I was poking around looking at vacations (just in case - one never knows when a vacation might arrive...) and I started thinking about the wonderful places I have been blessed to visit.
I think that my favorite vacation was going to Prague with my immediate family, plus Aunt Licy. We had the most amazing time for two weeks, exploring places I had been before (I got to travel to Prague alone from Rome- scary! but fun) and places I had only heard about (such as Aunt Licy's old home in Brno) I bonded with my family - both those who I have known and those I got to meet out there - and we all have some wonderful memories and funny stories we still laugh about.
So, what were your favorite vacations?
A gathering place for Kulkas and those who were once Kulkas but due to unfortunate circumstances have had to accept life's curve ball and begin going by some other name.
Subscribe To:
Posts
Posts
8 comments:
That's funny to find this topic. Earlier today as I was walking, I had a memory of an experience while camping in Tuolomne. This was when David (or was it Danny) was about 3 years old. My mother had knitted a really nice sweater for him, with a matching cap. As that area of Yosemite is always cold, we were very glad to have them.
I had led him to the outhouse, duly bundled up. He decided to look down the hole to see what the bottom looked like (godawful idea). As he did, his cap slid off his head and down into the vile contents below.
What I remembered this morning was that I had immediately told Felix about it, and asked him to get the cap back. (I laugh now, thinking about how silly I was.) Naturally he refused and assured me that the cap was gone forever. I can remember howling "But my mother made it for him".
I don't pretend that this is my favorite memory of a vacation, but it was a vivid one today.,
One vacation that stands out is when Bev and I went to Jamaica back in about 1986. We climbed the Duns River waterfall (IN the water, not next to it), rafted on the Martha Brae river, parasailed in Negril and danced under the stars in Montego Bay. Wow, I'm a pretty romantic guy. Oh wait, Bev planned the vacation. But hey, I went with her!
We stayed in Montego Bay, and the trip to Negril was a couple hours long. At the end of the day, we ate on the patio at Rick's Cafe watching the sunset. So it was dark when we came home. Coming down this hilly, winding road, we realized the bus driver was really flying along. Nobody asked him what he was doing, we just figured that's how they drive here, and held on tight. Near the bottom of the hill, he flew into this parking lot and jammed on the brakes in front of this official building, which turned out to be the police station.
After the dust cleared, he apologized for driving so fast and said that we were being followed by bandits. He could tell by the way they were following us. They follow closely looking for a chance to pass the bus. When they do, they block the bus, stop it and rob the tourists. He had been driving that fast to keep the car from being able to pass us. He knew where the police station was, and knew we would be safe if he could make it there without getting passed.
I don't know why it matters, but he was a guy in his sixties, very polite and friendly. You tip everybody in Jamaica, so I (and I think everyone else) went ahead and gave him a big tip when we got off the bus. Even if it was a scam, you have to admire a guy who can drive a tour bus down a mountain like a BMW.
Uncle Matt, that sounds like a great vacation memory.
As to the rest of the family, looks like you are actually on vacation now. Take me away, folks!
I've been blessed enough to travel a lot of places in the world. It was a tough decision but my favorite vacation(s) I have to say are my two trips to Okinawa, Japan. Absolutely beautiful place. I've always been extremely fascinated and attached to the Japanese culture. Getting to experience it first-hand was incredible. I went with my friend Buck, who's mother is from there as well as her whole side of the family. So they make frequent trips and I got to tag along on some of them.
I have many stories from the time spent there, but I'll just share a highlight.
Buck's cousin took us out for a night on the town. He happened to be apart of an underground Japanese car racing circuit that would gather in key spots around the island and race each other. It was exactly like like the movie "Fast and the Furious" (for those who aren't privy, it's more or less a movie about illegal Japanese car racing that's huge right now with my generation). The leaders of the pack had police scanners and would listen for reports of their activity. If the scanners led the leaders to believe the police were busy somewhere else in town THE RACE WAS ON!
Hundreds of supped-up racers would line up at one traffic light and take turns racing! We were right in the middle of it! Racing and everything! It was an amazing thrill. It was twice the thrill when the police got wind of the races and came after everyone! Here's Buck and I in the back seat of his cousin's car looking a police car chasing behind us and his cousin furiously driving to get away! He succeeded and lost the coppers! It was soooo crazy!!!
We then went to an abandoned industrial yard (i know how Hollywood does this sound? it's all true I swear it!). As we drove further into the heart of industrial metropolis we began to hear these long drawn out screeeeeeeches. His cousin smiled as he turned in his seat and said, "Drifting contest". Instead of explaining what drifting is here is a link to a video that will show a good example of what Buck and I got to see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viL8A1QCP_U
(annoying music-just turn off speakers)
It was sooooo cool! I will never forget that sound of the tires. What a rush!
