Part 2 - Iguazu Falls--Border of Argentina and Brazil Perhaps the greatest waterfalls in the world is Iguazu Falls (Spanish in Argentina), or Iguacu Falls (Portuguese in Brazil). The Guarani indigenous group call it Iguazu, meaning great river. The Rio Iguazu (the Argentinian name) forms the border of Argentina and Brazil. The falls is not the tallest, the most voluminous, or the most of anything else. It is just so overwhelming in its entirety. People generally take two days to visit it, as it is so spread out. It is nearly two miles long when one adds up all its courses and channels. It has 275 separate falls, the tallest being 270 feet high. Many walkways allow visitors to walk above the river, especially on the Argentinian side. This was my second visit to the falls, the first being in February 2003 following my trip to Antarctica. The water level was lower this time, but the falls were still spectacular. Epilogue
My life took a bit of a turn on December 30th last year. I decided to go to Lafayette, Louisiana, for six days and nights of Cajun & Zydeco music and dancing over New Year's. Dorothy and I started going there in 1993, and we went there many times. On day three, the 30th, I asked a lady to dance, and she said yes. We hit it off well--and parted company -- 16 days later after touring LA. Miss X (she requested that I not reveal her name until she meets people I know) planned to travel alone in Louisiana for five weeks. She is a native of Brazil, but she has worked for many years in South Africa, Sweden, Israel, England, and Germany (where she has lived for the last 13 years). After Louisiana, she had plans to go to Brazil for several months, where she still has a family. About a week after I got home, she told me she was going to northern Argentina for a few weeks, touring the desert and a few wineries. She asked me if I wanted to join her. My options were no and YESSSS. So, I flew to Curitiba, Brazil, to meet her. After spending a week there, we first went to the famous Iguazu Falls, which is on the border of Brazil and Argentina. Then we flew to Salta, Argentina. We spent two weeks in Argentina, after which we flew back to Curitiba. In all, we spent 32 days together. The future for us is unclear, but more travel might be forthcoming. However, several factors have to work out right for that to happen, so time will tell. Argentina and Brazil will be presented in three parts, each posted several weeks apart. The first part will be on Argentina, the second on Iguazu Falls, and the last on Brazil. For the benefit of my readers, the original Spanish and Portuguez that I wrote it in will be translated into English. Those of you who took Spanish at Lincoln with either Bill Berringer or Donald Diekelmann will, thus, not have to suffer trying to translate it yourself into English. Northern Argentina Epilogue
Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona This 133-square-mile park is on Navajo Nation land in northeastern Arizona. The floor of its deep canyon has been farmed by indigenous people for thousands of years, and it continues to be farmed today by their descendents. This park of red sandstone cliffs was established in 1931. The name Chelly is pronounced as "shay," one syllable and a long a sound. Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona This very remote park is in southeastern Arizona, bumping up against New Mexico. These rugged mountains were the stronghold of the Apache Indians until the 1880s, including Geronino and Cochise. It was established in 1924 primarily to protect its many hoodoos and balanced rocks.
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Alabama and EnvironsAt the beginning of this year, I had two great fears relating to Covid (that is, in addition to dying of it). One, developing severe arthritis of my thumbs from constantly twiddling them while sitting idle at home. Two, dying of boredom while sitting idle at home. So, prevented from my usual foreign travel through the winter, self-preservation led me to plan |
four trips, one each month, to the southern US. The first, in January, was to the Southwest, which I published in the last Gulliver's Travels. In February, after flying to Nashville I drove the historic Natchez Trace through Mississippi, then visited friends in Lafayette, Louisiana. I then spent most of that trip in Alabama. That trip will be presented in the current Gulliver's Travels. In March, my grandson and I first visited Gary and Barbara Heiman at their home near Columbus. We then toured Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. That trip had too few interesting photos for a separate GT. My last trip designed to stave off arthritis and boredom was to south Texas (which will be highlighted in my next GT).
Helen Keller
As a student in grade school and in high school, I was always intrigued by Helen Keller--by what she accomplished with such enormous "handicaps." If only those with no such "problems" could be as productive as she was in direct proportion to their relative abilities.
She was born in West Tuscumbia, Alabama in 1880. At 19 months she developed an illness that led to her becoming blind and deaf. At the age of seven she became the pupil of Anne Sullivan. Helen famously learned what "written" words (actually, finger movements) meant when she realized that the finger movements of Anne, spelling w-a-t-e-r, represented water. The rest was "easy" for her.
The Tuskegee Airmen
When I taught economics at Milwaukee Area Technical College, I often suggested that perhaps we should not use crude oil (first called "rock oil," or petroleum)--because it is black. We should only use "white" oil, such as whale oil. I also suggested NOT using "muck soils," such as those abundant in some parts of Wisconsin--because the soil was black. Instead, we should only grow crops on light-colored soils, such as the sands of central Wisconsin. Of course, all the students realized how foolish that would be, as the people of the world would be denying themselves the benefits of "black resources," namely, petroleum and muck soils. Of course, another "black resource" that people commonly DID deny themselves the benefit of was black LABORERS. I know of no better example of how such black people were finally allowed to benefit everybody else: when the US Army Air Force allowed blacks to fly fighter planes against Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe. A total of 932 graduated from the program in Tuskegee, Alabama, and 355 flew as P-51 fighter pilots--with an amazing success rate. I was genuinely moved by being at the spot where such an absurdity began to be realized by those who were harming themselves.
