Diane's Travel | dianeruszczyk

Austria 1999
			Helen and friend having a Sacher Torte at the Sacher Hotel, Vienna, Austria




	Bhutan 2002 driver, Diane, George, Meg, Dorgi
		Bhutan 2002
Bhutan 2002
Tshechu in Wangdue





	Cambodia 2000		Shirley & Larry Willliams, Diane Ruszczyk, Meg Porter, George Coffman




	Wasaga Beach,Canada	Camada	Montreal
Helen, Diane, Czesława Niagara Falls		China 1996






		Xian, China 1996


China 2001 - The Silk Road	Susanne, Scott, Patricia, Gwen at train station in China 2001	Patricia, Scott, Susanne, & Diane at Dunhuang Caves, China 2001


			Heavenly Lake, Urumqi, China 2001


	The Sand Desert	China 2001 - the Silk Road The Sand Desert	China 2001 - the Silk Road Dunhuang Caves
	China 2001 - the Silk Road Dunhuang Caves	Mao statue - Kashgar

China 2001 - the Silk Road
Kashgar	Terracotta Soldiers - Xian



		Egypt 1985 Abu Simbel
			Egypt 1985
		Egypt 1985 King Tuthmos III	Egypt 1985 Abydos

	Egypt 1985 Abu Syr	Saqqara
Abu Simbel	Abu Syr Egypt 1985	Queen Hatshepsut's Temple

Egypt 1995	Dr. Zahi Hawass Director of Antiquities Egypt 1995











			Egypt 1995



			Egypt 1995 Mena House Hotel



	Lake Nassar Cruise Egypt 1997

Egypt 1997 approaching Abu Simbel Temples by boat on Lake Nassar


Aida at ueen Hatshepsut Temple Egypt 1997

	Egypt 1997 Abu Simbel
		ypt 1997 Bent Pyramid
			Egypt 1997 Abu Syr










		Egypt 2004 Meidum Pyramid


walk over the hill from Valley of the Kings to Deir el Bahri


	Deir El Bahri (and Queen Hatshepsut's Temple) in foreground, Al Qurn Mt. (in the background) over the Valley of the Kings Egypt 2004



Greece 2007
	Greece 2007

Shirley & Larry Greece 2007
	Greece 2007 Lion's Gate





			Rome Italy 1995
	1995
Venice Italy 2005	Venice Italy 2005



			St. Pope John Paul II tomb
atican 2005
	y 2005

		India 2001	India 2001
	India 2001





	India 2001






	Jamiaca 1979		Jamaica 1979
	Jamiaca 1983		Petra, Jordan 1997
	Jordan 1997




Temple of Artemis, Jordan 1997		Dead Sea 1997

	Paris Hotel Las Vegas	Luxor Hotel, Las Vegas



		Venetian Hotel,Las Vegas


	Ron & Helen Las Vegas 2003
Billl, Helen & Rose Las Vegas 1972
		Las VEgas 1997
Malta 2005
		Malta 2005

Diane, Dorianne & Chris, Nickee, Yvette - Malta 2005
Burma (Myanmar) 2000	Burma (Myanmar ) 20000	Nepal 2002

George - Nepal 2002


Poland 1974	Morskie O ko - Poland 1974	Diane on Polish TV 1974
Poland 1974

	Diane & Witold Zapala Wilanow Palace Poland 1998
		Poland 1998
Morskie Oko 1998






			Mazowsze perfo rmance in Warsaw 1998


Andrzej Tatarewicz, Diane, & Witold Zapala, Warsaw 1998			Stanislaw Jopek, Diane, & Michal Jarczyk - Mazowsze performance 1998 Warwas


Beata Nowak family with Diane and Witold Zapala at Karolin 1998

Diane and Helen Poland 2001
	Poland 2001	Pope St. John Paul II statue at Wieliczka Salt Mines	Poland 2001



			Lazienki Palace Poland 2001
		Poland 2001

		Wadowice, Poland 2002	Wawel Castle, Poland 2002
			Lancut Palace, Poland 2002

	Diane and Ewa		Mazowsczcy z Karolinie
Witold and Danuta Zapala at Lazienki Park Poland 2002


	Stanislaw Jopek, Diane, and Witek Zapala at Mazowsze headquarters, Karolin		Danuta and Diana Lazienki Park, POland 2002
			Witold Zapala and Mazowsze rehearsing at Karolin
Jan Grabia and Mazowsze orchestra rehearsing at Karolin	Stanislaw Jopek and Mazowsze rehearsing at Karolin		Scaszcsavas Romanian gypsy band at music festival in Poland 2002

