Like most travelers, we were stuck in limbo since everything shut down all over the world due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Although we were able to do a long drive last year in August which gave us the opportunity in visiting the national parks like, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Yellowstone, etc, we felt that this is very different to visiting other countries, especially when you’re cruising.

My wife, Trini, and I will be flying to Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina (South America) to catch the Viking Ocean liner. This will be our third time to cruise with Viking and we really enjoyed our previous ones. We love that there is NO casino on the ship; no rowdy teenagers; and no kids running around bumping to you while trying to balance your tray in the food line! And there are only about 900 cruisers compared to the thousands in other cruise liners which makes it much less crowded. But the best part of this cruise is – drum roll please – wine and beer and sodas are included with your meals. There is also a free excursion included in every port visited.

There is one issue that was really disappointing with this cruise itinerary. Originally, we were scheduled to visit Rio de Janeiro and Recife in Brazil. It also included Senegal, Africa and Morocco, also in Africa. However, all these ports were cancelled and replaced with Madeira Island, Cape Verde and Valencia, Spain. I called our booking agent and complained but all I got was a half-hearted apology. I couldn’t cancel as it was less than ten days before our embarkation date and we would lose all our money! I checked the contract and there was nothing we can do! Oh well….c’est la vie.

Speaking of cancellation, we were scheduled for another Viking River Cruise next year starting in Moscow, Russia and ending in St Petersburg, Russia. However, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we felt that it was morally wrong to continue with the cruise and spend money in a country that would not respect another country’s sovereignty!

I will keep you posted of our cruise and update my post upon arrival in Buenos Aires!

Stay safe y’all!

I have to admit, today was a much better day than yesterday (Day 4). A visit to the first US national park erased all the anxieties and frustrations from yesterday. Visiting the park the second time in 29 years made me realize that those things that sometimes make us go ballistic are just a “sand in our shoe”, irritating but tolerable. Deal with it and get on with your life! Travel and go see places you’ve never seen before.

These pictures paint a thousand word and I need not explain how I felt as we drove around Yellowstone! I will add more of my commentaries in the next couple of days, but for now the photos should speak for themselves!

We spotted a herd of bisons near the road and watched them graze near the roads, a few just lying still as if they were waiting for the park visitors to take their pictures.

My post is a day late but I will try my best to update you. Thank you for following my blog!!!!

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if everyday was sunny and bright and the temperature was perfect? We would all wish that indeed life would be better this way! But would it really be better? Some one said that “in each life some rain must fall; some days must be sad, dark and dreary ….” I agree! I think life would be boring without all these weather changes and life would be monotonous if we do not encounter any challenges at all. We would all succumb to a lackadaisical behavior. Just my personal opinion.

Today, we checked out of our hotel and were all excited to go visit the first US National Park – Yellowstone. Checking my cell phone’s weather app, I notified my traveling companions that we would be expecting inclement weather on our way to Idaho where we booked our accommodation. After almost five hours driving, we arrived Island Park, Idaho. What greeted us was a beautiful two story log house located in the wilderness of about 28 miles outside of Yellowstone National Park.

But let me share with you how our day started.

We went looking for McDonald’s to get some breakfast and coffee. Of course, Google Maps was again our guide to help us get to our destination. However, like what happened previously, the app took us around the city again before we finally found McD. By then, the rain started to get stronger. We were all cranky as we all wanted our caffeine fix. The place did not have dining-in so we had to drive thru. Ordering was another challenge as the McDonald “intake specialist” keeps getting our orders mixed up! After carefully repeating our order (the fourth or fifth time) he finally got it (except for my black coffee order). We scarfed down our greasy sandwiches and continued our wet drive to the Potato State.

