tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79633530176616898032024-02-22T08:24:12.802-08:00Bula Bula!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-73160098071487547832023-09-01T06:10:00.002-07:002023-10-28T12:09:37.864-07:00Back to the blog.. and CORFU!And back to the travels.. this time CORFU.
The water is really this color blue. Really.
We flew directly onto the island rather than going through Athens.
First two days in Corfu Town and then drove to the northeast coast where we stayed in a private villa.
Corfu Town is small and walkable. Lots of little alleys and shopping. The main “attraction” is the Old Fortress. Walk about 20 minute uphill to the top for a great 360 degree of the area.
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Then we drove to St. Stephano on northeast coast. We stayed in a gorgeous private villa.
Check out that view!!!!
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We drove around to different beaches in the area. They are all unique. However almost all are rocky rather than sandy so be sure and bring water shoes.
These gems were perfect:
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Highlight of the trip was renting a boat and spending a day randomly dropping anchor and jumping in the water. We tied up to a restaurant for lunch. Such fun!!
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TIP: If you are heading here it’s possible to take a ferry to the area and many places are accessible by water taxi and there are also normal taxis. No need to even rent a car.
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Packing Notes: Dresses are so easy and definitely cooler than shorts or pants. I'm not sure I was ever cold but did bring a wrap. The water shoes above were key and also work as walking shoes. You want bug spray in the evenings and lots of sunscreen. Also a wide rimmed hat which they sell all over if you don't want to pack one.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-73607834503661114372019-09-27T11:42:00.029-07:002023-10-31T12:31:34.567-07:00A quick trip to South DakotaTime to check another state off the list: South Dakota. Flew in for a conference and the first night it snowed! And then we lost power at the lodge. Very exciting first night. I stayed at the Game State Lodge in Custer. This was the “Summer White House” for President Coolidge. It was really cozy and nice. I was there for a conference where I had to speak on a panel and also met up with my old coworker Nancy.
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And today I went on a Buffalo Safari!! My first safari.. well I guess <i>technically</i> my first was at Animal Kingdom. But first ‘real’ one. And yes, I have worked at the sister company of a safari operator for 15 years but no, I have never been to Tanzania or any safari. So this is exciting. We rode through the park off-roading in open air Jeeps. (It was definitely cold so pack accordingly if you ever do this - even in September). And the buffalo - they are massive! HUGE. Over 1,400 currently living in Custer State Park.
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We also visited Mt. Rushmore National Memorial. Completed in 1941 it took 14 years to carve the 60 foot high faces of 4 presidents into the mountain. I do wish I brought an actual camera. You can see from the photo using an iPhone didn’t really capture it. We were there at dusk and you walk up a long path to a viewing point but you aren’t super close. Still impressive.
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Oh and the airport was really small. I flew in/out of Rapid City, located in the southwest corner of the state. When I got to the airport to check in for my flight home there were only four people ahead of me so I thought it was going to be super fast. And then was surprised to realize each of them was over five minutes because they all had rifles and there is a specific process for checking them in including showing paperwork and dismantling. Apparently this part of the country is really popular with the hunters!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-11970003074212918232019-09-19T10:06:00.010-07:002023-10-31T12:33:24.340-07:00Copenhagen to Gothenburg<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1vjHc5P8pogZpEJ87EaAT_XCudksfhp1-w-JEp6sw0lMqQ68vssW4ewxhNIhyCBy_mrlSfRJKbMvxgS_ozSvM7eHnmT6XbMcRnmXSqt9GetFTlfmf52sZ6zxONbus7ZWLreyX3vDPMwDLO8BWV7kBAUIh0qjiVUF3LpzEcW8rlGQymeNpYC1A22OZYo/s1440/CCC99D49-2F8E-4C17-946C-47C8F1FFEE62.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1438" data-original-width="1440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1vjHc5P8pogZpEJ87EaAT_XCudksfhp1-w-JEp6sw0lMqQ68vssW4ewxhNIhyCBy_mrlSfRJKbMvxgS_ozSvM7eHnmT6XbMcRnmXSqt9GetFTlfmf52sZ6zxONbus7ZWLreyX3vDPMwDLO8BWV7kBAUIh0qjiVUF3LpzEcW8rlGQymeNpYC1A22OZYo/s320/CCC99D49-2F8E-4C17-946C-47C8F1FFEE62.JPG"/></a></div>
Since I was going to a conference in Gothenburg, Sweden I decided to add a few extra days and do some exploring. It worked best to fly into Copenhagen, Denmark for 2 nights and then take a train to Sweden. The train could not have been easier and the station was literally at the hotel were the conference was being held.
Copenhagen was a great choice! It is a vibrant city. So clean and active. The people just felt so healthy and alive - not to mention beautiful. I was staying at the Admiral Hotel and took the metro from the airport to Kongens Nytorv station. From here it was a short walk to the hotel.
After checking in and dropping bags I set off to explore.
Kongens Nytorv is the central square of the city and a good place to start out. It is at the start of a main shopping street - Stroget pedestrian street.
I came across the Round Tower - built in the 17th century. Entering you continue along the spiral walk until you come out to a viewing platform with 360 views of the city. There is also a library where Hans Christian Andersen would frequent.
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Next I went to Torvehallerne Market which is a huge food hall and outdoor beer garden. I had a quick snack and then walked through the King’s Garden. This is the country’s oldest royal garden and essentially a large public park with extensive green lawns. As it was a Sunday afternoon in late September it was busy with so many families and couples picnic-ing, riding bicycles and generally enjoying being outdoors.
After going back to the hotel to change and freshen up I headed to Nyhavn for dinner. These colorful houses along the water are quintessential Copenhagen. It’s the picture that comes to mind when anyone mentions Denmark. And it did not disappoint. I strolled along taking pictures and enjoying the view. And found a table outside for dinner and some great people watching.
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Boarding the train the next day I took a train to Gothenburg, Sweden. It was just under 4 hours. The first full day of the conference is actually called a “Day of Adventure” so I was able to explore a little of the area.
We took a bus to a seaside town about an hour away and then a boat to Marstrand Island. We hiked around the island. And visited a castle with a historic guide.. down to the outfit. And had the most amazing seafood lunch which I deeply regret not photographing.
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I wish I spent more time in Sweden, it is definitely a place to return one day for a proper visit!
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This trip was my first time in Greece but it will not be my last. I did my typical whirlwind see as much as possible in as little time itinerary and so I did get around the country a little. It started off in Athens where you are surrounded by history everywhere you look. I stayed in walking distance from the Acropolis and had a rooftop dinner in the hotel taking in the view.
First full day I went first to the Acropolis hoping to beat the crowds. It was early May and so tecnically not high season but still pretty packed. The goal was to get in before the cruise ships arrive so it was a success. I can only imagine how miserable it must be to see it on one of those croweded tours!
After I went to the Acropolis Museum - conveniently located just across the road.
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The next destination was Nafplio. The drive was just about 2 hours and we stopped along the way to see the Corinth Canal. This canal was cut through the isthmus of Greece to connect the Aegean Sea the to the Ionian Sea. The ship fits but just barely.. fascinating watching it make its way through the narrow passage.
The town of Nafplio is quaint and on the water. It overlooks the Bourtzi Castle. There are lots of great little restaurants and shops throughout the streets. It is not crowded and a nice little escape from busy Athens.
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We went to the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus. The acoustics here are better than anything built in the past century and it is a mystery exactly how it was done. And then to Myceane - Ruins of a civilization between 1600 and 1100 B.C.
Our next stop was the Delphi. This was a long drive - over 3 hours. We arrived late and checked into the hotel. We had a quick dinner and then crashed. Early start the next day heading to the Temple of Delphi.
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Driving back to Athens and to the port I boarded a sailboat, my home for the next 4 days. We sailed around and stopped at several islands: Mykonos, Sifnos, Milos and Syros. Each was so unique.
Sailing around the islands
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Mykonos
Being the most popular stop everyone was super excited. Our ship was small enough to stop near the Mykonos town - the main touristy part. Just a short tender ride had us at the harbor and then we walked through the narrow streets of shops and restaurants, getting lost over and over but then finding our way back to the main path. Eventually we found our way to the end and the famous windmills. We took the obligatory photos and then met up with the rest of our group for a drink by the water. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTQeyNsPZE2fowvG2EUbtBZ4cxBYv93F2iliLAOqU0t-4S1GtS6TCfWL5hkEfGI957meWAfre-W2fbSajGbrDpRx1-8H9m62k5ynzlfHpbX4IKOmnoa36K1QqFaMxzMCpiI7XdJ4uS9a2xtKk9V8XUJ8Wl5FUixgjBe9sKEevk-ll8nqPbAOBbuCzj2c/s4032/IMG_3074.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTQeyNsPZE2fowvG2EUbtBZ4cxBYv93F2iliLAOqU0t-4S1GtS6TCfWL5hkEfGI957meWAfre-W2fbSajGbrDpRx1-8H9m62k5ynzlfHpbX4IKOmnoa36K1QqFaMxzMCpiI7XdJ4uS9a2xtKk9V8XUJ8Wl5FUixgjBe9sKEevk-ll8nqPbAOBbuCzj2c/s320/IMG_3074.JPG"/></a></div>
Milos
It is hard to pick a favorite since the islands were all so different. And we just had a few hours at each. But.. Milos might have been the most picturesque. First we stopped for coffee in the main town of Plaka. And then drove about 10 minutes to Sarakiniko Beach. It was so unique and often described as being moonlike. It is made up of white ridged rocks and the water is the brightest turquoise blue. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLkdtkifsNLkAoVtBjP-ePAuau1ezhrV866bfZmDasrx_-o7wTajXOi2PMYgCpm49aFLlxGVu8a7Ad1rcOJQMEFgIvb9CVooDXrjbR6uEQ0BKJvzVnjDm8-wcYuxJZU7y5X-SfnFdu2gIbH_cF8JZGyZoLgtccgjdwcryiNSY4xKvSWlAkU2LF5QkIHE/s4032/IMG_2894.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLkdtkifsNLkAoVtBjP-ePAuau1ezhrV866bfZmDasrx_-o7wTajXOi2PMYgCpm49aFLlxGVu8a7Ad1rcOJQMEFgIvb9CVooDXrjbR6uEQ0BKJvzVnjDm8-wcYuxJZU7y5X-SfnFdu2gIbH_cF8JZGyZoLgtccgjdwcryiNSY4xKvSWlAkU2LF5QkIHE/s320/IMG_2894.JPG"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPNkvkSY8galNJBhB3rzotv2vgsN6pQ_PR7mLP6kgLD0Zd0Yxxhr3Jz1bkSaZApYrZ-g0C5wEalWmY-p2DOGIhPjR8x0wai_JhTJNyZ9ARkYZvmSVjOukxZ3Lpy9uh4Wkj3YlKt6fKbjtdPp4gXpwRZLKedqMqzoL1a6TIZUuxrKL3R98bvEgGOWZkCc/s4032/Milos.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPNkvkSY8galNJBhB3rzotv2vgsN6pQ_PR7mLP6kgLD0Zd0Yxxhr3Jz1bkSaZApYrZ-g0C5wEalWmY-p2DOGIhPjR8x0wai_JhTJNyZ9ARkYZvmSVjOukxZ3Lpy9uh4Wkj3YlKt6fKbjtdPp4gXpwRZLKedqMqzoL1a6TIZUuxrKL3R98bvEgGOWZkCc/s320/Milos.JPG"/></a></div>
Syros
As we approached Syros it looked like an actual town. This was a more populated island than the others, we walked past city hall and some kids playing out front. We also saw a school. We visited St. George's Cathedral and checked out a few small hotels.
