Advertisement
Published: November 1st 2005
Bermuda
Main entrance to the Harmony Club Hotel where we resided.—
June 27th 2004 Visa Denied
Miranda and I enjoyed our last couple of years in Peachland, but had decided we wanted to travel again. We were more than a little excited by the fact that -- after going through the interview process -- I had been offered the position of Rector,
St. Paul's, Paget (Photo), by the Bishop of Bermuda. This tiny island is a British Overseas Territory, self-governing, with its own constitution. The Brits take care of defense and foreign relations. We loved our island paradise: the beaches, the history and the people.
The capital city is Hamilton, which is where the Bishop is located. We were told that Bermuda has one of the world's highest GDPs per capita. We were also pleased to hear that although the island is in the hurricane belt, it is protected by a coral reef that surrounds the island. I can fairly say that the week I spent being interviewed felt like an all-expense paid holiday. It was also nice to hear that the Bishop and the entire selection committee agreed that Miranda and I were the right people for the job.
After a fantastic
farewell from the parishioners of St. Margaret's and the community of Peachland, we drove across Canada to visit family and friends before leaving for our new parish. We stopped in various towns and cities. Our first sojourn was Edmonton, where we were taken to the amazing West Edmonton Mall. We actually got up the nerve to go on the very high
roller-coaster. The G forces were so strong that the skin was pulled back on our faces. Unfortunately, when we were on the road two days later I discovered the residual effects of that ride: it was impossible to drive because I could not move my head. We were forced to pull in early to a small town. After some muscle relaxants and heading to bed, I was fit to travel the next day.
Driving across Canada was challenging and fun. For the most part we stayed in small towns such as
Biggar, Kakabeca Falls and Wawa. In
Kakabeca Falls we were stopped by a flat tire and ended up spending several more days than we'd planned. Although the town is small, the beautiful falls with its Indian legends made us glad we had been forced to investigate it
Bermuda
Old fashion stocks in more depth.
When we arrived in Southern Ontario we received some bad news. There was a delay in the Government of Bermuda issuing me a work permit: a major conflict between the Government and the Bishop had erupted. Miranda and I took this opportunity to do a bit of traveling. We had difficulty leaving Ontario because of SARS. Our flight from Toronto to London, England, was canceled. We ended up driving to Montreal and from there flew to London.
Camelot
London was very expensive! We stayed at the YMCA and visited the tourist sights. Then miranda And I traveled to Somerset by bus. The beauty of the landscape impressed us as we explored the English countryside. We decided to remain in
Glastonbury for a several days. Although our sojourn was not during of the festival, we met many who seemed to be living in the '60s.
Shops sold items geared to the "New Age" crowd and other stores took up the theme of King Arthur and Camelot. Miranda and I climbed to the top of the Tor. The next day we watched while people collected and drank the "magic" waters of the fountain. (One small boy, naked from
the waist down peed into the "sacred source": this stopped us from sampling the
mystical waters.)
Greece
While back in London, we broke one of our cardinal rules and booked a hotel in advance through a travel agency, paying with a credit card. We flew into
Athens and made our way to the hotel, which had been described as having a delightful rooftop swimming pool. Much to our horror, the swimming pool was being taken apart with a jack hammer and our room was only three levels below the roof. (And they began construction -- or deconstruction -- at 7:00 am.) The whole city of Athens was being rebuilt for the next year's Olympics. Early in the morning after we arrived, I rushed to the port town of
Piraeus and booked onto a ferry to take us to the islands. During our short stay in Athens we dropped by a few of our
old haunts, but, as is the way, many things had changed.
While on the ferry, we decided to get off at
Mykonos, an island we had never visited before. Miranda and I had been told that it was a party island, but since
Bermuda
The new Rector of St. Paul's, Paget, Bermuda and his wife. May 2002 FotoetimePhoto CR it was only May, we thought we would take a chance. It turned out to be a very good decision. Due to the fact that it was low season, we were able to get a "villa" (just a short walk from Mykonos town) for a very good rate. We stayed seven weeks and the locals became like family.
