travel - ilivetotravel's travel log

Reflection on My Dad’s Birthday

11 October 2016 by Raul 2 Comments

Today, my Dad would have turned 75 years old. He passed away years ago but it still seems surreal. We did not live close to each other and did not see each other with great regularity which lends his absence a feel that nothing has changed. But it has. While we may not have been in touch often, when we got to talk, we talked. He was a great conversationalist and gave me good and pointed advice at key moments in my life. He was a great cheerleader of mine and I miss him.

My Dad and I

So what does any of this have to do with travel? As I sit back and think of him and his life, I realize that, if I were to pass away at the age he did, I am then looking at two more decades in this life. And the natural question is “what will I want to accomplish in those two decades?” if that were my remaining life span here. I ask this not to be morbid and, in fact, I think the better life comes after this one but I still think it is a worthwhile question to explore.

And when I think of it, among the top 5 items on that list is travel.

Travel to me is not just the break from work, or the rest-and-relaxation that (hopefully) comes with it. If I am traveling alone, travel is about exploring a different setting, a different culture – and by doing that, I learn something about myself. Not necessarily big a-ha’s but small new glimpses into the complex world we all are as individuals. Sure, don’t get me wrong, I also like discovering a good photo spot, a good wine, or a good meal. But traveling alone affords me much more beyond checking off a bucket list item (which I like to do too).

Travel gets even better when I travel with family or friends. The benefits of the solitude of traveling solo are replaced by the even more important (in my book) development of relationships that are important to me. When I travel with people I care about, the discovery that happens during travel becomes now an experience which builds upon the pre-existing relationships to add a new dimension – and a shared memory. When I have traveled with my niece and nephew, seeing their wonderment at a new place reminds me of how I felt at that age. Plus the shared memory of those trips (be it snorkeling in the Cayman Islands or walking around Stockholm or just dining at the cruise ship restaurant) will serve as an underpinning to our familiar relationship. When I am gone, I sure hope those shared experiences will help them remember their uncle fondly and tell their kids and grandkids all about it! (Hope they are reading this J )

With friends, be it trekking up Kilimanjaro or Nepal, wining and dining ourselves in Tuscany, whale watching off the coast of Iceland, or gallivanting around SE Asia (soon!), the relationships certainly deepen. I still remember telling friends that they should not worry if I go quiet at some point in the day as we explored Italy; as an introvert, at some point in the day my being craves me being quiet (but totally OK if everyone around me is talking away). Sharing that gave my friends an insight they may not have had about me if we had just been having dinner at a restaurant at home. Once again, the shared memories strengthen the relationships – and we sure love talking about the crazy and funny stories that –of course- result from those travels!

Yes, I like exploring new places and being confronted with the “different.” But in the end, it is about relationships. It is about people. It is about going through this life as the dress rehearsal it is for the next one. And so it is that travel is one of my priorities (though not the top one) for whatever the remaining chapters are in the book of my life.

Filed Under: Travel Journal Tagged With: reflection, travel

Swayambhunath – A Special Place in Kathmandu

5 September 2016 by Raul 4 Comments

Kathmandu is an amazing city. Colorful and busy. Yet, somehow spirituality seems to permeate it. Among the many places that back that impression is the Swayambhunath site – also just known as the monkey site. I don’t know that it is technically a temple but it is certainly an important Buddhist religious site. Claims about when it was first established range from the 6th century A.D. to the 3rd B.C.! Let’s settle on “it’s old.”

Beauty everywhere

The site’s shrines and other structures dot the hillside and are packed at the hilltop. I wish I had had a guide to make sure I understood the meaning of the different types of structures and figures sculpted in them. Here is a glimpse of some of the sights on the site.

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Prayer wheels

The earthquake changed it

The many shrines and temple-like structures included more than you can see today. Sadly, the earthquake of April 2015 knocked down one of the two towers, and severely damaged the other one and many other structures. Yet, it seems many survived OK which is a blessing at such an important site.

The surviving tower

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The base of the collapsed tower

Damage from the earthquake

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Serious crack under the large stoupa with prayer wheels around it

Eye gotta stupa for you…

More impressive than anything else on the site is the stupa with the painted eyes on it. They follow you around… They are Buddha’s eyes and eyebrows… It is said it is over 1,500 years old though it has been renovated many times in its long life.

The eyes on the golden tower in the stoupa

See? They are watching you…

Monkeys R Us

But, the way I heard of this place for the first time was because of the monkeys. The many monkeys that reside on the place. Big and small, they are everywhere. Yet, much as they must be used to people, they were not climbing over folks. They were very well-behaved!

