MONTAG JOURNEYS

Held during the first week in October in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the event features hot air balloons form all over the world. The days when the Special Shaped balloons are inflated and launched are simply magical.

New Mexico, USA - For 9 days at the beginning of October, the Albuquerque International Balloon Festival puts on a display of color, both day and night. Morning activities begin with the dawn patrol before sunrise as balloons are inflated and launched in the darkness. During the morning hours, there are mass ascensions and competitions for prizes. Hundreds of balloons are launched into the sky. Some evenings feature the Balloon Glow, where many traditional and special shaped balloons are inflated and glow in the evening’s darkness. Fireworks top off the night on certain evenings of this event

Bodie State Historic park, located in the Eastern Sierras of California, near Mono Lake, is a unique place to visit. Gold was discovered in this area in 1859. The town sprung up among the gold mines, boasting a population of 10,000 in the 1880’s. Bodie’s remaining buildings are maintained in a state of “arrested decay”, not restored, but kept in the same way it was when the last residents left in the 1940’s. Today, the visitor can walk through the town, peering in the windows of the remaining houses, stores, saloons, schoolhouse, church, and hotels to get a glimpse of what life must have been like back then in this harsh environment. The State Park now offers tours through the Standard Stamping Mill, where the mined gold ore was pounded into powder using iron cylinders, a very loud process. Tickets for the tour are available at the Museum Visitor Center.

Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002) was a talented artist and sculptor whose works include the “Noah’s Ark” in Jerusalem, the “Tarot Garden” in Tuscany, Italy, the “Grotto” in Hannover, Germany, and the “Stravinsky Fountain” at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, France. Here, in Escondido, in Kit Carson Park, in Southern California, just north of San Diego, is her only American Sculpture Garden. It is one of only four large-scale sculptural environments by the artist. A whimsical place, Queen Califia’s Magical Garden was built from Niki’s design from 1999 to 2003. The following quote best describes this unique environment:

“There the work shimmers like a mirage, with its every surface sheathed in mirrored glass, colored tile, chips of abalone or slabs of petrified wood, and further highlighted by polished agate, turquoise, carnelian, malachite, tiger’s eye and a dazzling array of other stones.”

—Leah Ollman, Art in America May 2004

As we travel through the American Western States, we have come across some fun, picturesque sites. Here are some of our discoveries.

Monument Valley is located on the Navajo Nation Land extending from Northern Arizona into Utah. After paying the entrance fee, you can take a jeep tour or drive yourself if you have a high-clearance vehicle to the towers, buttes and mesas rising from the desert floor.

A slot canyon in northern Arizona, Lower Antelope Canyon is an awesome sight to behold! Over the centuries, wind and rain has carved these magnificent sculptured shapes in sandstone. Our Navajo guide takes us over the Arizona desert to the tiny opening in the earth. We climb down slippery stairs and enter the breathtaking world below. For almost an hour, we walk on the sandy floor, twisting and turning with the shapes of the walls closing in on us. Small ladders help us to get to different levels. Everywhere we turn, we watch the sunlight creating different colors in the rocks. The Navajo people call this canyon "where water makes a picture of itself in the stone".

Bryce Canyon National Park is located in southwestern Utah in the red rock country. The relatively small canyon contains a unique landscape of multicolored hoodoos—oddly shaped pinnacles of rocks in all sorts of formations. The orange and red shapes catch the sunlight in different ways all day long to create a variety of experiences while viewing or hiking the canyon. The 18-mile driving road offers many viewpoints looking down into the canyon along the way. A convenient shuttle bus runs during the summer months around the most popular areas of the park. Hiking down into the canyon is an awesome experience! The trails wind around these towering giants and pass natural arches in the fins of rock which are ever-changing due to erosion. There are many hikes to choose from, both short and long. The rim of Bryce Canyon starts at elevations of 8000 feet, so the park is a cooler place to visit in the summertime. There are nice campgrounds near the rim. It is much cooler in the spring and fall, and in the cold of winter, snow blankets the hoodoos in picturesque fashion.

Mesa Verde national Park, a mountaintop preservation of native American dwellings is in southwestern Colorado, near the Four Corners of Colorado, Utah, Arizona & New Mexico. (35 miles from Durango). The park protects cliff dwellings and other archeological sites of the ancestral Pueblo People who lived here fro AD 600 to 1300. Visitors can walk into some of the cliff houses and experience what life would have been like in those times. Some cliff sites are reachable by ladders and others are easier to visit from trails and stairs. The drive up the winding road to the top of the mesa takes the visitor to the cliff dwellings and offers outstanding views.

