Kelly's Travels

Seattle

2009-07-02T12:36:00.006-05:00

After camp was finished, Mike drove all the way from Montana to hang out with me for a few days in Seattle! The only time I've ever been in the city was when I was four years old so I was looking forward to exploring Seattle with him.

We started off our trip with some wine tasting in Woodinville. Located right outside of Seattle, Woodinville has 40 wineries in and around the city. Many grow their grapes in Washington wine country - the Yakima Valley - but this was a great way to enjoy some famous wines without making the long drive! We stopped at Columbia Valley first and then enjoyed some brick oven pizza at Janiuk Winery. One of my favorite parts of the stop wasn't even the wine - it was our tour of the Red Hook brewery. The tour was very lighthearted and for just $1 we were able to sample as much beer as we wanted!

After a short drive to Seattle, we checked into the Marqueen hotel. This gorgeous, historic hotel had huge rooms with full kitchens and was well worth the extra few bucks. It was a few blocks further away from the waterfront but had so much more personality!

Mike and I explored the sights - the Needle, Pike's Market and the Waterfront. Seattle is such a vibrant and interesting city I found myself wanting to move there immediately. The only thing stopping me is the perpetual cloud cover. I just couldn't survive without the sun!

The Needle:

On the Waterfront:
A stop for caffeine before our delicious dinner at the Flying Fish

After a morning run along the Waterfront, we checked out Pike's Market:

Rocking my UW Cycling pride. I got a few comments from people interested in cycling!

How many fingers?
Catch of the day:
The most entertaining stand in the market:

Who could refuse this offer?
Monk fish - looks delicious?

Mike had to leave for the 12 hour drive back to Montana wayyy before my 11:30pm red eye flight left on Monday night. Luckily Jesse, one of the Brooks boys from camp had the afternoon off and was able to hang out with me until I had to leave. A pro at showing visitors around his city, he took me on the 10 Things I Hate About You tour through the Fremont neighborhood and for some appetizers at a bar with a nice view of the city - as well as some police drama! Seriously Jesse, did you stage the bank robbery/mob of cops right outside our window just to make my experience complete?

I also got a sweet tour of Seattle's SuperTarget while on the hunt for a vacuum for Jesse's new condo. He found a little Red Devil for $18....I didn't have high hopes for it but for the 3 square feet of rug that he has, it should do the trick.

Jesse also serenaded me on his guitar. Apparently his repertoire is full of songs about a girl named Kelly from WI - crazy! I don't know this girl, but she sounded pretty awesome.

The time came for me to say goodbye to Seattle and my camp experience. The idea of leaving made me a sad panda but I'm already scheming to secure my spot at the Brooks ID Camp 2010!!

Brooks ID Camp in Seattle!

2009-06-28T23:01:00.007-05:00

I was super excited when I was offered the opportunity to attend the Brooks ID Camp at Crystal Mountain, Washington this summer! I jumped at the chance to spend a weekend running in the mountains with a bunch of people who are even crazier about running than I am! All I had to do was buy a plane ticket and the rest was covered! For those of you who don't know, the Brooks ID Program is a grassroots sponsorship program of runners who help to promote the Brooks brand (oh and we get free gear and awesome opportunities like this camp as well!).

I headed to Seattle on Thursday and was met at the airport by some of the Brooks staff and about 65 other IDers. The group was very diverse. I was one of the youngest and I think the oldest person was 62! I was in awe of all the accomplishments these runners had - running in the Olympic Trials, completing marathons in all the 50 states, college cross country champs, coaches, and more! It made me wonder how I managed to get accepted into the program!

Of course, as soon as we got off the bus at the Brooks Headquarters in Bothell (near Seattle), we laced up our Brooks (of course!) running shoes and headed out for a group run. Seriously, we're talking about people who plan their lives around fitting their next run in - what did you expect?

Next up was a tour of the Brooks office. We learned about all the design and testing that goes into producing Brooks apparel. They even had a sci-fi like laser machine that creates tangible prototypes of Brooks shoes that are beamed from the factories in China, instead of sending people back and forth to check things out. This is just one way that Brooks strives to be green and cut down on their environmental impact.

There was so much planned for the four day camp that I can't possibly write about all of it. We had apparel and shoe preview sessions where we got to hear all about plans for the Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 collections, product testing and feedback sessions, team competitions, nutrition sessions, massages (yes!), and even yoga for runners.

Of course there was also plenty of running. I ran possibly the most beautiful trail I've even been on - through the woods along a river. Fallen logs covered with moss, wooden bridges across waterfalls, the total package! It was like something straight out of Runner's World. It's actually the same trail used for the USATF 50 Mile Trail Championships. Of course, such an experience wouldn't be complete without a great running partner. I had some quality time with Laura, who has her own (much more famous) blog, Frayed Laces. To read her account of camp, click here. Also, I can credit her with many of the photos on this post as she was much more diligent about keeping her camera with her at all times!

Can you spot me rocking the purple and teal?

The last night concluded with a fabulous dinner at the top of the mountain at Summit House, Washington's Highest Restaurant. It was only accessible via chairlift - and it was freezing at the top!

It was all over before I knew it! I wasn't ready to stay goodbye and I'm already concocting a master plan to make sure I get to go again next year! Thanks so so so much to everyone at Brooks for making the 1st annual camp such a blast! Also, hugs to all my fellow campers. I definitely caught the eat-sleep-breathe running bug. You heard it here first - I'm planning on making my marathon debut at Chicago 2010!!

Home Safe

2009-01-20T00:01:00.003-06:00

I’m just starting to realize that my latest adventure is over. It's back to cold Wisconsin and work/school. It was completely chance that Eva and I picked Guatemala for this trip – a combination of cheap airfare and a favorable exchange rate, plus the opportunity for me to work in the clinic in Santiago Atitlán. Retrospectively, we couldn't have picked a more perfect place to visit. The people we have met have all been incredibly gracious and hospitable and the fellow travelers we’ve encountered along the way kept things interesting! With the strong heritage of the indigenous people and Mayan culture, combined with the atmosphere of the cities such as Antigua and Guatemala City, and a little beach time in Monterrico, the trip has been the perfect balance of education and relaxation.

It’s funny how our first night in Hotel el Aeropuerto led to so many other adventures. I only hope that I can return a bit of the kindness Ricardo has shown Erich, Eva and I by encouraging others to check out his hotel in Guatemala City and Tabacos y Vinos Shop in Antigua.

The Last Few Days

2009-01-17T23:31:00.003-06:00

The last leg of our trip from Santiago to Panajachel to Antigua to Guatemala City stretched out over two days and was much more relaxing that I expected. It was fun to show Erich some of my favorite restaurants and sites in the cities that I have grown to love over the past three weeks.

Antigua is by far my favorite city in Guatemala and I was happy to be there for one last day and night before we left. While walking around the city, we came across an unmarked shop selling coffee and chocolate.

The owner, who processes everything by hand in small batches was taking a well-deserved rest:

We also found a small place selling pupusas. Pupusas are made by stuffing corn tortillas with cheese and your choice of ingredients. I chose chicken, sweet peppers, and olives for mine. The pupusas were delicious and filling!

We stopped by Tabacos y Vinos to see Ricardo and enjoy one some wine and some delicious espresso.

Ricardo was even nice enough to take us back to Guatemala City on Friday night before our Saturday flight back to Wisconsin. We dropped our bags off at his hotel and then headed out to see Zona 4 where many of the nicer restaurants and bars are located. I had mentioned my love of fondue (which I’ve managed to enjoy three times while in Guatemala!) so we ended up having meat fondue and chocolate fondue for dessert.

We also enjoyed an “obscuro” or dark, Guatemalan beer called Moza that Ricardo assured me was not favored by the locals who drink a lot more lager. Erich and I split the beer, which came in a very strange tall glass:

It was nice to enjoy a stout again, even though it was nothing close to my favorite – Guinness!

One thing I'm definitely going to miss seeing the "Chicken Buses" barreling down the streets that take the locals from one city to another and all over Guatemala City.

I’m writing this entry on our last flight of the trip, Miami to Chicago where we managed to get upgraded to first class, whoo! It was a nice surprise and almost helps me forget that we’ll be spending the night in the airport tonight as our flight is too late to catch the last bus to Madison. We’ll be on the road back home on the 6:00 AM bus after spending the night on a bench near the baggage claim at O’Hare. Ah, luxury….

Santiago Atitlán, Part II

2009-01-15T16:22:00.008-06:00

Despite the initial confusion upon my arrival at Hospitalito Atitlán, I have actually been learning quite a bit about healthcare in Guatemala and seeing more than I ever could have hoped. Because I am not tied to the Hospitalito, I've been able to visit two additional clinics in Santiago to learn about their approach to healthcare. I've been specifically focusing on perinatal care and the role of the comodrona (midwife) in the birthing process. Two midwifes from the United States, Rebecca and Karen (who is coincidentally from Wisconsin as well) and I have been talking to a variety of nurses, midwives, and administrative people to learn all we can about options that are available for the local women.

The staff at all the clinics have been incredibly gracious and candid and even allowed me to take some photos and have access to data such as number of births and causes of infant mortality that are collected by the government.

The government runs a clinic that is free to all of the local people. Even though most women (I've heard about 90%) prefer to give birth at home, some chose to give birth at the clinic due to complications or nervousness. The clinic sees about 6-13 births a month but has no capacity for cesareans or anesthesia if complications occur. These cases are taken by ambulance to the town of Solola. Hospitalito, on the other hand does have the capacity to do surgery, provided there is a doctor visiting who can perform it but there is a charge for all services provided since it is private.

The birthing "suite":

Hospitalito Atitlán is currently housed in a former backpacker hostel because the old one was destroyed by a mudslide in 2005.

A new one is currently under construction. We checked out the site and even though it is still two years from completion, we can tell it will be a big upgrade from the current facilities!

We also caught a funeral on our walks between clinics. One of the women told us that in general, the local people are buried in a plot of land and then once their body has decomposed the bones are dug up so the plot can be used again. The bones are then piled neatly by a cross honoring the deceased person.

The main method of transport here, other than tuk tuk, is hopping onto the back of a pickup truck with rails to help you stand upright!

It hasn't been all work though! We joined some of the medical students and other volunteers from the clinic for appetizers and some dessert at Las Posadas one night:

El ataque del corazon (the heart attack):

Luckily, we survived!

And of course, the promised pictures of our wonderful casita!

We can even see the Hospitalito from our balcony!

Santiago Atitlán

2009-01-12T20:55:00.007-06:00

Erich's shuttle came in safely to Pana on Friday morning. Eva and I said our goodbyes and Erich and I caught a boat to Santiago Atitlán. We chose a cheaper boat, saving ourselves 5Q ($.75) each but little did we know this was the slow local boat that waited until it had enough passengers (50 minutes) and then plugged along at a glacial pace across the lake (another 70 minutes). Next time, we'll pony up the extra $1.50.

By the time we arrived at Hospitalito Atitlán, the administrative staff had gone for the day so there was no one to help us with accommodations. Luckily, the night staff was extremely helpful and we were able to get a little casita at Hotel Bambu directly next door to the hospital for only 800Q ($102) for the week. Our little house is the perfect size, it has two floors and I promise to have pictures in my next post. The only complaint is the same one I've been having the whole trip - a lumpy bed and inconsistently warm showers. Still, the price and location are perfect!

Erich and I spent Sunday exploring Santiago Atitlán and enjoying the sun. The city is a little off the beaten path for most tourists making it better to see what daily life is like for the indigenous people of Guatemala who don't rely on tourist dollars. The city has a small but crowded market as well as a Catholic church, filled with mannequins dressed up as saints as I've seen in other churches in Guatemala.

The men here are some of the few indigenos that still wear traditional dress. Most places the men wear western attire:

We ran across some avocados freshly picked that were being unloaded from the trucks:

We also sampled coconut milk, fresh from the coconut!

Unfortunately, I've run into some complications with my volunteer work at Hospitalito Atitlán. Even though I was sent an email asking me preferences for accommodations and acknowledging my arrival at Hospitalito, I found out upon arrival that my application was not officially accepted by the powers that be. The hospital is very new to the community and the founders are still working to earn the trust of the local people meaning they aren't accepting many volunteers except for practicing doctors, 3rd and 4th year med students and nurse practitioners. Even though there is a lot of work and education that could be done regarding public health, in the words of one of the NGO founders, "we just aren't at that place right now."

It was a huge bummer to find out I made the trip only to find out I wasn't expected. However, I was still determined to offer assistance wherever I could. I can't do any shadowing at the clinic, per policy, but the staff has been very helpful in setting me up with a public health clinic in town where I may be able to observe a little bit more. I also have permission to talk to all the staff members and find out ways I can help with staff and patient education. My hope is to return to the United States and create presentations and educational materials on health topics such as COPD and contraception that I can send back to the Hospitalito. In the future, the program may be able to accept Public Health students and I may also work to facilitate placement of students from Wisconsin in Santiago Atitlán with my connections in the Global Health program. I also will be spending time with some of the midwives working in the clinic and learning more about how local community health workers play a role in the clinic that is full of a revolving staff of mostly foreign doctors and medical students.

It seems all is not lost and that the experience may turn out to be mutually beneficial after all. I'll be figuring out things as I go for the next few days.

