New Year's Eve in Bali

A quick post we'll make just to comment on the absolute crazy madness of masses of bodies everywhere, fireworks going off in full force for about six hours, and a full moon lighting Kuta Bay.

(Pictures will follow once the hotel gets their little Year 2010 password problem fixed! :) )

An absolute sea of fireworks were exploding, all along the miles of beach, almost like the Wave in a football stadium, boom!---down to the south, then moving up ... here... then there... up to the last explosions to the north end of the beach, and then all over again!

Thousands and thousands of people, and, of course, one must specifically note the roving packs of shirtless, drunken, "friendly," raucous Aussie lads who were just going down the beach and street from beer store to bar in their spirit of New Year's revelry. Ahh, can't wait for Australia.

And the Blue / Full Moon made the evening skyline really gorgeous and almost surreal.

And, oh man, the Indonesians are just nuts for noisemakers of all sorts, creating a nonstop cacophony of horns and whistles all along the beach!

As a final note, it was really odd seeing images of Auckland, New Zealand celebrating New Year's about five or six hours before we did on Bali. And, of course, we here on Bali got to New Year's thirteen hours ahead of Philly, friends, but I think everyone's caught up now, so Happy New Year, everyone!!!

The sights, sounds and smells of the developing world.....

K: Every time that I visit a developing country, I am aware of the heightened sights, sounds and smells that surround me. And I have to say that it invigorates me and makes me feel very alive.

First there is the mass of humanity that might seem crazy as cars, vans, bicycles, rickshaws, motor scooters, horse-drawn carriages, pedestrians, and even dogs all vie for road and sidewalk space. Oh, and the traffic doesn't necessarily flow according to any normal traffic rules. There is an incessant honking such that you can't be sure which vehicle or scooter is producing the noise. But somehow it all works. There doesn't seem to be any accidents or any angry motorists. It just flows as it flows.

The various sounds start before daybreak and continue well into the late evening. The sound of the city here is quite different than at home. There is the constant traffic noise and honking of vehicles, and the sounds of people who are out in the streets communicating with one another, selling their wares and just living their day-to-day lives.

And the smells.....the pervasive smell of cooking, all day. In Indonesia it is the local warungs, or food stalls, that line the sidewalks and provide the local population with many of their meals. I keep smelling the sweet sauce of the grilled satays and various local fried delicacies. It all smells so wonderfully delicious if only our western digestive system were strong enough.

In praise of the beer
Borobudur
Borobudur
Borobudur
Borobudur
Borobudur - the New Buddha!
Borobudur
Borobudur Buddha


V: Wow! Borobudur is simply magnificent! What a wondrous structure of ornate craftsmanship, inspiring engravings, and a place with a palpable 'feel' of serenity, reverence, and antiquity! I've never been anyplace like this, and it truly is fantastic.

I really, really enjoy driving, as Karen knows from our cross-America trek. I have no faith at all in my ability to be able to drive in Indonesia. Absolutely certain that I would mess up the 'flow' that seems to bizarrely work very well here for all the vehicles and contraptions, motor-powered and person-powered, that share the roads. I can never, would never, drive in this country.


Sights: Borobudur - about 40km from Yogyakarta is the world's largest Buddhist temple. Built from 2 million block stones in the 8th century AD, the structure forms a massive stupa. Six square terraces form the base and are topped by three circular terraces. All-in-all, there are more than 500 Buddha images. The reliefs on the walls depict the story of a world dominated by passion, evil and desire, where the good are rewarded by reincarnation as a higher form of life, and the bad by a lowlier reincarnation.

Bites: Jimbaran seafood restaurant. We purchased fresh giant prawns, crab and fish by the pound and ordered it to grill in Indonesian chili or pepper sauce. Washed down with the ubiquitous Bitang, it was delicious.

More restaurants ought to allow you to point to a bin or an aquarium case and pick your specific fish or shellfish and buy it by the pound! Yummy, and grilled to perfection.