Zion National park is an extremely scenic canyon with towering cliffs surrounding you as you venture into the colorful Zion Canyon. A shuttle bus takes visitors to the end of the canyon where you can walk on the Narrows Trail where the tall canyon walls come closer and closer. When the trail finally ends, some venturesome folks like to continue on, wading through the waters of the Virgin River that originally carved this canyon. Another breathtaking road zigzags its way up the side of the canyon to the historic tunnel carved through the rock. The river at Zion Canyon is at the low elevation of 4000 feet, so the canyon can get very hot in the summertime.

An active volcano, Mt. Rainier is located in Washington State. The 14,410 ft. mountain contains the most glaciers on one mountain in the contiguous United States. Roads lead around the huge mountain as well as up to the 6,400 ft. level for amazing views. The Paradise and Sunrise Areas are famous for their wildflower meadows in the summertime. Couldn’t resist adding a bunch of wildflower photos as we were lucky enough to see them in their prime.

We fly back to Athens and then fly out to the Cyclades Islands to the unique Santorini (or Thia as it was known in ancient times). In ancient times, Santorini was an island volcano, civilized by sophisticated people. An eruption in 1530 BC buried much of the island and caused the tidal wave that destroyed much of the Knossos Palace on the Island of Crete some distance away. The resulting caldera of Santorini was later split by more seismic activity and is now a crescent-shaped mound of reddish-black rock with steep cliffs on the caldera side down to the sea. The outer side of the volcano slopes gently to the sea with rich farmlands and vineyards. In modern times the Greeks have built their white domed roof houses at the top of the caldera, spilling down over the cliff edge for breathtaking views of the aqua sea below. It is an exciting 9 days for us to explore the island and enjoy the views from our balcony overlooking the caldera. Cruise ships dock in the waters below us on most days.

Recife, Brazil - After 6 days at sea crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Europe, our Star Princess cruise ship pulls in to dock at Recife, Brazil. This is our first time to visit South America. With our cruising friends, Clare and Ron, we hire a taxi to take us up the hill to Olinda and to the Old Town. Many of the former elegant buildings in town are in need of restoration; the city has much potential to be beautiful again. We hope those buildings and palaces will look different the next time we visit Recife.

On the morning of Christmas Eve, we sail into the bay at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is a hot and humid 95 degree day. Our tour takes us into the crowded city to ride the cable car up to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain for views of the city, beaches, bay, and Corcavado Mountain, famous for the Christ the Redeemer Statue. It is probably always crowded, but since it is Christmas Eve, we think maybe the statue draws even bigger crowds. The sandy beach is covered with sunbathers with their umbrellas. At sunset, we enjoy the views of the city as we sail away.

After 2 days at sea, we arrive at the port of Montevideo, Uruguay. We walk through this interesting city on our own with our cruising neighbors, Kevin & Sally. There are many pedestrian streets and beautiful plazas with fountains, flowers, and statues. A flea market is selling antiques, souvenirs, gemstones (especially amethyst) mate cups with thermos bottles, soccer shirts and banners. The Gaucho Museum is housed in an elaborate 1897 home. There is much to see in this city.

Today we take a tour of Buenos Aires with DeeTours. Palermo is an area with luxury apartments where many dogs live. We see quite a few dog walkers. The famous 19th Century Recoleta Cemetery has been recently renovated. Many fancy crypts, the most famous being Eva Peron’s. The real tourist trap is La Boca, with tango dancers, shops, and restaurants.

We arrive at the Falkland Islands on New Year’s Eve Day. The captain is glad that the weather is good enough for us to drop anchor and ride the tender boats to the dock at Stanley. Our tour driver takes us out in the 4 Wheel Drive Land Rovers on a road that turns into a gravel road, then when the road ends, we caravan with other vehicles over the land! No road! It took 2 hours to get to Volunteer Point and our driver tells us stories about the 1982 war, and the fact that there are still land mines in some places. At Volunteer Point we see some penguins in groups, others strolling about, and others in the water. They are so amusing to watch. Some groups walk along the shore, then get into the water, then come back out. There are three types of penguins here—King Penguins, Magellan Penguins, and Gentoo Penguins. After about 2 hours, we drive back to Stanley and have some time to walk around this cute town. Back on the Star Princess, preparations are underway for the New Year’s Eve Celebrations. There is a special champagne dinner with hats to wear, great shows and a countdown at midnight complete with a balloon drop and streamers.

After sailing around Cape Horn, we approach the “Southernmost City in the World,” Ushuaia, Argentina, the next day. Snow capped mountains surround the town. Our day is filled with a boat tour of the Beagle Channel aboard the Patagonia Adventure Explorer. We sail close to some islands full of sea lions and cormorants, look at maps and hear stories of the Yamahas natives. We sail around the southernmost lighthouse and hike on an island to a viewpoint of both Chile and Argentina.

