Visit to Madeira 20 Feb.- 03 March 2008 

Contents:
Facts
Assorted curious facts
Development
Madeira now
Being a tourist in Madeira
The sting
Conclusion

Facts
• Madeira is a volcanic rock that emerged from the Atlantic ocean long ago. The island is 57 km east to west and 22 km north to south – although it seems much larger because of its topography. It is situated about 360 miles west of the coast of Africa, slightly south of Casablanca and north of the Canary Islands.

• Madeira is an autonomous region of Portugal and is consequently a part of the European Union. So are the Azores which lie to the northwest of Madeira, really far out in the Atlantic.

• When is the island was first colonized, it was heavily wooded – Madeira means “wood”. To gain land for cultivation, the forest was set on fire; it is said to have burned for seven years. The main natural disaster is not volcanic eruption but rather mudslides.

• The name of the capital Funchal derives from the word fennel (“funcho” in Portuguese) which grew there as large trees – and not the plant we recognise as fennel.


• It is almost impossible not to have a brilliant view of the sea. There are hills and gorges and steep roads everywhere.

• The island enjoys a constant, moderate climate - although every village and surrounding area has its own micro climate. According to altitude and the prevailing winds, bananas and other fruits, sugar cane, vines, maize, etc. flourish. And Madeira is famous for its abundance of flowering trees and bushes. Almost every crop grows and thrives if sown in the right place.

• Income from tourism is a major source of gross national income.

• Unfavourable currents make sea passage from Africa difficult or impossible - added to which Madeira has practically no beaches. As a result African migrants/boat people in search of a better life do not reach the island.




• Since the island is rugged stretching from sea level to 1800+ m at its highest points, terraces for cultivation were built on the sides of the mountains. An ingenious system of water channels, “levadas” ensures irrigation of the crops.

Walking along the levadas is a major tourist attraction – as long as you have a head for heights since there are sheer drops in many places (no photos of the scary parts!)

Assorted Curious Facts
• Bananas are too short for export to the EU, so only mainland Portugal gets to eat them.
• Dairy products come from the Azores - the islands have more level ground for cattle grazing; meat is mostly imported from Brazil and Argentina. Pork is a delicacy eaten at Christmas, yes, they do have pigs who usually live on the ground floor of farmhouses.
• Despite the humid winters, Madeira’s climate was long considered beneficial for tuberculosis patients as testified by sanatoriums dotted around the mountainside above Funchal.
• Swimming pools: if less than 1.5 m depth, no lifeguard is needed. At the Savoy Hotel pool depth is 1.46 m.
• English is widely spoken, except oddly enough by taxi drivers who are not overly friendly. Watch the taxi meters and try not to get taken for a roundabout ride…
• The runway of the airport near Funchal is built into the side of a mountain; it was recently extended to 2.7km. This extension is supported by pillars sunk into the seabed – and is supposedly avoided by landing aircraft whenever possible. It does look amazing!
• Madeira’s New Year’s fireworks are world famous – although I had never heard that before.

Development
Until the 1960s, the island was poor and unable to support its high population density. It rained heavily for several months of the year which caused extensive flooding (climate change has fixed that!). The road infrastructure was minimal; footpaths connected villages, and it took seven days to reach the western tip of the island from the capital Funchal. The isolation of the villages resulted in inter marriage among close family members and ensuing genetic disorders.

Following WWII, with population density and increasingly divided shareholdings, emigration increased. Top destinations were Venezuela, Brazil and South Africa. Family estates and farms were abandoned and previously cultivated areas lay fallow. Many Madeirans returned with the island's increasing prosperity beginning in the 1980s. They are building imposing houses on their properties.

Madeira now
Beginning in the 1960s, rapid advances were made in infrastructure: construction of roads, provision of electricity, and much improved communication. The island now has a telecommunications structure that should be the envy of the “developed world”, including Geneva. Every town and village has a public area, usually a park or central square, with a sign indicating “WiFi Zone”. Yes, it does work.

Bus transport is plentiful to all parts of the island radiating from Funchal – so it is the best base if one does not rent a car.

Unlike Portugal which has centralized health and educational services, Madeira is decentralizing such services to villages and regional centres. Out-of-work health professionals and educators from mainland Portugal are finding employment on the island.

Being a tourist in Madeira
Accommodation ranges from the most luxurious to basic (I believe). A large collection of hotels is grouped in the Lido area above the sea within easy reach of Funchal.

Restaurants in tourist areas serve boring “international cuisine” and prices are much higher than in local neighbourhoods. So eating “local” is a tastier and less expensive option.

Delicacies include “Espetada”, meat on laurel skewers which are suspended from an iron device above your table; “bolo do caco”, bread cooked on heated stone and prepared with garlic butter. Fish is plentiful ranging from tuna and cod to the rather special – and very ugly – scabbard.
The Atlantic is very deep around the island and the scabbard lives on the seabed, except during a certain time of the night when it comes nearer the surface to feed. Line fishing is compulsory in Madeira; hundreds of lines are cast, the scabbards bite, are pulled up quickly – and die from decompression sickness!



Museums and culture emphasise the island’s Catholic tradition. I cannot say much about museums, since they were mostly closed for renovation or whatever when we tried to visit. One exception was the Electricity Museum that appropriately depicted the gradual electrification of the island.

The cultural offering is impressive. In 12 days we attended four classical concerts ranging from a mandolin concert (so many different types of mandolin) to the conservatory’s presentation of its classes devoted to specific instruments and voice, to chamber music, and to an international quality symphony evening.

The Sting
It is not called “Time Share” any more but rather “Vacation Clubs”. Many hotels have rooms or apartment reserved for people who have bought into this concept.


We were upgraded to a “junior suite” on check-in at our first hotel, very nice it was too, but then downgraded after six nights, since the “owners” were arriving. We attended a cocktail given at our hotel for its time sharers and asked people if they were happy with their arrangement. Without exception the reply was that at the outset it was fine, but that as time passed (and people sign up for 15-20 years) the additional charges and difficulty in exchanging for other destinations became problematic.

Vacation Club member/ownership is peddled in the street and in tour agencies, often by native English speakers. Sales people represent big hotels, existing or planned. So walking down the street we were repeatedly accosted by such representatives who wanted us to take a tour of their hotel and hear a sales talk – of no more than 90 min. – in exchange for which we were offered half price admission to the Casino floor show, bottles of wine or other goodies.

Did we fall for it? Yes, sort of, we willingly walked into a tour agency that was offering deep discount island tours – against 90 min. of our time, it turned out, to hear about this great vacation club plan at a brand new hotel beautifully situated on the rocky beach in Funchal.

