Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Sept 30/Oct 1, Saturday/Sunday

Flew Turkish Air into Tashkent, Uzbekistan, arriving at 1:30 AM.  Had to clear the visa dept; money exchange dept; filled in some forms TWICE, declaring how much money we were bringing into the country; then finally cleared customs by 3AM.  Thankfully the driver that our guide Mehmet had arranged was still there waiting. 

Oct 2, Monday, Tashkent

Needless to say, with our internal clock so out of whack with the 12 hour difference in time we slept most of the day. 

(A side note here on the money situation.  We were told not to exchange too much  US money into Uzbek Som (pronounced soom) until we could see how far it could go, so I changed $25 US and at 8000 som to the US dollar, got back 200,000 som.  No typing error here, folks.  Fortunately it was in large bills. i.e.: several 50,000, 10,000 and 5000 but found it daunting as we still didn’t know how far this would take us.   

Our hotel is a 5 Star and is more appropriate for business men on company budgets so we wanted to go to a more unique little place for dinner.  Found a little trendy Bistro up the street; Mike had ordered a burger and to his surprise a pair of black latex gloves came with his meal, which surprised both of us until we noticed others who had burgers were wearing them.  On they went and he quickly found out why because their burgers were so juicy that it was dripping all over his hands and plate.  No alcohol was served in the restaurant so both had tea.  Total bill came to 104,000 som or $13.00 US.  Another shake of our heads!  Such good food and for so little.  

Back at the hotel we changed another $50US but this time the girl only had small bills; i.e.: 1000 Som.  So our $50 gave us 400,000 Som!  Came in 4 wrapped bundles of 100,000 som each, or 4 inches high!  Now we understand why a ‘man purse’ became necessary.

Mosque at sunset

400,000 som

200,000 som or $25.00!

Vancouver to Istanbul

Sep 28, 2017 to Sept 30, 2017

The trip started off with a bang!  A 7 hours delay due to “mechanical problems”.  Finally they sent everyone home, that is if you had a local home.  Visiting tourists were put up in hotels, but as far out as Abbotsford. as "no room at the inn" closer to the airport.  Our taxi to Ladner was $60 one way and the Abbotsford ones were $225, without commuter traffic; I’d hate to see what their return trip cost.  Lufthansa promised to reimburse everyone for their expenses.  Found out later the mechanical problems were due to two Canada geese that got into the engines as the plane was landing the day before and they needed to clean them out.

Sept 29/30, Friday/Saturday

Due to our delay we missed our connecting flight from Frankfurt to Istanbul but did get there a full day later.  We lost one night of the two we had pre-booked for the Istanbul hotel so will try to claim that as well.  Our room had the same fantastic view of the Blue Mosque as my previous visits but the lighting was poor this time with heavy mist and rain.  Still went out to give Mike a chance to see The Blue Mosque and the Aya Sophia, then the next morning walked in the rain down to the Golden Horn and the Spice Market.  Wonderful smells, sounds, lively action.  Yes the vendors were shilling and trying to entice you into their shop with some free Turkish Delight or a glass of Apple tea, hoping you would feel obligated to buy.  We did get caught once but quickly got out of it when we were led into their back room to take look at their Turkish carpets.  Got out of the market without making any enemies.  Worked  our way back up the hill through a maze of little alleyways, including  a few dead ends, but eventually got back to the hotel, where we picked up luggage and off to the airport.  

Istanbul has a very vibrant vibe and like Paris, has lots of young people out at all hours and most spoke some English., if not very well.  Rain was no problem for them.  We noticed that very few people wear runners - - - men wear stylish leather shoes and even with all the cobblestone roads the ladies were in fashionable high heels.  No Gore-Tex jackets here!  Elegant evening wear or smart suits for work.  There is lots of construction going on, particularly high end condos along the waterfront.  City looks very prominent, much more forward looking than my last visit here 12 years ago.  Would have loved to stay here much longer as there are so many unique things and places to see.

The Silk Road

Less than one week to go till we leave for The Silk Road!  Or in this case, Istanbul, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.  The moniker was given to the route the camel trains used to take from the Orient travelling west across China, through the area of the current "Stans", then over to Istanbul, where their market was.

My husband, Mike and I will be joining a small group of 10 on a photo tour to The Stans and our leader will be Mehmet Ozbalci, my trusty partner in the previous tours I organised to Turkey.  Not many people are going to Turkey these days as too many of the wonderful locations we previously went to in the southeast of the country are off limits now due to the extensive Syrian refugee camps spread out across the plains.  So a few years ago Mehmet extended his photo tours out to a few of the Stans.

