The visit to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks started a bit far from the park entrance: in Salt Lake City (Utah). It is not that we wanted to cross several states to reach Yellowstone, but it was the closest main airport to fly to/from.
We drove North through he US-89, which soon took us to Bear Lake, a popular holiday destination for locals. Garden City is its capital, and we could see in the atmosphere that people were enjoying their free time: a big offering of nautical activities, and many families enjoying their last day before kids returned to school. Before crossing to Wyoming State, we were surprised with the names of the towns that we crossed or passed nearby: Paris, Montpellier or Geneva. That gave us an idea of where the first European settlers in this area came from.
The first stop was in Alpine, where we had the idea of having an early lunch (bear in mind that when you travel West your days start really early, due to jet lag), but we had to accept a late brunch instead, as the place we stopped in was very strict with timings and offerings. We stopped in a place called Yankee Doodle, which is like a museum, overdoing the Americanism (as in “white male, loving the Army, and the weapons”) probably looking for tourists (as ourselves) and their pictures, but with a not very “clean” background.
We continued our trip to the North, following the beautiful road next to the Snake River bed, to reach the first real destination in the trip: the Grand Teton National Park. We only had some time left during that afternoon so we enjoyed the view of the three “Teton” from the distance. The three Teton are just three beautiful mountains with glaciers, that got their name from some French explorers that missed women too much after some months of exploration.
In front of the Grand Teton, we visited the Mormon Row, a street outside the National Park with several buildings made by a mormon community in the early 20th Century. Some farms and houses, which had been used till 1950, and which combine with the Teton range on their back, made it a very pleasant first contact with the Natural Parks in this trip.
After this first brief encounter, we returned back to Alpine, our base for that night, visiting Jackson on our way back. Jackson is a very popular destination in Winter, with its ski resort, and was a key place a couple of centuries ago. They still try to keep the spirit of a Western town, with its saloon, and a park whose entrance gates are made of 7500 elk antlers. Nevertheless, for me, it was just a tourist resort, where you can of course buy cowboy hats starting from $60.
During the whole week, jet lag kept affecting us so hard, that we hit the road so early it made no sense to have breakfast near our accommodation. So we started driving and had breakfast in route, or near the destination of each day. That proved to be a good strategy as we discovered a couple of places to have breakfast that were better than the average. The one we discovered in Jackson on our way back to Grand Teton, The Bunnery, was a good example: nice people attending, decent coffee (Starbucks’) and a proper American breakfast to kick off the real day.
This time, when we arrived to the Grand Teton National Park, we headed into the Park itself. The day was clearer than the day before, and views were breathtaking. We parked the car near Jenny Lake, took a boat to go closer to the mountains, where we wanted to do some hiking. That was not proper hiking, as there were too many people, of all ages, and of all kind of physical states, that blocked the well paved paths. Our intention was to climb to a place called “Point of Inspiration”, but we changed our mind short after enjoying the Hidden Falls… a family warned us of a black bear that was less than 50 metres from us, eating berries very calm. After assessing the situation for a few seconds, we started to walk back to the boat as fast as we could… No need to risk.
The visit abruptly continue to Jackson Lake, where we did a picnic for lunch, and could see the first amish of the trip. We were surprised they were using the laundry, but after some reading on the Internet, we learned that there are different degrees of technology adoption/acceptance within the Ami community. Each community votes about their own rules, under the same general principles, and that leads to these differences. Apart from this knowledge, Jackson Lake provided us a nice walk around it, and we also saw some people at the beach, a nice marina (always a plus), and yet another sight of the Teton range from a different angle.
That night our accommodation was in a different state: Idaho, in a small town called Driggs. We followed the indications of one our navigation apps, and that was probably the biggest mistake in the whole trip. We suffered two hours of sand & rocks mountain roads, crossing the Rockefeller Memorial Park and the Targhee National Forest. The first named after famous business man, as he both a vas amount of land, which he later on donated to expand the current Grand Teton National Park.
Although those parks seemed to be interesting on the paper, the path was far from being a scenery one. We stopped in a lake, where there was only a suspicious man having a nap, we crossed a dam made our of stones, and two women in a big car asked us whether we were lost. We should have driven back to Jackson and then North-West through proper roads. It would have taken the same time more or less.
The small town where we stayed happened to have a nice tavern with a terrace, where we enjoyed a nice dinner at sunset, recovering from the tough afternoon drive.
Yellowstone is a familiar name for anyone my age in Spain, as we had those famous cartoons of Yoggi Bear and his friend Bubu, who lived there, making the life impossible to the many campers, visitors and forest guards,… and that was one of the closest National Parks near Chicago, where I had to travel for other reasons. Moreover, reading this is a volcanic area, and having missed a trip to Iceland in the past, this was tailor-made opportunity to get to see some the particular landscapes and spots of such area. Decision was quite easy to made.
