3 generation trip live trip report Indonesia
Aug 29th, 2018, 06:58 AM
#22
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The temples in Java are truly spectacular!
Be aware that the idea that "Buddha was the tenth incarnation of Vishnu" is common among Hindus in areas where both Buddhism and Hinduism is practiced, but that many Buddhists find that assertion insulting. I remember at Swayambhunath in Kathmandu some graffiti arguing the point. So it is by no means generally accepted.
Be aware that the idea that "Buddha was the tenth incarnation of Vishnu" is common among Hindus in areas where both Buddhism and Hinduism is practiced, but that many Buddhists find that assertion insulting. I remember at Swayambhunath in Kathmandu some graffiti arguing the point. So it is by no means generally accepted.
Sep 13th, 2018, 08:17 AM
#28
Original Poster
BOROBUDUR, JAVA
" You don't sell tickets for the sunset tour?" I ask anxiously
The teller at the Borobudur says: "No, you have to buy them at the Manohora restaurant."
I knew that the Manohora sold them but I was hoping that the Borobudur entrance would sell them also since our hotel was next door. I miscalculated how slow we were all moving, with my parents and two young children. The sun would be setting at 6pm. It was close to 5pm and we were nowhere near the Manohora on foot. Google map said 20 minutes, but it would take us 45. I thought briefly of leaving them all in a warung. I was the one after all, who really wanted to see Borobudur. But I knew they would all appreciate the site and so I started to look around for a taxi. I did not find one. I found a toothless man with a horse and a cart. When he quoted me a price, I did not even negotiate.
It seemed a bit out of a Western flying down the road, all piled up in a small carriage, waving to all the moped drivers. We did feel bad for the horse but it was trotting along without any incentive. Five minutes later we pulled in at the Manahora restaurant where we bought our tickets and got in via another entrance, very close -five minute walk-.
The sunset tour of Borobudur was as wonderful as I though it would be. The shear size of this Buddhist complex is humbling. Once the day people left, only a handful of travelers remained of the top of the Borobudur. As the evening sets in, everyone is at peace.
My parents go down first, my father being cautious about having still a little bit of sunlight to see the stairs down. I want to soak in every moment and it is pitch black by the time the rest of us go down, but the guards all have flashlights and the Manohora had given us some flashlights (my daughters favorite toy that night while walking back to the Manohora).
SINGAPORE
We are very early at the Yogyakarta airport for our morning Singapore flight and there was no traffic going in. At the airport, I am pulled in a thousand directions with a lot of requests from my family. Words are exchanged provoking a lot anxiety. After all we have been on the road for two weeks now, without any frictions until now. Maybe I could have handled it better?
I grab a banana muffin and a coffee. The children are playing in a playground at the airport. I show pictures of the Singapore gardens to my father.
Why does one travel? The answer changes so much from one person to the next. It even changes through one's life. Some travel one time. They say “it is the trip of a lifetime” and cram Europe in 2 weeks. Some never leave the comfort of the cruise ship. Some look for the off beaten places, ready to sleep on a train with a stranger drooling on them.
Me? Most of the time I chase that perfect combination of beautiful meets history. A breathing view that catch you by surprise followed by a serious dose of history such as Ambu Simbel or reading Queen Marie-Antoinette’s last letter. Then I am in heaven.
This trip is different. It started from an idea. That my father would like to see Bali and it grew from there. A lot of the time, I feel transported back by a hundred years or so, watching farmers in the rice field. I see how religion in Indonesia, Hindu or Muslim takes centerfold in someone’s life. By observing others so different from oneself, you can only grow and learn.
To come back to this trip, we arrived in Singapore after a short flight of 2.5 hours. Singapore is one place that what I imagined is exactly what it is. A sleek city, clean without graffitis, tall skyscrapers and futuristic gardens.
The Fullerton hotel is the old Imperial post office used by the British. It has this old opulent colonial (used in the sense of Singapore 's past as a colony) style. Tea time is served in a huge room. Our room has a commanding view of the harbor with the Marina Sands.
" You don't sell tickets for the sunset tour?" I ask anxiously
The teller at the Borobudur says: "No, you have to buy them at the Manohora restaurant."
I knew that the Manohora sold them but I was hoping that the Borobudur entrance would sell them also since our hotel was next door. I miscalculated how slow we were all moving, with my parents and two young children. The sun would be setting at 6pm. It was close to 5pm and we were nowhere near the Manohora on foot. Google map said 20 minutes, but it would take us 45. I thought briefly of leaving them all in a warung. I was the one after all, who really wanted to see Borobudur. But I knew they would all appreciate the site and so I started to look around for a taxi. I did not find one. I found a toothless man with a horse and a cart. When he quoted me a price, I did not even negotiate.
