Michael Palin: Calm after the Storm

I realise it's over four months since my last message. Since then New Europe has been out, both on television and in the bookshops and, increasingly, in supermarkets and on internet retailers.

The response has been very gratifying. The largest single audience for a documentary on UK TV last year (7.8 million for Episode 1), and with the BBC 2 and BBC 4 repeats, a weekly audience average of around 8 million for the series as a whole. The book has just slipped out of the Top 10 after 17 healthy weeks there and total worldwide sales are looking to hit 350,000.

The pressure of publicity, especially book signings, catapulted me up to Christmas, and it's only now that the dust of filming, production and marketing has begun to settle and I can look back on New Europe and begin to assess its strengths and weaknesses.

I was very happy with the production values, which remained as high as ever. In terms of the material, well maybe there just was too much to chew on. Although the BBC gave us an extra programme, the material we saw en route was richer than any of us expected, and we would have needed another four or five programmes to cover all the countries as they fully deserved.

So, my apologies to some of the countries on our route that were not covered sufficiently. All of them are in the book, and many good sequences we just didn't have space for can be seen on the DVD. Maybe we were a little over-ambitious to take on twenty countries, all of which have such different characters and identities, histories and cultures, but the series was intended, like all the series I've made, to open a few windows on the world, and there was nowhere I didn't enjoy visiting, or learning about.

I hope that where we have succeeded is to reveal Central and Eastern Europe to audiences in such places as Britain, Australia, New Zealand and America, who knew very little about it, and now hopefully will know more. We can’t do everything, but I’m happy if we’ve done enough to stimulate the curiosity of those who, like the Palin's Travel website fans, like to do some finding out for themselves.

As often happens after a series, my appetite for finding out more of the background to what I've just seen, is very strong, and I'm currently enjoying a Dutch writer's trip through 20th century Europe. It's called In Europe, by Geert Mak (Harvill-Secker) and is a terrific and very readable insight into the turbulent history of Europe's last three generations. And there's a gem of a movie from Romania called "12.08, East of Bucharest". Bleak and very funny.

For all of those out there who might suspect that all I do these days is play with grandson Archie, I've already been on the move in 2008, visiting Lisbon to see the world premiere of Terry Jones's weird and wonderful opera "Evil Machines", and then further south to take Mrs Palin for a few days in one of my favourite places - Marrakesh. My feet itch and the wanderlust certainly hasn't cleared up, but this year I want to have time for other things - like catching up on movies and books and art and generally seeing what everyone else is doing.

After 18 solid months on New Europe, the thought of a new long series is far from my mind, but as long as there are maps I shall be looking at them.

Meanwhile, keep travelling - by train and canoe, if possible. Watch out for anything with Bruce Parry in it (he likes suffering almost as much as I used to) and have a restless 2008 !

Michael P, London, January 31st 2008

VANUATU’S TOUCH OF CLASS – CHARGE IT!

VANUATU'S TOUCH OF CLASS – CHARGE IT!

frank linn

YOU can hear the gales of laughter now.

You've just told mates you're heading off to Vanuatu and a resort
that's promised you'll have the choice of seven restaurants and cafés,
five bars, a nightclub, three pools, a couple of tennis courts, a
private beach with a watersports centre, a gymnasium, a day spa, and a
secluded cove for dipping into coral viewing and snorkelling away from
the crowds.

And all within a kava's kick of some of the best duty-free shopping in
the South Pacific.

Pull the other one, the mates will tell you, this is Vanuatu… where
the main street through capital Port Vila is a wonderfully-titled
montage of potholes called The Walter Lini Highway, where until
recently 3-storeys was considered skyscraper stuff, and where
fast-food is looked upon as something that arrives at your table
within 30-minutes of ordering.

But now two of Port Vila's best resorts – one of them one of the
oldest, and the other one of its newest (although in true
island-tradition it took seven years from turning the first sod to a
guest turning the first key) – have decided to allow guests in each to
use all the facilities of the other.

And when they knock up any costs for meals, drinks, spa or other
services, all these guests have to do is say "Charge it," so that
those costs go back to their own room account.