		Goralski Festival Zakopane, Poland 2004
			Poland 2004 Diane and Witold Zapala at Lazienki Palace

		Zakopane Poland 2004


Danuta, Witek, and grandsons at Karolin Poland 2007			Diane and Mariola Jopek Poland 2007
		Witold Zapala Poland 2007
Witold Zapala and Mazowsze rehearsing before concert	Krakow 175th anniversary Poland 2007


			Dracula's Palace, Romania 1974
Dracula's Palace, Romania 1974	Dracula's Palace, Romania 1974	Moscow Russia 2000	St. Petersburg Russia 2000
Maria, Janis, Sherri, Diane Russia 2000		Russia 2000

	Russia 2000


	Slovakia 2004 Arek & Ewa, Dorianne & Chris, Diana, and friends		Slovakia 2004
			Thailand 2000
Thailand 2000	Thailand 2000	Thailand 2000	Thailand 2000 Larry & Shirley, Meg, George
Thailand 2000	Thailand 2000
		Thailand 2000 The bridge on the river Kwae
Riding mahoot Thailand 2000






			Tibet 2002 Diane, George, Meg
Tibet 2002	Tibet 2002
			Tibet 2002 Poltala Palace








	Turkmenistan 2000	Turkmenistan 2000 Janis, Sherri
Turkmenistan 2000 Kyz Kala	Turkmenistan 2000 Turkmenbashi statue



	Turkmenistan 2000 storyteller	Uzbekistan 2000	Uzbekistan 2000
	Uzbekistan 2000	Uzbekistan 2000	Uzbekistan 2000






	USA 1964 Adirondack Mts.	USA 1964 Mt. Vernon	USA
	Malibu	Florida	Palm Springs 1993
1954 Washington D.C. Grandpa & Grandma Stasiak, and Dad Sylvester & Diane Ruszczyk	1954 Washington D.C. Grandpa & Grandma Stasiak, and Mom Helen & Diane Ruszczyk		Mary Ann & Diane Florida 1955
Helen & Sylvester Florida 1955	Utah	Fish Creek Pond, Adirondack Mts. NY	Catalina Island
Diane and Tom Palm Springs 1993	St. Thomas, Virgin Islands

Austria 1999

We sat in the second row at the Muzikverein, as the Mozart orchestra performed, dressed in period costumes. This was where the New Years in Vienna concerts were held, and this was where my Mom wanted to be. Inspired by Andre Rieu, she chose this musical trip to Austria for her first visit to Europe.

Every day there were concerts, and tours of musical sites, churches, palaces, etc. all across Austria, from Vienna to Salzburg. Hayden, Beethoven, Brukner, Schubert, and, of course Strauss. We saw where the Sound of Music was filmed. We were treated to the Vienna Boys Choir. And then there was the marionette performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni,which was totally fantastic !!

Meanwhile, no trip to Vienna would be complete without a visit to the Sacher Hotel to sample the famous Sacher Torte !!

Bhutan 2002

Druk Yul, the Land of the Thunder Dragon. That is the Kingdom of Bhutan. Secluded high in the Himalayas, it is a country based on Gross National Happiness. There is no poverty here, no crime, and the only country I’ve been to where you can visit the market without someone pushing you to buy something.

No beggars or children looking for hand-outs, either. The only request I received was from two school girls attending a Bhuddhist festival. They wanted my address so that they could write to me. We have kept up that correspondence ever since, as those little girls have grown into beautiful, capable young ladies.

Cambodia 2000

The bones inside the memorial were a sad reminder that our tour guide’s mother and two brothers had been killed by Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge. However, he was proud of his heritage, and with the knowledge of an archaeologist, Long explained the Hindu and Buddhist carvings on the temples around Angkor, including the famous Angkor Wat, built by King SuryaVarman, as well as the 40 temples built by King JayaVarman VII.

Canada

It all started when I was a child, with weekly trips to Canada’s beaches: Wasaga Beach, Long Beach, Crystal Beach; then the camping trips to the Adirondack Mts., the Allegheny Mts., and Algonquin Park; and the occasional long distance trip to places like Montreal or Florida.

China 1996

We walked the streets of the village that would no longer exist after the dam was built. I was glad to have gotten to China while the Yangtze River was still low enough that the mountains soared.

Having been to the most exciting place on earth, Egypt, I now wanted to see other exotic places. Europe was not very high on my list right now, and forget about the Western Hemisphere. Asia was the continent I would explore first, beginning with China.

