Never too old

HEALING IN HAWAII KONA APRIL 2022 In early 2022 I began thinking about my next trip and I started reading tours offered on a travel site called Rosie’s Responsible Travel. A 21-day camping trip on the African continent caught my imagination. I began working on the required visas and immunizations. Africa is so diverse and so big and I felt a little shaky about organizing my own trip, but an ordinary packaged tour felt too tame. I backpack so I have tenting experience and guests on this journey are expected to contribute and help prepare meals, and set up and tear down our own tents. The tour company changed my proposed trip to one that starts on my birthday. It is a big one…my 80th. So the company announced my age on the paperwork, not that ... read more

STILL LISBON I left the Dormidas Silvina hostel in Alverca around noon; after my hand-washed clothes were dry. It was only a few blocks from a mall where I had a big lunch in a cafeteria. I found a Chinese import store on the lower level and bought an electrical adapter, and I got directions to the El Camino, still on the ’98 Expo walking path on the river. It was a beautiful day. I was still taking it easy. I found a café, ate a mouthwatering hamburger with homemade potato chips, and watched the people enjoying the park. Terrific. I called the hostel Vila Franca de Xira for a reservation. No answer. Just as I rose to leave, I got a callback. The man on the phone suggested I catch a train to Alhandra, bypassing ... read more

TRAVEL DURING COVID In order to allay my daughter’s fears about my bringing home Covid from my trip to Mexico I followed suggested guidelines from the Covid Prevention Center while traveling; avoid crowds, wear a mask, and keep a safe distance apart. As an additional precaution when I returned to the United States, I decided to self-quarantine, camping alone for two weeks in a State Park. (The weather was so nice I actually stayed 21 days). I am a backpacker and have hiked in the Cascades in Washington State for almost thirty years. Usually, my trips are in the high country. Sometimes I hike with my daughter and sometimes with friends, but I often hike alone. This is however, a high-density camper area and I am rarely truly alone anymore. Someone is always passing me on ... read more

DIVING AGAIN – TURKEY Our last day aboard the cruise ship was the usual; haste packing up our things, temporary loss of vital documents, confusion. Our ship arranged a ride to the airport. The flight was uneventful. I decided I had imposed on Aylin long enough. I thanked her for all her help and found a hotel for my last week in Turkey. It is closer to the marina where the dive boat is. I felt like my old self, glad to be on my own again. I also booked a hotel in Istanbul near the airport for the day before my flight back to Seattle. With that out of the way, I could relax and focus on diving. I made plans with a dive shop for three days of diving. My hotel is within walking ... read more

THE CRUISE CONTINUES Two Days in Saint Petersburg, Russia July 19th! The big day arrived. We were going to St. Petersburgh. I had been to Denmark, Finland, and Sweden before. But I had never been to Russia. Saint Petersburg - Day One We went to the Peterhof Palace and Gardens. At the entrance was the Grand Palace Church. Ah! The Russian domes. Then there were the gardens and the fountains: sixty-four fountains. The remarkable thing about the fountains is they operate without pumps. The elevation of reservoirs located in the upper gardens powers the fountains in the lower gardens. There is so much gold. Many of the statues are gilded, and even the rain could not dim their gleam. We walked for hours in a gentle rain. We had some respite from the weather when we ... read more