Thursday, August 31st, Budapest, Hungary

Greetings!

For the past almost three weeks, we've been traveling from Berlin to Budapest with Overseas Adventure Travel.   On August 18th, my access to this blog was suspended by Google's double verification process because I could not retrieve my Pixel 7 notified code.  So I switched blogs to one which I had used before (www.gfpktravels2.blogspot.com).  I have been using that blog, and the Google photo albums associated with it, ever since.   

Now that I have again access to this Google account, I may switch back (or not).  We still have Bulgaria and Romania to travel in for the next three weeks.  The other blog is working fine, it's just that it doesn't access the many years of places and photos that I have built up.  Whatever works for the next three weeks will be what I choose to use.  When I get home again, I'll probably consolidate the two.  And hope I have never to use the alternate blog again.  

Gregory

Thursday, August 17th, Dresden, Germany

Greetings!

Today was a traveling day from Berlin to Dresden.  A couple of hours along the way, we stopped at Wittenberg, the hometown of Martin Luther.  On Halloween, his trick was to nail 95 complaints against a castle church door a short walk from his monastery residence. Challenging among other things the indulgences being given to rich families for dead ancestors, Luther proposed an academic discussion of the efficacy of these practices.

During the remainder of the day, we experienced the adventures of the challenged.  Many of the routes across Germany were closed, and our re-routing proved confusing.  I felt very much like we were driving in circles, and we were in someone else's nightmare.

The highlight of the day was our lunch at a mountain restaurant overlooking the Elbe Valley, in Saxony.  Just before our Dresden road trip got frustrating, I'll remember the vanilla ice cream/strawberry sorbet  desert as the perfect calm before the storm.  

To see the few other photos we took today, click on Thursday, August 17th, Dresden, Germany.

Wednesday, August 16th, Berlin, Germany

 

Greetings!

It took us two days to see the collections we came to see in what is locally called. "Museum Island".  We thought we had tickets to the suite of museums, and a scheduled all-day entry to the most popular "Pergamom Museum" for yesterday.  For serious museum visitors, I can only say that you ought to re-examine your stamina if your goals are to see them all in one day.  

The Neues Museum and the Pergamom sell selected two-hour time tickets, and both are  full of  exhaustingly complex multi-lingual written and audio guide information.  The good news is that there is an excellent cafe in the Neues Museum, and it can make a long day easier.  The only other advice we have to offer is to be sure to bring a Euro to utilize the key-secured locker.  The coin is returned to you upon retrieval, but you're out of luck if you don't have one at the start.

Why is this museum complex important to visit?  For the last one hundred and fifty years, historians and societies of explorers have searched the world for the answers to what came before.  Acquiring and assembling the pieces of life, these museums help us know the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful of the lives of generations of humans all over the planet.  For us, these rooms contain much of the treasures which were dug up at places we have visited in our travels.  I have heard many times "the best stuff from here was taken by the Germans, and is in the Berlin Museum".  Today, we got to see what was taken, and it certainly enriched our previous travels.

To see all of the photos we took in three of the Berlin Island of Museums, click on Wednesday, August 16th, Berlin, Germany.

Monday, August 14th, Berlin, Germany

After a hotel breakfast, our guide (William) took us on a short walk through our neighborhood. Becoming street-smart in a strange place, understanding its nature, and how to read beyond its map, is much of what a guide brings to the travel experience.  William's Berlin is based on watching it evolve from before the wall came down, through migration into the areas just outside of downtown, to the enormously dispersed expanse it has become.

Pat and I then went on a three-hour cruise on the Stree, a river/canal system which crosses downtown.  Listening to a narration describing the origin of the buildings on either side of the boat, the changes to East and West Germany became clearer to us.  There are conversions of older governmental architecture which previously housed soldiers, bureaucrats, and essential resources.  Interspersed are artistic colonies which must have helped nurture the freedom which seized the days.  Finally, modern skyscrapers cater to new visitors eager to claim the atmosphere.

Joining up with our group in the late afternoon, William led us into an area south east of downtown where an influx of what he described as the third largest Turkish population in the world settled once the wall came down.  Kebabs appeared, and graffiti flourished, and the pace of life slowed.  It became a bit easier to navigate those in bikes, consisting more of locals then tourist-rentals and food distributors.

