#boarded another bus so i could go home cause the route passes by my house. BUT i forgot it goes in two directions

[puppyeared]

[marshmallow-phd]

The Wanderers

Part Two of The Experiments Universe

Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller, experiment au

Pairing: Fem!Reader x Jongin

Summary: After escaping the hell that was EXO Applied Sciences, Jongin was lost. While some of his brothers were able to settle down, he was restless. And his powers were still growing. Never staying in place too long, Jongin and a few others have been watching their backs, knowing that there were people still out there, wanting to take them back. Someone is closing in and you, an innocent, are sucked into the world you never asked to be apart of….

Warning: none

Part: Prologue I 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I 6 I 7 I 8 I 9 I 10 I 11 I 12 I 13 I 14 I 15 I 16 I 17 I 18 I Final

**

Jongin didn’t relax until the bus actually started moving and had left the city limits. Tao sat next to him on the luxury liner, fiddling with something in his hands. A sigh of relief escaped from Jongin’s lungs. They’d made it out, unharmed and avoiding capture. And this just proved that he was right, that EXO hadn’t given up on them.

Buses were the safest way to travel for them; minimal information needed and at any given stop they could get off, hop on another bus, and go in a completely different direction. They had waited all night at the station to get on this ride to freedom. Jongin’s muscles were stiffening up, but he didn’t care, they’d made it out.

Not everyone was as happy with the swiftness of the escape, however.

“You could have let us say goodbye to (y/n), at least,” Jongdae grumbled, finally voicing his opinion on the matter from across the aisle.

Baekhyun echoed his sentiments. “We still had her baking dish. And yet you,” he poked Jongin in the shoulder from behind through the space in the seats, “wouldn’t let us drop it off at the bar.”

By an impressive show of self-control, Jongin slumped down in his seat, pressing his forehead against the window. The vibrations from the moving bus caused his head to jostle, but he labored through it. 

“Why did you even go to her rescue?” Tao murmured, not looking at the person beside him.

Jongin shrugged, keeping his eyes out on the fields passing by. “I don’t know. Involuntary reflex?”

Poking his head through the upside down triangle space, his cheek leaning against the side of the seat, Baekhyun pouted his bottom lip. “I’m going to miss her. I mean, I know we didn’t know her that well, but she was warm. It was nice to be around that again.”

Jongin scoffed. Sitting up, he turned to look at the man like he was insane. “Warm? We didn’t even know her! She could have been apart of EXO for all we know. She could have known exactly who we were and been the reason they found us in the first place! You’d think after years of torture you’d learn not to trust people so easily.”

Scowling, Baekhyun huffed back into his seat. Under his breath, he grumbled, “Just because she chose Junmyeon, now you think every girl is a traitor or going to turn against you.”

Tao's eye widened in surprise. “Who chose Junmyeon? What girl?”

Controlling his temper was becoming nearly impossible. Jongin jumped up, shuffled past Tao and hurried to the bathroom in the back. Once the door was closed, he banged his fist against the counter, calming down as the tingling feeling from the impact run up his arm. With his back against the door, he slid down to the ground, the tiny, claustrophobic space forcing his knees to be mere centimeters from his face.

Why couldn’t they just leave him alone? Why did they have to keep bringing her up? Didn’t they know that all he wanted was to forget?

If he could have one wish, it would be to completely erase those years in the cage, the years of being poked and shocked and treated like an animal. To have grown up in a world where he simply went to school and was an average person with average abilities. Maybe if he’d been that normal, every day person, he would have been more open to someone like you. He wouldn’t have this hostile nature towards anyone who showed him any bit of kindness. But pasts leave their marks. The last time he’d let someone in, it’d blown up in his face.

He kicked out his foot, hitting the base of the toilet and rattling room. A gentle knock echoed off the door.

“Jongin, are you okay?”

Kyungsoo.

Sighing, Jongin pushed himself up to his feet and opened the door. His shorter friend looked up at him with concerned eyes.

“I’m fine,” Jongin lied.

The tension in Kyungsoo’s gaze told Jongin that he didn’t believe it at all. Then again, he never did believe Jongin when he said he was fine, even in those rare moments he actually was.

“Baekhyun told Tao everything,” Kyungsoo warned him as he stepped out into the aisle. They stayed in the back of the bus, still giving Jongin time to cool off. “About how we escaped and the house in the woods and… you know.”

Before Jongin could reply, the bus screeched to a sudden halt. They ran to the others, in search for answers.

“What’s going on?” Jongin huffed.

Tao shrugged while the others looked around. None of the passengers seemed to understand the situation as they all stood up from their seats, They crowded around the windows, trying to find what made the bus stop moving.

With a hiss, the main door opened and multiple men in black armor boarded the bus.  

“So much for escaping on time,” Chanyeol whispered.

The seven hybrids grouped together, ready for the fight to come.

**

Your head hurt when you came to. Bright lights above stung at your eyes as they struggled to adjust to your new surroundings. Slowly, you sat up, the muscles in your back tight and knotted. The mattress below you was lumpy and thin. The walls were a fresh white, intensifying the artificial light. To your left, there was a giant mirror, reflecting your rough image back to you. Slipping off the bed, you walked up to the glass, knocking your fist against it.

“Hello?” you called out.

The last thing you remembered was being chased down by Detective Kim, who was obviously not a part of your town’s police department. He said he was looking for Kai and the others. What was going on? What had you been dragged into?

“Hello!”

A panel in the wall with the dimensions of a door next to the mirror slide away, revealing another room behind the glass. A women with black hair streaked with gray pulled up into a tight, perfect bun, wearing a pristine lab coat over her regular clothes stepped into your current quarters. Behind her, Detective Kim, who now wore black, military-like gear and a smirk on his thin lips. Another person in similar clothing completed the trio, but their face was covered by a blacked out helmet.

“Hello, (y/n),” the woman greeted in a soothing voice.

“Where am I?” you questioned. She already knew your name, probably thanks to Detective Kim. You didn’t really care who she was; you just wanted to go home.

She answered your question easily. “You’re in one of the man research facilities for EXO Applied Sciences.”

EXO? You’d heard of the company, if only through snippets here and there. They were supposed to be a research company, mostly for diseases and cures from what you’d read. Their main headquarters had blown up thanks to a gas leak a little over six months ago. The news all over the country had had a field day, talking about unsafe practices and negligent employees.

Shaking your head, you tried to remain calm. What did a research facility want with you?

“Why am I here?” you asked out loud.

The small smile that had been on her face slipped away. Her eyes briefly flickered to Detective Kim.

“We received word that you were in contact with the subjects that we’re seeking.”

“Subjects?” you echoed, confused about who she was referring to.

She ignored you. “Sergeant Kim here was supposed to keep an eye on you to see if you could help us track down the subjects since they disappeared. However, he jumped the gun and brought you in too early. We’ve already found their escape route and will be sending a team to fetch them immediately. Thankfully, they’re close by without even knowing it.”

Wait. Was she talking about Kai and the others? What did she want with them? Why was she calling them “subjects”? The gears in your head were turning, trying to get some sort of answer, but you weren’t sure you wanted to find out.

“Since you are here,” she continued, “we’ll hold onto you for now. Perhaps you’ll be helpful in keeping them in line this time around. They can be very stubborn, but from what Sergeant Kim here was able to find out, they’ve become attached to you in a very short time.” She shook her head. “Those boys and a female. I’ll never understand.”

She turned to leave, but before disappearing from the room, she threw over her shoulder, “My name is Dr. Wang, by the way. You should probably know that as we will be seeing a lot of each other now.”

Sergeant Kim smiled at you sickly before following the doctor out. The one in the helmet remained for a few seconds longer. Their gaze seemed to be trained on you, causing you shrink back in uneasiness. Without a sound, they marched out of the room, the panel sliding shut until it was invisible again.

Kai was in danger - probably had been ever since you met him - and now you were too. What did she mean that they would use you to keep the boys in line?

Your head was spinning from all you’d just learned and what you still didn’t know. And now they were going after Kai and the others, to bring them back here.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, you tried to keep your breathing even. What had you gotten yourself into?

[iainisnotinberlin]

Klagenfurt/ Wörthersee

I departed Vienna for Klagenfurt, catching the train at 10:20 from Vienna Hauptbahnhof. I was really looking forward to spending some time by myself, or at least sleeping in a room alone, and being in nature after a couple of weeks in large cities. The train journey was very pleasant and I really got a feel of the topography of Austria. After a relatively flat start the train snakes up and down valleys and through the occasional mountain. I had a fairly unproductive morning as the train wi-fi was crap, but the view out the window was a serviceable alternative to work.

I arrived at Klagenfurt at 14:20 and instead of getting a taxi as I had originally planned due to an unfavourable bus timetable, I decided to wait 2 hours until the bus arrived. I set up camp at the station bar, enjoyed a coffee and a couple of beers and made up for my lack of work in the morning. Shortly before the bus was due I paid up and headed for the bus stop. A 40 minute journey later I was at my stop, and walked 10 minutes to my destination.

The guesthouse is in a small village called Dellach and has a golf course directly adjacent. It is a sweet place with a nice area to sit outside and very quiet, with sounds of animals and insects occasionally interrupted by the ping of a golf shot. I met the host, dropped my stuff in the room and headed out to see the Aussichtsturm Pyramidenkogel, a landmark I had seen previously on maps. As the crow flies it is probably less than a kilometre, however it’s quite a windy road and the hike features a fair amount of aerial elevation.

I arrived at the tower after a wonderful hour featuring breathtaking views. I was also lucky enough to see a bird of prey (not sure which species) up close, as I inadvertently interrupted it’s resting place causing it to fly off towards the lake below. There were quite a few people around the tower and it seems to be a popular attraction, so I paid my €14 and took the 440 steps up to the top which wasn’t a lot after the hike I had just done! The price was totally worth it. There was a 360 degree view and it was one of the most stunning places I’ve ever seen. There were lakes, forests, plains and mountains fading into the distance for as far as the eye could see, and with sunset approaching the colours of the clouds, sun and lake were glorious.

After taking far too many photos and plenty of gawking I took the steps back down and went to the restaurant at the bottom. I looked at the menu and to my surprise and delight there were vegan options. The waiter came over and said that only pizzas were available so I was somewhat dismayed, but after looking at the menu it transpired that they had vegan cheese! So I had a pizza and a beer in the fading light, then headed back down to my accommodation in the vain hope I’d be back before it was fully dark. I was not there before it was fully dark and on the way back down I broke into a run, but in the end I resigned myself to walking through the woods with only my phone light as company. I got back to the guesthouse at around 22:00 and headed to be shortly after, glad I had got the most out of my evening.

Day two in Wörthersee. I arose at around 8:00 after a pretty good night’s sleep and started work quite quickly after as i wanted to have a long lunch. I spent the morning working in between the courtyard and my room, as the room is very warm. My host had told me that in Maria Wörth it was possible to rent bikes from the tourist information office and I wanted to be a bit more mobile, so I went for a run there at lunchtime. 

On the run I passed by several great looking swimming holes, but I had decided that I should reward myself with a swim on the way back from the run. I got plenty of funny looks, as I’m probably not the sort of person to visit Wörthersee. It seems very rich and full of older couples, and the way the majority of the lakeside property is privately owned is pretty depressing. There are very few sections where the public can swim for free. Still I was aiming to find a good spot on the way back.

I arrived at Maria Wörth, had a quick coffee (first of the day) and a mooch about the village/ waterfront. I found the tourist information and spoke to the employees, but it wasn’t possible to rent a bike for more than one day, and I don’t have much use for it between 8:30 and 18:30 so I declined. Around this point I noticed that I haven’t spoken English in 2 days, definitely the longest time ever. 

Slightly dismayed, but looking forward to running more I set off back to the guest house and stopped at the best swimming spot on the way back. It was just off the road, but featured plenty of space for 40-odd people to chill out in the sun. I dumped my stuff and headed straight in to the water. It was quite warm, but so incredibly blue and clear, more so than I’ve ever seen in my life! The swim was so joyous and it felt amazing being in the lake and seeing the beautiful hills and mountains all around.

I left the ‘beach’ and arrived back at the house and had a casual afternoon’s work. Then in the evening I thought I’d head into Velden, the main town on the lake, for the evening and see what it’s like. It was over an hour’s walk away and I arrived there at around 20:30. Unfortunately, the place was horrible. It was full of middle-aged rich-looking couples and tourist families and felt very tacky. On the walk I did see the below bar, but it seemed to be long dead. I found a petrol station and hot-footed it back to the guesthouse as quickly as possible. I got home at around 11 then headed to bed.

The next morning I planned out the day to come. I wanted to go for a swim and a read at lunchtime, then head to one of restaurants I came across yesterday in the evening. The first part was achieved successfully, but by 17:00 there was a spectacular thunderstorm, which also featured some large hailstones. I was confined to my room for an hour and a half, but after the storm passed I wandered down to the restaurant (spotting some storm destruction en route) for some soup and pommes, the only vegan options on the menu. It was satisfying to have a decent dinner though, as it’s been difficult to maintain a good diet the last few days as there’s not too much around and no kitchen.

During the evening there was some spectacular lightning strikes on the other side of the lake, which were distracting, but also very cool. After dinner, a few beers and making a considerable dent in my book I wandered home to pack up my things and read some more!

The next day I was checking out, so I awoke at around 8:00, went through the familiar routine of packing up my things, then headed downstairs. I had checked the bus times and to my dismay I found that they don’t run at the weekends. I asked my host to provide me with a good taxi firm, but fortunately he gave me another suggestion. It turned out there’s a ferry which goes to Klagenfurt and after checking the ferry website we discovered the next one was in 10 minutes. I hastily said my goodbyes and got to the jetty with 5 minutes to spare, which was handy as the next one was 3 hours later. The journey took around an hour and was extremely enjoyable, made even better by getting a large discount due to my Wörthersee discount card! It halved the price to around €8 and also provided me with free bus travel around town all day.

Once docking at Klagenfurt I hopped off and caught the bus into town. After alighting the bus I walked to the hauptbahnhof to deposit my bags in a locker and proceeded to have a wander around the city. After a quick lap I came across the stadtsgalerie, which had three exhibitions on, the highlight of the three being a display of photographs from a recent body-painting festival to which Klagenfurt is host. 

After my culture fix I had a couple of beers, a bit more wandering then decided to go to the bouldering gym, Boulderama. First impressions were it was a good size gym, very quiet and a wee bit dirty. A lot of the walls had comp stuff on them which is unfortunate a I think I would have preferred some more everyday problems. Still I climbed for a few hours until my fingers were raw, then walked to the only vegan restaurant in town, triVida. Sadly the outdoor area was full, so I had to sit inside alone. I had a wrap/ summer roll-esque creation to start and a polenta pizza as a main. Both were really nice and I had a beer alongside. The waitresses were very friendly and I ended up chatting to one of them for about 2 hours. She was pretty cool and was also quite a talented artist!

I left around 22:30 still with a few hours to kill until my bus to Genoa, so upon my new friend’s recommendation I went to a few bars near the restaurant. I had a couple of beers and read, but during my time in the bar it started to rain very heavily! Fortunately it eased off just before I had to leave, so I wandered to the bus station and boarded the bus to Bologna, after a fantastic last day in Austria.

[be-a-good1]

Coming Out Story

Here I am, 27 years old and I was the absolute last person to find out I was gay. This blog is mainly a mind dump for me and hopefully becomes a sounding board for others who may be going through this too.  So, here we go... 

These things are always hard to start off, so I’ll start with the memory of elementary school.  I remember clearly having the resilience of a child, falling and scraping my knees.  If we do it now it’s the WORST, but back then, the scrapes were just a part of growing up.  Everything was just okay when we were swinging on the swing sets, playing basketball, soccer, or tag. No one really had a label in elementary school (at least none that I can remember). Thinking back, some of my best friends were boys.  Mainly because I loved sports, not to mention literally every time a girl screamed because a basketball or soccer ball whizzed by their face, I just wanted to smack them. Things started to change when I got into 3rd or 4th grade.  Girls in my school started talking about kissing boys, and that interested me.  I wanted to try it out, so me and a few of my friends thought, “Why don’t we practice kissing on each other that way when the time comes to kiss a boy we will be prepared?” I remember one friend and I would kiss just to kiss when we were by ourselves.  To me, this was innocent fun. I felt like I was on top of the world, and I honestly really enjoyed making out with my friends.  

