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| kmg_ca's Journal 20 most recent entries |
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Hey everyone!
Hey everyone!  Will start working on a proper update soon.... i hope.... Hasta pronto, Kelly Amman, Jordan
The journey continues...longer update this time. I uploaded a bunch of photos too. The Round the World Flickr Photo Set is here at this link. I took an early train to capital city Zagreb in Croatia (only about 2.5hrs away) - actually Croatia isn't yet in the EU and so a passport check to exit Slovenia and another to enter Croatia and get a stamp was necessary. I can remember when I travelled around Europe after University we had passport checks at every border - now most of the west is free sailing but not yet all of the East. oh, and did you know that the official name of the republic known as Croatia to us English speakers is actually Republika Hrvatska. I met an American named Ken on the train - interesting guy full of stories who's travelled to about 80 countries. He was not planning on staying in Zagreb due to a time crunch and so arranged a night train thru to Split but had the day to spend in Zagreb - we had some lunch and later a pizza dinner on the lively Tkalciceva cafe promendade scene not far from the main bustling main square of Jelacic (Trg bana Jelacica). I stayed in a hostel called Fulir Backpackers Inn right near the square that had 12 beds in the spacious main room - many of the folks went out that night and stayed out until about 3am. Hostels certainly do attract a young partying crowd - especially if there are young Brit or Irish guys. But it was fun, I met lots of travellers from many far away places and had good chats in the common areas (+ free Wi-Fi). The Croatians running the place were really, really friendly and interested in their guests. Number one question from Croatians has been, "So, how much is this around the world trip of yours going to cost?". For a country that is working on joining the EU and eventually to the Euro (from their Croatian Kuna) the cost of things is a common topic of interest for locals. Zagreb is nice... but nothing too special or unique that would make tourists stay long... most actually just passing thru or do a few hours visit then keep heading towards the coast. They are trying to develop their tourist draw to get people to stay longer. Perhaps Rick Steves' description (and other guidebooks I guess) and opinion can really sway people, including, me to not plan much time here... I think the guidebook industry has a huge influence on where travellers go. There doesn't seem to be a good flow to the streets and plazas and markets, etc so its confusing or just a bit cramped and so it doesn't develop the same laid back vibe. But there are lots of nice outdoor cafes everywhere-- it seems that everyone drinks coffee or beer or pop but they are never eating food. The electric trams used in the central town are quiet and handy. The upper old town parts of the city known as Gradec are ok but they were really quiet with mostly government buildings and few cafes, restaurants etc that would bring more foot traffic. Lots of historic buildings and churches are covered in scaffolding for restoration. The lower old town of Kaptol has a few site and cathedrals. Perhaps it is a city that one could return to in a while and really delve into the bustle. But a few hours in Zagreb is essential to, they say, getting a complete picture of Croatia versus the coast which is where most go. Don't worry about that report of a car bomb that went off in Zagreb a week after I left - it was a politically motivated and targeted hit of some journalist guy who pissed off the mafia. :-( Plitvice Lakes Park (Plitvicka Jezera) is a beautiful place... it is essentially a park with 16 terraced lakes laced together by waterfalls with miles of walks throughout the park. Check out http://www.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr. So here is the quick science of all of these pools and cascades you may see in the photos (and mine later). As water flows over the park's limestone formationns, it dissolves the rock and the water becomes supersaturated with calcium carbonate. When the water is still, it holds on to the mineral which creates the deep-blue color of the pools. But when the water speeds up and spills over the edge of the lakes, it releases carbon dioxide gas. Without the support of the carbon dioxide, the water can't hold on to the calcium carbonate, so it gets deposited on the lake beds and at the edges of the lakes. Eventually these deposits build up to form a rock called travertine eventually forming new dams and barriers and so new waterfalls and pools are formed. The landscape at the park is always changing. The weather for the full day I had available to hike the park was okay but not spectacular with some late rain and coolness. The fall colors of the park were nice and even a few major "leaf snowfalls" fell in the breeze. The ride was actually really nice and the scenery in the south near the coastline was amazingly beautiful. Croatia has about 1100 islands with only about 60 of them occupied with people. In some areas it looked a bit like the Whitsunday Islands in eastern Australia... like the islands were regular rounded and treed mountains that suddenly became flooded with the Adriatic. I arrived at Split at about 4pm that afternoon and had no place to stay booked in advance. All along the coast there are people hawking their rooms (called Sobes here) to travellers getting off a bus or train or boat. While talking to another traveller an older lady approach me again with her tiny sign "Zimmer, Sobe, Room" and room offering. It was very close to bus/train/ferry and the old town, only 5 minutes, so I followed her to take a look - you never know what you will find and she had no photos. The other traveller and I were discussing that these seasoned ladies with rooms would do so much better with the male travellers if good-looking gals were the one's pitching the room, perhaps their hot daughters. Well, my new landlady had a daughter at home but I would say luke warm. Anyways the room was really simple but it was clean and fine and in a great location so I stayed. Split has a long history and is the place where Roman Emperor Diocletian (AD245-313) built his retirement palace since he wanted to retire in his native Dalmatia. Over the long history of this place the palace saw many uses. Even the Venetians took over the Dalmatian Coast and fortified Split. The local town built up around the palace and today the palace and old town blend together and all the little streets and courtyards are filled with residences, cafes, pizzerias and shops. Wandering the old town and palace at both night and day was a treat... it has a definite feel like Venice in it and layers of Gothic-Renaissance architecture and stonework. I