Beautiful Leaf Musings

Thank you for your interest in our trip to Ecuador. Let me begin with a little background information about Ecuador from Wikipedia.

“Ecuador [meaning “equator” in Spanish], officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific…. 

The country’s capital is Quito and its largest city is Guayaquil. The territories of modern-day Ecuador were once home to a variety of indigenous peoples that were gradually incorporated into the Inca Empire during the 15th century. The territory was colonized by Spanish Empire during the 16th century, achieving independence in 1820 as part of Gran Colombia, from which it emerged as a sovereign state in 1830. The legacy of both empires is reflected in Ecuador’s ethnically diverse population, with most of its 17.8 million people being mestizos, followed by large minorities of Europeans, Native American, African, and Asian descendants. Spanish is the official language spoken by a majority of the population, although 13 native languages are also recognized, including Quechua [Kichwa]….

Ecuador is a representative democratic presidential republic and a developing country whose economy is highly dependent on exports of commodities, primarily petroleum and agricultural products…. According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, between 2006 and 2016, poverty decreased from 36.7% to 22.5% and annual per capita GDP growth was 1.5 percent…. Ecuador adopted the United States dollar on April 13, 2000 as its national currency and on September 11, the country eliminated the Ecuadorian sucre, in order to stabilize the country’s economy. The US Dollar has been the only official currency of Ecuador since then.

Ecuador is one of seventeen megadiverse countries in the world according to Conservation International, and it has the most biodiversity per square kilometer of any nation. Ecuador has 1,600 bird species (15% of the world’s known bird species) in the continental area and 38 more endemic in the Galápagos. In addition to more than 16,000 species of plants, the country has 106 endemic reptiles, 138 endemic amphibians, and 6,000 species of butterfly.

According to the Ecuadorian National Institute of Statistics and Census, 91.95% of the country’s population have a religion, 7.94% are atheists and 0.11% are agnostics. Among the people who have a religion, 80.44% are Catholic, 11.30% are Evangelical Protestants, 1.29% are Jehovah’s Witnesses and 6.97% other (mainly Jewish, Buddhists and Latter-day Saints).”

Our two-week trip to Ecuador was broken into two distinct segments. The first week was spent touring the Avenue of the Volcanos, a region in the Andes mountains stretching from Quito in the north to Cuenca in the south. The Avenue of the Volcanoes was named by explorer Alexander Van Humboldt in the 19th century and is descriptive of the Andean scenery which enchants visitors making the journey. Towering volcanic peaks rise above the patchwork of green and gold farmland below. The valley was created by the collision of the Nazca and South America tectonic plates 100 million years ago.  The numerous national parks, towns, and cities visited along the way are home to an equally mosaic mixture of cultures. The second week was spent on the Napo River, a tributary of the Amazon River. Ecuador contains only three percent of the territory of the Amazon Basin, but is generally recognized as the most diverse. For purposes of our trip, we chose to experience the Amazon Basin on a boat, as opposed to a land-based lodge, as we felt it gave us the opportunity to explore more of the area.

With all that as background, what follows is a description of our trip. By the way, you can click on any of the photos to see the full-size image.

Sunday, September 15

We arrived in San Francisco de Quito (Quito) at approximately 9:15 pm. Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basis, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains. With a population of nearly 1.4 million, Quito is the second most populated city in Ecuador after Guayaquil.

The elevation of the city’s central square (Plaza de La Independencia or Plaza Grande) is about 9,350 ft, making Quito the second-highest administrative capital city in the world (after La Paz in Bolivia). The central square of Quito is located about 15 miles south of the equator; the city itself extends to within about 1 km of zero latitude. A monument and museum marking the general location of the equator is known locally as la mitad del mundo (the middle of the world). After a fairly quick passport and customs process, we were met by our driver Juan who drove us about 30 minutes to our lodging at Hotel Cultura Manor, where we retired for the evening.

Monday, September 16

We ate breakfast at about 7:30. Breakfast began with yogurt, fruit, granola and coffee, which were followed by eggs, a wonderful homemade croissant, and passion fruit juice. The jam was raspberry, but was more tart than ours at home. 

Hotel Cultura Manor is located in a beautiful building with lovely architecture. The interior is beautiful and reflected great attention to detail. The furniture and rooms were clean and in good condition, particularly given how many of the furniture pieces are antiques. The staff was very friendly, including the manager, Fernando. The room we stayed in during this portion of our trip was called “Renaissance Suite 1, Aphrodite.” The walls were covered with murals depicting the birth of Venus from renaissance master Botticelli. Further, “[t]he winds that brought Venus alive have occupied the ceiling while the Nymph that received the Goddess invite you to come into the bathroom.”

We began our day at 9:15 with a guided tour of La Basílica del Voto Nacional. The basilica is a beautiful building which allows views from above the city due to observation decks atop the building. On the exterior, which has been inspired by Notre-Dame in Paris, there are a multitude of gargoyles that look like animals native to Ecuador such as iguanas, pumas, iguanas, and condors, created by the indigenous artisans. From the observation decks you can also see the Virgen de Quito statue atop the Panecillo. We next visited colonial sites of old Quito, including the Main Plaza, the Government Palace, and the La Compañía de Jesús, one of the finest examples of Latin American baroque architecture. We then walked to La Vid Restaurante for a wonderful meal of creamy potato soup with cheese and avocado, slow cooked lamb, shrimp in coconut sauce, pineapple ovenless tart, and a “Naranjilla” mousse.

After lunch, we returned to the car and drove to the Equatorial Line located just 40 minutes north of Quito. The equator line “experience” included demonstrations of how water drains differently (e.g., clockwise or counterclockwise) depending which side of the equator you are located! There are two competing museums related to the position of the equator: the one described above and the “Middle of the World” museum.

We then toured of The Fungus Garden close to Calacali town. The farm is run by Ricardo Viteri, a biologist and Ecuadorian fungus expert who has been involved in exploring the use of fungi to clean up oil spills, to develop related medicines, and to assist the local population in developing sustainable businesses. During our visit we learned about the production of different organic fungi, including shitake, white and pink oysters. We then returned to Hotel Cultura Manor for another night’s stay.

Tuesday, September 17

We departed at 7:45 am to drive to Hacienda El Porvenir (~1.5 hour drive) for a horseback riding trip amidst the stunning Avenue of Volcanoes scenery. I rode a horse to a ridge with a beautiful view of Cotopaxi Volcano, where stopped to have a cup of tea and a bite of Swiss chocolate. Paula stayed back at the hacienda, went for a walk, and relaxed in the comfortable living room.

We then took a box lunch into Cotopaxi National Park (~40 minute drive). We drove to the parking lot below the refuge and ate our meals in the car as it was very windy. Juan and I then hiked one-half of the way up to the refuge, which put us at 15,154 feet, or 590 vertical feet below the refuge. Paula stayed in the car and rested.

Juan and I returned to the vehicle and left Cotopaxi to drive approximately 1 hour to Hacienda San Agustin de Callo to have dinner and stay overnight. The hacienda was purchased by General Leonidas Plaza, leader of the liberal Revolution in Ecuador. It was built on the site of an Inca palace, and is one of the two most important archaeological Inca sites in Ecuador, and the point of Imperial style construction furthest north from Cuzco, Peru. This working farm offers an unrivaled glimpse into Ecuador’s rich and colorful past. Since the 15th century, the hacienda has served as an Inca fortress and palace, as well as a Augustinian monastery. By far the most impressive sights are the perfectly carved volcanic stone walls of two of the Inca rooms which have survived the centuries and now serve as a chapel and dining room.

The hacienda was beautiful and spacious. Our room was large with two fireplaces, one in the bedroom and one in the bathroom. The floor included glass-covered openings showing the remains of Inca walls. Our visit began with the opportunity to feed the Llamas! We walked around the hacienda grounds and garden for a while to take in the view, including the Inca chapel. I then took a book and read in the lounge while enjoying a cocktail, while Paula remained in the room. At 7 pm we went to the dining room, the walls of which are entirely of Inca construction. Dinner consisted of cute little biscuits, traditional potato soup, sea bass with carrots, squash, salad and rice, with blackberry ice cream for dessert. We then returned to our room to retire for the evening, finding warm water bottles (wrapped in beautiful knit cozies) in our bed and the fire rebuilt. 

Wednesday, September 18

In the morning, I rebuilt the fire and we got ready for another day. Breakfast was at 8 am and consisted of cereal with toppings (bee pollen, cream, yogurt, granola, turmeric, and more), bread, toast, butter, jam, eggs prepared to order, fruit, juice and coffee/tea.

Juan picked us up at 9 am to head towards Chimborazo, the highest point on earth when measured from the center of the earth (Mount Everest is the highest point when measured from sea level). We drove around Chimborazo Volcano and took in the sights of a beautiful drive through a canyon from the Andes flatlands up to higher elevations (it reminded me of Big Thompson Canyon in Colorado). We stopped at a local community project for a Llama lunch which included soup, Llama, plantains, and rice.

We drove next to Chimborazo province to visit the Jatari Campesino where we watched a group of skillful women shear an alpaca using scissors, grade the wool, and spin it. “Jatari Campesino” is “a community belonging to the rural parish of Calpi, where around 73 families live and offer tourists the opportunity to share their traditions and way of life.” After completing their demonstration, we looked at some of the goods created by the Pagocha Project using wool harvested by the women, were treated to a song giving thanks for God’s blessings, and treated to a snack of beans, potatoes, and an oatmeal drink (Cuáker). They even dressed Paula up in native attire so she could look like them. In addition, we were given a tour of the huge mural that shows gastronomy, traditional festivals, llamas, alpacas, the icemen of Chimborazo and other representative characters of the commune. Above all else, we’ll remember the friendliness of the women and the initiative and cooperation they showed in performing their craft.

After the alpaca demonstration we drove to Chimbarazo Lodge, our accommodations for the night and for dinner. The lodge is a haven for hikers and climbers of Chimbarazo Volcan and sits at 13,123 feet of altitude. The lodge is made up of the main lodge, and three haciendas with rooms accommodating between 1 and 3 people per room. The lodge is in a valley immediately below the volcano, providing excellent photo opportunities of the surrounding landscape, of the alpacas living in the area, and of the other wildlife in the immediate vicinity (e.g., birds, deer, and rabbits). Our dinner at the lodge consisted of pumpkin soup, bread, German-inspired pork chop, broccoli, rice, plantain, and pickled red cabbage.

After dinner we retreated to our hacienda. It was a nice, peaceful retreat as we were the only two guests in the building. Due to nationwide blackouts in Ecuador due to energy shortages resulting from the ongoing drought (most of Ecuador’s energy comes from hydro-electric power), we went to bed with extra covers expecting a cold night. What we didn’t expect, however, was that Paula was unable to sleep due to the thin air at such altitude. After getting her some supplemental oxygen, however, she was able to get some decent sleep and return to her normal self, albeit a little tired, the next day. 

Thursday, September 19

After breakfast, we left the Chimbarazo Lodge and drove to Guamote to see the local markets. Guamote is in a rural part of Ecuador and is largely agriculture-based. It has a market one day a week, on Thursdays. The market is split up into various areas throughout the town: large animals (e.g., cows, hogs, and sheep), small animals (guinea pigs, rabbits, and chickens), and retail areas for fruits, nuts, seeds, meat, flowers, and a variety of consumer goods.

After checking out a few areas of the markets, we returned to the car to drive the remaining 2.5 – 3 hours to Ingapirca. Upon arrival at Ingapirca, we checked into our hotel for the night, the Ingapirca Posada. The Ingapirca Posada is the only quality lodging near the Inca Ingapirca ruins. It is a small, boutique hotel with a beautiful lodge and rooms located in adjacent two-story buildings. The rooms were not quite as nice as those in our prior lodgings, but the meals were spectacular in flavor, presentation, and quantity!

Before having dinner and going to bed, however, we first visited the nearby Ingapirca Ruins, the best and most important Inca archaeological site in Ecuador. Ingapirca, which means “Inca wall” in Kichwa, is Ecuador’s most important set of pre-Columbian ruins, located 50 miles north of Cuenca. The Inca sun temple perched on its hill with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside is an impressive sight. The Cañari lived here long before the Incas arrived and are famous for their determined resistance of the invasion, successfully defending their territory against the army of the Incas. Interestingly, following their eventual victory, the Inca invaders had enough respect for the Cañari to build a community together, constructing their own Temple of the Sun to complement the existing Temple of the Moon. As well as a ceremonial site, Ingapirca is thought to have had astronomical, political, and administrative functions. At 10,500 feet elevation, Ingapirca’s position overlooking the surrounding valley was of key strategic importance, but its growth was short-lived. The complex is thought to have been destroyed shortly before the Spanish conquest, in a war between the Inca ruler Atahualpa and his brother Huáscar in 1532. The Spanish later ransacked the site, and much of the stonework was used to build churches and haciendas in Cuenca and beyond. The site lay abandoned until the Ecuadorian government began a restoration process in the mid-20th century, opening the site to the public in 1966. The highlight of the complex is the elliptical Temple of the Sun, the only one of its kind in the Incan empire, built on top of an ancient Cañari ceremonial rock. It is thought that, in addition to being a site for rituals, the structure was used to determine the agricultural and religious calendars. The most important event was Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun, which is still celebrated at Ingapirca every June. The mind-boggling stonework that is the hallmark of Inca construction can be fully appreciated here, with volcanic rocks hand-carved so precisely that mortar was unnecessary. Another highlight is a remaining fragment of the Inca road, a network that once connected religious and administrative centers across Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. (My source for the Ingapirca history and some of the text in this paragraph can be found here)

Friday, September 20

After breakfast, we got in the car for the two hour drive to Cuenca. Cueca is known as the  “Athens of Ecuador” because of the numerous artists, novelists, poets, and others born in the city. Our first stop was to the gallery of Eduardo Vega, a well known artist who primarily works in clays and tiles. His work was beautiful and has been featured in various spots around the world. We next stopped to enjoy a panoramic view of the city from the vantage point of Turi. From Turi we could see the famous cathedral and the four rivers that divide various parts of the city.

We then left Turi to drove down to the old city to find our hotel for the night, the Itza Internacional Hotel Boutique. The hotel was built between 1930 and 1935 by the Italian architect Alfonso Durini. The hotel is in the perfect location to tour the city as it is located only one block from the main square of the old city and from the cathedral. Although we arrived before check-in, our room was ready so we checked in and left our bags in the room.

We then headed out to walk around the old city to learn about the  culture and history of the city. On our journey we walked through magnificent churches, beautiful old buildings with wrought iron balconies and carved wooden doors, flower and handicrafts markets, art galleries, workshops and all the wonders that Cuenca, with its colonial style and pleasant atmosphere, had to offer. We stopped for lunch at a Restaurante El Jardin, clearly a favorite among local business people. The restaurant was beautiful with a hummingbird theme, freshly cut flowers, and a great view over the Tomebamba River.

One notable interaction we had with a local artisan was with a friend of Juan, our guide. The gentleman’s name was Pluma (meaning “feather”). Pluma’s craft was to use a hand scroll saw to cut coins into art, often used for necklaces. Pluma was a delightful man with an infectious personality. We bought several coins from him, and left him with a dozen coins we had brought with us. After our discussion with Pluma, we walked down by the Tomebamba River, returned to the old town, found a sport shop so I could buy a slightly bigger backpack for my carry-on bag, and made our way back to the hotel. After a little break, Paula and I went to the roof-top restaurant at the hotel to enjoy the view over the city, and to have shrimp ceviche and an appetizer plate consisting of two pork sliders, two corn-based dishes common to Ecuador, and three cheese empanadas. We then retired for the evening. 

Saturday, September 21

This morning we woke up and packed our bags, ate a delightful breakfast (including, but not limited to coffee, juice, plantains, waffles, fruit, and beef), and headed off with Juan to explore more of Cuenca.

We delayed seeing the cathedral as a mass was in session so instead headed off to the Museo Pumapungo. On our way to the museum, Juan saw yet another friend, this time Julio Machado. While Julio is an Italian-trained jewelry maker, his passion is hummingbirds! Not only does Julio’s work, whether paintings, painted copper hummingbirds, or jewelry, relect the beauty of hummingbirds, but it also captures the importance of the bird to Inca traditions. Specifically, the Inca believed that the hummingbird was a messenger from heaven.  The condor, which has the position of “king of the skies” conceded its status as the primary spiritual messenger of the “upper world” to the hummingbird.  The hummingbird is seen as the key to the next stage of development of human consciousness. Like Pluma, Julio is passionate about his work and has an infectious personality. Julio has exhibited his work in several locations around the world, and has some of his larger copper creations on display including at, for example, a restaurant in Boston.

After an extensive discussion with Julio, we continued our trek to the museum. While the museum was closed for renovations, we were able to walk through the Inca ruins behind the museum. The site contains not only remaining building foundations, but also a garden and park built by the Incas.

We then back to tour the cathedral, including climbing to the rooftop viewing area. The architecture was beautiful as were the various pieces of artwork within.

As the time for our flight back to Quito was fast approaching, we returned to the hotel for lunch and got a cab to the airport.

Our flight to Quito was uneventful.  On our arrival we were met by Sebastian and transferred to Hotel Cultura Manor for the night. For this stay, our room was called “Renaissance Suite 3, Percephone.” As stated on the descriptive sheet in the room, “[o]ne of the most famous works of Botticelli, “The Spring,” has been reproduced surround the bedroom, siting [sic] area, and bathroom, as wall frescos.”

For dinner we enjoyed pumpkin ravioli accompanied by a small salad. We then returned to get some sleep before embarking on the next segment of our Ecuadorian adventure: the Amazon Basin.

Sunday, September 22

We were provided a box breakfast by the hotel and were picked up by Sebastian at 6:45 am for our transfer to the airport for our 9:30 flight to Coca, the gateway to the Napo River. We were met at he Quito airport by a representative from the Anakonda cruise company, who helped us navigate our journey to Coca. The 35 minute flight goes over the Eastern Andes Mountain Range, crosses the equator and allows observation of snow capped volcanoes over 5,790 meters above sea level (18,991 feet). The environment in Coca is quite different from that in Quito as it is located at only 820 feet of altitude and was over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Upon our arrival at the Coca airport, we were transferred to Anakonda’s offices to receive a briefing. We also met the three other passengers that would be on the first one-half (i.e., 3 days, 4 nights) of our trip. We also met the owner of the Anakonda/Manatee boats, our tour guide for the week, and the Captain of our boat, Eduardo Neira. We then walked across the street where a motorized canoe transported us about 2.5 hours to the boat.

About the Anakonda boat and cruise company: For over 40 years, Raúl García, founder and CEO of Anakonda Amazon Cruises has been working to develop a sustainable tourism model in the region that provides an alternative source of income to the communities and operates in a way that preserves the Amazon rainforest. The Anakonda is 300 ton river expedition boat builtin 2013. It has a length of 148 feet, a beam of 30 feet, and a draft of 5 feet. On our voyage it had a crew of 17 people, including a captain, cruise manager, English-speaking native guides, and operational staff (e.g., housekeepers, a chef, and canoe drivers). It has a cruising speed of approximately 14 knots downstream, and 7 knots upstream. Filtered water is provided by an 8,000 liter onboard water treatment plant. For purposes of excursions, the Anakonda is outfitted with two fiberglass ecologic canoes equipped with four-stroke low emission engines. The boat accommodates up to 40 passengers with private facilities in four  deluxe suites with private balconies and fourteen standard suites (4 interconnected) with French balconies. All suites have large panoramic windows with a view and include an air conditioning system.

If you’re still with me, you may have noticed above that I said there were only three other passengers with us. So, the five of us on a boat with a capacity of 40 and a staff of 17. It was surreal and a reflexion of the current status of the level of tourism in Ecuador. Upon our arrival at the boat, we were welcomed on board with a cocktail, given some time to relax and unpack, went through the mandatory safety drill, and then enjoyed lunch. You can see the menu for each day and photos of some of the meals later I this blog. After lunch we lounged on the boat for a while, and then went for a sunset canoe ride followed by night walk through the surrounding jungle. During our nocturne walk we saw walking sticks, many spiders (e.g., the Golden-silk spider and several pink-toed Tarantulas), toads, frogs, and snakes. We returned to the boat to enjoy dinner, after which we retired in anticipation of the next day’s activities. 

Monday, September 23 through Saturday, September 28

Rather than go through a day-by-day summary of the Amazon portion of our trip, I will instead generally describe life aboard the boat and the various activities in which we participated. 

Life aboard the Anakonda

The layout of the boat is shown below. 

Sunrise each day was at approximately 5:45 am Therefore, every day began with an early breakfast, typically between 6 and 7 am (the animals, of course, live by the patterns of daytime and nighttime, not the clock).

Breakfast was typically followed by a morning excursion, lunch back at the boat (typically at 1 pm, although one day we had a box lunch in the boat), an afternoon excursion, dinner (typically between 7 and 8 pm), and, occasionally, the opportunity for an evening walk through the jungle to see the creepy-crawly things (see the description above related to the walk the evening of our arrival). The ships crew did, as demonstrated by the schedule, keep us very busy and very, very well fed.

As to the excursions, they included:

A tour of the Pañayacu (Piranha River). The area of Pañacocha is an ecosystem flooded by white waters, rivers and lakes. We began by looking for wildlife as we headed upstream on the river. But first, we had to navigate very shallow waters by, at times, jumping out of the canoe to push it over the sandbars which seemed to be ubiquitous at this very dry time on the Amazon (we heard it was the driest season in decades, with the water on the main river sometimes limiting the ability of the main ship to move up and down the river where planned). Yes, pushing a boat barefoot up a river in the Amazon basin has to be a lifetime highlight for me! Once we got past the shallowest water, we drove slowly along the riverbank and observed cormorants, bats, beautiful butterflies, numerous bird species, and members of the local community as they went about their normal daily activities. We then stopped to fish for piranhas, with nearly everyone in the boat catching at least one piranha. We eventually made our way into a lagoon, which featured the Amazon Dolphin Lodge, where we stopped for lunch, a beautiful view from the observation tower, and a short walk through the jungle. After lunch, we boarded kayaks to begin our way back to the boat. After paddling for an hour or so, we reboarded the canoe and made our way back to the Anakonda, only having to get out once to again push through the sandbars.

Parrot Clay Licks, Other Wildlife Gathering Spots, and an Observation Tower in Yasuni National Park. We set out on three different occasions to visit sites were parrots, parakeets, or other wildlife gather to obtain minerals from soil or gather fiber from plants. In the first instance, we boarded the canoe very early in the morning to visit an area rich in minerals which provides a healthy boost to the digestion of parrots and parakeets. While we could see the parrots in the trees (see photos), they never descended to the “clay lick.” As our guide explained it, the birds are very vulnerable when on the clay lick, so they are very cautious about perceived threats such as a leopard or Anaconda snake lurking in the nearby grass. On the second occasion, we tried to get to a site where the animals gather fiber from the native plants. In this case, the combination of large sandbar and a deep channel in the river between us and the path to the site made access impossible. In the third instance, we landed our canoe on the border of the Yasuni National Park and walked 20 minutes or so to a shelter where we could quietly await the arrival of wildlife. Unfortunately, perhaps due to the time of day, no significant wildlife appeared. In general, we had better luck seeing wildlife via walks in the jungle and canoe rides along the shore. One night we saw howler monkeys, a black caiman, and a capybara. After our time at the shelter, we headed to an 220 step, 100 foot or so tall observation tower. The tower allowed a view of the rainforest above the canopy of the trees. This particular tower also allowed us to see the extent of the sandbars along the Napo River (see the pictures to see the stunning magnitude of the sandbars).

