tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67519464068203604502024-03-12T21:39:33.816-07:00Live with Love and LaughterA little bit about the adventure of life, the love we share, and the laughter that takes place along the way.Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-6925797822096993542014-07-17T19:48:00.000-07:002014-07-17T19:48:30.169-07:00Ready and waiting...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, it's been quite a long time since I've written anything, so I thought I should write a little something about my pregnancy and post some bump pictures to document the past 9 months, while I'm waiting for our baby boy to make his appearance. Overall I've been really lucky and have had a pretty easy and healthy pregnancy, and for that I am very grateful. I had some bad morning sickness, actually more like all day sickness, in the first trimester followed by several weeks of bad headaches in the second trimester. The third trimester has been pretty good until the past few days - I'm starting to get pretty uncomfortable and the little guy is definitely running out of room. Here is a picture documenting the first half of my pregnancy:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTA2Q322WyHDfm6ofVu_0T2M-K6AeHBFmrJupFBxwIFHWEzWgsGAAFsfkXiJXKPF58wQHAF2orkOyTyvkjMxjudGTZLHkois6Jk6UXaClkQ7xtF66zJg8re5qL7M-tp5FiMilQgXFr4yu/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTA2Q322WyHDfm6ofVu_0T2M-K6AeHBFmrJupFBxwIFHWEzWgsGAAFsfkXiJXKPF58wQHAF2orkOyTyvkjMxjudGTZLHkois6Jk6UXaClkQ7xtF66zJg8re5qL7M-tp5FiMilQgXFr4yu/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, 20 weeks</td></tr>
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I was able to get back to Texas in April for two wonderful baby showers! The first thrown by some of my wonderful girlfriends in Houston and the second thrown by my aunts in Dallas. It was so much fun to see everyone and have a long visit while I could still fly. A couple photos from the Dallas baby shower:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5oRQ8Uxt5_0xwrYWn6-43jXNHxfK0mJc4gFSue_h8qJaMc0j21Cif9o3XMv_CJiDpRNlQIRU9r3JdcBd3htWQDmVNZYxVbXUtdjNsRYLI4bQzMSRX5usXc5OGWxZ9FYDqd2gXov0FAWTA/s1600/DSC08511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5oRQ8Uxt5_0xwrYWn6-43jXNHxfK0mJc4gFSue_h8qJaMc0j21Cif9o3XMv_CJiDpRNlQIRU9r3JdcBd3htWQDmVNZYxVbXUtdjNsRYLI4bQzMSRX5usXc5OGWxZ9FYDqd2gXov0FAWTA/s1600/DSC08511.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Aunts</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp30Yp921JKnicmlpCY4w3J0Hdulm0HeyRJgds7N9jXyeMvSCcSk1970zc4Ylb8NVlUwqOaI4DB3pivRHwlWwog0VU2PTdb2WyHKyE5pJjlqiWFXQSwqVhVOyODgtp0aWTLVwt64hbZTaY/s1600/DSC08512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp30Yp921JKnicmlpCY4w3J0Hdulm0HeyRJgds7N9jXyeMvSCcSk1970zc4Ylb8NVlUwqOaI4DB3pivRHwlWwog0VU2PTdb2WyHKyE5pJjlqiWFXQSwqVhVOyODgtp0aWTLVwt64hbZTaY/s1600/DSC08512.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my mom</td></tr>
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For Easter we went up to Richmond, VA to spend the holiday weekend with Charles' brother Paul and his family. We had a wonderful time and got to enjoy some perfect spring weather during our nephew's first Easter egg hunts.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12WAqrWKBvVTyWh3utRuvI6jCHaiu7oUyUnb-bLDi7aFy5d55LqcdVOFZYi3sTRcbG6wrYMJVr4RzV8_RhHEOw8uCCL7LPpGyOjwXTjyV5v0Jqw47MoUN9ECPZQM_bar6jClSbnoZ-jSu/s1600/DSC08526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12WAqrWKBvVTyWh3utRuvI6jCHaiu7oUyUnb-bLDi7aFy5d55LqcdVOFZYi3sTRcbG6wrYMJVr4RzV8_RhHEOw8uCCL7LPpGyOjwXTjyV5v0Jqw47MoUN9ECPZQM_bar6jClSbnoZ-jSu/s1600/DSC08526.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easter in Richmond</td></tr>
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One of the hardest things this pregnancy was that we had to move in May. It was a bit stressful finding a place and making moving arrangements all while Charles was wrapping up the school year. Luckily two of my aunts, Margie and Ellen, came from Texas to help with packing and moving the small items - we could not have done it without them!!!! It was tough for me to not be able to lift boxes and help with loading cars, but I managed to get through it without "doing too much." We hired movers to take care of the big furniture items and overall the unexpected move went pretty seamlessly. The best part is that we are VERY happy in our new place and can't wait to become a family of three here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoD4uRV4IvHm0gVUAIG0D_PgYsq03o7kuOrR_RMut2Ty_4S6_JQD2qJUx2SY5XKm_-s9Ozl1MpDhhJm0DM_aHHQp4jQlBMt3il0Nek5vngWho-4MAiIRIjsd5T0kNknvBIVKJxwkM5YVd/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoD4uRV4IvHm0gVUAIG0D_PgYsq03o7kuOrR_RMut2Ty_4S6_JQD2qJUx2SY5XKm_-s9Ozl1MpDhhJm0DM_aHHQp4jQlBMt3il0Nek5vngWho-4MAiIRIjsd5T0kNknvBIVKJxwkM5YVd/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moving Day</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchDRKENAY2K5SaGEYYjFDQShkxmqPuuLSxWSnC0QWGpT2YgM8dq26DruuuyF5YVJpvAKnpuRVaHxJP1LajYnZY-93h1RnSSH1J1IHfh9mNFgxStO2Xz3OWawiGqpYKIk8acVu08T_AMeB/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchDRKENAY2K5SaGEYYjFDQShkxmqPuuLSxWSnC0QWGpT2YgM8dq26DruuuyF5YVJpvAKnpuRVaHxJP1LajYnZY-93h1RnSSH1J1IHfh9mNFgxStO2Xz3OWawiGqpYKIk8acVu08T_AMeB/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unpacking</td></tr>
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After the move we decided to take one last getaway before Baby Watson arrives. We spent Memorial Day in Florida with Charles' parents, Paul and Meredith, and Meredith's sister Claudia and her husband Brad. We went to the beach, spent plenty of time in the pool, ate lots of good food, celebrated Paul's birthday, and overall had a great time just being with family!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8Uxr0eOinCijcLL5ms68J1QLdlLUb_qLvHNbU9IIXHIq49AexyTe6K8eMy1LofTMEIRL6VYT4t8I_SNVQfRHm7g51425bnOR-IOE4c8KGaC5nqtDSw4ESI31z2xJc_u29INNiTqw-OSZ/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8Uxr0eOinCijcLL5ms68J1QLdlLUb_qLvHNbU9IIXHIq49AexyTe6K8eMy1LofTMEIRL6VYT4t8I_SNVQfRHm7g51425bnOR-IOE4c8KGaC5nqtDSw4ESI31z2xJc_u29INNiTqw-OSZ/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading to dinner in Florida</td></tr>
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We have spent June and July readying ourselves for parenthood and (of course) watching the World Cup. Every day I wonder what he will look like and what kind of personality he will have....it's hard to believe that 9 months have already passed and we will soon know! A couple photos from the past few weeks:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUsmpjHk5KLpjccogXLWLU-3kBehvK41UwO0M0UmdTsXe_9Ud02dpaOI2mA4dJUcC1xM6L48cQ70bBjFAxrMQUIQwmx7wiOXv1QNzDLwU6Q-U9Dv9OFmrbW8bvVLq1rhLw_jG7yQMLM43/s1600/DSC08538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUsmpjHk5KLpjccogXLWLU-3kBehvK41UwO0M0UmdTsXe_9Ud02dpaOI2mA4dJUcC1xM6L48cQ70bBjFAxrMQUIQwmx7wiOXv1QNzDLwU6Q-U9Dv9OFmrbW8bvVLq1rhLw_jG7yQMLM43/s1600/DSC08538.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4th of July</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHDs4uqn_nhmqT0T288GBB7CjZ0lJHbmHnUD9pabYY2MdftdvR6T2oO-VG6jC0wnQfARPiULVr1pRwCUWOGjHmYlL5DmfbNs5z_hfAFhcMnTAUn9k0n3lfzRKCi3vohaFxjqVZgimdTtk/s1600/DSC08559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHDs4uqn_nhmqT0T288GBB7CjZ0lJHbmHnUD9pabYY2MdftdvR6T2oO-VG6jC0wnQfARPiULVr1pRwCUWOGjHmYlL5DmfbNs5z_hfAFhcMnTAUn9k0n3lfzRKCi3vohaFxjqVZgimdTtk/s1600/DSC08559.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">38 weeks</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-30851012239003155862014-03-05T09:38:00.001-08:002014-03-05T09:38:55.147-08:00Long overdue update, and some BIG NEWS!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been way too long since my last post. That's not because we haven't been busy and I haven't had lots to share, it's just because I haven't really felt inspired to write much these past few months. <br />
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We are feeling pretty settled in Atlanta now, although sometimes I feel like it will probably take another 6-8 months to really feel comfortable here. It has been a busy fall and winter. <br />
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In September we celebrated Charles' birthday and I attended my first SEC football game - Georgia v. LSU. It was lots of fun and a pretty rowdy crowd. Although LSU lost it was a good game and ended with a gorgeous sunset! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNQ-pS96wANKP6GSPzo9S_jnhKQfwif7r3PVswchDEpHximFgAHhhcdH7yGT9VF35GB6XRkLle-l4ShtH2N8xqVv9qBMjZGX3E3K2Mhh53TA57eu5GMoLvqRb8oNP4eXVJ9OMdwo6rXPc/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJNQ-pS96wANKP6GSPzo9S_jnhKQfwif7r3PVswchDEpHximFgAHhhcdH7yGT9VF35GB6XRkLle-l4ShtH2N8xqVv9qBMjZGX3E3K2Mhh53TA57eu5GMoLvqRb8oNP4eXVJ9OMdwo6rXPc/s1600/photo.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset after the Georgia/LSU game</td></tr>
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We also went to the Saints v. Falcons game at the Georgia Dome, we were surprised there seemed to be more Saints fans there than Falcons fans. At the end of the game when the Saints won the entire stadium erupted with cheers of "Who Dat?" It was tons of fun!<br />
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For years we have been trying to get up to West Virginia with Charles' brother Paul and his wife Meredith, she grew up going to West Virginia every year to go skiing with her family. We finally made it up for a visit in early October, just in time to catch the last of the fall leaves! We went on hikes and played with our nephew Hayden. All in all a great trip! Thanks so much for having us Richmond Watsons. Here are a few pics from the trip:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6X-oCJR42M4IjfllqDarC5N486n_SX9xxU_gwvT6S1ztGoc9XbDnUtn24PWuesuTv5GagtbvykZv_6i8pBP-mvGVqRpyOw2GRkd5Qn25JnSV__EXDJNp5AR0x9e41dkINsq1-Oh_-q2tJ/s1600/DSC08242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6X-oCJR42M4IjfllqDarC5N486n_SX9xxU_gwvT6S1ztGoc9XbDnUtn24PWuesuTv5GagtbvykZv_6i8pBP-mvGVqRpyOw2GRkd5Qn25JnSV__EXDJNp5AR0x9e41dkINsq1-Oh_-q2tJ/s1600/DSC08242.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles and Paul fly fishing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meredith and Hayden</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91klxdKHgCaAlh1Bo4c9Wtgp362Ep1zAVbAG9cSK8LNt9nry4zrSVFhEhWKKGBFrNnaazh7i0eE9Z6zqSL1hWti6TZvwFj_FQWgpWi3o7gPXfslXa-BkzZsfkrzTpCzqtEJt18Xx5nWxe/s1600/DSC08251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91klxdKHgCaAlh1Bo4c9Wtgp362Ep1zAVbAG9cSK8LNt9nry4zrSVFhEhWKKGBFrNnaazh7i0eE9Z6zqSL1hWti6TZvwFj_FQWgpWi3o7gPXfslXa-BkzZsfkrzTpCzqtEJt18Xx5nWxe/s1600/DSC08251.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fall!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFSby8pDiKnuLMvlWpvTSgEpuD_qczKuP2DYQ4U5jC1pGpSPFxSVcgk1ag2b1vLenvxCVrwBRJGewflFuyy8_YrrnvAu4ecf0u2DTl34PCSut1weeMWYK7zf-iFeVJhAP6fk1c4hz-NQG/s1600/DSC08255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFSby8pDiKnuLMvlWpvTSgEpuD_qczKuP2DYQ4U5jC1pGpSPFxSVcgk1ag2b1vLenvxCVrwBRJGewflFuyy8_YrrnvAu4ecf0u2DTl34PCSut1weeMWYK7zf-iFeVJhAP6fk1c4hz-NQG/s1600/DSC08255.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family photo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXj0O0PTkYjzB34D-MF9VCtY2JrwO_XSCO9DxMjliF3bm4rMg1FdBvhHOWhgEtVHG3N4IYi-88_U62oz7rUGsL5B81LgRmINkJugA9nc8bUt9tP1YkkphCf249CrqAMZYjXFpQm_2vfzfd/s1600/DSC08267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXj0O0PTkYjzB34D-MF9VCtY2JrwO_XSCO9DxMjliF3bm4rMg1FdBvhHOWhgEtVHG3N4IYi-88_U62oz7rUGsL5B81LgRmINkJugA9nc8bUt9tP1YkkphCf249CrqAMZYjXFpQm_2vfzfd/s1600/DSC08267.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous color on our hike</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2Dtv85klgzj6QYzz2G0_f94Z3DxEzp183r45JP1l9MtumKuP4-Y94F3E-nJm3hro5lXmSQCDR3EsZRe7UNVzcVvf3sTH5mL5MsRo6fu1BwwfiSbdDn2_QcLUHe84VYzjVaVuiPCQZaNh/s1600/DSC08269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2Dtv85klgzj6QYzz2G0_f94Z3DxEzp183r45JP1l9MtumKuP4-Y94F3E-nJm3hro5lXmSQCDR3EsZRe7UNVzcVvf3sTH5mL5MsRo6fu1BwwfiSbdDn2_QcLUHe84VYzjVaVuiPCQZaNh/s1600/DSC08269.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">saying goodbye at the airport</td></tr>
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We had several visitors for our beautiful fall weather in October and early November. Our friends Jeff and Sarah from Colorado stopped through town and stayed with us one night on their way to visit Sarah's family in north Georgia. Charles' parents came for a long weekend and we enjoyed a trip to the Atlanta History Center and showing them around town. My mom and aunt Margie came for a visit and we went up to see Tallulah Gorge and visited the Atlanta Aquarium. The best part of their visit was when we got a VIP tour of the whale shark exhibit completely by chance! Then to round out or month of visitors some of my girlfriends from Houston came for a visit! We went to the spa, went shopping, and ate lots of really good food. All in all it was wonderful having all of our family and friends visit us in our new home. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSfX_7Dzt341yKA7U8jaHxfqrU5nLIGEXUTMcXA6LKSgz3VNym2YHK-yAQDz17jAhC45vikOsL5e1z9yUC0_QoUVj2SLmVvCZKTniUf-27bdSdMtuwPYFnq9ILwDSawFkvmfySsE95LNW/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSfX_7Dzt341yKA7U8jaHxfqrU5nLIGEXUTMcXA6LKSgz3VNym2YHK-yAQDz17jAhC45vikOsL5e1z9yUC0_QoUVj2SLmVvCZKTniUf-27bdSdMtuwPYFnq9ILwDSawFkvmfySsE95LNW/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Georgia Aquarium with my mom and aunt Margie</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufBNmrF2YpGpyhZ9gNdpG1iMQx_i3TDbAnzuFjjUlTGdnCB1SHdyGIJrm_iiMMikqo9gcPR38z49oiTpOjLYHPqLFMA1md74VjpQTSXYFC6pmtA2rwfmSCjNAfHvz7H-hJL8WgC9N5Usi/s1600/IMG_3482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufBNmrF2YpGpyhZ9gNdpG1iMQx_i3TDbAnzuFjjUlTGdnCB1SHdyGIJrm_iiMMikqo9gcPR38z49oiTpOjLYHPqLFMA1md74VjpQTSXYFC6pmtA2rwfmSCjNAfHvz7H-hJL8WgC9N5Usi/s1600/IMG_3482.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my Houston girls (minus Kat)</td></tr>
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We spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Dallas with my family. It was nice to be back in Texas and good to see family and eat LOTS of delicious food. And while we did enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving meal we had, we also managed to squeeze in 2 visits to our favorite restaurant (Gloria's) while we were there. Unfortunately I didn't seem to take any photos, I meant to...<br />
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We spent Christmas in Florida with Charles' family which was so much fun. Our nephew Hayden was almost one and it was lots of fun to watch him play and see him open new toys on Christmas morning. My mom joined us in Florida for a long weekend and we showed her around Sarasota - went kayaking, walked on the beach, went to the Selby Gardens, and the Mote Aquarium. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0V6ENWCX-9-oJIqesK8tBadf2J2oRCOGV4EKPg0zo1hNkExKw9coNrBLrdTzvRNhM-6pLkybuQzMGp84SXI6_BAO8cGNBXKrKr4TPEEVAEtrctU_RxzGNi3bKyAvxeSUpH6EGwRG6a18a/s1600/IMG_1041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0V6ENWCX-9-oJIqesK8tBadf2J2oRCOGV4EKPg0zo1hNkExKw9coNrBLrdTzvRNhM-6pLkybuQzMGp84SXI6_BAO8cGNBXKrKr4TPEEVAEtrctU_RxzGNi3bKyAvxeSUpH6EGwRG6a18a/s1600/IMG_1041.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Morning!</td></tr>
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For New Years we attended the wedding of our dear friend Ellie! It was so much fun to go to a New Year's Eve wedding with so many of our close friends. Ellie and Andy - thanks for picking such an awesome night to get married and for including all of us in the celebration! It was an amazing and gorgeous wedding! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjMjh60L1tXjEE1hsV7OblVweCnpUIh0-PQxvLQQCLxUJotVwoR8Fp4Zx7cMsM1mcY4hiSKrpL7aWXJwEBHFEvqPUXsO9pkBOX_VbfDVD41JOLbdzcFUe5WwPh0uZLDG9zIx3NVYmy4ZM/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjMjh60L1tXjEE1hsV7OblVweCnpUIh0-PQxvLQQCLxUJotVwoR8Fp4Zx7cMsM1mcY4hiSKrpL7aWXJwEBHFEvqPUXsO9pkBOX_VbfDVD41JOLbdzcFUe5WwPh0uZLDG9zIx3NVYmy4ZM/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Congrats to Mr. & Mrs. Buchmann</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
All in all we had a great holiday season! <br />
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So far 2014 has been going smoothly and we are happily moving along through our day to day routine. Unfortunately I got stuck in the horrible Atlanta ice storm back in January - more on that in a separate post. Charles ran a trail run half marathon a couple weeks ago with our longtime friend Caroline and a new friend Ashley. It was a tough course, but they all did well and were rewarded with a big brunch after finishing the race. Next week is Charles' spring break and we are headed down to Florida for the week to get some sun and enjoy some time with his parents. <br />
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Finally, the BIG NEWS: <b>Baby Boy Watson will be arriving in July of 2014!</b> We are so thrilled our family is growing and can't wait for our little one's arrival!</div>
Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-47681304399922261262013-08-06T13:56:00.000-07:002013-08-06T13:56:35.171-07:00Living in Atlanta<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Back in June we packed up all our belongings and headed East to Atlanta. We've been here about a month and are feeling pretty settled. We made sure we were here and ready to unpack the first week of July so that we would be really settled before Charles started his new job. And while it was a lot of work those first couple weeks it is so nice to feel like we are settled in and living in our new home. Once we finished unpacking we spent a week in Wyoming with the Watson family and the Schmidt family to celebrate Charles' parents birthdays. It was so much fun - another post on that will be coming shortly. Charles started work this week and I am in the early stages of the job hunt. If you have any job leads/ideas/tips for me, please share!<br />
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I know many of you have been asking for pictures of our new home - so here they are:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcxBHArr3n7ZR7A6oIvY3oUEE7X3b_4NX0Z0DFYzlSk5Euj3Z96C_JpPZTaXRMm5rIDSge4gm9dndqfZo70Tqn_CfhZjYZmE_NcX-WV6OEMa3VzvZHEdcPC9K4CghbnIvUTNLWSHpZBGE/s1600/IMG_0967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcxBHArr3n7ZR7A6oIvY3oUEE7X3b_4NX0Z0DFYzlSk5Euj3Z96C_JpPZTaXRMm5rIDSge4gm9dndqfZo70Tqn_CfhZjYZmE_NcX-WV6OEMa3VzvZHEdcPC9K4CghbnIvUTNLWSHpZBGE/s320/IMG_0967.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front of the house</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL60lsuh9UPWtCzJyCH67hs2jmiEmECHzUroltpI7hT36vtx3H0y6o3YOWaiq3TVJPy3jMaczjqBj44F3jOKeTvz0_sqtA5nGU4h24w7JuFDlmOn2FVCRpBpKTT3ByJPUq8IP19rgPuXSl/s1600/IMG_0956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL60lsuh9UPWtCzJyCH67hs2jmiEmECHzUroltpI7hT36vtx3H0y6o3YOWaiq3TVJPy3jMaczjqBj44F3jOKeTvz0_sqtA5nGU4h24w7JuFDlmOn2FVCRpBpKTT3ByJPUq8IP19rgPuXSl/s320/IMG_0956.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living room from front door, and Lola</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBVggvIpcPQC_QjEImLEoFyeY2P10OW6NNZ37qnsQmcPduChdeGOWbgxRwypQGuqhLDtWVRx-XqCL40L7AH9magiYnE5HWiJjXCwaD61vmp3aqfIxeuQ43eF63Itq3fJMpyeZ5yLvxxqA/s1600/IMG_0957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBVggvIpcPQC_QjEImLEoFyeY2P10OW6NNZ37qnsQmcPduChdeGOWbgxRwypQGuqhLDtWVRx-XqCL40L7AH9magiYnE5HWiJjXCwaD61vmp3aqfIxeuQ43eF63Itq3fJMpyeZ5yLvxxqA/s320/IMG_0957.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of living room from dining room</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4BEacm4FipEyE5i4nGcwUMlvvayGW-oOYFv8IGnWWnkQGxxzL5PEukRtV3fIjfjKxHIbcAbq8EWqIBJGGn7J4z5LOfr2mWxwX3I2z8t5IuMhpJZgLFA1eLABmzuhKWxAc4LCIMYX_cd7/s1600/IMG_0954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4BEacm4FipEyE5i4nGcwUMlvvayGW-oOYFv8IGnWWnkQGxxzL5PEukRtV3fIjfjKxHIbcAbq8EWqIBJGGn7J4z5LOfr2mWxwX3I2z8t5IuMhpJZgLFA1eLABmzuhKWxAc4LCIMYX_cd7/s320/IMG_0954.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dining Room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9DF5y8tr98JEHGnrKTi5xx8a7T0x7f9z81Mp9Uw1FgYERDA0WJT8hvEvxwQxeWREqtzbLcn851aPCgdbqlBE5OT2ywfwdGk2JZpYX1EWDDOQscuDfUJ1uKJeLgt6hJc-fi590DSoKxV9/s1600/IMG_0951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9DF5y8tr98JEHGnrKTi5xx8a7T0x7f9z81Mp9Uw1FgYERDA0WJT8hvEvxwQxeWREqtzbLcn851aPCgdbqlBE5OT2ywfwdGk2JZpYX1EWDDOQscuDfUJ1uKJeLgt6hJc-fi590DSoKxV9/s320/IMG_0951.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInSi9zmKKjfS7jZpb2Qh5zKNCmE-qVtY6dN_zg4zOpOFn_G7Bh5bdX9TyoMj2xXlEj046REShvDrauQdcazch82q3r1lbOtVnUyhV80EcaV06scF4qDt-scZhDqRwOX_IVxuvM5WXV402/s1600/IMG_0964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInSi9zmKKjfS7jZpb2Qh5zKNCmE-qVtY6dN_zg4zOpOFn_G7Bh5bdX9TyoMj2xXlEj046REShvDrauQdcazch82q3r1lbOtVnUyhV80EcaV06scF4qDt-scZhDqRwOX_IVxuvM5WXV402/s320/IMG_0964.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master Bedroom from doorway</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5haYtX3LgZ1Ox3wiIh1AzCtXmqhx6i7v92j2m56rhLEJBIsbSSqwBF-Qu3nYJBXI1dV3oRYh6yKgorkc2gD9JYTIOaEaLk0wCpfc-UWQC2YvuL4byLGl8ArvTu2SuBnMI2ITJJA9R7Td/s1600/IMG_0965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5haYtX3LgZ1Ox3wiIh1AzCtXmqhx6i7v92j2m56rhLEJBIsbSSqwBF-Qu3nYJBXI1dV3oRYh6yKgorkc2gD9JYTIOaEaLk0wCpfc-UWQC2YvuL4byLGl8ArvTu2SuBnMI2ITJJA9R7Td/s320/IMG_0965.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master bedroom looking out</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCSAtdH6y-o7bFYbiPPvm4oDvIxP9KVJ0kU9jiWUG06LxzqRInuq3AyDpAzxPY6R_8tafWcULPtPPdYWc7Fiz3DSQqDL9cXYKPZ7CgvPblWYo3tLzfGoQZgaN2vlRVH1EbFLgbF8dKHBEM/s1600/IMG_0960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCSAtdH6y-o7bFYbiPPvm4oDvIxP9KVJ0kU9jiWUG06LxzqRInuq3AyDpAzxPY6R_8tafWcULPtPPdYWc7Fiz3DSQqDL9cXYKPZ7CgvPblWYo3tLzfGoQZgaN2vlRVH1EbFLgbF8dKHBEM/s320/IMG_0960.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hall/Master bath</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5oewT2IAdspN8sZt3PutuQzvaHrtuhGO-pmKXJyWXORIyO68LPgCXkYyyILRiCYd39bR_YtnZWFqQOclN8LTtamtQmVLqtabvU9nMU-cc4DFoblBcmcJYdhAHx4igYwKphRDInFXEGFun/s1600/IMG_0948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5oewT2IAdspN8sZt3PutuQzvaHrtuhGO-pmKXJyWXORIyO68LPgCXkYyyILRiCYd39bR_YtnZWFqQOclN8LTtamtQmVLqtabvU9nMU-cc4DFoblBcmcJYdhAHx4igYwKphRDInFXEGFun/s320/IMG_0948.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guest room (ready for visitors!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYI3ULh-vxhljcbKdVqhK1jmKea-AvHlnO-Vt6XKjNHF3crJ8XfMXZPogPV4h2h_NrBSGmp3hyphenhyphenx86GYNvbeytFBZgGLTYFB7aNuJTQC54LaT6PpOilQo1WhNp8ScId9W3eUMurBucQ8it3/s1600/IMG_0949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYI3ULh-vxhljcbKdVqhK1jmKea-AvHlnO-Vt6XKjNHF3crJ8XfMXZPogPV4h2h_NrBSGmp3hyphenhyphenx86GYNvbeytFBZgGLTYFB7aNuJTQC54LaT6PpOilQo1WhNp8ScId9W3eUMurBucQ8it3/s320/IMG_0949.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guest bedroom/office area</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOVt601JKrfB1KYgIZNx6TekfJsM_65gOf3GMLBQKX_TAiReXBbvfmsgJHZ1Mxqh1kdScOhV81iuVsdcyEb0PHG_zNa3rDnPC11pXR-j8SEe8OOyr7WNWvWT0-t1ufHlXVp8bVTPd-3wv/s1600/IMG_0947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOVt601JKrfB1KYgIZNx6TekfJsM_65gOf3GMLBQKX_TAiReXBbvfmsgJHZ1Mxqh1kdScOhV81iuVsdcyEb0PHG_zNa3rDnPC11pXR-j8SEe8OOyr7WNWvWT0-t1ufHlXVp8bVTPd-3wv/s320/IMG_0947.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guest bathroom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicTsB9sRnlYFZs0OQiMrsXmL9ynIuXb2sqyuGdGX70ywK3XvOLI_56XV5YmRwdujHBbj1GxzIYMUNLuN-izg3Fya0S_TaMsLa6MFjfBUVoyHoO_-oi_tVKGJZgI7_PIHxLRYzV4N3kpnUu/s1600/IMG_0966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicTsB9sRnlYFZs0OQiMrsXmL9ynIuXb2sqyuGdGX70ywK3XvOLI_56XV5YmRwdujHBbj1GxzIYMUNLuN-izg3Fya0S_TaMsLa6MFjfBUVoyHoO_-oi_tVKGJZgI7_PIHxLRYzV4N3kpnUu/s320/IMG_0966.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backyard deck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hopefully I will be posting a little more regularly again. I hope.<br /><br />
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Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-82357178402943042082013-06-04T09:41:00.000-07:002013-06-04T22:09:12.597-07:00quick update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been quite awhile since I've posted. I know my last post was about posting recipes, but when it actually comes time to get my camera out while cooking it never seems like a good idea. Usually when I'm making dinner I'm tired after a long day of work and the gym and the last thing I want to do is take the time to take photos after chopping and dicing and boiling and baking. So, none of those posts have materialized. I will say though that I have enjoyed being back in the kitchen these last few months, it was definitely something I missed while on our trip.<br />
<br />
The main reason I haven't written though is because we have been extremely busy. I went back to work a few days after that last post and it seems that working full time and keeping up with the blog is not my strong suit.<br />
<br />
But, we do have some very exciting things going on.... <br />
<br />
First, Charles is having an art show on Saturday here in Houston. It is a collection of paintings done while on our trip and over the past few months in the studio. I am biased, I know, but they are BEAUTIFUL! If you are in Houston and don't have anything going on Saturday night I hope you can come to the show! I am so proud of all his hard work and am amazed by the artistic talent he has poured into these pieces. I can't wait! If you need info about the show you can find it on his website, <a href="http://www.charleswatson.com/">www.charleswatson.com</a>, or if you can't make it to the show check the website on Monday or Tuesday and all of the new work will be posted. <br />
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Second, we are moving to Atlanta! Charles has accepted a teaching position there, so shortly after the show we will be packing up all our stuff (and there is a lot of it I've realized this week) and heading to Atlanta. I must admit I will be sad to leave Texas, but I'm very happy about this next step in our lives. We have some great friends in Atlanta already and I look forward to making some new ones as well.<br />
<br />
In the meantime we plan to spend a lot of time enjoying time with our friends in Houston, enjoying a few more beautiful sunsets from our balcony, and eating as much Mexican food as possible.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjqVZEnie4R6cdMqId8Ci3_YURVpWCCV2FHCVDjjgTaTOdfraJbTNMqPF89S0A-LfpV_DYCsQ3Sa2hLR6w83oqbuGXVLEkF3RA9s1tj5J9W11VCK1CNSvIfuNCG0bbHWCt6AFaouhDmFc/s1600/IMG_0387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjqVZEnie4R6cdMqId8Ci3_YURVpWCCV2FHCVDjjgTaTOdfraJbTNMqPF89S0A-LfpV_DYCsQ3Sa2hLR6w83oqbuGXVLEkF3RA9s1tj5J9W11VCK1CNSvIfuNCG0bbHWCt6AFaouhDmFc/s640/IMG_0387.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-32993637196663068162013-02-15T17:17:00.000-08:002013-02-15T17:17:46.148-08:00Fitness and Food<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I guess it doesn't really make a whole lot of sense that I am going to be talking about exercise and eating in one post, but it's where my mind is at the moment, so that's what I'm doing.<br />
<br />
I am in need of something to focus on post trip and so I have decided to create two goals for myself. <br />
<br />
The first is to work-out/exercise 4-5 days per week. This will be easy for now, but I'm sure it will be much harder when I start working again in a few weeks. I'm going to figure out a schedule in the next couple days and I'm hoping that will help me stick with it. <br />
<br />
The second has to do a little with our trip and a little with my love for food and cooking. On our trip there was a dish in each country that jolted my tastebuds and left me craving more. Here are a few of my favorite food photos from our trip:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXhmxDhyphenhyphenIZuEGNWG6UsGCEuMMbWhAbJoDL9GEL1jKkJ8G3sopLFiOaEdJrxXg7JuWqeWc-dZThwoqN9Osjic2qgbvb1FTzV8DjyR_MvpX6O7JjPoCMQpon5r97pSJr-unpiUKXZ60pTn-/s1600/DSC03535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXhmxDhyphenhyphenIZuEGNWG6UsGCEuMMbWhAbJoDL9GEL1jKkJ8G3sopLFiOaEdJrxXg7JuWqeWc-dZThwoqN9Osjic2qgbvb1FTzV8DjyR_MvpX6O7JjPoCMQpon5r97pSJr-unpiUKXZ60pTn-/s320/DSC03535.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish & Chips in New Zealand</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrs12csCF3ENlBiid0rLbhyphenhyphen7l4LjocqR7IoQ2JWXNBbiSODico32oLRS2UPwYikn4ATxpj-QHoEtvFSmHQEI477R9qyhEikbgI3mYHZkdgzfp0gFPQWj32pxFg00kAVSUoSqywcy-qCDrI/s1600/DSC04550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrs12csCF3ENlBiid0rLbhyphenhyphen7l4LjocqR7IoQ2JWXNBbiSODico32oLRS2UPwYikn4ATxpj-QHoEtvFSmHQEI477R9qyhEikbgI3mYHZkdgzfp0gFPQWj32pxFg00kAVSUoSqywcy-qCDrI/s320/DSC04550.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panzerotti at Luini in Milan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHosa2WTRihuPFosNKQ5R0MO9oZQ411K9V1dlicyxq0wA6CP_eIKxZDUL8cMJ6ITMjIEym0oZvTS9mmYlTifuGkMBZaFLPsFa2mts6c6nFJ5dp0rsn8OLDkb4-vG38Si5mNDhsMY6U1s-/s1600/DSC05011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHosa2WTRihuPFosNKQ5R0MO9oZQ411K9V1dlicyxq0wA6CP_eIKxZDUL8cMJ6ITMjIEym0oZvTS9mmYlTifuGkMBZaFLPsFa2mts6c6nFJ5dp0rsn8OLDkb4-vG38Si5mNDhsMY6U1s-/s320/DSC05011.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Svickova in Prague - delicious!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1TlBS7B370Ym5S-phY5f838r5pPXWV0r7mH4aqll9l15wGoHtiFQSrJ9UN6Nwkn95KI9zOH7SpCYNpQTSlG15YQ27UTsdFOjH8TttmWTp5RtKnGJNWaPsiDh_c758pCIEwe8_0_LrtdO/s1600/DSC05434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1TlBS7B370Ym5S-phY5f838r5pPXWV0r7mH4aqll9l15wGoHtiFQSrJ9UN6Nwkn95KI9zOH7SpCYNpQTSlG15YQ27UTsdFOjH8TttmWTp5RtKnGJNWaPsiDh_c758pCIEwe8_0_LrtdO/s320/DSC05434.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ottoman dish with eggplant in Istanbul</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0NEgNlQBqYuVsiYxNPJzt2uUGW9wok9njJTBKbPwe-CNw2zRHYh93IHm9rTyNmkmdDt9bRI7HHQFvn1uI1SQn8X1I_M8pBJrNEUmyRJOTliw6NPO4kLnZSQeEpTgsGUYrl2DDloTixIKf/s1600/IMG_9396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0NEgNlQBqYuVsiYxNPJzt2uUGW9wok9njJTBKbPwe-CNw2zRHYh93IHm9rTyNmkmdDt9bRI7HHQFvn1uI1SQn8X1I_M8pBJrNEUmyRJOTliw6NPO4kLnZSQeEpTgsGUYrl2DDloTixIKf/s320/IMG_9396.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street noodles Bangkok</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5mkWI1yg1SgZsvS0mKEIpVnSMV2zxw947B5bZMHfE6AJVdY6EyTQJS6xWBKwzB38SVOXFiS05QkUm2je3z6-k69-CEZbCKRj3t5BzitHlg_283hK1BWOo-POuID8pye1PZhd3zTKsEdr/s1600/DSC07128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5mkWI1yg1SgZsvS0mKEIpVnSMV2zxw947B5bZMHfE6AJVdY6EyTQJS6xWBKwzB38SVOXFiS05QkUm2je3z6-k69-CEZbCKRj3t5BzitHlg_283hK1BWOo-POuID8pye1PZhd3zTKsEdr/s320/DSC07128.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Khmer Vegetable Amok in Cambodia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSdK6oju5u-DQSzLNVnFFCNT6DwHZaItfmoED8gsrAD_5C4AtVMyxEznCWRzFaXW1WF1Z-dsW36NvJelxR0EJN-WrCS0DUbd663U6XkzPlO6UzeJU6Ge03M-80x5w_ZSNKu-if8ePbdqd/s1600/DSC07497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSdK6oju5u-DQSzLNVnFFCNT6DwHZaItfmoED8gsrAD_5C4AtVMyxEznCWRzFaXW1WF1Z-dsW36NvJelxR0EJN-WrCS0DUbd663U6XkzPlO6UzeJU6Ge03M-80x5w_ZSNKu-if8ePbdqd/s320/DSC07497.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wearing my apron at my cooking class in Hanoi Vietnam</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFsigc-PH4jXA7O6sITEewG6hMZv1Q9F5hffHdNk9Kaoc1ZPR_jrDwUgqLsrqrN7kls2uE_vEhmE8NdIRoIMriDR1pGdrQV-tbBvnCGujfCpa2NehKoIMtx9BAuZv9tLXvhD8QlaxBHx2/s1600/IMG_9864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFsigc-PH4jXA7O6sITEewG6hMZv1Q9F5hffHdNk9Kaoc1ZPR_jrDwUgqLsrqrN7kls2uE_vEhmE8NdIRoIMriDR1pGdrQV-tbBvnCGujfCpa2NehKoIMtx9BAuZv9tLXvhD8QlaxBHx2/s320/IMG_9864.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dumplings ready to be steamed in Seoul South Korea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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My plan is to recreate my favorite dish from each country over the next few months. I have already attempted one dish recreation, but I wasn't entirely satisfied with the result. I made Svickova while we were in Richmond visiting Paul and Meredith, it tasted great, but the texture wasn't quite right. So, I am going to set out to try that recipe again along with attempting several others. I haven't figured out a recipe for each country yet, but for now this is where I'll start:<br />