visited the labyrinthine cellars of the palace that were filled with water from a freshwater spring, a sulphur spring and the sea but was later used to be a dumping area thru the holes you can see in the many circular brickworked dome centers as well as original Roman stone sewer pipes - square outside and round inside - designed to fit into each other to create long pipes. I also passed through several times the Peristyle Square where late at night I listened to a musical duo performing for the crowd sponsored by the cafe there. I was wondering if 1700 years ago there were also people listening to an evening musical concert in that same amazing square that was the centerpiece of Diocletians's Palace. The pillared square was then complete with Diocletian's thirteen black granite sphinxes brought home from Egypt (along with the granite for the red pillars here) - one sphinx of the four remaining is on display in the square. I only had about 24 hours in Split (which is enough to see the highlights) before I took a catamaran ferry to the island of Korcula (KOR-choo-la) to continue my journey down the Dalmatian coast. Korcula is a small island town that boasts an atmospheric Old Town, tiny narrow cobblestoned streets and a charming appeal. It was founded by the ancient Greeks, became a part of the Roman Empire and was eventually a southern outpost of the Venetian Republic. Explorer Marco Polo was also born here. The Old Town was strictly planned and tiny lanes branch off the humble main drag like ribs on a fishbone. This was creatively done to catch both the ocean breezes and the shade. There isn't much to actually do in Korcula except wander around and explore the little streets, hike up the back hills for a view, hit a couple of beach areas, visit tiny museums and then stop at a cafe for a cappucino while admiring the view of the nearby penisula, the coastline and the houses that dot the landscape. It was a nice relaxing day with a bit of exercise hiking up for some views. I am naturally drawn to want to climb higher and higher for a nice view in many of the hilly places I visit in the world. The next morning was an early bus (6:30am I think) that travelled all the way to Dubrovnik. The short ferry crossing to the penisula connecting this area to the mainland took a whole 11 minutes I think. The scenery all the way down the coastline was truly spectacular as the skies were clear and the sun was rising. The multitude of islands of all shapes and sizes along the coast were so beautiful. Very few of them are inhabited so they were preserved in their rugged natural forms. I was a bit surprised to see how rocky the entire coastline was with much more sparse vegetation than I had imagined. But then again, I really didn't do much research into the look of the Croatian coastline so I was pleasantly surprised at its uniqueness. What can I say about old town Dubrovnik except Wow! The old town is huge and well preserved (or rather partially restored) and juts out to sea. The fortification Walls beefed up in the 15th century (when the Ottoman navy became a threat) and towers or forts at strategic points (with rounded walls so that cannonballs glanced off) surrounding the old town are enormous and really high. You can walk around the top of the wall and if you take your time to snap some photos it will take about 1.5 hours+. The main Stradum street runs through the center of the town with narrow streets fanning out. To the north the quaint narrow alleyways rise up steeply with hundreds of stairs. Actually, the amount of stairs you need to climb to get up and away from the old fortified town escalating up the surrounding mountain are extensive. While quite touristy with regular busloads of tour groups from the many Cruise ships that dock here, it is still an amazing old city to explore (wasn't too crowded in this offseason but the high summer season I hear is horribly hot and packed with big, slow, clogging groups). There are lots of museums, historic Franciscan and Domincan monasteries, the second oldest Jewish synagogue in Europe I believe, galleries, and several cathedrals. I visited a broad selection of these sites over a few easy-paced days and also hung out with Hanna a bit since we kept running into each other (again a weird coicidence given the shear size of the old town whereas back in very tiny Korcula, we didn't run into each other all day on that Sunday spent exploring the area). I found a wonderful place to stay that was way up high over the town which meant lots of stairs to return to the B&B from the old town. I knew this from online reviews and was prepared to climb the narrow walkways and stone stairways beautifully meandering thru the houses and villas in the surrounding neighbourhoods. The views of Adriatic Sea and town below were spectacular - both the sunsets of early evening and the sunny blues in the morning seen from the outdoor breakfast area. This place was called Villa Klaic which is run by an amazing guy named Milo (MEE-lo) and his wife. Essentially a large house property that has been converted to have about 8 rooms, a swimming pool and lovely gardens. It was super relaxing and like a resort - a perfect place to just enjoy the warm even hot (29C) sunny weather, the views and the old town for the 4.5 days I planned to kick back in Dubrovnik before flying north to Prague. One of the best aspects of staying at Villa Klaic was, as the reviews professed, the amazing hospitality and friendliness of Milo. He is absolutely committed to his guests having the best time. He picked me up at the bus station when I arrived and took me to the oasis that early Monday morning, offered me breakfast and tasty pod-brewed expresso with the spectacular views and spent time sharing information and recommendation about Dubrovnik, directions and map from his place to the old town and more. He does this with all of his guests. His mother ran this B&B for about 25 years prior to his taking it over about 4 years ago. She rented out 2 rooms and had one bathroom. Milo has continuosly renovated and expanded and now has eight or so rooms with just as many bathrooms. As one walks thru the narrow cobbled walkways you see Croatian men all working on their houses and gardens so it must be a part of the culture here. Milo and I also talked about the war in the early nineties when Serb troops started bombing Dubrovnik. Given the international reputation and historic immensity of Dubrovnik and its location on the Sea far from the conflict further to the north, everyone was shocked and shaken by the attacks. Chaos ensued and like the whole history of the wars in the former Yugoslavia it was incredibly complicated as to who was fighting who and why. Serbs, Croats, Bosniaks who lived in all areas suddenly were supposed to start fighting each other, including nextdoor neighbours and personal friends. I can't even imagine the horror and the experience