On the plus side, this means Erich and I have had more time to relax and explore. We've run every day since we've been here (I need to get back in shape!) and we also had a delicious dinner tonight at Las Posadas, which is probably the nicest restaurant in the area. The hotel and restaurant are run by Americans and our meal exceeded expectations. We had cheese fondue, homemade biscuits, salad, and blackened chicken. It's funny how being in Guatemala for almost three weeks and spending $4-9 per meal, the $20 (for two) price tag seemed hard to stomach! Well worth the "splurge" though.

Lake Atitlán

2009-01-09T19:27:00.003-06:00

The last part of Eva and my trip is Lake Atitlán. Lake Atitlán is the deepest lake in Central America and one of the most beautiful in the world. In ancient times, it was thought to be a spiritual center, much like the Pyramids in Egypt. Today, the traditional indigenous people that live around the lake have found a way to co-exist peacefully with the dreadlock-wearing, pot-smoking, wonky gringos that also seem to be drawn here. There is a strong ex-pat population in a few of the cities!

Our base is the town of Panajachel, the biggest on the lake. From here, you can take a public boat and visit other towns around the lake including San Pedro and San Marcos la Laguna. We paid the 25Q fee (much higher than what the locals pay) and hopped on the boat for a 50 minute trip along part of the lake. We decided to get off the boat at San Pedro to explore the city across the lake. While in San Pedro we tasted some Guatemalan coffee and walked around the small town, all the while trying not to get run over by the Thai-inspired tuk-tuks that populate the streets:

We even saw some of the local ladies doing laundry in the lake:

We also saw some coffee plants, as well as a small processing plant where the fruit is removed and the beans are dried:

On the boat ride back to Panajachel our captain was a crazy gringa!

We were pleased to find that the food in Panajachel is much cheaper and more delicious than the rest of Guatemala. Dinner has been running us about $4/night here.

On Thursday we took a shuttle with Daniela (a fellow Pacaya climber) to Chichicastenango for their big Thursday market-the biggest market in Central America. We saw a variety of goods including: handmade blankets, hammocks, scarves, placemats, traditional clothing, various wooden masks, and plenty of food. In front of one of the churches was the flower market:

We said goodbye to Daniela, who is headed back to Croatia, and now we are enjoying the last bit of our time here together with some chocolate fondue:

Tomorrow Erich is coming (yay!) and we will start the last leg of my Guatemalan adventure. We’re taking a boat to the town of Santiago Atitlán, one of the most traditional cities surrounding the lake. While there we’ll be volunteering for a week in Hospitalito Atitlán through the NGO Pueblo a Pueblo. Eva will be heading back home (boo!) to get ready for another pharmacy school rotation.

Volcano Pacaya

2009-01-08T07:04:00.009-06:00

I think climbing the active volcano Pacaya, located a few hours outside of Antigua, will be one of my favorite memories from Guatemala. The trip required an hour trek uphill until we hit the tree line and then another hour scrambling through volcanic rock of various sizes until we hit molten lava. Especially near the end, it was very slow going, in the words of our guide, “se necesita caminar como niños,” or “you need to walk like little children [using hands and knees]”. It was quite cool until we got within forty feet of the lava. We could feel the heat radiating beneath our feet well before we could actually see the lava. We were so high up, mists of clouds swirled around us.

Our group consisted of eleven young people from all over the world – Canada, Croatia, Germany, Czech Republic, and the USA. We bonded over the experience and even took turns roasting marshmallows over the lava.

The trip back down was also tricky, especially because the sun had set for the majority of it. Luckily some of the other travelers came prepared with headlamps so we didn’t have to feel our way down in total darkness.

Once back to Antigua, we celebrated our adventure with schnitzel and drinks at a German restaurant near the hotel. In Antigua, we have enjoyed cuisine from all over the world – Thailand, China, Germany, France, and Italy. The city truly has a cosmopolitan feel.

Monterrico

2009-01-06T08:18:00.008-06:00

Our last three days have been spent relaxing in the little beach town of Monterrico. Both of our guidebooks agreed, Monterrico is the place in Guatemala if you are in need of relaxation and some time on the beach.

After the shuttle from Antigua dropped us off, we trudged down a sandy beach path in search of our hotel, El Mangle. Our heavy suitcases, combined with the hot sun ensured this was not an easy task. Luckily, for a few Quetzales (the Guatemalan currency) we were able to procure the assistance of one of the locals.

When we arrived at El Mangle, we were told it would be a three hour wait for our room. We decided to spend the delay lying by the pool and grabbing some lunch at what would soon become our favorite restaurant, Las Brisas. When we returned to El Mangle, we were quoted a room rate that was much higher than we agreed to previously on the phone. Dissatisfied by the smelly room and the high price we decided to return to the hotel attached to Las Brisas for a sunnier, cleaner room at a better price.

CECON, a local turtle preservation group was hosting a baby turtle race in order to raise awareness and money. We decided against sponsoring a turtle in the race since our guidebooks mentioned that these races might actually be detrimental to the turtles’ survival. We were surprised at how dark the little turtles were – they were completely black!

After the race, we grudgingly returned to El Mangle to get some pizza cooked over a wood fire. We had seen a man preparing the pizza dough from scratch while working out the room problem and we couldn’t resist sampling it! Luckily, this is one aspect of El Mangle that didn’t disappoint.

The next morning at 5am we met Sender, a local guide, for a tour of the real Monterrico Mangle (Mangrove in English) by boat. The early start time maximized our chances of seeing a variety of fish and birds and also allowed us to catch the sunrise over the swamp.

Mangrove shoots are harvested by hand and used to make roofs for people who want a fancy alternative to the palm-thatched hut. Mangrove roofs are expected to last up to 25 years.

We also saw a bunch of “mud-skipper” fish, that the locals call “cuatros ojos” (four eyes), jumping along the water’s surface. They looked a lot like snakes, however they were much too speedy to be caught on film.

Our boat ride lasted two hours, allowing for ample siesta and beach time for the rest of the day. The beach at Monterrico has beautiful smooth black sand. The only drawback is the vicious riptide that makes swimming too dangerous for many. Luckily our guide, Sender, met up with us and went for a swim with me while Eva looked on. I use the term “swim” loosely as it was more a vigorous exercise in wave dodging and being thrashed about in the sandy waters. It was exhilarating all the same and the water temperature was perfect.

We also checked out the turtle hatchery museum but were discouraged by the dirty, small appearance and the 40 Quetzal ($5) price tag, especially compared to the $1.25 price for locals. Our guidebook did tell us that the hatchery has an unwritten deal with local poachers - they don’t turn in the poachers as long as the poachers donate 12 turtle egg nests for every one they sell.

One night we caught the sunset over the beach and were quite amused by the creatures that come out at night at Johnny’s, a local bar:

This character is actually from Chicago, and he claimed to be a writer who has a play that is in production in London starring Joan Rivers. Seriously!?

I also tried one of the local dishes, ceviche. Ceviche is marinated in a citrus-based mixture, usually with lemons and limes. In addition to adding flavor, the citric acid causes the proteins in the seafood to become denatured which pickles or "cooks" the fish without heat. It was interesting and delicious, a little like pico de gallo.

All-in-all, Monterrico was just as beautiful as we had hoped and we really enjoyed our time there. Now we are back in Antigua for two days, a change in plans due to missing out on our first opportunity to climb the volcano Pacaya (more on that later). After that it’s off to Lake Atitlán for the last leg of our journey.

Antigua, Part I

2009-01-02T10:15:00.008-06:00

Our first day in Antigua was spent exploring the city. We stumbled upon a tiny kitchen with local women making tortillas by hand. They were happy to sell us four for 1 Quetzal (about $.13).

We also checked out the city square and some old cathedrals.

We took a tour of the most famous jade factory in Guatemala. It was even visited by Bill Clinton during his presidency! Eva custom designed a beautiful jade necklace and picked out a matching ring and earrings, all for about $100 US.

On the way back from the jade factory, we stumbled upon a crowd in front of the church. Soon there were very loud fireworks and confetti as the Cardinal of Antigua (we think) and procession of people with candles exited the church.

Last night for we rang in the New Year in style in our new friend Ricardo’s Tabacos y Vinos (Cigar and Wine) shop. He was kind enough to provide us with some delicious wine and a Cuban cigar.

Some of these pictures may even show up online on Ricardo’s website: http://tabacosyvinos.com

For our New Year’s dinner, we went to Ricardo’s friend Hector’s restaurant. Hector went to culinary school in the United States and returned to Guatemala to turn his home into a restaurant. The tiny place consisted of a few tables with the kitchen in plain view. Even though Hector doesn’t have a sign, or even a name for his restaurant, word of mouth ensured that the place was overflowing.

We feasted on homemade pasta and duck with crème freche and choclat fondant for dessert. It was heavenly and very reasonably priced.

The streets were filled with people, especially in front of Ricardo’s shop right under el Arco de Santa Catalina, the famous arch of Antigua. There were musicians and people dressed up as old women dancing in the streets. There was also a little boy wearing a bull costume covered in fireworks that went off as he pranced around the street.

After Ricardo’s shop closed we hung out in the doorway safe from the jostling of the crowd and the spontaneous fireworks that kept going off in the streets. We friends with the other people sharing our nook. We were lucky because they were willing to share the bottle of champagne and flask of whiskey that they had brought with them.

These ladies really knew how to ring in the New Year!

The next morning, we enjoyed the opportunity to sleep in for the first time during our trip. Needless to say, not everyone was so lucky.

I did manage to get a run in. I headed out of the city and ran five miles straight uphill on a road leading up the side of one of the volcanoes that surround the city. Needless to say, it was grueling and I was only able to run the first three before it was too steep and the air was too thin. Even on the way down the road was too steep to run at first - my hips and knees ached even from trying. For those of you familiar with Madison think of running five miles up a hill steeper than Bascom and then running down another five!

Flores and a Jungle Trek

2008-12-31T15:31:00.011-06:00

Unfortunately when we woke up on Tuesday morning for our jungle trek, it was pouring rain outside. We were able to delay our reservation until the afternoon, allowing us to relax and grab some lunch while we waited for the rain to clear.

We met up with Adam and Dave (the SF boys) and after a short shuttle, we arrived at Ixpanpajul. The boys wanted to do zip lines, while Eva and I were more interested in the Skywalk above the canopy, so we parted ways – but not before taking a picture!

Here are Eva and I, feet still planted firmly on the ground:

That didn’t last for long though, we hiked our way up a long narrow path that lead to a series of swinging bridges that allowed us to walk over the treetops and catch the view of the jungle below:

Unfortunately, due to the rain we didn’t see much for wildlife – only a few birds – which was a bummer.

At the midpoint of the trek there was a shelter that had a great view of the jungle.

We reached it just as it started to pour again, allowing us to weather out the storm relaxing in hammocks.

When we met Adam and Dave at the end, they were covered head to toe in mud but had also enjoyed their experience despite the rain.

We spent out last night in Flores eating dinner with a lake view and enjoying some local brews.

Today we caught a flight back to Guatemala City, followed by a 45 minute taxi ride to the beautiful city of Antigua. We’ll be exploring the city, celebrating New Year’s, and climbing a volcano in the next few days but more on that later!

Flores and Tikal

2008-12-29T19:37:00.006-06:00

Our flight on the “teeny tiny” plane from Guatemala City to Flores turned out to be nicer and almost bigger than any of the flights we took in the

United States

. We arrived in a quick 25 minutes (beats the 10 hour bus trip!) and caught the tourist shuttle to Casa Blanca, our hotel in Flores. Our “white house” actually turned out to be more of a dirty yellow color, but for $4 a night, who’s complaining!?

We left on the bus (more like a 16 passenger van) to Tikal, the famous Mayan pyramids located deep in the jungle. It was a ninety minute ride followed by hours of walking to explore all the different sites.

One of the first creatures we saw on our trek was some strange species of anteater rooting around in the dirt:

We also saw the ants he was hunting for marching along:

We took a little swing on some hanging vines:

As always, we stayed out of trouble!

Tourists are allowed to climb many of the Mayan pyramids. We climbed to the top of Templo IV, known for its amazing view of the jungle canopy. We could even see Belize!

Some of the temples, like Templo V, had very long climb!

However, it was worth it for the view of Templo IV and others through the treetops:

The Guatemalan turkeys look a lot like peacocks:

The finale of the trek was the Gran Plaza, once used for ceremonies and sacrifices. It was surrounded by two huge temples, a palace and an acropolis.

We had great weather the entire day except for a ten minute torrential downpour which we unsuccessfully attempted to escape by hiding under a thick tree.

On the bus ride home, we met two American boys on holiday from San Francisco. We talked to them about their adventures in Belize and the four of us have booked a jungle trek for tomorrow!

Tonight we’re relaxing and headed out for some “research” on locally available beers.

We've Arrived!

2008-12-27T22:57:00.006-06:00

After hours and hours of travel, and three flights, all of which were significantly delayed due to weather, Eva and I are officially in Guatemala! The trip itself was fairly uneventful, highlights included talking to a man who has been stranded at O'Hare for three days due to a cancelled flight, the standby list being 60 passengers long for our first flight to Atlanta (thank goodness we had a reservation!), and seeing this little monkey get pulled around in style by his parents-

I wish I had a better picture that captured the glee on his face, he was on our first two flights so we kept running into him sprawled out on his dad's carry-on.

Eva was also super excited about her purchase of a neck pillow. So excited she insisted on wearing it while boarding the flight. I was embarrassed but decided it was best to let her have her fun....and document it in a photo that will live on for years.