To break up the 26 hours of traveling time to get there we decided to make a 2 day stop in exotic Istanbul (I only wish it were more time), before moving on to Uzbekistan.  The old city of Istanbul (previously known as Constantinople) is easy to get around on foot, very much like the West End of Vancouver, with the waters of the Bosporus and the Golden Horn wrapped around the wonderful treasures within.  Seeing the 550 year old Topkapi Palace with it's 86 carat pear-shaped diamond; the gold and emerald crusted dagger as well as a visit to the Harem, where the Sultan's wives and concubines lived, could keep you busy for a full day alone.  Or should we explore the Blue Mosque, Aghia Sophia, the Underground Cistern, as well as the Grand Bazaar? However, a day in the Grand Bazaar, with 61 covered streets and over 4000 shops, would hardly get you anywhere.  How can I show all this to Mike in only 2 days?

The following are a few images taken on previous trips to Turkey.

View of the Blue Mosque from my room

Underground Cistern

A Native Villager who asked 

to  have her photo taken 

Soaring over the Hoodoos in Cappadocia

We'll be on our own in Tashkent, Uzbekistan for another 2 days before joining the official tour so hopefully we'll be over our jet lag by this time (they are 12 hours ahead of Vancouver).  How we get around with all the signs in Cyrillic letters will be a different story!  Stay tuned folks.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Finally Home, Folks

There were several long days drive from Mono Lake in eastern California: over an 8500 foot pass in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, with our brakes smoking all the way downhill; half way around the west side of Lake Tahoe, (gorgeous, Whistler-like homes) then on to the lower plains of central California, with an altitude of only 113 feet!  No wonder it was tough on Mike’s shoulders, descending all the switch-backs without power steering.  This is farming country, with mostly almonds and walnut trees in the fields; unfortunately we’re too late for the almond crop yet too early for walnuts.  It’s a disappointment as there is no comparison to fresh walnuts.  One of the final days drive north was 795 km; amazingly, no traffic slow down in Seattle; only five minutes at the border then home within minutes!

What have we learned?

That it's amazing how quickly one can adapt to living in a small space.

That we still enjoy our extended time in Westie.

When it’s hot in the desert, even at an altitude of over 7000 feet, it’s still HOT!

What have been the highlights about this trip?

The rolling hills in The Palouse area of Southeast Washington

The festive ambiance of Santa Fe, New Mexico

The Taos Pueblo in New Mexico as well

The slot canyon in Page, Arizona

The Tufa's at Mono Lake, California

The interesting people we met along the way; both American, Canadian and many Europeans.

Our interaction with the Native Americans

The disappointments?

Mediocre South Western food

Seeing guns for sale in Walmart

The crowds in Moab, Utah, in particular at Arches National Park

The  ATV’s that spoiled the pristine lines of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes in southern Utah

The no-see-um's that come out at dusk; they see-me and I-feel-um!

Losing a day due to car trouble.

That we had to cut short the trip in such a beautiful part of the continent.

Hope you have enjoyed my first attempt at a blog.  There are a few glitches in laying out the photos that I need to learn how to correct and if you have any suggestions I’d love to hear them. 

Cheers for now,

Heather & Mike

The Rambling Wanderers,

Finally Home Folks

There were several long days drive from Mono Lake in eastern California.  Over an 8500 foot pass in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, with our brakes smoking all the way downhill; around the west side of Lake Tahoe, (gorgeous, Whistler-like homes) then on to the lower plains of central California, to an altitude of only 113 feet!  No wonder it was tough on Mike’s shoulders, without power steering.  This is farming country, with mostly almonds and walnut trees in the fields; unfortunately we’re too late for the almond crop yet too early for walnuts.  One of the final days drive north was 795 kms; amazingly with no traffic slow down in Seattle; only five minutes at the border then home within minutes!  7741 kms total in 4 weeks!

What have been the highlights of this trip?
The rolling hills in The Palouse area of Southeast Washington

The festive ambiance of Santa Fe, New Mexico

The Taos Pueblo in New Mexico as well

Antelope Slot Canyon in Page, Arizona

Finally seeing the Tufa's at Mono Lake, California

Our interaction with the Native Americans

The disappointments?

Mediocre South Western food

Seeing guns for sale in Walmart

The crowds in Moab, Utah,  in particular at Arches National Park

The  ATV’s that spoil the pristine lines of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes in southern Utah

The no-see-um's that come out at dusk . . . . they see-me and I-feel-um!

What have we learned?

All buildings in Santa Fe must be brown; any one of 27 shades of brown
That we still enjoy our extended time in Westie.
That it's amazing how quickly one can adapt to living in a small space.

Vitamin E gel capsules melt in their bottle at these high temperatures.

Mercury in a thermometer breaks up when it goes over 50*C.

When it’s hot in the desert, even at an altitude of over 8500 feet, it’s still  VERY HOT!

