Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Istanbul - Part 1
I flew into Istanbul on August 17th. They have 2 main airports there. The older one on the European side, which is perhaps 20 minutes at the most outside the city, and the newer one, which is on the Asian side, and can be well over an hour away if traffic is nasty - - and traffic in Istanbul must like to be nasty because it always seems to be so! You can guess which airport I flew into. That's right, good 'ol Transavia Airline dropping me off at Sabiha Airport, which requires catching something called a Havas Bus (one of a few choices on how to get to Istanbul from this airport) outside the terminal that will take you to Taksim Square. From there you will require another bus, or bus then train to get near enough to where we were staying. I chose the taxi outside the Pizza Hut once I made it to Taksim Square. Besides, I had read it was only a €5 fare and that was okay by me. But just for my own entertainment, the powers that be gifted a cab driver to me who didn't know where my hotel was. You have to imagine nighttime, narrow streets, congested with vehicles and people, scant observable traffic laws...confusion with a dash of chaos. Up a road...down a road...wrong way down the one-way...ask someone - new information - hard left turn...show him the location on the map...puzzled look...ask another person - get ignored - yell at them...pull up on sidewalk - go into store to ask where's New Era Hotel...up next road...down next road...back down same road...ask someone...new direction...honk horn...do a 9-point turn...squeeze past standing traffic...left turn...cars block road...BUT, I see New Era Hotel sign...stop, I'll get out here and walk the rest of the way. Paid the guy and happily checked in at the reception desk which was the size of my suitcase. Went up the equally narrow staircase to my room and got settled.
The next morning I awoke early and had breakfast on the rooftop terrace, which offered great views over the rooftops out to the Sea of Marmara! Some strange choices were on the buffet (french fries) but there was enough nutrition to get me started. My first destination on foot was the interesting neighborhood I caught glimpses of the night before. At the time I was convinced this is the Miami, Naples, Boca Raton for buildings, where they come to decay and die. I have since discovered they apparently also like Athens, but that's a later story. So...urban decay surrounds me and I find it interesting as hell - but many locals are looking at me with WTF expressions. Thought bubble - "Beautiful mosques surround him and this schmuck is making pictures of buildings without roofs? Crazy infidel!!" But their mental confusion did not deter me, as I smiled and kept making pictures and moving on. CATS!!!!! Cats everywhere!!!!!! Darting in all directions, licking themselves, licking each other, sleeping, in trash cans, fighting, having kitty booty calls, sniffing things, eyeballing each other, trying to catch a small sparrow. There were 2 cats next to me that just started getting busy, and she (I'm going to assume the one on the bottom or "nailee") looked miserable the ENTIRE TIME!!! Stupidly, I told her (yes, I spoke to this cat) "Turn around and knock him the F@#$ off of you." He looked and acted really pissed off the entire time, and she looked miserable for 90% of it and bored the last 10. At least the lions we saw in Africa "getting busy" had what appeared to be good experiences - he definitely looked worn out and proud, and she looked and acted satisfied. If I had ever seen that female cat's expression over the years in my species (human, before you get any funny ideas) I would've needed serious counseling to get back up on that figurative horse.
So my entire morning is spent in this neighborhood, visiting a couple of Mosques and some outdoor markets. All of these places are in Sultanahmet, where the famous Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii) is located. In the afternoon I took a tram to a stop near the Bosphorus, the waterway that separates the European and Asian continents. That is a very bustling place as most waterside locations can be. Of course a nice man befriended me as I sat to take a break in the shade from the heat. What are the odds he would be a carpet salesman?!?!?! Such good fortune I have sometimes! And he was once a photographer!! Again, I'm beating the odds. I bet he graduated in my high school class and I never knew him, even though he was about 10 years younger than me!!!! Anyway, after all of our similarities and coincidences were behind us, I took a look at his store where they sold carpets, gold jewelry, and maybe a few other things that escape me now. As I enjoyed a refreshing, scorching cup of tea on this frigid 90f/32c day, I looked over several samples of carpets brought out by another sharply dressed man (image of ZZ Topp pops into head). I told him from the start I make no purchases of this type without my wife, not even to surprise her as he suggested, so that pretty much wrapped things up there. I didn't get back to the hotel until close to 10pm, tired from a full day of walking.
The next morning after breakfast I walked down to the waterside near the hotel, where the Sea of Marmara comes ashore. I walked away from the hustle and bustle of the Blue Mosque tourist area and went to the commercial area. Another long walk on an increasingly hot morning, I ended up back at the Bosphorus where I spent a lot of time on the bridge, watching people along the shore and fishermen on the bridge. I walked back to my hotel a little after lunchtime, and made some more pictures of the neighborhood in the area. I had to go back to Taksim Square that evening to meet up with Radhika, who followed the same plan I did once landing at Sabiha Airport. We took a taxi to the hotel, with me knowing and telling the driver where it was and how much the fare should be. Of course we arrived and the driver quoted an amount twice what I told him it would be, and I advised him of that. We paid in Euros because I didn't have enough in Turkish Lira, so he got a little extra anyway. We got settled in the room and then went out for a nice dinner. We found an "okay" one instead, and called it a night.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Budapest - Part 2
Budapest is yet another European city in a long string of European cities that has plenty to offer. Food, people, sights - tasty, engaging, and beautiful (keep the order straight). There's quite a bit to see from architecture, bridges, parks, shopping streets, and a dinner river cruise is a great way to see both banks of the city from a unique perspective! It's hard to say what my favorite part of the visit was, unless I'm including the beautiful sunshine and hot temperatures (especially while Amsterdam was having a miserable July, weather-wise). Radhika and I spent our days walking around and exploring different parts of the city. We met our friend from Amsterdam, who was in her former city of residence briefly, for a nice dinner one evening. It was quite hot, but we were loving it because Amsterdam has been quite cool and very wet this summer. As a matter-of-fact it was the wettest summer on record since something like 1908!!! Where they get normal rainfall numbers of somewhere in the mid 100 centimeter region, I believe, this year they received something like 700 centimeters!! It was a crazy wet summer, which severely cut down on the outdoor basketball. Anyway, we checked out Szechenyi Baths, but didn't go in, visited Buda Castle and Castle Hill, Fisherman's Bastion, Matthias Church, Heroes' Square, walked across Chain Bridge several times, took a nice dinner cruise on the Danube, walked through the Jewish Quarter, enjoyed a traditional Hungarian dance performance, and went to the Terror Museum (only to find it was closed but the outside was great to photograph!).
We had a great time in Budapest, coming back bronzed and happy, exposed to plenty of vitamin D carried on rays of sunshine fresh from their 8 minute trip straight to our waiting skin. A place we would definitely return to, and recommend to others. Now I have much to catch up on and pictures to post. Next up, Istanbul.
Departing Thoughts - Part 1
As we moved closer to wrapping up our 4-year adventure living in Amsterdam, many thoughts and emotions flashed across my mind. Funny, profound, serious, surprising - living outside the United States has provided a form of education you can't receive by any other method. Your familiarity and understanding of the places you read about in your life or visited while on a short holiday, change as your exposure lengthens and deeper aspects of the countries and people are revealed. Similarly, the view you have of the United States can be altered, as well.
I have been asked repeatedly if I was happy to be going back to America. I spent some time thinking about and then crafting the shortest answer possible, because early on I heard myself babbling on and on in a clumsy attempt to convey my feelings, realizing I hadn't truly "nut shelled" it for myself let alone anyone who was unfortunate enough to ask me. It required more than a yes or no response. The go-to standard answer became yes, and no. No matter where we have traveled, we have encountered good and bad aspects about each location. I have discovered that "home" can be many places. I don't require what some people call "roots" to feel stable. Don't require that strong attachment to a place from my past that settles me down in times of uncertainty. As a matter-of-fact, when I return to the town of my youth, I feel little connection to it. It's not that it has changed so dramatically over the past few decades since I left. I believe the changes within me have more of a bearing on the feelings of disconnect. Each of us deals with change every day of our lives, but most of us are not comfortable with significant change. Many people dropped their jaw upon learning that we were moving to Amsterdam. Disbelief. How could you? Aren't you frightened? It was as if going outside the coccoon of the United States was madness, with misery and catastrophe sure to find us. People have told us there's no way they would ever leave the United States. Not to live. Not to visit. It’s an attitude that’s totally foreign to me. I equate that to a diet of mother's milk or baby formula for your entire life, or meeting someone at the moment your hormones kick in and marrying them. They say the U.S. has everything they need and there's no need to go anywhere else. I believe that to be a smoke screen, and fear is the motivator behind their philosophy. They are the same who say America is the best country in the world. It's funny, because they have zero reference points. Their statement is empty, void of any meaning or significance.
Some interesting aspects of Dutch life follow. They’re random, good, bad, benign. Hopefully they’re entertaining…and educational for those unfamiliar.
