SouthWest USA - Part 2 Grand Canyon

Wednesday 23rd April  our trip took us through the spectacular Oak Canyon and onto Grand Canyon. No matter how much you read about the Grand Canyon or how many photographs you've seen, nothing really prepares you for the sight of it. It is everything, and then some, you expect it to be.

                                                          Arthur, still focused and inspirational.
                             
One of the worlds seven natural wonders, it's so startling familiar and iconic you can't  take your eyes off it.
The enormity of the Canyon is really hard to appreciate. The Canyon's immensity, the sheer intensity of light and shadow at sunrise or sunset, even its very age, scream for superlatives.

                                                               Hard to take your eyes off it.

At about two billion years old - half of the Earth's total life span. The rock at the bottom of the Canyon is some of the oldest exposed rock on the planet.

                                                    Two billion years old rock, looks relatively young.


 How do you really take it all on board, you don't! We did the South Rim, spectacular views that still left you stunned and irrelevant in nature's journey.

                                                Sunset, the view before dinner, nothing left for desert.

We dined at El Torva, the best restaurant in the village. Maureen and I dined there 36 years ago. It was still just as good.

         
                                             The final run as the Colorado River runs out of the canyon.

SouthWest USA - Part 1 Sedona

On Monday 21st April we flew into Phoenix, a typical big USA city, the 6th largest in the USA. There was little interest in the city as we were only overnighting and meeting with Peter & Marilyn Surtees who were our traveling partners for the trip. It was great to catch up with Arthur (Peter) and Maz as we had not seen them since September 2013. It was an easy catch up as they are great friends and even better traveling partners. 

On Tuesday 22nd April we travelled to Sedona. We avoided the freeways and went  the long way visiting Prescott, where Whisky Row had hotels lined up side by side. We lunched  at Jerome, a small village on the side of a mountain. It had been burnt down twice and rejuvenated as a tourist town, full of antiques and  arty stuff. Quaint and quirky it provided our first sighting of the red walls of Arizona. 

The afternoon saw us travel through Cottonwood and Bridgeport. The scenic and winding road, clinging to Mangus mountain and overlooking the Verde Valley, led us into Sedona. This part of the day made  sure we understood the meaning of red. It was spectacular. The red, very red walls of Arizona were everywhere. The  enormity and colour of the mountains was amazing. The trip was looking good.

                                                                                 

                                                      Our first sighting of the red walls of Arizona 

Our accommodation was at Briars Patch, a romantic patch of cottages on a River 2ks outside of town. A soft and quiet place to stay. 

Late afternoon found us at Cathedral Rock to test our photographic skills at sunset. The rock and colors generated did not disappoint us. Arthur was focused and the rest of us, inspired by Arthur, tried our hardest.

                                                               Arthur "Focused". Inspiring

                                                                     Cathedral Rock

                                                   
                                                                   Cathedral Rock a little later

The following morning Arthur and I left our women folk in the cabins. This was how the West was Won. We headed to Airport Drive to witness sunrise and see if we'd learnt any photographic skills from sunset.

On The Road Again

The Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, October 10th, a Thursday, through to Monday 14th October saw us head to Montreal and then Quebec to catch up with Bridget and Ray.

An eleven hour train ride took us from Penn Station, downtown Manhattan, to Montreal. For most of the day the train meandered along the Hudson River. What an amazing valley. It's a significant body of water boarded by quaint little villages that seem to have allowed time to pass them by. October is the time the leaves start to turn. The extensive range of colors made the River scenery all the more beautiful. The reds, oranges and yellows that flaunt their Autumn beauty are magnificent.  It was very easy to lazily sit and become engrossed by the combination of rail travel, great colour and the  calmness of water.

Our only distraction for the journey was the gastronomic delicacies  available. A glass of "Chardy" and a hot dog, a full beef hot dog, made the journey more enjoyable. There was of course the choice of ketchup or mustard to drown the hot dog.

Arriving in Montreal about 7.00pm our hotel was above the station. We had checked in and were at dinner by 7.30 for dinner. Ahhhh yes more food and drink. A fantastic meal in the "Beaver Room". It was old fashioned, traditional service and food choices. This was a great sedative ready for our am train journey to Montreal, all with out leaving the station. It was all a little decadent but necessary after a magnificent train journey.

I have just found this uncompleted story from October 2013. This was a weekend away with Bridge and Ray, in Quebec. It was a great weekend. We did a walking food tour of the city. The French influence, whilst sometimes a frustration within the city, was a great foundation for the food tour.