Our drive was interspersed with drizzle and downpour accompanied with some lightning. This went on for hours. Not a peak of sunshine occurred even for a second. We initially wanted to go straight to Yellowstone but after checking my app showing 50-80% chance of rain, I suggested we go directly to our cabin. I took a vote and the majority passed to visit the park tomorrow instead. After an agonizingly slow bumpy ride on a dirt road, we reached this beautiful house nestled in a copse. It was only 3:34PM and check-in was at 4:00PM but I had the code for the key lockbox so I decided to go open the house. Hesitatingly, I beckoned for my companions to unload and bring our luggage and groceries inside.

After a back breaking 15 minutes unloading our stuff, I received a call from the rental office and instructed us not to go inside. Too late! We were already inside and unpacked! She told me that she cannot allow us to use the unit as the cleaning people discovered a BEDBUG in one of the bedrooms downstairs! She gave us an option – move to another unit which is about 7 miles further and we get reimbursed a portion of the rental fee, or get fully reimbursed and find another hotel or VRBO (similar to AirBnB) somewhere! Are you kidding me! All the hotels are fully booked and so are the VRBO/AirBnB rentals! We had no other option.

The senior citizens again loaded the tons of luggage and groceries back in the van and we proceeded to the new place. We arrived but found the place was not ready yet. Three beautiful sisters (one of them with a one month old infant in a sling across her chest) were furiously trying to finish the clean up. After a half hour (the rain was really pouring at this time and temperature was dipping), the “Tres Marias” finished and hastily left before I could ask them what to do with six large bags of trash left in front of the house! We are in an area where bears normally go foraging for food whether in the trash bins or inside the house.

I tried to call the reservation office but went directly into voicemail! As soon as I hung up, a large Chevy SUV came barreling into the gravel driveway. Before we can ask him who he was he handed us a scouring sponge for the dishes then collected all the trash and placed them in his vehicle. Then he went inside to replace a couple of burned out ceiling bulbs. Nice guy, I wish he could speak more!

Whew! What a day it was but nothing a couple of bottles of vino could not fix

Today was practically a rest day being a Sunday and also we did not have any plans other than explore the city. Trini and I woke up at 7:30AM and tried the hotel’s breakfast buffet while some of our companions went to attend mass in a nearby Catholic Church.

After the rest of the group arrived from church we started our exploration of the city. Salt Lake is not a large city but it is the most populous city in the state. It is an arid mountain desert. Being a Sunday, the streets were practically empty except for tourists. We first visited their imposing Capitol.

• 

• 

We went to the Temple Square where all the people we met seemed to be very nice and cheerful! The day was warm but was made warmer by these cheery people.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

We also visited the Gilgal Sculpture Garden which contains twelve original sculptural arrangements creating a unique (or bizarre) landscape. Thomas Child began work on the garden in 1945 and attracted thousands of visitors during his lifetime.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Walking makes you hungry so we decided to walk and find P F Chang’s, a popular Chinese restaurant. Patchie used Google Maps and we followed every single step of that sexy voice. After about a mile, we discovered Google Maps was taking us in the opposite direction. We decided to send someone to get our van and waiting under the shade of a bus stop shed.

• 

Finally, another Google Map search and we were able to find our destination. Tired and famished, the senior citizens ate ravenously – noodles, Kung Pao chicken, beef broccoli, and several other delicious dishes that we cleaned up as quickly as the waiter could serve them. As it was only 3:00PM, the ladies suggested to go “look” at their outlets located about 20 minutes away. Of course, looking at the merchandise is often followed by purchasing them. I admit that I did buy a few “much needed” items too. The rest of the boys waited in a nicely decorated cafe.

• 

• 

Then another downpour occurred which kept us all inside to wait for the rain to stop. By then it was 6:00PM which was the cafe’s closing time and the timing was perfect as the rain slowed down to a drizzle.

Reveille was at 5:00AM and we left the hotel at 7:00AM after our mediocre breakfast and watered down coffee! I was concerned that the park’s parking lot would be full by the time we arrived but we all heaved a sigh of relief when we found several spots tucked in the back of the parking lot.

