Bourbon Street, New Orleans

"Excuse me, sir, I bet I can tell you where you got those shoes, the city and state." My husband Bill said, “I know your secret.” The man laughed and said, “You've been around.” We laughed because the truth was that we hadn’t “been around.”  I just heard that story from a friend two days before we left and shared it with Bill.  {You are supposed to think this person is going to guess where you bought your shoes.  You bet with him, and he says, “You got your shoes in New Orleans, LA.”  You just lost the bet, and he won your money!}  I was surprised that we were approached for the shoe scam line the very first night in New Orleans! 

Bourbon Street, New Orleans, wakes up at night! As my husband Bill and I walked down Bourbon Street, he said, "You have to be here to believe it." The street was alive with loud music played by different bands, crowds of people walking the streets drinking out of plastic cups, in and out of bars, watching street performers, and just partying. 

Women stood outside of strip clubs in skimpy outfits and thongs to lure people inside. One girl stood wearing a thong, back turned to the crowd, and jiggled her booty to attract attention and tempt people to enter.  I almost took a picture of that but didn’t want to make a spectacle of myself, the tourist that I am!

After walking up and down the street several times, we entered a bar that hosted a New Orleans jazz band.  Some of the women stood up from the tables and danced to the music.  The lead singer called out to a woman from Seattle, Washington.  He called her “Sleepless in Seattle” and beckoned her to come up to the stage to dance with him.  The two danced well together and provided entertainment for the rest of us. 

As we were walking along Bourbon Street, people were throwing down different colored beaded necklaces from the balcony above Pat O’Brien’s bar. I felt compelled to pick up some from the ground to wear, so I did.  

We walked by a strip joint where three girls stood by the door in their skimpy attire.  One girl was sticking out her behind, and the other girl was putting her hand next to it to coax people in for their show. 

Further down, a street performer was posing as a construction worker taking his place on a ladder without moving.  People dropped coins in his bucket as they passed.  

Further on, a drag queen saw me taking her picture, so she posed and then asked me if I got it.  I said, "Yes", and she walked over to invite us in to watch a burlesque show. We didn't go in, but I took the brochure that she handed me of the show.

We walked into Sing Sing, a hole in the wall dive bar, and listened to the upbeat jazz band. The bar required a one-drink minimum as most did. The upbeat jazz music enticed people to get up and dance. There was a lively crowd at this bar; we enjoyed the atmosphere and the drinks.

All-in-all, Bourbon Street was a memorable experience in New Orleans! 

Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave Tour in Belize.

Geared up for our ATM Cave Tour Adventure

I plunged into the small spring-fed pool and swam inside of the cave. The crystalline water gave hues of blues and greens, especially at the entrance.

Our tour guide Abraham had led us through three river crossings in chilly water up to my chin, to the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave. At first, I didn’t move, but with no choice, I took the plunge and swam to the cave and further inside since the water remained high for part of the way. The water was cold and being wet for the first half-mile, we felt chilled.

As a nonswimmer, I wore a life jacket to survive deep water levels and felt confident with the support. I wasn’t concerned with the panic of trying to keep my head above water and could enjoy the challenges ahead. As we walked or swam further into the cave, things started to get interesting, passing through narrow passageways.

Our group of six included myself, my husband Bill, two sons Matt and David, daughter-in-law Colleen, and our friend Patrick.

The stalactite formations were phenomenal because, according to our guide, they grow at a rate of 1/16th inch per year. Some stalactites were thousands of years old and formed in such a way that they were almost to the ground. We saw white stalactites and stalagmites that grew into each other resembling icicles hanging from the cave walls. I felt like we were in a winter wonderland inside of the cave. Abraham instructed us not to touch these sides of the cave because of the oils from our skin that could impact the formations by stunting the growth.

As we went more in-depth through the cave, the water level ranged from knee-high to neck high. We had to climb through narrow, rocky spaces, sometimes ascending massive tricky rock formations, and swim through tunnels. After about one-half mile into the cave, it became much more challenging as we approached the first boulder about 15 feet high.

My son David commented that the best part was seeing me looking at the rock as the guide was starting to give instructions on climbing it, and I was connecting the dots for the first time that we actually had to go up that rock. David said that my mouth dropped wide open as I stared at the boulder, thinking that everyone was joking, but they weren’t.

