Ubering

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Agingadventurer

A wedding in Malibu on the last weekend of summer meant heavy traffic and crazy heat. My daughter intended to drive by herself, spend the night and return to San Diego the next morning and had asked me to take care of her dog. I suggested I come along so we could make use of the carpool lane and visit a little. Of course, I was also thinking, air conditioning at the hotel would be a welcome relief from the sweltering beach weather we had experienced all week.

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As it turned out, I drove her car both ways…on the way there she was able to put on make-up, change and be ceremony ready and on the return, she napped.  I didn’t mind as she also has Sirius Radio.  Sunday morning traffic was nothing compared to Saturday’s…3 and 1/2 hours to get there and a little more than 2 to get back.

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Better Late then Never

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Agingadventurer

Just started training for my hiking trip in Banff that starts in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately for me, I’m going with my daughter who trail runs half marathons in 100+ heat for fun! Guess I’m going to be eating someone’s dust.

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A few days ago there was fog or thick cloud cover so I took off for the highest ground around here. I hadn’t worn in my new hiking shoes yet but they are the low ones. I figured they’d be lighter and much more comfortable, but they seemed a little too big so I purchased a second pair 1/2 size smaller. Too bad they don’t make one in between. Hopefully I’ll be successful with different sox. (pic of me and companion at the top)  Seven miles of dirt on the soles!

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Yesterday I went in search of other hills close to the beach. With a sign like this I knew I would be in for a climb! From the top I could see downtown in one direction and all of Ocean Beach in the other.

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Not sure how much this counts as training for the Canadian Rockies but at least I now know of two places to go in case of a tsunami!

 

 

 

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Brazilian Blowouts and Brazilian Wax

Posted on August 16, 2015 by Agingadventurer

But no Brazilian visa anytime soon. I found a great round trip fare from San Diego to Rio and jumped on it; however, upon checking on getting a visa I came up with one road block after another. MyBrazilVisa.com, a great website, laid it all out for me.  Since it was Sunday and I had less than 24 hours left to cancel my flight free of charge, I needed to act quickly. Lucky for me there was an after hours phone number listed, I called and Todd picked up.

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The earliest he was able to aid me in getting a visa was for the day I would arrive home. He suggested I try one of the sites that promised rush delivery for hefty fees and to see about getting an appointment myself at the Los Angeles Consulate.  I struck out as the only place I could apply due to residency was the L.A. office and their first appointment wasn’t until 10 days later than the day Todd promised.

I hope to go to Brazil sometime within a year and will keep in mind a couple of things: my passport will be out of use for at least 3 weeks while they process my visa and once I have it I need to get it stamped within 3 months….found this out the hard way years ago!

If you’re going to the 2016 Olympics be sure to plan ahead.

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Touring the Beautiful River Li with Thousands of Others

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Agingadventurer

Okay I know that there are many people in China and that on a gorgeous hot summer day they might all gravitate toward the water….and I joined right in. The River Li has been listed as one of the most scenic rivers in the world so of course everyone would want to see it, up close and personal on a “bamboo raft”.

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The peaks and rolling hills stood along the banks like parade watchers as the boats floated by. The green emphasized the clear water and while this scenario was created to instill calm and relaxation it was distracting to be sharing the space with so many noisy motors and another raft always photo-bombing your idyllic picture.  I tried finding the scene that is on the 20 note, finally did but by that time had spent the money!

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Not too lucky with the hike either as after a couple hundred yards the path was no longer passable and had to take the main road. Still have the rash from something in the underbrush but all in all, a good time. Another place that I checked off the list!

 

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Scamming in Shanghai

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Agingadventurer

The hotel had a notice board in the lobby warning their guests about scams in the area….with Western tourists being the victims.  Good looking young couples will approach you speaking good English and engage you in small talk.  They ask questions, making you feel that you truly are the delightful person you imagined!  Before long they invite you to a tea festival and will take you to some backroom where their accomplice gives you a cup or two of tea and a huge bill.  I was approached once by such a couple as I was leaving the metro station at Yu Garden.

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The same day I was asked by another young couple if I would take their photo at the Bund.  I did and they treated me like a lost friend, discussing travel plans and the like.  I became suspicious, unsure of what they wanted so I made an excuse and left quickly.  I felt a little guilty that I might have acted rudely but those feelings were set free the following day when the same couple asked me to take their photo at the same place with no recollection that I was their “mark” before!  Still not sure how they were going to get my money though.

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I thoroughly enjoyed two sites that I had missed in my two previous trips to Shanghai. One was the famed marriage market where parents hawk their children’s (usually in their 20’s or 30’s) attributes in hope of meeting parents of a suitable mate.  While there is no money changing hands, if parents like each other they set up a blind date for their available offspring.  It is apparently successful and happens in People’s Park on weekends. I guess it is not considered a scam even by the agreeable kids who have had obedience instilled upon them early in life.

