Canaima

Canaima
Originally uploaded by Lola Koundakjian

Our boat.

Canaima

Canaima
Originally uploaded by Lola Koundakjian

Our group, midway in the hiking, prior to the final leg of the climb.

3rd Day - Trip to Canaima National Park

Due to inclement weather, our small 20 seater plane ride was delayed, but we landed safely after 25 minutes in Canaima National Park and made it to the lodge in time for lunch. I have a lovely room in this posada, clean with simple amenities and lots of charm.

Most of the people in the plane are not staying in the same camp, Parakaupa, but are worth mentioning, especially the ecotourist man from Brooklyn who has brought tele-medicine to the natives. Somehow I expected a certain level of detachment and not so much modern technology.

We had a delicious lunch, then a siesta -- mine was in a hammoc -- before leaving for Canaima lagoon. The boat ride was very pleasant - we were six plus our guide. We got to see vultures flying all over the place, some termites in trees and iguanas.

After arriving on the other side of the lagoon, we walked up Isla Anatoliy. After a 25 minute hike uphill, we went down to our first waterfall, Salto el Santo. We removed our outer clothes, down to our bathing suits, and walked behind the waterfall, came out the other side soaking wet. It was quite a high. We took some pictures, rested then walked back through the back of the waterfall once again. We then hiked up to see where the waterfall shoots down.

Another 25 minutes hike took us the second waterfall, Salto Hacha, where the walk through was even more incredible. There were beautiful tiny flowers growing inside that hidden chamber of the fall.

We took the boat back in time for a shower and shared a bottle of red wine while watching the moon rise. It was magical; it had a yellow colour at first, then turned white with a light aura around it.

We turned in early, because our expedition has a 4:30am wake up call.

Canaima - Moonscape

Canaima
Originally uploaded by Lola Koundakjian

Canaima

Canaima
Originally uploaded by Lola Koundakjian

Salto Hacha

Canaima

Canaima
Originally uploaded by Lola Koundakjian

an indegenous man, rowing his boat.

Canaima

Canaima
Originally uploaded by Lola Koundakjian

I meditated after walking behind our 2nd waterfall. The area was so serene, it made sense.

Canaima

Canaima
Originally uploaded by Lola Koundakjian

The moonscape, end of day one in Canaima.

Canaima

Canaima
Originally uploaded by Lola Koundakjian

Self portrait in hammock

Canaima

Canaima
Originally uploaded by Lola Koundakjian

The flora in the jungle

Canaima

Canaima
Originally uploaded by Lola Koundakjian

.. in the jungle, climbing down.

Canaima

Canaima
Originally uploaded by Lola Koundakjian

Life in a hammoc

Canaima

Canaima
Originally uploaded by Lola Koundakjian

Salto Hacha

Canaima

Canaima
Originally uploaded by Lola Koundakjian

Our posada

Day 2 - Flight to Ciudad Guayana

On my second day in Venezuela, we took a very early morning ride back to the airport, to catch a 10:30am flight of about an hour, South to the province of Bolivar, and the boom town of Guayana. We are spending a night here before taking tomorrow´s early ride to get closer to Canaima and Angel Falls.

This afternoon we had rhum and lemon poolside while reading about petropolitiks. There is a beautiful river alongside the hotel, parrots and palm trees.

The talk of the country, as represented in the media, on graffiti and official papers, is the Dec 2nd vote to reform the Constitution. Major changes benefitting the current president which would allow him to stay on... forever.

Day 1 - JFK to Caracas

I woke up at 1:30 am to get to JFK in time for a 5:30 am flight. The plane was very full and overstuffed with overhead baggages that could have been checked. This caused a bit of a delay, but we made it on time to Panama City, where after an hour´s rest, I caught another COPA flight into Caracas. The second flight was less crazy. My brother and sister in law picked me up, and after a short coffee break, we drove into one of the craziest traffic jams I have ever seen.

