We flew into Turkey and stayed  at the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet. The hotel was originally a century-old neoclassic Turkish prison and it is relatively small with only 65 rooms but the service and ambiance set the mood of an exotic locale.

Four Seasons Istanbul

We immediately soaked in the flavor of the city as we visited the renowned, 15th century Grand Bazaar and the famed Hagia Sophia. Art history students remember the church turned mosque turned museum as the epitome of Byzantine architecture. We marveled at the large granite pillars that stand over 19 meters tall and weigh over 70 tons! The restored mosaics astounded the eyes at their intricacies.

KG Romine at the Hagia Sophia

After touring Istanbul for a few days the group flew to Bodrum, Turkey on the Southwestern Aegean Coast. From here we boarded the barge, Halas. Every year in August this motoryacht, built in 1916 in Scotland, is the vacation yacht of the British Royal family. With 14 staff members on board including a chef, a Russian masseuse, and a bald hairdresser we felt like royalty!

Halas motoryacht

Along the Turkish Coastline

I want to say a bit about the Turkish food. Well, it’s delicious, always fresh and fantastic. I was so impressed with the food which ranks up there with the best in the world,  that I purchased a Turkish cookbook and I have tested numerous recipes to many a house guest’s delight! One of my favorites is Imam Bayilidi (eggplants with olive oil).

Back on the barge, we cruised down the coast of Turkey — really the best way to see many sites  — but the fun we had on the yacht in the evening was priceless! Every night we had a different game or activity, charades being the most entertaining. On the last night, we dressed in costumes and toasted our newly formed friendships. The group had started the trip as almost strangers but by the end of our trip forever-bonds were formed.

New Found Friends on the Turkish Coast

Costume Night on the Halas

The Guys All Dressed Up!

I’m no stranger to Turkey. I’ve been there three times, but every time I discover something new, something that fascinates me so much that I want to go again. My advice if you’re planning on traveling to the crossroads of Europe and Asia is to plan on at least two weeks to see it. You won’t regret it.

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Our tours were mostly in and around Moscow. 2006 was the opening of the Ritz-Carlton in Moscow where we stayed. It was an old hotel they had renovated. I had lunch with the General Manager and we discussed the challenges of such an opening. One of the biggest hurdles of his was to teach his Russian staff to smile. In Russian culture, what we consider a polite smile is often interpreted as, “I’m an idiot.” But, being in the business that we’re in, and serving so many international clients a smile is worth so much!

The Ritz-Carlton had a beautiful restaurant on the roof of the building. Everything was booming in those days. I had not anticipated so much vibrancy. The women were beautiful and so elegantly dressed! They had stores with gorgeous minks! It reminded me of New York. They had discos and Japanese food had just been introduced and it was all the craze. I never expected to go to Moscow for sushi.

Ritz-Carlton Moscow

View of Kremlin from Ritz-Carlton Suite 4

Dr. Duffy had arranged briefings from the U.S. Embassy, meetings with journalists and a tour of the Boeing Design Center in Moscow. We also visited  Tolstoy’s house museum. It was exactly how he left it (his bicycle and writing desk in place). We visited the Carnegie Moscow Center where Rose Gottermollen (a U.S. arms negotiator) met with the group.

Venturing outside of Moscow we took the train to Saint Petersburg. Saint Petersburg is the second largest Russian city next to Moscow and the home of  The Hermitage, the world’s largest art museum. Viewing all the wonderful art – it’s more than you can expect! You’re speechless when you see all of the magnificent pieces of art and architecture. It’s wonderful that they have kept it. One has to go there to appreciate the magnitude of creativity.

