MIDWAY HISTORY & TRIVIA

A lucky Visit

We traveled in a small turbo-prop plane from Hawaii 1200 miles to reach Midway Atoll. At that time Phoenix Air had the exclusive air contract for Midway Island. It is the largest operator/owner of Lear jets in the world.

On July 4, 1903 President Roosevelt sent the first around-the-world cable which took nine minutes to complete from this station.

Pan Am Airlines set up a base for its Clipper Seaplane Service on Sand Island in 1935. Midway was a regular fuel stop for Pan Am’s Trans-Pacific route which included Honolulu, Wake Island, Guam, and Manila. This operation, including a hotel and restaurant, was short lived—only 1935-1941.

Before the days of advanced radar, planes on Midway Island were loaded with 4000 pounds of fuel instead of bombs to use the planes for reconnaissance. Generally they flew a 7-mile radius around the atoll and could fly 2700 miles in a 27 hour period. This was their early warning system.

The Halsey-Doolittle bombing raid of Tokyo in March 1942 made the Japanese determined to wipe out US carriers.

Midway was also bombed on December 7,1941, but the Battle of Midway didn’t take place until June 4-6, 1942. Most of the battle took place 100 miles from Midway, but the atoll was bombed again.

During the Korean War Midway played an important role as a defensive outpost in the Distant Early Warning (DEW) System.

During the Vietnam War Midway was a port of call and air traffic center.

Midway now is administered by U S Fish and Wildlife Service. Presently there is no visitation available for Midway.

The Navy spent three years and 80 million dollars cleaning up Midway before they departed in early 1997. Tons of debris were removed from the lagoon. Antennas, a bird hazard, were removed. Lead paint from the buildings was removed because playful chicks would nibble on it. Over 100 fuel tanks were removed. Tons of sand was cleaned of toxic fluids, often pulling 200 gallons a day from the sand for several months.

Midway is one of the world’s most incredible wildlife spectacles. It is a living laboratory and ecosystem under constant study. Island ecosystems are extremely vulnerable to the introduction of non-native and alien species. Native wildlife has not evolved with predatory mammals and reptiles and therefore lack adaptations that allow them to co-exist with dogs, cats, rats, mongoose, snakes, or iguanas.

Millions of birds nest on the atoll. Millions more migrate through the area.

There is a spinner dolphin colony that inhabits the surrounding waters.

Both the endangered Hawaiian monk seal and the threatened green sea turtle live at the atoll.

I feel fortunate to have lived on Midway for three weeks participating in dolphin and monk seal research projects before travel to the island was halted. We were also lucky to be there during the gooney bird mating season.

MONTREAL TRIVIA

                                             City Odds and Ends

Montreal comes from Mont Royal.

People were very friendly and helpful. Several times people would stop to ask if they could help when they saw us studying a map. English was not a problem as it seems everyone is bi-lingual doing very well with both languages.

In the city’s heyday of the 1920s, Saint Jacques Street was known as Canada’s Wall Street. The Royal Bank’s former head office, with its 23 stories, was the tallest building in the British Empire when it was built in 1928.

Lots of stairs to climb getting in and out of Metro stations. Escalators are available only after getting down into the station.

Except for the streets, Montreal does not appear very handicap friendly.

The city is very easy to get around, as it’s pretty much laid out on a grid. It is also a very easy city to walk. The city and Metro maps are excellent, complete and easy to follow.

Canada is the world’s largest producer of mustard.

The French Pavilion from the 1967 Expo is now a casino and one of only two buildings from the Expo that survived.

       McGill U was all white male until the late 1800s when a benefactor gave money to educate women.

      Sainte Catherine Street, stretching 15 kilometers across the city, is Montreal’s renowned commercial thoroughfare. Lined with major department stores, shops, and restaurants, it has been the pride of Montreal for over a century. There are eight metro stations on the street.

Poutine, French fries with cheese curds and gravy, is a typical dish unique to Montreal.

Canada also produces 70% of the world’s maple syrup and Quebec accounts for 90% of that.

