fought for the
Falklands.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The history, in case
you forget, is that the islands have been affiliated with or part of the U.K.
for a good long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Argentina, however, begs to differ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being close to them,
they still claim them as part of Argentina and indeed call them the Malvinas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took note that within Argentina, there are
big signs in various places of the country just to remind people that the
Malvinas are part of Argentina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
folks in the Falklands disagree.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Back in the 80s, Argentina was in the midst of political upheaval…again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whoever was in power decided that reclaiming
the Falklands/Malvinas would be a good political move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, they invaded, expecting the U.K. to not
care enough to defend them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They judged
Margaret Thatcher wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She sent full
military force down there and retook the islands.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The people of the
Falklands are eternally grateful and loyal to the U.K.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They clearly didn’t want to be part of
Argentina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shortly after the war, they
held a vote and more than 99% of Falkland Islanders confirmed that they wanted
to remain part of Britain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously,
Argentina still covets the territory, but hopefully they will not be trying
again any time soon.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We also learned that
the chief export of the Falklands is fish and the primary customer is
Spain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are concerned that Brexit
will mess up that trading arrangement.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We’d pretty much
seen it all after a couple of hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jen
decided to join a tour that was going out to view more penguins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I walked around a little more, then went back
to the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While there wasn’t a great
deal to see there, I very much enjoyed the experience of visiting the Falklands
and viewing the previous conflict from their point of view.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
One night during the
cruise (I don’t remember just when) there was a minor emergency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were in the theater when the mic was cut
and the singer tried to continue anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After several seconds he was interrupted by the captain on the PA
directing crew to their emergency stations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It was kind of
amazing to watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The band quit playing
and immediately left the stage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All others
working in the theater bolted for the exits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One person was left behind to tell us that the show was over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The captain made frequent announcements
directing the crew, but also informing us that nothing was required of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently just about all crew members have
alternate duties in such a situation and they all seemed to know where to
go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many had put on bright vests.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It was a fire in the
engine room that had sent smoke up into the lobby area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They quickly got it extinguished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The captain gave us a recap the next morning,
saying that one generator was now off-line but that it wouldn’t affect
anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it didn’t that I could
tell.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We were also
informed that four passengers had been involved in an accident while on a tour
in the Falklands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounds like they were
flown to a hospital somewhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, one
of the ships officers was hospitalized and left behind there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If similar things had occurred on the Star,
I’m sure they’d have hidden it if they’d been able, and told us nothing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I’d been in touch
with Lin from time to time and no new problems had occurred with our
burglar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She told me to keep on
traveling rather than returning home from Buenos Aires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Also going on while
I was gone, was the deal to trade my airplane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’d arrived at an agreement with a guy from Texas prior to me
leaving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he’d been very slow to take
care of his end of things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I expected to
never complete the deal, but to my surprise, it did finally go through at about
this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was a relief and put
money into my bank account.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But a month
and a half later, his airplane is still in my hangar and I still need to go to
Texas to retrieve mine.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Next stop
Montevideo, Uruguay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather had
changed dramatically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the cool of
The Falklands, Uruguay was hot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
docked right at the edge of Old Town, which was convenient, then picked up a
walking map and covered the area worth looking at.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back near the port, the old market had opened
up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There, we could see the huge grills
filled with meat being started for the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The place is famous for its parilla, which is a South American grilled
meat buffet.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We still had a few hours, so opted for a hop-on, hop-off bus tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather was nice and we could sit up
top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t have so much time as to
get off many places so mainly just stayed on the bus for the narrated
tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got a good overall view of a
city that isn’t spectacularly interesting.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Towards the end, we
did get off at a stop where it looked like we could access the beach, walk to
another stop and get back to the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We took a turn planning to cut through a park, but it turned out to be a
private golf club or something with no way through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That forced us down to the busy road along
the water where there was no shade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
turned into a long hot walk.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We reached the next
stop with not a lot of time until the next bus was due.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d planned to get something to eat, but
decided we didn’t have time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A nice
restaurant was there so we got a cool drink and watched for the bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They brought us a couple little pizza squares
gratis which was perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I paid the
bill early, and just in time, as Jen spotted our bus coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Out we ran and caught it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back on the ship, I went up and used the pool
for the first time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was finally hot
enough to enjoy that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Then it was a short
hop overnight to our destination--Buenos Aires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My overall impression with Princess was very good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially their honesty and with keeping us
informed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The captain especially was good
and seemed very intent on making it a fulfilling trip for us. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It was misting rain when we got off the ship
at about 10:00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With lots of baggage, a
taxi to our hotel was the only option. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, actually, Jen had lots of baggage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d shed some of mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knowing I’d need more nice clothing and winter
wear for the cruises, but then wouldn’t afterwards, I’d planned to lighten my
load once finished with cruise ships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The cost of checking a bag on flights now can be more than the clothes
are worth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d actually bought dress
shoes and a sport coat at Goodwill, which I left on the ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And my bigger suitcase got left behind
somewhere also.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Jen had picked the
hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was pretty nice, not expensive
at all and in a great location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were
two blocks from the iconic obelisk which denotes the center of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, our room was ready and we were
allowed to check in early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when
asked, the desk guy eagerly exchanged money for me out of his own wallet.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
View from hotel room</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After settling in,
we went for a long walk about town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First
was Plaza Mayo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Numerous important
buildings surrounded the large square.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just down from there, was a park that was along the waterway called
Puerto Madero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked the length of
that, which had a few old ships docked there, some upscale restaurants and
such.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Then we cut over to
the San Telmo neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was an
interesting mix of antique shops, funky restaurants, old buildings and colorful
murals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found a good lunch there at a
cute Italian place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was warm and
humid, so after a little more sightseeing, we caught a taxi back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took a roundabout way, but was still very
cheap.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
My initial impression
of the city was positive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had grand
buildings and fine architecture, along with the widest street in the
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of public space, impressive
monuments, and nice parks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prices were
good, traffic not horrible, and we hadn’t encountered any dangerous-looking
neighborhoods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One ugly side was the
homeless population.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were whole
families living on mattresses along the sidewalk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seems to be an international problem.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We weren’t hungry
enough to go find dinner, so bought snacking food at local markets and had
“dinner” in the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The A/C quit
overnight so it got a little warm in the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The next morning we decided to try the hop-on hop-off bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was an office right down the
street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d stopped at it the previous
day and it was so crowded we couldn't get any information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
it had since cleared out and the lady at the window spoke some English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We bought tickets and were soon on our
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We’d used this
concept in several cities, and it usually worked out well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, we were able to sit on the upper level
which was open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This provided a great
view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The route went by some places we’d
been to the day before, but well beyond that, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The first place we
got off was the area called Camanito.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is an iconic neighborhood of Buenos Aires and well-photographed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The place was very
interesting, funky, quirky and colorful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Odd murals and mannequins were on display.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Handicrafts and other unusual item were for
sale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It reminded me a little of New
Orleans or Haight Ashbury in San Francisco.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Camanito</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
A few blocks over
was a big old soccer stadium painted in the national colors of light blue and
yellow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They do take their soccer
seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We strolled all over, then
boarded another bus.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We had to transfer
buses at one place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an upscale
neighborhood of apartment complexes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
found a good lunch before boarding again. Our next stop was a neighborhood
called Recoletta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main attraction there
was the cemetery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the who’s who of
Argentina are buried there including Eva Peron.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, not exactly buried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like
the cemetery I’d toured with Tony in Chile, this consisted of above ground
vaults.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only these were even bigger and
more elaborate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The place was extensive
with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of unique and ornate tombs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Recoletta cemetery</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Right nearby we stumbled
on a sort of art museum that was free and open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We wandered around its various rooms and courtyards without figuring out
just what it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interesting though.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Back at the hotel,
we found that the A/C was again not working.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This time, they conceded that it was broken and we were allowed to move
down the hall to another room.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Jen was interested
in seeing a Tango show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t care
too much one way or the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She found
some online and said they were pretty expensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked at the hotel desk and they had a
couple options to choose from that would pick us up right there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we chose one that was only $109 for the
two of us including the transportation, dinner, drinks and the show.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
That evening we
dressed up a little and caught our ride at 8:00 or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were taken to a large modern building
which we’d actually passed earlier in the day on the bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were seated at a large table with a good
view of the stage and eventually joined by others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All seemed to be visitors and not from the
city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It appeared to seat around 500
people and did fill up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Wine flowed freely
and the dinner was good with the exception of my steak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The show seemed very good, though I’m not one
that could judge that very well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of
dramatic music and dancing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was well
worthwhile.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The next day was
Jen’s last.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After our hotel buffet
breakfast we just walked to whatever points of interest we hadn’t seen
yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We crossed the previously mentioned
widest street in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
consists of several traffic lanes on either side and a two-way bus highway in
the middle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About four different
walk/don’t walk signals get you across it all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We went by a fancy
opera theater and thought we might do the tour there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the next tour in English wasn’t for two
hours and cost more than we thought it was worth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a few parks and such, we ended up on a
busy pedestrian-only shopping street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What was interesting here was how many people were out trying to
exchange money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All along the way were
mostly guys chanting “cambio, cambio, cambio”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Our last tourist act
was to visit the oldest restaurant in the city called Cortinos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked the several blocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should add that Buenos Aires has an
extensive metro system with stations right close to the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should have made the effort to learn the
system and use it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they didn’t make
that easy so I just relied on my feet.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We arrived at Cortinos
and a line had already formed at the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We hadn’t necessarily planned to eat there, but figured it must be good
to attract such a line. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The person
minding the door seemed to be letting more people out than in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But eventually we were granted entrance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It surprisingly
wasn’t full.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They apparently just didn’t
have the capacity to feed any more people at once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I suspect the wait staff was the
reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The waiters all looked like
they’d been working there forty years or more and weren’t moving that
fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we did get served reasonably
quickly, the food was good and like everything else in the city, not very
expensive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Jen departed early
that evening for her long series of flights back home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s no quick way home from South America,
it seems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that night, I moved
across the street to another hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d
needed to make a separate booking anyway and that was a better deal at the
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was even nicer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I just did more
walking that day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found myself at the
train station which was bigger and nicer than expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is not much of a train system
throughout the continent, but Buenos Aires is connected to several cities by
rail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I watched as about 50 people made
a last-minute dash for a departing train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They all got on and it pulled out right on time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
While in the
neighborhood, I also stopped at the ferry terminal to buy my ticket on the boat
to Uruguay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That turned out to be much
more difficult than I expected or it should have been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I got my ticket.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
On the way back, I
knew I’d need a bit more cash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My new
hotel would not exchange money, citing the law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So I had to do business with one of the “Cambio” hawkers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first one didn’t want to mess with my
measly $20.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second guy led me a
block and a half away to his wife’s dress shop to make the exchange.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
That afternoon, I
returned to the San Telmo neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On my list of things to see or do was a house there with a recently
discovered labyrinth of tunnels under it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I did find the place, but again, the tour schedule and price had me
decide it wasn’t that interesting.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I looked for lunch
and was checking out the menu board at a restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A woman walking by took me for a tourist and
asked in English if I wanted a fancy place with expensive food, or a simple
place with good food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, I bit
on that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She directed me to another
restaurant down the block called Disnivel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps she was part owner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
in any case, the meal was thin sliced flank steak cooked in a gravy with lots
of onions and bell peppers, and mashed potatoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Excellent.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Following that, I
wandered the neighborhood more and stopped in at the museum of modern art. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was very cheap, air conditioned and had a
bathroom, so was well worth the stop even through the art wasn’t particularly
good.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
On my last full day there,
I walked a long ways back to the Recoletta neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Starting early to beat the heat, I was too
early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flea market there was not set
up yet and the Belles Artes Museum was not yet open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I walked further through some parks to
kill time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I arrived back as the art
museum was opening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d read that it was
free, but that only applied to Argentines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Gringos must pay.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It was a nice
building with impressive works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
were paintings by Van Gogh, Manet and a few other famous names.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it’s amazing how many people they employ
just to keep an eye on everyone there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Seems like overkill and their looming presence doesn’t enhance the
experience.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
By the time I was
done there, the flea market was up and going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many booths were selling mostly handicrafts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing I wanted, but interesting to look at.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
My hotel room rate
didn’t include breakfast, but they did serve one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I went to inquire about the price and was
told about $4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounded great, and I
planned to come back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The place was
empty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I returned later, it was
still empty, but a different person was on duty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She quoted me about $12, so I ate elsewhere.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After that, I
checked out and grabbed a taxi for the short and very cheap ride to the Bucabus
boat terminal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Passed through
immigration procedures and into the large waiting area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was surprised at the large crowd that amassed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were a few hundred people.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
We all filed onto
the boat and despite our numbers did not fill it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We departed on time and it was a swift smooth
ride across the very wide Rio de la Plata.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
During my trip, I wanted
to spend my remaining Argentine pesos figuring they’d be hard to get rid of any
other way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent a little at the snack
bar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was going to buy liquor in the duty-free
shop, but it closed just as I was getting there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to the money exchange on board, but I
didn’t have quite enough for their minimum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The boat pulled into
the dock at Colonia del Sacramento and it took a while for us all to file
off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No immigration procedures at that
end though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, I found an
exchange that relieved me of the last of my pesos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike Europe, each country of South America
has its own currency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This meant being
prepared by having some of the right cash when entering a country, then getting
rid of it all when leaving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far, I
was doing pretty well at that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The bus station was
more or less co-located with the ferry terminal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was going by bus the next day to
Montevideo, so wanted to figure that out and buy a ticket while I was
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But again, much more complicated
than expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two windows that I was
sent to turned out to not be right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
second, after a good wait told me that I needed to go to the bus station and
she pointed outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I went outside and
looked all over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No bus station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went back to her and she clarified that it
was down the street a block.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally found
it, sorted through my options and bought the ticket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I had one more obstacle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The little town has two marinas and I
mistakenly assumed that the ferry used the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was on the opposite side of the small
peninsula from where I thought I’d be, and a good deal longer walk to my
hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well.<br />
<br />
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The hotel, when I
got there, was a charming little place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And it had a very welcome swimming pool which I enjoyed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that was, in fact, my only hotel with a
pool for the trip.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After a refreshing dip,
I went out to explore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The little town
of Colonia is the gem of Uruguay as far as I’m concerned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The streets were wide, tree-lined
cobblestones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was all old, well
maintained, and very attractive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
atmosphere was quiet, calm and peaceful.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It wasn’t big though
and didn’t take too long to see most of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was a lighthouse that afforded a view, a fishing pier along with
numerous restaurants and boutique type hotels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was something like a free park/museum that was pleasant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was just an enjoyable place to wander
around and spend time.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After another swim,
I was ready for dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I’d decided
to splurge on a parilla.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went out
about 7:00 to the restaurant I’d pre-selected only to find no customers
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned that it, along with
most other restaurants, wouldn’t be open until 8:00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I killed some more time and got
hungrier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The dinner was
unfortunately somewhat disappointing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The salads weren’t at all special.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The beef was tough and the pork dry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I passed on the heart and blood sausage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I got full, but the price was much higher than anything in Argentina.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I was amazed though
at how busy the streets had become after dark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was now lots of traffic on the previously quiet thoroughfare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it was a dead-end peninsula so I don’t
know where everyone would be going to or from.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Up early in the
morning, I explored the rest of the small town including the old closed train
station and a fortress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then enjoyed the
good breakfast provided by the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Still having some time to burn, I walked another unexplored
direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Went by the rowing club and
soccer field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then checked out and
schlepped my bag back to the bus station.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The bus was modern
and comfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It departed on time and
made the two hour plus trip to Montevideo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The scenery along the way was pleasant but not at all interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mostly flat and grassy farm land.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I arrived at the
main transportation hub of Tres Cruces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It would have been a long walk, so I grabbed a taxi to my hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like everything in Uruguay, it cost more than
it would have in Argentina. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Actually, the hotel
was an exception to that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great
value and in a good location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was there
for two nights and kind of knew ahead of time that that was probably more than
needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a nice enough city, but I
didn’t feel there was much more to see after our day there from the cruise
ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the plan was in place and I
wasn’t going to try and change it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I had time that
evening for a long walk down to the water, passing some interesting
architecture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then found dinner up by
the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that was something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Called a hamburguesa napolitana, it was pricey
at about $12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what a meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had potato salad on one side, a green
salad on the other and a pile of fries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The burger had two big patties, sliced ham, lots of gooey cheese and
some pasta sauce on all of that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Finally, a few peas topped it off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a very satisfying burger.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Montevideo</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
For my one full day
in the city, I just headed out early on foot to cover as much as my legs would
allow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were plenty of homeless
people there, as well, sleeping in doorways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was looking for breakfast, and there wasn’t much to be found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where’s a Denny’s when you need one?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally found a coffee and slice of quiche
at a very small local place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good
enough. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I saw lots of the
city, but nothing unique or noteworthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lunch that day was similarly generous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had the “ejecitivo” menu of fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That was plenty of fish in a nice sauce and a mountain of mashed
potatoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why aren’t these people
fatter? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
That is a lot of padlocks</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I took another long
walk that afternoon, with similar impressions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pleasant city….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“next.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t hungry enough for another of the
massive meals they served, so went to a local grocery for some snacking
food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took my apples and a couple
other items to the cash register.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
clerk held up the apples, scowled at me and jabbered something in rapid fire
Spanish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I shrugged and shook my
head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said it all again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I gave her my “sorry, I don’t speak much
Spanish” statement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She harrumphed disgustedly
and went to weigh the apples back in the nearby produce area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Returning with a price sticker on the bag,
she showed me how it was to be done.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
This concept was not
totally unfamiliar to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the last
time I’d bought fruit and tried to weigh/price them at the source, I found that
it was done at the register as in the states.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So I made the wrong assumption there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sorry.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I had a rental car
reserved at the airport the next morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The hotel said that a taxi was the only way to get there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’d think there’d be other options, but
there didn’t seem to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They called the
cab and insured a fixed price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For about
the first time ever, it was a female driver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And a reasonably attractive one at that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I remembered too late that that would have been a good time to try out
my newly installed, but not yet tried, Uber app.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The airport was not
huge, but very modern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I searched the
arrivals area and didn’t see any sign of my rental company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked at an info booth and was told that
they had no office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That I just needed
to hang out and look for someone with the company shirt on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Huh?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
So, here is a travel
tip and a lesson I’ve been slow to learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Picking a car rental by price only can be just as foolish as doing the
same with an airline flight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cheap off-brand
companies sometimes have big disadvantages that outweigh the savings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here, I discovered that my company had no
office and counted on rendezvousing with customers in the airport lobby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It was only then
that I realized that the time I’d listed for pick-up actually meant
something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would use that to meet
up with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, I’d timed it
right and it was about 15 minutes before my planned time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I was not happy with the set-up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After wandering
about for a few minutes, the company representative holding my name actually
found me before I noticed it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sat in
the lobby there and filled out all forms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He used his phone to capture images of my drivers license.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had the routine down, but it seemed
odd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My guy spoke good English though
and we got through the paperwork in a reasonable time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Then we went out to
wait for a colleague to deliver the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That happened soon enough and I was on my way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rental was very cheap, so maybe all was
OK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought I might get dinged for
airport parking, but was given a card to get me out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made a fool of myself trying to insert the
card the wrong way, but that’s another issue.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Once clear of the
airport, I parked to plug in my GPS and figure out where I was going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When ready to go again, the car wouldn’t
start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All was dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hmm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was still within walking distance of the terminal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there was no representative there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess a $10 phone call was a possibility,
but I anticipated that not going very well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
So, it occurred to
me to try to fix the one possible thing that might be the problem that I would
be able to fix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I opened the hood and
located the battery. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Checking the
terminals, I found one that was actually loose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I squished it around some and that did the trick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt I’d made up for my ineptitude with the
parking ticket machine.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Heading east, my
destination was Punta del Este.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
a well-known resort area of beaches and such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’d scheduled three nights there. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I wanted use the
small roads close to the water as opposed to the faster direct highway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This had me wandering about on gravel roads
initially.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony would have loved
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the GPS kept me heading in the
right direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got forced up to the
main highway every once in a while and that was where there would be a toll
booth.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I didn’t need a full
lunch so found a store and bought a few things including a reasonable hunk of
cheese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I found a spot that served
well enough as a picnic area to eat my stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nice scenery, but windy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Punta del Este was a
two hour drive from the airport on the main highway, but considerably longer
the way I went.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I got neared there
was more to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The beachside town
with the Greek sounding name of Piriapolis looked inviting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stopped to check out the expansive beach
and more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In retrospect, I probably
would have preferred just staying there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYltZOQnvtvrrvq0DMgtZ4KsXgb-7kQbHuKIFo5pWv3dMXHtB-Q2Pxf2uBPZ9nP2T2aX-TjKu7LKuf_qgjK2-J7x9bskjn33f6ubz_r62rQoPDu0SVF3tcSGRIQrw3cDjwwcHPeWbWkbs/s1600/IMG_20200129_140906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYltZOQnvtvrrvq0DMgtZ4KsXgb-7kQbHuKIFo5pWv3dMXHtB-Q2Pxf2uBPZ9nP2T2aX-TjKu7LKuf_qgjK2-J7x9bskjn33f6ubz_r62rQoPDu0SVF3tcSGRIQrw3cDjwwcHPeWbWkbs/s320/IMG_20200129_140906.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Coast of Uruguay</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
But I continued on
and as I approached Punta, I was surprised at the skyline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a much bigger city than I thought with
lots of high-rise buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
staying out on the peninsula though so hopefully beyond that and in more of the
old city. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I got to my
neighborhood and it was older, more established and less vertical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it wasn’t exactly oozing old world
charm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heavy traffic and one-way streets
didn’t keep me from eventually finding my place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The location was great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The place was fine, but definitely the least
for the money that I encountered on the trip.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Punta reminded me a
little of Waikiki without the palm trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were loads of places to shop, eat or otherwise spend your tourist
dollars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of beach, if that’s what
you wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it seemed very
commercial without too much to justify the interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tourists all seemed to be Latin American.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I learned that I was
just a couple of blocks from “The Fingers”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is a landmark there that I’d somehow failed to even know
about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did check it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a sculpture of giant fingers sticking up
out of the sand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I’d also realized
that I was going to have a problem returning my rental car due to their
set-up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’d be meeting me at the
scheduled time of 10:00, but I needed to turn the car in long before that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, they had an office two blocks
from my hotel so I went and paid them a visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I rescheduled to drop the car at 8:00 AM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted earlier, but that would have
incurred an after-hours fee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Note to
self… “Stay away from these no-name companies.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I wandered about and
checked out the fingers, which was rather cool, and nearby beaches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dining options included McDonalds and Burger
King, but they were no bargain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ended
up at a burger and beer joint that was satisfying.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
In the morning, I
woke early to some young people still in the streets winding up a night of
partying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went out in search of coffee
with poor luck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The town was dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, after walking many blocks, I
returned to the golden arches which was then open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My $2 coffee required trying to answer lots
of questions, like for here or to go?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cream, sugar?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they were
rarely asked slowly and simply enough for me to have a ready answer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Back at the hotel,
they eventually got breakfast put out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
had two full days in the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My plan
was for a road trip further east one day and beach time the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since it was windy and forecast cool that
day, I elected to drive first.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I stuck to the coast
as much as possible, and it was interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One town had a lighthouse, which I always like to check out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parked along the highway was a fluorescent
pink bus with a sign on the side advertising wind/kite-surfing lessons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stopped, and sure enough--there was someone
out on the beach learning to operate a kite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That all looks like a lot of fun and I wish I’d given it a go when
younger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seems to defy the laws of
physics though so don’t expect it would be easy to master now.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
My end-of-the-line
destination was Cabo Polonio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
part of a big park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The little research
I’d done indicated that it was a long hike in to kind of a hippy commune beach
area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounded interesting enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when I got there, I was herded to a pay
parking area that served the visitor center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I clearly couldn’t park anywhere else so it required an investment just
to find out what the place was all about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It didn’t look like I’d be able to drive any further.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The weather was
windy and cool with rain off and on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
a nice day for a long hike on the beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So I abandoned it all and turned around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It hadn’t developed into a very satisfying road trip.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
On the way back, I
stopped at a town called Paloma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
along the coast and was kind of a funky down-scale surfer place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were surf shops, rental cottages and
such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I toured around a little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gravel roads led to lots of modest homes in
the woods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was surprised to see many
with thatched roofs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Didn’t know that
was a thing in that part of the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I also had lunch
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting tired of burgers and
pizza, I wanted to order something different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But dishes I could recognize, like seafood or steak, were quite expensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other things had local names like “panchos”
which I didn’t know and was reluctant to order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I settled on a sandwich supreme with tomato.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That turned out to be basically a square
pizza with lots of gooey cheese and some sliced tomato.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, it was pizza again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I stuck to the main
highway, paid some tolls and got back to Punta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Uruguay coast is a mixed bag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is lots of beach to be sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some of it nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are grassy
sand dunes along much of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But nowhere
does it feel like a little slice of paradise.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It was hard to find
a parking space back near my hotel, but I finally did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was still early enough so I decided to
take a walk around the end of the peninsula.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That was probably three miles or so and a pleasant walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were lots of beaches, a few parks, nice
views, and eventually the marina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Expensive yachts were in abundance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Clearly there is money in Uruguay.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
For dinner, I found
a big tuna salad that was just the antidote I needed for all the pizza and
burgers I’d indulged in recently.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The next morning was
a Friday and I had nothing on the agenda except some beach time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I did have one thing that needed my
attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wanting to travel light, I
had only the one pair of shoes that I wore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’d brought that pair of dress shoes from Goodwill, but they’d been left
behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now my shoes, that were hardly
new at the beginning of the trip, were showing wear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or rather they were falling apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I clearly needed new shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
With lots of
shopping venues in the area I went in search of shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But of course, there was no Walmart to sell
me the cheapest thing from China.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots
of searching found me some reasonable options at one place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I soon discovered that the largest size
they carried was rather snug on me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
sensed that the situation wouldn’t be any different elsewhere.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
So, I bought a pair
of white tennies that pinched my feet a little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Surely, I’ll stretch them out, I figured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My very comfortable, but disintegrating, shoes
were left behind. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
My hotel rented out
a beach chair and umbrella for $5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
took that deal and eventually headed for the nearby water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This day was warm and sunny so the beach was
crowded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found a spot and set up
camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even had a book to read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I’ve never been able to enjoy a beach for
more than a short time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a couple
of dips in the water, I headed back in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How do people enjoy a beach all day, I wonder?<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-align: center;"> Punta del Este beach</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I ended up taking
another walk to a couple things out at the end of the peninsula that I’d missed
before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I picked a cute little
restaurant near the hotel only to find that they didn’t open until 8:00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That seems to be the standard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I waited and went back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their meal of the day was very
reasonable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was lasagna with nothing
else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it was unique with some layers
of vegetables and I thoroughly enjoyed it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
So, let’s talk food
of South America:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m afraid it was all
rather non-descript and I couldn’t tell any difference one country to
another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, locals would
disagree vehemently and could cite variations in the cuisine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess the southern countries were heavier
with beef.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peru had some exotic
critters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But all seemed to have plenty
of potato, rice or other starch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of
it wasn’t highly spicy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had plenty of
good meals, but nothing that strikes me as special, or particular to its country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Saturday morning, I departed early for the Montevideo airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The two-hour drive went fine and I arrived with time to spare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was still nervous about how this would all
work out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if I didn’t connect with
the car people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do I leave the car
and catch my flight?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I decided to park in
the lot and take care of check-in first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I lined up at the counter before there was anyone working it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they soon showed up and I was able to
check my bag and get my boarding pass prior to my 8:00 AM rendezvous time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
With a few minutes
to spare, I went to a cambio to get rid of the last of my Uruguayan money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as I was finishing up there, the rental
car guy found me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he had already
spotted the car in the lot somehow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
handed him the keys and was relieved to have that totally behind me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end, it worked out fine, but I didn’t
like it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I went through
immigration and security quickly and was delighted to have time to spend in yet
another lounge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was getting to like
this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cappuccino machine and light
breakfast items were just the antidote to everything else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The flight to
Asuncion was non-stop, and under two hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I scored an exit row window seat so it was quite comfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather was clear, allowing me to take in
the boring scenery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looked to be
mostly flat grassland or marsh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
arrived before noon, and got waved up to an immigration booth where the guy
there sent me back to the window where I needed to get my visa first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, no lines anywhere.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The visa guy was
rather stern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Signs dictated how the fee
must be paid in American cash and how perfect the bills must be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, I’d foreseen this, and had crisp
new bills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was photographed, a big sticker
was applied to my passport, and lots of stamping and initialing took
place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I returned to the first guy for
more processing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And was then free to
travel in Paraguay.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
My bag was the only
one left in baggage claim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the only
major airport of the country, it was small and quiet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d been unable to get local money at home so
went to a cambio first thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They, too, commanded pristine cash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, a taxi
was the only viable way to town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t
know how they conspire to prevent public transport from cutting into their
business.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The ride into city
center provided about the view I had expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was just another poor Latin-American city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could have been Mexico or Venezuela.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The large Paraguay river loops around the city
but is not attractive at all.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
My hotel was well-situated and the neighborhood didn’t look all that bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first guy I encountered at the hotel
spoke some English, but after that no one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was told that I’d have to wait until the official check-in time of
2:00, though I’m sure the room was ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was able to leave my bag there and he did provide me with directions
to a tourist information office.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The tourist office gave me a
little map, marked points of interest, but noted that most things would be
closed since it was a weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
wandered the small area that seemed to be the heart of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It included a park where many were selling stuff
from booths or just a blanket on the sidewalk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I found one restaurant that looked appealing with outdoor seating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a delicious and messy chicken sandwich
at much better prices than I’d experienced in Uruguay.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Asuncion was the
hottest stop on my trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Afternoon
temperatures were about 90.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went back
to the hotel, checked in and cooled off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And took the opportunity to wash out some clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a never-ending task when traveling
light in a warm climate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can sweat up
several shirts a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The room was a
little shabby, but only about $25 per day including breakfast.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The only bit of the
country I saw was Asuncion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s no
doubt some natural beauty in the country somewhere, but I doubt any other cities
that provide much beyond what this capital and only big city does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that is not much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The city is mostly ugly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few buildings have nice colonial architecture,
but tended to be run-down or even vacant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Much of the city had a poorly-maintained, if not abandoned, look to
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being a weekend with few people on
the streets probably contributed to that vibe.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After breakfast in
the morning, I headed out early to try and beat the heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I walked a long ways and hit everything on
the map that looked like a point of interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many turned out to be of no interest at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their equivalent to our White House and Capitol
buildings were attractive, but beyond that, not so much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>City parks were in poor condition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had workers there sweeping up fallen
leaves while the sidewalks were all busted up and benches were falling apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like putting lipstick on a pig, as they say.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
For lack of any
appealing alternatives, or even many unappealing, I had lunch at the same
place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then hid out in the room for
the hot part of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ventured out
later to buy something for dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
many grocery options either on a Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After a day of
walking, the tightness of my new shoes had taken a toll.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The left one was cutting into my heel making
my sock bloody.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I applied band-aids, but
walking was becoming a problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fortunately, I didn’t have much more of that planned any time soon.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
This was Superbowl
Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In past years I’d watched the
game in Cambodia and Honduras.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paraguay
sounded like an appropriate addition to that list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a TV in the room, but there was a
bigger one in the hotel lobby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked
if it would be turned to the Superbowl that night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got half of a nod.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
That evening on the
street, I’d passed a sports bar that had the pre-game showing on their big
screen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kept that in mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being five hours ahead of west coast time,
the game wasn’t due to start until late.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Back at the room, I tried to tune it in when the time neared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was soccer on about five channels and a
bike race, but no American football.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I assumed
that the lobby TV was on the same system.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I contemplated returning
to the sports bar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it would be late
at night walking back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These streets
that were only a little scary in daylight might be downright dangerous
then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I resigned to missing the
game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried getting live updates via
my phone, but the website was down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh
well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I needed to be back
at the airport early in the morning for my next flight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hotel had a taxi coming for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a little late and had me concerned,
but it did arrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was told that the price
would be less than originally quoted, which was a surprise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed to be more of an Uber-type thing
than a metered taxi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ride seemed
long and convoluted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That would have
concerned me but I had seen signs to the airport along the way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
By now, I had the
routine down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check-in, immigration, VIP
lounge for breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As expected, the
lounge at Asuncion was not the classiest, but still a nice oasis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I used the WiFi there to find a site that
was recapping the Superbowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I was
able to watch all the good plays of the game squeezed into a half hour or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems that I got to watch the big game in
Paraguay after all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
This visit had me
re-thinking travel just to scratch places off of a map.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because that was the only reason I went to
Paraguay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The country has very little to
offer and only added hassle and cost to my itinerary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s hope I remember this when contemplating
a trip to visit several “stan” countries or hop around Africa.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I’d pretty well
decided my itinerary for this trip before doing all the research on air
travel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It turned out that flight
connections between Asuncion and Cusco are not so good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not that far, but there are no direct
flights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d have to go through either
Santiago or Lima.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d booked through
Lima.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
But as so often
happens, the airline changed things during the months between booking and
flying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d received notice that my
flight had been cancelled and I was now routed through Bogota.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This meant a much longer day of flying and a
later arrival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had no recourse or
other good options, however. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
One saving grace was
that my flights were all on Avianca which is still a traditional full-service
airline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hadn’t had the opportunity to
pick seats though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I checked in, I
was handed boarding passes indicating middle, middle and aisle seats for my
three flights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh goody.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
But I was pleasantly
surprised on boarding the first flight to see that I was in “economy plus” or
some such designation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had extra leg
room which was welcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And even better
was that no one showed up for the aisle seat next to me so I got to move over
to that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Got another breakfast on the
flight and even watched a movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
five plus hours were downright comfortable.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Bogota is a nice
airport I’d passed through once before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And despite my international connections, my bag was checked through and
there were no formalities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before
finding my lounge, I saw a girl standing with a sign for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By showing her my card, she wrote me a ticket
good for the optional deluxe buffet there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I found the lounge
and it was quite a place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Under the main
floor, it extended a long ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was given
directions to the buffet and bar, but could have used a map.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The buffet had some very tasty food so I
enjoyed me third meal of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Finding my way out of the labyrinth was equally difficult.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
On the three hour
flight back south to Lima, I did in fact have a middle seat without the extra
leg room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So that was not so happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flight was late leaving the gate and slow
to depart as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did accept meal
number four of the day though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
In Lima, I did have
to collect my bag, go through formalities, re-check, and go through screening
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That kind of cut into my lounge
time, but I managed to squeeze it in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was hardly hungry but managed to down something for meal number five of the
day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
And it was there
that it occurred to me that my rental car in Cusco might be the same setup as
the one in Montevideo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking at my
paperwork, I saw that for location it said “meet and greet.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was now past my estimated arrival
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I gave them a call and was
surprised to reach someone quickly that did speak enough English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
learned that my new late arrival time would incur an overtime charge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All things considered, I decided to pick up
the car the next morning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Oh, and when I
re-checked my bag, I was pleasantly surprised to be handed a new boarding pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got moved to first class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When does that ever happen?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I no longer remember, but I’m guessing I may
have paid some upgrade price that included the checked bag and extra room. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If not, thanks Avianca.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a short flight, though, so not a lot of
benefit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I finally arrived
Cusco about 16 hours after leaving the hotel in the morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In three flights, I’d had five meals and
crossed the equator twice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
raining in Cusco. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I collected my bag and
got a taxi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The traffic was very heavy
and Cusco is a maze of one-way streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was glad to not be driving and trying to navigate to a hotel.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The hotel turned out
to be located in a square where a festival was going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were two stages set up with live
music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hundreds of people were moving
about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The taxi had to drop me two
blocks down the hill as traffic was blocked.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I dragged my bag
that distance in the rain over cobblestones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then it took me a while at the square to locate the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Glad I didn’t have to add parking to the
difficulties. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The next morning, I
needed to go pick up the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had
an office just down the street from the airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Armed with an address, I checked out and got
a taxi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Showing the driver the name of
the company and the address, he nodded and drove off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as so often happens, he didn’t really
know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He pulled into the airport which I
knew wasn’t right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Confusion
ensued.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally called the office and
handed him the phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He got me there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Once again, lots of
paperwork and checking the car over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This time it had several dings and scratches, so I had to make sure they
were all accounted for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, I was
on my way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plan was to get to the
Bolivian border, then return to Cusco.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then
I’d enjoy whatever time I had left in the city.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Cusco is bigger than
I’d thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The industrial outskirts
spread out quite a ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once free of
the city, the countryside was nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Must
have been the wet season as everything was very green and rivers were high. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The two lane highway was in good condition,
but I soon encountered the big menace of driving in Peru.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They love speed bumps and use them all over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes there were signs warning you and
they were painted yellow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other times they
were kept a secret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You didn’t want to
hit one at full speed though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I managed
to see them all in time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
On the way out of
town I’d noticed the price of gas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doing
some quick computing in my head, it seemed that it was awfully expensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That didn’t jive with the cheap taxis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I later confirmed what I suspected, that they
sell fuel by the gallon, not liter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
the price was reasonable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Colombia did
as well, which is curious.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I was hoping that in
the countryside and small towns I would see the informal cabanas and hostels
that were so plentiful in Chile and Argentina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But they don’t exist in Peru.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe there’s not much call for that, but I’m guessing it has to do with
who lives in those areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people
living outside of major cities all appear to be pretty poor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s mostly people tending small farms living
in very humble houses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Putting up rental
units is beyond their means and thinking.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Passing through one
small town I found it alive with people all over the streets and town square selling
everything from booths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I parked and
walked through it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bought a few food
items and a knife to cut them with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then
found a pair of sandals cheap to take over for my cruel shoes if
necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ended up using the knife to
modify my shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cutting off the lip
over the heel did the trick and made them comfortable enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never used the sandals.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
As lunchtime came, I
sure didn’t see many opportunities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were only occasional humble villages in the midst of lots of
grazing land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what looked like a
nice restaurant appeared by the side of the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No cars were parked there and it looked dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But a lady selling something told me to go
around the other side.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
And sure enough,
there was a waiter eager to have me as a customer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He showed me in to a lavish buffet that
looked freshly set up and untouched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
place was empty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked where were the
other people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He told me that a large
group was due to arrive soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I balked a
little at the price and he quickly offered a one plate fill-up at about half
price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I enjoyed a
satisfying plate of interesting stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Shortly after I sat down with that, a busload of Swedish tourists came
in and lined up for the food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Excellent
timing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
That afternoon I
stopped at a place that looked interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Behind a fence I could see people in a swimming pool, which seemed out
of place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It turned out to be thermal
baths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And out front were a bunch of
crude ovens that women were tending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Signs in the area had proclaimed this the guinea pig capital of Peru. I
asked and indeed they were cooking “cuy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDn7B5SLYcVJOZxgiwlYMfwrY171C46Cf956j6c0QEYWJHdKwjAlpkATKqaaf3Z0cH76WJo0it-32fOG6WNcskX_u2HiVGP5tdMxP_ivDbwUcsIu5-WvBHIdLsF1Va1CDx6fsh3c6Y_tY/s1600/IMG_20200204_161344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDn7B5SLYcVJOZxgiwlYMfwrY171C46Cf956j6c0QEYWJHdKwjAlpkATKqaaf3Z0cH76WJo0it-32fOG6WNcskX_u2HiVGP5tdMxP_ivDbwUcsIu5-WvBHIdLsF1Va1CDx6fsh3c6Y_tY/s320/IMG_20200204_161344.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Cuy ovens</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I contemplated using
the baths, as they were certainly cheap, but time and inconvenience had me
decide against it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
At one point, I
noticed a flapping noise coming from the front of the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stopping on the highway to check it out, I
found that the plastic pieces that sort of protect the bottom of the car were
hanging down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently higher speed
caused that to happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tucked them
away as best I could, but they’d eventually start flapping again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The little fasteners were worn off (probably
from speed bumps) and could no longer attach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I figured I could
fix it handily with zip ties or duct tape, but had neither.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there were no Home Depot stores to be
found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally appropriated some drawstring
and tied them up well enough. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It was at one of
these stops that I noticed a brand new gas station along the highway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since everything else in the area was so old
and humble, it looked totally out of place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then down the road further, I noticed another almost just like it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They were all very new and nice with big concrete aprons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were of various gas companies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many had a tall thin building attached that
seemed to be like a little truckers motel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They came one after another along this highway for no apparent
reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got gas at one and felt like I
might have been their only customer all day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They all appeared to be open and hurting for business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Curious. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Juliaca was the only
city of any size along there and timed out well for spending the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using the GPS, I was able to locate a hotel
and navigate to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was just starting
to rain hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got inside before the
thunder, lightning and hail started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was quite a storm.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The hotel was cheap and
in a very ugly neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ate at a
chicken joint across the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That too
was a good bargain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though in both cases
language made everything a challenge.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
In the morning, I
went looking for coffee, at least, and hopefully breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to be found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even a place advertising breakfast had no
coffee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can that be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So off I drove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest of Juliaca was equally ugly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many roads were unpaved and the storm had
left huge puddles hiding potholes of unknown depth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was slow getting out of that dismal place.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Getting to Bolivia
wasn’t my only reason for that road trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’d be close to Lake Titicaca.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
claims to be the highest navigable waterway in the world and always fascinated
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although that claim is questionable, it is
indeed a big lake up very high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
scenery in the area is interesting and there were a few things to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
One of those attractions
was the floating islands of some indigenous people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I failed to read up on it enough and wrongly
assumed the location from my map.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
had me drive way out a little peninsula that protrudes into the lake.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I got suspicious
when the road became hard to follow and I saw no signs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d also expected to see tourist buses. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It became apparent that I was not on my way to
the floating islands. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the dead-end
drive was worthwhile anyway. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Locals were
tending their sheep and llamas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
there were frequent great views of the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One place had a serious climb up to a rocky viewpoint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The air was very clear with excellent
visibility.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Breathtaking view... literally</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I should mention
that Cusco is at an elevation of 11,000 feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This road trip was about the same and sometimes higher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve never been bothered by altitude sickness
but did have a headache there at times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And curiously had a very difficult time sleeping the first few nights.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The high altitude
made for much cooler weather than in Paraguay despite being closer to the
equator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Temperatures remained in the
60s, I think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another affect of altitude
is how it hurts engine performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
rental car must have had a small motor to begin with but at those heights, it
was really gutless.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Towards the end of
this peninsula, the native farmers were looking at me like I was truly an
intruder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I guess I was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life there was pretty primitive. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were horses and carts, not
tractors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I’d sometimes see women
carrying huge bundles of stuff on their backs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I retreated back to civilization.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Next stop was some
native ruins called Sillustani.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was
a well developed and maintained park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was able to find lunch there before touring the grounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was mostly huge barrel shaped things made
of stone that were used for burials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Interesting enough.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I’d made a
reservation for two nights in the other town of any size in the region,
Puno.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was down the road a piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was pleasantly surprised when approaching
it to find the city nothing like Juliaca.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Puno was at the edge of the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But like Valparaiso, it had outgrown its available flat area and spread
up the steep hillsides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were
treacherous roads that led down into the city.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I found my hotel on
the narrow one-way streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting the
car put away was a difficult procedure, so I had no intention of taking it out
again that night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The area was ideal
with lots of restaurants and shops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
hotel was nice and the desk people spoke some English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tourist areas have their advantages.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Downtown Puno</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
By then I’d figured
out that the floating islands are visited by boat from Puno.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to go check out how that worked so
walked the mile plus down to the harbor area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many tour operators were located there and I quickly learned what I
needed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The next morning was
my run for the border.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I extracted the
car from its snug parking spot and headed for Bolivia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except for those gawdawful speed bumps, it
was an easy and scenic drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I arrived at my
pre-selected border town and parked a few blocks from the bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a lively town with lots going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People were moving goods all over, mostly on
hand carts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Small shops and vendors were
selling lots of stuff.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
As I neared the
bridge separating the two countries, I saw a sign saying something to the effect of avoid fines by following border procedures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That concerned me a little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What procedures, I wondered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The locals seemed to be crossing without any
formalities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right before the bridge I
did notice an official guard shack with a couple of officials standing
outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hmm?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While locals were crossing unimpeded, I
certainly didn’t blend in with them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I walked near one of
the officials and made a gesture of walking with a questioning look on my
face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He kind of shrugged and clearly
didn’t care what I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I proceeded
and soon found myself in Bolivia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
also had a couple of officials standing around, but I got the impression I
could have walked right on by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I’d
accomplished my goal and had no reason to risk complications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I returned to Peru.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
My incursion of 100
yards or so into Bolivia was considerably more than my foray into North Korea,
but slightly less than my visits to Laos and Burma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I strolled around the town a while before
heading back to Puno.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
After tucking the
car away, I walked down towards the water again and found my tour agent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time, she was away and Grandma was
minding the store and baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only Grandma
didn’t know a word of English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got it
figured out though and she led me towards the boats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got handed off to the daughter
en route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She led me across three boats
and onto the fourth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were tied side
by side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was the only one there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She assured me that a group was coming soon
and we’d be leaving in 10 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yea,
right.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
A half hour later,
the boat finally got under way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
only a ride of 20 minutes or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
last part was through a channel that had been cut in the reeds that grow in
abundance along the shores of the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is those reeds that the islands are made of.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I guess that natives
have been using these floating islands for hundreds of years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It must have provided protection from
invaders and access to fishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those
reasons have given way to being a tourist attractions now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they are unique and interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are many of these islands, or rafts
really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most look small and contain only
a few huts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some are bigger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are made of the lake reeds piled
up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They rot from the bottom and must
constantly be replenished with fresh reeds on top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Felt very spongy to walk on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Floating island</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The residents there
did handicrafts and were trying to sell us blankets and such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t see anyone buying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After another couple of meals and a nights sleep
in Puno, it was time to head back.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
There was plenty of
traffic in Juliaca making that a slow transit again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took a detour for a ways that took me
through the town of Lampa which was quaint and actually appealing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other towns, usually, were not.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Peruvian countryside </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
One thing that
impressed me in rural Peru is the appearance of the people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost all of them look like they stepped
from the pages of an old issue of National Geographic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The women wore very traditional garb
including colorful blankets and the little round hats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both men and women tended to be dark, weathered
and short.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The women generally pear
shaped and not at all attractive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The highway went as high as 14,000 feet. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was all that wimpy car could do to make it
over the hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pulled back into Cusco
before dark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The GPS helped me navigate
the complex maze of the old town to the hotel I’d reserved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a quirky old place overlooking the
square.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather nice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I spent a day
walking the town and enjoying the feel of the place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That included the big market full of stalls
selling pig faces and things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
seeing several juice bars, I finally found a place to order a coffee, and was
amazed at what I was served.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a
good-sized glass of hot milk and a smaller glass of espresso.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The glass of milk was full so hard to mix the
two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I managed to consume only about
half of it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The seating was
communal on long benches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At some point
I scooted down to make room for someone and ended up too far and flipped the
bench up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spilled coffee and nearly
landed on my ass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good to embarrass
yourself in front of strangers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Typical looking Peruvians</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
For lunch I had
something called raclette or similar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You get a toaster oven at your table and a tray of cheeses and other
stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also a plate of boiled
potatoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You grill some cheese to
bubbling, then scrape it off onto the potato.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ended up buying a sweater for Lin and later
one for myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only when I got it home did I realize that it is nearly identical to one I bought in Lima a few years
ago.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Cusco</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The following day, I
ventured out with the car again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
one-way streets made escaping the area tricky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was heading up a steep hill when it became blocked ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was forced to divert onto a yet steeper
hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The car had a manual transmission,
of course, which made negotiating hills difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the wimpy engine on this car could not
climb the hill in low gear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d have to
rev it up, let the clutch out carefully and move forward as far as I could
before it bogged down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then stop and do
it again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took about four goes to
climb the hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whew!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Backing down wasn’t much of an option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I wandered some
nearby roads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One went well up a canyon
and was notable for the number of rocks on the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly plenty of rocks let go above and fall
on the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wondered whether I was
looking at a couple of days worth or maybe they’d accumulated over a long time
and nobody removes them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any case, a
little creepy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I picked up a couple
of hitchhikers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They spoke English,
which was welcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both were young guys
from Europe there to teach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They seemed to enjoy what they were doing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The next morning I was off to Colombia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I set off in the
car to return it to the office where I’d picked it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The road there was horribly busy with traffic
mostly stopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had only a vague
recollection of where on that street the rental office was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also had an address, but numbers were hard to
spot from the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally made a
U-turn and parked to try and locate the place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It wasn’t where it was supposed to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Apparently, the street changed names somewhere and the addresses
repeated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a lot of stress, I
finally found it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My fault for not
paying closer attention to where I got the car.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Even little Cusco
airport had a lounge, so I paid it a visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My first leg to Lima was on a cheapo airline called Viva, I think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No extras, hard seats, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a window seat with no one in the two seats
next to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When someone tried to move
into the aisle seat, they were intercepted by the flight attendant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone must remain in their assigned seat
or pay $15 to change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I had some time in
Lima and knew where the lounge was so enjoyed that again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flight to Bogota arrived near dark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There may have been public transportation
options, but I didn’t want to try that when taxis were so cheap.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Early in this trip I
switched from writing trip notes on paper to dictating them onto my phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I’m trying to catch up to the 21st
century.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed to work pretty well
and saved a lot of paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I failed to
make any more entries after Peru though, so some details from Colombia will be
forgotten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which may coincide nicely
with the reader getting tired of reading.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Bogota is not as
high as Cusco, but at 8600 feet, still up there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was ready to ease on back to sea level.