Baby monkeys – a fertile place!

Curious monkeys

Getting to view Kathmandu from up high

The site is located on a tall hill that offers great views of Kathmandu. The main approach is a rather long and steep set of steps on the east side of the hill. LOOOONG! (365 steps to be more precise) But, unbeknownst to me, our driver was taking us to a point that maybe was 2/3 of the way around the back so our climb was not as severe. Now, now, don’t be poking fun. I had just spent 5 days hiking on the Everest Base Camp trail so saving steps was relief of sorts…

Sweeping view of Kathmandu – and a passing bird!

I must say that though at first visiting a place full of monkeys did not thrill me, the place’s charm and the faith it represents was captivating. I enjoyed spending time there and would recommend taking the time to connect with this bit of Kathmandu!

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Filed Under: Asia, Nepal, Travel Journal Tagged With: Asia, Buddhist, earthquake, faith, Kathmandu, monkey, Nepal, stoupa, Swayambhunath, temple, travel

In-and-Out: The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO

19 June 2016 by Raul 3 Comments

I headed to Denver to see friends and as luck would have it, an afternoon in Estes Park was in the books for me. I would have about 3 hours to spend in Estes Park so I checked TripAdvisor for some quick ideas on what to see while there. I had driven through Estes Park multiple times a couple of decades ago when I spent two summers in Boulder, Colorado to get to the Rocky Mountain National Park but I had never stopped in Estes Park. I had no memory of it.

So, The Stanley Hotel came up in the search and it offered a 1.5 hour tour. My local friends briefly shared about the hotel so I made up my mind and bought my ticket ($23 since I was not a guest at the hotel) for the 11 AM tour.

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Grand hotel indeed!

I made it with barely a second to spare before the tour began. Scary Mary saw me walk in and asked if I was Mr. Pino. I said yes and immediately asked her if I could run to the restroom – I could not fathom an 1.5 hours waiting to go… (did I share too much?) She allowed the extra minute and I was glad.

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Scary Mary introduces us to the tour

Scary Mary, her self-proclaimed name, was funny and quirky and made for a great tour guide mixing deep knowledge about the place with humor and the dramatic touch when it came time to talk about ghosts and other supernatural stories.

The Shining and The Stanley Hotel

The hotel is more famous not for the quaint story of its birth but because of its ties to the movie “The Shining” with Jack Nicholson.

Art based on The Shining

It seems the hotel was the inspiration Stephen King needed when he stayed at The Stanley back in 1974. The hotel was about to close for the season but King convinced the staff to let him and his wife stay overnight. Maybe they pranked him when they placed him in the haunted room 217… (We also hear Jim Carrey should be asked about his stay in this room…)

Room 217, Estes Park, Colorado, Stanley Park, The Shining

Haunted Room 217

While the hotel was the inspiration for the movie, it was not the actual location where that movie was filmed. Most was filmed in a studio set and exterior shots were done at a lodge near Mt. Hood. Of lesser fame than The Shining, perhaps, is that the hotel was featured in “Dumb and Dumber” – especially a run up its main staircase by the two principal characters of the movie!

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The main staircase

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Looking down the main staircase

A little of the history of the place

The tour begins with the story with how Freelan Oscar “F.O.” Stanley and his wife Flora got to settle there. The Stanleys were an East Coast couple who had taken a trip to Colorado to help F.O. recover his health. He was pretty much almost at the brink of death as he left Denver for a time in the mountains at Estes Park. He made an incredible recovery and proceeded to build the hotel there as a way to have something comparable to the East coast life they were used to when they came out West, a place they had grown to love.

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Registration counter in the lobby with photos of F.O. and Flora (I presume…)

There are a few stories about supernatural events but those are best heard from Scary Mary, not me 🙂 But I will say there is a special force right smack in the middle of this staircase on the 217-side of the building… Some kind of vortex if I understood right.

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The vortex staircase

The Stanley Hotel today

The lobby clearly retains a feel for the past with the heavy woods and furniture arrangements. While the setting of the hotel is spectacular, and the lobby and its spaces feel special, the main guest room floors do feel a bit drab.

Lobby

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Guest room floor

The maze in front of the hotel was an ‘add’ to the grounds after throngs of visitors kept asking about the maze that shows in The Shining. The hotel owners, I suppose, decided to play along and installed one (in its early stages of vegetation growth at the moment…).