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Sifnos
This is another island knownn for its nightlife scene. We explored on foot walking the trail that includes monasteries, small chapels, and old towers. It overlooks the beaches and all the buildings are blue and white. We also visited a local pottery workshop.
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After disembarking there was time for one more stop before the airport.
It was the Temple of Poseiden located on Cape Sounion, a southern point on the water. It is located high up on a cliff overlooking the water and was built in honor of Poseiden, the god of the sea. Fishermen in ancient Greece would pray to Poseiden to keep them safe.
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The people of Vietnam make this beautiful country so special. Most of my trip I was traveling with a local guide (Vu in the south and Tango in the north - two of the best guides I have encountered globally) which makes interactions easy. But even when I was on my own communicating with no shared language the people were incredibly kind, helpful, and often smiling.
I started right off with touring in Saigon visiting the Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum and Saigon Central Post Office. And in half a day I learned more about the Vietnam War (or the “American War” as it is referred to there for obvious reasons) than I have learned in my entire life to this point. The palace is like going back in time. It was the home of the president in 1975 when it was stormed by North Vietnamese who drove tanks into the glass. And everything inside looks as it did then.
The War Remnants Museum is difficult to walk through but also important. There are three floors of photographs and artifacts. Everyone inside was somber as we walked and read. Seeing the POW prison outside was so incredibly horrific and eye opening.
It was nice to have a heartwarming experience at the post office after the intense visit. Here was the sweetest old man. He spoke no English. My guide explained that he was a public writer and he has been coming to the post office for 50 years. Many people could not read or wrote and so he would listen and write their letters for them to mail. And he still shows up, just in case he is needed.
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Now off on a vespa food tour! Food is just a part of the culture here as well as the vespa which are the most popular way to travel. We had spicy noodles, banh mi, spring rolls, soup, and even frog legs.(and yes, frog legs DO taste just like chicken!) Such a fun experience and even though many tourists do this, it didn’t feel ‘touristy’ as we were eating in little restaurants with locals, who again were kind and friendly.
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Venturing a little further out in Ho Chi Minh City we went to the Mekong Delta. The area is so scenic with its terraced rice fields and canals. We took a boat to a coconut farm where we watched them clean and cut, hundreds of coconuts. We rode bikes to a local restaurant for another incredible meal.
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I flew to Danang (the central part of Vietnam) and traveled to Hot An. The drive along the coast was one large construction site after another. Apparently a number of all inclusive resorts are coming to the area in the near future.
We stopped at My Son Sanctuary which is often referred to as a mini Angkor Wot. It was built between the 4th and 14th centuries and still largely intact. Though there are bomb craters from the war.
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The night market in Hoi An is a must do. Along the canal are shops and restaurants. All colorfully lit with lanterns. Great for strolling, eating, and some fantastic photo ops. We went to the market in the morning for fresh produce and joined a local cooking class.
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We went out on literal baskets on the water to watch the local fisherman throw nets to catch fish. They make it look so easy but it is a skill learned over a lifetime.
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The last leg of the trip was driving to Hanoi and then cruising out to Ha Long Bay. There are over 1,600 islands amid huge limestone pillars called karsts. The area covers 1.553sq km and has 1,993 mountains. I took at least 37 pictures and noe really did it justice. Onboard the ship we did yoga in the morning on the deck. Visited Sung Sot Cave which was used as a local hideout and makeshift hospital during the war. It was huge, we spent at least 30 minutes walking through and turns out Sung Sot translates to “Surprise” cave as it is deceiving from outside how incredible it really is.
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Overall views in Ha Long Bay do not get old and do not disappoint.
Back in Hanoi we drive through the city and see the government buildings. We also took a bicycle tour around the neighborhoods. Here I ran into an adorable boy who said “hello”. When I answered “hello” and smiled and ran. Within minutes there were 10 more children around me speaking. A teacher followed and said they were in an English language class and could they practice. So we spoke for a bit. My favorite part - one boy asked me “do you like Vietnamese food?” And I said yes. He smiled and yelled “ME TOO!”
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Vietnam is such a beautiful country with such beautiful people.
Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-7449597349382553522017-07-17T12:53:00.014-07:002023-10-31T12:51:06.181-07:00Lisbon, PortugalLisbon was spectacular. For so many reasons but for me personally it was the first non work international trip in may yesrs, plus I was traveling with my high school best friend! It turned out to be the perfect destination for us. We are the kind of travelers who like to get up and do something active/outside/touristy in the first half of the day. And then spend the late afternoon sitting in a square with a glass of wine people watching, listening to music, or just catching up. And that is exactly what we did!
Flew into Lisbon a red eye, arriving at 7am. Taking a taxi to the hotel is seamless. We stayed at Hotel Lis Baixa in Rossio Square and it was nice & great location. There are a lot of hotel options though. Be sure and stay somewhere in the city center area. Lisbon is very walkable or an inexpensive taxi ride.
We walked the whole city that morning waiting for the room to be ready. Got lost on the streets of Alfama in at the alleys.. eventually made our way to the National Panteon and Se Cathedral. There is a great café adjacent to this cathedral along the orange trees – you can get cheese, coffee or wine or all of the above.
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Later that afternoon we headed to Praça do Comércio. First stop was Museu da Cerveja (Museum of Beer) for beer and codfish balls. They are stuffed with cheese and are amazing!
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Then we walk up Rua Augusta (through the arch) – a lot of shops on this pedestrian street - to Praça de Rossio. We took the Santa Justa Lift into Bairro Alto. Views of the city here are awesome.
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We did go out for fado for dinner. It was great but also can go on for a long time and we were exhausted so didn’t stay too long. Note: if you order fish expect to have a whole fish.
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Day two - we took the train from Rossio Square to Sintra. (TIP: BUY a ROUNDTRIP ticket at Rossio and check schedules before you leave Lisbon as they aren’t posted clearly on the Sintra side). When you get into Sintra, take a taxi or tuk tuk to Pena – you can buy tickets for this and the Moorish castle here.
We started at Palacio de Pena, then Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle - walk all the way up!), then Quinta de Regaleira (they have an amazing step well).
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After Pena, walk down to Moorish Castle. Climb the walls to the top of the tower. After this, take a tuk tuk to Quinta de Regaleira.
(Tuk Tuks are a flat rate of 5EUR per person every time, doesn't seem to matter how far you are going. We walked up to the square (5 min walk) and did some shopping & eating. Then from here it was a 4EUR taxi back to the train station (better not to Tuk Tuk from here).
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Day 3 - Belem. We took the train to Jeronimos Monastery and did the self guided tour. Adjacent is the famous bakery Pasteis de Belem. We were actually early enough that there were not lines but later in the day they went around the block. We crossed the street to try them and sat near the Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument.
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We went back to Lisbon and took the Tram 28 (yellow trolley that is in every picture) up to St Jorge Castle. Great views of the city from here. And, they have wine trucks! Brilliant concept called ‘Wine with a View’ so you can sit and take in the scenery.
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Day 4 - We went to Obidos - a great, cute little town an hour north of Lisbon. It is a walled city with shops & restaurants and you can walk the perimeter of the town on the walls. I loved it. To get there take the Rapida Verde bus from Campo Grande metro station. The bus was hard to find - it was across the lot from the rest of the busses and nobody we asked spoke English. We found it literally as the doors were closing. 7.70 EUR each way on the bus. But then once you are in Obidos there are no entrance fees for anything.
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A few general Lisbon notes:
Food is amazing, cheap and easy to find. Don't go to any restaurants that have pictures on the menu. Those are tourist traps and often charge more. Go to hole in the wall places - they have the best food.
The Metro is great. You can buy multi day tickets and they don't have to be used for consecutive days. They are valid for 24 hours from when you first use them. We bought 2 day passes and used them on different days in the week. About 12EUR each I think? Good for metro, busses, tram, funiculars.
The wine is so good and so cheap! I was loving everything from the Douro region, my friend loved the Dao region. But I didn't have anything I did not like.
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Highly recommend Lisbon!!
Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-54662572119708345112017-06-03T12:18:00.019-07:002023-10-31T15:54:30.470-07:00Switzerland<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SM5bW0nGCPtxeR4GAUPZzmZ2ZiShDce4r-Xpox6kW4ym3Ozxgfa-UkG16446mod7EYk1-JawGvRSrfyRp-GBmB5G_cvXKvJS0yNc-Uorwnsuq0UmgUe_8j9Cyh4tQKQygs7EQWzg3m3Twh5srDJHMlofdtq3Gr_gUwqtEkCCfn0o7yJt_zti0k6ez9s/s871/IMG_9225.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="871" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SM5bW0nGCPtxeR4GAUPZzmZ2ZiShDce4r-Xpox6kW4ym3Ozxgfa-UkG16446mod7EYk1-JawGvRSrfyRp-GBmB5G_cvXKvJS0yNc-Uorwnsuq0UmgUe_8j9Cyh4tQKQygs7EQWzg3m3Twh5srDJHMlofdtq3Gr_gUwqtEkCCfn0o7yJt_zti0k6ez9s/s320/IMG_9225.jpg"/></a></div>Zermatt and the Matterhorn. Hiking and exploring the Swiss Alps. Which are freaking amazing.
The trip to Switzerland was a fam trip. Which means it is a group of travelers put together by the ground operator. And the travelers were all travel providers of some sort with the goal of us returning and sending guests to visit. This trip was 100% comped, including air, which it not usually the case. And because of this the flight schedule was not direct. Also it meant the entire group was going to be on the final trip into Zurich. And so, I decided that since no doubt we would be waiting on luggage at arrival I may as well check a bag. I also decided that because I would be meeting the group I should make an effort to dress fairly nice as opposed to my regular adventure travel attire. And that was my biggest mistake!!
We arrived in Zurich. My luggage however did not. Our itinerary was a busy one and also active. We arrived in evening and the next day was a full hike. And I stupidly wore cute shoes! This was a big dilemma. Luckily the group were experienced travelers and so that first night at my dinner everyone had brought one item from their luggage and presented it to my so I would have things to wear. And for shoes.. well there was a 30 year old guy in the group with a spare pair of running shoes. So rather than my well worn in hiking shoes I was going in sneakers! They were perfect by the way. And the luggage did catch up with my on day 4.
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Our first stop was Bern, the capital city. We had a brief walking tour and overview of the history and its medieval architecture. Then continued to Interlaken. We had dinner at a restaurant at the top of Harder Kulm. We had to take a funicular to get to the restaurant 4340 feet above sea level, and looked like a small castle.
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And it was clear in the morning. I looked out the window of my hotel room and was surprised to see a cow in the building across. We were staying in Interlaken, town located between two lakes - Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. It is in the magnificent Jungfrau region and offers views of the famous mountains: Eiger, Monch & Jungfrau.
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We took a train to Bernese Overland and then rode a cable car up to do some hiking. We had lunch at a local restaurant and then took the train back to Interlaken.
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The rest of the afternoon is all about food. Visited a local farmer and tasted fresh milk and cheese. And then to chocolatier and learned about the different types of chocolate, and tasted them all of course. Dinner was raclette, which is basically cheese fondue.. a giant wheel of cheese is melting slowly and scraped onto bread and veggies.
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The next morning we packed up and started towards Zermat. First we traveled by boat on Lake Brienz, with its crystal blue and turquoise water. Next we boarded a boat to an open-air museum in Ballenberg.
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After lunch we boarded the famous Glacier Express enjoying the views along the way to the town of Zermatt which lies at the foot of the Matterhorn. The Matterhorn is one of the most famous mountains in the world and the surrounding town is a popular vacation destination. And it is completely a car-free zone.
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We take a cable car up one of the mountains and hike alongside the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa Massif. We visit the Gornergrat and ride Europe’s highest open-air cogwheel railway.
We also visited an ice castle on top of Klein Matterhorn, Swiss Alps. At 12,470 feet it is the highest point in Europe reached by cable car. Temperature was about 60 degrees colder than the base.
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Our final day we took a train to Visp then another to Geneva, bordering on France. Suddenly so many people around were speaking French. We passed through the countryside and arrived in beautiful city continuing to the airport for our flight home.
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A few interesting notes:
Switzerland is not part of the EU. They use Swiss Francs not euro.
Though many larger stores will accept euro they will give change in CHF
Cash is still widely used.
The Switzerland railway system is extremely efficient and punctual. Best way to travel around the country and very easy to navigate.
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After exploring a little of Tel Aviv we traveled north to Haifa, a port city. The Baha’i Gardens are landscaped terraces overlooking the port are beautiful. We also visited Caesarea and the old amphitheater built by King Herod. Stopped for lunch and had the most delicious falafel.
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Our hotel was located on the Sea of Galilee, which is so peaceful and mesmerizing. Such incredible history here, no matter what your religion.
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Next we headed to Golan Heights, almost on the border of Syria. In Katzrin went to a place that reenacted daily life in the first century. Here I am in “traditional clothing” and making olive oil the old way.
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Crossing into Jordan was not too bad. Our guide left us and we walked through the checkpoint showing passports and visas. Once cleared we met a new guide on the other side. We boarded a bus and before exiting the area we stopped and military police boarded. He asked everyone to hold up their passport, sounding serious. Then he broke into a huge smile and yelled “Welcome to Jordan! We love Americans!”
Our first stop in Jordan was Jerash. I'd never heard of it but this well preserved Roman city was so much more impressive than anything I've seen in Rome. It's unfortunate most Americans won't travel here. So much incredible history.
We also toured Amman and checked into our hotel.
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From Amman to Petra it is a long drive, about 4 hours. And then Petra is huge. I honestly didn’t realize just how big it was. We walked for 20 minutes before really feeling like we were ‘there’. In total it is about 3 miles from the entrance to the monastery. Once you get into the heart of the site there is so much to marvel at.
And the first glance of The Treasury as you are walking through Petra is definitely a "wow" moment!
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Another highlight!! So many in Jordan.. again I was blown away with how much I loved this country.
Camel ride in Wadi Rum. Such a unique place.. no wonder both Lawrence of Arabia and The Martian were filmed here.
Oh and we ran down the sand dunes!
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Back to Israel. And I have to say wow.. I thought the airline security was intense? Checkpoints at the border are no joke. We were at the King Hussein bridge border crossing which is the only direct crossing between Palestinian Territories and Jordan. This process took several hours and it was a relief to finally be on the other side and safely in our van.
Jerusalem. Looking from the hotel room its so black and white.. all the buildings. Except the gold dome (Dome of the Rock - an Islamic shrine on the Temple Mount). It is interesting how this is such a holy place for all three religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
Off to the Dead Sea! Apparently this is the lowest place on planet earth, 1,200 feet below sea level. The salt levels are so high you actually do sort of float. Its not like being on a raft but you do feel more buoyant than the ocean. The salt is about ten times normal seawater. And on the shores were so many giant salt rocks that washed ashore. The water also has high levels of magnesium which is partly why it is considered so healing.
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The trip was packed and I know I will be thinking of so much I left out. I definitely would recommend visiting. I also would suggest a trip to just Jordan and spending a full week there.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-53024247306439486222016-08-17T12:40:00.018-07:002023-11-06T12:58:20.406-08:00Pura Vida in Costa Rica<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoicePhc9BXRhb_0sf0kHPdbf2Xn-osAwgcK_VsHAdg4B5ydawjg1bDEkG0biPOwnm3ff0OAg-tJYpLpSVXdXSQCM32DibcFi_6PpMU2kmpw-v5ubK2bz0ZJzChKjrsWX7byacunYSAcdmQhl5cM-Hj9nd4OOJnQzHW27qpJza2ak2T_7iIirqpcbKBKM/s4032/IMG_7128.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoicePhc9BXRhb_0sf0kHPdbf2Xn-osAwgcK_VsHAdg4B5ydawjg1bDEkG0biPOwnm3ff0OAg-tJYpLpSVXdXSQCM32DibcFi_6PpMU2kmpw-v5ubK2bz0ZJzChKjrsWX7byacunYSAcdmQhl5cM-Hj9nd4OOJnQzHW27qpJza2ak2T_7iIirqpcbKBKM/s320/IMG_7128.JPG"/></a></div>Whitewater rafting, mountain biking, hiking, zip lines and hanging bridges, volcanoes, beaches, sloths and monkeys. It was a busy week in Costa Rica! This was our number was destination, we sent more guests to Costa Rica every year than anywhere else. And this was not my first visit but it had been over 7 years since visiting. So I was very overdue for a visit. I was on a scouting mission and traveling along with a alumni travel director. We were inspecting activities and hotels for an upcoming trip. I arrived 2 days in advance to head to Manual Antonio and do some serious hotel inspections. We visited 14 hotels in a day and a half. Talk about getting in your steps! Then back to San Jose to meet my travel companion.
I got to see sloths up close in Manual Antonio National Park, try the local delicacy "Lizano", and watch an amazing powerful thunderstorm.
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First on the itinerary was white water rafting on the Pacurare River. Back in 2006 I rafted on the Sarapiqui. That particular trip has been in April and the water level was low, which made for a relaxing trip but not much in terms of rapids. This time I was traveling in August, after several months of the rainy season. And the rafting was definitely more enjoyable. It was a solid class II/III rafting trip. And we had perfect weather for the trip as well.
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We drove back to San Jose as we needed to do some hotel inspections. It is almost 3 hours each way so lots of time in the car! Ideally you would overnight in the area the night before to avoid an obscene wake up time and also the night after to really take in the area.
In the morning we visited Poas Volcano, just an hour away. There was a little activity as you will see in the photo. ANd that afternoon it actually did have an "eruption event". Apparently a huge poof of gasses, steam, and particles erupted almost 1km high.
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Next on the agenda was Monteverde. In my previous trips I had never been to this region. It is a cloud forest and known for its night hikes and numerous orchids. We did a great night hike seeing lots of frogs, spiders, snakes and birds.