<br />
Italy - Ribollita (a soup made with white beans and veggies and thickened with bread)<br />
Czech Republic - Svickova (marinated beef with a divine tasting sauce and bread dumplings - this is the one I tried a few weeks ago)<br />
Turkey - Not sure yet <br />
Israel - Shakshuka (vegetables in tomato sauce with a poached egg)<br />
Jordan - Not sure yet<br />
India - Chicken Korma (chicken with a ginger cashew sauce)<br />
Maldives - Not sure yet<br />
Sri Lanka - Not sure yet<br />
Bangkok - Basil Noodles (thai noodles stir fried with basil and chili sauce)<br />
Cambodia - Khmer Amok (chicken or fish in a coconut curry sauce)<br />
Vietnam - Vietnamese fried spring rolls and lemongrass chicken<br />
South Korea - dumplings<br />
<br />
I plan to blog my cooking experiments and provide recipes, depending on how they turn out. To all my friends in Houston, hope you are hungry and can come over for dinner and help us eat my experimental world cuisine. <br />
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Wish me luck! <br />
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Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-77870671262307197112013-02-11T15:52:00.000-08:002013-02-11T15:52:40.815-08:00Adjusting....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A few weeks ago I wrote this:<i> </i><br />
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<i>The past few days I've been feeling pretty lost, which is kind of funny because we aren't on the road anymore. Actually, I think it's the sitting still that is leaving me feeling so confused. We spent every day for the past five months living each day in the present - enjoying the people, culture, art and experiences that surrounded us. Now, I find myself completely focused on the future - what type of job do I want, where will we end up living, should I go back to a legal job or find something more personally fulfilling? These thoughts unfortunately have led me to spending the past two days getting caught up on episodes of Grey's Anatomy and delving into the Downton Abbey series. The fact that I have spent the past two days in front of the television makes me feel even worse, and yet, I'm not sure what to do about it.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I expected acclimating into "normal" life after this trip to be hard, but I don't really think that I expected these to be the feelings I would have... </i><br />
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I never posted it because I felt conflicted about putting this thoughts out there for the world to see. I decided today that I would post these thoughts as a part of a larger post, one that is a bigger picture post. <br />
<br />
So, here it is, the bigger picture of life since we returned to the U.S. <br />
<br />
We got back on December 22nd and fell immediately into the holiday celebrations with my family in Dallas. In some ways it felt the same as any other Christmas in Dallas, except Charles was with me (a first) and I was somehow different. It was a difference I didn't really come around to though for a few more weeks. Those first few days of being back from our trip were filled with telling stories to family and friends, attending Christmas mass, dinners with family, wrapping presents, and sharing in the overall joy of Christmas. It was great! But, I don't really think that it truly hit me that our adventure was ending, we were still on the travel high and it continued as we left Dallas to head to Sarasota, Florida to visit Charles' family. <br />
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After the long drive from Dallas to Sarasota we were happy to relax and enjoy the beautiful beaches, sunny afternoons at St. Armand Circle, and most of all hanging out with Charles' brother Andrew and his family and Charles' parents. We had a great time celebrating Christmas and exchanging gifts, celebrating Charles' parents wedding anniversary, kayaking and playing on the beach, and overall just being together. It was a great visit and we shared many photos and stories from our trip, but in a way we were still on our trip. Here are some photos from our Christmas in Florida: <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMMm7iIK4h1qL3-aLBfOcZHgW2T8cCHIplHWjVLD0h-4bNa-LoQXY-nnS_6UxRcvfzbvgCmayW_eQ8zsu26Yt0SdM4kkATsdrumf7TNdhAK4-aPMN4WkMteBWQPWlgmPb1Y4didaPmhsL/s1600/IMG_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMMm7iIK4h1qL3-aLBfOcZHgW2T8cCHIplHWjVLD0h-4bNa-LoQXY-nnS_6UxRcvfzbvgCmayW_eQ8zsu26Yt0SdM4kkATsdrumf7TNdhAK4-aPMN4WkMteBWQPWlgmPb1Y4didaPmhsL/s320/IMG_0013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lola - so happy to be traveling with us!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1XFdoQyCDRLH3JYOWqeJ0bY6ai7lWT22oMfK3652XwPPd_NkrZBHT7bw0whDwvl9nex0OPCdDa1Z7RBULrjtGAnjNMhMY6zL5jkoXUAQ5h_AG_Yb53hnIn_8R8zGoIHC1EBfqXwY_jer/s1600/IMG_0039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1XFdoQyCDRLH3JYOWqeJ0bY6ai7lWT22oMfK3652XwPPd_NkrZBHT7bw0whDwvl9nex0OPCdDa1Z7RBULrjtGAnjNMhMY6zL5jkoXUAQ5h_AG_Yb53hnIn_8R8zGoIHC1EBfqXwY_jer/s320/IMG_0039.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening presents. Lola waited patiently to tear up the balled up wrapping paper</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFS2-qXxyEPdkV7XSl5X0N-D2hld2wFHmRzXNDK534yUZa0OO8vJLX4IpUf3RLtPEKdBuZG1gcidPYEgZPFmaCRY5cU1ixTDe2c5XdcbxGYqk_QU60oXr3qOuqljikDAR7kcuLPH3ook_/s1600/IMG_0052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFS2-qXxyEPdkV7XSl5X0N-D2hld2wFHmRzXNDK534yUZa0OO8vJLX4IpUf3RLtPEKdBuZG1gcidPYEgZPFmaCRY5cU1ixTDe2c5XdcbxGYqk_QU60oXr3qOuqljikDAR7kcuLPH3ook_/s320/IMG_0052.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading to the beach</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXL_pm3Wg9t8r_KNFqpe_9YtJSbS4gr3w3jGqQbfJH533ZC6S-VwSHlNiDc1HEHf2vaKbCa6-G29DwvizaUxejJeLcQrarwaCuNk9gIUpmG4AlE8lDyehtm_r6atkXn74RgCfxFWdPEpjq/s1600/IMG_0058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXL_pm3Wg9t8r_KNFqpe_9YtJSbS4gr3w3jGqQbfJH533ZC6S-VwSHlNiDc1HEHf2vaKbCa6-G29DwvizaUxejJeLcQrarwaCuNk9gIUpmG4AlE8lDyehtm_r6atkXn74RgCfxFWdPEpjq/s320/IMG_0058.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach soccer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ukFKxtn3nsR6-6NhPyMeRbWQDcVIehk10m-QPGl9Xqkc_ueKk4Ank6LCHmHP3CC1GaGCq_Aq-D4IbDPi3xdL44LOtQ6NdA2btrSbJxWucnQsQ_b4dS_X_3nTTVD3AKEYiBjRTW6RDMcH/s1600/IMG_0065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ukFKxtn3nsR6-6NhPyMeRbWQDcVIehk10m-QPGl9Xqkc_ueKk4Ank6LCHmHP3CC1GaGCq_Aq-D4IbDPi3xdL44LOtQ6NdA2btrSbJxWucnQsQ_b4dS_X_3nTTVD3AKEYiBjRTW6RDMcH/s320/IMG_0065.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family Portrait</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkT5eKHqKPDkh2TMB2t9CvP7X60dUet9QDxJxkpv09Y6aaSB48NxKl8Y12gVwb0tssQE-g-EsU4pCXATEO_FMzBFNHihppT2H83hlKXAvoAMohQz3vT0BEZfpE9Ly9cUPKY9N_TqEXVNR/s1600/DSC07687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkT5eKHqKPDkh2TMB2t9CvP7X60dUet9QDxJxkpv09Y6aaSB48NxKl8Y12gVwb0tssQE-g-EsU4pCXATEO_FMzBFNHihppT2H83hlKXAvoAMohQz3vT0BEZfpE9Ly9cUPKY9N_TqEXVNR/s320/DSC07687.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kayaking and Paddle boarding</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESKjr88ZlBVDLB_6_OV_c8gX8KEcrce-2hF6u9BGprU4CIlhuuNHbHKdKvHkyuYZ2M0lFEuQJN5B3tLbf3ehavrUzstoe9EaL4hpr4waY5FRQDhy1hlmS1jL5tVHpulBG9SM2OiiNMFK2/s1600/DSC07696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESKjr88ZlBVDLB_6_OV_c8gX8KEcrce-2hF6u9BGprU4CIlhuuNHbHKdKvHkyuYZ2M0lFEuQJN5B3tLbf3ehavrUzstoe9EaL4hpr4waY5FRQDhy1hlmS1jL5tVHpulBG9SM2OiiNMFK2/s320/DSC07696.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew giving the SUP a try</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0gVMMiJFYqOW064eWsO6bmEJSe2B8j4BH6tgYdwVVzkSpT1fkBHBcl_FhV_KF0wqIeHv5rj8U0SKmrhw8DpFCUb-Ol47_QuY8sTZPEOzLqcPCqA3992rDYoSQq6i0R_Je05Ew5j3a6LwT/s1600/DSC07710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0gVMMiJFYqOW064eWsO6bmEJSe2B8j4BH6tgYdwVVzkSpT1fkBHBcl_FhV_KF0wqIeHv5rj8U0SKmrhw8DpFCUb-Ol47_QuY8sTZPEOzLqcPCqA3992rDYoSQq6i0R_Je05Ew5j3a6LwT/s320/DSC07710.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole fam out on the water.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72d5RTX0x03TEK5BTBnvqj6GTUEpwXz8GX9wb7uqYPokwMIMQ2p-G87EhOjrfGeTm86gVjUAwsbjNlgE9FzXG1YiGg-yWJBCxJdBTiJqIWIrVqOy8GPp_iFikiSektkxwQxg9v03OKHn9/s1600/IMG_0067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72d5RTX0x03TEK5BTBnvqj6GTUEpwXz8GX9wb7uqYPokwMIMQ2p-G87EhOjrfGeTm86gVjUAwsbjNlgE9FzXG1YiGg-yWJBCxJdBTiJqIWIrVqOy8GPp_iFikiSektkxwQxg9v03OKHn9/s320/IMG_0067.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing skittles on New Years Eve</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VvBDu_3ABOF0w1RMagxEJToFW5lhYzoxijpYHx-ZLABxtObE935djL8iqZATpK39H260iYy3hUsRlcEQsevOHGLINA6KDKhrDzVop6h9RxWXi0jpbFIeH_ulRx31ddl-gTXbfpG17nUN/s1600/DSC07713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VvBDu_3ABOF0w1RMagxEJToFW5lhYzoxijpYHx-ZLABxtObE935djL8iqZATpK39H260iYy3hUsRlcEQsevOHGLINA6KDKhrDzVop6h9RxWXi0jpbFIeH_ulRx31ddl-gTXbfpG17nUN/s320/DSC07713.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fishing </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9n0utiEfLlA2XM6poflaNwCRiISTJmkNO9cC9OQf8pYjBcozbpPmTZCa0GpvBwBF0-nVT6K494QZIFop1aP3prikX1N6jU3tKcBPuJmhnaG-mx08PclNfVjkrwwPnkhmeKg-54eGaD30d/s1600/DSC07727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9n0utiEfLlA2XM6poflaNwCRiISTJmkNO9cC9OQf8pYjBcozbpPmTZCa0GpvBwBF0-nVT6K494QZIFop1aP3prikX1N6jU3tKcBPuJmhnaG-mx08PclNfVjkrwwPnkhmeKg-54eGaD30d/s320/DSC07727.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saying goodbye to warm Sarasota</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After we left Sarasota we headed up to Richmond Virginia to meet the newest member of the Watson family! Charles' younger brother Paul and his wife had a baby on New Years Eve and we planned to spend our last few weeks of our trip helping them adjust to life with a newborn. We arrived in Richmond and settled into their basement and helped with all sorts of things around the house - a few basement repairs, cooking, diaper changes, bottle washing, bouncing sweet baby Hayden, and anything else that needed to be done. We had a great time and really loved getting to see Hayden grow and change over the course of the three weeks we were there. I enjoyed getting caught up on tv shows I had missed (Grey's Anatomy, Parenthood, and Downton Abbey) and started a knitting project to keep me busy. We both updated our resumes and applied to a few jobs and spent our free time discussing what comes next. Although we still don't know the answer to that question I think we are both adjusting to the fact that not knowing is ok. Here are a few pics from our time in Richmond:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMKfRmx3GlFWi6hpra1N1conKZ1WSk3-DPzLOQXWL-9R3_Rg6Vmzp6Qx2tKrzHDfWJQyMFigQrSlEQRx6fPuDzjc5LZjmmEztexudTCR0lPZRqahlplmS6MPS48H1vQTjJ6gWPgD5pydr/s1600/Hayden+one+week+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMKfRmx3GlFWi6hpra1N1conKZ1WSk3-DPzLOQXWL-9R3_Rg6Vmzp6Qx2tKrzHDfWJQyMFigQrSlEQRx6fPuDzjc5LZjmmEztexudTCR0lPZRqahlplmS6MPS48H1vQTjJ6gWPgD5pydr/s320/Hayden+one+week+(1).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking Hayden's photo - One Week Old</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7o-TtY-z8yKSUIeyNOcXsRhWq6XPgdC2EcCnK9qRoHbhV-IFzQ-UrOacw932DDKf7xv0eWOSFofW8HeMSVgdVNAFV7Gf3GEnMU9AoqtzOJ86OCat6v9X6P-XALgljtDOrCcXiJ4kisOkh/s1600/DSC07739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7o-TtY-z8yKSUIeyNOcXsRhWq6XPgdC2EcCnK9qRoHbhV-IFzQ-UrOacw932DDKf7xv0eWOSFofW8HeMSVgdVNAFV7Gf3GEnMU9AoqtzOJ86OCat6v9X6P-XALgljtDOrCcXiJ4kisOkh/s320/DSC07739.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hayden's first trip to <a href="http://www.ledbury.com/" target="_blank">Ledbury</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zVcsXiMDqa5BG_B8k26pIudKT5-r8S5w06Apbxk4ZRrRbLXkn7oSrEVYn-LCKphHuxA913Ig-KWIHTI_Is5dFjNRXTGl0UB2nTYbqllNLYmLE4l5ARb5iQNczJPYN9rA9W3UBBqFiy-T/s1600/DSC07740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zVcsXiMDqa5BG_B8k26pIudKT5-r8S5w06Apbxk4ZRrRbLXkn7oSrEVYn-LCKphHuxA913Ig-KWIHTI_Is5dFjNRXTGl0UB2nTYbqllNLYmLE4l5ARb5iQNczJPYN9rA9W3UBBqFiy-T/s640/DSC07740.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hayden the center of attention at Ledbury</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgawVmzyQLV_21sEVkU-airBWFZgIs8VyyTYZ7O-T_X8e3YaUZ1-gSR-gvgatT7LEu3HvaQiPwYYHv-_Gj-hrq1Dhm7pnUT4BNRML4_FE2Kk86EhCa5URhE1trzK5-TYfX428cvfbqFHY4U/s1600/Hayden+celebration+%252830%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgawVmzyQLV_21sEVkU-airBWFZgIs8VyyTYZ7O-T_X8e3YaUZ1-gSR-gvgatT7LEu3HvaQiPwYYHv-_Gj-hrq1Dhm7pnUT4BNRML4_FE2Kk86EhCa5URhE1trzK5-TYfX428cvfbqFHY4U/s320/Hayden+celebration+%252830%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proud parents celebrating with birth year port</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSgM_uuBKTsN7s2cFJ1gEMpUSBYV_UpDoGVwyYjqMzCTQ9sVBozTNmijA9tVNXbB7hBuvKg7cH2ja21uN0_GT_a0j1yewbLpYXtruk5QYdnM-tpMdSSIuuZ4icArO0fP4h77zSETMJ1PJ/s1600/IMG_0277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSgM_uuBKTsN7s2cFJ1gEMpUSBYV_UpDoGVwyYjqMzCTQ9sVBozTNmijA9tVNXbB7hBuvKg7cH2ja21uN0_GT_a0j1yewbLpYXtruk5QYdnM-tpMdSSIuuZ4icArO0fP4h77zSETMJ1PJ/s320/IMG_0277.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another birth year port celebration</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSUxwehBt_Rkn9mRQyFwdAQAcRWpUYmrK2esnu91FcdTYWXKPsLd6OJzDeMkEoo2c0zQpWtLmcEzJb0gDTctJ3UJoeauQTbq6brPLIQcdnkt12Vb1V-yinSfy32Tdp_MoZO2itl8Duoxn/s1600/IMG_0350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSUxwehBt_Rkn9mRQyFwdAQAcRWpUYmrK2esnu91FcdTYWXKPsLd6OJzDeMkEoo2c0zQpWtLmcEzJb0gDTctJ3UJoeauQTbq6brPLIQcdnkt12Vb1V-yinSfy32Tdp_MoZO2itl8Duoxn/s320/IMG_0350.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet baby</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We had one last stop planned on our way from Richmond to Houston - a job fair in Atlanta. Charles has worked with a company that places teachers at private schools around the country, it's actually how he found his last job in Houston. So, we thought it would be worth it to stop in Atlanta and get a jump on the job search process. The added bonus was getting to spend time with our friends the Wildmans! We spent a week in Atlanta with Andy and Caroline and their three precious kids, it was a blast. We also got to watch the super bowl with our friends Brooks and Missy. All in all a very worthwhile week. <br />
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As we said goodbye in Atlanta our plan was to make our way back to Houston as quick as possible. But, we ended up stopping to stay with some friends in New Orleans instead of driving the whole way in one day. What started as an evening with friends in NOLA turned into staying for Mardi Gras parades the next day. We figured we were still on our trip and Mardi Gras seemed like the best way to spend our last night before we came back to Houston. So, we went to the Nyx Parade and the Druids Parade with Claudia and Brad and had a wonderful time! On our way back to Houston we took the long way (something we always say we want to do, but never seem to have the time) so we could stop at some of the old sugar plantations on the banks of the Mississippi. It was beautiful!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBc2IMgapRu36ZQ_k0eMDtiSc1V5MC-yzN7XnptJrUucpiw9Y5NKAFX8mj3UcdS8I-uc939ARnenJDa63q3ibwVoZMt1r4_OZ7cByLIXOqGKcvCFNoQlNsOYcoVJZOVEwjZkU5scxTLXh1/s1600/DSC07796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBc2IMgapRu36ZQ_k0eMDtiSc1V5MC-yzN7XnptJrUucpiw9Y5NKAFX8mj3UcdS8I-uc939ARnenJDa63q3ibwVoZMt1r4_OZ7cByLIXOqGKcvCFNoQlNsOYcoVJZOVEwjZkU5scxTLXh1/s320/DSC07796.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mardi Gras in NOLA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzdgrvemf-SlirRB0vv2l4MjDlMYuAiNQEf4CDtv4YSQoDvgsq3oDdnlDfzVqTAFG4QP9BhGcCHhq6koZlNUz1JED1IoH79IBhog1kXBlV_heaAzWLpMspF6eP72ES5NxOLrIIHwLh556t/s1600/DSC07823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzdgrvemf-SlirRB0vv2l4MjDlMYuAiNQEf4CDtv4YSQoDvgsq3oDdnlDfzVqTAFG4QP9BhGcCHhq6koZlNUz1JED1IoH79IBhog1kXBlV_heaAzWLpMspF6eP72ES5NxOLrIIHwLh556t/s640/DSC07823.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Orleans Plantation - Oak Alley</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2I_fn0XZRVFiPTIc_fpITZ_rDXNIOtubtp02UZ0LloGLnRmk9zTxqOGryxQql1xqCIv5tG4DUuqN0Keh-ERVBUt5XYAJPFq3Bz6HgzNptX6tVS_knZ2WIgMEHVuxQiGneGT_dSAPKaPs/s1600/DSC07810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2I_fn0XZRVFiPTIc_fpITZ_rDXNIOtubtp02UZ0LloGLnRmk9zTxqOGryxQql1xqCIv5tG4DUuqN0Keh-ERVBUt5XYAJPFq3Bz6HgzNptX6tVS_knZ2WIgMEHVuxQiGneGT_dSAPKaPs/s320/DSC07810.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oak Alley</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7tAkFcPq_hYpwlpsaOIArItQcYV_0kw_tqmfqX73RfXoL7O0TYLl4V1aNJUKjlY6BuWilWxk3bYWVIaypo0kB-gXnUvsz_EbJXJCP1CatcwvLjUCTFkcBM8xYYlL78UvykvuYtQ1sJP-/s1600/DSC07830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7tAkFcPq_hYpwlpsaOIArItQcYV_0kw_tqmfqX73RfXoL7O0TYLl4V1aNJUKjlY6BuWilWxk3bYWVIaypo0kB-gXnUvsz_EbJXJCP1CatcwvLjUCTFkcBM8xYYlL78UvykvuYtQ1sJP-/s320/DSC07830.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last stop of the trip!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So, we're back and becoming reacquainted with Houston - traffic, our closets, the grocery stores, and having a bed of our very own. It's strange. I find myself reminiscent many times a day...thinking about an afternoon in Italy, a sunset in Jerusalem, the honking in India, or the thrill of not knowing what tomorrow holds. It's funny because I still don't entirely know what our future holds, but it's different, when you're not on the road. <br />
<br />
So, there you have it. I'm still just as lost as I was when I wrote that post above a few weeks ago. But, I think I'm doing better about focusing on the present day and not worrying about the future. The posts here on the blog will probably be less exciting than they have been this past year, but I still plan to write, so come back and check in soon to see what we're up to. <br />
<br /></div>
Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-79611209549519798952013-01-09T17:24:00.001-08:002013-01-09T17:24:54.927-08:00Exploring Seoul<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<![endif]--><b>This is one of several posts that I wrote over the past few weeks while we were still on the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are in Virginia right now, not in Seoul, but I wanted to
share the post as it was originally written (which was back on December 21st) – so here it is.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b> </b> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> <br />
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We are currently in Seoul, South Korea and it is FREEZING
(below freezing to be exact).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
temperature has been hovering around 18 degrees during the day, which has made
sightseeing a little difficult and a little unpleasant due to our lack of
appropriate clothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily this city
has a fantastic metro system, which has helped us see the sights while
minimizing our time walking around above ground in the elements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today it snowed, which actually meant
slightly warmer temperatures (around 23 degrees) and pretty white powder
covering the trees, sidewalks, and buildings. </div>
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Our first day in Seoul we spent the first part of the day
recuperating after our four hour flight that left Hanoi at 11:30 p.m. and
landed in Seoul at 5:00 a.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t
sleep at all, so when we arrived at our hotel at 7:00 a.m. - WE HAD TO SLEEP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went exploring in the late
afternoon and checked out the Namdaemun Market and Shinsegae Mall, where we had
dinner at the food court.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The food
courts in Asia are amazing and this one was no exception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The food is gourmet and everything is
prepared fresh as though you had ordered it in a restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ate in a similar mall food court in
Bangkok, but this one was more upscale and was great for people watching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8v0Th6sbCu-NuWkmY2L7zHRSiEgTi39-7TgJ1ecsjFGulMhIVBAevLbFXbHfWzp_IA87Ph3jI9ar-SN32cXPyvS7qgsBDqBIXIN8zOMusdXAIxhriIwvqhYEZGUPD8z7mOCLs5v0wvfyS/s1600/DSC07549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8v0Th6sbCu-NuWkmY2L7zHRSiEgTi39-7TgJ1ecsjFGulMhIVBAevLbFXbHfWzp_IA87Ph3jI9ar-SN32cXPyvS7qgsBDqBIXIN8zOMusdXAIxhriIwvqhYEZGUPD8z7mOCLs5v0wvfyS/s320/DSC07549.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arrival in Seoul after the red-eye flight</td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62UDIaZbvfKg0chZBmmBh-F-0wY-2hvT8ChZhIE0v-WfvaYTSCY3jpmFw3ksWGIhEsZoZpZx4JWkHihfFkAVGpn16pntQmICfuF-PHZaJdXLGa-qRV2QCuGLtbxJhyphenhyphenlPijVKdh5bC4OAV/s1600/DSC07565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62UDIaZbvfKg0chZBmmBh-F-0wY-2hvT8ChZhIE0v-WfvaYTSCY3jpmFw3ksWGIhEsZoZpZx4JWkHihfFkAVGpn16pntQmICfuF-PHZaJdXLGa-qRV2QCuGLtbxJhyphenhyphenlPijVKdh5bC4OAV/s320/DSC07565.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Namdaemun Market - Christmas decorations!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjixu-tpaoD_7QfYjikT_Rkkb6Nfb9FIo5G7kyAjde3bHxkClbqRGwW8La2Si6dd9W2ONcgmutf8CaANLvf1equ7fuvTORVKdCwFicLeBSrAkBkA2aqygIHznqyB0DdKCqKbtNSFhL_LXZ/s1600/DSC07570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjixu-tpaoD_7QfYjikT_Rkkb6Nfb9FIo5G7kyAjde3bHxkClbqRGwW8La2Si6dd9W2ONcgmutf8CaANLvf1equ7fuvTORVKdCwFicLeBSrAkBkA2aqygIHznqyB0DdKCqKbtNSFhL_LXZ/s320/DSC07570.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shinsegae Mall Food Court</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Tuesday was our second day in Seoul and we spent the day at
the National Museum of Korea, which was an incredible collection of artifacts
spanning the history of the Korean Peninsula.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I made the mistake at lunch of not letting the kitchen know that I am
allergic to shrimp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ordered noodles
with black bean sauce and the menu said nothing of seafood, but we discovered
when it was brought to our table that it did indeed come with a wide assortment
of seafood including shrimp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily
after some pointing and signing and attempting to convey my allergy to the
staff we cleared it up and they made me a new dish without shrimp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything in Seoul seems to have seafood in
it, including the traditional breakfast which is abalone porridge, which we have
yet to try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After lunch we took the
metro over to the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art, which holds the cities
contemporary art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed the
collection and the building that houses it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We especially loved the mirrored sculptures outside, and despite the
freezing temperatures we spent about 10-15 minutes walking around and through
the mirrored sculptures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Itaewon
neighborhood around the museum was really cool, lots of shops and restaurants
so we spent the evening walking and shopping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We had dinner at a Japanese fusion restaurant before taking the subway
back to our hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All in all it was a
great second day of being tourists in Seoul.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyOfeAAvwDuUWCO3c7rjZ9EV9bCLeieGNTNJLL4srjFw6M0TdbF1tfiDlyp9chs0IJmzkV8SOt3BzxBUfyL42Jx2ooEq1pHT-1m5R9KGqg7SBQ8TcbiilD8sUM0D6Hp73x_PseszIWTsc/s1600/DSC07578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyOfeAAvwDuUWCO3c7rjZ9EV9bCLeieGNTNJLL4srjFw6M0TdbF1tfiDlyp9chs0IJmzkV8SOt3BzxBUfyL42Jx2ooEq1pHT-1m5R9KGqg7SBQ8TcbiilD8sUM0D6Hp73x_PseszIWTsc/s320/DSC07578.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">National Museum - Seoul</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhul4_DDbfKIUQo3LlodCD4f6Q8mr0KMmxOT_A-RbnVYxBx3UoTiHAV2XwjXbRUZ9fOE42jpceOutk15cv8OlewMjKutapkNwugCUsnXvHxLtAFGPhBtDFhbGGyX3HN7aFdsbDKfnohD1Dn/s1600/DSC07587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhul4_DDbfKIUQo3LlodCD4f6Q8mr0KMmxOT_A-RbnVYxBx3UoTiHAV2XwjXbRUZ9fOE42jpceOutk15cv8OlewMjKutapkNwugCUsnXvHxLtAFGPhBtDFhbGGyX3HN7aFdsbDKfnohD1Dn/s320/DSC07587.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool mirrored installation at the Leeum Samsung in Seoul</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAdjfFjhe80wF8JLARfIoQt9dj4bqjpZgTfVoBEXFBqyaLVTVDC9OvmLXlBFGHVObj4irFJmizyt4IK9BlGt_ylSNyiS9wAS1ydHGihudKQocV8R-2-i97CdcCEE0EL9W16vMq3irOF-9g/s1600/DSC07592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAdjfFjhe80wF8JLARfIoQt9dj4bqjpZgTfVoBEXFBqyaLVTVDC9OvmLXlBFGHVObj4irFJmizyt4IK9BlGt_ylSNyiS9wAS1ydHGihudKQocV8R-2-i97CdcCEE0EL9W16vMq3irOF-9g/s320/DSC07592.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leeum Seoul</td></tr>
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Wednesday we wanted to check out the art scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had read on Tripadvisor about the Hongdae
neighborhood so we went to check it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was supposed to have lots of cool galleries, shops, and restaurants,
but proved to be mainly shops and bars surrounding the art college nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did enjoy visiting KT&G Sangsang
Madang, which is an art complex that has a really cool design store where you
can buy items designed by the artists who study there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had some really cool stuff and we got some awesome Christmas presents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On our way back to the subway we walked down
this cool alley known for being a place where local artists graffiti and
despite the frigid temperatures we enjoyed looking at the different
murals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After so much time outside we
were ready for an inside destination so we took the subway to the electronics
markets – huge 7 and 8 story buildings filled with any and every electronic
good you can think of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We almost bought
a really cool electronic toilet seat, almost….</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7cxlmILICjBTGnW-vrjc-rqsd2z91r46ISzRedFpAjTHts7qlxVpzFSxFAlgmUtcn3GKgKK_Qg-TgaLAeBL4GGXz0kIF6Kxm72wxdORUBeNVwneyEt16GHr73YX3oh28dzR94HTvh9-fH/s1600/DSC07604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7cxlmILICjBTGnW-vrjc-rqsd2z91r46ISzRedFpAjTHts7qlxVpzFSxFAlgmUtcn3GKgKK_Qg-TgaLAeBL4GGXz0kIF6Kxm72wxdORUBeNVwneyEt16GHr73YX3oh28dzR94HTvh9-fH/s320/DSC07604.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sangsang Madang building</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE33Hz8tNSsVr0Zc09g3zZP4pkEMUGdKJqXGZ37m15F2XTxOPL9rsoal6uOh98GTCEKAaVdo68NQSqdn0ALLK0Tmri_6PW80DIXywzl8h_XFnIaONYFYFJJsyjDvyqeGig8ESrDPy_1RdO/s1600/DSC07607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE33Hz8tNSsVr0Zc09g3zZP4pkEMUGdKJqXGZ37m15F2XTxOPL9rsoal6uOh98GTCEKAaVdo68NQSqdn0ALLK0Tmri_6PW80DIXywzl8h_XFnIaONYFYFJJsyjDvyqeGig8ESrDPy_1RdO/s320/DSC07607.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graffiti Alley in Hongdae Neighborhood</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehZT5cS38ALy2URpY09RpsUoZCS4r_1TLilp2-EkEFwyFkWmMtZJdZ03D94LFkhOTQ4H7mCuFTg_fERCjeOcOmF_GUBd_EKzNiqHSmZXuIeth2TSvusODohjd7cxGhbKRdNvw_wDvpGF8/s1600/DSC07612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehZT5cS38ALy2URpY09RpsUoZCS4r_1TLilp2-EkEFwyFkWmMtZJdZ03D94LFkhOTQ4H7mCuFTg_fERCjeOcOmF_GUBd_EKzNiqHSmZXuIeth2TSvusODohjd7cxGhbKRdNvw_wDvpGF8/s320/DSC07612.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">E-Mart Seoul</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOT-9CRHFhqMMeRkpAWRrCGBpT8P3xiKyy_UmtJxc-Vu9IHO2VDIcCNQULsC4c4urlfmUUk0_BA8ght1vgqJ1DltHazCnawMUCK3nrVJjLUBH_8kBuxdG59q2Y2i8MFFS3mnszg4_jNu8h/s1600/DSC07615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOT-9CRHFhqMMeRkpAWRrCGBpT8P3xiKyy_UmtJxc-Vu9IHO2VDIcCNQULsC4c4urlfmUUk0_BA8ght1vgqJ1DltHazCnawMUCK3nrVJjLUBH_8kBuxdG59q2Y2i8MFFS3mnszg4_jNu8h/s320/DSC07615.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the electronics market</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Thursday morning we went to the Seoul Museum of Art to see the visiting Tim Burton exhibit. It was one of the most interesting exhibits I have been to in a while. The exhibit featured a collection of his sketches, ideas, poetry, movie models, and many more pieces spanning his career. I am glad we fit it in, it was well worth the quick visit. That afternoon we had plans to spend the day with Charles’ friend Woojung, they
