tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11679520687481945322024-03-18T20:12:11.107-07:00Journey of the 7 C'sAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-31244665549611663032016-07-13T20:52:00.001-07:002016-07-13T20:52:48.261-07:00Texas<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset in Austin</td></tr>
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We were remiss in getting this posted but arrived back in the USA at the end of February. We arrived in Austin Texas
and although we had had a wonderful time traveling around the world, we all
felt excited and happy to be back in the good ol'USA. We stayed at my parents' house in Austin and
all of us were happy to see them. My
parents welcomed us with open arms and ended up spoiling all of us with great
company, food and fun activities. First
off, my parents treated Justin and I to a romantic Valentines date at a
wonderful restaurant, Truluck. They had
made us reservations, gave us a gift card and even spent the evening with the
kids . This was an extra special treat
since Justin and I had not had a date night for the entire time we had been
traveling. The food was fantastic and
the company was amazing. During the rest
of the visit we were all treated to a day at Austin's Park and Pizza. This is a great area that has go karts,
bumper boats, mini golf, laser tag, and amusement rides. We all had a blast. Justin slaughtered me in mini golf, much to
my surprise! We also went to a bounce
park, where the kids had a great time jumping and bouncing. They even tried the mechanical bull! We ate at delicious places and my mom cooked
the most amazing meals. There really is
nothing like your moms own cooking, and my mom is a fantastic chef. High on our list was to go to a barbeque
place called Rudy's. We had all been
talking about Rudy's for at least a month, and I will say that it did not disappoint. During our visit my nephew, Thomas, had his
30th birthday. My mom cooked the most
delicious Moroccan couscous with lamb
and chicken. It was so wonderful to
spend the evening celebrating his birthday and visiting with my sister
Nathalie, her husband Jeff and my niece Victoria. It was great to catch up and share our
adventure. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joel is intense in his go-kart!</td></tr>
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During our visit,
Justin planned on taking me up to Waco for a surprise visit to Magnolia
Farms. I am a huge fan of Chip and
Joanna Gaines and their show fixer upper.
We, and I mean I, had a great time looking through their shop and
visiting the silos. They have a cute
garden and even a fun play area for the kids.
We also took a drive over to their first shop and went past the Harp Design Co. During our
lunch break, one of the restaurant staff told us of a house that was soon to be
featured on a new episode of Fixer Upper, so after lunch we made a bee line to
it and snapped a few pictures. While in
Waco we also took a tour of the Dr. Pepper museum. This was a great day for me with being able
to see things associated with my favorite show and favorite soda, win, win all
around. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caroline at Magnolia Farms Store<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House in Waco under renovation by Magnolia</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Pepper Museum</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eden by the Dr. Pepper Man</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Justin had also scoped out a place called Hamilton pools.</span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">This is an easy 15 minute walk down to an amazing </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">grotto where you can swim. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The kids tried to venture in but all of them except Eden, declared it too cold. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Eden on the other hand had a blast playing in the water. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Caleb, Joel and Danielle decided to explore the grotto and had fun building a fort with some logs they found lying around. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The grotto had a really pretty waterfall and Joel and Danielle went to stand under it. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hamilton Pools</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danielle Under the Waterfall</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eden testing out the water</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6667px;">All in all we had a truly wonderful time in Texas. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6667px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6667px;">It was great not only spending time with my family but also being back in the United States. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-26724304582323774752016-02-12T19:16:00.001-08:002016-02-12T19:16:04.691-08:00Mexico<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Making sandcastles at the Bahia Principe beach<br /></td></tr>
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We arrived in Cancun at 3pm and it took over 2 and a half hours to clear immigration, get our luggage and go through customs. I was so surprised to see just how crowded the airport was. At all of the airports we had gone through, this was by far the slowest process and the most congested. We had planned on getting a rental car so once outside of the building we started looking for the guy that was supposed to meet us and take us to the rental car site. 20 minutes later we found him sitting in a corner talking to a couple of buddies with his sign in his lap. If it wasn't for this other nice guy that could obviously see we were looking for someone and started to shout the name of the company, I'm certain we might still be looking for him. Once we got to the rental agency they informed us that we were required to purchase a very expensive insurance that made the price of the car about 5 times higher. At this point I was, you could say, a little cranky, and when another worker approached us and said they could take off $200 from the cost if we went to listen to a presentation about vacation clubs, I just about lost it. I had them take us back to the airport and Justin found a super shuttle to take us the 1 drive to our apartment in Akumal, which made it about 8pm when we arrived. </div>
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We had found an apartment on the property of an all-inclusive resort, Bahia Principe. Our apartment was not all-inclusive, but we did get the use of one of the pools at one of the resorts and the beach with chairs and umbrellas. We settled in the following day taking a cab to pick up groceries and headed to the pool. We decided, after checking out the resort grounds that, in fact, we did not need a car. They had shuttle services to get around and if we wanted to go anywhere else we could get a cab. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A school of fish right near the beach<br /></td></tr>
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We took a few days and kicked back enjoying the amenities at the resort, even buying an all-inclusive day, just to see what it was like. At one of the 4 other complexes there was a cute water park that the kids really enjoyed. They even had a couple of organized games that all of the kids took part in and each of them came back with a t-shirt for placing in the top 3. Joel and Eden as a team even came in first in the brownie decorating contest. During our all-inclusive day we got to eat all of our meals at the buffets that they offered. Unfortunately, I was expecting a lot more Mexican food and they only had a small sampling. I did notice quite a bit of inebriated people walking around so we decided to stay closer to the water park in the hopes of avoiding them. We also got to see an impressive dolphin show. All in all, we had a pretty fun day. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Danielle and Eden at the water park<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtE9c4MzFeXMI_W87L2ex-95PT7ZIpfZst5WLIMvJVnRNWB9G7hTemkG3UCuS8hNY6Kka0ImXjfLEIFIWBKDCrOAHALwBOIrAcxVG7ba9s_4kuqd6HUVv4EJKtBhgBsZJWSOv0siatu4/s1600/IMG_4352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtE9c4MzFeXMI_W87L2ex-95PT7ZIpfZst5WLIMvJVnRNWB9G7hTemkG3UCuS8hNY6Kka0ImXjfLEIFIWBKDCrOAHALwBOIrAcxVG7ba9s_4kuqd6HUVv4EJKtBhgBsZJWSOv0siatu4/s400/IMG_4352.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">It is impressive how high these dolphins get above the water<br /></td></tr>
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We also spent one of our days visiting the ruins in Tulum. After the advice from a couple of friends we ended up having a 15 minute drive to these ruins as opposed to a 2 and a half hour drive to a different area. We were definitely not disappointed. The ruins themselves are situated right on the edge of the ocean and the view was gorgeous. The ruins were pretty interesting to see. We had a really fun time exploring each of the buildings. This had been a real huge interest for Joel. During the whole trip he would say, "I can't wait to the Mayan ruins," and I am happy to report that he was thrilled to have gone there. I should mention that there are A LOT of iguanas and these other rodent looking animals called coati and agouti roaming around. I did not enjoy any of those and unfortunately for me in the ruins at Tulum we needed to pass through an entrance in the wall that somewhat resembled a tunnel, which had an iguana in it. I freaked and almost said I would just wait for everyone near the wall but when I looked around I saw several huge iguanas and an agouti run past, so through the tunnel I went, really, really fast. The kids thought it was hilarious and I also spotted a smile on Justin's face, at least someone thought it was funny. By the way, we did encounter all of these creatures around the resort. In fact, the coati's seemed to get their meals from the many trash cans around, yuck. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_NvJBU6gs2PMZmQJ60I5WCG1d8lBe0poHkp0KxeiMY9jGwYCGkjveB_kWYVRx-9lEIPOLvJcULqT8nlQesu0oKWL1XqC-yxFUA96UlE-F7OQ_8DZnqDP-BrqKRGunx-uaR2394cGt_1M/s1600/IMG_2634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_NvJBU6gs2PMZmQJ60I5WCG1d8lBe0poHkp0KxeiMY9jGwYCGkjveB_kWYVRx-9lEIPOLvJcULqT8nlQesu0oKWL1XqC-yxFUA96UlE-F7OQ_8DZnqDP-BrqKRGunx-uaR2394cGt_1M/s400/IMG_2634.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the entrance of Tulum ruins<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ByAbnSe_fnuANJMHSRUmPGUhzpsDchfTEzGNeJoTT4jy-7MindoBcoj2ITrCVHjCSKLtdp-AHojnCNyeY-nu9aYAZTuv4AouuG4JHrD4TK49njtxSEKfyLMsODKk02gX95Ibxq0KsX8/s1600/IMG_2645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ByAbnSe_fnuANJMHSRUmPGUhzpsDchfTEzGNeJoTT4jy-7MindoBcoj2ITrCVHjCSKLtdp-AHojnCNyeY-nu9aYAZTuv4AouuG4JHrD4TK49njtxSEKfyLMsODKk02gX95Ibxq0KsX8/s400/IMG_2645.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Joel in front of the temple<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLM18W2uSvjG3ZvY9LO2OETyGKBDcwEP1S62xAvQT8u3b9Q2JuqcoT3algOayOXMIkI9IX8HHdCcmZTsWXxVThkLStBgQssbjcYaq8H2Zw4X-GAXf4huUoBQSbjQXSv5mOAUws4l6CH4/s1600/IMG_2641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLM18W2uSvjG3ZvY9LO2OETyGKBDcwEP1S62xAvQT8u3b9Q2JuqcoT3algOayOXMIkI9IX8HHdCcmZTsWXxVThkLStBgQssbjcYaq8H2Zw4X-GAXf4huUoBQSbjQXSv5mOAUws4l6CH4/s400/IMG_2641.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The coastline below the Tulum ruins</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8pK3peSgdmOZBj00hKtzuBj2iWMSwVrdhVtrFnXLkBwyOSLysB3MlkB5eYiqneTr16D5ZRypfMnhVqMBlDYP5qa6zqaOlNmIHPMF2joRZePFQj8yK9qgjCCPE60dK3LbPCpSDUSbiKmA/s1600/IMG_2654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8pK3peSgdmOZBj00hKtzuBj2iWMSwVrdhVtrFnXLkBwyOSLysB3MlkB5eYiqneTr16D5ZRypfMnhVqMBlDYP5qa6zqaOlNmIHPMF2joRZePFQj8yK9qgjCCPE60dK3LbPCpSDUSbiKmA/s400/IMG_2654.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> The beach from the vantage point of the temple</td></tr>
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On our last full day in Akumal we went to a lagoon called Yal-Ku to snorkel. This place was recommended to us by the manager of the apartment. I have to say it was a blast. It is a combination of fresh and salt water and the lagoons are filled with so much fish that it felt like we were swimming in a tropical fish tank. There were these huge rocks in the middle of the lagoons and all of the fish hung around that area. The kids had a great time not only swimming with the fish, but they also had found these underwater tunnels that they swam through. We all had a pretty spectacular time. After Yal-Ku, we headed to a restaurant on the beach called Lol-ha to have a late lunch. We had our fill of AWESOME Mexican food. Caleb, having become a rather adventurous eater ordered a varied platter of food that he had no idea what it was, but declared that it was all delicious. After lunch, we walked the 25 feet to the beach and went for a snorkel. I had read that this beach in particular was great for seeing sea turtles. Well, they were right because there were tons of them. Caleb, Joel, Danielle and I even saw a sting ray! I did think it was funny that huge groups of tourist were paying ridiculous amounts of money to have a guide show them where the turtles were, when all you really needed to do was stick your face underwater and swim around for a couple of minutes. I will say one thing we have learned along the way is that in some instances a guide or tour in not necessary. We all had a perfect time at the lagoon, restaurant and beach and for me personally this day was my favorite in Mexico by far. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpdp_BZfDLk3E1-EEaVy4Nbp4zMFZfHX5KR0fE1OD0aN2mUuEleo8zGkfF7Ka_Zc4tegNGGC0aFkbF_tjLuwdducHYHO8p7MUUHFatV1fL0EhgwT4WRHjetNc8bQJ-UkdkMgwQbIR8fI/s1600/IMG_2663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpdp_BZfDLk3E1-EEaVy4Nbp4zMFZfHX5KR0fE1OD0aN2mUuEleo8zGkfF7Ka_Zc4tegNGGC0aFkbF_tjLuwdducHYHO8p7MUUHFatV1fL0EhgwT4WRHjetNc8bQJ-UkdkMgwQbIR8fI/s400/IMG_2663.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snorkeling at the Yal-ku lagoons</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLvIjlmuvsw6Go8xTAo4OzcaRl78eNqogtNc_TNnaawAC7F1aRSLfQKdL0rrZfmrdtyFamuvN0YtwsV7Th0n3DjTYyYSTmP-qjDz75j60Hu8FNK6yFGHwTbBzwvqrprqaQDwyhHtes71M/s1600/IMG_2674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLvIjlmuvsw6Go8xTAo4OzcaRl78eNqogtNc_TNnaawAC7F1aRSLfQKdL0rrZfmrdtyFamuvN0YtwsV7Th0n3DjTYyYSTmP-qjDz75j60Hu8FNK6yFGHwTbBzwvqrprqaQDwyhHtes71M/s400/IMG_2674.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The path to the lagoons</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZv5JALKUPlINJxzMFhXKDQHyrVoL2nd_rK3VyHuT1daTSr8AfNf-rJYUzOuGHPkpwYO2YRrKfqq3k2PiSsXhvBOX0cqvw-KxJb2AwegnXyWj952sfoupDQufvjiJoqF6nAzYlR_MvGQQ/s1600/IMG_2681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZv5JALKUPlINJxzMFhXKDQHyrVoL2nd_rK3VyHuT1daTSr8AfNf-rJYUzOuGHPkpwYO2YRrKfqq3k2PiSsXhvBOX0cqvw-KxJb2AwegnXyWj952sfoupDQufvjiJoqF6nAzYlR_MvGQQ/s400/IMG_2681.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch at the Lol-Ha in Akumal</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4B_NhS3hs61Z3gyP-4lNoDSQ3Cw3At5kVkaCfK1Sq2j3Me3zkVni8ju9L8LkuunpZGdjeKOBiHs_oZQt2kEUnueVMGmMPduSk6N6vT9LrELjTScn0zUBk3IgG_OHQSato88-EkzrA-0/s1600/IMG_2685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4B_NhS3hs61Z3gyP-4lNoDSQ3Cw3At5kVkaCfK1Sq2j3Me3zkVni8ju9L8LkuunpZGdjeKOBiHs_oZQt2kEUnueVMGmMPduSk6N6vT9LrELjTScn0zUBk3IgG_OHQSato88-EkzrA-0/s400/IMG_2685.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danielle getting her hair braided</td></tr>
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Another highlight, was that we rented a golf cart for a day. Although we were not supposed to let the kids drive, we did, shhhh. Justin took them out one at a time, gave them each a lesson and administered a driving test. From this we do know who we will need to worry about and who we know will do just fine when it is time to get a driver's license. I'm pretty sure those of you that know our children can predict this also. Before turning the cart in I went for a spin in it myself with Caleb. We ended up taking a tour of a couple of links of the very fancy golf course. Justin later informed me that we are not supposed to be out there when we are not golfing so that we did not disturb the golfers, oops. I told Justin we probably only disturbed one guy while he was trying to putt and I needed to reverse a couple of times to turn around. (While reversing the cart beeps). Oh well, if his game was messed up by that, how good of a golfer is he?</div>
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We had a really great time in Mexico, and both Justin and I agree that we would definitely come back, especially since it is not too far from Colorado. Next stop Texas, USA!</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0avQoCSg-h06x-Ub0LjoFemuNWWa9wmnpvv9kQDZnZL4G1PzparDYDMTKGNYwv6GjuIPVxMuPBwU7XyLxZRFpmF4C5HCj1XZlhQB2tHOGrL_9cA9JzbxGVWDs_Zve2CsfuRJGnsPBVo/s1600/IMG_2632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0avQoCSg-h06x-Ub0LjoFemuNWWa9wmnpvv9kQDZnZL4G1PzparDYDMTKGNYwv6GjuIPVxMuPBwU7XyLxZRFpmF4C5HCj1XZlhQB2tHOGrL_9cA9JzbxGVWDs_Zve2CsfuRJGnsPBVo/s400/IMG_2632.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Iguana<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMPpZzIp6VzKIvIYZm4wcdBYb26SY6ovs7TKCGArgT5zwfPWJKcOyOInpvphGFrmEmQH2Pt-3kGDKABStz5U44ruwXFpBc9Xe10pdDIC252r-uWjpac33ns4SN3FEYtMz7y-h-k0bwos/s1600/IMG_4333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMPpZzIp6VzKIvIYZm4wcdBYb26SY6ovs7TKCGArgT5zwfPWJKcOyOInpvphGFrmEmQH2Pt-3kGDKABStz5U44ruwXFpBc9Xe10pdDIC252r-uWjpac33ns4SN3FEYtMz7y-h-k0bwos/s400/IMG_4333.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">These Agoutis were running around all over the place<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQCHtyXJG-D52ZxlVWWQs0cG3QDUPascQywQenJ3jeVV_OlJAC8TzMig1u2YTXXzZDtOEsjwQAiw1vfopLbis7cDvWCWpDA4zlEUD9VkWrQ4wnQwPmsQizxvvqSt2lMAtkZkvRQkgM0Y/s1600/IMG_4304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQCHtyXJG-D52ZxlVWWQs0cG3QDUPascQywQenJ3jeVV_OlJAC8TzMig1u2YTXXzZDtOEsjwQAiw1vfopLbis7cDvWCWpDA4zlEUD9VkWrQ4wnQwPmsQizxvvqSt2lMAtkZkvRQkgM0Y/s400/IMG_4304.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a big beetle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8lKzMsj6H-o_FFR_-sqQPMx003iygyZLILGgfUk1WQKjLUiCjhS9oBcWrizJdzbfB_6wHNH6g7vP3ybC6pStcYl48DcOSo-jRk8W-RTNVxY8D1muUewGiLN0j_We0xuvrDfTHTvXah7g/s1600/IMG_4336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8lKzMsj6H-o_FFR_-sqQPMx003iygyZLILGgfUk1WQKjLUiCjhS9oBcWrizJdzbfB_6wHNH6g7vP3ybC6pStcYl48DcOSo-jRk8W-RTNVxY8D1muUewGiLN0j_We0xuvrDfTHTvXah7g/s400/IMG_4336.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eden liked the new dress she got in Mexico</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8LU6vJvnpW0L6KiOfEu5rfP9uAn2PX9gQXVzxjlZ1T-R3NKyYQIxUfiYE3zqUuVqHREWKlRMTfSY_V0n_AHK3KW-YJ-06NFNXxI6q0olxuWYO8P0orXRgL47JB1GEw21J9fDAWDtWqE/s1600/IMG_4341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8LU6vJvnpW0L6KiOfEu5rfP9uAn2PX9gQXVzxjlZ1T-R3NKyYQIxUfiYE3zqUuVqHREWKlRMTfSY_V0n_AHK3KW-YJ-06NFNXxI6q0olxuWYO8P0orXRgL47JB1GEw21J9fDAWDtWqE/s400/IMG_4341.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caleb, or should I say, Luchador El Demonio Azul</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-1322952056273710832016-02-05T16:50:00.002-08:002016-02-05T16:50:57.639-08:00Panama<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvJqs5UanOfrMszUNHcu1icKiLCaOUhS4BEj2vPRWah44Yv1JrlN73LrIZ6x4ioKr1lIfZyRJSTiIQrF1eJwT-wphbzaQhkHwbzHzjaALSHJ1pwjbft82pmRdZSVW0Q71V1ZxrUwVy3I/s1600/IMG_2629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvJqs5UanOfrMszUNHcu1icKiLCaOUhS4BEj2vPRWah44Yv1JrlN73LrIZ6x4ioKr1lIfZyRJSTiIQrF1eJwT-wphbzaQhkHwbzHzjaALSHJ1pwjbft82pmRdZSVW0Q71V1ZxrUwVy3I/s200/IMG_2629.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panama City Skyline</td></tr>
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We decided to take a quick trip to Panama so that we could see the Panama Canal which was something Caleb really wanted to do. In addition, Caroline would have a an excuse to play Van Halen's song "Panama" over and over again. After an uneventful flight we arrived at Tocumen International Airport. The hotel we were staying at graciously provided transportation for us. On the drive over we noticed that Panama City is very modern with many newer skyscrapers dotting the skyline. Our driver was quite aggressive weaving through the traffic. The most memorable however was his technique in approaching a toll booth plaza. We had a few of these, and each time he would seek out a lane that didn't have any cars waiting even if it was 5 or more lanes away. If the crazy swerving wasn't enough, the gate would raise once it recognized the car through the electronic tolling system. The driver had obviously done this often such that he had it timed so that the gate would open just before the car would have it. For us sitting and watching, it seemed like for sure he was going to just blast through the gate without stopping. We made it each time, but the gate wouldn't even be all the way vertical yet when we were passing through. I wonder if he has ever hit it. </div>
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We struggled a bit communicating in Panama given that we know as much Spanish as most people we encountered knew English. That's to say not much. Google translate helped immensely here. We considered taking a bus to the canal but read that there were some areas that weren't safe to be walking around. We didn't want to inadvertently end up in one of these areas so we decided to take a cab. Actually, we tried Uber for the first time. It worked out great. Putting the destination into the app avoided miscommunication for our intended destination. Also, we didn't have to negotiate the price down from the high tourist rates many cab drivers try for. The payment is just fixed based on the time and distance. I actually wish I would have used them previously on the trip.</div>
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The Panama Canal has it's visitor's center at the Miraflores Locks. This is a double step lock near the Pacific side of the lock. We were able to watch a large cargo and tanker ship make its way through the locks. It is cool to see such a huge ship get lifted up in this water elevator. The ships are pulled along with these mechanical "mules" that run on tracks on both sides of the canal. We could see in the distance the construction area where they a building a new set of locks to accommodate even bigger ships. We learned about the history of the canal through the visitor's center. A few facts that I thought were interesting:</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• The French had originally been the ones to start constructing the canal but after several years they abandoned the project. The United States finished it in 1913.</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• The United States relinquished full operational control of the canal to Panama in 1999.</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• The canal is 48 miles long, most of which is through artificial lakes. </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• The canal saves 7800 miles for a trip by sea from New York to San Francisco.</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• There are 3 sets of locks to get the ships up 85 feet and back down again to cross the Continental Divide.</div>
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We also learned of a website called <a href="http://www.marinetraffic.com/" target="_blank">MarineTraffic</a> which the kids really liked. It provided the geographical location of all the ships and information about the vessels. Caleb enjoyed looking up the boats that were passing though and figuring out how much they weighed, etc… </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga1VD1WKJ7WSUoyqsPPHkuXTplYnBCVg2HspHSiRKm3wRAk8_l3ysDwyeLQiNsbv8xuncsgLKr2szQqMaQFnva_u7BaIzEq2f9Awx8lunzewxtu0EUGCBz4R6innSa_bPN7P431gF6oVQ/s1600/DSC03774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga1VD1WKJ7WSUoyqsPPHkuXTplYnBCVg2HspHSiRKm3wRAk8_l3ysDwyeLQiNsbv8xuncsgLKr2szQqMaQFnva_u7BaIzEq2f9Awx8lunzewxtu0EUGCBz4R6innSa_bPN7P431gF6oVQ/s400/DSC03774.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">View of the Canal out to the Pacific Ocean<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBOB6gOU598j6mtZoGngMhqyEMqPu0JQ09eLKAmIg7WGBYafPbYxPMXKs8xzH33HYvxVusw99AK4H-7vjHztMpuxp6TrEkX1WJPVp3T2O0b4-gvItlgSx5pc_xcrP_64P8YfXaUPLI9A/s1600/DSC03778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBOB6gOU598j6mtZoGngMhqyEMqPu0JQ09eLKAmIg7WGBYafPbYxPMXKs8xzH33HYvxVusw99AK4H-7vjHztMpuxp6TrEkX1WJPVp3T2O0b4-gvItlgSx5pc_xcrP_64P8YfXaUPLI9A/s400/DSC03778.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Large Freighter passing through the canal<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxrs4n8MuvLHgZlQwkrTMZX3Zfsa4BwCpVEtnEabSSbmm1AxiIZ9FUEiUM2FcgYCMZp845mS0Zc2zgiIwADzGZ-7y-HnH3UF2NB7OBWf9ff5GZ6LI7EW_GVSzHvwu4wMknLrcNuas__0/s1600/IMG_4299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxrs4n8MuvLHgZlQwkrTMZX3Zfsa4BwCpVEtnEabSSbmm1AxiIZ9FUEiUM2FcgYCMZp845mS0Zc2zgiIwADzGZ-7y-HnH3UF2NB7OBWf9ff5GZ6LI7EW_GVSzHvwu4wMknLrcNuas__0/s400/IMG_4299.JPG" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caroline, Danielle, and Eden at the Canal</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGudFvK1FVQADMwuuVzERONOnC1gPwRdJDS7kdnZHU1AgVFfAvZ-LQyqSnEZyFdSKU0YxgPGFBPQFv-OMlRi5ud1LEAoy-queIJtkBmO23_GkLCifIU7kfCinIVfTI0TO4Bjgf9IkcT8/s1600/DSC03773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGudFvK1FVQADMwuuVzERONOnC1gPwRdJDS7kdnZHU1AgVFfAvZ-LQyqSnEZyFdSKU0YxgPGFBPQFv-OMlRi5ud1LEAoy-queIJtkBmO23_GkLCifIU7kfCinIVfTI0TO4Bjgf9IkcT8/s400/DSC03773.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near the Miraflores Locks</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigAAX15JJpo-IRBSYOYotV2QkBk8yYFRW0k89ku9n2am2MknQCnf9lnoSYFpEQCa0MVSYCLUpbOWE7AVZdIRIu5dTMlSSIJdz5O2nUHsvIytWfcAZBXa-2mRFfPg69C_R2TrXHpa96_C8/s1600/DSC03775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigAAX15JJpo-IRBSYOYotV2QkBk8yYFRW0k89ku9n2am2MknQCnf9lnoSYFpEQCa0MVSYCLUpbOWE7AVZdIRIu5dTMlSSIJdz5O2nUHsvIytWfcAZBXa-2mRFfPg69C_R2TrXHpa96_C8/s400/DSC03775.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lock Gates Closing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70E2yY-bjv8ZZ_v7wvtwykYWutbZ6WwnbJkkmdXEu-l_SejzxU-sp-PP-u0Pn-vmmpy5Z4xAu6B5TrtanFHE0noDAdUSZU52wNK-_C6ALpF8n1R9sLDciRSz6y_YeHLniLbzJ6B3ZA0w/s1600/DSC03784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70E2yY-bjv8ZZ_v7wvtwykYWutbZ6WwnbJkkmdXEu-l_SejzxU-sp-PP-u0Pn-vmmpy5Z4xAu6B5TrtanFHE0noDAdUSZU52wNK-_C6ALpF8n1R9sLDciRSz6y_YeHLniLbzJ6B3ZA0w/s400/DSC03784.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ships get pulled by the silver "mules" on the tracks adjacent to the canal</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqQl3qrqMKbQzooyL_um_dAqRhOZVdZR1yWg0K_wUjVFPOG8odgKlaIFf3PdV6RCXTF5r_9yTGJFlWTQbQ7wQUPYQ1dODWhvF5PdTJlE906IBzFCTMVUuKXflep8aT43FSm7zMpsgi_w/s1600/DSC03793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqQl3qrqMKbQzooyL_um_dAqRhOZVdZR1yWg0K_wUjVFPOG8odgKlaIFf3PdV6RCXTF5r_9yTGJFlWTQbQ7wQUPYQ1dODWhvF5PdTJlE906IBzFCTMVUuKXflep8aT43FSm7zMpsgi_w/s400/DSC03793.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group Photo</td></tr>
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After visiting the canal we went to Casco Viejo, which is the old town in Panama city. The streets are paved in red brick and many of the buildings have great character. There is a lot of restoration occurring to preserve this area of town. After exploring this area and having a meal we headed back to the hotel.</div>