I honestly did NOT know how I was going to climb up that wet, slippery, mammoth boulder! Of course, I was elected to go first, so the challenge began. With our guide’s assistance from the top telling me where to put each foot every step of the way and the guys from the bottom, giving me a boost when needed, I made it. My son Matt was behind me trying to help. I couldn’t look back but said, “I don't care where you touch me, Matt, just get me up there!!”

We hoisted up to the next level, which was very high, where we sat on a ledge, took off our water shoes, and put on socks for the next half of the dry cave. We climbed a ramp, holding on to the edge of the cave wall to keep a grip. My son David hollered from up ahead, “Mom, don’t fall!” Then, he added, “Matt, stay close to mom.” Well, I had Abraham at my side holding my hand for support through challenging maneuvers. Abraham said,  “This is my new mamma.” 

We continued up to a higher level and entered the ceremonial chamber. We observed shards of pottery, ceramic bowls, and jugs that the Mayans brought in for offerings of food and water to the gods. There were smooth-rimmed, narrow-mouthed clay pots that held liquids and wide-mouthed that had contained food.

Abraham provided a wealth of information about how the Mayans performed ceremonial rites to the gods to try to appease them to get rain during the drought season in the late classic period, which was about 900 AD. When the gods didn’t give them rain, they started to bring in animals. Human sacrifices were brought in as well into the ceremonial cavern of young deformed skulls.

Further inside the cave, we came to the first set of scattered bones, deformed skulls, and human remains for live sacrifices. The Mayans brought into the cave typically young, strong children, usually of royal families, because they were more valuable to the gods.

We climbed a tall, narrow ladder that leaned against the cave wall up to the rear of the highest level of the cave. There, we saw a whole skeleton that was believed to be a sacrificial victim whose bones have been given a sparkling appearance by centuries of calcification, referred to as the Crystal Maiden.

We took a few moments to gaze at the climax of our tour before descending the ladder, walking back to the ledge where we took off our socks and put on water shoes. The dry part of the cave had passed. Now, we would return to the water and make our way out of the cave.

Through this tremendous energy-intense experience, I overcame the challenges of keeping up with the rest of the group in deep, cold water levels, as a nonswimmer, maneuvering through extremely narrow passageways, and climbing a gigantic boulder without missing a step.

The ATM Cave tour was the most adventurous highlight of the trip, and I was delighted to take the challenge and survive!

Memories of Belize

My first morning in the rainforest of San Ignacio, Belize, I awoke to the sounds of birds chirping and the barking of our neighbors, the howlers, high up in the trees of the jungle surrounding a panoramic view of the Macal River. We stayed in a cabin near the river, providing a primitive setting that brought us close to nature for the first half of our visit.

The riverbank nestled in the rainforest, and the sun shone through the trees with a golden glow. The sounds echoed in the open air of the howlers who made their presence known. The guys discovered a hanging rope from which they swung into the river to see who could land the furthest out into the water.

A highlight was the tour of Xunantunich Ruins of where the climax was climbing to the top of El Castillo (the castle). A hand-cranked ferry carried us across the Mopan River. From there, we continued to the ruins passing a family of howlers up in a tree. Of course, we jumped out of the van to see the monkeys. Our tour guide advised, “You don’t want to go directly underneath them. Monkeys don’t wear diapers. When they have to go, they just go.” Living in Belize, he was familiar with the monkeys!

Xunantunich means Stone Woman in Mopan (Yucatec Mayan language). Our tour guide explained that Stone Woman refers to the ghost of a woman dressed entirely in white with glowing red eyes. She generally appears in front of El Castillo, ascends the stone stairs, and disappears into a stone wall.

The most famous building in Xunantunich is El Castillo, a pyramid soaring 130 feet above the main plaza. El Castillo is remarkable due to its large stucco frieze on its eastern side that details stories of the gods and stories from Maya creationist myths.

The nine rooms of the royal palace represented the nine chambers of the underworld. The Mayans believed that close friends of the emperor lived in this palace. We climbed the wide, steep stone steps to the ledge and then made our way further up the palace. From that point, we hiked to the back of the castle. We climbed up another set of steep steps to a ledge and then further up passing through doorways ascending to the top where we took in the fantastic view that stretched beyond the border of Guatemala. We were on top of the world!

