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Madeira is an island approximately 350 miles off the coast of North Africa. It is a province of Portugal. It has been described as the island of eternal spring. Portugal is approximately 600 miles to the northeast. Funchal is the capital and is home to about one-third of the island’s 265,000 people.
Thousands of red tile-roofed homes cling the the steep cliffs that were once carpeted with fennel, their gardens overflowing with greenery and flowers.  The climate is as near perfect as it gets since it is in the gulf-stream flow of the Atlantic Ocean.  The warmest month has an average temperature of 73 degrees F, while the coolest is 61 degrees F.  This island receives a near perfect 28 inches of rain annually.  About 55% of that is in November-January.

Year round the clean, clear sea is excellent for bathing, snorkeling, water-skiing and fishing.  The streets, as well as the air are almost pristine.  Parks and cobbled streets are found to be prevalent.  There is an old town the is quite charming, and as you would imagine, very pedestrian friendly.  As with most of these european cities there is a great open food market which is filled with produce, meats, and fish.

I took a 3 hour bike tour while I was there and it was fabulous.  That day was sunny and 64 degrees F.   The tour took me from the old town to the new areas (as depicted in my photo images.)  While riding through the newer more cosmopolitan parts of town there were abundant opportunities to be either hit by cars and buses, or have car doors opened in your path.  The roads were similar to Rome but with more traffic circles.  There were no bike paths and consequently we were in the street with the rest of the vehicles.  Since there were 14 participants in the tour I believed my odds to be pretty good for not becoming a statistic.  I also remained near the middle of the group for some added protection.  I completed this outstanding tour without incident, and so did everyone else.  In just a couple of days I will arrive in Gibraltar.  Please await for heads up email for that one.

If you have the time and are planning a European holiday try to coordinate it so that you can either sail to Europe from the States, or better yet sail back to the States.  I prefer sailing back (west) because of the time zone changes giving you 6 or 7 additional hours, as opposed to losing them.  Either way there is no jet lag and you will have an amazing time meeting sojourners from all over our planet.  Another good reason for opting for sailing as opposed to flying is that these sailings are what are known as “repositionings.”  Basically moving the ship from one part of the world to another, with only a limited number of ports.  On this voyage I’ll be spending time in Funchal, Madiera as well as Gibraltar and Malaga, Spain before arriving at Monte Carlo, my point of disembarkation.  Consequently, these sailings are relatively cheep in comparison to those stopping at many ports.  So, if you like sea days (and there is a lot to like), this slow mode of transportation (18 MPH) might be for you.

I had a trip planned in January where I was sailing from Los Angeles to Auckland New Zealand.  Unfortunately, one day in I received an email about a death in the family.  The first opportunity to abort the trip and fly back would not occur for another 12 days when the ship arrived in Tahiti.  At that point I bailed and returned back to the states.  So the transatlantic voyage was in essence a “redo,” if you will.

I’m sailing (or cruising) on a small high-end ship known as the Seabourn Quest.  I use the term “sailing” interchangeably with cruising as it is a term which is a part of a rich nautical history and lexicon.  This ship has only 450 passengers but is not significantly smaller than a ship carrying 1,600 passengers.  It is equipped with all modern stabilizer equipment and is very comfortable.

I meet people from all over the world on board.  Most have a great appetite for exploration and more importantly, fun.  The crowd is for the most part very interesting to engage with.  I rarely get to my cabin before 1 AM, after drinking, dining, more drinking, and of course dancing.  It is a pretty good workout both physically and socially.  Because the first 10 days out of Fort Lauderdale are sea days, early awakenings are not necessary.  This allows for burning the candle at both ends.

Daily life is pretty relaxing.  Eating, reading, the gym, daily trivia,and usually some day drinking.  This cruise line is all inclusive, and high end as well.  So as you might imagine the scene around any bar on board is very friendly.  One can be as busy or as useless during these days at sea.  Therein lies the beauty of this experience.  On sea days there is no place to go and all day to do it.   After being at sea for some 6 days, we will not arrive in Madiera for 4 more.  Please login into the blog for that experience.  Meantime, I must return to the pool deck for some afternoon beverages.

 

 

Ouray (pronounced “You ray”) is also known as the Switzerland of the Rockies. Located about 2 hours north of Durango and about 90 minutes from Telluride. I drove here from Bryce in Utah. That was a beautiful drive which took about 6 hours. I stayed at a great little motel called Wiesbaden Hot Springs Spa. This place was very intimate and offered not only mineral pools, but vaporcaves under the hotel, as well as very reasonable massage treatments. They also have a private bath with waterfall (no clothing required). Rates were very reasonable too. There are only 22 units here.

There are some great hikes with trailheads nearby, so you can just walk to many of them. The restaurants and bars are fairly priced too.  Bottom line – Although relatively out of the way, this place is so worth the time it takes to get here.

These are the best images and my favorite park yet. This park in full of formations containing colorful eroded rock mazes, fins, pillars, and spires. The structures are known as “hoodoos,” formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. The red, orange, and white colors of the rocks provide stunning views. These formations, while being of a relatively soft stone will change their shapes during a human lifetime.  In a geologically short period of time they will no longer exist.  (See image below of the dissolved hoodoos.)  The Canyon was settled by the Mormons in 1850 and is named for Ebenezer Bryce. The rim of my images ranges in elevation from 8,000 to 9,000 feet above sea level. Check out the images below and see if you don’t agree that they are among some of the best yet.  This might explain why I have posted so many.

 

 

 

 

Just as the weather guys predicted – it is raining.  But I’d much prefer rain and 64 degrees to sun and 105 degrees, as is much the case all summer long.  If you are inclined to visit these parks you should plan to come between the months of October and early May.  Otherwise, not only are these places packed with tourists, but they are hotter than hell.  Parking in the park is fairly limited as well.  Because of the weather, the day I visited the park parking was not issue.

