My List of Things to See and Do

 "I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived
just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well"

 Diane Ackerman

 

"Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving"

 Terry Pratchett

"It is when we connect with others that our own spirits soar".
Virginia Aulin

I haven't written much on this blog in the past year.  But I was recently thinking about planning my next trip.  My list is there, I know the places I want to go.  But maybe I need to start looking at the list with more detail.  That way I will have a plan in place when I decide where I want to go next.  Maybe I can even combine 2 of the places into one trip.  So I am going to write about each destination on my list, and what I would want to do if I took a trip to that destination.  Below is my list.  I will take each place or thing to do and put together a rough itinerary of what I would do.

• Blue train from Pretoria to Cape Town, South Africa 
• Cuba
• Iceland - see the Northern Lights
• River cruise in France with a visit to Monet's home
• St. Petersburg, Russia - River Cruise to Moscow
• Stay at Sanctuary Lodge at Machu Picchu
• Swim with whale sharks or humpback whales
• Switzerland -Night skiing on a ski bicycle in the Alps
• Taj Mahal, India
• Viet Nam - Halong Bay



Blue Train

Blue Train from Pretoria to Cape Town, South Africa - I loved Africa when we were there in 2013.  We spent most of our time in Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania on that trip.  I would love to see more of the continent.  Everyone says Cape Town is fantastic.  And I have heard about this fantastic train trip, very elegant.  It would be fun to take the train and enjoy the scenery from the train.  The trip is 29 hours long, so you do sleep overnight on the train.  From the descriptions I have read, it is very luxurious. 

Besides exploring the Cape Town area, which I think would be beautiful and quite interesting, I would love to also visit Kruger National Park.  It is one of Africa's largest national reserves.  It has a high density of wild animals including the Big 5 - lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalos.  

Cuba - For a long time, the only way for an American to go to Cuba was to first go to Mexico or Canada, or some other country, and then fly from there.  And if you did, you were breaking the law.  So not many Americans have gone there.

Havana, Cuba

But in the last few years, things have opened up some.  They actually have tours there, but they are all cultural tours with restrictions.  You couldn't go on your own and just wander around.  But now, thanks to our President and negotiations with the Cuban government, things are opening up more.  I would like to go and see this country in the Caribbean, before it becomes too commercial.  The old time cars, and the scenery, and the culture.  I think it would be fascinating.  Of course, Havana is the largest city and since we would fly into that city, we would probably start there, but I would like to explore other places around the island, and really get a feel for the place.  And also, enjoy the warm Caribbean waters and the beaches.

Or we could take a cruise.  Most cruises make such short stops in port that I wouldn't consider seeing Cuba that way, as we would probably only stop at one port and have only a few hours.  But I recently came across a cruise to Cuba that interests me.  It is with Fathom Cruises, which is new.  It currently only goes to 2 places, and one of those is Cuba.  The Cuban cruise is 7 days.  It leaves from Miami and stops in 3 Cuban ports.  First in Havana and it is there 2 nights, then on to Cienfuegos/Trinidad and a final stop in Santiago de Cuba. While onboard the ship you are immersed in the Cuban culture for the moment you step on board.  There is music and food and even classes on Cuba that you can attend.  I am seriously considering this option, and possibly this year. https://www.fathom.org/cuba-whats-included

Iceland - I was recently looking at a website that had information about day tours in Iceland that specialize in looking for the Aurora Borealis.  The one that really intrigued me was with a company called Floating Tours - www.floatingtours.com .  It combines some sightseeing during the day with a evening in the Secret Lagoon where if your are lucky you can be floating in warm thermal water while watching the lights.  Of course, there is no guarantee you will see the lights, they are a natural phenomenon, and they will appear when they appear.  But they happen in Iceland more often then most places.

Northern Lights

Of course there are so many other things besides the northern lights to see in Iceland.  There are beautiful waterfalls.  The Floating Tour company stops at several of them on there day tours.  The Seljalandsfoss waterfall is 60 meters high with a foot path that takes you behind the falls.  The Skogafoss Waterfall is the largest in the country. And Gullfoss Waterfall, which like Victoria Falls in Zambia falls into a deep canyon.  There are also national parks and several UNESCO world heritage sites in Iceland.  And the city of Reykjavik has lots of sights and restaurants and night life.

Floating in the Secret Lagoon

But floating in the Secret Lagoon appealed to me because I have visited hot springs and thermal baths and have always found them to be fun and relaxing.  With this lagoon they provide you with special floating caps and supports for your legs so that you float without any effort.  You are in the hot water, with underground music playing.  They even provide a 15 minute massage in the water.  They say that 1 hour floating in the lagoon equal 4 hours of deep sleep.  They also give you an egg to cook in the water, which may sound weird, but is intriguing to me.  I have decided that I have to have the floating experience on my trip to Iceland.  I would like to spend 5 days there, which will give me 5 chances to catch the light show, and give me time to visit as many of the beautiful places the island has to offer.  I would like to also visit the Blue Lagoon, which is another thermal pool and one of the most visited spots in Iceland.

