With only one night in India, we were deeply immersed into a complete cultural experience– like no other. My anxiety was stoked, but I felt exhilarated, frightened and bewildered by the unbelievably exotic and downright freaky sights, sounds and smells. Hundreds of brilliantly clothed pilgrims come here by foot to bath in the Ganges. There were many alien looking “holy men” smoking chillums on the ghats (not so sure there were holy) wearing nothing but loincloths and covered in ash. Sometimes it was difficult to tell who was crazy and who was holy (with all due respect to the holy people).

Anyways, we spent our days just walking the ghats, which are these huge stone steps that are built up along the river banks and observed the various bathing, meditation and spiritual rituals.

The most horrifying experience for me was the burning ghats. This is where they cremate their dead on the riverbanks and then spread the ashes throughout the Ganges, which is believed to transport them to heaven. Indian women are not allowed here and tourists are forbidden to take photos.

One night we walked down to the burning ghat and watched as they moved a few of the dead on these stretcher like cots to be burned. The dead are covered in a colorful cloth, but you can see their heads. Only the untouchables are allowed to burn the dead.

It felt to me like I was walking through the movie set for Apolocapse Now.  The air was rank with smoke (so much so that I developed a serious respiratory infection) as there were about six fires burning at once, in one location. Mix together these burning ghat fires, pounds of incense burned daily, campfires to stay warm, and stir in some heavy air pollution and voila, you have a recipe for complete lung failure.

Cameron talked me into walking closer to the ghats at night,  much to my curious dismay, so we ended up passing through this corridor where there were countless Indian men huddled together in this very dark, gloomy environment. It appears that everything is encrusted with about 300 years of dirt and grime, including many of the locals. It was all quite frightening and amazing at the same time. Apparently, they burn a few hundred of the dead each day.

Another evening, they had an amazing spiritual celebration on the water, complete with lights, incense, music and hundreds of burning candles floating in the river. It was completely magical. I kept having to remind myself that this wasn’t a tourist show, but an actual spiritual celebration. Surreal and beautiful!

We managed to take many interesting photos of the locals and the pilgrims.
By the third day, the rain started and all of the dirt turned to muck and the cow patties (which are everywhere) started to liquefy. It was incredibly dirty. We followed some old guy through these winding, narrow and dank and dirty corridors (everyone has something to show you in exchange for some rupees).

It was all extraordinarily, surreal, the colors, the markets, the spiritual–the entire experience, like no other in India.

Indians must own the market on service extraordinaire, where they make you feel ashamedly like royalty. Things like opening and closing car doors for us, and when arriving at various hotels, the staff would stand to attention. Quite embarrassing at times, I found.  The restaurants and hotel staff are always warm and friendly.  Overall, a very nice hospitable experience.

The beginning of our tour got off to a bad start and I misinterpreted the tickets and we missed our flight from Dubai to Delhi. Not a problem, though. We just hopped the flight the next day and arrived one day late. Our tour operator unfortunately, had to wait an entire day at the airport for us– faithfully and patiently.

Next, my baggage did not arrive with the flight. After spending six hours at the airport trying to communicate with the baggage handlers and Emirates Airlines, we left the airport frustrated. I instinctively knew that my luggage would be remiss for days on end. With only $50 in hand from Emirates, I was off to shop in Delhi for some interesting clothes and a few toiletries and a warm jacket. (Emirates is reportedly the best airline in the world, but they only compensated me $50 for one week without luggage!~)

We checked into our first hotel which was part of a very prestigious private club in India, but the room was barren and cold as a third world prison cell. At that point, I was very thankful for traveling in Cuba so that we were more accustomed to some of this third world charm. The first night aside, the hotels were uphill all the way from here and we stayed in a mixture of interesting places including heritage hotels, guest houses and even a real Maharajah’s palace.

Our tour owner’s father, was the warm and hospitable host who met us at the club with drinks and an offer to come to his home for dinner that evening. As jet lagged as we were, we accepted the offer graciously and enjoyed a delicious home cooked Indian meal followed by an incredibly array of Indian desserts and chai tea. We only had one day in Delhi, so we really didn’t get to see much. The driver and tour guide shuffled us off to a number of different historic sites in Delhi, none of which I can remember as I was too tired.

After leaving Delhi we moved continuously, every two to three days between cities and saw some amazing ancient palaces of the Maharajas, Mogul Forts including the Taj Mahal. We experienced a Camel ride in the desert and an elephant ride through an amazing royal fort and above all we experience a culture that is very different, interesting and colorful.

Yes, I know this all sounds like some glossy tour brochure and I am not trying to paint a false or rosy picture. I am just beginning with the positive experiences, first. There have been times that I really hated India, for many reasons such as the poverty, the dirt and the pollution, the constant harassment to buy things and most of all the crazy traffic.

The first thing I noticed stepping outside the airport terminal was the smell of burning fires. This is a smell that never leaves the air in India, from town to town, city to city; you can never grasp a lung full of fresh, clean air. There is constantly the smell of burning fires. The poor people use outdoor fires to stay warm in the winter, which is one of the greatest contributors, but I am not sure what the other reason are…Now that we are in Goa, the smell of burning fires is still stinging my nostrils daily and here it is very hot!