It seemed a bit out of a Western flying down the road, all piled up in a small carriage, waving to all the moped drivers. We did feel bad for the horse but it was trotting along without any incentive. Five minutes later we pulled in at the Manahora restaurant where we bought our tickets and got in via another entrance, very close -five minute walk-.
The sunset tour of Borobudur was as wonderful as I though it would be. The shear size of this Buddhist complex is humbling. Once the day people left, only a handful of travelers remained of the top of the Borobudur. As the evening sets in, everyone is at peace.
My parents go down first, my father being cautious about having still a little bit of sunlight to see the stairs down. I want to soak in every moment and it is pitch black by the time the rest of us go down, but the guards all have flashlights and the Manohora had given us some flashlights (my daughters favorite toy that night while walking back to the Manohora).
SINGAPORE
We are very early at the Yogyakarta airport for our morning Singapore flight and there was no traffic going in. At the airport, I am pulled in a thousand directions with a lot of requests from my family. Words are exchanged provoking a lot anxiety. After all we have been on the road for two weeks now, without any frictions until now. Maybe I could have handled it better?
I grab a banana muffin and a coffee. The children are playing in a playground at the airport. I show pictures of the Singapore gardens to my father.
Why does one travel? The answer changes so much from one person to the next. It even changes through one's life. Some travel one time. They say “it is the trip of a lifetime” and cram Europe in 2 weeks. Some never leave the comfort of the cruise ship. Some look for the off beaten places, ready to sleep on a train with a stranger drooling on them.
Me? Most of the time I chase that perfect combination of beautiful meets history. A breathing view that catch you by surprise followed by a serious dose of history such as Ambu Simbel or reading Queen Marie-Antoinette’s last letter. Then I am in heaven.
This trip is different. It started from an idea. That my father would like to see Bali and it grew from there. A lot of the time, I feel transported back by a hundred years or so, watching farmers in the rice field. I see how religion in Indonesia, Hindu or Muslim takes centerfold in someone’s life. By observing others so different from oneself, you can only grow and learn.
To come back to this trip, we arrived in Singapore after a short flight of 2.5 hours. Singapore is one place that what I imagined is exactly what it is. A sleek city, clean without graffitis, tall skyscrapers and futuristic gardens.
The Fullerton hotel is the old Imperial post office used by the British. It has this old opulent colonial (used in the sense of Singapore 's past as a colony) style. Tea time is served in a huge room. Our room has a commanding view of the harbor with the Marina Sands.
Last edited by ToujoursVoyager; Sep 13th, 2018 at 08:19 AM.
Sep 13th, 2018, 09:01 AM
#30
Original Poster
SINGAPORE
We sleep in, which means 7am.
I open the curtains. I love seeing the bay of Singapore. After a nice breakfast (with a grandiose selection enough to satisfy my father), we walk along the river. It is litter free, the trees are in flowers, interesting statues are along the way. The underpasses which do not smell of urine like Paris or New York, have been decorated by local artists. We walk pass Boat Quay and it’s big selection of seafood to Clark Quay with it’s closed nightclubs.
Later I reorganize the suitcases. I am continuing to Andalucia with my parents and my two daughters. My husband is coming back to work in the USA from Singapore but not before at least experiencing two nights at the Marina Sands. I give him all the clothes we don’t need. Lighter now, we only have one carry-on.
We visit the Garden’s by the Bay and what a treat it is! The Super Trees seem out of a science fiction distant planet. The Cloud Forest is not to be missed! It is cold and misty. There are multiple waterfalls and lush vegetation is planted on all the walls. The flower dome is a joy to see, especially the flower clouds! I am so glad we did not completely skip Singapore!
The Marina Bay Sands is a harsh contrast to the peaceful old world elegance of the Fullerton. We joke that if the Fullerton is old money, then Marina Sands is new money, with crowds trying to get the perfect picture from the infinity pool. We are guilty of it as well since I booked our last supper at Cé la Vie on the 57th floor. The loud club music while we wait for our table is too much for my father (he asks for the music to be turned down, which they do at a certain extent, but ultimately tell him “ Sir, it is a club after all”). My parents retreat to the comfort of the Fullerton.
My parents have a wonderful dinner with plenty of vegetarian options at the Fullerton. We (my husband, I and our two daughters) have a equally wonderful sushi dinner at Cé la Vie and for me Veuve Cliquot champagne. The view from the 57th floor shows us the ocean with hundreds of ships. For a moment I imagine myself Governor of Singapore sieged by the enemy fleet. It looks terrifying.