Finding a restaurant/bar which was opening, and had enough outside seats to accommodate our group, we stopped for a spritzer and conversation.  Sharing our backgrounds, and comparing our travel histories, is required to enrich our time together for the next three weeks.  William will navigate our return by train to the hotel, and some will go out to dinner around 7pm.  As for Pat and I, it's been an exhausting day after too little sleep last night.  We'll return to the hotel to try to reclaim some quiet time, and to contemplate what our first day together has brought.

To see the photos taken today, click on Monday, August 14th, Berlin, Germany.

 

Sunday, August 13th, Berlin, Germany

Greetings!

Today, we're flying to Berlin for a seven-week adventure through seven countries between there and the Black Sea.  Mostly multi-day stays in excellent hotels.  It's two  back to back "Jewels of Bohemia" and "Bulgaria and Romania" Overseas Adventures Travels" tours.  Fourteen travelers on the first half, fifteen on the second half, and we're the only ones that overlap.  All from the U.S., ten other Californians.  

After a long couple of flights, we check into the Eurostar Berlin, and unpack and try not to sleep too much.  Skipping dinner, Pat goes to bed about midnight, and I go out.  The main train station is across the street, with the most popular McDonald's inside.  After a chickenburger and a small coke, I take the City Evening Walking Tour of the river.  

To see all of the photos that resulted, click on Midnight, August 13th, Berlin, Germany.

Saturday, April 1st, Kathmandu, Nepal

Greetings!

This morning, we flew Yeti Airlines from Pokhara back to Kathmandu.  Our earlier stay at the Radisson Hotel was useful, as we were able to leave one bag of gear and lighten our flight load on the small plane to Pokhara.  Returning to the same hotel, we were able to get one last glimpse at the magnificent Himalayan range before boarding our plane.

Our walkabout today consisted of a couple of hours in Bhaktapur's Durbar Square.  A former royal palace, it housed the Malla kings of Nepal from the 14th to the 15th century and the kings of the Kingdom of Bahktapur from the 16th to the late 18th century until the kingdom was conquered in 1769.  

The Square hosts a nine-day new year festival in spring called Bisket Jatra, dating from the fifth century.  For it, images of Lord Ganesh, Goddess Lakshimi, Goddess Mahakali, and a chariot dedicated to the God Bhairava are towed through the very narrow streets.  Good fortune comes to those patrons of successfully navigated streets, and the route is often fought over. 

This is probably the last post of the trip.  Tonight, our group will have its farewell dinner, and tomorrow we'll head home.  Our path takes us to Delhi around 11am, and we'll hang out at a hotel near the airport until 4am on Monday.  An Emirates flight will then take us through Dubai, and over the pole to SFO at 2pm.   

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Saturday, April 1st, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Friday, March 31st, Pokhara, Nepal

Greetings!

Above the Pwewa Lake, in the Sarangkot and Kaskikot hills,  we walked through a village talking to Nepali families.  They showed us milling machines, with which the rice, millet, and maise for the village was processed.  We also met a village jack of all trades, whose skill at creating and fixing everything in the village amazed us all.  He was most proud of a bluetooth-enabled audio speaker system he had fashioned out of a large water bottle.

Back at the Lake, we boarded a small boat to carry us out to a temple in the middle.  A bolt of lightning reminded us that the weather can change quickly, and our captain rowed us back to the crowded dock.  

Our lunch today was at the Dunga Restaurant at Lakeside, and was excellently prepared and served.  We met the chef, and Denny said he spotted him near the table with a big smile on his face.  "I could tell he loved to eat".  We were pleased to see that Gail had joined the clean plate club.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Friday, March 31st, Pokhara, Nepal

Thursday, March 30th, Pokhara, Nepal

Greetings!

Last night, at dinner, our guide (Nabu) asked how many wanted to take the early morning flight to see Mount Everest.  Pat and I were the only ones not enthusiastic.  We later questioned why so blase, and couldn't figure it out.  I was toying with the other options we had (zip-lining, bunjee jumping, para-sailing, etc), but we finally concluded that the combination of another great group adventure, and actually seeing the Himalayas, was too good to miss.