The Great Wall, the Terra Cotta soldiers, the Yangtze River, the Buddhist carvings at Dazu, and, of course, the food !!! Yes, everything was delicious, including the dumplings in Shanghai !!

China – The Silk Road 2001

We were about 100 miles from Afghanistan, when the president of the USA talked about bombing that country. Up until now we believed that China was the safest place to be in the days following 9/11. The Beijing hotel where we stayed that fateful day, had given all the Americans letters of condolence. As we traveled westward towards Kashgar, the news reports were all in Mandarin, but the images were unmistakable.

During my first trip to China 5 years earlier I had discovered that there were a myriad of ethnic groups living in that country, and longed to visit as many as I could. I became obsessed with the idea of traveling the Silk Road, and began that journey with travels through Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

The Chinese portion of the Silk Road took me to the Buddhist caves of Dunhuang, through the Taklamakan Desert, and into Xinjiang, the home of the Muslim Uyghers, whose language I found was nearly identical to Uzbek.

Egypt 1985

I had no idea where the Egyptian on horseback had taken me, but it was wonderful. We had ridden out into the desert, away from Saqqara, to an area where workers were excavating several small pyramids. Crawling into one of them, I discovered only sand, and a bucket.

It wasn’t until I returned home from my third trip to Egypt, 12 years later, and looked at my photos that I discovered that I had been to Abu Syr, a site that had not been open to the public.

I did not know much about Egypt when I made my first visit. I traveled alone for a few days, then joined a tour. What I learned I could not have gotten from books. It ignited in me a passion for the Land of the Pharohs, and laid a foundation for further study, and several more trips.

Egypt 1995

The tomb was filled with debris. It was still being excavated, and we were not supposed to be inside KV 5, but we had connections with the Antiquities Department. I went in as far as the Osiris statue, and it was, to quote Kent Weeks himself, “One of the most amazing experiences of my life.”

The Egyptologist was still in the beginning stages of clearing out KV 5, the tomb which may have contained most of the 50 sons of Rameses II. This was an amazing opportunity.

I was also one of the first tourists to go inside the tomb of Rameses’ beloved wife,Nefertari, which had just been restored. (The tomb was to open a month later. It has since been closed to the public in order to preserve it’s vivid colors.)

Having already been to Egypt, I knew where I wanted to go, I even knew which hotels I wanted to stay at, and luckily chose to travel with Joy Travel International, whose owner is an Egyptian scholar, and close friends with Director of Antiquities, Dr. Zahi Hawass. Zahi was among the Egyptologists who traveled with us. I made many friends on that trip, most of us remain best friends and travel partners; our love of Egypt and archaeology binding us together.

Egypt 1997

“Homage to thee Ra, Supreme power, who makes the earth visible, who gives light to those Westerners…”

That was the Litany to Re that we recited one night in front of the awesome temple of Rameses the Great at Abu Simbel.

Instead of a Nile cruise, we took a Nubian cruise on Lake Nassar. This was the first year that this was offered, and there were only 3 cruise ships on the entire lake, so we pretty much had it to ourselves. We visited Wadi El Saboua, Qasr Ibrim, and docked overnight at Abu Simbel, my favorite place in all of Egypt. Despite having been re-located before the building of the Aswan Dam, there are still two days of the year when the rising sun penetrates 200 feet into the interior of the temple, illuminating the figures of the gods in the sanctuary.

Once again traveling with Joy Travel International, this was a tour for those who have already visited Egypt, and we saw sites we had not seen before, including areas that were just now opened to the public, like Abu Syr, and Dashur, the site of the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid, whose interior we got to explore.

After the tour, we all went our separate ways. There were four of us who chose to go to Luxor, in order to see the opera Aida performed in front of Queen Hapshetsut’s Temple.

Of course, there were the usual hi-jinks. Piling our unsecured luggage onto the top of a small car, hoping nothing would fall off as we barreled down the street. Rushing to dress into our finest, in order to catch the bus to take us to the opera. Then, arriving there hours early without having eaten, devouring all the peanuts on the bar. But it was worth it. Aida was magnificent, we had a hotel right on the Nile (unlike the older hotels which are across the street), and we took a hot-air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings.

Egypt 2004

The area around Amarna had been off limits to tourists for years, due to problems at El Minya, but now we were headed there. Even though the four of us were traveling on our own, not part of a tour, we still had a police escort, which changed as we entered new territories. But when we neared Assyut, we were shocked to see our escort was a Tank !!! Yikes !!!