In the evening, we say goodbye to my husband who is staying behind before flying back to the States. The rest of us go to the airport. We have a chatty taxi driver giving us bits of Singapore life: such as, there are no beggars in the streets because the the city will sue the beggar’s family for not taking care him/her. A Honda car costs 138 thousand Singapore dollars. A cigarette bud falling on the sidewalk is a 200$ fine. A car cannot be kept after 10 years, you need to buy a new one, to keep pollution levels low. They are sold to Malaysia or Indonesia. One cannot speed on the highway, as the cameras are everywhere. The police does not even have to pull you over, you will get a letter in the mail. The draconian approach of past and current Singaporean presidents was extremely successful in making Singapore one of the richest and most advanced cities of the world. But there is a price to pay: the cost of living and a regimented lifestyle.
We board the overnight Singapore to Paris flight. My bid was successful in getting me into premium economy. My two years old is already sleeping. The five years old falls asleep on her seat before the plane is up in the air. My parents settle in the best airplane experience of their life: they have adjoining Singapore Suites (free with points!).
We sleep in, which means 7am.
I open the curtains. I love seeing the bay of Singapore. After a nice breakfast (with a grandiose selection enough to satisfy my father), we walk along the river. It is litter free, the trees are in flowers, interesting statues are along the way. The underpasses which do not smell of urine like Paris or New York, have been decorated by local artists. We walk pass Boat Quay and it’s big selection of seafood to Clark Quay with it’s closed nightclubs.
Later I reorganize the suitcases. I am continuing to Andalucia with my parents and my two daughters. My husband is coming back to work in the USA from Singapore but not before at least experiencing two nights at the Marina Sands. I give him all the clothes we don’t need. Lighter now, we only have one carry-on.
We visit the Garden’s by the Bay and what a treat it is! The Super Trees seem out of a science fiction distant planet. The Cloud Forest is not to be missed! It is cold and misty. There are multiple waterfalls and lush vegetation is planted on all the walls. The flower dome is a joy to see, especially the flower clouds! I am so glad we did not completely skip Singapore!
The Marina Bay Sands is a harsh contrast to the peaceful old world elegance of the Fullerton. We joke that if the Fullerton is old money, then Marina Sands is new money, with crowds trying to get the perfect picture from the infinity pool. We are guilty of it as well since I booked our last supper at Cé la Vie on the 57th floor. The loud club music while we wait for our table is too much for my father (he asks for the music to be turned down, which they do at a certain extent, but ultimately tell him “ Sir, it is a club after all”). My parents retreat to the comfort of the Fullerton.
My parents have a wonderful dinner with plenty of vegetarian options at the Fullerton. We (my husband, I and our two daughters) have a equally wonderful sushi dinner at Cé la Vie and for me Veuve Cliquot champagne. The view from the 57th floor shows us the ocean with hundreds of ships. For a moment I imagine myself Governor of Singapore sieged by the enemy fleet. It looks terrifying.
In the evening, we say goodbye to my husband who is staying behind before flying back to the States. The rest of us go to the airport. We have a chatty taxi driver giving us bits of Singapore life: such as, there are no beggars in the streets because the the city will sue the beggar’s family for not taking care him/her. A Honda car costs 138 thousand Singapore dollars. A cigarette bud falling on the sidewalk is a 200$ fine. A car cannot be kept after 10 years, you need to buy a new one, to keep pollution levels low. They are sold to Malaysia or Indonesia. One cannot speed on the highway, as the cameras are everywhere. The police does not even have to pull you over, you will get a letter in the mail. The draconian approach of past and current Singaporean presidents was extremely successful in making Singapore one of the richest and most advanced cities of the world. But there is a price to pay: the cost of living and a regimented lifestyle.
We board the overnight Singapore to Paris flight. My bid was successful in getting me into premium economy. My two years old is already sleeping. The five years old falls asleep on her seat before the plane is up in the air. My parents settle in the best airplane experience of their life: they have adjoining Singapore Suites (free with points!).
Last edited by ToujoursVoyager; Sep 13th, 2018 at 09:08 AM.
Sep 13th, 2018, 09:27 AM
#31
Original Poster
GRANADA, SPAIN
I am exhausted. It is 6:30am Paris time. No shower or sleep before our 13:20 Malaga flight. It is very hard. I get very cold when I am tired and I am shivering despite the coffee and my sweaters. On the positive side, the Singapore suite experience was everything I had hoped for my parents. They were treated like royalty. For I and the children, the premium economy was more comfortable than I though it would be. I fall asleep off/on and quickly the 13 hours flight became 4 hours to go. In Malaga, the Suntransfers driver picks us up and drive the 1:30 hour to Granada.
