vacation – Destination NOW

Borneo

We all have heard about the work of Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, but how many of us know that Louis Leakey had a THIRD woman researching the big apes? I sure didn’t. Jane Goodall focused on chimpanzees, while Dian Fossey researched gorillas. Biruté Galdikas was the third member of Leakey’s “Trimates”, studying the orangutans in Borneo.

Maybe we don’t know about her because her name is more difficult to spell, pronounce and remember? Anyway, OAT listed her book “Reflections of Eden” as a suggested reading. Because it was published in 1995, my local library didn’t have a copy, so I ordered it from Thrift Books for $12.49. (If you are interested in seeing what Thrift Books provides, just click on the link— the underlined words).

It is a wonderful book! If you are interested in what on site researchers go through, she tells all: the fevers, the mud, the rashes, the disappointments and triumphs, in an engaging and entertaining way.

Although Eros, our local guide, explained a lot about orangutan behavior, I was glad to have read about it earlier in Biruté’s well written book.

We started the pretrip to Borneo, leaving the hotel at 4:15 AM for our 6 AM flight to Pangkalan Bun. From there, we drove to the river, then boarded a Klotok ( which is a traditional Indonesian riverboat) that took us to our very rustic ecolodge.

Widi is a master at managing expectations. He prepared us for flight delays ( which didn’t happen) then told us our ecolodge is simultaneously the best and the worst lodging in the area, simply because it is the ONLY lodging in the area! We spent two nights there, but all our meals were served on the river boat.

Our first orangutan encounter was at Tanjung Puting National Park. When we arrived at this popular spot, we learned that we would have to climb through FIVE other riverboats to get to the park.

My sister Sue will recall our jumping from fishing boat to fishing boat in our younger days. Let me tell ya, it was a whole lot easier when I was 12 years old! Still, we all did great. I was completely impressed by 90 year old Arthur, who navigated the boats like a champ.

Next, we walked a little less than a mile to the feeding station, over a well maintained, flat path through the jungle. The only hazard were the many tree roots that could trip you up if you weren’t paying attention. I had my eyes on the road ahead and for once, made it back and forth without falling.

Was it worth getting up at 3AM? Hell yeah.

This lovely lady high in a nearby tree watched us watching the other orangutans on the feeding platform.

And what a show they put on! Here are a couple of them behaving like boys of all species.

It reminded me of my Rwanda trip where we watched as twin brother gorillas wrestled on the ground. However, in Rwanda, we were able to get MUCH closer to the primates. BUT, we had to hike two hours through the jungle to get there, and it was NOT on a well maintained trail. Plus we were only able to visit ONCE for an hour, whereas in Borneo, we made THREE visits to feeding stations on three different days.

Our second visit was to the preserve that Biruté and her husband established in the early ‘70s. It was named in honor of her mentor, Louis Leakey.

Once again, we had to climb through multiple boats to get to land. THIS time we walked on a “boardwalk” part of the way. Good thing we didn’t get too complacent. It was even more hazardous than the tree roots because some of the boards were loose, others had rotted areas, with holes and huge gaps between them. This was the BEST stretch. It got progressively worse.

Once we arrived at the feeding station, we were able to watch our first adult male (Nova) as he leisurely devoured bananas.

No one else approached while he was there, EXCEPT his girlfriend with her baby. Could he have been the dad? Who knows?

It just so happened that our final orangutan visit, to Pondok Tangui, was the very best of the trip. On the way to the feeding station, I was glad I’d brought my binoculars with me, because to be able to watch orangutans swinging from the treetops was pretty spectacular. No photos, only the visuals imprinted on my brain.

When we arrived at the feeding station, we realized that Atlas, the alpha male, decided to mingle with the peons (us) before consuming his brunch. He was so near, I was able to get this close up. Although initially I thought it would be challenging to tell the orangutans apart, after viewing photos of Nova and Atlas, I realized there are significant differences between these alpha males. Can YOU tell who’s who?

We were able to get pretty close to the big guy before he ambled over to the feeding platform.

Although Atlas dominated the feeding platform, keeping other males away, he was willing to share bananas with these monkeys.

We met with one of the rangers who explained that before he became the alpha male, Atlas hung out with these Macaque monkeys in the jungle, so they all became friends.

