Where in the World is Manali

Doubtful Sound and Bottlenose Dolphins!!!!

2011-01-08T14:43:00.000-08:00

Besides catching up with my dear friend Kelly...this was the HIGHLIGHT of my NZ adventure!!!
Glaciers created this natural spectacle of beauty! This place is one reason why I LOVE nature!!

The Doubtful Sound is in a quite remote location. To get there: First by boat for 45-minutes across Lake Manapouri to the Power Station. Then picked up from there by coach for a 30-minute ride along a the 2 million dollar Wilmot Pass to arrive at the dock of the Doubtful Sound!

This overnight excursion is one that should NOT be missed on a trip to New Zealand! And the company Real Journey's is FANTASTIC!! The crew works so hard to deliver a memorable journey! The meals were outstanding...one of the passengers said, "I can't cook this well in my own kitchen, let alone on a boat!"

First activity: kayaking on the Doubtful Sound! Oh!! That was immensely liberating!! To see how small I was against the cliff faces that surrounded me is an experience that will I NEVER forget. I kayaked along the Fiordlands walls and in the spray of the waterfalls!

Second activity: swimming in the Doubtful Sound!! So while kayaking I put my hand in the water and it felt warm, so I thought great it's not going to be be too cold after all. I was too excited to go in more than ever!! So I took a leap off the stern of the boat and hit the water...the ice cold water!!!! BRRRRRRR!!! is an understatement. I really think my heart stopped and my body turned blue. So I flailed my arms around a bit in the water and called it a swim! It was FANTASTIC!! And I'd do it all over again!!! Maybe next time with a wet-suit ;)

Aboard the boat I had the pleasure of meeting three wonderful people!! Karen, Christine and Collin are from Australia. They befriended me while on the cruise and that just made the whole experience so much more enjoyable. They were so kind to me and took my photo when I requested without hesitation. We shared stories, food and drinks! Karen I'm still working off all that dessert! Cheers to my new friends! I will be over for a visit!!

The animal highlight of this cruise were dolphins...bottlenose dolphis and we saw them FOUR times!!! The crew said that was unusual to see them so many times. Usually they see them once! These characters were just as exciting as the Hector's Dolphins in Akaroa. It seems as if they even put on a little dance show for us! FANTASTIC!!!

So besides the activities, the food, the friends and the dolphins; the scenery was just amazing!! Extremely beautiful waterfalls and shear cliff faces!! We had the best weather!! A little overcast at times, rain at times and the sunshine at times!! All the weather changes made you see the Sound in many different lights.

The best part: The skipper stops in the middle of the sound on a really calm part and cuts the engine. He asks everyone to go outside and just be silent and enjoy the sounds of The Doubtful Sound. That was just AMAZING!! Very peaceful and calming...(sigh).

The Milford Sound and The Milford Road

2011-01-06T16:52:00.000-08:00

One of three things I wanted to see on my NZ list! What an incredible scene of the beauty of nature!
Waterfall after waterfall! I will let the photos speak for the Sound.

A Hike in Arrowtown!

2011-01-05T12:21:00.000-08:00

I hiked the Sawpit Gully Trail in Arrowtown. Initially a pretty tough hike but it was worth the view and the amazing landscape! I felt like I was on the set of Lord of the Rings...minus Frodo and the gang ;) But truly a spectacular landscape! Locals and tourists love this trail because of it's variety of terrain, views and rolling hills!

Arthur's Pass National Park

2011-01-04T13:40:00.000-08:00

Even on a foggy overcast day this park is spectacular!! Driving up to and through the pass was thrilling!! Windy roads and scenic overlooks are a bad combination, but no worries, we arrived safely. A hike to Devils Punchbowl Waterfall was an easy 30-minute trek with a stunning reward at the end!! Once I arrived to the platform to see this gorgeous and powerful waterfall rushing down I embraced the spray! It was soft and cool and quite refreshing! This place I will definitely come back to for a more rigorous hike!

Hector's Dolphis and a Blue Penguin

2011-01-03T10:07:00.000-08:00

Katy, Ryan and I drove to Akaroa for a harbour cruise and we saw Hector's dolphins, which can only be seen in New Zealand! Goodness these creatures are just soooo beautiful and graceful! They look like they are literally flying through the water!
My favorite part of this cruise was laying eyes on the fairy penguin or more affectionately, little blue penguin. Soooo tiny and sooo cute! When I saw this little guy I immediately thought of my niece Esha, sooo tiny and sooo cute! These penguins are the smallest of the all the penguins and the fairy penguins are only found in the southern hemisphere. They only grow to about 16-17" tall. We were very fortunate to see one!

Definitely a must do if you decide to travel to New Zealand!

The South Island Adventure Begins...

2011-01-02T18:58:00.000-08:00

After a great week on the North Island with Kelly, I'm on my own on the South Island...well kinda...
I met two Americans on the flight from MEL to CHC and have been their best buddy since ;) Upon my return to Christchurch, Katy, Ryan and I hired a car for two days and used it to travel to Akaroa, Lyttleton and Arthur's Pass National Park.

Tour de Auckland!

2011-01-02T07:51:00.000-08:00

After recovering from a fantastic New Year's Eve celebration, our first stop...Mt Eden, Auckland's highest natural point, for a birds-eye view of Auckland. I saw the Sky Tower, One Tree Hill (no not the television show) and Rangitoto. Look Mom!!! I'm on top of a volcano!!!
From Mt. Eden we moved on to the Sky Tower for another birds-eye view, but from 328-meters in the sky! Views of TVNZ, the Harbour Bridge, the marina, Rangitoto and Eden Park were all stunning!
My last and most favourite part of touring Auckland...the Auckland Harbour Cruise! As we left the harbour, I saw this really impressive building and was waiting for the guide to tell me...then I realized it was a hotel?? Really?? But really!! The Hilton is quite grand and with it's two wings perfectly set aside the Sky Tower, makes for a wonderful harbour picture. We cruised along harbour and saw other sights, such as the shipping cranes, the Harbour Bridge (actually cruised right under it), naval ships, the Maritime Museum, Devonport, Mt Victoria, North Head and of course my favourite "The Big Baby", Rangitoto!! Rangitoto is the youngest of the islands in the Hauraki Gulf, popping up about 700 years ago. The island's ground was like black rock/slate...you'll have to look at the photos to see what I'm trying to describe.
Last sight but not least...Devonport/Mt Victoria. Just across the harbour and another view, but from a different perspective. The climb up was definitely worth the spectacular view and the silly selfies of Kelly and I!
To end this spectacular day, Kelly treated me to a true Kiwi style dinner...Fish&Chips! With a bottle of L&P and Jelly-tip ice cream!!

A Kiwi BBQ and NYE in Auckland!!

2010-12-31T19:11:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Kelly was so gracious to invite me to her parents home to meet her lovely family. Her mom, dad, brother and two beautiful pups were a pleasure to meet! Her father grilled lamb and chicken and her mom made salad, kumra (like a sweet potato, but not as sweet) and a beautiful yummy dessert!
The next morning I woke to breakfast from the BBQ, my very first! Just before we took off for Auckland we took a stroll along Papamoa Beach and it was a beautiful day with a ton of jellyfish on the beach! Yikes!
On our way to Auckland a quick stop in front of the giant L&P softdrink bottle was a cheesey must on my trip to NZ!!
NYE...well what can I say?? I'm fortunate to have been one of the first people in the world to ring in 2011!! We went out for dinner at dine by Peter Gordon! Whoa! What a feast!! I can't recall how many courses we had but each one was scrumptious!!! Dinner was followed by staring in awe at the fireworks that were shot off of the Sky Tower!! Yeahhhhhh!!!! Happy 2011!!! What a way to start my new year!! Thanks to you Kelly for a wonderful evening!! (Sorry everyone no photos from our night out ;))

Learning About Kiwis and Sheep!

2010-12-30T22:39:00.000-08:00

Rainbow Springs Wildlife Park is where I met my first Kiwi...the actual bird, that is. So cute, but so endangered. Here at this park they are rescuing and breeding the Kiwi. They are really interesting little creatures. Two facts of many: 1. They have wings but cannot fly and 2. They have marrow in their bones like humans!
In the photo above, note that Kiwis are not that gigantic!

Holy Sheep!!! At the Agrodome I learned about 19 breeds of sheep, sheep dogs and saw a shearer shear a sheep (try saying that three times fast)!! I was even able to bring a bit of that little guy's wool home! What a show! Even Romney showed up! ;)

Smells Like Rotten Eggs!!

2010-12-30T21:58:00.000-08:00

The next morning Kelly drove us to a traditional Maori village with geothermal springs...Whakarewarewa! There is a smell of sulphur that rises from the geothermal springs, but it doesn't taint the flavor of the food and it really wasn't that strong.

I saw a traditional meeting house, dancing and listened to traditional Maori singing! The people in this village use the geothermal springs to cook sweet corn and other veggies! They utilize the steam as an oven and cook their meals in the ground!

The best surprise was a natural geyser shooting upwards in the distance! I haven't been to Yellowstone yet, so my first geyser experience was pretty cool!

Water and Relaxation

2010-12-29T22:14:00.000-08:00

Next stop on the Kelly/Manali adventure...Huka Falls and Lake Taupo. Huka Falls are the largest falls on the Waikato River...they may not be Vic or Niagara, but they are still beautiful! Waikato river is one of the longest rivers in New Zealand and drains into Lake Taupo. We decided to refuel and rest while watching the sunset over Lake Taupo...the largest freshwater lake in all of Australasia!

Ruakuri and Waitomo: Caves and Glowworms...(no not the worm-doll you used to have as a kid)!

2010-12-29T22:13:00.000-08:00

December 29th, 2010 off and running!! Kelly drives us 2.5 hours to Waitomo to see limestone caves and glow-maggots...I mean glowworms! Initially I thought okay, we are going to see caves...I've seen them before in PA (Laurel Caverns) but I was just totally blown away! First by the entrance at Ruakuri...a spiral ramp that descends ~12 meters! Imagine entering and looking 12 meters down a spiral ramp...not spectacular?? Well imagine this...staring down by daylight and the light is out and it's pitch black, then each level of the ramp is lit with a row of soft rust-coloured lights. Level by level each row is flicked on for dramatic effect! Still not impressed...well you have no imagination and just need to go to NZ and see for yourself! At Rurakuri Caves we see amazing formations of stalagmites and stalactites and glowworms that are literally inches from your face! My photos don't do these caves justice, so please follow the link above. The guide that took us on the tour was one of the people who helped reconstruct the entrance and footpaths in 2004, so tourists no longer entered upon a sacred Maori burial area.
The paths are concrete floors and metal bridges that are suspended with cables secured into the walls of the cave?? Unbelievable! And then comes the sights of the formations of stalactites, stalagmites and cave coral! Throughout the tour only a section of the path is lit at one time and is on a timer (this is to conserve energy and preserve the cave). So at one point the tour guide says, it's going to be pitch black for a few meters. Just place your right hand on the railing and follow. Uhhhhh....okay...so I let the darkness pull me in and held on tight to that railing and followed it to the end...although at times my feet did not want to move. What a dramatic prelude to formations! We were able to see glowworms up close & personal but the true beauty of them can only be seen by boat in the Waitomo Caves.
Waitomo Caves weren't the same after a tour by a guide who actually helped build the paths into the Ruakuri Cave. Waitomo's best feature was floating silently on a boat in the pitch black with the ceilings of the caves lit up by millions and millions of glowworms!! It looked like a night sky filled only with blue stars!! Just beautiful, absolutely beautiful!! Oh so pretty...and shiny!!

Arriving to New Zealand!!

2010-12-28T22:02:00.000-08:00

Wow! What can I say!! I guess in the words of the Terminator..."I'll be back!" A country of two major islands both so beautiful and uniquely different. North island...sooo many things to see. South island...sooo many things to do. So here's a glimpse of my trip!

To New Zealand: OAK-->LAX-->MEL-->CHC-->AKL.
Departed on December 26, 2010 at 1600.
Arrived on December 28, 2010 at 2130.

Greeted by my photo-trigger happy friend Kelly!!! (The best part of arriving to New Zealand)!!

First "tour" Auckland at night! Night sky lit up by the Sky Tower and the Harbour Bridge and who can forget TV NZ!!

What a surprise...in Frankfurt??

2009-06-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

The night before my trip home I packed all night and barely slept. My mind became a big mess and I ended up missing my flight. So I took the next flight out of London and it put me in Frankfurt. Yes another city I can check of my list of places I've been, but an unexpected surprise with an even better ending. I didn't have a Lonely Planet to guide me through Frankfurt...I only had my intuition. I used my intuition to initiate a conversation with another backpacker. And to my surprise I not only met a backpacker, but a gourmet backpacker, Oz! Oz is a chef and not your average food network channel chef, but really an Iron Chef! We became fast friends with our common interests of photography and food and of course the love of a new adventure. Oz was planning on meeting a friend in downtown and as luck would have it I became friends with her (Meltem) so quickly that she offered me a place to stay that evening. The three of us and another backpacker made a feast that would excite all of your senses. Chef Oz and I prepped the food as Meltem and her friend made outdoor arrangements to enjoy our feast. We made sausages (well what else would I want in Germany???), potato salad with a dressing that I cannot recreate, bread and of course beer! This meal left our bellies full our mouth satisfied and hunger satiated! The evening came to end with hugs to the boys and a conversation about friendships between Meltem and I. The next morning I woke for my flight and was saddened to leave my new friend in a new city that I barely discovered. All I know is I left Frankfurt knowing I'll always have a friend there. Thanks Meltem for your hospitality, YOU ARE FABULOUS!!

A New City, A New Love Called London!

2009-06-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

London, my love, oh how I miss you dearly! I miss your castles, your towers, your bridges and especially your pub crawls ;) London, you captured my heart and held my mouth agape as I gawked at your sights. I enjoyed watching you from double-decker buses, from "your eye" and from in between gates. Gates to palaces and gates to cathedrals. Oh how I wish I could lay in the grass again at Westminster Abbey, ride the tube to Charring Cross and sip a latte in Trafalgar Square, better yet have a lovely Pimm's with a good friend and eat your once national food of fish and chips! You were so kind as to entice me with your delicious foods from Borough market, dazzle my taste buds at Roast and grace me with company so pleasant that I did not wish to leave. I loved taking your picture as the sun shone down on your sculptures in Buckingham Palace and of your guardsmen during beating the retreat. You gave me a special surprise that day with a little wave from your Queen! Oh my heart filled with joy and my eyes widened on that unbelievable moment.