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From here we headed to Arenal and took a bike ride around the volcano. We also visited a coffee plantation and had a delicious lunch. We also went ziplining and to the hanging bridges.
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Last up was Guanacaste. Here we had a really special day planned, going to the Blue Zone region. It is a location where the age expectancy is significantly higher than the rest of the world. We had coffee at the home of a lovely women I was surprised to learn was in her late 90s. While there a neighbor, he was only 92, came with a basket. He dropped off some plantations he had for her and took some fresh tomatoes from her garden. We learned this is how they live, all growing different things and sharing. Then at 4:00 PM we headed to the community center. Each day they all meet here. Some days, as this day, there were some health officials from the town who did a few check ups and spoke in general about some health tips. Then everyone stood and the music started. There was about 10 minutes of stretching together followed by 30 minutes of salsa dancing! Clearly it is a combination of community, being active, and staying busy that keeps them so young.
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Our last night in Guanacaste I met up with our ground operator, who by this point working together is really just a wonderful friend. We had a beer and guacamole overlooking the beautiful country. Costa Rica is not big - about the size of West Virginia - but so diverse. There are mountains and beaches and volcanos and cloud forests. You can do it all in one country.
I departed from Liberia the next morning. Hopefully I don’t wait another 7 years to get back to this fantastic place!
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Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-47092884134961339602016-06-19T15:24:00.014-07:002023-10-28T15:32:57.013-07:00Baja California Sur and Glamping!Amazing week in Baja! Snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, paddle boarding.. and most of all Glamping!
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Baja California Sur is a gorgeous and less touristed part of Mexico. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. To get there fly into Cabo San Lucas.. but then leave Cabo immediately! It is full of all inclusive resorts and well a different type of experience.
Drive 90 minutes to the town of Todos Santos. It is an artist-y town with a lot of expats, as well as local. There are cactus and mountains like a desert up high but then the blue water of the Pacific Ocean is right there. There is a great hike in the cliffs with amazing views. The hike itself is not difficult, a slow incline until the end with a little scrambling. And there are so many amazing restaurants in town.
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From here I went to the east coast and did some snorkeling in Cabo Pulmo. This is a marine national park and one of the best places in the world for scuba diving. Note that the roads getting here are not paved. I’m not even sure I would call them roads. Four wheel drive required and best to have a guide/driver. I was here off season, as usual when I’m doing scouting. But this does mean the water temperature is at its lowest. And maybe for this reason there were more jelly fish than normal. We took a boat out into the water and threw anchor in several spots to snorkel. I have never seen so many fish in my life. It was incredible. Each snorkel was different but great. The last spot we stopped was near some underwater caves and sea lions. As we were climbing back on the boat the guide suddenly was anxious and hurrying us, and I realized why as I was waiting behind another guest to climb the boat ladder I felt the sting. What turned out to be a Portuguese man o’war stung my cheek! There was some drama as we had to rush back to the mainland but other than the extreme pain all was fine. I couldn’t believe when I looked in a mirror that there was no mark… it felt like my whole face was swollen and burning. Anyway, the guide assured me this was uncommon but I would recommend wetsuits and bringing some Benadryl with you, just in case.
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Then I was off to the best part of this trip. Glamping on the island of Espiritu Santo. There is nothing like sleeping in a full size comfortable bed looking at the ocean and listening to the water. Right outside the tent are paddle boards and kayaks. And snorkeling literally with sea lions. And a chef even manages to make gourmet meals.. and fresh margaritas here!
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The only thing wrong with this whole experience is that I was alone as I was scouting for work. It is one place I absolutely plan to return with friends on my own! Highly recommend!!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-78918743163620756892015-09-29T11:42:00.040-07:002023-11-02T07:01:15.849-07:00Italy: Tuscany, Naples and the Aeolian IslandsUnder a Tuscan Sunset at Borgo Casabianca Asciano
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanFmUOYzOrimQaMwkN82-xr6DtLlmfmFHCg-VQc03em91RWgHog5vzp_qjgmalvV3QEcPYhNB9G_Pw1mRxyI9A8iAb2VL25Ev91YF6L8WEWZJzqQadv1i4kgF5NMKIUTirPVKuT6lFMeYoPCSGJF3gHaNAdtmvcS0Vdgh8TfnJmJJmDxWHlG_-cTN2wA/s960/11046243_10153623312944344_4720119308189493545_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanFmUOYzOrimQaMwkN82-xr6DtLlmfmFHCg-VQc03em91RWgHog5vzp_qjgmalvV3QEcPYhNB9G_Pw1mRxyI9A8iAb2VL25Ev91YF6L8WEWZJzqQadv1i4kgF5NMKIUTirPVKuT6lFMeYoPCSGJF3gHaNAdtmvcS0Vdgh8TfnJmJJmDxWHlG_-cTN2wA/s320/11046243_10153623312944344_4720119308189493545_n.jpg"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihxBoyUX-eVpe9CHeS7YUMtAJnjkNTPU6wUZsBkvnh26Rrtryii45CBuFGNn4BF_QvH6yy7Ngeq1cBlkF5tGGV6qRD1f9v2FW_uOtIqQyx6ysYIrC7n_aB9x22tRmg2rP7WKBWZsLPoYsPfSoSeLKn7GXQ5A6dR2ERbV7NgVagIsMitDpduXehHhpXG7s/s960/12011219_10153623315159344_7895500367638467614_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihxBoyUX-eVpe9CHeS7YUMtAJnjkNTPU6wUZsBkvnh26Rrtryii45CBuFGNn4BF_QvH6yy7Ngeq1cBlkF5tGGV6qRD1f9v2FW_uOtIqQyx6ysYIrC7n_aB9x22tRmg2rP7WKBWZsLPoYsPfSoSeLKn7GXQ5A6dR2ERbV7NgVagIsMitDpduXehHhpXG7s/s320/12011219_10153623315159344_7895500367638467614_n.jpg"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhah9fTozdXQHli-seXQv2ewvrs4f_Vx09fVIAa84M-X4jTsfZhqc917ccBPuL15omNSjkI-_zrHH9mTZ5ArZE6YrdHCZk7Fk8N9ZjDc2VKjggUsB0kxHSTHofQG4LSo5ogdDQiadU3Ps8cdsbZhEVAQr5l8oVGDAgoJL3oUYorGi_YgpAuwFPQDN-sG4/s960/12039597_10153621515329344_6547440529149382584_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhah9fTozdXQHli-seXQv2ewvrs4f_Vx09fVIAa84M-X4jTsfZhqc917ccBPuL15omNSjkI-_zrHH9mTZ5ArZE6YrdHCZk7Fk8N9ZjDc2VKjggUsB0kxHSTHofQG4LSo5ogdDQiadU3Ps8cdsbZhEVAQr5l8oVGDAgoJL3oUYorGi_YgpAuwFPQDN-sG4/s320/12039597_10153621515329344_6547440529149382584_n.jpg"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Z96glNwXihgrOWzhwsIHpJgM-lhYmZVTPDTMu2yZYngf2tLVYto1eYVP5XyMfFVjOYwY6He4pPOcam5n4RyHSq2pZP7CEEBn7y2H8FVhZ8o9TTwAmS-4AooouDozsYT1OR80su8bct-rDHKj4NIR4Mr4GeqhnpxlB5z7cpuszvUx85kpksBuvuXMLdA/s960/12049103_10153621514884344_2273381546589485379_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Z96glNwXihgrOWzhwsIHpJgM-lhYmZVTPDTMu2yZYngf2tLVYto1eYVP5XyMfFVjOYwY6He4pPOcam5n4RyHSq2pZP7CEEBn7y2H8FVhZ8o9TTwAmS-4AooouDozsYT1OR80su8bct-rDHKj4NIR4Mr4GeqhnpxlB5z7cpuszvUx85kpksBuvuXMLdA/s320/12049103_10153621514884344_2273381546589485379_n.jpg"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYB4xhAfsEkEB-L59E07BxC-u6ZpFmC8byMhGrrHRzHlD-iNtwrEyQpWzJeRa3mYB7QNC-0CvtFh_jFYzjxOo4sIBI-33n3B-tU3GsIzn6zCLTpYUyNU3P7B69vxH6_aDXB6xrF30ePmrIC6y4tw5S2NbfPYwNcClNjE9Vl8Mvs3z6FIIo7t2R0Xij3Kg/s960/12065579_10153623313414344_1982326785531743575_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYB4xhAfsEkEB-L59E07BxC-u6ZpFmC8byMhGrrHRzHlD-iNtwrEyQpWzJeRa3mYB7QNC-0CvtFh_jFYzjxOo4sIBI-33n3B-tU3GsIzn6zCLTpYUyNU3P7B69vxH6_aDXB6xrF30ePmrIC6y4tw5S2NbfPYwNcClNjE9Vl8Mvs3z6FIIo7t2R0Xij3Kg/s320/12065579_10153623313414344_1982326785531743575_n.jpg"/></a></div>
Florence’s red-tiled Duomo features an enormous dome that rises above the rest of the city. Climb the 414 steps to the top of the bell tower,and take in a stunning 360 degree view over the city.
Rome has so much to see: The Colosseum, the Forums, the Catacombs, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and more.
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Took train from Rome to Naples. Met driver and headed to Mt. Vesuvius.
Incredible day learning about Mt Vesuvius and its power. First the story of Pompei. Then climbing to the crater followed by visiting a wine farm affected by several eruptions. Most recently in 1906. The wine cellar is actually made in the lava rock. Some people say that Vesuvius is due for another major eruption.
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Contined to Amalfi and checked into hotel. Views are incredible.
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Took ferry to Capri for a day visit. We stopped at Positano also to pick up more passengers.
