Tel Aviv

I arrived in Tel Aviv at 6 or 7am - who knows - less than three hours sleep on the flight from Barcelona. Luckily my hotel had a room early, so I slept until 11am. I then walked along the beach, only one block from my hotel. I bought a phone card, got cash and a few groceries. Most shops close at 3pm on Friday for the Sabbath. It was even difficult to find a restaurant for dinner.

On Saturday I was going to take a bus tour - but there were no busses, not even public ones. So I walked to old Jaffo, over 4 miles, only to find my favorite restaurant (and waiter) closed. And now, I had to walk the four miles back to my hotel. I was going to stop at the Carmel Market, but figured that would be closed too. There were lots of people on the beach and on the boardwalk. There was one group of people doing traditional Israeli dances (only one gay couple participating).

On Sunday I took an all day tour to northern Israel. We started in Caesarea, the ancient Roman Capital and port. We walked through the archaeological ruins and excavations and sat in the theatre. We continued to Haifa, a very modern city high on a hill. We visited the Bahai garden and viewed the Haifa port. The next stop was Acre, the Crusader underground city and crypt. We then drove to Rosh Hanikra to visit the limestone grottos. We were lucky, because the sea was rough and there was a lot of wave action in the caves.

Sara - DO NOT READ THE NEXT PARAGRAPH.

On exiting the tiny cable car from the grotto, we turned left and were at the border to Lebanon. Of course, the border is closed now, but I was 20 yards from Lebanon.

On Monday I visited the shopping center, looking for another cycling shirt. I then visited Carmel market and got lots of interesting photos - which will be posted in a few days. On the walk back to my hotel, I purchased an interesting metal sculpture - a multi-colored cyclist. I bought this instead of the shirt.

I left the hotel and make my way to the airport for my long journey home - via London and Miami.

Barcelona

Well I made it to Barcelona, bad back and all, and I have two days to do three days worth of sightseeing. No problemo. The Axel Hotel is in a great location, very near the University of Barcelona. Before setting out, I went for some tapas, which is really a great idea - we need more tapas restaurants in the US.

My first stop was the Museum of Art, high on a hill. I then visited the Olympic Center, where there wasn't that much to see. In the evening I went to see Mamma Mia in Spanish. I was going to the ticket office and someone told me they had an extra seat. I was 10th row center and paid less than face value. What a bargain. The show was just as good as on Broadway or the West End, except it was all in Spanish, even the songs. I loved it anyway.

Day two started early with the Dali Museum. I then walked to the Gothic Quarter and visited the Barcelona Cathedral. I then walked through the midieval section of town to Port Vell. The weather was great and I enjoyed the walk.

Lunch was tapas and paella - a must in Barcelona. One order was more than enough for two. I then walked through the Rambla - a wide pedestian street. The Market was very colorful, with candy, fruits, vegetables, meats and fish for sale. Back on the Rambla I could have bought any type of pet imaginable, but had no way to take it home.

That evening I met my cousin Naomi and her granddaughter Jasmine. We walked the Rambla again before I left at 9pm for my 12:15am flight to Tel Aviv.

Platja d'Aro (north of Barcelona)

I spent four interesting days with my friend Robert in Platja d'Aro. I took a train from Sitges to Platja d'Aro and Robert picked me up at the station. His house is amazing, with a fantastic view of the Mediterranean Sea from high on the mountain. His sister lives with him, but she speaks only French, so we could not really communicate. And their two dogs, Ona and Poppers were very friendly.

The first day was rainy, but we ventured into the resort town for lunch. On the second day we went to two midieval villages - Pals and Peratallada. Both different, but interesting. On the way back I purchased some interesting kitchen utensils, that you can't find in the US. The weather was great in the morning, sunny and in the 50s. That evening Robert and I went to a local restaurant and had a paella type dish, made with pasta. I forgot what it was called.

Day three we went to Girona, and visited the old Jewish quarters. The rest of Girona is just a city. The bridge pictured was designed by Eiffel, of the Paris Tower. I spent the afternoon reading. Robert made typical French dinner, and I'm waiting for the recipe to treat my friends.