I enjoyed watching your theatrics at the Old Vic, the Criterion Theatre and especially at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park. Although that day was the day you chose to show me how cold, literally, you could be by drizzling droplets of water on my head all performance long. I tell you London, I still had a fantastic time watching Shakespeare!! My most favourite part of my visit with you was your kindness to reunite me with my travel mates, Sat, Jamie, Hayley, Mannie and Livie! Without them I would not have understood your kindness to welcome so many to your home. And what will I give you London? One day I hope to give you my presence again, whether it be for a vist to walk like a Beatle or to reside with you permanently and fall in love all over again! I thank you, my dear sweet London, I thank you. I think of you often longing for a reunion...one day, my fair city...one day.

Israel with Friends

2009-06-16T19:29:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful experience in Israel! I was fortunate enough to make friends with a very cute Israeli couple while we were traveling in South Africa. This lovely couple gave me a lift from Blyde River Canyon back to Johannesburg and we've been friends ever since. So when they asked me to come and visit them in Israel I took them up on their offer! I was greeted at the airport by Katty (no longer pregnant), Shay (husband), Linoy (first daughter) and the new addition, April! A cute family of four to greet me with open arms!
Katty and her family took me to the boardwalk area where we saw Capoeira dancing, children running and laughing about, people enjoying the sunset over the sea while munching on food and sipping on drinks. We even strolled by a little local market! It was a great first night in Israel.
While there I ventured off to Jerusalem on my own and was astounded by the Wailing or Western Wall! The sight was humbling. The wall is sectioned off for men and women, but like a neighbors curiosity one can climb up on a chair and easily peek over the fence to see what's going on. On the men's side barmitzvahs were abundant! Young boys carrying the Torah while their male counterparts singing and rejoicing in the tradition of celebrating a boy's coming of age. Such joyous celebrations in the back grounds contrasted so starkly in the foregrounds near the wall with those individuals crying and sobbing while pressed against the wailing wall. That was another humbling moment for me. Every crack/crevice of the wall was jammed with small slips of paper with people's prayers on them. I joined the masses and began to write my prayer, folded it, gave it a kiss and with all my might shoved it into an open crevice. Feeling overwhelmed, I stepped back, admired my little slip of paper, gazed around at so many women coming together for one purpose and just sighed. So wonderful!
I walked around Jerusalem along the via Dolorosa where its believed that Jesus took his last steps. On this path there are plaques that indicate what happened to Jesus at certain points along the path. Unfortunately now most of these alley ways are covered in souvenir stalls. I did enjoy what was unobstructed. One of the best pieces of architecture there was the Dome of the Rock mosque. It took me ages to find the only entrance that permits non-Muslims to enter through. For a religion that highly promotes tolerance I didn't really appreciate this "discrimination". All the entrances/exits lead to the mosque and if you are non-Muslim then you are only granted access via one entrance, but you are permitted to leave out of any entrance/exit. The air of religious tension is obvious...unfortunate and obvious.
After seeing all I could in the heart of Jerusalem I scurried off to the Israel Museum where I laid my eyes upon 2000 year old documents...The Dead Sea Scrolls. I just couldn't believe that on my trip how much I've been amazed by and I continue to be in awe at everything I am fortunate enough to see! Most of the documents there were written in Hebrew and look amazingly good for surviving 2000 years. Incredible!!
The best part of this adventure was having the opportunity to see it from a locals perspective and enjoying a local lifestyle. Thank you Katty, Shay, Linoy and April for a wonderful time and I hope to one day return for another visit!

From Egypt to Jordan in 20 days!

2009-06-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

On my flight from Jo'burg to Cairo I met an Egyptian man who took me in like I was his daughter! My dear friend now, Salah! He gave me his number and offered to show me Cairo, so after traveling to the oases I took him up on his offer. Salah drove me around Cairo and showed me where Anwar Sadat was assasinated and now laid to rest. My first trip to the pyramids was courtesy of Salah and it was great! We only had an hour and rushed to see all the pyramids and the scenic viewpoints as well as the sphinx! It was great that I had Salah to tell the tourist police that I just wanted one more picture!!! He was kind enough to take a few pictures of me in front of the great wonders of the world!! Thank you Salah!! We then moved on to his friend Meena's place. She moved to Cairo from Canada about three years ago! A lovely woman who fed us and entertained us with her stories of being cheated in the markets when she first moved to Cairo!! Now she's got a seafood guy she can trust! After a lovely meal, Salah showed me Cairo by night! All lit up in it's colorful beauty! We saw a couple that just got married standing on a bridge getting photos with an amazing backdrop of the Nile and Cairo Tower! Locals standing on statues near the opera house and the riverfront alive with couples and families and falafel vendors! Oh the smell of those tasty falafels!!! YUMMY!!!!!!!!!! So around midnight Salah and I finally said our sad goodbyes but not without him stopping for a tasty treat of peanuts for me!

Next morning I met my tour group of 10 and off we headed to the Egyptian Museum for an information session that blew my mind! This museum is overfilled with mummies, sarcophagi, jewelry, pottery, canopic jars and amazing stone carvings!! The archeology foundation is building another museum near Giza to house it all...but even that won't be enough because every month there is a new discovery! Next stop The Pyramids!! Even cooler the second time around! Listening to the history the discovery and the conservation made this time a different experience! The pyramids are really as amazing "AS SEEN ON TV"!! I even crawled inside one...didn't find any kings just a bunch of other tourists! It was incredibly cool to know on May 11th 2009 I was inside a pyramid!! After climbing out of a pyramid I climbed on it near the No Climbing sign...yes bad tourist I know...sorry! Off to see the Sphinx!!! I gave him a kiss and was in awe at the view! Head like a king and body of a lion with one of the pyramids in the background...look out Nat Geo have I got a picture for you!
After a stinky and scary camel ride our group was off to a perfume shop. Egypt is known for making essences. They've got all the labels but call them by different names like Essence of Nefertiti or 1000 Arabian Nights...I didn't buy any...I'm okay with Eau de Manali (not a word Maulik!) Next we stopped at a papyrus shop and there I did a little damage...thank goodness for Capital One! After a tasty lunch we headed for the train station and set off for Aswan!

In Aswan I saw the Philae Temple, had dinner in a Nubian village and bargained for a few souvenirs and my most favourite sight...Abu Simbel!! At Philae Temple my group and I had a lovely time acting out the story of Set, Osiris, Isis oh and uh...sorry Mannie and Wassim but I've forgotten the other woman's name...it was the heat that melted my brain! A great temple with stunning work and the size is the one thing that always fascinated me the most!! Just incredible!!! Abu Simbel was my favourite because of it's story...this monstrosity of a temple was relocated 65m higher and 200m back from the river after the river was dammed. An incredible feat! Ramses was a bit full of himself at this temple depicting himself so largely and carving his cartouches so deep! But the man was very smart!

Aswan is where the felucca trip began and it was the highlight of my time in Egypt. I know the temples are great, but sailing on the Nile without a motor, just a sail and relaxing and reading and swimming and sitting in the sun and getting browner and browner (sorry mom and dad) and listening to the sound of the water slap up against the boat...just heavenly!! We only spent two nights on there, but I could have spent an entire week! The nights were great as well as we docked along the bank of the Nile had a fire sang and danced and smoked a little shisha (flavored tobacco)! Sigh...those were the days...Our boat docked finally in Kom Ombo and off for more temple sightings!! Edfu Temple was brillant again with it's size and the depth of the carvings into the stone...patience is what these artists and engineers had the most.

Last temple stop...Luxor! It was blazing with heat and humidity here!! Stepping outside caused a puddle of perspiration to quickly pool at my feet!! In Luxor I eyed up the most stunning ring at a silver shop that I've ever seen!! Almond shaped, about an inch and a half long and half an inch wide with markecite and rubys...oh it was beautiful!! But if I wanted to return to the US I would need it to fly me home, so it was left there in the window longing for my finger...sigh. The next two temples were just as amazing as everything I saw from the beginning of this trip. Luxor Temple by night lit up with light orange bulbs against a clear midnight blue sky oh just incredible...when I thought I wouldn't need a tripod and this was the moment I did...oh guess I'll just have to come back one day...hopefully on Nat Geo's expense...a girl can dream can't she!? Final Temple...Karnak Temple which one day will be connected to Luxor Temple by a stone path 5km long lined on both sides with sphinxes (or is it sphinxi???). This temple is known for people walking around a statue of a scarab for good luck. So I circled it 10 times!! A scarab is a beetle...like the ones in the movie The Mummy, but none came to life!

My last destination in Egypt was Dahab...ahhhh...Dahab, a place of absolute bliss!!! Drinking freshly squeezed juices, eating seafood caught that morning, smoking shisha and listening to the waves of the Red Sea, diving in the Sea and witnessing an amazing reef of corals from colors that only computer imaging could create as well as spotting lion fish, snorkeling in the Blue Hole and feeling like you are in a world all your own (that is until a group of 50 Italians come talking with their hands through the water)...ahh...yes bliss...just heavenly bliss!!

Off to Jordan...although I was excited to see Petra I was sad to leave Egypt behind a place where I fell in love with the people and the culture...a place I will definitely return to in the future! Crossing into Jordan was a trying experience as our group needed to make our way via Eilat, Israel. At the border crossing I was grilled on my birth place, my religion and why I had a Dubai stamp in my passport. I politely answered all questions and was given access to pass through Israel to Jordan. I wasn't the only who was held up with a barrage of questions. My Kiwi friend Hayley was actually stopped and escorted to a security office secondary to having a stamp from Morrocco in her passport. After about 20 minutes or so she was also given permmission to cross the 20 minutes through Israel to Jordan. First destination...Wadi Rum. We spent the night at a cheesey but entertaining bedouin camp...no unusual suspects here, just good food and and dancing! A desert safari ride into Wadi Rum with quite an entertaining driver! The color of the sand and rock formations were absolutely fabulous! Knowing that we were riding through a desert that once was all under water was quite striking...global warming...sigh.

Second stop...PETRA!!!!!!!!!!!! A city 2000 years old carved out of a mountainside and eroded away by floods and wind to create an amazing landscape is a sight to see. My words or pictures can't even come close to depicting the beauty and size of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The impressive Siq winding it's way and creating a narrow passageway to bestow upon the doe-eyed tourist a spectacular and quite sizeable building known as the Treasury! Now I saw Petra by night as well and this one mile corridor was lit with small white candles in brown paper bags to lead you in the darkness to the Treasury. The walk is completed in silence as to just to let your other senses take it all in and let you be surprised by the scene at the Treasury. More candles lit, people sitting on Jordanian designed mats all surrounding a sole bedouin man sitting in his white gallibiya, head dressed with a red and white checkered scarf and stabilized with a black ring waiting to dazzle your auditory sensors with music flowing from his oud (a violin like instrument). A magical experience! When I thought the show was over another sound mystified me as I tried to locate it's origin. From inside the Treasury a man was playing the flute and it rang through the area with a sweet melody! Again I can't tell you enough how amazing this sight was and one can only really experience it in all it's glory in person! Seeing only 10% of Petra by day was exhausting but really worth it...the guide on the other hand...not so much. Walking around Petra I wondered how it survived for so many years because when you enter in a tomb/cave and touch the walls the colors of sand just come right off onto your fingertips! It was like a painter's palette! And to think this was only my third day in Jordan...what more could be in store for my eyes!! THE DEAD SEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The second highlight of Jordan! No lifevest needed here...you couldn't swim if you tried...and honestly I didn't try! I was content lying on my back and just floating and enjoying the feeling of absolute weightlessness! The water itself was oily and VERY salty which my eyes had the unfortunate first hand experience of feeling. The sign says just continue to lie on your back and the pain will pass...yeah that didn't happen for me so I felt my way to the shower and relieved my pain and then headed back to the sea for more floating, but not before getting muddy!! Now I'm not sure if the guy who coated me in mud was official or not, but I can tell you he got more than his one dinar's worth! At this point in our trip the seven of us were coated from face to feet with the Dead Sea mud and posed looking like really bad super heros for great photos and even better memories!!! Saying goodbye to the Dead Sea was hard to do but had to be done.

My trip ended in Madaba where I saw the oldest mosaic map containing the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, The Nile, Jericho, Mt Nebo and Gaza! Just incredibly beautiful!! This artist had patience as well. The mosaics are no more than a fingernail big and the colors are amazing!! In Madaba I found a lovely little coffee shop next to the Archealogical Park and enjoyed the loveliest hospitality in Jordan! The shop owner let me use his laptop for two hours while I sipped his refreshing latte and chomped quickly through a homemade chocolatechip cookie!! Later that same evening I enticed the rest of the group to hit up the shop for some lattes! This trip was absolutely fantastic!!! My dearest Egypt, I will be back for you!!!

Traveling in the Oases and a Warning to Women

2009-05-29T04:47:00.000-07:00

When I started my travels in Egypt I began my fourth month of travel in Africa!!! The adventure thus far was fantastic and I didn't realize how much better it was going to get until I arrived in Cairo...but I did have an unfortunate encounter that all women traveling in Egypt must be aware of.

I set off for Siwa Oasis for an adventure that I will fortunately and unfortunately never forget! En route to Siwa I met a Canadian girl named Margarita who had just finished traveling with her family and wanted to continue to do some more traveling on her own. So, I invited her to join me for a desert safari adventure. I was referred to a company in Siwa by friends I met on my overland tour earlier this year, so I figured I would be going with a reliable company. Well, unfortunately that wasn't the case...Mag and I and a another female (M) went for a desert safari ride in a jeep into the dunes of the desert. When we arrived to this beautiful lake in the middle of the desert all of us went swimming (including the guide and driver). I am thankful for my inabilities, as most of you know I can't swim very well and that inability proved to be a pro. The new girl that joined our group last minute swam across the lake with the driver not expecting anything but a cool swim in the lake. When she arrived to the other side the driver gestured to her to place lake mud on her skin as it is supposed to be therapeutic, so she put a little on and then he began assisting her and his hands went places they shouldn't have. She immediately turned around pushed him away and swam back. She did not tell us of this incident until we were at our final destination in the middle of the desert and she was returned back to her hotel. While the guide began cooking he told us of this incident between the driver and M and said the driver felt really bad for doing it. I told him that he should not expect to get away with that kind of behavior with Mag or myself. He said that wasn't his intention. So, we chilled out a bit and enjoyed dinner. Siwa, unfortunately while we were there, was having terrible sandstorms, so I asked our guide to set up a tent just in case we encountered another storm. After my third request he finally set up a tent, but was too late to set it up soundly. Mag and I huddled together under a blanket as to protect ourselves from the wicked sand that was blowing at an unbelievable rate. We occasionally peeked through the blanket and noticed sand piling up on our feet and that just increased our fear even more. After about 45 minutes, our guide finally had a "tent" setup it wasn't as it is pictured to tourists seeking a pleasant night in the desert staring at the stars, but shelter it was and we were glad to take it! So after scrambling for our bags and lugging them over to the tent and lighting some candles we calmed down a bit. At this point the driver had been gone about four hours. So I asked the guide if he would phone the driver to come and retrieve us from the desert as we still did not feel safe being out in the middle of a sandstorm in a tent that could possibly collapse down upon us. His phone was dead...lucky for us I had mine and we called for help and were finally taken to a camp with concrete walls and beds. We spent the night there and safely returned to town the next day. That morning Mag and I tried explaining to the guide that his incompetence put our lives at risk and for that reason he should apologize or say something. He was adamant about not apologizing, so we left town immediately. So anyone reading this please take caution that you are responsible for yourself when you are in the desert, always have a back up plan! Mag and I were very fortunate. Don't worry I've spread the word to other travelers and other desert safari companies of this terrible incident!