Borobudur

Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu, and the Sultan

Plaosan Temple	Prambanan Temple
Prambanan Temple	Prambanan Temple
Prambanan Temple	Viggo in becek (bicycle transport)
Loaded ScooterCycle in Yogja	Buddhas

K: Today we toured the first of the historic temples in the Yogyakarta area -- Prambanan. The temples were built in the middle of the 9th century to commemorate the return of a Hindu dynasty to Java. Beautiful examples of Hindu art adorn the walls of the temples. At the time Prambanan was built, Java had been ruled by Buddhists, and there are examples of Buddhism throughout the temple area. Today Java is predominantly Muslim, but it wasn't until at least the 13th century when Islam was introduced in western Indonesia.

After the temples, we toured the Kraton, the palace of the Sultans of Yogya. There have been 10 Sultans of Yogyakarta. The current Sultan seems somewhat unproductive, compared to his predecessors. He has only 5 daughters and 1 wife, whereas his father had 8 wives and 45 children, and his grandfather 75 children from 15 wives.


V: Absolutely stunning to see these Hindu temples, of such grand scale, design, and craftsmanship! Yet I was deeply saddened that there was significant alteration and damage caused by the 2006 earthquake. I am glad that an international effort is attempting to restore these temples, designated as World Cultural Heritage Sites.

Yeah, the line of Sultans sure seem to stay "busy" in Yogya, my oh my! We were in a batik artwork shop near the Kraton yesterday, and there on the wall was a photo of the shopkeeper, numerous local dignitaries, Bill Clinton, and the Sultan. The shopkeeper was quite proud of that. And, yes, Karen purchased a very nice batik artwork, at another shop.
And an employee of the shopkeeper told me that "Chuck Noorish" was his favorite actor... so he referred to me as "Chuck Noorish"... for some reason.

What an interesting city Yogyakarta truly is, as part of our tour revealed several areas off the usual tourist beat that were quite interesting, revealing glimpses of 'normal' life for our Indonesian friends. I read recently that Jakarta may be rightly considered the business and governmental center of Indonesia, yet Yogyakarta is the 'soul', the pulse, the beat of Indonesia. I think we sense it, we can feel it. It is indeed a lively place at night.

Sips: Bali Hai beer. Not much of an improvement from Bintang. Wonderful choices for fruit drinks - carrot, orange and pineapple!

Bites: A most excellent 'Rentang Padang', beef bits soaked and cooked in coconut milk, with rice and nice, spicy-hot veggies was scrumptious.

Spoiled rotten..... on Emirates Air!

K: Who knew that international travel could be so enjoyable. Just give me my own personal entertainment system with more than 100 movies, TV shows and a terrific music selection. The food was plentiful and actually, really good. And the uniforms of the flight attendants were impressive. Emirates Air is absolutely my new favorite airline.



And do we ever feel rich here in Indonesia. I love getting 2,000,000 rupiahs out of the ATM. It certainly would be easier if they could lop off a few zeros from the currency. Thank goodness there doesn't seem to be any coins.



V: Wow! I don't know how any airline could be better than EmiratesAir. So many things to view and do on the plane, that, well, who could sleep on the first 12-hour flight, and then we had to explore Dubai's airport shops on our layover, (and Karen, why did we not schedule a night or two in Dubai??), and then who could sleep on the next 7-hour flight?? And really tasty cuisine, too! And the wine was "free"!!! Emirates Air rocks!



I was, fair to say, the tallest person on the plane. I seem to tower over the short, yet smiling and wonderfully friendly Indonesians. We are really enjoying the nice Phoenix Hotel in Yogyakarta. Relax today, and then tour some temples the next two days, and try not to get hit by zooming motorbikes everywhere!!!



Sights: The Phoenix Hotel, Yogyakarta. A beautiful, colonial style hotel built around 1900 as a private residence. It definitely has an old world feel.



Sips: Bintang Beer. Hopefully, there will be better flavors to sample.

