We've seen some amazing timelapse videos over the past few years, each one more beautiful than the last. But it'll be tough to top this one, which was shot aboard the International Space Station. As you can imagine, that means some amazing images of our world as seen from orbit. It is as spectacular as it sounds.

The World Outside My Window - Time-Lapses of Earth from the ISS from David Peterson on Vimeo.

This was the first thing that we had to get after getting off of the the plane in Seoul today: fresh sea urchin from Noryangjin, which fortunately is open late into the night. But the ones that we got above were quite a letdown. I don't know if it was because it was out of season (only one other fishmonger was selling them), but there really wasn't much richness in these, and in some cases they were downright bitter.



We had much better luck with some clams that they stewed into a deliciously clear soup as well as some grilled prawns. Thankfully Google Translate was so awesome that it helped us ask the fishmongers for the variety with the best head fat. But in the process, it also made us appreciate places like the Naked Finn, which effectively curate all of the different varieties of prawns to get you the tastiest ones.



BTW, does anyone know what the heck these things are? We bought one out of sheer curiosity, which they cut up for us and served raw. It kinda tasted like one might think it would: chewy with some inedible parts, but also surprisingly briny enough to still be kinda fun. I won't go out of my way for it again, but apparently these things *were* in season this time.

So this bakery is supposed to be all the rage in Taipei right now, with lines supposedly pouring out of the place on weekends (88 Yanchang Road B2, 6636-5888 #1902). Why? Apparently the guy won some global baking competition in France or something. Unfortunately, when I tried his signature bread, I didn't like it, in part because I don't like the walnuts that he used in there, but also since it wasn't as crusty as I would have liked.

In that sense, there was a mentaiko baguette that I liked better, but it wasn't anything that I'd wait in line for. Indeed, I also got a butter-topped muffin thing that was soft and sweet, making it not that different from what you might find at other bread shops around Asia. Well, at least I got a good chuckle from the "he milk" that was listed as an ingredient in that muffin.

Awhile back, climbers Alex Honnold and Cedar Wright came up with the idea of summiting all 15 of California's 14,000-foot (4267 meter) peaks in a single go using just their bikes and feet as modes of transportation. The result was not what they expected, as what seemed like a rather simple expedition turned into a complete "Sufferfest." The boys are sharing their story in a series of videos for EpicTV, with part one available below.

The shape of that bread may look a bit weird in that photo above, but I guess that was just because I shot it at a weird angle. Basically, it was a "small" version of bánh mì that this shop offered, perhaps analagous to Subway's 6-inch versus footlongs.

Anyway, this was from a new shop that we noticed on our way out of TK Noodle, so we picked one up on our way out to give it a try. And yes, I liked it. Normally I'm not a fan of softer and sweeter bread, but somehow this one worked, perhaps because they buttered up the exterior. I could have inhaled this thing in the blink of an eye.

So yes, in fact I'm inclined to come here rather than Lee's Sandwiches, even if the latter is the more traditional one. BTW, it was only when I looked it up just now did I realize that these guys are a bit of a chain across California. Well, now there's another outlet in San Jose (1020 Story Road #C, 993-8001).

Airplanes and Bush just never were a good mix. First he was a disaster as a disgruntled, mostly AWOL semi-member of the Texas Air National Guard. Even worse-- for America-- Bush's pig-headedness about paying attention to President Clinton and his outgoing administration's dire warnings regarding the dangers posed by Al Qaeda were contributory to the catastrophe of 9-11. And now Bush is setting up an airline catastrophe that could be even worse! Even Bush's rubber-stamp congress can nip this one in the bud.

Right in line with the Bush Regime's seething hatred for working men and women exercising their rights to collective bargaining, as of last week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has broken off contract talks with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) that would have saved taxpayers, $1.4 BILLION over the next five years.

Air traffic controllers (ATCs), for those who don’t follow aviation, are the folks who guide planes the second they leave the gate to your destination.  Their job is one of the most stressful in the world yet they remain dedicated and hardworking public servants. They’ve been negotiating with the FAA since September 2005.  According to FAA Administrator and Bush-appointed crony Marion Blakey, the FAA wants a “fair” contract that would save taxpayers money.  What part of $1.4 billion in savings Ms Blakey and Bush don't get no one quite understands.