Oasis Experience #2...Much Better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So after this horrendous experience you would wonder why I would venture to experience another...well this time I went with friends (and one was male)!!! It's unfortunate ladies, but Egypt is definitely not a place for a single foreign woman to be traveling around on her own especially without knowing the language. So in Bahareya I traveled with Pedro and Almuenda!!! A lovely pair who helped me better my spanish!!! In Bahareya I had a great time eating camel meat, smoking shisha and experiencing the intensity of the White Desert and the Black Desert!! It was absolutely fantastic!!! My guide was great! The pictures will tell the story!!

A South African Experience Local Style!

2009-05-10T02:09:00.000-07:00

This local South African experience began with an email from my family member to her friend in SA, Nadia! From that point on every one of my experiences I seemed destined for. From cancelling plans to depart SA early to crazy bus rides to Nelspruit…everything happened for a reason. I began my journey in Pretoria; with Nadia as my “tour guide, driver and hostess” I enjoyed Pretoria like a local! We started our first adventure in Johannesburg at Constitution Hill. Two prisons here (male and female) held great political activists such as Winnie Mandela and Mohandas Gandhi. We saw their “living” environments and listened as the guide told us their stories of their struggle for freedom. It’s unbelievable to know how horribly they were treated; abused and humiliated. By the end of our two hour tour we were emotionally exhausted. Afterwards Nadia and I received respite from her cousin Reyhana. Reyhana made Nadia and myself a delicious Indian meal that I gobbled up in seconds! We then went out to Fordsburg market or as I like to call it very little India. It’s exactly the same, the smell of coriander, garam masala, deep fried samosas, fresh veggies and of course the infamous body odor…I loved it!! Bootleg CDs and DVDs everywhere, bargaining down to one-tenth of the original price, waiting patiently as some guy goes somewhere to dig out this movie you’ve been searching months and months for, it was FANTASTIC! A wonderful beginning to my journey! Thank you Reyhana for your hospitality!

Nelspruit and Blyde River Canyon
Bussing from Pretoria to Nelspruit I met Mbongwa, a very interesting gentleman to converse with regarding South Africa’s present political situation. (We met before the elections took place.) Out of the kindness of his heart he and his mom and aunty drove me from the bus station to my backpacker’s lodge. Unbelievable generosity! Another reason I believe in karma. At my lodge I met an American couple who were absolutely lovely to talk with. The three of us went on the Blyde River Canyon tour and witnessed the clouds close and open up over the world’s largest green canyon. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, the air so fresh and crisp and the tranquility felt while looking at The Three Rondavels...(sigh)! Checking out many amazing views on the way such as Lisbon Falls, Wonderview and the Pinnacle we eventually came to Bourke’s Luck Potholes. Now many of my fellow Pennsylvanian’s are all too familiar with potholes, but these were like none you’ve ever seen and frankly none that you’d ever become infuriated about. I’m talking about potholes created by water and wind erosion that create the most interesting shapes and curves. Most potholes filled with swirling water and others being flushed by a waterfall! Incredibly beautiful! One of my most favorite places on this trip!

Nelspruit to Jo’burg
My good fortune reappears as I am offered a lift by an Israeli couple back to Johannesburg. Katy a lovely woman pregnant with her second baby wanted to come to explore South Africa with her funny husband, Shay! The three of us had a great time at the casino in Nelspruit…well I should say they had a great time as they came back with more money than was spent and myself on the other hand did not…guess my good fortune wasn’t making an appearance that night. We made it safely back to Jo’burg and I said goodbye as they headed back to Israel, but not without an invite first to visit them!

Durban
I arrived to Durban on Good Friday, where my friend Nadia came to fetch me from the bus station. She unfortunately had to be in Durban because her father fell ill earlier in the week. No worries though he is feeling much better now. Despite having to care for her father, Nadia insisted that I stay at his house as long as I needed to while exploring Durban. While in Durban, which by the way has the largest Indian population in South Africa, Nadia and I visited the botanic gardens and the KZN Society for the Arts and best of all the local Essenwood market! This little market comes alive every Saturday with crafts, food, music and children playing. I bought a few souvenirs for friends and a dress for myself!

My next Durban experience wasn’t so pleasant…The Beach! No I’m not talking about the creepy movie with Leo Dicaprio, but Durban’s safe-if-you-are-in-a-group-beach. As I walked along the beachfront looking for a place to sunbathe (don’t laugh) I spot a place next a white female. I kindly ask her if it’s okay to plop myself next to her and she says no problem. We begin chatting and I find out she’s an American student studying in Durban. After about an hour of reading on the beach she departs and I’m left to fend for myself. Now the beach wasn’t by any means empty…it was Easter weekend and everyone was there to relax and enjoy. Well, unfortunately I never felt completely comfortable because of the overhead announcements: “ATTENTION, ATTENTION TO ALL PUBLIC! PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOUR BELONGINGS! THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THE BEACH NOT HERE TO ENJOY, BUT TO STEAL YOUR BAGS! TAKE CARE OF YOUR BAGS THERE ARE THIEVES ON THE BEACH!” Relaxation not in sight for miles, so I finished my book and left…but hey you should see my tan it’s great!

After dealing with Durban’s poor transportation system I caved and rented a car. So off to see The Valley of 1000 Hills, scuba-diving in the Aliwal Shoal along the South Coast to see two sea turtles, two rays, two eels and some of the craziest looking fish, then to meet a friend of Nadia’s, Leanne and her family. Leanne and her family graciously invited me to attend a rugby match with them and offered me a place to bunk for the night! Good fortune #???? Leanne is a kind and generous and loving individual. Thanks for schooling me on the rules of rugby! Oh and my most favorite …the Flasher Girls!! I look forward to cheering on the Sharks!!

After saying farewell to Leanne I was off to the Gandhi Salt March…my most humbling experience in Africa by any measure! The crowd was ridiculous, people of all ages, races and religions coming together in celebration of Mahatma Gandhi’s struggle for freedom! The young and the elderly dressed in dhotis, carrying walking sticks and wearing sandals just like Gandhiji with the goal of walking 22km! I was overwhelmed with emotion and quickly wiped away my tears as I walked around his home and viewed his pictures and read on his great accomplishments. A true awakening for me. After the welcome speech was made the marchers hit the pavement, some carrying the flag of India and all wearing the Gandhi Salt March 2009 t-shirt. We were a swarm of white t-shirts crowding sidewalks and roadways while motorists honked in support and minibus taxi drivers offered to give us a lift to the end point. We passed by some of the poorest sections of Durban…talk about being humbled…unbelievable. At the end, a few speeches were made and Ela Gandhi closed the ceremony by thanking everyone who participated in the march and honored her grandfather, as she wiped tears from her eyes. For me this was a privilege and an honor to be a part of and I look forward to continuing to educate others on the importance of unity and peace through non-violence.

Narissa & Family…my next wonderful Durban experience!! So Narissa is a friend of Nadia’s who I had the lucky fortune to meet in Pretoria one evening for dinner. We hit it off…mostly because we are both Tauruses! She welcomed me into her home and introduced me to her mother, husband, sister, brother-in-law and her two nephews, as well as her daughter via the phone and oh how could I forget about Serj and Garfield, her cats! Such wonderful people who gave me shelter, food and most of all a family away from family! I learned a lot from Narissa as well, I learned about South Africa’s political history and how she worked elbow to elbow with Nelson Mandela. Narissa turned a beautiful 50 this year and accomplished one of her greatest achievements…earning her PhD…without compromise! She’s been an inspiration to her daughter and is an inspiration to me. The most profound comment she made was, “Most people say I don’t want to live beyond the age of 70, but I say I want to live beyond 70 because 70 years isn’t long enough to achieve everything in life I want to achieve!” Since she’s said that to me I now want to live as long as I can to achieve as much as I can. Meeting Narissa and her family I learned that one can really have it all family, career and most importantly happiness!

My last paragraph is for Nadia. A woman without whom I wouldn’t have been able to see and do everything that I’ve done in the last month. A woman who's shaken hands with Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu and who keeps the autograph of the Dalai Lama. A woman who has been inspired by her father to read and by herself to pursue her goals and I figure by her mother to be so caring and giving. Her generosity is kindest of all. Thank you Nadia for opening up your home, your family’s home and your heart to me! Your kindness is appreciated beyond any simple Thank you!

It's An Obamanation!

2009-04-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

From books to t-shirts to canvas shopping bags to school children’s backpacks, President Obama’s face is plastered all over east and southern Africa. This man is a legend here. This man has not only been an inspiration in America but in Africa as well. His poster that is captioned “HOPE” sells in the souvenir stores of museums and decals of the man cover mini bus taxis. From the wealthy to the poor; from the literate to the illiterate this man is widely known. South Africa recently had its fourth democratic election on April 22, 2009. The last ruling party (ANC) was guaranteed to win the election again despite rape allegations against it’s now President Jacob Zuma. Many opposition parties exist but do not yet have enough support to win over the ANC. So how does Obama fit into all this? Well, radio ad campaigns directed toward the younger generation are expressing that if America can make a change then why can’t we? This ad is encouraging people to actually make it to the voting stations to vote. Also the government has made voting day a national holiday to encourage people to perform their civic duty. So during this time of South Africa’s election year, I have realized that this great President of ours makes an impression of positive change evident across many countries. He is an inspiration to all races and cultures. Random people ask me where I’m from and I proudly say America and then a barrage of questions regarding my opinion on Obama come pouring out of their mouths! It’s incredible! Before coming to South Africa I didn’t know much about Apartheid, Mandela, Gandhi and other political/historical events. In my nearly 2 months in South Africa I’ve learned more than a book would have ever taught me…and am humbled. In 2009 the people here are well in the loop of current American events and this just goes to show me how important it is to read about the world and take my blinders off. Thanks goes out to Nadia, Narissa and Mbongwa!

Cape Town to Jo'burg

2009-04-02T02:52:00.000-07:00

On March 19th my friend Sat and I embarked upon a South African adventure of our very own. No more getting up an hour and a half before departure time, no more setting up/taking down tents, no more pot wash and no more of the awful flapping dishes!!! We rented a car and took off along the Garden Route for Knysna...unfortunately we dawdled too much and ended up making it only to Mossel Bay. Mossel Bay is for bikers…Harleys mostly and since I was driving a Toyota Corolla I just didn’t fit in, so off early the next day to reach Knysna! This is where I had my very first oyster experience…thanks Sat!! Yummy!!! Now how does it go again…bread, wine, oyster, wine, bread?? In any order it’s fabulous! From the deck of the Knysna Oyster Co. Restaurant I took pictures of the lagoon and the two sandstone cliffs, known as the Heads that lead out to the Indian Ocean. Post oyster consumption we drove to an overlook point and the view was breathtaking! The sun shining on the water making it glimmer and sparkle like a gold souk in Dubai! After soaking in the view we headed off to Southern Comfort…no my AA friends not drinking, but a farm-house lodge. Sat and I got up early to head out for a horse-back riding adventure. Yes Abby, more trotting and cantering!! The views were spectacular, the air refreshing and the ride relaxing. After riding we went for a hike in the Knysna Forest. We were given information that the path is circular and a trail leads to the ocean and it takes about a half day, so without a map or registering with the parks office we set off. (Yes yes I already know most of you are shaking your heads and saying, “Fools! You should always take a map and register!”) Well…we ended up getting lost…we made it to the ocean, but it took us about 3 hours to get there and we hiked in a few circles before actually arriving to the viewpoint…by the way was an amazing viewpoint. A rocky beach without a soul in sight for miles!! It was beautiful! I enjoyed it only briefly as I was worried whether we would make it out before sunset. So in my head I was thinking WWBGD (what would Bear Grylls do)? Lucky for me I had a bottle of water, a box of matches, a pack of pistachios and my Swiss Army knife! So long story short, we ended up calling a man by the name of Benit and he directed us to a path and fetched us from the end of that trail! Embarrassed but happy and safe we thanked Benit and headed back to the Knysna Oyster Co. to celebrate our stupidity with more oysters!

Next destination: Cintsa, Actual stop: Grahamstown…SCARY!!!!! A very quick stop over for the night we stayed at Old Gaol Backpackers. This place was a former jail, so now I can say I spent a night in jail! When the employee opened up the door to the cell it made an eerie creaking noise and then she asked me how it appeared to me. I said, it looks cozy, reminds me of home and then laughed and regretted wanting to spend the night in jail. The showers were actually very nice…nothing like Shawshank!

Cintsa and Hogsback
We made it to Cintsa (East and West) in the late morning to lay our eyes upon two completely opposite beaches. Cintsa east flat, white sand with soft waves that brush over your toes ever so gently. Cintsa west large rocky paths that lead a quarter of a mile out into the ocean with harsh waves crashing ashore to heights of 5-10 feet! Both beautiful in the own unique ways. A short time spent at both beaches and then off to heaven…I mean Hogsback! ;)
Hogsback is located at an elevation of 1300m in the Amathole Mountains, about 10km off the main road, up a very windy and narrow road. Our lodge even further about 5km from the center of town on a dirt road full of potholes (slaggate! In Afrikaans). The Edge is a beautiful lodge with great cabins that overlook the valley and city. It was a place anyone could truly relax and get completely lost in their thoughts. The cabin we stayed in had a fireplace, a claw-foot tub and an amazing view! We liked it so much we spent two nights there! And of course I took advantage of having the tub and took a long soak!! Okay besides the cabin, Hogsback had a great place to hike and this time we didn’t get lost!