attended grad school together at SCAD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She met us at our hotel and we set off in a cab for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> We were finding the communication to be somewhat difficult in Seoul and so it was a wonderful bonus to have a Korean speaker with us to order lunch. Woojung took over the ordering and we ended up with a delicious feast! After lunch we set out to explore the true artsy neighborhood in Seoul (since Woojung is a local she knew where the worthwhile art galleries were). We spent the afternoon stopping into galleries, shops, museums, and even visiting the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyeongbokgung" target="_blank">Gyeongbokgung</a> Palace. We happened to arrive at Gyeongbokgung right as the changing of the guard was taking place, which was awesome and distracted me from the fact that my fingers and toes were completely frozen. Next on our sight seeing tour was a visit to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukchon_Hanok_Village" target="_blank">Bukchon</a> neighborhood, which is an old traditional Korean village that is in the center of Seoul. It is full of narrow alley ways and small wooden houses with tile rooves. I loved it! Our last stop was the </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span class="st">Myeong-dong shopping area where we picked up our last Christmas present and decided that we were sight-see-ed out. W</span>e decided it was time for an evening cocktail with a view. We went to the Lotte Hotel, which has a bar on the 37th floor and a great view of Seoul. Woojung said she was really thirsty and ordered a double whiskey and a pint of Guiness, it was then that I realized that she was preparing for a night on the town. After our drink at the Lotte we went to a Korean BBQ restaurant where again Woojung took care of us and knew exactly what to order. We parted ways when Woojung headed to meet her friends for karaoke, we were really tempted to go with her, but it was already midnight and we had big plans for Friday. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93XDvLHsPTdrAFdRz7-6924dLeyM-NOi5Fh5HS8F1jbkZxRYj2ClJyYaxDTooDiwoNEVn9A83NfYMLzWdv0ZKclMTfzsq7TDIF2Afb1FDE191ozoHd1jtwa7XQxuy0gg2HYwZbO2dcZfh/s1600/DSC07619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93XDvLHsPTdrAFdRz7-6924dLeyM-NOi5Fh5HS8F1jbkZxRYj2ClJyYaxDTooDiwoNEVn9A83NfYMLzWdv0ZKclMTfzsq7TDIF2Afb1FDE191ozoHd1jtwa7XQxuy0gg2HYwZbO2dcZfh/s320/DSC07619.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statues outside the Seoul Museum of Art</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNHnWfMRHp7ogavxvZEzJZlI63O3Qs0mw6-5pPzKg5mtjwNzW2VS_uHO81L9oUe460-BGWDd2iL9f-ZiTkhpzxslt2LV5_o6_X_iXgmFK5APnmpF5HeTiKbaNxxLt6_S3Y4dEET7R93OZ/s1600/DSC07622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNHnWfMRHp7ogavxvZEzJZlI63O3Qs0mw6-5pPzKg5mtjwNzW2VS_uHO81L9oUe460-BGWDd2iL9f-ZiTkhpzxslt2LV5_o6_X_iXgmFK5APnmpF5HeTiKbaNxxLt6_S3Y4dEET7R93OZ/s320/DSC07622.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to the museum to see the Tim Burton exhibit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTj2LTwPH5VHq9HJ_nLGCQqz1nEVgWmEKIPg7be69XP2Bk61Hfx_HqK075UD3guNWnJzniFZ3QfzP5OXhe5I5SgVD8O_YodRB4XFeegr7he_VdHOOzVxwHVHnadJVzznZ2PMCbpT1mu0sk/s1600/DSC07627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTj2LTwPH5VHq9HJ_nLGCQqz1nEVgWmEKIPg7be69XP2Bk61Hfx_HqK075UD3guNWnJzniFZ3QfzP5OXhe5I5SgVD8O_YodRB4XFeegr7he_VdHOOzVxwHVHnadJVzznZ2PMCbpT1mu0sk/s320/DSC07627.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our amazing lunch with Woojung</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu35USg71xq_iH_bX52lIYtp6gM3tN1KF2LmobAq4HTwqkgKHYLlqxuOsXeb0RxaYFiuy1oIifrmhkURs3M5RYbzISSLnpR59ykU6aIvn8sv2Qck0GmOYLSvB5NkGalpHsiJqrGI3XP5-8/s1600/IMG_9877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu35USg71xq_iH_bX52lIYtp6gM3tN1KF2LmobAq4HTwqkgKHYLlqxuOsXeb0RxaYFiuy1oIifrmhkURs3M5RYbzISSLnpR59ykU6aIvn8sv2Qck0GmOYLSvB5NkGalpHsiJqrGI3XP5-8/s320/IMG_9877.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gyeongbokgong Palace Changing of the Guard</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsR9-T3Xp8MRvhucewOGXa80swkUON4wcdgOWuLaVWYp3WkRmygQwg60I9aOaZcTeRywUhxxJL0hu1-zDtyT-sz7DZnUOswF-lIuyua92ojD6vL4FeKr-t7p4dyjG5tpaxrRvfU2fOBKFO/s1600/IMG_9889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsR9-T3Xp8MRvhucewOGXa80swkUON4wcdgOWuLaVWYp3WkRmygQwg60I9aOaZcTeRywUhxxJL0hu1-zDtyT-sz7DZnUOswF-lIuyua92ojD6vL4FeKr-t7p4dyjG5tpaxrRvfU2fOBKFO/s320/IMG_9889.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gyeongbokgong Palace</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj6ZVT0MZOBTKCCGJ0kxMx97IAlfGEwXEtkLqqVS4cgKKOlNb4_pn29Xp3TCgBiAtlzBSrIA9KG-B0zUNFyedLJSrojFLU0fcTfWshPZYhHcjHbl7ZkdgQSIZgENqbPs5YZ02CD7z9rLkt/s1600/IMG_9901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj6ZVT0MZOBTKCCGJ0kxMx97IAlfGEwXEtkLqqVS4cgKKOlNb4_pn29Xp3TCgBiAtlzBSrIA9KG-B0zUNFyedLJSrojFLU0fcTfWshPZYhHcjHbl7ZkdgQSIZgENqbPs5YZ02CD7z9rLkt/s320/IMG_9901.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woojung and Charles on our way to the Folklore Museum</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbD1oHj06D6LGSAfu59fpG6B8n8JUT8MpgBvJPLOahkAUgZTUmW1w_6RBPYBKTTOQAT5z1O1XNUhgmGDY18E6rgf_kl0ImQijG7fmv0Ph8uf2QWq0WVQFSDrzp6nlst2llEO970OjDXaLo/s1600/IMG_9927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbD1oHj06D6LGSAfu59fpG6B8n8JUT8MpgBvJPLOahkAUgZTUmW1w_6RBPYBKTTOQAT5z1O1XNUhgmGDY18E6rgf_kl0ImQijG7fmv0Ph8uf2QWq0WVQFSDrzp6nlst2llEO970OjDXaLo/s320/IMG_9927.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bukchon Neighborood</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woojung - she was really thirsty</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woojung, me, and Charles at the Lotte Hotel Bar</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKRbxmQYhfeS_daI_-ak5M21Hlt9FeunBbZ9-tX9rOnxUUltFwf2n8gFzWY1H27x_cgayrrJEJYKnp7KVngZbnHRBLvLWOYwZCD6CMwQ-_4kiAZucQW-ETSJMhlXMTDNtM92nOu05quhj/s1600/DSC07637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKRbxmQYhfeS_daI_-ak5M21Hlt9FeunBbZ9-tX9rOnxUUltFwf2n8gFzWY1H27x_cgayrrJEJYKnp7KVngZbnHRBLvLWOYwZCD6CMwQ-_4kiAZucQW-ETSJMhlXMTDNtM92nOu05quhj/s320/DSC07637.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Korean BBQ (the floors were heated - so nice)</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">This morning we had a big excursion planned - we went to the DMZ. It was something Charles really wanted to do and I thought would be pretty cool and definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity. We had to get approval from the UN 48 hours before and they made sure we were aware that the tour could be canceled at any point during the trip. We took a bus from Seoul to the DMZ, which takes about an hour. Once we arrived we went through several checkpoints before we were given a briefing at the Joint Security Area (JSA) Briefing Room. Where we were told about the history of the DMZ and were given strict instructions about walking two-by-two in a single file line, wearing badges clearly visible, and not pointing or waving at the North Korean soldiers. We then took a military bus further into the DMZ to visit the JSA buildings where the meetings between North and South Korea take place. We were allowed to take a few pictures inside the buildings and then outside on the steps of the South Korean offices looking toward the North Korean buildings. That is when our little oops-y happened. I had the camera with the zoom lens and Charles told me to take a picture of the North Korean soldier. For some reason I didn't see him standing on the steps of the building. As I was searching for him Charles accidentally raised his hand and pointed. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">In all the excitement and nervous energy of being in that spot we briefly forgot about the rules. </span>The woman leading our tour immediately snapped at him, "no pointing!" We both immediately stood straight forward with our hands at our sides and nervously apologized for our mistake. It ended up not being a problem and we were able to get a few pictures. It was snowing this morning when we arrived at the DMZ and we were very lucky to be able to visit the zone. We stopped in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imjingak" target="_blank">Imjingak</a> on our way back to Seoul, which is a park set up on the border of the DMZ where people who have family in North Korea can gather to have memorial ceremonies. While we were in Imjingak we learned that the afternoon group was not able to go to the DMZ and had to turn around without visiting due to the heavy snow fall. The DMZ visit was well worth the time and money and I would highly recommend it if you visit Seoul. Here are a few pics:</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boundary line in the DMZ - the North Korean side is covered in snow</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me standing in North Korea with a South Korean guard</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles at the DMZ with North Korea behind him</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North Korean soldier</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge of No Return in the DMZ</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imjingak - looking towards North Korea</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Tonight we are going to the Gangnam neighborhood to have dinner, we figured we couldn't be in Korea and not visit the neighborhood made famous by the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0" target="_blank">song</a>! Tomorrow we leave for the U.S. - I can't believe the time has come to go home...</span></div>
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Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-18740915534981166322012-12-31T19:29:00.000-08:002013-01-09T17:24:44.819-08:00Happy New Year!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, we made it - we circumnavigated the globe. I've been meaning to
post for over a week now. Actually, I have at least three blog posts
already started, but I thought that since its New Year's Eve I should
write something a little more on point.<br /><br />
We returned from our trip stopping first in Dallas to see my family then
heading on to Florida to spend some time with Charles' family. I think
it's fitting that we are ending this amazing year with our families.
This year in many ways has revolved around families. We became our own
family, surrounded by everyone who loves us in March of this year. We
set out on an adventure together this summer, which allowed us to grow
in our relationship and made me realize that traveling with your spouse
and best friend alleviates a lot of homesickness. We also learned the
importance of family in cultures throughout the world, by interacting
with families as we traveled.<br />
<br />
As the end of 2012 draws near, I am grateful for the wonderful man I
married, the life changing adventure we shared, and the family and
friends that surround us. I am excited about what 2013 has to offer,
and I can't wait to make more memories with the people I love.<br />
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Happy New Year!!!</div>
Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-47505646417175555612012-12-15T01:42:00.000-08:002012-12-15T01:42:15.550-08:00Magical Sapa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We arrived in Lao Cai at about 4:50 a.m. on the train, we had slept a little on our first overnight train, but it was bumpy and every time we stopped I woke up to see if it was time to get off. We had arranged a shuttle through our hotel from Lao Cai to Sapa and were happy to see a man holding a sign waiting for us when we exited the train station. He led us to a van and we put or back packs inside and sat and waited while he went to collect more passengers. Little did we know we would be waiting for over an hour. Finally, once they had a full van load of people we headed to Sapa. It was a cold, foggy morning and we couldn't see anything out the window except white wispy fog moving through the bamboo and masking the mountains that I knew we were climbing only because my ears kept popping. <br />
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The van dropped us at our hotel and we were offered some coffee and breakfast until our room was ready. After a short morning nap, a skype chat with Paul and Meredith, and much needed showers we set out to explore the town of Sapa. <br />
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We wandered down the foggy streets and caught glimpses of the mountains surrounding us and the buildings lining the narrow streets. The first thing we had to do was find an ATM so we could get some money for lunch as we were standing in the middle of the market street looking at our map a girl dressed in traditional tribal clothes approached us and asked us to buy something. We told her no and continued our search for the ATM, she followed us. I asked her name, she replied "Mae" and then she said "I follow you." Mae is 15 years old and lives in a village about 12km from the town of Sapa and she rides a motorbike into town every day to sell the crafts that she makes to the tourists who come here. She showed us where the ATM was and we thanked her and kept on our way, and then I turned around, she was still following. I decided to buy something from her, a gift for someone back home. We thanked her and said goodbye and she said "see you tomorrow." After lunch we wandered down the foggy streets and found a coffee shop with a second floor over looking the street below and Charles worked on a painting and I sat and read and we enjoyed hot, sweet Vietnamese coffee. A little later, while Charles continued to paint the foggy view out the cafe window, I went for a walk down the street and stopped into one of the dozens of massage store fronts and got a Red Dzao foot soak and reflexology massage. In the evening fog we walked back to our hotel to drop Charles' painting supplies back at the hotel before finding a place for dinner. As we walked down the street we were approached by women dressed in the different garb from each village, each one smiled and said "buy from me," and we smiled in return and said "no thank you." <br />
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We had dinner at a restaurant called Viet Emotion, which advertises itself as a Spanish tapas restaurant, but actually serves delicious authentic Vietnamese food - we didn't try the Spanish tapas. The restaurant was playing Mexican music, which was so familiar sounding to us, that it took us a few minutes to notice how out of place it was in Sapa, Vietnam. When the food came out Charles' chicken with mountain herbs was served on a steaming hot skillet, we joked that maybe it is the Vietnamese version of fajitas, which made the Mexican music seem a little less out of place, in a very odd sort of way. My stir fried mountain vegetables and herbs were with noodles were my favorite Vietnamese dish of the trip, so far at least. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious dinner at Viet Emotion</td></tr>
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I woke up the next morning excited to go trekking to the tribal villages surrounding the town of Sapa. We arranged our tour through a company called <a href="http://sapasisters.webs.com/" target="_blank">Sapa Sisters</a>, which is company run by the women in the villages and therefore the profits from the business go entirely to benefit the communities you visit. We met our guide Mao at 9:00 a.m. in front of our hotel, I was surprised when I walked out to meet her that she had her 3 month old baby strapped to her back - he is precious! She explained that we would go to three villages today, one of them being her own. When Charles walked out of the hotel he was just as surprised as I was that Mao had her baby strapped to her back and that he would be joining us on the trek. So, the four of us set off down the street and made our way towards the villages, but it didn't remain four of us for very long. As we were taking the main road out of Sapa two other women that Mao knows joined us on the trek. We walked down the muddy road into the fog together, it was awesome. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginning our trek</td></tr>
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We came to a small shop and Mao stopped and told us she wanted to buy some sugarcane. I asked her what it was for and she responded as though it was the only possible use, that it was for eating. So, as we continued on our way she handed us each a stick of freshly cut sugar cane to chew on as we walked. And so, we walked through the fog and off the main road and onto a muddy trail. The trail took us through the terraced rice paddies, still enshrouded in fog, and we hopped over fences and made our way closer to the first village. The mud was slippery and sucked and pulled at your shoes as you walked through it. The women who walked with us were wearing rubber boots and trudged through the mud as though it was nothing. One of the women who joined us on the trek insisted on holding my hand as we descended on the really slippery parts of the trail. Any time she thought that the terrain was getting a little too difficult she would grab my wrist and say "careful, eh" and then would look up at me and grin. I just wanted to squeeze her in a big hug. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9CfxVQ672drr3bOYUQdRVAMEO-Ivez7OXCCNgiNTd0Cxpt8I5x-Rx6yS7qSodNkJObilPiCgdunFCdXgL1eW9Qiz3sRqP5xFe4JWLny7UIKpf_qdXD5M4JdZq7wRBZwbLOhrCJryOvNqp/s1600/DSC07325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9CfxVQ672drr3bOYUQdRVAMEO-Ivez7OXCCNgiNTd0Cxpt8I5x-Rx6yS7qSodNkJObilPiCgdunFCdXgL1eW9Qiz3sRqP5xFe4JWLny7UIKpf_qdXD5M4JdZq7wRBZwbLOhrCJryOvNqp/s320/DSC07325.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buying sugar cane.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnq5hr8NoGe_9tl1VxzB-hM46LA46A-60tc343tT430M15QjuhwJCVCGGyZHmPFKGD2fAKhOlOAqWlZ62SdP00LHFC5XcT-JOgarv85TBidwB7_GmtUtwlDDt2WuH5yxaslwSq7cHe_m48/s1600/DSC07334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnq5hr8NoGe_9tl1VxzB-hM46LA46A-60tc343tT430M15QjuhwJCVCGGyZHmPFKGD2fAKhOlOAqWlZ62SdP00LHFC5XcT-JOgarv85TBidwB7_GmtUtwlDDt2WuH5yxaslwSq7cHe_m48/s320/DSC07334.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking the rice terrace</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After two and a half hours of walking through the mud down into the valley the fog began to lift and the magical of this place exposed itself, it was truly amazing. The stair stepped terraces surrounded us and sloped down the mountains into a river in the valley below us, and we just had to stop and stare and what appeared below the fog.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyimADit8CG7Q37xFBf9IrQc1Whpz7vVGZJLSa2y7oXivIG9Wjmx-fiv_lAHjRZ4ySgSyT393dgtkqiJ3_t7gHyLnsecoxV3x36rgquX4pYb9iplBvVIKSsDFKoDkXPs2LNZsZHVwI25P2/s1600/DSC07340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyimADit8CG7Q37xFBf9IrQc1Whpz7vVGZJLSa2y7oXivIG9Wjmx-fiv_lAHjRZ4ySgSyT393dgtkqiJ3_t7gHyLnsecoxV3x36rgquX4pYb9iplBvVIKSsDFKoDkXPs2LNZsZHVwI25P2/s320/DSC07340.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fog lifting </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48ZGb90xgb2P_2pMUnGJYch2BZhXUFo8CdSK704dF_nwPRjUPo9wFJTKBGjw8mrJiirpUdxYkY11llTPeZTTmQ1kNXeNxl2wX4n9SxwUciK3vkOPYcG5hyxIPzTkB7H4hvfGY8wIeTJp2/s1600/DSC07343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48ZGb90xgb2P_2pMUnGJYch2BZhXUFo8CdSK704dF_nwPRjUPo9wFJTKBGjw8mrJiirpUdxYkY11llTPeZTTmQ1kNXeNxl2wX4n9SxwUciK3vkOPYcG5hyxIPzTkB7H4hvfGY8wIeTJp2/s320/DSC07343.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with Mao and her friends</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After about three hours of walking we came to the second village, which was where we would have lunch, prepared by Mao's husband. We crossed this bridge and made our way down into the village where we had a wonderful lunch of chicken fried rice and I had the chance to hold Mao's baby. This was also where our other hiking companions said goodbye, of course not without trying to sell us some of their hand spun, woven, dyed, and embroidered goods. We ended up buying one item from each woman, which made them both very happy. Once we were finished eating we sat enjoying the beautiful view and talking about how special this experience has been, when we were surrounded by several precious faces - children of the village asking us to buy something from them. As I've said before in my blog posts, I don't like to buy from the kids peddling, because it only encourages the trend and only benefits the parents, not the children. Most of all it makes me sad that the children aren't in school. One girl asked me if I wanted to buy something and I answered "no, thank you." She stared up at me with her sweet face and replied back "yes, thank you," I couldn't help but smile, but I replied by asking her name. She was surprised at the question but then told me her name was Sue and she was nine years old. She was insistent that we buy something, anything, from her. But I explained to her that we weren't buying anything and she turned to go. She continued to watch us as we sat there and would smile and wave from the top of the stairs or glance our direction as she walked past, she was a smart sweet kid and we were immediately enchanted by her. Before we left we met Mao's sister, who also is a guide for Sapa Sisters, she had the best laugh - it kind of burst out of her and made everyone around her smile.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNmwYWKig1-pRra8v7lETgRnAcVBiqpFZt2VMeumsU-NK3VCM22CVVN-ILhZW5mxQi37QLEXN-VGpCuvbCxp0DOlhlDbsKElBXeAD-kxLbZSTtij4Y1ZyBsTZw-BBOC8a9sB23uM9FBmN/s1600/DSC07349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNmwYWKig1-pRra8v7lETgRnAcVBiqpFZt2VMeumsU-NK3VCM22CVVN-ILhZW5mxQi37QLEXN-VGpCuvbCxp0DOlhlDbsKElBXeAD-kxLbZSTtij4Y1ZyBsTZw-BBOC8a9sB23uM9FBmN/s320/DSC07349.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the bridge to the second village</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtbIIXcQpn1kLUf0koSvBAA-V2jxJ3B_ys295eHBbbtIIO1JxwGIx-fINqyeOQdDy1zl9hJUkG3s8uBRILMCpIXBUH7URQWUtzeCMmiQPXjG040yGKCt6zcRsu_zHE3tYo2WEn3Q-nNqC/s1600/DSC07364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtbIIXcQpn1kLUf0koSvBAA-V2jxJ3B_ys295eHBbbtIIO1JxwGIx-fINqyeOQdDy1zl9hJUkG3s8uBRILMCpIXBUH7URQWUtzeCMmiQPXjG040yGKCt6zcRsu_zHE3tYo2WEn3Q-nNqC/s320/DSC07364.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saying goodbye to our trekking companions</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The last half of our trek took us to one more village where we met more of Mao's family. The sun came out and the sky turned bright blue and we could see the green expanse of terraced rice paddies in every direction. Mao took us back up the mountain where we crisscrossed through the rice paddies and past small houses built into the slopes. We met her aunt and her brother along the road. We came across her mom helping to lay gravel into a new road. We stopped in to see if we could find her father where he worked. Mao took us to their family's shop where her father sells knives and her mother dyes fabric with indigo and she gave Charles a handful of the indigo paste so that he can try painting with it. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgansNjjgvqxKvoGMEv20iKCfuEh6MX7BNsYxojAg4eVOBbPdA7DVIj0jRChytcwySB-CCRwlK4OOqRoR4xljPk-50vXSZWIF_bW6PjACZZnhGEUQutALoESacJJyEP8xp6F6yVAnMIOpBx/s1600/DSC07385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgansNjjgvqxKvoGMEv20iKCfuEh6MX7BNsYxojAg4eVOBbPdA7DVIj0jRChytcwySB-CCRwlK4OOqRoR4xljPk-50vXSZWIF_bW6PjACZZnhGEUQutALoESacJJyEP8xp6F6yVAnMIOpBx/s640/DSC07385.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rice terraces near Sapa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMpKuUMeG4Qb4K8XAiKz1p8nWYywlHPB33Op9ulR8UhvcN2NfcEAtNY94c4Ff4SfdXmlPuzJQpG-o9sF8H4ehy5HIZsPdMrV8deZwueu6wzYTGt0dQUj1mA8z6UQQI2Z33q50_U7XTPUnf/s1600/DSC07391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMpKuUMeG4Qb4K8XAiKz1p8nWYywlHPB33Op9ulR8UhvcN2NfcEAtNY94c4Ff4SfdXmlPuzJQpG-o9sF8H4ehy5HIZsPdMrV8deZwueu6wzYTGt0dQUj1mA8z6UQQI2Z33q50_U7XTPUnf/s320/DSC07391.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vat of indigo dye</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVy5G20va_nmxj5UUk5xKmh1PBuuowF54DTUS3sZcd722_vy3XumB-oqIR2jFs2j-Fp6CgSzsBeNAKsjpsZFNFjr8ZYa5hKAu-XVdISHGifG850yRcrrac8aS3-9pAFBM47qFVW2Bqewg/s1600/DSC07399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVy5G20va_nmxj5UUk5xKmh1PBuuowF54DTUS3sZcd722_vy3XumB-oqIR2jFs2j-Fp6CgSzsBeNAKsjpsZFNFjr8ZYa5hKAu-XVdISHGifG850yRcrrac8aS3-9pAFBM47qFVW2Bqewg/s320/DSC07399.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stopping to chat with Mao's mother on the road.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhYCX_eIGHZOiqI30Su7lfN0ErGAor83ZrKy2yXRdT-z-wkwnkOqZxVTjCKs2Mc-qSBPeS7LIFpYOx49Znz_c3TcG8UTOtLSFL1NJ7-SJhDhasWPTF58QfpXhvwnytITO5yDrwJKBN3g5/s1600/DSC07402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhYCX_eIGHZOiqI30Su7lfN0ErGAor83ZrKy2yXRdT-z-wkwnkOqZxVTjCKs2Mc-qSBPeS7LIFpYOx49Znz_c3TcG8UTOtLSFL1NJ7-SJhDhasWPTF58QfpXhvwnytITO5yDrwJKBN3g5/s320/DSC07402.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Muddy shoes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Our trek lasted from about 9:00 a.m. until about 3:00 p.m. and covered around 10km, we think. It was one of the most incredible experiences we have had, and we cherished having a local guide who could take us off the beaten path and allow us to interact with her family. At the end of our hike Mao called her uncle and her brother to take us back to Sapa on their motorbikes. While we waited I took this picture of Mao and her baby while Charles played with the family dog. Thank you Mao for your wonderful hospitality, we loved our day trekking with you. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_nVJayPruIfGK3QJgM2V-AvQRAVknybUt3xKciB9N-q9Jt9fD2jfn5UcKgH6A_9ODBdgYrYkAMWcMfJul-gSVjUVmYwsGOAJrqumH7hWcyaO3Y7jPeWyKgsD21JDOKKpYmaZXUvd5Vt9/s1600/DSC07413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_nVJayPruIfGK3QJgM2V-AvQRAVknybUt3xKciB9N-q9Jt9fD2jfn5UcKgH6A_9ODBdgYrYkAMWcMfJul-gSVjUVmYwsGOAJrqumH7hWcyaO3Y7jPeWyKgsD21JDOKKpYmaZXUvd5Vt9/s320/DSC07413.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mao</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokqgdHVDPt5VGT7hm-nxEaXVspsgAmbnf9Yu4MKA17DqN4TXSverFm4S4tuCDr9CWXjeRykPAi6UPPzoFImQBTWz-JkmvwjFzWCdPWWoH5CLAB833Dt_ALb7c43qeMoMPTyCSBzDLCyyW/s1600/DSC07410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokqgdHVDPt5VGT7hm-nxEaXVspsgAmbnf9Yu4MKA17DqN4TXSverFm4S4tuCDr9CWXjeRykPAi6UPPzoFImQBTWz-JkmvwjFzWCdPWWoH5CLAB833Dt_ALb7c43qeMoMPTyCSBzDLCyyW/s320/DSC07410.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles petting the family dog.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We got off of the motorbikes in Sapa feeling very satisfied with our day. As we sat at a cafe perched on the side of the mountain overlooking the rest of the town we felt very lucky to have spent the day trekking in this amazing place. Then as we sat the clouds and fog that make Sapa so mysterious and magical began to roll back into the valley to shroud the villages again until tomorrow. Oh, Sapa - what a place!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVJCUxTJ8KLaT-Bp-3_rEAmIAIMJS0IqoBH9-LqPLuCAHq1jIb33gPkwZzwLTZu2r_UqxyoGS0CqG0vvYdqcizn3lv081_bA3_Iu1Wg-ciCHgJul1AcnDY_gdPptm_QI_1dTIU9jQLa72/s1600/DSC07422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVJCUxTJ8KLaT-Bp-3_rEAmIAIMJS0IqoBH9-LqPLuCAHq1jIb33gPkwZzwLTZu2r_UqxyoGS0CqG0vvYdqcizn3lv081_bA3_Iu1Wg-ciCHgJul1AcnDY_gdPptm_QI_1dTIU9jQLa72/s320/DSC07422.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fog rolling in</td></tr>
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Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-37063990408028786722012-12-12T07:31:00.001-08:002012-12-12T07:32:21.146-08:00Ha Long Bay<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We took a two day one night cruise on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ha_Long_Bay" target="_blank">Ha Long Bay</a>, one of the most well
known tourist attractions in Vietnam and an UNESCO world heritage sight.
I had heard many mixed reviews about whether it was worth it to go -
some people said it was wonderful and others that it was over crowded,
polluted, and depressing. So, I started to research and came across a
company called <a href="http://darianculbert.com/" target="_blank">Darian Culbert</a> on TripAdvisor. There were numerous good
reviews about their booking service in Ha Long Bay, so I sent them an
email. We received a recommendation to take the
Dragon Pearl cruise through a company called Indochina Junk (the boats
are called junks). This company operates in a different part of the bay
than the other tour operators, which means it is less crowded and
therefore more pristine. I took the advice and booked the Dragon Pearl
for our Halong Bay excursion. I was also very happy to learn that
Darien Culbert could book our train tickets to Sapa - thanks again, we
are very grateful we found a good company to help us with our bookings.<br />
<br />
We were picked up at our hotel in Hanoi and shuttled to the bay, which
is about 3 hours away. It was about 12:30 when we were taken out to our junk boat, the Dragon Pearl 3. We had lunch and got to know
some of the other passengers. We ended up sitting next to two girls from
Berlin at lunch, Isabel and Paulina, they were really fun to get to
know. The food at lunch was fantastic and as soon as we thought it was
nearing the end another dish was brought out. After lunch we spent the
afternoon visiting a cave on one of the limestone islands and going
kayaking in the bay. It was a great way to spend the afternoon and gave
us a different perspective of our surroundings than we had on the junk
boat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_AclbSzRf777MgpXuacmCgtTBqcutU5LM8iEJUysosvDaNQ_wF_7GNZGLxDGxV7lXeJcVi5Ncj49XBeHvBaSLnnOS5vATZCdRgTPXnCJkIBaA3xmSPv4-fOTL5yWcYUW4tDP_r-ry4R3/s1600/DSC07200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_AclbSzRf777MgpXuacmCgtTBqcutU5LM8iEJUysosvDaNQ_wF_7GNZGLxDGxV7lXeJcVi5Ncj49XBeHvBaSLnnOS5vATZCdRgTPXnCJkIBaA3xmSPv4-fOTL5yWcYUW4tDP_r-ry4R3/s320/DSC07200.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome drink on the boat - warm pineapple juice - interesting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfE5ywGO8Oqa-IZQMhgedXo75i4IFGdGxf7bySQ5Cvq44VgnOYPzDk4kje0iUCTxBCJXHIk067QNwDl-Zrmmzhhek-C4xPZgoSI47n3Y1taxRDWGR9nyK9Hu29lG4j6qi-nXJdw01KMmV/s1600/DSC07234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfE5ywGO8Oqa-IZQMhgedXo75i4IFGdGxf7bySQ5Cvq44VgnOYPzDk4kje0iUCTxBCJXHIk067QNwDl-Zrmmzhhek-C4xPZgoSI47n3Y1taxRDWGR9nyK9Hu29lG4j6qi-nXJdw01KMmV/s320/DSC07234.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the cave with junk boats in the background</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GadYirMEpZlogWi57vt9wlBusKbK8ldKONOcx6QUT3JwT4qGUDiSWIQkbhPLxi34xK3pQsiWgPresRd1p3aerLYRt3EJSytN5DKY7ZlO3xrhQRtrek8S5tg_S_kXbrgx9W_NjTgbhjSU/s1600/DSC07236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GadYirMEpZlogWi57vt9wlBusKbK8ldKONOcx6QUT3JwT4qGUDiSWIQkbhPLxi34xK3pQsiWgPresRd1p3aerLYRt3EJSytN5DKY7ZlO3xrhQRtrek8S5tg_S_kXbrgx9W_NjTgbhjSU/s320/DSC07236.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post kayaking</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our itinerary gave us the evening to hang out on the top deck of the boat and we ended
up visiting more with Isabel and Paulina. They served dinner around 7:00
- another meal with dish after dish of delicious food. After dinner the
crew was fishing and invited guests to fish as well. We didn't end up
participating, but we watched and visited with a woman named Jennifer
from Singapore whose two boys were fishing. She shared so much
information about Singapore, now we can't wait to visit some day.
