Travel photos and some words about my travels throughout the world
Here’s my list of online sites which inspired and kept the dream alive while waiting to see if Iran wanted me to come or not. I hope they are useful to others looking to go:
British Foreign Office Travel Advisory
WHAT
Traveler Nico from Scotland’s Flickr Stream
WHERE/WEAR
WHY
Uncornered Market Trip to Iran Nov 2011
AND HOW?
Magic Carpet Tourist Information
It’s May 2011 and our next trip will be to Iran. Ignoring the propaganda and the fact that it could take months to get a visa we begin the visa application process and the trip research. It was now or never and we’re going for it. The trip will be at least 14 days which isn’t a whole lot but enough to get a feel for the country. The itinerary will need shortening and compose a realistic travel budget and itinerary. Some amazing things will unfortunately be put back on the wish list. This fairly quick trip will be more a best of Iran opposed to a full tour with no limits and a loose vicarious plan which is usually how we roll. The classic central Iran itinerary that takes us from Shiraz to Tehran is perfect for 14 days by land.
Traveling with a U.S. passport to Iran requires a guided tour. Americans have a history in the area so it’s understandable that the government wants to keep tabs on us and we have to do it. Finding a knowledgable local guide who will not make us feel as if we were on a short leash and hopefully compatible in personality is first on the to do list. Reading other travelers blog posts, checking out Thorntree posts and Google searches lead me to finding Pars Tourist Agency which is a small but well-known tour agency based in Shiraz. Zehra is very organized, patient and good at getting back to me despite the time change and how the weekends start on Thursday and end on Saturday. They ended up putting together a customized tour which included all the attractions we wanted to see and within our budget.
The Somewhat Short List of why we decided to go to Iran:
1. UNESCO sites Iran full of them and we’ll be able to see a good chunk of them in two weeks – plus the flight isn’t that long – just 13 hours.
2. Politics aside The middle east has always a political hotbed so stayed informed, avoid any political discussion and enjoy the scenery
3. Low hustler level It’s not like Egypt, Turkey or Morocco where many rely on baksheesh to supplement their low wages (which is actually a Persian word) .
4. The US Dollar Woes For Americans, the dollar is still going down and the required tour and it’s prices just always go up and never down
5. Angry Israel It has been pretty trigger-happy recently and who knows when they will put their threats to action and each day there is something new like today (Nov 2) on Al-Jazeera
Travelling to Iran was always in our thoughts especially when we went to other areas of Asia and the Middle East. Ancient history, architecture and modern culture is usually the draw to the places my husband and I visit. The most influential were visits to the Persian designed Taj Mahal, Xian, Jordan and Syria. They are all connected to the former Silk Road and Iran has links to them all. We wanted to see and experience a different side of the region and dig deeper into how the traders along the Silk Road influenced and shaped the lands they once journeyed through. I wanted to see where were the great battles were fought, learn more about the area’s history and see in person what in terms of physical structures (caravanserai, forts, and ancient cities to name a few) and various forms of art still remain today. Additionally, I like to find answers to questions like did the travelers and warriors of those periods still have a place in present Iranian society? How did the past influence today’s society?
If Rick Steves did it then why can’t we? He said himself that he regretted not travelling to neighboring Iraq when he had the chance. I personally want to see what goes on in Iran – politics aside? How do people live and how will the receive me even after they find out where I’m from. There are many questions that I hope to find answers to and some will have to remain unanswered until I return in the future.
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WTC in lower Manhattan 30 stories above last night. It’s looking pretty good. It seems like they are in high gear as the 10 year anniversary is fast approaching. The big corporations are signing up for a piece of space in the towers. The financial giants now headquartered in Times Square and Jersey could be planning a mass exodus from Times Square towers are open for tenants. Conde Nast publications has officially announced that they will be the anchor of One World Trade Center and will be moving 5000 workers to their shiny million square foot space as soon as the beginning of 2013.It’s nice to see that the trees are blooming and the site is coming back to life after all of these years.
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Echo is the first sculpture Spanish artist Jaume Plensa has ever assembled in New York City. It is also the largest and most expensive piece that the park has ever commissioned. The artist has always wanted to display his work in this area of the city and found that this creation with its message to the common man was perfect for this bustling venue.
This beautiful span of green is usually filled with sunbathers, office workers on lunch and others enjoying the green. It is also home to many bold and well fed squirrels. Today, the towering face is moonlighting as a scarecrow for the green picnic area. It’s funny to see that most of the park’s puffy tailed residents are keeping a safe distance from the area surrounding the 44′ tall block of marble.