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The maze at the front of the hotel

Back to the interior, the hotel has good touches in the decoration using vintage artifacts from an automobile to mirrors, large and small.

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Old fixture for fire hose

The views from the front porch – and I presume, the rooms – are pretty spectacular with the town below and the mountains beyond. A key selling point to the hotel, I am sure!

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Views of the Rockies from the front porch

The bar is pretty cool in its design, decor and feel. There is an outdoor restaurant in the back. I did not get to try neither the food nor the drinks so that may be left to a future visit! I would love to stay there in the dead of winter sometime!

I leave you with some other photos of the main building and the second guest room building.

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Filed Under: Colorado, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: Colorado, Estes Park, history, lodging, photos, Rockies, Rocky Mountains, Samsung Galaxy S7, Stanley Hotel, tourism, travel

In-and-Out: Superior, Wisconsin

2 May 2016 by Raul Leave a Comment

On a business trip last year to a place north of Duluth, Minnesota, we arrived late at night so we stayed in Duluth and then we would head north to our destination. Not much time to do much before heading north was a bummer because every place has a story and Duluth is no different and no less interesting even if it is not a household name for the vast majority of folks.

The next morning, we were planning to leave 10ish and with the time difference I knew I had a couple of hours to spare. I learned that Wisconsin, a state I had never been to, was just across the bridge from Duluth. Not one to waste an opportunity to add one more state to the list, I informed by co-workers that I would be getting up early and driving to the town across the water: Superior, Wisconsin (aptly named as it sits on the shores of Lake Superior…). It sits on the westernmost tip of this huge (sorry, popular word these days) lake in pretty much the northwestern corner of Wisconsin. Upon announcing that I was doing this, a co-worker said she would come – that’s the spirit!

I-535, Duluth, Superior, bridge, Wisconsin

Wisconsin or bust! Dark skies ahead were not an omen.

So, we needed kind of something to go see in Superior or something to do other than drive in and drive out. So, in this world of smartphones, that was an easy thing to solve: find a coffeeshop. We lucked upon one right on the same road fed by the bridge (I-535) in a turn-of-the-century (two century switches ago: 1890) stone building labeled City Hall. The building may or may no longer serve as city hall but it is impressive enough to be one. Anyway, the coffeeshop was the Red Mug Coffeehouse and Bakery on the corner of Hammond and Broadway in the basement of the building.

Superior, Wisconsin, coffeehouse, Red Mug, coffee, bakery

The scene at the Red Mug early in the morning

I opted for coffee and a danish and enjoyed looking around this coffeehouse which seems to play live music at some point since it was set up for that. The Technics record player was a bit of vintage quite appropriate to the place. My co-worker and I used the opportunity to catch up on projects we are working on and just relax which was a good start to the day.

Superior, Wisconsin,street scene, traffic

Morning traffic. Just like L.A. or Atlanta…

Of course, I likely missed some good places to have seen (a church, a park, an old district, etc.) but that was all the time I had. And despite the original intent of the “lake crossing,” the short hop made me wonder about the industrial and maritime past that drove the establishment of towns like Superior in this part of the U.S. These parts of the U.S. were first explored by the French actually as part of the fur trade empire. This then led to Jesuits coming to make new Christians out of the local tribes. Eventually Hudson Bay Company and others also established trade with the local tribes. Much later, these “city-ports” became the outlets for manufacturing and natural resources from the north and midwestern U.S. onto waterways that could get the goods elsewhere by sea or train). In fact, I read that the twin ports of Duluth and Superior were the most important ports in the Great Lakes for a while.

If time and money were not an issue, I think I’d enjoy driving around the Great Lakes and explore this part of the American past that help build the nation with its industrial output.

Filed Under: Travel Journal, US & Canada, Wisconsin Tagged With: coffee, industrial north, Superior, Technics, travel, Wisconsin

Evita’s “Permanent” Home: The Recoleta Cemetery

29 April 2016 by Raul Leave a Comment

In my visit to Buenos Aires last year, our hotel was directly across one of BB.AA.’s most famous sites: the Recoleta Cemetery. Why is it famous? Well, that crazy woman, Evita, is buried there. Hence, tons of tourists and Evita lovers (domestic or international) flock to the cemetery to see her tomb. I am one of those tourists. (Admitting one has a problem is the first step to recovery…) In any case, I first visited that cemetery as a young pup in 1991 and returned last year, not because I had to see it, but because, well, it was there… right across my hotel room window!