In 4th grade, I remember talking to a boy. We were kind of seeing each other at the time, mainly communicating through notes passed secretly during class time. One day, a note with “Do you like me, check yes or no” fell on to my desk. I got ballsy and sent a note back with, “will you kiss me and I'll let you know...” written on it. I remember feeling super nervous and excited about this transaction.  He said yes, and days were spent concocting a plan to meet on the field during recess. Teachers at the time were extremely watchful of guys and girls together on the playground, so we had to be extremely careful. I was so nervous, and had convinced myself that if kissing girls gave me a ton of butterflies in my stomach, that kissing boys was going to rock my world. The time finally came when we got our chance to kiss.  We had our friends poised as lookouts for teachers or other kids that would mess up our fragile plan. He leaned in, and my lips touched his. Everything that I had built up in my head just shattered.  I felt absolutely nothing.  Actually, I felt cheated.  It was nothing against him, he was a very sweet boy. It just did not even compare to the way it felt to kiss my friends.

During 5th grade, I remember talking to my mom about girls. I was very careful not to reveal my attraction to them (see as how I would be severely punished if she found out), but I would comment on how other girls were pretty. As soon as I said anything, my mother would tell me that it was okay to acknowledge the beauty of another woman but that was the line. She made it clear that OUR family will not have a homosexual in it, and I was told that I wasn’t allowed to live that lifestyle.  Being gay and bringing someone of color home were equal acts of transgression in my parent’s household. My mother and father raised me in a very Southern Baptistä household.  The Pastor of the church that we attended was my father's best friend throughout High School.  It's funny looking back at that friendship because I had always heard about my father’s wild past deeds. I would try to get out of going to this church because I felt like the teachings were ancient, and if God loved everyone, why is it not okay for me to like who I wanted to like? My parents would tell me that being gay was wrong, that it was a horrible sin. I was told that I would go to hell if I even kissed the same sex or had feelings for the same sex. I was also told that one of two things would happen if I told him I like girls. 1: They would beat me until I realized that it was wrong, or 2: My dad would go to prison because he would kill me. Obviously, that instilled a sense of fear in me that has lasted many years. I cut ties with all of my friends and denied sleepover invitations.  I tried to get away from it all. Being an only child put a lot of pressure on me to absolutely avoid anything that could make my parents disappointed in me.

6th grade began and all of my “best friends” from elementary school were now scattered around in different friend groups.  What we used to do is kept a careful secret because we were in middle school now, and everybody was fearfully avoiding getting labeled. While in 6th grade, I remember meeting this one girl.  We became best friends after hanging out all summer long. She had a pool, and would always invite a bunch of friends over to swim. After swimming in the pool, we would all end up stripping off our wet suits and shower the chlorine off together. One day, I leaned in and kissed her while we were hanging out. She was taken aback, but ended up kissing me back. The next week, she told me her parents were moving to Florida, and of course she was going with them.  Her parents told her to exchange emails with me to keep in touch, but we never did. I felt like that was a sign for me, that God was punishing me. I couldn’t talk about this with my parents, however, because I feared how they would react. So instead of acting on this opportunity, I swept it under the rug and pretended like it never happened.

           In 7th grade, I had my first ‘real’ boyfriend.  My mom was a school bus driver and he was on her route. We lived deep in the country, and I would ride to and from school with her because no school busses went as far out as we lived. I remember holding hands in the back of the bus, meeting up behind the stage in the gym and making out during lunch.  It was fun to pass the time, but I honestly felt nothing by it. I knew this is what he wanted, and I just liked the company. We were broken up by the end of the eighth grade.

           High school was the worst, especially in a Podunk town where everyone seems to be aware of what you do even before you do. You cannot do anything without your parents getting a call from another adult so that, by the time you got home, a sufficient punishment was already laid out for you.

I think high school marked my worst era of depression.  My hatred for myself and where I lived caused me to think about ending my life several times throughout the course of high school. I started cutting, only scratches at first. Then, I realized the pain was something I could control, and it went on that way. I met my best friend because of this, but still felt like I had to hide my past from her because I didn’t want her to think I was hitting on her. I just wanted and needed a friend.  She was the exact opposite from me, preppy and popular, and exactly the type of girl I hated earlier in my life. However, if I hadn’t had her friendship, I don’t think I would have made it out of high school.

I think one of the hardest times I had was when I lost my grandfather (I call him Papa) on my mother’s side. I remember spending all of my time at his house on the weekends when I was growing up. I thought Papa and Nanny were the cutest.  He was the hometown mechanic and she was a volunteer at the local hospital.  She would always take me shopping, except unlike my parents, she would tell me to get whatever I felt comfortable in. Usually, this meant jeans and t-shirts instead of the frilly dresses that my mom and dad favored. Occasionally, my Nanny would buy me dresses for holidays to keep my parents happy. I definitely did not have a say when it came to what I wore for family photos.

One day, Papa took me out to buy an Easter dress to wear to the upcoming Easter service. Nanny was busy at the hospital that day, and my parents had to work. I found this awesome Adidas track suit in the department store that I fell in love with immediately. Papa bought it for me, along with some jeans and sneakers for me to wear. HE dropped me off at home later, no dress to show for the day of shopping we did. He was promptly chewed out by both of my parents. His response sticks with me to this day, “Let her wear what she wants to, if I had gotten her a dress she would have wore it for an hour and we’d never see it again.” This was very true, as over the years I came up with many creative ways to make my dress clothes magically disappear. This day will always be one of my favorite memories of him.

When I found out he had passed, I wanted to so very much go with him. He died outside while he was working on a car, from what seemed to be a heart attack. After it happened, Nanny couldn’t bring herself to stay at the house for a little while, so I was given the task of dropping by their house and grabbing whatever she needed.  I would get there and lay down where they found him.  I just wanted to know what happened. How did he feel before? Did he know he was dying? Was he in pain? Did he think about us?  Why did God do this, why did he take him away? How high up in the sky is heaven?  Is it even there? I would lay there, angry, thinking about how nothing else mattered. The one man who stood up for me is gone.  If he were here today, I am sure he would have accepted me and loved me unconditionally.  He may not have agreed with it, but I know he wouldn’t be punishing me for being myself.  

Fast forward to my freshman year of college. I was finally getting a grip on the semester when I got a call that my Nanny was being rushed to the hospital. Within two days we found out that she had colon cancer, and they told us she had two months to live.  Those two months ended up being two weeks, and that caused me to lose the last bit of me that I had a grip on.  I lost hope within myself and trusted no one. One day, while laying where they found my Pops, I promised him that I would take care of her. I felt like I failed him even though I knew wasn’t my fault.  Nanny had grown more and more on me. After Pops died, I made sure her car was washed, lawn was cut and helped around the house.  I felt like I was needed and appreciated. Now, nothing felt real to me anymore and the only thing that felt right was depression. I felt bad for my mother, who I vividly remember yelling “I’m an orphan” after Nanny passed.  I was mad at the nurses, the doctors, I blamed everyone including myself for our loss, and I felt so very alone.

The rest of college was semi okay for my mental health.  I moved out from my parent’s house and got an apartment near campus.  I started working at this little seafood restaurant near my apartment.  My father told me that he would pay for my apartment if I wanted to quit work and focus on school more.  I didn’t want to, I wanted to focus on being self-sufficient, but school became too much for me, so I accepted his offer. After a year of still being under his thumb, I began to feel more and more repressed around my parents. The fact that I depended on them made me feel worse.  

College really opened my eyes.  Even though I was in a very small technical college, the professors were very liberal and very open about it.  It was different to go from a high school where every teacher was a devout Republican and where every student knew you to a school full of people that did not get in your way or in your business.  I think it was a kind of a mutual understanding that we were all there to do our time and get out into the “real world”.  During college, I found an outlet in music, and I met a guy whom I ended up dating for over eight years. Looking back at it now, I laugh because I never really knew how gay I truly was.  Him and I started a band that traveled to SXSW and went on 3 successful month-long tours that traversed the United States.  I grew a lot with him and a lot more without him. I regret nothing when it comes to being in that relationship because if I didn’t go through that, I wouldn’t be where I am today: happy and so, so healthy.

I started waitressing at a local pizza joint to save up some money for tours and biIls. I’m not going to lie, was depressed.  I felt like I wasn’t me, like the skin I was in just wasn’t made out for me. I remember wanting to end it all.  Every relationship I was in with friends, family and myself, felt fake.  Everything felt like a movie that I was watching and not able to live out myself. Anxiety was bad because that was the time I felt the most in my skin and that alone is never healthy.  I was self-sufficient, nice new car, was touring the country and playing music.  But for some reason I was missing something, myself.  Something changed though, I met her.  

At the time, I was smoking cigarettes occasionally to just stop the stress.  For some reason that took away the pain for me. It was a stressful Friday night at work (Fridays are our busiest days) and I needed to vent to someone, anyone. So, I took a smoke break and Maddy (who also only smoked occasionally) joined me. While we were chatting outside and sharing a cigarette, I felt something.  She listened, she looked me in my eyes when I spoke and she had the best advice. I enjoyed talking with her. She gave me butterflies, and when she spoke it was the sweetest voice I’d ever heard.

At the time, the guy I was with had his own company that wasn’t self-sufficient and I was pretty much the cash cow. I remember bailing him out on a lot of our bills that should have been 50/50.  The band ended up breaking up, that was what hurt the most.  I couldn’t express myself and let go on stage anymore like I needed to. That was my release instead of self-harm. I didn’t want to believe I was being used but she saw it and brought it to light.  We eventually cut it off, he moved out.  I wish him nothing but good and I hope he finds happiness.

A few days later, she invited me to grab coffee at a small coffee shop.  I was sweaty-palms, knee-shaking nervous. Just sitting at the table with our coffee I could feel the tension between us. I invited her back to my place to hang out, and she accepted.  Back at my house we sat on the couch both on separate ends. I was dying to be close to her, every glance she flashed at me made my stomach tie in knots.  After a more nervous hug goodbye, I watched her leave and went upstairs and sat in my closet (the irony, right).  My closet was my safe space, the clothes inside made the room semi sound proof, in a way that made my head feel fuzzy and stopped my thoughts long enough for me to relax. One night I had a few drinks in me and decided to send her a Snapchat.  I told her how she made me feel, I told her she was gorgeous and I really, really liked her. After pressing send, I turned my phone off and back on so many times.  I talked myself into it being okay.  Finally, I saw where she was responding back to me.  I broke out in a cold sweat and I wanted to throw up.  The message popped back up saying she felt the same about me.  If ever there was a fire inside of me, it was now. I wanted nothing but to make her happy.  

The following days we sent risky texts back and forth, learning more about each other as best as we could.  I was so happy learning everything about her. She was the most beautiful creature and so unique, and the more I learned about her, the more I fell for her.

After Several more house dates of watching TV, our pinkies touched and we intertwined them. Instantly, I was in a cold sweat again, my stomach erupting into millions of butterflies.

The first time she kissed me I kicked her out. I was such a fool.  I had something so perfect in front of me and all I could think about was pleasing other people, instead of being happy.  In my heart, she was the one I wanted but in my head my parent’s words resonated in my head.  Then I thought about it, once I kicked her out she could have easily left and never spoken to me again.  But, for some reason she understood me and what was going on in my head and she broke me down slowly.  The next time she kissed me, I said “Gross”. I was mortified that I had said that. Of course, it didn’t phase her.  The more she came over the more comfortable we got with each other.  It went from casual downstairs pecks between scenes in movies to upstairs with the doors closed and music blasting.  I can 100% tell you that when she kissed me there was no doubt in my mind anymore. I finally felt like I was in my own skin.

Once I asked her to be my girlfriend she didn’t answer me.  She got quiet, and normally I would have just left because I don’t take rejection too well. But she was different, I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to prove to her I could be everything that she wanted.  I asked if she would like for me to leave, and she declined and then finally, FINALLY said she would be mine. The more we saw each other the more open we became.  We both were some pretty toxic people at the beginning, but we worked on bettering ourselves every day for each other. She has a past and that really got to me and occasionally still does but we are both two entirely new people because we work on supporting each other and loving each other every day.

Dating a woman was all new to me. Everything seemed so easy, I never had to explain why I felt the way I did.  She knew it was just a small obstacle I had to get over and she was there to help me if I fall.  When the time of the month came around, she would show up and sit with me as I lay in the tub with the shower going till I felt better.  If something was bothering me she would fight the demons with me till I was able to get my feet back on the ground.

I am happy.  For once I felt like I was in my own skin.  On top of it all, I couldn’t have a better group of friends to accept us so quickly.  They didn’t skip a beat and they love us unconditionally. My parents were a different story.

Throughout all of this I really wanted my parents on board with my new relationship.  It’s not going to come easy but I do have to say, it does get better. I really wanted to talk to my mother face to face but It would have been super hard to do that without my father being there. If I would have spoken to her over the phone, one of two things would have happened.  I would have either chickened out or she would have hung up on me and would not let me speak.   The best way I could have done it would be send her a message. Those were the longest 2 hours of my life.  The first hour of her receiving it, the small typing bubbles popping up ... then going away for the next hour. It needed to be done, though. It felt right, it felt good getting it off my chest.

“Mom, I’m gay.”  

Mom hasn’t been the same since.  Both of my parents were very supportive of me until I “betrayed” them with this lifestyle. As long as I was living “the way God intended”, I could do no wrong in their eyes. I haven’t spoken to my father for close to a year now.  Every time I try to speak to my mother I hear him in the background saying “brainwashed” or calling me a “faggot”. The don’t seem to care that I am happy and healthy. To top this all off, I am the only child.  This past year I was told that I wasn’t allowed to come to any holiday functions.  I missed Thanksgiving with my family, and when Christmas came around, I received a call from my mother, her crying and saying that she wanted to see me. I told her that I could see her and would love to.  She turned down my offer, saying she doesn’t want to see me “like this” and that once I change and “find God” she would welcome me back into her life.

Along with the phone calls from my mother saying I that I have “abandoned her” or that I am “killing her”, I’ve received a Bible, old photos, opened mail addressed to me and personal items from my childhood.  All of this was mailed to me because she does not want to meet up or be near me.  I’ve spent countless hours trying to reach out to her, but instead of an actual conversation, I get her crying over the phone that eventually turns to screams of her telling me how much I’ve betrayed her.  Out of all of this, one line hurt me particularly bad: “I don’t want you to be like this. I don’t wish you were dead, I just wish you never were born.  This isn’t you.  I want my daughter back” It cut me deep, and if I were the person I was earlier, I probably would have killed myself. I’m glad I didn’t come out to them in high school, or I know I would have been kicked out of my house or worse.

Coming out at 26 has been the best year of my life.  At times, I used to look in the mirror and not recognize who I was seeing. Sometimes I would repeat my name to myself because I would be so dissociated that I would think it was crazy that my name was Cassie.

I would say I have some of the best friends ever.  I went from a severely unhappy relationship to the happiest I think I could ever be.  When I came out to them, the reaction I received was either “Are you happy?” or “It’s about time!”  (thanks for not letting me know guys). The best part is, they love Maddy to death.  Friends can be your best family.  If I have learned anything in this journey it’s this, life can and will fuck you over.  Friends will come and go.  Family can sometimes be your biggest support system or your worst enemy.  But, if you can survive the battle of finding yourself and being truly happy with who you are, you will be unstoppable.  Your true friends will always be by your side and support you unconditionally.  Friends are Family and if you are going through this and you feel alone, I’ll be your friend.  I’ll be your family.  Things will get better, I promise.  

If ever you’ve found your soulmate, you know.  Everything stops in the world when you are with them.  Nothing else matter other than the time you are with them.  Everything that they do is just a work of art.  This girl knows me inside and out. She knows exactly how to make me happy in every single aspect and she does it daily.  As I sit here writing this blog, she’s in my bed taking small naps between her school work, and I realize how lucky I am.  She supports me to the fullest, wants to see me succeed, but also takes no shit from me.  She will tell me how it is in a heartbeat.  I hope I can provide for her and give her the queen lifestyle she deserves.  She is always front row when my band has a show.  She is the first person I call when something good or bad happens.  She makes me feel so good about myself.  More importantly she makes me feel like dreams are a reality.  She will not rest until I am happy.  I don’t know where I would be if she didn’t come into my life, but I am so happy she did.

