The Yin & Yang of Hither & Yon - The Connected Traveler

A Positive View of the World from Kahala Ranch, Hawaii
Photo: ©2003 Pat Meier-Johnson

The Yin and Yang
of Hither and Yon
(our narrowly-acclaimed
best and worst of 2003)

In 2003, we chased rainbows -- found both gold and slag in pots of all shapes and size -- as we went in search of the Yin and Yang of Hither and Yon.

Rainbow of the Year
Drove around the big island of Hawaii in March under a quilted cloud cover that issued showers and sunbeams with double rainbows decorating the divide. Photo-op and poetry-op rolled into one: scenes in search of metaphors. Found the photos, but try as I did, the muse did snooze. The rainbows pointed to horses, some very unmad cows and an occasional vacation home, nothing that launched a soliloquy, an aphorism or even a bad pun. But gosh, it was beautiful.

Sleaze Sells Award: Las Vegas
The pirates at Treasure Island have traded their peglegs for silicone implants. Family values are out, down 'n' dirty sin is in in Las Vegas. "What Happens Here, Stays Here" is the new ad slogan. That has a lot to do with your money, we might add, not only on the craps tables but in restaurants that are now Manhattan-expensive. Whatever happened to the $6.95 prime rib? Could this the marketing blunder of all time? Do randy guys looking for "action" dine at Spago? Will the god-fearin' family trade divert to Knotts Berry Farm? The ad agency that created the campaign says Vegas is all about "freedom." It says Vegas "empowers the individual to create, to break their own bounds." What is that I hear, "Chariots of Fire" ?

Prediction for 2004
Italian scientists will perform autopsies on the exumed bodies of the Medici family to figure out how they lived and what they ate…and to track down family secrets like who begat whom. Prediction: A book called the Medici Diet and an epidemic of gout.

...and speaking of rewrites of history...

Best Toilet Novel: The DaVinci Code
With 151 chapters, some only two pages long, a person who is "regular" could finish it in half a year. This overhyped novel's first chapter begins with "Robert Langdon awoke slowly" and its epilogue begins with "Robert Langdon awoke with a start." And, that's about how it went. A fascinating premise, which made me take another look at the Last Supper fresco, one that would make a great subject for a non-fiction book, but choppy writing and, in terms of Grail hunt drama, I'll go for Monte Python.

Best Real Novel: The Life of Pi
If you were shipwrecked on a raft with a hyena, an orangutan, a zebra and Richard Parker, which happens to be the unlikely name of a man-eating tiger, how would you deal with it? It is a wonder how Canadian author Yann Martel pulled this one off in his first novel, but it is simply the best of this genre since Moby Dick and one of the finest pieces of fiction I have ever read.

Best Hotel: Auberge des Seigneurs et du Lion d'Or, Vence, France
How about a suite-sized room with a view of the hills in a charming little town for less than 70 euros per night? Vence is so much comfortable than its touristy sister St. Paul de Vence. Vence is a labyrinth of twisty streets of shops, galleries with working artists, charcuteries and cafes. L'Auberge des Seigneurs is run by Madam Rodi, her daughter and a big dog of undetermined breed known only as L'Enfant d'Amour. Two nights for two with one night of sumptuous dining in the hotel's cozy restaurant cost us US$288.13. A specialty is chicken which Madam Rodi roasts in the dining room's fireplace.

Best Hotel Logo:
San Want Hotel, Taipei, Taiwan
The San Want is a good four-star business hotel in central Taipei. We asked the concierge what the logo was all about. He said, "Its the boss."

San Francisco - ©Russell Johnson
Bargain Destinations -US & Canada

Worst Hotel of 2003 - The Ameritania
We entered what was touted as an ultra-hip boutique hotel in New York City and were immediately impressed by its edgy décor and "cool" bar. Our room was a different story, however, once we got there via the one elevator that was functioning at the time. It was a cramped little garret with a lumpy bed and a tiny bathroom. Worst of all, the place does not have central air conditioning and we had to endure the roaring and dripping of 200 individual room air conditioners in the shaft between the buildings all night long. When we complained to the front desk, we were told, as if we were stupid, that most guests open the window and put a towel over the back of the machine to deaden the drips from the AC above. Watch out for these ultra-hip hotels, they may be only lobby deep. Check the room before checking in.

New York Restaurant - Town
15 W 56th St Between 5th and 6th Av.
This lovely restaurant in the Chambers Hotel can seem a little spooky. Its waiters are always hovering and staring. It isn't intrusive when you notice that they are eyeing tables not snooping on customers. They watch every detail. If a glass goes a centimeter below its fill-up point, it is taken care of, immediately. I forgot my umbrella there one busy, crowded night, came back a short time later and they called me by name. Chef Geoffrey Zakarian's food is similarly fussy, as if a master interior decorator took charge of the palate as well as the plate. Town's prix-fixe dinners, beautifully match flavors and presentations. Pricey but worth it.