Back in Moscow we went to the Georgian Restaurant, Pirosmani. It has a splendid view of the gracious Novo-Devichy Convent. Founder and proprietor Tornike Kopaleishwili strives to create an “International Business Club” welcoming visitors and diplomats from all over the world to his restaurant and the food represents the best of Georgian Cuisine. The following recipe is from Pirosmani’s “Pectopah – 24 Best Dishes of Georgian Cuisine”

Georgian Chicken Mkhali

Detach the meat of a boiled chicken from the bones and cut it into pieces (save broth). Prepare the seasoning: ground walnuts (1 glass), then garlic (4 cloves), saffron (1 teaspoon), pepper and salt together. Cut dill, coriander, spring onion and salad leaves (3-4 leaves). Mix the mass, add grains of one pomegranate, 2 tablespoons of vinegar and some broth. Season the chicken with it and serve.

Great food is not all that’s offered at Pirosmani as the following video clip shows, visitors are invited to be members of a club — one that celebrates Georgian culture in the middle of Moscow.  I’m not sure if my travels will ever take me back to Moscow, but the experience and the fascinating people I met made an indelible impression on me and I have a new appreciation for Russian culture.

Philippine Rice Paddies

Terraced Philippine Mountain Rice Paddies

There are 7,700 islands in the archipelago, most of them are occupied, some of them privately owned, and some with no inhabitants at all. We lived in the Visayas region in a little town called San Carlos which is known for the industry of sugar milling.

I would highly recommend a visit to the Philippines for those that haven’t been there yet. Before WWII, it was called “The Pearl of the Orient.” The damaged done during WWII wiped out so much of the architecture and culture. Tremendous rebuilding efforts had to be done. It’s really coming back as a very cosmopolitan place in the world. Having an office in the Philippines allows me to continue to have my connection with the place of my birth. When I go there I make time to go and see other places in the Philippines with my brother, Gus Vallejo and his wife, Marie.

Recently, I asked my brother and sister-in-law for their top recommendations for things to do and see in the Philippines. As full-time residents of Manila and avid travelers of the Philippine Archipelago they responded with some outstanding advice!

According to Marie, to witness some spectacular sunsets on an island facing the south China Sea, head for Luzon and the village of Sitio Remedios. Here’s a link for more information: http://www.sitioremedios.com/about.aspx. While on this island they visited the historic town of Vigan. Vigan is where the country’s largest collection of Hispanic-era architecture still stands along straight, narrow streets. Vigan also has an equally significant (but smaller) collection of early 20th-century American-period architecture as well.

If you love cultural festivals, the Philippines has the very competitive Ati-Atihan Festival. Gus and Marie attended a version of this called the Dinagyang Festival on the island of Visaya in Iloilo City. They both highly recommend it. According to Marie, “The competition between groups make the celebrants come out with expressive and unique costumes!” Here’s the official video of the festival:

Dumaguete City is a small city by the sea in the middle part of the Philippine  Islands.  It has a laid back atmosphere with its universities.  Silliman University is a historical place to visit.  Nearby Apo Island  is a marine preserve where many divers visit.

Finally, Marie recommends the Ayala Museum in Makati and the National Museum in Manila to get a good overview of the cultural heritage of the Filipino people and what makes them who they are today.

Thanks to Gus and Marie for their very thoughtful suggestions. If you want to read further about Philippine history Marie Vallejo recently published a book called “Battle of Ising” that chronicles the story of WWII battles to  liberate Davao and Mindanao from the Japanese invaders. Go here to see a complete summary of the book: http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Infantry-Regiment-Liberation-Mindanao/dp/9719415126/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262827659&sr=1-1

The Battle of Ising by Marie Silva Vallejo

If you’re flying in Asia, make the Philippines one of your destinations!

Cambodian Market Place

We were still traveling with the Romines when our next stop was Cambodia. We flew into Phnom Penh. The reason people went to Cambodia in 1996 was to see Angkor Wat, a 12th century

temple — first a Hindu temple then a Buddhist one. There were no roads, only one hotel (where all the tourists stayed) and basically nothing in the way of luxuries. Typical me, immediately

upon our arrival I wanted to hit the market place. There were stalls and stalls of fresh fruit. It was definitely where everyone gathered. You could buy anything…from chickens to clothing. We ended up having dinner at a place right on the Mekong River. We were all looking forward to our visit the next day to Angkor Wat.

