UNUSUAL SIGHTING

Postojna Cave's Albino Salamander

In Slovenia Postojna (pohSTOYnah), is a 20 kilometer subterranean labyrinth, making it the largest cave in Europe, but only five kilometers of the cave is open to the public. There are over 8000 caves in Slovenia with only 25 are open to the public. Like all caves, this amazing place was carved and shaped by water millions of years ago. Some of the abundant colorful stalagmites and stalactites reach one hundred feet. Translucent curtains of rock and skinny spaghetti stalactites were gorgeous.

The human fish—a long skinny salamander with fingers and toes, is the world’s largest cave dwelling animal. It can survive seven years without eating. The albino creature has both lungs and gills. They can grow to be 12 inches long and can live 100 years. Because of the total darkness this salamander is an albino. The live specimens are not fed for the four months they are on display in the cave.

The crowds were thick with many older school children. We started the tour of the cave on an electric train which took us five kilometers into the cave and then we walked another mile on well kept paths. The cave opened in 1819 and electricity arrived in 1820. The first push train was replaced with the miniature electric one in 1959. The lowest point in the cave is 163 feet below ground level. Thank goodness for electricity! The temperature in the cave is a constant 55 degrees so it was pleasant walking about. We picked up an English speaking guide when we left the train and before starting our walk.

Colors in the cave come from various elements. Red comes from iron, grey from magnesium, and green from algae.

The cave itself was gorgeous, and the albino creature added even more interest to this fantastic place.

SURPRISED TO LEARN

RUSSIAN TEA

When I think of Russia I think vodka, so I was surprised to learn that Russians are as taken with their tea as the English. In fact tea could be the national drink of Russia. A good tea warms the mind, body, and soul.

During a tea lecture we learned that universal rules for making real tea dictates forgetting about tea bags and never cooking the tea leaves. Large tea plantations are located in an area in the Cavcasus Mountain Range on the shore of the Black Sea in Georgia, but the origin of tea is of little importance. Expensive tea can be mixed with cheap tea and actually is encouraged.

Making Russian tea is a two step process. First one makes the zavarka, then it is watered  down by adding boiling water known as kipyatok.  Water is first boiled in a samovar, a large tank whose literal translation would be ‘autobrewer’. The samovar  not only is an ordinary household item but a hallmark of the Russian way of life and hospitality. Tula, a city south of Moscow, has been the major samovar maker since the 18th century. Originally charcoal burning, it was not until the 1950s and 60s that an electric version came into being and gained popular use.

The teapot, called a chainik, should be warmed before starting the process, and only a ceramic or glass chainik is acceptable for making tea. If hot water has been used to warm the pot it is emptied before adding the tea leaves. Boiling water is poured over the tea leaves, the lid replaced on the pot and the pot covered with a towel to keep it warm.

When all the leaves have sunk to the bottom, the zavarka is ready. It is very strong, and is dangerous to drink directly from the pot. The strong narcotic effect can cause a rapid heartbeat, hallucinations, and restlessness. The zavarka is diluted generally 10:1 with boiling water in a cup or mug. A chestnut color is perfect. The cup or mug is nearly always placed on a saucer before pouring the zavarka. The softer the water the better the tea.

Arguments on the pros and cons of adding anything to the tea can go on forever. However, it is common to add sugar, but never more than three teaspoons.

Making Russian tea is a time consuming process, but an old Russian proverb says: if you rush, you make people laugh---the equivalent to haste makes waste.

A Big Contrast

A NORMANDY GERMAN CEMETERY                              

   Late one day in Normandie, France our guide said, “I want to take you to the German cemetery. It is very different. Germany has to rent the land and it is less than half the size of the land grant for the American cemetery. The Germans had no choice but to bury two, sometimes three, men in a grave. And the large mound at the end of the cemetery contains body parts of many German soldiers. It is quite a contrast. Also there  are no French employees working the grounds.”

The stone markers with the names of the soldiers cut into them are set flush in the ground in straight even rows. There are many groups of 5 small black lava crosses scattered throughout the cemetery, but I could not determine any kind of a pattern. The center cross in each grouping of five is slightly larger than the other four crosses.

On top of the huge grass-covered mound stands a large black lava cross in the same design as the smaller ones on the ground. The tall cross stands between a mourning man and women. A granite stairway in the back leads to the top.

The grounds were neatly trimmed, but the whole area just seemed a bit dark. What the Germans did was dark!