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Aeolian Islands
From Naples there is an overnight ferry to Milazzo. Exited (very) early am, grabbed a quick breakfast, and boarded ferry to Stromboli, arriving by 7:30 am. We hiked up to the viewing point of the volcano, which is active. We stopped in town and walked through a small church. My guide had to meet the tinest old women and bring some sweaters from the mainland. She spoke no English but was very smily.
Then we took the ferry to Vulcano. Here we checked into a hotel and met back up at 3:00 PM for a hike to the crater of Vulcano. It is worth noting the entire island smells strongly of sulfer due to the volcano. However you do get used to it before long.
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The Aeolian Islands feels like a secret most beautiful place on the planet. At the end of the day I had 32,000 plus steps (none of which were flat). We climbed two volcanoes: Stromboli and Vulcano. And to think only 4 months ago I was recovering from back surgery and could not even walk. Truly amazing. Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-55490191343121274842014-10-01T06:38:00.050-07:002023-10-29T06:59:20.565-07:00Canadian RockiesI could not believe how gorgeous this part of the world is. It is a hiker's dream. Once again I was off for a quick trip and jam packed schedule, trying to see as much as possible in a few days. And again traveling off season when weather isn't alwyas best. It rained for the vast majority of my time which unfortunately limited the number of photos. But to be honest if not I probably would have had way too many pictures becuase I wouldn't be able to stop myself!
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Flight into Calgary and Banff National Park is just about an hour north. My first activity was caving in Rat's Nest Cave. I have never done anything quite like this. We put on complete coveralls and had to remove everything from pockets. Meaning no cell phones or cameras and therefore no pictures! It is because some of the spaces we had to navigate through were so tight anything you had would be broken. This is not for anyone claustrophobic. I am not but still found it quite difficult - both physically at times and mentally. We were inside the cave, which we entered by a small hole and sliding down a rock (which we later had to climb to get out!) for about 2 hours. Most of the time you are upright and walking, it's quite large inside and there are stalagmites and stalactites. It's dank and a little wet. But at least 10 times we passed through really small areas. I was both happy I did it and happy when it was over!
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I also visited a dogsled kennel. It was too early in the season for any rides but I was able to meet some pups and learn how they are trained. Really interesting. These dogs are treated well and clearly love what they do.
And then the hiking. We did a 14K hike in Lake Louise, in the pouring rain. It cleared for a few minutes and I snapped a couple photos.
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We drove by Takakkaw Falls and Peyto Lake. Did some more hiking near Emerald and Moraine Lakes.
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Going a few more hours north on the Icefields Parkway heading to Jasper National Park the scenery was incredible. And from the vehicle I spotted several moose. Then we arrived at Athabasca Glacier, a 10,000-year old sheet of ice. We put crampons (ice cleets) on our shoes and walked across.
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Downtown Banff is picturesque with lots of hotels, restaurants and shopping.
Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-6733979714403265742013-08-03T15:51:00.026-07:002023-10-31T15:58:40.687-07:00Thailand: Bangkok & Chiang Mai<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83f3lDwmy5wjddr30JBzp9n67pSLTjs9PF6sE2IZyyEpsUrNfMkhHBlosgDaqhB7IMCZF8t-hQFsWByWVQ5fRlWZ7CB9IhLIn00234zQpe1uFagJkpg6SJSo5eRDYrLlVqaWUhWPpr03iqwqoJ0gRwJizAnABx3lwdizv-2Pu7adw5Jktc5I6cK2kwyw/s2592/IMG_6413.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1936" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83f3lDwmy5wjddr30JBzp9n67pSLTjs9PF6sE2IZyyEpsUrNfMkhHBlosgDaqhB7IMCZF8t-hQFsWByWVQ5fRlWZ7CB9IhLIn00234zQpe1uFagJkpg6SJSo5eRDYrLlVqaWUhWPpr03iqwqoJ0gRwJizAnABx3lwdizv-2Pu7adw5Jktc5I6cK2kwyw/s400/IMG_6413.JPG"/></a></div>
The trip to Thailand was off to a whirlwind start. Flight delayed so whisked through security to a flight departing in 10 minutes. Boarded and OFF (and luckily no checked bags to worry about this time)! It is a long flight followed by a layover and another long flight. But so worth it.
First morning in Bangkok I was up early and enjoying the strong coffee while watching the barges move down the river. We boarded klong boats soon to visit temples. These are long passenger boats that essentially serve as public transportation.
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We also biked through the local neighborhoods. Seeing real life was fascinating. Though it was quite difficult riding though on narrow streets with motor bikes sharing the paths.
The Flight of the Gibbon zipline was intense, but incredible.
After 4 days in Bangkok we traveled north to Chiang Mai where we immediately joined Thai cooking class.
And we hiked Doi Inthanon by amazing waterfalls and rice plantations and visited village school and passed out gifts the children.
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Back at the hotel I had a little time and went for a very interesting Thai massage by a blind person. No photo of this but later at the night market we tried the fish spa. I could barely get through it from the tickling!
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The whitewater rafting was also great. Plus we had to stop and wait for the elephants to cross the river. Wish I has pics.. But it was raining and camera was put away.
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Honestly I don't even know what my favorite part was.
We spent a day as “mahouts” working with elephants. Feeding, bathing and riding elephants was awesome. We also visited a tiger park. Being IN the cage with tigers was interesting and amazing. That was a little disconcerting though... I don't think the tigers are as happy as the elephants were. Not quite a zoo but still caged. Just very big cages.
<i>Note: since visiting Thailand I have become aware that riding elephants and actually not good for them and do regret having done it.</i>
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The last night we had a Khom Loy ceremony. Floating paper lanterns traditionally released in northern Thailand by the Lanna people.
Did I mention the food?? Every single meal I had was incredible.
What an amazing trip this has been. So busy but I can't think of a single thing to cut. We just need more time!
Oh and I did stop in Tokyo for a night flying home. I went to the fish market and had the freshest sushi of my life for breakfast.
And here’s the post I put on FB that day (July 31, 2013):
<blockquote></blockquote><i>Bottle water in Bangkok this morning approx 10 baht ($.32)
Same bottle of water in Tokyo on the same day is 460 yen (approx. $4.55)
How's that for extremes?</i><blockquote></blockquote>
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FYI the best hotel in Bangkok is The Atlanta Hotel. It is simple and cheap. Great for single travelers (and my brother’s personal favorite place to visit) is the Atlanta Hotel in Bangkok. it is not fancy but it is good, cheap, and well run.
If you have any questions just ask. I LOVED Thailand!!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-14860909816417639872011-07-28T03:30:00.076-07:002023-11-01T09:48:23.377-07:00China<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumvVhyphenhyphenGZAIjd4waY9Kc6Abjf4q1rB1dBuCR7ex4ta-o7IO6vDnNzYb_gkIbupxPp8G4sqlyIE7c-7XvDMUI4mW_tXbNlPmfb80nJEMq3Ax3wHPyM3jeZG6573cG2MR5tEea25Qd2jjC6zX9Yo6DXol9XoE_h3c9v6j-fJjS3tD_fpXAUme2DuioLljuQ/s2592/IMG_3106.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1936" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumvVhyphenhyphenGZAIjd4waY9Kc6Abjf4q1rB1dBuCR7ex4ta-o7IO6vDnNzYb_gkIbupxPp8G4sqlyIE7c-7XvDMUI4mW_tXbNlPmfb80nJEMq3Ax3wHPyM3jeZG6573cG2MR5tEea25Qd2jjC6zX9Yo6DXol9XoE_h3c9v6j-fJjS3tD_fpXAUme2DuioLljuQ/s320/IMG_3106.JPG"/></a></div>
Beijing
China feels like the most different and extreme place I will be going to yet. I am joining a group traveling with my company but arriving one day in advance to meet with the operator and see some hotels. When I got to the airport to check in I was told my flight was delayed and I might miss my connection in Chicago. But then the gate agent says she can get me on an earlier flight leaving soon but I needed to run. OH and the only seat left was first class. Great I say! I check my bag, get my boarding pass and RUN. I literally arrived at the gate as they were closing but all good. Except I feel extremely underdressed in first class with my adventure travel attire. Plus it is not even 7AM yet and I am offered champagne. So, a long layover in Chicago but I make my connection and arrive in Beijing as scheduled. Just without my luggage! At least I have my toothbrush and a long sleeve shirt.
In preparation for this trip I created a Google+ profile knowing that Facebook was banned. Though actually my Facebook account worked for the first few days, only when I signed into a new wifi at the second hotel it updated and was blocked.
Once the group arrives we start off straight away with Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. It is torrential rain but still very crowded. The square itself is not very interesting, but the story behind it of course is. And the Forbidden City is much larger than I expected.
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The next day, in my same outfit, we went the Great Wall. Mutianyu Great Wall was the section to be exact. This is at the 6th watchtower and you take a cable car from the bottom to the wall. We spent about an hour walking along the wall on our own and taking photos. It was a very hot day and suddenly a small older Chinese women appears carrying a cooler. She is selling cold waters and cold beer. And the beer was actually cheaper than the water. When it was time to descend the way down is by toboggan.
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We also visited the Summer Palace, Kingdom of Heaven, and Bird's Nest - the site of the 2008 summer olympics.
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And then we were off to the airport for our flight to Xi'an. Still in my same outfit as my luggage hadn't arrived yet. The main attraction here are the Terracotta Warriors. We visited the museum and saw all the warriors. They really are unique, each looks slightly different just like actual people. We also had a dumpling making cooking class here. And thanks to a lovely women in our group who lent me clothes, I was wearing a new outfit!
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Next on the agenda was Chengdu. We flew and checked in the hotel, where I was greeted with my luggage! It was day six and I was defintely ready to unpack. Here we headed to the Giant Panda Breeding Center.
The pandas are about the cutest things you can imagine.
We also saw the Sichuan Culture Opera show with fire breating and face changing. It was like a combination of Cirque de Soleil, magic, and the circus. I truly have no idea how they did things.