Temperatures only reached about 70 during the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was perfect weather for all the walking I
did.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
My hotel was again
in a pretty good area with lots of restaurants nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looked safe enough but I heard comments to
the contrary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had no trouble
though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bogota has horrible traffic and
no metro system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They do have loads of
buses, some of them running on dedicated busways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But again, I never went to the trouble of
learning to use them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Except for the
traffic, I liked the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mountains
to the southeast make it easy to keep oriented and provide a nice view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is lots to see there and my favorite
quality is that it’s all affordable.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Highlights were a
trip up to Mount Monseratte.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was
very much like Cerro San Cristobal that we did in Santiago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It too, had both a funicular and a cable car
to the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except only the funicular
was running for whatever reason, so I rode that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a park at the top with a church and
more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The view was spectacular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Down from there a
nice walk led along the university to the heart of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Along the way were many funky buildings and
beautiful murals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a colorful and
interesting city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I visited the gold
museum because it was on a list of things you must do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then came Plaza de Bolivar and a host of
impressive government buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The square was full
of people and pigeons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t resist
looking in cathedrals and Bogota has many nice ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few blocks away I found a great place for
lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was full of locals and
advertised a meal of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it
was under $6 including beverage and was excellent.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXjBtbYgvITqRD6XLuAcjDcrg0UQxCahZoufCpZ_muchd979dXC_TOnnnaP6fjjwPb3WmOlnN6osUGnpj3GxNDasOoanqw_566fyJyGYv7DqBCjLvEijOkwjEKICV_mng0_Rv_fpPyVM/s1600/IMG_20200214_121702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXjBtbYgvITqRD6XLuAcjDcrg0UQxCahZoufCpZ_muchd979dXC_TOnnnaP6fjjwPb3WmOlnN6osUGnpj3GxNDasOoanqw_566fyJyGYv7DqBCjLvEijOkwjEKICV_mng0_Rv_fpPyVM/s320/IMG_20200214_121702.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Leading back towards
my hotel was Carrera 7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a pedestrian-only
street for many blocks and very interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were performers and people selling everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As in many cities, like businesses seem to
group together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There would be street of
bathroom fixtures, and a block of wedding dresses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not far from my hotel was a block of
florists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Colorful and it smelled good
to walk there.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Florist shops</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
On my last day in
the city, I’d pretty much seen everything close by, so signed up for a tour out
to a national park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chicaque was not
that far away, but with city traffic, it took about two hours to reach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was convoluted city roads to the edge of
town, followed by a few miles of country road that led to the park
entrance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That had a very nice lodge
made of heavy timbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the furniture
was all crafted of gnarly local wood.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
From there it was 4-wheel
drive jeeps down a very slow and rough trail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At the end was another lodge called the sanctuary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A good lunch was served there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nearby were spaces for tent camping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also rented out a treehouse and a couple
of upscale camping tents.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Trails led all over
the densely forested mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
highlight for me was the included zip line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Surprisingly I’d never done that before, except for one I’d made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one required a semi-strenuous hike up to
the location where a single cable stretched across a good-sized valley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
There didn’t appear
to be a lot of slope to the cable and I wondered if momentum would carry me to
the other side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was far enough across
that you couldn’t see much what went on at the other end so I didn’t know what
to expect there when my turn came.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It was a thrilling
ride, of course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>High above the trees
and moving along rapidly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Approaching
the end, I expected to be slowing down and “caught” by someone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But no, it had an arresting system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My trolly thing slammed into blocks around
the cable that were attached to bungees or something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Like a jet landing on an aircraft carrier, m</span>y high speed was quickly dissipated as I
came to a stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A ladder had to be
rolled into place to allow me to unhook and get down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was quite a ride.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The trip out was a
slow uphill grind in the jeeps, followed by the horrible traffic getting back
into the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it was nice to get
out in the country, and very scenic.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
At various places
this trip I saw people working at traffic lights trying to make .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually they were selling stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes it was washing windows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others tried entertaining with juggling or
something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the one that impressed me
most was a guy that I only caught a glimpse of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He’d quickly strung a cable across the lanes of traffic, then climbed
onto it and juggled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I assume it was a
long light and he had time to set-up, perform, take down and collect his
tips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very enterprising.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Finally, the day had
come to head home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My midday flight left
for Panama City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the eight-hour-plus leg to Las Vegas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was OK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a long layover there and was hoping to
spend it in a comfortable chair in the airport lounge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I arrived there only to learn that it would
be closing soon for the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bummer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got a quick bite and
reluctantly left.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
For the “city that
never sleeps,” its airport gets mighty dead at night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found a quiet corner and slept a little on
the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was able to hit the lounge
briefly when it opened in the morning before my flight boarded to Seattle.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It was wonderful
getting home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seeing Lin, familiar food,
everyone speaks English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And an almost
endless supply of clean clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
new appreciation for familiar things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Three months is a long time to be gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But it is still winter here and I miss the nice weather I’d been
enjoying.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
To wrap up the trip
geographically:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spain was great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seeing Karen and family in Madrid, but also
Barcelona and the three ports of call in Spain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The two cruises on
NCL weren’t bad, but they manage to piss me off with their arrogance, secrecy
and ways of doing business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Four weeks
was perhaps a little too long on the same ship.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The two ports of
northern Chile were good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t care
much about Santiago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as I said
previously, Valparaiso is a special place, but has its downsides also.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The road trip with
Tony was great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Southern Chile and that
part of Argentina on the other side of the mountains are very scenic and
relatively tourist friendly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a
grand adventure.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The cruise with Jen
around the south tip of South America and to Antarctica was spectacular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Princess did right what NCL did wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scenery down there was beautiful and the
ports all very interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Buenos Aires was
more enjoyable than I’d expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
very much worth a visit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Uruguay was a bit of
a disappointment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Colonia was a charming
place, but other than that, I wasn’t impressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It has lots of beach, but not much in the way of scenery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it’s expensive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Paraguay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dismal, don’t bother.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Peru.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the coastal areas I saw were not at all
appealing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lima has very little to
offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cusco is a special place and the
Andes are beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s not an
easy place to be a tourist.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Bolivia:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I didn’t really see Bolivia.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Bogota was a
worthwhile stop, though I was a little burnt out on travel by then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Colombia is probably my favorite country in
South America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m done with the rest of
the continent, but may return there one day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The trip was a
success in the following ways:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I managed
to follow the plan without any major glitches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I got to all those remote countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No lost bags, no reservation mishaps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No problems with passports etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was never a victim of crime or even got seriously cheated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t get hurt or seriously sick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Didn’t lose anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short, there are lots of things that could
have gone wrong, and none of them did.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Downsides:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As usual, I feel I got a superficial look at
most places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without interacting with
locals it’s hard to feel that I know a place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is mostly my fault.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could
have used air BnB.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could have put more
effort into Spanish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could have sought
out more local contact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But travel is
hard work and I guess I’m content to take the easy way out a lot of the
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Cruises are
obviously the easy way out and not cultural immersion by any means.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they are a respite from the challenge of
living out of a suitcase and moving every few days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mixing the two modes seemed to work
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
South America is not
a real popular tourist area and for good reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s big and spread out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Places of natural beauty are far apart and
remote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Travel infrastructure is not
very advanced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But mostly the culture is
not that diverse or interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ireland, Spain and Germany are vastly different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ecuador, Uruguay and Chile… not so much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cities are not terribly impressive or
different from each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The food,
likewise.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
In conclusion, it
was a successful trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m glad to have
done it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in the future, I need to
pursue places of more interest rather than the challenge of checking countries
off of a list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
The following is
optional reading and self-explanatory:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dear Princess and NCL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m sending this to both of you to do with as you please.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Tale of two cruise lines<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I recently sailed
from Barcelona to San Antonio, Chile on the NCL Star.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then two weeks later took the Coral Princess
from San Antonio to Buenos Aires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
ships were similar and the service equivalent, but beyond that was a vast
difference.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The Star was
commanded by Cpt. Grltbrzt, or something like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His public announcements were minimal, always
sounded like he was reading from a script and were heavily accented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cpt. Todd McBain was in charge of the Coral
Princess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He made frequent public announcements
that were easy to understand and provided useful and timely information.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
When NCL decided to
skip the port of Punta Delgada,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cpt.
Gravlbar waited until we’d left our last port (and opportunity to use cheap
internet) to announce it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of us
didn’t hear this and no further information was provided.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason given was weather, though no
evidence was provided.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other
circumstances made this sound very suspicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No compensation was offered, and the very inferior port of Great Stirrup
Key was substituted instead of other more desirable options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Port charges were not refunded.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
When Princess had to
cancel the stop of Punta Arenas, Cpt. McBain announced it immediately,
apologized sincerely, explained the whole situation, and credited everyone
$75.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The affecting weather was presented
to us on the TV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no suspicion
of hidden motives or problems with the ship.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Throughout the
cruise, Cpt. McBain kept us up to date on the developing itinerary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cpt. Gerbildik never failed to mumble warnings
about using hand rails and the hazards of uneven thresholds.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
When a minor
emergency erupted on the Coral Princess, Cpt. McBain was on the PA instructing the crew and keeping the guests fully updated on what was going
on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were reassured regularly that
things were under control and that no action was required of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A full accounting of what had happened and
its effect was presented the next morning.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Rumors abounded
about mechanical problems on the Star.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But “mum” was the word on that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cpt. Grmblbum followed orders and never acknowledged anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If any emergency happened during my time
aboard the Star, I’m sure it was covered up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Passengers were clearly meant to be kept in the dark.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Two more ports were
cancelled from the NCL itinerary between Miami and Chile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, inferior ports were substituted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A letter gave the reason as “mechanical
issues”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I encountered general manager
Maeling and asked him when we might be given a full explanation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His response was astounding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was told that that letter was all the
notification that would be provided, that he knew nothing more and that NCL
owed us nothing for the change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
obviously wanted me to shut up and not ask inconvenient questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should appreciate that the change was made
“for my safety” after all.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Princess requested
that guests report all illnesses arising during the cruise to the medical
office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They apparently wanted to track
any outbreaks or trace any source of spreading germs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NCL made no such request.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After eating two meals in a row at the
buffet on the Star, I got sick to my stomach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I sent an FYI message to them on this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I got no response.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
NCL posted some
clearly wrong information in the lobby about our cruise port.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I called this to the attention of the cruise
director who promised to look into it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Six hours later, the misleading info was still there.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Clearly Princess,
and particularly Cpt. McBain, wanted to give guests the best possible
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They succeeded and I felt
like a valued customer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cpt. Grovlmutt
seemed concerned only with following instructions from corporate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Go where we tell you, and don’t concede a
thing!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NCL, as always, was concerned
only about the bottom line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt like
an ATM to them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gary D. Winn<o:p></o:p></div>
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Renton, WA<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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(I got an appreciative response from Princess and no reply
from NCL)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-16024121391646495172019-07-06T10:44:00.000-07:002019-07-06T10:44:16.165-07:00Europe 2019<br />
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<br /></div>
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Eastern Europe 2019</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">It started in 1995. Shawna, my oldest, was graduating high school. I thought a one-on-one trip together someplace would be a more memorable graduating gift than anything I could buy her. So that's what we did. Same deal for the other two kids, and then two college graduation trips followed as well.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The years flew by and now my
grandson, Nathan just graduated high school.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">So I proposed the same deal with him, offering a few options of trips to
take.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">He liked the idea and chose Eastern
Europe.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Having traveled all the more
beaten tracks of Europe before, I didn’t offer the more conventional
destinations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I’d initially hoped to do most of
it by train, but distances, schedules and visa requirements made flying most
legs more appropriate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nathan didn’t
care too much where we visited as it was all new to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I particularly wanted to hit Krakow, Poland
and Ukraine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Lots of research followed on air
fares and figuring out where to go, how to get there and how long to stay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2003, Eric and I did Europe by rail on a
very aggressive schedule to see many countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most people would not like that, but it worked out well for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time, I backed off a little but we were
still doing seven cities in 17 days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Nathan flew up here a day early
from his home in Oregon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d both
packed light and were only using carry-on bags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We departed Sunday evening, June 9 non-stop to Dublin, Ireland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the best option for getting to and
from the continent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, in all my
travels, I’d never made it to Ireland, so wanted to see a bit of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Aer Lingus is now a budget
airline and I wasn’t expecting much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
paid a small amount extra to get decent seats, but other than that they didn’t
feel like they were trying to squeeze every last euro out of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were fed, the service was fine, free movies
and the seat was reasonably comfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I guess it was a bit better than expected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">One observation though was that
almost all the flight attendants were male, and not small men either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the airlines would just go back to hiring
only young slender females for that job, they could save a lot of money on fuel
not burned hauling that extra weight around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m just thinking of the environment here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We arrived Dublin in the morning
after barely sleeping at all en route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
little confusion and wandering followed, but we found the bus that would take
us to the city center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We weren’t sure
exactly where to get off, but got a clue from another passenger and it worked
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After walking just a few blocks, we
were at the Celtic Lodge Guesthouse. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite its name, it was just a hotel…. though
a quirky one. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dublin is not cheap and
this would be our most expensive, though not the nicest room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tiny bathroom seemed to be inspired by a
camping trailer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It was still early, but we were
allowed to check in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our room was up two
separate stairways, around numerous corners and through at least one extra
door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite not having left bread
crumbs, we were able to find our way back out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">One thing that surprised me was
that Ireland is officially bi-lingual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes, the Irish language is still alive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well… on life-support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Announcements on our flight were given in both languages and signs all over
the place were in both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We never heard
anyone actually speaking Irish though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Seem like a colossal waste of effort and money to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The weather was cool, but
nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some sun, some clouds and a
breeze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Off we went to explore the city.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We crossed the River Liffey which
bisects the city, then through Trinity College and an adjacent park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a little more wandering, it was time to
quench our thirsts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nBKIeQJWAAuC-ZjYiWzc1TPyFOo_-eBhM5SaeGXDCkbeaXY5qYkljML5aCl_x7DUPkIDFbFJMfTolZurvJQlRy4xjKB6ItO38Db8sw0LtCD0u6wSg1oQYvPJNwnRJuPsySdwrgQ1nds/s1600/IMG_20190610_093340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nBKIeQJWAAuC-ZjYiWzc1TPyFOo_-eBhM5SaeGXDCkbeaXY5qYkljML5aCl_x7DUPkIDFbFJMfTolZurvJQlRy4xjKB6ItO38Db8sw0LtCD0u6wSg1oQYvPJNwnRJuPsySdwrgQ1nds/s320/IMG_20190610_093340.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River Liffy</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkVl7PWAD169G7axFRoZwslIyu9HnS4rOP4IwdSn8DguJ4brddATCktJOvkIxto9_FOJ8IXnz6XflGpgLONfkBgsIS9CLhhqTjrQ4512FaaUtkMvqGvhqV5i10HINdHQxEetZaCfPzRE/s1600/IMG_20190610_071713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkVl7PWAD169G7axFRoZwslIyu9HnS4rOP4IwdSn8DguJ4brddATCktJOvkIxto9_FOJ8IXnz6XflGpgLONfkBgsIS9CLhhqTjrQ4512FaaUtkMvqGvhqV5i10HINdHQxEetZaCfPzRE/s320/IMG_20190610_071713.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gary and Nathan at Trinity College</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The drinking age pretty much
throughout Europe is 18.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d told Nathan
I’d indulge a very moderate amount of alcohol for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, what could be more appropriate than a
beer in an Irish pub?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The one we ended
up in was not exactly your classic wood paneled old pub, but the bartender was
friendly and a good source of information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nathan’s first travel lesson…. chat up some locals when you can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Anyway, I bought him his first
(legal) beer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was appropriately a Guinness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which brings me to a joke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This, coincidentally was sent to me by a friend
just a day or two later:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As told by a typical
Irishman, Seamus:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“Ay, I took me son Michael out
for his first drink the other day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
went to the local pub and I bought him a Guinness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he didn’t like it, so I drank it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I got him a Killians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t like that either, so I drank it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we tried a Harp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Same ting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe he’ll prefer whiskey, I thought, so bought him a shot of
Jameson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t like that either, so
I drank it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two other whiskies had the
same result.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time we were done, I
was so shitfaced I could barely push the stroller home.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">But Nathan liked the Guinness OK
and handled it just fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We continued
our walking tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw St. Patrick’s
cathedral, the Dublin Castle and some neat bridges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We passed through Temple Bar, which is the
restaurant and night life area of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’d been advised not to eat there though and had a recommendation for a
good place to get some authentic Irish food.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQ1a5dbzMtwSmzhBScK2q4E2THHGg-HAJaEJXsAu33BlyVCilL_jYrvvhqSsL__cOjRvEd_KpCI2SwWda2OujwmWzxdsqzs3q_c2zHJmEkx34ZwPEzao_Npc-t4ugd2z7OMWGyu0yT48/s1600/IMG_20190610_093030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQ1a5dbzMtwSmzhBScK2q4E2THHGg-HAJaEJXsAu33BlyVCilL_jYrvvhqSsL__cOjRvEd_KpCI2SwWda2OujwmWzxdsqzs3q_c2zHJmEkx34ZwPEzao_Npc-t4ugd2z7OMWGyu0yT48/s320/IMG_20190610_093030.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Streets of Dublin</td></tr>
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<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Hairy Lemon was in a very
interesting building with lots of stuff on the walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The place was crowded and the menu boasted of
being voted the best Irish food in Dublin or some such thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was probably so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the food was fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But best Irish food is a little like
prettiest bulldog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not that impressive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we got to experience the cuisine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLaeREreF6hyndbgyRknePmQLbV6HhMw4m1WlLFsF_Uve6o9qW0Hh2fOngNsUekULIgCftdO3yXQL9g1RDAK9XBrMYzZvm2Ve-of16DjzsvW5mkvIYpHrtkEg1aT_fXvo2ksNAJZG6H8/s1600/IMG_20190610_095830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLaeREreF6hyndbgyRknePmQLbV6HhMw4m1WlLFsF_Uve6o9qW0Hh2fOngNsUekULIgCftdO3yXQL9g1RDAK9XBrMYzZvm2Ve-of16DjzsvW5mkvIYpHrtkEg1aT_fXvo2ksNAJZG6H8/s320/IMG_20190610_095830.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hairy Lemon Dublin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We wandered along the river, back
to our neighborhood and were hoping to find some place doing live music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nathan was not familiar with traditional
Irish music, which I happen to really like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We saw signs and inquired, but it seems nothing started until at least
9:00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With our jet-lag, we were hoping
to be in bed about then.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">When asking one bartender about
music, a customer started drumming the bar with his hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He seemed proud to be providing what we
sought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He then followed us out to
provide further guidance as to where to find music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’d obviously had several pints by then and
was quite animated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We heard all about
how he loved America (but not Trump).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
repeated directions to another bar about four times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His instructions included such things as
“when you hear such and such music, just keep going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when the beggar comes up to you, tell him
to piss off.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I assured him that we had it and
were about to escape when he decided to lead us himself just to be sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Down the block he marched keeping up the
constant chatter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we passed a church
he complained about the “focking Muslims” that went there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A cross was clearly in front of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, he pointed the way and headed back
to his barstool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nathan was amused.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We did, indeed find the bar, but
just like the others, their music wouldn’t start until later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we went back to our room for a brief
rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And hard as it was, made ourselves
get back up for our only chance at hearing live Irish music in Ireland.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We’d already bought drinks when
the guy started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, he was
more modern Irish pop with some old American tunes thrown in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he did do Danny Boy and another classic
to at least give us the flavor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
didn’t stay long before crashing for the night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We slept well and seemed to
adjust easily to the eight hour time change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After finding breakfast, we headed out on foot again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A museum was somewhat interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Passing by a park after that we saw a few
homeless people camping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dublin has a
bit of a problem there, but not as bad as some of our cities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their derelicts seem to be more studious
though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One in this park was reading a
book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the previous night, we’d
passed what looked like a clean-cut college student bedded down in a doorway
absorbed in a good book before he turned out the light, I guess.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Our main stop of the day would be
the Guinness Storehouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This sits in
the middle of their large brewery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was originally the main part of it, but has since been converted into the visitor
center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a pricey tour, but very
popular and well done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8eTMN-tSzUnKa_IV5tvCRhI1R6dfEpJXnH-XMbJO0Ou5E0izwMgFgqCMf5M882Tbk5lY_Apm1zCBvWe-JRMyeqj1P5mw4Thxh6Hfk6q2iiqS0eDWTy6ofbmy-Rce-icwC2Kw2RCaELKM/s1600/IMG_20190611_033416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8eTMN-tSzUnKa_IV5tvCRhI1R6dfEpJXnH-XMbJO0Ou5E0izwMgFgqCMf5M882Tbk5lY_Apm1zCBvWe-JRMyeqj1P5mw4Thxh6Hfk6q2iiqS0eDWTy6ofbmy-Rce-icwC2Kw2RCaELKM/s320/IMG_20190611_033416.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guinness Storehouse</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The seven-story structure allows
you to wander through the various displays that tell about the process of
making the beer and the history of Guinness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At one point we were trained in exactly how to pull the perfect draft of
Guinness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We both have certificates of
graduation in that fine art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
culminated in one free beer each which we enjoyed on the top floor with a view
of the city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA6B1isbPrA8Kl9lh6ZOTybL4sYZYf93EQotkthrJNjaRvYMA1SFCqaq0vI5NdsodQXmlkixuz-zh5zYhHYjp2NhqxxuK2mCcNgioVO4LdPqUedRW3lw1FQhdEcwmlh8FXzPWge9AmzBI/s1600/IMG_20190611_041145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA6B1isbPrA8Kl9lh6ZOTybL4sYZYf93EQotkthrJNjaRvYMA1SFCqaq0vI5NdsodQXmlkixuz-zh5zYhHYjp2NhqxxuK2mCcNgioVO4LdPqUedRW3lw1FQhdEcwmlh8FXzPWge9AmzBI/s320/IMG_20190611_041145.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nathan learning a skill</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQiIHZKRgVmdgh26t7nvAxGoEXz_nWyP9lX84B5fg217s72C-4qIvBorF-fwgoqDNl_lCm3YJ8WdM7fXwrd7c0-zxtzoHDY3qCKoeD7ZJa9BNAMef1BXnnx3aH86yavQDgalgE0urzH1s/s1600/IMG_20190611_042317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQiIHZKRgVmdgh26t7nvAxGoEXz_nWyP9lX84B5fg217s72C-4qIvBorF-fwgoqDNl_lCm3YJ8WdM7fXwrd7c0-zxtzoHDY3qCKoeD7ZJa9BNAMef1BXnnx3aH86yavQDgalgE0urzH1s/s320/IMG_20190611_042317.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Dublin</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I can’t comment on Ireland in
general, as we didn’t get out of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But I certainly liked Dublin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
doesn’t have any real spectacular sights, but it is an attractive city and very
enjoyable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people were remarkably
friendly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to our drunk
friend, many strangers offered help whenever we’d pause to look at the
map.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We stopped back at the hotel to
grab our bags, then found lunch nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a kebab and pizza joint so we tried both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bus back to the airport was, like almost
all there, a double decker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we
grabbed the front upstairs seats for the view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At one bus stop, a woman came running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As she flopped nearer, it was obvious that she had neglected to put on
one of her undergarments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps it was
intentional to keep the driver’s attention so he wouldn’t drive off without
her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Our flight that afternoon was to
Prague on Ryan Air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the Dublin-based
low-cost airline for Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tickets
are indeed cheap, but like its American imitator, Spirit, it is bargain
basement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it seems like the process
and rules are just designed to trip you up and obligate you to extra fees.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Our tickets allowed no baggage
that wouldn’t fit under the seat, and I’d been unable to fix that before
leaving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So once through the troublesome
security checkpoint, I reported to the counter to see what trouble I was
in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surprisingly, the bag fee was less
than expected and no hassle at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I’d paid the small fee to select
seats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I picked a window and aisle in
the same row hoping for the unlikely event that the middle seat might remain
vacant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nathan opted for the aisle
seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An old lady was already in the
middle when we got to our row.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She got
up and I took the window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then she
noticed Nathan and I talking and caught on that we were traveling
together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was quick to offer him her
middle seat in exchange for taking the aisle herself…. How generous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t bite, but she was quite
persistent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flight attendant was
just telling her to take her assigned seat when Nathan gave in and sat down in
the middle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And to add just a little insult
to that injury, when it came time to deplane, she put her tray table down in
his way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nasty old biddy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The flight wasn’t bad, though the
airplane felt like a school bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
seats didn’t recline at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were
no seat back pockets so nothing to read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The emergency card info was a sticker staring at you from the seat
back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing was offered for free, but
the attendants were up and down the aisle frequently trying to sell all sorts
of stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You get what you pay for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At Prague, we encountered a long
line at immigration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With losing an
hour, it was already after 9:00 p.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Getting through that I found lousy exchange rates for cash so used an
ATM for local currency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That had about a
$12 fee, which I’m hoping my bank covers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The machine, however, spit out only big bills which is very inconvenient
when your immediate need is to buy a bus ticket.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We could have used a taxi, or
course, but I wanted to show Nathan the beauty of using public
transportation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t just being
cheap, you understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While getting
cash, I encountered a Brit with the biggest nose I’d ever seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He reported that he’d learned which number
bus to take to the city center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took
note of that, then went to try and buy bus tickets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The infernal ticket machine tortured
me some before finally giving up two tickets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We went out to the bus area only to be confronted with more uncertainty
about which bus to take.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked the
driver of one soon to depart if it went to city center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He grunted that it went to the metro center
which sounded close enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So off we
went.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d tasked Nathan with downloading
city maps of our destinations to his phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He had those and it was a good thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He could follow our progress on the bus and hopefully know when we had
reached a close enough point to jump off and walk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">But it turned out that the metro
center was only the closest metro station and not in the city at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So that is where we were dumped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hmmm?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We followed the crowd down to the subway and bought a couple more
tickets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally made a good guess as to
which train to get on, and then at what station to get off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It all worked out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An elevator took us to the surface only about
three blocks from our destination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nathan was able to GPS us right to the door.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Hotel Melantrich, like most that
I’d picked, was in a great location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
this place too, was a little odd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Through a dark hallway we reached a door and had to push a button for
entry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were quickly buzzed in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then it was up a long stairway and down
another hall to the front desk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The temperature was considerably
warmer than in Dublin and despite it being nighttime, I was quite warm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our room had no A/C and this was the first
time I considered that that heat might be an issue on this trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why hadn’t that occurred to me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A quick check of our other hotels and I
didn’t see any guarantee of air conditioning anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will have to pay more attention to that in
the future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It was just past 11:00 and we
were hungry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After checking in, we
headed back out in search of food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
area was still lively with bars still doing business, but kitchens were all
closed by then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We at last found
something open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was again a pizza and
kebab stand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No problem, we both switched
from our lunch choice and enjoyed the meal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">After sleep and the hotel buffet
breakfast, both of which were not bad, we set out to see the sights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d been to Prague twice before and wouldn’t
have bothered going again, but it was conveniently on the way and certainly
worthwhile for Nathan to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My last
visit there was about 12 years previously, but I still felt I knew what to show
him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jp8TA_4q9Nb3EThTzJ2euxUltZ6Jn5YlVdGDmzFful5fEpQOIlHJh-IIh6TnRNLvr3WQd8Tf_pFCeHvswvAePrMaFjoL4uJH4S8uTpAgCIxR-yNvDwn77ZChFTfAGTR4I1VjXFMgccg/s1600/IMG_20190611_232447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jp8TA_4q9Nb3EThTzJ2euxUltZ6Jn5YlVdGDmzFful5fEpQOIlHJh-IIh6TnRNLvr3WQd8Tf_pFCeHvswvAePrMaFjoL4uJH4S8uTpAgCIxR-yNvDwn77ZChFTfAGTR4I1VjXFMgccg/s320/IMG_20190611_232447.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Streets of Prague</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We wandered off through the
crooked streets and came to the Charles bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was still early enough that few tourists were about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We crossed over and made the long hike up to
the castle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite the early hour, it
was getting warm and I worked up a dripping sweat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was to become a common thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d be in shorts sweating profusely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nathan in jeans and a black shirt not
sweating at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I’d have to carry a
big bottle of water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t bother
and could go half a day without anything to drink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, to be young and skinny again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmDNCMp0X6e_tKmavtjXr9sFKRI6SYXEbrH_JslQ-302LZYDiiXWA3QeDUtRC8c1ghDGcldvxPmrmeHkvVsq-ZhJg5v06Zhgf6vmnlf_k318rEB2Ozn9FSqbvX14d6NOFaKdlVW2AuUE/s1600/IMG_20190612_192524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmDNCMp0X6e_tKmavtjXr9sFKRI6SYXEbrH_JslQ-302LZYDiiXWA3QeDUtRC8c1ghDGcldvxPmrmeHkvVsq-ZhJg5v06Zhgf6vmnlf_k318rEB2Ozn9FSqbvX14d6NOFaKdlVW2AuUE/s320/IMG_20190612_192524.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles Bridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I’d been to the castle on both
previous trips, but don’t think I’d ever purchased tickets to see inside of
anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I decided not to cheap out
this time and we bought tickets to see it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was pleasantly surprising to find that here, as well as at several
places that followed, we qualified for much reduced senior and student tickets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvW54K-iqiYqsDUN4IUsWQsaBbcPcCgLz8wcFCCGH0yBfEdG1qzGwMKxc591c8ChOLI400JLNl5ebymcQLW3xR25dGw-yYVWS8P0TmP7o0DEemy9OClE3MoX6vVUBYkYNkRdwbrV2Amk/s1600/IMG_20190611_235901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvW54K-iqiYqsDUN4IUsWQsaBbcPcCgLz8wcFCCGH0yBfEdG1qzGwMKxc591c8ChOLI400JLNl5ebymcQLW3xR25dGw-yYVWS8P0TmP7o0DEemy9OClE3MoX6vVUBYkYNkRdwbrV2Amk/s320/IMG_20190611_235901.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prague Castle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We therefore got to see inside
some fancy rooms, and through museum displays.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It was all worthwhile.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">But the
crowds of tourists were arriving.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We
were going to go back into the cathedral for a further look but the line was
too long.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We went back down the hill and
across the now very busy bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
found the main square and the famous clock there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Loads of people milled about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was then that I realized that it wasn’t
even noon yet and we’d seen all the main sights of Prague.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes I’m too fast a tourist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7de6bYYiG5kOvoCPkwnVm3kbvvJCPc4pyBZ1JF84Mgh4sGHDhOYG1qsLbcR3eVvKXmn4pHSEP-NeJNguOp4TLxGtyG2gpn3ywgKxFS8Is8UC4rELCIiz3f3wU74_YRq1FLBXGrnzSIaQ/s1600/IMG_20190612_022654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7de6bYYiG5kOvoCPkwnVm3kbvvJCPc4pyBZ1JF84Mgh4sGHDhOYG1qsLbcR3eVvKXmn4pHSEP-NeJNguOp4TLxGtyG2gpn3ywgKxFS8Is8UC4rELCIiz3f3wU74_YRq1FLBXGrnzSIaQ/s320/IMG_20190612_022654.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main Square</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We wandered down through the
Jewish quarter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed that last
time, this was all free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But now they
wanted you to pay to see a synagogue and the Jewish cemetery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This area was full of tourist services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One that was familiar was the big open-top classic cars that were used to
give guided tours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A closer look
revealed that most were modern vehicles with fiberglass bodies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Lunch we found a little off the
beaten path where we seemed to be eating with local workers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The food was typical Czech, good and
inexpensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I liked the purple cooked
cabbage.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We walked around a little more
before going back to the hotel for a rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I went out to buy an outlet adapter and find a convenience store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Water was surprisingly expensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I found beer cheaper at one
location.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">This was to be our only day in
Prague, so we ventured back out in search of more to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But not far from the hotel, the dark sky
started spitting water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thunder rumbled
and we dodged some quick downpours and even a little hail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cooling rain was welcome enough, but
without the proper gear, we couldn’t get our phones wet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, the rain let up and the
threatening skies never opened up on us again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We walked across a different bridge and through a nice park on the
river. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">There are loads of restaurants,
of course, in the old section of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We checked many menus that didn’t seem all that appealing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We finally settled on one but eventually
realized that many of these places are apparently jointly owned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Menus had a different look but identical
choices and prices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The food was fine,
but it felt very much geared to tourists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">That night was again warm and
humid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the morning we had some time
so walked back to the square to see the operation of the clock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A huge crowd was gathered for the 10:00 a.m.