PARADISE

CONTADORA

Shortly after lunch one day in Panama we dropped anchor off a gorgeous sandy beach at Contadora Island, in the northern part of the Pearl Island archipelago and were ferried ashore by skiff. On the Pacific side of the canal there is a 22-foot tide so berthing is difficult. One can literally see the water come in and go out with a tide so big. The Atlantic side of the canal has a tide of only 1 ½ feet.

My prescription face mask made it to another destination! How good would the snorkeling be? (not very)

It was a delight to swim in the warm, calm, clear water and fun to do a little beach combing along the beautiful deserted sandy beach. When we had had enough of the water several of us donned tee shirts over our suits and wandered up into ‘town’. My water shoes sure came in handy as we headed up the road from the beach.

During World War II the military built an air strip on Contadora which is still used today by small planes. We walked  to it while ashore. The bases were closed in 1955,  and the military turned everything over to Panama who eventually sold the island to private investment. In recent years Contadora has become a resort area and a get-away from the bustle of the city, but there weren’t any big resort hotels. The island has also become a popular retreat with Spanish and Canadian visitors.

The Shah of Iran stayed here during his exile. Jimmy Carter has been seen walking the deserted beaches. Because of city distractions, Costa Rica’s President Arias and the negotiators of the Panama Canal Treaty retreated here in 1977. During the trying times between Nicaragua and El Salvador the Contadora Group also retreated and convened here.

It is a delightful little island for a respite not far from the busy city.

AN EARLY MORNING START

TIANANMEN FLAG RAISING

Tiananmen translates to heavenly peace. I couldn’t help but remember what happened in 1989 during the student protest in the square---where was the peace then?

Tiananmen Square’s 100 paved acres can hold a million people at any one time. Described as a vast desert of pavement in the heart of Beijing, Tiananmen is the largest public square in the world and where Chairman Mao reviewed parades.  A giant portrait of Mao hangs above the Gate of Heavenly Peace watching over the square looking down on Memorial Hall where the chairman is entombed in a crystal sarcophagus.

Several monuments, past and present, are around the square. Almost in the center of the square is a 125-foot granite obelisk erected in 1958 as a Monument to the People’s Heroes. It sits at the site of an old gate to the city. Reliefs at the base of the monument depict China’s history. Today Tiananmen is a place for people to relax in the evening and for children to fly kites and balloons in the day.

Our guide mentioned, “The flag is raised here each morning at sunrise. A troop of PLA soldiers march at precisely 108 paces per minute. It is quite impressive.”

Well, that stirred my curiosity. Since sunrise was about 5:30 AM I got up early one morning for the walk to the square. Our hotel was two long blocks away on a busy street so I had no qualms about this. However, my roommate wasn’t about to let me go alone, so she got up early also. To our surprise a young couple on the trip joined us in the hotel lobby before we started off.

We’d heard the square was crowded in the evening, but I expected only a small crowd of maybe 300-400 people in the morning. What a surprise it was to see about 3000 people quietly waiting as we approached. It seemed the four of us were the only white people, and as someone said, “It’s hard to blend into the crowd in China, especially with Carol’s long blond hair.”

I remarked, “We’d better be on our best behavior. It’s kind of fun to watch the people watching us.”

With eyes straight ahead, the small group of soldiers marched onto the square in prim military precision. After attaching the flag it electronically rose very slowly to the top. After securing the line to the pole, the soldiers did an about face and marched off the square.

As we walked back to the hotel through a new park it became evident that it was going to be another clear, smog-free day in Beijing. How lucky could we get!

A FUN TIME

FARIES and LEPRECHAUNS

I always thought of fairies as being nice and sweet little things, so I was surprised to learn what nasty little critters the fairies are in Ireland. That leprechaun with the bag of gold is not very nice at all; in fact he’s a pretty mean, cantankerous little fellow.

Leprechauns are cobblers, making shoes for all the other fairies. They also are the miserly bankers to whom all other fairies have to approach for money. Leprechauns have buried their money in pots all over the country. But with very good memories they know exactly where each pot can be found.

On the rare occasion when a mortal confronts a leprechaun demanding to know where the money is, the leprechaun always outwits the mortal. Even if a mortal did manage to get hold of any money, it would crumble to dust in his hand. These stocky little guys  dress in green coats and red trousers buckled at the knee. Scarves circle their neck and wide brimmed hats cover the heads of these solitary folks. They consider mortals foolish, flighty and likely to steal their money, thus generally they avoid human contact. They smoke foul smelling pipes and live in gulleys or behind and under bushes. They brew and drink poteen, so they often are intoxicated, sullen and argumentative.

Fairies often live in vine covered trees. They take many different forms from insects to grouchy old ladies. Ghost-like figures appear as fog or little people. The little people like to dance and be merry at night.

