Budapest -- Adventuring Outside our Comfort Zone

In 2006, Jim and I decided to plan a European trip for our 35th anniversary. We took advantage of an offer from non-defunct Northwest Airlines to fly cheaply between European cities, so we picked three. I'd been traveling internationally for business for a few years and had a couple favorites that I really wanted Jim to see -- Prague and Stockholm. I also wanted a new city and country, so Budapest was our third entry. At the time, venturing to Eastern Europe felt daring and exotic. And Hungary felt infused with a romantic mystique, perhaps because strains of Dvorak floated through my head.

Budapest did not disappoint. It brims with Old World charm. Stately buildings. Very walkable. Cafes and restaurants abound. Stunning flower gardens. We visited Budapest after Prague. And of course we loved Prague! But in 2006, Budapest felt very much like an untouched Prague. It had a similar look and feel with much less evidence of Western influence.

And of course we were spellbound by the iconic Parliament building that features so prominently on the Viking River Cruise advertisements. We enjoyed Budapest so much that we didn't hesitate to make it one of our few "repeats." 

By either serendipity or good planning, our visit to Budapest coincided with Cindy and Austin's itinerary on their European adventure. We put them up in the Marriott for a few nights (nice change from youth hostels). We enjoyed good food, ice cream, the hot springs, and watching world cup soccer in the town square. Jim and I acquired a couple lovely needlepoints from local women that will always remind me of our adventure in Budapest with Cindy and Austin. 

In 2012, a break in our work schedules and a "good deal" found us on an Eastern European river cruise (Viking) from Budapest to Bucharest. We were excited to venture beyond our Western Europe comfort zone, further into Eastern Europe. It was our first river cruise, and we loved it. We could usually walk right off the small boat into the heart of the port city. And the clientele were mostly serious travelers, not the type to lounge at the pool, drink heavily, and smoke in the casino. (I know... my travel snobbery is showing.) 

Over the course of the 2 weeks, we established a pattern that has served us well in our many trips since. We acquired "travel buddies" who became our frequent dinner companions and walking partners in our free time. More than 10 years later, we still enjoy the wonderful friendship of Stu and Kirsten. Plus they led us to India and Overseas Adventure Travel, but that's another story.

Quote of the Day -- Hannah Arendt

Loving life is easy when you are abroad. Where no one knows you and you hold your life in your hands all alone, you are more master of yourself than at any other time.

-- Hannah Arendt

Quote of the Day -- John Williams

One looks at maps, and does not truly apprehend the extent and variety of the world.

-- John Williams

Quote of the Day -- Kurt Vonnegut

Bizarre travel plans are dancing lessons from God.

 -- Kurt Vonnegut

Quote of the Day -- Thomas Merton

There is another side of Kanchenjunga and of every mountain—the side that has never been photographed and turned into postcards. That is the only side worth seeing.

-- Thomas Merton

Quote of the Day -- Sue Fitzmaurice

You must go on adventures to find out where you belong. 

-- Sue Fitzmaurice

Quote of the Day -- John Shedd

A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.

-- John Shedd

Quote of the Day -- Virginia Woolf

So coming back from a journey, or after an illness, before habits had spun themselves across the surface, one felt that same unreality, which was so startling; felt something emerge. Life was most vivid then. 

-- Virginia Woolf

Quote of the Day -- Pico Iyer

For if every true love affair can feel like a journey to a foreign country, where you can’t quite speak the language, and you don’t know where you’re going, and you’re pulled ever deeper into the inviting darkness, every trip to a foreign country can be a love affair, where you’re left puzzling over who you are and whom you’ve fallen in love with.  

-- Pico Iyer

Quote of the Day -- Jane Austen

...if adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad...