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The Recoleta Cemetery with the church to the right

The Recoleta Cemetery is next to the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Pilar and its history is tied to the church back when it had a convent associated with it. The church dates from 1732 but the cemetery is a century younger. Evita is not the only notable buried there but, likely, the most famous of them; others include Presidents, poets, Nobel laureates, etc. Now, if you want to look for Evita’s tomb in the cemetery ‘guide,’ do not look under Perón (her married last name) – look for Duarte, her maiden name…

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SPOILER ALERT: The family mausoleum where Evita’s remains rest

I’d recommend walking around aimlessly and absorbing the different mausoleum styles. It is artwork for sure.

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Typical scene at the Recoleta cemetery

One thing I will say is that staying so close to it allowed me to see the area at different times and what seemed just like a cemetery with star power became a part of town with a healthy dose of local life. Of course, I may be swayed by the Freddo‘s located a few storefronts down from my hotel but their gelato is just so good that I can’t have just one (my fellow trekkers quickly realized how crazy I was about Freddo’s gelato!).

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Freddo’s – I could not wait to take a bite…

Filed Under: Argentina, South America, Travel Journal Tagged With: argentina, Buenos Aires, cemetery, Duarte, Evita, mausoleum, Peron, photo, plaque, Recoleta, tomb, travel

My Arrivals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

3 February 2016 by Raul 2 Comments

I have arrived into Dar es Salaam three times in my life over two separate trips. On my first visit, I flew in from Atlanta (via London and Dubai). On that same trip, I went to Zanzibar by ferry – and returned from Stone Town by ferry into Dar es Salaam’s port. Years later, I hiked Kilimanjaro and on the way out of Tanzania, our flight from the Kilimanjaro airport made a short stop in Dar es Salaam on our return flight to Amsterdam. Of course, this last arrival is inconsequential and I will not talk about it in this post. But the other two bits with a little on the hotel I stayed at in Dar will be the subject of this post.

Arriving in Dar es Salaam – the first time

The airport in Dar es Salaam is, as you may imagine, not too big so not much to say about arriving there after my 5-hr plus flight from Dubai. I flew Emirates which meant service was good even though I was traveling in economy class. Of course, before leaving the airport, I had to clear the typical points of immigration, baggage claim, and customs.

I had pre-obtained my visa at the Tanzanian embassy in Washington, D.C. via a via service my employer used. That meant that I, at least, saved the messy line to get the visa at arrivals (where it was also very hot!). The visa desk sat in the baggage claim area which was chaotic and very hot as well. So, once I had my bag, I was ready to go through customs and out of the airport, on my way to my hotel.

Once outside, I found the driver our local office had sent for me – he was ready to take me to my hotel so that part of my arrival was smooth. The airport was on the small side but the arrivals area was in the shade and convenient to parking so even if I had had to wait, it would have been comfortable and safe.

As we drove into the city from the airport, the areas we drove through looked industrial at first. Eventually, we passed some residential areas that looked poor but didn’t seem to be shantytowns. In fact, it was better than I had expected though I am not really sure I had a clear mental image of what to expect.

My Lodging

My hotel was outside of the city center near Oyster Bay and next to St. Peter’s Catholic Church – right by Ali Hassan Mwinyi Rd, a main drag. There did not seem to be much around it except a church. It seemed rather puzzling. The hotel grounds were surrounded by a high wall and had a gate and guardhouse at the entrance. It was kind of like a Residence Inn (it was part of the South African Protea chain, now affiliated with Marriott but not back then).

St. Peter Catholic Church, Dar es Salaam, Oyster Bay church, where to go for Mass Dar es Salaam, travel

(Photo courtesy of St. Peter’s CC)

As I learned later, the hotel which was near Oyster Bay, was at the edge of a neighborhood of large houses where ex-pats and government officials live but, again, there was no commercial establishment in the immediate vicinity. I also eventually learned we were not far from the new U.S Embassy built after the former embassy was destroyed by terrorist bombs in the 1990s (as was the Nairobi one). This embassy was of significant size and very well secured. A little further from the Embassy lay a restaurant and shopping area (Masaki) clearly targeted at ex-pats and people of money. It was no different in a way to places we see in the U.S. and that surprised me especially the restaurant area near the Sea Cliff Hotel, where one can find a supermarket with Western products (if one needs stuff!).

The best though was a local shopping strip between my hotel and the embassy (Shoppers Plaza on Mwai Kibaki Rd.) which, though probably also geared to ex-pats, also seemed to have a local bent. There was a great little bakery, a supermarket, and a homestyle eatery that was actually pretty good (though on my first visit there I was a little hesitant…). It is where I had my first biriani – mmm!!