ringing, but it was rather anti-climactic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We walked back, checked out of our hotel and hiked the several blocks to
the train station.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYYCEpkbD0O-zI_HUzXmQt365QKP8iknrEAlzMXORCAgq1vS7qzamClV6iZ1pyHgWvcaBtRw2Agd1JWBwyk7s4mb1ZLkpAL0tNbPx7Ix1YsbwKrnOuSOWUeUafNul8QZRvFKb0rhFDPk/s1600/IMG_20190612_022646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYYCEpkbD0O-zI_HUzXmQt365QKP8iknrEAlzMXORCAgq1vS7qzamClV6iZ1pyHgWvcaBtRw2Agd1JWBwyk7s4mb1ZLkpAL0tNbPx7Ix1YsbwKrnOuSOWUeUafNul8QZRvFKb0rhFDPk/s320/IMG_20190612_022646.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Prague is a beautiful city and I
hope Nathan appreciated it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I guess
third time is not a charm for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
remember it from years ago with smaller crowds and friendlier prices. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The European train system is
usually simple, and easy to navigate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’d bought our tickets on-line and they were not so
straightforward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to ask around to
determine what car we were seated in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then the track numbering system left me unsure of where to catch our
train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we got it all sorted out and
boarded on time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Train travel is
normally so much nicer than going by air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And that was the case here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
car was modern, seating comfortable and it was fast and smooth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two and a half relaxing hours later, we were
in Brno.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In all my room reservations, I
opted for conventional hotels where possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But in Brno and the following stop, Krakow, that didn’t work out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would be staying in rooms/apartments where
there was no front desk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This meant
arranging to meet up and get keys etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That would be fine in the states with cell phones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we wouldn’t have service in all these
countries, so it made things more challenging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirz8u5nkRsBf2uGWK-yS4A7iH0ChSiokP5Gop4Rph-FRIzwtiKw66WwcKAe2RkXfLyMh7dGhSVTtgERGpldBe1IuZJUjUcfVe2WfaBOsDDOix1UKTmb4apsbPK5H01DPk3bMuZYemgOGQ/s1600/IMG_20190613_110806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirz8u5nkRsBf2uGWK-yS4A7iH0ChSiokP5Gop4Rph-FRIzwtiKw66WwcKAe2RkXfLyMh7dGhSVTtgERGpldBe1IuZJUjUcfVe2WfaBOsDDOix1UKTmb4apsbPK5H01DPk3bMuZYemgOGQ/s320/IMG_20190613_110806.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prague train station</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I’d been e-mailing with the two
owners but couldn’t give precise meeting times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In any case, these two properties had similar sounding names and I ended
up confusing the two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My e-mails
therefore confused them too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I got
it straightened out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We got off the train in Brno and
tried to get oriented for the short walk to meet up with our short-term
landlord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But our location didn’t jive
with the streets that were supposed to be nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nathan checked the GPS and it showed us 1.6
miles away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arghh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I blew it again with not confirming the train
station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were not at the main
one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I later learned that it wasn’t
totally my fault.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main station was
closed for renovations so we were left at a nearby alternate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I looked for taxis but prospects
seemed dim that any would be coming by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
took off on foot. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, the GPS
could lead us to where we needed to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We hustled in the heat through some unattractive areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got there only a little later than
expected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Walter, our very friendly host
was there waiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The apartment was
much nicer than expected with a full kitchen and tourist info left for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My bed was in a loft and Nathan had a futon. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had air conditioning, but it wasn’t really
cooling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Brno was really only a stop of
convenience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prague to Krakow would have
been difficult to do in one day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adding
this stop worked out well and it did appear to have something to offer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">With map in hand we set out to
see what there was there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The apartment
was in the heart of old town which in contrast to our hike there was
splendid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The huge main square was a
block away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was lined with
restaurants, statues and interesting buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCuPiLD4ZWTHIStt1BWamMxaoNZhNDEFFdwRRPUcDuEd-lItVduhXgarvl2xFS5RYNdlFkFH4dl-KtHqiEW7f0Cc1PYovT6i4-SXbulYBBVXkKgBZubg92o2iz_-Tr2pvj-pFlHcN5Qs/s1600/IMG_20190613_184755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCuPiLD4ZWTHIStt1BWamMxaoNZhNDEFFdwRRPUcDuEd-lItVduhXgarvl2xFS5RYNdlFkFH4dl-KtHqiEW7f0Cc1PYovT6i4-SXbulYBBVXkKgBZubg92o2iz_-Tr2pvj-pFlHcN5Qs/s320/IMG_20190613_184755.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main square Brno</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">As usual, was did a lot of
walking and stopped in every place of interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was an ossuary under one church, then the big cathedral on the
hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We climbed to the tower of the
town hall for a great view of the city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">There were very few cars on the
streets and trolleys ran frequently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Brno was delightful and just right for the duration we had there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not quite as charming as Prague, but lower
prices and fewer tourists made up for it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We’d had a burger lunch, then
Nathan opted for Vietnamese for dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not very authentic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
breakfast, we couldn’t find anything else open in time, so had to settle for
McDonalds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBDgOaR66XHosz7qQ7coimgChftsEjDwLgDfWo3LWHN8UZVJmKZjAbHvcVKtWFzrb_5QxAIkJzKnIC3cG_gMcvem2qQkvrS9gxvrsRxnKcb5NLXijJARRGJQCsQIzjx6c_iN5bbwNmYQ/s1600/IMG_20190613_192245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBDgOaR66XHosz7qQ7coimgChftsEjDwLgDfWo3LWHN8UZVJmKZjAbHvcVKtWFzrb_5QxAIkJzKnIC3cG_gMcvem2qQkvrS9gxvrsRxnKcb5NLXijJARRGJQCsQIzjx6c_iN5bbwNmYQ/s320/IMG_20190613_192245.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmsBNPX9C42k_0F7cpk7IpAd07f6VGJ7RUmiZl9rTLLscYlviBKz4oEIcbjI6wiYzk__Z4LicgiNRmBe74VwpyC8Jhs51-m2_2pKFD414eGXqqZds3sKZkKBhvpftwut7IWnqUDllVsQ/s1600/IMG_20190613_183053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmsBNPX9C42k_0F7cpk7IpAd07f6VGJ7RUmiZl9rTLLscYlviBKz4oEIcbjI6wiYzk__Z4LicgiNRmBe74VwpyC8Jhs51-m2_2pKFD414eGXqqZds3sKZkKBhvpftwut7IWnqUDllVsQ/s320/IMG_20190613_183053.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view of Brno</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Then it was on to Krakow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d have preferred the train again, but the
bus worked out better for our schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We found the big bus stop a few blocks away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the bus pulled up, it took a long time
for them to simply check our tickets and get us aboard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This despite the fact that there were three
men there to handle the task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
interestingly, any of the three men could have easily played the part of Curly
of the Three Stooges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That reference
will no doubt be meaningless to you younger readers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Finally ready to go, one Curly
stayed behind, one drove and the third road shotgun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nathan and I got the front seat again for a
good view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The highway was good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scenery nice but unremarkable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At our only intermediate stop,
the two Curlies switched seats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both
would mess with their phones while driving, which I found rather
unprofessional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One nearly rear-ended
someone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the other got unaccountably
angry at another driver and took a photo of the license plate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrived safely in Krakow nevertheless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were a few minutes late due to heavy
traffic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">My sister Karen and her husband
Emilio have lived in Madrid forever. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whenever I’m in Europe, I try to get together
with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, in planning this trip, I
suggested that they meet us in Krakow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Neither of them had been there, so they thought that a great idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had reservations for the first night at
a hotel near ours and then the following three nights in our same hotel. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4rp85EhVqj6WuLW6y6WfMYNUUCCpZfspdwXVGMtQ3C3UZQes4lp_riNbrxihb7y6QzqSvni_bgODTsKwyc9SCIOXTwcDulKIrjT6TOxLjZKTo3V2yzXjlw2pGOh2FxGC2Ai_c-RoNyE/s1600/IMG_20190614_162655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4rp85EhVqj6WuLW6y6WfMYNUUCCpZfspdwXVGMtQ3C3UZQes4lp_riNbrxihb7y6QzqSvni_bgODTsKwyc9SCIOXTwcDulKIrjT6TOxLjZKTo3V2yzXjlw2pGOh2FxGC2Ai_c-RoNyE/s320/IMG_20190614_162655.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karen and Emilio</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Well, not a hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As in Brno, the rental was through an
individual and there would be no front desk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But this time I had instructions for getting the keys and accessing the
room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Karen and Emilio were due to be
there first, but without using international phone service, we didn’t have a
good way to be in touch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We arrived at the Krakow bus
station which is large and located next to the also large train station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And both are situated adjacent to a very
large shopping galleria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found our
way out through it all, and with Nathan’s GPS skills, walked the half mile or
so to our destination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then without
much difficulty found Karen just outside.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We were staying right in the
heart of things, which would normally be a good thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Krakow has a reputation as a party town
for young people, as we would later learn, and in fact encountered a large
group of young people checking in the same time as us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The area we were in had few, if any, conventional
hotels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps that is the result of
conserving the old town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any case, it
was why we were both in private rentals with the associated
inconveniences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDC6FBaq5N7L6ZhxK71fXQgzJ1dtoUt5DgAnbKjkWi9y88M9Bjbj7yk7l6A-EvvP-8SflN3NMCtUvuuxKZTi28Gohygeqy9wtdVXd4Pd17eYKPb7ufkbaMJMSzxg2SmiJddy-ZI-OuNfo/s1600/IMG_20190614_165241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDC6FBaq5N7L6ZhxK71fXQgzJ1dtoUt5DgAnbKjkWi9y88M9Bjbj7yk7l6A-EvvP-8SflN3NMCtUvuuxKZTi28Gohygeqy9wtdVXd4Pd17eYKPb7ufkbaMJMSzxg2SmiJddy-ZI-OuNfo/s320/IMG_20190614_165241.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our street in Krakow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Our room was up three flights of
stairs with no elevator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Normally that’s
no problem, but it was hot and the stairway seemed to get more sweltering near
the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More annoying was the door and
key situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The front door to the
building was locked during late night hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We never had to figure out how to get through that one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then inside at the bottom of the stairs was
another door which was sometimes closed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That required getting buzzed in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One floor up was an iron gate with another lock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We had a key to this but I discovered that it
was much easier to just flex the door and jamb apart to get past it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the top of the stairs was a door to the
two units that shared our common bath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And finally, a door to our individual room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The unit Karen and Emilio would occupy was
also up there but had yet another door with a lock.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Signs on the doors asked us to
keep them all locked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we only had
one set of keys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This made going out
separately problematic, especially since the top doors required keys to unlock
them even from the inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The room was large and pleasant
enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shared bath was not a
problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s huge shortcoming though
was lack of air conditioning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We were in the heart of the tourist
area, just a couple blocks from the main square.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I noticed lots of currency exchange
places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d unfortunately made the mistake
again of getting local cash at the bus station with much worse rates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As in Brno, this area had almost no cars on
the road in the historic center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Must be
some severe taxing system that makes that work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But it was nice for us, as all streets were essentially pedestrian
malls.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilC5IfB0Z_2lLOfOxBFZ8CAzkgZVC1dY9qgv3zvqyp-swyS7kCuQGlp12KoS0-8QUgcZL5jdptfPeUM3YEPMwYNBgjc_YgXF9iAlVCt_AxX5uRoh24EFHMdJnca9wjabOkvPDnbV64nt4/s1600/IMG_20190614_183405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilC5IfB0Z_2lLOfOxBFZ8CAzkgZVC1dY9qgv3zvqyp-swyS7kCuQGlp12KoS0-8QUgcZL5jdptfPeUM3YEPMwYNBgjc_YgXF9iAlVCt_AxX5uRoh24EFHMdJnca9wjabOkvPDnbV64nt4/s320/IMG_20190614_183405.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The four of us had a well needed
refreshing drink before setting off to explore a little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And a word on that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beer is very popular in this part of
Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s quite reasonable and the
standard serving is a half liter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
staying refreshed is not a problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nathan,
despite his temporary emancipation, still preferred soft drinks most of the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They, however, were no bargain and generally
came in much smaller servings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A trip such as this requires lots
of planning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both logistically and
planning of what to see and do at each location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, Emilio was willing to take on
that job for our time in Krakow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
happy to just be the follower in whatever his plan was.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We were all hungry so agreed to
walk around a little and find an early dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The old section of Krakow is beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just like the postcards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
street had the old city gate at one end and the huge town square at the
other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In between were restaurants,
shops and a lot of nice architecture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Our first dinner was to be at a
“milk bar”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of these were
established during the communist era as a cheap place for workers to get a meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The one we ate at was a spartan cafeteria
serving traditional Polish dishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
bought and shared several for a very inexpensive meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They served no alcohol and didn’t even have
ice for drinks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We strolled some more, then bought
ice cream which was also a bargain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Poland is generally cheaper than the rest of Europe, and the prices
there were remarkably reasonable considering how popular a tourist destination
it is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LLzziRzo6Hghyphenhyphen-VXEy6djIYyoczWnTVN9XZ26kUmW4OIuX1ZaPEoGYa04cSpDIcQHHQlOT5L3TBavqUUCOJ659c6Cfwa9AIHPZicmEolw9WVkn4ZyZp1LxJTW0_pJHnsbt0VnvrzFaU/s1600/IMG_20190614_191520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LLzziRzo6Hghyphenhyphen-VXEy6djIYyoczWnTVN9XZ26kUmW4OIuX1ZaPEoGYa04cSpDIcQHHQlOT5L3TBavqUUCOJ659c6Cfwa9AIHPZicmEolw9WVkn4ZyZp1LxJTW0_pJHnsbt0VnvrzFaU/s320/IMG_20190614_191520.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View while eating ice cream</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Emilio went back to the room and
the three of us walked to a nearby park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Karen asked Nathan lots of questions as she typically does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned more about his life during those
few days than during the rest of the trip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I’d forgotten to pack some
laundry soap and had been unable to find any.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had asked Karen to bring a little powder if she had it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She came through so that night Nathan and I
were able to wash out some clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Traveling light requires doing laundry when able. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Taking a walk on my own after
this, I found a convenience store around the block.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And across from that was a gathering of
people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A large marble building was
being used as a sort of movie screen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Projected on it were spooky shadows and sometimes effects that made it
look like the building was crumbling and falling down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was accompanied by scary music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know what the point was, but it was
interesting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">With the heat, we had to sleep
with the windows wide open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this let
in the tremendous party noise from out on the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Karen reported a night club right below their
room which made their night horribly noisy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We heard music as well, but also revelers in the street until about 5:00
in the morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mostly Germans, it
seemed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Karen asked her management about
the noise and got pretty much a shrug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s what you must expect there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">My only must-see for Krakow was
to visit Aushwitz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Karen and Emilio were
interested too so that was definitely planned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Apparently, slots are limited though and we almost didn’t get to
go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But their niece found a way to get
tickets for our first full day there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thanks, Yoli.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We were up fairly early looking
for breakfast before joining our tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But as we found in the Czech Republic, restaurants don’t want to be
bothered serving breakfast until at least 9:00 a.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Karen and Emilio were supposed to have
breakfast included with their room but somehow that didn’t happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They hit a nearby coffee shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nathan and I used McDonalds again right next
door to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not proud of eating American
fast food overseas, but sometimes it’s all that’s available.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We met up and walked to the tour
meeting place outside the city gate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then eventually got on our way out of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bus ride was an hour or less over
pleasant rural roads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our tour guide
unfortunately was not good at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
English was poor and his delivery flat and uninspiring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiCkQsWOJPMWzDVsBOovIl7oXgf6r86-RYWUH3nnLgfWo9cdG6bzuKYmPqXblH0ynEurBPkdduUWs0rtFg-1sA3FAhBReMxL9_h-iB6TamkLI6K2McwqKuELEdJOxFRxhGDq20YCSrqU/s1600/IMG_20190615_110719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiCkQsWOJPMWzDVsBOovIl7oXgf6r86-RYWUH3nnLgfWo9cdG6bzuKYmPqXblH0ynEurBPkdduUWs0rtFg-1sA3FAhBReMxL9_h-iB6TamkLI6K2McwqKuELEdJOxFRxhGDq20YCSrqU/s320/IMG_20190615_110719.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Auschwitz</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We arrived outside the Aushwitz
concentration camp along with busloads of other tourists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They made us go through a security screening
for some reason on the way in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
hot in all the buildings we visited and hotter under the sun walking between them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Most of the camp looked unchanged
since being emptied out 75 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
viewed rooms where people were held in horrible conditions, the crematorium,
and the shower room where many were gassed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They had a display of hair that was taken from people before killing
them as it had value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other displays held
piles of eyeglasses and prostheses. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many
tours were in progress at the same time, so we were often passing other groups
in narrow hallways.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxXuJB0WNToipMfFPpDoopuE_7l95N-Ogrt5HTJBRraK0fTLAxGAiSj3YQuXZ1BdmHjOLmVZY8lnLatx40R50L_bjgsxKf2pN2FejMgCy3qzX3OUBTVlbj9rIfXlv1TmuPHSZwuFika8/s1600/IMG_20190615_123958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxXuJB0WNToipMfFPpDoopuE_7l95N-Ogrt5HTJBRraK0fTLAxGAiSj3YQuXZ1BdmHjOLmVZY8lnLatx40R50L_bjgsxKf2pN2FejMgCy3qzX3OUBTVlbj9rIfXlv1TmuPHSZwuFika8/s320/IMG_20190615_123958.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtjFAnLTDCpJQC1BV6B32g48DvAdZ_EeQ-Q2GqFKhX_L9jSTU9UxT5M8bz4pEI2D3F-XhJeWgyGJm7J9mxCYyapR2SL3YmklCiv5yoj3fJcIzUnxhpsiUL01q-GZVjUtRI-srSio3WTQ/s1600/IMG_20190615_124105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtjFAnLTDCpJQC1BV6B32g48DvAdZ_EeQ-Q2GqFKhX_L9jSTU9UxT5M8bz4pEI2D3F-XhJeWgyGJm7J9mxCYyapR2SL3YmklCiv5yoj3fJcIzUnxhpsiUL01q-GZVjUtRI-srSio3WTQ/s320/IMG_20190615_124105.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We were given a chance to purchase a little
food and needed water before loading on the bus again for the short drive to
Birkenau.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got off there to blazing
sun and no shade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was actually a
much bigger camp, though many of the barracks building are gone now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thing here for me was the main gate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the big doorway through the brick
building where the train cars delivered the prisoners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ve no doubt seen this in depictions of
the holocaust.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">There was no security at this
camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were led through some
barracks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they took us by the latrine
where apparently prisoners were filed by once a day, lined up over the many
holes and given 20 seconds to do their business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikntr1qHQDWt4Rd02IyWKNxyHa3k2JDDxxOCIrFdRfVnaeZ02dhnL6AWr7C3VxWMp5x9OW5w4t2ArKo0f21U4Ef5_tNjMSXCLtQW-d7t14DTyZNmFqyAVirAIFbNHc1-iOX6DhC_PEKQ8/s1600/IMG_20190615_131921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikntr1qHQDWt4Rd02IyWKNxyHa3k2JDDxxOCIrFdRfVnaeZ02dhnL6AWr7C3VxWMp5x9OW5w4t2ArKo0f21U4Ef5_tNjMSXCLtQW-d7t14DTyZNmFqyAVirAIFbNHc1-iOX6DhC_PEKQ8/s320/IMG_20190615_131921.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birkenau</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">All of this would have been an
emotional and haunting tour under the right conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I imagine it being cold and lonely with a
guide that can make you feel the pain and desperation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we had none of that. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was hot and crowded and our guide just
recited information blandly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We got a few minutes to find
refreshment before loading up on the bus to go back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The driver hadn’t bothered to cool the bus
for us so we remained hot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The guide
promised that it would cool down once we got going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it never did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That seemed to be a recurring thing in that
part of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Electricity must be
expensive as even those places with A/C seemed awfully stingy with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We never found that nice blast of cool air
anywhere.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">On the way back, we passed a
thermometer indicating 41 degrees (~106 F).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But unpleasant as it was, I don’t think that was accurate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During this time, the guide gave confusing
information about where we should get off the bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was suggesting that we all get off at the
south end of the old city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He repeated
that they’d take us all the way if we insisted, but that it would take an
additional 45 minutes or so due to construction and traffic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly, he and the driver wanted the day to
be over as soon as possible. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That worked
out OK for us so we departed early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We walked back through some
different sights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe there was a
cold beer somewhere followed by a cool shower and a nap at the room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I never bother to research
restaurants where I travel, but Emilio does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And it pays off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ate very well
in Krakow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems that traditional
Polish food comes from its poor past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bread, potatoes, and stuffed dumplings are the staples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only food I associated with Poland was
sausage, but I never found them on any menu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We did find a wide variety of good things though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surprisingly we ate duck more than once and
salmon a couple of times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The service
was always slow, but then we weren’t in a hurry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuyef9ZCB4eFmoAt_KblV0KdF7Hj6leoyLA4OeKl6WiY6uBcJoI80XpSB9vuU0el4z2sKQNcG5uGADoN2XkkxRlh3ILc9So20gR5tL2YIv-vuUYSMzPhYXM5xmRYSypWXEnVSsK_Dclg/s1600/IMG_20190616_195223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuyef9ZCB4eFmoAt_KblV0KdF7Hj6leoyLA4OeKl6WiY6uBcJoI80XpSB9vuU0el4z2sKQNcG5uGADoN2XkkxRlh3ILc9So20gR5tL2YIv-vuUYSMzPhYXM5xmRYSypWXEnVSsK_Dclg/s320/IMG_20190616_195223.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">That night was a little
quieter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was still party noise out
in the street, but without the head banging music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, it was back to the golden arches for
breakfast and ordering food through one of those impersonal kiosks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Karen and Emilio were moving over
to our building so brought their bags to store in our room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we were off for the day of touring on
foot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a 10:20 appointment for a guided
tour of Schindler’s factory so walked the mile and a half or so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Schindler was the business man
who owned the factory during WWII.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was located in the Jewish part of town and he employed many Jews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As they were being rounded up and shipped off,
he rescued many and saved them from extermination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was, of course, the subject of the movie
“Shindler’s List” made in the 90s. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the movie painted him as a hero, the
tour pointed out the he may have been doing what was in his best financial interest
as well. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The museum was well done and
the tour interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as with the
previous day, the abundance of tourists, crowding and confusion took away from
the experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s the irony of
travel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You want to see all the good
stuff, but wish everyone else didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
suppose going off-season is the answer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Our walk back took us through Kazimierz,
the Jewish quarter. which was worthwhile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The area was nicely preserved and scenic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We toured a synagogue and walked the
streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Located and walked to a
recommended restaurant only to find it full. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went to another place just down the street
for a very fine lunch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg539lr3j_9145jsgF-q6OdJ7LFhPqHLkqzSn1H08KVVy5b1hw5ptoZzL_1Alh0t7dP_bWjwLxdHx4ibsIJL3Bc0RP7XAUhyFcNBbeTTBSvM2l7udXEtZxkzUB5d3dx9KhMAA9rxQWD4JE/s1600/IMG_20190616_130546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg539lr3j_9145jsgF-q6OdJ7LFhPqHLkqzSn1H08KVVy5b1hw5ptoZzL_1Alh0t7dP_bWjwLxdHx4ibsIJL3Bc0RP7XAUhyFcNBbeTTBSvM2l7udXEtZxkzUB5d3dx9KhMAA9rxQWD4JE/s320/IMG_20190616_130546.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jewish quarter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We walked back and hid out in the
room for the hottest part of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then met up again in the early evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We checked out the massive main cathedral before heading for dinner at
what was touted as the best restaurant in Krakow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it was another good meal at a reasonable
price.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The next morning was Monday and
our final day in the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tired of
Micky D, we got coffee and pastry at the Costa Coffee place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the agenda was the Wawel Castle at the
south end of the old city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a very
imposing structure high on a small hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We soon learned that it is closed on Mondays, but this was less of an
issue than we feared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The grounds were
still open so we got a good look at it all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDflqXJUC5zbERKjQsI3J3g5hUFT_nA1gRk7ivHm6BiMGjnVa7XrjnX8jFz6ab4pRU6S5YqWcwTuG0NNZ2w7IQyACuDkkHgkchXPFmkaoBGC3LJ-b0k7LhrCHokDMmtuDi3bKb-yAw6X4/s1600/IMG_20190617_110303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDflqXJUC5zbERKjQsI3J3g5hUFT_nA1gRk7ivHm6BiMGjnVa7XrjnX8jFz6ab4pRU6S5YqWcwTuG0NNZ2w7IQyACuDkkHgkchXPFmkaoBGC3LJ-b0k7LhrCHokDMmtuDi3bKb-yAw6X4/s320/IMG_20190617_110303.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wawel Castle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We were able to go up in the bell
tower of the cathedral, which I particularly liked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had narrow, steep stairways and the
structure holding up the massive bell was all made of old timbers joined
together centuries ago using crude tools and pegs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Impressive construction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great views were had of the old city, river
and beyond.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We viewed a crypt and tombs, then
found our way down the hill to the dragon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This metal sculpture is symbolic of the city and a popular tourist
sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Popular with the kids in
particular because it breathes fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Every once in a while, it belched out a big loud flame.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">On the way back, we stopped at a
recommended museum called Krakow in 15 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But it was apparently so boring that neither Karen nor I can remember what
it was about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Emilio nearly fell
asleep there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, consider it no longer
recommended.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZHOIv21PjtoTXaP014Me8dpw8N5mfJcunyUaOk5QUEfp12g5X5iVzoLe4IVhjWyUrngRm6z-TumYmjI_FxJgHBZjORHCOVaTpDYPXSuUEjta6pZ9ap1jMZXCNn8Y0yB32TjVZLa-T18/s1600/IMG_20190617_100717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZHOIv21PjtoTXaP014Me8dpw8N5mfJcunyUaOk5QUEfp12g5X5iVzoLe4IVhjWyUrngRm6z-TumYmjI_FxJgHBZjORHCOVaTpDYPXSuUEjta6pZ9ap1jMZXCNn8Y0yB32TjVZLa-T18/s320/IMG_20190617_100717.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Krakow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycR2srgAyOE_2R23pHRXNw02peQXMLSDkqoagZgMMpuHloTUmSqkI3higEuiFEkuL-fbON4SQBLP6Lb7oXK9hYNwutOTNim8KdPmwUKiooenv_R-Gr4FoCy_t6uC3hBrt4TIAa4-MhbM/s1600/IMG_20190617_112716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycR2srgAyOE_2R23pHRXNw02peQXMLSDkqoagZgMMpuHloTUmSqkI3higEuiFEkuL-fbON4SQBLP6Lb7oXK9hYNwutOTNim8KdPmwUKiooenv_R-Gr4FoCy_t6uC3hBrt4TIAa4-MhbM/s320/IMG_20190617_112716.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dragon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We had fish for lunch followed by
our usual afternoon siesta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That evening
we decided to do a river cruise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not as
impressive as it sounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We piled into a
small boat for a half hour ride up and down the river a ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our driver never said a word, but it was a
pleasant trip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At some point we went through the
cloth market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is an old building located
in the middle of the main square used for centuries as a vendors’ hall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there were many there selling tourist
trinkets and such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dinner that night was
at a place called the Black Duck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
Karen and I did split a whole roasted duck, which was delicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6FSDaGgfGU5YPJrUr_bVGPEVdX3SuuA5PPYWFH8Ma_Lj1hzQcaOHaGHUT3Lrel7s6yhgxgVYiaCbsYsjxOXnzGwpFW6fWji_EYdI4HGIWDFtV46vpR0eUO8tGsNm9RPAepBlrUF0dq94/s1600/IMG_20190617_165141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6FSDaGgfGU5YPJrUr_bVGPEVdX3SuuA5PPYWFH8Ma_Lj1hzQcaOHaGHUT3Lrel7s6yhgxgVYiaCbsYsjxOXnzGwpFW6fWji_EYdI4HGIWDFtV46vpR0eUO8tGsNm9RPAepBlrUF0dq94/s320/IMG_20190617_165141.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main Cathedral?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I’d noticed a place serving a
buffet breakfast starting at 7:00 so Nathan and I hit that in the morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wish I’d found that earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We said goodbye to Karen and Emilio as they
headed for a train to the airport and home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We then packed up and headed out for the train station ourselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It’s always a good time meeting
up with Karen while traveling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve
done it several places over the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This interlude in the middle of our trip worked out well to up the
conversation level for a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neither
Nathan nor I tend to gab much. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Krakow was the highlight of the
trip for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a lovely city with
much to see, yet it is tourist friendly with good food and everything is
reasonably priced.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">This time, all goes easily at the
train station and we’re on board for a pleasant 2 hour, 20 minute ride to
Warsaw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the walk to our hotel is
easier this time as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I need only my
handy compass to know which direction to go, finding it just down the street.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Hotel Metropol is on perhaps the
busiest intersection in Poland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a
modified traffic circle with four stoplights and trollies down the middle going
all directions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Under the intersection
are pedestrian passageways connecting all the corners and trolley stops as well
as containing a number of small shops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is reminiscent of the underground malls in Seoul, South Korea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And at another corner of our
mega-intersection is a metro station for their underground subway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our location is a ways from the old town but
ideal for public transportation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZ9dWcQrANPYvYlJaVZpXu85d91t_s_9CWoulbMU4i6BcUnBITMX_XdZAj_laebCETVL7bsIFUBoQvaZjdZsWe8An3m-XgjxzuqOpCrKvJtKZJvpe74wnC73ecDz8MNSWVNJc8-PzgKA/s1600/IMG_20190618_151828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZ9dWcQrANPYvYlJaVZpXu85d91t_s_9CWoulbMU4i6BcUnBITMX_XdZAj_laebCETVL7bsIFUBoQvaZjdZsWe8An3m-XgjxzuqOpCrKvJtKZJvpe74wnC73ecDz8MNSWVNJc8-PzgKA/s320/IMG_20190618_151828.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our busy intersection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At check-in, I’m offered an
upgrade to a mini-suite for about $40 extra per night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He mentioned air conditioning which reminded
me of my carelessness in not having checked that ahead of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I declined the offer, not wanting to spoil
Nathan with such luxury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our room was
fine on the sixth floor facing the big intersection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The view was great as we could
see clear to the river and to the old city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But of course, it was still very hot and we needed to leave the windows
open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We looked over the tourist map provided
by the hotel and my notes on things to do in Warsaw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was still early enough to go out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nathan elected to go see the Warsaw Uprising
museum. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was just a Metro ride
away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I fought with the machine
until it finally gave up two tickets to ride the Metro.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The system was typical and we were quickly at
our stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Arriving at the museum, I was
looking for the entrance when I obliviously stepped into the scene of a news
crew filming an interview there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
amused Nathan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we were to find that
the museum was closed… on Tuesdays!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What’s with that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought
museums only closed on Mondays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We wandered the streets and
eventually stopped for something to drink and a snack for Nathan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the big beer, a Sprite and a nice
kebab came to only $6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our walk back
took us by the impressive Palace of Culture and Science.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The building was designed to resemble the
Empire State building but it’s much more sprawled out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was reportedly a gift from Stalin to
Poland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We bought the ticket to go up to
the observatory on about the 38<sup>th</sup> floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And I must say that we had excellent visibility throughout this trip so
all of our views were great. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5S0IN75is3Lway_opa9o5rFqcdFgdQYxUI88DBlqSsvjNnlVecs4pa6-zbmUhNeBIQouxTL8sTFKNAoO0TbPDIZMTIjfsgt673FLMrjLPz5yvYsYu83ECrEPT1vPb3UnygGsNBwSmNE/s1600/IMG_20190618_170628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5S0IN75is3Lway_opa9o5rFqcdFgdQYxUI88DBlqSsvjNnlVecs4pa6-zbmUhNeBIQouxTL8sTFKNAoO0TbPDIZMTIjfsgt673FLMrjLPz5yvYsYu83ECrEPT1vPb3UnygGsNBwSmNE/s320/IMG_20190618_170628.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palace of Culture and Science</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVNZIjhc8gNr8Mc-XnnwVvQzdDD-rvqDR-0Celm4N4iqnN64dfoh53QCw6FJm31VribwdhyphenhyphenbOs1bouNCTG7IIyjT2s13TJpHf2mkzGQOTuPcqZI6UEP56gEDU6rPPcqP8jupu4R_rJD4/s1600/IMG_20190618_173532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVNZIjhc8gNr8Mc-XnnwVvQzdDD-rvqDR-0Celm4N4iqnN64dfoh53QCw6FJm31VribwdhyphenhyphenbOs1bouNCTG7IIyjT2s13TJpHf2mkzGQOTuPcqZI6UEP56gEDU6rPPcqP8jupu4R_rJD4/s320/IMG_20190618_173532.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Warsaw</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Back at the room, we rested a
little before heading out to dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nathan had located a Thai place so we went there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, it was fine, but less than
authentic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We agreed that the U.S. tended
to have the best ethnic food as the people making it are usually from the place
it represents.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Our Polish waitress, however,
spoke excellent English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked how
many years of English they were taught in school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said only high school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was surprised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout our time in the country, we had
very little trouble with language.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Back at our room for sleep, it
became apparent that we’d traded the party noise of Krakow for traffic
noise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this case it was frequent
sirens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Closing the windows was out of
the question as it remained very warm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In the morning I reconsidered the
upgrade to air conditioning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I
asked at the desk, I got a better offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not a mini-suite, but a better room with air for only about $15 more per
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sold!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would move us while we were out for the
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Off we went after enjoying the
breakfast buffet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d determined that we
could buy an all-day public transportation pass for hardly anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So after fighting with the machine again, I
secured two of those.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We rode two stops north on the
subway headed for the old city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
morning was cooler and even a little misty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But it never really rained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Warsaw’s old city is different in that it was almost entirely destroyed
during WWII.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then they used photos
and plans to rebuild it as closely as possible to how it had been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d say they did a good job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was nice and looked similar to Krakow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6XIOSw0X3PrQtejJBhl4vlhur1gqfhMe_gZVol0EUd3AvrKqcgcIswy3tU8vFt6cvMxer2Z1qmjBd1WEM1CaoyyHDeeQCY33ZRje-2fDMnTv5uDEfANPtqXAD9VlwtDXa8Og1zqiZHc/s1600/IMG_20190619_094310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6XIOSw0X3PrQtejJBhl4vlhur1gqfhMe_gZVol0EUd3AvrKqcgcIswy3tU8vFt6cvMxer2Z1qmjBd1WEM1CaoyyHDeeQCY33ZRje-2fDMnTv5uDEfANPtqXAD9VlwtDXa8Og1zqiZHc/s320/IMG_20190619_094310.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Town Warsaw</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We walked along part of the city
wall and wondered if that was original or rebuilt as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hard to tell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The streets and squares were delightful, though not that extensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That ended at a large square and the
castle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really more of a palace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This,
too, had been bombed to destruction but rebuilt in its entirety at great
expense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were lucky to hit it on “free
Wednesday” so got the full tour for free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And there were no crowds to contend with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The place was huge, lavish and ornate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It reminded me of the several palaces of the
czars in St. Petersburg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also had
beautiful gardens that looked out over the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nice digs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Close by was St. Anne’s
Cathedral.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it offered a great view
from its bell tower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we went up in
that for some nice photos.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJ8ZKuQYwHQ5FczN6tqoEGR9OYPyxUbEUZxGeL9TQow3f-Y2XdZkRv4a2rlElxO-s8EWhtq7AAi42sItvy3OhAk1uXVTrOcsqI26ajckVaZurH8vBDoc63VjbKSe915y0izmV-Z3_mJg/s1600/IMG_20190619_101139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJ8ZKuQYwHQ5FczN6tqoEGR9OYPyxUbEUZxGeL9TQow3f-Y2XdZkRv4a2rlElxO-s8EWhtq7AAi42sItvy3OhAk1uXVTrOcsqI26ajckVaZurH8vBDoc63VjbKSe915y0izmV-Z3_mJg/s320/IMG_20190619_101139.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palace</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtrVNzXZlGNgVfegjhbJwJ43PUsh_aiOw1iDNi55Cz9lC-eQJIy59sqKYpILEtCWa540glFyzGwKmUglvemyDJJGnf-mWf-1P-ElRQ-EEFkWPTA1PfOTyRP0GD4-YCMu3Im9J50HkiLI/s1600/IMG_20190619_111004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtrVNzXZlGNgVfegjhbJwJ43PUsh_aiOw1iDNi55Cz9lC-eQJIy59sqKYpILEtCWa540glFyzGwKmUglvemyDJJGnf-mWf-1P-ElRQ-EEFkWPTA1PfOTyRP0GD4-YCMu3Im9J50HkiLI/s320/IMG_20190619_111004.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from St. Anne's</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">From there we walked all the way
back, passing the tomb of the unknown soldier, several impressive government
buildings and some nice parks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our route
also went down a busy street called Nowy Swait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is kind of the trendy, happening place
of restaurants and clubs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Along the way
I found a book store and was able to buy something in English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d left my novel on the train and was
desperate for reading material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, I
know…. books are so 20<sup>th</sup> century.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">By this time the mist was long
gone and it was plenty warm again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
arrived back at the hotel and went up to our new air-conditioned room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d been moved up to the 9<sup>th</sup>
floor for an even better view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The room
was delightfully cool and I for sure enjoyed the luxury.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We had lunch outdoors across the
street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There, as in other places, I
observed the various modes of transportation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Warsaw, being almost flat, is ideal for all sorts of things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they have it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are bikes and bike lanes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Segways come along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Skateboarders do their thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the main thing I noticed here were the
electric scooters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are catching on
elsewhere, I know, but they are big already in Warsaw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Most seem to be used on a shared
basis through an app.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You just grab one
where you need it and leave it where you stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Seems very convenient, but they are a bit of a menace that will surely
be regulated further in the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
see, they can go pretty fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
sometimes travel on the road and keep up with cars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or they use the bike lanes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But mostly they travel on the sidewalk
silently slipping between unsuspecting pedestrians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Effectively, they can go wherever they want
and seem to have no rules.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were never
run into by one, but it made walking down the sidewalk feel a lot more hazardous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">After lunch we decided to try
the Warsaw Uprising museum again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
knew the way and had our metro passes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
museum was like the others we’d encountered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They have a great venue, lots of good stuff, but don’t really present it
in a coherent way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wandered and took
in all the displays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a good
history lesson there, but I didn’t quite get it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">They had a 3D movie that was
essentially a simulated aerial fly-over of Warsaw right after it was decimated
in WWII.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interesting, but the 3D effect
didn’t add much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We then jumped back on the metro
to cross the river to the neighborhood called Praga.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once a rough neighborhood, it has become sort
of artsy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped in a cool courtyard
and viewed a little of the street art (murals).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For dinner, we went back to that Nowy Swait
area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We picked Mexican from the many
restaurant choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, not very
authentic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pasta sauce on enchiladas?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We slept much better that night
with cool air and the street noise shut out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We got a later start than I would have liked, but it really didn’t
matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my frustrations in travel
is wanting to get an early start on the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But so much of what there is to see doesn’t open up until late.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It limits what can be accomplished.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">After buying another day pass for
public transportation, we arrived at the Warsaw Art Museum a little after
10:00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the sign clearly said that it
opened at 10:00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the gate was still
locked and a few others were standing around waiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We shrugged at each other and we soon went on
our way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">My walking tour took us by parks,
embassies and some impressive buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We arrived at a palace worth seeing at 11:00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A guy was in place to sell tickets, but
confirmed the sign that it didn’t open until noon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bummer, as we had hit a free day again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We weren’t going to wait around an hour
though, so moved on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajEz2G6_hcIrpHfxQE0V0Q-H012gLYA12EvdDkmG1Y2M76029d_XeOfSo1lyFicnxgW7M8KjfL3btYvZAwJsOEzfB1y24tHjnoc0qhibYyLcl-J7c6dZsldUGn0SIvMCq0YSZDqs_u_M/s1600/IMG_20190620_103714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajEz2G6_hcIrpHfxQE0V0Q-H012gLYA12EvdDkmG1Y2M76029d_XeOfSo1lyFicnxgW7M8KjfL3btYvZAwJsOEzfB1y24tHjnoc0qhibYyLcl-J7c6dZsldUGn0SIvMCq0YSZDqs_u_M/s320/IMG_20190620_103714.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warsaw park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Warsaw has lots of green space
and really nice parks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked through
much of it that day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our next stop was
the Palace on the Lake, which is just as it sounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of people were around and the ticket
office gave hours of 10:00 to 6:00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
it was empty and locked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hmm, we sat
around a while and cooled off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tried
again and still closed up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Feeling rather discouraged, we
strolled out of the park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A little light
rain started to fall, which wasn’t in the forecast, but it didn’t last
long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We caught a handy bus that dropped
us near the original art museum, so we decided to give that another try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was still locked up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s when it finally occurred to me that it
could be a holiday, or perhaps a strike or something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Traffic did seem light on the roads. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Back at the hotel, they confirm
that it is Corpus Cristi, a major catholic holiday there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Poland is still very catholic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I noticed several priests and nuns about
town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something we rarely see anymore in
the U.S.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We rested a little, went to
lunch and planned the rest of our day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It’s back on the metro to the
riverfront.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a couple more
museums there which we expected to be closed as well, but they were open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The science center is in a futuristic
building and looked interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it
was full of people and the signs indicated that tickets being sold wouldn’t
allow entry for an hour or more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
decided to pass.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOfrRq06JbuQOdfext3XbksIzfg_Ewjv-yHSwSHoiQK_iuqhiyAaQpoeMwArYZ7_oOCVkeBtKiQL1V8142ml8YQjlS-SvFQglwXKXIJ0Z7HxsL6Cgo8xv21KWE9DfPeLAQffWwjlGFJ8/s1600/IMG_20190620_143110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOfrRq06JbuQOdfext3XbksIzfg_Ewjv-yHSwSHoiQK_iuqhiyAaQpoeMwArYZ7_oOCVkeBtKiQL1V8142ml8YQjlS-SvFQglwXKXIJ0Z7HxsL6Cgo8xv21KWE9DfPeLAQffWwjlGFJ8/s320/IMG_20190620_143110.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Science Center and Waterfront</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Next door was the Museum of
Modern Art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Entry was dirt cheap but it wasn’t very
extensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What they did have on display
was mostly rather sexual and a bit disturbing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One painting featured genitalia ablaze to give
you an idea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The riverfront was nicely developed
there with walkways, vendors and various distractions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Loads of people were about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the east side of the river was actually a
beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And a little ferry shuttled
people to it for free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cool, so we went
across.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It wasn’t much of a beach though
and no good facilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had brought
swim suits just in case and it was certainly hot enough to make swimming sound
inviting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nathan found a porta-potty to
change in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided I didn’t need to
swim that badly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did actually
swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I waded in and cooled off as well
as I could without getting my clothes too wet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The water was an ideal temperature if not the cleanest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The last thing on our list was
the night market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Directions to it were
vague and the hotel seemed unfamiliar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
map showed the general area so off we went in search.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took the trolley this time and eventually
found it hidden down an alley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
were a few stalls selling things, but it was mostly food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And despite its location, it was very
busy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was here that I finally found a
stand selling Polish sausage, so I had some.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFr0cLXizjTcbL-WNdtsLU9IUzYjtW5zJFUpLUFIuBz-uEQs4I4-m-1yynAQPiKRwUBuxiOCutgZXytO61rUto8lyY9JMjHmuef1pveGvOD6JLpRJeKW3gTwoabZ5KVa4vY6aQUgFfiH8/s1600/IMG_20190620_191708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFr0cLXizjTcbL-WNdtsLU9IUzYjtW5zJFUpLUFIuBz-uEQs4I4-m-1yynAQPiKRwUBuxiOCutgZXytO61rUto8lyY9JMjHmuef1pveGvOD6JLpRJeKW3gTwoabZ5KVa4vY6aQUgFfiH8/s320/IMG_20190620_191708.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Night Market</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We were leaving in the morning
for Kiev.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Airline tickets were much
cheaper flying out of the outlying Modlin Airport rather than the closer main
one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d already bought bus tickets to
get us there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only issue was finding
the bus stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was listed as at the
Palace of Arts and Science, that big building close to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But being so sprawling and with parking on
all four sides, that description was not specific enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We located the likely bus area on the east
side, but I was still not certain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In the morning, I took a map down
and asked the guy at the desk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
casualness at orienting the map did not convince me that he knew what he was
pointing at either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I took the long
walk all around it and fortunately found our stop on a different side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I wouldn’t want the panic of searching for our bus at the last minute.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Warsaw is a big city and doesn’t
have quite the charm of Krakow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
there is lots to see and do there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots
of museums, spacious parks and good transportation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was well worth the stop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Modlin airport is a spartan
building primarily for Ryan Air to operate from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It only had about six gates and looked like a
big Quonset hut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I read that it’s not
even air conditioned, but that mustn’t be true. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had plenty of time there, and then even
more time as they announced a two-hour delay in our departure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We got something to eat while
crowded into the post security gate area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While seated there, a woman sat in the seat next to Nathan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then her husband, finding no seat for
himself, just squeezed in with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This, of course, crowded Nathan so he eventually got up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had certainly been taken advantage of seat
wise this trip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">They then boarded our flight a half
hour early with no announcement that I heard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So we hustled to get aboard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
a long hot walk across the ramp to the airplane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, I’d booked window and aisle seats for
us in the futile hope of finding an empty seat between us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plane was full, of course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I indicated to the middle seater that I
needed the window seat, he intentionally mis-understood and slid over to
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, no, I’m not falling for that
trick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got my window seat, Nathan got the aisle, and we pretend not to know each other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Then the pilot told us of a 40
minute delay in being cleared to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
that too is shortened and we were soon on our way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Kiev was the most exotic of our
destinations and I was anxious to check it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I didn’t know much about it so was uncertain what to expect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A former Soviet republic, I imagined it
somewhat bleak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I expected language
to be a challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was wrong on both
accounts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The airport was modern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a ways out of town though and the only
good way in was by taxi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That turned out
to be a newer car with A/C and a driver that didn’t try to take advantage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far, so good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The view coming into the city
was impressive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were large bridges
spanning the Dnepper River, domed churches on the hills on the other side and
the big steel statue that we would go visit later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We were soon delivered to the
Hotel Kiev which seemed pretty upscale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On check-in, I hopefully asked about air conditioning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Of course” was the response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was good to hear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our room on the 15<sup>th</sup> floor was
also a pleasant surprise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a
suite!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a king bed in the bedroom
and Nathan hide a hide-a-bed also in its own room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both had their own balconies, TV and
A/C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a score.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nathan had never seen a hide-a-bed before,
which surprised me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The only downside was that we had
to go out to the elevator lobby to get WiFi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The breakfast buffet there was also good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And all that for about $70 per night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The view from our rooms was spectacular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nearby were the Parlaiment building and
Presidential Palace. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Further away were numerous
church spires and other grand buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Kiev was looking good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbuf1PYEp6atyE4Hf7tvbyr5bu6GE6IgrLHmGaNdHhyphenhyphenMlOwTWjhIOrDhSGI6LPq35y6B6fBwU08LXd2BICdAbpU3fiezlmh0cCAl1BJi7wp_hdlEMlQWHnnIdLTzg6kb5a5SjTO5nS4w/s1600/IMG_20190622_053511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbuf1PYEp6atyE4Hf7tvbyr5bu6GE6IgrLHmGaNdHhyphenhyphenMlOwTWjhIOrDhSGI6LPq35y6B6fBwU08LXd2BICdAbpU3fiezlmh0cCAl1BJi7wp_hdlEMlQWHnnIdLTzg6kb5a5SjTO5nS4w/s320/IMG_20190622_053511.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Hotel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Our location was not in the heart
of what we wanted to see though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as
we soon learned, it is a hilly city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
walk to the main square was a considerable descent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found a good dinner there at a burger
restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got a side of beet and
spinach salad which was fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Big beers,
good food, low prices and English capable people to deal with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great city!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">From there we strolled up the
main drag and through Maiden Square.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were lots of people about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Impressive scenery and a lively crowd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We encountered someone with a big owl and another with an eagle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They assertively wanted to share the birds
with us for photo ops and of course a tip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had no small money at that point though so we had to refuse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nice birds though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another couple of people had pet monkeys
mingling with the tourists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWamYgA6NFrTZ8JcQKjocq5QbwIM8rhReomgCHoRUNP255W_rmAYTJkJfR4kpSbNdyR-dgBFzOT02rN6dJNN_TaR9OTTMwtr9BMcyA21uwoykNXPE1ym-mK-70d_xdkre7UtBar8LRPI/s1600/IMG_20190621_192025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWamYgA6NFrTZ8JcQKjocq5QbwIM8rhReomgCHoRUNP255W_rmAYTJkJfR4kpSbNdyR-dgBFzOT02rN6dJNN_TaR9OTTMwtr9BMcyA21uwoykNXPE1ym-mK-70d_xdkre7UtBar8LRPI/s320/IMG_20190621_192025.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maiden Square</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMKd_UlpeoAGx_6Rg070GnyFzDTjuJ4gq1iij5IQjzfs_iQ91Nu0wSRicPhgMAbWcgaNwanT-lf82DnjZ27kR16sVSFRdoWcpz5hqJNqTq-MibJxoTAgnBWGTdMnHJ-YJQH6aJG6z5lg0/s1600/IMG_20190621_192702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMKd_UlpeoAGx_6Rg070GnyFzDTjuJ4gq1iij5IQjzfs_iQ91Nu0wSRicPhgMAbWcgaNwanT-lf82DnjZ27kR16sVSFRdoWcpz5hqJNqTq-MibJxoTAgnBWGTdMnHJ-YJQH6aJG6z5lg0/s320/IMG_20190621_192702.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kiev</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh137fzcsXIPq_IDjKwEAJ7C-4Fm43bRpTZwurenEjscJs8YreMMhaJu8_7M2YnlLR0B4ZToG-bZ2wipL1QT6O_58z27DlJy7kgMsJq4W4seX3oChPwcKUFwSYo0qxueYlk48ix86Pbog4/s1600/IMG_20190621_193459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh137fzcsXIPq_IDjKwEAJ7C-4Fm43bRpTZwurenEjscJs8YreMMhaJu8_7M2YnlLR0B4ZToG-bZ2wipL1QT6O_58z27DlJy7kgMsJq4W4seX3oChPwcKUFwSYo0qxueYlk48ix86Pbog4/s320/IMG_20190621_193459.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">There was a monster truck parked
and if I remember right, a bunch of bikini-clad girls running around it with squirt
guns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good way to get attention I guess.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At the top of that street was a
large underground mall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We only took a
peek at part of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After viewing all
the buildings and statues, it was time to climb back to the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it was a serious hike.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I decided to check out Ukrainian
television that night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were
several channels of interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had
HGTV, the History channel, sports and a nature show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The American based shows had the English left
in quietly with Ukrainian dubbed over the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was frustrating in that you could only catch a few words of what was
being said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Kiev has a metro system which we
used to avoid the hill climbs, but the stations never seemed to line up very
well with where we wanted to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
nearest station was called Arsenal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
it is noted as the deepest subway station in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t doubt it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part of that is due to the topography, but I
think they mentioned bomb shelter use as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In any case, it was two very long escalator rides down, taking almost
five minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCjy97x27bw5Hh9EOmoQ6Uqpi-0b9aMurQ0sjXe6ojfXETspTBgUQBSoIijY0ODpj8cVV68nlnGZnXDpoK6u7q19FCBK_sfBkcLEIDZ_R5tJHKu8O4LczgjDNMuxhBWrbmkGRDehBxmQ/s1600/IMG_20190622_085323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCjy97x27bw5Hh9EOmoQ6Uqpi-0b9aMurQ0sjXe6ojfXETspTBgUQBSoIijY0ODpj8cVV68nlnGZnXDpoK6u7q19FCBK_sfBkcLEIDZ_R5tJHKu8O4LczgjDNMuxhBWrbmkGRDehBxmQ/s320/IMG_20190622_085323.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The trains themselves were rather
old and noisy, but cost only 35 cents a ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Best of all, there was a live person to sell the tokens.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We got off on the other side of
town and walked a couple of blocks to the recommended bazaar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They sold beautiful produce there, but it
wasn’t a convenient time to buy any.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Next on our list was the Chernobyl
museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this was not easy to
find.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My map had a symbol which only pinpointed
its location to a city block.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
going all the way around, we asked for help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And a local led us around the corner to the obscure entrance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Kiev is not far at all from that
nuclear disaster of the 80s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
U.S.S.R. is considered to have lied continually about the incident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ukraine seems more inclined to tell it like
it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The museum had lots of good
stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got the little phone thing to
listen to dialog in English, but didn’t figure out the numbering system until
we were about done with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ah, foiled
by technology again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The weather was again hot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked to the bottom of St. Andrews
descent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This an old winding road that
leads from the upper city to the lower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is lined with people selling crafts, art and other assorted
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s touted as showing you all
of Kiev in a couple of blocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it
was very nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part way up we diverged
to a trail that traversed the hillside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Benches and a screen were built down the middle of the walkway which
served as a place for artists to display and sell their work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It went on for a good ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was lots of nice art which I suspect
was quite reasonable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as always,
getting something I bought home would have been the issue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Along that trail we came across a
funicular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nathan was unfamiliar with
those too, so we stayed to watch it operated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were in the middle of it so couldn’t really use it to gain some altitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Back to the descent (or in our
case, ascent) Nathan wanted to return to buy something he’d looked at
earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I sat in the shade and he
walked down and back up in the hot sun with his purchase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, I was sweating profusely and he was
not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDA8iw1LHJRQfyvvoIisZWeoubSzq9d0H44cahY0lBqmsWn1aLolqe-j9zy_rLznd8XzxQxF9Gh-kFPNZUNPoafiSkwytW4NFRKwcsDrbjhqcVQb01BJZa5EgnvXpmjeb5IMpX6zrFSng/s1600/IMG_20190622_105922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDA8iw1LHJRQfyvvoIisZWeoubSzq9d0H44cahY0lBqmsWn1aLolqe-j9zy_rLznd8XzxQxF9Gh-kFPNZUNPoafiSkwytW4NFRKwcsDrbjhqcVQb01BJZa5EgnvXpmjeb5IMpX6zrFSng/s320/IMG_20190622_105922.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Andrew's Church</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxWIrcrBEVFBn_uW2jlScFK7R_RCJInYU9by5PDGLbSzmnosak2erQecVCvxhY1ib028zDvg6Pv-X7Ap1EQEDT3nFrhI_7Tj0Oovg86FtVsb2T5Ym86-twsuP_6mmAmimVIbAKsjUBds/s1600/IMG_20190622_112737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxWIrcrBEVFBn_uW2jlScFK7R_RCJInYU9by5PDGLbSzmnosak2erQecVCvxhY1ib028zDvg6Pv-X7Ap1EQEDT3nFrhI_7Tj0Oovg86FtVsb2T5Ym86-twsuP_6mmAmimVIbAKsjUBds/s320/IMG_20190622_112737.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Andrew's descent</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We walked around St. Andrews church
for the great view that provided.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then
at the top of the hill entered St. Michael's monastery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This big structure was painted a lilac color which
was rather stunning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_aT3lUCMQP5kpj-8DJYhy1Ig6Yhtt7DJMWJMk1ROhjYku3d-G2nn2XUVZh6f7H7ZKEYsxSDxncBM3wkWb_Kc2edq2VX_hX_CIfRGT3NDzqgdjHJR3gd0-l2AJS90mVGUr27CXQfE34s0/s1600/IMG_20190622_115651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_aT3lUCMQP5kpj-8DJYhy1Ig6Yhtt7DJMWJMk1ROhjYku3d-G2nn2XUVZh6f7H7ZKEYsxSDxncBM3wkWb_Kc2edq2VX_hX_CIfRGT3NDzqgdjHJR3gd0-l2AJS90mVGUr27CXQfE34s0/s320/IMG_20190622_115651.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Michael's Monestary</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A must-see sight of Kiev is St.
