Africa, part two

We have arrived back in Arusha, Tanzania, which means that the safari part of our trip has come to an end. And that is very sad, because it really was a fabulous few days. We saw amazing scenery, an astounding variety of wildlife (including, for starters, lions, cheetahs, leopards, hippos, elephants, rhinos, ostriches, zebras, giraffes, gazelles, impalas) . . . almost all of them from a few feet away. Our driver, Samy, was a fount of knowledge about the area and the animals, and we enjoyed him greatly. I can see why people say that Africa gets under your skin. I'd love to come back, and I haven't even left yet. We're taking hundreds of photos, so those who wish can see as many as you wish. But I'm writing this from an internet cafe, so I can't attach any photos now.

Tomorrow we fly to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, via Nairobi, to start the Ethiopian part of our trip. That will be more focused on people, but with some sightseeing mixed in, for sure.

As always, if people REALLY need to reach us, the best way is by my cell phone. (We saw Maasai tribesmen, a quite primitive culture, with cell phones!) More when I can.

Bob

Africa, part one

A quick note to say that we're in Africa! This is a view of the Ngorongoro Crater from our hotel. The last couple of days were in the Serengeti, with totally amazing wildlife viewing. Tomorrow we go down into the crater, and the next day on to Tarangire. Today we had lunch at Olduvai Gorge, where the Leakeys made their finds regarding early humans. So . . . having a fabulous time!




Via iPhone

Birds

One last vacation update: we are all home now except for Micah, who has now been cleared by a doctor in Berlin to fly home tomorrow. So we will have one whole day with the entire family together, before Jane helps Noah drive his stuff out to New York City to begin his grad studies at Columbia.

Moving away from the vacation, on a recent plane flight I got to wondering how high birds can fly. In investigating, I came across this fascinating article on the Audubon site. Bar-headed geese fly directly over Mt. Everest! I had no idea birds could fly that high. A scientist points out that these geese can fly at over 50 mph under their own power; "add the thrust of tailwinds of perhaps 100 miles an hour if they are lucky, and these birds really move." And in the following article, it says that the highest flying bird recorded was a kind of vulture called a Ruppell's griffon which was unfortunate enough to be sucked into the engine of a jet flying at 37,900 feet. If you're interested in the wonders of nature, I recommend this article.

Home and almost

So, I got home on Wednesday, fairly uneventfully, except that the
airport from hell (JFK) got me again. They had only one runway open
and their usual backlog, so my 6:15 flight left at 10 pm. Noah got in
last night, having to wait a long time for me to get him since I
foolishly thought he'd be coming in at the main terminal rather than
the charter terminal. (Ah, Iceland Air!) Micah and Jane are somewhere
in Europe, having missed their connection to Berlin, so waiting for
tonight's night train. We'll get together again yet!

Today's photo is of one of the main things that kept us sane in
Tbilisi, a darling kitten at our guest house. She almost got smuggled
home with us.

Micah in his hospital room in Tbilisi. Note the luxurious accommodations. And ask him about the toilet paper sometime! However, to be fair, they had good X-ray and other test equipment, and he was well cared for. I just feel like donating some IV stands to their ER.

Mt. Kazbeg on a clear morning. This was the view from our guest house. Mt. Kazbeg is the sixth highest in Europe.

Half gone

I know, some people think I've been half gone for a long time, but I'm referring to the family. Half of us left Tbilisi a few hours ago. Micah had another X-ray done, and it was almost all clear, and he's feeling much better, so he and Jane are headed for Istanbul, followed by (in whatever order they come to them--my geography's a but hazy in the region) Macedonia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Austria, Germany. Noah and I are envious of their itinerary, if not of the several straight days of bus and train travel. But it will get Micah to Berlin safely, and he and Jane have the time. (Micah has also made that journey before, so it's familiar to him.) Meanwhile, Noah and I fly out of Tbilisi around 3:30 am (which, oddly, is when most flights leave Tbilisi!), going to Berlin via Riga. I'll fly home from there tomorrow (via New York), and Noah will follow on Friday (via Reykjavik). It felt odd to split up the family after so much time together, but we talked it all through extensively, and all agreed that this was the way that made the most sense for us.