Local Community Visits. We visited a couple of communities along the river during our Amazon jouney. The first was a visit to a Kichwa women’s community project to learn about the indigenous lifestyle along the Napo river, their ancestral culture, and their community. The project is called Sani Warmi, with “Sani Isla” being the name of the indigenous community, and “Warmi” meaning “women” in the Kichwa language. According to their website, the women create diverse and beautiful artisan handicrafts, from pottery to woven baskets, beadwork, and wooden carvings of animals, canoes, spears, and oars. They have also produced coffee and artisan chocolates using cacao grown, fermented, and dried in the community. The income and opportunities created through these projects supports the community’s efforts to protect the 50,000+ acres of land owned by Sani Isla, parts of which are in the famously biodiverse rainforest of Yasuni National Park and Cuyabeno Nature Reserve. The women are active leaders in forest and biodiversity conservation and often participate in conferences and other events to share their expertise in community and women-led sustainable projects and conservation. With more than a decade of successful project experience, they offer a model to women in communities with less external support, and their initiatives have inspired similar projects in the region. For purposes of our visit, we received a tour of the project’s massive garden, which included cacao trees, yuca plants, plantains, pineapples, palm trees, and more. We were then given the opportunity to make our own lunch entree which consisted of fish and heart of palm wrapped in a leaf and grilled over the fire. The entree was accompanied by plantains and grilled chontacuro grubs (tasted like bacon). We were also given the opportunity to eat a live grub, which I heartily embraced as a bucket list item (I always wanted to compete in the unusual food eating challenge on the reality show “Survivor”). Alas, the grub did not taste like bacon when raw. For more on this tasty treat, see the websites here and here. After further exploration of, and purchases from, the project’s gift shop, we were given the opportunity to use a blowgun to shoot at targets about 30 feet away. The blowgun was long and heavy, but the group did surprisingly well in its efforts to hit the targets! 

A Tour of the Lower Napo River.  Our tour of the lower Napo River focused on a search for the elusive Pink Dolphin by exploring two narrow, beautiful tributaries of the Napo. We began with a ride in the motorized canoe, always searching the shore for wildlife that may come to the water to drink. We stopped briefly at the Ecuadorian town of Nuevo Rocafuerte to get clearance to operate the canoe through the area of the Napo River that borders both Ecuador and Peru. We then navigated southeast, took a left at the Aguarico River until we reached the Dolphin Lodge Napo River. The lodge is part of the Yaku Warmi project (‘Women of the Water’) which is entirely owned by the indigenous community of Martinica. This isolated Kichwa  community is fully committed to protecting the rainforest and its broad sweep of­­ species. The lodge is adjacent to the Cocaya River, which benefits from a Martinica program developed with biologists to bring the pink dolphins to the river and its closely guarded lagoons. Even now, these dolphins are hunted for their meat and especially for their teeth. Regrettably, river dolphin numbers are drastically low and they remain listed as endangered species. But thanks to community engagement and the Yaku Warmi project, several dolphin offspring have been recorded. 

After a brief stop at the lodge to meet the staff and to try (unsuccessfully) to lure the dolphins to the lodge’s dock by banging on a pipe lowered in the water (the dolphins are apparently very curious about unusual sounds), we returned to the canoe and headed up the Cocaya River. The Cocaya River is a “blackwater” river, meaning it has a dark color and slow-moving current that flows through forested wetlands. The river’s dark color comes from tannins, a chemical found in the leaves, wood, and fruit of trees, that are released into the water as organic matter decays. As a result of its dark color, the point at which the blackwater Cocaya River meets the “whitewater” Aguarico River creates an interesting contrast.

While traveling up the Cocaya River we looked for wildlife, went fishing for catfish and piranha, and continued to look for he pink dolphin. Having good luck in seeing wildlife and catching fish, but no luck finding the dolphins, we headed back downstream to return to the Napo River and make our way to the Yasuni River to continue our dolphin search. The Yasuni River is southwest of the Napo River and is located within the Yasuni National Park. The water flow of the Yasuni River had probably the strongest flow of any river we had seen thus far. After stopping at the ranger station, we proceeded up the river to the Jatuncocha Lagoon, where we saw a large black caiman, “stinky turkeys”, and many other species of birds. As the afternoon was growing late, we headed back to the ship.

Unexpectedly, just as we passed the ranger station, we saw three pink dolphins, two adults and one juvenile! We stopped and attempted to photograph the dolphins, but they were wary of our presence and stayed quite a distance from the canoe, visible only when they surfaced for air. We then headed back to the boat, stopping briefly to visit a native Secoya village and buy a small souvenir.

Meals Onboard the Anakonda

The meals onboard the boat were incredible, both in terms of variety and preparation. Breakfasts were served utilizing various “stations” including beverages, fruits, breads, meat, and made-to-order eggs. The menus for the lunches and dinners are shown in the following table.

Sunday Lunch: Appetizer: Andean Salad (Andean cheese, strawberries, grapes, quinoa, yogurt, and mayonnaise) Main: Turkey with mushroom sauce and white carrot puree or Penne pasta with Bolognese or Leek Sauce Dessert: White chocolate Panna Cotta

Sunday Dinner: Appetizer: Octopus Tiradito Main: Grilled steak in pepper sauce, sweet potatoes & asparagus or Ravioli with Napolitano sauce or four cheese sauce Dessert: Pumpkin cheesecake

Monday Lunch: At the Amazon Dolphin Lodge, which included: Appetizer: Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and baby corn salad Main: Grilled chicken and pork skewers, grilled vegetables, and seasoned potato wedges Dessert: Alas, I did not get a photo of the dessert!

Monday Dinner: Appetizer: Ecuadorian chicken soup Main: Trout in butter capers sauce, spring risotto & vegetables or Fettuccini with fruit di mare (octopus, squid, and shrimp) or pesto sauce Dessert: Golden berry tartlet

Tuesday Lunch: Appetizer: Shrimps cocktail Main: Chicken roll with bacon, honey mustard sauce and corn patty or Vegetarian lasagna Dessert: Lemon cream

Tuesday Dinner: Dinner this evening was grilled on deck as it was the departure dinner for the other three guests on the boat. Appetizer: Four different sushi rolls with tuna, melon, salmon, and octopus Main: Prawns, grilled pork loin, pasta salad, lettuce salad and grilled vegetables Dessert: Once again, I did not get a picture of the dessert (I guess I was excited to start eating it!

Wednesday Lunch: Appetizer: Ecuadorian tuna and shrimp soup Main: Roasted pork accompanied by rice croquets & vegetables or Fusilli Alfredo sauce or pesto zucchini sauce  Dessert: Vanilla pudding (like a bread pudding)

Wednesday Dinner: Appetizer: Beef carpaccio Main: Seafood au gratin with green plantain puree & vegetables or Spaghetti with Boscaiola or Kanikama sauce Dessert: Taxo mousse

Thursday Lunch: Bag lunch in the canoe which consisted of a chicken salad sandwich on a long roll, chips and other bagged snacks. We believe this meal was the source of my being ill on Thursday evening as the sandwiches were not refrigerated while in the boat…. It should be noted the crew took very good care of me during my illness.

Thursday Dinner: Appetizer: Chicken Cesar Salad  Main: Beef filet mignon in chimichurri sauce, Andean potatoes & vegetables or Papardelle pasta with carbonara sauce or aglio olio pepperonccini Dessert: Coconut mousse

Friday Lunch: I appear to have failed to take a picture of the menu for this lunch. Because I was recovering from being ill overnight, I do recall that my meal consisted of rice, toast, chicken soup, and a banana (3 of the 4 components of the BRAT diet).

Friday Dinner: Appetizer: Crepes au gratin stuffed with ricotta cheese & asparagus Main: Sea bass in coconut sauce, green plantain crackers & vegetables or Beef lasagna Dessert: Volcano ice cream with caramel syrup

Saturday Lunch: Appetizer: Ecuadorian potato soup Main: Veal in mustard sauce, corn tortilla & vegetables or Parmesan gnocchi & tomato coulis Dessert: Chocolate brownie (with walnuts!)

Saturday Dinner: Appetizer: Capresse salad Main: Prawns with cauliflower puree & vegetables or  Bolognese Spaghetti Dessert: Tiramisu

And now, here are some photos of the above meals!

Sunday, September 29

Today we got up at 5:30 am, ate breakfast at 6 am, and boarded a water taxi to transport us back to Coca for our late morning flight to Quito. The crew arranged the water taxi for us as it would be much faster than the motorized canoe. Since the boat was unable to take us back to the site at which we had originally boarded the boat due to sandbars blocking its way, even the water taxi ride took 2 hours and 40 minutes traveling at around 33 mph.

After arriving in Coca we had an uneventful flight to Quito, we were transported to Hotel San Jose de Pueblo where we would spend the day until our 11:20 pm flight to Atlanta. The hotel was beautiful, with expansive grounds that included a pool, a pickleball court, a volleyball court, a high quality restaurant, and llamas roaming around the property.

We had lunch at the restaurant, wandered the property, and took a little nap in anticipation of the travel ahead. Our flights to Atlanta and MSP were uneventful, as was our 4 hour drive home. Counting from the time we rose this morning until we got home on Monday at about 5 pm, we spent more than 34 hours in transit.

I hope you enjoyed this blog entry about our trip. We would definitely recommend traveling to Ecuador and seeing the sites we saw. There is, of course, much more to do and to explore, but we felt like we experienced a nice sampler of activities, history, and culture in the country. We already talking about the possibility of returning to the Amazon Basin during the rainy season where the sandbars would (hopefully!) be less of an issue.

In closing, here are some additional photos you may find of interest.

Life on the River

Additional Sunset Photos

Sweden, January 10 – 24, 2024

This blog entry describes a trip to Sweden that involved time in Stockholm, the small arctic town of Abisko, and the city of Luleå (pronounced LOO-lee-oh). The objective of the trip was to visit our youngest daughter, to travel north of the Arctic Circle to see the Aurora Borealis, and to experience a smaller Swedish city on the Gulf of Bothnia. on our way back to Stockholm. I hope you enjoy the following summary and, best of all, the pictures!

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

We began our trip by flying out of Fargo, North Dakota via Delta Airlines. We were to fly to Stockholm (ARN) via the Twin Cities (MSP) and Amsterdam (AMS). At MSP, we boarded plane, de-iced, and then sat on tarmac. We later learned our delay was due to medical situation on the plane which required the plane to return to gate so the affected passenger could receive care. We eventually left for Amsterdam 2 hours after our scheduled departure. Luckily, we had a four hour scheduled layover at AMS.

Thursday January 11

8,669 steps, 3.74 miles, 61 minutes “exercising”. (For purposes of this blog entry, exercising is as defined by my Apple Watch.)

Upon our arrival in Stockholm, we rode the Arlanda Express train to the Central Station, the location of our hotel for the next two nights: the Radisson Blu Waterfront hotel. We enjoyed a beautiful standard room overlooking Gamla Stan, City Hall, and one of the many waterways between the many islands of the Stockholm archipelago. Our daughter joined us at 6:45 p.m. to take us for a walk to combat the effects of jet lag. After walking around central Stockholm for a while and finding the local pub at which we wanted to dine closed for the night, we settled on O’Leary’s Pub. We dined on a pulled pork sandwich and loaded nachos. We then made our way back to our hotel to get some sleep. 

Friday, January 12

20,690 steps, 9.17 miles, 159 minutes exercising.

I awoke at 9:30 a.m. and bought a cinnamon roll, smoothie, and coffee from the nearby train station. After eating the roll and drinking the coffee, I returned to the room, packed up my Nikon camera and headed out for a long walk through Gamla Stan to get moving after our long airplane journey. Our daughter gave me the name of a coffee shop located on eastern Gamla Stan adjacent to the water, so my objective had been established. I walked around city hall, through its courtyard, and toward Gamla Stan. I then walked through the old city and found the coffee shop to which I was referred. After a cup of coffee, I walked along the water, the palace, and parliament on my way back to the hotel.

After completing our preparations for the day, we bought tickets for the train to visit our daughter at her apartment. Her beautiful apartment is efficient, well laid out and spacious (by European standards). Her deck overlooks a hill on which multiple children were sledding. We decided to head out for a small snack to hold us over until dinner. We walked north of her apartment to a bridge that crosses the train tracks. We then made our way to a lovely, small Italian restaurant located in the small mall on the east side of the tracks. The atmosphere was warm and the owner very friendly. We shared a pizza and a charcuterie plate, which were both very good.

We then made several train trips to arrive at the entertainment and shopping area surrounding the Globe. We then walked to the Sjöstaden Skybar to enjoy dinner and have a cocktail while enjoying the view from the restaurant’s 38th floor location in the southern part of Stockholm. As to beverages, we enjoyed a “Proper Sour”, a red wine, and a “Fairy Godmother.” For dinner, we had a Salmon salad, Risotto, and a Labhne Salad (a Mediterranean salad). All the food was very, very good and the restaurant well worth the visit. From the restaurant we made our journey back to the hotel to retire for the evening, while our daughter made her way back to her apartment.

Saturday, January 13

12,848 steps, 5.37 miles, 59 minutes exercising.

This evening we embarked on the 16.5 hour night train journey north of the Arctic Circle to Abisko. As a result, we need to pack up our luggage and spend the day out and about until our rail departure. We awoke at 10:30 a.m. (yikes!) and began packing while our daughter made her way to our hotel room. While our luggage was stored by the hotel, we walked around and hit all the outdoor sporting goods stores so my wife could find some new boots, visited a couple of malls, and toured the Downtown Camper (DC) hotel and its facilities. As far as food goes, we had lunch at Sin Ramen (very good ramen options and atmosphere) and paused mid-afternoon for a snack in DC’s lower level cafe off of Drottninggatan. We then meandered back to the hotel to collect our luggage and board the night train. After getting settled in our 3-person sleeping cabin, we headed to the dining car to enjoy our evening meal (chickpea salad, roast chicken with root vegetables, and Swedish meatballs).

After dinner we returned to our cabin for some sleep. The motion of the train both rocked us to sleep and, periodically, woke us up depending on the moment. In general, however, it was a quiet and comfortable ride (although the cabin was small and required some ingenuity as to storage of bags and order of going to bed). 

Sunday, January 14

7,458 steps, 3.29 miles, 43 minutes exercising.

We were awakened at 5:15 a.m. to prepare for a change in trains, a modification to what we booked due to a train derailment beyond our destination. Although we ended up standing on the platform in -11C weather for about 20 minutes, the transfer was smooth and uneventful. In the new train, however, we did not have a sleeping cabin but were placed in regular bus-like seats for the remaining 4 hours or so of our trip. 

After arriving in Abisko, we disembarked from the train and walked to our home for the next four nights, the Abisko Mountain Lodge.

The lodge, established in 2007, is located in the middle of the one and only wilderness of Northern Europe. As our rooms were not yet ready, we relaxed in the comfortable lounge for an hour or so and then walked to the nearby grocery store, known for its extensive supply of candy! While at the store we found some food for lunch (the AML does not serve lunch) as well as some snacks for the upcoming days. Upon our return we found our rooms were ready for us, so we moved into our rooms, unpacked our gear, and took a well-deserved nap. Then, after playing the game “Scout” in the lounge, we moved to the restaurant for dinner. Given its far-north location, the quality of food and selection of wine and other drinks is exceptional. For dinner, we had two appetizers (Creme Ninon and Fried Goat Cheese), and two main courses (Moose Tartar and Arctic Char). The details of each Michelin-quality dish can be found here. We each also enjoyed a glass of wine with dinner, each specifically paired with the entree we had chosen. After dinner we retired to our rooms for a well deserved sleep.

A bit about Abisko. To start with, at a latitude of 68.95 degrees north, Abisko is more than 1,600 miles north of St. Paul, Minnesota (44.95 degrees north latitude), and approximately 120 miles north of the Arctic Circle. While we were there, we only experienced a couple hours of light each day. There is a huge underground iron ore mine to the southeast of Abisko in Kiruna. Furthermore, to the west in Narvik, Norway lies an ocean port that, despite the temperatures in the area, never freezes due to water circulating from the Gulf of Mexico. Abisko originally served as the site for the workers constructing the railroad connecting the iron ore mine with the port, from which this valuable resource can be shipped year-round. Now, of course, Abisko also serves as a location for tourist activities related to the outdoors in every season of the year. In the winter, and the reason for this specific trip, Abisko serves as one of the best locations in the world to view the Aurora Borealis due to unusually clear skies in the area, the result of the impact of topographical features on weather from the coast that might otherwise obscure one’s view of the “Northern Lights.” Abisko is located in Sápmi, the cultural region traditionally inhabited by the Sámi people. According to Wikipedia, the region stretches over four countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. On the north, it is bounded by the Barents Sea, on the west by the Norwegian Sea, and on the east by the White Sea. The area is historically referred to as Lapland in English. The largest part of Sápmi lies north of the Arctic Circle. The Swedish part of Sápmi is characterized by great rivers running from the northwest to the southeast. The climate is subarctic/tundra and vegetation is sparse, except in the densely forested southern portion. North of the Arctic Circle polar nights characterize the winter season and the midnight sun the summer season—both phenomena are longer the further north you go. Reindeers, wolves, bears, and birds are the main forms of animal life, in addition to a myriad of insects in the short summer. 

Monday, January 15

14,196 steps, 5.73 miles, 43 minutes exercising.

This morning we met in the restaurant at 8 a.m. for breakfast. The breakfast is served in a buffet style and includes a variety of lunch meats and cheeses, pickled herring, more than a dozen jams, homemade breads, sausage and eggs, hard-boiled eggs, and more. The buffet was wonderful, was neatly displayed, and satisfied everyone in our group. After breakfast we prepared for a two-hour walk through nearby Abisko National Park. This 19,000 acre park lies adjacent to the Abisko Tourist Center, a wonderful jumping off point for outdoor activities all year-round. 

Our tour consisted of a two-hour hike through the birch forest, along the Abiskojåkka river,  down to Torneträsk Lake, and back to the tourist center. In the course of our hike, we saw six moose, three mothers with their respective calves! Our guides, James and Celia, were knowledgable of the area, its history, its importance in the Sami culture, and its flora and fauna. Even though it was -10 degrees Fahrenheit, our clothing was adequate and we stayed reasonably comfortable during our walk. After our walk we were returned to AML, at which point we stripped off our extra layers of clothes and enjoyed the bag lunches prepared for us by the lodge (except for the sandwiches, which we constructed). Other than the sandwich, the lunch consisted of an apple, a pear juice box, a candy bar and cinnamon roll. We then sat around the lodge, relaxed in the lobby, and snacked on candy from the grocery store. 

Today was the first of our 6-hour Northern Lights tours hosted by Lights of Vikings. The tour begins at 6 p.m. with dinner at our lodging place, the Abisko Mountain Lodge! Tonight, we all chose Suovas as our main course. Suovas is a stew with smoked and salted meat from reindeer, goose, and deer served with potato puree, pickled cucumber, and lingonberries. For dessert we had cloud berries with vanilla ice cream. Both were delicious. It will be difficult to pick the entree for the next two nights of the tour!

After dinner, we bundled up for the tour, piled into our awaiting minivan, and headed west towards Norway. After about a 30 minute drive, we pulled into a plowed parking lot about 10 minutes from the Norwegian border, put on wind-blocking overalls, and began our observation of the lights. At first, they were a faint glow on the northern horizon. As the night progressed, however, they expanded both in direction (southward) and intensity. There’s no way to adequately describe the dancing and undulation of the lights. The only thing I can really describe are the colors. From green to yellow to pink to red, the colors were brilliant not only to the naked eye, but even more so through a camera which has a more nuanced ability to pick up the various colors. The following pictures give a small sampling of what we were able to see.

About 1.5 hours into the viewing part of the tour and after the lights had dimmed a little, our guides (Filipe and Marta) started a fire in a nearby shelter so we could warm up a bit. Over the next 1.5 hours or so we moved in and out of the shelter to alternatively warm up and to watch the progression of the Auroroa Borealis as it ebbed and flowed in strength, texture and pattern.The group then collectively agreed we’d seen enough and should return to our respective lodging. We returned to the lodge, ate the remainder of our lunch, and retired for the night, agreeing that we would meet at 8:45 for breakfast.

Tuesday, January 16

9,090 steps, 4.06 miles, 30 minutes exercising.

This morning we awoke to a text from our daughter asking where we were for breakfast. What a good night’s sleep it had been! We quickly got organized and convened in the dining room for the buffet breakfast. After breakfast we moved to the lounge where we were mostly alone for the next several hours. Around noon we ate our bag lunch in preparation for our afternoon’s activities. 

We then got dressed for our 2-hour dog sledding excursion, employing what we had learned from the night before with regard to cold management (although we had done well, there were a couple of tweaks, such as using foot warmers, we wanted to use for an excursion where you are not walking around). The dog-sledding operator was located next door to the AML so our walk was short. Because we still had the overalls from the night before, upon arrival we were given only an insulated poncho to keep us warm as we moved through the falling snow, permafrost and forest. The three of us were placed on one sled, the heaviest in the back and the lightest in the front. After going over a few safety precautions, we were ready to begin. The dogs were very excited and barking in anticipation of our 15 Km or so journey. Once we began, we travelled over varying terrain at varying speeds. The wind was cold on our faces, probably worst for our daughter in the front. The air temperature at the time of our tour was -1 Fahrenheit (about  -18 C). In the middle of the tour we stopped briefly to give the dogs (and the humans) a break and a chance to stretch their legs. The dogs took advantage of the situation and chose to roll in the snow, relieve themselves, and periodically nip at their neighbors as they anticipated the next leg of our journey. While on the move, the dogs were also very entertaining as they would bite at the snow to get water, relive themselves while on the move, and nip at their neighbors while in motion. As to the age of the dogs, they ranged from about 1.5 to 8 years of age, with an average age of 3.5. At the conclusion of our trip, we were able to greet he dogs, each of which had its own personality. Some were very friendly and wanted to be petted, while others moved away as you approached. In the end, while cold outside, we enjoyed the tour and reveled in the fact that we had now gone dog-sledding north of the Arctic Circle. My apologies for the few pictures related to this activity. The air was so cold, and the layers of clothing so thick, it was impossible to take out your camera to get photos!

Tonight was the second of our 6-hour Northern Lights tours. For our dinner we each selected the Eldost (vegetarian option), which consists of grilled Swedish handcrafted cheese served with charred lettuce, pickled onion, smoked almonds, grilled corn & croutons. As to the tour, the day had been mostly cloudy and snowing, and the evening was no different. As we drove west in an effort to find clear skies (typical in cold weather – the temperature was around 0 degrees Fahrenheit, -17 C), we continued to find overcast conditions, even as far away as the Norwegian border. In addition, this evening was very windy with snow drifting along the edges of the highway. Eventually we ended up at the same location as we had the preceding night. This time, however, the parking lot was full of semi trailer rigs, presumably due to the blowing snow, and the shelter had already been occupied by a different tour group. So, as the guides indicated this was the best location for seeing the Northern Lights and that we’d simply have to wait to see if they became visible, we hiked out into the snow to find a space relatively free from the wind and away from the lights of the parking lot. We found such a spot, packed down the snow with our feet, and built a fire in the snow to allow us to keep warm during our vigil. Over three hours passed with more than 14 people huddled around the fire to keep warm. Among the group were people from the USA (Minnesota and Maryland), Singapore, Australia, and Argentina! Such diversity made it difficult to find a campfire song workable for everyone! At only one point during our time around the fire did the Northern Lights become visible, and then primarily to the camera (i.e., not to the naked eye). Around 11 p.m. or so the guides decided it was time to end our “punishment” and return to Abisko. As one of the guide’s vans would not start, we piled everyone into the remaining vans to return to town. To be honest, while we saw NO Northern Lights, the evening wasn’t all that bad. Sitting around a campfire on deerskins was quite comfortable (at least for us) and the time passed rather quickly. 

And now, let me tell you a quick side story. It became clear during dinner that one young woman did not have adequate footwear for the conditions (she was wearing tennis shoes), particularly if it had been a night good for viewing of the Aurora Borealis when you end up standing on the cold ground for hours on end (it later became clear there were a few others in the group that also had inadequate footwear). Because we had an extra pair of women’s boots with us, our daughter offered them to the young woman who reluctantly accepted. At the end of the tour, she admitted the boots had been very helpful and expressed deep appreciation for our daughter’s kind gesture.

After we got back to the lodge, we learned that our train back to Luleå on Thursday had been replaced with a bus due to expected temperatures well below 0 F, adding about 1 hour to the trip (7 hours instead of 6). Not a big deal, and safer as the train tracks are very remote and can present danger if a train derails or breaks down. We finally retired about 1 a.m. for a good night’s sleep.

Wednesday, January 17

12,743 steps, 5.34 miles, 52 minutes exercising.

Today my day began with a cup of coffee in the restaurant at 7:45 a.m. It was the first morning I got up early enough to catch up on the news and work on the prior day’s blog entry. I was later joined by my wife and daughter so we could enjoy our breakfast together. After relaxing and playing games near the wood stove for a while, we had lunch and decided to go for a walk down to the lake adjacent to the town (Lake Torneträsk). It was very cold again today, so we bundled up and headed out. We walked to town, found the passage under the highway, and followed the train down to the harbor.

