Scooter Worldwide

Berlin: The end of Scooter v2.0

2008-10-28T10:00:00.003+01:00

The top of Potsdamer Platz's highest tower glows green in Berlin's chilly night air. This photo embodies a few components of Berlin's psyche: architectural beauty and art, the contrast between the old and the new, and a keen drive toward the future (U-Bahn station, Berlin, Germany)

Berlin was the final stop on my trip around the world. I arrived in the evening to the Berlin Hauptbahnhof on the (allegedly) high-speed train from Amsterdam.

But before I go any further, I want to mention that the German language threw me for a bit of a loop when I arrived. There are some reallyreallyreallylongwords in German (Hauptbahnhof for instance) which are a little hard to remember. It took a little while before I started recognizing that these reallylongwords are composed of separate, smaller words. For instance Hauptbahnhof is really three words: haupt+bahn+hof (which mean respectively, Main+Rail+yard). Once I realized this, getting around got a bit simpler.

Through an amazing coincidence of good luck, my friends Martin and Claudia (who I met in Peru) were waiting on the platform IMMEDIATELY OUTSIDE OF MY train car's door! They had no idea my car number or seat number, and I had no idea where they'd be. I literally tumbled off the train and into their arms! Cool welcome!

We said our greetings and caught up while on our way to their home in the former East Berlin. If you ever get the opportunity to meet Martin & Claudia, don't pass it up.

WHAT could be cooler than CIRCULAR elevators? That's right, almost NOTHING! (Hauptbahnhof, Berlin, Germany)

Their apartment in the former East Germany was wonderful. Behind this beautifully framed carved wooden door was a spacious, spotless, and cozy home: high molded ceilings, bright sunlight streaming in through big windows onto wooden and cork floors, and something delicious always making heady scents in some stage of preparation on the stovetop in the kitchen. Martin--as I knew before I came--is an amazing cook. (Outside the apartment, East Berlin, Germany)

Although they both were fully employed, Martin and Claudia, individually and collectively, took me around the city to see many of the city's amazing sites.

Kaiser Wilhelm memorial Church, at the end of Kurfürstendamm (Boulevard of the Electors) aka "Ku-Damm" shopping street. It was bombed on November 23, 1943. It is crumbling, but is kept as a rememberence of the havoc of war. On the near left, glowing blue through small panes, is the new church (West Berlin, Germany)

Looking toward the roof of Potsdamer Platz (Berlin, Germany)

The "Exhibition Hall" of the German Historical Museum. Designed by IM Pei. Gorgeous! (Berlin, Germany)

In front of the TV Tower (East Berlin, Germany)

Unfortunately, the Reichstag dome was closed for maintenance on the day I was there, BUT admission was free, the view was great, and it's darned cool from the outside, too! (Reichstag, Berlin, Germany)

The tourism department projects words onto the Brandenburg Gate, "Be amazing, be fabulous, be Berlin". It rings of "something lost in translation" to me. (Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany)

Sexy sexy sexAY! Undulating building off KuDamm (Berlin, Germany)

Part of the Potsdamer Platz development, this uber cool hirise caught my eye (Berlin, Germany)

During the holidays, Berlin puts on a light show. The Berlin Cathedral was lit with blue light on the top and a laser painted the green dots all over. I initially didn't like it, but as I kept looking, it grew on me more and more. It is a combination of a very old cathedral, and very modern lighting. A very cool effect (Berlin, Germany)

Martin and Claudia took me to a nightclub and inside they had this great lighting effect projected onto the wall that looked like leaves, undulating on the surface of the water, then sinking. Totally gorgeous! (Berlin, Germany)

The following day was very grey, very cold--bleak. On this day, Claudia and I went to the concentration camp closest to Berlin: Sachsenhausen (Say "Saxon-housen"). It is located in Oranienburg, north of Berlin.

This is an overhead "map" of Sachsenhausen and the surrounding area. Orianenburg was the operation center of all concentration camps and Sachsenhausen served as a training facility for officers sent to command other concentration camps. The triangular section in the center is where all those interred were kept. The triangular shape was intended to provide extra security: a guard with a rifle in the central tower could shoot anyone at any point inside.

Sachsenhausen was intended to be a holding facility but not an extermination camp.

"Work will set you free" Entrance gate to the concentration camp (Sachsenhausen, Berlin, Germany)

Prisoners entering the "Neutrale Zone" would be shot without warning by the camp's soldiers. Beyond the gravel area is razor wire and a lethal electric fence. (Sachsenhausen, Orianenburg, Germany)

In Germany they first came for the Communists,

and I didn't speak up

because I wasn't a Communist.

Then they came for the socialists,

and I didn't speak up

because I wasn't a socialist.

Then they came for the unionists,

and I didn't speak up

because I wasn't a unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,

and I didn't speak up

because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me — and by that time

no one was left to speak up.

—Pastor Martin Niemoeller

As Claudia and I walked the grounds, I felt a reverence at the gravity of this place and the sting of its history. And as I tightened my scarf against the cold wind, I wondered to myself... "Who WERE these people and how could they be so cruel?"

And the answer came to me shortly thereafter. And it scared me. Hitler did not act independently in carrying out the holocaust. He convinced a large number of otherwise SANE people that what he was doing was right.

It could have been ME.

And I wondered... I look Aryan enough that I would not have been in danger based on my appearance or my religion. How would I have felt when told I should join the SS? Would I have considered it an honor to "serve my country"?

How did Hitler do it? The same way it's done today:

Have charisma
Reward those who follow you
Vilify/punish/kill those who do not follow you
Discourage independent thinking
Start small, build incrementally
Preach that you are a superior people
Preach that the minority you wish to oppress is inferior (and that depriving rights to them is analogous to denying the right to eat at the dinner table to a dog)
Continue upping the ante (restrict them: take away more rights: deny them the right of privacy... disallow them from leaving the country)

SS Troupe barracks (Sachsenhousen, Orianenburg, Germany)

In the memorial garden, on the grounds of Sachsenhausen (Sachsenhausen, Germany)

My chill from the day ran deep
(Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, Berlin, Germany)

Germany is a dynamic place and has made many changes throughout the years. This is the marker for the Berlin Wall, which once separated East and West Berlin. It reads, "Berlin Wall 1961-1989" (Berlin, Germany)

Across the city, where the former wall stood is now this stone marker. In this picture, it can be seen across the sidewalk, the bike path, and the street. This is one more historical reminder of how much things have changed in Germany [The rectangular metal tile in the middle of the grey sidewalk is the same shown in the blow-up above] (Where East Meets West, Berlin, Germany)

Claudia is from East Berlin, and on a day out riding bikes and exploring, we came across a retro/antique shop. Inside were these very cool plastic plates, cups, saucers, etc. To me, they looked almost like a play-set. Claudia told me that these were the cups, saucers, and plates that EVERYONE had in East Berlin when she was growing up. Plastic was all that was available, and all meals, from casual to formal, were served on only these (Antique shop, Berlin, Germany)

This picture is cool because it shows one of the great ideas I saw in Berlin and also in Barcelona: Rental bicycles. Martin and Claudia had two bikes, and there were three of us, so I am holding onto my rental bike. It felt quite sturdy, was well-maintained, and it had a scooped tail end. Note the performer making bubbles in the background with two wands. (Berlin, Germany)

On our bike tour around the city, we stopped for coffee down a graffiti/art filled alley (Berlin, Germany)

Graffiti Artwork (Down an alley in Berlin, Germany)

Graffiti Artwork (Down an alley in Berlin, Germany)

The German state is serious about art: it employs artists to work on projects around the city. In the alley coffee shop, this kinetic sculpture delighted me (Down an alley in Berlin, Germany)

On one of my final nights in Berlin. We headed to a great wine bar and met up with some friends of Martin & Claudia. Some of them were also fluent in Spanish, German, and English. I am always impressed by their ability to seamlessly flow into another language. Most of the time they spoke in English (even to one another) out of consideration to me (Berlin, Germany)

M & C in front of the World Time Clock (Alexanderplatz, Berlin, Germany)

Although I could hardly repay their kindness with a single dinner, I took Martin and Claudia out to eat on our final night together. Here we share our final toast. Thank you guys!!! (Berlin, Germany)

One of my final memories of Berlin (yes, I have a taste for the absurd). This lady is taking her favorite plant on a trip somewhere (To the Airport! Berlin, Germany)

At the airport, I checked in to my AirBerlin/LTU flight (connecting in Frankfurt). I had a hard time finding the gate, then they gave me a hard time and swabbed my breathing machine (YAY! LAST TIME I HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT!!!!), and I waited.

And after transferring in Frankfurt, I knew, as I walked through the threshold and down the tube toward the airplane door, that the next soil I would put foot on was American.

I was going home. Home. Yes--home. For the first time in over a year, I was going home. During my trip, I was so busy getting from place to place, dealing with daily shock/horror/delight and being "in the moment" that I frankly hadn't thought much about being home. And my emotions started to burble forth from out from the depths.

We landed.

At the airport (and even now as I recall the event), when I got to passport control, the agent stamped my passport and said, "Welcome home"... Never before had two words impacted me so significantly: I cried.

It is an amazing thing to be an American. America is such a tremendous country. It has flaws--many of them--but compared to most other countries I have seen, the United States has a lot of things going right that so many others do not.

And the chance to do what I had just done--travel around the world--is a chance 99% of the world will never have. Most people living in third-world nations couldn't even conceive of the idea, much less achieve it.

To be sure--I worked hard and saved for many years to do what I did--but I recognize the fact that I was born in America as one of those significant factors that allowed me to have these experiences.

I know I am a lucky man.

When I left the country over a year ago, I spent one day with family in Los Angeles. I book-ended my trip by finishing where I'd started: in the place of my birth. I landed in Los Angeles, where I was greeted by my father and Lillian. Here Lil and I make my first breakfast back on American soil: Matzo and eggs! YUM! (Los Angeles, California, United States of America)

Ding! And with that--it's done: Monika met me at the Phoenix airport with a smile and a bouquet of flowers. [The last time I was in this airport was over a year ago when my brother dropped me off to depart on my trip. I had to call him to return to the airport because my sleep-deprived mind had forgotten my passport on the car seat.] (Home: Phoenix, Arizona)

When I arrived back to Phoenix, something very big and significant was over. Scooter v2.0 was done.

I have done things and had experiences that few ever have, or ever will. The person I AM--is not the same. It will take me years to sort it all out completely. I still feel a little numb--I know I haven't yet felt the full depth or breadth of what I have just completed.

But for now, it would be time to re-connect with family and friends, enjoy the holidays, and engage in the final part of my sabbatical.

It is time to collect my thoughts, draw some preliminary conclusions, and begin work on my next big project: creating Scooter v3.0.

Posted: 2009 Jan 29

London to Amsterdam take II

2008-10-21T11:32:00.009+02:00

My initial post did not include pictures... So I wanted to include some of the wonderful sights along with my gab!

Sunset turns the sky and its reflection in the Thames a beautiful rose hue. The left tower of the bridge captures the final light of day. Picture taken from the "Queen´s Walk" on the south side of the Thames. Barely visible on the lower RHS is the roundish and stunning City Hall building (Tower Bridge, London, England)

We happened to be in the area on the one day of the month the City Hall building is open to the public, so we took advantage! This is the view from the main conference room up. We are looking at the bottom side of swoopy spiral staircases all the way to the top of the 10-level building. Architecturally, this building is an absolute stunner. If there was ever a question that London has money to burn, this building answers the question loudly in the affirmitive. (City Hall Building, London, England)

Lizzy and me (Somewhere in the London Underground, London, England)

I went on a walking tour around the "Bank" exit from the tube. I just happened upon this building, where it looked like they were preparing for a concert: They were setting up stage lighting to highlight the columns, they were putting up tables outside... So I asked. It turns out that this night, the heads of England were meeting here to decide what to do with their own enormous "Bail out the banks" package. Interesting that while deciding what to do with taxpayer money, they got to stroke their chins over an expensive lobster dinner and clink goblets of pricy wine while the taxpayers look on in dismay about the future of the financial system... Did someone say excesses in the banking industry created this problem? (Just outside the Bank of England, London, England)

Me and Lizzy on one of our fabulously cheap nights out! Got the cheapest tix available for Wicked for 15£ (then moved to the expensive 60£ empty seats!), got half-priced dinner and dessert with coupons (£1.83 each), and avoided getting stiffed on a cup of water (5£) by grabbing an empty cup from the bar. This night of fabulousness was valued at nearly 75£ (122$), but we paid 38£, and the memories? PRICELESS!! (At the Burger King inside the Victoria Station, across the street from the Victoria Apollo, where Wicked is playing!)

Oh, yeah... And Wicked was good too! :)

On one of my final nights in London, Lizzy, my friend Marc (a Brit whom I had met in Madrid) and I went out to dance at the very famous/infamous club "Heaven". It was owned by Richard Branson--so if you work for Virgin (Atlantic, Mobile, Music, Galactic, etc) you get in free! Although the club is somewhat "legendary", what we found there was too much artifical smoke, expensive drinks, sticky floors, and ancient shirtless men doused in glitter (Heaven, London, England)

Okay, here´s a little thought exercise... Take a look at this URL (it details the Virgin Empire, "Virgin Group"). The list is ENORMOUS of all the companies Virgin Group controls. It is diversified into so many different industries, each consisting of major companies.

The Virgin Group is valued at approximately 5 billion £ (8.15 billion USD). In short, it is massive, massive, massive.

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 authorizes around 700 billion USD. So, to give a little perspective, the US bailout package is worth approximately 86 Virgin Groups...

Mika, Rolf, and two other friends at dinner my first night in Amsterdam. Rolf met me at the tram stop and walked me back to his place. Rolf and his girlfriend (Maaike) had prepared a fabulous dinner for us! It consisted of a green salad, green beans, linguini with cream sauce, and broiled tuna! Yum! Later that night the other guests departed, Rolf handed me the key and said, "see you in 2 days!" WHOA!

I met Rolf in Arequipa, Peru, in February 2008. We then traveled to Puno, Lake Titicaca, Cuzco and Machu Pichu together. He's a very nice guy. When I left Cuzco to go to Lima, Rolf stayed on in Cuzco to do volunteer work.

Near the Anne Frank house (For English speakers, her name is two syllables: Ahh-nuh). This picture shows the typical tall and skinny row houses crowded together and perilously perched to fall in the canals (It cannot be seen from this photo, but when walking by, one can see that some of the facades from some of these buildings ARE angled toward the water and are actually falling into the canal! (Amsterdam, Holland)

The Dutch appreciate good modern architecture. I filled my lenses (eyes and camera!) with TONS of gorgeous modern buildings! (Amsterdam, Holland)

A bridge over one of the Amsterdam canal rings. The larger ships cannot pass until the bridge lifts out of the way. An alarm sounds, guard arms come down to stop anyone from passing, and then the roadway lifts. Really cool to watch!! (Amsterdam, Holland)

No, you´re not seeing things: this shop really DOES have cows on the ceiling! (Amsterdam, Holland)

The Red-Light-District without the red light. The blacklight windows with red porchlights are the marker of the district. In the windows, scantily clad ladies wink at passerbys... One of the empty rooms had no curtains so I took this picture: a rare look INSIDE the rooms... And you can see a bed, a climate control unit, and perhaps most important: a fire detector. This IS a ligitimate business, after all!! (Red Light District, Amsterdam, Holland)

One-shot summary of Holland: Clouds, Windmills, Canals, and hoards of bicyclists! (Amsterdam, Holland)

I heard a noise, looked up, and saw this accident: the dust from the collision is still in the air. Nobody was hurt, luckily! (Not obeying traffic rules, Amsterdam, Holland)

In a land where your bike might be parked in a rack with 3,000 others (no, I´m not exaggerating!), it helps to personalize your bicycle! (Amsterdam, Holland)

I took 2 days to visit my friend Anne in Utrecht, 30 minutes away from Amsterdam by train. The view from her window is directly into the treetops of deciduous trees above a canal, and just looking out the window in the morning was SO NICE!!! Downtown in Utrecht, there is a huge bell tower and magnificent foilage turning colors. As has tended to be my experience in general, I like Utrecht a BIT more than Amsterdam. I REALLY like the smaller towns!! (Utrecht, Holland)

The view down the street toward the cathedral, complete with flying buttresses to dispurse the weight of the roof out and down (Utrecht, Holland)

One night Anne and I went out to a festival, and after a beer or two, we started playing around with the camera. (Utrecht, Holland)

Anne offers a traditional Dutch fried fish bits. They were really yummy! (Utrecht, Holland)

London to Amsterdam

2008-10-15T11:38:00.004+02:00

Quick update: After two WONDERFUL weeks in England (despite some weather bad enough to rip a button off a raincoat!), I am in Holland. Break out the wooden shoes and windmills!