The next day I was supposed to go to Barcelona, but I pulled a muscle in my back and could hardly move. Robert was kind enough to let me stay one more day. He took me to the train the next day and I made it to the Axel Hotel in Barcelona.

Sitges - Spain

Since I had two extra days - having left Cairo early - I made my way to Sitges, which is just south of Barcelona. Eric and I visiting there a few years ago and had a great time.

The train from the airport was free - maybe because its a holiday week here. By the way, Happy Easter and Passover to all. The weather was pretty cool, but the sun was out for two days. I walked miles along the beach. The most difficult adjustment when visiting Spain is waiting until after 9pm for dinner. But the food was worth waiting for - great paella and Spanish wine.

There´s lots of shopping in Sitges, but with the euro costing $1.57, there were absolutely no bargains. So I wandered up and down the narrow streets, just window shopping and people watching.

Today I left Sitges and am visiting my friend Roberto, about an hour north of Barcelona. I´ll tell you about my visit in a few days. Today its raining and I didn´t get to see much of the town. His house is amazing - high on a mountain overlooking the Mediterranean. Hope the sun is out tomorrow so I can get some amazing pictures.

See the Pyramids Across the Nile

Well I've spent three days in Cairo. I'm glad I came but even more glad to be leaving tonight.

I had a guide for the three days, which made getting around and seeing everything much easier.

On the first day, I had some trouble contacting my guide - he had his cell phone off (sounds like someone I know). So I wandered around the area near the hotel. The Nile Hilton is right on the Nile River. I expected much more river traffic, but only small boats can navigate this portion. Finally I reached my guide and he took me to the old part of Cairo. We stopped for something to drink, and I had a warm milk, coconut, nut concoction. It wasn't that bad, but not as good as a gin and tonic.

The traffic in Cairo is horrible. Pedestians have no right of way. There aren't even any crosswalks. You just walk between the cars across 6 or 8 lanes, and pray. By the third day I became a pro.

There were many stores and street vendors in the old city trying to sell me everything I don't need. Adel, my guide, told me just to ignore everyone. We stopped at a local restaurant for an Egyptian lunch, which for me was chicken soup and roasted chicken. We then went back to the hotel, since he had a class at 5pm. That evening I stayed in the hotel, not really willing to face the Cairo traffic alone at night.

On day 2 we headed for the Pyramids in the morning. What an impressive sight. It reminded me of the first time I saw the Grand Canyon or Machu Picchu. (I know I've said this before, but pictures will be uploaded eventually.) There are three large pyramids and a few smaller. A lot of the stone facing has been destroyed over the years, but you can still climb up a way, which I did.

We then headed for the Sphinx, which was also very impressive. I think I have about 100 photos of both. I wish the sky was a little clearer, but smog is a major problem here. We then went to town for a Pizza Hut lunch. I won't even eat there in the USA.

Adel left for class, and I was supposed to go to the Egyptian Museum in the afternoon. However, I wanted to change my flight, leaving Cairo two days early. This became a major problem, since Iberia does not fly from Cairo to Barcelona any more. I only had one flight coupon, so I was told I could only get to Madrid. Well after two hours, I convinced Iberia to reissue that flight coupon. I think they just didn't want to do any work.

We did get back together and visited the oldest university in the world (according to Adel). It is also a mosque and beautiful inside. We then went to the old Jewish section of Cairo (of course the only Jews there now are the tourists). The streets were packed with vendors and gift shops, and millions of tourists. There was nothing I needed to buy, so we took some time and had mint tea and watched the people.

Well that killed the afternoon. I went to the hotel pool and read for a while, before a nice fish dinner in the hotel.

Day 3 we went to the Citadel, and visited a few mosques there. Each one was very different, but all full of tourists. By the way, the admission to most of the sites was about 50 Egyptian pounds, or $10, the locals pay 2 Egyptian pounds, or a quarter.