There appeared to be many fish houses on shore awaiting their relocation to the lake in mid-February when the ice is thick enough to support them and the vehicles that move them. There were also a number of quaint little cabins along the shore, similar to those we saw on the path down to the lake. After taking a few pictures, we headed back to town to the grocery store to look for moose sausage. We left the grocery store and headed to the nearby Abisko Guesthouse to determine what souvenirs it had available. The Guesthouse is one of approximately 4 lodging options in Abisko: the Abisko Mountain Lodge; abisko.net Hostel and Huskies; the Abisko Guesthouse; and the Abisko Hostel. About one mile to the northwest, the Abisko STF Turistation also provides tourists a broad array of recreational and lodging options. Its location at the edge of the Abisko National Park provides easy access to hiking and walking trails. Each of the options has, of course, its own pros and cons related to amenities, accessibility of activities, and restaurant options. 

After buying a small souvenir, we headed back to the AML to warm up before our dinner and last night of our Northern Lights tours. As we sat in the lounge we decided to have a cocktail. While I had previously raised with the staff the idea of having a Manhattan (they had expressed reservations as they had not made one before and lacked a cherry to put in the drink), tonight I convinced them that we could concoct a delicious beverage if we worked together. So, Malin and I pulled together Blanton’s bourbon, sweet vermouth, and lingonberries to blend what we later named the Arctic Manhattan! It was delicious with the lingonberries adding both the fruit component of the cherry and the bitter characteristic of the bitters. Who knows, perhaps it will end up on their menu!

We later met Filipe in the restaurant and sat down for our last dinner at AML. For tonight’s meal, our daughter again chose the Souvas stew, while my wife and I chose the “Norwegian Skrei Cod,” poached cod with brown butter and soy hollandaise sauce, roasted red beetroot, sunchoke crisps, green kale, and chives. The cod was spectacular, with the sauce being a bit sweet, the fish plentiful, and the vegetables were the perfect level of tenderness. After dinner Filipe, my wife, and I headed out for another COLD night of Aurora watching. The temperature was well below zero, so we immediately started a fire. We were joined by a group from Lima, Peru, a nursing student from Zurich, Switzerland, and the owner of Lights of Vikings (a gentleman originally from Turkey). We sat around the fire and, periodically, were able to get up to observe the Northern Lights. The lights, while plainly visible, were not as large or intense as those we’d seen on Monday night. They were, however, beautiful and pleasure to watch as they ebbed and flowed across the dark sky. At about 10:45 the group decided they’d seen enough and broke up to go back to Abisko and Kiruna.

Thursday, January 18

7,051 steps, 3.18 miles, 42 minutes exercising.

Today we had breakfast, repacked all our gear, and checked out of the Abisko Mountain Lodge. Due to a derailment west of Abisko and other decisions by the train company, our train to Luleå has been replaced by a bus. So, shortly after noon we headed down to the bus stop, loaded the beautiful bus and, after a short wait, proceeded eastward to Luleå (a 7 hour journey). The journey was comfortable and went very quickly as we read, took naps, listened to music, and simply enjoyed the scenery. The route was heavily wooded and snow covered the branches of the surrounding conifer trees. The headlights of the bus glistened off the newly falling snow, providing a beautiful setting I shall never forget. In some ways, the bus was, in fact, superior to the train. Concerning Luleå‘s location, its latitude of 65.58 degrees north places it more than 1,400 miles north of St. Paul, Minnesota.

 From Wikipedia: “Luleå is a city on the coast of northern Sweden, and the capital of Norrbotten County, the northernmost county in Sweden. Luleå has 48,728 inhabitants in its urban core (2018) and is the seat of Luleå Municipality (with a total population of about 79,000). Luleå is Sweden’s 25th largest city and Norrbotten County’s largest city. Luleå is considered as the world’s largest brackish water archipelago with 1,312 islands, several rivers and vast forestland. Luleå has the seventh biggest harbour in Sweden for shipping goods. It has a large steel industry and is a centre for extensive research.” More information about Luleå can be found on its tourism site.

Upon arriving in Luleå, we walked several blocks to our hotel, the Elite Stadshotellet Luleå. After getting settled in, we walked a block down the street to a restaurant named “CG”, an abbreviation for Carne Grill. The atmosphere of the restaurant was similar to that of the St. Paul Grill or Kinkaids in that it was warm and inviting, and the service excellent. My wife enjoyed a bowl of lobster soup and a side of potatoes for her meal, our daughter had halibut, and I enjoyed Reindeer steak. To state the main element of the menu item, of course, does not do the meal justice. To fully appreciate it, you must look at how the meal was prepared and its accompaniments (see the menu descriptions here). For dessert, I enjoyed a selection of three cheeses, our daughter had the Crème Brûlée, and my wife enjoyed a sweet delicacy called “french toast” (caramel, ice cream, blueberries atop a small piece of french toast). After dinner we retired to our hotel for a good night’s sleep.

Friday, January 19

13.984 steps, 6.0 miles, 81 minutes exercising.

This morning began with breakfast in the beautiful ballroom of the hotel. The breakfast spread was extensive and kept well stocked by the staff. After breakfast, we spent some time chatting in the room. We then decided to go for a walk on the Luleå Ice Road. 

From the Lulea University of Technology: “In wintertime, roads are ploughed through the ice-covered sea, making it possible to travel to the islands by car, snowmobile, skis, skates or on foot. It is certainly a special feeling to travel over the wide open spaces.

Each winter, approximately 25 km of ice roads are ploughed to the Luleå archipelago. It is dependent upon the weather and ice conditions as to how early they are ready.

In central Luleå, from North Harbour to Gråsjälören, there is an ice road that is usually ready between January and February. It is a popular stretch for lunchtime walks and weekend excursions. You can ice skate here, long distance ski, go by kick-sled or walk. Along the ice roads there are also sheltered areas with places to barbecue. Some of the islands have Wintertime facilities that are open during the weekends and offer food and refreshments. One especially popular activity for Luleå’s residents is to drive out to Hindersön for freshly made waffles.” We walked for a couple of miles on the ice and returned to our hotel through old city.

To tide ourselves over until dinner we stopped at a coffee shop called “Friends” and enjoyed a pear and feta cheese pizza and a Semmelkladdkaka (a combination between the traditional Swedish Chocolate Gooey Cake “Kladdkaka” which is famous for its gooey inside and the classic semlor when it comes to the ingredients: mostly almond, cardamom and whipped cream). We returned to our hotel for a brief rest, and then went downstairs to eat at one of the restaurants attached to the hotel. After dinner we returned to our room to play a few games.

Saturday, January 20

10,893 steps, 4.81 miles, 51 minutes exercising.

Today is the last morning of our Lapland journey. We ate breakfast in the hotel dining room, packed and checked out of the hotel. We made our way via taxi to the local airport for our early afternoon flight to Stockholm. The airport had only 5 gates and today facilitated only 6 departing flights. Five were to Stockholm and one was to the Canary Islands! Our flight was uneventful and we landed in Stockholm shortly after 4 p.m. We made our way to our hotel and went to Tweed for a cocktail before dinner. We had visited Tweed on an earlier visit and were excited to return to this exceptionally well-stocked bar. I have never seen so many varieties and selections of quality alcohol in one bar before! We each had a cocktail over the 1.5 hours before dinner. We then walked across Gamla Stan to Tradition Restaurant for dinner. Tradition is one of our favorite Stockholm restaurants as evidenced by the fact that we have eaten there each of our last three visits to the city!

Tonight I ate the mushroom toast (Svamptoast) as an appetizer and had Köttbullar (Swedish meatballs, potato purée, cream sauce, cucumber, lingonberries) for dinner, my wife and our daughter each had Kroppkakor (Swedish potato dumplings, pork, browned butter, lingonberries). We then walked to the metro station to go back to our hotel to retire for the evening.

Sunday, January 21

17,237 steps, 7.48 miles, 103 minutes exercising.

This morning started with the cheese sandwich from the previous day’s flight, a cup of coffee, and some time spent writing this summary. We then headed to the Slussen area to meet our daughter and four of her friends for brunch. We spent several hours chatting about life in Sweden, travel, pets, and just generally getting to know each other. What a wonderful group of people they were. We’re so appreciative that our daughter has made friends such as these! After brunch we went to our daughter’s apartment and then shopping. We returned to her apartment, hung some curtains, and then headed off the Skansen, the “world’s oldest open air museum” according to their website. We have been to Skansen before, but in the summer. For this trip, our purpose was to visit Skansen’s Winter Lights exhibit, described on its website as: “With over a dozen large custom-made light installations, a bespoke soundscape, and a multitude of other lighting effects and decorations throughout the trail, Winter Lights surrounds you in a full sensory experience!” We spent 1 to 1.5 hours walking around the park enjoying the music, lights, and performers. While somewhat expensive for the experience, it was an enjoyable way to spend a winter’s evening. 

After we left Skansen we returned to the center of the city in search of a place for dinner. In search of something different tonight, we chose a Lebanese restaurant located near the harbor. This restaurant, the Lebanon Meza Lounge, was new to all of us and was very good. We chose nine different small plates to share, which was the perfect amount of food! To be specific for those among you who love Lebanese food, we ordered Hoummos, Halloumi Salad, Warak Inab, Ardishoki, Calamari, Jebneh Meazi Orikka, Fatajer Sbenigh, Makanek, and Krajdes Moukli.

After the meal, we enjoyed a cup of white tea, headed back to the train station to see our daughter off to her apartment, and then returned to our hotel.

Monday, January 22

14,073 steps, 5.81 miles, 54 minutes exercising.

Today began with a pastry, a cup of coffee, and time spent on this summary. I walked over to the train station to get my breakfast. Today the weather was pretty wet and rainy. As a result, the sidewalks have turned into slushy ice. One of the things we’ve noticed is that the city of Stockholm does not clear the sidewalks. The responsibility, if any exists at all, appears to lie with the property owner. Most sidewalks remain uncleared which makes walking a bit of a challenge at times. As far as today, because of the weather and because we’ve been going pretty hard, it will be a quiet one. 

Our daughter arrived at our hotel at approximately 10:15 a.m. When we got going we headed for the train station to go to the Mall of Scandinavia, located north of downtown Stockholm. The mall is a beautiful facility, with winding walkways and attractive stores. We made our way to an Indian restaurant for lunch. The service was fast and the food very good. After that we walked through the mall for awhile until we arrived at the movie theatre. We had decided to watch the movie “Wonka” as our afternoon entertainment since the weather outside was unpleasant. After the movie we continued to walk through the mall for awhile before ultimately catching a train to go back downtown. We again walked around some of the retail shops several blocks from our hotel before going to TAK restaurant for our 6:30 p.m. dinner reservation. On a previous trip to Stockholm we had visited the bar floor of TAK. Tonight, we visited the restaurant portion of the business. The restaurant was very different from the bar. While both are very modern in their finishes and atmosphere, the bar is very loud while the restaurant is very calm. TAK is a TripAdvisor award-winning restaurant, and descibes its food as follows:  “Modern Scandinavian dishes influenced by Japanese cooking methods and flavours. Complex creations that are easy to enjoy.”

We began our meal with: Kimchi Josper bread with soy butter; a Spicy tuna handroll with chili, lime, and coriander; and a Crab handroll with  pickled celeriac, seaweed tempura, and tarragon dressing. Our entrees consisted of: Celeriac and potato terrine with lingonberry hoisin, hazelnut furikake, and cabbage and pear salad; Kakuni braised pork belly with soy, honey, fermented plum, pickled plum, and garlic kale; and Norwegian Cod with cauliflower purée, hoshi ebi sauce and shrimp crumble. The meals were very good and beautifully presented. In addition, I had a “Caramel and Whiskey” cocktail made with Shinobu 10 year peated whiskey, bourbon, miso-butter, and bitters. The drink had an orange twist on top and was different from any cocktail I had every tasted. It was wonderful! After dinner we accompanied our daughter back to her train and returned to our hotel for the evening.

Tuesday, January 23

14,546 steps, 6.2 miles, 57 minutes exercising.

This morning began with coffee and a banana in the hotel room. We checked in for our flights, backed our bags, and checked out of the hotel. We left our bags with the front desk, grabbed a Semla for breakfast at the Espresso House (kind of like Starbucks in the U.S.), met our daughter, and made our way to the Nordic Museum, located on Djurgården, an island in central Stockholm, near Skansen. According to Wikipedia, the museum is “dedicated to the cultural history and ethnography of Sweden from the early modern period (in Swedish history, it is said to begin in 1520) to the contemporary period. The museum was founded in the late 19th century by Artur Hazelius, who also founded the open-air museum Skansen. It was, for a long time, part of the museum, until the institutions were made independent of each other in 1963.” A central figure in the museum is the statue of Gustav Vasa (1496-1560). According to the plaque at the museum, the statue (see the photo below) was sculpted of oak by Carl Milles and painted purple and gilt by his wife Olga. The early 16th century was a troubled time in Sweden. The king of Denmark ruled the country and there was much dissatisfaction. A revolt was planned and when the time came Gustav Vasa became one of its leaders. He was elected king of a united Sweden on 6 June 1523.

After spending several hours touring the museum, particularly the Arctic exhibit, we ate lunch in the museum cafe, did some clothes shopping, retrieved our bags, and made our way to the train station. We said goodbye to our daughter, boarded the Arlanda Express, and travelled to the Arlanda Airport Radisson Blu hotel for the night before our early morning flight. We ate dinner at the local bar (a hamburger and veal schnitzel). We then retired for the night in anticipation of our flights home.

Wednesday, January 24

6303 steps, 2.76 miles, 18 minutes exercising.

We awoke early this morning, checked out of the hotel, made our way through security, and waited in the Pearl Lounge (KLM’s lounge). At the appointed time, we went to our gate only to learn that our flight had been delayed due to the winds in Amsterdam. We returned to the lounge to await a later boarding call. In the end, our plane ended up taking off more than two hour after its scheduled departure time, causing us to miss our connecting flight out of Amsterdam. Because  we checked in for our flights through KLM as directed by the Delta app, we were unable to make any changes while in the air, and unable to call Delta to figure out when we could get on flights to get us back to Fargo. When we landed, we immediately called Delta and were informed we had been booked on a flight in two hours that would result in our arrival in Fargo only three hours later than our original schedule. Not a bad result given the situation in Amsterdam! Unfortunately, our luggage chose to stay behind in Amsterdam for a few days, and arrived at our home on Friday, January 26th. 

In Closing and Some Additional Photos

Our trip was very enjoyable. Having gone to Sweden four times in recent years, we are getting more and more familiar with the culture and Stockholm. We find the people to be very friendly, the food to be delicious, and getting around to be fairly easy! We encourage you to give it a try!

When exploring our 2023 travel destination, we noticed a gaping hole in our wall map that shows the countries to which we’ve traveled. Taking note of that fact, and after looking at multiple alternatives, we decided to travel to “the Stans” to discover an area and cultures with which we are generally unfamiliar. I also wanted to see some of the ancient Silk Road in person. In all honesty, we didn’t know what to expect. Would we be stepping back in time? Would we see an overwhelming amount of Soviet influence lingering since the breakup of the USSR in 1991? The purpose of this blog is tell you what we found. But first, a little context.

A Brief History of the Region

Having a sense of the history of this region helps explain some of its current culture. Of course, the diversity and size of the region makes it impossible to explain its history in a few paragraphs, but the following summary from Britannica provides a start.

“The human occupation of Central Asia dates back to the late Pleistocene Epoch, approximately 25,000 to 35,000 years ago, but the first identifiable human groups to live there were the Cimmerians and Scythians (1st millennium BCE) in the west and the Hsiung-nu people (from 200 BCE) in the east. In the 6th century CE the first Turkic people established an empire that lasted for two centuries and greatly influenced the region’s subsequent ethnic character. Another Turkic people, the Uighurs, rose to dominance in the 8th century, and their rule in turn gave way to that of the Khitans and then to the Karakhanids, a Turkic people closely related to the Uighurs. The region was gradually Islamized beginning in the 11th–12th century, a process that was virtually complete by the 15th century. The Mongols took over almost all of Central Asia in the 13th century, and their rule in the form of various independent khanates lasted until the conquests of Timur (Tamerlane) about 1400. Following the breakup of his dynasty, southern Central Asia became divided into several rival khanates that were ruled by his descendants. By the end of the 15th century all of these Timurid possessions had fallen into the hands of the Uzbek people. Russia’s conquest of the region began in the 17th century and continued until the last independent Uzbek khanates were annexed or made into protectorates in the 1870s. Soviet rule replaced that of the Russian tsars after the Russian Revolution of 1917, and thereafter the region was increasingly integrated into the Soviet system through a planned economy and improved communications. In the 1920s and ’30s the Soviet government created five Soviet socialist republics out of the region: the Kazakh S.S.R., the Uzbek S.S.R., the Kirgiz S.S.R., the Tajik S.S.R., and the Turkmen S.S.R. Under Soviet rule, southern Central Asia undertook the large-scale cultivation of cotton to supply the U.S.S.R.’s textile industry with raw material. When the Soviet Union collapsed, all five Central Asian Soviet socialist republics obtained their independence in 1991, becoming the sovereign and independent nations of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.”

The “Stans” Today

As you read through this blog entry, there are some important things to consider, including:

• As mentioned above, the countries we visited became independent states very abruptly in 1991 upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union. So, despite centuries of tribal and imperialism history, the modern independent governance of each country is only 32 years old.
• The average annual salary in the United States is approximately $74,700. The average annual salary of the four countries we visited is:
  • $4,020 in Uzbekistan;
  • $1,908 in Tajikistan;
  • $7,800 in Kazakhstan; and,
  • $3,348 in Kyrgyzstan.
• The estimated 2023 GDP per capita is set forth below. By comparison, the similar US GDP per capita is approximately $80,000.
  • Uzbekistan: $2,563.
  • Tajikistan: $1,277.
  • Kazakhstan: $12,306.
  • Kyrgyzstan: $1,736.
• The population of each country is as roughly as set forth below. Recognize in each case that the majority of the population is located in urban areas.
  • Uzbekistan: 35 million over 173,351 square miles, yielding an average population density of 201 people per square mile.
  • Tajikistan: 10 million over 55,039 square miles, yielding an average population density of 182 people per square mile.
  • Kazakhstan: 19 million over 1.05 million square miles, yielding a population density of 18 people per square mile.
  • Kyrgyzstan: 7 million over 77,201 square miles, yielding a population density of 91 people per square mile.

Our Itinerary

When choosing our itinerary, we examined recommendations from several tour operators to get a “feel” for the options and what we might expect. In the end, we selected Silk Road Treasure Tours, an operation run by Zulya Rajabova from a base in New Jersey. Zulya is a native Uzbek from Bukhara, where her extended family still lives, and from which they assist with the on-the-ground planning for the trip. We chose an itinerary very similar to that offered to her larger group tours, but opted to travel alone (i.e., not part of a larger group). A summary of our itinerary is provided below:

– September 12 – 14

Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Lodging: Tashkent Palace. 3 nights.

– September 14 – 16

Samarkand, Uzbekistan with 9/15 daytrip to Penjikent, Tajkistan..

Lodging: Grand Samarkand Superior Hotel. 2 nights.

– September 16 – 18

Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Lodging: Sasha & Son Boutique Hotel. 2 nights.

– September 18 – 20

Khiva, Uzekistan. Lodging: Asia Khiva Hotel. 2 nights,

– September 20/21

Tashkent, Uzbekistan following late night flight from Khiva.

Lodging: Tashkent Palace. 1 night.

– September 21 – 24 

Almaty, Kazakstan following afternoon flight from Tashkent. Lodging: Rixos 5* Hotel. 3 nights.

– September 24

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Lodging: Orion 5* Hotel. 1 night

– September 25

Issyk Kul, Kyrgyzstan. Lodging: Karven 4 Seasons. 1 night.

– September 26.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Lodging: Orion 5* Hotel. 1 night.

– September 27, 2023

Fly from FRU (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) to IST (Istanbul, Turkey).

Fly from IST to AMS (Amsterdam, Netherlands).

Lodging at Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel. 1 night.

– September 28, 2023

Fly from AMS to home airport.

Itinerary Breakdown

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

We arrived in Tashkent in the middle of the night of September 11/12 and were promptly driven to the Tashkent Palace for the next three nights. The hotel is part of the Lotte chain of hotels, and was a very nice property in a good location for walking around to see some sites of interest. The hotel was well appointed and had an excellent breakfast selection. Our guide for the entire Uzbek portion of the trip, Mr. Bek, met us the next morning to provide an overview of the city, and to get us moving so as to assist with jet lag. We began with some Uzbekistan history while standing in front of the Alisher Navoiy Theater, built during the Soviet period for ballet and other arts.

We then walked north along Mustafa Kemal Ataturk Street (past Florya Cafe) to a street market with several merchants selling various things including Soviet memorabilia, woodcrafts, clothing, and toys. We when walked through a park to the Mustakillik Maydoni metro station. We hopped on the metro and travelled to a metro station near Amir Temur Square, a tribute to Tamerlane from the 14th century. We toured the park, including getting a picture of the Tamerlane statue, as well as the Uzbekistan Hotel.

This hotel was apparently built during the Soviet era, as evidenced by its concrete, blocky appearance. We then walked back to the Florya Cafe where we enjoyed lunch. Our lunches consisted of a “mixed sandwich” (pepperoni and salami sandwich with tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and mayo) and Dolmas (Dolmades), bread, and tea. We then walked back to our hotel to rest for a while. Later in the afternoon we went for a walk through a neighboring park filled with trees and lined with restaurants and playgrounds for children to play in. We also explored the hotel to learn more about our restaurant choices for dinner.

The next day, September 13, we toured the following sites:

• Khasret Imam complex. This complex consists of the Khasret Imam Mosque built in just 4 months in 2007 at the instruction of President Karimov. Within the mosque the columns are made of sandalwood from India, dark green marble from Turkey, and the interior of the blue-tiled dome is decorated with genuine gold leaf.
• Abu Bakr Kaffal Shashi Shrine. The Kaffal Shashi mausoleum stands at the northwest corner of the Khasret Imam square. It commemorates the life of Abu Bakr Mohammed Kaffal Shashi, a native poet, linguist, polymath, and scholar who lived in the 10th century and traveled widely throughout the Islamic world. 
• Muyi Mubarak Library. This building contains dozens of historical documents, including the world’s oldest Qu’ran. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take a picture of the document.
• Sheik Tellya Mosque. This mosque, built in 1856, was formerly Tashkent’s main place of worship. The mosque has attractively carved pillars and painted ceilings, although not as ornate as the Khasret Imam Mosque that replaced it.
• Central Asia Pilaf Center. Plov (pilaf) is a common dish throughout Central Asia. Uzbeks in particular, however, have made it into a uniquely national obsession. This obsession is celebrated in full force at the Central Asian Pilaf Center in Tashkent. Typical plov consists of rice, carrots, and meat cooked together, but every corner of Uzbekistan makes its own version and claims to have the best one. Not only is plov an important source of nourishment for the Uzbeks, but it also represents hospitality, community, and identity; it’s not uncommon to see it served at weddings or festivals. At large gatherings, plov chefs, called osphaz, can prepare a giant meal for up to 1,000 people from a single cauldron (kazan). The menu at the Plov Center is simple; there’s plov, salad, and drinks. Customers get to choose how much rice, how much meat, and whether or not they’d like an egg or kazy(horse sausage, similar to Kazakh shuzhuk). Each batch is cooked in a giant, wood-fired kazan, then scooped onto customers’ plates in the cavernous dining hall.
• Chor-Su Bazaar. This bazaar, housed in a building designed by Vladimir Asimov, Sabrina Adylov, et al, as a late example of Soviet Modernism style. The building has a characteristic blue dome. The bazaar is the largest in Tashkent, and shows the expansive range of items available in the area, whether food or otherwise. It also puts on display the realities and diversity of local life in a major city in Tashkent. The bazaar is, as one writer puts it, as modern as it needs to be and as local as it should be, with the region’s legacy intertwined within all of it. 
• The Crying Mother Monument. Fronted by an eternal flame, this monument was constructed in 1999 to honor the 400,000 Uzbek soldiers who died in WWII. The niches along its two wood column corridors enshrine the soldiers’ names.
• Abdul Kasim Medreseh. This complex, consisting of a madrasa, a mosque, and a khanaqah, was the site of the signing of a peace treaty in 1865 following the Russian capture of Tashkent. Following the October revolution of 1919, the building was shut down, and later was used by a Tashkent toy factory and fell into disrepair. It was renovated in the early 1980’s and inaugurated in 1987. Today, this Madrasah houses the Khurnamad Association for Craftsman, including painters, jewelers, wood engravers, and miniaturists practicing their skills. 

