Climate change and denial.

If our Civilization exists in 200 years from now what would Historians conclude about our time ?

What would be their conclusions regarding Climate change ?

The current Summer in Europe hit new records the hottest Temperature ever recorded occurred in South Asia.Cyclones or Typhoons or Hurricanes become ever more powerful.Rains and Drought become more severe.

But the Deniers do not give up Why ?

My guess is Historians will conclude that important countries like

America were led by a Neanderthal named Donald Trump who gave

Neanderthals a bad name.He was a creature of the past who aligned himself with other Autocrats who refused to accept reality.

But it was something more, many Human Beings refuse to accept a possible negative outcome.Either it be a poor diet or lack of exercise or too much drinking…….. we are often incapable of stopping bad behavior.

In a period that required bold action America offered the World a Leader that could only scheme to fatten his own Bank Account.

As Glaciers melt at an accelerating pace and our Oceans slowly rise our Planet has failed to unite to save our species from great potential disasters.

I fear that in a World where the United States does not lead but tries to hide behind walls the Trump Electoral College victory in 2016 is a much bigger loss for America and the Planet then any of us can imagine.

Flying over Alaska

It is strange but so often I notice that even when people are sitting next to a window on a flight they never look out the window.

Some of the best views you will have on any trip is from your seat on a flight no matter where in the World you are flying.

So here are a few great Photos from a recent flight from Anchorage to Honolulu that I then took to Lihue.

Juneau

Stopped for about 7 hours at Juneau and made a visit to the Mendenhall glacier and went Whale watching.

The Glacier like everything in Alaska is melting at a rapid rate, it is much smaller then my last visit to this beautiful area.

After taking a walk near the Glacier left the area to meet a boat that would take us to parts of the sea that are popular with Whales.

It took about 45 minutes before we all were given a great show of water being splashed through a Blowhole……. it is an amazing experience to be up close and personal to the largest creatures on the Planet.

At this point Scientists know very little about the language or behavior of any of the Whale species.The Humpback which are common in the Juneau area are really a mystery to modern science but we do know that they are in danger due to climate change.

Our guide has names for the Whales in the area she even named the one who enjoyed our company…….she was a real performer jumping out of the water and using her Blowhole a few times.

If you ever get to Alaska do not miss the chance to get up close to these amazing creatures.

A Zen moment

Had a stop at DFW airport and decided to use a Priority Pass benefit at Minute Suites.

You get 1 hour in a small room with a desk and a sofa that can be opened to a bed.

When you had a 6 AM flight as I had earlier it is wonderful to have a quiet place to relax or even to actually get some sleep.

This establishment charges 40 USD an hour and 28 USD if you have Priorty Pass.

They were full when I arrived so after about 40 minutes was taken to my room.

While I did not have a quick sleep since I laughed to myself that if I did sleep it surely would be for a few hours which would make it a very expensive quick snooze….. I did have a Zen moment.

As I sat on the sofa and counted down the minutes left on my free stay I thought about the beauty of this haven in a busy Airport.

The gift of our very existence the need to savor every minute of our life.How grateful we should be to have the people we love and the simple enjoyment of having a few moments of solitute.

Every minute passing checking my watch as I adjusted my pillow gave me a deeper sense of time and our own mortality.

Travel helps us defy Space and Time those moments we visit new places and experience cultures and people so different then our own cities and towns helps make our trips a different use of our valuable time.

As the minutes of my stay came closer to my 60 minutes I not only

appreciated each moment more but realized that I and all of us have been given a certain amount of time and it is our job to use it in the most productive way.

Kauai,Hawaii

After taking a Flight from Anchorage to Honolulu took another short Flight to Lihue which is the main City on the island.

Among the islands I have visited this may be the most beautiful and the most interesting.

The area has several different climates the amount of rain depends on elevation and the temperture can change by 20 degrees especially in the Waimea region.

At night the temperture can be 20 degrees cooler at the

Canyon which has a elevation of about 3600 Feet which is over 1000 Meters

The beauty of this island is really amazing and with a population of about 65000 people very civilized.

