Earthquake in Nepal
First off, everyone I know in Nepal is safe. Some of their homes have been damaged, but everyone is safe and uninjured. Some have been sleeping outside of their homes until the aftershocks subside.
The earthquake was quite powerful, 7.9 in magnitude. The aftershocks have been just as powerful, ranging from 4.2 to 6.7. At the time of this post, there have been 49 aftershocks. That is a total of 50 powerful earthquakes in the past 4 days. This is a sobering statistic.
The place where I was staying, Pokhara, is approximately 40 miles from the epicenter. There has been a lot of new construction there in the past decade or so, so most of the houses were built to withstand earthquakes. That being said, 50 earthquakes within a four day period is a lot for any structure to withstand. Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, has many older buildings. Some of the structures destroyed there were centuries old. Sadly, most of the damage and loss will come from the remote villages in the mountains, where entire villages will be found to be wiped out. The logistics involved in reaching these villages is challenging. These villages are remote; even under the best conditions, it takes several days of walking (no roads) to get to them. Helicopters are being brought in to try to get the wounded into hospitals in the cities. This link describes the challenge of reaching the villages:
http://tenplay.com.au/news/national/latest-news/latest-news/aftershocks-continue-after-nepalese-quake-that-has-left-at-least-2500-dead
I have several missionary friends still in Nepal who are trying to coordinate aid missions to help out the victims. I have listed links below for donation opportunities if you are interested in helping out the victims of the earthquakes. Whenever giving to an organization, always research and make sure the organizations are legitimate. Nepal has a poor record regarding legitimate "charities", so do your homework before sending money. I can vouch for the two links below. I personally know the people who work with these organizations and what they can accomplish working locally through the connections they have cultivated over the years.
INF= International Nepal Fellowship. This group has a medical team being dispatched to Gorkha, the epicenter of the earthquake. They are taking a mobile ward and will work with the Gorhka District Hospital.
https ://give.everydayhero.com/au/inf-earthquake-response
ServLife International, Inc. is an organization devoted to fighting poverty, helping children, and planting churches. Sam and Wendy are getting information from their contacts about the villages to see where the relief is needed the most. They have been training for disaster relief for the past two years.
Text "ServLife" to 80888
Monday, April 27, 2015
Thursday, April 23, 2015
My Month in Europe, final segment, Milan and vicinity
Milan and the Lakes Region
I needed a central city to use as my starting base for touring the Lakes part of Italy so I chose Milan. Unfortunately, Milan is extremely overpriced due to the ongoing conventions and expos which are held there regularly. For $200/night, I would rather be in the Grand Hotel Pupp being treated like royalty rather than in a two star, run-down hotel in Milan. The first hotel which I checked into was located in a rundown neighborhood full of graffiti, sex shops, and kabab shops. Hmm...there was no mention about these things in the Expedia reviews when I booked the hotel. After four hours I checked out because of the suffocating cigarette smoke and the relentless street noise. I wandered a few blocks away and found a more suitable, overpriced, three star hotel. From here I based my excursions.
My first tour was to Lake Como. It is well known for its beauty, the village of Bellagio, and of course, the villas of famous celebrities such as George Clooney and Richard Branson. Lake Como lived up to my expectations. Truly beautiful vistas and villas. The next day I toured Lake Maggiore, which was quite similar to Lake Como. While there, I visited the island of Isola Bella, which is the location of the palace home of the Borromean family. This palace is architecturally beautiful, filled with an incredible collection of priceless artwork, and surrounded by lush gardens filled with statuary. There are even a couple pairs of white peacocks living in the gardens as well as an aviary filled with colorful, happily chirping birds. The owners still live on the top floor, but graciously allow visitors to tour the rest of the house. Grottos lay underneath of this magnificent palace, constructed solely of shells and river rock. The mosaics and arches are captivating. This is a must see venue for anyone traveling to the Lakes region of Italy.
My next excursion was to see the Dolomite Mountains. Truthfully, I saw more of the Dolomites by plane than I did on this tour.