The traffic in India has no semblance, only madness. I guess it is a controlled madness as apparently there are relatively few accidents, but if you come from the West the traffic is sure to put your nerves to jitters. It is not only the fact that there are hundreds of motorized scooters, rickshaws and cars coming at you from every direction, but they all lean on their horns continuously.

We were witness to many moments of playing chicken with a TaTa (the local transport trucks), where I counted down how many lives I had left and whether my destiny was to die in India. Our very diligent drivers were experts at driving these crazy roads and highways, but the terrible road conditions (often single lanes) put any good driver to the test. People pass cars in some very precarious conditions, sometimes two vehicles pass at the same time shoulder to shoulder and all of a sudden your are face to face with a massive Tata. AHHHHHHHH. I learned to close my eyes and give myself up to destiny.

Try navigating the streets on foot where there are no sidewalks and you will come within millimeters of your life being scraped away by a fleeting vehicle. Slowing down for pedestrians does not exist, it is every man, woman and child for themselves.

I most often feel like I have ADD while piloting my way through the streets. Between the local hucksters soliciting us relentlessly to buy anything from t-shirts to trinkets and then navigating the traffic so I didn’t get mowed down, I would often leave the streets feeling dizzy and disoriented. There was always an outreached hand for money or goods being shoved into my face.

I remember one day, I had just dogged two vehicles and three cow patties with my heart in my throat, I though I was ok–and then came face to face with a huge doubled horned 800 pound bull. Double ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! That is the other thing I forgot to mention—there are cows are bulls everywhere in the streets. Oh yes, and along with that the cow patties, which are huge steaming land mines, everywhere.

I guess all of these are experiences are something to look back upon in my old age and have a few chuckles.

On January 11th, we will leave on our overseas adventure and travel to Paris for five nights, Dubai for two nights and then head for New Delhi, India, where we will begin a two week private tour of the northern regions of India including

Delhi* Varanasi * Agra * Jaipur * Pushkar * Jodhpur * Udaipur * Dungarpur * Udaipur

 Here is our itinerary:

Day 01: 18 Jan.08 (Thu)   DELHI

Having arrived in DELHI , transfer to hotel later half day’s Sightseeing of DELHI, after a leisurely breakfast, to include visits to India Gate, President House and Qutub Minar.

Qutub Minar: The highest stone tower in India, the Qutub Minar was built by Qutbuddin Aibak, the viceroy of Mohammed Ghori in 1192. It was built to celebrate Ghori’s victory over the Rajput. The tower and the victory are very significant, because both heralded the birth of a new dynasty – Slave Dynasty. And it laid the foundations of the Delhi Sultanate. And the rest, as one would put it after witnessing this monumental tower, was history.

Day 02: 19 Jan.08 (Fri)  DELHI
Leisurely Breakfast followed by a City round. Exploring the city can be a fascinating and rewarding experience.

Old Delhi – The City of Shahjahanabad was the capital of Shah Jahan but little remains of that old city. The Old Delhi or the walled city served as the capital for many emperors. Today, remains of the historical city are the gates like – Kashmiri Gate, Ajmeri Gate, Turkman Gate, Delhi gate. Near Delhi Gate is Feroz Shah Kotla; close to this is kept the Ashokan Pillar, which was brought from Meerut by Feroz Shah Tughlaq.

Chandni Chowk – One of the main markets of Delhi, Chandni Chowk was once lined with beautiful fountains. But today the place is very crowded and congested. Chandni Chowk is located opposite the Red Fort. The Area has got the Digamber Jain Temple, which houses the Birds hospital. On one end of Chandni Chowk is the Fatehpuri Mosque, which was erected by the wives of Shah Jahan. Opposite the old police station or the Kotwali is the Sunheri Masjid from where Nadir Shah ordered his troops to plunder and massacre Delhi.
Jama Masjid: Built by Shah Jahan in 1658, it is one of the largest mosques in India with a seating capacity of more than 20,000. The mosque is situated near the Red Fort in old Delhi. This is the area that still retains the traditional charm of markets in Mughal times.

Day 03: 20 Jan.08 (Sat)  DELHI-VARANASI
Morning in Delhi, later board flight to VARANASIEvening watch ARTI along the Ghats
To the Hindus, Varanasi – sprawling along the left bank of the River Ganga, is the holiest city. With its array of shrines, temples and palaces rising in several tiers from the water’s edge, Varanasi is one of the most fascinating cities in the east and has the distinction of being the oldest living city in the world of today.
See the ‘ritual’ of evening prayers ‘ARTI’. Sitting in a boat on the River Ganges and watching this spectacle of devout pilgrims and holy men along with other curious onlookers joining the evening prayers should be a spiritually uplifting sight.
Overnight: Rashmi Guest House (B)
Tel No. 0542- 2402778/2402856Day 04: 21 Jan.08 (Sun)  VARANASI

Varanasi, the world’s oldest living city and Hinduism’s most venerated pilgrimage site. The life and activities in Varanasi revolve around the holy river Ganga. Running for 1,560 miles from the Himalayas through VARANASI and all the way to the Bay of Bengal.  A river that is ‘life, purity, and a goddess’ to the people of India.  Who believe that any one who touches its waters gets cleansed of all sins and would dwell in peace in heaven, if his body/or even the ashes after his death are immersed in the Ganga.
 