In the afternoon we went to Nasr City, to a large modern shopping mall - one of the nicest I've ever been to. The prices were outrageous though, a t-shirt for $40. We then returned to the hotel.

In the afternoon, I visited the Egyptian Museum. They might complain that a lot of their artifacts have been stolen by other countries, but they had more than enough for many hours of viewing. Mummies - humans and animals, sarcaphagus, coffins, jewelry, and the best was the King Tutankhamun exhibit. The amount of gold in his tomb was amazing. He had about 20 gold necklaces and at least 15 rings. Then the famous gold mask covering his head. That´s so his spirit can recognize his body when he comes back to visit.

Back at the hotel for another 5 hours, I sat by the pool, prepared this post, had dinner and left for the airport at 9:00pm. Needless to say, the traffic was bumper to bumper for miles, but I got there in time.

I'm glad I visited Cairo, and I will be glad when I get to Spain. I know my cousin Sara will also be glad I'm leaving Egypt.

London Theatre

I'm staying right in the heart of the Theatre District in London. I'm renting a room in a flat, which is like being in the middle of Times Square in NYC. The noise is loud at night, but I could not have picked a better location.

I arrived Thursday morning, after a long flight from Rio. At least I slept most of the way. I took the Underground to Leicester Square and walked to the flat. I then went to see what shows were available.

But before the theatre, I must have crispy duck in China town, only two blocks from the flat. It was excellent.

In the afternoon I saw The History Boys - not at all like The Jersey Boys (which is also playing here). Front row seat, what more could I ask. The History Boys is about a nonconventional way of teaching a high school class on how to get into Oxford or Cambridge. I missed some of the English humor, but it was an excellent play.

For dinner, I opted for Indian food, which I hear is now the national dish in the UK.

That evening I saw Monty Python's Spamalot. What a fun show - eighth row center. I was going to see it in Orlando, but I hate the theater there - too large. Most of the West End theatres are small and intimate. I had a one block walk back to the flat.

On Friday I again went to the TKTS booth and got a matinee ticket for Chicago and an evening ticket for The Lord of the Rings. I've seen Chicago before, but it was interesting hearing a Brit trying a Chicago accent. This time I was only in the second row. All the actors were beautiful, which is one of the reasons I really like Chicago.

Lunch was my crispy duck again.

The best show of all was the musical of Lord of the Rings. The stage and costumes reminded me of a Cirque du Soleil production. It was a three hour show, which was needed to tell the full story. The stage revolved and went up and down in about 20 sections. Things were constantly happening, with the actors on stage and in the audience even before the show started. The Orcs came out into the audience during the second intermission, and scared many people. I don't know if this will every make it to Broadway, but if it does, a definite must.

Since I only had 30 minutes between the shows, dinner waited until after Lord of the Rings. Then I wandered around Soho until well after midnight.

Today I went to get a matinee ticket, but there was nothing I really wanted to see, so I'll wander around London until this evening, when I'm going to visit my good friends - Ann and Norman Shuker. Then tomorrow, I'm off to Cairo.

Rio de Janeiro

What a difference the sun makes. When I was here two years ago there was no one on the beach. Its been packed the last three days - especially on Sunday when I arrived.

On Sunday I got here around 3 pm, and went right to the beach. What beautiful people populated the beach. I sat at a kiosk and sipped a caipirinha, the national drink, and watched the people. I will make them for those attending my 60th birthday party. There was a group of samba dancers that took hours wandering up and down Ipanema beach.

For dinner I had two caribbean lobsters - Italian style. The salad was enough for three and the lobsters enough for two, but I finished every last drop.

On day 2 I took a citytour, which included the soccor stadium (yippee), downtown, the Cathedral - a very modern one with beautiful stained glass, Sugar Loaf (which you reach by 2 cable cars), and the Christ Statue. Again, pictures to follow. I was very surprised with lunch. We started with a buffet, but then, like a typical Brazilian steak house, they came around and carved beef, chicken, and pork at your table.

