Category Archives: travel
XAVIER MASCARO: GUARDIANES
PARALYMPICS 2012
The Pereskia Collection
Pereskia are some of my favourite plants. At first glance, you would never guess that they belong to the Cactaceae group. But closer inspection will reveal some similarities, especially areoles and spines. Altogether there are around seventeen species, all needing a warm tropical climate to grow vigorously, and survive. The P. grandiflora is easily the most common, and regularly makes an appearance in botanical gardens. They will grow from a seed or cutting, and may produce blooms after two or three seasons. In tropical habitats, they are better off in the ground. But be careful, because they can easily grow in to trees, more than three metres tall.
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I Remember Japan (Before the Tsunami)
Four Days in Chicago
The last time I visited Chicago must have been around ten years ago. I was passing through on my way to New Orleans. I spent most of the afternoon looking around, and left by train later that evening. I vowed that I would make  a visit sometime later.
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The visit last weekend was as planned, but in many ways it was very different. I arrived to find a city preoccupied with the staging of a NATO meeting, and the demonstrations which were planned.. The trappings were unexpected, lots of talk of security, lots of police everywhere, and sometimes unnecessary closures of streets, and buildings. Yet the locals seem to take with candour, even though they were inconvenienced somehow.
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Most pointed fingers at the new Mayor, suggesting he was simply flexing his muscles. Others were convinced that the security was probably needed. I wasn’t convinced; since I witnessed almost no demonstrations or threatening disruptions.
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My big disappointment was on Sunday when I arrived at the The Art Institute to find it closed for the day. I thought it extreme for any museum to be closed down because of the planned demonstration. Later that day. I learned that the museum was closed to facilitate Mrs. Obama entertaining the wives of the visitors.
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Did it wreck my holiday? Not altogether, as I was able to adjust to situations whenever it was necessary. But had I known about the planned event, I would have chosen another weekend.
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Ten Photos from Trinidad
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These ten photos were chosen from my recent trip to Trinidad. They are not intended to cover all aspects of the island. They simply describe ten moments that I chose to remnember.
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France Has A New President
I spent the last three days in France. It was supposed to be my usual May weekend break, until I shifted the trip to coincide with the Bank Holiday. The mood in Nice, where I was staying at the Kyriad Hotel, was sombre. I was able to understand why when I looked closely at the breakdown of the election results.
Nice, and the rest of the Alpes-Maritimes population, was always described as a right-wing area. And sure enough the election proved this. In all the principal areas, the vote was over sxity percent in Nicolas Sarkosy’s favour, which showed that there was not much support for Monsieur Hollande. This, very definitely, explains the mood of the locals here; while in other part of the country, the people obviously continued celebrate.
It would be very interesting to see what the change in national leadership will mean for the Cote D’azur area. Tourism, no doubt, will continue to play its part in its economic existence, but what else will unfold. Maybe not much.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/francois-hollande?INTCMP=SRCH
The Prevalence of Disney
The last time I visited Walt Disney World was around ten years ago. I was in Orlando last month, and was curious to see how the Disney Magic was performing in these recession-hit times.
In the end the crowds said it all. I started at Epcot which demonstrated quite convincingly that queuing was still very much part of the game. A quick look at the Circle of Life, and then the brief waterway trip to view the experiment in Hydroponics; and which, as you would expect, is quite impressive. I had debated personally whether to take the private tour as it was an area in which I was genuinely interested. Maybe next time.
My plan was to lunch at the Mexican pavilion after I had a swift look at the display. It went according to plan, and most time was spent viewing artifacts, including some attractive toys which truly fascinated me.
The next two pavilions were China and Japan. They were short visits, keeping to time with me utilising all the benefits of my ‘One Day Pass/Hopper’ which made it possible for me to ‘hop’ to more than one theme park in one day.
Next came the Animal Kingdom; and I was rather surprised by the crowds. This I saw for the first time, and I had to admit that the concept was admirable, even though the execution was not always perfect. The Wildlife presentation worked quite well, and probably was the best way to present animals to the public, without mimicking an ordinary zoo. Running out of time, as the shadows approached, I knew I had only enough time for one more park.
My final stop was the Magic kingdom. Since I regard this as the ‘Jewel in Disney’s Crown’, I was here to observe how much of the magic was still alive. And indeed it was. Even in the late afternoon it was absolutely crowded, with long queues everywhere. Waiting time averaged from fifteen minutes to a full hour. Obviously, I chose the easy options, and was able to get into places in less than fifteen minutes. Stops like ‘Space Mountain’, which needed a whopping fifty minutes, I avoided.
My plan was to leave by nine, but was persuaded to stay for the Disney Parade. And yes, this was quite different, nothing like I expected it to be. The presentation of Disney folklore, all spruced in electic lights parading down Main Street, was definitely an unbeatable combination. Was very glad I stayed.
The Disney Magic survives, although it remains expensive. The presence of the crowds is still proof that people are prepared to pay to be entertained. The Magic Kingdom is also extending, and by the time your next visit comes along you will be greeted by new shows to top those which you have already seen. Definitely worth a visit, if youhave the money.
Baobab Fruits
Baobab fruits in a photo taken at the Kampong Gardens in Miami, Florida.
Choosing to define the Kaowinston Blog in this first post would be self-defeating. And yet I know there will be quite a few themes, and content, which will constantly appear. In the last ten years, I have developed a keen interest in travel and that would definitely be reflected. The growing of plants, and in particular succulents, is another area which has become a fascinating part of my life. But then, there will be also be not so obvious moments, with obvious tales of my personal life, and of Greater London, the city which I now call home. I could go on. But I will stop. We will see how it turns out.
kaowinston 