Once in the air, and seated in all the window seats, our flight attendants helped us figure out which peaks were which.  It's too bad that my cell phone telephoto still can't be attached (the company that makes the case it screws into hasn't finished the one that fits onto the newest Google Pixel).  

That left peak with the cloud hanging straight out to the right is Everest.  But we got to see six of the highest ten peaks in the world also.  A majority are in Nepal, with a couple more in Pakistan.  It was a pretty awesome flight, and the flight over here to Pokhara which followed the early morning flight made the rest of the day seem less exciting.   Nabu took us on a tour of our hotel neighborhood (Da Yatra Courtyard), some of the group walked a suspension bridge bigger that the one we crossed in Bhutan, and we visited a museum dedicated to the Gurkha soldiers who have been heroically defending Nepal for 200 years.   

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Thursday, March 30th, Pokhara, Nepal.

Wednesday, March 29th, Kathmandu, Nepal

Greetings!

Gregory "had a spell" at breakfast - electrolyte imbalance, I think.  I got him in the room, and plied him with said stuff, and he dropped off to sleep.  The group went across the river to the Patan area (different city).   We walked to the Temple of the Kumari Ghar - the living Goddess  - believed to be a manifestation of the goddess Durga.  The current goddess is a 10-year old, selected at age 5 by Buddhist priests and priestesses.  She serves until her menstruation.  The belief is that Durga visited the King once a tear to grant him his power.  His queen believed he was cheating on her, so Durga said she chose a young girl to inhabit.  Today, no king, so once a year she blesses the Prime Minister.  She must show no emotion, be carried everywhere, wear red and not leave her temple home except to participate in 16 festivals/year.

The group entered the room and got the blessing of a red smudge on their foreheads.  Next door, a previous Goddess resides.  She's 20-ish and speaks excellent English.  She spoke of her transition (to re-learning to walk).  She is studying and hopes to be a flight stewardess, and plays a traditional 21-string instrument.  She has a YouTube channel, and her older brother is her manager.  She has been recruited to join a political party trying to restore the Monarchy and pressure traditional Nepali culture.  Kumari is her title.

Next, we walked to the Patan Darbar Square, a magnificent multi-temple square and 17th century King's Palace (now a lovely museum with copper and brass castings/statuary and wood carvings.  The doors, windows, and surroundings contained elaborate carvings.  There were about five five pagodas 

We also went to a shop selling bowls: seven layers of metal hammered by the full moon(clear sky).  We each experienced a treatment (head or back).  Back at the hotel, Gregory is up and having lunch.  Whew!

At 5pm, we gathered to hear a presentation from, and meet, Maya Sherpa - the first female Nepali to summit Everest and first female Sherpa guide.  She came from a small mountain village farm family, but always dreamed of a bigger life (too many rules for girls).  Started working as a trekking guide (to base camps).  Then, was given a chance to climb and guide.  She's done Everest from both Nepali and China/Tibet sides, the first K2 all-woman Nepali assent of K2, and about a dozen other mountains.  She'd like to climb all the highest mountains (2 left in Nepal, 5 in Pakistan).  Well-spoken English and unassuming.  She married a mountain climber, and has a 10-year old daughter.  We bought her book on the K2 assent (autographed!).  Remarkable day.  We had our welcome dinner at Opium Pesto on a glitzy drag in town.  Tomorrow, we fly to see Everest!

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Wednesday, March 29th, Kathmandu, Nepal

Tuesday, March 28th, Kathmandu, Nepal

Greetings!

Flight from Varanasi to a wait in the Delhi Airport, to a flight to Kathmandu.  The only thing worth photographing was the sunset on the roof of the hotel in Kathmandu.

To see a couple more photos, click on Tuesday, March 28th, Kathmandu, India

Monday, March 27th, Varanasi, India

Greetings!

Sarnath was the city in 526 BC where Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon upon achieving enlightenment at Bodh Gaya.  It's one of the top four pilgrimages, according to Buddha.  Most popular east of India, especially as Islam swept in from the west, the site underwent major restoration in in 19th century.  One of the outstanding statues, which is on display in the nearby museum, is the four-headed lion portrayed on all Indian currency.

