Berlin Pictures Vol. 1

TV Tower in Berlin
Checkpoint Charlie

Paris Pictures Vol. 4

Winged Victory
Me at the top of the Eiffel Tower

View of Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower

Paris Pictures Vol. 3

Gates of Hell by Rodin
Rodin Museum
The Thinker by Rodin
The Kiss by Rodin

Paris Pictures Vol. 2

Notre Dame
Paris sky. Amazing.
Moulin Rouge in Paris.
This building houses the tomb of Napoleon

Paris Pictures Vol. 1

The Eiffel Tower at Night. What a beautiful sight!
The Louvre at night.
Arc du Carrousel
Sacre-Coeur. Probably my most favorite part of Paris.

Amsterdam Pictures

Bikes, bikes everywhere.
Dutch shoes. Perfect fit for this little one :)
Amsterdam canal with bikes and street name.

Canal shot with boats.

I love this city!!

Song Quote: "And I know I'm dead on the surface, but I am screaming underneath"
Coldplay - Song Amsterdam

F--king Brilliant (as advertised on a sign for buggy rides)

"Childhood is the Kingdom Where Nobody Dies" Unknown

After a 15 hour overnight bus ride (the nicest bus I have traveled on in Peru), I arrived in Ica for a night's stay in Huacachina (4 km away) which is a little lagoon town surrounded by Sand Dunes.

Despite my hotel being the most disgusting hotel that I have ever stayed at in my life, I had a great time. I went for a dune buggy ride at sunset, and I tried my hand at sand boarding - like snowboarding just on sand. Lots of fun, but by the end, I had sand everywhere.

Song Quote: "That's alright I still got my guitar....look out now" Jimi Hendrix - Song Red House

I am not responsible for previous comments

Note to self:
Never again ask my sister for her comments!!

In case no one figured it out:
the last three posts were provided by my sister.

My sister and I parted ways yesterday after three days of relaxing on the beach in Arica, Chile.
Great beach weather, water a tad chilly, nice morning runs along the boardwalk, lots of walking up and down 21 de Mayo, great seafood, and ouch....sunburns

Despite not being a huge beach fan, I really enjoyed just relaxing and people watching on the beach.

Thanks to a friend, I am able to provide the following great song quote:
"sunshine, we all see, the same sky...."
Song for Sunshine - Belle & Sebastian

Additional Note: Traveling with my sister was a great bonding experience. Jessy is a wonderful person to travel with. I would travel with her in a heartbeat, even if that means I have to carry her water, all her shit, and on top of all of that, put up with her bitchiness!!!! Love ya lots sis!

Shannon is a great traveler and a great travel companion and I would go to the end of the earth with her, as long as she carries the water. . .

Shannon is a great person. . .kick ass!

Cañon del Coca is reported to be the deepest canyon in the world, but it is not exactly true as the highest and lowest points are not in line,

Rest of Title:

nonetheless, it is deep and spectacular and there are little villages down in the canyon (where we stayed with a family) and an oasis of waterfalls (where we swam).

TEXT:Cañon del Coca is a great canyon. . .but a bitch to hike!

Arequipa, the "white city" (so called due to most buildings being constructed of a white volcanic stone) lies at the base of a volcano called Misti -

Arequipa is a great city. . .it made me shit!

Recap of Travels

In the past three months, I have been to 4 continents (Africa, Europe, USA, South America), 10 countries (Kenya, Tanzania, The Netherlands, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy, Peru, Chile), 15 cities-more or less (Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Interlaken, Siena, Florence, Tuscany, many in Peru, Arica in Chili) climbed Africa's highest mountain, went skydiving in the Swiss Alps, studied español in Peru, and many, many, more great experiences. I have met so many interesting, fun people along the way. Shared lots of stories and made a couple of friends. So many wonderful (and some not so wonderful) memories that I will never forget.
Did reading that make you tired? It made me muy cansada (very tired) just typing it.
WOW! What an incredible journey!

Song Quote: "I got jet lag and I never even left the ground, see it's like that every time you come around oh I'm so hung over and I never even touched a drop"
Joss Stone - Song Jet Lag

Pina, Papaya, Naranjos

After two weeks of spanish school, the only thing I learned in those two weeks was a phrase I already knew.....¿donde estan mis pantalones? Just kidding. I learned a lot.

What will I miss about Cusco....
While I think about that, my sister will share some of her comments....

YO!

2 weeks in Cusco/Cuzco:

Walking and walking and walking. Up the hill to school, down the hill to home and a warm meal on the table, up the hill to visit a museum, down the hill to barter at the artisan market, up the hill to flirt with the local boys, down the hill to drink tea and chat with our Cuzco mom, up the hill to salsa class, down the hill to the dance at the disco, up the hill to pay outrageous prices for a one-day visit to Machu Picchu (Jessy only), down the hill to catch a local bus out to the Sacred Valley, up the hill for Inca ruins, down the hill to be Spanish-studying-nerds, Up the hill for views of the valley, down the hill to say good-bye to our little Cuzco family and new found friends. . .on the bus to Arequipa. . .

Thank you Jessy for your comments.
ok......what I will miss about Cusco,

1. the 45 minute walk to and from español school;
2. mi amigos, Jhon and Jhon, at the travel agency;
3. host family and the good food;
4. the great views of the city and surrounding mountains;
5. the friendly Peruvian people;
6. dancing with the locals at the discoteca; and
7. the street vendors walking around with their carts of fruit while yelling through a megaphone what they were selling.

Things I won´t miss so much...

the beggars, the local boys whistling, the taxi honks, and the nice, polluted air....

Time to move on....

Song Quote: ¨Adios to all this concrete. Gonna get me some dirt road back street. If I can just get off of this LA freeway Without getting killed or caught I'd be down that road in a cloud of smoke¨ Guy Clark - Song L.A. Freeway

The Sacred Valley of the Incas

What a weekend. After a week of Spanish School, it was time to go out to a Discotheque on Friday night. But not before learning a few Salsa dance moves. I should be a Salsa dance pro in no time.

Bright and early Saturday morning, my sister and I took a bus to Urubamba. From Urubamba we caught a tri-taxi to the salt pans. Thousands of salt pans have been used for salt extraction since Inca times. It was an amazing site to see. There were no other tourists except for two older brothers. It was fun to watch the workers. After the salt pans, we headed down the main road and caught a ride from a taxi driver, I think (I was a little skeptical but was just following along with my sister), to Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambo is the best surviving Inca city with narrow cobblestone streets. A steep walk up the stairs of the ruin brings you to some amazing views of the sacred valley. Once at the top we took a rest on a rock which made a couple of good seats. I had one of my all time best traveling moments as I looked around at my surroundings. It was a semi cloudy day and behind me was a glimpse of a snow-capped mountain peak that would come and go depending on the clouds. The mountains in the Sacred Valley are incredibly huge. How beautiful!

On Sunday, my sister went to Machu Pichu and I went on a mountain bike ride. It was just me and the guide, Sergio, good bike rider with a few gold capped and missing teeth;) We took the bus to a town about an hour away from Cusco and then rode to Moray, which is a deep amphitheatre like terrace. You are able to walk down into the bottom. There are two large bowls and one small bowl. The small bowl is the original and the other two have been restored. It was very neat to see. About a 30 minute ride took us to an old colonial town of Maras. After Maras it was down to the salt pans. We entered from above and then I was able to walk down into the salt pans. Entering from the top was really amazing. A different view then from the day before.

The mountain biking for me was a little challenging but good practice for me. On the bus ride back to Cusco, the bus driver had a sun visor that was of a women in a bikini with fruit surrounding her. Pretty funny. The mountain views on the way back were so great. I love this place!!!!!

Song Quote: ¨Momma's gonna cook me supper And Georgia's gonna tuck me in This town is gonna make me something special I'm coming home again" Josh Kelly - Song 20 Miles to Georgia

Special Service

First off, I need to apologize to one of my Czech Republic travelers. I failed to thank her in my previous blog about the road trip and I am sorry for that. A big thanks goes out to Elena for doing a great job of coordinating the trip, the accommodations were great. Despite being sick, you were a great trooper.

Now back to South America.... I love stargazing and stargazing on a bus through the mountains of Peru is no exception. Once the lights went out for the night, the stars lite up for a show of there own.