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We departed back for the airport the next morning. It was a short visit but I'm glad we did it. The Panama Canal is an impressive feat of engineering and it was good to see it firsthand.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_gENvg-ph36iYQ7NzaEtYObvuzYZH3NmUvzII5olELkfJjLkvQoO_SbtT8jOu03bPm2ufmm8BMRb_WnHu9TBQX6oECfcxM58h3Yj8HkWCzlkqVUwGKV4Xv2zvgz26j6Hs_3C2Sf8ry4/s1600/IMG_2624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_gENvg-ph36iYQ7NzaEtYObvuzYZH3NmUvzII5olELkfJjLkvQoO_SbtT8jOu03bPm2ufmm8BMRb_WnHu9TBQX6oECfcxM58h3Yj8HkWCzlkqVUwGKV4Xv2zvgz26j6Hs_3C2Sf8ry4/s400/IMG_2624.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Casco Viejo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMxOX_0Zc0rcPImVIf2Ry7MAnJaKVSj6P9PfP0fAsyTQmlN7dZr9yBD0P88FyftO1Jm2_AAK3SW74vPTI1SAYDM-NBeICc1pBay6Oi7RQqVfk9KtOZYrGttW55Wo1PBwmt_wtX5DRVdE/s1600/IMG_4302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMxOX_0Zc0rcPImVIf2Ry7MAnJaKVSj6P9PfP0fAsyTQmlN7dZr9yBD0P88FyftO1Jm2_AAK3SW74vPTI1SAYDM-NBeICc1pBay6Oi7RQqVfk9KtOZYrGttW55Wo1PBwmt_wtX5DRVdE/s400/IMG_4302.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch at a restaurant in Casco Viejo</td></tr>
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Justin Coppinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14326525639169006698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-33754957382424157282016-02-02T04:46:00.000-08:002016-02-02T04:46:19.937-08:00Dominican Republic<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6C7Z4o9_0Apd6WQ3jkX5iGxNAKGumpMMfdDXNmFyrrBsLvkdeCirwpciZYXBcalynT76G68647I1PKpPNn2JB0IxuL4QavzETslQOQ-ilN0tBo9uA3JpoQuS1tcD-WujBP1WGiT0fjGk/s1600/IMG_2599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6C7Z4o9_0Apd6WQ3jkX5iGxNAKGumpMMfdDXNmFyrrBsLvkdeCirwpciZYXBcalynT76G68647I1PKpPNn2JB0IxuL4QavzETslQOQ-ilN0tBo9uA3JpoQuS1tcD-WujBP1WGiT0fjGk/s320/IMG_2599.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Nice palm trees at Cap Cana</td></tr>
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We took a 5 hour flight from Peru to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Once off the plane, we were instructed that we had to pay a $10 US dollar arrival tax per person. It had to be in US dollars. We weren't carrying any US cash. I thought this was strange that it wasn't in their local currency, and that this apparently applied to everyone even if they weren't US citizens. I asked where an ATM was and they pointed me to the one and only money exchange booth. Basically we were cornered into using this service as there were no ATMs and no competition for the money exchange. As expected, the exchange rate was ridiculous. They charged a 22% fee to get $60. The $12 currency exchange fee isn't that much money but I hate the fact that it is set up to rip off incoming tourists. Not exactly the way to welcome visitors in my opinion.</div>
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We went to get the rental car at the AVIS counter. The car wasn't ready. We were encouraged to buy an expensive insurance package to cover the car in addition to personal injury in case we injured someone else. I figured this was a good idea but wasn't sure why he mentioned the personal injury part of it a few times. After about an hour of waiting we got the car and were off to our condo for the week in the town of Bayahibe.</div>
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The condo did not look like what we had seen in the pictures when we booked it. The unit was run down and in a state of disrepair. Doors wouldn't close, there was no hot water, and tons of mold in the shower. In addition, the internet service didn't work and neither did the television. The attendant at the front office told us that we needed to pay extra for having more than one guest in the unit even though when we booked we told them there were six of us. If that wasn't enough they said they needed to charge for electricity. The meter wasn't at the source to the condo, rather something that was plugged into one of the outlets in the living room. I'm doubtful that meter would be accurate. The whole experience at this place felt like another case of getting swindled. After one night, we decided we needed to find another place. That part was a bit tricky however because we didn't have internet. We thought if we drove into the nearby town of La Romana we could find a restaurant with WiFi and search for another place.</div>
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When entering the town we came up to a traffic light that was green but some guys in their early twenties approached to wash the windshield. I waved them off, but they didn't listen and threw their soapy sponges on the car. I slowly drove away and they grabbed their sponges but they weren't happy that I didn't stop to pay them even though I didn't want the service and they didn't do anything. At a subsequent traffic light another group was sitting by the curb watching cars go by. One of them spotted me and they all jumped up. I guess it is easy to spot the tourists. They started throwing things and one of them jumped right in front of me. I swerved and I missed him, but it was nerve wracking nonetheless. I think his intention was to get hit so that he could get a big payday though an injury claim. Now the statements from the man at AVIS about making sure I had personal injury insurance on the car made more sense. We passed though some areas with tons of trash in the ditches and what looked like quite awful living conditions when we finally spotted a Burger King and pulled in to the parking lot which was manned by a security guard. He watched our car the entire time we were inside the restaurant. </div>
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Punta Cana has many 5 star resorts that are very expensive. Many of them at $1000 per night or more. There weren't any options at the last minute for a place to stay on budget, so we chose a condo in a resort area near the airport called Cap Cana that was the least expensive we would find at $300 per night. This ended up being about the most expensive place per night that we stayed with the exception of our one night in Singapore. The Cap Cana gated resort area is huge and there had to be 50 different condo complexes in the area. From driving around it looked like maybe half of them were closed. There were many buildings that were abandoned even though they look like they were built within the last 10 years and were quite extravagant. We stayed at a place called the Golden Bear Lodge, named after Jack Nicklaus as we were right on a golf course. The place was huge. It was an almost 3000 square foot condo with 3 decks, and a private splash pool. I'm sure this place would have rented for more per night back in its heyday. I'd estimate that there were 60 condos here over about 10 different buildings but we only saw one other guest here during our entire stay. It was a bit strange having our own personal resort. The pool was very large and we had it all to ourselves. There was a building for a restaurant and a bar near the pool but they weren't open. I had read that this resort had actually closed down a few years ago and had recently reopened. There must have been a huge real estate boom here and it was overbuilt and thus many of the places weren't viable financially when the bookings dropped. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Joel and Danielle on the condo deck with the Ocean in the distance</td></tr>
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Given our less than pleasant driving experience in La Romana, we decided to stay put and just stick around the resort and go to the pool and nearby Juanillo beach. The weather was great and the beach was beautiful. There were nice big palm trees on the white sandy beach right near the turquoise water to provide shade. Sitting there it felt like we were in a "Corona" commercial even though we were drinking "Presidente". It was nice to have some lazy days to just kick back and relax. We had a cannonball contest at the pool. We even found a Spanish restaurant that had really good pintxos. It reminded us of being back in Pamplona.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Juanillo Beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXAFYj94qxM0oeu2JWdIEqO1GyK7X0sk7Pp93pTjwv2BheorDn_takGV6KW6GTWFXk6LVuKFiLYBZgosLfGu_jUM0RgHZg4K79lfH6XKGFBg1_FLEfoGKjYs5zLEePzuervHwnBR0mcU/s1600/IMG_2556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXAFYj94qxM0oeu2JWdIEqO1GyK7X0sk7Pp93pTjwv2BheorDn_takGV6KW6GTWFXk6LVuKFiLYBZgosLfGu_jUM0RgHZg4K79lfH6XKGFBg1_FLEfoGKjYs5zLEePzuervHwnBR0mcU/s400/IMG_2556.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Eden and Danielle at the Pool</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0GxqxSBsDV4OnL4MCDesi57p3nGtsvlSSFNTKhAwcZRZvHMTd0rcDkr4d0vZFja9CUvkuKRrlnnF73sywVysgQ-6OxNJfNUJo3AXpk-atYUEnsnBQ1IbKSgyRH_yt3yXE7Tpz0Oat8M/s1600/IMG_2587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0GxqxSBsDV4OnL4MCDesi57p3nGtsvlSSFNTKhAwcZRZvHMTd0rcDkr4d0vZFja9CUvkuKRrlnnF73sywVysgQ-6OxNJfNUJo3AXpk-atYUEnsnBQ1IbKSgyRH_yt3yXE7Tpz0Oat8M/s400/IMG_2587.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Caleb enjoyed the green mussels</td></tr>
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We have tried to get off the beaten path at times on this trip so that we could experience the countries beyond just the tourist destinations. It doesn't mean we will always like what we see, and the Dominican Republic beyond the gates of the expensive tourist resorts was raw, dirty, and not a welcoming place where we felt safe. It's too bad because it is a beautiful island. In contrast, our experience in Bali was very different in that people were welcoming and had pride for their land even though they were also living in poverty. There have been many learning experiences on this trip. My week in the Dominican Republic made me appreciate the safety and living conditions I have at home even more than I did before. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near the marina at Cap Cana</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids liked the swings on this sideways palm tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids loved having the pool to themselves</td></tr>
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Justin Coppinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14326525639169006698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-49147865517346246582016-01-27T17:03:00.000-08:002016-01-27T17:03:18.478-08:00Peru<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Pacific Ocean from Mira Flores</td></tr>
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After 20 hours of travel, we finally made it to Lima, Peru! We headed over to our apartment in Miraflores and crashed. We all slept in until 2pm the following day! I could not believe that we had slept in that long. We headed out into the sun to try to adjust to the time difference. The kids thought it was pretty cool that since we had crossed over the International Date Line we had gained 1 day. Although, they are a little bummed that, they will now need to wait 2 whole extra days for Christmas (2016 is a leap year). We walked around Miraflores and took in the amazing sites of the city. I loved the view out to the Pacific Ocean with the islands in the distance. We had a great time walking along the sea. The city itself is situated high on the bluff, so the ocean is about 80 meters below. With this elevation, you have a really outstanding vantage point to the north and south. We needed to pick up our Peru rail tickets so we ended up at an upscale mall called Lacromar. I love the way that they designed the mall so that what you see from the street is a park and the mall is actually built below so that the view is not obstructed. At the park, they had a playground so we let Eden run around and play. We easily found the Peru rail office and had our tickets issued. At this point, we were all starving and asked the nice man if he had any suggestions for a restaurant nearby that offered Peruvian food. He directed us to Tanta, which thankfully was only a few steps away. We had a wonderful meal. Caleb decided to try something called Causa, I ordered some Tequenos. Both were amazing. We found out that Causa is a cold, seasoned mashed potato terrine filled with different types of fish or eggs. Caleb's dish was a take on that but offered up in a sushi roll style. There were several different varieties and each of them were fantastic. My Tequenos was filled with beef and beans in a rich sauce accompanied with a pepper crema. It was outstanding. Justin got a beef Chifa dish that was so good all three of us ended up sharing. The kids ordered some fun fruit drinks, kind of like a smoothie and Justin and I decided to try a couple of cocktails containing Pisco. Pisco is a Peruvian white brandy. I got the classic version and Justin ordered a strawberry/mint/lime flavored one. Wow! They were amazing. We had so much fun at the restaurant and had such good food that we decided to try to go back so that we could try more of the traditional appetizers. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">In Mira Flores</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanta - A great Peruvian restaurant</td></tr>
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The following day we flew to Cusco. It was rather impressive to land at this airport. It's pretty windy and it is right in the middle of some very steep mountains at about 10,000 feet in elevation. We had a pretty steep and fast descent but a smooth landing. We headed into the city center to purchase our tickets into Machu Picchu. After that, we headed over to have some lunch. We found a nice little restaurant on Plaza Regocijo. Then we headed to catch a collectivo (large van, small bus) to get to Ollantaytambo. We had wanted to take the train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes but the train rails were closed for maintenance between Cusco and Ollantaytambo, so collectivo it was. One thing I have noticed is all around the world there are different driving styles. For example in South Africa, drivers will move into the shoulder to allow people to pass. In Peru, we have noticed that they drive rather fast and brake really hard. A lot of the cars' brakes squeak. The collectivo was no different. He was passing all sorts of other vehicles along the way. There were a few times when I thought we didn't have much room to pass until the oncoming traffic got in the way, but he made it, barely, every time. I had wondered how many times a day he did this drive. Once in Ollantaytambo we headed to our hotel.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caleb on the tarmac in Cusco</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ollantaytambo main street. They have a "Kwik-E-Mart"</td></tr>
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The following day we took the train to Aguas Calientes then a bus up to Machu Picchu. On the train we chose the Vista dome so that we could see the scenery better through the overhead windows. We were very happy that we did this because you really had a wonderful view of the soaring peaks. As you may have figured out by now, it is not a very straightforward journey to get to Machu Picchu, which is why, with the kids along, we broke it up into 2 days. I chuckled to myself that our journey involved planes, trains and automobiles. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Train to Aguas Calientes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Town Square in Aguas Calientes</td></tr>
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Once at Machu Picchu we hired a private tour guide. This was absolutely the best thing we did. We got this recommendation from a very good <a href="http://www.whereverwriter.com/trip-machu-picchu-part-2-breakdown-costs-schedule/" target="_blank">blog</a> that we read. Our guide, Odes, was a vat of information. We climbed to the top and started there. The views were amazing! The mountains are so unique. Along our travels we have seen quite a few mountains and yet we had seen nothing like this. They are so steep and lush with vegetation and grass. I also loved seeing the Urubamba River below. Odes explained everything about the ruins and we all learned so much. I did feel for him because Caleb asked question after question that he barely had time to breathe. Luckily for us Odes did not seem to mind and expertly answered each of his questions. Justin and I were delighted at how much the kids enjoyed the visit and were so interested in all of the dynamics involved in the lives of the Incas. After our tour I asked each of the kids what their favorite part was. Caleb said he loved how they kept track of the calendar using the shadows from the temple windows. Joel said that he loved how they figured out such complex things with their high levels of observation and ingenuity. Danielle loved how they were able to cut and smooth each stone used to build their city. I loved the way the city blends seamlessly with the mountain, like it emerged from the mountain itself and was part of it. What an amazing place! It is so unique and we can see why it is considered to be a "Wonder of the World". We were also impressed at how much Eden climbed and walked in Machu Picchu. We needed to help her in some places and picked her up from time to time because there was a group of people behind us, but for the most part she did it all herself. Afterwards, we checked Justin's Fitbit and it said we climbed 100 flights! She did about 70% herself, way to go Eden! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Machu Picchu!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near the top</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGlz5mPMAO3aoGVr2AfIXnY9tjTXLs2vUVB4-i64_aPqerTDuuFoZhdhxAUuAdS2JG5NVsHcm5KrwXiFH3K5IabIFL_WxdgMADsPlzqLpFJW7Iq3noienadO3P39dFNsinQCVGuy6d9s/s1600/DSC03709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGlz5mPMAO3aoGVr2AfIXnY9tjTXLs2vUVB4-i64_aPqerTDuuFoZhdhxAUuAdS2JG5NVsHcm5KrwXiFH3K5IabIFL_WxdgMADsPlzqLpFJW7Iq3noienadO3P39dFNsinQCVGuy6d9s/s400/DSC03709.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Urubamba river below</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPN0My_xo6xU_ydMT8MDpa-KPYQSkH2G2vYfCwfm5CUfXzSmTJEA5RcGu7WB8cC3uwvrYk30iH8OCn2zIxTfJeMS5Q9PUSWInSeoeN8jcIQlAm_WIk2g524w7FI0s5uMHkssHxCavD9wg/s1600/DSC03713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPN0My_xo6xU_ydMT8MDpa-KPYQSkH2G2vYfCwfm5CUfXzSmTJEA5RcGu7WB8cC3uwvrYk30iH8OCn2zIxTfJeMS5Q9PUSWInSeoeN8jcIQlAm_WIk2g524w7FI0s5uMHkssHxCavD9wg/s400/DSC03713.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the homes in the city</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieh_Ys7Yw9Qr_yoSclDc3_Lb3kdXNHzxwy0Tx77rEqL2nVqOCNhy8kfp5WkQEjZT7_hN93Is87qhP75x50RWPCMBVrHtWcyCD4oa2TKTk7ZjFmP2nANaYt7Q1fITm-xnEkysasEnbj5no/s1600/DSC03715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieh_Ys7Yw9Qr_yoSclDc3_Lb3kdXNHzxwy0Tx77rEqL2nVqOCNhy8kfp5WkQEjZT7_hN93Is87qhP75x50RWPCMBVrHtWcyCD4oa2TKTk7ZjFmP2nANaYt7Q1fITm-xnEkysasEnbj5no/s400/DSC03715.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main Entrance Gate</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioL6YYXFsKWcgHy_ph61ERdT5qwJRwjP_RJXECCbK2rKi0qsEQxsTLEhDMn1h-ASKsCo6uSGMAnN4jET-4TxgoOttSSmrc9_HGfqQwA5Yo_e0HwdpgSj-Vs9zsGdZragReMDTz08l1vJE/s1600/DSC03725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioL6YYXFsKWcgHy_ph61ERdT5qwJRwjP_RJXECCbK2rKi0qsEQxsTLEhDMn1h-ASKsCo6uSGMAnN4jET-4TxgoOttSSmrc9_HGfqQwA5Yo_e0HwdpgSj-Vs9zsGdZragReMDTz08l1vJE/s400/DSC03725.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple of the Sun</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_pDsrs92AfIkEn3GzxS-8oZudobLpwaVl6fVuX6yAgf0b0CT2_PSxSr2cucKfdena9WnolQtgwoOajL4tg1KKgIuoTCniV2v-j8g_zOPTwIRA8bmecioXU6dn_ly3oe1yFDGmN65PQI/s1600/DSC03730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_pDsrs92AfIkEn3GzxS-8oZudobLpwaVl6fVuX6yAgf0b0CT2_PSxSr2cucKfdena9WnolQtgwoOajL4tg1KKgIuoTCniV2v-j8g_zOPTwIRA8bmecioXU6dn_ly3oe1yFDGmN65PQI/s400/DSC03730.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple of the Three Windows</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCTqNjESXO767JF9M2hbRuKrrc_jRypFWBARccUyNrfjlQ-_rH4yORjdLuSwpH9NQU2UiGgWm_rPez_3oHa4XT4_r3u7f5fqukCAv2mFrcC-XQ9RHSFMm6jCatIMRu9-cJPhaP0qmw5A/s1600/DSC03735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCTqNjESXO767JF9M2hbRuKrrc_jRypFWBARccUyNrfjlQ-_rH4yORjdLuSwpH9NQU2UiGgWm_rPez_3oHa4XT4_r3u7f5fqukCAv2mFrcC-XQ9RHSFMm6jCatIMRu9-cJPhaP0qmw5A/s400/DSC03735.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a quick break</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ChKTPNQur0GX4URwNBy83rrCSVaIYJplWS2SwPW5pIicxRaU3R4IfCq4B_MlcQB6le6r9A5FvSLNC6GSNntQo1xH9wOQxxFmnmedeLL3VdRw83kX-_sW-6wbBEH5Ji2VioTQWS8919w/s1600/DSC03747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ChKTPNQur0GX4URwNBy83rrCSVaIYJplWS2SwPW5pIicxRaU3R4IfCq4B_MlcQB6le6r9A5FvSLNC6GSNntQo1xH9wOQxxFmnmedeLL3VdRw83kX-_sW-6wbBEH5Ji2VioTQWS8919w/s400/DSC03747.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Huayna Picchu ruins near the top of the peak</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifN2fBbF28tRy4J8VLYNQSVc2Sy72wH4ub30htAiiYHabOKjxZlGjuw7ZybUGvjtAyQWKBD6T4uEZVsH0PvJ8ffiF08lztjFtgYTWkpAG-4ewLHXwMSfOsEEKSetLh29DUPnn-_MEcyrY/s1600/DSC03751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifN2fBbF28tRy4J8VLYNQSVc2Sy72wH4ub30htAiiYHabOKjxZlGjuw7ZybUGvjtAyQWKBD6T4uEZVsH0PvJ8ffiF08lztjFtgYTWkpAG-4ewLHXwMSfOsEEKSetLh29DUPnn-_MEcyrY/s400/DSC03751.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farming terraces</td></tr>
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<tr><td><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BZnjmbiyeRCi1l39HTPLOKo7zELtEV10tO5LpQbwLxMbEe9UYzXciIh_I8kq5OIQmiCG2Hwy-VH4hxTUPMTM2yGyRbcYJjMYmI4gu7RUyMHssdSNIvXqA_qP8w4Z0bLRgig2Y5X0zvw/s1600/DSC03740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BZnjmbiyeRCi1l39HTPLOKo7zELtEV10tO5LpQbwLxMbEe9UYzXciIh_I8kq5OIQmiCG2Hwy-VH4hxTUPMTM2yGyRbcYJjMYmI4gu7RUyMHssdSNIvXqA_qP8w4Z0bLRgig2Y5X0zvw/s400/DSC03740.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">One of the llamas wandering around</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KV6NeYWNYD7L-ggqziEoEBxUUUc1JWxRPwTFukCzkbo8NIyAkyi181EO8aTz7VdZvkpYIQsNcTOfy0m2hnPCy_JzjcWSsP40gLIWOXisVFPQGNX0ZtGOJRnsKqiaEvHQW_VKcLz2KE4/s1600/DSC03755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KV6NeYWNYD7L-ggqziEoEBxUUUc1JWxRPwTFukCzkbo8NIyAkyi181EO8aTz7VdZvkpYIQsNcTOfy0m2hnPCy_JzjcWSsP40gLIWOXisVFPQGNX0ZtGOJRnsKqiaEvHQW_VKcLz2KE4/s400/DSC03755.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple of the Condor. This was on of the wings.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAHDxYEA9_1ibJ-w00asYdBbYytwxO5HR79_aUcFAFprgHA2HOHcocnknJDzywAnNBSNXIr3ysAr7umqi32LT0y5yOHlF3F48P6ra-5PbIMCU2v0CRyXtB_f4xqpIZXcMPO5WNjRnark/s1600/DSC03762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAHDxYEA9_1ibJ-w00asYdBbYytwxO5HR79_aUcFAFprgHA2HOHcocnknJDzywAnNBSNXIr3ysAr7umqi32LT0y5yOHlF3F48P6ra-5PbIMCU2v0CRyXtB_f4xqpIZXcMPO5WNjRnark/s400/DSC03762.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On one of the many terraces</td></tr>
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We grabbed a light lunch at the base then headed back to Aguas Calientes. Here we had a nice ice cream treat and walked around this quaint town. We picked up some fun souvenirs and headed back to Ollantaytambo via train. We did a quick visit of the ruins at Ollantaytambo.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmxEFsxcsbp3giZQF08sAtMYJrQhRqGKwqYgM06S8mN6Fqv_rSQ23YK0LBzP5hemYsCOc27uXSv_hMErtOnn_wx3RPVx6U4foVM8Q8JtPrAcRSLIniBsar8_WiC5YNaJHUbhhAqOkTC4/s1600/IMG_4237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmxEFsxcsbp3giZQF08sAtMYJrQhRqGKwqYgM06S8mN6Fqv_rSQ23YK0LBzP5hemYsCOc27uXSv_hMErtOnn_wx3RPVx6U4foVM8Q8JtPrAcRSLIniBsar8_WiC5YNaJHUbhhAqOkTC4/s400/IMG_4237.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This hairless dog (except his mohawk) was on a roof looking at the people below in Aguas Calientes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSqcM_hzuuBJKebCEUGg_JkrtplpO-zLvQQt3TzAcsqIH3RHDMtTrqQ7FIianfyUd93LtLKgmGDr_4aipH8XIKaX165twJHh-BTzAxjdWYfMzbn1F-CHodwVySl6yur5Gb7vUMfVVkBk/s1600/IMG_2523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSqcM_hzuuBJKebCEUGg_JkrtplpO-zLvQQt3TzAcsqIH3RHDMtTrqQ7FIianfyUd93LtLKgmGDr_4aipH8XIKaX165twJHh-BTzAxjdWYfMzbn1F-CHodwVySl6yur5Gb7vUMfVVkBk/s400/IMG_2523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruins at Ollantaytambo </td></tr>
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The following day we took a collectivo to Cusco. We ended up going straight to our hostel because we were all sunburned and needed a break from the sun. I had been keeping track of the weather outlook using my Weather Channel app and the whole time it said that we would get rain and it would be in the upper 60s. When we were in Machu Picchu it was anything but that, we had sunny skies and the temperature was in the mid-80s. I had prepared for rain so I forgot the sunscreen. I felt terrible looking at my family of tomatoes. Later in the afternoon, when the sun was not blazing overhead we put some sunscreen on and headed out to grab an early dinner. We walked around the city, I love how it is dotted with plazas. It was so fun to just sit down and people watch. We saw women dressed in beautiful traditional clothing carrying a lamb or walking with their llama. We all thought that it was super unique. At 4am we were awaken by a bang, bang, bang. It continued for the rest of the night. We had no idea what was going on, but later found out that it was firecrackers for the San Sebastian Festival. Once we were out and about we saw a couple of parades for the celebrations. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2kPV7qO0qbaVd-6nD3WEbDUapnWhacK0EOam0d12W61SbyTLG75kE42MpOo9UBEEXgvUd9R6fwF_SMiHZsH1JX0ugGR0sWIjxqyKlzPcNqU-qoXgf7W-CIkcd0GS2K_ot3rd8q_XAtGk/s1600/DSC03771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2kPV7qO0qbaVd-6nD3WEbDUapnWhacK0EOam0d12W61SbyTLG75kE42MpOo9UBEEXgvUd9R6fwF_SMiHZsH1JX0ugGR0sWIjxqyKlzPcNqU-qoXgf7W-CIkcd0GS2K_ot3rd8q_XAtGk/s400/DSC03771.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cathedral in Plaza de Armas, Cusco</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOy80qEhlIZBq_levHX26A-WZpPX3V0gFgOQFtcrj5g9O-VzFVjwYxIKzzh0ZgH3dHQoSUMSlzMedQIu43QpYqV_SEo3E91oNCUrZmiYLhk7Jc5pM7BNPS1aiOQppaWjNkPFORZRiEd1U/s1600/IMG_2528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOy80qEhlIZBq_levHX26A-WZpPX3V0gFgOQFtcrj5g9O-VzFVjwYxIKzzh0ZgH3dHQoSUMSlzMedQIu43QpYqV_SEo3E91oNCUrZmiYLhk7Jc5pM7BNPS1aiOQppaWjNkPFORZRiEd1U/s400/IMG_2528.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Women in Cusco with a lamb</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRLq7Bfkdmk1Mzs3k4z6yS_bx31ALhtJGeqI9yz5EKSMBCwqaAZb9rUPO_oy5bFUMsHk-MfnMYcPyzL1FWeucIS1j1aqeFblT9z0adPtkZO_tHZ80zTBCwk9D_jYvUoY4TJ362g_kAVc/s1600/IMG_2542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRLq7Bfkdmk1Mzs3k4z6yS_bx31ALhtJGeqI9yz5EKSMBCwqaAZb9rUPO_oy5bFUMsHk-MfnMYcPyzL1FWeucIS1j1aqeFblT9z0adPtkZO_tHZ80zTBCwk9D_jYvUoY4TJ362g_kAVc/s400/IMG_2542.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Parade in Cusco</td></tr>