Next Stop: Malealea, Lesotho!
I know I go on and on about how breathtaking the views I’ve seen are, but it’s the truth and if I could create words that expressed “breathtaking to the infinite degree” then I would use them, but my pictures and words will have to suffice. As we followed the turnoff to Malealea Lodge, I glanced in the side-view mirror and was completely stunned by the sun setting over the ridge of the Thaba Putsoa Mountains. The entire ridge was lit with soft pink as the bright orange fireball slowly descended for the evening! Yes I pulled over and got a few pics! ;)
The next morning Sat and I signed up for a pony trek to see San paintings. My pony’s name was Brown Sugar…I’m not kidding it really was!!! We had a leisurely ride through the farmlands and finally reaching the gorge that housed the Makhaleng River, Echo Cave and Sans paintings. Again a sight so beautiful pictures and words can’t even come close to capturing its beauty! The incredible colors that surrounded us were: canary yellow stones, rusty orange rock formations, hues of green of the farmlands and a perfect blue sky! A must visit place and lodge! That evening I relaxed by the campfire and roasted/toasted mallows and sipped hot chocolate until the generator stopped and then off to bed…

Destination: Sani Pass
An 8km rugged pass from the border post of South Africa to the border post of Lesotho that leads to an elevation of 9400ft via the Drakensburg Mountains. Sat convinced me to hike this pass, with hesitation I said yes and we embarked upon our journey. Many 4x4’s passed by offering to give us a lift to the top and begrudgingly I said no and pushed on. Yes I know I summited Kili, but I just wasn’t in the mood to do another climb. In the end I was ecstatic to have hiked this rocky path and celebrated with a view, brew and food at the highest pub in Africa!

Final Destination: Jo’burg
Not much to say about Jo’burg itself, but I did manage to fit in four movies (Marley & Me, The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons, Gran Torino and Paul Blart: Mall Cop) in two days and a tour of Soweto!
So if you’ve read my blog on my experience with the Kigali Memorial in Rwanda, then you’ll find the following filled with the same emotion…sadness. I visited the original home of Nelson Mandela now a brand new museum that just opened on March 19th 2009, took a driving tour of the three sections of classes (upper, middle and the poor) living in Soweto and saw the current residences of Winnie Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. On June 16th 1976 a group of students marched in the streets to protest having to learn in Afrikaans. These students felt that this language was the language of the oppressor and refused to learn it. They organized a peaceful demonstration, but it turned deadly as the police shot ~200 students dead. Among the students who had died was Hector Pieterson, a 13y/o boy who is now regaled as a hero. I visited the Hector Pieterson Museum which houses the history of the Soweto uprising. I couldn’t complete touring the entire museum because I was too overcome with grief and sadness. My reason to continue to revisit, read and learn more.

Sat, thanks for a great trip! See you again soon!

Cape Town Goodbyes

2009-04-01T06:05:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Cape Town in March on Friday the 13th! The overland group celebrated our last dinner together at a game meat restaurant! My eland was delicious! (Sorry veggies, but you are missing out!) After dinner the real celebration started at Dubliner’s a favorite pub of my fellow Irish friends! We had a great time dancing the night away to a local South African cover band that played Jessie’s Girl, Summer of 69 and to everyone’s dismay a poor version of Metallica’s Enter Sandman. For two days my friend Maura and I tried to make it to Table Mountain, but were unsuccessful secondary to self-induced fatigue. We did manage to make it to Robben Island to see where Nelson Mandela had been incarcerated. On Sunday I rented a car and Maura and I drove out to the Cheetah Sanctuary to see my friend Kelly. (Kelly and I had met when I first started the overland tour in Uganda). At the sanctuary I was fortunate to have the opportunity to pet two cheetah cubs. So cute! After playing with the big cats the three of us headed off for dinner in Stellenbosch. The next morning we went for wine tastings at three different vineyards. Delheim was my favorite for its sauvignon blanc chenin blanc white wine and for its sweet red wine…mmmm!!! Fairview was my favorite for it’s cheeses, especially the white rock with cranberries!!! The next morning I drove to Cape Agulhas with friends. This is where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet and is the southernmost tip of Africa! Another amazing view! The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was really intense, something so violent sounding but so beautiful to look at was quite an ironic sight! That St. Patrick’s evening Maura celebrated her Irish heritage at Dubliner’s while Kelly and I visited her (and now my) friend Kate in Camp’s Bay! We had a lovely lasagna dinner, opened a bottle of Delheim wine and chatted the night away. The next morning I said another farewell to my Kiwi and headed back into Cape Town. On Thursday March 19th Maura and I said our goodbyes and Sat and I headed on our very own journey through South Africa.

Adrenaline Junkie for Two Days!

2009-04-01T03:43:00.000-07:00

In Zimbabwe we stayed right near the Zambian border nearby Victoria Falls…just so everyone knows America has better falls ;) Those of you on the tour reading this will surely get my joke. Anyway, this was the place for a lot of the adrenaline activities, so I decided to partake in a few. First up flying fox…I didn’t know what this entailed but knew it was some type of ziplining activity. The flying fox harness is on your back so you are prone as you sail across a gorge which holds the water of the mighty Victoria Falls. I felt like superwoman!! It was thrilling and only increasing the adrenaline flowing through my body in preparation for the gorge swing.

Next up: Gorge Swing…again I wasn’t sure how this activity worked, but what the heck let’s do it!!! The harness is now in front and I face forward on a wooden plank that’s blazing hot! My toes hang precariously over the edge and I’m not sure what I’m doing here overlooking an intense drop…5-4-3-2-1!!! And I am pulled by the tension of the rope and swing like a gorilla, but not as elegant across this 316m wide, 120m drop with a 70m free fall gorge hanging by a rope!! Wow! Thrilling!!! As I was hanging at the bottom my imagination came alive with my eyes fooling me into seeing crocodiles swimming around in the bottom of the gorge awaiting my rope to snap and have their lunch delivered like dominos pizza in 30 minutes or less! Fortunately for me no crocs…only logs and the rope withstood my weight! Next up: Gorge Swing #2! Yes after my first adrenaline filled-what-the-heck-am-I-doing-swinging-over-a-rushing-river-swing, I decide to do it again…only this time I go backwards…well that was the intention! So again I get to the edge of the plank, feet on fire, facing my trusty harness securing experts, but this time with my heels hanging off! I give the guys one last fearful look, arms crossed over my chest and yell so loudly as the tension of the rope pulls me off!!! I ended up doing a backflip and then flipping back over and flying across this incredible gorge! As a Kiwi friend of mine would say…AWESOME!!!! Again filled with so much adrenaline I came up trembling with a rush and a high that felt so euphoric!!! Unbelievable!! After that I went on to see the falls from above…yes a 12 minute helicopter ride to view a beautiful sight…superfluous rainbows over every part of the falls, seeing the intensity at which the water rushes over the edge to drop 100m below into a swirling pool and a mist so pretty and cool like awakening to a foggy spring morning! Twelve minutes just isn’t long enough.
Next day…BUNGY JUMP!!! An 111m (~360ft) jump from Vic Falls bridge with approximately four seconds of freefall!! As I walked across the bridge, in all honesty I wasn’t scared one bit, I actually thought the bridge was going to be something more spectacular and for some reason I thought it would be higher?? Anyway, I registered, weighed in and patiently waited in the queue. My turn came, I stepped into the harness, secured by two carabineers, sat on a bench as instructed, watched as my legs were wrapped in dark blue towels “for comfort” and a multitude of straps and lanyards and carabineers. As I sat there my new found friends kindly recorded my fear expressed on my face and cheered me on. One last instruction given to me, “Remember this is called a bungy jump and not a bungy fall, so jump!!” 5-4-3-2-1, BUNGYYYYY!!!! I leapt off the edge and plummeted toward the Zambezi River rushing furiously below me!!! Staring all the way down, keeping my body stiff as not to get retracted by the cord like a tape measure! INCREDIBLE!!! The rush was thrilling!! I must have recoiled about 3 times before the elasticity settled in the cord and I spun in circles like an Olympic figure skater…unfortunately I wasn’t accustomed to this motion and began to feel ill. I decided to go into OT mode and deduce whether it was better to keep my eyes shut or open, so I did a bit of both and neither helped. I just spun until I was retrieved and tilted upright and hoisted back up!! I did it!! I bungeed!! The worst part was walking under the bridge back up to the top as my body was trembling with adrenaline!! Oh how incredible!! Later that evening I noticed my right calf was in extreme pain and the driver of the overland truck had noticed some blood in my left eye! I guess that’s what I get for throwing my self off an 111m bridge! FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!

Malawi and horseback riding!

2009-03-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

Lake Malawi is infamous for it's bilharzia so many people are hesitant to jump right on into the lake! But me being the huge water lover that I am jumped right in...okay okay okay, only after three intense games of beach volleyball did I then jump right on in! But regardless the water was the perfect temperature and so clear that I could locate my hair tie after it had fallen toward the bottom. The other great characteristic about Malawi...it's wood carvings! So I purchased quite a few...look forward to your present being made from wood! ;) So Malawi is the poorest country in Africa and these men who hassle you to purchase from their stall will do just about anything to get your sale. So I "bartered" in a pair of ski pants, a camera case and my papa's Steeler's cap! These guys were so happy! Their work is incredible all hand-carved...right in front of you if you want! Amazing artisans!
This next paragraph's for you, ABBY!!! I went horseback riding and even cantered!!! I'm not going to lie...I really wasn't in control of my horse! It very much so had control of me! But I had a great time learning how to trot and canter through the bush!! At the end of the ride we rode the horses into the lake...kind of like a dream! Swimming with horses...yet another thing I thought I'd never do?!! OH what a wonderful experience!!!

PS. Don't worry I took the preventative meds for bilhazria, so I'm doing well avoiding African diseases...oh that reminds me I've got to take my anti-malaria pill...

The Serengeti and Ngorogoro Crater

2009-03-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

I spent three wonderfully amazing nights in/around the Serengeti and the Ngorogoro Crater!! Between both areas I saw the Big 5 (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo)!! The Ngorogoro Crater was incredible...a crater so enormous with semiarid land at the base to lush greenery towards the rim and many species of animals living together! Driving into a volcanic crater is something I never thought I would be able to say I did! The rim of the crater is about 3000-4000m above sea-level and the base...well I'm not certain on that stat, but can tell you its hella deep! It's honestly a giant bowl and it's amazing to see the sky over such a wide expanse of land!
The Serengeti...again a mind blowing sight! An area of land so vast and semiarid, with again a number of animals, little shade and water. We are driving along in the safari vehicle with the top raised and eyes peeled for anything that looks like an animal and our first sighting...WILDEBEEST!!! So many migrating from Kenya to Tanzania...or maybe it was the other way around...sorry can't remember. Anyway, herds and herds of these funny looking scaredy cat looking creatures, but to see them run with such force would scare anyone! Other animals I saw were ostriches, hyenas, pumbas (warthogs), all kinds of antelopes, elephants, zebras, and hippos. We were very lucky those two days to see full grown male lions (yes full mane and all) devouring what appeared to be a buffalo. Two males three lionesses and a few cubs were having their late lunch that afternoon. Also when we thought the only cheetah we were going see was the one so far off in the distance it looked like a dot, luckily as we were exiting a lovely large cheetah just strolled across the road without a care in the world! The grace and beauty of this creature is definitely a sight to be witnessed with your own eyes, not a nat geo show or discovery program, but definitely with your own eyes! Last but not least when we didn't think we were going to see the Big 5 we saw not only one but two leopards just casually relaxing in a tree on the branches, keeping cool. Cats do climb trees and these kids didn't need any firefighter to bring them down!
So my favorite animal...GIRAFFE!!! See Michelle, Lex and I have a common interest! ;) The funny animals are just so cute, the print is so pretty and I'm a fan of the awkward ones!
Two of many of world's greatest sights and I witnessed them...Thank you!!!!

Tour or De-Tour??

2009-03-03T05:43:00.000-08:00

I chose the latter...So my tour (Niv) leader fell in Zambia and suffered a 10x7cm hematoma in her right thigh. After one week her leg was looking worse so she went to the hospital in Maun, Botswana while I spent two lovely nights relaxing in the Okavango Delta. At the hospital the doctor ended up performing an I & D and told her the dressing needed to be changed daily. So I decided to stay behind with her because she needed the help to get around. We left the day after the tour truck set off for Etosha National Park in Namibia. We decided to take a $7 bus from Maun to Ghanzi (4 hours) then another bus (2 hours) from Ghanzi to Charles Hill (near the border of Namibia) the bus drops you off about 8K from the border, so we hitched a ride with two people. We were very fortunate to find two very nice gentlemen from Sri Lanka (Niv's also Sri Lankan) who offered us not only a ride to the border, but all the way into Windhoek (which is 300K from the border). Anyway, they dropped us in town at a gas station and we planned on getting a taxi from there when a wonderful local German couple offered to take us to our accommodation. We've been so fortunate!!! We also lucked out on our accommodation in Windhoek, because it's really heaven...slate tiles throughout the rooms and in the shower a comfy bed with two huge pillows (I appreciate the small things after camping for the last 40 some odd days)!! It was so nice after such a long day of traveling!! Niv is doing well and we went to the hospital today and the doctor said the wound looks good and is healing just fine. So rest easy everyone, she and I will rejoin the tour in Swakopmund tomorrow!!

All I Want for Christmas is a Hippopotamus!!

2009-02-15T23:51:00.000-08:00

Lake Naivasha and Nakuru National Park were absolutely amazing...a lake full of hippos and a park full of beautiful bright pink flamingos lining Nakuru's lake!! Breath-taking absolutely breathtaking!!! My first sighting of a solo hippo among a flock of pelicans was unbelieveable!! He looked like a big grey rock amongst all these white long-billed pelicans!! Driving further through the park we spotted buffalo, antelope, white rhinos (babies and mama), giraffes (sorry Michelle I just couldn't maneuver it's neck enough to fit in my bag for Lexie ;) ), a family of baboons, one hyrax and an orange-headed and blue-bodied lizard!! The viewpoint where we had lunch was too great a sight to capture it's intensity. Nakuru was really beautiful!

Lake Naivasha was full of hippos! My friend Kelly and I were the only two to take advantage of a boat hire and ride out to Crescent Island! A lake full of hippos and one flying hippo!! We were mulling along in the boat and all of sudden about 50ft away a hippo comes leaping out of the water!! The sight was priceless!!! On Crescent Island I had the opportunity to walk without a guide and spot animals, some of which were fish-eagles, giraffes, wildebeest, zebras and antelopes! That was a bit intimidating...looking through my lens and seeing a wildebeest staring back at me...YIKES!!! That was definitely another highlight of this fantastic once in a lifetime trip!!!

To all of you who have been posting on and reading my blog...THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm really happy to know you are enjoying my travels and coming along for this amazing journey with me! I think of all of you often!!!

Go BIG or Go Home!!!