'twas the night before the journey.....

..... and all the creatures, well... we were stirring. The bags were being packed with care, for the 20 kg limit was looming out there ... .

Our sleigh ride is taking us to Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand!

We await the 4:30 a.m. pick-up from our taxi, and the journey will begin with two train rides from Philadelphia to JFK International Airport. From JFK we fly to Dubai via Emirates Air and then a connection to Jakarta, Indonesia. We depart the US at 10:40 a.m. tomorrow and are due to arrive in Jakarta at 9:25 p.m., December 26. We will be in Indonesia until January 12. We will keep you posted on our adventures.

Merry Christmas to all! Happy Festivus, for the rest of us!



View Larger Map

The end is near......

K: The last day of the trip was spent in Shenandoah National Park. Fall (maybe early winter due to a cold front) was definitely in the air, but we wanted to camp on our last night of the trip. Shenandoah is in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Its history is interesting because settlers lived on the land for centuries. To create the park, Virginia acquired more than 1,000 acres of land and donated it to the US. Skyline drive is a 100 mile highway that is flanked by forests and mountains, and we were lucky to catch the end of the fall colors.

The Appalachian trail runs through the entire park, and we hiked a bit of it. We saw several "through" hikers on the trail during the day and could even see the light from their headlamps after the sun had set. I can safely say that hiking the entire 2,ooo + mile trail is NOT on my bucket list. However, I now own my very own "hiking pole." It is quite handy for rocky and wet terrain.

V: Wow! By the time this trip is done, we will have hit 10,000 miles. Not bad for 42 days on the road. Karen hasn't put that many miles on her car in the last two years. It has been a super trip. Karen has earned so many Merit Badges - camping, fire making, hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, tent set-up, camp stove and campfire cooking...and perhaps most importantly, her map navigation and excellent car passenger/navigator badge.

We are definitely coming back to Shenandoah and, at this point, it could be Karen's first back country camping experience where we will hike in and set up camp off of the trail. I have never in my life seen so many deer in one place. If you don't hunt them, they have no reason to fear humans. As you can see, every campsite in the park has a bear locker. The park ranger warned me to be on the lookout for the bear family that was roaming our campsite. However, we didn't see them. Bummer.

It was a really nice touch to hear the rain coming down in the middle of the night and to wake up with the tent covered in frost. I guess it is a sign that it is time to return to "civilization."

Karen has called this a life changing experience. I hope so, for it is always good to pack up the gear, get in touch with mother nature and the great outdoors.

Highlights:

Bites: Grilled spam, peppers and onions with a side of Indian masala rice. Boiled peanuts, a curious delicacy from North Carolina. Good but difficult to eat.

Sights: Charlottesville, Virginia and Shenandoah National Park

Tennessee Shindig

K: The Great Smoky Mountains at the peak of fall colors was spectacular. The weather front finally moved ahead of us, and we were able to camp for two nights. We found a beautiful campsite next to a creek that was nearly raging given all the recent rain in the area. I never thought a raging river would keep me awake at night.

This national park is the most visited in the US, with nearly 10 million visitors per year. At first I thought that was because of the accessibility for cars throughout the park. Now I think it is because of the towns of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg that are the gateway to the region. Imagine a combination of Orlando. the Mall of America, the Jersey Shore and Las Vegas without the casinos...."dinner buffet theater", amusement rides, miniature gulf on steroids, the Guiness World Record Museum, the Comedy Barn, the Titanic Attraction (in 2010), outlet malls, pancake house after pancake house, Christmas stores, taffy and fudge shops, every chain restaurant ever created, the Big Bear Jamboree, Dollywood Splash Park, Dolly's Dixie Stampede, and, of course, the Tennessee Shindig. Fortunately or unfortunately, we only had an afternoon to explore. Who knew?

We were active and completed a hike to the park's highest waterfall. With the fall colors, it was just gorgeous. And the high water levels made part of the trail more like a small stream than a path.