I have enough videos and photos of these fascinating primates to make your eyes roll back into your head, so I’ll stop with this photo of a mother and child, sharing a tender moment in a nearby tree. Using my binoculars I was able to watch them kissing, but wasn’t fast enough to capture it with my iPhone, so this will have to do.

Tomorrow we return to Jakarta to meet 8 more travelers that will be joining us on the main trip.

Indonesia

Remember that line of bull that they give new mothers about how you forget the pain of giving birth once you hold your baby in your arms? Yeah. That didn’t happen. I still can vividly remember that pain. But it sure works for travel. Once I arrive at my destination, I forget all about the long plane rides, the jet lag, and any difficulties I’ve encountered along the way. I’m just so thrilled to reach my destination!

Okay , so business class on Singapore Airlines was definitely NOT a hardship, but it STILL took nineteen LONG hours. After that I had to change planes for a two hour flight from Singapore to Jakarta on Scoot Airlines. When I booked the flight, I was concerned about having only 1 1/2 hours to change planes, but the airport was super efficient, so I even had time to brush my teeth before I boarded.

As usual, I initially purchased airfare from OAT, knowing that as long as I notified them at least 90 days before departure, I could cancel the airfare portion and get a full refund. The routing they offered had me departing on Saturday, arriving on Monday and involved multiple plane changes, so I decided to see if I could do better. Fortunately, my travel buddy, Jeanne, has a nephew who works in Singapore. He suggested I try Singapore Airlines, which I did. I got affordable business class, and was able to shave hours off my travel time, leaving a day later (Sunday) and arriving Monday night.

Normally, for a trip like this, I would do only carry-on. Unlike trips involving more than one climate, this time I only need to pack hot weather clothes, which are lightweight and much smaller than winter clothes. However, the Friends of Overseas Adventure Facebook group recommended bringing along a hiking stick, and mentioned that it might not be allowed as a carry-on. (It is left to the discretion of the TSA agent whether or not to confiscate the hiking stick). I decided not to take the chance.

Well, since I’m checking luggage anyway, I’m packing significantly more than I ordinarily would. For example, I’m bringing along a travel hairdryer, just in case some hotels have those horrible ones that are attached to the wall.

The allowance for checked luggage with Singapore Airlines is quite generous—88 pounds for checked. For carry-on I’m allowed two bags weighing 15 pounds each. Even with overpacking, I’m coming in WAY below ( 32 pounds checked and 12 for my ONE carry on). We shall see if I forgot something essential, although according to my check list, I’ve packed everything and then some.

So, how was business class with Singapore Air? It was worth every penny! As my friend Beth one told me, “ if you don’t fly business class, your kid will.” So I’m happily spending my son’s inheritance, with his complete support and encouragement.

The service on Singapore Airlines was excellent, the food was great, and the seats were super comfortable. The best part—like United’s Polaris flights, every seat had aisle access, so no need to climb over a fellow passenger to get to the bathroom.

The “lay flat” seats were not as easy to operate as United’s. You have to get up, pull the seat back forward and do other things to get your bed made. A flight attendant made up my bed, so I have no idea what “other things” she did! I chose a window seat on the left, which had me sleeping with my head facing the aisle, and my feet by the window, on an angle.

I had to move the orange bags and water bottle to make room for my feet. Fortunately, there was plenty of storage space for my “stuff”.

Although Singapore Airlines provides noise canceling headsets, they are NOT as effective as my Bose, so I’m definitely using my own on the return flight.

I was glad that I packed an adapter, because without it, I would have been unable to charge my electronics. The plugs required a European style C adapter.

Everything I read told me to avoid alcohol because doing so would help me fall asleep. Although I took an Ambien, and didn’t partake in the departure champagne, I wasn’t able to fall asleep so I figured what the hell, I’m having wine with dinner.

Before I left home, I had done an E-visa and gotten my arrival card on line, so I was able to go directly to passport control, but being me, I went the wrong way. ( my sister Sue will be thinking , “ at least she consistent” when she reads this ) I had walked a considerable distance before an airport worker stopped me and pointed in the opposite direction. Somehow she could tell I am not Indonesian and I needed to go through immigration.

The Jakarta airport is HUGE! Although because I purchased my own airfare, technically my trip leader didn’t have to meet me at the airport. Therefore, I was surprised and pleased to get this WhatsApp message from Widi when I arrived.