It took us about 2 1/2 hours to get to Angkor Wat. The roads were horrible. It was like you make your own road there. Angkor Wat is so hard to describe. The entrance is lined with carvings as far as you could see. You have to remember this was all done by people with no mac

hinery — all by hand! Since we were some of the first tourists to see the temple in modern times we had complete access to the

Angkor Wat Temple

building. There were big, massive trees that were taking over the temple like it was being swallowed. Because of this destruction of the temple, a good friend of mine, Joyce Clark, helped start a foundation called “Friends of Khmer Culture” to

Trees Engulfing Angkor Wat Temple

assist in the preservation of the art and culture of Cambodia. If you’re interested in their ongoing projects here’s a link to their website: http://www.khmerculture.net/

Angkor Wat - Cambodia

In 1996, the Cambodian people were still recovering from the devastation of past wars. What struck me immediately was the sight of all the people without limbs. The devastation was so intense. I kept thinking it was like a perfect storm — it hit them

all at once. You keep asking yourself, “how did we let this happen?” You don’t hear much about Pol Pot and the killing fields. When you go to the killing fields there is complete silence. No one has to tell you to be silent — you just know that the massacre was so horrendous that the ground is sacred. There is a museum there to tell the story.  All the skulls are displayed in a glass case. Just as the Jewish people were taken to the gas chambers in WWII, the Cambodian people were taken to the fields and murdered. They have since been dubbed “The Killing Fields” and it is now known as the Cambodian Holocaust. It is estimated that 1.7 – 2.5 million people were killed during Pol Pot’s reign. That’s an estimated 21% of the Cambodian population at the time.

Cambodia Killing Fields Skulls

Even after what was done to them, the Cambodian people I met, the guides and survivors of the killing fields expressed forgiveness and an eagerness to move on with life. They were in the mode of rebuilding and they saw success in their future.

Seeing what I have seen before and knowing how they have recovered tells me there is hope for any country that has been devastated by war and poverty.

Next stop…the country of my birth, the Philippines.

Abercrombie & Kent River Cruise

About 15 years ago I flew with K.G. and Phyllis Romine to Burma (now Myanmar). We arrived into Mandalay (now Amarapura) and boarded the Ambercrombie & Kent River Cruise where we floated down the Ayeyarwady River to Pagan (now Bagan). Pagan is know as “The

Buddhist Monks near Stupa

Land of Many Stupas.” A stupa is a Buddhist Spiritual Monument and an architectural wonder. Every morning as we floated down the river we stopped at small villages. At one of these villages, I decided to go off on a road by myself (not a good idea!) to see a beautiful stupa. I met a Buddhist priest with whom I tried to communicate. Out of nowwhere a dog came running at me and bit me on the leg! To say the least, everyone was upset with me when I returned to the boat where they treated my wounds and gave me a lecture.

Maryles with Burmese Children

Horse and Buggy Tour

After the dog incident, we arrived at Pagan and Phyllis and I took a horse and buggy tour. During the tour there was a procession with kids dressed up in traditional costumes. It was spectacular — the costumes had so much detail. The children were all very elaborately dressed.

Costumed Burmese Child During Procession

I’m still not sure what they were celebrating but the Burmese children in the procession carried themselves so regally.

When we arrived at the temple in Pagan, they had beautiful puppets. They depicted different people in society. One

Burmese Child in Traditional Costume

was the prime minister, one was a joker, and another depicted royalty. I brought Pagan back to my home with the purchase of some of these Burmese puppets.

At the end of this fascinating trip we arrived in Rangoon (now Yangon) and stood outside the place where political activist Aung San Suu Kyi stays in house arrest.

Burmese Bridge Crossing

Aung is the daughter of the freedom leader and Premier Aung San who was murdered in 1947. She won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her leadership in the League for Democracy. In May 2009 a foreign visitor trespassed on Aung’s property and attempted to make contact with her. Unfortunately, this extended Aung’s house arrest and she remains in the same predicament she was in during our visit so many years ago. Her situation continues to draw international attention.