• 

• 

We didn’t wait very long to board the shuttle which was surprising as it was a Saturday. However, when we came back a few hours later, the parking lot was full and vehicles going around looking for vacant spots to no avail. A handsome young American guy who was waiting for people to leave approached us and started conversing with us in fluent Tagalog! We were all amazed at how well he spoke our language that even his accent was very minimal. Of course, we gave him and his buddies our spot!

The shuttle dropped us off at Stop 9 Temple of Sinawava where everyone had to get off anyway. As planned, we did the easy Riverside Walk (2.2 miles) and completed the hike in less than 90 minutes. I have underestimated some of my travel companions and I am really proud of them for walking the entire trail. We saw dozens of hikers crossing the brownish Virgin River barefoot with their hiking poles to keep them steady from falling. I surmised they were going to The Narrows which was the most strenuous hike as it takes you to an elevation of 334 feet and normally takes up to eight hours to complete.

• 

• 

• 

• 

It was a perfect day for a slow easy hike. The temperature was pleasant and sunny. We “oohed and aahed” at the amazing rock formations which was made more beautiful as the sun created the perfect shadows in some spots. We saw a deer feeding up a slope and some squirrels scampering nearby waiting for scraps of food to be tossed to them (which was prohibited).

• 

• 

By the time we decided to leave Zion, it was way past lunch time. A consensus was reached to continue on to Bryce Canyon National Park and forego lunch. Along the way, packets of snacks and fruits were pulled from our bags and cooler to help ease our hunger. Similarly, the Scenic Byway 12 drive was fantastic! This time the rock formations were different from that of Zion’s. Here the rocks seemed to be carefully stacked on top of each other just waiting for a gust of wind to blow them down. There were more arch formation too which we hope to see more when we get to Moab/Arches National Park in a few days.

• 

• 

• 

There was not enough hours in a day to really appreciate the full beauty of these awesome national parks! But since we had time constraints we did the best we could to memorialize these amazing places! With Bobot’s skillful driving, we drove through the serpentine roads to Salt Lake City where we will be staying for two days. After a few hours on the road, we all agreed that we had to stop for an overdue lunch at a gas station with a Subway fast-food restaurant. As we got back on the road, we experienced on and off rain (again a welcome sight to alleviate some of the drought stricken areas).

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Tired, hungry, and in need of a hot shower we dragged our feet to our hotel in Radisson Downtown Salt Lake City. After checking in, we all went to our rooms with what little energy we had left. FYI: our group’s youngest is 62 and the oldest is 77 years old.

• 

We officially started the much awaited road trip around 11:00AM. The air was filled with excitement with the prospect of getting away from the crowded cities and venturing out into the vast outdoors of the beautiful national parks!

A stop in St George was necessary for the seniors to empty their overfilled bladders which also gave us a chance to eat the prepared sandwiches by my wife. About ten miles to the entrance of Zion a sudden downpour started which made visibility a few hundred feet only. Fortunately, this didn’t last very long! But I welcomed the rain as the west is experiencing the worst drought ever in decades!

We reached the park nearing 4:00PM and we decided to just drive the scenic route including the impressively long tunnel. As usual, vacations are not complete without group photos and selfies!

We checked in to our hotel in La Verkin about 20 miles outside the park. Here we are in our room with everyone eagerly chatting catching up and updating each one with the current gossips.

We will be checking out before 6:00AM tomorrow so we can stand in line for the shuttle inside the park in the Visitors’ Center. The shuttle will take us to the different park highlights not accessible to private vehicles. I suggested to the group that we can do the easy Riverside Walk located in the Temple of Sinawava. This is a 1.5 hour/2.2 mile walk with only a few feet of elevation. However, some in our group are not exactly fit to do any kind of walking.

Until tomorrow again for my updates and more photos…..