Okay, so I’ll admit to being a bit spacey even when I’m NOT jet lagged, but try as I might, I couldn’t find him —Not even with that visual aid. Turns out, HE was in terminal 2 and I was in terminal 3. The airline had changed terminals but never updated the information.

Eventually we found each other, got on the shuttle and made our way to the gorgeous Sheraton.

Tonight we will have a group dinner, where I will meet the 3 couples who will be traveling to Borneo with Laurie and me tomorrow.

Today is going to be a pool day, where I will ( I hope) completely shake off any remnants of jet lag.

San Candido and The Dolomites

Before we boarded our bus to drive to San Candido, I couldn’t resist two last Bolzano shots. The Grief Hotel had the very best breakfast of the trip (at least so far). I LOVE fresh fruit.

I also enjoyed the beautiful poppies in front of the cathedral, almost as much as the bees did.

Our first stop was at the stunning Lake Carezza. On the ride there, Luca told us the story of a beautiful fairy who was looking for a handsome man (aren’t we all?). The ugly old wizard, who was quite smitten, changed himself into a handsome suitor, but the fairy figured it out, changed him back, then pushed him into the lake, which became a veritable rainbow of colors.

She didn’t even bother to determine whether he had redeeming qualities! I was ready to write her off as a superficial witch until I saw this at the lake, which offered a very different perspective. Maybe there are multiple sides to every story!

Which legend do YOU prefer?

The twisty mountain ride through the Dolomites ensured everyone on the bus got an excellent view. If the view was on the left, no problem, because around the bend, it will be on the right. I’m very glad I don’t suffer from motion sickness!

Believe it or not, I took the next two photos from a moving bus with my new IPhone 17.

Well, at least I am impressed by the phone’s capabilities!

Our hike gave us plenty of “Kodak Moments”, like these:

For THIS hike, we were offered options: a short hike and a long one. Susan and I got outvoted, so we took the short hike, which was still very picturesque.

The photos can’t possibly do the vistas justice. You just have to come to the Alps to see for yourself. (Or watch a PBS special).

San Candido is another glorious village that I never would have found on my own. Thank you, OAT, for this little gem.

We occupied every single room in this boutique hotel. Because every room is decorated differently, it feels like you are staying in someone’s home.

The main attraction of the area is hiking. That’s what we came for, and that’s what we did. This time, we all did a short hike around the lake, then those of us who wished could continue around the lake for what Luca described as “more challenging”.

Because Susan and I have been the speediest hikers, Luca looked directly at us when he said “whoever gets to the beach first needs to find us a picnic table”. As you can see, we took the assignment very seriously.

For the challenging part of the hike, we were joined by our buddies, Dan and Jodie.

Once again, for our final day in San Candido, we lucked out with the weather. Fortunately for us, the weather forecast was much worse than what we experienced. But the forecast resulted in the optional ($220 per person) hiking trip in the Dolomites to be cancelled.

Instead, Luca substituted a (free) beautiful morning hike by the river, and it was GREAT!

Susan and I decided to take the forecast of rain starting at noon seriously so we hightailed it back to the ski lift. No way were we missing the chance to ride up to the top of the mountain and take the “fun bob” down. It was every bit as AMAZING as we anticipated!

Dan and Jodie surprised us by positioning themselves so they could capture our descent.

I was so focused on my path under the bridge

I didn’t even notice Jodie standing on it with camera readied for us!

Admit it. You didn’t spot her either!

The rain DID fall, but by then Susan and I were seated under an awning, enjoying our lunch.

What does one do on a rainy day in a ski/ hiking town? Well if “one” is me, you invite your favorite travel companions to a party in one’s suite. The local grocery store carried Franciacorta wine, which is not sold in the USA. What’s special about it, you ask? Ms Google describes it this way:

“Franciacorta is a premier Italian sparkling wine from Lombardy. Crafted using the Metodo Classico (identical to Champagne’s bottle-fermentation), it is the first Italian wine to earn DOCG status. It offers incredible complexity, fine bubbles, and rich tasting notes of brioche, citrus, and toasted nuts. “

Dan discovered yet another( very practical) use for my bidette.

After that, we were more than ready to walk through the hailstorm to dinner !

Next stop Innsbruck!