With the flavors of many cultures on every street corner, eating in Montreal is a culinary adventure. The city has 5000 restaurants that represent 80 different countries.

We noted very few cell phone users and actually saw many regular phone booths around the cities.

People seem to follow a relaxed routine. In the Metro the on and off process is very orderly with no elbowing one’s way. Let the people off, then board.

Exactly seems to be a frequent and proper response to a statement or question. It is often delivered with a tilt of the head and an emphatic expression.

FIRST EUROPEAN TRIP SHOCKERS

When in Rome

      When I read through my diary of my first European trip over twenty years ago, looking for some tid bit, I started laughing at some of the things then that were shocking to me at the beginning of my travels.

       Before the Euro, different currency in each country at times was daunting to cope with. And to pay to pee---wow! But what a smart Idea England did by putting free-standing loos in the carparks. They were clean and convenient and what child doesn’t have to suddenly go to the toilet as soon as he exits a vehicle?

     I love my coffee in the morning, but just couldn’t deal with Europe’s strong variety. It was a few years before one could ask for American coffee. And then with the arrival of McDonalds, one could scoot in and order a fairly decent cup of coffee in a to go cup. At home I travel with a thermos mug to avoid disposable trash.

     And speaking of drinks where was the ice? One might be able to beg a couple of small cubes from a hotel bar— have done that more than once! Chilled soda just doesn’t cut it for one who likes her drinks really cold. Most often tea---of course hot---no iced tea in Europe---became my drink of choice.

      Public transportation was fast, efficient and easy to use. Subways, underground, the tube, uban, or whatever the name were clean, but oh the stairs to get to up and down to the system! Stairs, and lots of them, were everywhere. On the street it was wise to pay attention to traffic, especially in left side-of-the-road driving areas! Traffic circles, round-abouts, rings or circuses were numerous and can be confusing until one gets used to them.

     Hotel bathtubs were deep and hot water could be extremely hot, nearly scalding at times. A good soak at the end of a long and busy day sure was nice though!

       Experiencing the food, culture and language were major reasons for traveling. It was the simple things of everyday living that we took for granted that were the shockers.

     Today credit cards make traveling a lot easier. I accept using some terms like toilet and often having to pay to use one.

     Coffee has not changed but alternatives have been added. Now many coffee machines have a hot water button so the strength of one’s coffee can be controlled to his liking. Vending machines allow for colder sodas. Many in the service industry have learned and recognize what most American quirks are. Many hotel chains now have ice machines.

      I personally prefer small boutique hotels as I can go into any chain here at home. We still lack mass transit here in the US, so I love that part of traveling, and in less populated areas love the local transportation. Stairs still exist and that is just the way it is, so although limited I use stairs every opportunity I have at home.

      Dark colored clothes—navy, black, brown. No place to wear red, cranberry or any other bright color to the English theater!

      I love all that travel brings , of all that I learn and experience. I like trying and eating local foods, but most often after three weeks away the first thing I’ll eat is a peanut butter and jam sandwich. Not only do I love it but I then know I’m home!

WORLD'S LARGEST MIGRATION

Wilderbeest and Zebra Relationship

    The world’s largest—and I must add the most fantastic—migration takes place over Africa’s Serengeti--Masai Mara ecosystem. The 18,640 square mile geographical area includes three well known wildlife sanctuaries: Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, the Masai Mara National Reserve and Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

     Wildebeest with horns, black manes, and stiff tails are funny looking animals. A muscular hump above their forelimbs give them a front--heavy appearance. They sometimes run sideways and are considered by some as pretty dumb animals.

     In the late 19^th century a viral epidemic wiped out 90% of the population. An inoculation program saved the remaining 250,000 animals and the dwindling population gradually rebuilt to 1.5 million animals. Believe it or not, no two zebras look alike. Their bold stripes are different enough to create a distinct zebra ‘finger print’.

     These two animals, both grazers, have an interesting symbiotic relationship. They co-exist eating different parts of the grasses. In addition zebra eyesight is much better than that of the wildebeest, plus the zebra are much quicker to recognize danger. Young wildebeest quickly learn the zebra high pitched aha aha is a sign of alarm. Wildebeest defend their territory with aggressive physical actions. They make a distinctive grunting sound and you may hear them before you see them. As thousands of animals run by, maybe in front of or behind vehicles, you can feel the ground move. What an incredible site to witness!