A ¨special service¨bus in Peru may cost a few soles more but it doesn´t necessarily mean ¨special service¨ No movie was shown even though there were televisions were on the bus. We got a nice, semi-stall piece of bread and one bathroom stop in the middle of who knows where, where you are lucky if you even get your pants pulled down before you have to run back to the bus before it speeds away. Nothing better then experiencing the local, inexpensive way of traveling through South America.

My sister and I arrived in Cusco, Peru around 4 in the morning on Sunday. We weren´t due to check in at the Spanish School until 4 p.m. that day. What do you do at 4 a.m. in Cusco....not a whole lot. We somehow managed to survive the day in Cusco lugging our backpacks around. We seemed to be really good at walking a block or two before seeing a bench to sit down at. Cusco is a tourist city. The beggars are the worst. They bug you and then just stand there and then hiss if you don't buy from them. Quite annoying.

My sister and I will be spending two weeks in Cusco studying Spanish, living with a Peruvian family and doing a little site seeing. So far, so good. I am really enjoying Spánish classes. We attend classes in the mornings from 8:30 to 12:30 with a half hour break. We have two teachers. We are in different classes....thank goodness. My teachers names are Ana Maria and Marie. Both are very nice.

My sister and I were put with the same family. Different rooms luckily. The family is super nice (even though I understand very little) and the food is wonderful. Good thing we have a 45 minute walk to school ;)

I love Peru which I believe I already mentioned. Cusco is a very beautiful place. The elevation here is around 10,500.

Song Quote of the blog: From a distance, we hold heaviness and no one is in need and there are no guns, no bombs, no disease, there are no hungry mouths to feed. Nancy Griffith - From A Distance

Honk Honk Beep Beep

Peruvians love their horns, whether the want you to get out of the way, if you need a taxi or just to honk and whistle at the white ladies.

My older sister and I arrived in Lima, Peru late on Monday night after a long day of traveling. Even at that time of day, the airport was crowded. Once we got through immigrations and customs, we were then bombarded by a sea of taxi drivers. We finally made it to our disgusting hotel for the night. I was just happy to lay down.

The next morning we switched to a hostel called Backpacker's Inkawasi, which is located in Miraflores and is by clifftop parks overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Very cute hotel with friendly staff, Alberto.

That afternoon we took a taxi into the center of Lima. We visited the San Francisco monastery and church which is famous for its catacombs. The underground catacombs is the site of an estimated 700,000 burials. It was very cool to see the bones and skulls. We also took a bus - which we got on in the center of Lima - all we had to do was wait for a bus to pull up - no bus stop - up to Cerro San Cristobal - a 409 meter high hill which has a cross which was built in 1928 and has a mirador or lookout. The cross is the Lima landmark and is the object of pilgrimage every May 1.

On Wednesday night we took a bus from Lima to Ayacucho which is located in the mountains. The bus ride was very cold so I didn't get much sleep. Once it got light, the views were amazing. Ayacucho has many churches, a pedestrian walkway and many people. Not many tourists which is nice but I felt like a stuck out.

On Friday, we took a 10 hour day bus to Andahuaylas. It was uncomfortable, hot as HELL, but the scenery was worth it. There were lots of people on the bus and lots of people had to stand for hours. Sure glad we had seats. No bathroom on this bus. Their way of living is so different.

Taking the bus has been a great experience. You get to see the great scenery and also experience how the locals travel.

Today we took a taxi to Laguna de Pacucha. We hiked up to a hilltop that had amazing mountain views. Along the way were old ruins. After about 5 minutes of enjoying the great views, my sister and I were then surrounded by some school kids and their teachers. It was fun talking with them. The Peruvian people are very friendly.

I love Peru. It is beautiful and the people are nice, and the women's clothing is so colorful. Tonight we take a long overnight bus ride to Cusco. We get the special service bus but it still has no bathroom;)

New York, New York

On my way back from Europe, I had a stop in New York City. Instead of catching my connecting flight, I decided to stay for a few days and visit some friends.

I had not been to New York in about 9 years. It sure was nice to come back and spend more time in the city. What a great city, from the smell of roasted nuts/street vendors, to the steam rising on the streets, to the great New York Skyline, to central park, to just the feel of the city.

My friends picked me up from the airport and we headed right to SOHO for a Utah artist's gallery opening at Coda Gallery (they have three Coda galleries in the US and one of them is in Park City). The Utah artist who's showing was in New York, was Brian Kershisnik.

On Sunday, I took a train into the city (about an hour from my friends place in New Jersey) with my friend. We went to the Metropolitan museum and then walked through central park. I had never been to the Metropolitan museum. I could of spend hours in there but settled for 2 hours. As we walked through central park on our way back to the train station, we came across a section where they had blocked off the street for some rolling skating dancing. It was so much fun to watch the dancers of all ages. Some of them were really good on the skates. I know that I would have fallen flat on my face numerous times.

On Monday I took the train into the city again and went to the financial district. I took a boat ride out to Staten Island. It was a beautiful day for a boat ride. How fun to see the Statute of Liberty and New York City from Staten Island. After the boat ride back to New York, I walked around the area. Past Trinity Church, battery park, ground zero (even though it is just a big hole in the ground, it still tugged at my heart strings to see it). That night I enjoyed a wonderful Japanese/sushi buffet with my friends for my birthday.

On Tuesday I stayed with friends that lived in the city (upper west side by Columbia University) since I was flying out the next day from JFK. It was nice to visit with some friends that I had not seen in years and walk around their neighborhood. We walked past the famous Seinfeld restaurant, which looks nothing inside like the one on the show.

Sunday, October 8

After spending a few days in Salt Lake, I leave tomorrow bright and early for my next adventure to South America

08:00 hours, 13:00 hours, 16:00 hours, 24:00 hours

Since leaving Europe on Saturday, I have been reflecting on some of the highlights I had in Europe. Was it:

the red light district in Amsterdam;
the night boat cruise in Paris;
the Jewish Memorial in Berlin;
the road trip to the Czech Republic;
skydiving in Interlaken; or
the church bells in the morning in Italy.

All are great highlights and memories that I will have forever. Many, many more to come in South America and over the next few years as my life changes.

One thing I know for sure is that it will be nice to know how much I am actually spending, know the language and not have to think in military time :)

Theme Song Quote of Europe: "People in every direction, no words exchanged, no time to exchange them" Dave Matthews Band - Song Ants Marching

Robbed In Italy

Pooh: I would be quite lost without you...Who would I call on those days when I'm not strong enough or brave enough? And who would I ask for advice when I didn't know which way to turn? "We" simply would not be.

Christopher Robin: If ever there's a tomorrow when we're not together. There's something you must remember...You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we ever part, I'll always be with you.

Quote from Winnie the Pooh

Get ready for quite the good travel story:

When we arrived back at the villa around 9:30 p.m. on Thursday night, after being in Florence all day, we found that someone had broken into the villa. We did not find this out for sure until the next morning. We entered the door to the kitchen, only to rush out of there within minutes. One of my friends happened to walk into the dining room to find one of the windows open, which had most likely been locked when we left that morning. They were always very careful about locking up the place before we left. Anyway, I didn't really know what was going on until one of them asked me if I would feel comfortable unlocking the gate to get out. We drove out of there fast up to the owner's house only to find the gates locked. We couldn't get a hold of the people that we had contact information for. The police station, at least where we thought it was, was closed. We decided it would be best to go and stay at a hotel for the night until we could go back with someone in the daylight.

The next morning, we went back up alone and looked at the outside first to make sure the window was actually open and broken or if it had blown open by accident. It was defiantly broken. We went straight away to the owner's house and found one of them home to come and check things out with us. We decided it would be best to pack up and leave after assessing the damage and if necessary reporting it to the police station. Come to find out, the thieves only managed to get away with some of my belongings. They didn't take any of our passports, money, or any of the paintings or other items in the villa. We are lucky that we were not home at the time. The fact that they broke into the house when lights were on, make us think they would of entered if we would have been there. Our thinking is that they were still in the house when we arrived home. We also think that they must of just been kids because they didn't take our passports or other important documents that may have been lying around.