Arrivederci Switzerland, Ciao Italia

We have mainly lucked out with the weather during our stay in Lugano, Switzerland. The only exception was our arrival and departure nights, when it rained heavily. It wasn’t a problem for our departure night, because we were content to stay in the hotel, packing and resting. Arrival night, however, was another story. After checking into our hotel, we took a brief orientation walk. We got DRENCHED! No photos — just imagine what 15 wet rats looked like!

Luckily, the next morning was breathtakingly gorgeous, so Susan and I took advantage of our group’s 10 AM departure to take an early morning walk around Lake Lugano.

But wait…I almost forgot about our drive TO Lugano. As is usually the case with OAT trips, our drive was broken up by stops in interesting places. The first was Candelo, a very old walled village that was used as a refuge and to store food should marauding bands try to rape, pillage and plunder. Today, it is a refuge for shoppers and hungry travelers.

The gift shop where I bought “prizes” from this artist

Our next stop was this small winery. If my sister, Sandy had been with us, she would have instantly fallen in love with the owner before the end of the tour.

As for me, I was far more interested in the wine and its beautiful labels.

Of the four wines we tasted, my favorite was the last — the Gattinara, of which the winery only makes 3,000 bottles per year.

I decided it was the perfect gift for my favorite chef. When I get back to New Jersey, he promised to delight me with his excellent polenta, which is far more delicious than any a I’ve had here in Italy.

So once we got to Lugano. How did we spend our time?

One day, we hiked along the “olive trail”, a beautiful , narrow mountain path along the lake. It was well worth climbing the 270 steps (yes, I counted, but only the steps UP; like my Apple Watch, I figured the down steps weren’t worth counting). Our reward? Four different kinds of chocolate, supplied by Luca.

According to my Apple Watch, I climbed the equivalent of 28 flights of stairs that day! (Thank you, Somerset Hills YMCA).

This isn’t a great photo, but I’m including it because Luca told us that on the OAT trip he guided last summer, the travelers stripped to their underwear and jumped into the lake right here! I imagine that was quite a sight. Fortunately, it wasn’t so hot, and I suspect none of our group was so inclined.

Good thing, because we wouldn’t have had time to dry off before our funicular ride to the very top of Monte Bre.

To be more accurate, we actually rode TWO funiculars to get to the top, where we enjoyed this majestic view ( and of course, took a group photo).

Jodie and Dan very graciously shared the food they had purchased earlier at the supermarket in town with Susan, Luca and I. To walk off the calories, we strolled down and back to the villa we spotted below.

I know everyone is curious about the day’s step count: 21,157 steps, just a hair under 10 miles!

For our last full day in Lugano , 8 of us chose to take the optional trip to Lake Como. This was a particularly great day for me, because our ferry sailed by Tremezzo. Let me tell you, I was absolutely thrilled that I remember — and spotted the hotel where I stayed in 2018!

I recognized the hotel’s tower, which brought back memories of our wonderful trip to the Dolomites before Covid rocked our world. If you are interested, click on the underlined word in the paragraph above to access the 2018 post, which includes a photo of the tower’s interior.

THIS time, we visited a different villa, the Villa del Balbianello.

This absolutely gorgeous villa was the setting for scenes in Casino Royale and Star Wars II.

It is also a very popular spot for photos, with the “models” queuing up, patiently waiting for their turn, including these ladies. It wasn’t hard to figure out which was the photographer and which was the photographed.

There was a bit of drama, when a photographer asked a bystander to move out of the background. I was relieved to hear that the entitled, bitchy bystander had a German accent, not an American one, when she berated the photographer for what I considered to be a polite, reasonable request.

The last owner, Guido Monzino, never married, so he bequeathed the villa and its contents to the Italian National Trust when he died in 1988.

Our tour ended with an incredibly delicious lunch, that was SO filling, that even I who never misses a meal, skipped dinner that night.

These last photos are designed to have you scratching your heads, thinking “what the …”

Here’s the story. I had thought that the shower head was in the same position I’d left it the day before. But no. The maid had turned it so it faced the ceiling. As a result, the entire bathroom got drenched, including the floor, door, mirror, toilet seat, etc. What a memorable way to end my stay in Lugano!

Biella, Italy

What?! You never heard of Biella? Before this trip, neither had I. That’s one of the many reasons I choose to travel with OAT. Their itineraries include places I didn’t know I wanted to visit until I got there.

