Easter Island, part 1

Well, I went and made it out of Easter Island. I am very glad I went. As I told my guide, I feel privileged to have made it there. I can confirm now, through my own experience, that those statues (called "moai") exist.

Due to slow internet and my seeming inability to figure out how to use my iPad, I wasn't able to blog from Easter Island....

Seeing the moai in pictures was nothing like seeing them up close and in person. They are magnificent, and majestic, and mysterious, as they (seemingly) keep silent watch over the island. It's incredible. They are incredible.

First, I know what you want to know: the water in the first toilet I flushed south of the equator did indeed go in the opposite direction from my toilet at home north of the equator. I had to fly to Santiago to get to Easter Island. There are only two flights to Easter Island on LATAM (Chile's airline): one from Tahiti and one from Santiago. So I went to Santiago and had two days before flying to Easter Island. Santiago was my first time south of the equator.

At home in Toronto, the water in my toilet bowl goes counterclockwise. In Santiago, at the toilet in my room at the Holiday Inn Express at the Santiago Airport, water in the toilet went clockwise. I was pretty excited to confirm this for myself!!!! A childhood question answered. (Of course, this isn't scientific, was it just the toilet in my room? Toilets at the hotel? The ones in Santiago? I don't know. My survey may not have been big enough to draw any real conclusions and quick internet research says the way water flushes in the toilet is more influenced by design, etc., but I only know what I know, and I believe! I believe!).

Moving on....

As you may or may not know, Easter Island is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. It was weird landing. From my side of the plane, we were well on our descent and land was still not visible. Then suddenly, the island was there, after flying more than 4.5 hours with only ocean beneath us.

Easter Island feels like a super rustic version of Hawaii. Not as commercialized, not fully commercially exploited--which is great and beautiful, but that means at the same time, not the same facilities or creature comforts, though I know there is a resort on the Island that costs about US $1000 a night. Needless to say, I didn't stay there. I was at a much more modest place.....

More later, but here's the iconic shot.... (needs to be edited and adjusted because I deliberately  slightly overexposed).

Moai at Rano Raraku, the quarry, Easter Island, April 18, 2017,

More later.....

Honolulu: February 16, 2016; last hours in town

I'm down to my last 24 hours or so in Hawaii. For now, anyway.

People are super nice in Hawaii. I went to the North Shore today. Honolulu's transit, called "The Bus," goes all around Oahu. Going to the North Shore took 2 hours, but only cost $2.50 (or in my case, since it worked out that a monthly pass for $60 for the 8 days I'm in Honolulu was cheapest).

Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii, on the King Kamehameha Highway.
Oahu's version of the country, I'm told.

It rained on and off when I was at the North Shore, but back in Honolulu for the afternoon and it rained the whole evening and night.

No lie, I acclimated to this weather pretty quickly. The whole day on the North Shore, I was wishing I had more than a tank top and shorts. It was maybe mid-20s celsius.

Tonight, it was raining and windy. 21 degrees celsius, and I had to come back to the hotel to get pants and a hoodie. Going home will shock my body, I'm sure.  The thing is, the day I left Toronto, February 1, was in the mid-teens, so no word of a lie, in my head, it should be summer because I had spring, if even for a day, and had had winter in mid-January.

So for awhile, I kept thinking it was July and the news saying it was February was confusing. Winter will be weird when I get back.

Let's review.

What I've learned:

1) Hawaii is laid back. Formal attire is an aloha shirt and nice pair of pants--not dress pants or jeans. I was looking at an aloha shirt in a store, and no kidding, the salesperson asked me if I was looking at them for a special occasion. And don't bring jeans. Too hot.

Kauai: February 11, 2016

Kauai really is beautiful.

Just FYI, locals really do that hand thing with the pinky and thumb to greet each other, thank each other while driving, etc. Hopefully you know the hand thing.

First view of Kauai from the ship this morning. Cellphone pic.

Maui: February 8, 2016; Road to Hana, catching a glimpse of Molokai

Ke'anae, on the road to Hana, Maui. Photos, let alone my ability on the cellphone camera do not do this justice. The black rock is formed from the lava. It is beautiful, and the ocean is rough.