Another highlight was a tour through a sacrificial cave, Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM), where the Mayans brought food and drinks as offerings to the gods for rain.

We walked two miles on a dusty trail in between three river crossings to the entrance of the cave. When we came to the first crossing, our tour guide, Abraham led the way through the roaring river with a chilling water level up to my chin. Fortunately, each crossing had a rope to hold, and that’s just what I did as I dog-paddled to the end. We continued the trail until the second river crossing, which, to my delight, was ankle-deep. After more hiking, we came to the third crossing and, surprise, it was also ankle deep!

Now that we went through three river crossings, I imagined the rest to be of ground level. To my astonishment, we approached a small spring-fed pool that required swimming to the inside of the cave. The crystalline water gave hues of blues and greens, especially at the entrance. At first, I didn’t move, but with no choice, I took the plunge and swam through the pool to the cave’s entrance and further inside since the water remained high for part of the way.

The headlamps attached to our helmets guided us through the dark cave. Bats flew above us and some rested in holes in the walls. As we walked or swam further into the cave, things started to get interesting, passing through narrow passageways.

The stalactite formations were phenomenal because, according to our guide Abraham, they grow at a rate of 1/16th inch per year. We saw some stalactites and stalagmites that grew into each other. Abraham instructed us not to touch these particular sides of the cave because of the oils from our skin that could impact the formations by stunting the growth.

As we went more in-depth through the cave, the water level ranged from knee-high to neck high. We had to climb through narrow, rocky spaces, sometimes ascending massive tricky rock formations, and swim through tunnels. After about one-half mile into the cave, it became much more challenging as we approached the first boulder about 15 feet high. After climbing the wet, slippery boulder, we hoisted up to the next level, which was very high, where we sat on a ledge, took off our water shoes, and put on socks for the next half of the dry cave. We climbed a ramp, holding on to the edge of the cave wall to keep a grip.

Continuing up to a higher level, we entered the ceremonial chamber where we observed shards of pottery, ceramic bowls, and jugs that the Mayans brought in for offerings of food and water to the gods. There were narrow-mouthed pots that held liquids and wide-mouthed that had contained food.

Abraham explained how the Mayans performed ceremonial rites to the gods to try to appease them to get rain during the drought season in the late classic period, which was about 900 AD. He further explained that when the gods didn’t give them rain, they started to bring in animals. Human sacrifices were brought in as well into the ceremonial cavern of young deformed skulls.

As we continued to walk further into the cave, we saw the first set of scattered bones, deformed skulls, and human remains for live sacrifices. The Mayans brought into the cave typically young, strong children, usually of royal families, because they were more valuable to the gods.

Continuing, we climbed a ladder up to the rear of the highest level of the cave. There, we saw a whole skeleton that was probably a sacrificial victim whose bones have been given a sparkling appearance by centuries of calcification, referred to as the Crystal Maiden. We took a few moments to gaze at the highlight of our tour before descending the ladder, walking back to the ledge where we took off our socks and put on water shoes. The dry part of the cave had passed. Now, we would return to the water and make our way out of the cave. The ATM cave tour was the most adventurous part of our trip, and I was proud of myself for taking the challenge and surviving!

From the rainforest of San Ignacio, we transferred to the Caribbean coast of Placencia to spend the remainder of our trip at a beach house. The scenery was full of palm trees, white sandy beaches, black frigate birds, and brown pelicans flying over the waters and floating in the sea soaking up the sun.

On our last day in Belize, we rode on a fisherman’s boat across the sea to a small private island, Ranguana Caye, for a day of fun and relaxation. The small island provided a paradisal setting as an ending to our Belize vacation.

By Linda A. Egelston

         

Memories of Italy

My youngest son, David, was going to be living in Florence for four months on a work assignment. My three sons knew that a trip to Italy was my dream, so as a Christmas gift, they decided to make my dream come true! 

When I first arrived in Florence, I was mesmerized by my surroundings as I walked down the quaint cobblestone streets to David’s apartment.  I was in Italy!

Wine-tasting became our number one activity all week.  With my first glass of wine, I was looking forward to spending a week in Italy with my sons, exploring different sights, history, culture and Italian wine.  So with a glass of Chianti, my sons David and Matt and I toasted to our first day in Italy together!  There was so much to look forward to!  My son, Frank, and his girlfriend, Kayleigh, were meeting us in Rome.