"Niet mogelijk". Heard that at the Parking Authority. Settle Service, the company hired by GE to help us get set up in our new country told us that on a regular basis. Numerous agencies, associates, staff in stores, restaurants - - we heard this everywhere, directed toward us from the Dutch people we were interacting with. "Not possible". A simple "No" does not suffice, but a response that implies physics will not allow what you ask for! The Dutch LOVE "Niet Mogelijk" as much as they love dairy products, holidaying in the same place year after year, and keeping their wallets as tight as one of their famous dykes. Can't relay here how many times I responded to them: "Walking on the sun is neit mogelijk. What I am requesting is not." I got so angry and irritated once after visiting the same office four different times because of their mistakes, I verbally went off on the staff. I was trying to get something done for Radhika, but finally turned it over to her because they said she had to handle it herself. The man at the counter told her when she was leaving, "Good luck with your angry husband." She corrected him, saying normally I'm an easy going guy until I come up against repeated incompetence. Yea, Radhika!
Paying for phone calls to government agencies and private businesses! This was a real thorn in my side. When your internet service, power, or any utility fails, you have to call a toll number where you pay anywhere from €.10 and higher per minute to tell them their service delivery has stopped. The longer you're on hold listening to a Dutch recording or A Flock Of Seagulls (they do love '80's American music), the more abuse you're unleashing on the poor slob who answers the call. All the mail that you get you'll find at the bottom: "Problem? Call us at 900-775-8990 - We're here to help. *Call costs €.25/minute" Yeah. I'm already paying a bill AND you want to make a profit off my call when I'm not getting what I am paying for?
Pathe. That is the French movie chain that has four movie houses in Amsterdam. A great deal for about 3 years when we first moved there. For €18 per month you can get a Pathe Card that allowed you to see any movie in any Pathe theater as many times as you care to. On top of that they ran specials for holders of the card, where after 6pm you got 20% discount on popcorn, soda, beer, candy, etc at the concession. It was great. Then they got these machines that looked like an ATM. The idea is to scan your card, pick your movie, pick the time, and your ticket is dispensed. Things went down just slightly then, because sometimes these machines were useless. They didn't scan your card so you wasted time in line and then had to go to the counter for the old-fashioned human being approach to acquiring your ticket. Then Pathe went to assigned seating, so the ushers didn't have to go into full theaters and ask the people to fill seats by generally moving to the middle. This I would find irritating because we would get there early to get a position in the middle and back from the screen the right distance, only to be moved by the jokers in their Pathe shirts. Wasn't their fault, I know. So I sent an email to Pathe corporate, who in turn referred me to the local theater in question. A-holes! So, going to the movies in groups became problematic. You could now reserve tickets online, so if you were meeting others there and wanted to sit together, you might be able to swing it by telling everyone where you reserved your seats. Then they would quickly try to get seats next to you online. What a pain in the ass! And, when you reserve you have to pick up your tickets at least 30 minutes before the show starts and no earlier than an hour, or you lose the tickets and they go back into the system. The price went up to €19 a month, which was no big deal, but going to the movies was having some of it's fun sucked out of it when you had to stress about getting there on time if you reserved, or arrange to sit with friends, or tell the numbskulls around you to shut their phones off before you took and broke them into tiny pieces. I need to hit a movie or two in the US to see if things have gotten worse over here. The audiences in Amsterdam occasionally thought they were in their living rooms watching the show, because they would be yakking away or tearing through a crinkly bag of chips. I was far from the only one asking them to be considerate. One guy was given 2 choices when I went to talk to him quietly, but he stole out of the theater with his buddies before I returned with theater staff. Another time they stopped the movie because there was too much ruckus and someone complained (not me). Kids on a school trip, and the teachers/chaperones were lame. Two guys were tossed out, one for shining a laser pointer on the screen.
Well. Let me wrap this one up or I'll let another couple of months go by before it sees the light of day. Already got the next one started, so it shouldn't be long in getting posted. I have work to do. The Florida sunshine is beaming outside, so off I go. Just found out I'm going to need a new pool pump, so there's research to be done. Until next time...
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Budapest - Part 1
One of the cities remaining on our list of places to get to before this period of European living comes to a close was Budapest. Time is evaporating quickly, so squeezing in our remaining destinations will be tricky, especially with people coming to visit. For Budapest as with several places we have visited, I spent a few extra days there making photographs before she arrived. My traveling habits are quite different than what they used to be, and don't match up with Radhika's (or most non-photographer's, I'm sure). For example, the sunrise was at 5am in Budapest, and I would get out early to make use of the morning light. Radhika would rather do any other distasteful thing imaginable than get up that early. I recall getting up even earlier than that on our visit to Bryce Canyon years ago, and putting in several hours before returning to the room where I would find her still snoozing. Being in the right location an hour or so before sunset is also critical for me. Of course that is usually when normal people want to be eating dinner. But we manage and enjoy ourselves on our travels.
I landed in Budapest on Wednesday right after noon, and the temperature was in the mid-90's (mid-30's Celsius). Not the best shooting conditions, so I scouted around a little making notes (sun positioning, its travel path, composition locations, city layout, etc), stocked the fridge in the room from the grocery store next to the hotel, and made general observations. One of the first things I noticed (starting at the airport) was the proliferation of visible bra straps! Not because I'm a guy (but I'll allow that probably has a little to do with it), but because it was just odd. I would react similarly if people were all wearing similar sunglasses! Seriously, it's the most bra straps I've seen outside a Victoria's Secret. I'm not offended, in support of it, have no real stance on the matter. Just found it highly unusual. Like the time 15 or probably more years ago, when a visiting friend and I went to Daytona Beach, and I hadn't been in a few years. It was spring break, and I immediately felt something was "wrong" and realized the guys on the pool deck had no body hair except what was on the top of their heads and even that was scant. Almost every dude had his chest, legs, underarms, everything, shaved clean as a whistle! We were both thinking WTF?!! And when did this start?! They have entirely too much time on their hands! Anyway...bra straps everywhere. When I saw my friend Thursday night, I mentioned it to her...wondering local or tourist. But before I finished my thought she said it was the local style. And the current heat wave brought out the least amount of material that could be legally worn.
The next day I decided to walk up Gellert Hill which has great views of Budapest. By the way, did you know that the city is actually the combination of two, separate cities, Buda and Pest? It's true! I didn't know that until about 6 months or so ago. Anyway, I was walking up this thickly vegetated, paved path, when I came upon a group of people up ahead of me just hanging out. They finally noticed me as I came closer, moving out of my line of sight, disappearing around the bend in the path. I became a little cautious, getting a good hold on my tripod. But as I got closer and curved left around the switchback, I saw they were all in position, 5 guys and a woman, playing the shell game! I marvel that people still play and think they can actually win! I had to smile to myself as I walked past their staged impromptu game of chance, hoping I would be drawn in. The noise and hubbub died down with each step I took away from them.
Budapest is a city well known for it's Turkish sulfur baths, and I intended to go to one before leaving. I read up on several, deciding on two. One is more "touristy" and the other more "local". I decided I would do the local one and save the other for when Radhika joined me. I went to Rudas Baths, which wasn't too far from where I was staying. I have never gone to one, so it was going to be a new experience. I read up on it, to make sure I went as fully informed as possible. This one had men’s and women’s days, and weekend days for both. I went on Friday afternoon, spending about 2 hours there. Online it said you could buy a 2-hour pass, but the guy at reception said I could only get a full day pass. Not the best start, but I got the ticket and went in. Had a cold Pepsi Twist as I waited for my massage time of 1:45 to roll around. Apparently no female masseuses in this place today, so I told the guy I wanted something like a sport massage. He wasn’t clear on what I requested, so I said I want a firm massage, not a gentle massage. Seems I had 2 choices, an aroma massage and something called a soap massage. He said the soap massage is more vigorous. While I've never had that flavor of a massage, I figured it couldn't be too foreign, and said "Sure. Let's do it." I was given what I'll call an apron. Apparel every one visiting the spa must wear. It's basically a square white cloth that when tied around the waist falls to the knees and ends at either hip. Yep...your backside is bare. I went into an area right outside the baths, and laid on a cushy table. A bucket was dipped under a water flow and the contents thrown across the table. This was done several times before I got up onto it, discovering the water warmed up the table nicely. On my stomach as I was soaped up, the massage was fairly vigorous, definitely more so than any aroma-type version. I flipped over and after 15 to 20 minutes was doused in warm water and thanked the gentleman and made my way to the baths. There was a main pool in the center that was quite big, with a dome over it with small porthole sized windows with colored glass in them, causing multihued shafts of light to cast their beams onto the pool surface and then reflected back onto the ceiling. It was a cool effect. That being the main source of light in the area, it was difficult to see the other 4 smaller pools on the perimeter much less the dozen or so men distributed amongst them. Each pool was a different temperature, the hottest being 42 or 45c (over 100f) and the coolest being 28c. There were wet and dry saunas that were much hotter, maxing out at 55c (131f). I could not stay in either longer than what was probably a minute or 2 before making a break for the cooler sections which were about 48c. There was a wooden bucket with a rope attached that you would pull on, spilling the chilly water onto your body. After exposing your skin to such heated temperatures, the shock of that initial contact was extreme. But after a couple of goes, it didn't seem so bad. Going into the 82f pool after a few minutes in the sauna had the effect of entering icy water like those northern lunatics do in winter who call themselves the Polar Bear Club. Anyway, after 2 hours of wearing a soaking wet white partially see-thru apron covering my anterior while my posterior was boldly out there without shame, going from relaxing warmth to unbearable heat to shocking cold, with other men mostly in their 50's to 70's in less then athletic condition, the fun wore off. Besides, I had a wife (that would be mine) to meet at the airport. So I went to the locker room, went into my private cubicle, dried off, put on my dry shorts, then realized I left my sandals inside, after I reminded myself every time I walked by them not to forget them. I quickly went back in, and headed straight to the room where I saw online the plane was running late. I left with what I measured to be plenty of time based on my travel time from the airport to the hotel. But it seemed to take much longer on the train and then the bus to the airport, and I ended up being 20 minutes late to meet Radhika. I welcomed her to Budapest and we headed straightaway back to the city after getting her 3-day travel card.