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We headed up to Saqsaywaman, which is another site of Inca ruins. These are a little different because of the amazingly tight fit of these massive stones. It is incredible at how precise the fit of the stones are. We also walked over to the statue of the Cristo Blanco and had a marvelous view of Cusco below. It was a disheartening to see that there were literally hundreds of stray dogs wandering the streets of Cusco. Seemed like wherever there was a garbage bag, a dog was ripping into it scavenging for food. Made me think of Bob Barker's famous quote to control the pet population and what happens when you don't. After lunch we headed to the airport to fly back to Lima. The following day I caught up on the laundry and prepared for our departure the following day. But we headed back to Tanta for another fabulous meal and delicious drinks. Did I mention the ceviche is awesome! Thank you Peru for a unique and magnificent experience, it surpassed our expectations even with the high expectations of a must-do bucket list place to visit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPu8AgVYPqS8JFyNI7yjmQWCOQPpWhEubMWfwsgDWQ04uxg66-17r0HFxVMn7FJkONsA5mg8qSo8UgyKLXJOP4JoYl86wFfGJpYZOjkxXC-TH93HXqe-1mpBdTSL0M7bUXskUPg4fXtE/s1600/IMG_4245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPu8AgVYPqS8JFyNI7yjmQWCOQPpWhEubMWfwsgDWQ04uxg66-17r0HFxVMn7FJkONsA5mg8qSo8UgyKLXJOP4JoYl86wFfGJpYZOjkxXC-TH93HXqe-1mpBdTSL0M7bUXskUPg4fXtE/s400/IMG_4245.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saqsaywaman ruins</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Up close you can see how tight the stones fit together</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Cusco</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the doors we saw are really short! Danielle looks really tall next to this one.</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-67571145547940761742016-01-25T18:33:00.001-08:002016-01-25T18:33:22.198-08:00New Zealand, North Island Part 2<div style="text-align: justify;">
We had gotten up at 5am to get to the ferry in Picton by 7am. I had driven and we were all still tired so Justin got a cabin on the ferry and all I remember of the ferry ride was crashing in a bed with Joel cuddled up to me and waking up feeling so much better. Boy getting the cabin was so worth it. Once we arrived in Wellington we grabbed a bite to eat and started on our 6 hour drive to Waitomo. So all together we drove for 8 hours and had a 3 hour ferry ride, it was definitely a long day but got to see some nice countryside and a waterfall along the way.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Green countryside<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Raukawa Falls<br />
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Once in Waitomo we headed to our farm stay. We met our friendly host Narita and settled in. The following day the kids explored the farm. They have goats, ponies, horses, pigs, sheep, bunnies, chickens, ducks, an alpaca and doves. This is more of a hobby farm versus a working farm. The following day Narita and her adorable kids, Fletcher and Kaitlyn, gave us a complete farm tour. The kids got to feed the sheep milk from a bottle, the goats bread and leftovers, feed the bunnies and chickens, and watched the pigs and cows get feed. We got to meet all of the animals and Narita told us each of their stories of how she acquired them. Most of them she got as babies that were abandoned or removed from their mother as newborns and she needed to hand feed them from day 1 or were older and needed a great place to live a happy life. Needless to say, these animals were not thought of as food. She did shear the sheep for their wool. We all had a great time exploring and learning about the animals. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danielle feeding a lamb some milk</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eden feeding a bunny</td></tr>
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After our tour we headed out to do a couple of hikes. Our first stop was to the Ruakuri walk. It had a couple of limestone caves that you could go into. The area was abundant in vegetation and very scenic. In some places the vegetation was so thick that there was barely any daylight streaming through. The kids had a ton of fun exploring the caves. It was pretty cool with the river running right through it. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">On the way to Ruakuri Cave<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Ruakuri cave. Yes it was dark in there!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Ruakuri scenic walk<br />
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Our next stop was a hike to Marakopa Falls. These are falls that are about 35 meters high and are called a fan fall due to its width. It was a rather impressive sight. After getting back we headed to Piripiri cave, which is a very large cave. Our last stop was to the Mangapohua Natural Limestone Bridge Walkway which was once a huge cave but has deteriorated until only a natural bridge remained. We also got to see fossilized oysters. The place was amazing and we had a wonderful time hiking at each place. All of these sites are located along the same road within a 20 kilometer stretch. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Marakopa Falls<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Piripiri Cave<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Mangapohua Natural Limestone Bridge Walkway<br />
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The following day each of the kids got to ride a horse. Eden was first on a pony named Alaska. She had a fantastic time riding along and did a fabulous job holding on. Justin, on the other hand, did not like Alaska because the pony stepped on his foot 2 times while he was leading Eden around. Next was Danielle and she got to ride the horse named Prince. Danielle was in heaven and loved riding around the paddock. Caleb and Joel also got a turn on Prince and Justin and I loved seeing all of the smiles on each of the kids' faces. Since we had gotten to the farm both Danielle and Eden could not wait for the horse ride and they were not disappointed. That night we had dinner in Waitomo at the Thirsty Weta. A weta is a large bug like a grasshopper that is found only in New Zealand. Our dinner was great.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eden on a pony named Alaska</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danielle on Prince</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caleb's turn on Prince</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-n4sqN7S2WTIkNZmNusaiOQt4j_Sqf5fZiBXcvwrBgRNQX0PtiZ25qKI8Bz_QSrU4_GfgcrMWmMA_rUowQH7Vbayg2EDXcgP3XWjs_wOm7iH8hX9pAXieKx8d6jRSCE3EzTw4fNZBBw/s1600/DSC03641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-n4sqN7S2WTIkNZmNusaiOQt4j_Sqf5fZiBXcvwrBgRNQX0PtiZ25qKI8Bz_QSrU4_GfgcrMWmMA_rUowQH7Vbayg2EDXcgP3XWjs_wOm7iH8hX9pAXieKx8d6jRSCE3EzTw4fNZBBw/s400/DSC03641.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joel got to ride Prince too</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">The following day we headed back for our second visit to Rotorua. Luckily, this drive was only one and a half hours long. Rotorua is an area in New Zealand with lots of fun outdoor activities and the kids had wanted to check out a few of them. We had also wanted to connect with a friend of Justin's parents, Norma and Bob, whom they had meet while living in Wellington. We meet John and Joan Lafferty and John's daughter Beverly with her husband Craig for a picnic in a nice area called Whataroa. We had a fantastic time socializing with everyone and the kids had a ball running around the forest. Eden had a dried fern frond that she carried around the whole time and came home with a pocket full of rocks. Another day Justin took all of the kids for a nice walk to and around the redwood forest in Rotorua. I stayed back for a bit of a mommy break. They were all amazed by the trees with Caleb saying, "I have never seen trees that size!" </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPU3jT7n_FJNI6AxAAqsN8MXwIoQxphV7OzuN5bCaPOfguM3EA9ibxWwNIDwmnITs5JGYied9GbkeaqT1LTCtxcfS5hq30YNMb_MRecKKi0kTJRP5vjfI3tWcbD5XeAqFy8IEpO6tyxnY/s1600/IMG_2416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPU3jT7n_FJNI6AxAAqsN8MXwIoQxphV7OzuN5bCaPOfguM3EA9ibxWwNIDwmnITs5JGYied9GbkeaqT1LTCtxcfS5hq30YNMb_MRecKKi0kTJRP5vjfI3tWcbD5XeAqFy8IEpO6tyxnY/s400/IMG_2416.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">At the Whakarewarewa Redwood Forest<br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">The following day we all headed over to the Zorb. The Zorb is a large inflatable ball that you climb into and they give you a shove and you roll down a hill. For some reason Danielle thought this looked super fun and wanted to do it. She chose to do the zigzag track first and climbed in and off she went. Once out she had the biggest smile on her face and told us just how fun it was. She had 2 more rides but the Zorbalator (escalator for the Zorb) broke and we needed to come back a different day. We ended up coming back on the day we left New Zealand and she was able to do her 2 rides. For these she did the straight track. I could not believe how fast it went. She emerged from the Zorb each time with the biggest smile. Man is that girl gutsy. </span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__2u62FbdKz1VQHy5U_qvEHtRGQiaOa330SVjLpj6IX-r2sqtQ-lBAyhJMYU-nzSEYwnRWXco-O6blwqZo5bfw-xRr_YLZCrXebbs4r6LYZvPbew_EehyphenhyphenPoOLMjszQUIZlNmmmS27O3k/s1600/IMG_2463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__2u62FbdKz1VQHy5U_qvEHtRGQiaOa330SVjLpj6IX-r2sqtQ-lBAyhJMYU-nzSEYwnRWXco-O6blwqZo5bfw-xRr_YLZCrXebbs4r6LYZvPbew_EehyphenhyphenPoOLMjszQUIZlNmmmS27O3k/s400/IMG_2463.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Danielle coming down the hill in the Zorb ball<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeW9cwXoYf_CbLhlHlVK2wVr_OgaeIeTQpMyF2Z5C75eIcfL6cmeyZOQ8Hl7u1jvxaDxgWmWC_cm0C6HUr3EPIoWJ-wJ9-91OJkRTjIOJye6w64mafcD4dqIKcLEGC9aS9I3af4UAWHOY/s1600/DSC03655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeW9cwXoYf_CbLhlHlVK2wVr_OgaeIeTQpMyF2Z5C75eIcfL6cmeyZOQ8Hl7u1jvxaDxgWmWC_cm0C6HUr3EPIoWJ-wJ9-91OJkRTjIOJye6w64mafcD4dqIKcLEGC9aS9I3af4UAWHOY/s400/DSC03655.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Getting out at the bottom of the hill<br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Justin also took Caleb, Joel and Danielle to the Adrenaline Forest. This is a ropes course situated in the Whataroa forest with each of the 6 courses getting higher and more difficult as you progressed. Since heights are not my thing I sat this one out with Eden. Danielle impressed all of us with making it to course 5 with Justin following close behind. Caleb and Joel got to course 4. The only reason they did not get further was that Caleb got stuck in the middle of the zip line hanging by a rope and needed to get a worker to push him the rest of the way since Caleb could not reach the cable himself. (Caleb wanted me to pass this bit of information along) Course 5 was a whopping 20 meters high. I was grateful that I was not there to watch. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhrp1_xq9TDLYpbMvbuLv4JGuUuu0s849dpjKSCsbsy1bnfoLn8VA-hykCSUpTuLf5s421SYy4gGmWhEZXedO9UDZxR4elEDkknmhPAFmeqGrEeJ-hfdob-l3H1feYtSuPayexYKI2ZCk/s1600/IMG_2429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhrp1_xq9TDLYpbMvbuLv4JGuUuu0s849dpjKSCsbsy1bnfoLn8VA-hykCSUpTuLf5s421SYy4gGmWhEZXedO9UDZxR4elEDkknmhPAFmeqGrEeJ-hfdob-l3H1feYtSuPayexYKI2ZCk/s400/IMG_2429.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Ready for the Adrenaline Forest<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqYY52Ma4uewkROwP6dW_ZBosjrXRXM4yERtv8vIGR7wbO9U7IrgBS3kGD5Az7Lj6FGYelnumVtask_wj4ISlXm8x4iK1nyHeBOPDQcuEWqEbRYmjpoR2n5-Zw5bBSr-vId5S04OPLKc/s1600/IMG_2436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqYY52Ma4uewkROwP6dW_ZBosjrXRXM4yERtv8vIGR7wbO9U7IrgBS3kGD5Az7Lj6FGYelnumVtask_wj4ISlXm8x4iK1nyHeBOPDQcuEWqEbRYmjpoR2n5-Zw5bBSr-vId5S04OPLKc/s400/IMG_2436.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Caleb up in the trees<br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">I took Eden, Caleb and Joel up the Skyline to do the luge. Eden had such a great time at the luge in Queenstown that when she saw that they had one in Rotorua that was all she asked about. She had such an awesome time on each of her rides. They even had a scenic track that took you through a forest and had these huge dinosaur statues. They had a cut off that we took where you could stop to look at them more closely. She loved the dinosaurs. We got to do this in the evening and it was fun going for night rides. Everyone had a great time. By the way, Eden had really wanted to do the Zorb but she needed to be 6. Now she says, "When I'm 6 I'm going to ride the Zorb down the mountain like Danielle." She also wanted to do the Adrenaline Forest but she was too short. She was very disappointed and is trying her best to grow quickly. That kid is BOLD. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Mw86h9QxYbwTTY-CfxE7BT8bJwCiG4C-OlBL1wn39_M-uZ8Bbkh4zb-EIXmGNCg8aa5ueJeBiWsOweL1b329cQqSf8fzu7e9MZJbRjed8h6YDoGuLBeZmnt0erHX_mUxAguCA1ax5yc/s1600/IMG_4189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Mw86h9QxYbwTTY-CfxE7BT8bJwCiG4C-OlBL1wn39_M-uZ8Bbkh4zb-EIXmGNCg8aa5ueJeBiWsOweL1b329cQqSf8fzu7e9MZJbRjed8h6YDoGuLBeZmnt0erHX_mUxAguCA1ax5yc/s400/IMG_4189.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">View of Lake Rotorua from the top of the Luge Track<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPLFtBIQUzw0_WF0voQV1-0P0tuAHSFoe3vBeivoQT3wh601Ej7zCm7UzFIRa1hyfkmbfZSGRvv3iOCLwkq1oMl3Jmxd_42WhWjBdjZONhykgLjdYpKoIrG-mkCqfAZNamskx8ozdUWM/s1600/IMG_4196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPLFtBIQUzw0_WF0voQV1-0P0tuAHSFoe3vBeivoQT3wh601Ej7zCm7UzFIRa1hyfkmbfZSGRvv3iOCLwkq1oMl3Jmxd_42WhWjBdjZONhykgLjdYpKoIrG-mkCqfAZNamskx8ozdUWM/s400/IMG_4196.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Someone can't get enough of the Luge<br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">A couple of days later, we had the great fortune of catching the Broncos versus Steelers game. We were super happy to catch a playoff game and even more excited when they won. Later that day, we meet with the Lafferty's again for dinner at a nice restaurant called Capers. We had a really nice time together. The following day we headed up to Auckland for our flight to Peru. We dropped of Lord Alphard and got to the airport with lots of appreciation for such a wonderful country.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJIsH26miSnczUGLAQit2ydEcYzO89eKpgGqQkTIC6nK5PmOhAvu-pjDxOvqwZkwgkEYHJmSuN7OuByg0H5fiT9ojn7HSLdI5_RtaznvkQtui9F-lm0r9D30mzGC5s3lzwthB19okG7Y/s1600/IMG_2457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJIsH26miSnczUGLAQit2ydEcYzO89eKpgGqQkTIC6nK5PmOhAvu-pjDxOvqwZkwgkEYHJmSuN7OuByg0H5fiT9ojn7HSLdI5_RtaznvkQtui9F-lm0r9D30mzGC5s3lzwthB19okG7Y/s400/IMG_2457.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner with the Laffertys in Rotorua</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-84835812336649576952016-01-08T20:53:00.001-08:002016-01-08T20:53:06.420-08:00New Zealand, South Island<div style="text-align: justify;">
In Wellington, we boarded a ferry to take us to the South Island. The kids were very excited to drive the van, which we christened Lord Alphard, onto the ferry. Once situated we sat back and enjoyed the three and a half hour journey. The views along the way were amazing. I absolutely love seeing the scenery from the water. The view sailing away from Wellington looked just like a postcard. I had expected some rough seas in the channel between the North and South Islands, but thankfully the water was very calm. The captain announced that there were a couple of whales off of the starboard side but once we got there they had dove back down and we missed them. As we approached the South Island, the scenery was stunning, lush green, high hills that go straight into the sea. The channels into Picton were rather narrow and I was impressed at how easily the captain navigated the ferry into these small channels with such finesse. Along the way, there were a few houses that dotted the hillsides and it seemed like a really great view to be able to enjoy every day. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIesRNmCS6HJ09-0cMQqBc1mhGKF3tpfUbqiwdzRxW8pUgjVAEFjt67A9nWp0hsyYcT_73V04p8M5M0Q2e71kyptWoV3Y8zvLWsWwRl2rc8A7vzB1uovTmHxQXbQQJx_4uLnzUiiP7GbM/s1600/IMG_2174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIesRNmCS6HJ09-0cMQqBc1mhGKF3tpfUbqiwdzRxW8pUgjVAEFjt67A9nWp0hsyYcT_73V04p8M5M0Q2e71kyptWoV3Y8zvLWsWwRl2rc8A7vzB1uovTmHxQXbQQJx_4uLnzUiiP7GbM/s400/IMG_2174.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Caroline on the ferry boat<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Passing another ferry on the way to Picton<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1C3r37iRi-Q6ncW0Pn-xrOga_7OBAg_O4jyK-3zIDOl3Y7ErVeUxXkt9fw4NeHYmpy7LwE13hV8ZTBPr7Fu93d9dgJfATieeCVtj0YQn2onAAbku0lxcEGQvapWjYgaTvCbscjAMibY/s1600/IMG_2241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1C3r37iRi-Q6ncW0Pn-xrOga_7OBAg_O4jyK-3zIDOl3Y7ErVeUxXkt9fw4NeHYmpy7LwE13hV8ZTBPr7Fu93d9dgJfATieeCVtj0YQn2onAAbku0lxcEGQvapWjYgaTvCbscjAMibY/s400/IMG_2241.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Lush pastures everywhere!<br /></td></tr>
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Once we arrived in Picton we had a short drive to Blenheim to stay for the night. We grabbed a great meal at an Indian restaurant and headed to our motel. One thing we have learned is that in New Zealand they don't really have hotels except in Auckland. Motels, motor courts and holiday parks are what are common. When Justin and I booked our places to stay we needed to fill in some transit gaps and booked a few motels and holiday parks (campgrounds). My experiences with motels are a little sketchy, so my bar was set pretty low for the place we booked in Blenheim. Justin and I had once booked a motel in Durango, named the Iron Horse, and it was a scary, filthy, transient populated place that did not match the outdated photos online. Much to my pleasure the Elena Court Motel was awesome, this was no Iron Horse. It had been newly renovated and it was really nice. So what I have learned is that our definition of motels is very different from the definition of motels in New Zealand. We had a lovely night and continued our journey to Christchurch. Along the drive we stopped and saw tons of seals laying on the beaches. The waitress from the night before had told us about the seals and we were all delighted to get to see them. In fact, they were literally just a few feet away from us. We had been told not to get too close because they can be pretty aggressive and can attack, and oddly enough they are very fast moving. We kept our distance and just watched the seals. There were quite a few babies and it was fun watching them play and swim in tiny sea pools. We also saw a couple of males fight over their territory, men! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Lots of Sea Lions<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrT1b8tR6xITFKmNPmJxJnkaFe6RWBewmCbVtP2hfmyXRcWXChlfx3O8CHKWJ57CZoVBO07VvCbTWmFWR9EbpP4r-GNwpePJfXuD-FtXX06WOi8Uo9jWJWD2PIAxRDwjeTAELT-AHRUW4/s1600/DSC03197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrT1b8tR6xITFKmNPmJxJnkaFe6RWBewmCbVtP2hfmyXRcWXChlfx3O8CHKWJ57CZoVBO07VvCbTWmFWR9EbpP4r-GNwpePJfXuD-FtXX06WOi8Uo9jWJWD2PIAxRDwjeTAELT-AHRUW4/s400/DSC03197.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Sea Lions lounging on the rocks<br /></td></tr>
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We continued down the coast to Kaikoura and stopped for some delicious fish and chips. I love that you got to pick between 12 different kinds of fish. We picked a few different kinds and they were all good but I think my favorite was Tarakihi. It is a moist fish that has a really mild, buttery flavor, yum. The chips were crispy and perfectly salted. What a great lunch! We walked around Kaikoura after lunch and ended up on this great rocky beach. The stones were so smooth that they felt soft. Most of them were gray but a few here and there were pure white. I collected a pocket full of them to bring home. My favorite "souvenirs" are pictures and shells or in this case rocks. We got back to Lord Alphard and finished the drive into Christchurch.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhZBnFILjHbRcGsjnKANIXDPd8jgDK4rBbGnDTR1YmmQoBEMfCfSIyZgSKVeUfp_lIbZ3QzSL662QBEcwIlumNDq-crVlPV-RyxLzZAhFpOUfwEmNCpPohtUXyYHj5a0JTCr0c4gjer8/s1600/DSC03203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhZBnFILjHbRcGsjnKANIXDPd8jgDK4rBbGnDTR1YmmQoBEMfCfSIyZgSKVeUfp_lIbZ3QzSL662QBEcwIlumNDq-crVlPV-RyxLzZAhFpOUfwEmNCpPohtUXyYHj5a0JTCr0c4gjer8/s400/DSC03203.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The rocky beach at Kaikoura<br /></td></tr>
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In Christchurch, I took Rachel, Caleb Joel and Danielle to see the new Star Wars movie. We also spent some time visiting the city. We had a wonderful time at the botanic garden. We explored different zones of flowers and trees, the rose garden was my favorite, but I think Eden's favorite was the playground zone. In 2011, there was a major earthquake in Christchurch and driving around the city you can still see the effects of it. There are a ton of new buildings and houses, but the cathedral and lots of government buildings are still in ruins. About a week previous to our visit in Christchurch, I had heard in the news that the government had just received their insurance money to rebuild. I couldn't believe that it had taken that long and they had only been given 1/3 of the money that they had requested. So rebuilding will probably take even longer than they are hoping for and not everything will be able to be reconstructed. In the older part of the city you could see where entire blocks had completely crumbled and where only a wall or a portion of a façade remained. The devastation was huge including the loss of 185 people, but everywhere you go you see examples of the resilience of the residents. On New Year's Eve we took a drive to Lyttleton to see the Bay and the pretty views. We also celebrated the New Year in Christchurch and it was really fun to think that we were in a part of the world that celebrated the New Year first. Everyone, except Eden stayed up until midnight to ring in 2016 and had a little bubbly drink to toast. That was really fun. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInD-iyGBkebae41leA3wDVAICakeSpQx_sN3W_Maz7oftuM3QD4IguEVQP4hON5LjnLp2fPhz7nvUoThVwXrWrm5ZgwIWo0xN9e8T04siArQfUd9nNwkEG4uYrDRn6e4gwo4lG8KWY9Y/s1600/DSC03273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInD-iyGBkebae41leA3wDVAICakeSpQx_sN3W_Maz7oftuM3QD4IguEVQP4hON5LjnLp2fPhz7nvUoThVwXrWrm5ZgwIWo0xN9e8T04siArQfUd9nNwkEG4uYrDRn6e4gwo4lG8KWY9Y/s400/DSC03273.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Christchurch Botanic Gardens<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOI8dhK8qpHF9bwlZOuCFywMZyQKU4zQzhfDcXeLx5FASXsq1PJSLvL_bkLPNbRnX3dNJnhiUAVqVVe79_gHf0LUscNI3otNsEQaALkeoc8dpeDP0cwoS1S_HOgM-TRUtNsvTu5xGxLLw/s1600/DSC03226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOI8dhK8qpHF9bwlZOuCFywMZyQKU4zQzhfDcXeLx5FASXsq1PJSLvL_bkLPNbRnX3dNJnhiUAVqVVe79_gHf0LUscNI3otNsEQaALkeoc8dpeDP0cwoS1S_HOgM-TRUtNsvTu5xGxLLw/s400/DSC03226.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">In the rose garden<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvFmR9ncl3y_rUUtJHe3KaagQcxYVqYDcuiucwXbIwllHWsrvG8FJoflmoBFvpT4m-8YsNUUmfddKjXQvd7jBxOjwZyKKHFqqKOVMOzzoUhKA2xOSvH2FK-v1qj9lTEk3ODHYYoTwt-g/s1600/DSC03260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvFmR9ncl3y_rUUtJHe3KaagQcxYVqYDcuiucwXbIwllHWsrvG8FJoflmoBFvpT4m-8YsNUUmfddKjXQvd7jBxOjwZyKKHFqqKOVMOzzoUhKA2xOSvH2FK-v1qj9lTEk3ODHYYoTwt-g/s400/DSC03260.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Beautiful Roses<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYmfVDAq7SabHlnkC8PDT6ucPelRDHKYZtdtiZe03pv8H9iIm05YbR_BwqScV1Jvvrl4c24Nwm6MqVkDE15sJ1U76R8kZexkgGys-nm4gx3fUUt8Li4-zjKkn-Cu3ZrME2swwosWqut10/s1600/DSC03277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYmfVDAq7SabHlnkC8PDT6ucPelRDHKYZtdtiZe03pv8H9iIm05YbR_BwqScV1Jvvrl4c24Nwm6MqVkDE15sJ1U76R8kZexkgGys-nm4gx3fUUt8Li4-zjKkn-Cu3ZrME2swwosWqut10/s400/DSC03277.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">On top of a huge tree stump<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwur13zhjx773G2Ps0KicoIZgCZRH8i8du16ggX8qGfkLhOpCCg3Zor-dEKwtj14ZVwLsAx7RkbU-6pHKn_ubT6RRpalOIQTmSNYFxoPw1rGkVd6n63D7xMp3TxdIhAseW3pPqjFhxVx4/s1600/IMG_2200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwur13zhjx773G2Ps0KicoIZgCZRH8i8du16ggX8qGfkLhOpCCg3Zor-dEKwtj14ZVwLsAx7RkbU-6pHKn_ubT6RRpalOIQTmSNYFxoPw1rGkVd6n63D7xMp3TxdIhAseW3pPqjFhxVx4/s400/IMG_2200.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Joel at the botanic gardens<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLc58VYTd1mOjr6Syz5w0RUuUN5O1s7RdQ1Q8l1K0KZpa24ayayx-BsjRSYGOSWmzyq0cMQ-dIRbS8xphBovXU6GJMsVSgK0TdW9nTS6Q9RJnfWUdGAU6hd3rbOK_VEmtR2sFCZrkVIwE/s1600/DSC03206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLc58VYTd1mOjr6Syz5w0RUuUN5O1s7RdQ1Q8l1K0KZpa24ayayx-BsjRSYGOSWmzyq0cMQ-dIRbS8xphBovXU6GJMsVSgK0TdW9nTS6Q9RJnfWUdGAU6hd3rbOK_VEmtR2sFCZrkVIwE/s400/DSC03206.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The bay near Lyttleton<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_0ODU6Bdng6Fe-maxfpSgMHPmHF0uRt1ud5wzJIXfZq-Q2d4RorLUMS6Q4LUvebEbwa207WXeAG-r_IY7WmTM2I_iFtnQUq34DG783k2UwuJ3nirL5ACzwjZCuDqeKCnfJ_ZdBervVg/s1600/IMG_4085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_0ODU6Bdng6Fe-maxfpSgMHPmHF0uRt1ud5wzJIXfZq-Q2d4RorLUMS6Q4LUvebEbwa207WXeAG-r_IY7WmTM2I_iFtnQUq34DG783k2UwuJ3nirL5ACzwjZCuDqeKCnfJ_ZdBervVg/s400/IMG_4085.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy New Years!</td></tr>
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The following day, we made our way further south to Dunedin, pronounced "done Eden". Now food here is pretty expensive, expect if you go to a fast food place. So we grabbed a few pizzas en route at Domino's (who knew) and ate lunch at a park, in of all places, along Caroline Bay. So after we ate we walked over to the bay to check it out. Once in Dunedin we checked into our "Holiday Park" lodging. It was unique to say the least. They had painted each cabin a different cartoon character, theme, or superhero. Ours was a log cabin theme, so pretty benign to say the least. Across from us was Sponge Bob, Batman, and Scooby Doo cabins, a little weird. The campground was right next to a beach, so that was nice. We spent a few days visiting Dunedin including the Otago Peninsula. At the Otago Peninsula, there are tons of seagulls and if you are lucky you can see Royal Albatross, Yellow-Eyed Penguins, and Little Penguins. Unfortunately, we only got to see LOTS of seagulls and a few New Zealand Fur Seals, that are actually sea lions, even though they call them seals. We had the best laugh because when we got out of the car, Joel was immediately bombed by a sea gull on his jacket sleeve. There was bird poop everywhere, so getting hit was highly likely. The rest of the time Eden kept saying, "OK guys, I'm just terrified of the poop and the birds, let's go to the car." Luckily, once we left the center after about 30 minutes of walking around, Joel was the only poop victim. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINFhhQWDyumFvxp6ODddp_LsDd-uRRzmMcxPYJ7VwPZLoseebYk2Swx5glhXvaUgUBS7LwjWQrBlBrbuq8_GfLTbTDgeXIP0Oq96mdwoa7CUDo-k70dgj-YWyhOh5v_KHYZ-M_xfds-c/s1600/DSC03294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINFhhQWDyumFvxp6ODddp_LsDd-uRRzmMcxPYJ7VwPZLoseebYk2Swx5glhXvaUgUBS7LwjWQrBlBrbuq8_GfLTbTDgeXIP0Oq96mdwoa7CUDo-k70dgj-YWyhOh5v_KHYZ-M_xfds-c/s400/DSC03294.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Beach near our campground in Dunedin<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt_QpmkGmuOXhGithoHimVsluLNJbXg47EirLlI07mR8b4MitkZF0nEDZwbYwCN0_rpQAnDbPhev95pck65KS9D1n1V4wT38y5FyAe5snWQHF2OzgF_N-Uuuur68BXCdywfL8yhHo6pI/s1600/DSC03313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt_QpmkGmuOXhGithoHimVsluLNJbXg47EirLlI07mR8b4MitkZF0nEDZwbYwCN0_rpQAnDbPhev95pck65KS9D1n1V4wT38y5FyAe5snWQHF2OzgF_N-Uuuur68BXCdywfL8yhHo6pI/s400/DSC03313.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Otago pennisula<br /></td></tr>