What followed was a very targeted sales pitch. Every couple had their own presenter speaking their language. It was decided that we were Dutch, so we got Flemish Bernard who started out in – well Dutch/Flemish, until we agreed that he should continue in French. We said that we had maximum 90 min; Bernard said that it would be difficult to extol the wonders of the plan in such a short time, but we held him to it. I will not bore you with the details, except to say that the two-year trial plan was a great deal that included seven nights at the Royal Savoy, as well as various other advantages, at a cost which was less than we were paying at our very nice hotel. Since we were looking for a week’s accommodation starting two days hence, we said ok. We saw some rooms and the facilities, Bernard was to check availability and we agreed to return that afternoon – to sign the trial membership and pay. And Bernard insisted on taking us to the airport for our return flight at the end of our stay!

We turned up that same afternoon and there was Bernard wringing his hands and looking very troubled. The hotel was fully booked due to a golf tournament (it was actually held the following week); he had pleaded with the owner (see below) to find a studio for us, etc. He was very sorry – and then produced a card of his personal travel business offering us a week at this same hotel – at another time and at half price. So much for ethical business practices.

Reflecting on this failed transaction, I concluded that 1) it was too sweet a deal for us as customers and 2) the objective of having people sign up to the scheme is to have return visitors as well as being able to sell them the extras, such as travel arrangements, car hire, “concierge d’or” (whatever that is) etc.
Incidentally, the owner of the Savoy Hotel and its brand new sister, the Royal Savoy, is a certain José Manuel Rodrigues Berardo, a Madeira born businessman, speculator and art collector, and one of Portugal’s 10 richest men. The art dotted about the hotel was beautiful! And the venerable original Hotel Savoy is being pulled down in a couple of years – to make room for an even more splendid hotel.

Conclusion
We were amused more than anything – and relieved not to have signed or paid anything. We found accommodation in a wonderful aparthotel in Funchal at a most reasonable price, I’ll be happy to pass on the details. Our “reward” for attending the sales talk, the all-day minibus tour, was great and included morning coffee and a 3-course lunch with wine, all for 25 euros for the two of us. We later took a similar tour to another part of the island – at the full price of 80 euros for two – and it was still a very good deal.



Many "touristy" things are not covered above. Maybe I should mention the wood sledges or toboggans - a curious mode of transportation originally pulled by bullocks on typical Maderia pavement and used to transport goods and - in a more comfortable version - to transport well-to-do residents from upper Funchal down to the waterfront. A couple of strong men are needed to run alongside and keep the sledges from speeding out of control down the steep roads. Now rides are offered to tourists - at considerable cost.

Madeira is a popular destination for individual visitors from many European countries, particularly Britain. We noticed very few groups and hardly any vacationers from North America. Funchal is also a busy cruise port. Most days see huge liners moor to regurgitate hundreds of passengers for a few hours.
(Disclaimer: Much of the information above has been obtained from informal sources; if you find inaccuracies I will be happy to stand corrected.)

Travelling in Costa Rica
22 Dec. 2006 – 16 January 2007
About Costa Rica
Caribbean coast - Limon Province
San Jose, the capital
Pacific coast – Guanacaste Province, Tamarindo
- watching the Leatherback turtle nesting
Arenal Province - La Tigra

Some facts about Costa Rica
CR is a small country in Central America bordering Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. It is close to the Equator (Lat. 10’ N, Lon. 83’ W - you can see what we’ve learned sailing). The population totals just less than 4 million. It is divided into seven provinces and the climate varies enormously, even within these. About 25% of the country is designated as national parks, biological and forest reserves and protected zones.

CR is cast as a paradise for ecotourism. Yes, but the environmental problems are manifold - and not all of the country’s making. Visitor numbers declined by 1-2% in 2006. The Americans (and others) use the country as their neighbouring paradise, acquiring land and property at an alarming rate.

At the global level, the El Niño weather pattern (and global warming) affects the region and country, meaning less rain during the May-November rainy season and drought emergency. Predictions are for another El Niño. In the short term the tourist industry benefits, since the high/dry season is longer, the roads are passable rather than washed out, etc. 2005 did have a reasonable wet season and we are told that we’re here at the most beautiful time of year.

At the local level, problems are enormous: massive construction of condos and palatial houses in gated communities, often without proper permits and with scant regard for the environment. Around Tamarindo (see below), mangroves are being drained for that desirable ocean view and access; restaurants, some hotels and residences dump waste water directly into the streets and the sea, and the roads are often in bad shape*. Recycling facilities are scarce. Corruption and bureaucracy at municipal and provincial level as well as (mostly) petty crime add to a less favourable picture of this tourist paradise. The newly elected President Oscar Arias recently stated that “Tamarindo and Manuel Antonio (the country’s smallest national park on the Pacific Coast) were already lost…” We do not see constant manifestations of this but an eloquent, hard-hitting alternative press is very instructive.

*From the Tico Times 22 Dec. 2006:
“Swallowed Taxi: A taxi driver suffered only minor injuries when the Isuzu Troper he was driving plunged into an unmarked, two-meter deep by three-meter wide pothole near Nicoya, in the northwestern province of Guanacaste in late February. The Trooper had to be removed with a crane”.

There is also good news:
Municipal government and community associations are becoming increasingly assertive, taking the lead in environmental awareness, recycling, bridge and road repairs – but state funding is not easily obtained.

Following the inauguration of President Arias in May, 20+ new women parliamentarians were sworn in, giving Costa Rica the greatest participation of women in government in South America - and the third highest in the world.

A crop of tourist police graduates has recently been assigned to different parts of the country – which is of course both good and bad. And Guanacaste Province now has a psychologist police officer (just one, and it is a large province); she is called upon to deal with victims of trauma.

AND Chiquita Bananas has received the seal of approval of the non-governmental organization Rainforest Alliance for improvement in the growing and processing of its bananas: better forest management, less use of pesticides, recycling facilities for plastic (every stalk is encased in a plastic bag on the tree for final ripening), and improved conditions for its workers and their communities. Pressure from the Swiss retail chain Migros started the CSR process in 2003 that was later followed up by the German development agency GTZ. This “Nature and Community” initiative received the grand prize of the Costa Rican-American Chamber of Commerce in November 2006 in its social responsibility awards.

31 Dec. 2006
New Year’s eve, Apartotel Sabana
It’s 23:00 and a cool 18C. Back from a fabulous dinner at Hotel Grano de Oro, unexpected for San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. No major excitement this New Year’s eve – some crackers/fireworks in the distance but few people in the streets. The high rise ICE building next door (the Costa Rica telecom provider I am using) still has flashing illuminated Christmas decorations.