After sailing overnight up the Strait of Magellan (Magallanes), we drop anchor in the harbor at Punta Arenas. Tender boats take us to shore. A highlight is the Instituto de la Patagonia - Museo del Recuerdo, an open air museum of an old town. We explore a cemetery before walking into the City Center at the Plaza Munoz Gamero to view statues and palaces. This is our last port of call before our departure in Valparaiso in a few days.

Our 30-Day Star Princess Cruise ends in Valparaiso, Chile. We have a few days in this port city before venturing on to other parts of South America. We are surprised to see all of the decorated walls in this city, sort of like graffiti art. It seems that they paint murals on the walls in bright colors to discourage the ugly graffiti from taking over. We spend time touring the city with our Canadian cruising friends, Shirley and Bill.

We begin our 50th Anniversary trip on the Island of Malta. Our apartment is on the top floor of a building in the Three Cities, just across the water from Valletta. Valletta is a vibrant city with amazing architecture. Old stone houses have colorful painted wooden balconies with windows. The huge St. John’s Co-Cathedral towers over the city. It is a very ornate, baroque church with gold everywhere. Paintings of the life of St. John cover the vaulted roof. The Knights had competitions for superiority of designing the best side chapels, and it shows in the gold work and paintings. The floor is covered in marble with tombs of famous martyrs. They date from the early 17th Century to the end of the Knight’s time in Malta in 1798. many are decorated with skeletons and cheribs and angels. Visitors can climb up to the balcony in the back for fantastic views down to the floor.

We spend a week on the Island of Malta, staying in an apartment on the top floor of a building on the hill in the 3 Cities. There is an upstairs terrace with excellent views down to the port. Easter Sunday is the day after we arrive, and the city is decorated with colorful red and white flags. Church bells are ringing. We are treated to a special parade procession with a band, followed by the Risen Christ Statue which is carried on the shoulders of 6 to 8 men. Every now and then, they stop and parents place their kids on the platform for pictures. Another day there is a fireworks competition which lasts for hours. The Fort St Angelo is at the tip of the land and offers great views of Valletta in the distance.

Gozo is a small island off the coast of Malta. A ferry boat takes us from Valletta to the island where we board a Hop-On-Hop-Off bus for the day’s tour. Highlights are the ancient Ggantija Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It dates from 3600 - 3200 BC and has some of the largest megaliths (single pieces of stone). They were excavated in 1827. Another stop is the city of Victoria, the center of Gozitan life for over 3500 years. The Citadel sits atop the hill as the fortification with views of the surrounding countryside. Malta’s most important pilgrimage site, the Sanctuary of Ta’Pinu was completed in 1931. We were able to see quite a bit on our one day on Gozo.

January 2023, our journey to South Africa begins! We land in Cape Town and check into our Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel. On our free day before the tour begins, we take the hotel shuttle to the V & A Waterfront, a bustling area with a large mall, harbor, numerous outdoor restaurants, and shops. We spend awhile exploring the 2 Oceans Aquarium (Indian & Atlantic Oceans). Dinner is at the Quay Four Restaurant along the boat harbor. Keith really liked the Castle Tank Beer. The next day, our Gate 1 Tour begins with a cable car ride up to the top of the famous Table Mountain, where we have spectacular views down to the city and ocean. After a stop at the Diamond Museum, we have the afternoon free to walk into the city to the Company Garden and back past the Bokaap Colorful Houses. Dinner is with the tour group at the Waterfront Cruise Terminal.

Our tour today takes us on a bus ride on the peninsula to the Cape of Good Hope, the most southern point in Africa. We stop for some nice views of the coastline along the way. We ride the tram funicular up to the Old Cape Point Lighthouse (1850-1919) with views of False Bay. A climb up the stone steps leads to the lighthouse for the best views. At Boulder Beach we visit the Penguin Town before lunch in Seaforth. The tour ends with a stroll in the huge Kirstenbosch Gardens.

Our African Dinner started with interactive drumming. Everyone had a drum and it was fun to drum the rhythm of the leader. We got designs painted on our faces and enjoyed singers and dancers in exotic colorful costumes. Several courses of food were offered, with fish, chicken, and ground beef, and a green salad with ostrich meat.

A day touring the wineries of South Africa. We drove out of town to the wine growing area. Our first stop was at the KWV Winery where we toured the historic big carves wooden wine casks. The carvings commemorated various big events. There were also big stainless steel vats and underground storage. We were surprised at the low prices to purchase a bottle of wine. Next was a visit to the tourist village of Franschhock, then onto the haute Cabriere Cellar Winery for more wine tasting with a cheese pairing. Beautiful views of the vineyards and mountains from here.