I landed in Budapest on Wednesday right after noon, and the temperature was in the mid-90's (mid-30's Celsius). Not the best shooting conditions, so I scouted around a little making notes (sun positioning, its travel path, composition locations, city layout, etc), stocked the fridge in the room from the grocery store next to the hotel, and made general observations. One of the first things I noticed (starting at the airport) was the proliferation of visible bra straps! Not because I'm a guy (but I'll allow that probably has a little to do with it), but because it was just odd. I would react similarly if people were all wearing similar sunglasses! Seriously, it's the most bra straps I've seen outside a Victoria's Secret. I'm not offended, in support of it, have no real stance on the matter. Just found it highly unusual. Like the time 15 or probably more years ago, when a visiting friend and I went to Daytona Beach, and I hadn't been in a few years. It was spring break, and I immediately felt something was "wrong" and realized the guys on the pool deck had no body hair except what was on the top of their heads and even that was scant. Almost every dude had his chest, legs, underarms, everything, shaved clean as a whistle! We were both thinking WTF?!! And when did this start?! They have entirely too much time on their hands! Anyway...bra straps everywhere. When I saw my friend Thursday night, I mentioned it to her...wondering local or tourist. But before I finished my thought she said it was the local style. And the current heat wave brought out the least amount of material that could be legally worn.
The next day I decided to walk up Gellert Hill which has great views of Budapest. By the way, did you know that the city is actually the combination of two, separate cities, Buda and Pest? It's true! I didn't know that until about 6 months or so ago. Anyway, I was walking up this thickly vegetated, paved path, when I came upon a group of people up ahead of me just hanging out. They finally noticed me as I came closer, moving out of my line of sight, disappearing around the bend in the path. I became a little cautious, getting a good hold on my tripod. But as I got closer and curved left around the switchback, I saw they were all in position, 5 guys and a woman, playing the shell game! I marvel that people still play and think they can actually win! I had to smile to myself as I walked past their staged impromptu game of chance, hoping I would be drawn in. The noise and hubbub died down with each step I took away from them.
Budapest is a city well known for it's Turkish sulfur baths, and I intended to go to one before leaving. I read up on several, deciding on two. One is more "touristy" and the other more "local". I decided I would do the local one and save the other for when Radhika joined me. I went to Rudas Baths, which wasn't too far from where I was staying. I have never gone to one, so it was going to be a new experience. I read up on it, to make sure I went as fully informed as possible. This one had men’s and women’s days, and weekend days for both. I went on Friday afternoon, spending about 2 hours there. Online it said you could buy a 2-hour pass, but the guy at reception said I could only get a full day pass. Not the best start, but I got the ticket and went in. Had a cold Pepsi Twist as I waited for my massage time of 1:45 to roll around. Apparently no female masseuses in this place today, so I told the guy I wanted something like a sport massage. He wasn’t clear on what I requested, so I said I want a firm massage, not a gentle massage. Seems I had 2 choices, an aroma massage and something called a soap massage. He said the soap massage is more vigorous. While I've never had that flavor of a massage, I figured it couldn't be too foreign, and said "Sure. Let's do it." I was given what I'll call an apron. Apparel every one visiting the spa must wear. It's basically a square white cloth that when tied around the waist falls to the knees and ends at either hip. Yep...your backside is bare. I went into an area right outside the baths, and laid on a cushy table. A bucket was dipped under a water flow and the contents thrown across the table. This was done several times before I got up onto it, discovering the water warmed up the table nicely. On my stomach as I was soaped up, the massage was fairly vigorous, definitely more so than any aroma-type version. I flipped over and after 15 to 20 minutes was doused in warm water and thanked the gentleman and made my way to the baths. There was a main pool in the center that was quite big, with a dome over it with small porthole sized windows with colored glass in them, causing multihued shafts of light to cast their beams onto the pool surface and then reflected back onto the ceiling. It was a cool effect. That being the main source of light in the area, it was difficult to see the other 4 smaller pools on the perimeter much less the dozen or so men distributed amongst them. Each pool was a different temperature, the hottest being 42 or 45c (over 100f) and the coolest being 28c. There were wet and dry saunas that were much hotter, maxing out at 55c (131f). I could not stay in either longer than what was probably a minute or 2 before making a break for the cooler sections which were about 48c. There was a wooden bucket with a rope attached that you would pull on, spilling the chilly water onto your body. After exposing your skin to such heated temperatures, the shock of that initial contact was extreme. But after a couple of goes, it didn't seem so bad. Going into the 82f pool after a few minutes in the sauna had the effect of entering icy water like those northern lunatics do in winter who call themselves the Polar Bear Club. Anyway, after 2 hours of wearing a soaking wet white partially see-thru apron covering my anterior while my posterior was boldly out there without shame, going from relaxing warmth to unbearable heat to shocking cold, with other men mostly in their 50's to 70's in less then athletic condition, the fun wore off. Besides, I had a wife (that would be mine) to meet at the airport. So I went to the locker room, went into my private cubicle, dried off, put on my dry shorts, then realized I left my sandals inside, after I reminded myself every time I walked by them not to forget them. I quickly went back in, and headed straight to the room where I saw online the plane was running late. I left with what I measured to be plenty of time based on my travel time from the airport to the hotel. But it seemed to take much longer on the train and then the bus to the airport, and I ended up being 20 minutes late to meet Radhika. I welcomed her to Budapest and we headed straightaway back to the city after getting her 3-day travel card.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Five Month Catch Up
Long time no write, I know. I could say I was busy - and I have been. But not so busy that I couldn't jot down this and that from time to time. Just needed...whatever it is that made me open up this blog and click on "New Post".
A lot has happened since New Years. Our immediate future is coming more into focus, as our extended year in Amsterdam marches to the halfway point. But I shouldn't get ahead of myself. January starts the year (as it always seems to), and here in Amsterdam we had snow and ice on the ground for the better part of a month. Pretty, yes, but tricky when on foot or two wheels. It was a rare occasion that I was driving in the city, and a car next on our right slid and bumped the car in front of it. In early February, Radhika had a meeting in London and stayed a little extra to visit with friends from her boarding school days. I took that opportunity to go to the Naples area of Italy, and visited Pompei, Sorrento, Capri, Palermo, Positano, and Amalfi. I was practically by myself as it was too early for tourist season and the photography was great. We will try to get back there this fall. As soon as I fly back to Amsterdam I'm trying to get snow tires put on our leased vehicle. I was told it was too old and they would give us a newer car with the winter tires already installed. It was a hassle, as all dealings have been with GE Fleet, but we finally got a Volvo, which was a nice step up from the Ford Focus we had for the last 3 years. We got it just in the nick of time, because I was driving it down to Milan to pick up Dolly and John, who were coming in for some Dolomite skiing with side visits to Venice and Verona. I stopped in Zurich on my drive down to visit Orestes, a friend who was my tennis partner and was in the group of basketball guys before he left Amsterdam for a new job.
Italy was great as it always has been. John and Dolly came in first from JFK, and they were pretty fresh considering the long flight. Radhika came in a couple of hours after them. The distances between our skiing area and the cities we visited were all under 3 hours, so no long drives were needed, but they were just long enough for everyone to grab a little shut eye (except the driver, of course). We enjoyed our skiing, all the food and drink, the places we stayed and the things we saw. So much gelato was consumed! John and I found it impossible to pass one up as we walked the streets. Once, no sooner had we finished a cone did we start on another from the next shop! They flew back out of Milan, and I took another day in Venice to make some pictures during their Carnivale, but I must say it was disappointing, both photographically and otherwise.
March came and I proceeded to do serious damage to my left ankle playing basketball. Never recall ever feeling a pain like that. One so serious and acute I yelled uncontrollably as I went to the floor. Over 10 weeks later and I'm still rehabilitating it. I spent over a week on the couch icing, compressing, and elevating it. Still slight swelling remains which no doubt will take a while longer to subside. Along with this excitement I taught a few workshops and the organization I volunteered with shut down it's Amsterdam office at the end of the month. Radhika and I visited Antwerp over the last weekend, and enjoyed ourselves there very much.