We are listening/viewing, like every night since being near the capital, to a classical music channel featuring vintage film-video footage of great performances of music, ballet, film, etc. Made for US public broadcasting by a visionary American and without ads. Clips from the 1920s-on, and quite the best viewing of the 99 or so stations available here.

Caribbean Coast

Back to Limon Province, where we arrived just over a week ago. Caribbean coast, banana country, frequent downpours and potholes unlike any we have ever experienced. Driving is a challenge trying to avoid them – and oncoming traffic, people walking, bicycles, and animals.

A few days before our arrival, there was an industrial disaster near Moin, the freighter port next to Puerto Limon, a chemical fire which polluted the nearby spring water supply and was declared a national disaster. The Health Minister called the situation “more than inadequate”.

Tourism police are walking the streets of Puerto Limon and act as guides to boot. They point to sloths in the trees of the central park.

The population here is 23% black, mostly of Jamaican origin and African slaves before that. They speak English and came to build the railroad that connected the province to the capital. It was abandoned in the 1990s because of dangerous mud slides. Before the blacks, the Chinese arrived and before them…




Now the Caribbean coast is a favourite destination of Europeans, Italians in particular - settlers and tourists alike. We stayed in an Italian run casita complex in Puerto Viejo and our favorite restaurant was Italian, with a chef from Trieste who made great gnocchi as well as many other excellent dishes.

One highlight was a visit to La Selva, a private nature reserve in the mountains near the border with Panama. I would normally avoid ventures like that, but in Costa Rica environmentally conscious individuals have bought huge swathes of forest for preservation rather than for development. Francesco, a Catalan nature photographer took us (and a French family of four) on a rather challenging stroll through part of his personal jungle and showed us tiny - and not so tiny - frogs, snakes, birds, monkeys, etc. He wasn’t too keen on my hiking boots but when I explained that I don’t walk well in rubber boots, he said he would watch out for snakes - which he did, wielding a machete. The bigger nuisance was huge jumping ants (by ant standard) that bit our French companions - above their rubber boots, need I add?

Francesco has photographed in Brazil and in many other countries. His wife Angela is a “primatologue” (primate psychologist) and both of them were with Diane Fossey and the mountain gorillas in Rwanda nine months before she was murdered. We saw the photos on his computer. When we arrived a group of white-faced capuchin monkeys was moving through the forest foraging and jumping from tree to tree. One of the young ones was Quillo, who was brought up by Angela and Francesco like their baby after they adopted him a year ago - apparently he was abandoned in a hotel nearby! They first kept him in the lodge, feeding him with a bottle. Then they built a cage outside the lodge complete with a hammock. After several months, they opened the cage during the day and Quillo started to roam. Then just a couple of months ago he did not return and has now been accepted by his fellow capuchins - to the delight of his foster “parents”.

Half of the year Franceso runs a “snack-frites” stand on the Costa Brava! His lovely assistant Rosa was visiting for two months and made us a delicious lunch after the hike. He told us that he lives on a 3-month residence permit in Costa Rica and when he needs to renew (for another 3 months), he slips across the border to Panama by a back road not far from his reserve for the needed stamp – or gets a taxi driver to make the journey with his passport. Amazing that non-nationals can acquire property so easily – and do.

Back to San Jose Province. The capital is, frankly, not very attractive. Our apartotel (very nice) is next to Sabana, a large park that was the runway/main airport until the early 1950s. It is on the edge of what is now downtown. The terminal/control tower structure is a museum which (no luck) was closed until early January.

We explored the surrounding area. San Jose is at 1350 m and has a pleasantly warm climate. We drove to the famous Volcan Poas some 60 km distant – and at 2.700 m. The climate zones we passed through are amazing. First sugar cane, then coffee cultivation until about 1900 m, next flowers and strawberries, giving way to pastures with grazing cows, cheese production, and temperate forest. This was our second visit to the volcano that is, unusually, viewed from above - but which is almost continuously shrouded in cloud. So for the second time we did not see it but managed a hike in the nearly cloud forest reserve.

Pacific Coast, Tamarindo


Guanacaste Province northwest on the Pacific coast was our next stop. The Pan American highway is pretty, shaded by trees, narrow and very busy, even on 1 Jan. The road gets quiet and fast once you reach the Nicoya peninsula. The landscape is savanna-like, parts are designated as dry tropical forest (trees drop their leaves during the dry season, December-April) Our destination was Playa de Tamarindo, a famous Costa Rica beach holiday destination featuring surfing, turtle nesting and national parks. AND massive real estate development targeted mainly at Americans.

Starting in December, offshore winds make this area hot and dry, except today the wind has died down and it’s oppressive. We‘re in a large comfortable condo out of Tamarindo on beautiful Langosta beach – and we’re next door to an all-inclusive hotel of the Spanish Barcelo chain which – unwittingly - provides us with useful services: the occasional buffet lunch (we pay for that), wifi in the sitting area, a tour desk - and showers and recycling barrels on the beach (the numerous security guards have learned to tolerate our intrusions). Hotel guests are tagged with green armbands this week.

Watching the Leatherback turtle nesting

There is a long protected beach near our condo, but it is closed from 18:00 to 06:00. We walked that beach yesterday in the daytime and saw the turtle flipper tracks going from the hard to the soft sand, a little like a caterpillar truck, and then a large indentation in the sand. We also talked to a security person on the beach who was guarding a nest – 12 hours a day.

We have just learned that the official national park tour to observe the leatherback turtle coming ashore to lay her eggs will take place from 18:00 tomorrow Sunday. The timing is a question of darkness (absence of moonlight) and tides, not to mention the turtles being in the mood… For several nights the tours have departed at 23:00 or midnight (and one can be waiting all night to observe a turtle), and since tomorrow Sunday 7 Jan. is our last chance to see this, we are very happy.