Rhodes was our next destination. Thanks to Anna (the manager for the
Mykonos Beach Hotel), we were met at the ferry. A young man on a bicycle announced that he was from the youth hostel and we should follow him. It turned out that no vehicles were allowed past the gated entrance.The
hostel was in the center of the
old city of Rhodes and we were fascinated by the architecture and winding lanes. I don't think we ever would have found the hostel if it hadn't been for the young man on the bicycle. He and his brother managed the place for his parents. Our room was off the
central courtyard where everyone ate their meals, played games and socialized.
Rhodes was one of our favorite destinations. The old city has several interesting historical sites such as a castle that had been used by
Farewell St. Margaret
Those who have been involved in Alpha sing at the front of the church on Bryan and Miranda's last Sunday in Peachland. the Knights Templar. We made friends with several of the people staying at our hostel, especially a very tall and imposing fellow from England named Robert. At first when we saw him we thought he would be a bit of a menacing character with his size and the way he dressed, but he turned out to be a very kind and gentle man. He and I would often sit together and play chess while drinking "Okanagan Tea" (Greek wine served in tea cups).
Turkey and Israel
From Rhodes we took a ferry to Marmaris, Turkey (an unimpressive city crowded with tourists from Europe). Miranda and I quickly found a bus to take us to
Selcuk (the modern name of Ephesus), a town of historic significance which I had always wanted to visit. It was very hot and we were hoping to find a hotel with a swimming pool. We were met at the bus by a young man who told us of a place called Artemis Guest House. He suggested we visit and see it before making a decision about another place. We walked with him to the building which was not far from the
Bermuda Holiday
Bryan invites his friends from St. Bruno, PQ, to visit him in Bermuda. They had a really good time (although we were not there). bus station, but I was still thinking of going to somewhere with a swimming pool. While seated in the lobby, we were brought a locally made cherry beverage (very nice) and met by the manager. He explained all the perks of staying at his hotel, and when I mentioned that the only thing it lacked was a pool, he said, "Follow me". We walked through a television lounge and past some washrooms into a back garden area, only to discover that he now had a newly installed swimming pool, not yet mentioned in the guide book.
All in all we spent six weeks in Selcuk/Ephesus, becoming close to Jimmy, Bron, Adem and Sheryl. The slow pace was just right at that time of year (June/July), and the pool was a lifesaver on some truly hot days. Jimmy's girlfriend, Bron, was helpful in diagnosing the infection on my leg that had shown up after my jellyfish bite. She suggested an ointment which cleared it up in no time. Miranda also took time to read several of the Harry Potter books that Bron loaned her. Jimmy, who managed the guest house with his brother Adem, was also in the carpet business
Memorial Service, Chapel, Indian YMCA, London
After news of Martin's death, Bryan reads scripture in honour of Miranda's father. He stands in front of a picture of the Himalayas. and we learned much about the different designs, colors, yarns, etc., that went into the carpets.
The
ruins at Ephesus are among the most extraordinary we have seen anywhere. Both of us were impressed, especially by the library and the communal toilet. Having booked a guided tour, I learned about the overall history of the site. Then after reading my Bible once again and I returned to explore at my own pace. There was a mystery and sacredness that still lingered among the ruins.
It was with a certain degree of sadness that we left our friends in Selcuk and boarded the bus for the long ride to Istanbul. We had asked Adem to make a reservation for us at a youth hostel, so that we would be sure of accommodation after the long bus ride. Much to our horror, somehow the reservation had gone missing and there was no room in the inn. We were sent off to a small hotel just down the block, which was pricier, but had nicer rooms.
Istanbul was fascinating. We preferred the Cem Hotel because of maintenance, privacy and
location.
(It was located just off the park between the Blue
Big Ben and Bryan
No trip to London is complete without a view of Big Ben and the Parliament Buildings. Mosque and the Hagia Sophia with a great view of the Bosphorus from the
Terrace Bar). On one miraculous day we ran into friends we had met in Rhodes and journeyed together by boat along the Bosphorus.
