To Russia With Love, Or Somehow?

We finally make the meet at a downtown cafe in the evening shadow of the ancient medina.  "Tarid" (okay, that is his actual name) is, to put it charitably, a very shiny-suited, shifty-looking sort.  This is the guy who is going to pave my path to Russia?  What a mess...

Since I hold a U.S. passport, if I want to travel to certain countries, I need to obtain a visa.  The procedures differ from country to country.  Russia ain't easy, especially if you applying from a foreign country.  Like Morocco.  Like me.

The first thing on the list of hoops to jump is to get in contact with an approved travel agency in-country to get a travel voucher.  Why?  No good reason, other than to extract money from a guy who just had to visit the heart of the former Soviet Union.  Not speaking French fluently really makes life difficult sometimes, like when I have to call a local business on the phone.  Making gestures doesn't help much in these situations.  A trusted, intelligent multilingual student does. Arrangements are made...

Back to the cafe - Tarid sits down, flashes his nicotine-stained (shark) teeth and I know this is going to cost me, but good.  If you have any good sense, you make sure you start the process of getting a visa months in advance of when you plan to go, not a couple of weeks prior, and most certainly before you do anything stupid like booking non-refundable flights and hotel rooms.  Um, not that I would ever do that.  (Actually, I did, which is a whole other story).

I give this perfect stranger a copy of my passport, and 200 bucks ($160 for the visa, plus the agency gets its cut), and pray that I will see this joker (who tries to put the squeeze on me for more!) next week with the the voucher.  I am under serious time constraints, but this guy, a perfect stranger, says he can get the job done.  I've already laid out a lot of dough, so I figure I'm in for a dime, in for a dollar, right?  The cherry on the sundae - he walks away leaving behind the bill for his coffee.

Fast forward, I actually get the voucher (and revenge for last week's bill), but next I have to take the paperwork to the Russian consulate in Casa, which I do on a Thursday.  My flight is Saturday.  Let's just say that the turnaround time, (assuming you get approved) is usually m-u-c-h longer.  I look at the guy behind the glass, make my plea (perhaps tell a fib or three).  I need this next day.  The young man is incredulous, but polite, and says he has to take it to the Consul General.  He is gone for quite a while, which I figure is in my favor.  He returns...and says he can do it, for a price.  I prefer to not type the number, it hurts too much.  But I pick it up the next day.  Russia is going to happen!

Down Under Diary - Pt 5

When you think of sports in Australia, what do you think of, if anything?  (Yes, snarky Jack is in the house!)  Now, I conferred with my authoritative (?) source "Bitter" Shawn for background information.  According to him, the NRL (like the rugby version of NFL) is the most popular sport in the country.  There is also Australian Rules Football, popular mainly in the Victoria region of the country.  Then, there is rugby union, often referred to as "ping pong".  Whatever.

Cricket.  The country is crazy for it.  Use the word "crazy" in whatever context you wish.  There are 3 versions of the game.  There is the traditional 5-day "Test" version, a much more popular 1-day version, and now, 20/20!!  20/20 is a made-for-the-MTV-generation.  In short, in baseball terms, each team gets 120 pitches to score as many runs as possible.  Shawn and I went the historic Sydney Cricket Grounds.  Cricket has been played at the site since 1848.  The oldest still-standing structure dates to 1886 (at first the members' pavilion, now for the ladies).  The current members' pavilion dates to 1883.  The two stands combined might hold a couple thousand people, at the very most.  The modified stadium holds about 44,000.  It is really cool (if you're a sports/history geek like me) to see the old kept within the new.

I bought a general admission ticket to see the undefeated Sydney Sixers host the defending champion Perth Scorchers.  Given my fashion sense, it is a bit surprising to some that I did not buy Sixers gear, predominantly fluorescent pink (they say magenta - I disagree).  I did, though, place a legal sports bet on-site.  YES!  5 Australian dollars straight up on the home team!  After the opposition did their thing and put up a very unimpressive score, Shawn informed me that my bet was a cinch.  The Sixers did their very best to imitate their Philadelphia NBA brethren.  Seriously.  They put up a score that had Shawn earnestly looking up historic low totals for 20/20 matches.  If you know anything about this version, Sydney was bowled out in 17 overs, scoring 99 runs.  Really?!