April saw John Marshall, who is a professional photographer from the US who has been here over 20 years, and I put together a Field Trip Workshop to the Artis Zoo here in Amsterdam. Through much planning and emails to past and new students, May 29th was the date set for that to run. I started physical therapy for my injured ankle on the 13th of April, and then drove off to Lisbon with overnight stops at Mont St Michel in N. France, Bordeaux, Bilbao, Spain, Porto, Portugal, and finally Lisbon, where I met Radhika, Justina, and Gary who flew in the day I arrived. Lisbon is a fantastic place - yet another location where we would relish the chance to go back to. We were there for 4 nights, with me staying one extra to photograph a couple of places of interest nearby. Then I left the next morning, driving a total of 14 hours out of Portugal, across Spain, and stopping south of Paris around 11pm to get a place to crash. I finished the drive the next day with a much shorter 5 hours. I was back in Amsterdam for a couple of days before we flew to Helsinki for a long weekend visiting Tallinn in Estonia and Riga in Latvia. I must say Helsinki, what little we saw of it, was disappointing, but the other places were great sights and worth seeing. It was my 50th birthday trip, and it was quite unique if only for it's uniqueness.
We came back from that trip on May 5th and two days later Radhika held my birthday party at Foam Museum, which is the photography museum of Amsterdam. It was a "Live Long and Prosper" party, with a Star Trek theme, of course. Most of the attendees dressed the part which was very much appreciated, and all had a good time with their creativity. My cousin, Jennifer, has a colleague who makes birthday cakes, and mine was memorable for sure, as Radhika had a Halloween picture of me costumed as Spock from 2008, and that was on the top of the cake. It was great! We went to Geneva the next week, as Radhika had a GE meeting to attend and I went with. Never had been to the city, and must say it was nice. Made some fine photographs there. Took a train to Zurich after her meeting ended on Friday, as Radhika had never been. We also saw our friend Orestes, who we stayed with for 2 nights before we flew back to Amsterdam on Sunday. Good times.
That's the Cliff Note version of the first 5 months of 2011. Hopefully I can write a few more of these before...whatever resolution materializes in regards to our residency here. We'll know more, hopefully, as the weeks go by. Until then, stay tuned!
A lot has happened since New Years. Our immediate future is coming more into focus, as our extended year in Amsterdam marches to the halfway point. But I shouldn't get ahead of myself. January starts the year (as it always seems to), and here in Amsterdam we had snow and ice on the ground for the better part of a month. Pretty, yes, but tricky when on foot or two wheels. It was a rare occasion that I was driving in the city, and a car next on our right slid and bumped the car in front of it. In early February, Radhika had a meeting in London and stayed a little extra to visit with friends from her boarding school days. I took that opportunity to go to the Naples area of Italy, and visited Pompei, Sorrento, Capri, Palermo, Positano, and Amalfi. I was practically by myself as it was too early for tourist season and the photography was great. We will try to get back there this fall. As soon as I fly back to Amsterdam I'm trying to get snow tires put on our leased vehicle. I was told it was too old and they would give us a newer car with the winter tires already installed. It was a hassle, as all dealings have been with GE Fleet, but we finally got a Volvo, which was a nice step up from the Ford Focus we had for the last 3 years. We got it just in the nick of time, because I was driving it down to Milan to pick up Dolly and John, who were coming in for some Dolomite skiing with side visits to Venice and Verona. I stopped in Zurich on my drive down to visit Orestes, a friend who was my tennis partner and was in the group of basketball guys before he left Amsterdam for a new job.
Italy was great as it always has been. John and Dolly came in first from JFK, and they were pretty fresh considering the long flight. Radhika came in a couple of hours after them. The distances between our skiing area and the cities we visited were all under 3 hours, so no long drives were needed, but they were just long enough for everyone to grab a little shut eye (except the driver, of course). We enjoyed our skiing, all the food and drink, the places we stayed and the things we saw. So much gelato was consumed! John and I found it impossible to pass one up as we walked the streets. Once, no sooner had we finished a cone did we start on another from the next shop! They flew back out of Milan, and I took another day in Venice to make some pictures during their Carnivale, but I must say it was disappointing, both photographically and otherwise.
March came and I proceeded to do serious damage to my left ankle playing basketball. Never recall ever feeling a pain like that. One so serious and acute I yelled uncontrollably as I went to the floor. Over 10 weeks later and I'm still rehabilitating it. I spent over a week on the couch icing, compressing, and elevating it. Still slight swelling remains which no doubt will take a while longer to subside. Along with this excitement I taught a few workshops and the organization I volunteered with shut down it's Amsterdam office at the end of the month. Radhika and I visited Antwerp over the last weekend, and enjoyed ourselves there very much.
April saw John Marshall, who is a professional photographer from the US who has been here over 20 years, and I put together a Field Trip Workshop to the Artis Zoo here in Amsterdam. Through much planning and emails to past and new students, May 29th was the date set for that to run. I started physical therapy for my injured ankle on the 13th of April, and then drove off to Lisbon with overnight stops at Mont St Michel in N. France, Bordeaux, Bilbao, Spain, Porto, Portugal, and finally Lisbon, where I met Radhika, Justina, and Gary who flew in the day I arrived. Lisbon is a fantastic place - yet another location where we would relish the chance to go back to. We were there for 4 nights, with me staying one extra to photograph a couple of places of interest nearby. Then I left the next morning, driving a total of 14 hours out of Portugal, across Spain, and stopping south of Paris around 11pm to get a place to crash. I finished the drive the next day with a much shorter 5 hours. I was back in Amsterdam for a couple of days before we flew to Helsinki for a long weekend visiting Tallinn in Estonia and Riga in Latvia. I must say Helsinki, what little we saw of it, was disappointing, but the other places were great sights and worth seeing. It was my 50th birthday trip, and it was quite unique if only for it's uniqueness.
We came back from that trip on May 5th and two days later Radhika held my birthday party at Foam Museum, which is the photography museum of Amsterdam. It was a "Live Long and Prosper" party, with a Star Trek theme, of course. Most of the attendees dressed the part which was very much appreciated, and all had a good time with their creativity. My cousin, Jennifer, has a colleague who makes birthday cakes, and mine was memorable for sure, as Radhika had a Halloween picture of me costumed as Spock from 2008, and that was on the top of the cake. It was great! We went to Geneva the next week, as Radhika had a GE meeting to attend and I went with. Never had been to the city, and must say it was nice. Made some fine photographs there. Took a train to Zurich after her meeting ended on Friday, as Radhika had never been. We also saw our friend Orestes, who we stayed with for 2 nights before we flew back to Amsterdam on Sunday. Good times.
That's the Cliff Note version of the first 5 months of 2011. Hopefully I can write a few more of these before...whatever resolution materializes in regards to our residency here. We'll know more, hopefully, as the weeks go by. Until then, stay tuned!
Monday, January 3, 2011
2010 - "It's A Wrap!"
Like every other year, 2010 was a mixed bag in Amsterdam. Some great parties were enjoyed, as we had a US Independence Day Party, my surprise birthday party, another Mama Mia Party attended by a raucous group of females, and a few more get-togethers. There were numerous nice dinners, movies with friends, comedy clubs, and some good travel. On the flip side, most know about our vehicle accident/my injury in Namibia, Radhika coping with work issues, icy winter conditions, and the always-present family-related issues. Friends moved away, and new friends were made. And it seems at the end of 2011, we will be the people who take their turn leaving.
We took trips to Paris, Africa, UAE, a couple to the wine and champagne regions of France, and a Thanksgiving period visit to Orlando and NY to visit family and friends. I spent about 2 weeks in Orlando taking care of house matters. Needed to address slight wind damage to some shingles and some swimming pools stains that's an ongoing issue still. Visited with my sister and nephew over the 4-day period when Radhika popped into Orlando before she went up to CT. to visit with co-workers at GE corporate. Got to play tennis on 4 mostly sunny and warm days with Clide and Vinnie. Florida winters - I love them! Spent several days making some urban photographs in Manhattan while up in NY. Also saw "Mama Mia" on Broadway with the entire Narain side of the family. Radhika and I went to see the Macy's balloons the night before the parade, and on another occasion walked around with Radhika's sister Poonam and her husband Umesh, taking their boys to FAO Schwarz, Lego Store, M&M's Store, and by Rockefeller Plaza. I spent a week longer after Radhika returned on Nov. 29th, spending time in NJ with my mother-in-law and then a few days back out in Seaford with Radhika's oldest sister, Dolly, and her husband, John. We all froze to death on a Christmas Tree farm an hour or so east on Long Island looking for their tree on afternoon, ate a good Polish dinner, John and I devoured 2 Carvel ice cream cakes over a 10-day period, and fought the elements to keep their pool properly and securely covered. Overall, a very enjoyable visit with everyone.
Back in Amsterdam, extending Radhika's GE contract became a mess due to incompetent folks outside our influence and control. Our residence permits expired Nov. 29th while we were away due to that incompetence, causing me to be held up at immigration control when I landed in Amsterdam on December 5th. As of this writing GE is still wrapping up the paperwork to extend our stay through November 2011. So, this will be our last 11 months in Amsterdam. Plans our being made for people to visit from the US before our deadline, and we are making big plans to mark our 40th and 50th birthdays.
So, into 2011 we plunge! The weather is tolerable, I've got a commercial photo gig coming up which is always nice, planning another photo workshop, and we're trying to be optimistic about Radhika's work. And I have managed to keep possession of the bike!!! Perhaps 2008 was just not my year to make a bike theft-proof? I'm shooting for a clean record for the entire year!! We'll see. Hope everyone has a great year in 2011.