ZION TRIVIA: Zion National Park is a southwest Utah nature preserve distinguished by Zion Canyon’s steep red cliffs. Zion Canyon Scenic Drive cuts through its main section, leading to forest trails along the Virgin River. The river flows to the Emerald Pools, which have waterfalls and a hanging garden. Also along the river, partly through deep chasms, is Zion Narrows wading hike. (from Google)

As I was writing this blog the world’s short-lived celebration regarding the return to “normal” after almost a year and a half of mask mandates and social distancing came to an end in many states (Nevada mandated that masks are required for vaccinated or non-vaccinated people effective July 30, 2021) due to the significant increase of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Fiery and emotional arguments from both sides, pro-mask and anti-mask, are ongoing but I leave that for others to resolves.

My wife, Trinidad and her cousins planned this road trip in June this year as the COVID restrictions eased off. We were all excited to be able to visit all the places that have been languishing in our bucket lists! Our group consists of ten people – eight of them coming from Southern California. They rented a 15-seater van and will pick us up in Las Vegas today, July 30th. From here, we will proceed to Zion National Park, our first stop. The other places in our itinerary are: Bryce Canyon National Park, Salt Lake City, Yellowstone National Park (and maybe Teton), Mount Rushmore, Denver, CO, Moab/Arches National Park, Sedona, AZ then finally back to Las Vegas where we will be dropped off and the rest of our group can enjoy all the amenities that Sin City has to offer.

I will try to post updates including photos tonight if I get a strong WIFI signal in our hotel.

LET’S ROCK AND ROLL!!!!

• 

Note: This post is a day late due to woefully slow wifi….

Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world and is considered holy to the three major religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority claim Jerusalem as their city. Again, I am not an expert to try and explain this complicated situation.

Today was a very exhausting day, both physically and mentally. An intense day of reflection awaited us as we started our day. Our bus took us to a high vantage point (Mount of Olives) overlooking the city giving us a fantastic view of many of the tours highlights, the most prominent was the shimmering golden dome of The Dome of the Rock. While there, a shopping frenzy occurred as we all found great bargains of hats, shawls, religious articles, etc.

Next we visited the oldest olive trees with their gnarled trunks dating back millennia!

 

 

After visiting the Church of Anne (Virgin Mary’s mother) we started our walking tour. Luckily, the weather was still pleasant. The walk gradually inclined and one relative had to request for a wheelchair so she could continue the tour.

We went past the Lion Gate to start Via Dolorosa (The Way of the Cross) following in Jesus’ footsteps as He borne the cross to Calvary for his crucifixion.

There were dozens of tour groups from all over the world and this the high season in Jerusalem. Geva’s (our guide) major concern was keeping our group intact so he had to ask assistance every now and then for one of us to help him monitor the group and make sure no one goes astray.

We visited a couple of other places like the underground cistern and tried to get into a chapel but was closed. There were souvenir shops, juice store and restaurants on both sides of the narrow streets as we made our way to all the stations.

We had a lunch break around noon. The restaurant that Geva selected was located in a nice patio area. We wanted to eat a la carte so Trini asked the waiter/owner for the menu who rudely told her, “just sit down!” without any further explanation that there were options and not a set menu (which we later learned). The man either could not speak English or that is how he talks to every customer. Regardless, Trini responded back, “I am not sitting down nor will I eat in your restaurant”! So off we went across the street looking for another restaurant. By the way, we found one and the waiters and owner treated us decently than the other dude.

After lunch, we continued on to visit Jesus’ tomb at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. The place was cavernous and the dimness inside with hints of fragrant incense wafting in the air added some mysticism to the solemnity of the place. We stood in line for more than two hours shuffling with the rest of the teeming humanity at a glacial pace. We alternated sitting along the narrow concrete benches along the wall of the tomb to rest our aching backs.

It was interesting to see that while you and hundreds of other pilgrims wait their turns for hours to touch Jesus’ tomb a few “lazy and inconsiderate” tourists cut in line. Patchie (who coordinated this trip) tactfully told a couple who made their way slowly beside me that we have our own group and that they could not “insert” themselves in. They were decent enough to back off and maybe tried to find a group that would take them as “asylum seekers” (just kidding).

At the mouth of the crypt’s entrance stood a couple of Christian Orthodox priests who “encouraged” you to move along to keep the long queue moving.