Our hotel, the Agora Palace, is across the street from a beautiful park. Unlike the USA, Biella has public sources of pure mountain water, like this one, from which you can fill your water bottle.

Also near our hotel is a small mall with a grocery store and an inexpensive clothing shop. Because the weather has been unseasonably warm, and we were ALL expecting cold temperatures, most of us went shopping for lightweight clothes. For 30 Euros, I got a tee shirt, shorts and a long skirt. I wasn’t crazy about the slit in the long skirt, but that’s all Piazza Italia had in stock. (That’s the name of the store).

Before we arrived, Luca explained Biella is a quiet town, without much going on, so we were a little surprised when we encountered this:

Turns out, an “old car” race with over 100 cars was taking place that night. We were a little puzzled by the cars departing one at a time, but we learned it was a TIMED race, and unlike most “races” , the speed was not the point. It was actually an opportunity to show off your old car. Supposedly, the race went on all night!

Babes, band & cars — in a “sleepy” town??

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we were unable to visit the ice cave in Chamonix, so Luca negotiated with the OAT office to replace THAT activity with vermouth tasting at a historic bar.

We were all quite delighted with the change in activities!

Our second day in Biella started with a guided tour of the city’s highlights, namely churches, including this baptistry.

We’ve all seen churches, and the remainder looked like every other church I’ve visited, so I took no photos.

We then hopped onto a bus, which whisked us up to the old section of Biella, where we toured La Palazzo La Marmora. Here’s another reason I love OAT. The palace is normally closed on Sunday, but it was opened just for us.

Our guide, the marquis, was a member of the illustrious family, whose tree adorned the dining room wall.

To say the artwork and antiques were interesting would be an understatement.

The matriarch who commissioned the following family portrait gave birth to 16 children. The girls all moved away after marriage, so the artist had to visit the homes of the daughters to create “sketches” that he later incorporated into the portrait. Of course, the gathering of all surviving children portrayed in the painting never occurred. (Was this the forerunner of Photoshop or AI?)

I thought I could figure out who was who by matching the clothing, but apparently the artist preferred different outfits.

The 4 sons on the upper right were all generals in the Crimean war. So what do you do when a cannonball almost kills you? Why, if you are a member of nobility, you bring it home, melt it down and recycle it into a chair.

One final example of the artwork, before we move on.

For some unknown reason, the marquis didn’t point out this mural on the dining room wall. Perhaps he didn’t want to have to explain what his ancestors were thinking about while they were munching on their Cheerios?

After the tour, most of the group chose to take an optional cooking class, but Susan and I decided to skip it. Instead, we had lunch in upper Biella at the “Hasta La Polenta” restaurant. How could we resist a restaurant sporting a plaque that said ( in Italian) “Ernest Hemingway never was here”?

I absolutely LOVE the Italian sense of humor. Take a look at the English translations on their menu.

Of course, after our entree, we HAD to have dessert. Here’s Susan, showing off her selection.

After our wonderfully filling lunch, Susan and I worked off some of our dessert by walking back to the hotel.

By then it was time to get ready for a “home hosted” dinner with Marcelo and Claudia in their historical home, built in the 1800’s.

Our group of 14 split up to have dinner with 3 different families.

For final day we visited a cheese farm, to partake in what OAT calls “A day in the life”. As the name suggests, OAT travelers are given an opportunity to experience the area’s daily life. The best part? We walked part of the way there — and the weather was perfect!

We all got a chance to “make” cheese, while we learned more about Elisa, our host. Although she has a degree in economics, Elisa decided she preferred to take over her grandparents’ cheese making business.

OAT group at a Day in the Life, with our hosts

We ended the day with a visit to (what else) the church complex at Oropa.

This “new” church was built for a papal visit

The original church incorporated this rock into its wall, presenting the perfect backdrop for yet another group photo.

Dinner was on our own, so four of us went for pizza at Doppio Zero. It was very good, but very different.

Next stop Lugano, Switzerland.

The Alps with OAT

Okay, so plan A was to spend most of the month of May on the OAT trip to Azerbaijan and Turkey, but when OAT canceled the pre-tip to Azerbaijan because of its proximity to Iran, I decided it was time to activate Plan B. Turkey ALSO shares a small part of its eastern border with Iran, and because US leadership is wildly unpredictable these days, I decided not to take a chance. It’s too bad, because I was really looking forward to travel with my buddy Janis. Maybe we will travel to Turkey in the future, once things settle down.