2009-01-31T05:32:00.000-08:00

Whitewater rafting on class III and V rapids on the Nile!! Absolutely killer!!! So amazing!! I can't believe I did it! I do have to publicly thank my heroes Chris (The Life-saving Dutchman) and Tutu (Rafting Guru)!! Without them I wouldn't have had the courage to continue after my first flip!! I flipped on two of the first four rapids and then didn't flip thereafter! On Big Brother there are three rapids back-to-back and four girls in the raft along with four guys, plus Tutu...well we hit the first rapid and all the girls fell out and then the guys fell out on the second rapid!!! I got pummeled by the raft twice and seriously thought I was taking my last breath!!! So incredible!!! I want to do it all over again!!!! On the last section you could go to The Bad Place (where you are guaranteed to flip) or go to 50/50 (self-explanatory) so we decided to test our skills and hit 50/50 and we made it!!! Such a rush!!!! Afterwards, back at the campsite we watched the video and it was hysterical!! Over a grade V waterfall our raft got stuck between two rocks so we had to bounce through it and in the video they sped up the bouncing portion because we were taking so long to get through it!!! In the end we dropped to the bottom of the fall and didn't flip...cause we got skillz baby skillz!!!! I CONQUERED THE NILE!!!

Rwanda: Kigali Genocide Memorial

2009-01-28T22:31:00.000-08:00

The only genocide memorial I've been to is the Holocaust Memorial in D.C., so traveling to Rwanda to see/feel the Kigali Genocide Memorial was a must for me. I wasn't sure how I was going to react and in the end I cried throughout the entire memorial. The various gardens (unity, division, lies, flower, etc) outside are beautiful, the grave-sites are rectangular, smooth slabs of concrete made on three levels and at the end of the grave-sites is a wall of names (similar to that in D.C.) of only identified individuals that were massacred during the 1994 genocide. It's unfathomable to read this history and see the images of those savagely slaughtered by Hutu rebels and know that help could have and should have arrived. Anyone wanting a piece of African history should come to Rwanda for this memorial. The movie Hotel Rwanda is based on the 1994 genocide which is a great film to watch to understand the events leading up to this horrible event. The end of the memorial was the worst part for me...THE CHILDREN'S ROOM. Dedicated to all the children that perished and survived the massacre. The only photos that families had left of their children, first-hand comments from those that survived and etched into frosted glass. The memorial is created in such a way that Kigali/Rwanda wants to show harmony and the circle of life shall continue and Rwandans are continuing the process of healing. An amazingly emotional visit for me and that will last in me forever. I am thankful for the opportunity to have visited Rwanda.

Tour On: Gorillas in Uganda

2009-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

I've recuperated!!!
On my flight to Uganda I met a lovely Indian uncle on the flight. He invited me for lunch the next day in the city and I helped him with his grocery shopping. We had chai at his home and enjoyed conversing about Africa and specifically the history of Uganda. We had such a nice time! That evening my tour group arrived to the campsite and I was happy to rejoin the group! I was up all night playing cards with Kelly, Nev and a few others...so needless to say the next day on the truck was rough! We headed from Kampala to Lake Bunyonyi to an amazingly stunning campsite! Kelly and I upgraded to a pre-erected tent on a balcony overlooking the lake! It was amazing!! When my eyes lay sight on such beautiful scenery I can't believe I'm in Africa. So many commercials on Africa have it all wrong. Uganda, specifically, is a beautiful land full of hills and lush greenery and is a paradise like none other! This campsite is really a place for relaxation...oh and gorilla tracking!!! That night I went to sleep at midnight only to wake at 330am to prepare for the gorilla trek! A minivan picked 8 of us up at 5am and off to Bwindi we went to look for gorillas! When we arrived, we were briefed by our guide on what would be expected of us as we trekked through the rainforest in search of gorillas. Excited and anxious we were off, lead by our guide and followed by an AK47 carrying security guard! Along the way we spotted a really fat and long earthworm and a poisonous snake...which looked more like a harmless gardener snake. After 4 hours of trekking through mud, nettles and swarms of flies we were informed that the gorillas were nearby. As instructed by our guide we left our packs and walking sticks behind and took our cameras in hopes of fantastic photo opportunities of gorillas...and WE SAW GORILLAS!!!! We saw two silverbacks and one black back and one baby! They are amazingly beautiful creatures! Eyes that capture your heart, size of bodies that frighten you and beauty that makes your jaw drop! One of the silverbacks was lying on his belly and eventually rolled over to scratch his arms. The baby was quite active swinging on a vine while another adult gorilla was munching on leaves. Unbelievable...I SAW GORILLAS!!!! The mud was everywhere, nettles got to my hands twice and the terrain was intense at times, but this adventure was priceless!

Tour delayed...in need of Pepto, Cipro, whatever will keep stuff in-o!

2009-01-17T23:46:00.000-08:00

So today (Sunday, January 18th) I was supposed to start the overland tour. I attended the meeting yesterday and met the fun bunch I'm going to be with for a while! Yesterday evening I became violently ill...don't read any further if you can't handle it...stuff coming out of both ends simultaneously. Don't worry too much, because I've been fortunate enough to receive many helping hands from multiple individuals. Bob of Bob and Julie ;) helped me obtain some aromatic bitters and hot water to settle my stomach. AJ gave me some meds to stop the vomitting and diarrhea. AJ also helped me book a flight out of Nairobi to Kampala so that I can meet up with my group. I will keep you posted on how I'm feeling, so far 6 hours and nothing coming out. Just took my anti-vomitting and anti-diarrheal medications and so far so good. Thank you all for your prayers, thoughts and remedies!!

Watamu and SCUBA

2009-01-13T05:14:00.000-08:00

Watamu, Kenya is a little place about 2hours north of Mombasa on the Kenyan coast...and it is B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!!! Water as clear as glass, sand as white as...some of my friends ;)...and seafood so fresh!!!
In Watamu I went scubadiving!! An incredible time. The photos will say it all...speaking of photos...it's really hard to upload to my blog, so what I can upload will be on facebook...sorry. Okay back to scuba! It was ridiculously beautiful!
On the 10th I spent a few hours learning how to work my equipment in a swimming pool with a great instructor. The next morning I went out to the Watamu National Park Reserve for the dive. My poor belly was seasick on the way out, which meant I was belching through my regulator while underwater for 45 mins!!! So my instructor helps me gear up and gets me up on the side of the boat and says I'm going to enter the water by backflipping in...I ask him again to slowly talk me through it and as soon as he did he pushed me into the water!!! No worries...I came up laughing!! The descent was pretty easy, but when I got to the bottom I wasn't heavy enough to stay down, so my instructor ended up hanging onto me the entire time...which was good, b/c I felt very safe!! I saw many starfish blue and orange and a parrot fish and an angel fish! The sights were incredible, the thought of it again is unbelieveable...for a girl afraid of the water, especially the ocean...fears are slowly being conquered...one by one!!!

Kilimanjaro...

2009-01-07T03:30:00.000-08:00

The days were long and tough! For the experience try walking 1-2miles per hour at a 30 degree incline and have someone blast you with a heater for an hour, then spray you with a hose for another hour and lastly drop the temperature to below freezing for an hour...yes all consecutively!
Pole, pole (pronounced po-lay) means slowly slowly. I was utterly sick and tired of that phrase by the time the day of the ascent came! It was quite useful the entire time, though. For 4 days I had an italian couple with me in my group and on Day 5 they decided to call it quits and descend secondary to a headache. (I don't blame them, headaches at altitude are rough)! So Day 5 I walked, pole pole, to Barafu camp with only my guide. That portion of the trek was easy. Upon arrival I was given some food and advice from other climbers. Thanks to my friends from Spain I had some Chamomile tea to settle my belly. At 700pm I went to sleep in preparation for the 1100pm wake up call to summit Kili in all it's glory. I woke, had some tea and biscuits and suited up with headlamp and all!! Half-way up to Stella Point I became nauseated and nothing would settle my belly this time. I lost all of my energy, but pushed on. I ran into my British friends who offered me some energy boosting supplements, but that really had no effect on me. So I struggled and dry heaved all the way up the mountain, to finally reach Stella Point at 5700m!!! AWESOME!!! The sight was amazing!!! I took out my dad's Steeler's hat and snapped a few quick pics...in between the dry heaving...and then quickly began my descent down the mountain. All my energy was spent and I have no idea how I made it back to camp and then 2 hours later to the next camp!!
On my Kili trek I've made some wonderful friends, without their encouragement I would not have made the summit. Also without the music given to me by my brother and sister-in-law and Tim I wouldn't have had the motivation to get from one camp to the next, so thank you!!!

Transit: All signs point to AFRICA!!!

2008-12-27T07:42:00.000-08:00

Upon departure from Pittsburgh International Airport I was checked in by a ticket agent originally from Ghana...sign #1!! The next sign was the best...I walk upstairs to the food court area and realize I can purchase a small Ethopian...coffee...for $1.50!! At that point I knew Africa was calling my name!!
The flight was long, but I got to watch Mama Mia!! It was funny and fantastic. I reached the airport in DAR without a problem and said goodbye to the suckers standing in the long queques for their visa...got mine ahead of time and bypassed all that nonsense. Ali my cabby took me to the Scandanavian Express bus station...and I found out the morning bus to Moshi was full!!! YIKES!!! But, T.I.A. (this is africa) and there is always another way. So my helpful taxi driver took me to another station and I purchased a ticket, so tomorrow at 545a I will be on my way to Moshi!! The African adventure has only begun...

And the Journey Begins...

2008-12-25T10:52:00.000-08:00

I depart for Africa on December 26th 2008 for an amazing adventure of a culture that is beyond anything I have ever experienced. My adventure begins in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania for only one day and then I depart for Moshi, where I hope to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro in 8 days!! (Words I never thought I would utter!) Mid-Jan I begin a 56-day overland tour of east and southern Africa. I will be bush-camping most of the time and laying eyes on animals only seen on Nat Geo!! I've been looking forward to this adventure since three of my friends went on a similar trip earlier this year! I hope you will follow me on my African Adventure by visiting this blog. Please feel free to comment on my blogs as I look forward to hearing from you! Thanks to my family and friends for supporting me in the planning process of this incredible opportunity!

See you in '09!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE END...

2008-08-14T23:37:00.000-07:00

So I've been home a little over a week and I'm still trying to wrap my head around my 3-month 7-country adventure! I walked on The Great Wall of China, witnessed the beauty of Victoria Harbour from Victoria Peak at sunset, volunteered in Thailand, stood on the skywalk of the Petronas Towers, ate in Little India, Chinatown and the Golden mile all in one day and in one country, stayed at The Ritz, snorkeled and witnessed the most stunning sunsets! Recalling all of that and reviewing all my pictures I realized I've seen/experienced what most people only dream of! Who knew my life would take me to the far east, who knew my life would be enriched by cultures, customs and cuisines, who knew I would hitch a ride with a gracious Thai-family and feel as if I was riding in the car with my own family?? I am grateful for what life has given me. Life gave me a new found sense of INDEPENDENCE, COURAGE and IDENTITY!
This trip has had such a profound effect on me that I am both happy and sad I am home. Happy to feel hugs from my family and friends and sad to leave my Thai family, Malaysian and Singporean friends and of course...THE RITZ! hee hee! I have embarked upon a new chapter in my life...MY LOVE FOR TRAVEL!
Recently I've been watching the Olympics and as I see NBC flash glimpses of The Forbidden City I can say..."I saw that!" And as I watch Matt, Al, Meredith and Ann walk The Great Wall, I can say..."I walked on that!" And I blow my self away when the reality of those words enter my ears and are processed by my brain! Unbelievable...if this is life I want to keep on living!
In the last two years of my 30 years, I feel I've grown tenfold! I have become who I have always destined to be...it just took a little of the far east to bring this "light-bulb" to it's full 100-watt output! I look forward to more adventures overseas!
And I begin that next journey with...AFRICA!!!

I Slept on Air...

2008-08-14T23:23:00.000-07:00

Ahhh.....sigh! Those two expressions sum up my stay on Gili Air! I spent my days getting dark...okay dark-er, eating barracuda, sipping pineapple margaritas and SNORKELING (from the girl who's been afraid of the water since she almost drowned as a child)!!! I swam with the fishes!! Thanks Jason for teaching me how to snorkel! Absolutely unfrigginbelievable...anyone who's not gone is missing out! I can't believe my first snorkel happened at the age of 30?!! "Better to have bloomed late, than not to have bloomed at all."-Chet Patel (MY sister-in-law) I really don't have many more words to explain my time spent on Gili Air...just take a look at the pics and you'll see for yourself! Indonesian sunsets...the best I've seen so far!!

Photos from Gili Air

2008-08-10T03:54:00.000-07:00

The Ritz...it ain't just a cracker to me anymore...

2008-08-10T03:50:00.000-07:00

Singapore to Bali...not just Bali, but The Ritz-Carlton Bali!! Yeah it was amazing as the brand claims! In Singapore, my small bladder was calling, so I stopped off at the bathroom and Jason spotted a Marriott Asian Vacations stand. So we looked at the prices and couldn't believe the unbelievable deal we would be soon experiencing for a 5-star hotel!! Holy Crap!!! We orignally booked for two nights (instead of 3, why??) and then realized we needed that extra night...and we got it!! So 3 luxourious nights spent at the all inclusive Ritz-Carlton!! We splurged on the food offered to Club members only (that's us!!!) and ate out on the balcony overlooking the beautiful grounds and the Indian Ocean!! We ate delicious fresh out the water sushi, fresh-hand-squeezed papaya, guava and pineapple juices and scrumptious desserts!! Jason claims the lemon-merengue pie was comparable to his mom's!!! A++++ for both!!! Before and after purging my self on the food I laid by the pool, in the pool, on pool lounge chairs, on the beach...well you get the point. I soaked up the serenity that the Ritz promised. (Oh yeah I jumped up and down on the bed too!! When it's that comfy you tend to jump for joy!!) Leaving The Ritz was sad...but my next island of Indonesia turned me into a snorkeller and a beach lover!! Yeah the brown girl loves the beach!

Photos from The Ritz-Bali

2008-08-10T03:49:00.000-07:00

Singapore

2008-07-26T01:30:00.000-07:00

I write this blog 10 days after arriving in Singapore and just finishing Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. The book captures my heart, my present time traveling and my future ventures. "Wilderness appealed to those bored or disgusted with man and his works. It not only offered an escape from society but also was an ideal stage for the Romantic individual to exercise the cult he frequently made of his own soul. The solitude and total freedom of the wilderness created a perfect setting for either melancholy or exultation."-Roderick Nash, Wilderness and the American Mind. So for me to replace "wilderness" with "travel" this quote fits my present state of mind. But "wilderness" also is the appropriate term, for after reading this book my heart/mind desires to be closer to nature everyday and enjoying solitude to reflect on my 30 years of life.