On September 14, we started the day with a small breakfast at 6:30, checked out of the hotel, and were driven to the high-speed train station for our 2 hour and 20 minute journey to Samarkand. While on the train ride we passed through small farming communities, fields of vegetables, corn and cotton (a major agricultural good in Uzbekistan), and people going about their everyday lives by many means of transportation, including walking, biking, and riding a horse. In the fields we periodically saw cattle, horses, and the occasional donkey. The buildings along the route ranged from fairly new to old and in disrepair. This area is very flat, and quite arid. 

Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Upon arrival in Samarkand we spent our day visiting the following sites:

• Bumazhnaya Fabrika “Meros”. This tourist attraction demonstrated the art of making paper from Mulberry tree bark, oil for plov, and ceramics. All activities were powered only by water and involved several steps. The paper making was probably the most interesting in that it involved many steps and nuances that you wouldn’t normally think of (e.g., stripping the bark down to make it thin, soaking the bark in water for various amount of time at various stages of the process, pulverizing the pulp using a huge log and water-driven piston, and pressing out the water).

• Wine tasting at Khovrenko. The Khovrenko wine factory has been producing wines here since 1868. The winery grows grapes throughout Uzbekistan and has dozens of factories around the country. While wine is not greatly consumed in the region, the winery produces a handful of good quality wines often a blend of Georgian grapes, French grapes and Azerbaijanian grapes. In addition, the winery produces some sweet dessert wines, a couple of cognacs, and a port-like elixir. While enjoyable, I chose not to bring any bottles home. 

• Uleg Bek observatory. The remains of Uleg Bek’s 15th century  observatory is one of the great archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. Uleg Bek’s 30 meter quadrant, designed to observe star positions, was part of the three-story observatory built in the 1420s. All that currently remains is the instrument’s huge curved track, unearthed in 1908. This site was one of the highlights of the trip, and highlighted the contribution of Central Asia to math and science during the medieval period.

After our day’s touring, we enjoyed dinner at Samarkand Restaurant, a huge venue with one dining area with an Uzbek theme and a smaller one with a Russian theme (in addition to party rooms and individual dining suites).

The establishment was brightly colored and loud with music and the festivities of parties going on throughout the venue (see the video below).

Our hotel while in Samarkand, the Grand Samarkand Superior Hotel, was a small boutique hotel with a very nice breakfast, and beautiful rooms.

More about Samarkand from Britannica:
“Samarqand is a city in east-central Uzbekistan that is one of the oldest cities of Central Asia. Known as Maracanda in the 4th century BCE, it was the capital of Sogdiana and was captured by Alexander the Great in 329 BCE. The city was later ruled by Central Asian Turks (6th century CE), the Arabs (8th century), the Samanids of Iran (9th–10th century), and various Turkic peoples (11th–13th century) before it was annexed by the Khwārezm-Shāh dynasty (early 13th century) and destroyed by the Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan (1220). After it revolted against its Mongol rulers (1365), Samarkand became the capital of the empire of Timur (Tamerlane), who made the city the most important economic and cultural centre in Central Asia. Samarkand was conquered by Uzbeks in 1500 and became part of the khanate of Bukhara. By the 18th century it had declined, and from the 1720s to the 1770s it was uninhabited. Only after it became a provincial capital of the Russian Empire (1887) and a railroad centre did it recover economically. It was briefly (1924–36) the capital of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. Samarkand today consists of an old city dating from medieval times and a new section built after the Russian conquest of the area in the 19th century.”

Day Trip to Tajikistan

The morning of September 15 started with breakfast in the hotel restaurant. We were then driven to the border of Uzbekistan/Tajikistan. To get into Tajikistan we had to leave our guide and driver behind at the Uzbekistan border, walk to a fence where we showed our passports to a guard, walk though passport control to get the stamp showing that we were leaving Uzbekistan, walk to a guard to let us into the  Tajikistan passport control area, get our day-bags scanned, walk through passport control to get a stamp showing our entry into Tajikistan, walk to another guard and show him our passports to allow us to enter Tajikistan, and then meet our guide and driver on the Tajikistan side of the border. The distance from start to finish is just over 1/2 mile and is mostly open, which made us feel like we were part of a prisoner exchange! But, we made it through without incident and met our guide, Barbad, and our driver, Devashtich.

Our first decision was whether we wanted to drive to the Seven Lakes area, which would take about 4 hours total. Luckily we had a Toyota Prada (like a Land Rover) that was built for the trip, so we agreed it would be a great adventure. We started by driving through Penjikent, an ancient city on the Silk Road that was our ultimate destination for our day in Tajikistan. We drove for several miles southeast of Penjikent before turning south on a paved road. The paved road eventually turned to gravel, and then to rocks, and then to rocks on steep, narrow inclines. And, we’d only just begun our 4 hour journey.

On our way we experienced very rough driving conditions, charming remote villages, gasoline put in our vehicle using a bucket and a funnel, darling children in school uniforms, many donkeys, goats pretending to be mountain goats (or at least wishing they were), a security check as we entered the area of a gold mine administered by the Chinese, and road repair which delayed our journey until an excavator laid out a new road for us using the bucket on this large piece of machinery.

As to the lakes, they are found at the western edge of the Fan Mountains in the Shing Valley. The valley is known for its seven lakes, formed after an earthquake made a series of dams across the valley (or if you prefer, according to legend formed by seven beautiful but lovelorn daughters transforming into water to be at one with their tears).

While were were able to get to only four of the seven lakes due to time limitations, their individual and collective beauty was breathtaking as each enjoyed a unique topography and color, due to the differing minerals running into each lake and the direction from which the light struck the water. After we finished taking pictures of all the lakes, we made our return journey to Penjikent, which did not seem to take as long as our journey to the fourth lake.

While in Penjikent we first toured the local bazaar. We then ate a wonderful plov lunch, accompanied by fresh fruit, bread, and a tomato salad, at the local tourist center.

We then drove to the remains of the ancient Penjikent city, which existed from the 5th to the 8th centuries CE. We wandered the site, marveling at the size of the city given its age, and enjoyed the view over the modern city of Penjikent.

More about the ancient city of Penjikent:
Founded over 2,500 years ago, the ancient city of Panjikent survived as a wealthy trading city in the Silk Road until the 8th century AD. The city, as told by historians, was inhabited by the Sogdian civilization who were skilled merchants and craftsmen. It is believed that at its peak, five to ten thousand people lived here. Evidence on site shows that merchants in Panjakent were in constant trade with India and China. The Sogdians were known for their excellent fur and fabrics. By exchanging luxury goods for silver articles, the city of Panjikent was able to develop a great level of wealth.

We next traveled to the Rudaki Historical Museum. We concluded our visit by stopping at the Sarazm Archaeological Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

More about the ancient ruins at Sarazm:
Sarazm, which means “where the land begins”, is an archaeological site bearing testimony to the development of human settlements in Central Asia, from the 4th millennium BCE to the end of the 3rd millennium BCE. The ruins demonstrate the early development of proto-urbanization in this region. This centre of settlement, one of the oldest in Central Asia, is situated between a mountainous region suitable for cattle rearing by nomadic pastoralists, and a large valley conducive to the development of agriculture and irrigation by the first settled populations in the region. Sarazm also demonstrates the existence of commercial and cultural exchanges and trade relations with peoples over an extensive geographical area, extending from the steppes of Central Asia and Turkmenistan, to the Iranian plateau, the Indus valley and as far as the Indian Ocean.

We parted ways with Barbad and Devashtich and made our way back through the gauntlet that is the border between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. This time, however, we didn’t have to scan our bags….

Back to Samarkand

After rejoining Bek and Temur (our driver), we returned to our hotel for a brief rest before dinner. At 7 p.m., we were picked up and taken to Hanzade for dinner. This beautifully decorated restaurant was loud with music and busy with people, including one table of 20+ women of various generations. As has been typical on this trip thus far, we had tea, bread, salad, and wonderful entrees including a shrimp/salmon skewer and the “Aphrodite” chicken salad. All were wonderful dishes. As we learned as the evening progressed, the women at the large table were there to celebrate the birthday of a member of their group. And celebrate they did! The music was turned up, the cake was brought out, the birthday song was sung, and the women danced in the middle of the restaurant for probably 15 minutes! It was a joyous celebration and you couldn’t help but smile as this group of women helped celebrate another year around the sun for a friend. After dinner we jumped in the car and drove to Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum and to Registan Square for the light show displayed on the medressas surrounding the square. We stopped at the monument to Islam Karimov, independent Uzbekistan’s first president, received a brief history of the Registan Square, and then settled in for the one-half hour show, which was pure fun. The music was loud and the synchronized lights a joy to watch!

The next day, September 16, began with a daytime visit to each of the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum and Registan Square.

About the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum:
“The beautiful portal and trademark fluted azure dome of the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum marks the final resting place of Timur (Tamerlane), along with two sons and two grandsons (including Ulugbek). It’s a surprisingly modest building, largely because Timur was never expecting to be buried here.
Timur had built a simple crypt for himself at Shakhrisabz, and had this one built in 1404 for his grandson and proposed heir, Mohammed Sultan, who had died the previous year. But the story goes that when Timur died unexpectedly of pneumonia in Kazakhstan (in the course of planning an expedition against the Chinese) in the winter of 1405, the passes back to Shakhrisabz were snowed in and he was interred here instead.
As with other Muslim mausoleums, the stones are just markers; the actual crypts are in a chamber beneath. In the centre is Timur’s stone, once a single block of dark-green jade. In 1740 the warlord Nadir Shah carried it off to Persia, where it was accidentally broken in two – from which time Nadir Shah is said to have had a run of very bad luck, including the near death of his son. At the urging of his religious advisers he returned the stone to Samarkand and, of course, his son recovered.
The plain marble marker to the left of Timur’s is that of Ulugbek; to the right is that of Mir Said Baraka, one of Timur’s spiritual advisors. In front lies Mohammed Sultan. The stones behind Timur’s mark the graves of his sons Shah Rukh (the father of Ulugbek) and Miran Shah. Behind these lies Sheikh Seyid Umar, the most revered of Timur’s teachers, said to be a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed. Timur ordered Gur-e-Amir built around Umar’s tomb.
The Soviet anthropologist Mikhail Gerasimov opened the crypts in 1941 and, among other things, confirmed that Timur was tall (1.7m) and lame in the right leg and right arm (from injuries suffered when he was 25) – and that Ulugbek died from being beheaded. According to every tour guide’s favourite anecdote, he found on Timur’s grave an inscription to the effect that ‘whoever opens this will be defeated by an enemy more fearsome than I’. The next day, 22 June, Hitler attacked the Soviet Union.”

– Lioy, Stephen; Kaminski, Anna; Mayhew, Bradley; Walker, Jenny. Lonely Planet Central Asia (Travel Guide) (pp. 605-606). Lonely Planet. Kindle Edition.

The Registan, “Sandy Place” in Tajik, was medieval Samarkand’s commercial center and was likely a wall-to-wall bazaar. The three medressas bordering the square are among the oldest preserved in Central Asia, any older having been destroyed by Chinggis (Genghis) Khan. The Uleg Bek Medressa on the western side is original, having been completed in 1420. Uleg Bek is said to have taught mathematics here. The stars on the portal reflect his love of astronomy. At the rear is a large mosque with a beautiful blue painted interior. The other two medressas are rough imitations by the Shaybanid Emir Yalangtush. The Ser Dor (Lion) Medressa on the eastern side was finished in 1636 and is decorated with roaring felines that look like tigers, but are meant to be lions. The lions, the deer they are chasing, and the Mongolian-faced, Zoroastrian-inspired suns rising from their backs are all unusual, flouting Islamic prohibitions against the depiction of live animals. In between is the Tilla-Kari (Gold-covered) Medressa, completed in 1660, with a pleasant, garden-like courtyard. The related mosque is intricately decorated with blue and gold to symbolize Samarkand’s wealth. The mosque’s ceiling is flat but its tapered design makes it look domed from the inside.

For lunch we ate at an outside cafe. The establishment was crowded, as seems to always be the case, but we quickly found a table in the shade of a tent. I ordered Montu, a boiled, meat filled wonton-type skin, while my wife ordered stuffed peppers in a broth. After lunch we visited the following sites:

• Bibi-Khanym Mosque. Once one of the Islamic world’s mosques, it pushed contemporary construction techniques to the limit, so much so that the dome started crumbling even before construction had finished. Legend says that Bibi-Khanym, Timur’s Chinese wife, ordered the mosque built as a surprise while he was away. The architect fell in love with her and refused to finish the project unless he could give her a kiss. The kiss left a mark and Timur, seeing it, executed the architect and decreed that women should, from that point forward, wear veils so as not to tempt other men. The interior courtyard contains an enormous marble Qu’ran stand, as well as two smaller mosques. 

• Islam Karimov mausoleum. Samarkand is known for its medieval mosques and mausoleums, but there is also a rather recent edition – the Mausoleum of the First President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov. There are multiple quotes from the Qu’ran inscribed all around the mausoleum and the entrances. The complex was constructed after Karimov died from a stroke in 2016 during his 25th year as President, on his fourth seven-year term. Prior to presidency, he was the leader of the communist party in the Uzbek SSR. Besides the mausoleum, Samarkand also has a massive statue of him on the city’s center, just outside the UNESCO’s Registan (see photo above).

• Shahizinda Islamic Tomb. This site provides an avenue of mausoleums, containing some of the richest tile work in the Muslim world, some dating to the 14th and 15th centuries.. The name, which means “Tomb of the Living King,” refers to its original, innermost an holiest shrine, a complex of cool quiet rooms around what is probably the grave of Qusam ibn-Abbas, who is said to have brought Islam to the area in the 7th century. One of the most beautiful tombs is the Shodi Mulk Oko Mausoleum (1372), the resting place of a sister and niece of Timur. The exquisite majolica and terracotta work here was of such exceptional quality that it merited almost no restoration. 

• Tomb of the Hebrew Prophet Daniel. This long, low structure is topped with five domes and contains an 18 meter long sarcophagus, it’s length due to the legend that Daniel’s body grows by one-half inch per year. As a result, the sarcophagus has been enlarged over the centuries. Daniel’s remains, which date from at least the 5th century BCE, were brought here by Timur from Susa, Iran, where another alleged tomb of Daniel can also be found.

For dinner we ate, with Bek and Temur, at Karimbek Restaurant. For this meal we had so much food, including water, tea, a large basket of bread, two salads/appetizers, a bowl of soup, and three main courses. All for $22. The food and service were good, as was the atmosphere.

We then drove to the train station, where we waited about an hour to board our 9 p.m., 1-1/2 hour train ride to Bukhara. We arrived at our hotel, Sasha and Son, at about 11 p.m., cleaned up and went to bed. The Sasha and Son hotel is a small, apparently family run, hotel with a lot of charm Our room was very large, and uniquely decorated. It was one of my favorite places to stay in terms of being quaint and unlike any other option.

Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Our day today, September 17, began with a light breakfast, after which we began our exploring with a stop at the Samanid Mausoleum, the oldest Muslim monument and one of its most architecturally interesting. The structure was built in 905 for Ismail Samani, the founder of the Samanid dynasty, his father, and his grandson. It’s intricate terracotta brickwork disguises walls almost six feet thick, helping it largely survive restoration for 11 centuries.

On our way from the mosque to the local bazaar, we walked past a remaining section of the wall that surrounded Bukhara in ancient times.

We then were off to tour the following sites:

• Chashma Mausoleum. The “Spring of Job” mausoleum dates from the 12th century. Legend has it that the prophet Job struck his staff on the ground here, causing a spring to appear whose water then cured him of his many boils and ulcers. Inside is a museum about water management in Bukhara (interesting given the competing interests for, and limited supply of, water in the region) and a tap where pilgrims drink from the spring. Just recall what happened to the Aral Sea and you’ll understand why this museum is interesting.

• Ark of Bukhara. The Ark is Bukhara’s oldest structure, occupied from the 5th century up until 1920 when it was bombed by the Red Army. It served for years as the residence of the emirs of Bukhara. While it’s about 80% ruins, some royal quarters remain serving as interesting museums. The oldest surviving part of the Ark is the vast Reception and Coronation Court. The last coronation to take place was Alim Khan’s in 1910. Other areas of note include open-air royal stables and a room for drums and musical instruments used during public spectacles in the square below.

Today we ate lunch at the house of the parents of our tour operator, Zulya Rajabova.

Zulya’s parents love to meet foreign travelers and are frequent hosts of her clients. In addition to plentiful, fabulous food prepared served by these wonderful hosts and other of Zulya’s relatives, we enjoyed dancing entertainment provided by one of Zulya’s nieces (age 7) and two of her nephews (ages 11 and 14). Following an exchange of gifts we returned to our vehicle to visit the Kalon Minaret and Mosque.

About the Kolan Minaret:
When it was built in 1127, the Kalon Minaret was probably the tallest building in Central Asia – kalon means ‘great’ in Tajik. It’s an incredible piece of work, 47 meters tall with 10 meter-deep foundations (including reeds stacked underneath in an early form of earthquake-proofing), and has stood for almost nine centuries. Chinggis (Genghis) Khan was so dumbfounded by it that he ordered it spared while his troops ransacked the rest of the city. The minaret is an architectural masterpiece. Its 14 ornamental bands, all different, include the first use of the glazed blue tiles that were to saturate Central Asia under the Timurids. Up and down the southern and eastern sides are faintly lighter patches, marking the restoration of damage caused by Soviet general Frunze’s artillery in 1920. At the foot of the minaret, on the site of an earlier mosque destroyed by Chinggis Khan, is the 16th-century congregational Kalon Mosque.

We then returned to our hotel to rest for a few minutes before walking to a nearby traditional folk dancing and fashion show at Nodir Devonbegi Madrasah.

We then enjoyed dinner at Bella Italia where our meals consisted of spinach ravioli, Caesar Salad, and a 4-cheese pizza. There was bread too. So much bread! 

Our September 18 began with a visit to Sitorai Moh Khossa, the summer palace. It is located 3.5 miles to the north of Bukhara and belonged to the last governing emir of Bukhara Said Alimkhan (1911-1920). The name of the palace means “stars meet the moon”. The three-building compound incorporates elements of both Russian and traditional Bukharan architecture. Highlights included peacocks, beautiful tile fireplaces, a turtle in the “Swimming pool”.

We then began our 6.5 hour drive through the desert to Khiva. Highlights of our journey included:

• Endless miles of sand.
• A natural gas pipeline under construction.
• Wild horses.
• An abandoned Soviet checkpoint on the highway.
• Some of the worst highway road conditions I’ve ever seen due to ongoing construction begun by the Germans 10 years ago and taken over in recent years by the Chinese. According to our guide, while the pace of construction has improved, the quality has suffered.
• Several restaurants or gas stations that were dilapidated, closed, or both, which led to great difficulty in finding a working toilet, particularly a western style toilet. In our effort to find such a toilet, over a span of probably one and one-half hours we:
  • stopped at a restaurant that was closed (although Bek and I did receive bites from several small, but potent, mosquitos); a gas station that was closed, but whose caretaker told us we could use the restrooms but, since they had no water, we’d have to use a nearby water jug to flush the toilets (by the way, they were disgustingly dirty so went unused by us); and a restaurant that was open but that had only eastern style toilets.
  • encountered a long line of vehicles that had been waiting at a railroad crossing for over an hour in anticipation of a train they had been told was imminent (the train arrived approximately 20 minutes after we arrived; it consisted of the engine only. See the photo below. Also, praise for our driver, Zafar, who adeptly positioned us towards the front of the long line of cars and trucks that had stopped for the train so we could get ahead of the trucks which would have seriously slowed our progress to Khiva. Also, because the roads from the bridge westward were so badly potholed, drivers were often driving on the wrong side of the road looking for the smoothest path. It was like bumper cars at the state fair, but without the bumping.
  • stopped at yet another store that had only eastern toilets.
  • drove 10 minutes or so down some very bumpy, dusty dirt roads to find a hotel that appeared on Google maps but did not, in fact, exist (when we asked a local where we could find the hotel, she simply told us there was no such building).
  • located a “camping hotel” that finally allowed us to use a western style toilet within the hotel.

Khiva, Uzbekistan

We arrived at our hotel at approximately 6 p.m., filled the laundry sack with 20 items, and handed it to our receptionist. The laundry was done 2 hours later at a cost of approximately $13! The hotel is a beautiful complex. In this hotel we had a 2-room suite, which was not expected. The resort has a pool, a bar, restaurant, etc. The grounds were lovely with tiled walkways, lots of green space, and herbs and vegetables planted among the trees in the green space, presumably for the kitchen.

At 7 p.m. we walked into the old city of Khiva and ate at a restaurant called the “Terrassa Cafe and More.” The view from the resturant was spectacular! We each had the Dill Noodle dinner, a local dish. We then walked back to the hotel and, because my wife had been under the weather, she went promptly to bed. I stayed up to read about the sites in Khiva in preparation or the day ahead.

About Khiva, the museum under the sky, from TripAdvisor:
When you enter the 2,500-year-old city of Khiva you travel back in time to an earlier millenium – a land of caravanserais built to quench the thirst of travelling silk traders and madrassahs filled with young students studying the Koran. Khiva – the exotic and undiscovered masterpieces in the desert. Like an oasis in the sand, the city of Khiva is remarkably well kept – aquamarine tiles line the 800-year-old minarets and ancient stones pave the streets. Every corner you turn is another exotic angle. The Khan’s palace is a labyrinth of courtyards and hidden rooms and you’ll have the day to explore this enormous open-air museum.

This morning of September 19 we met Bek in the lobby at 10 a.m. and began our tour of Khiva. We began by walking along the outside of Itchan Kala. Our hotel is located just outside the south gate, so we walked around to the west gate so we could buy tickets for the various museums within the old city.

While in the city today we toured the following sites:

• Mohammed Amin Madrassa. This madrassa is currently occupied by, and run as, the Khiva Madrassah Hotel. The madrassah was built in 1851-1855 years and reconstructed in the year 2000. There are 40 rooms in the hotel, typically very small as they were the rooms used for teaching while the building functioned as a madrassah. It’s important to note that the rooms on the main floor are very dark as there are no windows and, hence, no natural light.

• Kalta Minor Minaret. This minaret was begun in 1851 by Mohammed Amin Khan who, according to legend, wanted to build a minaret so tall he could see all the way to Bukhara. Unfortunately, the khan died in 1855 leaving the minaret unfinished. 

• Kunya Ark, an ancient fortress of Khiva, and one of the khan’s palaces in Itchan Kala. It was first built in the 12th century by Ok Shaykh Bobo, then expanded by the khans in the 17th century The khans’ harem, mint, stables, arsenal, barracks, mosque and jail were all here. The most interesting rooms in the palace include (1) the throne room, which included a raised, circular dais where the Royal Yurt would be constructed even though the khans were no longer nomadic, and (2) the watchtower, which provides a stellar view over the top of the city.

And now a bit of history for the area:
Muhammad Rahim Kahn II (1864 – 1910) was a philosopher and poet, popularly known under the pen name as Firuz. He became the first to introduce lithography to Central Asia in 1874. More than 20 madrases, mosques, and minarets were built in Khorezm under his leadership. In total, there were 126 madrases and 165 Korikhona (schools of Qu’ran readers). Most of the architectural monuments of the city were built during his reign. 

• Juma Mosque, a 10th – 18th century mosque in Khiva, Uzbekistan. It is one of the principal monuments of Itchan Kala, the walled old city of Khiva, which is a World Heritage Site. It stands in the middle of Itchan Kala, on the road connecting the west gate (Ota darvoza) and the east gate (Polvon darvoza). The mosque was first documented in the 10th century, but it was rebuilt in 1788. It is a large one-story brick building with a flat roof, supported by 212 wooden columns in 17 rows. Its total size is 55 x 46 meters, and its minaret is 42 meters high

For dinner, we returned to Terrassa, the balcony from which we enjoyed a beautiful sunset.