I promise, still, to add some Georgian photos once I get out of Georgia (where it's very expensive to use my iPhone with its photos for these posts).

So, thanks for the prayers--the health ones seem to have been answered, and now it's just the diverse travels.

Health update

We're still here in Tbilisi. Micah went to the hospital yesterday (Saturday) evening, complaining of faintness. They kept him overnight for observation, but it seems to have been related more to his intestinal bug than his pneumothorax. That is holding steady, maybe getting a bit better, so we'll go back on Tuesday for another check. If it's improved sufficiently, he may be cleared to travel by land to Berlin. He'll have to wait there for awhile, since as I said, you aren't supposed to fly for two weeks after the condition clears. Noah and I are still mulling our travel plans, whether we will fly to Berlin ahead of Jane and Micah. The excitement continues!

Still in Georgia

So, life happens. Shortly after my last post, Micah had a recurrence of a previous pneumothorax (a partial collapse of a lung). He had been told it could happen again, but this isn't the very best time or place! So, we spent a few hours at a clinic and then an ER, returned there this morning (the doctors are all very capable and helpful, and the costs are amazing--so far, for exams by several doctors, two types of X-rays, an EKG and blood tests, maybe $30), and here's the scoop as of now: The pneumothorax is present, it has grown a bit since yesterday, and we're to go back on Sunday so they can look at it again. It may resolve itself, or they may have to drain it with a tube. The problem is flying--it isn't a good idea to fly in this condition. One doctor we talked to said that even after it is drained, Micah should wait another 2 weeks before flying.

As I write this, it's the middle of the night in the U.S. A little later, we'll try to reach doctors and insurance there to get more information. We could take bus and train through Istanbul to get to Berlin without flying, but all of that will wait at least until we know more on Sunday.

In the meantime, I ask for your prayers for Micah (who is feeling pretty well except for some chest pain--he's still able to walk around town with us), and for us as we try to figure all of this out. Don't worry overly much, at worst it will just take longer to get home. I'll try to update when we know more. If you want to reach me, use mplsbf@visi.com.

The other end of Tbilisi

So, after a week or so, we are getting ready to leave Georgia, and since our flight doesn't leave until 3 a.m. or so, I have time in an internet cafe (only 1 Lari an hour!--about 65 cents) to do some catching up. Photos still to come later.

This has been a fascinating week. We have had wonderful experiences here, even though there are some rising tensions with Russia. On Friday, July 31, we took a marshrutka (a 16-passenger van) down to a town near the border with Azerbaijan, and from there a taxi an hour into the desert over "roads" to an ancient monastery, David Gareja. Parts date to the 6th century. Among other things, we hiked up and over a ridge line, to where there are cave cells for monks (now abandoned), some of which have beautiful frescoes--many vandalized, but still nice. And the Azerbaijan border was only feet in front of those caves, so we stepped over and added that country to our itinerary.

Saturday, unfortunately, we found out what it's like to have the stomach flu in Georgia--pretty much like anywhere else. All of us except Noah (who, of course, is acclimated to here) got it. We were grateful for good plumbing in our room.

But it was the classic 24-hour bug, so we were recovered enough on Sunday to go rafting with some friends of Noah and some other Georgians--about 16 in all--on a nice river about 1-1/2 hours away, the Aragvi. Oddly, even though Georgians scorn seat belts while driving 80 mph in the wrong lane as oncoming traffic rapidly approaches (!!), we all wore life vests and helmets for the rafting. It was a Class 2 river, so not too scary, but a whole lot of fun. We were glad our guide gave instructions in English. Afterward, they provided a picnic on the banks, with freshly-roasted pork, tomato-cucumber-basil salad, bread, cheese, and wine. We were also entertained by one of the crew, Sandro, who enjoyed his alcohol very much.

