Following our two weeks in Germany and Sweden, we flew into Oslo, Norway, one day early before the flight to join our Hurtigruten cruise around the Svalbard island chain. Upon the recommendation of my old friend Per (who is Norwegian but lives in Germany), we . . .
Until today’s port visit, Cadiz was just a name I had encountered sometime in the past. I didn’t know anything at all about it. Now at the end of the day, I feel enriched by learning about this city, as well as having visited an historic village named Vejer de la Frontera.
Our third Viking port of call was Puntarenas, Costa Rica. As usual, several excursion choices were offered. We chose one entitled “Walk in the Clouds.” We boarded a bus for an hour’s drive from the coast up to the highlands of the central valley running through the country. Our Costa Rican tour guide spoke for the whole hour as we traveled, providing many details about his country. I remain very interested in Costa Rica, having heard that it is a popular destination for retired Americans wishing to relocate to a foreign country less expensive than the US and having a great climate. I’m happy to continue to live in Reno, but we might want to visit Costa Rica again for a more in-depth visit...
Many years ago, I was told the following joke which highlights Scandinavian cliché stereotypes: In a ferry sailing on the Baltic Sea, two Danes, two Norwegians, two Finns, and two Swedes walk into the bar. The two Danes clap each other on the back. . .
The inclusion of Lhasa, Tibet, in Viking's Wonders of China cruise was a big incentive for us to book this trip. Three nights and two full days of tours were only a superficial introduction to this ancient culture. But this was better than nothing. I don't think we otherwise would have ever planned a trip to Tibet. It's simply too isolated, and obtaining the required Chinese visa was expensive.
INDIA VISIT OVERVIEW
Susan and I have completed one month of our seven-week visit to Mumbai, India. This is the longest time that Susan will have ever spent in India. In my approximately fifteen visits to India over the years, I generally stayed for around a month and twice for two months. As a result of these many visits, we have many friends here, most of whom are musicians or music lovers. Our goal for this seven-week stay was to enjoy our friends and the great food while playing as much music as possible.
Susan and I were privileged to spend ten days in Bali. Several days were spent traveling several hours from Ubud, our home base, to famous temples popular with tourists like us. We didn't see all of Bali. But the places we were able to visit yielded many interesting photos.