Of course we were assured that the only reason for the tank was because that was all that was available. And so, after escorting us to our hotel, they allowed us to climb inside and check it out. Not your usual tourist fare.

This trip, too, was not on the usual tourist path. From Port Said, through Bubastis and Tanis, to Meidum (where we saw Senefru’s collapsed pyramid) and Fayoum, out into the desert, then down to Abydos, and finally to Luxor for shopping and Amelia Peabody’sfavorite walk over the hill from the Valley of the Kings to Queen Hapshetsut’s temple.

Greece 2007

Traveling with some of my best friends, people I met in Cambodia eight years earlier, I marveled at the way people can bond so easily. The love of travel, of learning, of history, of beauty, and a sense of adventure is something that we have in common, but our friendship goes beyond that.

It was not luck that brought us together, but fate, and now we were embarking on another adventure in Greece and its islands.

The people here are the most beautiful I have ever seen. Each woman a goddess, each man an Adonis !!

One of the many things I learned on this trip was that the Greek alphabet is the same, Cyrillic alphabet used by the Russians. That is because of Sts. Cyril and Methodius and the Eastern Orthodox religion.

It was in Greece that I finally got to try the mythical drink, Absinthe !! Unfortunately I was unaware at the time that it should be poured over sugar and mixed with water. We drank it straight !!! Or, rather we had a few sips. It was quite strong. Not sure how many brain cells died that day.

Italy 1995

The elevator was full, so we stepped over to the next one, and waited. It was midnight, and we were exhausted from our long journey. When the door finally opened, we were stunned to see that it, too, was full. Inside, the same people who had been in the other elevator. What?!??

Turns out they were confused by the numbering of the rooms and floors, so they had taken the next elevator back down. It was going to be a long night.

We were only in Rome for 24 hours, on our way to Egypt, so we took off on our own for a quick tour. Boarding the bus, we discovered that we should have paid at the newsstand in the street. It was going to be an interesting trip !!

Italy 2005

As we watched the glass-blower create intricate patterns, we wondered, where in the world is Yvette? After all, it was Yvette’s idea to come to the Island of Morano. Sure enough, after visiting every shop on the island in search of the glass jewelry Yvette so desperately wanted, she was the only one who did not buy anything (other than gelato, of course.)

And now, having missed our boat back to Venice, we boarded the “local”, which got us back just in time for the darkened skies to unleash a torrent of cold rain. Dressed for a hot, sunny day, the three of us crowded under one umbrella, and made yet another error in judgment. We allowed Yvette to guide us through the maze that was Venice.

We should have known right from the beginning of the trip, when we discovered a TV remote tucked safely away in Yvette’s handbag.

On the other hand, we did do a lot of things right. We visited the Ufizzi Gallery and the Academia in Florence, half hour before closing times. This way we did not have to spend hours in line to see Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, and Michelangelo’s David. Also, at the Vatican, first visiting the tomb of Pope St. John Paul the Great, got us into St. Peter’s Basilica quicker.

The smartest thing, however, riding trains between cities. Much more civilized than air travel. If I lived in Europe, I would never fly. Too bad the railway system in the U.S.A. is not very efficient.

India 2001

„Whenever people talk about friendship, they always bring up Karna and Duryodhana’s names. For they had a strong bond of friendship between them.” Or so it says in the Mahabharata. Vedavyasa, the great sage dictated the Mahabharata, which includes the Bhagavadgita, to Ganesha, the elephant god, in order to teach young and old the path of righteousness, knowledge, justice, and love.

The professor traveling with us for our month long journey through southern India, would always read to us excerpts from the Mahabharata, the Panchatantra, and the Ramayana on long bus trips. Not just entertaining, but a window into the Hindu religion itself.

But it wasn’t just history or religion that I learned about in India.

I was fascinated by the mixture of cultures that peacefully make up this subcontinent. Interesting that English is the assistant language in this multi-lingual country. The TV game show, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, for example, featured conversations in Hindi, but the game questions were in English.

Yes, I try to watch as much local television as I can when I am traveling. The most fun here, of course, were the Bollywood movies.

Oh, and one thing I though was worth mentioning…after noticing the people who were washing their clothes in the river and drying them by laying them on the grass, one of the hotels I stayed at, sent our laundry “out” to be done. Yes, it came back clean, but there was a bit of grass on some of the items !!!

Jamaica 1980 & 1983

It’s called the „See Me No More” Valley, because people tend to disappear when entering. Fortunately we were just passing through by train… a day-long tour of Jamaica that we took while our sunburns healed. After baking like coconut macaroons because we applied the cocoanut oil sold to us by “Doctor Joe”, we were lucky we had also purchased his fresh aloe concoction, which did the trick.