I'm going to be in Molokai in one week. I asked a tour guide today (a transplant from Buffalo NY) and two Native Hawaiians on the ship about the place. None have ever visited Molokai. So the island, supposedly the most Hawaiian of the Hawaiian islands, is taking on another layer of mystery.

On a stop on the road to Hana, we could see Molokai in the distance, which is apparently really rare, especially during what should be the rainy season. If I had not already booked my flight, I might have chickened out....

Honolulu, Hawaii: February 5, 2016; the lure of the beach, big news in Waikiki

So, the big plan was to go to Chinatown for the evening because my visit happened to coincide with First Friday, which is a monthly event in Chinatown, that includes gallery walks, etc. But, the lure the beach and sitting around doing nothing was too great. I ended up visiting Chinatown in the afternoon instead.

Anyway, to start the day, I hiked up Diamond Head. That's the big peak that's often visible in skyline shots of Honolulu. I headed over there for 7:30 AM, and there were already many people there hiking to the peak as well.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Diamond Head viewed from Waikiki Beach. February 5, 2016
at 5:17 PM.

More....

Honolulu / Waikiki: February 3, 2016

Okay, to get a couple things out of the way right off:

1) I know you're wondering, so I'll answer this question first. Can you get "Hawaiian pizza" in Hawaii? The answer is yes. I saw a pizza place that offers pizza with ham and pineapple that is called Hawaiian. I wonder how Hawaiians feel about it but am afraid to ask.

2) It really is beautiful here.

Click to enlarge, as always.

Sunrise from Waikiki Beach, right outside my hotel. February 3, 2016
at 6:29 HAST (Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time).

More after the jump.

One more post before I go: February 2, 2016

Thanks to the amazing technological world we now live in, and the good people at Apple, I can type this on my computer as I sit in the Toronto Pearson Airport lounge. I shouldn't be on the computer too long, since, also thanks to the good people at Apple, I've stored a season's worth of "Community" and two movies to watch on my flights.

It only occurred to me in the last few days that I have about 12 hours in the air ahead of me, plus a three-hour layover in Vancouver. As I checked my bag, I thought, "See you in 17 hours." There's always that twinge before leaving, right, where you wonder if your baggage will end up at the same place and at the same time as you do?

I will be landing in Honolulu at 10:30 PM local time, which will be 3:30 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Okay, putting aside any whining tones, I think it's time to concentrate on how amazing that is, how far I'll be from home in just a few hours and how that was virtually impossible a relatively short time ago in human history.

Less incredible, I bonded with the guy cleaning one of the washrooms here at the airport. He asked where I'm from but I knew that he meant, "Hey, do we have a language in common? Some sort of common culture?" I asked where he's from, and he said Peru. I get mistaken for some sort of Latino a lot. It usually happens more in New York City, but over the last few days in Toronto, it has happened three times.

Outside the Loblaws at Maple Leaf Gardens about four days ago, some dude started speaking Spanish to me. I told him I don't speak Spanish, and he asked me how I like this country. I said it's pretty good. Turns out he's travelling from somewhere in South America (I didn't ask from where) and that he thought I was from, in his words, "Central America." Hm. Anyway, he started saying that he's never seen so many homeless people and that in Spanish speaking countries, people help each other. Really? Whatever. I didn't want to argue, especially because he followed me into the Loblaws to continue the conversation. I wanted to tell him, "Dude, in this country, we end conversations when the other person is a stranger and is obviously trying to get away."

Walking around the city Sunday night, I was on Yonge St, and some guy yelled out, "Hey Amigo!" There were other people around, but I knew he was talking to me. I turned and said, "What's up?" He asked me, in what I assume is a Spanish speaking accent, "Do you know where the football is?" I assumed soccer, but either way, I couldn't help him out. I said, "No. Sorry." Then he said, "Do you know where the stripper club is?" I said, "Yeah, dude, right there." I pointed at The Zanzibar (TM), which was half a block north of where we were standing.

Anyway, I get that for some people, I'm "ethnically unplaceable" but the point is, I wonder how I'll be perceived in Hawaii. I guess I'll let you know.

I'll post more when I feel like I can!