If that’s not bad enough, here’s something else I didn’t realize. So the FAA broke off contract talks and submitted a contract to Congress. If Congress doesn’t act within 60 calendar days-- and we know how lazy and unwilling to put in an honest week's work these people have been for the last 5 years-- the FAA gets to impose their contract on NATCA-- take it or leave it.

So in other words, these dedicated controllers are forced to take whatever the FAA gives them (and, from what I'm hearing from my sources, it's a steaming pile of crap). To make matters worse, the FAA’s version actually penalizes veteran controllers for staying-– creating a situation where it makes more financial sense for eligible controllers to retire than to stay in their vital jobs. By end of 2007, 1 in 4 controllers-– over 4,000-- could retire – and the problem would increase for the next five years by which time over 40% of current controllers will actually be penalized for staying in their jobs.  

BTW, it takes 3-5 years to train an air traffic controller. Unlike most jobs where you can fill the spot immediately with someone new, ATCs take months (and sometimes a year) to learn new positions.  The aviation system is already experiencing a staffing crisis which you can read more about here. Although it may not have dawned on this particular incompetent Bush crony with a fancy job, penalizing veteran controllers if they come to work certainly won’t help the situation. 

I hope this is all getting you as pissed off as I am. That's because, like I said, this could be nipped in the bud. If you go to this site it'll help you contact your congresscritters and tell them to get off their duffs s-- BEFORE this turns into another Bush disaster.

Remember, these are the professionals who landed almost 4,500 airplanes within a matter of minutes on September 11th. And they're the same people who lost their homes and belongings during Hurricane Katrina, Rita, and Wilma but stayed at work to make sure others were lifted to safety – they are heroes. Don’t we owe it to them? Or is it just Bush playing President on Air Force One that deserves a safe flying experience? John Carr, NATCA's president has a cool blog you might want to check out-- entertaining and informative.

MountEverest.net has posted more information on Conrad Anker's attempt to climb Everest using gear similar to that used by George Mallory and and Sandy Irvine back in 1924.

It seems the team has arrived in BC and are acclimatizing now. They arrived late by typcial climbing standards, but it was part of their plan, as they wil wait for all the other commercial teams to make their summit pushes first. Because the team is filming the climb for a documentary film, they will wait until all the other teams are down before taking their shot at the top. The film is suppose to be set in 1924, and they didn't want to run the risk of catching anyone else on camera. Of course, waiting so late in the season leaves little room for error should the weather turn bad, or they fail to successfully top out.

As if climbing in vintage gear wasn't enough, they'll be climbing the Second Step without the use of the ladders that are in place there. Mallory and Irvine didn't have a ladder, so neither will Anker and his co-star, British climber Leo Houlding. They'll be attempting to climb the route that Mallory had intended when he set out for his fateful Everest climb. The goal of course, is to prove that Mallory could have made the summit.

The article also notes that this isn't the first time a climb like this has been made. A spanish team did the same thing back in 2000 as part of a documentary series for Spanish television. That team didn't make the summit, but did get back down in one piece.

It should be fun to watch the climb unfold and I'd love to see the documentary when it's finished. You can find out more on the expeditions official website.

MountEverest.net is reporting that Denis Urubko has summitted Dhaulagiri but gave up on his attempt at the speed record in order to assist another climber down the mountain.

Denis set off from BC on Monday Night at 10 PM to try to set a new speed record, but on his way up the mountain, he ran into Boris Korshunov, a 72 year-old climber, who was struggling to climb, and was caught below C3 when night fell. Alone and without a tent, Boris was in touble, and Denis decided he had to help him. So, he gave up his summit bid long enough to help the older climber down to 7100m where he could continue on his own.