Burmese Architectural Splendor

Burma, I would say, has an exotic sounding name and it lives up to its mystique. At the time we traveled there, the people were very controlled. The military presence was/is very strong. But that shouldn’t stop anyone from visiting and experiencing this beautiful country.

The splendor of the country overcomes its tight controls. It’s mystical presence is hidden in the stupas. One stupa is bigger than the other and one is more spectacular than the next! There is a serenity in the country. Especially when you see everyday life lived. That’s why I loved the river cruise — you’re watching the Burmese country in its real qualities. The Burmese people are gentle souls and participate in a lot of community gathering. Go visit Burma and I’m sure you’ll bring back your own wonderful memories!

What was most enjoyable besides the sailing and diving was going to each of the island’s markets to replenish our supplies. Fresh fish, lobsters, crabs, all the fruits and vegetables you can imagine- a huge array of great items to eat!

I remember it was my son Marc’s birthday (I think he was ten) during our trip. One of his greatest desires was to see a shark. One day we were snorkeling and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, we saw a huge sea creature which turned out to be a giant manta ray. Following the manta ray, as it danced and swam, it lead Marc to his birthday wish – a shark!

Again, you never know who you’re going to meet – a shark, a manta ray, or a valued client on vacation. Here I am, going on one of my supply runs (I’m a mess in old sailing clothes) and I stop in at the local bank. There was a ship in the harbor with guests disembarking and a nicely dressed couple headed into the bank. I noticed a bag they were carrying had the Casto Travel logo. Forgetting how I was dressed, I walked up to the couple and proudly announced that I was Maryles Casto! They scanned me up and down and politely greeted me but I slowly realized my island garb was not quite what they expected of a travel executive. What can you say but “hey, I’m in vacation mode, too!”

After the bank incident, we set sail for Moreau, with a full moon rising. I was sleeping outside on the boat and all of a sudden I heard someone breathing deeply. I couldn’t figure out what it was until I looked at each side of the boat and saw two whales guiding us on our voyage. It was one of the most magical events! I’ll never forget the feeling of having a cetacean escort in the South Pacific.

On our way from Moreau to Bora Bora I witnessed another magical sight – the sun rising over Bora Bora.  It was spectacular! Even now the memory makes me smile.

For those of you with the time, sailing the Polynesian Islands is an exceptional and unforgettable experience.

The Gilmours did a wonderful job of creating a village that takes care of the guests. All of the activities are planned by the villagers. There was a wonderful integration into the village by the guests. They even invited us to go to church on Sunday with them! Their choir is very famous and travels to other islands to compete.

As a very special treat, the children of the village came to the lodge one night and danced for us. We went to visit the children in their schools, too. One of my friends, Don Bell — a Silicon Valley Executive, was so moved by the visit that he donated computers to the Wakaya village school.

Wakaya Village was one place where we had tears when we left. “Bula, bula, Wakaya” – we don’t want to leave – was a song the villagers sang to us as we departed. To this day, my friend Pat Splinter, who traveled with us on this trip, still gets tears in her eyes when she thinks about the magical time we spent in Fiji.

These memories will live on in my mind as a fabulous time where we interacted with the lives of the people who lived on the island. Even now, the kids are benefiting from Don’s very generous gift! What a great vacation when you have a spectacular time and leave with your heart filled!

Grouper love

Great Barrier Reef, Australia – How many people have a grouper fall in love with them? How many people get to see sharks sleeping on the floor of the ocean? I did when I went diving in the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia many years ago. For the diving fanatic, there is nothing else like it!

The gentle giant fish, probably a Malabar Grouper, became obsessed with me while I was diving in the Great Barrier Reef. I found out later the Malabar Grouper is one of the largest and most common types of cod found in the Australia Reef. They can grow to be as large as 1.2m (almost four feet long!) and 150 kg (over 330 pounds!) They can even live up to forty years old. I’m not sure how old the grouper was that fell in love with me but he seemed to have experience with humans. This guy event tried to bum a ride on my shoulder!