We were so lucky! We were ferried over a river to Playa Grande national park (on the other side of Tamarindo) and walked along the beach to the park entrance – high tide and a black, starry night. The commercial part of the tour was somewhat chaotic, but suffice to say that we were in the first group of 16 people that got to see a large leatherback turtle make her nest - hard work with her back flippers - lay 55 eggs and cover up the nest after. That took about 1.5 hours. We only had a 500 m walk to the nesting site, out in starry darkness, return in moonlight. Many on the tour in later groups did not get to see the process because other turtles were too far along the beach - and came much later. The park authorities are well organized: you don’t go to the nesting site until the turtle is up in the soft sand and you are not allowed to stay when she makes the return journey to the sea, because she may not come back. And back they come, each female returns from a nearby area about seven times at a 2-3 day interval to lay up to 100 eggs each time in different nests. However, some eggs are small and not fertilized and out of 1000 eggs, only one or two turtles will survive to adulthood! There are volunteers on site who protect the hatched turtles on the beach but once in the water… Hatching is 60+ days. We saw the egg-laying process with the help of infrared torches (absolutely no photographing allowed), the volunteers were measuring the turtle (she was large, 1.56 m long and 200-300 lbs.) and counting the eggs – even helping to dam the sand she dug up. The leatherback then swims back to the Galapagos. One particular female had not been to the nesting site for 11 years.

While in Tamarindo, we took a sunset sailing trip on the “Mandingo”, a replica of a 19th century schooner – owned by a German born man who sailed it from Marseille across the Atlantic 9 years ago.
The sea was very rough and we were hanging on and occasionally got soaked, but all the while we were served wine, champagne and other drinks, tapas, fruit and cake by surefooted crew! And we saw a turtle swimming and a whale coming up for air. It was great. I went on their “snorkel express” (a motor boat) another day but the fish were not impressive although we were far away from the tourist beach.

Arenal Province - La Tigra
We are near the active volcano, Arenal, (well, it “glows” at night, but there are currently no major eruptions and the top is in cloud all week) in a temperate rainforest. Really, they do exist! We are only at about 350 m altitude but it gets deliciously cool at times, rains very heavily intermittently and is incredibly lush. All kinds of fruit, vegetables and spices grow, cattle graze, and there are many one-way bridges over the numerous rivers, some very precarious.

We arrived yesterday at this finca with its large garden-jungle. It was built by two men living in San Francisco, one of whom is a Brazilian artist, Regis. We spend hours on a covered terrace overlooking the garden and his Niki de Saint Phalle inspired sculpture which is illuminated and has water sprouting out of its various bits (when we flip the switch). Regis called from SF this morning to see if we were all right and I told him of the similarity. He told me that he is inspired by her work.
At the bottom of the property there is a river and we watch with great fascination the vans and motorbikes crossing to the other side where the road continues up a hill. Sometimes the vans get stuck on the stones in the middle of the river – but they manage to get moving again. There is also a lit footbridge.

The house is a combination of rustic and comfortable. There is a beautiful swimming pool with a (constructed) waterfall on the land, and a “rancho” with a huge barbeque (a big covered seating area above the house).
All kinds of fruit grow and Henk prepares bananas for the bird feeding platforms (they grow in the garden and are ripe).

This morning he replenished the fruit three times, he said that the birds were very hungry. He also has time to take early morning walks in the area.

Anita lives across the lane, she is an artist, and Jaime who lives higher up the hill is the caretaker-repairman who shows us how to use the numerous keys, work the lights, open coconuts and more. They watch over us and are lovely people – and their Spanish is very difficult to understand but we manage somehow.

We are in a rural, fertile area, People live modestly but are not poor – there is a real sense of community and they are very friendly. The tourists are 25 km away in La Fortuna. Being tourists, we go there repeatedly for meals, supplies and the hot springs - and the drive is very beautiful.

Neighbour and mechanic Danillo picks us up one morning in his 4WD and drives us up to Poco Sol (Little Sun) at the back of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. His daughter and our neighbour Anita join us. It is only 12 km but takes an hour on a very steep and muddy dirt road. And we drive across the river at the bottom of the garden – a real thrill, but only the beginning of a drive like no other. We have been to Monteverde before (to the “official” park), it is beautiful but very crowded. Going up the back way, we are the only people there. We hike and Anita shows us tiger, boar, goat and other animal footprints, and we then share a picnic by a lake.

Another day we go on a tour taking us to the border with Nicaragua. We drive past pineapple, sugar cane and teak plantations, then spend three hours on a boat going up the Rio Frio watching birds, caiman and other reptiles. And lunch is a typical Costa Rica cassado (rice, beans and chicken) collected from a local café en route, served buffet style on the boat - with tablecloth and real plates! And our guide is another neighbour from La Tigra!



Our one-week stay in La Tigra was magical and we regret having to leave. We drive 2.5 hours to reach the aiport and hand back our rental car, then spend the night at a hotel nearby for an early morning flight home.

Eva, 19 January 2007

Hornbay Adventure by Eva

Videoclip at http://www.postmodemsociety.com/video/bananas.mp4
(use Firefox or Quicktime to watch)
• Getting there
• About the vessel
• Cabin & facilities
• Crew
• Passengers
• Food
• Sailing
• Cargo
• Conclusion

Getting there and on board
So to Le Havre by train for our first freighter trip to Costa Rica. Since we are to board on 6 Dec. but do not know what time, we spend the night in a hotel there. Driving to the train station in Geneva, I receive the expected call from the Horn Line: boarding between 15:00 and 18:00, 16:00 is ideal.

After a long taxi ride through the sea freight facilities in Rogerville to “multivrac” - Alpha Terminal, we see “Hornbay” in the process of being loaded. Two stewards come down long rickety stairs and grab our very heavy bags. I stay on the quay to take photos and am then afraid of climbing up with cranes lifting huge containers overhead.

No x-ray machines or searching of luggage, the captain just takes our passports.

About “Hornbay”
The freighter is attractive looking, painted white like a reefer or banana boat should be. It is 153 m. long and 23 m wide. Maximum speed is 20 knots (i.e. 40 kms). There is a ramp for loading cars, all other merchandise (whatever it is) is in containers, many are painted “Del Monte”. What they contain? See later on…

Henk says that this is really a boat with a four-storey apartment building slapped on. First floor, or poop 1, is where the restaurant and bar-lounge are located as well as the sports room and laundry. Poop 2 is crew accommodation; poop 3 has cabins for passengers, a sauna and a TV lounge and (unused) bar. Poop 4 has accommodation and day rooms for officers as well as a library with a lot of books (85% German, 15% English) and a TV-DVD player. Above poop 4 is the bridge (the control room of the vessel), large very tidy with a multitude of instruments. On one the deck there is also a small swimming pool and sheltered area with deck chairs.

The sauna is opposite our cabin and in the evening there is a steady stream of officers and passengers using it. There is also a sports room with table tennis and exercise machines as well as a laundry with machines we can use.

The containers are stowed between the bow and the apt. building, stacked 3-high and tied down securely, we hope. Some are apparently refrigerated, hard to get an answer on this. Presumably the hold is also refrigerated, except where the cars are carried.