San Francisco Restaurant -AsiaSF
201 9th St San Francisco
This is a true San Francisco restaurant, in the best sense. Fine dining mixed with Barbary Coast bawdiness and a touch of the North Beach of the 60s. Gorgeous "gender illusionists" dance on the bar while diners enjoy a supurb Asian fusion menu (how about wasabi tobiko caviar)? This is not a tawdry strip joint (although I wouldn't bring mom) but sexy, howlin' fun combined with gourmet dining.

Airline of the Year - EVA Airlines
EVA, or Evergreen, a Taiwanese carrier offers a premium economy class priced only a $200-300 dollars more the chamber or horrors that is regular "cabin class" on most airlines. Evergreen Deluxe features business-class legroom, individual TVs, decent meals and attentive service. It is a business traveler's dream in a world where airlines seem to believe that inflicting pain and humiliation will induce passengers into paying thousands of dollars more for simple basic comfort. Airlines should trash the complex yield micromanagement systems that anger customers with gotchas and jam airports and aircraft with a profitless volume of passengers. Extortionary business class fares and money losing deep discount economy seats should be eliminated. Loyalty programs should be loyalty programs not "you better fly with us all the time or we're going to screw you" programs. (Sorry, I get on a rant every time the subject comes up). EVA offers basic comfort and fair fares. Another nice thing: When the plane lands, the crew bows and the passengers applaud. When is the last time you saw that on a US carrier?

Bargain Destination: The US and Canada
The US Dollar no longer speaks like John Wayne, it is now more like Mickey Mouse while the Canadian Dollar looks like something The Mouse left behind. Weak dollars make the US and Canada bargains destinations for Europeans and Asians. Travel destinations are less crowded as well.

Go Before the Throngs Return - Bali, Indonesia
The island of Bali is still one of earth's gems, in both culture and beauty. It depends on its arts, music and dance for its livelihood and has learned to handle tourism gracefully. Sad that travelers have avoided it since the Kuta bombing. I paid a return visit last year and found Bali quiet, welcoming and safe. Enjoy Bali before the hoardes return.

Most Misunderstood People - The French
Despite the agitprop, the French love and miss Americans. This is not tourist office spin. In three weeks of travel all over France last summer, we received warm welcomes and did not experience one incident of rudeness. Strangers were anxious to engage my wife and me in conversation, curious about why so many Americans support Bush and his war adventure. Most had no use for Chirac, either. Hey, they're French...but friendly.

Best Museum for Kids - California State Railroad Museum

The California State Railroad Museum in Old Town Sacramento is where the twains shall meet. It is a fine collection of beautifully-restored old locomotives and other railroadia. Admission is only four bucks, about one tenth the cost of a Disneyland or Great America…bring the kids.

Most Troubling/Inspiring Museum
Caen Memorial-A Museum of Peace
A moving journey into WWII's depths of depression then out again to a not-so-satisfying conclusion including the Cold War the Atomic Age. More than a war museum, it shows the process of conflict. Don't neglect the section (a bit out of the way) that offers perspectives on peace from numerous viewpoints and cultures.

Policy We Like - Photography Allowed
It is reasonable to ask that flash not be used in museums, but personal photography is a wonderful way to spread art and heritage around the world and an inspiration for others to travel. Two of the world's greatest museums we paid return visits to this past year welcome photography. More monuments and museums should do the same. At the Musee D'Orsay in Paris we saw parents photographing their kids next to Van Goghs. What a souvenir. We saw similar scenes at the National Museum in Taipei, Taiwan, which has the world's finest collection of Chinese art and artifacts.

Unfortunate Trend -Wino Wines
The trend in California wine is toward the heavy, fruity and alcoholic. Interesting to see how table wines in the US over the past 20 years have progressed from sodapop sweet, to the dreaded White Zinfandel, to Chardonnays and Sauvignons, light Merlots and Cabernets and now to ever more powerful Zinfandels and Syrahs. Some of the latter have become alcoholic fruit bombs...wino wines. Maybe it is my age, but after a couple of glasses of one of these I feel like falling a sleep with a newspaper over my head. But I have found a new affection for the subtleties of French Burgundies, lighter Bordeaux and even some California Merlots, which have become quite distinctive lately, not just blending wines to water down Cabernets.

Person We Will Miss - Robertson Collins
Robbie Collins' life work was preserving world cultures and heritage and spreading the word about them. One of the world's foremost champions of cultural heritage conservation, he was active with ICOMOs, the International Congress of Monuments and Sites, who honored him on his death. His imprinteur could be found in Oregon, where he was responsible for preserving his home town of Jacksonville; Singapore where he had a hand in the country's magnificent architectural restorations; Hungary where he helped bring the arts community and the government together; Madagascar, Nepal and numerous other countries. Not only that, he danced with Ginger Rodgers, a childhood friend whom he frequently escorted. I was honored to count him as a friend and the best teacher and tour guide one could ever have. Robbie, the world will miss you.