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We headed into the town center and had lunch at a restaurant called "Ratbags", great pizza, terrible name. Rachel and I learned that Dunedin was settled by the Scottish and was supposed to be the new Edinburgh, Scotland. In fact, the name Dunedin comes from the old Gaelic word for Edinburgh. The city layout is identical to Edinburgh, and in doing so, they did not take into account the topography of the area. So, there are some pretty steep streets here including the steepest street in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Needless to say we headed over to Baldwin street to check it out. I was driving and decided that we needed to drive up it. Honestly my confidence in Lord Alphard was uncertain since he had struggled on several mountains. For a large van he has only a 4 cylinder engine, but I figured let's give it a try. We started up and it was going rather well then towards the top we started to slow and Justin said, "Give it a little more gas." I said, "I've got it floored!" Justin just burst out laughing. We barely made it up, but thankfully we made it. Once at the top I turned it around to head back down. It was definitely very steep, and everyone said that they were nervous. I was just relieved we made it and we can say we drove up and down the steepest street in the world, in a 4 banger nonetheless. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOhHZ73eBo391_JjCiUiSFYs1zrCEiK_fe2ybtNzVXsJ5ScX3zNq3D4OExs3VrVHFh3R0lne7obZ9PRI5so0M3aWmkE5JEfffLGAsFlZkRak-97E_qPoo_478fiRvzI5Hy92GKsSpkNE/s1600/IMG_2233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOOhHZ73eBo391_JjCiUiSFYs1zrCEiK_fe2ybtNzVXsJ5ScX3zNq3D4OExs3VrVHFh3R0lne7obZ9PRI5so0M3aWmkE5JEfffLGAsFlZkRak-97E_qPoo_478fiRvzI5Hy92GKsSpkNE/s400/IMG_2233.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Train Station at Dunedin designed in an Edwardian Baroque style<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8N0HJY8RK7AkVnoYcxYOCMvqAlU-wdk4saw7x1DdYGoawr-7rWSuzVcE_1tmqLyJux4V96ExghytD_D2wyPRM8lCGJk0zULruxPyTl18OB__cY-R5RudxCtx47tUpeTUr-0PQBPJrF8/s1600/IMG_2228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8N0HJY8RK7AkVnoYcxYOCMvqAlU-wdk4saw7x1DdYGoawr-7rWSuzVcE_1tmqLyJux4V96ExghytD_D2wyPRM8lCGJk0zULruxPyTl18OB__cY-R5RudxCtx47tUpeTUr-0PQBPJrF8/s400/IMG_2228.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">View Down Baldwin Street. It is steeper than it looks.<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu93XUYuVkn5kX90q0rqL-BQ6T33FhdxRKXH_GSWQ6Kata2nlIutsBq0yrzVLJCGmk2VX8eqU3mmTithfMqYqvr2Rd9hyphenhyphenyZAIvQ_0llMy8Z4b4OFlXoUoXl-xpElBLPBsdsie2cjfdMaI/s1600/IMG_2227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu93XUYuVkn5kX90q0rqL-BQ6T33FhdxRKXH_GSWQ6Kata2nlIutsBq0yrzVLJCGmk2VX8eqU3mmTithfMqYqvr2Rd9hyphenhyphenyZAIvQ_0llMy8Z4b4OFlXoUoXl-xpElBLPBsdsie2cjfdMaI/s400/IMG_2227.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Rachel at the top of Baldwin streeet<br /></td></tr>
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After our adventures in Dunedin, we drove to Te Anau. This is basically the closest city you can get to, in order to visit Milford Sound, which is still a 2 hour drive away. Justin's dad, Robert, told us whatever we do in New Zealand, make sure to visit Milford Sound, and we were NOT disappointed. We had a wonderful drive there. The views were stunning with lush green forests and beautiful waterfalls and rivers along the entire drive. Towards the end of the drive there is what I dubbed, as the sketchiest tunnel in the world, Homer tunnel. It is only wide enough for one lane of traffic, so there is a stop signal to allow traffic to alternate. The traffic signal runs from 6am to 8pm, and says, "Proceed with caution when signal is not operating." Huh, not sure how you would navigate that outside of operating hours since this tunnel was 1.4 kilometers long and you could not see if there was traffic coming from the opposite direction. We were going to make sure to get back through way before 8pm, because none of us wanted to figure out how to navigate the tunnel outside of operating hours. Not even sure why they could not have the signal operate 24/7. Once inside the tunnel, it looked unfinished, with its walls roughly jack-hammered out, and uneven in size and the pavement patchy at best with hardly any light and water dripping everywhere. Robert confirmed that, that was the state of the tunnel when he and Norma had visited Milford Sound over 43 years ago. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lePFZYL962Zi7krgJRhI3NOT1w9p81Y8dMrtl9QTBIQv9TVX0qq8Vx1qL79RZcE7Yuc4Yc81YafClCAyEtO953YElstNVgzhr39Dc6LrHpxOOCis2IOQ3pEMyIb6ky9pY8betGV1p3g/s1600/DSC03329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lePFZYL962Zi7krgJRhI3NOT1w9p81Y8dMrtl9QTBIQv9TVX0qq8Vx1qL79RZcE7Yuc4Yc81YafClCAyEtO953YElstNVgzhr39Dc6LrHpxOOCis2IOQ3pEMyIb6ky9pY8betGV1p3g/s400/DSC03329.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Rachel by Lake Gunn on the way to Milford Sound<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbKoXThQMJIEaen6oPQEXlDY88NKgIhAVqu2YIDlYGeqJqWfW3UNP1mZle2mr2vrgoWtmVnW1E80subgr6J6G6N0K5eeGFBiMpWf-SVqFJ0HP1A32mAa6vpr-eivsDoaXS69w20yHKVE/s1600/DSC03347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbKoXThQMJIEaen6oPQEXlDY88NKgIhAVqu2YIDlYGeqJqWfW3UNP1mZle2mr2vrgoWtmVnW1E80subgr6J6G6N0K5eeGFBiMpWf-SVqFJ0HP1A32mAa6vpr-eivsDoaXS69w20yHKVE/s400/DSC03347.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Road to Milford Sound<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_mP8arjBoziO95vF4E7iMFHFjpiHyez0Id8V-6-WpASDykLXHJYfDt-3ruVM_CFZRWMrDxrbLq97gaPm8z4zP-c8E95Up3ytv_a-Wv2RU9JVcLk2ujucL70MnOJ6ZNXYyF_6YnMXyJA/s1600/DSC03453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_mP8arjBoziO95vF4E7iMFHFjpiHyez0Id8V-6-WpASDykLXHJYfDt-3ruVM_CFZRWMrDxrbLq97gaPm8z4zP-c8E95Up3ytv_a-Wv2RU9JVcLk2ujucL70MnOJ6ZNXYyF_6YnMXyJA/s400/DSC03453.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">View near Homer Tunnel<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAeIQ-EX5hnm6tqmU5rJjC0lGi9zAeu8sO0SmADBdnL-1YtXBUDbKSmAXRtlO0A1E7AjQ8RcH1zTqyz02L5hfDv5-5y31zhJFkdCQ4m3ChCkRDcQVdAolmAUI_yIpNG9ooYgVgzEakVl8/s1600/DSC03341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAeIQ-EX5hnm6tqmU5rJjC0lGi9zAeu8sO0SmADBdnL-1YtXBUDbKSmAXRtlO0A1E7AjQ8RcH1zTqyz02L5hfDv5-5y31zhJFkdCQ4m3ChCkRDcQVdAolmAUI_yIpNG9ooYgVgzEakVl8/s400/DSC03341.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">View from scenic lookout<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifia803jssK9w2e3YLGGOw5l9o7CSwc50mAhn-xZcODFibeueTlmm_SNMMXKxNOuqqp7pc4kNxbx7B5oWUOrt37SYopxDVsr9d87d2ukpQuoOexQqIv2__Mm8EmiH7l0Szsrj1QIPwxmo/s1600/DSC03462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifia803jssK9w2e3YLGGOw5l9o7CSwc50mAhn-xZcODFibeueTlmm_SNMMXKxNOuqqp7pc4kNxbx7B5oWUOrt37SYopxDVsr9d87d2ukpQuoOexQqIv2__Mm8EmiH7l0Szsrj1QIPwxmo/s400/DSC03462.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Waterfall near the road to Milford Sound<br /></td></tr>
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Once in Milford Sound, we boarded our boat to tour the sound and head out to the Tasman Sea. This area was carved out by glaciers and large, majestic fjords were left behind. The scenery was amazing! There were gorgeous and tall waterfalls, one of which the boat approached and if you were standing on the deck, which we were, you got wet by the waterfalls spray. The fjords were so tall and had sheer faces that are very rugged. We were very fortunate that the weather was perfect and the sky was clear with only a few high clouds now and then, so it was pretty marvelous to see each peak against a perfectly blue sky. We all decided to stand out on the deck at the front of the boat as we headed out towards the Tasman Sea. Rachel was very clever and had braided her hair, I on the other hand, had left it down and once we had finished the boat tour, my hair was so tangled by the wind that I could not even put my hand in it, ouch. We also got to see some seals lounging on the rocks taking in the sunshine. The boat tour was so fun and Milford Sound is a truly astounding place that I could see Robert's insistence on making this place a must see in New Zealand. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaq4ybiJI7apnvABzS2QAD38jCmDkUFqQ0RuMHZFYxlu1GAyTQatP8-FSjBRNzpjTLh1S8-Jxp1jWlgyQbtTszyO9k9BCfSuaKiBgitrW8l5KVzYD_vjF1yQdRaN6Y4QTvvXM5WOn1c4/s1600/IMG_2259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaq4ybiJI7apnvABzS2QAD38jCmDkUFqQ0RuMHZFYxlu1GAyTQatP8-FSjBRNzpjTLh1S8-Jxp1jWlgyQbtTszyO9k9BCfSuaKiBgitrW8l5KVzYD_vjF1yQdRaN6Y4QTvvXM5WOn1c4/s400/IMG_2259.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">View of Milford Sound<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWIO2G9nXg6Y37mTU5PCY6SdrCH3ubW5k1r9FpDFRlT_n_tWaStxVp8AEH18St6uJdNG8waq7ED2ZPHQbCIyXTSyX5_VbsgrGrACNNRjWja5SNa96QPRqeKtpuYT0Fs4qE9vcjVP0Ke4/s1600/DSC03424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWIO2G9nXg6Y37mTU5PCY6SdrCH3ubW5k1r9FpDFRlT_n_tWaStxVp8AEH18St6uJdNG8waq7ED2ZPHQbCIyXTSyX5_VbsgrGrACNNRjWja5SNa96QPRqeKtpuYT0Fs4qE9vcjVP0Ke4/s400/DSC03424.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Milford Sound from the boat<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1_FkxS2PXvPW0iVqiZ3ABvLhn5H4bHBYnxJYBUUUjhaG7Nn6zJgfr7MfNlQeBH5JoSCtpAOhHiKiSgar5j9flCT04pEbJM7SG9zbPA2WZt4uU8G_uMMYAHQ2T8WdkqT2Dt1raX8j0SI/s1600/DSC03415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1_FkxS2PXvPW0iVqiZ3ABvLhn5H4bHBYnxJYBUUUjhaG7Nn6zJgfr7MfNlQeBH5JoSCtpAOhHiKiSgar5j9flCT04pEbJM7SG9zbPA2WZt4uU8G_uMMYAHQ2T8WdkqT2Dt1raX8j0SI/s400/DSC03415.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Sterling Falls in Milford Sound<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dN634WyzRx0lhYOjDOBjMaOOrRPz7S7obWIeq_kk0Zg7sbUcUmlrFm4V1KgOHVJ1SucirKtgh4ayIY5VDoqJoZy6iDLxCyJsKImRCIizwMkgInMmtWwInuKFRPiiqLdqNBR20mk8lHw/s1600/DSC03438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dN634WyzRx0lhYOjDOBjMaOOrRPz7S7obWIeq_kk0Zg7sbUcUmlrFm4V1KgOHVJ1SucirKtgh4ayIY5VDoqJoZy6iDLxCyJsKImRCIizwMkgInMmtWwInuKFRPiiqLdqNBR20mk8lHw/s400/DSC03438.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">One of the many coves in Milford Sound<br /></td></tr>
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On our drive back to Te Anau we stopped along the way to do a quick hike to a place called the "Chasm," where the river carved a chasm in the rock, there were even some potholes along the sides. We also stopped at a sign where the 45 degrees south latitude was marked. This is the furthest south we will have traveled ever, pretty neat. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74DBvp3WilLCeh81QeaqfI0cgsNhbJiSSX5Yr7NA9UkKyxzU2m6cMVw5BD6oWD7s2zAWpP85CHtQreqzzneySZdXS3R_sTsgHdG5ZxO6SIq_BVIKwYZCiNvX2w_Lb3OL20vpMI4Seweo/s1600/DSC03442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74DBvp3WilLCeh81QeaqfI0cgsNhbJiSSX5Yr7NA9UkKyxzU2m6cMVw5BD6oWD7s2zAWpP85CHtQreqzzneySZdXS3R_sTsgHdG5ZxO6SIq_BVIKwYZCiNvX2w_Lb3OL20vpMI4Seweo/s400/DSC03442.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Hike to the Chasm<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8NN7G6eVsgJQOMXw0zZI0tsWP2vJ4hgwAOOG27qKEmpjLq4_zET0y1icYwrDpcpRFaR6RUNBpJDO272sowqFRF9-gD2a4gwZINgikB9tJTMeoQpAUKrhqVgj4dzztvQNSSt7_LEJPNg/s1600/DSC03448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8NN7G6eVsgJQOMXw0zZI0tsWP2vJ4hgwAOOG27qKEmpjLq4_zET0y1icYwrDpcpRFaR6RUNBpJDO272sowqFRF9-gD2a4gwZINgikB9tJTMeoQpAUKrhqVgj4dzztvQNSSt7_LEJPNg/s400/DSC03448.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Chasm</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEp9Xf-KNXZiWvJrEzurShqYRYAVfnL9CQQyd0qPnPKwt5EnihaBhvgQIm-wDrA9K-mCiCRLQgGkVeTSqDmQqKHqSZ5L8pcOsZFvnj_RNnRsGeP7PrKzpJINrbFs-SvM_vcIXiFe8v6Cg/s1600/DSC03464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEp9Xf-KNXZiWvJrEzurShqYRYAVfnL9CQQyd0qPnPKwt5EnihaBhvgQIm-wDrA9K-mCiCRLQgGkVeTSqDmQqKHqSZ5L8pcOsZFvnj_RNnRsGeP7PrKzpJINrbFs-SvM_vcIXiFe8v6Cg/s400/DSC03464.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">45 degrees South!<br /></td></tr>
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The following day we headed into town and rented a Quadra cycle to ride around the small town. This was a very unique experience and we had a great time biking around. Eden was seated in the front and loved waving to the cars that passed us by. We also decided to visit a glow worm cave. We took a boat ride across Lake Te Anau and visited a cave that had a river running through it. Before entering the cave we watched a short video where they explained the stages of the glow worm and why they glowed. So, this is a soft-bodied worm with luminescent organs in the abdomen used to attract bugs to eat. Our guide told us that they are really maggots but are called worms because who wants to visit a maggot cave, fair enough. The inside of the cave was amazing. I really enjoyed that way that the river had carved out the cave itself. Then we boarded a small boat and the guide turned off the lights and he pulled us along a section of the cave where a majority of the glow worms were located. My first impression was that it looked like the sky filled with millions of stars, and it was a very unique thing to see. Then as we approached a section of the cave where I needed to bend down so I would not touch the ceiling I kept thinking maggots, maggots, maggots, gross. Glowing maggots, but maggots nonetheless. I kind of wish that we had seen the video AFTER we had visited the cave. I seemed to have been the only one that was a little grossed out by it. Once back in Te Anau we headed over to Myles Better Pies for a quick dinner of a New Zealand specialty of meat pies, sort of like a pot pie. We tried lamb, steak, venison and chicken pies and they were all fantastic. They had lots of flavor and the meat was moist, tender and delicious. In Te Anau we stayed at another holiday park. Finding places in New Zealand proved to be rather difficult and in some areas our choices were limited. This place in particular had no bathroom in the room and we had to walk over to the shared facilities. No big deal, except in the middle of the night when it was rather cold and inconvenient. I did need to make the journey several times but as luck would have it I was rewarded by a stunning night sky full of the brightest stars. Who needs maggots. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1k1jTZy5HZEKjuKzg-bxpX39IXTzhJdrunkb0U2jV9TCR-S5NBUpSPzunCbFH24dVvM3J3ObGW2MDW_oc_sZEzrXr2sfg-cgRrHRwVdu4ME_XVhTY7te9_3aYVdID3MR-2fR1hRpb4A/s1600/DSC03470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1k1jTZy5HZEKjuKzg-bxpX39IXTzhJdrunkb0U2jV9TCR-S5NBUpSPzunCbFH24dVvM3J3ObGW2MDW_oc_sZEzrXr2sfg-cgRrHRwVdu4ME_XVhTY7te9_3aYVdID3MR-2fR1hRpb4A/s400/DSC03470.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Riding the Quadra Cycle<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">On lake Te Anau en route to the glow worm cave<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_YS-Htcz-K422eV2gWOLZmHAbAhyphenhyphenVWijeBQxeKjHVfNcZW-fm2IfbIMdsz4IISb191V8WtNA6rSFGULnEdle3DypmnAQBeFORvrQmL0IxD3LJLCwNlZpIpzBK1-_a4SX4SNLAruDORo/s1600/DSC03510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_YS-Htcz-K422eV2gWOLZmHAbAhyphenhyphenVWijeBQxeKjHVfNcZW-fm2IfbIMdsz4IISb191V8WtNA6rSFGULnEdle3DypmnAQBeFORvrQmL0IxD3LJLCwNlZpIpzBK1-_a4SX4SNLAruDORo/s400/DSC03510.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">At the entrance of the glow worm cave<br /></td></tr>
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The following day we headed to Queenstown and had a fun time walking around this town. Justin and I felt like it reminded us of Estes Park, CO. Although it was very crowded it had a fun, quirky vibe with its main industry being tourism. It had tourist prices and was probably the most expensive place we've stayed so far. We took the steepest gondola that I have ever ridden up to a scenic viewpoint. It was pretty awesome to see Queenstown below with the lake and the surrounding mountains. At the top there was also a really neat luge track. This was nothing like a luge I have done in the past, with the biggest difference being that the track was wide and you needed to steer yourself down, as opposed to having the track guide you down. Everyone had a wonderful time, but I was surprised at Eden's absolute joy and enthusiasm, she is still asking to go back to the luge. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">View of the lake and Queenstown below from the top of the luge track<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Joel and Caleb racing down on a luge<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIV0fe4euvqTUz2E0K0t4qCTgK4cI-rZr9FX5dtsL47cKESEkc4A3jozEf6D-zIOUXtM67JSZAkuVrW-k_pqBBlSrlD4yGDGPCvM7t2doUwzTvtUFlcm0u9eJE-RsDtHnQaGQSOS5hH-I/s1600/IMG_2320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIV0fe4euvqTUz2E0K0t4qCTgK4cI-rZr9FX5dtsL47cKESEkc4A3jozEf6D-zIOUXtM67JSZAkuVrW-k_pqBBlSrlD4yGDGPCvM7t2doUwzTvtUFlcm0u9eJE-RsDtHnQaGQSOS5hH-I/s400/IMG_2320.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Caroline and Eden heading down the luge track<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkJFNKoRgC-ug-Gz93iXgeNztn2tjD-x7tGD3LATyUW6PEJpr5rxbLGfTPZbAfmTGxOvwwIBgX16ZbIrmRuGJnWYA2vill-VUS8JGG-8z_nU92qQJyaCt3GUpMYDdksEXlB6RXOXP5lw/s1600/IMG_4115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkJFNKoRgC-ug-Gz93iXgeNztn2tjD-x7tGD3LATyUW6PEJpr5rxbLGfTPZbAfmTGxOvwwIBgX16ZbIrmRuGJnWYA2vill-VUS8JGG-8z_nU92qQJyaCt3GUpMYDdksEXlB6RXOXP5lw/s400/IMG_4115.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">At the wharf in Queenstown<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">This "value" apartment was fully booked even at $650 per night<br /></td></tr>
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The following day we dropped Rachel off at the airport for her long flights back to Colorado. It was so good to have her with us and very bittersweet to have her leave again. We had such a wonderful time with her and loved being able to celebrate the holidays as a complete family in New Zealand. </div>
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After the airport we started our very long drive to Franz Josef. From Queenstown to Franz Josef the population drops significantly and there are a couple of sparsely inhabited "towns" along the way. The drive was beautiful and very winding. I could not believe how many one lane bridges we crossed, over 30, I lost count. By the way, crossing some of these bridges is a little sketchy, at one point, not only was it one lane for cars but it also had train tracks for the train! No train signal either, you just needed to do your due diligence and make sure the train was not approaching. Crazy! The following day, we hiked to the Franz Josef glacier and had a great time seeing the glacier and surrounding nature. The river from the glacier was very gray as it must have been full of silt. This was very different from all the other rivers we saw which all were so crystal clear. There were many waterfalls in the valley on the way up to the glacier. We were able to learn more about glaciers on our hike and it was neat to and see one carving out a valley like many of the ones we had previously seen. </div>
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After the hike, we loaded back into Lord Alphard for our 6 hour drive to Wakefield. We stayed at a renovated barn and the kids had the chance to play soccer in the yard. The next day we had to leave at 5AM to get to Picton to board the 8AM ferry back to the North Island. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pleasant Falls near the road to Franz Josef Glacier</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterfalls on the trail up to the glacier </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking up to the glacier</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Franz Josef Glacier</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Close up of the glacier<br /></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-46959306401602938312016-01-05T01:58:00.001-08:002016-01-05T01:58:54.523-08:00New Zealand, North Island Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Auckland Skyline</td></tr>
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New Zealand was one of the places that was on my "must see" list for this trip. My parents lived here for a few years and my brother was born here. I had grown up hearing many stories about how wonderful this country was and I wanted to see it firsthand.</div>
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We flew from Sydney to Auckland, New Zealand on Air New Zealand. This was a very nice airlines with the most advanced infotainment system I’ve seen on any flight we’d been on. My favorite feature was being able to order drinks from the touch screen in front of me. The kids liked playing video games with one another even though they were in different rows. Once we cleared customs we heard some yelling and I wasn’t sure what exactly was going on but as we exited we saw a man giving a traditional Maori greeting to one of his family members arriving. There is a big Maori influence in New Zealand and to me I saw a lot of similarities to the Hawaiian culture. This makes sense since they both have Polynesian roots. We picked up our rental van and headed to a nearby airport hotel. The van was a Toyota Alphard. Not something they have in the states and I’m not sure it is even common in New Zealand. There was a Tokyo tag on the bumper and the radio controls were in Japanese. It was an older vehicle so perhaps New Zealand ends up importing some used cars from Japan.</div>
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<br />We headed north from Auckland to drive to the “Northland” region on the North Island of New Zealand. The terrain had many rolling hills that were carpeted in lush green grass. As expected there were sheep everywhere. I must say that they had some very nice pastures to graze upon. The roads in New Zealand are generally just 1 lane in each direction and have quite a few curves. No 4 lane divided highways where you can set the cruise control to 75 and forget it. In fact, I found that there were quite a few bridges that weren’t wide enough for both directions so each direction would need to take their turn. We rented a house on the KariKari peninsula overlooking Doubtless Bay. On the way up we passed through a town named KeriKeri. It seems like it would be easy to get KariKari and KeriKeri confused in conversation and actually, I don’t know exactly how they pronounced either one since they sound very similar. The house had a great view of the water. It was very relaxing to hear the waves when going to bed at night. One of the days we took a stroll on the beach in front of the house and found many nice seashells. The water was too cold to get in but we saw a few people brave it out with wetsuits on. We also found another nearby bay called Matai Bay. This one was a bit more protected than Doubtless Bay and the water was very calm and the water crystal clear. The kids enjoyed playing in the sand and near the water. On the way back to the house we stopped by one of the many wineries and got a bottle of wine. On one of our last days, we went to the town of Manganoui and got Fish and Chips. This is a very popular dish in New Zealand and I can see why. It was really good and inexpensive. The fish was fresh and very tasty.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the countryside in the Northland</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the beach at Doubtless Bay</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Doubtless Bay from the house<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matai Bay</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danielle and Joel at Matai Bay</td></tr>
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After our days in the Northland were over, we headed back south to Auckland. We stopped off at a mall so the kids could talk to Santa before Christmas, and then continued on to Rotorua. It was a long day of about 7 hours in the car. Rotorua has a lot of geothermal activity and there were hot springs right near the house we stayed at. It was neat to see the steam rising in the air. The smell of sulfur however wasn’t the best, but you got used to it after a while. The owner of the house we were staying at was gracious enough to have a Christmas tree waiting for us in the living room. Caroline had bought craft supplies and had directed the kids in making ornaments for the tree. After a few ornaments their interest waned, but she had them finish the job. At one point, I think she said, “You don’t get off that easy in Caroline’s sweat shop”. All joking aside, it was great that we had a tree and got to decorate it. Rachel flew into Auckland at 6AM the morning of Christmas Eve. Caroline got up at 3AM to for the 3 hour drive to the airport and pick her up and drive back to Rotorua for another 3 hours. We spent the rest of the day eating Christmas cookies that Caroline baked and catching up with Rachel. It was great that she could meet us here.</div>
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<br />On Christmas morning, the kids were excited to open all the presents that Santa brought. Danielle was a bit worried since there wasn’t a fireplace in the house, but we told her that Santa would figure out how to come in the back door. For dinner, Caroline made a beef tenderloin roast with a gorgonzola cheese sauce. It was so yummy! Along with the many sheep here, the have a lot of beef cattle and meat is very good.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas in Rotorua</td></tr>
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<br />The kids, including Rachel, really wanted to go to Hobbiton which is where they filmed the “Lord of the Rings” and the “Hobbit”. It was only about an hour away from Rotorua so we went the day after Christmas. They created the town on the land of a working sheep farm. The farm continues to be operated today, but they have Hobbiton separated for tourist visits. I haven’t seen the movies but it was interesting to see how they made some of the things oversized to help with the appearance that the hobbits are small. One of the interesting facts I learned is that it took over a year to build the town but they ended up filming all the needed scenes for “Lord of the Rings” in just 12 days. The entire area was beautiful and after the tour you got a free beer with the kids getting ginger beers since I guess hobbits like beer and they had their own brewery on site.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hobbiton Movie Set</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake at Hobbiton</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All of us in a hobbit hole<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the holes in Hobbiton<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids in front of a hobbit hole</td></tr>
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We also got to hike to Waiere falls which the highest waterfall on the North Island. The trail was through a very dense forest with many ferns and trees. I really liked how parts of the trail were dark with the trees shielding the sun. The waterfall was stunning and the pictures don't do it justice. Closer to the waterfall the trail got muddy and steep but Eden was able to walk up almost all of it even though it took about an hour and a half. This is in stark contrast to most times where she asks to get carried when we need to walk 50 feet. I guess she likes hiking which is great. She was tired though and got a ride on our shoulders on the way down.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hike to Waiere Falls with Caleb, Rachel and Caroline hidden in the trees<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiere Falls<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eden cooling off her feet after the hike</td></tr>
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From Rotorua, we headed south to Wellington which is the capital of New Zealand and the southernmost town on the North Island. It was interesting how on the drive down, the terrain went from the lush green grasses and trees to a very barren and desolate region. In the distance were the volcanoes poking up with snow on the peaks even though it is summer here. We got a good view of Mount Ruapehu which claims to have the closest ski area to an active volcanic crater. Once in Wellington, we went downtown to get another sampling of fish and chips and then drove up to the Victoria lookout to get a great view of the city and surrounding bay. I remember my Mom telling me and others that she never had a good hair day in Wellington since it is always windy. It was windy on top of the lookout and it made me chuckle thinking of that as my hair blew in the wind.</div>