Another highlight was the stewardess on our first flight. She looked at me like I had a third head when I asked if I could reuse my plastic cup during the beverage service. She then said something about how adorable I was but that this was unacceptable practice. I then had to toss my cup into the trash and get a new one when I wanted a refill. Thanks American Airlines, glad to know you love the environment as much as we do.

We did manage to get an upgrade for our last flight to Guatemala City. Helloooo first class living! It was a fun experience but honestly wasn't the luxury we were hoping for. What do you mean we shouldn't have expected massages and caviar on our two hour flight? Instead we settled for barely edible "whitefish" and some roasted potatoes. The highlight was mini bottles of liquor for an after dinner treat....oh, and some champagne to welcome us aboard. We stashed some mini bottles of Bailey's in our purses which ended up coming in handy later for bribing a guy at the airport for helping us find a cheap taxi to our hotel. Ah, commerce at its finest.

Now, we're spending the night at El Aeropuerto Guest House, aptly named for its close proximity to the Airport. Honestly we probably should have held onto the Bailey's and walked, it's that close.

Tomorrow we'll head back to the airport to catch a flight on TACA airlines to Flores. The ticket was $210 roundtrip but saved us a 10 hour bus ride each way so we figured it was worth the expense. Flores is the closest city to the Mayan ruins of Tikal.

It's supposed to be 75 degrees here tomorrow! I'm going for my first run outside in shorts in what feels like forever. Hooray for escaping Wisconsin winter for three weeks! And wearing flip flops again!

A Guatemalan Adventure!

2008-12-26T21:39:00.003-06:00

Eva and I are off on our next bout of traveling in....six hours or so! Nothing like waiting until the last minute to do the ol' blog update! This time we'll both be spending our first time in Central America...in Guatemala!!!

We don't really have a set itinerary, however we do know we'll be:

Landing in Guatemala City tomorrow night
Catching a flight to Flores in the morning to spend a few days seeing the Mayan ruins of Tikal
Celebrating the New Year in the beautiful city of Antigua
Checking out the beach and a turtle reservation in Monterrico
Exploring the deepest lake in Central America, Lake Atitlán and the cities that surround it
And whatever else we can fit in in the two weeks that Eva will be there!

After Eva leaves, I'll be staying in Lake Atitlán in the city of Santiago Atitlán where my friend Erich will be flying down and joining me for some volunteering/learning time in a local clinic, Hospitalito Atitlán.

In addition to learning about healthcare in Guatemala and helping out wherever we can, Erich and I also hope to rent mountain bikes, do a lot of trail running, and of course some hiking of the volcanoes that surround the clinic.

I'll be back in the States just in time for class on January 17th!

Getting Home

2008-06-12T07:30:00.000-05:00

The trip home included one last night in Athens, where we stayed at Hostel Zeus, quite possible the seediest place in Athens. We picked it because it was the cheapest place available and we only had one night to spend there. In the morning before our flight left we checked out the Achaelogical Museum to see the mask of Agamemnon, many sculptures, the Vaphio cups, and much more.

With that, we headed back to Zeus to collect our luggage, took the metro to the airport and boarded an Olympic airways flight back to London.

Do to our layover, we spent the night sleeping on a bench in Heathrow airport. This is what I’m talking about when I say I lead a glamorous lifestyle:

Refreshed from our very comfortable accommodations, we boarded an American Airlines flight at 7:00am and watched eight hours worth of movies to kill time until we arrived back in Chicago.

Unfortunately, our adventures weren’t quite over. I noticed a security dog sniffing around the passengers at the luggage corral. I didn’t think anything of it until he got quite excited when he got close to me and jumped up with his paws on my back! I was clearly a threat to national security! Turns out, he was actually an agriculture dog and he was only interested in the two apples I had in my backpack that Eva and I bought in Athens for a snack. I willingly gave up the apples but not before the entire airport had stopped and watched the scene go down. I got a special mark on my customs form that meant Eva and I had to get our bags x-rayed for more illegal produce before we left the airport.

Now we’re safely back in Wisconsin and happy to enjoy our own beds, hot showers, and toilets that you can flush the toilet paper in (ah the miracles of modern plumbing). According to many of the Greeks we talked to, in our three weeks in Greece we managed to more than most of the natives!

Now it’s back to the reality of school, work and responsibility. *Sigh.* It’s a good thing we’re already planning our next adventure, so stay tuned!

Mykonos

2008-06-10T22:44:00.000-05:00

As we arrived at Paradise Beach in Mykonos, we soon realized why our accommodations only cost us 10 Euro each – we were staying in a little tin shed that had two beds and – well, that was it really! Our little bungalows actually turned out to be a lot of fun though. There were tons of “campers” in similar set-ups, so we just left our door open and made friends with everyone! That’s how we met James and Ogie, two Aussies who were on a three month backpacking trip across Europe.

We soon got into the Mykonos routine, relaxing on the beach all day, taking a nap in the evening, and enjoying the nightlife ‘til all hours of the night. The first night we were at Paradise, the big club there, Cavo Paradiso had it’s opening night which entailed a big party with a big name DJ that neither Eva nor I had ever heard of. I guess that means we’re getting old. During the course of our stay, we also checked out the scene in Mykonos Town:

Eva and I also rented an ATV to help us get around the islands, especially to the grocery store so we could continue our cheap eating habits! I can’t believe we forgot to take a picture of us on it because it was quite the sight to see! We opted for the ATV because it was a bit more stable than the scooters available, even though it didn’t have the speed. After seeing numerous people all scraped up, including our friend Paddy who nearly dislocated his shoulder in a bad fall, we were very happy with our sensible decision. We were also sure to use our Darth Vader-style helmets at all times, modeled here by James:

All these days of laying in the sun have given both Eva and I a nice tan, even though we’ve both been very good about using our sunscreen! It’ll be nice to be back in the United States with a little color since we’ve heard that everything in Wisconsin has been underwater for the last few days! We’re so lucky to have missed out on all the rain!

Santorini

2008-06-04T02:57:00.000-05:00

Monday, we arrived in Santorini via a high-speed hydrofoil. It only took us two hours to get here from Crete.

We met three Canadians, Danielle, Ky, and Brittany in Crete and we convinced them to catch the ferry with us and stay at Tony's Villa. Tony is a legend in Santorini. His son has Down Syndrome and in order to convince the government to let his son go to school, Tony chained himself to the highest mountain in Santorini for six days until the Prime Minister of Greece took notice and rectified the situation.

We found out that Ky was able to drive stick shift, so we rented a car to go about the island.

Our first stop was wine tasting at Boutari winery, the same place we checked out in Crete. At 25 euro a day, split five ways, it was completely worth it! In fact, Eva and I are determined to learn how to drive stick when we get back to the states. Anyone up for teaching us?

In the afternoon, we went to the beach for a bit, got some groceries, and drove to the capital city, Fira to catch the sunset and do some exploring.

Tuesday morning we checked out Santo winery and bought a few more bottles of wine.

In the afternoon, we relaxed on one of the scorching hot black volcanic sand beaches that Santorini is known for.

In the evening, we decided to walk the footpath from Fira to Oia, the northernmost city on Santorini. It was a 14 kilometer (8.7 mile) hike past all the beautiful villas on the cliff's edge as well as up and down paths made of volcanic rock.

We made it to Oia just in time for sunset and then grabbed a table at a cliffside restaurant to get some dinner. I opted for the moussaka, a traditional Greek dish made of ground vegetables and mincemeat (ground beef) topped with cheese and breadcrumbs. Don't be fooled by the picture, it was filling and delicious!

Wednesday, the Canadians left and Eva and I took the bus to Fira to pick souvenirs and wander the maze-like streets.

In the evening, I had a "celebrity bartending" gig at the Full Moon Bar. I talked to Jason, the bar manager and told him I had some bartending experience so he let me show off my skills for a few hours. Jason is from Wisconsin (small world!) and he lost all his money gambling on a transatlantic cruise. He decided to get a job in Santorini to make some money to pay for his way home but he ended up staying here because he loved the island so much!

We also made friends with some boys who were also staying at Tony's. They turned out to be a pretty good time and we almost took them up on their offer to go to the island of Ios with them. Instead, we boarded our ferry to Mykonos for the last leg of our journey. Paradise Beach, here we come!

Crete, Part II

2008-06-02T10:47:00.006-05:00

After Boutari Winery, we returned to the hotel and had a bit of a rest before meeting up with Garreth, an English guy who runs a water sports business in Crete. We had met him the night before at the Axos hotel bar and he had offered to take us to one of his favorite spots for dinner. We were super excited to try some traditional Greek cuisine and Taverna Fantastico was the perfect place to do it! It was far from the tourist traps, up in the mountains with a great view of the sea and the sunset. We chowed down on fried aubergines, stuffed vine leaves, saganaki (fried cheese), tzatsiki (yoghurt and cucumber dip), zucchini balls, fried zucchini, and bread – and that was just appetizers! We also enjoyed “village wine,” made locally. As if that wasn’t enough we also each had a main dish. I had beef and Eva had tomato and cheese spaghetti. Everything was incredibly delicious but we were definitely surprised at how much fried food the Greeks eat. We were expecting to eat the traditional Mediterranean diet of fruits, nuts, beans, etc, but we’ve been finding the food a lot unhealthier than we expected. It’s a good thing we’re staying active!

After dinner we headed right to bed because we had to wake up at 5 AM to catch our bus to hike Samaria Gorge. The gorge is the longest in Europe, stretching about 14 kilometers. The hike was fairly strenuous, with lots of rocky paths down the side of the gorge and through it to the other side. It took us about four and a half hours to complete our trek, which is about two hours faster than average! I guess dinner the night before had really energized us!

At the end of the gorge there was another 3 km walk into town. We were rewarded with a relaxing swim and a few hours of laying on the beach before we had to catch the bus back to Rethymno. The sand was very black and rocky but the water was crystal clear – probably the purest water we have ever seen!

Sunday, we were supposed to meet up with Garreth again so we could do some of the water sports that his company offers. Unfortunately, when we woke up our leg muscles ached from the hike the day before and all we could even think of doing was lying on the beach all day. We caught a bus to Prevali, a gorgeous, secluded beach that is fed by a stream. Little did we know, there was a hike involved to get to it! We rallied and made it to the bottom and it proved worth the effort.

Back at the hotel, we packed our suitcases to prepare for the next part of our journey to Santorini and then met up with Stephano, another one of the locals, at the hotel bar for a farewell beer and a few shots of Raki.

They even let me behind the bar so I could show off my pint-pouring skills!

Crete has been an amazing time. The island has a lot to offer and we’ve made some great friends. Looking back, we wish we had rented a car so we didn’t waste so much time on long bus rides but it’s probably best we didn’t because it would have been fairly expensive. Now we’re on the ferry to Santorini and we’ll back in the United States in just one week!

Crete, Part I

2008-05-30T12:34:00.001-05:00

After dropping off the car in Athens, we boarded our ferry from the port of Piraeus to start the island hopping portion of our trip! Our first stop is Crete. We were surprised that our ferry looked a bit more like a cruise ship!

Also, we noticed that one of the nearby ships reminded us of our best girlfriend back home:

OK, so it actually looked like this:

But so close! Miss you Ariane!

We even learned it had a pool on the top deck. Excited, we checked it out:

As you can guess, we didn't do any swimming after all! Instead, we decided to have a tea in the "saloon". Because the boat was landing at 6:00am, we called it an early night and retired to the bunks we had rented in one of the ship's cabins.

Once the ferry docked, we had to take a bus from the port of Iraklion to the city we are staying in, Rethymnon. We started to realize just how big the island of Crete is when the bus ride took almost an hour and a half and the cities aren't even on opposite ends of the island!

Our "budget hotel", Hotel Axos turned out to be absolutely gorgeous! We have a huge room with a kitchen, appliances (hooray for toast in the morning!), and a porch looking out to the pool! In addition, the staff is really great as well. It's a family-run business and they've been so wonderful making us feel at home and helping us plan activities. If you're ever in Crete you should definitely stay here!

Yesterday, we caught the bus back to Iraklion and then another city bus to see Knossos, an ancient Minoan palace. We were excited because our guidebooks had told us it was "partially restored".

Unfortunately, the palace wasn't as restored as we had hoped. For example, the "Grand Staircase" looked like this:

After seeing ancient ruins all of the world (Giza, the Acropolis..) we were definitely a bit disappointed.

After Knossos, we checked out Boutari winery, which was nearby. We took a tour and then did a tasting, The wine was delicious and we also learned their growing methods are very sustainable! They handpick all the grapes, use no pesticides, and only use rainwater for irrigation. The production is very small, only about 50,000 bottles are produced per year in the six vineyards they have in Greek and France. I picked up a few bottles, including an "experimental varietal" to bring home. The experimental wine isn't sold anywhere except for the the winery itself. The idea is that people buy it and give their feedback and if it is successful they will put it into production. I didn't get to try it before hand, so it's a bit of a gamble. We'll see when I get home!

When we got back to the hotel, we used our kitchen to cook a delicious pasta with goat cheese and fresh tomatoes. We also had a salad and some fresh bread spread with honey from Mount Olympus. Delicious!

One of the guys who runs the hotel, Manos, invited us to the hotel bar/club because a band was playing. The band played all American cover songs and the bar was packed with all the locals who run the trade industry. We got to hang out with a bunch of them and even got a chance to try the local drink, Raki. Raki is very strong and is made with the leftover grapes from wine production. It tastes terrible and comes in large 1.5 litre water bottles - very sketchy!