Of course, while I was in Milan, I toured the sites there. I visited the Milan Fortress (Castle), La Scala Theater, the Milan Cathedral, and I saw Leonardo DaVinci's painting of The Last Supper. The Fortress is basically being used as an art museum and it houses one of the three existing copies of Michelangelo's Pieta. La Scala Opera Theater didn't interest me. The Milan Cathedral is a fine example of Gothic Architecture. The spires and statues number in the thousands. The Cathedral took over 600 years to complete and is now the symbol of MIlan. The Last Supper painting was faded and hard to see. The tour guide did a great job explaining the groupings of the disciples and the interactions they were having with each other. If you want to see it, make sure you have reservations in advance. Only 120 people per hour are allowed through the church to see it.
Cinque Terre
My final trip was to Cinque Terre, a colorful group of five fishing villages hanging on the sides of mountains on the sea. These were picturesque and fun to visit. By this point, I was ready to go back home to Albania. The flight back reminded me of how nice the train rides had been. Traveling will never be the same.
Milan and the Lakes Region
I needed a central city to use as my starting base for touring the Lakes part of Italy so I chose Milan. Unfortunately, Milan is extremely overpriced due to the ongoing conventions and expos which are held there regularly. For $200/night, I would rather be in the Grand Hotel Pupp being treated like royalty rather than in a two star, run-down hotel in Milan. The first hotel which I checked into was located in a rundown neighborhood full of graffiti, sex shops, and kabab shops. Hmm...there was no mention about these things in the Expedia reviews when I booked the hotel. After four hours I checked out because of the suffocating cigarette smoke and the relentless street noise. I wandered a few blocks away and found a more suitable, overpriced, three star hotel. From here I based my excursions.
My first tour was to Lake Como. It is well known for its beauty, the village of Bellagio, and of course, the villas of famous celebrities such as George Clooney and Richard Branson. Lake Como lived up to my expectations. Truly beautiful vistas and villas. The next day I toured Lake Maggiore, which was quite similar to Lake Como. While there, I visited the island of Isola Bella, which is the location of the palace home of the Borromean family. This palace is architecturally beautiful, filled with an incredible collection of priceless artwork, and surrounded by lush gardens filled with statuary. There are even a couple pairs of white peacocks living in the gardens as well as an aviary filled with colorful, happily chirping birds. The owners still live on the top floor, but graciously allow visitors to tour the rest of the house. Grottos lay underneath of this magnificent palace, constructed solely of shells and river rock. The mosaics and arches are captivating. This is a must see venue for anyone traveling to the Lakes region of Italy.
My next excursion was to see the Dolomite Mountains. Truthfully, I saw more of the Dolomites by plane than I did on this tour.
Of course, while I was in Milan, I toured the sites there. I visited the Milan Fortress (Castle), La Scala Theater, the Milan Cathedral, and I saw Leonardo DaVinci's painting of The Last Supper. The Fortress is basically being used as an art museum and it houses one of the three existing copies of Michelangelo's Pieta. La Scala Opera Theater didn't interest me. The Milan Cathedral is a fine example of Gothic Architecture. The spires and statues number in the thousands. The Cathedral took over 600 years to complete and is now the symbol of MIlan. The Last Supper painting was faded and hard to see. The tour guide did a great job explaining the groupings of the disciples and the interactions they were having with each other. If you want to see it, make sure you have reservations in advance. Only 120 people per hour are allowed through the church to see it.
Cinque Terre
My final trip was to Cinque Terre, a colorful group of five fishing villages hanging on the sides of mountains on the sea. These were picturesque and fun to visit. By this point, I was ready to go back home to Albania. The flight back reminded me of how nice the train rides had been. Traveling will never be the same.
My Month in Europe, Part 3 Germany and Switzerland
Germany
Due to time constraints, I only visited one town in Germany. I chose Hechingen, the home of Castle Hohenzollern. Hohenzollern has been wonderfully restored and is worth the journey to see. Artwork, casements, bomb-proof cellars, spires, stained glass, towers and turrets make this place magical. The view from the top is arguably the best in Europe. Again, I was hiking through snow to get to the top. This is the snowiest April in a long time and I was happy to experience it!
As I was riding the trains throughout Germany, I noticed that a majority of the houses and barns had solar panels on them. Some of the villages had every roof covered with solar panels. Czech, Austria, and Switzerland also had an abundance of solar powered houses. These countries also have footpaths throughout the countryside so that people can get out and enjoy nature. I saw so many people horseback riding, bicycling, walking, jogging, and scootering along these paths. Scootering----I'm talking about kid's scooters, not the motorized Vespa-type scooters. And OLD people were on them! The commuters would carry scooters with them on the trains and then when they reached their stop, they hopped on the scooters to get to their workplace. It was revealing to observe how independent Europeans are from cars. It really is easy to get around in Europe without a car. I really enjoyed the rail system and all of the pedestrian friendly cities.