I was really lucky to discover OAT’s Alpine Europe trip was not only deeply discounted, but it also had single availability AND the timing was perfect. This particular departure offers neither pre nor post trips, but that suited me just fine.

Ignore those boxes on the map at the top of this post. Instead, follow the red arrows. I flew into Geneva a day before the tour starts, got picked up at the airport and driven to Chamonix, a small town at the base of Mont Blanc, about an hour away. Eventually 18 days later I will end up in Innsbruck, Austria.

There are 14 of us on this trip, 4 couples, and 6 singles. We are already a very congenial group, with 12 of us choosing to have dinner together for what was supposed to be an “on your own” night.

Luca, our trip leader, took this “selfie”

The restaurant Luca chose, The Rose du Pont, is located right by the river, which winds thru the center of Chamonix.

Earlier that day, I had hiked along the river walk and saw that I could have booked a river rafting trip,

or gone paragliding, had I planned ahead.

Only joking…walking along the river is as adventurous as I get these days.

In the afternoon, I took advantage of the pool and whirlpool. The outdoor hot tub and sauna were being cleaned today, so I wasn’t able to use them, but we have another full day here, so maybe.

I’ll end the first day of our tour with two night shots. The first is of four of the “single ladies”, with Mont Blanc clearly visible behind us.

The second is the night view from my balcony.

Hawaii – with Family

I have been WAY behind in my blogging, so as I cool my heels at the airport, I decided to use the time productively by writing about last April’s trip with Sandy’s daughter and granddaughters. San would have LOVED this trip and I would have loved to have her sharing my room with me!

I had been to Hawaii twice before. My initial Hawaiian experience was when I was 26, on my first ever business trip, with Harper & Row publishers. We spent early December 2025 on the “Big Island” at the Mona Kea Resort. Fortunately, we didn’t have cell phone back then to immortalize the scandalous goings on.

My second trip was to Maui, another business trip, this time with Prudential in 1986. That’s when I discovered I really, REALLY liked red wine.

My third trip will be my first pure vacation, with Kristen, Katherine (13 years old) and Bonnie (12 years old). Because we will be going during their April 2026 spring break, and time was limited, we decided to stay in Oahu on Waikiki Beach.

I was surprised to find that Costco had some really great packages. I decided against using them for airfare. Although the pricing was attractive, the flights were decidedly not. Given that Kristen and the girls already had to endure long flights from and back to Boston, I wanted to make it as painless as I possibly could.

We met at the Denver airport, then flew together to Honolulu

Costco came through with a great price for the Outrigger Reef Hotel, right on Waikiki Beach. The package came with lots of perks, like entrance to the gorgeous lounge, which offered complete breakfasts and late afternoon snacks that were substantial enough to serve as our dinners, accompanied by as much wine or soft drinks as desired.

Also in the package was a $250 credit for the poolside restaurant (which paid for 2 lunches for the 4 of us) and a Costco gift card to use upon return.

Because I had heard so much about Pearl Harbor, I decided to book a tour there, right after the lei lesson. What I hadn’t counted on was Mark, our instructor, seemed intent on talking about everything except how to make leis. I finally told him I had to leave for my Pearl Harbor tour in 30 minutes, which prompted him to dub me, “Miss Arizona”.

The three girls weren’t interested in visiting Pearl Harbor, so they instead took a trolley tour around the island. I think they made the wiser choice. I’m not sure why people go on and on about Pearl Harbor. I was decidedly unimpressed.

Because we had so many activities planned, we didn’t take advantage of as many of the resort programs as I initially expected. As usual the girls wanted to do different things.

Katherine had wanted to go surfing and Bonnie chose snorkeling, so I signed them both up for both activities. Thanks to my son, Greg, I used ChatGPT to help me narrow down the choices for activity vendors.

We were able to walk to the surf lesson at a nearby beach. Initially, I was annoyed because I had wanted the two of them to take a private lesson for two. My thinking was that they would be scheduled at the same time and it would be easier for us to watch them both. Because Bonnie was under 13, the company insisted that she have her own instructor, so they each got a private lesson. That turned out to be best, given how many other people were in the water. They BOTH were able to stand on their boards, but they were too far out for me to capture them riding the waves. Although a photographer was in the water with them, you could only buy a package for $80 each ($160 total). Sadly, they didn’t sell individual videos or photos. It was all or nothing.