A late meal, introductions to the new cats, and reacquainting myself with the older cat, we all went to bed for an early ride back to the airport and our trip to CANAIMA NATIONAL PARK.

First impressions of Caracas: noisy, 6 million inhabitans, lots of shanty towns, and most of all unsafe. I doubt very much I will be able to walk around town or visit the city university which is in the world heritage site.

My brother and sister in law´s apartment is in the Alta Mira section of town, with private security, high on the hill. We dined al fresco with a beautiful back drop of the city as our view.

The World Heritage List (UNESCO) -

This is what I have seen so far. The year in parenthesis represents the site's election to the UNESCO World Heritage list.

To view the complete list, click this link

Armenia
 Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots (2000)
 Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley (2000)

Australia
 Greater Blue Mountains Area (2000)
 Sydney Opera House (2007)

Austria
 Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn (1996)
 Historic Centre of Vienna (2001)

Belgium
 Flemish Béguinages (1998)
 La Grand-Place, Brussels (1998)
 Historic Centre of Brugge (2000)
 Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta (Brussels) (2000)
 Plantin-Moretus House-Workshops-Museum Complex (2005)

Canada
 Rideau Canal (2007)

Cyprus
 Paphos (1980)

Egypt
 Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis (1979)
 Historic Cairo (1979)
 Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur (1979)
 Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae (1979)

France
 Palace and Park of Versailles (1979, 2007)
 Paris, Banks of the Seine (1991)
 Historic Site of Lyons (1998)

Germany
 Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin (1990, 1992, 1999)
 Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin (1999)

Greece
 Acropolis, Athens (1987)
 Archaeological Site of Delphi (1987)
 Medieval City of Rhodes (1988)

Holy See
 Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura (1980, 1990) * 11
 Vatican City (1984)

Italy
 Historic Centre of Florence (1982)
 Venice and its Lagoon (1987)
 Historic Centre of San Gimignano (1990)
 Historic Centre of Siena (1995)

Japan
 Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) (1994)
 Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) (1996)
 Shrines and Temples of Nikko (1999)

Jordan
 Petra (1985)

Lebanon
 Anjar (1984)
 Baalbek (1984)
 Byblos (1984)
 Tyre (1984)

Luxembourg
 City of Luxembourg: its Old Quarters and Fortifications (1994)

Morocco
 Medina of Fez (1981)
 Medina of Marrakesh (1985)
 Historic City of Meknes (1996)
 Archaeological Site of Volubilis (1997)
 Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador) (2001)

Netherlands
 Defence Line of Amsterdam (1996)

Portugal
 Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon (1983)
 Historic Centre of Évora (1986)
 Cultural Landscape of Sintra (1995)
 Historic Centre of Oporto (1996)
 Alto Douro Wine Region (2001)

Spain
 Works of Antoni Gaudí (1984, 2005) 23
 Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona (1997)

Syrian Arab Republic
 Ancient City of Damascus (1979)
 Ancient City of Aleppo (1986)

Turkey
 Historic Areas of Istanbul (1985)

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
 Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret's Church (1987)
 Tower of London (1988)
 Old and New Towns of Edinburgh (1995)

United States of America
 Grand Canyon National Park (1979)
 Independence Hall (1979)
 Redwood National and State Parks (1980)
 Statue of Liberty (1984)
 Yosemite National Park (1984)

Yemen
 Old City of Sana'a (1986)
 Historic Town of Zabid (1993)

What I hope to visit before end of my trip in Venezuela:
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
 Coro and its Port (1993)
 Canaima National Park (1994)
 Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas (2000)

Immunization shots for Venezuela

As my trip will include the states of Bolivar and the Canaima National Park (to see Angel Falls), the state of Falcon (to visit Coro), and of course, Caracas, I have received shots for Yellow fever, a polio booster, a tetanus booster, malaria pills and a shot for Hepatitis A.

Plans for Venezuela

Properties inscribed on the World Heritage (UNESCO) List for Venezuela include:
Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas (2000),
Coro and its Port (1993),
and, the Canaima National Park (1994), which surrounds Angel Falls, the tallest waterfalls in the natural world.

