Floating Away. Far, Far, Far Away.

I left the planet today. No, not for long. Only an hour or so, actually. And, no, no, I was not rocket assisted. It was so much easier than that. I went to a float spa. And, right there, at a place called Glowspa, in the heart of Mt. Pleasant, I found other worlds. Or, perhaps they found me.

Up until recently, my knowledge of float spas was formed by the most misplaced of impressions, thanks to Hollywood. Back more than three decades ago, there was a film called “Altered States” in which a Harvard scientist, played by a young William Hurt, experimented with what was not so invitingly described as a “sensory deprivation chamber.” In this chamber, all sensory perception was removed: nothing could be seen, heard, or felt other than what your brain felt like composing. With Hurt's character, Eddie Jessup, fortified by LSD, his experience in the tank took on frightening, if not outright terrifying, dimensions such as his mutating into other, never before seen, life forms. Lily and I, with a group of friends, went to see this film in something of an altered state ourselves. We were so utterly fixated, indeed hypnotized, by what was happening on the screen that none of us noticed that Lily was so completely freaked out by what she was watching that she desperately sought an exit from the theater and blacked out – not once, but twice – in the aisle as she attempted her escape. Only when the theater lights later reappeared, did we turn to one another and inquire what had become of her. She still sternly reminds me of our complete oblivion to her absence until the film was over.

With that said, when our friend, Cathy, recently told us about modern day float spas where one could experience complete sensory deprivation, I was intrigued. (Lily less so.) What I learned was that the concept of the float spa has been in development for more than a half century. A fellow named John Lilly experimented with these back in the 1950's to explore the workings of the mind when it was deprived of all sensory information. And, interestingly, this experience has become popularized not just as a casual outlet for one's meditative endeavors, but also as a course of treatment for those with PTSD as well as those suffering from depression and a range of anxiety disorders.

In my case, I first stopped by Glowspa and conversed with the owner, Steve, to better understand what it was that might be in store for me. Steve told me that the tank was the size of an oversized bath tub completely enclosed to shut out the sounds of life coming from anywhere outside the flotation tank. The water in the tub would be about 10 inches in depth and would be infused with about 1,100 pounds of epsom salts, providing about double the buoyancy of the Dead Sea. You would lie in the tub which would be pitch black dark, be wearing earplugs, and have water temperature at 93 degrees so that your skin and body would have no sensory perception whatsoever other than the sound of your breath and, perhaps, the vaguest sensation of your heart beating, pushing blood around your organic self.

The day arrived for me, and I stepped somewhat gingerly into the tub. I was 90% excited and curious but about 10% apprehensive based totally on the decades old, but indelible, impressions left on me by “Altered States.” Hollywood, could not have been more wrong.

I leaned back and immediately realized that, no matter how hard I tried, I could not sink. Impossible. I was weightless. The dark was so complete that I had no sense of whether my eyes were open or shut. I heard nothing but the sound of my breathing. As the minutes wore on, I became aware that the intervals between my exhales and inhales became longer and longer.  That is the sound of relaxation.  I also realized later that the relaxation I was experiencing was no doubt the greatest I had ever felt short of sleep which, after all, we do not really consciously experience.  And, to add to the Twilight Zone element of it all, I felt nothing as the water temperature was so parallel to my body temperature that it precluded any sense of place. I might as well have been in outer space weightless as an astronaut would be. I settled back, realized that I was not going to freak out, and let my mind wander.

And the places it would take me! We sometimes refer to those situations in our lives where we are “alone with our thoughts.” Sometimes, it's when we are swimming laps in a pool. Other times, we feel this is the case when we are sitting alone on a secluded beach perhaps at sunset. Very meditative. But, even in those scenes, we have at least a subliminal sense of the world around us. Maybe it's the breeze we feel touching our skin. Maybe it's the sound of waves breaking or a seagull screeching. And, of course, there is the ever present daylight.  In the pool, maybe it's just the end of the lap or the coolness of the water that always keeps us centered with the notion that we are on planet earth; that there is an environmental context to what we are doing. But, in the flotation tank, we have none of those stimuli. We have nothing but our inner thoughts.

In my case, I took a journey into my past. I did not intend for that to happen, but that's where my brain wanted to take me. I saw myself sitting around the dinner table a half century ago looking at my grandmother, an image that has not occurred to me in decades. I saw myself toting around a 2 year old Jesse in our beach house in Rehoboth, Delaware introducing him to the artwork on the walls. I saw Lily and me on the beach in Phuket, Thailand almost 40 years ago. I saw Lily, Alex and me on safari in South Africa a few years ago watching an elephant spray dirt on our jeep while protecting her baby. I saw my father in his dressing area in our home in White Plains, New York as I looked up as a youngster in adulation. I have no idea - none - why these images came to the forefront of my consciousness. But there they were. And, while I could not be sure of this, I believe I smiled. It was too dark to tell.

I realized at some point that I had absolutely no idea how much time had elapsed. 7 minutes? 27 minutes? 47 minutes? No idea. But, at some point, as promised, soft music started infusing into the water. I knew my time was up.

And, I knew I would be back.

