Remember how everyone tells new moms “once you see your new baby, you forget all about the pain of childbirth”? Yeah, well for me, THAT never happened — which is one of the reasons Greg is my only child.
The pain of getting to a trip, now THAT’S a different story. Once I arrive at my destination, any flight challenges — delays, cancelled flights, jet lag—all those “minor inconveniences” are instantly forgotten. (Thank you, Joann)
Our first day in Sarapiqui was picture perfect. The accommodations were a bit rustic, but comfortable, wildlife was abundant, and the location was ideal. I was able to walk to the nearby Sarapiqui River, which was FAR calmer than upstream, giving me a false picture of what our raft trip was going to be like.
Not too bad, right?
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Our morning began at 6AM with birdwatching and listening.
It made me regret that I hadn’t brought my camera, because a cell phone just doesn’t do it—unless, of course, you are as prepared as our guide, Malo was.
After breakfast, we were ready to start our rafting adventure. We expected to get wet, so I stored my cell phone with the change of clothes I brought. Not a problem, because the rafting company had photographers stationed along the river.
At the start of our trip, the water was moving fast, but the “rapids” certainly looked manageable.
That quickly changed! The following photos were taken by the rafting company from their vantage point on dry land.
Yes, we were on that raft. Here’s proof.
We were quite pleased with ourselves that we had made it thru. What we DIDN’T know was there were many, many more rapids before our journey ended.
Across from me is 83 year old Esther, who was a trooper, smiling even though during our 1.5 hour journey, she almost fell into the river.
Her daughter Cindy is in front of me. We had quite a rhythm going, even after our helmets smashed together during our transit thru one of the rapids.
Although you can’t tell from the above photo, we were all completely soaked. We are smiling because we knew that dry clothes were waiting for us.
That was quite enough adventure for me, so I spent the afternoon hanging out by the pool, with Randy and Cindy, instead of touring a pineapple plantation.
This will give you and idea of what our second day in Sarapiqui will be like.
On to two days in Chachagua, where Malo tells us we will be able to enjoy the hot springs.
Remember when I said yesterday’s travel challenges were a minor inconvenience? Well, my new friend, Betty, experienced a MAJOR inconvenience. Last night she fell, broke her right wrist, is having surgery today, and has to return home tomorrow. It’s unfortunate for her, very sad for me, because I liked her instantly.
MY luck began to change as soon as I arrived in San Jose. I was able to join the group for the 3 PM tour of the National Theater because Alex, my wonderful taxi driver, was able to calculate how long it would take to bring me to the hotel (in bumper to bumper traffic), allow me to check in and drop my bags in my room, and drive me to the theater. I arrived 3 minutes before the theater tour started.
If anyone is ever in San Jose, and needs a driver, here’s Alex’s contact info.
Alex’s phone number. I highly recommend him!
Along the way, Alex pointed out interesting buildings. He also confirmed my memory of San Jose as being a city without high risers. These skyscrapers were all built within the last 8-10 years.
Our group is super friendly and welcoming. THEY all had to learn ONE name, but I had to learn 13. Yes, originally our group numbered 15, but one person canceled before the tour started, But I digress. Back to the Theater tour.
Our National Theater guide explained that this statue was originally on the roof of the theater, but was brought inside to protect it from the ravages of weather, which was causing the marble to become discolored.
The top floor houses this salon, where the rich and famous hung out after enjoying the evening’s production. It isn’t obvious from the photos, but the marble on this interior statue is pristine and glowing.
The National Theater was built in the 1800’s when Costa Rica was rolling in coffee profits. Back then, rich coffee growers sent their offspring to be educated in Europe. When their children returned, they brought with them memories of the art and culture they had experienced. These memories culminated in the creation of the National Theater.
Our second day began with a tour of a small coffee finca (farm). To be honest, after staying at the Colombian coffee plantation for three nights, I wasn’t as interested in the production aspect, so instead I took photos. Here’s a shot of two members of my group picking beans
Mike and Jo-Lynne
Edwin was born in El Salvador, but grew up in LA. Because Malo was up most of the night helping Betty, Edwin stepped in and translated for us.