The first, Iririki Island Resorts & Spa opened in Port Vila harbour in
the mid-1980s on a private island that had been the home of the
British Resident Commissioner in Vanuatu's pre-independence days, a
time when the country was called the New Hebrides and administered
jointly by the British and the French as a condominium.

To the locals, however, this resultant confusion of policies and
cultural clashes, was looked upon somewhat bemusedly as "The
Pandemonium."

And while Iririki's opening was to much fanfare as a sign of
confidence in the new nation, its foundation years weren't without
drama: within a year of opening, 1987's Cyclone Uma virtually wiped
the idyllic seventy-two bungalows and a dreamy restaurant and bar off
the map.

Our second resort directly opposite the re-born Iririki Island Resort,
and just 3-minutes away by ferry on the "mainland," is 6-storeys of
indulgence that was built by investors eight years ago, but stood
empty until bought by an Australian consortium last year; that
consortium then contracted the Mirvac group to manage it under its
prestigious Sebel banner.

Today the waterfront Sebel Vanuatu provides a grand retreat with 74
luxurious rooms offering spectacular harbour views, private balconies
off every room and marble bathrooms.

Its Crystals Restaurant boasts 5-star silver service in a smartly
relaxed ambience that embraces its waterfront setting, with menus
featuring international, island and French Provincial signature
cuisine; there's also a laid-back Lobby Lounge Café and a Pool Café
for snacking and cocktails.

And on the sixth floor, the Hemisphere Lounge is arguably one of the
South Pacific's finest hideaways of unexpected indulgence, coupled
with stunning views for that very special occasion.

Across the bay amid Iririki Island Resort & Spa's lush tropical
gardens is Vila's premier Michener's Restaurant, named in honour of
the author who conceived Tales of the South Pacific when was based in
Vanuatu during the Pacific War. Here one indulges in spectacular
dining on fresh-caught fish, tender local beef and pork, market veggies
and the most wicked desserts in an adults-only environment.

And immediately adjacent, Iririki's poolside Bali Hai Café and Bar is
also a zone mercifully free of ankle-biters.

Iririki has a total of 126 individual Bungalows, DeLuxe Rooms and
Penthouses, two pools, two tennis courts, a gym, one of Vanuatu's
finest day Spas, a casual beachfront Watermark Restaurant & Bar, a
Sunset Bar & Café, a watersports centre, and a private-beach
snorkeling and coral viewing area.

And the laid-back little island can claim royal patronage: the Queen
and Prince Philip stayed there during their last South Pacific tour.

……………….

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

IRIRIKI Island as it was after Cyclone Uma roared through Port Vila just a year after the resort's opening.

AND as Iririki Island Resorts & Spa is now, an idyllic haven of peace in Port

Vila Harbour that includes an child-free adults-only precinct.

THE grand new The Sebel Vanuatu, the country's first high-rise resort offering new dimensions in escapism.

NOT JUST ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

NOT JUST ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

(so has his hotel)

david ellis

JUST as stage announcer Al Dvorin boomed for years into his microphone
"ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building" to disperse
the throngs hoping for one last encore, an Hawaii resort that The King
made as equally famous as himself, has now itself "left the building."

And remarkably while its just as famous today as it was when Presley
put it on the map 47-years ago, few can explain why – not a guest has
stayed in the derelict joint since 1992.

This seemingly paradoxical place is the Coco Palms Resort on the
Hawaiian island of Kauai, a time-warp 1950s retreat that's been slated
for a $200-million-plus make-over for years. But after continually
fragile relations with the bureaucracy and community-interest groups –
and as the last straw, the US subprime lending crisis – that
make-over's now off, and the resort's up for sale.

And heart-breakingly, the most-recent owners bought it for $12m just a
couple of years ago, and then poured a few more millions into plans
for 200 luxury condominiums, a hundred or so hotel rooms, restaurants,
shops and a spa, all in Polynesian-style reminiscent of how the resort
originally looked – but all to no avail.