Life on the banks of Ganga begins before dawn when thousands of pilgrims with intense thoughts of salvation come down to the river to wait for the rising sun. Soon after the sunrise, the Ghats burst into activity.
Overnight: Rashmi Guest House (B)
Tel No. 0542- 2402778/2402856

Day 05: 22 Jan.08 (Mon)  VARANASI
Another full day in Varanasi

Day 06: 23 Jan.08 (Tue)  VARANASI-AGRA
Full day in Varanasi, evening board overnight train to AGRA Fort

DAY 07: 24 Jan.08 (Wed)  AGRA
Morning 0610 in Agra (Fort), see Taj by sunrise Taj Mahal: Mughal Emperor Shahjahan built a monument ‘dedicated to love’ in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz during 1631 AD to 1653 AD. Its pure white marble shimmers silver in the moonlight, glows softly pink at dawn and at close of day reflects the fiery tints of the setting sun. Another full day in Agra
Overnight: Trident Hilton (B)
 

Day 08: 25 Jan.08 (Thu)  AGRA-FATEHPUR SIKRI-JAIPUR
Morning after breakfast drive to Jaipur [235kms, 5hrs] visiting Fatehpur Sikri enroute. Fatehpur Sikri: One of the finest examples of Mughal architectural splendour at its height.  Unfortunately lack of water resulted in the city having to be abandoned, after just about 10 years, as the Mughal Capital by AKBAR. 
Overnight: Alsisar Haveli (B)
Tel No. 0141- 2368290/2364685 Day 09: 26 Jan.08 (Fri)   JAIPUR
Leisurely Breakfast followed by a City round, Full day sightseeing in JAIPUR…Amer Fort: Amber (pronounced Amer) is situated about 11 kilometres from Jaipur and was the ancient citadel of the ruling Kachhawa clan of Amber, before the capital was shifted in the plains to present day Jaipur. You can enjoy a ride on elephant back climbing up to the Fort.
Morning take a city tour of Jaipur covering Hawa Mahal (or the Palace of Winds), The City Palace, and Amer Fort.Hawa Mahal: Built to let the ladies of royal harem watch the royal possessions, Hawa Mahal is not a palace as the name suggests. Hawa Mahal is the part of the east wall of the City Palace complex. Most well known of Jaipur’s buildings, you can have the best views of this great building from the street outside. The City Palace:
A major part of the City Palace has been converted in a museum. The royal family of Jaipur as residence is still using remaining part of the palace. The palace is built in the fortified campus style and covers almost seventh part of Jaipur. There are different sections of the museum dedicated to subjects like arms and ammunition, textile and costume, and art gallery.
Overnight: Alsisar Haveli (B)
Tel No. 0141- 2368290/2364685Day 10: 27 Jan.08 (Sat)  JAIPUR-PUSHKAR
After breakfast drive to Pushkar [140kms, 3hrs]
This is an important pilgrimage spot for the Hindus, which has the only temple of Lord Brahma in the country and the world. Lord Brahma is known as the creator of the world as per the Hindu mythology.

The Pushkar Lake also has a mythological significance associated with it. As per Hindu mythology, Lord Brahma was on his way to search for a suitable place to perform a “Yagna’ (a fire sacrifice), while contemplating a lotus fell from his hand on the warth and water sprouted from that place. One of them was Pushkar where Lord brahma performed “Yagna”.
Overnight: Jagat Palace (B)
Tel No. 0145-2772001/2772402/2772954

Day 11: 28 Jan.08 (Sun)   PUSHKAR
Full day in Pushkar, evening Camel ride in Pushkar.
Overnight: Jagat Palace (B)
Tel No. 0145-2772001/2772402/2772954

Day 12: 29 Jan.08 (Mon) PUSHKAR-JODHPUR
Morning in Pushkar later drive to Jodhpur [220kms, 5hrs], On arrival sightseeing of the City, dotted with palaces, havelis, temples and houses washed pale blue, with Mehrangarh Fort overlooking them all. Meander through its crowded bazaars, and enjoy the warmth and hospitality of a hardy desert people. It is considered, the heart of Rajasthan and the majestic jewel of her eternal crown, illuminating the Thar.
Overnight: Inn Season (B)
Tel No. 0291-2616400/2621481

Day 13: 30 Jan.08 (Tue)   JODHPUR
Another full day sightseeing in Jodhpur
Overnight: Inn Season (B)
Tel No. 0291-2616400/2621481

Day 14: 31 Jan.08 (Wed)  JODHPUR-RANAKPUR-UDAIPUR
After breakfast drive to Udaipur [320kms, 6½hrs], visiting Ranakpur Temple enroute

Ranakpur:
Renowned for some marvellous carved temples in Amber stone, Ranakpur, 90kms from Udaipur. Is one of the five holy places of the Jain community and built in the 15th Century. The central ‘Chaumukh’ or four-faced temple has 29 halls and about 1,444 forty feet high pillars bedecked with distinctive delicate carvings, no two pillars being alike, and yet none of these obstructs the view for a devotee.
Full day’s sightseeing in Udaipur…

Udaipur: is known as the Venice of the east. It is also called the city of lakes. The Lake Palace on Jag Niwas Island in the middle of Pichola Lakes is the finest example of its architectural and cultural explosion. Going around the City Palace; followed by Lunch at The Lake Palace (optional) could be the high light of your programme for the day.
Lake Pichola is the largest and the most beautiful of Udaipur’s lakes – it is overlooked by hills while palaces, mansions, bathing Ghats, gardens and temples dot its banks. Jag Mahal and Jag Niwas are the two island palaces that add to the lake’s romantic ambience.

