Unique – Page 2 – Traveling Epic!

Inland Jamaican Island Adventures and Excursions

April 14, 2014April 21, 2014Posted in Caribbean, Culture, Falls, Favorite, Food, Island, National Park, Nature, Photography, Road Trip, Tourism, Travel, Travel Tips, UniqueTagged cruise stop, Curry Goat, Curry Lobster, featured, food, Island living, jamaica, Jamaican, Jerk Chicken, Jerk Pork, kingston, Mas Camp, Montego Bay, Night life, Ocho Rios, Scotchies4 Comments

I flew into Montego Bay (a fairly cheap flight from the east coast of the US), and while I had some commitments for work, I arrived early so I could see one of the most amazing islands in the world. World Famous Jamaica!!! Known for Bob Marley, Music, the Reggae movement (read more in my other Jamaica post on Reggae Jamaica), the amazing people and rich culture of friendly people. What an incredible island with so much to see. If Jamaica is a quick stop, you have to focus on what you can fit in. I understand that. I was luck to spend time in both sides of the island and see the best of Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Kingston. I hope this post gives you some great ideas of what to see and what to do!

First off let me tell you all of the bad things I heard that were so wrong!

– I heard they had horrible roads

– I heard I had to expect horrible drivers

– I heard it would take me forever to get from place to place

– I heard it would be dangerous for me and I should be really careful cause people would try to cheat me.

So wrong… Don’t believe everything you hear!

There were a few things that I learned for travel tips that I’ll cover at the end of this post. A few words of caution, but for the most part, I was so glad to embrace Jamaica and not be afraid. The people were amazing!

Driving

First stop was to pick up the car. Yes, despite everything I was told, I figured I would want a car. I’m that kind of traveller that driving on the other side of the road and even with crazy roads and drivers, I still feel great, so I took on the challenge of Jamaican driving. Reality is, the roads were great! I’ve driven in Barbados and Puerto Rico and these roads were better than what I saw on both of those islands. I kept saying, where are those bad roads? Where are those crazy drivers? I guess I fit right in. I admit I did get pulled over by the police twice. Now there is some advice and story to that. I drove across the island. In all I drove both ways across the island and logged at least 12 hours on the road and I admit I was looking for the best and worst of the island. I drove to Nine mile, and I drove into trench town and some of the shady area of Kingston and suburbs. More on driving at the end of the post

Rose Hall Great House

If you love history, you’ll love Rose Hall. If you love romance, architecture, tours… you’ll love Rose Hall. There is so much of the story of the island and it’s history that is locked up in the history of Rose Hall. As the first real attraction just 15 min outside of Montego Bay, I was happy to have made Rose Hall my main investment of time the first night I arrived. Rose Hall is one place during the day, and another during the night. In the night you can tour the great house by candle light. Constructed in 1770 the owners had over 2000 slaves and was one of the many great houses that existed. It is one of the few on the island that remain. During slave revolt most of the great homes on the island were destroyed. The history here is one of VooDoo and murder and the story of Annie the white witch as seen on World’s Scariest Places, and Ghost Hunters International. It was $20 USD to visit the hall. I found most of the attractions to land at about $20.

The bedroom of Annie Palmer. Who murdered all of her husbands and lovers.

The Tomb of Annie Palmer… Listening to a story from our adorable guide in period dress.

You can read more about the tours at Rose Hall on their website RoseHall.com.

As far as spending money, we really didn’t even need to exchange our money. Every place we went took both Jamaican dollars and US Dollars. In fact, we were getting a better rate by using US Dollars as the money I exchanged at the airport was a worse rate than I was getting on the street. Paying with US dollars worked great.

That first night we drove to Ocho Rios… A stop at the night market

Market in Ocho Rios (Great during the Day or Night!)

Jamaican Jerk Chicken cooked right on the street. Some are spicier than others. None of them were as spicy as I was expecting, but you could add your own Scotch peppers to kick it up!

The fruit of the night market. For the most part the night market was one for the locals. We really didn’t see any tourists as we visited the stalls and walked around Ocho Rios. I think many were surprised to see us as so many of the travelers simply stay on their resorts, especially at night. We had plenty of folks who wanted to show us around. While I was fine doing my own tour, we stayed out pretty late… 1am and didn’t mind spending some time really getting to know some of the locals and hearing their stories.

Dunn’s River Falls

One of the most beautiful on the island, but one of many amazing waterfalls on the island. Dunn’s River falls is famous across the island. You can either bring your own water shoes or rent some for fairly cheap. I learned on another trip that climbing with socks gives you pretty good grip. So I hiked the falls in my socks and it worked just fine. I really enjoyed the hike up the falls. It was only as extreme as you made it. It costs $20 for adult foreigners enter the falls park. There were easy paths to climb. I would have been fine with my boys climbing it and may just have to bring them back soon.

The falls lands right into the beach. Beautiful beach. Since we weren’t on an organized tour we arrived early and had the entire beach to ourselves. Amazing turquois waters including a life guard and a roped off area to help you know the area that’s safe and protected. Of course, I tested the boundaries and even stood up on an old pier and jumped out into the beautiful waters.

Beautiful sandy beaches. So much warmer water than I’m use to on the West Coast of the US.

You can see the hand holds here on the left. I climbed the falls trying to take a medium difficulty route that I made up on my own. You could hire a guide to follow. I found that to be unnecessary. It wasn’t challenging, it was fun. I did try to put myself into some challenging positions.

Having arrived early, I had the falls to myself. One of my friends took pictures from a viewing area on the side. Lot of great pools, and amazing waters. This is a wonder of the island and one that should be appreciated. I understand there are different falls in the interior of the island and this one while it does have a local price for the islanders, they end up going to different falls.

Mystic Mountain Rain Forest Adventures

While we were on our way back to Ocho Rios, we saw the signs for Mystic Mountain. I’m a fan of ziplines and canopy tours, and still had fresh memories of my time in Costa Rica. It was a beautiful day and I felt like we had a little time to go. So we decided to do the Sky Explorer which would take us through the rain forest on a chair lift (like a ski lift). We also took the bobsled ride. We were limited on time or we likely would have done the full package. Honestly it was a bit pricey, but I’m sure it took a lot to put this together and while it was my intention to avoid the touristy areas, I felt like this allowed me to see and enjoy a lot in a short period of time. The Bobsled theme was pretty cool as well. We did find a moment to relax and enjoy the beautiful humming birds. Fantastic colors. If you end up doing this, I highly recommend slowing it down and enjoying nature and soaking up the rainforest and all it has to offer. The adrenaline rush of the bobsled ride and zipline is awesome, but be sure to slow down and relax. That’s really an important thing to realize that Jamaica is about. Enjoying life and appreciating what you have.

Sky Explorer – chair lift
Rainforest Bobsled – bob sled ride through the rain forest (additional cost)
Canopy Zipline – multiple ziplines through the rain forest (additional cost)
Butterflies and Hummingbirds – little areas setup with humming bird food (included once you’re up there)
Waterslide and Infinity pool (included with your purchase)

More info from Mystic Mountain (be sure to read the reviews on Trip Advisor as well)

Beautiful views from the chairlift of the amazing waters, beaches, and Ocho Rios off in the distance. Floating slowly over the tops of the trees on the chair lift.

Food – Eat Jamaican!

Up the road from Ocho Rios is a truly mystical place. Talking of taking a moment and enjoying nature… As the water would come in and go back it would swell and shoot up like a blow hole spraying a fine mist. We stopped here for lunch at Oracabessa. Momma took care of us. Incredible seafood, fish, and more. I included a few photos.

This is what you see from the road. A fun Jamaican reggae guy was working on the roof of the place, but we went further over next to the cliffs.

Conch salad

Curry Lobster!

Dishes you have to have while on the island after you eat the Jerk Pork and Jerk Chicken is… Curry Lobster, and bonus points for Ox Tail, and Curry Goat.