Me at Pearson. No I don't want you seeing my face, but I look
as awesome as always, though my hair is out of control.
February 2, 2016 at 11:12 AM,using Apple's Photo Booth,
which came pre-installed on my Mac.

Photo(s) of the Day: January 8, 2015; Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls

I took the Chinese Casino bus (not the official name, btw) to Niagara Falls today. There's a tour bus that leaves from various places in Toronto to the Fallsview Casino a few times each day.  It seems pitched to Chinese speaking (not sure if it's Cantonese or Mandarin or some other dialect) but everyone is obviously welcome. A bargain at $20 roundtrip, but only $7 if you have a Players Advantage Card from the Casino.

The other options, besides driving yourself, are VIA or GO Train, which do not drop off close to the Falls.

It was an easy and inexpensive way to travel. It would have been great but for the ride back and the guy sitting in the seat across the aisle who was "mumbling," loudly enough to himself for people a few rows around him to hear, about Lady Di, Jews and healthcare, or something. There was some grand conspiracy that he was telling an imaginary person beside him (?) and even though I couldn't stop listening to it, I couldn't follow it.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Winter at the Horseshoe Falls (I think it's the Horseshoe Falls).
January 8, 2016.

The weather was relatively warm for winter (around 1 or 2 degrees celsius) so there was melt, but still cool enough for some areas to be frozen.

*Bonus* 2nd post for December 14, 2015; not so fast, sporto...

I wrote my previous post early this morning (see here).  And now I can only say, I guess I won't be going to New York just yet.

I'm writing this in a Holiday Inn near the Detroit Airport, because my flight was cancelled due to weather.  I'm super-bummed out, but everyone has been pretty good.  I lose a day in New York because the crappy cheap airline I'm flying only has two stupid flights a day and the early morning flight is booked.  Maybe I didn't do enough research, but I didn't see much choice flying from Detroit to New York.   It was either this airline or paying 3 to 4 times more to fly a larger airline.  I don't know if a different airline would have made a difference and I haven't researched to see what the weather is in NYC.

Whatever.  Nothing to do but sit around...

After cancelling all the plans I could in NYC, I spent about 10 minutes trying to figure out which boxers I have that I could pass off as swim trunks and hit the whirlpool.

Dinner at the hotel restaurant.  Filling.  Fine.  Shouldn't complain.  Lots of single guys in the restaurant, eating alone, so I felt at home.

In the absence of anything else to do, I guess I'll go to bed early and figure out what I'll do in New York.  I need to re-organize and re-pack my stuff tonight, but I need something to occupy my time before checkout, and my flight tomorrow afternoon!!!

Moving on...  Hopefully I'll be able to say something about New York City tomorrow evening.

Here are some photos of Detroit I took this morning, shortly after the sun came up.  It was rainy pretty much the whole day, but in the morning, before the rain started, the light was really pink.  Kind of beautiful and peaceful.

The light was unreal.  Detroit, December 14, 2015 at 7:55 AM.  ISO 3200 (higher than I would prefer, but I didn't have a tripod), f/8 at 1/200.

I think the light is beautiful, bathing everything in pink.  Detroit, December 14, 2015 at 7:58 AM.  ISO 400, f/4.5 at 1/80.

Sign at the Fox Theater, downtown Detroit.  December 14, 2015 at  8:18 AM.  ISO 400, f/4.5 at 1/100.

Heading to the airport before my flight was cancelled, I took a shuttle to the airport.  It was considerably cheaper than a cab ($20 for the shuttle vs (I'm told) $70 for the cab).   Good news: pretty much like a cab because I was the only one in the shuttle.  Bad news: the driver was telling me that Washington DC is built in worship of Satan and you can tell by all the architecture.  For instance, the Washington Monument, according to him (and I have yet to verify....), is 555 feet above the ground, but 111 feet below the ground.  555 + 111 = 666 = worshipping the devil.

Anyway, I'm now at the Holiday Inn.  Hopefully things will go smoothly tomorrow....

Glass of water at the Holiday Inn.  Even the glass is crying.  Sigh.  There are worse things.  Had to manually focus on this because light levels were too low for the automatic focus.

Cobb Salad.  Dinner.  Nothing special to report.  The salad wishes it were in New York City, too.