I did eat my breakfasts and many dinners in the hotel’s restaurant (I went into the office on a normal business schedule so did not explore much during the weekdays except the places mentioned beforehand). The food at the hotel was very good and the staff attentive but also, I could tell, fairly green (not that they were messing up, just that they seem new at the hospitality business). One big downside (especially after so many days staying at the hotel and eating at the restaurant): the same playlist kept playing over and over with maybe 5-7 songs in it… It was beginning to drive me nuts!

Returning to Dar from Zanzibar by ferry yields a mild scare…

My funnest experience was the day I arrived by ferry from Zanzibar and I accidentally skipped the path to customs (it’s all the same country but they make you go through customs on the way back from Zanzibar) and I missed my driver picking me up… I waited for like 45 mins as it was getting dark and the crowd from the ferry left. I was left alone with some local young guys and a taxi or two. I didn’t have enough currency for a taxi ride to my hotel but I figured the hotel would have to help me out on the fare… when all of a sudden, my driver comes out from the customs area! He had been waiting for me down there and had been calling folks from the local office to figure out what had happened to me. A little bit of a moment for all of us (especially when the taxi driver I was about to use wanted one of his “friends” to ride with us – which I refused to very forcefully).

Anyone have any other insights for tourists or others who may be moving there? What are some recommendations on places to live, dine, etc.?

Filed Under: Africa, Tanzania Tagged With: airport, arriving in Dar es Salaam, Catholic Church, Dar es Salaam, hotel, Oyster Bay, Protea, Tanzania, travel, where to go to Mass in Dar, Zanzibar

Happy 2016!

31 December 2015 by Raul 1 Comment

Just wanted to do a quick post in the last few hours of the year here to share my top Instagram pictures. Some are very recent but it was cool to see some of the ones from earlier in the year – it seems so far away, like longer than a year. Sometimes, that’s how things go, isn’t it?

In any case, here is my top 9 photos from 2015. A good year in many, many ways; and a tough year in others.

May 2016 bring you many good things wherever you are!

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Argentina, Chile, Portland, Tampa, and Nepal all represented!

Filed Under: Special Photos, Travel Journal Tagged With: argentina, Chile, lighthouse, Nepal, Patagonia, photos, Portland, sky, tampa, travel, waterfall

How to Do a Tour of Real Madrid’s Home | Bernabéu Stadium

28 December 2015 by Raul 8 Comments

I may not be the world’s most serious football (soccer) fan. Or the world’s 100-millionth most serious football (soccer!) fan. But I know to recognize where history happened, where history happens, or where history will happen. Madrid‘s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is all three and I was looking forward the tour of Real Madrid home stadium. It is well-known to be a great tour so well worth the cost to go in. Bernabéu, which seats over 80,000 fans, is the seat of Real Madrid, a football team over 100 years old (the stadium dates from 1947). Real Madrid is the most valuable football team in the world, valued at over $3B. Yep, that is a “B.” And this is their home.

Doing a Tour of Real Madrid’s Home

To go, you can buy tickets in advance on the team’s website or just approach the ticket window by Gate 7 which is what we did. The stadium is opened just about every day of the year for tours which is nice as sometimes as a tourist you don’t know the local holidays m(but watch out for game days!). There is an option to get an audioguide which helps understand what you are looking at though many things do not need an explanation… easy savings of 5 euros if you don’t use it. Do note that wheelchair access is not possible through every bit of the tour due to stairs, etc. Price may change over time but assume around 25 euros for an adult.

Getting to Bernabéu

Getting to the stadium is pretty easy: it is next to a metro stop of the same name! (Santiago Bernabéu). We walked from our hotel along the main boulevard on which the stadium is located (Paseo de la Castellana). Doing so gave us time for a nice walk and enjoy the diverse architecture of that part of Madrid.

What You Will See on a Tour of Bernabéu

The tour takes you through the history of the club showing famous trophies, shoes and other items in a multi-media and interactive setting.

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One can listen to stadium sounds in this exhibit

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Raul’s shoes in a display of famous players’ shoes – no favoritism here

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Exhibit showing Raul’s best goals

The museum really helps emphasize, though its interpretation, the glory of the Real Madrid club. Beyond this, the visitor gets to see the field of play as spectators do from a high vantage point and, later, as players do: right from the field and from their bench!

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Top seating area – not a bad seat!

On the field! And I sprinted across its width too

The lesser known but more impressive Raúl

The tour takes the visitor back door through the locker room and other spots before leading the visitor, surprise, to the stadium store – of course.