My Favorite Jerk Chicken on the Island is Scotchies… I ended up eating there in Montego Bay (the original) and in Kingston (in the bar area). There’s another near Ocho Rios, maybe others!?

Thursday is ribs! But you can get the chicken and pork every day. Go for the pork! It’s the best, but the Jerk Chicken is famous. You can tell it’s real by the corrugated tin.

We also ate at M10 in Kingston, a local place with great music and great food, and especially great seafood! Great ginger beer as well.

Bonus: More Nightlife and Carnival

Now for something that most travelers and tourists would miss. Though a friend we tracked down a party that was going on in one of the neighborhoods in Kingston. It seemed like it was going to go on all night, we ended up leaving at 4AM and the DJs were just changing to start a new set.

One other night we happened to be in Kingston for Mas Camp. It’s basically practice leading up to Carnival.

Carnival dancer at Mas Camp with a couple of my friends. High energy dancing… Kingston is where the best music and entertainment is on the island. I didn’t see any tourists at this event.

While I did end up staying on the island for 4 days, the first 24 hours of just soaking up the island was so incredible. I had an amazing time. I did mention that I drove across the island and spent more time than is spent in this post. Refer to my post on Bob Marley’s Jamaica and Reggae tour to see what else I saw with my time on the island. I do want to give you some balance to what else you’ll find on the island.

Some Warning and Caution

We did find a few hustlers and people begging, but for the most part when we asked them to leave they did. It wasn’t as aggressive as other islands or even close to what I’ve seen in much of Africa. This was less than what you’d see in big cities in the US. Don’t be so afraid to venture out of your all inclusive resort. Don’t believe the stories. Experience it for yourself.

There is still some corruption. I was pulled over by the police twice. The first time, I got a warning to slow down. There are basically two speeds on the ring road. 50 KM and 80 KM. The police were usually hanging out where it would transition to the slow speed and they’d be on the side of the road with their speed guns waving people over. By the time you see them or recognize, you’re likely going too fast. The second time I got pulled over, I got a different answer. The policeman asked me if I wanted to find a way to settle this. He asked me to be subtle, but to take the papers back to the car and put some money in it. Didn’t tell me how much. I think we ultimately put in about $10 and he didn’t even look, he just put it in his pocket and told me to slow down. I also got booted once. The guy was wearing a blue shirt. Everybody knew it was the guy in the blue shirt who was the one that booted the cars that weren’t suppose to leave their cars there. We were stopping to get our tickets before taking the car back and it looked like others had left their cars parked for a few minutes, but ours was the one that got the boot. $20 later, I was on my way. No other real problems. I grew up in Idaho and so I’m use to passing cars on two lane roads. What was different was the need to slow down a bit when people didn’t allow enough time when passing. It was much better driving than I experienced in Italy or especially than Naples, so I really can’t complain about the driving practices. Seemed pretty normal to me. There are some pretty narrow roads which go across the island, where you really need to be on watch. In Kingston itself there are the early numbered streets like first street and fifth street and streets around Trench town that certain streets aren’t designed to be through streets that don’t have the road blocks on the GPS or on the maps. For the most part you don’t need to be in there. Make sure the GPS is sending you to the actual street you’re looking for, some times it would fail to find it, but default to somewhere else and that’s where we’d be driving in strange roads, but for the most part, I enjoyed the challenge and the people were great. I would not compare Jamaica to most of the African villages. It’s one of the best islands in the Caribbean (easily one of my favorite) and the industry is really up and coming. The businesses and people really deserve your support. I see Jamaica as a great place to do outsourcing and a great place to work with hard working happy people.

Fresh coconut for $2 USD… Yes, Jamaica is paradise. While this photo catches me right after I survived climbing the Dunn’s River waterfall and isn’t flattering it shows off a bit of the natural beauty of the island. What an amazing place. Can’t wait to get back so I can go to the other parts of the island…. Negril and Blue Mountains and so much more to see!

Don’t miss my post on my Reggae Jamaica

Bob Marley Adventure Guide to Reggae Jamaica

April 10, 2014April 21, 2014Posted in Caribbean, Culture, Favorite, History, Island, Nature, North America, Religion, Road Trip, Tourism, UniqueTagged bob marley, bob marley birthplace, bob marley masoleum, culture yard, ethiopia, Haile Salassie I, history, hope road, jamaica, kingston, Lion of Juddah, reggae, tour, trench town, trenchtown2 Comments

I’ve been wanting to go to Jamaica really bad. When a few of my friends were asking when we’d go, I knew I was going to be in Orlando and said why not? At first I was planning on a dive, but most of my friends that were joining weren’t divers, so instead we made this an interior trip. Why not explore the parts of the island that the tourists miss and be real travelers and go on adventures . I did see a lot of Jamaica and I write about the other parts of Jamaica in my follow up post “Get all right in Jamaica”.

I was excited to connect with one of the greatest artists Bob Marley. Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) He’s had such an impressive impact on the music industry with popularizing Reggae on the world scene and bringing light to Rastafarian way of life. More than just having a few Bob Marley songs, I’ve met some real Rastafarians that helped me understand it’s more of a lifestyle. Many wouldn’t realize the commitment of the Rasta folks including not drinking alcohol and eating veggie. Most seem to focus exclusively on the fact that marijuana is accepted and taken religiously. It was in Zanzibar where I really gained an appreciation for the Rasta music and sacraments. It was then that I really wanted to visit the island and see what it was all about. In addition, it was visiting the grave of Haile Selassie I and the castles of the empire of Ethiopia that made me feel like I both needed to learn the ancient and modern manifestation of what was going on with the line of Solomon and Bob Marley as a Prophet? There was a lot I needed to learn. There were really three main places on the island we visited. Most of the tours be prepared to pay $20 USD on the spot. For some reason most of the attractions on the island are twenty US dollars and yes you can pay in USD or Jamaican Dollars (approximately 9 or 10 to 1), while we were there it was even better to pay in USD as the dollar was stronger, wasn’t even worth exchanging the money…

1. Bob Marley Experience – House and Record Label on 56 Hope Road in Kingston, Jamaica (also where the attempted assassination took place) Tour required to see the house.

2. Trench Town Culture Yard – Birthplace of Reggae and where Bob Marley learned to play and where he lived after running away a few blocks. (a bit rough) Tour available. More on Trenchtown on Wikipedia

3. Birthplace, Mausoleum, and first home of Bob Marley in Nine Mile, his real retreat on his grandparents land. Deep inside the island. (Multi hour drive from Kingston or much closer from Ocho Rios) Tour required to get to the mausoleum.

There are a few ways to see the islands of the Caribbean, and while many simply get the all inclusive resort and catch a cab or van to their particular resort with a big fence and a private beach. If they leave they are visiting a tourist attraction called an excursion where the entire path and time is laid out where very little interaction with the *real* islanders happen. This trip on the other hand was the complete opposite. While I did see a few attractions, where I drove, slept, ate, and spent my time was amongst the people.

Popular Bob Marley Statue… One Love, One Life!

I had some great opportunities to visit the homes of Bob Marley. There are really three main areas to visit.

Bob Marley House on Hope Road – Bob Marley Experience

This is the house where Bob Marley lived until his attempted assassination in 1976. The house is now known as the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, Jamaica dedicated to the reggae musician Bob Marley. The museum is located at 56 Hope Road, Kingston 6, and is Bob Marley’s former place of residence at his peak. It was home to the Tuff Gong record label which was founded by The Wailers in 1970. They don’t allow any pictures to be taken inside the home, but there’s a great collection of the news, records, and history. The guide takes you from room to room giving you history about Bob Marley and his success concluding in the theatre where they show a number of music videos and you get to listen to his music as it evolved over time.

Trench Town, Kingston Culture Yard – Birthplace of Reggae and where Bob Marley learned to play guitar – Not a place some tourists will want to drive by themselves. But for the adventurous traveler you’ll find a poor part of Kingston where the cement is the walls, floors, and many live in small spaces. The place itself has a rough history.