Everyone turned in pretty early because breakfast was being served the
next morning at 7:00 a.m. so that we could visit a floating fishing
village at 8:30.<br />
<br />
The fishing village was very interesting, the families live on floating
houses and earn their living farming fish, cultivating pearls, and
participating in Eco-tourism. We visited the local school where children
from ages 3-11 all sat in one room having lessons. Then we watched as a
young girl from the village did a demonstration on inserting the
necessary matter and seed into the oyster to create the pearl. It was
really cool.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5FF6FQHKJSmBkDSWHicnD1nYwpATF5Ddjdt4VEEGEWobxrZ9onVzmqwmdAvGtSXMmAn7VZEeezqwwQx3bvwQTcLdWkLg29eKlD37Vd0TNrEAOAkkMYemVOAl3-09ymDs_cmF1Idk0_gB/s1600/DSC07284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5FF6FQHKJSmBkDSWHicnD1nYwpATF5Ddjdt4VEEGEWobxrZ9onVzmqwmdAvGtSXMmAn7VZEeezqwwQx3bvwQTcLdWkLg29eKlD37Vd0TNrEAOAkkMYemVOAl3-09ymDs_cmF1Idk0_gB/s320/DSC07284.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">School in the floating village in Ha Long Bay</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV43aW7I4-gbxII0p6oXcxsXSqoLEHwbhOvCr38bjPER7M6CuqR0DP2Ej_qYup8rp-UfsrC7qmGXs3ud0ZWFcfq4hsD8Sl332YwzBlzIgeA-z9eeGtQrPa4nz6AqAOWPFuHXDf5zD7bxrI/s1600/DSC07293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV43aW7I4-gbxII0p6oXcxsXSqoLEHwbhOvCr38bjPER7M6CuqR0DP2Ej_qYup8rp-UfsrC7qmGXs3ud0ZWFcfq4hsD8Sl332YwzBlzIgeA-z9eeGtQrPa4nz6AqAOWPFuHXDf5zD7bxrI/s320/DSC07293.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The floating village</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29UWJ_4cKiY1zzbVQeQvyxtadvdAFpGVfvI9vHU8we50Bdis3YmAAxcrAyz3ofoE2BfpqU1TeKtmsFyjxHFHocGGSyQ7CMNIrveDVq2roDstLe-D210v-FQFQPkCa8XKoFWRLXb6aH80i/s1600/IMG_9668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29UWJ_4cKiY1zzbVQeQvyxtadvdAFpGVfvI9vHU8we50Bdis3YmAAxcrAyz3ofoE2BfpqU1TeKtmsFyjxHFHocGGSyQ7CMNIrveDVq2roDstLe-D210v-FQFQPkCa8XKoFWRLXb6aH80i/s320/IMG_9668.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cultivating pearls in oysters</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We had lunch on the junk as we made our way back to the port. All in all
we really enjoyed our quick trip on the Dragon Pearl 3. It is a very
fast trip and you are kept on a tight itinerary, but worth it to see the
beautiful scenery. I highly recommend Indochina Junk- they did a
fantastic job!<br />
<br />
We rode back to Hanoi with the family from Singapore and enjoyed
visiting with them a little more. We had so much fun making new friends
on our trip to Ha Long Bay. Jennifer, Isabel, and Paulina - if you are
reading, don't forget to send us an email so we can stay in touch! It
was a pleasure meeting you all (or y'all as we say in Texas).<br />
<br />
We spent the afternoon in Hanoi just hanging out before we got on our
night train to Sapa. Luckily the train was on time and although there
was some confusion about our tickets, overall it was a good experience
albeit rather bumpy.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow we are going trekking with a guide from one of the local hill
tribes near Sapa - I can't wait! I'm hoping for good weather - today its
so foggy you can hardly see 10 feet in front of you. No matter what we
should meet some interesting people and learn about the unique culture
in this part of Vietnam.<br />
</div>
Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-10609234628915299672012-12-11T03:05:00.000-08:002012-12-11T03:10:58.373-08:00travel days<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Note: I wrote this on Sunday December 9th.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m kind of grouchy today, and tired (maybe I’m grouchy
because I’m tired).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are currently on
a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I like to use flight time to write because usually it’s a long enough
span of time to get some good work done and it distracts me from the travel
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today’s travel day seems a little
more difficult than some of the previous ones, it’s probably because we are
nearing the end of our trip, and they (travel days) have been a little more
frequent in this part of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On December 5<sup>th</sup> (also known to me as my sister’s
birthday – Happy Birthday Marisa!) we took a bus from Siem Reap to Phnom
Penh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bus ride was a long and bumpy
one – it took us a little over 6 hours, with one 20 minute break, to make the journey between the two
cities, but we made it in one piece and were relieved to find that there were
easy to arrange tuk-tuks waiting at the bus stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was very happy to have one 6 hour bus ride and another travel day
behind me, and was dreading the one from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City a
little less.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ADJLRnOpkWkxwSlpNETBVlJ7QhRddM6l7_d39HTrXfF-3nmjAOWHmLkpk2BWfLw6hhv2ukIegzlwUh7V-zCTXDFrS9msGkzXBXWvT7QFrisr9ztJdyh0Yq8_2zSDDdfO3ofpp3XHnzD5/s1600/DSC07115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ADJLRnOpkWkxwSlpNETBVlJ7QhRddM6l7_d39HTrXfF-3nmjAOWHmLkpk2BWfLw6hhv2ukIegzlwUh7V-zCTXDFrS9msGkzXBXWvT7QFrisr9ztJdyh0Yq8_2zSDDdfO3ofpp3XHnzD5/s320/DSC07115.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the snacks for sale at our rest stop (we didn't partake).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We arrived at our hotel after dark and had to find a
restaurant for dinner, we walked toward the busy riverside area of Phnom Penh
in hopes of finding a restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw
one across from the park near our hotel and decided to stop in, it was one of
our least favorite meals of the trip, but at least we had eaten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On our way home we discussed our poor
restaurant choice and vowed to find a better spot the next night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our plan for the next day was to visit the
two museums in the city that provide the sad history of the Cambodian people
under the Khmer Rouge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We knew that it
would be a heart wrenching and difficult day, but we felt that it was important
to visit the museums while we are here, in order to better understand the
history of the country and the suffering of the Cambodian people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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The museums were terribly hard and sad to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My heart sank over and over again as I read
stories from the war and learned about the genocide that occurred here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of it was so hard to see and hear and
read about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am glad we went to the
museums though and I think we both had an easier time with the information in
the museums since we had read books written by survivors in the weeks leading
up to our visits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After our draining morning
of learning about the painful past we didn’t have much energy for any more
sightseeing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, we spent the
afternoon just hanging out around our hotel, something we both definitely
needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That evening we succeeded in
finding a better restaurant option for dinner, we had a delicious Cambodian
dish called Amok at a restaurant near the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> On our way home Charles was invited to play soccer in the park, see the "team" picture below.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmWKsx-AjCry1s1Exqivx9Fh2_tWc4KRE5e0maf-rFQ2tl6N5vvLr9nFqUt6i3NBBR7KVWd7y5m_CFyBBgfIvS3qhrMzMXfMq4HNqaNFYcls5WVxU5CH994glgy9aVBAbnM56KeqQBEDU/s1600/DSC07128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmWKsx-AjCry1s1Exqivx9Fh2_tWc4KRE5e0maf-rFQ2tl6N5vvLr9nFqUt6i3NBBR7KVWd7y5m_CFyBBgfIvS3qhrMzMXfMq4HNqaNFYcls5WVxU5CH994glgy9aVBAbnM56KeqQBEDU/s320/DSC07128.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amok - delicious</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFH5fQGzL0sCQ8-I8JaSlblhi2LBnzmtqE0Z3J2gwghH2h52VwGIQGag21nXbu2q_liUADgsg1w_KERfqguD88IjMTx5-bpXNRAL5tkhyOKWwK8n5SuyHeUjsWtX28spWBXnKpd_fpDiF/s1600/DSC07142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFH5fQGzL0sCQ8-I8JaSlblhi2LBnzmtqE0Z3J2gwghH2h52VwGIQGag21nXbu2q_liUADgsg1w_KERfqguD88IjMTx5-bpXNRAL5tkhyOKWwK8n5SuyHeUjsWtX28spWBXnKpd_fpDiF/s320/DSC07142.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pickup soccer in Phnom Penh</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next morning we had just enough time for a visit to the
Central Market in Phnom Penh before we got on our bus to Ho Chi Minh City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I especially enjoyed walking through the food
stalls in the market and seeing the various types of fish and produce
available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The variety was like none
that we have seen anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpXnuqjsMOtiYMO7fB5L1VirWCHLBZKy4Ty4qDUOcgyNdz3oTtsClc1cpA9LHG24cgAotMXCAQT2I2UAO9weceIGiW7OlxPQlfmtFkiQcEZfC5nPKpDgrvL7nlcDoeN4qJDjyXtg9Hauh/s1600/DSC07144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpXnuqjsMOtiYMO7fB5L1VirWCHLBZKy4Ty4qDUOcgyNdz3oTtsClc1cpA9LHG24cgAotMXCAQT2I2UAO9weceIGiW7OlxPQlfmtFkiQcEZfC5nPKpDgrvL7nlcDoeN4qJDjyXtg9Hauh/s320/DSC07144.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Central Market, Phnom Penh</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Zw5yISAnSVGMrKzsvuTkkysO6Iwbbqdj31Jqd157_vvXDdUz_ojJQKseuG1CB-VeoK93ad9H5mrzZl3Xi7ekyQ5U16BGdTbOcB92QQwW-CmyyWY-Zmbu5vwDQEcwZ7r2DvLUBgPkneZc/s1600/DSC07151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Zw5yISAnSVGMrKzsvuTkkysO6Iwbbqdj31Jqd157_vvXDdUz_ojJQKseuG1CB-VeoK93ad9H5mrzZl3Xi7ekyQ5U16BGdTbOcB92QQwW-CmyyWY-Zmbu5vwDQEcwZ7r2DvLUBgPkneZc/s320/DSC07151.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seafood for sale in the market</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That afternoon we got on the bus to head to Vietnam, another
travel day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We lucked out on this bus
trip, we had seats 1a and 1b on the bus, and it was awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, as awesome as riding on a bus for
almost 7 hours can be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the early
evening we arrived at the border.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
the ordeal that we underwent getting out of Thailand and into Cambodia, we
weren’t really sure what to expect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Relief waved over us when we got off the bus to see there were no lines
to be stamped out of Cambodia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We each
gave our fingerprints, had our photo taken, and were stamped on our way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got back on the bus and then drove few
minutes to the customs for Vietnam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
was a little less organized and there was a little waiting involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We met a really cool couple from Colorado
while we were in line and really enjoyed chatting with them – they are crazy
fast travelers like us!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we were
stamped into Vietnam we were on our way, back on the bus and headed to Ho Chi
Minh City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few hours later we were
nearing the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Charles had chatted a
little more with Chris (our new friend from Colorado) during the second half of
our bus ride and had been warned about scams and thieves in Vietnam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We braced ourselves for the possibility of
getting ripped off as we got off the bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The place where they let you off the bus in Ho Chi Minh
isn’t really a bus station, it’s just a street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They let you off the bus and start unloading your bags onto the
sidewalk, where you are surrounded by pestering taxi drivers and peddlers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Charles and I assembled all of our belongings
and before we knew it we were being assured by one of the cab drivers that he
knew our hotel and could take us there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wanting to get out of the madness on the street as soon as possible, we
agreed to let him take us to our hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After Charles put his last bag into the back of the taxi he turned to
get into the back seat, while the taxi driver began rearranging the bags in the
back of the van.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Charles noticed the cab
driver had his hands on his backpack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Charles got into the back seat and immediately turned around to lift his
backpack over the backseat into his lap, the zippers had been pried apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since our incident in Jerusalem we have
started keeping locks on our bags, and this time the lock prevented the bag
from being opened, but we were bothered by the fact that our cab driver had
just tried to open our bag and steal from us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were already in the car with all of our stuff and the car was moving,
we weren’t sure what to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made sure
nothing had been taken from the bag and I pulled my daypack bag into my lap to
check the zipper and lock, it seemed untouched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We rode muttering to each other in the back seat, at this point I was
worried when he dropped us off he would try to drive off with our bags in the
back of the van.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After winding the long
way through the city we arrived near our hotel, but the driver said he couldn’t
pull up in front of the hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pulled
as many of our items into my lap from the back of the van ready to get out, in
case he tried to take off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He charged us
$20 for the cab ride and did not turn off the engine or get out of the car to help us get our bags from the back of the van. Charles wanted to yell at the guy for
trying to get into his bag, but we were also worried about him taking off with our stuff. As soon as we pulled our bags out of the van the
guy took off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Charles was walking toward the driver's side door to talk to him about tampering with our bag but the guy was speeding forward and all Charles could do was point towards the backpack that had been tampered
with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say, we didn’t feel we
had the best welcome into Vietnam or Ho Chi Minh City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were tired and hungry and
discouraged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After venting about the
ordeal in our room and making sure none of our belongings had been tampered
with we went to find some dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
hotel front desk warned us to be careful of pick pockets while walking around,
for that reason we picked the first restaurant we saw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The food was good and the staff was friendly
and helpful and best of all, they all sang along to the various American songs
playing over the sound system in the restaurant – it definitely brightened my
mood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next morning we took it slow and didn’t head out for
sightseeing until about 11:00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our plan
was to visit a few museums in Ho Chi Minh and maybe check out the well-known
Ben Than market in town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed
walking through the city parks and the Notre Dame Cathedral on our way to the
War Remnants Museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We both were
prepared for another emotional day, but had heard from several people that the
museum was worth visiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was, but
it was very sad and it definitely made us see the Vietnam War in a new
light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It left me feeling sad for both
sides, so many people died in such horrific ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also learned how the war continues to
affect the people of Vietnam – Agent Orange.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had heard the term, but I really had no idea the ramifications it had
on the human body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t know that it
continues to mutilate the genes of children born in Vietnam today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s so sad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we left the museum we were both quiet, and we walked in
silence in the heat and decided it was time for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped into the first restaurant we saw
and ordered Pho Bo – beef noodle soup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It took us a few minutes to get our heads in the right frame of mind to
discuss the things we had seen in the museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As we sat in the restaurant eating our soup the restaurant owner began
putting up Christmas decorations and a few minutes later started playing
Christmas music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was just the thing
we needed to move us out of our somber thoughts and into the present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We braved the streets of Ho Chi Minh City and darted across
the street, grateful for every near miss we had with a motorcycle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually we made our way to the art
museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking at art in a beautiful
old building was the perfect way to end the afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That night we visited the historic Rex Hotel,
which is where the press corps held their daily “Five O’Clock Follies”
conference with the American military command.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The hotel has an interesting history and a great view of the city, which
is full of Christmas light displays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was a day full of history, and while it was somewhat difficult to swallow at
times, we are happy with our time in Ho Chi Minh and the information we learned
while there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYK9rKZlxwPZb9T1umbwXF8m5wmRqpRt-pSdyWlkCb63AgTIg18I7EOvwShfkvBWQ0ndnI68OAxXQa_J4Qr-xMU6cgMy0QU_ijSH3zxywjTmasdwRAO9v6v56YXT-VO8mWMg4UCLp6lOS-/s1600/DSC07168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYK9rKZlxwPZb9T1umbwXF8m5wmRqpRt-pSdyWlkCb63AgTIg18I7EOvwShfkvBWQ0ndnI68OAxXQa_J4Qr-xMU6cgMy0QU_ijSH3zxywjTmasdwRAO9v6v56YXT-VO8mWMg4UCLp6lOS-/s320/DSC07168.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas decorations in Ho Chi Minh</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgxhlCYPYFaCH3sehMWkDcJZFuaEwEA1I9C2Fbpl3IUYlVjFzWWwpS2YaMyIuEg3-pcIvCdxDpL-x4cv3tffQkalWXnc_JmsigpvRDrQWN20dBeGcdHoGXeWaYN152bxB2ncz5A4JqlNP/s1600/DSC07177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgxhlCYPYFaCH3sehMWkDcJZFuaEwEA1I9C2Fbpl3IUYlVjFzWWwpS2YaMyIuEg3-pcIvCdxDpL-x4cv3tffQkalWXnc_JmsigpvRDrQWN20dBeGcdHoGXeWaYN152bxB2ncz5A4JqlNP/s320/DSC07177.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art Museum in Ho Chi Minh</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0joSJ9D6SyzKFGCdKG8oxxiyfs71dhxj47-YvxqFzL32hFrv5nzLepie2ZYVOJ2aR6FffWMcikYKj3ujtiwaQnSIUYcCLEj5jyEEVTbnuL4GAwvqN08FytZkNWYcqPRqknDNJiJW0SjMk/s1600/DSC07180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0joSJ9D6SyzKFGCdKG8oxxiyfs71dhxj47-YvxqFzL32hFrv5nzLepie2ZYVOJ2aR6FffWMcikYKj3ujtiwaQnSIUYcCLEj5jyEEVTbnuL4GAwvqN08FytZkNWYcqPRqknDNJiJW0SjMk/s640/DSC07180.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rooftop Bar at the Rex Hotel in Ho Chi Minh</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Which brings us to today, our most recent travel day from Ho
Chi Minh to Hanoi, I had to stop writing this post about half way through
because we were landing at the airport and I had to turn off the computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, the last portion of this was written in
Hanoi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mood got better once we landed
in Hanoi and my grouchiness totally dissipated when on the ride to our hotel
from the airport our driver honked happily in rhythm with the dance techno
music playing on the radio – it was awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
</div>
Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-66481547538157937392012-12-06T04:20:00.001-08:002012-12-06T04:20:42.971-08:00Another border crossing into an amazing country<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Note: I wrote this blog post a few days ago while we were still in Siem Reap visiting some of the temples in Angkor Wat. I often will write some while Charles is painting, it allows him to produce art work that documents our travels and me to absorb what's around me and reflect on our travels. <br />
<br />Today is our second day in Angkor Wat. The temples are beautiful, the
people are so happy and friendly, and the food is delicious - we really
like Cambodia. Sitting in the jungle surrounded by ancient temples is pretty incredible. This place in many ways reminds me of Petra, I guess in that they are both amazing wonders of architecture built so long ago, but still withstanding the tests of time and in this case jungle. <br />
<br />
When we were deciding on how to get to Siem Reap we debated whether to take a bus, to fly (what almost everyone recommended to us), or to take private cars/taxis. Since we have had good luck with private cars and taxis, we decided to go that route, it was cheaper than the plane (by a lot) but meant we wouldn't have to wait on a bus once we got to the Cambodia border. The ride to
the border of Thailand was fast and easy. We obtained our visas and
filled out our Cambodian entry card in a restaurant before we were
taken to the Thailand departure terminal. That is where we found an
extremely long line. It was only once we were in this line that Charles and I wondered whether the visas sold to us at the restaurant for a total of $84 were actually legitimate, guess we were going to find out. The guide who was escorting us through the border
led us half way up the line to a group wearing stickers similar to ours,
he said "you are with this group," and he walked away. We tried to
smile and not make anyone angry as we seemingly cut in front of a couple
hundred people. Then came the waiting in the hot humid 90 degree
Thailand sun. It was so hot, and since we had no idea the wait would be
like this, we had no water. We went from one line to another line
lugging our backpacks and getting stamped out of one country and into
another. The entire process took about 3 hours, which must be why most
people pay the extra money to fly.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASh6JjDlQwhQW2_n94tLEalP02RgEMSW59HSp5IElW49PGE_2RELLnx2UUzbgUgFmRPSk1dNQZf_QDdzzqGtkQC5UecENIKUrB76t2tW6hwFLlthuW4FVry3xEO9QwSLLGHbDKp_n9axe/s1600/DSC06766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASh6JjDlQwhQW2_n94tLEalP02RgEMSW59HSp5IElW49PGE_2RELLnx2UUzbgUgFmRPSk1dNQZf_QDdzzqGtkQC5UecENIKUrB76t2tW6hwFLlthuW4FVry3xEO9QwSLLGHbDKp_n9axe/s320/DSC06766.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filling out the forms for our Cambodian Visa at a restaurant near the border</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnThiwg32zEKR-fZc6ww-jqPRxcAZ3lI9jUNj9wLo8TaLehSFf9fMTfphRsZKMOOibg7YtuyEg3AXq-lcgp1783qwxT4cx1PbSRopgpTkWaoxViRh2cbNiWhjz_vow3mklZz3WmXRuy40y/s1600/DSC06768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnThiwg32zEKR-fZc6ww-jqPRxcAZ3lI9jUNj9wLo8TaLehSFf9fMTfphRsZKMOOibg7YtuyEg3AXq-lcgp1783qwxT4cx1PbSRopgpTkWaoxViRh2cbNiWhjz_vow3mklZz3WmXRuy40y/s320/DSC06768.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The very long line to get stamped out of Thailand</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVkep3_kWNZ1XWMmPLQ0HE3SNZ0zm5EZKNXCT3L0WoSAeNGpN4ZB6X1rSLcMoIC0rhukNVIOk08jLeA_gGr4yO4bZgOxg2L7C0KHIfUk9tWrsRrA2yuxuQgvYc8IZjT9gaW8Rp430itOd/s1600/DSC06771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVkep3_kWNZ1XWMmPLQ0HE3SNZ0zm5EZKNXCT3L0WoSAeNGpN4ZB6X1rSLcMoIC0rhukNVIOk08jLeA_gGr4yO4bZgOxg2L7C0KHIfUk9tWrsRrA2yuxuQgvYc8IZjT9gaW8Rp430itOd/s320/DSC06771.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking across the border into Cambodia (we didn't know at this point we had another long line ahead of us)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We finally arrived in Siem Reap after another 2.5 hours in the car, and
we spent the evening enjoying our first Khmer dinner and cheap $0.75
beer.<br />
<br />
I have been looking forward to visiting Angkor Wat our entire trip. I
had heard from so many people that it was such a special and beautiful
place. All of those things I read and heard do not do this place
justice. To see such magnificent architecture tucked into the jungle and
surrounded by villages where people still live without electricity is
truly special.<br />
<br />
The people here, especially the children, make me smile. The stories of
their past make me want to cry, and yet they seem so happy, I can only
smile in return. Yesterday two Cambodian girls, who were touring the
temples with their family, followed me through the temple of Banteay
Srei asking me questions in English. Eventually they tried to ask me to
take a photo with them, but they were asking in Khmer. A tour guide
overheard them and told me that was what they wanted. I agreed of
course! I took a picture with each little girl, then their mother, then their father, then their grandmother, then their grandfather. Finally, after they had taken all the necessary pictures with their camera, I asked them to take one with mine. Charles was watching all this unfold behind me, I was wondering where in the world he had gone. (I posted the picture in my other Cambodia post which you can find <a href="http://live-with-love-and-laughter.blogspot.com/2012/12/i-have-three-other-blog-posts-already.html" target="_blank">here</a>.) <br />
</div>
Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-65615669701296723272012-12-06T03:36:00.003-08:002012-12-06T03:37:49.613-08:0010 crammed full days<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Between November 22nd and December 1st we became determined fast travel road warriors, we went from Kochi, India to Bandos Island, Maldives to Yala National Park, Sri Lanka to Bangkok, Thailand to Siem Reap, Cambodia. I knew when we were creating this itinerary
that this part would be crammed with activity and would fly by. Charles and I discussed whether it was wise to cram all this in, but we had to land in Colombo, Sri Lanka and Bangkok, Thailand in order to get to our next destination and so, we decided to lengthen the stopovers and spend a few nights. We have learned that when traveling for this long any stop under 3-4 nights is hard and tiring. But, we approached the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Bangkok with a little bit of a different attitude - these were bonus stopovers, not exploring destinations and when given the chance to spend three days or none, we decided we would take the three days. Inevitably we wish we had
more time in them, but it seems better to have spent a few days than to
not see them at all. <br />
<br />
The Maldives was a once in a lifetime stop, it is a destination worthy of a honeymoon or anniversary because it is so far away and so expensive to visit. The flight to get here didn't increase our flight cost in our package with Air Treks, so it was basically a free stopover on the way to our next destination. The fact that the Maldives is made up of hundreds of small islands means that you
have to take a boat or a plane to your hotel from the airport. We chose
an island pretty close to the airport to keep the costs and travel
distance lower. We stayed at <a href="http://bandosmaldives.com/" target="_blank">Bandos</a> resort for three nights - it was
awesome. It reminded us a little of the Caribbean, but was much more
rustic and felt less touristy. We spent most of our time relaxing on the beach, snorkeling, reading, painting (Charles, not me), and just enjoying the beautiful scenery around us. The snorkeling was the best I have ever
experienced. We saw tons of bright colored fish, a puffer fish, and two
pretty good sized black tip sharks. We really loved the Maldives and
can see why it is such a famous destination. I doubt we will ever make
it back there, but I am so glad we visited while we were so close. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijA1La2PywKm4RVn3QgFv1GxQxOJ6Zv0SRFOvATMwieabwJVKFs4cmwxq5mr7oQoBD49Fbssc6IrAmWMzZ__pS9x2VhTNVbZKhMZBOdd9i2EB_BJM3YmkVgy8lFvcpiAAmS0wjqN5i-EC2/s1600/DSC06429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijA1La2PywKm4RVn3QgFv1GxQxOJ6Zv0SRFOvATMwieabwJVKFs4cmwxq5mr7oQoBD49Fbssc6IrAmWMzZ__pS9x2VhTNVbZKhMZBOdd9i2EB_BJM3YmkVgy8lFvcpiAAmS0wjqN5i-EC2/s320/DSC06429.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles' painting spot in the Maldives</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49ioTMOlF-jiTDkKClZDnlKVODri5f7MRaUMrTdI0jk_kIGOON-jsejfU8m1KEEQCYRNNTxS6CK_CbaOLrXJW2DaXApFOoFuDpncwwduv0I8YH6yJ7f8DB6ORWkDRyIlP-jsmWmjZaTTd/s1600/DSC06516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49ioTMOlF-jiTDkKClZDnlKVODri5f7MRaUMrTdI0jk_kIGOON-jsejfU8m1KEEQCYRNNTxS6CK_CbaOLrXJW2DaXApFOoFuDpncwwduv0I8YH6yJ7f8DB6ORWkDRyIlP-jsmWmjZaTTd/s320/DSC06516.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snorkeling - feeding frenzy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWW8EJsC8LNvRBh_Z_UMJupepY3pGijtfU5EDuWrfBRQPKRf7ZSAMdYYqMrb0SghZCUEsVhxLNYyxxEIN5sTR5oiGDdfrnyudeUuVB2dsoEV1-VXNf3EjgasTfhg0zM1WRcHcNaL9x8PlL/s1600/DSC06579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWW8EJsC8LNvRBh_Z_UMJupepY3pGijtfU5EDuWrfBRQPKRf7ZSAMdYYqMrb0SghZCUEsVhxLNYyxxEIN5sTR5oiGDdfrnyudeUuVB2dsoEV1-VXNf3EjgasTfhg0zM1WRcHcNaL9x8PlL/s320/DSC06579.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early morning boat ride to the airport</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Our three day stop over in Sri Lanka turned into something completely
unexpected. We initially planned to spend a couple of days exploring
Colombo, maybe taking a day trip to an elephant orphanage or visiting
the Buddhist temples in Kandy. We completely strayed from that plan when
I came across a national park in Sri Lanka called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yala_National_Park" target="_blank">Yala</a>. This park has
one of the highest densities of leopards in the world. A little more
research led me to a hotel called <a href="http://www.chaayawildresort.com/" target="_blank">Chaaya Wild Yala</a>, which is located
within the park. The problem, it was about 300km from Colombo, and as we
had learned in India, that meant about a 6 hour drive. We discussed it,
slept on it, then booked a two night stay at Chaaya. Yes, we have completely lost our minds at this point. <br />
<br />
If
you ever make it to Sri Lanka you must go to Chaaya Wild Yala and do a safari in Yala National Park. This three day stopover in Sri Lanka has turned into one of the highlights of our trip. The people in Sri Lanka are
so kind and the country is beautiful and full of incredible animals. On
our drive from Colombo to the national park we drove through the hill country (the middle part of the island), we
saw elephants and peacocks along the side of the road. The drive was slow, but the scenery was pretty, and the roads were much calmer than those in India, which we were happy about. We arrived at our hotel after about 20 minutes on a rutted out red dirt road. The hotel itself feels a little like camp, all the guests gather around chatting at the end of the day about what they saw on that days safari. Everyone stays in cabins on the property and you have to have a guide walk you to and from your cabin after dark, in case there are elephants or wild boar on the trail. After dropping off our stuff in our room we went to book our safaris for the next day. We debated for a bit whether to do a half day or a full day, morning or afternoon, two mornings, or just one morning. We ended up deciding to go out both morning and afternoon the next day. <br />
<br />
We woke up at 5:00 a.m. and stumbled out of bed to go meet our safari guide and driver. This hotel was already awesome in my book, but it jumped even higher when I found that they had hot coffee and croissants waiting for those of us getting up before dawn to go on safari. Our safari guide said that a line forms to enter the park just before six, so we met him at 5:30 to beat the crowd. We were one of the first groups to enter the park that morning. Getting out early ended up paying off. Our first animal sighting of the day was a leopard!!!!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvp-Ku-EydbDGmHy5bYd4ayf6PruPLxT77X9qq2ozvnMQzgeET_0DvvL1dNU6XjgK1hK95yL0X5UmsWjCuDcWr1Sbh9OgVU_CjNtLjvUDWkdEACB8GKNTQm88J4r4iUE5_OSLimvcLwG9/s1600/DSC06608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvp-Ku-EydbDGmHy5bYd4ayf6PruPLxT77X9qq2ozvnMQzgeET_0DvvL1dNU6XjgK1hK95yL0X5UmsWjCuDcWr1Sbh9OgVU_CjNtLjvUDWkdEACB8GKNTQm88J4r4iUE5_OSLimvcLwG9/s320/DSC06608.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our safari vehicle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEF6nN00nCJY8Z2mf6mRvDlChyphenhyphen-jOV6AxEZGEwFidaUmM29Tu4sRLK7Y6Zx7c_r3q78r7dgmpJkTP0DSImzmRAtx6p_tHoNSDgfppkzMPk8xDaKXUR-ZAlIx0axqcnbAHmwMAiGNGasnEy/s1600/IMG_9155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEF6nN00nCJY8Z2mf6mRvDlChyphenhyphen-jOV6AxEZGEwFidaUmM29Tu4sRLK7Y6Zx7c_r3q78r7dgmpJkTP0DSImzmRAtx6p_tHoNSDgfppkzMPk8xDaKXUR-ZAlIx0axqcnbAHmwMAiGNGasnEy/s320/IMG_9155.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First animal sighting of the day - a leopard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We waited for almost an hour to see if we could catch another glimpse of this leopard, but he was napping in the brush, so we moved on. Our next animal sighting was a sloth bear, which was more exciting to our driver and guide, as they are much more rare in this park.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VcP-Q9y3O3EawrN7Vem93Td5UwpbuSKTErz_kOqfGzvhrcneyueoRPLmdlVMMKZxT-xdqaJ74v9w3zrrssm0kRlLxM_eoYOqGKsnPyLogGgALWz4SHVUdodfee2TSCwKwW7KZHr5CB-n/s1600/IMG_9163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VcP-Q9y3O3EawrN7Vem93Td5UwpbuSKTErz_kOqfGzvhrcneyueoRPLmdlVMMKZxT-xdqaJ74v9w3zrrssm0kRlLxM_eoYOqGKsnPyLogGgALWz4SHVUdodfee2TSCwKwW7KZHr5CB-n/s320/IMG_9163.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sloth Bear (aka Baloo from the Jungle Book)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We went back to check on the leopard, but he was still napping. We waited a few minutes longer and saw him jump up into a tree, but I didn't get any more pictures. The rest of our morning safari we saw several elephants, numerous birds - the most colorful being the peacocks and Indian bee-eaters, some spotted deer, and crocodiles feasting on something in the lake. We went back to our hotel for a late breakfast/lunch and spent the middle part of the day, when it's hottest, hanging out at the hotel. Charles attempted to paint on the terrace of the main building, until he had an altercation with some grey langur monkeys who surrounded him and began knocking over chairs and hovering above him seemingly ready to pounce. He decided to relocate his painting to the pool. I was heading to the pool when I was warned by a hotel employee that there was an elephant eating on the trail and that I would have to wait a few minutes. Not wanting to interrupt a wild elephant from eating, I waited and ended up visiting with two lovely women from England. Seriously - this place is awesome. I finally made it to the pool and went for a swim and had just enough time to get back to the room and change for our afternoon safari. <br />
<br />
On the afternoon safari we saw two more leopards, several elephants, a few peacocks, spotted
deer, sambal deer, water buffalo, several mongoose (or is it
mongeese?), monitor lizards, crocodiles, and tons of colorful migrating
birds. It was a great afternoon! We got back to the hotel just after dusk and were happy to eat dinner and get some sleep. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CjX08dE6scPbvUt-g27ekctWuzNujWl3C4g0MRb1HDcV_RMXEmowsD0SsQaDQIaUvwWIJ7yq_kF8ioz9ItbcV3I7X5hrihLuRPlKjYJHUmd92i6qV-lZxkOXmKxoKY4ugIrA8qHq6Qja/s1600/IMG_9283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CjX08dE6scPbvUt-g27ekctWuzNujWl3C4g0MRb1HDcV_RMXEmowsD0SsQaDQIaUvwWIJ7yq_kF8ioz9ItbcV3I7X5hrihLuRPlKjYJHUmd92i6qV-lZxkOXmKxoKY4ugIrA8qHq6Qja/s320/IMG_9283.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peacock and spotted deer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZ0KvR3mpWnALAAkVcXjNJbu8fcHi0KYPd7BYYG4fHxsXAd3VX6F0j-MBhZureWvcQGh86xkJSO8rZ6Wj9VuMKeAROew3U5JqBQQMIBbfo4qFmeeyujgXZ4JiVVMiIqT4DfgbjxaSTB6u/s1600/IMG_9250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZ0KvR3mpWnALAAkVcXjNJbu8fcHi0KYPd7BYYG4fHxsXAd3VX6F0j-MBhZureWvcQGh86xkJSO8rZ6Wj9VuMKeAROew3U5JqBQQMIBbfo4qFmeeyujgXZ4JiVVMiIqT4DfgbjxaSTB6u/s320/IMG_9250.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mongoose (aka Rikki Tikki Tavi)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaUtROTI70IYe_f2NsaYSme-huMGp6tpWIqHLqmUEzXrcmm9Kqx7sg8XpQbEp_hyphenhyphenrapzl1BSJWH477ytFfbPG4dEM4xKk_hoT0OOOGWr4FapJJVFqiYgRvBAjEtDsgc7oOw6wtcC5ToCPA/s1600/IMG_9329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaUtROTI70IYe_f2NsaYSme-huMGp6tpWIqHLqmUEzXrcmm9Kqx7sg8XpQbEp_hyphenhyphenrapzl1BSJWH477ytFfbPG4dEM4xKk_hoT0OOOGWr4FapJJVFqiYgRvBAjEtDsgc7oOw6wtcC5ToCPA/s320/IMG_9329.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Third leopard of the day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTh80xL0c3v1Haxi8lx78O_bb5TPer9pKeNEA4mdB57MyWRJ1XzXvvtGFGshlIC8imrsZxnSWzo_XyHwIrABoZ17HUubwaNjFryuXkpy1-gyzrCLzNVwdTkDaCqZq0Pp10g0tnQtxM2_l9/s1600/IMG_9355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTh80xL0c3v1Haxi8lx78O_bb5TPer9pKeNEA4mdB57MyWRJ1XzXvvtGFGshlIC8imrsZxnSWzo_XyHwIrABoZ17HUubwaNjFryuXkpy1-gyzrCLzNVwdTkDaCqZq0Pp10g0tnQtxM2_l9/s320/IMG_9355.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Safari Sunset</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next morning we left Yala National Park, very satisfied with our animal sightings and loving our time at Chaaya. We took the ocean road back to Colombo so we could visit the historic city of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galle" target="_blank">Galle</a>, which has a history of both Portuguese and Dutch colonies. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yMowFa0aJYlWI1cvD0mQJLEI892zw4WOeHU2qkj7mcO-LCDRvEunjA6SKaBSVRPQ-YLWttRrLSzdXPIEx6PINWW-sYnXvQqr3gdRy67c3C-hxoxAY8_aAYg7EwuUpKLKOnIIAViG04uQ/s1600/DSC06677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yMowFa0aJYlWI1cvD0mQJLEI892zw4WOeHU2qkj7mcO-LCDRvEunjA6SKaBSVRPQ-YLWttRrLSzdXPIEx6PINWW-sYnXvQqr3gdRy67c3C-hxoxAY8_aAYg7EwuUpKLKOnIIAViG04uQ/s320/DSC06677.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles on the fortress wall of Galle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXFpezW6-zCOSHAB1JEUoO6C88VJ7P4OkfmwwrYCQ2qvvLQElJJ8j4KW1tkthJ_8PDTVINujNWftpVoFh-O_X6U5OTFE-Krhx9EYRVd-SQS0g_Q_EL1IDSt5rLw-XBl57h4V5Dc8XfZSD/s1600/DSC06689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXFpezW6-zCOSHAB1JEUoO6C88VJ7P4OkfmwwrYCQ2qvvLQElJJ8j4KW1tkthJ_8PDTVINujNWftpVoFh-O_X6U5OTFE-Krhx9EYRVd-SQS0g_Q_EL1IDSt5rLw-XBl57h4V5Dc8XfZSD/s320/DSC06689.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dutch church in Galle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We arrived in Colombo after dark, but we still had a few hours to kill before we went to the airport, so we did what all the guidebooks say people do in Colombo, we went shopping. We were surprised and rather happy to see
Christmas decorations in the mall and hear that they were playing English
Christmas music. It was kind of nice to get a little touch of the holidays while we are so far from home. That night at about 1:30 a.m. we boarded a plane to Bangkok. <br />
<br />
We had to fly
through Bangkok to get to Cambodia since it has the largest
international airport in the region. Since we had to fly in here we
figured we would spend a few days exploring the city. We arrived at
6:25 a.m. after a red eye flight from Colombo, exhausted. We spent a
couple hours resting in our hotel and then decided to check out the
sights around us. Turns out, we are staying in the major shopping area.