If you ever get to Hawaii you should not hesitate to visit

Kauai.

Glacier Bay

Was on a Cruise with Holland America that left Vancouver after about 7 days we arrived at a beautiful area filled with not only many Glaciers but also many Whales and a variety of other local creatures.We traveled around this area for most of the day.

Did not plan on going on this Cruise but after checking the low prices only 3 weeks before departure could not resist to book.

It is a game of cat and mouse with the Cruise lines the earlier you book the more you pay but if you have the ability to Travel a short time before

departure you often can get a good deal even in high season.Of course the Summer in North America is very busy but many Cruise Lines move Ships to Alaska during this period and often they have extra Cabins.

When you do a booking at this time it can be a problem getting a good price on Airfare.That is why you need to start to accumulate Awards from not only Airlines but Hotels as well.I discuss this concept in earlier Posts it is in many ways like having an Investment Portfolio which allows you to have flexibility when you need to Travel on short notice.

I used Frequent Flyer miles to save money on Airfare but the cash price was really not that bad so it was difficult to decide if using miles was worthwhile.

Prague

The name is enough to begin to imagine the old city the romance the beauty of Europe without conflicts or religious wars.That time of course never existed but the culture and art still emanates from so many cities in Europe and never so beautifully as Prague.

I think planning is not necessary just pick a spot in any part of the city and just start walking, you will be rewarded at every turn.

You can start in the Old Town Square and just explore and you will discover a magical

Europe.

Saint Petersburg,Russia

The most beautiful city in Russia is Saint Petersburg which is easy to reach if you are in Scandanavia or any of the Baltic countries.

I had purchased a package that included transportation from Helsinki and a Visa for my

2 days in Saint Petersburg.

The city was created by Europeans so it naturally has a European quality.

I concentrated on the Hermatage Museum and the Peterhof which is a day trip by bus and if you wish by boat.

The Hermitage was not in good condition after the Soviet Union had left history so money was raised abroad to bring a great museum back to its former glory.

It is on the same level as the Louvre or the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

It is a good idea to come early since it gets very crowded.

The next day had a wonderful trip to the Peterhof,went by bus and came back on a fast boat.

Had rare good weather it was around 72F or 22C

This is not a city that you should ever skip if you are in the area.The big hassle is getting a Visa,the best way to lower the high cost is getting a package by Rail or Ship from Helsinki,Finland.

Marienplatz

While I was in Munich took the U-Bahn from my Hotel to Marienplatz which was a short distance from the Holiday Inn Munich Leuchtenbergring.

The Hotel is very good value and when I stayed in late April the rooms were about 72 USD a day.

After taking a walk around the beautiful Marienplatz I took a short ride on the U-Bahn to the Deutsches Museum.The Museum has a strange name since it is a Science and Technology centered exhibition. It includes every aspect of Science and Tech that you can think of and is worth your time.

The Marienplatz area of Munich is a geographic and cultural center of Munich and is a good starting point to any visit to the area.

New York

In New York for a few days the weather was beautiful used Reward Points to stay at Grand Hyatt which is next to Grand Central Station and then stayed at the Intercontinental near Broadway.

By using Rewards points from Hyatt and IHG I paid for one night so the total for 4 nights cost me less then 500 USD

New York City is expensive so you need to learn about the various Rewards programs if you wish to visit without hurting your wallet.

I booked the Grand Hyatt so I could just walk out of the Hotel and grab a train on the Metro North to the Hudson Valley.I went to Beacon to visit the various Art Galleries in the area.

It is not a expensive trip for a journey of about 100 minutes it varies in price based on what time of day you travel.The price is between 23 to 45 USD

The trip alone is worthwhile since almost the entire journey is along the Hudson.

After I arrived back in New York I visited the High line and then Hudson Yards.

The High line is about 1 1/2 miles long and more then 30 feet above the sidewalk and is a fun experience.You can either visit downtown or visit Hudson Yards.