After that, Denis turned back up the mountain, where he reached the summit yesterday. He didn't get the speed record he was looking for, but he did get something that you can't every quantify, the respect of his peers on the climbing community. Denis has established a track record for helping other climbers in trouble, even at the expense of his own climbing goals, and following the David Sharp incident last year, you can't help but salute him for his efforts.

Yesterday I let some of my old friends know about this blog. The first person to get back to me was Gary from up in Vermont. "Maybe you should get a job," he thoughtfully opined. "Writing dense panegyrics about hotels and travel companions puts you squarely in the crosshairs of those struggling to eek out an existence on dogfood and the dried spittle of Republicans." Oh dear! I can't say I hadn't thought the very same thing... and often (though not from the point of view of "crosshairs"). When I thought about starting this travel blog, I realized it wasn't especially for backpackers-- nor even for someone like who I was when I started my travels in the 60s. Nor, for that matter, is it written for people who don't even like travel. Of course anyone is welcome to read it and get whatever they can out of it-- be my guest. But when I started traveling I was hitchhiking, panhandling and sleeping on floors. Now I'm a retired businessman with the resources to travel more comfortably. I plan to write about my experiences in Afghanistan and Nepal when I was penniless but if hearing about good restaurants while eeking out an existence on Republican spittle and wrestling bowzer for the marrow bones, upsets you, stick to the guidebooks from the Lonely Planet.

The first time I saw-- fell in love with-- Madrid, I couldn't afford to even think about a fancy hotel. My girlfriend and I slept in my van, parked on a quiet residential street. The funky accommodations didn't hamper our love affair with the Prado or our admiration for the sophisticated joie de vivre of Madrilènes-- and Madrid has culinary treasures at all price points. Later, the fate or luck Woody Allen examines so insightfully in his great new film,MATCH POINT, found me as president of a large company with regional offices in places like Bombay, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Paris, Milan, Hamburg and... Madrid. If you've been following this blog at all, I'm sure you can guess my reaction when I figured out how these offices and my self-directed expense account could interact.

So, for the last couple decades, visits to Madrid have been headquartered at hotels like the Ritz, the Villa Magna and The Palace, lovely and over the top luxury spots that start at around $600/night. (The Palace, a Westin property, is more flexible than the other two.) These days I don't have an expense account and if I decide to spend that kind of money on a place to rest my weary head, you can be sure that it will be for value that is indisputable (like for Sevilla's Hotel Alfonso XIII, where we did stay on this trip). For Madrid, I found I could be perfectly comfortable now a notch (or two) down the foodchain at the well-situated, slightly over-rated, but reasonably-priced Villa Real on the Plaza de Las Cortes.

Actually I made some internet reservations way in advance and got a great deal, $140 for a double. The service was great and the free computer in the lobby was fast so I asked if I could stay 3 weeks later on my way back from Morocco. Sure-- and for 140, but for 140 Euros, about 20% more. Grrrr... Still, I was thoroughly familiar with the neighborhood and it's very close to La Boitika (Calle Amor de Dios 3), the vegetarian restaurant I was looking forward to eating at again, and about 3 minutes walk from the Prado. La Boitika is cheaper than Republican spittle and a lot more delicious-- and healthy. I had learned my lesson that the immensely expensive and immensely rich haute cuisine joints Madrid so revels in need to be taken in extreme moderation-- like once a trip... and that once had already passed. Probably the best restaurant we had eaten in was El Amparo, a very creative Basque restaurant that made us realize that people in Spain eat dinners too late for us-- and that the food tends to be way too heavy and that henceforth we would have our main meal at lunch and go for the tapas at night.

The tomb at Labbacallee near Glanworth in Co. Cork is Ireland's largest example of a wedge tomb, with a chamber that measures nearly 14m long. Wedge tombs are the most common of Ireland's megalithic tombs, and are most commonly found in the western half of the country. The name 'wedge tomb' simply refers to the simple wedge shape, as the height and width of the monument decreases from the front to the rear. Wedge tombs are the last of Ireland's megalithic tombs, and usually date to the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age periods.