The Catalan artist, Jaume Plensa, has bought a very touching and beautiful piece to Madison Square Park. This awesome vision named Echo will be peacefully resting in Madison Square park from now until August 14th.
Biking along the west side of Manhattan is one of the best ways to a break away from city and immerse yourself in the beauty of the green pathway that snakes its way around this big island. The ride from Midtown to Riverside Park (99th Street) takes anywhere from 15-30 minutes. Anyone thinking about taking a ride might think that going all the way up to 100th Street seems out of the question, but there is a reward for those who take on the challenge. They will be both rewarded and possibly surprised when they find the uptown section of the bike path is less crowded and more tranquil then the tarmacs below 40th Street. Riders here are able to focus more on the beauty of the surroundings and less on the obstacles which may block their path or come out of the blind spots without warning. (strollers, dogs, joggers with headphones, rouge bikers or the occasional rat making run for it)
Uptown can get really crowded during the warm weekends of summer. Large groups and families are in full force and stake claim on a pieces of the large open lawns early in the morning and make a day of it. The parks are places where families can picnic, grill and play. They even take their pets out for the day and these pets aren’t just the usual dog or parrot but of more the exotic type like their friendly pet boa or domesticated rat.
If you don’t have a bike then there’s plenty of places to rent. Bike and Roll most convenient and probably most expensive bike rental company with a couple of locations on the bike path. Here’s a list of others near by which give more reasonable rates. The best times to bike during the warm months are obviously during the week and from early morning until mid afternoon. The weekends aren’t too bad but it’s always good to get an early start.
The Frying Pan is summed up the best by this Yelper who said on April 17th this year:
The Frying Pan has been open on and off since to some capacity since the beginning of February. Their twitter handle @Pier66Maritime is the only place to go to find out what’s being served, when it’s being served and if they are even serving. On February 17th this year they sent this tweet out:
It seemed a bit early in the season but I felt good just knowing that a little bit of sunshine was on the horizon even though there was still snow on the sidewalks.
Lately it’s been full of encouraging tweets like this one sent :
And this sad but encouraging one sent today at 4pm:
The official website of Pier 66 Maritime says they are officially open May-October. There’s little time left before the crowds show up and the place looks more like a night club in the Meatpacking District with bouncers, bracelets, lines for the bathroom etc. Now is time to go – weather permitting of course. Let’s hope for some a warm sunny days before May Day so we can all enjoy our brews in a bucket and greasy burgers without unpleasant distractions and long waits at the bar.
The piers are quiet and just coming into bloom so head out to the Piers for a nice walk, a beer and a pleasant view of the water and early spring.
Now that the temps are rising and the sun has made its way through the thick grey clouds of this winter we here in NYC now look forward to many things that begin to open up and remind us that summer is on its way. This means we can comfortably dine outdoors without the assistance of gas powered heat lamps and relax as we go from place to place since the winter cold isn’t driving us into the warmer climates of the underground subways, taxis and various building lobbies. Trees and flowers now decorate the sidewalks and parks with their colorful blooms. This is the best time of year in New York City so get out and enjoy it.
Back to the pleasantries of the way too short New York City spring season. There’s so much happening now and in the next few weeks that I’m just going to focus on one of my favorites in this post which is the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.
Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
The grey days are over for the time being at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. It’s been open since mid March but it’s really at it’s best during the warmer months of the year. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom right now and they have managed to keep there petals on despite the hard rain fall this past week. The cherry blossoms are a part of the Hanami Festival at BBG is a month-long celebration from April 2 to May 1 that celebrates the Japanese cultural tradition of enjoying each moment of the cherry blossom season. Too bad that they don’t let you bring a picnic like they do in Japan. Here’s the latest report from the Brooklyn Botanical Garden site which keeps those who are interested updated on the blooms of the day. I also want to note that Tuesdays are free for all and Saturdays admission is free from 10am-Noon unless there’s a special event going on like the Matsuri April 30-May 1st.