The main name of the City (Varanasi) comes from the names of the two Ganges tributaries on whose confluence it sits (Varuna and Assi).  Fronting on the river are Ghats, world renown embankments made in steps of stone where Hindu pilgrims perform ritual ablutions.  There are 84 of them, most of which are used for bathing and the spiritually significant Hindu Puja ceremony, while a few are used for used exclusively for cremation.   

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Monday, March 27th, Varanasi, India 

Sunday, March 26th, Varanasi, India

"Get out of the way, the Americans are coming"  as the five new white SUVs honked their way across northeast India on its newest highway toward Varanasi.  The most adept drivers navigated our way through every form of transportation used for centuries.  One couldn't help but be embarassed, if we weren't too scared of hitting someone to complain.

At the midpoint of the day, we stopped to see how trillions of bricks are made.  In million-brick batches, they are formed, and dried, and fired in smokestack kilns that belch out dark black smoke into the Indian air.  And one by one, they pass through the hands of India's future.

Varanasi (or Benares) is one of the world's oldest continually-inhabited cities.  Mark Twain wrote in 1897 " Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together" 

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Sunday, March 26th, Varanasi, India.

Saturday, March 25th, Lucknow, India

Greetings!

About the same time as our independence (1770's), the English East India Company was becoming the de facto ruler of the area of India that is referred to as the lower Gangetic plain.  Between the Himalayas and the parallel Ganges River lies a fertile area consisting of a couple million years of erosion.  

About the same time, a young ensign in the French military named Claude Martin arrives in India, participates in battles, and climbs the ranks to Major General.  Along the way, he makes friends with, and designs and constructs major buildings in Lucknow for Asaf-ud-Daula (the grandson of the guy who built the Taj Mahal).  He simultaneously holds the titles of Chief of the State Arsenal and Chief Architect of Lucknow.  At the time of his death in 1800, he was the wealthiest Frenchman outside of France.

Today, we visited La Martiniere College, a school for boys which he left as his legacy.  Some of the strangest, yet most functional, architecture in India.  Containing a Chapel, a Mosque, and a Hindu Temple, it has been serving students non-denominationally for 180 years.   It is part of a group of eight colleges in Lyon and Kolkatta founded by Martin.

We next drove to the Bara Imambara, a place where Shia Muslims mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, who  was killed in Karbala.  The complex includes a Mosque, a great hall, a labyrinth, and a step well.  Construction began in 1780, and it is said that one of Asaf-ud-Daula's objectives was to provide employment for people in the region for almost a decade during the famine.  Ordinary people built during the day, while nobleman tore it down at night.

It reflects the maturation of ornamented Mughal design, one of the last major projects not incorporating any major European elements or the use of iron.  It has no beams supporting the ceiling, and is one of the largest such arched construction projects in the world.  The maze is the only one existing in India, and came about unintentionally to support the weight of the building which is constructed on marsh land.

Finally, we were treated to lunch by a local Nawab (Persian-descended family) for traditional kababs.  The family compound has about forty rooms, purchased by our host's grandfather, split between three sons.   A collector and purveyor of Indian antiques which have appeared in numerous films, our host answered our questions about his family history and culture.

To see all the photos taken today, click on Saturday, March 25th, Lucknow, India.

Friday, March 24th, Lucknow, India

Greetings!

Lucknow is the capital of the largest state in India.  It's only about as big as California, but it has as many people in it as we have in the nation.  We spent most of the day driving across it on the new (and empty) highway.   About every two hours, we stopped at a new large rest stop, complete with great restrooms and groceries/snack shops.  

We were even given a lesson in how the world gets along without toilet paper, but the highlight of the day was clearly the TajLucknow Hotel.  Our lunch there was probably the best of the trip so far, as was the nap afterwards in a luxurious room. 

We took a walk before the group headed out at 4pm, and were very impressed by the garden and pool.  I had plans to do some long backstrokes in it if we returned from our evening activities early enough before dinner.

Girish planned for us to see a local afternoon dance group operating just off one of the very crowded sidestreets, and he led us through a half-mile of barely safe traffic chicken in the heart of the four million residents.  Tutored by a popular instructor, a multi-year after-school program inspires children from 5 to 22 to gain the discipline to perform at an extremely high level.  We were all enthralled at the chance to watch them perform.

