Egypt, Greece, Vienna

March 1982

(Narrative by Bob)

          For our first vacation trip outside of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we planned to go to Egypt and Greece.  Upon arriving at the Cairo airport in the middle of the night, we were treated to a wild taxi ride across town to our hotel, which was near the pyramids at Giza. The ride consisted of taking most turns on two wheels, going the wrong way on one-way streets and coming within fractions of inches to other cars and stationary objects.  We did arrive unscathed and were shown to a very nice suite.

          Upon awaking the next day, we stepped out onto the patio and there were the pyramids, big and bright.  We were prepared for them to be large, but they were even larger than expected.  We spent the next two days exploring the pyramids, taking rides on camels and other touristy things.  It is hard to conceive of the gigantic effort it took to construct these pyramids.  We also visited the Sphinx.  It appeared very old and had water erosion  marks from some olden time when the area was wet.  One day we went to visit the step pyramids at Saqqarra.  These were supposed to be built at a later date than the ones at Giza, but were much smaller and not as well constructed.  There were extensive underground construction areas in connection with the step pyramids.  

            We spent some time in downtown Cairo.  Even from the middle of Cairo, 20 miles away, the pyramids looked huge.  We enjoyed watching the Nile River and the Feluccas that sailed on it. We were intrigued by the various ingenious methods used to raise irrigation water from the river to the fields.

            We also went to the Cairo Museum, which was very interesting.  We saw many items relating to a great civilization in the past,  much of what has been lost by today’s society.   There was hardly anyone else in the museum and we were able to browse as desired.  One thing we saw was the tomb of King Tut along with all his golden treasures.  This was on tour in selected cities in the US and people stood in line for hours to see it.

             After several days in Cairo, we left for Athens.  From the departing plane, we had a great view of the Pyramids and how they were situated on the Giza plateau at edge of the Sahara desert.  It only increased our amazement at the ability of an ancient civilization to construct such mammoth things. 

            We arrived in Athens and went directly to our hotel.  Athens was just a big, noisy city and wasn’t very impressive except for the few buildings, such as the Parthenon, which were remnants of a previous age  We rented a car and driver to see the various areas of interest.  

             After 2 days we were bored with the city and decided to go to Vienna, Austria.   Our other alternative being a cruise of the Greek islands, which wasn’t too desirable at that time of the year.  We met some Americans on the plane who lived near Vienna and they directed us to a Bed and Breakfast at Baden Baden, which was about 15 miles from Vienna, but right on the train line to the city.  The Bed and Breakfast, as most other places, shut off the heat at 9 pm so the goose down blankets served us well. 

We explored Vienna and was especially intrigued by the “Old City”.  It was encompassed  by high walls which were fortified at one time to keep out the Muslim invaders.  The city was under siege for several month before reinforcement arrived to repel the invaders.  Vienna was farthest the Arab Muslims were able to penetrate into Europe.  It was especially interesting, in the Old City,  to see the homes,  mostly very small, of famous musicians and painters and to enjoy the sidewalk cafe’s which they used to frequent.  We spent several enjoyable days in Vienna before we had to head back to Saudi Arabia.

  

 From Tucson  to Jubail

1982

(Narrative by Jacquie) 

Our fall weather is marvelous. The temperature was a chilly 55degrees this morning, making it necessary to wear a coat to be comfortable. We had quite a rainstorm last week which caused a lot of flooding. About 13 families had to be evacuated from their houses because the water level was so high.

The first stop of our tri p home was Hawaii.. They have a beautifu1 airport and the weather was pleasant even though it was a bit rainy when we arrived. The Holiday Inn people picked us up at the airport. The rain had made the air smell fresh and the lovely scents of the flowers revived our spirits. The hotel is on the bus line so we went out to Waikiki Beach on the city bus. There were lots of shopping malls and we looked thru them all. We decided to eat at Benihana's of Tokyo (in Japan this restaurant chain is known as Benihana's of New York). The meal is quite a social occasion. Each table accommodates eight people and one chef.  The cooking grill is centered on one side and soon the show begins - our orders were taken and soon the chef appeared with his cart. The skill these people use - the flashing knives that quickly chop, slice and section are fantastic. Just using a sharp knife and a fork, he quickly grilled, ”detailed” and served our appetizer (shrimp). Then he grilled each individuals meat and vegetables to perfection. Sara had thought she wasn't hungry but was so enthralled by the show put on by our chef that her appetite quickly returned. The only things not prepared at the table were the soup, salad, tea and dessert. The food was every bit as good this time as it had been when we went to Benihanas in San Francisco.

The next morning we started on an all day tour out to the Polynesian Cultural Center. This is a project of the Mormon Church to preserve the heritage of the island people; it also gives the students at Brigham Young University of Hawaii an opportunity to earn their tuition money and learn about business management. We visited the temple site and all the various pageants and village areas. Had a lovely buffet meal and then went to the evening show. The students put on an excellent performance - we enjoyed the fire dancers tremendously. Our seats were on the front row so we could see everything. We were quite weary by the time we arrived back at the hotel.

Sara got her hair cut while we were in Honolulu. Now she looks like Princess Diana!

All too soon it was time to go on to Manila. The humidity there was very high. Everything felt damp to the touch. Bob wasn't feeling well so Sara and l went out exploring on our own. The Philippine Cultural Center was directly across the street from our hotel. l was not impressed with Manila; there is too much traffic, air pollution and generally unclean conditions to fit in with my background of the western civilizations. The shopping was great, though. Prices are very reasonable and we bought quite a few clothes and shoes during our stay.

Was glad the  hotel had a Doctor because Bob needed one by this time.  Bob was shot full of antibiotics and given more medicine to take  orally.

My cold or allergy seemed to be clearing up but I still had a runny nose so figured it would clear up itself . We visited the museum and art gallery.

Hired a driver and he took us all over Manila and gave us a run -down of Philippine history and culture . We visited the cemetery where many of the men who died in World War II are buried. Far from being depressing,  it is a lovely,  peaceful place.