Bob Marley’s mom moved to Trench town, a poor but cultural part of Kingston a few streets up from the Culture yard. Bob moved to Trench town when he was 12 and wanted to stay on first street.

Today Trench Town boasts the Trench Town Culture Yard Museum, a visitor friendly National Heritage Site presenting the unique history and contribution of Trench Town to Jamaica. Trench Town is the birthplace of rocksteady and reggae music, as well as the home of reggae and Rastafari ambassador and prophet Bob Marley.

“Though raised as a Catholic, Marley became interested in Rastafarian beliefs in the 1960s, when away from his mother’s influence. Marley formally converted to Rastafari and began to grow dreadlocks. The Rastafarian proscription against cutting hair is based on the biblical Samson who as a Nazarite was expected to make certain religious vows including the ritual treatment of his hair as described in Chapter Six of the Book of Numbers.”

Trench Town Culture Yard… birthplace of Reggae and where Bob Marley ran away from home and learned to play guitar. There you can see his first guitar and see his room.

Left: Bob’s first guitar. Right: Statue of Bob Marley in the Culture Yard.

Out in Ocho Rios the Ganja smoking is not welcome in some areas, but you can find people who can get you whatever your heart desires. There are many plants all over the island.

This weed seems to spring up everywhere. I can’t say I tried any, but I did see a few plants and was offered much of the Reggae sacrament.

Bob Marley Mausoleum, Resting Place, Birth Place and first home in Nine Mile.

Bob Marley’s home where he grew started his life on his grandparents property. The mausoleum in Nine Mile (deep in the island) contains family members on his mothers side of the family.

While I couldn’t sit on the bed, I was offered the rock which was where many songs of inspiration came to the Bob.

I had an incredible time on the island. I’ll follow up this post with the non Bob Marley things I saw, but felt like the Reggae experience was worth a post alone. I hope this post can stand as a reference that there’s a lot to see to better understand the great legend of Bob Marley, one of the most influential singers of the decade a man taken before his prime.

The landscape in 9 mile is beautiful. In my opinion it’s worth the drive. You get to see a very different part of the island and if you can find a way to relax with the people… I recommend slowing it down and listening to the music. Don’t be so afraid to leave your resort. Jamaica is amazing!

In my search for the origins of Reggae I found Marcus Garvey and read all about Haile Salasie I, then looked up more quotes on his rein. You can also get a lot more history of Bob Marley with tons more detail on Wikipedia.

Angel Falls Venezuela – World’s Tallest Waterfall

September 25, 2013December 13, 2013Posted in Bucket List, Extreme, Falls, Favorite, History, Nature, Photography, Road Trip, South America, Tourism, Travel, Unique, WonderTagged Angel Falls, Auyantepui, featured, Mirador, Natural Wonders of the World, Salto Angel, Tallest Waterfall7 Comments

One of the biggest adventures in my life included a recent trip to Angel Falls. Angel Falls is very deep in Venezuela. First there was getting to Venezuela. The cheapest way we found was to go through Curacao. With a friend we arranged an overnight van transport from Caracas to Ciudad Bolivar airport, and from there we flew on a small plane to Canaima, the absolute edge of any sort of civilization. The area we flew into is a crossways of a number of Amerindian tribes where the river is the road. From that point we met up with our native guides. At the local market, call it arrivals and departures where I saw a native wearing a loin cloth. We were really out there. After jumping on an army transport vehicle we went up stream past a big waterfall to get in our hollowed out canoe.

I had heard we were up for a four hour canoe ride, what I didn’t know was that it was going to be four hours of white water on a hollowed out canoe with a motor! This wasn’t a motor boat. This was a native boat turned into a motor boat. We stuffed all of our stuff for 2 days plus our group of 10 and our two native guides. The first wave, I thought we were going over. I think the canoe was even more rocky than you’re average canoe. We were literally in a log that as hollowed out. It didn’t feel very steady. Our guides knew it. If we put our hands on the side of the canoe it was enough to throw off the equilibrium. Ask anyone who rode in our canoe, during the first couple of hours they had to yell at us every few minutes to make sure we kept a low center of gravity. Getting bashed by cold waves over and over did much to make us listen to every warning from our guides.

Land of the lost… A view of Angel Falls from the other side of the river where we were camping… we woke up to this.

There wasn’t anything on our cold soaked bodies that was dry. I had prune hands and feet by the time we reached our destination 4 hours up the river. I later learned the conditions were right for us to make such good time. The river was high due to lots of rain. What I missed out on mentioning was the fact that as we sped up the river getting drenched with whitewater, we saw some of the most incredible views of waterfalls coming down from high plateaus rising up from the plains. The terrain changed from sparse forest to thick dense jungle.

Our guides informed us that the peninsula we saw was over 700 Sq Km at the top and rises over 3000 meters from the ground to the top. The terrain itself is a thing of stories. From the stories of a land where dinosaurs still live to a place where an old man flies his house on balloons. It was also part of the stories of El Dorado in search of the cities of gold. This place is so inaccessible, it is the place of stories.

Angel Falls Venezuela Mirador Salto Angel

The reveal of the world’s tallest waterfall was scintillating. When I realized what it was and had it confirmed by our guides, our boat was a flutter with video, cameras and phones clicking snapping as we all hoped the waves would stay at bay while we got shots of a lifetime. Within minutes the boat stopped, and we started a hike across streams and small rivers up the mountain toward a vantage point to see the best of Angel Falls. A five mile hike with wet feet and wet clothes. My friend Michael did the hike barefoot as his flip flops broke early on. I was wearing knock off crocks that I bought for about the equivalent of $5 back in the camp. It worked out for me. The hike was pretty wild. I was looking for jaguars and monkeys, but ultimately I missed seeing any significant wild life. On the way down, the trail got darker and darker. Most of the group had head lamps. Despite the new batteries I put in it, they were dead when I found it at the bottom of my bag and the light was switched to on. I wouldn’t find out until our guide brought down the last group that he saw a 3 meter (10 feet) long boa constrictor!

That night we slept on a dozen hammocks slung up next to each other displayed in what looked like a wedding chapel. Swinging just a little, you’d bump into you’re neighbor and we were a cozy bunch… That is until the next morning when I found out that I slept like a log when I laid down. Apparently I was snoring (I hadn’t really slept in two days) and made it a bit of a challenge for a few of my new friends… which made it a bit uncomfortable over the next couple of days. I guess the snoring was a bit of a joke in camp. It kind of felt like a summer camp after 3 days with these folks.

I’d like to share more of our experience on this trip, but I don’t want to detract from the falls… What an amazing falls. After we got back down closer to canaima we had the opportunity to do some smaller hikes including one behind a HUGE waterfall. That as well was truly incredible. Another night on hammocks with the option of a room or bed… I think I got bit by something even though I was sleeping in a mosquito net. Strange.

The final day we had the option of taking a little flight up around the falls. Doing the fuzzy math with the cheaper exchange rate, it came to around $50 to go fly in a 6 seat plane around Angel Falls. I convinced my friends we should do it. Another amazing add-on and this was the best $50 spent in a really long time. It was incredible.

After we got up we had some amazing views of the falls. With four passes, twice each window and a rainbow, and a different view each time… we got some amazing shots!

Flying over Auyantepui and the great Cataract – Angel Falls, named for a pilot from Missouri who crash landed his plane on top of Auyantepui

Overall I really loved the little plane flight. It gave me a real appreciation for how high up we were and provided the chance to really gain another vantage point otherwise impossible. It made me think about the history and discovery of this area of the world from the European perspective. There is some fascinating stories about the history and discovery with Jimmy Angel and his search for Gold and Diamonds… Can you believe that they didn’t believe him when he told the stories of a fall that fell 1KM

More stories to tell… but I really want to get these amazing pictures shared… We walked behind this falls!