of your entire perception of reality being altered coupled with a fear for your life and those of loved ones. Milo, who was trained by the former Yugoslav army in the reserves, shared how the training helped him immensely. His military training taught him that in times of conflict everything becomes the opposite, think what was black is now white, what you expect to happen will be the opposite. When it seems that a situation has normalized and is calm is just the time when it is not and further attacks are probably imminent. I had never studied war much and never heard of this paradigm shift before but was fascinated to hear it from Milo. He and several of his neighbours began to organize themselves after the chaos of the bombings and attacks started. They were fighting for their lives and homes. One very meaningful conversation he shared with me was about human beings and how fundamentally we are all alike - in extreme life and death situations we are all full of the same fears even if expressed in what appear to be different ways. You could hear the crying at night he noted. Those tough guys who took up arms, acted really tough and at first glance appeared to kill with ease are the same guys who could not sleep at night and were haunted by it. He said that there are no real invincible Rambos as seen in the movies and exist just in the movies. He shared that the Rambos in the fighting were dead in 4 or 5 days. I visited an amazing Photography Exhibit in the old town which is on War (anywhere it occurs in the world). On display are amazing high quality photos (with descriptions) taken by War Photographers who enter conflict areas to chronicle it to ensure the world knows what is going on. Their hope is that we will all learn from it. The current special exhibit was on the use of Child Soldiers in several areas of Africa, Nepal and South America. There was also a permanent series of photos on the war zones in Croatia, Bosnia, and Kosovo/Serbia that really hit home because it was so relevant to where I was and followed my great conversations with Milo. The soldiers as well as the civilians started to look very familiar. Their physical characteristics, their features and their dress was so similar to the people I saw and met everyday in Croatia and even Slovenia. Even the architecture was recognizable. They were people like Milo with whom I connected earlier. The soliders fighting, shooting, running and the images of the crying, grief, shock and suffering of civilians and soldiers and children were the same people I was interacting with every day. The landscapes, the damaged buildings and the bullet holes were similar to those that I had saw and would see further in my journeys. When one notices the mind's natural tendency to begin to disconnect, discount and shield itself from the intensity of the horrors it is seeing in the photos, as if it were created in a Hollywood studio, it begins to numb oneself from the emotions that would arise. But if you consciously notice that wall going up and then consciously take it down and allow yourself to really connect with the emotions of the people in the photos under such extreme conditions, you will be moved in a way that is hard to descibe but one that is common to all humans. You can catch a glimpse at some of the photos I saw in the exhibit at www.warphotoltd.com. A few Croatian words: Later in the week I took a day trip to Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovenia which is about three hours from Dubrovnik and a popular daytrip. Due to the impossibility of doing a day trip by public buses I went on an organized tour. Mostar was hard hit during the war in Bosnia. Many, many buildings were bombed from the mountains surrounding this quaint town and many of those buildings are still in ruins throughout the town and missing their roofs (rooves?). Many buildings around the old center are absolutely full of bullet holes and/or had gaping holes in the side walls from what I assume was a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) or some other large projectile. There is a beautiful arch bridge high above the Neretva Rriver (which fell into the river during the war but since rebuilt from the stones that fell) who's design is the same at the Rialto Bridge in Venice. There is an intermixing of religions too which has in the past caused much conflict but Catholic Croat churches mix with Serb Orthodox churches and mix with many Bosnian Mosques with tall minarets. Catholic Croats, Orthodox Serbs and Muslim Bosniak tensions are a fact of life here. It was another fascinating mix of cultures and religions that is a part of many areas of the former Yugoslavia and an aspect I have enjoyed exploring here. To hear and see the stories of so many people which is so different than mine and often, unfortunately, filled with trauma, poverty, war, communism and heartache and to see people move through that and generate a new optimism for their improving futures is truly inspirational to me and has me see my life in new ways (usually a thankfullness for our fortunate lives back home). I've also read about and seen the very best in people with numerous acts of courage, valor and compassion. My viewpoints are expanded and my mind is broadened. And as Milo shared so generously with me, all of us, despite our stories and histories good and bad, we all share a common design and fundamentally are all the same. We are all connected. Our common humanity shines through across all cultures and in all areas of the world. Having first hand and, at times, adventurous experiences like these, the learnings I can extract from different cultures with such unique histories, the amazing people I meet and connect with, the spectacular beauty of our planet, the opportunity to be an ambassador of my own country and the personal transformations these cause in me are what I love most about world travel. Will leave it at that for now. I have since flown from Dubrovnik to Prague, Czech Republic on a Friday to visit that great city for a few days and then it was off to Krakow, Poland for several days. Then back to Vienna, a daytrip to Bratislava, Slovakia and off to Athens, Greece for a day before a ferry trip to Santorini Island (the ferry is actually where I'm finishing this journal update as islands float by under a sunny sky). Will write more about these chapters of my travel booklet in the future. Adventurously yours, Kelly ps. Who I've taken on to being on this journey is the Possiblity of Being consciously inquisitive, boldy adventurous and compassionately interconnected with all of life. pps. For those who have expressed an interest in my music tastes, here's some more songs I've been enjoying lately from my playlists...in no specific order. "5 Years Time" by Noah and the Whale, Album: Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down "Laid" by Matt Nathanson, Album: American Wedding (Music