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And I finally found Yu Garden, hidden away among tourist shops….truly a respite in this busy city on a hot summer day.

 

 

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Fun Trip but Food Failure

Posted on August 6, 2015 by Agingadventurer

I’m not wild about Chinese food but there’s so much to see in China. This trip I went to Guilin to raft down the River Li.  I found an incredible deal at the Shangri-la Hotel and treated myself to the 5 star experience in room and service but decided to forego the $22 breakfast buffet and the equally expensive dinners.  Instead I munched on crackers, cookies and health bars.

Drinks were pricy too so I “indulged” in a bottle of the local red wine at a near-by store. It said on the box (bottle was inside) that it was “perfect for a gift when invited to dinner”….oops!  First of all, it was white, secondly I had to spit out the first taste and not because I was trying to get a “sense” of it.  It tasted like it should be put in a car’s engine.

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However, the local beer was pretty good and I found a place that served something resembling a pizza.

On the return to Shanghai via the 10 hour bullet train I could no longer sustain myself on the snacks I brought along (plus I was out of most of them) so I purchased one of the meals.  Of course there are no utensils other than chopsticks and needless to say, I’m inept in their use.  I didn’t need to break them apart, as I used them to scoop and discovered that when really hungry the food tastes great!

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Didn’t feel so good the next day….

 

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Downtown

Posted on July 19, 2015 by Agingadventurer

As Petula Clark said, “When you’re alone and life is making you lonely you can always go downtown” This is a trip close to home that I seldom take; it was a delight that hopefully will be repeated before too long. To top off the experience I went to the San Diego Symphony’s Summer Pop Series featuring Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and took my first Uber trip!

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My daughter was given tickets and didn’t think people her age would appreciate the music as much as her older mother.  I’m glad and not feeling lonely anymore.

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Dying Mid-trip Could be a “Bummer”

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Agingadventurer

As I travel frequently and most often out of country I’ve had to consider the possibility of dying inconviently…for me of course and for my family.  I would hate for my daughters to use their vacation time trying to find my body or worry about getting it home…especially when my house is a fluid situation and not a solid base ( I sold my condo so I could travel).

One of my sisters told me about Neptune Society and their  world-wide travel protection plan that is not like your average travel insurance…this one covers all costs of cremation or providing “mortal remains in a minimum transport container to the local chapter in San Diego (both of my children live here).

She also said that if I was accidentally incinerated my beneficiaries would get a refund!

Macabre is not my thing; I’m truly trying to be practical and this makes sense to me. I do have  great medical air coverage if I happen to live through my potential catastrophe!

 

 

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Getting to Know You…and All About You

Posted on July 4, 2015 by Agingadventurer

The first time it happened was in Croatia. I was lost in my rental car and could not find my hotel.  I did what I normally do in such situations and stopped and asked two women for directions.  This is usually somewhat difficult as I really only speak English and it’s quite common that younger people are more apt to understand me and are more willing to speak my native tongue.

That day there were no teenagers around, and very few people walking on the road.  I stopped two older women who were slowly ambling along and they both shook their heads with no idea of what I was talking about and in return I was a bit surprised when they opened the rear door of the car and climbed in.  They pointed at various intersections and I turned accordingly. After a few miles they indicated that I should stop.  I looked around, not recognizing any hotels but they seemed satisfied as I had taken them home.

They stumbled out leaving me even more lost.  In retrospect it was a happy moment as I often thought it would be nice to repay all the wondrous help natives have given me over the years.

 

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In the Plans

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Agingadventurer

Too bad China isn’t a smaller country….means that I have to take multiple trips in order to see it all.  I guess foreign visitors must feel that way about the USA!  I’ve been to Beijing about as many times as I’ve been to New York City.  I’ve taken the train from Tibet to the capital and have been in all the southern bordering countries except Bhutan and I plan on doing that in October.  I’ve visited Shanghai a few times and have done the usual side-trips to see the terracotta warriors and to see the vacation spot of Hangzhou.  Next up is the area around Guilin with a boat trip down the Li River and some hiking. I’ve attempted to do this before from Hong Kong but waited to long to get the cheap flight.

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So, I am planning on going to Shanghai once more on one of the first non-stops on Delta from LAX.  Then another fast train (think at least 10 hours due to distance) and then looking forward to an adventure that I will arrange upon arrival. I’m actually going to check out the bamboo rafts for a ride down the scenic area of the River Li with a hike back. With a river to guide me I should be able to find my way….probably will have various arms to confuse me;-)

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I had to buy a new visa and now have 10 years to see all that I have missed!

 

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