Off Season on the Cape

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It’s chilly, a bit windy but the sky is clear and the sun is brighter than it has been in months on Mayflower Beach. This time of year, the beaches lining the peninsula of Cape Cod are really not much different then they are in mid summer – minus the crowds and hot temps.  Today, disappointment is only felt by a few sluggish seagulls deprived of their afternoon nap and who now have to share the beach with a few uninvited guests.

This is my favorite beach on or off-season is Mayflower Beach located in Dennis Village Route 6A.  The stretch of beach faces the north or Bay Side of Cape Cod. Here, low tides expose never-ending sandbars which allow beach strollers space to roam and feel as if the beach is theirs even in the middle of the summer season.  Mayflower and many of its neighboring beaches are typical of Cape Cod. Most on the Bay Side are hilly and covered with protective and fragile beach grass, lined with soft beige sand and offers visitors miles of surf to walk and safe waters to swim in.

Early spring visitors to the Cape often come because it’s when they can get the lowest hotel and beach rental rates of the year and also can dine at some of the finest and most popular restaurants without reservations.  Your cheap t-shirt shops and fried clam shacks are still boarded up but many things worth visiting usually just shorten their hours or take a few weeks off at the beginning of the year.  Visitors just have to substitute fried clams and mini golf with sushi and a walk on the beach.  This is not a bad thing for many.

The typical spring weather doesn’t arrive to Dennis and the rest of the Cape Cod region until the end of April, but the combination of clear skies and calm winds offer up a good conditions for being outdoors during the cooler months.  Most weather forecasters of Boston have an especially difficult time with figuring out Cape weather anytime of year.    The best way to get an idea of how the weather will be is to check out Cape Cod live cams, check the most local source for news and weather which is the Cape Cod Times and hope for the best.  Whatever is going on weather 03272011685wise in New York City usually will be the same on the Cape in 24 to 48 hours.  It’s New England and the weather on the Cape can change very quickly.  The 10 day forecast isn’t applicable to this area.  It’s like the old saying “If you don’t like the weather then wait five minutes”.

The Cape this time of year works best if visitors have the flexibility to visit on a whim.  There’s usually plenty of accommodation available that can be booked a day or a week ahead since it’s usually pretty quiet before Memorial Day and after Labor Day.  Many of the better hotels, motels and B&B’s which are open year round offering great package deals. Some of them even allow pets have many indoor facilities like indoor heated pools and spas.

On a nice sunny day in the middle of March the beach will be yours.  Don’t be surprised to be greeted by a local and maybe have a simple and friendly conversation about how nice the weather is that day.  The best time of day to visit this beach and many others on the Bay side is just before the sun sets in the west just behind the Cape Cod Canal in Buzzards Bay and at mid tide when possible. Be sure to dress warm because it’s New England and the winds are chilly when they are onshore no matter what time of year.

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Ancient Eastern Crossroads of Apamea Syria

The Cardo Maximus of Apamea
The Cardo Maximus of Apamea

Driving up to Apamea after visiting the ruins of the other great cities of the area Al Basa and Sejilla while I was staying in Hama, Syria.  This city was the center of it all at one point in time.  The former village of Pharnake was renamed Apamea by the newly appointed and former Roman general to Alexander I king Selecukos Nikator I ‘s whose princess and wife was named Apama in 300 B.C.  It was just another recent addition to the already vast and growing Roman Empire.  The area flourished and it was home to as many as 500K occupants in the city by the 1st century.  It became the merchant center of the area for the Romans since it was easy to defend geographically, it was in close proximity to the still bustling port city of Latakia and it was at the eastern crossroads for commerce.

The city continued to be a valuable asset to the Roman empire through the centuries.  Roman Emperor Claudius continued his support from Rome even after a disastrous earthquake hit on December 13 115.  The city was rebuilt and it’s prosperity continued.

What remains today to see

There’s still a lot standing here today considering how long it’s been since it was settled and how many earthquakes the area has experienced throughout those centuries.  The structures that still standing tall today where mostly built-in the 6th century A.D. This was after the Byzantines again took back the city from the Persians after a failed attempt of Justinian the Great‘s try to regain Western regions the empire had lost.  The battles between the Romans, Persians and Arabs left the city buried to the ground in 628 AD.  The Byzantines only occupied it for 6 years prior to then.  The city was taken back after a many bold military campaigns led by Heraclius in his bid to successfully drive the Persians out of Asia Minor.  The Arabs came along eight years later and defeated the Romans in the Battle of Yarmouk.  Heraclius didn’t count on the Muslim Arabs pushing him and his brother Theodore out after this final bloody in 636.  The Byzantines were pretty much done for after this bloody battle.  The tug of war had finally ended, the Persians won but the city never again regained its grandeur it had once enjoyed under the Byzantines.