Players’ showers

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The locker room (wonder if they need to see their photo to remember their spot…)

Bernabéu is an incredible place, I am sure, to watch a match. I hope to re-visit it one day as a spectator but, in the meantime, a tour of Real Madrid’s stadium will have to do!

This is one amazing place to check out in Madrid! Pin to your travel board!

To visit Real Madrid’s website, go here.

Check out these other posts about what else to see in Spain!

Filed Under: Europe, Spain, Travel Journal Tagged With: Bernabeu stadium, famous sports arenas, football, futbol, Madrid, Real Madrid, soccer, spain, tour, travel

Kathmandu’s Great Boudha Stupa – Still There after the Earthquake

1 December 2015 by Raul 2 Comments

One of the most beautiful sites in Kathmandu, Nepal is its Great Boudha Stupa (or Boudhanath Stupa). First and foremost, it is a beautiful statement of faith, the largest such Buddhist structure in Nepal and the largest outside of any in Tibet. That Kathmandu’s Great Boudha Stupa is pleasing to my eyes is a far second from that but, still, for this first time visitor to areas with a strong Buddhist influence, its physical beauty is indeed powerful.

Sadly, I only got to see if after the earthquake of April 2015 so I missed seeing the stupa tower, the lotus, and the umbrella portions of the stupa which came tumbling down with the quake.

ticket, entrance pass, Great Boudha, stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal, Buddhist, Buddhism, travel, tourism — The Great Boudha Stupa

The stupa: a place for faith

The stupa is very large in diameter. The faithful, and those of us who respect them, walk around in a clockwise direction turning the prayers wheels with their prayers and stopping at different points for prayer. The faithful believe one of the earlier Buddhas is buried under the dome of the structure.

Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, prayer wheel, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism, marigold — People stopping for prayers along the way

Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, marigold, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism — Marigolds everywhere add color

Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, prayer wheel, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism — The prayer wheels

There are some monasteries around it but the buildings around it also house shops and workshops where local artists create their pieces.

Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism — The district around the stupa

Lhakhang, monastery, Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism — Lhakhang Monastery

My favorite visit was to a shop with its associated workshop on the second story. We got a nice explanation of the “emblematic” paintings we laymen just associate with Tibet and saw a few of the artists at work, painstakingly working on their creation.

Tibetan art, painting, Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism — Artist at work

The stupa: a place of beauty

Halfway around our walk, we got up and a little closer to the dome which still remains unapproachable due to damage for the quake and on-going repairs to the site. From there, one gets to higher ground to look around and get closer to the items near the dome. I leave you with some final photos that are evocative of the beauty of the entire site!

Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, dome, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism, color — The damage to the dome is evident

Filed Under: Asia, Nepal, Travel Journal Tagged With: Bodnath, Boudha, Boudhanath, Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhist, Kathmandu, Nepal, stupa, temple, Tibet, tourism, travel

Images of Another Northern Town – Husavik

28 November 2015 by Raul Leave a Comment

Husavik is certainly not the most visited spot in Iceland as many tourists tend to stick to Reykjavik, the South Shore and the Golden Circle and Husavik lies well in the north. But, when I visited Iceland last year, we had opted to spend three days in Akureyri, much closer to Husavik. That was such a great call! The north was beautiful (Godafoss was awesome) and also a great launching point for some whale watching, which we greatly enjoyed. We picked a whale watching tour out of Husavik which afforded us the opportunity to, even briefly, see this charming northern town. Here are some images from our brief time there.

Click on the photo to see it bigger!

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My delicious and fresh lunch in Husavik!

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Interior of the church by the water

Church by the waterfront in Husavik, Iceland

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Church near Husavik

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Husavik port and whale watching boat

View towards the port of Husavik from town

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Lunch time!

Filed Under: Europe, Iceland, Travel Journal Tagged With: Husavik, Iceland, northern town, sightseeing, tourism, travel, whale watching

Building a School in Kumari, Nepal

26 November 2015 by Raul 8 Comments

Prior to my trek in the Himalayas along the route to Everest Base Camp, I spent 3 days in the village of Kumari, Nepal thanks to Trekking for Kids‘ work to support this village. The village, as many places in Nepal, was severely impacted by the April 2015 earthquake that struck the country.

The recently-built medical clinic was quite damaged and the school that served about 400 children was pretty much destroyed.