 -- Jane Austen

Egypt -- A Surprising Bucket-List Trip

In early 2011, we visited our older daughter Cindy in Washington D.C. I remember being at the now-defunct Newseum and watching the breaking news of the Arab Spring erupting in Cairo. What better way to see history in the making than on a massive video screen at a museum celebrating news? At the time, we felt hopeful that this represented an important turning point in Northern Africa and the Middle East. But the level of unrest was also evident. And I remember secretly thinking "Rats! Now I might never get to see the pyramids."

Fast forward to late 2014. We were enjoying dinner and travel-reminiscing with our adventuresome friends Valerie and David. The conversation turned to bucket-list trips, which lead us to "I wonder if Viking has resumed doing river cruises in Egypt yet?" A quick visit to their web site confirmed they were, and the four of us booked a trip to Egypt and Jordan for the fall of 2015.

We can count on Valerie and David to have friends wherever we go, and Cairo was no exception. We arrived a few days early and saw quite a bit of the city with our local guides. We explored fascinating mosques and markets. Ironically, I really fell in love with a bronze and iron sculpture featured at our hotel gift shop. It was a pretty heavy piece to acquire so early in the trip -- especially since we wanted to do carry-on only -- but we made it work.



We joined our tour group and headed to the "suburb" of Giza to see the sphinx and the pyramids. They were indeed awe-inspiring but also a bit disappointing. I have no idea how photographers get the amazing pictures of the sphinx and the pyramids atop shining sand with blue sky in the background. They make it appear that these wonders of the world are in the middle of the desert instead of right at the edge of Giza, shrouded in a smoggy haze, and surrounded by evidence of tourism -- barricades and vendors hawking souvenirs. Our visit and photo opportunities were cut short when our guard got spooked by a group of young men hanging about. (Did I mention we had a lot of security on this trip?) So we checked off this item on our bucket-list and headed for Luxor (a.k.a. Thebes) and our boat.

To our delighted surprise, our trip was an uphill journey (metaphorically) from the pyramids, starting with a stunning bird's eye view of the Valley of the Kings and a glorious sunrise from a hot air balloon. During the next few days, we toured amazing temples and learned that they had been relocated by a team of engineers from around the world before the building of the Azwan Dam and the creation of Lake Nasser. The international community rallied with funding and expertise to ensure the survival of these priceless artifacts from ancient times.

For me, the highlight of the trip -- the icing on the cake that really made this a bucket-list trip -- was the temple at Abu Simbel with the colossal statues of Ramses and his queen. The temple featured amazingly well-preserved carvings and hieroglyphics. We had ample time to explore, and we were able to attend a marvelous sound and light show after dark. This was definitely saving the best for last, and I can't imagine visiting Egypt without seeing it.

Because of the still tenuous security situation in Egypt, this trip tipped the balance toward "tourism" (scenery and monuments) rather than "travel" (exploring on our own and experiencing the local culture). We learned a lot about ancient Egypt, but gained minimal insight into the present day. We were able to snag a few souvenirs from vendors who greeted us whenever we disembarked from our boat or a bus. I acquired a lovely necklace and a clay figure.

And we did have opportunity to visit with the staff on the boat. They were so appreciative of our "courage" in coming to their country and helping them overcome their three-year tourism drought.  A wonderful lady on the boat embroidered shirts with hieroglyphics. Shame on me that I don't remember the meaning of all the symbols on the front (something like "peace" and "light") but I know that the back is a representation of the letters in my name.  

Our final purchase -- from the gift shop on the boat -- was a colorful, glittery picture of an ancient Egyptian couple. The colors blend beautifully with other treasures that adorn our living room.

Our trip concluded on a somber note highlighting the legitimacy of the tight security. On October 31, a terrorist bomb took down a charter plane full of Russian tourists shortly after it took off from Sharm El Sheikh. The cause wasn't known immediately, but fears of terrorism significantly disrupted travel. Fortunately, we were already in Jordan and didn't have any noticeable impact on our trip. A couple we met on the boat had flown to Sharm El Sheikh to scuba dive. They eventually made it home to Boston with their luggage, but it wasn't easy. This event marked the beginning of another tourism hiatus for Egypt. We were very lucky to visit these incredible bucket-list sites during a brief window of opportunity.

