New York with Cory Weeds (Jazz) March 14-23, 2014

This was an all-round great trip.   Again, I wanted to do this for several years, but finally booked it.   

Cory Weeds had the Jazz Cellar on Broadway for years, and is still organizing concerts and the annual New York with Weeds.   http://newyorkwithweeds.com

The New York jazz tour program was amazing.   See details at bottom of post.

Logistics

Read all about the logistics of flying to the US without your passport under my post on Palm Springs.   

Email I sent re the Quickshuttle to Seattle: "Enjoy is not a word I would use.  The driver was same as last time.   Last time he was horrible martinet, giving confusing instructions or none and then yelling at everybody when they did things wrong.  He was rude to everybody.   This time he was overly familiar and trying to look good, but it came across creepy.  Everybody ignores him and doesn't make eye contact or respond to what he says.  If you ask a question, it is the last time you do.   Quite an adventure.   The WIFI on the bus is excruciatingly slow or doesn't work at all (last trip too)  it is impossible to use, so I just slept."   

I flew Delta Airlines to JFK and took a taxi to the hotel -- the Kitano in Midtown.   

Emails I sent re airline: "Hi, still in Seattle.   I upgraded online to get an aisle seat ($88) but apparently the computer gave me a middle seat.  There were only middle seats available before and after 1 pm, so I clicked on an aisle seat, paid for it, but the seat number they gave me is a middle seat anyway.   I guess I just don't get all the little tricks these airlines have.   You can't tell after you pay because you can't see the seat plan at that point.

Anyway, I will survive. "  Comment:  I was charged for the aisle seat upgrade on the return flight.  I think I already had an aisle seat and just got a better one (2 more inches), but who knows.

"I enquired and apparently you can't choose a seat or even upgrade and pay if you bought your ticket with points or through a third party.   Good to know these things I guess, but next time it will be another thing.  The online systems are unclear."

Packing

As stated in other places, I am taking only carry-on now.   

The perfect New York wardrobe for March included a long wool winter coat, large shawl, 2 pairs of gloves (leather, shearling), headband, and a folding pop-up umbrella with curved handle.   Jeans, nicer pants, cashmere sweaters to layer, all sorts of tops, a few scarves and necklaces to dress it up.

Next time -- UGG ear muffs (already bought them).   Leggings/skinny jeans.   Cute winter beret like Katie Malloch had.

Of course, Keen brown suede leather walking shoes for putting on miles --- it's all walking walking walking.   

Luggage -- Briggs & Riley 20-inch widebody, Longchamp tote bag, Longchamp small tote/purse.

The Hotel

The Kitano was luxurious, very Japanese (all Japanese staff, toilet with many buttons/levers/switches, positions/temperatures/humidity options), and in a great location at Park and 38th.   www.kitano.com

On the subject of sharing rooms.   I shared a room with someone I hadn't met before.   I've had such good luck with being paired with roommates before but this time our habits were too different.   Not a disaster, but not a good fit.    

Stuff I Did

I went to the Met and the MOMA, also a new place called The Morgan Library  www.themorgan.org/‎   The most stunning fact about the place was that the long-time librarian turned out to be passing as white and no one figured it out until she died.  

One morning I walked the High Line, an old elevated railroad turned into a walking path/garden.   www.thehighline.org/‎

Email I sent: "New York so far -- one hottish lovely sunny day, lunch outside in LIttle Italy, fabulous Jazz piano trioprogram in the early evening, followed by another fabulous jazz concert at Jazz at the Lincoln Centre.  Today, very cold wind.  I walked the High Line, a former elevated rail line, turned into a garden, all brown at the moment, and then browsed around Chelsea and Meat Packing district.

Tonight is the American Legion --- another NY adventure into places I've never been."

Eating

A lot of meals were included.   By far the best meals were the BBQ cooked by Vincent Herring at his house in Brooklyn with dinner at the American Legion on par.