Labbacallee was excavated by Harold Leask and Liam Price in 1934. They found that the burial chamber was divided into two parts, a long gallery (see the header photo) and a small box like feature at the eastern end. This eastern feature contained cremated remains, and an unburned but headless skeleton of an adult female. The skull was found in the gallery next to the skeletons of an adult male and child. The remains of these three individuals were radiocarbon dated, the results revealed that they appeared to have been interred separately between 2456–1776 BC.

Folklore has always helped to protect some of Ireland's ancient sites. At Labbacallee, local legend tells the story that long ago four men went during the night to dig for gold that they believed to be buried inside the tomb at Labbacallee. As soon as they started to dig, a strange cat with fire erupting from its tail appeared, the men were terrified and dazzled by the blinding light coming from the tail of this hellish cat and they panicked, running across the fields fleeing for their lives, and in their confusion fell into the nearby River Funshion. One of the men drowned, but the others lived to pass on the warning not to disturb the ancient dead at Labbacallee!

 
The tomb is quite easy to find, from Glanworth simply head south on the R512 and take the first left after the church. The site is about 2km down this road. It will be on your left hand side behind a small stone wall. There is room to pull in off the road in front of the monument. There are a number of other great sites to see nearby, including lovely Glanworth itself with its Castle and Friary, and nearby you can also find the wonderful Bridgetown Priory.

I hope you enjoy this blog, we're trying to cover as many sites as we can across Ireland. If anyone has any suggestions about sites you'd like us to cover please do leave us a comment. If you enjoy information and images of Irish heritage sites then do follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ If you'd like to support us then please consider downloading an audioguide to one of Ireland's wonderful heritage sites. They are packed with original music and sound effects and are a great way of experiencing the story of Ireland. They only cost €1.99 and are fun whether you are at the site, or listening from the comfort of your own home. If you enjoy stories of the turbulent medieval period in Ireland try our guide to Viking and Medieval Dublin, visit us at www.abartaaudioguides.com for free previews and to download your free audioguide to the Rock of Dunamase  or the free audioguide to the wonderful heritage town of Kells in County Meath
All photographs © Neil Jackman / abartaaudioguides.com

 

Gates of India on the right, Taj Mahal Hotel on the left

The first time I was in Mumbai, then called Bombay, was 1970 and I was so happy to be in India after driving for months and months and months across a far less hospitable western and central Asia. I was on my way to Goa in my trusty VW van. I only stayed in a hotel once in the whole 2 years I was on the Indian subcontinent and it was at the very end of the trip. In Bombay I slept in my van right at the Gates of India in the shadow of a hotel I came to stay at many times years later, the Taj, sight of some of the worst of today's violence. It usually gets rated as Mumbai's most luxurious and prestigious hotel. Last time I was there Roland was taking a shower when there was a power blackout. There was no electricity, of course, and something very odd happened. The water in the shower turned to sewage. [A similar thing, although it was thankfully a sink and not a shower and there was no contact, happened to me at New Orleans' best hotel, the Windsor Court, but they gave me a coupon for two free nights to assuage their embarrassment. The Taj knew no embarrassment and we were forced to walk up and down countless flights of stairs several times.]

Today Islamic terrorists dealt a severe blow to India's tourism industry by attacking the Taj, the Oberoi and several other top of the line tourist spots, killing an unspecified number of people-- looks like over 100-- and holding others hostage. The situation is still fluid as I write. Americans and Brits were especially sought out among the hostages and then shot.

Simone Moro has done an interview with MountEverest.net about his recent experiene on Broad Peak in which he attempted a Winter summit. You may recall, the team arrived early and had a great deal of success in establishing Base Camp and setting fixed ropes. They even managed to establish their high camps before the bad weather set in, forcing them off the mountain. What followed were weeks of blizzards, high winds, and extreme cold, preventing them from making a summit push. Despite all that, a weather window did open eventually, but the climbers found that Camp 4 had been buried and were forced to turn back as that window slammed shut quickly.

Simone says he learned a number of lessons on the climb however, such as logistically planning ahead to send cargo and heavy equipment before the team arrives to make sure that there are no issues with vital gear. Part of the teams gear was delayed in transit and caused some headaches early on. He also said that had they stayed on the mountain, he still wouldn't have made the summit. Once the weather turned bad, it stayed that way.