England was great: the people are very nice and helpful and always say, "sorry" on the underground (subway system) even if they hardly touch you. I'm sure Miss Manners would approve!

Tea is a very civilized and wonderful event, and although most Americans have a hard time relating, if your weather was like it is in England, high tea would seem like a FINE idea indeed--to have a piping hot beverage on a cold, dreary day! And the unfortunately named "Clotted Cream" is great.

Next time you're at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, go to the Queen Adeline tea room and get tea and scones. Put the clotted cream on first, THEN put the jam on. HEAVEN!

I think I shall never tire of England... I was there 11 years ago and loved it, and I loved it once again, the civility, the history, the architecture, the people. And the accent!

Another highlight was of course being able to visit my friend Lyz (yes, the queen! [but not of England]). My mother and I stayed with her on and off for twoish weeks. Her ability to tolerate Fellness is unmatched, even by the Fells! :)

Two days ago I took a plane from London's Luton airport (remember to factor in the COST of getting to Luton in your travel plans: it cost me about $17 to get to the airport--it may have been cheaper to fly on a slightly more expensive flight out of Heathrow, which is connected to the London Underground System) to Amsterdam.

After one hour in the air, we were landing again... Essentially the same flight time and distance from Phoenix to Los Angeles, and suddenly I was in a completely different COUNTRY. Europe is so small and cute! Heh heh...

I am staying at my friend Rolf's here in Amsterdam. We met in Arequipa, Peru, then traveled to Puno, Lake Titicaca, Cuzco and Machu Pichu together. He's a very nice guy. While I left Cuzco to go to Lima, Rolf stayed on in Cuzco to do volunteer work.

As I awaited the tram, I smelled marijuana smoke and thought, "Oh my!" and then the realization hit me: you're in Holland, silly! And a big smile came across my face... No big deal here! I read that in Holland, the attitude on prostitution and drugs is this: people live here. Prostitution and drugs are things that people do, whether legal or illegal (world's oldest profession, y'all!)... So instead of stigmatizing and pushing it underground, make it legal, regulate it, make it safe, and it is not such a problem. Logical but revolutionary.

Rolf met me at the tram stop and walked me back to his place. His girlfriend and two other friends were over and we had a fabulous dinner of salad, green beans, linguini with cream sauce, and broiled tuna! Yum! Later that night the other guests departed, Rolf handed me the key and said, "see you in 2 days!" WHOA!

So far I have walked around downtown, watched automatic bridges over the canals lift and descend while gigantic barges pass, eaten "Drop" (licorice), and cruised through the Red Light District, careful not to linger too long... If you are slow, the prostitutes will open their doors and come out. I prefer them behind glass.

The city is very pretty, with 5-story-high narrow buildings sandwiched together and teetering against one another at odd angles, perched above the inky canals.

The city has a nice calm, tolerant atmosphere, and I am enjoying this as one of my final stops on my big circle.

That's all for now! I hope this entry finds you healthy, happy, and full of life!

And to many of you... I WILL SEE YOU SOON! YAHOO!!!!!

-Scooter

London!

2008-09-28T22:07:00.003+02:00

Mom and I are in London and LOVING IT!

The weather is PERFECT! We have seen St Paul's cathedral, the Tate Modern, Tower Bridge, Milennium bridge, beautiful cityscapes, and have been really enjoying my friend Liz's hosting here in one of the CLEANEST cities I have been in! London is pretty cool if you can get over the prices!

Just wanted to give a shout out! Hope all is well!

Paris!

2008-09-24T10:44:00.002+02:00

Hi all! Made it to Paris and it is a BEAUTIFUL CITY!!! Mom and I only have 3 days here and I can already feel it wont be enough!

Made 5 calls to find beds in Paris... Finally got a reservation and it is an ok hostel... nothing wonderful, nothing terrible. And Mom has never stayed in a hostel before, so this is really stretching her comfort zone. Way to go Mom!

We went to see the Louvre at night and wqlked over the Seine, saw the Champs-Elysee in the distance, and far away: the Eiffel tower (sigh!).

SUCH A BEAUTIFUL CITY!!

On the 26th we leave Paris on the Eurostar and arrive in London via the Chunnel.

The weather is cool, a little rainy/spritzy, and REFRESHING! Gotta go do so,e sight seeing!

PS: French keyboards are NOT QWERTY! The A, comma, m, w, q, z semicolon, etc are all scranbled! Fun!!

We are family

2008-09-10T16:00:00.000+02:00

In about 40 hours, my time traveling alone is over for now... I will be meeting up with my Mother and Brother in Rome and we will travel together through 6 European countries: Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan), Austria (Salzburg), Germany (Munich), Switzerland (Zurich), France (Paris), and England (London) .

I´m totally excited to be able to share the experience with family.

Talk to you soon!

Posted: 2008 Sep 9

Un-pausing Madrid

2008-09-10T15:37:00.000+02:00

I stayed in Madrid for 6 weeks. It was a comfortable spot to “perch” before resuming my travels and meeting family in Rome. I took a month of Spanish classes, sampled the culture, met some natives, and had a lot of conversations... Basic ones... With a lot of pantomiming and “Como?” (What?) thrown in... But my Spanish ability had come a long way from the first day I set foot in Spain. I was happy with what I had accomplished while there.

My Spanish roommate had been working on a play the entire month of August, and finally the day came when it was presented—one single performance, and I made sure to see the show. I stayed in Madrid long enough to see it. It was to be my last day in Madrid.

Santiago arranged for his friends to give me a ride to the play, so I joined them and we were off. Aranjuez is the city where the play is performed, about 30 minutes south of Madrid.

The play was entitled “The Mutiny of Aranjuez”, Motín de Aranjuez (story), and it was impressively done. It is community theater, but the appearnace was quite professional. Although my Spanish HAD come a long way during my time in Madrid, I could rarely understand what the actors were saying, so it was a little boring plot-wise for me.

However, the songs, the costumes, the dancing, and the stagecraft were all fascinating! The play was performed at a large outdoor venue with a raised stage and thousands of seats

Behind the stage was the wall of the Palacio Real de Aranjuez, the summer royal palace

Using enormous projectors they used the palace walls as a giant backdrop, instantly changing the scene from a fancy ballroom to a street scene.

Here you can see me, illuminated in a stray beam of light from one of the coordinated projectors, with the stage behind me, and the backdrop behind that. (Aranjuez, Spain) During the play when they weren't singing or dancing, I was wandering around, looking at the technology they'd used... I always like to look "under the hood" to figure out how the magic works!!

There were fabulous period costumes and great dancing and music... Santiago and his crew did a fantastic job!

In the final moments of the play. (Aranjuez, Spain)

After the play, I got to meet more of Santiago’s friends, and got into a philosophical and religious conversation (my FAVORITE!) with Angel, a really cool hippy. We drank and danced at the after-party and had a really, really great time.

By the time we were done, it was 3:30 in the morning, so the same friends who gave me a ride to the play gave me a ride back to the apartment in Madrid.

I had not completed packing before I left for the show, and since I had to leave the apartment at 6 to catch my train, I was in a bit of a panic... I tossed my remaining items into my bags, left a lot behind, and grabbed the box that I did not have time to send—I would have to send it from Barcelona. Needless to say, I did not sleep that night!

I was warned ahead of time that unlike almost everything in Spain, the high-speed Renfre trains to Barcelona ALWAYS LEAVE ON TIME, so I made sure to get to the train station at the correct time.

Once aboard, I was pleasantly surprised to find that these trains were some of the nicest I’d ever been on—even nicer than the Shinkansen high-speed trains in Japan. They were nicely upholstered, the even put headphones in each seat to listen to music or watch TV.

Looking out the windows at the beautiful pre-sunrise sky as I departed Madrid from the Atocha station. (Madrid, Spain)

The countryside on the way to Barcelona is quite pretty (Outside Barcelona, Spain)

Soon I dozed into a restless sleep as the scenery whizzed past at high speed. I restlessly adjusted and readjusted myself in my seat... Trying to find a comfortable position... And reminded with every move to check my bags... Look up at them... Make sure nobody had grabbed them... That they were secure.

As restlessly as I was dozing, I finally decided to get up and do something.

This was my breakfast on the train (Between Madrid and Barcelona, Spain)

As a fairly experienced traveler by now, I really appreciate good signage. The electronic status displays on the Renfe trains were really good... They show the train’s journey number, time, the number of the car you’re in (it is easy to lose track when you go to the dining car and forget how many cars you have to walk through to find your seat again!), and speed. (Between Madrid and Barcelona, Spain)

Arrival in Barcelona... First surprise: they have “Man Toilets!” Heh heh... (Barcelona, Spain)

Surprise 2: THEY HAVE SHOESTRING ACACIA TREES HERE! JUST LIKE BACK HOME!!! WOO HOO! AND THEY’RE BLOOMING!!! (Barcelona, Spain)

Public Art (Barcelona, Spain)

Boardwalk. They pay serious attention to how things look here (Barcelona, Spain)

To make a verbal comparison, I say that Barcelona is the exotic, beautiful, haughty little sister to Madrid. Where Madrid is lively, friendly, and accessible, Barcelona is fiery, snooty, and aloof. The language spoken here is Catalan, different to the Castillian Spanish we know as simply “Spanish”, taught in school. There are many shared words, but the language simultaneously sounds a lot like Spanish, and a little like German and Portugese.

Surprise number 3: They are selling TEXANS HERE! Surprise number 4: They’re REALLY affordable! (Barcelona, Spain)

Street performer. Yes, that is a real toilet. And yes, of COURSE there were sound effects! :) (Barcelona, Spain)

Barcelona is a vain beauty, and they do a great job of keeping her clean. Here they use a power-washer on the stone (Barcelona, Spain)

The Pier (Barcelona, Spain)

Barcelona appears to be fairly forward-thinking public-transportation-wise. These are rental bikes. (On the boardwalk, Barcelona, Spain)

The horribly named but really, really beautiful “Magic Fountain” (Barcelona, Spain)

Cool apartment building near the beach (Barcelona, Spain)

The beautiful Gaudi Park (Parc Guell, Barcelona, Spain)

The spires of the whipped-meringue buildings of the Parc Guell (Parc Guell, Barcelona, Spain)

Beautiful spikes topping the entry gate to the Parc Guell (Barcelona, Spain)

Unknown beuatiful building (Barcelona, Spain)

Cool!!--Swoopy balconies! (Barcelona, Spain)

Casa Batlló (Barcelona, Spain)

Looks like this building had a bad hair day. It’s an artspace (Barcelona, Spain)

Gaudi: La Pedrera (Barcelona, Spain)

Ornamentation of La Sagrada Familia (Barcelona, Spain)

Night view of La Sagrada Familia’s spires (The ones Gaudi designed, and the spires that are BUILDING the spires Gaudi designed) (Barcelona, Spain)

Front View, La Sagrada Familia (Barcelona, Spain)

Entry to a club on the Beach (Barcelona, Spain)

The ceiling at the Post Office (Barcelona, Spain)

Modernity meets the remains of an ancient Roman Wall (Barcelona, Spain)

They take art seriously here: A church door (Barcelona, Spain)

My last day in Barcelona was my birthday. For breakfast, a lovely, sprightly Californian named Julie bought me a cappuccino and a croissant that looked like a scorpion... Little did I know it would ALMOST make me late for my flight (the monitors were flashing “LAST MINUTE!”), AND serve as a foreshadowing for what would happen to me in Florence, Italy... (Barcelona, Spain)

Posted: 2008 Oct 3

Soñar en español

2008-09-01T18:03:00.000+02:00

... to dream in Spanish

I was in middle school at the time... I was "Cristof" because we all had French names in class. We´d sit in class learning phrases like "Le stylo est sur la table" ("the pen is on the table") and "Je ne parle Français"... I knew nothing about Latin languages or conjugation--it was only 8 weeks of language class. I sat in class listening to the words of our professeur, Mademoiselle Bonnie Edlund when she told us: She had dreams in French. It didn´t happen all the time--just when she was speaking a lot of French.

I have always loved the idea and envied that others had this experience. The idea of dreaming in a foreign language has always sounded cool... But seemed unattainable. During My Former Life, I never invested myself to learn another language. I always admired others who spoke multiple languages, but my Spanish was limited to ´Si´, ´No´, ´Perro´ and ´gato´.

When I started my trip, I headed straight into Spanish-speaking territory: Central and South America. I took an intensive week-long course in intensive Spanish in Guatemala. My vocabulary was teeny-tiny and my ability to recognize what the other person asked was... Mostly limited to body language and common sense (1st question is always "Where are you from?"... ¿De donde eres?). But in October 2007, I had my first conversation in Spanish. It was a complete revelation that I was capable of doing such a thing.

That was almost a year ago. Since then, I spent about 3 more months in Spanish-speaking lands. I have been living in Madrid about 4 weeks, taking "intensive" Spanish classes and studying every day. I usually book-end my days studying--On waking and on going to bed.

I woke up that morning with the word "puesto" in my head. I realized that someone in my dream immediately before I woke up had said "puesto", which is the past participle of "poner", which means "to put" in English. And the odd thing was that on waking, I didn´t remember what the word meant! My brain had used a word during a dream that I didn´t consciously remember!

I have heard that having a dream in a foreign language is one of the indicators of improving fluency. My level is still very low, but it is improving!

The coolest umbrellas on earth. I was absolutely taken with these... 1) They provide plenty of shade 2) There is no part of it that I need to duck under (they´re tall) 3) When it rains, the edges of the umbrella do NOT drip on people: rain gathers in the center and drips down the column to the ground.

This kind of sidewalk cafe is very typical in Madrid. When you eat on the "Terraza", you will also pay extra. Generally, when you enter a restaurant, you have 3 choices: You can eat at the bar (for no additional charge), you can eat at a table (and pay extra), or you can eat on the terrace (and pay even more) (Plaza Melle, Chueca, Madrid, Spain)

This building is beautiful lit up at night. There is a very expensive bar on the top floor that I´ve never been to. Located on the Plaza Santa Ana close to Metro Sol. (Plaza de Santa Ana, Madrid, Spain)

This beautiful building caught my eye one day while walking down the street "Serrano". The windows are all arched and there are recesses where plants grow. I thought it was very cool. Two weeks later, I went to an open-air cinema to see the movie "Once". TURNS OUT the open-air cinema was ON THE PATIO OF THIS BUILDING! What are the chances? (Calle Serrano, Madrid, Spain)

My flat in Madrid
I got really lucky. Before I came to Madrid, I sent an email to a Spanish/English conversation group leader, telling him my whole story. His friend (Santiago) just happened to be working outside of Madrid during August & wanted to rent out his flat. I met Santi at his work, came to see the place, and moved in 2 days after I landed in Spain. I saved a lot of money doing it too... The hostel was 20€ each night (140€/Week), and the flat is about half that.