Edwin is on the right. This is an “antique” piece of equipment
We are lucky to have Edwin with us. He and his wife, Cindy are much younger than the typical OAT traveler. That’s because Cindy’s mom, Esther, invited them to accompany her.
After lunch at the finca,
we headed to Sarapiqui, which gave us the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful Costa Rican countryside. It is impossible to capture the grandeur of our drive, but that didn’t stop me from trying.
Supposedly, it was a three hour drive, with a couple of stops, but the time went by very quickly.
One of our stops was for a photo op by a waterfall.
This one’s for YOU, Jean.
I’ll end with a video of our other stop where we enjoyed sampling Agua Dulce while we watched the birds.
It’s a beautiful morning in Managua, Nicaragua. What, you don’t see Managua on the map atop this post? That’s because some of the best laid plans often go astray. (Like some women I know).
Normally when I do a group tour, I go in a day early to allow time for things to go wrong. Not this time, which pretty much guaranteed that everything that could go wrong, did.
I kept channeling my friend Joann, who I met on my recent India trip, by repeating “ it’s just a minor inconvenience”. I said that a lot!
The minor inconveniences started with an hour and a half delay at Newark airport because of electrical problems. Then, we were unable to land in San Jose because of poor visibility. After circling long enough to necessitate refueling, we flew to Managua and sat on the plane hoping for a break in the weather in San Jose. We waited long enough for the flight crew to surpass their maximum working hours, and no other crew was available, so the flight was canceled.
The crew handed out immigration paperwork that had to be completed, plus a list of hotels with phone numbers, but no other information. I tried to do my own search, for hotels near the airport, but the internet wasn’t working. ( I wasn’t the only one with cell phone challenges!) when my phone wouldn’t work, a very kind man sitting behind me handed me his phone, already dialed to the Hyatt, and he told me they had available rooms.
Because the plane was full, I had gate checked my bag in Newark. It was my act of kindness for the day. BIG mistake. I suspect the luggage handlers translated “priority” to mean “grab me last”. And they did.
Although The Best Western was across the street from the terminal, United didn’t put it on the list or provide its phone numbers, so instead I took a taxi to the Hyatt, which was about 20 minutes away. Before we left , we were told repeatedly to arrive at the airport 3 hours before our 10 AM flight.
One of the positive aspects of having sleep problems is my body has figured out how to get by on much less sleep. By the time we (yes, “we” because by then I had a companion. Little Kayla was looking lost, so I invited her to hop into my cab), it was 2 AM local time, 3 AM my body time when I finally got to bed. I awoke at 6 AM, just in time to enjoy the included breakfast.
Upon arriving at the airport I discovered our flight was delayed until 12:20. No one was at the United desk, so I found myself a seat, and reminded myself things could have been far, far worse. Noise canceling headset with music loaded onto my phone drowned out the screaming kid and allowed me to mentally transport myself to my happy place.
No, this is definitely NOT my “happy place”. Don’t worry, no one will be getting a gift from here!
I’ll miss the first day of the trip, including the welcome lunch and a tour of the National Theater because I won’t arrive into San Jose until a little after 1 PM. That is, if everything goes according to plan, which it hasn’t so far.
Luckily, I’ve been to Costa Rica twice before this trip. The first time was in February, 2007, with Mike and my friend Augusta. We traveled with Elderhostel, which is now known as Road Scholar. I’ll be trodding over familiar ground – in 2007, we started in San Jose, then visited Poas, Sarapiqui, La Fortuna and Arenal. It will be interesting to see the impact time has had on the areas I’m revisiting. Of course, that’s assuming that I REMEMBER what it was like in 2007, which is a pretty big assumption indeed.
Poas Volcano from 2007 visit
The second time was in January of 2010, which is when Mike, Greg and I cruised through the Panama Canal with Oceania. We only were in Puntarenas for one day, so we hired a guide who took us for a walk through a forest, then we went zip lining. That first platform was REALLY far away and I will admit to being terrified that I would get stuck midway, and have to rely on my upper body strength to pull myself the rest of the way. Fortunately, that didn’t happen, because back then my upper body strength was non-existent.