I am hoping to visit all three.

Next trip: Venezuela

On Thanksgiving Day, I will be flying to Caracas to visit my brother, sister-in-law and the cats. I am looking forward to an interesting 10 day visit.

Dad presenting his work

IMG_0023.JPG
Originally uploaded by Lola Koundakjian

Vahakn Karakachian stands on the right

Dad with the students

Dad with the students
Originally uploaded by Lola Koundakjian

TV interview

TV interview
Originally uploaded by Lola Koundakjian

Montréal, Que - September 2007

Four AM Wakeup
It was dark when my taxi arrived. Arriving at LaGuardia, I found the Air Canada section still dimmed. At 5:05 AM, the agents arrived and lit the stations. Twenty minutes later, I was having an "everything" bagle with cream cheese and hunting for a copy of the NY Times. Unfortunately, I was notified, the paper doesn't get there until 7:30 AM!!

We boarded the plane on time, a new Embraer 190, a beautiful and comfortable interior, with a small screen with video and audio capacity including XM radio at every seat. It was a great flight and the weather was exquisite.

Taxiing at LaGuardia, I had a full view of the bay, and the red sun rising above Manhattan.

It's amazing how my mood changed as soon as I boarded the plane. I had a big smile on my face -- right at home in the plane.

Pierre Trudeau airport in Montréal
It's been a little over a year since my last visit here; there was a long line at customs/passport control. I took a taxi to Laval, where I am staying. The reason for the trip is my dad's exhibit.

Soon after landing and joinining my parents at the hotel, we went to the Armenian center to see the exhibit and meet the visiting students and senior citizens. I was introduced to the editor of HORIZON, Vahakn Karakashian, and, poet Panos Jeranian. Both presented me with copies of their books, which I will use as research material for the Armenian Poetry Project.

We went back at 6:30PM for the TV interviews, and the formal reception. The Montréal cousins, my aunt and uncle were all there. I met poet Sonia Sanan, and a slew of acquaintances and former school mates there. Photos to follow.

Booking upcoming flights

In September, I will briefly visit Montreal where my dad is having an exhibit. Dreams of Lebanese food (both good and cheap) abound. Coming back with a suitcase full of goodies, perhaps.

In late November, I am visiting my brother, his wife and the KATS, in Caracas, Venezuela. Should be fascinating!!

The wedding in Resteigne, Belgium

I had the honor of reading this poem at the wedding in Church, at the beginning of the ceremony.


The Confirmation

Yes, yours, my love, is the right human face.
I in my mind had waited for this long.
Seeing the false and searching for the true,
Then found you as a traveler finds a place
Of welcome suddenly amid the wrong
Valleys and rocks and twisting roads. But you,
What shall I call you? A fountain in a waste,
A well of water in a country dry,
Or anything that's honest and good, an eye
That makes the whole world bright. Your open heart,
Simple with giving, gives the primal deed,
The first good world , the blossom, the blowing seed,
The hearth, the steadfast land, the wandering sea.
Not beautiful or rare in every part,
But like yourself, as they were meant to be.

Edwin Muir (° Deerness, Orkneys - +1939, Cambridge



The wedding was absolutely beautiful and we partied all night long.



Left to right; Patricia Naets and her sister Nathalie, Lola, and Karin Bauer. All three are cousins of the bride.

Research and poetry

Today I went to Square Alboni in the 16ème to visit the AGBU's Librairie Noubar. I read and took notes for about 5 hours in peace. The library has two indexes in Armenian and in French and thousands of volumes, periodicals and other research materials. I was able to see original copies of ՄԵՆՔ [MENK (we)], a periodical published in Paris from 1931-2 and books and criticims in both languages.

The library has most of the original issues of ՄԵՆՔ. The review editorial board was composed of 15 French-Armenian writers, with an original manifesto. It published poems, short stories, book and art reviews. It also published pieces by young authors outside of the MENK (we) group such as Harout Kosdantyan.