Cabin & facilities
We are in cabin 3 starboard. It is surprisingly pleasant, “wood” panelled with two single beds on either side of wardrobes and a “vanity” in the middle. There are also two easy chairs and a desk with a bookcase above. The bathroom has a shower, WC and wash basin and is spacious. There are two windows with a free view, yes, of the ocean! All the furniture has drawers, including the beds, so there is loads of storage. Everything is conceived to withstand the ship’s rolling, except the people! The table surfaces are anti-skid, the beds have high sides to prevent us falling out, there are handles to hold on to in the bathroom. There were fresh flowers, a huge fruit basket, miniature bottles of champagne and Belgian chocolates welcoming us.

The crew
come from Latvia, Russia (Kalingrad, Vladivostok) and Ukraine. Even the ones from Latvia are Russian, there is a naval academy in Riga. Some are very nice, others foul tempered. For the 10 passengers on this trip there are two stewards, one for port the other for starboard cabins – and we share the chief steward-barman. They clean the cabins and make repairs and they have others duties as well, including serving meals. Some speak a little English, some German – but mostly they speak Russian! Communication is difficult. I quickly made myself unpopular with the second-in-command Alexei by asking too many questions during the “safety drill”. I couldn’t understand a word of his English and when I asked him repeat, he told me that the German passengers (who had had their session a few days earlier leaving from Hamburg) understood him perfectly (they don’t speak English…) and that I probably don’t know the language very well. The weather was so bad that we couldn’t go to the muster area, see the life boat – or have a demonstration of how to “operate” the life vest. We do have numbered seats in the lifeboat, though.

My questions were on: water supply; garbage disposal: all (except plastics) can be dumped at designated distances from land; fuel: heavy oil and some diesel; what are we carrying: cars and peoples’ private property. But no nuclear or other dangerous waste, we were assured. Then he said no more questions.

The passengers
We are 10: two German couples, two German women traveling alone, one Austrian man, Anton, a tax advisor from Vienna, one French retired midwife, Monique, and Henk and me.

The Germans stick together and have a routine, video watching, reading and drinking beer, vodka, etc. Anton, who is very obese and incomprehensible in any language, eats and drinks a lot, (one day I saw 14 Sandemans on his bar list, but then he gets 4 shots at a time in a tumbler) reads fat books about Christianity & Islam that he had shipped to Hamburg, and smokes big cigars. He has hardly any teeth. He is friendly and we chat, sort of. Monique is interested in world politics, has worked with MSF in Congo and Guatemala, and we talk a lot. We share a table with her during meals. So instead of brushing up on Spanish, we speak English, German and French all day…

Monique and us two are disembarking in Costa Rica. Everyone else is doing the round trip back to Europe. In fact, several have done the same trip 2 or 3 times. They watch a DVD of a previous trip repeatedly.

Food
The passenger information states “meals are made to European standard”. Yes, but very eastern Europe/Russian standard... This is definitely not gourmet cooking and I won’t be putting on any weight during this trip. Plates are snatched away whenever you put the fork down – and sometimes when you don’t - and the next course is presented regardless of the eating rhythm of the others at the table (and we are only three, with French Monique). The information also says that we are eating with the officers, yes, but they have a separate round table in one corner and there are rarely more than one or two eating at the same time and in 15 mins. maximum.

Serving times are similar to those of a hospital or prison (?): breakfast 07:30-08:30; lunch 11:30-12:30; dinner 19:30. Come early, or the food is cold...

So mealtimes are not a great pleasure but are nevertheless met with great anticipation – because it is a break in the relaxation routine. Drinks in the adjoining bar-salon before and after – and at many other times during the day – are more jolly. We drink water with the meals, imagine! We now speak Spanish with Monique during meals, she must be bored because she knows the language very well.

The compensation for enduring the cooked food is the fruit… There is a never ending stream of pineapple, papaya, bananas, etc. - at least I hope it will last the journey.

Sailing
Wednesday 6 Dec.
The vessel was loaded all night, we slept on board. A delayed departure early afternoon 7 Dec. We were tugged through the huge terminal area with a (Le Havre) navigation pilot on board. At the mouth to the open sea, we were sluiced through a lock (the water level in the loading areas has to be constant). The pilot was very chatty and informative in French, of course, but after he left the ship, we were told (by mean Alexei, second in command) that we shouldn’t even have been on the bridge during the operation and that the captain had been annoyed with us (I think because he doesn’t speak French), we didn’t know…

The sea was very rough from the outset. Holding on to banisters and rails along corridors is a must. Monique, who had just told us that a calm sea is boring, got seasick and was lying low for the next two days.

Thursday 7 Dec. contd.
The sea is very rough, force 7-9. Sometimes waves crash over the ship. There was a lot of water on the windowsill of our cabin this morning and our steward screwed the window shut with a stick. Now it is a bit stuffy. We sort of had an emergency drill but could not go on deck to really know what to do.

Friday 8 Dec.
We are level with Finisterre (No. Spain). Very rough, force 8-9. It’s like adapting quickly to being physically handicapped. Holding on to things at all times and plopping into soft chairs when possible. Reaching the bed can be a challenge and you don’t leave it easily. I took a shower holding on tightly, the floor was a lake after because of the rolling.

Saturday 9 Dec.
The wind is slowly calming. Walking on the decks – and holding on tightly to all rails, my hands are covered in salt. I go to the bridge when the friendliest officer is on duty, Zhenya from Riga. He is third in command. We chat in English (he does not speak German, like most of the officers) and he shows me the instrument readings. We also talk about our families and about Costa Rica. He has been with Horn Line for 15 years, 6 mos. on a contract, then several months at home before the next one. Three ships, Hornbay, Horncliff and Horncap, are identical, and the crews are assigned to any of them.

Sunday 10 Dec.
Hurrah, today we could open the window and get fresh air. It had been screwed shut because of the heavy seas and it has been stuffy and hot in the cabin. Now sailing at 18 knot, smooth sea, high pressure but overcast. At 17:15 we saw a fiery sunset over Sao Miguel island (Azores). The ocean is vast and empty, the nearest ship today was 30 miles distant, a Maersk freighter en route to Charleston.

The welcome party took place. Bar and dining room decked out with red tablecloths, vodka for the toast. Captain and officers turned up in their stripes (work outfits on board are very informal) and the captain said many things, each sentence beginning with “Dear Passengers” – made me think of “Dear Leader”… The gist was that as we were delayed leaving Europe due to the bad weather our stops in Guadeloupe and Martinique would be as brief as possible and probably at night, meaning that we probably cannot go ashore. We’ll see. The cooks outdid themselves for the dinner that followed – washed down with complimentary Matheus rose. We insisted on mixing during drinks time - but officers still sat at their table for the meal.