We left the wet rice terraces and fields for dry earth and olive trees.
A month ago, I changed our reservation from the Parador to the Alhambra Palace Hotel because of budget considerations. Seeing the Alhambra Palace again is nice (I stayed there in October 2017). I run a bath for the children and I order room service, and then everyone to bed. Buenas noches.
The following morning, we meet up with Edu from Nue Concierge for a tour of the Alhambra and in the afternoon, the Albacin. I had hesitated for a long time before booking this private tour because of the extravagant price. However it turned out to be the best decision.
The guide Eduardo was excellent and we could go at our own pace (which was with a 2 years old and a 79 years old was very very slow). Seeing again the Alhambra with a guide gave me so much more. We were lucky that in the morning, it was still cool and relatively crowd less. The Nazrid palaces were naturally the highlight. But by the time we reach the Generalife, it was hot and lines were long. Knowing we had also access tomorrow, we did an abbreviated version.
We had a beak of three hours and had lunch at the Alhambra Palace Hotel with a very nice waitress. Then we met Edu again at the Santa Anna Church. Despite the heat and our snail pace, we managed to see the baths, the palace of Aïcha, the repudiated queen, and walk the Albacin.
I know it is a success when my father says maybe they could rent an apartment for a month in Granada. At the end of the tour, my father finds a Moroccan restaurant, and enjoys a vegetarian couscous.My eldest daughter loves the multicolor lamps.
We go to bed late by our standards, 10:30pm, early by Spaniard standards.
I am exhausted. It is 6:30am Paris time. No shower or sleep before our 13:20 Malaga flight. It is very hard. I get very cold when I am tired and I am shivering despite the coffee and my sweaters. On the positive side, the Singapore suite experience was everything I had hoped for my parents. They were treated like royalty. For I and the children, the premium economy was more comfortable than I though it would be. I fall asleep off/on and quickly the 13 hours flight became 4 hours to go. In Malaga, the Suntransfers driver picks us up and drive the 1:30 hour to Granada.
We left the wet rice terraces and fields for dry earth and olive trees.
A month ago, I changed our reservation from the Parador to the Alhambra Palace Hotel because of budget considerations. Seeing the Alhambra Palace again is nice (I stayed there in October 2017). I run a bath for the children and I order room service, and then everyone to bed. Buenas noches.
The following morning, we meet up with Edu from Nue Concierge for a tour of the Alhambra and in the afternoon, the Albacin. I had hesitated for a long time before booking this private tour because of the extravagant price. However it turned out to be the best decision.
The guide Eduardo was excellent and we could go at our own pace (which was with a 2 years old and a 79 years old was very very slow). Seeing again the Alhambra with a guide gave me so much more. We were lucky that in the morning, it was still cool and relatively crowd less. The Nazrid palaces were naturally the highlight. But by the time we reach the Generalife, it was hot and lines were long. Knowing we had also access tomorrow, we did an abbreviated version.
We had a beak of three hours and had lunch at the Alhambra Palace Hotel with a very nice waitress. Then we met Edu again at the Santa Anna Church. Despite the heat and our snail pace, we managed to see the baths, the palace of Aïcha, the repudiated queen, and walk the Albacin.
I know it is a success when my father says maybe they could rent an apartment for a month in Granada. At the end of the tour, my father finds a Moroccan restaurant, and enjoys a vegetarian couscous.My eldest daughter loves the multicolor lamps.
We go to bed late by our standards, 10:30pm, early by Spaniard standards.
Sep 13th, 2018, 09:39 AM
#32
Original Poster
GRANADA, SPAIN
We needed this extra day in Alhambra. By 9am, we walking the grounds of the summer palace and it’s amazing gardens, the Generalife. It is cool and often we are the only ones. When I travel, I look for those perfect moments, when all what we endured to get there, is justified. This morning was perfect. The children are laughing and playing from one fountain to the other. Everywhere you look, it looks like a canvas.
We visit the museum of Islamic Art at the Alhambra before settling in early for lunch at the Parador. The café is airy, under the shades of tree and vines, with the sounds of the fountains. From where we are seated we can see the Summer Palace, the Generalife.
Tonight we have a flamenco show! I am very excited!
My parents courageously go for an afternoon walk in the heat. But I wait. When I think the sun is not as strong, around 5:30pm, we venture out. Our mission trip is to find real flamenco dresses for my daughters.