Silly to complain.  I just have a quiet next 24 hours....

Detroit: December 14, 2015; The Henry Ford, Renaissance Center, public art, and the dumbest thing at Target (?)

Off to New York this afternoon, and landing in the evening.  The thing I find frustrating about travelling in the US is that a lot is virtually impossible without a car or, at least a motor vehicle.  For instance, travelling from Detroit to NYC, the only reasonable choices that I saw were budget airlines.  If I was willing to pay *a lot*, I could fly United or American.  I'm flying a budget airlines (not mentioning the name here) but I'm being nickel and dimed for everything.  For instance, there's a charge for a carry-on bag and a charge if I check in at the airport instead of checking in and printing a boarding pass from "home." Whatever... the cost of travel I guess....

Click on all photos to enlarge.

The dumbest item I saw at Target

I'm not a big shopper but I like going to Target in the US.  I made a trip.  This, in my opinion, is the dumbest item I saw at Target.

First, I'm a sucker for Superman items.  I saw this and had to investigate...  Superman boxers.

Superman boxers at a Detroit-area Target.  *Note* the tag that says "Look at my cape!"

Yes, "Look at my cape!" indeed.  The boxers have a cape!

These boxers have a cape held in place by velcro.  Why?

At first this made no sense to me.  Who wants boxers with a cape?  But then, I realized that Superman himself wears his costume with a cape underneath his street clothes, so this actually makes sense.  Then, I realized what I was thinking and stopped myself.....

The Henry Ford Museum

I went to the Henry Ford Museum.  It's a fun museum.

The Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, Michigan.  December 13, 2015.

It's a little strange.  As expected, the main focus seems to be cars and other modes of transportation, but there are other items that are somewhat random.  The museum also has, for instance, a collection of odd chairs, the actual bus on which Rosa Parks refused to move to the back (with her seat subtly marked--don't worry, I made sure to sit there), and a circular pre-fab home, only one of which was ever built.  

So it's a museum with a varied collection.  It's also quite spacious inside, and doesn't feel crammed with items and people, like other museums.  It would be a nice place to spend a day, I think.

Entering the Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, Michigan.  December 13, 2015.

The amazing thing about the Henry Ford, though, is that it's the first museum I've seen that not only has an eating place (or, I believe, in this instance, eating places) outside the exhibit area, but there are *multiple* eating places within the exhibit area itself!  In an area about road travel, (I think), which also houses a neon McDonald's sign and an old Holiday Inn sign, there's an old-style diner car with a staff and that actually serves food.

In another area, there are root beer floats available for purchase.  (I saw one guy buy one and spoon the ice cream out of it, and then ask for a plastic cup to transfer everything to, so he could walk around the museum with it!  Walking around the museum with a root beer float!!).

The museum also has an Oscar Meyer Weiner-mobile, near which is also a place to eat...  Well, you get the idea.  Lots of places to eat and you don't have to even leave the exhibits....  Odd...

Hot dogs available for purchase, steps from the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile,  (which oddly, I did not take a picture of), and other exhibits.  The Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn Michigan.  December 13, 2015.

The Renaissance Center

I also finally got to stay at the Renaissance Center, which are the tall black round buildings visible in the skyline.   (See yesterday's post re my strange childhood ambitions by clicking here).

The Renaissance Center is a complex of buildings which house the offices of GM.  One of the towers (the centre one?) is the hotel and at its completion, was the tallest hotel in the world.  It isn't anymore, but when I was a kid, I wanted to stay here, so I finally took the opportunity.  

It's not expensive at all, plus I got a discount rate.  So not breaking the bank or anything....

The Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan.  December 13, 2015.  I believe, counterintuitively, that the building with the Marriott logo (on the left in the photo) is not actually the hotel.  I think the building in the centre is the hotel, but I could be wrong...

Detail of the exterior of the Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan.  December 13, 2015.

Interior of the Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan.  December 13, 2015.  I like that the interior fits with the buildings I've seen in the city, what people in the early 20th century imagined the city of the far future, like the 80s or 90s, would be like....  the elevated paths, the trees inside, etc. 

More interior of the Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan.  This picture taken December 14, 2015.