How can a love like this, someone who builds you up, picks you up when you fall and makes you the happiest and healthiest person you’ve ever been, be hated by the people who raised you?  How can the people that said while you were in the womb “I don’t care what it is, as long as they are healthy” be so caught up with a line I will never stop hearing, “it’s Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve”? I will have to admit that growing up under my parent’s law, really made me who I am today. I do not by any means want to call them out on all their wrong doings.  It’s simply an old school generation thing with how they were brought up.  Is it acceptable? No, and it’s not an excuse.  I will have to say despite all that I have said about them in this blog, they use to be very supportive of me on the things that they deemed healthy for me.  They gave me everything I needed growing up, they worked hard to keep food in my belly and the lights on in the house.  For that I would like to thank them for working overtime for me to go on school trips, summer vacations, paying for school lunches, rent, car payments, etc. Thank you for providing for me when I was unable to provide for myself.  They loved me and supported me to the fullest when they could live vicariously through me. That being said, taking care of a child’s immediate needs is only half the job. Loving them and caring for them unconditionally is the second half, and in my opinion, the most important half.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this novel.  I hope it helps someone out there.  Just know that you are perfect the way that you are.  Love is love.  If you find someone and that rocks your world, makes you the happiest you ever thought you could be, and brings out the best in you, that love is between you and them. You are the person that lives your life, no one else can live it for you.

Go out and be happy.    

-Po-z

[crabrambles-blog]

So the other day I went to a hookah cafe...

The other day I had gone to pick up my check from my old store. The company I work for has not updated their information on me for some reason. It has me listed still as working at a store across town, so naturally that means my checks are sent there. So I get off of work at four in the afternoon, go home and lie down for a while. I moved to this store because it is a seven minute walk, from my house to the store's back area with the punch in clock Well it turns out a while is about two hours, I was kind of zoned out, watching youtube videos and chatting with friends on discord. I had a laptop so I was in my bed. I was almost about to take a nap when my step father came home from work, he fixes radios for a living, bit of an odd job but from what I understand he is good at it. We talked for a while, I told him that the store I work at had gotten a bonus check for every employee, almost the size of their standard check. Well I had gone up to find out if they had one for me, I was correct in my assumption that they did not. However I was told that it was likely the case my old store, the one that got my checks, would have it. So I come home after work, rest a while, talk with my step dad and decided I'm going to go and get my two checks that day. I planned on picking up some dinner while I was out, the store I was headed too was in a nicer side of town and it was a Thursday so places would be open later than normal and the one I had in mind has a sale on Thursdays, the main item I like to get there, boneless wings, are on sale for like half a dollar for one wing. I tend to get a rather spicy sauce on my wing and eat some french fries with them and have a yellowish green drink, I was going to have some alcohol too. I'm of the age now that I can drink, I just recently celebrated a birthday meaning I was well over it actually. So I leave the house, walk down to my bus stop in practically a jog because the bus was soon but I had a okay amount of time to get there. So when I do actually get to my bus stop I wait and I wait, the time for the bus comes and goes and no bus. That's not too odd, these buses are normally “fast” and tend to come early, so I assume that is what has happened, there was no one else waiting for it at the time so that added onto my theory. I cross the street to get a red drink in a big cup. There's a woman ahead of my in line who is getting gas for her car. She pays and leaves then the woman behind the counter notices the woman told her a different gas pump then the one she said. The woman behind the counter leaves her spot and yells out to the woman who just paid to come back inside or to wait. I don't really remember and it wasn't directed to me so I paid it little mind, to add on top of that I was listening to a podcast at the time, I forget which but it was either the Glass Cannon podcast's Canon fodder, two men talking about their last episode of the podcast and how the battle in the role playing went or it was the podcast The Co-Optional Podcast with the hosts of another podcast The Jimquisition, so it was all together made up of five people, four men and one woman, one of the normal hosts was not on that week, talking about video games they had played that week and any news in the video game industry going on at the time. However with it being just before E3, a big video game convention in LA nothing was really in the news. But anyways I had to wait for the woman to go back behind the counter and for the other woman to come back inside to fix the problem. After that the woman behind the counter took care of my order and apologized for what had just happened. After I paid for my drink I stepped outside in time to see the bus that I had came early had actually been rather late and already passing my bus stop. I remember swearing, but to which swear it actually was I have no clue. After accepting my mistake I crossed the busy road again at the right time and waited, for even though that bus had been late I knew the next one was close for I had already seen it going up the street on the other side of the road. After a while of standing a sipping on my drink the bus decides to show up, I step inside the giant metal monster and pay my fee and sit in the back. My favorite seat was taken however, I enjoy sitting at the very back wall and on the driver's side, just something about it makes it the best spot. But a child was sitting there and their parent was sitting on the same seat but on the other side, making even sitting in the middle a challenge that I wanted no part of. So I sat down in one of the two front facing seats they have in the back besides the back wall seats. I was still on the driver's side though. I took the bus downtown, all the way to stop I would normally take to get to my old job, there was more than one bus route I could take to get there but this one was the most reliable one for being on time. However that did mean a half hour of standing in the sun light, downtown, after most people were off from work. But once that bus got there I knew I would be home free, as it took me right to where I wanted to get off, no walking down a rather steep hill for me that day. Unknown to me at the time, the store's gas station had one of my friends working at it, if I had known at the time I would have stopped by to see him. We share a number of things, from our names to what we like to do in our free time. But I didn't know at the time so I didn't stop by, I went right to the front desk of the store, after buttoning up my shirt, it might have been a hot day outside but that was no reason to look like a slob inside the store. I walk right up to the counter because luckily no one else was there at that moment in time. I talked with my old coworker about getting my check and the fact they still sent them here. When I only got the one check I asked if this store had gotten it's bonus checks yet, she seemed confused as there had been no talk of bonus checks at that store, she did however say I may want to speak with one of my old bosses, he might know more. So after cashing my bigger than expected check I walked down to where she said he might be, unfortunately he was not there but the next in the line for boss was there, I asked him about the bonus checks and where the second in command was. He didn't know a thing about the bonus checks either but did inform me that the man I was looking for was on break. I went to the break room, hoping to find him but only found another old coworker that I was friends with. I didn't bring up the bonus checks to her as I was wondering if this store had even gotten them, I did after exchanging pleasantries ask about the location of the second in command, she had no clue. After a quick trip the restroom I found the man I was looking for in the break room, he explained to me that this store was not given bonus checks for not performing well enough, which is odd due to the fact that many of the workers were nicer than the ones at my current store but different standards for different parts of town exist for a reason. He asked me if I was enjoying my new store, I informed him that I wasn't due to a lack of hours and a lack of care from coworkers and management alike, I also hinted at the fact I might be leaving a company altogether in a few months, he in turn brought up how I might be able to come back to my old store, which while it was a while away from my home I did earn almost double what I'm currently making at the new store. I'm still thinking that idea over and I'm still unsure if I am going to leave the company at all. After talking with him for a while longer I leave as I still had to get dinner and was trying to make it to the restaurant before the sun fell out of the sky, it was quite a walk but I did indeed do my task, passing by many homes. While on the way there I saw a man making a chalk picture outside a store, he finished as I passed by on the other side of the street, I yelled out to him it was a good picture, he yelled back to me “Thanks Brother”, for some reason I still find this funny but to be honest it was a really good picture. It was a picture of my city from across the river, so it was a view almost everyone around here knows well. After making my war down the street and passing by a role playing and board game shop that I thought about stopping in but decided not too I found myself outside a hookah cafe, the windows were blacked out but there were red lights making them stand out. I paused for a moment but remembered from my smoking days that it would have caused me to not really enjoy my dinner and went inside the restaurant that I had been thinking of for the past few hours. It was much busier than I was expecting but not as busy as I've seen in the past. I went too the bar after waiting for a few moments, I sat down next to a rather handsome man. He was a rather talkative fellow, we chatted about the sports on television, I remember seeing the US soccer team playing but I was more focused on a baseball game that I couldn't quite make out the teams playing on. I myself had gotten some boneless wings and french fries as well as my classic yellowish green drink, but the alcohol I was wanting to start with, a shot of fireball, was out of stock at the time, so I went with something the bartender suggested, a jager bomb. I had heard the name before but never had one or even the base components before. It was oddly sweet and gross tasting, but for some reason I couldn't find the will in myself to not finish it before I left the place. I paid my bill and gave a tip to the bartender and said goodnight to her and the man I was sitting with, after leaving I saw the hookah cafe was still open. Finding myself somewhat excited to try something new as well slightly drunk I entered the building.

So the other day I went to a hookah cafe the other day. It was nice.

[thebusmansholiday]

Almaty - Bishkek - Osh

29/04/2017 K9595 Train from Urumqi South to Almaty 2 at 23.14 Duration 33 hours Hard Sleeper - £150

The train started screeching to a halt as we approached the Kazakh border only a few hours after leaving Urumqi. Before we could get out of bed and look half decent, Chinese border guards were on board, wanting to rummage around in our luggage and scrolling through photos on our camera. I think they just want to make sure you have not taken any photos that could harm the stability of the peoples republic. It was all quite friendly in the end, our guard started sharing with us similar tourist snaps from his phone from his weekend in Xi'an with the mrs.

Mohammed, our Chechen friend on his way back to Grozny from a business trip in Urumqi, explained the Kazakh side would be much smoother, which turned out to be the case. The guard assigned to our cabin was eager to practice his English and hear about our trip and then spoke at length in Russian with Mohammed. After 6 hours spent travelling about 2 miles we pulled into the ghost town border station where we got off to stretch our legs as the train had it’s wheels changed to match the different Russian gauge width. Mo knows this station cafe and the staff well, and insists on buying us lunch. He is a big fan of UFC fighting and with great pride he plays us youtube videos from his phone of several Chechen fighters in action whilst we tuck into our beef noodles.

Some Kazak border guards approach our little private section of the cafe, shocked to see some tourists at ‘their table’. They suddenly see Mo, give him a nod of the head, and we continue to sip on tea as we are shown more videos, this time of Chechen rebel leader, Akhmed Zakayev, being interviewed at his excilled home in London. This then begins to make me wonder, why is Mo travelling this route? 33 hours on a train to Almaty, 4 hour drive to Bishkek airport in Kyrgyzstan, before a 4 hour flight to Grozny? Is a photo with this guy a wise move? Is it gonna land me in serious trouble with the russian border police in a few weeks time?

Almaty is very quiet on the May day bank holiday. After the crowds and noise of Urumqi we are pleased to have the city to ourselves as we get a big goodbye hug from Mo, and make our way to our hostel at sunrise. The view from the hostel rooftop has to be one of the best city backdrops in the world, with the snow covered Tien Shan mountain range surrounding the entire south side of the city.

The air feels so much cleaner here as we head towards the mountains and take the bus up to 'kok tobe’ a favourite weekend hang out for local families wanting snaps with the city view behind them and next to the only Beatles statue in the world with all the fab 4 together (apparently)?

Back down in the city, we visit the Grand central mosque. We are not certain if Lo could come in so I Left her outside went in and had a look around briefly. It seems a nice quiet space, but not much praying going on. Lots of men just sitting in corner texting on their phones.

Food is getting welcomingly less soup and noodles and more cornish pasty like sincle leaving China. The staple Kazakh snack food is a fried bread filled with potato and is sold on stalls every few meters it seems. Some have mutton in if you get lucky. The fast food soviet era cafeterias dotted all over town provide cheap school dinner like meals, you take a tray, point at what you want and a dinner lady shovels a load on your plate. Sausage and mash, mutton stew and rice, bit of cake for afters… just good simple stodge that fills you up and doesn’t cause problems the next day.

Which is important when you have a long day of hiking planned. Determined not to spend any money on cable cars and ski resort entrance fees, we took the bus up to the impressive looking Medeu outdoor ice rink and followed a hiking trail up into the mountains. We passed an old stripped out soviet tank which was fun to play around in for a bit, pretending we were en route to Afghanistan to destroy the Taliban. The fun and games were all over when we realised the snow was getting seriously deep along the trail we were following, which was no longer really visible. We were the only people up there and couldn’t work out a way back down till we spotted a big Russian geezer trekking in just speedos and boots with walking poles. Happy looking chap, and a lovely tan he had on him, but we were worried we would be disturbing his peaceful time alone up in the mountains, but he was very helpful and pointed us to a safe way down. 'Plov’ (rice with chopped up mutton and veg in it) for dinner was just reward for our hiking efforts.

4/5/2017 Almaty to Bishkek Marshrutka (minibus) 5 hours

Credence clearwater revival, 'put a spell on you’ played us out of Almaty, our 'marshrutka’ (public minibus) driver obviously had great taste in Music. Dylan, Cohen, Eagles, all made for a great head bobbing, palm tapping on thigh, journey along the dusty A2 highway to the Kyrgyzstan border. It felt good to be on the road, the Tien Shan mountains, a natural border zone, were always in view outside the left hand windows. No more railway journeys now till we depart from Tashkent for Moscow on 3rd June, just long hours in less comfortable 'Marshrutkas’ but with some amazing scenery along the way.

The border crossing into Kyrgyzstan is smooth and without too much delay. No bag searches, no questions asked. This was expected to be the easiest of the 3 central asian border crossings we were to encounter, the former soviet state border police having a pretty bad reputation for hassling foreigners for bribes, we were relieved with the friendly Kyrgyz welcome.

On arriving in Bishkek we were dropped off close to the huge Lenin statue that still stands tall here. Some flowers had even be laid below his feet, probably to mark 100 years since the revolution. Our host in Bishkek was Liza, a proud Kyrgyz lady of Russian heritage. She made us feel extremely welcome at our little homestay, an old 1960’s soviet era house, one entrance, 3 different little homes around a courtyard. We had our own little bedsit and an outside toilet and shower all for just $10 a night. Back in Dalston it would be rented out for £1700 a month, bills not included. 

Liza seems to be a face around Bishkek. As she walks us to the bus station the next morning lots of people stop to talk, eager to see where her new guests are from. She tells us of the history of the different populations that have settled in the city over the last century and the glory days of the Soviet Union when life was much simpler, people were free to travel the whole of the central asian region without the ethnic tensions of more recent times. “Then people got greedy!” she bemoans.

Liza sees us safely on to our Marshrutka for a day trip to beautiful Lake Izzy Kol, the second largest alpine lake in the world. 30 mins in and the Marushkta has a tyre blow out. No safety triangle on a fast moving highway, I stand 50 metres up the road and act as a human safety triangle waving my arms at bemused drivers urging them to slow down as they pass our driver and some younger passengers helping to change the outside wheel. I think Louisa is really embarrassed to be associated with me at this point. “The safety of your passengers is the number one priority as a bus driver!” Steve Sparkle, at the arriva london training school, drummed it into me on my first day 7 years ago. We’re never off duty!

The place along the lake we are dropped of at is a little underwhelming. Stunning scenery overlooking the lake, but all the beachfront appears to be sectioned off for rich russian holiday homes, and being out of season the place is a bit dead. We managed to find a little bit of public beach, got our swimming costumes on and tried to go for a dip. 15 seconds in the water and your limbs start to go numb with the cold so we didn’t stick about for long, especially after being joined on our little beach by an angry looking herd of cows.

6/5/2017 Bishkek to Osh Marshrutka - 13 hours

Again Liza insists on walking us to the chaotic Bishkek bus station to make sure we get on the right Marshrutka, this time a 13 hour journey to Osh in the south of the country awaits us. The driver, Safiq, a cheeky chappy with the common Kyrgyz gold toothed smile, another good friend of Liza’s, is excited to hear that I’m a bus driver in London and insists me and 'your guest’ are allowed up front next to him. Result!

After Saffiq, stops off at a few mates houses on the road out of Bishkek, to pick up some parcels, we finally start to make some progress. The views out the window for the whole drive are pretty special, as the Marshrutka struggles up the several mountain passes en route. We start passing a few brave cyclists along the way, this route, all the way down to the Pamir highway, being a bit of a mecca for Eurasian crossing lycra warriors from around the world. I’m slightly envious of the challenge they are undertaking, then read in the guidebook that a 5km mountain pass tunnel we pass through “was the scene of a tragic carbon monoxide disaster” a few years ago.