We took trips to Paris, Africa, UAE, a couple to the wine and champagne regions of France, and a Thanksgiving period visit to Orlando and NY to visit family and friends. I spent about 2 weeks in Orlando taking care of house matters. Needed to address slight wind damage to some shingles and some swimming pools stains that's an ongoing issue still. Visited with my sister and nephew over the 4-day period when Radhika popped into Orlando before she went up to CT. to visit with co-workers at GE corporate. Got to play tennis on 4 mostly sunny and warm days with Clide and Vinnie. Florida winters - I love them! Spent several days making some urban photographs in Manhattan while up in NY. Also saw "Mama Mia" on Broadway with the entire Narain side of the family. Radhika and I went to see the Macy's balloons the night before the parade, and on another occasion walked around with Radhika's sister Poonam and her husband Umesh, taking their boys to FAO Schwarz, Lego Store, M&M's Store, and by Rockefeller Plaza. I spent a week longer after Radhika returned on Nov. 29th, spending time in NJ with my mother-in-law and then a few days back out in Seaford with Radhika's oldest sister, Dolly, and her husband, John. We all froze to death on a Christmas Tree farm an hour or so east on Long Island looking for their tree on afternoon, ate a good Polish dinner, John and I devoured 2 Carvel ice cream cakes over a 10-day period, and fought the elements to keep their pool properly and securely covered. Overall, a very enjoyable visit with everyone.
Back in Amsterdam, extending Radhika's GE contract became a mess due to incompetent folks outside our influence and control. Our residence permits expired Nov. 29th while we were away due to that incompetence, causing me to be held up at immigration control when I landed in Amsterdam on December 5th. As of this writing GE is still wrapping up the paperwork to extend our stay through November 2011. So, this will be our last 11 months in Amsterdam. Plans our being made for people to visit from the US before our deadline, and we are making big plans to mark our 40th and 50th birthdays.
So, into 2011 we plunge! The weather is tolerable, I've got a commercial photo gig coming up which is always nice, planning another photo workshop, and we're trying to be optimistic about Radhika's work. And I have managed to keep possession of the bike!!! Perhaps 2008 was just not my year to make a bike theft-proof? I'm shooting for a clean record for the entire year!! We'll see. Hope everyone has a great year in 2011.
Monday, October 25, 2010
United Arab Emirates
Radhika had a class to go to in Abu Dhabi from September 25 to October 2nd for GE, so I decided to go along, as the Middle East is not strong on our radar of places to visit. It seemed like a good way to at least check out the area to discern if there was any reason to return one day for a deeper look.
We had a mid-morning flight out of Amsterdam, arriving in Abu Dhabi in the late afternoon after connecting in Paris. The hotel GE had her staying at was the OnetoOne Village. It's a little on the outskirts of the city center, but by taxi it's only 15 minutes at a cost of 4 to 5 euros. The first room had a dirty bathroom, so we asked to change rooms. The next day we encountered more problems, and while Radhika was at her class I moved our belongings to the upgraded suite, courtesy of the manager. We had numerous problems within the first 14 hours, so the upgrade and breakfast buffet was the least management could do considering this was supposed to be a top-notch property.
Summer was giving way to fall, but I couldn't be convinced of that. Over 100f degrees/40c degrees every day with little cloud cover. At midday the streets and outdoor public places were deserted, except for one dope with a camera. Shade, any shade, was more precious than a peanut butter sandwich. I have never been so heavily drenched in sweat outside of a sauna! I seriously considered dancing through a children's water park that I came across while photographing the downtown area. I stood there (in the shade, of course) looking at the cool water spraying out of the caterpillar, palm tree, and from the ground, and considered how uncomfortable I would be walking around the city soaked for the next odd number of minutes until I air dried. I eventually decided against it, but the margin was very close!
If the city were a cake than construction cranes would be the icing. I have never seen so many cranes (until we went to Dubai on Friday). I believe I read somewhere that 70% of the worlds construction cranes are in the middle east or perhaps just in the UAE! I can believe that. There are many buildings in various stages of construction, all due to the fact that they have the wealth now, knowing that it is finite, and are trying to develop the place for tourism in the future when the proverbial and literal well runs dry. But it seems they are making it only as a place for the rich and well to do. It may be the first place I have been where my interest was not engaged too deeply. As far as natural things to do, there's a desert safari. But after just doing that in Namibia, revving up a 4X4 through soft sand or being bounced around in one was about as appealing to me as a body waxing. I looked at the online offerings from searches, "what to do" in Abu Dhabi, and there was nothing of interest for me other than the sleek, new construction. The Ferrari Experience would open in a month, and a F-1 race also occurred in November, but that didn't help me now. So, I would do my morning swim, eat breakfast, and head out to the usual starting point near the Marina Mall. From there I had many subjects within reasonable reach, strategic locations to cool off, and meander into the downtown area. I had to be careful with respect to the big temperature changes between the air conditioned 22 to 25 degree Dunkin Donuts for a smoothie and 42+ degree outdoors, as condensation would "dew up" my equipment and that's never a digital camera's friend. Before I would leave the hotel room in the morning, I would place my camera bag outside for 20 minutes so it slowly acclimated to the warm temperature. I wasn't always successful at this, as the images made at the Grand Masque illustrates. Going inside the cold mosque and then out into the hot early evening could not be avoided. Luckily my equipment cleared rather quickly because the cold, dry air didn't have time to penetrate deeply into the camera/lens material. And the effect bore interesting, ethereal results as you can see from the pictures in the album.
We went out one night with a group of some of Radhika's fellow classmates. There were people from different parts of the world. It was a nice dinner place in Abu Dhabi, one of the most upscale restaurants in the city. I enjoyed some sushi, but not being a huge fan I had other items off the menu that were good, and was the only one to order (ahead of time) the chocolate soufflé. Great move on my part if I do say so, because it was toe curling good! I offered a taste of it and a little envy crossed their face at not having one of their own. There were at least two dance places in this complex where the restaurant was located, so we checked them both out. Very top scale, and we stayed at the 2nd one for most of the evening. It was subdued and quiet, at first, and then more people came in and the music started pumping. It was an odd clientele, and there was a sense of some in the female crowd that they were there for "curious" reasons. That's all I will say about that. Anyway, a fairly good time, but for me at least, as most of these things go, I could've split an hour or so before we actually decided to leave. One in our party was really hammered, and Radhika and I helped this person get along. The place was so vast we had trouble finding an exit. Back and forth we went on different floors until we found someone to ask and we escaped to a taxi. We tried to take this person to their place, but they couldn't muster the power to inform us where they lived, so after pulling the taxi over when our driving back and forth in what was thought to be their neighborhood was over, we took them back to our hotel where we luckily had a separate room and a big couch where they would crash. Of course the taxi, persons clothes, and parts of Radhika's and my clothing were a little "soiled", and the taxi driver was given extra above his fare for "cleaning fees". Wasn't the right night for me to where white slacks and a white shirt! After washing the stains out of our clothes in the sink we went to bed as they had a class in the morning. Our guest slept thru the night and was a little late to class after going home for a cleanup and clothing change. Like oh so many Daytona Beach Spring Breaks I experienced in my younger days.
Something that is quite unique for the UAE is that Emirate Nationals make up only 14% of the population! That means the other 86% are foreigners. The majority of those come from two places, the Philippines and the Indian subcontinent. The former are found primarily in restaurants and stores, basically the service industries, where the latter proliferate on construction sites. The native population is basically well off financially. The government meets healthcare, retirement, education, and the entire social needs. There doesn't seem to be much to worry about if you belong to that 14%. I did not see one Emirati driving anything close to a Kia! As a matter-of-fact, I think all of the Hummers that smart Americans dumped over the past 3 to 4 years ended up over here where gasoline is as abundant as sand. Also, apparently one must be careful with their interactions with local females. We were in the mall, and as we passed what appeared to be two young Emirati females, one smiled and looked at me for more than a passing moment. I smiled back, which is when I received the warning from Radhika (and NOT the one you think). I was informed that cultural differences could cause a misunderstanding with members of her family by my smile or attention. My reply was basically "She started it!” Radhika said she saw the woman's behavior, but me being a visitor and her a citizen, it would be better to show restraint in being friendly. I guess that can be true as this is a place where holding hands in public is about as tolerant as it gets. Dubai is more liberal due to the higher flow of tourism that it sees, but Abu Dhabi is still a little tighter on cultural matters. So...no more smiles in return to the Abu Dhabi chickies from me!! Radhika and I continued our walk around the mall, in search of a place to eat. We asked a gentleman at an information counter if there were any restaurants with outside seating, as we didn’t want to just sit in what was a fairly empty mall. He gave me a look that didn't require words, but offered them anyway. "We don't have anything outside." Now, that look and inflection means everything in this story, because the American version would've been something like "Are you f'ing crazy!? The food would cook as it sat on your plate! If you want to salt it you just lean in and let your sweat do the job!!" Too much? Don't be squeamish, it's only to convey how damned hot it was outside, and how oblivious I was to dinner + outdoors = miserable. Days later in Dubai, we saw restaurants with tables outside at the Dubai Mall, and Radhika asked me if I wanted to sit outside! I borrowed that expressive look from that guy back in Abu Dhabi and asked "Are you serious? No way."