I requested an upgrade for a view with the river.  I didn't get it, but I was really happy with the view anyway.....

View from my room at the Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan.  December 13, 2015. 

The view in the evening from my room at the Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan.  December 13, 2015.

Now, is it pathetically small to dream to stay in a hotel?  Sure.  But like either Plato or Prince said, dream small and you're unlikely to fail....  Sigh... small ambitions keep us alive because the big ones eventually get beaten out of us and worn down over time.  I think....  Moving on....

The Coney Island

I'm told a Detroit thing is a Coney Island, which is a boiled hot dog, steamed bun, with chilli, onions and mustard.  I figured it was time to try one.  So I went to Lafayette Coney Island and ate this:

It's a Detroit thing:  the Coney Island.

It wasn't bad.  That's all I'll say....  Seriously, wasn't bad and I've crossed it off my list of things to do in life.

Regional accents

By the way, anyone reading these posts, you know that I enjoy regional accents in North America.  The main difference I've noted here in Detroit is that the "a" sound, as in "bad" or "back" sounds closer to the way we say the "e" vowel, as in "bed" or "fed."  So the way we say "back" sounds more like "beck."  Not exactly, but halfway between "back" and "beck," and is slightly nasalized.  

Just FYI for those who are interested....

Public art and monuments in Detroit

One other thing I love about Detroit is the public art and monuments in its downtown.

The Spirit of Detroit.  December 13, 2015.

The Monument to Joe Louis, (pro boxer, if you don't know), aka "The Fist."  Downtown Detroit, Michigan.  December 13, 2015.  The building on the left was designed by the architect who also designed the original World Trade Center towers in New York City that fell on 9/11.  I think you can see the similarities.  

Off to New York

Off to New York this evening.  I'm not sure what the internet situation is when I'm there.  In any case, New York City is one of my favourite cities in the world.  I've never been there at Christmastime so I'm interested in seeing what it's like.  Unfortunately (or fortunately, I'm not sure), it's not very Christmas-like weather here in northeastern North America, but I'll hopefully experience new things in NYC anyway....

Moving on.....

Nashville / Toronto: November 28, 2015: the return of my Toronto personality

Wow, it's cold in Toronto.  I believe that it was only a bit cooler in Toronto than Nashville over the last few days, but Nashville was considerably warmer than Toronto when I left this morning.

Quick thoughts about Toronto, after returning from a few days away:

1)  Man, it's cold, y'all.

2)  This is a big city.

3)  Wow, this city is crowded.

4)  The drivers sure are crabby downtown.  And aggressive.....

Until I leave again, my plan is to explore the city a bit, and maybe go places that native Torontonians don't bother with.  There are a whole bunch of things I haven't done in this city.  I hope to get some good pics as I experience the city and see if I can fall for it again (that is, when I'm not doing other things I should be doing).  Hopefully I'll have some photos I would like to share.  

In a few days, I'll be exploring the US again, with a trip to Detroit and New York City.  Plus, I still have my two weeks in Hawaii coming up in February.

In the meantime, some last photos from Nashville.  (That's not even true; I might share some later when I go through them again).

I think the following photos were taken with the automatic low light settings on my camera.  I didn't have a tripod so didn't feel comfortable shooting on manual.  (Click to enlarge photos).

The alley between the Ryman Auditorium and Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, a honky tonk on Broadway.   November 27, 2015.

Last looks at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, early morning November 28, 2015.

Gaylord Opryland Hotel, early morning November 28, 2015.

Gaylord Opryland Hotel, early morning November 28, 2015.

Gaylord Opryland Hotel, early morning November 28, 2015.

Tips and random thoughts about Austin and Nashville:
1)  While in Nashville, if asked, "Do you watch Nashville?" (the TV soap on ABC), the proper answer is "yes."  Everyone I ran into seemed to want to talk about it, tourists and native Nashvilleans (Nashvillains?) alike.

2)  For a town that attracts so many tourists for country music, people are really defensive about their city's association to country music.  I heard on at least three occasions that Nashville is more than country music.  The tour guide at the Ryman was quick to point out that the Ryman is more than the home of the Opry.  I was shown the Nashville Symphony's home by a tour guide *and* the guy who drove me in the shuttle from the airport.  Yes, I get it.... There's more than country music.....  Touchy.