Practicing zip liningOn my way. I was NOT moving slowlySuccess! I couldn’t even SEE the landing zone.
This itinerary includes zip lining, horseback riding and rafting. Although not specifically mentioned in the itinerary, I’m assuming we will have a chance to take advantage of the hot springs near the volcanoes. I’ll admit, if I was missing one of these activities, I’d be thoroughly bummed.
August thru October is traditionally the “rainy season”, with November being the transition month leading to December’s dryer weather. ThIs year’s 10 day weather report is predicting rain almost every day. Perhaps the rain will be gentle, cooling us off when the temperature soars into the 80’s. We shall see.
Time to see if anyone is at the United desk.
Next post will probably be from Sarapiqui. And yes, despite all the minor inconveniences, I still feel pretty damn lucky to be on this trip!
Our trip ended with a three night stay in Mumbai, which up until 1995 was known as Bombay, the name the Portuguese gave it.
I always thought that Mumbai was the Indian pronunciation of Bombay. Shows what I know. In fact, the city was named for the Goddess Mumba Devi, whose image appears on the wall of Victoria Station.
Here are some other photos of Mumbai’s beautiful train station.
Victoria StationDetail on roof
Our stay is at another Oberoi, and to tell the truth, I’ve gotten extremely spoiled. Although certainly more than adequate, this room isn’t over the top breathtaking, like the other hotels in the chain. It DID, however, have an amazing outdoor bar, from which we could watch the sun set over the ocean.
With Gloria, Sue and our fantastic trip leader, Jennifer
I hope that this blog helps dispel any preconceived notions about India. Yes, it can be crowded and dirty, and the traffic is CRAZY!
Our local guide (whose name I have forgotten) said that to drive in India you need three things:
“A good horn, good brakes and good luck”
India is also pretty damn magnificent. I am so very grateful that I was able to experience its wonder and grandeur. Take a look at how Mumbai’s airport puts many American airports to shame.
During our stay, we had a delicious lunch at the Taj hotel, which was one of the locations where the 2008 terrorist attack occurred.
The “new” Taj Hotel has a memorial in its lobby. Beside the waterfall are carved the names of everyone who lost their life at the Taj during the attack.
Our lunch was on the top floor of the new Taj, from which I was able to take this photo of the Arch (known as the Gateway of India) that was constructed for King George (whatever number he was—maybe George 5?) and Queen Mary’s visit.
Our boat ride to Elephanta Island gave us a a different view of the arch, plus the old and new Taj hotels.
Initially, what is now Mumbai was comprised of 7 islands, until the East India Company took possession, and decided to fill in the water between the islands, thus creating what has become today’s city. During our tour, our local guide pointed out areas that had been reclaimed from the sea.
Other interesting sights included the Dhobi Ghat, where laundry is done in the open air. Our guide told us the water is only changed at the end of the day. Yikes! These days, many Indians have washers and dryers, so commercial enterprises are the ghat’s chief customers. I suspect that the Oberoi’s linens are NOT laundered here.
Other sights included Jeff, Tom and Whitney all trying their hand at cricket.
Head of a BuddhaOur local guide showing a “sky” burialBombay high court mercy statueJust in case this cat is a reincarnated relative, it’s fed.
Some of the pews in St Thomas Cathedral were adorned with metal plaques identifying famous butts that were placed upon them, such as Mother Theresa and King George & Queen Mary. Guest preachers, however did not get similar recognition. But they certainly SHOULD have.
One of the most fun activities was feeding the “good luck” cow. Supposedly Indians who did so, would be guaranteed good luck. Their next stop was to the nearby stock exchange.
OUR next stop was to this jazzed up Starbucks, where we tried our luck at finding a clean bathroom. We were successful, so maybe feeding the cow does work.
My final stop for the day was to watch the dabba wallahs decode which lunchbox gets delivered where. As you can see from the photo of one code, it is quite an elaborate system.
We asked why workers don’t simply take their lunchboxes with them when they leave for work.