from the Motion Picture) "Dream" by Priscilla Ahn, Album: A Good Day <also like "Opportunity to Cry"> "Breakdown" by Jack Johnson, Album: A Brokedown Melody (Music from Film) "Wondering Where the Lions Are" by Donovan Frankenreiter, Album: Recycled Recipes EP "The Road" by Matt Costa, Album: A Brokedown Melody (Music from Film) "I'd Be Lying" by Greg Laswell, Album: Three Flights from Alto Nido "So Nice (featuring Joy Voeth)" by Forest Sun, Album: So Nice "What's Been Going On" by Amos Lee, Album: Last Days At the Lodge "Scar That Never Heals" by Jeremy Fisher, Album: Goodbye Blue Monday "Al otro lado del rio" by Jorge Drexler, Album: Eco "The Things I Do" by Teddy Thompson, Album: A Piece Of What You Need "Neapolitan Bridesmaid" by Tarkio, Album: Omnibus <also like "Keeping Me Awake" & "Tristan and Iseult"> "All My Days" by Alexi Murdoch, Album: Time Without Consequence "Baby Doll" by The Fratellis, Album: Here We Stand "Tonight Will Be Fine" by Teddy Thompson, Album: Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man (Motion Picture Soundtrack) "Walls Fall Down" by Bedouin Soundclash, Album: Walls Fall Down - Single "Gate 22" by Pascale Picard, Album: Me, Myself and Us <KG: I saw her in Montreal!> "Share" by Bag of Toys, Album: Nooner "Wherever You Go" by Brad Caleb Kane, Album: This Day in History <also like "This Close"> "Either Way" by Guster, Album: Lost and Gone Forever <also like "What You Wish For"> "Golden Hour" by Chris Stills, Album: Chris Stills "Messages" by Xavier Rudd, Album: Food in the Belly "face up" by ted lennon, Album: ted lennon "Soul Meets Body" by Death Cab For Cutie, Album: Plans <also like "Your Heart Is An Empty Room"> "Free Life" by Dan Wilson, Album: Free Life "Guaranteed" by Eddie Vedder, Album: Music For the Motion Picture 'Into the Wild' <also like "Ride" & "Hard Sun" & "Society"> "There Is So Much More" by Brett Dennen, Album: So Much More <also like "Ain't No Reason" & "The One Who Loves You the Most" & Darlin' Do Not Fear"> "Trouble" by Ray LaMontagne, Album: A Lot Like Love (Music from Motion Picture) "Mary" by Sarah Slean, Album: Feminissima "Energy Spent" by Liam Finn, Album: I'll Be Lightning "Two Ways To Say Goodbye" by Pat Monahan, Album: Last Of Seven "Gone Away From Me" by Ray LaMontagne, Album: Till the Sun Turns Black <also really like "Empty"> "Broke Window" by Gary Jules, Album: Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets "Weak In the Knees" by Serena Ryder, Album: If Your Memory Serves You Well "Here Comes A Regular (Remastered Version) by The Replacements, Album: Don't You Know Who I think I Was? Best of The Replacements "Closer to Fine" by Indigo Girls, Album: Indigo Girls (Expanded Edition) "Boy With a Coin" by Iron & Wine, Album: The Shepherd's Dog <also like "Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car">
At last update I mentioned that I took the TGV train from Tours in the Loire Valley down to Angouleme. My wonderful friends Paul & Cassandra, whom I met in Buenos Aires, have a great house that they re-built in the countryside. Its not that far from Cognac and many other great little towns in the area. Their hospitality was superb. Thanks guys! As alluded to in a previous post, they hosted a curry party at the house on Friday night and we had quite the feast of excellent Indian food, some of the ingredients carried in Paul's suitcase back from London where he's working weekdays for a few weeks more. Even met a nice guy who's currently working in Afghanistan and it takes him something like 4 days routing to actually get there. Very interesting! Friday day we visited Cognac, home to the many makers of the famous drink. We toured the main Chateau within the old town - it's where one of the companies named Otard (I believe) makes it and we did some tasting too! Saturday we took a long drive through the beautiful countryside to famous St. Emilion. This historic walled city is perched high on a hill and sports some amazing views. This is the famous St. Emilion wine region who's bottled vintages you've most certainly sampled. We had a great gourmet French lunch including Foie Gras with fig compote to start, then Duck, a cheese plate interlude and then a delicious dessert all washed down with a nice bottle of St. Emilion red. We were certainly stuffed from this experience while wandering the cobbled narrow streets of the town. I guess no-one said traveling was easy. ;) Sunday we walked by the river of a nearby town (the name of which slips my mind) - the clock tower here still has bullet holes from the resistance fighters against the Germans in WWII. That evening Cassie cooked another savory feast with a Foie Gras entree and Chablis followed by delicious slow-cooked Rabbit and vegetables and a complementary well-aged Medoc red wine. Dessert was a sweet upsidedown apple tart. Coffees. Cognac. More wine. It was all so very French and excellent. On Monday we visited the quaint island port town of Ile de Re which is near the town of Rochelle where Paul had to fly out back to London for a project he's consulting for. Tuesday I headed back to Paris on the speedy TGV train and Wednesday I flew to Vienna, Austria. If you've been to Vienna before you'll appreciate just how amazing the architecture is there. Massive buildings everywhere and filled with amazing palaces. It is an awe-inspiring musical old town. I toured the Opera too and I went to a Strauss and Mozart evening concert at the famous Kursalon where Strauss himself directed wildly popular concerts 100 years ago. What a great experience to see a musical concert is this sophisticated city. I'll be returning to Vienna later and plan to see more of its landmarks on what will be my third visit here. Early Friday morning I took the only daily direct train which heads all the way to the small capital city of Ljubljana in the country of Slovenia (not to be confused with Slovakia as George W Bush did after meeting with Slovenia's prime minister)... check your maps. If you squint your eyes on a map of Slovenia, it kinda has the shape of a chicken running east. This is a beautiful cafe-filled city with immense colorful architecture and is still a less-discovered backdoor in Europe but getting more popular every year. They say its the next-next Prague (after Krakow). Good vibe, youthful energy and optimism abounds. I also did a trip to the beautiful lake town of Bled on Lake Bled. There are lots of fall colors here as the leaves change for the season which is adding an extra richness to the landscapes. I also met my first European stalker - a German gal named Anja. After confronting her with a musical selection (Weighty Ghost by Wintersleep... excellent tune I was listening to at the time, the video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-iW0zL2L Anyways, more later... Chau (popular goodbye used in Slovenia due to the Italian influence - along with outstanding cappuccinos!) Kelly Ljubljana, Slovenia