Despite only brief toilet stops for 12 hours, just an hour from Osh, Driver Saffiq decides it’s time for a sit down meal at a shashlik (kebab) house he knows. It’s nearly midnight and we are struggling to keep our eyes open, but as the guests of honour at Saffiq’s table, we are treated to a pot of tea and after prayers some meat on a stick and bread. I show Saffiq a photo of me with a London bus, much to the amusement of his mates around the table who start mocking him about my bus being bigger than his bus. Great banter.

In coming to Osh we are now back on the route of the ancient silk road after a slight Northern detour. Only a 4 hour drive from the Chinese border, this city claims to be over 3000 years old, “older than Rome!” they say. There is not much in the way of historical ruins here, the old famous bazaar is a ram shackle mix of metal shipping containers stacked on top of each other with shop windows cut of the front. It’s a lively place though and lots of cheap fruit and veg is available, perfect for us, as we try and give our immune systems a boost before we head south to the remote Pamir Highway. Also plenty of scenic hikes about an hour drive out of town, into the Alay Valley. On Victory Day bank holiday we are joined along the rapid flowing river banks by lots of Kyrgyz families enjoying the day off work in the sun and celebrating the soviet unions most important holiday of course.

The Osh Guesthouse hostel is the place to stay for people looking for 4x4 ride shares into Tajikistan. A big whiteboard is updated every hour wth requests for people to help spilt the costs, of what can be an expensive drive at very high altitudes. We get lucky on our second day when Fergus, from County Westmeath, Ireland and Antonio from Barcelona arrive and are looking at a similar 10 day itinerary to us.

We will start with a stop close to the Tajik border at the town of Sary Mogul, famous for it’s views of towering Peak Lenin (7,100 meters). Then into Tajikistan, all the way down to the Wakhan Valley, hugging the Afghan border at Khorog before returning to civilisation in the Tajik capital Dushanbe. Not much electricity en route, let alone Wifi, so you won’t be hearing from us for a while.

County Westmeath, Antrim and Down all represented on this road trip! Should be plenty of GA football chat to help pass the time.

[easytravelpw-blog]

Full text write on https://easy-travel.pw/john-hall-s-alaska-grand-slam-land-tour-trip-diary/magazine/

John Hall's Alaska Grand Slam Land Tour Trip Diary

01 of 08

Day 1 – Travel Day

Old Line Photography

I took a land tour of Anchorage, Prince William Sound, Valdez, Fairbanks, Denali Nationals Park and Preserve and Talkeetna with John Hall’s Alaska. Here is my trip diary.

Traveling from the eastern US to Alaska takes the better part of a day. I woke up at 4:00 a. m. and was at the airport before 5:30 a. m. I have never been so glad to have TSA PreCheck in my life. The security screening line was extremely long, but the PreCheck line had fewer than 10 people in it – lucky me! I had plenty of time to get to my gate.

My flight connected through Denver, which is a nice airport with plenty of dining options and lots of places to charge electronic devices.  John Hall’s Alaska’s travel documents mentioned the limited space for carry-on bags on the tour bus, so my Eagle Creek zip-top tote bag seemed like a good carry-on bag option for this trip. Most of the people on my flight had wheeled suitcases or duffel bags and the overhead bin space filled very quickly. My carry-on fit under the seat in front of me. I chose a window seat so I could take photos as we flew over British Columbia and Alaska, and it was nice to be able to reach my book, e-reader and other items without disturbing the other passengers in my row.

When I arrived at the airport in Anchorage, it was easy to find Tara, the John Hall’s Alaska representative assigned to greet incoming flights. My bag arrived quickly, and Tara and I headed off to find the other tour participants who would be riding to the hotel with us. It took only a few minutes to locate them and head out to the curb, where the Crowne Plaza Midtown shuttle picked us up and whisked us to the hotel.

The Crowne Plaza Midtown is on the main road between the airport and downtown Anchorage. John Hall’s Alaska arranged for a shuttle driver to be available at specific times so that any arriving tour participants who wanted to go downtown could do so. I was tired from all of my travels – I was not yet over jet lag from my trip the previous week to the West Coast – so I decided to unpack and deal with some work-related emails rather than go into Anchorage.

John Hall’s Alaska gave all the tour participants vouchers for dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. We could order any meal on the menu, from a sandwich to rib eye steak. My salmon was tasty and I had more than enough to eat.

After dinner, I headed back to my room to relax and get a good night’s sleep.

Continue to 2 of 8 below.

02 of 08

Day 2 – Alaska Railroad, Meares Glacier, Prince William Sound, Valdez

Old Line Photography

Today was a fun but long day. We had breakfast at 7:00 at the hotel. Offerings included scrambled eggs, omelets cooked to order, bacon, sausage, fruit, pastries, yogurt, oatmeal, potatoes and salmon.  We traveled to the Alaska Railroad train depot by motorcoach.  The depot was jammed because people were waiting to board special trains that were running from Anchorage to the state fair. Our train, the Glacier Express, ran from Anchorage south to Whittier. After the state fair train left the station, our train arrived and we boarded.

Our two-hour train ride took us through some very beautiful areas, particularly the Turnagain Arm.  The Seward Highway runs parallel to the train route, and we could see many RVs, trailers and campers on the highway as we traveled. We saw glaciers and amazingly beautiful mountains. Although this trip took place in late August, some of the trees had already turned yellow.

When we arrived at the train station in Whittier, we walked across the street to the Inn, where we had a nice lunch. I had salmon with asparagus and lemon sorbet for dessert. Sadly, after lunch, one of the ladies I ate with fell and fractured her pelvis. John Hall’s Alaska sent a driver to take her to the hospital in Anchorage. One of her friends stayed with her for a couple of days, and then rejoined the tour.

After lunch we took a seven-hour boat trip from Whittier to Valdez via the Meares Glacier. It was a beautiful trip, with the highlight being the 20 minutes or so we spent at the glacier. Glaciers make sounds! They crack and pop even when ice falls aren’t happening. We saw a couple of large ice falls (talk about noise!) and a couple of smaller ones. Our boat got about ¼ mile from the glacier – way closer than my Holland America Line cruise ship could do in Glacier Bay five years ago. Even with the wind and engine noise, it was easy to hear the glacier’s sounds.

We saw sea otters, kittiwakes, two types of puffins, harbor seals, sea lions, and one humpback whale that wanted very little to do with us. I enjoyed watching an otter clutch a giant salmon while seagulls flew toward this tasty meal. The otter would watch the proceedings, then suddenly dive underwater to trick the gulls.

We had dinner on the boat – halibut, steamed vegetables, rice, a roll and oreos.

We arrived in Valdez about 9:00 and were told that we had to have our suitcases outside our room doors and be downstairs at 6:00 a. m. the next morning. After a long day of travel, this was not welcome news. Best Western Valdez Harbor Inn is clean and comfortable, but it does not have air conditioning or elevators.

Continue to 3 of 8 below.

03 of 08

Day 3 – Valdez to Fairbanks

Old Line Photography

We all made it downstairs by 6:00 a. m., and Tour Director Bill led us across the street to The Fat Mermaid, a restaurant and bar that looked like something straight out of Northern Exposure. Breakfast included scrambled eggs, eggs and omelets made to order, bacon, sausage, fruit, French toast pecan casserole, toast, English muffins and juice. We watched the sun create a glow behind the mountains as we boarded the coach and headed out of Valdez.

Our drive today was very long; we arrived in Fairbanks at about 6:30 p. m. We had several adventures along the way. We stopped twice in Keystone Canyon to photograph waterfalls. I really enjoyed the scenery in the Thompson Pass.  At the Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve Visitor Center, we discovered that a rock had struck our coach’s radiator and caused a leak. Tour Director Bill called John Hall’s Alaska’s office right away, and together they came up with a plan to get us safely to Fairbanks.  While at the Visitor Center, I walked the half-mile loop trail, which is advertised as wheelchair-accessible. It’s definitely flat, but there are tree roots and forest debris in the way, so it would be good to have someone else along if you plan to explore this trail via wheelchair.

After our 45-minute stop, we hit the road. At the first gas station we saw, Bill bought a large quantity of Stop Leak and poured it into the radiator. He checked fluid levels a couple of times along the Richardson Highway, but the Stop Leak did its job and we had no further issues. John Hall’s Alaska sent another motorcoach to Fairbanks for our group to use.

We ate lunch at Gakona Lodge’s Carriage House Restaurant. Gakona Lodge was built in the early 1900s and is currently Alaska’s oldest operating roadhouse.  The Carriage House used to be a carriage repair shop, back in the days when people used horses and buggies to get from place to place in Alaska. Its log walls, quirky antiques and tasty food made our lunch experience feel very Alaskan. It was fun to see my traveling companions run around taking photos like a bunch of travel writers.

After we resumed our day-long drive to Fairbanks, we stopped a couple of times to view the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which appears to be an engineering marvel that has been built to withstand huge earthquakes. I say “appears” because the pipeline’s innovations are relatively untested. Our group was immensely interested in the pipeline and nearly everyone got off the bus to take photos at each of our pipeline stops.

We stopped at Delta Junction to stretch our legs and take photos of the mile marker at the end of the Alaska (Alcan) Highway. By this time it was later in the afternoon and all of us were quite tired of being on the coach, but we still had two hours to go. Bill did his best to tell us about life in Fairbanks, his childhood, Fairbanks winters and anything else he could think of to pass the time, but in the end it was still an 11.5 hour day on a motorcoach.

The Bear Lodge in Fairbanks is very nice and is home to a wonderful museum filled with pristine vintage cars and equally well-preserved ladies’ and childrens’ clothing from the late 1890s through the 1940s. The collection is immaculately preserved and contains many rare vehicles. It’s well worth a stop or even a detour through Fairbanks. We ate dinner at our hotel. Portions were huge, service was beyond friendly and I felt inspired to go on as many hikes as possible in order to burn off some calories.

We were able to request a Northern Lights wake-up call – apparently this is a normal hotel service in Alaska.

Continue to 4 of 8 below.

04 of 08

Day 4 – Fairbanks

Old Line Photography

I got the Northern Lights call at 2:45 a. m., threw on some clothes and walked outside as quickly as I could. I knew the lights would be less than spectacular. Our Tour Director had told us about a website that predicts the intensity of the Northern Lights in Alaska, and last night’s prediction was for intensity level 2, with 10 being maximum intensity. Still, I saw them! They were hard to see because of all the lights around the Bear Lodge, so I could not take photos, but I will try again tonight.

It took me a while to fall asleep after viewing the Lights, so I was a bit groggy when my alarm went off. Still, I had plenty of time to get dressed and have breakfast. It was served buffet-style in the hotel restaurant and included eggs, French toast, potatoes, bacon, sausage, fruit, pastries. Next, we took a steamboat tour of the Chena River on the sternwheeler Discovery III. Along the way, we watched a float plane take off and land and saw a sled dog musher take her team for a training run. We also watched a Native Alaskan fish camp demonstration. The river cruise narrator interviewed the pilot, dog musher and fish preparer, using television cameras and microphones, so we could see and hear each demonstration clearly wherever we were on the boat.

The Discovery III tied up at the Chena Indian Village, where we spent an agreeable hour touring three different sites with college-age Native Alaskans who told us about Athabascan life before and after Anglo explorers and trappers arrived in Alaska. We had free time to walk around and ask questions. Laura Allaway, the dog musher we had watched earlier, was also there with some of her dogs.

At the conclusion of our trip, we went by motorcoach to Trail Breaker Kennel, where Laura Allaway gave us a tour and told us how she came to Alaska and competed in the 2015 Iditarod. We learned about the dogs’ training program and about the Alaskan Husky dogs. After a buffet lunch, we were allowed to hold Trail Breaker Kennel’ newest pups, Phelps, Ledecky, Simone, Farah, Bolt and Felix. The puppies were adorable, of course!

After our Tour Director tore us away from the pups, he took us on a quick drive through downtown Fairbanks so we could see the downtown area. We had the option to spend a couple of hours there before dinner, but we were all so tired that we chose to go back to the hotel. I spent some time packing for our Denali stop. John Hall’s Alaska gave all of us tour participants a small red duffel bag at the start of the trip for use at the Denali Backcountry Lodge. I needed to make sure everything I really and truly needed would fit, and it did.

We regrouped at 5:00 and headed to the Alaskan Salmon Bake at Pioneer Park. This meal is an all-you-can-eat affair featuring salmon, prime rib, beer battered cod and “crab clusters,” which are Alaskan king crab legs. Sides included green, pasta and potato salads, baked beans, rolls and butter. Four kinds of cake were served for dessert. Needless to say, no one left hungry! Although many tourists come to the Salmon Bake, there were several local families waiting to pay for their meals as we left the restaurant.

We walked to the Palace Saloon and Theater in Pioneer Park to see the early performance of the Golden Heart Review, a lighthearted look at Fairbanks’ history through the eyes of its early pioneers. We were back at the Bear Lodge by 8:00.

Continue to 5 of 8 below.

05 of 08

Day 5 – Fairbanks to Kantishna and Denali National Park

Old Line Photography

We left Bear Lodge at 7:30 a. m. after a breakfast that was identical to yesterday’s buffet. We drove south to the entrance of Denali National Park and had some free time at the Visitor Center before and after lunch. We ate lunch at the Morino Grill; we ordered off the regular menu, which included burgers, sandwiches, soups, panini and salads.

After lunch, we boarded the Denali Backcountry Lodge bus, carrying our red duffel bags and our purses, camera bags and other small carry-on items. The bus strongly resembled a school bus. It had no air conditioning, but the windows worked and there was a bit more seat room than a typical school bus. Our trip to the Denali Backcountry Lodge in Kantishna took about six and a half hours, much of it at 20 miles per hour on a packed gravel road. The scenery was beautiful, and we had a clear weather day – this is somewhat unusual, apparently – which gave us spectacular views of Denali. We also saw five grizzly bears, one caribou, four swans and a couple of Dall sheep along the way. Our driver told us about the park’s history and wildlife during the drive and pulled over each time we saw an animal so we could take photographs. He also made four scheduled stops for snacks, restroom breaks and photography. Although the drive was very long and the road was a bit scary at times (there are no guardrails), our driver and Tour Director did their best to help pass the time and teach us about Denali National Park.

The mountain (in Denali National Park, there is only one mountain worth mentioning) was beyond amazing. 20,320 feet high, covered in ice and snow, Denali looms above all the other peaks in the Alaska Range. We knew we were fortunate to have such perfect weather for our drive, and we took plenty of photos, just in case the weather on our return drive turned out to be less than stellar.

Upon arrival at the Denali Backcountry Lodge, we received our room assignments. My room, which smelled delightfully of cedar and redwood,  had a small table and two chairs by the window, which looked out on the river. The room also had a futon. The heater worked well, I discovered. We ate dinner in the main lodge; we had a choice of ribs (this turned out to be one large pork rib per person), baked cod or stuffed Portobello mushrooms, served with mashed potatoes, rolls and butter, kale Caesar salad and a mélange of broccoli, carrots and golden beets. We had bread pudding, served cold with rhubarb sauce, for dessert.

We spent some time choosing hikes and other activities for tomorrow and plotting yet another expedition to view the Northern Lights. Then it was time for sleep; 1:15 a. m. (peak Northern Lights time) was just around the corner.

Continue to 6 of 8 below.

06 of 08

Day 6 – “Free Day” at Denali Backcountry Lodge

Old Line Photography

The 1:15 a. m. Northern Lights viewing was a bust, but we did have spectacular views of the Milky Way and constellations. Apparently the Northern Lights did not appear until about 2:30 a. m., according to the lodge staff.

Breakfast was served buffet style in the Main Lodge. Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, oatmeal, fruit, coffee and orange juice were on the menu. After breakfast I went on a guided hike to Blueberry Hill. This hike was rated “casual” and it was a fairly easy hike on an improved trail. Our guide did a great job telling us about native plants and their medicinal and nutritional uses. Once again we had sunny weather, which meant Denali and the Alaska Range appeared in practically every photo I took. We saw a caribou grazing on the hillside, and the caribou not only was not afraid of us, he started approaching our group. Park rules required us to move away from the caribou so he could graze in peace, but we really enjoyed viewing him as he munched on lichens. We picked wild blueberries on Blueberry Hill and took plenty of photos of Wonder Lake and Denali.

We made it back to the lodge as lunch service began. Lunch consisted of two soups, chicken and wild rice and vegetarian lentil, as well as sandwiches, turkey wraps, salad and two dessert choices. The food was plentiful and tasty.