On Monday, we bought Georgian rugs--very nice ones, handmade, a few decades to a hundred years old, for about $200 each. Then we headed to Kazbegi. To get there, we boarded another marshrutka, this time the four of us crammed in the very back of a packed van, and went over a mountain "highway" (yes, there's a theme there) into the Caucasus mountains. They are the highest in Europe, quite a bit higher than the Alps. We ended up in the town of Kazbegi that seems to have a mythical reputation among Georgians. Everyone seemed pleased that we were going to go there. And it is beautiful--in a valley amid the mountains. On a clear day, the view is dominated by snow-capped Mt. Kazbeg, the highest in the area at 5,037 meters (16,525 feet). I'll post a photo once I get to Germany. According to legend, it is the mountain upon which Prometheus was chained as punishment for bringing fire to mortals. For the next couple of days, we hiked in the area, staying at a very nice guest house where we had three huge rooms, two huge meals, and the company of a rooster, some chickens, and a goat, all for $40/person/night. We hiked over a pass 5 hours to a mostly abandoned village somewhat near the South Ossetian border, walked about 40 minutes out of town to a mineral spring that had delicious and refreshing carbonated water; hiked, jumped, waded, and climbed to a waterfall up near the Russian border (this is a small country), and generally had a fine time. The four of us also played Settlers of Camar, a fun board game that Noah had become hooked on--now we all are.

We returned home yesterday evening, today we bought a few souvenirs (watch out--I now have a Georgian dagger!), and as I said, soon we will leave for the more familiar land of Germany. Our itinerary there includes Heidelberg, Weimar, and Berlin.

Tbilisi

And now we are in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, the farthest away from home I have ever been. We are 9 time zones ahead of Minneapolis, 11 ahead of my California birthplace. I don't have any photos yet to share (I've been taking them all with our camera rather than my iPhone, so instead I'll pass on a few verbal impressions.

We arrived in Tbilisi late last night, and spent today looking around, under the direction of Noah, who has been living here for several months. It's a city that aspires to be important, it has a lot of natural beauty, it is steeped in history of which most Americans (including me) have been unaware. It has an alphabet and a laguage that are completely unrelated to any other. After Norway, it is ridiculously cheap--after spending $100 for a barely-enough dinner in Norway, here we spent less than half that for a multiple-course feast for four, including a very nice Georgian wine.

There's a lot of poverty here--many beggars on the streets--but it doesn't seem poor on the order of, say, India. Somehow people eke out a reasonable living, and hope for better times and no more war with Russia. It probably helps that it's a bountiful land. In addition to deserts and mountains that we'll see over coming days, Georgia produces well agriculturally. In the backyard of the guest house where we're staying there are grapes, figs, plums, apples, and pomegranates.

And the people are generally friendly. (It helps that Noah can communicate with them in a common language, Russian.) But they are crazy drivers. Taxis are plentiful and cheap, but lane markings seem to be there for their decorative value.

So, a good beginning to visiting a fascinating place. Plans for tomorrow include a trip out to the desert to visit an ancient monastery.

And I just noticed that the rate to send emails from here via my iPhone is very high, so unless or until I'm able to get to an Internet cafe, I'll have to save up remaining entries and photos until I'm back in Germany. Cheers!

Bob

Time to catch up on this. When last I wrote, we were in Oslo. While we
enjoyed our time there, I have mixed feelings about the city. In many
ways, the downtown area struck me a bit like an Omaha--not especially
pretty or cosmopolitan, it seemed a bit pinched and poor. Admittedly,
there are charming sections. And the big exception is the harbor area,
which is beautiful. But Oslo, and Norway in general, lived up to its
reputation for being very expensive. One evening, for a pasta dish
each (lasagna/spaghetti) and tap water, we paid $100 for four of us.
The next night it was the same, for pizza buffet and one beer each. Of
course, then we walked out of the restaurant about 11 and saw the last
colors of the sunset over Bergen harbor.

Because Bergen is where we are now. In Oslo we went again to the
Vigeland sculpture park (Jane and I had been there before) and again
loved the sculptures of people in every stage of life--hundreds of them.

The next day we took the Sognefjord in a Nutshell tour: train to
Myrdal, another train down the scenic Flåm valley, and a fast boat
from Flåm down the Sognefjord (the longest and deepest in the world)
to Bergen. All of that took about 12 hours. The weather wasn't great--
cloudy most of the day--but the scenery is still beautiful. Noah and
Micah continued their trip-long marathon cribbage tournament.