The place is QUITE small... Only 4 rooms: kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living room. But it is bright, secure, and well-located in the barrio "Chueca". It has been SO NICE to have a "home" again... A place where all my stuff stays, and I only have to carry.... Keys. I had forgotten how NICE that is!

View from my balcony. This is looking S down Calle Hortaleza, toward the center of Madrid. Very small in the lower-left corner of the picture is a sign from a pharmacy. For some reason, the signs I have seen all over for pharmacies are SO BRIGHT! This one is LED and has all sorts of graphics that scroll across it, and it tells the time and temperature too. For the first time in my life, I think of the temperature more in terms of centigrade degrees than Fahrenheit degrees. (Chueca, Madrid, Spain)

Kitchen. The laundry washing machine is under the counter, and the cooktop is broken, SO we have to put an electric plug-in unit on the counter to cook anything. As you may be able to see in the photo, I am still an egg fanatic :) The refrigerator keeps things at room temperature minus 5 degrees (milk never tastes refreshing!), the microwave is mounted on the wall, there´s no space for a garbage bin under the sink, and the corner is used for storage because there are no closets for household stuff. BUT one person living here has sufficient space. In case you´re interested in knowing EXACTLY where my flat is, it´s right HERE. (Metro Alonso Martinez, Madrid, Spain)

Bathroom. No, that´s not the normal spot my shoes live. I put them there for scale.... And just in case you´re wondering how a normally-sized human being can possibly sit on the toilet with the wall in the way... One can´t. The distance between the toilet and the tub is about 5", barely enough to fit a leg down there. So when you drop something, get ready to do yoga to reach down and get it. The door to the bathroom is an accordion door that collapses into the right-hand side. And when I enter, my shoulder rubs it unless I put one shoulder in first.

Bedroom. Big enough for a dresser, table, and queen sized bed and not much else. The Spanish are apparently really serious about NOT having to get out of bed once you´re in it. There´s this funny 4-way (?) switch to turn off/on the lights in the room. There´s a switch on the hallway wall, and then there´s TWO on the bedroom wall, right at bed height, so one can turn off the lights WHILE you´re in bed. Genius! Also visible in this photo is the windows on the inside of the window frame, PLUS the shutters on the outside. The shutters allow ventilation but shut out the light, for afternoon siestas. (Chueca, Madrid, Spain)

Indian Food. I met Anne in Puerto Madryn, Argentina in December 2007. I was delighted when she decided to visit me in Madrid! We had a GREAT meal at an Indian restaurant named "Anarko". SO YUMMY! This barrio (neighborhood) is called "Lavapies", and is known as being the least expensive barrio in Madrid (Metro Lavapiés, Madrid, Spain)

Cañas y tapas. A glass of beer at night in a glass is about 1.80€. Frequently it comes with a tapa, and in this case: shrimp. (Metro Lavapiés, Madrid, Spain)

One of the cool buildings along Gran Via lit up at night. The beauty of classic architecture above, the encroachment of capitalism below. (Gran Via, Madrid, Spain)

Vomitorio. Loved the name. And yes, it DOES mean "that which causes vomit" AND it also means "Entrance/exit to/from stairs" (Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, Spain)

Copa. Inside the Santiago Bernabéu stadium trophy room are all the trophies of Real Madrid plays.This is one of HUNDREDS of awards/trophies they have collected over the years (Metro Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain)

Candy Shop. This place has a crazy amount of candy piled up in its windows. (El Rastro flea market, Metro La Latina, Madrid, Spain)

Dogs of Madrid. On my way to class each day, I passed in front of a church. The church usually had some collapsed cardboard boxes out front on the ground, on which someone placed water and food, and these two dogs were asleep there, every day. In case you can read the tape on the boxes, "Bershka" is a Spanish brand that makes snazzy and not horribly expensive clothes! (Metro Sol, Madrid, Spain)

Palacio de Comunicacions. One of the emblematic buildings of Madrid. It is located on the Plaza de Cibeles, with a big fountain in the middle of a big traffic circle (Madrid, Spain)

El Retiro. The Retiro is to Madrid what Central Park is to New York. It is a huge and beautiful public space right next to the botanical gardens, El Prado, El Thyssen, y El Reina Sofia museos. During warm afternoons one can find people napping on the grassy hillsides, rollerbladers playing street hockey, and fake Mickey Mouse and Minny Mouse making balloon animals for children. (Parque El Retiro, Madrid, Spain)

Parque El Retiro. This sculpture is amazing (Parque El Retiro, Madrid, Spain)

JACOB! (Greece and Turkey)

2008-08-16T00:32:00.002+02:00

I arrived early in Athens to meet Jacob. I had a long wait until Jacob arrived, so I decided to make the most of my day. I stored my bags at the airport lockup and headed out to the Acropolis.

One of the first things to strike me was how LITTLE CLOTHING some of the ladies had on in Greece. After thinking on it, I realized that after being in Egypt for 3 weeks (where women show NOTHING... Not ankles, not wrists, not hair. Only faces, and frequently not even that.) Had changed me in some way. To see a curve was shocking.

The ladies in Greece were wearing nothing unusual by Western standards. I can now see how being in such a conservative (okay, not "conservative"... "EXTREME") environment (even for a short time!) can impact how one sees things.

Athens has a beautiful climate that reminded me of the area around my grandmother´s old house in Southern California—lots of pine trees everywhere, slightly dry, and beautiful... When I got to the Acropolis, I got the distinct feeling that all those awe-inspiring photos I´d seen were the result of Photoshop. There were traintracks, outbuildings, scaffolding, and not-very-subtly-restored columns EVERYWHERE. It was difficult to get a grasp on how these buildings must have once looked. I would love to return here in 152 years when they´re finally done restoring the buildings and get rid of all the mess. (Acropolis, Athens, Greece)

The "Porch of the Maidens" on the Erechtheum (One of the many buildings of the Acropolis). Behind the grey plexiglass, there´s lots of what looks like... JUNK! It seems they are using this porch as a... PORCH! Shameful! Yes, that´s right, this UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE is also a warehouse of junk... Probably supplies they´re using in restoration. Or maybe someone who works there is just too cheap to pay for a storage unit. (Acropolis, Athens, Greece)

I got my first feeling of what the Acropolis must have been like by zooming in LIKE CRAZY on this far-off building. It´s not even listed on maps of the Acropolis, but IT LOOKS FANTASTIC!!!!! Hopefully it is what the Acropolis will eventually look like. This building is off to the NW of the site of the Acropolis, and I wish it was open to the public! (Acropolis, Athens, Greece)

Reflection...

Being away from the life I had in Phoenix has been tough. It was a life I built through 10 years of effort both deliberate and unintentional. All those daily activities that provided structure, stimulus, and helped “grow” my personality and my relationships are “paused”. Being away from “my former life” has taught me things... One of which is how good that life really was. I have gained much from this experience—but though I feel part of me has grown, I also feel a part of me has been stunted.

So much happening in others´ lives at home I have missed out on... Moves and birthdays and new relationships, promotions and achievements and parties, moments of clarity and uncertainty, times to comfort and times to be comforted... And I have been g o n e. . . And life goes on... So much stimulus myself... Experiencing the anxiety of living with no job, no home, and no bed. Seeing so many places I´ve only dreamt of, living in a way I never have, developing new language skills, meeting SO MANY fascinating people... It has been absorbing, rewarding—absolutely fantastic—And yet I have been experiencing a profound longing.

Such is the nature of choices in life: gain one thing, lose another.

Aside from a few small artifacts of my former life—my watch, the shoes I bought before I left, a few mementos given to me by loved ones—every part of my typical day has been devoid of markers from those days that came before. So getting a call from a loved one, or an email, or a care package takes on so much more significance—since to revisit the familiarity is to revisit a relationship I fear has dimished in my stead—it is to reconnect and once again feel the pull and push of a friendship—It is to revisit a part of my life that I dearly miss. So, when Jacob told me that he wanted to join me, I was ELATED.

Jacob and I met in Junior-high school when we were both big nerds (some things never change!) nearly 22 years ago. We met up in Athens, then went counter-clockwise south to Kos (Greece), then to Bodrum (Turkey), then north to Istanbul, and finally West to Greece.

Being able to share this time with Jacob has certainly been one of the highlights of my trip.

Jacob and I ate our first meal together at a sidewalk restaurant immediately across the street from our hotel, where the proprietor had just finished screaming at an old man who neglected to pay his bill. The jury is still out on whether the old man thought "I look like a bumbling old man, and I´m going use it to get a free dinner", or more like, "I´m not hungry... But I don´t remember eating here... And why is this man yelling at me?". Dinner was followed by a small (complimentary) glass of ouzo. It was delicious—just like wood alcohol, only rougher going down (Kos, Greece)

Night helped bring out Kos´s magic. This is a picture of one of the overgrown bouganvilla bushes (I definitely have a "thing" for these breathtaking bushes!!) strung with party lights over an uplit wall. I loves the theatrical lighting! (Kos, Greece)

From the island of Kos we took a somewhat exotic form of transportation—a hydrofoil. The boat floated just like every other standard boat until we got out into the open water and then they opened up the throttle and we kept getting higher and higher in the water. But once you´re up, you can´t see over the side of the boat, so you can´t really see JUST HOW COOL you look (how sad!). One thing I DID notice was how small our wake was. The model of boat is called "Meteor" (Kos, Greece to Bodrum, Turkey)"

We landed in Turkey! Yay! On the walkway from the international ferry landing were these beautiful statues. So of course I had to grab my trusty Lonely Planet Turkey and join them (Bodrum, Turkey)

Leaving Bodrum in the rental car, we had to fill up the tank. It had 1/4 of a tank, so we only added 3/4 of a tank. And when you do the conversion, we added about 11 gallons, and the price was about $123.00. About $11.18/gallon. Yes, that´s right, ONE HUNDRED TWENTY THREE U S DOLLARS for THREE QUARTERS OF A TANK OF GAS. Turkey has the MOST EXPENSIVE FUEL PRICES IN THE WORLD (Leaving Bodrum, Turkey)

Purty! (Rose garden in Urla, Turkey)

While driving, before we saw any signs for it, was spied the ampitheater of Epheses. At the site, there are ruins all over the place. This particular vista reminded me a bit of images I´ve seen of Tuscany. I love the junipers! (Epheses, Turkey)

Majestic old roads with columns (Epheses, Turkey)

The Ephesus bone-yard. Such beautiful ornamentation! (Epheses, Turkey)

Warning: you might start breakdancing (Epheses, Turkey)

The restored Celsus Library at Epheses is an absolute jaw-dropper. Approaching it, it is difficult to make out what you´re looking at. But quickly after coming out from under the entry arch, you look up and here is this MAGNIFICENT old facade that is so delicately ornamented and HUGE. And something else remarkable is the sociological aspect of the library as well: These were a people that valued education. This is the view looking up through the ruins (Library at Epheses, Turkey)

During our time at Epheses, a documentary for the History Channel was being filmed. The gentleman on the right claims to have found a link between the library at Epheses and Judaism in the form of a rough-cut menorah. The lady in the near left is watching the video feed wirelessly broadcast in HD from the video camera, and is giving direction to the cameraman and to the interviewer (in black). After they were done filming, I asked the interviewee (in the blue polo) if there was any possibility of the menorah being a late addition to the steps to which he seemed incredulous, saying, "of course not". Maybe I´ve learned too much about hoaxes during my trip. I´ll call it a "scientific detachment" :) (On the steps of the Library of Celsus, Epheses, Turkey)

Beautiful (Entry to the Temple of Hadrian, Epheses, Turkey)

Where tourists go, so do the things tourists buy. ´Tacky´ knows no international boundaries! (Tourist kiosks, Epheses, Turkey)

In Istanbul, Jacob and I found a FABULOUS restaurant called... Umm... Really hard to say. I´m lacking some Turkish characters, but it´s something like "Meshut Kofteci battal usta". We were looking for dinner, wandering the neighborhood scouring menus and looking to see where the locals were eating. The Maitre´d told us his food was wonderful, took us over to a nearby serving table, and started popping morsels in our mouths. He was right—it was SO SO SO GOOD! We ate here every day thereafter! (Istanbul, Turkey)

Me being a dork on a street with the Hagia Sofia ("Hagia" is pronounced i-yah) in the background (Istanbul, Turkey)

The Hagia Sofia is absolutely, completely, totally, amazingly breathtaking. It is SO SO SO SO SO BEAUTIFUL! It is probably the most beautiful building I´ve been in on this trip. (Hagia Sofia, Istanbul, Turkey)

Pictures absolutely cannot convey the beauty or the grandeur of the space. It is a magnificent convergence of architectural perfection and man´s artistic possibility. This building sits majestically at the height of human inspiration. (Hagia Sofia, Istanbul, Turkey)

A view rarely seen: beside the main room of the Hagia Sofia are barrel ceilings with inlaid mosaic tile, these beautiful columns with beautifully done iron capitals, and very interesting lights atop pedestals. The Hagia Sofia is a masterpiece (Hagia Sofia, Istanbul, Turkey)

A monster stalks Jacob as he uses an ATM (Istanbul, Turkey)

We left Istanbul on the overnight train. It was crowded but not altogether unpleasant. During the night we were awoken first by the Turkish border officials, then later the Greek border officials... and finally we were in Thessaloniki! This is the view from the roof of our hotel, "El Greco", which is funny since "El Greco" means "Greek" in Spanish! Why they have a Spanish sign on a Greek hotel in Greece I haven´t figured out yet. But it was a nice place! :) (Thessaloniki, Greece)

Jacob and I took a trip (in another rental car) from Thessaloniki to Mt Olympus. It is easy to see why Greek mythology calls Mt Olympus Zeus´s home... It is nature on a huge scale. And it is SO beautiful! We forded a stream in the foothills and drank its water. (Foothills of Mt Olympus, Greece)

Nearby the stream, we saw a sign to a "holy cave", which sounded interesting enough to make the hike. When we got there, we saw this rather un-holy looking structure wedged into the cave entrance. BEHIND this building is a very dark space from which a spring (or partly underground stream) sprang from the back wall. Jacob got very excited when he noticed a "large crevice" in the back of the cave and had to be convinced not to start splunking into the depths of Mt Olympus. Wouldn´t want to upset Zeus! (Mt Olympus, Greece)

On the way back to Thessaloniki from Mt Olympus, we went for a long drive and got lost in some overgrown farmland. It was wonderful (From Mt Olympus to Thessaloniki, Greece)

Southern Egypt (Abu Simbel, Luxor, Valley of the Kings)

2008-08-06T11:32:00.001+02:00

After Cairo, I headed far south to the city of Aswan on the train. Aswan is the closest city to Abu Simbel, the monument which was moved 200m to higher ground when the Aswan High Dam was built on the Nile.

The incredible frontal view of the front of the Abu Simbel monument. It was built by Pharoh Ramses II to honor himself and to intimidate Egypt´s southern neighbors. The statues wear the combined crown of southern and northern egypt, significant because the two were unified at this time. Behind the photographer, spreading out 180 degrees, are the waters of lake Nasser, created when the Aswan High Dam was filled. (Abu Simbel, Egypt)

Inside Abu Simbel... There is a cave that is accessible between the seated kings. This is Ramses II depicted as Osiris (Abu Simbel, Egypt)

To get to Abu Simbel from the city of Aswan, you must get up at 3:30am, so that you can join the caravan to go north to Abu Simbel. The Egyptian government does not permit unescorted cars to pass along the roads between Abu Simbel (far to the south, close to Sudan) and Aswan. After getting up so early, then waiting at the checkpoint for about 35 munites until around 4:45, we finally were underway. The government alleges that it is safer this way, but really, if you´re someone intent on doing harm: doesn´t it seem easier to shoot & hit someone in a convoy than it does independent cars along a road? Just one of many things I don´t understand in Egypt.