Sophia’s cathedral which was just a few blocks away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I waited in line to buy tickets to tour
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I requested just the basic tickets
for the grounds, but the lady shamed me into buying the whole package.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m glad she did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Cathedral was unique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, it was oddly divided into smaller
chambers and multiple levels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the
walls were mostly painted in a highly ornate way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A cramped spiral staircase led us up to an
overlook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very nice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Then in another building, a ceremony
was going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looked like a christening
perhaps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many well-dressed people were
in attendance and we felt like interlopers, but watched quietly from the
background.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The priest chanted the formal
rites which turned into an almost operatic performance of his booming
voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nice!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBOFEHE9OR6ZhiJ6uNWLPqtp8wqKIhfQ-QmGBY9qMQuefvtVYOkY7OftKhDpVMOGuLdeEJBG-wkEJ-LEYSKMWXC4X7cX6yoRSFABYhCp0gnigjOk_1fFVtAGP9xyhPk1ssOVftfrynNQ/s1600/IMG_20190622_122623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBOFEHE9OR6ZhiJ6uNWLPqtp8wqKIhfQ-QmGBY9qMQuefvtVYOkY7OftKhDpVMOGuLdeEJBG-wkEJ-LEYSKMWXC4X7cX6yoRSFABYhCp0gnigjOk_1fFVtAGP9xyhPk1ssOVftfrynNQ/s320/IMG_20190622_122623.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Sophia's Church</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">By then, we were hungry and
thirsty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But found nothing for several
blocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally down by the Maiden
Square again were some restaurant choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We got some Ukrainian fare including cold soup which hit the spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took the subway home as the long escalator
ride was preferable to climbing those hills in the heat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We relaxed and enjoyed the A/C
for the hot part of the afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
it was time to go out again, we walked (downhill this time) to the location of
the underground mall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was also a
big bazaar above it which we’d missed previously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found it this time and were
impressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had all the usual stuff
missing in American supermarkets like chickens with the heads and feet still on
and pig faces and such.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Further away, we heard music
coming from the park, so detoured to find it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A stage was set up and a band playing opposite the university.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can’t say that I enjoyed the music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked around this area some more, passing
the attractive opera house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oddly, the
police had numerous streets blocked off to traffic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could never figure out the reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It was time for dinner, and not
finding a better option, Nathan opted for a noodle place we’d passed earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made our way back there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">This place annoyed me on several
levels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, it had air conditioning,
but it was set at about one degree below the steamy outside temperature. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second, we could only order through the electronic
order-taking cyborg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nathan helped me
navigate that horrible process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It then told
us to go pay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I proceeded to where
the food came from with my ticket to pay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They didn’t want my money though and sent me away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We therefore found a seat and sat down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At which point we were confronted by an
employee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You must pay before you sit.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, we tried to pay, I pleaded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, unbeknownst to me there was a cashier
right beside the awful ordering machine. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, and they didn’t sell beer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only soft drinks and water… neither of which
was cold.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I wish the food had been horrible
so I could truly hate them, but it was actually pretty good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The water in Kiev is not
considered suitable to drink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I made
the mistake of going to bed without water by the bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our bottled water was in the mini-fridge
which was in Nathan’s room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Waking thirsty in the middle of the night, I
found his door locked with the “do not disturb sign on it”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little shit. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also has our only room key. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I woke early and went down to
breakfast on my own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nathan slept ‘til
10:00 which would have irritated me, but we didn’t really have to hurry to see
what was left, so he may as well get his beauty sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Once we got going, we took the subway
again to the university.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there
visited yet another church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And again,
there was a big crowd and some kind of ceremony going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They keep their churches busy there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Next stop was called the golden
gate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an old gateway into the
ancient city which had been destroyed at one point, restored and deteriorated again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it was now rebuilt and looked a little
like a log cabin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We paid the pittance
to tour it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDGGcjsRb4CYHenafC024zJyR6dR8D8QSX-IvxqeTjrUTbCeFvW55GDB92e5kERtRjh9r9Nw27mp8-DvpuM0Pdo11He4E9I9E8fLfYH3pTDZD5H-3wWufZbZnNNlh8Emhgw0GHPYthuw/s1600/IMG_20190623_120434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDGGcjsRb4CYHenafC024zJyR6dR8D8QSX-IvxqeTjrUTbCeFvW55GDB92e5kERtRjh9r9Nw27mp8-DvpuM0Pdo11He4E9I9E8fLfYH3pTDZD5H-3wWufZbZnNNlh8Emhgw0GHPYthuw/s320/IMG_20190623_120434.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden Gate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6iR3k8s-j7HHwaIQ4DjlLFSheHiRMy9bhN-Im_X2uZJ8bbXiO3f_UoMZ6dwYe8TOHkewLzVlEmnt7wmTLXWGEA24dcMp6rj1hkEztg0-daRLR5bqUyKyxHxS4-mAd3-Lq4SrjymPWLg/s1600/IMG_20190623_143055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6iR3k8s-j7HHwaIQ4DjlLFSheHiRMy9bhN-Im_X2uZJ8bbXiO3f_UoMZ6dwYe8TOHkewLzVlEmnt7wmTLXWGEA24dcMp6rj1hkEztg0-daRLR5bqUyKyxHxS4-mAd3-Lq4SrjymPWLg/s320/IMG_20190623_143055.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kiev architecture</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Another major thing on my list of
sights in Kiev is called sculpture alley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everything I read gives a vague description of its location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is it so hard to be precise?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, I piece together the info and we did find
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a walkway surrounded by whimsical
sculptures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d been close the day
before, but missed it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t quite
live up to the hype.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sculptures are
dusty and a bit run down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But cute
none-the-less.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We passed another area of artists
selling their paintings on the sidewalk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Again, nice stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We noticed
that many streets continued to be blocked off with traffic being detoured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For lunch we ate indoors for a change and were led into an inner room
that had real air conditioning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed
the cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the food was good
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had some kind of lamb in
persimmon and plum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Our last tourist goal in Kiev was
to visit that big metal statue that we saw entering the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The subway took us to the edge of the
river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was still a ways to walk from
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it is all uphill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made the hike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was dripping sweat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nathan, not so much. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We bought some water, but as had happened once
before, we couldn’t tell the difference between the natural water and the carbonated
kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got a bottle of fizzy stuff
that was horrible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tasted of old
shrimp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who actually wants that kind of
water, we wondered. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQLUCYCfsIWqbJFxhfHODrp7rinQ4_fqi7DYmiFmYPlzbWrucYeLlmqAKQnhnzm6uXAuEiyOcW7V90mj8k_hAD6DkKCpm2rUWNoJx-zQWzY-vfuYqzeMQCJFrXeU6Jipzq8CxBUcH_6M/s1600/IMG_20190623_154204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQLUCYCfsIWqbJFxhfHODrp7rinQ4_fqi7DYmiFmYPlzbWrucYeLlmqAKQnhnzm6uXAuEiyOcW7V90mj8k_hAD6DkKCpm2rUWNoJx-zQWzY-vfuYqzeMQCJFrXeU6Jipzq8CxBUcH_6M/s320/IMG_20190623_154204.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">War Memorial</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I believe the statue is called
the Roding Memorial and it commemorates Ukrainian war heroes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s part of a very nice park that includes
other sculptures. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were also tanks
and other war equipment on display. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
stainless steel statue is huge and imposing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">On our way out we bought real
water and some ice cream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then found a
handy bus that took us almost all the way home where we cooled off before going
out to dinner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Our neighborhood didn’t have a
lot of businesses, so I went out to scout for a place to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found an American themed burger joint a
couple blocks away and we ate there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No
disappointment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We taxied to the airport
in the morning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Kiev was a pleasant
surprise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots to see and do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Good food and it’s all user friendly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It was on to our last stop… Vilnius,
Lithuania.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d been to Lithuania two
years previously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a Baltic cruise
with my daughter, Jen, we’d stopped in port there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had taken a shore excursion to a soviet
missile silo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was interesting, but
didn’t give much insight into Lithuania.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Vilnius, the capital is well inland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lithuania is also a former Soviet Republic, but one of the more
independent ones that has been quite successful since gaining independence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">But first to get there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We taxied back to Boryspil, the Kiev airport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our tickets this time were on Ukrainian Intl.
Airlines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And our carry-on baggage limit
was only 7 kg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew we were both over
that but they offered no plan to pay for overage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feared a scale at the boarding gate that
would kick us off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">But they had no scale, just one
of those boxes to check the size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
made me place my bag in there and the handle actually protruded slightly above
the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She scowled but waved me
by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, for the good old days when you
just showed up at the airport with whatever you cared to bring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then, these tickets wouldn’t have been
$50 each in the good old days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The flight was fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On landing, the people on board erupted into
applause.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This had happened also on the
flight into Kiev.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess people in that
part of the world do not take a successful landing for granted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Vilnius airport was different
in that it looked more like an old train station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was made of concrete, with arches and
smaller rooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found a tourist information
booth that was closed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">My information said that buses ran
to town so we found one that mentioned city center and got on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had Nathan monitor our progress with his GPS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got off at the appropriate time and walked
a few blocks to Hotel Conti.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Finding our room was harder than
finding the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we did, and
dropped our bags before heading out to explore a little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nearby was the Gates of Dawn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an old gate to the city with a small
chapel reportedly worth seeing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found
the gate, but not the chapel, until an old lady pointed the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was located right above the gate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went up there to witness another ceremony
in progress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUyrtqcoVno_uEnfH-CGJ4yvLURxfldXchZfPRhGNCIxBrSnLfNXM1_sJOiB8zmzuKWRFE4qCX7-6Qg6RdVZ6jm58mSToDvbSCoZNSepBO8b0Wo9jZDszUVk7w53Ig29jHpUXMrX7-8c/s1600/IMG_20190624_173851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXUyrtqcoVno_uEnfH-CGJ4yvLURxfldXchZfPRhGNCIxBrSnLfNXM1_sJOiB8zmzuKWRFE4qCX7-6Qg6RdVZ6jm58mSToDvbSCoZNSepBO8b0Wo9jZDszUVk7w53Ig29jHpUXMrX7-8c/s320/IMG_20190624_173851.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gate of Dawn and chapel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86_xXZqFl_HjUvHCwvXpyulU5K0FcuKciaIH9XIO83h8EFLc3vFHRhCGy5aLfjOXNnNfbJ7_aeH8aFwKCjShLn-QbuGza75YROmKz12vvEOhJ-w6TfDTrlHcqb-BH3Ac42O7ECNLR-7g/s1600/IMG_20190624_174217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86_xXZqFl_HjUvHCwvXpyulU5K0FcuKciaIH9XIO83h8EFLc3vFHRhCGy5aLfjOXNnNfbJ7_aeH8aFwKCjShLn-QbuGza75YROmKz12vvEOhJ-w6TfDTrlHcqb-BH3Ac42O7ECNLR-7g/s320/IMG_20190624_174217.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cathedral</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Our walk took us by and into a
few other churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were many in
the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ended up in the
neighborhood of Uzupis where we had pizza for dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As usual, service was slow, but the food
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nathan needed two of their
mini-cokes to wash it down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure he’ll
be glad to be back in the land of the Big Gulp and free refills.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The hotel had warned us of a big group
that would be eating breakfast between 7:00 and 7:30 and suggested eating after
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While Nathan slept, I went down at
8:00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stuff was pretty picked over and
they didn’t seem in any hurry to refresh it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But I didn’t go hungry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We eventually got underway for
our full day of sightseeing in Vilnius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That included more churches before paying admission to see the
university.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of that was of no
interest, but the bell tower was great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>More interesting construction and a wonderful view of the city. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did stumble into another room that had some
more weird art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yy9fj1DTGeGbK0W4YRGA3TltPmdIFyIRevcEPnHfQLKFePJ_XsusaN7ehszyecvebYO4pfPDuQVvqY0ME7q5oWQInC_o9QQ8hOEyPG-a7W1o5K2KJbZi4wbhrLRquAbr6uBRa1AQPlM/s1600/IMG_20190625_102514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yy9fj1DTGeGbK0W4YRGA3TltPmdIFyIRevcEPnHfQLKFePJ_XsusaN7ehszyecvebYO4pfPDuQVvqY0ME7q5oWQInC_o9QQ8hOEyPG-a7W1o5K2KJbZi4wbhrLRquAbr6uBRa1AQPlM/s320/IMG_20190625_102514.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from University</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tCyz1S89hRjx7BRmwq5yI2xSpAEmesm3F7yfm15dxp4eL4jm2mTZAsXO5GVqnln3eSkjocWPTOilMcmCFGaBtqMQjr_MMyok-wi2-Whj4sgXi8oqJqluYiTBhjWusCaOqyp7hOTUww0/s1600/IMG_20190625_102305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tCyz1S89hRjx7BRmwq5yI2xSpAEmesm3F7yfm15dxp4eL4jm2mTZAsXO5GVqnln3eSkjocWPTOilMcmCFGaBtqMQjr_MMyok-wi2-Whj4sgXi8oqJqluYiTBhjWusCaOqyp7hOTUww0/s320/IMG_20190625_102305.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Vilnius</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">There were lots of people milling
about the university cathedral.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
were well dressed and many were carrying flowers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again, we’d happened upon some ceremony
but had no idea what it was.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Next was the Hill of Three
Crosses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was quite a hike and it was
again getting very warm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But another
great view from a different vantage point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And again the air was clear with great visibility.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Nearby we could see Gedimina’s
Castle, also on our list of things to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It too was on a hilltop, so down we went and back up another sweaty
climb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Halfway up we noticed the
funicular that ran up the hillside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
by then we were committed and continued the climb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The castle itself seemed to be
closed due to construction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They wanted
an entrance fee to go up in the adjacent tower for the view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we’d already had two very good views of
the city so passed on that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did ride
the funicular down though.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVDudHONr4Yq43xSDmJlPBnRHq-4xAmOylmCX4G5J2ojz8Yy7h8lxzwvTZF6wLzhQLAPG3kLuUumVUGIAVZUoah_OwtNbNGjLlB26bVjwD4TjUYFvPFxI7HcnhzMlG8fOx6861Ra319o/s1600/IMG_20190625_115555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVDudHONr4Yq43xSDmJlPBnRHq-4xAmOylmCX4G5J2ojz8Yy7h8lxzwvTZF6wLzhQLAPG3kLuUumVUGIAVZUoah_OwtNbNGjLlB26bVjwD4TjUYFvPFxI7HcnhzMlG8fOx6861Ra319o/s320/IMG_20190625_115555.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Funicular to Castle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Nearby was the main square of the
city which contained the big cathedral.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We looked in and sure enough it was full of people and mass was going
on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was noon on a Tuesday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These people make good use of their churches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">There were crypts under the cathedral
mentioned as worth seeing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I
inquired and found that they were only open to groups with prior arrangements.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">So, we walked off toward our
final destination and to find lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
left the old city and passed through the central business district.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our choice for lunch was Drama Burger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Then it was a few blocks further
where we found the Genocide Museum and former KGB headquarters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounded interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it was closed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hours were Weds. thru Sun. the sign said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bummer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, we trudged back to the hotel. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the way I overheard a couple of British
ladies asking a local for help finding something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They didn’t know where it was so I asked what
they were looking for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the same
museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to give them the
disappointing news that they were close, but that it was closed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I wandered about a little that
afternoon, checking out the train station and such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we’d pretty much seen all there was to
see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vilnius is nice and about right for
one day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But being at the end of this
trip, I suspect that it left us not that impressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d seen so many other cathedrals and castles
by that point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Our flight in the morning was
early so I inquired at the desk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taxi
was the only way, but it was not that pricey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They arranged that, then asked if we’d like box meals made up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I didn’t know that was an option.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We got our 4:00 a.m. wake-up call
and went downstairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I told Nathan,
this would be the longest day of his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were not due to see darkness or a bed for about 26 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The desk clerk handed me two
large styrofoam containers full of food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Looked like enough for breakfast and lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The taxi came promptly and delivered us to
the airport.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We checked-in for the flight and
went through security.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yogurts in the
box got our bags searched, but they let it through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While waiting for the first flight, I ate my
yogurt and one of the sandwiches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We planned
to eat the rest in Dublin since we had almost five hours between flights there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Our first flight was to Stockholm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since Lithuania, Sweden and Ireland are all
E.U. countries, I expected no passport formalities between them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was not the case though and we went through
procedures in Stockholm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our layover was
short there and we were soon on our way back to Dublin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">With so much time there, I
anticipated wandering the airport and leisurely eating our lunches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that was not to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">First we were herded into a
disorganized line to go through immigration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Huh?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That took 45 minutes or so
as the officials were questioning everyone thoroughly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was our purpose in Ireland? “Just
passing through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why must I talk to you?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, I didn’t say that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>My hope of going directly to a gate
and avoiding security again was gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
dumped out right into the check-in area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’d had no opportunity to check in online for the Dublin to Seattle
flight, which seemed odd. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we found a
kiosk and proceeded to check in there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
got to about the last step before it rejected me and said we needed to consult
an agent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the agent nearby told me
that we’d have to wait in that big long line to talk to one of the check-in
people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We spent a full hour in that
line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While inching along we noticed an
offer to check a carry-on bag for only five euro.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounded good to get rid of any unnecessary
burden so we saved our lunches out and checked the bags when we finally got our
boarding passes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We’d used up a good deal of time
by then but still had plenty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were told
to go to security and then directly to U.S. pre-clearance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Huh, what’s that about?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Security overseas is usually less
hassle and wait than at home, but not in this case. It was our third long line to
wait in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arghh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through that, we followed signs for U.S.
immigration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Down halls and around
corners, we were soon in our fourth line and not sure why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It finally became apparent that we’d be
clearing U.S. customs there instead of in Seattle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Who knows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it would have been
nice to know this ahead of time<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Soon we saw signs telling us that
no food would be allowed through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could have ducked out
of line and tried to find a place to finish our lunches, but it was about this
time that I noticed the times on our boarding passes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It said that the “gate closes” at 1445.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that for a flight that departs at
1600.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s with that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But our nearly five hours between flights had
all but evaporated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No time to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ditched the food and proceeded on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They ran everyone’s stuff through a screener,
but we didn’t have to empty our pockets or go through a metal detector.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I guess they were just searching for ham
sandwiches and such.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Then it was on to line number
five.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After several more minutes, we
were talking to the U.S. immigration official.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Back in Seattle, they’ve automated this process into something pretty
quick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So why were we doing this the
slow way there?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked the official if
he was actually an American. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, they
were all there on temporary duty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
thought it was great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No doubt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Finally we were dumped out to the
gate area for all U.S. bound flights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And since they all go out about the same time each day, it was very crowded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found a TV screen to tell us which gate to
go to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrived at gate 406 right about
the declared closing time of 1445.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
they were still boarding a flight to LAX there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I asked the agent about that time on my boarding pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said, “oh, no, that is the time you should
be to immigration”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then why didn’t it
say that, I wondered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At last, we could breathe
easier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got something to eat and I
bought Nathan his last legal beer for a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We hung out nearby as they kept making last calls for LAX.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At about 3:30 I started to wonder
why there was no activity for Seattle yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I asked the agent who initially said it would be boarding next, but then
seemed unsure and suggested I check the monitor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Good thing I did that, as there
had been a gate change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We now needed to
be at gate 426.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I assume it had been
announced, but we’d twice heard announcements where two people were talking at
the same time and we couldn’t understand either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would have been nice if they’d posted it
at the gate we were waiting at.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Anyway, I grabbed Nathan and said
we needed to hurry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went a ways in
the wrong direction before figuring out that the terminal had two stories and
our gate was cleverly hidden up the escalator.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We hurried up to the gate only to
find 300 people just standing around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
gate did display Seattle with a 1600 departure time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there was no one there boarding
passengers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hmmm?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Finally at 1610 a woman arrives
looking a bit flustered and rushed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
all that had happened since then, I wasn’t taking any chances and asked her to
confirm that the Seattle flight was really going to depart from there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then advised her that no announcement had
been made for a flight that was supposed to have been gone ten minutes
previously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She sheepishly nodded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Ten minutes later someone finally
made an announcement that the flight would be delayed as our aircraft had just
arrived from L.A. and needed to be serviced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She hoped to start boarding in 20 minutes or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Now that’s when I totally lost patience
with Aer Lingus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had to have known
about this delay for many hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet
they kept it a secret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the people
moving slowly through all those lines and worrying about their fictitious gate
closing time…. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ha, jokes on you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re not really leaving on time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At 1640, they finally updated the
screen to show a new estimated departure time of 1710.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We actually got under way at 1730.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise the flight was fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why they piss off their passengers by failing
to inform them makes no sense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">But one final shortcoming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took a full hour for our bags to arrive in
Seattle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Normally going through
immigration procedures gives the baggage a chance to catch up with the people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But since we’d done that customs and immigration in Dublin, it meant
a long wait for bags hadn’t needed to check in the first place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I wrote to Aer Lingus detailing
all of their short-comings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were
apologetic and gave us both $100 credits somehow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The chances of me remembering and being able
to actually use that are slim, but it’s a nice gesture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Final thoughts:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Traveling with Nathan went fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was easy to get along with and we had no
problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think he enjoyed it, though
enthusiasm is not an emotion he knows how to express.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s gotten a taste of Europe now and no
doubt has the confidence to return on his own one day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Our itinerary worked out pretty
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found very good airfares so
making so many stops was not expensive, though dealing with that many flights and
different airlines was tedious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had about
the right amount of time at each location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps having similar sights at all the destinations was a mistake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Krakow was a jewel and definitely
recommended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kiev was also great and
worth a visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone should see
Prague once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dublin was the perfect
start for the trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Warsaw, Brno and
Vilnius were all fine stopovers and worthwhile since they were on the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-72882069272270392122016-04-14T16:32:00.002-07:002016-04-14T16:32:42.524-07:00Catching UpOops...it's been a while since I posted! So let's see...here's what my March looked like, riding-wise:<br />
<br />
.<br />
<br />
.<br />
<br />
.<br />
<br />
.<br />
<br />
.<br />
<br />
(Shar was gone to Hawaii the first couple weeks of March, and I was sure I'd finally be able to have a month of getting more miles of riding in than her, between riding solo now that Arya was doing better about that, and also riding with other buddies, but the weather sucked, so I never rode while she was gone.)<br />
<br />
When Shar got back from Hawaii, we talked about doing a quick ride together, but she was beat, so I went to her place anyway, and saddled up to ride solo. We headed out down the road, all was well at first, but then Arya dove for home. I pulled her into a circle, but she just kept her feet headed toward home while her head was turned to my foot. Um... I tried whapping her with the whip, but that didn't work very well, since we were trying out the rump rug I'd bought, so it just made a bit of noise, but she couldn't feel it at all. Whoops. I was trying to nudge her around with my feet, but between my panicked brain and her determined feet, was not successful. I decided to hop off and school her from the ground rather than let her gain ground toward home with me panicking. <br />
<br />
I got off, made her CANTER circles around me, both directions, for quite a while, until she seemed contrite and focused on me instead of her buddies at home. Then we continued on down the road AWAY from home. We'd proceed down the road for a while, do more circles, etc. A couple of times, we did loop-de-loops where I walked away from home in a straight line while she did circles around me. When she seemed to have learned that this was not going to result in us turning for home any time soon, I tried mounting up. She wouldn't stand still, and the second I put my foot in the stirrup (she normal stands still for mounting very well), she headed for home. Oh no you di-int! I worked her in more circles. Circles, circles, circles. Canter, trot, and walk. Then walking both directions on a slack lead, mirroring my pace whether I was trotting, walking or halting. Working on some lateral stuff, too. Tried mounting again. Same thing. Well, poop. Can't head home yet, so kept heading away (very slowly, while doing circles and etc. the entire time). It was starting to get darker, and I hadn't planned to be out past dark so I wasn't wearing any reflective stuff, so I needed to start heading back. But we were DEFINITELY not going directly back. Headed that way, doing more loop-de-loops. Stopped, walked, stopped, backed up. Went the wrong way at the intersection for a bit. More circles. Etc. and so on. When we got to the last turn (on roads, before turning into the driveway) for home, we kept going straight. She only tipped her head as if to ask "but isn't home that way?" but wasn't insistent about it. Good girl! We walked that way for a bit, then turned, circled, headed toward home, circled, etc. There was a puddle at the intersection, so I asked her to walk through it. She avoided it the first try, then plopped both front feet straight into the puddle. "See mom, I can be a good girl!" Passed the driveway a couple of times before turning in, then tied her up at the trailer (no treats) while I went in the house to hear about how their Hawaii trip was for a while so arriving home wasn't a reward. Ugh. Apparently trying a solo ride after not riding a few weeks, at dusk, wasn't the best idea. Who knew? So we'll ride with buddies again for a bit, then try again in less trying circumstances, I guess... (And without a rump rug)<br />
<br />
Then another week or so went by, and we finally rode with Kirstin out at Maston, which was nice. We scoped out the trails for our event we were holding there, did a little geocaching, got some sun. It was a great ride, and at 12 1/2 miles, a nice long one for us.<br />
<br />
The following weekend was our mock endurance ride at Maston. With Shar having been out of town, I took care of most of the organizational details, and a couple things fell through the cracks, but it went pretty well. It was COLD, but we all survived. :-) Hopefully we converted a few previously-non-endurance riders to the sport, and gave even experienced endurance riders a pre-season opportunity to work out some kinks.<br />
<br />
Then the next night is when I noticed my oldest old lady kitty was not herself, and I ended up making the heartbreaking decision to have her euthanized Tuesday, so that week was taken up with dealing with the before and then the after of such things, and there was no riding. :-(<br />
<br />
Finally last week I rode again for the first time in a few weeks once again, a couple of miles one evening, mostly walking. But it was nice to get back out there. (Shar also hadn't ridden Dalai in quite a long time, which is partly why we went slow. The distance was mainly due to the fact I wore sunglasses and left my regular glasses back at the house, and it was nearing dusk.)<br />
<br />
Then, finally, last night we had another nice ride. Took the ponies down the long steady hill, then back up it. Did a couple of trots on the flats before we got to the hill, walked down the hill, let them eat a bit at the turnaround point as well as along the way back (Shar is reinforcing to Dalai that home isn't always the best place to be, and being out on a ride can be pretty darn awesome), and then trotted most of the way up the hill. And I once again took a deep breath and asked Arya to go ahead and canter. She did, broke back into a trot after only a couple strides, then I squeezed her back into a canter again. Both those sessions had been on the right lead, so I tried asking for a left lead after she slowed down. Nope, right lead again. So we'll have to find out if she HAS a left lead, or whether I'm just not asking right at some point. But yeah. That was nice, to be feeling confident enough to canter after the rough patch of that horrible solo "ride" and just a ton of time off from riding lately. She got winded and tired out pretty fast, though, so it was probably only a total of 15 strides or so in the three brief sessions. I let her walk for a bit to catch her breath, then we trotted the rest of the way up the hill. GOOD girl! Both mares were very good on last night's ride, and we made a couple of "wrong" turns in directions other than home, and they were pretty good about that too. (I was sure Arya would be fine in that regard--she's really only barn sour any more when she's out solo and ALL her buddies are at home. With a buddy along, she's almost as happy to be out as she is to be home, though she definitely knows which way is home.) We actually took them around a country block neither of us had been on before, and they were fine. Woo! <br />
<br />
We may ride tomorrow, weather permitting, for a little bit, probably in an arena for Shar to work on saddle fit issues and use the impression pad, and then the next big goal is Grizzly. We're going to ride Arya and Dalai on the 10-mile "intro" ride loop. It's the loop I did last year (Shar's done it lots of times, as it's also the final loop to the LD ride), so it'll be nice to be on a fairly new-to-us trail, yet have it be somewhat familiar. It's supposed to be HOT, so that'll bring its own challenges for all the horses and riders. Then two weeks later is the Still Memorial ride, and it's clear that neither Arya nor I are fit enough to try an LD, let alone one with as much elevation change as that one has, so we'll have to see how many intro rides we feel up to attempting. And hopefully Flash will be back in commission (he got a sore back after his first LD of the season, which was VERY hilly) so Nathan can ride (either Flash or Dalai, depending on Shar's priorities etc.) with us then. We'll see...Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-21063996810222799662016-02-29T13:32:00.000-08:002016-02-29T13:32:41.221-08:00Most interesting ride to dateYeah, this was an interesting day. Lots of stuff happened.<br />
<br />
Let's start at the beginning. When I showed up to Shar's house, this was the view from the living room window:<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Um, Shar? When did you get a BISON?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
She lifted her head up and looked a little more like herself, but she always looks so HUGE laying down.<br />
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<br />
It was a lazy morning. As you can see, Jag is also laying down, behind Arya. Dalai was standing, but only so she could reach the hay. Flash was laying down, too, and I think that Aschere had just gotten up. So we took our time getting ready to go pull them out of their naps to go ride.<br />
<br />
We tacked up, mounted up, and headed out the driveway and down the road. We'd barely gotten past the property line when I realized I wasn't wearing my helmet. I'd brought my helmet and bridle out together, since I hang them from the same hook, and put the helmet down to put on after the bridle, then completely spaced it. I ALWAYS wear my helmet. It doesn't annoy me to wear it, and much better to wear it hundreds of times without needing it than to be without it the one time you do need it. <br />
<br />
Since we were so close to home, I told Shar I needed to turn around to go get it. I felt bad, as she was riding Dalai, who has a bit of a barn sourness problem, though she's been getting better lately. And really, so does Arya, though she's gotten a LOT better lately. I told Shar if she wanted to either stop there or keep going without me, I could go back alone and meet her when I got back, but she decided it'd be better to bring Dalai back with Arya than add the stress of her buddy leaving her to the stress of leaving home. <br />
<br />
So we turned around and headed back. I figured Arya would be eager to return home, but she actually got MORE sluggish. Go figure! I had to urge her forward to even maintain 1 mph, it felt like. We finally got back to the barn and I dismounted to grab my helmet. Amazing how much easier and less awkward it is to dismount after less than 1/4 mile of riding instead of 5, 10, or 15. :-) I put my helmet on and mounted back up. Arya was an angel for all of this. We headed back out, and yeah, Arya was actually MORE eager to head out on our ride than she had been to head back to the barn. Wow. Maybe she's starting to like our rides! Dalai was pretty good, too.<br />
<br />
We proceeded on, picked up a trot, and Arya was lagging behind. My GPS started beeping in my pack, so I was fumbling around to get it rather than trying to get Arya to catch up to Dalai. Then apparently Dalai started balking at the intersection, attempting to head home, and Shar hollered that she wanted to trot in order to get Dalai moving, and I misunderstood her, and it was kind of an awkward mess for a second, but I caught up, we trotted, and Dalai gave in. :-)<br />
<br />
We made our way to the singletrack that heads down the hill to Rainbow. Arya was kind of lagging and slogging along, and even stumbled over her own feet a couple times while we were on the smooth road, so I was beginning to worry that she was really going to trip and stumble her way down the hill, but she did fine. Slowly (Shar and Dalai had to wait for us), but fine. Weird.<br />
<br />
At the bottom of the hill, we rode past the cage full of rocks standing in as a fencepost without issue for the first time, like, EVER. (Arya always gives it a wide berth), rode along the rode a bit, then headed into the singletrack that parallels the road. We were on a mission to hide some <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/" target="_blank">geocaches</a> today. The intention would be that these would all be easier to find/retrieve/re-stash from horseback, and much more difficult on foot. Just something fun to do. Maybe we'll do some all over Central Oregon as we ride this summer. So we rode along, looking for a good place to stash a cache. We spotted a cool snag that just happened to have a surface that would hopefully hold the cache. Unless there's a deluge... We'll have to check on it periodically to make sure, but it should work. So I sidled Arya up to the snag, and she had to stand still on a bit of a slope while I placed the cache and took a bunch of GPS readings I could average to make sure the listing is as accurate as possible. Good practice for her, and likely wouldn't have been possible a few months ago! Good girl!<br />
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Can you spot the cache?<br />
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How about now?<br />
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<br />
We rode along some more, then spotted another good hiding spot. This one was in a tree, so involved getting Arya to walk under a branch, but not so far she decapitated me. It took a little lateral maneuvering, too, something we're only just learning together. Then she had to stand still under the branch, then finally back out. She did great!<br />
<br />
We motored along, trotting when we could, walking when we needed to. We passed a tall rock wall at someone's house, and wished we could stash a cache there, as we could just plop it right on top and non-horse-riders wouldn't be able to see it. :-) <br />
<br />
We trotted a lot of the length of the next road, mostly one long trot stretch. I went ahead and pushed Arya up into the canter, and we cantered probably ten or so strides. It felt so good to do it and not get any bad feedback from her and not be afraid. I brought her back to a trot, and she assumed we'd go all the way down to a walk, as we usually do after we canter even a couple of strides, but I kept her trotting. Then pushed her into the canter again a bit later, this time I made the effort to cue for a right lead, but then forgot to notice whether she picked up that lead or not. Whoops. Need to start paying attention now, instead of just being thrilled we're doing it at all. :-) This time we did come back down to a walk shortly after, as she had done a GREAT job and was breathing pretty hard (as was I!).<br />
<br />
This ride was going SO great so far! We headed down, down, down the long hill toward the river, and Arya felt like she was moving out pretty well for some of it (she's normally very slow when going downhill, picking her way along slowly, and really swaying her hips; but a couple of sessions this ride, she felt much smoother and moved a bit faster, like she was really getting the hang of going downhill; I have no idea, of course, if she was actually using herself effectively or what, not being able to see her, but it FELT nice!). We got to where we'd turn off if we were going to the river, and decided that other than checking for a metal sign we might be able to place a magnetic cache on (there wasn't, they're all backed with wood), we didn't need to go to the river. It wasn't a hot day and the horses weren't working very hard, so the horses didn't need the drink, and it was just going to add a mile or two to our already long-enough ride, some of which was a steepish and rocky hill, so we just kept going in order to make it a loop ride.<br />
<br />
We took a little break shortly beyond there, though, to let the horses graze a minute and for us to have a "rest stop" ourselves. Then we mounted back up and headed out again.<br />
<br />
Soon, we spotted a little cliff looming over the trail, and we had the idea to hide a cache somewhere along there where a horse would be able to sidle up to it. We spotted a good place, and it took a minute to get Arya to sidle up to it when Dalai got to eat instead, but eventually I lodged a cache up behind the base of a bush growing out of the cliff. Perfect!<br />
<br />
We moseyed on down the trail, trotting occasionally. Shar knew we needed to take a small dirt road that went off to the right, and we headed down one but it didn't look quite right so we turned around and proceeded down the main road again. Then we turned onto the next one, and it seemed more promising so we went a little further. Soon, she realized this wasn't the right road, either, but we spotted a good spot for a cache, so took a few minutes to hide another and take its coordinates. We turned around and headed back to the main road, when I notice Dalai spooked out of the corner of my eye. Then (and we're talking split seconds, not enough time to actually DO anything, and only separated in time in retrospect) Arya spooked--she spun sideways enough to get me off balance. I'm not sure, but I THINK if she had then stopped or even gotten back under me by stepping the opposite direction from her initial spook, I might've been able to save it. But Dalai started running from something that scared her (only a few steps, but still...) so Arya ran a couple steps, too, still going in the same direction she'd spooked, so getting me further off balance, and down I went. Luckily, the step or two that she took before I came off brought us into softer dirt off the side of the hard packed road. And REALLY luckily, those steps brought us to a clear area in soft dirt, without any rocks or branches. It knocked the wind out of me a bit, and I gasped like a fish out of water a few times, but it just took a couple seconds until I was breathing normally and could sit up. I'm not sure how much was due to the softer dirt, how much due to the crash vest I always wear, and how much due to the way I landed, but I really wasn't hurt. I sat up, and saw that Shar had also hit the dirt. Whoa! First time I've actually SEEN her fall, actually--all her "unplanned dismounts" since we've been friends have been when I wasn't with her. She was not so lucky, and fell RIGHT in the hard-packed road. And landed phone-side down (where it was in her thigh pocket). Luckily, the case protected the phone. Not so luckily, she has a giant and very colorful bruise where the phone was. But we were all safe and mobile, so as pilots say about airplane landings, "any landing you walk away from is a good landing," so we were alright.<br />
<br />
I'd been assuming they'd spooked at a deer or something, and realize in piecing it together in retrospect that I'm pretty sure Arya spooked at Dalai spooking, and not from seeing anything first-hand, but who knows. But when we stood up and dusted ourselves off, it became clear what Dalai had spooked at, at least. After we'd reached the spot we hid the geocache at, someone had come along behind us and parked in an even smaller off-shoot of the road we were on, mostly out of sight. As we were riding back that way, the guy essentially came out of the bushes right ahead of us. At least, we assume that's what Dalai spooked at. And as we were walking it off, leading the horses back out toward the main road, he kept walking toward us. Shar was both pissed off at having come off the horse in general, and creeped out by this guy in particular and told him to back off, but he either didn't hear or pretended not to. I wanted to NOT piss him off, since he could have a gun or be insane or both. And he did have a dog with him. So when he asked if the river was right there (just beyond where we had been) I answered him that yeah, it was. And could you get to it? I doubt it, since there's a cliff down to it. He wouldn't take that for an answer, though, and kept kind of insisting that there was a trail, yet asking if there was a trail. Dude, we don't know, check it out yourself, but leave us alone. I guess he thought we'd come from the river and were lying to him about being able to get there? But we'd just been a few yards further down the road than him then turned around. Whatever. Creepy guy was creepy in at LEAST a clueless-he-was-making-us-uncomfortable way, if not more, so we hurried past him and his dog and got to the main road and started looking for a spot to mount back up again.<br />
<br />
We found a suitable rock for mounting up shortly after, and did so. I think we both had a FEW nerves, but were surprisingly okay getting back on. We made it about 20 feet down the road when I spotted a pair of alpacas dead ahead (well, they were on the side of the road, but the road curved, so yeah, dead ahead). Awesome. Arya's seen them before, at a different property, and always gets REALLY slow and "sticky feet," but willingly goes past them eventually. But we didn't know how Dalai would do. She quickly showed us that she would much prefer to spin and head home, probably at a fast pace. Shar stuck the spin, which prompted a bit of a turn from Arya which luckily didn't unseat me, either. Long-term, in an ideal world, and especially if we hadn't JUST come off, we would have stuck with it, put Arya (as the slightly more experienced with Alapacas and visibly more okay in the moment) in front, and taken the time it takes to make our way past them. But I told Shar I was calling it, and getting off the horse. She agreed that discretion was the better part of valor in this case, and bailed too. Better to climb off voluntarily than get dislodged involuntarily a few seconds later. I took Arya in front and walked her up to the alpacas. She was in high alert mode, but barely hesitated in her actual steps once I was on the ground and we were ahead of Dalai and less subject to her influence. I think Dalai got a little braver, too, with Shar on the ground and Arya in the lead, though I don't think she was ever thrilled to be there. :-) We walked toward, then stood near the alpacas for a bit. Arya got ALMOST close enough to sniff noses, and I figured that was good enough. We led them for a bit longer, until we were far enough past that Dalai wouldn't try to bolt AND we could find another rock to use to mount up.<br />
<br />
We mounted back up, and I can't speak for Shar, but my nerves were okay in the moment, but on edge in general. Like if Arya made even the tiniest bobble, my nerves assumed it was a spook and reacted accordingly (and inappropriately, by hunching forward), but I wasn't actually nervous when things were proceeding along nicely, if that makes any sense. We walked for quite a while, finally finding the correct road and going from very rural neighborhood to actual boonies. We were following tracks of both a horse and a person on foot, so I was a little on edge that we might meet either of them out there, by having them "pop out" from behind a tree or bush from one or both horse's perspective, and set us all off again. Then we noticed that the human tracks, anyway, went both directions, so hopefully they came from the same direction we did and were long gone. <br />
<br />
We were walking only at this point, because I was a bit nervous about trotting again quite yet, but then Arya spotted a person with a baby stroller. Great. Something neither horse has probably seen before. So we trotted. Heh. It went fine, of course. The horses had probably long since forgotten the spook, but it's a little harder for us humans. I didn't do any more cantering, but we did trot a bit off and on. <br />
<br />
We found our way to a region we were both a little more familiar with (I'd never been to the portion of trail between the river turn-off and where we were now, and Shar hadn't been in ages except for one time a few weeks prior), but by now my left foot was going numb. My toes were numb in their entirety, and the ball of my foot was getting there. It was rather annoying, and I worried could get painful if and when the feeling ever came back. Oddly, my left foot was the one going numb, even though my right hip was feeling more nerve pain than the left. Whatever. I asked if Shar minded if I got off and hiked for a bit, and she did as well. She was starting to stiffen up a bit after falling, so a bit of a walk helped loosen things up. But of course it meant a bit slower pace than when only the horses were walking, especially when we hit an uphill stretch. We'd been making sure to keep to the left so we'd be close to civilization when we got to where we were heading, rather than too far out in the boonies and having to backtrack more mileage to get to the road, but turns out we'd stayed a little too far left and ended up in someone's yard. Oops! Sorry! They waved at us from their back deck, so it didn't look like they minded much. We consulted a map on our phone real quick to make sure we went the most efficient way with the least exposure to fast traffic, and then found a spot to mount up again, for the what...fourth time? Fifth for me because of my helmet. Oh, and fifth for Shar, too, because she got off to adjust stirrups at one of the geocache stops. Wow. Yeah, interesting ride.<br />
<br />
Anyway, we found our way to the paved road. Rode on the shoulder of it for more distance than I really like doing, though at least we were fairly visible for most of it. We got passed by a couple of cars and one motorcycle. I worried when I heard the motorcycle coming because they look and sound a lot different and might get a reaction from the horses, but it was fine. I think they were both more than happy to get home as soon as possible, no matter what might go past us on the road.<br />
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We finally got back to trail again, trotted a bit more, then looked for the trail that goes up a rather steep rocky hillside but then lets out onto a flat straight stretch home without backtracking quite as much as the other option. The trail, such as it has been even in the past, had pretty much grown over and become invisible, so we just kind of headed up the hillside until we spotted the "trail" right near the top. Yay for horses that aren't afraid to bushwhack cross country up and over some rocks. :-)<br />