Fairies have unbelievable powers. Willful and capricious, they are easily offended, quick to anger, and are often spiteful and jealous of man-kind. They can be good hearted and merry. They also love sport and rivalry.

Although elusive and shy they are much feared and part of Irish culture. Fairies can blacken and rot your potatoes, suck away the cream from your milk or turn it sour, dampen peat stacks so they won’t burn, and even make you sick with colds and sore throats.

As incredible as it may seem, construction on a major highway was halted when people raised a ruckus about a fairy tree  designated to be cut down---in the name of progress. The problem was solved when the highway was built around the tree. On a dark night a few months after the road was finished some mortal made his way to the site and cut down the tree. However, as we passed by, the tree had spouted vigorous new growth., obviously surviving the onslaught of the probably disgruntled mortal.

It was fun learning about leprechauns. I was fascinated enough that I bought a book of Irish family stories that had been passed down through generations.

INTERESTING VISIT

KGB MUSEUM and RESTAURANT

The KGB Museum is not far from the Kremlin. We passed uniformed guards as we entered. A rather high-up member of the organization met us in the lobby. His English was good and he had a wonderful sense of humor.

He told us, “The KGB was started in 1917 and has changed its name 13 times. In fact it is in the Book of Guinness for that. The organization is presently known as FSB—Federal Security Bureau.

“KGB agents did not wear their rank when on a mission. The FSB reports directly to the President. Today our biggest problems are terrorism and drugs. We have lost 19 agents, ten in one day a while ago, in the fight on terrorism.”

Moving into one of the display rooms he continued, “The first director of the KGB used furniture in his office that was made in America.” In another room he continued, “The US counterfeited documents so perfectly that it was hard to distinguish them from the real thing. But what eventually gave them away was a high-tech secret. The US used stainless steel staples while the Russians still used a material that rusted and the deception was caught.”

Another room showed different secret devises for spying. One listening devise was discovered thousands of feet under the water. When Gary Powers’s plane was hit by a missile in 1960 his plane broke in two and Powers floated to earth. He had cyanide capsules but chose not to use them. Captured, he spent a year and a half in captivity and was eventually exchanged for some Russian the U.S. was holding.

The guide continued, “After Powers release the building was remodeled and his prison cell became my new office.”

It was an interesting tour and not being into that kind of stuff I cannot determine how good the museum was, but the men were well taken by all the spy stuff. I did enjoy the talk of the guide. Before heading to lunch we stopped briefly in a large, well-stocked KGB grocery/variety store.

We lunched at the Sword and Shield restaurant, which was the old KGB restaurant, located about a block down the street from the KGB museum. Pictures of KGB agents covered the walls. A great western-style salad started the meal, followed by a good borsch, pork and rice and finally topped off with ice cream and tea or coffee. We wondered if the chef was the same one who cooked for Brezhnev, Andropov, and Gorbachev. Probably not.

It was an interesting morning in Moscow, Russia.

PART OF HISTORY

THE ANNE FRANK HOUSE

In Amsterdam we visited the Anne Frank huis (house) early in the morning to avoid the crowds. Our guide told us, “The Germans occupied the Netherlands in May 1940 which started five years of repression, slave labor, terror, hunger, and fear for the Dutch people. When it was all over only one Jew out of four had survived.”

The Anne Frank house was built in 1635 as a merchant’s house. The price of a house  and its taxes  in Amsterdam were determined by its width. So it was common for homes to be two to three stories high, but very narrow and long, extending to the back of the lot. Often an annex house was built behind the original house.

Otto Frank, a displaced German Jew, established a wholesale herb and spice business from his house. Early in 1942 Mr. Frank started converting the annex house into a hiding place by slowly taking items from the main house and placing them in the annex. A hinged bookcase at the base of the staircase concealed the upper two floors and the attic of the annex.

Our guide continued, “The Frank family went into hiding in July 1942. Anne, then thirteen years old, kept a diary of  her life for the 23 months the family hid in the annex attic. Her last entry was August 1, 1944. The German police arrived on August 4 and the family was deported, eventually ending up in Auschwitz concentration camp. Anne died in March 1945 just shy of the war’s end. Mr. Frank was the only member of the family to survive.”

It was a bit unnerving to climb the stairs to see and stand in the rooms where this family had hidden safely for so long. The space was not large. It must have been so difficult to exercise and to be quiet day after day. The fear of discovery must have weighed heavy on the whole family.

One of Mr. Frank’s employees found Anne’s diary and kept it until Mr. Frank’s return to Amsterdam. Anne Frank’s Diary has been published in several languages and over 13 million copies have been printed.

