South Africa

Our first two weeks in Cape Town have given us a much needed break from our travels. We have been constantly moving up to this point, so it was nice to have the time to unpack our belongings before moving on. We are staying in a nice little cottage attached to a B&B in the fishing village of Hout Bay. It is a scenic area with the majestic Table Mountain outside our front door, and the beach only minutes away. After a few days of R&R by the pool, we dove in and started making the rounds of tourist attractions. We started off with Kirstenboch Botanical Gardens. Located at the base of Table Mountain it offers spectacular views and hikes directly from the gardens to the mountain summit. Our next trip was to Simon’s Town and the Penguin colony located just south of the town. It is one of two natural penguin colonies located in the Cape, and you can walk down the bridge finding yourself only a few feet from the tiny little African Jackass penguins in their natural habitat. They are so cute! We also took a trip to the Two Oceans Aquarium downtown and looked at the sharks, sting rays, and giant turtles. The sharks would come right up to the glass and stare at you with their cold eyes; wouldn’t want to run into him in the water. The beaches here are lovely, and there are several to choose from, but the Atlantic Ocean is too cold to swim in this far south.
Culturally we have found South Africa to be pretty similar to home. You can find all the same foods that you would at home (even Mexican!) and the grocery stores look just like the ones at home. Of course, right when you convince yourself that you could be in California, you drive past a township or see a sign warning you not to feed the baboons. Things here are much cheaper than at home though. We went to see a movie at the theater for only $3.50! People here are very friendly, and when they hear our accents they will spend 20 minutes asking you about your travels and offering suggestions of sights, restaurants, beaches and shops for you to explore during your stay. There is still a lot to see here, and we are looking to our next two weeks in Africa.

South Africa

...the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

We arrived in Morroco with some trepidation. We weren't really sure what to expect, since the only information that I had about Morocco came from the movie Casablanca. We were pleasantly surprised by our first hotel; and had the good fortune to meet another American couple. They had made arrangements to rent a car, and they kindly invited us to join them on a trip down the coast. Not looking forward to the 11 hour bus ride that were had planned, we scrapped our plans and decided to hit the road with Ken and May Beth. The scenic journey down the coast was more than we hoped for. I had no idea that Morocco had such q dramatic coastline. Wide sandy beaches gave way to sharp cliffs pummled with gigantic waves. The small towns that we stopped in along the way were so quaint. The people were friendly and welcoming, the local food was cheap and delicious. Ken and May Beth travelled the area 30 years ago, and offered great information about the local history and culture, and a perspective for how things have changed. We travelled with them for three days ending at the beach resort of Agadir. There we split ways, as Ken and May Beth headed south and we headed into the desert of Marrakesh.
Marrakesh is a unique experience and probably is the closest thing to the steroetypical Moroccan image. Our hotel was located in the Ancient Medina that is the heart of the old city. Narrow winding alleys zig zag within the medina walls creating a huge maze that you can wander through for hours. Shops selling everything from traditional Moroccan clothing to luggage and spices line the way, and vondors call out to you in French as you walk past trying to lure you into their store. The goods are cheap and many are made from hand. It is a shoppers paradise, and if I had more money and luggage space I could have purchased a new wardrobe. When you reach the main square of the medina the action really starts. Vendors selling fresh sqeezed orange juice fight for space with snake charmers, henna artists, and monkeys. The only thing to do is find q cafe with a rooftop patio and take it all in from a comfortable distance.
Now we are back to the relative calm of Casablanca, a bustling city in it's own right, but an industrial center rather than a tourist hub. We will take a day to relax and try to ship some of our purchases home (we have tried repeatedly but the poste office never seems to be open) before heading off to the warm shores of Cape Town.

Morocco

Dahab and the Sinai Peninsula

So, I am a little behind on blogging, but I couldn't move on to Morocco without talking about Dahab. Speaking for myself, Dahab was my favorite city in Egypt. The hustle and bustle of Cairo was thrilling, and the monuments of Luxor awe-inspiring, but there was something about Dahab that made you feel at ease. The town is small, a backpackers village up the coast from the more popular Sharm-el-Sheik, but the veiw is everybit as lovely as those offered at the five star resorts. Each morning we ate breakfast looking over the Red Sea to the mountainous coastline of Saudi Arabia with the wind in our hair and the restaurant kitty in our lap. We rented snorkel gear and explored the two reefs located just off the shore and were amazed by the underwater world. Neither of us were experience snorkelers, but we got a few hours in following schools of fish through the water to the reef just a few feet below the water's surface. We only had two short days there before our flight, but I hope someday to return there so that we can spend more time diving and get a chance to climb Mt. Sinai. Next trip...