But in the heat of August, Andalucia burns. We make a game of finding shade. My five years old rejects the cheap copies of flamenco dresses you see in all souvenirs shops: it is always the same one, red and black. Sometimes pink and black, or white. She wants a turquoise one.
We walk for a while; I don’t have an address. Just a general direction, the cathedral. Finally we give up. I stop at Zara and buy cute ballet shoes for my daughters. Coming back, I see the signs for the historic district, pedestrian only. On a whim, I turn left.
Just when I am about to go back and find a taxi that can whisk us away from this canicule, I find the mother load: a flamenco shop!!!
They have easily a hundred different flamenco dresses. Immediately, my five years old spots her dream dress, a turquoise with white circles. The youngest is shown a few, which she rejects with a sounding “non” before saying a strong “oui” to a muted pink one with flowers. They are thoroughly accessorized with bracelets, necklaces, and flowers for the hair.
Happy we leave dancing. Jumping into a taxi, we go back to the hotel. One more time, I order room service. It is just easier with kids.
The flamenco show is at 9pm, called Cueva de la Rocío in the Sacromonte Hill. The children sport their flamenco outfit. This is the gypsy version of flamenco, perhaps where it all started. But I am not overwhelmed. I had a strong reaction to the flamenco show in Seville last October, at la casa del flamenco. It was thrilling. This version was entertaining, but I though inferior. The children are mesmerized. At the intermission, my two years old wants to dance: she convincingly twirls, stomps her feet and move her arms.
The children fall asleep in the taxi coming back to the hotel. Tomorrow we leave to go to Córdoba.
We needed this extra day in Alhambra. By 9am, we walking the grounds of the summer palace and it’s amazing gardens, the Generalife. It is cool and often we are the only ones. When I travel, I look for those perfect moments, when all what we endured to get there, is justified. This morning was perfect. The children are laughing and playing from one fountain to the other. Everywhere you look, it looks like a canvas.
We visit the museum of Islamic Art at the Alhambra before settling in early for lunch at the Parador. The café is airy, under the shades of tree and vines, with the sounds of the fountains. From where we are seated we can see the Summer Palace, the Generalife.
Tonight we have a flamenco show! I am very excited!
My parents courageously go for an afternoon walk in the heat. But I wait. When I think the sun is not as strong, around 5:30pm, we venture out. Our mission trip is to find real flamenco dresses for my daughters.
But in the heat of August, Andalucia burns. We make a game of finding shade. My five years old rejects the cheap copies of flamenco dresses you see in all souvenirs shops: it is always the same one, red and black. Sometimes pink and black, or white. She wants a turquoise one.
We walk for a while; I don’t have an address. Just a general direction, the cathedral. Finally we give up. I stop at Zara and buy cute ballet shoes for my daughters. Coming back, I see the signs for the historic district, pedestrian only. On a whim, I turn left.
Just when I am about to go back and find a taxi that can whisk us away from this canicule, I find the mother load: a flamenco shop!!!
They have easily a hundred different flamenco dresses. Immediately, my five years old spots her dream dress, a turquoise with white circles. The youngest is shown a few, which she rejects with a sounding “non” before saying a strong “oui” to a muted pink one with flowers. They are thoroughly accessorized with bracelets, necklaces, and flowers for the hair.
Happy we leave dancing. Jumping into a taxi, we go back to the hotel. One more time, I order room service. It is just easier with kids.
The flamenco show is at 9pm, called Cueva de la Rocío in the Sacromonte Hill. The children sport their flamenco outfit. This is the gypsy version of flamenco, perhaps where it all started. But I am not overwhelmed. I had a strong reaction to the flamenco show in Seville last October, at la casa del flamenco. It was thrilling. This version was entertaining, but I though inferior. The children are mesmerized. At the intermission, my two years old wants to dance: she convincingly twirls, stomps her feet and move her arms.
The children fall asleep in the taxi coming back to the hotel. Tomorrow we leave to go to Córdoba.
Last edited by ToujoursVoyager; Sep 13th, 2018 at 09:42 AM.
Sep 13th, 2018, 09:54 AM
#33
Original Poster
CÓRDOBA, SPAIN
If anyone has a choice of when to visit Andalucia, it should certainly not be in the summer. It is 111 Fahrenheit outside in Córdoba. It is simply unbearable, even for warm weather lover like me.
But we did not have a choice. For my father, it was either visit in August or not visit. And so we are here. I am little sad that my favorite Spaniard city is getting such a horrible impression.