We spent only a few hours in Dubai, which lies 90 minutes north up the coast of Abu Dhabi. Just enough time to have a light dinner at the mall with one of Radhika's classmates, see the current worlds tallest building, and the Barj El Arab. Our flight took after a little after midnight from Abu Dhabi International, so we left Dubai via taxi in time to make the airport, and after spending the few dirhams left in our pockets on Twix bars and Emirate Dates, we boarded our crowded flight back to the place of drab, cloudy, rainy weather, pot-seeking/red light district visiting tourists, and increasingly more grumpy Dutch as the sun index decreases. Next trip? USA in November.
The album for this post can be found at:
http://www.photoshop.com/user/johndp/?rlang=en_US&trackingid=BTAGC&galleryid=1e983c37a0734383928674279d4a5b30&wf=sharegrid
We had a mid-morning flight out of Amsterdam, arriving in Abu Dhabi in the late afternoon after connecting in Paris. The hotel GE had her staying at was the OnetoOne Village. It's a little on the outskirts of the city center, but by taxi it's only 15 minutes at a cost of 4 to 5 euros. The first room had a dirty bathroom, so we asked to change rooms. The next day we encountered more problems, and while Radhika was at her class I moved our belongings to the upgraded suite, courtesy of the manager. We had numerous problems within the first 14 hours, so the upgrade and breakfast buffet was the least management could do considering this was supposed to be a top-notch property.
Summer was giving way to fall, but I couldn't be convinced of that. Over 100f degrees/40c degrees every day with little cloud cover. At midday the streets and outdoor public places were deserted, except for one dope with a camera. Shade, any shade, was more precious than a peanut butter sandwich. I have never been so heavily drenched in sweat outside of a sauna! I seriously considered dancing through a children's water park that I came across while photographing the downtown area. I stood there (in the shade, of course) looking at the cool water spraying out of the caterpillar, palm tree, and from the ground, and considered how uncomfortable I would be walking around the city soaked for the next odd number of minutes until I air dried. I eventually decided against it, but the margin was very close!
If the city were a cake than construction cranes would be the icing. I have never seen so many cranes (until we went to Dubai on Friday). I believe I read somewhere that 70% of the worlds construction cranes are in the middle east or perhaps just in the UAE! I can believe that. There are many buildings in various stages of construction, all due to the fact that they have the wealth now, knowing that it is finite, and are trying to develop the place for tourism in the future when the proverbial and literal well runs dry. But it seems they are making it only as a place for the rich and well to do. It may be the first place I have been where my interest was not engaged too deeply. As far as natural things to do, there's a desert safari. But after just doing that in Namibia, revving up a 4X4 through soft sand or being bounced around in one was about as appealing to me as a body waxing. I looked at the online offerings from searches, "what to do" in Abu Dhabi, and there was nothing of interest for me other than the sleek, new construction. The Ferrari Experience would open in a month, and a F-1 race also occurred in November, but that didn't help me now. So, I would do my morning swim, eat breakfast, and head out to the usual starting point near the Marina Mall. From there I had many subjects within reasonable reach, strategic locations to cool off, and meander into the downtown area. I had to be careful with respect to the big temperature changes between the air conditioned 22 to 25 degree Dunkin Donuts for a smoothie and 42+ degree outdoors, as condensation would "dew up" my equipment and that's never a digital camera's friend. Before I would leave the hotel room in the morning, I would place my camera bag outside for 20 minutes so it slowly acclimated to the warm temperature. I wasn't always successful at this, as the images made at the Grand Masque illustrates. Going inside the cold mosque and then out into the hot early evening could not be avoided. Luckily my equipment cleared rather quickly because the cold, dry air didn't have time to penetrate deeply into the camera/lens material. And the effect bore interesting, ethereal results as you can see from the pictures in the album.
We went out one night with a group of some of Radhika's fellow classmates. There were people from different parts of the world. It was a nice dinner place in Abu Dhabi, one of the most upscale restaurants in the city. I enjoyed some sushi, but not being a huge fan I had other items off the menu that were good, and was the only one to order (ahead of time) the chocolate soufflé. Great move on my part if I do say so, because it was toe curling good! I offered a taste of it and a little envy crossed their face at not having one of their own. There were at least two dance places in this complex where the restaurant was located, so we checked them both out. Very top scale, and we stayed at the 2nd one for most of the evening. It was subdued and quiet, at first, and then more people came in and the music started pumping. It was an odd clientele, and there was a sense of some in the female crowd that they were there for "curious" reasons. That's all I will say about that. Anyway, a fairly good time, but for me at least, as most of these things go, I could've split an hour or so before we actually decided to leave. One in our party was really hammered, and Radhika and I helped this person get along. The place was so vast we had trouble finding an exit. Back and forth we went on different floors until we found someone to ask and we escaped to a taxi. We tried to take this person to their place, but they couldn't muster the power to inform us where they lived, so after pulling the taxi over when our driving back and forth in what was thought to be their neighborhood was over, we took them back to our hotel where we luckily had a separate room and a big couch where they would crash. Of course the taxi, persons clothes, and parts of Radhika's and my clothing were a little "soiled", and the taxi driver was given extra above his fare for "cleaning fees". Wasn't the right night for me to where white slacks and a white shirt! After washing the stains out of our clothes in the sink we went to bed as they had a class in the morning. Our guest slept thru the night and was a little late to class after going home for a cleanup and clothing change. Like oh so many Daytona Beach Spring Breaks I experienced in my younger days.
Something that is quite unique for the UAE is that Emirate Nationals make up only 14% of the population! That means the other 86% are foreigners. The majority of those come from two places, the Philippines and the Indian subcontinent. The former are found primarily in restaurants and stores, basically the service industries, where the latter proliferate on construction sites. The native population is basically well off financially. The government meets healthcare, retirement, education, and the entire social needs. There doesn't seem to be much to worry about if you belong to that 14%. I did not see one Emirati driving anything close to a Kia! As a matter-of-fact, I think all of the Hummers that smart Americans dumped over the past 3 to 4 years ended up over here where gasoline is as abundant as sand. Also, apparently one must be careful with their interactions with local females. We were in the mall, and as we passed what appeared to be two young Emirati females, one smiled and looked at me for more than a passing moment. I smiled back, which is when I received the warning from Radhika (and NOT the one you think). I was informed that cultural differences could cause a misunderstanding with members of her family by my smile or attention. My reply was basically "She started it!” Radhika said she saw the woman's behavior, but me being a visitor and her a citizen, it would be better to show restraint in being friendly. I guess that can be true as this is a place where holding hands in public is about as tolerant as it gets. Dubai is more liberal due to the higher flow of tourism that it sees, but Abu Dhabi is still a little tighter on cultural matters. So...no more smiles in return to the Abu Dhabi chickies from me!! Radhika and I continued our walk around the mall, in search of a place to eat. We asked a gentleman at an information counter if there were any restaurants with outside seating, as we didn’t want to just sit in what was a fairly empty mall. He gave me a look that didn't require words, but offered them anyway. "We don't have anything outside." Now, that look and inflection means everything in this story, because the American version would've been something like "Are you f'ing crazy!? The food would cook as it sat on your plate! If you want to salt it you just lean in and let your sweat do the job!!" Too much? Don't be squeamish, it's only to convey how damned hot it was outside, and how oblivious I was to dinner + outdoors = miserable. Days later in Dubai, we saw restaurants with tables outside at the Dubai Mall, and Radhika asked me if I wanted to sit outside! I borrowed that expressive look from that guy back in Abu Dhabi and asked "Are you serious? No way."
We spent only a few hours in Dubai, which lies 90 minutes north up the coast of Abu Dhabi. Just enough time to have a light dinner at the mall with one of Radhika's classmates, see the current worlds tallest building, and the Barj El Arab. Our flight took after a little after midnight from Abu Dhabi International, so we left Dubai via taxi in time to make the airport, and after spending the few dirhams left in our pockets on Twix bars and Emirate Dates, we boarded our crowded flight back to the place of drab, cloudy, rainy weather, pot-seeking/red light district visiting tourists, and increasingly more grumpy Dutch as the sun index decreases. Next trip? USA in November.
The album for this post can be found at:
http://www.photoshop.com/user/johndp/?rlang=en_US&trackingid=BTAGC&galleryid=1e983c37a0734383928674279d4a5b30&wf=sharegrid
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Africa - Part 14 (Cape Town and Departure)
The next morning we looked at the various options that would take us from Walvis Bay to Windhoek in time to square matters at the 4X4 rental and get to the airport in time for our late afternoon flight to Cape Town. From shuttles to buses to renting a car, the latter gave us the best option. After visiting several rental companies that were within walking distance from our hotel, we finally found one that actually had inventory. It was necessary to wear a hat to protect my repair work, as it was still windy outside, with sand and other debris flying around. The air quality seemed poor, and we were told that yesterday’s sand storm was the worst experienced in a long time. Just our luck! We got some breakfast and were then on the road. Radhika seemed a little nervous for me, but I was okay driving, as yesterday’s accident didn’t seem to leave me with any psychological scars or newfound fears. But I was a little more careful, as I could see the scrubby bushes along the side of the desert road bending at the mercy of the gusting winds.