Dahab

The Valley of the Kings

After leaving Cairo we took a train up the river Nile to the town of Luxor in Middle Egypt. The town was much smaller than Cairo, and as tourist season isn't yet in full swing we found the town to me a welcome quiet. We walked the few blocks from the train station to our hotel where we were greeted by the owners like family. We were exhausted from the overnight journey and they insisted that we join them for an Egyptian breakfast before heading to our room for a nap. That evening our hosts arranged for us a felucca ride down the Nile and a visit to the local banana plantion. We walked around to see the banana trees and then ate fresh bananas. The next day we walked through town to Karnak Temple. Other than that Pyramids at Giza it is the largest monument in Egypt. The temple itself was awe inspiring. We arrived at the Temple around noon, which as it turns out was perfect timing. Most of the large tour groups were at lunch and we had the temple almost completely to ourselves. Our only real company was a group of Egyptian school children, who were more excited to see us than the temple. They followed us around asking us questions and taking pictures of us. Now I know how Brad Pitt must feel. :)

Our last day in Luxor, we rented bikes and took the ferry boat across the Nile to the Valley of the Queens. Outwardly less impressive than the pyramids at Giza, the interior of the pyramids here were beautiful. It’s amazing to think that the artwork within the tombs has survived so many thousands of years. We left that evening to head toward the coastal town of Hurghada and our final destination in Egypt, Dahab.

From Luxor

Welcome to Cairo!

We arrived in Cairo late in the evening and weren't really sure what to expect. Our neighbor on the plane was an Egyptian and he pointed out the Nile and the Pyramids to us from the plane as we landed. We got off the plane, purchased our visas and went through customs with no problems. Fortunately, we had arranged for a pick-up from the airport by our hotel, and our driver was waiting for us at baggage claim; as were the tourist police, with their crisp white uniforms and huge guns. They check the drivers to make sure that the trip was pre-arranged and that he wasn't taking advantage of us. The drive to the hotel was crazy. There are lanes, but people completely disregard them. Cars weave in and out of lanes, dodging other cars, pedestrians, and food carts. The hotel was small and quaint, and located on a busy street. We settled into our room and spent the first day relaxing. The second day, we headed out to the pyramids at Giza. It was an experience. Our hotel had arranged for a driver for the day to drive us out the the pyramid sights. Little did we know, that the pyramids would be one of many stops. It is common practice here for drivers to make unscheduled stops and shops around town. They will tell you, that they want to show you the local crafts and then leave you at a shop while the owner of the store provides you a free tour and then tries to sell you whatever they can. Meanwhile, your driver has wandered off and you are stuck. Trying to limit the stops doesn't really work since you don't know where you're going, and since it was our first day out and we didn't want to appear rude, we didn't think to just refuse to get out of the car. We also discovered later that if you do buy anything, the driver makes a commission for bringing you into the shop (which is usually factored into your price). After an exhausting day of sightseeing, and feeling taken advantage of, we were a little disillusioned with the city. We took a day off to relax, and then tried again the next day with a journey to the American University and Coptic Cairo. Walking down the street is an adventure in itself. I mentioned earlier the traffic, and walking offers you no protection from the cars. There are very few street lights, and the ones that exist are mostly ignored. There are also no crosswalks, so to cross the street, you just have to step out into traffic and hope that no one hits you. The drivers will honk and yell at you for making them slow down, and for the first few days we would use the locals as human sheilds, following them closely at intersections. There is also the sheer volume of people to contend with. Cairo is home to more than 20 million resident, almost double that of New York City. There are crowds round the clock. As foreigners with light skin and hair we were easily idetifiable as tourists. People would shout out to us as we walked past, "Where you from?" and "Welcome to Cairo!" Vendors will try and tempt you to enter their shops, "I give you good price, you know how much?" And then there was the constant staring. Children and adults alike will stare at you as you walk past, or point. The men will whistle or cat call. After our first experience in Giza, we were wary of people offering to help us, as any help, whether solicited of not was only to recieve baksheesh (a tip for service). At the end of a few days we were ready to leave Cairo and move on, but unfortunately, Leon had come down with food poisoning, and the 15 hour train ride to Aswan wasn't an option. We decided to stay in Cairo a few extra days while he recovered. While the extra days weren't planned, they did offer me a chance to see a different side of the city. Whilw many people were looking to make any money they could from the tourists, some people that we met were genuinely kind. With Leon sick I ventured out on my own to find us food and supplies. I was having a hard time finding what I was looking for, and a man that we had met a few days before saw and asked if I needed help. I asked him to point me in the direction of a restaurant with broth. He insisted on taking me there himself, helping me place the order, making sure that they wrapped it well and made sure I arrived home. When I offered to pay him, he kindly refused, and said for me to bring Leon to his shop again when he was better and he would have us over for tea. Another time we met a girl in the subway who was studying English. She was only in her first year of study, but she asked us as many questions as she could think of on the short walk to the train, and when we hopped on board she shouted to us, "I love you! Egypt loves you!" After nine days in the "Mother of All Cities" we boarded a train for Luxor. We were excited to explore a new part of the country, a quieter part of the country but we also left feeling that we had seen some of the sweetest people that Cairo had to offer.