One of the many lizards who still call Apamea home
One of the many lizards who still call Apamea home

What a visitor sees in Apamea today is a small traces of a once great city mostly dominated by the Byzantines.   Two major earthquakes struck back in 1157  and 1170 A.D. and have left the city to the ruin it is today.  The city now consists of smaller and more crumbled structures as well as many tall and noble fluted columns, frescoes inside the museum and entry ways along the main Cardo Maximus.

A visitor can easily imagine what Apamea once looked like because there are many structures still standing tall.  There hasn’t been any major building in the area so even though it’s quiet there today you can still look across the valley and see why this beautiful place was always being fought over.

Orontes Valley Ancient Apamea Syria
Orontes Valley Ancient Apamea Syria

How to get there and when to go

Easiest way to get to Apamea is by hiring a car from Hama and include some other sites like Al Basa and Sejilla and the Beehives.  I suggest an early start not only because it takes some time to get from one to the next but they do close around sunset.  This particular day was beautiful and clear and we started out with the beehives, moved on to the dead cities of Al Basa and Sejilla (we must made it before the one man security force decided to close around 3pm) and got here at Apamea around 5:00pm.  A perfect time in June for pictures in terms of lighting and the fact that we pretty much had it to ourselves.

Need a break from the long winter..why not go to Tulum?

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Why Tulum and not an all-inclusive resort with more food and drink then you can handle?

Tulum is nothing like its spring break neighbor Cancun and its mega resort filled beaches of Playa del Carmen who lie just north in the Mayan Riviera coast of Mexico.  Mexico is getting it’s butt kicked tourism wise by the actions unruly public officials and drug cartels of the northern and central regions. Basically, stories like ones related to crime, murder and drugs sell papers to the press is having a field day.

Those pesky drug cartels and corrupt government officials

Well, Tulum is about the distance from San Francisco to Boston from where the real problems, however big or small they actually are, so it’s pretty safe.  Unfortunately, many would be travelers haven’t taken this huge distance into account and have stayed away as they are reporting a huge slump in tourism this year in Mexico.

Fortunate for me because I tend to avoid areas which get inundated with tour buses and the large drone like groups of people who funnel in and out of must see sites like Chichen Itza and the ruins at Tulum to name a couple.  I had been one of those day trippers some 15 years ago and had no intension in revisiting the area but did remember that it was very beautiful and most importantly warm.  I decided to take advantage of the bad situation, find a deal on airfare and hotel and take a break from the cold Northeast.

Do I stay on the Beach or in town?

When looking for a place on the Mayan Riviera and particularly in Tulum,  there is a huge savings if you stay off the beach.   But,  you have to ask yourself,  “Why I’m I going?  Is it for the ruins or the beach or both?”  For me it was both but if I had more time and less money the hotels in the center of Tulum would have been just fine.  This one looked good online and it’s called the TeTotum.  They have a small pool on the roof and it looked clean and kind of funky.  Then I found a place that was right on the water, was actually a little less because they were offering their low season rate (deal!) on the cabana due to low numbers and we had friends who had stayed there a few months prior.  It’s called La Via Laktea or The Milky Way.

Of course I obsessed over the reviews of those two and others near them with comparable prices.  I found that the beach is far south is the sandiest and on the edge of the Sian Ka’an Biological Reserve.  This means possible sea turtle and bird sittings and option to do a day kayak trip through the park.  My husband and I were lazy and passed but it was nice to have the option. Other resorts on the water were closer to the town center and cheaper for a reason.  They had very little beach. Not close to the vision of myself and my husband taking long walks on soft warm white sandy shore.   Cutting my feet up while walking on volcanic rocks and trying to find some was not in that vision.

I couldn’t have imagined a more relaxing place then this 5 kilometer beach at the tip of Tulum.  My husband and I spent four days seeing Mayan ruins, swimming in the blue water as we were looked over by a very demanding and cute yellow lab and his shy or just introverted Chow sidekick.  We never got their names but it was your typical transient relationship.  I hope to see them again soon.

There are very few complaints of the trip as a whole.  It was a bit chilly  and it did rain on the first day, but it all worked out.  It was 58F at night and 75F during the day…but in NYC it was 15F at night and 25F (brrr) during the day mixed with snow.  It’s understandable…I like to think that the Rain God Chaak was just doing his job and giving the area much needed rain for spring crops.

Short summary:

Where to stay on the Beach: La Via Laktea 9.5 Kilometer on the beach road south.  The road to Sian Ka’an is 10 kilometers long so just about there.  Expect to go over about 12 speed bumps before you see in on the left or beach side.

Where to eat at on the beach least one night or more: La Slowteria (review) La Slowteria (Facebook) about the 5 or 6 kilo mark on the Tulum Beach Road…look for the signs since you can’t go too fast here anyways.