The reason is the husband leaves work before his wife has cooked his lunch. It isn’t ready until around 10:30, which is when the dabba wallah picks it up. It gets delivered to the office before 1 PM. The dabba wallah returns later to bring the lunchbox back to the wife, arriving many hours before her husband returns home from work. That allows her to clean it so it is ready for the next day.
After lunch, most of the group visited the Dharavi slum. When in Nairobi during the summer of 2024, I had visited the Kibara Slum, which was a glorious experience, one that would have been difficult to replicate, in my opinion. I’ve also stayed in some rather humble lodgings while working on global volunteer projects. What I haven’t done is stay at many five star resorts, so I returned to the hotel to enjoy its rooftop pool.
Everyone who visited came back impressed by the work ethic of the residents of Dharavi.
I mentioned Elephanta Island earlier in this post. Only seven of us chose to spend our last morning in Mumbai visiting this temple dedicated to Shiva.
Although it looked like the temple was constructed in an existing cave, that was not the case. The temple was carved out of a huge block of basalt, working from the top down, and the outside in. The columns that you see in the photo above are purely decorative. They are not needed to support the temple. Check out the ceiling and floor of the temple.
The 10 members of our group that chose to forgo the excursion did so because they were concerned about making it up the 126 steps to the temple.
For about $35, you could make the trip the way royalty did in the past, by hiring four men to carry you in one of these chairs.
Good thing Allison is slim, because Tom depleted his cash buying a beautiful ring for his lovely wife earlier in the trip. Being creative, Tom came up with an alternative method.
Others were turned off by the thought of a one hour boat ride each way, preferring instead to shop. In India, there is always an abundance of shopping opportunities, some for articles whose purpose was a mystery, at least to me.
The train took us to from our boat to the start of the climb.
As with the other cities in the north, trash was everywhere. Despite the signs on receptacles exhorting people to “use me”, people obviously preferred to drop their garbage on the beaches where it was carried into the ocean.
I found the boat ride delightful, mainly because Joann and I chatted the entire way, which made the one hour journey whip by.
Tom, Allison, Jim, Sherrie, me, Joann and Don
Our guide did a terrific job explaining the meaning of the wall panels. We learned, for example, that before they were married, Pavarti was always depicted on Shiva’s right. After they wed, she moved to his left. Why? Our guide told us it was because Shiva kept his wallet on his left side. “No money, no honey”. Later she told us being on the left side made Pavarti closer to Shiva’s heart.
So can you tell who is married and who is still dating? Remember the photo is a mirror image. Hmmm, Joann is on MY left. In the photo atop this post’s heading, she got it right
The photo below is of the wall panel showing the combination of male and female aspects of Shiva. If I had been viewing this panel on my own, I never would have gotten the significance. On the photo’s right, the top hand of Shiva is holding a mirror, which symbolizes beauty and is the emblem for Pavarti. On the photo’s left you can see Shiva’s hand resting on his trusty steed, Nandi the bull. There was a whole lot more that our guide told us, but the jet lag induced brain fog has caused me to forget what it was.
Our farewell dinner produced mixed emotions for me. I was sad to say goodbye to my new friends, but I was also happy to have spent the past two and a half weeks enjoying their company. What a magical group!
I couldn’t fit everyone at the big table into one photo, so I took two from different vantage points. Clearly the waiter did a better job than I.
If I have the time and the energy before I depart on my next trip, I’ll talk about our experience flying from Delhi. It was an adventure! Fortunately I got to share it with Joann and Don, which made it memorable, and almost fun.
Next trip is to Costa Rica, with OAT, in the beginning of December.
Name changes confuse me. I find myself slipping and saying Bombay instead of Mumbai. Even after spending time in Southern India, I’m not sure whether I should be saying Cochin or Kochi. I heard both. Maybe it doesn’t matter.
What DOES matter is the dramatic contrast between northern and Southern India! In the north, horn honking is encouraged. MANY of the vehicles we passed had signs like the one below on the back of their vehicles.
In southern India it was blissfully quiet. Although traffic wasn’t AS bad as it as in the north, there still were some interesting moments. Just no horn honking.