We also had the opportunity to watch local residents bake bread using the community bread oven located below on the edge of the square adjacent to the restaurant. The process includes the placement of a circle of dough on a slightly mounded piece of leather (or cloth of some sort) with a glove attached to the back of it. The dough is then sprinkled with water, lowered into the oven, and slapped to the side of the oven and freed from the gloved, domed transfer vehicle. The bread bakes while clinging to the side of the oven until the person monitoring it decides it’s done. It is then pried off the side of the oven to make room for the next disk. This night the people baking must have been a neighborhood group or baking for a small business as they baked multiple batches of bread over the span of several hours. We then walked back to the hotel for the night.

On September 20, we began our day with a small breakfast at the hotel. Met Bek at 9 a.m. to tour a museum describing the first school in Khiva, built in 1940, that educated both boys and girls. We then visited the following sites:

• Said Islam Khodja Madrassa. The Islam Khodja complex stands to the southeast of the main east-west street in Khiva’s Ichan Kala (old city) and includes a madrasa and minaret. Although it was built fairly recently it was constructed according to traditional principles in exacting detail, and its level of craftsmanship is among the highest in the city. The site is named after Islam Khodja, the grand vizier (and also first cousin) of Muhammad Rahmi Bahadur II, the ruler of the Khanate of Khiva from 1864-1910. Islam Khodja was a modernizer who introduced new amenities to the city including a hospital, telegraph office, and non-parochial schools. Although he lived long enough to see the complex completed, he was stabbed to death in 1913.

• Pahlavon Mahmud Tomb and adjacent cemetary. Pahlavan Mahmud was an Iranian poet and wrestler who lived from 1247-1326. Also known as Puria-ye-Wali, Mahmud was lionized as the paragon of Iranian chivalry (javanmardi) and esteemed for his literary and athletic accomplishments. Although he was not strictly a religious figure, his tomb became a popular place of pilgrimage in both Khoy (in Iran) and Khiva (in Uzbekistan), both of which claimed Mahmud as their own.

• Madrasah Shergazi Khan. It was built in the XVIII century, located in the centre of Ichan Kala. According to legend, madrasah was built by slaves for one year, captured by Shergazi-Khan during the attack of Khorasan and Meshhed. After the construction, Shergazi-Khan promised to free captives, but his promise wasn’t kept. As a result, infuriated prisoners killed Shergazi-khan in his own unfinished madrasah.
• Nurullabay Palace. The palace is located in Dishan-Kale – the outer city of Khiva and is famous for its magnificence, beauty and charm. The palace differs from other palaces built by other khans in different periods. During the reign of Muhammad Rahim Khan I, the old city (now Itchan Kala) was already crowded due to the large number of houses built there and it was impossible to build large palaces with gardens there. So, Muhammad Rahim Khan I ordered to build for his sons Mahmud-tyurya and Muhammad-tyurya country palaces “howli” (made of rammed clay blocks) to the west of the city (Itchan-Kala) walls.
• Besh Khovli Complex. Tash-Hovli — a palace complex in Khiva, the main palace of the Khivan khans. The palace was located in east part of Khiva built by Allakuli-hanom. Construction of the palace took about 8 years, from 1830 to 1838. The first built the residential quarter of a harem, then mekhmonkhon — the place for formal receptions, and the last — an arzkhona, the courtroom.

• Ayaz Kala in desert north of Urgench. The Khorezm Fortresses, or Elliq Qala in Uzbek, are a collection of more than 50 desert fortresses in Karakalpakstan and the Khorezm Region of Uzbekistan. They were built on the edge of the Kizilkum Desert at different points between the fourth century BCE and the seventh century CE as a means of protection from nomad raids. Ayaz Kala is an archeological site with three fortresses, the earliest of which dates from the 4th century BCE. The footprint of the best preserved fortress is huge, measuring 182×152 meters. Some of the remaining sections of wall are 10 meters high, with regularly spaced towers. There is a massive gateway, battlements with crenellated tops, ramparts, and the remains of vaulted ceilings.

We were then taken to the airport in Urgench for our late night flight to Tashkent, arriving at approximately 1 a.m. on September 21. We were transferred in the late morning to the Tashkent Airport for our flight to Almaty, Kazakhstan for the next chapter in our journey.

Almaty, Kazakhstan

We were met at the Almaty airport by our guide, Alma, and our driver, Davlet. After checking in and cleaning up, we walked to the Navat Restaurant near our Rixos hotel.

As in Uzbekistan, more food was ordered than we could possibly eat.

First, a little bit about Kazakhstan:
The world’s ninth-biggest country is the most economically advanced of the ‘Stans’, thanks to its abundant reserves of oil and most other valuable minerals. This means generally better standards of accommodation, restaurants and transport than elsewhere in Central Asia. The biggest city, Almaty, is almost reminiscent of Europe with its leafy avenues, glossy shopping centers and hedonistic nightlife.

On September 22, I was under the weather and unable to participate in the tour. The remainder of the group, however, took in the following sites:

• Green Bazaar. This clean, organized, and colorful bazaar provides a broad array of tastes and smells from Asia. There are delineated sections for meats, bread, spices, herbs, vegetables, nuts, dried fruits, and more. The lamb heads and horse meat sections are a must-see.

• Central State Museum. Almaty’s best museum takes you through Kazakhstan’s history from Bronze Age burials and nomadic culture to WWII sacrifices, telecommunications and the transfer of the capital to Astana, with many beautiful artefacts on display. A large replica of the Golden Man (a national symbol of Kazakhstan; a 3rd- or 4th-century warrior whose gold-clad remains were uncovered in 1969) stands in the entrance hall. The museum also includes a traditional yurt showing the lodging used by the nomads in the area.

• Kök-Töbe Hill. This 1100 meter hill on the city’s south edge is crowned by a 372 meter-high TV tower visible from far and wide, and affords great views over the city and the mountains. Accessed by a cable car, the top of the hill provides an assortment of attractions, including a ropes course, a small zoo containing some beautiful birds, and an amusement park.

The adventurers then had dinner at Tyubetegika, a highly-rated restaurant known for its local cuisine. Thankfully, they brought some food back to the hotel so I could enjoy a meal as well.

On September 23, we began by driving south towards the Zailiyskiy Alatau mountains, which form the border between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Within the mountain range is the Medeu Skating Rink and ski resort, which offers a great location to view the mountains, enjoy a scenic vista over the city of Almaty, and enjoy a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate. After riding the gondolas to the top of the ski resort, wandering around to take pictures, and playing in the snow, we returned to our vehicle and the city.

After a lunch of Dolmades and a sausage pita, we headed to Panfilov Park, named in honor of Kazakh soldiers who perished in various wars during the 20th century, including in World War II when they fought to defend Moscow. The park also holds the Ascension Cathedral, a beautiful Russian Orthodox Church made completely of wood and without nails.

We also visited the Museum of Folk Musical Instruments, which contained an impressive of historical instruments including mouth harps, violins, traditional Kazakh instruments such as wooden harps and horns, bagpipes, the lute-like two-stringed dombra and the viola-like kobyz. We next visited the Independence Monument, a stone column topped with a replica Golden Man standing on a winged snow leopard. Around its base are statues of a Kazakh family; behind is a semicircular wall of low-relief bronze sculptures depicting scenes from Kazakhstan’s history, from Golden Man times at the left end to President Nazarbayev at the right. 

On September 24, we enjoyed a small breakfast at the hotel and began driving from Almaty to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. This involved taking our luggage and walking through passport control on both the Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan sides of the border, as well as Kyrgyzstan customs. In the meantime, our driver had to take the vehicle through the same process. We met up on the Kyrgyzstan side of the border and made our way to the city. We began our day’s tour with a stop at Victory Square, which features a dome-like structure with only three supports, meant to symbolize the supports of yurt. The structure sits above an eternal flame commemorating the 40th anniversary of the end of WWII.

We then proceeded to Ala Too Square, which includes a triumphant statue of Айкол Манас (Mighty Manas). Bishkek’s nominal center has a photogenic quality – especially when slowly goose-stepping soldiers change the guard beside the soaring national flagpole.

Behind the guard’s station is the newly renovated National Historical Museum, which contains literally thousands of exhibits about the cultural heritage of the Kyrgyz people, whose sculptures and objects date from antiquity to the end of the 20th century.

Behind the museum is Bishkek’s statue of Lenin, recently moved from prominent Ala Too Square to its more remote, current location. We then checked into our hotel, had dinner, and retired for the night. 

This morning, September 25, we packed up and headed towards Issyk Kul, the world’s second largest alpine lake (the largest is Lake Titicaca located in South America). The lake is approximately 108 miles long, 36 miles wide, and around 2,100 feet deep at its deepest point.  Our destination, the Karven Four Seasons Resort, is a popular summer destination for both Kazakh and Russian vacationers. On the way, however, we first stopped at a UNESCO Heritage Site which includes the ruins of ancient Balasagun City, a medieval settlement founded in the early tenth century. The most noticeable structure at this site is the Burana Tower, a medieval minaret made of fired brick. It is considered to be the earliest surviving minaret in Central Asia. Followers of Islam, Syro-Nestorianism, and Buddhism lived in Balasagun, which was an important stop on the Silk Roads and a place of intercultural exchange.

After returning to our vehicle, we stopped for lunch at a small restaurant along the road paralleling Issyk Kul. We then continued on to our resort, checked in, and drove 15 – 20 minutes for a scheduled horse ride by the lake. While Paula decided not to embark on the ride, Davlet and I mounted our trusty steeds and followed the owner of the horses for a 1-hour ride. My horse, Erika, was a 9-year old filly, while Davlet’s was a 23-year old Nomad Games champion. Kyrgyzstan, by the way, is the resounding Nomad Games champion, a designation of which the residents are very proud. 

We then returned to the resort and went for a walk. While simple by US standards, the resort is beautifully landscaped, has a beautiful waterfront, and a spectacular view of the mountains on the other side of the lake. After our walk we met our guide and driver for dinner at the resort restaurant. We were the only people in the restaurant, which supported our suspicion that we were two of very few guests at the resort. I suspect that was a consequence of the timing of our trip.

Today, September 26, we checked out of our resort and drove east until we reached the town of Grigoryevka, at which point we turned north into a national park (see map).

We drove through the beautiful gorge until it opened up into a pasture-like area, at which point we turned east.

After a few miles, we stopped for a demonstration of Golden Eagle hunting by a local hunter and two of his eagles. The female eagles are captured when they are young and trained for two years. For purposes of our demonstration, the eagle was taken a hundred yards away by one handler while the other carried a live rabbit to a site in an open area. Upon a signal, the eagle was released and the 2nd handler walked away from the rabbit. Within minutes, the eagle was on the rabbit and killing it through suffocation. Typically, the hunter would take the prey from the eagle, but today the eagle was allowed to enjoy the fruits of her labor.

We the returned to our vehicle and drove back to the highway while observing yaks, cows, donkeys, horses, goats, and sheep along the way.

After lunch, we headed back to Bishkek. Upon arrival in the city, we headed to the Osh Bazaar, the most central bazaar in Bishkek, to do some shopping for souvenirs.

We then returned to our hotel, cleaned up, and went to dinner with Alma and Davlet at Pishpek restaurant. In addition to enjoying a wonderful last dinner in Central Asia, Alma had arranged for a birthday cake for Paula to celebrate her birthday (the reason for the trip, after all). We had a fun evening celebrating time with our new friends, and returned to the hotel for our last night in Kyrgyzstan. 

Today, September 27, we left early for the airport and bade goodbye to Davlet and
Alma. Our flights to Istanbul was uneventful, although we had to literally run through the new, very large airport to get to our connecting flight. The flight to Amsterdam was also uneventful, although our flight from Amsterdam to Minneapolis on September 28 was canceled, resulting an additional day in Amsterdam. In any event, we finally made it home at 8 p.m. on Friday, September 29, after 24 days on the road.

Recommended Books

• “Lonely Planet Central Asia (Travel Guide), Kindle Edition“, by Stephen Lioy, Anna Kaminski, Bradley Mayhew, and Jenny Walker. Thanks to this guide in particular as it helped tremendously with some of the descriptions herein.
• “The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia” by Peter Hopkirk.
• “The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia” by Rene Grousset.

In addition to the books recommended above, let me also recommend AbeBooks, a website where you can find high quality used books at significantly reduced prices.

Trip Statistics

Number of countries visited: 5

Number of flights: 11

Number of hotels: 9

Time zone difference: 10/11 hours, depending on location.

Other Interesting Observations

• There are many, many different spellings for the names of people and places (e.g., Uleg Bek, Ulegbbek, and Uleg-Bek). While I’ve tried to be consistent throughout this blog, they were times where I chose to leave a variant as it was within a summary from an external source. My apologies for any confusion this may cause.
• The further we moved from urban centers, eastern-style toilets became more prominent.

• The vast majority of the population in the Stans are Muslim, although the extent to which the faith is followed varies by location and individual.
• Tea and bread was served at every meal. And, every meal was huge! Ensuring guests are satisfied at meals appears to be a big part of hospitality in Central Asia.
• Bottled water was highly recommended for consumption as the tap water could invoke “Temur’s Revenge” (Gary’s name for traveller’s diarrhea in Central Asia, AKA “Montezuma’s Revenge” in Mexico).
• The traffic in the urban areas was very, very heavy. I shudder to think how much time we spent at stop lights in Tashkent, Samarkand, Almaty, and Bishkek. I would not, under any circumstances, rent a car in any of these cities.
• Despite several warnings about being prepared to be stopped by the police, it never occurred for us, and the “police presence” seemed lighter than we expected.

And, Because We All Like Food….

In Closing, My Thanks

My thanks to all the various travel guides and contributors to the multitude of websites that address the various facets of Central Asia. I have borrowed from their research and summaries to make this private blog as interesting as possible through descriptions and historical context. And, thank you for reading this blog. If you’ve made it this far, I am truly impressed by your dedication!

This blog entry describes, on a day-by-day basis, our recent 31-day visit to Costa Rica! But, for those of you who just want the basics, here’s an executive summary.

1. We stayed three nights at Nayara Springs resort near the Arenal volcano. This is in the rainforest so is much greener than along the Pacific coast which was then in its dry season. We next stayed 28 nights at Bahia Pez Vela, a resort south of Playas del Coco, a small town on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Our lodging at both locations was exactly what wanted for each part of the trip.
2. Three sets of couples joined us: R & J, R2 & J2, and B & K. For purposes of their privacy their names are not used in the blog. We thoroughly enjoyed their visits as we enjoyed together fellowship, food, and card/dice games!
3. We did not rent a car as they are very expensive in Costa Rica. Instead, we had nearly a dozen tours lined up, all of which included transportation, and taxis were available if we wanted to go somewhere.
4. We ate a lot of food at a lot of good restaurants. The Maracuya Beach Club (“Maracuya”; Maracuya means Passion Fruit) located at the resort was the best of all of them. Consequently, and because of its convenience, we ate at Maracuya more than 20 times. We periodically ate in the villa, usually breakfast.
5. The tours we took were fantastic, both in the Arenal area and from Bahia Pez Villa (thank you Shaman Tours)! We experienced unique animals, plants, topography, micro-climates, and food. We also got to swim in volcano heated pools, swim in a blue river tinted by minerals from the volcano, and take a mud bath!

So much for the summary. Now for the agonizing detail, Internet links, and pictures!

Sunday, February 12

Flew out early from MSP (7:54 a.m. departure). Flight was fairly smooth. Arrived at Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR) a little bit early. Met our driver (Miguel) who drove us approximately 2.75 hours to Nayara Springs (NS). The first 1/2 of the drive is fairly flat and straight. Then, you hit the mountains where the wind generators are found. In the midst of the mountains is Lake Arenal, a 19 mile long and approx 3 mile wide man-made lake (the biggest in Central America). The lake is utilized to create hydroelectric power for the country, and creates from 15 – 30 percent of the country’s energy, depending on who is telling you about the lake.

Upon arrival at NS at approximately 4:30 p.m., we went through a check-in process and were then whisked away to Villa 35, our home for the next 3 nights. The villa was beautiful, well-appointed, and spacious. Breakfast, yoga, and most things in the mini bar were complimentary. This night we had a 6:30 dinner reservation at the onsite Italian restaurant Mis Amore. The food was very good. P ordered a table pasta which involved the preparation of the dish in a large cheese wheel using a blowtorch, a massive spoon, and previously cooked pasta! We then went back to the room to enjoy the private deck with an infinity whirlpool.

Monday, February 13

We began our day with breakfast delivered to our room. We then met our tour guide at the reception area for a 1/2 day hanging bridge tour at Mistico Park. This tour involved a several hour walk through the rainforest on paths, fixed bridges, and 6 hanging bridges. The hanging bridges varied in height and length, but each was a cable suspension bridge with an aluminum walkway, chain link sides, and cables for suspension. Some were as long as several hundred meters and 30+ meters above the valley floor. We were shown several examples of snakes, birds, and insects, as well as of trees and plants. Our tour guide was a young man named Gustavo, a birder who expressed a keen interest in one day spotting the Great Grey Owl in Minnesota. We exchanged contact information in the event he is able to get a visit to visit the US and does, in fact, make his way to Minnesota. At the conclusion of the tour, we ate lunch with our guide and driver in the picnic area of the park. The lunches had been prepared by the NS kitchens, and included sandwiches and, in my case, a Nordic bagel with Smoked Trout.

After our tour we returned to our villa to enjoy the whirlpool and to rest. We later ventured out to explore the resort a little bit. At 5:30 we then returned to the reception area where we met David, our guide for a Night Walk Tour, which involved walking through the rainforest with flashlights to spot frogs, insects, and whatever else we might stumble upon. During this 2 hour journey we saw the famous red-eyed tree frog, several other species of frogs, several insects, and many impressive spiders. After the walk we returned to NS for our dinner at the onsite restaurant Amor Loco, a plush lounge with dark wood furniture and velvety cushions and chairs. There was live music performed by a single musician, and the frogs were chirping merrily. The food was, once again, very good and the service was top-notch.

Tuesday, February 14

Today we booked no tours until early afternoon. Our breakfast was delivered at 10:30, and consisted of an omelette, Nordic Bagle, fresh bread, fruit and juices. We met our tour guide at 1:55 p.m. in the reception area. Melanie, a 27 year old native Costa Rican, first took us to a harbor on Lake Arsenal for a brief boat ride, during which we discovered wildlife long the shore of the lake (e.g., herons, Cormorants) and enjoyed beautiful scenery of the rainforest and the Arenal Volcano, an active volcano that experienced its last major eruption in 1968.

After the boat ride we traveled in our van to a private park that provides hiking trails at the base of the volcano, including walking over some of the lava flows from the 1968 eruption. We chose the trail of nearly 2 miles in length, which took almost 2 hours to complete. The trail is the closest you can legally get to the volcano, and provided some great views of the volcano, the lake and the surrounding rainforest. Melanie provided us with a great deal of information related to the history of the volcano, the property on which the park sits (which was devastated by the volcano’s eruption), and the flora and fauna found within the park. Her description of the leaf-cutting ants and their nest was particularly interesting.

After our tour we returned to NS for our last night at the resort. Our dinner was not scheduled until 8 p.m., so we took yet another dip in the whirlpool and began organizing our things for departure the next morning. At about 7:30 we began walking to Ayla Restaurant, a Mediterranean-themed restaurant located in the adjacent sister-resort, Nayara Tented Camp. As we began walking we realized that the trails were quite dark given the environment, and that we had no flashlight with us. Just as we were turning around to return to our villa to get a flashlight, a resort golf cart appeared and offered to take us to the restaurant. We happily accepted and, after seeing the ups and downs of the trails to the restaurant, were glad we did. The paths were very steep at times and would have exhausted us before dinner! Our Valentine’s Day dinner was wonderful, and began with a rose on our table and a complimentary beverage. We then each ordered an appetizer (Mediterranean Salad  and grillled artichoke) and our entrees (Sea Bass and grilled octopus). After our dessert of Lava Cake, we requested a golf cart to return us to our villa. 

Wednesday, February 15

Today we packed and prepared to move to Bahia Pez Vela, a resort located on the Pacific coast near Playas del Coco.  Before we left for the reception area to meet our driver, we had breakfast and I practiced the Bass Clarinet, both inside the villa and outside in the rain forest. The sound even attracted some birds to the surrounding trees to come listen!

Our drive to BPV took approximately 3 hours and was uneventful. We stopped at a grocery store in Coco to pick up some essentials. Upon arrival at BPV we checked in and moved our luggage into the villa (#10). As the cleaners were not yet done cleaning, we sat on the veranda, explored the nearby restaurant, and took a walk on the beach.

We made reservations at the restaurant, Maracuya Beach Club, for 7 p.m. (“Maracuya”; Maracuya means “Passion Fruit” in English). This night was “Latin Night” and included live entertainment provided by two talented musicians. We each ordered a cocktail (a Pura Vida and a Bump Fashioned). For our dinner, we ordered the Pura Vida Salad with Mahi Mahi and the “Typical Rice and Shrimps.” The food was very flavorful, colorful, and satisfying. The servers were kind and patient, and provided information about what to expect in the weeks ahead. We returned to our room for a somewhat fitful night as we got accustomed to the sound of the birds and waves outside our window.

Thursday, February 16

Today we flagged down a cab in the resort and got a ride to/from the grocery store. We ate dinner at Maracuya enjoying  “Seafood pasta with Diablo spicy red sauce,” which included a generous portion of fettuccine pasta with prawns, mussels, octopus, fish, and calamari; and pan-roasted chicken breast with porcini mushroom sauce and a side of “potato gratin heart of palm”. Both meals were under $25 and very satisfying. After dinner we returned to our villa to talk with choir members from Peaceful Grove and with our son and his family. 

Friday, February 17

This morning I had a cup of coffee and then went snorkeling near the rocks on the north side of the bay. I saw hundreds of fish, a large puffer fish, and probably thousands of sea urchins. I then returned to the villa to clean up (myself and the villa) for R and J’s arrival.  They arrived about 9:40 a.m., at which point they got settled and we sat down for a chat on the patio. We then contacted Luis, the manager at Father Rooster’s to see if we could get a ride to his restaurant for lunch. He said “yes,” and shortly thereafter there was a car in our driveway to take us to the restaurant. At the restaurant, J and I had the Mahi Mahi burger, R had the Mahi Mahi fish and chips, and P had a quinoa salad. We then returned to the villa ($15 for the car ride both ways), chatted and swam a while, and got ready for our 5:30 dinner at the Mayacura. At Maracuya we started with a tortilla chip and dips appetizer, cocktails, and then our main course. As it was BBQ night, P and I ordered the “Turf” collection including ribs, skirt steak and sausage, while R and J ordered the “Surf” collection including shrimp, octopus, tuna, and lobster tail. We accompanied each selection with roasted vegetables and roasted corn.  During dinner there was live music provided by a family band consisting of a dad (guitar and singer), son (keyboard player) and two daughters (singers). The music ranged from Spanish songs to songs by Billy Joel, Santana, and Elton John and Dua Lipa. After about 1.5 hours of music we retreated to our patio to listen to the music before retiring for the night.

Saturday, February 18

This morning we got up early and embarked on a 7 hour Palo Verde tour including a drive through sugar cane fields, an informational drive through small communities,  a river tour on the Tempisque River, and a traditional Costa Rican lunch at a private residence. Our guide/driver was Gerson, a 39 year old who was very, very familiar with the area, and who provided us with very detailed information about the local flora, fauna, and communities. While on our drive to the river, we spotted a fence post on fire near a local home. So, while Gerson attempted to contact local homeowners to help put out the fire by providing water, R and I got out and dumped handfuls of dirt on the base of the fire to slow it down until water arrived. We returned to our vehicle and resumed our trip to the boat. Upon arrival at the boat, we embarked on a 1.5 hour boat ride up and down the river to look for wildlife. And, we saw plenty including white faced monkeys, numerous crocodiles, a Red Macaw, bats, numerous Iguanas, and several types of birds! It was a very successful journey.

We then returned to our vehicle to drive to a home that provided a traditional Costa Rican lunch, which included chicken, beef, rice, black beans, pico de gallo, corn tortillas, and a squash salsa. The drinks included Tamarind juice, coffee, and water, and dessert included sugar cane, cantelope, and pineapple.

We then returned to our vehicle for the slow and bumpy ride home.

Upon our return to the villa, we sat on the patio, some of us swam, and we generally relaxed from our busy day! For dinner we went to Maracuya for sushi night! The special sushi roll was very good, as was the order of six shrimp gyoza. 