I had lunch in Chelsea, Little Italy, and other spots while walking around.  

There are a number of delis near the hotel and a fabulous market in Grand Central 2 blocks away.  Also, a Starbucks within a block.  

The best coffee/bakery/cafe chain by a big margin is the Le Pain Quotidien. Bestcoffeetoo. www.lepainquotidien.com

The best deli for fresh fruit and everything else was Essen  http://www.yelp.ca/biz/essen-slow-fast-food-new-york

The Budget
                                             Estimate    Actual

Package Tour	$2,715.00	$2,715.00
Airfare Delta used its	$400.00	$131.00
Taxi to & from shuttle	$36.00	$35.00
Shuttle to & from Seatac	$100.00	$94.00
Food & admissions	$350.00	$700.00
Shopping - top and scarf from Anthropologie, books
Taxi to & from JFK	$120.00	$150.00
Extra night $295 US x 1/2	$150.00	$174.53
Total	$3,871.00	$3,999.53

The Program

NEW YORK WITH WEEDS 2014 ITINERARY
Saturday, March 15th
KITANO HOTEL
66 Park Ave
Event: George Cables Trio
Included: show, dinner, tax and tip
ALLEN ROOM at JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER
3 Columbus Circle
Event: Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra
Included: show
Sunday, March 16th
THE AMERICAN LEGION HALL
248 W 132nd St
Event: Seleno Clark and The Harlem Groove 
Included: show, dinner, tax and tip
Monday, March 17th
ACAPPELLA RESTAURANT
1 Hudson Street
Event: Dinner and talk by veteran jazz producer Michael Cuscana 
Included: 2 course meal, open bar (beer and wine, from 3:30 ­ 5:30)

Tuesday, March 18th
KLAVIERHAUS
211 West 58th St # A
Event: Live recording with Vancouver saxophonist Steve Kaldestad featuring Renee Rosnes ­ piano, Peter Washington ­ bass and Lewis Nash ­ drums Included: concert and post show meal including tax and tip (see below
*we will then head for a meal from 4:30 to 7:00 at THE CARNEGIE DELI *and will head back for a live recording with The John Webber Quartet
Wednesday, March 19th
JAZZ RECORD CENTER *optional activity
236 West 26 Street, #804 (between 7th & 8th Avenues)
Event: shopping for books, records, cds, tshirts and all things jazz
SMOKE JAZZ CLUB
2751 Broadway
Event: Cory Weeds Quintet featuring Steve Davis CD RELEASE
Included: two course dinner, show, tax and tip
Thursday, March 20th
SMALL’S JAZZ CLUB
183 W. 10th St.
Event: The Joshua Bruneau Quintet live recording * the first set is private 
Included: show, one drink, tax and tip

Friday, March 21st
VINCENT HERRING’S HOUSE
803 East 17th Street, Brooklyn
Event: The Vincent Herring Quintet featuring legendary drummer JIMMY COBB, Ronnie Cuber ­ baritone sax, Vincent Herring ­ alto sax, David Williams ­ bass and Mike LeDonne ­ piano
Included: bbq lunch, beer, wine, show
5th Estate
506 5th Ave, Brooklyn
Event: The Seamus Blake Quartet
Included: show
Saturday, March 22nd
KATHLEEN’S TEA ROOM 979 Main St, Peekskill, NY
Event: THE ALEXIS COLE TRIO
Included: brunch, show, tax and tip 

The Silk Road & Iceland May 1-June 17, 2014 - Before

Back in 1974, I didn't go overland from Europe to Australia and I should have.   I thought I'd be back soon, but I let life intervene.   

After much postponing, I booked the Silk Road Grand Caravan through Sundowners (out of Australia).   Now there's 4 days to go, and I am dithering over last minute items.  Do I need/have room for: a new smaller brighter flashlight, a smaller umbrella, a mug with lid, a towel and should it be new micro fibre, just an old terry rag from home, or maybe 1 or 2  old linen tea towels, a dual voltage charger for my kindle instead of relying on doing it through my laptop? a back-up Australian plug adaptor ….