However, he also says that he'll definitely go back. He isn't finished with Broad Peak, and he loves the solitude of Winter in those mountains. Perhaps next year we'll be following another Winter attempt. Very insightful read.

Over the past week or so, we've all been astounded by the news and details of Ueli Steck's solo summit of Annapurna along the South Face. You've no doubt heard me and others use a host of superlatives in an attempt to convey just how impressive this climb is. But to truly get a sense of what Ueli accomplished you'll want to watch the video below. It is a 55-minute long documentary from 1970 that tells the tale of the first ascent of the mountain along this route. The team that accomplished this feat is filled with climbing legends from the U.K., including Sir Chris Bonington, Dougal Haston, Don Whilians and more. The film is a real slice of mountaineering history and well worth your time if you have an  hour to kill. It'll give you an appreciation of what this team accomplished and provide more insight into what Ueli faced as well.

This is Haroldstown Dolmen in County Carlow. This absolutely stunning example of a portal tomb is one of the finest examples of its type in Ireland. Portal tombs (also known as Dolmens) generally date to the Neolithic period (between 4,200 –2,400 BC), the time of the first farmers in Ireland. They are typically characterised by their huge capstones, supported by a series of large upright stones set on end to create a chamber. They are most commonly found in lowland settings, such as near rivers or streams, though the majority of portal tombs are located to the Northern half of Ireland, there is a notable amount in the south-east and in the west in Counties Clare and Galway. Carlow has two particularly fine examples with Browneshill Dolmen (which possesses the largest capstone in Europe, weighing in at around 100 tonnes) and this beautiful example at Haroldstown.

  
The portal tomb at Haroldstown consists of two massive and slightly tilted capstones, supported by ten vertical stones. There are suggestions that this tomb was actually used as a home for a family during the nineteenth century, with the gaps between the supporting stones plugged with turf and mud.  

You can find this stunning site located near Tullow off the R727. It is just after the bridge that crosses the Dereen River and the site is free to enter, but do take care to close gates behind you as it is part of a working farm. The dolmen is certainly one of the most striking and photogenic sites I have come across so far!

If anyone has any suggestions for sites that you would like to see covered please leave a comment below or drop us a line at info@abartaaudioguides.com or on our Google+ Facebook, or Twitter accounts.

Episode: 0 of a new Everest video podcast has hit the web. It's the work of Phil Michael and Chris Stanko of SecretSpotEverest.com fame. The episode is entitled "The Launch" and details the future plans of the show which will be quite ambitious to say the least.

The plan is to use the show to follow Phil and Chris' climb of Everest, which is currently scheduled for the Spring 2008 season. They even hope to do live broadcasts from Kathmandu and have an exploratory expedition to basecamp on the North side scheduled for the near future.

The podcast comes in various flavors including a high quality H.264 version, as well as QuickTime and Windows Media versions as well. There is also a version pre-formatted for your iPod, PSP, or other handheld media device (Zune? Yeah, right! ;) ) or if you just want to listen to the audio, there is an MP3 file of that as well.

This episode is a teaser of things to come and will certainly give you a taste of what to expect. It should be interesting to see how future episodes unfold as the team prepares for the climb.

Photo © Manal Al Dowayan-All Rights Reserved
Finally!

Someone came up with the timely idea to publish a photography blog titled the Greater Middle East Photo blog, with the commendable intent to provide space for photography from a region which is sadly under represented.

This new blog hopes to be a facilitator of great photos, great photographers, and great minds discussing photography from the greater Middle East. I hope so as well. The Middle East has been lagging behind in terms of photography, and this blog will perhaps be an added venue to showcase more of its talent.

The photograph above is by Manal Al Dowayan; a photographer who lived for most of her life in a semi-enclosed compound in Daharan in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Much of her work is about female identity in the conservative Muslim Middle East. The photograph above is titled "I am an educator", while the writing on the slate reads "ignorance is darkness" repeated many times. Her work is featured on the Greater Middle East Photo blog.