Cairo

Living Life to the Fullest

Though we only spent a short time in Spain, we got a feel for the pace of life there; and life is good. It is all about enjoyment. They sleep late, take long lunches, siesta, and party til the sun comes up. It seems like all we did in Spain was eat and drink. First there was the long lunch (unlike the Spaniards we can't stay up all night and then be bright-eyed and bushy tailed for breakfast). For lunch, the locals normally eat the "Menu del Dia." You choose a first course, second course, dessert, drink and coffee for around $10. After lunch we would wander the streets, exploring the city before enjoying a brief nap before dinner at around 10. Many Spanish restaurants don't even open their doors for dinner until 9 and it's not uncommon to see people heading out to their evening meal at 11:30 or later. Since our first night in Spain was election night in the US, this scheduled worked out perfectly for us. We found a restaurant near our hotel that was hosting an election night bash. They had two set meal options for dinner, the Obama meal (which was a hamburger and fries) and the McCain meal (which was a steak and salad). The place was decorated with red, white, and blue streamers, and they had CNN on the big screen televisions. The place was packed with both natives and Americans waiting for the results to come in. At about 3 am we gave in to fatigue and called it a night, but the party at the restaurant went all night. Our other big night on the town in Spain was our last night in Madrid. There we went to see a flamenco show at a club down the street. It was fabulous. The music and the dance were so filled with fire and passion that it brought tears to my eyes. I wish we had been able to spend more time there because I could easily live off of paella, sangria, and tapas and I would have loved to take flameno lessons, but we were also ready to explore other regions of the globe and experience life outside of the western world.

Our Roman Holiday

Rome truly is the eternal city. It is amazing that new buildings stand only feet away from the Coluseum, which is 10 times older than our country. We arrived in Rome exhausted, but were refreshed by the feeling of awe at seeing so many amazing sights in one city. After checking in at our hotel, we went straight to the Coluseum, only to find that it had already closed for the day. We were disappointed, but only for a moment, as we found a cafe directly across the street which offered spetacular food and an unbeatable view. The next morning we woke up early and headed to St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museum. St. Peter's was crowded with throngs of tourists, but the lines moved quickly and we found it to be well worth the short wait. After that we toured the Vatican Museum and the Sistene Chapel. We were surprised to find that the Sistene Chapel isn't a separate church, but rather one of the many rooms on display in the Vatican museum. In fact, I didn't realize that I was in it until I saw the sign on the wall. I was expecting a traditional church with pews, a pulpit, and a giant painting of the final judgment. Instead, the Sistene Chapel is one of many rooms that are on display in the vatican. It is incredibly opulanet, and every surface of the wall and ceiling are covered with paintings by Michaelangelo. The Final Judgement is only a small part of the entire room, and though not what I expected, it was more impressive as a part of a whole than alone. We then wandered across the Tiber River to see the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, and my favorite, the Trivi Fountain. We threw our coins into the fountain to ensure a return trip to this beautiful city. (Actually we threw in two. The first time we just threw them in and since you are supposed to do it over your shoulder we threw in a second coin each just to be sure.) We finished off the evening with some gelato and walk through the city at night. Our last day we went back to the Coluseum and the ruins of the Roman Forum for a look at ancient Rome. All in all we spent four nights in the city, more than we spent anywhere else, and yet it wasn't enough. The feeling of the city is infectious. I even convinced Leon to watch the old movie Roman Holiday with me. :)