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We moseyed on home at a pretty leisurely pace. Shar trotted Dalai a couple times to catch up to us, but I kept Arya at a walk (though a very determined one), both to give her a chance to cool a bit (she sweated most of the ride, though Dalai was actually sweatier!) and to reinforce good manners as far as barn-sour-ness goes. A mile or less from home, Shar decided to hop off and walk the rest of the way to stretch her sore muscles out again. I thought that sounded like a good idea, but decided to wait until we were a little closer to home in my case. :-) When we got more like a quarter mile from home, I joined her.<br />
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So, we did have one unfortunate incident (hitting the ground), and a potential training moment we theoretically could have handled better in an ideal situation, but I think we handled as we should have for the situation we DID have (the alpacas), but amidst all of that, I was actually really proud of Arya. We cantered. We did some lateral and backing up stuff. We stood still while placing geocaches. We had the rider get off and on and off and on SO many times. We hand-walked quite a bit overall, and she had EXCELLENT ground manners the entire time (except the last turn for home, she crowded me a little bit. But seriously, the rest of the time, she respected my bubble without any reminders at all!). It was overall a VERY good day, that would have been quite a bit better if not for the one incident, but if you ignore those five minutes, it was a great ride overall. Hopefully my nerves won't be too shot for the next few rides, as those will either be solo, on our own with just Nathan and Dalai, or possibly (hopefully!) with Shawn or anyone else willing to haul to Shar's to ride with me. Because Shar's going to HAWAII, and I'm not. :-)Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-71076586992203136172016-02-22T14:46:00.003-08:002016-02-22T14:46:53.098-08:00Another Horse-Filled WeekendShar and I had the plan to, once again, ride both weekend days. It had been cold and windy all week, so we hadn't done any mid-week riding at all. Nathan was with me for the weekend, so I told him the tentative plan for both days and asked if he wanted to come with me Saturday, and he did. We arrived to find almost all of the horses laying flat-out, basking in the sun. Arya's a behemoth, but seems even bigger when she's laying down and you can really see how wide her barrel is!<br />
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We were originally thinking of riding down to the river, either on the same route I took on my solo ride the prior week, or possibly lengthening one leg of it to make a longer loop. We headed out the driveway to the left. Then Shar proposed that we actually head down the road we'd done in the dark a few weeks prior. Coming back up would be good cardio for the horses, especially if we trotted some of it, and we could explore in the daylight to see if there was any way to hook up to the trails on the other side of the golf course. <br />
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To get to that road with the least amount of travel on busier roads, we needed to backtrack. We decided rather than retracing our steps and then passing the house, especially with Dalai who has some naughty behavior when it comes to trying to return home (Arya too, but Dalai actually hops and spins a little more animated-ly than Arya), we'd just keep going, then go all the way around the block to where we wanted to be. So we got to the first intersection and turned left, as everyone expected. Then we got to the next intersection, where we almost always turn right, and we turned left. This takes us toward home, so the horses were fine with this decision. Next corner of the block, there's not really an intersection there, so we have no choice but to turn left, which turns us toward home again, so happy ponies. Then it's a quick right onto the road we wanted to take, and the first turn that takes us in a not-so-pleasant (according to the bitchy mares) direction. We were careful (well, Shar was--I often kept forgetting my role) to flank Dalai closely to prevent her getting much steam in the wrong direction. She actually didn't try very hard, so it was pretty good. And since Arya was pulling up the rear, she didn't mind following her buddies as much as she would have minded the turn if we were leading or solo. So it went well.<br />
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Then we decided to trot, and Dalai thought maybe a combo of cantering and/or turning for home would get the better of Nathan, but he stuck with her, brought her back to a trot and got her back on track without too much trouble. We turned at the next corner and walked and trotted that road without too much incident, though Arya (and I'm sure Dalai) were trying to inform us which direction home was from there.<br />
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We crossed the busy road without incident (and approaching it, there was a ton of traffic going both directions, but right as we got there, we had a nice big gap in which to cross--yay!), and proceeded along it a bit, then were back onto a quiet dirt road again. We did a bit more trotting, including "pass and be passed." We walked down the hill, Dalai and a pretty good pace, and Arya and Flash following a little more slowly. At the bottom, we continued on the road past where Shar and I had turned around in the dark. From the satellite view, it looked possible that the road petered out into a trail, and then it was hard to tell whether it went around the golf course or just kind of ended there, so that's what we wanted to check out. We came to a gate, but since it only said "controlled access" and not "no tresspassing," and had a nice wide area for horses or people on foot to get around it, it definitely seemed they only cared about keeping vehicular traffic out, so we proceeded. After the rough gravel leading up to the gate, it was nice footing after it, and I think we trotted a little bit more. Then the horses spied the golfers and went on high alert, and we walked, watching for the best trail to follow without getting too close to the golf course. The trail took a right, but then it got to the golf cart path and said No Tresspassing, so we were stuck. I'm pretty sure the only other option would have been to cut through private property of individuals, so we turned around and retraced our steps again. No biggie. We'd extend the ride another way, since this had been a very short out-and-back so far.<br />
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As we got onto the uphill section, we took up a trot. Arya wanted to go faster, possibly canter, but I wanted to hold her back to a slow trot as we had a LONG uphill slog, and I was hoping to trot at least most of it, if it didn't tire her out too much. I'd just been telling Shar how annoying it is when she tosses her head in the trot (partially because of my nervousness issues, but also because I'm pretty sure she's not watching her feet at all when she does it, so while it's not so scary on a nice flat road, it can be pretty dangerous on singletrack with hazards like rocks and roots and holes), and Shar had suggested I let one rein go loose while keeping the other one taut when she does that, so she doesn't have the satisfaction of feeling like she might be able to get the reins out of my hands, but neither does she get the satisfaction of zero rein pressure, either. When I tried to contain her at the bottom of the hill, sure enough, she started her head tossing, and after a couple back-and-forths, tried the one rein trick, and sure enough--she quit pretty quickly. Ha! Gotta remember that trick! We trotted up the hill at a slowish but still hard-working pace, and then I decided to give it one good gusto and go for a canter when it flattened out a bit and the spacing between horses seemed right (we were getting a bit behind Flash, but not so much so she'd try to race to catch up, either). I tried to get my weight a little further back in preparation, urged her on, and she did it! At first, she seemed ready to break back to a trot after only a couple strides, but I squeezed her on, and we even passed flash a bit, probably doing only five or six strides of canter. But I stayed calm, wasn't worried, and didn't bounce out of the saddle too much. Yay! When we came back to a trot, I let out a huge WOO HOO, as did Shar. Nathan wondered what all the commotion was about. :-) But it's huge for me to canter these days, so it was a good moment to not only canter successfully, but without fear. We walked the rest of the way up the hill, as Arya was breathing pretty hard by this point, and deserved a bit of a reward for her good behavior, too.<br />
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We retraced our steps a ways, crossing the busy road without incident again, and I was getting warm, so I removed my jacket (while still wearing my safety vest, though unzipped--basically like removing a bra while still wearing a shirt). I needed to tie it to the saddle, but while I can't really steer Arya one-handed, I REALLY can't steer her zero-handed, and needed both hands to do the ties, of course. Just after we turned left (away from home), I finally decided to just stop her rather than letting her get way off course while I tried to tie, then steering her back on track and having to start all over again. Problem was, since we had JUST turned the "wrong" direction, this was really just about the worst time to actually stop rather than keep going and trying to do it later, either while moving, or stopping much further from the problem intersection. Oops. Bad trail buddy. Luckily, I got the jacket tied on right about when Shar was miffed enough to just get going without us, so we all proceeded along together. Another couple trot sessions, including one in which Arya spooked pretty hard at nothing I could identify, and kind of went it the ditch, but I managed to stay seated.<br />
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Then we came to where the road dead ends, and we all dismounted. I re-adjusted my jacket a little more securely, and also removed Arya's bridle so she could graze while we moseyed around. Shar thought she remembered there being a safe-ish trail to proceed down off what is, in most places along there, a sheer cliff, but has occasional places where it's more of a bouldering expedition instead. She found such a spot, though I think "safe-ish" is even a little optimistic. She and Flash led the way, and watching him stumble a bit and nearly get his foot caught between two large rocks (though he didn't), I was more than a bit concerned, as Arya's not the most graceful under normal conditions. This could end up being a disaster. I tried to stay a bit out ahead of her, so if she had to lunge a bit, she wouldn't have to choose between trampling me and crashing straight down the hill or something, and she actually did REALLY well. She chose her foot placement carefully, and while a bit hesitant (and constantly stopping to eat), she willingly followed me down the not-trail over some pretty big rocks. Good girl! Then Nathan and Dalai followed in our steps, and did as well as we had done. So yay for us! <br />
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Once down on the flat, we were back on familiar territory (for me and Shar, anyway--Nathan hadn't been there before). We all took a potty break before mounting back up, but just as we were about to climb back on, a ranger (BLM) appeared, and asked if we'd seen any transient camps. We hadn't, but he gave us his card and we told him we'd report them if we saw them. And with that, we finally mounted back up and headed for home. Nathan led the way on Dalai, with a few instructions from the peanut gallery who had actually ridden the trail before. :-) One more road crossing (where a hot pink trailer waited for us, holding back traffic, which was nice, though it's traffic from the OTHER direction, with a blind curve, that we really needed to worry about), and we were done with those for the ride. <br />
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Shar asked if we wanted to pick up a trot again. This was a stretch where Arya has gotten pretty nasty about me holding her back in the past, especially on solo rides, though we weren't solo today. We also haven't ridden it in probably close to six months, so maybe it was worth a shot. Though I was behind Dalai but in front of Flash, which is the worst position for controlling her. Dalai has a fast trot, especially when starting off (and with Nathan aboard--Shar can control it), and Arya wants to keep up, of course. If Flash were in front of us (in either position), Shar would control the speed. If Arya was in the very front, she wouldn't be too likely to trot very fast, and I could probably just ride it out until she naturally slowed down a bit anyway. But I steeled myself mentally and physically, and agreed to trot. Gotta work on stuff like this. Sure enough, Dalai took off like a rocket, and I clenched the reins, and Arya put her head down and broke into a canter to catch up. The first few strides felt VERY up and down, and the old me might have even called it a buck, but I had been prepared, both mentally and physically (leaning back), so I stuck with it, looked ahead not down, and reminded myself I can ride a canter. After the initial "bucky" strides, she wasn't as adamant about having her head down, and it smoothed out into a more normal canter, and I was able to use my weight and reins to bring her back to a trot (plus we'd pretty much caught up to Dalai). Shar was hollering for Nathan to slow Dalai down, but either he doesn't know how to effectively, or she figures he doesn't and therefore doesn't listen, as he was having a heck of a time getting her to slow down. I mean, it wasn't a SUPER fast trot, by any stretch. Just fast enough that Arya felt a canter would help her catch up and keep up, especially on that stretch of trail where she feels like she ought to be able to run for home.<br />
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But...I stuck with it, stayed calm, and while it wasn't what I wanted her to do, we all lived through the experience. We trotted a little longer in that same session, then came back to a walk for pretty much the rest of the ride, I think. We made it up the hill where Arya and Noelle and I had all been spooked by a flock of birds in both directions on our solo ride without incident. On a couple of the last stretches before home, Shar warned Nathan and me first, then did a couple of canter sessions with Flash, both toward and away from home (he doesn't have the issues the girls do, so they can do that sort of thing--we need to reinforce walking CALMLY home with the mares, plus they're both in worse shape and sweated more than him, so benefited from walking home in that way, too). The girls were apparently tired enough, or well-behaved enough, anyway, that that wasn't a problem, and they did some nice cantering, away from us out ahead, then back past us going the opposite way, then past us again. Good ponies all the way around on that!<br />
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We got back, and Aschere (the baby) was very excited to see his buddies come home, and it was fun to watch him running along side us in his pasture. I think it was while we were untacking and relaxing a bit after the ride that I remembered Aarene's <a href="http://haikufarm.blogspot.com/2016/02/in-which-i-investigate-little-bit-of.html" target="_blank">recent post</a> about whorls on horses faces, and checked Arya to see what she had going on. She has double whorls (swirling the opposite directions RIGHT next to each other) at what is apparently considered a "low" point. A bit of googling tells me that the personality associated with the placement of the whorls is probably fairly accurate--the higher they are, the higher-strung the horse, and the lower, the more laid-back. She's definitely laid back. However, double whorls are supposed to indicate a double personality, or two sides to her in some respect, and I just can't think of anything about which that applies. Not that I believe in that kind of stuff anyway, but it's just interesting to read and consider, and in her case, it doesn't really match up (just like my horoscope often doesn't on a day-to-day basis, but I do usually see both sides of any given issue, as a Gemini probably ought to). Anyway, so that was interesting but pointless. :-)<br />
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After our ride, we gave all the horses who got ridden a little "mash." Except the alfalfa pellets don't really dissolve, so Arya once again made a huge mess with hers, trying to get the pellets off the bottom without actually ingesting any of the water. Ugh. We went inside, watched a bit of TV while waiting for Richard to get home, then all four of us went to the Pump House for dinner. We asked Nathan whether he'd be likely to ride with us on Sunday, and while apparently the only soreness he experienced afterward was on his seat bones from sitting in the saddle, and not really muscle soreness or chafing or anything, he said he'd stick with just the one day per weekend of riding.<br />
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Sunday, I arrived at Shar's house pretty early so we'd have time to load up and get to Henderson by 10:00, which is the time we'd planned to ride. It was hovering right around freezing, maybe a little above, so while Arya was blanket-free out in the pasture, I figured that being confined in a very breezy box whizzing down the highway at 65 mph, she might prefer a little protection. I threw the fleece cooler on her (for simplicity and because she probably didn't really need the heavy winter blanket). She was NOT amused. I'm pretty sure her train of thought was somewhere along the lines of "I'm a MUSTANG. I should be running wild and free, not wearing these dumb purple jammies."<br />
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We also fetched Flash and he got a blankie for the ride. And guess who else got to go! After his awesome outing to the trail course last weekend, Shar was inspired (actually, she'd been talking about doing this for a while), and she decided to bring Aschere along! If the group had been very large, she wouldn't have brought him at all, and if the group was large-ish, she'd probably have kept him on the lead line the whole time, but since it ended up being just Lianne who came, she figured maybe he'd get to roam free. He'd come along with us (both free, and then eventually tethered when Arya started getting pissy with him) on a VERY short "trail ride" on the "poop trail" at Julie's place (a few loops of trail where they spread their shavings and manure to make some pretty good footing, and he'd done the trail obstacles at the event the prior week, but this would be his first real trail ride, and definitely his longest. Woo hoo!<br />
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Julie had told me the night before that she wouldn't be able to go, and we messaged the other people we'd invited, and none of them were able to make it, so it was just going to be Lianne. And Shar realized, after texting her that we were running a little late, that she might've actually told her 11:00. She checked back through her messages, and sure enough. Oops! So now Lianne probably felt rushed to leave the house when she saw our messages, even though since she was the only other person coming, it really didn't matter. Oops! Oh well. We arrived before her, since even though we were running late, we were much closer to the location than her (and had planned to be there a full hour before her), so we took our time tacking up, and goofed around doing other stuff. I listened to heart rates and gut sounds on all the horses, Shar trimmed bridle paths on her boys... But we didn't have to wait too long, and especially didn't have to wait long once Lianne arrived, since she had trailered with the saddle on. Soon enough, we were mounted up and ready to go.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lianne and Rascal (and Noelle and Arya's ears) at the trailhead</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shar, Flash, and Aschere at the trailhead, plus Noelle and a tiny piece of Arya's year</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Setting off--Lianne and Rascal leading the way (that boy walks FAST!), then Shar, Flash, and Aschere, then me and Arya.</td></tr>
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Apparently Arya had rubbed her head on the trailer and some of the white paint rubbed off on her ears, as she had white-tipped ears the entire ride. Heh. <br />
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Shar kept Aschere on the lead for a little bit, to make sure he was with the program, then after checking that Lianne and I were okay with it, she let him off the "leash." He stayed close for a few seconds, then quickly realized he was free and began scampering around a little further afield from the group, but never wandering too far.<br />
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We headed out on the main road that leaves the trailhead we parked at, and passed the staging area for the OHVs. Noted that they have a restroom there, though we didn't hop off to see if it's unlocked. It's a bit far from where we park to be useful, but I suppose if it is unlocked, it might be something to keep in mind during the wanderings...<br />
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The road slogged up a LONG uphill section. Steep-ish at first, then flattening out a bit while still being a bit of a hike. The horses were not amused, and Arya was breathing hard by the end of the steeper portion. Even the baby was getting tired and breathing kind of hard. He was so funny! He'd trit-trot along side us for a bit, but then he'd go scampering off to one side or the other, maybe tripping over some bushes, then he'd come galloping and crashing through the bushes to get back to us again, before taking off some other direction. The bigger horses weren't super amused with his antics, but they took it pretty well. Arya's been pastured with him on and off, so she's used to his baby-like antics, and he's used to reading her "back off" body language. :-) Rascal was less amused, but still did really well with it. Luckily, while Aschere did threaten to bite the rump of a couple horses a couple times, he never really got up to any truly naughty behavior. And it was impressive the stuff that DIDN'T trip him up while he was galavanting out there. If Shar keeps up with these trails rides for him, he'll be really sure-footed. not to mention well conditioned, when he starts packing a human around.<br />
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When we got to the top of the hill, we saw a cattle guard so Shar put a rope on the baby, but we figured there was a way to go around it with the horses (you do NOT let a horse go over a cattle guard, as their foot will likely be trapped and they'll break one or more legs; cattle guards in horse-friendly areas will often have a gate, or even a gap in the fence with appropriate cattle-proofing to let riders go around the cattle guard), but there didn't appear to be. It had fencing on both sides, and no gates within sight. Hmm...Shar knows the area and Lianne and I do not, so we followed her lead and we all turned left. There was a wide trail (the OHV area is for both dirt bikes, which have some narrower trails dedicated to them, and quads, so a lot of the trails are about a horse-and-a-half wide. Not quite suitable for riding two abreast, but nice and wide.<br />
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However, soon the trail we were one, which had been pretty level up to this point, dropped off down a STEEP hillside. Shar warned us it was steep and suggested we all dismount and walk down it. We did so, and when we got to the bottom, the trail headed UP and equally steep hill, so we stayed on foot and hiked up it. Poor Lianne was getting over a bad cold and probably didn't envision her horseback riding outing going like this. But she passed me up when I took a break during the uphill hike, and I had the idea of trying to "tail" Arya. Long-distance riders use this technique to save their horse's back, and strength and energy, from having to haul them up hills while mounted, but also to save their own human strength and energy a bit by using the horse to essentially tow them up the hill. While there can be a bit more technique to it, the basic idea is you just hang onto the tail and use your own feet plus a bit of a boost from the horse to go up the hill. I'd tried it before with Arya, but on a downhill section, just to see how she'd do with having me behind her, hanging onto her tail. She didn't mind then. I tried it once some other time, on level ground, solo, and she didn't get the concept and wouldn't go forward. But this time she had the other horses in front of her for motivation, so I gave it a shot. I held onto the end of the rope, let her go on past me, and grabbed her tail. She barely noticed, so I hitched a ride the rest of the way up the hill. Nice!<br />
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We went down one more hill, then Shar (in the lead) got to a junction that indicated we'd been on a "most difficult" trail, but were now intersecting with an "easiest" trail. Whew! So after a brief potty break for me, we mounted back up and headed out. Except while it seemed a bit easier, it still had a couple steep hills. Luckily the steepest ones were uphill for us, so we stayed mounted. One was bare crunchy rock. Oops. I just kind of grabbed mane and the wither strap of the breastcollar and hung on, letting her trot if she felt that was best, and letting her have enough rein to use her head to balance and lunge her way up the hill. Poor thing, lugging my weight around. But we made it.<br />
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Luckily, there were just the one or two more mounted uphills before we finally found our way to much flatter ground with much more normal hills. But hey, both the riding horses AND the baby were definitely getting their workouts this ride! Once on the flatter, less tree-sheltered land, we started getting hit with a bit of rain/snow mix. I decided to put my rain shell on before it started coming down in earnest, since I was wearing a cotton sweatshirt that would be miserable when wet. The shell was tied to the back of the saddle, and I got it untied without much issue, but between Achere running up behind Arya and the jacket unfurling and flapping in the breeze a bit, she got a bit jumpy. So I just draped it over the front of the saddle for a couple minutes, until she got used to it and the baby was off in front of us (in sight), then tried again. Managed to put it on (over the vest, not under this time!) without her minding much at all. Good girl.<br />
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We found our way to the water trough we'd found on the ride when Shar and Nathan and I were out there, but none of the horses wanted to drink from it, even though they'd probably worked up a bit of a thirst. The "trough" is actually an old truck or tractor tire turned inside out, so you kinda can't blame them for not wanting to drink from it. Oh well. We weren't going to be out for long enough, or working hard enough, that it was imperative that they drink.<br />
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From there, we wound around taking the same route back to the trailer that we'd taken with Nathan two weeks earlier, with one detour to avoid a truck parked out there that definitely had dogs and may or may not have been shooting from it, so that none of us disturbed the other. We did a couple more trot sessions, then walked the last mile or so back. At one point, Aschere was getting braver and braver about wandering farther away from the group, and Arya would make sure to keep an eye on him so he wouldn't surprise her when he came back. :-) And another interesting point was at a junction in the trail. We were last in line (except Aschere was still behind us, I think), and the other two horses both turned right and headed back toward the trailer. I was messing with something on the saddle, or drinking water or something, and wasn't steering Arya, and she actually turned left. Not only away from her buddies, but away from the trailer! Weird! In retrospect, I probably should've let Shar know what I was doing and seen how long she wanted to do that, but I just turned her around and followed the group. Hopefully it wasn't just a momentary lapse, but an actual sign that maybe she likes riding out and exploring, and will be willing to leave her buddies to do so. We'll see...<br />
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Anyway, the rest of the ride was uneventful, we got back to the trailer, untacked, I put Arya's "jammies" back on her, much to her consternation, and we let the ponies graze on the grass there for a bit before loading up and heading home. Back home, I decided to give Arya water with electrolytes and plain salt rather than adding any pellets. She stuck her nose in, rooted around for pellets, found none, jostled the bucket a little with her muzzle, searched again, and dumped the bucket over. Sheesh. Gotta get to the feed store and get some Special Blend, since it dissolves to mush nearly instantly. Then she'll have no choice but to slurp it up, electrolytes and all.<br />
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So, two days of riding. First day 9.5 miles with one big hill and one small one, second day only 5 miles, but I think much more of a workout for Arya. Both days were GOOD days.Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-44508273504264446702016-02-15T17:25:00.002-08:002016-02-15T17:25:35.281-08:00My 1000-Pound ValentineShar and I had originally been planning to go to a Trail Course Play Day put on by Mustangs to the Rescue, but when she and her Valentine decided to go out of town at the last minute, she apologized to me profusely and I started finding someone else who could haul me there. Shawn stepped up to the plate, and we made plans to meet at Shar's house at 10. She texted me at 9 that she was ready to go and would be there a bit early. Oops! I was just leaving Bend, so told her not to rush. Got to Shar's, bed the dog, fed Flash and Aschere their morning mash, and got all my stuff together. I headed out to pull Aschere out of the pasture, and realized it might've been a mistake to feed him along with Flash rather than just pulling him out and feeding Flash alone. Aschere had eaten his small ration, getting green slime all over his muzzle, then tried to steal some of Flash's once his was gone, getting Flash-drool all over his head and neck. Ugh. So I pulled him out of the pasture while trying to keep the green slime OFF of me, and went to fetch Arya. We were all ready by the time Shawn pulled in, so it was quick to load my gear into her truck and tack room, then load Arya first (over the axle) and finally baby Aschere. Shawn, having just gotten a gelding who was a problem loader, asked me whether it'd be hard to get Aschere in the trailer (since he's a baby and all), but he's actually trailered quite a few times, so I figured it'd be fine. And it was. He was hesitant for a few seconds, but I figured it might be because of that big divider right in front of him if/when he hopped in, so I moved him toward the "short wall," but angled into the larger space, and he hopped right in. Woo hoo!<br />
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We found our way to the site (neither of us had been there, but Google helped us out), and parking was TIGHT. And more rigs arrived after ours, so it was kind of a madhouse. Maybe next time, we should plan to arrive toward the end of the session, since it's just a free-for-all, not a show or anything. But whatever. We opened the trailer door, and I put my hand on the inside to push it open, and right into a wet mess of diarrhea the baby had deposited there. Ugh. Horses. Unloaded both of "my" horses, Shawn unloaded hers, and we proceeded to groom and tack up.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's a bit of a size difference...</td></tr>
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Arya was hollering from the minute we parked the truck, and didn't stop even when she got outside and could see what was going on. And didn't stop the entire time. So I'm figuring that she was not happy that of all the horses we could've brought with us, we brought her least favorite, the annoying baby. And not her buddy Dalai she's currently pastured with, or her buddy Flash who she likes riding with. Oh well. She's gonna have to learn to deal. It was just embarrassing how much noise she was making, though there were other horses acting the same way. Luckily she wasn't TOO antsy at the trailer, pawing or anything. Just hollering and shifting around.<br />
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Once the horses were groomed, I went to check out the situation, pay for our entries, and use the facilities. I had envisioned something a bit more organized, with people taking turns on each obstacle at the very least, or possibly taking turns in the arena. This was basically a free-for-all, though everyone I encountered was very polite about waiting their turn to use an obstacle, or apologetic if they got in someone's way on accident. Unfortunately, I didn't get many photos of the obstacles themselves, but here's an overview:<br />
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I decided to take Aschere through them first, and let Arya stand a while, contemplating her horrific life without her buddies. :-) He was an ANGEL! I led him over some logs he had to step over, up a step-up (which I realized later wasn't much of a challenge, since it wasn't much higher than the trailer is off the ground!), over a bridge, through a ditch with brush on both sides, through a "car wash" (a tarp hung from an archway and cut into strips), all without incident. What a good boy!<br />
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Then I took Arya. I decided to take her through by hand first, instead of riding, and am glad I made that decision. I know I'm not the most confident rider, and we haven't ridden in a setting like this before, so I knew even if she didn't have her own nerves, mine would rub off on her. So yeah, in hand first. She did pretty well herself. She's not graceful at stepping over logs (instead of ON them), but she went through them willingly. The ditch with brush around it didn't phase her. She tried to rush past me the first time over the bridge, but we crossed it a few times and she got better. (She's been over real bridges with actual water flowing under them, but whatever.) She seemed calm enough about all the hubbub, so I decided to tack her up and mount up. Took her back to the trailer, tacked up, found the mounting block, and climbed on. She walked calmly through the crowds of vehicles, horses, and people. I was so proud of her! We headed toward a simple obstacle of a couple logs to step over, and she did okay. We headed toward the step-up hill, and she started making it clear to me that she wanted to head back toward the trailer, and quickly. She would've broken into a trot if I let her. I circled her and circled her, and of course the circles were longer toward the trailer, so we ended up in the corner of the arena near the trailer. Which was fine, though I didn't love that it had basically been her decision that put us there. Shawn and Holly (former boarder at Shar's) were standing there, so we chatted with them a bit, and she kind of stood still for a bit, but then would get antsy and try to move closer to the gate. I eventually had her walk toward THEN PAST the gate, which she actually did rather well. Then we turned around and passed the gate again, and once we got just past it, she made it very clear that she would prefer to exit through the gate, not walk farther away from it. <br />
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Here's what she looked like when expressing her opinion--besides her feet moving more quickly toward and more slowly away from the gate, she would toss her head like crazy when we weren't doing what SHE wanted. I tried to stay calm, sit deep, and wait out the head-tossing tantrums then get back to work on the circles I was asking her for.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opinionated Mare Tantrum (TM)</td></tr>
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And some photos of our many circles...<br />
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And finally a photo once I was safely back on the ground again.<br />
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So yeah, I only rode her for a few minutes, and mostly in one corner of the arena, but I didn't just put her away once I hopped off. Once that picture was snapped, she and I got back to work, in hand again, working through the obstacles, but I made her work a bit harder this time. I first lunged her at the walk, then at the trot, over some large-ish logs. From the trot, she had to actually jump them instead of just being able to step over them. Then I led her down a row of trot poles with a ~1 foot high jump at the end. When I jumped it half a stride ahead of her, I flung the folded-up reins in her face, apparently, so she flung her head up in the air and failed the jump. Oops. Tried again, and it was still not very graceful on either of our parts. I should've recruited an agile teenager to do it instead, huh?<br />
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Then we tried the teeter-totter. It's basically a very sturdy wooden bridge, but with a log secured to the middle of the underside. The horse steps on one end, and it's like an inclined bridge, but once its weight crosses the middle, it tips downward, likely startles the horse, and then it's supposed to walk off the other end, which is now down on the ground. Yeah, Arya did NOT like the tipping part ONE bit. She tried hopping off the bridge right where I was standing. Luckily, I didn't get hurt, but yeah, not cool, horse. So I got the whip out, ready to smack her shoulder if she did it again. Well, that teeter totter is scarier than the whip. Strike two. I tried a few more times, but never got fully successful. Celena needs to build a teeter totter at her place!<br />
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We also went to the bigger "car wash" obstacle--it is basically a big square gazebo with the strips of tarp hanging from two sides (opposite each other), and the other two sides blocked in with brush and more tarps and stuff. The idea is that the interior is darker than it is outside, and a bit cave-like. Much scarier than just walking through the single layer. Arya wasn't too sure about entering it, and rushed through the first time, but I got her to accept standing both inside, and part in, part out, with the tarp brushing against both her face and her flank. Good girl!<br />
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I got the baby back out for another round. He was surprised to discover there were logs buried under the tarp I walked him over, and spooked a bit at first at that, but once he figured that out, he walked calmly through it, watching where my feet landed safely to put his own feet there. I walked him over the teeter totter, and it was a total non-event. We went through the double car wash, no big deal. I saw someone BACKING her horse through the single-layer car wash, so I decided to try that with Aschere. He didn't want to back into the tarp at first, but eventually did. What a good, brave boy! He's gonna be a great horse someday, if he ever gets big enough to ride. ;-)<br />
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Here's a video of the highlights of Aschere's second session in the obstacles:<br />
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So. Shawn and I were both pretty much done. Her horse, by the way, did pretty well at all the obstacles. Under saddle, even. Hmph. I do need to remind myself that Arya IS only 5 (going on 6), and has a very timid rider (working on that), so I can't fault her TOO much for both being a little timmid herself AND trying her best to take advantage of me.<br />
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Anyway, we untacked the ponies, loaded the gear back up, put the horses back on the trailer in the same order they were before, and headed out. Except now a bunch of rigs had been added to the lot kind of haphazardly toward the end, and some rigs had left, leaving weird spots to theoretically drive through. Shawn pointed her truck at an opening that looked WAY too narrow to me, between a trailer with horses tied to it and a shed structure attached to a barn. We made it through, amazingly! I complimented her on her driving, as did the lady manning the gate of the property. No sooner had the words come out of the lady's mouth, when there was a thud and a bang and a lurch. The passenger side of the trailer hit the post at the gate opening. Oops. Luckily, it seems that the majority of the damage was to Shawn's trailer (the piece of metal that sits at the front of the running board to keep it from being a knife edge came off), and the post seems to have been intact, just displaced from the dirt it was set in. They set it upright with a tractor, and hopefully will be able to reset it without much trouble, though Shawn provided her insurance info. Hope they don't end up needing to do anything with it! So poor Shawn, who had driven so confidently through the small space just second prior, was now gunshy about driving her rig anywhere near anything. I hope Richard can fix her trailer for her, and that the post is fine. Ugh. What a crappy end to what was otherwise a pretty fun day.<br />
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We got back to Shar's, unloaded the two horses who live there, and got all my stuff out of her rig, and she headed home. I put the gear away, was STARVING, so went into town. It was only 3-ish, so felt like a weird time to go out to eat, so I bought the makings for guacamole, some chips, and some salsa, and had a little Mexican dinner at home (at Shar's) in front of the TV. I fed the dog at her dinnertime, had a quick sit in the hot tub, and by 8-ish, was feeling pretty beat. So I went to bed. Why bother staying up, right?<br />
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In the morning, I fed all the critters, ate a little breakfast (cheesecake--breakfast of champions!), then debated whether to ride. I'd be riding solo, which would be good to practice on, but what if it didn't go well? I called my mom to ask if she'd be around to virtually keep an eye on me (Road ID app sends a link by either text or e-mail to whoever you designate, then can follow you as you go, and it'll send an alarm if you stop moving for a few minutes, first to the rider, then to their contact person(s)--great app for situations like this). She'd be around, so it was decided, I'd go for a ride. Noelle heard me talking to my mom, and her previously ho-hum attitude quickly became "can I go, too? Please? Please? Please? Please? Please? Please? Please? Please? Please? Please?" and so on... So I fetched Arya and tacked her up, and set all the apps up (Road ID on and alerting Mom, Endomondo tracking mileage, music playing, and last of all, camera ready to take pics).<br />
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We set off. Arya wanted to turn right out of the driveway, I wanted to turn left. Arya wanted to turn around and go home. We'd barely started. She thinks she's sneaky. She'll creep closer and closer to one side of the road (usually the side toward home, especially while we were still alongside the pasture), then as I'd start steering her away from it, she says (in an exasperated teenage voice) "FINE! We'll go the way you want." and try to do a 180, when I was just trying to get her to veer a bit back toward the center of the road. She thinks she's sneaky. So yeah, we had a few "discussions" on our way out of the area, and again at a couple of intersections, and then she finally decided it was alright that we were heading out and away from home. We did a bit of trotting. Then we came to spot where we take a bit of singletrack downhill between two fences. It's narrow at first, then widens out. At the top of the hill, Arya stopped dead in her tracks, neck arched like she was an Arabian (normally it's just her tailset that looks Arab, the rest of her sure doesn't!), ears pointed straight ahead. I was like "yeah, right, you're just trying to convince me to turn around and go home," but Noelle was on high alert and pointing in the same direction. I strained my eyes and ears, but saw nothing. In the foreground was a pasture that I don't think has any animals in it, and then a road with no traffic, and then more property that wasn't fenced, and also didn't seem to have any activity. I still have no idea what they were alerting to. I prodded her on, and she took a few steps, then stopped again. Noelle still seemed on alert, too. We made our way like that for a minute or so, stop, walk a couple steps, stop, till they both visibly relaxed and walked on. Just as we got right between two trees, and I thought to myself that it would suck if she spooked there and brushed me into a tree, a flock of birds took flight out of a nearby tree. I think all three of us jumped out of our skin a bit. Luckily Arya lurched forward one stride, then stopped dead, so while I got off balance backwards then forwards, she didn't go sideways, so I didn't end up in a tree OR on the ground. Whew!<br />
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After a bit of a shy at the pillar of rocks next to the road (this girl does NOT like rocks, no idea why), we made it to the road.<br />
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While there is singletrack that parallels this road pretty much its whole length, we stuck to the road. First, she's a butthead about trying to eat, so keeping her in the middle (or at least not the very edge) of the road prevents THAT behavior, plus after that trip and spectacular fall last summer, I'm leery of trotting on singletrack, especially alone, and wanted to do some trotting on this ride. So whenever we had the sane option to ride on a dirt road, we did.<br />
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As we rounded a corner from a paved road to a dirt one, there's a shortcut that gets you off the paved road (which is rounding a corner there, so the shortcut is much safer!) and makes the corner a little shorter. It goes riiiiiight next to a fence made of lava rocks. Did I mention Arya has an issue with rocks? She balked and shied at that wall. I got her to stick next to it for a while, and then she was just DONE. Would go no further next to the fence. I'm not sure if she actually sensed movement in it (it's full of nooks and crannies and probably at least had squirrels, if not rockchucks (aka marmots) living in it, and possibly snakes...who knows), or if she was just using it as an excuse, but she willingly proceeded away from home as long as we were also going away from the rock wall, so whatever.<br />
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We trotted and walked, walked and trotted. We started getting near a place where I know there's a giant Great Dane. Nice enough dog, but like most dogs, gets REALLY excited to see horses. We've ridden by there enough times that Arya doesn't get too excited about it, but it was our first time riding past the Great Dane solo, so I was had it in my mind to be prepared in case she did get a bit excited or worried. Well. First we went past a house (just before the GD) that had a little yappy white toy poodle bouncing down the driveway toward us. Arya stopped and gave it the evil eye. Then trip-trotted right past the Great Dane with barely an ear flick in its direction. Ha! Good pony knows what dogs to worry about. :-)<br />
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We got to another intersection, and as we were headed straight toward the T, we saw some human-shaped figures through the trees. Not sure if it was kids or adults, but whatever. However, Arya figured that'd be a pretty good excuse to stop and ask to turn around. Nope, don't think so. Prodded her forward. She craned her neck and ears to keep them in sight as long as possible as we rounded the corner. THEN we saw it. Gasp! A DEER! A single, lone, deer. And Arya once again stopped dead. Now, maybe a deer WOULD be a frightening sight to behold to some horses. Like the NYC carriage horses. Or are there deer in Central Park? Anyway, deer practically live at Shar's neighbor's house, and venture on to her property probably at least daily, so they should not be a startling sight to Arya. But yeah, she was clearly pulling my leg at every opportunity, trying to convince me to head home. Not this time, girlie-o!<br />
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We continued along, reached a paved road we had to ride alongside, and did so without incident. Then back onto dirt roads for a long downhill stretch. Normally, she picks her way downhill really slowly, but she was actually moving out pretty well on this stretch. Ha! Now that I know she CAN, I'll expect it when we're with other horses too. :-) When we got to the bottom, I couldn't really remember how to get to where I wanted to be. I'd only been this way once before, following Shar. I knew we needed to get over to our right, but just didn't remember when we got off the road and onto trails. I saw a trail that looked like one we had ridden on, but it had a few signs saying it was private property. Now, there are signs in a few places around Crooked River Ranch that indicate that, and then proceed to say that it's open for use by people on foot and horseback, just no motorized vehicles (or sometimes bikes). But I honored the signs and continued down the road. But it really reminded me a lot of the spot we needed to be, so when I saw another trail head that direction, I took it. And promptly spotted a barbed wire fence. And followed it to where it clearly went all the way up a steep hill and blocked the direction I felt we needed to go. Hmm...back to the road. Arya willingly went along with the turn in direction while we were still off the road, but once we reached it and I wanted to turn right to continue going the way we had been, she made it VERY clear that her preference was that we turn left and head back the way we'd come. Ah, no. We've come this far, and we WILL continue until we figure out how to get to the river. I promised her it'd be worth it when she got to eat and drink.<br />
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So we continued down the road, and sure enough, when we got a little bit past where I'd turned off onto the side trail that went to nowhere, it looked really familiar. Figures! We topped a small hill, rounded another corner, and then finally saw the break in the fence we were supposed to go through, complete with sign welcoming you to the trails. :-) Luckily, I found the turn to get down to the river without any trial and error, and we reached the top of the last downhill. It's pretty rocky, with roly-poly round river rocks, so not my favorite section even when following a sure-footed horse. Plus Arya decided that she didn't like the way we were headed and wanted to make it clear to me that we should be stopping, if not turning around and heading home. So I decided that between her behavior, my sketchiness at the trail, and my extra weight when she needed to navigate, plus the fact we were almost to the spot where I planned to dismount anyway, I'd just hop off. So I hopped off. And started walking her down the hill. She proceeded without any further fuss, except she kept taking bites of grass as we went. Which would be fine if she could be "sneaky" about it and just snatch a bite while walking. But of course she does a full-on stop, and my arm jerks behind me as I'm walking, and then I yank on the lead...ugh. I pulled her in a little closer and we proceeded down the hill and to our resting spot without incident. I took a bit of a break to pee, and led her to the water so she could drink. She mostly ate, but I figured at least eating the wet grass on the shoreline was getting a little water into her, as opposed to the dry grass further ashore. But she did actually drink a bit, too, so that was good. Meanwhile, my alarm started going off because we'd stayed in one place for long enough it figured I'd fallen off. I'd tried to move around enough to prevent that, but apparently just staying in the same general area too long does it. I got it shut off before it worried my mom (though I'd pre-warned her about that feature and told her to call me before calling 911, in case I was fine, but just stopped, and I'd already told her we'd made it to the river, so I'm sure she wouldn't have called in the authorities quite yet).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blurry, but unfortunately the only full-body shot I got of Arya at the river. I'd brought my jacket just in case, but managed to do the entire ride in short sleeves. It got a little chilly when the wind picked up, but not too bad for February!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good girl! Her toes are still on dry-ish land here, but she did actually get the tippy toes wet, voluntarily!</td></tr>
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After our brief rest stop, I mounted back up (and she stood for me to get on from a rock--good girl!), left the whip holstered, knowing I wouldn't need it for the ride TOWARD home, and we set off. She wanted to move out at a pretty good clip, but we quickly hit the long slog back up the rocky trail, and she slowed down a bit. She tried a couple of time to trot up that hill (horses find it easier to trot, or even canter up hills, rather than slog up them at a walk), but I made her re-think that decision and walk carefully. When we hit the flats again, it is a NICE trail, wider than typical singletrack, and with nice footing. Arya wanted to GO, and I let her, and tried really hard not to be too controlling and rein-snatch-y. I failed, and she tossed her head to show me her opinion on that. I thought, briefly, about trying a canter, but there were enough tree branches at face and even just leg level that I decided I wanted to maintain a bit more control than that. But after a few strides at "breakneck" (not really, just to me, used to trotting 4 mph or so) speeds, she settled into a much more manageable (again, to me and my panicky brain) stride we were both happy with. Then we got to the turnoff for the trail we usually take, which goes along the side of the hill above the parking areas for Steelhead falls. Eh, the parking lot looked empty, so I just stayed on the dirt road instead. The first vehicle we came across was a state police pickup truck. Not sure what he was doing there, but when I tried to wave, he had his nose buried in his computer and didn't see me. Oh well. He later passed us on his way back to civilization from there, so whatever.<br />
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Then we saw a tent, and Arya did a bit of a startle-stop. Then we saw a truck that had a bright orange standing grill outside of it. Startle-stop. Then we saw people up ahead--a mom with three kids in tow. She approached them a bit cautiously, but mostly willingly, and we stopped to let the kids pet her. I think they said they actually have horses at home, but like any good horse person, it's still exciting to see one out and about, and you have to stop and pet it. :-) Arya and Noelle both did great with the meet and greet, then we went on our way. By now we were at the busiest section of the parking lot, but no one was actually coming or going right then, and we moseyed on through just fine. We got to the trail that parallels the road in a little gulley, and took that rather than the road, since it was pretty curvy and people tend to speed through there. She was pretty good about not trying to eat. Now that we were headed home, she was on a MISSION. In fact, she tried busting out a trot a couple more times, but I reminded her that we were going to WALK on tricky footing. I'd been tempted to take the same route back, even though it's slightly longer, because it would have meant most of the uphill route was on nice wide roads, and I could've asked her to trot a bit and really gotten a workout. But she was breathing and sweating hard enough on this uphill walk, that I think it worked out just fine. :-)<br />
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We stayed off the road as much as possible, but there were a couple times that due to lack of trail or low-hanging tree branches, we had to go onto the pavement for a bit. One time, someone passed us going pretty fast. We get passed on the dirt roads all the time, and even solo, Arya doesn't mind much. (Except at night when the moving lights make for really weird shadows dancing all over!). That proved true for this faster-moving traffic, too. So I still wouldn't consider her totally traffic-proof, like if someone honked or a big rattling dump truck passed us or something, but it's good to know that she's safe around at least pretty normal traffic (I usually try to tip her nose toward it, too, so she can see it coming and not feel like it's sneaking up on her).<br />
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We turned onto the dirt road and finally busted out some more trotting, this time much faster than when headed away from home! We were trotting along happily when all of a sudden, RRRrrcch! she put the brakes on. It was the same freakin' deer. Seriously. Though this time, headed toward home, it took a little less encouragement to get her past it. But wow. You'd think they were total aliens from how she reacted, not critters she sees every day. Seriously, barking dogs leaping at the fence get less of her attention. A LOT less.<br />
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Speaking of which, the Great Dane was inside this time. But we encountered a couple out walking their year-old dog. They were keeping him VERY close, but I said that Noelle would be fine if he was, so they let him loose to go greet her, and everything was fine, including Arya. We continued on, and were back at the shortcut near the rock wall. Boy, Arya does NOT like that spot. Once again, even headed toward home, she stopped dead, and tried to veer away from it. This time I at least got her to stay NEAR it instead of walking 90 degrees away from it, but she still got off the trail a bit to give it a wide berth, and kept her eye and ear on it at all times. I hate to think what she would've done if a big old rockchuk, or a rattlesnake, had popped out of it. Yikes! Levitation, probably.<br />
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We trotted a lot of the length of the last stretch of dirt road before getting back to the last singletrack, from where I planned to walk the rest of the way home (both to let her cool down a bit, and to reinforce that we don't get to rush home), slowing to a walk to let cars go by a couple times, and to give my legs (and probably hers) a break a couple times. In the last push before the singletrack, I tried to get her to canter, but either she didn't understand the request, or she was just tired, as she didn't really even trot any faster. Just kept plodding along at the same pace. Oh well.<br />
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We got to where the trail turns off, and where there's a pillar of rocks acting as the corner of the fence, and once again she gave it a wide birth. Silly girl! Then we plodded up the hill. Just a little past where we all spooked at the birds before, a flock of birds alit AGAIN, and we all got another startle. Less so this time, or at least her spook unseated me less, possibly just because we were headed uphill instead of down. But we all got our heartrates back to normal and proceeded on. <br />
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Here we are, with less than a mile left, and just a few more turns till home...<br />
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I tried to get a side shot of Arya, and was semi successful. Yay for long arms? You can see the new purple reins I ordered at convention, too. (Rump rug still being made.)<br />
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And I also attempted a selfie + horse from the saddle. Long arms help, but I have an awkward face. Oops. Look how focused Arya is on getting home in all these pics. :-)<br />
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The dogs near Shar's house were silent on our way out, and silent when we first approached them on the way back, then started barking up a storm. Arya didn't care, just kept plodding toward home.<br />
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We got home JUST as the alarm went off on the Road ID that we'd crossed over the amount of time I'd allotted for the ride (three hours). Good to know--it apparently warns you two minutes prior, then just shuts off. So if I was actually hurt, I'm not sure whether my mom got warned that the time limit expired or not, but then I'd have been on my own. So I guess I just need to be extra generous with the expected time, in order for the stopped-moving alarm to work properly.<br />
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I dismounted only slightly more awkwardly than the mid-ride dismount, and hoped that meant I wouldn't be too sore after. :-) Poor Arya looked pret-ty tired, though.<br />
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She was quite sweaty. It wasn't super warm out, but she's only barely started shedding (losing a few guard hairs, but not losing fur in veritable clumps like you see in a full-on shed), plus she's out of shape, plus she seems to be a sweater even when in fairly decent shape, so yeah. VERY sweaty pony. Not sure you can really see it here, but where it started to dry, she was white with salt. So I figured she was going to roll one way or another, but it might be nice to at least rinse some of that salt off her first. I untacked her, then went to the feed room and prepared a bit of mash (with plain salt and electrolytes added) to let it soak while she got a bath. The boys knew what THOSE noises meant, and figured the mash was for them. Sorry guys, you already had your breakfast!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Twinsies! (Not related, and obviously different colors and sizes, but their blazes are mirror images, even include a little freckle you can't see in the pic)</td></tr>
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No pics of the bath, as that's just asking for a wet phone, but she actually didn't mind it. I started at her hind hoof, and she picked it up when she felt the water hit it, then it was almost like she said "you know what? that kinda feels good!" and relaxed into it. She hunched a bit when the cold water hit her back, but otherwise seemed to actually appreciate it. Especially when I held the stream in front of her mouth for her to play with. Didn't see her swallow much of it, but she sure enjoyed playing in it! I rinsed her off all over (but not a real bath, and didn't even scrub to get the water down to skin level very well, just wanted to get the worst of the salt off, and knew she was going to grind some more dirt in very shortly). I scraped the majority of the water off, then let her drip-dry the rest of the way while she ate. (In endurance, you want to scrape all the water off, then keep re-applying, if you're doing it to cool the horse, but since it was cool out, and she was done for the day, I wasn't worried about that, and figured a little heat retention wouldn't hurt since it WAS cool out). I tried to scoop a little water onto her face with my hand to get the worst of the sweat off her face, too, but as you can see from the photo, it didn't really help much. But she was very happy to dive into the mash. :-)<br />