My days spent in Singapore involved the hustle and bustle of traveling via the metro and managing hoards of people through shopping malls and city streets (which I know appears ironic after the opening paragraph of this entry). I spent time shopping and sight-seeing and taking in a multitude of cultures. For anyone interested in Western accommodations with Asian culture, Singapore is where it's at! I've stayed in Little India for the duration of my stay and ate in Chinatown and Golden Mile (Thai). Little India has the sights and smells I am most familiar with and Chinatown has the best hawker stands I've ever eaten at! (Bachman, you've got to get here and get some dumplings!!) I've sat in coffee shops along Orchard Road sipping lattes and enjoying a book and journaling as well. I've also spent days sight-seeing, taking photos and visiting museums. This entry is not like my others where I boast about the sights I've seen, but this entry is filled with more emotion that cannot be expressed via words. This culture has taken a hold me and I a hold of it...

Singapore Pictures

2008-07-26T01:28:00.001-07:00

KL: Petronas, KL Tower and New Friends!!!

2008-07-19T00:51:00.000-07:00

KL is great!! I had a fantastic time there! As you see my favorite building were the Petronas Towers!! Amazingly beautiful day and night!! Traveling to the skybridge was ridiculous!! I couldn't believe I was actually there!! The Petronas are a must see!!! I also went to the observatory deck of the KL tower and that was just as beautiful as well! The Islamic influence of the architecture of the tower is just beautiful!
Other sights I viewed were, Merdeka Square which held the world's second tallest flagpole in the world and the Royal Selangor Club. On August 31 1957 Malaysia gained their independence from the British...so Malaysia is just a baby! From the square I went on to see the Orchid Garden which was soooo pretty!!! Many, many arrangements and colors!! Hmmm...one day I'll have my very own Orchid garden! ;)
The highlight of my trip to KL was the people I met! I met Wilson Wong on my flight from Bangkok to KL. He and his wife (June) and their two girls live in KL. Wilson befriended me and gave me his number so we could hang out while I was in town. And so we did exactly that!! Another traveller and I met up with Wilson, June and two other friends (Nami and Hiro)! They took me to a local place for chai and then another place for chicken curry and dosai! Oh my goodness the food was so delicious and the company even better!!! From there we moved onto a bar called 7atenine! The six of us took advantage of my camera and shot a ridiculous amount of pictures!! Wilson decided to entertain us with magic card tricks and then we played some games!! We had a blast!! Wilson is a good magician...not great, but good;) The girls and I laughed and joked around and were just plain silly all night!! These people are my new found friends from Malaysia and I WILL return to see them!! Thank you!!!

Kuala Lumpur Pictures

2008-07-14T04:52:00.001-07:00

Kuala Lumpur

The Day I Cried...

2008-07-14T04:49:00.000-07:00

So I didn't think much more would happen since my last blog, which was about 3 days before I left, I was wrong...
My last day I went to Bah's house, as usual but this time there was a sadness about the air. After our therapy session, Bah said she wished I didn't have to leave and that someday I return to her and her family. I held back the tears and smiled and said "I will return to my second home." I thought it was over when I said my goodbyes, but no...Bah's brother presents me with a hand-sketched picture of an Ayutthaya wat that he created himself! I couldn't believe it!! I tried not to accept it, but he wasn't tryin' to have that. Again, I held back the tears. So I left with smiles and a promise to return. Next, Noina and I were off to lunch with the nurses at the health center. There was an air of happiness and playfulness...as you'll notice in the pictures. At the end, Noi said she hopes that I return to them again in the near future. I promised to return and keep in touch! Again no tears, but all smiles!!! At the clinic, Jim, met up with me and drove me to my apartment to retrieve my bags and give me a lift to the bus stop. Before we left, the hardest part was to say farewell to Noina! She rode me around on the back of her motorbike for 3 weeks. We developed a friendship. She gave me lifts to the bus station on my weekend trips and showed me around some of the local wats. At night when I would go for a walk and run into her we would start up conversation (a little Thai and a little English) and smile and laugh! So saying my farewell to Noina was quite difficult. I looked at her and saw tears well-up in her eyes and then I began to cry as well...and could not stop. I didn't realize the depth of my emotion until I was crying. We hugged a bunch of times and didn't want to let each other go. I promised to keep in touch with her and finally we let each other go and I cried all the way to the bus station.
Jim and I rode in the mini-bus to Bangkok together and talked about her daughter and my travels. She carried one of my bags all the way to the hotel once we arrived at Victory Monument. I pleaded with her to just let me carry it, but it was the Thai way or the highway for me!!! She stayed with me in the hotel and oriented me to the sights and then I walked her downstairs and said my goodbyes. Jim's daughter and I now keep in touch (thanks to facebook!) and hopefully we will meet each other one day!

Thailand Pictures Part II

2008-07-14T04:33:00.000-07:00

Thailand Part II

Volunteering

2008-07-09T01:26:00.000-07:00

Volunteering in Thailand has been a positive and negative experience. I think there might be shady dealings going on on Thailand's end as far as where the money is allocated, but not for certain...still trying to figure that one out. So initially I was setup to teach English a half day at a temple school and the other half of the day I would work in the area of public health. I decided to change that schedule unless the kids wanted to learn, "I be, He be, She be, You be, We be" kind of English. All day in the area of public health for the first 1.5 weeks consisted of observing nurses at the health center caring for patients in the morning and going on community visits with them in the afternoon. In the afternoon we went to local temples and schools to screen adults for hypertension and diabetes. I participated by taking blood pressures and conversing with any English speaking person! It was a great time. Also the head nurse, Noi, and I spoke about educating the community in regards to food preparations for the monks. Since the monks receive alms from the community they have no choice in the preparation (i.e. fried or steamed) of food and cannot be health conscious when eating. Noi and I brainstormed about what should belong in the leaflet. The leaflet was not created by the time I left and I will check back in with Noi to learn of it's progress. Noina (a community volunteer) drove me around on the back of her motorcycle from health center to communities daily. Mid-week of my second week Noina introduced me to a 64y/o woman who is one year post stroke that left her paralyzed on her left side. She lives with her brother's family and has a full-time aide to care for her. She has an extensive medical history which complicated my plan of rehab for her, but regardless we were able to make some magic happen! (Noina was our translator...again it's amazing what can be appropriately communicated with a little from both languages.) I performed all the basics from passive range of motion(ROM), active-assistedROM, swallowing, seating and positioning. We advanced quickly to standing, transfers and walking (about 3 meters). She was ecstatic about being able to walk, even with the help of two people. She and her family also displayed great enthusiasm regarding movement in her left arm. Everyone took the rehab seriously and without complaints. I rehabbed this woman every morning for the duration of my program and loved every minute of it!! If my tear ducts weren't so slow (post my eye-surgery) the tears would be flowing. I was able to make a small difference in the life of one Thai family and for all that I financially invested into this program it was worth it!

Chiang Mai: meeting up with new friends!

2008-07-09T00:47:00.000-07:00

Chiang mai was a great place!! I set out to do two things: visit Doi Inthanon and Doi Suthep, both were accomplished but not easily. Friday night I ran into a couple I met in Ayutthaya, Maria and Andrew! We met up that evening and went out to THC with 5-6 others! We had a great time putting back the Singha! After that...yes another night of dancing! I met another great couple Sonja and Marc and danced the night away with them!! Marc was great holding onto my bag and taking photos!! He and Sonja just got married 3 months ago!! What a night...I didn't get back to my guesthouse until 4am...yikes! No worries...I was up early 8am next day and headed off to Doi Inthanon. Following my trusty LP I picked up the public bus from the south moat gate and headed out to Chom Thong. There I stopped and checked out Wat Phra That Si Chom Thong. A beautiful temple with an amazing tier of golden Buddhas! As per the LP I looked for the next bus to Doi Inthanon (the highest mountain in Thailand). I found the bus driver, but he was not going until he had 6 people or I paid the cost for 6 people. So I walked a few feet away and asked this Thai family if they were going to Doi Inthanon and sure enough they were on their way. They agreed to take me there and I jumped in the bed of the truck! We drove to a market for a ~30 min pit stop. The driver, Thom, told me to get out of the sun and get into the shade. When we got back into the truck, Thom told me to sit in the cab where it was air-conditioned! How nice!! So with the little bit of English he knew and the little Thai that I know we somehow managed to communicate all the right things!! We arrived at their place of stay on the mountain to unload other people and items. Then Thom and his wife/dtr (she looked young so I couldn't tell her relationship with him)took me to the top of the mountain. Thom got out at the top and showed me around the temple and the gardens!! Again what a nice gesture! He was absolutely wonderful trying to explain to me in Thai about the sunrising over the mountain and me trying to tell him how beautiful this sight was and how grateful I was to him! After the "tour," back down the mountain we went near the place of their residence and they dropped me off. I hitched another ride down the mountain with a father and his two kids. No child-car safety laws in Thailand. His daughter sat in the front seat holding her little brother on her lap. He played with the volume of the radio and cooed to the music...or maybe just cooed! They were adorable! I safely arrived at my bus stop and caught the bus back to Chiang Mai. A trip that would have cost me 470 baht only cost me 70 baht and two packages of peanut butter crackers! I would do that trip all over again, if I could be privileged to the company of such wonderful Thai families!!
Doi Suthep wasn't as an amazing journey as Doi Inthanon, but regardless I made it there with two other travellers...we split the cost of the 15km journey. Doi Suthep is one of the north's most sacred temples. The king during that time mounted relics of Buddha to a white elephant. The elephant wandered until it dropped and a temple was established in the elephant's honor. 306 steps to the top of the temple lead to an amazing view of Chiang Mai, emerald Buddha and a white marble Buddha!! There I received a bracelet just made of white string around my right wrist by a monk! That was a good feeling...sigh. Now this would probably be a great end to my trip to Chiang mai, but no I had time for more!!
After returning from Doi Suthep, I was flagged down by another traveller and his girl that I met in Kanchanaburi! They offered to take me on their motorbike to two of the oldest wats in Chiang Mai! And that my friends is how I ended a wonderful weekend trip to Chiang Mai!! I am very blessed!

Kanchanaburi: waterfalls and elephants!!

2008-07-09T00:32:00.000-07:00

My second weekend in Thailand I spent in Kanchanaburi. I joined a tour group and rode elephants (for the second time), floated on bamboo rafts down the river, trekked about 1-2 miles to reach the seventh tier of Erawan Waterfalls, rode on a train on the Death Railway and checked out the view on the Bridge over River Kwai!! The elephants were great...again...this time no kisses from them!! The highlight: Erawan Waterfalls!! Just an amazing feat of nature!! Incredible views at each tier. Our group trekked up rocks and over muddy paths of rain water to reach the most spectacular tier!! The water was crystal clear and you could see the fishes swimming right by you, although some liked to stop for a little nibble! I dunked my new eyes under the waterfall and it felt awesome!! Yes I was really looking at life from a new perspective...I just can't get over what I see everyday here in Thailand!!
That evening I rejoined my fellow tourists and met up for dinner and drinks! We bar hopped for a while and then ended up hitching a ride in the back of a pickup truck (10 of us) to a dance club! We danced the night away to Thai music and some 50 cent! We had a blast!! After da club we hitched another ride back to our guesthouse, this time about 20 of us!! I don't know how we accrued 10 more, but it was great!! We hit up the 7-11 for another drink and chilled out at a Thai guy's restaurant for the rest of the night!! What a weekend!!!

Two nights in Bangkok...

2008-06-24T03:06:00.000-07:00

On Friday June 20th I went to Nonthaburi to stay with Nisha, Dave, Priya and Cole for the weekend. They are family friends from Pittsburgh...yeah small world, huh? Well they had just moved to Thailand in April and were just as new to this country as my self. We had a great time all weekend long. Friday Nisha and I ran some errands and explored her ex-pat community. In the evening we sat around catching up and awaited Dave's return from HK. We had Indian food that night!!!! I was super ecstatic!!! The food tasted sooooo goood!!! Okay, I know I always go on and on about food.
Saturday, just the girls spent some time at the salon getting manis/pedis and a head/neck and shoulder massage...oh how lovely!!! Next the whole family jumped in the car and we headed into Bangkok for crepes at Crepes & Co. A greek crepe for lunch and a nutella/shantilly crepe for dessert...again...D-licious!!!! So finally we headed for the Jim Thompson Center...unfortunately the house part was closed and we just ended up exploring the grounds...which was very cool!! The highlight of that day/evening was dinner!! The Westerman's were so gracious to take me to the Banyan Tree Hotel to have dinner at Vertigo!! This open air restaurant sits on the 64th floor of the hotel overlooking the beautiful city of Bangkok!!! I couldn't keep my mouth shut...my jaw just kept dropping because my new surgically improved eyes couldn't believe the sights!! We got there at the perfect time...the sun was setting and the nightlife of the city was slowly waking up! Pictures will be the only way you can understand what my eyes witnessed!!! I had a broiled snow bass with capers and italian style sauce/dressing...mouthwatering!!! That evening ended with a tasty rhubarb-apple pie with vanilla ice cream...
Sunday!!! Chatachak market!!! Over 15,000 stalls of silk, jewelry, furniture, t-shirts and tons of pets...yes animals!!! We spent four hours there and even stopped at a cute little eatery for some cocktails! It was lovely! Unfortunately that day had to end :( We got back to their house and I said my goodbyes!