All-in-all it was a great night and we're happy to have made some new friends!

Road Trip, Part III

2008-05-29T07:27:00.000-05:00

On the way back to Athens from Thessaloníki, we stopped at the famous Mount Olympus to do a bit of exploring. As we saw it in the distance, it's easy to understand why the ancient Greeks thought that it was the home of the Gods and the throne of Zeus. Not wishing to hire a guide and spend an entire day climbing, we instead drove up the mountain as far as the road would take us. Our trusty Hyundai sounded like it was going to kick it as we neared the end but she luckily held out for us as we ended at the Monastery of Agios Dionysios.

As we walked around the monastery, which was in the process of being restored, we were stopped by a Chicagoan lovely couple, Tom and Mary, who were on holiday in Greece visiting family. Tom has family in Litohoro and his brother is a priest who is living at the monastery this summer. Even though they were initially skeptical of our attire of flipflops and sundresses (we had sneakers, but they were left in the car), they invited us on a hike to the holy cave, about a half hour hike from the monastery.

We made it the the cave and admired the altar that had been built there, tucked away under a rock. We also got to drink some holy water, which was cool and refreshing and bubbling right out between the rocks in the cave. Shortly thereafter we saw a frog swimming in the same water, but since it was downstream we figured the blessing still held.

At the end of the trip, Tom and Mary offered us their nephew to take home with us, but we had to decline as our suitcases are already stuffed and we've got 10 days on the islands ahead of us!

Amazingly enough, we arrived back in Athens without a single scratch. We can't believe we put over 1600 kilometers on the car in six days and lived to tell the tale! Looking back on the whole experience we really know we made the right decision renting a car because it gave us the opportunity to see so much more than we would have been able to otherwise. It's interesting to watch the locals' reactions when we tell them how many places we were able to visit without being part of a tour group. It's definitely a mixture of disbelief tinged with jealously followed by them questioning our mental health.

In order to put our journey into perspective for you, we've photoshopped this map to highlight our drive. The thunderbolts indicate places that we've talked about in this blog. Click on the map to look at it at a more legible size:

Thessaloníki, Part I

2008-05-27T10:40:00.004-05:00

As we wind up our three days in Thessaloníki, we really don’t have much to report. Thessaloníki is a trendy University town on the Mediterranean. Eva and I have decided that this would be a great place to study abroad. We’ve spent our time here just as we intended – relaxing, people watching, and enjoying the weather. Also, we’ve caught up on a few necessary chores – grocery shopping, getting our laundry done, writing in the blog…

Our interest was piqued by all of the locals drinking a coffee drink in the main square – Plateia Agias Sofias – so we indulged in the popular drink of Thessaloníki – the Frappe. This delicious coffee drink comes chilled and sweetened and settles into two distinct layers. We forgot to snap a photo, so we flagged down a delivery boy walking down the street with one so you could get the idea:

We also stopped by one of the many sweet shops in the city to do a sampling.

We also had plans to climb the city's symbol, the White Tower:

Unfortunately, it was under construction and we were out of luck - this seems to be a bit of a pattern for us!

Last night we scored a prime spot at one of the hip bars that line the Gulf of Thessaloníki to people watch and enjoy some Greek wine while watching the sunset. It’s definitely entertaining to check out the local fashion here – there are some hits and some definite misses! For those of you interested in copying European style (ahem, Mark and Ryan) we recommend very tight jeans, fanny packs, and off-center rat tails.

As we were walking along the main street in Thessaloníki, our attention was captured by this sign:

We miss you Ariane!

Today, we drove to Perea, about 45 minutes outside of town to spend the day at the beach. Even though we were warned that the beach would be pretty small and not much to look at; we’ve been craving some time at the sea so we didn’t care! It was nice to have time in the sun and we’re definitely rocking that Mediterranean tan – carefully controlled by our previously purchased $20 bottle of sunscreen of course!

We’ve repacked our suitcases are ready to hit the road again early tomorrow morning. According to the reliable estimates of the locals we’ve talked to, the drive should take between five and eight hours! Tomorrow night we’ll be sleeping on a ferry as we cruise the Mediterranean to the island of Crete!

Roadtrip, Part II

2008-05-25T12:33:00.004-05:00

Today we woke up refreshed despite sleeping on pillows dense as bricks with bedsheets that felt like sandpaper against our skin. Hotel Metéora (the least expensive hotel in the city) offered a delicious complementary breakfast which very satisfying compared to our previous two meals consisting of energy bars (samples stolen from the library during finals week, tasting like a combination of diabetic granola bars - according to Eva, and horse feed - according to Kelly), Pringles Wheat Stix, pumpkin seeds, and Craisins (please send $$$).

The highlight of Metéora is a series of monasteries perched on gigantic cliffs. On the drive up to the top we used our common sense and good judgment (thanks Mom and Dad!) and stopped to pick up two young guys who were hitchhiking to the top. They turned out to be Greek students on holiday and quite harmless. Phew!

We chose to visit the most famous monastery in Metéora, Moni Megálou Meteórou, which was built in the 14^th century. The monasteries built atop these cliffs are still in use today. Born educators, we were tailed through the monastery by two women from the southern US who enjoyed listening to us read aloud facts about the monastery from our guidebooks (best $25 we’ve spent yet!). These monasteries are definitely an amazing feat of architecture and worth the visit.

Also interesting was the fact that the skulls and bones of all the former monks were archived in a small room:

After heading out of Metéora, we stopped at a local fruit stand to get a snack for our drive to the Tombs of Vergina. There were four tombs, one of which was Phillip II’s final resting place. We also saw a tomb that is suspected to be that of Cleopatra. These tombs are home to four gorgeous funerary wreaths made of pure gold. Unfortunately, as we were (not so gently) reminded by the security guard, photos were not allowed, so we had to steal some from Google images to show you:

As we rolled into Thessaloniki, we hit the 1,000 km ( 621 mi) mark for our trip. We are staying in Thessaloniki for 3 nights, enjoying the beach and the cosmopolitan atmosphere. Always smart shoppers, we comparison shopped for hotels after our arrival in Thessaloniki (OK, we checked out four hotels in one block). We finally settled on a nice hotel which we bargained the price down to save $35; we also convinced the hotel manager to carry our luggage up the three flights of stairs and cook us breakfast! We also saved ourselves from the peril of the budget hotels which offered rooms with a lingering smoke smell, cigarette burns on the bedsheets, a broken bathroom light, and a doorman who may have a been a recovering(?) crack addict.

Roadtrip, Part I

2008-05-24T22:12:00.000-05:00

With Kelly at the wheel, we “safely” escaped the hectic Athens traffic and headed to the Pelopennese peninsula. The first stop on our route was Náfplio. We would have arrived in Náfplio after about an hour except we got stuck in traffic and ended up moving about 6 km in about 30 minutes. When we finally made it to Náfplio, we followed four tour buses (to us tour buses equal free guidance to many popular destinations) up to the top of the city to Palamidi Fortress. Unfortunately, the buses didn’t contain the usual group of 65-year-old-plus tour group but instead a gaggle of obnoxious pre-teens. We did our best to avoid the madness and came away with some great photos of the Mediterranean:

We also snagged some delicious oranges picked fresh off the tree:

After touring Palamidi Fortress, we continued on with our road trip to Olympia. Even though Olympia looked close on the map, we soon learned that the “major” highway between Náfplio and Olympia was actually an extremely curvy mountain pass. As we wound through mountains of Greece, we came across several cute towns where we admired the wildflowers and enjoyed baklava soaked in locally produced honey.

Upon arrival in Olympia, we were dismayed to learn that the site of the original Olympic Games was also operating on “winter” hours. We decided to check into our hostel and tour the site early the next morning. As we wandered the main drag in Olympia we noticed that we were the youngest people in town by at least forty years. We realized how fortunate we were to have rented our car, because we are able to see a lot of the important sites that many young people miss.

The ancient Olympic site was worth the wait. It was inspiring to stand in the place where the Olympic Games were held over 2,000 years ago.

The site of the original Olympic torch is still used today to light the torch for our modern Olympic Games:

We also spotted some crafty tourists who had brought their own sun reflector to enhance their many photographs. We only wish we had planned ahead like them so we could look picture perfect too!

Back on the road again, we headed to Delphi, but not before crossing the newly-built bridge connecting the Peloponnese peninsula with the mainland. It must have been expensive because it cost us 11 euros (about $16) to cross!

Delphi is the site of the famous Delphic Oracle and the Temple of Apollo. We barely squeaked in before the 2:45 “winter” closing time (don’t worry we’re not bitter…even though it is 85 degrees out!).

After Delphi, we hit the road for Meteora, where we spent the night at Hotel Meteora.

Athens, Part I

2008-05-22T11:49:00.008-05:00

Eva and I woke up bright and early this morning to start our official first day of touring Greece. We headed to the Acropolis, one Greece's most recognizable sights. Our first stop was the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Originally made with 104 columns, only 16 now remain but the sight is still stunning:

We felt like tiny ants below the massive structures. It is the biggest temple in Greece.

Next we checked out the Hadrian's Arch. On one side of the arch, it reads, "This is Athens, the city of Theseus." However, the immodest Hadrian added, "This is the city of Hadrian, not Theseus," on the other side.

The actual enclosure of the Acropolis is situated high on a hill in the middle of the city. Near the Acropolis we saw Odeion of Herodeus Atticus, which is a theater built in 161 AD that is still in use today. Inside was the Propylaea (the grand entrance), the famous Parthenon, the Temple of Athena Nike, and the Erechtheion, which was built where Athena planted the first olive tree in Athens, thus claiming the city as her namesake.

The Proylaea, the Erechteion, and the Parthenon:

After the Acropolis, we used our student discount-purchased multi pass ticket (only 6 euros for 6 sights!) to also get into the Ancient Agora to see the ruins of the public center for life in ancient Athens.

We had lunch at the Rough Guide recommended Skholiarhio. We chose the special which involved picking our choice of mezedes (appetizers) from a long tray (we chose cucumber/tomato/feta salad and a fava bean hummus-like paste) and was accompanied by bread, choice of beverage (we tried Mythos, a Greek beer) and dessert (Halvas - a sweetmeat of sesame). We really enjoyed our meal and the waiters took a liking to us, even bringing a second helping of Halvas (which we ate even though we were too full and didn't particularly enjoy it the first time).

After lunch we trekked to the Archaeological Museum only to find it was still observing "winter" hours and had actually close at 2:45pm. Bummer. Good thing we're coming back to Greece for one more day on our way home.

Instead of learning about ancient Greek archaeology, we spent the afternoon getting sunburned, purchasing a $20US bottle of sunscreen (!), and price-shopping for our rental car for our road trip tomorrow. We finally settled on a 2007 Hyundai Accent from Axon Car and Van Rental that cost us a reasonable (at least we think, compared to the 600+ quotes other places gave us) 253 euro for six days and unlimited mileage, plus the added bonus of getting picked up and dropped off and a waiver of the 600 euro deductible. We think we did our research and picked the right company, but I guess we really won't know until we're on the road.

We're off to Nafplio and Olympia tomorrow!

Getting there is half the fun!

2008-05-21T16:54:00.006-05:00

As Eva and I were sitting in the Chicago O'Hare airport, I pondered aloud, "I wonder if there will be any celebrities on our flight today." Eva laughed and brushed me off, but as we boarded the plane a few minutes later we noticed a commotion in the first class compartment. A flamboyantly dressed black male layered with chains and tons of bling was struggling to get his luggage in the overhead bins. We noticed a huge clock hanging from his neck and realized we had our first celebrity sighting of the trip - Flava Flav!!! Mom and Dad, you probably haven't heard of him but he is a member of the 80's rap group public enemy and is currently starring on a reality dating show on VH1, Flava of Love. He graciously agreed to pose for a photo with us:

Today, we had a long layover in London so we checked our suitcases and ventured into the city for a few hours to explore. We did a whirlwind tour and caught Tower Bridge, London Bridge, The London Eye, Westminster Abbey, The Houses of Parliment, Buckingham Palace, and Harrod's Department Store.

We just got into Athens late tonight and we're staying with Sophia in her cute little flat close to the center of the city. That's all for now, tomorrow we're headed to the Acropolis and the Archaeological Museum.

Kelly and Eva do Greece!!

2008-05-20T20:32:00.000-05:00

Eva and I leaving today on our next voyage. This trip's destination - GREECE! We'll be spending three weeks traveling this gorgeous country. We fly into Athens where we'll be renting a car for a one week tour around the mainland followed by a relaxing two weeks on the islands. Stay tuned for tidbits and pictures from our trip that we'll try to post as frequently as possible! I hope you all enjoy following us on our next adventure!

XOXO,
Kelly and Eva

Cairo, Egypt, Part II

2008-01-17T02:10:00.000-06:00

On our last day in Egypt, we saw the Citadel, an enclosure in the district of Islamic Cairo where many past rulers of post-pharonic Egypt lived. Part of the Citadel is a huge mosque where the prophet of Islam, Muhommed Ali is entombed. We were slightly disappointed that the mosque (and many others in Cairo) are in disrepair, needing a good cleaning and a lot of lightbulbs replaced.

We also visited the National Police Museum where we read about famous murders and assassinations in Egypt’s history.