This was a very moving visit and sobering experience.

HAPPY TO LEARN

TRAIN ETIQUETTE

On one trip to France I took the TGV train from Paris to Avignon, the capital of Provence. Our seats were upstairs. We were instructed about the  specific protocol for riding the train. First, one is very quiet; any talking is done at whisper level. Talking on a cell phone is considered rude---yea! If a phone did vibrate, the person immediately got up and hurried out of the car before answering it. I like how the French think regarding cell phone use!

There were many business men on the train. Some were reading, some working at a table and some just resting. No matter what they were doing it was quiet so they could carry on without interruptions or annoyances.

The doors were not automatic; one had to push a button to open them.

The seats were comfortable for the smooth two and a half-hour ride to Avignon. We were given a 10 minute warning so we could be ready to disembark in a timely manner as European trains do not stay in the station long.

The train transfer was quick and easy and in less than 15 minutes all the luggage had been transferred from the train to our van

LOTS OF CONFUSION

KIEV AIRPORT

We arrived in Kiev, Ukraine at Zhulyany Airport after a transfer from Frankfurt, Germany. In Kiev there was little instruction as we worked our way through the chaos. We were a bit nervous as we reluctantly surrendered our passports, as instructed, at immigration before passing on to claim our baggage. Luggage arrived in a timely fashion, but ours was close to the end and just about the time I was beginning to think we’d be doing without it, down the ramp it came! I always assume whenever I check a bag that that is the last time I’ll ever see it.

After getting out luggage we found all our passports thrown in a heap on a table. However, we were glad to see them again and to know that they were all there. En masse, full speed ahead we followed some fellow outside the airport. We never did hand in immigration forms and were told to hold on to them as we’d need them to exit the country. We never did hand in the forms!  What a mess! I’m sure getting through this airport could be a real nightmare on your own. Even with help as a group it was a hassle.

When leaving Kiev for Moscow we again experienced total chaos. Luggage was scanned three times before we could even check it. We left our Kiev hotel at 9:30 AM for an hour and a half flight to Moscow. But it was 5:00 PM before we checked into our Moscow hotel. We lost one hour enroute, but still, follow that time line.

The plane actually landed about 3 o’clock. We were shuttled into the terminal where  Russian immigration forms awaited. After getting through the long line we made our way to the baggage claim area where we encountered a long wait for the baggage to arrive. Travel hassles are getting worse all the time, and this was in 2005.

MARKING THE ROAD

                          INUKSHUK

Inukshuk is an Inuit word referring to a stone image meaning  resembling man. Some are thousands of years old. Traditionally one arm is  longer than the other as it points the way. For hundreds of years, inukshuks have marked a safe passage, or pointed the way to a specific place such as an important caribou crossing or seabird colony, to a place where food or where a safe refuge could be found. Often surplus food of travelers would be stored in these stone images for hungry travelers to take.

They also held a spiritual purpose for a safe journey and return. The tundra, especially when covered in snow, can be like the desert, and one can easily lose his direction. The Celts did the same thing on the moors using Celtic crosses, which could be seen from long distances. Often coins were left on the cross arms of the cross for a needy traveler.

Some inukshuks are made from large boulders and one has to wonder how man managed such large objects. We saw a large one in Churchill and a couple more on the tundra. I am fascinated by them and actually came home and built one in my backyard.

SALT POND

                 UNBELIEABLE FLOAT
One warm sunny morning during our week in the Sea of Cortez in Mexico we motored our panga over to Isla Partida. A narrow isthmus allows small boat passage only at high tide. With a little people-shifting in the boat and the guide walking the panga through parts of the channel where the water was really shallow we made it safely with no problem. Our destination was a small salt pond on the opposite side of the island.

After walking overland to the pond we all headed for the water which was warm and probably only 7-8 feet deep. Once your feet left the bottom it took a fair amount of energy and effort to stand up again. It was kind of weird to be suspended in the water with absolutely no effort. I sat suspended looking at my toes peeking through the water surface for a good while keeping my balance with a slight sculling motion. Talk about relaxing!

If I’d had a book I could have read while floating. There was no tide or current so one just stayed in the same place where he let his feet float to the top. We chit-chatted and visited with each other, but after awhile we’d had enough and one by one we started to stand and wade out of the pool.

Back on dry land, we watched lots of funny little fiddler crabs run around the marsh surrounding the salt pond. They are always a lot of fun to watch and they put on quite a performance for us. We were almost dry when we walked back to the ocean to rinse all that salt off both our bodies and out of our swim suits.

More than one of us remarked, “This was better than the Great Salt Lake.” It certainly was fun.