Spread Your Wings and Come Exploring with Me

By Monica Sanger Phillips

Feel like you are there with me as I fly, sail and walk around the world learning and experiencing other cultures in some of the most amazing and remote places on earth. Explore the wonder of it all as I share twelve different journeys, not as a tourist but as a traveler, savoring foreign cuisines and gaining historical and traditional perspectives from other cultures. Envision seeing stunning and fascinating places, such as The Great Wall of China, Easter Island, Angor Wat, and Maccha Pichu. Imagine trekking for Mountain Gorillas in Uganda, searching for anacondas along the Amazon, evading pirates in Pirate Alley or hiking the extraordinary Coastal Path of Cornwall. Learn about each location with succinct historical information and about each culture from conversations with the local community.

Hopefully, it will inspire you to dare venturing forth into places unknown and for you to have some life changing adventures of your own.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669830122

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Copyright © 2022 by Monica Sanger Phillips. 843849

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 07/20/2022

PREFACE

A PANDEMIC! Whoever would have guessed that in this time and age, we would have to experience a pandemic. But we did, worldwide! It eliminated the possibility of travel to foreign places. Now, however, we are free to travel again.

When I was growing up, we did not have a television. Reading was my way to gain knowledge and to become familiar with foreign countries and the wide variety of cultures in the world. My imagination would run wild, envisioning how someday I might travel to these exotic places. Fortunately, I have been able to make many of those dreams come true, and I wish to share just a few of these journeys with you in this book. Hopefully, reading it will spark your interest and curiosity in far off lands, igniting your wanderlust to explore and experience new adventures around the world.

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INTRODUCTION

This book contains numerous options for your adventures, a composite record of several different types of world journeys, whether it be solo or with family and friends. How about the thrill of a wildlife safari with so many bird species and animals, that they are too numerous to count? A personal spiritual walk through the Holy Land? How about the feeling of your body rocking back and forth with the motion of a camel in the Sahara Desert; or for even more fun, the exhilarating and thrilling roller-coaster sensation of a 4X4 spinning and zipping up and down sand dunes in Dubai or on a jet boat in New Zealand? Heart stopping adventures, such as, when trekking to find mountain gorillas, the troop matriarch gives you a punch in the arm, or having pirates following your speeding cruise ship? A trip back in time to tour the valley of the Kings and the magnificent tomb of Tutankhamen in Egypt? Seeing architecture so beautiful that it blurs the lines between art and structure?

The tales of journeys in this book are meant as an inspiration for you, to know you too can do what you have dreamed about and expand yourself in far-flung lands feeling the power of connection with people from afar. The essence of travel as described within, is this, and so much more. It is an expansion of personal perspective.

Each journey’s account provides some history, geography, general information of the country, and my personal perspective of what I experienced and learned. Also included are accommodations where I stayed, offering great hospitality that made me feel at home and safe after a long day of exploring. My hope is that this book can serve as a guide for you to plan an adventure of a lifetime in amazing destinations that appeal to you.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