Coco Palms opened in January 1953 with just 24 rooms, four employees,
and two guests. But over the years it developed into a sprawling
near-400 rooms amid a 2000-tree coconut grove, that contrary to the
publicity hype was not a one-time plaything of the Hawaiian royal
family who ruled Kauai from the 13th century to the mid-1800s.

Rather, the grove was developed in 1896 by a planter who simply
brought in a shipload of coconuts from Samoa; when the Coco Palms
Resort opened 50-odd years later amid all these, its managers
encouraged famous guests to plant additional coconuts that were marked
with plaques sporting their names: The Von Trapp Family Singers, Bing
Crosby, surfer Duke Kahanamoku and the Prince and Princess of Japan
being amongst the earliest to take up the offer.

The resort was also the first in Hawaii to have a doorman welcome new
guests with a blast from a conch shell, and to summon diners with a
flaming ceremonial "Call to Feast" flare-lighting at 7.30 every
evening – a ritual played-out nightly for 40 years until the place was
trashed by Hurricane Iniki in September 1992 and closed.

Both the conch-shell greeting and "Call to Feast" featured in one of
Elvis Presley's most famous movies, Blue Hawaii in which he starred
with Joan Blackman and Angela Lansbury, and which made the Coco Palms
Resort a household name world-wide.

Before that, Hollywood had used the resort to film parts of South
Pacific, Pagan Love Song, TV's Fantasy Island, and Miss Sadie Thompson
with Rita Hayworth, afterwards donating the Wedding Chapel used in
that movie to the resort… which dusted it off in 1961 for use again in
Blue Hawaii.

Presley and his co-stars had their own thatch bungalows at the Coco
Palms Resort, and cast and crew dined well and inexpensively.

Except for The King, who adopted his own bizarre meal rituals,
eschewing such delights as Mandarin Duck Soup (in those days, just
40-cents,) Char-roasted Prime Rib ($4) and Coconut Honey Sundae (a
mere 50-cents) for daily breakfasts of toasted bacon and egg
sandwiches, burgers and fries for both lunch and dinner – and
in-between, fill-me-up peanut butter and banana sandwiches that he
ordered be deep-fried.

While Coco Palms Resort has been closed since Hurricane Iniki in 1992,
it's still possible to pay a visit – and even to get married there.

A tour company on Kauai, Hawaii Movie Tours includes a look at the
Resort's coconut grove, the remains of Presley's thatch cottage, and
the so-called lagoon over which Presley and Blackman were transported
by barge as he crooned The Hawaiian Wedding Song.

A replica of the Wedding Barge is used today by popular Kauai
entertainer Larry Rivera for Chapel in the Palms Weddings; couples can
be transported on the barge to be married in the Chapel or amongst the
palms, with Champers, cake, conch-blowers and of course, music from
Blue Hawaii.

(Mail larryrivera@hawaiian.net for details of weddings; for holidays
in Hawaii including on Kauai phone Canada & Alaska Specialist Holidays
on 1300 79 49 59.)

………………………

PHOTO CAPTIONS: HOME to The King: the thatch bungalow in which

Elvis Presley stayed while
filming Blue Hawaii at the

Coco Palms Resort in 1961.

MODERN day wedding at Coco Palms
Resort: a

couple cross the lagoon on a
replica of Elvis' barge

on their way to their wedding in
the chapel used in

Blue Hawaii.

THOSE were the days: the Blue
Hawaii cocktail was

created at Coco Palms during
the making of the movie –

note the price!

(photos: dexter olivas / david ellis)

ANYTHING BUT CACTUS ON THE TEQUILA ROUTE

ANYTHING BUT CACTUS ON THE TEQUILA ROUTE

david ellis

THERE'S probably no other drink done more to fire up wars and
revolutions, legends and folklore than tequila, Mexico's indigenous
firewater that's fuelled those in the firing line of improving their
lot since as far back as the early 1500s.

And while once considered by the country's former Spanish rulers as
the alcoholic crutch of peasants, revolutionaries, bandidos and other
perceived rabble, tequila is taking on a new image in the 21st
century: its now as much the drink of choice at boardroom level as
are hand-crafted Scotch single-malts and the best French cognacs.

