Trivia---2

Helicopter Rides

My first helicopter ride was when I literally dropped off the cliff into the Grand Canyon. I was sitting behind the pilot and I won’t repeat what I said! The next helicopter ride was a few years later when I flew a very short distance across Hudson Bay in Churchill, Manitoba.

Unloading was the interesting part of that trip. After the copter landed, a fellow jumped out holding a loaded rifle to stand guard while we quickly got out, ducked under the rotating blades and scurried inside the lodge. Why the drama? Polar bears.

Maunthausen

Maunthausen, meaning mother camp, was the first concentration camp built in Austria. It also was my first visit to a camp. I had to muster up a lot of courage to step inside the gas chamber. It was an emotional experience.

In succeeding European trips I visited Auschwitz and Birkenau. The exhibits at Auschwitz made me sick to my stomach. Another year at Dachau, the exhibits seemed less intense, many buildings had been destroyed creating a lot more open field. Such memories are seared into my brain.

A Group Wedding

When we were at the ancient city wall in Xian we learned about an upcoming wedding. It was China’s first mass wedding, something the government was encouraging. Thirty brides and grooms soon filled the area below. Our guide found us a great viewing area. We watched all the activities until the ceremony was well under way. Being in Chinese, we couldn’t understand it but we admired the pretty brides. We saw the featured article in the next day’s paper.

 

A Shinny Hand

A bronze statue of a French gentleman stands on the sidewalk outside the Basilica Manor in Cuba. I’m not sure who he is but it is supposed to be good luck to rub his hand. Obviously lots of people have done so, as his left hand was very shinny.

A Fiasco

We were about to leave the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia when we spotted a beautiful Victorian carriage. Fourteen men stood around scratching their heads discussing how they were going to get the carriage up the wide staircase. Eventually strips of wood arrived to be used under the wheels to ramp the carriage up the steps. The problem was that the wood was pressboard and the weight of the carriage broke the wood each time the carriage moved forward. After a time we decided it would take much more time than we wanted to waste watching this fiasco. We walked away laughing.

Brigadoon

In Scotland, brig means bridge, so Brigadoon means a bridge over the River Doon. The bridge is located close by the Robert Burns birthplace. The picturesque medieval stone bridge was a nice photo op.

Trivia

Barracuda Showdown

While snorkeling over a colorful aquarium-like reef in Belize I suddenly came face to face with a barracuda, albeit a small one. I floated motionless on top of the clear water, but I was unable to stare down the probably surprised barracuda. Eventually, I slowly backed off leaving the fish to go his own way.

Cut in the Mountains

Going through a cut in the Himalayas to get to Tibet was a bit scary. I swear the wing tips neatly brushed the mountain sides. I’m sure this was more my perception than actual fact.

Pandas

I visited a panda sanctuary in Chengdu, China. We were so lucky to see the pandas playing. It was like they were mugging for the cameras. The facility has had good success with a large survival birthrate. Pandas are indigenous to China and have been endangered since 1949.

Solitary animals, the female is fertile only 2-3 days a year. Their bamboo habitat is disappearing. The sanctuary, established in 1990, is large, but plans to increase its size several fold. Moats kept the pandas safe and inhibit visitors from touching and petting the pandas.

The Irish Drum

The Bodhran Irish drum is constructed from a laminated, shallow, round, wooden frame. In most cases the frame is reinforced with center wooden crossbars. Ireland is one of six Celtic regions that utilize the Bodhran Irish drum. Styles and techniques vary. Goat or, calf skin covers one side of the drum that is struck with the hand or a stick called a tipper. The stick varies in shape and size depending on the style of the player or the player’s region. Various shifts of timbre and pitch is achieved by manipulating the hand or fingers, on the underside of the skin

Money Exchange

Literature cautions about exchanging money on the street anywhere, but it was pretty adamant in Peru. You can imagine our surprise when at the desk of our Lima suburb hotel, we watched the receptionist step outside to the street with our US currency and return with Peruvian Sols!

A Respite

Between the walking and sightseeing we stopped late one morning at Bewley’s Oriental Café for Irish coffee and a pastry. Bewley’s coffee and tea was founded by Quakers in 1842. Stain glass windows and marble top tables decorate the café on Grafton Street in Dublin. The place was crowded, but we were lucky to find a small round table for two just as a couple was leaving. The pastries in Ireland were scrumptious. I really enjoyed too many of them, and it seems they all landed on my hips

Mosaics

One can find beautiful intricate mosaic murals all over the world. In Europe mosaic roofs are a special treat. St. Stephens in Vienna is well known. Two such colorful  roofs in Croatia and the gorgeous roof at St. Matthias Church in Budapest are others that quickly come to mind. In Europe some of the most beautiful architecture is well above eye level. Don’t forget to look up!