After lunch, we had a gold panning session with our Tour Director. Bill made swishing the dirt and water around in the pan look easy, but it was clear early on that gold panning is an acquired skill. Everyone had fun, though, and the lodge staff laminated the gold flakes our “prospectors” found onto little souvenir cards to take home, which was a nice touch.

At 2:30 a group of us met our guide for the afternoon historical walk. Our destination was Fannie Quigley’s cabin. Fannie Quigley was legendary in Kantishna, a mining town in what is now Denali National Park, even during her lifetime. She was married to a miner, and when he left her, she stayed on, hunting her own food, looking after herself and providing hospitality to any folks who wandered through the former boomtown. Today the National Park Service and two of the lodges in Denali National Park offer tours to Fannie’s cabin, which stands as a symbol not only of Kantishna’s gold rush days but also as a memorial to a self-reliant woman.

We had some free time after our hike. I used it read a book next to the river. The Lodge offered a social hour at 5:00; the staff put out an appetizer tray in the bar area for guests, and we could sit inside or out on the deck to enjoy some treats and socialize. Dinner was served at 6:00. We had a choice of either Cornish game hens or beef tips; both were served with a spring mix salad, tiny potatoes and mixed vegetables. Our chocolate mousse dessert was a sweet treat.

The Lodge offers evening programs; tonight’s was on mammals of Denali National Park. Our tour group planned to cap the evening with a hot chocolate social, but with a 6:00 a. m. departure looming, I opted to go back to my room, pack and turn in early.

Continue to 7 of 8 below.

07 of 08

Day 7 – Talkeetna

Old Line Photography

We were up before dawn, ready to take the bus back through the park to the Alaska Railroad’s Denali station, which is a short walk from the Park’s Visitor Center. The drive was very enjoyable, if dusty, because we stopped to take photos of Denali at sunrise from Wonder Lake and a couple of other vantage points. You know it’s a great shot when your bus driver takes a photo, too.

Our four-hour train trip from Denali to Talkeetna was great fun. We had Goldstar Service tickets, which included lunch and two beverages. It was fun to eat in the dining car. A very well-spoken young lady narrated our tour, pointing out historic sites and telling us about life in the Alaska backcountry. We found out that she is a high school student who works for the Alaska Railroad during the summer. Many students compete for the Alaska Railroad jobs, and it’s easy to see why. It would be fun to talk about your home state and see such gorgeous scenery every day.

We traveled to Talkeetna, a town on the other side of the Alaska Range. Because it was on the “easy” climbing side of Denali and had a train station, Talkeetna became the home base for people who want to summit Denali. Today, anyone who wishes to climb the mountain must pre-register and, if approved go to an orientation session at the ranger station in Talkeetna before beginning an expedition to Denali.

Talkeetna is packed with souvenir shops, restaurants and adventure outfitters. Whether you want to take a flightseeing expedition to Denali or rent a kayak, Talkeetna is an excellent place to begin your journey. Our hotel, the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, offered spectacular views of Denali and the Alaska Range. The Lodge, with its enormous windows, patio that was perfect for mountain viewing, and large dining room, reminded me of some of the Alpine hotels I have stayed in. I found myself constantly looking at Denali, no matter where I was in the Lodge.

We ate dinner in the hotel’s Foraker Restaurant. I ordered the pan-seared halibut, which came with potatoes and braised leeks. It was delicious. Others in our group tried some of the appetizers and salads. The beet salad and KFC (Korean fried cauliflower – spicy!) got rave reviews.

After dinner, I watched the sun set behind the mountains. It was so beautiful I could hardly bear to go inside. Eventually I did, and spent some time packing for my flight home the next day. Of course, I asked for a Northern Lights wake-up call.

Continue to 8 of 8 below.

08 of 08

Day 8 – Anchorage

Old Line Photoography

I saw the Northern Lights again, and, as before, they were too dim to photograph. My bucket list is very short, but seeing the Northern Lights was the first item on the list, so I was very happy to see the Lights again.

My last breakfast in Alaska included scrambled eggs, bacon and potatoes. Several other items were available, including fruit, oatmeal and pastries. We had some difficulty tracking down our waiter, but he explained that in Alaska, late August is the end of the tourist season and staff rosters begin to shrink, leaving fewer waiters to take care of guests.

After breakfast, we drove to downtown Anchorage. Tour Director Bill drove us around the downtown area so we could get our bearings, as we would be spending the morning on our own. We parked near the Anchorage Museum, which was a great place to begin our exploration of the city. This museum tells the story of Anchorage through art, cultural artifacts, stories and hands-on science. The highlight of my visit was visiting the Alaska Native Cultures exhibit, which contains not only hundreds of artifacts from Alaska Native cultures but also recordings of oral histories. Viewing the artifacts while listening to these stories helped me learn about Alaska Native life.

I left the museum and walked around Anchorage on my own. I spotted a couple of murals, and realized that Anchorage’s murals are worth seeking out. I found an Iditarod mural, a moose mural, a whale mural and a public art project created by local youth under the direction of the Anchorage Artists Co-op. Bill later told me that there are other murals in Anchorage; next time I visit, I will look for them. Anchorage has plenty of souvenir shops, and I bought a couple of small items to bring home.

We had lunch at Simon & Seafort’s Saloon & Grill. This restaurant specializes in steak and seafood. We ordered off a limited menu that included sandwiches, salads and fish and chips. Portions were quite large, and my open-faced crab sandwich was excellent.

After lunch, I said goodbye to my fellow travelers. They were continuing to Seward for the cruise portion of their John Hall’s Alaska Grand Slam Tour, but my journey ended in Anchorage. I’m sure they had a fantastic time. John Hall’s Alaska’s Cruise Manager was waiting to greet them and look after the group for the next seven days. Tara, who greeted me on my first day, took me to the airport. My flight was delayed, which forced me to change my connecting flight, but I got home with little difficulty. Of course, I left a part of my heart in Alaska.

John Hall’s Alaska’s impressive attention to detail made this trip as close to perfect as a tour can be. Bill was an excellent Alaska ambassador, tour director, bus driver and problem solver. Our hotels and meals exceeded my expectations, and each day brought a new adventure and expanded my horizons. My fellow travelers also enjoyed their Alaska adventure and were quick to sing the praises of John Hall’s Alaska to anyone who asked about our name tags, John Hall’s Alaska windbreakers or anything else. There’s no higher recommendation than praise from a happy traveler.

As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary tour for the purpose of reviewing those services. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.

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[jandrada96]

Taklong Island National Marine Reserve, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras

The first thing that comes to mind whenever I hear the word “Guimaras” is mangoes. Guimaras Mangoes are dubbed as the world’s sweetest fruit. I have not really tasted Guimaras Mangoes until I have set foot on the island and stayed in Nature’s Eye Beach Resort last month. And I must tell you that Guimaras Mangoes are the best mangoes I have ever tasted… taste bud delight, if I may add. You see, I am from Pangasinan and we have mango trees in our yard. Hence, mangoes, when in season, are a mainstay around the family table. Suffice to say that I know my mangoes. LOL.

Other than knowing about Guimaras as the Mango Capital of the Philippines, I have always been curious about this island down south especially after news broke out on August 11, 2006 about an oil tanker that sank off the coast of  Guimaras causing what is considered today as the worst oil spill the country has ever had.

The Taklong Island National Marine Reserve was severely damaged after the the M/T Solar oil tanker sank off the Guimaras Strait, Philippines, on 11 August 2006. Photo By Shubert Ciencia – Flickr: Oil Spill (Nueva Valencia, Guimaras), CC BY 2.0, Link

Twelve years later, who would have thought that I would have the privilege of exploring Guimaras? On August 12, 2018, I took the first boat trip out of Carabao Island to Caticlan to board a Ceres Bus to Iloilo.

Ceres Bus Terminal near Caticlan Jetty Port in Aklan

Click here to read about my visit to Carabao Island, Romblon.

On board a Ceres Bus from Caticlan, Aklan to Iloilo City, Iloilo

The bus ride from Caticlan to Iloilo took about 6 hours because of slow traffic. I did not really mind the long ride because it was such a scenic route. Also, I needed to catch a few winks to regenerate for Guimaras. Hence, I slept most of the time throughout the trip and woke up only at bus stops- Kalibo and Passi.

Ceres Bus Terminal in Kalibo, Aklan

I traveled with fellow travel blogger Cai Dominguez of Travelosyo who is also the Resort Manager of Nature’s Eye Beach Resort in Guimaras. He quit his corporate job in the bustling Metropolitan Manila to live a more meaningful life on the island.

Upon arrival at the Ceres Bus Terminal in Iloilo City, we took a couple of rides more, a jeepney and a tricycle, to get to the Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal.

How To Get To Guimaras Island

Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal

The Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal is the gateway to Guimaras Island. So if you are coming from Metro Manila, you need to book a flight to Iloilo. In our case, we traveled by land from Caticlan to Iloilo. Other do-it-yourself travelers whom I met in Guimaras traveled by sea to Iloilo from Bacolod for 2 hours. A boat trip from Cebu takes about 14 hours and a boat trip from Manila takes about 27 hours.

Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal

Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal

The Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal is near the newly opened CityMall Parola where we got some snacks to go before boarding the boat. Boat fares are as follows:

Day Time (6 AM to 5:57 PM), 43 passengers per trip: Php 15 per passenger

Night Time (6 PM onwards), 31 passengers per trip: Php 22 per passenger

Senior Citizens and Persons With Disabilities may avail of discounted rates upon presentation of proper identification.

Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal

I must say that I was quite impressed with the Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal. It was spacious and orderly. It had good air-conditioning and efficient lighting. Boat trips to and fro Guimaras are frequent. Usually, a boat leaves every 15 minutes. The last trip to Guimaras is at 8 PM while the last boat leaves Guimaras at 7 PM.

Boat docked at the Jordan Guimaras Jetty Port

Our boat trip from Iloilo to Guimaras was on schedule and took only 20 minutes. The boat docked at the Jordan Guimaras Jetty Port upon arrival in Guimaras.

Jordan Guimaras Jetty Port

Jordan Guimaras Jetty Port

  We have been traveling close to 8 hours in total since we left Carabao Island. I was close to exhaustion (yeah, coming from someone who slept throughout the whole trip). I tried convincing myself that this long trip had better be worth it. I mean… a destination this hard to get to must really be awesome, don’t you think?

We rented a tricycle for Php 500 to take us to Nature’s Eye Beach Resort instead of riding a regular public utility jeepney. I had too many pieces of luggage with me anyway and told Cai that I did not want to inconvenience the other passengers (or me, LOL).

How To Get To Nature’s Eye Beach Resort

Below are the number of ways you can get to the number one beach resort on Guimaras Island from the Jordan Guimaras Jetty Port:

Take a public utility jeepney from Jordan Guimaras Jetty Port to Dolores Crossing for Php 38 per person. Then, hire a motorcycle from Dolores Crossing to Tando. Fare is Php 50 per head

Hire a multicab from Jordan Guimaras Jetty Port to Nature’s Eye Resort. Fare is Php 500 per way

Hire a multicab from Jordan Guimaras Jetty Port to Guisi. Then, hire a private boat from Guisi Beach to Nature’s Eye Beach Resort Beach Front. Fare is  Php 300 for 2 persons (additional Php 100 per person)

On the way, we passed by The Pitstop Restaurant to get the famous Mango Pizza. The 9-inch Mango Pizza cost P240.

The Pitstop Mango Pizza, 9 inches, Php 240 each

The Pitstop Mango Pizza, 9 inches, Php 240 each

The Pitstop Mango Pizza, 9 inches, Php 240 each

I rode at the back of the tricycle with my drone and luggage. Guimaras has paved highways and not too many people by the roadside. Not too many vehicles plying the road either. I guess most of them were already in their houses as it was already beginning to get dark.

Twenty minutes before reaching Tando, it was already pitch dark and all I could hear was the revving of the tricycle. I could also already smell the beach. When we reached Tando, a Nature’s Eye Beach Resort staff was waiting for us and helped me with my luggage. With our cellphones serving as flashlights, we hiked for a good ten minutes to reach the gates of Nature’s Eye Beach Resort traversing what seemed to be a forest.

The path to Natures Eye Beach Resort.

We trekked through mud. I could feel the undergrowth brushing against my ankles, too. I could hear crickets and the ebb and flow of the waves of a nearby beach.  I willed my eyes to adjust to the dark surroundings so I could see what I was hearing but to no avail. I just let my vivid imagination to take over.

One of the Ficus Trees that abound in Nature’s Eye Beach Resort.

We went straight to the main reception and dining cottage where the owner, Ms. Rowena Amancio, was waiting. She warmly welcomed me to her resort. Over dinner, she shared to me how she started the resort. I learned that she used to live and work in Switzerland for the longest time. During one of her vacations in the Philippines some years ago, she came to visit Guimaras and went island hopping. That was when she discovered this serene area by the cliffs overlooking the sea. In 2014, she decided to build her retirement nest and later on with only two cottages she opened the resort to the public.

Fast forward to 2018, Nature’s Eye Beach Resort already has five cottages and is the number 1 resort on Guimaras Island per Tripadvisor. It is the perfect place for that once in a while getaway with your significant other. Privacy is high. Hospitality is warm. Service is customized.

Rainy Season Sale

Nature’s Eye Beach Resort has an ongoing Rainy Season Sale from July 1 to September 30, 2018:

Sunset Cottage for two, 3 days and 2 nights, Php 3980 per head, rate includes:

1 Queen Size Bed

Fan

Native bathroom with sunset and ocean view

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

3 hours of island adventure

Sunset Cottage for two, 2 days and 1 night, Php 2115 per head, rate includes:

Queen size bed

Fan

Native bathroom with sunset and ocean view

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

3 hours of island adventure

Ocean View Lower Deck for two, 3 days and 2 nights, Php 4700 per head, rate includes:

King Size Bed

Fan

Private bathroom

Balcony with sunset and ocean view

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

3 hours of island adventure

Ocean View Lower Deck for two, 2 days and 1 night, Php 2475 per head, rate includes:

King Size Bed

Fan

Private Bathroom

Balcony with sunset and ocean view

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

3 hours of island adventure

House Rules

Please keep noise to a minimum.

Avoid staining our bed sheets and towels.

Take good care of our home and things.

We do not have wi-fi, talk to each other pretend it is 1995.

No smoking, eating and drinking inside the room.

Check-out time is 12 noon.

Nature’s Eye Beach Resort House Rules

How To Book

For bookings, visit Nature’s Eye Beach Resort’s Facebook Page here or call +63-907-7579055.

Cliff Top Cottage

After dinner, it was time to call it a day. I was billeted at the Cliff Top Cottage. From the reception cottage, I had to go down some 200 or so steps and climb up another 50 or so steps to get to my room. It was windy when I got to the veranda of my cottage but I could not really see any of the surroundings apart from the cottage itself. I reckoned that the beach must be nearby. I fell as asleep listening to the waves hitting some rocks and the rustling of the leaves in the trees as they danced with the wind. It was that time of the year when Habagat or south wind was at its mightiest. I had a good night’s sleep just the same.

When I woke up in the morning, only then did I realize that I have certainly hit the bull’s-eye with Nature’s Eye Beach Resort! I was so sleepy last night that I did not appreciate how sizable my room was. It was big enough for a family of four. The mattress and pillows were comfortable. The bed also came with a pull-out.

Cliff Top Cottage, Nature’s Eye Beach Resort, Guimaras

To keep that back to nature mood, the room’s interior was made of indigenous materials fused with modern and sturdy structure. There was a big closet with extra beddings and a safe deposit box to boot. There was also a number of electrical sockets strategically spread around the room… just perfect for charging my gadgets. How many did I have to charge every time anyway? Well…

Two drone batteries

Drone remote control

Two laptops

Three mobile phones

Gimbal

Action camera

Two DSLR batteries

Power bank

When I stepped out of the room, lo and behold, the view was to die for with the veranda overlooking the ocean. Between me and the cliff were two branches of trees made into terrace railings.

Cliff Top Cottage Veranda, Nature’s Eye Beach Resort, Guimaras

It was such a beautiful sight to greet my first morning in the resort! The view was so inspiring that if I were a novelist I thought that I could actually write a whole novel here. Just peace and quiet.