We went to a mall called MBK, which is 7 stories tall and is filled with
shops and stalls. It appears you can find anything - you can bargain
for watches, shoes, bags, or clothes, you can get a massage, a facial,
or have your teeth whitened, you can buy televisions or camera
equipment, eat at dozens of restaurants, sing karaoke, the options were
endless and we didn't even visit every floor. We went across the
street to Siam Center, which is another mall that reminded us more of
the malls we have at home. Then we walked next door into another mall,
this one puts the Houston Galleria and North Park to shame - it was full
of every designer store you can imagine. There was a hall of mirrors,
an aquarium, and a huge movie theater. The movie theater was playing
Skyfall in English on the IMAX screen later that evening and we jumped at the chance to sit
and do something mindless in strong air conditioning. The movie was
great and the theater was fantastic.The only thing that made us realize we were watching a movie in Thailand and not at home in Houston was this - before the movie started a song and
film started playing, everyone in the theater stood (we stood too, even though we weren't sure what was going on). Of course I had to google this tradition, here is what I found - it was the royal hymn and a video of the king, and it is
played before every movie. Interesting.<br />
<br />
<br />
Our second day in Bangkok we went to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Palace" target="_blank">Grand Palace</a>. This place is so full of color and pattern and sparkles it is hard to believe. We made our way through the complex of temples, visited the famous Emerald Buddha, and then sat for a while to take it all in. Charles worked on a painting and I wandered around taking pictures and enjoying the colors and watching the hundreds of people visiting the temples. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycpKzKcb4YCU6P_9BTPDpNwz-37xUHDIQ1b_YukZO67f8te8bYTinWNytLmlvv2cQhWc-oCNxyam1Nn_kMkCWbdE_pIlyHWGRxhvOiMIkB0Arnchlfi65gCFSCU-RcAA4CFpAaW6YLIuN/s1600/DSC06718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhycpKzKcb4YCU6P_9BTPDpNwz-37xUHDIQ1b_YukZO67f8te8bYTinWNytLmlvv2cQhWc-oCNxyam1Nn_kMkCWbdE_pIlyHWGRxhvOiMIkB0Arnchlfi65gCFSCU-RcAA4CFpAaW6YLIuN/s320/DSC06718.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Palace, Bangkok</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJBUQ5Jh5o4-AelEYKhET6mbb3vNF7STsqHFnoNcaBpcWTxb7zNEorCD3TtC_AmPWF0plC_rhoF46rhtox1ORXJXO89oN6dRZ89ufKbLJePKxGKRq0OxdruTuc5Seg9Q0SENMrPF9-HPp/s1600/DSC06720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJBUQ5Jh5o4-AelEYKhET6mbb3vNF7STsqHFnoNcaBpcWTxb7zNEorCD3TtC_AmPWF0plC_rhoF46rhtox1ORXJXO89oN6dRZ89ufKbLJePKxGKRq0OxdruTuc5Seg9Q0SENMrPF9-HPp/s320/DSC06720.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple of the Emerald Buddha</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3TvQ6Mj3_5nY6rRgjvx39sX5ZDdEad2ZsmXBwIGrEu6k5suOwnLC0wRUCvHWI61xveIYk4Yb4cwVhvZMcZf5IpF5E-mATUhT1I_vr2Ea_Br2pg97aQC8ElomMj5zUE7j07fSMZfYBrDP/s1600/DSC06730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3TvQ6Mj3_5nY6rRgjvx39sX5ZDdEad2ZsmXBwIGrEu6k5suOwnLC0wRUCvHWI61xveIYk4Yb4cwVhvZMcZf5IpF5E-mATUhT1I_vr2Ea_Br2pg97aQC8ElomMj5zUE7j07fSMZfYBrDP/s320/DSC06730.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles painting inside the Grand Palace</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After the Grand Palace we went to check on the suit Charles was having made, something he was really looking forward to doing while we were in Southeast Asia. We stopped into the tailor to do a preliminary measure of everything. It's rather shocking you can have a suit and a sports coat made in about 36 hours here for about 1/3 of the cost of a suit in the U.S. We were both pretty hungry after our morning of sight seeing and mid-day fitting, so we decided we would head to the famous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaosan_Road" target="_blank">Khaosan Road</a> for lunch, mainly because I felt like I couldn't leave Bangkok without at least seeing what it's like. We had fun wandering down the street looking at silly t-shirts and random gadgets sold by street vendors, smelling the various scents wafting from the food carts, we even stopped at one of the many spas on the street and got foot massages. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwaIWYe-0CMTkzfXgj0h7h89hnVe0_uCRD32mrtsmQrE_C4erjDjzXgdQ-USL8qM1dqXIft2j7dtvcVhU6DSaK7Y9d476FHqrPMJHbkjw39z-j8n19rSZggY_s4KE4uYiVX3mQ-ADvXe2/s1600/DSC06748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwaIWYe-0CMTkzfXgj0h7h89hnVe0_uCRD32mrtsmQrE_C4erjDjzXgdQ-USL8qM1dqXIft2j7dtvcVhU6DSaK7Y9d476FHqrPMJHbkjw39z-j8n19rSZggY_s4KE4uYiVX3mQ-ADvXe2/s320/DSC06748.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exploring Khaosan Road</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizpebdicEazme6Z6lnrwc63vkFTswLLXpj3hZDqY-JNHXt2uPPcGvd0UqvajaD80-axwyhdppE6Pj1QIKohBqstdigxSjn5PIeEUwbWv23zqSquKeDeZ_NO4BrADB6kIv3Ui7SqnpVK-W_/s1600/IMG_9395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizpebdicEazme6Z6lnrwc63vkFTswLLXpj3hZDqY-JNHXt2uPPcGvd0UqvajaD80-axwyhdppE6Pj1QIKohBqstdigxSjn5PIeEUwbWv23zqSquKeDeZ_NO4BrADB6kIv3Ui7SqnpVK-W_/s320/IMG_9395.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles on Khaosan Road</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Later that evening we walked along the river, then went to find the Bamboo Bar and have a drink and enjoy their live jazz music. The Bamboo Bar is in one of the oldest hotels in Bangkok (the Mandarin Oriental) and is famous for being visited by Duke Ellington, Roger Moore, Audrey Hepburn, Ray Charles, Mick Jagger, Elizabeth Taylor, and David Bowie. The place was really cool, tucked away inside the hotel, we found a table among the many visitors from around the world. Our last stop of the evening was the night market off of Silom Street. We figured we would walk - it didn't look that far on the map, after about 30 minutes of walking in the sticky 90 degree evening, we found it! You can buy pretty much anything at the night market, this particular market seems to specialize in knock-offs. It was lots of fun browsing and even doing a little bargaining. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSAqtEORoNFE0Oryo3s1jOEsWFn6xVIb0IF7Fg7fS6SZ30vUO5uG2Aq5ND8lu3hDQsM6cUESTIed7buL4SFNPBtgUy2f3ouMGBn-VSgjDMvmM4MVr9GxkLkzLeUEjSg97osHyYAN7yXRx/s1600/DSC06761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSAqtEORoNFE0Oryo3s1jOEsWFn6xVIb0IF7Fg7fS6SZ30vUO5uG2Aq5ND8lu3hDQsM6cUESTIed7buL4SFNPBtgUy2f3ouMGBn-VSgjDMvmM4MVr9GxkLkzLeUEjSg97osHyYAN7yXRx/s320/DSC06761.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had to get a photo with the Texas plate at the night market</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our pimped out VIP tuk-tuk back to the hotel</td></tr>
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The next morning we headed for the Thailand / Cambodia border. More on that to come. <br />
</div>
Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-64748560012389820792012-12-04T04:27:00.001-08:002012-12-04T04:29:35.031-08:00I heart Cambodia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have three other blog posts already started, but I felt like writing something new and not working on half written posts, especially since it's been over two weeks since I've posted. So much has happened, which is why I haven't written - but more on that later.<br />
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We have spent the last three days in Siem Reap, Cambodia touring the temples of Angkor Wat and interacting with the spectacular people of Cambodia. One of the things I enjoy most about visiting all of these wonderful countries is learning more about each countries history and interacting with the people. Cambodia's past is so full of sadness and misery and yet they are some of the happiest, friendliest, accepting people we have come across on our trip. We are constantly greeted with smiles and waves from people of all ages. It's amazing.<br />
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Back in September I started a book titled, <i>In the Shadow of the Banyan</i>, which is a heart wrenching story about a young girl living in Cambodia during the occupation of the Khmer Rouge. The book is excellent and it really gave me a sense of the horror that the Khmer people endured during that war and following occupation. Sadly, there is still a lot of evidence of the damage the Khmer Rouge caused during that time. The worst part is the children who have been left orphaned after their parents were killed by landmines laid by the Khmer Rouge. We visited the <a href="http://cambodianlandminemuseum.webs.com/" target="_blank">Landmine Museum</a>, which is also an orphanage for children, and learned more about this problem. In addition to learning from reading this book, we have learned more about the people of Cambodia through the documentaries shown nightly at our guesthouse in Siem Reap. One documentary discussed the many orphans in Cambodia, some who have lost their parents due to landmine explosions and others whose parents cannot afford to care for them, it is so sad. The thing that continues to amaze us though is that everyone here is so HAPPY!<br />
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I can't talk about our past few days in Cambodia without talking about the temples of <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668" target="_blank">Angkor Wat</a>. We have visited at least 11 of them, maybe 12, we got a little templed out yesterday and might have forgotten to count one. We have enjoyed seeing the influence of Hinduism in this part of the world. We were discussing today how interesting it has been to see how the religions that we have learned about seem to seep into the neighboring countries as we have traveled Eastward. The temples of Angkor Wat are amazing not only for their intricate architectural designs, but also for the merging of Hinduism and Buddhism. One of our favorite temples was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayon" target="_blank">Bayon</a>, whose towers are covered with huge faces of Buddha.<br />
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The children here are awesome. Much like the kids in Petra, many of the kids here start selling goods to tourists at a very young age - I hate it. The worst is when they come up and tell you that they need you to buy said item from them so they can go to school, which is very very unlikely, because their parents rely on them to make money every day. We have found though, that they really don't care much about selling, they are just as happy to talk and play and interact with us. We have yet to buy anything from them, but Charles had fun playing a form of hackysack with two boys, I showed a little boy wearing Angry Birds pants the game on my iPhone and he LOVED it, we answered one little girl's questions about where we were from, and we joked with two little girls today about the fact that we had no money with us at all. It breaks my heart to see them working all day peddling to tourists, but they seem so happy and they are fed and cared for and loved, which is better than many children in the world.<br />
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I was actually starting to wonder if any of the kids here went to school. Then, we ended up in a school today for both Buddhist monks and village children near the temple of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolei" target="_blank">LoLei</a>. One of the young monks at the school overheard our English and came out to welcome us to come inside for a visit. The monks were having a lesson on the stories of Buddha in their native Khmer language. When they found out Charles was an art teacher they asked if he could draw a Buddha for them. So, he sat down and gave a watercolor demonstration and I visited with one of the English teachers at the school. It was so cool. We had already had some great experiences today and then we happened upon this. I just feel so incredibly lucky to be in Cambodia, to be welcomed into a school for the Buddhist Monks, to be learning about these strong and happy people, to be sharing it all with my husband - LUCKY. <br />
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And now, a few photos:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North Gate of Angkor Wat</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo with a Cambodian family at Banteay Srei</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles painting at Banteay Srei</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 2 outside Angkor Wat</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me pointing out how sweaty I am - I had to wear a sleeved shirt to climb the temple</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree on top of Ta Prohm</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles playing the Cambodian version of hackysack</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching sunset at Phnom Bakheng</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a boat ride through Ton Le Sap</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles painting for the Buddhist monks</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing the kids Angry Birds</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our tuk-tuk driver Tan and Charles</td></tr>
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Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-2412144074702448262012-11-22T10:27:00.002-08:002012-12-04T02:06:53.557-08:00Giving Thanks -Thanksgiving in Kochi, India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgwl1pG-pk6WtS2JvCE4letMKM4K-cPeNGvW952EVIGxTxswY99gto7RBjOvEc_1cPBY5aBaecmYy-d2JenrOYRUmCdP0fFu2hu0Mu4KGOpEffCkhKPDFOvlWqHQ-K5jtGik0gfsU6NQ/s1600/DSC06139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgwl1pG-pk6WtS2JvCE4letMKM4K-cPeNGvW952EVIGxTxswY99gto7RBjOvEc_1cPBY5aBaecmYy-d2JenrOYRUmCdP0fFu2hu0Mu4KGOpEffCkhKPDFOvlWqHQ-K5jtGik0gfsU6NQ/s320/DSC06139.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooking pot at Amber Fort in Jaipur</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There has been so much to report about since July 25<sup>th</sup>.
Between moving and touring, I have been devoting my extra time to painting.
What a great way to travel and experience the world this has been. I have
encountered various types of people as I have worked in some amazing places. Not
only have I been able to study certain views for 2 to 3 hours at a time, but
many conversations have taken place between me and onlookers from all walks of
life. Every time I have set-up in India, I have drawn crowds of up to 20-30
people at a time. It adds another element of pressure, and while a couple
people have had to be told to keep their hands off the work, they all show
interest and carry on conversations about it behind me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More on my art later, but some of my favorite
pieces are the paintings I did in Blenheim New Zealand, Florence & Venice Italy,
Prague Czech Republic, Istanbul Turkey, Jerusalem Israel, and after a few paintings
in North India- I feel like I hit the mark two days ago in Thekkaddy. I look
forward presenting this work in 2013. I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity
to work from life in these bewildering places, which brings me to what I really
want to describe here..</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today is Thanksgiving. Shelley and I woke up this morning on
a boathouse in Alleppey, India and had a wonderful breakfast consisting of
omelets, toast and lemon jam, coconut, ginger and cardamom seeds crepes, fresh
pineapple and coffee. We are thankful for this unique way to spend
Thanksgiving, and are especially thankful to now safely be in Cochin ready to
make our next move. (I say safely due to road conditions. This topic requires
it’s own post). Before I offer more things we are thankful for in India, I am
going to take the opportunity to bring my post contribution up to speed by going
all the way back to California and list some special things for which I am thankful. Here are a small percentage of the many things I am now thankful for:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
California:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Enjoying the majestic coast from San Fran to LA with brother
and sis-n-law Paul and Meredith; An intimate and glamorous (with a touch of
glam rock = Motely Crue theme) wedding in the Malibu Hills- congratulations to
Jessie and Lizzie!; The continuation of fabulous hosts as our friends Charley
and Vicky pampered us at the W Hollywood before and after our trek through New
Zealand; In and Out Burger; Cupcake ATMs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;">
Not thankful for: Motion sickness
of windy roads; Thinking about Great White sharks while SUPing in Santa
Barbara, LA traffic.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
New Zealand:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Maori coast (NE North Island); No earthquakes while
traversing the exterior of the Sky Tower in Auckland; A new sports hero- All
Blacks captain Richie McCaw (wish many professional athletes in the States
would model their behavior off this guy- on and off the field/court); Baby New
Zealand Lambs; The closest living relative to the dinosaurs and defying all
odds- the Tuatara; Nick and Pauline Seminutin and their family!!; Well-planned
round-abouts; Marlborough Savingon Blancs; A bungy cord that works; Meeting
some of the resilient people of ChristChurch; top notch beer; some of the most
awe-inspiring views (this after covering much of the American and Canadian
West).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;">
Not thankful for: the stoats and
rats that are driving the kiwi and tuatara towards extinction; having to leave
NZ.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fiji:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fiji alone- it’s beautiful; island hopping on a seadoo with
my woman clinging to my ribcage; the Australian tourists there; Cloudbreak (I
hope to improve my surfing abilities and ride some waves there some day); the
giant bats; just being in the South Pacific; If I had to turn 40- I’d just
assumed doing it somewhere like Fiji.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Not
thankful for: can't think of anything.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
LA to New Orleans (drive):</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beautiful Arizona sunset; <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Santa Fe, NM- one of my personal favorites;
getting to see family, friends and Lola in Dallas; Dinner in Baton Rouge with
The Pesses; the Stillwagon wedding festivities in a place I cherish- New
Orleans. Congratulations to Claudia and Brad- it was a fantastic event!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Not
thankful for: driving across west Texas; jetlag.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Italy:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Seeing for the first time much of the art and architecture I
have been teaching about for years; Leon Battista Alberti<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and a plethora of great minds and master craftsmen
from one of the most innovative and inventive times and places in history;
Spending a day in Florence with my parents; new fashion attempts; the football skills of
Antonio di Natale (Calcio Udinese); Tutti! Tutti! Prego! And verbal passion and hand gestures in general.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;">
Not thankful for: annoying trinket
sales people at all the sites; cigarette smoke; late trains.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Czech Republic:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More top notch beer; More amazing architecture; A great
ruler (King Karol/Charles) and his dedication to education and astronomy;
Goulash and other dishes where I could mop-up the gravy like Uncle Argyle in
Braveheart; Great Sparta Prague fans and their hilarious attempt at the Mexican
wave; Jewish childrens’ art from the Terezin Ghetto (personal favorite); the
rejection of communism; healthy snow fall on our final day in Prague; Dvorak
and his compositions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Not
thankful for: jerk driver who took us to the airport, cigarette smoke.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Istanbul:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Carole and Martin (baby Tomas); Republic Day; rooftop views;
Turkish bath; my shave at the barber; the underground Roman cistern; interior
of the Blue Mosque; obtaining Shelley’s “travel” wedding band from the Egyptian
Spice Market; hearing the call to worship for the first time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Not
thankful for: trains outside our room.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Israel: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Buses that worked; haggling at the market in Jaffa; exercise
equipment on the beach; that I happened to hear my bag unzip as I was walking
outside the Muslim Quarter in Jerusalem; attending mass; learning more about
Armenia; the Armenian and Yemenite restaurants; the tunnel we took through the
City of David; the friendly people we met on both sides; being at such
significant places; the sensation of floating in the Dead Sea; the condition of
Masada.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;">
Not thankful for: the prick who
unzipped my bag outside the Muslim Quarter, the tension in both Tel Aviv and
Jerusalem.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jordan: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Walking from Israel to Jordan; the cool shopkeepers in
Aqaba; being able to take a taxi from Aqaba to Petra and from Petra to Amman (@
300 miles total); Petra exceeding my expectations; Bedouin kids who made us
laugh so hard; the very intuitive and complimentary driver to the airport.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in;">
Not thankful for: our driver and his
wife smoking all the way from Petra to Amman; the kids being made to hock items
to tourists.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
India:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The idiot who finally ended his argument with the stewardess
and took his seat when the plane was ready to take off; business class
upgrade after missing our connection in Doha; finding our contact in Delhi airport;
power nap; the sights in Delhi; the people who waved to us and wanted their
pictures taken with us (with our cameras- not theirs); the food that did not
destroy me right off the bat; monkeys, elephants, kingfishers, more giant bats
and cobras; Diwali in Jaipur!!; Taj Mahal; Vikram – our driver who took extra
good care of us everywhere we went, another new hero; No accidents along our
drives (the roads and highways are a mess); South India with the food and
cleaner air.</div>
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This place is very stressful, so I’ll just add that I am
also quite thankful for logic, rationale, and plain old common sense. Oh- and
hygiene and my personal space!!!</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Not
thankful for: the constant power outages.</div>
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If I were to come back to India, I know that I could handle
about a week in and around Delhi, and probably 2 months in the South. Perhaps
someday we can give The Himalayas and the eastern part of the country a shot..
But, many of the people we have met are compassionate and kind beyond
necessary. While staying in Jaipur, I was painting and Shelley was writing inside
the atrium one night when the hotel manager’s wife asked Shelley if she would
be willing to let her dress Shelley up in one of her sarees. Just being asked
was an honor. After watching this woman happily put her elaborate outfit on
Shelley, I realized it was an honor for both women. This was one of the many
moments we have experienced after being strained to the max, due to the
circumstances this country has to offer, where we were astounded by the amazement
of human nature. This was actually the best of those moments and we (Shelley)
will treasure it forever. They wanted us to return to celebrate our 1<sup>st</sup>
year anniversary.. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS39xMCFjLuxEqSrj9rofC-tPNNXOrt6wtE_A-U6yb8oK752D5ljWLWsAroavbCcSFz0YEh5XZL0wwJNawbtTctpGKCdoC_wFj7V_PndeRUwspDNViSQuMlX2-2Z9VVyOUC7z11fgJOxo/s1600/DSC06297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS39xMCFjLuxEqSrj9rofC-tPNNXOrt6wtE_A-U6yb8oK752D5ljWLWsAroavbCcSFz0YEh5XZL0wwJNawbtTctpGKCdoC_wFj7V_PndeRUwspDNViSQuMlX2-2Z9VVyOUC7z11fgJOxo/s320/DSC06297.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Finally, this is what I am mostly thankful for- my wife.. We
have joked that this has been an extended honeymoon. Not really- it’s not a
vacation. There is work involved. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can’t
have expectations that things are going to be perfect. There are good things
and bad things that come in quick succession (especially in India and Israel).
We have been living out of backpacks and I have to give Shelley credit beyond
just delivering interesting and informative posts. Finding reliable wifi is a
rarity in itself, but only having a handful of outfits, being sick from Milan
through Rome, having men (and women) staring at you all the time, and dealing
with the exhausting travel conditions is not exactly always smooth. She has
really proved her toughness and composure and I am proud of her. I will maybe
post on here one more time, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to say this
while I can. </div>
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We just returned from having dinner at our hotel where an Indian
singer, with synthesizer, was performing the likes of Kenny Rogers, The Eagles,
and Neil Diamond. Not my favorites, but during our “Thanksgiving” meal, it was
somewhat appropriate. Dinner consisted of Kingfisher Blue, Murgh Tikka Masala,
Plain Naan, and Curd. That was our Thanksgiving dinner, and while we really
miss our family and friends, it was a good turkey day meal (without the turkey-
it was chicken and it was very hot/spicy).</div>
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Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!! From me and my wonderful wife!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDehy5C4ZPoyMWHZTqAAbxcLELzEFTstDOr-_vxJ-EEze3r4FAhGrNwqLJIXM7oPIUk2GUsWmDIPoCVtxk5dkRsEN83czd-uH9AVzWr2Gs-OGjgwlesttzkQqesijSzI_h5jAZy09ngI/s1600/DSC04010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDehy5C4ZPoyMWHZTqAAbxcLELzEFTstDOr-_vxJ-EEze3r4FAhGrNwqLJIXM7oPIUk2GUsWmDIPoCVtxk5dkRsEN83czd-uH9AVzWr2Gs-OGjgwlesttzkQqesijSzI_h5jAZy09ngI/s320/DSC04010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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P.S.- Hello to our new friend Ole Martin Christiansen from
Norway. We enjoyed having dinner with you and hope to stay in touch. Best of
luck with your new adventure! </div>
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Charles Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841158402906144963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-69857320731267023922012-11-20T07:26:00.002-08:002012-11-20T07:26:49.282-08:00Kerala<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We just sat down at a restaurant perched high above ground at the edge
of a coffee plantation. Coffee was severely lacking in North India, so
we were excited to sit and have real coffee (not instant) and relax.
Charles wanted to paint the street view below and I decided to get in
some blogging.<br />
<br />
Yesterday was a long travel day. We had a 6:00 am flight from Delhi to
Kochi, which meant we had to get up at 3:30 am. We woke up and packed up
our backpacks like zombies. We stumbled into the dark lobby to find
that no one was waiting for us. We were supposed to meet our driver at
4:00 am in the lobby. The front desk worker, who was sleeping on the
sofa in the lobby woke up when we intruded on his quiet and quickly
stood up and turned on the lights and returned to his place behind the
desk. I asked him to call Vikram, the driver to see if he was on his
way. Apparently there was some confusion - we were told 4:00, but he was
told 4:30. Oh well. We made it to the airport and through check in
and security, we were pleasantly surprised by how smooth it went. The
flight was easy as well, maybe our smoothest flight yet actually.<br />
<br />
I cannot say I was sad to leave North India behind, I enjoyed the people
and the culture and the food, but was ready to be done with the filth
and the dust and the honking and the crowds. I had read that South India
was very different, slower paced and more rural - full of tea and spice
plantations. As we began the descent into Kochi I raised the shade on
the window and looked down. I knew immediately when I saw lush green
hillsides and palm trees spreading in every direction, that I would like
South India better than the North.<br />
<br />
As the plane touched and began to cross the Tarmac to the jetway about
30 people took off their seat-belts and began opening the overhead
compartments to retrieve their bags. We were still moving, pretty
quickly actually. A few seconds later a flight attendants voice came
over the speaker asking everyone to sit back down, only a few listened.
Oh, India! We fought our way into the aisle to get off the plane and
onto the bus that takes you to the airport terminal. Once inside we
waited for our bags to appear. Charles' came first and he noticed that
his luggage lock had been broken, but nothing seemed to be missing so we
were grateful it was only a broken lock. My bag came still intact. We
went to find our ride. We saw several men with white pieces of paper
folded in half, we knew from our arrival in Delhi that these were the
signs they held up to find their passengers, except they only hold them
up for a few seconds. They also wait both inside and outside thei
airport and as we learned in Delhi, if you leave the airport you cannot
re-enter unless you buy an entry ticket. So, we waited inside and tried
to catch glimpses of the names written on the pieces of paper in the few
seconds they were held up. Charles spotted our driver outside with a
quick flash of paper that said Watson. We were on our way.<br />
<br />
Our itinerary (more about this to come - we decided to use a travel
company in India and I am SO happy we did) had us traveling to a tiger
preserve about 165km (100 miles) from Kochi, so we got in the car with
that as our destination. The scenery was beautiful. The towns that we
drove through were much more orderly and much cleaner than what we saw
in North India. We drove up into the mountains past small homes set
among rubber trees. Winding through narrow roads and rising slowly in
elevation. Our driver stopped every once and a while to ask for
directions or to inquire whether a road was closed. We were getting
hungry. We thought about just waiting until we got to the hotel, but we
really weren't sure what time that woulds be. So, we asked our driver
to stop at a restaurant. About 10-15 minutes later we stopped at a
restaurant with a sign that read Family Style. We walked in, very
unsure, and were pointed towards a table. The men sitting at the next
table were shirtless and wore only a sarong around their waist. We
asked for a menu and were told they only had Thali, so we ordered one.
It arrived on a stainless steel tray with several bowls of different
curries, yogurt, and rice pudding. Then a man came over and shoveled
rice from a bowl into the middle of our tray. We glanced up at him and
asked for forks, he nodded and walked away. A few seconds later he came
back with two spoons. We received stares from everyone in the
restaurant, they were all eating with their hand. The food was good,
very spicy, and very authentic. After eating we paid our bill and got
back in the car, hoping we were almost there. The road twisted and
turned and continued to rise up into the mountainsides with tea
plantations in every direction. I kept thinking we were getting close,
then another hour would pass. The drive took 6 hours, plus a 30 minute
stop for lunch, for a total of 6.5 hours. It took us 6.5 hours to get
100 miles! We finally arrived at about 4:30 p.m., exhausted.<br />
<br />
After relaxing in the hotel for an hour we went to a martial arts show.