Con Cuidado, Senor. Con Cuidado.

Do you ever get caught up in the moment, decide to do something, and then almost immediately question your logic, or, more likely, your sanity? We all have, right? This is a bit overly melodramatic way of describing an outing we had recently in the Andean hills outside of Otavalo, Ecuador. Otavalo is a lovely town maybe two hours by car north of Quito and sits just above the equator at about 8500 feet. It is known for its markets and was a destination of our intrepid group, Jesse, Laura, Alex, Lily and myself. In anticipation of our visit, we agreed that we would indulge in a horse back riding outing at the hacienda where we were staying. Seemed innocent enough. After all, Lily is an experienced rider, and wouldn't it be nice to accompany her and share with her an impassioned pursuit she has and make this a family-filled, fun-filled activity. But, mind you, I am not an equestrian. I am about as close to having the requisite skills for such an undertaking as I do for performing brain surgery. Maybe less. The last time I was on a horse was nineteen years ago in New Zealand. Let's just say it was a bumpy ride which did not encourage me to pursue anything smacking of equestrianism bar the occasional carousel ride. (Interestingly, despite the passage of time, both Jesse and Alex remembered the names of their horses from that time long ago – Fat Boy and Tank – which should suggest to you that they were not exactly astride former Derby entrants.)

With helmets now giving us the illusion that we were well protected, we headed off with our guide. At first, the experience was actually rather bucolic. We slowly roamed through neighborhood streets, at first the cobblestoned variety with our horses clip clopping past small residences. The locals waved, the dogs barked. Cobblestones soon gave way to rocky roads and then rutted dirt roads as we headed further up into the highlands. Gazing at the humble, time worn communities and now dust-filled roadways, you almost expected Butch Cassidy or Wyatt Earp to appear, smilingly tipping their hats to us. The Andes were often shrouded in clouds; the sun was intense. Occasionally, when the clouds thinned, we could spot a volcano.

As we headed further uphill, the scenery became more wooded, more mysterious. The air felt cooler. My horse was named Ganador, which Jesse advised me meant “winner.” But, given the clouds we seemed to be entering and the steep rise of the mountains around us, I kept thinking Ganador sounded more like a name you might find in Lord of the Rings. You know, something Gandalf or Bilbo Baggins might have named their steeds. Anyway, let's just say that Ganador and I had some issues. He had his own notions of how and where he wanted to travel, and, perhaps sensing my utter lack of equine understanding, concluded he needed to be in control. He was right, of course, but that didn't prevent me from erratic stabs at “showing him who's boss” if you know what I mean. For example, Ganador would often turn 180 degrees from our intended path, apparently deciding he had a better idea of how to navigate our route. He'd wrench his head left or right and head in some odd direction or in the direction of a near-by field no doubt lured by the green “salad bar” that awaited him there. I would grab the reins and pull left or right trying to lurch him in the right direction. Sometimes we went in circles. Calls from the group would yell out, “you're holding the reins too tight,” or “you're not holding the reins tight enough.” While I would have been more than happy to get a tutorial in reins management, spinning in circles is not always the best time for that. Or, I'd hear helpful admonitions like “lean back” or “heels down” which I'm certain were the right things to say, but are hard to put into practice when one's head is spinning.

The coup de grace, however, were the body blows I endured when Ganador started feeling a little peppy. Sometimes, he decided he didn't want anyone passing him. Sometimes, when his road-side munchings would leave him behind, he would take off in spirited fashion to catch up with his buddies. In both cases, the toll one takes on one's lower torso makes waterboarding seem like a Disney funfest. Hurtling downhill in the last segment of our ride, one could hear the screeching voices and wails of the male members of our group as each endless set of bumps made us desperately wish there were several layers of tempurpedic mattresses beneath us. I was, in one spastic movement, trying to keep my sunglasses from stabbing me up my nose, trying to keep my helmet from dropping over my eyes, and trying to keep the lens cap from flying off my camera. As Alex would describe it at one point late in the ride, everything below his waist was dead. I would put it slightly differently. The only sensations emanating from any region below my belt were intense pain, numbness or paralysis. Why the folks at the hacienda did not issue steel jockstraps along with helmets is a mystery to me. I'm pretty sure I was speaking in a soprano voice as we arrived once again at the hacienda.

Despite the bumps and bruises and my brief experience as a soprano, seeing the Andean highlands through less than well traveled paths was worth every minute. It presented to us a world vastly different than the one we had left behind, one beautiful in its differences to ours. As Dorothy once alluded, we knew we weren't in Kansas anymore.

Adios Ganador!

The Mean Streets of Hanoi

We Americans are so spoiled, aren't we, when it comes to navigating our streets? Yes, yes, we endure our traffic snarls, the occasional erratic or rude driver, the road construction. But, we have a certain expectation, almost always validated, that certain norms of behavior will be honored. We have rules about lane usage, right of ways, spacing, and what we blandly refer to as common courtesies. The same can be said for life on the sidewalks. There are rules here too: pass on the right, don't obstruct passage, restrict the walking lanes to pedestrian traffic. I think you know what I mean.