Switzerland!
Switzerland was my favorite country to visit. The scenery is magnificent and traveling by train is the perfect way to take it all in. I stayed in two cities in Switzerland, St. Moritz and Zermatt. St. Moritz is in the southeastern part and Zermatt is in the southwestern part. The train that runs between the two cities is called the Glacier Express. This train ride takes you through tunnels, over towering bridges, and through the stunningly beautiful Swiss Alps. It is an unforgettable journey and the views are indescribable. The reward for arriving in Zermatt is seeing the Matterhorn. I took another train up to the Gornergrat, which is the closest, easily accessible lookout point for viewing the Matterhorn. The glaciers were visible, the Alps surrounded me on every side, and it was a beautiful, crystal clear day with the skies colored royal blue. I stayed on that mountain for a couple of hours just taking in all of God's amazing creation. It was an unforgettable experience. My only regret is that I didn't get off on the stop that featured toboggan rentals. I really should have taken the time to toboggan down part of the Swiss Alps.....definitely next time I will be flying down the side of one of those mountains on a toboggan!
Germany
Due to time constraints, I only visited one town in Germany. I chose Hechingen, the home of Castle Hohenzollern. Hohenzollern has been wonderfully restored and is worth the journey to see. Artwork, casements, bomb-proof cellars, spires, stained glass, towers and turrets make this place magical. The view from the top is arguably the best in Europe. Again, I was hiking through snow to get to the top. This is the snowiest April in a long time and I was happy to experience it!
As I was riding the trains throughout Germany, I noticed that a majority of the houses and barns had solar panels on them. Some of the villages had every roof covered with solar panels. Czech, Austria, and Switzerland also had an abundance of solar powered houses. These countries also have footpaths throughout the countryside so that people can get out and enjoy nature. I saw so many people horseback riding, bicycling, walking, jogging, and scootering along these paths. Scootering----I'm talking about kid's scooters, not the motorized Vespa-type scooters. And OLD people were on them! The commuters would carry scooters with them on the trains and then when they reached their stop, they hopped on the scooters to get to their workplace. It was revealing to observe how independent Europeans are from cars. It really is easy to get around in Europe without a car. I really enjoyed the rail system and all of the pedestrian friendly cities.
Switzerland!
Switzerland was my favorite country to visit. The scenery is magnificent and traveling by train is the perfect way to take it all in. I stayed in two cities in Switzerland, St. Moritz and Zermatt. St. Moritz is in the southeastern part and Zermatt is in the southwestern part. The train that runs between the two cities is called the Glacier Express. This train ride takes you through tunnels, over towering bridges, and through the stunningly beautiful Swiss Alps. It is an unforgettable journey and the views are indescribable. The reward for arriving in Zermatt is seeing the Matterhorn. I took another train up to the Gornergrat, which is the closest, easily accessible lookout point for viewing the Matterhorn. The glaciers were visible, the Alps surrounded me on every side, and it was a beautiful, crystal clear day with the skies colored royal blue. I stayed on that mountain for a couple of hours just taking in all of God's amazing creation. It was an unforgettable experience. My only regret is that I didn't get off on the stop that featured toboggan rentals. I really should have taken the time to toboggan down part of the Swiss Alps.....definitely next time I will be flying down the side of one of those mountains on a toboggan!
My Month in Europe, part 2: Czech Republic
Prague
I traveled to Prague on another train. A bachelor party happened to be going on in the next train car. They brought a case of beer on board with them and they were certainly having a great time. As we were arriving in Prague, we were warned ahead of time to be mindful of pickpockets. Prague is overly crowded and pickpockets thrive there. Adding to the tone of the city is the abundance of beer as Czech is the country that leads the world in beer consumption. So, Prague is a large city with beautiful old buildings, crowded streets, with buzzed people wandering about its streets. Once again, I was met with snow. I toured the city and and saw the Jewish quarter, Charles Bridge, the beer museum, the astronomical clock, the castle, and old town square. Charles Bridge was my favorite part of the city because of the great statuary that lines the bridge. As in Venice, this astronomical clock also had the Sun revolving around the Earth. On Easter, I attended an English-speaking fellowship. It is great to be able to come together with other Christians in a foreign country and be able to worship in a language that is understood. Prague was my least favorite city that I visited. It was just too crowded and boozy for my tastes. My only regret in Prague was that I didn't have enough time to eat in the restaurant that has standard gauge model trains rolling all throughout the restaurant. I'll be back in Prague in September so I will make it my priority at that time to eat there.