Manila is another one of  those  cities where you need a “loud horn and good brakes.

On to Thailand -  Sara and I fell in love with the city of Bangkok the moment we saw it . Our room in the Narai Hotel  was small but adequate.

Fresh flowers (orchids or roses ) were put in our room every morning . We ate in the revolving restaurant (La Rotunda) on top of the hotel . The cuisine was French, our chef was oriental. I  had some of the best steak and lobster that ever I've eaten. Our dessert was Cherries Jubilee.  Our food was cooked by the chef at our table and everything was beautifully served. The view from the restaurant was superb.                                   

 During our stay in Bangkok we went to the ancient city Ayuttha) (uh-you  tee-uh ), cruised the Chao Phya river on the 0riental Queen (we had an excellent lunch on the boat) , saw the Grand Palace , the Royal Barges and had a Thai Dinner followed by an evening of classical Thai dancing.  Sara had her picture taken with two of the dancers. We all had clothes tailored for us. Sara got some  silk blouses and knickers  plus lots of handicrafts from which we all chose. We visited many temples (wats ) and saw almost every Buddha in the city. A visit to the amulet market was an experience; we also got drenched since there was quite a rainstorm in progress. Each of us bought a ring. Sara's is a narrow band set with three blue sapphires and two diamonds. Bob had a yellow gold ring made and set with a beautiful black sapphire. It is beyond me why they call that stone a black sapphire since it is a dark brown. My ring is white gold with two blue sapphires and six tiny full cut diamonds. The under part of the setting is filigree but the upper part is a very simple swirl.

            Flowers were for sale everywhere we went and every Buddha and temple was full of the fragrant tropical flowers. Our hotel was located in large shopping area and we didn't even begin to visit all the stores. I went to a Japanese Department store to get a flower making iron. Making silk flowers is interesting and Lynn Reynolds and I are going to learn to make some different arrangements. To date I have made only one rose but it turned out beautifully.

            We visited China Town but it was dirty and had mostly 24k gold. We didn't buy any - just looked.  The most impressive Buddha we saw was made of pure gold and weighs two and a half tons. The reclining Buddha was impressive because of its massive size:  12 meters high and 49 meters long. The emerald Buddha was perhaps the most beautiful.. The temples are lovely beyond description.  Each is inlaid with millions of tiny mirrors that causes the buildings to sparkle in the sunlight and they are spectacularly ornate.

The fruit was so delicious - the best papaya, mangoes, bananas and pineapple I have ever eaten. There also were fruits we had never even heard of such as Jujubes; it is not unlike an apple - pear combination.  We ate more fruit plate combinations for meals than any other thing.

One night we went “night-clubbing” .  Actually we only went to see a show at the Dusit Thani Hotel. The dancers were very good even though they were rather scantily clad. This particular group was from England or Australia.

It was with regret  that we left Bangkok. What an enjoyable place. 

Time to leave for Nepal. Katmandu is nestled in a valley and bordered by the majestic Himalayas. Mt. Everest was visible to us only while we were in the airplane. The mountains were covered by a cloud layer the whole time that we were in Nepal. We stayed at Dwarika's , a charming complex of authentic Nepalese houses. Sara had a room of her own and our room was spacious and comfortable. The service was very complete - we were very pampered guests. We usually had our morning or afternoon tea on the patio in the garden surrounded by tropical plants and kept company by Meenu, the managers Afghan hound. She was a very gentle creature and far quieter than the tropical birds around us. Much of the food was grown in the garden at the inn so we had fresh fruit and vegetables for our meals.

The best description of the city is ancient . Somehow civilizations passed by this area and left it untouched. The splendors of the past are now in a state of decay yet it is one of the loveliest places we have visited (in its own unique way). The toddlers and babies run around bare and sometimes wear a skirt if the weather is cool. Community bathing in the river is a common sight. The roads are used for drying hot green and red peppers and wheat is put on the road to be threshed by the occasional car or ox-cart that comes by. The sheep were being sheared and colorful skeins of newly dyed yarn were hanging from fences and trees. We saw snake charmers, medicine men, acrobats and holy men at the ''rest day'' sidewalk markets. Cows roam free and one took after Sara when we were out walking one day. Farming is still done with hand tools. The countryside is beautiful; green and lush with grain crops of rice, corn and wheat.

Sara finally found a khukri (the famed curved knife of Nepal) in a highly ornamented sheath. She paid about US $ 7.00 for it. We had seen a similar one in a Bangkok antique shop for US $ 200.00. Bob and I liked hers so much that we bought one for us. The wood and leather sheath is ornamented with brass and has various stones and colored metal pieces set into it - very ornate. By Western standards the majority of the people would seem to be poverty stricken, but we were told that no one goes hungry in Nepal. Everyone was quite friendly and language barriers presented no problems. Many shop-keepers speak English. 

            We felt more rested when we departed for New Delhi, India. Finally we found accommodations at the Ashok Akhbar Hotel - the Sheraton was full and it was late in the evening when we arrived. We were quite pleased with  the hotel and it's staff. One night we were entertained at dinner by local  people that were talented in dancing, singing and  instrumental music. The food was very inexpensive. One night we had Chateaubriand that would easily have served six people and for Bob and I the complete dinner was around US $ 20.00. Sara was tired so she had room service.

Our experience at the vegetarian restaurant was very interesting. We certainly did learn a lot about regional cooking.

Had a driver take us to Agra to see the Taj Mahal . He was a tall, handsome Sikh. They never cut their hair but you can’t tell because they roll it up (their beard) and the ends a re-tucked under their turban with all the other hair .

We rested along the way at a tea shop and watched the monkeys and parrots in the trees . Bob and Sara rode on an elephant and we saw some dancing bears and performing monkeys (for a price, of course ). 

The Taj Mahal is dazzling. It must be one of the few things untouched by the passage of time. The inlay work on all the marble surfaces is so lovely. I was surprised to learn that one ingredient used, to make the glue which holds the slabbed stones in place, is lentils. Later we went to a government shop that showed how all the inlay work was done.