On the way back from Abu Simbel, there were a couple of trucks moving animals around. Here you can see camel heads sticking up, looking around curiously at the quickly changing desert scene before them. For some reason, I just really like the shape of their heads & necks. They look like such friendly animals (but they are NOT!) (Road from Abu Simbel, Egypt)

On the way back from Abu Simbel, we stopped at a small island in the Nile River named Philae, the site of the cult of Isis. We had to negociate like CRAZY to get a "normal price" for the boat ride to the island. First, they wanted to charge us quadruple the normal price one way. THEN they agreed to take us one way for DOUBLE the normal price. Finally, after the group of us banded together and told them we would NOT be gouged, we FINALLY got the CORRECT price for the round-trip voyage. In general, negociating for prices was the most difficult in Egypt compared to the rest of the places I´ve been. (Philae Island, Egypt)

The island of Philae is a breathtaking location... But the temple inside is not proportioned with the same sort of dimensions that make traditional Roman architecture so pleasing to the eye. However, inside the grounds there are these wonderful columns with ornamentation at the top that has been preserved over the years. In this picture one can see at least two different types of ornamentation on top of the columns: lotus and papyrus flowers (Philae Island, Egypt)

Heading north on the train from Aswan, I went to Luxor, a city surrounded by Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Valley of the Workers, Luxor (the ruins itself), Karnak and probably some others. It may be the single greatest trove of ruins in Egypt.

There was nothing special about my room in Luxor, but the light hanging from the ceiling was REALLY COOL! (Luxor, Egypt)

Sunset over the Nile looking out over a dock (Luxor, Egypt)

you glad you´re not one of the construction workers in Egypt working on this scaffolding, held together by twine? (Luxor, Egypt)

I saw the temple of Luxor (actually in the CENTER of the city of Luxor--a 5 minute walk from my hostel) at night. (Luxor Temple, Egypt)

The next day I walked to the temple of Karnak, the site of generations of temple builders, each improving on, destroying, or ignoring their predecessor´s work. This is one of the canals which is connected via underground aqueducts to the Nile river. In the distance is the mountains of the Valley of the Kings (Karnak Temple, Egypt)

Although pictures are not permitted inside the tombs of the Valley of the Kings, this is a picture of the 3-D model of the valley. The wavy plastic is the surface of the mountains of the area, and the diagonal lines descending below it are the passageways into the tombs. It was amazing to see all the paintings inside the tombs. To get an idea of what they looked like, there are some pictures later from the Valley of the Workers. (Valley of the Kings, Egypt)

It had to be done: Walking like an Egyptian (Bangles interpretation) (Valley of the Kings, Egypt)

Temple of Hathshepsut. It is possible to take a 45-minute hike from the Valley of the Kings to the temple of Hathshepsut (I didn´t! It was 125 degrees!) (Luxor, Egypt)

After seeing the Valley of the Kings, I went to the Valley of the Workers (Deir-al Medina). These tombs are not so grandiose, not so special by reputation. But for that reason, these tombs were not raided over the course of centuries. Tomb raiders were interested in the booty of pharohs, not the remains of typical workers... And so what remains in the Valley of the Workers is some of the best preserved in all of Egypt.

Inside the tombs photography is permitted, but the guards ask you for money to allow you to take photos (no flash). The cash is a bribe, and here in Egypt, it greases the lower-level economy. There is a word for it: Baksheesh. You can get anything you want in Egypt for some baksheesh.

Although part of this wall has crumbled, what remains amazed me. What can plainly be seen here is a couple playing.... CHESS. (Valley of the Workers, Egypt)

The colors remaining in the Valley of the Workers are shockingly vivid. When I descended into the tomb, I just stood there staring for a full 5 minutes, mouth agape. In this photo there is some reflection from the protective plexiglas over the walls. This barrel-vault tomb was the best preserved. (Valley of the Workers, Egypt)

Mi vida en españa!

2008-08-01T23:23:00.004+02:00

I made it to Madrid!

I found an apartment to share, and it feels SO GOOD to have a HOME again!!! Santiago (my roommate) cleared a shelf for me in the bathroom and--believe it or not--I cried a tear when I put my toiletries there. As goofy as that sounds, maybe it gives an idea about how I´ve been feeling lately about being homeless.

I have met a few times with different language exchange clubs (Intercambio de idiomas) and have learned that lots of people want to learn English. And they get mad if you DON´T correct them!

Something else "hit me" the other day about living in Spain... That I could actually get MARRIED here. It was a weird feeling to realize that. I am accustomed to living in a country that does not consider me an equal... That DICTATES I cannot have the same future as my contemporaries. A future of being married is a future that only exists for me in a foreign country... Not the country I love--the country I consider ´home´.

I started Spanish classes today. The professora speaks REALLY fast (actually, everyone here does--and they don´t enunciate much, EITHER... Grrrr!), and I only understand 20-30% of what she says. I will try out the lower-level class on Monday to see if it "feels" closer to my level.

Internet access is 1€ each hour (my blog postings take several hours each), so I have used my internet time sparingly. Santiago has put a computer online here at the flat, so I will be posting to the blog again soon. I know some have been very concerned about me--please know I am alive and well and enjoying the mundane--like cooking breakfast & coming home to the same bed every night... And always finding my toiletries on the same shelf where I left them.

More soon. Love to all!

Scooter of Arabia

2008-07-08T16:43:00.001+02:00

I remember watching the television program "OtherWorld" back in 1985, and the premise of the series was: A family takes a tour of the pyramids in Egypt. Their tour coincided with an alignment of the planets. At the moment of alignment, they were transported into another reality... This premise seemed completely plausible to me given the mythic status of the pyramids in my mind.

Saying that coming to Egypt has been a dream-come-true feels like a tremendous understatement. As long as I can remember, I have wanted to come to Egypt... To see the pyramids, to see the sphinx, to walk where the pyramid builders did, and see the work of these incredibly intelligent engineers first-hand.

And the monuments don't seem to end. This is an ancient and fertile land which nurtured its inhabitants for thousands of years. Most of the monuments and statues are between 3 and 4 THOUSAND years old. Assuming having kids at 32, that's ONE HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE GENERATIONS ago. Almost incomprehensibly old... So there are LOTS of monuments :)

Everyone seems to want to come to Egypt. I feel lucky that I was able to go.

Cairo feels very old and very Muslim. During the day, scarved and long-sleeved ladies with only their faces showing, scurry about the streets... Loudspeakers blare out prayers, taxicabs honk incessantly as they weave and pitch agressively, the sidewalks get busy as the night wears on, the coffee shops fill with shisha smokers, and the desert backdrop is breathtaking. (Cairo, Egypt)

On the way to see the pyramids, I saw this view towards The Citadel--Mosque domes, minarets, and date palms. (The Citadel, Cairo, Egypt)

Looking up at the entry of a mosque. (Khan al Kahlili, Cairo, Egypt)

The Hanging Church, built on top of Roman ruins (Coptic Cairo, Egypt)

This church (closed when I was here) in Coptic Cairo was built over a cave which allegedly sheltered Mary, Joseph, and Jesus on their flight. (Coptic area, Cairo, Egypt)

Bougainvillea creeps over a graveyard wall. (Coptic Cairo, Egypt)

One of my FAVORITE meals. It is called "koshary". It is macaroni, vermicelli, lentils, and a YUMMY tomato/chilli sauce. The price for a large is 4 EGP (Egyptian Pounds), about $0.80 USD. (Ataba, Cairo, Egypt)

On my table is the hot sauce to put on top. In the red vest is the waiter-who stands at the door waiting for you to give him a tip-and to his left behind the counter is the proprietor. The proprietor sits in his marble-clad booth barking orders in a gravelly voice that could shatter glass. He has white hair and mysterious green eyes, and sits and smokes shisha with the long tube in his hand. He reminds me of a cross between The Cheshire Cat and Jabba The Hut. (Ataba, Cairo, Egypt)

I loved the color on this apricot Bouganvilla! (Saqqara, Egypt)

Saqqara is another site with funerary significance, and a grand step Pyramid. There is a very nice museum (accessible only after you buy your entry ticket from the unsigned, hard-to-find ticket booth). This picture shows The Step Pyramid--the first pyramid. Prior to the building of the step pyramid, funerary mounds were marked with only a mastaba. The step pyramid essentially looks like one big mastaba topped by a smaller mastaba, topped by a smaller mastaba. The architect who created this new design was Imhotep. (Saqqara, Egypt)

Descending into the Red Pyramid (Dahshur, Egypt)

The Bent Pyramid. A lesson in architecture. The base of the pyramid was built at 57 degrees, but when the surveyors detected instability, they continued the pyramid at 43 degrees. 43 would continue to be the "magic number" that subsequent pyramids would be built with. (Dahshur, Egypt)

The Black Pyramid. Another lesson in architecture. The Black Pyramid was not built from rock, was built too close to sea level, and had too many passageways inside (and not enough support structures), and collapsed. (Dahshur, Egypt)

There are LOTS of pyramids in Egypt! On the day I saw The Great Pyramid, I started the day at a site called "Dahshur". This site contains the Bent Pyramid, the Red Pyramid, and the Black Pyramid. Sadly, only the Red pyramid is truly accessible, as the area is a military base. Also, a large refinery has moved onto the land nearby. (Dahshur, Egypt)

Scooter Of Arabia. From left to right, Queen's Pyramid(s), Pyramid of Mycerinus, Pyramid of Khafre (the one I went inside of an snuck into the coffin!), and Pyramid of Khufu. (Giza plateau, Cairo, Egypt)

Ye old typical Egyptian photo: The Sphinx with the Pyramid of Khafre in the background (Giza plateau, Cairo, Egypt)

And although there is no photo, I HIGHLY SUGGEST the restaurant At-Tabei ad-Dumyati. Get the garlic-marinated tomatoes! INCREDELICIOUS!

Happy Independence day!

2008-07-04T16:41:00.004+02:00

One thing about the USA which I appreciate COMPLETELY is FREEDOM OF RELIGION. I have now been in a few countries where there IS no freedom of religion (China, Egypt), and generally speaking, I think that when you restrict how people express themselves, governments actually create new problems. I think the human creature NEEDS to have freedom to live most effectively.

One thing this trip has taught me so far is just how good we have it in the USA. Before I left, I KNEW we "had it good", but now I have a better idea of JUST HOW GOOD we have it compared to so many of our brothers around the world. From paved streets and sidewalks to regular trash collection to toilets that accept toilet paper to homeless shelters to health and safety officers to police who are--by and large--NOT corrupt, to handicapped accessibility to electricity that is online almost 100% of the time, to laws and regulations intended to protect our health and make our cities "more livable". We have all the basics taken care of--we worry about how PRETTY our cities are.

I love my country! I have high hopes that new leadership will correct some of the wrongs of the recent path and put us back in an admired leadership role in the world--not a begrudging acknowledgement, but appreciated--because we do things WELL and we do things RIGHT, not simply because we are rich and get to make big decisions (and when are compared to the rest of the world--we are very, very, VERY rich) .

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday--and appreciate the FREEDOMS that we all take for granted... Daily. There is so much to appreciate about our lives!

Dubai

2008-06-30T17:28:00.001+02:00

The Burj Al Arab, (Arabian Tower) tallest hotel in the world. The marketing and TV promotions claim it is the world's only "Seven Star" hotel... I just know it's real, real purty. There is a small light show and the illuminating lights change color every 10 minutes. To get inside, one must book a "package"... Like high tea, which is 425 AED... $120 (I did not)... This picture was taken from the Jumeriah Beach Resort (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Dubai is opulence, audacity, and comfort--orderly, well-run, and nicely polished. Everything worked well--the buildings are beautiful, the roads are good, and everything is air-conditioned. But it is not a cheap destination.

The cheapest rooms in town are around 200 AED (the currency is the Arab Emirates Dirham) - about $56/night. I had been paying about 450 Rupees in Delhi ($11). Taxis in Dubai are air conditioned, very nice, and metered (no haggling! YAY!), and are a relative bargain at around 1 AED (28 cents) per minute/km.

The weather in Dubai is hot but dry. It was a little less intense than summer in Phoenix, but with the addition of blowing dust.

I had been introduced--through Discovery channel specials--to the architectural masterpiece of the Burj Al Arab, and through it, to the marvel of rapid progress that is Dubai.

In every country I have been to--no matter how poor--the wealthy always live well. And Dubai is brimming with wealth.

Everything for the upper-crust of society is well done, and nicely polished. The bus system however, is not... And this was one of my observations about Dubai: the society seems to be stratified between the natives (upper crust) and the worker class (temporary laborers, mostly from India).

I waited for bus #10 one day, which would take me from the gold souq (gold market) to the Mall Of the Emirates. I waited in a HUGE line (about 4 buses worth of people waiting--all were Indians) for over an hour. No buses left the station--they were not adhering to their schedule. I lost my place in line when I went to go complain.

Later, leaving the Mall of the Emirates, same problem: the bus schedule SAID there should have been a bus every 15 minutes, but I waited again over an hour.

I was told a story by another tourist that an Indian man was ejected from his bus seat, and he went to the bus driver to complain, but instead he was ejected from the bus--It seems that you are expected to "take what you're given and don't complain".

(Yes, that REALLY IS all just one building!!) Already the tallest structure on earth, the Burj Dubai is still under construction at a rate of one new floor every 3 days. It will not be completed until 2009 (Burj Dubai , Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Mall of the Emirates is mall culture meets Arabia, luxe style... The mall is megga-plush, absolutely beautiful. It has a ski Resort, amusement park, synchronized swimmers, and a musical, fire-breathing fountain. This picture shows one of the moments during the musical fountain show. The outside of the ski resort can be seen above in back (Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Calm, shorts-clad patrons peer through dual-pane windows at skiers and bundled kids playing in snowdrifts at the indoor ski Resort.
(Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Synchronized swimmers in their swimming pool (Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

I might have guessed this was the hallway leading to the executive lounges of the airport... But no, it's in a mall in Dubai leading to the washroom. (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

One night in the town square, this older gentleman sat down with me to tell me about life... He is 70, has three children, and has a 45 year old wife. (Gold Souq, Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Dubai has roundabouts, and in the center of one of them is this really cool clock-tower (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Dubai has SO MANY beautiful buildings. Much attention has been paid to how things look. This beautiful building--one of the signature Dubai buildings--is the Bank Of Dubai, shaped to evoke a traditional fishing boat, the dhow, with sail billowing (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Etisalat is the biggest mobile carrier in Dubai, and this is their headquarters. Totally cool! (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Yet another of Dubai's beautiful buildings! YUM! (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Leaving Dubai on an early flight, I was treated to this view: the sun rising behind the beautiful Airport Control tower (DXB International airport, Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Below the wing in the above photo is a barely visible canal (you can click on the image to make it larger). That is the Suez canal! (The Suez Canal, Flying from Amman-->Cairo, Egypt)

Next stop: CAIRO!