We ended up driving to Rome for the night since two of us were flying out of Rome on Saturday morning. We found a hotel in one of the fishing towns outside of Rome by the airport. I got to walk on the beach for a few minutes. I didn't realize how close Rome was to a beach. Kind of cool. That night we ate at a wonderful seafood place along the canal where there were a lot of fishing boats. Very good and fun environment for our last night in Italy.

The Moral to the Story is: you can travel through Africa, Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and still get ripped off in a nice villa in Italy :)

Song Quote of the Blog: "And if you want to talk about it once again" James Blunt - Song Cry

Benvenuto, Arrivederci, Ciao!

Sunday, September 24

I went into Siena (which may be the best-preserved medieval city in Italy) today, which was about a 20 minute drive from Sinalunga. I walked the steep streets by Siena's main square, Piazza del Campo. It was fun to see the shops, the people, the architecture, and walk the cobblestone streets. After walking around, I decided to go and get a snack in the square. I got a bad panini sandwich but got a good people watching view from the restaurant balcony.

That afternoon, I hung out at the Villa in Sinalunga. Sinalunga has steep streets with some nice houses, villas, and vineyards. The villa that I stayed at, was about a 15 to 20 minute walk from the train station. I have my own room with two great views of sunrises and night shots of the church. Every morning I would hear the church bells. What a great sound in an otherwise quiet town.

Monday, September 25

This morning I took a nice walk through the countryside to a ruin structure. The structure is most likely an old church.

About an hour after the walk, it started raining and continued to rain all day. I decided to stay in my pj's and relax, read, and watch my two friends paint. What a great day!

Tuesday, September 26

On my way to town this morning, I took walked through the main old square where a street market was going on. They have a street market every Tuesday and Thursday. They were selling clothes, fruits, vegetables, toys, fish, breads, cheese. I enjoy going to markets in other countries or towns. It is always fun to see what they are selling and to do a little people watching.

Wednesday, September 27

This morning we drove to Lucingano (about a 10 minute drive from Sinalunga) for our morning walk. The town is really small and cute. It had such a nice feel to it.

That afternoon we drove to the hill town Chianciano Terme. There was a park there and at the park was music and dancing. Lots of the older people attend this event. It was fun to watch as the crowds moved toward the park. There are lots of hotels in this town but no restaurants. All the restaurants must be inside the hotels.

After walking around for a bit, we came across some sort of running international event. We caught the end of the race but were able to see the awards ceremony. A guy from the Czech Republic won. Too bad I don't know Italian otherwise I would have known what exactly the race was called or even what it was for.

Thursday, September 28

Today I went into Florence. My first stop was the Uffizi. I had to wait in line for close to 2 hours. Good thing there is enough activity, whether it be the street performers, the art seller's or tourists, going on to keep me company. There was a neat exhibit on Leonardo Da Vinci.

After visiting the Uffizi, I went and walked around the Piazza Della Signore, and looked at all the statues. When I was in Florence about 3 years ago, they were doing a lot of renovation of the piazza. It was nice to see it a little more lively. One of the statues I liked was Rape of the Sabines designed by Giovanni da Bologna. One of my favorite things on my journey through Europe has been the statues/sculptures that I have seen in the various cities. It is amazing the detail that went into these works of art.

In Florence I was also able to climb the Duomo tower. This climb was 416 narrow stairs up. Worth the climb to see great views of Florence and a good view of the Duomo itself, which at the present is having work done on the top.

Sweet Jesus, Does It Get Any Sweeter!!!!

"Life Is A Bold and Dashing Adventure"- Unknown

Imagine enjoying a nice scenic plane ride in the Swiss Alps and then before you know it, you are being pushed out of the plane at 13,000 feet and free falling with your arms out like a bird at 120 MPH/200 KPM. After 45 seconds, you are pulled upright to a sitting position and you slowly glide to the ground.
I didn't just imagine this....I experienced the thrill of skydiving. Not just any skydiving....skydiving in the Swiss Alps. WOW!!!! What a rush! Would I do it again....HELL YES!! In a heartbeat.

I arrived in Interlaken, Switzerland on Wednesday, September 20 and instantly fell in love with the place. It is one of the most beautiful places in the world that I have ever been to. It reminds me a little of Salt Lake City.

On Friday, I went on the most spectacular hikes with breathtaking views. The scenery just got better and better. I first took a train through the mountains to Schyinge Platte and hiked along the ridge all day past lakes, a ski lift and a couple of small restaurants. I took a gondola down to Grindenwald and then a train back to Interlaken. Along the hike, I saw tons of cows with the famous bells.

Yesterday, I arrived in Sinalunga, Italy, tuscany area, after a very long day of train traveling. I will be staying for a week at a villa with a couple of friends.

Ed. Note - because of limited internet access, I am unable to post pictures for awhile. I will post pictures once I am able to get better internet connection. Sorry!

Thanks to all that have made comments. Glad to know people actually read my blog.

Song Quote of the blog - Free Fallin' by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

The Hollywood Version of Myself

Cute picture of the sisters from the famous Charles Bridge

My freak of nature travel companions (Jessy, Jon & Elena).

I would like to remind us all of an old adage: Every person is unique, like a snowflake (as quoted by Jessy in an email to the group beforehand)

Last Thursday, September 14, 2006, I went on a road trip with my older sister, Jessy, and two of her friends, Elena and Jon, to the Czech Republic (Prague and Cesky Krumlov).
Since I am sure you all are sick of my comments, I asked my travel companions to share their comments. Here is what they said:

Prague journal!!!!!!

Prague Road Trip (Sponsored by C-Tud Industries)
Schizophrenic thoughts of our trip from the "Real Version" of myself (No comment from the "Hollywood Version" of myself):
It was nice to travel by car again - its been about 10 years since I've travelled long-distance by car. It was certainly a refreshing change. Instead of the time/culture compression I usually exprerience when travelling by plane, travelling by car from Berlin to Prague allowed me to experience the gradual physical and auditory transformations which, although minuscule at times, resulted in...
Who am I kidding?!!!! Voluptuous nurses standing on the roadside to cure all needs - that was the highlight of my trip!!!!!!!!!!! oh yeah, the fried hot dogs were also da bomb!
I do have to say, all that cobblestone hurt my feet, but I did learn a little about toilet plumbing. We also learned a little about photo rights, right Shannon? Luckily Shannon and I didn't have to pay 2 Euros for every photo we took!
Dìkuji guys, I had a great time!
Jon
p.s. I am not ethically or legally responsible for any spelling or grammatical errors, or anything that I've submitted for that matter...


The 2006 road trip to Prague (or "Preg" how Jon likes to pronounce it) was a great success!
For non-participants to enjoy and partake, I have summerized our experiences and impressions in chronological order below:
Day One - Junk Food, Body Odour, HookersDay Two - Junk Food, Body Odour, SightsDay Three - Junk Food, Body Odour, SightsDay Four - Junk Food, Body Odour, Hookers
Note to self: There are only two more Tuddenham family members (and one dog) to meet, before I have to find a new family to befriend!
Love to all involved!
Elena

I think the highlight of the trip for me was parachuting over Prague.The city view is amazing from such heights and what a way to avoid thecrowds!
Of course, bun-gee-jumping into the Vltava river in Cesky Krumlov was a real thriller too. And things got exciting when Jon hand fed the brown bear at the castlegates. But it wasn't all adventure, and I was awfully touched with how Elena befriended the local Tepnice women and learned how to make 2 traditional Czech meals on hand and knees over an open pit fire.
And I was very inspired with the way Shannon didn't sleep at all in order to spend time studying the Czech tongue - wow, between Shannon and Jon they really saved us from some embarrassing language barriers.
I was sort of busy trying to stabilize my bi-polar condition through Orbit chewing gum to really interact with the Czech culture, but none-the-less I recognized that this was one KICK-ASS ROAD TRIP @))^! (Comments submitted by Jessy)

And now a word from the traveler Shannon

Besides Jessy and Jon attempting to break a couple of laws before we even left Berlin, and our lack of music, which then forced us to actually make conversation, the trip was a hit.

However, by the end of the trip, we were all ready to kill each other….a month traveling with my sister in South America is going to be grand ;)

What I learned about my travel buddies from the trip:

Jon has multiple personalities;
Elena stinks;
Jessy is a spaz and bi-polar; and
I am completely f---ed up!