Having read different websites on Iceland, it seems mid to late September through October, and mid-March through April would be the best times to go.  Since this would be a destination where I would most likely only spend 5 to 7 days, I would probably combine this with a trip to Europe, either going or coming.  It would break the long travel up and be a lot of fun.

River Cruise in France and a visit to Monet's home -

Barcelona, where we will start this trip

This is a trip I am actually in the process of planning.  We will do this trip sometime in 2016.  We have friends in Scotland that we meet somewhere in the world every other year.  This is our year to meet them.  They have said that they would like to meet in Barcelona.  They only plan to be there a week, as they have other trips planned for later in the year, and other obligations.  Barcelona was a great idea.  We have been to Spain, but did not get to Barcelona, so have wanted to go there for awhile, although I had not actually put it on my top 10 list.  So we will meet them in Barcelona and spend the week visiting with them, seeing the sights, and I hope to make a day trip to the  tiny country of Andorra, which is nearby, and another day trip to the city of Carcassone, which is also nearby.  I think both places would make good day trips for the 4 of us.

AMA Waterway boat in Lyon, France

But after they leave we will still have at least 2 weeks on our own.  I never feel like we should spend the money and the time to fly all the way to Europe without spending at least 3 weeks. There are several towns along the French Riviera that it would be fun to explore, so will spend a few days doing that, maybe even make it to Monaco.  From there we will take an 8 day river cruise from Arles to Lyon, with stops along the way.  I am thinking we will take the cruise on AMA Waterways.  I like their itinerary the best so far.  And we did a cruise in Germany on their ships, and we liked them.  Included in the cost of the cruise are tours of each city we stop in.  There are some stops where we will go to vineyards and do wine tasting.  And my favorite - "a decadent chocolate and red wine tasting" is advertised for our stop in Tournon. We also visit a hilltop town surrounded by lavender fields, a truffle farm, and an olive farm.

Monet's garden

Then we will take the train over to Paris for 4 nights.  We have seen Paris several times, but love the city, so it is always a pleasant place to visit.  One of those days, we will take the train to Vernon and then go over to Giverny which is Monet's home.  We may also take a day trip out to Versailles.  I was there back in 1989 with my daughter, and I'm sure it hasn't changed, but my husband has never been there, so I think he would enjoy seeing it.  We are looking forward to seeing our friends, exploring Barcelona and the surrounding area, taking the cruise and going on to Paris and seeing the sights near there.  This will probably be in the spring.

St. Petersburg and a river cruise to Moscow -  Russia has always interested me.  There was a letter to the editor of our newspaper recently.  The writer was complaining about the paper putting an article in the travel section about Russia as a destination.  The writer said we should not go to Russia because Putin is a horrible ruler and because we have differences with their government.  I wrote a letter to the editor, which they later published.  In that letter I said "Yes, Putin is a bully and there are some problems between us and the Russian government. But if we couldn’t travel somewhere because we disagree with their government, a lot of the world would be unavailable to us."  And I believe that the Russian people are just like us in so many ways, and I look forward to meeting some of them.

St. Petersburg

I think the best way to visit that region would be to take the river cruise from St. Petersburg to Moscow.  I have been looking at Viking Cruises for this trip.  I had sent some clients on the cruise when I was a travel agent, and they loved it.  The tour is called Waterways of the Tsars.  It starts with 3 full days in port in St. Petersburg, with guided tours and free time to explore.  The tours include a trip to Catherine Palace, Peterhof Palace, a folkloric performance and a ballet performance.  On the cruise we visit 2 UNESCO World Heritage sites, and enjoy  a home hosted visit and a visit to a school.  We then end with 4 nights in Moscow.  A city tour and a guided tour of the Kremlin are included with our stay in Moscow.  The entire trip is 14 days.  Since I like to stay at least 3 weeks when I travel, we may take a side trip from there over to one of the Norwegian countries.

Stay at Sanctuary Lodge in Machu Picchu -

Sanctuary Lodge

I think Machu Picchu is on almost everyone's bucket list.  I have wanted to see this place for a long time.  My only worry is the altitude.  Some people have a problem with that.  I sent clients there and they never actually made it to Machu Picchu.  The wife got very sick because of the altitude and was airlifted from Cusco to a hospital in Lima, because her life was at risk.  Both my husband and I have had some breathing issues. and it does worry me, however, it has stayed on my list. 

Machu Picchu

But when I go, I would like to stay at Sanctuary Lodge.  Belmond Sanctuary Lodge is the only hotel located adjacent to the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.  It offers guests exceptional access to Machu Picchu from early morning to late afternoon, when most of the day visitors and buses have left.  We have stayed at a Belmond hotel before (at Iguazu Falls, Brazil) and loved the hotel.  Yes, it will be more expensive than other places, but it is the only one that is located right where we want to be.  Why go and be farther away?