Anyways, that was my favorite vacation. Lovely
Fascinating, Cody. It reminds me of how different we all are in this world. As you might guess, that great memory of yours would be more like a nightmare to me. I don't know if you young folks can even understand that. It will be fun to hear other participants's comments about it.
Street racing and drifting contests? Sign me up! Sage, we are all different, aren't we?
Speaking of driving on vacations, when we went to scatter Felix's ashes, I stayed on Virgin Gorda in the Virgin Islands. One of the highlights was driving around on the left side of the road in a left-hand-drive jeep.
The island is about six miles long, and aside from the airport, there's probably 500 yards of paved road. The rest is dirt and mud. When I was renting my jeep, the guy showed me the gearshift and commented "...and this is fifth gear. You'll never get there."
Well, don't say that to a car guy. There was one sort of smooth straight patch of road about in the middle of the island. It took some peril, but I did too get into fifth gear.
Sage, remember when we and two other families went to the Virgin Islands and at one stop, took two jeeps across some rainy, muddy island to get to a restaurant? I think I remember enjoying that greatly. I have a picture of it somewhere.
Uncle, was that the time we were on short water rations on the boat? I remember there was for some reason a shower at the restaurant, and we each took advantage of it. Someone in the group must have done a spot check of the restaurant, because we came equiped with towels. Ah, roughing it.
" Hot, hotter, and hottest" is the answer when people ask me about the weather in Thailand. Snow would be a great souvenir that children dream to take back home to show their parents. Ski is a sport that money can't buy it in our homeland.
When Dan and Kathy mentioned the ski trip to David and I. I was really excited. It would be my new adventurous sport. On Friday, six of us , Dan, Kathy, David, Dusty, Peter, and I, were in a van from LA to Brainhead, Utah. Five hours later, we arrived at a two room condo with a mountain of food Kathy and I brought. We cooked, chitchatted, discussed about tomorrow's plan, and went to bed early. In my heart, I would like to put on my ski clothes when I went on my bed.
Saturday, David and I went to a two hours beginning ski class. After half an hour passed by, David got his skills back very quickly from his childhood ski's experiences. I also learned techniques and tricks very fast because of my sporty character. Later, the instructor led us to practice with a hill or slope for beginning skiers. David and I were good skiers here.
Sunday morning, Dan took David and me to a higher mountain which was suitable for intermediate skiers. It had mixed of gentle and steep slopes. David did very well again and Dan had fun. When I saw the first steep slope and the height of this mountain, my fear made me forget everything that the ski instructor taught me. Every time I tried to slide, I fell down and rolled over. I was too afraid of the height. Dan came up to teach me by let me holding down on his waist in the back of him, and led me down to the bottom of the mountain. He also taught me the same tricks and techniques which he used with his children. I began to feel better and enjoyed the ski again.
Sunday afternoon, I decided to go back at the beginner hill and practiced by myself alone, while everyone went to an advanced slope. Two hours later, I was very comfortable with this sport again. I thought this morning I had very embarrassing moment with Dan and David, I wanted go back to the same slope and skied down to the bottom by myself. Then I would go back to tell and brag to everyone that " I DID IT".
Finally, I was in the car on the way to the top. I doubted why this time took longer to arrive at the top. Next question came up, why the top of the mountain looked very different from this morning. After I got off form the car. I asked two skiers in front of me that which way was safer, the left of the right. They said " follow the green signs".
The slope was a little steep for me but I kept talking to myself "pizza,pizza,pizza ( the way to reduce the speed in skiing). The slope kept being steeper and steeper. Until I reached at a spot , on the left I stuck my head down and I couldn't see the bottom and on the right I needed to jump over many big holes or slide through steep narrow paths. While I was standing in the middle and making a decision. It was getting darker and there were less skiers around me.
Suddenly, I heard Dan and Peter's voice closed to me. They were exited with the big holes that they wanted to go through. I shouted " Dan, Peter". Dan looked back and asked me what I was doing here. He also asked me whether I need help, I said "no". Then they were gone. I still stood there and decided about the way to go down. It was quite scary for me. I looked around, no one else was around me. I was still deciding. Immediately, I saw Dan kept walking toward me from the lower side. He asked me to ski down toward him. So, he rescued me in the end.
Nevertheless, Dan explained me that I rode the wrong car which took me to the mountain for advanced skiers. Huh, no wonder there was a sigh on the top " You are at 10, 000 feet." OOP!
Post a Comment