Reading on the Road

As usual before a trip abroad, I was dithering about what books to take with.

It was a long trip, and I thought I may have time to do a lot of reading. As it turned out, there wasn't much to do in the various RV parks once nighttime fell. The national parks are nature reserves, and as such are kept as "wild" and "natural" as possible, for the sake of the local fauna mostly. Which means that except for the public toilets, there are no lights at night. The bigger parks, like Yellowstone , and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, have quite a respectable commercial center, with shops and restaurants. But even those close down at a relatively early hour. No city-type night life (unsurprisingly). Some families sit around the fire and yak for a while. But on the whole, park rules dictate Quiet Time between 9 or 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., depending on the individual park.
Some RVs have TV sets, and some RV parks have hookup to cable TV. We didn't have a TV, and didn't miss it. Long and the short of it, once curled up in bed, I read.

As you may recall, I ended up settling on three books:
Frederik Pohl - The Case Against Tomorrow
Robert A. Heinlein - The Day After Tomorrow (a.k.a. The Sixth Column)
Larry Niven - A World Out of Time

I read them in the above order.

The first – the Pohl – comprises a novella – The Midas Plague – plus 5 short stories. Sorry to say that, except for the first one, I don't remember what the others are about… The Midas Plague is a somewhat silly but amusing social satire story, describing the possible (?) ultimate development of an advanced, industrialized society, where people can't possibly consume everything they manufacture. At least it has a sort of happy end. In fact, they all had not-too-depressing ends. As if saying, no matter how badly we screw up this planet and the future of society, all is not lost, there is a bit of silver lining.

The second – the Heinlein – was rather gripping. The Western World, in the shape of the USA, has been brought to its knees by the PanAsians, with all government and the military virtually wiped out. Unbeknownst to the enemy, a small group of men (women here play a *very* marginal, nearly invisible, role), in a safe location somewhere underground, are determined to save the day. At some point the plot begins to unfold in a rather mechanical way, since Heinlein does not want to bore us with a detailed report of the workings of the Underground. Or maybe he couldn't think of any plot complications or crises. But no harm done – the reader is really quite anxious for the Rebels to wipe out the baddies. I trust that this wasn't a spoiler. I liked the use Heinlein made of religion. The Great Lord Mota was an ingenious invention. The major protagonist, by the way, Major Ardmore, is quite human, he has his weaknesses, he gets irritable, he's not a super-hero. So much the better.

The third book – the Larry Niven – is a bit weird. And not just because much of it takes place three million years from now. It's my first L. Niven, I didn't know what to expect; I just vaguely remembered that my son Daniel was enjoying Niven's Ring World when he was 13. I'm on page 138 out of 246, and I've been told it gets weirder. The landscapes described are a bit difficult to visualize, and at the moment I'm feeling very sorry for Corbell (the protagonist).

Aside from those three books, I read what I always read on trips abroad – i.e, practically anything: signs, ads, ingredients on products, and of course the leaflets and magazines issued by the national parks. See, for example, the online version of the Yellowstone Guide. Not only are these publications chock-full of clear, useful information, but they provided me with zero material for my writing/editing-related blog – I could not find a single mistake in them! Fancy that.

To illustrate, here are a few pics:

This one is a typical view of Grand Canyon, which totally does not do it justice. You just go on clicking and clicking the camera all the same hoping to capture a bit of the awe you are experiencing.

The next one was taken at sunset:

Before sunset, though, you light a fire in the fire-pit next to your RV or tent, and grill your steaks:

For entertainment, you can attend an interesting slide-show and explanation by a well-informed, cute Park Ranger at the park amphitheater. Just remember that once the show is over, it is pitch-black out there, and even with a flashlight you may have difficulty navigating your way back to your tent or parked van.

And here are a couple of typical signs I read along the way:
 Ponderosa Point at Bryce Canyon

... and Ruby's Inn, just outside Bryce Canyon. The RV park was actually full, so we were given a spot in the "overflow" section, sort of behind the inn. No complaints.

- To be continued....

Goodbye, Phoenix; see you around, America.

Phoenix airport. After five p.m. From experience I know that it's the heat of the day out there. Around 40 deg C., which is 104 F. We've experienced worse during this trip. But how would I know what it's like outside -- I'm the privileged user of the BA Executive Lounge, and it's freezing in here, according to my standards... I'm wearing a thick sweatshirt, for Heavens' sake. Outside, the land is flat and boring, surrounded by mountains. Mountains are pretty. When I get home I'll post some pics of pretty mountains for you.

This morning we returned our RV to the CruiseAmerica offices. Having heard horror stories about customers penalized severely for leaving some cookie crumbs lying around, I scrubbed the interior of the vehicle more thoroughly than I ever scrub my own home. I had a container of antiseptic wipes and another of window-and-other-shiny-surfaces no-streaks wipes. And a mop and what-not. But the only guy on duty, Scott, didn't seem impressed with my hard work; all he was interested in was reading the meters and gauges -- how many miles we'd done, how many generator hours we'd used.