Punjab (NW India) snapshots

2008-06-15T10:06:00.008+02:00

Autorickshaws speed by in the background as a Bessie looks for her next meal of street trash (Delhi, India)

View of the dome--from the top of The Golden Temple, Sikhism's holiest shrine (Amritsar, India)

One of the unique features of the Sikh temples is their dining room. All are welcome--all religions and no religion--any caste--and breakfast, lunch, and dinner, are served free. At the Golden Temple, they serve up to 50,000 people PER DAY. To feed this many people, there is definitely a giant operation behind-the-scenes to make it all happen. I wandered into the kitchen and took some photos (Golden Temple, Amritsar, India)

These two use long metal rods to flip chapatis. The cooktop is massive: about 1m x 1.5m (Golden Temple, Amritsar, India)

Many activities take place on the floor. Part of the prep kitchen (Golden Temple, Amritsar, India)

The Golden Temple at night (Amritsar, India)

Chandigarh, India

2008-06-07T13:55:00.004+02:00

Chandigarh is an anomaly among Indian cities: it was planned. Le Corbusier created the design for the city. And the result feels distinctly... MODERN... And accessible.

I had visited another "designed" city, Brasilia Brazil. Brazilia is the capital of Brazil and is intended to be impressive at all costs--including the population of the city. The streets are very broad, the architecture grandiose, the blocks enormous, the arrangement fairly inconvenient. Brasilia felt impressive but not very livable.

In comparison, Chandigarh feels very livable. Everything has been scaled down in both ambition and desire to awe. It is more functional and less ostentatious. The architecture is modern and beautiful, the streets orderly and straight, the design consistent and inviting. There are public spaces including MANY parks with large grassy spaces... I have seen so many people out enjoying the public grounds here--life here seems to be a much higher quality than all the other cities I have visited in India.

These are the row homes in Chandigarh. They are three stories, all with unique detail on the balconies, the window surrounds, the color schemes, etc. (Chandigarh, India)

Chandigarh is generally a middle and high-class city. Some of the residences are quite swank (Chandigarh, India)

I love the modern public art! This is in the sculpture garden, behind the Chandigarh Museum (Chandigarh, India)

One of the public spaces is a bougainvillea garden. I LOVE Bougainvillea! (Bougainvillea Garden, Chandigarh, India)

The High Court building. (Chandigarh, India)

Le Corbusier's famous "Open Hand" sculpture on the civic square... "Open to give, open to receive". (Chandigarh, India)

The view from the monolithic Secretariat building. This is one of the ornaments on the top of the building (Secretariat Building, Chandigarh, India)

HANDS DOWN my absolute FAVORITE thing about Chandigarh is the Nek Chand Rock Garden. Without funding or approval, Nek Chand (a Pakistani immigrant after partition) started building sculptures out of discarded materials. Today, the Nek Chand Rock Garden is the 2nd most visited site in India, second only to the Taj Mahal.

Like the city it is in, the Rock Garden is very human, very accessible. It is noncommercial (funded by the government), and admission is 10Rs (27 cents)... And it is just SO WONDERFUL!

You wend your way through curved walls, under tiny arches, where rocks have been placed in creative and interesting ways to guide you, beyond stacks of discarded clay pots, all the while surrounded by beautiful desert and tropical foliage. In the sweltering heat of the day, you sweat your way through--amazed as each vision is revealed--until finally, you come around the bend to find an enormous waterfall!

And part of the delight is not just the satisfaction of finally seeing the waterfall that you heard a minute prior, but to see the joy on the children's faces as they play uninhibited, frolicking in the waters.

At the end of the windy road through visages large, small--magical all--is a large plaza with an amphitheater, and a long windy row of arches, inside of each is a swing. There are probably 50 swings all together, and it feels so good to have the rush of wind as you soar inside this fantasy that is the creation of one man.

In the US we have amusement parks with "designed" and "marketed" impressiveness--formulaic. This Rock Garden is a magical place of creativity, unspoiled by marketers--pure in intent. There are no marketing tie-ins. You cannot buy Mickey-Mouse ears to wear or pay $5 for an order of french fries because you aren't allowed to bring food into the park. This is not a place driven by a profit motive. It is art. Meant only to inspire, to surprise, to delight.

This is a place for kids, a place for families, a place to be inspired. The Nek Chand Rock Garden is absolutely one of the highlights of my trip so far. The Taj Mahal is an intentionally ostentatious, and hence (to me) somewhat "contaminated" monument... It wasn't enough for the Shah to honor his widow in his daily life, he wanted everyone ELSE to know...

Nek Chand worked for 15 years in obscurity in the middle of the jungle--unknown to everyone--on his personal project. He was not working to impress anyone, he was only recycling junk.

And so the result is very different from the Taj, and to me, far more appealing.

The Nek Chand Rock Garden (Chandigarh, India)

Water Women (and a chicken). (Nek Chand Fantasy Rock Garden, Chandigarh, India)

Taj Mahal

2008-06-03T13:19:00.003+02:00

Last night I arrived in Agra after a 12-hour train journey from Varanasi. It was uneventful save for the Indian passengers who were convinced I was rich because I had a camera AND a mobile phone--And this was a middle-class Indian gentleman with 3 very well-dressed daughters--I don't think they understood that I got the phone "free"... Nevertheless, I think I will keep the phone tucked away on trips in the future as I do not wish to attract attention.

I found a CNG (Compressed Natural Gas!!! Yes, IN INDIA!!!) autorickshaw which took me to my hotel. I stayed at the Shanti Lodge. The rooms are pretty big and shabby, but definitely "good enough", and far better than MANY places I've stayed! The rooftop restaurant has a spectacular view of the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal reflected in the sunglasses of my friend Aurelie (Taj Mahal, Agra, India)

Looking up at the marble face of the TM from the eastern side, by the Jawab. The sky was just perfect (Taj Mahal, Agra, India)

My "The Taj Mahal" photo, from a low viewpoint in the gardens (Taj Mahal, Agra, India)

The Taj Mahal Riding Mower (If I had correctly exposed this camera, you'd see the dome of the TM above the trees). These two cows (they are cattle, right? :)) drag this two-wheeled "riding mower" with a man seated on top. He carries a whip with him and uses it to make the cattle turn when they reach the end of the row. (Taj Mahal, Agra, India)

From the Himalayas to the burning desert

2008-05-30T13:46:00.012+02:00

I took a boat down the Ganges at sunset to see the Ghats. At one point, we put floating candles in the water to remember our lost loved ones. (Varanasi, India)

The Ghats are essentially stairs leading down to the water of the Ganges. In the brighter section of the photo, a celebration of the Ganges takes place, closer to the foreground, individuals set their candles upon the water (Varanasi, India)

Alley scene in Varanasi. These are the same alleys through which the corpses are carried on bamboo stretchers on the way to the burning Ghat. A man sleeps, another man arranges his vegetables for sale, a stairway disappears into the background (Varanasi, India)

Only 5 kinds of bodies don't get burned at the Burning Ghat--Those less than 18 years of age, those bitten by a cobra, lepers, pregnant women, and priests. Those who are not burned on the Ghat steps are weighted and dumped into the Ganges (the same area where people bathe and play). Frequently, the bodies get free from the tethers (The Ganges, Varanasi, India)

Kolkata

At one point I was very frustrated--I love meeting local people, but every person I had met, after a few seconds, sometimes as much as a half hour, it became that what they were REALLY interested instead of my friendship, was my money. After yet ANOTHER experience with a guy who saw me only as a source of income, I was upset and headed toward a light and sound show at the Victoria Memorial. On the way, I saw a food cart and stopped to watch how this sort of food was eaten (The hollow bread is filled with a mixture of onion, aloo (potatoe [thanks Dan Quayle!]), and spices, then dunked in a spicy or sweet sauce, then eaten by popping the whole thing into your mouth). The college-aged people eating insisted I try some, then kept handing me more despite my protests. They were delish! It came time to pay, I got my money out, asked how much, and found out--as the students disappeared into the night--that they had paid for me. (Kolkata, India)

The Indian Museum: It's like breaking into your grandfather's attic... Only to find out that he lived a secret life as Indiana Jones. This ancient and unmaintained museum looks exactly like the day the superintendant put up the last display. The display cases are beautiful old antique wood, with glass splattered with drips from the ceiling, dust since the last cyclone, and piles of uncataloged exhibit pieces unceremoniously piled in the corners (Kolkata, India)

The Indian Museum truly did have some stunning pieces. This Pam-Anderson precursor is called "Devi" (Indian Museum, Kolkata, India)

Darjeeling

I SAW THE HIMALAYAS!!! The view from the rooftop of the Aliment Hotel. The highest peak i Kanchenjunga (which means "Five-peaked snow fortress" in Tibetan) (Darjeeling, India)

The bathroom on the Deluxe 2A/C (only 2 bunks, air conditioned) train from Kolkata to Darjeeling (Kolkata, India)

In Darjeeling, up Observatory Hill is a gompa (Tibetan temple). There are Tibetan prayer flags draped everywhere, and the clouds rise through, lending a mysterious glow during mid-day. The monkeys pictured here are aggressive (and frequently are carriers of rabies--and they DO BITE). (Darjeeling, India)

As sandlot baseball is to American youngsters, dirt cricket is to the kids here. (Darjeeling, India)

Darjeeling is a city built along the ridge (and down both sides of) a hill. The roads are very windy and steep, and wealthy Indians on vacation in the cool hills of Darjeeling often opt to have a porter take their suitcases up or down to the Jeep stand (Darjeeling, India)

Darjeeling is known for its tea. The Happy Valley Tea Plantation (only 21 acres!!) was closed that day, but we bought a cup of the plantation's finest from an eccentric lady who runs a teahouse. While we were sipping the very (allegedly) finest tea, we were surrounded by fake flowers, kitschy pictures of Hindu gods, stuffed toy monkeys, etc. It definitely lent something to the experience (Happy Valley Tea Plantation, Darjeeling, India)

These kids were DYING for me to take their photo... So I did. (And the old --let me know if you agree--bears a striking resemblance to a character in the Star Trek movies!) . They all got a big kick seeing themselves on the LCD monitor on the camera (Varanasi, India)

Kolkata, India

2008-05-23T12:18:00.002+02:00

This was my breakfast this morning: Chapati. It was FANTASTIC fresh from the skillet! (Kolkata, India)

I'm currently in Kolkata (Calcutta), where Mother Theresa was... And her work was cut out for her! The poor are EVERYWHERE--beggars and amputees and gypsies and aggressive touts who want to "take you shopping"--so they get a commission on any shop you walk into...

You can taste the pollution in the air--the urinals drain to the gutter--coal fires burn, heating pots of oil--flavors of saffron, tandoori and sag mix and waft about... People run businesses from their homes which are small--basically ledges in walls.

The streets are largely unpaved (or simply unmaintained for decades) leaving dusty patches that have been filled in with small hills of rocks and garbage. Rickshaw wallas without shoes pull their human cargo around these streets without complaint. The gutter is the garbage can here.

Ramshackle Ambassador taxis from the 1950s bumble about the bumpy roads belching low-grade diesel with extra-high axles--no air conditioning, and no maintenance for two decades. They rattle and bounce, wires stick out of the dash... And the honking is ceaseless.

There is evidence of the British: buildings from the colonial era have not been maintained and they are slowly tumbling to the ground, making a photogenic dilapidated mess while they turn themselves over to gravity--disassembling themselves brick-by-brick. Nobody here will stop the process.

The heat is sweltering. A/C is not common--the hostel doesn't have it, the internet cafes don't have it, no restaurants nearby have it--only fans. My face glistens constantly, and when the breeze from the fans stop... I drip.

The whole place feels like it's falling apart.

It is sensory overload, and my body has responded by getting sick ... My throat only feels good when it's eating, so I've been snacking a lot today. I will hole myself up back at the hostel a little later and plan to read and sleep a lot. And maybe get an ice cream...

I got up early this morning and went for a walk. LOADS of homeless were sleeping on the sidewalk (Kolkata, India)

This man types business letters with an ancient typewriter on the sidewalk under an umbrella (Kolkata, India)

One of the many deteriorating colonial-era buildings (Kolkata, India)

Smoke rises from the coal-fired street-food vendors. The mess in the foreground is typical. (Kolkata, India)

This is my room at the Paragon Hotel off of Sudder St, Kolkata. I pay 170 Rupees a night. (That's about $4 USD). I have a shared toilet (no toilet paper) and a shared shower (no hot water), and a ceiling fan. No A/C (Kolkata, India)

This is the view from my hostel's second level (Kolkata, India)

Here's the most public "public urinal" I've ever seen. Note the mess on the stuff that looks like toxic waste on the left-hand side. That's where the waste goes--into the gutter (Kolkata, India)

Thailand! (Diving, architecture, and stolen beer)

2008-05-21T10:06:00.000+02:00

Thailand was a means to an end for me: I wanted to be where I could dive and also see Ankor Wat. Thailand has always had a "cheap, anything goes" attitude, and I was intrigued by that too. Also, and perhaps most importantly, there were cheap flights from Hong Kong to Thailand :)

Jim Thompson is a famous American who basically popularized Thai silk on the world market. He loved the Thai way of life. He was extremely wealthy, but in comparison to his wealth, this house is surprisingly modest. It was created by taking 6 thai houses and joining them together. When he died, he left his home to his daughter, who then turned it over to a public trust. He filled his home with the Thai and Chinese art he collected (again, modest--just things he loved--not meant to impress particularly). On the wall is a Chinese wooden carved block which provided some of Jim's original patterns. The pot and two seats are Chinese, and the two seats are meant to be placed over embers, so in the winter, the seats stay nice and warm. (Jim Thompson's House, Bangkok, Thailand)

Photography is not permitted inside the house, so these photos are from the gardens below the house. Of note to me is one particular buddha statue inside the house which is absolutely mystical. I stood and stared at it for MINUTES. There was just SOMETHING about that statue. I wish I could have taken a photo! Some of Jim Thompson's imported artifacts. (Jim Thompson's house, Bangkok, Thailand)

The giant spiky fruit is called "Durian". Sadly, the Durian is most famous for smelling bad--REALLY BAD. I thought that it smelled closest to rotting chicken. There are signs on the subway in Bangkok that notify of prohibitions... Those signs say, "No weapons"... "No bicycles"... And "No Durians"... And so I was terrorized by durian-vendors that could be smelled before they could be seen. I finally decided I would try one out, and my hand is holding the fruit of the durian in my left hand. Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised, BUT it was slightly sweet, and tasted pretty good. The texture was a bit fibrous and reminded me of a soft onion. I am certainly not a Durian lover, but it really wasn't bad--and far better than it smells! (Bangkok, Thailand)

On the way to Ko Tau (Turtle Island) were these probably hideously poisonous but photogenic tanks (Thailand)

Ko Tao is for diving and relaxation. This is the beach (Ko Tao, Thailand)

One night on the beach, I decided to have a VERY expensive dinner at this fish stand ($11usd). They just put chairs up and the barbequeues, and presto! A beach restaurant! The tide was coming in that night, and so the water swept sand by our feet as we had some of the most delicious fish I'd had in Thailand (Ko Tao, Thailand)

On my last night in Ko Kao (I hadn't planned for it to be my last night), I booked myself into a cute little cottage. It had a double bed, a rotating fan on the ceiling, and a great location close to the beach. It was $15US/night. When I got home that night, I was surprised because there was no porch light... I got inside to discover: NO POWER... Which is not normally a BIG DEAL, but in this case, even though the bungalow was close to the beach, there was NO sea breeze--just still warm humid air... And without a fan, that means sleeping in a pool of one's own sweat. In the morning, I awoke groggy, unrested, and said to myself, "I need to get the hell out of here!"... One small redeeming quality of the bungalow, however, was this little guy. The bathroom was poured concrete, and the rest of the hut was bamboo, and where they met was a 5cm gap. This GIANT gecko (maybe 20cm long) lived there--eating mosquitos and other bugs I didn't want around. (Ko Tao, Thailand)

