Coming Home: The Joy of Jazz

Last night we were in Frankfurt to see and hear our friend, Anat Cohen, playing with the hrBigBand. It was a wonderful evening and reminded us that no matter where we are in the world, jazz is a constant. The beauty and joy of the music, played by passionate, talented musicians grounds us and creates a sense of homeness. I think that could be a word. Sort of the opposite of homelessness. Anyway, we were home last night.

South American Trip Recap (4)

Armacao dos Buzios, Brazil: On March 2, we spent a very pleasant day in the resort town of Buzios, a place usually frequented by folks from Rio who just want to get away for a few days. We took a little drive around the peninsula, stopping a little beach for a cold one. One of the highlights of Buzios is its fame as the placed where Brigitte Bardot used to visit in the 1960s with her Brazilian boyfriend, Bob Zagoury. Later, Mick Jagger and Madonna used to come to Buzios but the real star continues to be Bardot. A bronze statue of Brigitte adorns the waterfront and is a perfect spot for visitors to pose with the French star.

Crowds and Travel, Now and Future

A friend of mine is currently touring Europe and recently visited Florence. He was lamenting the current state of tourism, specifically the unrelenting crowds in those attractions that are on the "must see" list of every traveler. He correctly pointed out that for many there is no longer any appreciation for what is really being seen. No quiet contemplation of art or enjoyment of simply being there, in the moment, in the presence of something beautiful and timeless. Instead, he noted, the focus of the traveler is simply on taking a picture of something famous, preferably with themselves in it, and many times, with the now ubiquitous selfie-stick. The main objective has become documenting to the world that, "look where I am!" and "here I am in front of the statue of David" "here I am in front of the Duomo", etc. My friend also correctly pointed out that with the explosive growth of the cruise industry and package tours, hundreds of thousands of visitors now clog the streets of Venice, Prague and, of course, Florence.

I started thinking about the points my friend was making and I believe the situation he describes will likely only increase. We have only started seeing the beginning of the emerging Asian middle-class tourist and just wait until cruise ships start catering solely to that market, as package tour operators have done already. Despite what some in the media would have us believe, the world is getting richer and those who now have the means to travel want to do so. They want to exhibit the status of being world-travelers, just as we in the West have always done. And why shouldn't they? There is no turning back.

While the over-crowded tourist hubs of today may distress us, as we long for a more simpler time, there is a positive side. There are still hundreds, if not thousands, of out-of-the-way places where the package tourist or cruiser is not likely to go. These are the places where the traveler can still have a cup of coffee on a quiet street, wander undisturbed through neighborhoods, and perhaps even engage with the local residents on a level beyond just being considered a "walking wallet." And, the great thing is that these out-of-the-way places are just the ones that often need the extra infusion of visitor cash and are the most welcoming to the traveler. Places where the primary industry left long ago and the people there are just trying to maintain their traditional way of life. We've seen several villages like this in Germany, where young people have left for bigger cities but where the charm of the village remains. And these places can be found everywhere. We may be destined to appreciate the beauty of an art work by finding a picture of it in a book. But we can appreciate real live people, their culture, their language and their ideas by getting off the beaten path. I think that's where the richness of future travel lies.

South American Trip Recap (3)

So, during the latter part of February/early March we set off on our luxury cruise up the coast of Brazil culminating with a 1,000 mile trip up the Amazon to Manaus. After two days sailing north we stopped at Ilhabela, Brazil. It was here that Tanya and I got our first taste of the rain forest. In fact, the rain was coming down so hard that the road we took was partially washed out and we all had to get off our school bus while the driver negotiated his way up through the mud. While we didn't see any animals or birds, we certainly got a flavor of what the weather is like in this part of Brazil.

Before the rain really came down

South American Trip Recap (2)

February 25 we were docked in Montevideo, Uruguay for the day. Tanya and I took a sight-seeing excursion around town and checked out the preparations for the upcoming presidential inauguration. Here's a photo of the "Village People" working on scaffolding for the event. It looks more like they're posing than working but what the heck.

Montevideo itself would probably not make the world's top ten great cities to visit but it does have a certain charm. Uruguayans seem to be much more down-to-earth than their flashy Argentine neighbors. It's the kind of place one would need to spend a bit more time in to get to know. And Uruguay itself would be a fascinating destination to give an idea of a South American laid-back lifestyle. Unfortunately, we were only in the capital city for a few hours so our visit necessarily was just a tasting.

The following are photos taken in Montevideo, mostly of my favorite model.

Kind of like Gotham City

Tanya is so "fashion forward" with matching purse and car

Stick it in your ear