All the other palaces and tombs look rather ordinary when compared to the Taj .

From a distance we saw the President of India entering the palace grounds in his magnificent  black Cadillac.

Most transportation in India is by bicycle . There are buses, trains and rubber tired ox carts in abundance compared to the small number of cars.

There is much poverty - many families live in the open with only a canvas over their head and string cots to sleep on.

lf you enjoy reading books about India and it‘s history, try “Far Pavllion’s” by M . M . Kaye. She also has written “Trade Wind” and “Shadow of the Moon”.  All three are interesting and entertaining .

Although we stayed in Bombay we were all too tired to go exploring. We were ready to go back to Arabia. Sara became ill the afternoon we left India, so she arrived back in Saudi Arabian a wheel chair. Home again - back to the old routines and new changes.

  

 Around the World

September 1983

(Narrative by Jacquie)

 

Dear Family,

There is always much excitement in the household before each trip. This time we  weren't quite as organized even though plans had been gone over many times in the last few months. Sara left for the U.S. on September 9th, so all our energy had gone into getting her ready for school in the U.S.

For this trip we left from the domestic terminal in Dhahran. Many of the passengers on our flight were Hajj pilgrims on their way to Mecca.  Although the pilgrimage is somewhat detailed, one of the places they visit is the Kaabah - the sacred stone monument of Islam. Just before we reached Jeddah the pilgrims started chanting; those who were not wearing the Ihram garments, which consists of two seamless pieces of coarse white cloth, were notified that it was time to change their clothing. Since some of us were changing planes to go on to Germany we were comfortably accommodated in a lounge that lifted up to the plane for disembarking and then it was driven to the next plane where we boarded for our continuing flight.  It didn't take long for us to fall asleep once we got started in spite of the little annoyances like eating, etc. We had lots of room since the flight wasn't full.

Germany was beautiful. We rented a car to drive toward Heidelberg which we enjoyed greatly - it is  such a beautiful place and the people are so friendly. The castle on the hill was very special and later that evening was beautifully lighted, so when we walked down the hill after dinner the view could still be enjoyed. The reflection of lights made the dark water of the Rhine  twinkle and an occasional leaf fluttered down from one of the huge maple trees to silently proclaim  that autumn was ready to begin. There had been a short rain earlier in the afternoon so the air smelled fresh and clean. Lots of roses were still in bloom, along with geranium, ageratum and chrysanthemums.

The inn where we stayed, the Hirschgasse, was quaint and comfortable. A delicious meal was served that evening which would rival any of the meals served by the most meticulous French chefs.

Our stay seemed all too short and the next morning we had to go back to the airport in Frankfurt for the flight onward to Copenhagen. 

Copenhagen must be timeless. The best description of the town would be ''functional''. We discovered the Tivoli amusement park almost immediately after finding a room at the Grand Hotel. Our room at the hotel was only large enough to accommodate two beds, two chairs, TV, a desk plus all our belongings. It really didn't matter since we were hardly ever there except to sleep.

We wandered all over the Tivoli Gardens to enjoy concerts, performances by acrobats, dancers and even a marching band. The fountains were unique - one consisted of plastic or glass tubes full of water into which air bubbles were forced at intervals. The tubes were of various sizes and heights, some of which were decorated quite fancifully with gold colored metal swirls and leaves. At night, lights illuminated the tubes.

On Sunday we attended the N.Y. City Ballet afternoon matinee, Suzanne Farrell danced, but our favorites were Jack Solo, Kyra Nichols and Adam Luders. In the evening we watched , on TV, the Tatoo at Edinborough Castle which had been performed earlier in the week. At least that program was in English. We went to see ''High Road to China'' while in Denmark. It was the English version with Danish sub-titles.  Many of the Danish people speak English and lots of TV programs are in English with subtitles in Danish.   

On Monday we took the hydrofoil to Malmo, Sweden. There really was no sensation of traveling on top of the water, but we did have a relatively smooth crossing. It was lots of fun to look around Malmo but after several hours we were ready to go back to Copenhagen. First we ate in Kocksa Krogen, a restaurant that once  had been an old medieval home. The architecture was quite interesting, the building was brick and the wine cellar where we ate had beautifully vaulted ceilings. The food was good, and somewhat unusual. Father ordered a fish course for one and what he was served would have fed a small crowd. The best thing was the pickled salmon, but there were other kinds of fish that were good, too. Then we had our main course - Father had venison and I had a pounded beef with an unusual caper sauce. Excellent.  For desert we had a prune soufflé with heavy unsweetened whipped cream.

We didn't need to eat again that day we were so full: bought Duck # 1 for 1983 at the Swedish hydrofoil station.

The trip on a tour bus gave us an overview of all Copenhagen had to offer - the parks, statues, fountains, the culture and general way of life.

The ''Little Mermaid'' near the shore in the harbor is indeed very little.  Nevertheless she is quite pretty.

 http://www.traveladventures.org/continents/sendcard.php  Everyone  drinks beer, even the babies. All  revenues from beer sales goes to support the cultural arts since that was the condition of the Carlsberg will when he gave his brewery to the people of Denmark.  The brewery has four huge stone elephants at the entrance and some lovely gardens around the outside.                                                

One of my favorite fountains was the Gefion, also called the Goddess Ploughing. The Goddess and her four large oxen (her sons) sits atop a series of waterfalls. There is quite a legend about this particular lady and her four sons.

Eating customs can be so different in European countries. We watched with interest as people cut up their sandwiches and ate then with a fork. I will never understand why they push food up on the back of their fork with a knife when food can be cradled in the curve of the fork relieving one of the necessity of all the fancy knife work. I'd like to see a European eating spaghetti and meatballs with a fork some time. We were furnished with a knife like ''pusher'' for every course except dessert which required a fork and tablespoon.

We were able to walk to the train station in order to get a bus to the airport on Tuesday.

We left for Scotland with great expectations of romantic castles, loch monsters and a land of beauty surpassed by no other.