Your tour of Udaipur would begin at the City Palace, on the banks of the Lake Pichola. The magnificent and awe inspiring citadel is, in fact, a complex of several buildings that were added at different times by different rulers spanning nearly three hundred years.
 
Bharatiya Lok Kala Museum houses a very interesting collection of Rajasthani folk art – costumes, paintings, folk deities, musical instruments, masks, dolls and weapons. The puppet collection is particularly fascinating.
Overnight: Mewar Haveli (B)
Tel No. 0294-2521140

Day: 15: 01 Feb.08 (Thu)  Udaipur
Another full day in Udaipur…
Overnight: Mewar Haveli (B)
Tel No. 0294-2521140

Day 16: 02 Feb.08 (Fri)   UDIAPUR-DUNGARPUR
After breakfast drive to Dungarpur [110kms, 2½hrs], Morning drive to Dungarpur, a small town nestling in the Aravalli hills. Check into the 19th century Udai Bilas Palace, the erstwhile Royal Residence, and lye on the banks of the Gaibsagar Lake. Afternoon drive up to the old palace to see the colorful and vibrant frescoes, exquisite miniature paintings, glass and mirror inlay work. Proceed to the top of the hill to watch the sun set over the hills.
Overnight: Udai Bilas (B)
Tel No. 02964-230808

Day 17: 03 Feb.08 (Sat)   DUNGARPUR-UDAIPUR
Morning in Dungarpur after lunch drive to Udaipur [110kms, 2½hrs]…

TOUR END…

January 02, 2007

I resolved to pick-up my laptop, once again, and journal some of our travel adventures. My online addiction has waned since our travels to Cuba, partially from a lack of Internet resources and a shortage of time. So, now at the end of December, with another 10 hour drive ahead of us, I feel motivated to log some of our journey for the last few months.

The last month in Naples, Florida has been anything but adventurous, just sheer indulgence and relaxation–a complete contrast from Cuba. We were holed up in a three bedroom, 1800 square foot coach house, where we immersed ourselves in first world luxury. My body said YES, thank you. After sleeping on the Cuban slabs, which were often like laying on bags of unmixed cement, these first world beds feel like sleeping on pillows of air. Not to mention the 127 channels on three TV’s (more the Cameron’s liking than mine). Naples is the optimum of opulence, luxury and contrived beauty. It is like landscapers on steroids got a hold of this place to make it look Disney perfect, like a manufactured heaven. Not a blade of grass out of place.

And for shopping addicts, like myself, there is no shortage of places to lose yourself into the shopping dreamscape of discounts, designer clothing and up to 70%, which always helps one to justify one’s shopping compulsion. Enough said.

The most memorable part of our stay was spending time with our family. My Mom spent the entire month with us and I believe, thoroughly enjoyed herself. We touted her everywhere with us and she was a great sport, easy going and happy.  Mom cooked up some of the Ukrainian delicacies I alluded to in my Thanksgiving blog, perogies, halopchies and borshst. I even vowed to carry on some of the Slavic  traditions, after she recruited myself and Cameron in a perogy pinching party.
Together, we shared a number of Christmas feasts with my American family, cousin Carla and her children, Natalie and Hunter and Aunt Florence and Uncle Roger. They were gracious and warm hosts and made our Christmas feel very special (thanks guys) Ally got to play with her Wheaton cousins Patrick and Mally and for the most part they got along nicely. Our friend Bruce was kind enough to rent us his beautiful property in Naples (thanks again) Rick and his wife Carrie (Ally’s Gaurdians), came down from Atlanta for a few days.

And last, but not least, our good friends from Winnipeg, Inez, Morley and their children Lauren and Lee were in Naples Florida and we spent a few good days together. Morley has missed his calling in theatre, he had us in stitches every night with his cajouling and theatrics.

And so, for now, another travel chapter ends in the United States. After spending three months here, I can truly say (politics aside) this is a great country with many beautiful and amazing places.

On January 04, we are flying to Winnipeg to get our suitcases in order and further travel shots and head for the TRUE adventure, Paris, Dubai and India.

Ally will be staying with Rick and Kerry in Atlanta.

Cameron

Cameron and I met our traveling companion Roberto (from Vancouver)in Havana on November 14^th and made plans to travel to the most westerly side of the island called Pinar de Rio. We hired a taxi to take us from Havana along the coastline to Vinales, a small town set amongst the rolling tobacco hills of Cuba. 

The taxi ride was a bit harrowing as the Cuban roads (much less travelled) are full of pot holes and dodgy road conditions. The highways are nearly deserted at every time of day, mainly because Cubans can’t afford cars and even if they could the American trade embargo doesn’t allow the import of vehicles. Fifty years ago, there were more cars per capita in Cuban than in any country in the Western Hemisphere. Today the roads are eerily quiet. 

The cab, a Russian Lada, had no springs in the back seat compounded by bumpy road conditions and constant swerving to avoid potholes, so needless to say the ride was not very relaxing, but the scenery was quite beautiful. We promised to buy the cabbie lunch as part of our deal as so he stopped in a small village  and we ate at one of the Cuban restaurants, where tourists are typically not allowed.Rob was excited as he was getting a hell of a deal for a bowl of spaghetti for only 20 cents Canadian, he couldn’t have been happier or prouder.  Cameron stayed outside and kept watch on the car and the luggage. I sat quietly and ate my pollo and beans and listened to them chatter in Spanish. I have managed to pick up a number of words and phrases and the more I listen to Rob the more I can understand.  