Sweden -- My Patriam

My mom was a first generation American. Both of her parents were born in Sweden. My dad's maternal grandparents were also born in Sweden. So that makes me 3/4 Svenska flicka (Swedish girl). Sadly, my grandparents chose not to speak Swedish so neither of my parents learned it. But we definitely learned some of the traditions (especially the food), and I've always felt that I'm Swedish.

My first visit to Sweden was in the fall of 1998 when I was invited to speak at a conference in Sundsvall, about 225 miles north of Stockholm. I don't remember the routing I used to fly there. I do remember arriving foggily jetlagged and being hustled into a bus for a "quick field trip" to visit an amazing new bridge. I don't know where the bridge was, but I do remember gazing out the bus window as I struggled to stay awake and feeling like I was home. The landscape -- the rocks, the trees -- looked just like northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. And when I looked around the bus, the people looked a lot like me too. 

The conference organizers presented me with a lovely speaker's gift -- a hand-blown vase with highlights in Sweden's signature blue and yellow. I was a pretty novice business traveler at the time. I was headed to several destinations and hadn't learned essential packing skills. I had way too much stuff and no capacity to carry my lovely vase. I asked one of the local IBM people to mail it to me. Several months later, I was contacted by a customs agent in Chicago who wanted my credit card to pay for charges associated with importing my vase. They took pity on my ignorance and found a way to get my vase to a warehouse in Minneapolis with minimal charges -- still more than the value of the vase -- but to me that Swedish vase was priceless. And I learned valuable lessons about packing and never shipping things home.

My second trip to Sweden was in December of 2003. Despite the short days (dusk at 2:30 pm) and brisk temperatures, I fell instantly in love with Stockholm. I wandered Gamla Stan (the old town), completely entranced with the narrow streets, the wonderful shops, the warm, friendly people (who looked a lot like me), the Christmas decorations, and the scrumptious baked goods. I came home with a delightful pair of figurines sitting on a bench. On a later trip to Stockholm, I scored another coquettish little girl. Alas, in searching out the maker of these lovely pieces, I discovered they are made in Norway. But for me, when they smile at me from their shelf, they remind me of my Swedish heritage and of Stockholm, one of my favorite cities on the planet.

When Jim and I started planning our somewhat unusual 35th anniversary trip in 2006 (3 European cities in about 2 weeks), Stockholm was at the top of my list of places that I had visited and wanted to share. Jim fell in love with it, too, and it remains one of our favorite cities and rare "repeats." We never tire of walking through the charming, bustling old town, Gamla stan. We relish getting out on the water in the vast archipelago on a harbor cruise or a ferry. And we enjoy the museums. One of the fond memories from that trip was a lunch and tour with my mom's cousin David Holmes (who has since passed) -- a friendly and delightful "old Swede" who proudly took us to visit the large Lutheran church where he served as pastor for many years.

We've had the good fortune to return to Stockholm several times. In 2008, we made a whirlwind one-day tour as part of a Baltic cruise with Jeff and Jessi.  In 2014, shortly before Jim retired, he had the chance to visit Stockholm on business -- one of my rare opportunities to join him on a trip instead of the other way around. While he worked, I wandered, enjoyed, and got lost. (That was a 30,000+ step day!)  And in 2018, we spent several days sharing Stockholm with our dear travel buddies Acey, Jackie, and Suzanne at the end of trip to Norway and Finland. Although shopping opportunities abound in Stockholm, we were selective. We added to our Scandinavian Christmas collection with a charming "Father Christmas" piece, and we purchased a small, modern sculpture.