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<br />I could see why my parents enjoyed this country, and it has definitely been one of my favorites. We still have a few more weeks here and I am excited about seeing more. Next stop, the South Island.<br /> </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Ruapehu</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Wellington from Victoria lookout</td></tr>
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Justin Coppinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14326525639169006698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-59332447441373933692015-12-29T00:43:00.002-08:002015-12-29T00:43:35.886-08:00New Caledonia, Fiji<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Noumea, New Caledonia</td></tr>
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Justin and I had wanted to visit the South Pacific, but when we did the research it seemed out of reach, budget wise. Then doing research for something else Justin came upon a cruise deal for 12 nights in and out of Sydney to New Caledonia and Fiji. So we decided to book this since it was probably the only opportunity we had to visit someplace in the South Pacific. We boarded the ship and all went to Justin’s cabin to watch our exit from Sydney Harbor. Justin and I had to book separate cabins to accommodate all of us. Justin got a veranda cabin and had Caleb, Joel and Danielle. I had an interior cabin a few doors down and had Eden with me. From the veranda we had a wonderful view of the Opera House. It was so stunning to see it from this vantage point. Also, Justin and I really enjoyed the route out to the Pacific Ocean. Right where the harbour channel ends and the sea begins, either side of the land ends in these huge cliffs down to the ocean, very impressive and beautiful. I had not realized that Sydney itself was not directly on the Pacific Ocean, but somewhat inland. Once on the ocean Danielle noticed dolphins jumping from wave to wave not far off of the side of the ship. We also noticed tons of flying fish. It was impressive to see just how far they could “fly”, flapping their fins throughout the flight! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Good view of the Sydney Opera house on our way out of port<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Leaving Sydney Harbour on the cruise ship with the pilot boat guiding us<br /></td></tr>
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The first two days were sea days and we had a great time exploring the ship. Some favorite activities were playing chess in the Explorers lounge, hanging out at the pool or hot tub, the kids loved the kids club (btw, so did Justin and I), and getting ice cream just because. Within 48 hours Eden was a rock star on board, everyone knew her name from the staff to the passengers, and she was given special snacks and treats. The waffle man recognized her by the third morning and had her order ready, one fresh waffle with chocolate sauce and sprinkles, very healthy. While on the pool deck one of the nice waitresses, named Ann Marie, brought Eden cheesy fries and a drink as a nice little swimming break. Needless to say, Eden was in heaven, she ate up all of the attention, even blowing kisses to people when she walked by and called her by name. I watched thinking, “Oh my goodness, we have a diva on our hands.” Danielle, being such a social and outgoing kid, made friends with all the kids onboard. Once a little girl on her way to kids club asked me if Danielle was there, when I told her no, that she was playing a game in the Explorers lounge but would be there in about an hour, the little girl looked at her mom and said, “can you drop me off in an hour instead?” I just chuckled to myself. The boys had tons of fun playing with other boys and since they were the oldest ones in their group, really enjoyed the younger boy’s infatuation with them. Eden went to kids club twice but would have preferred not to, unless she could stay with Danielle, which the staff accommodated the 2 times she went. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Formal night on the Cruise</td></tr>
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We had three stops in New Caledonia and by far our favorite one was Easo. From the cruise ship veranda we spotted a sea turtle and watched him for a few minutes until we lost sight when he dove down into the water. It was a beautiful beach that we reached via tender. Once on the beach we went swimming and gathered tons of shells. Justin and I got a quick snorkel in and we saw some pretty amazing fish. I even spotted a sea turtle in the distance but once we got closer it dove down and we lost sight of it. Our 2 other stops in New Caledonia were Tadine, a small village, and Noumea, the capital city. It has a large French influence and everyone speaks French. Apparently they have croissants as good as France, but unfortunately we didn’t have a chance to try them. When the ship was departing that evening Caleb, Joel and I spotted 3 manta rays swimming near the surface just off of our side of the ship which I learned is called starboard. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Easo, New Caledonia<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Tadine, New Caledonia<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">On the Pier in Noumea, New Caledonia<br /></td></tr>
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In Fiji, we stopped twice. The first stop was Lautoka, a port town, it was a little bit of a dud, and the second was Dravuni Island, which was amazing. At Dravuni, we had a beach day and had a great time swimming and walking along the beach collecting shell and taking in the scenery. In fact, Caleb found a huge shell that weighed about 30lbs and carried it back to our spot on the beach. Along the way, people stopped him and asked to take a picture of him with it. When he brought it back and announced that he wanted to bring it home, I unfortunately told him that we could not because, A) It weighed about 30lbs and B) It weighed about 30 LBS!! Disappointed he put it down, but we did get tons of pictures of it. We did gather lots of appropriately sized shells to bring home. The water is a magnificent blue going from a light turquoise to a deep navy, and the sand is soft, and a nice light beige color. It was not the sunniest day, but it was still warm and the water was easy to get into, so my favorite. Along the beach front we came across a large rock formation at the edge of the water and Caleb, Joel and Danielle quickly climbed to the top, we got few great pictures of that. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Dravuni, Fiji<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Caleb found a big seashell in Fiji<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">On the beach in Dravuni, Fiji<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Eden getting thrown into the air in Fiji<br /></td></tr>
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Back on the ship we enjoyed wonderful meals in the dining room, some fun nights of entertainment, and fantastic blues music from a group of musicians from Tennessee! Eden learned how to swim in deeper water in the ship pool. She could swim underwater as long as she would be able to touch the bottom whenever she wanted. So one day Justin and I stood a few feet from each other and started to send her back and forth, getting further apart very slowly, in the pool that was about 4 feet deep. Eventually, she would need to actually swim to reach one of us and once she realized it, she was over the moon and so proud. She also had lots of compliments and support from her adoring “fans”. Justin and I went to one of the many cooking classes and got tons of recipes to try of the food that we had been served during dinner. I even got to ask a bunch of questions to their head chef. The boys and Danielle entered a ship building competition, where they had to build a boat using materials from around the ship. Before they started they had a lesson on buoyancy and then Justin and I let them loose on the design and fabrication, WITHOUT our help. I decided this was a great way to slip in a science lesson without them even realizing it, they thought it was just a little contest. Hehehe. One of the rules to the competition was that it could not be tested beforehand and that it needed to hold 6 cans of soda. They came up with a concept using empty milk boxes as the hull. One morning the 3 of the set off to drink enough milk boxes for the hull, 12 in all. I told them that they needed to make sure that they did not waste any food, I had no idea that they had planned on collecting all 12 boxes in one sitting. We had a ton of comments about how they must really love their milk and that their bones must be so strong. They had a great boat that floated and held all 6 cans, unfortunately, balance was an issue and the boat tipped to one side and dropped its load. Justin and I were so proud of them, because they were the only kid team, everyone else were mature adults, and they did it all themselves. They learned so much that they even came up with a better design to take into account balance. They are just waiting for me to buy them 12 milk boxes. All in all, we had a wonderful time on the cruise and were very happy that we were able to add a couple of stops in the South Pacific to our list. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The kids at the boat building contest<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joel on the veranda of our cruise cabin</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-81720864708531427392015-12-19T23:38:00.000-08:002015-12-19T23:38:02.731-08:00Australia<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Koala</td></tr>
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We arrived in Sydney Australia after an overnight flight and we were beat. We picked up the cars, we rented 2 smaller cars instead of 1 van because it was significantly cheaper. Then headed to the little house we would be staying at in a suburb called Eastwood. We were so tired we just stayed there and tried to not sleep until bedtime. I didn’t make it. I fell asleep for 30 minutes and it felt great. The following day was our wedding anniversary. We found an Outback Steakhouse and had a wonderful romantic dinner, well as romantic as it can get with 4 kids in tow. Justin and I thought it was pretty funny that they have Outback Steakhouses in Australia. It is exactly the same as the ones in the states, except the staff’s accents are not fake and they don’t sell Fosters, apparently it is not Australian for beer. We knew that when we arrived in Australia we would be replacing some items that we had run out of or outgrown. Everyone kept telling us that Australia is “just like the United States.” Well, they are right. It felt very familiar. There are a few differences like driving on the opposite side of the road, they DON”T sell Aussi hair products and Burger King is called Hungry Jack, but other than that things felt familiar. We spent a day getting the things we needed and the rest of the time visiting some sites. One of the days we took the River Cat (ferry) for 10 kilometers into Sydney harbor itself. It was a great trip down the river towards the harbor and we got to see some fantastic sites. While riding the ferry we got to ride under the Harbour Bridge. It is huge. We also saw quite a bit of people walking along the structure to get to the very top of the bridge. That seemed like a terrible idea. I have been told that each person is strapped to the next and so forth, great if one moron falls they all do. Needless to say we were skipping that particular activity. Once off the ferry we walked around the harbor and headed to the Sydney Opera House. It is very impressive and I loved the magnificent view it has of the surrounding area and the harbor is indeed very nice. I was surprised that the Opera House is off white and beige. Seeing pictures of it I always assumed it was pure white. Also, the entire outside structure is covered in 4x4 inch tiles. The structure itself resembles large shells and it took over 15 years to build. The architect finally resigned after many delays and cost overruns. We walked around the outside and took in the views from every point. I can see why this location was picked for this impressive building, it is quite a stunning area and building to welcome people arriving from the sea. We heard an Aboriginal man playing a didgeridoo near the wharf. We listened to him for a while and then the kids got a photo while looking at some boomerangs.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Sydney Harbour Bridge<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Sydney Opera House<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdEBvhcRWzrieVg-BZQX8gRw_E9012YhFUH5UZvmuKMuUFfeDoiakR06gXOOjGkhuqbqho2QURTdKAeawez1dZfXMRws0VmriDAkWamMUpnoeAa1kv7T5b2cfhUJXWOxiPDDCUW35TrQ/s1600/DSC02861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdEBvhcRWzrieVg-BZQX8gRw_E9012YhFUH5UZvmuKMuUFfeDoiakR06gXOOjGkhuqbqho2QURTdKAeawez1dZfXMRws0VmriDAkWamMUpnoeAa1kv7T5b2cfhUJXWOxiPDDCUW35TrQ/s400/DSC02861.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Danielle and Eden looking at the boomerangs with an Aboriginal man<br /></td></tr>
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We headed over to visit Darling Harbor. We walked a few kilometers though town to get to Darling Harbor. This harbor is geared more towards shopping and entertainment, definitely less industrial. We walked around and lo and behold found an amazing park were all the kids enjoyed some play time. Although it is summertime in Australia, the weather during our stay was not very warm. We had lower temperatures and cloudy days, but none of us minded. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYktzbB2fD63t4dIJ_KfSWjoK02237Ji5Z3uh6EUlEBxaH4FOi-Psiq-gb7-m9iJTC3LJtmXv2LrPnU3F4u7smKfPlHSJAih7dAEzq7RwgnXXMFRsg8GZpcVP-caThyVpaO7UO5srMtBo/s1600/DSC02834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYktzbB2fD63t4dIJ_KfSWjoK02237Ji5Z3uh6EUlEBxaH4FOi-Psiq-gb7-m9iJTC3LJtmXv2LrPnU3F4u7smKfPlHSJAih7dAEzq7RwgnXXMFRsg8GZpcVP-caThyVpaO7UO5srMtBo/s400/DSC02834.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Darling Harbour<br /></td></tr>
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Another thing that we enjoyed while in Australia was visiting an animal sanctuary. I had never encountered these animals before and at this place we could touch most of them. We saw kangaroos, koalas, echidnas, wombats, and dingoes. The koalas were the most adorable animals. They had quite a few babies and it was fun seeing them snuggle with their moms. Although it is illegal to handle a koala in New South Wales we were given permission to pet it while taking a photo with one. They are so soft! Yet I did see one of the handlers arms after one of the koalas scratched her for no reason. Ouch!! We also got to pet the kangaroos and wallabies. Almost as soft as the koalas. One of the mothers had a little joey in her pouch and every once in a while he would peek out of the pouch, very cute. I was a little nervous that one of them might try to kick me, but thankfully that never happened. They must be pretty used to having people around. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHHJVD3gUDT0WvgGtyxTrYiG5T4FwQmQpEHmxteLy2JoQEMW-m9lOVXBFa92eXd8YHjIN0Wvb65cWwsNCcx56P45ORp07u02SVfRB6V0wXTvTmG38M6oXk9W5tMaF193bgzOwWKb3iVk/s1600/DSC02914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHHJVD3gUDT0WvgGtyxTrYiG5T4FwQmQpEHmxteLy2JoQEMW-m9lOVXBFa92eXd8YHjIN0Wvb65cWwsNCcx56P45ORp07u02SVfRB6V0wXTvTmG38M6oXk9W5tMaF193bgzOwWKb3iVk/s400/DSC02914.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Eden and Caroline with a Koala<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nEzZ3ipPUntr3LkSqvvxUZAEKBUzRCYb5SIKk9eQgdjJPJvNkEelHv2V4pieUSq_OOPHVNO4Mqw0t62j5PDEJisHJ-DA5Pf9fvpCXHqIlx69YHSo5GzGCtY2bHVwqE-9zQOSiEKShyphenhyphen4/s1600/DSC02933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nEzZ3ipPUntr3LkSqvvxUZAEKBUzRCYb5SIKk9eQgdjJPJvNkEelHv2V4pieUSq_OOPHVNO4Mqw0t62j5PDEJisHJ-DA5Pf9fvpCXHqIlx69YHSo5GzGCtY2bHVwqE-9zQOSiEKShyphenhyphen4/s400/DSC02933.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Kangaroo<br /></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivggkShFdu9oD_e3Bpud1NHFUhfHdEj_hMEeJ3d8_tEH1CGW1vuYNKvRxJVredK76jyIUxSxL_I25sM9HhUMhFUrN40h6xU0EdwiUyfoddy-JeZP3tNp1AxIXh5A-sH7zZ5xprKa3MXQg/s1600/DSC02889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivggkShFdu9oD_e3Bpud1NHFUhfHdEj_hMEeJ3d8_tEH1CGW1vuYNKvRxJVredK76jyIUxSxL_I25sM9HhUMhFUrN40h6xU0EdwiUyfoddy-JeZP3tNp1AxIXh5A-sH7zZ5xprKa3MXQg/s400/DSC02889.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Wallaby<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRlf7NhQz2QR-mHx3x3tR70vz8zF-sZ7O-99J1sG_DN39qXBkmu9w7nHpqn3OhOurvrLOQsZxcObCU6LK9WMzy6YUZL-Bum0JKyMocAwTXdZngb8mDoj9AasBZ7Pitkfh__JMjFVDfE3A/s1600/DSC02973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRlf7NhQz2QR-mHx3x3tR70vz8zF-sZ7O-99J1sG_DN39qXBkmu9w7nHpqn3OhOurvrLOQsZxcObCU6LK9WMzy6YUZL-Bum0JKyMocAwTXdZngb8mDoj9AasBZ7Pitkfh__JMjFVDfE3A/s400/DSC02973.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Wombat<br /></td></tr>
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During our visit they had an echidna presentation. We headed over to that. Caleb had done a school project a couple of years ago about echidnas and until then I had never known this animal existed. They kind of look like porcupines, but they do not “throw” their quills. We got to touch and pet them also, very different feeling, sort of hard and scaly. Their noses are pretty long in order to dig into to ant hills to eat. During the presentation they were feeding them and I will admit that the smell of their lunch made me gag, some kind of raw meat and fly eggs, yum. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmEGDIO6wNf5weQZZp4gbvNYkKQAgXmjZlJuEW3tBknXBTBo1JitQrEGlFTu48b2TRbAC2GO8GRDvfqdw1W5WjKcO5VxhOc7IrB7rBnd8SiJcT39OY8y10chgm5227pZ8Blxs0VH7LIY/s1600/DSC02939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmEGDIO6wNf5weQZZp4gbvNYkKQAgXmjZlJuEW3tBknXBTBo1JitQrEGlFTu48b2TRbAC2GO8GRDvfqdw1W5WjKcO5VxhOc7IrB7rBnd8SiJcT39OY8y10chgm5227pZ8Blxs0VH7LIY/s400/DSC02939.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Caleb with an Echidna<br /></td></tr>
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We also enjoyed presentations on dingoes and “little” penguins. They are actually the littlest penguins that exist and are found along the western coast of Australia and are actually called little penguins. We watched a Tasmanian devil run around this enclosure repeatedly. I felt sorry for him and it made me appreciate seeing animals in their natural surroundings so much more. We saw an enormous crocodile with his mouth gaping open. He had a huge mouth and I could see how he could easily swallow someone whole! I watched him for about 10 minutes and he did not move a muscle. There was a nice animal handler who was transferring a snake and a lizard who stopped pulled out each animal and let the kids pet them. Eden was terrified and so to show her that it is not so bad, only because I don’t want her to have unreasonable fears, I touched the snake. Yuck. My fear is NOT unreasonable to me! Once Eden saw me touch it she mustered up some nerves and pet the snake herself and said, “It’s kind of slimy.” I thought it felt leathery. We had a really wonderful time at the animal sanctuary. It was neat to see animals that are not in the US. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDOVlHRiDLJvtrn91J4lYJ-5RBXH0NG_L9oOptSgvZJ6XrNFWy2n2NksdhHghyW9znw2_ukrqYyFDdt3CbLk7rCZPxWOWHMEfRpdrHRgGBhXb9J93ftLSiQ2VAuMt6mcbJSY-UOr5khA/s1600/DSC02955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDOVlHRiDLJvtrn91J4lYJ-5RBXH0NG_L9oOptSgvZJ6XrNFWy2n2NksdhHghyW9znw2_ukrqYyFDdt3CbLk7rCZPxWOWHMEfRpdrHRgGBhXb9J93ftLSiQ2VAuMt6mcbJSY-UOr5khA/s400/DSC02955.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Tasmanian Devil<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTZGgAGc1GKS7YDdBlC_SU4ak6EN4nkpnxm947yVPLuFhO67Lu9z8kl-N3OxAvgXMRD1rT6pwq6VkPjj4EIclwn9HgYv1jnBPd2Stx0cPEdmUUM5u0fN00sTU2khCvxpKyHc5gTc7VPY/s1600/DSC02959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTZGgAGc1GKS7YDdBlC_SU4ak6EN4nkpnxm947yVPLuFhO67Lu9z8kl-N3OxAvgXMRD1rT6pwq6VkPjj4EIclwn9HgYv1jnBPd2Stx0cPEdmUUM5u0fN00sTU2khCvxpKyHc5gTc7VPY/s400/DSC02959.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Kids examining a snake<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgODxU2uDHSouAQANlCKKlO0eZ_OQb3wznXEDVYiv84PwgUEdzsk_jIwHInLt1eLe9ESX3zNs64rTlZ6UEa6EqOSGbB5IuLmH5Yj_8iHPwZ4rad5zUMTXwBT2chBHEwAAjhGvtmqpSfI5k/s1600/DSC02980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgODxU2uDHSouAQANlCKKlO0eZ_OQb3wznXEDVYiv84PwgUEdzsk_jIwHInLt1eLe9ESX3zNs64rTlZ6UEa6EqOSGbB5IuLmH5Yj_8iHPwZ4rad5zUMTXwBT2chBHEwAAjhGvtmqpSfI5k/s400/DSC02980.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Crocodile</td></tr>
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A couple of side notes: They do call everyone “mate” in Australia, so this cliché is true. I did think it was funny. Lots of people told us they love our “cute accents”. Not sure what they are talking about because they are the ones with the cute accent. Driving on the left side of the road is getting pretty easy. We knew parts of Europe would be expensive but were very surprised that Sydney was so expensive, considering the strength of the US dollar. It was a close second to Singapore.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLybELUL2VJccLUV1T17J7zU8LTyHBMfJldHSDczWKDsBjyOPZYuZC20nZe52bLmeEA9t-mOabACCYv-hONeGwdAuqz6rPRsgWvTJQKNK67G04nVxc_FxfmhjEZVbl-9qCuTI8iiiKj2k/s1600/DSC02897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLybELUL2VJccLUV1T17J7zU8LTyHBMfJldHSDczWKDsBjyOPZYuZC20nZe52bLmeEA9t-mOabACCYv-hONeGwdAuqz6rPRsgWvTJQKNK67G04nVxc_FxfmhjEZVbl-9qCuTI8iiiKj2k/s400/DSC02897.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Southern Cassowary</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQ4nMYEGlYejrEBqozENa_B9Qom8uY4gNx4Wjud_SfLCxcrVuDVehZod1kVxGMsWbFNfVVQq1Hv91JfXHnnVtViTbIRtdhQXRByu2t5Kub52Am8vxUBQG_IyK7j7hjsmuoJPQbWv_Shc/s1600/DSC02970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQ4nMYEGlYejrEBqozENa_B9Qom8uY4gNx4Wjud_SfLCxcrVuDVehZod1kVxGMsWbFNfVVQq1Hv91JfXHnnVtViTbIRtdhQXRByu2t5Kub52Am8vxUBQG_IyK7j7hjsmuoJPQbWv_Shc/s400/DSC02970.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Necked Stork</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-5747654669133866292015-12-04T04:23:00.000-08:002015-12-04T04:23:20.890-08:00Bali and Singapore<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRYhBTllig0NTTaa8q8VSsL7HPRj1-1VQmhU9Lh13MQBQcXyKg8VulT1yju96EWaTp0DosC15sKHZtDOrWYuF9ypjrLrM3J83XbgtjI6jIpW9v4IrNmX8f_FrclsBsbkQpGGWiOO7CPI/s1600/IMG_1851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRYhBTllig0NTTaa8q8VSsL7HPRj1-1VQmhU9Lh13MQBQcXyKg8VulT1yju96EWaTp0DosC15sKHZtDOrWYuF9ypjrLrM3J83XbgtjI6jIpW9v4IrNmX8f_FrclsBsbkQpGGWiOO7CPI/s320/IMG_1851.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flying knight statue</td></tr>
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We arrived in Bali, Indonesia and the sun had already set, yet the air was so hot and humid it felt like walking into a steam room. We took a cab ride to the hotel and along the way saw some pretty awesome statues depicting Hindu stories. One in particular, the flying knight, which is located near the airport looked amazing all lit up. The following day, we headed over to the pool to cool off. Getting in to the water was great. The water was so warm that you could just dive in without feeling that uncomfortable cold on your tummy. The pool was very deep, about 10-12 feet. They have the pool this deep to keep it relatively cool. They do have a kiddie pool that was about 1 foot deep and it was significantly warmer, too hot for me, but Eden loved it. Also, along one side of the deeper pool they had 3 in pool loungers that Eden loved to play on, and Justin and I liked relaxing on. Danielle went off to the kids club and really had an amazing time with all of the activities they had planned daily. The kids made sand art, did palm weaving, made muffins and played lots of games. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Joel and Eden at the pool</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWAgMYkzVhccd-K9Hnmh11CYO40eUc6C_ho7ehMWmH7bC9bIGF6784k_bK9QzoeG8EnAYQ5sFWJxC9_9d8dCVYwL0ByN99r95tmFhPhp9Mfn-Piu1T0rN6HXajldBZBRrbmXsOEsqiLg0/s1600/IMG_1916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWAgMYkzVhccd-K9Hnmh11CYO40eUc6C_ho7ehMWmH7bC9bIGF6784k_bK9QzoeG8EnAYQ5sFWJxC9_9d8dCVYwL0ByN99r95tmFhPhp9Mfn-Piu1T0rN6HXajldBZBRrbmXsOEsqiLg0/s400/IMG_1916.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Making muffins<br /></td></tr>
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We had decided to keep a low profile and stick to the area where we were staying. So every day we went to the pool, ordered some fun drinks, checked out nearby restaurants and amenities. One of the days all of us except Eden, went for a massage. I had thought that the cost of massages in Phuket were reasonable, but here in Bali they were downright cheap. A one hour massage turned out to be $4 including tip!! We went in turns, so I went first with Caleb and Danielle. Once done, it was Justin and Joel’s turn. Needless to say, we were all feeling rather relaxed and my back felt great. That afternoon, Danielle learned Balinese dancing at the kids club. They also dressed her up in a traditional Balinese costume. Danielle asked if I could take her back to our room to show everyone else and they told her she could go. Once Eden saw her, she wanted to get dressed up too. In the end, the boys even decided to try the traditional men’s costume. They all looked amazing. They had done full makeup on the girls and even did their hair. The costumes are so colorful and very pretty. I personally loved all of the adornments in their hair. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQR3RORoMoPTTPBE0UEORhnaWo_XmyPmxszteDFQ-QrlD2t0uRiLw-me3CdnLi2r_UUVkaNluNWVYzhOWW_nBT1AaJK-VD5EyERnCyiM88UZA57YQEsCW40UwxDrHk_OeakG5IihlBw_8/s1600/IMG_3671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQR3RORoMoPTTPBE0UEORhnaWo_XmyPmxszteDFQ-QrlD2t0uRiLw-me3CdnLi2r_UUVkaNluNWVYzhOWW_nBT1AaJK-VD5EyERnCyiM88UZA57YQEsCW40UwxDrHk_OeakG5IihlBw_8/s400/IMG_3671.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Danielle in Balinese attire<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1feQq0dyjLQcUQ8mCAL4qN-Nv73HNygZALtTINsyhs0gpvng-CK_qR54G2DDNW5S65-T22Ut9s3dy9jKzF_Q9-34Gy7iKCLcZRIV8A9-RuDjx7iyZoo08lA9kQ9EcqP8yuLoX9Bw9YJ8/s1600/IMG_1874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1feQq0dyjLQcUQ8mCAL4qN-Nv73HNygZALtTINsyhs0gpvng-CK_qR54G2DDNW5S65-T22Ut9s3dy9jKzF_Q9-34Gy7iKCLcZRIV8A9-RuDjx7iyZoo08lA9kQ9EcqP8yuLoX9Bw9YJ8/s400/IMG_1874.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Eden liked being dressed up<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKkhB6Fx8xxm1WsOZ94T33KezDVJTeEeXb_LvO4mtmBcA7nFYb2nRT4sW8vum0PvtVEwaIrKGsg6xLW9GRAsVyrdLZ-L-Ib4owU0Dnb1xMDRgPEubYvnAgZvHi83puernudmQl0yykIc/s1600/IMG_1886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKkhB6Fx8xxm1WsOZ94T33KezDVJTeEeXb_LvO4mtmBcA7nFYb2nRT4sW8vum0PvtVEwaIrKGsg6xLW9GRAsVyrdLZ-L-Ib4owU0Dnb1xMDRgPEubYvnAgZvHi83puernudmQl0yykIc/s400/IMG_1886.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">All the kids dressed up in Balinese attire<br /></td></tr>