One of the only scary times during our travels took place on a Sunday morning in Istanbul. We were walking along enjoying the relative quiet of the downtown area, when I looked into the sky and began to see black specks. I asked Miranda if there was anything there and she responded in the negative. It occurred to me that there might be something drastically wrong with my eyes and I should get myself to a hospital quickly. We went to tourist information and they suggested the
German Hospital across the river. Immediately, we hailed a taxi and went directly to the emergency room.
The eye specialist was not on duty, but a nurse called him and described my symptoms. He told us to stay there and he would come as soon as he could. Within 15 minutes the doctor had arrived, still in jeans and casual shirt. He examined me and, in broken English and German, explained that I had a detached
London, England
A windswept Bryan with Tower Bridge in the background. retina and would need surgery. I was shocked when he told me that they would be ready to operate on me in 10 minutes. Within a half an hour I had had laser surgery on my eye and was much better. I asked the doctor why he stopped and started during the surgery as he re-attached the retina. He explained that if he held the laser on the eye for too long, the liquid in the eye would heat up and the eye would burst. I thanked him profusely for a job well done. Both Miranda and I were very impressed with the efficiency and speed with which we were dealt at Istanbul's German Hospital.
After I was sure my eye was fully recovered, Miranda and I flew to Israel for the month of September. We arrived at Tel Aviv, but spent most of our time in Jerusalem. I had arranged to meet with the Bishop of the Middle East at the Cathedral in Jerusalem, and had made myself available for a position. The Bishop asked us to attend some sessions with Israeli settlers who described their take on the situation in Israel. Later I was invited to Ramallah
London, England
Although our visit to London was short, we got a great deal of enjoyment out of walking in the many parks. to meet with Yassar Arafat. I was happy to hear the other side of the story from such a historical figure. President Arafat spoke for some time...truly a fascinating man.
We were staying at a hotel in the Arab quarter of Jerusalem. It had small but clean rooms. One morning I was told by the manager that two young Israeli men had asked to meet me by the front desk. When I arrived they began to ask me many personal questions, even going so far as to ask me the name of my favorite hockey team (when I said I was originally from Montreal). As they walked away I noticed that they each had a pistol tucked into the back of their jeans.
The hotel manager, a man from Germany, said that I had just been visited by the "Stasi" (or the secret police). Obviously my trip Ramallah to meet Yassar Arafat had caught their attention. The manager said I had done an excellent job of answering their questions during the interrogation.
"How do you know that?" I asked.
"You are still here!" was his reply.
Jerusalem was a divided city: Jewish and
Glastonbury ruins
Miranda and Bryan were fascinated by the ruined abbey at Glastonbury. Arab neighborhoods were quite separate. At the time of our visit there were few tourists and the shop keepers in the Arab quarter were hurting badly. Some of the tourist sites had even been closed but we did see most of what we had wanted to see, visiting many places on foot. For Miranda's birthday we went to the King David Hotel and had some fancy dessert (chocolate, of course). However there was constant tension due to the fact there had been a number bombings: our bags were checked carefully when getting on and off buses.
We returned to Istanbul, to discover that there was a mix up with our flight to New Delhi, the next step of our journey. It was necessary that we leave immediately because Oct 10 was the last day of our Turkish visa. We decided to go to the airport and take the flight, as postponing our trip was not an option. We prayed that things would work out.
Our trip was pretty much uneventful until we arrived in
Amman, Jordan. As we entered the airport, we were told that was no longer a connecting flight to New Delhi. Fortunately we were flying
Glastonbury ruins #2
The ruins are set in the centre of Glastonbury and lend an historic air to the town. Royal Jordanian Airlines, and they put us up in the
Alia Hotel (our meals were meals included). Although were we able to explore Amman, people with Indian passports were not allowed to leave the hotel grounds. We enjoyed our luxurious surroundings, and were therefore pleased that it took several days sort out our flight problems.