Well folks.....welcome to Hanoi, or at least the Old District of Hanoi where, fairly said, it is a world gone mad. Here, chaos reigns. The only rule here is that there are no rules. None that I could discern anyway. All I can say is that Charles Darwin would be chortling with glee were he to witness this.

Imagine you are in a video game. The object of the game is to avoid bumping into anything that moves on the street or sidewalk: cars, buses, trucks, scooters, bikes, other people. To get bonus points you have to cross the street. Safely. Sounds simple, right? But, what you face? Oi zhay oi, the Vietnamese would say: Oh my God! Imagine an unending, relentless wave of motor vehicles carpeting the streets. Kind of like a lava flow of motorized traffic. The traffic moves in all directions. And, here, I'm not talking about left to right traffic all going in one lane and the reverse in the other. No, no – that would make it far too easy a game. No, here, the traffic streams in both directions regardless of lane assignment. There are painted lines in the streets, although for the life of me I'm not sure why. For decoration, some locals suggest. Scooters merge into this maelstrom without hesitation (and without so much as a casual glance) from alleys, side streets and sidewalks. Factor in the occasional truck or bus backing into the street at random intervals and you can only watch the ensuing melodrama in slack jawed awe.

The sidewalks pose less of a mortal threat, but a most challenging one nevertheless. Here, you learn quickly that sidewalks are really not designed for flowing foot traffic, but are instead areas designated for functions of daily living that apparently cannot be contained any longer in the buildings they front. It is the sidewalks where scooters and bikes are parked. It is here that merchandise of all sorts is displayed and sold. Haircuts are given here; women's hair is styled. Laundry gets done here as does the cooking of family meals. Kids play, adults sit on dwarf-like stools and play board games or just chat. Essentially, life plays out here. Which means there is barely, if any, room left for the individual who is merely trying to get from here to there without daring to step into the already chaotic streets. This “situation” leaves the average pedestrian between the proverbial rock and a hard place.

 

But, back to crossing the streets – the epicenter of our game. Given our Western mindset, we presumed at first that the safe bet to avoid a run-in with the “lava flow” would be to find a crosswalk at a traffic light, and wait for the light to turn green. Sadly, our naivete was grandly on display. To our befuddled consternation, we soon learned that traffic lights are, apparently, mere suggestions, not the moral and legal imperatives we observe at home. At first, given the almost insurmountable obstacles we faced, we relied on our guide, Young, to lead the way. We would watch him with unadorned adulation as he would step off the curb in what at least he thought was an appropriate moment, and calmly hold up his arm to signal our intentions, and just as calmly lead us across the teeming streets in a manner that was oddly reminiscent of Moses parting the Red Sea. It was magical. The cars, scooters, trucks – they all worked their way around us almost as if a collision would hurt them more than it would us. Amazing!

But, the question remained: how would we fare when Young was not with us, when we had free time to roam the city? At first, we would tiptoe ourselves off the curb and made sure our bodies were as tensed up as we could muster. Then, we would take a couple of steps forward and freeze, certain some guy on a scooter with a mountain of bags, boxes, children, and God knows what else aboard would smash into us. We would ultimately make it to the other side muttering that we should have taken greater care in making sure our life insurance policies had been updated.

After many attempts at this suicidal folly, we began to understand that the secret was to “let go.” The sooner we could achieve a zen-like state, the better. You'll be fine, I said to myself. Just take a deep breath and refuse to let any thoughts of impending doom enter your psyche. We'd wait for what we thought was an auspicious moment, and calmly step into traffic like we owned it. Unlike before, there were no backward steps; our muscles relaxed. Just a forward glide. Arm extended high, eyes fixed on the oncoming stampede, confidence the controlling emotion.... and then go. Well....it worked. Pretty soon it was as if we were almost daring scooters, cars and buses to hit us.

Of course, in hindsight, the confidence – indeed, the cockiness – we developed was downright scary. When we look back on the experience we will know we temporarily lost our minds.

But, brother, were we piling up the bonus points!

Vroooom!!

Ok. Let's be honest. You're out on the road. Alone. A country road: curvy, isolated, inviting. You're driving anything other than a 1966 Ford Falcon or a dump truck. You know, something that has some degree of performance creds, some potential. A smile creeps across your face. You say to yourself, “I wonder what this baby can do.” You tap the accelerator, gently at first, but then – as you get caught up in the moment – a bit more vigorously until the trees are a blur and all you know are the road's white lines that are now your sole moral and survival compass. Your smile turns wicked, your eyes narrow, and you become someone you don't recognize except that you're too busy leaning into turns to realize this. Yes, yes, I know; we've all been there. Or, most of us have.

The quest for speed tempered only by the law and, yes, common sense is widespread, if not ubiquitous. It's the excitement, the challenge and perhaps even the danger that focuses the mind. And, it is most certainly a break from the normal – almost everyone's normal. For many, it begins in their youth with a roller coaster ride or even a mildly out of control skateboard, but the emotion is always the same. There's an intensity there borne of an element of uncertainty reinforced with the promise of sheer joy.