Karlovy Vary, Czech
Karlovy Vary was my next destination. It is a beautiful hillside town in eastern Czech. It is the home of ritzy hotels and high-end shopping. It is also home to the Grand Hotel Pupp which is a favorite filming location for movies. James Bond's Casino Royale and Queen Latifah's Last Holiday were both filmed there. These are two of my favorite movies, so I splurged and stayed one night at this magnificent hotel. This was definitely a new experience for me. They had a doorman and an elevator operator. I never had to life a finger to do anything inside of the hotel. I visited the natural warm mineral water pool inside the hotel. The hotel's restaurant was as posh and amazing as the rest of the hotel. I indulged myself with a once in a lifetime meal there. The appetizer was roasted quail with pumpkins, chestnuts, and a shallot sauce. My main course was roasted saddle of venison, potato confit with thyme and red wine puree. Dessert was three flavors of creme brulee...vanilla, pistachio, and chocolate with raspberries. I ate every bit of it to the delight of the servers. The hotel gave me a parting gift of spa wafers, which I ate on the train. I wish I had known beforehand how decadent they were because I would have bought an entire box to take with me.
Prague
I traveled to Prague on another train. A bachelor party happened to be going on in the next train car. They brought a case of beer on board with them and they were certainly having a great time. As we were arriving in Prague, we were warned ahead of time to be mindful of pickpockets. Prague is overly crowded and pickpockets thrive there. Adding to the tone of the city is the abundance of beer as Czech is the country that leads the world in beer consumption. So, Prague is a large city with beautiful old buildings, crowded streets, with buzzed people wandering about its streets. Once again, I was met with snow. I toured the city and and saw the Jewish quarter, Charles Bridge, the beer museum, the astronomical clock, the castle, and old town square. Charles Bridge was my favorite part of the city because of the great statuary that lines the bridge. As in Venice, this astronomical clock also had the Sun revolving around the Earth. On Easter, I attended an English-speaking fellowship. It is great to be able to come together with other Christians in a foreign country and be able to worship in a language that is understood. Prague was my least favorite city that I visited. It was just too crowded and boozy for my tastes. My only regret in Prague was that I didn't have enough time to eat in the restaurant that has standard gauge model trains rolling all throughout the restaurant. I'll be back in Prague in September so I will make it my priority at that time to eat there.
Karlovy Vary, Czech
Karlovy Vary was my next destination. It is a beautiful hillside town in eastern Czech. It is the home of ritzy hotels and high-end shopping. It is also home to the Grand Hotel Pupp which is a favorite filming location for movies. James Bond's Casino Royale and Queen Latifah's Last Holiday were both filmed there. These are two of my favorite movies, so I splurged and stayed one night at this magnificent hotel. This was definitely a new experience for me. They had a doorman and an elevator operator. I never had to life a finger to do anything inside of the hotel. I visited the natural warm mineral water pool inside the hotel. The hotel's restaurant was as posh and amazing as the rest of the hotel. I indulged myself with a once in a lifetime meal there. The appetizer was roasted quail with pumpkins, chestnuts, and a shallot sauce. My main course was roasted saddle of venison, potato confit with thyme and red wine puree. Dessert was three flavors of creme brulee...vanilla, pistachio, and chocolate with raspberries. I ate every bit of it to the delight of the servers. The hotel gave me a parting gift of spa wafers, which I ate on the train. I wish I had known beforehand how decadent they were because I would have bought an entire box to take with me.