Kidnapped
It was very early in the morning when we touched down in New Delhi. Our Lonely Planet Guide to India suggested that we get into the city using a pre-paid taxi. Following their advice we paid in advance and presented our receipt to one of the drivers waiting outside Arrivals. He obligingly began to drive, and we again explained that we wanted to go to the Ringo Guest House in central Delhi.
It was dawn when the driver pulled his car into a small alley and told us that we must fill out some special forms. We objected, but began to realize that we were not in a strong position, as our luggage was in the trunk of the taxi. We had no idea where we were or how to find other transportation.
I told Miranda that I would
The National Palace, Athens
Miranda stands in Syntagma Square, right in front of Athens' National Palace stay in the vehicle while she dealt with whatever "forms" needed filling out. Inside the "office" she was told that she had to fill out a Government form to keep tourists safe from harm. (A local diplomat had been attacked recently.) When asked where we were staying, she mentioned the Ringo Guest House once again. The man behind the desk offered to let her call and check whether or not they could accommodate us.
Whoever answered the phone said the hotel was full, as was the Sunny Guesthouse (our second choice). Miranda was pretty sure that she hadn't been put through to the guest houses in question, but had no real recourse or proof. When she got back into the taxi, the driver said he would take us to another part of town called Karol Bagh and a very nice hotel. We decided to go, although by now we were quite sure that we were being scammed.
Karol Bagh
Karol Bagh was near Channa Market. The hotel to which we were taken was rather down at the heels and it was going to cost us $20 US for one night. The room was
Finally, a place to relax
Miranda leans back to bask in the sunlight on the veranda outside our room on the island of Mykonos. acceptable but nothing special. Tired and disgusted from the kidnapping ruse, we grudgingly agreed to stay one night.
We saw the hotel desk clerk pay the taxi driver his "cut" for bringing us to his hotel. I was upset and scolded the man behind the desk. He explained that if he didn't pay the "commission", he would never get any guests at his hotel. The "commission" would be split between the driver, the airport official and the police. Things had not changed much since our last trip to Delhi.
However, we loved Karol Bagh, and decided we would stay in the neighborhood. We moved to the much nicer and more reasonably priced
Ivory Palace Hotel down the street and ended up staying six weeks. In all our travels on this trip, it has been the one and only time we have had a full-sized bathtub, instead of a shower. I enjoyed soaking off the dust of New Delhi on a daily basis.
Visa to Pakistan
While in the capital city we worked on getting a visa to Pakistan. At the Pakistani Embassy we were told we would need to obtain a letter from the
Bryan and our villa.
Our home had an extensive garden which surrounded our patio. Canadian High Commission granting us permission to travel in Pakistan. The Canadian government was reluctant to give us the required letter. They said that they would do so only for certain "special" situations: as simple tourists we did not qualify.
Disappointed, we tried other ways of obtaining the travel visa, but were unsuccessful. Undaunted by the experience, we crossed India by train arriving in Calcutta. Although we visited a lot of places, our favorite was Mirik, on the border with Nepal. The area was a "preferred" tourism location for Indian vacationers. We found accommodation at an old wooden building appropriately named "The Wooden Lodge". Run by a family who also lived in their lodge/restaurant, we soon began to feel at home. We delighted in our daily walks through the cool dark woods around Mirik Lake.
The local food was very different and we became especially fond of vegetable dumplings known as "momo". The longer Miranda and I stayed, the more we felt this would be a great place to retire one day.
Links:
Photo/Mirik Photo/Mirik Photo/Mirik Photo/Karol Bagh Photo/Karol Bagh Photo/Karol Bagh
Advertisement
Tot: 0.35s; Tpl: 0.028s; cc: 13; qc: 46; dbt: 0.0827s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Bryan
Bryan and Miranda
envy form Derric
Wow! I'm crying with envy as it reminds me of my stomping days through South America in the 60s when everyone with a back-pack was thought to be communist attached to Che or Castro and shot or just simply disappeared with the aproval of the US covert operatives in those countries (no names mentioned) at least there are people who still have the common touch and milk of kindness in their viens. Stay sharp. DJJ