Travel notes

Ella Romm, memoirs

 

San Diego, USA, 2024

2008 Hawaii

I would start my story about Hawaii by saying, “If you want to ruin your vacation, take me on the trip.” The trip included two crazy adults, two horrible teenagers, one nasty child, one dirty stuffed dog, and three old heavy suitcases.

I managed to spoil everyone's mood, even myself, because I was constantly dissatisfied with something or someone. I didn’t like that the children were only interested in restaurants as if they came from a hungry land, that the service at the hotel left much to be desired, the jungle was too dirty and slippery, the water in the pool was too cold, the ocean was too calm, the wind was too windy, and Misha couldn’t find the way around the unfortunate island, which is why we constantly wandered in an unknown direction. I even thought that if it were not Moses, but, say, Sarah or Rachel who led the Jews through the desert, then they would not have spent 40 years on their wanderings.

The only thing that completely satisfied me was the view from the room on the 33rd floor (although I grumbled about why we were placed so high).

It all started like this: After spending five and a half hours on the plane, we arrived at the airport in the capital of the State of Hawaii, Honolulu. Honolulu is located on the third largest island, which is translated from Hawaiian as “lonely bay.”

At the airport, we met a thin, somewhat emaciated-looking woman of advanced years. She placed wreaths of flowers on our necks and said something, most likely - welcome.

We loaded into the red car we rented and went to find our hotel, the Waikiki Banyan.

On the way, we got a little lost because, rushing along the highway, we needed more time to distinguish the names of the streets: Kalakawa, Kailulani, Kayolu, Kuamoo, Keoniana. (The fact is that the Hawaiian language is poor in consonants)

We were hungry - on the plane, we were fed only water, Pepsi-Cola, and tales of good weather. So the first thing we did was look for food.

The search was short—hunger struck us at the first Burger King we encountered. Misha and I only use fast food in entirely unforeseen circumstances. Not only is Vika a vegetarian, but she also considers it beneath her dignity to eat in such establishments. With a creaky heart, she had to order fried potatoes and fried onion rings. Then Nika took a portion of the chocolate cake from Vika. Only Eden seemed completely satisfied.

After lunch, we went to Costco to get groceries. Misha bought himself a large jar of Korean cabbage "Kimchi," Eden - a massive box of donuts, and Vika - a tray of muffins. 

On the morning of the second day, our family was divided into two groups. The brave ones (Misha, Eden, and Vika) went to dive to the bottom with scuba gear and flew with a water parachute. The not-so-brave ones (Vika and I) went to the beach.

While Nika was building sand castles,the brave conquered the Pacific Ocean. First, they sank to the bottom in scuba gear and terrified the civilians of the abyss with their appearance. Then, they rose into the sky with the help of a parachute,flying behind a motor boat.The takeoff, as usually happens, ended in a fall.Brrr! I can't stand cold water. Hawaii-Hawaii, but December is just around the corner.

We decided to devote the third day of our stay in Hawaii to the jungle. Armed with a camera and comfortable shoes, we set off, first by car and then on foot, along the road up the mountain.

The jungle was green.Not just green, but bright, indescribably green.They were also wet and slippery. If the jungle was buried in bright greenery, then we were buried in brown mud, which, like vines, clung to the soles of our feet.I still haven’t washed the dirt off Nika’s white pants.

The fourth day of our stay in Hawaii was spent at the Polynesian Center, a vast open-air museum showcasing the culture of Polynesia's different peoples.

As for Polynesia, I still have some difficulties with this geographical name, and not because I don’t like geography, but because, at first, this name was applied to all the islands of the Pacific Ocean and only later to the islands of the so-called Polynesian triangle: Hawaiian Islands, Easter Island, and New Zealand. The museum thus represented the cultures of multiple islands, the inhabitants of which, however, have many similarities, including language, clothing, traditions, and beliefs. Of course, I was primarily interested in Tahiti since I once dedicated a poem to this island.

I am not Gauguin, but I dream of living in Tahiti,

Drawing Vairumati and other beauties with fruits.

There will be a half-naked local resident

who promises love on a bed of straw in a wigwam.

A young Tahitian with dark, resilient skin

Will start a fire of passion on a simple straw bed,

And I will howl like a wolf in love on a hot night.

For ten lunar months, I will carry happiness under my heart,

The fruit of tenderness and hope in my inaccessible depths,

And as long as the moon will be like a slice of yellow pepper,

I will give birth to my long-awaited son on the bed of straw, 

Only I’m not Gauguin. I never knew how to draw -

The paints were not wasted, and the brushes dried up in the glass.

It remains for me to live my life, sometimes black, sometimes white,

And look at the canvases - where there are paints, fruits, Tahitians.

Therefore, when I saw a sign on one of the wigwams that said “Tahiti,” I headed straight there. And suddenly, I saw him—a young Tahitian with dark, resilient skin!

However, Misha, who was on an excursion to New Zealand with cannibals at that time, suddenly appeared.

The cannibals were very aggressive. They kept sticking out their tongues intimidatingly, which meant “we’re going to eat you.” So, Misha, with a slight movement of his hand, tore off his T-shirt and, with a cry of a New Zealand savage, showed everything that needed to be shown in this case to the open-mouthed Tahitian.

The frightened Tahitian folded his shaking legs into a diamond shape, which meant, “I understand everything: your husband is a wizard. You had to warn me.” So, the conversation between the two men ended peacefully in Polynesian style.

After Tahiti and New Zealand, we visited other islands of the Pacific Ocean, where we saw many colorful Polynesians.

But we had to go home. As souvenirs, we bought a bra made from coconut halves (for me) and panties made from fig leaves (for Misha).

2011 Las Vegas, Nevada

This was not our first trip to Vegas. However, this time, something needed to be fixed from the beginning. I don’t know if it was a coincidence, but first, we had to wait an hour to get a room key. On the way to our room, we heard a noise, which, as it turned out later, came from the refrigeration room behind the wall. The noise seemed to be silenced by our air conditioner when we were inside, but when we went outside, it was simply unbearable. Despite my warnings that the room needed to be changed, the crowd opposed it. But in vain. When we, tired after running around the hotels (Caesar, Flamingo, and Venice), came to the room, a hooting sound was added to the noise behind the wall. It seemed like a press or a giant hammer was working. We had to call the costume service, leaving us hanging on the line when we heard we wanted a different room. Already quite angry (the soup in the restaurant was too salty, the bread was cold, and the waitress was inattentive), we hung up and tried to go down to the lobby to talk with the hotel employees face to face. This was not the case: only one of the two elevators worked, so we had to wait and get even angrier. This, however, was where the adventure ended. They changed our room, and even though the air conditioner there worked like an old tractor, we slept without the backs.

Misha caught a cold on his way to Vegas, and when he returned, he infected the rest of the family. So now everyone is sick except the dog, who did not pursue fun and stayed home.

 

2013 Cancun, Mexico

One day, we flew to Cancun.

The flight to Cancun was good, thanks to phenazepam, which helped me overcome the overwhelming fear of flying by not giving a damn. Terrorists, lightning strikes, birds falling into turbines, inexperienced pilots, as well as other fatal misfortunes seemed to cease to exist by themselves.

At the Sun Palace Hotel, we were greeted with a flower, two glasses of champagne, and two wet towels of unclear purpose. Perhaps the wet towels symbolized the rainy weather that had just reigned in Cancun on our arrival.

In the evening, all hotel guests were invited to release newborn turtles on their first voyage. Those who wished to do so took the turtles with their bare hands and released them into the open ocean.

Of the alcoholic drinks, we preferred Margarita. What else should you drink in Mexico? We also drank vodka, rum, tequila, and whiskey from the bar in the room. In general, you didn’t have to leave your room - there was a jacuzzi on the balcony, alcohol in the bar, and food you could order. Vacation for lazy people like me. But not for Misha, who dragged me to Chichen Itza - the political and cultural center of the Mayan people in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula. Yes, those famous Mayans who came up with the failed end of the world in 2012.

Misha liked Chichen Itza. However, I couldn’t appreciate all the charm of the pyramids because of a slight clouding of my mind—there was an unbearable, humid heat. On top of that, my iPod, which I left on the tour bus without a second thought, was stolen.

On the way, we stopped at a restaurant, where we were fed local food that could have been more tasty. The Mayan settlements were striking in their poverty and dilapidated state—the pyramids were better preserved than the buildings of the villages.

Of course, the pyramids impressed even those who, like me, suffered from heatstroke. Stray dogs, tired of the sun, walked around the archaeological site. Here and there, there were stalls of local woodcarvers, minters, stone cutters, and other folk artisans who offered their goods for a dollar. However, it later turned out that this was partially true.

The vacation seemed to be going well, but soon I began to grumble: the hair dryer didn’t work, the room wasn’t cleaned yesterday, and they weren’t in a hurry today, there wasn’t much to do to entertain me, the coffee maker poured coffee directly on the table. Misha decided to cheer me up, and we walked around the city. On every corner, I imagine the Mexican drug mafia armed to the teeth, although often, there was no one on the street except palm trees. We rode around the city on a local bus, first with a breeze (a tropical monsoon was blowing) and then with pouring rain. I couldn’t understand why no one opened their umbrellas. Looking down at the wet crowd, we opened our giant umbrella, which immediately turned inside out. We had to close it in shame. Fortunately, only a few indifferent people were around who ignored us.

Before leaving, we tried to use a gift from the hotel - dollars to buy souvenirs. It turned out that you can only purchase cigars or tequila. We were never able to get an answer to the question - what should teetotalers and ulcer sufferers who do not drink or smoke do?..

However, we were glad that this was the last day, and soon, we could go on a fasting diet. I concluded that “all-inclusive” is excellent for alcoholics and people with large stomachs. We were unable to cope with the proposed program on alcohol and food.

 

2016 Peru

 

1. Birth of an idea

 

Misha and I considered where to go on vacation and decided to fly to South America. I don’t like traveling because I’m afraid of airplanes, robbers, hooligans, snakes, tsunamis, earthquakes, and other dangers associated with going out of the house. On the contrary, Misha is not afraid of anything and loves to travel. I overcame all possible difficulties to please my beloved husband and went on vacation. For some reason, we decided to go to Peru.