1. Poland, Tracing Ancestral Heritage

2. New Zealand, Land Of Picturesque Landscapes And World Renown Agriculture

3. A Trip Down The Amazon, The Earth’s Mightiest River

4. Exploring China And The Yangtze River

5. A Thrilling Cruise From Singapore Through The Middle East To Egypt

6. An African Big Five Safari, Trekking Mountain Goriallas And So Much More

7. Hiking The Coastal Trail Of Cornwall, England

8. Wonders All Around The World In 24 Days

9. A Family Adventure: On Safari In Tanzania

10. Israel, Walking In The Footsteps Of Jesus

11. Four Lady Friends Explore The Iberian Peninsula

12. Belgium, Land Of Medieval Towns And Historical Berlin, Germany

Afterword

POLAND, TRACING ANCESTRAL HERITAGE

September 5th – 12th, 1996

I was eager, for I was going to my grandfather’s homeland, I have thought of this trip and country since I was a little girl growing up in Wisconsin on the family farm. My grandfather, Ignace Dolata, immigrated here in the late 1800’s and took up farming in the fertile loam soil of northern Wisconsin, my father following in his footsteps. He married in 1895 and started a family outside Krakow, a small unincorporated village in Shawano County. My grandmother and father said that part of grandfather’s heart always remained in Poland, and whenever possible he would purchase Polish savings bonds. He took pride in having served in the Prussian army before he could legally leave the country. At that time, 1795 to 1918, Poland was split between Prussia, the Habsburg monarchy, and Russia and thus, had no independent existence. Now, I would see for myself, his country and the Polish people in which he had such a strong affinity.

I glanced around at the people waiting to board the plane for Poland. It was hard to distinguish who would be a Pole. There was a sprinkling of Oriental male businessmen, several students with an international look, no children, and the rest of the passengers were an assortment of adults ranging from 20 to 65 years of age and equally divided between the genders. There were no African Americans, and the majority were quite fair skinned with blue eyes.

It was just my husband, Kermit, and I taking this self-designed journey. We were now airborne, and the young lady that was sitting next to me on the plane, told me she is leaving her homeland in Windsor, Canada to teach English in Warsaw. Her husband would be meeting her in Warsaw. He was able to get a less expensive faire if he flew to Frankfort, Germany and hitch-hiked from there to Warsaw, where he would be teaching English also. She mentioned that they would have to reside in a youth hostel for a while, as they would have no money for food if they paid $600.00 on apartment rent for the first three months.

WARSAW

The buildings were generally non-descript, gray cement block buildings, but if one looked beyond them, you could see the budding of new growth, a skyscraper, and a sprinkling of modern architecture, new gas stations, and pretty parks.

We stayed overnight at the Hotel Europejski. It had a beautiful lobby, but our room was quite plain and worn. The food in the hotel restaurant was very tasty: pickled herring, followed with apple and pork with horseradish appetizers, the main entrée was beef with potato pancakes, dessert a most delicious apple cake with vanilla ice cream and a bottle of French wine. The wait staff spoke English and were most delighted to be serving American tourists.

After a restful ten-hour night’s sleep, we watched the BBC channel on the room’s little television, for they were reporting on the damage wrought by Hurricane Fran in the coastal community of Wilmington, North Carolina. Fran peaked at 120 miles per hour, a Category 3 when it made landfall, but it appeared that Kermit’s rental properties in the area were spared, and it did not affect our home two hundred miles inland.

We had an unbelievably delicious breakfast, a huge array of polish sausages, chesses, fruits, yogurts, eggs, pastries and coffee. Kermit had three servings, which spook of both his hunger and the great taste of the food.

Now we were off in our little rental car into the countryside. It was still as green as it would have been in June. It was not uncommon to see both horse-drawn and modern tractor harvesting machinery in the fields along the roadside. The highway was crowded with manic drivers that believed a 2-lane highway was meant for at least four cars wide, and they were out to prove it. It didn’t take long for Kermit to think he could play that game too, and he joined the other drivers in this suicide mission. I on the other hand, became a backseat driver.

ZELANZOWA WOLA

Our first stop was Zelanzowa Wola, the birthplace of Chopin, a charming home set in a large park-like estate. Chopin’s father was a tutor, and his mother was a relative of the Count who owned the estate. When Fryderyk was only seven months old, they moved to Warsaw permanently. But today, they hold Chopin concerts here regularly and take great pride in that he had been born here. We purchased several tapes of his music for our listening pleasure at home.

NIEBOROW

Our second stop for the day, was the Radziwill Palace in Nieborow. The village of Nieborow has an interesting history, its first church was founded in 1314 and the Cardinal Radziejowski, Primate of Poland, built this Baroque palace in 1697. In 1774 the palace went to Michal Radziwill who collected sculptures, paintings and filled the vast library. During the German occupation of World War II, it was a meeting point for the Polish Resistance Movement. Since 1945, the palace and garden complex has been cared for by the National Museum in Warsaw. The Radziwill name became quite known in the United States when Caroline, the sister of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, married the Polish aristocrat, Prince Stanislaw Radziwill, in March 1959. Upon her marriage, she became Her Serene Highness Princess Caroline Lee Radziwill.