So, last year, when Lily and I were at a charity silent auction, I couldn't help but notice an offering by the BMW Performance Center, just upstate from us in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It offered a chance to drive the BMW model of your choosing through obstacle courses and speed sprints and wet track wipeouts that seemed, well, irresistible. I was not alone in having that spark, and it was through some auction sleight of hand strategy that made this opportunity mine. I couldn't wait. A couple of folks at the event, who had already experienced this, told me that it didn't matter how macho you thought you were. Once you got in a car with a professional driver there, they said, you'd be screaming like a little school girl.

Our opportunity came a few days ago. Sure, the BMW folks threw into the deal a tour of their amazing 5.6 million square foot robot-driven production facility, but the big prize was your time on the test track. Everyone knew that. And, while they said that the purpose of the exercise was to familiarize you with the performance capacity of your car, guests were there for the thrills. Everyone knew that.

We left the orientation area and were introduced to our cars. I had chosen a new X6 model, the one with a 4.4 liter engine producing 550 horsepower. MSRP: $93,000. I mean, why settle for less, right? It would be the only way I could ever get behind the wheel of one of these. This baby has acceleration attributes exceeded, I do believe, only by a Saturn rocket or possibly the legendary warp speed of the Enterprise. We broke off in to groups with a few of us lined up in our cars caravan-style. Our guide/instructor had each of our cars armed with walkie talkies from whence came barks of instructions as we lined up at the track for our first exercise – the obstacle course. One by one we entered the track, a safe distance apart, and, following explicit directions, hit the gas with much the same gusto as one might squash a large bug with one's foot. Game on!

The idea was to accelerate rapidly and forcefully and head into the tight turns offered in quick succession by the traffic cones lying ahead. Because of the dramatic acceleration, and the incredible demands on your reaction time as you dodged one set of cones and then another with contorted, body-jarring sharp turns, the effect was significant and immediate: exhilaration and giddiness. Although we were doing things behind the wheel that you would likely never attempt under any other circumstances, I felt oddly immune from danger. I think this is what the dictionary refers to as foolishness, or perhaps insanity. Notwithstanding the ocean of waivers we had to sign absolving BMW and their employees and their great, great grandchildren and succeeding generations from any liability regardless of their possible negligence, I was calm, focused and happy. Unfortunately, not everyone felt the same way. Within the first minute of riding shotgun, absorbing the rocket-borne body throws and white-knuckled grips, Lily had squealed and screamed enough to realize she was getting very nauseous. She simply had to get out of the car. That very second. In fairness to Lily, it is a vastly different experience being behind the wheel and riding shotgun when your car is lurching everywhere as if the car is suffering from violently spasmodic seizures. There is something about being “in control” behind the wheel – no matter how delusional that might be – that completely alters your perception of whether you're going to die in that instant or, conversely, have the time of your life.

On we went. One exercise had us accelerating rapidly to sixty miles per hour and then hitting the brakes as hard as you could. You know – an innocent lesson in braking distances. No pumping the brakes here; just a vicious slam of the foot down on the pedal. Despite the tight grip on the wheel, you could still feel your body announcing its intention to bolt through the front windshield, shoulder harnesses notwithstanding. Something about inertia, right? And then on to the “wet” track where, once again, warp speed was being recommended by the disembodied voice from the walkie talkie. Once launch speed was achieved you would aim your vehicle into very wet pavement and then hang on as your car did a series of 360 degree spinouts as it eventually came to a stop. This exercise had something to do with traction control, but, frankly, I wasn't paying any attention to that. That would have required a level of attention my psyche, in that moment, was simply not willing to provide.

Lastly, there was the “off road” experience where, among other tasks, we were asked to have our cars follow along a steep, boulder-strewn path that would, at times, place our cars at what felt like a 45 degree angle with two wheels completely off the ground, spinning aimlessly. Again, as they say, not something you would try at home. But, here, it seemed more like an amusement park ride than something that threatened our well-being. After all, they kept telling us that if we followed their instructions, we were in no jeopardy. Hmmm, and if we weren't that compliant, then what?

When we returned home and were relating our experience to friends, the most frequently asked question was, “how fast were you going?” The funny thing is that these various drills required such intense concentration – whether it was to avoid a collision with an obstacle or making sure you didn't launch yourself through the windshield or trying to keep your head clear as you spun in circles – that the thought of glancing at the speedometer is laughable. What I should have told them is we were traveling at the speed of fun.

Memo to Captain Kirk: We're ready for you, baby. We're ready.

Dreaming Italian Style

When a dream is realized, it is a miraculous thing. It is uplifting in a way that few things are. In those giddy, almost spiritual, moments, all is right with the world. Happiness is all you know. Some dreams are large, others small, but when they become a reality size does not matter.

I had such a dream and it has been hibernating for eight years. Back then, almost a decade ago, we rented a villa outside Lucca – in my mind, the quintessential distillation of all that is Italian. It is beautiful, scenic, charming. Big enough to offer variety, small enough not to overwhelm. It is a walled city dating back to the Etruscans and was rolled into the Roman Empire more than two thousand years ago. At our last visit, Lily, Jesse, Alex and Laura rented bikes so they could tour Lucca and, in particular, bike the ancient walls of this city. With some sadness on my part, I was left behind. After all, I did not know how to ride a bike. Off they went and returned with smiles and stories that I so much wanted to be a part of. I dreamed of gliding along beside them sharing in their laughter and maybe having a few stories of my own to tell.