Many sections of the Citadel were closed for restoration so we decided to move along to one of the largest mosques in Cairo, Ibn Tulun. We paid a bit of baksheesh (tips) and were allowed to climb the minaret, which can be likened to the steeple of a church. This is where the speakers that announce Islamic calls to prayer are placed in order to achieve maximum distribution of sound. Muslims are called to prayer five times a day, starting with sunrise and ending with sunset.

The view from the Ibn Tulun minaret unimpressive at best. Cairo is very crowded and dirty and many of the building are almost in ruins despite the fact that many people are living them. The rooftops and spaces between buildings are crammed with garbage and seeing the filth made me wish I was home in Madison.

We stopped for lunch at the hole-in-the-wall Egyptian Pancake house, where we had our first taste of Egyptian fiteers – baked phyllo dough stuffed with whatever you desire – cheese, mushrooms, olives, powdered sugar, raisins, jam and more. They were definitely greasy and reminded us of a cross between pizza and a thin pastry.

After lunch we headed to Khan al-Khalili, Cairo’s famous souk. The souk was different from other souks we had visited because it was like a labyrinth, with many narrow, winding passageways instead of one large street. Because we’d already done most of our shopping we picked up a few last minute items but mostly just browsed. We did have a nice shopkeeper take us to an off-the-beaten-path gold factory where all the gold from the souk is made. Eva bought a couple silver charms and got a great deal on them. Plus the guys polished our rings that we already have so they're nice and shiny. It was fun to see where all the jewelry that we've been seeing is made:

We also got henna tattoos on our hands which are supposed to last for a month, but we’ll see. It’s not like we’ll be going back to the shop to complain if it doesn’t!

On the way back to the hotel, I stopped in a beauty parlor because I wanted to get my legs waxed. I was taken to the upstairs, women-only floor where I sat in my underwear in front of seven non-English speaking women. The waxing procedure itself was very rustic – a ball of wax was heated up over a candle and then spread on my legs and pulled off quickly. Not very glamorous, but it got the job done! It also cost about one tenth of the price it would have in the United States.

We met Tyler back at the hotel and ate kushari (Egyptian takeout), cakes from the bakery next door, and a selection of Egyptian beers. It was cheap, but definitely hit the spot for our last dinner in Egypt.

This morning, we had to wake up at 4am to get to the airport for our flight home. Right now, Eva and I are sitting in a coffee shop in the Heathrow Airport writing this on my laptop. By the time I have internet access to put this online, we’ll already be safely home.

Cairo, Egypt, Part I

2008-01-14T12:48:00.000-06:00

Eva and I rolled into Cairo on the sleeper train at 6:45 in the morning.

Unfortunately, when we got to Hotel Luna, we were told our room wouldn’t be available until noon. We ended up staying the in freezing cold lobby until 11:30 waiting and waiting.

We finally got into our room, did a quick shower and headed to see the famous Egyptian Antiquities Museum, which houses such things as King Tut’s death mask and all the treasures found in his tomb along with many, many statues, papyrus scrolls and other artifacts – even a colossal mummified fish. We also bought an extra ticket that allowed us to visit the royal mummies. It was cool to see the remains of the royalty whose tombs we toured in Luxor. As you can imagine, no cameras were allowed. In fact they confiscated cameras at the gate, so we had to sneak Eva’s inside in my sunglasses case.

Today was the big day – we toured the Pyramids!!! We’ve been in Egypt for over a week and we finally got to see the first thing that comes to mind when most people think of Egypt – the pyramids and the Sphinx!

We decided to see all three major groups of pyramids near Cairo: Giza, Saqqara, and Dashur. We had to hire a driver, which would have been tricky, but fortunately we met a guy in our hostel who speaks Arabic and wanted to hang out with us today touring the pyramids. Tyler, a guy from Washington D.C. who is in Cairo touring and practicing his Arabic, was great to have around. Without him, we never would have made it!

Dashur was our first stop. The biggest of the three pyramids at Dashur is the Red Pyramid. It is the world’s oldest “true” pyramid (with flat sides). We chose to go inside this pyramid instead of the Great Pyramid at Giza because the ticket was very inexpensive and there was virtually no one there. From what we’ve been told, the view inside is equivalent to the Great Pyramid and we had the place to ourselves. To get inside we descended into a narrow tunnel 125 steps into the pyramid. When we neared the bottom, it was very hot and smelled like ammonia.

Also a part of Dashur is the Bent Pyramid, which we couldn’t get to close to because it was in a restricted military zone. As much fun as dodging landmines sounded, we decided not to try to sneak past the guards and check it out. The Bent Pyramid got its name because ancient Egyptians started building it at an angle too steep for it to remain intact, so they had to decrease the angle partway through construction.

At the next pyramid group, Saqqara, we saw the Step Pyramid, the World’s oldest pyramid.

The last pyramid group, Giza, is closest to Cairo and is the most famous of the three. We rented camels and saw the pyramids in style.

We also saw the Sphinx, which stands guard in front of the Great Pyramid.

Tomorrow, our last day in Egypt, we’re going to see Islamic Cairo and the famous Khan al-Khalili souk. Wednesday morning, bright and early we’ll be on our way back to the United States.

Luxor, Egypt, Part II

2008-01-13T13:00:00.000-06:00

Friday morning, we hired a car and a private guide to take us to the West Bank of Luxor, where many of the tombs and temples that Luxor is famous for are located. We were approached by a fellow American, Franceso Dominick Arbolino (no really, he was American!) who asked if he could join us on our tour. He seemed fun enough, so we gladly agreed because it meant we saved five Egyptian pounds each ($0.80) on the tour, and hey, we’re all about living cheaply!

First stop was Valley of the Kings, which is, according to Lonely Planet, “A place of death, where nothing grows on its scorching cliffs.” Here we visited the tombs of Ramses IX, Ramses II, Seti II, and of course, the newly opened tomb of King Tutankhamun – King Tut! Unfortunately, no photography was allowed inside the tombs, but they were gorgeous with floor to ceiling painting of hieroglyphics and murals depicting the ruler’s lives. King Tut’s mummy, coffin and sarcophagus were also on display in his tomb – we were surprised as to how small he was!

We also visited Deira Al-Bahria, a temple built by Hatshepsut, the only female Pharo(ess) of Egypt.

Medinat Habu is a huge temple built by three pharos to glorify the god Amun.

Last was the disappointing Colossi of Memnon, which was covered in scaffolding and falling apart. They used to be part of a huge temple bigger even than Karnak but it was all destroyed a long time ago (27 B.C.) by an earthquake.

After lunch we did a bit of shopping at the Luxor souk. The shop owners enjoyed giving Francesco a hard time, telling him how lucky he was to have two wives (Eva and I) and offering to buy us in exchange for camels or chickens. He put up with the attention good naturedly, replying, “They are lucky to be with me!”

We ate dinner at a 1920’s-style international cuisine restaurant because we’re getting a little sick of the local food we’ve been having. Eva had soup and potato salad, Francesco had a burger and French fries and I had an omelet with a side of bacon – made with real pork! It’s funny that I rarely eat pork at home, but because it’s so hard to find here I’ve been craving it for days!

After dinner we found a sheesha place in the souk that promised us good quality Egyptian molasses tobacco and enjoyed sitting outside people watching and sipping Karkaday, a traditional drink infused with hibiscus flowers.

This morning, we hired another taxi to get back to the west bank and saw Tombs of the Nobles, Valley of the Queens, and the Ramesseum. My favorite part was the stunning tomb of Sennofer, which had a ceiling painted with vibrant grape vines and leaves.

While visiting the Tombs of the Nobles, we were told that George Bush is also in Egypt right now, who knew? He’ll be in Cairo when we are on some sort of Middle East tour bonanza.

On the way back, our cab driver stopped at a sugarcane field and grabbed us seven huge stalks of sugarcane. Because he was parked alongside the road, the police came and started questioning us, but luckily Eva and I were able to use our charm to keep us from getting in to any trouble. The situation ended with the police helping peel my sugarcane for me and taking pictures for us:

Tonight, Francesco and I convinced Eva (by paying for her meal) to have dinner at the vegetarian-unfriendly Japanese restaurant in St. George’s Hotel, Miyako. It was definitely pricey and the quality of the sushi wasn’t amazing, but all things considered it was good enough to satisfy the craving for sushi that I’ve had since we ate it last in Dubai. For dessert, I had a slightly disturbing looking white and chocolate mousse dish in the shape of a swan:

Right now Eva and I are on an overnight sleeper train to head to Cairo for our last four days! Things are winding down and we’re starting to come to terms with the fact that we’ll be back in the awful Wisconsin snow all too soon.

Luxor, Egypt, Part I

2008-01-13T12:46:00.000-06:00

Our three days in Luxor were over before we knew it! After checking into "Happyland" hotel Wednesday night, Thursday we hit the ground running, seeing two of the biggest attractions Luxor has to offer – Luxor Temple and Karnak. We were astounded at the size and scope of these two temples dedicated to Thebian gods and the glory of the pharaohs.

This obelisk has its mate in Paris in the Place de la Concorde:

It’s hard to convey how massive these monuments really were. It literally took us two hours to see all of Karnak and after seeing both we agreed it would be best to take a caleche (horse drawn carriage) back to our hotel as we were so tired walking was out of the question.

We even saw some bee hieroglyphics:

Our driver, Friday, and his trusty steed, Cinderella escorted us safely back to Happyland, our budget hotel (emphasis on budget) that we stayed at in Luxor. We even got to take a shot at driving the buggy.

For dinner, we went to Sofra, a traditional-style restaurant that made us feel like we were in the middle of one the 1001 Arabian nights. On our way there, we walked past a chocolate shop that grabbed our attention and ended up picking up some delicious Arabian chocolate to bring back to the States as well as some oriental desserts for ourselves!

After dessert, we weren’t that hungry, so we just had lentil soup and a bit of cucumber salad for dinner. Noticing sheesha was on the menu, we decided to try it but were disappointed that we were given a cheap, watered-down version that is probably meant to fool tourists. Luckily, it only cost fifty cents so we cut our losses and decided to try sheesha at a more authentic place that we had seen in the souk the next night.

Aswan, Egypt

2008-01-10T13:48:00.001-06:00

Even though we felt refreshed after our night on the sleeping train, Eva and I weren’t quite prepared for the in-your-face, tourism centered feel of Aswan. Unlike Alexandria there are loads of tourists in Aswan and many of the locals make their livelihood from selling felucca (boat) rides on the Nile, pashminas, spices or tour packages. We made it to our hostel, Hotel Keylany, unloaded our luggage and set out to explore Aswan.

Our first stop was the Tombs of the Nobles which involved hiring a felucca to take us across to the West Bank of the Nile. Once there, we had to climb a very long series of stairs carved in the rock and covered in sand.

At the top, our Nubian guides unlocked several tombs for us. The tombs are carved out of the stone and were once filled with the remains of former rulers and nobles. Now, almost all of their mummies can be found in museums all over the world, but one room was still filled with baskets of bones.

It was very surreal to be able to be close enough to touch the drawings and carvings that have been there for thousands of years. We were also surprised that our so-called “tour guides” were just some random locals from a nearby village who split the baksheesh (tips) for giving tours amongst themselves.

Yesterday afternoon was spent exploring the city and the Aswan souk, said to be the second best souk in Egypt, after Cairo. We picked up a few more pashminas and debated the pros and cons of consenting to marriage with an Egyptian man. Six million camels is quite a dowry and was almost an offer we couldn’t refuse!

Dinner was at Aswan Moon, a restaurant that is literally a boat floating on the Nile. We were slightly disappointed by the watery lentil soup and the bland fare, but we did finally get to try Om Ali, an Arabian dessert we’ve been hearing loads about but hadn’t actually gotten to try yet. It was also a bit of a disappointment but we haven’t given up on it yet, considering nothing we had to eat there was that great – I guess this place is popular due to location!

We long night sleep which was abruptly halted by a cold shower – our water heater in our room wasn’t working! Luckily breakfast was so delicious we almost forgot about it – crepes, toast, honey, tea, fresh juice and fruit! We packed up our suitcases and headed out in search of a felucca to hire for the afternoon.

We didn’t have to search long as we were literally accosted by a felucca captain less than five steps from our hostel. We negotiated a reasonable 25 Egyptian pounds ($4) an hour rate and spent the afternoon sunning ourselves as our sailboat floated gently down the Nile. Due to poor [no] wind conditions on the return trip, we stayed out a bit longer than intended and had to scrap plans to visit Elephantine Island. It was okay though, an extra hour relaxing on the felucca was nothing to complain about!

When our boat docked, we opted to Al-Madena restaurant for lunch, instead of taking our felucca captain’s offer for a traditional Nubian lunch in his home. I finally got up the nerve to try pigeon - it came served whole and stuffed with rice and I managed to get about three bites of duck-like but gamey meat out of the bird before I cut my losses and focused on finishing the rest of Eva’s cucumber salad.

We returned to the souk after lunch and did some serious spice shopping, picking up some of the best spices Egypt has to offer (according to our salesclerk).

On the way back from the souk, we stopped back at our hostel for the sole purpose of going to the bathroom – from what we can tell, it’s the only place in Aswan that has a toilet with a bowl and a real toilet seat! It’s funny how this trip is making us appreciate those little porcelain luxuries!