What a group! I am sure you all are jealous that you weren’t a participant.

In all seriousness…..

Prague is a very magical and beautiful city. We arrived on Thursday afternoon and that night we walked (or according to me, and to have it on the record, we hiked) up to the castle. The view of the city at night was incredible. The castle grounds were so peaceful since there were no crowds.

On Friday, as I was looking out the window from our glorious flat, I noticed a small feather floating by which then reminded me of the opening scene from the movie “Forrest Gump” and then I was reminded of the famous quote from that movie: “Life Is Like A Box of Chocolates, You Never Know What You Will Get.”

2 Euros for What?

After a morning walk across the touristy “Charles Bridge” into Old Town, and enjoying good conversation while eating a quiche and yogurt parfait, I suggested taking a walk down a narrow, cobblestone street, to Pavel Charapov, which I read about from the online journal of my favorite artists (I think I may be a tad obsessed with the artist but….) Pavel holds the record for creating the World’s Largest Painting Pinocchio, which is showcased in his small studio. For free, you can watch as Pavel puppets Pinocchio to paint on a puppet sized canvas and easel. For 2 Euros (or 50 czech crown), you can take a photo of the show. Quite the tourist trap. Should I be upset with my favorite artist and forbid to listen to his music for awhile for leading me into this….I don’t think I can do that….Just to know that I walked the same streets that he did, is very cool to me.

Side note about Charles Bridge…..when we crossed it in the morning, it was fairly empty…by around 2 o’clock, it was a swarm of people. I would imagine there was close to 1,000 on the bridge, which means twice as many on either side in town. That is a lot of individuals to be crammed into small town.

Friday afternoon we drove to Cesky Krumlov, about 3 and a half hours away from Prague. Cesky Krumlov is a small, quiet town. It was a nice change after being on one of the busiest areas in Prague. Walking the streets that night had sort of an eerie feel.

The town the next day gradually filled with tourists. That is when we realized that it was time to head back to Prague.

We headed back to Berlin on Sunday. The road trip was grand and I couldn’t have asked for better traveling buddies. Thanks goes out to Jessy and Jon for getting us there and back safely, thanks to Jessy for being a great tour guide, thanks to a certain Martin for saving us from having to sleep on the street, and a big thanks goes out to Cindy Mom for helping sponsor a portion of the trip.

Song Quote of the blog: “How the hell can a person go to work in the morning, come home in the evening, and have nothing to say.” Bonnie Raitt/John Prine – Song Angels from Montgomery

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

It is time to leave Berlin after successfully not killing myself riding a bike through the busy streets and being yelled at by a German (don’t know what was said but know they weren’t happy).
I will miss Berlin. It is a great city. It has been very nice being able to have a “home” to stay at.
A highlight of today was visiting The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. This memorial consists of 2,711 concrete steal, which can be walked through from all sides. An extremely cool structure.
Time for Shannon to go to bed since it is past midnight and I have an early train to catch to my next Europe stop.

U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Prenzlauer Allee, Alexanderplatz…

Sunday, September 10, 2006

It has been a little over a month since I left home. It seems like a lot longer then that.
This morning my sister and I went running. I haven’t run in about 2 and a half months. It felt great to get out. I know what you are all thinking….why in the world am I running on my extended vacation? As most of you know, I can’t go without some form of exercise for too long.
Since my sister had one last performance, I went on a bike tour with the same company I took one with in Paris. The tour was good despite the fact that the group wasn’t as lively and fun as the one in Paris.
Some of the highlights from the tour were Checkpoint Charlie, part of the Berlin Wall, Site of Hitler’s bunker, Hotel Aldon – the famous place of the Michael Jackson child dangling, and Brandenborg Tor which is located in no-man's land between East and West Germany during the Cold War, this famous monument, built during the 18th-century reign of Friedrich Wilhelm II, has long been a defining symbol of Berlin and both the city's division and unification.

Since Michael Jackson was a topic of conversation today, my song of the day will be from one of his songs:
Song of the day: “You'll never make me stay so take your weight off of me.” Michael Jackson – Song Dirty Diana

Monday, September 11, 2006

Today my sister and I took a three hour boat ride to Potsdam. Potsdam is Berlin’s closest and most beautiful neighbor.
It was fun, despite being the only young ones on the boat cruise and the whole tour communicated in German, which I don’t speak a word of. The scenery on the boat ride was pretty.
Once we got to Potsdam, we walked to Sanssouci Park, which comprises palaces and gardens begun in the 18th century. The walk around the gardens and palaces was along a wide road with trees on either side. The palaces were also on either side with some set back farther then others. One of them was at the end of the road with a long driveway surrounded by white statutes. Another palace had a big, beautiful fountain in front of it.

Up to Date....finally

Monday, September 4, 2006

Today I went to the Lourve with some people that I met on the night bike tour. A brother (Dan) and sister (Carrie) and two friends (James and Whit). They all are originally from Texas.
Before meeting them, I went and sat on a bench by the Eiffel Tower. It was stating to rain a little but it was crazy to think that I was sitting within eyesight of the Eiffel Tower. Every once in a while, I have to stop and realize where exactly I am. Whether it be trekking Mt. Kili, on a safari in the Serengeti National Park, walking down the cobblestone streets of Amsterdam or riding a bike in Paris. It all seems so surreal.
The Louvre houses 300,000 works among them is the world-famous Mona Lisa (Leonardo Da Vince), Venus De Milo, and Winged Victory.
The first thing that I saw in the Lourve was the Mona Lisa. I saw it when I was in Paris about 9 years ago and it is a blur. Seeing it again was about the same. I wasn’t all that impressed. All the hype of the Mona Lisa doesn’t really make sense to me. There are far too many other works of art that I love a lot more.

Song Quote of the day: “Listen to each drop of rain…open your eyes to the love around you” Evanesance – Song Listen To The Rain

Tuesday, September 5, 2006

Today I hang out with Dan (everyone else had moved on to Rome) before he had to catch his flight back home. We went to eat by Notre Dame. I had a yummy crepe with Nutella. A sweet crepe is a must in Paris.
One of the things I wanted to do while in Paris was go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. When I was in Paris last time, we couldn’t go to top for some reason. It was closed. Anyway, after climbing the first two floors, we stood in a line to ride an elevator to the top. It was really neat to ride up and look at the views as we rose. The views from the top were outstanding. Lots of people. To get down, we waited in another line. It as hard to tell where a line started and where one ended. You would think, with the Eiffel Tower being such a tourist attraction, that they would have a much more efficient way of the elevator lines etc. I defiantly felt very claustrophobic.
The Eiffel Tower was built for the World Exhibition in 1889 and is 300 meters high.
Later that night, I went to the Arc De Triumph. The Arc was built in 1836 and is at the end of Champs-Elysses, in the middle of the Place Charles De Gaulle which is a large circular square where no less than 12 streets emanate. Champs-Elysses is a very busy street. It is bordered by cafes and luxury shops. This is where one would go if they were a shopper. The Avenue is also bordered the Jardins des Champs-Elysees.
I took the subway, which is such a wonderful mode of transportation, however, as I ride through the dark, underground of Paris, I wonder what lives or doesn’t live down here, and who, in their right mind, comes to decorate the walls with graffiti. I would be afraid of coming across something that would scare me to death. I feel much safer in the subway car. Any who, I took the subway to the Arc De Triumph and walked back along Champs-Elysees. It was fun to walk along and see the fancy stores and do a little people watching or having others watch me.
At one point, the sidewalk was blocked off because some, important person of France was just about to arrive to walk into a hotel, I think. The supposedly important individual did not look familiar to me. So, I can say that I was feet away from an important French figure.
Once I got to De La Concorde, I turned around to witness a beautiful sunset.
Song of the Day: “La la la la la la la life is wonderful, Ah la la la la la la life goes full circle, Ah la la la la la la life is so full of” Jason Mraz – Song Life is Wonderful

Wednesday, September 6, 2006

I went to Sacre Coeur, a dome towering 83m (272ft) over the top of the Montmartre hill. This has to be one of my favorite things in Paris. The streets around it are cobblestone. It was a beautiful day and not too touristy. The view from the hill was great. I enjoyed walking around the cobblestone streets and found the neighboring streets to be quaint. I really love Europe because of the small towns with the narrow roads, and the famous cobblestone streets. It was nice to find this in Paris.
I did come upon, once I got back to a main street in Paris, the Moulin Rouge. (french for "red mill") is a traditional cabaret and was built in 1889.
Later that night, I went to dinner with a family friend. I am really glad that we were able to get together because I was having a bad day and was feeling alone in a big city.
Song of the Day: “there's always one reason to feel not good enough and it's hard at the end of the day” Sarah McLachlan – Song Angel

Thursday, September 7, 2006

“The main point is to be moved, to love, to hope, to vibrate, to live, to be a man before being an artist!” A. Rodin

Today is my last day in Paris. I went to the Rodin Museum, which presents the works of the most famous 19th century sculptor. Some of his famous works include: The Thinker, The Gates of Hell, and The Kiss. I have really come to love sculptors on this trip. I am fascinated by how detailed they can be.
My train for Berlin, where my sister lives, did not leave until later that night, so I decided to go sit in a park and read. It was nice to just sit and relax for a while.