We stayed in the old part of town in a quaint hotel close to many small intimate  restaurants, which we had to sample. The city had enormous character and charm and was a great place to spend time with our fabulous daughter, Bridget, and our great son in law, Ray.

The Masters Augusta April 2014

Augusta - 2014 US Masters
Thursday April 10th - Sunday April 13th
Four days at the US Masters in Augusta has been one of the amazing experiences in our life.
TV can provide a dramatic close up, a view of every corner of the course and follow each shot throughout the duration of the game.
What it can not show is the emotion of the moment, the natural beauty of the course, the warmth and sincerity of the people working there, the enormity of the precision and organisation of the event and the sheer magnitude of the occasion of the world's greatest golf tournament.
We have been fortunate to have the opportunity to go to The Masters. Whilst we were excited, there were no serious expectations. We booked into the Augusta Travelodge, 2 miles from the course. The township of Augusta, 5 miles from the course, is a lonely and almost irrelevant town on the Savannah river.
We had done a significant amount of research on how to get the greatest amount of enjoyment from the tournament. Every day was an early start. We were up before 6.00am and at the gates anywhere from 7.00 am to 7.30 am each day. Crowd control was significant, calculated and effective.
Just walking through the gates for the first time you had the feeling that you were participating in something special. Not one thing was out of place. Every blade of grass was carefully manicured, every pathway spotless, all paint work with out blemish, this was before we got to the practice range. The rest of the course followed suite.
Our first stop, on day 1, was the practice range. We watched John Senden, Tom Watson, Mike Weir, Angel Cabrera, Ian Poulter, Fred Couples, Graeme McDowell and Rickie Fowler practice. Not even onto the course it was so easy to enjoy the significant skill of the golfers against the backdrop of this wonderful place. Remember we had not even got to the course.
With no expectations we decided that the first day would be spent walking the entire course to appreciate every hole, work out where the stands were and understand the location of the best viewing spots.
The course is magnificent, an exact replica of every photo and TV shot we had seen. We walked every hole. The Course has been built on 365 acres of what was previously a fruitland nursery comprising imported trees and plants from various countries. Each hole, named after particular shrub or tree, is now surrounded by the plant or tree after which it was named.
Single locations allowed you to see approach shots into various greens and the tee off for the next holes. Considerable thought had been given to the layout of the course.
Good locations were at the back of the 2nd green (Pink Dogwood), a par 5 which encouraged attempts to reach it in two. This location also provided a great view for tee off on the 3rd hole (Flowering Peach) and approach shots and putting on the 7th hole (Pampas). The green of the 5th (Magnolia) and the tee for the par 3, 6th (Juniper), provided another great location.
You could spend the day walking up and down the 10th hole (Camellia) which is hardest hole on the course. A dog leg to the left and then a long narrow green sloping right to left challenged every golfer. As you sat by the green under the trees thoughts of golf heaven came to mind.
Amen Corner which was made up of the approach shots to the 11th (White Dogwood) green, the famous par 3, 12th (Golden Bell) and the drive for the par 5, 13th (Azalea) was an easy place to spend a large amount of time. The beauty of each fairway, the depth of the magnificent flowering undergrowth aligning each fairway ensured you stopped to enjoy the plight of the worlds top 100 golfers as they fought and struggled to tame the course.
Two holes, the par 5 15th (Firethorn) and the par 3 16th (Redbud) was probably the most popular spot. The 15th tempted most players to attempt the green in two. For the unsuspecting a creek ran in front of the green and water completely surrounded the back of the green. Notwithstanding the golfing skill on hand many laid up. Bubba Watson, the eventual winner, went for it, on in two and two putted, a birdie.
The 16th, a par 3, with water all the way from tee to green had spectators, seated, lining the entire length of the hole. The ambience, the beauty, and the excitement of each shot was just amazing.
Of course there is the 18th hole. To spend time to see how each golfer finishes, particularly the last day, is wonderful.
There are some really great things about The Masters, that I've not observed at any other sporting event. You can buy "Masters" chairs for $30. These can be carried or alternatively placed anywhere on the course so that you can return and then sit on them. No one moves the chairs. Others sit on them but when you return they vacate them for you. After day one our plan was to get to the course very early, 7.00am, put our chairs as close as possible to the green on the 18th, usually 3 or 4 rows back, walk the course then eventually return to the 18th. This worked exceptionally well.
The respect for the game is significant. Every time, I mean every time, a player is about to play a shot there is deadly silence, you could hear a pin drop. There is no calling out.
The volunteers, the staff and security people are extraordinarily helpful and friendly. There are 400 volunteers who volunteer for 7 days. The turnover is about 20 a year. The waiting list is a mile long. Some have been doing it for in excess of 20 years.
Walking into the tournament a lady carrying a non "Masters" bottle of water was asked to either take the label off or drink the water. At one stage I thought that this was arrogance. However there is 80 years of golf tradition, enormous history, significant golf dramas and triumphs. All these enacted on the same course. It was not arrogance but respect for all that had gone before 2014 on the wonderful course.
From the tees it's a forgiving course, one that even the average golfer could handle and enjoy. However the depth of skill required for the second shot and the even deeper skill required for putting is what makes Augusta a hard course.
The food concessions should be the envy of every sporting event around the world.
There is no gouging, sandwiches $1.50, soft drinks $1.50 and beers $3.00. Concessions are available around the entire course, the wait is no longer than 5 minutes.
Even the toilets have their entertainment. There are ushers helping to ensure a smooth movement of people. The usher at the entrance will yell out "how many cubicles in the back nine?". The answer "4 in the back nine, send them through".
Everything is made easy, accessible and enjoyable.
There were many exciting moments, for us, the best was kept for the second last group on the last day, Matt Kucher and Jonas Blixt (Sweden). We had a great position beside the 18th green.
Matt Kucher played his second shot into the 18th. He hooked the ball and it headed for the spectators. His ball hit a spectator in the front row and then bounced into the lap of a spectator sitting two chairs from us in our row. The rule is that the spectator can not move until the player sees where the ball has landed and together with a rules umpire agree where the ball will be placed. Here was this spectator sitting alone with a ball in his crutch waiting for "Kuch". Matt was very accommodating and suggested to Rick ( the spectator) he'd play it where it landed. If Rick gritted his teeth all would be ok. A great moment.
There are many more stories that could be told. It was just spectacular. The respect for the moment, the beauty and danger of the course, the amazing support of every person there and the golf. Golf, almost secondary, was the clear winner. They are true professionals, great players all in keeping with this wonderful, wonderful event "The Masters".