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On another day the ladies went for pedicures. This was a little pricier at $5 including tip, but what the heck it was worth it. The place we stayed offered cultural shows every other night and man was this a treat. We experienced the traditional Kecak dance which is also known as the Ramayana Monkey Chant. The troupe of 30 men chanted “cak” while moving their hands and arms. There are also 4 other characters/dancers that appear at different times in the story. The dance depicts a battle from Ramayana, a Hindu poem. It was very interesting and almost trance like. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHF_aQA_t5Zr2n8-7BAsiMYkzVv4IWLSuGOqc6GJ5U2Ym2lv875Dzc3lsgJQRzi-kofMBuFJBLAMSPo1eBi0IqMQqZPcEqJo8hSpfdoNbbhv3gQFNqKSe3JXs_uMbwhbaqUwS_caoESs/s1600/IMG_1893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHF_aQA_t5Zr2n8-7BAsiMYkzVv4IWLSuGOqc6GJ5U2Ym2lv875Dzc3lsgJQRzi-kofMBuFJBLAMSPo1eBi0IqMQqZPcEqJo8hSpfdoNbbhv3gQFNqKSe3JXs_uMbwhbaqUwS_caoESs/s400/IMG_1893.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ramayana Monkey Chant Performance</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj896l8phSgJ8o1rmqfhXykbYe4F-5Ig39kpxVHpQelFiSm7nmGsQ_Y0DA8bUzk-gCzfrlTywED85sctBNl3eG8Se5nWNfxzeWMPlgb_vrZzVvjM4EAdWyIfGacJsAT2tmEfqqevoQIl3U/s1600/IMG_1896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj896l8phSgJ8o1rmqfhXykbYe4F-5Ig39kpxVHpQelFiSm7nmGsQ_Y0DA8bUzk-gCzfrlTywED85sctBNl3eG8Se5nWNfxzeWMPlgb_vrZzVvjM4EAdWyIfGacJsAT2tmEfqqevoQIl3U/s400/IMG_1896.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the performers after the show</td></tr>
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On another evening we were treated to the lion dance. This was done by a troupe of teenagers that used only percussion instruments. There were 4 other teenagers that were in 2 different lion costumes (2 performers per costume). This is a traditional dance that is done for the New Year or religious festivals. Eden was terrified of the lions. We had to take her over to the side, away from the main stage. Eventually one of the lions came over and they were very nice, trying not to act scary. After a while, she warmed up to it and pet the lion. My favorite dance was the fire dance. This dance was accompanied by 3 drummers. Two of the dancers were female and they came out several different times with different fire accessories. Some looked like candelabras, others were rings of fire. Each dance was beautiful and mesmerizing. There were also two male dancers that came out with fire poi balls and batons. At one point they twisted the 2 poi balls together and then pulled them apart to have them spin quickly. The fire actually resembled a blade on a saw! They took this and slowly traced a circle around their head, at a very close proximity to their face. It was amazing. Caleb especially liked it. Last year in school Caleb participated in a hooping and spinning class. Their last showcase consisted of them each doing at least one performance with one object on fire. Caleb had chosen the poi balls. I know, right, I couldn’t believe they had a class like this in public school, no less with middle school boys, very brave teacher. I will say I was more at ease watching the strangers perform then my own son. I was the parent that kept gasping every time the fire came too close to Caleb, which during a fire performance is the whole time. We all fully enjoyed the fire performance and Caleb was excited to share pictures of it with his teacher. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydjJVlby_4DM6_ahU3UuTbLV1IOtiwYgKZalE9oYPGTeRU4Q4Rc2iW-cY32R_XSW2FPzKefcxrCHFMiSg7AzT2jxz3BA0BiSb0d8HMyOw4H0Rd99BmseaBjVChCitXCbv89itUDGloLw/s1600/IMG_1938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydjJVlby_4DM6_ahU3UuTbLV1IOtiwYgKZalE9oYPGTeRU4Q4Rc2iW-cY32R_XSW2FPzKefcxrCHFMiSg7AzT2jxz3BA0BiSb0d8HMyOw4H0Rd99BmseaBjVChCitXCbv89itUDGloLw/s400/IMG_1938.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Kids with the lions<br /></td></tr>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxa7qrBOJhQWinsZceeYMAC3dHur8AkHCgdZjUCop4jbXUFYp6HeazEv0Ymf8IiW_ArlludLHjc4SLrRs-Dzw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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We celebrated Thanksgiving in Bali and there was no turkey in sight. We had wonderful tapas and traditional Balinese food with some amazing drinks. All of it was delicious and we had a wonderful, yet unconventional, Thanksgiving dinner. </div>
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Getting to Singapore from Bali ended up being much more difficult than expected. There is a volcano in Indonesia, Mount Barujari, in Lombok, the island adjacent to Bali, that has been erupting on and off for a few weeks. The ash from it got so bad that, in early November, the airport in Bali was closed. Justin and I had been keeping ourselves abreast of the situation in case we needed to change our plans. Everything seemed to mellow out so we went forward with our plans. Once at the airport to leave Bali, we got a different story. Our airlines, Jetstar, had turned the plane coming from Singapore back to Singapore when it was ¾ of the way to Bali, they said, due to the volcano. So, in fact we had no plane for us because it was in Singapore. While keeping informed of things in Bali before we even arrived, we had heard that Jetstar was pretty conservative and had cancelled flights longer than all the other airlines, for about 10 days. Justin and I went to the board and no other airlines had cancelled any flight, in fact the volcano had not had any new eruptions since the earlier part of November. Justin and I decided to get our luggage back from Jetstar and rebook our flight with another airline. What a headache!! Oddly enough Jetstar refunded our full amount and we were able to leave Bali 10 hours late. We could not miss our flight because we had booked a cruise out of Sydney and we could not miss that. Once in Singapore we all breathed a sigh of relief. </div>
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The following day we had a very late night flight to Sydney so we had the entire day to visit Singapore. Justin and I had wanted to stay longer but since Singapore is now considered the “most expensive city in the world” we did not want to break the budget. We had a great time in Singapore. Our first stop was Chinatown. It is so lively and animated. There are hundreds of different shops and restaurants. I had wanted to get each of the girls a cheongsam, a Chinese dress, and a pair of embroidered Mary Janes. We found both and got them each one. It looks totally adorable, they will be wearing it on the formal dinner nights on the cruise, can’t wait. We picked up a few other items and grabbed a drink at one of the restaurants. Justin and I had a Tiger beer, it is brewed locally in Singapore. It tasted great and really hit the spot since it was about 95 degrees and 90% humidity. We were all so hot!! Caleb’s hair looked like a sponge, and we all had sweat pouring down our backs. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSznlIPxQk095KigSRMCLtkKeTsy5hEI-xTK3dcCOXy1vpuUfVDrcGH1lCQdB0qD380T8vY4HhfKBIkmnjmrfLbF9RRDuzkDgn4364xIxLHjV934k3Zi_c6ei3zRHTRaPz0DF3BNnfLY/s1600/IMG_1949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSznlIPxQk095KigSRMCLtkKeTsy5hEI-xTK3dcCOXy1vpuUfVDrcGH1lCQdB0qD380T8vY4HhfKBIkmnjmrfLbF9RRDuzkDgn4364xIxLHjV934k3Zi_c6ei3zRHTRaPz0DF3BNnfLY/s400/IMG_1949.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Singapore Chinatown<br /></td></tr>
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We headed to the metro which was a little cooler and after a couple of stops ended up in an area called Marina Bay. This place is incredible. They have a botanic garden with these huge structures that look like enormous, 50 meters tall, trees called the super trees. Around the outside of each “tree” is a living wall. The super trees are surrounded by beautiful gardens and it is all free to the public. We had a great time exploring the gardens and taking in the views. But it was still really hot. We then headed over to the building that is adjacent to the super trees. This building is called Marina Bay Sands, and is 3 separate towers that are connected at the top by a building that looks like a large ship. It is the oddest and coolest thing that I ever saw. It is said that the architect built it that way in case there was another worldwide flood, he at least had a place he could go, his own personal Noah’s Ark? We headed toward the shops and ended up getting lunch at a food court that consisted of every different kind of Asian food imaginable, the kids were in heaven. It was very nice to see the city of Singapore decorated for Christmas. It was the first time it felt a little Christmassy. We walked around the harbor and took in the sights then headed to the airport for our overnight flight. I will say if we had more time and money both Justin and I would have loved to stay in Singapore longer. The city is beautiful and clean, the architecture is amazing and the people are so nice. We all loved it. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">At Marina Bay<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Ww7GIm_745_nd3uo_wMBtFoMFUaBOFIbkWa3aG20NzsVR5Zn3ISgBNY8KOxrVp9lr7oodfixZo7w7UVfYIvpOHGoQdMcBVTpw76HibUEcnjPjkSYFbgl2Dw93f4WEmwidAtMA59cecU/s1600/DSC02821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Ww7GIm_745_nd3uo_wMBtFoMFUaBOFIbkWa3aG20NzsVR5Zn3ISgBNY8KOxrVp9lr7oodfixZo7w7UVfYIvpOHGoQdMcBVTpw76HibUEcnjPjkSYFbgl2Dw93f4WEmwidAtMA59cecU/s400/DSC02821.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Super Trees<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-sxkbYwpZOQhvBfZzY-bKHeyekKTPlEmIbwLfcgGafYY7B1WJv6g-zz0sTphf82JoEZrteZZyIBaNDjglZUi4FJ3Zb6IWKnu1rHw9bSwqQyZmX4gYJZIEZQi2m10l6nK9P7EMiBB-xHs/s1600/IMG_1977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-sxkbYwpZOQhvBfZzY-bKHeyekKTPlEmIbwLfcgGafYY7B1WJv6g-zz0sTphf82JoEZrteZZyIBaNDjglZUi4FJ3Zb6IWKnu1rHw9bSwqQyZmX4gYJZIEZQi2m10l6nK9P7EMiBB-xHs/s400/IMG_1977.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Marina Bay Sands with ship-like structure on top of 3 buildings</td></tr>
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Overnight flights are horrible, full grown humans trying to sleep in a tiny seat that barely reclines while tiny humans try to use you as their own personal pillow. No one really sleeps. I hate overnight flights!! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the mall with Christmas Tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNn5jtQ4fgs_064MKzd8UXgrR0WEMay016UUGbpo9snWw8Jp89_4Pt4XCtf2TQQXVtocosIlxZxWD7Au4Xtv79IwdY8ABDlgNWwBvi86vj-XPnn__ZkyDYwOpl3FXHmAmooKiZH79wkU/s1600/IMG_1973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNn5jtQ4fgs_064MKzd8UXgrR0WEMay016UUGbpo9snWw8Jp89_4Pt4XCtf2TQQXVtocosIlxZxWD7Au4Xtv79IwdY8ABDlgNWwBvi86vj-XPnn__ZkyDYwOpl3FXHmAmooKiZH79wkU/s400/IMG_1973.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helix bridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04xRkcHRVNf-EmURZlx-aTvAwPT-E3nZ_pcaQY0oj18SLWRhELIvqLPJ_q4A6MjDgpR9dKzLC2GxgiX816GgWzlLhhC2BtDp6Z4Xjgoe6fyMOAa0dFDXwva5ciAfh1BmVbO9ePtFWBkU/s1600/IMG_1978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04xRkcHRVNf-EmURZlx-aTvAwPT-E3nZ_pcaQY0oj18SLWRhELIvqLPJ_q4A6MjDgpR9dKzLC2GxgiX816GgWzlLhhC2BtDp6Z4Xjgoe6fyMOAa0dFDXwva5ciAfh1BmVbO9ePtFWBkU/s400/IMG_1978.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Singapore skyline at dusk</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-29203567683268560492015-11-23T06:52:00.000-08:002015-11-23T06:52:05.807-08:00Phuket, Thailand<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cvBs0qnTReRhsZjxcvqM13JhYJriNnDbtrbttwnri7QlB4rIUCEdsQ_YWghcLn5Zpdgbj6KSviKuDs9I6YIiDgUuns7M6pX96R48CxMxwy2SreRLEmPXsve0mppzKKRgQ59jxRtnBlw/s1600/IMG_1648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cvBs0qnTReRhsZjxcvqM13JhYJriNnDbtrbttwnri7QlB4rIUCEdsQ_YWghcLn5Zpdgbj6KSviKuDs9I6YIiDgUuns7M6pX96R48CxMxwy2SreRLEmPXsve0mppzKKRgQ59jxRtnBlw/s320/IMG_1648.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Eden near the hotel pool</td></tr>
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After getting up at 5am in Marloth Park, driving 4 ½ hours to Johannesburg, taking a 10 ½ hour flight to Singapore, waiting 6 hours in the Singapore Airport (our flight got delayed), taking a 1 ½ hour flight to Phuket and a 30 minute car ride to the hotel we finally arrived at 3pm the following day. We had traveled for 28 hours and had a small amount of sleep. Of course the first thing Justin and I wanted to do was lay down and sleep, the first thing the kids wanted to do was go to the pool. So we went to the pool. Actually, the pool is pretty great. They have a kiddy pool with a small but fast slide and a splash zone with lots of water squirting from the ground and other features. Eden asked to go to the pool every day. Once we finally got to bed we slept for 15 hours and when Eden did wake up she stated, “I can’t sleep anymore.” We decided that since we still felt rather jet lagged we would just spend the day at the resort. Up to this point, we had not stayed at a resort of any kind and Justin and I decided that since our time in Phuket was short, 1 week, we would go ahead and book something fancier. The resort has a kids club, which Danielle, our little social butterfly, took full advantage of. She had the schedule in hand and knew exactly what she wanted to participate in. She got to make all sorts of things including puppets, ice pops, cookies and elephant hats to name a few. Caleb and Joel played table tennis and lots of water volleyball. Eden went down the pool slide, a lot. Justin and I partook of some pool side drinks and then we headed to a Dim Sum buffet for dinner. Now, just to let you know, our kiddos would rather eat Asian food any day than anything else, so we all took full advantage of the buffet and left feeling very stuffed. At the hotel we met the housekeeping manager, Joelle. Joel was very excited to meet the female version of his name. She is from the Netherlands and has been working in Phuket for 1 ½ years. We got to talking and she offered us some wonderful advice on things to visit and do while on the island. She is such a nice and charming person, we really had a great time getting to know her. The following day we took Joelle’s advice and picked up some bikes at the cycle center in the resort and biked around the adjoining resort. We then headed towards a nice lake that has a path all the way around. The entire time we were here the temperature has been 90 degrees and about 90% humidity, so it is very hot. The air feels thick, almost like you can grab onto it. So needless to say, we got rather hot on our bike ride. I was not exerting much energy, yet I felt like I was melting because I was drenched in sweat. After our bike ride we headed over to a restaurant for lunch called Bill Bentley’s which was a take on and Irish pub of all things. I skipped the Irish dishes and ordered a Pad Thai that was amazing. The shrimp was so succulent and the flavors were extraordinary. After lunch we headed over to the beach to take a dip in the Andaman Sea. Well, that had to wait because the waves were rather large and the sea was rough. Since we were still hot and ready to swim we just headed back to the resort pool. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxyy1PW8B0LGt-kjwXfhdxk7WksNEDv8AusTNfBxst7yr6oNQZTE4vcVA1X1wmUHqs6OxHRnoKMc5G3MTTGInHurlAIKYWEMwnXS618dv_14ptPubPH0VrvQvIoy_c8JJ6CUtiqi2YiA/s1600/IMG_1609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxyy1PW8B0LGt-kjwXfhdxk7WksNEDv8AusTNfBxst7yr6oNQZTE4vcVA1X1wmUHqs6OxHRnoKMc5G3MTTGInHurlAIKYWEMwnXS618dv_14ptPubPH0VrvQvIoy_c8JJ6CUtiqi2YiA/s400/IMG_1609.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Going on a bike ride<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuXwdu60D2qDfnIvl5mvwT7aKzvBGRUItPx6nl9nX0dvK8-QCbIxGxSFZU0mEXWMNc8NdA50mZ-CxtP4I72Yqufw9sJ1iWuL6HomdTKV1jDq3WQngs19h5KKirsHl0ohdUL_-w13vqEU/s1600/IMG_1599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuXwdu60D2qDfnIvl5mvwT7aKzvBGRUItPx6nl9nX0dvK8-QCbIxGxSFZU0mEXWMNc8NdA50mZ-CxtP4I72Yqufw9sJ1iWuL6HomdTKV1jDq3WQngs19h5KKirsHl0ohdUL_-w13vqEU/s400/IMG_1599.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">At the JW Marriott in Phuket<br /></td></tr>
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The following day we headed over to the adjoining resort to watch the turtle feeding. The area where we are staying, Mai Khao Beach, is one of the last beaches where green sea turtle come to lay their eggs in Phuket. Once they lay the eggs, the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation retrieves them and hatches them in a protected environment. Twice a year the turtles are released. The turtles that we were able to see are 3 of the turtles that, due to disabilities, are not released into the wild. The first turtle, Tommy, was born without eyes. JJ has a deformed shelled which does not let him swim correctly and the last turtle, Keiko, has been released 3 times but he keeps coming back. We had a great time watching the turtles eat. I thought it was interesting that they feed Tommy seaweed with chopsticks because he has a difficult time finding the food in the water. They need to keep him in a smaller pool because he is easily confused. The kids were given special pellets and were able to feed JJ and Keiko. They all had a kick out of that. After the turtle feeding we walked over to the beach and each got a 1 hour beach massage. Now, I had never expected my kids to have a massage at their age but when they are only 400 Thai Baht ($11) for 1 hour, Justin and I thought why not. They boys went first and Danielle and I went second. Eden did not get a massage because, as she would put it, all she would do is “screw around.” It was amazing. I felt so relaxed and mellow. I thought at this price I may just come back every day! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Danielle at the turtle center<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0n36AHh8H9DylL45w2yjmal1owvjD4qQ6KDjPAIUT7fRmwEFqRHaGk3lqP6uZUyFLO8THHfIysb9IqLJj3QDFtOdLjkiGh1UDDbVWiJxb8Onq0qMFSDeXHbfskkyZPJNIlQuNcGcJ1o/s1600/IMG_3555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0n36AHh8H9DylL45w2yjmal1owvjD4qQ6KDjPAIUT7fRmwEFqRHaGk3lqP6uZUyFLO8THHfIysb9IqLJj3QDFtOdLjkiGh1UDDbVWiJxb8Onq0qMFSDeXHbfskkyZPJNIlQuNcGcJ1o/s400/IMG_3555.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Joel and Caleb getting a Thai massage<br /></td></tr>
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Later that afternoon we headed over to a dinner and Thai cultural show called FantaSea. Once we arrived Joel saw the sign and said, “Wait a minute is that how you spell fantasy? Have I been spelling it wrong this whole time?” I laughed so hard. “No, dude, you’re spelling it right.” Walking in, I had this weird Disney moment. There are parts of it that are very Disney like and then there are parts that are very Thai. We headed over to the restaurant for dinner and walking in we were blown away by the sheer size of the place. It could easily seat 2,000 people. Here we had a Thai buffet and every dish I tried was amazing. I think the green curry was my favorite, but the beef meatballs in this brown sauce was a very close second. Joel went back 7 times. Justin and I felt like Joel carried the team and made sure we got our money’s worth. After dinner we had a little time to kill before the show so we walked around and went to check out the elephants. You could take an elephant ride, but while the elephants were not busy they let you pet and take pictures with them. Of course we went over and petted the elephants. Then we snapped a few pictures. One of the handlers tried to get Eden to sit on the elephant’s trunk for a picture but she wanted nothing to do with that. A very nice man bought some bananas and sugar cane to feed them and gave some to the kids. So Caleb, Joel, Danielle and Eden got to feed the elephants. Once the food was gone the man came back with more and again gave it to the kids. They were delighted to be able to feed them. It was so cool how they eat. They take the food right from your hand so gently and pop it right into their mouth. We thanked the man and headed to the show. I was totally blown away by the man’s generosity. The show itself was a mixture of cultural music and dance with animals, the main ones being elephants. There were 15 different elephant on stage and also goats, water buffalo, doves, a horse and some chickens. It was very interesting and we had a great time, except Eden did not like the pyrotechnics, she did love the fact that they dropped tons of balloons from the ceiling at the end of the show. Here is a quick side note. During the show there is absolutely no photos or video to be taken. To insure this, you are to hand over all cell phones and cameras before entering the theater. No one seemed to mind. Justin and I thought that if they tried this in the United States there would be a huge backlash. By the way, they go through your bags and pat you down to make sure everything is turned over and nothing gets past them. Weird. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Phuket FantaSea<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvecwBLMCnIx7c8g6dIXD8o1OaFJBXKqpOqvnrDeFa8H6GWN6F9UZUWvef5AevnPB-M01urYXlWKjVQFuGV80H2yVpHjcCOlkzHGetgZu9G3idiDpU1aFOvTqjCmMu9oveZXaE-_4CeI/s1600/DSC02770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvecwBLMCnIx7c8g6dIXD8o1OaFJBXKqpOqvnrDeFa8H6GWN6F9UZUWvef5AevnPB-M01urYXlWKjVQFuGV80H2yVpHjcCOlkzHGetgZu9G3idiDpU1aFOvTqjCmMu9oveZXaE-_4CeI/s400/DSC02770.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Entrance to FantaSea<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Palace of the Elephants where the night show is held</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Getting close to an elephant<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The elephant snatched the food right out of Danielle's hand<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIVwMN03DdKaVhtCxBKDDWnTE9zqwF10Lcbll9ufjnib0XepYlmMjm1X5kwWizFQHsj2nrxqVY8pX_Oegd4RmLmj9dTOHnCiqP5ga3j1snwziNfd2oGej8_gaA47DLRfty23yWS2bwGo/s1600/IMG_1655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIVwMN03DdKaVhtCxBKDDWnTE9zqwF10Lcbll9ufjnib0XepYlmMjm1X5kwWizFQHsj2nrxqVY8pX_Oegd4RmLmj9dTOHnCiqP5ga3j1snwziNfd2oGej8_gaA47DLRfty23yWS2bwGo/s400/IMG_1655.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Eden enjoyed this rather unique faucet/sink at a FantaSea bathroom<br /></td></tr>
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Since we got back after 11pm, we stayed at the resort for the following day. In the afternoon, Joel and I headed over to a nearby restaurant, Thai Express, for a cooking class. We had a great time learning how to make papaya salad, spicy shrimp soup, chicken green curry, pad Thai and ruby red dessert. We got to try everything as we made it and all of it except for the ruby red dessert was delicious. I am not a pudding person so I didn’t love the texture. I was amazed at how fast it is to cook. The prep work is what takes the longest but the actual cooking time is 10 minutes or less per dish. And everything was so flavorful. We got to bring home all of the leftovers so the rest of the gang could give it a try. They were impressed. I told Justin that once back in the States, Joel and I will be having a dinner party serving these great recipes! Every good chef needs and even better sous chef. After dinner we headed over to the ice cream shop, Swensen’s, just down from where we were staying. I have to say that I have found it rather interesting which America businesses are abroad. Here in Phuket there are tons and tons of 7/11s, KFC,s and Swensen’s ice cream. I had thought that Swensen’s went bankrupt, but I guess not. Lucky for Eden she was able to get her strawberry ice cream fix. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Ml_krIBiWSl6vn4CXvKgiEz3rFP6fa9vUpuwCw1chnV3aXMYaN_yc0A05EytS4Ek-hTys-lGAu6RNoAcfV8_NDsxebN6V_BptPeOcFkKEViJLtXxFnVSb7Zbg11UjKmXUFK1Jv2rt9w/s1600/IMG_3597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Ml_krIBiWSl6vn4CXvKgiEz3rFP6fa9vUpuwCw1chnV3aXMYaN_yc0A05EytS4Ek-hTys-lGAu6RNoAcfV8_NDsxebN6V_BptPeOcFkKEViJLtXxFnVSb7Zbg11UjKmXUFK1Jv2rt9w/s400/IMG_3597.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Caroline making Pad Thai<br /></td></tr>
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The following day we had hired a van to take us around the island and visit a few paces. Justin and I had decided that driving ourselves in Phuket was a bad idea since we had heard that sometimes accidents are not accidents at all. Well, I was glad with our decision because the driving is crazy. So picture this, three lanes in the same direction, the driver is in the right lane and the road curves to the left, so the driver shoots over to the left most lane. Who cares if there are cars around, just shoot over. Then the road curves to the right and we shoot back over to the right most lane. Back and forth, back and forth. Your lane goes away, no problem just cut off your neighbor. I was very glad we did not rent a car. Although the drive was crazy the scenery is beautiful, rich, green jungle. Justin and I found that the city itself is cleaner than other places we have visited, Mauritius for one. People have pride in the land and in what they have and it is very evident. I love that. After about an hour we arrived at our first stop, an elephant trek in the jungle. The boys got on a fourteen year old male elephant named Lucky and the ladies got on a 16 year old female elephant named Sara. We headed down the slope and when you are on top of an elephant’s back it seems much steeper. Once down the slope we stopped and the handler took some pictures for us. Then he told Caleb and Danielle to climb towards the elephants head and sit right behind it. Danielle had nothing to hold on to, but she did great. She ended up continuing the rest of the trek there. After a while Caleb moved back to his seat and Joel took the spot. All three of the kids were thrilled to have been able to not only ride an elephant but ride right behind the elephant’s head. Once we got off of our elephants we got to pet a baby elephant. I absolutely love that the baby had this pokey black hair sticking straight out of his head. It was so adorable. Their skin is rough and thick and their trunk seems to be constantly searching for something. We found out that their trunks are made up of 100,000 muscles! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9coBtKN8TxgI3g0Fn9BgcucPvUDCnBPqKWnooBRN3y59qVgaj1AEmmgNOu0wXE34B53e3fVxl5nf7t6ViMR5nTspTM8nVzrlAMxU8orOu-8zDgeohRN8109KPIIbDSqpyo2_K5NwMm8/s1600/IMG_1706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9coBtKN8TxgI3g0Fn9BgcucPvUDCnBPqKWnooBRN3y59qVgaj1AEmmgNOu0wXE34B53e3fVxl5nf7t6ViMR5nTspTM8nVzrlAMxU8orOu-8zDgeohRN8109KPIIbDSqpyo2_K5NwMm8/s400/IMG_1706.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to go</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnHuo_7pTGM_IO5INi4KENB2Z1LIhvP65qZKf9PgWtyBSpg2zz5FytJB7Oq-LtNLy3gzoIsvfwhix_lfU34x4EAXoYgIdoDwa1hFEQFfFa_UwSTXF-dHW6bvyHLDZbsf6_4cc-MVuo08/s1600/IMG_1669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnHuo_7pTGM_IO5INi4KENB2Z1LIhvP65qZKf9PgWtyBSpg2zz5FytJB7Oq-LtNLy3gzoIsvfwhix_lfU34x4EAXoYgIdoDwa1hFEQFfFa_UwSTXF-dHW6bvyHLDZbsf6_4cc-MVuo08/s400/IMG_1669.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">View of the coastline from the elephant trekking site<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YhAQ-XtDxP7xvgkiwqlfye0MwXv1uJ-0M_R2eIM_YK4Y3HGJWjwWSIqu1KGlVEYgUGheXZlLcR8WbAxCX_gzLgXGvZZ2Vsos00mj7oKOs9kvArXv5nkrvQmkSCj4V8SgM9hIwYo5Iz4/s1600/IMG_1733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YhAQ-XtDxP7xvgkiwqlfye0MwXv1uJ-0M_R2eIM_YK4Y3HGJWjwWSIqu1KGlVEYgUGheXZlLcR8WbAxCX_gzLgXGvZZ2Vsos00mj7oKOs9kvArXv5nkrvQmkSCj4V8SgM9hIwYo5Iz4/s400/IMG_1733.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Stopping for a snack<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNs6ilzDq3QTRwYpp76yqffsy1adis2ZX0YEdmxh5XEp_LUXROAs8DbfDiCXka-GZXuyffOzNNsrG3XHrojmWFTGawkQK_gY5FAbLUuyYKvdjY_9pnLl6ufGeUzJrZJrQeahlNhQDyg3g/s1600/IMG_1756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNs6ilzDq3QTRwYpp76yqffsy1adis2ZX0YEdmxh5XEp_LUXROAs8DbfDiCXka-GZXuyffOzNNsrG3XHrojmWFTGawkQK_gY5FAbLUuyYKvdjY_9pnLl6ufGeUzJrZJrQeahlNhQDyg3g/s400/IMG_1756.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Not to be left out, the lady elephant took her turn for a snack<br /></td></tr>