I had the opportunity to teach some American football to my Aussie "nephew" Kaylan and his younger cousin Layla.  This was a much more satisfying sports experience.  We also enjoyed some quality time outdoors, including to the Royal Botanic Gardens down by the harbour (there's that pesky "u" again!)

My trek home begins later this afternoon.  An all-photos, all-the-time diary entry will be coming in the near future.  Hoops snakes, drop-bears and kangawallafoxes, oh my!  G'day!!!

Down Under Diary - Pt 4

At long last, it was time to go into the city for the day - Shawn and Jack took the train into the Sydney Harbour area (note the pretentious use of the "u" in harbor!  I thought it fit the occasion, being in Australia and all that!)  The harbor (forget the "u"!) is an active, important part of life in Sydney.  The historic area surrounding it is very well-preserved, and the bars and restaurants are awfully cool.  It is very touristy, but not cheesy, and not as expensive as would be expected for such an otherwise very expensive city.  Lots of fun to wander around.
I did not pay to have my photo taken of an Aboriginal fellow playing and dancing to a didgeridoo.  I did pay to climb a pylon at the famed Harbour Bridge.  It of course was across from the iconic Opera House.  If you're an Aussie, wait till I complete this thought!  I was pretty thoroughly unimpressed with the two sites during the day.  At night, when I cruised the harbor (a must-do) they looked amazing.
If you like Baltimore's Inner Harbor (wish Philly would take notes!), you'll love Sydney Harbor...

Down Under Diary - Pt 3

2014 is the third year in a row that I spent Christmas outside of the U.S. (in different countries, even: Italy, Austria/Czech Republic, Australia).  I met up with some colleagues on Christmas night in Rome 2 years ago, but this year was very special as I was in Oz with close friends.  Mom surprised me with a gift sent to (Bitter) Shawn's home, where I enjoyed the company of his (better) half, Arwen, and their their 2 lovely children.  The Alabama swag from Stateside was delivered with absolutely no time to spare.  We all spent the day at Arwen's sister's nearby home with a bunch of her relatives in town for the occasion.  We played French cricket (think "pepper" in baseball) and I (barely) defeated a (very cool) 89 year-old in ping-pong.  Adult beverages may have been consumed.

Now, when you think of Australia, what do you think of, in terms of climate and geography?  Sun - that would be my first thought, whether it be tempered by cool breezes at the ocean, or blazing in the Outback.  What would not have crossed my mind was rainforest.  The land of Oz actually has a good bit of it.  Shawn and I drove (on what I would call the wrong side of the road) to the Illawarra escarpment subtropical rainforest, where we bought tix to the Illawarra Fly Tree Top Walk.  It was as cool as it sounds.  At one point as I walked across the sky, I was 710 meters above sea level, looking at cliffs that eventually rolled down to the ocean in the distance.

The day after Christmas is called Boxing Day.  So, of course, we went to a baseball game!  What else do you do in December?  The Sydney Blue Sox play in the fledgling Australian Baseball League, and on Boxing Day they hosted the Brisbane Bandits at what was the baseball venue for the 2000 Olympic games.  We root, root, rooted for the home team, but they didn't win, and it was a shame.  I got to take some swings in the batting cage (I fared better than in cricket).  Syd, the mascot, may have regretted being friendly to me...

Down Under Diary - Pt 2

For better or worse, I'll try almost anything.  I needed absolutely no encouragement whatsoever to drive go-carts!  Someone who shall remain nameless (ok, me) easily won all 3 heats against someone who shall also remain nameless (one Shawn Edward O'Keefe, who had zero chance at remaining anonymous in this space).  I only wrecked once (the left side of my rib cage thanks me).  Ton of fun.

The second activity on the day before Christmas was cricket.  Yes, cricket.  I thought I escaped sports, in foreign countries, that I have no knowledge of (soccer, in Morocco).  Alas, I traveled halfway around the globe to put on cricket gear, pick up a bat, and face my (now, former) friend.  I fared about as well as expected (poorly) before he gained a (small) measure of revenge and bowled me out.  I somehow (when I wasn't inexplicably throwing the ball over the cage) managed to do the same to Shawn's game nephew.  Due to technical difficulties (or human stupidity) pictures will not be posted now, but (unfortunately) photos will eventually be uploaded for the entertainment of all.