Time for a siesta before dinner, which was grilled lobster again. It was served with a bucket of flaming butter. Very rich, but delicious.

On day 3, Tuesday I think, I finally went running. I missed my Frontrunners group in Buenos Aires and Easter Island, so in Rio I joined a group of young military men in training. For my Orlando Frontrunners, we need to find a similar group to help us along on our 3 - 6 mile runs or walks.

I then walked the entire Ipanema and Copacabana beaches. On the return I took the shopping street, but there really was nothing to buy.

I visitied the H Stern showroom in the afternnon, and saw how many different gems are mined in Brasil. In the showroom I saw a watch I loved, at $4,400, the most expensive, of course. But I did leave with some uncut gems, that my be worth millions. I have an aquamarine, a citrine and a tourmaline. These go to the highest bidder. I walked back to my hotel, the shops lining the street were like 5th Avenue in NYC.

After talking to Eric, which I try to do when he knows where his phone is, I went to the beach for another caipirinha and watch a cruise ship leave Rio de Janeiro.

Three great days and getting ready to fly off ot jolly olde England now.

Easter Island

I arrived in Easter Island, Rapa Nui, late Wednesday night (March 5). My host, Cecilia, was there to greet me with a traditional lei, which she made. The accommodations were not up to my 5 star standards, but what do you expect for $55 a night (23,000 pesos). A clean room, shower and no air conditioning or fan. I later found out that no one had air conditioning in their hotels or cabins at $200 a night. I think I will survive three nights.

On Thursday I took a tour of the Rano Kau Volcano. Long inactive, luckily, but very impressive. The guide didn't speak English, so I only picked up part of the history. Each year there was a competition to see who would be king for the next year. The tribes went to this treacherous small island to search for a hidden egg. Of course the royalty didn't go - they sent their warriors. The winner reigned for the next year. This practice ended when the missionaries arrived in 1860. Maybe we should use the same method for electing our president. It might be more fun.

In the afternoon, I walked along the coast looking for Moi - the giant statues. I saw about 10. The temperature was probably over 90, so I went back to my non air conditioned room for a siesta.

During the night I was awoken by the sound of many dogs howling. There must be 1000s of wandering dogs on the island, and apparently they stay up all night. Next came the roosters - not at dawn, but at 2 am. Again, there must be 1000s of roosters, keeping all the tourists up. Luckily I had some earplugs from the flight, and was able to get back to sleep.

Friday I took a full day tour of the island. I learned that at one point or another, all the Moi were toppled over - either they never made it to their platform (only 1 out of 3 gets to their location), they were knocked over during local civil wars, or a sunami took them out. There are probably only 25 standing today. The 12 I saw were re-erected by a Japanese company. Pictures will follow, I promise.

We then visited the quarry where the Moi were carved out of rock. Hundreds remain partially buried or in the process of being carved. To this day, no one knows how the completed Moi made it from the quarry to their final destination, which can be miles away.

At one point during our ride, the driver stopped the car and we rolled backwards, uphill, due to a very strong magnetic field - or maybe it was the magic from the Moi.

The island has 5000 residents and 4000 horses. One decided to get in the path of our car, and luckily we were going slow and there was only a small dent in the car, the horse appeared to be unharmed.

After a picnic lunch we ended the afternoon with a refreshing dip in the cool South Pacific Ocean waters. After dinner I saw a beautiful sunset but forgot my camera.

Everything on the island was very expensive since its all flown in, even the bottled water. The fish is all locally caught, but still expensive. My ATM card did not work. Glad I got $100,000 pesos in Santiago. Hope the card works in Rio - my next stop.

Adios Buenos Aires

Today is a travel day, from Buenos Aires to Santiago to Easter Island.

Since my last posting I visited some more interesting sights in Buenos Aires. I revisited the Casa Rosada, where Evita spoke from the balcony. I then headed to the port for my day trip to Colonia, Uraguay. The first office I went to told me there were no more seats available, but since I was at the wrong building anyway, I hoped when I found the right building I could get on. Well I made it with five minutes to spare.