Our plane landed in Norway for refueling but we weren't allowed to go outside (On the way to Germany we stopped at Geneva and we did get a chance to go to the door so we could smell the cool mountain air).

What we discovered in Scotland was a lot of scenery much like that of the Great Lakes region of the U.S., and the northern area of Michigan.

Canada has many areas similar to Scotland, too.

We rented a car to start our tour of Scotland. The day was cool and rainy; the car handled with great difficulty and Father had just about despaired of ever being able to drive on the left with such a cantankerous machine when the tire blew out and the hub cap took off like a giant Frisbee.  After decoding the instructions for using the jack, we were almost ready to give up but the tire was changed and we went hiking around looking for the hub cap. I met a very beautiful horse who was exceedingly friendly.  She was delighted when I fed her a mint and begged for another. Father showed up with hub cab in hand and the horse followed us along the fence and back to the car.  She would have liked to join us in the car but it was too small for all of us, so we had to part company.

The car handled much better now and we left Glasgow far behind. Fluffy white sheep and long haired Highland cattle dotted the green mountains (they looked too high to be called hills). The castles were found to be cold and drafty even though they are nice to look at and enjoy. The lochs are huge but we didn't see Nessie at Loch Ness even though other people claim to have seen him on occasion.

One night we stayed at ''The George'' near Inverary Castle. Our room was huge with an oversize bathroom. It was quite chilly so the heated towel rack, down comforter and heated mattress pad were quite welcome.

Typically, the Scotch are quite thrifty so our soap had been shared by the previous occupants.

Another evening we stayed at a 'bed and breakfast' home. Our hostess served us a delicious evening meal of freshly caught haddock, oxtail soup, garden fresh vegetables and homemade rolls. For dessert we had apple sponge which is a sweet similar to our apple cobbler. Our host family had a warm fire, fueled with peat, crackling in the fireplace of the lounge. The heat felt good during the crisply cool evening.

We cut our visit short since we became saturated with scenery, the rain and cold. On the way back to Glasgow we stopped at Aviemore to check on the Scottish Clan Center. The computer wasn't in full working order so we didn't get much genealogists information. Hurrying on we got to the airport in time to catch a late afternoon flight to England.

The weather in London was wonderful. It was so warm we didn't have to wear a wrap of any kind. This was quite a contrast to the time in January of 1982 when Sara and I visited London.

We bought an explorers Pass and made liberal use of the bus and underground transportation system. Our hotel was near the airport (Heathrow) and all we had to do was take the hotel shuttle bus (free) over to the airport and get on the ''tube.'' One evening when we were ready to come back to the hotel, the Piccadilly line had to be shut down because of an accident. We then had to get on the Airbus that was just leaving for the airport. This was during the heaviest part of the rush hour so the usual twenty minute trip lasted almost two hours. I did get to visit the Piccadilly Circus area and the open market near there. One afternoon we went to the Tower of London and I finally remembered to take time  enough to feed the pigeons with some bread I had stuck in my coat pocket at breakfast time. Earlier in the day we had gone to the Japanese Embassy to get visas for the trip to Japan but they were closed for a Japanese National Holiday. 

Had a brief visit with a British physician to get a prescription for some thyroid medicine. How different it was from our Dr's offices.  He was very properly dressed with coat, tie and vest, complete with a pocket watch and chain. The room was very poorly lit, carpeted (heaven forbid) and the examining table was right there with his desk in the one large room.  His huge overstated leather chair was a bit scruffy looking. The whole scene was a reminder of our American doctors offices fifty years ago before the advent of absolute sterility, disposable examining table liners and paper gowns. Mission accomplished we took off to the pharmacy with the prescription, being 5 pounds lighter in the process plus the cost of paying for the medicine.

 Took the train back  to the hotel to get the bags packed once again.

Had a very nice dinner at the hotel's restaurant; one of the meals main virtues being the impeccable serving by our oriental waiters.

Our flight to the U.S. was uneventful. We slept as much as possible, so weren't too tired when we got to Los Angeles. The airport is being renovated for the Olympic Game crowd next year. The air was clear and fresh from the rain they were having that evening.

We still did not have visas for Japan so first thing Monday morning the order of business for the day was to go and find the Japanese Consulate.

While there we inquired lf they had enjoyed their holiday only to be confronted with blank facial expressions. The people at the consulate in L.A. were completely unaware of any Japanese National Holiday on September 23rd!

On to Tucson - it had rained there, too.  Everything always seems so much nicer after a good rain since the dust gets washed off of everything. A lot of road and community improvements made our hometown look very good to us. Kathy and David had been quite busy with yard work and had painted the walls inside the house.

We did some frantic shopping for the most needed things and got our goods ready to ship back to Arabia. The company paid for shipping 200 lbs. since Father had completed his two year contract.

We managed one evening to celebrate Kathy's birthday and also had a chance to eat at the New Peking.

The rain kept coming down until the ground could hold no more and the washes began to fill rapidly. We left very early Sunday morning and even then we weren't sure of making it to the airport. Many bridges were washing out, the roads were full of water and debris making it difficult to tell what was underneath all the excess. After we picked up Jeff everything became even worse. Houses slipped into the river, a whole city just northwest of us was flooded out plus lots of damage all over the Tucson Valley. 

While in Tucson we had a chance to visit Jeff's school and we were pleased that he has worked so hard at his studies and is getting good grades.

Jeff accompanied us to Japan for five days. We sure had lots of fun together. The airport was a digital wonderland with all kinds of display boards. Tokyo is a lovely city, so clean and modern, yet with ancient surprises tucked away in many corners of the efficiently used land area. The cost of land is so high and land is so scarce they every inch is developed to its maximum potential.