When plans were made last year to return to Lucca, I knew what I had to do. And it just wasn't learning how to say “where's the bathroom” in Italian, or boning up on the wines of the Chianti region. No, I needed to learn how to ride a bike. Being left out again was simply not an option.

With both a sense of accomplishment and a healthy dollop of happiness, my road to bike proficiency is now smooth, or mostly so. At least now, having practiced for several months, I can reasonably expect not to be roadkill when I venture forth. I have my moments of uncertainty but they are dwindling and I have developed the good sense to generally anticipate potential trouble spots before they take me down. But, for almost a week after our return to Lucca, while we talked about renting bikes, nothing happened. Too many things, wonderful things, got in the way. At the end of our first week, however, the trigger was pulled and we headed for town to do the walls. Bob and Donna, Jim, Ivy and the kids, Maggie, and Lily and I found our way to Poli Bike Rentals just behind the northern Santa Maria portal to the city. We made our way up the ramp to the top of the walls.....and we started peddling.

The area at the top of the walls in Lucca is not what you might imagine. Rather than a narrow parapet where there is just enough room for an archer to aim his arrows at a marauding enemy, there is instead a relative vastness. The path is wide and paved and on either side of the path is enough room for tables, benches, and greenery. One could literally ride six abreast were it not for the competing forces of cyclists coming the other way, dog walkers, baby strollers and runners. The walls are a place to socialize; there were seemingly endless combinations of folks – some young, some old – lolling in the sunshine swapping stories, reading a book or just staring out at the beauty below.

Making our way around the walls was not just invigorating, it was euphoric. At least for me it was. To the left, you could look out over the town peering down on the reddish orange terra cotta roofs, the narrow bending streets, the rising towers, and the occasional piazzas. To the right, looking out into the distance, you could see the verdant mountains, the forests, the one-time moat that protected this place, and the hint of car traffic beyond. Above it all, the fantastic cloud formations breaking up the sun at seemingly just the right intervals.

I found myself saying “ciao” to folks on the path or at the near-by benches as if they were long-time neighbors. Often, especially among the older folks along the way, I would be met with the kind of blank stares normally reserved for seeing aliens from some far away place. In between “ciaos,” I would indulge myself in singing aloud no doubt what appeared to be a strangely atonal chorus from “Funiculi Funicula,” that iconic Neapolitan tune from the 19^th century. I mean, what else do you sing when biking in Italy? Ok, so maybe I didn't compare favorably to Pavarotti.

Mid-way we stopped and glided down the sloping ramp so that Marley and Piper could ride the small, but oh so charming carousel. A perfect resting opportunity. But, soon enough we moved on. [If I may, a word about Piper here. Although it's possible I'm mistaken about this, at 18 months Piper appears to be the world's youngest stuntman. Fear is not a concept familiar to her. Nor is moderation. This is the same child who routinely closes herself into kitchen cabinets, would walk off a cliff without hesitation, and has been known to stand innocently in the kitchen nonchalantly chewing on a caterpillar. On the bike ride, Piper was firmly ensconced in a child's seat attached to the front of Jim's bike, facing forward. Her face was barely visible under a Star Wars-like helmet. As we moved forward along the walls, Piper would scream her excitement and make the clearest of gestures suggesting that we move faster. Shortly after her carousel ride, when back on the walls, Piper would grab her father's hands (which were tightly clutching the handlebars) and, as forcibly as she could, tried to pull Jim's hands clear of the bike. She could not have more eloquently said, “I got it, dad. I'll take it from here.” Jim, in an effort that even one day Piper will be grateful for, resisted. I'm telling you, this little girl is extraordinary. Watch out for her.]

We continued on. Some of us circumnavigated the wall twice. This was an experience long in the anticipation and not one to be shortened. At the end when our bikes had been returned, and we settled in for a gelato and beer, I realized that the only part of my body that hurt was my face. At first, I wondered why. Then it hit me. This is what happens when you've been smiling unrelentingly from ear to ear.

Dreams can do that to you.

Cuba Si!

They say it lies just 90 miles away. And, by most conventional measures, this appears to be the case. But, for all its geographic proximity, Cuba might just as well be on the far side of the planet. It is a land of startling contrasts, of head scratching inconsistencies, and a land of joy and optimism amidst a sea of poverty and disintegration. It is sometimes so elusive to figure it all out, to make sense of it. As one Cuban economist would tell us, “If you think you understand Cuba, you're wrong. If you are confused, you get it.”