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In the past, I've used Special Blend pellets, as they break down into mush really fast. Shar only had alfalfa pellets, which apparently never break down. Even after soaking for 10 minutes or so, then Arya digging in, they were still crunchy! So she would do her best to get the pellets WITHOUT getting water, going so far as to slurp up a mouthful, then hold the pellets in her mouth while letting the water drain out. Messy process! She did eventually either ingest or drain most of the water. so I finally called it done. Sheesh!<br />
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And video of the slurping process...<br />
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When I put her back in her pasture, I knew she was going to have an epic roll, so I got my phone all ready to take video, then somehow managed to get a snippet of video followed by a still photo, then no video again until I was encouraging her over to the water tank to drink some more. Ugh--technology! ;-) Operator error, clearly. But yeah, it was an EPIC roll, with much grunting and groaning. She was very happy to turn that clean-ish water to mud on her coat. :-)<br />
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I topped off the waters for all the horses, packed up my belongings and my kitty, and headed home (well, I stopped for nachos on the way). I got home at 5-ish, and thought to myself that that allowed me a bit of time for laundry and maybe a load of dishes, too. I started the laundry, managed to stay up long enough to put it in the dryer, then headed to bed at 7:30. Wow. Apparently this weekend was exhausting! But I got to spend it with my biggest (literally) valentine, so it's all good.Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-26326118916342379802016-02-08T14:35:00.001-08:002016-02-08T14:35:41.339-08:00Riding-filled Weekend!Yay, what a weekend!<br />
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So, Shar and I rode Tuesday night, four miles in the pitch black (moon didn't come up until the middle of the night), on a new-to-me and new-to-Arya route. She did SO well, I was so proud of her! The only spooky moments we had were when cars were coming behind us on the main road, making ALL the shadows move every which way, which freaked her out, and probably disoriented her a bit, and then at a random driveway. Not sure what the last one was about, but it was back on familiar turf. Whatever. She did so awesome. About a mile or so of the ride was down and then back up a long hill, so that was good for her.<br />
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But yeah, weekend. The weather forecast was for nice weather both days, so we decided we'd probably go ahead and ride both days. Saturday, we hauled to the Trail Crossing trailhead, where we've done a decent loop up behind Smith Rock and back down, but this time we went the other way, into an OHV area that's supposed to be closed to motorized traffic this time of year. We saw a couple of road-worthy vehicles on what were actual dirt roads where it was probably allowed (they were polite), and saw a couple of quads from a distance that were most decidedly NOT supposed to be there, but luckily didn't get close to us.<br />
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The footing was mostly awesome, with a few patches where it got kind of sloppy, and only a couple places with rocks. The ponies did awesome, but Arya does NOT like it when it gets sloppy, and she tries to rush through it (which duh, is only going to be worse in the short term, but she doesn't have that kind of reasoning capability, obviously). It was kind of overcast, but I wore short sleeves and was fine. So awesome to be wearing short sleeves in February!<br />
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Here are some photos from that ride:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nathan on Dalai, during a section we were kind of bushwhacking, sometimes following cow trails</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Selfie with Nathan behind me</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo op at the top of a hill--got a photo of Shar's two ponies together, plus Noelle, too</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arya staring at Noelle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ane one more, 'cause it's too cute, with Noelle looking up at her mom so admiringly</td></tr>
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We rode about seven miles. A lot of it was up and down. Nothing TOO steep, for the most part, but the fatties (Arya and Dalai) were breathing pretty hard a LOT of the day. Poor gals need to get into shape! We trotted a couple times, but mostly just walking up and down the hills. We got back to the trailer, I did more measurements for Arya's rump rug I'm custom ordering, and we let the ponies graze for a little bit on the very short grass before we loaded up and headed home.<br />
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Sunday, we headed to the Maston Trailhead. This is a GREAT place to ride, especially in winter. It's kind of in a banana belt, getting a bit less snow than other areas, plus the soil is really sandy, so it seems to dry out faster than most other places in the area even after it snows and melts. Similar to Henderson, it had a couple moist spots, but unlike Henderson, they were never slippery, just...damp. So that was even nicer. And while there are a few "rock garden" areas, they almost always have enough clear areas of the trail that the horses can easily avoid the rocks. Of the nine miles we rode, there were only a few linear feet of trail with unavoidable rocks. Such nice winter riding, especially for those of us who have our horses barefoot for the winter but usually wear shoes.<br />
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Anyway, it was SUCH a gorgeous day, with bluebird skies, that the entirety of Central Oregon seemed to be at Maston. The car lot was so full that mountain bikers were parking in the horse trailer area, and there were already a lot of horse trailers there, too. But our group (four trailers, six riders, seven horses) found spots to park and unloaded and tacked up.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arya, waiting patiently for the rest of the party to mount up</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shawna, about to mount up on Touche, Lianne was already up on Rascal</td></tr>
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There's no overlap in the horse trailers shown in those two photos above, so you can see how busy it was. Surprisingly, we didn't see many other people out there. We heard voices that I THINK we horseback riders, but we never got a good look at them because they were so far away, and we saw some bicycles and a couple hikers on foot. But considering how many people were clearly in the area, I was surprised we didn't see more. But then, there's a pretty good network of trails that criss-cross each other, and the bike trails are separate from the horse/hiker trails, so it's a testament to the trail designing that we didn't see many people.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can ALMOST see everyone in this photo. Back to front, you can see my shadow and Arya's ears at the bottom of the photo, then Nathan on Dalai, then Shar on Flash. In front of her were Wendy on Melody, ponying her new-to-trails pony, Darling (can't really see the pony, but she was stinkin' cute!), then Lianne (in purple) on Rascal, and at the very front, Shawn on Touche. Quite a group, so we stuck to a walk to keep it saner with that many horses, including a green pony.</td></tr>
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At some point, Wendy realized the pony was getting tired, plus she had to pick her daughter up from a party, so they headed back to the trailers, while we kept going, now just a party of five horses and riders, still a decent-sized group.<br />
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We tried posing for photos. This is the only one that got all the critters in it. Noelle and Arya have just their ears representing, though. ;-) Love the mountain views we kept getting glimpses of throughout the day!<br />
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A couple miles from the end of the ride, Arya was getting obnoxious about putting her head down to eat, so I un-holstered the whip and whapped her with it once. She got better about not trying to eat; in fact, I don't think she tried any more after that. However, she kept plodding along the trail with her head down nearly to ground level. It was kind of weird. I worried she'd try dropping down to the ground again (she was clearly very itchy, and kept trying to rub her head on her leg), but she seemed to be moving along well enough to keep up with the others, just with her head down the whole time. However, when we got back to the trailer, I untacked her as quickly as I good and led her back to the mounting-up area, where there was a wide area of nice soft dirt, as nice as any arena. I didn't have to ask her twice, she didn't even try to sneak off to the edges of the dirt to snatch a bite of grass, she sniffed the dirt then immediately dropped down and rolled. And rolled. And rolled. She flipped over a couple times and thoroughly rubbed her head around in the dirt and on her leg a few times. She was in total heaven. Poor girl is just starting to shed (mostly on her face, not on the rest of her), and it was so warm that she'd been sweating all day. (In fact, when we got home, she had lots of white crusty areas where the salt had dried.) So yeah, I'm pretty sure all that hang-dog walking was because she wished she could roll, but at least she was a good girl and DIDN'T drop down.<br />
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Anyway, it was an absolutely gorgeous couple of days. We put in 16 miles over two days, definitely a maximum for Nathan (so far!), and the most mileage I've done in a while as well. Poor Shar had ridden 15+ miles on Friday as well, so she was really hurting by the end of the day, especially since a lot of those miles were spent walking (not so much bumping for your bum, but a LOT of sitting on the saddle plus a lot of the same motions, instead of switching it up, is still hard on a person, and the horse too). Flash's back was getting a bit sore after the third straight day of riding, but Shar's about to have the saddle fit perfected by the original saddle maker. Arya didn't seem sore at all after her two days and 16 miles, so that's good. Hope it stays that way as we start increasing the mileage and speed.Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-23729257522853451902016-02-03T09:26:00.000-08:002016-02-03T09:26:07.102-08:00Tales from the Workplace, Trucking Edition, Part XXVIII*********************************************************************************<br />
I am posting stories from my job, because I think they're funny. I've done my best to disguise my company name, even the industry, and to keep the people I write about and even some details of the situation anonymous. If you know me, and know where I work, please don't include details in your comments. I'll have to delete your comment and reconsider posting these stories.<br />
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We had a truck driver scheduled to pick up at 8:00 this morning. She showed up at 7:10. No problem. The boss told her I'd be in around 8:00 to do her paperwork and he'd have her go across the scale, etc., then, but she was welcome to hook on to the trailer (which was ready) now. She said that wouldn't work--by 8:00 she'd be out of hours, and she needed to get to the truck stop ~70 miles from here. The boss told her she was more than welcome to rest here as soon as she got the paperwork--drivers often spend the night on our property, and as long as they are out of the way of other trucks coming and going during business hours, we don't mind. Nope, that wasn't going to work for her. She said she was going to that truck stop regardless, and she'd be back to pick up the load around 7:00 p.m. Well, that doesn't work for US, since her load is due in southern California in about as many hours after 7:00 p.m. as it takes to drive there, so that wouldn't allow for any rest time (or fuel stops or anything!) along the way. She swore she'd get it there in time. Yeah, right.<br />
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So the boss called the trucking company to give them the heads up that this load needed to deliver on time, and if the driver wasn't going to be able to make it, they needed to plan for a relay (driver drops the trailer near the end of her hours, a different (and fresher) driver picks up the trailer and continues on so it can keep moving without much delay). They swore it would deliver on time.<br />
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Guess when it delivered? I'll give you one guess. Nope, wasn't on time.<br />
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Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-16725071134639803002016-02-02T14:21:00.001-08:002016-02-02T14:21:57.698-08:00Horse-filled weekend, without much horse timeSo, in endurance riding there is a national organization, AERC (American Endurance Ride Conference), and then various regional organizations. For the northwest, it's PNER (Pacific Northwest Endurance Riders), and the PNER convention was this past weekend, in Portland. It was my first time attending, but between having a ride (Shar) and sharing a hotel room (with Shar and Kirstin), it was a relatively inexpensive way to get together with a bunch of like-minded (and much more seriously-minded) folks and talk, learn, and shop endurance all weekend.<br />
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Shar was going to be representing her company (a printing company, including promotional products), so she needed to head over Thursday night. I also had the option of riding with Kirstin on Friday morning, but if I was going to miss work anyway, figured I'd head over Thursday night with Shar, especially since we'd be spending that night at her parents' house, and I've met them and their dogs before and liked them all. :-) <br />
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So I packed up Wednesday night, and Thursday morning I loaded up the car, fed and watered the kitties for the next few days, and went to work. Worked all day, then headed to Shar's. I beat her there by a few minutes, and it was still a bit light out, and I had a bunch of apples with me, so the horses got one. :-) Then when she got home, we loaded up her car and headed out. It was dark, but luckily the pass was only bare and wet (unlike the next morning, when a lot of Central Oregonians were driving over, from what I heard!). We stopped at the summit for dinner, and the place was inundated with teens finishing up their day of skiing at Mt. Hood. Wow. Were we ever like that?<br />
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We finished the rest of the drive uneventfully and pulled up at her parents' house. They'd already gone to bed, so we quietly did, too. In the morning, we got to chat with both her parents a bit, and I got to pet the beast Simba (huge, sweet dog with some behavior issues Shar's parents are trying to work through), then we took off for the convention. Yay!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The traffic was not so "yay" though...</td></tr>
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We arrived at the hotel, oriented ourselves to where some of the meetings and tack sale stuff would be, and brought her promo stuff in for the first meeting she was presenting at--the ride managers meeting. The promotional stuff her company does would make great ride prizes, so she was pitching that to them. Meanwhile, I checked us in to the hotel, got keys and wifi password, etc. Kirstin arrived, the meeting ended, and in some order, we had lunch and got settled into our room.<br />
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I had told myself (and actually told Shar aloud, as well) that I didn't need any new tack, but boy is it hard to attend an event like that without buying ANYthing. There was a booth selling custom-sewn items like rump rugs (goes over the rear end of the horse while riding when it's cold out, so their muscles can warm up nicely and cool down more slowly when the horse stops exercising) and fleece helmet covers (like a hat, but large enough and shaped to go over a riding helmet). Shar bought a helmet cover, and I strongly considered buying a rump rug. They didn't have a fabric that really spoke to me, but the woman running the booth gave me the link to their fabric supplier so I could check out all the options. There were some really cute fabrics in colors that aren't "my" color, and some patterns that didn't really speak to me in colors I did like (like owls--cute, but not really my thing, especially for tack), so I ended up going with a print that looks like a photo from the Hubble telescope or something, with purple as a main color. Kind of abstract, kind of not, with some hints of purple. Whatever.<br />
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The one thing I had given myself permission to buy was new reins. The ones I currently use are lightweight rope reins (they don't have the heft and feel that some do). I like them fine, except when I fall off or otherwise have them slipping through my fingers rapidly--I've gotten rope burned from them a couple times. Plus since they don't have much weight to them, they don't have a lot of "feel." I rode in Shar's nubby reins once (very rubberized, and they have a LOT of "feel"), and loved the feel of them. But hers are yellow. I need purple, of course. :-) They had all-purple (no nubbies) reins, and they had nubby reins in a lot of colors, but not purple. They also had two kinds of nubbies, and one definitely DID not feel like what I wanted. So I custom ordered some reins with the right nubbies, and purple biothane on the ends (toward the horse's mouth). So yay! Two fun packages should be coming for me in the next few weeks!<br />
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The ONE other thing I was seriously contemplating purchasing (after I got there, not before) was this beautiful purple jacket I saw. It was lovely. And the arms were long enough, even though it was a women's jacket! (It was made for riding, by Kerrits, a riding clothing brand.) I was totally in love, but the largest size they had there at the show didn't QUITE fit me, so I asked if it came any larger from the manufacturer, and it didn't. SO bummed. I'm not sure I'll ever find a purple jacket (women's or men's) that fits me. :-(<br />
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Anyway, I won't bore you with a play-by-play of the WHOLE weekend, but it was really awesome. It was fun to hang out with friends, meet people I'd only "met" on Facebook, see folks in street clothes that you usually only see in stretch pants, a helmet, and a coating of dust. It was also really bizarre, after going to business-related trade shows and/or conferences, to be in a hotel conference room, sitting in a conference room chair, watching a PowerPoint that was not only interesting, but a relatable topic with valuable information to ME. :-) And trade show booths full of tempting goodies instead of random corporate software or (once the novelty wears off, no pun intended) literally miles upon miles of candy). So that was fun, for sure. We heard talks about nutrition and hydration, and talks about working on training, and it was all very motivating. Throughout the weekend, I was hoping we'd be home in time to do a bit of riding on Sunday.<br />
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One of the vendor demonstrations was a veterinarian and certified (veterinary) chiropractor and acupuncturist, who brought not only her also well-qualified husband, but their miniature horse. It was the funniest thing--a hotel conference room full of people who all own and ride horses, all GASPED and exclaimed "he's adorable!" "can I pet him?" "what's his name" etc. when this little guy walked in:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sterling, the well-behave mini</td></tr>
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<br />He was TOO stinkin' cute. And very well-behaved. And so calm. Such a cutie-pie! She demoed stretches and things you can do on your horses, and showed where some acupuncture points are, etc. <div>
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Oh, there was a raffle, too. I had assumed going in that it was just one raffle, but there were two types of tickets. The general tickets that went into a big raffle drum and were drawn out nearly constantly, from the looks of things, for various prizes. Some small trinkets, some big-ticket items, and everything in between. LOTS of prizes in that pool, but as I perused the table, not anything I really needed to have. The other tickets were for just certain special prizes, and even with those, there wasn't one big pool, but rather a bucket for each prize, so you had to choose which prize(s) you wanted to win and deposit your tickets accordingly. I bought four "special" tickets and put two in for a saddle pad, and two in for a set of portable corral panels (to contain your horse at a ride). All weekend long, a friend of ours, Kristen, kept winning more and more stuff. It was really getting kind of ridiculous. However, Kirstin, who had put in a few tickets, I think, never won anything, and the only thing Shar won all weekend was a VERY small jacket she ended up giving to Kirstin's daughter. I didn't win anything in the general raffle, of course, because I hadn't put tickets into that one. But it was funny how not only our group, but ALSO some other friends of hers, kept fetching Kristen's stuff off the winners table to bring back to her (she wasn't there). Crazy.</div>
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Saturday night was the banquet, where people who have earned awards throughout the year receive them. Things like being in the top however-many for miles ridden, achieving decade team (same horse and rider completing at least 50 mile rides for 10 different seasons), etc. Throughout, they were also doing more raffle drawings for a few more prizes as well as free or half-off fees for rides in the coming season. None of us won anything, still. None of us were receiving any awards, either, but it was cool to see friends and acquaintances receive some. I'm not sure Arya and I will ever achieve any of the awards, since she's not exactly built for endurance, but who knows...I'm just hoping this coming season goes better for us than the last one did.</div>
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The dress code for the banquet ranges from stretch pants and maybe a dressier top (me and my friends) to fancy sparkly jeans and a sparkly top, to a really nice dress, to thrift store prom dresses. So that's fun, to see the variety. One girl was even dressed as a southern belle, hoop skirts and all. At the end of the banquet, they drew for the prizes I'd actually entered to win, but unfortunately, neither Kirstin, Shar, nor I won any of them. However, the corral panels went to a new friend I made this past year, who had her horse in training with Celena over the summer, so that was cool. Lucky her!! Jealous, but in a good way. :-)</div>
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After the banquet was dancing. We three ladies went back up to our room for a bit, and I tried to convince them we should just hang out up there, but they dragged me back downstairs. They couldn't drag me onto the dance floor, though. :-) I watched them, until they'd had enough dancing, and we all headed back to the room and to bed.</div>
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Sunday morning, Shar had to present again (she presented more than these two times, but this second one was to the board, so that was important!), so I wandered into a round-table discussion about non-Arabs in endurance (Arabs are the predominant breed and really are genetically suited to it, but plenty of other horses do well at it), then wandered out again when she was about ready to go. We hit the road, and luckily the pass had mostly melted, and was only icy for a very brief stretch. We actually caravanned with Kirstin, so we followed her the entire drive back, which was nice for us to know someone would be watching out for us if one of us DID slide off the road, but like I said, the roads were actually pretty good, so it was fine. :-)</div>
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There was still a bit of daylight left when we got home, plus I had to get Arya out AND put the saddle on her in order to measure for the rump rug I'd ordered, so at that point, I might as well ride, right? Well, unfortunately Shar had work she had to get done, so she couldn't come with me, so I saddled up to do a quick solo ride. I told myself that if she was pretty well behaved, I'd keep it short so she didn't feel like it was torture. :-)</div>
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As we headed out the driveway (and Arya begged to head to some grazing instead of the driveway), I realized something. Normally, I have butterflies in my stomach as I'm getting dressed and/or driving to Shar's to go riding. Today, none. I often have butterflies when tacking up to go riding. Today, none. I sometimes have butterflies when mounting up. Today, none. I rarely anymore, but still occasionally get butterflies when heading out on a ride (and a solo ride would be more likely than not to have a few butterflies). Today, none. I realized I was probably jinxing myself by noticing this, and would likely GET butterflies just by thinking about it, but nope. I just sat deep and waited for whatever she was going to throw at me.</div>
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She did throw a few shenanigans my way--kept trying to turn for home, then would overcorrect when I'd steer her back on track. Rather than wait it out as she got more and more sluggish and drunken-sailor-y, I just prompted her into a trot. Apparently she has a hard time dodging and trotting (lucky for me, as I'd have a lot harder time sticking it!), as that got her onto a straight track. You're supposed to warm up in the walk before trotting, but whatever. She's not likely to hurt herself in her pokey little trot, and this definitely helped her brain a LOT. We walked and trotted our way around the block. At the second intersection, I made her do a few circles, and when they didn't become super "even" (see prior posts, but I'm looking for her circle to basically look and feel the same all the way around, not pulling toward home), I made her walk in the direction she LEAST preferred. A circle there, then head back in the direction she did like, another few circles, and they were much more even now. We proceeded around the block. When I asked for a trot, she gave me a very energetic trot at first. I tried not to hold her back out of my own nervousness, and sure enough, she slowed way down to her usual pace rather quickly. Eventually, we actually need to both become more comfortable with a faster trot if we're ever going to finish an endurance ride in time, but we don't need to push it on one of our first few solo rides back in the game.</div>
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The next corner is just a 90-degree turn, no intersection, but we took it wide rather than cutting straight for home. She was pretty amenable to that, so I didn't ask for a circle that time. Then, right away, there was an intersection (if you go "straight" on Steelhead, it actually jogs a bit), so I turned her the "wrong" way (away from home). She was NOT impressed with my decision-making, and tried to make it very clear to me that we were going the wrong way. I waited until she settled down into a nice (albeit VERY slow) walk in a straight line to circle her then head back the "right" way. It was here that I remembered that we need to work on some lateral work (hoping to go to a trail course in a couple weeks, and that'll require some precision!), and considered for a brief second adding that in. Then realized that in "heading for home" mode, she was going to take ANY leg, even just one leg, as a cue to head home, faster, rather than yielding in the direction indicated, so I didn't bother.</div>
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We did a few more circles at that same intersection before proceeding toward home. When we got to the intersection to make the final turn for home (before the driveway), I acted like I was going to go straight. She leaned VERY hard to the left. We did more circles. She actually behaved very well in those circles, and they were nice and even. She's learning how this works. :-) So we got to turn for home. Once more, I went straight past the driveway instead of turning in, and she was once more NOT impressed. More circles and passing the driveway by going straight, until she seemed less obstinate about it, and we finally turned in. Finally, just before hopping off, I asked her to yield laterally while walking (I'm not sure the difference between half pass and leg yield and whatnot), and it felt like her legs actually crossed over--good girl!). Then we did a sidepass and a haunches yield (turn on the forehand--front legs stay still-ish, while hind legs move around them) from a standstill, and called it a day. It was still light out, and we hadn't had to venture TOO far off course, so that's a win. I really would have liked to have ridden longer, but we did what we set out to do, so I wanted to keep it short and sweet for her sake. </div>
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Now maybe a night ride this week, then hopefully a nice long trail ride this weekend...</div>
Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-87082863127589167302016-01-22T13:06:00.004-08:002016-01-22T13:06:57.420-08:00So Proud of Us!!!Last night, Shar and I planned to finally do another night ride. Only our second this winter, and probably only number 5-10 or so for me and Arya. In the past, I've only grudgingly gone along with them, at least after the one where Arya spooked on a VERY dark night and really freaked me out. I'll play along when Shar suggests it, but privately hope that other things come up or the weather sucks and we end up canceling. And often we do, and I secretly rejoice. But lately, something has shifted, and I'm actually feeling a bit more confident, and this time I was actually genuinely looking forward to doing a night ride again.<br />
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Shar and I both work till five, but in an odd twist, she works in the town I live in, and I work in the town between there and where SHE lives. So when 5:00 comes, I'm actually closer to her house than she is, and I would beat her there by about 20 minutes. However, yesterday she messaged me that she was getting off work 20 minutes late or so, so I was going to end up having quite a head start. THEN, due to a couple oddities too boring to go into here, I ended up getting off work about 20 minutes early, and had about an hour head start on her now.<br />
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Remember this past summer, when Arya got HORRIBLY barn/buddy sour? She was horrible solo, and even a bit obnoxious when riding with a buddy, about trying to go back to the barn, hollering at her buddies, etc. I paid Celena both lesson time AND drive time for her to come all the way out to Shar's place to work with us on that, and I do think that lesson helped a TON, both with her showing Arya that her snit fits were not going to work and her installing some confidence in me. Then we had that clinic out at Celena's place in the fall, which added a bit more confidence, plus we've had a bunch of good experiences and hardly any bad for the past few months, so even more confidence. Arya's put in a few half-hearted tries to go home as we leave on rides with other horses (including new-to-her horses like when I rode with someone new when Shar wasn't around on Christmas day), but nothing major in a while. So it's been in the back of my mind that I'm probably ready to try a solo ride out from home now.<br />
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Well, I decided that with the head start I had, I'd rather go ahead and try that solo ride and leave while it was still a bit light out rather than kill time waiting for Shar and leaving in the full dark. Possibly not the brightest idea I've ever had, but I figured if she was obnoxious but I wasn't fearing for my life, we'd just ride a whole bunch of very small circles right near home. If I feared for my life, I'd get off, make her work, and we'd STILL ride out when Shar got home, so she would still end up learning that throwing a fit didn't keep her from having to leave home. So I decided to go for it.<br />
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I still, to this day, always get butterflies as I'm getting dressed in my riding clothes and as I'm driving to Shar's. The usually dissipate with the distraction of tacking up, and usually by the time I mount up, I'm not ACTUALLY nervous, so they go away. Just something about the anticipation of it, even after so many happy successful months of not hitting the ground. ;-) Yesterday, it was awful. So many butterflies. But I tried to keep my actual thoughts positive. While tacking up, I tried some visualization. I'm not sure if I actually believe in that sort of thing or not, but figured it couldn't hurt. I imagined what was likely to happen. She'd try to turn for home, I'd straighten her out, she'd try again, I'd straighten her out, and eventually it would stop and we'd just proceed along. I imagined a worst-case-but-still-quite-possible scenario. She got so opinionated about heading home that she started tossing her head and rooting to try to get the control of the reins away from me, she spun quickly, maybe even did a tiny little buck of protest. That'd likely be the worst behavior she'd try. I pictured myself handling it successfully. If she rooted, spun, AND bucked all at once, I'd be screwed, but I could probably handle one of those things at a time, so I stuck with that. I tried to visualize it going perfectly, but knew that wasn't likely. :-)<br />
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Soon enough, she was tacked up, even with the extra reflective gear we wear for night rides (four bands around her four legs, plus a band in her tail and one on her chest, and I wear a vest). I mounted up, took a deep breath, started my Endomondo tracker, and messaged Shar to let her know we were heading out.<br />
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Before we even got to the narrow part of the driveway, Arya tried to dive right (where there's "grazing" of dead tumbleweeds to be had), but it wasn't hard to get her on track. She even seemed kind of eager to go, and broke into a tiny bit of a trot right there in the driveway. THEN the small, dim solar lights flanking the driveway came into view (they're hidden behind posts at first, until you get far enough out the driveway) and she spooked a bit, but soon realized they were harmless. Then we turned the corner. <br />
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She DID start dodging toward home, so I kept my hands wide and kept her on as straight a path as possible. I did get a tiny bit frustrated, until I reminded myself how she was before the lesson with Celena. This was NOTHING, and I could handle it. She really wasn't bad. We just did a drunken-sailor walk for a quarter mile or so. Every once in a while, she slowed down so much she started to feel like she was slogging through molasses (and we'd never get anywhere), and I'd pop her with the whip to remind her that "squeeze meant go." The first time or two I did that, she broke into a trot, but I just calmly sat it and waited for her to walk again. No biggie. She could trot if she wanted to, but it wasn't me asking her to. She soon realized I just wanted a faster walk. By the time we got about a quarter mile down the road, she realized this wasn't really working out for her, and she calmed down. Oddly, this was the part of the road where there are mini donkey and/or dogs she could pretend to spook at, but she didn't bother. She motored right around the corner. A car came up behind us, and she didn't mind the bright lights or the weird shadows, until they actually passed us and it got suddenly dark and there was a car with red tail lights in front of her where a car with white headlights had been behind her. Or something. We actually had cars pass us a couple times throughout the night, and it seemed to weird her out every time, though she's not bothered by them in daylight. But we survived. And the dogs. And a bush or two "jumped out" at her and she shied sideways. But overall, she did great. I remember her being spookier on our solo rides, even before she started getting barn sour, than she was with other horses around, so it was hard to sort out how much was just due to being solo, how much was due to dusk, and how much was due to my nerves putting her on edge. But she seemed to be genuinely but only gently spooking, not trying to pull one over on me, and not completely freaking out, so I'd rub her withers and we'd go on.<br />
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We got to the second corner, and one of the two she used to really act up at when being bratty about wanting to go home. As we were about halfway through the process of turning the corner, she made one dodge for home, ducking her head as if to dart that direction, but I don't think her feet ever really left the track we were on. I corrected her, and we finished the corner and headed onto the straightaway. She made one more try, by pretending she had an itch and putting her head down to scratch on her foreleg (her favorite tactic for both evasion AND snatching a bite on the trail!). I bopped her with the whip (non-horse-people probably think I'm cruel by this point, with so many mentions of whip-popping, but I promise it is not cruel and she gets worse from her fellow horses out in the pasture), and she got back down to business and we had no further attempts at heading home.<br />
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Between the fact that I wasn't in my usual riding bra and it was getting ever darker, and she was spooking at something at least once a minute (usually just a small shy of swerving around a sketchy bush or puddle, nothing big), I wasn't brave enough to trot. But I was pleasantly surprised at how forward she was walking, at least. She is the type that even with other horses, she walks much more slowly away from home, then much more quickly toward home. But she was moving out pretty well for being solo, heading away, AND it getting dark. What a good girl! I was so proud of her!<br />
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We got to a property that has horses. They sometimes come running up to the fenceline. They didn't today, but Arya clearly remembered them, and knew that they MIGHT, and she actually stopped dead in her tracks. She didn't try turning for home, so I'm pretty sure it wasn't a barn-sour move, just a "what if they charge the fence" or "hmmm...wonder how those horses are doing today and if Mom will let me go talk to them" thing. Who knows. But I'd squeeze her forward, and she'd take a step, so I'd bop her with the whip. She'd walk forward normally for a couple steps, then sllooooowwww down and stop. Repeat a couple times, and we were past them and got moving normally again. She didn't bat an eye at the weird rock pillars (wire "cages" filled with lava rock, often used as fence posts around here) like she used to back when we rode solo more often. Whatever. I paused at a corner to update Shar on our whereabouts, and she waited patiently. Boy, it's hard to operate a cell phone to sent a message, with its bright screen (even on the dimmest setting still visible), then put it away and go back to the dark world again. Arya didn't seem to mind the flashing light and weird shadows it must've cast, though. We set off down the road again, no biggie. We got to where the road (now down to a single lane, but still a wide swath of nice firm dirt) ended and we had to take a single-track trail through a bit of juniper trees. I debated a bit, and decided I'd rather have the light I'd brought to better see the trail, so I attempted to turn it on while it was still in my pocket so I could bring it out slowly and not blind Arya with it. Hm. Didn't turn on. Pulled it out, and the batteries had all fallen out. Ugh. I wasn't going to attempt to get them aligned correctly and inserted in the dark. so I guess we were navigating the trail in the dark after all.<br />
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I'm pretty sure I successfully located the beginning of the trail, but it was so dark I could only tell clearings between trees (and luckily made out a couple of tree branches before they hit me in the face), but not discern an actual trail. Arya started kind of veering right, and I assumed she was making an attempt at heading home, so I steered her left, through clear-ish swaths. We came out to the road, and we were not where I expected to be. In hindsight, I suspect she was actually following the trail, not attempting to head home, and I led her astray. Oops.<br />
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So, as we got close to the road and there were only a couple trees left between us and the road, there was a guy who had just arrived home. Truck running, he was out messing with the gate, which was clanging, and the 4-5 dogs were all excited and running the fenceline and barking. Can't blame Arya for startling a bit and wanting to just stop and wait it out. So we did wait for a half a minute or so, then I urged her forward to the clearing. Then another car came by, so we waited that one out, too. Finally, we stepped onto the edge of the road. I could tell (and remembered from past times we've ridden there) that there's a bit of a ditch along the road, but Arya clearly didn't remember. I had her parallel to the road and had her gradually go diagonally, but she wanted to get to the road NOW, and ended up kinda bobbling a bit when the footing disappeared then reappeared under her feet. Heh. We paused to re-combobulate ourselves now that we were back on wide open solid footing again, then proceeded down the road. There wasn't much road left before we hit a paved road that again has a ditch, then a single-track trail alongside it. Trail is a much better option than paved road, especially when said road is curvy right there. Arya did great. Didn't balk at the speed limit sign we passed very close to, and actually didn't trip at all on any of the singletrack (and non-trail) stuff we'd done, surprisingly. She always seems to be tripping, but I guess either being solo and not having a butt in front of us to watch instead of the trail, or being in the dark, had her paying better attention. We crossed the paved road and headed down another nice wide dirt road. Arya saw a real estate for sale sign that concerned her and gave it a wide berth, but by this point she was feeling pretty confident, and I guess I was too. We just moseyed on down the trail. I still wasn't ready to just give her a loose rein, just in case, and kept both hands on the reins, without much slack (though I tried not to be hanging onto her face the whole time, either).<br />
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By this point, I was starting to weigh my options. Shar had just barely gotten started on her ride (we'd been touching base with each other), and while they'd be doing some trotting and would catch up with us eventually, if we kept moving forward, it would take a while. And the way we were heading, we had two realistic options for making a loop--one would take us past some alpacas we hadn't ridden by in a while. We HAVE ridden past them solo, but only in the daylight, headed the other direction, and months and months ago. She was getting pretty good about only getting "sticky" and not actually stopping or spooking at them, but still...didn't really feel like taking my chances. The other option would be a slightly longer loop, so there was a chance Shar would catch up to us by then, but there's a property where they have a Great Dane that likes to charge the fence, which Arya doesn't LOVE in the daytime, but handles with relative aplomb. And there are multiple properties with horses along that way, which is always a crapshoot as to whether they'll start running and spook Arya or whatever. And she did spook last time, even with another horse along and in the daylight. Though of course that doesn't mean it would happen this time, and Shar would have been VERY likely to have caught up to us by the time we got there. You can tell I way overthink things, but that was my thought process. So I decided I'd rather just turn around and retrace our steps on the safer route (no dogs OR horses on the equivalent stretch of road), and meet Shar when she got out of the singletrack (so we didn't have to repeat it solo) and take it from there, either going BACK to do one of those loops, or just heading home from there. So. Then I had to guesstimate when to turn around. I kept trying to stop so I could message Shar, but Arya was starting to get more antsy about the potential to turn around for home. Prior to this, she'd been patient whenever I would stop, get out my phone, read the latest from Shar, and update her on our location. But by now, Arya was done with all of that, and kept trying to turn from home while I was trying to operate the phone. Boy, talk about disorienting! When looking at the screen, not only was the rest of the world now out of focus on the periphery as it normally would be, but the rest of the world, including the horse RIGHT under me, was literally blackness because the screen was blinding me. So when she'd move, I'd get really...dizzy isn't quite the right word, but vertigo-y isn't really a word at all...but something like that. It was just disorienting and weird. So I'd put the phone away, move a little further down the road (AWAY from home, not letting her get away with that!), and try again. She'd start wiggling, I'd put the phone away, make a few circles, and head away from home again. FINALLY I was able to convey the plans to Shar and put the phone away for good (for a few more minutes anyway). I walked Arya a little further down the road (away from home still) before making that final turn that screamed "yes, we're heading home!" to her. :-)<br />
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So now, of course my overactive brain worried about the fact that we were now headed toward home, on a horse that LOVES to head toward home, on a stretch of road we often do a fast trot and I let her break into a canter if she wants. But what my brain forgot is that she is, over all, a lazy horse. :-) She plodded up that hill like she was on a mission to get home as fast as possible while not breaking out of a walk. :-) What a good girl. My brain really needs to catch up to reality!<br />
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I still didn't totally relax, though, and noticed that I was so on edge, that the fabric of my jacket was starting to annoy my bare arms inside the jacket. I was pretty much over this whole riding solo in the dark thing by now, but luckily we'd at least be back with Shar and Flash soon...<br />
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She was huffing and puffing a little bit, and had slowed down a bit, by the time we got to the end of the steepest section of hill (NOT a long hill--maybe a few hundred yards? I'm terrible at guesstimating distances), but charged on without asking to stop. We re-crossed the paved road, re-rode the trail that parallels the paved road, and made the turn onto the dirt road. When we got to the spot where the singletrack would be popping out onto the road, I attempted to contact Shar to find out where she was. Arya did NOT want to stop. After a few failed attempts, we did some earnest circling to remind her that being antsy would just mean working harder, NOT getting home faster. I finally got her to stand still enough I could navigate to actually just call Shar instead of text messaging. She was just getting to the singletrack, so I decided we'd wait for her. I'd rather have the "oh dear, there's other critters out there!" situation in the wide open than where there were trees (and branches Arya could get under but I couldn't!) to dodge. So we did circles. Circle, circle, circle, head away from home. I was actually surprised that Arya moved out pretty well when I asked her to head away from home. Of course, it's where we'd JUST come from, and she knows as well as I do that we'd be able to loop around and still head home even if we went that direction now, but still. She was pretty good, while making it VERY clear to me what her preferences were. Heh. Circle, circle, circle, head toward home a bit. Circle, circle, circle, then I thought I started to hear Shar. So we just stood still, and I talked VERY LOUDLY so she and Flash would hear me, and I knew she'd do the same for me if and when she was close enough. And sure enough, I soon heard her for sure, and we exchanged a few loud "hello"s and hoots and hollers. Arya was on HIGH alert, equivalent to only when we saw the guy getting home and wrestling with his gate while the dogs barked. Shar said Flash was the same. We had the added bonus of a white dog popping out of the bushes, but Arya seemed to quickly recognize all of the critters approaching us, and relaxed.<br />
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And I relaxed SO MUCH. My mouth was going a mile a minute, but my body physically relaxed SO much. And you know what? For the first time all night, I loosened the reins right up, and just held onto the middle with one hand. <br />
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And you know what really impressed me? Even though we finally hooked up with another horse and Arya could have relaxed and fallen in behind him, she was on a mission to get home, and she charged into the lead and kept it most of the night. She DID tuck in behind him a couple times, but most of the time, she was confidently in the lead or just trucking along beside Flash (which he did NOT enjoy, and gave her pissy mare years (yes, he's a gelding, but whatever) every time one of them passed the other. Weird.). So proud of my girl!<br />
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The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful. Arya tried to eat the couple times we crossed desert instead of being on the road, and I tried to prevent it. One time toward the end, she thought she was so sneaky--she moseyed past a prime bush, and I was kind of surprised she didn't try to take a bit, but then at the LAST second, as it was passing by her shoulder, she tucked her chin back and to the side and tried to grab a bite. Ha! Good try, though! She stopped dead for a second when some horses in their pasture came charging up. But basically, it was uneventful.<br />
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When we first met up with Shar I told her that between the lack of riding bra and the fact I had to pee, not to mention my jangled nerves, I wasn't really feeling up to trotting tonight. She said that was fine. However, as we were getting close to home, and Arya was being SO good, I decided to give her one more test. Flash was out in front, so we trotted a bit, and she didn't try to speed up faster than a slow jog, and just motored along on a loose rein happily. So we did a bit of leap-frogging with Flash, even on the final stretch toward home, without incident. SUCH a good girl! My bladder and boobs both survived as well. :-)<br />
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We got back home, I'd like to say I hopped off, but it was not nearly so graceful, and I had some definite wobbly-leg going on, and I untacked Arya. Then she got a nice big reward of carrots for her EXCELLENT behavior all evening. Seriously, I took her through dusk into the dark, past scary things, made her stop when she was sure she was heading home, etc., and she did it all with relative aplomb. Sure, she stopped and balked occasionally. She spooked once or twice. She shied more than a few times. And she was antsy when we stopped. But considering she's not even six, and she hasn't been on many night rides OR solo rides, and neither in quite a while, and this was the first time combining the two, she did AWESOME. And I'm proud of me, too. I could've chickened out at so many different stages of planning and executing, and I not only rode my plan, I exceeded the original plan by riding solo for FOUR miles (and therefore well over an hour, because our average was less than that). So I'm proud of myself too. So proud of both of us. <br />
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Now I just hope I can keep on riding this "high" for a while longer, and while I know there WILL be setbacks of some kind or another, I hope they don't come for a while so I can enjoy this. I really feel like my "bond" with her (as cheesy as it sounds, it's a real thing) and her with me was strengthened by last night's ride. <br />
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Tomorrow, Nathan and I are going to help a friend desensitize her horse to bikes, and Arya may or may not get a little bike-desensitizing-action herself, we'll see. Then Sunday it's off for lessons for hopefully Shar, Nathan, AND me, but again, we'll see. If that many people at that many different abilities of riding are too much for Celena to deal with at once, either Shar or I will step aside. We'll see. But yeah. Looking forward to spending both weekend days with my girlie.Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-21410374110790191932015-12-23T16:49:00.002-08:002015-12-23T16:49:17.313-08:00Indoor RidingOkay, so first I just have to mention a little training thing I dealt with the other day. I'd gone out to Shar's house to take a look at her new saddle with her, and R needed to put a new large bale of hay into the pasture, so I locked up two of the horses into a little paddock and pulled Arya out just to spend a little non-riding time with her. I tied her up for a bit, while we looked at the saddle. then untied her, picked her feet, and brushed her a bit. She was moving around a TON in the barn. She's been in there before, but not a lot, and there were lots of things for her to be curious about, so she kept moving. She'd get weirded out by the floor mats and start pawing at them, etc.<br />
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So after I was done grooming her, I decided to work on standing still. Shar had Flash back inside the barn, so we stood just outside. I set Arya up, told her to "stay" and stepped back a couple feet from her, then pretended like I wasn't paying any attention to her, but watched her out of the corner of my eye, waiting for her to move just ONE foot, so I could scold her and put her back where I started, and so on. She stood stock still for close to FIVE minutes, with me just waiting for her to move so I could teach her how to stand still. Sheesh! She couldn't stop moving a few minutes prior, but as soon as I decided to make a lesson out of it, she held perfectly still. She finally did move a couple times, and I put her back, etc. Doubt it'll stick much.<br />
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Anyway, we had decided to try riding indoors this weekend, in anticipation of the weather not being good enough to want to trail ride, and hoping that the weather WOULD be good enough to trailer (roads not icy). It turns out the weather actually was quite nice, though cool, but we stuck with our plans to ride indoors anyway. My friend Julie has a huge indoor arena, plus some good outdoor riding on the property, so I snagged Nathan from his dad's since he hadn't been riding in a while, and we hauled Dalai, Flash, and Arya out there. <br />
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We took our time tacking up, as both saddles Shar was using on her horses were new to her and new to the horses, so there were adjustments to be made. But I had brought my impression pad (basically a plastic pouch filled with colored clay, though a little more technical than that, but you put it between the horse and the saddle while you ride for a bit, then look for thin spots in the clay to check saddle fit), so it was going to basically be a tack-fitting session, with various changes of tack on the horses.<br />
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I started out with the impression pad under both the saddle and pad I've been using for a while. Even when doing 10-mile rides, she's never shown a sign of being sore, so I wanted to check what the impression pad showed with my regular setup and then with a different pad. And since I was assessing the pad, I had to put the impression pad between the saddle pad and the horse. It's a vinyl-y plastic, so riding a horse with summer coat for very long probably wouldn't be pleasant for the horse, but I rode Arya for 10-15 minutes per session, and she has a THICK coat of hair, so she didn't sweat a bit. <br />
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We warmed up walking for a bit, then alternated trotting and walking for a while. Heaven forbid that girl trot for more than half a circle at a time. Ha! I swear I remember her being a bit gate-sour (i.e. gravitating toward the gate in hopes of being done and leaving the arena) the last time we rode at Julie's, but this time, on one of our first passes past the gate, a black cat was lurking there. Arya's seen cats around the property at Shar's, but she was very suspicious of this black cat (she must be superstitious--note to self not to ask her to walk under any ladders), and every time we went past the gate after that, she shied away from the gate. <br />
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She was fine on our first couple passes past the (closed) roll-up door at one end of the arena, but it must've made a noise one time we passed it, plus I heard woodpeckers outside at some point, with the sound coming from roughly that direction, so she started acting really spooky at that end.<br />
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I was SO proud of myself for NOT freaking out at her tiny spooks and shies. Or her (non-spooky, just stubborn) head-tossing when I asked her to trot. I mean, I didn't LOVE any of it. But I never thought to myself "oh sh!t, I'm totally coming off) or anything, just sat deep and kept leg on and made her work through it. The first time or two, I'd let her shy as far away from the "scary" spot, but then I started asking her to stick with it. Shar did remind me that I need to remember to either not bother steering her head at all, or actually steer it away from the scary spot and use LEG to ask her to move toward the scary thing, but yeah. I didn't freak out, and I asked her to work closer and closer to the scary thing. Yay me!<br />
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Nathan also made some progress. His first couple of passes of trotting were kind of sloppy, so Shar and I gave him some pointers, especially working on independent hands by putting one hand on the pommel of the saddle, and focusing on his posture as well, and he started posting much better almost instantly. Yay!<br />
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So anyway, after 10 minutes or so of work, I pulled the tack off Arya and checked the impression pad. It looked a little thin in the shoulder/wither area, which is where we've had issues with other saddles, so not surprising. It wasn't scary thin, like it was pinching, but definitely tighter there than in the rest of the saddle, and the pad I'm using is thick memory foam, so not too surprising that when you put that under a saddle that otherwise fits pretty well, that it would have a tighter fit. So I swapped that pad out for a thinner fleece pad (no memory foam), with the impression pad under it, and rode in that setup for a while. It actually looked a lot better on the impression pad, so when finances allow and I find one I like (shape, color, quality), I'll probably switch. The memory foam tends to retain heat, which will be fine for the winter, but can overheat and even cause heat rash in the summer in a hard-working horse, plus the felt underside is starting to pill, and there's only so much you can do before it just completely wears out. But I got a good deal on it, and it's working for now, so I'm in no hurry.<br />
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So once I was done using the impression pad with my two different setups, it was Shar's turn. She had new saddles on both horses, actually, but just tried the impression pad with Flash for now. She was riding him in an SR (same brand I have), but hers has more English-style flaps and a couple other features a bit different. I think she tried the impression pad with three different thicknesses of pads, and decided the medium one (my pad I'll likely be switching away from, actually) would probably be the best. The pad she currently has with THICK inserts (inserts plus shims, actually) is a bit too much, but if she gets thinner inserts, the shell of it will work out great.<br />
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We were all pretty tired of trotting in circles by this point, so we dismounted, headed outside, and re-mounted to ride the "poop trail." I've talked about it on here, but Julie's place used to have a cross-country jumping course, complete with pond, drop-off jumps, and large relatively immovable jumps around the property. They take their well-composted poop (and shavings) and spread it out onto a trail that loops around and through the property. There a multiple loops, but I think a loop all around the longest configuration is about half a mile. With the funky weather and peppy horses and slippery footing (still snow and ice in spots, and frozen mud even if it wasn't visibly icy), we stuck to a walk, but it was good to get outside, and it wasn't actually very cold, so it turned out to be a nice little ride. We went up a hill through a wooded-ish portion of the property, back down the hill, rode BESIDE what would normally be a drop-down jump, but instead was just a small downhill (though Shar had a BAD wreck on a cross country course and mentioned that it was rough on her to be near all these jumps--deep breaths!), back over to the area with more jumps and newer trail course type obstacles, too. Skipped doing the gate (kind of a hassle for two of us to wait while one person tried it out) and the bridge (risk of it being slippery), but we did cross the ground poles a few times. A set of four, and even at a pretty sedate walk, Arya managed to step OVER and not ON all four! Woo hoo! Maybe she's learning that walking is better than tripping. We continued on around the property, and then Shar pointed out that we could just shortcut to the trailer, so we did. Turned out to be a little muddy there, and both Flash and Arya kind of went "eek" at the mud and tried to rush through it (Arya by plowing into Flash's butt, which luckily he doesn't mind), and Dalai didn't even care. We got back to the trailer and untacked the ponies. We were about to go say our goodbyes and clean up our poop, when Julie came out and asked if we wanted to take any of the horses in to see the cattle--she's got three steers and a heifer, and brought them in from their muddy pen to the arena for a bit so they could dry off. (They've installed panels in the configuration of a cattle sorting pen at one end of their HUGE arena--you don't really miss the space for regular riding, and it comes in very handy for them to practice in, since they do sorting.)<br />