    The migration of 1.8 million wildebeest and 300,000 zebra is an awesome sight to witness. The animals will travel 1800 miles searching for grass and water. The time of this spectacle is dependent on rainfall so one could say Mother Nature is in charge here. Trying to time a visit, like the polar bear window, can be tricky and sometimes just happens to be plain luck. Interestingly the migratory pattern is always clockwise and circular. Masai people call the area seregit meaning endless plains. The vast Serengeti ecosystem includes rich terrain, forest, swamps, grasslands, woodlands providing diverse habitats. The continent’s hot dry climate does not provide a consistent supply of grazing land which cease when rains end. The herd’s need for food and water literally create the migration which extends over months.

       The migration is a strenuous event for the animals and various conditions including 

hunger, thirst, exhaustion and drowning account for a couple hundred thousand not 

completing the   migration. The primary victims include the sick, lame, old and young. 

During mating season the male aims to to breed with as many cows as possible. Timing of 

the birthing   process  iscritical part of the migration.

 

    These animals know when to have their young. Strangely enough both wildebeest and 

 zebra moms can delay up to a month the birth of their young until weather conditions are 

more favorable. Between February and early March, during a 2-3 week window, 500,000 

calves are born. Both animals are born to run; the wildebeest are on their feet and ready to 

go in seven minutes! The zebra takes a bit longer, but in an hour she is beside mom. 

Babies imprint on mom at the first suckling and mom will feed no one but her own baby. No 


surrogates in this crowd.

 
     

   As rain moves north so does the herd. There are two river crossings necessary during 


the journey. Drowning in the strong currents are real hazards for the young and old.

 

 
     The migration is not a long run from point A to point B. The migration route is broken up 


over months as the animals chase the rain and new grazing grounds. They hang out at 


various places at more or less predictable times and periods. Count yourself lucky if you 


are fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to witness this spectacular event!

KENYAN MEMORIES

                                                      Nairobi

      Kenya is about the size of Texas with a population of 25 million, with two million living in Nairobi. English is the official language but everyone also speaks Swahili as that is how the tribes communicate with each other. Nairobi is a large metropolitan city. Forty-five ethnic tribes live in Kenya. The smallest numbers 250 people. The largest tribe is Kukuyu

      In 1899 the Uganda--Mobassa Railroad was being built by coolies from India. The English spent a lot of money to have the railroad built so in the early 1900s they encouraged white people to migrate to Kenya. In 1909 Nairobi was the capitol of British South Africa which consisted of Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. Now Nairobi is the largest city between Johannesburg and Cairo The automobile arrived here in 1913.

        The city is large. The tourist part of the city is safe to walk as there are askari (police) everywhere keeping the pesky hawkers at bay. The hotels have askari on each floor patrolling the corridors. We were accompanied as we walked to a nearby restaurant one evening. Yet, I never felt threatened nor afraid.

      The place I felt most uncomfortable was the native market that everyone told us we absolutely needed to visit. It was crowded, hot, smelly and stuffy. Hundreds of small vendor niches were separated by narrow pathways. Smoking was a popular pastime, which I saw as a real fire hazard in the crowded areas. The entire complex which covered a large city block was fenced and with only one or two entrances/exits I could foresee a terrible scene in the case of fire and a stampede. Neither of us bought anything nor saw anything that really intrigued us. Although my son kept constantly moving someone did manage to slice his backpack, but fortunately did not get a hold of any of his camera equipment.

      The merchandise seemed to be all the same, so our visit was very short. We came, we saw, we left.

SOME GREAT KENYAN MEMORIES

The Carnivore Restaurant is a popular and famous tourist restaurant. In the center of the restaurant a large cooking is pit is in where all kinds of meats are cooked. Waiters came to the table and told us what meat he carried and served us anything we wanted to try. The food was good.

Although not much for exotic dining, it was a fun experience.