I love Jamaica. And, though I have only been there twice, it is one of my favorite vacation spots: the Reggae, the beaches, climbing Dunn’s River Falls, the crab races, the bar in the middle of the pool, the rum punch… But one of the most memorable days was that train trip we took. Our first stop was in a village where we picked out material and were measured. On the way back from visits to various plantations, we stopped there again, and were presented with hand-made dresses, shirts, jumpsuits, etc.

Jordan 1997

Passing through the Sikh, we emerged, looking upon the facade of the Treasury, rising high above us. The rose-colored rock-cut building marks the entrance to the lost Nabatean city of Petra.

Feeling much like the explorer who disguised himself as a Bedouin to discover the secret, the treck through the narrow gorge which rises 80 meters above head itself was spectacular. And the reward was awe-inspiring. The Treasury was only the first of the many architectural wonders of this centuries old site.

Meanwhile, Jordan offers much more, from the Roman ruins we explored at Jerash, to the Ottoman Village where we stayed, from the delicious ice cream we tasted in Amman, to the mud baths we took before floating in the Dead Sea.

Las Vegas

An Egyptian friend of mine had been a consultant on the building of the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. When it first opened, it even had a Nile River cruise, complete with tour-guide. And so, before my second trip to Egypt, I thought it was worth checking out.

I was never much into gambling, that is, until I started winning…though after loosing my winnings, I lost interest again, but that’s another story.

I have, however, been to Las Vegas many many times, because it was my Mother’s favorite place. We would usually meet there for Mother’s Day, and one of the things I enjoyed the most, was visiting the various “theme” hotels. In fact, one year, when I did not travel overseas, my “travel” Christmas card (a joke) was made up of scenes from Vegas hotels.

Malta 2005

The Knights of St. John had to give the King of Spain a falcon every year, in exchange for the rights to Malta. The Mediterranean island nation has been controlled by so many cultures, going back to the Phoenecians, that its history would take a lifetime to study.

A Roman Catholic country with an Arabic sounding language, Malta’s charm is its beautiful people, its magnificent architecture, and its sandy beaches.

What luck, then, that I had met a wonderful Maltese couple on a previous trip to Poland. They generously took time off from their jobs in order to proudly show us the wonders of their idyllic homeland.

Myanmar/Burma 2000

Following the trail of the lavender jade, we crossed the border into Myanmar (Burma), and spent the day in the city of Tachileik, near the Golden Triangle.

I have to be content with that brief visit for now, since I had missed the chance to go with a couple of my travel friends to see the marvelous temples at Bagan.

They have been urging me to visit Burma before it becomes over-run with tourists the way Cambodia has in recent years.

Nepal 2002

The bodies had been dipped three times in the Bagmati River and were now ready for cremation. The Hindu traditions exist side by side with Buddhist in the three cities of the Kathmandu Valley.

Our stay in this Himalayan kingdom was brief. Unrest was brewing. But we had a few days for sight-seeing and shopping in this impoverished country.

Poland 1974

As I walked through the empty shell of the castle, I was filled with pride. For my people were rebuilding what had been destroyed by war… specifically, The Royal Castle in Warsaw. I first became aware of the construction, when the Mazowsze Polish Folk Song and Dance Ensemble sang a song about it.

Mazowsze’s music touched my heart, and awoke in me a life long passion for all things Polish. This trip was to be the first of many excursions to my homeland.

I was attending the same University as Copernicus and Pope John Paul II !!! Ok, so it was just a summer school program at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, (on scholarship from the Kościuszko Foundation), but I learned some Polish folk dances, and traveled around Poland, from Gdansk on the Baltic Sea, to Morskie Oko in the Tatra Mountains.

One of my favorite places, however, was right there in Kraków. For about a half cent, the tram took me from the student dorms, to the Sukienice (cloth hall) in Kraków’s Rynek (old Town Square). I loved the architecture, but best of all, inside the Suk were treasures… folk art and clothing that reflected Poland’s rich cultural history. I spent a lot of time there, vowing that someday I would live in Poland.

Poland 1998

„What are your plans for Warsaw?” he asked me. “I hope to visit Wilanów Palace, Łazienki Palace, and the Royal Castle, and, of course, see a Mazowsze performance.” “Ok, I’ll pick up up at 9 A.M.” OMG !!!