V: The beautiful moonlit sky made this campsite one of our best. The river appeared to glow, it was such a bright moon.

Clang - bang! Karen awoke with a start, and asked me "WHAT WAS THAT?" I said, "you mean that noise?" She said, "yeah, is it a bear? I just know it is a bear." Despite her fears that claws would be scratching the vehicle or ripping the nylon on her side if the tent, I was pretty sure I knew what caused the noise. Yeah, she thought is was a bear messing with the it was those masked, striped-tailed varmints at work.

I should have known. Karen was absolutely gleeful and giddy at our attending the show at the Tennessee Shindig. And, yeah, she was right, that the gentleman who escorted us to our seats was a little too inquisitive about where we were from and what we were doing. The first half of the show was really well done, featuring songs throughout the decades of all genres of popular music. A highlight was the show's young singer portraying Elvis. He had the moves and the voice down perfectly. The second half of the show was, yup, the Tennessee Christmas Shindig. It was obvious that this was what most of the crowd was there for. But I don't think anyone, especially me, was prepared for me and two other large gentlemen up on stage modeling women's Yuletide lingerie. (That seat usher had me pegged for this song). I had a cute little green number with bells attached. (Yeah, got the free DVD to prove it). Yes, Karen was grinning broadly as I was kicking up my heels with one of the cute elves.

I never thought I would like Tennessee this much. I definitely want to return to Great Smoky Mountain National Park and explore the carnival-like atmosphere of its neighboring towns. Anyone want to join us for a hoot and a holler? Maybe by my next visit I will decide if I want the "Paddle Faster I Hear Banjo Music" or the "You Got a Purdy Mout'" t-shirt.

Highlights:

Bites: Three Bear Pancake House - Viggo needed pancakes. It was tough to choose given the number of establishments. At the campsite - sweet potatoes roasted on the fire, grilled turkey sausage with peppers and onions and for dessert, jiffy pop.

Sights: Smoky Mountain National Park, the Newfound Gap, the Appalachian trail on the Tennessee/North Carolina border and a full moon.

Guns, God and Fireworks

The drive across the states of Arkansas and Tennessee has been interesting. The billboards seem to focus on God, Fireworks and the sale of guns. And then there are the radio stations... . Let's just say there is little news and music and a whole lot of fundamental Christian talk radio, and Christian programming... focused on salvation and revelations.

We arrived at Sevierville, TN, last night. It is the entry point to Great Smoky Mountain National Park where we will camp for two days. But the options in Sevierville are so tempting... The Big Black Bear Christmas Jamboree, The Temptations Revue, Dolly Parton's Dixieland Extravaganza in Dollywood .... .

It is still early Fall here in Appalachia. The leaves on the trees are in full color and are just gorgeous. We are looking forward to great hiking and viewing of waterfalls. Then off to Shenandoah National Park and then to Philly. We plan to return to civilization on Thursday.

Highlights:

Bites: Hot Fish (a Tennessee delicacy) at Bolton's Spicy Chicken & Fish in Nashville. The choices are whiting, catfish or chicken, served hot or mild, lightly breaded and fried with some 'special seasonings' (which seemed a lot like paprika!), with sides of mac & cheese, turnip greens, coleslaw, beans... . At first we weren't sure the restaurant was open, given the bars on the windows and doors, but we were in luck. A lovely woman runs both the "front of the house and the back of the house." She was delightful, and the food was absolutely, surprisingly, satisfyingly delicious.

Sights: Hope, Arkansas, birthplace of Bill Clinton. It certainly didn't take long to tour Hope. It is a desolate place.

Hot Springs National Park - Hot Springs, Arkansas. This national park is in the city of Hot Springs and reflects the traditions of bathing that were prevalent in the area in the 1920's - 1940's. Except for one, the bath houses are no longer operational, and there is one that is preserved and is available to tour. Many of the procedures seem somewhat medieval - such as all of the electrotherapy gadgets... . But all in all, the bath house was the precursor to the modern-era day spa. There were changing rooms, massage rooms, baths, salons for men and women, a music room, a card room... . But most interesting was the gymnasium. The 'work-out' machines were early versions of today's Cybex machines, made of leather with leather straps and pulleys. So interesting.