Anyways, we traveled on to Vinales and the scenery was spectacular mountainous vistas of greenery.  When we arrived in Vinales, we supposedly had a reservation, but once again there was no record of it, so the three of us ventured out on the streets with our bags.It wasn’t long before we were accosted by Casa owners and before you know it we were swept up in a taxi cab that took us to a tiny house with a backyard full of chickens and pigs. The Casa owner was a nice enough family living in a three bedroom home. The problem was there was eight of them and only three of us and yes, only three bedrooms. Hmm, I was doing the math.As the night wore on, the eight of them filtered into the bedroom at the front of the house. I was feeling horribly guilty, like I was intruding on the family, but had to remind myself that this was their business. So, off to my room I go and lay down on the bed that felt like a bag of dry cement and the pillow was like a miniature bag of cement. Uggh! I close my eyes… what’s that smell?  A heavy sewage smell is seeping through the bathroom door.

It is nights like these where I again go back to counting the days on the calendar.  Tomorrow is another day. The morning came early—too early–4:00am. Que the roosters, the pigs and the dogs, a domino sound effect and it is a barnyard menagerie of howling, crowing and snorting–a contest to see which species can outdo the other. Cameron and I started to laugh hysterically probably from lack of sleep. Feeling horrible, my back aching I request a pot of café con leche to kick start the day and some toothpicks for the eyes.  So, we pack our bags and start looking for another place. We found some great places to stay and I have provided recommendations below. Pinar del Rio, was for me, the most beautiful part of Cuba. We rented scooters and toured the small towns and countryside. We stumbled across interesting places and people and thanks to Rob’s Spanish, were able to experience the people and parts of the countryside that would not have been possible on our own. 

On one such scooter trip through the countryside, we found an old thatched roof cottage surrounded by fantastic surrealist and modern art sculpted from wood and concrete. Rob was able to converse with the woman of the casa, who invited us to tour her home and yard. We learned that they were Santería, an an Afro-Caribbean religious tradition. 
Her husband, the artist, was pouring a concrete cast of a female nude into the ground. He then started to relate his impressions of each of us, both past and present, like he was clairvoyant. I might say frighteningly accurate. He had a cross shaved into his chest to ward off evil thoughts. I guess… whatever works!

We left them some Convertible Pesos and jumped back on our scooters.  Our voyage tour took us past the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen, with barely a car in sight only oxen driven wagons, horses, small thatched roof houses, fields of meringue and tobacco drying huts. Everyone was smiling and waving at us as we drove by on scooters. One word that kept coming to my mind was simplicity–such uncomplicated lives, poor yes, but simple. This is the premier tobacco growing country in the world for cigars.We took many of the roads less travelled see what we could see and stumbled across a non tourist sanctioned tiny cigar factory that was like stepping back in time to another century.Clearly the people were very uncomfortable with our presence, so we asked for a quick photo and left. It was a perfect black and white time stamped photo and a visceral experience of aging tobacco leaves, wooden tables filled with sweaty laborers rolling premium cigars for the imperialists they are all programmed to loathe.

It has been some time since I have been a traveler, in the true sense of the word. Our trip to Cuba had me indoctrinated, hook, line and sinker, whether I liked it or not. We arrived about midnight, quickly checked through customs, jumped in a cab with directions to the Casa Particular (government licensed private home), where we had a reservation located in Vidado, Havana.

I had this strange feeling that the Casa would be remiss on our reservation. Sure enough, when we arrived, we awoke the owners of the home and they didn’t have a record of a reservation. The Casa owner, kindly helped us to the hotel down the street called the Hotel Victoria. Recommended by the Lonely Planet, it looked quite nice with a clean presentable lobby, so we put down our credit card and for a mere $90.00 we got subjected to an evening of fungicidal fumes and crumbling walls. When the porter opened the door to our room it smelled as though it had been boarded up since the Revolution. A little bit of positive self talk got me through the night.

The next morning, we opened our 4th floor windows to discover a world of complete decay. Half a century ago this neighborhood was beautiful and affluent. Today, the buildings are losing piece of their former splendor to the streets below. I am feeling intense culture shock. We checked out of the moldy hotel and went back to the Casa Particular where we originally had a reservation and they had a room for us in their Colonial home.

Staying at the Casas turned out to be one of the best travel experiences in Cuba.  Not only were the Casas inexpensive ($20 – $30) a night, but they were clean, somewhat beautiful and we had the cultural experience of meeting and living with Cuban families. Carlos and Dania, the pleasant hosts of the Vidado Casa introduced us to our first Cuban breakfast, served in their dining room each morning. The best coffee on the planet, Café con Leche, fresh squeezed juice, a large plate of fresh fruit, with nutrient free Cuban rationed buns followed by a omelet and salad.  A good way to power an eight hour day of pounding the pavement in 90 degrees of intense humidity.
The second day we were beginning to get our bearings, walking around and getting acclimated to the culture and environment. I couldn’t help but feel like people were watching us; we were conspicuous tourists. And sure enough that night I got robbed.  Cameron and I were walking in Vidado at night and two young guys came up behind me and ripped the small bag I was carrying off my back. They made away with $100 cash and my drivers license. That night, I pulled out my calendar and started counting the number of days to departure—two down, 35 to go…..