Rome

Palermo

Unlike Venice, everyone in Palermo has a car; and they know how to use the horn. The streets are narrow and the sidewalks are even more narrow, so foot traffic and auto traffic fight for space, and it is not uncommon to see people walking down the street because the sidewalks are overcrowded, or to see cars parked on the sidewalk, forcing more people to walk on the street. Crossing the street is like playing frogger on your last life. It's noisy, it's crowded, and it's filled with boistrous smiling people. The restaurants are filled with traditional Sicilian sea-food dishes and a tortellini soup that they assure you will cure any ailment. The architecture is a mix of Italian, Spanish, and North African influences and makes for an ecclectic view. The mountains that seem to rise directly out of the ocean make a fantastic setting. Our time here was brief, and it rained most of the time, so we didn't see as much as we would have liked, but we found it an interesting contrast to Venice, and the train ride from Palermo to Rome was spectacular! We rode along the Italian coast, only a few meters from the shore, watching the waves crash along the beach and the sun set over the crystal clear water. Since we were coming from an island to the main land via train, they actually drove the train onto a boat to cross the water and then back on the tracks and onto to Rome...

Palermo

Venice

Our first stop in Italy, was the island city of Venice. We found it beautiful and charming, but different than we expected. Unlike other famous European cities, where you have a list of famous attractions to see during your stay, the biggest attraction in Venice is the city itself. Spread out over more that 100 small islands and connected by bridges, the city is completely unique. The two modes of transportation are boat and your feet, and it is the only city where you will not see a single car or bicycle on the road. The roads are built around this, and are narrow labyrinths that open into large piazzos. Even with the best map and a great sense of dirrection it is easy to find yourself lost or simply at a dead end, and you have to retrace your steps to get back on track. It gives the city a unique feeling; the thought that something dark and mysterious is lurking around the next corner. The masquerade masks that the city is famous for are on display everywhere and only add to this feeling. It also gives the feeling that the city is not real, and it something set aside for tourist. Most locals seem to live off of the main island, and while winding through the narrow alleys gives you a feeling of adventure the only things you see are souvenir shops and restaurants, no traces of the real world outside. St. Marks Square is so crowded with tourists that it is forbidden to sit there; the citys effort to prevent loitering. Fortunately, we chose to stay on the small island of Lido, a short boat trip from the main island. It was a refreshing view of local life, and we very much enjoyed the sights, sounds, and tastes of this island. Known for its beaches, we walked along the shores of Lido eating our gelato and stepped foot on the shores of the Mediterranian for the first time.

From Venice

Munich

Munich was fabulous! We arrived in Munich on Sunday morning, and decided to do the free city tour offered by our hostel. It was a great way to spend the day and see the sights, since the only things open in Munich on Sundays are churches and Beer Gardens. It gave us not only a great orientation to the city sights, but also a brief overview of the city's history, which has some very interesting moments. At the end of the tour we sat in the Chinese Pagoda Beer Garden and enjoyed our HUGE beers with some brats and sauerkraut. The food was amazing, and the beer was a great deal for the price. The following day we went on a tour of the BMW factory and then walked around the site of the '72 Olympic Games. We met some great people at the hostel, and spent the night drinking and making friends in the hostel bar. The next day was our trip to Dachau, which I already talked about. We followed up that experience with a visit to the restaurant at one of Munich's six local breweries. The Augustiner Brewery had great beer and a good offering of local favorites, including pork, blue cabbage, knodle, dumplings, and strudel. The locals were quick to point out their favorite dishes for us to try, and instead of bring fresh bread to the table, they bring out warm pretzels, so Leon was in heaven. Though Munich has a history that is often sad, there is much about the culture to celebrate, and we wish that we could have spent a few more days in Germany. Instead it's off to Italy...

From Munich

To honor the dead, and to warn the living

Today we went to visit the first concentration camp under Hitler's regime, Dachau. The camps is about 15 km outside of Munich, and we took a guided tour of the site. The guide gave a detailed account of how the camps were established. Dachau was the first, and served not only as the model for all future concentration camps, but as a training ground for new guards and commanders and as a showcase for diplomatic tours. He helped to describe the evolution of the camps, from a work camp for political prisoners to a source of slave labor, and finally, as a "final solution" to the problem of jews and other "undesirables". The tour was eye opening, and appalling. The original gas chamber and ovens are still on the site at the insistence of the camp surviviers, and visiters can walk through the chambers in the same path that many prisoners took. Standing in the gas chamber was a humbling experience; knowing as we do that do many others walked in but never saw the other side.