Trip organization came a bit too late, and that entailed some logistics issues when visiting a (very) popular destination in high season (August): there was no affordable accommodation in the park, and we could only find reasonable prices at 2-hour drive locations. This ended up being a bit tiring, but driving in these wide areas in the US is also a very enjoyable activity, as the landscapes in the huge valleys make it worth it.
We drove through 3 of the 7 states with the highest rate cattle/person: Montana (#3), Wyoming (#5) and Idaho (#7). Driving forth and back, we saw many latifundia devoted to agriculture or ranching, and countless cows. We were in the West, where many of the movies were based, although instead of riding a horse, were driving a large Nissan through the endless straight roads, with only some scattered and isolated houses at the hills’ slopes. These places looked quite scary to live in (too many terror movies, maybe?), but even worse when we saw some active fires. We could count at least four different ones, so big that its smoke reached many hundreds of miles apart, ruining some views (and many pictures) in the park.
One of the many cool things about these roadtrips is spotting different state license plates in the cars. For those who may not know it, each state has a different design, which is also part of their own branding, with slogans like “Scenic Idaho”, “Life Elevated” (Utah), or “Treasure State” (Montana).
We visited two National Parks (Grand Teton and Yellowstone), two National Forests (Shoshone and Targhee), four states (Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana), and many many kilometres… but it was really interesting. (more posts coming…)
Greece is very well known for their islands and beaches, as a sun&sand destination, but those are not my typical motivations when travelling to a new destination for the moment. Instead, our visit to Greece, which would end in a conference in Athens, would not take us to the beaches but to another less popular part of Greece nowadays, but the most vibrant part in the World centuries ago.
Greece was home of the civilisation as we know it today. The Western culture, and in particular the European one, is heavily influenced by the Ancient Greek Culture, in spite of the many centuries that have passed, and the long distance that separate us. Greeks were pioneers in the use of the democracy, the philosophy, the science, and the arts 2500 years ago.
Many of the names then famous remain still today key to understand the World, and their works remain valid. Just to name a few: Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, Sophocles or Pythagoras are for sure well known to you. Their footprint in Maths was so important, that their alphabet is still used today as the default one for scientific writing. Visiting the places where they inhabited, and understanding their traditions and mythology was one of the goals of this trip, while enjoying some nature beauties of this Mediterranean country.
Our flights arrived in the afternoon to Athens airport, so we drove up North to Meteora. Meteora is not an Ancient Greek site, but still a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is one of those places that I had personally not heard before preparing this trip, but that became a priority once I discovered it. As of today, I also consider it the best highlight of the trip, and I do not regret of any of the (many) kilometres driven to reach there. Meteora is an area with geologic formations of rocks, with very steep sides, formed by an ancient beach and the erosion of the water and the wind. Meteora comes from the greek meteoros, which means “suspended in the air”, which is what it seems… In the 11th century, monks started to build monasteries on top of the hills. These monasteries were difficult to reach, and most of them could only be accessed thanks to pulleys which had to be pulled from the monasteries, becoming a safe refuge during different periods of times.
Meteora main monasteries can be visited in half a day, and the sooner you start, the less buses (and their passengers) you encounter. We could visit three of them: Saint Nicholas Anapausas, the first one we encounter, and with the highlight of the views (early morning) and a fresco by Doménikos Theotokópoulos, El Greco, from 1527; the Great Meteoron, which is huge, similar to a small town, and where most buses made a stop there, and the Holy Trinity one, which required a short hike/climb to reach. We missed the Rousanou one as it was closed, and looked really interesting to visit to.
The next stop was the Pelion Peninsula, and we headed there. The Pelion Peninsula, according to the Greek mythology, was home for centaurs, where they enjoyed life their way (wine, virgins, and countryside) in this small paradise. It is a peninsula with a linear mountain in the center, having at its western side the towns of Portuaria and Makrinitsa, overseeing Volos city at its feet, and several small towns and beautiful beaches on the other side.
Volos is famous for the Greeks as the port where Jason and the Argonauts left. The port is still there, and although it is a relative small one, it hosts a major fleet of sailing vessels to explore the Greek islands. When we arrived to Volos on Sunday evening from the highway, it seemed a phantom city. This impression was quickly changed when we walked the promenade next to the port, plenty of bars and full of people. We also had the chance to see a procession due to the day of Saint Constantine and Saint Helen, who were the ones who found Christ’s cross. The procession was similar to the Spanish ones, with the authorities, representatives from the military and a band of music, and everyone dressed up.
The Pelion Peninsula did not deceive us either. Portuaria and Makrinitsa are holidays destination for the local people of that area, as they are easily reachable. They are two small towns on the green hillsides, with small white houses with views to the plain and the sea, and no cars. A wonderful place for weekends and holidays for the non distant (and well off) Volos citizens.