Saturday, September 9, 2006

I arrived in Berlin yesterday morning after a long night on a train.
I was ready to get to Berlin. I am glad to see and spend time with my sister. It will be nice to be in a place where I have a so-called “home” to stay at and have my own “tour” guide to show me the city of Berlin.
My sister is a dancer and has a performance going on this weekend. I went to the show last night. It was weird, but good. My sister is beautiful dancer. I have always really enjoyed watching her dance. She also has a very animated personality and because of this, it helped with the performance because there were parts where that animation was needed.

Amazingly enough I am caught up with my travel blog. It feels so great.

Check back….much more to come….hopefully some pictures…..

Song of the day: “What we gonna do when the money runs out I wish that there was something left to say where we going to find the eyes to see the bright of day” Song Nightblindness

Calling all Texas “A--men”

Sunday, September 3, 2006

Apparently there is a “cult” of some kind in the state of Texas. Texans claim to be their own country….not sure why.
Now you are probably wondering what in the world does Texas have to do with Paris. Let me explain.
While I was in Amsterdam, I picked up a brochure for bike tours in Paris, Berlin, and Barcelona. Since I was going to Paris, I decided to check out the bike tours.
Upon meeting and talking with the guide, I came to find out that the tour company is owned by a guy from Texas. My guide, Brandon is from Texas and the majority of the guides at the company are as well.
This is the first time, since I started traveling, where I was surrounded by so many Americans. Not many Americans seem to travel. The majority of Americans don’t even have a passport.
Highlights of the day tour were the Eiffel Tower, Ecole Militaire, the Louvre, Napoleon’s Tomb, Place de la Concorde, the Arc du Carrousel (on top are four bronze statutes taken by Napoleon from St. Mark’s Square in Venice. The statues were returned to Venice and replicas were made in 1828).
For lunch we ate at a café in Jardin des Tuileries which is the most central park in Paris.
Towards the end of the tour, I was watching a couple of young kids learning to ride a bike with training wheels and it reminded me when my younger brother learned to ride a bike. My whole family watched as he took his first rotations on my grandparent’s driveway. We were all so proud of his accomplishment as we cheered him on.
After the day tour, I went to the Musee d’Orsay (a beautiful 19th century railway station that was turned into a museum) with a couple of guys that I met on the tour. One was from Dublin, Ireland and the other one was from San Diego, California. Since it was Sunday, the museum was free.
The museum covers a period from mid 19th to mid 20th century and contains works by Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, and Cezanne.
That night I went on the night tour with the same tour company. Our guide was River, a young, grungy guy with long, blond dreadlocks from America. He was funny as all get up.
This tour is where I learned about the A--men of Texas A&M. Two guys in my group were appointed the a—men which meant they brought up the rear and made sure we all survived. At times I feared for my life with them in the rear (Ed. Note: Whit and James – I hope you know that I am kidding – you both did an outstanding job!!)
A couple of highlights from the night tour were the Notre Dame, ice cream (yummy raspberry sorbet and chocolate), the night boat tour along the Seine River. The city is beautiful at night especially the Eiffel Tower. Every hour starting at 9 at night, for ten minutes it lights up and flashes.

City of.....

“Life Is A Journey, Full of Uncertainty” Unknown

I arrived in Paris last Saturday, September 2. After navigating myself successfully to my hotel, I sat down to look at a map of Paris and became extremely overwhelmed. I didn’t realize how big Paris was. Instead of continuing to stare at the map, I decided to head out and explore the area around my hotel.

Since nothing in Paris seems to be in English (not even restaurant menus – if you don’t have a menu in English then you are not getting my business;) and no one speaks English, I had no idea what, if any, monumental buildings I was standing in front of. I could identify my first sighting, since arriving in Paris, of the Eiffel Tower. Not hard to miss.

Not your typical.....

Friday, September 1, 2006

Today I went on a bike ride through North Amsterdam. It was not your typical mountain or bike ride in Salt Lake. Of course, it did make me miss road biking. There were some great straight long stretches perfect for some quality road biking.
The ride went out into the countryside which is truly beautiful. For lunch, we stopped Pancake house in the town called Broek (translation - Village; modern day translation is trousers) In Waterland. They serve all types of pancakes. I got a pancake with ham, cheese and mushrooms. At first, I was a little skeptical but it actually turned out to be pretty good.
This little village has those cobblestone streets which are found all throughout Europe.

That night I just walked around the city one last time. Tomorrow I leave for Paris on an early train. I love Amsterdam and wish that I could stay longer. Maybe I will just move here. If only I could find a rich, handsome, young dutch man.....
Amsterdam is lively at night especially on a Friday night. It was lots of fun to walk the streets and see the crowds.
Song of the blog: "It's the perfect time of day....don't let it drift away.....close your eyes and take your last breath....press your head aside, the end is the beginning...." Howie Day - song It's the Perfect Time of Day

Rembrant

Thursday, August 31

Yesterday, after the flea market, I went to Rembrant's house. His home is in the Jewish Quarter area of Amsterdam. Although Rembrant was not Jewish, he often painted portraits of his Jewish friends. In his house they have a demonstration of how paint was made in the seventeenth century. This type of painting is called etchings. It seems like a tedious yet fun procedure.

This morning I walked around the Jewish Quarters. Once again, it was raining. Still fun to walk around and see the sights.
One of my stops was at the Jewish Museum but before stopping there, I walked through a small park called Wertheim Park. At the park's center is a memorial by sculptor Jan Wolkers to the victims of Auschwitz. Six large broken mirrors lay flat on the ground to reflect a shattered sky and cover a buried urn.
The Jewish Museum building once housed four synagogues built by Jewish refugees from German and Poland.
The first Hebrew words were: teshuvah - repentance; tefillah - prayer and zedaka - almsgiving/charity. That morning at breakfast, I met a girl from Australia. We decided to meet and go to a museum in the afternoon. That night we took a stroll in the Red Light District. Quite a lively place at night. People of all ages walking through.

I Amsterdam

Wednesday, August 30, 2005

As the plane took off out of Nairobi and started to rise above the clouds, I looked out the window and was just in awe at how gorgeous the sky looked. The clouds were so full and beautiful and the sun was just starting to set. The sight was breathtaking.

After a crazy Amsterdam airport, I made it to my hostel for the next few days to drop off luggage and then it was time for me to venture out into the streets of Amsterdam. I went to Amsterdam’s most popular flea market called Waterlooplein Flea Market. They sell everything from clothes, hats, gloves, cds, fauz Rembrant paintings, and cooking pots. Before World War II, you could find antiques and paintings. I like going to flea markets just to see what is being sold and people watching is always fun.
Later that afternoon, I went on a 3 hour walking tour of Amsterdam. It was a fun tour and I learned tons about the history of Amsterdam. A few highlights of the tour were the Central Station – built between 1884 and 1889 on three artificial islands; Old Church – this beautiful 13th century church is notable for its 27 stained-glassed windows; the Dam Square – the site of the original dam built across the Amstel river in the 13th century; Narrowest House; the widest bridge, and the Hash Marihuana Hemp Museum – no, I did not actually go into the museum.Song Quote of the day: “Come on, oh my star is fading, I swerve out of control, If I, If I'd only waited, I’d not be stuck here in this hole.” Coldplay – song Amsterdam

Out of Africa

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Somehow I managed to get out of Africa without (a) loosing all my money by being ripped off or being mauled by the Africans ability of being pushy and/or (b) having a number of African men proposing. I am not going to deny that African men are beautiful (the teeth however, need help), I think I am much better off with American men or staying single.