Amboise, Loire Valley, France: The mini-van tour I wanted to take was full and the other similar tours did not have enough people signed up to go ahead.... so I got information on taking the one public bus from Amboise to the spectacular chateau Chenonceau. It's not far from Amboise but there is only one bus per day that goes there (9:49am) and one bus that returns to Amboise (12:27pm). I'm interested in keeping it real so the bus was just fine and it wandered through some quaint little towns and in the afternoon filled with students from school. Check out www.chenonceau.com for a bunch of information and photos on this great chateau essentially built by Thomas Bohier in the 16th century on a bridge in the middle of the river. Several royal people used the chateau including Henri II, his wife Catherine de Medici and his mistress Diane de Poitiers. I pre-downloaded an audio-guide only my iPod before arriving and listened to it for great room-by-room commentary. It was a great day and a fancy multi-course "gastronomique" meal at night was nice. Chateau Royal d'Amboise. www.chateau-amboise.com. Right in Amboise is the most important royal castle along the Loire valley (but perhaps they are biased in their history eh?) and a courtly centre for French Kings for the mid-15th to mid-16th centuries. Another chateau with a long list of important French (and other) figures such as Francois I and King Henri II. One interesting fact is the unusual death of king Charles VIII - on April 7, 1498 the king went to watch a game of tennis but unfortunately on the way, he bumped his head on a door frame and died a few hours later. He was 28 years old. His successor was Louis XII would move the royal court upstream to the town of Blois. The sun came out again so I also checked out le Chateau du Clos-Luce (www.vinci-closluce.com) which is famous as it was the place that Leondardo da Vinci spent his last three years of his life and died. Well preserved and displayed rooms including his bedroom, study/workshop, kitchen, entertaining room etc. It is said that he finished his famous paintings Saint John the Baptist and the Mona Lisa (hey, so that's why its in the Louvre instead of in Italy!) in this house. Many of his hundreds of inventions and mechanical machine ideas are modeled here and throughout the large gardens. As you probably know he was an artist, sculpture, an engineer, a scientist (including botany), writer, poet and philosopher and is said to have been a few hundred years ahead of his time. My own personality and wide-ranging interests I think are similar to Leo's (as I call him) but I have yet to invent any unique mechanical system or paint the next Mona or really accomplish anything comparable. But perhaps someday... like an artistic helicopter-cannon-water pump-bridge-inspired coffee maker? Some favorite quotes/thoughts from the inspiring and said to be a bit mysterious Leo include: "He who does not value life does not deserve it." "As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well-spent brings a happy death." "There is nothing that deceives us more than our own judgement." "Evil is our enemy, but would it not be worse for it to be our friend?" "Wisdom is the daughter of experience." "Only love can stop hate." "I believe that great happiness awaits those men who are born where good wines are to be found." "If you would keep healthy, follow this regimen: do not eat unless you feel inclined." "Ask advice of him who governs himself well." "He who has more possessions shall have greater fear of losing them." "One can have no smaller or greater mastery than mastery of oneself." After training down from Tours to Angouleme, I spent a bit more than four days with my wonderful friends Paul and Cassandra in their great French countryside in the SW of France near Cognac. Will write more about this later... Best, Kelly ps. one interesting French observation; "that's not a thumbs up they're giving me, it's the number 1. They start counting here using their thumbs."
I have arrived safely! Didn't take long to remember why I love traveling and why I'm taking this period in my life to move on and pursue some dreams. Sitting in a cafe enjoying a nice Salade du Chevre Chaud with a glass of Bordeaux (Philipe de Rothchild), an evening stroll along the Seine River, popping in for an evening video presentation of the history of the Notre Dame cathedral and watching locals and tourists mix were just some highlights of Day 1 in wonderful Paris. If you haven't been to this great city, you must plan a trip! Day 2 was spent exploring some more... I walked to the Picasso museum here but it was closed for some building renos and Sainte Chapelle had a lineup a half-block long. But I did take an evening cruise down the Seine - they call this city the city of lights... it's gorgeous at night. And the Eiffel Tower is nicely lit in a blue hue. Formidable! I am currently sitting on a local train humming along from Paris to the small town of Amboise in the Loire Valley for a couple days. I love this mini-computer (ASUS Eee 901) I have - I can write updates offline and upload them later when I hit a hotspot (my next hotel in fact, www.leblason.fr). I'm listening to some great music by Greg Laswell along with about 400-500 other excellent songs I've collected this summer. Listening now to a song called "How the Day Sounds" by Greg Laswell which goes, "..and I think I like how the day sounds through this new song..." Couldn't be a more perfect sound at this time. Go download this song. There are many Chateaux (castles) in this Loire river region and I plan to explore the chateau right in Amboise and take a half day van tour of several others. Leonardo di Vinci retired in Amboise at Chateau du Clos-Luce. On Thursday I will TGV down to Angoulème from nearby Tours to hook up with my ol' Buenos Aires friends Paul & Cassie! Friday is a curry party at their house. Yum. And we have tentative plans to explore tiny St. Emillion on Saturday. Yea! Bon journee. A bientot. Kelly ps. If you like "How the Day Sounds by Greg, I also like his "I'd be Lying", "What a Day" and "Days Go On". pps. I know I omitted some accent marks... kmg.ca page mangles them anyways.
Well it's starting to get cold in Calgary so... time to go! Only two more sleeps and then I start my lap around the planet. Updates will be posted here as I get them done. I will post my itinerary soon. Take care. Stay warm.
Here's a photo of the Saskatchewan countryside late evening that I pulled over to shoot. Prairies were very lush and green from all of the rain. There's some more pics of the scenery on the Flickr site- just click the photo to go to the site and look at the Canada Roadtrip SET. More photos coming (I hope)... Kelly
Many, many, many apologies to all that I haven't posted an update in so long. I've been distracted with other things. There are some folks that are checking out the website!!