Sunday, February 19

Today we stayed around the villa early in the day and played Farkle. Later in the day we called a cab and went into town to eat at Santorini, a local Greek restaurant. The restaurant had an open front adjacent to the Main Street in Coco. On this particular night the atmosphere was festive as a group of approximately 40 people were celebrating a birthday within the group. I ordered pork Souvlaki with Greek potatoes, grillled vegetables and a glass of Chardonnay. P ordered Moussaka which was accompanied by the Santorini Salad, which was a typical Greek salad. P ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc wine.

Monday, February 20

Today involved a full-day tropical rain forest tour, which began with a stop at the Llanos de Cortez waterfall. We were the only guests at the waterfall at the time we arrived, which gave us time to swim in the pool below the waterfall and take pictures with no interference. While the water was “refreshing” (to quote our guide Randall), it was a pleasant swim and a beautiful location. The wind created mist from the waterfall which, in turn, created a rainbow that enhanced our photos!

From the waterfall we drove to the Heliconias Rainforest Lodge, a  magnificent unspoiled tropical destination set in the foothills of Tenorio Volcano close to Rio Celeste in Northern Costa Rica. The lodge is located between Miravalles Volcano and Tenorio Volcano, and provides incredible biodiversity in over 73 hectares of rainforest in a protected private reserve which adjoins Tenorio Volcano National Park. The transition from the dry Pacific side of the mountains to the wet Caribbean side was dramatic as the weather and color of the terrain changed dramatically.  The rainforest lived up to its name as there was drizzle to rain for most of the time we were there. We saw beautiful birds, some interesting plants, and thoroughly enjoyed the walks across the hanging bridges. After the Heliconias tour, we drove to a nearby ecological park to see frogs and sloths. In total, we saw four or so 3-toed sloths, and one 2-toed sloth. Because it was raining quite hard most of the time we were at this destination, we did not see much other wildlife as the animals were largely staying put.

After returning to our villa P and I walked down the beach to take sunset pictures, we ate dinner in the villa, and played Phase 10 Dice. Because our day tomorrow begins very early, we went to bed early.

Tuesday, February 21

Our day begin early when we were picked up by Ariel, our guide for the day, for the Monteverdi Cloud Forest and Hanging Bridges Tour. The drive took about 4 hours to get to the Selvatura Park, the provider of the butterfly, reptile and hiking area for our journey. The ride was straight, bumpy, curvy, slow, fast and every other adjective you could likely apply to a car trip.

There was construction, traffic back-ups, dogs in the middle of road, and even a chicken crossing the road. When we arrived at the park, we first embarked on the butterfly house tour. There were approximately 30 species of butterflies in the house which was warm, plant-filled, and filled with butterflies such as Owl, monarch, and other beautiful species.

After too short a time in the butterfly house, we were whisked off to the reptile and amphibian building which, while it contained many species of snakes and frogs, was not well designed or maintained with small enclosures and often dirty glass.

After we observed all the critters on display, we then embarked on the two mile hiking trail which included 8 hanging bridges. During the hike we learned about the varieties of plants found in the Cloud Forest, saw a few  species of mammals  including Howler Monkeys (including a baby), and a few birds. Despite the relatively small number of animals seen, the walk was fantastic! The trail was well maintained, the bridges provided an unforgettable experience over the valleys within the forest, and the scenery was unbeatable.  

After concluding our walk, we climbed back in our bus for the journey to SaborTico, in Santa Elena, for lunch. I enjoyed the Chifritico while P enjoyed the Pinto Tico with scrambled egg and a frozen lemonade. Both meals were large, tasty, and excellent for the price. We then climbed back into the van and headed home arriving at about 6 p.m., nearly 12 hours after we left in the morning.

Wednesday, February 22

Today a zodiac boat picked us up from the beach at 9 a.m. and took us out to the 47’ sailboat Kuna Vela for a 1/2 day sailboat tour and beach excursion. Also on the boat were 5  Canadians from Manitoba and the Yukon Territory. We headed north under power past Coco to a beach north of the Four Seasons resort (Playa Nacascolo). On the way, we saw a school of dolphins playing with the boats in the area, including ours. Once at the beach we walked through caves exposed due to the low tide, and swam in the calm waters.

After 40 minutes or so we returned to the sailboat for rum punch, fruit, chips and dips, and sandwiches. As the wind was now to our port side, the captain was able to use the jib to take us south back to Bahia Pez Vela.

J and I decided to swim from the sailboat back to our shore rather than take the zodiac. So, as the boat arrived off the shore of BPV (much further away from shore than either of us expected; we estimate approximately 3/4 of a mile), we jumped in the water and began swimming! As the tide was going out and the current was headed south, the swim was a bit more of a challenge than one would encounter in a calm bay. We estimate the swim in took about 30 minutes. After returning to the villa the others chatted while I practiced my Bass Clarinet. We then we played games outside as we watched the day unfold over the beautiful bay in front of us. At 5:40 we headed over the Maracuya for a Latin night dinner. We began with the non-alcoholic welcome drinks offered by the resort, which included Passion fruit, lime, orange juice, mint leaves and vanilla. For food I ordered the Portena Mariscada, which includes prawns, mussels, clams,  octopus, fish, calamari, garlic, butter and parsley. P ordered the Tico Casado with breaded Mahi Mahi which included rice, beans, salad, sweet plantain, corn tortilla, and breaded Mahi Mahi.

Both meals were excellent, as was the service provided by Sebastian, the restaurant worker that we believe has been working every time we’ve visited the restaurant during our stay. We then returned to the villa, read, and placed phone calls before retiring for the night.

Thursday, February 23

Today is R and J’s last full day in Costa Rica as they leave tomorrow at noon. In the meantime, as I write this our second set of guests, R2 and J2, are in the air on their way to Houston to catch their connecting flight to Liberia. They will likely arrive at the villa at approximately 2:30 pm. I went snorkeling in the morning, seeing dozens of what I think are Jack Fish, several Sargent Fish, and multiple varieties of sea plants. After my return from snorkeling, we went to Maracuya for lunch, trying their Cuban sandwich and their Mahi Mahi wrap sandwich. P and I then went to the pool, swam, relaxed, and enjoyed a Playa Verde cocktail by the pool (Hpnotiq liqueur, blue curaçao, mango juice, orange juice, and a splash of lime). UPDATE: R2 and J2 arrived after a harrowing experience at the Houston airport and begging the ground crew to tell them on the plane. They did get on and arrived at the villa at 3 p.m. We then put on our swimming suits and headed for the beach and pool. At 6 p.m. we headed to Maracuya for dinner, enjoying a Cobb salad with pinkie shrimp, seafood risotto, spare ribs, and Seafood pasta with Diablo spicy red sauce. We enjoyed great conversation and fellowship around the table. Sebastian was our server and told us that after tomorrow he would be off for the next 4 nights. We told him we’d still be here and that we’d see him when he returns. Because it had been a long day, particularly for R2 and J2, we called it a night at 8 p.m. and headed back to the villa.

Friday, February 24

Today was R and J’s last day. It began like many days with quiet time on the patio staring at the ocean. As the morning progressed, we heard howler monkeys and, eventually, saw them on the hillside to the north. There were approximately 5 – 6 of them eating in the trees. R2 and J2 went for a walk on the beach, taking time to look at the tidal pools among the rocks. R and J’s taxi arrived shortly after 11 a.m. and they departed for home. The rest of us rented an Uber to go to town for lunch at Masala, a local Indian restaurant. The food was very good and plentiful. We then walked down to Coco Beach, stopping to do a little souvenir shopping along the way. After walking along the beach we returned to the Super Compro grocery store to stock up on a few things. Although it took a while to locate a cab, we finally made our way to the villa. Because we were HOT from being in the sun in Coco, we headed directly to the pool, enjoyed a poolside cocktail, and paddled around for a while. At Maracuya for dinner I had roasted corn and 1/2 of an order of “Our Ceviche”, shared with P, who enjoyed a baked potato with her ceviche. R2 had the beef tenderloin which he proclaimed was “one of the best he’d ever eaten.” Once again, the group of family musicians entertained us during dinner. We then returned to the villa to retire for the evening.

Saturday, February 25

Today we’re off on the Palo Verde Nature Cruise with R2 and J2. Ariel picked us up in the big, new Mercedes Sprinter van and off we went. We drove pretty much directly to the center, but did stop in the village immediate adjacent to the center to, ostensibly, use the restrooms because there weren’t any at the reserve (there are). I think it was, in part, to allow us to view crafts made by the locals in the small stand within the “tourist center.” We did, by the way, buy a few things there for the grandkids. We then proceeded to the park to take a boat on the Tempisque River. We generally saw the same types of wildlife as when we took this tour on February 18, but with a couple of differences. First, instead of going up the main river we “took a left” on Rio Bolton, a narrower tributary of the Tempisque. On our earlier tour the water levels were lower as the river is heavily influenced by the tide in the nearby Pacific Ocean. This time, it was high tide so the water was much higher than the week earlier. As a result, there were no sandbars for the crocodiles so the fewer number we saw were either swimming (2) or on shore (~5). In addition, on this trip we saw many more varieties of birds. According to Ariel we saw 24 different species, including the Tiger Heron,  Lesser Nighthawk, Sandpiper, Yellow-Crowned Night Heron, Black-Crowned Night Heron, Boat Billed Heron, Blue Heron, Typical Kingbird, Kingfisher, Clay-Colored Thrush, Green Heron, Great Egret,  Wood Stork, and Snowy Egret. We also got a much better view of the Central American White-Faced Capuchin (i.e., the White-Faced Monkey) with them coming down near the water to within 5 feet of our boat. They put on quite a show for us!

We then left the park to go to the “restaurant” for lunch. Before lunch we were provided a potter demonstration by a local artist. The tools were simple, including a hand powered wheel made of automobile and kitchen parts. We each bought a small bowl in appreciation for the demonstration.

We had a lunch similar that a week earlier. In response to the lunch, J2 stated, “I’ve never had a lunch like this before.” She also commented that such an establishment would never be allowed in the US due to food service regulations. Probably all true, but the food was wonderful nonetheless. On our way back to the villa, we stopped at a food stand and picked up two cantelope and a watermelon.

Upon our return to the villa we cut up the fruit (some of the best pineapple we’ve ever had), went swimming for a couple of hours, watched the Mantled Howler Monkeys on the hill south of the resort, and then went to Father Rooster’s for dinner. I had the catch of the day casado-style, P and R2 enjoyed the Mahi Mahi fish and chips, and J2 had the fish sandwich. For an appetizer, we were treated to coconut shrimp, which melted in your mouth. For drinks, we had the Tico Linda, recommended by the restaurant manager, which is described as ”served frozen with Guaro Cacique, a Costa Rican liquor, orange juice, lemon juice, and grenadine.” After dinner we got a ride back to our villa, shortly after which we called it a night.

Sunday, February 26

This morning I started to pay more attention to the specific birds we’d seen at the villa, which include the White-Winged Dove, the White-Throated Magpie-Jay, Brown Pelicans, Wood Stork, and the Magnificent Frigate Bird. After everyone got up, we went for a walk around the point to the north of the villa (i.e., towards Coco) to Father Rooster’s restaurant. I ate fish and chips, P had pulled pork sliders, R2 had the fish burrito, and J2 had the coconut shrimp and fries. After lunch we walked back, exploring the tidal pools as we went. The walk to/from Father Rooster was a nice walk over the rocks, but was possible only during low tide as the rocks are under water during high tide. After we returned, I tidied up the villa for B and K’s arrival. They arrived at about 2:30, got the tour of the property, and then settled in. We then joined R2 and J2 in the pool for a swim and conversation. For dinner we ate at Maracuya, experiencing dishes featuring Mahi Mahi and other delights. After dinner we returned to the villa to play games. We then retired for the night with anticipation re: the next morning’s Heliconias tour.

Monday, February 27

This morning Randall picked us up at 7 a.m. after we enjoyed a breakfast of smoothies, rice & beans, coffee and juice. We enjoyed the same Heliconias tour described earlier. This time we again had the waterfall pool nearly to ourselves. At Heliconias, we saw numerous birds we had not seen on the earlier trip. We again enjoyed the delicious lunch of tilapia at the restaurant at the nearby Finca Verde Lodge before embarking on a tour of the property.

On the tour, as it was not raining, we saw much more wildlife than in the prior week, including multiple howler monkeys, a new frog, several new birds, and more sloths.

After the tour we returned to the van to head home, stopping at the market to pick up coffee and get cash from the ATM. Once at home we relaxed by the ocean, ate pizza from a local pizzeria (accompanied by a bottle of wine), and played games once again. I made smoothies for the next morning, and we once again retired to bed in anticipation of the next day’s walking tour of the Miravalles Volcano hot springs and waterfalls.

Tuesday, February 28

This morning Randall picked us up at 7 a.m. for the Miravalles tour. And, what a wonderful day it was! We began by driving to Poza Los Coyotes, a private area north of Liberia on the Rio Banco. Here we swam in water made blue by the particulates from the nearby volcano. We swam in two areas. The first was a stretch of river upstream from a dam made of boulders. The water was “refreshing” (as Randall would say) and deep. There were, in places, boulders you could stand on, but otherwise you were treading water or swimming all the time. We then moved to an area probably a few hundred yards below a waterfall. To swim to the waterfall you had to swim through a slot canyon. As the canyon narrowed, the current  from the river and waterfall grew stronger and stronger. Through a collective effort of everyone, however, we managed to get within 10 feet or so of the lowest rapids below the falls. Again, the water was a beautiful blue, refreshing and, generally, deep.

We next drove the the Las Hornillas Volcanic Activity Center, located northeast of Liberia. Here we first got onto a wagon pulled by a tractor to ascend the volcano to view a couple of waterfalls. The first required crossing a 40-meter long hanging bridge. This bridge was located high above the waterfall, and swung quite a bit given the wind coursing down the valley through which the river traveled. Once to the other side of the bridge, we descended down a trail and series of steps to a viewing platform next to the waterfall and below, way below, the hanging bridge. It was here where we first appreciated how high the bridge actually was. This area was more rustic than many of the other hikes and bridges we had encountered on the trip, with barbed wire periodically along the path and rougher, unpaved trails. We then took a short walk back past the parked tractor to view the second waterfall. This waterfall was more easily accessed and a series of small beautiful fallls culminating in lovely blue pools.

After viewing the waterfalls we returned to the Hornillas Lodge for lunch. The lunch consisted of a choice of meat (pork chop, tilapia or chicken), rice, beans, salad, macaroni and salad with tea available for a beverage. After lunch, we were offered a vanilla and chocolate chip ice cream bar.

Following lunch we walked down to the reception area where Randall provided a tour of secondary volcanic activities of the Miravalles volcano, e.g., bubbling water pools, bubbling mud pools, fumaroles (a vent in the surface of the Earth from which hot volcanic gases and vapors are emitted), and sulphuric deposits. We then embarked upon our mud bath experience. The steps were, in order, to enter into the sauna for 5 minutes (to open your pores), slather yourself in warm mud in the mud pit (to exfoliate your skin), wait for the mud to somewhat dry, shower off the mud, and then go through a series of 3 pools of water from hot, to warm, to cold to transition back to closed pores. The experience was fun in that it was like playing in the mud, but also felt great on the skin. As we returned to the van for our return trip home, more than one adventurer stated they felt it was their best day yet!

After returning to the villla, we cleaned up and relaxed for a bit before heading over to Maracuya for R2 and J2’s last dinner before their departure for home. P had the enchilada (which was huge!), R2 and I had the red snapper in banana leaf (which was wonderful), J2 had the beef tenderloin with fries, and B had the seafood pasta with Diablo red sauce. All the meals were, again, very good. We returned to the villa, played some card games, and retired for the night.

Wednesday, March 1

This morning R2 and J2 prepared to leave for home. B and K went for a walk to explore the resort. Over night it appeared some turtles had visited the beach and perhaps laid eggs so R2, J2, P and I  walked down to the beach to investigate. The tracks from the turtle(s) coming up the beach were quite evident and there was a big hole in the sand where the turtles may have laid eggs. B and K joined us after their walk and we explored the beach for a while marveling at the small snails, crabs and minnows in the tidal pools. 

R2 and J2’s taxi showed up a little before 11 a.m. and they made their way to the Liberia airport. The rest of us arranged for taxi (our friend Mauricio) to pick us up and take us to town for lunch at Numu Taproom, a restaurant in Coco under common ownership and management with Maracuya. We each enjoyed a beverage (beer, wine, or Mai Tai, depending on the consumer) and several Tapas plates (i.e., the Tapchos, Croquet-Monsieur, Caprese Flatbread, and Beef Sliders with Pineapple, just a few wonderful selections from the Numu menu). After lunch we explored a few of the local grocery stores to see the differences in the prices and offerings. We then wandered down to Coco Beach, exploring a few souvenir shops and a local restaurant on the way (for a cold beverage as it was very, very hot today). We made our way back to Super Compro, the most convenient grocery store to pick up a few things, before we called Mauricio to take us back to the villa.

As we were all hot upon our return, we put on our swimsuits and jumped in the pool for an hour or so to cool off. We returned to the villa to clean up and play a few rounds of “The Mind” game before venturing back to Maracuya for a light dinner of Typical Rice and Shrimps (B), Portena Mariscada (me and K), and Calamari and spicy baby potatoes (P). The food was, as always, very good, the service excellent (Sebastien was back), and the musicians very entertaining. We then made our way back to the villa to play Five Crowns, with P being the victor for the night. We retired for the evening having spent a very busy day engaged in more local activities.

Thursday, March 2

Today the morning began with Howler Monkeys visiting the hillsides to the north of the resort. As P and I had a meeting in the morning and B had a meeting in the afternoon, today was a pretty low key day. Throughout the day we swam, snorkeled, and read. After B’s meeting we walked north around the point to get to Father Rooster’s for dinner. We sat at FR for a while enjoying a cocktail, their zucchini spread and coconut shrimp appetizers, and finally fish and chips, fish burrito, and other wonderful entrees. Luis ordered a cab to take us home, where we concluded the evening by playing games.

Friday, March 3

This morning Ariel picked us up for our Rio Celeste tour. This tour consisted of a round-trip hike of approximately 2 miles on the “Mysteries of the Tenorino Path”, a beautiful blue waterfall approximately 30 meters in height, and a beautiful blue lagoon. Like in the river in which we swam during the Heliconias tour, the waters are blue due to volcanic particulates. The area is located within the Tenorio Volcano National Park. The park is the newest of Costa Rica’s national parks, having been established only in 1995. According to the park’s website, “Located in the Guanacaste Volcanic Mountain Range, this Park is home to a rainforest that protects species of flora and fauna of regional importance. Within the area, the Tenorio volcano, with its four cones, offers natural panoramic views that allow you to appreciate the plains of the Pacific and the Caribbean.”

Because we were in a national park, no plastic bags, wrapped snacks, or other items that could create litter are allowed within the park. Further, the trails were more rugged than we had experienced in some of the private parks. In addition, to get to the waterfall, we had to navigate 256 uneven, concrete steps, both down and up. In the end, the hike was wonderful and satisfying, and the sites within the park made the trip well worth the day. While we didn’t see much wildlife in the park due to the significant number of visitors the park experiences, we did see two yellow-throated toucans in a tree next to the road, as well as a family of howler monkeys sleeping in a tree just down the road from the toucans. This was the closest viewing we had experienced of both types of animals.

After our tour in the park, we stopped in the parking lot to buy green coconuts to drink the milk, as well as some pineapple pastries for the following morning. We then returned to the van to drive to a nearby river outside the park where, if desired, we could swim again in the sky-blue waters. We chose not to swim, but did get some great pictures of the water and rapids in the river.

We then headed home with a stop at the Restaurante La Casona, a beautiful little restaurant near Rio Naranjo off highway 6 northeast of Liberia. There we ate garlic shrimp, chicken fajitas, and several other tasty dishes. The scenery from the restaurant was spectacular as we had a good view of the volcanos as well as forest and pasture land at its base. In Coco we stopped to buy mangos and bananas at a local fruit stand. 

Upon returning home, we changed into our swimsuits and jumped into the pool to cool off. We then returned to the villa to get dressed for dinner, played a few card games, and walked next door for our 7 p.m. dinner reservation. We began by enjoying cocktails, the dinner rolls with passion fruit butter, and entrees including empanadas with grilled vegetables, the family seafood platter with corn, and the Choripan, which was comprised of ciabatta bread, chorizo sausage with chimichurri sauce and french fries. After dinner we listened to the delightful family band, and then returned to the villa to play card games. We then retired for the evening in preparation for B and K’s last full day in Costa Rica. 

Saturday, March 4

Today we stayed around the villa, swam, played games, and went to Coco for dinner. In the morning while sitting on the patio, K and I saw three beautiful white-fronted parrots! I then went snorkeling and saw many, many long-spined sea urchins, a blue sea star, a jewel damselfish, blue devil fish, sand divers, and many other beautiful blue, striped, and angel-fish like creatures! I took a nap this afternoon while the others swam in the ocean and the pool. We then played a few rounds of “Can’t Stop” and prepared to go to dinner, compliments of our guests, at Santorini. For our dinner we chose three appetizers: Pikilia, Grilled Pikilia, and Spanakopita. The Pikilia included, among other things, a variety of traditional Greek dips, feta cheese, olives, cucumbers, falafels, and pita bread. The Grilled Pikilia included pork, lamb, Greek sausage, pork souvlaki, and french fries. After dinner and a wait for a taxi, we returned to the villa to play Kingdomino! We then retired for the evening, our guests’ last in Costa Rica.

Sunday, March 5

This morning I got up and prepared a fruit plate for everyone for breakfast. B and I wandered down to the beach to check out what had washed up during the night. I took some interesting pictures of a snail that was making its way along the beach.

We returned to the villa so B and K could pack. We then played card and dice games until their airport ride arrived. And what a ride it was! The bus was the largest we’ve seen, and significantly larger than was required for a ride for 2 to the airport! Regardless, our guests boarded the bus and headed to the airport for their flight home. P and I returned to the villa and called our brother-in-law to wish him a happy birthday and to catch up. I then took a short nap, after which we went to the pool next door for an hour or so. We then returned to the villa and prepared for our 7 p.m. dinner. P had the night’s special, roasted chicken with risotto balls, and I enjoyed the mushroom risotto. We then returned to the villa and unsuccessfully tried to find SNL or another show to watch on the TV. We then retired for the evening.

Monday, March 6

This morning I got up and read for a while, went for a walk on the beach, prepared a smoothie for breakfast, and cooked rice for future meals. I then went for another walk on the beach and returned to the villa to write yesterday’s blog entry and to read. Later in the morning P and I decided to go for a walk up the hill to see the pool at the top of the resort, the view over Ocotal Bay to the north of us, and to look at the abandoned Ocotal Beach Resort adjacent to the guard’s station of our resort.

On way returning to the villa, we stopped by the office to ask about the shuttered resort and to book a couple’s massage before our departure. As to the resort, Cesar told us it was closed unexpectedly with no explanation as to why. Based on TripAdvisor entries, it appears it was a 4-star hotel that closed in the 2016/2017 timeframe for reasons unknown. As to the massage, we scheduled it for Wednesday, March 8 on the beach. We then returned to the villa for a homemade lunch, after which I practiced the Bass Clarinet and P read. We then went for a swim in the pool. During our swim the howler monkeys were going bananas on the southern hillside adjacent to the resort, providing entertainment for the resort guests. After briefly calling the kids, we went to dinner next door enjoying the spare ribs and the beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes. Both meals were excellent! We returned to the villa to again call the kids and then retired for the evening. 

Tuesday, March 7

I woke up a little later this morning, had breakfast, read, and watched the wildlife. I later went snorkeling which was very short due to a stinging sensation I experienced over most of my body while in the water. I noticed a lot of floating particles in the water, including some gelatinous red tubes. To avoid further discomfort I returned to the villa to shower off and apply Benadryl. Based on Internet research, it appears the itching was caused by things released into the water by anemones and jelly fish. During my short snorkeling excursion I did see a puffer fish and several other fish zipping around in the somewhat cloudy water. I then sat on the upper patio (a first) and read for a while, washed some clothes and the dishes, and practiced the Bass Clarinet. We next retreated to the pool for a few hours of cooling off. Dinner was next door at 6:30 and included Beef Tenderloin and Baby-Back Ribs. We then returned to the villa to play a few card games before bedtime.

