Friday Photo #3: Cypress Hills National Cemetery

Note: Click on image to view full size.

The Cypress Hills National Cemetery at 625 Jamaica Avenue, Brooklyn, is the only United States National Cemetery in New York City. More than 21,000 veterans and civilians are interred here, including veterans of every conflict from the American Revolutionary War of 1812, through to the Vietnam War.

The Cemetery is just a short walk from the 12 Towns/North Brooklyn YMCA – also on Jamaica Avenue. I spent several weeks at the 'Y' during April and May, 2008, and visited the cemetery on a number of occasions.

It was late spring when I took this photograph (and the video footage embedded below). As you can see, the stunning pink cherry blossoms had begun to fall, blanketing the lush green lawns with a fine carpet of eye-catching colour.

There is something intensely solemn about visiting a site like this. It is not a place you can hurry through. You have to take the time to reflect and remember; to ponder the fate of so many veterans and civilians. To question and contemplate. To ask yourself, Why? To also ask yourself, What if…?

The video footage below was filmed at the same time as the above photograph was taken. As I recall, it was a grey, damp, overcast day. The type of day that helps heighten the experience and adds to the overall impact of seeing thousands upon thousands of white marble headstones laid out in perfect formation. It runs for just three minutes. So why not click the ‘play’ button, and take the time right now to reflect, ponder, question and contemplate?

Location: Cypress Hills National Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York

Photography and video footage: Jim Lesses, May 2008.

Note: Click on image to view full size.

Ten Things for Ten Dollars (more or less)

~ The Hostel Bookers website is featuring a number of cities where they say you can see 10 things for $10. That is, ten dollars per selected attraction or event. Well, more or less.

I’m not sure about the math, and I guess it all depends on the exchange rates you achieve at the time you are travelling, but I like the idea behind the series. It is good to know that not everything has to be a constant attack on your credit card whenever you travel.

There are cheap things to do in every major city in the world, and in fact, using the resources of the internet, you can easily find a host of free things to do in all the cities selected for these online features.

So far, the site has created lists for the cities of New York, Edinburgh, Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Athens, Amsterdam, and London.

The articles focus on the not quite ‘top tier’ attractions. Sites that might be your second choice, rather than your first. For example: instead of fighting your way through the thousands of tourists swarming over the Forum and the Colosseum in Rome, they recommend a visit to Ostia Antica, the remarkable ruins of ancient Rome’s port city.

In Athens they suggest a visit to the Agora (market) that surrounds the Acropolis, and I agree. I spent several hours exploring this area and was surprised by the many ‘hidden’ treasures this site holds. Developed in the 6th century BC, the Agora was once the focal point of Ancient Greek society. It was here that Socrates first talked philosophy and where St Paul tried to convert people to Christianity.

I can also vouch for the full English Breakfast they recommend on the London feature. I would start each day with the ‘Builder’s Breakfast’, which as its name suggests is a meal fit for the British working man. For £5, you can expect each ‘Full English’ to consist of bacon, eggs, sausage, baked beans, fried tomatoes, toast and a large pot of black tea. It may not be the healthiest way to start the day, but it was cheap, filling, and enough to see you through several hours of brisk walking around London’s busy streets.

I can only say, I wish I had the information in my hands before I visited New York, London and Athens, last year. London especially, I found to be very expensive, and if it hadn’t been for the fact that museums and galleries offer mostly free entry, I’m not sure that I would have been able to see very much at all during my all too brief stay there.

Thankfully, New York was much more wallet friendly, and I was surprised at the range of reasonably priced attractions on offer. Of course, there is so much to see and do in New York anyway, that you could spend days, and weeks, simply walking around that great city before you felt a need to pay to see the major attractions that virtually every tourist or visitor has on their list of ‘must see’ sites.

Anyway, if you are heading to any of the cities listed, take the time to explore the links to your location of choice and see how much money you can save by visiting some of the recommended sites.

Image: Agora, Athens, Greece.

Photograph: Jim Lesses

Travellers Ten Commandments

~ Travellers Ten Commandments

By Carole Rosenblat

As a Tour Manager and Guide for both inbound and outbound tours, I have heard many travellers lament, "That's not how we do it." "We" being themselves and their immediate neighbours. Sometimes their "we" generalization includes their entire country. Please know this is not exclusive to the American tourist. Through my travels I have met many an "ugly American" but also an "ugly German" an "ugly Israeli" and an "ugly Brit."

While leading tours overseas I have had Americans ask countless time, "Why don't they speak English here?" I have also had an American refuse to stand in a line because he didn't want to get in line with "a bunch of foreigners." Note to those travelling overseas; when you are in another country, you are the foreigner.

Not to be outdone, while leading tours for citizens of other countries I have encountered very similar remarks. While eating an entire bag of potato chips with a candy bar standing by, I had a German passenger comment, "Americans are so fat." I had a British girl complain that she could see through the space between the door and the supporting structure of a stall in a public restroom. This was immediately after she told me that Americans are so uptight. And my favourite? The Israeli who, upon seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time commented, "We have better canyons in Israel. And it's a smaller country so you don't have to drive as far to get there."

Please know, I only use the term "ugly" as a well known cliché. I prefer to think of these folks as uninformed at the best, and closed minded at worst. So, in an effort to open everyone's minds to the joys of travel, I give you the Travellers Ten Commandments.

Travellers Ten Commandments

1. Thou shalt not expect to find things as thou hast left them at home, for thou hast left thy home to find things different.
2. Thou shalt not take anything too seriously, for a carefree mind is the beginning of a vacation.
3. Thou shalt not let the other tourist get on thy nerves, for thou art paying good money to have a good time.
4. Remember thy passport so that thou knowest where it is at all times, for a man without a passport is a man without a country.
5. Blessed is the person who can say "thank you" in any language, for it shall be worth more to him than any tips.
6. Blessed is the person who can make change in any language, for lo, he shall not be cheated.
7. Thou shalt not worry, he that worrieth hath no pleasure,
8. Thou shalt not judge the people of a country by one person with whom thou hast trouble.
9. Thou shalt, when in Rome, do somewhat as the Romans do; if in difficulty, thou shalt use thy good common sense and friendliness.
10. Remember thou art a guest in every land, and he that treateth his host with respect shall be treated as an honored guest.

Carole has spent 19 years working in a variety of positions in the Travel Industry including cruise ships, hotels, adventure tour guiding, international tour management and corporate meeting mgmt. She has the inside scoop on the business of travel and the best information on business and leisure travel. Contact her @ crosen7646@yahoo.com. Visit her on http://www.examiner.com/x-15231-Phoenix-Tourism-Examiner .

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