3)  Man buns are more common in Austin than Nashville.

4)  The southern "drawl" starts creeping into regular speech after hearing it around you everywhere for 10 days or so.  I think it's inevitable.  I understand a bit now how all these singers sound Southern, only to find they're from Wisconsin or Iowa.  Seriously.

Nashville: November 27, 2015; last day in Nashville, what I ate

Oh Music City, I'll miss your honky tonks and non-ironic cowboy hats.

Last day in Nashville.  I had to get out of the canned environment of the Gaylord Opryland Resort.  I started at the Johnny Cash Museum.  Nothing much to note other than this:

I'm sure the "them" at the beginning of the second line should be "the" but it somehow reads more like how people actually talk in Nashville.

One thing I love about the honky tonks is that live music starts at some (most?) of them at 11 AM.  I really should research names but anyway, this woman rocked:

The woman sang "Sweet Home Alabama" (Lynyrd Skynyrd) and without stopping, went into "All Summer Long" (Kid Rock), which samples and borrows whole chunks of "Sweet Home Alabama," (if you didn't know) and then, most awesomely and curiously, did the theme to "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" on top of the groove from "Sweet Home Alabama" before returning to "Sweet Home Alabama."  Genius, in my opinion.

I like country music, but seriously, by some time Wednesday, I was countried out and was looking for something more rhythmic.  This guy and his band hit the spot tonight:

Legends Corner, on Broadway and 5th, Nashville.  Things in the audience get really sloppy really early on a Friday, it seems.

Again, I really should research this guy's name, along with his amazing band.  They freaked my face off.  Shortly after I walked in, he and his band performed, (with some songs running into each other):

-No Diggity (Blackstreet)

-The Real Slim Shady (Eminem)

-(You Gotta) Fight for your Right (to Party) (The Beastie Boys)

-It's Tricky (Run DMC)

-Baby Got Back (Sir Mix-A-Lot)

That's my hip hop era!

He then did a country song that I didn't recognize (something about honky tonks), pulled up Hank Williams Jr's bass player who was in the crowd, to perform two Hank Jr songs, which I did not know but realized one must be called "Family Tradition."  (I'm a Hank Sr fan, know nothing about Hank Jr).  He then said he is mostly a country singer but likes all genres and likes to do a bit of everything, and then performed "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "Pour Some Sugar on Me."  

I will miss Nashville's bands and the fans in the honky tonks who were just as excited by Patsy Cline, Hank Jr, Miranda Lambert and hip hop and rock--and knew all the lyrics to everything.

Other than music

I had some time today, so went back to the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge to get skyline shots at a better angle.  You might not see the difference, but the angle of the Batman Building wasn't optimal in the other photos.  I like this angle better, if not the actual shots, but I didn't get night shots.  It was cloudy the whole day, and really warm, about 20 degrees celsius by the afternoon.

A panoramic shot.  My one regret with this photo, which I didn't notice until later, is that Batman's "ears" aren't completely within the frame.

The more traditional view.  Cloudy the whole day.

Same angle, but with part of the bridge visible.

What I ate

I didn't get to all the food I wanted in the city, but here's what I had today.

Lunch at Puckett's:

Meat and three: catfish, smashed sweet potatoes, sweet potato fries, turnip greens and some corn thing poking behind the turnip greens.

A Nashville thing is "meat and three" which is a meat with three side dishes.  You can't see it from this angle but the woman beside me had to tell me how to eat that pancake thing.  You treat it like bread.  Btw, she had a beautiful accent.  She seemed to be in her 80s and had what locals might call a "hillbilly" accent.  Our regionalisms in speech, I think I read somewhere, are starting to disappear because we all watch the same TV shows, etc.  I digress, though...  I was told that the catfish would be "fried."  I expected pan-fried.  I think "fried" down here means deep fried unless otherwise noted.

I also ate this for dessert at lunch:

That's a fried brownie sundae, friend.  

This fried brownie sundae is brownie batter, mixed with cookie dough, breaded and deep fried.  Sweetened pecans added, and ice cream, of course.  The crunch of the breading was great; it was really sweet.  Really good, but won't be doing that again for awhile....  When I ordered it, the waiter proclaimed, "All right!" (pronounced "raht.").  That made happier than it should.