I had just arrived in Poland, and, at the insistence of a friend, I called Mazowsze Choreographer Witold Zapała, to say “Hi” (we had met the previous year in Los Angeles), and he was going to take me sight-seeing !!! and to the Opera (Straszny Dwór), and best of all, I was going to sit with him at a Mazowsze concert !!!

That was the beginning of my second trip to Poland. I knew it was going to be magical when I woke from my jet-lag induced nap, to hear Mazowsze singing outside my window. Stanisław Jopek and the singers had been rehearsing in my hotel!!

I had not been to Poland for 25 years. The Communists were no longer in control. With the help of PAT Tours, I rented a car, and mapped out a “tour” for myself, which included the cities and villages where my grandparents were born; a couple of villages that bore my name; several skansens (out-door museums); and stays in palaces and castles which had a limited number of rooms for tourists.

I spent 5 weeks driving 5,000 km throughout all of central and eastern Poland, from the Mazury Lakes in the north, to the Tatra, Pieniny, Bieskidy, Biesczady, etc. Mountains in the south. I photographed churches, and sampled Pierogi in all the restaurants…… I was home !!!

Poland 2001

The Choreographer for the Mazowsze Polish Folk Song and Dance Ensemble left his car double parked in front of the hotel, as he rushed in to greet us. A bouquet of flowers for my Mother, a turquoise shawl for me. “What kind of tour is this that you are already leaving Warsaw?” he asked.

Accustomed to traveling around Poland on my own, a guided tour was a concession made for my Mother, who had never been to this country before. Together with a pleasant group of travelers, we visited all the popular sites, including the Wieliczka Salt Mines, with it’s carved statues and chapels; Jasna Góra, home of the Black Madonna – Our Lady of Częstochowa; Mariacki church in Kraków, with it’s golden altar; and Zakopane, where we took a cable-car up the mountains.

There, in a local karczma (tavern), we were entertained by a Góralski kapela (Highlander band), whom I immediately recognized as Andrzej Obrochty-Bartuś, my favorite !! In fact, I had just that day purchased a couple of their CD’s, so I asked for their autographs. I am sure they were surprised that an American even knew who they were.

Poland 2002

I returned to my room in the tower of Krasiczyn Castle following a performance of the Magnificent Mazowsze at the giant sports arena in Rzeszów. Filled to capacity, including the floor of the arena, the audience began cheering wildly as soon as the orchestra walked out. It was like being at a rock concert or sporting event, for among the attendees were performers from 30 dance groups from around the world, and they all idolized the Mazowsze Polish Folk Song and Dance Ensemble.

They were there for a week-long festival where dance troupes from countries like: France, Australia, USA, Belgium, England, Switzerland, Brazil, etc. performed Polish folk dances.

A few days earlier I had been at Karolin, Mazowsze’s headquarters, watching them rehearse. Choreographer, Witold Zapała directing the dancers, Conductor Jan Grabia directing the orchestra, and Soloist Stanisław Jopek singing to me !!! Well, I was the audience there in the old rehearsal hall. Joining me later was an opera singer, who was also a fan.

This was a multi-cultural musical trip for me. Among the festivals I attended was an Old Music Festival in Kraków, where I got to see the Hungarian Gypsy Band, Szászcsávás Band
from Transylvania. Then there was the Tydzień Kultury Beskidziej in Wisła, which featured not only song and dance troupes from the Silesian Mountain regions of Poland, but ensembles from all over the world, including Turkey, Belarus, Croatia, and Italy.

As an added bonus, there was the Mazowszacy z Karolinie, entertaining tourists at hotel in Warsaw. Made up of members of Mazowsze, they encouraged a few of us to get up and perform with them, and then they delighted the Japanese tourists by singing a Polish folk song in Japanese.

Poland 2004

Having identified the restaurant with the best pierogi, and having located a booth with incredible placki (potato pancakes), I was still being challenged in the search for myfavorite ice cream, Advocaat likier jajeczny. That’s because all the ice cream stands changed their selection every day.

Of course, the real reason I was spending 11 days in Zakopane was the InternationalHighland Music Festival. There were musicians and dancers from Mongolia and Montenegro, Slovakia, and Switzerland, and everywhere else you can imagine, but I was mostly interested in the performers from the Polish highlands. I love to hear them sing in “white voice”, playing their fiddles and cellos, and I love listening to them speak in the dialect of the Górale subculture.

Poland 2007

There I was, sitting in the shadow of the Royal Castle on Wawel Hill, gazing out over the Wisła River, and eating pierogi. It just doesn’t get any better than this!!!