Dachau

Walking Along the Blue Danube

If Budapest isn't on your list of places to visit, you should add it immediately. We had such an amazing time in this city! The city is actually divided into two parts, the Buda, which is the hilly section on the west side of the Danube, and the Pest, which stretches out east from the river. Our flat was on the west side, in the shadow of the Buda Castle. Our first morning in Budapest we set out to explore, and walked up the steps to the Buda Castle. What a view! The castle itself is impressive, but the view from the castle over the river is breathtaking. We strolled down and walked across the Cable Bride to the Pest side of the city to the Central Market. Since we had a flat with a full kitchen instead of our usual hotel type accomadation we thought we would take advantage of the opportunity and cook ourselves a home cooked meal. The Central Market was a shopping experience. It is like the biggest farmers market you have ever seen. Meet vendors line the center aisles, each with a specialty, i.e. beef, pork, etc. Lining the sides you find stalls with fruits, vegetables, and spices, and in the front, the bakery with all the bread and pastries that you could ever want. Feeling a little overwhelmed we decided to fall back on a Hungarian favorite, goulash. We found a spice pack and recipe and gathered the rest of our ingredients, then with our hands full of packages headed home. We also stopped at a regular grocery store for snacks, thinking that maybe the Central Market was more of a tourist thing. It is not. The grocery stores only have a VERY small selection of meat, bread and produce. Hungarians only purchase these items at the grocery in case of emergencies, and still do most of their shopping in the market setting.
Aside from Buda Castle, the city of Budapest is dotted with many architectural treasures and monuments. The streets are tree lined and clean, the people are incredibly friendly and very proud of their city. It rivals Paris in it's beauty, and the price tag is much friendlier to the American Dollar.
Another thing that you can't miss in Budapest is the baths. They are fabulous! They have many public bath houses located throughout the city. We went to one of the larger ones in City Park. You pay an entrance fee and then you have five hours to explore the baths, saunas, and steam rooms. The baths are kept at different temperatures, so you can find the one that suites you, or you can hop around. Some are medicinal, some are just heated. They also offer massages and mud baths for an additional charge. The whole day cost just $24 for both of us, and we left feeling relaxed, refreshed, and ready for our train ride to Munich.

Budapest

Prague

We took a tour of the city in Prague, and before the tour started our tour guide gave us some warnings about the city: 1. Do not change money anywhere in the city, use only ATMs to get cash as even the authorized places will give you fake or Hungarian money. 2. Do not trust the taxi drivers. They are now obligated to use the meter, but being creative souls they discovered that tourist don't know their way around, so they will drive you for miles out of your way to up your cab fare to astronomical levels. 3. Watch out for pickpocket when using any public transportation. They can steal your shoes while you walk down the street. Having experienced the trustworthy cabdrivers upon our arrival, when trusted what she said. Maybe this tainted our view of the city, or maybe it just help us to approach the city without being so naive. That being said, the Old Town, Lesser Town, and Castle Areas of the city are lovely. The city wasn't bombed in either of the World Wars, so the architecture is perfectly preserved. The church in Prague Castle rivals the beauty of Notre Dame Cathedral. Oddly, none of these buildings are still used as churches. They were converted to concert halls during the Communist era. An interesting history to hear, since growing up in America we learn very little about the communist movement other than they were the bad guys in every film of the 1980s. Having that steroetype of Eastern Europe in our head, we felt that most people we encountered were unfriendly. They rarely smiled, even at each other, and the constant warnings posted everywhere about theives leave you feeling a little paranoid. We had a difficult time with the trains in and out the the country, as we got conflicting information from each person that we talked to, and once on the train it didn't really matter what ticket we got as they were all "invalid" for one reason or another and we had to pay money to stay on the train everytime someone came around to check our tickets. We breathed a huge sigh of relief upon crossing into Hungary. We are hoping that our stay here will offer us a different view of Eastern Europe.

Prague

Somewhere Over the Rainbow...