The martial art is called Kalaripayattu. The performance was entertaining. It
was a mix of yoga type poses, staged fighting with various weapons,
flips and cartwheels, fire batons and hoops. I wonder how authentic it
was, I'll have to do some googling.<br />
<br />
Today we went to a spice plantation, which was really cool. This
afternoon we are going on a boat safari and are hoping to see a tiger,
although with all of the over development here, we don't think it's very
likely. Ok, time to head out into nature...<br />
<br />
</div>
Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-87779338834120225152012-11-17T03:37:00.000-08:002012-11-17T03:37:42.693-08:00Oh, India! where do I begin....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I almost titled this blog post India 1 - Watsons 0, but I am not quite ready to admit defeat, after all we are still here and still have several more days to go. We have been in India for one week and oh what a week it has been. I have felt so many emotions, seen so many things I could never have imagined, and experienced people more gracious and friendly than anywhere we have been up to this point. All at once India is dirty, beautiful, obnoxiously loud, full of flavors that burst in your mouth, dangerous, disgusting, shockingly friendly, holy, illogical, colorful, and hundreds more things. This place is like no other place on Earth. In some ways we love it and in some ways we hate it. <br />
<br />
We are currently in Delhi, which was not our plan. We were supposed to be in Varanasi today, but when we arrived at the train station on Thursday night at 10:30 p.m. we learned that our train was late and was not scheduled to arrive until 4:00 a.m. We had only planned to spend one night in Varanasi then take the night train back to Delhi. If we took the train at 4:00 a.m. and it actually arrived at that time we would have arrived in Varanasi at 1:00 p.m. extremely tired only to go on a tour that afternoon and the next morning and get back on a train that night. It was sounding like Varanasi was not in the cards for us. We had to make a decision - chance it with the night train and go on very little sleep for the next 48 hours, or bail on the plan. We bailed, Indian Railway 1 - Watsons 0. We are so happy with our decision. I am sad we won't see Varanasi, but we have really enjoyed going at a slower pace the last 24 hours in Delhi. <br />
<br />
India is stressful. We hired a driver for our first few days here to see Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra and it was the best decision of the trip. The roads here are crazy. There are no lanes people just fit their vehicle wherever they can on the road and jumble forward as a screaming conglomeration of horns and wheels. No one walks to get anywhere they take a bike, a rickshaw, a tuk tuk, a motorcycle, a car, a truck, a taxi, or they ride on top of a commercial truck filled with grain. Also, there seems to be no limit to how many people can fit on any one vehicle. We have seen 20 people crammed into a mini-bus taxi - standing and holding onto the roof and standing on the rear bumper, people sitting on the roof and hanging on to the roof rack like handles. We have seen families of 3, 4, 5, and 6 on motorcycles. It is insane! <br />
<br />
The poverty is overwhelming, it stares you in the face at every turn. The streets are filthy and piles of garbage seem to sit at every corner and in between every street stall. Sometimes it all becomes too much and those are the moments when we almost admit defeat. Then a child sitting wrapped in his or her parents arms pulls up next to us in the car and the child smiles at us and we love India again. <br />
<br />
The people here are so kind. We have had entire families come up to us and ask to take a picture with them. I have had little girls come up to me and ask if they can have a photo with me like I am a princess at Disney World, not an overtired traveler with grungy grey pants and a dirty t-shirt on. Charles draws an admiring crowd anytime he gets out his paints and they will sit for an hour watching his brushstrokes develop into the landscape before them. They are beautiful, gracious, friendly, amazing people. <br />
<br />
While we were in Jaipur the entire country of India was celebrating a holiday called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali" target="_blank">Diwali</a>, which is known as the festival of lights. Everyone decorates their homes and business with lights, flowers, and streamers and the entire country buzzes with excitement about this big holiday. The night of Diwali we were sitting in our hotel relaxing after a busy day of touring and the owner of the hotel and his wife came in. The owner said his wife wanted to show me a sari and was wondering if I would like to try one on. Of course, I could not pass this up. So I followed her into their room and she dressed me like a doll in a beautiful Indian saree. <br />
<br />
The past week has been draining and stressful, but at the same time it has been uplifting and beautiful - and this we have discovered is the paradox of India. <br />
<br />
I often keep notes on my iPhone while we are traveling to help me remember things I want to write about: observations we have, people we meet, stories to tell, etc. I am going to just cut and paste my notes on India here, uncensored and unchanged, because I'm not sure yet how to talk about all of this in a way that will allow the reader to understand what it is like here. I'm still working on how to approach my posts while in India, because it doesn't seem like my normal chronological account will do this place justice. So here it is along with a few photos, because everyone likes pictures:<br />
<br />
India Notes<br />
<br />
Jaipur guide - Karan Singh<br />
Delhi guide - Manvendra (Manuv)<br />
Driver - Vikram<br />
Agra - Jain<br />
<br />
<br />
Delhi<br />
- mix up with pickup<br />
- airport ride 5 men peeing<br />
- nap<br />
- deet application<br />
- sight seeing (Hindu temple, lotus temple - Baha'i)<br />
- hawks everywhere<br />
- car horns (even through cell phone)<br />
- dinner<br />
- swedes<br />
- day 2 sight seeing (mosque, rickshaw ride, india gate, lunch, qutub minar painting<br />
- painting<br />
- Kashmir carpet<br />
- first monkey sighting<br />
- writing letter for our guide<br />
- dinner<br />
- Skype attempt<br />
<br />
Drive to Jaipur<br />
- first swerve around a cow<br />
- families of 4 on motorcycle<br />
- men in skivvies on the side of the highway bathing and grooming<br />
- two little boys going #2<br />
- camels pulling carts<br />
- women carrying giant bundles of grain and straw on their heads<br />
- camels have markings shaved into their fur<br />
- cow with its horns painted blue<br />
- fields of marigolds<br />
- feeding monkeys one grabbed Charles' leg so he would give up the banana<br />
- commercial truck speeding wrong way down the highway<br />
- elephants on the highway<br />
- close run in on the highway with a cow.<br />
- family of 4 on bicycle<br />
- goats and herder<br />
- boxed new refrigerator on a bike cart<br />
<br />
Afternoon Jaipur:<br />
- hanging out at hotel<br />
- beers painting writing<br />
- dinner with Rajasthani dancers<br />
- tuk tuk ride<br />
<br />
Touring Jaipur:<br />
- dead horse<br />
- palace of winds - dangerous walk across street<br />
- hit a rickshaw<br />
- amber palace<br />
- elephant ride, picked up hand sanitizer<br />
- water palace dead camel<br />
- gem stones, chai tea<br />
- lunch<br />
- astronomical observatory<br />
- Charles with cobra<br />
- City Palace, more monkeys<br />
- near brawl in the weapons museum<br />
- painters, Charles bought two brushes<br />
- charles with cobras again<br />
- textile market to kill some time<br />
- drove through city to see Diwali lights<br />
- dinner - first thali<br />
- painting in hotel<br />
- Diwali fireworks<br />
- dressed up in a sari<br />
<br />
Drive from Jaipur to Agra<br />
- almost hit another cow<br />
- families of 3-5 going home on motorcycle after Diwali<br />
- more boys and men bathing in skivvies along the highway<br />
- bus with people hanging out the back and riding on the roof<br />
- camels with herder on highway<br />
- bright saris among the rows of green in dusty brown fields<br />
- we've seen so many dead animals by the side of the road we've stopped counting<br />
- barber shop in tiny container shed on side of the road<br />
- peacock<br />
- cool crane with white and black red beak<br />
<br />
Agra<br />
- walked to the mall<br />
- tried to get info at movie theater but line never moved forward only grew sideways<br />
- dinner on smoky rooftop at hotel<br />
- Skype with Paul<br />
- taj mahal, no painting supplies allowed<br />
- agra fort, paid for ticket again<br />
- lunch, venting about guide<br />
- huge piles of trash surrounding a completely empty dumpster<br />
- went to park to paint taj mahal<br />
- taken to another shop-tourist trap<br />
- restaurant to kill time before train<br />
- annoying tour guide departs<br />
- annoying tour guide venting<br />
- ride to train station, delayed train, waiting in locked car, pig, power outage<br />
- tractor carrying giant bundle of something<br />
- scary night drive back to Agra, almost hit cow that was lying in road, looked like it had been hit once<br />
<br />
Drive Agra to Delhi<br />
- dog chasing a monkey on a roof<br />
- thatch huts, farm land, cow patties<br />
- two guys on motorcycle - guy in back has laptop out and is typing.<br />
- incessant honking<br />
- two dogs on top of the trash heaps in the dumpster<br />
- terrible headaches<br />
- hanging out in the room watching titanic and transformers 3 and scream 4<br />
- Dinner at blueberry hotel - good paneer kadai<br />
<br />
Delhi<br />
- slept in (much needed)<br />
- blogging/painting<br />
<br />
Random Pictures from the past week:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlFvOqarU-CzjvrdRF5t0M0OJPiAhzqWJUvdBoR4RNNmKuqqF4txelW8631WX4K5dj6I7zKX5yTj7VWTTb1f_ao2EfafNqkAkMwRpsT6brj-fRJDHmDnVIr1_t9iyxYQ7bf8ybwRRPMbPi/s1600/DSC05953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlFvOqarU-CzjvrdRF5t0M0OJPiAhzqWJUvdBoR4RNNmKuqqF4txelW8631WX4K5dj6I7zKX5yTj7VWTTb1f_ao2EfafNqkAkMwRpsT6brj-fRJDHmDnVIr1_t9iyxYQ7bf8ybwRRPMbPi/s320/DSC05953.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First day in India at Lotus Temple - this family asked to take a photo with us</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFjbTyP-ul5IO1cBq7eAk2okk4DcgAM9_zH2pA5cr0QGogPX1G624p7lC-IDyTDTiG4ZJh3cMq_oZeAH79tEsyB6svoOduAy7BnPD2y_6L-tfMldrqPXQyc0xkKfs7Bm0rTDlN_mLK_ks/s1600/DSC05970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFjbTyP-ul5IO1cBq7eAk2okk4DcgAM9_zH2pA5cr0QGogPX1G624p7lC-IDyTDTiG4ZJh3cMq_oZeAH79tEsyB6svoOduAy7BnPD2y_6L-tfMldrqPXQyc0xkKfs7Bm0rTDlN_mLK_ks/s320/DSC05970.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2nd Day in India - Jama Masjid Mosque (the outfit is not mine, they made me wear it)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Kui8EhYCJ9U0E78wNYgTyA0L1ajAk1ho5MzclGotgZGNVILUmyYGfOXZKIDOSPd_QrjuMPNWV_fJtfEDCin0srYMrE8kcpRlOE9kDzHf90R-TyIOJuvJ4AL-QHjS5IbjFrfpfKJAF9ke/s1600/DSC05976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Kui8EhYCJ9U0E78wNYgTyA0L1ajAk1ho5MzclGotgZGNVILUmyYGfOXZKIDOSPd_QrjuMPNWV_fJtfEDCin0srYMrE8kcpRlOE9kDzHf90R-TyIOJuvJ4AL-QHjS5IbjFrfpfKJAF9ke/s320/DSC05976.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rickshaw ride through the market</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDLPFt6l709CHAmDl31OX6FNlhD0QJJ1HNfdDFvaDYJuhDtR1_haN0B4_kQry19DqM-BInneV3ddVgw6sYGN_QAtwSsEhf3loRJPcghQFs_fcA0vfmS4RBDWXBBTU-EKKnCh4hH_kDW6M/s1600/DSC06013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDLPFt6l709CHAmDl31OX6FNlhD0QJJ1HNfdDFvaDYJuhDtR1_haN0B4_kQry19DqM-BInneV3ddVgw6sYGN_QAtwSsEhf3loRJPcghQFs_fcA0vfmS4RBDWXBBTU-EKKnCh4hH_kDW6M/s320/DSC06013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles painting at Qutub Minar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqsB05mm_XiE_YaEGCC4GzbolOvtEJMlnxiFhfQvQXswYtBqozIKgl-M_TtPmwr1I9ilCOx6Xr4eobfNxasyNMDeA1TYg5Gp2yunVMytlJ26CSFJHnlESu1RPnHb_IMlAv8m8Zrs6UhB1/s1600/DSC06118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqsB05mm_XiE_YaEGCC4GzbolOvtEJMlnxiFhfQvQXswYtBqozIKgl-M_TtPmwr1I9ilCOx6Xr4eobfNxasyNMDeA1TYg5Gp2yunVMytlJ26CSFJHnlESu1RPnHb_IMlAv8m8Zrs6UhB1/s320/DSC06118.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amber Fort in Jaipur</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRb2Nsc-umdC0w4Utgyfzu3CZRGE8vzGNwtUSk5ULCJw1Q6PGakbl8tr5_1kaRgW8HTsbV0wfZ1zheslvgyQT5Z-p_SajtjqH_JxnU8_3YWWpQDAjXXtHNfTFAoG4Y-dSM9jd8AmpepzUr/s1600/DSC06181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRb2Nsc-umdC0w4Utgyfzu3CZRGE8vzGNwtUSk5ULCJw1Q6PGakbl8tr5_1kaRgW8HTsbV0wfZ1zheslvgyQT5Z-p_SajtjqH_JxnU8_3YWWpQDAjXXtHNfTFAoG4Y-dSM9jd8AmpepzUr/s320/DSC06181.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On Diwali in Jaipur with our sweet host</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktwhHZmLS4vbgNim8eaaEWBQy2bIaeCIYrbsjMgu0_aqL6VoFIQWp0bhoVlkWIvQO2_g3J76prV3Vr064DYFRwCvd5ZKDTd8OQyN-UrdUKXMCdEDgnIYqE3GXI0GyUHO7CcRekhjQONrV/s1600/DSC06253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktwhHZmLS4vbgNim8eaaEWBQy2bIaeCIYrbsjMgu0_aqL6VoFIQWp0bhoVlkWIvQO2_g3J76prV3Vr064DYFRwCvd5ZKDTd8OQyN-UrdUKXMCdEDgnIYqE3GXI0GyUHO7CcRekhjQONrV/s320/DSC06253.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taj Mahal in Agra</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_leTXm3O4eo7SA7g0DALKmDtER2H_f_kV-KjiNjNjtnDgTL4GVaupF40Cceix98BW2lMS6idCsYyciH3hYhMHCwPbiE6xQFM4P_uU0GXDgw5qY68VW4oKewjd1XxXYoxLmfzdk0ymmy_o/s1600/DSC06288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_leTXm3O4eo7SA7g0DALKmDtER2H_f_kV-KjiNjNjtnDgTL4GVaupF40Cceix98BW2lMS6idCsYyciH3hYhMHCwPbiE6xQFM4P_uU0GXDgw5qY68VW4oKewjd1XxXYoxLmfzdk0ymmy_o/s320/DSC06288.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family of 6 on a motorcycle in Agra</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsH_Ik6clo29hk4G38TmEJo63Aq6pKAN_HbzzxMCxTV3EKdZJYId01UoAs9_0zvVIEsbnaA1qfnssTMzyiNtEaiUXNUlwZ7ITaO2xNxCBZReUtQyFCrVaXSY93YnoNBm9SugOTk3fxvoqE/s1600/DSC06292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsH_Ik6clo29hk4G38TmEJo63Aq6pKAN_HbzzxMCxTV3EKdZJYId01UoAs9_0zvVIEsbnaA1qfnssTMzyiNtEaiUXNUlwZ7ITaO2xNxCBZReUtQyFCrVaXSY93YnoNBm9SugOTk3fxvoqE/s320/DSC06292.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles painting the Taj Mahal from a park across the river</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RZTBFDDVc7IMkcyYbGZiukrs7ZRLUNMwTuvXuxQpMzqSAvJCvQHOqdKsTjxO5adEbDgHJaREuXP_1_k-mokuoVgpM0hpZNY-htn9QPJSJ6t6pnGIg33W_Rean3JWf2NXizEwaGfUe6Hp/s1600/DSC06295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RZTBFDDVc7IMkcyYbGZiukrs7ZRLUNMwTuvXuxQpMzqSAvJCvQHOqdKsTjxO5adEbDgHJaREuXP_1_k-mokuoVgpM0hpZNY-htn9QPJSJ6t6pnGIg33W_Rean3JWf2NXizEwaGfUe6Hp/s320/DSC06295.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids who asked to take a photo with me</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVop9gMtBDsbxa_Y5abDz0abFnxfCefd0KioSuZEp6v4zDn9spJYArKIZYCL4AMH-Kp7ymA0nX2ymYq96GzLD1fH8_nEQ3OMHVRiMgOJCB3wY9G1Hx2n2uVsZoIpu7_gLkwI2CrVa7WnR/s1600/IMG_8698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVop9gMtBDsbxa_Y5abDz0abFnxfCefd0KioSuZEp6v4zDn9spJYArKIZYCL4AMH-Kp7ymA0nX2ymYq96GzLD1fH8_nEQ3OMHVRiMgOJCB3wY9G1Hx2n2uVsZoIpu7_gLkwI2CrVa7WnR/s320/IMG_8698.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marigold wreaths being sold on the street</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdFpnDtZcCGDq7DQqXdisVWhSp6-STU8GDJEGs-J3dyMVGq7swRQ3YLt9CuyGyRaQ9tUw-un_Avbyba6MxYPteUY0DOD2ssCN8VPLquyQ7hIsQrDk1JeYrKpVa1sAXG4E8BBGbC4o95S5/s1600/IMG_8778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdFpnDtZcCGDq7DQqXdisVWhSp6-STU8GDJEGs-J3dyMVGq7swRQ3YLt9CuyGyRaQ9tUw-un_Avbyba6MxYPteUY0DOD2ssCN8VPLquyQ7hIsQrDk1JeYrKpVa1sAXG4E8BBGbC4o95S5/s320/IMG_8778.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snake charmer and Cobra Commander (Charles' new nickname)</td></tr>
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That's it for now...much more to come.</div>
Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-60213585404592648352012-11-17T02:11:00.000-08:002012-11-17T02:12:14.928-08:00The Middle East in the news<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We woke up this morning to see two news stories this morning that were definitely unsettling, we feel very lucky in the timing of our visits: The first story was of the escalated violence in the Gaza Strip and bombings near both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem from the militant group Hammas. We feel extremely grateful that the middle east portion of our trip ended and we were far outside of Israel before this conflict began again. When we were there we could definitely sense tension in the air, while we thought that was just the normal tension caused by the religions clashing going on in this part of the world, I can't help but wonder if perhaps it was intensified because this was on the verge, who knows. The second story was about the violent protests occurring in Amman, Jordan in response to rising fuel costs, wherein the protesters are demanding the resignation of the king. Needless to say, we are glad we were there last week, and not now. <br />
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We truly did enjoy our time in the Middle East and it saddens me to see that there is so much conflict and hate in that part of the world. <br />
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I have already posted a couple of times about our time in Israel, but I had a lot to say. I haven't yet had a chance to post about visiting the ancient ruins of Masada (a fortress built by King Herod in the desert), the Dead Sea, and the ancient city of Petra. I was planning to write about India today, but because of the news we heard this morning, my thoughts are on these places instead.<br />
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We took a day trip to Masada and the Dead Sea from Jerusalem, it was awesome. The ruins of <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1040" target="_blank">Masada</a> are incredible to see, they are in remarkably good shape considering the fortress was built in the late 1st century B.C. The fact that it is completely isolated in the desert and doesn't get much erosion from rain has left it in very good shape. After visiting Masada we went to float in the Dead Sea. I was excited to float in the Dead Sea and cover myself in black mud, but it was so much better than I had imagined. Floating in that water is such a cool sensation, it's truly like nothing I have ever experienced. The water does not feel like water at all. Here are a few pictures:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabtiL9BZ8DUu9U1FYRQisUL_w7HLtmaad9imCwLf4shRbUWpAhRrhyphenhyphenDWf-Uh3xZqL4qp7EyWWxLHDckYzZtfsGEwwbl3HCb-EB5yVZ9FN9btz3QgEe24p4xv7U8fLWSHUNJBHwaXWE1kC/s1600/DSC05735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabtiL9BZ8DUu9U1FYRQisUL_w7HLtmaad9imCwLf4shRbUWpAhRrhyphenhyphenDWf-Uh3xZqL4qp7EyWWxLHDckYzZtfsGEwwbl3HCb-EB5yVZ9FN9btz3QgEe24p4xv7U8fLWSHUNJBHwaXWE1kC/s320/DSC05735.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Desert fortress of Masada</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0n0i4W8LhLaS-MYUcEHujZuk7G1itOhU9uNcgfl-kG2c1qQ2wwi2k3J36ki9KQ0I6EVdvM2Wvr29kMwAj3muSfhBLkRyI2kDO8EB_l4QzCJ5hRKIGw-GxSphCeIZFgFhEPcxeajqVhkYe/s1600/DSC05756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0n0i4W8LhLaS-MYUcEHujZuk7G1itOhU9uNcgfl-kG2c1qQ2wwi2k3J36ki9KQ0I6EVdvM2Wvr29kMwAj3muSfhBLkRyI2kDO8EB_l4QzCJ5hRKIGw-GxSphCeIZFgFhEPcxeajqVhkYe/s320/DSC05756.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCz-1SRp326p37NDiB4DXQSiEh39PjEgOYVsqx36dMYYzNzsmDjDBa7dib0OyX7sRIeXTSD1GpDtQ6TNdCh6QV1lfscmeK0KDCAwweZwwdJ7YQeta2tjOWophOTeU-w9wRvg3uJPfcUNGv/s1600/DSC05770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCz-1SRp326p37NDiB4DXQSiEh39PjEgOYVsqx36dMYYzNzsmDjDBa7dib0OyX7sRIeXTSD1GpDtQ6TNdCh6QV1lfscmeK0KDCAwweZwwdJ7YQeta2tjOWophOTeU-w9wRvg3uJPfcUNGv/s320/DSC05770.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Floating in the Dead Sea</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_Ep7gnb1yU6YoaCcEVqJcptWLn7NP_LaivQVIf0RTItg1cb7gIH5gyEQEf5nkBw-lHr4F-S-zt5bqSnjiX8OmLBKhJxm3KnRAYa5YnCl_YUz9YPY3eE8dpyI5L1nK04ynoZ87bLsd68q/s1600/DSC05774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_Ep7gnb1yU6YoaCcEVqJcptWLn7NP_LaivQVIf0RTItg1cb7gIH5gyEQEf5nkBw-lHr4F-S-zt5bqSnjiX8OmLBKhJxm3KnRAYa5YnCl_YUz9YPY3eE8dpyI5L1nK04ynoZ87bLsd68q/s320/DSC05774.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Famous black Dead Sea mud</td></tr>
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The day after our excursion to Masada and the Dead Sea we had to cross the border from Israel into Jordan. I was nervous, we had done tons of research, but we were doing it on our own and the idea of walking across the border from one country into the other seemed strange to me. We took a bus from Jerusalem to Eilat, which is a small town on the Red Sea at the tip of Israel. In Eilat we got off the bus and found a taxi driver to take us to the border crossing. We arrived at the border crossing and paid our Israeli exit fee and received our exit stamps in our passports. Then we walked out of Israel and into no man's land until we reached the gate with Jordanian border guards. They checked our passports and pointed us to the security check point. They put all of our bags through x-ray machines and waved us on to the visa terminal. We had heard and read tons of various prices for the Jordan visa, they ranged from $20 - $65 per person. We weren't sure how much it would be, but I had my USD ready. The man examining our passports and issuing our visas asked me the meaning of my name, I was rather thrown by this question and told him I didn't know. (Actually, we looked it up this summer, but I really could not remember and figured it wasn't all that important to memorize the meaning of my name...guess it might have proved useful in Jordan.) The border agent then asked what my surname meant, I looked at Charles since Watson is his surname and he tried to explain the origin of the name, but neither of us knew the meaning. The Jordanian guard then went on to tell us the meaning of his name and lectured us on how every word in Arabic has a distinct meaning and that knowing that meaning was very important. We just stood their nodding and watched him fumble with our passports, and I waited for him to ask for money. He never did. He just handed them back to us and pointed towards the immigration check. We handed over our passports again and I was ready with the money, they never asked for any. They checked all of our stamps and visas and returned our passports and waved us towards the exit. I just went with it, I thought at any second they would realize their mistake and come back to us asking for money, but it never happened. We still aren't sure exactly what happened. Our theory is that the agent preparing the visas was so concerned with the meanings of our names and explaining the importance that he forgot, which works great for us! <br />
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Once we were safely in Jordan and in a cab to our hotel we relaxed. It was much easier than I had imagined. Our next task was to figure out how to get to Petra, which is about a 3 hour drive from the city of Aqaba where we were staying that night. We inquired at the hotel and they recommended we talk to Hertz to rent a car or a driver and a car - it was ridiculously expensive. Next we went to a tour operator and their quote was even more expensive. I had read that many people just take a cab. I figured it would be just as expensive, if not more than making arrangements with a tour group, but it was worth a shot. There was a taxi right outside our hotel and we went up to him and asked him how much to drive us to Petra the next morning, he said he would do it for 50 Jordanian Dinars, which is about $70. We were thrilled, we made the arrangements and he said he would arrive at 9:00 the next morning. We did a little exploring of Petra that evening, the city of Aqaba is on the Red Sea and so we had to go and stick our feet in, we walked through the market and stopped into a few shops. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QoYzcAS4K-5Itg4Cpv49EJvzSQPl6OtcPw-cAwaLwewEDzXuA3EVYWZW3soJ6zMdPXqLBfyd2vW7L4ftaGQE4SOoJ03nijVhczPxicZEbvqB4oQDJ_FilvxR-cPRS4dwCGZsbEV9sntX/s1600/DSC05805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QoYzcAS4K-5Itg4Cpv49EJvzSQPl6OtcPw-cAwaLwewEDzXuA3EVYWZW3soJ6zMdPXqLBfyd2vW7L4ftaGQE4SOoJ03nijVhczPxicZEbvqB4oQDJ_FilvxR-cPRS4dwCGZsbEV9sntX/s320/DSC05805.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking into Jordan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07SLfqOVJ4rqU-CdS1tl2-egpH1qIwmerpbZ0mGUf4UNINWhuhd2jGRliAK47n5n8SQ5upWFNIeRfU6QXcCzMeo0aYbG8SIInQvGp-6lbF_RdBSq2Elu09SKe3Yl59qSM5YeA9DIt4BE0/s1600/DSC05817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07SLfqOVJ4rqU-CdS1tl2-egpH1qIwmerpbZ0mGUf4UNINWhuhd2jGRliAK47n5n8SQ5upWFNIeRfU6QXcCzMeo0aYbG8SIInQvGp-6lbF_RdBSq2Elu09SKe3Yl59qSM5YeA9DIt4BE0/s320/DSC05817.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Sea in Aqaba</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMKSn-Y7WzIrXj-8pvdC_LEO7s6ZxsnSLS8yBFhY38SgbtNRsIgosq9j8C_VdPoVpiVsBr2ToKWLO06zsgttD6WN0lbF26im3ElXYUwjv9po9TnMGZpTLg5obfys5URTdwHq8qTJaGuQHP/s1600/DSC05820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMKSn-Y7WzIrXj-8pvdC_LEO7s6ZxsnSLS8yBFhY38SgbtNRsIgosq9j8C_VdPoVpiVsBr2ToKWLO06zsgttD6WN0lbF26im3ElXYUwjv9po9TnMGZpTLg5obfys5URTdwHq8qTJaGuQHP/s320/DSC05820.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Had to stick my foot in...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_E1VD88SaysWEaWgXPNytWZqpQKPKbTcNVe8KgVSx3Qj5yv3o5A8eUvVUMLnX7UUDkowJUjVFIy6HCFSTo2dQpMQYCMMTqxlpv7xXQaanjxp4dKPE7JQak-vbcvasbJbfAlItz8gupQQ/s1600/DSC05829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_E1VD88SaysWEaWgXPNytWZqpQKPKbTcNVe8KgVSx3Qj5yv3o5A8eUvVUMLnX7UUDkowJUjVFIy6HCFSTo2dQpMQYCMMTqxlpv7xXQaanjxp4dKPE7JQak-vbcvasbJbfAlItz8gupQQ/s320/DSC05829.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Markets in Aqaba</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DzsapjvnPXgTYtIjPpM2b_D4O3r2FkfrG9ZubYQOFArHX6V5ZpmZfYriDLnjHvGmIC5RMN2fiGp_tr_xsU7OF-X0dCkO4TG3HbOCZ6ILiA2sVSxChUSG-H0oHur07WUVR_2MQ9pim64f/s1600/DSC05831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DzsapjvnPXgTYtIjPpM2b_D4O3r2FkfrG9ZubYQOFArHX6V5ZpmZfYriDLnjHvGmIC5RMN2fiGp_tr_xsU7OF-X0dCkO4TG3HbOCZ6ILiA2sVSxChUSG-H0oHur07WUVR_2MQ9pim64f/s320/DSC05831.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles with a shop owner, he was a character</td></tr>
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The next morning we got up early to head to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petra" target="_blank">Petra</a>. After a long drive through the desert in Jordan we finally made it. We dropped our stuff in our hotel and made our way to the park. Petra is incredible. It was built around 312 B.C. and it is like nothing I have ever seen. Truly amazing. We met two <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedouin" target="_blank">Bedouin</a> girls our first day in the park, they came to see what Charles was doing. They were completely in awe of his paintings and loved all of them. We spent an hour or so visiting with them, even being introduced to some of their family. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwb4C0SEL043f8VCdtWfvfUGtvB-YURR64-FOGQVDcEepvQq-WH4fcYMygX0MZvZVQXbi0vWLXFM8_K-FKaSm9XzNLHh3juyCeh2IC77zUfKZNQ9RlovECcnRy1muEBbt7i_39sdfBSf4u/s1600/DSC05856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwb4C0SEL043f8VCdtWfvfUGtvB-YURR64-FOGQVDcEepvQq-WH4fcYMygX0MZvZVQXbi0vWLXFM8_K-FKaSm9XzNLHh3juyCeh2IC77zUfKZNQ9RlovECcnRy1muEBbt7i_39sdfBSf4u/s320/DSC05856.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the Siq about to see the Treasury for the first time.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOgXqU1MxvMlQfvRBJ9AtLsebh8zRUUSMLwuu6JJ5R44cARrJIWdzJ7DaCowdGdQaxPK295oaOSTyPus5Hjsv9eOAVeor3ssmKP3xYJsNz1vv3LTpavHa92K2Td5pHNnXisHevOya2adc1/s1600/DSC05857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOgXqU1MxvMlQfvRBJ9AtLsebh8zRUUSMLwuu6JJ5R44cARrJIWdzJ7DaCowdGdQaxPK295oaOSTyPus5Hjsv9eOAVeor3ssmKP3xYJsNz1vv3LTpavHa92K2Td5pHNnXisHevOya2adc1/s320/DSC05857.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Treasury in Petra</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYykj8xAa5B8_Sjy0YprXp6Qmwju3OsgRbCzq6xcefWNiEBpBf8qxENDjVGlM8_blxfqgThnzGoDSJNpS52lSpKuIGmF6LZUhxQB-OVchhpDwrwaiYysJf8BTROQcUaOFptLK-1hSZLm4z/s1600/DSC05879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYykj8xAa5B8_Sjy0YprXp6Qmwju3OsgRbCzq6xcefWNiEBpBf8qxENDjVGlM8_blxfqgThnzGoDSJNpS52lSpKuIGmF6LZUhxQB-OVchhpDwrwaiYysJf8BTROQcUaOFptLK-1hSZLm4z/s320/DSC05879.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bedouin girls - so silly and funny</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDPtjGzOXeMpLUJAGYwNJF6g5Vubkws5qUbKPBTMXLniWsLYC6ikmqfbJ5l4w1fn_Ug9BwEOFoYf6oTdmC2dJV4Dg2vzf0UAkShvhWqbNqUZWSfTEdspVa2IlsldZvADL2vMclk9uDoQy/s1600/DSC05881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDPtjGzOXeMpLUJAGYwNJF6g5Vubkws5qUbKPBTMXLniWsLYC6ikmqfbJ5l4w1fn_Ug9BwEOFoYf6oTdmC2dJV4Dg2vzf0UAkShvhWqbNqUZWSfTEdspVa2IlsldZvADL2vMclk9uDoQy/s320/DSC05881.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our new friends</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid6R9xK9Zu8fDWtY0kMkFrsXEEixftSjJulPksP5iA1fBau2gvQ2WlzLbnBowbb7K0yjuH1rUiLz2ywnKFNtBKxKvPcL7mLSLdqBS33DIpWrzP1mF3lBvYPRvyyMO2V2NJdl53dP1nofHJ/s1600/DSC05884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid6R9xK9Zu8fDWtY0kMkFrsXEEixftSjJulPksP5iA1fBau2gvQ2WlzLbnBowbb7K0yjuH1rUiLz2ywnKFNtBKxKvPcL7mLSLdqBS33DIpWrzP1mF3lBvYPRvyyMO2V2NJdl53dP1nofHJ/s320/DSC05884.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles showing them the bowtie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9Ew31fA6fLkGTUp70FQeaDchmF-RxlVfH_HTc4zukFUIlyBuFEt0nMhJLAhhC1fPGUtFE9jxkIaF1cSntQY9Thhkf4d5AaKfp-SYWVyOul4BO55IB_BwfaA9DmjfVUqaL2QX05ikojHc/s1600/DSC05923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9Ew31fA6fLkGTUp70FQeaDchmF-RxlVfH_HTc4zukFUIlyBuFEt0nMhJLAhhC1fPGUtFE9jxkIaF1cSntQY9Thhkf4d5AaKfp-SYWVyOul4BO55IB_BwfaA9DmjfVUqaL2QX05ikojHc/s320/DSC05923.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monastery in Petra</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQd_d2A3LTHKf5h_YioViX_4Xya4KIpq0Gw_tqjoTiuRplHd-rOsSJGT2526nWZhnYMHxf5ulYTrH9eI6rYMvHIxBRIWQwi8mVX4bhY5cMzcVcLSBIzZ5XjTgh_OHaCqcbPgk3ZtdQWVh5/s1600/DSC05936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQd_d2A3LTHKf5h_YioViX_4Xya4KIpq0Gw_tqjoTiuRplHd-rOsSJGT2526nWZhnYMHxf5ulYTrH9eI6rYMvHIxBRIWQwi8mVX4bhY5cMzcVcLSBIzZ5XjTgh_OHaCqcbPgk3ZtdQWVh5/s320/DSC05936.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shopkeeper where we had lunch - he would yell out have a break, have a kit kat</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vudPu5K8wJ2QnDctJY4Qdc6nwd9LAROAIO7A1ANPNVBZtUT5vqTtb1hIz2X_gJSW0DxbjYHfnY6hnM2-JUs2dn-9ZDmpzgZ9DfLu0pbkN4lEBBykwWRmVMn9rVGKjiaQNnpriUZ_enCU/s1600/IMG_8553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vudPu5K8wJ2QnDctJY4Qdc6nwd9LAROAIO7A1ANPNVBZtUT5vqTtb1hIz2X_gJSW0DxbjYHfnY6hnM2-JUs2dn-9ZDmpzgZ9DfLu0pbkN4lEBBykwWRmVMn9rVGKjiaQNnpriUZ_enCU/s320/IMG_8553.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camels in Petra</td></tr>
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We really loved Petra and are glad we planned two days there, we could have easily spent a few more. I loved interacting with the kids in Petra, there are tons of them running around, but it made me sad to see them working and peddling things to tourists. As you walk through Petra someone is always yelling some slogan or price to you in hopes that you will stop and spend your money. Overall though, we really loved our time in Petra and in Jordan as a whole. <br />
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Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-42240986878116360322012-11-14T09:55:00.000-08:002012-11-17T02:11:58.513-08:00Giving Jerusalem a second try<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I already wrote a little bit about our first day in Jerusalem, if you missed that post you can find it <a href="http://live-with-love-and-laughter.blogspot.in/2012/11/update-from-holy-land.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Luckily even though our first 24 hours in Jerusalem were pretty terrible, the rest of the time there was much better. We woke up our first full day in Jerusalem a little uneasy about what the day would hold, but we were planning to participate in a walking tour and felt like that would ease us into exploring the city. The tour was recommended by our hotel and it was free, so we felt like we couldn't pass it up. If you are ever in Jerusalem, I recommend taking the walking tour from <a href="http://www.newjerusalemtours.com/" target="_blank">Sandeman's New Europe</a>. So, after breakfast we made the long walk from our hotel to Jaffa Gate, where the tour was meeting.<br />