We were looking for a noted restaurant in Lodz for lunch, but we were unable to find it. We didn’t know it then, but we were glad later when we came upon a man grilling kielbasa at the roadside. It was the most delicious kielbasa I have ever eaten. Thereafter, we continued to stop at these roadside food trucks, they all had exceptionally tasty grilled polish sausages.

One of the interesting things we saw, was the number of people who have only one to four cows. They chain them around their horns and then stake them out in the pasture to feed. Later they bring them in for milking, and then stake them again afterwards in another part of the pasture. This way they don’t need any fences. The milk is used for their own personal consumption: not only for drinking, but to make their own butter and cheese.

Dinner! My, my what do I say? We went to the little local bistro called Lido Bistro on a small, picturesque lake. As we entered, we realized we were without our Polish translator. Oh no! I guess it will be a night of point at other people’s food, smile, eat what is edible, smile, pay, and smile some more. Well, it didn’t turn out that way. As we entered, Kermit proudly approached the bosomy lady behind the bar and indicated he would like a table for two. She pounded two big bottles of beer on the counter. He said, no and waved his hands vigorously in a negative meaning motion. Then he came to join me at the table, she had pointed me to. Right behind him, came the lady with the two beers and two glasses. She plopped them firmly down on the table. I graciously requested a menu while simultaneously trying to calm Kermit, as he was still frantically trying to inform the lady, he did not want beer. Finally, we were able to ward off the offended lady long enough that Kermit was able to select a steak and French fries. We ordered off the Polish menu not really knowing what we were ordering. The steaks were like meatloaf hamburgers. The best dish of the meal was the bigos (hunter’s stew), a national Polish dish of chopped meat of various kinds stewed with sauerkraut and shredded fresh cabbage. It was served hot and was enriched with spices, vegetables and wine. In addition, I had unknowingly ordered a combination of various cabbages and meats, and the beer.

It was so good, we ordered seconds of everything, and laughed all the way back to our room at the Radziwill Hunting Lodge, where we spent the night. The lodge belonged to Prince Antoni Radziwill who married Princess Louise of Prussia, a niece of King Frederick II. The prince served as governor of the Grand Duchy of Poznan. It was built in 1821 and designed after 17th century German hunting Lodges. I wish my sons could see the massive octagonal chimney with antlered deer and moose head mounts on it, standing prominently in the center of the Hunting Lodge lobby area. The central interior reflects the democratic mindset of the duke. There are twenty-four guest rooms that surrounded the chimney on equal terms.

We slept well under the down-filled covers. The next morning was chilly, but it didn’t stop us from taking a morning walk through the forests surrounding the Hunting Lodge. After our brisk walk, the morning’s strong coffee and breakfast tasted ever so good.

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GOLUCHOW

After breakfast we went to the small village of Goluchow, population 1200 where the Goluchow Castle is located. It looks very much like a French castle in the Loire valley. It was originally built in 1550-1560 as a small, fortified mansion with four massive octagonal towers at the corners. Many years later, Isabella Czartoryska rebuilt it into a full castle and filled it with priceless art works from around the world. During WWII the Germans and Russians stole the art. Recently the Russians have returned much of what they had taken; thankfully, for it looks beautiful in its home. The castle, unlike most castles was warm and cozy, perhaps due to all the wood paneling, decorated ceilings, and heavily carved doors. The lady guide was ever so gracious and took a great deal of pride in showing us all the priceless treasures that had been placed in her care. The highlight of the collection is a set of Greek vases from the 5th century B.C.