I was itching to see some traditional Thai dance, and I just HAPPENED upon a free performance in a shopping mall! These dancers were great! (Bangkok, Thailand)

This falls under the category of "I didn't expect to see that until India!"... This is a golden Ganesh sitting in a shrine. Incense burns in the foreground (Bangkok, Thailand)

There was a music festival going on during my stay in Bangkok, and my friend and I decided to go! There was tons of great world music and world food. There were food booths from all around the world (Even from America--complete with BBQ ribs and apple pie!), and beer from everywhere. My friend David and I didn't really want to spend money on beer, but we saw an abandoned "Beer Tower" on a table, and moved in. I felt a little trashy drinking someone else's beer, but it was nice and cool and the feeling went away quickly! This is a belly dancer who was on stage dancing and TORE IT UP!!!! She was fantastic! (Bangkok, Thailand)

On the way up the Golden Mound, these bells blow in the breeze (Bangkok, Thailand)

On top of the Golden Mound is a spire, covered in reflective gold. The monks are preparing for a ceremony (I think) (Bangkok, Thailand)

The Thais have a real appreciation for beauty... Everywhere. This beautiful arrangement sits in a bowl on the counter of... The Men's room (Bangkok, Thailand)

One day I took a wander in Chinatown. I was off the beaten path, as people were looking me like I was a monster out of a horror movie. I had found the "Auto Parts" neighborhood of Chinatown. There were steering wheels, bumpers, tail lights, etc. One of the storefronts had this gentleman sitting inside. (Chinatown, Bangkok, Thailand)

There are SO MANY BUDDHAS in Thailand it's amazing. This one is the biggest STANDING Buddha (Bangkok, Thailand)

This detail shows the sort of fish-scale glazed tiles that are used on the roofs. They are beautiful and reflective in the light. Not to mention extremely durable! They could last hundreds of years! (Bangkok, Thailand)

Vespas are cute! (Bangkok, Thailand)

In the neighborhood Banglamphu is the very famous Khao San road. Many times I heard people saying, "It's not as big as I expected it to be!"... My hotel was just OFF Khao San road, and on the way home, there was a lantern seller. These great lamps cast such a beautiful glow that I had to take a picture (Banglamphu, Bangkok, Thailand)

The fine tile work present in so many statues is AMAZING. This is inside the Grand Palace. When and if you go, please be prepared for many people to approach you to tell you that a) Grand Palace is closed today b) you're clothed inappropriately and need to go buy some clothes c) they are taking a lunch break e) etc etc etc. They are all scams. In Thailand, there are SO MANY SCAMS. You have to be prepared to be skeptical when you walk the streets (Bangkok, Thailand).

The foilage in Thailand is so beautiful! In the Grand Palace, there are some particularly beautiful flowers. This one is a water lily. (Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand)

Original post date:5/21/2008

Lucid dreaming: Ankor Wat!

2008-05-16T12:58:00.005+02:00

Although in disrepair, this figure (originally) held the body of a serpent/ballustrade, which is along the walk through the main gates of the walled city, Ankor Thom. There are statues every 2m, and the entry walk is about 150m long, so there's about 150 of these huge things. (Entry to Ankor Thom, Ankor, Cambodia)

I made it from Bangkok to Cambodia--a HARROWING journey. The roads are bad, there are scams left and right, and the trip was exhausting (even though I made it through in record time)...

And Ankor Wat is incredible. I have been here two days and tomorrow is my last. I am in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and it has rained HARD every day. Luckily, today it rained only for about 30 minutes, and yesterday for about 2 hours. The day before it rained all night long, but cleared by morning. IT IS HUMID.

Just walking around the temples in the still air creates dripping sweat all over... Add to that the sunscreen and bugspray concoction on my body, and when it drips in your eyes, you'll be sorry!

My camera has not been suffering in the unmoving air and blanket-like heat--like a nerd's steamed-up glasses, I've had a lot of condensation on the lens--leading to some fuzzy photos. So they are not as magnifique as I would have hoped.

Ankor is actually a temple complex--there are SO MANY sites here! (check out the map on the link!--that's only ONE of the sites!). Back in the 9th through 13th centuries, Ankor was a city of one MILLION when London's population was 50,000.

Ankor Wat (the most famous) is teeny tiny in the photo below--but I wanted to capture the magnificent ballustrades, too. TotallyIndiana-Jones-y! (Ankor Wat, Ankor, Cambodia)

Here I sit in the window between the roots. After a thousand years, the jungle is re-digesting the temples (Preah Khan, Ankor, Cambodia)

The enigmatic faces of Bayon (Bayon, Ankor, Cambodia)

Where Technology meets Tradition: Japan - Take 4

2008-05-09T09:10:00.000+02:00

The entry to the Ikeda home. The topmost branch produces red/gold leaves. The other branches are different color. Akio grafted this branch onto the tree decades ago.

Before I left Japan, Daizo and his family took me sight-seeing one weekend in Kyoto. Most of these photos are from that trip.

Sakura! (Cherry Blossoms!) (Kyoto, Japan)

The streets in Nara are very narrow. This street-sign is kinked so drivers won't hit it (drivers have to basically "park" on the side of the road while other cars drive past) (Nara, Japan)

Beautiful gardens, pools, waterfalls, and sakura at Nijo-jo Castle (Kyoto, Japan)

SO MANY things Japanese! Sakura, Kimonos, technology, and picture-taking (Sakura Walk, Nijo-jo Castle, Kyoto, Japan)

Daizo, Me, Shoji on our way to Himeji Temple (Kyoto, Japan)

Maiko #1, Me, Maiko #2, Shoji. On the way to Himeji these ladies were walking in the street and I asked them for a photo. Then they asked ME for a photo! (Kyoto, Japan)

At Himeji, the water is purported to cure all ills. Here Tomoko takes a cup and fills it from the triple waterfall of blessed water (Himeji Temple, Kyoto, Japan)

Japan's largest lake (Lake Biwa)

In Kyoto, we went to an after-dinner-and-before-dessert restaurant. Here's me, Akio, Tomoko, Daizo, and Shoji (Kyoto, Japan)

The view inside the Seikan Tunnel--The world's longest tunnel! It's about 54km long! It connects mainland Japan (Honshu) to the northern island (where Sapporo is), Hokkaido (Under the sea, Japan)

The bullet-train cuts quite a striking profile! These puppies get up to 285km/h (Tokyo station, Japan)

Although I do not claim to be able to read Japanese, I do now recognize the kanji for "Tokyo", "Kyoto", and perhaps the most important for this weary traveler: "Coffee"

Inside the bullet train, it is SURPRISINGLY spacious--this is actually pretty luxurious transportation! (On the Shinkansen, Japan)

The view you never see... Mount Fuji is in the background--behind the smokestacks

During the trip to Hokkaido, two bullet trains were connected to one another via this fitting inside the sleek housing at the front of the trains. The hitch is receding into the housing during this photo (on the way to Sapporo, Japan)

If you travel to Japan, you will look at the price and probably gasp, but the JR Rail Pass was probably the best investment I made while traveling so far. I got 21 days of unlimited travel on the EXTENSIVE rail network. I was in Japan a total of 5 weeks, so the middle three weeks were a frenzy of travel on the trains--but it made the investment SO worth it--I went from Kyushu to Honshu to Hokkaido--I went further than most Japanese ever do (Satisfied Shinkansen customer, Japan)

In the bathroom of the Shinkansen with my very trusty Canon SD400 camera--MADE IN JAPAN (NOT CHINA!!!) I have taken SO SO SO SO SO many photos with this puppy!

Photographer's assistants fluff, primp, pose the newlywed couple (Kyoto, Japan)

Traditional Japanese wedding outfits (Kyoto, Japan)

This is an "American restaurant" in Japan. What doesn't feel American about it is all the beautiful plastic food out front! We should have it so good! (oh, and the "no refills on coffee" were a reminder I was in Japan too!)

To attract attention to some shops, ladies stand outside dressed up in maid outfits. I understand this is kind of cute & kind of fetishy at the same time (Tokyo, Japan)

Thought Cameron Diaz didn't do print ads? Think again! SoftBank is the biggest phone provider in Japan.

This is one of the signs at JGH Hostel in Tokyo... Definitely one of the worst hostels on my trip. (Tokyo, Japan)

You may have to click and blow up this photo to see, but if you do read it, you can see that these people are BRIBING people to give them a positive review online (JGH Hostel, Tokyo, Japan)

And this is the reason JGH Hostel is possibly the worst, and definitely the UNsafest hostel I've been in--I was in the top bunk, and while I was chatting with another guy in the bunk across from mine (I was not even moving my body other than my mouth!), MY BED FELL. The ladder-looking structure which you see on the bed below LUCKILY fell on either side of the man's head beneath me. Otherwise it would have smashed him in the skull. (JGH Hostel, Tokyo, Japan)

Luckily the event didn't wind up with any casualties, but I would suggest that people sleep at this hostel with a helmet, or a full-body crashsuit. (JGH Hostel, Tokyo, Japan)

Rare delicacy in Nagoya Japan (SCARY!!!!)

I was and remain in complete rapt, joyous love with this building. It is so unusual--absolutely stunning! (Nagoya, Japan)

From Nagoya, Daizo and I went to see the Toyota factory. This little robot can play the trumpet. REALLY well. Unbelievably well. Beware musicians! (Toyota City, Japan)

I think that's right next to Italy. (Engrish, Nagoya, Japan)

The logo and text give the sort of "flavor" that a lot of ads have. Grammatically they're fine, but NOBODY would ever say that! (Tokyo, Japan)

Sigh! I LOVE IT!!!! (Nagoya, Japan)

I traveled to a small town on Kyushu called Dazaifu. Here is the zen garden. So peaceful (Dazaifu, Japan)

Outside the zen garden (Dazaifu, Japan)

The Japanese readily accept technology in a way that I think most Americans are uncomfortable with. This is a "roving robot" that moves around in the mall. This lady has stopped to ask it for some help. (Fukuoka, Japan)

Food stalls on the street (Fukuoka, Japan)

If you could peek in the box, you'd see a Buddha. I think (it was close up) (Dazaifu, Japan)

The incredibly fabulously gorgeous Kuyshu National Museum. The exhibits in this museum are STUNNING. It is breathtaking, both in architecture and in the exhibit hall (but skip the dorky 4-d theater--it's an ultra-high-resolution projection system--which sounds COOL! And then all they show you is some pots.) (Dazaifu, Japan)

The Red Hell. On Kyushu (southern main island of the Japanese archipelago), there is an area that is active geothermally. In that area there are many onsen (hotsprings) which you can get into, and they also have "Hells" which are so hot that you cannot. The red hell in this photo is colored red because of the clay content of the water. It is not a cold day, and the water is steaming--it is very, very hot (Beppu, Japan)

One of the onsen "Letting Off Steam" (Beppu, Japan)

Instructions for enjoying an onsen! (Click on it to zoom in!) (Beppu, Japan)

This is the size of the salad I was given at this "ultra-high-style" type restaurant (you know the kind: where starlets peck like a bird at a piece of lettuce--swallow--then declare, "I'm so FULL!") (Beppu, Japan)

This is the natural onsen that we hiked to get to. The "capture basin" for the water is man-made (cement and local stones) but the clay content in the water and heat are all natural. My partner and I intended to hike to and back from this onsen, but both on the way TO the onsen and on the way back FROM the onsen, people pulled over (we did not ask them to) to say 'hi' and asked to give us a ride (Beppu, Japan)

One of the normal names that one sees on vending machines ALL OVER JAPAN. "Pocari Sweat" sounds "refreshing" in Japan! Kinda funny, eh! (All over Japan)

One of the places I felt I needed to see was Hiroshima. And although in my mind Hiroshima means only one thing, the residents of Hiroshima have moved on--WAY on. Hiroshima is a vibrant and wonderful and normal city with an important role in history and an important lesson.

This is a cut-away of a bridge support. The arrows show where the metal was so fatigued by the strength and heat of the bomb that it literally warped (Hiroshima, Japan)

Watch that stopped 6 Aug 1945, at 8:14am, then the a-bomb exploded (Hiroshima, Japan)

A scale model of where the A-Bomb exploded (Hiroshima, Japan)

The A-Bomb dome (Hiroshima, Japan)

Outside is a wonderful multi-arched peace tribute--peace is written in (nearly) every language (Hiroshima, Japan)

What's the very LAST thing you'd expect to see outside a nice hotel in Japan? Gremlins maybe? (Miyajima Island, Japan)

The sun set while I was on Miyajima and through a gorgeous temple I saw some lights off in the distance. In the falling rain, I went to find the source of the lights and I found them--these lanterns in the trees... I was wet and a little cranky, and as I headed back, I realized, "this is everything I love so much"--architecture, lights, and water. (Miyajima Island, Japan)

One of the most famous sites in all of Japan, the Torii of Miajima (Miyajima Island, Japan)

This is a change machine on a bus. It allows you to get your change so that the conductor doesn't have to make change for you. How smart! (Japan)

When you pay for something in Japan, you put your money in one of these little trays with the little rubbery "fingers" sticking up in the bottom. It allows you to grab the coins without chasing them around (How smart!!) (All over Japan)

The average height for Japanese business doorways next to the not-average-japanese height Me (Hokkaido, Japan)

The King Xmnu club (Sapporo, Japan)

Engrish--Jumble store indeed! (Sapporo, Japan)

I got a kick out of this one. The two girls here sitting and watching had less of a look of excited fans, and more the look of patient girlfriends trying to be supportive of their not-particularly-talented-but-musically-interested significant others (Sapporo, Japan)

One of the famous quotes in Sapporo is "Boys, be Ambitious!".. And the coffee is "Subaru"! Cool, huh?? (Sapporo, Japan)

At first this little blown-up figure looks all cutesey--but he's not just there to be cute: Inside him is a very bright light being used to do roadwork below. The balloon in addition to being cute, is a light diffuser (Sapporo, Japan)

In the subway on the way to the Zoo, the floor tiles have animals on them. Once while I was walking through this tunnel, a little 2-year-old was so fascinated with them that he had his parents stop and explain the animals. I was amused thinking that they were probably ON THEIR WAY to the zoo (Sapporo, Japan)

This is Aquico! One evening I was looking for an internet cafe and luckily I asked her if she knew how to find it. She called the number, helped me find a different internet cafe, helped me get the local rate (instead of paying the "foreigner tax"), and then took me out to dinner afterward! (Sapporo, Japan)

Cool buildings (Sapporo, Japan)

Japanese Graveyard (Sapporo, Japan)

Cool moderny phone from long ago! (Sapporo, Japan)

Inside the temple, you can get a "fortune", and if you like it, you take it. And if you don't like it, you tie it up to a string there at the temple. Also to the right are wooden planks with prayers written on them (Sapporo, Japan)

Sapporo beer factory. I thought it was amusing that the three languages are Japanese, German, and English (Sapporo, Japan)

Hand dryer. You put your hands in fingertips-down. Then it blows the water off your fingers, starting at your wrists, using gravity to help. Ingenious! (All over Japan)

This building looked to me like it belonged at Northern Arizona University (Sapporo, Japan)

As the chilly sky lit blue behind the clock tower, I had to get a photo (Sapporo, Japan)

Sapporo University was started by an American (the one who sexist-ly uttered, "Boys! Be Ambitious!"), and intended to be a farming college. So here you see period farming outbuildings as they would have looked in America at that time (Sapporo, Japan)

I had no idea the Colonel spoke Japanese! (Sapporo, Japan)

Japan is chock-full of "Cute"... In this case, it's a very cute car (Sapporo, Japan)

HUGE CRAB!!!! (Hakodate, Japan)

No comment

When the weather is as cold as it is in Sapporo, you need plenty of warm drinks to keep yourself going. This is a hot pot, and not just ANY hot-pot. You hit a button on the lid, and it shoots out a beam of light, so that even if it's dark, you won't miss your mug. This is similar to the hot pot at a hostel that I had a hard time figuring out, and it started singing "Beautiful Dreamer" to me (Sapporo, Japan)

It was breezy in Hakodate, and I felt this lady leaning into the breeze captured it perfectly (Hakodate, Japan)

The winter is long and cold in Hokkaido. I loved the textures in this harsh climate (Hakodate, Japan)

This is how lovely I looked in the slippers from the Hakodate Hostel (Hakodate, Japan)

And this is a side-view, so you can see JUST HOW BIG my feet are compared to "average" here in Japan (Hakodate, Japan)

AM/PM is HUGE in Japan. Their stores are EVERYWHERE, and on the counters during the winter, they sell "Uden", which is wonderful fish-balls and other things I can't name but know on site. SO YUMMY! (Nara, Japan)

I had difficulty getting money out of ATMs in Japan. This is the JP Bank logo, which I took a picture of so that I could make sure I could always find one. I also took a deposit envelope with me, so that when I needed an ATM, I could show people my ATM card AND the deposit envelope, and they knew that I needed THAT KIND of ATM. It worked like a charm once I figured out how to communicate it! (All over Japan)

The plastic food in Japan is SO GORGEOUS! (Nara, Japan)

Green Tea KitKat. Unique to the Kyoto region. (Kyoto, Japan)

Bento Box to eat on the train. This one wasn't particularly great, but it was filling.