I recently got back from an amazing trip through some of the Galapagos Islands. We saw the majority of the endemic species there including many of these colorful yellow-brown Land Iguanas shown here. We also saw many birds like Darwin's Finches, several kinds of Frigates, red-chested Frigates, Blue-Footed Boobys (even a couple doing a mating dance), land iguanas, marine iguanas and a hybrid land-marine iguana of which there are only three. Also saw and played with many sea lions who want to come up to you and touch you. We found several Galapagos Penguins too. Snorkeling was also amazing - we swam with many colorful fish, lots of playful sea lions, penguins, large sea turtles, stingrays and more. A few folks also saw some sharks. Favorite quote from our guide, "It would be good for you to Not touch the sea lions, especially the big, dominant male." We had a really nice boat with a friendly crew, a great group of people, superb food and drink, a wonderful naturalist guide and super weather (very hot and humid). Every island is different and some areas are covered in volcanic rock from recent eruptions. The Galapagos Islands voyage was an experience I will cherish always. There are now about five photos up on my Flickr photo site and eventually many more to come. I've just travelled down to Cuenca in the southern highlands of Ecuador and will explore this area for a while. Cheers! Kelly Cuenca, Ecuador
Well, this is a late but thought I'd post a update on my recent travels in Argentina (before I came to Ecuador). As I noted in a previous post, I decided to explore some of west and northern I flew to I've been through such a wide variety of scenery and climates from the hot, humid cities in the lowlands ( My stops or day trips through my journeys have included Cordoba, Alta Gracia (Che Guevara lived here for 11 years of his childhood), Villa General Belgrano (German-esque town settled by Germans from a warship that sunk off the coast of Uruguay in WWII), La Cumbre (hill town in a valley) and Capilla del Monte (also hill town with the highest peak in the Sierras there). After On the evening of the 28th of February I took a night bus from Tucuman has great historical importance in I met some nice folks at the hostel, Michel and Daphne from Beyond the town of I then made my way to the town of There is a noticeably larger indigenous influence and presence in and north of Tucuman. The average skin color has gotten darker and more 'Latin' and less European. The girls are getting more Latin and more friendly the further north one goes compared with being busy, occupied with little eye contact as in BsAs. This area started to remind me of the high altitude Andean towns of I then headed by bus, of course, (about 3 hrs) to city of Given the challenges and lack of public transport to many of the sights around My first tour headed from We then headed up higher to the small mining community called After the Salinas Grandes visit we headed through more stunning mountain scenery and up to the highest point on the tour at 4735m. The air is thin up there and we all felt sleepy and weak wandering around but that is what is supposed to happen up there. The drive down is, again, stunning! The tour then stops in very neat and tiny town with 800 residents called Purmamarca located next to a large hill of brilliant colors. The hills is called El Cerro de Siete Colores (The Hill of Seven Colors) and from my photos you will see why. It and the surrounding hills are absolutely filled with color and very unique. This is the town where I was staying for two nights while the rest of the tour group had the long drive back to I relaxed in Purmamarca, hiked a path around the town and colorful mountains, hiked up high across from the town for a full view, ate at some interesting places including one dinner in a restaurant with a Pena Forklorica with about 20 people and live music from a couple of different performers using traditional instruments such as a horn that must have been 15 feet long. I recorded some of the performances on my MP3 player and hope to make some time to post snippets for you. My meals included some decent tenderloin, good salads, pasta, wine and Salta beer as well as traditional regional foods like llama empanadas (tasty!), baby goat stew (Cazuela del Cabrito) and humitas (like a tomale). I have posted a bunch of random photos from my recent Argentina travels and they can be found on the Flickr site linked from kmg.ca in the Argentina photo set. Direct link to set is at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kmg-ca/sets/7
I posted some pics of my wandering through the Good Friday religious procession in the Historic Center of Quito, Ecuador just a few hours ago. There were thousands and thousands of people lining the procession route and it was shoulder to shoulder in many places. Good fun! KG
I have been on a couple of tours exploring some amazing scenery NW from Salta. Started thru la Quebrada del Toro and up towards San Antonio de los Cobres and then stopping at the Salt Flats pictured here called Las Salinas Grandes. Very amazing place and extremely bright on the eyes. The 35 families authorized to harvest and sell the salt here get paid only 15 pesos per ton (about $5). Later stops in my few days of travels include staying in the tiny town of Purmamarca next to the Hills of Seven Colors (El Cerro de Siete Colores) and later touring up the Quebrada de Humahuaca with stops at Humahuaca, Tilcara and other tiny towns. Quebrada means canyon and this area is filled with them carved out by ice and rivers millions of years ago. The color formations from the different minerals exposed so long ago (and after volcanic eruptions) are absolutely stunning in this entire region. The best colors and shear size of the canyon formations are probably in the Quebrada de Cafayate nearer the town of Cafayate where I spent a few days previously. I plan to post more about my travels later... and some more photos. Abrazos, Kelly
Hey Folks. Well I never did get around to write much on what specifically I've been doing while out of the country for so long starting mid-November. Many of you know that I extended my time in the city of Buenos Aires (BsAs for short as printed everywhere). I did it for a wide variety of reasons with an easy one being that I just wasn't ready to leave nor return to Alberta nor fly around the planet yet as originally thought. After making a bunch of friends and acquaintances in this great city filled with things to do, a superb and comfortable apartment in a quiet neighborhood and everything being available to me, it began to feel like home. I've met lots of travelers, expats and other people who are longtermers here or decide to keep extending like me or just don't know what they're doing next in their lives... You soon understand very well when you ask someone what they're doing or how long they're going to be around BsAs and they say 'I don't know'. Its starting to seem like this is kind of a city for therapy and new beginnings (actually the counseling business is big down here). So what was I doing for three months? Living like a local! Well, a local who has dollars instead of pesos. This can be a very easy and comfortable city to live in once you get used to it and figure a few things out (like getting money out of Canada). Even though inflation has been high for years now since devaluation, it is still quite cheap for us (3.1 Argentine pesos to the US dollar=CDN dollar), basic groceries are low cost, eating out is really cheap, taxis are really inexpensive, decent wine/beer is cheap and the subway cost 23 cents a ride until they jumped the price in the new year to 29 cents. I walk everywhere I can often combined with the subway (El Subte). Buenos Aires is a safe city and since so many people are out at all hours of the day and night, minus a few exceptions, you can walk around most places and feel very safe even at 3:00am when you will honestly pass on the sidewalks teenagers, adults with babies, single females, average families and senior citizens at that time. The weather this summer down here has been truly superb. Since November I have not needed to wear a jacket or long sleeved shirt at any time day or night in BsAs. Daily highs have