Thailand Pictures

2008-06-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

Thailand

Week One in Thailand

2008-06-22T02:11:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Bangkok at 115am...ugh! Pi Kai picked me up and away I went to my hostel in Ayuthaya. That Sunday was a lovely lazy Sunday. I met Dor an Israeli traveler in the hostel and late in the afternoon we headed over to Chao Phraya market for some stall food eating and temple seeing...unfortunately we spent more time eating and internetting and the temples closed. We did stumble upon a night market and of course ate...again! The next day we got up early and visited Wat (temple) Maha That and Wat Ratchaburana. These temples were absolutely incredible secondary to the fact they've been there for over 600 years!! After the temples my volunteer director came to pick up the 3 other volunteers and my self. We were taken to our first cultural immersion class where we learned about herbal Thai medicine. They only use herbal ingredients such as the oil from a bergamot, eucalyptus oil, cloves, galangal (thai ginger), camphor, menthol crystals...etc. I had a great time learning about their properties. Hopefully I will use my new found knowledge at home...anyone want to be my first experiment??? So the first week included a lot of learning about thai medicine and viewing temples...oh and an elephant ride!! I asked if the elephants were treated well and from what I could understand they are. So I hope my bahts went toward a good cause. Anyway, the elephant ride was great, at least that's what Allen and I thought. Our "driver" thought otherwise, because he kept shifting Allen one way and me the other. An elephant high view of Ayuthaya was beautiful! After the ride I got a little up close and personal with one of the elephants! He slobbered all over my cheek and ear!!! It was great!!! I was laughing hysterically!! Needless to say after that I washed my face and ear!!! The coolest part of the cultural immersion week was the time spent in Bang-Sai fishing village. About 20 mins north of Ayuthaya I was taken to the home of Urai. She is a wonderful host!! The house is set on stilts because it sits on the bank of the Chao Phraya river. The living conditions are definitely primitive, but nothing I haven't seen before in India. No flushing toilets and no hot water. A wood burning stove sitting on the ledge of the kitchen door with no way down if you lose a utensil while cooking. Absolutely fantastic!!! On the back side of the house is a dock and Urai has one paddle boat. She has tons of pedal bikes for volunteers who come to stay with her. So off we went on bikes to a nearby temple that also sits near the river. We went to the dock for some eats! Now it wasn't a restaurant you sat at. We sat on the dock and put our bowls on a small stool and ate Thai chicken noodle soup. So maybe some of you don't want to know this part...our bowls and utensils were washed right in the river. Take a look at the pics to see why I mention that! Also our cook creates his delicious soup right out of his boat while anchoring himself beside the dock!!! Again, where in the world would I ever have this experience!!??? That first day in Bang-Sai was a lot of bike riding which I think I not only lost 200 baht, but also 10lbs of sweat!!! That evening after I showered...again...Urai taught me a few useful Thai phrases!! I learned basic greetings, goodbyes, and introductions. The next day we went to a local village school to teach English! It was really cool. I wasn't so keen on the idea at first, but I really enjoyed the experience. The children were very eager to learn the language, studiously copying down the letters off the board and trying their best to enunciate the words correctly. At the end of teaching they really liked getting their pictures taken. Some of the boys were such hams. Oh...mostly of note to my therapy people...I could immediately pick out those children with handwriting difficulties, spatial relation issues as well as one boy who was developmentally delayed. When I asked Urai if there were separate schools for children with learning difficulties, she said no and said everyone is taught at the same pace. Sad to hear...
So our last morning there was such a great way to start the day and leave Bang-Sai! Urai woke up early to make food for the monks. We sat on her dock and awaited the monks arrival by boat at 630am. We took turns filling the monks containers with delicious curries, coconut milk, custard and water. Wow what a serene experience. Happy to be blessed by a monk!!

Shenzhen: Dancing, massages and more...

2008-06-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

First, thank you Dave and April for a wonderful time in SZ! This wonderful time began with a tour of the city. Dave and I walked through the parks watching people perform tai chi, fan dancing, badminton, playing hackysack, karaoke and more! The most interesting place Dave and I accidentally stumbled upon was the English Corner...which we weren't aware of until we were encircled by 30+ Chinese asking us questions such as "Where are you from, What is your name, How are you, Do you work here?" And then rattle off the cities and states they are familiar with in the US. Dave was very good about making our escape! Phew!!!
That evening I experienced my first deep-fried shrimp (with legs attached) on a stick covered in cayenne pepper...it was delicious!! I just had to trick my self regarding the legs...yeah I don't want to think about that anymore. That dinner was a typical spicy Sichaun style dinner. Post-dinner we stopped by a lounge for a drink and some great reggae music! Next stop, 3D bar! We sat outside for a few hours sipping on some drinks and checking out the locals...Dave and I had a good time giving out scores!
The next day the three of us (Dave, April and I) checked out Fairy Lake Botanical Gardens. It was beautiful and nice and quiet...a good break from the noise of the city! We hiked and hiked and hiked and finally we arrived at the top of the temple to a pretty cool view of the area! Afterwards we hit up the foot massage center. First your feet are soaked in a tea bath while you sit on an ottoman your neck, shoulders and back are massaged and my girl was droppin some elbows in my knots...oooh it felt soooo good!!! Next, off the ottoman and into an oversized lounge chair for the foot massage. Again my girl was very strong...and of course I was a wuss and had to tell her to back off a bit. In the end my feet felt rejuvenated!! Just another fabulous evening in SZ!!
On one of my last days in SZ it rained colts and phillies all day long!! So I sat in Dave's apartment getting laundry done and watching movies. Eventually we made it out for a friend's (Jamon's) party! The party was great because it was a reminder of home...first of all Jamon is a Pitt Alum...woohoo PITT!!! And secondly there were a bunch of Americans!! So the night only began there and ended at U-bar with a ton of dancing and drinking!! We had such a great time!! We were out until the sun came up!!! I can't even recall the last time that happened! So needless to say a late start for the next day! We enjoyed dim sum, which is like having a tapas style brunch, then moved onto the sauna...oh which was my favorite place. I spent some time in the steam room and then in the dry heat room and just a few mins in the ice box room and then finally off for an hour and a half massage at which point I fell asleep...sigh! How lovely! It was a lovely way to leave SZ and begin my volunteer experience in Thailand...

I Fell in Love...

2008-06-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

...with Hong Kong! I must say my most favorite city in all of China! I fell in love with the people, the skyscrapers, the mountains and the sky terrace view of HK Island, Victoria Harbour and Kowloon! I know many people say HK isn't really China...well that's true and maybe that's why I fell in love with it?? It doesn't matter, but what does, is the following. My favorite skyscraper...The Bank of China, amazingly beautiful day and night. It's design was based on the principles of feng-shui. The people of HK can pass underneath the building and walk directly to the government buildings...which is good feng shui! Another one of my favorite spots in HK was the Mid-Levels escalators that take you to Conduit Road, which then I followed to the HK Zoological and Botanical Gardens. The escalators are a series of about 20 which only run down (into the city) from 7a to 10a and thereafter run up! The escalators run through an area called Soho and there are cute little coffee and pastry shops as well as small eateries and bars that would fit about 20 people max! Yeah I never would have thought just taking a bunch of escalators would be a cool thing. Maybe Pittsburgh ought to think about that for Mt. Washington or even getting up to the Peterson Events Center??? Oh yeah, so the Zoo was great!! I saw a Burmese python, sleepy orangutans, ring-tailed lemurs, tamarins, pygmy marmosets, lion-tailed macaques and black and white ruffed lemurs!! It was incredible. I would have taken more pics and spent a bit more time there, but the mosquitoes were sucking the life out of my ankles!!! My evening ended with a delightful vegetarian thai curry with deep fried noodles and a beer at Bahama Mama's (yes a place for westerners)! The next day is was overcast...PERFECT weather for me to visit the beach!! So off to Shek O Island I went. I sat on the beach for about an hour reading and taking in the view (sigh)! and unfortunately for me the sun finally broke through...so I turned a "few" shades darker and finally couldn't tolerate the heat any longer... I headed back to HK Island and ascended Victoria Peak...not via steps...but via the tram. The incline was ridiculous!!! I would guess the incline to be about a 30 degree angle!! After 8 mins I reached the top and took 3-4 more escalators to the sky terrace to see the view of beautiful Hong Kong, Kowloon and Victoria Harbour!! Breathtaking...one of the I-can't-believe-my-eyes-are-taking-witness-to-such-an-amazing-sight...moments. So after being a tourist up there I hiked up Mt. Austin Road to where only one other person was viewing all the beauty that is Victoria Peak. He was nice enough to take my picture at the top!! Just like a McDonald's commercial..."I'm lovin' it"!! So instead of heading back down right away I decided to read and dine on Victoria Peak. It was very difficult for me to tear my self away from there, but eventually I took the tram back down and called a wonderful night!!

Shanghai!!

2008-06-01T05:26:00.000-07:00

Day 1:
Tower and the World Financial Center! Absolutely incredible structures!! Discovery has an episode of the construction of the World Financial Center (the most recently built building). It's unfathomable what architects and engineers can create! Instead of taking the tourist ferry to Instead of staying at a usual hostel we decided to rent an apartment for a week in Shanghai. The apartment is on the 22nd floor with an amazing view of Shanghai...day and night!! Our first night we spent strolling along The Bund and Pudong, viewing the Oriental Pearl Tower, Jin MaoPudong, we took the cheapa cheapa ferry across with the locals...I think we were the only tourists on there! Yeah we roll like locals! No matter what form of transportation one is embarking upon in China it's always a mad rush! Patience China, patience. On the return to Shanghai we decided to take the "sight-seeing" tunnel under the river??? I was puzzled as well, but agreed and we entered a tram (like the ones at the Pittsburgh airport only much smaller, it could fit 10 Chinese or 5 Americans ;)) and saw a terrible, very cheesy light show! I could have produced a better light-show with Lite-Brite! So no sights, just lights...awful! At least it made us laugh!!

Day 2

We hit up The Old City of Shanghai stopping to visit the Yu Yuan Garden (Jade Garden) and Huxin (Heart of the Pavilion) Teahouse. We reached the teahouse from the garden by walking across a zigzag bridge flocked with tourists at every angle, taking pictures with the Yu Yuan in the background. From the Old City we headed over to the French Concession viewing skylines from the Garden Hotel and the Jin Jiang Hotel and then shopping for knock-offs...well Kristin did the shopping, I just did the watching. I can't tell a fake from genuine, so I have no interest. Anyway, you could purchase Foaches, Fradas, Fiesels, Fuccis and many more fakes! Everyone wanted to give us "best price for you" and "best quality for you"! Kristin haggles well!!! The best part of the French Concession besides the skyline views, was the little dumpling place we ate at. Our first experience with cold dumplings...YUMMY!!!

Day 3
Nearby our apartment we visited Yufo Si (Jade Buddha Temple), where each Buddha is carved out of one single piece of white jade. No pictures were allowed to be taken :(
In the evening we decided to check out an opera...well at least we thought. We ended up purchasing tickets for a reality tv singing show. The locals loved it...we unfortunately did not share the same feeling...we made an escape after a half an hour!!! :)

Day 4
Off to Suzhou at 7am and on the way to the train station I ALMOST got pickpocketed or should I say packpocketed. A group of 3 boys were behind me and I had my pack on my back. Kristin walking beside me fortunately caught a little greasy Chinese hand pulling at the zipper. Phew!!! I can't believe that, because I'm usually very careful about my pack. Luckily nothing more happened, they were confronted and yelled at and then they retreated.
So with all my belongings we finally arrived in Suzhou via the high-speed CRH train which I noticed to be clocked at 195km/h!! Upon arrival Kristin and I detoured to Tongli to see some active canals that locals used for transporting themselves as well as goods. It was interesting to know that this town, back in the day, "floated". The waterways were their only means of transportation. So back to Suzhou to visit the Bei Si Ta (North Pagoda Temple) which enshrined the fattest and tallest Buddha I've seen! This temples claim is that it is the tallest Chinese pagoda South of the Yangtze. That's like saying the Hancock building is the tallest building on Michigan Avenue west of Lake Michigan between the Water Tower and an El stop...anyway! We climbed 9 stories of steps to see the entire temple grounds and Suzhou city. The climb worked up a ferocious appetite so we headed into town for some Muslim treats...eggplant with green peppers, red chili pepper, cumin and slices of garlic...Yumm-O!!! Nan covered in sesame seeds and cilantro...the meal couldn't get any better!

Day 4
Off to Hangzhou...anticipating a smooth transfer just like Suzhou, but not the case. Apparently the train leaves from the South station (not the North like Suzhou). So off to the south train station to purchase new tickets...no refunds on the old tickets and just an hour behind...so over all not bad. Immediately arriving in Hangzhou we spy a DQ...DQ does it right...and next minute we were having blizzards!!!! After inhaling our blizzards we rented bikes and headed for the causeways! This was the most relaxing time I've had in China...no one yelling hello at me...no one crowding around me as I open my English to Mandarin phrasebook...none of it!! We rode our bikes for about 5-6 hours and then took a paddle boat ride to Lord Ruan's Mound and Mid-Lake Pavilion, the latter of which is the smallest and earliest. Another one of the most relaxing moments...even if it only lasted an hour. :) (sigh) Our last stop in Hangzhou...Papa John's for some cheesesticks!!! P-A-P-A baby!!!

Day 5
Bags...watches...shoes...This is the phrase that all of the street hawkers knew clearly! I can't even imagine to tell you how many secret knockoff back rooms we'd been to! Although one is a memory that will last forever. So Kristin is approached yet by another bags...watches...shoes...seller and we are off at the Chinese pace...which is a fast walk, almost to a competitive level. In this room we find the usual fakes: Coach, Prada, Diesel, Rolex and many more. So Kristin immediately checks out a Coach and it is a horrible copy! So she asks for better quality and the next we know the guy is pushing on a shelf of bags and low and behold there is another room! We just start cracking up!!! It was hysterical. So nothing there tickles her fancy, so we ask for more and with another push of a shelf, there's yet another room!!! CRAZY!!! In this room there weren't many good options either, so I anticipate another room and I begin pushing on a shelf or 3 and to our dismay...nothing!! Everyone just started laughing at me...hey I had to give it a try!!! Wish I would've taken a pic of that!!

Last Day in Shanghai :(
Off to a real Peking Opera! A high-class meal at Subway...Eat Fresh!...was had prior to the show. Again, we were slightly disappointed with the show...I guess our expectations were too high??? There was initially some fighting, but then it was all singing and not much acting, but we made it through the entire performance. The rest of the crowd loved it and cheers and applause were given frequently. We didn't know why, either?? Out of the theater we see a torrential downpour...hail and wind gusts turning umbrellas inside out!!! So for 20 yuan, we bought two umbrellas and head for the Royal Meridian Hotel...a hotel we frequented to use it's lovely bathroom...as we approached the doorman said "Welcome Back"! I guess we tinkled there a little more often than we noticed! After cleaning ourselves up we decided it was time for wine. The was our 30th birthday party celebration!!! We sat for hours chatting and laughing while sipping our South African Cabernet and eating spiced cashews! As not to look like big alcoholics, we headed to the Jin Mao Tower to Cloud 9 on the 87th floor for yet another Cabernet, roasted duck, spicy fried tofu and lovely spring rolls! Even through my wine goggles the view was spectacular. Shanghai all lit up in it's beauty!! Flickering lights here, color-changing lights there...(sigh)!! To top our wonderful birthday celebration off we were entertained by a magician at our table. Card tricks, ring and necklace tricks (Yangtze cruise friends are all well aware of this one thanks to Michael!) and a disappearing/reappearing scarf trick! After 3 bottles of wine anything was entertaining to me!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!!!!

The Yangzi River Booze!