This was dinner at Rippy's, on Broadway near the honky tonks:

Full slab of ribs with coleslaw and turnip greens.  Barbecue dinner, with live music in the room.  Not much could make it better.  (Sorry for the poor focus).

Got some barbecue to hold me over until my return to the American South, whenever that may be....  

Nashville is small, but a really good city.  I'm sad to be leaving.  Not just the music and the food, but really interesting attractions not related to music.  The Parthenon, which you saw, and the Bicentennial Mall, which I didn't describe, is also pretty great.

Off to the airport early tomorrow....

Nashville: November 26, 2015 (part 2); Gaylord Opryland Resort, USA

Now, this is the US that I wanted to see, at least for a bit.  This felt like a different culture.  (Click photos to enlarge).

Gaylord Opryland Resort, supposedly the largest hotel in the US not connected to a casino.

This is a panoramic view of *one* of the atria in the hotel.

Another view of the same atrium, so you can its height.  Some of the more expensive rooms are these ones, facing the atrium.  There are restaurants and waterfalls below.

Why go outside when you go to fake outdoors inside?  One of the other atria; I think there are three in total.  There are  at least two "lobbies" where guests can check in.  There are way too many people and they (we) are all just walking around gawking at the complex.  The whole place is like an amusement park, or a giant Rainforest Cafe (TM). 

I'm alternately horrified and admiring of this type of excess.  I love it and hate that I love it.  

I know I said I would show more food, but I ate waaaaay too much and don't want to relive it right now.  There's a mall an easy walk from here, though a shuttle is available.  (It seems no one in Nashville walks more than a couple of blocks).

Opryland Mills Mall.  The kids are riding these things around the mall; they can be rented for 10 to 30 minutes and hold up to 500 lbs.  The kids just drive them around freely, no tracks.  It was weird, felt very alien.  I was trying to surreptitiously take these photos, then realized it looked kind of creepy to be taking kids' pictures, so I left.

My first true Black Friday, starting Thursday.  Opryland Mills opened at 6 PM and will stay open  until 1 AM, and then re-open at 6 AM!  A line up for the Kate Spade store,  I will say, the deals seem pretty good.

Gaylord Opryland Resort.  One of the atria decorated for Christmas

I didn't know this, but American Thanksgiving just sort of bleeds into Christmas, so it's all one huge holiday season, starting with Thanksgiving.  Christmas decorations were being put up at the Tennessee Capitol just as I arrived on Monday.  

Nashville is the country music capital of the US, (if not the world), but it's also the bible belt capital.  I didn't see much of this in the downtown, but it seems a different here at the Resort, which is away from the downtown core.

This is a dancing water fountain show set to Christmas music.  Not a single secular Christmas song.  All the songs were overtly about Jesus.

Shots from the very large nativity scene outside the hotel on one of the lawns.  There are also two bibles set up and a recorded voice reads the story of Christ's birth, quoted from the bible.

Overtly religious.  Everyone seemed to enjoy these things, though, and who am I to question?  I'm a tourist here, anyway.  The other "tourists" seem to be locals, though, which is interesting to me....  I could hear a whole bunch of locals here for Thanksgiving dinner.

After the water show, I got lost trying to get back to my room.  I was given a map but the map looks more like an airport map.  It's not just me, either.  I heard a guy in one of the hallways complaining to his wife that he thought "they" would make this place more "user friendly."   

Room numbering is not intuitive.  The room numbers are each given a letter in the front which describes which part of the hotel the room is located.  Parts of the hotel are given names, so M for Magnolia, C for Cascades, for instances.  The next digit combines with the letter to describe which elevator you should use, and the last three digits make up the room number, which don't correspondent to which floor you're on.  So,  M2123, would mean that someone is in the Magnolia part of the complex, should use elevator M2 and is in room 123.  The "1" in room 123 does not necessarily mean you're on the first floor, though.  And good luck finding elevator M2.

Anyway, my original plan was to hang around the resort for tomorrow, but I'm more likely to go into Nashville for my last day in the area.