Wednesday, March 8

This morning I had a cup of coffee and then headed out to snorkel. Today I got past the rocks on the right of the beach and in the process saw a moray eel, a pufferfish, a sea snake moving along on the sandy bottom, several schools of fish, and many colorful smaller fish. I returned to the villa to shower off. I then swept and sprayed down the patio for our last week of “vacation” at BPV. As I was sweeping, the electricity at the villa went off at about 9:30 a.m. Luckily we needed no electricity and were able to sit on the patio and enjoy the ocean once again. We then enjoyed a couples massage on our patio, and a lunch of peanut butter sandwiches and chips (while playing a dice game, of course). We then retreated to the pool to cool off, during which time we met the younger couple staying in Villa 11. They live in Amsterdam, she is an attorney for one or more universities, and he runs a wellness business. Electricity returned at 2 p.m. or so. At nearly 4 p.m. we returned to the villa to clean up and relax before dinner at 6:30. At Maracuya, we enjoyed the Enchilada with Chicken (perhaps the best I have eaten) and the “Tico Casado” with Caribbean style chicken. The crowd in the restaurant was smaller tonight, but the music every bit as good as prior Latin Nights at the restaurant. We then returned to the villa for the evening. 

Thursday, March 9

We now begin our last week in Costa Rica. This morning I arose and had breakfast on the patio with the most unexpected guests. As I sat and ate, two vultures sat on the tree immediately in front of our villa staring at me. While it’s possible they were in search of some leftover breakfast, I couldn’t help but think of memento mori (an artistic or symbolic trope acting as a reminder of the inevitability of death). In fact, I asked P if she was planning on killing me today, to which she replied, “No, not today.” I then finished my coffee and decided nothing would better persuade the vultures that today wasn’t my time than a walk on the beach. So, I picked up my phone (i.e., camera) and headed to the sand.

The beach this morning was alive with wildlife. I took a video of a crab digging his hole on the beach (I now have proof of what makes the holes in the sand), some photos and video footage of a heron hunting for fish on the rocks, and a snail making the slow, long journey to who-knows-where. In addition, the howler monkeys were nearby in the trees to the north of our villa.

I then returned to the villla to grab my gear to go snorkeling. The snorkeling was pleasant, although the there were no great sightings. P and I enjoyed a lunch of nachos with vegetables at Maracuya, followed by a snorkeling excursion using the face mask/snorkel units found in the villa. We saw several small fish, but not the full variety as we didn’t go near the rocks due to the strength of the waves. We then lounged on the beach for a while, watched the howler monkeys as they descended to a tree right next to the beach (the closest they’ve been; there were eight of them, including a very small one), and observed a school of fish jumping above the surface of the water as they swam. The fish were an amazing sight and must have been trying to escape a predator.  After returning to the villa, I practiced the Bass Clarinet. We then returned to Maracuya for dinner. We both had the evening’s special which as fettuccine with jumbo prawns in a pink sauce. It was, predictably, delicious. We then returned to the villa to play Phase 10 Dice. Unpredictably, I won!

Friday, March 10

This morning, I got up and had coffee and a breakfast consisting of mashed  potatoes (leftovers) cooked with ham, cheese, onion, green pepper, and egg accompanied by two corn tortillas. I then went snorkeling along the rocks to the north of the bay. Today the water was the clearest I had yet seen. As a result, I could see much deeper along the vary large rocks to the outer edge of the banks. The fish I could now see at the deeper depth were larger. In addition, as I moved further north along the rocks, I saw more fish than I had seen along the bay side of the rocks. I estimate that, in total, I saw thousands of fish during my 40 minutes of snorkeling today. Among them I saw ~40 different species of fish, some colorful, some spiny, some large, etc. I again saw the blue sea star, this time in the open. I also got to see a fish chase and eat another fish right in front of me! Later in the morning we headed over to Father Rooster’s for lunch. Somehow, the rocks seemed more rugged than before. But, we arrived safely and enjoyed the Apple Salad and Fish Tacos (with Mahi Mahi). Luis organized a ride back to the villa for us. I took a brief nap and then we headed to the pool to read and relax for a few hours. For dinner we went to Maracuya and enjoyed the Grilled Mahi Mahi and the Hamburger with Shrimps. We danced to the music for a while and then returned to the villa to retire for the night. 

Saturday, March 11

This morning started with hoots and howls from the monkeys on the south end of the beach. In addition, our neighbors in Villa 11 reported seeing a whale offshore. I practiced the Bass Clarinet in the morning, and we ate a light lunch in the villa. We were picked up by Marcelo for our snorkeling and sunset cruise at 1 p.m. and headed off the Coco to meet the catamaran on which we would spend the afternoon. The catamaran was built for tours, and was not a traditional sailing catamaran as it included a viewing deck above the main. deck. There were 21 guests on the cruise, yet it was never crowded. The decks were functional and made predominantly of fiberglass and aluminum, while having a few cushions for seating. We were brought to the catamaran by a tender and then headed north to the beach at Playa Nacascolo. In the process we were introduced to Shannon and Katrina, two Canadian women traveling together. Shannon owns a furniture store and interior design business, while Katrina manages a credit union and lives on a ranch. Both come from a rodeo background. We spent quite a bit of time talking with them over the next few hours as they were delightful companions for the day. On the way we were told about the Four Seasons resort built on the Papagayo Peninsula. The property is intended to provide minimal impact on the surrounding environment to keep it as natural as possible. In addition, the property is comprised of a traditional hotel, but also many stand-alone residences and villas. The prices range from ~$2,300 per night to more than $30,000 per night depending on the accommodations selected. When we arrived at the beach, our entertainment options for the next 90 minutes included snorkeling, swimming, stand-up paddleboarding, walking the beach, or sitting on the boat. I snorkeled and P swam while enjoying the beautiful, sunny day. Everyone then returned to the boat to enjoy snacks consisting of wrap sandwiches, pineapple, chips, and sauces, and to slowly return to Coco, enjoying the sunset along the way.

Marcelo picked us up in Coco for the drive back to the villa. Marcelo was a delightful young woman (driving a Ford crew cab pickup) with a four year old daughter and a husband. She was a great conversationalist and the discussion never lagged. We then cleaned up and went to Maracuya for dinner. P enjoyed the tres ceviche (shrimp, octopus, sea bass)  dinner while I ate the Mango Cobb Salad. We chatted a bit with Sebastien and Lizette before returning to the villa for the night.

Sunday, March 12

The day began with me updating our travel log while, as usual, sitting on the patio enjoying cup of coffee. Having heard of a manta ray offshore, I next grabbed my snorkel and went out for one of my longest snorkeling outings. Today I covered not only the rocks on the left and the rocks on the right, but also the beach area in between. While I didn’t see the manta ray, I did see three puffer fish swimming together, as well as a banded pacific trumpetfish that was 2.5 – 3 feet long! We then prepared for our day-trip to Playa Hermosa, a small town just north of Coco. The town has a beach this is approximately 1 mile long which is lined with trees, restaurants, and hotels. In some ways it reminded me of Santa Teresa, although the streets were in better shape. After finding a tree on the beach for shade, we sat for a while taking in the view and played a couple of dice games. We then ate at La Casita del Marisco (the Seafood House in English). P had the breaded seafood platter which contained shrimp, Mahi Mahi, clam, and calamari accompanied by french fries and a salad. I had the grilled Mahi Mahi accompanied by mashed potatoes and vegetables. The food was very affordable and very good, which confirmed the two recommendations we had received vis-a-vis this restaurant.

While at the restaurant, it had begun to sprinkle. So, we gathered our belongings and walked the beach to see the restaurants, houses, and hotels along its border. We ultimately returned to the restaurant where we agreed to meet our cab driver. After cleaning up, we went next door to Maracuya for a light dinner. We split the enchilada and then each ordered a dessert (crème brûlée and tres leches cake). We returned to our villa to watch the Oscars. While the audio was continuous, the video left something to be desired as the screen periodically buffered making viewing the event somewhat difficult. We then retired for the evening. As a side note, this is the dry season in the area. As a result, this was the first day it had rained during our entire month at the resort. Further, it’s predicted to rain most of the week!

Monday, March 13

Today we primarily hung out at the villa, visited the office staff, swam in the pool,  played dice games, ate lunch (shared the patacones with cajun and smoked cheese, served with refried beans, and a slice of passion fruit cheesecake). We then swam in the ocean and later walked the rocks to look at the tidal pools. For dinner we ate at Maracuya again, this time having  the tuna poke bowl and the seafood risotto with saffron. For dessert we enjoyed the lava cake, to which we added papaya seeds from a fruit brought to our table by Sebastien (the addition was delicious, by the way). As it was the last time we would see Sebastien and Lizette, we said goodbye to them, our new Costa Rican friends.

Tuesday, March 14

Today, our last full day in Costa Rica, was much like Monday. For lunch at Maracuya today, however, we had the (veggie sandwich and Cuban sandwich, both with fries). We again swam in the pool and played dice games by the pool. For dinner we ate (guess where) the Puda Vida salad with Mahi Mahi and the nightly special, Risotto with jumbo prawns, pinky shrimp, and asparagus. We said goodbye to the remaining Maracuya staff tonight. We then returned to the villa to clean up and to pack for our journey home.

Wednesday, March 15

Our last day in Costa Rica, I arose about 6:30, enjoyed a cup of coffee while sitting on the patio, and ate a breakfast of toast, cheese and ham. After breakfast I gathered up the garbage and took it out to the street. As I was placing he garbage by the curb, I noticed Randall of Shaman Tours next door picking up our neighbors in Villas 11 & 12 for their trip to Palo Verde, the river excursion we had twice embarked upon and had recommended to them. I then returned to the villa to finish cleaning and do laundry. P and I enjoyed the patio for a while, finished packing, and greeting our taxi driver at 10:45. We had an enjoyable trip to the airport, learning about Dubai and Qatar from our driver, the part-owner of Unique Costa Rica, the company that had given airport rides to us and to most of our guests. We ate a light lunch at the airport  and then boarded our plane for the uneventful flight home.

Thoughts in closing.

Did we enjoy visiting Costa Rica again? Absolutely! The beach outside our villa was beautiful, and a very good area for snorkeling. The restaurants we discovered were diverse, laid back, and provided excellent food. The people were very friendly and provided a great experience for us. Plus, the country is so diverse, from the rainforests in the center and east to the dry season in the Pacific coastal regions, we never stopped learning about the area around us, the flora, the fauna, and the culture.

We’ve been asked several questions about our trip. Here are the questions and my responses.

How did you like the “format” of the trip? We enjoyed the mix of organized tours, time at the villa, time with others, and time alone. We loved having friends/family come join us. It is much more fun to do things when you can enjoy them with others. I also really enjoyed having the time in the Arenal Volcano area before the coast. We got to see the “wet” side of the continental divide and, as a result, many of the plants and animals that thrive in that environment. While some of our other tours took us to the “rainforest,” they weren’t the same as the rainforest around Arenal. As to timing, a month is a long time, but I could at some point see spending longer away from home depending on the destination.

How did the Playas Coco region compare to Santa Teresa? The Coco area is very similar to ST, although the Coco area is within a bay so the waves are not as large. Therefore, the vibe is different in that there is little surfing. But, there are many good restaurants ranging from very laid back to more formal. One difference is that the beach at ST is much longer than any we saw in the Coco area. Plus, both are more easily explored with a car, although it was possible with some effort in the Coco area.

What did you learn about yourself? I’ve always loved photography and wildlife, and this trip reinforced that. Plus, I have also always enjoyed the water, which the snorkeling and sailboat excursions reinforced on this trip. Therefore, I need to build those into my life at the cabin more. I really enjoyed the early mornings on the patio (and there were a lot of EARLY mornings as I was having trouble sleeping past 5 – 5:30 pm). The chance to read philosophy, listen to audiobooks, and listen to nature as it awakens was wonderful! I also really enjoyed the time we spent with friends/family. Their interest in things was inspiring, as was their love of games and conversation. 

What would you change, if anything? Boy, not much. Maybe we’d swap out a tour for a different tour, but all in all things went really well. I think a successful trip to Costa Rica, if you want to learn about the country, really requires staying in different biozones within the country. So, a future trip might entail time in the Arenal area (Rainforest), Monteverde area (Cloud Forest), and Pacific Coastal area (dry from late December to May). I would definitely pack a better camera and better binoculars! In an effort to save space, I compromised on these two items.

And, finally, here are some random pictures for your enjoyment! Pura Vida!

Wed, October 5

Today our journey began as we flew from Minneapolis to Paris arriving at CDG at 7:30 a.m. on Oct 6.

Thurs, Oct 6

We picked up our Hertz rental car, always an arduous process, and made our way out of Paris. We selected a manual transmission car which added an additional layer of challenge and enjoyment to the entire trip, including as we drove out of the CDG airport. We made our way to Monet’s gardens located in Giverny. The town, the Monet compound, and the gardens did not disappoint.

We next drove from Giverny to Manoir de Hérouville, where we would spend the next three nights. The drive was easy and scenic, although as my wife and I had already travelled about 18 hours by the time we arrived at Giverny, a 20-minute roadside nap was necessary to remain alert for the duration of the drive. My family had stayed at the Manoir de Hérouville 14-years ago, so we were very excited to return to this beautiful property. It was exactly as we recalled it, and we even stayed in the same room as in 2008. Although the property was largely unchanged, ownership had changed back in 2013. The new owner, Catherine, had left her career in event planning and had followed her dream of owning and running a bed-and-breakfast. As in 2008, the breakfasts were excellent and the discussions with Catherine were engaging.

Fri, Oct 7

Today we drove to Mere Saint Eglise to go on a D-Day/Normandy Tour through D-Day Battle Tours. This was the tour company we used in 2008, although we had a different guide on this trip (Monica instead of Elwood) as well as a slightly different focus (more discussion re: the paratrooper landings and strategy and less on the beach landings). The tour included the following sites:

• Saint Mere Eglise Church and square
• Utah Beach
• Point du Hoc
• Omaha Beach
• Colleville American Cemetery (we even got to see the flags lowered at the end of the day)
• La Cambe German Cemetery

After the tour, we drove back to the Manoir with a brief stop for dinner at Chez Louisette in Le Molay-Littry. While the food at Chez Louisette was much simpler (e.g., burgers, sandwiches) than we had been eating, it was a welcome change. The server was spicy enough for this dinner adventure (she disagreed with what I wanted to order and told me to have a smaller version. I must admit, she was right!).

Sat, Oct 8

Today we drove to Mont Saint Michel. It was an easy drive, although our various map applications again took us on some very interesting ”discovery” routes. Instead of taking the tram from the parking lots to the attraction, we chose to walk along the road leading to the site. Thankfully, the number of tourists was quite light which made exploration easier. Before our scheduled tour of the Abbey, we ate lunch at one of the restaurants overlooking the estuary surrounding Mont Saint Michel. The Abbey is a historical monument with an interesting history, both religious and military.

We returned to the Manoir looking forward to the next day, a travel day!

Sun, Oct 9

Today we bade goodbye to Catherine and headed south to the Loire Valley area. We began by exploring Tourouvre, the ancestral village of my wife. We started at the Museum of French Emigration in Canada, where we gathered more information about her ancestors than we had previously found back in 2008, including the location of the house in which her ancestors had lived. We next drove to and toured the chateau and gardens of Villandry, the site of (according to Rick Steves) “the Loire’s best gardens.”

We next drove to our lodging for the night, Le Gaimont, located in Vouvray. The Le Gaimont estate is a small wine-growing castle carved from tufa, a variety of limestone. Our host, Elisa, was friendly, warm, and informative. After we ate at a local Italian restaurant, we returned to Le Gaimont to enjoy a bottle of Vouvray wine, my wife’s favorite, while lounging in the spacious living room Elisa made available to us.

Mon, Oct 10

On Monday we first explored the Loire Valley chateaus and gardens by stopping at  Chateau de Chenonceau, a 16^th century Renaissance palace gracefully arched over the Cher River. This is one of the most visited chateaus in France, in part due to its interesting history.

We then drove to the Limousin region of France, an area famous for its agriculture and ceramics. We stayed at Moulin Giraud, a lovely Airbnb property located in Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, just 30 minutes east of Limoges. The property featured a beautiful farm-style kitchen where we made our own meat/cheese tray for dinner with food from a local market and sampled some local wine. The property also has a large deck overlooking its spacious riverside property.

Tues, Oct 11

This morning provided an example of the uncertainties of travel. Just as we were preparing to leave Moulin Giraud, we heard sounds from the nearby road to which our driveway connected. Apparently the local governing body decided to install some channels to divert rain water from the road, blocking our exit. So, we returned to the deck to enjoy the view to wait out our brief delay. Once on our way, we headed towards Montignac, home of the famous Lascaux Cave museum and reproduction.

We then headed toward our days’ destination of La Roque-Gageac, a perennial contender for “cutest town in France.”

We spent our two nights at La Roque-Gageac at  Manoir de la Malartrie, a beautiful bed-and-breakfast hosted by Wafa, a Moroccan woman (formerly an attorney specializing in international transactions) who was simply unstoppable motion.

For dinner we ate at a restaurant recommended by Wafa: La Belle Étoile. The food was classic French dining and the service was excellent. They even had vin de noix available as an aperitif!

Wed, Oct 12

Today we began with Wafa’s excellent breakfast buffet. We then explored the area including following:

• Old town Sarlat-la-Caneda, including its well-known farmer’s market. The market contained those goods you find at a market in Southern France, including foie gras (in many forms), cheese, and walnut goods. The historic town of Sarlat, so characteristic of the Périgord region, is famous for its magnificent architectural heritage of honey-colored limestone and attractive inner courtyards. It was a delight to wander around its streets and passages in the heart of the beautifully preserved medieval and Renaissance city.

• The Dordogne Valley in the south of the Périgord noir is home to magnificent villages, imposing castles and lush gardens, such as Beynac-et-Cazenac, which boasts a charming location with a castle perched on the cliff above the village, and the remarkable hanging gardens of Marqueyssac overlooking the valley.

Thurs, Oct 13

Today we drove from La Roque-Gageac to Villeneuve, where we were to stay two nights at the Airbnb property, La Maison des Pèlerins.  On the day’s journey, we explored:

• Chateau de Castelnaud. From this beautiful castle’s website: ”Built on a rocky outcrop in the heart of the Périgord Noir, Castelnaud Castle offers a magnificent panoramic view over the Dordogne Valley. Built in the 12^th century, it is a perfect example of a medieval fortress. Today, the castle houses a large collection of weapons and armour. Along the bastion, the most powerful siege engines from the Middle Ages have been recreated and placed in attack positions.” This site, being a combination of beautiful structure and military museum, was well worth the price of admission.

• The old royal fortified bastide village of Domme, which occupies an idyllic site with magnificent views of the Dordogne River. In Domme we found a local market underway, several small craft shops, and a jewelry store comprised of many creations of the proprietor. Enough of the artisan’s work attracted our eyes that we left with our wallets a little lighter and our shopping bags a little heavier! I encourage you to check out Charles Duret’s shop online.

• The Pech-Merle Caves. Situated in a secluded wooded environment, the stunning Pech-Merle Caves are as rich in wall paintings as they are in natural concretions. In an enchanting setting of stalactites, fistulous concretions and helictites, visitors can admire works of art, some of which were created 30,000 years ago, including bison and mammoths drawn with black lines, a bear’s head engraved in the stone, outlines of horses and “negative hands” painted using the stencil method. This is one of the finest collections of rock art in the world. The tour through the caves was done primarily in French, with some commentary in English (e.g., “watch your head”). It was no problem, however, understanding the point of the various stops on the tour.

After our arrival in Villeneuve, we walked down the road a short distance to a local pizza place. While the restaurant did a great carry-out business, we were the only people eating in the restaurant! The food was good, however, and the wine was appropriately chilled.

Fri, Oct 14

Today my wife and I explored Villeneuve on foot, while our travel companions took the car and drove to Najac to explore the medieval village. In Villeneuve we purchased goods from the local bakery for breakfast, and ate at a local cafe for lunch.

For dinner we made reservations at Art & Galets restaurant smoke house/ BBQ. This small eatery, run by a local couple, is a great example of gastronomic artistry that can be created by someone doing what they love. The proprietor makes all of the barbecued and smoked meats onsite, and even took the time to show us some of the briskets he was preparing. The French onion soup was wonderful, as was the French version of poutine which included smoked meat on top of the french fries (“not like the Canadian kind”, according to the chef).

Sat, Oct 15

Today we drove from Villeneuve to Beziers to return the rental car. After checking into our hotel (the Hotel Particuler) we walked around the city to explore the sites. For dinner we ate at the Osakaya Japanese Restaurant. The service at the restaurant was excellent, and it seemed like every server wanted to practice their English (or perhaps wanted to hear us butcher their language). The food was excellent, from the soup, to the sushi, to the desserts. A definite high point of our brief stay in Beziers.

Sun, Oct 16

 As we didn’t get picked up for our criuse until 4 p.m., we spent the morning and early afternoon further exploring the town, including the Midi Canal and locks.

Then, at 4 p.m. we were picked up and taken to Marseillan, where we boarded our home for the next 6 days: the barge Athos. We received the traditional champagne welcome and crew introduction before we retreated to our berths to unpack. We then sat down to a wonderful meal prepared by the chef, Emma.

Mon, Oct 17

This morning we left the ship and walked a short distance to a tour of the Noilly Prat distillery. The tour revealed the many secrets of making French vermouth, and was followed by a private spirits tasting in their lounge. In the United States vermouth is usually part of a mixed drink. In Europe, however, it is often served by itself, or simply mixed with tonic water or a sparkling water with a twist of lemon rind. We walked away with a new appreciation for vermouth and some new ideas for refreshing summer drinks at the lake.

We then went back to the barge for lunch and to cast off for our first cruise. which took us through the open waters of the Etang de Thau, and then into the Petite Camargue, which is a haven for fish, fowl, and other wildlife.

After mooring for the day, we took a short bike ride to the white sands of the Mediterranean beaches. It was very windy, but still a fun experience. Back onboard, as with every night, Chef Emma crafted a wonderful gourmet dinner. The dinners were always four courses: an appetizer, a main dish, cheese, and a dessert. All the while, of course, we were enjoying two wines; one for the appetizer and one for the main course. Dinner typically began and 7:30 p.m. and concluded at 9:30 – 10:00 p.m.  

Tues, Oct 18 

This morning, as with nearly every morning, we began with breakfast ay 8 a.m., and a tour at 9 a.m. Today, our guide Mathieu, escorted us to Pezenas, a town of art and history. The city’s historic center has become a well–established bohemian haven of craft shops, lively cafes, and specialty boutiques.

In the afternoon we cruised further up the Canal Midi but, due to a nationwide strike, our journey stopped prematurely in Beziers. Being adept at adaptation, Mathieu had arranged a tour of a local craft brewery. The information we received, as well as the beer, was wonderful. We then returned to the barge for another great meal.

Wed, Oct 19 

This morning began with a visit to Narbonne, a regional capital established in 118 B.C.E. as a Roman colony. A study of European history and local modernity thriving side by side, Roman ruins are reverentially presented in public spaces, while the lively Narbonne market reflects the region’s gastronomic bounty.

After lunch at the indoor market, we returned to the barge for an afternoon cruise. This afternoon, we experienced a cruise high point as Athos moved onto an 18th century canal bridge over the Orb River, and then negotiated a 17th century staircase of locks to her mooring for the evening.

Thurs, Oct 20 

Today’s epicurean explorations began at “L’Oulibo“, the local olive pressoir. We enjoyed a private tasting of small batch olive oil before browsing the onsite gourmet boutique. We then drove up the Gorge de la Cesse and into the hilltop village of Minerve. This small town has only a few dozen residents but remains a popular tourist destination in the summer.

We then returned to the barge to relax with a good book and to discover the flora and fauna along the towpath. Tonight we moored in Capestang.

Fri, Oct 21 

This morning, Mathieu drove us to Carcassonne, a Medieval fortress with a walled city. We explored the ancient castle and preserved ramparts to admire the mighty 53 Roman towers. We also strolled the cobblestone boulevards into local cafes and specialty boutiques. Can you believe how few people were there on the day of our visit!? It was also an unusually clear day. So much so that we could see the Pyrenees Mountains in the distance!

We then returned to the barge to laze on deck and enjoy this most beautiful section of the canal. 

In the meantime, Chef Emma preparedi a special Captain’s Dinner, a celebration of our week on the Canal du Midi.

Sat, Oct 22 

Today we disembarked from the Athos and said goodbye to the amazing crew. We returned to the Beziers train station to take our four hour train ride back to Paris. Upon arriving in Paris, we transferred to our beautiful Airbnb property, our home for the next three nights. We then headed out to explore and to find the quintessential dish that had thus far eluded me on the trip: Cassoulet.