I don’t remember which surf company we used, but I recall that we used the Honolulu Snorkel Company for our snorkeling adventure.

We were unable to drive there, so we took a taxi. The driver didn’t put on his meter and attempted to overcharge me. Because I knew the cost per mile and (thanks to Google Maps) the distance, I did the math and told him what the fare should have been. He agreed to pick us up and bring us back to the hotel for no additional charge — which was a fair price for round trip.

Upon arrival, we learned that the private guide I booked had been in an accident that morning, so I decided to just stay on the boat rather than join the snorkelers. It was a good decision, because both Bonnie and Katherine got stung by jellyfish. Fortunately, they were BABY jellyfish, so the damage was minimal, but still. The company KNEW that when the wind shifted direction, baby jellyfish were blown into the area, but no one warned us. Despite the stings, the girls had a good time, and didn’t complain about the stings at all.

Another fun activity was riding an outrigger canoe at the beach. We rowed out, then rode the waves back to shore.

We were able to walk to the luau that I had booked but I was disappointed to see that it was in the center of a nearby MALL. The food wasn’t great, but the audience participation was lots of fun. We all got tattoos:

Bonnie was invited onto the stage to join the drummers, and the dancers were excellent!

The following image was taken at the mall, but ChatGPT changed the background to make it look like the girls were on a beach with the “fire eater”. Where is Katherine, you ask? Well, she’s 13, so she doesn’t always want to have her photo taken.

All in all, it was a memorable, wonderful way to spend time with my three favorite girls! I got to sit with Bonnie on the flight to Oahu and Katherine on the way back. It doesn’t get much better than that!

The Falkland Islands

Whoever said “All good things must come to an end” was certainly right about this trip. It has been abso-bloody- lutely FANTASTIC. Every time I thought it couldn’t possibly get any better it DID.

Our four days in the Falklands were magical!

Here are some highlights, not in any particular order:

Eating in unusual spots:

Tea in the ship’s laundry room, and in a beautiful little cottage after a hike,

the garden outside the cottage, and in line for the barbecue at a different venue, on a sheep farm.

Sorry, no photos of the barbecue. My hands were full of delicious food, and then I was so caught up in the moment, I forgot to take a picture.

Hiking, hiking and MORE hiking

Wonderful friendships

I wasn’t able to find photos of ALL the friends I made on this trip, but here are a few of my favorites:

Interesting Sights

Lichen on rocks Dennis the naturalist told us ALL about them.

Animals animals and MORE animals

Partying down with the ship’s staff

On our last night in the Falklands, as we set sail for Ushuaia, the ship’s staff put on a very joyous show for us.

Most of the ship’s staff are Philippine, so they dressed up in traditional costumes and danced around the room, to the delight of all.

To end the evening, we were all invited to shake our booties, and we DID.

Our last night, we were able to thank our hard working staff:

Carlos, Marketa and Chef Sarah who were responsible for the wonderful meals ( and my considerable weight gain!)

And our captain, who was Scandinavian and therefore had an unpronounceable name spelled with unrecognizable letters.

I think he might have been with the penguins too long. Do you think he’s adopted the macaroni penguin’s hairdo?

Okay, so now you’ve heard about our wonderful experiences on the trip. My next post will be about Ushuaia and our return home.

Departing from Buenos Aires

When we traveled to Antarctica in 2011, we went via Santiago. This time, I am flying to Ushuaia through Buenos Aires.

My journey started in Newark. I was amazed at how empty Newark’s airport was. I left home slightly before 11 AM; by 11:50 I had checked my bag, been through security, changed into my Houston/Buenos Aires clothes in the Polaris lounge bathroom and was enjoying the excellent buffet.

My first flight was to Houston. Because I used miles and points to book my flight, I traveled business class for both segments. Let me tell ya, domestic business class isn’t worth it. International business class, however, DEFINITELY is!

I normally sit on the aisle, but for the Houston flight, I had a window seat. Sadly, when the flight attendant attempted to pass me my lunch tray, I managed to knock a full glass of red wine over myself and the very gracious man sitting next to me. But in my defense, the passenger in the seat in front of me had his seat all the way back, so the clearance was really tight.