And so far has the wheel turned, that in recognition of its beauty,
history and cultural significance, Mexico's Tequila Valley has been
listed as a World Heritage site, and the tequila industry and tourism
promoters have jumped on this triumph with the establishment of a
Tequila Route – somewhat akin to the tourism-lucrative wine routes of
France, Australia, California and South Africa.

And even the Inter-American Development Bank's weighed-in with
millions of dollars in aid to encourage free-spending holidaymakers
to trek this fledgling La Ruta del Tequila, and so give a
much-welcome economic boost to locals in the picturesque Tequila
Valley and mountains.

It's a long way from the day in 1795 when Don Jose Antonio de Cuervo
got a licence from Mexico's Spanish rulers to turn the juice of the
wild agave plant into tequila, and thus become North America's first
recognised distiller.

But Jose Cuervo – whose name translates less romantically in English
to Joe Crow – was not the first to make the stuff: local natives had
been home-brewing agave firewater for 300 years.

Joe's fiery drop was known to have spurred-on revolutionaries during
the War of Independence from Spain (1810-1821,) and a century later
during the Mexican Revolution it became something of a symbol of
patriotic pride to be seen tossing down a commercially-made tequila
or three.

And production boomed from 1920 to 1933 when the Mafia and other
mobsters smuggled tequila by the truck-load across the border from
Mexico during America's Prohibition, and again in the 1940s when the
heady firewater became a cheap replacement for hard-to-get European
spirits during WWII.

The La Ruta del Tequila fans out from Guadalajara, the colourful
capital of the central-western Mexican state of Jalisco, through a
diversity of mountains and valleys embracing such picturesque towns
as El Arenal, Amatitlan, Magdelena, and where it all began, Tequila
township.

Visitors fly into Guadalajara to either self-drive or join organised
tours through the thousands of hectares of agave farms, visit tequila
distilleries to see how the stuff is made and taste samples, and shop
the countless markets that are a chaotically kaleidoscopic jumble of
home-crafts, hand-woven blankets, knitwear and every form of
paraphernalia to do with the partaking of tequila.

It's also possible to do 12-hour-day tours from the coastal city of
Puerto Vallarta, seeing the jimadors (agave harvesters) slashing the
spiky man-high leaves off the plants to reveal the huge 40- to
60-kilogram pinas that are somewhat like a cross between a pineapple
and a watermelon, and whose juice becomes tequila.

At the major distilleries like Jose Cuervo, Tequila Herradura and La
Preservancia Sauza guided tours follow the process of splitting and
oven- drying this mammoth fruit, boiling it in evil-smelling vats,
and distilling it into an eventually clear liquid around 40% proof.

Only the product of 100% blue agave fruit and grown within the area
of the new La Ruta del Tequila can be labelled as tequila.

And while most tequila finds its way into Margaritas, Freddy
Fudpuckers, Long Island Iced Teas and a score or so other liquid
temptations, or is tossed down straight with a lick of salt and a
slice of lemon, there's a big move towards handmade double- and even
triple-distilled 'singles' that are savoured slowly like single-malt
Scotch whiskies and Cognacs.

And just for the record, the 'worm' once found in some bottles of
tequila and allegedly part of tequila culture, was no more than a
1940s marketing ploy to suck in the gringos – and tequila is not
"cactus juice"… while the blue agave plant may resemble a cactus,
it's in fact more related to a docile lily.

Tequila Route full-day tours from Puerto Vallarta between July and
December cost around US$100pp including lunch; go to
www.vallartaonline.com/tours/TequilaSixPack

…………..

PHOTO CAPTIONS: A jimador exposes the massive pina that's the

heart of the agave plant from
which tequila is made.

- photo: csp/dreamstime

RESULTANT drop: a lime-infused
Margarita, one

of several-score cocktails based
on Mexico's famed

firewater.

- photo: Elvinstar/dreamstime

Race Week: It's all happening on Hamilton Island

Ever seen a whale give birth?

I hadn’t expected that thrilling spectacle to be part of my visit to Hamilton Island.