I am also looking forward to visiting other places in Peru before and after our stay.  Lima looks like an interesting city, but I would particularly like to visit some of the smaller Andes villages.  I think the whole trip will be very interesting, and hopefully we will be able to handle the altitude.

Whale shark with a person swimming above

Swim with whale sharks or humpback whales - I actually got the idea to do this from talking to two women who were in Rio de Janeiro when we were there.  They were telling me about their experience of snorkeling with humpback whales.  I thought - "what fun."  And I started looking into doing that.  While researching that, I came across snorkel trips with whale sharks.  That also interested me.  I would love to do either one, or both.  I am actually leaning towards the whale shark at this time.  It is the largest shark, but very gentle and curious.  They will interact with swimmers, but they are not dangerous.  I have found a place near Cozumel, Mexico that will take you out and hopefully find some to snorkel with.  There is also a place in Baja Mexico.  So we may just do that, either this year or next, I hope.



The Matterhorn in
the Alps at night

Night skiing on a ski bicycle in the Alps - I got the idea to do this from watching a Rick Steves travel show.  It showed people taking a gondola up the mountain and then coming down the mountain on these special bicylces that had skis attached.  They were carrying torches, because it was nighttime.  Of course it was winter time also, so I am sure it is very cold.  I don't always do good in cold weather.  Having lived in Southern California for most of my life, I am more of a warm weather person, but it looked like a lot of fun.  I have a friend here in San Diego who has family in Switzerland that she visits often.  She and her family have done this, and she told me that it is a "blast", so I put it on my list, and hopefully some day we will try it. 

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal, India - For years I had no interest in seeing India.  But after seeing the movie "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" I started to get interested in it.  In the past few years I have become even more intrigued, having researched it some.  So even though I put the Taj Mahal on my list, there are more things in India that I want to do then just that. 

There is a train trip that I would like to take.  It is The Maharajas' Express. They have several different voyages that you can book.  They stop at many of the places on my list of things to see in India, including Jaipur and Agra - where the Taj Mahal is.   It travels at night.  During the day you stop and take a tour of the area.  You sleep on board in luxury.They have several itineraries available.. I think I would like to do the Treasures of India trip, which is only 4 days and begins and ends in Delhi.  I picked it because it has the most time at the Taj Mahal and includes the city of Jaipur which I would like to see, and also includes Ranthambhore and a trip into the jungle for possible sighting of the elusive tiger and other wildlife.

Jaipur Market

I would combine the train trip with visits to other areas of India.  I know there is a lot of poverty in India, and some of that may be hard to see, but I think there are also some beautiful things to see, and I know that all of the Indian people that I have met have been delightful, and I look forward to meeting some of the people living there.  I think there marketplaces will be fun to wander through also.

Halong Bay

Viet Nam, Halong Bay -  My husband was in Viet Nam during the war.  He has expressed an interest in going back.  I know that quite a few veterans of that war would not want to do that, but as my husband has said "every persons war is different\."  For him, his memories are mostly good.  He was not in the jungle fighting.  He was part of a medical team assigned to the city of Hue to give medical training and aid to the civilians.  He visited some of the sights close to Hue.  He would like to show me some of those.  Because of his interest in going there I started researching trips to the area and became fascinated also. 

 

Our trip will definitely include the city of Hue so that my husband can see again the places he saw then.  But the place that interested me the most was Halong Bay.  I would like to spend a night or two on a junk cruising the bay.  I saw a show where Sandra Brown did that, and it looked spectacular.

 

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

And if we go to Viet Nam I feel that we should also go over to Angkor Wat in Cambodia.  We would be so close, and it makes sense to do that at the same time.  I am considering doing that with a river cruise.  There are several companies that cruise the Mekong River and include a visit to Siem Reap where the temples of Angkor Wat are.  I enjoy the river cruises because it is a relaxing way to travel and  you do not have to pack and unpack all the time.  The boat stops at several small villages along the Mekong River which I think would be interesting.
 

I am considering also ending the trip with a short visit to Thailand.  We were in Bangkok in 1979, but that was so long ago and we only saw the city.  I think a week seeing other areas of Thailand would be a nice way to end this trip.
 

So there is my list, with more detail.  I hope we get to do everything on the list.  And I hope anyone reading this is inspired to put together there own list.  I am 68 years old now.  I hope we have many years of travel ahead of us.  I wish I could have started when I was younger, but sometimes life gets in the way.  If you can see a way to doing the things you want to do and seeing the places you want to see, then do it!  You never know how long you have.  My sister had dreams of places she wanted to go, and didn't make it to many of them, because she died in a car accident at the age of 36.  We never know what can happen, so grab at life now, do the things you can.  You never know what tomorrow will bring.  Hopefully only good things!