More later…

Bermuda So much more! 5 Amazing things to do in Bermuda

September 21, 2013December 14, 2013Posted in Food, History, Island, Nature, North America, Tourism, Travel, UNESCO, UniqueTagged Bermuda, Bermuda Triangle, diving, featured, golfing, Horseshoe bay, Saint George, scooter, scuba2 Comments

When you think of Bermuda do you think of shorts, surfing, sun, and island living? Having recently got back from Bermuda I now have a great appreciation for this amazing island. One of the amazing things about the islands of the Caribbean and really the islands everywhere is that for the most part, each island is different. A few years ago before I started really exploring the islands I thought once you’d been to one you’d seen them all. This is far from the case. Each island nation has a different story. Many have different geographic features, and the histories and imperial powers languages and resources of each island make up a vast variety of experiences. Even the foreign money that may be invested in the nation play into the development of an island and how long it’s been independent or not!

Business wear in Bermuda really stands out as unique. It’s quite normal to see a business man in a suit coat, shorts, dress shoes, and long black socks.

In my trip there, I found it to be a bit of paradise. Amazing beaches, relaxing surf, some of the best ship wreck diving in the world, and if you love exploring by scooter, there isn’t a better island. Only the locals can have cars, and even they are limited to how many cars they can have per household. As a visitor or tourist you can rent a 150cc scooter. Even my friends who were from overseas working there drove a scooter to work. This keeps the traffic, noise and pollution and congestion down on the three main roads through the island. Top speed limits on the roads are easily achievable by scooter as well, so that’s not a problem. During my visit I ended up driving on each of the main roads and went from tip to tip in a day tour across the island with my scooting friends.

If you love island food you’ll love the Jerk, Cajun and Creole and amazing seafood with fresh fish sandwiches everywhere. Little island, great night life! I had an amazing time mixing it up with locals in one of a few clubs, and then headed out for a midnight dip.

Many people get Bermuda mixed up with the Bahamas or think that it’s in the Caribbean, in reality it’s closer to North Carolina than it is to the Virgin Islands or the Bahamas.

While tourism is one of the top two forms of income for the island, insurance comes in second.

Bermuda

Discovery: 1505 by Bermudez although he never even landed there!

Geographic features: Bermuda is the shape of a fish hook. At it’s widest point is 1.5 miles wide, and and just over 15 miles from eastern most point to western most point.

Indigenous population: Said to have had no natives, but someone apparently dropped off some pigs which later helped to establish a permanent settlement community there.

Unique Features: St. Georges was established in 1612 and is the oldest continuously inhabited British town in the New World. It is now also the oldest British overseas territory.

My Favorite 5 things to do in Bermuda

1. Dive the Bermuda Triangle – Right off the coast of Bermuda are tons of sunken ships and great reefs. There appear to be higher density of sunken ships around Bermuda than anywhere! If you don’t dive there are great snorkeling spots as well, or go for a glass bottomed boat, but you really should consider getting wet in the amazing water. There are advanced diving places with tunnels, caves, and canyons, and easy diving spots with tons of colorful fish. I saw a massive grouper.

2. Soak up some sun on the amazing beaches like Horseshoe Bay in the most amazing azure colored water you’ll ever see– The sand doesn’t get hot and it barely sticks to you.

3. Walk around St George 1612, the oldest continuously inhabited town in the new world. Old ships, old churches, old graveyards, great colorful little shops, and tons of museums. You can feel the history.

4. Life is an adventure – Rent a scooter, the best way to get around the island! Want to take it slower? Take a segway tour, or really step it up and put on a water propelled jet pack. I rented a scooter in the middle of the island and rode from tip to tip and then back. Amazing how much ground I could cover in an afternoon.

5. Go golfing?!! Highest golfing density in the world. 18 courses on some of the most pristine views and unique environments.

5 Incredible Alaska Adventures

August 26, 2013September 25, 2013Posted in Animals, Bucket List, Favorite, National Park, Nature, North America, Photography, Tourism, Travel, Travel Tips, UniqueTagged Alaska, Bears, birder, cruise, eagles, Fjords, Glacier, Hiking, Kenai National Park, nature, orcas, whales4 Comments

Alaska is amazing. Everything you’re heard and then some. My visit to Alaska was my last state in the US (50/50). For that reason alone I was excited to visit. I was debating doing a cruise from Seattle or from Vancouver, Canada but ultimately decided on a flight to Anchorage. It took me by surprise when I was trying to figure out what I should do with my Alaska Miles. I had 45,000 miles and after my move to Salt Lake City, I found my miles were going to expire. What I discovered in my searches, I could fly from SLC to anywhere in Alaska even as far as Borrow, AK for 25,000 round trip. That’s not the same case with Hawaii. It was 40,000 round trip, but flying from Salt Lake City to Boise Idaho was the same number of miles. At first I was thinking I should go with a friend to Alaska, but my wife expressed interest, and getting a multi day baby sitter to watch my 3 boys has never been easy, and they are all great travelers. Then I was talking to my parents, and they expressed interest. At first I thought I could go with my dad, but then my mom wanted to go as well. Why not make this a super family trip? With the partnership with Alaska I found a direct Delta flight from SLC to ANC (Anchorage.) I had to check to see how much the Delta points were for this same flight. 25,000 miles! With this discovery I decided to book 5 award tickets on Delta in addition to the 2 on Alaska. I even ended up buying 5,000 miles to make up the difference.

Lessons Learned:

Alaska/Delta miles let you book a flight to Alaska for the same price as a domestic (48 states) ticket – (Best Deal was 25,000 Award Miles)
Same number of miles for adjoining cities as it is for Miami to Alaska

One other thing that came in looking at the best way to book Alaska was in discovering that an Alaska Cruise would ultimately mean getting on a smaller boat to see the glaciers and getting closer to the wild life ultimately. I did find that both food and hotels are pricey in Alaska. So that was definitely points toward cruise, but I used some tricks to find a hotel in Anchorage for less than $100 using Priceline.com. Food was a different challenge. Most meals were about $5 more than in the states. The 2 for 20 deal at Chilis was 2 for $25. A large bowl of Pho soup was $12 in contrast to 6 or $7 in UT or WA. The IHOP average meal was around $12 vs. 7 as well. At fast food places, the $1 menu was $2. Anchorage did have a lot of choices for food, and out in the smaller cities the deli’s and sandwich shoppes could get you a meal.

Some of my best advice for the adventure traveler is to think outside the box. There are hostels that have much better rates, but also consider camping and cabins, some of the best deals and most flexible options are in this area.

5 MUST DO ACTIVITIES IN ALASKA

1. Glaciers and Fjords – The Glaciers and Fjords in Alaska are simply amazing. The size and scale of these things dwarf most things on earth. They sure seem like they are alive. Calving, Moving, Groaning, Shrinking, Growing, Cracking, Carving… There are multiple ways of reaching these amazing beauties.

The best way is to get right up to the Fjords of Kenai by cruise. Right out of Seward there are multiple cruise companies with multiple cruise options. I took the 10am Kenai Fjords Cruise with Salmon Bake Dinner on the island. I have no regrets. It was a great cruise, we saw a couple of Fjords up close, but also amazing wild life. I’ll talk about that later.

As well, you can hike up to the Glaciers. Exit Glacier has a great hike that starts with a flat handicap accessible viewpoint within a mile, or add another mile and hike up the mountain to view them up closer, and add another mile to touch the glacier, or add another few miles and you can hike up the largest snow field in the US.

or even Sea Kayak to the Fjords, not too close because these things are very active and can create amazing tides. I’m sure you could even dog sled in the winter. There are options to take a sled with wheels to help the dogs practice for the Iditarod.

2. Whale Watching – Some of the best viewing of whales in the world is right here in Alaska. On this short 8 hour Fjords and Nature cruise of the Kenai peninsula, Kenai National Park from the water, we saw a half dozen hump backs, a couple of pods of Orcas with many individuals covering a large distance, half dozen porpoises, hundreds of seals and sea lion and dozens of sea otters. Such a great feeling when you see these gigantic creatures of the sea. It’s not the same as watching National Geographic, because you’re seeing it and experiencing it first hand. I can imagine whale watching in a kayak or small boat would also be quite “wild.”

