We arrive in Argentina!

After a very long flight from London to Miami and then Miami to Buenos Aires, we arrived to find our little hotel in the San Telmo area very welcoming and accommodating. It was interesting to be back in the US with a layover for four hours and not have any American money!

Buenos Aires is a very large city and we didn't see very much of it - we had planned to spend more time in Mendoza, where they make the best Malbecs in the world, and then Patagonia. The San Telmo area is an older part of the city, full of antique shops and quaint restaurants. We discovered Argentinean steak here ... it is amazing. Just can't describe the difference in taste of the beef here. Sad to say our months of eating a healthy vegetarian diet have flown out the window.

Pictured below are the "Pink House" - the government building made famous by the Perons, and some sights in "La Boca", an area famous for its artistry and for being the birthplace of the Tango. Restaurants there feature shows where dancers entertain you, and classes where you can learn the Tango. We decided our backs might not hold up to the Tango.

Hola from "La Boca" ...

The Pink House, Government Building in Buenos Aires

London prepares for a Royal Wedding ...

We had a great week in London watching as the country prepares for the wedding of Prince William and Kate. We had made our plans before their engagement was announced, and I was more than a little disappointed that we would miss the wedding by a little over a week! If Pat has been a "Russophile", I have loved British history and was looking forward to my first trip to London. It is a more beautiful and comfortable city than I had anticipated, and we enjoyed visits to the Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum and British Museum, all of which are free. We enjoyed walking through the city, and actually didn't even need to use the very easy to navigate Tube system.

One of the things that has been interesting for us is that the countries we have visited are all past British Empires - New Zealand, Australia, India, parts of Africa - and still bear some influence from the Brits. We got so used to the driving on the left side of the road that it almost seemed like the right way (no pun intended) to do it. We read a book about the history of the transition to independence for India entitled Indian Summer which detailed the history of Richard and Edwina Mountbatten's years in India (soon to be made into a movie starring Cate Blanchett according to some sources) with an interesting history of their relationships with Nehru and Ghandi and Ali Jinnah ... and then were walking down a street a few blocks from our hotel and saw a placard identifying the flat they had lived in while in London. That you can walk by their former home, Winston Churchill's former home, and so many other historical sites in a day's walk is really extraordinary.

We were close to Kensington Palace, the former home of Princess Diana, and visited her memorial fountain - picture to follow. It is a circular wading pool, filled most days with laughing children who have peeled their socks and shoes off to go wading. Wouldn't she have loved that? I have always thought she was a person of unusual resilience and grace, and I think most of Great Britain will be thinking of her with good wishes for her son and Kate Middleton this weekend.

The flowers were in bloom, Queen's cavalry were out doing their exercises, and every souvenir stand was filled with "Kate and Will" memorabilia. Portobello Road was no exception - an experience in itself! Just a great week in all.

A word about our travel planning - we have used Trip Advisor (www.tripadvisor.com) extensively during our walkabout and have had consistently great luck on lodging and places to eat. In London we stayed at a small hotel called Luna Simone near Victoria Station, and it was really a great and affordable spot in very expensive London. Great way to be your own travel agent!

Stopping by for a chat with Will and Kate ...

Princess Diana's Memorial Fountain ...

Kensington Royal Gardens

London in bloom ...

Royal Wedding Souvenir?

Mosaic inside St. Isaac's Cathedral, St. Petersburg

Easter blessings to you all.

We will be spending our Easter weekend in Mendoza, Argentina and we wanted to send along a couple of thoughts. First, this year both the Russian Orthodox and Christian feast of Easter fall on the same day (I guess it doesn't happen very often). Also while we were in the Hermitage Museum we saw a painting of St. Christopher carrying the symbolic child Jesus across the river (this St. Christopher keeps popping up throughout our travels). The audio-guide explained the agony, strength and courage depicted on his face. It went on to explain the meaning of the name Christopher ....to carry Christ.

We have been exposed to many different religions and spiritual practices along our journey, from Tenzin and his family making their daily walk to the Buddhist temple, to the call to prayer 5x per day in the Muslim cities, to the acceptance of spiritual healing by the Masai women, and to the lighting of candles within the Russian churches. It seems that no matter what your conviction, be it your faith or religion, your commitment to social justice issues, or your connection to nature and protecting the earth, it takes strength and courage to visibly carry this in our lives, and at the same time allow being carried by those who believe in you.