Kimonos and slippers awaited us in our room at the Holiday Inn. We had not slept on the plane, so were very tired. So tired that we didn't even wake up for the earthquake at 10:35 that night. Since we crossed the International dateline a day of our lives was lost. Our first tour took us all day and we visited the Tokyo Tower (this is an electric broadcasting center and is a marvelous place to view Tokyo since it is 333 meters high. The tower is higher than the Eiffel Tower of Paris but is 3,000 tons lighter because of the lighter yet stronger steel used in its construction.. Imperial Palace Plaza - Imperial East Garden, the various shopping areas, Asakusa Kanon Temple (Japan's largest Buddhist Temple and connected Nasalise shopping street) plus a drive around the downtown area. We ate lunch at a very nice coffee shop in a downtown hotel.

The afternoon was spent in the uptown (higher) area. The highlights were a visit to a pearl gallery to see how pearls are cultured, a chance to see the outside of the Olympic National Gymnasium which was being renovated, Meeji Shrine (Shinto), a 300 year old farm house that was moved into the city for exhibit, the Ginza shopping area and a chance to see the uptown business district as well as the National Diet Building.

Our cute Japanese guides were precise and clocked each area visit almost to the second. If you were told to return at 2:20 it was expected that everyone would be on the bus at precisely that time. These young men and women could reel off volumes of information but had no original ideas or opinions of their own. We found this very typical of most Japanese people. There were very few fall colors yet - I can just imagine how beautiful Japan must be when the spring flowers and all the trees are in bloom. 

We had a wonderful time on our night tour. To start, there was a Japanese Sukiyaki dinner, Some of the same people, whose company we enjoyed on previous tours were on this tour too, so we had fun comparing experiences. After dinner we went to the Kabukiza Theater. These presentations last for hours, starting at 11:00 am. and ending about 12 hours later. Fortunately we only stayed for half an hour - the costumes were lavish and the English commentary interesting but the high pitched, whining voices of the all male cast became tiresome. A11 parts, male and female are played by men. Then came our trip to the Geisha House for a party. We watched traditional dances, learned some songs which we sang together, played games and were given a demonstration of the elaborate ceremony of traditional Japanese dress. The kimono's they showed were very beautiful and very expensive. 

JEFF WON THE CHOPSTICK games:

 The contestants were racing to see who could pick up all 10 ping-pong balls with chopsticks and put them in a basket the fastest. Jeff was sure speedy and was finished long before any of the others.

We were all in excellent spirits when it was time to say ''goodnight'' to the geishas, but everyone was tired and ready to get back to their respective hotels. 

One day we went shopping in the Ginza district. Jeff got a new bass guitar and some pearls, but Bob and I didn't find anything that was very interesting.

Our trip to Mt. Fuji lasted all day and part of the evening because of rush-hour traffic on the way back to Tokyo. We had a beautiful clear day and were able to see Mt. Fuji and had time to admire lovely Lake Yamanaka before going on the Hakone Ropeway (cable car) across the Hakone Mountains and the Valley of Hell (hot springs). The four km. long trip gave us a chance to view the National Park and surroundings. We cruised across Lake Hakone, which is a crater lake, on a pirate ship and met our bus ' in time to return to the hotel. Again, each stop was precisely timed with the exception of the rush hour traffic. Japanese buses and taxis are accurately clean and always have clean linen covers on the headrest.

The rice was 'being harvested and the fields were cris-crossed with lines for drying the grain. We saw a beautiful large pagoda which houses the Lord Buddha’s ashes.

It was so sad to have to say our goodbyes to Jeff the next day - we had such a wonderful time and so we made plans for doing some traveling together again next year.  So Jeff regained his day and returned to Tucson while we winged our way to Hong Kong.

Now we got down to serious shopping! I bought duck No. 2 in a small shop after Father had been to the tailor to order some new clothes. We walked around Kowloon and enjoyed a ferry trip over to Hong Kong Island. Our hotel was very nice-- a new super deluxe Holiday Inn, the second to be built in Kowloon. We had a huge leisure suite and had more services than are offered in some of the 5 star hotels in which we have stayed.

The most special part of our trip was a chance to go to mainland China.

The hydrofoil took us from Hong Kong to Macao. We spent a couple of hours in this Portuguese owned colony near China, then went by bus to the Guangdon province. We saw Dr. Sunyat-sens home in Cuiheng Village and visited the beautiful Chungshan Hot Spring Resort. We had lunch at the resort and it was delicious (as good as New Peking). Duck No. 3 was purchased in the shopping center; also bought a ginger jar and a new teapot.

There were duck ponds everywhere and thousands of ducks to swim in the ponds and irrigation ditches. The people waved at us. They looked happy - nicely dressed and very clean. A lot of road work was being done, even asphalt mixing is done by hand in this part of China.

The days were so beautiful all thru our trip even in rainy Tucson.

We left Hong Kong just in time to miss the big typhoon. We were in Singapore when it struck the area we had inhabited just hours before.

Because of the delays due to strong winds our plane did not depart on time. We arrived in Singapore in the wee hours of the morning and were interested only in showering and getting some sleep. When finally we awakened the day was almost over. We went to Collier’s Quay for a dinner show patterned after Las Vegas shows, but somewhat primitive by comparison. We enjoyed the show and the view from the causeway. Our dinner was good, but not as special as other meals we had in other countries. It rained that evening.

We did a limited amount of shopping since most prices were higher than in Hong Kong. Lunch and a nap were on our minds as we returned to what is supposed to be the second finest hotel in the world. It is a nice hotel but the room and services in Harbour View Holiday Inn were every bit as good. One evening in Kowloon we sat by the dining room windows and enjoyed an excellent meal and superb view of the harbour with all the city and boat lights a 'twinkle.

The balcony of our room in Singapore gave us a good view of lots of trees and much new construction. One kind of palm spread like an oriental fan and there were all kinds of flowers and exotic plants.

By this time we were bone weary and anxious to get home.  After zipping through customs in Riyadh we wearily climbed on the last plane for the trip - a small Saudia craft.  Home -- at last. We slept for 18 hours straight through.  Now it is time to start planning for the next trip in the spring of 1984.