A must try: Cocos Frios or cold coconuts sold at stands along highway.  Just look for signs along the way from Tulum to Coba.

A visit to Chac the Rain God @ Chichen Itza

Don’t go to Chichen Itza…you can’t walk up the Pyramid anymore…it’s crowded with locals selling junk…it’s hot and there’s no cover…blah blah blah. Of course I ignored all of that and joined the masses in a pilgrimage to the ruins of this member of both UNESCO and new member of the 2007 New Seven Wonders of the World group.

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Unfortunately it’s not all rainbows and unicorns for this site and any others as individual members struggle to manage the sudden popularity of the location. The motivation for most who want to be on such lists is not just for recognition but the gold at the end of the rainbow. It’s money first, then comes physical impact and unanticipated events like accident injuries and death, and then what they need to close off to protect both visitors and physical structures afterwards.

The huge increase in money flow, via grants and admission prices, does help preserve and rebuild. The peripheral things like pollution and change in the landscape (like increase surrounding infrastructure) will do a lot of damage to an area that has remained untouched in centuries. So basically, being on these lists can also be counter productive if the site is poorly managed.

Chichen-Itza popularity has made it a “must see” for large groups for passengers needing to take a break from slot machines and work off calories inhaled from all you can eat buffet. The decision to close the stairway of the main Pyramid or El Castillo’s became final in March 2006 after an 80-year-old free style cruising woman from San Diego tragically fell to her death on January 4, 2006. Many who travelled afterwards were disappointed and surprised that the officials would do something so extreme and close it off to everyone, but these things and others happen when the masses arrive with their check lists.

The day I decided to check out the treasures of Chichen Itza was not a typical or ideal day weather-wise to see the sights. There must have been a goat sacrificed to the Rain God Chac the day before because it was a little messy but still walkable. The forecast for the day called for light rain and clouds. This lengthen my window to check out the ruins since I didn’t have to worry as much about sun exposure. I’m a bit on the pale side which is expected from someone whose been living in the cold winter shadows of the Northeast. The weather seemed to keep the visitor numbers down, so capturing the sites on film or SD card was not difficult. Disappoint was only felt by the numerous souvenir totting vendors. All the sudden everything was a dollar. Vendors clamored to get whatever peso they could get from the brave garbage bag covered gringos. Good for me and bad for them as they tried to keep the goods dry and looking like new after each downpour.

The crowds seemed to be mostly traveling in packs so taking pictures only involved having to place myself strategically in-between groups. The site was peaceful and all that could be heard were the sounds of an approaching downpours and various vendors displaying their ability to make jaguar sounds with some sort of wooden whistle. Probably costs a dollar for one. I feel for the parent who was pestered into buying one for their child whose fast becoming bored and missing their Ipad, and for those within ear shot of that family back at the ship/resort.

Chichen Itza is well worth the trip especially when you combine it with some R&R on the beach in Tulum. The area is very safe since the Yucatan providence is one of the wealthiest in Mexico. Another attractive quality Mexico has right now is that the USD seems to get you far. Don’t mind the media who has seemed to make other travelers abandon their plans because of the increase of violent crime . It’s always best to just read up on travel advisories before booking, use common sense (Luna Blue’s article on travel to Playa del Carmen) and be travel savvy. There’s a reason military trucks with machine guns mounted on them all over the roads. They don’t expect to use them but they do provide the feeling of being safe from the scary unknown. It’s no different to what I see in Penn Station or Grand Central on any given day since September 2001. Worse things have happened here in the recent past and people aren’t staying away from NYC.

Flowers are out along Park Ave NYC

38 rose blossoms crawling with insects bring an early spring to Park Ave NYC thanks to the Public Art fund and artist Will Ryman.

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The towering pink and red roses adored with crawling bug sculptures stand 3′-22 feet tall along the wintry grey portion of Park Ave. between 57th and 67th Streets. The roses buds themselves weigh up to 2500 lbs. Community board #8 members raised concerns with the possible hazard they could be to passers-by but artist Ryman and his business partner Konstantin Bojanov.  All was sorted out and the sculptures were approved.

The irony in all of this is that the sculptures were scheduled to be assembled in January this year.  The same time a blizzard descended on the five boroughs whose high winds left man without power, streets that were almost.  The sculptures were still installed, safely secured and put the test right away.  They are still there and no reports of them suffering any damage despite all the storms they have had to endure.

You don’t have to wait for warmer temps to see flowers in bloom in NYC.  These public art arrangements will be on display through May 31, 2011 and they will be there to ring in the new spring flower season.

Egypt’s baksheesh industry..will it survive?