Note: My apologies for the shorter blog posts in the coming few days as I'm behind schedule in preparing my class material and presentations for the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop in Istanbul this coming week.

Each year the outdoor industry invests millions of dollar chasing the Holy Grail of technical fabrics for use in a variety of gear. The top companies are constantly developing and refining lightweight, durable materials that are breathable, moisture wicking and odor fighting as they try to one up the competition in performance. It turns out however that nature has already provided us with the perfect material in the form of merino wool, which not only has all of those great qualities and more.

A number of great apparel companies already offer wonderful products made from merino wool and I've personally used plenty of them over the years. I am continually impressed with how well the material performs, particularly in active pursuits in cooler weather. Thats why I was eager to put the Merino Cobra Pullover from Chrome to the test. This great looking garment was created with cyclists in mind but it is so well designed that it can be used for a variety of outdoor sports, including trail running, hiking, mountain biking or even snow sports.

The Cobra Pullover is built to be form fitting without restricting motion in any way. It is clear that Chrome put a lot of thought into its design, making it a great option for outdoor athletes. For instance,  the high-quality neck zipper slides down far enough to allow you to pull on this extra layer without even needing to take off your helmet. It also comes with a high neck collar that can be flipped up to help ward off a cool wind. Thumb loops pull the extra long sleeves down over the hand, providing some much appreciated warmth when the temperature starts to drop, while a longer torso keeps warm air trapped close to the body.

As you would expect, the Cobra Pullover benefits greatly from Chrome's version of merino wool. The fabrics so an excellent job of wicking away moisture, helping to keep the wearer warm when out for a ride or a long run. But its ability to breathe allows heat to vent away from the body as well, keeping us cooler when we start to overheat. Temperature regulation is one of the benefits of merino and this pullover does a great job in that regard. The garment also happens to be odor resistant, which means you can go straight from the trail to a restaurant without fear of sending your friends running for the door. Travelers will love that feature as well, as it comes in incredibly handy on extended active trips.


Other nice touches include a large, zippered passthrough pocket along the back that provides ample storage and a smaller key pocket on the right arm just above the wrist. That pocket has an integrated fabric loop that you can attach your keys to, making it even more difficult to lose them.

The Cobra Pullover is one of those rare pieces of gear that looks as good as it performs. Chrome has put a lot of thought into the design and it shows. This is definitely an article of clothing that you won't mind wearing out and about around town, which isn't always the case with performance wear. This pullover has classic good looks going for it and when you put it on, you'll be right at home on the bike, trail, coffee shop or just about anywhere else you may go.

For a piece of clothing made from merino wool, the Cobra Pullover is actually priced quite affordably. Chrome sells it for $140, which is very competitive when compared to similar products from competitors. This is a warm, durable, well built active wear that is versatile enough to be used in a wide variety of activities. I really like what Chrome has brought to the table and think that it will be a favorite with cyclists and other outdoor enthusiasts alike. With the holidays just around the corner, it would also make a great gift for the gear hound on your list.

For some reason, every time I went to the No Menu Bar, it was always at the Chinese corner rather than the pasta that they sold next door. Today I finally came down here, and found it surprisingly affordable at only S$12 (US$9.60) for that plate above. Granted, the dish really wasn't anything to go nuts over (I probably could have made something pretty similar at home), but it was one of the few places in Singapore where reasonable quality pasta wasn't a total ripoff.

The Travel section of the Washington Post has featured a collection of short videos titled India In Motion. The videos are somewhat eclectic, and start with fast paced clips of Mumbai, then Udaipur, Jaislamer, Agra, Haridwar and Rishikesh.

The videos are by Whitney Shefte, while the design is by Kat Downs. It's unfortunate that some of the music choices chosen to accompany the videos are incongruous. For instance, I'm still scratching my head over the logic of having music which sounds it's played by a Central European zither group with a video clip featuring camels in Jaisalmer!