Next we trekked up to (our rather paid a cab driver to drive us) to the Nubian House Restaurant out in boonies of Aswan. We were expecting a delicious, traditional Nubian dinner but were disappointed with oily soup and bland okra casserole – needless to say, our opinions of the food in Aswan aren’t very high! In addition, we had to wait almost an hour to get our food which made us nervous because we had a train to Luxor to catch tonight (that’s where I’m typing this entry from right now).

Overall, we’re definitely glad we came to Aswan. Despite the hassling of tourists and the disappointing food, t is very pretty and it was fun to catch a glimpse of the Nubian culture here. The souk was my favorite thus far and the felucca ride was a perfect way to spend a relaxing sunny afternoon. It’s getting harder and harder to even believe that back at home there are mounds of snow on the ground and people can’t walk around in sandals in the middle of winter!

Now, we’re on a train to Luxor and we’ve got just a week left of our fabulous adventure. It’s hard to believe two weeks have gone by already, but we definitely miss our friends and family back at home.

Alexandria, Egypt, Part II

2008-01-08T14:47:00.000-06:00

Eva and I finished up our last night in Alexandria with dinner at one of the best seafood places in town, The Fish Market. Before we even had a chance to order, our table was filled with enough mezze (Arabian appetizers) to feed us for days!

To select entrees, there was no menu. You had to go to the freezer and pick it out yourself, specifying how much you wanted by weight. Luckily the chefs were friendly and helpful and we had fun hamming it up for the camera with them!

Dinner was tasty, but it was a little intimidating being served a whole fish and having to worry about things like scales and bones. I could definitely use a bit more practice in that department! Eva is a vegetarian, so she had no such problems.

After dinner, a group of gentlemen sitting near us sent over a round of Egyptian beer. They introduced themselves and we learned they were dentists on holiday from Greece. It was fun talking to them about their impressions of Egypt and also to hear a bit about life in Greece.

Yesterday we took a carriage (Hantoor) ride along the corniche from our hotel to one of the largest mosques in the city. The mosque was very ornate and we had to take off our shoes and cover our heads to go inside. There is a separate section for women apart from the main mosque and were were surprised to learn that photography is allowed and even encouraged.

From the mosque, we walked to Fort Qatibey, which looks almost like a sand castle sitting on the edge of the corniche.

We had to catch a train yesterday evening to Cairo in order to catch our sleeper train to Aswan. The sleeper car was very basic - two bunk beds and a sink - but much better than sitting upright in a chair for the fourteen hour ride! Dinner and breakfast were included, but inedible so we ate granola bars (thanks Dad!) and some of the multitude of nuts and dried fruit that I impulsively purchased in Doha (7 pounds of trail mix anyone?).

As we were rolling in to Aswan, some little boys caught our attention outside the train. They made motions of a camera with their hands and it was clear they are used to incoming tourists taking pictures of them.

Alexandria, Egypt, Part I

2008-01-06T09:44:00.001-06:00

Our whirlwind tour of Egypt has begun! Eva and I arrived in Alexandria yesterday afternoon and jumped right in to the hustle and bustle that is this crazy city!

Even the airport is crazy! Going through passport control, we handed our passports to the agent and they were slid down a shoot and we were instructed to wait with a group of other travelers. Not knowing what to expect, we were shocked when the whole group's passports were handed to one traveler in a stack and he was appointed the task of giving them out to everyone! Needless to say, we were very relieved when we retrieved our passports! At baggage claim, the craziest things came off the plane: bedspreads, big garbage bags, a cooler, and even a jug of water:

We hurried through security where everyone had their luggage inspected - Eva's even had to go through an x-ray machine. Mine didn't get inspected at all though! I guess I don't look that suspicious!

After a death defying cab ride (seriously, we almost died....twice!) we arrived at the lovely Hotel Union, right on the Mediterranean. Eva and I have a private room with a sea view...it's gorgeous!

We spent the evening wandering the city, marveling at the insane traffic and the fact that the drivers don't use headlights - unless they are flashing them at pedestrians - and that they use their horns very liberally. There are no crosswalks, so pedestrians literally hurl themselves into traffic and the cars just swerve and honk to avoid them. Imagine this crossing eight lanes of traffic!!

Here's a picture of the outside of the newly built Biblioteca Alexandria:

We had dinner at a little restaurant called Mohammed Amed and our entire meal for two which consisted of Foul (Egyptian fava beans) with fried egg, two salads, two bowls of lentil soup, pita bread, bottled water, fried cheese (an Egyptian specialty) and dessert for only four dollars!! That's about what we'd been paying for bottled water at restaurants before this. Plus, it was delicious!

Alexandria at night is a bit like a carnival. Everyone is out on the streets and there are bright lights everywhere. The shops are open late and cars are whizzing by narrowly missing pedestrians. It's quite a sight to see!

We were both tired, so we got a good night's sleep so we could get up early and start our second day in Alexandria.

This morning we headed to the train station to book our sleeper car to Aswan for tomorrow night. We were dismayed to find out the trains had been canceled until further notice but luckily a very helpful travel guide helped us to book a train to Cairo tomorrow afternoon so we could take an overnight train from Cairo to Aswan. We even got a VIP behind the desk tour of the ticket desk:

The sleeper car from Cairo to Awan is $60 and puts Eva and I in a private cabin and includes dinner and breakfast for the 14 hour trip. We were told the fare couldn't be paid in Egyptian pounds! We had to go to the money exchange office and exchange our pounds for dollars to pay for a train ticket in Egypt! Bizzare! Luckily everything worked out and we'll (hopefully) be on a train to Aswan tomorrow afternoon!

We checked out the Roman amphitheater near the train station:

Next we hailed a cab to the Catacombes, a series of tombs underneath Alexandria that was unearthed when a donkey fell through the ground many years ago! No cameras were allowed inside, so you'll have to visit yourself! We hired a guide for $5 and he gave us a very in depth tour with all the history and explanations of the designs and areas inside the Catacombes.

Pompey's pillar, one of the famous sites associated with Alexandria was extra fun because we befriended a policeman at the Catacombes who met us there and got us free, VIP entry. No admittance fee and we got access to the parts that no tourists are allowed to see!

Lunch was at a hole-in-the-wall pizza place, where it was made to order right in front of us. Greasy, cheap and delicious!

Tonight for dinner we're going to have fresh seafood at one of the best spots in Alexandria. Given the 6:1 exchange rate, it's nice to be in a place where we can afford to splurge a little!

I can't even describe how Eva and I are being treated here. Every where we walk, people stop what they are doing and watch us. The children come up to us on the streets and stare at us. When I smile at them they get really excited - it's clear they don't see too many blonds. I was really surprised at how much of a novelty we are, but apparently not that many American tourists make it here. They are definitely missing out and I recommend this city highly! Keep in mind though, nobody speaks English and all the signs are in Arabic! Other than that, people have been going out of there way to accommodate us and we are enjoying the attention!

Don't worry though, Mom and Dad, I'm definitely staying out of trouble!!

Doha, Qatar!

2008-01-04T15:08:00.000-06:00

After an hour flight we arrived in Doha, Qatar Wednesday morning. We finally got to see Ariane's apartment and the city she's been living in for the past six months. Ariane's friends arranged an SUV trip to the dessert for us, complete with cook-out, fire, and dune bashing. Dune bashing involves taking an SUV at full speed up and down the dunes - it's like a real-life roller coaster ride. It was thrilling and scary at the same time.

The desert is freezing at night!
Thursday Eva and I walked along the Cornish, the road that boarders the Gulf. It was a 4.5 mile walk total, which felt great as we haven't been able to walk that much so far. In Ariane's words, the motto here seems to be, "we don't even walk across the street, we drive!" The Cornish is beautiful and has a very wide promenade that was full of Qataris enjoying the warm afternoon weather.
There are some beautiful new buildings in Doha:

It seems like for every one building completed there are two more being put up. Cranes dot the skyline:
I am not sure what this street sign says, but clearly it's had enough!

Doha is the pearl of the gulf:

We met Ariane at the old souk after she was done with work and spent the evening browsing spices, nuts, pashminas, perfume and more. We also each ordered necklaces that have our name in Arabic to be custom made.

For dinner, we stopped at a shwarma place to get some Arab fast food. Shwarma is basically like a gyro - lamb or chicken meat wrapped in a pita with sauce and onions. It was cheap and delicious!

Unfortunately for me, it seems that I may have gotten a side of salmonella with my shwarma. I spent all last night doubled up over the toilet with an awful case of food poisoning. Today I spent most of the day in bed and wasn't able to keep even water down until almost lunch time. I still have no appetite, but my energy is returning and I think I'll be back to full health tomorrow.

Also, I have a few extra pictures of our living arrangements in Dubai. Eight people in one bedroom with three twin beds!

In the Dubai airport, there was an Irish pub, but it didn't hold a candle to Brocach!

Tomorrow morning we leave for the last leg of our journey - Egypt!! We fly into Alexandria and from there Aswan, Luxor, and Cairo!

Dubai, Part III

2008-01-01T13:21:00.000-06:00

We had a relaxing day today, spending all day at the beach. We even made some new friends, a few boys from Lebanon who now live in Dubai. Ariane played soccer with them and I refereed from the comfort of my lounge chair. Needless to say, they were also okay to look at!

We stopped at the grocery store for a cheap lunch and saw this sign, warning Muslims away from the pork products section:

Happy New Year!!! After getting back from Medinat Jumeira, we hung out with the boys we are staying with for a bit and got ourselves all good-looking for a fabulous VIP night out at Club Peppermint.

We had a table and bottle service reserved in advance, so when we arrived we were whisked past the long line of people outside the club and let in the velvet rope VIP entrance. Would you expect anything less?

The club itself is housed in a hotel, as is common for most clubs in Dubai, because it's easier for hotels to get liquor licenses. The club had a DJ and party favors for us, including fun masks:

Pretend the 2 in 2008 isn't backwards:

We danced the night away and had a blast ringing in the New Year!

Tonight we had a dinner reservation at the 7 star Burj Al Arab, the most luxurious hotel in the world. We got all dressed up and indulged in an all-you-can-eat buffet (very Arab). There was so much food I didn't even manage to try everything - sushi, traditional Arab dishes, cheeses, veal, oysters and so much more!

Trust me, I didn't clean my plate each time!

We also explored the hotel, something you can only do if you have a dinner reservation or are a guest of the hotel. We had to be checked off at the entrance just to gain admittance!

Right now we're hanging out with all of our new friends in the flat enjoying the remainder of our time together. We're leaving on a plane tomorrow to Qatar for the second leg of our journey!

Dubai Part II

2008-01-01T00:30:00.000-06:00

Sunday night we went with Samir and Hekmat to Arabian Nights for a fantastic traditional dinner. We ate ourselves silly eating baba ganouj (mashed eggplant dip), hommos (hummus), tabbouleh (bulgur, chopped mint and parsley, and spices), stuffed vine leaves, halloumi (cheese made from goat and sheep milk), kebobs, and more! There was so much food and it was delicious and healthy (mostly!). Eva loved how almost everything was vegetarian and Ariane decided her version of heaven would be filled with heaps of hummus. Since we had a crazy New Year's planned for last night we decided to keep things low key - ie: finishing dinner at about 12:30am.

A mint tea toast:
If you're really fancy, you pour mint tea like this:

Yesterday was a holiday, so almost everything was closed. In the morning, we checked out a high-end mall, Wafi that has the types of stores that make you feel as if they're too expensive to even window shop in!

We explored Memoires, a store set up like an old Victorian mansion with imported antiques from Europe. It was so elaborate it felt like we were touring a museum and all the employees were dressed in period costume. They even had a vampire, who kindly agreed to a picture with us (in the store entrance as photography inside was prohibited).

One of the stores was selling furniture covered entirely with Swarovski crystals. Andy, I hope you don't mind, I ordered one for your new penthouse!

We also shopped in Wafi Gourmet, which featured premium chocolates and cookies as well as baklava and some candy/taffy looking stuff that I don't even know how to describe. We made friends with one of the clerks and he hooked us up with a bunch of samples! We liked it so much we decided to pick out a mix for Emre and Emil, the two boys who have graciously been hosting us this whole time! We also got to see pita bread being made first hand, even though I still can't understand how they get the air pocket in it!

In the afternoon we returned to Medinat Jumeirah to take a few more pictures and explore further. We even managed to sneak into the ultra posh Medinat Jumeirah hotel to do a little exploring.

Eva also found her perfect man in one of the stores:

Medinat Jumeirah has a great view of Burj Al Arab, the seven star hotel where we're having dinner tonight!!

Dubai, Part I

2007-12-30T09:42:00.000-06:00

It's gorgeous in Dubai! Even though it's technically winter, every day is 75-80 degrees and sunny. Yesterday, for our first day in the city we checked out the huge Mall of Emirates, the largest shopping center outside of the United States. It has over 450 stores and also houses Ski Dubai, the indoor ski place.

In the afternoon, we went to a hookah bar and smoked some shisha in true Middle Eastern style.
Dinner was sushi (my favorite!) at the Medinat Jumeira souk. Souks are traditional marketplaces that sell everything under the sun - pashminas, textiles, jewelry, spices, trinkets and more. The Medinat souk is a fake souk - it's very new and overpriced.

After dinner we went to a Cuban bar - Malecon - in Dubai Marine Club for drinks and a bit of dancing.

Today we shopped at the gold and spice souks in the morning which was amazing. Each of us bought a jewelry souvenir at the souk. I bought a pretty sparkly white gold bracelet, Ariane got a white gold chain and Eva got an ornate gold link necklace (more pictures of that later!).