When I taught economics at Milwaukee Area Technical College, I often suggested that perhaps we should not use crude oil (first called "rock oil," or petroleum)--because it is black. We should only use "white" oil, such as whale oil. I also suggested NOT using "muck soils," such as those abundant in some parts of Wisconsin--because the soil was black. Instead, we should only grow crops on light-colored soils, such as the sands of central Wisconsin. Of course, all the students realized how foolish that would be, as the people of the world would be denying themselves the benefits of "black resources," namely, petroleum and muck soils. Of course, another "black resource" that people commonly DID deny themselves the benefit of was black LABORERS. I know of no better example of how such black people were finally allowed to benefit everybody else: when the US Army Air Force allowed blacks to fly fighter planes against Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe. A total of 932 graduated from the program in Tuskegee, Alabama, and 355 flew as P-51 fighter pilots--with an amazing success rate. I was genuinely moved by being at the spot where such an absurdity began to be realized by those who were harming themselves.
Booker T. Washington
Some 40 years ago, I bought a used book, "Up From Slavery, by Booker T. Washington, which sounded interesting. I re-read it every decade or so, as I find it fascinating. Thus, I just had to visit Tuskegee Institute, a college for training black teachers, which Washington founded in 1881. Such history.
Some 40 years ago, I bought a used book, "Up From Slavery, by Booker T. Washington, which sounded interesting. I re-read it every decade or so, as I find it fascinating. Thus, I just had to visit Tuskegee Institute, a college for training black teachers, which Washington founded in 1881. Such history.
Montgomery, Alabama
I vividly remember Governor George Wallace, at his 1963 inauguration, saying "...segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever." Someday I was going to have to visit that spot. So, I did. And I took a photo of the beautiful building where George said it. What changes we all have seen in our lifetimes.
I vividly remember Governor George Wallace, at his 1963 inauguration, saying "...segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever." Someday I was going to have to visit that spot. So, I did. And I took a photo of the beautiful building where George said it. What changes we all have seen in our lifetimes.
Moundville and the Mississipian Culture
American Indian culture began a major shift at the beginning of the 11th Century, or 1000 A.D. They began to build relatively large cities, and many had rather large mounds, often pyramidal in shape. One of the largest was in present-day Moundville, Mississippi, where 29 mounds were built, with most still intact. Another was near present-day Jefferson, Wisconsin, called Aztalan, where one large mound stands. And the largest city built was about 10 miles east of St. Louis, called Cahokia. It had about 12,000 people at its peak, and it had 120 mounds, of which 80 still remain, the largest a hundred feet high.
American Indian culture began a major shift at the beginning of the 11th Century, or 1000 A.D. They began to build relatively large cities, and many had rather large mounds, often pyramidal in shape. One of the largest was in present-day Moundville, Mississippi, where 29 mounds were built, with most still intact. Another was near present-day Jefferson, Wisconsin, called Aztalan, where one large mound stands. And the largest city built was about 10 miles east of St. Louis, called Cahokia. It had about 12,000 people at its peak, and it had 120 mounds, of which 80 still remain, the largest a hundred feet high.
Epilog
This wasn't my best trip, and it wasn't my worst. But it (and the other three of last winter) just might have been some of the most valuable to me--that is, they helped me get through the winter that so many had difficulty enduring. Let us hope such a disaster never repeats itself.
Next up-south Texas. Some pretty places, plus some rather unusual places, as well.
Dale
Epilog
This wasn't my best trip, and it wasn't my worst. But it (and the other three of last winter) just might have been some of the most valuable to me--that is, they helped me get through the winter that so many had difficulty enduring. Let us hope such a disaster never repeats itself.
Next up-south Texas. Some pretty places, plus some rather unusual places, as well.
Dale
Part III Arizona and New Mexico
After a long delay (due to traveling, working on gardening, and our reunion), here is the next section of the trip I took in January 2021 to the Southwest. It includes visits to Coyote Buttes in the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument in Arizona, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona, Saguaro National Park in Arizona, Chiricahua National Monument in New Mexico and Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico. All stun one's visual senses. I like being stunned.
This photo and the next four are from Coyote Buttes in the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument.
These two photos were taken in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona.
This photo and the next three are from Saguaro National Park in Arizona
This photo and the next two were taken in Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona.
Epilogue
I might be done chronicling this trip--but I am not done with the Southwest. I am going back in November to try to "win the lottery" for "The Wave," an incredible sandstone formation an acre in size. Only 40 people per day are allowed in. I failed twice before to get in, but "Try, try, again" is my motto. If I don't get in, of course, I will try again. Later in that trip I will tour eastern Arizona, which I have been hoping to get to for over 20 years.
As this Gulliver's Travels comes out, I will be in eastern Canada, going as far as Newfoundland. It is a trip I had to cancel last September because of Covid. I am going now because I had to cancel my planned trip to Europe, as Poland, one of the countries on my itinerary, would not allow me in due to Covid. Ah, the foibles of travel in the Covid era.
I might be done chronicling this trip--but I am not done with the Southwest. I am going back in November to try to "win the lottery" for "The Wave," an incredible sandstone formation an acre in size. Only 40 people per day are allowed in. I failed twice before to get in, but "Try, try, again" is my motto. If I don't get in, of course, I will try again. Later in that trip I will tour eastern Arizona, which I have been hoping to get to for over 20 years.
As this Gulliver's Travels comes out, I will be in eastern Canada, going as far as Newfoundland. It is a trip I had to cancel last September because of Covid. I am going now because I had to cancel my planned trip to Europe, as Poland, one of the countries on my itinerary, would not allow me in due to Covid. Ah, the foibles of travel in the Covid era.
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