It was a large ferry, that even served champagne in first class. After an hour crossing, I found the small town, had lunch and walked around. I also visited their new shopping mall. Well let me tell you, it was hardly worth the 15 minute walk. There may have been 20 stores in total, and absolutely no bargains.

Well I still had a few hours before the return ferry, so I relaxed in the city park. I was in Colonia for five hours, about three too many. It will not be on a future adventure, but I do get to add another country to my list.

I had dinner at the modern port, where all the warehouses were converted into fancy restaurants. I had my last argentine steak, and let me tell you, I have never had such a large steak - almost a pound. All for $15 including vegetables. My wine at $20 was more expensive, but just as good.

I walked back to the hotel, trying not to gain too much weight. And then this morning I headed out to the airport.

I have no idea where I'll find a computer in Easter Island, but I will look.

Oh - by the way - Eric lost his phone so now I can't even call him.

Until my next update.

What´s New Buenos Aires

Getting here was a bit of an adventure. Of course I flew from Orlando to Los Angeles to Santiago and then Buenos Aires to get lots of miles. The good thing was that I was on two of the newly configured LAN flights, with fully reclining business class seats.

My hotel is in the Recoleta section of town, a very active and vibrant area. My hotel is really an apartment building and I have a great room.

I met my guide, Ruben, in the afternoon and off we went to lots of out of the way places.

We started at my favorite train station, the one in the film Evita. But to my surprise, there were three train stations in that section of Buenos Aires. Then we took a subway to BA´s fourth train station.

We passed the building where Eva Peron had her foundation, where she took millions for herself.

We then went to the older San Telmo section of town, where many immigrants were housed in very small rooms, some of which are still standing and have been converted to retail space.

Next stop was the newly opened gay Axel Hotel where we stopped for a drink.

Dinner, of course, was a fantastic Argentine steak and a half bottle of wine. A truly long day, having walked over five miles.

The next day I slept in till 10am.

I went shopping in the morning, walking over 5 miles to my destination. I took the subway back into town to meet my guide for lunch, another amazing steak. The subway was free, there was some sort of strike. Its a bargain anyway at about 25 cents.

After lunch we went to the leather district - leather coats that is. Now Eric will not be able to complain that all he got was a t-shirt. He now has a fine leather coat, from the same store I got mine two years ago.

We had to take a bus back, since the subways were on strike. We stopped at a big mall, which was previously an old produce and meat market.

I went to a pharmacy to buy my medicine, which is much cheaper than at home. This time the price difference was not that great after taking into account my coinsurance. But my guide suggested a generic pharamcy and I got my medicine for $4 a month instead of $43.

Tonight I´ll probably go for Italian food - there´s a huge Italian population in Buenos Aires.

Tomorrow I might go to Uraguay, if I get up in time for the boat.

Sorry there are no pictures yet, I need to learn how to upload them.

Adios for now.

First Stop LAX

I had a wonderful flight from Orlando to Los Angeles. I better get over adjusting to a 3 hour time change, later on the trip I'll be facing 10 hour time changes. In a few hours I'm off to my favorite South American city - Buenos Aires, Argentina. I'm sure I'll have argentine steak every night.

I spoke to my three nieces - Rachel was at my sister's house and is getting ready for her trip to San Diego, Lisa call last night to tell me to have a great trip, and I just called Staci, who is starting her St. Patrick's Day celebration in Hoboken today.

I also talked to Eric - who had his phone off all day, no surprise. Maybe all the blog readers can help him come up with some hobbies to do in his spare time, after all, I'm not there for him to bother during the next five weeks. His goal is to come up with 10 hobbies before he retires but lets get those suggestings rolling.

During the week I spoke with Evelyn, Dianne, Sara and Naomi. I hope to see Naomi and her granddaughter when we are both in Barcelona for one day. I'll let you know more when I'm there.

Signing off for now - manana estoy en Buenos Aires.