HONG KONG – ITS MORE THAN SHOPPING

HONG KONG – ITS MORE THAN SHOPPING

david ovens

Flying into Hong Kong is not nearly as exciting as it used to be when
your flight took you through the frighteningly narrow corridor between
the steel and glass towers of the Kowloon Peninsula to Kai Tak
airport.

Nowadays, the flight path goes elsewhere into the excruciatingly
modern Chek Lap Kok airport on Lantau Island but as the Cathay Pacific
flight attendant Sue Li Kim said as my recent flight circled before
landing, " You get a less thrilling experience but a really pleasant
view over Hong Kong's harbour townships.

As we approached Chek Lap Lok, she added, "There you can still get a
close up view of Hong Kong. I can just see the block of apartments I
live in at Sai Kung".

The fishing village less than an hour from downtown Tsim Shat Sui, the
heart of Hong Kong's shopping district, Sai Kung is a popular
residential area for ex-patriates and Cathay Pacific crew.

It is also home to the unique Duke Hotel, formerly the Duke of York
Hotel, which is something of a home-away-from home for foreign
residents, particularly those from Australia and the United Kingdom.

Saturday afternoon at the Duke is very like Saturday afternoon at any
pub in Waterloo, Carlton or Fortitude Valley. With the Fosters flowing
and the noise level rising, punters huddled over a form guide and
drinkers arguing about football it was a far cry from the tranquil
fishing village outside.

It used to be called the Duke of York but as one quite well-indulged
patron, perhaps unkindly, noted "the old name might have been
reflecting poorly on the establishment."

On the other hand remnants of Anglicanism may have been discarded when
the territory was handed back to the mainland Chinese Government.

Against a background of fishing boats bobbing at the wharf, lines of
stalls selling everything from shrimp to shark and a host of Chinese
cafes the Duke is something of a surprise.

With Hong Kong's great transport system getting around is easy – and
cheap – even for non-Cantonese speaking Aussies.

Getting there is 20 minutes on the speedy, spotlessly-cleat MTR
underground rail way to Choi Hung will cost a couple of dollars and
then clearly-marked mini buses run down through the mountains to Sai
Kung.

Sai Kung is not alone as an escape hatch from the hustle and bustle on
downtown HK.

Only about 30 minutes by bus from Central you will find a beautiful
little beach called Sheko . Through the Island skyscrapers past the
Colonial mansions at Repulse Bay, Sheko's crystal clear water and
golden beach lined with stalls selling superb seafood and tasty dim
sum snacks is a world away from the swirling, brown waters of Hong
Kong Harbour.

Further out of town are a number of islands which retain much of the
lifestyle of China of old. Reaching them by chugging wooden-hulled
ferry from the Outlying Islands wharf, just along from the Star Ferry
bon the Hong Kong side, is a bit of an adventure in itself.

Have a vegetarian meal at the monastery on Lantau, explore the tiny
villages on Peng Chau and try some of the wonderful seafood
restaurants on Lamma.

Kowloon and Hong Kong Island remain the primary target for those who
like to shop there are plenty of options for those who don't.

GETTING THERE: Cathay Pacific has 28 flights a week from Sydney
(effective February 2008), three a day from Melbourne, daily from
Adelaide and Brisbane, plus six times a week from Cairns and five
times a week from Perth.

Return economy fares vary seasonally from about $923 plus taxes
Australia wide. There are special offers from time to time, so it is
worthwhile checking with your travel agent or direct with Cathay
Pacific - 131-747 or visit

www.cathaypacific.com.au

Wendy Wu Tours has a range of stopover packages in Hong Kong for
passengers travelling on to Europe or add-on deals for tourists
going to China. They range from about $296 for a two night stay with
transfers and sightseeing to about $1100 for a six night stay in
Hong Kong and Macau, with transfers, ferry trip and sightseeing.
Details from 1300-727-998 or visit www.wendywutours.com.au

………………

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

ON the waterfront: colourful fishing boats cram the Sai Kung piers by
day after busy nights meeting Hong Kong's insatiable appetite.

THE Duke Pub: a friendly haven of Aussie beer, punting and footie arguments.