I realize that the Washington Post is not the National Geographic, but India In Motion is superficially researched, and seems to meander with no clear objective and purpose. It puzzles me when a project such as India In Motion, with the considerable backing and funding of one of the premier newspapers in the world, ends up being an incoherent mess like it is.

I know for sure that in my mind and in my tales, I had painted a picture of Ceylon as an earthly paradise. I certainly remembered it that way from the month I spent there in 1970. So for some of my friends, it also became a place of their dreams, especially for my adventurous friends, in this case, good old Roland and a new character (new to this blog, anyway), Steve, both of whom decided to join me for a trip there in 1997.

Actually, Roland and I flew there and Steve met up with us-- almost randomly, in Kandy, after a couple weeks. First off, Sri Lanka is about as far away as you can go and still be on earth. I remember the plane trip there in terms of days instead of hours. We flew on Cathay Pacific, one of my over-all favorite airlines-- like just below B.A.-- but no matter how good the airline, even in first class, a plane trip this long is a nightmare.

When we got to Colombo I was a physical mess from the flight. Scorning the corporate modernity of the Intercontinental, I opted for the (faded) grandeur and glory of the dowager of Colombo hotels, the Galle Face, which was built during the Civil War-- the American Civil War! I remembered back to 1970 when I used to park my van nearby and sneak in to use its luxurious facilities, and dream that someday I might be able to stay in such an august and venerable establishment. I usually tend to opt for that kind of hotel over a newer flashier one. (Like everyone I know who goes to Milan prefers the incredible dynamite newish Four Seasons Milan Hotel to the traditionally best hotel in town, the Principe di Savoia-- except me; I almost always like the traditions and Old World charms of this kind of establishment.) Unfortunately, Colombo didn't quite fit into that box.

Now, I notice on their website that the Galle Face underwent a much-needed facelift in 2005. When we arrived late one night in 1999, bedraggled and exhausted from the planes, we dragged ourselves up to the room and barely noticed the antiquity (not antiques, oldness). It wasn't just a little (understandable) mustiness either. Everything was too small, like built for little people in the 1800s. There was a sink in the room and when I woke up the next morning I had to bend down so low to brush my teeth that I totally pulled my back out! Since basically no improvements have been made to the country's infrastructure (read: roads) since (their) civil war started, I knew bumping along pot-holed roads with a screwed up back would be no fun.

Fortunately, the hotel directed me to "the blind masseur," who was reputed to have magical abilities. I figured he must be good because he was the masseur who was used by the mother/daughter team who were the President and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka at the time: Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. I also figured he must go to them once I was in his establishment which had the distinct vibe of a house of ill-repute. He gave me a great massage and I later found out-- from Roland, of course, who was "waiting"-- that it was indeed a house of ill repute!

To be honest, Sri Lanka's many much-ballyhooed charms aren't in Colombo and we were soon bouncing along the roads, which were noticeably worse than they were in 1970; wars'll do that to a country. We headed south in a rental car. And south from Colombo means one thing: beautiful tropical beaches without compare. I think the first one we came to that I recalled from my 1970 trip was Hikkaduwa. It was nicer in my youthful memories but it was still ok-- just a gorgeous beach, maybe a little too touristy for my tastes. We stayed in a charmless motel-type hotel right on the beach so that was cool. All the charm was the proximity to the ocean, the palm trees, the blue, blue skies... We met a monk who was very friendly and showed us his hut.

The only really unpleasant thing about Hikkaduwa that I recall was when we hired a boat to show us the coral reefs. The guy was a real doofus who seemed to actually take delight in smashing off pieces of coral. Roland and I both freaked out and told him to take us back to the beach. But the freak beached the boat on a huge coral reef. I mean it had taken thousands of years for this to grow and he was smashing it to bits in minutes. He told me to get out of the boat and give it a push. The coral is razor sharp and my feet immediately started bleeding. Right then the coral reef protection police saw him and started screaming into a megaphone. He actually took off and left me bleeding on the coral reef. Roland was still in the boat. I had my snorkel mask on. I painfully made it to the edge of the coral and jumped in the water and decided to swim back to shore through the labyrinth of the most gorgeous living coral environment I had ever experienced. It blew my mind. Unfortunately, as I navigated through the schools of incredibly beautiful fish and the colorful coral corridors, every now and then I'd see a real big fish, big enough to be a shark. And then I would remember about my bleeding tootsies and how bleeding tootsies attract sharks. I'm more afraid of sharks and crocodiles than anything else in the world. I managed to hold down the panic and eventually get back to the beach. I filed a formal police complaint against the boat operator.