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Yes, I wanted to expose Arya to cattle in a somewhat controlled environment! She'd heard them mooing outside the arena while we were riding, and didn't seem to mind NEARLY as much as she minded the big giant cows on the trail a couple months ago, but yes, exposure to random things (especially things we're actually likely to see while out and about) is a good thing! So we took her back into the arena. Poor girl had already thought she was done for the day so many times, with all the un-tacking and dismounting! But I had one more thing to throw at her. She looked at them, and they ignored her. We walked closer to the pen, and her ears were forward and she was curious, but she never seemed too anxious about it. We stood outside the pen for a bit, then Julie said it was okay to take her in. I led her in the pen, and was trying to both encourage her forward and keep myself out of her likely path of escape if she freaked out.<br />
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Then duh, Julie and/or Shar suggested I just let her loose. Heh. So I took the rope off and stepped back and just let her explore. She'd move closer and closer to a cow, and it would just stand there, then eventually move away. She'd stop, watch it, then realize that hey, maybe she can MAKE them move by getting closer again. Sure enough! She isn't so cowy that she thought this was great fun or anything, but at least she hopefully won't totally freak out next time we see a bovine in or near a trail. :-) At one point, she was kind of looking outside the arena at their outdoor pen, and I have no idea what happened, but she totally spooked. Clearly, she was on edge. She bucked a couple times, but calmed down quickly and went back to checking out the cows. At one point, it looked like she was actually going to lay down and roll, but she didn't. But yeah, the introduction went well. Might want to give her another session without a rider before trying to ride her in and amongst cows, but she did good.<br />
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After all that excitement, we cleaned up our poo piles, loaded up the horses, and hit the road. Any day spent with horses is a good one, but I think we all felt like we accomplished something and had an especially good day. :-)Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-6435718465919476022015-12-09T15:22:00.001-08:002015-12-09T15:24:25.019-08:00Dalai, Dalai, DalaiSo, between the cold and dark, we haven't been doing the evening rides we told ourselves we would. I'm a chicken, and don't really love starting out in the pitch dark. I mean, it's dark by the time I leave work, let alone drive to Shar's, so we're tacking up in full dark, and setting off in the full dark. Horses see in the dark, Arya's not that spooky, blah blah blah, but MY nerves don't love it. So I've taken full advantage of any excuse not to go. However, when it snowed a foot and a half just prior to the long Thanksgiving weekend, it meant even when my plans to go out of town were canceled due to the dangerous driving conditions, those same driving conditions meant I didn't go visit my horse at all during the long weekend, either. Bummer. <br />
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So I definitely wanted to ride this weekend, even though it still wasn't very warm, because it had been two weeks since I'd ridden. I think there's only been one other time I've gone that long without riding Arya since I got her. I got out to Shar's place, and the wind was blowing harder than I'd heard was predicted, but at least it wasn't snowing or raining. Got my horse out, and her pasture still had some completely ice-covered spots, and I could see her steel-clad feet slipping even with her ginger steps. Fun! Luckily, the roads were pretty bare when I'd driven in, so riding should be fine.<br />
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I took Arya straight to the arena for a little "round-penning." (The arena had no snow, whereas the round pen was completely covered. Plus it's good to change spots once in a while, and I use the rope rather than free lunging anyway.) Asked her to head out in a circle, and she thought about bucking and snorting, but thought better of it. Then she kept trying to break back to a walk when I'd asked her to trot, but eventually realized this was gonna happen and she might as well suck it up and do what I asked, and she did so. After a few circles each direction at a trot, in which she was listening well, halted and re-circled willingly, we headed back to tack up.<br />
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Meanwhile, Shar had gotten Dalai out and was working on fitting a new saddle to her, so I wasn't too far behind them in the process. I had to pick the ice balls out from Arya's feet. Horse's feet are concave, so snow and ice normally wants to accumulate there, but if they're barefoot, the hoof flexes enough and the concavity is shallow enough to pop the snowball out every once in a while, usually. But with steel shoes around the rim of their hoof, now the concavity is deeper and the hoof doesn't flex quite as much, possibly, and the snow and ice are much more likely to build up and get stuck. People who keep their horses shod throughout the winter usually put on some type of snow pad to deal with it. Shar put some on Flash. But for Dalai and Arya, they weren't due for new shoes in time for this big snow storm, so they're still waiting. (Gonna try barefoot with Arya since she went all last winter barefoot.) Anyway, so I bent the "blade" part of the hoof pick a bit getting the ice out of her feet. It gets pretty hard when a 1200 pound beast is standing on it!<br />
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We eventually got all tacked up and mounted up and headed out. As we moseyed down the road away from home, Dalai decided she would prefer to be home. She spun around, picking both front feet up in the process. I would have freaked out if the horse I was riding did that, but Shar just calmly said "oh no you don't" and urged her to go in the chosen direction. Arya stayed pretty calm through Dalai's antics, but someone had pushed up a berm of dirt in front of their driveway, and she (and a lot of horses, actually) have this thing about disturbed dirt being scary, so she kind of shied away from it and gave it a heavy stink-eye, but never fully spooked. However, she did "ask" a few times if maybe we could just head home, if I didn't mind? She turned her head toward home, but a tug of the reins and a prod of leg pressure kept her pointed in the right direction--I never had to get the whip out to bonk her with it.<br />
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We got to the first corner, and there were a few patches of ice. Arya ducked and pivoted. Not sure about what--there was a dog that appeared (silently) across the street, but it really seemed to me that her focus was downward, on the ice. Regardless, I stayed seated (YAY!) and while I crouched forward in my usual defensive mode, I came to my senses rather quickly and sat up/back, just in time to worry she was going to jump a ditch that was right in front of her. She didn't. Deep breaths, everything's okay. She didn't blink or twitch at the dogs that charged the fence barking like maniacs a few minutes later. Weirdo.<br />
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At the second intersection, Dalai threw a bit more of a fit, and Shar dealt with it admirably. We continued on. As we continued down the road, which is a dead end, it had seen less and less traffic, and there was some snow and ice. I tried letting Arya pick her own path for a while, but she clearly wasn't very good at it, and kept slipping, once slipping with both back feet at once. Yikes! So then I steered her toward the melted tire ruts instead of the icy strips in between and on both sides. Surprisingly, she willingly walked in the rushing torrents, ahem, I mean trickling rivulets, without a single complaint. We passed a few larger puddles, and I noticed Shar asked Dalai to walk through one, but I didn't want to have to fight her over it on the icy ground, so just didn't even ask Arya to go through the bigger puddles. I was just proud of her for willingly walking through, across, and diagonally along the little stream. Good girl!<br />
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I did NOT love riding on the ice (fluffy snow is one thing, slippery ice is another!), so was glad when that ended and we hit the trail. However, it's normally soft dirt there, but of course with the freezing temperatures, now it was patches of hard dirt and patches of soft dirt, all covered in pristine snow. I'm pretty sure Arya didn't love that footing any more than I did--frustrating and tiring to walk in, never knowing when you foot is going to sink, slip, or actually find good purchase. Toward the end of that stretch, I had the feeling Arya was now walking on snowballs, she just felt wobbly. In a different way than our last trail ride. <br />
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We got back onto a road, which was thankfully fairly free from ice, and checked each other's horse's feet out. Hard to see your own horse's feet, but I could clearly see that at least one of Dalai's feet had an iceball, possibly more. Luckily, I carry a hoof pick in my pommel pack, so we both dismounted. Arya had three snowballs. I'm pretty sure I bent this hoofpick, too. Oh well. Easily bent back with a vice, I'm sure, and not likely to be an issue except for ice balls in the future. Time to mount back up. I tried mounting solo, but pulled the saddle over, so Shar held the other stirrup while I heaved myself into the saddle. Then she got on Dalai with my help being to block Dalai from moving forward with Arya's body. We all got safely on, stood for a minute so the horses didn't think they got to rush off toward home, and we set off.<br />
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Dalai was pretty good, and Arya was very good. Until we saw a big old ribbon blowing in the wind. She was pretty sure that ribbon had some nasty things on its agenda, involving torturing horses. She really really wanted to trot past it (that's a bolt, for her), but I kept her to a relatively sane walk, and nothing bad happened. To either of us.<br />
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We got into a bit of bushwhacking, which is always a little sketchy with snow, since you can't see the ground, and of course have the same footing issues we had on the trail. But Arya was starting to get the hang of it, and did great. Dalai was faster than us, though, so they waited for us where our path took us back onto a road. However, Dalai knew we were getting closer to home, and was getting more and more antsy to get going, much to Shar's frustration. They'd done great (or at least any struggles they had weren't visible to me) on the stretch toward the bushwhacking, but now that we had really turned toward home in earnest, Dalai wanted to trot on home. Probably at a very fast trot, if she were to get her way. Even if Shar wanted to trot home (which she doesn't on a good day, but especially in the ice), Dalai wanting to, and trying to MAKE it happen meant that it was very much NOT going to happen. Shar was trying to deal with it by having her halt, and bending her neck until she gave to the pressure, then releasing the pressure and walking on. After a few times of that, it seemed it wasn't really working to refocus Dalai at all, and Shar was getting more and more frustrated. At one point, she got off to lunge Dalai in circles. <br />
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Arya had been SO great through all of these shenanigans, not "joining the party" at all. (That's a phrase I've heard Celena use, more in relation to the riders not joining in the party the horse is trying to throw, but also appropriate for this situation, I think.) So when Shar hopped off to lunge Dalai, I debated whether to stay on or hop off myself. We were close to home, so I decided to just hop off, let Arya relax, and that I'd walk home the rest of the way. So I hopped off, pulled Arya's bridle off, and let her eat. Her favorite thing! <br />
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Shar and Dalai did quite a few circles, both directions, then Shar mounted up again. Dalai was much more compliant, but still thought she ought to be heading home at her preferred speed. I recommended that Shar try what Celena had worked on with Arya--circles upon circles upon circles. That way, the horse gets to keep their feet moving, but not in their preferred direction (for long). And when their attitude improves, they get rewarded by getting to go in their preferred direction, but that's easily changed back into circles again when their attitude degrades again. Shar gave it a shot, and it took a few minutes for Dalai's attitude to show improvement, but then it definitely did. Meanwhile, Arya got to munch away on weeds on the shoulder of the road, where we were well out of the way. She thought that was a pretty good arrangement. Eventually Dalai decided that walking calmly was better than doing a bunch of boring circles, and we set off toward home at a sedate pace. I was now on foot, and wearing snow boots (kept my feet snug and warm while riding, though, much better than the trail running tennies I'd worn on our last cold weather), and couldn't walk very fast because they slop around on my feet and hurt my toes. So they quickly got ahead of me and Arya, but it was good practice for Dalai, because they stopped and waited a bit, and Dalai did GREAT. So it took some "discussion," but in the end, Dalai walked home on a loose rein. And Arya got to practice staying out of my "bubble" while we walked and halted and backed our way back home. (No trotting, stupid boots.)<br />
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When we got home, Arya got to graze the green grass for a little while as a reward for her good behavior. Dalai did not face any consequences for her naughty behavior, since she had shaped up on the trail, and we put away two pretty happy ponies before settling in for a little movie-watching in the warm cozy house.<br />
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So, it was really interesting to have MY horse not being the one acting up, and MY horse not being the one holding up the other rider while we do interminable circles. It was good to see it from the outside, and watch/help Shar deal with it. And I was SO proud of Arya for showing me that what WE'VE gone through has been worth it, and that she HAS improved. I'm sure she'll still try something on our next few solo rides, but she's getting better, and so am I, and that's awesome. Oh, and my whip stayed holstered this entire ride. Didn't use it once. Woo!Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-30065796921326290122015-11-25T09:51:00.001-08:002015-11-25T09:51:25.415-08:00Tales from the Workplace, Part XXVIII*********************************************************************************<br />
I am posting stories from my job, because I think they're funny. I've done my best to disguise my company name, even the industry, and to keep the people I write about and even some details of the situation anonymous. If you know me, and know where I work, please don't include details in your comments. I'll have to delete your comment and reconsider posting these stories.<br />
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A walk-in customer came in, towing a rather large flatbed considering he was buying just one pallet of product. But whatever--maybe he was buying other stuff later. He backed up to our loading dock area and we loaded his pallet on for him. Five minutes later or so, the owner of the company, who had been outside, came in and said the poor guy had locked his keys in his truck. That sucks. Sucks for us, too, if any other customers come while he's in the way, but mostly I was sympathetic. :-) Figured he'd call roadside assistance or whatever, so we went about our business.<br />
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Another ten minutes or so, and the guy came in. He just kind of stood in front of my desk. Silently.<br />
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I asked if I could help him, and he kind of mumbled something. I obviously looked at him like "Huh?" so he said he'd locked his keys in his truck. Except he only used about every other word from that sentence. If my boss hadn't already said as much, I still would have had no clue what he was saying. Anyway, I said that yeah, I'd heard that, and it sucks. I asked if there was anything I could to do help. He just kind of stood there. I asked if he needed a phone. He didn't know who he would call. Um, do you have AAA or roadside assistance? Something sparked in his brain and he started rummaging through his wallet. He came up with a AAA card. Great! He handed it to me. Uh, not gonna do me any good. I again offered him a phone. He looked at me like I had three heads. "You know, to call AAA?" Ah! Yes, he'd like to call them. But what number should he call? I pointed to the 800 number at the bottom of the card. Oh. Okay. He continued staring at me. I gave him my business card and pointed to our address so he'd know where to tell them to go. And again offered the phone. "No, I have a cell phone." Okay, then. He wandered back out the door.<br />
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Another customer did come, but we manged to get them loaded where they parked, without them having to navigate around the pickup and trailer taking up most of the loading area. Then next time I looked outside, the guy with the keys locked in was gone. I don't know if AAA came in record time, or if one of our employees ended up helping him break into his truck or what. But wow. That was one of the weirdest encounters I've had in a while. And I see quite a few truck drivers every week. :-)</div>
Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-9031953644001177372015-11-23T16:31:00.002-08:002015-11-23T16:31:21.107-08:00Ridin' on the RanchNathan and I got to ride together again, this time with Shar along too, on Flash. We just rode out from her house, so we fetched the horses and tacked up pretty leisurely. Shar had a new saddle she was trying, so she had adjustments to make, and mounted up first so I could help with stirrup adjustments if they were needed, and eventually we set off. Oddly, Arya acted all weird as we left the driveway, even though there was nothing out of the ordinary that I could sense, and she hadn't batted an eye at the garage sale signs a few weeks okay.<br />
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She was a little "up" for her--perky and ready to trot at a moment's notice, and very ears-forward even when she was following other horses, but she didn't do anything naughty or ACTUALLY spooky. Just had me on high alert along with her, just in case.<br />
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For her part, Dalai did GREAT on the stretch riding away from the house. Shar had Nathan keep the lead rope attached, just in case, and even held it as they rode out the driveway, but soon turned the rope back over to Nathan and he was on his own, and they did great together. I don't think she even tried to turn back toward home, but if she did, he nipped it in the bud, as she never DID actually turn toward home. <br />
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We moseyed on down the road, did a little trotting (and Shar did end up needing to adjust the stirrups on her new saddle after all), and so forth. There was a big plastic tub along the side of the road, and Flash and Dalai both sniffed it (Arya and I were further away, and she didn't even give it the side-eye), and it was a non-event. Then we got to the place that has turkeys. They also have horses and random wooden structures (soon-to-be chicken coops? they were just frames, though). Flash didn't bat an eye at any of it. Arya's been by the place enough not to care about the turkeys, but she was pretty sure some of the wooden structures were new, and kind of craned her neck at them as we walked by. But Dalai heard the turkeys gobbling away and was like "Oh NO I don't!" and tried to spin around for home.<br />
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Nathan was having a hard time getting her to obey him, so Shar grabbed the rope to keep her from being able to spin around, and ponied him past the turkeys. Once Dalai was calmer, she had Nathan practice a couple tight tuns (rein to hip, horse's head to rider's knee/foot). We took a little singletrack trail uneventfully, and then back on the next section of gravel road, I was riding alongside Nathan and Dalai, and noticed the slack part of the rope between the saddle and halter was getting pretty long, so was trying to coach Nathan through shortening it and tying it to the horn. He wasn't understanding what I was saying, so we both halted, and I was reaching over to get the rope, but he still had the reins in his hands as well as the rope, so I had him drop the reins onto her neck so I could grab just the rope, and she put her head down to rub it on her legs, and then the reins were up around her ears. Oh SH*T. Shar hopped off, and I tried to snatch the reins as she turned toward home right next to me, but missed, so I cut her off with Arya to block her path toward home, which paused her long enough for Shar to catch her. She got the rope secured and everything, and we set off again. Crisis averted, but sheesh! I was kind of frustrated with Nathan for not grokking what I was trying to tell him about the rope in the first place, and kind of irritated with myself for not having him clip the breastcollar through the reins, at least, to keep them from getting up around her head. All's well that ends well, though.<br />
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We continued on our ride, mostly moseying, occasionally trotting. When we headed north on a pretty exposed chunk of road/trail (not much windbreak from trees), it was COLD. There was a slight breeze we hadn't noticed when not headed directly into it and/or with better protection, and the socked-in clouds had never really burned off, and it was just COLD. I was only wearing a sweatshirt (though with my crash vest over top, it was fine for most of the ride), so my arms were getting pretty chilly and my feet were cold throughout the ride. I had gloves to keep my hands warm, though. But Nathan, even WITH gloves and a fairly windproof (though not very insulated) jacket, was FROZEN. Poor kiddo. At one point, Shar asked whether we wanted to take the scenic route back home or the more direct route, and Nathan voted very hard for the direct route. Shar had fingerless gloves, so her hands were cold, but she has a very well-trained horse who DIDN'T try to dart for home, so she would just rest the reins on his neck and put her hands in her pocket. I'm not that brave!<br />
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Once we turned toward home, of course Arya picked up the pace, though she wasn't as sluggish as usual, maybe due to the cold weather. On all the singletrack we traveled, we practiced the "stop and let the others get ahead of you" thing. For one thing, it's good to work on leaving plenty of space between us and the horse in front of us. For another, it's good for Arya to learn that the world doesn't end when the other horses get out ahead of us, even if they're briefly out of sight behind a tree. And of course it's good for her to learn to stand still even as others are walking away from her. So I'd halt, maybe ask her to back up a few steps (depending on the terrain), and then we'd stand for a few seconds. If she stood quietly, I'd ask her to walk and we'd catch back up to the others pretty quickly. A couple times, she was antsy to go again, NOT standing quietly, so I'd remind her with the reins and my seat that NO, we were standing still now, then release the reins and give her a chance to "make a mistake." Eventually she stood still. One time, though, it took a few tries and we got pretty far behind. She apparently decided to catch up by trotting (which she NEVER does, she just walks fairly fast until we catch up) while we were going downhill and between/under some trees I would have rather not been trotting between/under. But we survived, and I got her back to a walk without much ado. Sheesh, though. The ONE time she decides to trot without me asking her to!<br />
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Then we got back to the road and did some more trotting. Arya wasn't in a huge hurry, so the others got a bit ahead of us, and THEN she decided she'd prefer to close the gap. Something about her gait told me she wanted to canter, but I wasn't totally comfortable with the idea of her cantering, possibly galloping, etc., to catch up to the others, so I kept reminding her with the reins that we weren't going to canter. She tossed her head a bit, and kept "asking" to canter, but was pretty good about just trotting quickly. We got a little closer to the others, plus hit a steeper uphill section, so I went ahead and sat a little deeper and let her canter. We did 8 or 10 strides or so. Her gait felt coordinated (the trainer was worried about her potentially cross-firing based on a really amped-up round pen session), but it was very UP. Her energy went a lot into the upward direction, and not as much into the forward direction as you would expect based on her exuberance. Our top speed the entire ride was 9.9 mph, so NOT super fast, even though it sounded/felt fast at the time. Ha! We caught up to the others and she broke into a trot without me even asking, so that was another successful canter. Woo!<br />
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Arya and I led most of the way back, since she'd got a pretty fast walk when she's headed home. :-) And she can use the experience of leading, though of course it's not as beneficial on "home turf." Or at least you would think it wouldn't be. On a piece of singletrack, she stopped and stared off to her right. I have no idea what she thinks she saw, but I didn't see anything, so I let her look for a few seconds, and gathered my courage as well, and squeezed her on. She wouldn't go, so I whapped her with the whip. She went, but kept her eyes and ears trained to the right for quite a few strides. Weird. But she eventually got over it. We passed the turkeys without incident (yes, we retraced some of our steps on the exact same stretch of road we'd headed out on), and then Arya spooked somewhat big for her (still pretty much stopping and staring, then proceeding while giving a WIDE berth to the scary thing) at some random farm machinery that had BEEN THERE when we'd passed it 90 minutes earlier. Silly girl! We survived passing that equipment, and she was pretty good the rest of the way home.<br />
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Our last trot session of the ride, before walking the rest of the way home for both training and sweat (at least for Arya) reasons, Arya was lagging behind the others, and in no hurry to catch up. Then she tossed her head like I was holding her back (silly girl, I wasn't!). She's so confused--I don't care about catching up to the others, but you better not be trying to stop me from going faster!<br />
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We walked the rest of the way home on a nice loose rein, all three horses, put the ponies away, and headed inside to warm up. Shar made us hot cocoa and remedied the fact that neither Nathan nor I had seen National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and Richard went and fetched pizza for all of us from town. Wow, spoiled much? It was a great day, and a great ride. Poor Nathan was frozen through and through, but I think he had a good time, and he claims he isn't sore today (the day after), so clearly we need to increase the mileage. :-)<br />
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All photos are courtesy of Shar, with the fingerless gloves. I was too lazy to take off gloves, take phone out of pouch, take photos, put phone back, put gloves on. Thanks, Shar!!<br />
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<br />Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-36902595276747997432015-11-18T15:51:00.000-08:002015-11-18T15:51:07.977-08:00Riding in a Shooting Range<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Shar and I needed to go riding. Not just wanted, needed. And needed a good trail ride after riding from home and in lessons the last few rides. So we trailered to a new spot for us--not far from the Henderson Flats OHV area--a little further north and west from where we park to ride there. We just drove till we found a dirt road off to the side that had decent trailer parking. I unloaded the horses before Shar jockeyed the trailer around too much on the bumpy land, so that was a bit of an adventure, handling both horses myself while she stayed in the truck (no good parking brake on it), but it worked out fine. The two mares get along fine.</div>
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So yeah, got the girls unloaded, Shar got parked while I stayed out of the way, and we tacked up. We had seen what looked like a "cowboy" gate (barbed wire and a post, not an actual gate with a hinge, so you have to be on foot, with the horse well out of the way, to maneuver it) in the fence not far off, so our original plan was to ride through it and explore east of it. So I mounted up while Shar stayed on foot, since she can mount from the ground better than I can. However, when we got closer, we realized that while there were posts that strongly resembled a spot where you'd put a gate, they had steps going over the fence instead, and no way to get horses through. So we decided to ride north along the fenceline instead, and see where that took us. There was even a deer/cow trail there to follow somewhat.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the trailer as we were tacking up</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same spot, panorama covering the western horizon</td></tr>
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As we crested the hill, we saw a vehicle parked on another side road, and soon realized they were there for target shooting. I hoped they either started shooting while we were still far enough away that it wouldn't make too loud of a bank and startle Arya, or that they wouldn't shoot at all while we were nearby. Thankfully, it was the latter. I'm not sure whether they saw us soon after we appeared (we were behind where they were aiming) or if they just coincidentally took a break in shooting, but they didn't shoot. We went ahead and approached them to talk to them (if they were actively shooting, we just would've given them a wide berth without approaching them), and they were very nice. It was a few adults and a couple kids. The kids wanted to pet the horses, so we sat around for a bit to let them. A dog popped out of the back of their pickup, and it had ear protection on (earmuff style)! So cute, and safety-conscious, too! So we communicated with them on which direction they were shooting, where we were heading, and they said they wouldn't start shooting until we were well out of range of it being super loud. They were so nice, and I really appreciated their consideration for our flighty animals. Then, as we were riding away, I heard one of the adults tell the kids that since they weren't going to be shooting for a bit, they were going to pick up litter. Wow--really great folks!</div>
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Eventually we came to an L in the fence that sent us headed in the "wrong" direction, but with still plenty of room before the busy highway, so we went ahead and went west. No biggie--we were just out exploring, and as long as we were with our horses, and safe from shooters and/or highway traffic, we were happy to be out exploring. We came to a less-busy road (the one we'd driven in on ourselves), and considered riding along it, but decided to cross it and continue bush-whacking and finding sort-of trails to follow rather than deal with potential traffic (I'd seen a couple cattle trucks on that road going rather fast while we were tacking up). We kept our eyes open for random holes (gopher holes to wells to possibly lava tubes--you never know around here!) and wire strewn about. <br />
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We were both kind of dealing with slightly problematic horses--Dalai wanted to go, go, go, and Arya was incredibly frustrated by walking through all this food and me not letting her eat. She'd try to put her head down, I'd prevent it, and she'd get pissy and toss her head. She'd give up for a minute, then try again, getting a little bit pissier each time, it seemed. We were thoroughly bushwhacking at one point, but with pretty clear spaces between lots of bushes that were spaced apart, so I purposefully wound her all around the bushes in random patterns, making general progress following along behind Shar and Dalai, but doing LOTS of turns. That did distract her from eating, so that was good.<br />
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Soon we saw that the fence was retreating away from where we were riding, plus there was a dirt road alongside it we could ride on. I was happy to be able to relax on a loose rein without having to keep Arya from eating at every step, so we took that option. We trotted for a bit, and Shar asked if I wanted to try a canter. Now, if you've been reading this blog for long, you know I have huge fear/nervous nelly issues. So I tried really hard to think about whether my gut reaction of "no" was justified or just me being scared. But I think it was justified--it was a rutted dirt road, so I really REALLY didn't want her to trip (and didn't want to have to worry about tripping), so I opted for no.<br />
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We came to a fork in the road, and Shar told me to pick which way we went. I chose left, which took us up a hill. Good views from the top, though there was quite a bit of litter on the ground.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool rock formations to our right</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And good views to the left</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And a picture of Shar taking a picture, for good measure. She was leaning back in order to get Dalai's ears in the shot </td></tr>
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We came to another junction, and took the option to the right. It soon came to the crest of a hill that descended VERY steeply. Shar actually remembered having been there before, and how steep it was to drive up. So yeah, we took some pictures there, since you could see Haystack Reservoir in the distance, but didn't attempt to go down the hill.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wuiEVgKJla4/VkoHPMgSSMI/AAAAAAAAKro/CyhwS7bKrro/s1600/20151114_125407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wuiEVgKJla4/VkoHPMgSSMI/AAAAAAAAKro/CyhwS7bKrro/s640/20151114_125407.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see the water of Haystack Reservoir to the left of Shar's helmet, off in the distance. Maybe.</td></tr>
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We skirted around the top of the hill to another road that descended, which was less steep, but still steep enough. We dismounted and led the horses down, which also made for an opportune time for a potty break before mounting back up. At the bottom of the hill, we came to a nice smooth dirt road, which we suspected was the road that came in from the highway to Haystack Reservoir. The road was nice and smooth, not rutted at all, so we were trotting along, and Dalai trots quite fast. In, fact, I was nervous at first about going so fast, but then realized, "So what if we're going fast? What's the worst that will happen? Arya breaks into a canter? Fine! Or we just trot really fast? What's wrong with that? Actually, we're going pretty fast right now and this is actually a really nice rhythm, and the posting is practically effortless. This is actually pretty nice." Ha! And at one point, I went ahead and asked for a little more speed and she DID canter. For all of a stride or so, not long enough to even tell if she was being organized about it or discombobulated or what. But yeah, she cantered and I didn't freak out. Yay, us! Shar was ahead of us, but could hear the footfalls and also congratulated me on cantering. Woo!<br />
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It was mostly downhill, so we did a lot of walking, too. Eventually we came to a cattle guard, and at first we worried there might not be a way around. There actually was, but we decided to turn around anyway. Maybe if it was hotter we would've felt like trying to make it to the reservoir to give the horses a drink, but it looked like we would've had to ride along roads without much shoulder space (though granted, also without any traffic currently), so we just called it and turned around.<br />
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Of course the way back was mostly uphill. We trotted quite a bit. At one point, I was out in front of Shar and Dalai, and trotting Arya. She'd slow down more and more, and I'd urge her faster. I was kind of curious if she'd canter. She would not, at least not while we were in the lead. She'd get a pretty fast trot going, then slow down as soon as I quit asking her to speed up. Dalai and Shar cantered past us, though, and Dalai has a big problem with cross-firing (cantering with one lead in her front pair of legs, but the opposite lead with the back pair), but she was cantering properly. Yay, Dalai! Now, with Dalai in the lead, I asked for the canter again, and this time Arya cantered TWO whole strides before slowing back down. That's fine. She's young and I'm a scaredy cat, so teeny tiny baby steps are absolutely fine. We walked and trotted our way back, this time veering off at a road that took us to the bottom of the steepest option from before, but we skirted the hill instead, and ended up at the junction where we'd chosen to go up the hill before.<br />
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This whole time, we were hearing gunshots coming from a couple different directions, but always pretty distant. (We're pretty sure we heard when the family we talked to started up again, but were over the hill and far enough away it wasn't TOO loud.) As we were walking along this stretch of road, we heard a fairly loud, fairly close gunshot. Arya got startled, and my heartbeat and breathing rate increased, too, and I'm sure my posture reflected my startled-ness, too. So she startled for a second, then checked in with me, and since I was startled too, she kind of did a secondary startle/spook. Luckily in place or without breaking stride or whatever, and we both recovered. Shar said Dalai didn't even flinch. <br />
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We continued back mostly retracing our steps, except instead of the bushwhacking leg that roughly followed the road, we actually rode on the shoulder. Only a couple of trucks passed us, and they were fairly polite. As we topped a bit of a grade, it started feeling like Arya was "wobbly." Not like she'd actually fall over, but like that feeling you get at the end of a long hike, like your legs are jiggly? We had done a bit of steep downhill, and most of the ride was either uphill or downhill instead of flat, but it wasn't SUPER intense. I mentioned it to Shar, and she watched her move and didn't notice anything too obvious. I was worried Shar would think I was just making stuff up, but she believed me. :-) At one point it did feel kind of like Arya was thinking of letting her legs buckle and dropping down to the ground (as she did once before while I was riding her!), but she didn't. I thought of getting off and walking her, but that would have taken longer, but vowed to do so on the downhill part if she still seemed wobbly by then. But she ended up feeling better, or I just got used to it or something, so I rode her all the way back to the non-gate just before the trailer. The only other weird incident that happened the rest of the ride back was that she broke into a trot for no reason I could discern, but she slowed down again right away too. Just unlike my lazy pony, especially given how tired she seemed.<br />
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But yeah, it was a nice ride. When we got back, I made sure Arya drank well before turning her loose to eat her food, and while she was drinking, I did my best to get some pitch/sap out of her mane so it wouldn't become a giant dreadlock. Then Shar and I soaked in her hot tub for a while (I stashed a swimsuit in her spare bathroom a long time ago for just such an event, or a last-minute decision to swim in her community pool, but hadn't used it until now), and I went home and crashed. And became VERY sore for the next two days. The fronts of my thighs, so either from posting (and we didn't trot THAT much more than I'm used to) or the short but steep downhill hike. I suspect the latter.<br />
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Oh, and for mid-November, it was very warm, and not too windy or anything--VERY nice weather for a ride. I was wearing a long-sleeved but not particularly warm shirt under my safety vest, and actually felt too warm a few times. Yay for unseasonably awesome weather, as well as good friends and good horses. :-)Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-36655241410043551242015-11-13T08:47:00.002-08:002015-11-13T08:47:45.227-08:00Tales from the Workplace, Trucking Edition, Part XXVII*********************************************************************************<br />
I am posting stories from my job, because I think they're funny. I've done my best to disguise my company name, even the industry, and to keep the people I write about and even some details of the situation anonymous. If you know me, and know where I work, please don't include details in your comments. I'll have to delete your comment and reconsider posting these stories.<br />
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As I've explained before, trucking companies charge "detention" fees when the truck driver waits around (at either the origin or the destination, or both). I'm sure these charges started for a good reason--if the driver has to wait around, it cuts into the hours he can legally drive, or even before the laws were as restricted as now, there are still only so many hours in the day. So if you hold him up at the front end, then blame him for delivering late, that's not fair. So I'm sure they started the fees in an effort to keep their scheduling on time.<br />
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Now, I have no idea how it actually works (if someone knows, please enlighten me!). Maybe the driver codes something in a device he has, or tells dispatch and they're the ones who enter it into a computer or something. I do know the drivers are in close communication with dispatch as to their whereabouts, PLUS they have on board GPS that tells dispatch exactly where they are (well, within the limits of the device) at any given moment. But I don't know exactly who pulls the trigger on a detention charge.<br />
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But lately we've been getting a ton of them. First, we got notification of a detention charge for one hour at the origin (our location). Here's the thing--they allow you two hours "free" and only start charging after that. So they were claiming that the driver was waiting at our location for THREE hours. But here's the thing. That driver was in and out of here the FASTEST I've ever seen. Seriously, it was about 20 minutes from him pulling onto the lot to pulling out of the lot. He was an expert parker (some of the drivers take over 20 minutes just to jockey the trailer into a spot on the lot). He didn't dilly-dally (though we did make small talk while I was photocopying his paperwork), he was in and out of here. The charge said he arrived here at 10:00 a.m., but he arrived during the lunch hour, and toward the end of it. So weird. We told the company, and of course have the driver's log to back it up, so they'll remove the charge.<br />
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Then a different driver for the same company was running late to deliver a load. (And do they let US know? No. Do they let the customer they're delivering to know? No. They tell dispatch and dispatch apparently sits on the information.) The customer called at the appointed delivery time, no driver there, so we called and found out they were running late. By like six hours (supposed to deliver first thing in the morning, now it was going to be late afternoon). THEN, the next morning, we have a message in our e-mails that they were charging detention. Now, after all the dealings we've had with trucking companies, we're highly suspicious of whether the driver even WAS at the location long enough to warrant detention charges, but of course in this instance, even if he WAS, it was his own fault for running late so that the customer didn't have the right staffing to get the truck unloaded efficiently. I'm not even sure we bothered disputing whether the driver was actually there that long, just mentioned the re-scheduled delivery time and got them to remove the charge.<br />
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Then over this past weekend, a load was supposed to get picked up while we were closed, by the same company as the other two loads mentioned in this post. No biggie, we do it all the time. We leave the trailer on the lot with the bill of lading inside it, and let the company know the trailer number they're to pick up. We even usually leave the back doors open (our cargo isn't that valuable) so the driver can tell at a glance which trailer of their brand is loaded vs. empty. Well, Monday morning we get a notification that they're going to charge us detention on a load that the driver literally had to just park his empty trailer, grab paperwork, close doors, and hook onto the full trailer and drive away. No waiting for the trailer to be loaded, no waiting for us to make copies of paperwork, no driving over the scale and having to adjust the load. It's all pre-done. Just drop, pick up, and go. And yet they claimed they were "detained" on our lot for more than two hours. Wow. (And yes, he successfully picked it up, so it's not like the trailer had a flat or some other issue that prevented him leaving at all.)<br />
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I really do want to know how these charges get initiated, but it's ridiculous that they are generated in instances where they're clearly not warranted and we have to go to the trouble of disputing them.<br />
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Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-13546340114613056212015-11-11T12:36:00.001-08:002015-11-11T12:36:06.946-08:00Riding with Kiddos!A couple weeks ago, a co-worker of mine asked me and the other gal in the office about horseback riding lessons. His daughter loves horses and he wondered where would be a good place to take her. My co-worker and I named a few places, both for lessons and for just trail riding, and then I asked him how old his daughter is. She's four. So I told him not to bother paying for lessons quite yet, until she's a little older and bigger, but she could come out to where I board sometime and sit on my horse for a little while for free. However, with daylight savings preventing us from doing this after work, and my next couple weekends booked up with other riding-related stuff, it didn't actually happen until this past weekend. We arranged a day and time and I gave him directions, and we were set.<br />
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I showed up a little before he had planned to arrive, and gathered up the three potential horses--my horse, Arya, and Shar's two, Flash and Dalai Lama. I figured the little girl would fawn over Dalai, as she's a grey (white) horse. With my son's help, we brushed them all and picked all 12 hooves, with the horses tied up inside the pasture. My co-worker texted to say he was running late, so Nathan and I headed into the warm house while the horses stood tied like good dude string horses.<br />
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Which is when I realized that I no longer had my glasses on me. I'd been wearing my prescription sunglasses outside, and I was pretty sure my regular glasses were hanging from the neck of my shirt. (Seriously, when I will LEARN? If you haven't already read <a href="http://yougottastart.blogspot.com/2012/07/it-was-best-of-times-it-was-worst-of.html" target="_blank">this post</a>, it's long, but worth it.) Ugh. Nathan and I scoured the area around the horses first, then widened the search, and I retraced my steps everywhere I'd been, including checking in the house and the car. No luck. Finally, I remembered that I'd helped him with tying the knots in the rope halters, and walked out to the part of the pasture we'd caught Arya in, and sure enough, they were lying on the ground. Unhurt, because luckily the horses had all been tied, and not wandering around. Whew! I'd had flashes of having to wear my sunglasses indoors and at night until I could get new glasses made. Glad not to have that hassle!<br />
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When my co-worker arrived, he and his wife and their two kids piled out of the car (I'd invited them all). The little girl, the horse-crazy one (he told me they plan their driving route to purposefully avoid a certain horse pasture because the daughter gets upset that she can't ride the random horse), was wearing white tights and a floofy skirt. Ha! Oh well, it wasn't going to be a serious ride, so if they didn't care about her clothes getting dirty, I wasn't going to insist on any specific clothing other than a helmet. (Apparently the mom wanted a photo op with the fancy clothes, and then the girl changed for the rest of the riding time.)<br />
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First I introduced the family to the three horses, then showed the kids how to pet and brush them, and let them carefully feed a few carrots. Then I used Flash, who is AWESOME about picking up his feet and actually HOLDING them up for you (Arya pretends like it's the hardest thing on earth, and you have to prop her up) to show them how to pick feet. (We'd already done it, so it was just for show and "helping.")<br />
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Then it was the moment we'd all (but especially the little girl had) been waiting for! The kids got to pick which horse they wanted to ride. The daughter picked Arya, and the son picked Dalai. Kind of surprising, but whatever. So I put the bareback pad on Arya and the dad lifted her up onto her back. The mom got some photos really quickly before she put her helmet on (with the dad on one side and my son on the other to prevent any falling), then both kids donned helmets.<br />
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Both kids were SO thrilled to be riding. We also did a couple brief balancing exercises at a standstill, laying back on the horse, then leaning forward, then sitting with no hands, arms out to the side. However, it was still a good thing we had people to walk on either side of the kid on the horse, as they got a little "tipsy" a couple times. Each kid rode Arya alone, then double, just in small circles there in the front part of the pasture. Arya did surprisingly great. I'm not sure it would go very well with a newbie actually riding her unassisted, and she had a funny look on her face when these small humanoid creatures were being lifted up onto her back, but when she realized they were very light and her job was very easy, she settled in and moseyed around in circles and halted and backed up exactly as asked. Good girl, and all that groundwork definitely comes in handy!<br />
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The kids got down with some adult help, then I took the bareback pad off Arya to move it to Dalai. The bareback pad is cheap "fleece" made out of nylon or something synthetic like that, and it created quite a static charge, and shocked Arya when I took it off, then when I tried to pat her nose reassuringly, I shocked her again. She did NOT enjoy that, and bucked/spooked a little. Luckily the kids were far away, and in fact didn't even see it. Oops!<br />
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I put the pad on Dalai, and we basically repeated the process--each kid rode alone, then they both rode together. But this time I led Dalai further into the pasture, and to a little mound on the far side, where the kids got to practice leaning forward and back when going up and down the very small hill.<br />
<br />
When they dismounted for the last time, I took the pad off and TRIED to be careful, but it gave poor Dalai a shock, too. When I've ridden Arya bareback (just a few times so far), I put my saddle pad under the bareback pad to try to disperse my weight a little more, and it has a real wool surface against the horse, so I hadn't had that problem before. I'll try to keep it in mind, but apparently there's not much to do to prevent it other than using a natural-fiber pad under it.<br />
<br />
I gave them the opportunity to say goodbye to the horse, and give her a kiss. The little girl was (rightly!) a little nervous around such a large animal, and didn't want to give it a kiss, but she did pet her face and say goodbye. Aww...<br />
<br />
After a little small talk and throwing the ball for the dog, the co-worker and his family left, and Nathan and I got to set off on our ride.<br />
<br />
Here's the thing. Nathan is a teenager. When I told him I'd gotten a horse, and introduced him to her, he was distinctly nonplussed. Just "eh." So fine, whatever. I only have one horse anyway, so I didn't make a big deal out of it. Well, a few weeks ago, I said something about riding, and he asked why I never take him riding anymore. Um, well, I TOOK you riding back when I had a membership thing to a dude ranch type place and could do that. Now that I have just one horse, it's not very possible, but I didn't think you were interested. He said that he WOULD be interested. Well, awesome! And it turns out Shar now has two horses that are both rideable (by her anyway), including one that would likely be rideable for him. So I told him I'd ask her, she said he could ride with her at the endurance ride, then that didn't work out at all, and now here we are--his first ride in a few years. Woo hoo! Shar couldn't go with us since she was womanning a yard sale, so it was just going to be the two of us. That made me a LITTLE nervous (I've only even ridden with Shar and Dalai a couple times, and didn't know how she'd behave with Nathan, or of course how Arya would behave with her but leaving Flash behind), but I was mostly pretty excited about taking my kiddo out for a ride. In anticipation of the 10-mile ride at the endurance ride, he'd made a comment about 10 miles not being that far, so I was planning to take him on a route I knew was just a little over 10 miles, to see how he felt AFTER the ride. :-)<br />
<br />
So anyway, we tacked up. Shar is between saddles (for both horses, actually, which is downright inconvenient!), so we used my old western saddle on Dalai, but I'd taken the cinch and stirrups off it a while back, so had to round up all the parts and pieces to make it useable again, but that didn't take TOO long. Got Arya tacked up, and Shar helped Nathan mount up and we adjusted the stirrups for him. Then I mounted up, too, and we were off.<br />
<br />
So, you know how I said Shar was having a hard sale? She had a big neon green sign taped to her trash can at the end of her driveway to direct traffic, and I thought sure the horses would at least balk at it, if not spook. I was wrong. They ambled right by it as if nothing was different.<br />
<br />
However, as we proceeded down the road in front of the pasture, I realized Nathan was having trouble with Dalai. She would try to spin around toward home, and Nathan's instinct was to jerk on her face (luckily she's in a mild hackamore and not anything more sever), so I talked him through having wide hands and trying to prevent her turning in the first place rather than having to correct her. And urging her forward when your first instinct is to freak out that she's moving in the wrong direction.<br />
<br />
I realized after the first couple sessions of trying to talk him through dealing with it that this was actually really good for ME. Reminders for what I'll need to do when Arya pulls that with me on our next solo ride, as well as distracting me and keeping me calm to help him out, and just seeing someone else having similar issues to what I've been having. All very rewarding. But not for Nathan (yet!). :-)<br />
<br />
We proceeded on down the road, and a couple times, she even darted off into people's yards, trying to head back home. He actually did really well controlling her as best he could with his non-recent and limited riding ability. I was really proud of him! But he was getting increasingly frustrated. He asked me to swap horses with him, and I considered it, but given Arya's history, I wasn't sure she'd behave any better for him. He thought she was behaving perfectly, but she was being a little annoying, and that's with me knowing how to handle her and doing my best to PREVENT antics. She'd probably have been worse for him, and is a good six inches higher off the ground, so if he was going to end up losing his seat and falling off (he got a little tipsy once when she darted to the left to head home once), I'd rather it be from Dalai. Plus I've never ridden Dalai and wasn't sure how she'd do with my weight, etc. So yeah, sorry kiddo, but you gotta stick with the one you're on.<br />
<br />
We proceeded down the single-track trail that goes down the hill, and not only did Dalai and Nathan do great, she's much faster at navigating down hills than Arya and they quickly pulled out ahead of us. I hollered directions ahead to Nathan so he'd know where we were headed, and of course had my eye on him, but figured if she was proceeding down the trail, to let it be. And then they reached the gravel road and she got all twisty-turny again. He halded it with relative aplomb, and we sauntered on down the trail. Eventually she seemed to kind of settle in, especially with me and Arya right alongside, and we did a couple stretches of trotting.<br />
<br />
We crossed and paved road without incident, and headed down the next gravel road. There is a trail that parallels the road, and Nathan and Dalai were doing great on it, but Arya kept trying to eat, so I took her to the road itself. Dalai was still giving Nathan hassles, though, and when a guy in a Jeep stopped to ask if we'd seen his dog (so therefore we stopped and stood still while talking to him), she got REALLY insistent that if she was going to move in any direction at all, it would only be toward home. Preferably by going in reverse, but spinning when pointed away would be an option, too. Ugh. Eventually, I got my lead rope out of the cantle bag and snapped it onto her halter. I put my whip away, held my reins in one hand and the rope in the other (you never want to actually tie the rope to yourself or the saddle or anything when ponying, in case the ponied horse freak out or something). I set off with Arya, and now SHE didn't want to move. Ugh. So I pulled the whip out and held it in the same hand as the lead rope and tapped her to get her going. She tried to turn. I couldn't steer with the reins in one hand, so grabbed the right side with my right hand, which already had the rope and whip in it. But then when Dalai resisted at all, it pulled on Arya's rein, so I had to drop that again quickly, and attempt to steer with just one hand. Arya doesn't neck rein, so that meant "ooching" my hand along the rein to get whichever side I wanted to pull on short enough that I could make contact with just that one side. It was a disaster. After watching all of this and realizing we wouldn't be making much progress, Nathan volunteered to just get off and lead Dalai for a little while. Sounded good to me, and I asked if he minded if I kept riding (hard for me to get back on without something high to get on from). That was fine, so we set off once again, him on foot leading Dalai, and me on Arya.<br />
<br />
We probably went about half a mile that way, including turning the corner at the far corner of our loop. Oh, yeah, I'd long since decided that we wouldn't bother with the 10-mile trip to the river and back, and we'd just do a smaller loop instead. So yeah, once we turned the corner, both horses got a pep in their step, and after we'd gone far enough that she probably wouldn't think turning around and bolting for home the way we'd come would be a good idea, I asked Nathan if he wanted to try getting back on again. He did, so I held the rope while he mounted up, then I think he rode for a few minutes with me holding onto it, just to make sure she wasn't going to pull something, then we unclipped her and rode the rest of the way fairly uneventfully.<br />
<br />
We did see a herd of deer, and the horses' ears pricked up, but they see deer all the time around the house, so no antics. I mildly worried that if we trotted, now that we were headed toward home, Dalai wouldn't want to slow down or stop. And sure enough, she trots rather fast compared to Arya, so she pulled away from us quickly, but Nathan slowed her, and Arya stepped up the pace a bit when asked, and it was fine. We trotted up a long-ish hill, and poor Arya was DONE partway up and begged me to stop, but Dalai motored right up it. Once we'd turned that corner, the worst behavior from Dalai was just some head-shaking. Not sure how much was due to the contact Nathan was using (with a hackamore, the default should be very slack reins, and he was reluctant to give up contact after the issues he'd been having, and I can't blame him, but was trying to get him to let up just a bit, but still have very little slack to take up if he needed to), and how much was just Dalai--it's just something she does. Even as we got closer to home (and slowed to walking only, both because it's just a good idea behavior-wise and because it was cold-ish and we didn't need to be bringing the horses home all sweaty), we walked calmly on a loose rein. Good ponies! Neither horse cared about the garage sale sign yet again (I totally expected at least an ear flick in that direction!), and we got home safe and sound. Nathan slung a leg over to dismount (over the front of the saddle--weirdo!), and collapsed in a heap on the ground. His legs were TIRED. Even mine were a little sore from having to squeeze Arya to keep her moving when on the out-bound leg, then try to get her to keep up with Dalai on the home-bound leg. Ha!<br />
<br />
All's well that ends well, and Nathan still seems interested in riding. We talked about other things he could have done/tried, and how just more riding will help Dalai respect Nathan more and not pull that stuff to begin with. And possibly trailering elsewhere rather than riding from home the next couple times, so Nathan doesn't have to work quite as hard. Then Shar had a great suggestion--trailer all three horses to Celena's for a group lesson, maybe including a bit of "trail" riding (on the short loop), to help Nathan build a relationship with Dalai and learn good ways to dealing with her, etc. So yeah, hopefully that'll happen. I'm just glad my teenage son actually WANTS to spend time with me. How crazy is that? :-)Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-48693699672810924342015-11-06T11:42:00.002-08:002015-11-06T11:42:43.568-08:00Tales from the Workplace, Part XXVII<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
I am posting stories from my job, because
I think they're funny. I've done my best to disguise my company name,
even the industry, and to keep the people I write about and even some details of
the situation anonymous. If you know me, and know where I work, please
don't include details in your comments. I'll have to delete your comment
and reconsider posting these stories.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
*********************************************************************************<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We have had the
same credit card processing system since I started with the company. I
don't know any different, so I neither love nor hate it--it is what it is.
