Erik'sTravel

Since it doesn't appear I will be doing much traveling for awhile, time to review the best travel I experienced in 2021. Despite the pandemic, I was able to make a few trips around Indonesia during the year.  It was a difficult decision, but the coolest place I visited in 2021 was the Prambanan Hindu Temple complex near the historic central Javan city of Yogyakarta.   Prambanan was built in the 7th century, but centuries later, devastated by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, the site was almost completely in ruins.  Finally, in the 18th and 19th centuries, reconstruction began, however only a fraction of the original complex has been restored.   Still, what has been rebuilt is an astonishing architectural marvel that made me feel as though I had traveled back in time.  Prambanan truly is a treasure and has been placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.  Travel can create a feeling of awe and wonderment and that's what Prambanan did for me. That's why it ...

Yesterday, while running errands at the Grand Indonesia Mall, I popped into the posh grocery store in the basement to grab a few items one can't get anywhere else.  That's when I ran into the New Year's gift display of fresh fruit, which is a typical gift for the new year in many parts of Asia. The display of strawberries immediately caught my eye. I was drawn to the package of two gigantic strawberries each almost as big as a tennis ball; they were about 6 cm long from my estimation.  At first I though they might have been grown near Chernobyl, they were so big, but an inspection of the package informed me they were from South Korea. The two strawberries were polished so brilliantly, they appeared to be made out of plastic, but they were in the produce section so they had to be real. Their surfaces were so perfect that an artist couldn't have sculpted anything more beautiful. I gasped when I checked out the price tag. Over $10 for the two of them--more than many Indone...

  Before I left the States I knew I would be spending 10 days in Indonesian quarantine upon my arrival, so I made sure I packed plenty of the most important quarantine Must-Have.  No, it's not deodorant, 'cause no one is there to smell you.  And it's certainly not combs or brushes or fancy shampoo, 'cause no one is there to see you. What is the biggest quarantine Must-Have?  Why it's chocolate, of course! It sweetens the palate and enhances your mood.  It peps you up from your doldrums and can be the delightful last course that salvages even the most dreadful quarantine meal you are served. I think I am missing a few crucial items, locked here in my room, but it hasn't bothered me one bit, for as I long as I have chocolate I am missing nothing at all. 

When I was a kid, I was always incredibly excited to take a trip on a commercial airliner. Everything about airline travel was so trendy and cool.  The term "jet set" was applied at that time to those who traveled on airplanes and it really seemed like we were special when we took to the skies.  Currently, the San Francisco Airport has a display in its little museum featuring the clothes flight attendants wore during this bygone era of the late 1960s through the early 1970s.  The style is colorful and fun.  The blue uniforms pictured are those of attendants from the now-defunct Braniff Airlines.  My family and I flew Braniff during this era to visit my grandparents who lived in Florida, and I remember the attendants wearing these exact uniforms.  It was like we were being served by some sort of glamorous, almost-movie-stars--at least it seemed that way to a little kid like me. The other uniforms are those of attendants from United Airlines of that same era....

  For the out-of-town visitor to my hometown of Spokane, particularly in winter, there is little of interest.  However, the Davenport Hotel during Christmas season is a beautiful sight. The Davenport, opened in 1914, is one of the classic hotels of the world.  The lobby is designed in a wonderful example of Spanish Renaissance style and has really served as "Spokane's Living Room" for more than a century.  I have also included a picture of the Hall of the Doges, which was designed to replicate the splendor of medieval Venice. It's one of my favorite places and I make sure I stop by at least once every time I visit Spokane. 

  One fascination about travel is that you encounter oddities you've never dreamed of in your regular life. In my hotel room in San Francisco I came across one of these oddities that I've never understood. Why do housekeepers fold intricate little flowers on the toilet paper rolls of your room when they clean it? It's actually an act that takes time that I feel would be better spent giving a few extra scrubs of cleaning to the bathtub.   Even worse, when I see a toilet paper flower I don't know what to do.  I mean such a flower does not make the function for which I use toilet paper go more smoothly.  In fact, I don't wish to use an inconveniently bulky flower down there and end up either throwing it away or, if I am somewhat congested, might use it for blowing my nose. And a toilet paper flower is not so beautiful that it brightens my day in any meaningful way. Does the housekeeper think a toilet paper flower will cause me to respect them so much that I might leave...

You see lots of books on sale on the power of positive thinking.  They're all great, but I also believe in the power of negative thinking.  Let me give you an example. I always hope for the best before I embark on an international journey, but with my negative thinking also in place, I prepare for the worst.  That's why my carry on bag always has every essential item I need if I happen to find myself stranded for a few days, including a change of clothes. This negative thinking has never hurt me and yesterday it served me well again. I did everything I need to do to prepare for my trip to Indonesia, including getting my PCR COVID test more than 24 hours before departure.  The testing service agreed to do this, but when I landed in San Francisco, I still hadn't received the results by Email as I had expected. When I went to check in for my flight at the Qatar Airways desk, because I didn't have my PCR result, I wasn't allowed to check in. I hurriedly attempted to rea...