Instantly, I fell in love with the place. The next logical thing to do was for me to get my camera and take lots of photos and selfies. The veranda was my second most favorite part of the Cliff Top Cottage. It served as my me-time spot in the resort where I regrouped myself and planned for the next move in my life. You see… I have been contemplating for the longest time if I should go on with travel blogging or go back to doing a routinary 9 AM to 5 PM (most of the time 11 PM) work schedule. I guess this time, it is still passion over money.

Cliff Top Cottage Veranda, Nature’s Eye Beach Resort, Guimaras

Cliff Top Cottage Veranda, Nature’s Eye Beach Resort, Guimaras

Native Bathroom

Adjacent to the veranda was the toilet and bath or native bathroom… my most favorite part of the Cliff Top Cottage. They do not call it native bathroom for nothing. It did not have walls. You can do number 1, 2, 3  and what have you while staring at the big blue sea.

Native Bathroom of the Cliff Top Cottage, Nature’s Eye Beach Resort, Guimaras

Native Bathroom of the Cliff Top Cottage, Nature’s Eye Beach Resort, Guimaras

I guess the only downside was the low water pressure in the shower. Having a cottage perched on top of a cliff would certainly weaken the flow of water without an electric pump to boost it . I guess the resort knew about this already because the native bathroom came with a pail and a dipper. Oh, let me not forget that I love their organic shampoo and shower gel. True to the resorts eco-tourism advocacy, they only use organic toiletries.

After doing my morning rituals, I got a text message from Cai to proceed to the dining area for breakfast.

The five-minute walk from my room to the main cottage was not so tiring after all. The pebble-covered path through the thick foliage seemed more of a treat to me than torture.

Natures Eye Beach Resort Path

The main cottage was breezy and had a perfect view of the Guimaras Marine Sanctuary. I must say that my coffee never tasted so good. That view and my cup… just the perfect blend.

Natures Eye Resort View from the Dining Area

Sunset Cottage

I also checked the resort’s Sunset Cottage. For obvious reasons, this cottage was facing the west and had the perfect view of the sunset. No one was billeted in the cottage so I stayed at the balcony and waited for the sunset.

While waiting for sunset, I attempted to fly my drone but habagat was too strong. Ten minutes into challenging nature, I landed my drone and told myself, “Next time, Jaws… next time.”

Me attempting to fly my drone in windy Guimaras

Island Adventure

I also went on an island hopping activity to visit the nearby islets of the Guimaras Marine Sanctuary. The resort can arrange this for you. In fact, it is already included in their Rainy Season Sale.

The boat’s pick-up point was a good ten minute walk from Nature’s Eye Beach Resort. On regular days, the boat can pick up the guests from the resort’s beach front. On the way, we passed by two small villages.

The tide was stronger than usual. I was told though that the waves were manageable. I was glad we were pushing through because I wanted to see for myself if the Taklong Island National Marine Reserve has already recovered from the damage brought about by the oil spill.

Three hours of island adventure is included in the room rates of Nature’s Eye Beach Resort

  Taklong Island National Marine Reserve

After braving the strong waves of the open sea, we sailed through mangroves where the clear water was still.

The Taklong Island National Marine Reserve in Nueva Valencia, Guimaras is composed of 46 islands and islets, is home to various species of birds, marine creatures and other animals. The mangrove is 53 hectares.

Sadly, from the boat, I could see plastic bottles floating by. When we checked, most of the discarded mineral water bottles came from neighboring countries Malaysia and Indonesia. The current apparently has brought them here to stay.  I hope that all (and not just tourists) be more responsible in disposing their wastes. We only have one planet.

Plastic bottles floating within the Taklong Island National Marine Reserve, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras

Our first stop was the Taklong Island National Marine Reserve Eco-Park Office. This eco-park, composed of 46 islands and islets, is home to various species of birds, marine creatures and other animals. The mangrove is 53 hectares.

Taklong Island National Marine Reserve Office, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras

I was not allowed to fly my drone in the eco-park. Besides, the wind was too strong anyway. So, after paying the environmental fee of Php 30, we headed immediately to the nearby tower to get a good 360-degree vantage point of the eco-park.

Taklong Island National Marine Reserve, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras

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Basking in the sun. Expectation versus reality (swipe left) #natureseyeresort #guimaras #itsmorefuninthephilippines #travelbloggers #travelblogger #travelblog #travelph #travelphotography #travelphotos #pinoywanderer #wanderer #wanderlust #globetrotter #asianwanderlust #Philippines #digitalnomads #diginomads #pinasmuna #online #content #creator #island

A post shared by Joel Jaws Andrada (@joeljawsandrada) on Aug 12, 2018 at 11:39pm PDT

Taklong Island National Marine Reserve, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras

  Floating Cottage

On our way back, we stopped by the Floating Cottage Sandbar . These two large nipa huts was built on a submerged sandbar in December 2015 through the help of Gina Lopez whose family hails from Guimaras. We paid the entrance fee of Php 50. Tables and chairs were available for the guests to lounge and relax. Some guests brought packed lunch and were eating when we arrived. Smoking and drinking of alcoholic beverages were not allowed.

Floating Cottage Sandbar, Taklong Island National Marine Reserve, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras

The swimming area was enclosed by a net for safety. The water level was about 5 feet deep. I was told that during summer, the water level is lower (about waist deep) and safe for children to swim.

The swimming area was enclosed by a net for safety. The water level was about 5 feet deep. I was told that during summer, the water level is lower (about waist deep) and safe for children to swim.

We did not bring any food. So after an hour of swimming, we decided to head back to the resort.

Selfie with the women manning the Floating Cottage Sandbar, Taklong Island National Marine Reserve, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras

  Tan-Luc Snorkeling Site

Back on the mainland of Guimaras, we visited the Tan-Luc Snorkeling Site near the boat’s drop off point. Well, it was not the best time to go snorkeling because of habagat but I had a good dip nonetheless.

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Guimaras #natureseyeresort #guimaras

A post shared by Joel Jaws Andrada (@joeljawsandrada) on Aug 19, 2018 at 4:55pm PDT

Below are their rates:

Entrance fee is only P20 (adults); P10 (18 & below)

Snorkeling Gears Rental P10 per hour for locals; P50 per hour for individuals from outside the barangay

Life Jackets P20 per hour

Paddle boat P100 per hour

Patrol Boat P450 for the first hour; P150 for every hour succeeding

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Well, it was not the best time to go snorkeling because of Habagat (Southwind). I had a good dip nonetheless. I'm coming back next summer when the water is less disturbed. They say it is crystal clear. But it's already nice as it is. When in Guimaras, visit Tan-Luc Snorkeling Site. It is just a 5-to-10-minute walk from Nature's Eye Resort. ➡️Entrance fee is only P20 (adults); P10 (18 & below) ➡️Snorkeling Gears Rental P10 per hour for locals; P50 per hour for individuals from outside the barangay ➡️Life Jackets P20 per hour ➡️Paddle boat P100 per hour ➡️Patrol Boat P450 for the first hour; P150 for every hour succeeding Will post some more photos on my Facebook Page and website. Don't be a stranger. Follow me. You might learn something new. #natureseyeresort #guimaras #itsmorefuninthephilippines #travelbloggers #travelblogger #travelblog #travelph #travelphotography #travelphotos #pinoywanderer #wanderer #wanderlust #globetrotter #asianwanderlust #Philippines #likesforlikes #followsforfollows #digitalnomads #diginomads #pinasmuna #online #content #creator #island #likeforlike #followforfollow

A post shared by Joel Jaws Andrada (@joeljawsandrada) on Aug 17, 2018 at 5:30pm PDT

I enjoyed my stay in Nature’s Eye Beach Resort. It was a good three days and two nights of communing with nature, disconnecting from the stressful urban life and reconnecting to my core. I would love to be back though in summer to visit other places of interest in Guimaras such as:

Guisi Lighthouse

Ava Maria Islet

Guisi Beach

Tatlong Pulo Beach

Balaan Bukid

Roca Encantada

Turtle Island

Villa Igang Beach

Buho Ramirez Cave

Sad-Sad Falls

Thanks to Ms. Rowena Amancio, Cai Dominguez and the whole staff of Nature’s Eye Beach Resort for welcoming me like family. See you soon and keep in touch.

Selfie with Ms. Rowena Amancio, owner of Nature’s Eye Beach Resort in Guimaras.

We have got only one life. Never stop exploring the world one island at a time. Signing out for now. Peace!

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"Just shout it to the universe and the universe will realign and conspire to make it happen." By the sea, I just did the other day with all my heart. And, last night it came out of nowhere. Thank you, Lord. #natureseyeresort #guimaras #itsmorefuninthephilippines #travelbloggers #travelblogger #travelblog #travelph #travelphotography #travelphotos #pinoywanderer #wanderer #wanderlust #globetrotter #asianwanderlust #Philippines #digitalnomads #diginomads #pinasmuna #online #content #creator #island #tripod #thesecret

A post shared by Joel Jaws Andrada (@joeljawsandrada) on Aug 15, 2018 at 6:16pm PDT

  ESCAPE TO THIS NO. 1 RESORT IN GUIMARAS | NATURE’S EYE BEACH RESORT The first thing that comes to mind whenever I hear the word "Guimaras" is mangoes. Guimaras Mangoes are dubbed as the world's sweetest fruit.

[newstfionline]

The Evangelical Fight to Win Back California

By Elizabeth Dias, NY Times, May 27, 2018

PASADENA, Calif.--Franklin Graham stood in a packed locker room at the Rose Bowl, surrounded by fellow evangelists, pastors, and his top Los Angeles donors. It was two weeks before the California primary, and Mr. Graham was urging them to take a stand against their state’s “blue wall.”

The blue wall of California, Mr. Graham told the gathering, represents secular values that have taken root on the country’s west coast.

“Progressive?” he went on, “That’s just another word for godless.” Now is the time for churches to “suck it up” and vote.

“We’re tired of being stepped on,” Felix Martin del Campo, a board member of Samaritan’s Purse, Mr. Graham’s international humanitarian organization, said in an interview as the meeting ended and worship music played. “Only as we change the heart of the people of California can California go red again.”

Mr. Graham, the son of the late Billy Graham and one of the leading figures in evangelical Christianity, is going straight for that heart.

Mr. Graham is leading a three-bus caravan up the middle of the state, one of the biggest political battlegrounds this year, to urge evangelicals to vote and to win California for Jesus. The two week tour ends on the day of the primary, June 5.

Along the way--at a park in Escondido, outside the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, on the beaches of Oxnard, at the fairgrounds of Fresno and Modesto--Mr. Graham is hosting 10 campaign-style rallies, complete with highly-produced videos, top Christian singers and laser light shows, to urge evangelicals to join his mission.

That mission, Mr. Graham says, is about faith and Jesus, but the parallel political message is just as resounding: Support candidates who will advance the socially conservative causes dear to many evangelicals--especially opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage--and get to the polls and vote for them. Three of his stops are in or bordering critical House districts in the Central Valley, and others hug the line between red and blue up the state.

Don’t be afraid to preach about it, Mr. Graham told the pastors. “Lose your tax exempt status; the progressives want to take it away anyway,” he said.

Saving California, religiously or politically, might seem an audacious goal. Mr. Graham wants nothing less than to reform what he sees as an increasingly heathen state. But Mr. Graham and his supporters see something in California that others often miss.

Though the state has one of the highest percentages of religiously unaffiliated adults, the fast growing religious group in the country, that largely blue sea is dotted with evangelical islands that are largely red. One in five adults in the state are evangelical Christians, according to the Pew Research Center, and there are more megachurches in California than in any other state.

And while 26 percent of national voters in 2016 were white born-again Christians, according to exit polls, just 13 percent of California voters were, creating an opportunity for Mr. Graham and other conservative leaders to add to their electoral base and possibly someday swing one of the most liberal states in the country more toward purple.

Finances play a role, too. After Mr. Graham’s home state of North Carolina, California is the second largest donor base for Samaritan’s Purse and his other organization, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Even Republican political strategists and party officials doubt that Republicans could win top statewide offices like governor or senator in California this fall. The party is vulnerable in as many as seven House districts currently held by Republicans but which Hillary Clinton won in 2016. As the Republican base in California shrinks, religious conservatives become an even more important part of the party’s coalition, said Dan Schnur, a longtime Republican consultant in California who is now an independent.

“Along with his other goals, Graham is smart enough to understand that turning out his strongest supporters on election day could be the difference between Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Speaker Nancy Pelosi.”

Mr. Graham’s supporters see the connection between evangelism and political activism, even if Mr. Graham walks the line. On the lawn outside the Rose Bowl, as churches dropped off busloads of people for his second rally, attendees spoke freely of a recent memory. In 2016, Mr. Graham held rallies in all 50 state capitals to urge Christians to vote. Donald J. Trump won the White House that year, defying all predictions, in large part thanks to a groundswell of white evangelical turnout.

Maybe, they hoped, the 2018 midterms in California could produce a similar surprise.

“That’s what we are praying for,” said Peggy Brown, who runs a Christian drug rehabilitation program and who traveled to nine of Mr. Graham’s rallies in 2016. She teared up. “We saw a move of God with Christians. It gives me chills just to talk about it.”

As a youth, Mr. Graham, now 65, was the prodigal of the Graham family, a college dropout fond of alcohol. After he got ordained, he joined the family business, and as his father retreated to the mountains of North Carolina later in life, Franklin became the heir of his religious empire. Unlike Billy Graham, who was known for bridging political divides, Franklin has sought them out, especially when it comes the current president.

He describes himself as a modern day Paul Revere. “The church just has to be wakened,” he said. “People say, what goes in California is the way the rest of the nation is going to go. So, if we want to see changes, it is going to have to be done here.”

“All of California is like a university town now,” he went on. Referring to the state’s leader, Jerry Brown, he said: “But you are beginning to see a groundswell of revolt out here. Orange County, San Diego County, are beginning to take on Governor Brown. It’s good for Christians to capitalize on that. So yah, we could help turn the tide.”

For a preacher who has earned a reputation for his unapologetic condemnation of everything he sees as sin and for his outspoken defense of President Trump, Mr. Graham’s voice is surprisingly soft in person, almost sweet. His words are not. “The gays and lesbians have their people run for politics and win,” he said. “Christians, we are just being stupid.”

Though Mr. Graham insists his hope lies only in Jesus, and not in Republicans or Democrats, his vision often dovetails more closely to Republican policy priorities. In California, one clear goal is to change the makeup of school boards. “Can you imagine if your school boards were controlled by evangelical Christians?” he asked the pastors in Pasadena, a not so subtle reference to conservative religious protests of California’s new sex education curriculum, which includes lessons on LGBTQ sexuality.

And school boards are just the start. He wants Christians to run for city council, for mayor, and every level of government. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which reclassified its tax-exempt status in 2015 from a religious nonprofit to an association of churches, has devoted some three-quarters of a million dollars for each California rally. Later this summer, Mr. Graham will host rallies in two more blue states, Oregon and Washington. And as part of a strategic plan that will run through 2020, he has planned a similar tour next year up the country’s other prominent blue wall, the northeast.

Mr. Graham recalled how on election night in 2016, then-Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana called him as the polls closed.

“He thought they had lost the election,” Mr. Graham said, a gleam in his eye. “I said, ‘Listen buddy. If you guys win tonight, you make sure Donald understands that it’s the Lord.’”

When it was clear the tide had turned, Mr. Graham sent the soon to be vice-president a post-midnight text. “I said, ‘Mike, look what God did tonight.’ He said, ‘Isn’t it awesome.’”

But other evangelicals are not comfortable with the political direction Mr. Graham is taking their faith. When a Graham organizer asked Daniel Balcombe, the pastor of Living Way Church near Escondido, to promote Mr. Graham’s rally, he said no. “He’s too politically toxic,” Mr. Balcombe, a registered Republican, said in an interview. “I told the organizer this, and he made excuses and insisted that he would not be political in his crusade. Still, I told him no thanks.”

Mr. Balcombe cited the example of a Muslim refugee from Iran who became a Christian at his church last year, around the same time Mr. Trump banned travel from seven Muslim-majority countries--a decision Mr. Graham defended.

“I have a whole bunch of Trumpers in my church, who are supportive of the travel ban, and I’ve got this guy in my office, and we are praying and weeping, how can we get this guy’s family here,” he recalled. “I feel isolated, not by the political world but even within my own evangelical world.”