Besides drinking wine every day, we experienced two different types of wine-tasting.  The first wine-tasting event was the Spring Wine Festival in Verona, called Vinitaly. 

Vinitaly is an international wine competition and exposition that is held annually in April.  There were several buildings that represented different regions of Italy’s high-end vineyards.   It was a full afternoon of wine-tasting!  It was so amazing to walk around savoring the taste of various Italian wines.  I tended to like the red wines a little better than the white but do not remember which wine I liked the best.  They all tasted good to me, and yes, by the end of the afternoon, you could say that I was sort of giddy!   
 

The next memorable wine-tasting experience took place in Montalcino, one of the most famous wine territories of Tuscany.  David scheduled appointments in advance at two

different vineyards.  The scenery throughout the hillsides of Tuscany was like something out of a storybook. The grass was vivid green that coated the rolling hills and mountains.  It was absolutely breathtaking!  My son’s girlfriend, Kayleigh, and I would look out the window on the right and take a picture, then turn to the window on the left and snap a shot.  My head was spinning as I kept turning to the right and then to the left, not wanting to miss anything, as the green hills zoomed by.    

Our first appointment was at Fuligni Vigna San Giovanni (Fuligni-name of the vineyard, Vigna-vineyard, San Giovanni-name of the plot). We were given a private tour of the vineyard and tasted three different types of wine.  The first type of wine was a light-bodied wine, Rosso di Montalcino (100% Sangiovese, aged for only 6 months in oak).  The second type was a medium-bodied wine, Super Tuscan (a blend of Merlot and Sangiovese, which smoothed off the taste of the slightly acidic Sangiovese grape). The third was a full-bodied wine, Brunello (100% Sangiovese, however, these grapes were the highest quality and aged in oak for a minimum of two years).  My taste leaned toward the simpler, light-bodied wine – Rosso di Montalcino. That made sense to the boys since I am a Pinot Noir fan, which has a similar body. 

http://www.leaandsandeman.co.uk/wine-producer/Fuligni-455-04.html

Our second appointment was at Altesino Vineyard. {Altesino is one of the wineries of Tuscany which has always been distinguished for the production of Brunello di Montalcino.  The vineyards of the winery are spread over an area of about 66 acres. {http://www.altesino.it/eng/azienda.php}   

Our guided tour started in a room with old barrels that were 25 years old.  Then, the tour guide brought us in a room with all new barrels that didn’t have wine in them yet.  

After the tour, we went inside for some on-site wine tasting of the same three different types that were presented at the first vineyard.  We sat at a long table enjoying some really good Italian wine. When we finished the tour, the boys let me know how proud of their mother they were.  I was a real pro when it came to wine tasting.

One distinct memory of a meal that we ate at a restaurant, Osteria Di Benci, was Steak Florentine served bloody.  I learned that in Italy, they do not ask how you would like your steak cooked.  They serve steak cooked rare.  I was a little apprehensive about eating a bloody steak, but surprisingly, it was perfect and one of my favorite meals in Florence.  Another favorite meal was the eggplant parmesan that I ate for lunch in Venice.  It wasn’t breaded which made a difference in the taste and texture.  The sauce was molto buono!  Of course, we had a bottle of wine at the table.  I noticed that pasta was served with most every meal and the sauce had a much thinner consistency than the tomato sauce in America.  One tradition in Italy is that when you go to a restaurant for dinner, the table is yours for the night.  The waitress does not hurry to serve you and you do not rush the waitress; that is considered to be rude.  One night, dinner lasted three hours. 

 

My favorite desserts were gelato, Tiramisu, and Panacotta.  I tasted a chocolate gelato, which is an Italian variant of ice cream, during our first day in Florence.  It was the first gelato that I have tasted, and it was molto buono (very good)!  After dinner one night, I ordered Tiramisu, which was the most heavenly Italian dessert!  {Tiramisu is a popular coffee-flavored Italian dessert. It is made with ladyfingers (Savoiardi) dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks, egg whites, sugar and mascarpone cheese, flavored with cocoa.}   This was the first time I tasted Tiramisu, and I loved the sweet taste.  Another night, I ordered Panacotta for dessert.  I relished the rich, sweet, taste of the custard topped with raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries. {Panacotta is a traditional northern Italian custard dessert originating in Piedmont, Italy. It is made by simmering together heavy cream, milk and sugar, mixing this with gelatin, and letting it cool until set and topped with a choice of flavors for toppings.}