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We continued down the road to visit the “Big Buddha”. I think that that is a funny name, but that is really what it is called. It is as it sounds a big, as in huge Buddha at the top of a mountain. The view point in magnificent and the Buddha itself is pretty incredible. It is completely covered in small 3in x 3in white marble tiles. It is built by private donations only. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxdw6aa4NZOIfCHLTufAtrCXqK9HJ7Rp2tMZuU4chlsNRX0ltAyA9m494WpdmzndUKSwt3YyQsAwKf_sJjHTNXSbeY5Q8ZihYOnQV26WY4S6oW2HvMfuC0TCCglh1WUgk9JnkEhU833o/s1600/IMG_1797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxdw6aa4NZOIfCHLTufAtrCXqK9HJ7Rp2tMZuU4chlsNRX0ltAyA9m494WpdmzndUKSwt3YyQsAwKf_sJjHTNXSbeY5Q8ZihYOnQV26WY4S6oW2HvMfuC0TCCglh1WUgk9JnkEhU833o/s400/IMG_1797.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Big Buddha<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5tvAH97STQla46bVbq82pSBVcHspwnGampUUtGgkiOWatWVQYpQW6gFYT-V21HrzIf8cpW-xiJoV-NC2IjH4mZ4wQgibfaWmKeEDdZOjfNqInkOc1w_noPnGa0NdSPD-aCjIqHZIaPg/s1600/IMG_1801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5tvAH97STQla46bVbq82pSBVcHspwnGampUUtGgkiOWatWVQYpQW6gFYT-V21HrzIf8cpW-xiJoV-NC2IjH4mZ4wQgibfaWmKeEDdZOjfNqInkOc1w_noPnGa0NdSPD-aCjIqHZIaPg/s400/IMG_1801.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the water from Big Buddha site</td></tr>
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Once done visiting the area we headed down the mountain to Chalong to have a seafood lunch. We stopped at a restaurant that was chosen by the driver right on the sea front and thought this is going to be good. We ordered some prawns and rice to share. They brought the platter out and we all dug in. The meal was so so at best. Justin and I were rather disappointed. We had figured that being right on the waterfront, you would have some fantastic seafood, but I guess location is not everything. The shrimp had little to no flavor, kind of like the rice. To make matters worse it was grossly overpriced. </div>
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After lunch we headed north to take a long tail boat to Naka Island. Joelle had suggested that this would be a great and economical way to visit another island. She was right. Our driver was able to negotiate for us and off we went. A long tail boat is mainly used by the locals to fish and get from place to place. Riding in the boat was a unique experience in itself. The scenery along the way was stunning. In the distance, we could see these other island that are taller as opposed to wider. They are towering rock formations just sticking out of the water. Once we arrived on Naka Island we got off the boat and set up on the beach to go swimming. The water in Phuket is a beautiful green color and very clear, and the sand is, in Caleb’s words, “like your sugar in the raw, mom.” We all got in the water for a nice swim to cool off. Unfortunately after 30 minutes the kids started to complain that something was stinging them. As luck would have it each of the kids got stung by a jelly fish or two. Oww! So we headed back to our boat a little sooner than expected. The boat owner took us a different way back to be able to see more and that was greatly appreciated. The scenery is really beautiful and so peaceful. It was later in the afternoon and the sun was lower on the horizon and the water was absolutely calm. There were no other boats in sight. It felt like the entire bay danced in the sunlight just for us. We headed back to our place and Justin picked up some green curry for dinner. We had a pretty awesome day.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-7reOUTJI78vWWw4SsoOLeyX_qAwLMAzSeU9m5D8FOVJC5DtdLiY3lEorKc1ftNDVnN1Y6Swzkd4t5M4woiBQT2tFB1Td6OkHmsvNrlAJuN6vHfZLR_5MW1NBgm9cZyUNlgufdz4g34/s1600/IMG_1826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-7reOUTJI78vWWw4SsoOLeyX_qAwLMAzSeU9m5D8FOVJC5DtdLiY3lEorKc1ftNDVnN1Y6Swzkd4t5M4woiBQT2tFB1Td6OkHmsvNrlAJuN6vHfZLR_5MW1NBgm9cZyUNlgufdz4g34/s400/IMG_1826.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Our long tail boat. Engine sits on top of long propeller shaft to the rear<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUH-pjgrUy8vwQiM4IbUMjbGUlkuKomOdubeocgPfkes_7H7dP1kJAXC1GhyphenhyphenBeS_zMzi-aLvgfgIIGxXJgqHHryI6UqIt4K1RkloYgnjnmQOrAhgIG_-fhs38-bLEi3eFbr3zy-bWKz08/s1600/IMG_1809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUH-pjgrUy8vwQiM4IbUMjbGUlkuKomOdubeocgPfkes_7H7dP1kJAXC1GhyphenhyphenBeS_zMzi-aLvgfgIIGxXJgqHHryI6UqIt4K1RkloYgnjnmQOrAhgIG_-fhs38-bLEi3eFbr3zy-bWKz08/s400/IMG_1809.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">On the long tail boat to Naka island<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgioKdcx-CkWkOeGS_4HVPdAzgM8c095T7nAbPvoADWfqA2C9FWRq2u8fGJl9pwbXNg_nBd1Csh1_6jg1p3hIxurEG5mBziljy41oS2aeOstYM_bEMEyzPFBT6nwHH9PHI8CXD1-A1ZqmM/s1600/IMG_1819.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgioKdcx-CkWkOeGS_4HVPdAzgM8c095T7nAbPvoADWfqA2C9FWRq2u8fGJl9pwbXNg_nBd1Csh1_6jg1p3hIxurEG5mBziljy41oS2aeOstYM_bEMEyzPFBT6nwHH9PHI8CXD1-A1ZqmM/s400/IMG_1819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jagged islands in the distance</td></tr>
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We had one more full day in Phuket before leaving and we decided to hang by the pool in the morning, eat lunch at Bill Bentley’s again. Then we did a bike ride. I had one more beach massage, amazing! And then met Justin and the kids at the beach. Caleb and Joel tried the kayaks and Danielle got a boogie board. We had a great time swimming in the Andaman Sea. Then all of a sudden the sky got dark and it started to downpour. We all made a run for it but by the time we got back on the bikes and rode to the resort we were beyond drenched, although we all laughed the whole time. Luckily, the rain is nice and warm. Phuket has been a great experience. They say that it is the land of joy and smiles, and I can say that I really think that it is very true. Everyone we have met has been so nice and happy. Phuket is a truly amazing place. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnIHSyiXBL1cSkWWhL4YcZTuARGd13O4ipyiauuZn9OrStK7Ku3FYfOh-XwsEbKhIczodfGBdJmVXCR2lPRpbAqvhqDc2ggIe_iRqNuWb-D40RM275ykzPIZPz0HeQd41cdXJRtUnUUg/s1600/IMG_1829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAnIHSyiXBL1cSkWWhL4YcZTuARGd13O4ipyiauuZn9OrStK7Ku3FYfOh-XwsEbKhIczodfGBdJmVXCR2lPRpbAqvhqDc2ggIe_iRqNuWb-D40RM275ykzPIZPz0HeQd41cdXJRtUnUUg/s400/IMG_1829.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joel and Caleb kayaking</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WAaT8ftN6mp5tv4DQV_LNC_wwbwySlJ5WpdmzfUx_663Jbez8OoZ6Ez6bAK2LtC1Tsdt6fw2QzWhqoW1do9QuNrF0xR8-D4R83TjllFs9w4MQIagGm71LHLZMkD9_PcZuA-uh7-G3Hg/s1600/IMG_1831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WAaT8ftN6mp5tv4DQV_LNC_wwbwySlJ5WpdmzfUx_663Jbez8OoZ6Ez6bAK2LtC1Tsdt6fw2QzWhqoW1do9QuNrF0xR8-D4R83TjllFs9w4MQIagGm71LHLZMkD9_PcZuA-uh7-G3Hg/s400/IMG_1831.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danielle trying out the boogie board</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-53487464877315147072015-11-17T07:08:00.000-08:002015-11-19T05:48:53.065-08:00Africa, Part 3<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycXV7TrVX52DBHOd-G8NIp_xzAXxeAX7P4mIWcYzpYsbLSdSiPyBfylakY9KiuOOETuiOsSeMkJjOxDhX-jJXQ2SPFoVjoALFwd57t0j51qrxeZUnW-Q0W3pYjqR9XYeNsl83zlOI17A/s1600/DSC02547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycXV7TrVX52DBHOd-G8NIp_xzAXxeAX7P4mIWcYzpYsbLSdSiPyBfylakY9KiuOOETuiOsSeMkJjOxDhX-jJXQ2SPFoVjoALFwd57t0j51qrxeZUnW-Q0W3pYjqR9XYeNsl83zlOI17A/s320/DSC02547.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Elephant walking into the sunset</td></tr>
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One of the things I needed to do was to get some laundry done. Now this is not a very momentous thing, so I usually don’t write about it, but this was a little different. In Marloth Park they have a drop off laundry service and a self-serve laundromat. I decided to go to the laundromat. Once I got there I found the attendant and asked him where to pay. He looked at me and said, “You do realize this is self-serve?” Yes I did. Then he followed me into the laundromat and proceeded to explain, in a rather detailed fashion, exactly how to do laundry. He had me do it as he explained, put the clothes in the machine, pour in the detergent, chose a setting and turn on the machine, all while telling me, “Good job, well done.” I was thinking, “Do people use these machines? Does no one do their own laundry?” This was so weird but ok. Once he left I waited for the cycles to be finished and then threw everything in the dryers. I needed to ask him to turn on the machines and before he did so he came to check on what I had done. “Ohhh, you have already placed everything in, that is good, that is good.” I felt like I was getting an A+. I always did do well in school. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUHVp_S0BMnPHJ7RTQJesNW1P3rGy1c4f8I2Uv45hJyc2G2r4o98373rFnVOOAINevuRMTa0brUqFfy-SZj0MPz3wto2cj_5fxoWMG54K4HSb2ovJMsti1Nlvu3x57O9nlq4URwY7xmg/s1600/DSC02499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUHVp_S0BMnPHJ7RTQJesNW1P3rGy1c4f8I2Uv45hJyc2G2r4o98373rFnVOOAINevuRMTa0brUqFfy-SZj0MPz3wto2cj_5fxoWMG54K4HSb2ovJMsti1Nlvu3x57O9nlq4URwY7xmg/s400/DSC02499.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Pair of Rhinos napping under a tree</td></tr>
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The following day we headed back to KNP via Malelane gate. I had read that this area tended to be rhino and cheetah rich, so we thought that we would give it a try. We were treated by seeing 2 rhinos lying under a tree sleeping. They were a little further then most of the animals we had been seeing but I had brought our binoculars and we all took a turn looking at them through the binoculars, even Eden. After that we couldn’t get the binoculars away from her. Further along the road we came upon a drier river, it had a few places with water but definitely not flowing. We stopped on the bridge and saw over 50 elephants, tons of giraffes, lots of kudus and even more impala. It was a picture in my mind of what I had of Africa, all these animals together. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcLeeS31fxuq9w6jK2eK0qlI6gGPOqVZkm_KMdOk9gjJ4f5LoCWsmsJ_wcTBx-Gx51h13yoAUHL9BwpZLQr29iBxmU3rhbuR2_vu6G4wVi342CmjVwTTycp1vIjzCcdYTlsoImZRbzmQ/s1600/DSC02486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcLeeS31fxuq9w6jK2eK0qlI6gGPOqVZkm_KMdOk9gjJ4f5LoCWsmsJ_wcTBx-Gx51h13yoAUHL9BwpZLQr29iBxmU3rhbuR2_vu6G4wVi342CmjVwTTycp1vIjzCcdYTlsoImZRbzmQ/s400/DSC02486.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Wow, that is a lot of elephants!</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2F4Zp6ezv2EDjYNW3QcoiQLAJPU8CI0h9U1g_0BOJzerdmvk6TKVN0qnIF6DajyP63Oagp9-mEteeVjKGvHJSyTEITHOWp6pxM-mfrnHA_BHN_z4svfSmlDM6pQlvniBal3JBSw5QsQ/s1600/DSC02494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2F4Zp6ezv2EDjYNW3QcoiQLAJPU8CI0h9U1g_0BOJzerdmvk6TKVN0qnIF6DajyP63Oagp9-mEteeVjKGvHJSyTEITHOWp6pxM-mfrnHA_BHN_z4svfSmlDM6pQlvniBal3JBSw5QsQ/s400/DSC02494.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Elephants and Giraffes near watering hole</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQqYuJ0YPVX3XLTXW3IRdn8anEUdSZy6O95g_5e3ip-42C-J5Y2xvOGMwvzzod_DFl_WcWE8CIGe5OzU6jWmvE8kNB2ZGko8pV2VY9SYRd9wImRANS3CNQLqzdi-gyuAgty9X32519So/s1600/IMG_1522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQqYuJ0YPVX3XLTXW3IRdn8anEUdSZy6O95g_5e3ip-42C-J5Y2xvOGMwvzzod_DFl_WcWE8CIGe5OzU6jWmvE8kNB2ZGko8pV2VY9SYRd9wImRANS3CNQLqzdi-gyuAgty9X32519So/s400/IMG_1522.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">More Elephants</td></tr>
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Then in front of our car a rhino started to cross the road and head into the brush. This was a grand sized rhino. He was about the width of our minivan and if I had to guess weighed several tons. It was so impressive to watch him lumber down the road and into the brush. Then we turned and continued to watch the elephants. One started to approach our car, since we were above it on the bridge we had a great view of his size and were able to watch him graze. Joel noticed that another elephant was spraying water on herself to cool down. We also saw a giraffe take a drink. We started to drive away, and around the corner, noticed 2 more rhinos lying under a tree 40 ft from the car. Wow, this is truly amazing. We could not believe the vast number of animals we had seen. I had not expected to see them so closely either. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyK238qNP3ZqZYdaO4mZy45iys0ZR_0s9I3jacK4yYPku6Hw0KpNlyjlNmyAc-CBP_cIvNYObRolEDBES8EqhugAVjKcDEFKo8iDefNkTRFvKQUWppfXNNDIi71cMM2XKqnSx8sgJBiJo/s1600/DSC02587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyK238qNP3ZqZYdaO4mZy45iys0ZR_0s9I3jacK4yYPku6Hw0KpNlyjlNmyAc-CBP_cIvNYObRolEDBES8EqhugAVjKcDEFKo8iDefNkTRFvKQUWppfXNNDIi71cMM2XKqnSx8sgJBiJo/s400/DSC02587.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Rhino!</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Back on the road we stopped at a different rest stop called Skukuza and I had a fabulous “saucy” burger with a hard cider. YUMMY. I have to say the food here is terrific and very inexpensive. While waiting for lunch Caleb noticed a very colorful lizard on the tree next to us. It had vibrant blues, greens and oranges. It looked like a rainbow. Crazy. We walked over to the river and spotted 2 large buffalos in the river. One of them kept rolling around putting its legs in the air to wet its back. Too funny. Danielle got a kick out of that. Back on the road we saw more baboons and sables. Then we encountered another large herd of elephants with tiny little babies. I think it is so cool that they keep the littlest ones inside their tight circle to protect it. We were, although, able to get a nice view of one and snapped some great pictures. Nearly out of KNP we came upon 3 lions sleeping in the grass. They are incredibly difficult to see since they match the color of the grass and dirt. We could see them sleeping and their tails flapping once in a while. I should mention that Kruger National Park is huge! It is about 7500 square miles of land area which is about the same size as the state of New Jersey or Massachusetts in the United States. We are seeing such a small part of it driving along the roads and do indeed feel very lucky to have already seen so many animals. It was another amazing day. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7N9pNxaxbKhOHH94SfjczYuO_MhcoOrsKasoAiGtUthkmlCmzDvJh-dv-8fA4Pk2mvlFM449zAZbPl0nXWBX8Fwez6S9y4m-sZiwNw8onyMxUDYFZ_R-BeVyYKMC_PIVEN37NhyMPgNU/s1600/DSC02511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7N9pNxaxbKhOHH94SfjczYuO_MhcoOrsKasoAiGtUthkmlCmzDvJh-dv-8fA4Pk2mvlFM449zAZbPl0nXWBX8Fwez6S9y4m-sZiwNw8onyMxUDYFZ_R-BeVyYKMC_PIVEN37NhyMPgNU/s400/DSC02511.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Colorful Lizard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmauiefAwNxvtMgrNsL_Y0AKWPJuYbUoX5ROVwVkm1Ftfj-R3gjvMCAJ8Rrwf23hmDO4mlKXwazl2ims1TQyfNU7F1O5UYPakoJDI4WZL1NjhbGmRgVWYjPMZBRxB33jwCjDAX6uLUZ0/s1600/DSC02519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmauiefAwNxvtMgrNsL_Y0AKWPJuYbUoX5ROVwVkm1Ftfj-R3gjvMCAJ8Rrwf23hmDO4mlKXwazl2ims1TQyfNU7F1O5UYPakoJDI4WZL1NjhbGmRgVWYjPMZBRxB33jwCjDAX6uLUZ0/s400/DSC02519.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Monkey and Baboon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugwNgnOf6iualToB1ZgNBZ16ldjq46UexBWXCvUteJPbCSwK00V3GKP0svZHo_i0wzGuhVBS4DK3dTpdiZwX9shv8CiAvzLPBEUa968ccu6RJ_sES1kUMMVFqYJvfxBJRE67hB3o-QnM/s1600/DSC02536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugwNgnOf6iualToB1ZgNBZ16ldjq46UexBWXCvUteJPbCSwK00V3GKP0svZHo_i0wzGuhVBS4DK3dTpdiZwX9shv8CiAvzLPBEUa968ccu6RJ_sES1kUMMVFqYJvfxBJRE67hB3o-QnM/s400/DSC02536.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Elephants lining up</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
That evening our power went out. Usually, I would have no problem but they are in the midst of a heat wave and the temperature is above 100 degrees. The house is made of brick with very high ceilings so it stays a little cooler but you still need air conditioning. And another thing, you can’t open the windows because you don’t want any unwanted visitors. So that night we were all sweating. The following day we contacted our host and he gave us a number to call. We found out that a civet, (a weird racoony type animal but bigger) somehow bit the electrical box and blew a fuse. I’m thinking the civet didn’t make it. We needed to wait for the electric company to replace the fuse. That happened at 3:30pm. It was 106 degrees. All the kids had no shirts on and I even had the girls take a cold shower. Danielle complained that even though the water was at the coldest setting it was still hot. I love electricity. I take it for granted but once you don’t have it, you really miss it fast. I appreciate the fact that I live in a place with reliable power sources and civets don’t mess that up. </div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
We ended up going back to KNP 2 more days and again saw all of the animals that we had previously seen. We also were lucky enough to see a mother warthog with a litter of 6 tiny babies. They were so adorable. If you ask Eden what her favorite animal is she will always answer, “The babies.” </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifdtoWa6OfUGdTjNlldBfh-N4sQoMLCp56e_I2greKAVJKoaB5TVitoAmlo3vrwp110QSB1zc2DMX873ZCIZHwBWmdvBK4KRu2tsOWsqnFnW4XCdB2HlAtdUMannO8Vt7FQdZwUYqLuH0/s1600/DSC02559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifdtoWa6OfUGdTjNlldBfh-N4sQoMLCp56e_I2greKAVJKoaB5TVitoAmlo3vrwp110QSB1zc2DMX873ZCIZHwBWmdvBK4KRu2tsOWsqnFnW4XCdB2HlAtdUMannO8Vt7FQdZwUYqLuH0/s400/DSC02559.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Warthog and her babies</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Adding to our list of animals were wildebeest. They are pretty cool also. We saw lots of hippos cooling off and finally after lunch we spotted a LEOPARD! There was a crowd of cars and we stopped across from a car that kept moving back. Joel spotted it and yelled, “It’s a leopard!” Justin backed up the van and we all got a good look at it walking 10 ft from the road. Then the leopard went down into a ravine and we lost sight of him. Justin decided to go over to this little dirt road off of the one we were on, on the side of the ravine. He positioned the car right on the edge near a large metal tube which goes under the road for the water to flow through. We waited a few minutes and sure enough we spotted the leopard at the bottom of the ravine coming towards us. He climbed to the side of the metal tube and sat there for a few minutes watching all of the cars scrambling for a better view. We just stayed put since Justin had picked an awesome spot and we had the best front row seat. I had fully expected the leopard to go through the dry tube and leave under the road. But as luck would have it, the leopard came up out of the ravine. Since so many cars were off to one side the leopard headed our way and graced us by walking right past the side of our car about 3 ft away. He paused, looked right at us, as if giving us permission to take some great pictures and then he continued on his way into the thicker brush. The whole episode lasted about 15 incredible minutes. We were all thrilled! Now we had seen all of the Big Five! No way, we could not believe how incredibly lucky we were. We again saw this same leopard 2 days later, not far from our original site spot sleeping in a cave in a massive boulder. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCw82VhJSCN20DY6vMjUku1k7kmdL6Oi60rFL3i2_1Cfaunatc1xpnsY_40yR9MlbNSheddRHEjL66l8Za8TP5cAdUit4-KlJnSTL0SMLcJmuA-SXXl81czDfWqj5HDZ0i_QeJC9OQEnM/s1600/DSC02734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCw82VhJSCN20DY6vMjUku1k7kmdL6Oi60rFL3i2_1Cfaunatc1xpnsY_40yR9MlbNSheddRHEjL66l8Za8TP5cAdUit4-KlJnSTL0SMLcJmuA-SXXl81czDfWqj5HDZ0i_QeJC9OQEnM/s400/DSC02734.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Wildebeast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbA8HO0Yv-GP3cj7XNwHSDLMqOc7k9KYinaPzN3tz4rSxB3tk8RjMuziUH1GFxN9_wbIzqoUUJBgpNMZkvOrCiOuK26Y_x2w2s4j4lKD4-2sAGQRWgdW8twKP4a-jWBlT_pV9MKnJlAsU/s1600/DSC02719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbA8HO0Yv-GP3cj7XNwHSDLMqOc7k9KYinaPzN3tz4rSxB3tk8RjMuziUH1GFxN9_wbIzqoUUJBgpNMZkvOrCiOuK26Y_x2w2s4j4lKD4-2sAGQRWgdW8twKP4a-jWBlT_pV9MKnJlAsU/s400/DSC02719.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Lots of hippos at Sunset lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2MNdQinuINbSFlNmP1E-uQDuQlg88HxLKLRXI3_j2v5FWtatehtGyBvJP07AN6evxhzivB3fYTqU7YTiOZKPJf7qeQOAiUkekLUrJh_Wt9i2wZoTRYqIl3oauDrKSuxiqlwGdgsjmh4k/s1600/DSC02622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2MNdQinuINbSFlNmP1E-uQDuQlg88HxLKLRXI3_j2v5FWtatehtGyBvJP07AN6evxhzivB3fYTqU7YTiOZKPJf7qeQOAiUkekLUrJh_Wt9i2wZoTRYqIl3oauDrKSuxiqlwGdgsjmh4k/s400/DSC02622.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The elusive leopard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVkfR8Hb65FMPB-kHgwExb0CmbcnKp5ZfQnX9GHY8jCNyOCVukrE8Fs-9P6SlYWju6E41R38o0vfZbWXWF5pzCLM3mTMkBx-rJ9crG6d7VBA1nCF3EThmVsYsuFpiQtrZVyx8kjqzn1Y/s1600/DSC02628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVkfR8Hb65FMPB-kHgwExb0CmbcnKp5ZfQnX9GHY8jCNyOCVukrE8Fs-9P6SlYWju6E41R38o0vfZbWXWF5pzCLM3mTMkBx-rJ9crG6d7VBA1nCF3EThmVsYsuFpiQtrZVyx8kjqzn1Y/s400/DSC02628.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Wow!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_zpA1rEAhRFDdrLegSGjlARqf7LbQ7l64fiIniDbnKfbzyeWqvrZdJr6KrUbocvz-UOeVuJv9wHtH88ITwk3g7bsZZxJo1DatWuXhCwZhPy16_eKtmkzCUaqkbuyKCrPslaavzT-xvj8/s1600/IMG_1554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_zpA1rEAhRFDdrLegSGjlARqf7LbQ7l64fiIniDbnKfbzyeWqvrZdJr6KrUbocvz-UOeVuJv9wHtH88ITwk3g7bsZZxJo1DatWuXhCwZhPy16_eKtmkzCUaqkbuyKCrPslaavzT-xvj8/s400/IMG_1554.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The big cat has a long tail</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1Fx7W-lJ12zK0PAFgmeCA8ZFwFDRqx6rolrFwR8ZP-bwItHK7h5M7G_KbPRmjmlJthpxcvQroWtxPDTa1CIM1rJAxJLIYnslLIf5l-bNvXWT9-mHc-oZdYbTuYrHZfnRX3LUknAfmMQ/s1600/DSC02637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1Fx7W-lJ12zK0PAFgmeCA8ZFwFDRqx6rolrFwR8ZP-bwItHK7h5M7G_KbPRmjmlJthpxcvQroWtxPDTa1CIM1rJAxJLIYnslLIf5l-bNvXWT9-mHc-oZdYbTuYrHZfnRX3LUknAfmMQ/s400/DSC02637.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">So majestic</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
We also saw huge giraffes walk out in front of our car to cross the road, lots of zebras, elephants, kudu, impalas, monkeys, baboons, and hippos. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nue9SJ8Klmikmu7-k2TKKdlbL5zY2Y1uN6LeBVjeFi-85B8VGL2sG9U5lON76jd9EY0kUh_0gSIUC27A73KzccdEc7sDqI0rKrUSs5eIpUmWA9_yVKUafPBdNqvaj9EC-8VUqqb3xxY/s1600/DSC02600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nue9SJ8Klmikmu7-k2TKKdlbL5zY2Y1uN6LeBVjeFi-85B8VGL2sG9U5lON76jd9EY0kUh_0gSIUC27A73KzccdEc7sDqI0rKrUSs5eIpUmWA9_yVKUafPBdNqvaj9EC-8VUqqb3xxY/s400/DSC02600.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Giraffe walking by</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMtJVFiXVOAPyqatuYUuJIlVsNdH7VY10zJbX4189fJl3OV7N5z8wDniASpVfDmLToJD_39tqRJpA-LXdUw0J28j77Ly4RHO3eTkn7BWidYkjiPrO9cja9Rydk2ceyNy0mRlhMt7U8pw/s1600/DSC02639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMtJVFiXVOAPyqatuYUuJIlVsNdH7VY10zJbX4189fJl3OV7N5z8wDniASpVfDmLToJD_39tqRJpA-LXdUw0J28j77Ly4RHO3eTkn7BWidYkjiPrO9cja9Rydk2ceyNy0mRlhMt7U8pw/s400/DSC02639.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Giraffes by the Sabie river</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTI9z7hVIPHj3u65JarAo5FSM59qWPbLbiW_JNZjNCcXbewRERu00ZUIScI7uNxekEkhrA3uwVzEoIptznFLEfSW8osuwLs2390hGLed79vSqOIW_NpAWEWegIRgqhYRc0xdRIiqmWzo/s1600/DSC02651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTI9z7hVIPHj3u65JarAo5FSM59qWPbLbiW_JNZjNCcXbewRERu00ZUIScI7uNxekEkhrA3uwVzEoIptznFLEfSW8osuwLs2390hGLed79vSqOIW_NpAWEWegIRgqhYRc0xdRIiqmWzo/s400/DSC02651.JPG" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Giraffe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2ec4CUY_gzBoHw38cXhE6JAAGVd9GSMyXuN6EVjHHMsLGkzUR-_ugv6FwlTaLqzrZEPCwwNVpSe3UYAecrkTAjXLqdH7me68ALS-smAxRCtOnUEMukJdUmlwnCEqc3NyR1wRQA5m3cU/s1600/DSC02510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2ec4CUY_gzBoHw38cXhE6JAAGVd9GSMyXuN6EVjHHMsLGkzUR-_ugv6FwlTaLqzrZEPCwwNVpSe3UYAecrkTAjXLqdH7me68ALS-smAxRCtOnUEMukJdUmlwnCEqc3NyR1wRQA5m3cU/s400/DSC02510.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Kudu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheB4HMnQCz9HnOWq8q58r9oFvVBi3EW70cuWhCdVOKmQdb2to6cwxKvlYerPLYyW3zaJcSn5gd4Mq0ua4gBbkwy94CQ93IAth4T-zs4qXvHDQukko_LBvCrW7AP5PmS8JQApbJGztwImM/s1600/DSC02597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheB4HMnQCz9HnOWq8q58r9oFvVBi3EW70cuWhCdVOKmQdb2to6cwxKvlYerPLYyW3zaJcSn5gd4Mq0ua4gBbkwy94CQ93IAth4T-zs4qXvHDQukko_LBvCrW7AP5PmS8JQApbJGztwImM/s400/DSC02597.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Hippos in the water barely poking out their heads</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NevOF0YECiPc7mFM5s2c6jwp7NP5j2ZMwKXlCP-YexxKhH9ymGWwccyzucVcuBEXrqUisIlXElc8XDXgvUnYk32WnltkMxr0JhFC0qRBseFow7ey-gPjI6JfHmz7KfDbLAlIu4ozRv0/s1600/DSC02570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NevOF0YECiPc7mFM5s2c6jwp7NP5j2ZMwKXlCP-YexxKhH9ymGWwccyzucVcuBEXrqUisIlXElc8XDXgvUnYk32WnltkMxr0JhFC0qRBseFow7ey-gPjI6JfHmz7KfDbLAlIu4ozRv0/s400/DSC02570.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Big baboon perched on a fallen tree</td></tr>
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On our last day in the park we started to notice more unusual things. Danielle noticed a turtle in the river, she exclaimed, “Look a turtle and it’s sitting on a hippo!” I said, “No that’s just a rock.” Then lo and behold, the rock lifted its head and sure enough Danielle was right! The turtle was sitting on a hippo, but the hippo promptly moved and the turtle was rolled off. We spotted a mother rhino and her 2 young cooling off and drinking in a river. Justin spotted a leopard tortoise. This one was probably pretty young still because it was only about 10 inches big. I have no idea how Justin spotted this guy along the side of the road but he did. We stopped to look at him and then quickly a crowd gathered trying to figure out what we were looking at, even one of the safari trucks stopped. Was it a lion, may be a leopard. So I leaned out the window and told them that it was only a leopard tortoise. They chuckled and drove away. We thought it was cool because they are actually not spotted frequently. He has some really neat spots on his shell just like a leopard, hence the name. We also saw some little baby crocodiles in the Sabie River. I had hoped one might try to eat a fish, but none of them were hungry. We also got to see our fair share of waterbucks.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGz3eC-oKz98WDjDmWh_fY1RfThpUPTlBj4JCJySSjzKDMjEWkNOd1WmgUfAuxpvvsaX_kMq91d2mUZyhRsbZijWsU8cRdJLMVDV39QufrYl3uV_t8stE5Tf7MmrrITTOIm4HvP3tDsTA/s1600/DSC02690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGz3eC-oKz98WDjDmWh_fY1RfThpUPTlBj4JCJySSjzKDMjEWkNOd1WmgUfAuxpvvsaX_kMq91d2mUZyhRsbZijWsU8cRdJLMVDV39QufrYl3uV_t8stE5Tf7MmrrITTOIm4HvP3tDsTA/s400/DSC02690.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A turtle on a rock...</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVh-J1LK32-dyZtycGc2TqXCzpszVrbQZvTudX76QTfFKmn5bLGLxdyrrepWRwqwVN3Gw6z5RbH5ILSmr2odq-kLdLr3qi2GvYHa-bWIXIoz1KVfJ2gl1nc6iDhZgNlpSQlQ3H2Jzqn4A/s1600/DSC02692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVh-J1LK32-dyZtycGc2TqXCzpszVrbQZvTudX76QTfFKmn5bLGLxdyrrepWRwqwVN3Gw6z5RbH5ILSmr2odq-kLdLr3qi2GvYHa-bWIXIoz1KVfJ2gl1nc6iDhZgNlpSQlQ3H2Jzqn4A/s400/DSC02692.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Wait, that's not a rock. Its a hippo</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9LzPwcTX2emIoObWuQvsARnOQn131y9XCdtB_yQY2KJRC0Z4jxfMqVoyqQEpysez4Dl5zZM4SZOlzbE1JxR5WO81x7GNhU2JS1FgeerFnBNDVMZVUeB0_mXs0eATzwhPZDYLcbZhUdk/s1600/DSC02725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9LzPwcTX2emIoObWuQvsARnOQn131y9XCdtB_yQY2KJRC0Z4jxfMqVoyqQEpysez4Dl5zZM4SZOlzbE1JxR5WO81x7GNhU2JS1FgeerFnBNDVMZVUeB0_mXs0eATzwhPZDYLcbZhUdk/s400/DSC02725.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Leopard Tortoise</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJlf55tfftR9Hh2EcTQoUUKOMeUuigfSVkQqH-p2Jzzc-VFw882zApIdxmop_xKWTNehpNmrmwqTJXyp_yBzAjILyawOv_S1SbzprXLJsinL9ziNkUVOghZnZE9zWbPRTjAWYT0B6ABs/s1600/DSC02666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJlf55tfftR9Hh2EcTQoUUKOMeUuigfSVkQqH-p2Jzzc-VFw882zApIdxmop_xKWTNehpNmrmwqTJXyp_yBzAjILyawOv_S1SbzprXLJsinL9ziNkUVOghZnZE9zWbPRTjAWYT0B6ABs/s400/DSC02666.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Waterbucks by the river</td></tr>