At 21:00 we went on the bridge to see the lights on Sao Miguel as we passed by.

Monday 11 Dec.
Guided tour of the ship at 08:30, a thorough visit lasting almost 2 hours. On deck and below – issued with hard hats. The enthusiastic English-speaking Chief Engineer explained many things in the engine rooms, but with the noise, the earplugs provided and the 40 degree heat down there it was difficult to take it all in. The water desalination and filtering installation was impressive, so there is a constant supply for washing, etc. We drink mineral water. All operations are computerized and all areas are impressively clean and tidy. The “best before” date of the life boat is 07/2010…In addition, there is a smaller rescue boat in case anyone falls overboard – and someone watches it happening, bien sur.

We carry
180+ 30-ton containers below and on deck, some are refrigerated.
80+ cars, new and used
heavy earthmoving and agricultural equipment
a pleasure boat
a motor cycle in a wooden crate
a huge container for recycling (maybe) destined for Cartagena
25 crew and 10 passengers. We are almost fully loaded.

Tonight the clock is set back one hour, and again tomorrow. We are now three hours behind European time.

Tuesday 12 Dec.
We’re on the edge of a depression moving north, while our course is south-west (currently around 30 degrees latitude – west of Madeira). We have sun with some overcast and it is a warm 22 degrees, but it is windy on deck. The ship rocks more than the last few days, but nothing like the beginning of the trip. The “swimming pool” was filled with seawater yesterday, but it was a little premature, I think. The boat’s rolling creates waves in the pool that splash onto the deck.

Today’s excitement was watching the launch of a weather balloon. This happens 2-3 times a day (or night) according to a schedule determined by a maritime meteo centre.
The captain goes into a container-type hut located at the stern, blows up a red balloon with special helium and attaches a small battery. A large periscope with a round opening is raised from the hut and the balloon is shut up in the sky. The information is transmitted to a satellite and is part of an international weather information collaboration. Until now, our weather and sea forecasts have been provided by European meterological centres, but we are passing over to No. American centers.

So what do we do all day? Henk goes to breakfast, I hardly ever do – ends 08:30 – except when we set back the clock. I take an espresso from the machine (euro 1 and worth it!) Then regular visits to the bridge to read the day’s news dispatch, check the weather forecast, position, speed, and chat with the officer on duty.

The cabin is cleaned by our steward, i.e. wastepaper basket is emptied, bathroom cleaned, duvet and pillows are straightened so that the Horn Line logo on the sheets faces up!

A drink in the bar before lunch. We have learned to be on time – 11:30 - to catch the food while it’s hot. And to ask for half portions. We now speak Spanish with Monique during the meal.

Later we read, walk the decks, visit the bridge again. During the early part of the trip, the sighting of tiny flying fish was the height of excitement. There is coffee and cake (ice cream once a week) in the afternoon. And we play a game of scrabble. Drink some wine, go to dinner at 19:30. Tonight the hot menu is Eisbein, German soul food, so we might go for the cold cuts and cheese instead. In the evening we sometimes watch a video and chat with people.

When the going is good we travel at 18 knot/hour i.e. about 36 kms. This can properly be termed slow travel…

Wed. 13 Dec.
About drugs smuggling, stowaways and piracy. Well, since it was a pretty uneventful day, I thought a snappy lead would liven up the story!

We had another setback, I mean the clock was turned back one hour. Sun and cloud, warm and slightly “rocky”. One man swam in the pool and the Germans worked on their tan.

Last night I mingled with the German crowd. They understand absolutely nothing of what the officers say, since they speak only (some) English. I told them the story about our emergency preparedness session with Alexei (see above) and they laughed so hard about (not) understanding him. Our Eisbein offering was enthusiastically received by a German couple who normally eat cold food in the evening, we took that instead. One asked me what “porridge” means, they cannot understand the menus printed for each table every day – or speak with the officers on the bridge… Luckily the barman speaks German.

The captain was very talkative when I was on the bridge this morning. I asked him about piracy, ships get a regular warning report by telex and there is an anti-piracy helpline. He has not experienced any attacks but the Colombian coast is particularly dangerous. Mostly armed robbers who come in small boats, tie up the person on watch and get off with some supplies.

Drug smuggling is apparently rampant. A favourite method is to attach the packages inside or outside the water tank with suction cups. For this reason the ships are inspected by police (divers, I suppose) upon leaving port – in Turbo in particular. When in port, all doors to deck except one are locked and sometimes cabins, etc. are searched. In June, a stash of cocaine was found in the hold by the crew of a Horn sister ship and “our” captain gave them a cash reward. But he says it’s tricky, because who is doing the smuggling?

This year two stowaways were discovered – after 10 days - on the return journey to Europe. They were flown back to wherever they came from.

It now seems that we will not be going ashore at any of the stops en route to Costa Rica. We arrive at night in the French Islands and ditto Cartagena. Turbo is too dangerous, although we stay to load for several days. The last time a banana plantation tour was organized there for passengers was five years ago! We have a three-way bet with Monique about our arrival time in Pointe-a-Pitre – for a bottle of champagne - concluded in Spanish, of course.

Thurs. 14 Dec. – Henk’s contribution

The excitement of the day is Henk’s exclusive visit (invited by the captain) to the meteo hut at the extreme aft of the vessel. We already saw the launching of the weather balloon yesterday. This is an EU collaboration of 21 countries with a number of selected ships which sail in the North Atlantic. These ships launch a balloon (50 cm in diameter) with a sensor twice a day while sailing between 20 and 45 degrees North. The information is gathered on the vessel and then transmitted via satellite to the meteo service in Europe.

The hut looks very similar to those used in experiments at CERN. There are racks with equipment, a desk with a computer workstation and a supply of helium bottles on the other side next to the launcher, which looks like a huge cannon. After we entered, the captain started to prepare the sensor, inserting batteries into a box the size and look of a soapbox with several antennas sticking out. It has a GPS receiver as well. The box signals are received immediately and monitored by the computer. The captain chose a white balloon for the nighttime launch (red during daytime) and inserted it into the launcher, then opening the helium bottle. A familiar hissing from the balloon sounded and the flow stopped automatically. The captain then attached the sensor to the balloon. The roof opened and the launcher now moved outside of the hut. I had the honour of pushing the launch button. We saw the balloon taking off and went back into the hut to look at the data coming in. The computer showed the ascent of the balloon with the altitude, position, temperature, wind direction and pressure in real time. From a 28 C temperature at the start it quickly went down to a cool 18 C at 1000 meters. For several hours the sensor will continue to send this information down to the ship up to a height of 20’000 meters. Extremely valuable information for maritime and air traffic and weather forecasting will be received by the weather service thanks to this high-tech venture.