Australian Grouper on a "Swim About"

At the time I was diving with the grouper I wore an O’Neill wetsuit. I was from California and O’Neill was the brand to wear (and still is!). I never imagined at that time that I’d ever get the chance to meet the namesake of my wetsuit but a couple of weeks ago, as a board member of the Common Wealth Club of San Francisco, I had the pleasure of meeting Jack O’Neill to invite him to accept a Spirit of California Award at his lovely home on the coast in Santa Cruz. What a treat! Mr. O’Neill will be honored at the Annual Distinguished Award Dinner in April 2010. Here’s a link to the announcement and details of the dinner:  http://www.commonwealthclub.org/annualdinner/ Come meet the wetsuit innovator and the man who made it possible for me to get so close to my underwater Australian friends.

The Big Cheese -- Jack O'Neill

I loved Australia. You can’t help but love Australia. Many people I’ve talked to want to retire there. It’s a “come back” place — a place you need to keep checking in with to see how it has changed and how much it has stayed true to itself.

I’ll be returning to Australia early in 2010 with a group organized by Casto Travel. I can’t wait to experience an Australian summer in my winter and visit my friends down under!

Next week we’ll meet in Fiji on a private island. See you then!

We flew there because we wanted to dive and we wanted to go down the Sepik River and participate in a Sing Sing in the highlands. The Sepik River is the longest river in New Guinea and to this day is considered the least contaminated freshwater wetland in the Asia-Pacific.

The Sing Sing is an annual event that all the tribes participate in. All the tribes wear very colorful costumes with big, colorful feathers. There can be over 1,000 tribes competing. The prize money is huge and the competition is very important to the tribes. At the time we went, very few foreigners ventured out to see the competition.

We took a dug out canoe and it took us three days to get up to the highlands. One night, it was late when we arrived, there were no accommodations. We stayed in some of the market stalls in one of the villages along the river. We pitched our mosquito nets over the stalls and bedded down for some much needed sleep.

In the middle of the night, we were awakened by the villagers singing. All of a sudden this Witch Doctor appeared in a huge mask and started a ceremony to take the evil spirits away. We weren’t sure if we were the evil spirits! They looked ferocious in their war paint and the communication between us and the natives was mostly through our facial expressions and our hands (the international way to communicate!). After my initial fear settled, I managed to negotiate the purchase of the Witch Doctor’s mask and this started my mask collection!

We continued on our trip to the highlands after the exorcism to the Sing Sing. I remember seeing the creativity of the people and their early adoption of recycling incorporated into their costuming. One native had a plastic piece from an old phone, you know, the circular dial with the numbers, pierced into his nose. These people were way ahead of their time!

Just like when I was a little girl, I flew away from Papua New Guinea in a small plane on to our next adventure in the Great Barrier Reef. But that is another story…

On my next trip to Thailand, I want to go to the Four Seasons Hotel in Chiang Mai. They have beautiful properties there. I go to Thailand for the people and the food! I love their pad thai’s. Everything associated with Thailand is superlative!  The welcome starts when you check in at the airline and continues all the way through your trip.

There’s a floating market in Bangkok. I remember the people in their canoes and they way they bring all their wares with them. Instead of stationary stalls they have their boats loaded with fruit, chickens, materials, vegetables, and so much more! It was so colorful and exciting.

You can step outside of your hotel and you can hire a car (usually a very well appointed vehicle) and they’re there for you the next day. The private guides take you to their cousins who give you great deals on jewelry. The sapphires are beautiful and they have the best rubies.

I also fell in love with their Teak creations. Thailand and Teak! Whole walls are carved in Teak as well as every size of Asian elephant that you can imagine. But don’t take my word for it, make time to visit this exotic, friendly destination.

I’ll check back with you after the trip to Chiang Mai.