 

We would not only fly there, but we wouldn’t be flying there alone. As soon as I mentioned our plans to my friends, to my surprise, I immediately found two couples who decided to share this trip with us.

 

I had a friend in Peru. Many years ago, we studied together in the Medical School in the USSR. She married a Peruvian and left.

 

Marina (it is her name) immediately made me “happy” with the weather forecast: “August is our coldest month of the year, and the air humidity is almost 100%. And so the average temperature of 13 degrees feels like 13 below zero. The cold penetrates to the bones." It was unexpected, and I just gave my fur coat to my sister when I left New York to reside permanently in San Diego.

 

I learned that altitude sickness awaited us in the highlands of Peru only after we paid for the tickets. Marina confirmed the information about altitude sickness. She advised me to buy pills and drink plenty of water. These frightening prospects upset me very much; I even had to take phenazepam at night so as not to see in my dreams how my teeth were chattering from the cold, and I was suffering from altitude sickness. However, there is no silver lining.  In Peru, to our surprise, coca leaves were waiting for us. They had to be chewed to relieve symptoms of altitude sickness. And even if there is only 0.2% cocaine in them, it is still there. If you chew a whole bush, the effect will be excellent. By the way, several years ago, out of the blue, I turned to the topic of Peru in poetry. Perhaps this poem was a sigh of subsequent events.

I've never lived in Peru

I didn’t drink a vodka in Peru.

But my fellow writer

Lives there from now on.

He started a family in Lima,

He has a city wife.

I'm drinking with him on the Internet,

Then, I compose a poem.

3. Infectious diseases.

 

Yesterday, we went to the doctor and got prescriptions for altitude sickness pills in case the coca leaves will not help. It turned out that tourists traveling to South America are offered vaccinations against hepatitis A and typhoid. We were given the hepatitis vaccine right in the office, but the typhoid vaccine was supposed to be purchased at the pharmacy. Insurance did not pay for this pleasure, and we had to shell out $90 per nose for typhoid bacilli. However, as it later turned out, Peru is rich not only in typhus and hepatitis but also in amoebiasis, diarrhea, intestinal helminthiasis, cholera, malaria, leishmaniasis, viral mosquito fevers, and rabies. I immediately imagined how we, bitten by mosquitoes on the outside and by helminths on the inside, exhausted with diarrhea, yellow, and a little mad, would end up in the local infirmary. But the money for the trip has already been paid, and there is nowhere to retreat; behind it is Peru. As well as ahead. 

 

4. Better late than never

 

Yesterday, we suddenly discovered that we had to leave not on the day we had booked a taxi but the day before since our plane left at midnight. It’s good that our group has a mathematician, Misha, who immediately calculated everything, divided, multiplied, and raised to power. Otherwise, we would have just arrived and waved to our plane.

 

Maybe someone does not like it,

But somehow, the devil is taking us to Peru.

We are stubbornly optimistic,

Fear of altitude will not stop us.

Let us feed ourselves to the midges,

But we will fly to Peru this summer.

And don’t rush to discourage us,

We're going there paying the big bucks.

Because the tickets to Peru are not cheap,

This is not a ticket to the ballet.

Throw away the shred of doubt,

Take heart, comrade, we are going to Peru!

 

5. Aerophobia and acute respiratory infections

 

We flew to Peru on August 20, 2016, at one o'clock in the morning. As I said, I'm afraid of flying. However, after reading the advice not to hide your fear within yourself but to share it with everyone around you, I began to tell people left and right how afraid I am of airplanes. I spoke about my fear to four friends flying with us, a sour man checking passports, a friendly Latham flight attendant, and several neighbors in front, behind, and to the sides. I wanted to inform the pilot, but they politely did not let me into his cockpit. The most exciting thing was that my fear had gone away. But it appeared to several neighbors sitting next to me and a friendly flight attendant. (It’s good that I didn’t tell the pilot about this. Can you imagine a pilot who is afraid to fly?)

 

We were flying from Los Angeles, where a nice guy named Alexey brought us. We took some wine into the car, bottled in plastic water bottles for convenience. Everything was perfect. However, right before leaving, Misha complained of a tickling in his throat, and I realized it was an acute respiratory infection. I have known Misha for 10 years, and during these 10 years, he was sick only twice, and both times, he managed to get sick under extraordinary circumstances. Once, he became the first ill person in San Diego in the new flu season, thereby honorably opening it. The doctor congratulated Misha but did not give him any prize for some reason. And this time, he fell ill when he had to fly away on a long-awaited vacation.

 

6. Lima

 

The capital of Peru, Lima, was similar to all modern cities - with a beautiful center, residential and tourist areas, and poor outskirts. Some poor neighborhoods were more like slums. The Peruvian houses looked very strange - they were not completed. Their roofs were either flat or had wooden beams, iron pins, or rows of bricks protruding from the flat roofs. As the family's wealth or family size increased, the construction of new floors was completed. On the fences of many houses, there was wire, and something like “will kill, be careful” was written on the wall. I somehow didn’t really believe that there was a current there. 

Some of the fences had fantastic doors that looked like the carved doors of antique cabinets and chests of drawers, and one simply looked like Rodin’s gate to hell.

During one of the excursions in Lima, we encountered a procession that looked like a carnival: people in masks and costumes sang, shouted, and danced. As I understood, they represented different regions of Peru, and each region wanted to outsing, outshout, and outdance the others.

Peruvians are very friendly people. For example, the servers, apparently accustomed to tourists, calmly waited while we ordered the food, explaining what we wanted with our hands - we did not know Spanish.

7.  Sacred Valley

 

The Sacred Valley is an area in Andah along the Urubamba River. We took a bus ride there and saw some local sights. One of them was the Incan breeding laboratory, Moray—circular terraces descending deeper and deeper. The Incas are believed to have observed the most fertile plants by planting crops in areas with different temperatures.

 

The next attraction was the local commune. This commune, dressed in colorful national clothes, made fabrics, rugs, sweaters, hats, socks, and cute souvenirs for tourists.

 

Next, we visited the well-preserved ancient Inca city of Ollantaytambo. There, unknown by whom (probably aliens), the profile of a bearded man is carved into the Incas’ God. There is a legend that the Incas saw the bearded Spanish conquerors and mistook them for Gods.

 

One day at lunch, Misha didn’t finish his alpaca soup (alpaca is a type of llama). Usually, Misha finishes everything since he is from a society of clean plates. I immediately realized that something had happened. We went up to the room, and it turned out that Misha had a high fever. He was shaking; I had never seen such a strong temperature reaction. (You remember that Misha had a slight sore throat just before the trip.) I had a first aid kit, and in the morning, Misha was healthy. But instead of him, I got sick - Misha passed on his cold to me. The cold plus the altitude were doing their job. I only wanted one thing - go to bed with hot coca tea.

 

8. Machu Picchu

 

Machu Picchu is an ancient sacred city of the Incas. In 2007, according to a project organized by the New Open World Corporation, it was among the 8 modern wonders of the world.

 

Let me remind you that the seven ancient wonders of the world—the Pyramid of Cheops, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Zeus statue in Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum in Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Alexandrian lighthouse—were destroyed (except for the pyramid) by natural disasters; obviously, they did not yet know how to build structures resistant to fires and earthquakes. 

 

The road was long—first a train and then a bus. The ride on the train was pleasant, but the ride on the bus scared me to death! As I looked out the window and saw the gorge from a bird's-eye view, I cried for 20 minutes of the journey—I was afraid! By this time, my cold was getting worse. I felt terrible, but I couldn’t help but look at the wonder of the world.

 

 

It was scalding that day. We used insect repellents but must not fear mosquitoes; yellow fever and malaria do not threaten us here.

 

By the middle of the excursion, I was utterly depressed. My throat hurt, I couldn’t breathe because of the stuffed nose, and I was tired. However, I bravely fought against the misfortunes that befell me. Still, when we were given an additional two hours to explore the stone city, I said I wouldn’t go anywhere and sat down in the shade, which I barely found since there wasn’t a single plant around, only stones.

 

In general, I am a passive tourist. All I have to do is look once and take a few photographs, and I don’t understand why I need to climb into some kind of stone jungle, panting and sweating. Of the world's seven new wonders, I saw the Colosseum and Chichen Itza. I still have to see the remains of the Chinese Wall, the Taj Mahal, Petra, the Statue of Christ the Redeemer, and, of course, the only surviving ancient wonder of the world—the Egyptian pyramids.

 

9. What is different with them than with us?

 

1. In Peru, you can’t throw toilet paper down the toilet (they have narrow sewer pipes that get clogged easily), and sometimes there is simply no paper in public restrooms (apparently to prevent tourists from clogging the toilets)

2. Vehicle movement is not subject to any rules or laws. The most frequently used part of the machine is the signal. The pedestrians cross the street at their own risk. In Lima, I noticed that traffic lights show seconds for green and red lights, which is very convenient—you can see how long you must wait.

3. The most popular transport is a three-wheeled motorcycle converted into a car.

4. In Peru, we encounter a vast number of stray dogs and cats. The dogs are somehow lame, unhappy, and bored by life, and the cats, on the contrary, have cat food in front of them, which they look down on. They definitely are not hungry. 

5. In Peru, don’t stare the street vendors and traders in the eyes; they perceive this as a signal to action and will not leave you alone, convincing you to buy their product.

6. There, they eat what, for many people, are pets - guinea pigs.

 

 

7. On public transport, a man leans out the door, shouts something, and waives his arms, apparently inviting pedestrians.

8. In one of the eateries, I noticed that dishes were washed the old-fashioned way - by hand under the tap.

9. Electric wires were often seen on house fences, and iron spikes were stuck out, which may indirectly indicate high crime.

10. You can’t drink tap water in Peru; it is not properly disinfected. Even teeth had to be brushed with bottled water.

11. There are many llamas and alpacas in Peru. 

12. Children are carried behind their backs in a piece of cloth (how do they not fall out of there?). You can have anything you want in the same piece of fabric: food and goods for sale.