Hope you have enjoyed my blog, folks.  There are a few glitches in laying out the photos that I need to learn how to correct and if you have any suggestions I’d love to hear them. 

Cheers for now,

Heather & Mike

The Rambling Wanderers

Bison Still Roam The Range

Former Mode of Travel

Current Mode of Travel

And Nary a Vehicle in Sight

An Area Everyone Should Try to Get to See

Our Worst Nightmare!

Being stuck on a deserted road with minimal traffic; you have vehicle problems and there is no cell coverage!  Yup, that is what happened to us yesterday.  We chose to go due west across Nevada to Yosemite in Eastern California.  This is barren country, folks!  6500 ft mountain passes with long flat roads between; one of which was the Extraterrestrial Highway.  Too many unexplained happenings along here at times!

Long and Straight

Strange Things Happened Along Here

Scenic at Times

Two days of driving and only two small towns along the way.  Half way into the second day the power steering belt broke, which in turn broke the water pump/alternator belt; the engine overheated and blew a short piece of the cooling tubing.  Mike had a spare belt but no piece of tubing.  Of course we would be in an area that had no cell coverage so I sat on a stool up on a hillock and when a vehicle came along I stood up and waved.  To our good fortune one of the first few vehicles that went past returned, and a Good Samaritan from Santa Barbara came to our rescue.  He actually had a satellite phone which worked in this area and I got through to AAA to explain our predicament.  (That phone call is a story in and of itself), and after a 20 minute call they gave us assurance that help would be here soon.  Our saviour wouldn’t take any money for the call and went on his way, with our thanks.  Help arrived after 40 minutes and Dave towed us the 20 miles into Tonopah, a leftover 1900’s mining town, that had turned into a forgotten desert crossroads, but with a few services. 

Our Poor Westie

Of course with it being a Saturday no work would normally be done until Monday so we took a room in a motel that was facing the parked van in the automotive lot.  Seedy!  A flea-bag motel but there was not much other choice.  We did get the mechanic, Dave, to come in on Sunday (at  a premium) and he and Mike repaired and replaced the pieces and we were on our way by 10AM.  No power steering though but at least we were able to continue on our way.

A California Rollercoaster

We thankfully got to Mono Lake, east of Yosemite, in time to take a look at the unusually shaped Tufa’s, which are created by calcium deposits building up from the lake floor.  These had all been underwater but 73 years ago when Los Angeles, in their need for water,  diverted 4 rivers that fed this lake, the water level dropped and when evaporation occurred, the tufa’s appeared.  Through a lot of work by concerned citizens and various organizations it has now been agreed to minimize the theft of these rivers and the water level in the lake should begin to rise, that is unless there is drought like in the past 3 years.  

How The Tufa's Grow

Outstanding in the Water

Are My Exposures Right?

Coarse Texture

Note the Cinder Cones in the Distance

Page, Arizona

The hospital in the town of Page, Arizona seems to be a magnet for the Latondresse family.  22 years ago Mike was there for X-rays when he had his nearby biking accident (broke his collarbone, fractured a few ribs and collapsed one lung) and this time due to a persistent bladder infection it was my turn.  All went smoothly as I had called my insurance company while enroute to Page, and by the time we got to the hospital the approval papers were ready and we didn’t have to pay for anything.  In and out in just over an hour, with a prescription for medication.  (Later found out the total cost to the insurance company for 80 minutes was $1880)!

Like Arches Ntl Park, and the town of Moab, this place has grown beyond it’s capacity.  When we were here previously, I was able to hire a Navajo guide for $5 to drive me onto the Navajo lands to the Upper Antelope Slot canyon and he left me alone for 1 1/2 hours to photograph the unique sandstone formations; what a magical experience.  Now there are a over a dozen tour groups that take you to the canyon in groups of 25, starting every 15 minutes, and they hustle you through in 45 minutes.  Somehow we lucked on to the “Professional Photographer's” pass for only $10 more than the regular fee of $50, for 2 hours in the canyon and could even use our tripods.  We chose to go into the Lower Canyon that previously was only accessable via rappelling down, whereas with a series of ladders and stairs you can now get down into this twisting canyon. What amazing shapes the rushing water creates during a flash flood.  It is the swirling sand and water that do all the work; everywhere you look you see a different view.  As there were scattered showers for the first two days we were in Page, the canyons were closed for safety reasons so the whole world was there the day we went!  From Italy, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, France, Lebanon, Australia, Britain, etc., etc., they all came.  This however was the highlight of this whole trip for us!

Descending into the Canyon

Glowing Swirls

More Swirls

And More

Shaped by Water and Sand

Pretty Narrow at Times

Sun Bouncing off the Upper Walls

Unbelievable Shapes

Emerging out at the End

Temperature at the Van in the Parking Lot!