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From here we flew to Guilin and drove an hour north to Yangshou. This was my favorite part of the itinerary. Suddenly we were not in a city and in the countryside. We rode bikes past rice platations. We hiked Moon Hill. We took a river boat ride along the Yulong River and marveled at the karst formations. And we watched cormorant fisherman in action.
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Our last leg of the trip was Shanghai. Which for me, was a bit like being back in NY. It was so cosmopolitan. We actually ate dinner at an Italian restaurant. We did do a boat ride on The Bund and went to the top of the Shanghai Tower, the world's tallest tower until the completion of Burj Khalifa in Dubai last year.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_br28wgNmfPgRy1S2p7SaW8znGvktVnDMIlovCH0m6mtVv8kqcJlgGQDqkiUdYkgQRu-2xzdSl0ghyZGkWp17uKWoPd5iM9M3kmkoLL76eVj5f8tlQUSDe30100O_QBlDaTibjEa3dQ26N4OaNgzp9fND9f-eV6EgEtCIipndjil8PE4QF2mJ2c7gOs/s4320/IMG_3668.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="4320" data-original-width="3240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_br28wgNmfPgRy1S2p7SaW8znGvktVnDMIlovCH0m6mtVv8kqcJlgGQDqkiUdYkgQRu-2xzdSl0ghyZGkWp17uKWoPd5iM9M3kmkoLL76eVj5f8tlQUSDe30100O_QBlDaTibjEa3dQ26N4OaNgzp9fND9f-eV6EgEtCIipndjil8PE4QF2mJ2c7gOs/s320/IMG_3668.JPG"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwGt2aQ4kV9OBExA4NMPKGOgN9mIvCeZPx34sDKhLeBNiUfVC5yTFAwSkYH0de8BAMdjU2oFodCfrjkXRE8C4ALW3w-l7EmTNFVTAjFpzXHZUPAIHXeiGJ2LGVbvRkQd9fJHh8TKyVgr0s0nu8mjQBuAE4EVtL68PsstFwxQZRuR0arZD9MUT36GMV0g/s4320/IMG_3776.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="4320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwGt2aQ4kV9OBExA4NMPKGOgN9mIvCeZPx34sDKhLeBNiUfVC5yTFAwSkYH0de8BAMdjU2oFodCfrjkXRE8C4ALW3w-l7EmTNFVTAjFpzXHZUPAIHXeiGJ2LGVbvRkQd9fJHh8TKyVgr0s0nu8mjQBuAE4EVtL68PsstFwxQZRuR0arZD9MUT36GMV0g/s320/IMG_3776.JPG"/></a></div>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-68423853890906317442010-09-03T09:46:00.000-07:002011-01-18T09:56:22.587-08:00BELIZE!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHk1j1qEdH5caSBtiqpR7NocTH84hTsStisuBy7U_hAXstGOijM93sDzQZ3cYkRooTufvzlsT_EJEYU0wKtHH7Hbt3WmdvIo1qzu6SATOWI1KMyqMQqpCRE4Su6qjY0siI1R4gs6cbKTY/s1600/IMG_0974.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHk1j1qEdH5caSBtiqpR7NocTH84hTsStisuBy7U_hAXstGOijM93sDzQZ3cYkRooTufvzlsT_EJEYU0wKtHH7Hbt3WmdvIo1qzu6SATOWI1KMyqMQqpCRE4Su6qjY0siI1R4gs6cbKTY/s400/IMG_0974.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563584741351818322" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoK-LPQ4ahCJgk-tr1DFNQKMZ2_UWncQJ-jBaHoX6f2YOIeFKZ-s1r5Jd8qEY6rSOYV9g8Oh9nD2Q9Ei-GZMJ7NILVlHApT1Ehgd_JgObLjfJnoes0DHls-uvjCRX8GOc0ZVxIZ5vvfd8/s1600/IMG_0718.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoK-LPQ4ahCJgk-tr1DFNQKMZ2_UWncQJ-jBaHoX6f2YOIeFKZ-s1r5Jd8qEY6rSOYV9g8Oh9nD2Q9Ei-GZMJ7NILVlHApT1Ehgd_JgObLjfJnoes0DHls-uvjCRX8GOc0ZVxIZ5vvfd8/s400/IMG_0718.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563584480112167810" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDWpOpZJRhwtcYzs2AYuMcFXSTuaoG46s8LPskg5QVOzrlwbtV4qs61i4ix8ZzrMXYY1MfrofjY9WeCPBXYddNgqlPsROHTzJ6olemsR4q7eo9JgJeHrAVcb5rtamGJDUORiwK-Mmaoo/s1600/IMG_0784.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDWpOpZJRhwtcYzs2AYuMcFXSTuaoG46s8LPskg5QVOzrlwbtV4qs61i4ix8ZzrMXYY1MfrofjY9WeCPBXYddNgqlPsROHTzJ6olemsR4q7eo9JgJeHrAVcb5rtamGJDUORiwK-Mmaoo/s400/IMG_0784.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563584043209721906" /></a><br />So much to say about my quick 4 day tour of Belize!<br />Lots of hiking, ziplines, snorkeling, canoeing in cave, ruins, terrible roads, eating live termites. It is truly an amazing and adventurous destination. I finally understand the appeal for Amy to return year after year! It is definitely a place I want to return to on my own someday on a real vacation!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-33624416516837617532010-08-27T20:16:00.000-07:002023-10-28T12:04:05.450-07:00Azureos PanamaToday we went horseback riding in the Azuero Peninsula. Rolling hills, muddy trails, and crossed several rivers. We could hear howler monkeys in the trees as we passed and saw a huge Jesus Christ Lizard walking across the water.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-25668413372938244442010-08-26T15:51:00.000-07:002011-01-18T09:56:44.255-08:00Azueros Peninsula / Isla Iguana<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHYU-LkpTrNvZiuJtfELSl0q9bWyqmuhClomTY0F8M6bcH1_KdsAjgazb_hKujUjeKY4G73f7bTCaC4szP93JlJGr3uDOuPLJliP1CA5Kz88cctoaonKLA6BXU5OYuitn2AgHSbdzwes/s1600/IMG_0411.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHYU-LkpTrNvZiuJtfELSl0q9bWyqmuhClomTY0F8M6bcH1_KdsAjgazb_hKujUjeKY4G73f7bTCaC4szP93JlJGr3uDOuPLJliP1CA5Kz88cctoaonKLA6BXU5OYuitn2AgHSbdzwes/s400/IMG_0411.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563580246517156210" /></a><br />Yesterday we made our south along the Pacific coast of Panama. We stopped en route to visit a local artist who makes traditional devil masks first used over 500 years ago as a way of introducing <br />Christianity. The masks are still used today during Corpus Christi. Then some local people performed the traditional dance wearing the masks. We arrived at our villas yesterday evening and settled in walking the beach and watching the waves crash. The surf is a little of the rough side today as apparently we had a full moon this week. Our villas have full kitchens so Mica wiped up dinner while we set up the hammock and tried a Panamanian beer, Balboa.<br />This morning we drove 15 minutes into town. The road we take is past farms and lots of cows and horses. We even stopped to look at a few troops of howler monkeys in the trees. We picked up our snorkel equipment and rode to the beach. Our captain James (not Bond as he said) took us out about twenty minutes later there were four huge humpback whales breeching and jumping around us. It was one of the most amazing things any of us had seen but at this time it was raining quite heavily so cameras were away. Unfortunately there are no pictures but I don't think any of us will ever forget it! <br />We arrived at Isla Iguana and the rain stopped and the sun came out. We hiked around first and explored. Though I did see 2 iguanas I think they should rename the island Tropical LandCrab because they were EVERYwhere!! So colorful and look plastic. Bright orange and purple hard to believe they are real! We snorkeled off the beach and the water was so warm!!! After our picnic lunch and so relaxing we took the boat back to the beach where we bought a giant red snapper he had just caught. It was still alive. A 12 1/2 pound fish for $12. We are having a BBQ on the beach tonight and we are cooking it up then. I can't wait!!! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qjw3TTguV7NVUAmasLqNgeLTPtSQnoHte0MUasPCxkVHrONoOoxGjcZRNERzh0p8dkPhl9ayc52zgeSX9da5V-CIQEaefBDgAwUhh2ByfMV5KClZnEULzhoyrBveuuYSG5_zKR1cO0U/s1600/IMG_0723.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qjw3TTguV7NVUAmasLqNgeLTPtSQnoHte0MUasPCxkVHrONoOoxGjcZRNERzh0p8dkPhl9ayc52zgeSX9da5V-CIQEaefBDgAwUhh2ByfMV5KClZnEULzhoyrBveuuYSG5_zKR1cO0U/s200/IMG_0723.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563568055756296882" /></a><br /><p>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-6097273853379554502010-08-25T06:09:00.000-07:002011-01-18T08:50:22.727-08:00El Valle de Anton<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7rn2JNb-lvu-94BlREwsSh6vRnV5xkDR5Flbe-j2K5b49S1rjykSDRF5rGOzW5nQfbUVZ_8AfISBIfs823vNjcqf8lf9sIy_mYURndgC6FMBk3yreZRpLNEl1pHRJ_jqrXcaXdxTsuC0/s1600/los+mandarinos12.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7rn2JNb-lvu-94BlREwsSh6vRnV5xkDR5Flbe-j2K5b49S1rjykSDRF5rGOzW5nQfbUVZ_8AfISBIfs823vNjcqf8lf9sIy_mYURndgC6FMBk3yreZRpLNEl1pHRJ_jqrXcaXdxTsuC0/s320/los+mandarinos12.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563568960647032866" /></a><br />This morning we left Playa Bonita and drove 2 1/2 hours south to El Valle de Anton stopping on the way for cheese at Queso Chelas for cheese empanadas and chicheme (corn milkshake). Then we went to the cloud forest for hiking and then a zip line. After we checked into our hotel and went to visit that a serpentarium where they had snakes that are rescued from the wild and and rehabilitated before being put in the world. Later we had an amazing dinner near the hotel. Today we are driving south to the Azueros Peninsula.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GP1RBplDTm2AKa0D16KKDozPoCXinewzr-vgojbKWuklclonMP-J7cibmeNmCYyqO3C6ciBdlRm1Jww0LAv-dExCQL_o3cthRV9AfSHAl3dAVS7sf8wiG4sfB7oirOr9N4ud6dVdOcU/s1600/Beth_Zipline5.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GP1RBplDTm2AKa0D16KKDozPoCXinewzr-vgojbKWuklclonMP-J7cibmeNmCYyqO3C6ciBdlRm1Jww0LAv-dExCQL_o3cthRV9AfSHAl3dAVS7sf8wiG4sfB7oirOr9N4ud6dVdOcU/s320/Beth_Zipline5.