The south is so CLEAN! In the north, people drop their trash wherever—in the street, along highways, in parks, on lawns, inside buildings. It’s EVERYWHERE.
In the state of Kerala, they have either mastered the art of trash collection, or their residents actually CARE about their cities, or it truly IS God’s Country. Take your pick.
Although the itinerary showed us spending four days in Kerala, our first day was spent almost entirely traveling from Udaipur to Kochi, including a stop in Bangalore to change planes, and grab some airport food for lunch. Colonel Sanders has made his way to India, but I discovered that Starbucks offered fantastic sandwiches—better than we get in the USA, and probably cheaper. ( I still haven’t quite mastered exchange rate math). Good thing I ate because our flight was delayed, and we didn’t get to our hotel in Kochi until almost 6:30 PM.
What was great was that Tauck got us rooms with access to the club room. What was not so great was that the club room closed at 7 PM. Despite that, I managed to consume two glasses of white wine and sufficient food to make dinner unnecessary. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you’re highly motivated.
This is the only American hotel we are frequenting during our trip— a Hyatt Regency overlooking the bay leading out to the Arabian Sea.
The curtains open automatically when you enter your room. I never bothered to learn how to close them, because I loved the magnificent view.
Of course, if you get tired of watching the river flow, you can always turn your head to look at the window into the bathroom. I wasn’t sharing a room, but those who were could watch their roommate do whatever they needed to do in the bathroom, without leaving the comfort of their bed.
Our second, and final day in Kochi, we were treated to a cooking demonstration by a woman who was discovered by The NY Times several years ago. Check out how her home is equipped, with tv screens, so you can watch while you theoretically master her technique. I imagine that before The NY Times discovered her, her kitchen looked very different.
In addition to her cooking commentary, Nimmy shared details about her marriage, including the fight she had with her husband that morning. She was QUITE entertaining!
Sue, me, Joann, Nimmy, Gloria and Don
Next up was a tour of a palace, synagogue and church, plus an opportunity to shop a bit.
We all thoroughly enjoyed the boat ride back, just in time to catch this spectacular sunset by the fishing nets.
Because we had a reasonable departure time (9AM the next morning), Gloria, Sue and I decided to try the restaurant on the top floor of the hotel.
Our final two days in the south were spent at the Kumarakom Resort. We drove about 2.5 hours to get to the houseboats that took us the final three hours of our journey.
Although we didn’t STAY on the houseboat, we certainly COULD have. Take a look at this luxurious bedroom. Instead, our houseboat experience included a delicious lunch on board.
Jennifer, our trip leader was on the second houseboat, but somehow she managed to convince the crew to pick up speed. It felt like we were on the Amazing Race. When her boat passed us, we decided that she and Whitney had complementary strengths that would have undoubtedly made them a winning team!
The Kumarakom resort was exactly what I needed at this point in the trip. I thoroughly appreciated the opportunity to slow down and completely relax for two days.
Once again, I had a magnificent room. But this time it was adjacent to what was called a meandering pool. I could meander across the way to visit with fellow travelers, so I did.
I loved the outdoor bathroom with the open air shower. I’d had one in Nepal and one in Colombia when traveling with OAT, so was used to showering in the open air.
Both nights, we were treated to outdoor cultural shows before dinner. This lovely young lady did a traditional dance,
The young men demonstrated martial arts, kicking and twirling swords and spears at each other. One segment of the show reminded me of majorettes performing in one of those old talent shows ( was it Ted Mack’s amateur hour?) See what you think.
Before the performances began, we got to drink wine and watch the sky change colors.
Pretty magnificent, wouldn’t you say?
On our last day, our group visited two villages alongside the river, waving to villagers along the way.
The experience was similar to what OAT calls “A Day in the Life”, where we visited two farming families, viewed their home and were invited to participate in activities. Gloria climbed for coconuts,
Was he getting ready to “goose” her?
Susie made coir rope from coconut fiber
Some of us got to play “dress up”
Pam and Jeff were dressed as a farming couple, Pat, Bill and I were getting married. Hey, back in the day, men could have multiple wives. At least Pat and I get along well!