COVID-19 and the Future of Travel

Today, I feel fortunate and grateful. Last year, when we submitted our applications to renew our Global Entry, we had to list all the countries we had visited in the last five years. We knew our total count, but hadn't really looked at our adventures from that perspective. We were pretty surprised at the total -- and a bit impressed with ourselves. Since then, I've kept the list updated. Starting from March of 2014, we have been to 59 countries (including a fair number of repeats).

Especially since Jim's retirement in mid 2014, we've eagerly sought out new adventures, perhaps a bit too eagerly at times. As Jim emerged from cancer treatment, he said "I'd like to visit the German Christmas markets." It wasn't in our plans or our travel budget for that year, but we made it happen. Similarly, when our travel buddies said "would you like to join us in Tanzania next December?", how could we say no? It wasn't in the plans or in the budget, but...

When friends and family raised their eyebrows, we'd shrug and say "You never know what might happen. We're doing this while we are able." Or "You can't see the world on just one trip a year." We assumed that at some point, one of us would get ill or incapacitated in some way and we'd have to cut back on our travels. We never anticipated that the whole world would get sick and that travel would come to a standstill indefinitely. We are so glad that we were overly ambitious and often blew the budget, because, as we said, "you never know..."

This morning, I watched a panel discussion featuring four seasoned travelers / travel writers discussing what they think travel will look like for the next several years.  The women in the upper left, Barbara Weibel, writes a travel blog called Hole in the Donut Cultural Travel, which I read regularly. She's much more adventuresome (meaning unplanned) than we are, but has a similar interest in going beyond the iconic tourist spots and really learning about people, culture, and history.

All four panelists make their living primarily from their travel writing and photography. They all seem fairly intrepid, so I expected them to be upbeat and eager to be on the road again. But the discussion was very different -- sobering and realistic. Their assessment left me feeling grateful and fortunate (as described above) and really wondering if this is it. Will it ever be viable to travel internationally in a time horizon when we are still "young enough" to enjoy it?

Following are a couple key take-aways from the discussion:

• International air travel, particularly for tourism, is unlikely for the rest of 2020
• The cruise industry (especially massive ships) is probably toast for the foreseeable future
• Trip insurance, particularly for travelers over 60, may become harder to get, more expensive, and may include a COVID-19 exclusion.
• Right now, many countries have closed their borders. In the future, it is likely we will see something like the yellow medical card people carry for yellow fever shots. In order to travel, we will need to demonstrate that we have COVID-19 immunity or have been vaccinated (which puts many of us at fall 2021, optimistically).
• Travel will become smaller scale and deeper -- small groups staying longer in a single country, focused more on learning than getting that Instagram shot. Travel the way OAT and similar companies do it... if they can survive through 2020 until we are able to travel again. I think this might be a bit of wishful thinking on the part of the panelists because this is the style most seasoned travelers prefer. But if they are correct, it probably also means that international travel will become once again limited to the affluent or the people who are willing to go it alone -- no giant cruise ships, no big buses.

The future of travel -- and everything else -- is so uncertain right now. But I think we will need to supplement our world map adorned with pushpins with a companion map of the US national parks. I see at least one road trip in our future.

Quote of the Day -- Dr. Paul Nussbaum

Travel is good for the brain:


When you expose your brain to an environment that's novel and complex or new and difficult, the brain literally reacts... Travel by definition is dropping your brain into a place that's novel and complex. You're stunned a little bit, and your brain reacts by being engaged, and you begin to process on a deep level... Travel sticks with us and brings back positive memories and experiences. You have the ability to go back there in your brain. 

-- Dr. Paul Nussbaum

Guatemala -- Fire, Water, History, and Treasure

Jim has always wanted to go to Chichén Itzá in Mexico, but it hasn't risen to the top of my bucket list. I, on the other hand, have been fascinated by Lake Titicaca (and I have no idea why). A brief visit to Guatemala in early 2018 satisfied my desire to see this vast, high-altitude lake and scratch Jim's itch as well. The lake is indeed vast, in fact it is so large that expert builders of reed and bamboo boats inhabit its shores. We met the son of a boat builder who was enlisted to help Thor Heyerdal build the Kon-Tiki to sail across the Pacific Ocean.