Two of the girls from the safari were staying in Nairobi so I was able to hang out with them. I am so glad they were there because Nairobi is not the safest city. We were warned to take taxis everywhere and not to walk the street alone especially at night. Nairobi is a big city where I don’t particular feel safe especially when you can’t walk down the street without being mauled by a taxi driver wondering if you need a ride or someone trying to get you to sign up for a safari. Nothing is better then having your food served through bars. It sure made me feel super safe.
The first night in Nairobi, we went to an Ethiopian restaurant. The food is served in one big basket and you eat a thin bread and scoop up the food in the basket.The second night we went to a really good Indian restaurant. I love Indian food. I forget how much I like Indian food until I go and eat it.

More Pictures

This is a picture of the "Green Machine" girls (minus one) From left: Jen, Shannon and Janis (Amina - Swahili name)
Picture of the beautiful waterfall we walked to in Marungu Village
"GreenMachine" gang from left: driver/guide Rasidi, Maryn, myself, Janis, Yusufu (cook) and Jen
Baby elephant following its mother
A wonderful Africa sunset in Serengeti National Park

Safari Pictures

These pictures were takend the last day of game viewing.

The one top right is of a cheetah, top left is a male simba (lion)

More pictures from the last day of game viewing in Ngorogono Crater. The one on the left is of the lioness finding some shade by the car I was in. As you can see, I was feet away from her, I could of touched her....The one on the right is a view of a lake that we stopped at.




This picture is of a hyena running off with the bloody carcass to enjoy all alone.

Don't Pet the Lions

Favorite Mt. Kili moments:

Stargazing
Being above the clouds
Night Summit Climb
The Swedish and Irish couples

Sunday, August 20, 2006

The safari portion of my trip starts today. Our camp for tonight is at Snake Park. Yes, there are live snakes but they are in glass cases. Good thing because I don’t like snakes. One of the snakes shows a newspaper article of a guy who took a nap by a tree out in the wilderness and this type of snake ate him. Gross.

There are 8 in the safari group including myself. A married couple from Montreal, Canada (Gen and Mathiew), 3 women from Toronto, Canada (Jen, Janis and Ivana), a girl from New York (Nadia) and a lady from Australia (Maryn).

Song Quote of the day: “Everyone’s saying different things to me…wasting my time in the waiting line” Zero 7 – In the Waiting Line

Monday, August 21, 2006

No matter where you go in Africa, you are bound to see a broken down car. I was warned about this before I came here, so I was not surprised when I kept seeing cars off to the side of the road. No wonder things take twice as long. NO HURRY…In Africa (bumper sticker on one of my safari guides car)…couldn’t be truer.
Today was our first game drive in Lake Manyara. Lots of wildlife: tons of baboons, elephants (crossing the road right in front of you), giraffes, zebras, lots of birds. At one point we stopped and watched a bunch of peligans/stork flying over and around a bunch of zebras, buffalo and hippos across the river. At one point I couldn’t see the birds flying above because of the car top but you could see their shadows.
After the game viewing, we took a tour through the village of the camp we were staying at for the night. We saw rice fields, banana plants, walked through a market. I tried my hand at carving ebony. As you can see from the picture, I didn’t do so well.
Going on this tour showed us how people in Africa really live. Dirt roads, small homes, children running around, kids on bikes two times too big for them, the kids would follow us and ask for pens. At one point 2 little girls held my hands for a bit.
Song Quote for the day: “And I see no bravery, no bravery in your eyes anymore, only sadness.” James Blunt – No Bravery

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Today we drove to the infamous Serengeti National Park. It covers 14,763 sq. km., the park is roughly the size of Northern Ireland or Connecticut. The name Serengeti comes from the Maasai word “Sirenget” referring to “endless plain.”
Once we enter the park, the roads turn to dirt. This is what I was expecting all the roads in Africa to be.
I would be completely lost if I were driving out here. It reminds me of an episode of The Amazing Race (yes, a reality show), where 2 brothers are driving in Africa out in the middle of nowhere on a dirt road and they roll the car. The ride is bumpy,dusty, and uncomfortable.
Before we reach the gates of Serengeti, we stop at the Olduvai Gorge. This historical site is famed for the discovery of 3.5 million year-old fossil fragments of an early human civilization.
Before arriving at our camp for the night, we see a leopard about 50 yards away. It stands on a mount looking in each direction.
The sunset tonight was unbelievable. One I have always imagined the sunsets to be like in Africa. The colors are a reddish-orange glow that is indescribably and amazing.
Song Quote for the day: “There’s no stopping curiosity….who’s to say I can’t do everything, well I can try…things aren’t always just what they seem.” Jack Johnson – Song Upside Down

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

The pace of the safari is much more slow paced then the Mt. Kili climb. On the climb, our guide has up early, eat breakfast and on the trail fast. We seemed to always be the first group out of camp.
On the safari we eat later and are not in a rush.
Today we got up early to go on a game drive before breakfast. We got our first glance of a Cheetah. We watched it walk across the plain and we got in a position to see it cross the road. It started running after a Giselle but didn’t try too hard to catch it. It was cool to see a Cheetah run.
After breakfast, we went out for another game drive. Our first sighting of lions. Lion in Swahili is Simba. I had quite a few Lion King movie moments....The Lion King had to be added to my list of movies to see or re-watch. We saw a male and lioness up close (at the most 20 feet). Lions are beautiful animals.
After lunch a little free time, we went out for another game drive. We went to the Hippo Pool which was disgusting and smelled pretty bad. Every time a hippo opened its mouth, it reminded me of the game “Hungry, Hungry Hippo.”
Song Quote of the Day: “Another dream to ashes and they all fall down.” Jason Mraz – Song Sleeping to Dream

Thursday, August 24, 2006

This morning’s game drive was awesome. We saw and watched a leopard in a tree eating its catch. Some sort of animal with antlers. As it ate, a hyena was below hoping that the leopard would drop a piece of meat. The hyena got lucky a couple of times. At one point, the leopard slowly made its way down the tree ,with his breakfast still in his mouth, trying his best not to drop any. In order to avoid the hyena from stealing his food, he jumps from the tree and runs, with the hyena following behind, to another tree to finish eating.
Earlier today we saw a male lion sitting quite far back. Male lions are massive, beautiful creatures.
Some Serengeti Park Facts:
-it would not be the same without the beautiful rock outcrops known as kopjes, from the Dutch meaning “Little Head.” These granite rocks are the result of cracking and erosion from exposure to sun, wind, and rain. They provide shelter and capture water for a wealth of wildlife and plants.
-Plant Wild Sisal (type of plant) is a strong rope with fibrous leaves
-The Sandpaper Tree is so rough, it is used for Makonde carvings, washing dishes and pots
-The white latex from the Candelabra Tree can cause blindness
-The Serengeti faces many threats to its survival. The most serious is poaching and the ever increasing demand for land to feed a large and growing human population.
-Words of a famous patron “Serengeti Shall Not Die.”