Down Under Diary - Pt 1

After a 24 hour period that included about 22 hours of flight, I finally made it from London through Beijing to Sydney about 6:30 a.m. local time Tuesday.  Almost 16 hours later I am remarkably still awake, and it was quite a day!  The highlight was a trip to the Symbio Zoo.  I saw up close and personal uniquely Aussie animals such as koalas, wombats, echidnas, Tasmanian devils (real ones, not the cartoon variety) and kangaroos.  I fed the latter and stood among them in a field while they bounded about - a magical time - then I ate one for dinner.  Yup, kangaroo burgers - and they were delicious!


That's all folks!

"Is Anybody Goin' To San Antone?"

Rain dripping off the brim of my hat
It sure is cold today...

Scotland

November began with a brief trip to the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.  Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland, and the 3rd largest in the United Kingdom.  It was founded in the 6th century by a Christian missionary named Saint Mungo.  He built a church at the site on which the Glasgow Cathedral today stands.  The University of Glasgow was established in 1451, and is the 4th oldest in the U.K.  That lofty history contrasts greatly with the industrial powerhouse hard by the river Clyde that Glasgow later became.  The city hit the skids earlier in the 20th century but has rebounded quite well in the past generation, having been named variously a European capital of culture, architecture & design, and sport.  It hosted the Commonwealth Games this year, and the MTV EMAs just after I left.

 
Glasgow Cathedral
Atop a steep hill behind the cathedral is a cemetery called the Necropolis - insanely spooky!





The University of Glasgow


The People's Palace & Winter Gardens

Glasgow was a cool city; you can easily see how it has redefined itself through the centuries, and is today a great place to have a rockin' time.

A hour's train ride away from Glasgow is Edinburgh, the royal capital of Scotland since 1437.  


Edinburgh Castle - in great shape for a 1000 year-old fortress


Palace of Holyroodhouse


Scottish Parliament building

Known as a literary capital, Edinburgh is the more touristy of Scotland's 2 major cities, but also a place for more refined fun.  Both Glasgow and Edinburgh were very pleasant places to visit!

Random hamburger note: I ate a burger with a pomegranate yogurt spread.  Yeah, that's right.

Wind whipping down the neck of my shirt
Like I ain't got nothing on...


Denmark

November ended with a Thanksgiving weekend spent in Copenhagen, capital of Denmark, neighbor to Sweden, home to a million Danes, and named "The Happiest City in the World".  Copenhagen's roots trace to the 12th century, when  the archbishop Absalon, a real character who was not only a man of God and a statesman and a fighter.  It is today a small big city with a very down-to-earth populace.  If you like Amsterdam, you'll love Copenhagen.  It's a little more difficult to get marijuana and prostitutes (but very possible), and has more charm, in the (not-so) humble opinion of this writer.


Amalienborg - the royal palace (courtesy of [duh] Google)
Was standing in the courtyard with my tour group when
Mary, the Crown Princess drove right by!  Cool...


City Hall - inside is an extraordinary astronomical clock,
plus, a garden (that cannot be seen from outside...unless
you sneak in ;)


The Marble Church


Tivoli Gardens - est. 1843. (courtesy Google) The world's 2nd oldest functioning
amusement park.  (The oldest is also in Copenhagen!)  I did not go in, but even from
the outside you could see amazing gardens around a lake.

There is an artifical island called Christianshavn that today is part of Copenhagen, but they march to the beat of their own (stoned) drummer!  Modeled on Amsterdam, it succeeded - I couldn't tell the difference...


entrance to old Carlsberg brewery


The famed (and underwhelming) Little Mermaid statue
of Hans Christians Andersen literary fame
Think Manneken Pis in Brussels...

Random hamburger note: I ate a $21 bacon burger.  Yes, it was large and delicious.  It was at a place called Hot Buns, because of the waitresses, and how they were dressed.  No, it still wasn't worth the price.

Absolutely loved Copenhagen (except for the prices)  Hygge!