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We signed up for the tour and met our tour guide Naomi. She assembled the group and we entered the old city walls to begin learning about Jerusalem and its history. The old city of Jerusalem is divided into four parts the Christian Quarter, the Muslim Quarter, the Jewish Quarter, and the Armenian Quarter. We started in the Christian Quarter and our first stop was the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Holy_Sepulchre" target="_blank">Church of the Holy Sepulcher</a>, which is the church built over the place of Jesus' crucifixion and burial tomb. We didn't have time to go into the church on the tour, but Charles and I went back later that evening to see the different parts of the church. It truly was amazing to be there and to be among all of the people visiting from all over the world. After visiting the church we made our way to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_Quarter" target="_blank">Muslim Quarter</a>, which is the largest and most populated section of the old city of Jerusalem with about 24,000 people living there. Naomi pointed out that some of the graffiti we noticed the day before when we were wandering lost, was actually happy graffiti. The tradition is to spray graffiti on the home of someone who has recently returned from their pilgrimage to Mecca, which is indicated by hanging a sign above the door of the home. Next, we made our way to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Wall" target="_blank">Western Wall</a>, also sometimes called the Wailing Wall. Naomi explained that the reason it is so important to the Jewish people is that it is the closest that they can get to the Temple Mount that now lies under the Muslim Mosque called the Dome of the Rock. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dome_of_the_Rock" target="_blank">Dome of the Rock</a> is built over the place where Muslims believe that Mohammed left earth and ascended to heaven. It seemed that everywhere we turned all of the religions seemed to overlap in both history and time, all in this one small city. After the Western Wall we continued into the Jewish Quarter, which was extremely quiet, since it was Saturday morning. Naomi explained that this section of the old city looked entirely new because it was rebuilt after the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-Day_War" target="_blank">Six Day War</a>. She also showed us where the new part of the old city is built over the roman ruins, you can see the main street below with Roman columns on either side of the wide avenue. From the Jewish Quarter we made our way down Ararat Street and into the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Quarter" target="_blank">Armenian Quarter</a>. Mount Ararat is the mountain where it is believed Noah's Ark landed. It used to be within the borders of Armenia, but now lies in Turkey, although the image of the mountain still appears on the Armenian crest. The Armenian's claim to be the first nation to convert to Christianity and they have been in Jerusalem since the first century B.C. There are very few Armenian's still living in the Old City, but we enjoyed learning about their history, and eating Armenian food for lunch once the tour was over. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8N6pFJWpnihUmiQc8Vxl4-UdXGKek0YGoRmGg8MM5RQuZqYbKI0XIoCdy_O2tf54k3WOA3PzdcX8_pSB-SPc9pn8oXTN26-fb0bxwctxpG4yoelqY-xQL_N25j7C-oa34vAxq7ryfY5I/s1600/DSC05573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8N6pFJWpnihUmiQc8Vxl4-UdXGKek0YGoRmGg8MM5RQuZqYbKI0XIoCdy_O2tf54k3WOA3PzdcX8_pSB-SPc9pn8oXTN26-fb0bxwctxpG4yoelqY-xQL_N25j7C-oa34vAxq7ryfY5I/s320/DSC05573.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjM7HglzFQIlcC3-53at01_2XcGiuEb3ZmLqdIZ4ULBfMzUYtB18PgScvXlVA1TdyL1xpODqKQj0QKj7UcNGoKS3KM5JC-k1bF0PN5_RM_S3Fe4s2gdCjwBnvNdH2DuWlEjghrm6FpY5T/s1600/DSC05577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjM7HglzFQIlcC3-53at01_2XcGiuEb3ZmLqdIZ4ULBfMzUYtB18PgScvXlVA1TdyL1xpODqKQj0QKj7UcNGoKS3KM5JC-k1bF0PN5_RM_S3Fe4s2gdCjwBnvNdH2DuWlEjghrm6FpY5T/s320/DSC05577.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Graffiti and Sign of Pilgrimage to Mecca</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhduL8tPHCdy3QRhjjtQZBPhK__AncwqmRmVd2UTGGDJtHoTm1uwSyATK2SNRk28hUuX3DQR1sS7HXDd9JUXF5AyllKvGXQtzaEV-rjcaylYTz7M5X9xxvqbuREZJG6BSZMqnV3DXCqTkqE/s1600/DSC05578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhduL8tPHCdy3QRhjjtQZBPhK__AncwqmRmVd2UTGGDJtHoTm1uwSyATK2SNRk28hUuX3DQR1sS7HXDd9JUXF5AyllKvGXQtzaEV-rjcaylYTz7M5X9xxvqbuREZJG6BSZMqnV3DXCqTkqE/s320/DSC05578.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Western Wall</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPmmLTejaov0tXTD8zDNtMj5MMm_NOsEwjATV5UCFHMuRW3UUu-XX9OtmkhSCSaHk6H6b1CK4JQrtaavc_1G3O8Qlena5dn16Ysbv-59c6cIONsb-AGhj0bQLZpS1HTNcgg3I5h-3tL0H/s1600/DSC05584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPmmLTejaov0tXTD8zDNtMj5MMm_NOsEwjATV5UCFHMuRW3UUu-XX9OtmkhSCSaHk6H6b1CK4JQrtaavc_1G3O8Qlena5dn16Ysbv-59c6cIONsb-AGhj0bQLZpS1HTNcgg3I5h-3tL0H/s320/DSC05584.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch - Armenian Restaurant</td></tr>
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After our morning of touring Charles wanted to paint and I decided to stay with Naomi for a second tour of the Mount of Olives. Charles and I went our separate ways agreeing to meet at the Austrian Hospice in the center of the Old City at around 5:15. On the afternoon tour of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_of_Olives" target="_blank">Mount of Olives</a> we went to the following sites:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.mtolives.com/sites/chapel-of-the-ascension.html" target="_blank">Chapel of Ascension</a> - which marks the spot where Jesus ascended into heaven (it is now a mosque)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/" target="_blank">Convent of Pater Noster</a> - the convent built where Jesus taught the disciples the Lord's Prayer, it includes the Lord's Prayer in hundreds of languages, it was wonderful</li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_of_Olives" target="_blank">Jewish Cemetery</a> - which is where Jews believe the resurrection will begin when the messiah comes</li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominus_Flevit_Church" target="_blank">Church of Dominus Flevit</a> - which is the place where the Lord wept and predicted the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple</li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_of_Gethsemane" target="_blank">Garden of Gethsemane</a> - the place where Jesus was arrested the night before his crucifixion</li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_All_Nations" target="_blank">Church of All Nations</a> - the place where Jesus prayed before his arrest</li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_the_Virgin_Mary" target="_blank">Tomb of the Virgin Mary</a> - believed by some to be the tomb of the Virgin Mary, there is some discrepancy here between the actual place and beliefs of whether Mary was buried before she ascended, or simply fell asleep and ascended to heaven. </li>
</ul>
The tour was wonderful and Naomi did a fantastic job with the information about the Mount of Olives. I also had the chance to meet some wonderful people on the afternoon tour - Mark and Jenny from London and Edwina from Australia. I really enjoyed swapping travel stories and learning about what brought them to Jerusalem. Believe me when I say I was overwhelmed in so many ways with all of the history in Jerusalem. It is amazing to walk in the places where all of these biblical stories took place and originated. Unfortunately, since I was on the tour by myself most of the pictures are just of scenery. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Door of the Chapel of Ascension</td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lord's Prayer in Maori in the Convent of Pater Noster</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Mount of Olives looking towards the Old City</td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jewish Cemetery</td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garden of Gethsemane and Church of Nations</td></tr>
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After a long day of touring I met Charles at the Austrian Hospice and we found a spot for dinner. His painting of the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock is beautiful and he had some great interaction with kids from the Old City who stopped to admire his painting. Overall our second day in Jerusalem made us realize that coming to Jerusalem was not a mistake after all. <br />
<br />
The next morning we woke up and our hotel had no power....but we had a plan for the day so we just went with it. We walked to the old city and got some breakfast (since our hotel didn't have power they weren't able to supply coffee) and then set off to walk the ramparts of the old city. Walking the walls of the city was a great way to see Jerusalem and be away from all of the other tourists and vendors in the winding streets of the city. In the afternoon we visited the archeological site of the <a href="http://http//www.cityofdavid.org.il/en" target="_blank">City of David</a>, the <a href="http://www.seetheholyland.net/church-of-the-dormition/" target="_blank">Church of Dormition</a> (the place where the Virgin Mary lived after Jesus was Crucified) and the place where the Last Supper took place. All without a guide, which felt like a big accomplishment. After our sightseeing we decided to find a place Charles could paint and we could relax before we went to mass that evening. All in all a great day in Jerusalem. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles with the Old City wall and a UN vehicle</td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the room of the Last Supper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-63591632177189142512012-11-12T05:21:00.003-08:002012-11-17T02:11:58.516-08:00More on Isreal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We’re currently in India, but I still have lots of things to
say about our time in Israel and Jordan, before I can attempt to cover
India.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since it’s late and I’m tired from the hectic ride from Delhi to Jaipur I’m only going to try and cover
Israel, and even then I know I won’t be able to do it justice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Israel was not at all what we expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some ways it was worse and in some ways it
was better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrived in Tel Aviv on Wednesday,
October 31st around noon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had booked
a hostel and they had emailed me directions using public transportation, so
after getting through Israeli immigration we made our way out of the airport
and into the train station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Purchasing
the tickets was easy, the train came on time and we got on and had almost the
entire train car to ourselves, it was actually kind of strange after the crowded
trains in Italy and Istanbul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we
arrived at the main train station in downtown Tel Aviv we had to find bus #16
and take it to the oceanfront.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
sounded easy enough, except we couldn’t find the bus stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I noticed it was across the highway from
where we exited the train station, but we weren’t sure how to cross the
highway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually a girl walked up to
us and asked where we were trying to go, I guess seeing us looking confused
carrying large backpacks was a dead giveaway that we were lost tourists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With her help we made our way down the street
to cross over to the other side of the highway and sat and waited at the bus
station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we waited we looked around
at the city of Tel Aviv, it was not quite as shiny and cosmopolitan as we
imagined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tel Aviv is often called the White City or the City that
Never Sleeps; we had read that it was a hot destination full of beaches and
restaurants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was less sparkling than
we imagined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were parts that were
nice, but there was also a lot more poverty and dirt and crumbling buildings
than we expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the bus arrived
at the bus stop we were a little unsure if we should get on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bus was a little more like a mini-van and
it looked like it might break down at any moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The driver waved at us to get in, I hoped in
with my back pack still on and tried to maneuver to the back of the bus hoping
I wasn’t giving anyone in my wake a black eye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Charles paid our fare and since there were no seats left he hunched in
the aisle and heaved his backpack to his feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The bus weaved its way through the streets of Tel Aviv stopping here and
there, we heard no announcements of stops and didn’t see any names of the
stops, so we weren’t sure when to get off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Charles asked the driver and he assured us he would let us know when we
arrived at our stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In hindsight, we
probably could have figured it out, our stop was the last stop, we were the
only people still on the bus, and there was the Mediterranean right in front of
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We followed the hostels instructions
and made our way down the street a few blocks until we found it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We checked in and were given the keys to our
room, it was less than desirable especially the communal bathrooms at the end
of the hall, and despite being a hostel it was more expensive than many of the
hotels so far on our trip, but cheaper than any other option in Tel Aviv.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was pretty
bummed out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, we were determined to
make the most of it, so we decided to walk around and check out the
neighborhood around the hostel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjAwm0R91-RJuNydLFI1JCfsCPv-MiVbB5v7Kk4AxNkFpSjsXqPMFc_woWnaLUrS6VwTzDqHANW9FRInNzfsIr4_Kq_AzLnA-69sDfjtN6mtloEAcCnl133zmZGgZvSz0t7Yv-wR550uU/s1600/DSC05465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjAwm0R91-RJuNydLFI1JCfsCPv-MiVbB5v7Kk4AxNkFpSjsXqPMFc_woWnaLUrS6VwTzDqHANW9FRInNzfsIr4_Kq_AzLnA-69sDfjtN6mtloEAcCnl133zmZGgZvSz0t7Yv-wR550uU/s320/DSC05465.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the train at the airport train station</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the bus to go to the hostel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VE-Gv763lI9s8hHOmeIodiXWwwI_Ug6jFod7vaSPEaSCdYa24dOUkJzrSgu9GCC4wtGc16TxkvB8qsZIernYK0AavHyOCYte0UKZ5MEvG3DOYKHiPsmtDfUwyQQmf_7UuIrLSySI1hzs/s1600/DSC05476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VE-Gv763lI9s8hHOmeIodiXWwwI_Ug6jFod7vaSPEaSCdYa24dOUkJzrSgu9GCC4wtGc16TxkvB8qsZIernYK0AavHyOCYte0UKZ5MEvG3DOYKHiPsmtDfUwyQQmf_7UuIrLSySI1hzs/s320/DSC05476.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hostel room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>We walked a block down and oddly enough saw a pub called Mike’s
Place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We noticed they were advertising
a Halloween celebration and so we thought as American’s we should go in and
help celebrate Halloween.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The staff was
all dressed in costumes and the whole place was decorated for Halloween, we
immediately felt at home and didn’t realize how much we were missing
America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We began chatting with the bar
tenders, who were both Americans who came to Israel to become citizens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were really nice guys and gave us some
tips on restaurants and things to do in the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Charles really enjoyed talking to them about
college football and we both enjoyed just catching up with other
Americans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hung out for about an hour
and then decided we should find a place for dinner and get some sleep, we were
both pretty exhausted from our whirlwind tour of Istanbul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They tried to convince us to come back later
for the real party, but we declined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They assured us if we changed our minds the party would continue on
until well in the morning, the rule in Tel Aviv is you don’t close as long as
there are customers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I guess the
tour books are correct on that front – it really is the city that never
sleeps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We followed one of the bar tenders instructions and walked a
few blocks down until we found a kebab restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The food was awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had hummus, falafel, and kebabs – yum!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After dinner we walked back to cozy up for
some sleep in our awesome bunk beds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next day after a good Israeli breakfast of eggs, tomato
and cucumber salad, feta, and some bread with hummus and jam we were ready to
tackle the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our plan was to go visit
the old city of Jaffa, which is part of the city of Tel Aviv, then just relax
and get some exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked to
Jaffa, thinking it was pretty close – it ended up being almost 2 miles
away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The walk was nice though, we
walked along the oceanfront and took in the sights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The old city of Jaffa was wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It definitely made up for the disappointment
we felt when we arrived in Tel Aviv.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jaffa
is famous for being the town associated with the biblical story of Jonah and
the whale and the story of Andromeda’s rescue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The history in this tiny port town is wonderful, we really enjoyed
learning about the stories that originated in Jaffa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After exploring a bit, we walked through the
market and met the most interesting man selling artifacts and signs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a character!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enjoyed sitting with him and having tea
and learning about all the languages he speaks and all of the places he has
lived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just before we reached Jaffa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jaffa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After our afternoon exploring Jaffa we made our way back to
the hostel to change and go for a run along the waterfront.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We miss getting in good heart pumping
exercise, we walk a lot, but it’s different than planning a real work out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were happy that Tel Aviv seemed to be a
place where people work out and we were happy to fall in with the crowd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After our workout we went back and cleaned up
and found a place for dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried a
traditional Israeli dish called shakshuka and some Israeli wine and was
pleasantly surprised – it was delicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After dinner we went back to our hostel to get some sleep before heading
to Jerusalem the next morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shakshohka and Charles' giant schnitzel</td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bus to Jerusalem listening to Girl Talk (Yes, that's the same shirt Charles was wearing the day before)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-83632536930379566052012-11-09T13:17:00.003-08:002012-11-17T02:12:39.303-08:00Waiting in Doha<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We are currently in transit to India.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, our flight leaving Amman was
delayed so we missed our flight to New Delhi and are currently sitting in the
airport lounge in Doha Qatar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had to
do some elbowing in line at the customer service desk to get re-booked on
another flight, but we ended up getting upgraded to Business Class for the next
leg of our journey, so I won’t complain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The downside, we don’t leave until 1:25 a.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well…</div>
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<br /></div>
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I haven’t done much blogging lately, for two reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One, our internet situation has been
horrible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two, we have been crazy busy
trying to squeeze in everything we could in Israel and Jordan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got to Amman last night and I had plans to
blog and catch up on things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did get a
lot of reservation type stuff organized, but I didn’t even think about
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needed sleep though!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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So, I will have to post again later to give details of Tel
Aviv, Jaffa, Jerusalem, Masada, the Dead Sea, Aqaba, Petra/Wadi Musa, and
Amman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have really enjoyed the Holy
Land and the Middle East and I can’t wait to post in more detail about it
all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-74617167317896224102012-11-09T13:15:00.003-08:002012-11-09T13:15:53.416-08:00Istanbul (not Constantinople)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Turkish Baths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ended up fitting it all in, and even threw
in a couple of extra activities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our first stop of the day was Hagia Sophia, we got there
mid-morning and the line was already rather long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It moved quickly though and before we knew it
we were inside the gates ready to explore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For those of you who don’t know anything about Hagia Sophia you can read
the full history of it by clicking <a href="http://www.hagiasophia.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I studied the Hagia Sophia in undergrad in my art history classes and it
was really cool to be there and see the incredible mosaics in person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I truly felt that we were experiencing the
history of Istanbul and really understanding what is meant when people say that
it is the place where East meets West.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here are a few photos:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCY_5673XsOhxJq7PxKkI3gloBNhohDKqUWKcNBCSjmqBCSVFoUR0zdp4p5SfrXp1N4lT0Lf8kYhbl-t2kRKduvmoPeTxV-z3plWcsiZBXDxC_CeAxz9bgmW_vYqI7xptE3rgJQU0ZVz3n/s1600/DSC05323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCY_5673XsOhxJq7PxKkI3gloBNhohDKqUWKcNBCSjmqBCSVFoUR0zdp4p5SfrXp1N4lT0Lf8kYhbl-t2kRKduvmoPeTxV-z3plWcsiZBXDxC_CeAxz9bgmW_vYqI7xptE3rgJQU0ZVz3n/s320/DSC05323.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a beautiful place</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzY2385Nh2f5fLutyJEVcCg06fS5TegWC4CrQOW2QpaasTzd-4J73Wyxx_4PCpYFr7eSfp_XQZH98WDLvGDPsKysLRiM8SD9dn-EIqJecDX3n6VS2t_3Gel9Ec9LLc6n8eeR2-LXW5d_Q/s1600/DSC05329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzY2385Nh2f5fLutyJEVcCg06fS5TegWC4CrQOW2QpaasTzd-4J73Wyxx_4PCpYFr7eSfp_XQZH98WDLvGDPsKysLRiM8SD9dn-EIqJecDX3n6VS2t_3Gel9Ec9LLc6n8eeR2-LXW5d_Q/s640/DSC05329.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crowd in Hagia Sophia</td></tr>
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We exited Hagia Sophia to find that rain showers had moved
in while we were inside, so we sat at the café for a few minutes to wait for the
rain to pass and watched all the other tourists moving around us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the square between the Hagia Sophia and
the Blue Mosque is a big park with fountains and benches, it seemed like a good
place to sit and enjoy the energy of the city, so we sat and Charles painted and
I read and we just enjoyed letting the city move around us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several people came up and complimented
Charles on his painting while we sat there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were offered shoe shines on two occasions – which was strange because
we were both wearing running shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe they thought they could polish my blue and turquoise Brooks
running shoes to an even brighter shine?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here is a pic of the artist at work: <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwn9tgDYHqtr3OK1XtCvw_7KK-Hde1tMRXXANFX-QNZhHaSb7m9VXj2m0vFydA13MEQdMaBdy1aU2bjOm7DLX9ms4THGqdDklxGZympWT3idQbjV-OLU6mbY9m1-e8Wwkuc8e6OPjHQVoK/s1600/DSC05365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwn9tgDYHqtr3OK1XtCvw_7KK-Hde1tMRXXANFX-QNZhHaSb7m9VXj2m0vFydA13MEQdMaBdy1aU2bjOm7DLX9ms4THGqdDklxGZympWT3idQbjV-OLU6mbY9m1-e8Wwkuc8e6OPjHQVoK/s320/DSC05365.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_YRkMhbTz_E3RZKEo6FO55i4sy1DI1kggUF5bQbC54ZS21zLfnQFLq9Z2ptdVtMX-uKcOvHTYUvlscqBZKfkHMhktQvOvlz3IvSQpCyl_IOtAbqVYSCDRWHdb9tJhNA7xMv06dUx8IdQe/s1600/DSC05366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_YRkMhbTz_E3RZKEo6FO55i4sy1DI1kggUF5bQbC54ZS21zLfnQFLq9Z2ptdVtMX-uKcOvHTYUvlscqBZKfkHMhktQvOvlz3IvSQpCyl_IOtAbqVYSCDRWHdb9tJhNA7xMv06dUx8IdQe/s320/DSC05366.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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When Charles finished painting we decided that it was time for
lunch and headed to the Grand Bazaar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
found a café tucked among the carpet vendors and textile stalls and ordered
some kebabs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After lunch we wandered
through the Grand Bazaar not really looking for anything in particular and
finding anything and everything under the sun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Charles ended up with a new wallet, we felt very accomplished because we
bargained the vendor down quite a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
wandered up and down the halls of the Grand Bazaar being offered beautiful
carpets (to match my shoes, yes the same Blue and Turquoise Brooks running
shoes), spices, pastries, watches, purses, tapestries….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually our senses were so overrun with
colors and sounds and smells that we figured it was time to move on to our next
activity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We left the markets to find a
beautiful mosque in the afternoon sun. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69N5TzETWdUagqrVAU-MS31m5u_7cTebIdH9YJW4-etCoyJDCgcOv0jTziElu4ERXb2P0sxQKOmfQetgp4MxYg_vNYRkmclZVR5GQA-uVTyoKApm6of25YZyDSgzwfXjr2KlyyY172Cr8/s1600/DSC05379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69N5TzETWdUagqrVAU-MS31m5u_7cTebIdH9YJW4-etCoyJDCgcOv0jTziElu4ERXb2P0sxQKOmfQetgp4MxYg_vNYRkmclZVR5GQA-uVTyoKApm6of25YZyDSgzwfXjr2KlyyY172Cr8/s320/DSC05379.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to the Grand Bazaar</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_BKI3ZQpfudqxpneS9rvfYcFcU2dbHTrYSIClK9-kfLSlws8KvD4QkcPT0URvFTgRXNxnjPP8A8gQ4r5DB0STUq8Y43wxAqUPBURB0FrreuN_hvFgddKCAhb9_h3YpTj3qm2wEUKVi6H/s1600/DSC05368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_BKI3ZQpfudqxpneS9rvfYcFcU2dbHTrYSIClK9-kfLSlws8KvD4QkcPT0URvFTgRXNxnjPP8A8gQ4r5DB0STUq8Y43wxAqUPBURB0FrreuN_hvFgddKCAhb9_h3YpTj3qm2wEUKVi6H/s320/DSC05368.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the bazaar</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAHN6upoO4LpPIFrYRcX1I4LV7McUDREFv2JIl9RgdKCviH_l2QFZrZeRXrH2X62XiWZaUR-tbMmZviFzsrXpBSMx2n-00dU5m39uZSICS9NYHI1r-EMwJPt_3ARzFMhGV7oTZwRQQDbsw/s1600/DSC05380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAHN6upoO4LpPIFrYRcX1I4LV7McUDREFv2JIl9RgdKCviH_l2QFZrZeRXrH2X62XiWZaUR-tbMmZviFzsrXpBSMx2n-00dU5m39uZSICS9NYHI1r-EMwJPt_3ARzFMhGV7oTZwRQQDbsw/s320/DSC05380.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mosque in the afternoon sun</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Earlier in the day we had passed a barber and Charles mentioned he was
interested in getting a shave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were
trying to remember which direction the barber shop we had seen earlier was,
when we saw a sign for a barber across the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we walked over and inquired how
much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The price was 10 Turkish Lira,
which is about the equivalent of about $5-$6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately we had just used the last of our Turkish Lira to purchase
Charles’ wallet so we had to go find an ATM, but once we had cash we went back
so he could get his shave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Going to the
barber in Istanbul was a really cool experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We met a man inside by the name of Mahmet, or
as he referred to himself, Crazy Mahmet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once he found out we were from Texas he started talking about the tv
show Dallas in a combination of Turkish, English, and Jibberish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He kept laughing and repeating the names of
the characters from the show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
hilarious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As he left the barber got
started with the shave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Charles’ beard
was so long he cut it first with a duller blade, then again with a sharper one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did an excellent job. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyPhUkFCiAaF3wMAqSqwHXNHeHLIErQNs2-F6nfk-TM8tSo5_ENvf0uK7ixzz4LVG-RtfYoGFfnubdL8TtVIyDL_F8pVSc5WFuheK4JFdbDidhF3KxR2gSur_44WdXXIaajBXZVV3mLK0/s1600/DSC05384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyPhUkFCiAaF3wMAqSqwHXNHeHLIErQNs2-F6nfk-TM8tSo5_ENvf0uK7ixzz4LVG-RtfYoGFfnubdL8TtVIyDL_F8pVSc5WFuheK4JFdbDidhF3KxR2gSur_44WdXXIaajBXZVV3mLK0/s320/DSC05384.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crazy Mahmet leaving the barbershop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEJssSuAeceOTChIwq9IQkF3CRMaDDyDEgtXl9Qq9_yAxa2DvPbLM1ohzBg1oV8jioz8sX77XuYYQy8H1JdhVQsEf2qn-R6BL3IRXmXeITy-_RZKa0P7aJHWalgsd-d2UMWcfViYi0-Zi/s1600/DSC05385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEJssSuAeceOTChIwq9IQkF3CRMaDDyDEgtXl9Qq9_yAxa2DvPbLM1ohzBg1oV8jioz8sX77XuYYQy8H1JdhVQsEf2qn-R6BL3IRXmXeITy-_RZKa0P7aJHWalgsd-d2UMWcfViYi0-Zi/s320/DSC05385.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting a shave</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi193A6P-8Pm8sgroSwROVfZ8LTclLF6FN1Xkyrj5Xn50k9-wwz5qu-0L8knTFPRHNuNCGMxrR9tKBU6TozsGWj8z00ckhpOQTW46lPQh80HZtC1EW9G9aEmtwBJRQ6EEGHcTlFGjpuNVgU/s1600/DSC05387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi193A6P-8Pm8sgroSwROVfZ8LTclLF6FN1Xkyrj5Xn50k9-wwz5qu-0L8knTFPRHNuNCGMxrR9tKBU6TozsGWj8z00ckhpOQTW46lPQh80HZtC1EW9G9aEmtwBJRQ6EEGHcTlFGjpuNVgU/s320/DSC05387.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-shave</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Post-shave we decided we would see if the Blue Mosque was
open to visitors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was dusk and we
knew that there would be a chance it was closed for prayer or possibly even for
the rest of the evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we arrived
we were told that we could go inside in 15 minutes once evening prayer had
ended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sat in the courtyard of the
Mosque and waited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a beautiful
place to sit and wait. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxlw51lv64LV9vAn6RXGIyvEM2DpmIkrKt70jct0TiFf2CIf9X54-vK1qcPoghA4FRHeSnW3VGGcAMBmhZhjP9e_34ht1um3aDbqFK0ZHEh_BwoKedl7se4Whhsy5GdjzDu8ztThzFRVs/s1600/DSC05391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxlw51lv64LV9vAn6RXGIyvEM2DpmIkrKt70jct0TiFf2CIf9X54-vK1qcPoghA4FRHeSnW3VGGcAMBmhZhjP9e_34ht1um3aDbqFK0ZHEh_BwoKedl7se4Whhsy5GdjzDu8ztThzFRVs/s320/DSC05391.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting to enter the Blue Mosque</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Before you can go inside the mosque you have to remove your
shoes and women must cover their heads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once inside there is a railing a third of the way into the mosque which
is the barrier that visitors are not allowed to cross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The decorations inside the mosque are incredibly
detailed and intricate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was so
much to look at and so much detail to admire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-Qg2mS7fRZT8fo-UwtsnSWTVVGjXOS-xJcu_BYvp6JKUAZKnlxJMYjn9l2gpd2rn_pYIa5uD91er3mIMtoCIrK8Bob9NEPUsLCZ87dRQLj-xvOn6B_yzuvslGgA7jrtBJsVH5X1NAA6m/s1600/DSC05401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-Qg2mS7fRZT8fo-UwtsnSWTVVGjXOS-xJcu_BYvp6JKUAZKnlxJMYjn9l2gpd2rn_pYIa5uD91er3mIMtoCIrK8Bob9NEPUsLCZ87dRQLj-xvOn6B_yzuvslGgA7jrtBJsVH5X1NAA6m/s320/DSC05401.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Blue Mosque</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrnOsFCuPFXSfiu2mF0gWSkAEzKpDyrmSQKPSrqGzktCVTeBxMRwuv4ymr-PGbVhaEWMg45hx_Cj16dUF5bQSdTcIyC68jQKYVXWTi79AmKwIq8RSUd5AjpWjXiN75TTS85cOXBtpahxL/s1600/DSC05403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrnOsFCuPFXSfiu2mF0gWSkAEzKpDyrmSQKPSrqGzktCVTeBxMRwuv4ymr-PGbVhaEWMg45hx_Cj16dUF5bQSdTcIyC68jQKYVXWTi79AmKwIq8RSUd5AjpWjXiN75TTS85cOXBtpahxL/s320/DSC05403.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sock feet - Blue Mosque</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Dcam_2eRhLsvHFZDlsQP25ROWvjEwQMHnksDhEkpfxHC-JbQ5z-KUse5k4nr5qIVz5laBJEWMhSu4mV23hcpMF8loCcY8PJepnGkYuR3cMgLJLevYpOQSooJNcF2QzLomoTI9k3grtzS/s1600/DSC05404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Dcam_2eRhLsvHFZDlsQP25ROWvjEwQMHnksDhEkpfxHC-JbQ5z-KUse5k4nr5qIVz5laBJEWMhSu4mV23hcpMF8loCcY8PJepnGkYuR3cMgLJLevYpOQSooJNcF2QzLomoTI9k3grtzS/s320/DSC05404.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was nearing 6 p.m. and we had reservations at the Suleymaniye Hamam at 7:00 p.m., so we headed back to the hotel to
drop off our day packs and relax for a few minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t really know what to expect at the
Turkish Baths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had read that it
included 40 minutes or so of lying on a hot slab of marble within the bathhouse,
followed by a ritual bathing and a soap massage, then a traditional method of
drying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It sounded interesting, but also
kind of strange.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me tell you that it
was awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Definitely one of the most
unique and enjoyable spa experiences I have had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you arrive they show you to a changing
room where the men wrap themselves in a towel and the women are given shorts
and a bikini top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are then taken
into the baths which are heated steam rooms with marble benches and slabs
inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone spends about 30-40
minutes resting on the hot marble, which is supposed to warm the body and
release toxins from the skin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
about 40 minutes we were taken into a smaller room off the main bath where we
were rinsed with cool water by our masseur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then you lay on a marble slab and they use a silk pillow case to douse
you with soap suds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then you get a
massage that incorporates not only the typical Swedish style rub down but also
incorporates yoga like stretches and slapping the muscles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I know it sounds weird and slightly
unpleasant, but believe me when I say – it was awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think I realized how tired and achy