I was in Kraków for the city’s 750th anniversary celebration, and, as always, PAT Toursbooked for me a hotel at this wonderful location. A nice walk to the Rynek put me in the center of the celebration.

Most of this trip, however, was spent around Warsaw, visiting friends, including former dancers from the Mazowsze Polish Folk Song and Dance Ensemble. I also was privileged to travel with Mazowsze to see two of their performances outside of Warsaw. As always, their concerts touched my heart.

Romania 1974

The moon was full, lighting the way for my late night visit to Dracula’s Palace. I was accompanied by a handsome Romanian college student, whom I had met on the train from Bucuresti to Tirgoviste. He didn’t quite understand my interest in this “historical site” where Vlad Tepes had lived, and so, I climbed over the wall alone.

I had only been walking around for a few minutes, when out of the lower courtyard it flew towards me, narrowly missing entanglement in my hair. I knew that birds did not fly at night. This had been a bat !!

Well, I did survive. The Romanian guy then took me Tango dancing. We both used our high school French to communicate

Russia 2000

I was having trouble reading the menu in the McDonald’s in St. Petersburg, so, with my limited Russian, I asked the girl what kind of sauces they had for their Chicken Nuggets. Thankfully, the Russian words for “sweet and sour sauce” are the same in Polish, so I was able to place my order.

With only a day in Moscow, and three in St. Petersburg, I still managed to see all the highlights. The best part, however, was the Astoria Hotel. After nearly a month of travel in the “Stans”, this stop in St. Petersburg was meant to pamper, and it did. From the luxurious comforter on the bed, to the heated tiles in the bathroom, to the white chocolate Toblerone candy in the mini-bar. This was my heaven !! My favorite hotel ever !!

Slovakia 2004

Are you afraid of heights? she asked. No. Do you have good hiking shoes? Yes. According to what I could translate of the brochure, the Slovenský Raj (Slovak Paradise) was a beautiful natural park with almost 200 caves and abysses, and I was looking forward to the hike. There were other words, however, that I was not sure I was translating correctly: Ladders and Bow-ties. What??

Turns out the “ties” were half-sized railroad ties that you had to navigate in order to cross deep chasms or creeks. They were usually slippery wet, and there were no barriers or anything to hold on to!!! Yikes!!! After being assisted by my fellow hikers across a couple of these so called “bridges”, I realized that I could not turn back. I had to stay with the group, so I proceeded.

One of our stops later in the day was at a local market, where I discovered that they sold Absinthe !!! I have always been fascinated by this drink, but alas, I was not going to get the chance to try it because we were about to cross the border into Poland, where Absinthewas illegal. That experience would have to wait for another time.

Thailand 2000

Given the opportunity to ride as Mahout, I climbed onto the elephant’s neck… and prayed that he didn’t decide to bend down to eat or something, for I could only hold on with my knees.

Traveling with some of my new best friends, Thailand did not disappoint. It has everything from magnificent temples, to beautiful scenery, exotic dances, and delicious food !!! Thus, I have many fond memories, like when Anya stopped a guy on a motorcycle, and bought from him a few bamboo stalks. Inside the bamboo, a treat !! Sticky rice with raisins.

Buddhism is the popular religion of Thailand. It retains its pure form, unlike the Buddhism of the Himalayan countries, where other, older religious ideas are mixed in. The Thai people strive to be good, avoid evil, and have a refined mind.

The royalty is popular as well. The King’s mother even lived for a time among the Hill Tribes, giving them fruits and vegetables to plant, so that they would give up growing poppies for opium. Some of my favorite Thai fruits are Mangosteen and Rambutan.

Tibet 2002

There I was, on top of the world !! Well, it wasn’t exactly Mt. Everest, but I was at 17,121 feet (5,220 meters) atop the “Ocean Pass” high in the Himalayas.

You had to be part of a tour group in order to get into Tibet, so the 3 of us joined a small group of 7 international travelers, and we were off.

Beginning in Lhasa, the site of the Potala palace, we traveled upward every day, visiting monasteries, and farms, until only the nomads and their yaks could be found.

Only 16 of the original 6,000 Buddhist monasteries in Tibet remain, but some 2,000 have since been rebuilt. The Tibetan form of Buddhism incorporates many of the older local religions, and, thus there are many deities and demons, buddahs, and bhodisatvas. However the basic Buddhist tenants still apply: “If you have compassion and wisdom, anything is possible.” And I was happy it was possible to be there.

One of the interesting sites were the cow patties which decorated the exterior of homes. In winter they provided insulation, and were later burned as fuel.