In my life, Cuba resonates in a way that few countries do. We have, after all, a history. For me, Cuba conjures up the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. That was a time when in my heart of hearts I felt life as we knew it was about to disappear. I recall vividly the nervousness, indeed panic, that was creeping through me as I watched the accounts of the impending head to head confrontation between the Soviets and the U.S. Navy barely more than a stone's throw from our coastline. There were missiles there; the kind that could in a flash arch upward across the Florida Straits to destroy all life in my country and, specifically, in my neighborhood in White Plains, New York. In school, we regularly practiced our “duck and cover” drills as if our flimsy wooden desks would miraculously protect us from radioactive fallout. But, I remember as well an earlier time when my parents visited Havana and stayed at the legendary Hotel Nacional, a place also frequented by mafia royalty, Frank Sinatra, and Mickey Mantle. I have some recollection of their stories of that stay which sounded so glamorous, so cool, so elegant.

So, when I got a call from my nephew, Peter, many months ago telling me of his plans to travel there, inviting me to come along, and to do so with a group as legendary as National Geographic, I didn't see an option other than to say yes, I will join you. It is true that the rum I had been drinking that evening helped spur the mood, but this was, in my eyes, the chance of a lifetime to bring these memories of mine to life – to look behind the veil of secrecy that has shrouded this place in mystery for more than a half century, at least to Americans.

What followed was, in my personal experience, epic. I would go to a Cuban baseball game. I would join on stage a choral group to sing with them. I would sit in the engineer's seat of a 109 year old locomotive as we steamed through a sugar plantation. I would play the horse jaw with a Cuban band. I would drink freshly squeezed sugar cane. I would dance with a 6 year old girl and a 70 year old woman. I would ride in a '51 Lincoln and a '54 Dodge convertible. I would be moved to tears by the performances of young adults dancing to programs they had choreographed. I would enjoy endless conversations with artists and locals of all stripes. I would visit a cigar factory and lean closely over the desk of a worker there and watch, mesmerized, by his skill in rolling cigar after perfect cigar. I would have a chance at humanitarian acts that were unanticipated just moments earlier. As a group, we would interact with artists, musicians, historians, architects, sociologists, economists, journalists, religious figures, and, yes, a horse whisperer. And, all this just scratches the surface.

Havana is a prime example of the Cuban puzzle. Old Havana is gorgeous. The grandeur of Spanish colonial architecture is proudly on display from the various plazas to the beautiful tree-lined Paseo de Prado to the Malecon, a walkway that follows the sea wall for five miles along the waterfront. The beautiful archways, multi-colored buildings, the statuary, and high energy that you find here convey a rich heritage that takes little imagination to see. Against this backdrop of picture perfect buildings, toss in a dollop of the armada of brightly colored vintage cars from the '50s, many looking like they just came off the assembly line. And, just to add spice to the mix, picture neighborhoods where there is music literally every block whether from a live band, street musicians, or a radio blaring from somewhere. Even Disney could not replicate a scene like this.

And yet, peel away this veneer and stray a couple of blocks off the touristed beaten paths, and a different story is told. Here, the buildings are dark with decay. Roofs and walls are crumbling; colors are absent. The streets are quieter. At the risk of hyperbole, there are moments when you think you are looking at a post-apocalyptic world shunned by civilization for way too long. We are told that 3.1 buildings collapse every day in Havana and, as wild a statistic as that is, it is not at all difficult to believe.

But then, just as you want to conclude that Old Havana is just a ruse propped up by the government to fool tourists, you come across a community action project in which artists, sculptors and musicians devote half of their earnings to the effort to reclaim their neighborhood from ruin. Buildings are being refurbished; streets are cleaned; art spreads out along the walls of the community. It is beautiful and it is moving. It is here that I meet Nivia, an attractive artist who captures the hope and drive of so many here. Her paintings come alive with brilliant colors and whimsical themes. I find myself buying one of her works: a depiction of tall, multi-colored buildings swaying against a moonlit evening sky as if they are made of jello, smiling. Nivia tells me they are the buildings of Havana doing the salsa. How can you not smile at this? I tell her I want this painting because this is the picture I want to take home with me as the essence of my experience here.

Cubans love their baseball. They are passionate about it. We are fortunate to be in town during the playoff season. Five of us rush off to catch a game that features Industriales, the local favorites. As we approach the stadium, the sounds emanating from within are already loud, but that only serves as a warning of what is to follow. We take our seats down the right field line and take it all in. The noise is deafening, painfully so at times. There are more horns blaring from the fans here than in a Times Square traffic jam. And, it doesn't stop. Ever. Along the walls of the stadium where in the U.S. you are apt to find billboards trumpeting all manner of commercial products, there are only signs proclaiming “dignity,” “strength,” and “freedom.” There is no huge screen in centerfield showing replays or readings of pitch speed. Only the bare story told through inning by inning scoring and the totals of runs, hits and errors. Nothing fancy here, just baseball in its purest form. It's a beautiful thing to watch. And, the ride home? A '51 Lincoln, of course.