 

10. Cusco or how I was going to die

 

The city of Cusco was the highest point of our trip. Altitude sickness, aggravated by colds, has reached its peak. The first night in Cusco, I tried to sleep sitting up because I didn’t have enough air. I fell asleep for a moment and immediately woke up due to suffocation and began to gasp for air - my body demanded oxygen. I started to panic. It seemed to me that I would not survive another night. I asked for oxygen (luckily, all hotels in Cusco had it). I felt a little easier. But it still was terrible; I felt unprotected - at home, you can call 911, but here in a foreign country, God knows what kind of medicine. I tried to muster all my will. A hot shower and hot coca tea saved me. I didn’t see Cusco as I lay in the hotel, periodically standing under the hot stimy water or going to the first floor for tea. Tea and chewing coca leaves helped, but not for long. There were moments when I thought that I could give up like this. And only a strong desire to return home somehow kept me afloat.

 

I'm scared,  I'm sick, I need to see a doctor,

I want to leave Peru as soon as possible.

Altitude sickness hit me,

And I am losing strength day by day.

I was bitten by a mosquito in Peru,

And here, my health began to deteriorate.

I let my husband infect me,

I am not strong enough to fight a cold,

But I still blame Peru for everything,

And the Andes, the twisting roads leading to them, and the heat.

I want to come down from the heights quickly.

Take me, take me on the plane!

 

While I was lying in bed, Misha met a very lovely local shaman and even became a participant in his shamanic ritual.

 

 

2018 Julian, California

 

It was decided to celebrate 2018 with friends in Julian, about an hour’s drive from San Diego. At first, I thought there would be 10 of us, but just before we left, I figured out there would be 18. However, there was no need to worry - according to the advertisement of the house we rented, there were 5 rooms with plenty of sleeping places. In addition, not everyone stayed overnight.

There were only two rooms, one walk-through, and the beds in the basement. This time, we got the basement. Everything would have been fine if not for the pipes that were not insulated. Every time someone turned on the tap in the kitchen, the murmur of a mountain river could be heard in our basement. And if someone flushed the toilet, a rapid waterfall would first fall on our ears, and then the river would gurgle again. Misha couldn't sleep, and I told him to relax and imagine that we were sleeping in nature near a waterfall turning into a mountain river. Unsuccessfully! 

The next day, I had a toast to my birthday and the 10th anniversary of our indestructible union with Misha. We also played virtual reality games. Oh, what butterflies were flying there, what nature was, what a beautiful sunny day! We also played elephant, and I got a set with cocktail additives. 

Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you that Misha lit the fireplace and forgot to open the damper, so the whole house was in smoke for some time. Then Andrey lost his car keys, and we spent much time finding it. In short, it was a lot of fun. But most importantly, we had one sick child with us, and now we are all waiting to see who will be next.

 

 

2018 Tijuana and Rosarito, Mexico

One day, we went to Rosarito to eat lobster. The road on the US side was calm and pleasant. We changed money, then crossed the border under the watchful gaze of people with machine guns.

No one gave turn signals in Mexico, and everyone drove as they wanted. I was terrified! However, Vika, an experienced driver and simply a person, adapted to the local driving conditions on the go and did not turn signals; she turned where and how she wanted. Otherwise, we would just stand still.

Finally, we reached a place where the restaurants were. When we exited the car, local merchants attacked us, offering colorful goods. We politely said “gracias” to everyone and held our bags tightly.

In one of the restaurants, we were greeted with open arms. We sat at the table, and immediately, without asking anything, they brought us a massive lobster with two terrifying claws. The lobster cost $28, which is 2 times cheaper than in San Diego. We ordered it since it was the aim of this journey. However, it turned out that only lobsters without claws remained. I didn’t find out why they were without claws, but I thought they might have lost their claws in the fight with the cook. Since these lobsters were cheaper, we decided to order them. Later, after digging through Wikipedia, I realized we were simply deceived - they showed a lobster but sold a langoustine.

But during the meal, the servers entertained us all the time. Once, they threw a mouse onto the table, which, upon closer inspection, turned out to be artificial. Another time, they tried to pour a glass of water on me, but the glass turned out to have a double bottom. In short, hungry but happy, we went to Tijuana—just to drive around the streets. Many people were in Tijuana, and the crowd stood a goat painted in different colors.

In conclusion, we had to look for the border to return to the country of regular drivers. We zigzagged for a long time since the navigator himself did not know where to go. I even thought about climbing over the Trump fence. But this idea was quickly rejected, as we finally got to where we should be. Vika is in a unique position with us - she had a pass, so she drove across the border with the car, and the rest crossed it on foot.

 

 

2019 Vietnam

 

1. In two weeks, until

 

Two weeks are left before the trip, and I have a cold. I treat myself with vodka and cayenne pepper, tea with ginger and honey, and talk to my body, saying that it really needs to improve to feel better. I've already drunk a bottle of vodka and a bucket of tea. I think that if I continue this treatment for all the remaining days, I will go to Vietnam like a water creature, even with delirium tremens.

 

2. In one day, until

 

Everything is ready for Vietnam:
Shorts, T-shirts and panami,
Analgin for the head,
My head hurts, unfortunately.
Diarrhea medicine
And poems.

Things have been collected. I will have ridge-striped pants, a green suitcase, an orange backpack, and a multi-color neck pillow. It looks like I am in a manic mood. Misha will be in muted blue tones. He is, as always, calm as a boa constrictor.

 

3. The morning of our trip

 

I didn’t understand whether I slept today, but at 4 in the morning, I was ready for a big journey. I'm afraid of flying, and I've never flown such a distance. Well, never mind – let’s breakthrough! Phenazepam will help us! Possibly with wine. Although:

On the wings or the plane -

Let's go ahead and make the fairy tale come true!

But if you drink too much

Oversleep your flight, and your wings will weaken.

4. Vietnam and its language

 

As always, I am writing after returning home. The trip to Vietnam flew by quickly, leaving many impressions and photographs. 

I will begin my story with the Vietnamese language. The words in it are very short. When the Vietnamese speak English, they eat up the endings of words; because of this, I didn’t understand them well at first, but then I got used to it.

We had three guides. The first two spoke English more or less, but the third (in Saigon) could have done better—we understood him with difficulty, just like he did with us. But he joked and laughed all the time and did it very well.

 

5. Hanoi

 

Morning Hanoi greeted us,

As stormy as a river.

A dense gray clouds

Covered the sky.

It smelled like smog,

But it doesn't matter,

Here, the green water loves the smart turtles,

Here, the works of Confucius are preserved,

And people respect the Buddhas.

Here, soup is the beginning of all food,

And work is entertainment.

There are red and yellow tones here,

And Lunar New Year,

And the moon squints from the sky,

For a small people.

Older adults love tai chi here.

And they love yoga.

Here, poetry is written briskly,

And scooters are scurrying around.

Even though I am holding the ticket in my hand,

the city and the people

Will be stored in my poetry lines

And that means with me.

 

Our acquaintance with Hanoi began with getting up at 5:30 a.m. Hanoians are early birds. They like to get up at 5 or even 4, especially homemakers hurrying to the morning market. The market closes at 7-8—the police close it since it exists semi-legally.

 

In addition to the market, which mainly offered vegetables and fruits, we saw many older people exercising. The most memorable ones were tai chi and laughter yoga. During the last one, you had to circle and laugh out loud. Lena immediately started laughing, and some older man and woman approached Misha and me and hugged us. And then they dragged us into a circle to laugh. Our first day in Vietnam started so wonderfully.

Then we went to a local cafe to eat Vietnamese Pho soup. The Vietnamese eat it around the clock. I saw them squatting right on the sidewalk, preparing rice noodles. They eat soup, sitting on small children's plastic chairs at the same tables. It was not very comfortable for us to sit, and besides, at first, we could have been better at putting noodles on a small spoon with chopsticks. We sat close to other Vietnamese people and our tour guide, Tan.

 

We stopped at a travel agency in the afternoon to pay for the trip. We were greeted by pretty girls in national costumes. They served us Vietnamese coffee, dragon fruit, and beautifully cut sweet watermelon.

 

 

6. Vietnam and rickshaws

 

In Hanoi, the excursion included a rickshaw ride. To imagine what it is, you must understand how cars and pedestrians move in Vietnam. There were almost no traffic lights in Hanoi. There were a lot of vehicles and even more electric scooters and motorcycles on the roads. In addition, bicyclists also moved around. This whole moving mass drove without rules and constantly honked the horn. Pedestrians crossed the street at their own risk in a completely chaotic manner. At first, we simply closed our eyes in fear and rushed into this uncontrollable sea with a wild cry. Then we got used to it and crossed the streets without much stress, but we still couldn’t understand how drivers of different vehicles and pedestrians managed not to collide in the general flow.

So, rickshaws took us each separately. When my rickshaw puller put me in a sidecar attached to his bicycle and carried me along in an avalanche of cars, scooters, bikes, and pedestrians, I thought this adventure would give me a heart attack. Trying to secure my journey, I frantically looked for something to fasten myself with. Alas, there were no seat belts.

In Saigon, we were also given a ride by a rickshaw, but not on a bicycle, but on a motorcycle. We were loaded into a cart attached to a motorcycle and driven away with the breeze. The wind was strong; palm leaves kept whipping across our faces, the cart swayed in different directions, threatening to fall, and jumped over the stones like an unbroken horse. And again, no precautions. Things are generally bad with them in Vietnam. You need to have the courage to cross the street, you need to be able to swim if you fall off a boat, you need to be able to maintain balance (when boarding a ship), and you need to have a sense of humor to smile at everything that happens or might happen.

 

The old rickshaw driver coughed but pedaled.

He drove me briskly as if he were young -

Straw hat, old sandals,

Cute old rickshaw with a thin beard.

Driving around Hanoi is not an easy task:

They honk at you there and honk at you here,

People ride bikes boldly,

And how winding scooters run!

A bright carriage rolls along the road,

Tinsel curls across the colorful roof.

The day melts away without a trace as if it were made of wax.

Enough, old rickshaw. It's time to rest.

 

7. Ho Chi Minh and Confucius

 

In Hanoi, we were first taken to the center of Ho Chi Minh, where the main attraction was the mausoleum, which was closed that day. So we only looked at the building and did not see the local Lenin—Ho Chi Minh—lying there, but the guide said he looked perfect.