2008-06-01T04:55:00.000-07:00

On Thursday May 29th I set sail on the Yangzi River for a 3-day cruise. Starting from Wanzhou(Wanxian) and finishing in Yichang! The first night I met Jenny, Simon, Dave (aka: VonDutch) and Michael the German (different German from Mt. Emei). At our first stop we purchased 32 to bottles of Snow beer...let's just say we had a fantastic time!! Day 2 was a trip to see the Three Little Gorges...which aren't so little. The scenery was stunning!! I couldn't believe I was viewing this amazing natural beauty...in China. When I thought of China initially, I thought about the 1 billion people scurrying around the cities to and from their jobs, markets, etc... I also thought about the beauty of the architecture in more rural areas, but never did I think China would hold such beautiful mountains. When we were sailing on the river it was actually lower than the normal water level, because the river was anticipated to flood soon and lowering the level would alleviate flood damage. So it was even better to know how low from the mountain peaks we were and how high we could have been. In Sandouping the construction of the Three Gorges Dam is underway. The hope of the dam is to obviously generate hydroelectric power and help control flooding of the Yangzi, but the downfall is that the river itself will be turned into a lake by elevating the water 175 meters, so many of the villages and temples alongside the river's bank will be submerged. A lot of money from the government and nearby provinces are aiding in the relocation of temples/artifacts and construction of high-rises for the villagers to move in to. So your call on whether it's a good or bad solution?? The Three Gorges Dam is 6x the length of the Hoover Dam and utilizes 26 generators to generate 10% of China's power!!! Incredible!!! Okay back to the cruise...Day 3: we set off into dragon boats for a race. It was hysterical...all of the foreigners were put in one boat and twice as many Chinese tourists were put in another boat and we kicked their butts in the race!!! It was great, they were taking pictures of us!! Apparently we are a tourist attraction for many locals and Chinese tourists!!! So we finished out Day 3 with a drive by of the Three Gorges Dam and off to Wuhan we went...just for the night.

A Humbling Trek on Mt. Emei

2008-05-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL!!! Those are the words to describe my latest adventure!!! I set out at 10am on Saturday May 24th with Kristin and Michael to hike Mt. Emei. I knew it was a "good" hike, but did not really know it until we began the trek. Michael is a German fellow we met at our hostel. He presently lives in Chengdu, is fluent in Mandarin and on his 6th climb of Mt. Emei, which made him the best tour guide for this hike!! We started at Baogou Si, hiked to Huyu Bridge then to Leiyin Si and over to Shen Shui Si (nunnery)...~12kilometers. At Shen Shui Si we were fortunate to observe a spiritual ritual in process. Ahh-mee-tah-foe (phonetically speaking) was the phrase/word being chanted by the nuns along with the beat of drums and bells...I was mesmerized!!! I wish I could have recorded it, but out of respect I did not, but was permitted to take one picture. The picture I was able to capture was of a nun, performing a ceremony on a cylindrical stone pillar that stood (if facing Buddha) on the left side of the entrance to the shrine. The sight was humbling. To see such devotion in any religion is humbling to me. You could hear the devotion in the chanting and in the movements of the nuns...unbelievable!!! I left with a warm heart and knew the rest of the trek would be inspiring. From Shen Shui Si we traversed ~5k more to Qingyin monastery to spend the night!! Two rivers came together at this point and therefore the English translation is Pure Sound monastery. The three of us had our dinner, then sat on our balcony overlooking the river sipping jasmine tea (my favorite)!!! The clear rushing sound of the river and sweet smell and warmth of the tea made for a good night's rest!! The next morning Michael and I headed for the Hard Wok Cafe...yes that's what I wrote!! It took us about 1.5 hrs to get there for the best banana-honey pancakes on Mt. Emei. Peggy's (English name) cafe has been on Mt Emei for the past 25yrs. (Mt Emei's stone path was created 30yrs ago). We complimented her food and hospitality and then moved on to Hongchun Ping (elevation=1120m). Shen Shui Si and Hongchun Ping are 2 of the oldest and active monasteries on Mt. Emei. At Hongchun Ping Michael and I were invited by Buddhist monks to sit and enjoy some tea with them!!! Again...unbelievable!! Again...humbled. We drank tea Taiwanese style...out of smaller than one ounce handle-less clay cups. Michael translated when was I spoken to and when I posed questions to the monks. These guys were extremely friendly and welcoming. They also invited us to have lunch, but unfortunately we just ate and had many more kilometers to hike. We ended up hiking ~60kilometers of staircases and trails in two days!! Viewing some of the most beautiful monasteries with Chinese and Tibetan influences. ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL!!!

No Tibetan Culture for You!

2008-05-23T07:33:00.000-07:00

So next adventure was one hell of an excursion!! We left Xi'an on an overnight train to Lanzhou at 10pm to arrive at 7am. From there we take the 9am bus to Linxia which was a 3hr noisy ride. We arrive in Linxia and get on the bus to Xiahe after circling around town for 1.5hrs picking up people and cargo??? Don't ask, because I don't know??? Anyway Finally around 130pm we head out to Xiahe, only to get stopped at a checkpoint about an hour outside Xiahe and kicked off the bus and immediately forced onto a return bus to Linxia. So what went down was that the Chinese police are cutting off all Tibetan areas of known rioting to foreigners. Xiahe has a beautiful Tibetan monastery (The Labrang Monastery). It's the place to go if one is unable to get to Lhasa, Tibet. Xiahe is NOT in the Tibetan province, but as I said before because of previous riots the Chinese police/government has closed it off to foreigners. The last information we had before setting out to Xiahe was that it was open to foreign travellers. An unfortunate mishap during our travel, but we did enjoy a remote Chinese countryside for about $7 round trip ;) Okay so now we had to travel the 2hrs back to Lixia, the 3hrs back to Lanzhou and the overnight 8hr train ride back to Xi'an. Backtracking was the only way to go at that point. The train then put us into Xi'an at about 9am, then we took the 130pm flight out of Xi'an to Chengdu and hopped another bus for a 3hr ride to Emei Shan and that's where I am now! Finally at rest for a couple of days. It will finally be good to get into a new pair of clothes since I have been in my current attire for the past three days...and you guessed it no shower in the last few days either! The Garnier wipes sure do come in handy on mishaps like this! T.I. C. = This Is China!
Going to climb to the top of Mt Emei tomorrow!

Xi'an

2008-05-20T22:04:00.001-07:00

The first day in Xi'an we booked a tour for the Terra Cotta Warriors, Hot Springs and the Banpo Museum. The only one worth talking about was the Terra Cotta Warriors. Buried underground to protect the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, thousands and thousands of warriors were created out of clay. The bodies were made separate from the heads. Each face is distinguishable by expression from hand carved details. The paint on the soldiers were faded, but there is some evidence of reds, blues, greens and golds. An interesting detail was the sole of the shoes...with tread meant married and without tread meant single (I am still without tread) :) The wife was the one who detailed the shoes. Other distinguishing features were hairstyles (buns and square knots) and attire (details on the suit). The excavation still continues as money is donated for the feat! I don't think my words can describe the scale of the scene...so hopefully my pictures will. The rest of the tour, unfortunate to say sucked! But in the end we met a great group of people from Australia, D.C. and Vancouver. We ended up at their hostel drinking and playing card games! We were asked to move out of the bar into the back patio area, secondary to earthquake warnings. We were safe and nothing happened, but a good time with new friends!

The following day we went to see The Dacien Si (temple) and The Big Goose Pagoda. The pagoda has seven tiers with a window at each level. Visitors throw money out of the windows for luck. Unfortunately the pagoda was closed so instead we walked around the temple. Xuan Zang spent 15yrs in India collecting Sanskrit sutras. He brought them back to China to translate the 1335 volumes into Chinese and had the pagoda built to protect the sutras! Some of the halls depicted carvings on three walls of Xuan Zang's journey. The side walls were of black laquer, carvings made in the laquer with glistening gold paint in the grooves. The middle wall was a mahogony colored wood with raised carvings. All of this was so interesting to "see" his perserverance and dedication to preserving the sutras. Inside the main prayer hall sat a 50ft tall gold-foiled Buddha that really made an impression on me. Just outside the hall was a large candle holder made of wrought iron. It held hundreds of lit and melting China-red candles. Unsure if this was a daily tradition or secondary to the victims of the earthquake. At the end of our visit, we came upon a prayer wall, which held 4x6 wooden cards with different colored borders. Red=love and health, blue=success and green=education. We purchased a red prayer card, wrote a message for those injured and/or displaced by the earthquake and hung it on the wall along with many others. A solemn moment for me, but a happy one as well as I paused to remember how fortunate I am to be here and experiencing all that is China.

We moved on to the Muslim Quarter to see the Great Mosque...by far my most favorite piece of religious architecture in China! An old, yet active mosque that was stunning...upturned eaves with detailed carvings of dragons, archways with phoenixes and blue-glazed roof tiles. It's a beautiful and harmonious combination of Middle Eastern and Chinese architecture. After the mosque we headed for the Muslim Quarter, where we ate noodle soup (sorry don't know the real name, secondary to can't read Chinese characters) which contained leeks, garlic and a slew of vegetables...YUMMY!!!!! We also had Chinese pizza, two pieces of crepe like bread filled with meat and vegetables and deep fried...mmmm....good!!! The food has been settling well in my belly! We walked around the market stalls and noted anything was for sale from fake Rolexes to Prada bags to chopstick sets and watches with Mao's picture and his hand as the second hand!! So finally time for us to head out; we decided to leave via auto-rickshaw. Our driver drove us into oncoming traffic and then crossed a raised median and whipped around corners...we made it back safely...can't say my blood pressure was in a safe range, though. :)

I'm off to China!

2008-05-14T17:10:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a year it has been for me and now I am taking the opportunity to start traveling the world...well at least part of the Eastern World! I'm looking forward to a great journey in spirituality, independence and cultural exploration. I will be spending 4 weeks in China with one of my closest friends, Kristin! We are tentatively planning to explore Beijing, Xi'an, Xining, Lanzhou, Tongren, Chengdu, Leshan, Kunming, Shanghai and Tibet (if we are lucky)! Sights we are planning to see are the Great Wall, Tian'anmen Square, giant pandas in the Wolong Nature Reserve, Mt. Emei, bamboo forests, teahouses, The Great Buddha, Jokhang Palace, Barkhor Square, Potala Palace, Tiger Leaping Gorge and a journey on the Yangzi River to see the Three Gorges Dam. After Kristin departs I will go on to explore Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macau. From there my journey takes me to Thailand, where I will volunteer with the Institute for Field Research Expeditions for 4 weeks. My volunteer work will be in the area of public health. I will then go on to explore Kuala Lumpur to see the Petronas Towers and the last month of travel will be exploring Singapore and Indonesia.

I know with all that's been going on in China and SE Asia many of you are already worried about me. I appreciate all the concerns you have for me. I promise to be as safe as possible. Please not only keep me in your thoughts, but all those that are in dire straits as well.

I will post as often as I can and look forward to hearing from all of you!

Pictures

2008-05-11T12:06:00.001-07:00

Where in the World is Manali

Beijing

2008-04-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

Finally...I'm here!!! I landed safely and met Kristin in the airport! We stayed at the Leo Hostel!

While in Beijing I walked around Tian'anmen Square and all over The Forbidden City, viewed Mao's corpse at Mao's Memorial Hall and Mao's Monument. Other sites included The National Museum of China, The Great Hall of the People and Qianmen Gate. The architecture is absolutely amazing...tiled roofs, intricate colorful hand painted archways and hand carved dragons (emperor) and phoenixes (empress) into slabs of stone and marble. Artifacts, such as weaponry and military clothing were on display in some of the buildings. The detail that goes into such work is unbelievable. We went to the Forbidden City on a rainy day, so it was a little less enjoyable. But we did see red clay tiled roofs, detailed paintings with bright blues, greens and golds! It was a maze of corridors, palaces, halls and gates. My favorites were the large stone carving and the nine dragon screen. After the Forbidden City we scurried off to see a Chinese variety show consisting of shadow puppets, acrobatics, a magic show, singing and comedy show (the latter two we didn't understand), but the rest was great! We watched the performances while sipping on Jasmine tea and snacking on gourd seeds. Yummy!

I also went to one of the night markets, where deep-fried anything was available...from scorpions to strawberries (although the fruit wasn't deep-fried)...deer and ostrich (not sure which was which??) My first night there, Kristin and I went to eat at a restaurant near our hostel, where one "chef" was deep-frying some meat at the entrance. We ordered, but weren't sure what we were eating. So those of you who are vegetarians or for PETA may not want to read the next line. I think we ended up having dog-meat dumplings...which I must admit were very tasty! :) Needless to say the next time we ordered I had my Mandarin to English translation book on hand!

So the funniest thing I've seen thus far are slits in infant to toddler age pants. Yes I said a slit...kinda like eating so much you split your pants or dancing and splitting your pants right up the back! Apparently in China, children of that age group don't or parents choose not to don diapers for easy business access. The child will somehow let the parent know he/she has to do some business and so mom gets into a squatting positioning, positions child between her legs and raises childs legs so aim can be achieved. Now, I bet some of you are wondering how I know this in detail...well when it happens right in the middle of the sidewalk or The Forbidden City it's kinda hard not to miss.

Okay here's the highlight of Beijing... THE GREAT WALL!!! And what a great wall it is!! We started at Jinshanling and hiked 10k to Simitai...climbing over loose stones, gravel and dirt. Scaling steep steps up and down until we were stinking of sweat!! The view from any angle was absolutely breathtaking. Unbelievable how such a structure could be created at that time and in that area!! We did get to a point where I slipped down two steps and scraped up my knee and arm...no worries, nothing broken just a little bruised! At one point I realized I was standing at 1200m and decided to write in my travel journal! That will be a memory to last forever!! At the end of the hike we crossed over a suspension bridge and ziplined to a ferry that took us to our bus!! Again the view was breathtaking and we had the perfect day for a Great Wall hike!! Sunny skies and a cool breeze! (Sigh...) :)

The last day in Beijing was a hectic one. We went jewelry shopping and ended up spending so much time that we missed our 520p train to Xi'an...oops!! I haggled another ticket and a refund for our other ticket! Everything in the end worked out fine, we made it to Xi'an and a single tear rolled down Kristin's right cheek when we saw a handwritten sign containing her name...our hostel driver was there to pick us up...just kidding no tear, but relief was surely the feeling!

So while in Beijing I learned how to say Hello (Ni hao), My name is...(Wo jiao), thank you (xiexie), water (shui) and yes (dui)...pronunciation is something I'm still working on! I learned some swear words too, but I'm not writing those down...hahaha!