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563569209457779074" /></a>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-21127604530673178072010-08-23T20:16:00.002-07:002023-10-28T12:04:33.604-07:00Finally arrived!!!Finally arrived into Panama City!! I feel like this trip took longer than the trip to Fiji. Well... Almost anyway. After two attempts flights out of Boston yesterday and over six hours at the gate they ultimately rescheduled me for today. Good experience for dealing with stranded guests anyway. And though the flights were on time and basically seemless I am so happy to be at my destination! It occured to me in the flight that my last trip to Panama was five years ago this month. (and we had some major delays then too come to think of it...) I loved Panama then and am sure I will again now. And tonight I'm staying at the Playa Bonita Hotel... Which is really nice. I am in a suite which frankly is larger than my condo. The only problem is that I arrived after dark and cant see the beautiful beach I know is right outside my window. Cannot wait for sunrise! Tomorrow we leave the hotel in the morning and start the trip south along the Pacific Coast. I'm super excited about our new itinerary and can't wait to tell people about it!<p>Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-7075312529376717992010-08-06T10:23:00.000-07:002013-06-13T11:50:29.338-07:00Aran Islands<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH731B3r4P0ZUvl3ovXur1npErlmHAUIz3aSRuiul2TkFyey1NBKYew_RagWhOojez4ktFd7hWklNKWxd6ye_fvI9ta232Wf4bRlomfScXlsE0-6wzFRWB6vW-PrqEUqwxkTaU0NAw6O0/s1600/IMG_5269.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH731B3r4P0ZUvl3ovXur1npErlmHAUIz3aSRuiul2TkFyey1NBKYew_RagWhOojez4ktFd7hWklNKWxd6ye_fvI9ta232Wf4bRlomfScXlsE0-6wzFRWB6vW-PrqEUqwxkTaU0NAw6O0/s320/IMG_5269.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563576235772541858" /></a><br />The best day in Ireland was the day we visited Inis Mor, Aran Islands. We took a bus (30 minutes from Galway) to the ferry (45 minute ride, a bit choppy!) to the island. It is a Gaelic speaking island and we rented bikes for the day to explore. We went to Dun Eochla... a ring fort located at the highest point on the island. This was built sometime between 550 and 800 A.D. This was a very long and steep road to climb - we quickly abandoned our bikes at the base and went on foot. (One nice bonus is the island is so safe they laughed at us when we asked about locks!) The views from the top were amazing. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKx1dqo0Jn1YtjxmXljkX_0y3DQ0L4lX_OizHUQzHorDWzq_iqb_k7NXwCvx_jOKs-RlrX80Kfh04PLRM3DhYDkLwgzvx-jt2RZ1L6FQJgcgu0FpcM8X-1SLB7favAkXDYFM3ZQDdnxw/s1600/IMG_5273.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKx1dqo0Jn1YtjxmXljkX_0y3DQ0L4lX_OizHUQzHorDWzq_iqb_k7NXwCvx_jOKs-RlrX80Kfh04PLRM3DhYDkLwgzvx-jt2RZ1L6FQJgcgu0FpcM8X-1SLB7favAkXDYFM3ZQDdnxw/s320/IMG_5273.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563576556523352322" /></a><br /><br />Next we visitied Dun Aonghasa - a 2500 year old circular fort standing on 300 foot cliffs. There are no guard rails and you can lay down and look over the edge. Of course I tried it and yes, it was terrifying! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRSqea_C5MS-BM0i8XuV6e95emKVx2LetPGdifL0-NShz3kJSce9EjBYQUp9Y-nZzca2kbqWxcW7OoqC2QhMTAbEZQFMcCryfKE7X23nxFwTtyOtaaxnqSETmLKiwUAKagcWO0lupVQU/s1600/IMG_5302.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRSqea_C5MS-BM0i8XuV6e95emKVx2LetPGdifL0-NShz3kJSce9EjBYQUp9Y-nZzca2kbqWxcW7OoqC2QhMTAbEZQFMcCryfKE7X23nxFwTtyOtaaxnqSETmLKiwUAKagcWO0lupVQU/s320/IMG_5302.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563576846535396210" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVg5vZgDwjky8SopgXhd7sqoMVWGbfJzjPkeou1SkOyJYMsZ_sjny5QWeJBLNdDhY-GVdz9egV6TDkRgazRpoWVYA_L1LjUOVH1ybg3IBsGLpTnNObz_u9CBCz8bAFU6Gam_1OWSCzrM/s1600/IMG_5315.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVg5vZgDwjky8SopgXhd7sqoMVWGbfJzjPkeou1SkOyJYMsZ_sjny5QWeJBLNdDhY-GVdz9egV6TDkRgazRpoWVYA_L1LjUOVH1ybg3IBsGLpTnNObz_u9CBCz8bAFU6Gam_1OWSCzrM/s320/IMG_5315.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563577303313241618" /></a><br /><br />After we rode our bikes along the coast just in time to meet the ferry. I found out after this trip that my grandfather's family was actually from the Aran Islands - which made me really happy since I very much loved it here.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-6228159610436800282010-08-02T10:34:00.000-07:002011-01-18T09:01:45.181-08:00Ireland: Dublin to Galway<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbCoQGtJm6JCY1dX4JTI2LFQQ_8c62HegYoUbA1E-tgaze1WWqc0nQ366Ywnucj0qIDVjJGNCOupnqjaJeM5wfg7A3KIytysir8n6wN2-k8KVacA-nhndpNtKhDRgT0wg75jL6oGIdDc/s1600/IMG_5053.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbCoQGtJm6JCY1dX4JTI2LFQQ_8c62HegYoUbA1E-tgaze1WWqc0nQ366Ywnucj0qIDVjJGNCOupnqjaJeM5wfg7A3KIytysir8n6wN2-k8KVacA-nhndpNtKhDRgT0wg75jL6oGIdDc/s320/IMG_5053.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563570352192021826" /></a><br />For the first week of August me and Jenny went on a holiday to Ireland! We flew on a red eye and arrived at our hotel in Dublin at 6AM. Luckily we were able to upgrade to a deluxe room for only 25 Euro and so we had a few hours of sleep before venturing out to explore. We bought a 2 day bus tour ticket which was a great way to get our bearings around the city. You can get on and off as much as you want. Eventually we found our way to Temple Bar for a pint of Guinness while listening to live Irish music. Ahhhhhh.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Zq1eNyUnBtHBgJUVS1nKOhcWCcN_kbpJNgTrqCrHPQ5nDn0zFGtUFh_Dqz-E_k3W2hyDjgzvuIx7l6qrNRru57J4SRh_iwDp2FajMYANlHe_xmfp7U8ftvpVXZ6l6t3aB8lcAdawcqM/s1600/IMG_4959.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Zq1eNyUnBtHBgJUVS1nKOhcWCcN_kbpJNgTrqCrHPQ5nDn0zFGtUFh_Dqz-E_k3W2hyDjgzvuIx7l6qrNRru57J4SRh_iwDp2FajMYANlHe_xmfp7U8ftvpVXZ6l6t3aB8lcAdawcqM/s320/IMG_4959.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563570445127377458" /></a><br /><br />The next day we toured all of Dublin, including the Guinness Storehouse and the Jameson Distillery. We looked at the famous doorknobs of Merrion Square and shops on Grafton Street. After two days in Dublin we took the train to Galway - just 10 Euro this was the deal of the trip! 2 1/2 hours from city center to city center. When we arrived we just walked to our hotel. (Where we had wi-fi for the first time of the trip!) As much as we loved Dublin, Galway was much more "Irish".Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-41609290579405727092009-04-15T12:29:00.000-07:002011-01-18T09:28:28.772-08:00Sunrise Hike on Mt. Sinai<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUV2Etsw2fMV7_pKOh7ubIXHFSeLhx8JBOdDBDNV7cpSOt7ijf-7gvePsctlyaPal9IhsRFFY7FmPXfY_n3PodzgVb25ZeTqyZfEwwNGFhGkmKyHzuX_JGBa0pn3l1fYIkEFYoeAPSPnQ/s1600/Egypt+319.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUV2Etsw2fMV7_pKOh7ubIXHFSeLhx8JBOdDBDNV7cpSOt7ijf-7gvePsctlyaPal9IhsRFFY7FmPXfY_n3PodzgVb25ZeTqyZfEwwNGFhGkmKyHzuX_JGBa0pn3l1fYIkEFYoeAPSPnQ/s400/Egypt+319.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563578316611189474" /></a><br />On Tuesday night we departed the hotel at 10:30 PM. The drive to Mt. Sinai is approximately 3 hours. A few of the group did manage to get some sleep but I did not. We passed through several tourist police checkpoints where they boarded the bus. The lights came on the bus and we had to be awake to show them our passports. I would just about have closed my eyes when we would come to the next one. At 1:30 AM we approached the last "rest stop" (Meaning last chance for flush toilets). Also we pick up our Mountain Guide for the hike.<br /><br />By about 1:45 AM we had reached the destination and exited the bus. Immediately you noticed how much colder it was than just that morning when we had been at the beach! And there were quite a lot of people. Everyone was in line and eventually we started to shuffle our way along the path. It is really dark here and we each have a flashlight to guide our way - basically to try and avoid the camel poop along the trail. After about 30 minutes we reached the camel station. Our guide directs us in groups of 2 to a Beduoin who takes us to a camel. I am with Sheridan (our youngest in the group at 9). Once we are on our camels we start to ascend the mountain. It is really dark but after awhile I can make out the long line of camels heading up the mountain. If feels like I'm in Star Wars. The camels sound like the Tauntauns and the it looks like where Luke was from - Tatooine?. Plus the camels sound like the sand people.