Orcas, Hump Backs, and Belugas are all within reach, I saw a couple of pods of Belugas driving along the Arm headed to Seward. I’m sure the population increases and changes based on the seasons, but the Orcas and Hump Backs and the Belugas all call it home. I’m sure they have additional whale friends who come and visit. I’m also sure it’s a different experience every time, but reading the reviews from the Kenai Fjords Cruise, I think you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who didn’t think it was incredible.

As a photographer, catching the tale of the whale, or the even more rare breach of a hump back whale is beyond exhilarating. These are wildlife memories that will ruin any future visits to sea world, or at least remind me when I saw it IN THE WILD.

While seeing large groups of seals and sea lions and the like, I am reminded of a number of encounters the docks in San Francisco or Seal Beach California, the docks in Ensenada or the elephant seals on the beach in Antarctica, but seeing them in their native habitat on rocks away from people is pretty darn cool. I can’t tire of seeing these amazing animals.

3. Encounter the Animals of the Forrest – With more than 3 types of Bears, and some of the densest and largest populations of large land mammals, Alaska is the best place to find bears, moose, elk, caribou and more in their natural habitat. You can go flight seeing and bear viewing they’ll take you right to where they are dinning on salmon. We saw a little brown bear chewing on a carcass on the side of the road.

While I can’t guarantee you will see a moose or bear while simply driving. There are plenty of signs to watch for moose. That’s a big concern. They are big animals and cause serious damage to your vehicle if you hit one.

If you are looking for guaranteed great sightings, I won’t send you to the Anchorage zoo which does have them, I would suggest going to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center which has decent rates (carpool for even better rates). You can definitely get up and close. With a simple fence separating you. While you don’t feed them, you can visit the Musk Ox or Reindeer center in Palmer (close to Anchorage) for even closer encounters. The good news is the money goes to rehabilitating animals and reintroducing and strengthening the population of endangered animals.

We saw…

Baby Musk Ox
Huge Herd of Wood Bison
Elk Herd
Black Bears
Moose
Caribou/Reindeer
Porcupine

4. It’s a Birders Paradise – Eagles, Swans, Cormerans, Puffins, and way more. If you love birds, you’re in paradise. Even if you aren’t you’re going to see some amazing examples of some of the most beautiful birds. Below this is one example. We’re watching this elk herd and noticed a bald eagle in the tree nearby. Incredible.

This pair of swans was swimming with their three ugly duckling swan babies in a pond just outside of Seward.

Seems like every where you turn, there’s some amazing majestic bird watching.

On our cruise we saw the funniest little puffins. The rare crested puffins, and the more common puffin were so funny to watch trying to take flight. Seeing them on their terms in these huge rock fortresses which seem designed for birds.

5. It’s a Fisherman’s Paradise – Every where we went people asked if we were doing a charter. No, we were there to observe, and observe we did. We started stopping at the streams to see the salmon. Amazing salmon jumping up their fish ladders and making their way to spawn. Huge fish, many with their humps out of the water, finding their way upstream. The rivers were teaming with life.

In addition as a sportsman’s paradise it wasn’t hard to find huge halibut and a variety of fish on the walls, and in boxes being shipped home. Lots of great finishing and amazing catches.

After such an amazing trip, I can’t answer why it took Alaska so long to get on my list. Amazing place… Highly Recommended. Yes, it does rain and it get’s cold in the winter and dark 22 hours of darkness, but in the summer you get 16 hours of light, and 2 months without much rain in June and July. Rain starts back up in August. While I didn’t see the Aurora Borealis, I can see reasons why the time of year has it’s benefits. It’s a different place with different experiences. Do you’re research and consider Alaska a great destination to make the most of your miles.

Great Wall of China – New 7 Wonders of the World (1 of 7)

July 23, 2013October 29, 2013Posted in Asia, Bucket List, History, Photography, Tourism, Travel, Unique, WonderTagged Beijing, china, Great Wall of China, Wonder of the World, Wonders6 Comments

If you ever feel like getting to China is just too impossible. Have Faith. It’s definitely possible. I had seen most of Asia before I made it to China. For some reason I just kept finding other things, and I felt like if I was going to visit China, I wanted to see it all, I wanted to have enough time. I changed my attitude. The forbidden city wasn’t going to remain forbidden any more. I visited the Chinese embassy on a visit to San Francisco and within a couple of hours I had my visa. I was on my way to the Forbidden city with explicit plans to see the Great Wall of China one of the most exclusive travel lists in the world… the New 7 Wonders of the World!

The Forbidden City, in Beijing at night near Tiananmen Square

I decided, I wasn’t going to have time to spend a month or more in China anyway so I should break up my trip to China and plan it like I would Australia and simply break it into regions. Same as seeing Canada, you just can’t see it all at once. I’m sure many people say the same thing about the USA, or they should. Those who go to NYC and Las Vegas and think they’ve seen the US are kidding themselves. Those who rent an RV and Drive along route 66 are still only seeing one piece, but I understand the draw.

This post is in a series of 7 posts on the 7 Wonders of the New World

Gate to the Forbidden City

China is an amazing country. Looking for a culture shock!?? China is awesome at that. I’ll save another post for digging into my travels into China, and share my Wonder Experiences in a series.

We woke up early to head out to the Great Wall of China. It was surreal. Dux one of my techie friend’s from the Philippines who speaks great Chinese was our real connection to the locals. He helped us arrange a van to take us out to the Great Wall. We drove for a good hour from our hotel. The homes were getting more and more spread out. As we drove along it felt like we were entering the country side. I can’t remember if it was 2 hours, but it seemed like when we thought we were there, it was another 20 minutes. Then once we got into the parking lot, we realized it was going to be another 20-30 minutes of hiking up steps. The wall wasn’t designed for accessibility.

Seeing the wall was promising, but we could really see it from the car. We could see it weaving across the mountains for as far as we could see.

At first it just seems a lot like a wall made of bricks, but then as you take it in… in its magnitude, and splendor to realize its age, its role in history and in its preservation of culture and history… and then really start to understand the sacrifice of this man made feat. It brings humility and awe. Lots of sacrifice.

While we all decided we didn’t want to go down the way we came up, Michael and I decided we wanted to go for a walk, and the other guys decided to take the roller coaster. There were some interesting options once on top. You could walk 2 miles to a gondola one way, or another way was the gravity based roller coaster with a metal track, it was next to an impromptu zoo. We all decided we’d meet back at the bottom of the hill near where they were.

(A few of these photos are from Michael at Sharing The Globe a Traveling companion and Great photographer.)

Walking from tower to tower it seems close, but it really isn’t. It might be 1KM or more between towers. The area where we were while there were a number of tourists, we found space to be alone and found it not too challenging to take people-less photos. Yes, that’s me trying to run between the towers. It isn’t the easiest running, but I imagined those working the walls trying to share a message.

I picked up the Chinese Police hat. While it didn’t go with my jacket, I did like the fun reactions from the locals.

After walking along the wall for a few miles at a pretty fast pace (Can you believe there is a Great Wall Marathon?), I took a couple of early moments to reflect on this incredible structure. While I know it wasn’t all maintained as well as where we saw it, it was amazing about it. It started as far back as the 7th century BC against intrusions and nomadic groups and incursions and in protecting the spice route. Amazing how these towers were used in defense and in notifying the troops of what was coming.

How long is it actually? Depends on if you count the structures that also help support the defense of the wall. I’m going to say more than 5000 miles! Wikipedia proposes a couple of different estimates:

The Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan in the east, to Lop Lake in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. A comprehensive archaeological survey, using advanced technologies, has concluded that the Ming walls measure 8,850 km (5,500 mi). This is made up of 6,259 km (3,889 mi) sections of actual wall, 359 km (223 mi) of trenches and 2,232 km (1,387 mi) of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers. Another archaeological survey found that the entire wall with all of its branches measure out to be 21,196 km (13,171 mi)

This post is designed to be post 1 in a series of 7 of the Wonders of the World. Follow this blog to be notified of the rest of the series.