Montmartre

I spent half a day walking around Montmartre. I hadn't been there in quite a few years, and despite the rain (yes, again!), I enjoyed the walk.





The downpour got heavier just as I was heading to the Basilique de Sacré Coeur. See the dark sky in that picture.







Afterwards I walked back down the hill, past the vineyards and by the "Lapin Agile".














In the afternoon, I met up with cousin Anahid at St Michel, then checked out some bookstores.

Paris 16eme

Today's menu was in three courses in one of the chicest neighborhoods of Paris 16eme: Fondation Calouste Gulbenkian, the Museum of Modern Art and the Fondation Bismarck.

The first stop was to see a small exhibit of Arshile Gorky's drawings, on loan from Lisbon and part of the "L'Arménie mon amie" (Armenia my friend) -- a year's worth of different exhibits around Armenia and its culture.












The second stop was 5 minutes away at the Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris -- an old building containing works from early 20th century to present. The ground level starts with a large room containing a huge incomplete painting by Matisse, a Barnes Foundation commission, mentioned in the book I read last year entitled "Matisse, père et fils" by John Russell.





There were interesting paintings by Robert Delaunay; a series of portraits of artists by Edouard Vuillard; a room dedicated to the Fluxus movement, another to the New Realism (contemporary to Pop Art in the U.S.);









The museum's bookstore was very well stocked with interesting titles such as the two seen below: "Women who write live dangerously" and "Women who read are dangerous".



My last stop was at the Fondation Bismarck, a private museum currently hosting an exhibit of amazonian paintings by Margaret Mee (1909-1988), borrowed by the Royal Botanical, Kew, England.

On the way back, I rode bus 63 from Trocadero to Gare de Lyon. The weather finally improved and temperatures rose a bit. I walked alongside Rue Cremeux, a beautiful side street which has the feel of a village in the 12th district. I did a detailed series of the houses there. The series may be seen in my flickr.com account.

Baby it's cold outside

It's been another miserable day weather wise. Only 12C or 60F AND it rained most of the day.

I went to the Theatre de la Ville, but tonight's concert with the Kronos Quartet was already sold out. Afterwards I headed to the Place de la Concorde, entered the Tuilleries gardens to visit the Musee de l'Orangerie. I stook on line under the rain for an hour.

This small building houses a unique collection of Monet panels depicting the Nenuphar series. Two oval rooms contain 8 panels; only 40 were painted in these dimensions.

Monet made these paintings between 1895 and 1926 (his death), working indoors and outdoors at his garden in Giverny in Normandy. Nympheas series (ie water lilies) as they are called, were promissed as a gift to the state during WWI, but Monet couldn't part with them until his death. The painter prepared a special studio for this project, and conceived the idea as a special retreat from modern life, a retreat for humankind.



I spent a lot of time at first looking at the paintings, and then watched the other visitors. Observed the observers so to speak. You can see my entire series, and all my travel pictures all the way back to 2001 by clicking this link that takes you to my flickr account.

Rain, rain, rain

The day started with some sun, but it got cool very fast and rained most of the daytime. I met with my cousin Anahid at St Michel and we started walking to Cite and Beaubourg then the rain hit hard. In the early afternoon, we ended up in a cozy cafe having some St. Emillion before she had to go home.



Cousin Anahid is a fun person, with a serious career in education, writing and has studied flute. We have plans to meet again mid-week.

Unfortunately the rain put a bit of a damper on plans. This being Sunday, most places are closed. Luckily Farida and her friends had made a reservation for dinner near Place des Vosges and the St Paul region. After a delicious meal we went for a short walk around the quaint village of St Paul neighborhood.

Le Marais

Today being Saturday, my friend Farida was free so we took the bus and meandered around the Marais.



Our first stop was Place Des Vosges, where Victor Hugo used the live.