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGICqJanONabeDQuPYOQaf3VJaCBZ6FwR8Bb21aTtpS2h1rJsj0scKsX5HQaAUELxIsO_z2z9SaJ7YyV7zrqmjwdJKIJqSPGGeObM0MOJGepjEnbOlOX5XMHv-NuUeuQEvN_BieKzvccQ/s1600/Beth_Camel3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGICqJanONabeDQuPYOQaf3VJaCBZ6FwR8Bb21aTtpS2h1rJsj0scKsX5HQaAUELxIsO_z2z9SaJ7YyV7zrqmjwdJKIJqSPGGeObM0MOJGepjEnbOlOX5XMHv-NuUeuQEvN_BieKzvccQ/s320/Beth_Camel3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563578926470618130" /></a><br />It takes about 90 minutes on camel to reach the base. It is also as high as the camels can climb. The time is 4:00 AM. Our guide tells us we have 15 minutes to rest before we need to start the climb. We all hundle in the little shop trying to get warm because the temperature has dropped even more and the wind is strong. At 4:15 AM we depart - again shuffling along the trail with the flashlights but we quickly come to the steps. It is 750 steps up to the top of the mountain. The climb is difficult and we're all moving slowly because we are so exhausted. But we do arrive to the top for the sunrise. There are more stores at the top. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7n_r0va4zYk4f20EXEpneQTGRrQMsFB2lsluShHRFpMfILG5rdBl-hgHavknUh-yxytJ6H8ZnVuufKKyg7kxNgN_HYjIPgRO3UD6xFbXQg3fy8y5zRBhI5COzUj7y91AHH_eiyW0fE6k/s1600/Egypt+306.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7n_r0va4zYk4f20EXEpneQTGRrQMsFB2lsluShHRFpMfILG5rdBl-hgHavknUh-yxytJ6H8ZnVuufKKyg7kxNgN_HYjIPgRO3UD6xFbXQg3fy8y5zRBhI5COzUj7y91AHH_eiyW0fE6k/s320/Egypt+306.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563578149893920578" /></a><br /><br />Our group watches the sun come up, waits a few minutes, takes some pictures, and is ready to start back down. We descend the same steps we climbed up but now it is a mass exodus as everyone is going at the same time. Half the group hiked down, the others took camels. (I was on a camel at Sheridan's request). For future hikers, the rule of thumb is "camel up, hike down". Trust me, the camel down is not so easy on the bottom. <br /><br />We arrive back to St. Catherine's Monastary at the base around 7:30 AM. After visiting what turned out to be the worst bathroom of the trip, we are reunited with our guide, Saher. She gives us our box breakfasts. While we are eating she informs us that we will have "free time" until 9AM when the monastary opens for visitors. This turns out to be more than our over-tired, exhausted, freezing group. After being awake for more than 28 hours we are ready to head back to our beautiful hotel & beach. Only one person wanted to wait and out and unfortunately for her, it was a majority rule. We headed back to the bus and drove down to Sharm. We arrived back at the hotel at 11:00 AM.<br /><br />The rest of the day was free to relax at the pool and beach - trying to catch up on sleep and recover from an experience none of us is quick to forget!Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-45548053286438587622009-04-14T08:39:00.000-07:002011-01-18T09:23:38.051-08:00Sharm al Sheikh<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAI7sZ822idP2YhJW35TosMp3M32POmIPnnFI0-hxmu4d8l5ryFtqScpm1LzUZvv_1vJAX5OH14Fjq9n1Zliijg8WvRc7lJjwqWhxqQ4x7Y68VVJ_shC-QrrS-60FXeh03LhJC-Wm9Us/s1600/Egypt+239.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAI7sZ822idP2YhJW35TosMp3M32POmIPnnFI0-hxmu4d8l5ryFtqScpm1LzUZvv_1vJAX5OH14Fjq9n1Zliijg8WvRc7lJjwqWhxqQ4x7Y68VVJ_shC-QrrS-60FXeh03LhJC-Wm9Us/s200/Egypt+239.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563577841363433762" /></a><br />We left the hotel at 5AM today and flew to Sharm. When we arrived we went out on a glass bottom boat out to the Red Sea. We went snorkeling and saw so much. Lots of corals, picasso fish, parrotfish, zebrafish, tigerfish...<br />It was actually cold at first jumping in but then it was fine.<br />Tonight is the big hike on Mt. SInai. We leave hotel at 10:30 tonight.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-32628279493951403772009-04-13T08:31:00.000-07:002011-01-18T09:30:19.865-08:00Cairo: INSIDE The Great Pyramid!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3pfTxy0xLlspFYCOOMBOkb_ioLbjRdsmPg5owr90G4x_54nZAGzyfDP73CYz70hR7MNDFYX8OafCpx34K2EHluzNI_iZJFh_IMJo4f3VB14Ao4GFn2LPsiuQ9FvJUo4D7zDzn6ptXXI/s1600/photo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3pfTxy0xLlspFYCOOMBOkb_ioLbjRdsmPg5owr90G4x_54nZAGzyfDP73CYz70hR7MNDFYX8OafCpx34K2EHluzNI_iZJFh_IMJo4f3VB14Ao4GFn2LPsiuQ9FvJUo4D7zDzn6ptXXI/s400/photo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563579404196348290" /></a><br />(Another crazy keyboard!) Cairo was so busy. The traffic is really bad. Everyone told me but still it was a lot worse than I imagined. They make 3 lanes into 6 and it is rush hour all the time. The local people cross the street in the middle of traffic. Passing one car and standing in the middle of the road for the next one to pass. Just like a real life game of Frogger.<br /><br />The first offical morning of the trip we started right out with the Great Pyramid. We left the hotel at 7:30 AM and were there by 7:40 AM. Couldn't get our tickets until 8:00 AM but we stood in line because only the first 150 people in the morning and afternoon can actually enter. And they will only sell to the actual person because they are afraid that the tickets would be sold on the black market otherwise. <br /><br />To go inside the pyramid at first it is like going into a cave. But as you move further you have to go up this ramp where it is not tall enough to stand up straight so you are arched over. This one goes on for awhile and you come out to an opening where you can stand up straight only for a minute and you then have another ramp. The end is a long low wall that you crawl under. You come out to this room where you can stand up and it was the tomb. Coming back out was a lot worse because now it was getting really crowded and hot. That same way in is the way out so now we are sharing it with two way traffic. It was not as bad as I thought though but still I was happy to get to the outside. Especially after being stuck inside for about 5 min while a handicapped woman came up. Really! The lights stayed on for me, which was nice. But I still wore my headlamp. (Thanks Aimee!)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmn4uKOt6ptVl46qovjK4lIrqPFwpi3NGX68adHazuTRm2vhc6nzG67-FXszQxLdvdnRx5aG4FkNtPqBSS7dbBKdCswi9h6qtbTM01DjGZ_tnIaR5TtT3BEI1HB6o2jKwKiqb_fz2KgTE/s1600/camels+pyramid.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmn4uKOt6ptVl46qovjK4lIrqPFwpi3NGX68adHazuTRm2vhc6nzG67-FXszQxLdvdnRx5aG4FkNtPqBSS7dbBKdCswi9h6qtbTM01DjGZ_tnIaR5TtT3BEI1HB6o2jKwKiqb_fz2KgTE/s400/camels+pyramid.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563579525854923986" /></a><br />Next we went on a camel ride in the desert. Followed by the Solar Boat Museum and the Sphinx. We went to a papyrus making demonstrations which was really interesting. After lunch we went to Memphis and Sakkara. It was a long day but really amazing. <br /><br />The next day was the Egyptian Museum and the Citadel. After we had lunch )the best meal yet -- calamari stew. Then we went to the bazaar and shopping for jewelry.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963353017661689803.post-48523988869105042842009-04-11T23:47:00.000-07:002009-04-27T13:59:01.507-07:00Arriving in EgyptArrival to Cairo 1:05AM. Exit plane to bus, which takes us to the main terminal. Immediately upon entering the building I am greeted by the first 2 (of many!) Mohammeds I will meet. They give me my visa and direct me to the customs line. As I am waiting in line, they wait for my bag… which ends up being the last one to come out of the conveyer belt (50 minutes after the plane landed).<br /><br />We depart the airport at 2:00 AM and head to the hotel. It is about a 45 minute drive since the traffic is “light<em>” (relatively speaking)</em>. We pass a lot of buildings with the word “MISR” which I learn is the Arabic word for Egypt. Cairo is huge. It is the largest city in all of Africa and the Middle East. The population is 12 million people and there are civilizations dating back 6,000 years ago.<br /><br />By the time I am checked into the hotel and in my room it is after 3AM. I’m completely exhausted but sit out on the balcony for a few minutes looking at the view. You can barely make out the shadows of the pyramids in the darkness. And it is completely silent right now, which I don’t imagine will last long in Cairo. <br /><br />Thankfully I don’t have an early start Saturday and I am able to sleep in. When I wake up and look outside it’s incredible. I am in Cairo looking at the Great Pyramid from my hotel balcony! The hotel I am staying in – the Mena House - is gorgeous. It was an old hunting lodge that was enlarged to host the princess of France in 1869 when she visited for the opening of the Suez Canal.Bethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231280919957968808noreply@blogger.com0