Unique Places Visited (Read 1,898 times)

In early 1980 I was deployed from sembach AB, West Germany to Zaragoza AB, Spain. It was the base used to hit the NATO Bomb Range.

While there a lady at the Rec-Center talked me into taking a tour during the weekend to the "Monasterio De Piedra." She said I wouldn't be sorry and I should get a few co-workers to go with me. So I did.

Post card of a walk through cave on the grounds. The post card does not do it justice.



One of many waterfalls on the grounds falling into the canyon.


Photo of me resting at a wooden bridge near one of the falls and pools.

I know the actor, but I don't recall ever watching that show. Looks like an interesting place. The 1st photo looks like there is maybe and escape tunnel the leads out down below..

The Prisoner was a fascinating series. I really enjoyed watching it. It was one of those stories, like The Fugitive, that grabbed you and kept you.

I have not watched the new series. Not interested in remakes of great stories. They always make a mess of them.

Jim Too

:god_bless_usa

It was a real culture shock for me when I got to Thailand in '74. Of course it was "Americanized" when I got there but it was very different from what I was used to. I did go to the home village of a girl I was seeing and that was complete with bamboo huts and everything. I didn't have a camera with me that day since it wasn't a planned visit. There were no roads getting there, only footpaths. I had no idea a place like that would be there.

Then in '74, I was stationed at RAF Woodbridge. We went on a NATO exercise to Balekesir, Turkey for two weeks. The only Americans there were at a small radar site on a hill looking over the Turkish base. The radar screens were aimed at Russia. We lived in tents and slept on cots in sleeping bags. Now that was foreign to us. We weren't in the Army.

The thing that I found interesting was the town of Balekesir. It seemed to be pretty large, but it wasn't very "Americanized". There were cars on the roads next to horse-drawn wagons. The taxis were American cars but from the '50's and '60's and they were all in good shape. I learned that if they needed a part, they would have to make it since parts were not available for these cars.

The base was about two hours or so from the Agean Sea. We were given a chance to go to the coast for a day. There were three vans that were used by a local transportation company that took us to a seaside resort. It was closed for business the day we were there but they invited us to come spend the day. We had a good time laying on the beach and swimming in the ocean. A jellyfish came past me before I knew what it was but it just kept going. In the evening, they opened the kitchen for us and we had a nice meal. It wasn't local food so I didn't get to sample that but it was good. They brought in some local girls and a DJ played music for us to dance to or drink to. It was early the next morning when we got back to the compound but we all had a nice time.

I have pictures but I have to find them. I wish I could make copies from my memory.

In 1967 I was able to go to the Elephant Fair at Surin, Thailand.

I was supposed to go with a Thai friend, but we had a communication problem and took different trains. Worked out just as well, as I met a man who had a cousin who let me stay in their guest room, free of charge. That meant I slept on a mat on the floor with a skeeter net over me and used the same bathing facilities they did; a large earthenware pot in a shed next to the house. The toilet was typical Asian, flat on the floor.

I was originally scheduled to stay with my friend's uncle, so had a couple bottles of Jack with me. They were to be gifts for his hospitality. I used one to leave as a gift for my host. The other I gave to the Thai who made the arrangements.

I'm still amazed at the hospitality of the Thai people and their friendliness.

I finally found my friend, or I should say he found me. He was heading to the fair in a samlor and saw me with the Thai who befriended me. They were cousins of some kind. We all went to the fair and Som Pong, my friend from Ubon, took us to the tent where his aunt had an eating place. She was the head mistress of a girls school and taught English.

The eating place was staffed by some of the teachers and students. The girls were about junior high age and all wearing their school uniforms. The food was great.

That was really interesting, as I was the first American she had ever talked to. Her English was all phonetic and from books. We did managed to communicate, with lots of laughing while we tried to understand each other, and Som Pong trying to translate while laughing.

Seeing the elephants perform was really fun. Amazing how agile those big animals are.

We also saw a traditional Thai musical play, Green Monkeys, and various other Thai folk characters. I still have the program someplace. It is in Thai and English. Well, almost English.

It was a great treat for me to be able to spend three days in Surin and the festival.

Jim Too

:god_bless_usa

I pointed at the mountians and said to my son (age 5), "We are going up there!"
He replied, "How?"
I said "Fly"
Ever get that look from a youngster that says, "Now I know your nuts?"?



First step was to take a narrow gage clog train up to the cable car station.



My son in one of the cable cars.



It felt like flying high.


More later.

does the donkey show in Tijuana count???
just kidding...

Steve

Lots of snow up there.




Ready to head down.


Cable comming up.


Back down in town.

Seeing these pictures of mountains and snow reminds me of the weekend I and 5 others spent in Piancavallo, Italy. It was a little village in the mountains behind Aviano AB. We were TDY from RAF Woodbridge for F-4 gunnery range time.
I didn't ski so I sat in the lodge with one of the others that didn't ski. We drank all afternoon watching the rest of the guys as they came skiing past the window of the bar. We sipped so we would be able to enjoy the evening after dinner with the rest of the guys. It was a good time.