After lunch, Farida wanted to some windows shopping but we went into some side roads, getting lost here and there and visited a small cathedral and its cloisters.







In the late afternoon, we went to the supermarket and I cooked dinner. A makbous from the gulf region, a recipe from my sister-in-law. It was a hit!

Swimming in the Seine

Today was my first full day in Paris and I woke up at 7:30 and had coffee with Farida's Mum, then proceeded straight back to bed. Wishful thinking! Jet lag was a little tougher than expected despite the good night's sleep.

Woke up once more at 1pm, and went to have lunch in a charming place -- tuna with a basil sauce and "tian de provence" which is a vegetable oven baked dish from the Provence region.

Since I had missed half the day, I decided the go to "Librairie Orientaliste Samuelian" --a very famous bookstore, where I found several books by Armenian poets. I think they were very pleased to get rid of old editions that noone had bothered to read before. I left and took the Metro back from ODEON to take the new subway line 14 to the Seine, for a swim at the new JOSEPHINE BAKER pool, which is on the Seine -- so I literary swam in the Seine River.


It's great to be able to keep up with my swimming regimen, and hope to do so once more on Monday.

Afterwards, I met up with Farida, and we spent dinner time at CHINA CLUB, where we had a delicious Chinese meal with a bottle of Beaujolais.








Bastille at night

New to Old Amsterdam and onto Paris

I flew out of JFK at 10pm on Wednesday aboard a KLM flight to Amsterdam and arrived around 11 am. The flight was excellent but despite the fact that I had taken GREAT CARE in choosing a good book for the flight and the trip in general, I barely read two pages before Morpheus hit me... hard.




I woke up in time for breakfast in the sky, and we soon landed at Schiphol airport. After a quick run to the airport's museum (a gallery containing some pieces of the famous Amsterdam Rijksmuseum) and purchasing a box of DROP (Dutch black licorice, yummy) I headed to my next flight into Paris CDG.




Must admit both flights were excellent experiences: on time, pleasant personnel, boarding without a hassle and the food was good. During the flight over the Atlantic, I was offered chinese or chilean red wines. I chose the chilean.

Landed in the early afternoon in Paris and headed to my friend Farida's place. Her brother is out of town and gave me his apartment for my stay. It's a cosy and beautiful studio near the Gare de Lyon, in the 12th arrondissement.

The apartment is very zen, no music and no books, so it's a good thing I have my own.






For dinner, Farida and I were at her parents. Her mother baked a savory tart made of pate brisee, mustard, lined with tomatoes and comte cheese and fresh tarragon. It was delicious.

Here's something I wrote a few weeks ago, which I believe is a good thing to share just about now.

HOME

Home is where my music
and notepad
and my art reside.

Therefore I always travel with a piece of home:
whether it's my iPod containing pictures and music,
or a stone in my pocket,
or a photo of my beloved one in my wallet,
or my thoughts...

Copyright Lola Koundakjian, Paris.

Packing for what weather?

Expectations of rain are usually high in Paris -- it is not known for its Sunny Weather. My friend Farida said it's been rather on the cool side lately. Therefore packing an umbrella and a good pair of shoes will be essential even though it is late May.

I am now in "packing mode" for this two week trip. I have mostly casual gear and then the wedding ensembles for Belgium. I did laundry today, and everything is on my bedroom floor getting organized. Lists are being made so I don't forget anything including gifts, toiletries and essentials for the plane ride (iPod, writing material, small cream/toothpaste tube).

I am thinking about taking 1-2 light reading books such as chef Anthony Bourdin's "The Nasty Bits", and a couple of the book I bought at the PEN World Voices Festival last month. It is essential to plan down time while one travels, otherwise it can be overwhelming.

Next trip

I just booked my next flight. I know, I've only been back three weeks, but this time, I am going to a wedding.

I will first go to Paris, end of May. A few days after arriving, I will take the train to Antwerp and attend a wedding on June 2nd in Belgium.

Frites and waffles here I come!!!