The other side of the Peninsula made us understand why the centaurs loved it there. Agios Ionais (St.John) is a small port, that was getting ready for the avalanche of tourists a few weeks later (this trip was in mid-May). I was surprised by the lack of maintenance during winter season, which was keeping everybody extremely busy those days. The frontline houses, although some of them quite old and not well maintained, conferred a nice atmosphere to this town.
A bit more South, we reached Damouchari, a beautiful small cave, where some children were kayaking, while some people (us included) enjoyed a nice sardina lunch at the restaurant nearby. This location became suddenly famous thanks to the Mamma Mia movie, which was filmed here. Maybe that was the reason the beach nearby had few people, but all of them were Swedes. Aiming for some views, and in order to deserve the lunch, we also did some trekking up the hill nearby through a really steep path in a wonderful sunny and hot day, allowing us to see more of that Peninsula, made of three colors: the blue sea, the green nature, and the white houses.
On our way from Pelion to Delphi, the road goes really close to the Pass of Thermopylae. This location is famous for the battle between Greece and Persia, and one feels some excitement when the brown sign announcing the historical sites appear… but the excitement vanishes when you see it is just a Pass, and not as impressive as depicted in the movie “300”, where the Spartan army lead by Leonidas beat the Persian one… But the best places were still to come…
Vienna is, without any doubt, one of the most loved capitals in Europe. I had heard much about it, but had not found the moment to visit it properly, so I took advantage of a full week business trip there to start it a bit earlier and have the chance to feel what Vienna is all about.
Although it is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, it is not my type of city, although my perception can be slightly biased because of the weather (cold and grey) that accompanied us during our stay. The Austro-Hungarian Empire’s footprint is clear in every corner of the city, as Vienna was its capital for several centuries.
The Belvedere Palace and its garden is one of the key spots to visit. Schönbrunn is another interesting palace to visit, together with its gardens. We did not visit them during our tourist part, but I could enjoy it during a couple of early morning runs there.
But above all this, Vienna is known for the music. Most of us probably know Vienna’s New Year’s Concert in the Musicverein, which is the most popular concert in the world, but the mandatory visit in Vienna is its Opera, which is one of the busiest ones in the world, having a different play every day. It is also one of the most accessible ones, and anyone can buy very cheap tickets for that day’s play (do not expect to sit down, though).
Another thing you should not miss is the National Library, which is one of those gems that can be partially visited, a masterpiece in this city.
Overall, nice destination for a couple of days, and easily combined with other capitals within a short distance, like Prague or Bratislava. I will have to come back again, just for pleasure.
Taiwan is always a shocking destination for me. It reminds me to many other countries in the region, but to none of them completely. The island has belonged to China and to Japan, and both cultures are still present as of today. The way they use technology reminds me, on the other hand, to Korea.
People look at their phones all the time, regardless of what they are doing: working, driving, eating in a restaurant, or even in a date. They can be chatting with an intense use of smileys and GIFs, reading blogs or news, or simply playing a game. This makes me reflect whether this is where we are going or there is a culture factor that makes this addiction more extreme here than in Western countries.
At certain times of the day, you can see the streets full of children wearing their uniforms and, thanks to its safety environment, returning home on their own (in groups, though) from the school at a very young age.
Taipei is a futuristic city and the capital of a country which has a complicated political situation. China thinks that they are still part of the country, while some Chinese citizens consider it worth it to enter into a war to reconquer the island. In any case, you do not feel they are under a menace, unlike other areas in the region (for instance, Seoul).
This last visit to Taipei offered me the opportunity to discover it a bit better thanks to some free time, and wander around Taipei. I enjoyed the tasty street food in one of its many night markets, climbed Mount Elephant to see the sunset over the city, with the Taipei 101 (once the tallest building in the world) as a key element in its skyline, and just sat and enjoyed the hectic activity of the local people in their daily routine. I also visited the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, and headed to Tamsui, a small nearby town with older buildings and temples, and with a lot of seafood due to being closer to the ocean.
One thing that keeps surprising me when I am that far from home is the amount of information they have about Spain. The driver that took me to the company I was visiting was a young guy, who had never been abroad. He had never been outside Taiwan. Still, when I said I was from Spain, he immediately linked it to Cataluña, and he was really aware of what the situation was. I think there is a lot to learn from their education that makes everyone have a keen interest on what happens regardless of how far it is. My impression is that we are only really concerned for those news that affect countries like ours.
For instance, we are not aware at all of the typhoons they are constantly exposed to. I have been twice in Taiwan, and both times my return or some of my work there was in risk due to a typhoon approaching the island. In both cases, the typhoon did not hit Taipei in the end: either because of a sudden change of direction, or because of the typhoon weakening before arriving.
This last time was a combination of both cases, and the typhoon brought a lot of rain, but something still manageable: companies remained open, and I could fly back home in time.