The people who are benefiting the least Mubarak leaving office sooner than later are his police forces and political allies.  They are the ones who ask for the baksheesh even if they don’t do anything helpful or even help someone cross the street safely in Downtown Cairo. Some took to the streets and were taking part in Pro-Mubarak demonstrations in Cairo today. Anderson Cooper and his crew got attacked by members of this crowd while reporting. It included men on camels and horse back seen in the photos above who usually come in handy when tourist go to see Abu Simbel and visit Giza.  They seem to just be as useful as those police cars that have a doll placed in the front seat to deter people from speeding on US Highways. When I was there a few years ago an officer said it was ok to climb one of the pyramids in Giza for a little baksheesh that it.  If only Zahi Hawass was there to witness.

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It is now a requirement for foreign travelers going down to the Upper Nile near the border to Sudan to be escorted by a Egyptian military convoy.  I just felt like a speeding line of sitting ducks but what do I know. A higher ranking officer of the tourist caravan target practice group.  Our driver seemed to know him since the officer had left his rifle in the van. Opps…probably didn’t have any bullets in it because he knew he would start running if anything started going down. Our he driver throw it to him like he was in a movie like he was in a Dirty Harry movie.  Kind of like giving a high five..catch yeah later.

Egypt needs its tourism since it historically it makes up around 10% of it’s GDP and employs 12.6% of Egyptians. In May 2010, Reuters projected that Egypt was recovering from the global economic crisis and fore-casted a steady growth of at least 2-5% this year.  It’s surprising on how much more money the Tourism industry makes than the revenue generated from the Suez Canal.  I’m not an economist but things are going to get pretty bad in the country if this mess doesn’t clean up soon.   The peak travel season will be soon coming to end in May.  Let’s hope its only a few months lost, not too much is destroyed and the people of Egypt are in a better place economically and politically.

The Howls of the Rebel River in Hama Syria

The highlight of the city of Hama is by no doubt the norias or “wheels of pots”.  Seventeen now remain standing and occasionally running above the Nahr al-Assi, aka Rebel River.   Many know it as being the Orontes River.  It’s presently the job of the office of Antiquities in Hama to make sure that these remaining wheels can still function as they did 1000-years-ago and remain aesthetically pleasing drawing in tourists and travelers.   Authors Needham and Ronan described them as “the most splendid norias ever constructed.” and they are right to some degree.

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According to author Joseph Needham, the Noria are believed to have been first constructed in India around 350 B.C.  The technology later spread east to China and then west to the Mediterranean Region.  What was unique about Norias is that they are powered only by flowing water .   Cows, camels, wind, steam or even people are unnecessary.   Unfortunately, the water to be needs to high enough to work properly. The climate in Hama allows them to work around 5 months out of  the year.  The use of dams and the luck of a rainy spring keeps the creaking wheels spinning.

The norias are thought to have been constructed in Hama during the Byzantine era but the jury is still out on whether it was earlier.  It is known that their numbers peaked to around 30 during the Mamluk Sultanate (1250-1510). The Turkish governor ordered the restoration of the Roman built water wheels after he conquered the area.  They made the 200-year-old wheels bigger and added more along the river.  The norias brought water to its inhabitants and their farms.  The crop yields skyrocketed, trade increased and it’s people grew rich.  The Orontes Valley still remains Syria’s agricultural heartland.
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The quiet town of Palmyra

The bus rolled into Tadmor, or as most know it as Palmyra, a little over 3 hours after it left the Harasta Pullman terminal in Damascus. Taking local buses is always fun and tricky if you don’t speak or understand the native language. The final destination wasn’t Palmyra and even if it was the bus driver was calling it Tadmor. Palmyra is a small town and I still wasn’t sure if it had a bus station? I guess a good street map (LP #fail) complete with important things like where the bus stops would have been helpful. We’ve adapted to LP and other guidebook fails by now, so we had to just go with it, use our brains and harness our powers of perception.  So what we knew was the bus must be stopping soon since it’s getting close to the scheduled time of arrival and I see two others travelers getting ready to leave.  It’s highly likely that we are on same Syrian LP/Routard trail.  We also start to get ready to spring from the hot bus.   The bus stops, we thanked the bus driver and chose a direction which hopefully led into town.  We then found a safe place to get a quick look at the crappy LP map but it didn’t matter because no one seemed to want to bother us with questions like “Do you need any help?”  “Where are you staying or need to go? ” “I can drive you!” etc.

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Cairo and it’s baksheesh and sheesha

It’s hot and almost too hot, smoggy and as always, the streets are filled with cars, horse and buggies and motorbikes.   Taking the camera out and trying to capture what it’s like to walk around Cairo is the last thing I think about doing.  Just want to get around without loosing a body part or my life.  Something as small as a distracting camera could put me that much closer to being in harms way.  Getting hit by any one of the reckless drivers of Cairo was not in the plan.  Here, like many places of the world (Beijing and Hanoi are a couple of good examples) there are no rules, cars disregard anything smaller than them (people and animals included), the traffic lanes are not recognized and it’s every man, baby, horse and old lady for themselves.

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