                         

Yugoslavia - Italy 

March, 1984

 (Narrative by Bob & Jacquie) 

            Since Sara was attending school in the United States, we made the trip with  just the two of us.  We could not schedule a flight into Yugoslavia from Saudi Arabia due to political reasons, so we departed on Alitalia from Dhahran to Kuwait and then on to Rome where we transferred to another aircraft for a short flight to Trieste, Italy. 

Trieste is on the border with Yugoslavia, so after a good nights sleep and a short look at the city, we took a taxi to the Yugoslavian frontier.  We were able to complete entry formalities in about 10 minutes and then called another taxi to take us to the nearest town so we could rent a car.  We rented a Zastava, a cute little car with an engine that looked and sounded like a sewing machine.  While it didn’t have many luxury items, it was a dependable machine for our travels, even though it required judicious use of the gears for any incline at all.  We ended up driving it over 2000 kilometers in the week we were there with no problems.                                                                                               

            Our first stop was at the Lipica Stud farm where the famous Lippizaner horses are bred and raised before being sent to school in Vienna and other places.  It is a very extensive farm with a large hotel on site, all of which is run by the State.  From there we traveled south down the Istrian peninsula to the town of Pula where we saw a large Roman amphitheater.  In many ways it is more impressive than the Roman Coliseum, perhaps because it seemed in better repair.  It is supposed to be the third largest Roman Coliseum.                                                                                                                       

            We looked for a place to stay, but the hotels in Pula had not opened for the season yet.  In our travels at this time of year, early March, we many times thought of ourselves as the first harbingers of Spring to the people of Yugoslavia.  We were directed on down to the tip on the Istrian peninsula about 15 kilometers to a hotel which was open.  The hotel, as most hotels in Yugoslavia, was efficiently run.  The hotel was mostly full of athletes in training for the Olympic games.  As they were in good spirits and somewhat boisterous, and the rooms had absolutely no sound proofing, it was a somewhat noisy night.  The room and view was very good and cost, together with breakfast, about 12 US dollars. 

The following morning we drove up the other side of the peninsula to the city of Split, a large community, and stayed at a hotel on the Adriatic sea.  This hotel was more comfortable and cosmopolitan than the one of the previous night.  It was a class A hotel and the other one was a class B.  I think the main difference is that class A hotels have soundproofing.  While leaving the city the following morning, the police stopped us and looked at our passports and car papers.  As they did not speak English, we did not know why they stopped us.  We think it was because the car was a long way from its home town, which could be identified by the license plates.  

            We continued driving south along the Adriatic with our goal being the ancient city of Dubrovnik.  The scenery was very nice and areas of it reminded us of Scotland.  The people in the fields looked very industrious and hard working.  Most of the people worked on collective farms or factories; however, they could farm up to 10 hectares privately.  The effort which had gone into each piece of land to make it tillable seemed immense as the rocks which were removed from the fields were used to construct fences.  Every hill and mountain was cris-crossed with these interesting fences. 

            We arrived at the Palace Hotel in Dubrovnik in late afternoon.  The hotel had been build into the side of a cliff facing the Adriatic Sea.  The hotel was approached by a road on the top of the cliff and was entered from the top floor.  Elevators were then used to reach the rooms on the lower floors.  It was a very nice resort with indoor and outdoor swimming pools and all the desired amenities.  Our rooms, with full meals cost about 40 US dollars a night.  We stayed there for 3 days while we explored the City.                                                                                               

            Dubrovnik is an ancient city-state which competed with and withstood the armies of other great city-states such as Genoa and Venice.  Its fortress-like walls are still in good repair.  Motorized traffic is banned inside the walls; however, shops, stores, apartments, houses and government offices still function.  Walking down the streets can give one the feeling of how an affluent middle-ages city would appear.  We enjoyed our time greatly while there, but in order to keep on our schedule, had to leave after three days, saying goodbye to some German friends we had met.  Yugoslavia is very popular with Germans, who comprise most of the tourists.  Very little English is spoken, but many Slavic people speak German.                                                                       

            Upon leaving Dubrovnik, we started inland towards the mountains.  Our first stop was in the city of Mostar where we saw the famous arched bridge over the Neretva River.  The bridge was constructed many years by Moslem invaders.  Even today, there are many Moslems in mountain areas of Yugoslavia.                                                                                               

            From Mostar, we continued up into the mountains and past several large hydroelectric plants.  We passed by Sarajevo, site of the 1984 winter Olympics and stayed the night in a small mountain town.  We even heard the familiar call to prayers in the evening.  We ate dinner in an interesting little restaurant inside an old fort compound. 

            The next morning we drove out of the mountains and down into the central valley of Yugoslavia.  Large agricultural projects and prosperous looking farms dotted the landscape.  We entered a dual carriage-way which soon took us to the large city of Zagreb.  We took a bypass around the city and drove to Postonja for the night.  We stayed at the Postonja Jama hotel for two nights.  

            Jama means cave in Slavic and the hotel was at the entrance to one of the largest in Yugoslavia.  We explored it by taking a railroad ride for several kilometers into the interior and then walking for several more kilometers.  We also explored the river by the hotel and fed the many ducks that wintered in the open water by the falls.  Another attraction in the area was an interesting castle previously own by a robber baron.  After  two days in this area, we deposited our rental car which had served us so faithfully and were given a ride back to Trieste just in time to catch a train to Venice. 

            Upon arriving in Venice, we booked a hotel which faced the Grand Canal.  We climbed on the water taxi which eventually deposited us at the hotel.  The outside looked very bad; however, we were pleasantly surprised at our room.  It was spacious, large, and newly decorated.  The shuttered windows looked out on the Grand Canal and we could watch the people as the walked and boated by.  We took a tour of a glass factory on a small island nearby and Jacquie acquired a hand blown glass duck of many colors.  We watched the glass blowers as they carefully put colors into the molten glass and skillfully shaped it into animals and crystal goblets. 

         After two days we took the train back to a small town near the Treiste Airport.  The town was not a normal tourist stopover and we were able to have some real Italian pizza made in a brick oven.  After an overnight stay, we flew to Rome where Jacquie took a flight to the States in order to sell our house and Bob flew back to Saudi Arabia and work.