While in Kenya we traveled nearly 1600 miles in Nissan vans equipped with special pop top roofs. These vans also had special guards to protect their undersides on the sometimes rough terrain.

After riding over the arid areas it was a surprise to find our hotels in an oasis in the middle of the desert. We always had a quaint cottage with comfortable accommodations.

Part of the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro are in Kenya but all of the mountain is in Tanzania

The first day we saw the wildebeest migration was simply awesome, especially since we thought we would miss the annual event. It was spellbinding every time we saw the thousands of animals followed by thousands of zebras.

Waking to barking zebras in the marsh at Amboseli.

Falling to sleep to the sound of rippling water and a crackling fire in out fireplace!

On safari game runs are done early in the morning (6:30 AM) before breakfast and late afternoon/early evening---the times of day animals are most active as they rest in the heat of the day

The day a beautiful spotted leopard crossed right in front of our van.

Watching the sleeping cheetahs awaken and take off with the lion in pursuit—it ended in a draw as the lion is a sprinter.

The mating leopards in the hillsides—what a lucky find!

The tented facilities in the Masai Mara in the northern Serengeti and all its animals. The big five of Africa are the buffalo, elephant, rhino, leopard, and lion. We were lucky to see them all!

You might want to check blogs: The Ark 10-26-11 Jacaranda tree 7-7-10

 

Karen Blitzen House 3-13-13 Feeding Buttercup, the giraffe

 

Ambroseli Wildebeest 11-30-1 Masai Mara 3-5-12 The Masai 5-6-12

SUBMARINE RIDE AND MORE

                                         A Good Experience 

        I am admittedly claustrophobic. I don’t like elevators and take them only when necessary to travel several stories up. I have had to do a lot of self-talk to remain calm when in tunnels or mines and am always glad to see daylight!

        So in Grand Cayman I hesitated to take a submarine ride. The submarine in Grand Cayman was the first of several tourist submarines that are now located in many places around the world. Although I snorkel, I do not scuba dive. But the people I was traveling with encouraged me to ride the sub. I did, and afterward was so glad.

      During my younger days I had gone aboard various submarines---the real ones--- and toured them, but had never sailed on one, and I was always more comfortable up on deck!

      On entering the Atlantis sub I learned that each seat had its own large porthole. As the sub quietly submerged, the voice of a naturalist came over the microphone to explain everything that was happening and to describe what we were seeing.

      The lower the sub sank the more fantastic the scenery became. The oohs and ahs were loud and constant, reminding me of kids in a candy store.

      We descended over a reef deeper and deeper into the ocean. Seeing things I had never seen before, I remember lots and lots of barrel coral. Each time interesting things came into view, the sub turned around so that all the scenery, sea creatures and fish could be seen by everyone on both sides of the sub.

     Suddenly, the sub started its ascent. I couldn’t believe how quickly the time had passed, and I hadn’t once thought about being enclosed in a small space under the water. Afterward I was so glad that I had taken that ride!

     However several years later I sent my grandchildren and their mother on the Atlantis sub on Maui, Hawaii while I opted to wander Lahaina town and it’s waterfront noting the changes that had taken place over the past few decades. You really can never go back!

SEASICK

       I had done a fair amount of traveling on a boat of one kind or another. Some were large luxury cruise ships, others were small. I’d sailed the rough channel waters between the Hawaiian Islands, where the seas were never calm, many times in a 28-foot sloop.

I never had been seasick----until the final leg of a trip through the Cook Islands on the 285-feet long World Discoverer ----when I was 65 years old.

      The last evening on the boat was horrible. I felt much too queasy to think about dinner. Feeling so bad, packing was a real chore. Blindly I managed to get everything into my suitcase in whatever manner. I went to bed at 8:00 PM for a really miserable uncomfortable night. The bunk ran athwart ships instead of bow to stern. I even had a hard time staying in my bunk, and I guess the ship, surfing the rolling seas, was the cause of my problem.

     I was one happy camper when the ship docked at 7:00 AM in Roratonga, even if the world did rock and spin all day! I was shocked at having been sea sick, and glad I’d had so many sick-free good times in years past!