We found our way to Aloe Car Rental after the 4-hour drive. We were already not happy with them due to what we perceived as their preoccupation with the state of the vehicle and the amount we owed them for the insurance, with little to no interest in our condition resulting from the accident. Radhika had told me that as I was getting my IV from the EMT, she was talking to the Aloe owner, who was telling her how much we owed them for the damage, without any inquiry or concern regarding our health. No class move there. After a brief shouting match between us and Hertie and Surita, the German owner and his wife, I said we were short on time and needed to get all the paper work done so we could get to the airport and make our flight. We still had to stop at the police station to make an accident report. The police station was supposedly along the route to the airport, but it did seem a little out of the way, and a long line waited for us as we (Surita, Hertie’s wife went with us) arrived. Surita was being non-complementary towards local law enforcement and I soon learned why. We skipped the long line as Surita explained that we were on our way to the airport and had to make a flight. The place was a madhouse, and the woman who was helping us (if you can call it that) ignored us, turned her back, talked with colleagues, and was loathe to answer questions. It was the worst encounter I have ever experienced with a law enforcement organization anywhere. It was embarrassing for them, the city, and the country. The accident report was a joke. We couldn’t get out of there soon enough. I told all of the people waiting in line I felt sorry for them as we left the building. Radhika was “shooshing” me all the way out. We had been told by the ambulance crew that the police in Windhoek were “lazy”, and indeed they are.
We parted ways with Surita and without delay made haste to the airport. Dropping off Radhika at departures, I was fortunate to be able to turn in the rental with relative ease. We both got on the flight with less than 10 minutes to spare. Any hiccup along the way would’ve meant another missed flight. We were happy to be out of Namibia and hoped our now even more abbreviated visit to Cape Town would wrap up the trip on a good note. Jan had already been there a day, but was relocating to where we had originally made reservations. She had arrived the day before, but her flight out of Windhoek had been delayed to where she didn’t touch down in Cape Town until close to midnight. By then she couldn’t pick up the rental car I had reserved or make it to the place we had reserved for our first night’s accommodation, so she got a place not far from the airport. We were picked up at Cape Town airport and taken to Acorn House, a B&B style house not far from Table Mountain. It was early evening, but we stayed in and enjoyed the atmosphere and relaxed a bit after our last 48 hours. We would get a fresh start the next morning.
After an early breakfast we went to the Cape Town waterfront. It is the nicest, prettiest city we would visit. We shopped a little and ate lunch before heading to the dock where the Robben Island tour departed from. This one of the main attractions to do here in Cape Town: a visit to where Nelson Mandela spent over two decades of his life. What a disappointment!! The ferry ride there and back was nice. From there you are put on a cramped bus and listen to a narrator drone on, make attempts at tasteless jokes, see little of interest, and waste precious time at the only stop made mostly so you can buy drinks or trinkets in a shop. We finally get to walk around with a group led by a former prisoner, and while part of that is interesting, much of it is not. I tried to stand close, as it was difficult to hear and understand his words when he spoke. There was also information on prisoners when we went into cellblocks, but were moved so quickly through it that one couldn’t take the time to read much about the history or people attached to this place. I got fed up and went out on my own for a while, reading what I wanted and making pictures. We were no more than cattle whisked from place to place with very limited time to absorb and enjoy. Awful treatment and management of such an important and solemn place. The three of us were sick with disappointment.
A cab took us to where we picked up our rental car, as we would be driving a couple of hours east to a small coastal town that was part of our original itinerary. We should be able to do some whale watching from shore and other relaxing activities. Jen had made the reservation, so she drove us all to Hermanus Bay. We arrived there in the evening after stopping at a service station for final directions to the B&B’s location. It was a really nice property located right on the coast. We just chilled out in the hotel and our rooms, with Jen retiring quite early. We stayed up several hours more reading and relaxing. The next morning we would eat breakfast and walk across the 2-lane road to the coast. There were rocks and boulders along the shore to scramble over, and a trail that was a nice walk with occasional rests on provided benches with views of the bay. We could see flukes and fins, hear the sound and see the spray as whales came up for air. When whales were sighted, a person armed with a horn, the Whale Crier, would blow his or her Kelp Horn, alerting people that whales were in the vicinity. It was pretty cool to hear that medium-pitched moan echo across the bay. The walk was peppered with great expansive views of the bay coupled with smaller “micro-worlds” of colorful flowers. We kept an eye on the time, as we had to be back in Cape Town that evening in time to return the car and get back to Acorn House. I wanted to make a slow drive back along the coast as I had read it was very beautiful, so we wrapped up our trailblazing and hopped in the car to head west along the coastal road.
We took some roads off the main one when the possibility of something promising appeared, sometimes rewarding us and other times deciding that it would be better to return to our known route as not to get confused or turned around. We stumbled upon a penguin sign, and following it led us to a neat little park where we paid a small entrance fee to check out the little stinkers. And boy do they ever! Good thing the wind was strong near the coast. We spent quite a while walking the wooden walkway built several meters above ground level that went all the way out almost to the tip of the rocks where water met land. They are clowns. They don’t appear to do much; it’s just that everything they do is funny. Just standing still, they are a riot. You can really make an imagined conversation between them with the way they look and interact. I’ll show you what I mean in the album that I put together for this post.
After our penguin encounter, we headed back for Cape Town, which wasn’t too far away now. We came in on the main highway, and along the perimeter of the highway were shantytowns, where hundreds of people lived. Just as in Johannesburg, it seemed straight out of “District 9”. I tried to fire off a few exposures from our speeding car. We easily found the rental place, turned in the car, and took a taxi to where we had dinner reservations. We first had drum lessons with a small group of other diners, and then ate dinner in a large room while a dancer and show entertained every 15 minutes, or so. It was late by the time we left the restaurant, so we almost immediately went to bed when we returned to the B&B. The next evening we would leave, but the morning would be spent at Table Mountain, our last adventure coming on the 13th of August, our 15th wedding anniversary.
Jen left before us for the mountain, as she wanted to hike up it. We were content to take the cable car up so we had breakfast and then had a cab take us up to the Table Mountain drop-off. We got our tickets and too the car up. As you elevate you also slowly rotate clockwise, so everyone gets to see all of the views. We walked around once at the top and then took a trail to a distant point that was a good hike across uneven terrain. Keeping an eye on time to get back to Acorn House for the ride to the airport, we left in plenty of time, getting a cab immediately upon returning to ground level. We got back to the B&B where there was a bit of a panic. Jen had called the airline to confirm our flight and was told that we were on an earlier flight (by about 90 minutes, I believe). How that mistake happened we still don’t know, but after checking with our travel agent the correct information was verified that we were on a later flight. Still, the drive to the airport was terrible as traffic was at a standstill. The manager at the Acorn House had informed us that it wouldn’t take long at all to go to the airport during the time of day we would be traveling. This was just another of the numerous small bumps and annoyances that occurred after our accident. We were hoping for a smooth time to finish up the trip, but little problems kept popping up. Like the first night we spent at Acorn House. We woke up the next morning in the cold! Seemed like the power went out to our room overnight so we had no heat. Then there was no hot water in the shower, so here I am walking across the property in a towel going to use a shower in an unoccupied room! The Robben Island disappointment, overcharging taxi driver - luckily time works in such a way that after only a week or two the memories that remain strongest are usually the pleasant ones. We did make the airport in plenty of time and arrived back into Amsterdam the morning of the 14th. It took about a month for the glue to completely disappear from my scalp, and just a little longer for the last remnant of a thorn to work it’s way out of the heel of my left foot that I picked up on the first day at Sesriem. Since returning, I did considerable research and discovered the accident and death rates in Namibia in general and especially the area where our accident occurred are very high. I’ve communicated with several Namibian authorities concerning the terrible lack of preventative measures industry, tourism, and the government take in order to alert and safeguard automobile travel there. Our rental agent, Aloe Car Hire, accepted no responsibility in providing us with any information or briefing on driving in the country. The owners were not even present when we picked up the vehicle, leaving duties to a person who had difficulty speaking English. I would strongly caution anyone visiting the country to take extra caution there. If I knew the accident and death rates, along with other advisories and warnings that some other car agents give to their clients, I would’ve taken added care while driving.
I’ve finished this story of our African adventure and am ready to go back any time. A great experience – a truly unique one from any other. I can say that Alaska (2000) and Norway (2008) were both beautiful and very similar. European cities do have their distinctive flavors, but similarities are there too. Africa (Botswana and Namibia) is almost a different planet. It’s not just the wildlife and game, but the people, landscape, the feeling you get by being there. So many times we said “When people say they’re in the middle of nowhere, this is what they really meant!” Namibia is the most sparsely populated country on the planet, and you can feel that in most places. The US is big, and driving across Kansas, through the Everglades, or so many other places where people are scarce is an experience, but what we felt in Africa was quite different and perhaps a little tricky to convey. But we would go there again, for sure. Jen is eyeballing Kenya next year…we’ll see.