Our journey in the Netherlands was both weird and wonderful. We started in Amsterdam, which is like no place I have even been. It is like a fantasy land for grown ups, with a lot less glitter than Vegas. People walk the streets smoking, eating and drinking weed and hash. The Red Light district allows for every man to fulfill his wildest fantasies. These are the things that most Americans associate with Amsterdam, and they are a big part of the tourist market I'm sure, but as shocking as these things would be anywhere else, you expect them in Amsterdam. Here are some things about Amsterdam that really surprised me: The city is much smaller than I expected; less than 1 million people and in area, roughly the size of Denver. The canals are amazing! The traffic patterns are wonderful. Bikers and pedestrians have the right of way in most cases, and automobile drivers have to wait patiently (it is said that there are more bike in Amsterdam than people for this reason). The Dutch LOVE junk food. Fried food is available everywhere. French fries with mayo, hamburgers, and anything fried are staples. There is even a restaurant called FEBO with several locations where you can put your money in the wall and pull out a delicious fried fritter. It reminded me of the weird automats that you see in 1950s movies.
After Amsterdam we took a train to visit our friends Alison and Tom in their small villiage near Zaltbommel. The Dutch countryside is wonderful. They took us to their "River Beach" just on the otherside of the dyke near their home. We spent the afternoon collecting shells and watching the ships roll by. Who would of thought we could enjoy a day at the beach in The Netherlands in October?! Aside from the quaint atmosphere it was great to see some good friends. We have met so many interesting people, but there is nothing quite like a familiar face. We got homemade sushi and traditional Dutch breakfast. They taught us how to ride bikes "The Dutch Way," girls hitching a ride on the back of the boys. It was lovely. We had such a lovely time that we decided to stay and extra day before leaving to head on the Prague.

Netherlands

Why French Women Don't Get Fat

The real reason that French women don't get fat despite all the bread, cheese, chocolate, and crepes is the stairs. They are all over Paris. A trip to enjoy the view from Sacre Coure is like 20 minutes on the stairclimber. The Arc de Triumph, many of the Metro stations, and our hotel were the same. Of course, this does mean that you can eat mille feuille until your sick, so it's worth it. ;) Aside from the food, which is truly amazing; Paris is beautiful. The lights, the architecite, the language; they all combine to create a feeling that is palpable. It makes you feel happy, and inspired. It's not wonder that so many famous artist chose to make this city their home. We loved every second of our visit there. We spent hours walking up the Champs-Elysees enjoying the sights and the perfect weather. We saw, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc, the Louvre, Sacre Coure, the Moulin Roughe. We had lunch in Montmarte at a fabulous bistro, and at the end of the day we sat in our hotel room and watched the street below from our thrid story window. We were sorry to leave, but excited to see Amsterdam and some friendly faces in Alison and Tom. More to come...

Paris

La Bella Bambina

The people that we have met so far on the trip have been so kind, and have really added to our enjoyment. This morning on our way to Paris was a perfect example. We flew into Beauvais on an early morning flight and had to take a shuttle bus into Paris. The trip is a little over an hour; and we happened to sit behind an Italian family on holiday. There was a little girl sitting right in front of me, and I saw her eyeing me through the crack between the seats. I smiled and she must have decided that I was okay because she started talking to me. She told me about how she was studying English in school, and that today was her 9th birthday. With her limited English vocabulary she grilled me for the next 40 minutes, wanting to know what State I was from, had I been to the Grand Canyon, did I have any pets, did I have a car or a motorcycle, etc.? When we ran into a language barrier she would just use hand gestures until I understood, and when her mother tried to tell her that I wasn’t understanding her Italian, she wasn’t the least bit deterred. She just nodded and insisted that I would get it eventually. When we finally arrived in Paris, she was so disappointed to see us walk the other direction. She called for me to wait as we grabbed our bags, and walked over to give me a kiss on the cheek. “Ciao, Sara; my bella Americano.” she said. It was lovely, and such a great way to start the second week of our journey.

The Rolling Hills of Scotland

We spent the last few days in the quaint Scottish town of Edinburgh. It was a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of London. The entire city center is only a couple of miles, which makes it perfect for wondering the streets and exploring. We took a three hour walking tour on our first day and learned about the colorful history of the city; including castles, witches, and many ghosts. Edinburgh is a great city for travelers, particularly students and backpackers. The lodging was half the price we paid in London and many of the local pubs offered discounted food for people who could prove that they were backpackers. There are also lots of free things to fill your time, including, the walking tour, the museums, and some half day hikes. Bring your hat and gloves though. The wind coming off the water makes for chilly days and the ever-present drizzle makes afternoon tea a must. Overall, we really enjoyed out time in Scotland. After only a few days in London we were starting to feel a little tired, and the smaller city gave us a chance to catch our breath (that is when we weren’t huffing and puffing up the steep hills that are everywhere here). Tomorrow we head to Paris for another couple of crazy days. Hopefully the French Cuisine will more than make up for the 4 am taxi ride to the airport.