Memphis, Tennessee - Beale Street, an avenue very reminiscent of Bourbon Street in Nawlins, indeed, with lots of decent music played in the bars, and, of course, Elvis impersonator acts!

Tornado Sirens and the Great Deluge

The day started out fantastic with lunch at one of Texas's most reputed BBQ joints in Taylor. Louie Mueller's has been around since 1949 and is even a James Beard winner. The walls and ceiling are black from decades of smoke. Each person queues up to place an order - by the pound, of course.....brisket, ribs, sausage, chicken...sides are potato salad, coleslaw or beans with a dish of pickles and onions. The meat arrives on your tray straight from the smoker. The meat is the key in Texas BBQ; it is not about the sauce. The long smoking process at low temperatures produces the most tender meat that is more moist than you can imagine.

Getting back on the road, we were aware that a large weather front was in the region but the rain seemed manageable enough. We desperately wanted to get out of Texas to our next destination....Hot Springs, Arkansas in the Ozarks. About 10 miles from the Texas/Arkansas border, the blaring tornado sirens, streaks of lightning, a deluge of rain and repeated tornado warnings on the radio were enough clues to compel us to spend another night in Texas. So the Hampton Inn in Texarkana, Texas and the World Series game at the Outback Steakhouse was it!!

The weather forecast for today is much better so off to .......HOPE, ARKANSAS!!!!!

The Amazing Big Bend

K: I am still wondering what possessed us to traverse through the entire state of Texas to visit Big Bend National Park, the least visited National Park in the US. .... no cell coverage, nothing but Christian radio stations, no NPR and endless miles of highway. Thank god for the audio book "The First Eagle" by Tony Hillerman!!! But, it was so worth it. In the far southwest portion of Texas, along the Mexican border, the park includes the Rio Grande River, a vast desert and the Chisos Mountains with peaks reaching nearly 6,000 feet. The park is just beautiful. We had a wonderful campsight near the Rio Grande for 2 nights. The night sky was just stunning. Given its remote location, the Big Bend area has some of the best night sky in the US with clear light and pollution-free nights.

While we saw a number of road runners, we did not not see any bears, despite many sightings by fellow hikers just paces ahead of us. We will definitely return to visit this park one day as we must raft/kayak the Rio Grande.

V: Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe Mountains and Big Bend are three National Parks so worth the effort to get to. And so great to know that the mystery of the Chupacabra has been solved to my satisfaction. It is not a goat-bloodsucking demon ... but ... a bird - the Nightjar aka the Bullbat.

West Texas is beautifully rugged country, but dang it takes awhile to drive across the state. We will eventually get to Arkansas. We are bummed that we won't be back in Philadelphia for Halloween but hope to find a suitable

place to trick or treat on Saturday.

Very much excited about the notion of paddling the Rio Grande next fall (when the river is the highest). Anybody interested in joining us for that adventure?! And next time, we will have mountain bikes as Big Bend is one of the most mountain bike-friendly National Parks.

Sights:

Sips: Lone Star and Shiner Bock beer

Bites: Excellent campsight dinners - grilled chicken, Caribbean rice and spinach and mole chicken with black beans, avocado, Anaheim peppers and corn tortillas. Campsight breakfasts of scrambled eggs, veggies and beef.

Sights: Big Bend National Park and the ghost town of Terlingua. Viggo's scruffy beard which was left behind in Texas.

Sands, Stalactites, Stalagmites and a Skunk

K: I never thought that a 6th grade report on Carlsbad Caverns would lead us to the very remote SE corner of New Mexico and the SW corner of Texas. The journey has been so worthwhile. The region is a remote desert but it is stunning. Our first stop was at the White Sands National Monument. The dunes rival those in the Sahara and are so unexpected to see at the base of a mountain range. We had such fun "playing" on the dunes.