One of my favorite memories of Italy was the day we spent touring Florence.  We climbed 463 steps to the top of Duomo at Piazza del Duomo

(Cathedral at Square of the Cathedral) and saw the whole city of Florence laid out in front of us.  Santa Maria del fiore (Saint Mary of the Flower), also known as simply “Duomo”, is the cathedral of Florence noted for its distinctive Renaissance dome.  The cathedral complex included the Baptistry, Duomo (cathedral), and Giotto’s Campanile (bell tower). Inside the cathedral, the dome is decorated with a fresco known as “The Last Judgment”, initially painted by Vasari, who also contributed to the Palazzo Vecchio. 

Another highlight of Florence was Ponte Vecchio (old bridge), the oldest of Florence’s six bridges and the most famous.  It is a medieval

bridge over the Arno River known for its shops built along it.                                                          {http://www.aviewoncities.com/florence/pontevecchio.htm}

Then, we came to the famous bronze statue, wild boar (lucky pig), which is a fountain that sits in the center of Florence at the Mercato Nuovo (New Marketplace).  His popular name is Porcellino (piglet).  Rub his nose for good fortune.  Rubbing his nose ensures your return to Florence; I did it!  We came to the wild boar three different times during the week, and each time, I rubbed his nose. 

The most popular attraction at the market (mercato) is the 'Fontana del Porcellino' (The Piglet Fountain), a small fountain with a 17th century statue of a wild boar. Il Porcellino (Italian "piglet") is the local Florentine nickname for the bronze fountain of a boar.  Legend has it that anyone who rubs the - always shining - snout of the boar will return to Florence.              http://www.aviewoncities.com/florence/mercatonuovo.htm

When walking around in Florence, we saw artists sitting on the ground working on their pastels.  As we continued to walk, we found a jewelry shop, Cose del 900, founded in 1981 by two young women.  They started by selling antiques and eventually made their own personalized Murano glass beads. One of the women proceeded to tell me her story of how she came into contact with Murano glass and became a frequent visitor to Venice and the glass-making Island of Murano.  I was so interested in her story and the culture she portrayed.  I will never forget that little shop and the two women.  I immediately fell in love with Florence and believed that I could live there.  I loved the history within the city and the environment surrounding me with friendly people.  I truly felt like a welcomed guest. 

My favorite sight in Rome was the Colosseum.  It is an oval-shaped amphitheatre situated in the heart of Rome.  Upon entering, we saw the arena straight ahead.  The stage for shows, whose floor was once made from a mixture of bricks and wood, has now disappeared altogether.  In its place, you can see the cellars which housed the equipment used to prepare and carry out the games.

The Colosseum was built by Jewish prisoners.  At the time of its construction, the Colosseum had the capacity of seating around 50,000 spectators. The arena measured 287 ft long and 180 ft wide. The Latin word “arena” means "sand" which was used as the primary surface where gladiators battled, to absorb their blood. The sand was constantly renewed as it was covered with the blood and entrails of slaughtered animals, criminals, and gladiators. Initially, it was used for holding gladiatorial contests and public battles based on the classical mythology. Emperors used the Colosseum to entertain the public with free games. Those games were a symbol of prestige and power, and they were a way for an emperor to increase his popularity. They usually started with comical acts and displays of exotic animals and ended with fights to the death between animals and gladiators or between gladiators. These fighters were usually slaves, prisoners of war or condemned criminals.                                                {http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosseum}

Then, there was Venice, another one of my favorite cities.  When we arrived, I was amazed by the water.  Interestingly, there are no cars in Venice.  The Venetians have boats tied up to the back sides of their houses for transportation.  The moment that I was waiting for was our ride on the gondola touring the canals.  As we looked up at the buildings where people lived, we saw clothes hanging out to dry. That was a common sight in Italy. 

As I was drinking my last glass of wine at David’s apartment before leaving, I became drunk on the memories of my week in Italy.  From the streets of Florence to Pisa, Rome, the hillsides of Tuscany to Montalcino and then to Venice, I found excitement and never-ending beauty.  The boys and I toasted to our family vacation in Italy together.  One thing was for certain, I wanted to return to Italy.  After all, I did rub the wild boar’s nose three times!