Nepal, earthquake, damage, Kumari, medical clinic, Nuwakot

Most damaged part of the clinic

Trekking for Kids had planned a trip to Nepal (it has been going there for years to bring hope to orphaned kids via its treks) and chose to direct the funds raised by us trekkers towards the re-construction of the school. The school certainly will provide a better environment for the kids to receive education but it will also encourage parents to send the kids to school which helps reduce the risk that human trafficking poses for these children.

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Makeshifts structures -and outdoor spaces- serve as temporary classrooms

Teacher holding class outdoor

Our stay in Kumari

We left Kathmandu on our way to Kumari, a village development center in the Nuwakot district. Though it seems to be about 30 miles from Kathmandu, as the eagle flies, it took us about 3.5 hours. The first 1.5 hrs were on a paved road that we left after a quick stop at a roadside kiosk. From then on, we took a dirt and bumpy road that in the rainy season is impassable, driving past terraced hills and lots of green. Occasionally we would pass small rural homes and saw a little bit of life in the countryside.

In Kumari, we stayed in the medical clinic compound, a very large space that was fenced and gated. The medical clinic laid near the far end and had been badly damaged by the April 2015 quake. Though damaged, a couple of spaces were still in use for examinations and to house the pharmacy. Behind the clinic, there was a small structure housing the women’s and the men’s restrooms (2 stalls each) plus one basic shower. Along the sides of the compound were tents used by our group and others supporting the construction work and our visit. I imagine the tents were donated post-quake to help with temporary housing for locals but I think I heard tents were not very successful in Nepal as they were too foreign for regular folks. Not sure if our tents were indeed originally intended for that temporary shelter but they look pretty clean and unused. I will have to say that they were a little larger than the small two-people tents I have used before so I was glad for the extra “comfort.”

Sukman, medical clinic, polyclinic, Kumari, Nuwakot, Nepal, photo, Samsung Galaxy

The Sukman Memorial Polyclinic, our tents to the right

Staying in the compound was far better than I had been expected. The grounds are well kept, the indoor restroom was a pleasant surprise, and though I only used it one of the 3 days, it was nice to take a shower after a day’s hard work. The compound also had a kitchen and outdoor (covered) seating area so all our meals were there. I tended to wake up very early and enjoyed a cup of tea while soaking in the quiet and sunrise. It was a little cold at night but not frigid. We were a 5-minute walk to the work site (the school grounds) so all-in-all, I was pleased with the setup they had prepared to host us, not having too much time traveling to- and from- the work site so we could maximize time at the site.

A grand Kumari welcome!

When our small caravan was approaching the medical compound, we noticed a lot of people were there waiting for us. The more we walked, the more it seemed the entire district had come to welcome us. We left our stuff in the cars (someone would take care of that) and after an initial greeting which included music, we were taken up a dirt road towards the school grounds which were located above the medical compound.

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Walking from the clinic to the school grounds

As we made the final turn up the dirt road that passes the school grounds, we noticed schoolchildren were lined up waiting for us – loaded with long necklaces made from orange marigolds (like Hawaiian leis). As we walked along the kids, teachers, and others, these “leis” were placed on our necks. They must have spent long days making these (the flowers were all fresh)!! Some of us ended with a heavy yoke of these leis around our necks but it was a very joyful welcome – much appreciated!

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Schoolchildren awaiting us with the marigold necklaces!

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Some of us sporting the massive and heavy leis

After we got to the covered space that had been set up for the welcome ceremony, we took our seats and then all the children and other locals stood behind us. At the end of the ceremony, 3 hours later or so, I was very impressed the locals stayed the entire time, in the sun. There were some local figures present but maybe the draw was the two emcees (MCs) who I take had come from Kathmandu and were well-known. The ceremony entailed many speeches in Nepali or in English as well as some dances/songs by the local kids. I soaked it all in though, at that point, none of us had eaten anything since breakfast and I, for one, was hungry and trying hard not to pull something out of my day pack when so many in the crowd were probably as hungry as I was.

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School administrators, civic organizers, the MCs and the trekkers

Sweat equity

Trekkers like me commit to fundraise $1,000 towards the projects chosen for the specific trek. The projects funded are normally anchored on capital improvements or new infrastructure. In this Nepal trek, the school was the main project our funds would support. I am proud to say that my group of trekkers and I raised over $33,000, much higher than the minimum we each committed to raise (thanks to any of you who donated!). This allowed us to also fund the construction of new indoor restroom facilities at the school, something the children had never had before: one restroom with several stalls for the girls, and the same for the boys. When I go in these treks, I often leave pondering the things I have taken for granted all my life… and I am humbled at the blessings in my life.