So, the opening to our trip was a bit rough, but it got a whole lot better and we experienced countless adventures and saw beautiful places. For me the five weeks dragged on too long, and I pulled out my countdown calendar on a number of occasions. That being said, there were many parts of the trip that were memorable and beautiful and I would highly recommend the experience.

Cameron’s friend from Vancouver, Rob joined us for about 10 days of travel (many of you asked who is that guy in the pictures? Meet Roberto). Rob speaks Spanish fluently and was incredibly funny, so we laughed our way through his visit and his wild travel stories. A seasoned World traveller, Rob optimimizes traveling on a shoestring budget and surviving to tell the story. He said he only needs two weeks to acclimatize himself to a country and he can drink the water out of a hoof print and not get sick. He was great at cajoling the Cubans with his Spanish and before you knew it they were warm and friendly.

Havana Vieja
By our third day we found old Havana (Havana Vieja), now declared a World UNESCO heritage site and is being actively restored to its former glory. We discovered fabulous Fabio’s Havana Colonial Casa Particular (house) and liked it so much we stayed on and off for a few weeks.

Fabio, a young and handsome Cuban doctor runs this Colonial Casa in the heart of the heritage district. This immaculate Casa has 15 foot ceilings and is bulging with antiques, chandeliers and artwork and for only $30.00 a night, this was a great find. Fabio’s brother Aojenia seemed to be the domestic head of the house and he cooked an amazing Cuban breakfast, served in their elegant dining room. We thoroughly enjoyed this place, so much so that I am leaving his address incase any of you travel to Cuba. (see below)

We spent many days and nights exploring the restored plazas, museums and galleries of Havana Vieja and immersed ourselves in the fascinating history of Cuba. The restored parts of Vieja are beautiful and have the same ambiance as Europe, especially the huge plazas at night. Unfortunately, most of old Havana has not been restored and is terribly decayed and crumbling for the last half century. There is an intense sense of poverty in these areas and I can only liken it to a city that has experienced a nuclear fallout. Chunks of buildings have perished and sometimes the buildings underpinnings are only left to bare. I think it was this visceral experience of the city gave me an extreme and uneasy feeling of culture shock.

A great way to pass an evening with a good Mojito in hand (and believe me they are good), is to watch Cuban street life. The people are incredibly fit and beautiful. With a diet of government sanctioned organic rice, beans, meat and veggies, few modes of transport and virtually no fast food, the Cubans are staying fit without gymns and are putting us doughly North Americans to shame. Not to mention the tinsey bits of clothing that they wear or don’t wear. Cuban women don’t walk, they sway through the streets and manage to look incredibly poised in high heels on cobblestone streets. I read in one of our travel books that Cuban women are very difficult to train to be soldiers as it was next to impossible to eliminate the sway from their marching. They are a very sexually liberated society and it shows.

One of my favorite evening adventures was to drink a Mojitoe at the historic National Hotel. The outdoor patio is the quintessential Cuban experience set in a courtyard atmosphere high above the ocean, with huge rattan chairs and the rumble of Cuban music above high arches. I could have passed away many, many hours in this beautiful space. I imagined what it was like in the days of the gangsters and mafia that used to frequent this landmark property and smoke Cuban cigars.

Riding in a Coco Taxi (especially after an afternoon Mojito) was the greatest fun and was sure to put a smile on my face. A Coco Taxi is like a huge three wheeled motorized football helmet, so you get the experience of riding on a motorcycle, but in a protected bubble.  Most of the Coco drivers were young and would candidly give us an insiders view of Cuban life and some of its pitfalls, so we always enjoyed the ride and the conversation.

Cuba is a color blind society. No segregation between blacks, whites, malatoes. Couples mix and intermingle freely. Every night when we walked home kids, both black and white played in the streets. No one fears crime in Cuba, at least not the kind of crime we experience in America. Their greatest fear is speaking out against the government.

Most Cubans we met would not speak freely about politics. We came upon a woman in the street who was dressed completely in white and Rob, who speaks Spanish, stopped to ask her why she dressed this way. She said it is a symbol to protest her husband who was imprisoned for 12 years for publicly speaking out against the government. Police are poised at every street corner and watch people very closely.

And there is no shortage of propaganda, which can take on comedic proportions especially when slamming George Bush and the United States. Billboards everywhere promoting solidarity for the Revolution, socialism, Fidal and Che Quevera reminded us that we were in a socialist regime.  Imperialism and capitalism are touted as evil enemies.

One book described Cubans as first world people in a third world country. This is completely true from an artistic/cultural perspective. One day we bought tickets to the Cuban ballet housed in the oldest theatre in North America. The theatre was a huge draw in itself and it set the perfect stage for this iconic Cuban dance. The dance was a fusion of classical and contemporary Flamenco and ballet. The finale to each dance was a fervent Flamenco solo, which crescendoed to a passionate and thunderous intensity, which was met by a roaring and ovating crowd (kind of like the wave at a football game).  I was so moved by the dance, I forgot that I was in Cuban until the lights went on.