 

Judging by the numerous portraits and statues, Ho Chi Minh resembles Confucius, whose works are revered in Vietnam. Confucius is worshiped at the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu), where we went after the mausoleum. This is the first university in Vietnam. At first, the children of the nobility studied there, and then they began to award doctoral diplomas there and erect stone steles with the names of doctors. The stelae were located on stone turtles. The turtle in Vietnam is a symbol of wisdom. They also honor the dragon, unicorn, and phoenix there. Modern students visit the temple of literature to touch turtles and get good grades.

 

8. Factories of statues, paintings, and silk

 

During our trip, we stopped at unique factories several times. These factories made all sorts of things: massive statues and miniature figurines, paintings, silk products, and souvenirs from various materials.

One of these factories employed people with various physical disabilities. Their mothers were exposed to Orange Reagent during the Vietnam War. 

The statues most often depicted Buddha in different forms: standing, sitting in the lotus position, or lying on his side. We bought Misha a tie at the silk factory where silkworms were raised. We also saw pearl farms and learned how to pull pearls out of shells.

9. Vietnam and Funeral traditions

A guide in northern Vietnam told us how the Vietnamese bury their relatives. This story made my hair stand on end. You won't even see this in horror films!

They bury people twice. First, they usually bury them in the ground in a coffin after embalming the body (often, the relatives have to do this procedure, especially if they are poor). Three years later, the grave of the deceased is opened, the body is exhumed, and the bones begin to be cleaned for the final burial. At first, I couldn’t believe my ears, but then I found a description of this ritual tradition on Wikipedia. There were very few articles on this topic; no one wanted to discuss it. I read that bones are soaked in moonshine and then thoroughly scrubbed. People are buried either right in their yards (mainly peasants) or along roads and rice fields because the Vietnamese have a close connection between the living and the dead, and those who died want to be buried near their work (rice fields). The cemeteries we saw were in water since the rice fields were flooded.

Vietnamese gravestones resemble beds with headboards and are usually bright brick-colored. The funeral cars that we encountered a couple of times were decorated with fresh flowers and painted in different colors because, for the Vietnamese, funerals are like a holiday. The Vietnamese believe that their relatives do not go to another world but remain in this world, only invisible. This is why it is important to continue caring for them after death.

The Vietnamese have a highly developed cult of ancestors. In every house, there are altars with photographs of the dead. Light bulbs are placed on the altars, fruits and food are brought, and incense is lit. Usually, altars are located in the hallway. During the day, the door to the house is kept open so that the altar can be seen. 

In Vietnam, many old houses resemble a matchbox placed on its side, often with no windows on the walls to the right or left. It looks strange.

10. Ha Long Bay

I have always dreamed of visiting the South China Sea! Finally, I got to Ha Long Bay. We sailed a steamboat with a beautiful cabin and a charming young tour guide.

We had several excursions to the land. First, they took us to Titov Island. Yes, yes, you heard right. Russian Cosmonaut Titov was also on an excursion once and asked the name of one of the small but beautiful islands. Since the island had no name at that time, it was named after the surname of the space conqueror. True, in Vietnamese, Titov is spelled Ti-top for some reason.

In addition to Titov Island, the bay was scattered with other small islands resembling the backs of prehistoric animals. There is a legend that a dragon flew to Ha Long Bay and liked it there so much that he stayed for permanent residence.

11. Vietnam and religions

The most crucial religion in Vietnam is the cult of ancestors. As I already told you, there is an altar with incense and gifts for the dead in almost every house.

The guide said that 99% of Vietnamese adhere to the cult of their ancestors. However, they may be Buddhists (the most common religion) or representatives of other faiths. In addition to Buddhist monasteries, we noticed a Catholic cathedral, a sculpture of Shiva, a Muslim restaurant, and even a Star of David. As for the latter, we saw it in the car that was driving us. It turned out that the sons of the company's owner went to study in Russia and were converted to Judaism there. Their father was distraught since he was a religious communist. Now, the children are going to build the first synagogue in Vietnam.

12. Vietnam and fashion

Women's Vietnamese traditional clothing includes a long dress with high slits on the sides and pants. You can sometimes see women in such clothes on the streets, especially on holidays, as well as flight attendants and often office workers.

As for fashion, I didn’t notice its presence. The Vietnamese casual clothes are simple - T-shirts, jeans, dresses, skirts. I guess the Vietnamese Communist Party has some influence on fashion. I remember the same peasant-style garments back in the USSR.

The national headdress is a conical wicker hat. I bought this hat as a souvenir even though I look like a boletus mushroom in it.

13. Vietnam, pagodas, and Buddha

 

Colorful pagodas,

They grew here and there,

Like the garden berries.

The roofs of the pagodas are blooming.

The walls are breathing dragons,

Each one is menacing in appearance.

Behind the carved columns

The wise Buddha sits.

I'm chasing luck,

I promise him

That I will light incense

And I will hug my enemies,

I will forgive everyone. I will be meek

And I will know peace.

However, a watchman with a beard

smiled sadly.

He stood motionless

without trying to help.

His eyes were saying - Please do me a favor,

Go away now.

I shrugged my shoulders,

And I reduce initiative.

Then he clicked the keys,

And he closed the gate.

 

 

Pagodas are the most beautiful buildings in Vietnam. They are multi-tiered buildings used as temples. Pagodas are stunning both outside and inside.

Inside the pagodas sits a Buddha, or several Buddhas, which can be male or female. Buddha has enormous ears. There is this joke:

- Grandma-grandmother, why do you have such big ears?
- Because I am Buddha, baby!

Why does Buddha have big ears? There are several versions:

1. The founder of Buddhism, Gautama Siddhartha, came from a royal family. The norm was for men to show off their wealth by wearing heavy jewelry made of precious metals and stones in their ears. As a result, the lobes were considerably stretched.

2. Tunnels were given sacred meaning in ancient centuries, which draw out the Buddha's earlobes (and earrings that stretch the earlobe).

3. Eastern cultures have always considered large ears a promising sign of wisdom and compassion. Such an image gives Buddhists confidence that Buddha hears all people's cries.

4. Perhaps the Buddha was simply slightly lop-eared; this was reflected in his first images.

5. The ears are so long because Buddha listens to the vibrations of the Universe.

6. And finally, the Buddha belonged to a more ancient race and had characteristics of that race.

Buddha has several more special signs (32 in total). He has membranes between his fingers, he can reach his hairline and his long ears with his tongue, he has 40 teeth of the same length, etc.

Wake me up, Buddha

Wake me up at five sharp.

I won't swear

I won't shout.

At the Buddhist temple

Incense, flowers.

There is no noise or commotion here,

No worldly fuss.

Here, The transience of the day

Pass through the sieve.

Here is everything I have

Came from eternity. 

.

 

 

Almost all Vietnamese buildings, particularly pagodas, have high thresholds we tripped over. They are needed so that when entering the temple, a person looks down (to step over the threshold) and, as it were, bows. In northern Vietnam, you had to remove your shoes and hide your shoulders and knees. In the south, shoulders and knees could be bare, as it is boiling there.

 

14. Vietnam, rivers and canals

There was a lot of water in Vietnam. Water poured from the sky for the first two days. Water was in the rice fields and the cemeteries near the rice fields. In addition, there was water in numerous rivers and the channels through which we could travel.

First, we traveled on a junk (as a local small boat is called) along the bay of the South China Sea. Then, along the Perfume River on a Dragon boat.

But the most exciting thing was the journey along the canals of the Mekong Valley. Before flowing into the sea, the Mekong is divided into many branches and channels. We first sailed along these branches in a large motor boat with a canopy, which smoked terribly, and then in a small boat with one oarsman. It seemed to me that we were the heroes of a film and that partisans of the National Liberation Front would rush at us from the thickets, and the mouth of a crocodile or the face of an anaconda would appear on the surface of the water. But we were told that neither crocodiles nor anacondas are found in the water. And the partisans, naturally, are long gone.

 

15. Vietnam and Cham

 

Cham are a national minority in Vietnam. The Cham Sculpture Museum in Da Nang is one of the most visited museums in Vietnam. Entry costs about $2, which gives you an idea of ​​the prices in Vietnam.

Other peoples destroyed chams, and this museum is, in fact, all that remains of their culture. Now, the remnants of the Cham live in Vietnam and Cambodia.

Cham’s sculptures are made of brittle sandstone, so they break easily, and few survive. Although Cham were Buddhists, they worshiped Hindu deities and the phallus.

There are 54 different nationalities in Vietnam. The prominent people of Vietnam are the Vietnamese, who make up almost 90 percent of all residents. In addition to the Chams, many other nationalities live there, with strange names that are difficult to pronounce.

16. Vietnam and food

I noticed that Vietnamese food is quite sweet. It starts with Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk and ends with meat and fish dishes. 

In Vietnam, the primary fruit is banana, and they have it like we have an apple. In addition to bananas, there were other fruits: watermelon (delightful, with seeds), dragon fruit, pineapple, guava, and passion fruit. For vegetables, the Vietnamese eat a lot of leaves and herbs, including mint and lemongrass. They eat meat, fish, and seafood, but in low-income families, the main product is still rice.

We walked around the bazaar in Hoi An (central Vietnam). I noticed that the vegetables were practically on the ground, but the meat and fish departments were exceptionally clean, and the smell of the products indicated that they were fresh.

I understand that the Vietnamese don't like cheese. We had difficulty finding it whenever we wanted to buy it for wine.

The national Vietnamese dish is soup Pho, which consists of rice noodles, meat, and herbs. It can be eaten at any time of the day and cooked directly on the streets.

17. Saigon

Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in South Vietnam, with a population of 8 million. Until 1975, it was called Saigon, and tourists and many locals still call it that. Saigon is always hot and humid.

 

Suffering from the heat in Saigon

I wish I could put the ice behind the scruff!

Like lathered horses

Let's go wandering here and there.

Vietnamese beauties are standing,

Hesitantly smiling at us,

Monk, finger the rosary,

Hurries to a Buddhist temple.

Everything is clear and familiar to them,

Any heat can be handled.

And we? We'll be home soon.

Oh, how I want to go home!

 

This poem was written just before leaving, but the longing for home is more of an artistic technique.