New York's Winter Beauty

There's nothing like it, New York in the winter. It's beautiful. Today, Monday 17th February, President's Day, it's minus 10c to minus 15c. We have a brilliant blue cloudless sky, the suns shinning, snow all over Central Park, on top of all the buildings and along every footpath.

                                             
                                              Looking across the Hudson to New Jersey.
           

                                                     Central Park in the distance

                                                     Sunshine, Snow and a city's glow.

                                               The Freedom Tower and Statute of Liberty

Only a week before the Hudson River was iced over at the edges. Walking along the Hudson at minus 20c has an interesting feeling. Cold springs to mind. However the ice caught up amongst the pylons created a dramatic  theme.

         
                                                    Hudson River pylons caught in the ice.

                                                             Hudson River Ice

                                                         Hudson River Pylons
The other feeling of excitement is when it snows. There's something about walking in the snow, romance, a freshness that invites you outside. We recently walked to Chelsea, mid afternoon, an hours walk from our apartment. About 5.00pm it started to snow. It met all the dreams. We decided to walk back, stopping at a little French restaurant bar for a glass of red to warm our hearts. Sitting at the window watching, mesmerized by the falling snow is wonderful. To help us stay warmed we had a small bowl of portobello mushroom chips in tangy avocado dipping sauce, yum yum. After another 25 minutes walking we stopped at a tiny Vietnamese restaurant for a main meal. Its just so simple to do. Finally, yes another stop, for desert. Again watching the snow from inside and then once again outside catching a falling snow flake, wonderful.  

                                                      Snow falling in Central Park.

 
                                                    Columbus Avenue in the snow
It's very hard not to enjoy the snow. Dressed properly and outside in the park is so hard to beat. Those out there are filled with the same energy and appreciation of the moment.

Bishkek

Bishkek. Visit 14th November 2013 to 22nd November 2013. 

After spending a week in London we headed, for the first time, to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan.  The purpose of the trip was to spend time with Patrick and Katja, look at a guesthouse they were interested in purchasing and to understand Bishkek which is now home for Patrick and Katja. 

We had no idea what to expect. It is called the  "Switzerland of Central Asia".

Patrick met us at the airport via taxi and 30 minutes and 60ks later we were at their apartment. The return taxi trip, including waiting time, was 1100 Som, the equivalent of US $20. The city and the country is very poor. 