We left the Hotel Alhambra Palace to take the 12:45pm bus to Antequera and from there the train to Córdoba. My mother was very anxious about loosing my father in the process of this transfer, that in retrospect I should have just booked a transfer car. I though that the train would be fun.
I feel the heat in places like I am not use to, like my cheeks or my nostrils, as if I am in a sauna.
The pool is small, and Las Casas de la Judería is charming but less than it's sister hotel in Seville. My daughters swim in the afternoon. They make friends with French girls, who are going with their parents to Morocco after Córdoba.
At 7:40pm, we go out again for the evening walking tour of Córdoba booked on viator. It still is 109 Fahrenheit. We drink a lot of water. The guide is horrible. His accent makes his English unrecognizable, he does not understand the questions asked, and the subject matter that I was able to hear, is very basic.
I guess today is unsalvageable. Plus the bad news that I got at the beginning of the trip is starting to weight heavily. We have been on traveling for almost three weeks. It is getting a bit long for everyone.
Tomorrow we see in the morning the Mezquita of Córdoba; in evening, another flamenco show. Hopefully, the day is better.
If anyone has a choice of when to visit Andalucia, it should certainly not be in the summer. It is 111 Fahrenheit outside in Córdoba. It is simply unbearable, even for warm weather lover like me.
But we did not have a choice. For my father, it was either visit in August or not visit. And so we are here. I am little sad that my favorite Spaniard city is getting such a horrible impression.
We left the Hotel Alhambra Palace to take the 12:45pm bus to Antequera and from there the train to Córdoba. My mother was very anxious about loosing my father in the process of this transfer, that in retrospect I should have just booked a transfer car. I though that the train would be fun.
I feel the heat in places like I am not use to, like my cheeks or my nostrils, as if I am in a sauna.
The pool is small, and Las Casas de la Judería is charming but less than it's sister hotel in Seville. My daughters swim in the afternoon. They make friends with French girls, who are going with their parents to Morocco after Córdoba.
At 7:40pm, we go out again for the evening walking tour of Córdoba booked on viator. It still is 109 Fahrenheit. We drink a lot of water. The guide is horrible. His accent makes his English unrecognizable, he does not understand the questions asked, and the subject matter that I was able to hear, is very basic.
I guess today is unsalvageable. Plus the bad news that I got at the beginning of the trip is starting to weight heavily. We have been on traveling for almost three weeks. It is getting a bit long for everyone.
Tomorrow we see in the morning the Mezquita of Córdoba; in evening, another flamenco show. Hopefully, the day is better.
Sep 13th, 2018, 10:05 AM
#34
Original Poster
CÓRDOBA
August 5th
The air is cooler when we set out to go to the Mezquita. During our short walk, I recognize the place where we stayed last October, la Casa del Aceite. And while it was perfect last year for us, I am glad I switched us to las Casas del Judería, where there is a breakfast buffet for my father and a swimming pool for the children.
We all have a better time this morning. We visit the Mezquita before the group tours, and the space is spacious. The mosque and the cathedral are intertwined together to create a splendid architecture, unique in the world. At one point, the Mezquita could welcome 900 fidels. I go up the tower while children play in the courtyard of orange trees under the watchful eye of their grandparents.
Later we continue our walk in the historic town. I find it prettier than Granada, more pedestrian friendly, alleyways with flowers, big wooden doors revealing cool patios. By 1pm it is 94 Fahrenheit and it is time to stop.
We rest like true Andalucians in the afternoon. We sleep, swim, play chess, get some late lunch/early dinner. I put the children in bed by 7:30pm with the goal of waking them up at 9pm for the flamenco show. But they sleep so peacefully, I elect not to go and watch them. My parents go and have a wonderful flamenco experience at the Arte y Sabores, an old Arab bath house.
August 6th
Our car transfer from Córdoba to Seville is uneventful; Tap Portugal takes us from Seville airport to Lisbon and then to New York. It is a day flight and the children do not fall asleep until we are 3 hours from New York. We say good bye to my parents, who continue on to Vermont with Jet Blue. We have been with them for almost 3 weeks. I feel sad that it is all over but we see them next month in Canada. We will go apple, pear and mushroom picking.
I take a taxi to Manhattan ignoring the fake taxi men. The official one has a fix rate of $52. When we arrive at La Quinta Inn, my heart sinks a little. The lobby appears dirty, the carpet is moldy. Our room is so small, it feels like a closet. The old crusty air conditioner is cranking air loudly. This is still costing me $346 for one night. I chose it for the walkable location, a block from Central Park West and the breakfast included. I will not be back.