It is a reminder that evangelicalism, and the culture that goes with it, is changing. Sergio De La Mora, pastor of a large Latino-led church with five main campuses, called Cornerstone Church of San Diego, says the future of California Christianity is neither red nor blue, especially because of the growing Hispanic church whose political priorities do not fit an expected mold.

While Mr. De La Mora voted for Mr. Trump, citing his family work ethic, he says he is most passionate about issues like green energy, women’s rights and immigration. “Don’t look at us as this lost, liberal state,” he said. “Look at us as this emerging new America that says, we can coexist.”

This division only reinforces what Mr. Graham sees as the urgency of his message. On his bus route from San Diego to Los Angeles, Christian radio stations sometimes faded in and out with Spanish ones. The caravan passed evangelical powerhouses like Saddleback Church, where the pastor, Rick Warren, who hosted a presidential election forum between Barack Obama and John McCain in 2008, largely avoids today’s public political conversation, especially if it involves Mr. Trump.

[dailynynews-blog]

John Hall's Alaska Grand Slam Land Tour Trip Diary

New Post has been published on https://www.usatelegraph.com/2018/john-halls-alaska-grand-slam-land-tour-trip-diary/

John Hall's Alaska Grand Slam Land Tour Trip Diary

I took a land tour of Anchorage, Prince William Sound, Valdez, Fairbanks, Denali Nationals Park and Preserve and Talkeetna with John Hall’s Alaska. Here is my trip diary.

Traveling from the eastern US to Alaska takes the better part of a day. I woke up at 4:00 a. m. and was at the airport before 5:30 a. m. I have never been so glad to have TSA PreCheck in my life. The security screening line was extremely long, but the PreCheck line had fewer than 10 people in it – lucky me! I had plenty of time to get to my gate.

My flight connected through Denver, which is a nice airport with plenty of dining options and lots of places to charge electronic devices.  John Hall’s Alaska’s travel documents mentioned the limited space for carry-on bags on the tour bus, so my Eagle Creek zip-top tote bag seemed like a good carry-on bag option for this trip. Most of the people on my flight had wheeled suitcases or duffel bags and the overhead bin space filled very quickly. My carry-on fit under the seat in front of me. I chose a window seat so I could take photos as we flew over British Columbia and Alaska, and it was nice to be able to reach my book, e-reader and other items without disturbing the other passengers in my row.

When I arrived at the airport in Anchorage, it was easy to find Tara, the John Hall’s Alaska representative assigned to greet incoming flights. My bag arrived quickly, and Tara and I headed off to find the other tour participants who would be riding to the hotel with us. It took only a few minutes to locate them and head out to the curb, where the Crowne Plaza Midtown shuttle picked us up and whisked us to the hotel.

The Crowne Plaza Midtown is on the main road between the airport and downtown Anchorage. John Hall’s Alaska arranged for a shuttle driver to be available at specific times so that any arriving tour participants who wanted to go downtown could do so. I was tired from all of my travels – I was not yet over jet lag from my trip the previous week to the West Coast – so I decided to unpack and deal with some work-related emails rather than go into Anchorage.

John Hall’s Alaska gave all the tour participants vouchers for dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. We could order any meal on the menu, from a sandwich to rib eye steak. My salmon was tasty and I had more than enough to eat.

After dinner, I headed back to my room to relax and get a good night’s sleep.

02of 08

Day 2 – Alaska Railroad, Meares Glacier, Prince William Sound, Valdez

Today was a fun but long day. We had breakfast at 7:00 at the hotel. Offerings included scrambled eggs, omelets cooked to order, bacon, sausage, fruit, pastries, yogurt, oatmeal, potatoes and salmon.  We traveled to the Alaska Railroad train depot by motorcoach.  The depot was jammed because people were waiting to board special trains that were running from Anchorage to the state fair. Our train, the Glacier Express, ran from Anchorage south to Whittier. After the state fair train left the station, our train arrived and we boarded.

Our two-hour train ride took us through some very beautiful areas, particularly the Turnagain Arm.  The Seward Highway runs parallel to the train route, and we could see many RVs, trailers and campers on the highway as we traveled. We saw glaciers and amazingly beautiful mountains. Although this trip took place in late August, some of the trees had already turned yellow.

When we arrived at the train station in Whittier, we walked across the street to the Inn, where we had a nice lunch. I had salmon with asparagus and lemon sorbet for dessert. Sadly, after lunch, one of the ladies I ate with fell and fractured her pelvis. John Hall’s Alaska sent a driver to take her to the hospital in Anchorage. One of her friends stayed with her for a couple of days, and then rejoined the tour.

After lunch we took a seven-hour boat trip from Whittier to Valdez via the Meares Glacier. It was a beautiful trip, with the highlight being the 20 minutes or so we spent at the glacier. Glaciers make sounds! They crack and pop even when ice falls aren’t happening. We saw a couple of large ice falls (talk about noise!) and a couple of smaller ones. Our boat got about ¼ mile from the glacier – way closer than my Holland America Line cruise ship could do in Glacier Bay five years ago. Even with the wind and engine noise, it was easy to hear the glacier’s sounds.

We saw sea otters, kittiwakes, two types of puffins, harbor seals, sea lions, and one humpback whale that wanted very little to do with us. I enjoyed watching an otter clutch a giant salmon while seagulls flew toward this tasty meal. The otter would watch the proceedings, then suddenly dive underwater to trick the gulls.

We had dinner on the boat – halibut, steamed vegetables, rice, a roll and oreos.

We arrived in Valdez about 9:00 and were told that we had to have our suitcases outside our room doors and be downstairs at 6:00 a. m. the next morning. After a long day of travel, this was not welcome news. Best Western Valdez Harbor Inn is clean and comfortable, but it does not have air conditioning or elevators.

03of 08

Day 3 – Valdez to Fairbanks

We all made it downstairs by 6:00 a. m., and Tour Director Bill led us across the street to The Fat Mermaid, a restaurant and bar that looked like something straight out of Northern Exposure. Breakfast included scrambled eggs, eggs and omelets made to order, bacon, sausage, fruit, French toast pecan casserole, toast, English muffins and juice. We watched the sun create a glow behind the mountains as we boarded the coach and headed out of Valdez.

Our drive today was very long; we arrived in Fairbanks at about 6:30 p. m. We had several adventures along the way. We stopped twice in Keystone Canyon to photograph waterfalls. I really enjoyed the scenery in the Thompson Pass.  At the Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve Visitor Center, we discovered that a rock had struck our coach’s radiator and caused a leak. Tour Director Bill called John Hall’s Alaska’s office right away, and together they came up with a plan to get us safely to Fairbanks.  While at the Visitor Center, I walked the half-mile loop trail, which is advertised as wheelchair-accessible. It’s definitely flat, but there are tree roots and forest debris in the way, so it would be good to have someone else along if you plan to explore this trail via wheelchair.

After our 45-minute stop, we hit the road. At the first gas station we saw, Bill bought a large quantity of Stop Leak and poured it into the radiator. He checked fluid levels a couple of times along the Richardson Highway, but the Stop Leak did its job and we had no further issues. John Hall’s Alaska sent another motorcoach to Fairbanks for our group to use.

We ate lunch at Gakona Lodge’s Carriage House Restaurant. Gakona Lodge was built in the early 1900s and is currently Alaska’s oldest operating roadhouse.  The Carriage House used to be a carriage repair shop, back in the days when people used horses and buggies to get from place to place in Alaska. Its log walls, quirky antiques and tasty food made our lunch experience feel very Alaskan. It was fun to see my traveling companions run around taking photos like a bunch of travel writers.

After we resumed our day-long drive to Fairbanks, we stopped a couple of times to view the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which appears to be an engineering marvel that has been built to withstand huge earthquakes. I say “appears” because the pipeline’s innovations are relatively untested. Our group was immensely interested in the pipeline and nearly everyone got off the bus to take photos at each of our pipeline stops.

We stopped at Delta Junction to stretch our legs and take photos of the mile marker at the end of the Alaska (Alcan) Highway. By this time it was later in the afternoon and all of us were quite tired of being on the coach, but we still had two hours to go. Bill did his best to tell us about life in Fairbanks, his childhood, Fairbanks winters and anything else he could think of to pass the time, but in the end it was still an 11.5 hour day on a motorcoach.

The Bear Lodge in Fairbanks is very nice and is home to a wonderful museum filled with pristine vintage cars and equally well-preserved ladies’ and childrens’ clothing from the late 1890s through the 1940s. The collection is immaculately preserved and contains many rare vehicles. It’s well worth a stop or even a detour through Fairbanks. We ate dinner at our hotel. Portions were huge, service was beyond friendly and I felt inspired to go on as many hikes as possible in order to burn off some calories.

We were able to request a Northern Lights wake-up call – apparently this is a normal hotel service in Alaska.

04of 08

Day 4 – Fairbanks

I got the Northern Lights call at 2:45 a. m., threw on some clothes and walked outside as quickly as I could. I knew the lights would be less than spectacular. Our Tour Director had told us about a website that predicts the intensity of the Northern Lights in Alaska, and last night’s prediction was for intensity level 2, with 10 being maximum intensity. Still, I saw them! They were hard to see because of all the lights around the Bear Lodge, so I could not take photos, but I will try again tonight.

It took me a while to fall asleep after viewing the Lights, so I was a bit groggy when my alarm went off. Still, I had plenty of time to get dressed and have breakfast. It was served buffet-style in the hotel restaurant and included eggs, French toast, potatoes, bacon, sausage, fruit, pastries. Next, we took a steamboat tour of the Chena River on the sternwheeler Discovery III. Along the way, we watched a float plane take off and land and saw a sled dog musher take her team for a training run. We also watched a Native Alaskan fish camp demonstration. The river cruise narrator interviewed the pilot, dog musher and fish preparer, using television cameras and microphones, so we could see and hear each demonstration clearly wherever we were on the boat.

The Discovery III tied up at the Chena Indian Village, where we spent an agreeable hour touring three different sites with college-age Native Alaskans who told us about Athabascan life before and after Anglo explorers and trappers arrived in Alaska. We had free time to walk around and ask questions. Laura Allaway, the dog musher we had watched earlier, was also there with some of her dogs.

At the conclusion of our trip, we went by motorcoach to Trail Breaker Kennel, where Laura Allaway gave us a tour and told us how she came to Alaska and competed in the 2015 Iditarod. We learned about the dogs’ training program and about the Alaskan Husky dogs. After a buffet lunch, we were allowed to hold Trail Breaker Kennel’ newest pups, Phelps, Ledecky, Simone, Farah, Bolt and Felix. The puppies were adorable, of course!

After our Tour Director tore us away from the pups, he took us on a quick drive through downtown Fairbanks so we could see the downtown area. We had the option to spend a couple of hours there before dinner, but we were all so tired that we chose to go back to the hotel. I spent some time packing for our Denali stop. John Hall’s Alaska gave all of us tour participants a small red duffel bag at the start of the trip for use at the Denali Backcountry Lodge. I needed to make sure everything I really and truly needed would fit, and it did.

We regrouped at 5:00 and headed to the Alaskan Salmon Bake at Pioneer Park. This meal is an all-you-can-eat affair featuring salmon, prime rib, beer battered cod and “crab clusters,” which are Alaskan king crab legs. Sides included green, pasta and potato salads, baked beans, rolls and butter. Four kinds of cake were served for dessert. Needless to say, no one left hungry! Although many tourists come to the Salmon Bake, there were several local families waiting to pay for their meals as we left the restaurant.

We walked to the Palace Saloon and Theater in Pioneer Park to see the early performance of the Golden Heart Review, a lighthearted look at Fairbanks’ history through the eyes of its early pioneers. We were back at the Bear Lodge by 8:00.

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Day 5 – Fairbanks to Kantishna and Denali National Park

•••

We left Bear Lodge at 7:30 a. m. after a breakfast that was identical to yesterday’s buffet. We drove south to the entrance of Denali National Park and had some free time at the Visitor Center before and after lunch. We ate lunch at the Morino Grill; we ordered off the regular menu, which included burgers, sandwiches, soups, panini and salads.

After lunch, we boarded the Denali Backcountry Lodge bus, carrying our red duffel bags and our purses, camera bags and other small carry-on items. The bus strongly resembled a school bus. It had no air conditioning, but the windows worked and there was a bit more seat room than a typical school bus. Our trip to the Denali Backcountry Lodge in Kantishna took about six and a half hours, much of it at 20 miles per hour on a packed gravel road. The scenery was beautiful, and we had a clear weather day – this is somewhat unusual, apparently – which gave us spectacular views of Denali. We also saw five grizzly bears, one caribou, four swans and a couple of Dall sheep along the way. Our driver told us about the park’s history and wildlife during the drive and pulled over each time we saw an animal so we could take photographs. He also made four scheduled stops for snacks, restroom breaks and photography. Although the drive was very long and the road was a bit scary at times (there are no guardrails), our driver and Tour Director did their best to help pass the time and teach us about Denali National Park.

The mountain (in Denali National Park, there is only one mountain worth mentioning) was beyond amazing. 20,320 feet high, covered in ice and snow, Denali looms above all the other peaks in the Alaska Range. We knew we were fortunate to have such perfect weather for our drive, and we took plenty of photos, just in case the weather on our return drive turned out to be less than stellar.

Upon arrival at the Denali Backcountry Lodge, we received our room assignments. My room, which smelled delightfully of cedar and redwood,  had a small table and two chairs by the window, which looked out on the river. The room also had a futon. The heater worked well, I discovered. We ate dinner in the main lodge; we had a choice of ribs (this turned out to be one large pork rib per person), baked cod or stuffed Portobello mushrooms, served with mashed potatoes, rolls and butter, kale Caesar salad and a mélange of broccoli, carrots and golden beets. We had bread pudding, served cold with rhubarb sauce, for dessert.

We spent some time choosing hikes and other activities for tomorrow and plotting yet another expedition to view the Northern Lights. Then it was time for sleep; 1:15 a. m. (peak Northern Lights time) was just around the corner.

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Day 6 – “Free Day” at Denali Backcountry Lodge

The 1:15 a. m. Northern Lights viewing was a bust, but we did have spectacular views of the Milky Way and constellations. Apparently the Northern Lights did not appear until about 2:30 a. m., according to the lodge staff.

Breakfast was served buffet style in the Main Lodge. Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, oatmeal, fruit, coffee and orange juice were on the menu. After breakfast I went on a guided hike to Blueberry Hill. This hike was rated “casual” and it was a fairly easy hike on an improved trail. Our guide did a great job telling us about native plants and their medicinal and nutritional uses. Once again we had sunny weather, which meant Denali and the Alaska Range appeared in practically every photo I took. We saw a caribou grazing on the hillside, and the caribou not only was not afraid of us, he started approaching our group. Park rules required us to move away from the caribou so he could graze in peace, but we really enjoyed viewing him as he munched on lichens. We picked wild blueberries on Blueberry Hill and took plenty of photos of Wonder Lake and Denali.

We made it back to the lodge as lunch service began. Lunch consisted of two soups, chicken and wild rice and vegetarian lentil, as well as sandwiches, turkey wraps, salad and two dessert choices. The food was plentiful and tasty.

After lunch, we had a gold panning session with our Tour Director. Bill made swishing the dirt and water around in the pan look easy, but it was clear early on that gold panning is an acquired skill. Everyone had fun, though, and the lodge staff laminated the gold flakes our “prospectors” found onto little souvenir cards to take home, which was a nice touch.

At 2:30 a group of us met our guide for the afternoon historical walk. Our destination was Fannie Quigley’s cabin. Fannie Quigley was legendary in Kantishna, a mining town in what is now Denali National Park, even during her lifetime. She was married to a miner, and when he left her, she stayed on, hunting her own food, looking after herself and providing hospitality to any folks who wandered through the former boomtown. Today the National Park Service and two of the lodges in Denali National Park offer tours to Fannie’s cabin, which stands as a symbol not only of Kantishna’s gold rush days but also as a memorial to a self-reliant woman.

We had some free time after our hike. I used it read a book next to the river. The Lodge offered a social hour at 5:00; the staff put out an appetizer tray in the bar area for guests, and we could sit inside or out on the deck to enjoy some treats and socialize. Dinner was served at 6:00. We had a choice of either Cornish game hens or beef tips; both were served with a spring mix salad, tiny potatoes and mixed vegetables. Our chocolate mousse dessert was a sweet treat.

