Getting there is half the fun. From a town near the base of the mountain, minibuses depart every 20 minutes, then climb for 30 minutes up a series of switchbacks with sheer drop-offs, finally reaching a cable-car station. The cable car takes only a few minutes to ascend 600 breathtaking meters. From there it's a hour's hike to our hotel. Virtually every rock, tree and peak has a name suggested by its shape or history, and my guide Sophia recited them all. But I was too immersed in the beauty of this place to retain the names, and I took pictures instead.
Howard Abracen (1943-1978) was a gifted photographer, painter, sculptor, racing car driver, chess master, and patron of the arts. He was the loving father of his daughter Sonja, whom he adored. Howard was Lou's beloved cousin, and like an older brother. This gallery contains a priceless photo of Howard, and several portraits by him. As they reveal, he was a master of black-and-white portraiture. Sonja, like her late father, has eclectic artistic capacities.