 

            AROUND THE WORLD

1984 

           This trip was not documented, but was as enjoyable as the others.   

          One item that stands out is staying at the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok.  At that time it was rated as the best hotel in the world.  As we were in the off season, the rates were fairly reasonable for our 2 bedroom, living room and kitchen suite.  We enjoyed the view and the abundant fresh fruit. 

          We also took an extensive tour of Germany, including Berlin and East Berlin.  We traveled up the Rhine river, then flew into Berlin. We stayed at a pension and enjoyed the companionship of the other people staying there, mainly Germans. The industrious and efficient people made a pleasurable stay possible.  We were impressed with the park system, with statutes, walkways and entertainment areas.  We arranged for a trip to East Berlin (at that time under communist control) We only saw what they wanted us to see, although a quick turn of the head would show long lines outside food markets.  The impressive thing was the museum.   The large exhibit showed the work of Heinrich Schlieman in Troy with many of the golden artifacts available.                                                              

                     

KENYA

January, 1985

(Narrative by Bob, 2007) 

 

            We started our journey at home by taking yellow fever shots and anti-malarial pills.  Then by flying from Saudi Arabia to Nairobi, Kenya.  In Nairobi, we were met by representatives of “Abercombie and Kent”, who had arranged the details of our trip.  After a night in Nairobi, we were assigned to a nine passenger van.  As the others were also from Jubail, we were acquainted with them and had an enjoyable group.  Leaving Nairobi, we drove through the countryside and the many coffee plantations.  It seems coffee grows best at high altitudes near the equator.  We were at both; near the equator and about 7000 feet.  

             Our first night we stayed at a place called “The Ark” It was really sort of a rough hotel with dining facilities which was build into the form of an Ark.  It was situated right on a water hole and salt lick so many animals would approach and partake of those items.  You could tell when a herd of elephants was approaching by seeing the tops of the trees in the forest swaying, indicating their presence.  It was interesting to sit on the deck (balcony) and watch the antics of a wide assortment of animals.                             

            The next day we toured the plains and jungles of the area and stayed the night at small encampment on the Samburu river.  The natives of the area (called Samburu)  had a small tribal settlement there.  One interesting feature was the Crocodiles which lay on the bank of the river very near to the Samburu living areas.    

             The following day we entered the Serengeti plain and wildlife preserve.  We saw many animals indigenous to the area.  We saw leopards chase down and kill zebras and many things which seem cruel but consistent with the survival of the species.                                                           

            One day we had a picnic lunch in the area and our guide took his rifle and sat on top of the van guarding us while we ate.  We thought this was a little bit of showmanship until we drove on and came upon a pride of lions about a quarter mile away.  That night we stayed in an encampment in a semi permanent tent which had a tin roof. Here, as in many places we stayed, we slept under mosquito netting. Woe to anyone who let an arm or leg hang out.

             We were awakened early the next morning by a loud banging noise.  Upon investigating, we found that monkeys were playing on the roof and were cracking nuts there.  At this place, they assigned guards with long spears to protect us during the night.  Again, we thought this was showmanship until we heard the screams of the lions near the camp and a report that they had to drive one out during the night. 

On one of our drives, we skirted the edge of the Great Rift Valley.  This is where human life is thought to have originated.  It stretches from Kenya to the Red Sea and will sometime soon (geologically speaking) sink low enough to fill with water and be part of the ocean. 

            An interesting trip was made to a Masai camp.  Our guide had to negotiate a price with the elders to let us enter the area and photograph the inhabitants.  It seemed to be just like descriptions of their camps 200 years ago.  One memorable thing was the number of flies that seemed to cover the face and shoulders of most people. 

            We spent 2 days and one night at “The Kenya Safari Club” which was situated exactly on the equator.  In fact, the equator ran right through our suite.  Sara and Bob went horseback riding, riding from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere and back in a short time.  The club was originally built to accommodate Hollywood  personalities on their adventures to Africa.  The grounds were immaculately groomed and were beautiful, with peacocks and other interesting birds around.  The club adhered to the custom of feeding the children at 7 pm and the adults, suitably attired in coat and tie, dining at 8 pm.  We finished our Kenya trip with a day of sightseeing and shopping in Nairobi.  We were very impressed with the landscape and customs of Kenya and wished we had more time there. Then it was back to Saudi Arabia.  

                    

            Around the World

            1985 

            Once again we decided to plan our yearly trip home by going around the world.  It is more economical and the money saved enabled us to go first class again with Bechtel picking up most of the tab.  After an inauspicious start; our Cadillac overheating as we started to the airport (about 70 miles away), return to obtain a rental car in which we discovered the gas tank was almost empty as we started down the freeway (luckily we made it to the first gas station), we finally made it to Dharhan Airport in time to catch our first flight to the Capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, where we transferred to a direct flight to Geneva. 

            The weather was ideal as we arrived in Geneva just in time for Jacquie’s Birthday.  We had a nice room waiting for us at the Hotel du Rhone, which as indicated is right on the Rhone river.  We could watch the river activity and the swans from our room.  We rested, did a little shopping and enjoyed the sidewalk cafes the first day.  The next day was spent taking a boat trip around Lake Geneva, which is huge.  In fact the boat would not return until late, so we left it at Montreux or the far end, did some sightseeing and took the train back to Geneva.  We enjoyed seeing the Castles and scenery (including the topless boaters and bathers) as it was quite a contrast to Saudi Arabia. 

            In the evening we had a very fine dinner at a sidewalk café built out into the Rhone River.  Wherever we went in Switzerland, France or Spain, we had excellent food.  After a nights sleep, Sara departed for the U.S. and school while we stayed on in Europe for a while. 

            We left Geneva the following day (after receiving a phone call from Sara that she had arrived in Tucson all right.  We were concerned because her plane had been delayed for 2 hours for engine trouble) taking the train to Nice.  It was an all day ride through the mountains to Marseilles, then along the coast through Cannes to Nice.           