been in the range of 24 and 38C, humid at times but not so much others (or there's a refreshing breeze) and nightly lows don't drop below 20C. It has been 29C at 2:00am. My apartment had air conditioning and a fan above my bed so no discomfort even on the worst days. I know how cold and snowy Alberta has been this year and can say that I'm happy to have missed it. Everything here takes place late. The morning is very quiet until about 10:30am when subways start getting busy as people head towards El Microcentro. People eat lunch between 1-4pm then have a snack which is usually a coffee plus a dessert or ice-cream (they LOVE sweets in this city and country) between 5-8pm and then they won't eat dinner until after 9pm, usually after 10 or 11pm. Many non-cafe/bar restaurants don't even open until 8 or 8:30pm for dinner and many clubs don't even open until 1am. So, it takes quite a change to wait so long to eat dinner out so you gotta plan your meals in advance, snack, eat at home or starve. If we show up before 9:30pm, we're usually the first and only ones in the restaurants which means no reservations! I have been to a lot of really great restaurants and bars that I can't even start to list them. Just know that I've eaten really well and the ability to make some healthy and lighter meals in the apartment is a bonus. Though lacking some variety in the city, the food in Buenos Aires is generally high quality everywhere. Typical Italian-influenced cafe-restaurant places on every corner tend to all serve a similar menu including pasta, pizzas, milanesas (think breaded and fried thin veal or chicken the size of your plate), a few basic ham and cheese sandwiches, a few token salads and of course grilled meat from the parillada. Our consensus opinion is that the pastas are generally okay but not superb and usually not an authentic pasta you can get elsewhere but I did find a few places that excelled. The pizzas are also usually very good and even better at a few places found that serve the really thin crusted, brick-oven-baked variety. And then there's that fabulous Argentine beef which is really superb. You will order your favorite cut from the many available and they will ask how you would like it cooked (jugoso for rare, a punto for medium and bien hecho for well done) but chances are that it may have some pink if you ordered it rare but that true rare is really rare to find (except at El Almacen in San Antonio de Areco). They generally just cook it all too long as if it was a big, full cow barbeque we've been too where everything, though tasty, is near well done. Still, there are lots of places that hit on all cylinders and serve some of the best meat I've ever sampled. Of course this is Malbec wine country which are really superb and I've had more Malbecs than any other. Why not, they're mostly superb and cheap and when in Argentina...! I will have some recommendations but sad to advise that not much wine from the 1400 wineries in Argentina is exported outside the country. The cafe solo, cortado, con leche, americano con crema or italian cappuchino found everywhere is usually pretty darn good too - some places tastier than others and you soon start to frequent your favorite establishments and read one of the many local newspapers and increase tu vocabulario. There is so much to do and see in this city. Makes Calgary seem kinda lame. There are tons of museums (such as MALBA, Museo de Eva Peron just a few blocks from my apartment, Museum of Currency showing the 1 million peso bill they used in the crisis, Police museum, Holocaust, etc), concerts (in the famous Teatro Colon), jazz and tango, movies and art films. One quirky custom in Buenos Aires is the assigned seating in movie theaters. When you buy your ticket they will say there are X number of rows, which row would you like. The funny thing is that I generally go to movies early afternoon when there are few people in the theater so it is mostly empty. But, despite the extra space, most people sit in their assigned seats which invariably means that everyone is clustered together on the right side about two-thirds up. I'm usually a rebel and get up and move to the center or other side when the film begins. They also serve both salty (salado) and sweet (dulce) popcorn - take your pick. If you wish, they also have the "trasnoches" movies that start about 1:00am - after dinner I guess. Portenos is the name for folks from Buenos Aires (nb there is a squiggle on top of the N that the computer system will probably misrepresent so I didn't put it in).. its pronounced poor-tay-nyoe with the n pronounced like the n in onion. With the squiggle it is porteños. There are plazas and plazetas (little plazas) everywhere and I've explored so many funky neighborhoods including San Telmo, Microcentro, Belgrano, Palermo Viejo, Palermo Soho, Palermo Hollywood, Recoleta, Barrio Norte, Puerto Madero, Plaza San Martin, Las Canitas, Retiro and La Boca. Each has their unique qualities. We had done most of the major tourist sights on my last visit so it wasn't necessary to repeat them all again. I've also volunteered for a couple of different organizations in some not so nice neighborhoods including Barracas (helped plant trees near the very smelly river) and Mataderos (helped paint a community center dedicated to providing programs and services to families in the area). I have attended events organized by the wonderful South American Explorers Club (www.saexplorers.org) in San Telmo including a monthly Drinks Night, a Mate demonstration, a trip to the Delta and just hanging and doing some research in their comfy Clubhouse. I have been out to Milongas (tango places) a few times (to watch, not to tango) until 4 in the morning (it is still packed at 4). I've been to concerts and watched many street performers. Like I said it is easy to find something to see, watch or do. I have done some traveling in the area and out of town. Longer trips including going to Mendoza which is the hub of the wine growing regions in Argentina closer to the Chilean border (incl the Andes and other mountain ranges next door including Mount Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside the Himalayas). I went to Montevideo in Uruguay to check out their old city and the city beaches. In early February, Paul and I flew up to see the absolutely spectacular Iguassu Falls in the jungle tri-border region (Las Cataratas del Iguazu). Shorter day trips in the area have included visiting Tigre and traveling the river system up the Delta and historic San Antonio del Areco, among others. Photos from many of these trips are on my Flickr site accessed by the link on kmg.ca. To assist me with refreshing my Spanish skills (it had been a couple years), appreciating and developing an ear for the challenging, fast, Italian and slang-filled castellano in the city and for learning some new Argentinian Castellano (including Vos), I took regular one-on-one Spanish classes (about twice per week) with the wonderful and fun teacher Gisela Giunti (www.giselagiunti.com). The comfortable pull of the city is a strong one and it would be easy to just keep extending (zipping across the Uruguayan border to renew your three month tourist visa stamp) and hanging out in Buenos Aires. But I did break free and decided to see more of Argentina that fewer foreigners travel to and places where Argentinians go for vacation. I flew to Cordoba, Argentina 1.5 wks ago and will work my way northwards towards final stop of Salta and stopping in small and large towns along the way- right now I'm in La Cumbre (quite a bit of rain here right now). Other possible stops or daytrips include Alta Gracia, Villa General Belgrano, Capilla del Monte, Tucuman, Tafi del Valle, La Cafayate, Salta, Quebrada de Humahuaca, the Salt Flats near Bolivian border, Iruya, Tilcara, Purmamarca and San Antonio de los Cobres. Mid-March I will return to Buenos Aires for a little bit and then I'm traveling to explore some of Ecuador including a small boat trip through the Galapagos Islands. That is about it for stories on Buenos Aires and the period up to date. I will have to share more stories with you personally later on. Until then, stay warm, be well and live your adventures. Kelly La Cumbre, Argentina 
Hey folks.