Myrrh:

Frankincense:
Here I am having a sample of dried and salted shrimp. It felt a bit like Fear Factor, reaching into a bin of shrimp and eating one whole...sanitary I'm sure!

Some old men enjoying the Dubai sun:

The afternoon was spent at Jumeria beach, sunning ourselves and hanging out with the AIESECers we're staying with.

And having a bit of a photo shoot:

And yes, we did wear our bikinis at the beach, but it was a bit windy towards the end so we put our overclothes back on!

I'm loving Dubai and experiencing this completely different culture, although Ariane keeps reminding me that I'm in for even more culture shock in Qatar, which is a much stricter Muslim country.

That's all for now, we're off to dinner at a really fabulous traditional Arab restaurant tonight!

Also, I've noticed it takes a day or two for my posts to show up on my blog for some reason. Very odd. Also the government blocks parts of the internet here due to its content being "inconsistent with the religious, cultural, political and moral values of the United Arab Emirates."

We've Arrived!

2007-12-29T03:09:00.000-06:00

Everything went smoothly, Eva, Ariane, and I are all safely in Dubai! We got picked up at the airport by Ariane's friends, and whisked away to the flat we'll be staying in in Bur Dubai.

The flights weren't bad, I actually ended up sleeping more than I expected. The most exciting thing that happened was when we opened our necessities package in our plane seat on British Airlines. We got a sleep mask, socks, headphones, and.......this:

After a bit of discussion, I was convinced it was a feminine product, but Eva argued that it was a flashlight, due to what seemed to be a twisty thing on the end. Can you guess who was right?

It actually turned out to be a toothbrush! Who knew? Much more practical than either of our guesses!
That's all for now, it's 10 hours ahead of Wisconsin time here, which makes it almost 3 am. We're headed to bed and have big plans to enjoy all that Dubai has to offer in the next few days!

Another adventure!!

2007-12-26T19:30:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow I'm off on my biggest adventure to date! Miss Eva and I are headed to the Middle East for three weeks! We fly from Chicago to London tomorrow night and then Thursday from London to Dubai. All in all we'll be spending 16+ hours on a plane and be traveling for over 24 hours total. We get in to Dubai at 11:30pm on Thursday where we will be meeting Ariane - she gets in about an hour before us.

The rough itinerary is as follows:
Dec. 27-28: Chicago-London-Dubai
Dec. 28- Jan. 2:Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Jan. 2-5: Doha, Qatar

Jan. 5-7: Alexandria, Egypt
Jan. 8-9: Aswan, Egypt
Jan. 10-11: Luxor, Egypt
Jan. 12-16: Cairo, Egypt

Jan. 16: Cairo-London-Chicago (Isn't it crazy that we leave Cairo at 8:30 in the morning and get in to Chicago at 3:30pm the same day!)
I'm so excited for the three of us to be reunited again!

SLC Baby!

2007-08-21T12:52:00.000-05:00

I just spent the last five days on a roadtrip/adventure with Eva! I flew one-way out to Salt Lake City and we drove her new car back to Madison. I was SO happy to finally see Eva again...hooray. We hung out in Salt Lake for two days - shopping, seeing the sights, and of course, learning more about converting to Mormonism (which I've been informed is actually not a word). Eva and I took a tour of the Latter Day Saints (LDS) Temple Square. You aren't actually allowed in the temple unless you're a real Mormon, but for the sinners, we can take a tour of the outside and listen to a propaganda-heavy schpeel on what the church can do for you.

We picked a great day to visit. Many very young couples were getting "sealed" on Friday. I counted at least eight walking around the square while we were there. Instead of a traditional wedding ceremony, Mormons get sealed to their partners to guarantee that they will be together in this life and the next, instead of "'til death do us part" like many other religions. It was crazy - most of the couples were younger than Eva and I and there seemed to be an alarming pattern of gorgeous girls getting sealed to fairly dopey looking guys - where are all the hot boy Mormons?

In this picture you can see three couples:

Back to the tour - it was really interesting and we were guided by two girls about our age, one from Sweden and one from Australia, who had left everything to come to SLC for 18 months to do missionary service. I could tell their faith was really important to them, but I can't imagine leaving my family and friends for 18 months to come to a strange place. I can't get over how happy all the Mormons seem. I'm an atheist, so I'm pretty skeptical about organized religion, but everyone seems to have to much conviction in their beliefs - it was quite something.

One thing I learned that I thought was interesting was that Mormons don't watch their children very closely because they believe that "God is Watching Them." This of course is non-Mormon gossip, but it seemed to be true in the case of this fountain playground by one of the malls:

On Saturday, we headed to Casper, Wyoming (in Eva's sexy new car of course!)
to visit Aaron, a friend of ours who graduated and got a job as a meteorologist. Visiting him was great fun because he took us on a tour of his NBC news station and we got to pretend to be reporters and play with the green screen. I felt like a fourth grader on a field trip!
These faces are made for TV!!!

The rest of the drive back was pretty uneventful. It was good to be home and even better to have Eva back full time!

The road home

2007-06-07T22:56:00.000-05:00

For my last night, Frederico, Genarro and I went out for dinner at a really nice Chinese restaurant and then for a few drinks at a Latin bar. We managed to stay up almost until my cab came to take me to the airport at 5am. I made it to the airport with no problems, and even managed to check three bags that weighed more than 20 kilos over the weight limit with no problem.

The last week of my stay has surpassed my wildest expectations. I had lovely time at "Hotel Palma" in Rome, the boys took such good care of me and showed me a side of Rome that tourists don't get to see. I completely fell in love with Rome and all of its excitement and culture. Florence was also completely lovely. I'm a lucky girl to be able to travel alone and make friends all over the world.

Now I'm home, safe and sound, and life is returning to normal. Alex and I went grocery shopping last night. The kitchen needed to be completely restocked and the bill was quite outrageous! I've missed cooking, so we'll be eating like kings as I make up for lost time.

I hope you all enjoyed following me on this adventure. Ciao, ciao for this time!

Florence, Days 19-20

2007-06-05T22:33:00.000-05:00

I just had a whirlwind visit to Florence. David and I caught an early train Monday and spent the day seeing the city and doing a bit of shopping. I found a fabulous dress to wear for dinner at MaxMara, as I had to look sharp for our dinner that night at the restaurant, Rossini. It was a really nice place right on the river. It was a Michelin-rated restaurant and we had a nice, relaxed dinner.

Because everything museum-wise is closed on Mondays, I stayed until the afternoon on Tuesday to give us time to see The David at the Academia as well as the Uffizi Gallery. It was such a fabulous way to end my trip!

Here are some highlights from the trip:

The view from the hotel balcony:

Enjoying a glass of wine from the hotel balcony:

Looking spiffy for dinner:
Dinner at Rossini:

Catching a bite at the Cavalli Cafe:

A new friend, Caron, the manager at MaxMara:

Enjoying the sun:

A Tiramisu to end all others:

Rome, Day 18

2007-06-03T14:08:00.000-05:00

I got blessed by the Pope this morning. Even though I'm just a bit skeptical of the whole religion thing, I figured it couldn't hurt! The Pope does a blessing of the crowd at the Vatican every Sunday at noon. It was very rainy, so the crowd was full of people with colored umbrellas. After the blessing, I saw St. Peter's Cathedral, which is what the Pope stands in front in the pictures below.

On the way to the Vatican, I saw this colorful scene. Possibly she had escaped from a traveling circus?

The crowd was full of umbrellas:
If you click on this picture to enlarge it, you can see the Pope in yellow in the center. He's also on the large screen to the right:
A procession in St. Peter's:

Michelangelo's Pieta:

St. Peter's:

For dinner, David, the photographer, and I had sushi for dinner. I'd been craving sushi, so it hit the spot!

Frederico met us in the center after dinner:

Rome, Day 17

2007-06-03T01:08:00.000-05:00

Today I had quite an adventure! I spent the morning wandering the city as usual. I saw the Pantheon, and quite a few of the Piazza's all over Rome. I tried the best gelati in Rome, as recommended by Frederico....a place that actually shares his last name: Gellateria Palma. There were so many selections to chose from and the few I tried were fantastic!

The Pantheon:

The Spanish Steps:

Gelateria Palma:I decided to spend a bit of the afternoon reading and people watching in front of the Pantheon. I was buried in my book when I was approached by a guy who told me he had taken my photo and that it had turned out really nicely. I have to say I was a bit apprehensive at first, but he turned out to be a really nice, interesting guy. He was American and we chatted for a bit and he agreed to send me the photo. We ended up walking to a fountain that we both wanted to see and he took a few more photos. They turned out very nicely, it was a coincidence to end all, and I felt quite fabulous having a mini "photo shoot" in front of the Trevi Fountain! He's in town on business, he's a very successful artist who also helps with acquisitions for the Guggenheim collection in New York.

The Pantheon:

He's going to be in Florence on Monday and he's invited me to come for the day and see the city with him. I'm thinking about doing it because I have a few days of travel on my Eurail Pass that I haven't used thanks to the Bologna mix-up.

Marco, Frederico's brother, came home from a business conference today, so I got to meet him and his girlfriend. The three of us met some of his friends out for pizza and what is said to be the best pizza place in Rome. It took forever to get our pizza, but it was worth the wait. The pizza is even thinner than Venice and equally delicious.

Update!

2007-06-02T02:17:00.000-05:00

I finally have access to the internet for less than 4 euros/20 minutes, so I've been blogging like crazy. Plus, Gennaro has a reader for my camera card, so that means pictures! I've also added photos to Milan and Ibiza, so read back for those! Enjoy!

Rome, Day 16

2007-06-01T19:00:00.000-05:00

This morning Frederico and Gennaro took me to a local restaurant for a big Roman breakfast. We feasted on Cappuccino and Coronattos. Coronattos are the Italian version of croissants – only they are sweetened and filled with things like cream and jam. They are devastatingly delicious, as you can imagine. After breakfast, they dropped me off at the metro, where they helped me buy a metro pass and then watched me leave to go see the sights. They took such good care of me, it almost felt like I was leaving for the first day of school or something!

I spent the day visiting some of the highlights of Rome: Pallatine Hill, the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, and the National Roman Museum. I walked everywhere and had fun immersing myself into the history of Rome. It’s amazing how old everything is and how well preserved the structures are.

View from Palatine Hill:

The Forum:

The Colluseum:

Inside the Colluseum:

Back at Frederico’s house, Genarro and his friend came over and he made us Pasta Carbonara – the sauce is just barely cooked eggs with Italian bacon. Once again a fantastic meal! For dessert we finished the rest of the gelato, but this time topped it with an Italian Espresso liquor. It’s a good thing I spent the day walking!

Tomorrow is a Roman Holiday and I was going to go to the beach. Unfortunately, I think the weather will be a little chilly, so now I may see the Pantheon instead. Frederico’s brother is coming back from vacation tonight so we are going to the airport to pick him up. I’ve been sleeping in his luxurious double bed, so that means I’ll be moving to another room!

I just think over and over how lucky I am at how things turned out. I was almost homeless for the weekend, but instead I am being spoiled!

Rome, Day 15

2007-05-31T17:17:00.000-05:00

I’m in Rome! The last leg of my trip has officially begun – albeit a bit early because Andrea cancelled my Bologna plans. Last night at the hostel, I was fortunate enough to run into a girl from Iowa! Her name is Allison and she goes to Kirkwood but is studying in Italy for two months this summer. She and I decided to take the train to Rome together; it was nice to have company for the five hour ride. When I got to Rome, I called Andrea’s friend Frederico and he told me he would be waiting for me at the metro in his little blue Mini Cooper. I didn’t have any idea what to expect, as I knew nothing about Frederico other than he was Andrea’s friend.

Things could not have turned out better! I had a wonderful night tonight. Frederico has a huge flat on the outskirts of Rome and he has treated me like a queen – even though I basically got dumped on his doorstep practically homeless today. We went to the supermarket so I could pick up things to make sandwiches with while I see the city and we also picked out some pasta to make dinner with tonight. Frederico’s friend, Gennaro, an excellent cook, came over and made pasta a la dente with roasted eggplant and ricotta cheese.

The "perfect housewife"

It was phenomenal! I learned what a la dente pasta really is – it means the pasta is “undercooked” (turns out we just overcook our pasta) so it is a bit more firm than I’m used to. I loved the new texture of the noodles and the ricotta cheese was devastating. Frederico also had a block of parmesan cheese that I shaved so we could dip it into balsamic vinegar - simple but delicious!

I immediately hit it off with both guys and we never had a dull moment all night. We finished a nice, leisurely dinner with gelato served with a splash of rum – something I’ve never heard of but will definitely bring back to the US.

Frederico relaxing after a wonderful meal:

I also got to use the internet to finally call home – I’ve been out of touch for a few days. It was nice to hear from everyone.

Tomorrow all three of us are going out for a big breakfast of cappuccino and Italian-style pastries. On the menu for dinner is pasta carbonara and when they found out I can make sushi they want to give that a try one night as well. I am so lucky to end up with these guys who have welcomed a complete stranger with open arms. The only problem is I have a feeling I’m going to gain 10 pounds in the next five days before I head home!