Our first day was spent adjusting to our arrival and walking downtown to give us a feel for the city and get some cash. It's a Visa town and there is almost no use of MasterCard. I'm sure there's a story there. On Patrick's advice I cashed US$600 which is 30,000 Som. Notwithstanding we had dinner out on at least four occasions and ordered in on another, I left town with change in my pocket. Workers are paid 500 Som or $US 10 to $4 a day. It is a poor country. 

                                                             So this is Bishkek?

                                                                                BIshkek

The main language is Kyrgy, of which we knew nothing, followed by Russian, of which we knew one word and a small smattering of English. As we had a small smattering of English, we were sweet. 

The roads are chaos. All roads were free of lane markings. An apparent four lane road could have 6 cars abreast, 2 going south, 4 going north or any other combination that would add to 6. Pedestrian crossings were used as target practice for the drivers who would often speed up as they approached the white markings. 

Our initial impression was of an extremely poor country, desperately trying to survive, using chaos as its foundation.  Quick judgements should never be made. 

Our second day saw us visiting Allah and Nicholi the owners of the guesthouse Patrick and Katja were hoping to purchase. It is a 5 bedroom guesthouse with a fully self contained granny flat. It has been owned by Nicholi's family since the 1960's, possibly earlier,  when the Soviet Union was in control. It's in a great location, a great price and has enormous potential which Patrick and Katja  will realize. 

                                       

                                                                 "Villa Real" Guest House

After spending an hour or so with Allah, Nicholi  arrived home at 4.pm. He is a prolific artist, painting everyday, and according to Allah, selling very few. His first statement after meeting us was "where's the vodka?"

I have no idea how it happened but we left their home sometime around 8.30pm after demolishing more vodka than I thought existed. As you can imagine everyone was best friends by then. Nicholi was doing Skippy impersonations around the room and I was hugging anybody I could find. I think Allah liked me. As we left Nicholi asked how long we were staying as he would like a return performance. Fortunately we ran out of time for the return match. 

                                                            Midway through the evening

                                                           Getting towards the end of the evening

We don't think there was any harm done to the negotiations. The following day was definitely  a rest day. Amazingly it was an alcohol free day. In fact 4 to 5 of the days that followed trended the same way. 

Within 30 minutes drive from their apartment there is a State Park which we visited on the afternoon of the day after the "Nicholi Ambush". The weekend before Patrick had ridden his bike 4 hours up hill through the snow, stayed the night, and returned the next day. He is clearly very comfortable, at ease, and embraces the  mountains. 

                                                    The River in the National Park

                                                                         The National Park

We all and headed out of town to Karakol on the western side of Lake Issykol. The drivers are maniacs driving at ridiculous speeds down the centre of the road on shocking, sometimes non existent, roads. 

The lake was backed by mountains, snow covered and impressive. The trip is a summertime frenzy with Kyrgys heading for sun soaked holidays on the shores of the lake. The villages are small, with limited or no infrastructure cluttered with chaos that is impossible to imagine. 

It was the mountains that continually distracted both Patrick and Katja. Patrick knew every valley, every hill and every summit. As the afternoon sun started to sink the reflection on the snow covered mountains was wonderful. 

                                                    The warmth and pleasure of the afternoon sun

After arriving at our B&B Patrick, Maureen and I decided to go for a walk around the village. The constant view of apparently poor homes and people was over ridden by their family support, the enjoyment of being with friends and sharing the moment. Not one person we observed seemed unhappy, in fact the opposite. 

On the way back to our B&B Mause tripped over a speed hump, yes that's right, and fractured her right shoulder. I'd like to say that Mause  was traveling too fast but that was not the case. It was dark and a clear case of "what was that?"

An evening in Karakol hospital was interesting. A building left over from Soviet days, with long dark corridors, poor lighting and antiquated equipment. Anyway after an hour or so, an x-Ray on very old, Japanese donated, equipment and US$ 45 we headed out of the hospital for a very quiet evening. 

Barskoon was our next destination. This was on the eastern end of the lake, which was completely surrounded by the snow capped mountains and a great distraction from the continuous crazy drivers. Before reaching the nights accommodation we headed up a valley to some natural hot springs, a very enjoyable break. The cost is US$1.50 per person for as long as you like. It is a very poor country 

Shepard's Way was where we stayed for the next couple of nights. This place is owned by Isheen and Rash, brothers in a family business of taking groups horse riding through the mountains. They are also re establishing their apple juice business after not having the necessary equipment for the last 3/4 years. The local apple growers give them 100 kilos of apples which creates 10 litres of juice. The grower gets 5 litres and Isheen can sell the remainder. 