The album for this post can be found at:
http://www.photoshop.com/user/johndp/?trackingid=BTAGC&rlang=en_US&wf=sharegrid&galleryid=26b3e5a857644ba1965196ce2cd82d4b
We found our way to Aloe Car Rental after the 4-hour drive. We were already not happy with them due to what we perceived as their preoccupation with the state of the vehicle and the amount we owed them for the insurance, with little to no interest in our condition resulting from the accident. Radhika had told me that as I was getting my IV from the EMT, she was talking to the Aloe owner, who was telling her how much we owed them for the damage, without any inquiry or concern regarding our health. No class move there. After a brief shouting match between us and Hertie and Surita, the German owner and his wife, I said we were short on time and needed to get all the paper work done so we could get to the airport and make our flight. We still had to stop at the police station to make an accident report. The police station was supposedly along the route to the airport, but it did seem a little out of the way, and a long line waited for us as we (Surita, Hertie’s wife went with us) arrived. Surita was being non-complementary towards local law enforcement and I soon learned why. We skipped the long line as Surita explained that we were on our way to the airport and had to make a flight. The place was a madhouse, and the woman who was helping us (if you can call it that) ignored us, turned her back, talked with colleagues, and was loathe to answer questions. It was the worst encounter I have ever experienced with a law enforcement organization anywhere. It was embarrassing for them, the city, and the country. The accident report was a joke. We couldn’t get out of there soon enough. I told all of the people waiting in line I felt sorry for them as we left the building. Radhika was “shooshing” me all the way out. We had been told by the ambulance crew that the police in Windhoek were “lazy”, and indeed they are.
We parted ways with Surita and without delay made haste to the airport. Dropping off Radhika at departures, I was fortunate to be able to turn in the rental with relative ease. We both got on the flight with less than 10 minutes to spare. Any hiccup along the way would’ve meant another missed flight. We were happy to be out of Namibia and hoped our now even more abbreviated visit to Cape Town would wrap up the trip on a good note. Jan had already been there a day, but was relocating to where we had originally made reservations. She had arrived the day before, but her flight out of Windhoek had been delayed to where she didn’t touch down in Cape Town until close to midnight. By then she couldn’t pick up the rental car I had reserved or make it to the place we had reserved for our first night’s accommodation, so she got a place not far from the airport. We were picked up at Cape Town airport and taken to Acorn House, a B&B style house not far from Table Mountain. It was early evening, but we stayed in and enjoyed the atmosphere and relaxed a bit after our last 48 hours. We would get a fresh start the next morning.
After an early breakfast we went to the Cape Town waterfront. It is the nicest, prettiest city we would visit. We shopped a little and ate lunch before heading to the dock where the Robben Island tour departed from. This one of the main attractions to do here in Cape Town: a visit to where Nelson Mandela spent over two decades of his life. What a disappointment!! The ferry ride there and back was nice. From there you are put on a cramped bus and listen to a narrator drone on, make attempts at tasteless jokes, see little of interest, and waste precious time at the only stop made mostly so you can buy drinks or trinkets in a shop. We finally get to walk around with a group led by a former prisoner, and while part of that is interesting, much of it is not. I tried to stand close, as it was difficult to hear and understand his words when he spoke. There was also information on prisoners when we went into cellblocks, but were moved so quickly through it that one couldn’t take the time to read much about the history or people attached to this place. I got fed up and went out on my own for a while, reading what I wanted and making pictures. We were no more than cattle whisked from place to place with very limited time to absorb and enjoy. Awful treatment and management of such an important and solemn place. The three of us were sick with disappointment.
A cab took us to where we picked up our rental car, as we would be driving a couple of hours east to a small coastal town that was part of our original itinerary. We should be able to do some whale watching from shore and other relaxing activities. Jen had made the reservation, so she drove us all to Hermanus Bay. We arrived there in the evening after stopping at a service station for final directions to the B&B’s location. It was a really nice property located right on the coast. We just chilled out in the hotel and our rooms, with Jen retiring quite early. We stayed up several hours more reading and relaxing. The next morning we would eat breakfast and walk across the 2-lane road to the coast. There were rocks and boulders along the shore to scramble over, and a trail that was a nice walk with occasional rests on provided benches with views of the bay. We could see flukes and fins, hear the sound and see the spray as whales came up for air. When whales were sighted, a person armed with a horn, the Whale Crier, would blow his or her Kelp Horn, alerting people that whales were in the vicinity. It was pretty cool to hear that medium-pitched moan echo across the bay. The walk was peppered with great expansive views of the bay coupled with smaller “micro-worlds” of colorful flowers. We kept an eye on the time, as we had to be back in Cape Town that evening in time to return the car and get back to Acorn House. I wanted to make a slow drive back along the coast as I had read it was very beautiful, so we wrapped up our trailblazing and hopped in the car to head west along the coastal road.
We took some roads off the main one when the possibility of something promising appeared, sometimes rewarding us and other times deciding that it would be better to return to our known route as not to get confused or turned around. We stumbled upon a penguin sign, and following it led us to a neat little park where we paid a small entrance fee to check out the little stinkers. And boy do they ever! Good thing the wind was strong near the coast. We spent quite a while walking the wooden walkway built several meters above ground level that went all the way out almost to the tip of the rocks where water met land. They are clowns. They don’t appear to do much; it’s just that everything they do is funny. Just standing still, they are a riot. You can really make an imagined conversation between them with the way they look and interact. I’ll show you what I mean in the album that I put together for this post.
After our penguin encounter, we headed back for Cape Town, which wasn’t too far away now. We came in on the main highway, and along the perimeter of the highway were shantytowns, where hundreds of people lived. Just as in Johannesburg, it seemed straight out of “District 9”. I tried to fire off a few exposures from our speeding car. We easily found the rental place, turned in the car, and took a taxi to where we had dinner reservations. We first had drum lessons with a small group of other diners, and then ate dinner in a large room while a dancer and show entertained every 15 minutes, or so. It was late by the time we left the restaurant, so we almost immediately went to bed when we returned to the B&B. The next evening we would leave, but the morning would be spent at Table Mountain, our last adventure coming on the 13th of August, our 15th wedding anniversary.
Jen left before us for the mountain, as she wanted to hike up it. We were content to take the cable car up so we had breakfast and then had a cab take us up to the Table Mountain drop-off. We got our tickets and too the car up. As you elevate you also slowly rotate clockwise, so everyone gets to see all of the views. We walked around once at the top and then took a trail to a distant point that was a good hike across uneven terrain. Keeping an eye on time to get back to Acorn House for the ride to the airport, we left in plenty of time, getting a cab immediately upon returning to ground level. We got back to the B&B where there was a bit of a panic. Jen had called the airline to confirm our flight and was told that we were on an earlier flight (by about 90 minutes, I believe). How that mistake happened we still don’t know, but after checking with our travel agent the correct information was verified that we were on a later flight. Still, the drive to the airport was terrible as traffic was at a standstill. The manager at the Acorn House had informed us that it wouldn’t take long at all to go to the airport during the time of day we would be traveling. This was just another of the numerous small bumps and annoyances that occurred after our accident. We were hoping for a smooth time to finish up the trip, but little problems kept popping up. Like the first night we spent at Acorn House. We woke up the next morning in the cold! Seemed like the power went out to our room overnight so we had no heat. Then there was no hot water in the shower, so here I am walking across the property in a towel going to use a shower in an unoccupied room! The Robben Island disappointment, overcharging taxi driver - luckily time works in such a way that after only a week or two the memories that remain strongest are usually the pleasant ones. We did make the airport in plenty of time and arrived back into Amsterdam the morning of the 14th. It took about a month for the glue to completely disappear from my scalp, and just a little longer for the last remnant of a thorn to work it’s way out of the heel of my left foot that I picked up on the first day at Sesriem. Since returning, I did considerable research and discovered the accident and death rates in Namibia in general and especially the area where our accident occurred are very high. I’ve communicated with several Namibian authorities concerning the terrible lack of preventative measures industry, tourism, and the government take in order to alert and safeguard automobile travel there. Our rental agent, Aloe Car Hire, accepted no responsibility in providing us with any information or briefing on driving in the country. The owners were not even present when we picked up the vehicle, leaving duties to a person who had difficulty speaking English. I would strongly caution anyone visiting the country to take extra caution there. If I knew the accident and death rates, along with other advisories and warnings that some other car agents give to their clients, I would’ve taken added care while driving.
I’ve finished this story of our African adventure and am ready to go back any time. A great experience – a truly unique one from any other. I can say that Alaska (2000) and Norway (2008) were both beautiful and very similar. European cities do have their distinctive flavors, but similarities are there too. Africa (Botswana and Namibia) is almost a different planet. It’s not just the wildlife and game, but the people, landscape, the feeling you get by being there. So many times we said “When people say they’re in the middle of nowhere, this is what they really meant!” Namibia is the most sparsely populated country on the planet, and you can feel that in most places. The US is big, and driving across Kansas, through the Everglades, or so many other places where people are scarce is an experience, but what we felt in Africa was quite different and perhaps a little tricky to convey. But we would go there again, for sure. Jen is eyeballing Kenya next year…we’ll see.
The album for this post can be found at:
http://www.photoshop.com/user/johndp/?trackingid=BTAGC&rlang=en_US&wf=sharegrid&galleryid=26b3e5a857644ba1965196ce2cd82d4b
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