Cubans love their music. Schools abound from coast to coast that encourage young musicians to hone their craft, whether it's the piano, the flute, the guitar or the violin. The same for dancers, artists and sculptors. We were treated to a show of this on several occasions. At one school, young adult dancers moved to the strains of soulful music and told stories of longing and despair. Beautiful and pure. A young female violinist, who was just inches from my chair, made her instrument into a most personal extension of her emotions as she stunned us with her incredible talent. At another site, we were entertained by a show of youngsters from about five years of age to maybe fourteen who pranced about the stage with energy, talent, and good humor that reflected childhood honesty at its best. At the conclusion of the show, the kids filled the aisles and pulled members of the audience from their seats to dance with them. One young girl squeezed through our long row to the middle where I was seated. She grabbed my arm and pulled me along to the aisle where we could dance with the others.

And, in Cienfuegos, we were treated to a recital by a choral group, the Cantores de Cienfuegos, a mix of nine males and nine females who sing world-wide an intoxicating mix of spirituals, baroque and classical music, and even American folk classics. The room we gathered in was sparse with precious little to absorb the sound. When the group marched in and started singing it was like an explosion, a most achingly beautiful explosion. The room literally filled with their amazing voices. It was so overpowering and exquisite, that you could just stare and feel their music literally surging through you. After a few numbers, Honey, the group's leader, asked our group if any of us would like to join them up front and join in their singing. Without giving it a moment's thought, I raised my hand. Let me be clear here: I do not sing. To my recollection, I have not really sung more than a couple of notes since the fourth grade. And yet, in that moment, it seemed instinctively like such a magical thing to do. So, up I sprang, took my position with the guys, was briefly tutored in the lyrics I needed to know, and....started singing. It was magical. I felt connected. A moment I likely will never forget.

I truly did not know what to expect from the Cuban people. Given the American embargo of the past half century, the rabid mistrust between our two governments, and the economic fallout that has been extreme at times, I thought we might be met with anger, hostility, or, at a minimum, skepticism. I could not have been more wrong. Time after time after time, we were greeted with surprise, enthusiasm and curiosity. Whether it was the lady selling me a t-shirt, or a taxi driver, or the guy behind the desk at the rum museum, or total strangers who would just say hello, the interaction was incredibly heartwarming. Take Erwin, for example. Here's a guy who was sitting in the shade near a park, and, as we exchanged glances, he smiled and said hello to Peter and me. When he learned we were from the U.S., he said, “Really? That's amazing! How did you get here? This is wonderful!” Or, the guy at the rum museum who, learning of our origins, simply leaned back, eyes wide open, and softly said, “Oh wow.” Or, the lady who sold me a t-shirt who stood up, came around the counter, and held my arm while telling me about her family in Hialeah.

And then there was Juan. I met Juan while strolling down the Paseo de Prado one morning. Like many Cuban taxi drivers, he called out to me inquiring whether I needed his services. I declined, but we started talking anyway. In the span of a few minutes -- he with his broken English, me with my even more limited Spanish -- we were trading stories about our families, our lives. He showed me pictures of his young children. After a few minutes, he looked at me and asked whether I might help him buy some milk for his family. I told him I would. We embarked on a search strolling through neighborhoods well off the tourist grid. One store, then another, then another. No milk. At last we found a store that had the large bags of dehydrated milk Juan was looking for. He sighed, looked at me, and asked if it would be okay to purchase four bags. I told him yes. We made the purchase and Juan's lips started trembling. Tears came into his eyes. He told me that these bags would provide him and his family with a two month supply of milk. He threw his arms around me and gave me a huge bear hug, and told me he could never have afforded to do this on his own. I felt like a million dollars.

On the last day of our journey, we had lunch at the Hotel Nacional, the place where my folks had stayed more than half a century earlier, just prior to the revolution. As time was winding down on a miraculous trip, I strolled the grounds of the hotel that overlooked the water. At a far corner of the property are tunnels built during the missile crisis fifty-two years ago. As I descended down the steps, I found myself alone with the fellow who monitored this parcel of underground terrain. Eduardo, as I soon learned. We nodded to each other. As he started showing me the charts on the wall that depicted the Soviet missiles Cuba had at the time and how their range would impact the U.S., he drew me closer and locked the doors behind us. He beckoned me to follow him deeper into the tunnels. His English was passable, again better than whatever Spanish I could muster. He pointed out the placements for the artillery that once were there, the uniforms the soldiers wore, and where the ammunition was stored. When we re-surfaced to our starting point, I explained to him the impact that crisis had on me back then and, in particular, the terror I felt as nuclear war seemed far more than just a hypothetical quandary. I explained our “duck and cover” drills, and the non-stop coverage of the crisis on American television. He smiled and his look softened. Eduardo was about my age during that crisis, and he explained to me the terror and near panic he felt in those days for exactly the same reasons. He feared losing everything and everyone. We had a moment of true understanding. A shared memory. I told him how wonderful that here we were a half century later able to discuss this event together after so many years of mutual mistrust and hostility between our countries. When we shook hands and smiled, it was a knowing smile. We both got it.

Not a bad note to end on.

Paris is.......

They call it the City of Light. Whether you subscribe to the theory that it was named so because it was the epicenter of learning during the Age of Enlightenment, or because it filled the night sky with light, is immaterial. Both have meaning; both tell us something about the character of this place. For me, there is another meaning of “light” for this wondrous place: it has a levity to it, a lightness of being, a certain buoyancy to it. I'm sure there is a certain amount of self-induced imagery playing with me here, but it is hard to deny the beauty, the elegance, the energy, and the gaiety of Paris. It is hard to know where to begin.