The Plane Ticket

Carolyn at Mondo Travel pieced together an excellent RTW ticket.  

Vancouver to Beijing -- Air China

Istanbul to Frankfurt -- Turkish Airlines

Germany to Iceland to Vancouver -- Icelandic Air

Hence the 2-day stopover in Iceland (add $1,000 to budget for the hotel/tour package that).

Getting the Visas

The visa logistics have been complex and expensive but with help from the wonderful Tunde at SIAT, I have all my visas.   After much back and forth and changing of information, it turns out I only need 3 visas in advance.   Uzbekistan, Iran, and China.   I am taking 6 extra passport photos just in case.

Packing

I am going to 10 countries, and the weather will be cold (Ireshtum Pass, Iceland), hot (China, Iran) and everything in between.   Through much of the trip, it will be difficult to get basic OTC meds, toilet paper, etc.   There are at least 7 nights on trains (sharing cabins, minimal facilities).   Also, I need to be completely shrouded for the Iran portion of the trip.  

I am taking my trusty Briggs & Riley 20-inch wide body.   I checked out rolling back-packs, but really they are not much bigger than my carry-on or they are as big as my medium Briggs & Riley suitcase.   It will be perfect for the train as there is not much space for luggage and I will be able to carry it or roll it across borders if I have to.

   

Palm Springs Modernist Week Feb.13-19, 2014

Clearing the Back-log

This year I am able to continue to clear the back-log of much-postponed trips.   I am not putting anything off.   I just book the trip and don't worry about money or whether it's too much travel or whatever.   

The reasons for the backlog include unpredictable timing of contract work and tenant change-overs and helping my dad when he was sick.  I had not been able to book trips in advance, which automatically precluded trips than need advance booking or planning.  Now I am retired and dad passed away early last year, so I am free to do anything I want.

One of the events I have wanted to attend for many years is the Palm Springs Modernist Week in February every year.   This trip and a few others recently have been surprisingly complex regarding logistics.  You would think a trip to Palm Springs would be relatively easy.

Booking the Tours 

The Palm Springs Modernist Week house tours and hotels book up in way in advance (by early October).  I was away in Europe last October so I asked my friend to book the events and tours and we booked a hotel last summer already.   

Using an Enhanced Drivers License (EDL)

I planned 3 other trips for the first 3 months of 2014 (Ethiopia, Palm Springs, New York) before I booked a trip to Asia in May.   The I didn't realize at that time that I would be without my passport for several months while I was getting the visas for the Asia trip.   You need a passport to fly to the US but you can cross overland using an Enhanced Drivers License (EDL).   So I applied for that last summer (between other trips) so I'd have it in time for my Palm Springs and New York trips.   And I had to book flights out of Seattle and take the shuttle bus from Vancouver to Seatac.   See post on Visa Logistics.

Finally, February came and I crossed the border by QuickShuttle bus and checked in at Seatac.   The EDL part went very smoothly.  The bus driver used a hand held gizmo to read the chip on the EDL.  The US border officials did same, as did security Seatac (Seattle International Airport).   Getting back into Canada went equally well except there was no staff at the Canadian border to process us and the bus was full so we had to wait an hour.  Left Seatac at 3 pm and arrived 12th & Granville in Vancouver at 9:30 pm.  

Taking the Bus

Next time, I will consider driving and paying for parking, which must be cheaper as the round trip bus ticket was $96 CAD.   The bus is slow, expensive, the WIFI doesn't work, and the timing of departures means you have to leave many hours before your flight (5 am for a flight at noon).  I had to take a taxi to 12th and Granville and stand outside in the freezing rain for 30 minutes at 5 am and of course no coffee shops open there.  You also cannot get off the bus at any point even while waiting at the border, which means still no coffee and no respite from the horrible washroom smells for 6 or more hours.   Some of the bus drivers are just peculiar and some are just downright rude and unhelpful.   