May you all be blessed with strength and courage this Easter season,

Pat and Deb

Russian guards in the Moscow metro

Ok, I confess. I am a russophile. Became one in 2002 after my first there with a medical/social team assisting the community of Dmitrov with their hospice development. I returned in 2005 and it's now been 6 years since my last visit and taste of authentic Russian borscht. My family thought I went off the deep end after the first visit - with the toasts with meals, excited about any movie with any connection to Russia, and the tall wool boots (given as a gift) that I proudly wear shoveling snow. I don't know if it was the site of Red Square, the cyrillic alphabet and the mystery of not knowing what was behind the shop window, the cold and snow.....but I do know I fell hard for Russia and mainly because of the people I met. Be careful for what you wish for when you fling that ruble into the bay of Finland and promise to return one day with your wife. Will she have a similar experience? Will it still amaze and excite me? The answer is yes! yes!

So as we planned our trip, a return to Russia was definitely on the radar, but in reality only made possible by the reconnection and welcoming by some wonderful Russian friends, especially Alexander Matveev, aka Sasha, who was my interpreter on the first visit to Russia. Sasha is now an MBA working on an United Nations development project in Moscow and helped us immensely with planning, reservations, mastering the Moscow metro, and tour guide. He is another example of those next generation people who continue to impress us with their values, hopes and dreams, work ethics, and genuine hospitality for these 2 wandering travelers.

We spent a few days each in Moscow, Dmitrov ( 60 miles north of Moscow), and St. Petersburg. My impression this time was that the old Russia is becoming the new Russia, thanks to some very nice revenues from oil and gas. There is a higher standard of living as seen by : many new autos replacing the old standard, no frills Russian Lada;
the high fashion of the Russian women ( many look like models walking down the street); the many new cafes and restaurants; and the exponentially number of new choices for merchandise, electronics, etc in the stores. The government still has tight control,, but the majority of Russians still give favorable marks to the president and prime minister.

After a two days in Moscow we took a train to Dmitrov and spent a great day with the folks I had worked with before. Alla Pospelova is the head of social services for the region and she has to oversee all the expenditures for health and human services in the district. I call her the "Mother of the Russian children" because of her caring and commitment. It is clear that the Russian society places high value on its children and elderly. We visited orphanages for both disabled children as well as kids from difficult family situations ( alcohol continues to be a major problem in Russia), toured the refinished hospice wing where patients are getting care for their pain and terminal illness ( what a difference from my first visit when patients were rarely told of their prognosis even if they had a terminal condition), and a retirement center run by Dr. Irina Vydrich and staffed by Dr. Irina Kosilova ( cardiology and geriatric medicine). Both of these women are energetic, fun, and committed to the best for the people they work with. They reminded me again of the value of the social and psychological aspect to keeping one engaged, happy, and healthy in this life. The people at this home were doing music performances, poetry reading, art projects, and physical competition to keep them going.

From Dmitrov we took the overnight train to St.Petersburg. Another good friend, Valery, told us that the track is completely straight without any curves. This was done under the order of the Tsar who drew a straight line between Moscow and St.Petersburg and told the engineers to get it done. We enjoyed amazing museums, beautiful architecture and churches, brisk walks, a favorite restaurant ( Teplo - you have to go if you are ever there), and a very nice, small hotel(Northern Lights)within walking distance of all the things we wanted to do. To top it off, we were able to get same day tickets to see the ballet at the Mariinsky theater. The beauty, artistic performance, and athleticism were incredible. Seeing Swan Lake, Tchiakovsky, and St. Petersburg.... we are now a family of 2 russophiles!

Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Moscow

Sasha and us at Moscow train station

"The women are strong, the men are good-looking.....", G. Keillor

Accepting a gift of a hand-painted spoon from Russian retiree

Great hallways of art at the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

Ice fishing, Minnesota-style, in St. Petersburg

Crypts of the Romanov tsars

"Need haircut?"

Both of us are now three months post-haircut, and Pat has been weighing his options. We're in Istanbul now, Russia next week (NYET, says Deb ...) and London the following week but Pat is far too cheap to pay for a London haircut.