Our walk home back through the streets to our hotel was equally informative as it put us once again into the life of Lucknow.  We're amazed at the dexterity of ourselves and the residents as we negotiate movement and interaction.  There is something attractive about the smells, sounds, and feel of a Friday night amidst the pace and depth of a big city in India.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Friday, March 24th, Lucknow, India

Thursday, March 23rd, Agra, India

Greetings!

So today was a combination of Taj Mahal, Sheroes, and the Fort.  The Taj Mahal was just as exciting and overwhelming as you think it must be.  We got there early to avoid the crowds, and had an excellent briefing from Girish.   What a story!  Forty-two acres of garden and Mausoleum, built on the western side of the Yamuna River (they all are in deference to the direction of worship), with the Minarets tipped out two degrees so they'll not fall on the main structure in an earthquake.  Wow!  That - in the mid-1600s.

What becomes clear to those traveling throughout central Asia is that the period from 1100 ad to 1737 AD was dominated by groups foreigners refer to as Mongols, Mogols, Moghals, and Mughals.  The Chinese, Persian, and Ottoman empires coined those terms - all referring to a succession of neighboring leaders from Genghis Kahn to Amir Khan who unified and pacified locals during a 500-year period over the largest conquered land mass in the world.

Shah Jahan, presided over this empire during a 30-year period from 1628 to 1658, and is best known for this structure.  A memorial to his fourth of seven wives, who died giving him 14 children and ever-present advice, it also serves as their tomb and pilgrimage site.  An architectural marvel, it pioneered techniques which were utilized for 200 years.  And i it stunning!

Next, we had tea and snacks at the Sheroes' Cafe, a support enterprise and headquarters for the Chhanv Foundation, run by survivors of acid attacks in India.  The nonprofit center has been providing support services, legal justice, and education in order to bring the issue to public discussion.  We heard personal testimony from staff, and were inspired by their courage.

 

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Thursday, March 23rd, Agra, India.

Wednesday, March 22nd, Agra, India

Greetings!

Agra is the home of the Taj Mahal.  It's also in the center of the most populated of India's 28 states - Uttar Pradesh (UPD).  The state is about the size of California, and has as many people as we have in our entire country.  

After a morning in our bus, we settled into our hotel.  Preparing for a visit tomorrow to the Taj, we decided to visit a smaller version of the Taj Mahal this afternoon.  It's the tomb of the grandfather of the guy who built the Taj, and was the first use of white marble in an Indian structure.    The mosaic tiling and incisions are truly amazing.

Afterward, we decided to go to a viewpoint across the river from the Taj Mahal.  As we sat on the stone benches, I wondered what Shah Jahan must have felt as he watched the 11 year construction from the same site of his monumental memorial to his wife Mumtaz Mahal.  Called by UNESCO  "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage",  it is truly magnificent.  Stay tuned to tomorrow's post to see if I can convey its beauty.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Wednesday, March 22nd, Agra, India.

Tuesday, March 21st, Aagman Camp, India

Greetings!

Today was a traveling day, from Jaipur to Camp Aagman.  We're heading east now, and will soon pass out out Rajasthan.  We're going to stay tonight at a tent camp established by OAT on land owned by a large family in long partnership with our tour.  Tour operators refer to the accommodations as "Glamping", and it's not bad living at that.  Pat mentioned that the bed was the best so far.  The only drawback wre the jackals howls during the night.

On the way here, we visited Abhaneri (an ancient stepwell) built around 800AD.  An inverted pyramid of stairs down into the main water source for the area, it contains some of the most intricate stone carvings.  Our guide pointed out that they are similar to those carved at Ankor Wat in Cambodia five hundred years later, but he thinks of a lesser quality in detail.  

We arrived at the beautiful camp, unloaded our bags, and relaxed prior to a yoga session on the lawn in front of our tents.  Girish, our guide, is an experienced teacher, and led most of the group (we won't identify which 75-year olds watched from the porch of our tent).

Shortly, the group assembled just outside the dining hall and listened to a dance/song campfire presentation from the locals.  At their urging, and after quite a few drinks, we joined in to dance the night away.

To see all of the photos taken Today, click on Tuesday, March 21st, Aagman Camp, India