One of the things that made it so difficult to travel in Cuba was the shortage of different kinds of food. Havana has quite a good variety of food, but venture outside of Havana and we were on a steady diet of cheese sandwiches (or ham if you eat pork) beans and rice. Pollo (chicken), pizza and spaghetti were other staples and most of the salads were mainly cucumbers and raw cabbage.  Eating at the Casas (government licensed homes) was the best dining experience that we had and we were served incredible home made feasts at very cheap prices.  The cheapest meal we had from a food stand we was 24 cents for one of the best pizzas I had in Cuba and a glass of juice.

The average Cuban has figured out many ways to get access to Convertible Pesos either by working in the tourist industry or by scamming tourists. We often got short changed or overcharged.

The average Cuban makes $11 – $13 per month, which is subsidized by government rationed food and government backed housing, free healthcare and education. There are two sets of currency—one for the locals (the National Peso) and one for the tourist (Convertible Pesos). The National Peso is about 24 pesos to one Convertible. Convertible Peso (if Cubans have access to this money) provides for a much more affluent lifestyle. So, needless to say, everyone wants to get their hands on Convertibles.

From Havana, we took a bus to Trinidad, Cuba, the southern side of the island and spent a week exploring the town and surrounding beaches and villages by scooter.

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Reservations highly recommended.

Havana Colonial
Sr. Eunenio Barral Garcia
San Ignacio No 656
e/Jesus Maria y Merced
La Havana, Viega
(537) 862-9877

To all our Canadian friends and family—Happy Thanksgiving!

I just called my brother’s home to wish them a happy Canadian Thanksgiving (even though they live in the US). My Mom has been visiting him and is up to her good Ukrainian tricks of making perogies with the enlisted help of my sister-in-law, Kara. Together they have whipped up a buffet of Ukrainian delicacies including holopchies, perogies and a huge turkey with all the fixings. My mouth is watering just thinking about it and I have been obsessing about it since I hung up. We, on the other hand, just stopped at Subway for a quick sandwich… sigh…..

We have just left Carlsbad, New Mexico and are driving through Texas, in fact, a somewhat uneventful drive. It would be too easy to pick up bags and bags of junk food and soon blossom into a puffier rendition of my former self. Small town, USA carries a consistent supply of hydrogenated and highly preserved, bad tasting food. Even the salads are slathered with artery clogging fat. A better diversion is scribing a few lines on my laptop. With nothing but miles and miles of blacktop ahead, I need something to occupy my vacant mind.

We visited the Carlsbad Caves, some of the largest and most impressive caverns in the world. Descending 800 feet from the desert floor to the dank dark caves below, the experience was incredibly unique and wondrous. Enveloped by a cool 58 degrees of ninety percent humidity, it was a chilly retreat from the ninety degrees of hot dry heat on the desert floor.  It is a very strange and somewhat creepy sensation walking deeper into the cavern.

The caves are sanctuary to hundreds of thousands of bats, which I can’t help but think about as we descend into this mammoth grotto.  I loathe bats; they give me the heebie jeebies.  I am relieved to know that they don’t awake until 4:30 pm, at which time all 450,000 of them will take flight from the natural entrance that we just hiked into. Here is an interesting bit of trivia, the bat dung on the cave floor is over 40 feet deep! (Maybe that is where the smell is coming from).

The four hour trek downwards and around some of the cavern rooms was full of unearthly limestone formations some spiraling upwards 50 feet and the endless pit fell downwards 140 feet. At the end of the day, everyone congregated in the amphitheatre to wait for the clouds of bats to leave the cave for the nightly feeding.
We were about one of probably six people who overnighted in White City, a tiny town of 20 people, next to the Cavern Park. The hotels in these small towns are a bit dicey, questionable mattresses and some creepy crawlies. It is times like these where I really miss home.

Earlier on we ventured to Sant Fe, art meca of the US. I think one article said that the volume of art sales in Santa Fe are close rivals to New York and San Francisco. We spent a few days just browsing though the historic pueblo buildings where most of the galleries are housed and admired the innovative art showings(over 250 galleries in a town of 70,000). Santa Fe was home to Georgia O‘Keefe where they  have built a gallery dedicated to her art and life. I loved her life story, a renegade for her time and a woman who lived passionately.

I have gained a sense and appreciation for the ancient Indian culture in New Mexico, as it is so predominant in comparison to Canada. We visited an early Pueblo (Indian village) located on a mesa, which is still inhabited today. Here the aboriginal people live in the original adobe homes dating as far back as the 11th century. It was undoubtedly stepping back in time–no running water, electricity or plumbing.

So, all in all New Mexico, (the little we saw) was great. Now we are racing towards Atlanta as our time in the US in running out. Our flight for Cuba departs from Atlanta on October 25. We are looking forward to staying with my bro Rick and his wife, Kerry. For Ally, it will be the end of her journey for a few months as she will stay with Kerry and Rick during our stay in Cuba and then she will have another month sojourn in Florida where she will get acquainted with cousins Mally and Patrick.

By the way, the drugs (for Ally that is) are working well. She sits in the back seat with her butt wedged between our seats, looking out the back, panting quietly.  

We are on week six of our travels and the time is passing very quickly. As anyone knows that has traveled extensively, there are great days and good days and somedays where you feel like ripping your hair out . Today, is a good day for me. About one hour drive from San Antonio, Texas, I am anxious to ge out of the car. The weather is about 90 degrees of hot dry sunshine and the highway is smooth and flawless and it is now 6:00pm. Cameron is the dedicated driver for the entire trip.