After lunch we headed to the Ngongoro Carter. Ngorongoro is an impressive 20 km wide volcanic crater with 600m walls.
Before reaching Ngorongoro we stopped to visit a Maasai village. The Maasai people wear bright colors, wear lots of jewelry (bracelets, necklaces, earrings, anklets), shave their heads (yes, even the women), eat only cows, goats, maize and drink milk.
To welcome us to their village, they performed a welcome dance which consisted of a lot of grunting, standing in a circle, jumping around and moving in single file line. This is done by the men only and then they take us into their village (before we were on the outside) and continue the ritual. The women stand in a semi circle and one or two come to the middle and jump around. They also do some chanting. The women have the tourist women dance with them. First, we are adorned with one of the native necklaces and hold our and which we do some jumping.
After this, we split into two groups and see their living conditions. They live in little huts that circle the outside of the main meeting grounds. The huts have no light except for a little from the natural light. There kitchen and beds are in a super tiny space. After 6 months, the men move to another village. They have big families; the chief of this particular village has 20 wives and twice as many children. The kids are beautiful and fun to watch. Can you tell that I like the little ones?! They are just too cute. I guess stealing an African kid would not be a good idea ;)
At 15, the males go to school to learn to become a Maasai warrior.
The women can marry as early as 14. The male must kill a lion before they can marry. However, I believe that it is against the law now to kill a lion.
They make lots of beaded jewelry and try to sell it to you. They are pushy (actually all the people in Africa are pushy) and it can get very overwhelming. They circle around you and even go as far as putting the bracelet on your wrist.
Personally, the Maasai people kind of scare me. What a weird lifestyle. They just seem to appear out of nowhere in the middle of nowhere.
Tonight’s accommodations will be at the Simba campsite which is a top the Ngorongoro Crater. Outstanding view but cold. Tonight as I was stargazing, the Southern Cross was pointed out to me. Pretty cool thing to see. The sky in Africa is so different because you see the stars quite clearly.
Song for the day: “His path was marked, By the stars in the Southern Hemisphere, And he walked his days, Under African skies” Paul Simon – Song Under African Skies

Friday, August 25, 2006

At 3:30 in the morning, I was startled awake by a man screaming. Apparently, an Eastern Forest Hog (Bush Pig) tried to get into someone’s tent because they had food in there, which the man claimed there wasn’t any food in there. We were warned not to leave any food in our tents. After that little middle of the night wake up call, I had a hard time getting back to sleep because I was a tad scared of a bush pig attacking my tent but there was also a lot of commotion going on outside the tent.
Every once in a while, there are dust storms which I saw a bunch in Serengeti in the distance. Sometimes they are small and sometimes they can be quite large. At lunch on Wednesday in Serengeti National Park, a small dust storm blew through out camp getting dust in our food and blowing a couple of our tents a few feet away from there original spots. Today at lunch, a larger one swept through our camp. Luckily, we were inside a concrete shelter. I saw it as it swept through blowing tents, and tarps away.
A couple of Zebra facts: zebra stand in the opposite direction next to each other so they have a 360 degree view of a potential attacker; young zebras are brown and white until adulthood.
Today was yet another awesome day of game viewing. Our last game viewing of the trip. Our game viewing was done down in the Ngorongoro Crater. We saw zebras and wildebeest bout 10-20 feet away. Saw hyenas and jackal fight over an animal which was most likely taken from a lion. There was not much left of the animal. The head and bloody carcass was about what was left. A hyena ran off with the head. I never thought that I would find joy out of watching animals eat another animal. I was pretty fascinated with it. Is that sick and wrong?.....don’t answer that.
A little farther down the road, we came across a lioness that was probably not happy because her food was stolen. All the animals surrounding the lioness were standing very still as she moved across the plain. Kind of an eerie sight. It was like they felt her presence.
After taking a short break by a lovely lake, we were heading back to camp and came across a bunch of male and female lions. There are no trees in the Ngorogono and the lions are always looking for shade so they were just lying down in the middle of the road in the shadows of the cars. At one point, a lioness laid right next to our car. Kind of crazy to think that I was so close to a lion. All I had to do was look over the side.
Our guides for the safari are cool (poa in Swahili). Their names are Mohammed, Rasidi and the cook Yusufu. Four of us have been riding in Rasidi’s car the whole time. It is green so we gave it the nickname “The Green Machine.” Probably the most uncomfortable ride on dirt road but the driver and company is much better which makes the ride fun. We dubbed Rasidi as our good luck charm. We would chant his name and pump our fists in hope of finding good wildlife. It seemed to help because we saw the big 5, which are buffalo, rhino, lion, elephant and leopard.
Song Quote for the day: “Cause they've never gone this long without a kill before” John Mayer Trio – Song Vultures

Saturday, August 26, 2006
Today was traveled to Marangu village. About a six hour drive. Once we arrive and set up camp, which is on the property of a nice hotel, we take a tour of the village. We pass through banana plants, coffee plants, and rice plants. Each family grows their own on their land.
The area takes us through some beautiful rainforest areas and down to a couple really pretty waterfalls.
The children were following us asking for pens and chocolate. We would take their pictures and then show them on the digital screen. They seemed to really enjoy that.
The area made me think of trekking in the Annapurna region in Nepal. The area in Nepal was green, lush and terraced hills with trails going from village to village.
I had a Utah moment today as I was walking through the village. The smell was reminding me of being up Millcreek Canyon at my cabin or just hiking, biking, hiking or trail running. I can’t wait to enjoy the cabin once I return to good ‘ol City of Salt.
The car washes in Africa are done on dirt roads which seems to defeat the purpose because it is bound to get dirty even before it leaves the car wash.
For our last safari dinner, we enjoyed some traditional Tanzania food. Peas with coconut and tomato sauce, spinach type dish, something that looked like and had the texture of mashed potatoes but had no taste. This is used more as a spoon to eat with a sauce type dishes. You roll a little in your right hand and with your thumb, make and impression and then scoop up food.
After dinner a few of us went to the bar in the hotel, talking and listening to Bongo Flava (African Music). The workers in the bar were dancing. One guy was really getting into it. I got up and danced to a couple of songs. Something to do when you are in Africa in a hotel bar that you most likely won’t visit again. Always best to Seize the Day!
Song Quote of the day: “The more we take, the less we become. The fortune of one man, means less for some.” Sarah McLachlan – Song The World is on Fire

A Few Mt. Kili Pictures

Above the clouds.

At the top from left to right - me, Gavin and Peter

Our last camp before summit climb. Kibo Hut

The group on the way up with a view of Kili. The far left peak is Uruhu Peak (19,341).

From left to right...Assistant Guide - Faustian, Shawna (Ireland), me, Marionanne (Sweden), her husband Peter, Gavin (USA) and Peter (Ireland)

Our porters carrying our bags.

"I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in." George Washington Carver

Mt. Kili - Tanzania

Sunday, August 13, 2006

I had a restless night of sleep last night. Not sure why. Maybe it was the fact that I took a 2 hour nap yesterday afternoon. Traveling is fun, yet by the time you get to your destination, you are exhausted from sitting on an airplane and sitting in airports for hours. Doesn’t seem like sitting around would make you so tired.
Funny story….at some point last night, I went to check my watch for the time and accidentally took the phone off the hook. I didn’t realize it until I woke up. I remember thinking in the night, “what am I holding?” and then just dropping it. Kind of funny, since I asked for a walk up call.
I love getting on a bus filled with you know, who stare at you like you are a freak. What is even better is they start speaking in a foreign language. After the uncomfortable beginning, talk starts among me and a couple of others. Come to find out no one on the bus is going to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.
My first thought is I could be the only climber with just the guide. That could be kind of nice, but also a tad scary and I would get lonely.
The first Kenya/Tanzania border crossing for me. When I was done going through immigrations for Tanzania, me and a French girl that was on my bus were sitting around waiting for our bus to cross the border. While we were waiting some native young boys started talking to us. One of them asked where I was from. I said the USA and he said “California,” I said no Utah and he again said California. Another kid that was behind me asked me why my hair wasn’t dark like the French girls. Kind of funny.
Along the way to Moshi after crossing the border, the bus picks up other random individuals. GAP Adventures, who I booked the tour through, must work with a shuttle service in Africa.
I was dropped in Arusha (about 1 and a half hours from Moshi) at the bus station with my luggage. No one gave me any information on where I should be going or if another bus was coming for me. Actually, the driver didn’t seem to know where to tell me to go either.
After waiting for about 20 minutes, a bus to Moshi arrives. On that bus was a fellow GAP Adventure Kilimanjaro trekker. I was not aware of this until we were the only two left on the bus. The young guy, Gavin, is originally from New York but just graduated from graduate school and a job lined up in San Francisco.

Song Quote for the blog: “I have no answers for you” Dave Matthews Band – Song Where Are You Going?