The Lodge offers evening programs; tonight’s was on mammals of Denali National Park. Our tour group planned to cap the evening with a hot chocolate social, but with a 6:00 a. m. departure looming, I opted to go back to my room, pack and turn in early.

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Day 7 – Talkeetna

We were up before dawn, ready to take the bus back through the park to the Alaska Railroad’s Denali station, which is a short walk from the Park’s Visitor Center. The drive was very enjoyable, if dusty, because we stopped to take photos of Denali at sunrise from Wonder Lake and a couple of other vantage points. You know it’s a great shot when your bus driver takes a photo, too.

Our four-hour train trip from Denali to Talkeetna was great fun. We had Goldstar Service tickets, which included lunch and two beverages. It was fun to eat in the dining car. A very well-spoken young lady narrated our tour, pointing out historic sites and telling us about life in the Alaska backcountry. We found out that she is a high school student who works for the Alaska Railroad during the summer. Many students compete for the Alaska Railroad jobs, and it’s easy to see why. It would be fun to talk about your home state and see such gorgeous scenery every day.

We traveled to Talkeetna, a town on the other side of the Alaska Range. Because it was on the “easy” climbing side of Denali and had a train station, Talkeetna became the home base for people who want to summit Denali. Today, anyone who wishes to climb the mountain must pre-register and, if approved go to an orientation session at the ranger station in Talkeetna before beginning an expedition to Denali.

Talkeetna is packed with souvenir shops, restaurants and adventure outfitters. Whether you want to take a flightseeing expedition to Denali or rent a kayak, Talkeetna is an excellent place to begin your journey. Our hotel, the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, offered spectacular views of Denali and the Alaska Range. The Lodge, with its enormous windows, patio that was perfect for mountain viewing, and large dining room, reminded me of some of the Alpine hotels I have stayed in. I found myself constantly looking at Denali, no matter where I was in the Lodge.

We ate dinner in the hotel’s Foraker Restaurant. I ordered the pan-seared halibut, which came with potatoes and braised leeks. It was delicious. Others in our group tried some of the appetizers and salads. The beet salad and KFC (Korean fried cauliflower – spicy!) got rave reviews.

After dinner, I watched the sun set behind the mountains. It was so beautiful I could hardly bear to go inside. Eventually I did, and spent some time packing for my flight home the next day. Of course, I asked for a Northern Lights wake-up call.

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Day 8 – Anchorage

I saw the Northern Lights again, and, as before, they were too dim to photograph. My bucket list is very short, but seeing the Northern Lights was the first item on the list, so I was very happy to see the Lights again.

My last breakfast in Alaska included scrambled eggs, bacon and potatoes. Several other items were available, including fruit, oatmeal and pastries. We had some difficulty tracking down our waiter, but he explained that in Alaska, late August is the end of the tourist season and staff rosters begin to shrink, leaving fewer waiters to take care of guests.

After breakfast, we drove to downtown Anchorage. Tour Director Bill drove us around the downtown area so we could get our bearings, as we would be spending the morning on our own. We parked near the Anchorage Museum, which was a great place to begin our exploration of the city. This museum tells the story of Anchorage through art, cultural artifacts, stories and hands-on science. The highlight of my visit was visiting the Alaska Native Cultures exhibit, which contains not only hundreds of artifacts from Alaska Native cultures but also recordings of oral histories. Viewing the artifacts while listening to these stories helped me learn about Alaska Native life.

I left the museum and walked around Anchorage on my own. I spotted a couple of murals, and realized that Anchorage’s murals are worth seeking out. I found an Iditarod mural, a moose mural, a whale mural and a public art project created by local youth under the direction of the Anchorage Artists Co-op. Bill later told me that there are other murals in Anchorage; next time I visit, I will look for them. Anchorage has plenty of souvenir shops, and I bought a couple of small items to bring home.

We had lunch at Simon & Seafort’s Saloon & Grill. This restaurant specializes in steak and seafood. We ordered off a limited menu that included sandwiches, salads and fish and chips. Portions were quite large, and my open-faced crab sandwich was excellent.

After lunch, I said goodbye to my fellow travelers. They were continuing to Seward for the cruise portion of their John Hall’s Alaska Grand Slam Tour, but my journey ended in Anchorage. I’m sure they had a fantastic time. John Hall’s Alaska’s Cruise Manager was waiting to greet them and look after the group for the next seven days. Tara, who greeted me on my first day, took me to the airport. My flight was delayed, which forced me to change my connecting flight, but I got home with little difficulty. Of course, I left a part of my heart in Alaska.

John Hall’s Alaska’s impressive attention to detail made this trip as close to perfect as a tour can be. Bill was an excellent Alaska ambassador, tour director, bus driver and problem solver. Our hotels and meals exceeded my expectations, and each day brought a new adventure and expanded my horizons. My fellow travelers also enjoyed their Alaska adventure and were quick to sing the praises of John Hall’s Alaska to anyone who asked about our name tags, John Hall’s Alaska windbreakers or anything else. There’s no higher recommendation than praise from a happy traveler.

[sudsybear]

Allergies

Because I quit SubDeb, I suddenly had more free time. No Sunday afternoon meetings, no mandatory attendance at club events, instead I developed other friendships. A year ahead of me in school, Anna also refused to participate in Sub Deb. Our mothers were on the Life Squad together, and our fathers worked for the same company, carpooling on occasion. For a time, our parents were all involved in the local community theater group. Anna and I were thrown together so often growing up that by the time we were in high school, we were friends in our own right. So, while Julie and Valli and Erin were busy with Sub Deb Club, Anna drew me into her world and her friends. We did girl stuff together when other friends were busy.

 She pulled me into her own high school clique. Like any group of high school friends, “membership” in the group was fluid; we were spread over several classes, one to three years apart. Interests varied and conflicting family and social obligations changed the weekly gatherings. Even so, we were all close friends, running together, having fun, alternately antagonizing and protecting one another.

 Ross was friends with Anna and Heather. Victor and Heather dated and I was friends with Heather and Cynthia, Valli and Cynthia were friends, both were friends with Jenny, with whom David shared a unique friendship. Cynthia lived just a few houses up from Victor and Igor. It’s all muddled and very confusing, and however it came about, I got to know Victor and his younger brother Igor. Another chain of friendship links led from Victor to Igor to Christopher to David and hence to me. Trust me, we were all intertwined and interconnected, we were quite clannish. The gang of us spent a lot of time together; we all knew each other’s kitchens and phone numbers.

 Anna announced, “Let’s meet at my house,” word got around, and we knew the place to meet. Anna’s home was a then-contemporary mid-60’s two-story colonial on a cul-de-sac at the top of a long residential street. Older homes (20s, 30s, and 40s) flanked the street at the bottom of the hill, and as you gained altitude, lot sizes got smaller while houses got bigger and younger. We sat in the living room of her parents’ home, and laughed and talked, the television tuned to MTV or the radio playing. Her parents might be in the kitchen or family room, close by but not intrusive. Our discussions ran the usual teenage gamut, gossip, music, clothing, and what to do later that same evening.

 We worried about the typical Midwestern suburban teenage problems - who was going to the pizza parlor before the football game on Friday night, who would we sit with in the stands, where would we go after the game. Who was going to walk to Corral together. Who was dating whom? We knew each other’s class schedules, phone numbers, kitchens, and bedrooms. We gossiped and giggled with each other, teased and defended each other, and offered advice, solicited or not. Along with a dozen other friends in our group, we all spent time together and I allowed myself to be dragged into outings and events, and got to know the boys better – David, Ross, Greg, Victor and Igor. There were others.

 One night David and Christopher diagrammed the myriad relationships using circles and triangles and color-coded arrows on a sheet of paper. Who was dating who, who used to date and were no longer speaking, who graduated but was still around and involved with the rest of us however tangentially. And who were only peripherally connected, mostly busy with other activities and different friends. Word got out about the diagram, and people worried about where they were drawn, what arrows pointed to whom. The whole incident caused quite a ruckus and the diagram was secreted away - never seen again.

 Overall, we enjoyed spending time with each other in the dynamics of group dating. I liked some but not all the boys and wasn’t particularly exclusive. They were mostly fun to be with. And yet, at some point during the evening Ross and I left the house together. For Ross, allergies kicked in and he couldn’t tolerate being in the house anymore. Anna’s family dog was a large white Samoyed. (I know that’s redundant for those who know Samoyeds - what Samoyed isn’t large and white?) Ross was extremely allergic. I was either tired of the tears and teenage histrionics, or the loud music, or both, and needed a breath of quiet and fresh air. So, we left. Just walked away together.

 I tugged on his arm, “Come on, Ross, let’s get your head clear. You’re miserable.” And he followed along willingly.

 They were comfortable walks. We were companionable and supportive. Ross needed to clear his head, I could not tolerate the petty jealousies the girls had for each other over the boys and needed to remove myself from the situation. My patience with girls crying, “She stole my boyfriend,” was limited. I had even less patience for the, “She was mean to me,” comments. So Ross and I left. Just walked away.

 We ambled (perambulated perhaps?) along the sidewalk up and down the hill – long enough for his head to clear and for me to work off nervous energy. We talked about Greg and Valli (each of our best friends were dating each other), Anna, what he and Shari did together. We gossiped about other families we knew. We walked, ran, and laughed. We skipped along the sidewalk like elementary schoolers, enjoying the feeling – step-hop, step-hop, step-hop. Other times we danced in the starlight, spinning around and falling to the ground. He’d hock a loogie, spit, and I’d do the same, making him laugh. We laughed together – oh how we laughed! Sometimes, we found a comfortable spot to sit in a neighbor’s front lawn, or leaned against a known vehicle parked on the street, and talked for a while; places we dreamed of going, movies we enjoyed, whether or not the football team was winning or losing, which teachers we liked or didn’t. By the time we got back to Anna’s I could cope with the histrionics (which either escalated in our absence or calmed down and dissipated) and he could breathe again for a while.

 But Ross was two years older – already a junior while I was a young freshman. We weren’t interested in dating – never crossed my mind anyway. Sure, Ross was “cute” - tall, lanky, dirty blonde hair, smile lines accenting his lean face. His hazel eyes changed color with mood or what he was wearing. But I wasn’t ready for “older boys”. Instead he and Shari went steady, later he dated Sara, another friend of Anna’s. Instead, ours was an acquaintanceship – we never called each other on the phone, nor were ever in each other’s house, never passed notes in school. We saw each other within the context of “the group” and served on Corral Board together, but on different committees. He ran on the boys’ track team with Greg, Valli and I ran together with the girls. We shared seats on the bus and cheered each other on.

 The following school year, Ross’ senior year, my sophomore year, David and I played at romance. He and I became close friends within the clique. We were all so entangled I don’t remember who he knew or how he was connected to whomever. What I do know is that I spent my sophomore year solidifying friendships, especially with David. We were pals. We had fun together. We laughed, we danced, and we played. We thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company. Our academic worlds did not compete, our social world was cozy and comfortable, and our teenage hormones complemented each other extremely well. He and I spent so much time together that friends finally goaded us into publicly conceding that we were “going out”.

 David is 5’6” in his Nikes. Lean and compact, you can’t call him wiry, but certainly he’s all muscle. More like a badger than a weasel. And why not? He rode his bicycle all over Wyoming for his paper route, and rode his skateboard down all the hills before that. Puberty hit, and while he didn’t gain much in height, he grew a beard immediately. He shaved it as a favor for his mother for his senior photo, but grew it back within a week. He wore his soft dark brown hair short and spiky along with his straight brown beard he kept close to his face. He keeps secrets behind his brown eyes. He has an ageless face; at age sixteen he could have passed for twenty-five and at thirty-five, even with a receding hairline he could still pass for twenty-five. Like me, David is a “youngest.” His older sisters were in school with my older brothers and without ever discussing it, we knew each other’s only child/youngest child position and the effect on our personalities – young, but old at the same time.

 David and I were friends first and foremost and I went along with him and his buddies, Christopher, Victor and Igor, and others when they were out and about. One Saturday afternoon the boys dragged me to the arcade. Some teenagers in the 1980s played video games on separate consoles hooked up to the family room television – Atari, Commodore. But these guys blew their money playing games at the arcade – PacMan, Donkey Kong, Asteroids, Space Invaders…we could blow $15 in 15 minutes.

 (Personally, I prefer the romance of pinball; a real ball with flippers controlled by springs. My grandfather was a pinball fiend in his day, playing at the lunch counter near the courthouse where he practiced law. My affinity for the real game of skill was inborn. Unfortunately, pinball games have gone high tech. These days pinball machines have computer chips controlling the flippers, the bumpers, and tallying the score. They’re all electronic digital crap controlled by a programmer long since dead of a drug overdose.)

 If the group didn’t meet at Anna’s, we gathered at Victor and Igor’s, goofing off in the basement until everyone arrived and we could leave together for our destination. Victor and Igor and Alex are brothers. The product of a Russian mother and Central American father, Victor was 6’ tall, white blonde with blue eyes and had that teenager slenderness that you might call wiry. He had a wild energy and a streak of vengeance that got him in trouble more than once. His “little” brother Igor was 6’4”, with dark hair, brown eyes. He was lanky, and not yet comfortable with his height. Igor had heart surgery as a child and the scar ran from his sternum around to his back. You noticed a slight deformity only when we swam together at the public swimming pool, but he was just Igor, so who cared? And Alex did his best to keep up with his older siblings. Just enough younger than Victor and Igor, he got into more trouble than he should have, and after his freshman year, was sent to a military academy for his high school years.

 The Morenos lived a couple of blocks over from my house. Like ours, their house was built in the 1920s and had relatively few remodel jobs over the years. The basement was dry, but unfinished. Someone put in a row of fluorescent lights along the ceiling. The furnace room and laundry area were walled off separately and a curtain hung in front of the lone extra toilet next to the washtub. It had been furnished of sorts with a musty rug over the concrete floor and an old couch. An old 1960s coffee table held our drinks and current projects. Victor and Igor and pals played Dungeons and Dragons amidst the cobwebs and must. Igor was enthusiastic about his Society for Creative Anachronism and made chain mail in his spare time. Sure, the basement was grungy, but the grunge meant we didn’t have to worry about feet on the furniture or much of anything else either. We had fun down there, listening to music, planning our weekend escapades, gossiping, chastising and teasing each other.

 As a group we caravanned with Victor and Igor and other friends in the “Grenade” (an old Ford Grenada – two-door, olive green with black vinyl interior) to play Frisbee golf. Yet another night a bunch of us decided we needed to see the new mural, Cincinnatus. The artist Richard Haas, recently completed his trompe l'oeil masterpiece on the side of the downtown Kroger headquarters in celebration of the company centennial. We weren’t quite sure where it was, so we spent an inordinate amount of time cruising one-way streets until we finally found it.

 There was a growing interest in teenage suburban male pyrotechnics. Victor, Igor, David, Moj and Christopher had been enthusiastic about burning gasoline, lighter fluid, kerosene, and paraffin wax. David built model rockets, and played with the rocket engines. Together they built an “apparatus” involving paraffin wax, water and gasoline (?) and set it off in the Moreno’s back yard. We’re lucky no one was ever seriously injured. Sometimes I’d be around, but when the testosterone levels got to be too high, I got outta there and found my girlfriends.

 After our adventures, or to end them, we drove to Skyline, one of several local chili parlor chains. The menu consists of two items, Cincinnati chili and cheese coneys; anything else on the menu is just a variation of those two items. The restaurant we frequented was located at the corner of Clifton and Ludlow Avenues, on the far end of Fraternity Row near the University of Cincinnati campus. It stayed open until 3 or 4 a.m. on weekends, and after the movie, party, or Corral event we often drove down to the eatery to satisfy our hunger pangs. We drove too fast down the hill to get there, under the highway overpass, across the railroad tracks and then we drove too fast up the hill to get there. We parked in the small parking lot and walked around the building to go inside. David ordered a five-way and medium root beer. I ordered a 4-way/bean and a large Coke. Whomever was with us ordered their own, and we laughed and giggled and flirted until our food arrived. Once sated, and finally getting tired, we drove too fast to get home, coasting down the steep narrow curves on the one side and racing back up the wide roadway on the other side.

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