Paris is Sundays at the Jardin du Luxembourg where the feast for your eyes includes glimpses of a variety of exercise classes like tai chi or kick boxing, people picnicking on the grass, impossibly cute kids using long sticks to push their sailboats around the central man made pond. Or, folks just settling back in the many chairs and benches that dot the scene taking in the sun after a long, chilly winter.

Paris is the hot chocolate at Angelina. To be fair, it is almost an insult to call it that because the label of hot chocolate conjures up images all of which are woefully inadequate to describe what it is that is served there. It is far better to think of it as molten chocolate – a rich, thick, hot, sweet, aromatic concoction that explodes with chocolateness as you let it swirl in your mouth now replete with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. They call it Le Chocolat Chaud d'Africain. I call it heaven.

Paris is Rue Mouffetarde, or, as some smilingly call it, The Mouff. It is a street that dates back to Roman times as the beginnings of the pathway back to Rome from Lutecia, as Paris was called then. It is a narrow street that wends its way down a gentle slope from La Place de la Contrescarpe to the Square Saint Medard at the bottom. In between is a narrow street often blocked off to car traffic that is lined with open markets, cafes and small shops. On weekends, it must appear from a height as we view an ant colony: a narrow path ablaze with chaotic pedestrian traffic that darts from market to market, shopping bags overflowing with baguettes, cheese, produce and wine. It was also the location of the apartment we rented, a small but amazingly charming place in a 400 year old building overlooking the Mouff. A pied a terre in the truest sense of that phrase.

Paris is Saint Sulpice, the city's second largest church where on Sundays one is treated to an organ recital that fills the chambers of that edifice with music so full and so rich it seems to take on its own shape, its own visceral identity. Close your eyes and swim in it.

Paris is fashion. The women in their tight jeans, tall boots, Hollywood-esque sunglasses, and scarves perfectly looped and knotted. And the men? Tight jeans, pointed shoes, Hollywood-esque sunglasses and scarves perfectly looped and knotted. I'm telling you, if you're looking for a wise investment, think scarf industry. Don't say I didn't tell you.

Paris is where Lily's heart lies.

Paris is the Ile de la Cite and Ile St. Louis, the beating heart of this city. It is where it all began here more than 2,000 years ago. One is dominated by Notre Dame, allegedly visited by more than 14 million persons each year. It is grand; it is imposing; and it has a wonderful park behind it where one can pass the time reading, people watching, listening to street musicians, or just leaning back and taking in the periodic chimes from the towers. The other is a far quieter universe marked by narrow streets, beautiful residences, epically good ice cream, and one of our favorite restaurants, La Reine Blanche.

Paris is, of course, the Eiffel Tower. As touristy a spot as it is, it is nevertheless as awe inspiring now up close as it was when first erected a hundred and twenty-five years ago. It stretches up over a thousand feet and, with the vast clearances around it, it stands alone eagerly accepting its role as an icon of the city. As we dined at a nearby bistro, we were entertained by the tower as it came to life with thousands of blinking lights that seemed to fill the night sky with a silent fireworks display. The blinkies, as our friend Wayne calls it.

Paris is baguettes, croissants, cheese, wine, creme brulee, mussels, croque monsieur, salmon terrines, truffles, falafel, escargot, onion soup, steak tartare, cassoulet, crepes, and soufflés.

Paris is Blue Bike Tours, which, as the name implies, takes you around the city on two wheels. Having started riding a bike barely five weeks earlier, I embraced (potentially foolishly) the chance to take on the craziness of this city when my only prior experience was on the deserted streets of the Isle of Palms. It was as if I subliminally thought that when you're on vacation, nothing counts – not the calories, nor the possibility of getting steamrolled by a Citroen at a particularly busy intersection. But, on we went on a four hour journey through the Latin Quarter, Le Marais and delightful points in between. All seen before, but never quite this way. As luck would have it (and I can't emphasize that enough), my ride was mostly error-free, crashing only once. In between, however, it was hard to avoid the conclusion that Parisian motorists and pedestrians alike have a very firm grip on who has the right of way, and it was almost never me.

Paris is the Place des Vosges, as elegant and picturesque a town square as ever was. As you scan the early 15^th century architecture, once home to Victor Hugo and Cardinal Richelieu, it is impossible not to want to stop and just gaze. Maybe sit on the grass nibbling on your falafel letting it all seep in. Slowly.

In Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris," the Owen Wilson character, Gil, says it all.....

You know, I sometimes think, how is anyone ever gonna come up with a book, or a painting, or a symphony, or a sculpture that can compete with a great city. You can’t. Because you look around and every street, every boulevard, is its own special art form and when you think that in the cold, violent, meaningless universe that Paris exists, these lights. I mean come on, there’s nothing happening on Jupiter or Neptune, but from way out in space you can see these lights, the cafés, people drinking and singing. For all we know, Paris is the hottest spot in the universe.

Well said, Gil. Well said.