Monday, August 14, 2006

Today the “great” climb starts. Nervous…a little…excited….of course. I met my guide last night for a short briefing. His name is Joel.
The bus to the Marangu (Manrangu is the route I will be climbing to the top). This route is the tourist route and often referred to as the Coke-a-Cola route. Note sure why. Could it be because it is so popular? I guess that I will find out) gate is boarded at 9 am. Before leaving, I am introduced to an older couple from Sweden that are joining the group. Their names are Peter and Marionanne.
On the bus ride to the trailhead, I meet a newlywed couple from England who are on a month long honeymoon in Africa. They are the only two in their group but I see them along the way.
Once we are checked in and start the trek, a young cute, dating couple from Ireland join the group. Their names are Shawna and Peter.
Our assistant guide, Faustian starts us walking while our main guide is still checking in.
Our climb today takes us to Mandura Hut. It was a 3 and a half hour climb through a thick rain forest zone. The rain forest is really very pretty, green, and lush. Really pretty. We stopped for lunch a little off the trail. At our lunch location, there is a separate dirt road that the porters walk on for the first part of the climb. It is so amazing how much they carry and how fast they go. I just have a hard time carrying my own daypack.
Mandura Hut is at 2,750m – 9,000 ft. Our climb started at 1,800 m.
The accommodations tonight will be spent in mountain huts. Four beds (one set of bunkbeds. At camp there are some blue monkeys wandering around. My first sight of some wildlife in Africa.
It got dark and cold fairly fast tonight. Outstanding stargazing. The stars were so bright. You could see the Milky Way really clearly. Even though I was cold, I couldn’t pass up a once in a lifetime chance to stargaze on Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Song for the blog: Are You Ready for This?

Tuesday, August, 15/Wednesday, August 16, 2006

The climb today continued some more through the rain forest before reaching the heather and moorland zone. At camp last night, after getting settled a little, we took a hike to a crater. I enjoy taking smaller hikes and moving once reaching camp for the night.
Our camp tonight is at Horombo Hut (3,720 m). The climb today was hot and a little steep. The heat bothered me more then the altitude. There were some good views along the way of the Kili Summit and Uhuru Peak (Africa’s highest peak).
The climb was done at a pole, pole (go slowly) pace today. Joel and Faustian, our guides, are very enthusiastic. Faustian doesn’t speak very much English. He is carrying a radio and listening to rap/hip hop and some African music. It is fun to walk along and sing and dance to the music. I decided to leave my ipod behind at the hotel so I am glad I have some sort of music.
Once we moved out of the rain forest into the moorland, we climbed above the clouds. How cool to be above the clouds. What a magnificent sight and feeling.
Tonight was another great stargazing night. The sunset was a spectacular sight. Once again, I couldn’t pass up watching the sky despite the chill in the air..
After arriving in camp today, a few of us took a hike to Zebra Rocks which is a rock that has steaks on it from water that has dried up over the years.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Yesterday at lunch, I lost my sunglasses. It was bound to happen at some point along the way. I am notorious for losing my sunglasses no matter where I am. Good thing I brought another pair.
The climb today takes us past the final watering point and ascended onto the saddle of Kilimanjaro between the peaks of Kibo and Mwenzi. The vegetation thins out as we enter the desert-like alpine zone. Our stop for the afternoon/evening, since we start our summit climb at midnight, is at Kibo Hut (4,703 m), in a stone construction with no running water.
Our sleeping arrangements are ten in a room with 5 sets of bunk beds and a table in the middle for mealtime.
Around 11:30 we are woken for a cup of tea before heading out for our night climb to the summit.

Song Quote for the blog: "In this proud land we grew up strong we were wanted all along, I was taught to fight, taught to win, I never thought I could fail." Peter Gabriel - Song Don't Give Up

Thursday, August 17, 2006

As we start our climb around midnight, I start to get hot with all the layers I have on. I have to readjust some clothing to avoid getting overheated.
Our pace is slow and methodical. The silence is eerie. In order to keep going, no one wants to use their energy to speak. Every hour, before reaching Gillman’s Point (4 hours), we stop for water, but not for long, so we keep moving. IT is hard to move again but realize that we need to. At one point, I eat a few jellies that the Irish couple had. Just a few of those helped me tremendously for a little while. The climb is steep (switchbacking all the way) to Gillman’s Point (5,861 m). At this point it starts to get colder and windy. The temperature is a chilling -20f.
The climb to Uhuru Peak is another hour and a half climb. At this point, the group starts to disperse as the altitude rises and the air thins. At one point, I have to hand my daypack over to our guide to carry. He is very willing and at every short break, gives me my water, which freezes at some point. There is one last climb to Uhuru Peak that I was not expecting. I had quite a few moments along the way, where I thought about giving up and turning around but knew I had to keep pushing on.
At 6 am I reached the top of Africa with 2 others from the group. Peter (Sweden) and Gavin (USA). The USA was represented very well. GO TEAM USA! The three that didn’t reach the summit were Irish Peter (he got altitude sickness and got close), his girlfriend, Shawna (she went back down with him), and Marionanne (she decided to not go any farther then Kibo Hut).
Joel, our guide was so energetic the whole way up. He was singing and encouraging us to keep going. Sure made it easier to reach the summit.
Towards the summit, we met up with other people climbing from other routes on the mountain.
It is a great sight to watch the headlamps, in the distance, from other trekkers as they reached the summit
Despite the climb to Gillman’s Point being exhausting, tough, and just trying to concentrate my energy on moving, I did take the time to look behind me and see the lights from headlamps of people making the trek and to see how far we had come. I saw the moon come out (even though it was only a quarter moon). What an incredible sight.
Since we arrived at the summit before the sun came up, you could see the red in the sky as the sun started to rise slowly. The views from the peak were quite impressive.
We were only at the peak long enough to get a couple of pictures (I was lucky my camera behaved for one picture, since my battery was dying and freezing).
We tried to get back to Gillman’s Point for sunrise but found that I still had to go slowly.
The descend after Gillman’s Point was a steep slide down through the rumble. I am so happy that we climbed at night, otherwise I don’t know if I would have made it with seeing what was in front of me. The reason for climbing the summit at night is because it is easier to climb the scree (since it is volcanic ash we climb on) slope when it is frozen.
After a short rest and breakfast at Kibo Hut, we start our descend back to Horombo Hut for the night. I left my only source of time, at Kibo Hut. Our guides were rushing us so much that I didn’t grab it. I realized almost instantly that I forgot it but didn’t have time to go back. Luckily, the guy from the England couple who are on their honeymoon, sound it and brought it to me. Phew….that would have been very bad not to have a watch.
The accommodations tonight are in a hut with six beds. Enough for the whole group to stay in.
After an afternoon of resting, we celebrated a little in our hut with our guides and the English couple. I enjoyed a cold coke while the rest of the group enjoyed a Kilimanjaro Beer. I never drink coke and found it slightly refreshing. At the first two camps, they sell beer and coke. At the last camp, they only sell coke. Probably for good reason since alcohol and altitude don’t mix.
Even thought I made the summit climb sound like a horrendous experience, it was by far one of my favorite Africa moments. Would I do it again….HELL NO…..I am crazy but not that crazy.

Song Quote of the blog: "I have climbed highest mountain.....I have run I have crawled" U2 - Song I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Friday, August 18, 2006

Today is the final few hours on the mountain. We departed early and arrived at the entrance gate around 12:30 p.m. where I received a well-earned certificate.
About an hour before the gate, there were a few kids playing. I took pictures of them. The kids here are so cute.
It was so nice to finally take a shower even if the water was cold.
Later that night four of us (Shawna, Peter, Gavin and myself) went to a local high class nightclub with out guides. The club was called "Pub Albertos"
We arrived early and the crowd didn't start rolling in until around 10:30.
It was fun toe dance and people watch. The culture in Africa is so different from that in America. Men dance with each other. You usually see men walking down the street holding hands. Interesting to visit other countries and experience part of their culture and how things can be so different back home.
What a fun night! I love to dance, even though I am bad at it. A once in a lifetime chance to go out to a club in Moshi, Tanzania. What happens in Africa, stays in Africa.

Some Common Swahili words used on the trail:

Rafiki - friend
Hakuna Matata - No Worries
Mambo/Jambo - Hello
Pole, Pole - Go Slowly
Haraka, Haraka - Fast

Song Quote of the blog: "Stolen from Africa, brought to America,Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival" Bob Marley - Song Buffalo Soldier