2Ds

Photos are on Flickr at April 2009 NYC-Sardinia-Madrid Day - Thursday April 16 I arrived at my niece's on Long Island yesterday after a 2 hour delay in Philadelphia. She lives in Ronkonkoma. I went into NYC today. She of course went into work much earlier. Her neighbor took me to the train station at 9 because I had to meet the tour group at noon. I rode the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) for over an hour passing garbage strewn all along the right of way. There were many building adorned with the latest graffiti artist's work. We stopped every 5 to 10 minutes at stations with names like Ronkokoma, Wyandach, Islip and Bethpage.The scenery was all people, cars, trucks, buses, buildings, housing developments, and the only open spaces were cemeteries. The train was relatively ... read more

Machu Picchu & the Galápagos Lima • Cuzco • Machu Picchu • Galápagos • Quito February 26 - March 16, 2009 From the O.A.T brochure: Follow in the footsteps of the ancients as you explore the magnificent ruins of the “Lost City of the Incas” … swim in an unspoiled cove, a rollicking sea lion your playmate … peer into the limpid eyes of a giant sea turtle. Two of Latin America's most important cultural and natural marvels await your discovery on this singular adventure: the legendary ruins of Machu Picchu and Ecuador's Galápagos Islands—a living laboratory of Darwin's landmark theory of evolution. From the city to the country, we discover the vibrant cultural legacies of Peru and Ecuador—and enjoy an overnight stay and plenty of time to explore Machu Picchu. And on our six-night adventure ... read more

We went to French Polynesia for a 2 week cruise to celebrate Ds birthday and our 25th anniversary. 3/18 - South Pacific Day 2 Bora Bora Yesterday we left Tahiti and embarked on the Paul Gauguin. After another good breakfast our bags were picked up by GCT and we were boarded on busses for a tour of the area. We visited the home of the author of Mutiny on The Bounty (name ??? James Norman Hall), got some beautiful views of the Bay and, generally, saw a little of the area. One stop was fun because several generations of a family were having a Tahitian tailgate party with lots of singing....and many smiles. As all the travel guides say....the Tahitians are a warm friendly people. From there we drove to the ship and were on board ... read more