After the Holy Sepulchre everyone needed a break so off we went in search of a coffee shop that could accommodate all 40 of us. Geva is the epitome of a diplomat/politician who can sweet talk everyone. We got into this small joints but was not enough for all of us so many sat in the benches under the trees in the square.

Next we walked to the Western Wall where we were able to witness an induction (?) of new military conscripts. Rows and rows of young male and female conscripts stood at attention while the speaker gave them a motivating speech (that’s how it sounded to me anyway).

After the umpteenth roll call and body counting of the day, the male and female parted ways to go to the Wailing Wall.

 

 

 

 

SHALOM Nazareth! After a very organized check-out (literally hundreds of tourists in the same hotel) we headed south in the country’s Route 90. It was a surreal feeling actually setting foot and ejoying the vistas and meeting the citizens of a country that we’ve only seen through the media. It was interesting to hear from our tour guide about the birth of Israel and its current complicated geopolitical situation.

We drove to Jericho, one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. It is located near the West Bank and the Jordan River. The city was taken by Israel during the Six Day War of 1967 (for history buffs, Netflix has a great movie about this war called Angel). Jericho is under the Fatah faction of the Palestinian National Authority. I don’t want to confuse you so I suggest you go in the internet and research about this complicated political situation that I mentioned above.

After crossing a guarded entry to the city, we did another obligatory stop in a souvenir shop whether you liked it or not (I’m beginning to think the tour guide and driver gets a commission from the sales of the stores). Overlooking the souvenir shop is Mount of Temptation where according to the bible Jesus Christ was tempted by Satan. More obligatory photo ops (not intending to offend my friends and relatives but I think their photo sessions are too much! detracting them from learning and reflecting how important this trip is – historically).

By the way, we learned that the Filipino popular singer, Rico Puno passed away (hopefully not a fake news). My brother-in-law took out his iPhone and played one of Puno’s songs – Buhat. We bade Rico farewell and Geva, the guide asked us if we wanted to hear any Israeli song. I started singing Hava Nagila and a few others joined me! Geva was surprised that we knew that song (it was very popular world wide in the 60’s).

We stopped at the Qasr el Yahud baptismal site where according to tradition, Jesus was baptized by St. John the Baptist. After the brief visit, all 15 minutes, we headed for lunch. I, and I’m sure others in the bus too, get irritated sometimes with the tour guide because he would give us a very limited time when visiting some of the most important sites but he would let us linger for an hour or so in the souvenir shops (commission?).

Lunch was much better than the previous days and the only complaint was the waiters were too slowwwww in refilling our salad trays (it was not done in our table) and our water pitchers. There were about a couple of hundred tourists served by only a handful of waiters!

The bus continued on to Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus and King David. We attended mass (again) at the Church of the Nativity then headed to a very long queue that would be comparable to the interminable lines in theme parks. After standing in line for a good 90 minutes we finally reached the most holy spot where Christ was born. It took no more than five seconds to kneel and touch the spot as the Orthodox priest kept barking orders (in a low tone and nicer of course) like drill sergeants to keep the line moving otherwise it’ll take forever. Those with physical disabilities had difficulty getting up and had to be assisted.

By now, it was getting cold and the breeze picking up. Fortunately, our group was one of the last pilgrims to leave the place, hence, we avoided another pushing and shoving through the tiny door of the church. We walked back to our bus while being hounded by souvenir vendors yelling their prices and gradually lowering them as you ignore their sales pitches. One of them yelled, “No good Filipinos, I give good price, you no buy”! Sure buddy, your ware is half the price around the corner. A couple of our relatives bought leather travel bags 150 percent more than another relative! Haggle, haggle, and walk away!

We were exhausted and hungry after a long day. Some wallets thinner than others but we were all in good spirits. We reached our hotel past 7:00 pm and we went directly to the dining hall as the tour guide did the checking-in for us. Our room is tiny with nary a spot to put your toiletries. But you get what you paid for…