We had to check out of the hotel by 2 p.m., the drive to the airport was short, our flight doesn't leave for hours, so we're very luck to have the use of this Lounge: a fully stocked bar and lots of delicious munchies. Free WiFi. Comfortable desk and office chair. Not half bad.

My one disappointment was that there are no proper Duty Free shops! I could hardly believe my eyes, and mentioned it to Shira (on Google Chat, she being in Toronto as we speak.)

- "Yes, duty free in Israel is way better than it is in many places," said Shira. "Often they have different terminals for domestic/international flights, so you'd think the international terminal would have duty free. Which airport did you say this is?"

- "Phoenix, AZ.," I reply. "I'm spoiled -- used to TLV and LHR."

- "Ha ha," responds my daughter,  "Yeah, like Phoenix would have anything good to offer."

[Ouch, said Phoenix.] 

- "What do I know about Phoenix???"  says I -- "It's a big city. Huge. I expected it to behave like one."

- "But it's not a major city, it's just big -- there's a difference," elucidates Shira. "There's a big enough population in the States to support many big cities, but it's like Orlando won't have anything but Disney-world to offer. The cool cities are the ones you see in movies."

- "Hmm... interesting point of view," I concede, "haven't thought of it in those terms. You mean there's no good movie about Phoenix?..."

- "Not many, anyway." shrugs Shira, "maybe a football movie or something like that."

- "Is that a wild guess or are they known for their football team, or do they just sound like a city that would have gung-ho football players?... "

- "Wild guess -- what do I know about football? I don't even know if they have a football team."

- "Still, you're probably right..."

- "I usually am," grins my daughter.

And indeed she usually is. She just did some swift googling and has informed me that the Arizona Cardinals are based in Tempe, part of the Phoenix metropolitan area. 

 

But by now, dear readers, you have probably lost interest, so I shall quit, and go have a few of the cute sandwiches that are being passed around by our gracious BA hostesses. That should sustain me until supper is served aboard our flight. It's a longish flight to London.

The main part of our trip is over, but this blog is not. I have around 150 pages of handwritten notes, and hundreds of photos. There's still plenty I'd like to share with you. Au revoir, chers amis.

- To be continued...

RV Driving & Living – 3rd Impressions & Tips

As I write these words, I'm sitting inside the RV, which is parked in Watchman Campground inside Zion National Park, within walking distance of the Visitor Center.

It's boiling out. Not as bad as yesterday, but still pretty bad. Large trees are scattered around the campground, but our vehicle is not close enough to any of them to enjoy their shade. So we've turned on the a/c. It's making a hell of a racket, but it must be doing some good, otherwise we'd already be well-done. Which brings me to the first observation in my third installment of Impressions and Tips.

1. An RV does not offer the comforts of a hotel room in terms of climate control. Bear that firmly in mind. If you don't have power (electricity) hookup, don't even dream of turning on the heating or the a/c, because you'll use up your battery real fast. If you do have power hookup (which is the only hookup we have here in Zion Park), you can turn on the a/c or heating, which will make an awful lot of noise.

2. A pull-through parking spot. In my previous list (Impressions & Tips #2), I spoke of reversing into your spot. Just think how much easier life is with a pull-through spot: drive in, drive out. Nothing to it. Keep it in mind when looking for potential RV parks.

3. There is no privacy inside the RV, unless you draw all the curtains closed. So don't leave the tiny toilet stall before zipping up your pants. Make sure you have your big bath towel with you when going into the tiny shower. In our RV (a 25-footer) there is a curtain that can be pulled across, separating the "master bedroom with en-suite bathroom" from the rest of the living quarters. So if one of you is an early riser, he/she can leave the "bedroom" curtained off, and enjoy daylight in the "dinette". I think I saw an RV with tinted, one-way windows. Worth investigating.

Also, RV walls are thin. Just as you can hear the guys having fun in the RV next to you, they can hear you.

Some veteran RV travelers, who stay in one location for an extended period, develop a whole outdoor existence around their vehicle: carpet, flower pots, swing for the kids, clothesline (if park regulations allow it), bins and containers, easy chairs, and a huge assortment of other items. Their lives are open for all to see.

4. Outdoor cooking: There's more than one way to light a fire and grill a steak. If you opt for the fire-pits provided by some (most?) RV parks, make sure you buy the Instant Charcoal (or something to that effect), or you'll be spending half the night coaxing the fire into existence, only to spend the other half putting it out.

5. Use the oven above the gas range as a bread box. If you like onion bread, you can store your dry onions there too, alongside the bread.

6. Some folks like to listen to talk shows and interviews on the radio as they drive. Others, like my husband, prefer the BBC World Service if they can get it. But most drivers like music. Personally, I like the rolling-rolling-rolling, feel-good, lively kind of tunes that help keep me awake and energized. Tip A: Don't rely on reception – bring your fave CDs from home. Tip B: Don't tap your foot to the music.