Guatemala is also home to rich Mayan history, shared with neighboring Belize and Mexico. The ruins of Tikal aren't as impressive and well-preserved as Chichén Itzá, but Tikal is one of the most important Mayan sites. It also draws much smaller crowds than Chichén Itzá, a definite plus in this world of rapidly expanding tourism. Secondary sites like Tikal can provide valuable insight into history and great photo opportunities without jostling crowds in the process.


Before we experienced either the serene beauty of Lake Titicaca or this rich history of Tikal, we had to pass through flames that weren't exactly metaphorical. As we enjoyed a lovely breakfast on the terrace of our hotel in Antigua, we watched flames shoot out of the Fuego volcano, about thirty miles in the distance. The local people assured us that the mountain spews fire periodically and hasn't erupted in several decades. Guess what happened eight months later? A major eruption that killed nearly 300 people. (We feel a bit like a bad omen. We were also in Puerto Varas, Chile, in 2015 just a few months before the major eruption of the Calbuco volcano. We have pictures of it with its snow-capped lid still intact.)

As usual with an OAT trip, we also had plenty of opportunities to interact with local people. It all started in Guatemala City with a spontaneous encounter with a "goat guy." This gentleman was wandering the streets of the downtown, goat in tow, selling cups of freshly squeezed goat's milk. Our quick-thinking guide asked if anyone would like to try milking the goat, and of course our adventuresome friend Debbie volunteered. She discovered it takes strong hands and a lot of skill to quickly produce a cup of milk. What fun!

And of course, no trip to a new country is complete without a visit to local artisans and the opportunity to support the local economy. We bought sweaters from the family of the Lake Titicaca boat builder, and I bought a beautiful embroidered shirt. But we really fell in love with this stunning glazed pottery mask. I smile when I pass it and think of the fiery volcano, the grandeur of Lake Titicaca, the ancient history of the Mayan ruins of Tikal, and the warmth of the people of Guatemala.

Peru -- A Bucket-List Wow

In 2000, the New7Wonders Foundation launched a campaign to solicit people around the globe to choose the new 7 wonders of the world. More than 100 million votes were cast. Because the Foundation couldn't completely verify that each vote represented a unique person, the results are not considered scientifically valid. Nevertheless, the list of new wonders has been widely publicized and accepted, despite questions about a few important sites that didn't make the cut. 

Machu Picchu is one of the seven. A definite bucket-list destination. We finally made it there in the fall of 2016. We chose the easy route, rather than a two-day hike on the Inca Trail. Even so, the journey required motor coach, then a train, then a bus up the mountain, followed by a 45-minute hike. We were excited and nervous. Would it really live up to the hype? As we rounded a curve on the trail and the ruins came into view, they quite simply took our breath away. Just wow. It remains one of the most amazing, awe-inspiring places I've ever visited (and by now, I've visited quite a few).

The lush green majestic mountains surrounding Machu Picchu and the incredible edifices that remain will be forever etched in my memory as "Peru." But beyond that, when I think of Peru, I think of vivid color. Colorful, abundant food in the markets. This picture looks like a Cezanne still-life, but it's real. And colorful food like this is ubiquitous. People in Peru "eat the rainbow" without needing any admonishment by health professionals.


The Peruvian people are colorful, as well, in both senses of the word. They wear colorful clothing, typically hand woven.The festival that we visited was a riot of color. Groups of children danced enthusiastically in native costumes representing their village or their school. Parents wore a mix of "western" clothing and native dress, but always in living color.



And the people are an embodiment of a colorful history. A history dating from their amazing ancestors who built Machu Picchu, extending to the present with both success and tragedies along the way. You can just feel the history etched in this grandma's face and in the clothes she wears. Jim took picture after picture to try to capture the essence of the people and their charm.