Only three days left on the trip, all of which will be spent in Mumbai/Bombay, before our long flight home.
Just when I thought “this trip couldn’t POSSIBLY get any better”, it does!
Our hotel, the Oberoi Rajvillas is even more magnificent than the Leela Palace in Delhi. How is that even possible? Well, check out my room.
That’s nothing. The bathroom is even more spectacular.
I was the only woman who chose to return to the hotel rather than shop for jewelry during our free afternoon.
Display at our hotel—a bit too ornate for me
Why? So I’d have time to take a bath and use the pool.
Although it LOOKS like a maharajah’s palace, the Oberoi Rajvillas is actually a luxury hotel that was built to resemble a palace.
The Rambagh Palace, where we had dinner, was the REAL deal. Built in 1835, it became the principal residence of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II and his wife, Maharani Gayatri Devi. After India became independent in 1947, the Maharaja converted Rambagh Palace into India’s first luxury “palace hotel”.
Check out how we were greeted and escorted in for dinner.
As one might expect, dinner was incredible. The wine flowed freely, so freely that when Jennifer asked for a volunteer to dance with the professionals, I rose to the occasion, thinking other members of the group would join in. They didn’t. Instead my friend Bill, took this video.
This style of dancing is called Kathak and it is extremely difficult to follow, because the foot stomping pattern changes unexpectedly. I gave up trying and instead decided to go “free style”. At least my travel companions were amused.
Jaipur was noisy, crowded, chaotic and beautiful.
Crossing the street was even more hair raising than crossing in Hanoi, because in Vietnam the streets are not as wide.
I’ll confess to being challenged to find just a few photos of the many incredible things we experienced. This is my attempt to give a feel for the wonder of Jaipur without posting so many photos that your eyes roll back into your head.
Before our dinner at the Rambagh Palace, we took a jeep to the Amber Fort.
Every time we went over a bump, Jeff and I hit our heads on the jeep’s ceiling. We were glad it was made of cloth instead of metal!
On our way, we visited this water source.
The Amber Fort is a popular site for wedding photos. This was actually a “practice shoot” pre-wedding, to make sure the real thing turns out perfectly.
The “fort” contains a gorgeous garden with fountains.
Check out the mirrored designs on the fort’s walls.
You could get a panoramic view of Jaipur from the fort.
We toured the Jantar Mantar Observatory and the City Palace Museum on our second day in Jaipur. The photo atop this post is of the throne room in the palace.
Our lunch at the Raj Palace was extraordinary. My only regret was that I didn’t know the names of these wonderful dishes so that I could order them again.
We ended the evening by visiting the 18th-century Shiva temple, where this group photo was taken.
Normally, when I travel I arrive a day before the tour begins, but not THIS time. I figured I wasn’t changing time zones, so no jet lag to overcome, and with the short flight, I would arrive in the early afternoon. What could possibly go wrong? Well, I knew I didn’t have to worry about snowstorms closing the airport, but I completely forgot about thunderstorms and possible flooding. Oh yeah, I also forgot about airline strikes.
I don’t know whether it was the strike or the weather that got my flight canceled, but I was VERY grateful that United notified me the night before I was due to depart. That gave me enough time to notify my driver, rebook my flight from home and best of all, I avoided hanging out at the airport for hours, desperately hoping that the planes would fly again sometime soon.
Actually, the delay worked out for me, because on my recent trip to Massachusetts, my friend Jean and I inadvertently picked up each other’s credit cards. Although Jean attempted to overnight my card, the post office only CHARGED her for 1 day delivery–it actually took TWO days, so I was at home when my card finally arrived.
The header of this post is the map for the main trip. I am now on the pre-trip, which originally comprised three nights in Quebec City (now 2 for me), then Montreal for 2 nights. Whether the flight attendants’ strike will be settled by the time we are due to fly to Halifax is anybody’s guess. That’s why I’m glad I’m on a tour. I don’t have to figure anything out. That’s the trip leader’s job.