7. When a 16-wheeler rumbles past you or some other heavyish van or truck whizzes by, hang on tightly to the steering wheel and keep it steady. Your RV can easily be "pushed" aside and veer off its lane.

8. Switching drivers: You may decide to switch drivers every 2 hours, say, or every 100 miles. But that might not be possible, so don't count on it. Sometimes, there is simply nowhere to pull over or stop for miles on end, or else you catch sight of the turnout (layby) too late; or there's 9 miles of road work where you planned to stop; or the next Rest Area has been closed off, and the other one is miles out of the way. And no, you can't get up and go to the toilet at the other end of the vehicle while your partner is driving.

Since this park, as beautiful as it is, is marred by its WiFilessness, the actual posting of these p of w (pebbles of wisdom) is delayed until we reach a more civilized location.

---------------

Quick update:
We are now in a slightly more civilized place -- the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We happened to discover that the General Store has WiFi. It is now 9 p.m., the store is closed and dark, but on its porch a few yellow lamps still give off some light, and the WiFi is still working...

That's all for today. More tips keep accumulating in my notebook, so stay tuned.

Hi, Lucy! I've been to BYU, Provo!

Hi, Lucy,

Guess what – I went to Provo! I visited Brigham Young University and went looking for Helaman Halls, where you stayed in 1977-78.
Bet you never thought I'd get there, did you? I didn't, either. It's a bit out of the way for me. But thanks to Michael Klein's wedding, which gave us the excuse to travel to that part of the States [Phoenix, AZ], and my Michael's ambitious and detailed planning, there we were.

You'd barely recognize the place, Sis. So many new buildings. And many of the old ones have been renovated. Couldn't find your exact dorm – they all look alike, and none look exactly like the picture you sent me in 1977… The mountain is a good landmark, of course, but in some places it's hidden by trees and tall bushes which weren't there in your days. Still – here I am by Helaman Halls:

I also saw Hinkley Halls, where the guys – Amiram and Gadi – lived, and Wilkinson Center where you lunched frequently. And I saw the Marriot Center with its huge stadium, which you mentioned. Everything you wrote suddenly came alive. I have, in the past, read those three tiny notebooks of yours, containing your notes from August 25, 1977, the day you left Israel on TWA flight 849, until your goodbyes in Provo, April 25, 1978. But so much of it didn't mean anything to me. Couldn't picture it. Now I can – much of it, at least. Now I can re-read those 3 small notebooks and appreciate them more. I admired the same mountain you used to admire from your window. I walked the same paths. I saw the young, clean-faced Mormon students and exchanged a few words with a few of them. I know where University Mall is; I could meet you there for a spot of lunch and shopping…

Here's the Marriot Center, where you went to hear the President of the uni speak. The stadium inside is far more impressive. Our guide, Jake, took us in.

Your favorite Mountain, and the Visitor's Center which didn't exist in your time:

We found the statue of Brigham Young easily enough. Holding your photo in my hand, I had my picture taken next to it. Couldn't reproduce the effect accurately, because they'd gone and moved the statue slightly, and re-did the pedestal, and added a wing to the Administration Building. But the general effect is the same:

 And here's a better pic of the Administration Building and the statue -- both of which were renovated since you were there:

Your letters from BYU were so funny, so perceptive and touching; your notes are more matter-of-fact. You kept careful track of what you did – what you spent, where you ate, who you wrote to, who you still owe a letter. You corresponded with a lot of people, both family and friends, and complained bitterly when we – Mom and I – failed to write. The letters from Israel to Provo took 14 days by airmail!!! Can you imagine? Yes, of course you can. That's one of the things you kept complaining about.

You made the most of your time in Provo; you traveled to Yellowstone Park, to Las Vegas, to Los Angeles, not to mention places "around the corner" like Orem and Salt Lake City. You got good marks, like 92 on the paper on Moby Dick. I couldn't have done that – never finished reading the darn thing…

At times like this I wish I believed in eternal souls, in some sort of Life after Death. I'd like to think that you saw me there in Provo, walking around Helaman Halls, trying to figure out which was "your" building. But I don't. Oh well – this visit was for me, not for you, dearest Lucy. I'm sure you would understand.

--------------------

Here is the text of the notice which appeared in the Jm Post on April 1st, 1977 (Clara kept the clipping!), as well as (I believe) on the notice board of Gillman bldg, TAU, and which led to the trip of two guys (Amiram and Gadi) and three girls (Lucy, Ditti, Vivian) to BYU, where they spent an unforgettable year:

Five

Undergraduate Scholarships

are being offered by

Brigham Young University

Provo, Utah, U.S.A. (near Salt Lake City)

The scholarships cover one academic year from August 1977 to

April 30, 1978. Interested students may contact the office of the University Academic Secretary in Haifa, Tel Aviv, Beersheba or Jerusalem.

Application Deadline is May 15, 1977