Cappadocia Turkey Underground Cave Cities

July 21, 2013July 21, 2013Posted in Asia, Tourism, Travel, UNESCO, Unique, WonderTagged cappadocia, Derinkuyu, Goreme, Kaymalki, Ozkonak, Troglodyte, turkey, Underground cities, Yehalti Sehri3 Comments

It was while watching a SCI FI Ancient Aliens show I first heard about the underground cities of Derinkuyu, Kaymakli and Ozkonak. These and the other 200+ Underground Cities are a huge mystery that may never come to full light. Everything we know is just from what has been found in excavating what remained. This could be remnants from those who were last there, as these caves could be much much older. There really are so many cave systems and underground tunnels and essentially full cities underground that it may never be fully excavated. These cities contained wineries, stables, churches, school, cellars, storage rooms. The largest of the underground city of the in the Derinkuyu district in Nevşehir Province, Turkey. It’s only been open to visitors since 1969 and less than half of what has been excavated is accessible to tourists. At peak this city could have supported 20,000 residents and was up to 85 Meters deep!!! According to the Turkish department of culture the cave is 8th to 7th century possibly built by the Phrygians either for religious purposes or refuge.

Now if you’re looking to visit this region, Goreme, Turkey is a great central location and really setup well for tourists where you can sleep in your own cave, but not part of any major tunnel system. Goreme has shuttles to and from the airport. Warning: If you are planning on not renting a car (which you shouldn’t need to do), you need to make sure you arrange ahead of time with one of the shuttle companies, the small airport in Kayceri has no ticket desk for shuttles and the taxi ride is pretty steep comparatively. I was denied entry into a shuttle bus even after offering to pay him his price. The driver won’t take money, it has to be pre-arranged. I ended up catching a ride with an older couple that was headed into the city. Really I got lucky, I didn’t want to pay the high price of the taxi, and there were no bus options that were convenient. It was going to be a long walk and an inconvenient trek to the bus station, and who knows how long I may have had to wait. WIth as many tourist shops and vehicles as there are in Goreme it was amazing to me how there was really NOTHING at the airport.

On the surface you really wouldn’t even know it was down there, save the entrance sign and a few air vents that look like wells.

Based on the size of the 500KG door that’s only able to be opened from the inside, I can definitely imagine it being used for refuge and for hiding from someone or something.

There are some spaces that are very wide open such is just outside the church which makes the shape of a cross, underground, or the very tight spaces that is speculated as being a doorway that forces the person to be penitent. They must go onto their knees to enter. The self inflicted punishment is they would go around and around through the small tunnel to learn humility, kind of like the hail Mary or doing rosary beads.

When inside unless you’re claustrophobic, you feel very safe. The walls seem very solid and there isn’t any crumbling rock. There are some areas where you need to bend over to avoid hitting your head, but the hall near the church has a lot of room, and supports really large gathering of people.

You can take a virtual tour of the caves at http://www.muze.gov.tr/derinkuyu

Look closely at these boards and you have one of the primary tools used to carve the stone with much sharper stones. The would drag the board across the softer stone and it would essentially carve away the stone. In this way they could remove the stone in large swaths. For smaller areas, they would use smaller tools.

Those who speculate that it was designed to be very temporary need to explain the graves in the area called the Morgue. Here the rooms in this section of the cave are designed to handle the dead… Is it possible these graves were temporary holding places for the dead until they could find peace long enough to bury their dead.

Yes, it was very dark 7-8 stories down. The little lights are wired up and brought in through wires attached to the wall.

Nevşehir Province has several other underground cities and Derinkuyu itself connects to Kaymakli via an 8 km tunnel. The deepest cave city is Derinkuyu and the widest is Kaymakli. You can’t travel the tunnel between them. Derinkuyu is about 30 minute drive from Goreme, which is the city where most of the hotel and tourist support is. Access to these cities is no longer open to local residents without going through the main entrance. They remain generally unoccupied. In excess of 200 underground cities containing a minimum of two levels have been discovered in the area between Kayseri and Nevsehir. Some 40 of those contain a minimum of three levels or more. The troglodyte (underground) cities at Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu are two of the best examples of habitable underground structures. Reaching Derinkuyu or Goreme and the underground cities and cave churches, one can purchase a domestic ticket on Turish Airlines to Keyseri or Nevsehir. There are overland bus routes as well from across the country with flying being the shortest and not a bad way to reach the city. Turkey is a big country so plan accordingly.

Why you need to visit Cappadocia the Underground Cities and Cave Churches

There are so many incredible things to see in Cappadocia that you could spend a weeks here and still discover new places. The main ‘must-see’ attractions are the open-air museums which are essentially groupings of caves, cathedrals and homes and the two best underground cities. At the same time it wouldn’t make sense to go this whole way and not see the incredible Rose Valley, the Ihlara valley which has many of its own small cave churches, but even just outside the Goreme Open Air museum is one of my favorite cave churches. What you’ll find when you arrive is there are many tourist companies that have organized the tours into the blue route, and red route, and so on, to group the various activities for those with limited time. As well, don’t forget to get up as high as you can to check out the valley, this may be in a hot air balloon or on a hike to the top of the canyons. One thing you must do is explore. There’s so much to see and not everything is behind closed doors. Even just hiking the valleys, you’ll be amazed to find abandoned caves.

Goreme Open Air Museum: cave churches with frescoes
Zelve Open Air Museum: an empty cave town with churches
Kaymakli Underground City: the largest underground city
Derinkuyu Underground City: the deepest underground city
Ihlara Valley: the deepest gorge of Anatolia
Uchisar: Roman rock-cut castle. You’ll see it driving back and forth. Very cool looking.
Ortahisar: Roman rock-cut castle.
Pasabag: mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys, monks valley
Devrent: animal-shaped fairy chimneys, imagination valley
Hacibektas: center of Bektasi sect of Islam
Gulsehir: first settlements in Cappadocia

I shared some of my stories on the Open Air Musuem, the Ihlara Valley and Monestary in “Early Cave Churches of Cappadocia Turkey” and more on the “Underground Cities”

Christian Cave Churches and Monasteries in Cappadocia Turkey

July 19, 2013July 21, 2013Posted in Asia, Culture, Favorite, History, Middle East, Photography, Religion, Travel, UNESCO, Unique, WonderTagged art, cappadocia, christian, Goreme, Painting, turkey3 Comments

As a traveler one of the thing that really stands out in digging in to understand a people is how much of culture is influenced by faith and religion. In Europe you must visit the cathedrals because it was the center of the universe for the people. In Istanbul you must visit the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia or you haven’t seen Istanbul. I have found Israel, Jerusalem, Bethehem, and Jordan to be quite amazing. Even Cairo had places that reminded me of Moses and the red sea. I have found the cathedrals across Europe to be quite amazing, even Ireland had some amazing history as it relates to early Christianity. Rome and the catacombs. Early Christians in Ireland, or Monserrat in Spain… incredible. These early Christians driven into caves and into the mountains the hermits of Bulgaria and Macedonia are fascinating and must see. The monasteries in the cliffs of Meteora where they survived from decimation for more than 500 years. I love thinking about Thessaloniki or the Thessalonians. My visit to Armenia and connecting with locals and making friends the thoughts and attitudes of the people cannot be separated from their faith as a people. Mount Arrarat and Noah’s Ark and God’s dealing with the Armenian people is so deeply ingrained in their art, their life and spirit.