This is the group photo that we took at a dance lesson Shoji was kind enough to take me and Daizo to. It was an excellent experience! (Nara, Japan)

Original post date 13 Apr 2008

China trips past (not present)

2008-04-23T11:00:00.000+02:00

Interested in my 2006 trip to Beijing w/my cohort in crime Liz? http://picasaweb.google.com/sfell2006

Wanna know where I am now? This spreadsheet is up-to-date:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pc2QJwWr5wMiry24NPA3QUA&hl=en

Miss you guys!

PS: MY PHONE WORKS!! YAY! I'm Text-messagable again!

Cheers!

Where Technology meets Tradition: Japan - Take 3

2008-04-19T17:43:00.000+02:00

No blog series from Japan would be complete without a mention of the toilets here. This is a control-panel for the toilet in the Ikeda's house. The buttons on the upper left are "Close", "Open lid", and "Lift seat and lid". The blue buttons are for "half flush" and "full flush". The green button is "Stop", the brown button is "wash", the pink button is "douche", the yellow button is "dry", and the two grey buttons control the strength of the spray. I have never touched the lower green button, and I suggest that when you're in a foreign country sitting half-naked on an electric toilet, you don't either (Nara, Japan)

Here it is: This is the toilet controlled by the control panel. And let me tell you.... It's DREAMY! You hit the soft-touch button for "lift one lid", and get ready and have a seat on the throne... And the seat is heated gently, so there is no wincing, grimacing, or sitting on your hands for 20 seconds. Once it senses you're seated, it warms it up to "ooh, AAH!" temperature, and it feels REALLY REALLY good. And the water that is used for "wash" mode is heated too. I have no idea why these toilets haven't caught on in the rest of the world. They're WONDERFUL. (Nara, Japan)

Smart train signal: not only does it tell you to stop, it tells you where the train is coming from (Nara, Japan)

Daizo and I departed for Tokyo on the Shinkansen (Literally, "New Main road Line"... Which is why in English we call it the "Bullet train"--much more of a 'ring' to it!). It strikes a very sexy silhouette! These babies get up to around 285 km/h on the wide open spaces. And they're all through urban areas, so the Japanese have had to innovate a lot to figure out ways to keep the trains QUIET. (Shinkansen terminal, Osaka, Japan)

On the way to Tokyo, it is possible to see Mt Fuji. I had never seen a photo of Mt Fuji that showed the amount of industry that is in that area (all the photos I've seen show Mt Fuji, picturesque in the background, and the bullet-train in the foreground). I thought this was apropos: the cloud-shrouded (smog-shrouded?) Fuji San (Mount) with factory smokestacks (the source of the shroud?) in the foreground. (On the way to Tokyo, Japan)

Here's something I did NOT expect to find in Tokyo: legroom!!! The Bullet-trains travel in both directions, so all the seats turn forward and backward. MAYBE this is the reason that there's legroom, I'm not sure... But it was WONDERFUL to be able to stretch out! Considering the time spent at the airport, the bullet train is the fastest way to get to medium-distance places in Japan--and far more convenient. (On the way to Tokyo, Japan)

Stepping out of the Shinkansen station, I looked up and saw this: awesome buildings! Tokyo is FULL of them! They're not just for office space, they are also meant to be beautiful, which is something that seems to be universal here--attention to detail and appearance (Tokyo, Japan)

"DOME!" I had a lot of fun reading the English on signs here. Lots of times they make no sense at all, other times you can make sense of it, but it's not correct, and lots of times, they're fine, but unintentionally funny. (Tokyo, Japan)

Walking down the street in Tokyo I had a few new experiences: 1) Saw my first vertical parking garage 2) Saw pylons in the street that light up and flash so they are easy to see 3) Bought a dinner coupon from a vending machine 4) Saw real, live squid swimming and changing color right in front of my very eyes!

One of my favorite restaurants in Tokyo was Yoshinoya. It is fast-food. The entire restaurant is bar-seating, and this is where you buy your meal: a vending machine. You select your entree from the list, push the button, and it dispenses a ticket for you. You present it to the staff behind the bar, and they bring you the food. No hold-ups, no employees handling money. Seems pretty smart to me! (Yoshinoya in Asakusa neighborhood, Tokyo, Japan)

This is a parking garage. You pay at the little both on the right. The circle on the floor is the turn-table (no more three-point-turns!!), and beyond the turn-table you can see two white lines heading toward a yellow metal cage. This parking garage is VERTICAL. You just pull straight in off the street and into the cage. Then they press a button and your car is lifted into the garage. The garages vary in height, but many are 10-story buildings (only as wide as two cars, but 10 story-high). This one is capable of garaging 35 cars at one time. (Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan)

In a restaurant window was an aquarium filled with squid. Having seen plenty of squid in sushi, I would have never guessed how graceful and beautiful these little guys are in motion. They go forward and backward, and are attracted to light. They seemed to be curious about me and moved closer to the glass when I got closer (Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan)

These are nerd watches: they display the time with a grid instead of numbers. They probably only sell these puppies to engineers (cough, cough--yes, I think they're cool!) (Venus Fort Mall, Tokyo, Japan)

Venus Fort Mall in the Daiba district of Tokyo. At first look, it reminds me very much of Cesar's Palace in Vegas, but on closer inspection, it's much better looking. Cesar's Palace is a great looking place, but even the cheap shops here at Venus Fort still have that same attention to detail and beautiful displays. (Daiba district, Tokyo, Japan)

SO many beautiful buildings! (Daiba district, Tokyo, Japan)

Cool building! (Daiba district, Tokyo, Japan)

This is super-cool. If you have a Japanese mobile phone, just take a picture of the box with all the black & white squares (It's a 3-D bar code), and your phone's web browser will open the website mentioned in an ad. You can also MAKE YOUR OWN 3-D barcode: With your contact information, your phone can create your own 3-D barcode. Then, when you want to share your information with a business contact, you just show your 3-D barcode on your phone's screen, and your associate takes a picture of your screen. Within 1 second, he has a new phone book entry with all of your information. (McDonald's 3d barcode, Tokyo, Japan)

In Marinoche, there were HUGE boxes of tulips placed on the sidewalk, creating a carpet of color. The overall effect was "over-engineered", but on a smaller scale, the flowers themselves were beautiful. (Marinoche district, Tokyo, Japan)

Tulips on the sidewalk (Marinoche district, Tokyo, Japan)

Tulips on the sidewalk (Marinoche district, Tokyo, Japan)

Tiptoeing through the tulips (Marinoche district, Tokyo, Japan)

Kameari neighborhood, Tokyo. The manga culture is apparent in many of the signs. I think almost anyone would want to be here in this old-folk's home after seeing the old cartoon man and lady having fun. Seems so much more appealing than our marketing brochures for rest homes: sunlight streaming in the window, a grandparent in a nightgown reading a book, possibly a well-dressed, old-but-still-looking-good wheelchair-bound dude, relative behind, placing a caring hand on shoulder. Blech! Give me a cartoon of a funny old man and woman and sign me up! (Kameari, Tokyo, Japan)

This clock performs! It was designed by the famous director Miyazaki and sculptor Shachimaru Kunio, and it looks like a cross between the Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland. Robots come out, dance around, parts of the clock come to life, all to a mysterious and melodious soundtrack. It's REALLY cool! (NTV Tower, Shiodome, Tokyo, Japan)

So many cool buildings! Park Hotel Tokyo (Tokyo, Japan)

The Fuji TV headquarters (Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan)

So many cool buildings! (Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan)

The top of the building that pokes out is the top part of the vertical garage at the Toyota showroom (Venus Fort, Tokyo, Japan)

The inside portion of the vertical garage at the Toyota showroom. (Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan)

The Hilux Surf (Toyota 4Runner) (Venus Fort, Tokyo, Japan)

On a night walk through a closed shopping arcate, we arrived at Senso-ji--a Buddhist temple dedicated to bodhisattva Kannon (Asakusa, Taito Ward, Tokyo, Japan)

Cool building! This one has a groovy cut-out-cylinder (Tokyo, Japan)

Sexy curves! (The upmarket Ginza neighborhood, Tokyo, Japan)

When Daizo and I stayed in Tokyo with his aunt and uncle, Erico told me that this was her favorite building. So I took a picture of it for her. Here it is! The Tokyo Internation Forum (Marunouchi, Tokyo, Japan)

The facade of this bank building almost looks like a giant waterfall from afar. Very cool! (Marunouchi, Tokyo, Japan)

In front of the bridge at the Imperial Palace... You can't actually see much, but the grounds have beautifully kept pine trees--all groomed into puff-balls (Think of a poof-ball poodle) (Tokyo, Japan)

More cool buildings than you can shake a chopstick at! (Tokyo, Japan)

This building is extremely narrow (maybe 3-4m deep), but they've made it visually striking--a landmark despite its diminutive size (Ginza, Tokyo, Japan)

It was raining in Ginza and I decided to treat Daizo to a coffee at Starbuck's... I left him with the gift certificate card (Thanks Monika!!!) and went upstairs to find the table. I ordered a Matcha Frappuccino and a Green tea donut. Daizo ordered a coffee and a "Volcano", which is sort of like a big chocolate muffin with gooey dark chocolate inside. When he got upstairs (we got a GREAT table!) I found out that the gift certificate DIDN'T WORK!!! I was so embarassed! And who would have guessed--in the most technologically advanced country on earth, the gift card which has worked from California to Lima, Peru will not work in Japan. Go figure! (Ginza, Tokyo, Japan)

The very famous Wako department store. They don't have actual products in the window, just this very stylized-type figure made of what looks like screen from a screen door--all enclosed in curved glass. Extremely cool! (Ginza, Tokyo, Japan)

Yet another outrageously cool building! This one belongs to Mikimoto. Lots of flagship stores are here in Ginza--Tokyo's answer to New York's 5th Avenue (Ginza, Tokyo, Japan)

Tokyo Mode Gakuen Coccoon Tower (Tokyo, Japan)

You can only KINDA tell from this picture, but this waterfall doesn't actually have a stream of water: it has discrete DROPLETS of water, and here's the trippy part: they go forward, then they stop, then they go UP. I took a video but the quality is horrible (Tokyo, Japan)

It was raining that night (it was raining a lot in general!), and the rain hitting these hot lights looked cool (Tokyo, Japan)

Great facade! (Tokyo, Japan)

Cool rainbow-building (Tokyo, Japan)

Tsukiji Fish Market. I felt like Jacque Cousteau--I saw MANY things from the sea I never knew existed! These are frozen Maguro (Tuna) (Tokyo, Japan)

The Tsukiji fish market is very famous. The normal progression of events is to go see the fish auction early in the morning, then have a breakfast of some of the freshest sushi on earth. As you can see, many many many people had this idea. The sushi may have been the freshest, but it was REALLY expensive... And while I DO really LIKE sushi, I think of it like coffee: I buy the "good" stuff, because I can't tell the difference between the "good" stuff and the "great" stuff... So given the choice of standing out in the REALLY REALLY REALLY cold rainy windy morning for 45 minutes waiting for overpriced sushi in a restaurant where the line of people outside is glaring at my back, waiting for me to leave so THEY can have 7 minutes in the warm restaurant to eat THEIR overpriced, way-too-fast sushi that they probably can't tell the difference between good and great..... Daizo and I went next door to the "Rice bowl with Pork" fast food... We sat immediately, warmed up, had a great meal with nobody waiting for our seat, and only spent 800 yen. (Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo, Japan)

Got stick legs? Try Stick Pants! (Metro, Tokyo, Japan)

Lantern at the Meiji-Jingu. The high-rise behind is a university (Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan)

The Meiji-Jingu (Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan)

Cool building (Tokyo, Japan)

Tod's (Omotesando, Tokyo, Japan)

Cool balcony! (Omotesando, Tokyo, Japan)

When will the awesome buildings end? Hopefully NEVER!! (Tokyo, Japan)

Yet another cool building in the distance. Stacked blocks! (Tokyo, Japan)

See the giant spider? (Roppongi Hills, Tokyo, Japan)

Hachiko, the dedicated Akita dog (Akita is a city in the N of Honshu by the way). In the 1920s and 1930s, this dog was a fixture at the station. (Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan)

Swervalicious! (Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan)

Cool Building! (Shimbashi, Tokyo, Japan)

Twisty! (Shimbashi, Tokyo, Japan)

This building is like a kaddy-wampus layer cake and I luffit! (Omotesando, Tokyo, Japan)

In Harajuku, we stopped to get a crepe. These are like ice-cream cones filled with yummy toppings (bananas and cream, strawberries and chocolate ice cream, etc, etc, etc). I ordered mine, paid, and it was made, on-the-spot while I got out my money. They literally handed it to me about 4 seconds after I got done paying. Quite an efficient system! (Harajuku, Tokyo, Japan)

Gotta love the name! (Harajuku, Tokyo, Japan)

On the way to the Imperial Palace (Tokyo, Japan)

Where Technology meets Tradition: Japan - Take 2

2008-04-14T06:46:00.004+02:00

When I first got off the plane at Kansai airport and made it through customs, I headed out to this new land with weary eyes, but wide with wonder. The airport already showed signs of being high-tech--the escalator had CURVED fluorescent tubes (HUH????)... The lines in immigration were relatively fast, and I did have to have my photo taken and gave a thumbprint as identification too. A little high-tech, a little big-brothery, but okay...

I exited immigration, headed through customs, and out the gate... To be greeted with a big smile and a big hug from my friend Daizo, (we met in Ushuaia, Argentina and traveled to Antarctica together! Read the blog if you haven't! :) ). It was SO NICE!