 

In Saigon, we visited Cu Chi. Cu Chi is a system of underground tunnels used by the Viet Cong (National Liberation Front of South Vietnam) during the Vietnam War. Brave tourists and all the members of our group, except me, climbed these tunnels. Since we were fed for slaughter in Vietnam, I was afraid that one of the brave ones would get stuck since the tunnels were designed for hungry and skinny Vietnamese. I even had an idea that the tunnels were somewhat expanded for tourists. I won’t talk about the Vietnam War; you can read about it on Wikipedia, but I will say that the American army had to hire small Mexicans since large soldiers did not fit into these tunnels. The Viet Cong were ruthless towards their enemies - they used various deadly traps, and if they fell into them, the soldiers would face a terrible death on iron bars made, by the way, from American bombs. But the Americans did not lag - they filled the tunnels with water or gas.

 

 

Subsequently, we visited the Vietnam War Victims Museum, from which I left with tear-stained eyes. The war there was shown in all its brutality: corpses torn apart by shells, killed children and women, victims of napalm, and babies with congenital malformations from exposure to the orange reagent. As I already said, we had to see with our own eyes these children, who had already become adults, in paintings and souvenirs factories.

18. Vietnam and cooking classes

 

One of the strange activities offered to us in Vietnam was cooking classes. First, we were taught how to wrap rolls in Halong Bay and then how to fry something on tiles in Hoi An.

In Hoi An, we went through a culinary college. We were taught to make green papaya salad, bake Hoi An pancakes, wrap shrimp rolls, and cook something between soup and main course. Everything we cooked was our lunch, so the harder we tried, the tastier the food was. We were not only taught to cook local food but also how to decorate it. We made roses from tomatoes and twigs from cucumbers. The Vietnamese claim that they eat with their eyes, too. Therefore, the dish should be beautiful.

 

19. Marble Mountain

 

In the city of Da Nang, there is Marble Mountain, where tourists and pilgrims flock. It is not a mountain but 5 hills, each of which has its name: the hill of Water, Earth, Wood, Metal, and Fire. 

First, we had to climb 106 steps. Despite my lack of physical training, I overcame them with incredible ease. Of course, you can go up the mountain in an elevator (for an additional fee), but pilgrims must get there on foot. 

 

There were many interesting places at the top. First of all - the caves. I only went into caves with a large open entrance. The brave ones (Misha and Andrey) climbed into the narrow tunnels. They started to climb, but we waited for them back for a long time until our guide nervously rushed to the tunnel. “They’re stuck,” Lena and I thought, and even managed to get scared. Then the telephone rang. It turned out that the “stuck boys” were already coming, only from the other side (the tunnel was one-way). While our men were climbing through the tunnels, they were almost taken away by pretty Egyptian women with red curly hair.

 

There are several temples, pagodas, and Buddhas on Marble Mountain. We saw a swastika near one of the Buddhas. More precisely, this was not a swastika in its direct sense but the so-called Kolovrat. This harmless symbol was among different nations and was considered a symbol of the sun, fertility, and the thunder God's hammer. Hitler ruined everything. Kolovrat can be left-sided or right-sided.

 

We went down the mountain by elevator since we didn’t want to go down on foot.

 

20. Citadel

The city of Hue, which I already mentioned, was the ancient capital of Vietnam. It has a beautiful architectural monument—the citadel. This is approximately a 10 by 10 kilometer wall and a moat with water. Inside is a city; in this city, there is another one—a sacred city where the emperor lived. The imperial buildings were painted yellow, and the houses of the Mandarins were painted green.

During the Vietnam War, many, if not all, of the buildings were destroyed as they were occupied by the Viet Cong and the Americans, who initially tried not to bomb this historical complex but eventually decided to start shelling and throwing bombs at the Viet Cong. The Viet Cong did not spare their historical heritage by settling there.

Everything we saw was restored or rebuilt. Restoration work began relatively recently when UNESCO intervened. Before this intervention, the communist government of Vietnam considered the citadel a reactionary legacy of feudalism and did not restore anything.

 

21. Reunification Palace

The most uninteresting excursion in Vietnam was to the Reunification Palace, where the former president of South Vietnam lived and worked.

It would be a stretch to call this building a palace. The palace's decoration could have been palatable, and everything there was relatively modest.

For the Vietnamese, this palace symbolizes the end of the war, which ended on April 30, 1975. On this day, the gates of the castle were broken through by a tank of North Vietnamese troops (as I understand it, it was Soviet)

 

2020 California-Utah-Arizona-Nevada

No, I didn't go anywhere far; we just drove through the canyons of Utah and Arizona and then stopped in Las Vegas, Nevada, to celebrate our friend Enrico's birthday. The whole trip can be summed up in this little poem that Misha and I wrote at the hotel Vdara and gave the birthday boy:

We drove to Utah through the mountain ranges

A wretched thorn stuck out along the road,

And the red mountains crowded in the distance,

They sprouted from the dead earth

Like the ruins of former buildings,

Scattered here on the evil sandstones.

The picture is harsh, but we have fun -

We have a bottle stored in our suitcase,

Snack (nuts), some weed,

Which you can’t buy in Utah, alas,

And they overtake us, flying as fast as they can:

Enrico, Larisa, Dimon and puppy.

And if you are with Enrico,

The trip to the canyons has already been a success!

Of course, there were some problems. All of them were mainly associated with Misha. First, the eggs exploded. I'll tell you more. At the hotels, we were fed dry rations for breakfast, which often included hard-boiled eggs. So Misha decided to heat them in the microwave and set the heating for 1 minute. One of the eggs, and there were two of them, exploded right there, and the second one - in Misha’s hands. Then I had to wash the stove, as well as Misha and the room, because the eggs scattered in all directions in yellow-white flakes. Then Misha managed to get a runny nose when the temperature in the shade was above one hundred degrees Fahrenheit. 

In Utah, we met Mormons; in the canyons, we met mountain goats, turkeys, and bison. The nature in these parts is charming! It's hard to believe that all this is not made by hand. Our company climbed mountains, wading along a cold mountain river in incredible heat. I dodged most hikes but almost got heatstroke once I decided to walk in the sun.

The road in the canyons sometimes passed through dark tunnels carved into the rocks. This entertainment was just right for my claustrophobia.

Otherwise, everything was excellent! There were few people, everyone wore masks when required, and hand sanitizers were everywhere.

By the way, the idea arose to travel around all the states. We will do it as much as possible.

 

2021 Death Valley, California

 

We celebrated Misha's birthday in Death Valley, Which Is located mainly in California and a small part of Nevada. It is 86 meters below sea level and is the second deepest land point in the Western Hemisphere after Gran Bajo de San Julian in Argentina. The valley was named not by chance: in 1913, the highest air temperature in the world was recorded there—+56.7 °C. This place has practically no plants or animals, and the ground is covered with evaporated salt.

 

We were fortunate with the hotel, which, in addition to a good room, had a casino, a wonderful lake with metal sculptures, a church, and even a gas station with cheap Nevada gasoline. The hotel was located right on the border of Nevada and California. But the real miracle was the domestic animals: the bull, donkeys, and sheep were in enclosures, and the birds (geese, ducks, chickens) swam in the pond or walked right around the yard, leaving, however, numerous droppings.

The very first stop on our journey was an extraordinary place. What other places could there be in a valley with that name? It's called the Goldwell Open Air Museum. There was a terrible wind in the valley on this day. We almost got carried away like Ellie and Toto to Kansas when we exited the car. Resisting the wind, we could take pictures of this extraordinary place, where the main exhibits were strange white capes with hoods. Perhaps the owners of the capes were local ghosts or spirits.

 

2022 Las Vegas, Nevada

 

My friends, we have returned from another trip to Las Vegas, where we celebrated our youngest daughter’s 21st birthday.

Nika was periodically asked for her ID. She timidly held it out. The bartender in one bar spent a long time calculating how old Nika was. But then she figured it out and poured her a vast “glass” of some divine cocktail.

Let me tell you, the food in Vegas was excellent. But lines! All restaurants had to be reserved in advance.

Interestingly, the last time we were in Las Vegas was at the start of the pandemic. This is how I felt at the beginning of February 2020:

To despise the insidious

virus,

That's like a nuclear mushroom grew,

We're flying to Las Vegas with "Delta".

And the flight is about an hour - that’s easy.

There's a ghost of weeds here,

Money melts and grows rates

But I can't win money,

I'm in the game like a broom.

There are castles everywhere here.

You're a pawn, but you're walking as a Queen.

This is where they drink and eat a lot

Without being afraid to anger God.

And the drank prophet foretold to you and me:

- Live in hope, friends, come on,

The pandemic is coming on a visit.

 

As I said, restaurants in Vegas always had to be reserved. Vika even had to get up early to get in line at the restaurant where we were going for breakfast. As I understand it, the restaurant was famous for its giant pancakes and other gigantic dishes.

 

Finally, we were invited into the hall, but for some reason, they didn’t take us to the table but left us standing to the side. Other people passed by us while our table was cleaned. We started looking at the clock since we had to have breakfast before checking out. Eventually, we were seated. Now - said the waitress and disappeared somewhere. Again, everyone was served, but we were not. We looked at the clock for some time. Then Misha discovered that he had sat on something sticky and now had a stain on his pants. I had to wash the stain immediately; it’s good that water was already served in glasses. We also waited an unusually long time for our order. We didn’t look at the clock anymore because we calculated that if we chewed faster than usual, we’d just have time to pick up our suitcases from our room before 11.

 

Everything was delicious, including the giant pancake. After eating, we hurried to our rooms. But then it turned out that Misha had forgotten his cap in the restaurant. We had to lose another 10 minutes searching for it. We made it to the final just in time.

 

From the hotel, we went to a strange place. There, a sculptor spent 40 years building seven pyramids from huge stones painted in different colors.

 

 

 

2022 Turkey

 

 

1. Bosphorus

After a twelve-hour flight, Tulun, our guide, met us. Tulun was a polyglot. In addition to Turkish, he spoke English, Russian, and Japanese. I don’t know how he knows Japanese, but he didn’t express himself well in Russian. Tulun was a historian. He told us about Turkey. However, Misha browsed the Internet before the trip and understood the history of Turkey better than Tulun himself. He corrected him occasionally and asked questions to which he knew the answer.

The first place on our excursion was the Bosphorus. You can learn everything about the Bosphorus from Wikipedia, so that I won’t tell you the history and geography. We just wandered along the embankment and saw the ancient city wall. We went to the hotel since it was already late and we were exhausted from the flight.