      Three years later in Australia on a cold windy day I boarded the catamaran, Matilda, for a 50-minute ferry ride to Kangaroo Island. Forty-five of the 50 minutes were rough, rough, rough! People on my left and people on my right were using the barf bags.

     Confident that I would be fine on the short jaunt, I purchased a cup of hot tea. But I have to admit that I got very queasy and drank no more than a sip of it. On solid ground again I was fine to enjoy a delightful day. Being seasick is a terrible feeling and I hope to never experience it again!

DAINTREE RAINFOREST and MORE

                                A Great Visit
       When we reached the Daintree River our guide drove the van onto a small cable ferry to get across the river. After crossing the road was narrow and winding, and it seemed like a long ride as much of it was done in the dark and the last part in the rain.

     We stayed in the Daintree rainforest where the lovely cabins we built on stilts. It was morning before we could see just where we were settled. During the night we listened to lots of nature noises, and that was great. The first morning I was quiet so not to wake my travel buddy, but I am an early riser. I sat in our lounge area in front of huge picture windows with my coffee, and all I could see was lush foliage and vegetation! Great care had been taken to design the resort to blend into its surroundings and to be ecologically sensitive to the World Heritage Area. Elevated wooden pathways protected the ground from being trampled. The 250 acre site showcases a towering mountain range in the background. The mountains collects the rain clouds and then sends rain to the valley and coast. The normal rainfall is 60-inches a year,

     Early one morning we walked down to the beach for a ride out to the Great Barrier Reef to do some snorkeling. We learned that at certain times of the year box jellyfish  wash down from the rivers bringing the stinging devils close toshore. This deadliest of all jellyfish is but fist-size but has four meter-long tentacles. At these times some beaches drop nets to enclose an area for safe swimming.

     It was a bit over an hour boat ride out to the reef. The Great Barrier Reef,  the largest coral system in the world, protects hundreds of small off shore islands on Australia’s east coast fom Brisbane north to Cairns. I found the snorkeling here much better than a previous trip when we went off of Green Island which pretty much has been trampled by many tourists. It was a pleasant day and a new experience for my travel buddy.

   Another day we walked down to Coopers Creek where our skiff captain was waiting to take us on a boat ride through the estuary. We learned the brackish estuary is hoe to 20 of the 69 known mangrove species. Mangroves in this area grow 30-50-feet tall protecting 70% of the tropical shore around the world. Only 70% of the mangrove is above water surface; the rest in underwater where a filter at the bottom of each root filters the water. Sitting in the motorized skiff looking up at the mangroves was amazing.

    After a while the captain started talking about crocodiles saying, “Crocks prefer temperatures of at least 30 degrees centigrade. Female crocks are territorial and reach 14-feet long. Males reach 23-27-feet and can way up to two ton. They wander in and out of territories. It is possible for them to live 80-100 years. Crocks eat mud crabs, wallaby, and mud pigs among other things.

    “ They can swim 100km into the ocean. Capable of slowing their heartbeat, they can stay submerged in the water for an hour. Breeding season is December to April, and mama lays 30-80 eggs in a nest. The crock goes into a trance-like state when laying eggs, then afterward returns to her vicious self. Gestation is 6-8 weeks. Mom monitors the nest for 90 days, then uncovers it removing the 10-inch hatchlings to the water. The temperature of the nest determines the sex of the egg; 85 degrees is good for a female, 90 degrees for a male.

    “A baby crock is not safe to be on its own until 4-5 years old. The survival rate is ½%! Crocodiles have been protected since the 1970s, and there is a fine for anyone caught poaching. The growth rate is about a meter every 10 years.

    “The cold blooded reptiles can move up to 30 km an hour and cannot zig zag. He has no tongue and cannot swallow under water. It has piercing but no grinding teeth. The brain is in its head between the eyes. They thermos-regulate through an open mouth.”

    The talkative entertaining guide/captain ended saying,”It’s always a good idea to give a crocodile its space!” was a full fun morning.