Sat. 16 & Sun. 17 Dec.

Too busy to write – quite a shock after our calm routine on the high seas. Saturday we were allowed on land – twice even. Got up at the crack of dawn and we were docked at Pointe-a-Pitre. We had 3 hours in the town, with some of that taken up by gridlock traffic – a bridge was being resurfaced and it caused chaos. I won the bet about time of arrival and Monique bought champagne.

We walked around town taking in the shopping streets, the markets, etc. At 08:00 there were no cars allowed in the centre – one hour later there were. Apparently authorities had wanted to pedestrianise some streets, but then decided to try the following Saturday instead. Coffee and croissant and local juices, nice.

We then sailed down along the west coast of Dominica, close enough to see a lot, it was beautiful and took about 1.5 hours. We also saw small whales spouting, maybe orcas.

Arrived in Martinique, Fort de France in the evening and had three hours on land, except by the time we got to a restaurant it was much less than that, since our first recommendation was located out of town and was closed. Had a nice meal with creole overtones. Some other passengers chose not to go and those who go did just walked around.

We got back to the vessel to watch loading, it was exciting and impressive. The harbour has the latest hauling and lifting equipment, just like lego, only bigger! The job was only finished around 23:00 and I heard the captain murmur to the dock supervisor that Del Monte management was putting pressure on him to catch up on lost time in Europe.

Today, Sunday, we are going full steam ahead for Cartagena (Colombia) where we will arrive Tuesday. The sea is calm and it is very warm. The big excitement is the “barbeque party” on deck that kicks off around sunset. A long table has been set for almost 30 people, I wonder if the seating arrangement will allow for mingling with the officers and crew?

Yes, we mixed a little with the crew. Copious amounts of food, shrimp, smoked salmon, grilled meat and sausage, lots of beer – and fruit for dessert. The Germans asked if I would thank the captain on behalf of all passengers which I did – of course beginning with “Dear Captain…” I have become the translator in residence, the Captain tells me what he wants the Germans to know, etc. The Germans ask me to translate their questions to Monique, etc.

Mon. 18 Dec.
Today I splashed around the pool, quite nice. We arrived in Cartagena at 23:00 and had been told a few hours before that we could go ashore for a “Panoramic City Tour”. Of course we were game, although we didn’t get on the minibus until midnight! The Germans did not go, too late, etc., but two junior crew joined us which was fun, Sergei the cook from Latvia spoke good English and he and the deck hand were taking photos constantly, lagging behind and having a good time. While we were tired, it was good to be out when there was little traffic and only 29 degrees. A very strong wind blew, the Alize that signals the summer season beginning in December. Cartagena’s old town is a UNESCO heritage site and is beautifully restored (looks a little like a stage set). We got back to the vessel at about 03:00 and then stayed up to watch the loading.

The equipment here is much less sophisticated than that of the French Islands but this is compensated for by a seemingly endless supply of dockers. Security is tight and there is much red tape. First the customs and security people come on board. Then the workers are frisked on the quay and their bags and thermos opened for inspection by more police and security. At the top of the gangway, each docker surrenders an identity card and is issued with a yellow armband – which is of course needed to reclaim the identity card when leaving.

Being in Cartagena we discovered that we are on “ship time” not on Colombian time, it is one hour earlier here. Nobody had bothered to explain that one to us. The idea is that setting back the clock five hours total on the outbound trip makes the return to Europe easier for the crew, i.e. only setting the clock forward five times. So when we arrive in Costa Rica, ship time will be two hours ahead of local time which is seven hours behind European time. The bonus now is that the sun sets later.

Tuesday 19 Dec. –Wed. 20 Dec.
So much work for a few bananas!
We sailed towards Turbo (Colombia) where the sole operation consists of loading bananas, lots of them, actually. Security is at the highest level due to drug smuggling (everything we were told previously is fact). Some distance out from Turbo, the navigation pilot came on board, taking us a short distance to anchor in lighterage (although I asked the captain what that means, I haven’t yet understood) the middle of a bay. There were three other freighters with long tails, barges with bananas to be loaded.

Then numerous customs, Del Monte and security people – complete with sniffer dog -boarded and set up in the conference room. Stained mattresses were laid in the sports room, hammocks were strung on the lowest deck, and then a huge barge pulled up and discharged 40-50 dockers. There were pilot boats, barges, containers with equipment and bananas all around the boat. The dockers were searched and tagged (yellow armband again) and set to work, by now it was 20:00. All doors to the decks were locked except two, the swimming pool was emptied, the bridge was closed to deck and the doors “secured” with bits of rope tied to the handles of the captain’s chair inside. Passengers had the run out several upper decks – and there was never-ending entertainment watching the goings-on. That night we had our private champagne party on a quiet deck.

The loading activity continued for the next 30-odd hours. It is incredibly labour intensive and dangerous, but I suppose it’s worth it to carry over a million kg of bananas. Interesting that while there is general awareness of fair trade principles, these concern the conditions of the producers. Nobody talks about the transport to consumers, conditions of dockers, etc. In the morning we saw dockers everywhere on the container deck, brushing their teeth very thoroughly, drinking milk, etc. The weather was overcast, muggy and 34+ degrees.

There were so many barges of bananas to be loaded, our “tail” was very long. We are near the mouth of River Leon where the plantations are and it is presumably easier to float the cargo down the river to be loaded. Each barge held a sort of one-storey shack with a metal roof that slid open to allow the boxes to be lifted on board and loaded in the hold. One barge had flashing Christmas lights. These barges were towed one at a time by small boats and nudged alongside our freighter. Each pallet lifted on board contained 48 boxes, each weighing 20 kgs. – and there were 52.179 boxes to be loaded. Bananas are kept at a constant 13.3 degrees during shipping.

Unfortunately, we pulled anchor in the middle of the night and did not experience the drug police divers checking for drugs being smuggled inside or outside the water tank – but they did!

Thurs. 21- Fri. 22 Dec.
Sailing along the coast of Panama. Hornbay will dock in Moin some time after midnight. It will take on pineapple and more bananas. This port on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica marks the turnaround point and the vessel will sail non-stop to Dover. We’re told they have zero tolerance for drugs in Dover and might even search your underwear! There is a story about a Dutch passenger on a Horn boat who had 100 kg of cocaine – I wonder how that would be possible.