So he's walking down a backroad in Istanbul trying to find a place to get our clothes laundered, and passes this barbershop. The barber is sitting inside all alone, and points to Pat and gestures "You need a haircut!", and Pat says "I know, I know" and thinks to himself "maybe tomorrow". So that afternoon on the way back from picking up the laundry, he sees him again and again the barber points to his hair and shakes his head.

So yesterday, our niece Courtney in tow, we went to get Pat a Turkish haircut and beard trim. Here's the "before" picture, with others following. This man spoke not a word of English, took about an hour to do the cut, trim his eyebrows (with Deb cheering "it's about time ..."), neaten the beard, razor his neck, but when he started in on the nose hairs Courtney and I just busted up laughing, which caused Pat to laugh which was a bit dangerous with a scissors in his nose.

Then a neck and face massage, and he was good to go. It's a GREAT haircut, and best of all, he saved enough money that I can cut mine in London. Perfect. Pictures are by Courtney, who has been teaching in Greece, and is now enroute to Ireland to work as a nanny. We LOVE her, and so will the lucky family she's moving in with outside of Dublin!

Note Deb laughing in the background ...

Mission accomplished ...

Dining in Istanbul with our niece Courtney

Deb and Courtney bargain shopping in Istanbul ...

Spice market in Istanbul

Ayasofia ...ancient church, then mosque, now museum ...

Our next stop on the walkabout was Istanbul, Turkey. When we were first planning our trip, the other option was Cairo, Egypt. Mohammed Maray, my partner in St. Cloud, is from Alexandria, Egypt and he advised that this time of the year would not be the best to see Egypt. I'm not sure if he could anticipate the major changes happening in his country this year, but needless to say we were happy with our choice. Flying into the city is beautiful with it's tiled roofs, waterways and islands, and well organized landscape. It is a city of many contrasts - Asia meets Europe. islam and christianity, ancient city with many historical sites and a very modern, efficient tram and metro system. It has always been a merchant city and I think you could find just about everything you would ever need here ( It's kind of like the Mills Fleet Farm of Turkey). The neighborhoods seem to cater to one particular item - like wedding dresses, music instruments, hardware stores, shoes stores, spice markets, and of course rug "outlets". The Grand Bazaar was overwhelming with it's jewelry, clothing and carpet shops - makes the Mall of America look
tame. We enjoyed our time walking the streets and enjoying early spring weather, taking in the sights and sounds. The food is very good, especially the Turkish flat bread served warm and puffy out of the oven. There are also plenty of sweet stores filled with honey, soaked baklava and many varieties of Turkish delight. The history was fascinating, the architecture was beautiful, and the relaxation in the big city was appreciated. 

It was especially nice to spend some of the time with our niece Courtney Reed who has been teaching in Crete and is now on to Ireland as a nanny. She was able to catch us up on our photo transfers, computer updates, and provided lots of laughs and fun for us. I will say more about the next generation in a future blog.

Deb will describe my experience with a haircut in Istanbul, but let me preface her remarks with two comments. First, how many of you have been traumatized by that bad haircut in your youth?? Mine happened in 8th grade when I got the flat-top style I did not order!!! Second, I think I can count on one hand the number of people who have cut my hair in the past 30 years, and I wish to take the time to thank them at this time for easing my anxieties. 

A word or two also about the beard. Basically, it's been easier and cheaper traveling with one than trying to shave every day. I will share some of the comments about the growth along the way, and who I remind people of...

1. Harrison Ford ( thanks George - Canadian student from Toronto)
2. Dr. House ( Ludmilla from Russia)
3. Kenny Rogers ( ouch!!)
4. Omar Sharif ( thank you Istanbul)
5. Old man ( thanks to you know who)

You are welcome to offer your positive!! comments on the blog.

Ancient cistern underneath the city ...

Sunrise in Zanzibar ...

We said goodbye to our friends in Arusha and flew an hour to Zanzibar for a week of relaxation. We found a lodge on the beach in Uroa, the Samaki Lodge, for a very reasonable rate with breakfast and dinner included. After the meager rations at our home stay in Arusha, we have both lost weight and find our appetites are lighter, so we didn't think we needed lunch.