I really didn't expect to camp at Guadalupe Mountains National Park in SW Texas. In fact, I had never heard of the place prior to this trip. The remoteness of the area and proximity to, well, nothing, yields the most beautiful star-filled sky and sunrise that we have seen on the trip. It is one of the few places in the US that is fairly unaffected by pollution. We have had several great hikes through the desert and into canyons. And we were visited by a skunk at the campsite last evening!

Carlsbad Caverns were definitely the most unique park or monument that we have visited. You see no evidence of what lies below the earth as you approach the visitor's center from the desert drive. The hike from the Natural Entrance, through and around the Big Room, was amazing. The only thing that we missed were the hundreds of thousands of bats who had already made their migration south to Mexico.

V: I had always desired to check out Carlsbad Caverns, and Guadalupe Mountains Park, ever since I heard of it. Wish I could have been one of the original spelunkers to explore the passages and rooms of Carlsbad! Just wonderful. I think every American, heck, every Anyone, should visit these caverns. The definition of 'awesome' they are! This is a shining jewel in the American National Park system, no doubt.

Highlights:

Sips: New Mexican red wine. Who knew, but the climate is certainly right. Our first try was a Cabernet/Shiraz blend. Despite being a bit young, it was quite good.

Bites: H&H Car Wash Cafe, El Paso, Texas. This small cafe attached to a car wash (all by hand) was rumored to have the best chile rellenos in the southwest, and it did not disappoint. The cafe is tiny. Ladies behind the counter whip up the Anaheim Chiles, lightly battered, stuffed with cheese and fried. They are served with a side of very spicy green chile sauce. Delicious!

Note. We did not try the All U Can Eat Chinese, American, Mexican Buffet. While the Drive-Thru Option was tempting, we took a pass.

At the campsite - Norwegian fish balls with pasta and broccoli (Knorr's)! Tonight, spaghetti with meat sauce, seasoned with New Mexican chiles.

Shopping at La Tienda in Carlsbad, NM - Anaheim chilis, fresh tamales, mole sauce, hot red chiles..... it was heaven.

Sights:

White Sands National Monument, Alamogordo, New Mexico. This may be one of the unexpected highlights of the trip. Set in the Chihuahuan Desert and ringed by mountains, lies an expanse of white gypsum sand dunes covering 275 square miles. It is amazing to see plants growing and animals living in such conditions. The animals evolve to white colorations to camouflage themselves. Sadly, there was no camping at this site as it was truly otherworldly. As we entered the park, it was clear that a "snow plow" had recently cleared the road. Picnic areas were set up, and it reminded us of the stark landscape of Iceland. We climbed and played on the dunes and even attempted to slide down. It was truly a beautiful, unusual and special place.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park, southwest Texas. These mountains are one of the world's best examples of an ancient marine fossil reef. Formed more than 250 million years ago, the ocean covered much of Texas and New Mexico. When the sea evaporated, the reef was formed from sediment and minerals and fossils. The park is very remote with few roads for cars but miles of hiking trails. You can hike from the floor of the desert to the canyons and finally to the mountain forest.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Carlsbad, New Mexico, set in the desert of the Guadalupe Mountains, is one of the world's most spectacular caves. It is believed that the Indians living in the area never ventured into the caves, only to the entrance. Settlers discovered the caves in the 1,800's due to the hundreds of thousands of bats that fly out of the entrance to the cave each evening to feed on insects. Descending more than 800 feet to the end of the tourist viewing areas, you see thousands of stalactites and stalagmites and columns and natural pools of water. The caves are a constant 56 degrees all year round and home to hundreds of living organisms. It is just a beautiful experience.

"Do you know the way to ... Santa Fe?"