There are eight of us on the pre-trip, so finding alternative modes of transportation should be a lot easier than making sure the 30 main trip participants are able to get into Halifax.
But enough about the future—let’s focus on the present.
Our welcome dinner took place in the Hotel Clarendon, where we enjoyed singing along with the accordion player.
The morning of my one full day in Quebec City was spent the touring the parliament building, which was architecturally interesting. I loved the stained glass archway.
This corridor linking the old and new buildings synthesized art, music, architecture and technology . As people walked through the corridor, music played and flashing lights changed color.
Laurie, our trip leader took our first group shot outside of the parliament building.
I had heard so much about poutine, I decided to try it for lunch at the Fairmont Hotel. What is poutine, you ask? Well, you take French fries, dump some kind of brown sauce all over them, then top with cheese curds and bacon bits. After a few forkfuls, I’d had enough, so I offered the rest to my travel buddies. They shared my side dish AND my lack of enthusiasm for this “delicacy”.
After lunch we were on our own, so I took advantage of the perfect weather to explore the city, walking atop the city walls. It took me a while to figure out how to get up there. Hint: There are steps along the city gates.
The view of the St Lawrence River was spectacular.
Instead of railings, we had signs.
Because we were here in the weekend, there were lots of street musicians and entertainers.
My assessment: Quebec City is lovely in the summer, and a great place to visit, but once is enough for me.
When I told my friend (and of course by now, I’ve forgotten which one) that I was going to Bilbao, she said that she’d visited years ago and that it was “very industrial”. Indeed it was. Shipbuilding and mining produced so much pollution that, according to our trip leader, when his mother hung laundry out to dry, it would become gray tinged. But what a difference a couple of decades and a natural disaster can make.
In August of 1983, two weeks of torrential rainfall produced flooding that devastated the area. Fortunately, the city’s leaders were able to turn that disaster into an opportunity. They determined rebuilding would focus on what would benefit the entire community. They decided that emphasizing CULTURE and infrastructure would be the key to Bilbao’s future.
And what a magnificent city it is now! In addition to the wonderful green spaces and playgrounds mentioned in an earlier post, Bilbao also has a huge sports stadium, a concert hall, a metro, tram —and my personal favorite —an incredible building known affectionately as “the living room”.
The pavement leading to the entrance has been designed to look like a carpet. Notice the street lights resemble table lamps and the benches look like living room furniture.
Originally built in 1909, the building was abandoned in the 1970’s and was almost demolished. Instead, it now is a “culture and leisure center” housing a gym, with a pool,
That’s the ceiling. If you’re on the ground floor, you can look up and watch people swim!
a library, an auditorium, a restaurant, showrooms, shops and in the basement (which we didn’t visit) a multiplex cinema.
The ground floor was filled with art
Other notable Bilbao sights:
The Vizcaya Bridge was designed by one of Eiffel’s associates, Alberto Palacio
I was SO excited when our trip leader told us we’d be walking across this bridge. Elevators could take us to the top, so I was ready for the adventure. You can only imagine the depth of my disappointment when I realized he was just joking.
Instead we rode across on this “transporter. It dangled from wires attached to the structure that I thought we’d be strolling across. It skimmed just above the river. Later, we visited a cathedral atop a hill, from which we could view the mouth of the river, the Atlantic, and those cliffs.
This was not our only panoramic view. Later, we rode Bilbao’s funicular to a cafe where we enjoyed a glass of wine and this spectacular view.
The Guggenheim is to the left of the red bridge and in front of the skyscraper
I could have spent a whole lot more time in Bilbao, but the next morning, we walked through the city of Guernica, which was destroyed during World War II.
Our group in front of a replica of Picasso’s famous paintingThe latest recruit, ready to fight for democracy in her own country
Fortunately, we had “free time” in the afternoon, so most of us spent it inside the Guggenheim. The architecture is absolutely spectacular!
This in no way captures the grandeur of the space or my favorite piece, “Shuttlecock”
I also loved art made from “reclaimed” objects, like these pieces of cars,
and flattened bottle caps with wrappers from liquor bottles
Here are some “close ups” of the piece so you can see the intricacies. It’s a WOW.