                                                                        Shepard's Way 

They were wonderful people and our time with them was very enjoyable. There is no doubt that judgements can only be made when you have all the facts. They were considered, thoughtful and caring in everything they did. Every morning we got up to the backdrop of snow covered mountains basking in the morning sun.

Heading back to Bishkek we visited an amazing rock formation and then, within 30 minutes, headed full on into a snow storm. You'd think this would slow the driving frenzy. There was a slight slowing but chaos was still the consistent foundation for driving on the road. Bishkek in full snow was great, romantic and beautiful. 

                                                         Bishkek's Monument Valley

                                                                     Romantic Bishkek

During our stay in and out of Bishkek there were some great observations that are never available when you first arrive. 

It's all about the people. As our time went on we met some wonderfully warm, caring and intelligent people. As you become more aware of your surroundings the chaos seems to lessen. Underneath the frenzy there is some routine. Patrick, as does Katja, but more so Patrick, loves the mountains. He respects them, understands them and wants to spend time in them. 

They clearly love each other very much. 

Whilst, I would never have thought it, Patrick and Katja have done an enormous amount of work over the last 18 months, in considering the establishment of a guesthouse and, for Patrick, a high adventure tourist business. 

Every person we met, without exception and without encouragement,  spoke highly of Patrick and Katja. They spoke of the respect they have for them, their work ethic and their belief that they can be successful. They both have recognition within the city within their industries. 

It is a very poor city and country. The majority of people are simple and lazy in most of their expectations. Bishkek is changing daily. In the short space of time we were there a number of positive changes were made to various aspects of legislation impacting their plans. 

I'm not sure it's a wild frontier. It is however a frontier that presents an opportunity. From what we learnt in spending time with Patrick and Katja, from talking with their advisors and listening to their business associates, the timing is right and it's an opportunity worth following. 

New York's Longest Day 21st June 2013

Today, 21 June 2013, is the longest day of the year for New York. It is celebrated by Make Music New York. There are 100d's of musical events around the city. They are all free. The hardest thing to do is to decide what to see. After spending 3 hours madly studying the form  we have decided on four, yes only four, events to experience. Starting at Central Park, we were then to go to Cornelia Street, then to West 68 and finishing in Hells Kitchen.

7.30am saw us at Central Park Lake in Central Park to experience TILT Brass performing "Music for Wilderness Lake" Three groups of Trombone Players surrounded the lake and were led by a conductor using flag signals to lead the music. In the stillness of the morning it was magnificent.

The TILT Brass performing "Music for Wilderness Lake"

The stillness of the morning reflects New York City on Central Park Lake. 

Our next point of interest was Cornelia Street, downtown. There was the world premiere of Jed Distler's Broken Record, a piece composed for 175 battery powered Yamaha keyboards and one acoustic grand piano. Players included luminaries of the piano world, local amateur pianists, school children and city officials. The performance set a new Guinness Book record for the world's largest keyboard ensemble.

A group of the 175 players 

It's done, 175 players creating a new Guinness Book of Record
  for  the largest keyboard ensemble.

 During the course of our time there young players would come, play and sing. The amount of talent  that's walking the streets waiting for somewhere to play is significant. Cornelia Street was their playground for the day.

This is Christopher McGinnis, a 15 year old school boy, who already has his own fan club. 

A bike rider dropped in to play a couple of tunes and got the young lady in pink dancing.

La Boite en Bois. our local and favourite French Restaurant on West 68 was the next stop. The Privia Piano Bar started in Harlem and at each stop from the back of a pick up truck Nate Buccieri plays live music on a keyboard to accompany singers on the side walk. 

Nate doing his thing.

When the truck arrived at our stop we were fortunate enough the find the lady chairperson of the New York Chamber of Commerce on hand to belt out a few tunes. Her enormous jazz and gospel voice had the street rocking in no time. We could only imagine the board meetings of the NYC Chamber of Commerce being very upbeat.

The Lady Chairperson.


Our initial plan was to head to Hell's Kitchen to experience more Jazz and Gospel singing. That was until we met Gino, the owner of La Boîte en Bois. Sitting on the steps of West 68 we got to know Gino, the Italian owner of a French restaurant. We learnt about, the restaurant, his life in New York and  his  four daughters, a doctor, two in finance and one in marketing. All still single. After a couple of Prosecco  and French Chardonnay our trip to Hells Kitchen fell into disarray and we stayed on the steps and listened to the Greg Smith Group. From the Bronx, they played Hall & Oates meets Van Halen. There will be a visit to the Bronx to continue our new friendship. At 8.00pm we headed home via Ronda's for a quiet meal and reflection on the day. It was indeed the longest day for New York and its visitors.