Then we arrived at Samaki, which is owned by "il presidente" Domenico Palumbo, a delightful Italian gentleman, and had our first meal. Several kinds of fresh fish every day, at least four kinds of salads, several pastas, bruschetta with some kind of sauce we never figured out but which was amazing, rice and potatoes and fresh roasted vegetables and desserts. We kept looking at each other across our table saying "is this heaven?"

And, per usual, Domenico took an immediate liking to Pat and insisted that we eat lunch every day and also be his guests at a special dinner he was having Wednesday night. He was putting a dinner on as a benefit for the day hospital he is building there in Zanzibar. I'm already planning our yearly visit staying at the Samaki and having Pat earn our keep.

We were the only non-Italians at the lodge. The night of the dinner, Domenico introduced Pat on the microphone as we walked in - "and welcome to my friend Doctor Patrick from America". He is the most gracious, welcoming person you would every hope to meet. When the young men come in each day with their catch, he has them walk through the dining room to show the guests the fish - ocean perch, red snapper, sea bass. We had beautiful sunny days and walked on the whitest fine sand beaches I've ever seen.

And of course got our appetites back as well as several of the lost pounds. The staff at the Samaki were so thoughtful and accommodating ... Pat mentioned that he liked the African music that was playing, and a young man said "I'll make you a CD!". Just one example of the way everyone seemed to go out of their way to make you feel at home.

Tanzania and Zanzibar are both on our "have to go back" list!

"il presidente" Domenico and the catch of the day ...

il presidente's dinner ...

Poolside at Samiki Lodge ...

A million butterflies and flowers ...

Home visits with the hospice team

It was a fitting way to end our volunteer stay in Arusha by spending our last day with the hospice/palliative team from Selian Lutheran Hospital. Deb described the "small world" in how we managed to make the connection and the day was special for both of us. This hospice was established in 1999 and currently cares for people with HIV, TB, cancer, and other chronic diseases. Their current funding is from USAID, a partnership with Denver hospice, and donations - no government support. We all jumped aboard the jeep carrying bags of food for the families we would visit. The entire team comes along including 3 nurses, social work, and spiritual care. It was obvious how much they enjoy each other and their work as we bounced along dirty and bumpy roads to the rural homes we would visit. We were met by a special trained volunteer ( selected by the community) who knows the patients and keeps the staff informed on their issues. We met the patients in their small huts with dirt floors and heard their stories of sinus cancer, HIV, type 1 diabetes, and leg pain. After updating their medical condition and dispensing the necessary meds, the spiritual care person talks directly to the attentive patient and family. We close each visit with prayer for the patient's health and well-being...holistic care at its best. Although we like all the team members, nurse Paulina with her bright and warm smile is our favorite. She reminds us both of my sister Mel - a hospice nurse in Michigan. Both of them make you feel like friends instantly. Paulina insists on the ride back to town that we will not take the local dala-dala transportation back to our home and instead we get to listen to her lead the team in traditional Swahili/Masai hymns as we are dropped off at our front gate. A wonderful way to end a week, and our adventure in Arusha.

garden outside Selian Hospice office

Masai micro-nation

Africa is a country of many different tribes or micro nations with their own languages, culture, dress, and customs. In the area we worked, the Masai were the prominent group. They are settled in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania and estimated at over 1 million population (difficult to count due to their semi-nomadic and rural lifestyle). They have maintained their culture in spite of colonization and post independence and are easily recognized by their colorful dress and tall stature. The men wear brightly colored shawls so they can be recognized from a distance when traveling over the rural landscape. They will usually live in "kraals" - circular built communities surrounded by a fence of Acacia thorns to keep predators from attacking their livestock. Their homes are called "inkajijik" - loaf-shaped homes made of mud, sticks, grass, cow dung and cow urine. On certain occasions, they drink animal's blood mixed with milk to give them strength.Their primary source of income is raising livestock (goats,cattle,and sheep) as well as making artisan crafts to sell.

On our safari trip we had the chance to visit one of their rural communities and the pictures are from there.....don't worry, we didn't have to drink any blood!!!

Masai chiel

Center of Masai village

Masai home