Click on the image and then on the Flickr site version, click All Sizes at the top if you would like to see it in a larger version. Feb 16 Update: I added 11 more photos from Iguazu. Go direct to the Argentina set at this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kmg-ca/sets/7 More information at the Park's site at http://www.iguazuargentina.com Enjoy... Kelly
I was told about this great site at www.ted.com which stands for TED - Technology, Entertainment, Design. It is an annual conference where some of the greatest minds (authors, researchers, famous leaders, etc) are invited to give an 18 minute talk on an interesting topic in their area of specialty. They video record them and make them available free online at Ted.com. Check them out and watch some intelligent and thought-provoking presentations. "Psychologist Barry Schwartz takes aim at a central belief of western societies: that freedom of choice leads to personal happiness. In Schwartz's estimation, all that choice is making us miserable. We set unreasonably high expectations, question our choices before we even make them, and blame our failures entirely on ourselves. His relatable examples, from consumer products (jeans, TVs, salad dressings) to lifestyle choices (where to live, what job to take, whom and when to marry), underscore this central point: Too many choices undermine happiness."
There are tattered mansions and drooping balconies that give San Telmo a unique feel. It has a rich history such as when it was filled with grand families until a mass exodus from cholera and yellow fever swept the area over a century ago. Every Sunday, the main Plaza Dorrego and associated streets feeding it, especially Defensa, fills with a huge, genuine and ever-expanding antiques market. You'll also find arts and craft stalls and buskers of all types and talents. These two chaplin types were hammin' it up for the crowds walking past near the Plaza. Good fun all around! Note: If you click on the photo or title under it you will go to my Flickr site where you'll see the many other photos I took in San Telmo (in the photostream). Direct link to the full set of photos is here.
Hope all is well with everyone. I'm extending my time down here in South America for a while and doing lots of thinking and a bit of planning my upcoming adventures (and life I guess). Still intending to post a comprehensive update on my experiences -- and still really lazy about completing it. Perhaps more Malbec will help... Salud! Take care. K |
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Oh ya, a follow up to Anja the stalker from east Berlin. On my day trip to beautiful Lake Bled later in the day I kept seeing her around Bled. She had coffee beside me at the hilltop castle (while the museum put on a costumed dance and sword fighting demostration), on the hike down, at the lakeside, and finally she was on the same 7:30p bus back to Ljubljana. I did a "double take" look at her and asked if she was following me.... she smiled and kinda shook her head no and then put her earphones back on as I sat down. I was listening to my iPod too and a song I really liked called Weighty Ghost by a group called Wintersleep was playing. Fearing for my safety of this 5'3" slender gal I moved over to the seat in front and asked her if she spoke English and where she was from (yes, and from Germany). Then I did what I saw in the movie Garden State and asked her to listen to this song I was listening to, plugged her headphones into my iPod and she listened to Weighty Ghost and agreed it was good. I then listened to some of her German bands - including some Jazz in German I had never heard before - and we talked the way back. When we got back to town we did go to a couple bars she knew in the "graffiti zone" but they were dead cause it was Sunday so we went back to the river/main square area and had a Lasko (missing upsidedown ^ on the S makes it a "shh" sound, LASH-Ko) beer and chatted lots. She is working on an EU exchange program for a few months in Ljubljana. We had a coffee in a park and dinner the next day too. It became a bit of a joke that she was stalking me... and this seemed confirmed when she pulled out her city map and had a mark on it labelled K4 exactly where my B&B was (she claims it's a club recommended to her- I never saw the club). Oh, and in our discussions of difficult words to pronounce in our non-native tongues, squirrel, Sicily and comfortable were on Anja's list, and proven, hence the previous journal entry.
A few Slovenian words for you: trg (square), ulica (OO-leetsa means street), avtobusom (bus), Vhod (entrance), Izhod (exit) - look for this last one when you're try to get out of confusing places.
When I got off the catamaran, the owner Ms. Lenni of my pre-booked apartment room was actually waiting for guests. Here I also met Hannah who is a New Zealander gal working for now in London. We decided to explore the town a bit after dark and go for dinner. About 10 minutes later we had seen about half the little old town - it was super quiet with few people around - and noticed that the air temperature was much warmer at night than Split. While strolling near the outer wall my human sixth sense felt that another person was behind me and perhaps about to silently jump or attack me. It's amazing that if you're in tune to it, you can feel the energy of others without any contact. Sure enough, an arm slapped down on my left shoulder and my immediate reaction was to be ready to strike back. As I glanced back to identify my attacker I was surprised again to find that it was Ken whom I'd met in Zagreb. Here he was on this tiny island in Croatia, albeit a popular one on the tourist track but dead quiet now, in the dark, several days after Zagreb. The coincidence that we'd meet again at that spot and that time was amazing to me. But that's how it goes sometimes when you're exploring the world - seemingly usual coincidences occur (or maybe we unknowingly generate those experiences and cause them??). Ken had decided to just keep travelling non-stop all the way to Dubrovnik to make sure that he got there in his limited time and then work his way back north up the coast. He still had to get all the way back to Venice overland for his return flight. Anyways, the three of us wandered a bit and decided to grab a bite to eat and a carafe of local white wine (not great) in a little place right in the main square overshadowed by the cathedral.
The Croatian Army was not in the area nor prepared yet to defend Dubrovnik and so he and his neighbours formed a ragtag defensive force and actually defended the area surrounding the B&B where I was seated and all the way up the mountain behind (which is where the Serbs came from, over the mountain high above the city). They had no weapons for quite a while and spent the first while organizing and gathering information on reconnaisance of the hills. Eventually some supplies were obtained such as guns and grenades. The neighbourhood successfully defended their areas with valor. It was eight months of bombing before the Croatian Army arrived and was able to liberate Dubrovnik by attacking the Serb positions from the north. The 200 Dubrovnik citizens who lost their lives actively fighting for their hometown are aptly named "Dubrovnik Defenders" and are a well known and honored group of people for their bravery and successes.
We had a wonderful and informative guide who was born and grew up in Mostar and was proud to share her city with us. The blend of history and cultures and religion in Mostar is again fascinating with elements of its old Turkish influence (bazaars, jewellery, cuisine) including our tour of a former Turkish house. 