my body was from all the walking and backpack heaving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We left feeling amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS9qJhr3uGYJXkxIA3hsbcLFtt4WxAmj-IzBkDc-p34I9VMXucdwt7rfZfvXuEobs6RFHs2r2eDrvMavEqdWFxBWa2hskRIa4fL0BKY-qog4EWYfuN6Dnus-HDF-4ALUqV7CVBYyF55HxU/s1600/DSC05416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS9qJhr3uGYJXkxIA3hsbcLFtt4WxAmj-IzBkDc-p34I9VMXucdwt7rfZfvXuEobs6RFHs2r2eDrvMavEqdWFxBWa2hskRIa4fL0BKY-qog4EWYfuN6Dnus-HDF-4ALUqV7CVBYyF55HxU/s320/DSC05416.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the hamam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were returned to our hotel at around 9:00 p.m. and we
still hadn’t found dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We figured
our best bet was to walk somewhere nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found a restaurant with a cool rooftop
dining area a few blocks from our hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As someone who gets cold easily I appreciated the fact that they had
blankets on the backs of the chairs in case you got cold, which of course I
did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The food was delicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also had a glass of Turkish wine, which was
really good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think maybe Turkish wine
is underrated, it was delicious and inexpensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a visitor show up as we were eating, a
white and grey cat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are stray cats
everywhere in Istanbul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Charles said,
Bob Barker would go nuts here with all the stray cats and dogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After our wonderful dinner we headed back
towards our hotel and we walked by a shop selling lanterns and pottery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a Russian woman and her son
negotiating the price of the lanterns, we stood by and enjoyed the show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved the lanterns – beautiful. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclgqLFv1vuZcUQ6d7DmTNyY4X8F06RxtLH2sfnqHAUvD97RQBO4UzpRkR-9H41tpYPQPmeldzvAEO0rq1VR45qrE_fNC0AD_dYf0cZeGkKNpFsiyxX3lP6tJCLz1ZQwfahRb3BG0vQO8Z/s1600/DSC05432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclgqLFv1vuZcUQ6d7DmTNyY4X8F06RxtLH2sfnqHAUvD97RQBO4UzpRkR-9H41tpYPQPmeldzvAEO0rq1VR45qrE_fNC0AD_dYf0cZeGkKNpFsiyxX3lP6tJCLz1ZQwfahRb3BG0vQO8Z/s320/DSC05432.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rooftop dinner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDehnWP7KtS47RulJM1DgQwLwa84L8ywftmXHaXrRcnOXkkrzQECM_xBy-athnUhtWkQgHvQeRQmskmK27PDGDarle-JoIq0EEiMGBh4xWbyrKaHjum3qhOUplPN2YajdbHW69dy8rfjKN/s1600/DSC05436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDehnWP7KtS47RulJM1DgQwLwa84L8ywftmXHaXrRcnOXkkrzQECM_xBy-athnUhtWkQgHvQeRQmskmK27PDGDarle-JoIq0EEiMGBh4xWbyrKaHjum3qhOUplPN2YajdbHW69dy8rfjKN/s320/DSC05436.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lanterns</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the walk back to our hotel we passed by a café that offered
hookah pipes with flavored tabacco, Charles felt compelled to give it a
try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided to have some mint
tea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is Charles with the hookah, or
as they call it in Turkey the nargile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzMW6qe6yc0DqZEvnnK1qxtZXL80xFwlNvKs08C8Hx1_AFpLPxWmWVBPmpwQ8PKzydR3l7VEBQmhCO-7AfVk6A1VhJK7LI43AqMjLKwpvKxt4TvoLa_LISclblJbLzm186JdSLxuVgLly/s1600/DSC05437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzMW6qe6yc0DqZEvnnK1qxtZXL80xFwlNvKs08C8Hx1_AFpLPxWmWVBPmpwQ8PKzydR3l7VEBQmhCO-7AfVk6A1VhJK7LI43AqMjLKwpvKxt4TvoLa_LISclblJbLzm186JdSLxuVgLly/s320/DSC05437.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hookah</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> We really loved Turkey and can't wait to go back one day to explore more of the country.</span></div>
</div>
Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-30026042246171092272012-11-05T13:30:00.000-08:002012-11-06T11:16:52.785-08:00Update from the Holy LandI planned to write another post about Istanbul as my next post, but we are currently in Jerusalem, and I felt like I needed to write a post about this incredible place. <br />
<br />
We arrived in Jerusalem on Friday from Tel Aviv. We arrived on a public bus and negotiated a cab fare to our hotel. The hotel was not what we expected, I think the nicest way to describe it is to say that it is well past it's prime. We saw a sign in the lobby indicating that valuables should be left with management, so before leaving to explore the city we thought we would leave our computer bag with the front desk. The man behind the desk was confused and didn't speak English but he took our bag and put it in the store room. I was a little uneasy, but we had put a lock on the bag, so we left it and headed out. As we walked through the neighborhood toward the walls of the Old City I realized we forgot to bring our map. We walked past stray cats in dumpsters, teenage boys hanging out in the street, drivers careening around corners, cars parked on the sidewalk so we had to take our chances in the street. It was crazy and dirty and stressful. We were without a map and low on money so our plan was to get into the Old City walls and find an ATM.<br />
<br />
The first gate we came to was Herod's Gate, so we went in and began to try and find our way to the market street, assuming that we would find an ATM there. We were wrong and we were lost. The streets in Old Town Jerusalem and a maze and although we found the market street there were no ATM's anywhere. We asked a vendor where we could find an ATM, he told us to go to the end of the street and we would find one at the wall entering the Jewish Quarter. We walked until we found the ATM - relief! Except, the ATM was only in Hebrew, and we don't speak Hebrew. So, we went back the way we came to find the other ATM they mentioned which was just outside Damascus Gate. We were getting worried, because we were without a map, without money and it was getting dark and we didn't feel very safe walking back to our hotel after dark. We exited the Old City and saw a sign for a bank across the street. We thought we would find an ATM there so we crossed the busy street and walked on the sidewalk lined with men selling used phone chargers and electronic cables, shoes, clothes, and purses, and any other random thing you could think of. As we were walking Charles heard a quick zip, he didn't feel anything, but he sensed that it was his bag. He noticed a man following closely behind him and he intentionally quickened his pace and the man followed. Then Charles stopped to look at one of the tables of junk, which forced the pickpocket to keep walking, or be caught. As we turned around we saw the pickpocket approach another man on the street, they were talking and looking at us. We walked a few steps further and Charles quickly took off his back pack and saw that his zipper was unzipped, but luckily nothing was taken. The whole thing took only seconds, Charles was furious and I was nervous. We kept walking down the street, but never found an ATM and had to turn around and walk past the pick pocket again, as we passed Charles acknowledged he knew the guys scam. We still had no cash, no map, and we were clearly not in a good part of town. <br />
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We did eventually find an ATM, and we re-entered the Old City at Jaffa Gate and found a restaurant for dinner. Our first day in Jerusalem was pretty crappy. We were wondering if coming here was a mistake, we regretted our hotel choice and the number of days we planned to stay here. <br />
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I'm happy to say that our opinion of Jerusalem has changed. This is a beautiful, historical, spiritual city. It is a place where many religions overlap in space and time and there is history and faith everywhere you look. There is religious tension, but there is also religious harmony. The city is a place that is full of traffic and chaos and people everywhere, but it is a place that people love so much that they feel privileged to call this holy place their home. We have met Jews, Christians, and Muslims while we have been here, who have all equally shown pride and love for this city. They have all welcomed us as visitors to enjoy the history of this place and experience our own spirituality. Tomorrow morning we leave Jerusalem to go to the Red Sea. I am leaving feeling blessed to have seen and experienced this holy city. Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-39873281014060681112012-11-02T13:52:00.001-07:002012-11-06T11:16:39.127-08:00Exploring IstanbulOur time in Istanbul was much too short. We planned it mostly as a short stop over on our way to Israel and Jordan, which we immediately regretted. We arrived in Istanbul on Sunday afternoon and had to figure out how to get in touch with Charles' friend Carole. Charles and Carole taught together at Episcopal High School in Houston a few years ago. We had her phone number we just don't have a phone. We found free wifi in the airport though and so we used our Skype account to give her a call. We notified her of our arrival and got a taxi towards the suburbs of Istanbul where Carole and her husband Martin live with their precious baby. Carole and Martin were wonderful hosts, we enjoyed a meal of Turkish food and some wonderful pastry desserts they had picked up from a local shop. Yummy! We all stayed up way too late visiting, Charles and Carole had a great time reminiscing about their time together at EHS. Thanks Martin and Carole for the wonderful hospitality! <br />
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The next morning we enjoyed a little baby time with their 9 month old and then had a great breakfast visiting with Martin and Carole before we set out for the center of Istanbul. Martin drove us down to the bus and helped us make our way on to the right one. We found ourselves on a crowded bus inching along towards Taksim Square. When we were planning our trip we had no idea that we would be arriving in Istanbul on Republic Day, which is a national holiday where they celebrate the nations heroes (or at least that's what we were told). There were Turkish flags flying all over the city, it was really cool!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtXy36ByPZ8pf9NeH9OGpdHkLmPQBobKEMlgCwuzAeaeET0glsLnhuDRna_-p_rEZwtb1q5TlbvsQy35AW4k8YzUKmi6Mt8mg9aaaG9BIt9ofBEcCxBO79mNTs9bUDAqSO4TGjyQXsdWJ/s1600/DSC05201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtXy36ByPZ8pf9NeH9OGpdHkLmPQBobKEMlgCwuzAeaeET0glsLnhuDRna_-p_rEZwtb1q5TlbvsQy35AW4k8YzUKmi6Mt8mg9aaaG9BIt9ofBEcCxBO79mNTs9bUDAqSO4TGjyQXsdWJ/s320/DSC05201.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taksim Square on Republic Day</td></tr>
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Once we got to our hotel we decided to check out the neighborhood and then make our way across the Golden Horn to the neighborhood Carole and Martin lived in before they moved to the burbs. Our hotel was in a great location in Sultanahmet near the Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia, and the Blue Mosque. Carole recommended going to the Basilica Cistern, which is a cistern built during the 6th century to hold water. It is really amazing. You can read more about it <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_Cistern" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGIVYXrboC9_hIrVoea6HuO4hlth3L842qPHKRAZ5JOzGMiocttjn0ZqX_evk5QbsIgG5VxTEfV-0FvLTOwY6kbHs9CFs_7VvHnF-mLRi7v-ChQYxT3kb42BznaJv47mLQ80EuKDmIyeP/s1600/DSC05216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGIVYXrboC9_hIrVoea6HuO4hlth3L842qPHKRAZ5JOzGMiocttjn0ZqX_evk5QbsIgG5VxTEfV-0FvLTOwY6kbHs9CFs_7VvHnF-mLRi7v-ChQYxT3kb42BznaJv47mLQ80EuKDmIyeP/s320/DSC05216.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Columns in the cistern</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLNTzu7opB2tCmZ4vROYEXB8WHbsoQZui94ekTdtd0__4JxfVyWeXNh8LDsX0pXJ7LF65FueYvasX0VfwuAdXwylPiD66VakKFktW8K-h8KWpYLfM2j-WCuJfF3WJeF_KxMMnqjobmrzr/s1600/DSC05223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLNTzu7opB2tCmZ4vROYEXB8WHbsoQZui94ekTdtd0__4JxfVyWeXNh8LDsX0pXJ7LF65FueYvasX0VfwuAdXwylPiD66VakKFktW8K-h8KWpYLfM2j-WCuJfF3WJeF_KxMMnqjobmrzr/s320/DSC05223.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was so cool down there!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTxqTCste23u-ZgYRFB1wXNi0OoqAnEmvAM_XS330PiOLPj5ZUqy7DHaaJ0-gQaCcHgiHIAspdmfh3AokBgtPeN3QvPxtbkj2KUOLNxZs-A3ye8O5f0KgBiEsGpXfIZozKwhQNmEG_jrS/s1600/DSC05227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTxqTCste23u-ZgYRFB1wXNi0OoqAnEmvAM_XS330PiOLPj5ZUqy7DHaaJ0-gQaCcHgiHIAspdmfh3AokBgtPeN3QvPxtbkj2KUOLNxZs-A3ye8O5f0KgBiEsGpXfIZozKwhQNmEG_jrS/s320/DSC05227.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basilica Cistern</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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After checking out the Basilica Cistern and the Hippodrome we decided to walk over to the Egyptian Spice Market and do a little market perusing before crossing the Golden Horn. We took the long way so we could walk through <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topkap%C4%B1_Palace" target="_blank">Topkapi Palace</a> grounds, which were beautiful. The Egyptian Spice Market was full of color and smells and vendors trying to leer you with their Turkish Delight, sparkly jewelry, silver pepper grinders. It was awesome. We bought some pistachios, Turkish Delight, and a replacement wedding ring. I left mine in the U.S. and have been missing them. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEice2J_q2LtpKtbipTH5kx0R97qAYDB0EDJoadeNfeXooIxN9Sn39YEV0Oysrz8ZZ8cCNT07l8ur_aVc4W3IMZ_hd-fty54fdJFK47H54Zw5xNnAPsGibWEEWik6S2y2l4f3T0oT0OGCGq5/s1600/DSC05250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEice2J_q2LtpKtbipTH5kx0R97qAYDB0EDJoadeNfeXooIxN9Sn39YEV0Oysrz8ZZ8cCNT07l8ur_aVc4W3IMZ_hd-fty54fdJFK47H54Zw5xNnAPsGibWEEWik6S2y2l4f3T0oT0OGCGq5/s320/DSC05250.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spice Market</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtI_WTAFgqYlD-1jc8HBVnK3jEif5-lMkYAYXczk0LApZWuAxEInZNiBd5PBBIkvZXBvXiiCiRi_DR8wTZK_r4COvLa9jqfWDOX-Ko9Ocfer9qJLyWVNH1Z6VshgdFSZpYylCWCDfj_We3/s1600/DSC05251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtI_WTAFgqYlD-1jc8HBVnK3jEif5-lMkYAYXczk0LApZWuAxEInZNiBd5PBBIkvZXBvXiiCiRi_DR8wTZK_r4COvLa9jqfWDOX-Ko9Ocfer9qJLyWVNH1Z6VshgdFSZpYylCWCDfj_We3/s320/DSC05251.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My wedding ring replacement (mine are back at home).</td></tr>
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After the Spice Market we hopped on the tram to go to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyo%C4%9Flu" target="_blank">Beyoglu</a> neighborhood to find the restaurants that Carole recommended. We stopped first at 5 Kat Restaurant to have a drink on the rooftop. We lucked out because we got the last table and later found out why it was such a desirable location, they were having a huge fireworks show for Republic Day. We had a great viewing spot for the whole thing. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPCbtnXFNa2SjcjGf5WgsyfSCxxE_MF3ewzd8lhNq08TYjVgeHBD44x0gPBe1njHLOtGidW56k8Cpa7W3gxczWxDoWA0d2SqHmTUn2gyu2nLlEu5umEH5YXiMCpJvWTUGQ3URmxF1FtOy/s1600/DSC05287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPCbtnXFNa2SjcjGf5WgsyfSCxxE_MF3ewzd8lhNq08TYjVgeHBD44x0gPBe1njHLOtGidW56k8Cpa7W3gxczWxDoWA0d2SqHmTUn2gyu2nLlEu5umEH5YXiMCpJvWTUGQ3URmxF1FtOy/s320/DSC05287.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching fireworks in Istanbul at 5 Kat</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRguJYMr675hvu40tj204hesJo-SWbEI_0EDM7pUdoDqL7u1EDBYCFnU2W_DgghSDct_wq5KJdq0J9DDAkrrIx5JgwFA_NLsrYlwFhbI-90hziys0PXLpHMBc5DTAPn18KtyBe5Q2tYoXP/s1600/DSC05289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRguJYMr675hvu40tj204hesJo-SWbEI_0EDM7pUdoDqL7u1EDBYCFnU2W_DgghSDct_wq5KJdq0J9DDAkrrIx5JgwFA_NLsrYlwFhbI-90hziys0PXLpHMBc5DTAPn18KtyBe5Q2tYoXP/s320/DSC05289.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fireworks over the Bosphorus</td></tr>
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When the fireworks ended we went to find dinner at a little local restaurant called Datli Maya - it was delicious and unique - you walk through the kitchen to get to the dining room. After dinner we called it a day and headed back to our hotel.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDtVWTmFJ2cOIVe_b9gccpuelW4-6Io2MH5wJOEjnoGOiuImb107x0sava-xnRo_Wh8PtqL_msTRC7MsKBOPNYj9VDdbqCq9vFaybYe2s9w_TI54nqWeYZk4emD-h4GRmG2_KCmWc82hX/s1600/DSC05301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDtVWTmFJ2cOIVe_b9gccpuelW4-6Io2MH5wJOEjnoGOiuImb107x0sava-xnRo_Wh8PtqL_msTRC7MsKBOPNYj9VDdbqCq9vFaybYe2s9w_TI54nqWeYZk4emD-h4GRmG2_KCmWc82hX/s320/DSC05301.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner from Datli Maya</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRwEAGbMsBzZPFm85C0zBSXSYAbuAXyu70-7EyWkx8F8ZtxttcJX1fVhqgNYl9xOLGOBfwSkIv1C9_vZCQCFIEgJubZO_wnMVGmutx3NALBQunbzeUxeYvzdXpzs2THAWSO6XQV0rXz8z/s1600/DSC05305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRwEAGbMsBzZPFm85C0zBSXSYAbuAXyu70-7EyWkx8F8ZtxttcJX1fVhqgNYl9xOLGOBfwSkIv1C9_vZCQCFIEgJubZO_wnMVGmutx3NALBQunbzeUxeYvzdXpzs2THAWSO6XQV0rXz8z/s320/DSC05305.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking the Tram back to our hotel</td></tr>
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More on Istanbul to come, but at the moment it's bed time...Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6751946406820360450.post-75728780594015451532012-11-01T13:36:00.000-07:002012-11-06T07:46:32.633-08:00Soccer, Sightseeing, Symphony, Smoke, Snow, and the Subway to a Soviet Era Bunker Bar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUzN2EH_YEh8PPpVcUkN5M9AOp3nYe4HYvbDYkwugjT4OeJADcwFndUD4nxBZR9KxGfYRRZcdTHMvBlL5Rgz4HvYj1s2o8fwccJcdQjUVJO7-w727d1Gp_FyBG8Y7149VcKa4ChfM-O-T/s1600/DSC05057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Soccer</u>:</b></div>
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We went to a Europa League match on Thursday evening between
Sparta Prague and H. Kiryat Shmona.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stadium was
high on the hill north of the Old Town, just past the park that formerly held a
giant statue of Stalin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The statue is no
longer there and has been replaced with a giant abstract statue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I need to look up more about the giant red
statue, but haven’t had a chance yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here’s a picture:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-_Ox27evi59QDWsNVlQ1X1kLoMBPIp5yUKw5hn7AP_oi5bvkv9FPP7QV8Nkf4lhxLCZDsjV9ps73adQXQa8PAGATvqNf_YquBPX_T6SpiCROCyTzSgMk7psAjfUaxcEYHfPpmF6IrNvX/s1600/DSC05045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-_Ox27evi59QDWsNVlQ1X1kLoMBPIp5yUKw5hn7AP_oi5bvkv9FPP7QV8Nkf4lhxLCZDsjV9ps73adQXQa8PAGATvqNf_YquBPX_T6SpiCROCyTzSgMk7psAjfUaxcEYHfPpmF6IrNvX/s320/DSC05045.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sculpture in the place of the former Stalin Statue</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQiR7P2B2kXMu3n8xBRYwheDi7T6BLIrccuu7ue6p3zNIIjCwGErDZalGycH8Ko88Me_0dkmL8cUClWbz-ILj2pFI5L_XSpk82EgcIHA54spxhZXOymt9dltvTnruxtpZ1onUIV0qh7sC/s1600/DSC05048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQiR7P2B2kXMu3n8xBRYwheDi7T6BLIrccuu7ue6p3zNIIjCwGErDZalGycH8Ko88Me_0dkmL8cUClWbz-ILj2pFI5L_XSpk82EgcIHA54spxhZXOymt9dltvTnruxtpZ1onUIV0qh7sC/s320/DSC05048.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoes and the sculpture replacing Stalin</td></tr>
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We arrived at the game and went through the gate to find our
seats, we were disappointed that they were only selling non-alcoholic beer and
instead I settled for some water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
were really lucky with the weather, it was cold, but not rainy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The game was very exciting, there were two
goals scored by Sparta Prague in the first 15 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The crowd was incredible – singing, chanting,
stomping, clapping, and doing the wave – I loved just being among the
fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The game wasn’t the most even
match up and Sparta Prague pretty much ruled the field the entire game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other team did finally score a goal in the
second half, but Sparta Prague came back and scored one more goal making the
final score 3-1. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUzN2EH_YEh8PPpVcUkN5M9AOp3nYe4HYvbDYkwugjT4OeJADcwFndUD4nxBZR9KxGfYRRZcdTHMvBlL5Rgz4HvYj1s2o8fwccJcdQjUVJO7-w727d1Gp_FyBG8Y7149VcKa4ChfM-O-T/s1600/DSC05057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUzN2EH_YEh8PPpVcUkN5M9AOp3nYe4HYvbDYkwugjT4OeJADcwFndUD4nxBZR9KxGfYRRZcdTHMvBlL5Rgz4HvYj1s2o8fwccJcdQjUVJO7-w727d1Gp_FyBG8Y7149VcKa4ChfM-O-T/s320/DSC05057.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stadium in Prague</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHVydBBDUZkqwWbcgC_ARK1fgsP_LMhfvYqf7Ut7wfFzljdZcOjm4SN7N1_SRrGMQ2apgHL0ZEK-ELkWC85r3Gq03YBVIGe89goNBPlEIPnsTgvhvs8V6J5lwGE7X7-TKrQhMQoHuMD4N/s1600/DSC05059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHVydBBDUZkqwWbcgC_ARK1fgsP_LMhfvYqf7Ut7wfFzljdZcOjm4SN7N1_SRrGMQ2apgHL0ZEK-ELkWC85r3Gq03YBVIGe89goNBPlEIPnsTgvhvs8V6J5lwGE7X7-TKrQhMQoHuMD4N/s320/DSC05059.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fans</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Sightseeing</u>:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friday we spent the day doing more sightseeing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went to the Municipal House, which is one
of Prague’s many symphony halls, to purchase tickets to see a performance of
pieces by Mozart and Chopin that evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Next we walked through Old Town Square stopping in the Church of St. Nicholas Hussite Church,
which had a huge beautiful chandelier hanging in the center of the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made our way to the Jewish Quarter to
visit the Jewish Museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Jewish
Museum is a collection of exhibitions housed in several synagogues in Prague, which took many decades to become what it is today: </div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.jewishmuseum.cz/en/apinkas.htm" target="_blank">Memorial to the Jewish Victims of the Holocaust from Bohemia and Moravia</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.jewishmuseum.cz/en/a-ex-pinkasp.htm" target="_blank">Artwork done by the children who were sent to Terezin</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.jewishmuseum.cz/en/acemetery.htm" target="_blank">Old Jewish Cemetery dating back to 1439</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.jewishmuseum.cz/en/a-ex-klaus.htm" target="_blank">Exhibition of Jewish Customs and Traditions</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.jewishmuseum.cz/en/a-ex-spanish.htm" target="_blank">History of Jewish citizens in Bohemia and Moravia</a></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While the whole experience left us feeling rather somber, we
enjoyed learning more about the history of the Jewish people in Prague, and we
were awed by the beauty of the synagogues, especially the Spanish Synagogue,
which is beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a quick lunch break we continued across the Charles
Bridge and stopped to see the John Lennon Wall, which you can read about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lennon_Wall" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was really cool to see
the wall after visiting the Communist Museum a few days before. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pHWcyctQcSW6XlW0h-l6Um9Qr2gQvu29Y21ge5rMLBsVKfxg9qIfJc-F5awkiIaSyUoxk0RzDMc23S7tnalhA2bIS7I9TO0l0aLy3evb31sCjE1Lp9HkqK-0uHHREW44kh42ZW2dUFIo/s1600/DSC05084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pHWcyctQcSW6XlW0h-l6Um9Qr2gQvu29Y21ge5rMLBsVKfxg9qIfJc-F5awkiIaSyUoxk0RzDMc23S7tnalhA2bIS7I9TO0l0aLy3evb31sCjE1Lp9HkqK-0uHHREW44kh42ZW2dUFIo/s320/DSC05084.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Lennon Wall in Prague</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLyNPrlvHDGQ2tRjR6Fsc06TiNWUT7mrbCnph_MvkJ5O0xnno8LTz4UA3MDVeQ5zftx33JMOvcQnRQDYYQGpVHi-55fxqS5X2Tgp6beP-8nmcgsd5uxlGDjMP48RtcWW9-eeADsQvTk4N9/s1600/DSC05090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLyNPrlvHDGQ2tRjR6Fsc06TiNWUT7mrbCnph_MvkJ5O0xnno8LTz4UA3MDVeQ5zftx33JMOvcQnRQDYYQGpVHi-55fxqS5X2Tgp6beP-8nmcgsd5uxlGDjMP48RtcWW9-eeADsQvTk4N9/s320/DSC05090.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lennon Wall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our last tourist stop of the day was the St. Vitus
Cathedral, Prague Castle grounds – Basilica of St. George and the Golden
Lane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>St. Vitus is a beautiful gothic
cathedral with towering stained glass windows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It took centuries to build and it was interesting to distinguish the
newer from the old within the building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Basilica of St. George was interesting because it is a Romanesque
church but the façade was updated in the Baroque style - interesting
combination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Sorry – art history nerd
comment).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Golden Lane is a series of
houses and shops built into the old city wall, which means they are all
miniature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The part above the houses is
a walkway that used to allow knights to patrol the exterior castle wall and it
is now filled with medieval weaponry, armor, and a place where tourists can
shoot a cross-bow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, Charles
had to give it a shot.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3jWhJwbZdML112btIYL_zRqroQtYmcfFeEuBIvsCoTwv3SUq6KpUhio9jolYPqhNxkXVMs8F-X3JUUVBEDFwMR_BygJTc9FUUIEeL5JzHwdmyHJrw1NdvkSq6uxog_2W3fORGkrCTXrU/s1600/DSC05113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3jWhJwbZdML112btIYL_zRqroQtYmcfFeEuBIvsCoTwv3SUq6KpUhio9jolYPqhNxkXVMs8F-X3JUUVBEDFwMR_BygJTc9FUUIEeL5JzHwdmyHJrw1NdvkSq6uxog_2W3fORGkrCTXrU/s320/DSC05113.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles shooting the cross-bow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHnUc94Gwvs3SKarHlygDlBhLoLVkFmyjC1CozpBeHoShbb0n_oPqLe4o3nS0BkQMNFSDXKE09WkA15S1sGl7qyFv9OxE8_mhUZ-SjFz3RkbiUfcXSg4WaCftMHFF5drL9bWkhacxZRXf/s1600/DSC05118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHnUc94Gwvs3SKarHlygDlBhLoLVkFmyjC1CozpBeHoShbb0n_oPqLe4o3nS0BkQMNFSDXKE09WkA15S1sGl7qyFv9OxE8_mhUZ-SjFz3RkbiUfcXSg4WaCftMHFF5drL9bWkhacxZRXf/s320/DSC05118.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden Lane</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Symphony</u>: </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friday evening we went to the Municipal House to hear the
Prague Orchestra perform pieces by Mozart and Chopin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-v_S9RC0WkmB8Mo_FGyRTpBVNkN8X1NFcqN2yxpGy0Q5gNL-JbYFxGJDjy58UdzZ8ivPd7m9Pkocylvm9Jb11SF_2QFb-864U9Lm9ib94o46HxM6-Y-v1aUkpRIeY58QTI9H6a-n2779/s1600/DSC05124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-v_S9RC0WkmB8Mo_FGyRTpBVNkN8X1NFcqN2yxpGy0Q5gNL-JbYFxGJDjy58UdzZ8ivPd7m9Pkocylvm9Jb11SF_2QFb-864U9Lm9ib94o46HxM6-Y-v1aUkpRIeY58QTI9H6a-n2779/s320/DSC05124.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Musicians preparing to play in the Municipal House</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjvBDR_W6hdL5umvTfcV5mjQS2cbHfI1xrDcBvDx0Evjqrqj2GbzFVn7u30EcKRn73-88KjJqCrmaq0g3V4APrpr5j1I7fzI5mofQ7Tb1_EBsZnpbSELSG-Ey7WR3w1h6ZswL9WTAxebH/s1600/DSC05129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjvBDR_W6hdL5umvTfcV5mjQS2cbHfI1xrDcBvDx0Evjqrqj2GbzFVn7u30EcKRn73-88KjJqCrmaq0g3V4APrpr5j1I7fzI5mofQ7Tb1_EBsZnpbSELSG-Ey7WR3w1h6ZswL9WTAxebH/s320/DSC05129.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our balcony seats</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Smoke</u>:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the symphony performance we went to have a beer at a
pub on the Old Town Square.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, Prague is smoky – people smoke everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t last very long in the smoky pub and
went home feeling like everything we had on reeked of smoke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yuck.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Snow</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIE0sU9WNmqDu0emdNuepMcL0HCSsBsJVwlL_-0v26kny5cqSaU9ZcgsqyrwczgIZEKSFZRt1Rfe2Kycd8qh4RuYEMzC0FFZB4XZwX8Bc00o3aY0HzA3NAGh3__6Zt-wM4oObuLRBkfN0/s1600/DSC05154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saturday morning we woke up to snow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It snowed the entire day and we enjoyed
hanging out in Prague on a snowy day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
ducked into a couple of museums to warm up and take a break from the snow
showers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our first stop was the Museum
of Decorative Arts and the second was the Prague Museum of Medieval Art. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_koXZpg2srd9Waf6sbuTSQWc7JlaAn3LpE1v1u8ALLpi64JHDpaTuuFoDOerLCd48KnrzHBkC34A9HDMulnEF-SrcZuv-7hyphenhyphen-HFfx0cI0uZSgtyzMh_VaeqDJckZUGb-W6C-Ap7g6lw_5/s1600/DSC05149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_koXZpg2srd9Waf6sbuTSQWc7JlaAn3LpE1v1u8ALLpi64JHDpaTuuFoDOerLCd48KnrzHBkC34A9HDMulnEF-SrcZuv-7hyphenhyphen-HFfx0cI0uZSgtyzMh_VaeqDJckZUGb-W6C-Ap7g6lw_5/s320/DSC05149.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cold, snowy Saturday in Prague</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIE0sU9WNmqDu0emdNuepMcL0HCSsBsJVwlL_-0v26kny5cqSaU9ZcgsqyrwczgIZEKSFZRt1Rfe2Kycd8qh4RuYEMzC0FFZB4XZwX8Bc00o3aY0HzA3NAGh3__6Zt-wM4oObuLRBkfN0/s1600/DSC05154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIE0sU9WNmqDu0emdNuepMcL0HCSsBsJVwlL_-0v26kny5cqSaU9ZcgsqyrwczgIZEKSFZRt1Rfe2Kycd8qh4RuYEMzC0FFZB4XZwX8Bc00o3aY0HzA3NAGh3__6Zt-wM4oObuLRBkfN0/s320/DSC05154.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the snow!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Subway to Soviet
Era Bunker Bar</u>:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our last night in Prague we decided to head to the outer
districts of the city to a bar that is housed in an old Soviet Era Bunker, and so
we took the escalator down into the subway station to find our way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We figured out the ticket machine and found
the right subway line and we were on our way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We emerged in one of the outer districts of Prague and at first were a
little nervous, but we eventually found a little restaurant in the Zizkov
neighborhood to have dinner and were feeling better about our decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The food was great and we seemed to be the
only tourists in the place – awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was snowing again when we left the restaurant and made our way down the street
and over a pedestrian bridge into the park that houses the bunker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We meandered along referencing the map we had
saved onto Charles’ iPhone and we found it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was bizarre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The door was
open, but there was no one standing there, we could hear voices coming from
down below, so we went in and descended the long spiral staircase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were about three-stories down when we came
upon the place where you pay cover to get in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We paid and set out to get a beer and explore. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The beer was by far the cheapest we had paid
the whole time we were in Prague, about $1.50 per beer, granted it was served
in a plastic cup, but that kind of added to the novelty of the place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were playing heavy metal in the front
room and we meandered through the series of long tunnel like rooms until we
came to the end where a band was setting up to play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, the smoke and the smells
within the bunker combined with the late hour and the fact that we had a flight
the next day (and maybe because we are too old to be hanging out past 11:00
p.m.) meant we only stayed for about 40 minutes, but we were happy we took the
chance to seek it out and can say we hung out with locals in a Soviet Era
Bunker Bar.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhllGBd4-BVsdvIV6RdOYsO9vXk6NiiyNlBnu5ss_rBT4Zs445-hskEGCjCA-Q9nmILZMNWRgll11xFrGLsrHM9tMEed5skmT0eclrDRFNja3eJFtC6md9lx5M0FETlVBX9HXI1oQP5QvmP/s1600/DSC05175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhllGBd4-BVsdvIV6RdOYsO9vXk6NiiyNlBnu5ss_rBT4Zs445-hskEGCjCA-Q9nmILZMNWRgll11xFrGLsrHM9tMEed5skmT0eclrDRFNja3eJFtC6md9lx5M0FETlVBX9HXI1oQP5QvmP/s320/DSC05175.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside the bunker bar in Prague</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHGeLc4-zGpHpbmbAjX-SUxWL94xNH2UZ0KR3NmFN3hfOC66SqYPR5RtPDEyJh4mDiDeHuaZV-UvKkoc6fCaFXXq0yj3oDztkmzk2sLiael9x7BSnveVRsgpLts9DuqgJhIpqYrF7RrMe/s1600/DSC05179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHGeLc4-zGpHpbmbAjX-SUxWL94xNH2UZ0KR3NmFN3hfOC66SqYPR5RtPDEyJh4mDiDeHuaZV-UvKkoc6fCaFXXq0yj3oDztkmzk2sLiael9x7BSnveVRsgpLts9DuqgJhIpqYrF7RrMe/s320/DSC05179.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside one of the bunker tunnels</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cjBExfLvC_iSz1BD-iOmPYGKq9RXJsbO3pZeIjVKTaB4p58GXZaEn8dQ38vQdMS1pJbwK76ft_5NLE-yhK6G0GdNIu5Eo9gR2-8cgqwq0p4Yw630x9ouqZi8U9U_Hdn90QCyMf-fCc6T/s1600/DSC05189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cjBExfLvC_iSz1BD-iOmPYGKq9RXJsbO3pZeIjVKTaB4p58GXZaEn8dQ38vQdMS1pJbwK76ft_5NLE-yhK6G0GdNIu5Eo9gR2-8cgqwq0p4Yw630x9ouqZi8U9U_Hdn90QCyMf-fCc6T/s320/DSC05189.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking the escalator down into the subway</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6ZoPKAr0bLIUsfjHLGlDrYDJAzO2XAoaS2-VcY4eE7gFqHvZM1wl5-KH9JR-LTUvP6TyNV6AZx3n5nFsl9CR2QeI1ekx8zbM0UxMbatiOocVqWxqj1wQ-Y8fNHHiYPpJ1gE70D-D4X53/s1600/DSC05192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6ZoPKAr0bLIUsfjHLGlDrYDJAzO2XAoaS2-VcY4eE7gFqHvZM1wl5-KH9JR-LTUvP6TyNV6AZx3n5nFsl9CR2QeI1ekx8zbM0UxMbatiOocVqWxqj1wQ-Y8fNHHiYPpJ1gE70D-D4X53/s320/DSC05192.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the train</td></tr>
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Sunday morning we said farewell to Prague, and boarded a
plane bound for Istanbul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Shelley Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10073191148556054931noreply@blogger.com0