I shower my daughters; we all pile in one bed even though there are two. I make sure the door is extra secure and roll over the luggage on the threshold. This is the first time in three weeks I feel a bit unsafe. At least there are no bedbugs.
August 7th
We are one of the first ones at the unsavory breakfast at 7am. I had read online that the room was too small to accommodate everyone and I wanted to make sure my daughters had food. After two cups of coffee and bread with jam and butter, I ready to go.
We walk the one block to Central Park. A lot of joggers, bicycles, mommies (nannies?) pushing strollers. My children play in two parks and eat a popsicle.
As I sit in the Uber taxing us to New York Penn train station, I observe the New York frenzy activity. People waking everywhere, traffic, big commercial screens advertising the latest shows. Time square is a wall to sky of flashing lights. I cannot believe that after medical school, I considered doing my residency there. I have changed so much since then. Now I search beautiful landscape that almost make you cry; narrow streets connected by a bridge, less people, mountains with flowers on a lake.
We are shown our roomette on the train and I left speechless. It is incredibly small, even infuriating considering I paid ten times what I would pay for a sleeper accommodation in Europe. The toilet is in the « room » next to one of the seats. So you shit where you sleep and eat.
I give up and upgrade us from the roomette to the « bedroom » for an robbery fee. We have room to breath. But even this upgrade is hard to achieve: I have to ask the attendant, who ask the controller who gives me a 800 phone number. Over the phone they give my room assignment. I transfer everything on my own. At dinner I am tracked down by angry controller who tells me my room is invalid as people will be boarding from Washington and occupying it.
The room situation is resolved. I am assigned another room “bedroom”. The Amtrak sales person gave me a room for tomorrow not today, hence the confusion. I know I told her I was on the train today, plus she had my old reservation.
I put the children to bed early. Despite everything I still enjoy train travel. I fall asleep easily. I would love to take the sleeper train in Russia, which I heard is amazing. Maybe my mother would like to join me.
August 8th
We have the same rude waiter this morning at breakfast in the dining car. I stay polite but firm. And I certainly do not leave until my second cup of coffee and my two years old has a warm bottle of milk. We left the north east coast trees of maples and oaks for the swampy Georgia. We pass over so many swamps and lakes, that I can’t help to think that this whole coast is doomed when the glaciers melt more.
The landscape of this side of America is uninteresting to me. Depilated farms with graffiti and then more swamps followed by disheartening small American towns. Quite depressing compared to the rolling hills of Tuscany or the mountains of Switzerland. Still this whole experience has not dampened my enthusiasm for train travel.
August 5th
The air is cooler when we set out to go to the Mezquita. During our short walk, I recognize the place where we stayed last October, la Casa del Aceite. And while it was perfect last year for us, I am glad I switched us to las Casas del Judería, where there is a breakfast buffet for my father and a swimming pool for the children.
We all have a better time this morning. We visit the Mezquita before the group tours, and the space is spacious. The mosque and the cathedral are intertwined together to create a splendid architecture, unique in the world. At one point, the Mezquita could welcome 900 fidels. I go up the tower while children play in the courtyard of orange trees under the watchful eye of their grandparents.
Later we continue our walk in the historic town. I find it prettier than Granada, more pedestrian friendly, alleyways with flowers, big wooden doors revealing cool patios. By 1pm it is 94 Fahrenheit and it is time to stop.
We rest like true Andalucians in the afternoon. We sleep, swim, play chess, get some late lunch/early dinner. I put the children in bed by 7:30pm with the goal of waking them up at 9pm for the flamenco show. But they sleep so peacefully, I elect not to go and watch them. My parents go and have a wonderful flamenco experience at the Arte y Sabores, an old Arab bath house.
August 6th
Our car transfer from Córdoba to Seville is uneventful; Tap Portugal takes us from Seville airport to Lisbon and then to New York. It is a day flight and the children do not fall asleep until we are 3 hours from New York. We say good bye to my parents, who continue on to Vermont with Jet Blue. We have been with them for almost 3 weeks. I feel sad that it is all over but we see them next month in Canada. We will go apple, pear and mushroom picking.
I take a taxi to Manhattan ignoring the fake taxi men. The official one has a fix rate of $52. When we arrive at La Quinta Inn, my heart sinks a little. The lobby appears dirty, the carpet is moldy. Our room is so small, it feels like a closet. The old crusty air conditioner is cranking air loudly. This is still costing me $346 for one night. I chose it for the walkable location, a block from Central Park West and the breakfast included. I will not be back.