I haven't been to the Bosphorus,

But I’ll tell you, friends,

That I’ll be on the Bosphorus soon -

You can't miss this.

We've been waiting for this moment,

We flew around half the earth.

There are two mighty continents here.

They came close to each other.

Bridges hang under the skies.

Water splashes beneath them.

And you can wander here for hours,

But other cities are waiting.

 

2. Istanbul (Blue Mosque)

 

We spent only one very eventful day in Istanbul. I was familiar with Turkey, mainly from the soap opera The Magnificent Century, which I once watched several episodes of.

 

The first place on our tour of Istanbul was the so-called Blue Mosque or Sultan Ahmet’s Mosque. This is the city's first mosque and one of its symbols. The mosque is located on the shores of the Sea of ​​Marmara.

 

Photography was prohibited inside the mosque, so I could only photograph it outside. Our team consisted of five people, including Tulun, our guide. There were exciting columns in the mosque area; one of them was brought from Egypt.

 

3. Istanbul (Hagia Sofia)

 

Hagia Sophia is another unique building in Istanbul. Initially, it was an Orthodox church from Byzantine times, then a museum, and now a mosque called the Great Mosque of Hagia Sophia.

 

Honestly, the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are so similar from the outside that you can’t tell them apart. The only sign of difference is the Blue Mosque has a blue roof, and Sofia has white. Another difference is that you couldn’t take photographs in the Blue Mosque, but in Sofia, you could.

 

Sofia is a unique combination of Christianity and Islam. We saw Byzantine frescoes with biblical scenes and even the “handprint of Mary.” However, Muslims pray there. UNESCO did not allow them to remove the frescoes and Christian symbols since Sofia is included in its world heritage. The frescoes are well preserved because they were covered with clay for a long time (after the Ottomans captured Constantinople in 1453, the cathedral was converted into a mosque).

 

Our guide showed us how to pray in a Muslim way. This is a rather complex ritual. You must place your feet at a certain distance, touch your ears, and make many other movements before crouching on the ground and praying. The prayer is heard four times a day from the amplifiers of the minarets so that it can be heard very well.

 

 

4. Istanbul (Sultan Suleiman's Palace)

 

Other sultans also lived there, but Suleiman is closer to me since I watched several episodes of the soap opera “The Magnificent Century.” The palace, as benefits all palaces, was surrounded by luxury. Unfortunately, you cannot take pictures inside the palace except the graves. So, I outlined everything I saw in a short poem.

 

***

I woke up in the morning, watered the nasturtium,

The suitcases are packed, and the flight is ahead.

The plane took off and took us to Turkey,

Where the Turkish people live happily.

Here is the Sultan's palace with chandeliers and vases.

Once upon a time, there was a harem here, but now it’s a museum.

We were immediately stunned by such luxury -

Every person stands here absent-mindedly.

We were lucky to see something like this,

Even if gold hurts your eyes, it doesn’t matter.

There is a palace similar only to Putin's,

But no mere mortal can get there.

 

5. Aspendos

 

We visited ruins from the Roman Empire, including mosques and palaces. In the ancient city of Aspendos, there was a perfectly preserved theater for 8 thousand spectators. At first, artists performed on this stage, but later, gladiator fights began to be held there. In addition to men, women and dwarfs took part in them. Now, this open-air theater accommodates tourists from all over the world.

 

6. Perga

 

Perga is an ancient city, more precisely, its ruins, which are perfectly preserved columns. Misha loves ruins. He entered this city and did not want to leave. I prefer passive relaxation, for example, on the beach with a cocktail.

 

7. Cappadocia

 

One of the most extraordinary places we encountered in Turkey was Cappadocia, a region preserved from antiquity and characterized by a unique volcanic landscape. Dating back to the 1st millennium BC, the underground cities and cave monasteries of Cappadocia offer a fascinating glimpse into the early days of Christianity, making it a must-visit for history buffs and travel enthusiasts alike.

 

Translated, Cappadocia means “Land of beautiful horses.” We didn’t find any horses there, but we visited the Valley of Roses, where the volcanic hills were of different colors. We also visited caves and ancient monasteries.

 

 

I overcame my claustrophobia and fear of heights and still visited the catacombs.

 

After visiting the stone churches, we went to our guide for the night. We spend two nights in his unfinished hotel on the rocks in Uchisar. It was unexpected and romantic. Narrow tunnels connected all buildings in Uchisar. I even walked a little through the tunnel leading directly from our bedroom. However, I only managed to go a little deeper into the underground passage, which was incredibly narrow, and I was scared. The same could not be said about the other members of our expedition.

 

 

Lastly, I took a photo of the famous hot air balloons that rise over Cappadocia early in the morning. It’s a pity only from a distance.

 

 

***

Ah, I haven’t sat in TikTok for a long time 

And I haven’t been on Facebook for a hundred years,

Cappadocia struck me -

There is no place like it in the world.

Miracle builders worked there -

A stone house was built in the rocks.

How cave dwellers lived in it,

I have a hard time imagining this.

8. Ankara

We liked the city of Ankara. It was less polluted and crowded than in Istanbul. We mostly walked around the town and had a good time.

The demon in my rib woke up,

Burst into my life:

I drink cocktails in Ankara

I am happy.

The minaret goes up into the sky,

The mosque's dome is steep,

The moon sheds pale light,

And the stars are here and there.

Turkish coffee and halva,

And they also have a hookah.

And so my head is spinning -

I am cheerful, complete, and drunk.

Oriental bright colors,

A mixture of distant cultures.

Why do I need Prague and Madrid?

I feel good here, too.

9. Features of Turkish food

 

Yes, yes, this is a fascinating topic. However, it’s also worth mentioning the peculiarities of Turkish driving. Not only do they not follow any traffic rules, but the streets are also very narrow and steep. Sometimes, it is difficult for two cars to pass.

 

And their taxi service is just a rollercoaster. As our group of 5 squeezed into a small taxi, we tried vainly to find seat belts. And when the yellow car carried us with a breeze that almost blew me out of the open window, I pressed myself into the seat and, it seems, also pressed Misha’s leg. So we rushed, both pinned down.

 

But let's return to Turkish food. The main products of the local cuisine were meat (especially lamb), olives, and cheese. More precisely, delicious lamb, lots of olives, and a lot of cheese.

 

There was also fish there. A fish restaurant appeared before us when we walked along the seashore in Antalya. Misha, a great connoisseur of fish, was stunned. He was hungry, and a freshly caught fish appeared before him. Fish lay on the ice in large quantities and beckoned visitors.

 

To order, you had to choose the fish yourself. Our men went to pick the food, led, naturally, by Misha. My friends, do not send hungry men to order food! When the dish, which looked like a large tray, was brought, my jaw dropped - we couldn’t eat so much. We ate our fill of fish to the point of noble belching. Only a small fish and a piece of tuna were on the tray. We wrapped them in a napkin and gave them to the street cats.

 

Of course, one must mention Turkey's sweets: baklava, halva, and Turkish delight. We brought 2 kilograms of Turkish delight. Delicious!

 

It should be noted that food in Turkey was cheap, but the same could not be said about alcohol. A bottle of wine in a restaurant costs the same as dinner for five.

 

Due to the massive amount of delicious food, we switched to two meals a day because we did not have time to digest it all. At least I didn't have time. In the morning, there was a hotel buffet with many dishes. The second time we ate at the restaurant: lamb, lamb, and more lamb! Although I love to eat (even though I eat little), my body was not prepared for such a culinary assault on the liver and other organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Someone from our company told us that there is such torture - with meat. A person is given only meat to eat, and he becomes very ill. After overeating lamb in Turkey, upon arrival, I decided to became a vegetarian.

 

Turkish coffee consists of two parts: a sip of coffee and the same amount of sediment in the cup.

10. How I rode a camel

There were camels in Cappadocia. They and their owners were waiting for those who wanted to ride or take photos. I took a picture beside the camel, but its owner began to say something and gesticulate. I thought he was scolding me for taking the picture or he was asking for money. But it turned out that he was inviting me to ride a camel.

 

The camel was lying peacefully, with its long legs tucked under itself. Legs, for some reason, were tied. There was a small ladder near the camel. They put some kind of folk headdress on my head, harmonizing with my bright jacket. I climbed up the stairs onto the camel. The camel, whose legs were untied, rushed, and in a second, I found myself high above the ground. It was completely unexpected. I was holding on to two thin metal pins and was always afraid that I would fall. Out of fear, I didn’t even understand whether it was a one-humped or two-humped camel.

 

The camel's owner walked him around a little and let us take a photo. Then, a local photographer, waiting for the moment, ran up and took more photographs of me, which we later bought. First, we were offered one framed photo for $5 and another for $3 without a frame. Everything happened so quickly that I didn’t understand when and where the photographer managed to take the photographs—the technique is on the verge of fantasy.

 

After the walk, the camel returned to its original place and suddenly sat down on its knees, causing me to almost roll over its head. But everything went well, leaving me and those around with many impressions.

 

***

I rode a camel.

I was terrified.

People who stood aside

Looked at me

And some stupid boy

Showed me the middle finger.

 

 

11. Tukiye and pets

 

In Turkey, you can see many cats and large dogs on the streets. They are all quite well-fed and well-groomed. Dogs have chips on their ears, which indicate that the dog is neutered and has had vaccinations. The dogs mainly lie in the sun and don’t pay attention to anyone. It seems that every mosque and every restaurant has its pets assigned to them. I don’t know how they got hold of them, but it’s noticeable that they are fed and have a wonderful life. Turkish animals are lucky, but stray dogs run around hungry and angry in other countries.

 

12. Antalya

 

Our final destination was Antalya, the city of Russians in Turkey. Here and there, you could hear Russian speech, and there were signs in Russian. One of the attractions of Antalya was the Mediterranean Sea, where we wet our feet.

 

The hotel was luxurious, and we used the dry and wet saunas daily. We also wandered along the embankment and the old town, bought gifts for home, and said goodbye to Turkey.

 

In the old city, a toothless grandfather in a leather jacket unsuitable for the weather suddenly stuck to us. He showed the house and said that there was a harem of the local sultan. Then he beckoned us to some streets and showed us the local attractions. At the end of the surprise excursion, we gave Grandpa $20. This is how he earns money.