From Edinburgh

Bus Trip to Edinburgh

So we just arrived in Edinburgh after an overnight bus ride from London, and since we can't check into our hotel until 2 we thought we would recount the events of our trip. First of all, for those of you who know me, I haven't taken a bus trip since the time I went to see my sister via Greyhound during a college break. That trip was enough to last me eight or nine years. This one was even better. We got to Victoria Coach Station early just in case (we got horribly lost the night before on the way to see Wicked and almost missed our show). Since we had plenty of time, I sat down to enjoy a classic episode of Sex and the City on my ipod, when I felt something hit my arm. At first I thought, someone is throwing things at me; then I found the culprit. I pigeon, was sitting on the column next to me, laughing. Fortunately, I was wearing Leon's jacket. ;) On the bus, I fell asleep, but halfway through the night, Leon woke up to a commotion. Apparently the man in front of him was slumped over, and after about an hour in this awkward position, people started to suspect that he had died from a heart attack. There was a debate raging about who would poke to poor man to determine if he was still alive. Fortunately for him he woke up just as quickly as he went to sleep, so he wasn't dead, he just had a bad case of narcolepsy. When we got to the bus station in Edinburgh, I decided to hit the toilets before hitting the town. As I have said in earlier e-mails, you have to pay to pee on this continent. I put my money in the turnstile, but while walking through my backpack got horrible tangled in the turnstiles and in trying to disentangle myself I fell flat on my face, on the floor of the loo. I hate bus trips.

Mind the Gap

Though a lot like a major US city, there are some quirky features to London that make it confusing, frustrating, and wonderful. The food is strange (who eats baked beans for Breakfast?), you have to pay to use the public toilets (50p to pee), and the streets never seem to match what’s on the map. That being said we have really enjoyed our stay here. London is such an international city, and we have met so many nice people. Last night we went to the local pub for a pint and ended up playing billiards with a Greek, a Spaniard, a Scot and an Irishman. The sights have been great. We’ve seen all the big stuff, and tonight we took in a little culture with a night at the theatre. We went to see Wicked, which was loads of fun. Tomorrow we spent one last day exploring the city before we head up north to Scotland. I’ll need some of that whiskey to wash down the Hagas…

For more photos:

London

We're on our way!

We are officially homeless. We packed up the apartment and drove ourselves and the kitties across the country to New Hampshire. Here we have spent the last five days resting, visiting family, and attending to last minute details. I thought our to-do list would never end, but today is our last full day in the states and we have whittled the list down to just a few things. Tomorrow we can sleep in and then head into Boston in the afternoon to catch our first flight. I am so excited; I hope I can get a good night’s sleep!

Itinerary

So the itinerary is set, (but of course we reserve the right to change our minds) and here it is... We are leaving Denver on September 19 and driving to New Hampshire to drop off the car and the kitties with the Ewell clan before taking off on our great adventure. Our first flight is on September 27 from Boston to London. From there we spend 8 frantic weeks riding planes, trains, and automobiles through Edinburgh, Paris, Amsterdam, Prague, Budapest, Munich, Venice, Palermo, Barcelona, and Madrid. We leave Europe to spend three weeks each in Egypt and Morocco, and in mid-December was head south to Cape Town, South Africa for a moth of R&R on the beach. In January we head to India, with a brief stop over in Hong Kong. We will spend three months in the land of spices traveling from Mumbai (Bombay) to Kulkata (Calcutta) and back again. In March we go to Thailand for a month and then to Japan just in time for the cherry blossoms. In May we head to the land down under, Australia and New Zealand. We will end our trip in South America, with a month in Argentina, then a month in Peru, ending our trip with the hike up Macchu Picchu. More to come...

Getting Ready

I admit, the thought of quitting my job and taking a year off to travel the world is both terrifying and exhilarating. Giving up the stability of a steady paycheck , benefits, a permanent place to call home...it's taken some time to get my head around it. I still don't know if the idea has completely sunk in, and maybe it won't until a few weeks into the trip, but each day I get more and more excited about the opportunities that lay ahead. The itinerary is set, the tickets are in hand, and we have started the first round of vaccinations. Each day the trip becomes a little more real. The next four months are going to fly by...