Photos: David Ovens

The Kimberley Journey of Discovery

The rugged and foreboding Kimberley region of north-western Australia has a fearsome reputation for its unforgiving environment and ability to draw adventure travellers from all over the world.

STELLENBOSCH – AFRICA’S GRAPE ESCAPE

STELLENBOSCH – AFRICA'S GRAPE ESCAPE

david ovens

When Commander Jan Van Riebeeck planted the first grape vines at the
foot of Table Mountain in Cape Town in 1656 there were few who
imagined that South Africa would become a highly respected wine
producer.

There was good reason for the scepticism as the Dutch Free Burghers
were not blessed with great viticultural skills, but 20 years later
with the arrival of the Huguenots - many from well known wine regions
in France - things began to take a turn for the better.

These days South Africa has a fine international reputation for both
red and white table wines, not to speak of rich dessert wines and fine
sherries; and has turned its wine-growing areas into fascinating
tourist destinations to complement the natural wonders of Table
Mountain and the wild coastline running east from nearby Cape Town.

A close look at the four wine areas - Stellenbosch, Franschoek, Paarl
and Breede River- will take the connoisseur days, or even longer,
especially if one lingers is some of the splendid restaurants which
dot the countryside with frequency nearing that of the aged, shady
oaks which are practically the trade mark of the wine areas.

For the traveller who likes to maximise sightseeing the Stellenbosch
wine route has the added interest of the city after which the area is
named.

Of all the towns founded in the Cape by the Dutch East India Company,
Stellenbosch is the second oldest after Cape Town, and is one of the
best preserved in the whole of South Africa.

Know also affectionately known as Eikstad because of its proliferation
of graceful oak trees (some of which are declared national monuments,)
Stellenbosch is home to the finest examples of Cape Dutch architecture
to be found anywhere.

Now also a famous university city, it is the gateway to the wine
country and a virtual living museum. In the heart of the town on
Ryneveld Street is the recently completed Village Museum of six
restored houses, some of which date back to the late 1700's and all of
which are in the styles characteristic of several historical periods.

A military museum is housed in the Kruithuis (powder house) which was
built on the west side of the town in 1977 and in nearby Dorp Street
is the longest surviving row of houses in South Africa. All are more
than 100 years old and in splendid condition as modern residences.

Whether you're taking tea in the quaint Stellenbosch cafes, sitting
under shady pergolas at wineries or at tables in buildings of
yellow-wood beams, reed ceilings and Batavian floor tiles the cuisine
in this part of the Cape Province will invariably delay you.

Traditional Cape dishes, many referred to as Cape Malay, will be a
brand new experience, even for well travelled Australian palates.

Not to be missed is the smoorsnoek, a local salted fish, braised with
onions, potato and chilies, and bobotie a tangy curry of minced meat
baked slowly in the oven and topped with an egg custard. With the
right dedication of purpose one should then give serious consideration
to the Cape brandy puddings and melktert, a baked milk tart which will
appear on many a menu during your stay.

But, what is a splendid meal without the company of the region's
lifeblood - a glass a two of lush cabernet, some vintages of which
will remind Australians of our own robust red wines, or a finely
balanced white which many will find more reminiscent of German-style
whites.

There is ample opportunity for more of this at the scores of wineries
which hide among the giant oaks trees grouped around the rolling
plains with their craggy backdrop of shimmering grey mountains.

African holiday specialist Bench International has a range of packages
which include Cape Town and its nearby wine-growing areas. The area is
included in a 14-night Grand Tour of South Africa costing about $2400,
plus air fares from Australia. For travellers stopping off in Africa
on the way to Europe there's a three-night Cape Town package costing
from $720 including sightseeing. Details from Bench International
phone 02-9290-2877 or 1800-221-451 or visit
www.benchinternational.com.au

…………………

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

PICTURESQUE: the Cape Dutch-style Stellenbosch Hotel takes visitors
back to a charming earlier era in South Africa's famed winelands.

TABLE BAY nestles in the folds of Table Mountain that stands majestic
with its head and name-sake plateau in the clouds.

Photos: South Africa Tourism