The Peruvians are proud and skillful artisans. We had the opportunity to visit several and to contribute to the local economy, of course. Women in a collective demonstrated the end-to-end process of creating a gorgeous woven garment or decorative piece. They spin the yarn and use natural dyes to achieve traditional colors. Then they hand-weave each piece. The lovely table runner on the right graces a hutch in our dining room. And we solved our dilemma over choosing our favorite by picking two. We also came home with the vibrant wall hanging on the left.

We also visited a world-famous sculptor / potter, Seminario. His work is a bit difficult to categorize. Some of his creations resemble traditional pottery, but most are more modern pieces made from a combination of clay, wood, and metal. His studio doubles as a school, where he trains apprentices to "duplicate" his more mundane pieces. Many of his works grace museums around the world and are clearly beyond our price range. But we love this whimsical piece that feels very typically "Seminario." Every time I walk by these treasures we acquired in Peru, they bring a smile to my face and a picture in my mind of the stunning vistas of Machu Picchu and of the warm, colorful people in this amazing country.

A Taste of Greece

I don't remember exactly when we started country counting. At some point, we realized we'd been to quite a few and perhaps we should start keeping track. And we also entered into a competition, of sorts, with our younger daughter Christie. We've visited quite a few more countries than she has, but she always seems to have one or two on her list that we have yet to see.

It started in the summer of 2002, when she went on a People to People trip to Europe with a group of fellow junior high students. It was an amazing trip that started in Athens and ended in London. She'd been to London once before, accompanying me on a business trip when she was 9. She quickly acquired a taste for new experiences, and the People to People trip sealed the deal for her. She's been an eager traveler ever since.

And her trip included Greece, which was on our wish list! And thus started the "competition."  Finally, in 2009, we sailed on an eastern Mediterranean cruise that started in Rome and ended in Athens. At this stage, we were still more tourist than traveler (focused predominantly on the sites and some history, more than the people and the culture). And we hadn't yet discovered the joys of small ships and, even better, small groups on the ground.

We fell completely in love with the blue Med and the bright white and blue of Santorini, despite the incredible heat. We learned that in the future, we should take advantage of not being tied to summer vacation months. The "shoulder season" so valued by retired folks features cooler weather and smaller crowds. (As a side note, I've lost 25+ pounds since that picture was taken.)

Speaking of crowds, we experienced them at their worst in Athens. Our day tour included a visit to the Acropolis. It was so crowded that they periodically closed the gates to prevent people from entering until others had left. In the meantime, we were crushed against the gates and nearly stampeded when they finally reopened. So we did see the Acropolis, an important monument and bucket-list item, but the crowds definitely diminished the pleasure of the experience. I can see why many European cities are discussing options for reducing crowds without damaging tourism too much. Of course, they might find that COVID-19 takes care of their crowd problem for the foreseeable future. 

In the midst of that enormous crowd, we lost track of our tour group. We felt a bit panicky as we raced down the hill to arrive -- hot, sweaty, and breathless -- at our lunchtime meeting place. Fortunately, we squeezed in a few minutes after lunch to visit a lovely gift shop and acquire an iconic vase to commemorate our short visit to Athens.

 




Overall, the trip was enjoyable and memorable. And we learned valuable lessons for future travel: shoulder season, small ships, small groups. And as far as the "competition" with Christie... We're still way ahead on total count, but she keeps adding a few unique destinations. She got to South Korea in 2009. We didn't get there until 2019. She's been to Brazil, and Jim hasn't. She's been to Israel, which was part of the trip we just canceled because of COVID-19. She got to Colombia a few months before we did. And this year, she added Indonesia, Singapore (which I've visited but Jim hasn't), the Philippines, and Kenya. We can thank Christie for adding to are ever-growing bucket list. Game on!