KORNIK

On our way to Kornik, we stopped in a small town as we saw a tiny grocery store on the side of the road. Kermit’s assignment was to get petrol in the car. Mine was to purchase picnic fixings and to inquire as to where we could exchange American dollars for Polish zlotys. The store was divided into sections; housewares, general groceries, and what they designated as luxury items (wines, liquors, candy bars, newspapers), with a teller in each separate section. The only meat available was three wiener like sausages, a small section of fresh-baked ham and a few packages of cold cuts. Cheese was just as limited. I indicated to the lady behind the meat counter that I would like a few slices of the ham. She proceeded to place a small kitchen towel over it and shook her head no to me. We decided later that there was such a limited supply that she was saving it for her local customers, not a tourist traveling through. The remainder of the groceries were contained on shelves about four feet high and twenty feet long. These sections were equally limited in selection and quantity.

Though the fresh and prepared food was limited, the hospitality was certainly not limited. I approached a young couple and inquired as to the nearest location of a place to exchange USD currency. (The younger generations are all required to take at least one year of English in school, whereas the older adults often did not speak any English.) They pointed in a direction and attempted to explain how I would find a Kantor (money exchange booth). I thanked them and we parted ways, but I did not have a clue as to what they said, nor how we were to proceed. About 5-10 minutes later, as we were leaving the store, the young man was outside waiting for us by our car. He indicated with motions that he would get into the back seat of our car and show us how to find the currency exchanger. Kermit and I looked at each other, as if to say, should we do this? It was possibly a dangerous risk we were about to take, for we had been warned by the car rental people that car theft by young Russian men was quite common.

As it turns out, we were more than safe. This handsome and friendly young man directed us with hand signals through a complex route right to the middle of the town, including going the wrong way down a one-way street. Eventually he motioned for us to pull over and pointed at a nondescript door on a nondescript small white clapboard house where Kermit should enter. Kermit removed a considerable amount of money out of his wallet and indicated to me that he was placing it under the seat of the car.

Inside, Kermit found a very unlikely currency exchange business. No passports needed. Just a quick exchange. The young man had waited on the sidewalk near the car. We drove him back toward the store, but he indicated we should stop at a large white apartment building, apparently his home. Kermit gave him a nice tip and we both gave him our profound thanks. We will always remember this kind and charitable deed with warm thoughts about the Polish people.

The Castle Gorka in Kornik, is another pleasant surprise. The origins of this castle date back to medieval times when the owners were the wealthy Gorka family. Finished in 1430, the structure was surrounded by a moat. In the 16th century the castle was rebuilt in a Renaissance style and then given the look of a Baroque residence. Today it is a plush family home, with spectacular art and weapon collections, paintings of Polish and European masters, and fine quality furniture of many different styles and ages.

This was a Saturday, and there were several weddings occurring in the castle, one after the other. As we arrived there were three young children opening the gate. The one boy had a clear plastic food cover that he held shyly forward. Kermit inquired as to what the fee for parking was. The oldest child smiled sweetly and indicated there really was no charge. Kermit gladly reached into his pocket and gave them several Polish coins. We found the bronze wild boar and dog on the castle entrance gates to be most imposing and impressive.

It was important to note at this point, I had made all the travel arrangements and hotel reservations before leaving home with landline phone calls and using information from travel guides purchased at the bookstore (the internet was not widely used at the time). Another important note is that having been under communism until rather recently, this was not a country popular for tourism; so, the restaurant and lodging options were quite limited, especially in the rural areas in which we were traveling.

As we found the little inn that was once a mill where we had reserved a room for the night, located in a small village, we had another interesting and memorable experience. When going into the entrance there was a small counter and a bell for someone to ring when entering. A lady responded to my dinging the bell and asked in Polish if she could help me. I opened my passport to indicate my name and a note that indicated the inn’s name and the date. She nodded yes, and I gave her another note with a ? mark and the symbol for American dollars and Polish zlotys. She wrote a number on the paper, and I placed zlotys on the counter, from which she counted out the amount we would owe her.