Today, in Bergen (which, by the way, I really like, in contrast to
Oslo), we took a 1-1/2 hour walking tour of the Hanseatic Bryggen area
(see photo), and then, at the suggestion of two friends named Garnaas
and Halvorson, we went to a local Salvation Army store, where Jane and
I each got a beautiful Norwegian sweater for far less than they're
selling them in the shops here. Oh, and in the fish market we talked
to a young Genoan named Stephano who gave us samples of fabulous
Norwegian salmon as well as whale meat. We'll probably be back there
tomorrow for the salmon--not the whale, which was actually quite
tasty, but, well, ethical issues. (Norway and Japan are the only two
countries where you can legally buy whale meat.)

Tomorrow we'll continue exploring Bergen, then catch an afternoon
train back to Oslo. We'll have most of another day there, then fly to
someplace completely different: the Republic of Georgia. I probably
won't be able to post from there, but if not, I'll try to save up some
photos and observations.

And now, from Oslo.

Yesterday we had agood last day in Sweden. We had hoped to get together with more Swedish cousins, but one of them was ill so our plans changed. We started off by going to the Riddarholms church, the oldest building in Stockholm (14th century) and the place where most Swedish kings are buried. Then we headed to the Modern Museum, where they have a nice collection of modern art from well-known (e.g. Picasso) and lesser known artists. After that we wandered around and ate: ice cream (marzipan-chocolate and orange-chocolate for me), beer, dinner with more beer. Finally we headed back to the central station and caught the night train for Oslo.

We arrived here around 8 a.m. in a rain shower. But we made our way to our hotel and were able to check into one of our rooms. Then we took a tram to a laundromat, and then back to the train station to this internet cafe. I also went to the lost and found, since I managed to leave my sportcoat on the train, but it was closed for the weekend. I'll check again when we're back here in a few days.

So far, Norway seems a lot like Sweden, jsut with a few random changes in the words to express their independence. More later--tomorrow we do Sognefjord in a Nutshell.

Today, Thursday, we continued our time in Stockholm and environs. I
didn't get a good photo on my iPhone today (I take most of them with
our camera), so I'll send one of the hotel dining room that I took
yesterday.

We went first to the Carl Milles Museum, his estate on the Stockholm
island of Lidingö. Most of it is outside, and the sculptures are
wonderful. Even though it was a gray day, I thoroughly enjoyed our
time there.

After that, we took a train to the town of Uppsala, 40 minutes north
of Stockholm, to see the cathedral and university. The cathedral is
the largest church in Scandinavia. Before we left Uppsala, I stopped
in a bookstore to buy a Swedish book of worship.

Other highlights of the day were having a lingonberry coke--highly
recommended!--and getting more familiar with the Stockholm subway
system. Today's trivia: the Swedish flag is the second-oldest national
flag in the world, after Denmark.

Tomorrow looks to bring rain, a more relaxed day in Stockholm, and
then a night train to Oslo, the capital of some other Nordic country.

Today we set out to explore Stockholm. We began with the Royal Palace.
There we saw several museums, including the Treasury and some royal
apartments. Then we saw part of the changing of the guard. Following
this, we had lunch of Mexican food, and talked with the man in charge
of the place (he is from Chiapas). Then we took a bus to the Vasa
museum. The Vasa is a 17th century warship commissioned by Gustavus
Adolphus. Unfortunately, it sank in its maiden voyage. But it was
raised in 1961, in remarkably good shape. (See photo.) Afterward, we
took a cruise on some canals, went to a tall TV tower for an overview
of the city, then dinner. And the weather was beautiful!

Today we moved on to Stockholm. The trip is about 4 hours by fast
train. We got in around 2 pm, and walked to the Story Hotel in the
Ostermalm area. It turns out that's the high fashion district, and the
Story certainly fits. There's no sign on the front, and no front desk--
just a person at a computer in the hallway. Once you check in, you go
up to the rooms, off of hallways painted off-black. Instead of room
keys you are given a numerical code tonput into a key pad. The rooms
are nice, but again with trendy decorating. One wall has some of the
plaster taken off, with splashes of paint. Others have signed and
numbered art prints glued to the wall. Over all, chic but comfortable--
and not expensive.