I shower my daughters; we all pile in one bed even though there are two. I make sure the door is extra secure and roll over the luggage on the threshold. This is the first time in three weeks I feel a bit unsafe. At least there are no bedbugs.
August 7th
We are one of the first ones at the unsavory breakfast at 7am. I had read online that the room was too small to accommodate everyone and I wanted to make sure my daughters had food. After two cups of coffee and bread with jam and butter, I ready to go.
We walk the one block to Central Park. A lot of joggers, bicycles, mommies (nannies?) pushing strollers. My children play in two parks and eat a popsicle.
As I sit in the Uber taxing us to New York Penn train station, I observe the New York frenzy activity. People waking everywhere, traffic, big commercial screens advertising the latest shows. Time square is a wall to sky of flashing lights. I cannot believe that after medical school, I considered doing my residency there. I have changed so much since then. Now I search beautiful landscape that almost make you cry; narrow streets connected by a bridge, less people, mountains with flowers on a lake.
We are shown our roomette on the train and I left speechless. It is incredibly small, even infuriating considering I paid ten times what I would pay for a sleeper accommodation in Europe. The toilet is in the « room » next to one of the seats. So you shit where you sleep and eat.
I give up and upgrade us from the roomette to the « bedroom » for an robbery fee. We have room to breath. But even this upgrade is hard to achieve: I have to ask the attendant, who ask the controller who gives me a 800 phone number. Over the phone they give my room assignment. I transfer everything on my own. At dinner I am tracked down by angry controller who tells me my room is invalid as people will be boarding from Washington and occupying it.
The room situation is resolved. I am assigned another room “bedroom”. The Amtrak sales person gave me a room for tomorrow not today, hence the confusion. I know I told her I was on the train today, plus she had my old reservation.
I put the children to bed early. Despite everything I still enjoy train travel. I fall asleep easily. I would love to take the sleeper train in Russia, which I heard is amazing. Maybe my mother would like to join me.
August 8th
We have the same rude waiter this morning at breakfast in the dining car. I stay polite but firm. And I certainly do not leave until my second cup of coffee and my two years old has a warm bottle of milk. We left the north east coast trees of maples and oaks for the swampy Georgia. We pass over so many swamps and lakes, that I can’t help to think that this whole coast is doomed when the glaciers melt more.
The landscape of this side of America is uninteresting to me. Depilated farms with graffiti and then more swamps followed by disheartening small American towns. Quite depressing compared to the rolling hills of Tuscany or the mountains of Switzerland. Still this whole experience has not dampened my enthusiasm for train travel.
Sep 13th, 2018, 10:28 AM
#35
Original Poster
This trip around the world was incredible. Looking back at the pictures, I am struck by how much we have seen and experienced. I feel truly lucky to be able to travel and feel welcome by other cultures.
The hotels I stayed at (loved them all except the one in New York; the ones that we adore I put a * next to it):
Ubud, Bali
1 night at the Ubud Tropical Garden
4 nights at Como Uma *
2 nights at Masia Villa
Munduk, Bali
2 nights at the Munduk Moding Plantation *
Bingin Beach, Bali
2nights at the Temple Lodge
Borobudur, Java
1 night Sarasvati Borobudur
Singapore
1 night The Fullerton Hotel *
Granada, Spain
3 nights Alhambra Palace Hotel
Córdoba, Spain
2 nights las Casas de la Judería
New York, Central Park
1 night La Quinta Inn
I am not a foodie since for me the setting is as equally or even maybe more important than the food. Some of the places I really enjoyed eating at (outside of our hotels):
Cafe Wayan, Ubud
Café Lotus, Ubud
Sari Organic, Ubud
Cé la Vie, Singapore
Parador in Granada
The hotels I stayed at (loved them all except the one in New York; the ones that we adore I put a * next to it):
Ubud, Bali
1 night at the Ubud Tropical Garden
4 nights at Como Uma *
2 nights at Masia Villa
Munduk, Bali
2 nights at the Munduk Moding Plantation *
Bingin Beach, Bali
2nights at the Temple Lodge
Borobudur, Java
1 night Sarasvati Borobudur
Singapore
1 night The Fullerton Hotel *
Granada, Spain
3 nights Alhambra Palace Hotel
Córdoba, Spain
2 nights las Casas de la Judería
New York, Central Park
1 night La Quinta Inn
I am not a foodie since for me the setting is as equally or even maybe more important than the food. Some of the places I really enjoyed eating at (outside of our hotels):
Cafe Wayan, Ubud
Café Lotus, Ubud
Sari Organic, Ubud
Cé la Vie, Singapore
Parador in Granada
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