As luck would have it, my friend Sharmon’s younger daughter, Sol flew from San Francisco to Buenos Aires and we both had a stop in Houston around the same time. We were on the same flight from Houston to Buenos Aires, so we hung out in the United Club. The time went by MUCH faster because we spent the two hour layover catching up.

I almost didn’t recognize Sweet Sol, because the last time I saw her, she had long blondish hair, no glasses, and wasn’t wearing a mask. She pretended not to notice I smelled like the frat house the morning after a wild party. But then again, stale wine doesn’t smell as bad as stale beer.

Because Sol holds dual citizenship, she was able to whisk thru passport control WAY ahead of me. It took over an hour for me to get thru. HELPFUL HINT: if you’re coming to Argentina, visit the bathroom BEFORE getting in the passport control line. Don’t ask how I came to that conclusion. Let’s just say I was jiggling a lot.

I’d been to Buenos Aires twice before, so I didn’t feel compelled to see Evita’s grave or the Opera House. Instead I figured I’d enjoy the beautiful hotel, and I certainly did.

Check out the rooftop pool:

The view was so spectacular, and the pool was so glorious, I used it on Friday AND Saturday.

My son Greg clued me in to the wonders of ChatGPT. So, when I was unable to find any cafes full of people having lunch outside near Alvear Art Hotel, I asked ChatGPT.

I ended up choosing a delightful cafe about a mile away, which allowed me to stroll thru some very interesting streets.

Waiting for the elevator before tonight’s information session, I met Leslie, another solo traveler. Like me, she’s a widow who is comfortable traveling alone. Her cabin will be across the hall from me.

We had a lovely cocktail “hour”. I’ll admit that our table was having so much fun, we had to be asked to leave! And yes, we closed the place down.

Probably a good thing because we have to be on the bus by 7AM tomorrow. I had hoped for a later departure because Buenos Aires is much closer to Ushuaia than Santiago. But nope. Same departure time as it was in 2011.

Who knows whether I’ll have connectivity once I board the ship, so I’m sending this off now.

Yes, indeed, I’m excited and thrilled that I have already discovered such congenial travel mates.

Antarctica

The first time I went to Antarctica was in January of 2011. At that time, my friends thought Mike, Greg and I had completely lost our minds. “WHY in the world would you want to go THERE?” was the most frequent comment we received from friends and family.

Although Mike was retired, Greg and I were employed, so we were limited to a 15 day journey, 10 days with the National Geographic tour and 5 days on our own traveling to and from Santiago via Lima.

THIS time I’m retired, going solo, so I am able to spend 24 days traveling beyond the Antarctic peninsula to the South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. Instead of meeting the group in Santiago, I’m traveling to Buenos Aires. As with last time, however, we are flying to Ushuaia where we will board the ship, then sail through the dreaded Drake Passage. (Yes, my doctor gave me an adequate supply of seasickness patches. They worked well last time for me and Greg, not as effective for Mike.)

Photo from 2011, taken at the end of our voyage

So why in the world am I going again?

Where else can you experience creatures so unafraid that they follow YOU?

Where else can you see so many different shades of blue and white?

Or learn about the different seals and penguins living in this frozen wonderland?

But won’t it be cold?

Yes, sometimes it is cold, but National Geographic’s trip cost includes matching parkas for those times. (Laura,one of my trip leaders said “there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing choices”.)

Sometimes it’s warm enough to have a cookout on the back deck wearing just a sweater (and a smile) over your tee shirt.

The best part was traveling with National Geographic experts: Photographers, naturalists, geologists, penguin and whale experts. We would gather in the bar every evening for presentations by those experts, showing us how they spent their day.

The walls of the bar/lounge were covered with big screen TVs so no matter where you sit, you still would have a great view.

Fifteen years ago, our ship was the Explorer. This time, I’ll be sailing on the Endurance, a newer ship serving 126 passengers, with 8 cabins for us traveling solo. I’m not sure how effective the internet is at the bottom of our planet. 15 years ago, I didn’t have a smart phone or a blog so it wasn’t an issue.

I hope you’ll join me on this adventure; I’ll be posting when the spirit moves me and the internet grants me connectivity.

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