We have just begun to pack our bags. Henk gave our favourite officers a CD of photos and a fun movie he made on board. Only three passengers disembark in Moin. All the German passengers will sunbathe and drink their way home.

PS I understood the meal times after a while. Officers have two four-hour watches per 24 hours. This allows both the 04:00-08:00 shift and the 08:00-noon, etc. to eat.

Statistics
We received a “voyage certificate” on disembarking with interesting facts.
Distance traveled: 5277 nautical miles (approx 10’000 kms)
Fuel burnt: 5810 tons (sometimes bad fuel spat out soot all over the deck and the people)
Loaded in Turbo: Bananas 1,044 million kgs, Plantains 148.600 kgs

Some impressions
• A fascinating voyage in terms of learning how goods get transported around the world and how a cargo vessel operates.
• Access to information and the run of (almost) everywhere on the vessel made the experience unique.
• The crew had a strict hierarchy, partly necessary and partly due to the mentality of Eastern Europe and beyond. But the result was a very well run and competent operation.
• The different loading techniques and equipment used at the various ports were fascinating.
• The cook’s imagination in naming the two daily salads knew no bounds and the same goes for the cooked dishes – usually breaded pork of some kind. But according to repeat tripping Germans the food was a lot better than on other trips.
• There was an endless supply of parsley, but the bread petered out. We could have done with a baker!
• And much more…
• Ends
•
28 Dec. 2006 above San Jose

From Louis Agassiz to Jean-Jacques Rousseau

During the last days of August, my wife and I and two other friends went biking in the region of the "Three Lakes" in central Switzerland, situated between the cities of Murten (Morat), Neuchatel and Biel (Bienne). We stayed on the smallest lake of Murten where we found accommodation in Hotel Bel-Air in Praz, which we highly recommend. Praz is a small wine-growing village of the Vully region. On our first day, we took a bike ride through the vineyards and ended up wine-tasting in Môtier, which is the birthplace of Louis Agassiz, a world famous naturalist and "Father of Glaciology". He studied the glaciers in Switzerland and discovered in 1840 that a great "Ice Age" had once covered most of the earth. He became professor at Harvard in 1848 and was a founding member of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States, but also a lifelong opponent of Darwin's theory of evolution! We were surprised by the quality of the bicycle paths, when we took off the next day to visit an island in the lake of Bienne. The trail markers were excellent and ever-present-bright-red road signs with a pale-blue square that displayed the route number in white. Rarely were we on a road with automobiles. It was extremely difficult to get lost, although we did manage to do so once or twice. We arrived at the Island of St-Pierre in the early afternoon and had lunch at the castle. Jean-Jacques Rousseau found refuge here from Geneva in the autumn of 1765. He was captivated by the simplicity and the charm of the place. He spent six weeks on this Island, "the most beautiful of my life", he declared. Unfortunately the Bernese authorities considered the stay dangerous and issued a command of expulsion.
Now the Island St-Pierre is known worldwide. The chateau is owned by the Hess foundation in Napa Valley. The lunch was excellent and the "Pinot Noir" from the island great. We biked back to our hotel after a visit to the beautiful medieval city of Erlang, changing our tongue back to french somewhere in the countryside.

"La fête de la musique" Geneva June 2006

The official date of the music festival is today, June 21. It started in 1982 by the then minister of Culture in the french government Jack Lang. This year in Geneva it was celebrated over the long weekend just before the 21st. The first concert I attended was in the Lutheran church in the old town. It is a "hidden" church, which means that the building just looks like an ordinary three storey house. I guess Calvin did not like competition. I was attracted to the concert because it featured the music from Piazzolla played on organ and saxophone. I love tango music and one of my favorite instruments is the bandeneon, an instrument like a small accordion. Its origin is german and its inventor Mr. Band. It came to Argentina towards the end of the 19th century and as one of the stories goes a german sailor sold the first one for a pint of beer. The is speculation that it was then used in the churches in the poor neighborhoods of Buenos Aires instead of a real organ, much like the harmonium was used in churches in Europe. To hear the tango from a gigantic bandeneon is something else. It blended remarkably well with the saxophone. The origins of the tango come from the same neighborhoods close to the port of Buenos Aires. A tango is a blend of the habanera and the polka, mazurka and the milonga from Argentina. No doubt that tango's are my amongst my favorite music. It has so many forms and blends. A tango reflects the many moods of life. I can be sad, sentimental, simple, sophisticated, it has soul! All the events I visited had a full house. My next stop was to a courtyard where the tango trio "La Tanguera" was playing. Only three instruments, piano, violin and bandeneon plus the beautiful voice of Daisy Barcos, what a wonderful event. Later in the weekend I attended a much bigger band with 7 musicians called "Tango Sueño", they played many of the contemporary tangos which owe its existence largely to Astor Piazzolla. Argentina has more to offer than tango of course. In front of the Cathedral, I found a concert of the Missa Criolla and Natividad Nuestra. Both pieces are composed by Ariel Ramirez and were performed for the first time in Argentina in 1964. It is an incredible piece of music and brought tears in my eyes. The music is very much inspired by the rhythms and folklore of northern Argentina and Bolivia. The choir from the Eaux Vives quarter of Geneva together with the beautiful voice of Pancho Gonzales and the folkloric band Ollantay was absolutely fantastic. I am not a religious person but I found it a very uplifting experience. It also gave a good idea what Christmas time is in the middle of summer!
On my way back home I crossed a street in the old town called "rue des belles filles".What an appropiate name this is! The middle of the street was completely taken over by a Cuban Band, people were dancing in the street and were enjoying themselves. It is hard to imagine that Calvin lived and preached here. Genevees people are usually rather subdued, but not today, everybody was talking to everybody. I thought I was in old Havana!

Toblerones for Easter!

We had lovely lunch this Easter Sunday in a restaurant in a little village called Cézille in the canton of Vaud in the foothills of the Jura mountains.

According to the Tribune de Genève the average swiss eats 500 grams of chocolate during easter. We decided to take a walk after lunch along the Cézille river which has lots of "Toblerones" along its river bank all the way from the French border to lake Geneva. No, they are not easter eggs hidden along the river, they are concrete triangular shaped blocks which were erected in 1939 to delay the German tanks in case they would attack Switzerland. These fortification remained in tact during the Cold War. Also extensive underground fortifications were built, disguised as barns, farms and ordinary houses. These were used until the mid 90's. One is now turned into a museum which can be visited in Gland near the end of the trail. The river Cézille is mighty after the rain and the smelting snow in the Jura. The whole walk is 10 kilometers long, needless to say that the hike we took only covered a small portion. Too much Toblerone!