In the evening we walked fthrough the Old Town (Gamla Stan) to the
Sodermalm area, where we ate at a traditional Swedish restaurant. (I
had reindeer.) Among other things, the English-language menu mentioned
"butter slunged season vegetables"--we're still trying to figure that
out. But the food was good, as was the house wine, an Argentine malbec
(we toasted the Lilly Foundation again). And of course, the
conversation was great. Tomorrow we will do more exploring in the city.

The report from Hässleholm.
After a delightful dinner with the Carlsons at which the hedgehog made
an appearance, we went back to our hotel in Malmö (pronounced,
roughly, mal-muh) and slept very well. The next morning after
breakfast we took the fast train to Hässleholm (HESS-leh-holm), a
journey of only 45 minutes. There we were met by cousin Marie and her
husband Per-Ulf Månsson. Later we met their children Viktor and Julia,
very blond and in their late teens. We enjoyed poking around the
countryside and having dinner with them. They are closer to our ages,
so we had good conversations.

Today (Monday the 20th) we walked to their house after breakfast and
were taken to some places rich in family history. First we went to the
church where my mother's father was baptized, and in the churchyard of
which my great-grandfather is buried. Then we drove to the little
house where my grandfather was born and raised. (See photo.) After
that we heard a little concert of sacred and secular folk music by a
male chorus in which Marie's father Gusta sings. Returning to the
hotel, we are looking forward to going out for dinner with their
family, and tomorrow we head to Stockholm. There was still some rain
today, but also more periods of sun.

We are now in Malmö, having taken the night train from Berlin after a
delicious Turkish dinner at a restaurant near Micah's (now former)
apartment. The train had bunkbeds, or couchettes, which would have
been fine if the room hadn't been so hot, especially after the whole
train was pulled onto a lower deck of a ferry. But we got some sleep,
and arrived in Malmö about 8 am.

After breakfast, because it was on-and-off raining, and since we
couldn't check into our hotel until 2 pm, we took a bus tour of the
city. Then we walked back to one of the high points, the Turning
Torso, a 54-story apartment building designed by Calatrava that twists
90° over its height. (See photo) Now we are in our hotel room at the
St Jorgen, enjoying blessed showers and looking forward to dinner with
cousins Åke and Ingrid Carlson, and then to beds that are not moving.

Enjoying Gözleme

Your ordinary trombone-guitar-percussion combo, by a canal (complete
with swans) in Berlin.

We arrived safely in Berlin, just a few hours late because we had to
wait for Pres. Obama to vacate JFK. Otherwise, though, the flight was
uneventful--we even got some sleep. And Micah & Noah were waiting for
us at the airport. We took the train to Micah's apartment in Neukölln,
then went out to explore. We went to a semiweekly Turkish market next
to a canal, where we bought Gözleme (like quesadillas) filled with
spinach and cheese, olives, and cherries. Then we went to Sudkreuz to
get our rail passes validated, took the train back, stopped for ice
cream (it's in the 80s), and got back to the apartment just as the
heavens opened, complete with Donner und Blitzen. Late tonight, we
catch the night train to Malmö.

So, for several days I've been working with Julie at AF on getting a
cool project underway before I leave. At JFK, we get off the plane and
have to take a bus to the terminal. We walk onto the bus, and who is
there but Julie and her husband, who were on the same flight. We could
have been working on the Worship Guidebook all the way to NY! . . . or
not.

For anyone who may care, we have landed at JFK in New York. Air Force
One is here also, so we're in good company.

Via iPhone

Beginning

I don't expect to become a permanent blogger, but a friend and colleague encouraged me to use this method to post some travelogues and photos of my upcoming travels. My wife Jane and I will be taking two big trips in coming months. First, four weeks in Europe (Sweden, Norway, Republic of Georgia, and Germany) with our sons Noah and Micah, and then a three-week trip to eastern Africa in the fall. So I'll give it a try.

In case you're wondering, the title of the blog is a riff on my last name. "Farlee" is apparently a variation on "far lea," which would mean "distant meadow." Probably where some equally distant ancestor farmed. It seemed poetic, and as good as anything.

So, tomorrow we leave. I won't have my laptop with me, so I don't know how often I'll be able to update, but I'll try!