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Last night, after two 12 hour days of driving, we arrived in New Orleans, where I think we will park for the next five days or longer.

It is a hot and sticky ninety degrees here when we arrived last night. Even though we were both exhausted from the long day of travel, we walked to the French Quarter to take in the culture of Bourbon Street. Cameron was like a kid in a candy store. (I don’t think I have ever seen him happier on this entire trip!)

Needless to say, we enjoyed some frozen daquries and dancing to the blues and jazz of New Orleans…..

So, I climbed aboard the Votex Express, for the spiritually guided tour of the magnetic sites in Sedona. Our gracious guide John is a middle-aged practicing yogi from Southern California who came to Sedona to meet his spiritual leader, an Indian guru over 11 years ago.

He went on to explain how the energy emanates from these mystical silica rocks, which are made up of a heavy concentration of crystal and iron. These formations are ancient strata that used to be inside the earth so, in essence, we are traipsing through the inner earth here in red rock land. Interesting.

He drove us to the airport vortex, an amazing view of Thunder Mountain, the tallest Mesa in Sedona. It was packed with tourists, bikers and buses, so it was hard to get “the vibration.”

The next stop was a nice quiet spot outside the main tourist sites.  He asked us all to relax and breathe deep.  I have to admit, I felt kind of stupid. We stood there in silence, everyone seemed rather awkward. And, then it happened, that tingling sensation. I didn’t say anything, but my hands began to feel very hot and prickly. Then, one of the ladies on the tour announced that her once fractured shoulder felt incredibly great. Another person claimed that his hands were tingling and they were turning bright red.  Was that a vibration?

John motioned with his arms to the sky that the energy was up or down, meaning that the vortex had either a calming or energizing effect. He also explained that the vortex can intesify and existing state of mind, either good or bad.

The next stop was a Buddhist meditation site, a beautiful serene outdoor prayer site set against the beautiful red rocks.  We each circled the Stupa a few times in silence taking in the “energies”.

Then he asked if we would like to do the medicine wheel and Indian traditional healing wheel. Ok, sure why not. 

So, all in all I have to say it was a mystical experience and perhaps spriritual just by the pure beauty and silence in nature. As far as the vortex energy, my entire stay in Sedona I felt buoyantly happy. Perhaps this is the power of the vortex.

When our guide returned us to the drop-off point, I saw Cameron’s vehicle, but no Cameron! Speaking of being buoyantly happy. There he was in the bar, surrounded by the locals having the time of his life. He had many stories to share about the celebrities that live and visit Sedona.

For some it is a spiritual awakening, for others it is just trekking, and for many it may be a combination of the two. It is hard not to experience some wonder at the force of nature that can create these monolithic Indian red sandstones.

Sedona, Arizona is known as a spiritual power centre as a result of the subtle vortexes of energy located in the area. Vortexes are supposedly created by the motion of spiraling energy. It has also said that Sedona is one of the most magnetically balanced places on each. Some of the theories are the energies are created from the minerals in the earth, which is a high concentration of iron and crystal. Whatever you believe, the fact is that people from all over the world come here to experience, meditate and heal from the force.

Only for the new age enthusiasts, mystics, psychics and clairvoyants? Perhaps. One thing is for certain is that Sedona is an extraordinary beautiful and perhaps mystical place. What creates the mystical quality? It is not only the panoramic vistas, but the over 400 artists in this very small community and a plethora of retreats, metaphysical and spiritual that include psychics, energy healing, meditation and new age centers.

For us, it has been a great place to explore, hike and be one with nature. Within the luxury of our timeshare resort, we have enjoyed all the amenities and are only a few minutes drive from hundreds of miles of hiking trails that afford us plenty of exercise and different vistas of the amazing red rocks. Broken Arrow was my favorite hike that brought us to the summit (about a 600 foot hike) of one such red rock with an astounding panoramic view. Everyday we tackle a different trail and experience a new incredible view of spiraling sandstone Indian red rocks.

These are sacred Indian grounds and there are remains of this prehistoric culture that once flourished in this area. One such place called Montezuma’s Castle, (see picture above), which are ancient Indian ruins from the 12th Century. They built this 20 room mud castle about 100 feet above the valley and it still stands today.

As for mystic Sedona, I have yet to explore. One question still keeps coming up. What about those vortexes? Hmmm.. I am curious. I try to indulge Cameron over dinner this evening, “How about a tour…..you know experience some of the local culture.” He is beyond skeptical.

Well, it is for certain that I will be traveling alone.

For me, I am interested to indulge in this mystic culture and perhaps experience some of these healing energies. After all, what can it hurt but my pocketbook… right?

So, the curiosity got the better of me and I put down my credit card for the $79.00 three hour tour.

To be continued…..

We drove through Joshua Tree National Park, about an hour outside Palm Springs, on our way to Arizona. It is so great to be in the desert. I was feeling a little sad about leaving the coast of California, as I thought I would miss the ocean. The trade off is all the desert open space, a sharp contrast to the crowded coastal areas of California. People on top of people. We can drive for miles and miles in the desert and see very few cars, towns or people. I love it! 

So, back to Joshua Tree National Park…  Another surreal, unearthly  place.The park is teaming with these bizarre trees and twisted, Disney-like rock formations set against the stark desert landscape. The trees look almost dead and the rain only comes a few times a year.

Pictures tell a thousand words.