While there are some pretty good rock formations here, I was a bit underwhelmed. The colors when wet were pretty good, but I can’t help but think how good clear weather with a blue sky and puffy white clouds would have been. Oh well, I just live in the now and enjoy anyway.

 

Tomorrow I head to Canyonlands National Park.  The weather is predicted to be great.  I believe the formations will be much more impressive.  We shall see.  All in all, the scenery in this state so far is pretty amazing.

Nothing like a good old road trip to begin the Autumn season in the Northern hemisphere.  I begin in Colorado and drive west.  First stop is Moab, Utah.  This spot was picked so that I can visit the first two of the National Parks I plan to see.  I book into a lodge that I was referred to.  It is called the Red Cliffs Lodge and Ranch.  Very picturesque and located about 14 miles from Moab, but right on the banks of the Colorado River.  Great place to stay.  The cabins are right on the river.  Must be even better when the Colorado is really flowing.

Interesting to note that well over 150 motion pictures have been at least in part filmed here.  Mostly westerns as you would imagine.  However, other films including Thelma & Louise, City Slickers, and Back to the Future III were also shot here.  See images below for some more info.  Tomorrow I am off to Arches National Park and the forecast calls for rain.  Not so bad as it will make all the natural colors of the rocks really pop out.

It is June now. Amongst other things, that can mean two things; it is the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere, and the beginning of the 2015 Mineral Bath Tour. Our first stop is a little known gem by the name of Ojo Caliente.  It is a small place with approximately 45 or 50 rooms.  This place has a certain vibe of which you immediately become aware. It’s very chill and definitely not in the least bit pretentious. It is located about 325 miles south of Denver, Colorado and about 45 miles north of Santa Fe, New Mexico on highway 285

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Its best to make a reservation for 3 or 4 nights. I prefer the Pueblo Suites which each boast piñon burning fireplaces, and share a semi private mineral bath. The suites also have a small kitchen so its great to travel with your own snacks, drinks and whatever.
Ojo has a great full service restaurant and have their own organic fruits and vegetable farm on site. The menu is both reasonable priced and varied, although most of the dishes have a southwestern flair, as one would expect. The have a wine and beer license only, so if you enjoy stronger libations you must bring your own.
There is also an outdoor fire pit which attracts people to its warmth almost constantly.  The baths though are the main attraction to this place. They consist of only naturally occurring minerals (however, no sulfur so no rotten eggs in the air). The water is almost constantly flushed with fresh water, thus ensuring clean and clear waters.  There are no chemicals used in the baths.  (Only the swimming pool uses a low amount of chlorine as required by health laws.)  Among the minerals in the bath waters are iron, soda, lithium, arsenic, and sodium.  These imbue a variety of health benefits.  They aid in digestion and promote healthy skin and tone, as well as reducing the effects of arthritis.  Blood pressure is also lowered, not to mention the overall relaxed and almost euphoric feeling you enjoy.  If you desire more intense euphoria one can always travel with their own inventory of friendly herbs which produce this result.  Remember, marijuana friendly Colorado is just to the north.

While soaking in the baths is my primary activity, the place also offers a full service (and again non-pretentious) spa.  The treatments almost seem mandatory during your stay here.  My favorite is the organic blue corn and salt scrub.  Their prices are also very reasonable.  Ojo also has a variety of small yoga classes which are conducted in the yurt.  Most of the guests are wearing Ojo provided robes.  The other activity which may be enjoyed is hiking.  There is an abundance of old pottery and artifacts which are encountered along the way while hiking.

For those of you who travel by mobile home or the like, you should note that they have a limited number of pads for rent as well.  These have all the usual hookups one would expect to find.  From this area (which is located adjacent to the river) it is a 5 minute walk to the baths and main bath house.  If this sort of experience appeals to you please visit their website at www.ojospa.com.

This town is awesome.  Really walk friendly too.  What rhymes with latte but is obviously way more addicting for some?  If you answered mate’ (pronounced Mah-tAA) you are correct.  When walking about in this place I happened to notice an abundant number of folks enjoying this hot tea-like beverage.  There are three pieces of equipment needed to partake.  First a special mate’ cup and filtered straw, and also a thermos.  The thermos is necessary because once addicted you can’t let go.  Once the liquid is consumed you will find in the bottom of the cup or mug a sludgy greenish-brown paste; much like long chewing tobacco which has been thoroughly enjoyed.  See the many images that a snapped surreptitiously.  People of all ages seem to be enjoying this stuff.  In America mate’ exists, however like the original Coke Cola of 1906, it does not contain the addictive ingredient.

After a lengthy walk in order to get these candid shots I developed a powerful appetite.  Consequently I dropped into the most amazing assembly of BBQ restaurants I have ever seen.  The place was called Mercado del Puerto.  Translating to “market at the port.” It was a huge market at one time.  Now it plays home to about 20 or so BBQ joints.  They start cranking up the grill at about 10 AM by burning special varieties of logs.  The fire burns from behind the actual grill and then the hot coals are shoveled forward under the grills as needed.  I happen to enjoy an amazing slab of beef tenderloin from Argentina.  The aromas in the place could even make a vegan eat meat.

 

Punta Arenas is on the edge of the Strait of Magellan.  It defies an easy definition, as it is a combination of both grand, as well as ruddy.  Prosperity during the wool-boom allowed people to built some fairly impressive homes and mansions.  It is a relaxed and friendly place.  This tiny city is also known as the entry to Antartica.  It is surrounded by almost impenetrable forests, impassable mountains, and endless fields of ice.  It also happens to have one of the most unique cemeteries I’ve ever seen.  Looks at the pics and see if you don’t agree.