Though I always learn the language of the countries I visit, occasionally, as with Tibetan, my vocabulary was limited. I tried, however, not to fall back too much on Mandarin, by making sure that I remembered the important words, like ‘chicken’, and ‘ice cream’.

Turkmenistan 2000

The immense golden statues of the Turkmenbashi could be seen all over the city of Ashkabat, and, in every hotel and public building, his portrait. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Saparmurat Niyazov declared himself President for Life. He did a lot for the people of Turkmenistan, but, as with most dictators, not all of his actions were beneficial.

Tourism was something new here. The hotel we stayed at in Mary was severely lacking. The television in my room was physically broken, serving only to house the cockroaches. There were holes in the bathroom wall, the towels were grey, as was the water from one faucet, the other faucet producing brown water. But that did not matter, since there was no way I could shower. The water was either very cold or very hot, a balance could not be achieved.

But we were not there as tourists, we were there to explore the nearby historical site of Merv, once the largest city in the world.

Uzbekistan 2000

We left the fabled blue-tiled city of Samarkand, following the Silk Road through the Kara Kum desert, on our way to the holy city of Bukhara, and Khiva, the city of a thousand and one domes. Samarkand, one of the oldest cities of the world, the legendary capital of the Sogdians, the seat of Tamerlane’s empire, the city that Alexander the Great called the most beautiful he had ever seen.

I had wanted to travel the Silk Route for a long time, and finally, here I was. I wanted to take my time, no quick tour, so I began by spending a month in the “Stans”. With the fall of the Soviet Union, these ancient countries were now returning to their former glory, and I was seeing it first hand.

U.S.A.

St. Thomas, Virgin Islands

Austria 1999

Helen and friend having a Sacher Torte at the Sacher Hotel, Vienna, Austria

Bhutan 2002 driver, Diane, George, Meg, Dorgi

Bhutan 2002

Bhutan 2002

Tshechu in Wangdue

Cambodia 2000

Shirley & Larry Willliams, Diane Ruszczyk, Meg Porter, George Coffman

Wasaga Beach,Canada

Camada

Montreal

Helen, Diane, Czesława Niagara Falls

China 1996

Xian, China 1996

China 2001 - The Silk Road

Susanne, Scott, Patricia, Gwen at train station in China 2001

Patricia, Scott, Susanne, & Diane at Dunhuang Caves, China 2001

Heavenly Lake, Urumqi, China 2001

The Sand Desert

China 2001 - the Silk Road The Sand Desert

China 2001 - the Silk Road Dunhuang Caves

China 2001 - the Silk Road Dunhuang Caves

Mao statue - Kashgar

China 2001 - the Silk Road

Kashgar

Terracotta Soldiers - Xian

Egypt 1985 Abu Simbel

Egypt 1985

Egypt 1985 King Tuthmos III

Egypt 1985 Abydos

Egypt 1985 Abu Syr

Saqqara

Abu Simbel

Abu Syr Egypt 1985

Queen Hatshepsut's Temple

Egypt 1995

Dr. Zahi Hawass Director of Antiquities Egypt 1995

Egypt 1995

Egypt 1995 Mena House Hotel

Lake Nassar Cruise Egypt 1997

Egypt 1997 approaching Abu Simbel Temples by boat on Lake Nassar

Aida at ueen Hatshepsut Temple Egypt 1997

Egypt 1997 Abu Simbel

ypt 1997 Bent Pyramid

Egypt 1997 Abu Syr

Egypt 2004 Meidum Pyramid

walk over the hill from Valley of the Kings to Deir el Bahri

Deir El Bahri (and Queen Hatshepsut's Temple) in foreground, Al Qurn Mt. (in the background) over the Valley of the Kings Egypt 2004

Greece 2007

Greece 2007

Shirley & Larry Greece 2007

Greece 2007 Lion's Gate

Rome Italy 1995

1995

Venice Italy 2005

Venice Italy 2005

St. Pope John Paul II tomb

atican 2005

y 2005

India 2001

India 2001

India 2001

India 2001

Jamiaca 1979

Jamaica 1979

Jamiaca 1983

Petra, Jordan 1997

Jordan 1997

Temple of Artemis, Jordan 1997

Dead Sea 1997

Paris Hotel Las Vegas

Luxor Hotel, Las Vegas

Venetian Hotel,Las Vegas

Ron & Helen Las Vegas 2003

Billl, Helen & Rose Las Vegas 1972

Las VEgas 1997

Malta 2005

Malta 2005

Diane, Dorianne & Chris, Nickee, Yvette - Malta 2005

Burma (Myanmar) 2000