A Change of Plans

2007-05-30T17:09:00.000-05:00

My plan for the next part of the trip was to stop in Bologna to see my friend, Andrea, who lives there. Unfortunately, I got an email yesterday for him saying he was called out of town for work and couldn’t host me after all. I immediately went into panic mode and tried to reroute myself to Florence and find accommodations there. I wasn’t able to find anything on short notice, so I was very stressed out (can you imagine that?) Fortunately, he called this morning saying a friend of his could keep me for a few days and show me the city. I thought everything was fine, but then I got an email from him tonight saying his friend couldn’t keep me after all! He then gave me a number of another friend in Rome who would let me stay at his place on Thursday and Friday until my hostel reservations start Sat-Tues. Now, I’m headed on the train to Rome three days early, to stay with a guy I’ve never met, in a city I’ve never been to. So much for a relaxing weekend on the beach! Hopefully everything works out, it’ll be nice to have an insider perspective on Rome.

Venice, Days 12-14

2007-05-30T16:32:00.000-05:00

I’ve really had a nice time in Venice. The city is incredibly charming and beautiful, despite the reluctance of the locals to accept the fact that their livelihood depends on the fat, obnoxious American tourists that flood the city. I purchased a three day Vaporetto pass (their metro system is actual boats that go up and down the canals) so I’ve had the flexibility to hop on and off the boats at will to see everything. I’m staying in a hostel/camping village Ca d’Oro, which is about a 30 minute shuttle from the city and boasts a large number of living options. You can park your own motor home, rent a tent, rent a three bed cabin (that’s what I’m doing), pitch your own tent, or rent a luxury cabin with a kitchen that sleeps four people. I only had one roommate the first two nights, Ashley, an Aussie. We immediately hit it off and set out to see the sights together yesterday.

We took the Vaporetto all the way down to San Marco square and toured the Museum Correr, St. Mark’s Basillica, and the Doge’s Palace. The Basillica was probably my favorite – it was lavishly decorated with gold everywhere. The Doge(Duke)’s palace was also very ornate – at least the part the duke himself inhabited. The palace also contained prisons which were not quite as fabulous. It’s strange to think that an important person would have the local riff-raff living under the same roof as him – that would never happen in the White House!

Rialto Bridge:
Everything has to get shipped in!

For lunch, we caught a bit of the fruit market before it closed shop and a little bite-sized Italian ham sandwich from a little shop. We made it our mission the rest of the afternoon to get lost on the side streets of Venice. I read about a local wine shop off of Rialto bridge where you can bring in your own plastic bottle and they’ll fill you up with a liter of wine for only 2.4 Euros! Being the wino I am, I had to check it out. The place was called Osteria Alla Botte, right off of Campo San Bartolomeo. I’d highly recommend it, the wine was fantastic. I enjoyed it so much I ended up buying two bottles – even though the 8 euro price tag (still cheap in the states) was pricey for wine in Italy.

Enjoying our bottled wine:

The owner of the wine shop then recommended we check out Tratorria Pizzeria Nono Risorto to sample some of the best pizza in Venice. It is a fairly non-touristy place, although it was mentioned in the Rick Steve’s book so the word may be getting out. It’s located just near the fish market. Ashley and I each ordered a pizza and then split them, along with a half-liter of Prosecco. We managed to clean our plates.

A little too much prosecco!

Like I said....too much prosecco! Balloon courtesy of McDonalds:

Then, giddy on our wine and prosecco, we decided our next mission would be to find the best gelato in Venice. We asked a waiter and he pointed us on our way. We got almost there, but then got distracted by two girls promoting the local casino. They gave us free drink and entry coupons to the casino and ushered us in. Inside, we had to show our ID’s and have official security photos taken so they could keep an eye on us as we gambled the night away.

We immediately cashed in the drink tickets and then strolled around watching the fat-cat high rollers better $5,000 a go in roulette.

We decided the slot machines were more our speed, so Ashley put 10 euros in one to test her luck. Alas, we walked out 10 euros in the red – I don’t enjoy the uncertainty of gambling, so I didn’t even want to try. To top the night off, we got a free shuttle boat home from the casino – would you expect anything less? As the only two girls in the casino (except a questionable woman with lumberjack boots and a plaid fleece jacket) he security guys also loved us and begged us not to leave, but we kissed them on the cheeks and promised we’d return soon. All-in-all one of those experiences that you just can’t get unless you stray from the normal tourist path.

Ashley left for Rome this morning, so I headed out to Moreno Island to see the glass blowing. The water taxi ride there is free, as is the tour, but they couple it with a high-pressure sales pitch to get you to buy glass. What they don’t tell you is that you don’t get to take the taxi back to the mainland and you are left to your own devices to take public transport home. Watching the glass being made was fascinating – it’s quite an art – but I didn’t buy anything because I figured I’d manage to break it before I got home.

Making a vase:

I spent the afternoon lounging by the pool at the camping village. 1 ½ days is enough to see Venice, so I decided to relax and enjoy the sun. Tomorrow I’m headed to Rome instead of Bologna, but that’s another post for another day.

"Camping" in Venice!

The Milan Hostel - Not a happy camper

2007-05-28T02:22:00.000-05:00

Here's a list of complaints I have about my hostel here, just so I can organize my thoughts when I fill out the comment card they gave me at check-in:

1. Check-in took forever! I've never seen anything less efficient in my life! Snails move faster.
2. No toilet seats!!! What's the point of upgrading from the hole in the ground if you still can't sit down fully when you pee!
3. No kitchen! I've never stayed in a hostel without a full kitchen! How much can you really accomplish with a microwave - but no sink or fridge?
4. No electrical outlets in the room. Should I really charge my camera and Ipod in the hallway?
5. The door to my room (which I share with 5 others) creaks and squeaks really loudly. I have a bottle of olive oil, I'm debating dumping some on the hinges. What is really nice is when people come into the room when you're just asleep.
6. Far from the city.
7. The lockers outside the rooms bang when you shut them so no one gets anly sleep until everyone is in bed.
8. The shower drain is clogged.
9. The shower is cold.

Thank goodness it's only two nights (although I haven't survived the second one yet).

Milan, Day 11

2007-05-28T01:47:00.000-05:00

I'm really glad I only had one full day in Milan, I saw everything there was to see and I'd probably be bored if I was here too much longer. You can only really enjoy Milan if you're rich. The streets are lined with stores that I can only pretend to afford!

I could already sense the difference coming into Milan on the flight. All of a sudden instead of fatenglish tourists I was surrounded by perfectly dressed, perfectly coiffed Italins. That is basicallywhat Milan is all about. What they lack in historical sights and fabulous architecture they more than make up with in style. Everyone is dripping in designer labels. Thanks to the guys around all the tourist attractions selling the fake stuff, even the people who can't afford it wear the stuff. To an untrained eye, it's pretty hard to tell the difference.

I found out too late you have to book tickets to see The Last Supper a month in advance, so I cheated and signed up for a tour because they book all the tickets way in advance. I chose Autostradale and the deal was for 50 euro I got a guided tour to the five "must-sees" of Milan. I saw the Cattedrale Duomo, Castle Sforza, La Scala Opera house and museum, and....The Last Supper! I figured it was worth the money to take the tour because there are so many other places I need to see in Italy I'd rather not waste time going to Milan again just to see the painting.

Cattedrale Duomo, the largest cathedral in Italy:

Poor San Bartolomeo, wearing his own skin as a cloke:

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Leonardo DaVinci:

The rest of the afternoon I spent people watching and doing (mostly) window shopping. The highlight of the day was a tip I got from Rick Steve's Italy book. Located right by the Brera Art Galleries, the Bar Brera offers a sweet happy hour treat. For buying a drink, you get access to their buffet of Tuscany antipasto appetizers. An entire extended table of deliciousness - proscuitto, pasta, pickled veggies, focaccia - it was heaven to a poor, hungry traveler! For the price of a prosecco (a champagne-like drink created in Milan) I got dinner! 6 euros! The mozarella-tomato sandwich I bought while people watching cost me more than that!

Tomorrow morning I'm headed on the train to Venice! Ciao!

Ibiza, A recap. Days 6-10

2007-05-26T04:03:00.000-05:00

Wireless hasn't been as readily available here like it was in London, but I am going to do a quick post before I head to Milan this afternoon!

Ibiza has been spectacular! It's gorgeous here, about 80 degrees and no humidity every day! I arrived on Tuesday late at night but I had no problems because my friend Rich who worked in Ibiza gave me the number of a guy he knew who had a hired car to do airport runs. His friend Owen, another guy from the UK, was waiting for me at the airport with his Land Rover to take me to my hostel. When we got to my hostel, on the west of the island, there was a note on the door saying due to low occupancy they'd moved everyone with reservations to a nearby hotel. I booked a private room in the 1 star hostel for $25 a night and I was upgraded to my own hotel room in a 3 star place for the same price! I now had my own bathroom, free breakfast, and a pool! Perfect! The only downside was I no longer had a kitchen, but I've been living on salads and sandwiches for pretty much my whole trip anyway so the mini fridge in the room has my savior.
So excited to have my own bathroom!

Nice and clean, before I moved in:

And I've taken over:

The staff at the hotel was very nice, a guy working at the front desk felt bad for me I think because I was all alone, so he invited me out for a drink on Wednesday night with some of his friends. In true European-man style, there were actually no friends and he spent a majority of the night trying to convince me to hook up with him, but it's something I've gotten used to traveling and I managed to escape unscathed. Even telling him I have a boyfriend didn't deter him, so I eventually excused myself saying I was tired and went to bed.

Supposedly Chrisopther Columbus is from Ibiza. Here, his ship is commemorated in....an egg!

The rest of the week, I've spent most of my time with Owen and his friends who are also working on the island. He's taking me to all the good places on the island - a delicious place with a four course meal (the last course is a shot!) for only 10 euro, the best beach that the tourists don't know about, a boat ride on his friends speedboat, and out for drinks at places where his friends work. Because he works on the island, he doesn't get the markup on everything that the tourists do, so I've been living very cheaply! I've been spending all my afternoons on the beach and life is great! I'm getting compliments on my tan, you just can't beat that Mediterranean sun!

A collection of pictures to make you jealous:

My private island:

Last night, to celebrate the end of the second part of my trip, Owen and I went out on the speedboat, caught the sunset at the best place on the island, and then had a fabulous dinner - when he heard I'd never had lamb with mint sauce (a Welsh specialty) he insisted I try it at the only place on the island that has it. It was fantastic and then we went out on the town before calling it a night in the wee hours of the morning.

"Catching" the sunset:

Owen and I:

I caught Ibiza at a very in-between time. Peak season doesn't start for another week or two, so there are still a lot of families and older people around and a lot of the biggest clubs aren't open yet. It was nice I think to miss all the partying and excess that will arrive in the next two weeks. Everything gets more expensive and the island is packed with young people looking for a good time. This week, I was able to catch the beginning of the partying but still have space to hang out and do my own thing. Maybe someday I'll come back and do the real Ibiza, but even at 22 I feel like I'm old and don't have the stamina to keep up with the shenannigans of the people who will be arriving in the next few weeks!

Owen and the trusty Range Rover:

That's all for now, I'll add all my gorgeous pictures I've taken as soon as I can find a cord to hook up to my laptop. The next time I write I'll be in Italy!!

London, Days 4&5

2007-05-22T01:43:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went to the fabulous Tate Modern, the modern art museum of London. It had works from many of my favorite artists....Picasso, Warhol, Matisse, and more. I really enjoyed wondering around the museum enjoying the art. I also did a bit of grocery shopping and updated the blog....did you notice I added three posts!?

Today I toured the Tower of London in the morning. It's a bit chilly here, which is unfortunate because I didn't pack for bad weather. Who thinks about sensible clothing when they're going to an island tomorrow! The Tower of London is located right on the Thames and is famous for being a fortress, a palace, and a prison. It is the place where many famous people were executed from 1000-1600.

A replica of the torture rack:

A little more torture:

Legend has it if the ravens leave the Tower (there are six, and they are named) the Crown and England will fall. We were warned - they bite!

If I only had a twist of lime and some tonic with my Beefeater!

The Tower of London is also the home of the Crown Jewels. I can't even believe how beautiful they are. They took my breath away!

On the way back to Dan's I caught the bridge going up!

I met Dan for sushi! After eating it two or three times a week at home, I was craving it, so it definitely hit the spot. After lunch I went to the British Museum - a lot like the Smithsonian as far as scope and quality of works. The difference is, many of the pieces are not behind glass and you are allowed to photograph everything! There aren't even metal detectors to get in the museum...and it's free!

The Rosetta Stone! Holy crap!

A stoneware figure from the Ming Dynasty. The figure of a judge's assistant is holding records of evil deeds under his left arm.

Think I've become a history buff? Just kidding! I also took a picture of the caption so I could share the story!

Probably the best part of the day, and one of the highlights of the trip was catching a play at the replica of the Globe Theatre. The show, En Extremis, was a play written just for the theatre. It's the story of two lovers who struggle with the religious views of the time and try to make religion more accessible for the masses. I bought a very cheap ticket (10 pounds) but got the best seat in the house! I was in the front row center of the first level. The play was great...very modern with a lot of activity. One memorable line was said by the Mother Abbess: "There will be no more f*ing in the trees!" Like I said, this was a modern version of Shakespeare. The show was amazing.

On the way back to Dan's I once again caught Tower Bridge rising:

Quickly though, everything returned to normal:

Tomorrow afternoon I catch a flight to Ibiza! I can't wait to do nothing but sleep, lay in the sun, and sleep while laying in the sun! It's going to be spectacular!