    That afternoon we met a botanist who took us on an interesting hike through the rainforest. Enthusiastic, she obviously loved her job. She pointed out the coral cycad tree, corkscrew vine, matchbox bean vine, black palm and black walnut tree. She said, ”Studies are being done on the black walnut bark as possibly helping in nerve regeneration.”

     She also talked about the flightless cassowary and two tree climbing kangaroos found only in the rainforest.

    This delightful place is definitely on my return-to list!

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

                                            Pedestrians Beware

       Situated along the banks of Lake Geneva, Europe’s largest alpine lake, and at the foot of the Alps, Geneva sparkles as one of Europe's most beautiful cities.

       Most of the time I’ve spent in Geneva has been through the airport, but I was lucky enough to have a full day there  recently after hiking the Alps. Arriving at the airport hotel early in the morning our rooms were not ready so after leaving our luggage with the concierge, our guide gave us transit tickets and accompanied us by tram to the city center. He tramped us all over the city leaving us in Old Town. The bell tower down town was out landmark.

       One can’t miss one of the city’s famous landmarks---the Jet d’Eau fountain. One of the largest fountains in the world, it is featured on the city’s official tourism web site.  Five hundred liters (132 gallons) of water per second are pumped 140 meters (459 feet) in the air by two 500 kw pumps, using one megawatt of electricity.  The water leaves the nozzle at a speed of 200 km/hour. At any given moment there are about 7,000 liters (1849 gallons) of water in the air. The original Jet d’Eau, installed in 1886, was a little further downstream from its present location.  Originally it was used as a safety valve for a hydraulic power network and was not a tourist attraction.  When factories closed down in the evening the valve was used to release pressure in the system.  In 1891, its aesthetic value was recognized and the fountain was moved to its present location.   The present Jet d’Eau was installed in 1951 in a partially submerged pumping station to pump lake water instead of city water!

      Lake Geneva is surrounded by a lovely pedestrian promenade and manicured city parks. Geneva  is the capital of the Republic and Canton of Geneva.     With a city population of 192,300 and a canton population of 468,000, Geneva is the second most populous city in Switzerland---after Zurich.  

      Geneva is a global city, a financial center, and worldwide center for  diplomacy. Over 200 international organizations, including the headquarters of many of the agencies such as the United Nations and the Red Cross are located here, as well as corporate headquarters for international companies such as P&G and IBM. The Geneva Conventions, which chiefly deals with the treatment of wartime non-combatants and prisoners of war, were signed here.  

      Geneva has 200 pianos around the city that anyone can sit down and play at anytime. We heard a couple people playing. These people are ordinary people, not street performers. Interesting.

      Geneva's Old Town, a gothic maze of cobblestone streets and is   topped by historic Saint Pierre's Cathedral and the Town Hall where the League of Nations and the Red Cross were founded.

      Being without a car we bought tickets for the city tram to get to some of the places out of the city center. Riding around we came upon the Broken Chair Monument. Made of wood, it stands 39-feet tall and is constructed from 5.5 tons of wood. The chair stands across the street from the Palace of Nations and symbolizes land mines and cluster bomb injuries. Erected in 1997 by Handicap International, it was intended to remain for only three months. Forty countries ratified the Ottawa Treaty, but because of the failure of several significant countries to sign and public support for the sculpture, it remained in place until 2005 when it was removed for remodeling of the Place des Nations. It was reinstalled in 2007. We got around the city, including by the major buildings, on the tram.    

      The traffic in Geneva is horrendous. The cars are high-end and bigger than in the villages. There are a lot of bicycles and even more motor cycles where the drivers abide by their own rules! It is a pedestrian beware city.

      Hiking friends wanted to introduce us to reclette. After a bit of walking around and reading restaurant menus we found a restaurant in Old Town that served  this specialty. Reclette is melted cheese of the same name that is scraped into a dish and served with cooked but small firm potatoes, gherkins and pickled onions.  We each enjoyed a single portion and a good size salad which was a most adequate lunch.

      We walked all over town, up and down hills and had a most enjoyable day in Geneva. We saw and learned several new things on a warm sunny day.