Packing

After Ethiopia, I have been travelling with carry-on only.   See post on Packing.

Palm Springs is casual and it was fairly warm, so a selection of pants, shorts, tops, and a light jacket were all I needed.   Keen walking shoes for hiking, Keen sandals for everything else.   A hat.   

The Hotel

I met up with some friends who drove in from Green Valley, Arizona, where they own a retirement home.   My friend booked a great hotel right in old Palm Springs.  On the expensive side but I didn't have to rent a car as my friends had theirs.

The Old Ranch Inn was historic (50's) great, although I find those courtyard hotels a bit claustrophobic.  I can’t get any fresh air without opening the doors, which is a privacy and a safety concern.   The location right off Palm Canyon Drive was perfect.   The owners Larry and Ed are super friendly and helpful.  

The Tours and Other Activities

The modern house tours were fabulous, and well worth the trip.  

The weather was quite hot but not too hot.

We went for dinner at some friends of my friends house in Palm Dessert, an all new, upscale, car oriented development.  There is a market area called Old Palm Dessert which is about 8 years old --- you get the picture.

I am not positive, but I think Palm Springs is a desert when it comes to food.  The grocery stores are big box, and produce is plastic.  The restaurants are nothing special either.   But the atmosphere on Palm Canyon Drive is lively and fun.  

The atmosphere is very California (eccentric, ball cap, and lounge suit class) as opposed to Arizona (staid retirees).   Lots of gay guys of course, which accounts for the liveliness and design aesthetic, plus the grey haired crowd tottering around and going for the early bird special.  The more staid and well-off retired golf  crowd stay around Palm Dessert.

Other things we did:

• double decker bus tour (you get to look over the hedges and walls of the houses and vintage hotels).  All the modernist buildings (banks, stores, movie star homes) were pointed out and architect, owner, and other history were provided.  Great start to the week
• guided hike into Taquitz Canyon to the falls on native land. Nice change and interesting but heavily travelled trails.   The hippies took it over a few years back but it's all reclaimed and all the junk has been removed
• Art Fair in the convention centre (lots of big names and expensive pieces, quite unexpected)
• Palm Springs art gallery - a gem, a must-do
• Annenberg Estate tour  - 200 acres, golf course, Obama visited over the weekend.  Loved the house modeled after Chitzen Itza, and the Mayan Fountain in the entry way.    No palm trees, lots of olives, eucalyptus, and the like.  

The Budget
                                                                    Estimate        Actual

Hotel 1130.64 USD - 6 nights	$1,130.64	$1,267.65
Airfare	$441.00	$478.96
Food & Misc.	$500.00	$290.00
Misc. - 2 gurglepots 86.40 US		$100.00
Taxi to & from 12th & Cambie		$36.00
Event Registration $315 US	$340.00	$340.00
Shuttle to & from Seatac	$100.00	$94.00
Total	$2,511.64	$2,606.61

  

Getting Ready to Go to Ethiopia Jan.10-26,2014

I signed up for this tour of Ethiopia (Blue Nile & Lalibela) with Explore blindly, because my Aussie friend was going.  https://www.explore.co.uk/holidays/ethiopia-historic-tour

I have the guide books, culture and history books, and maps ready to read and get up to speed.  They remain on the coffee table untouched, in stark rebuke when I do my morning stretches on the rug in the living room.

No matter, I am a fast reader and it's a 22-hour flight from Vancouver via Istanbul to Addis Ababa.  

Logistics -- Medical, Flights

I've travelled a lot, but this trip will be very different --- both hot and cold weather (mountains), more complex than usual visa and money requirements.  