Shree Bikash, school, Kumari, Nuwakot, Nepal, construction

Plans for the new school

One of the three days was focused on us pitching in in the construction efforts. Trekking for Kids’ approach is to ensure local labor performs the projects and local materials are used. But trekkers get to get down and dirty lending a hand. In these projects, trekkers got to help both with preparing the foundation for two of the new school buildings as well as with pouring the new roof for the restroom building.

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Foundation trenches completed, next step was to lay rocks at the bottom

I worked in the crew that helped dig the trenches for the school buildings’ foundations and then “harvested” rocks from the debris field from the former school building from the side of the hill and tossed them (via human chain) up to fill the bottom layer of the trenches. While we were happy to help, it was clear the locals who worked on the project and the local teen youth group that was volunteering to help were much more effective and fast than we were… It was certainly an honor to be able to humble ourselves for such a good cause.

Other trekkers helped prep the restroom roof before the concrete was poured by framing the area and cutting and setting up the rebar. At the point the concrete was being mixed and poured, the locals took over. It was interesting to watch their methods!

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Cutting rebar

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Roof being readied for the concrete pouring

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Roof being poured with the sewage tank visible in the lower part of the photo

Finally, our trekkers helped finish the digging of the “sewage tank” that had already been started with the use of mechanical equipment. Hard work indeed!

And just having fun

Working on the projects is something trekkers enjoy doing but trekkers always enjoy the opportunity to be with the kids. The kids made us smile with the great welcome they gave us so I certainly enjoyed giving back in this way to them. We got to be with the kids during school hours and afterwards, including one afternoon dedicated to fun and games that went late. The kids thoroughly enjoyed the mini-carnival games, the arts and crafts, and a good early dinner!

Nepal, Kumari, Nuwakot, school, Trekking for Kids, voluntourism

One of our trekkers, a former teacher, spends time in the classroom

Nepal, Kumari, Nuwakot, school, voluntourism, Trekking for Kids, Samsung Galaxy

The kids played games in the afternoon

Kids enjoying an early dinner

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At the end of the day, kids line up for parting gifts!

As for me

The treks themselves, of course, helped keep me challenged and appreciating my own life’s blessings. But, in the end, I would not be doing these treks if it were not for the opportunity to make a difference, however small, in the lives of children around the world. It is faces like these that keep me prioritizing my travel budget and vacation time for doing these treks (at the expense of doing more with my own friends and family), that keep me “pestering” friends and family for donations to fund the projects, and that keep me accepting conditions during my treks that are less than what I’d prefer during my vacations. Take a look, can you blame me?

Check out Trekking for Kids and pass the word about this great organization to others via word of mouth and social media!

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A beautiful Nepali sunset over our camp

Filed Under: Asia, Nepal, Travel Journal Tagged With: adventure, construction, earthquake, hike, Himalayas, Kumari, Nepal, Nuwakot, school, service, travel, trek, voluntourism

The Carmel Mission: Quiet and Beautiful

27 October 2015 by Raul 6 Comments

During a recent business trip to San Francisco, I made a visit of a few days to friends who live near Campbell, CA. I took the Caltrain down to San Jose – an easy and relatively cheap (at around $9 one-way) way to get out of San Fran towards Silicon Valley.

While their kids went to school, my friends and I made a trip to the coast where, among other things, we visited the town of Carmel. No Clint Eastwood sightings – bummer! But we decided to check out the Carmel Mission after having lunch in the charming downtown area. I had been to the Santa Barbara Mission over a year ago so I was curious on how this one would compare.

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Entering the mission grounds

As luck would have (is it really luck??), this was two days after the canonization of Fr. Junipero Serra who worked, died and is buried at the Carmel Mission. The timing was definitely great; I only wish Pope Francis had canonized him where he is buried!

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Fr. Serra is buried along with others in the altar area

St. Junipero Serra looms large!

The Carmel Mission is smaller than the one in Santa Barbara but by no means less charming or interesting. As with probably most missions, the center of the mission is the church with a cemetery next to it. Usually there is a vast space or courtyard in the mission and buildings, many of them much newer used for different functions.

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Rudimentary graves

Along the church’s wall

As you enter, you are properly warned that you could be at risk for an earthquake. Only in California would the obvious need to be stated in the form of a warning!

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Be warned!

As you can see, it was a clear, beautiful day (I assume this is typical for California) and I am so glad we got to enjoy visiting the mission at such a historical time!