A One trying to understand the mind of the pre-Nicean church can do much study the rich art and paintings captured on the walls of the hundreds if not thousands of painted caves now abandoned art work of Cappadocia. The cave paintings while much has been destroyed have preserved a lot of history and messages through the images. I find it quite inspiring and very peaceful. In some of the churches that you pay to see one with no cameras allowed. I could easily spend an hour staring at the ceiling and unweaving the thoughts in the heads of these early christians. Their faith, their perspectivies, their stories. Much of the tradition has been preserved, but a lot has been lost as well. Lots of contemplation are required to understand not just the story, but the perceptions of the artist.

This photo is not a direct photo, but actually a photo of what I saw, but photographed from a book at the gift shop, or a post card. You can see how much color is still in the images. The color alone is quite the story as the paint was made from pigeon poo.

My travels took me to Goreme, in central Turkey. These natural occuring ferry chimneys are amazing. I’ve only been in a few places in the world where they have these, Utah’s Goblin Valley, and Bryce Canyon, but what those places don’t have are the primitive Christian churches and the underground cities. The Tuff left from the volcanic ash turned rock helped provide a substance that was very easy to carve, but also very strong, like a more dense pumice.

There are multiple locations in Cappadocia where you can find these cave churches. First the largest collection in a small area is the Goreme Open Air Museum. There are lots of great cave hotels in Goreme. I recommend staying in a cave at least one night. It’s a unique experience and it’s quite affordable.

Unfortunately nearly all of the churches would not allow photography or video cameras at the Open air musuem. You could take pictures outside, but definitely not as compelling.

There were a few select churches that they allowed photography in. The names of the churches come from the art work inside. Apple church, snake church, etc…

While these may look impressive, the reality is these were pretty bare.

On a walk through the various churches you’d mostly get directed at the various figures and stories from the bible, but it was stories like the animal below that represents paganism that really caught my interest. I was interested in the explanations of what was different and how they lived and what they believed. Like can you believe that most of the well preserved cave paintings have the eyes of the people carved out.

I was told the local muslim people felt threatened and the eyes alone could convert. So you have these scary pictures where the eyes are carved out.

Not only were the churches carved into the stone, the people as well lived in caves in stone where archways could be fancied up. On the left you have the homes of displaced Greeks in Turkey. Most of them moved back to Greece.

Next we travel to the Ihlara Valley were over a dozen caves were turned into churches. One of the most amazing hikes… Combines peaceful walk along a stream with basalt canyon walls like the snake river valley in Idaho or, and pillars of the Giants Causeway in Ireland.

As you can see by the little yellow dots along the slides of the river in the Ihlara valley, for miles along the river, caves were turned into places of worship. If you were simply walking along the river, you would have really No idea this was happening. It’s Fantastic!!

Do these caves above look like they might contain this… image to the right.

Beautiful art still remains on the walls. Much has been destroyed or defaced. Eyes of the saints in the pictures are scratched out. One guide told us that the people were worried about how the beautiful icononic art might convert them. The watching eyes were just too powerful. So much so that for much of what you see there are few eyes you’ll find.

Below the three magi or wisemen and their gifts for the birth of the savior minus their eyes. If you look near the hat you can see names in Greek. It looks like the names of the magi were added afterward. The shape of their hats is interesting. It brings a historical understanding. Studying this brings much more understanding of the early 6th century church.

Mary on the Donkey… Did you know the reference to Mary riding a donkey is actually not found in the bible, but in apocryphal writings in the text the Infancy Gospel of James? This may be one of the earliest paintings that exists showing Mary on a Donkey.

It is very incredible to think of the condition that these paintings were made. These were painted many many years prior to the crusades, and the spread of the ottoman empire. These were made at time when the Christians were hiding in caves. The paint was made from pigeon droppings. To think about that part of it it’s really very remarkable much remains at all.

When in Goreme and surrounding you’ll find that you need at least 2 to 3 days to simply race through everything. 4 days to a week will allow you to take a slower pace to really enjoy the valleys and take more in. The tours are very inexpensive, and they are organized into the blue tour, the red tour and so on, and they really are packed with places to see and visit. One morning you need to do the balloon ride for the adventuresome. If you are thinking about the balloon, don’t wait till the last day because they are frequently cancelled due to weather conditions.

View of Goreme from the top of the hills.

The Fairy chimneys… turned home and now abandoned. A honeycomb of mystery and intrigue.

The Messiah, with a scratched out face…

For more adventure… On one end of the Ihlara valley is the Selime Cathedral. Walking to simply get to this Cathedral makes you feel like you’re rock climbing. It isn’t for little old ladies or old men. This requires a little bit of skill to navigate across the rocks, through tunnels and a bit of scrambling…

But the payoff is big. Huge rooms with archways and columns still remain while much of the artwork is destroyed and soot covers the ceilings.

If you look closely you can still see remains, of what was once majestic.

If there was any doubt that this valley wasn’t backed with mystery, intrigue and wonder… I hope a few of these picture have opened your mind. Goreme and Cappadocia still remains one of my favorite destinations and the my appreciation for the early church and their cave dwelling days has shaped what we think of even as a catheral or church. We have much to share in appreciation for these devoted follower of central Turkey.

Fiji – An Experiment in “No Reservations” Cultural Island Travel

July 13, 2013July 13, 2013Posted in Culture, Entertainment, Family, Favorite, Food, Oceania, Religion, Travel, UniqueTagged culture, drink, fiji, fijian, island, islands, kava, nadi, no reservations1 Comment

I bought a cheap flight from New Zealand on my way back to the U.S. On a discount Jet Star flight, I was in Fiji for a couple of days for less than a difference of somewhere between $100-200 USD. It was great. I loved Fiji. The people were amazing! The adventures I had in Fiji could not have been planned, and no guide could have planned some thing as authentic as what we experienced. This post is the first night and I’ll separate the other experience in another post. Fiji was just too amazing for one post. Michael condensed his into one post on Fiji titled “Kava Shots and Holi Wars”, and I borrowed a couple of his great photos. This post on our experience with the native Melanesian people and my second post on the hindustanis and celebrating “holi” with them.

When some people think Fiji, they think of beaches in paradise. I was thinking… Natives in grass skirts, a real tribal experience that I couldn’t find in the Caribbean. I knew I wouldn’t have my wife and kids with me, and hanging out on the beach was the furthest thing from my mind. I wanted to go local and seek out a real adventure.

On the flight to Fiji I asked a flight attendant where I could find the most native village and one where I could live with the locals. I was imagining huts or sleeping on mats or hanging hammock. I was given the name of a place somewhere deep in the island. When we went to pick up the rental car, they said we’d want a 4×4 to get there. Ultimately we picked up a 4×4 and headed out into the woods. Before we headed out, we wanted to make sure we had a gift for the village to cover any expenses we might incur to the village.

It was long before we started out on dirt roads, and deeper and deeper crossing rivers, and getting strange looks. Miles and miles deeper we drove. The stares started getting longer and polite “Boolah!” we would get. We’d respond, “Boolah!” and smile big. Then someone stopped us… where are you going? We explained we were going deep into the heart of the island to this very native village. He told us that was impossible and that we should turn around. We let him know we weren’t in a hurry and were enjoying the drive. He gave us a warning that the river had washed out the road. It got more and more challenging as we drove along and finally we met our match. The road was too much, so we turned around. You’ve heard about Anthony Bourdain and his No Reservations show. On this day we were definitely traveling without reservations. We were both up for adventure. I was traveling with my friend Michael Noel of SharingTheGlobe.com and I said. Tonight I want to sleep in a village, and we agreed even if we were on someone’s floor. We were open to adventure. As we drove back the way we came, we saw a big tent and a local gathering. We slowed down to avoid the crowd walking along the street and gathered around the tent.

Young men were pounding long metal pipes in little wooden canisters. They’d lift and pound, twist lift and pound. We slowed and said “Boolah!”… What’s going on? He replied, it was a birthday party for his 1 year old daughter. The entire village was gathered for the party. The women were inside the home, and the men underneath the tent. He invited us to join them. We had heard about the need to bring cava roots as a gift, so we were prepared. I was so excited to join this exciting moment and the family was happy to have some foreign guests of honor. We were brought to the head of the tent to the elders of the village and sat down on mats.