My Month in Europe, part 1: Venice and Salzburg
Venice
After finding my hotel in Venice, I went on to have a fabulous time in that great city. Venice completely captivated me. It is a pedestrian-only city, full of narrow cobble stoned street and hundreds of bridges over the canals. Of course, I saw all of the tourist spots such as the Doge's Palace, St. Mark's Square, St. Mark's Basilica, Rialto Bridge, the Grand Canal, gondolas, the Bridge of Sighs, and so much more. The Doge's Palace is renowned for it's extravagance. It seems the whole point of the palace was to cover every exposed surface with gold to show off their wealth. The ceiling frescoes and the artwork were amazing though. St. Mark's Square is full of sidewalk cafes, pigeons, and silly tourists who allow pigeons to sit on their heads and outstretched arms in order to get a picture. While in St. Mark's Square, I witnessed the most amazing thing. It was a coordinated attack by seagulls on an unsuspecting tourist carrying a sandwich. Two seagulls swooped down towards the tourists' head while a third gull swooped in and stole the sandwich. I don't know why I found such great delight in watching these gulls pull off this coordinated attack, but it entertained me greatly. In a corner of St. Mark's Square stands a beautiful astronomical clock. This clock actually shows the sun revolving around the Earth. Galileo had not been born yet to set the record straight on that one. The Bell Tower sits across from the astronomical clock. There is an incredible view of Venice from the top of the tower; it was well worth the price of admission. In St. Mark's Basilica, more artwork abounds. The stories of the Bible are depicted throughout the basilica using mosaics, frescoes, and paintings. Under the altar lay the bones of St. Mark. Behind the altar sits a massive altarpiece comprised of1300 pearls, 300 sapphires, 300 emeralds, and 400 garnets. It is astounding to see, but also disturbing. So much wealth, time and expense were spent on making ornate churches while the people at that time were living in absolute poverty. It isn't just with St. Mark's that this is evident. Every church I visited in Europe was the same way....over-the-top ornately furnished, incredible artwork and sculptures, and gold prominently displayed everywhere. It left me a bit put off by the end of the trip. The artwork contained within all the churches is jaw dropping; they contain better period collections than museums. While in Venice, I took a boat over to the island of Murano and watched the famous glassblowers at work. Overall, Venice was amazing. In my opinion, Venice also has the best gelato in all of Europe. And yes, I taste-tested gelato in every city as I traveled throughout European. On Palm Sunday, I stopped in one of the churches to worship. We were all given palm branches and then after the opening prayer, we all went outside and paraded through the streets of Venice while singing songs. It turned out to be the most memorable Palm Sunday I've experienced.
Salzburg
From Venice, I boarded a train headed northeast towards Salzburg. Traveling by train is a delightful experience. Elbow room, leg room, head room, uncrowded, beautiful scenery, easy access, no security checks, picnic lunches on board....it is such an enjoyable way to travel. Train stations in Europe are elaborate, beautiful buildings which also house shopping areas. Salzburg is no exception. I got off the train in a snowstorm and was able to purchase a winter coat in one of the shops before leaving the terminal. Castle Hohenwerfen was my first stop. It's been over a decade since I've seen snow so I took advantage of the opportunity and stopped and made a snow angel. Then I hiked up the mountain to Hohenwerfen. The snow was still falling, but the views which were visible from the towers were amazing. The next day I had booked a Sound of Music tour. Unfortunately, the snow had continued to fall throughout the night and our tour was mostly outside. The tour eventually broke down into an organized snowball fight. Our tour leader, a 78 year-old gentleman, had a surprisingly accurate throwing arm. The two British chaps, however, were the clear winners. Finally, we ended the tour by having hot chocolate in one of the cafes. In spite of the weather conditions, it was my favorite tour of the trip. I ended up repeating the tour the next day because I just couldn't leave Salzburg without experiencing the sites where the Sound of Music was filmed. The most interesting place were the catacombs where the Von Trapp family hid from the Nazis. The catacombs are grave sites that are ornately sculpted and decorated. They are absolutely beautiful. In addition to the Sound of Music sights, I toured the Salzburg Castle, the Cathedral, Mozart's birthplace, Residenzplatz, Mirabelle Gardens, Nonberry Abbey, and St. Peter's abbey. The food in Austria was the best I experienced in Europe. Venison stew with bread roulade, cranberries and red cabbage was my favorite dish. Breakfasts consisted of salami, cream cheeses rolled in herbs, and breads. Salzburg has lots to see and do, but I'd go back just to experience the food again. Upon my departure, the hotel gave me Easter eggs that had been dyed with leaves so that a leaf imprint was left behind on the shell. They were absolutely beautiful. When I arrived at the train station, they were also handing out colored Easter eggs. I had plenty of eggs on the train to enjoy during my trip to Prague.
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