Daizo led me to the ATM, the money changer, and finally out the trains, which we took for 45 minutes until we got to his house in Nara (Said, 'Nala')

On the way from the Nara train station to his house I noticed the first of many, many, many, many, many vending machines I'd see in Japan. This one sells the sport drink "Pocari Sweat" (Nara, Japan)

This one sold water under the name "Safeguard", which is a brand of deodorant in the United States. (Nara, Japan)

The neighborhood where Daizo's family lives looks like this. Each of the house plots has the family name on it. In Phoenix, it's normal to change houses every few years (Nara, Japan)

When we got to the house, Daizo's mom had prepared a FEAST... The picture is Daizo, Shoji (who keeps a poker face all the time, especially during delivery of one-liners), and Tomoko. On the night I arrived, Tomoko prepared a real feast, and in front of Tomoko is the most marbly, beautiful beef I had yet seen in all my life. After the diet of less-than-spectacular food in Peru and Australia (Marmite, anyone?), it was not only a refreshing change, but it was EXCELLENT!!! This was to be my first taste of Tomoko's incredible culinary talents (Nara, Japan)

I always like going to grocery stores in foreign countries. This one is a discount grocer, and they have great deals. The thing that fascinated me here was the cash register. It's set up to give you your total, then, you get your money ready to pay. WHILE you get your money ready to pay, the cashier starts ringing up the next person. The cash register actually handles two transactions at once. What a GREAT and simple idea!!--yet this was the first time I'd ever seen it (Nara, Japan)

Grocery store sight: Japanese Pumpkins! YUM! (Nara, Japan)

In this electronics store, they sell heat pump units. In the US, climate control is usually for a whole house. Here in Japan, it's usually for one room. In this case, here is a wall-mount unit (it is a split unit--the outside portion is not shown). The unit of measure for how big of a room it can cool or heat is given not in meters of square feet, but tatamis. Tatamis are woven grass mats used as floor covering here in Japan. This unit is capable of controlling the temperature in a 20-tatami room (Nara, Japan)

Dish-washing machines are not common here. Daizo is posing next to this one to show the general size of the units which are most common (Nara, Japan)

This is a torii, ('tor-ee-ee'), the marker of a Shinto Shrine. Bicycles are used very commonly as transport, and the baskets are too--to carry groceries, bookbags, etc. Some of them even have holders for umbrellas attached to the handlebars (Nara, Japan)

Roofs are different here.. This roof is actually made of stacked Cedar bark (Nara, Japan)

Not an uncommon scene: a monk awaiting donations into his cup (Nara, Japan)

All the taxis I have seen in Japan are these big luxurious boxy Toyotas--called the "Toyota Crown Comfort" (Nara, Japan)

On the way to see Todai-ji ("Eastern Great Temple") which is a temple complex known for having the world's biggest wooden building. We had to pass through this gateway. Huge!! (Nara, Japan)

One of the great Nio guardians (Created by Unkei in 1203) at the entry gate to the Daibutsuden (Nara, Japan)

The smell of incense permeats the air as one approaches the Daibutsuden (Nara, Japan)

The Great Buddha Hall (Daibutsuden), the world's largest wooden building. Those little dots are people! (Nara, Japan)

Inside the Daibutsuden is the Buddha Vairocana. Notice the people at the bottom (He's HUGE!) (Nara, Japan)

This small hole in the column of the world's biggest wooden building is said to bestow enlightenment upon those who pass through it. I am happy to report that although I did not pass through the hole, my bag is going to be enlightened ANYTIME now (Nara, Japan)

Bronze Sika Deer (considered messengers of the gods in the Shinto religion). The Sika Deer roam freely around the temple complex of Todai-ji (Nara, Japan)

The Sika Deer are addicts: they are cookie-crazed and NOT shy. (Todai-ji, Nara, Japan)

The guy with the really cool ninja-boots is a rickshaw driver/runner (Todai-ji complex, Nara, Japan)

Most restaurants have plastic display food outside so that customers can see how the food looks. There always seems to be great attention paid to appearance and presentation--and this is present in the general culture as well. People pay attention to their own appearance--you just don't see people in tattered or dirty clothes. Everyone is very well-dressed, and everyone is extremely polite. All you have to do is aim your camera somewhere and people dodge and dive to get out of your way. (Nara, Japan)

Most of the streets in Daizo's neighborhood are not big enough for two cars to pass comfortably. Usually one has to move over and "park" while the other goes by. There are some areas that even this isn't possible. Even as small as the cars are here, it can be seen in this photo how much of the roadway the vehicle takes up! (Nara, Japan)

This cute vehicle is called the "Lapin", which means "Rabbit" in Japanese (Nara, Japan)

Most Americans won't know that this is a WEIRD house. When this house was built in Daizo's neighborhood, it created quite a stir because it was the first (and still the only) "Western Style" house to be built in the area. (Nara, Japan)

Striking fear in the hearts of some westerners, this is a Japanese Pit Toilet. (Nara, Japan)

When I took this picture, the exchange rate was 11,550 yen was equal to $114.69 usd (Nara, Japan)

I had never seen these flowers before and thought they were beautiful! (Nara, Japan)

Japan is filled with cute little cars! (Nara, Japan)

Inside of Toshodai-ji is this equisitely carved buddha. Believe it or not, this is ancient wood. The draping of the fabric is stunning (Nara, Japan)

Tomoko organized a Tea Ceremony for us! It was a great experience! Here is the tea ceremony teacher (seated, left), the student (standing, left), and Daizo, Tomoko, and me. (Nara, Japan)

Tomoko's kitchen is always cooking something and never disappoints! (Nara, Japan)

Me, Akio, and Daizo, about to devour one more of Tomoko's delish meals! (Nara, Japan)

Daizo and I went to see Osaka Castle, and on the way there was this bakery (Osaka, Japan)

On the way to the Osaka Castle was this bicycle sitting in front of a bunch of flowering beautiful brush. The bicycle is unattended but unlocked. Such a feeling of security and innocence here! I love it! (Osaka, Japan)

Thirsty? Maybe it's time for a Dorink! (Osaka, Japan)

Osaka Castle. A beautiful edifice, but it was a little disappointing inside. I was hoping to see some sort of re-creation of original rooms with original furniture, clothes, that sort of stuff. Instead, there are about 732 different floorplans explaining how different armies came in, burned things, changed the floorplan, reinforced the moat, destroyed the moat, flooded the castle, dethroned the shogun, burned the castle, etc. Not stuff that sticks in my memory much. (Osaka, Japan)

From the top of Osaka Castle was this view... Cool modern building (Osaka, Japan)

What WASN'T disappointing was the beautiful garden surrounding Osaka Castle!! (Osaka, Japan)

I went to a sumo match!!! I was lucky enough to be in Nara in March--when the Osaka tournament was going on. This photo shows the dohyo--the ring where the matches take place. In Sumo, everything is dictated by tradition--the clothing, the training regimen, the opening and closing of a game. The roof (suspended above the wrestling ring) resembles that of a Shinto shrine and has tassles of four different colors representing the different spirit directions. (Osaka, Japan)

Even though much of the sport is dictated by tradition, it is of course still a sport involving guys who like to bash each other... They get up in the ring, face each other, glare, get up, drink water, throw some salt around, slap their belts, stomp around, then repeat--up to 4 minutes of this. Finally they launch at each other, and the battle is on. Frequently the match is over in 5-10 seconds. One guy hyperextended his knee and left in the biggest wheelchair I've ever seen (Osaka Sumo Tournament, Osaka, Japan)

The Ikedas and me at the Sumo tournament! (Osaka, Japan)

They have cardboard-cutouts of the sumo wrestlers so you can compare your height and girth. Turns out I was bigger front-to-back (I'm a LOT thicker than cardboard!), but he had me beat side-to-side! (Osaka, Japan)

The biggest Fugu (puffer-fish) I've ever seen (Osaka, Japan)

After the sumo matches, we had a dinner of Puffer fish!! It was course after course of food--they JUST KEPT BRINGING MORE FOOD for us! And all of it was beautiful! (Osaka, Japan)

Close-up of Fugu sashimi on the left. They later brought fugu salad, fugu soup, more fugu sashimi, fugu SAKE... It was a full-on-fugu immersion! And none of us died! WOO HOO!!!! (Osaka, Japan)

Where technology meets tradition

2008-03-22T12:10:00.008+01:00

Japan is that place. Although I'm sure the photos don't convey the magnitude, it will give at least the idea that Japan is stunning. This post is just a quickie to give you a short look on some of the things I have been feasting my eyeballs with. Japan has been fantastic.

Octopus yoga (Tsikiji Fish Market, Tokyo, Japan)

Ginza at night (Ginza, Tokyo, Japan)

A bride and groom. The headdress she's wearing is translated as "covers her horns" (Temple in Harajuku, Tokyo, Japan)

Of COURSE Karaoke is popular in Japan, and this is one of the many "themed" karaoke houses. Karaoke can actually be a fairly economical way to drink. For $30 for 3 hours, you sing badly with your pals and get drunk because they keep bringing you beer (Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan)

Hachiko, Japan's most faithful dog (Shibuya station, Tokyo, Japan)

Japan is a land of MANY vending machines. They vend hot and cold bottles of beverages. I thought this one was special because it takes credit cards AND has an LCD panel on the front showing commercials (Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan)

Shops here are so attractive--everything is "just so" (Tokyo, Japan)

Beautiful building with atrium/staircase in the foreground (Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan)

Beautiful tree-lined avenue (Omete-santo, Tokyo, Japan)

Eels! (Tsikiji fish market, Tokyo, Japan)

The backward waterfall (Ginzu, Tokyo, Japan)

Apologies for the VERY POOR QUALITY of this video--even on my micro-tiny monitor on my camera the backward-motion of the waterfall is easily visible, but for some reason google seems to reduce the resolution here to useless. Use your imagination... It really is cool when you can see it!!

Finding Nemo

2008-03-10T22:36:00.000+01:00

Since the first moment I learned of the existence of the Great Barrier Reef in school, I always knew I wanted to explore it. I finally got my chance. Unfortunately, the forces of nature did not converge to make the trip perfect.

My Australia plan was to arrive on the 22nd of February, then spend a couple of days in Sydney. After that, I would take a bus (hop-on, hop-off) up the coast, stopping in Brisbane, stopping in the Whitsundays, the Gold Coast, Cape Tribulation, the glass mountains, etc.

However, I realized the world-famous Mardi Gras parade was happening during my stay in Australia. (Mar 1) My original plan had me hundreds of kms up the coast by then, but I felt like I couldn't POSSIBLY miss the opportunity to see Mardi Gras in one of the places in the world most famous for it, so I stayed in Sydney long enough to see the big show.

Because of the time crunch, I had to fly to Cairns from Sydney... But I also saved some money: the bus trip from Sydney to Cairns was about $296AUD and it would have taken about 3 days in total. However, the flights from SYD to CNS were $82AUD. Incredible, eh?

I arrived in Cairns (It is pronounced "Cans") to a torrential downpour--it was coming down HARD. I called my hostel and I waited outside for it to arrive. Because the rain was wind-driven, my luggage and I got wet despite the rain cover over the bus stop. The bus picked me up and away we went to the Cairns Beach Hostel. (Inappropriately named--it is nowhere near the beach!).

I stayed at the Cairns Beach Hostel for 2 nights until my live-aboard trip started. I stayed on a boat called "Ocean Quest" and had 9 dives in 3 days and 2 nights. INCLUDING a night dive.

Despite the constant rain and wind, the rocking of the boat, and the poor visibility, it was a REALLY COOL experience!

On the morning of the 5th, I was picked up at the inappropriately named hostel and taken to the dock in the driving rain to board the SeaQuest catamaran. Aboard SeaQuest, about 1/3 of the passengers were sick from the rough seas. For a while I didn't feel very good either.

From the SeaQuest catamaran, we made two dives, then performed the transfer to the live-aboard boat, called OceanQuest, also a catamaran, a hull design which is ALLEGED to be more stable in stormy conditions. It was hard to tell!

Some of my dive-buddies: Susie (England), Dave (Scotland), and Alexandra (Germany), (Great Barrier Reef, Australia)

While on the live-aboard boat, I realized that I had purchased two books to read that had VERY SIMILAR cover photography... Cool, huh? (Cairns, Australia)

The first night dive was canceled because of 30-knot winds. The second night we did go. The horrible photo above (sorry!) shows some of the fear... The gray streaks are SHARKS. And yes, we did GET RIGHT IN and dive with them RIGHT THERE off the back of the boat. Nobody was hurt (neoprene doesn't taste very good to a shark!) (Great Barrier Reef, Australia)

One of the beautiful coral formations. Although this photo looks pretty clear, the stormy conditions swept a lot of sand up into the water, and the stormy skies reduced the available light. Luckily the camera had a flash! (Great Barrier Reef, Australia)

Although difficult to see in this photo, the little spirals (anyone reminded of Madonna in her Blonde Ambition tour??) are called "Christmas Tree Worms". They are really beautiful and fun to play with! Just waving your hand nearby creates a current which causes the worm to immediately disappear into its little tube, as if by magic! (Great Barrier Reef, Australia)

Although I REALLY DID FIND NEMO, this is as close a picture as I have to finding it. This is one of the many species of Clownfish (Great Barrier Reef, Australia)

This clam was about 1m across. THEY ARE HUGE!!!!! I'm sorry that the intense colors of this giant clam didn't come out, because they are this deep beautiful intense blue (Great Barrier Reef, Australia)

In the "oddly enough" category, my best picture of this type of clams came from JAPAN. Shortly after I arrived in Japan, I went to a pet shop which had some BEAUTIFUL clams for sale. I took a snap, and the colors in this photo are close to what I actually saw in the Great Barrier Reef. This photo was taken 2008 04 11 (Nara, Japan)

The trip was scheduled to have 11 dives. The 1st night dive was canceled, and I skipped one of the other dives because I had some problems with my ears descending on a prior dive. In all, I got in 9 dives. On those dives, I saw a huge variety of sea life (although the photo documentation is incomplete!) including: 5 sea turtles, 3 lion fish, 1 black and white lion fish (pterois), many parrotfish (it was possible to see them actually eating the coral! They actually make a lot of noise when they do it!!), many, many Bannerfish, Angelfish, Butterfly, Trigger, Clown, Blue spotted manta ray, Cuttlefish (one of my favorites!), Tervallies (big and quick-moving. At night, they are attracted by your torch-light and follow you around looking for any little fish you might find for them to munch!), Sea cucumbers, Wrasse, groupers, and blennies. And there's a lot more too. Here is a link to see more pictures: Link_One

Even though I did see a huge variety of fish and coral, I was a little disappointed about the trip: Because of the stormy skies, there wasn't much sun and hence not much light at depth. Also because of the storms and the rough seas, lots of sand was kicked up into the water, resulting in visibility that was at best 7m.

Although I am delighted to say that I have finally been to one of the places I have ALWAYS dreamed about seeing, I will definitely have to plan another trip here, hopefully when the conditions are better and I can see more. Even though I saw a lot, I feel like there is a lot more out there to see!

When I returned to Cairns, I went shopping at Woolworth's (equivalent to Safeway back in the States). While I was looking for my kangaroo steaks (they taste a LITTLE like beef liver!), I found these Japanese girls grabbing things from the meat case and taking pictures. They were amused at the SIZE of the hams. (apparently hams in Japan are tiny!)... They asked to take a picture with me. So, I found something in the meat case that amused me: CAT FOOD! It's called "Fussy Cat", and it sits in the meat case right next to the hamburger and kangaroo steaks! (Cairns, Australia)

In Cairns, there is this beautiful lagoon right on the beach to swim in. It's beautiful. The only sad thing is that they HAD to put a lagoon in on the beach because you usually cannot swim in the ocean water: there are very frequently crocodiles and box jellyfish. (The box jelly is one of the most venomous creatures on this earth!!) (Cairns, Australia)

Goodbye, Cairns! Goodbye Australia! (Cairns, NSW, Australia)