After a couple of very relaxed days we headed further down the coast. We stopped for an hour in the historic old colonial town of Galle; nice. Then we went to a relatively secluded beach town, more up my alley: Tangalla. I think we were pretty much the only tourists in town. It's a real paradise, very tropical and peaceful with an undisturbed beach. We stayed in some weird bizarro hotel shaped like a boat. We went swimming in a secluded bay-- just us and some Lankan kids in a big truck tire-- and found a big cow bone. I seem to recall that we didn't eat in restaurants per se but in people's homes who prepare fresh food for passersby. The food was the best. I would have been happy staying there for the whole time but after a few days we headed further down the coast to Hambantota.

It's not as lush and green as you head east along to coast, although I remember passing a swamp filled with the biggest array of birds I'd ever seen just before we got to Hambantota. Hambantota is a little misty in the ole mind except for a few very vivid memories. I think the hotel we stayed in-- a dump-- was called the Suisse Hotel. An entire wing of it seemed to have been abandoned to a huge colony of bats which would come flying through the hallways-- much to the delight of everyone (all locals)-- around dusk everyday. There were a couple of Germans, a couple of Frenchmen and me and Roland staying there. They didn't need the other wing. The hotel was right near the huge expansive beach which was so pure and beautiful and-- as we soon found out-- thoroughly treacherous. We had heard the best diving in Sri Lanka was just east of Hambantota. The "just" was something we should have paid more attention to. You're going to think I'm exaggerating when I tell you that the undertow was so powerful that before I was in the ocean barely above my ankles I was being swept out to sea. I never experienced such an awesome force of nature before (other than once when I was in an empty field in Afghanistan and there was an earthquake).

Anyway, that pretty much put an end to our swimming adventures on the south coast of Sri Lanka. We decided to spend the day at the Bundala National Park instead. We hired two guys and a jeep for our own little safari and we were really happy with how pristine the scrubby jungle was-- tons of birds and monkeys and little deer. We were lovin' it. Then one guide told us to come with him down a path on foot while the driver waited in the jeep. He brought us to what looked like the original Garden of Eden, a lake that appeared to have never been in contact with humanity. The birds were singin', the monkeys were chattering; there were elephants on the other end of the lake spraying water on eachother. Can you imagine how beautiful it looked and sounded? And then a tiny spotted deer approached the lake. He was as big as a large dog and maybe 5 or 6 feet from me, a little tentative at first, watching us but when he saw we made no aggressive moves towards him he stuck his face in the lake for a drink. What happened next took one second-- considerably quicker than my description. The whole forest exploded in sound like a nuclear bomb blast. The monkeys went ape-shit; the birds were yellin' their heads off and flying around like madmen and the imperturbably happy-go-lucky elephants started trumpeting excitedly. Roland and I lost our breath. A gigantic crocodile came flying out of the lake and in one movement grabbed the deer, sank back into the lake, rolled over once and disappeared.

The guide noticed our discomfiture and started kicking the water to attract more crocodiles. We scurried up the bank and blindly started running out of the jungle, forgetting that Sri Lanka is the snake bite capital of the world. When we were al back safely in the (open) jeep the guide told the driver to drive along the non-jungle side of the lake and scare the sunning crocs by getting real close to their tails. I wasn't happy about the jaunty angle the jeep was at and was completely terrified. I was delighted to get back to our own car and head up into the highlands. As we headed away from Hambantota we passed a snake bigger than me slithering down the road. Half a kilometer on we saw two little barefoot girls in school uniforms walking down the road in his direction. I'll get into part 2 of my Sri Lanka adventure in a day or two.