You can swipe cards of people who come in in person, or you can go online
to run the card of someone that calls over the phone. Either way, it
e-mails a report at the end of the day, and the money hits our account a couple
days later. At the end of the month, we're charged some fees. In
two separate chunks, oddly, but whatever. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As many of you
may know, someone somewhere decided that the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> should join the 21st century and
the rest of the world in terms of credit card security, and add chips to the
credit cards. (Of course, the PIN capabilities are coming much later, so
for now it'll still be chip-and-sign rather than chip-and-PIN but whatever).
We've been calling our credit card processor every few months to ask when
they'll be sending us new hardware to accommodate the new cards, and they said
they'd have it ready by the October 1st deadline, and just hold tight.
Well, mid-September I called and they said they didn't have it ready yet,
but they would "soon," and no biggie anyway, it's just a suggestion
and not a requirement.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I did some
googling, and apparently what happens on that date is that the responsibility
and liability shift. Before that deadline, if you as a vendor take a
credit card payment that turns out to be fraudulent, the banks have to eat it
when the rightful owner ends up disputing it. After the deadline, if the
card was an old non-chip card, that will still be the case. If the card
is a chip card and it was scanned via the chip (and not swiped with the
magnetic strip), that will still be the case. However, if the customer
had a chip card but the vendor swiped it the old-fashioned way using the
magnetic strip, the vendor will be on the hook for the fraudulent charges.
This scares my boss, the business owner, enough that he wanted the new
technology (though we've never had a fraudulent charge in 20+ years in
business--the only CC chargeback we've had was a scammy customer who ended up
losing and we got the funds back after a fight).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So my boss went
down to the bank (yes, WENT not called), and they told us that they partner
with a certain credit card processing system, and they DO have the chip readers
available, so he made an appointment with the rep. She came, we chatted,
it sounded good. She promised the pricing would be about the same, and I
asked for their pricing structure in writing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She didn't send
that, but she sent a link to some stuff my boss needed to fill out (based on
his personal credit), so I sat him at my computer (his "wouldn't open the
link") and he filled it out. Meanwhile, I still haven't received
anything in writing. A couple days later, she asked if we'd received the
equipment yet. Um, what? Apparently my boss not only filled out his
credit information to qualify, he actually SIGNED US UP without getting
anything in writing. Oops. He didn't seem too concerned about that,
though he'd been all hot and bothered about having the chip-reading equipment.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So the equipment
arrived, and I contacted the sales rep, who had said that she'd help us hook it
up, etc., but she basically told me to call the 800 number if I needed help.
I ended up figuring it out myself, with one call to them to make sure I
didn't need a phone line, just internet. We were up and running.
Did a $1.00 charge to my boss' company credit card, then voided it, just
to verify that it worked. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It's kind of a pain.
The old system, you had to log into the website first regardless of how
you were going to process the card. Then once logged in, there was a
choice to either swipe the card or manually enter it. For someone
standing in front of me, I'd click swipe, swipe their card, then enter a couple
of fields for the dollar amount and the invoice number, and boom, done.
Print the receipt for them to sign, easy peasy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, in-person
transactions are done entirely on this terminal a little bigger (and a lot
thicker) than a cellphone. You hit a button to wake it up, hit a couple
more buttons, swipe or insert the card (depending on whether it has a chip or
not), enter the dollar amount, wait a few minutes for it to finally spit out
the receipt, and have them sign. Overall probably doesn't take much
longer, but my fingers fumble with the keypad vs. using a real computer
keyboard, so I prefer the old method, but whatever.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To process
transactions where the person isn't physically here with the card, you log on
to a website. Fine. Slightly different format, but actually asks
for less input (last system required billing address, which was weird), so it's
all good. However, the old system let us save customers' card info
securely, which was great both for local customers that wanted to be able to
send someone else to pick up their product, but authorize payment ahead of time
over the phone so they didn't have to give them their actual card. And
for long-distance customers who just wanted to be able to say "run my card,"
or even authorize us to just automatically run it after invoicing. The
new system apparently does not do that. It seems from their materials
that if you pay enough, they'll let you set up recurring charges, but ours
aren't the same amount every time or on a set schedule, so that doesn't work
for me. I've already had a few customers get kind of irritated that they
have to re-provide their CC info every time. So I'm starting to make use
of our <st1:personname w:st="on">accounting</st1:personname> system's ability
to save the card info, but of course it doesn't "talk" to the CC
system, so I have to hand-copy the information (can't copy and paste!) it every
time. Ugh. Plus the old system would e-mail a receipt to our
customer after I charge their card, and it appears the new one doesn't. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh, and the
online part costs extra. Of course. (Old system is just one set fee
per transaction, no matter which way it's done, plus of course the percentage
fees we're charged.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
THEN it turns out
that the two systems (desktop doohickey for processing actual cards and online
module for processing them long distance) don't talk to each other. So
they make separate deposits in the bank, and you have to go both places to
print off the reports in order to get the details on the transactions that are
being deposited. Plus neither report provides as many details as the old
system did. WHY does it have me put in the invoice number if it's not
going to help me out by including that information on the report? Ugh.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So already I
wasn't thrilled with the new system, but part of that is just hating change,
and whatever. I can deal with it, and the boss is happy that he won't be
liable if someone uses a stolen card, so it's all good, right?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Until I'm
reconciling our bank account and see a $10,000+ charge I don't know about.
Um, WHAT? It, of course, has absolutely no helpful information.
In fact, the gobbledygook mess of letters and numbers looks very similar
to the deposits we take to the bank in person. Weird. I call them,
and they tell me it's from our brand spankin' new credit card processing
company. Um, I'm pretty sure they didn't tell us it would cost THIS much.
I tally up the charges we did with them, and they're barely over $11,000,
so that would mean an effective rate on the processing fees of well over 90%.
Yeah, no.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do I have a
statement from them? Of course not. I e-mail the sales rep that
we'd worked with, and she says she signed us up for online statements "to
avoid the fee of having them mailed." What?!? It costs money
for them to send us statements? Of course it does. She gives me the
website to go to, and I do, but the account ID I use to log in to the
processing website (which, of course, is an entirely different website) doesn't
work. I e-mail her back and she gives me the correct one. Which, of
course, I'd never seen before.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I finally get
logged in to the website and get my temporary password changed and find where
to go to see my statement. Yup, that's the same dollar amount we had hit
our bank account. It has $10,639.00 in "other fees." Now,
we were expecting a few hundred dollars in fees for the new terminal (of course
they charge for that up front), for using the website (yes, they charge for
that!). At the last of five pages, it finally details the "other
charges." Sure enough, a couple fees that do look correct, and then
$10,000.00 exactly for "App. Fee." Um, what? I'm guessing
this is an application fee, but I wasn't even informed of one, let alone for
$10,000.00. Ah, I see what the problem is--someone entered a quantity of
100 plus a price of $100.00, and I'm guessing it should just be one fee of
$100.00. I dig out the electronic documents we got after the boss had
filled out all his personal information, and sure enough, it outlines the fees,
including the quantity of 100 and price of $100 for an application fee.
So this would appear to be an error done by the sales rep. Ugh.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I e-mail her, and
she says yes, it's an error, and she sees it on her end, too. She's
e-mailed customer service, but recommends I call them and then have them
conference her in if necessary. As of the minute I'm typing this, I've
been on hold for 50 minutes. It's on speakerphone (which probably annoys
the boss and co-worker, but I'm NOT holding a phone to my ear for that long!),
so at least I'm not getting a neck-ache, but still. Ugh. Rep says
they have very long hold times due to everyone getting switched over at the
same time due to the deadlines, but I think they ought to have a dedicated line
for things like this where it's their fault and not just me asking dumb
questions. Ugh.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
They picked up at
52 minutes, and then after verifying who I was and explaining the problem, I
waited on hold another 5 minutes or so while the rep looked into it, then she
came back on the line and told me that the sales rep has to generate the refund
and get it approved by their manager. SERIOUSLY? I waited on hold
for nearly an hour for NO reason? Ugh! So I left a voicemail and
sent an e-mail to my rep saying that, and we'll see what happens.<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-73971229830601659872015-10-15T09:43:00.003-07:002015-10-15T09:43:32.469-07:00Tales from the Workplace, Trucking Edition, Part XXVI*********************************************************************************<br />
I am posting stories from my job, because I think they're funny. I've done my best to disguise my company name, even the industry, and to keep the people I write about and even some details of the situation anonymous. If you know me, and know where I work, please don't include details in your comments. I'll have to delete your comment and reconsider posting these stories.<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<br />
A truck driver was apparently on one of his last few days with the company, having given notice previously. He was on a run from our location to southern California, and got within a couple of hours of the destination and apparently decided he was done. Done driving, done working for that company. He ditched the truck and trailer and left. Apparently he told dispatch he was doing so, but they didn't think through the ramifications of that far enough to realize that if the truck and trailer were sitting somewhere other than at the destination, that maybe, just MAYBE, the consignee wasn't getting their delivery. The day after it was supposed to deliver, the customer finally contacted us to ask about the load, and we contacted the trucking company. Oh, huh. Wouldja look at that...the driver abandoned his load, and apparently it's still sitting right where he left it. Huh. Who woulda thunk it--it can't just haul itself wherever it needs to go. Huh. So they finally sent someone to go pick it up and finalize the delivery, which of course took ANOTHER day, making the load two days late. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAu1TfFr2Hs20JHshbVEeR3xY-8V6QGmqZXhjXPTx7JnIHAAtqwLkEmL_2uH4r5RP3wzLfU2PMdYZr0QlaSwlY1pXruQCsUDog5gZRdq2mPcjdPx0241l8e5zeXwvxPiwIcMgPb0Jz9-Y/s1600/Truck+Irony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAu1TfFr2Hs20JHshbVEeR3xY-8V6QGmqZXhjXPTx7JnIHAAtqwLkEmL_2uH4r5RP3wzLfU2PMdYZr0QlaSwlY1pXruQCsUDog5gZRdq2mPcjdPx0241l8e5zeXwvxPiwIcMgPb0Jz9-Y/s400/Truck+Irony.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the truck in question. Just the photo I'll be using on these posts from now on. :-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-77183347325735518292015-10-12T17:02:00.001-07:002015-10-12T17:02:19.525-07:00Happy Anniversary to Me! (And Arya!)So, a year ago today, Arya stepped off the trailer and into my life. At the time, it was a try-before-buying deal, though I was fairly sure I would buy, but it wasn't necessarily permanent. However, I paid for her and sealed the deal a couple weeks later, so now she's stuck with me. :-)<br />
<br />
So, things that have happened over the past year:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>We entered and rider-option pulled from our first and only "endurance" ride (a Limited Distance ride)</li>
<li>We entered and successfully "completed" two trail rides held at endurance rides</li>
<li>We entered and basically flunked a trail challenge course, but had fun doing it</li>
<li>We attended a ride clinic as well as a few private and semi-private lessons; probably not as many as we SHOULD have, but time, money, and trailer rides have to all come together to make it happen</li>
<li>We've ridden on various trail rides with various companions, and even a couple new-to-her arenas</li>
<li>We entered a parade, though I led Arya rather than riding. But she did great with all sorts of purple stuff in her mane and tail. :-)</li>
<li>We've ridden on a trail ride with mules, with me on a different equine than her, and her with a different rider (my sister) AND we saw coyotes, all in one ride!</li>
<li>We've successfully done a couple of very easy, very short bareback rides</li>
<li>We've crossed wooden bridges out in the real world, which can be very scary!</li>
<li>I've come off her four times, and my sister came off her once. I don't fully blame her for any of them, though I wish she would watch her feet so she doesn't trip, and that she wouldn't buck (crowhop) when she gets worried or scared. :-)</li>
<li>We've gone through a medical situation--her first (and hopefully last!) colic episode, with two vet visits but luckily minimal medical intervention required and a quick recovery.</li>
</ul>
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Things she's learned or improved on in the past year:</div>
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<ul>
<li>She didn't use to "get" the procedure of walking through a gate being led by a human: pause for human to open gate, back up a couple steps, walk through gate, turn back toward the gate, pause for human to close gate, continue onward. Now she gets it and follows along with the procedure nicely, without prompting.</li>
<li>She was terrible about picking her feet up when I first got her, especially her hind feet. She now picks them all up, but kind of grudgingly, and she's not the best at actually holding their weight in the air herself--that part's up to me.</li>
<li>She has learned to back out of a trailer. She wasn't very good at it the first couple times, but she's a pro now. It's not REALLY necessary with Shar's big stock trailer (even if she's the first one off, she could back out of her slot, but then turn in the empty back half of the trailer), but it's a good skill to have, and might come in necessary in smaller trailers.</li>
<li>She was afraid of crossing water, but after a few short but tough sessions with Shar, she's finally decided it's not the end of the world. She might still try to jump a small stream, but she willingly walks into rivers, and has even led the way.</li>
<li>She hasn't been great at being the lead horse for most of this past year, slowing down and even stopping to let someone else lead. The past couple rides, she's actually led out quite willingly, and even eagerly. We even met some cows on the trail, and she stopped dead in her tracks, then trusted me when I urged her forward.</li>
<li>She used to walk away for the first couple minutes when I'd go out to the pasture to catch her, sometimes to the FAR corner (though she never made me chase her for long, she'd just wander off then wait for me to catch up to her). Now she comes to me. I think the change happened with the colic--spending all night with her and being the one (well, along with Shar!) to hang out with her till she felt better, I guess she associates me with having helped her. Aww...</li>
<li>She used to walk off when mounting. Strangely, I never actually WORKED on this. I told myself this was something we needed to work on, and she's magically been nearly perfect about it ever since. Apparently just my attitude of "we are not going to walk off immediately after mounting" communicated that to her or something.</li>
<li>She's gotten better at groundwork. She's always been fine about leading, but stopping when I stop and backing up when I back up, not so much. She's improving, but we still have more to work on. She's also gotten much better at lateral work from the ground, moving her hindquarters, front end, or whole body over with a voice cue and taps from a whip. Need to work on it from the saddle, and from body language instead of actual tapping from the ground.</li>
<li>She did NOT get what I was asking for the first few times I asked her to trot in hand, a necessary skill for endurance rides. But a couple training sessions, and she totally "got" it, and now does it with a simple voice command (and of course, trotting from the handler).</li>
</ul>
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Goals and things to work on for the coming year:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Enter and complete an LD (limited distance--25-30 mile) ride successfully</li>
<li>Get better about picking her feet up, and HOLDING them up</li>
<li>At rides, she's shown that she does NOT like horses coming up behind her. She's fine with horses she knows riding close behind her on our normal trail rides, so it's a combo of it being strangers and the ride environment, I'm sure. Need to find a way to work on this, hopefully, or else just more exposure at rides.</li>
<li>Lateral work--she barely understands my cues from the saddle. She's pretty good from the ground, but we can work on more subtle cues from the ground for sure.</li>
<li>We definitely need to work on footwork--Arya took a big stumble that caused me to fall off, but she rarely picks her feet up enough in "trippy" terrain (rocks or roots or whatever). We need to work on trotting over poles this winter--starting with them spaced regularly and working our way up to randomly-placed obstacles she actually has to LOOK and THINK her way through.</li>
</ul>
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There are probably things I'm forgetting from each of those categories, but it's a pretty good look back at the last year and look forward to the next year. I also meant to include some photos from throughout the past year in this post, but time has gotten away from me, and I gotta go visit my girlie and love on her a bit, so I'll end it with just this one photo, from a year ago today:</div>
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Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-47670455533271720862015-10-09T09:22:00.002-07:002015-10-09T09:22:55.821-07:00Tales from the Workplace, Part XXVI*********************************************************************************<br />
I am posting stories from my job, because I think they're funny. I've done my best to disguise my company name, even the industry, and to keep the people I write about and even some details of the situation anonymous. If you know me, and know where I work, please don't include details in your comments. I'll have to delete your comment and reconsider posting these stories.<br />
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A potential new customer was talking options with our sales person. Size of packages, types of product, etc. We load the trucks one of two ways--either hand stacked (the bags of our product are stacked into the trailer however they fit most efficiently; it takes a lot of manpower on both ends, but is ideal for customers who either don't have a forklift or don't mind the labor and want to save money and have the most possible packages per truckload) or palletized (much faster to load and unload, plus easy to deal with on the customer's end, as they can just take one package at a time off the stacked pallets, but we do charge a little extra per package to account for the fact that we have to buy the pallets and outer wrapping, and then of course can't recoup that cost).<br />
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The sales person was explaining the difference and the pros and cons to the customer. Most folks, it's an easy decision--if they have a forklift, they usually prefer palletized loads as it's much quicker to unload them off the truck, move them to where they plan to store them, then either use or re-sell them straight off the pallet. But some folks just don't have a forklift or prefer handstacked for their own reasons, which is fine too.<br />
<br />
This guy apparently wanted the best of both worlds. He kept asking about weather-proofing. Well, all our product comes in plastic bags, which are pretty weather proof all on their own, but they can get tiny tears, especially the more they're handled, or it's possible one of the sealed ends could start coming open if it doesn't seal perfectly, so they're not 100% waterproof, and we don't guarantee that they will be. When we palletize them, they're stacked on a pallet, get a top sheet of pretty thick plastic thrown over the top of the stack, then are wrapped with stretch film all the way around, a couple layers. So the pallets are REALLY weatherproof, and could probably store outdoors indefinitely, without issue (though we still don't officially guarantee it, as who knows what happens to the plastic once it's out of our hands, we're more likely to state that it's quite weatherproof without an explicit guarantee).<br />
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This customer clearly wanted the weatherproof aspects of a palletized load, but wanted the most packages per load, plus the lower price per package of a handstacked load. He asked if we could send him a handstacked load and include some plastic for him to cover the packages with on his end. Um, no. Try a hardware store. :-) <br />
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I mean, even if we did want to do that for him, our top sheets are just larger than a pallet, and our stretch film is meant to be used in an automated palletizer, and wouldn't really work the way he's thinking of. He needs a large tarp (or one of those RV storage "tents") or something instead.</div>
Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-71532534554231803572015-10-07T13:24:00.005-07:002015-10-07T13:24:29.356-07:00Dusk Ride 10/6/15Shar and I were planning to ride this evening. Our first evening ride of the season. Only a few more weeks of being able to start out while there's still some light out and progress into dark instead of tacking up in the dark! Shar's working in Bend now, and even though I live in Bend, I work in Redmond, closer to her house than where she works. So I beat her there, and got both Arya and Flash out and tied them to the trailer. I picked out Arya's feet, and she was a little better about picking them up than the last couple times (after an emergency fill-in farrier bribed her with carrots to hold still, rather than smacking her for stomping her foot down). I moved over to Flash, and marveled at how tiny his feet are, and how easy they are to deal with, both because they're smaller and lighter, and because he *gasp* actually holds his own feet up for you, so you aren't holding the weight of them. Moved to the second foot, and Uh Oh! There was a nail sticking out of his foot. Ugh. Snapped a photo for Shar:<br />
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I've since learned after the fact that I probably should have left the nail there until she got home, so she'd have the chance to decide whether to take X-rays with the nail in place, in order to see what structures it had hit in the hoof. Big oops on my part, but I'm not sure whether she would have opted for that. Ugh. Plus keeping the nail in there right up until the moment of soaking it probably would have been better for avoiding infection, too. But in the moment, the first thought I had (after snapping the photo) was to get the nail out. So I did. And took another picture, first of the hoof, then of the nail:<br />
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Probably a half inch of the nail was in his hoof. Hopefully not enough to do major damage, but only time will tell at this point, since we lost the chance to x-ray it.<br />
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I finished picking his hooves, brushed both horses, and fly sprayed them both. I was just starting to put Arya's reflective safety gear on for the night ride when Shar got home. She came out and hadn't seen my messages or photos yet, but I filled her in and she took a look. Her first inclination was to ride him anyway to get the blood pumping OUT to prevent infection getting IN, but she called and left a voicemail for her/our vet to check on Flash's tetanus status and get her opinion on what she should do. Her second inclination, after seeing him possibly maybe limping the tiniest bit when she trotted him, was to ride Dalai instead. <br />
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The vet called back, and the shots we gave in the spring included tetanus, so that was one worry eliminated, at least, but the vet had some scary news--if the nail had penetrated the area where the coffin bone is, it could be BAD. No way to know now, since I'd pulled the nail. Ugh. But Shar definitely needed to soak the foot for a while with salts, and then bandage it up with some antibiotic stuff to try to keep infection at bay for the next few days. <br />
<br />
So I was on my own for a ride. I mounted up and worked on the standing still concept. She actually did really great--made one move like she wanted to walk, but I don't think her hooves actually moved. We stood for a full minute or so. <br />
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I knew we wouldn't get too far before dark, and didn't want to ride solo in the dark-dark, but I was hoping to at least make it around the block. But Arya had other ideas. She was doing her usual drunken sailor walk away from home, pretending with each tiny correction of the reins that the cue meant she should turn 180 degrees and head back home, indeedy it did. Yeah right. So she bounced between the reins and my legs, meandering down the road, getting slower and slower the further we got from home. I did a couple circles, very lopsided. Ugh. Then she started balking so much she was actually BACKING toward home. Oh no you di-in't. So we circled a ton. And we trotted away from home. And we walked CALMLY toward home, or circled if she started rushing toward home. Yeah. A LOT of circles. And eventually they got more even, and walking toward home got less rushed. She was never very enthusiastic about heading away from home, but two out of three ain't too bad. She did get a little obnoxious with head tossing and such, making me a tiny bit concerned about bucking or whatever, but she of course never did, and I'm sure was never actually THAT close to doing so. Just my paranoid tendencies. But I didn't give up or get off or let her get away with it, so that's a win at least, right?<br />
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We moseyed our way back home, making LOTS of circles, and also heading away from home some of the time, too. Eventually the circles got more even and circular, and she wasn't as deseperate to get home when we were pointed that way, so I started letting her walk out a while toward home before asking for another circle (instead of the ride being a total series of circles). We got back to the driveway, and of course she pulled in that direction, but we moseyed past it with a purpose, and I asked her to trot away from home in THAT direction. Then circles, then walk past the driveway again, then trot away from home again. Etc. and so on. We went back and forth past the driveway at least 10 times, maybe more, until she finally was merely gravitating in that direction instead of actively pulling, and it was nearly dark. I rode her into the arena and circled it once in each direction, then we went around the back side of the barn, around the circular drive, past the trailer full of railroad ties, and back toward Shar. We stopped, but I didn't get off. We stood still, we backed up, and we tried doing a little sidepassing.<br />
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Then I tied her to the trailer, where she stood very nicely while I helped Shar doctor Flash's foot. He'd been standing with his food in a bucket of saltwater for a while, and now it was time to bandage it up. Shar ended up deciding on using one baby diaper (perfect because of the padding and absorption, plus the fact that you can use the built-in fasteners to secure it around the hoof while you work on getting the duct tape or vet wrap ready, instead of having to hold it to the hoof yourself), soaking it with betadine, then using a multi-layer duct tape "hoof boot" to protect the bottom, and wrapping the top part with vet wrap. It probably wasn't pretty, but it got the job done. It took me a while to prep the "hoof boot" (multiple strips of duct tape layered on each other in one direction, then multiple strips in the other direction, lather rinse repeat, so you end up with LOTS of layers on the bottom of the hoof, plus the overhang on the four sides to wrap up the sides of the hoof), then Shar got it secured on his hoof, then we both worked to get him set up in a stall for the night with some hay and water. More to keep the wear on the "hoof boot" minimal than to keep him immobile--a little walking around is probably good for him and his hoof and his legs, but not so good if the bandage comes off or wears through and he gets infected in the puncture wound.<br />
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So. That was a bit of an adventure, but hopefully Flash will be be fine, though he probably gets a few weeks of vacation. And hopefully Arya learned something over the course of the evening, too, both the riding and the standing around after, and arriving home not being an immediate reward of rolling and eating. :-) Shar and Dalai are going out of town this coming weekend, but it sounds like Julie and I will be riding together. Yay! I need mine and Arya's solo adventures to be short and sweet still, I think, so it's good to have a buddy to ride with in order to actually have FUN. :-)Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-75874042373426312852015-10-02T11:25:00.001-07:002015-10-02T11:25:40.741-07:00Tales from the Workplace, Trucking Edition, Part XXV*********************************************************************************<br />
I am posting stories from my job, because I think they're funny. I've done my best to disguise my company name, even the industry, and to keep the people I write about and even some details of the situation anonymous. If you know me, and know where I work, please don't include details in your comments. I'll have to delete your comment and reconsider posting these stories.<br />
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A driver showed up with an empty trailer (yay!) to pick up a load. We instructed him to drop the empty trailer in the rows of empty trailers out front, any spot was fine as long as it didn't block the flow of traffic, then he should hook onto the loaded trailer and head to the scale. Well. He was out there a very long time. A very, very long time. We could see him pulling forward, then back, then forward, then back, over and over and over. Executing a 387-point turn to park the thing, apparently. At one point, one of our employees (who drives the trailers all around our lot to put them on the loading docks then park them for later pickup, etc.) offered to back it in for him, but the driver wanted to do it. Yikes. Isn't backing a trailer into tricky spots (not that this spot was particularly tricky, and the driver had his pick of a few empty spots) part of getting a CDL? And shouldn't it be part of getting hired to a trucking company as well? After all, you'll be driving around THEIR equipment, and they don't want you damaging it OR taking up precious time trying to park.<br />
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The guy was seriously on the lot for two full hours, for what normally takes a driver 20 minutes or do (drop empty, hook onto loaded, drive over scale, come in for paperwork). I hope they don't try to charge us detention!</div>
Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-31164294553217847462015-09-23T09:24:00.000-07:002015-09-23T09:24:08.142-07:00Tales from the Workplace, Part XXV*********************************************************************************<br />
I am posting stories from my job, because I think they're funny. I've done my best to disguise my company name, even the industry, and to keep the people I write about and even some details of the situation anonymous. If you know me, and know where I work, please don't include details in your comments. I'll have to delete your comment and reconsider posting these stories.<br />
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Matching up someone's resume with the real life experience of having them as an employee can sometimes be amusing. </div>
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<b>30-something-year-old employee whose mommy drove him to work and whose daddy quit on his behalf because the work was too hard (and probably because he wouldn't pass the drug test) after less than six hours of TOTAL employment with us: </b><br />
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"seeking long term employment" </div>
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<b>Employee who, after one day of work, wanted to file a workers comp claim that we very strongly suspect was bogus:</b><br />
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"Dependable, motivated, hard worker" and "respectful to supervisors" and "shows strong work ethic."</div>
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<b>Employee who quit at beginning of what would have been his second day of work because he got his old job back (hey, at least he let us know he was quitting, unlike the first two cowards): </b><br />
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"demonstrated ability to be dependable" and "enthusiastic employee." </div>
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(Though again, six jobs listed on the resume of a guy that seemed to be fairly young, without any dates listed, should have been our first clue. We just can't afford to turn folks away who appear to have a pulse when we're desperate for workers.)<br />
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We've also posted a white-collar job recently, and received a few interesting resumes in response. A couple in particular tickled my funny bone, though. <br />
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The e-mail the resume was attached to said that the applicant had so much experience "it would fill a book," then attached a resume that was VERY skimpy. Seriously, not including the contact information at the top, it has 14 lines of text, three of which are references. There is a "skills and abilities" section that list a few things that almost anyone could truthfully list, without any information to back it up such as what the applicant accomplished in the past. There is ONE job listed with NO information as to what was accomplished except "all aspect [sic] of online marketing." There's an education section that just says the applicant graduated high school 30+ years ago. There are two, count 'em TWO, strengths listed: comfortable chatting with others, and highly adaptable to situations. There is one "leadership role" of head deacon at a church. And there are three references, as I said earlier--two are from church. Yeah, thanks but no thanks.<br />
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At the other end of the spectrum, we received an e-mail that, when printed, was two pages, and it had an attachment--a four-page resume. Three pages were basically walls of text (with a couple of headings to list the job titles), followed by the fourth page that was nothing except "references available upon request." So way to go at pagination AND editing down to what's most important to convey.<br />
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Luckily, we received one resume that was perfect--seriously, we probably couldn't have asked for a better candidate if we'd ordered one custom, and she's working out great. So yay!</div>
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Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9065190676881223953.post-87568498763164433022015-09-20T20:59:00.001-07:002015-09-20T20:59:12.209-07:00Ride with Shar plus Bonus "Solo" RideFirst ride since Arya's colic episode. It's been five days since the day she spent at the clinic, and the vet said as long as we took it easy, she should be good to go, so it was time. <br />
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I tacked up, and nearly forgot to do our round pen session, but Shar reminded me, so I quickly took her there and did a few rounds. She did awesome--moved off with just a point and cluck, even trotting without me explicitly asking. She was a little clingy--tried to move in for a head rub before I told her she could. But hey we got close while she was sick. :-)<br />
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I had butterflies driving out there and tacking up, but then I nearly always do. Ugh. Strange how the butterflies go away once I actually get on, though. Mounted up and practiced standing still a bit then taking a few steps and stopping again without actually heading out.<br />
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We headed down the driveway, and I did one circle to "check in" with Arya, but she was doing great. We did a few more as we rode away from home but didn't really need them. She was on her best (though slowest) behavior.<br />
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We headed down the road, then onto a singletrack trail I don't think we'd done before (shortcut between two roads we have ridden on before). As we approached a spot where there were some boards laid out in a rectangle and a couple other angles, her attention was totally focused on those boards. She was probably thinking, "Please mom, don't make me walk over those. You know I trip. You know I don't like stuff like that." Then a jackrabbit popped out of a bush right near us, and her ears flicked toward it and she flinched briefly, then her attention went right back to the scary boards. And you know what? I DID make her walk over them. Ha! (She did fine.)<br />
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We walked and trotted, mostly walking. At one point, I was trotting her along a singletrack beside the road, and she tripped pretty hard (though not as hard as the time I came off!), and she really didn't want to get going again after. She was VERY pokey at the walk. She's clumsy on a good day but I think her feet are getting long...time to schedule a farrier appointment!<br />
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At one point we lost the trail and were going cross-country. Not usually a big problem here in the desert, but we were crossing a field of lava rocks. Arya's not the most nimble on a good day (doesn't help that her feet are HUGE, so find every rock out there!), and now her feet are too long, and she was really not happy. Never really tripped, though--at least it made her watch where she was walking, unlike the nicer trails!<br />
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We turned for home, and she perked up a bit. We did a few bouts of trotting, and I wondered aloud to Shar when I should start the "no trotting zone" as we got closer to home. She suggested a spot a little further along than I would have thought, but I played it by ear and Arya was being TOTALLY responsive and slowing when asked (if not before--she is so lazy!), so we went for it. And she did great! So then we walked the rest of the way home, and I checked in with her at a few intersections, especially when she started initiating the turn before I asked her to, but she went rather willingly. However, I didn't want her getting too complacent, so we took the "long" way home (only a tad longer than the other route, really). She gravitated only the slightest bit toward the normal way home, and went perfectly willingly when I asked her to go straight instead. What a good girl! Of course, we WERE still headed home, and I'm sure she knew that, but not via the quickest route, so she's still a good girl.<br />
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We were having such a good ride that I decided to press my luck. In hindsight, it might not have been the smartest move, but I suggested to Shar that she and Flash just head home when we got to the intersection, and I'd take Arya a little further and do some circles if necessary, in order to work our way up to a true solo ride. It probably would have been better to go with my other idea, which would be for me and Arya to head out first and then get joined by her buddy shortly after, but oh well.<br />
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So as we approached the intersection, I just kept my entire focus straight ahead, on the stop sign way in the distance. She got a bit more squirrely as we went along, so I rode for a little bit longer to make sure she was actually moving in a more-or-less forward direction when I turned her around toward home. She started jigging and tossing her head and really really wanted to bolt for home and her buddy. This is where I realized I was asking too much all at once--heading away from home AND her buddy at the end of a ride. Oops. But now that I'd done it, I had to stick with it. <br />
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I circled her. She was NOT a fan, tossing her head and trying to head straight for home instead. But I channeled Celena (and Shar), and thrust my boobs out, shoulders back, and looked ahead instead of at Arya's head. Each circle brought us closer to home, because she was stretching out the side toward home and compressing the far side (pretty much pivoting on a couple of them), but I ignored that and focused on staying calm and just asking for circle after circle until they became softer and more even. And they eventually did. We did a couple circles each direction right near the intersection where Flash had left us, and she did great, so we headed back down the road toward home. It's probably less than a quarter mile. We did a couple more circles, then passed the driveway, circled again circled right in front of the driveway, and even halted right in front of the driveway. This last stretch, she was still very forward and ready to go home, but she was compliant (and pliable), so that was fine. We walked up the driveway, halted, then proceeded to go around the circular drive again, then over toward the wash rack. I was still mounted. Don't want her thinking we always have the same routine of pulling in the driveway and me hopping off in the same spot. :-)<br />
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So, all's well that ends well, and I'm really proud of both of us for sticking with it and making it home not just safely, but hopefully with a little helpful experience under both our belts.Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06854988599579651219noreply@blogger.com0