Sun, Oct 23

Today we ate breakfast from a local bakery and explored the Marais neighborhood around us. We also toured Sainte Chapelle and the Conciergerie.

Mon, Oct 24

Today we got tickets for L’Ateier des Lumieres, an immersive display of the work of selected artists. During our visit the exhibits included Cezanne and Kandinsky. The experience was stunning and I would definitely go to this type of exhibit again! We ate lunch at a small cafe in the Tuileries Garden. Because our tickets for the Musee de l’Orangerie were for mid-afternoon, we took a stroll to get a few pictures.

The museum turned out to be quite crowded, as was all of Paris during our visit. While the Monet exhibit was interesting, I enjoyed the exhibit of the work of Sam Szafran just as much. After our tour we wandered back to the apartment to rest and pack before our 8 p.m. dinner with a France-based junior high school friend of my wife. The restaurant we selected was Le Caveau de L’Isle, located on Ile Saint-Louis, one of my favorite areas for dining when visiting Paris. This small, 10 or so table restaurant has great food, good atmosphere, and excellent service. My meal was the best duck confit I had eaten on the entire trip (and I had eaten many such meals over the preceding weeks). What a great ending to an unforgettable journey!

Tues, Oct 25

This morning we got up bright and early for our 10:40 a.m. flight home. While there was a slight delay taking off, all-in-all things went well.

And then, once again, COVID hit. While I had contracted COVID during our earlier trip to Sweden, this time my wife contracted the virus. But, due to vaccination, her symptoms were relatively mild.

Reflections

In summary, this was a fabulous trip. Due to the season and the strength of the dollar, we enjoyed great, lodging, meals, and experiences at reasonable prices. Further, everything went as planned. While it was probably one of the most complex trips I had ever planned, things just worked.

I think of the trip as having three phases: (1) the driving portion; (2) the canal boat portion; and (3) Paris. The driving portion had the greatest probability of problems arising. But, despite driving 1,254 miles in a car with a manual transmission, including in some challenging areas such as around Charles de Gaulle airport, we experienced no significant issues. I attribute our driving success to the skill of the navigators, my wife and Ron, who helped figure out the quirks of the driving apps on my phone and who found restaurants and gas while on the move. Driving in a foreign county can be frustrating. It can also be a great deal of fun. There were periodic references to me driving “in James Bond mode” as we navigated curves and rural country roads.

The ability to enjoy a trip such as this hinges, in large part, on your traveling companions. First of all, I appreciate my wife’s patience and willingness to ”go with the flow” as things are often fluid on a day-to-day basis. In addition, my wife and I were fortunate to enjoy the company of our close friends Ron and Jan, with whom we have traveled many places over the years (i.e., Greece, Italy, Hawaii, Maine, and Southeast Asia). Their patience with our (my?) idiosyncrasies cannot be overstated and is greatly appreciated. Ron’s knowledge of the history in this area was very helpful to understanding what we were seeing. And, Jan’s ability to crochet while riding in a car and sightseeing is amazing to me. Her gesture of creating multiple crocheted dishrags for each of the barge crew members and guests was very kind and wildly appreciated. My wife and I, of course, will never forget the meals, sites, and bottles of wine we shared with Ron and Jan! We are blessed to have them as friends….

Finally, we thoroughly enjoyed the people with whom we interacted on the trip. The people of France are currently experiencing higher-than-normal prices for food and for gasoline (and, sometimes, shortages). Despite these challenges, they were friendly, patient, and understanding of our feeble attempts to speak French.

We still have much to see in France, so we will be back! : )

Our youngest daughter moved to Sweden in mid-2021, the first in our family to live abroad permanently. To show support for her and to incorporate a travel opportunity into retirement, a family trip to Sweden was planned for July 2022. The itinerary was, roughly, to allow the family to see and experience Stockholm and Gothenburg. This blog entry will provide a summary of the trip. I hope you enjoy it.

Authors note: I typically try to draft the blog as a trip progresses. For a variety of reasons, that did not work out for this trip. You may notice a difference in approach after the first few days. My apologies to those who love great detail….

Day 1 (7/26)

To begin with, our first travel day followed a weekend family wedding, so we had to pack not only for the wedding, but also the Sweden trip. An unenviable task to begin with. But, with that successfully done, and with a friend’s help to store our car while we were away, we flew from MSP to Stockholm via Icelandair. We chose Icelandair (IA) because it provided the shortest flight duration (a very important point when flying with grandchildren age 5 and under) and it would be a new experience as I have never flown IA before. First, traveling from MSP’s Terminal 2 is a beautiful thing. The terminal has the fundamental services you need AND has a small play area for children. Second, it so much less crowded than Terminal 1.

Our initial flight was delayed approximately one hour as the airplane was late in its arrival. Luckily, the delay did not interrupt our travel as IA turned the plane around quickly and we got on our way. Our travel through Keflavik International Airport in Iceland went quickly as we moved from arrival to passport control to our departure gate. In fact, IA handled the situation so efficiently we ended up arriving in Stockholm slightly ahead of schedule. A couple of additional comments re: IA that warrant mentioning: (1) the temperature on the flights was warmer than any other flight I had previously experienced, which made sleeping uncomfortable, if even attainable; and (2) the Gin and Tonic combinations on the flight were very good (they offered six different Icelandic gins with two different tonics). While I tried only one combination, the options were intriguing

In Stockholm, the check-in time for our Airbnb was not until 4 p.m., so we had several hours to fill. We decided to take the Arlanda Express train into Stockholm and to rest at our daughter’s apartment until the 4 p.m. check-in time. A few hours later we returned to the Central Station to take the metro to the station near our Airbnb, a mere 12 minute walk. We located the Airbnb without trouble, unpacked, and walked a few minutes to a nearby Italian diner where we ate 3 pizzas (margherita, kebab, and chevre) . After loading up on groceries at the small market next door, we returned to the Airbnb, stayed awake as long as we could, and finally retired for the night. Day 1 was a successful travel day (despite the five year-old vomiting on their shoes during the first flight).

Day 2 (7/27)

Day 2 began as is common following an international flight to Europe: really early due to our bodies being off schedule from jet lag. But, we all began our adjustment by reading or playing games in the middle of the night and then returning to bed. We awoke excited to explore our Airbnb, its surroundings, and Stockholm (see my earlier comments on Stockholm here). For me the day began with a walk down to the water near the Airbnb. A few pictures from our lodging and the surrounding area are shown below. The nearby park bordered on one of the many inlets from the Baltic Sea.

After the walk, a swim in the pool and a little time in the hot tub was warranted. A few of us then went shopping for some groceries. Following a little more playtime in the pool, we returned to the train station and headed into Gamla Stan to do some sight seeing, have burgers by the harbor at the Miss Behave Bar, and do a little shopping. We then returned to the Airbnb, chatted a bit, read a bit, watched a hot air balloon in the distance (see below) and retired with the hope of a long, restful night.

Day 3 (7/28)

Today we chose to explore parts of the city along our train route, as well as the archipelago by heading out to Saltsjobaden, a resort town of 9,491 residents southeast of the city. The town is accessed by a sequence of train, bus and trolley rides, all part of Stockholm’s metro system. The journey provided a great view of the forested and lightly settled portion of this part of the archipelago. The town itself sits on a peninsula and is adjacent to an island called Restaurantholmen, ironic because the island includes a marina, a couple of fine restaurants, and some beautiful vistas for viewing the Baltic Sea.

While on the island we chose to stop at the Holmen Kok and Bar, a dock-side eatery, for a cocktail and ice cream.

Day 4 (7/29)

Today we spent time enjoying the amenities of the Airbnb and further explored the areas of Stockholm along our train route, which included enjoying the requisite meal of Swedish meatballs.

Day 4 (7/30)

Weather was again beautiful in Stockholm. I’m beginning to wonder if it ever deviates from a high in the 70’s and a low in the 50’s. Today we boarded several buses and a train to visit a foreign exchange student who lived with my wife’s family when she was growing up. She and her family live near Drottningholm Palace, a 17th century palace which remains the private residence of the Swedish royal family, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The site consists not only of the palace, but also of extensive, beautiful gardens and hedge mazes. It is a popular place for family summer picnics.

Our trip to the palace was followed by a wonderful cookout at the exchange student’s house. It was a wonderful day with great companionship.

Day 6 (7/31)

Today’s agenda included only two events: (1) host a barbecue for friends of our Sweden-based daughter, and (2) receive our son and his family as they joined our merry band of travelers. As to number one, seven of our daughter’s friends and co-workers visited the Airbnb to enjoy the pool and a meal consisting of halloumi burgers, beef burgers, potato salad, potato chips, toast skagen, and more. They were a wonderful group of individuals, and we thoroughly enjoyed the company for the day. As to agenda item number two, our son, his wife and daughter arrived in the early afternoon. I met them at the station to escort them to the Airbnb. All went well as they settled in and joined the BBQ before we all retired for the evening,

Day 7 (8/1)

On this day we arose a little later to accommodate the arrival of our son and his family the prior day. We then took to the streets and rails to return to downtown Stockholm. We explored several parts of the city, including getting a tour of our daughter’s “office”, a beautiful old house on the island of Sodermalm. We further explored shopping areas and a local food hall, which includes restaurants, butchers, and cheese shops. Later in the day we ventured to The Hairy Pig, one of my favorite Stockholm restaurants to enjoy a family meal together. As always, the food was wonderful, the company spirited, and little ones cooperative. A win all around!

We then headed back to the Airbnb for a night of game-playing, swimming, and hot-tubbing.

Day 8 (8/2)

Today we had a archipelago lunch tour planned which was unceremoniously cancelled because “the boat broke.” So, instead, we grabbed our metro passes and headed down to the waterfront to see what we could come up with. Luckily, the metro has a boat that makes various “jump on/jump off” stops around the main harbor inlets of Stockholm so we quickly availed ourselves of that opportunity. We decided we would begin our day with brunch at Hotel Hasselbacken, a beautiful old hotel in the middle of the island of Djurgarden. We had eaten at the restaurant in this hotel back in February, so we knew we were in for a treat. During the summer, the indoor part of the restaurant is closed, so we instead ate on the balcony of the restaurant overlooking the city. The service was wonderful and the food, as pictured below, was more than plentiful! I have never been served so much salmon in one meal.

From the Hasselbacken we headed to Skansen, an open-air Swedish history museum, with buildings, people in costume & a zoo with Nordic animals. Skansen is typically in the top handful of things to do in Sweden, especially if you have kids in tow. Because Skansen is so big and requires a lot of walking for short little legs, the little ones next required a nap, and the adults required an iced coffee. We then headed off to the #1 attraction in Stockholm according to TripAdvisor: the Vasa Museum. While I wrote about the Vasa Museum in my blog about our February trip to Sweden, suffice it to say it is an incredible exhibit, at which I learn something new every time I visit. The “Explore” page found at this link provides a robust explanation as to why. From the Vasa Museum we wandered further down the street past the Museum of Spirits (the beverages, not the ghosts) to the Viking Museum. For those interested in Viking lore and its role in Swedish history (and aren’t we all?), the museum takes a deep look at how Vikings are portrayed in the media, both historically and more recently. The museum also provides a ride describing a “viking voyage where Ragnfrid takes you along in the history based story where her husband Harald needs to go on a raid to save their village!” While the museum states that children under 7 should be accompanied by an adult, I personally think they’d be better off getting a Fika pastry at the restaurant Glöd while interested adults take the ride. It was a wee bit dark and intense for the little ones. We then headed back to Gamla Stan for another meal at the Miss Behave Bar so our son and his family could enjoy this harbor-side burger joint. Our Airbnb then provided a welcome retreat for more games and fun during the evening.

Day 9 (8/3)

Because one of our group became sick with a cold, we used today to gather helpful medications, enjoy the Airbnb and its surroundings for our last day in Stockholm, eat the food we had accumulated, and prepare for the next days’ journey to Gothenburg.

Day 10 (8/4)

We left the Airbnb in the morning and made our way to the Central Train Station where we would pick up our cross-country train to Gothenburg. After a lunch in the food court of the station, we boarded our train for the 4-hour journey across Sweden. The high-speed train was comfortable and the scenery was beautiful as we made our way west to Gothenburg, also located on the Baltic Sea. When we arrived in Gothenburg it had just started to rain. We located our metro tram and got on our way to our Airbnb. Several stops later we got off the tram for our 8-minute walk. We arrived at the Airbnb, unlocked the door, entered and found a place dramatically different than the property represented in the photos on the Airbnb website. Compared to other owner-rented properties I have stayed in, this property had received the least maintenance. After assessing the situation, including our other lodging options, we decided to work with the host to get the most critical items repaired. In the end, the host was responsive to our requests and made the property adequate for our stay. Meanwhile, we needed supplies for breakfast so my wife and I went out in the rain to get food at a nearby grocery store. We ordered delivery Thai food for dinner and sat down to relax after our day of travel. Ah, the adventures of travel!

Day 11 (8/5)

One of the most popular attractions for families in Gothenburg is the Liseberg amusement park. This park, which began operating in 1923, receives around 3 million guests each year. The park contains the usual attractions you’d expect at an amusement park, but all in Swedish! We, and especially the kiddies, had a great time at the park riding on rides, watch shows (in Swedish), and enjoying the food delights. For the grandparents, it was a great opportunity to spend time with the family in a fun environment that was new to us all.

We then returned to the Airbnb. The kids ordered food and went for walk in the nearby botanical garden.

Meanwhile my wife and I walked to the apartment of yet another Swedish foreign exchange student who had lived with my wife’s family years ago. At her apartment we enjoyed a lovely dinner of pasta, mushrooms, and other treats while learning about her family, Gothenburg, and the area surrounding her apartment. After dinner she drove us back to our Airbnb.

Day 12 (8/6)

Because we were unable to take the archipelago tour in Stockholm, we booked a lunch boat tour in Gothenburg. So we jumped on the tram, made our way downtown, and stopped at a coffee shop to await the time of embarkation. Once onboard, we spent the next 2.5 hours watching the boat traffic, wildlife, and beautiful scenery of the area. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought I was off the coast of Maine. A few pictures of the journey are provided below.

After the tour concluded, we spend the afternoon doing some sightseeing including the Gothenburg Cathedral, the horticultural gardens near the central train station, the school where our exchange student host teaches, the beautiful canals that run through the city, and the Skansen Kronen, a one-time fortress with panoramic views of the city.

After our sightseeing concluded we sat down for dinner at an Asian fusion restaurant called Takame. We were able to sit outside for dinner and while our view wasn’t great due to construction in the area, our food was excellent!

Day 13 (8/7)

Near the Airbnb at which we stayed sit both the Gothenburg Botanical Garden and the Slottsskogen Park. Today we spent the day at Slottsskogen Park, beginning with the Gothenburg Museum of Natural History. With about 10 million objects on display, the museum is impressive and daunting at the same time! It is also Gothenburg’s oldest museum, established in 1833. Before continuing our day in the park, we stopped for a tasty lunch at the Bjorngardsvillan Cafe. For a small cafe in a park, the food was surprisingly good and plentiful. We them moved on to the zoo and Children’s Zoo, The little ones, of course, were delighted with the goats, moose, reindeer, harbor seals, penguins and more found at the zoo. The also were overjoyed with the massive playground found at this park, which includes a 45-foot whale to climb on and play in! From the park we walked to a nearby restaurant, Marinade, where we were rejoined by our exchange student friend for dinner. Marinade appeared to be a hangout for locals as a number of the guests knew each other and stopped by each others tables for a laugh or two. The restaurant appears to specialize in tapas plates, and we enjoyed a vast array of different dishes. After dinner, we bade goodbye to our Gothenburg friend and headed back to the Airbnb to prepare for our departure in the morning.

Day 14 (8/8)

This morning we packed, cleaned up our Airbnb and headed off the to the train station to travel back to Stockholm. Before departing, however, we ate a lunch from Max Burgers near the train station. As the name suggests, Max is an international burger chain somewhat similar in offerings and atmosphere to McDonalds. It’s convenient although, in the event you ever eat there, you can skip the fries….

Our train ride was again beautiful, but also represented the end of the trip for our oldest daughter, our son, and their respective families. Once we arrived at the Central Train Station in Stockholm, they transferred to the Arlanda Express, the high-speed train to the airport. They spent the night at an airport Radisson Blu in preparation for their flight home the next day.

My wife and I, however, remained in Stockholm for another 4 nights with our youngest daughter to celebrate her birthday. On this day we chose to stay at the Berns Hotel, a boutique hotel near Stockholm’s shopping district and Berzelii Park. The hotel was beautiful, the staff friendly, and the location very convenient for activities in Stockholm. After walking around the city for a while, we chose to eat at an Italian restaurant, Spesso. This rooftop restaurant and bar provides good Italian fare, slightly higher prices than warranted, and a great view of the surrounding city. After dinner our daughter returned to her apartment and we retired to the Berns.

Day 15 (8/9)

This morning my wife and I ate breakfast at the Berns Hotel. The varied breakfast spread is available in the Bern’s beautiful main dining room, shown below.

After breakfast, we were joined by our daughter and walked down the historic Strandvagen boulevard bordering the Baltic Sea.

As stated in TripAdvisor, “Strandvägen is one of the most pleasant boulevards in the city thanks to its wide waterfront esplanade where one walks along cafés and picturesque boats. The other side of the tree-lined boulevard boasts magnificent architecture, with one palatial building after another.” After sauntering along the boulevard, we made our way to s/s Stockholm, our boat for a lunch tour of the Stockholm archipelago (remember the trip that was unceremoneously cancelled earlier?). We then set sail for nearly 3-hours, including a 3-course lunch. This Stromma Tour was wonderful in that the restaurant level was on the upper deck of the ship and the windows were large so we had a great view as we motored along. We agreed that this tour (including lunch) was the best deal in Stockholm given the price of around $50 per person.

After the tour we returned to the Berns Hotel to retrieve our luggage and to move to our lodging for the next two nights: the Ellery Beach House, identified in the upper-center of the above map. I don’t think I can come up with the words to describe EBH, so I’ll let TripAdvisor do it: “Ellery Beach House [is] Stockholm’s newest hideaway and only Beach Resort. City life feels far away in the rural landscape at the far end of Elfvik’s headland on Lidingö. A cozy house with its own jetty, where the lively and peaceful contrast. A place where nature, sea and beach meet padel, pools, cabanas, people, music, design and art.”

Our journey to EBH involved taking a train and a way-too-hot and way-too-long bus ride to a bus stop in the middle of nowhere. Seriously. Lot’s of cows, horses, and open pastures. Only by pulling our luggage across gravel-covered trails through the hamlet of Elfviks did we make our way to EBH. Beautiful area and one we looked forward to exploring, but we were definitely taking a taxi back to Stockholm. None of us were ready for another 24-stop bus ride on an overly-hot bus….

After checking into our rooms, we began our stay by playing pool and pinball machines, eating a very nice 3-course meal at the onsite Palmer’s Restaurant, and by swimming in one of the many pools. Our stay was somewhat benefited by a conference that was being held at the property, so there were few people in the Coco Beach Club portion of the resort. In addition, I took a sauna next to the Baltic Sea, did a cannonball into the Baltic Sea, and quickly swam to the dock as the water was a wee bit chilly. Not quite a polar plunge, but an eye-opening experience nonetheless. We the retreated to our very contemporary, and very comfortable rooms for the night.

Day 16 (8/10)

We started our day with breakfast in the restaurant. The buffet style breakfast contained everything you could ask for, and more. After breakfast we retreated to the Coco Beach Club for some more swimming pool, sauna and reading time. After lunch in the Beach Club restaurant, we donned our hiking clothes and explored the peninsula on which the EBH is located. It turns out that much of the land in the area is a public park, so we walked for quite some distance as we explored the paths around Elfviks and the EBH. We returned to our beach club ways later in the day, enjoyed another wonderful meal at Palmers, played more games and, finally, toasted the day with a nightcap on the lounging beds overlooking the Baltic Sea. A great ending to a wonderful day!

Day 17 (8/11)

Today represents our last full day in Sweden. We began with another wonderful breakfast at Palmer’s, this time with the knowledge of the offerings gained the prior day. We then went to the beach club to enjoy the outdoors for the remainder of our time at EBH. We then packed our bags and took our nice, cool, peaceful taxi ride to the final stay of our vacation: the Bank Hotel.

The Bank Hotel is relatively new, having been open only about 5 years. It’s located just a few blocks from the Berns Hotel and, it turns out, is a sister property. The hotel is managed by Lisa Lindwall, a native Swede who took the time out of her busy day to meet with us after we had checked in. She was personable, pleased to be of help during our stay, and very proud (rightfully) of the property that has been put in her care. As had been communicated prior to our arrival, we were provided a room upgrade to a top-floor suite overlooking the city as well as a complimentary breakfast not only for my wife and me, but also for our daughter. After we had left to do some shopping and had returned to our room, we were also surprised with a lovely fruit tray and personal card from Lisa thanking us for our visit earlier in the day. The welcoming gestures made by this hotel and its manager definitely made it a place to which we will return for a least a portion of future visits. Interestingly, it is at the Bank Hotel that I ran into a consultant with whom I had worked. He was on vacation in Stockholm with his family. Small world….

Later in the afternoon we returned to Gamla Stan to walk the streets of the old town. We sought out a bar we had visited in February, Tweed, to enjoy a cocktail before dinner. We then wandered down to our dinner destination, a Michelin-mentioned restaurant called Kagges. The restaurant is only a couple of blocks away from the Hairy Pig, and seats no more than 20 people. Their menu, available here (see page two for English), talks of their “Kagges choice”, in which the kitchen chooses which “medium plates” each diner will receive. We opted for this way of dining that night and were treated to the smoked cabbage, the meadow food, the mackerel, and the guinea fowl. We also opted for the beverage pairings which were fun and unique as the restaurant went out of its way to find unusual wines from very small vineyards throughout France, Italy and Spain. The “Transparent Kitchen” model they espouse was wonderful and provided entertainment while dining. Although not fancy (you can write on the bathroom walls if you wish), I highly recommend this restaurant for its food, atmosphere, and personality.

We concluded the evening by returning to the rooftop bar at the Bank Hotel for a nightcap overlooking Stockholm. The service did not disappoint and we went to bed very satisfied with our day.

Day 18 (8/12)

This morning our daughter returned again to join us at the Bank Hotel for breakfast. As part of the room upgrade the hotel offered breakfast either at the buffet in their main floor restaurant or at the executive breakfast area held in the rooftop bar space on the top floor. We opted for the latter and were not disappointed. There were few people in the space so it was quiet as we enjoyed our view over the city and our last morning in Stockholm. Plus, the menu was diverse, the service attentive, and the food wonderful.

After breakfast we finishing packing our bags, checked out, and made our way to the train station. Our daughter accompanied us and helped us find our way to the express train to the airport. It was with great sadness we said goodbye to our daughter, to Stockholm, and to Sweden following this once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Epilogue

A couple of points warrant raising after the conclusion of the trip. First, I made a point of recording my activity levels each day of the trip. The results were as follows for the 18-day period:

• Steps: 317,787; an average of 17,655 per day
• Miles: 138.3; an average of 7.68 miles per day
• Flights climbed: 591; an average of 32.8 per day
• Weight lost: a couple of pounds despite all the GREAT food and beverages

Second, and then COVID hit. Our kids returned on Tuesday, August 9 and we returned on Friday, August 12. On Saturday, our daughter-in-law tested positive, as did I on Sunday. I have written most of this blog on days 3 and 4 of my isolation period (I was unable to do anything but sleep on days 1 and 2). The good news is that while my daughter-in-law and I both got COVID and appear to be recovering well, no one else with whom we came in contact has yet been infected.

In closing, I hope you enjoyed this very long trip summary. It was a trip filled with a lot of family fun, a lot of new things, a lot of old friends revisited, and a lot of old things rediscovered. The topography of Sweden is similar to that of northern Minnesota in many, many ways. The Ellery Beach House could just have easily been located on the north shore of Lake Superior. This is a county I am coming to love as its people are kind, generous, helpful, and trusting. The cities are interesting, easy to navigate, and only a few miles from the woods and wilderness. And, finally, their spirit is strong. They are proud of their heritage and are eager to share it with visitors. I look forward to returning and encourage you to consider a trip to Sweden as part of your future travels. Perhaps I’ll run into you at the Bank Hotel!