 

We brought home Turkish coffee and tea, Turkish delight, and spices.

13. A little more about Turkey

 

In Istanbul, we visited a carpet store and were shown how costly hand-woven carpets are. We didn’t buy anything but promised to return for carpets when we got rich.

 

At the Blue Mosque, we went to the bathroom. This was my first visit to a public bathroom in Turkey. The area was wet. A woman with a mop wiped the water off the floor. As a guide, I stood in line but saw that no line was being observed, and everyone was simply rushing forward, occupying empty booths. I ran into one - there was no toilet, but a pitcher was in front of the tap in the wall, closer to the floor. There was nothing left to do but to do my job in such unusual conditions. I did it, but I couldn’t get up the first time - it’s clear I didn’t have enough training. Later, I realized there were regular toilets on the right side and “holes” on the left. As I understand it, special toilets are needed for reasons of religion and tradition.

 

 

2023 Palm Springs, California

 

Well, we have returned from the desert, specifically Palm Springs. The journey began when two accidents occurred on our way, causing a delay of about two hours. Misha, who was driving, decided to take a detour. Unlike the direct road, the detour road went along a twisting road. I simply can’t stand winding roads because of my weak vestibular system. 

 

The hotel, Zoso, was excellent—in the very center of the city. However, the prices were biting and very painful. The food was amazing no matter where we ate, and we ate everywhere. We especially liked the ice cream. However, instead of my favorite creme brulee, I mistakenly ordered tiramisu.

 

We went through the planned cultural program: the botanical garden, the dinosaur park, two museums, and two canyons. In the dinosaur park, we saw the world's largest brontosaurus, which did not fit in the picture. At the museum, we saw an exhibition of some wooden miniature buildings. This is what the whole museum was about.

 

The most exciting thing happened in Tahquitz Canyon. There was a line at the entrance. People from this line disappeared through a door, and then they could be seen climbing the rocks. I'm terribly afraid of heights, so I started to resist. People were walking along a steep edge - the paths were similar to those along which mountain goats walk. Are we really going to be these goats? - I thought with horror and sank. However, it all seemed to me because of poor eyesight - there were vast and safe paths in the canyon.

 

 

2023 Denver, Colorado

 

My friends, you are probably thinking, where did I go? And I was in Denver, in Colorado, on an official visit. More precisely, charming people invited Misha to the birthday party. Misha, like usual, read poetry, but again, I didn’t. Besides Misha, there were many excellent bards, performers, and musicians. Guitars, saxophones, and violin sounded. I knew practically no one at this party, and in such an environment, I felt uncomfortable.

 

Of course, I was afraid to fly. I was so scared that I closed my eyes and curled up like a spring on the way to the airport. The driver drove, and it seemed to me that I was being chewed in an iron meat grinder. However, we had to fly, and we landed in Denver.

 

We weren't fortunate with the season - Denver looked like it was early spring, so many trees were bare. But some trees have already bloomed.

 

We were also unlucky with the city's main street because roadworks were taking place, and everything was blocked. When Misha and I went downtown, we needed help remembering where we parked. Moreover, we couldn't remember what the car we rented looked like. But there was no extreme situation—the car was found thanks to Google.

 

We also visited Red Rocks Amphitheatre, where the most famous music industry representatives perform.

 

 

On the last day, we encountered a strong wind while walking along the lake. To keep warm, they started writing poetry.

 

We visited Colorado.

Colorado was happy for us.

Although the sun illuminated the city,

But a chill ran out the door.

The north wind was so strong,

That we were left without trousers.

There were many magpies there,

But what's the use of them?

Where are the Colorado potato beetles?

Apparently, their fates are not easy,

The wind also blew them away

In the countless numbers.

Now let's take a break -

The clouds are thickening. Thunderstruck!

2023 Portland, OR

We came from Portland. Why Portland? Why not?

I knew about Portland from Bulat Okudzhava’s song. There is a line: “But God, never let us return to Portland.” This is precisely how I felt when I found myself in this city. The reason for this was the nasty weather (rain, hail, and snow) and the vast number of tents with homeless people next to our hotel.

Hotel Lucia was fantastic! With only one problem: the bathroom looked like a toilet in a train during the Soviet Union time.

I would describe Portland in three words: homeless, Bigfoot, aka Yeti, and roses. I don’t understand why there are roses, but they are in this city, even on police cars. Yeti also appear where they should and where they shouldn’t. I don’t mean real ones but in the form of souvenirs or exhibits. However, the most essential thing in Portland is the indescribable beauty of nature, the diversity of its colors and shapes.

Let me remind you that I am afraid of flying. I only knew Baruch, Ata, Adonai. However, I kept forgetting the words, so I had to switch to an easier way of calming down—the mantra: om, om, om. That's how I landed.

Misha and I had seats in different parts of the plane, and I had to sit between two big guys in huge jackets. Yes, the weather was cold in Portland, but not to the point of dressing like that! It was as if they were going to Alaska. So I sat there, sandwiched between them and their jackets; I couldn’t even be seen in the chair.

When checking my luggage, they told me to open my suitcase. There was a pocket knife. My soul has sunk into my heels; I think, well, that’s it, now they’ll take me away in handcuffs. Most importantly, I have no idea where it came from. It materialized from parallel space. However, I was politely asked: “Do you want to leave it with us and pick it up when you return, or throw it away.” That's service, I think. I didn't need the knife, so I asked him to throw it away.

 

The first day in Portland was very wet and cold—rain and snow. By the way, according to old-timers, the snow last fell in Portland in the 1940s. So we were fortunate—we saw a unique phenomenon—flowering trees in the snow. This landscape was breathtaking.

 

 

In Portland, we visited three botanical parks. One was the world's smallest park (Mill Ends Park), consisting of just one plant that changes yearly.

 

We met a tall young man in a red national costume at the Marrakech restaurant. The restaurant was also decorated in the national style: bright colors, carpets, carved tables, and low ottomans that were uncomfortable to sit on. First, a vast silver vessel was placed on the table, and our hands were washed. 

 

 

When we saw the vast menu, our eyes widened, and we didn't know what to order. A set lunch for $27 per person came to the rescue. That's what we ordered, plus a bottle of Moroccan wine. Imagine our surprise when the table was filled with various dishes.

 

First, they brought soup, then Moroccan salad. At this stage, I was already full, but I decided to go further when they got a snack in the form of a large bun sprinkled with powdered sugar. Inside, to everyone's surprise, there was chopped meat. Despite the strange ingredients, stopping was difficult, and we finished everything.

 

But then the most crucial thing began - they began to bring us hot dishes: chicken with prunes, chicken with dried apricots, chicken with who knows what, lamb and lamb pilaf with couscous, vegetables, and fruits. My stomach was already nervous, and my inner voice said this was too much, but the friend's greed ruined me, and I continued to eat.

 

It should be noted that the dishes were brought out slowly, giving us short breaks to digest and take a breath. But this was not the end. At the end, they brought milk pudding. And at the very end - sweet mint tea. I thought they would have to carry me out of the restaurant - I doubted I would get up from the low ottoman. However, I got up and walked to the car, taking the leftover chicken and half-eaten pilaf with me, which we happily ate the next day. However, we did not have forks and had to eat the pilaf with our hands. We got dirty but had a lot of fun.

 

In Portland, we visited a voodoo donut shop. In addition to Voodoo, there were many strange donuts with bacon, strange names like “dirt,” and much more. Of course, they did not differ in taste from other donuts, but the imagination of the culinary specialists can be envied.

Above our hotel, past the American one, a multi-colored flag fluttered.

2023 Argentina, Uruguay

 

1. Buenos Aires city tour

 

Buenos Aires, after our village, seemed like a giant anthill. The people are friendly; many, but not all, speak English. At first, we lived in the Recoleta area. This is a bustling tourist area. Our hotel was nothing special, but it included breakfast, which was good because sometimes we skipped lunch because we didn’t have time for it. But the famous Recoleta cemetery was just a stone's throw away. Then we lived in Puerto Madero - in the former port area- and now a charming modern district of Buenos Aires. The hotel, which cost about the same as Recoleta, was incomparable, with beautiful views from the window and a varied breakfast.

 

We had a guided tour of Buenos Aires and took a photo near the Iron Flower, which opens and closes with the sun. An anonymous patron donated the flower to the city.

 

We visited the La Boco area, where migrants painted their houses differently because of insufficient paint. Subsequently, multicoloring became a tradition, and the colors became brighter and more varied.

 

We've been to cathedrals. I even wanted to confess, but the confessional booth was empty.

2. Puerto Madero

 

Puerto Madero's modern high-rise buildings and coastal views in the old port area make it one of the most prestigious areas in Buenos Aires. Giant port cranes look contrasting against the backdrop of high-rise buildings. We immediately fantasized about giant cranes walking around the city at night.

There are many good restaurants in Puerto Madero. It must be said that Argentines eat very late in the evening. Restaurants open at 8 o'clock, and the public arrives at 10. Argentines eat meat. A lot of meat. A lot of meat! First, we found ourselves in a restaurant - a buffet, where they served a whole cow - all its parts, starting with filet mignon and ending with the intestines. You could try everything. Additionally, each person received a bottle of wine, making eating all this meat possible.

 

3. Buenos Aires, flora and fauna

 

While walking around the city, we found a giant tree whose branches extended far from the trunk and needed support. I thought it was a baobab tree, but it was a rubber tree. 

Near a big tree, we saw a man with cute rats.

 

During our visit, purple jacarandas bloomed and decorated the city.

I was very surprised by the local dogs, which were driven in large numbers by one person. The dogs are incredibly obedient, do not bark at anyone, and walk in formation. 

4 Palacio Barolo

 

Palacio Barolo is a national historical monument built by the architect Mario Pallanti. Pallanti loved “The Divine Comedy ” by Dante” Alighieri; therefore, in the design and decoration of the building, there are symbols of hell, purgatory, and heaven. The architect divided the floors of the building into three sections: the basement symbolizes hell, floors 1 to 14 are an allegory of purgatory, and floors 15 to 22 symbolize heaven. We went through all the circles of hell and purgatory quickly, going up to the floors using an old elevator. But it was possible to get to heaven only through a narrow spiral staircase, which at the exit narrowed to such an extent that only one person could pass there, and not a very large one. Since I suffer from claustrophobia, I could not reach heaven but was stuck in limbo. There was a terrible wind outside; we were frozen. The tourists who also came to look at the local attractions were sneezing and blowing their noses, so we had to hide from them all the time to avoid getting infected. Despite everything, we received a lot of impressions and great photographs as souvenirs.