Other exhibits worth mentioning are the following with links:
Graceful Perseverance – Bonsai Trees
Natural History sculpture by Patrick Dougherty
The current hours, admissions and directions to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens are:
Tuesday–Friday:
8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday:
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closed Mondays
(but open Memorial Day, 5/30,
from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
| Members: | Free |
| Adults: | $10 |
| Seniors (65 and over): | $5 |
| Students with a valid ID: | $5 |
| Children under 12: | Free |
Special Pricing for Sakura Matsuri
900 Washington Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225
B or Q to Prospect Park
2 or 3 to Eastern Parkway
In Central Park the new spring season makes green the new grey of the season past. Rain showers are in the forecast today but they don’t prevent me from visiting. It’s hard to stay away and not see the park when the landscape is at it’s best. Central Park is in full bloom. The grey is getting etched out of the landscape by the pinks, greens, yellows and reds of the flowers, plants and trees coming back to life.
The activity level is pretty low for this time of year but it’s still a great time to visit. Less people and the naturally filtered light makes for great pictures even in the middle of the day. The only problem is the constant wiping of the lenses as each rain shower passes. Besides that, no worries.
The west-side High Line has new things to come this spring as it will soon be extending its green paths uptown to 30th Street. There’s no official date announced but it’s sometime this spring. The High Line is open to the public until 10pm and this summer there will be food services offered by High Line approved vendors, additional visitor services and events for all to enjoy.
Star Gazing
Grab your telescopes and join star-gazing fun at the High Line Tuesday nights. The Amateur Astronomers Association of New York‘s will have high-powered telescopes on had with instruction and generally will be offering lessons on what goes on in the sky above New York City. So come by at dusk and join both amateur and professional astronomers every Tuesday night during High Line’s Star Gazing Event. Unfortunately, the first ever Star Gazing night this year was cancelled due to bad weather, but the next one is scheduled for April 19th. Let’s all hope for a clear night.
Before it was abandoned
Food was carried into New York City with the use of large freight trains which ran besides pedestrian and vehicle traffic starting in the mid 1800’s. As most could imagine, there were many unfortunate and sometimes fatal accidents along 10 Ave. giving it the nickname Death Ave. The city and state recognized this huge problem and decided to lift the rails 30 feet above the street level traffic. The tracks were built bisecting avenues and giving the freight trains the ability to directly go inside warehouses and factories. This eliminated 105 street crossing and the trains no longer interfered with street level traffic. These trains continued to make deliveries until the last train ran frozen turkeys to one of the remaining warehouses in 1980. The tracks were then used by club kids in the 80’s and were home to many of New York Cities homeless up until recently.
Here comes the Food Vendors
Visitors have often requested that the High Line offer both food and beverage options in the middle of it all. I’m sure there is also a need for the High Line to make some revenue to keep things looking nice. The Friends of the High Line Association announced this March that it would be taking proposals from any vendor would like to fill out an application. According to the High Line the vendors would be chosen by them after prove that they will be appropriate for the High Line Environment. It will be interesting on who will have the honor of being a part of the High Line landscape.
In their words: “Friends of the High Line is looking for partners who will create food that is as thoughtful, creative, and interesting as the High Line itself and who want to build a strong partnership and active collaboration with the High Line.”
The choice of vendors will be localvore in nature and ideally will encourage connections between one another and the land around them. It will be interesting who gets in on the action and how it will enhance the overall experience of walking the High Line. It sounds simple and a bit utopian. Hopefully, it won’t mean eyesore scenes like people waiting long lines for a half melted ice cream cone, dirty barrels filled with trash. The present tranquil environment of the elevated parkway may get lost amongst the hotdog wrappers and vest touting maintenance person equipped with a broom and bucket. I’m not sure why people just can’t pack a lunch or just walk a few feet to get something to go. They do mention on there website that the revenue accumulated will benefit in supporting the Friends of the High Line – aka they need to have a revenue stream to keep the money flowing.
Bird Watching, walking tours and more….
Those along with new walking tours, more art work to view from the pathway and festivals with will come and go throughout the season give visitors plenty to do and see on the High Line. Here’s what is in store so far this season. The prices are a bit steep for me but the bird walk does sound interesting.
Public Art
The High Line offers activities for budget minded visitors like myself. The main one is the numerous temporary Public Art installations that are featured along the High Line. These come in all shapes and forms and usually give those who notice a different perspective of the space around them. My visit the other day and included listening to the bell chimes in the 14th Street passageway. They are a part of the Public Art installation created by artist Stephen Vitiello. My favorite things to do in NYC is visiting Public Art installations throughout the city when ever possible. The Public Art projects along the High Line and throughout the city are one of the unique features of New York City and literally can’t be missed unless you don’t realize that is what it is.
Farflungistan
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