            In spite of what we were told about southern France being so expensive, we obtained an inexpensive room in the Westend Hotel which was right on the ocean and in the middle of the tourist area.  We enjoyed a leisurely 3 days in Nice, especially the restaurants and shops.  One day we took a tour to Monaco and Monte Carlo.  Monte Carlo did not appear to match the casinos in Las Vega, however the large yachts and Rolls Royces were very impressive.  The castle for Monaco was not very impressive, nor were the street vendors around it; however there were beautiful grounds stretching down to the sea.

            After three days in Nice, we took an Iberian Airlines flight to Barcelona, Spain.  We really enjoyed the City with its pedestrian boulevards, fountains and statues.  We were entranced by one very large fountain that was set off by scores of smaller fountains leading to it.  The larger fountain changed shapes and color in keeping with the music being played.  Of the many fountains we have seen in Europe, this one was by far the most impressive. 

            Jacquie was able to do some serious shopping here; Lladro figurines and leather goods being on the top of the list.  The first night we enjoyed paella at a waterfront restaurant, La Cordobas, which had quite a memorable atmosphere.  The next evening we took a tour, starting with a Spanish meal, then sightseeing through the city and then to a nightclub for Flamenco and Folk dancing.  The final evening we dined on anglerfish and lobster in a special sauce for another memorable meal. 

            We enjoyed Barcelona very much, but it was soon time to leave for Mallorca, an island off the east coast of Spain.  Mallorca was nice, but more of a resort area than Barcelona.  We stayed at the Belver Sol, which is on the waterfront in the City of Palma.  We enjoyed the local sights; castles, cathedrals and windmills.  One evening we went to a place in the country which was advertised as “Barbeque and Entertainment”, but was really a very large dining hall of medieval architecture and served ample food and drink even though not of the normal quality we were used to in France and Spain.  The entertainment, however, was very well done and somewhat on the order of Las Vega type shows.  We were surprised to find that quality of entertainment on the Island.  The culmination was a magic act, changing a girl into a live tiger on stage.  After the show, there was dancing as the bandstand was raised and lowered along with fountains of water. 

            We went on a tour to the little town of Valldemosa which was up in the hills and visited the monastery where Chopin and George Sand spent the winter of 1838.  Jacquie was especially interested in the original music manuscripts of Chopin and in the piano which he had transported there with great difficulty.  We had lunch at a small seaside village and took a winding mountain trail back towards Palma, stopping at gardens and buildings constructed by Arab Moslems about 1100 AD. 

            During our stay in Palma, the aircraft carrier, Nimitz arrived and anchored just out from our hotel room.  The town was suddenly covered by thousands of sailors.  There seemed to be plenty of room for them as it was September and many of the tourists had departed.  Although we enjoyed excellent fish, lobster and other foods, the meals were just not quite as good as on the mainland. 

After four days on the Island, we flew back to Geneva and the Hotel du Rhone for one last shopping expedition and rest.  This time the hotel gave us a large suite, one of the finest anywhere we ever stayed.  We enjoyed it very much and almost stayed longer just to enjoy the room.  However, we were soon on our way the U.S., changing planes in Zurich, where we were held on the ground for two hours due to a strike by French air controllers.  The delay almost caused us to miss our connecting flight from JFK to Kansas City, however, we and even our baggage made it. 

            Rob was to meet us at the Airport in Kansas City, but when no one was there, we obtained a room at the Sheraton and called Janet and Jerry.  We learned from them that Rob was in the V.A. Hospital after being bitten by a rattlesnake.  The following day we visited Rob, then took David and Frank, his two boys, with us to Manhattan to visit Jacquie’s folks.  Rob was able to leave the hospital 3 days later and joined us in Manhattan.  Jeffrey also met us in Kansas City and went to Manhattan.  We were able to visit Bob’s Mother twice during this time.  Although we did not get to stay as long as we would have liked, we were able to accomplish a lot of visiting as well as business with banks, stock brokers, etc. 

            After leaving Kansas, we flew back to New York, where Kathy and David met us.  We had an enjoyable visit and dinner and then we all stayed at hotel near the airport.  Kathy and David accompanied us to airport the next morning and saw us off for Japan.  We made the 14 hour flight from New York to Tokyo in good shape (this is the longest non-stop flight Pam Am has, even longer than the 13+ hour flight from Saudi Arabia to New York, which we have taken several times. 

            We didn’t stay in Tokyo this time, but continued on to Osaka and then took a taxi to Kyoto.  Kyoto was the capital of Japan for over 1000 years, and has more shrines than any other place.  However, after seeing 2 or 3, we felt we had seen enough.  One day we took a tour to the country and then down to Pearl Island where we were shown demonstrations of pearl farming and how the oysters were implanted with the nucleus of the pearl and then left in beds for several years while the pearls matured.  Jacquie bought some earring to match the pearl necklace she had purchased the previous year in Tokyo. 

            In Kyoto, we also purchased some small jewelry items made of inlaid gold which we saw being worked at a handicraft shop.  Kyoto has a very good underground system which was the fastest way to get around.  It wasn’t an extensive system, but would get us from our hotel to many places in town. 

            After 4 days in Kyoto, we flew to Seoul, South Korea.  This was our first visit to Korea.  Seoul is an impressive, modern city and our hotel, the Shilla, was among the best in which we have stayed.  U.S. money is used as widely as Korean (won) money, which indicates a large American presence.  Sometime we would like to go back and explore the countryside. 

The hotel supplied transportation to various downtown areas, which made shopping very easy.  We purchased some clothing and had some tailored.  Bob also bought a belt, billfold and shoes made of eel skin.  One evening we enjoyed dinner in a French restaurant on the top floor of the Shilla (which is on top of a hill itself).  The food was excellent, and was the view and the piano and string orchestra. 

            It was with regret that we left Korea to return to Saudi Arabia, flying over Taiwan, South China, Burma and India on another long flight to Riyadh, then on to Dhahran where we were met for the ride home to Jubail.

Jump back to my "Main Travels" page