Yellow fever shot required.  Many others recommended but I don't bother.   Expensive.   I go to the Travel Clinic --- they have all my records.  travelclinic.vch.ca/‎

I have retirement medical benefits which cover me for everything up to 60 days.  That saves me a lot of money getting medical insurance for all my travel.

I flew Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, the cheapest and the shortest.  I considered a stop in Istanbul on the way back, but adding on to each trip is expensive, and it's another airport hassle (get luggage, get transport to hotel, transport back to airport, security, check-in, etc.).   The other option is UAE airlines via Dubai, but it takes longer and I didn't care to add a stopover.

The Tour Company

Many changes to the itinerary and much confusion with Explore staff contradicting themselves over and over, only to issue a "final" clarifying communique (different again for my friend and for me), which contradicts itself within the message, and then is immediately changed again.  Don't get me started on the Tour Notes.  Oh well, we are there two nights in advance so we an sort everything out I am sure.   I always have a good time, and my friend is also a very resilient traveller.

Why Africa and Ethiopia

It will be only my second Africa trip.  The first one to Egypt was years ago (coincidentally with Explore and that time half the group was stranded in Zagreb when our onward flight was cancelled and the next one was a week later).  I guess I am working my way down the continent.  I am not as curious about Africa as many people I know, who call Africa "their continent", but I am hoping that it will catch me.  I went to India for educational reasons --- I thought I "should" see what other people live like  (not expecting to like it) and fell in love with it, so you never know.   

Anyway, I want to "know" Africa, make it my own, recognize places on the news, visualize places mentioned in books or conversations, know the food and the people, pick up some Swahili.  I do work hard to make each trip personal and not the normal tourist track.

This tour takes place during the Timkat Festival, which is very special time to go I understand.  It is a very ancient Christian country and I believe this is Epiphany.  Although I went to church all through childhood, somehow the meaning of Epiphany did not stick.  Another learning experience to come.  I wonder if there are Mennonites there.  Where there is famine, refugees, or disaster, the MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) is there, first on the ground.  I don't expect to encounter any Mennonites however as the refugee camps are usually not near the tourist attractions.

Packing

Packing is always as easy or as stressful as I make it.  I am going to try to go with the small Briggs and Riley Transcend 20" wide body (not my usual Briggs 26" upright), even though I will check it through.  We take a lot of internal flights so it might be easier.  But, there are no restrictions other than being able to carry your own luggage.  I have seriously considered Briggs & Riley BRX or a Thule rolling duffle but as always, the small is too small, the medium too big.   The BRX has very cute matching day knapsacks but I hate knapsacks (another post on this).

Travelling with carry-on only requires some serious changes.  I usually take a lot of reading material for example.  I have a Kindle now so that's a big step.  Toiletry bottles and tubes are usually too big for carry-on.  I prefer not to have to decant toiletries into 100 ml. containers --- it's never enough or it's too much and it's wasted.   Plus you have to pull the case around the airport with you.

I take only Keen walking shoes and Keen sandals (to the horror of my fashionista hair stylist).   I can walk forever in these so there's no matter what they look like or what I am wearing, the shoes are the shoes.  I can reduce clothing and just wash underwear and tops often.  I am inspired by Save Spend Splurge (she wears only Birkenstocks and travels with only carry-on) to try.

The Budget

The cost estimate and actual for this trip is as follows: (I must learn how to make tables):

Tour - land costs   $3,000. (there's a premium because of the higher costs during Timkat)

Flight  $1,556. (Turkish airline came out the cheapest, with best times, and shortest travel time). 

Yellow Fever Vaccine $170.00

Visa (on arrival) $20 US

Medical Insurance $00 (I have coverage under my retirement benefits)

In country, food, tip for guide, kitty Est. $1,000. Actual $583 ($400 food, etc. $50 tip kitty, $80 guide tip)

Hotels Est. $100. US (my half of hotels for first two nights) Actual $105 US + $22 for WIFI = $151.
Total Est. $5,906. Actual $5,560.
.