The village chief elder asked us a few questions, but invited us to participate in a ceremonial “Kava” drink. Kava is such an important part of the culture. It is only consumed sitting with your legs crossed, with no legs and foot pointing to the sides. The kasava root is pounded then put in a sock and water is added to create the drink. The first person claps their hands twice, and from a large bowl a half coconut is dipped in and then the person who is presented the cava claps twice, then drinks the cava, after he’s finished he throws any remainder over his shoulder and hands the coconut back. Both hands are used at all time. It felt like a handshake, trust, confidence, and an opportunity to make friends all at once.

The tent was filled with happiness and order. Those with the most age were at the front of the tent and as a rite of passage, you had to be twenty or twenty one to enter the tent. Those at the back of the tent had paid their dues in the pounding of the cava and only those who had come of age could drink the cava.

In our search for a unique cultural experience we were given one. We had arrived late to the party and the men had already eaten. We were invited to eat with the women and children who as custom would have it, eat after the men.

They accepted us and we had some interesting looks, but had some great local hand cooked fish and rice. The children thought we were interesting or funny looking. Either way, we made friends with the kids, and eventually re-emerged back out toward the tent. A couple of younger guys from the back of the tent approached us and asked us about our story. Why we were here, asking if we were having a good time… Of course we were. We were offered more kava. At this point I was getting a little nervous. I wasn’t sure if I was going to have strange dreams or what affect this kava might have. I knew there wasn’t alcohol in it, but beyond that I didn’t know much about it. I explained to the young man that I shouldn’t have too much. He asked why. I said for religious reasons. He asked what religion. I said. LDS. He said. “No way.” I said, “yes way. I am a Mormon.” He replied… That was impossible. He stopped and said. I am a Mormon. That house over there. They are Mormon. Many in this tent are Mormons. I wasn’t sure if he understood me, or what, but then I remembered as we had turned off the road, I had seen an LDS church. He said the prophet had told them that they could drink kava, but they should not drink too much. Having spent the last 3 hours involved in the ceremony with the elders I could see the cultural importance, and for a young man this was a huge privilege for him to be under the tent and mingling with the men of the village. He asked us where we were staying and I told him we were hoping to find a place to stay. A while later he told us he had talked to his mother and we could stay with them. Perfect! We would be able to stay in the village and even if on the floor we had a real local experience rather than staying in some cheap hotel. He wanted to stay at the party as late as possible, so I asked him about what time he’d be leaving. He didn’t know, but somewhere around 1am. We agreed that would be fine. He ended up going back to the party after we settled down for the night. The 1 year old’s party lasted till at least 2 or 3 am. Wildest 1 year old party I’ve ever heard of… The people celebrate together. It’s a very communal society.

Music got more lively and ultimately it turned to dance, and we were invited to boogy. After learning a few local moves, we were invited by some locals to start dancing. We had some more kava. Danced some more. Had more kava, met more locals and spent the evening having a blast with the local Vatuvu villagers. Fiji was amazing and we were experiencing it raw. No guides, not paid group. Our payment, a gift of Kasava root, smiles and friendship.

That night I would sleep on my new friend’s couch, and feel what it was like to be a villager. Mission accomplished!

Travel Back in Time – Smell the Mint Tea of Morocco

July 8, 2013March 9, 2016Posted in Africa, Animals, Culture, Religion, Tourism, Travel, UNESCO, UniqueTagged architecture, culture, desert, Fez, Morocco, sahara, simple life, travel back in time3 Comments

I am entranced with Morocco. There are few places in the world that do such an amazing job of preserving life as it was hundreds even thousands of years ago.

Fez, has truly captured life as it was 1000 years ago. The Medina or urban center is the gated old city in Fez. The only transportation in the Medina is by foot, or by donkey. No cars. I have seen a scooter or two, but the preference is no motorized vehicles. The narrow old streets couldn’t support a car anyway. It is amazing how well preserved the the traditions, culture, and structures are in Fez.

You see water being hauled in for drinking, common community ovens for cooking bread, hammam or bath houses, and common tanneries and more. The beauty of this gem of the desert is most precious.

I stayed for a couple of nights in Riad Fez – very beautiful feel to it. The wood is so intricate, and the tile beautiful with color.

This chandelier the size of a VW bug is hand made stamped metal. Morocco is known for the lamps and chandeliers.

In Fez, this Coca Cola delivery donkey is the same as a Coke Truck. Fez, now preserved as a UNESCO heritage site.

The Medina of Fez was founded in the 9th century and is home to the oldest university in the world. Fez reached its height in the 13th–14th centuries when it replaced Marrakesh as the capital of the kingdom. Much of the infrastructure in the city dates from this period.

The Medina of Fez is considered as one of the most extensive and best conserved historic towns of the Arab-Muslim world. The unpaved urban space conserves the majority of its original functions and attribute. It not only represents an outstanding architectural, archaeological and urban heritage, but also transmits a life style, skills and a culture that persist and are renewed despite the diverse effects of the evolving modern societies.

15th Century Tanneries of Fez from a neighbor balcony

You just have to imagine the sounds and smells of the tanneries. Here they start with sheep, camel, goat and various animal skins. Here they soak them to remove the wool with lyes, and then move to drying and dying. You can then purchase a huge assortment of hand made leather goods.

Much of Morocco is still very local. I worried I would see tons of tourists in the cultural capital of Morocco. I didn’t see a single tourist until I reached the square. Going through the narrow labyrinth of the Medina was awesome. While I would have preferred to simply get lost in the streets, the locals all really want to help. At some point it is easier to allow someone to be a guide than continue to be bothered. There are official guides and hotels can arrange them, but the students love to help as well even if they may be restricted to their routes. Don’t let someone tell you they can’t take you somewhere. There is much to see and experience.

Instead the squares are full of locals who browse the flea market style spreads of clothes and shoes. One doesn’t have to feel like a tourist. You can try to blend in.

Unfortunately, in a crowd watching an acrobat it’s still tough to blend in. Reality sets in. Of course, they need to see a tip. Make sure you have lots of small bills and coins on hand to keep the entertainment going. Asking for change with this crowd doesn’t work.

This Jewish cemetery in Fez reminds me of the scattering of Israel and gathering of Israel. Amazing how far the Israelites were spread across the world. Ethiopia, Georgia, and across Europe and even Argentina and Mexico city. Amazing stories abound of how the King would keep the Jews as advisors, ambassadors, and tax collectors. Apparently 15% of the current state of Israel or 1,000,000 Israeli Jews are of Moroccan descent, while only 35,000 Jews remain in Morocco. Jews have 2000 years of history in Fez.

There isn’t just one amazing city in Morocco. There are many. I love Marrakech and Meknes as well. Do not judge Morocco based on a brief visit to Tangier. I highly recommend you spend time in the Atlas mountains. They are magical. They themselves contain the history of the world. Incredible fossils have made their ways across the globe. Rock hounds will find heaven. Those wanting to see a simplier life will see the mountain people with their goats and sheep walking on trails thousands of years old. If you can… escape to Ait Ben Haddou. As a child when I imagined visiting Jerusalem, a visit to Ait Ben Haddou is closer than the real thing. It’s in many of the biblical stories.

From Ait Ben Haddo, Oaurzazate is a quick trip and the great Sahara is nearby. The gateway to the Sahara with a variety of multi day excursions with Berbers into the sand and mystery of the desert. I found this the beginning of another world.

Simple and pure I found many people who willed life itself to slow. While many vendors simply want to show you their wares, and the children want to put you on the backs of their donkeys and horses, the simple life is pure. Tourism has left some scars, but there are ways of finding the past and connecting with time gone by. Slow down, sip the mint tea and relax and listen to the stories of the desert.

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This post is in a series of 7 posts on the 7 Wonders of the New World

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Why you need to visit Cappadocia the Underground Cities and Cave Churches

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