Leaving Cape Town, we arrive at the airport at 4:30 am for our 6:00 am Cem Air flight to Durban. The small plane has 2 seats on each side of the aisle. After a 2 hour flight, we arrive in Durban and board our new bigger bus for a drive through the very green countryside. We see sugar cane, timber forests, and many things growing in this area. And so many trucks. They transport more goods on trucks than trains. The highlight of the day is a boat tour on the St. Lucia Estuary where we see numerous pods of hippos. The yellow weaver birds are most interesting to see on their woven nests. We also see ducks and baboons. Passing many homes along the roadside is so interesting as there is a wide spread of wealth and poverty. This is Zululand and the locals build round houses near their homes as a way of keeping their traditions.

This morning we get up bright and early to catch our jeeps at 6:10 am in Hluhluwe Nature Park. It is a warm, sunny day and our driver takes us through the park, where we are able to view warthogs, elephants, cape buffalo, 3 rhinos, 1 giraffe, zebras, and lizards. Many colorful birds as well. It is quite a treat to come close to the cape buffalo and watch the line of elephants cross our path in front of us!

Next, our bus takes us to the small country of Swaziland, also called Swatini, one of the poorest and smallest countries on the African continent. It would take 5 hours to drive from the south to north border. The king lives a luxurious life and rules over 2 million people. Our Mountain View Inn is very nice, on a hill with a view of the valley below. We enjoyed a dinner of pizza and red wine and a nice sunset by the pool.

Swaziland, or Swatini, is one of the poorest and smallest of the African countries. Our bus stops at the glass factory called Ngwenya (Crocodile) to observe their glass blowing and help their economy with our purchases. They are actually recycling old glass items here. Besides the glass, it is interesting to see the peacocks and yellow weaver birds near the buildings.

We visit a traditional village where the residents give us a fabulous song and dance show wearing their native costumes.

Our Kruger National Park Safari begins before dawn in the morning. We ride into the 2 million hecters park and look for the "Big 5" -- Cape Buffalo, Rhino, Elephant, Leopard, and Lion -- 5 of the most dangerous animals named by hunters. We end up seeing many giraffes, zebras, birds, kudus, impalas, and even turtles, as well as the Big 5. Our Kruger Gate Hotel on the edge of the national Park has a viewing deck where we are able to watch some elephants wandering in the greenery. This hotel has the biggest buffet we have ever seen with a huge variety of all kinds of food. A very pretty hotel with lush grounds.

On our drive to Johanesburg, we stop at a couple scenic views. This view is called "God's Window."

Bourke's Luck Potholes is a gorge area with streams and waterfalls.

Just outside Johannesburg, Soweto contains much history. In the late 1800s, gold was discovered here. Now it is known for the Tutu and Mandela Homes,, the Hector Peterson Memorial, and the Apartheid Museum.

In September of 2007, we join a China Focus tour to China with 10 friends. Our Sacramento group of 12 meet at the San Francisco Airport to board the Air China flight to Beijing, China. It is a long 12-hour flight across the International Date Line. After meeting up with 12 strangers who soon became friends, we begin our tour in Beijing with a walk through Tiannamen Square and the Forbidden City. We are staying at the lovely Jiangxi Grand Hotel. Every Chinese meal is exceptional. Tonight's dinner includes hand made dumplings. On our second day in Beijing we climb the Great Wall, visit a jade factory, and ride through the Hutong District in pedicabs. We enjoy Peking Duck for dinner. On the third day, we visit the historic Temple of Heaven, built in 1421. After a stop at the pearl store, there is a boat ride and a walk around the grounds of the Summer Palace. Our weather in Beijing varies from pouring rain to cloudy, polluted skies. The visibility at the Summer Palace is very bad

After leaving Beijing, we fly to Wuhan for an overnight before boarding the bus for our 4-hour drive to the Yangtze River at Yichang. Our President VI is a comfortable and spacious ship to spend 4 nights cruising the river. The crew is friendly and the food and service is excellent. As we cruise up the river, we make many stops along the way. First we tour the famous Three Gorges Dam, the largest power station in the world. Then our ship moves through the locks and we cruise the scenic Three Gorges. We feel lucky that the weather has changed and we are treated to blue sky days during most scenic parts of the cruise. We see new cities and sail under bridges, some still being built. Other stops include the Shennong Stream, the ancient White Emperor City, and the Ghost City. There are many picturesque, old buildings to see.