 

5. Recoleta Cemetery

 

The Recoleta Cemetery is one of the most essential attractions in Buenos Aires. This is the burial place of many famous Argentines. Some burials are recognized as historical monuments. They say that there are only 4 places left in this cemetery, and they cost fabulous money. I love cemeteries because of my passion for genealogy; this cemetery was extraordinary. Giant crypts resembled houses; through glass doors, you can see coffins and urns; many crypts were covered with centuries-old cobwebs, which evoke certain emotions. Among the crypts, there are very ancient and completely new ones. Stone Town Cemetery inspired many of our photographs.

 

 

6. Tango

Of course, Argentina is a tango. The history of Argentine tango began at the end of the 19th century in Buenos Aires, a port city where emigrants worldwide flocked during the Silver Rush. In the 50s, a military coup occurred in Argentina, and the new military government began to ban tango. However, now is a different time, and we see tango everywhere. Young and not-so-young couples danced it in clubs, restaurants, and right on the street. And everyone looked like a professional. Tango is the most passionate dance, where dancers experience particular emotions that translate into movements. We received great pleasure from contemplating this dance.

 

7. And now about the main thing

 

This trip occurred because of a family meeting. Let me remind you that I traced the ancestry of the Weissman family from Bessarabia, starting in 1780. At the same time, I found many relatives around the globe. 

Breaking the boring routine,

Following the right instinct,

We're flying to Argentina

To meet my family there.

We are so scattered around the world!

We are in different countries and cities.

Even though we have very little kinship,

And we don't get along well with Spanish,

I've got my family members from the past,

I found them by DNA,

Their grandfathers are from Kishinev,

But we still need to meet.

Perhaps we won't be alike.

Or it's the other way around.

But in blood, we are the same,

Genetics, I guess, doesn’t lie.

We have to fly far away, but 

Such tourists can handle it.

It's winter here, it's summer there,

And I want to get there.

The most significant number of descendants of Abram Vaysman settled in Israel, where, in 2012, I organized a meeting that brought together 75 people. The second largest number of relatives live in Argentina. Nineteen people came to the meeting, including my cousin from New York. 

My friends, you have no idea how wonderful our newfound Argentine relatives are! We immediately felt attracted; it looked like we had known each other. We spoke English, Spanish, and sign language, but somehow, we understood each other. The children, who learned English well, helped us communicate.

 

The most exciting thing is that my two fourth cousins ​​found me through the book “My Jewish Bessarabian Roots,” which I wrote. They turned out to be a lost branch from our tree that I couldn’t find. Their grandfather (my grandfather’s cousin) left for Uruguay in 1929 on the ship Conte Rosso and in 1934 for Argentina. By the way, there is an answer to why some Jews ended up in North America and others in South America. They saw the word America and boarded the ship, not understanding which America it was sailing to.

Here, the Andes rush into the sky,

They stand like guards on duty.

Here we were greeted by jacarandas -

Everything was purple.

Here, they drink Yerba Mate,

And, gathering at the table,

They eat meat and salads here,

And they wash it down with wine.

They love Messi and Maradona -

Football is the main game here.

Here, the sun has a yellow crown, 

It rises in the sky in the morning.

Everything here was interesting to us, 

But time moves forward

And no matter how wonderful it is -

A plane is waiting for us.

 

2023 Uruguay

 

After a 30-minute flight from Buenos Aires, we landed in José Ignacio.

Here's what the artificial intelligence told me about this city: José Ignacio is a small town on the Atlantic coast in Uruguay, which is known for its beautiful beaches, luxury hotels, restaurants, wine yards, and bohemian atmosphere. It is a popular holiday destination for celebrities, artists, and travelers seeking tranquility and privacy. The city is famous for its gastronomy, which combines fresh seafood and Mediterranean and South American cuisine. José Ignacio offers a variety of accommodation options, from luxury hotels and villas to cozy posadas and bungalows. José Ignacio is the ideal place for those who want to take a break from the hustle and bustle and enjoy the nature, culture, and gastronomy of Uruguay. This city has retained its charm and simplicity despite its fame and popularity. 

My impressions of this place - it couldn’t be better! If you are attracted by the above, go there. Service is top class. Hotels are one better than the other. The atmosphere is peaceful and quiet. The food is to die for. The wines are incomparable. Boutiques with Italian design are just perfect. Everything is fine. But there is one thing - but! Very expensive. After Argentina, it seemed like we were back in the States.

Since you came to Uruguay,

Then fork out, go ahead.

There are expensive restaurants here,

They will offer you a piece of nirvana.

And expensive stores, 

They will open their windows to you.

Everything is ready for the tourists here,

Time flies quickly 

With a glass of red wine.

And autumn is here when spring.

 

1. Uruguay, famous fingers

 

The Fingers is a sculptural monument on La Brava Beach in Punta del Este in Uruguay. It was created in 1982 by Chilean artist Mario Irrazabal as part of the Contemporary Outdoor Sculpture project. It is a massive hand with its fingertips sticking out of the sand as if someone is trying to get out of the ground. The monument has become one of the most famous and recognizable symbols of Uruguay and attracts many tourists who want to take pictures in front of it.

Some people interpret the monument as a memorial to drowned people who died in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Others see it as an expression of the human struggle for survival and hope for salvation. Still, others believe this is just a fun and original sculpture that contrasts the surrounding nature.

2. Uruguay, Casapueblo Museum, Punta del Este

We got acquainted with the landmark of Punta del Este—the white hotel Casapueblo. The hotel resembles ovenbird nests, familiar to Uruguay, sculpted from clay and mud. Artist Harlos Vilaro built the house-museum and hotel complex with his bare hands. He combined Italian motifs with elements of African and Creole creativity.

 

2024 Monterey, CA

 

My friends, I haven't seen you for a long time—three whole days. My silence was caused by the fact that we unexpectedly found ourselves in the city of Monterey in northern California. Our trip involved getting to know the city and participating in the Asilomar festival.

 

We flew by plane, just an hour and 15 minutes. We stayed at the Hotel Pacific and were very pleased with it. The hotel was in the center, so we walked everywhere.

 

Monterey is a small town that is good for a relaxing holiday. Monterey has one of the best aquariums in the USA, which we unfortunately did not have time to visit. But we wandered around the city center and the dam with numerous fish restaurants. We visited the museum and walked around the territory of the “school for spies,” namely the headquarters of the Defense Language Institute, headed by the US Department of Defense. We were surprised that we could calmly walk around the territory of the institute; no one stopped us or asked why we were hanging around there. We hardly looked like spies, but what kind of spy would we be if we looked like spies?

 

 

 

2024 Hakumba, California

 

My friends, we are heading to Jacumba Hot Springs. Jacumba Hot Springs is a community in the Mountain Empire area of ​​southeastern San Diego County, California. At the 2020 census, the community's population was only 540 people. Jacumba is known for its hot mineral springs and for being located on the border with Mexico. Yesterday, we watched a video of this settlement and were horrified - it is, in fact, a ghost town. Once upon a time, at the beginning of the 20th century, it was a luxurious resort where Hollywood stars came. Now, Misha and I will be these stars. What we will do there and why we are going there, I don’t know yet. Look, we'll see.

 

1. Dying City

 

We returned home after our two-day trip to Hakumbu, located on the border with Mexico. My friends, this trip is for you if you love exotic things.

 

Let's start with the Mexican border. Town Hakumba is not that far from our home in San Diego—an hour and 20 minutes by car.  Already approaching the city, we saw the border. It curled like a dark brown ribbon right along the road. At some point, we drove very close and could see the fence and barbed wire. Even though the wall looks solid, migrants still somehow cross it. Three months ago, Hakumba had a migrant tent city.

 

 

We also went to see the border on foot. It was very close to our hotel.

 

There is no city, in our understanding, in Hakumba, but there is destruction, which makes a gloomy impression. At the beginning of the 20th century, a balneological resort flourished here, but something went wrong, and the city began to die out. There are a lot of empty, dilapidated houses with broken windows and a lot of construction debris. There is only one grocery store. While passing by, I managed to see an exhibition of alcohol in it. Two antique stores also have some old trash visible in the windows. There were locks on all the shops. While walking and photographing the ruins, we came across a library and a post office and saw three churches of different denominations. But nowhere, no one.

 

 

Jacumba and trains

 

Once upon a time, there was a railroad in Hakumbe. Today, what remains are rails overgrown with grass and several trains and carriages. The trains are private, and you cannot get close to them. This is a beautiful open-air museum, but no one wants to open it to the public for some reason. This may attract tourists even more. However, the trains, like everything else in this city, are falling into disrepair.

 

 

Even the houses where people live look like those of careless owners: peeling plaster, broken fences, garbage. Only on the street Hill Snob Dr, on the mountain, were several new modern buildings discovered.

 

 

2. Oasis

 

As I already said, Hakumba is undergoing complete devastation and collapse. And here, in the middle of all this collapse, is an oasis in the form of a hotel. When you enter this hotel, you fall into a unique state of relaxation. Hot water from hydrogen sulfide springs relaxes. Relaxes the scent of essences. Relaxes the music and the cocktails at the bar. Everything is done somehow: esoteric, mysterious, and magical. A place for yoga, meditation, and smoking weed.

Interestingly, our room did not have a TV. Instead, there was a player and records. We especially liked the one of them. On it, the saxophone, with a light accompaniment, made some abrupt, unexpected sounds. We listened to it again and again.

The hotel had a swimming pool with mineral water and an echo room with a jacuzzi. The echo chamber had a hole in the ceiling through which one could watch the clouds pass by for a long time.

I don’t know if the water had any healing effect on us, but we had a great time.

 

3. Hakumba and lake life

 

Near the hotel was a picturesque small lake with ordinary life: a choir of frogs sang, tadpoles tumbled in the warm water, little birds chirped in the reeds, and a white heron stood on one leg. Palm trees and mountains strewn with cobblestones completed the landscape. Incredible beauty!

 

 

To be continued…