That evening, we broke up into three groups of five for a “home hosted” dinner.
Blanca and David were absolutely delightful hosts, and the dinner was spectacular. Although their English was at the level of my Spanish, we were able to communicate. I think the wine and the chocolate liqueur might have helped.
Later, I learned that Shahin put me in this group because he overheard me speaking to a tattooed Spanish biker that we met when we stopped to admire the Bay of Biscay. He figured that ONE of us needed to know a little Spanish. And in MY case, it is DAMN little, but it was enough.
We are on the bus now heading to Pamplona, with a stop in San Sebastián. It looks like our run of perfect weather is about to end.
On our last day in Cuenca, we were free to spend the morning exploring on our own. I walked to the Pumapungo Museum, which is about a mile from the hotel, along La Calle Larga. I was wishing my buddy Elsie had taken the post trip with me, because she would have enjoyed the street art as much as I did. So Elsie, this one’s for you. No narrative, just visuals.
They even paint the poles!
I’m not sure why this art was defaced with graffiti. I thought there were rules.
If you like history, nature, handicrafts, museums, architecture, great restaurants, quaint coffee shops and shopping all within walking distance — come to Cuenca, because it has it all! Initially, I thought I could do one post for our three days in Cuenca, but I have since realized that’s impossible. So here’s episode one.
As usual, OAT has us staying in a strategically located boutique hotel. Once a private home for a large family, all the rooms are clustered around a central courtyard, which is now the reception area and restaurant.
Because this area was declared a world heritage site in 1999, the buildings have all been preserved, but many have been converted into hotels, restaurants, and shops.
One woman decided to rent her home, complete with all its furnishings; it is now a restaurant.
Before dinner, Lorena took us on a quick tour. What made this especially interesting was knowing this was how the former owner lived! Take a look at the opulence of just two of her rooms.
On our first morning in Cuenca, we enjoyed a walking tour of the city. Of course, the cathedral occupies a prominent spot on the main square. As you have probably guessed, the header of this post is a photo I took of the cathedral at night from the Negroni Restaurant.
My friend Jeanne always lights a candle for her husband whenever she visits a church, so I decided to light one for both our husbands. See that bottom row? My $1 coin lit that ENTIRE row of electric candles—sufficient to cover ALL the loved ones we both recently lost!
And yes, you read that last line right. I deposited a $1 US COIN. No longer will you lie awake at night wondering “whatever happened to all those $1.00 coins the US minted years ago that Americans refused to use”? We exported them to Ecuador, and from the worn looks of them, they are widely used.
During our walking tour, Lorena pointed out the entrance to the cathedral tower, so naturally, during our free time, I spent the $1.50 admission fee and climbed to the top. You can get a decent view of the square from the first landing.
Take a look at the umbrellas atop the building in the next photo. That’s Negroni Restaurant—it has great food, but it’s a bit of a challenge to find. Eric, Gail and I had dinner there on our “free” night. It took us a while to figure out you had to enter a clothing store, walk to the revealing women’s tops section, which is where the elevator hides out, then ride to the top floor.
I climbed all 162 of the tower’s spiraled stairs. My reward? This panoramic view of the surrounding area.
I pretended I couldn’t understand Spanish, so I ignored the sign that said “for your safety, seniors keep off” and claimed right up those metal bleachers.
SOME people might have noticed those menacing storm clouds, but my family won’t be surprised to learn I wasn’t one of them. Did I seek shelter? Go back to the hotel to get my umbrella or raincoat? I think we all know the answer to that.
Instead, I decided to support the local economy by buying gifts for friends and family.
So far, we had been unbelievably lucky with the weather. Up until Cuenca, the two times the heavens opened, we had been on the bus, and by the time we arrived at our destination, the sun was shining brightly. Not this time. I got SOAKED!
Cuenca gets most of its electricity from hydroelectric power, so last year’s drought had a severe impact on the city. When it rains, people here rejoice. So, of course I rejoiced along with them.
We have a flight tonight, so the next episode of Cuenca will probably be written at the airport…
Destination NOW 