K: Santa Fe, New Mexico, was all that I had expected: picturesque, charming, tremendous culture, much to see and do, delicious food... . The town is home to the oldest house in America and the oldest church in America. The city, initially inhabited by Pueblo Indians, became the capital for the Spanish "Kingdom of New Mexico," the Mexican province of Nuevo Mejico, the American territory of New Mexico (which contained what is today Arizona and New Mexico) and since 1912 the state of New Mexico. All of these influences are still present today.

V: I can get so attached to my trusted, reliable-over-the-years camping gear. Yet, sometimes the conditions caused by the elements necessitate a break with such items ... especially when nature breaks them. A tent pole on the REI Taj tent was bent by the vicious Santa Ana winds whipping in Death Valley when we camped there, so I duct-taped it, but, alas, finally it snapped, and was useless. I am so glad there is a nice, new REI store in Santa Fe. I had hoped to simply replace the broken tent pole, but I knew the tent was discontinued. So maybe a repair could ensue.

Ash, the tent department guy in REI Santa Fe, was so great, suggesting that I could perhaps simply exchange the 'broken' tent for a new one! And, wow, so we did, acquiring a new Hoodoo 3 tent that will be simply great. Oh, and while we're there, might as well get a proper sleeping bag for the superb Big Agnes sleeping bag. Kind of nice to have some new camping gear.

I could see 'retirement' to New Mexico. No question about that. Something to ponder.

And how fun to meet a lady from Staten Island, New York, (where I grew up) in a shop in Madrid! She is now retired, living in 'Querque, and loving it.

Highlights:

Sips: The Coyote Cafe has one of the most diverse cocktail menus that we have ever seen, from edible "mojitos" to drinks served in flavored, frozen shotglasses to infusions that you can barely imagine. Our favorites were the green chile-infused margarita and the Desert Flower Margarita with tasty, dissolving prickly pear ice cubes.

Bites:

- Frito Pie - this delicacy's origin is disputed between Texas and New Mexico. However, most historians believe that the Frito Pie was invented at the lunch counter of Woolworth's more than 60 years ago. Meaty red chili is ladled into an opened "Frito's Big Grab" bag of corn chips, then shredded cheese is spread across the top. Onions and jalapenos serve as a garnish. The whole food pyramid in one bowl! We sampled the Frito Pie at the "Five & Dime General Store", the old site of the original Woolworth's lunch counter.

- Green chili cheese burger (GCCB) - the perfect storm of a hamburger: cooked beef, cheese, hot flame-roasted green chiles, served with raw onion, lettuce, tomato and pickle chips. This is a food staple all over New Mexico. We sampled ours in the historic town of Madrid at the Mine Shaft Tavern.

Chile rellenos - another staple in New Mexico. Roasted green chile peppers, stuffed with cheese and surrounded by crisp breading and topped with green chile sauce.

Restaurants - Casa la Sena and Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe are both outstanding! The elk tenderloin and herb-crusted lamb with sage gnocchi at Coyote Cafe were one of the best meals we have ever savored--wow!

And kind of fun to see Ted Turner, and his entourage, dining at the table next to ours.

Sights: Black Mesa Golf Course in Espanola, NM. The course is set in canyons and arroyos in the high desert north of Santa Fe. We both vow to return to play it again!

Georgia O'Keeffe Museum - houses many of her paintings and, currently, a photography exhibit of the artist in New Mexico. Georgia O'Keeffe ultimately moved from New York to New Mexico and settled north of Santa Fe. The landscape of the area is seen in much of her work.

Taos and the surrounding area. Set in stunning mountains and rich with skiing, hiking and rafting on the Rio Grande, it is also home of the Taos Pueblo, the oldest continuously inhabited community in the US. Pueblo Indians still live in the multi-family, terraced adobe buildings with the upper levels accessible only by ladder. Some of the structures are more than 1,000 years old.

Madrid (pronounced MAdrid) is an old coal mining town on the "Turquoise Trail" south of Santa Fe. Today it is largely an artist's community with old company stores and houses converted to galleries and shops. Oh so quaint!!