我的西遊記 my Travelogue to the West (Part-1)

 

旅遊是否有樂趣，在於有沒有好遊伴。可是我內人還每天上班（她說要繼續上班到九十歲），又不喜歡旅遊，所以退休後三年，兩人出遊的次數不多。九月初終於決定我一個人 九月二十八日 到西岸Portland訪問老友張長喜，在他家住宿三夜，也可以和甘以昌、洪賢明等見面聊天。 十月一日 飛往Sacramento在二兒子家住一星期。原想只和郭德彰通個電話，結果Seattle郭德彰夫婦說要開車三小時來Portland。這麼一來會有五位老同學、四位太太可以一起聊個痛快。到Sacramento還可以和劉文彬夫婦見面。在美國國內一個人出訪朋友，這是第一次。

根據CSC，Portland還有好風景。我們已經到過世界幾個地方看過好歷史景觀，發覺這些是畢一生時間也看不完。因此，風景好不好，對我不是旅遊的重點。我還以為朋友寄過來各地數位相片，或是在電影上看到的各都市街道，已經是不怎麼亞於現場觀察的仔細呢。

話雖這麼說，看現場當然還是有差異的啦。其實我最近頻寫古人傳記，比較瞭解歐洲古都歷史的一部份，使我很想去歐洲各個老都市看看；有目標了。

這篇是我的西遊記相片（美國兩個西岸都市，Portland and Sacramento），photo-“Travelogue to the West”。現在用相片作為旅遊記錄比揮筆舞文還要傳神。寫作嘛，可作為寫傳記、傳達資訊用。風景不錯，但是看朋友才是我的主要目的。

From more than 30,000 feet above the sky, I saw those round greenish circles.  I do not know what they are.  I believe each must be miles in diameter.  They could be some kind of farms centered around deep water wells and irrigation pumps

CSC's gorgeous house surrounded by old trees, on the bank of Willamette River, a major branch from the Columbia River that separates Washington and Oregon States.

Japanese style bonsai has been CSC's hobby for many years.  To go out into the yard and breath fresh air, playing around the small trees is a good healthy activity, better than sitting in front of the laptop for hours everyday, like I do.

CSC does not manipulate tree branches much, but does use some stones to change their directions occasionally.

The front yard of his house!

The front yard.  Definitely Japanese style.

This interior is totally designed by CSC!!  A professional level.

KTC (Guo Deh-Zhang, or GDZ, is better.  But we should respect his past usage.) couple, and YCK couple arrived.  Kuos are from Seattle.  They drove 3 hours!  I am getting impatient now and driving for 3 hours may require rest on the way.

Then SMH couple arrived.  They live nearly an hour away, in another part of Portland.

CSC went to fish market, chose the fish, and cut sashimi, toro for the evening.  His skill and knowledge about tuna, sashimi, or toro should be as good as an authentic Japanese chef, or better.  Actually besides toro (on the right), the steak that evening was so delicious! 

Five classmates, 47 years after graduation!!

We spent the evening chatting, did not feel that there were years passed since we graduated and met on some reunion meetings.  E-mails, digital photos kept us always close.  Come to think of it, some classmates who passed away more than 30 years ago never knew what computer could do and how internet would develop.  And 20 years from now, how medicine would change the health of people with genetic propensity to develop some chronic diseases! 

Only about 5o years ago, 70 years of age was considered very old!  But one thing we all felt during our gathering was that we do not feel as old as we should.  I was probably the only one with a few minor health problems (though CSC and KTC had rather major surgeries).  However, regardless of how wrinkled our faces are, we still felt like and acted like we were in the early 50's.  No one looked stooped, or slow, or having difficulty getting up from the chair.  No one was drooling.

Maybe our health is still that good, being helped by good medical care, vitamins, diet, exercise, continuous mental activities, lack of pressure, and successes in our  lives. 

(By the way, exercise was one of those things that was emphasized by Islamic polymath, Avicenna of 11th century, in his most famous medical encyclopedia Canon of Medicine.  I shall post the biography of Avicenna in the blog soon.)

The most recent family photo of CSC.

The house is on the Willamette River bank, about 10 meters above the water level.  There is a board gangway to the river, and he used to have a boat.  But he gave it to his good assistant of years.  It does take some time and effort to take care of a boat, pulling it out of the water before each winter. 

The interior of the house designed by CSC.

Getting ready to drive out to Ecola State Park, or beach, one and a half hours drive.  We drove two cars, KTC couple in his, so that they could leave for home by the end of the day.

Before getting to the beach, there were miles of roads inside a beautiful forest.  Some trees have huge trunks.

The weather in Portland, when I was visiting, was said to be exceptionally good, sunny, and mild.  They do not have Dallas-like scorching summer. 

The beach was owned by private families.  Since 1932, they started to sell or even donate their lands to the State to make up 2700 acre State beach park, buffered by forest zone. 

Sea lion rocks.

After the State Park, we went to the Canon Beach village nearby.  I could not resist taking pictures of those beautiful flowers alongside the street.  There were visitors enjoying the stroll in the street and snacks in stores.  It is an easy going village, probably most suitable for the retired persons. 

One of the nice pizzeria.  The waiters in Italian restaurants all wear black, like I do!!

After the Canon beach, we drove another hour along the Columbia River back to Portland and went to a Japanese restaurant, Hakatamon.  Imagine that CSC, YCK, SMH families have lived in this area for 30+ years, longer that in Taipei!!  On our way back to Portland, KTC left for the Seattle.

CSCs and their grand kids.

The third day, it was YCK's trun to drive me around with Mrs. CSC (Huei), YCK's sister.  We were to see the Mount Hood, Scenic Highway along the Columbia Gorge etc.  CSC stayed home to tend to his bonsai.  Too crowded to have 3 people in the back seat.

Eating is always the most important activity.  They all knew the way.

The famous View Point Inn where many people held their wedding and leave a brick with their names paving the alley.  The view is magnificent.  People are nice.

Then we went to a Sherrard Point where we had to park and walk up to about 100 meters height by the stairs.  Having been on chairs more than several hours everyday for the last few months, my legs became weak.  The next day, my calf muscles were so sore.

Spectacular view of the Mount Hood, 11235 ft high, and 2.2 miles from the Sherrard Point.  There were 4 other mountains that can be seen from The Point, including volcanic Mount St. Helen that erupted 30 some years ago and accumulated 2-3 inches of volcanic ashes on the roof of the houses in Portland!!

This is the Vista House, a Crown Point of the State Scenic Corridor.

The view from the Vista House.  The wind is very strong in this valley and the people enjoy surfing in the river below.

The chief engineer of the Scenic Columbia River Highway is Samuel G. Lancaster (1864-1941). He overcame many obstacles and built the highway "of poetry and drama" through the Gorge, replacing early trails.

Multnomah Fall along the Highway.

Horsetail Fall.  There should be several small water falls along the River Highway, but we saw only those two.

The end point of the drive was Bonneville Dam where we watched artificial salmon ladder, migration of those fish through glass windows from inside a building.

YCK, being a fishing devotee, could name all those fishes.  He seemed to have tasted all of them!!  And fishing activities made him look very fit!

Imagine a lowly salmon has something like GPS built in their brains and could travel hundreds of miles and come back to their original birth places!!  Just amazing!

 

[ Continued to :  我的西遊記 my Travelogue to the West (Part-2) ]