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Where we are staying there is a game reserve called Lionspruit. I had thought that if we came up empty in KNP we could go there as a backup plan. Since it is literally a 3 minute drive away we ended up going to check it out. We have learned that some things here are not very straight forward. We drove to the gate and were told that we needed to purchase our ticket at the office on a street that started with an M. It sounded like Manula but not sure. I asked if the street was along the road that we were currently on and I was told yes you can’t miss it. Well, I missed it because there were no roads off of the one we were on. I turned on the GPS and could not find a Manula road but after some hunting found a Mareola road. We headed back along the main road to Mareola road and lucky for me Justin is clever and decided to go down the paved road versus the unpaved road. Finally we ended up at the Marloth Park municipality and bought our ticket. Then we headed back to Lionspruit. Once inside most of the roads are one way so we just followed along. I had expected to see lion after lion, since it is called Lionspruit. We drove around for about 3 hours and basically only came upon 30 buffalos that we had a game of chicken with. They were in the road we had no way to turn around and they really wanted to walk down the dirt road. Eventually, they caved and walked across the road and we were able to drive past. In reality, they needed to cave because we were stuck. Once we left Lionspruit, I asked the gate attendant just how many lions they had. She said 3. Three, no wonder we didn’t see them! </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQxCwADrEtWGLJFZQXX-s3O42dHISsqwPzp5AzCU1S0ArKxUH8mZrOIpPJJLo4O4YHma_XaFgQNQ6rboyEYbPT-54tmcYi7aTNDXqPoyb_HxDdrhL8K5uqyC3mtSPj8P7rQcVVDiy8RQ/s1600/DSC02676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQxCwADrEtWGLJFZQXX-s3O42dHISsqwPzp5AzCU1S0ArKxUH8mZrOIpPJJLo4O4YHma_XaFgQNQ6rboyEYbPT-54tmcYi7aTNDXqPoyb_HxDdrhL8K5uqyC3mtSPj8P7rQcVVDiy8RQ/s400/DSC02676.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A herd of Buffalo heading straight for us</td></tr>
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We decided to try a nearby restaurant for lunch at the Jabula Lodge. The girls and I ordered hamburgers and the boys ordered a sampler platter. In all honesty, the sampler platter which feeds 2-4, could have feed all 6 of us and then some. My burger was amazing, smothered in this really great garlic sauce. I ended up splitting it with Justin and partaking of the sampler platter, that was filled with an array of grilled meats and sausages. </div>
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On our second to the last day, we were a couple of streets away from our street, when we noticed a couple of trucks, one containing 2 men standing in the back of the bed of the truck, each holding a rifle. I pulled over to ask what was going on. One of the rangers told me that they were culling. At that exact moment a rifle went off and I looked over and saw an impala dead on the ground. I just started to cry. We had just spent 2 weeks enjoying these beautiful animals and now they had just killed one right in front of our eyes. I did NOT need to see that. </div>
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Another thing is that I should try to explain what exactly we are staying in. They call this type of house a bush hut. It is constructed of bricks, interior and exterior walls, with a very high, 25 foot, thatched ceiling. The thatch itself is about 8 inches thick. We have a watering hole just outside our front door and a small splash pool. The main road in Marloth Park is paved, but other than one other road Mareola, all the other roads are gravel or dirt. We are surrounded by brush and although we have a neighbor 100 yards away we cannot see them at all. This place is very unique for us and we have all enjoyed staying here. From the house we have seen impalas, kudus, warthogs, banded mongoose, zebras, and bush babies. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwgL0qtyqMO2M046sa0uvJM3BFRjorv9vfjeW6OFjpQTij3WCqnNRjS5oE_RcUEnr7CJ-V1juKngs3M7wa7snwEFz3kzegYUVlPIalW95xdS-G4JclwWcvQYnHuhe5B0I84Iprw-gJ5o/s1600/DSC02674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwgL0qtyqMO2M046sa0uvJM3BFRjorv9vfjeW6OFjpQTij3WCqnNRjS5oE_RcUEnr7CJ-V1juKngs3M7wa7snwEFz3kzegYUVlPIalW95xdS-G4JclwWcvQYnHuhe5B0I84Iprw-gJ5o/s400/DSC02674.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The bush hut where we stayed</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64PUoNkYuA8JCIzHjA4Cs-my8TPuFxbLt-soxDPcH123QxqoInQ1CLsHDdWXegzUKsB1Cw62kkn7Xs0DuSIWn34BOnOWb602RhDtKnkzrG3QAGRAD3mDNUGbfnPM2egQXa_fIT28BI_s/s1600/DSC02551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64PUoNkYuA8JCIzHjA4Cs-my8TPuFxbLt-soxDPcH123QxqoInQ1CLsHDdWXegzUKsB1Cw62kkn7Xs0DuSIWn34BOnOWb602RhDtKnkzrG3QAGRAD3mDNUGbfnPM2egQXa_fIT28BI_s/s400/DSC02551.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Kudus at the watering hole in front of our house</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9WIbXhVFO7bTL6gEy9pGxlNnCZVa-ZLO9O8iZNpYx8F3QOyK6D1AaWuFPc4lRoX51L9enn3FbpEbsifQAaJ5b5MPatRmbe5D_xHm0yckift-N1h1eXFfZvrJppv7wPvii6MtFpOJWlE/s1600/IMG_1592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9WIbXhVFO7bTL6gEy9pGxlNnCZVa-ZLO9O8iZNpYx8F3QOyK6D1AaWuFPc4lRoX51L9enn3FbpEbsifQAaJ5b5MPatRmbe5D_xHm0yckift-N1h1eXFfZvrJppv7wPvii6MtFpOJWlE/s400/IMG_1592.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Banded Mongoose</td></tr>
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Today I went again to the laundromat and experienced something that was new to me and very disturbing. I was stuck in a small laundromat with an older woman who was on some kind on rant on how, “since 1994 (the end of apartheid)” everything is horrible. She just went on for over 30 minutes with her very racist point of view. I tried desperately to ignore her and finally asked her if she was educated or not and if she had ever left this country. I said that thankfully not everyone has her opinion and I was very grateful for that. She just kept on ranting like I had never spoken. Then she finally left but was replaced by another racist couple who proceeded to berate the laundry attendant, calling him names and telling him he was incompetent. He then got upset with me because apparently I had removed my clothing before my 1 hour expired, causing the confusion. I felt sorry for him and if I had been able to get a word in I would have apologized to all of them for causing the confusion, even to the racists. I left and thanked the attendant telling him that I left my extra soap behind since I could not take it with me. He asked me if I was from Joburg and I said no the United States. Man did his demeanor change. He asked me if I like South Africa and I told him I loved it. He replied with a huge smile on his face, “Thank you.” Then he apologized for being short with me. I told him I understood. Although this place is so stunning, sometimes you are smacked in the face by some of the ugliness that it can hold. It made me also realize that they have a very long way to go. Animals kill for necessity, humans can be cruel for no reason whatsoever. Very sad. </div>
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South Africa itself has been an incredible experience for me personally. I have always wanted to come here and it has exceeded my expectations more than I could have ever imagined. I am astounded by its beauty and amazed by its sights. I have never thought myself to be a huge animal person, but having seen what we have seen and experienced what we have experienced I feel changed in every aspect. I have always appreciated nature and what it has to offer, but now I feel that I can appreciate it at a very different level, almost as though my eyes are seeing things differently and I can better appreciate its sheer beauty. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiY6gaTU1St15jET62Cb8ble4NSUDiguUkAuTl1ZNpPI03CympOgpap5aGLNbkymYZQf17dwxry4J2yqlG9gU2KXOWHaP9aFimGpVVOMtiVILo5el7E_jbbNhbWgTNl0sEbAseJg6WnEI/s1600/DSC02729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiY6gaTU1St15jET62Cb8ble4NSUDiguUkAuTl1ZNpPI03CympOgpap5aGLNbkymYZQf17dwxry4J2yqlG9gU2KXOWHaP9aFimGpVVOMtiVILo5el7E_jbbNhbWgTNl0sEbAseJg6WnEI/s400/DSC02729.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hedgehog. Perhaps named Pumba?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAJOKgLkYTTi2IdqWR_xnugxhioaOFtzaYpZTHQ9xmoT9nL-n5rsrq-1PO0tSClN0ynuCVYw1mVm2IW6zJs488JtcFH2aknjmdevyqyMu7H1MAPNVlUpY86AWbDlOQJ08JoPFb3t9mGE/s1600/DSC02740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAJOKgLkYTTi2IdqWR_xnugxhioaOFtzaYpZTHQ9xmoT9nL-n5rsrq-1PO0tSClN0ynuCVYw1mVm2IW6zJs488JtcFH2aknjmdevyqyMu7H1MAPNVlUpY86AWbDlOQJ08JoPFb3t9mGE/s400/DSC02740.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhinos in the distance going down to the river for a drink</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhfAuW4ST19aK-Yc1i9bKI_Y0_W5Fkxu7lhnsCX9DjEtXzMShZrMXoMJwr8HY-GDGboixftnHpBMW7gzX_7BwiT9gwP9KM1PUU1DUv6WpXJ8UesirKUKgz7rsSrxKzks26Dk8UstHtYQ/s1600/DSC02749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhfAuW4ST19aK-Yc1i9bKI_Y0_W5Fkxu7lhnsCX9DjEtXzMShZrMXoMJwr8HY-GDGboixftnHpBMW7gzX_7BwiT9gwP9KM1PUU1DUv6WpXJ8UesirKUKgz7rsSrxKzks26Dk8UstHtYQ/s400/DSC02749.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ostrich in the neighborhood</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUxPjZcK32RmKaTFmMar5HA0zwhnnafehqNLhWMX8I0PIZIoyidiVt62MA_ssqOK2Pql0V8ZGOIZGjmO3PIuIujTYgSaE-qAZatYFxU_bBqaGyi_mVrpDDPr0npRvldc8DFMqI49xM9-E/s1600/IMG_1515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUxPjZcK32RmKaTFmMar5HA0zwhnnafehqNLhWMX8I0PIZIoyidiVt62MA_ssqOK2Pql0V8ZGOIZGjmO3PIuIujTYgSaE-qAZatYFxU_bBqaGyi_mVrpDDPr0npRvldc8DFMqI49xM9-E/s400/IMG_1515.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Group of Elephants</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5CNasoauUjJVbbed0jwOJoiELqxicKO09cGJfme0ZIJbHT2kn5e1ZxGOhwTYRuRg2A_lbTj4eclJ511M86ipTYUIfy5fvOf3FwMrPOiZDW9aRZwrMLxVD3-wAEeihprfmKn_NoYrXbbc/s1600/DSC02481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5CNasoauUjJVbbed0jwOJoiELqxicKO09cGJfme0ZIJbHT2kn5e1ZxGOhwTYRuRg2A_lbTj4eclJ511M86ipTYUIfy5fvOf3FwMrPOiZDW9aRZwrMLxVD3-wAEeihprfmKn_NoYrXbbc/s400/DSC02481.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Big White Rhino walking away</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-85536153593852588232015-11-13T08:20:00.001-08:002015-11-13T08:20:46.051-08:00Africa, Part 2<div style="text-align: justify;">
It just keeps getting better! We decided to take a drive along what is called the Panoramic Route. This is a drive through the 3rd largest manmade forest in the world which consists of some natural attractions. We headed out early because well, there is no sleeping in here since they don’t believe in blackout window coverings and the sun rises at 5am, and this was going to be a long drive. The first place we stopped was called Mac Mac Falls. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUSgc5C-EELP7KU7KM1IZjxxsi-kHcx1oppCAPeBqn_T242q_bAwZgD1v-xO8Hs-eyR55e7II0_djLEFdrkb74b99zmf2AHeL0Gc9vlbO4DayFoglza5rMEg76FiA8VZad9y1WjeS3WE/s1600/DSC02248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUSgc5C-EELP7KU7KM1IZjxxsi-kHcx1oppCAPeBqn_T242q_bAwZgD1v-xO8Hs-eyR55e7II0_djLEFdrkb74b99zmf2AHeL0Gc9vlbO4DayFoglza5rMEg76FiA8VZad9y1WjeS3WE/s400/DSC02248.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Panoramic Route<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSE-1_7xqOusrHFT8RkAPkVRPxKB9-ixQEkLoIM6QWNwky3X3tM41b_DcYf6ffpoqRRQtdeVmEDROK-5f9McsxiwNNVZyIl1Xo91pya33uk0oMUc2FJx4OEj4ppMmi-67DY74Xo-l-q08/s1600/DSC02250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSE-1_7xqOusrHFT8RkAPkVRPxKB9-ixQEkLoIM6QWNwky3X3tM41b_DcYf6ffpoqRRQtdeVmEDROK-5f9McsxiwNNVZyIl1Xo91pya33uk0oMUc2FJx4OEj4ppMmi-67DY74Xo-l-q08/s400/DSC02250.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Path to Mac Mac Falls<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9ch-gqlEtBE-nvnPQyRhH47r2pja0CU4d7PFhjvdsKrLaO4x6bc3vEEuo54R2bd5w1-ZNX6ImRrW9_jrjCGBMB11Pr0BJv1d3pz7grbeP2bnUWeXK_JDiVKBUTe0PNEkVuqtxqNH0gE/s1600/DSC02257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9ch-gqlEtBE-nvnPQyRhH47r2pja0CU4d7PFhjvdsKrLaO4x6bc3vEEuo54R2bd5w1-ZNX6ImRrW9_jrjCGBMB11Pr0BJv1d3pz7grbeP2bnUWeXK_JDiVKBUTe0PNEkVuqtxqNH0gE/s400/DSC02257.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Mac Mac Falls<br /></td></tr>
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This fall is 65 meters high and absolutely spectacular. The surroundings are beautiful black rock contrasting against vibrant green vegetation. We were all mesmerized by the pure beauty of it. We headed back to the car and went over to browse the stands of the souvenir vendors. We ended up purchasing a few things since the people selling the items were actually the ones who had made them. After the falls we headed towards Graskop, a small town along the Panoramic Route. I had wanted to have lunch at a restaurant called Harrie’s. This area is known for pancakes and Harrie’s is supposed to have the best in town. At this point, we had been driving for over three hours and we were all hungry. I will say we were not disappointed. So these pancakes are similar to American pancakes except that they are filled and rolled like a burrito. I decided to try the Lamb Bredie. Bredie is a traditional South African stew made with lamb in a rich tomato sauce. I know, sounds awesome and let me tell you it was. The flavors were so rich. For dessert, Justin and I shared a black cherry liqueur pancake with ice cream and chocolate sauce. At this point, I was full, but I ate half anyway because I would not be able to get this any place else. Afterwards, I was stuffed and I did skip dinner, but it was worth it. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJixEZFf6zLTBw0CB3tY0ejmKfpc16cYM7MnUBLO9Lpj5DhWA-08ysysY0Uw_XDgd-umZ1CE8gwLuYJGdwu2u3vjk7gnLiezRid6Rb-839PVeYTD_C7L6vXxsqa4QL3ERqlx3s1B4zMY8/s1600/DSC02253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJixEZFf6zLTBw0CB3tY0ejmKfpc16cYM7MnUBLO9Lpj5DhWA-08ysysY0Uw_XDgd-umZ1CE8gwLuYJGdwu2u3vjk7gnLiezRid6Rb-839PVeYTD_C7L6vXxsqa4QL3ERqlx3s1B4zMY8/s400/DSC02253.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Group Photo<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6q1D9fdK78802tYtJLhrj9o-SDcOXGX0c-3a8KV4Ec2M-OiNkYL-Q8B5VL4eFXDq7riRNFp6cx25jO8aLzlFUYKMzTbSdSpBIOM4lnFhWdgiDsZlyyRmjsUfRYVxVH6Ineu9ceQPfVW4/s1600/DSC02268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6q1D9fdK78802tYtJLhrj9o-SDcOXGX0c-3a8KV4Ec2M-OiNkYL-Q8B5VL4eFXDq7riRNFp6cx25jO8aLzlFUYKMzTbSdSpBIOM4lnFhWdgiDsZlyyRmjsUfRYVxVH6Ineu9ceQPfVW4/s400/DSC02268.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Lunch at Harrie's Pancakes<br /></td></tr>
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We continued our drive and stopped at The Pinnacle. This is a 30 meter rock needle in a ravine. The rock itself is really cool but the view around was also stunning. The entire day we were all amazed at how different this area is environmentally. On our drive from our bush hut we went from a savanna of dry, arid ground covered in thorny bushes to green, fertile grass, gorgeous colorful flowers with so many evergreen trees in every direction. After The Pinnacle we continued to God’s Window. This is a panoramic view of the valley below. It is said that this view of breathtaking, scenic splendor is looking down on the Garden of Eden. The vantage point is situated at 2000m above sea level and you are looking down 900m at the indigenous, forest clad ravine of the Mpumalanga Lowveld below. We were all mesmerized by the view and I actually thought it was fitting that we had visited the site that is said to be the Garden of Eden. Eden was excited. We continued to Wonder View, which is basically similar to God’s Window but a few kilometers down the road. It was also pretty cool to see lots of vervet monkeys running around. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgyhyJph7A5ezWYVn3BQRxy_w4buZGhn-GS10kXDcnQkIBHDhVMRDv_Tk8PqEOZIQWSe1m0eUCUKTtwSTOp6gmjSH16toU5MBAf183p7ssPbhu48pO79nhUnLM1kfy3xDq-z1wennR54/s1600/DSC02270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgyhyJph7A5ezWYVn3BQRxy_w4buZGhn-GS10kXDcnQkIBHDhVMRDv_Tk8PqEOZIQWSe1m0eUCUKTtwSTOp6gmjSH16toU5MBAf183p7ssPbhu48pO79nhUnLM1kfy3xDq-z1wennR54/s400/DSC02270.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Pinnacle<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQIHJbZMFylTWHYwcV66XPrEoYb8T5QJylVDLoSpFM3-sXh8sQkAH__qTyL3IJovQMg9TVRp0l1RJjpc29avpYZ1upWI8vGbzI2XXa01ZgDfZkI-_-aJxrMWCdSkgJX64kpy-ZbGVVzkA/s1600/DSC02284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQIHJbZMFylTWHYwcV66XPrEoYb8T5QJylVDLoSpFM3-sXh8sQkAH__qTyL3IJovQMg9TVRp0l1RJjpc29avpYZ1upWI8vGbzI2XXa01ZgDfZkI-_-aJxrMWCdSkgJX64kpy-ZbGVVzkA/s400/DSC02284.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">View from "God's Window"<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9APxrnasBaWSkodb6bJG8EYUS4smD5gAOEGeevcl0j89ke82g1InlKlCZBJsH0ER-0W2TPdS-YXJMJzjk4wiLoJPxmlImX-DoYN38IT4h95A8OVNiYQaSo07K1HLa9vo4P1tgcca3k4/s1600/IMG_3362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9APxrnasBaWSkodb6bJG8EYUS4smD5gAOEGeevcl0j89ke82g1InlKlCZBJsH0ER-0W2TPdS-YXJMJzjk4wiLoJPxmlImX-DoYN38IT4h95A8OVNiYQaSo07K1HLa9vo4P1tgcca3k4/s400/IMG_3362.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Another view from "God's Window"<br /></td></tr>
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Again, we got in the car and headed another 22 km down the road to Bourke’s Luck Potholes. For me, this was the highlight of our day trip! This is a place where the Treur River and the Blyde River merge and due to the force combined with the sand and rock carried in the water, has caused cylindrical holes to be formed. Once you approach the river’s edge you are astounded by the amazing formations. During this time of year, the water flow is lower and you are able to see the potholes clearly. The kids were thrilled to be able to jump from one pothole’s edge to another. Justin and I were satisfied to sit and take in the view, especially since it was over 100 degrees. We let the kids play for about 30 minutes and continued back towards the car. We needed to cross over 2 rather high bridges to get back to the other side of the river. As some of you may know, I am not fond of heights. Crossing the first bridge, I decided to take a picture of the potholes below. I don’t know what I was thinking because once I looked down and clicked away, I got this horrible feeling in my stomach and my hands got very sweaty. Caleb was closest to me and I held onto his shoulder. Once he looked at me he understood I was terrified and slowly walked me over to the other side. Now I needed to cross the second bridge. This one was higher than the first because the river’s level lowered. Caleb and I started to cross and that’s when I started to cry. Justin, realizing my fear came back over and led me towards the other side. I realized that my fear is probably misplaced, but I always picture the bridge suddenly ripping away from the earth and me tumbling down after it. I think the actual drop is what scares me the most. So since this was the day before the anniversary of my 30th birthday, I decided to walk back to the center of the bridge ALONE and stand in the middle of it for a minute. I did this for myself and for my kids. I don’t want them to get hung up on my fears because honestly it can be paralyzing. So off I went, and I stood in the middle of the bridge, stayed in place for a minute, looked around, and I felt a smidge better, but I still hated it, but I didn’t cry. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKIyZRlP03AnxmH5zv85GEZR9emRiXI8k7Mob4aZAMCkmMV9Dzde6PHmplZUNo3XvlAJ21hrWijRg49ieln0SOLG7GF95Aj4G5pncwa4M7sYWALmC63jxtki-DQZucidxHHnbLG6o-gw/s1600/DSC02316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKIyZRlP03AnxmH5zv85GEZR9emRiXI8k7Mob4aZAMCkmMV9Dzde6PHmplZUNo3XvlAJ21hrWijRg49ieln0SOLG7GF95Aj4G5pncwa4M7sYWALmC63jxtki-DQZucidxHHnbLG6o-gw/s400/DSC02316.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Bourke's Luck potholes<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22fcLEU4EJTP2XSM9y6ZywGW1y2KUlbBsoDCZQzQKA4Lm4h0f1vrR-rwjktCvg1N0Lyre9_Q8EirppHeFmsNuPdlsaRH8XAGDwqz3EHK-tdx3ybXaEtslATX4Om4-5epi_ojB6u0TZRo/s1600/DSC02323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22fcLEU4EJTP2XSM9y6ZywGW1y2KUlbBsoDCZQzQKA4Lm4h0f1vrR-rwjktCvg1N0Lyre9_Q8EirppHeFmsNuPdlsaRH8XAGDwqz3EHK-tdx3ybXaEtslATX4Om4-5epi_ojB6u0TZRo/s400/DSC02323.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Caroline venturing out into the potholes<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHo-kxnaDC4QfaypHfuZTQfHY3E5TrHoMGDsN-Xvx6B1DDA0kpmyNkBYDDH68tGrg-oVUpzVzbIJARuV0UdIjnQdDnxsZKYZ_M943rqrHRnhEQW7fincrAfoqX8aU1OMZfGAMy78xp2DE/s1600/DSC02347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHo-kxnaDC4QfaypHfuZTQfHY3E5TrHoMGDsN-Xvx6B1DDA0kpmyNkBYDDH68tGrg-oVUpzVzbIJARuV0UdIjnQdDnxsZKYZ_M943rqrHRnhEQW7fincrAfoqX8aU1OMZfGAMy78xp2DE/s400/DSC02347.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Some of the deeper potholes<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUqTm5hvrN-bHraxSROxIhr4v0WLpHJ19kmHdHW5GfHn9B4SMVayThoMN8fUu8jfnaxY5PHAVHLQUT1xXRIP-mUZuzjlnw66awGDeHm_oyvYpVXK5YtO0ILh3luN01f55wNu2lWHSblY/s1600/DSC02348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUqTm5hvrN-bHraxSROxIhr4v0WLpHJ19kmHdHW5GfHn9B4SMVayThoMN8fUu8jfnaxY5PHAVHLQUT1xXRIP-mUZuzjlnw66awGDeHm_oyvYpVXK5YtO0ILh3luN01f55wNu2lWHSblY/s400/DSC02348.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">View of the river through the pothole area<br /></td></tr>
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We started to head back towards Marloth Park and along the way stopped at one more waterfall called Lisbon Falls. This waterfall is 92m high and very impressive. We walked around and took pictures and again were amazed by the sheer beauty. It took nearly 3 hours to get back to the house and it was quite dark by the time we arrived even though it was only 7:30pm. One thing we have learned is that there are no streetlights around here, not even on the freeway, and without streetlights it is very hard to see anything ahead of you. I kept expecting an animal to jump out in front of us, but luckily none did. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBADgAwXKksTWsCGetx3ldrdxZcByFrMYKy-MSq4YvLbcTE4q7p5hQf7lqqzkOWjp6vCk5tcOhyphenhyphen4AadhZ4vkdQtAJJYVLLnmHTKIyk6HHM9S4c6qbHT6b5lunzvZuwmfHsOEuFhIcjSg/s1600/IMG_1507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBADgAwXKksTWsCGetx3ldrdxZcByFrMYKy-MSq4YvLbcTE4q7p5hQf7lqqzkOWjp6vCk5tcOhyphenhyphen4AadhZ4vkdQtAJJYVLLnmHTKIyk6HHM9S4c6qbHT6b5lunzvZuwmfHsOEuFhIcjSg/s400/IMG_1507.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Lisbon falls<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg_IAO8qw-EWimaU-mpWKmkmZWthnkPrc2CEijClly3wAvAKUaKvMWqm7dhkJkXRNEiMiuYsxpkDw53KBHM3zu4Dpy5e-CHQhndOz_HLl01I4cKxm31x34MEJkopD3hC5I05kuJGWnACY/s1600/DSC02357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg_IAO8qw-EWimaU-mpWKmkmZWthnkPrc2CEijClly3wAvAKUaKvMWqm7dhkJkXRNEiMiuYsxpkDw53KBHM3zu4Dpy5e-CHQhndOz_HLl01I4cKxm31x34MEJkopD3hC5I05kuJGWnACY/s400/DSC02357.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Lisbon Falls<br /></td></tr>
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The following day was my birthday (aka the anniversary of my 30th birthday), and I had requested to visit KNP for the day. Justin and the kids made me a lovely breakfast, gave me some pretty awesome cards and drawings, and then we headed out for the day. Once inside we immediately saw a baby giraffe. It was one of the cutest things ever. We watched the giraffes for a while and continued on our way. Not much farther down the road we came across a herd of zebras. Amongst the herd were a couple of babies. They are so small and very fuzzy, totally cute. We were all thrilled to have seen not only a baby giraffe but now some baby zebras. Eden kept saying, “I love the babies.” </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_T5ZwjdalhvdTUP3_XqMT7cuZeIZ3h-u1jX20sQyMgJXgd3SSRUOAs4qp-CBSaDbeOqnfjIGd-sQKjC8OGSNB2W9fs39YRmeuo4z3df9tFII5aprQFS3SPRvV7Ydq6SnZSlHQRlOlkY/s1600/DSC02543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_T5ZwjdalhvdTUP3_XqMT7cuZeIZ3h-u1jX20sQyMgJXgd3SSRUOAs4qp-CBSaDbeOqnfjIGd-sQKjC8OGSNB2W9fs39YRmeuo4z3df9tFII5aprQFS3SPRvV7Ydq6SnZSlHQRlOlkY/s400/DSC02543.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Giraffe</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehjRKPJv7AD8oj7NpR6z9hcL05afXtsbTCq2jEcR2A6KDtYXKEwKUX3OPpFCJYQ4KKihnMpJU7Ln6Yj_dJYMCxe_x34wwlj_YvVtPGPZvZeCuZWpY6PQWcpTq2AgkA3-xaeZYk94dcOA/s1600/DSC02578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehjRKPJv7AD8oj7NpR6z9hcL05afXtsbTCq2jEcR2A6KDtYXKEwKUX3OPpFCJYQ4KKihnMpJU7Ln6Yj_dJYMCxe_x34wwlj_YvVtPGPZvZeCuZWpY6PQWcpTq2AgkA3-xaeZYk94dcOA/s400/DSC02578.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Zebra<br /></span></td></tr>
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Along a river, we spotted some warthogs and buffalo (one of the Big 5) wallowing in some mud. It was a hot day, 100 degrees, so this seemed like a pretty nice way to stay cool. I am amazed at the sheer size of the buffalo. These guys are massive. In fact, I am surprised by the size of all the animals. They seem bigger then I had expected. Justin and I have speculated that maybe it is due to the fact that we are seeing them so closely as opposed to behind fences and further distances. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqnI24MtAcVKfGt3hC1Wf5_F2srO5X-BEX0PZ5k2vyGK22UhVoqJ_x3oFU2Y_OodiEiEIUHBdn12rbWBI1g06tThrpCZmsuWzol-yjal5OTelB0ntEIZ7YIX3_sbzkTa2KP6ZbF0gsX4/s1600/DSC02401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqnI24MtAcVKfGt3hC1Wf5_F2srO5X-BEX0PZ5k2vyGK22UhVoqJ_x3oFU2Y_OodiEiEIUHBdn12rbWBI1g06tThrpCZmsuWzol-yjal5OTelB0ntEIZ7YIX3_sbzkTa2KP6ZbF0gsX4/s400/DSC02401.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Buffalo<br /></td></tr>
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We kept on moving and throughout the day was saw so many elephants (another one of the Big 5). There was one herd that had several mothers and juveniles. Then between the legs we spotted the tiniest baby elephant. Every once in a while he would poke his head out, but then one of the larger elephants would push it back in the circle. This time of year is springtime in South Africa, so there are a lot of babies around and that was really a treat to see. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1785HW5BVI_VqbBb7qc_oa210z7OKNXIDH06dwvpIn3UXfLYuyO5W8DDS27mpdFf2Lv1B_IhOMpnC4R5fiylLEZ5z38QWhmSKzyI5pjtWFnHpFG46aRJV7pRuObiaNaz2mMDgPfv99c/s1600/DSC02405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1785HW5BVI_VqbBb7qc_oa210z7OKNXIDH06dwvpIn3UXfLYuyO5W8DDS27mpdFf2Lv1B_IhOMpnC4R5fiylLEZ5z38QWhmSKzyI5pjtWFnHpFG46aRJV7pRuObiaNaz2mMDgPfv99c/s400/DSC02405.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Elephants<br /></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVz2NKiAgAM-lINlm3poeczKLUTzsUbsmSNDAD2FiDdcyvPDBDX8OvvzTxVJ7PG4YzK8rLIOX4AptlyqjdX7xsMz1kYYUZyCjj7IscPaATLXkSancC1dFcfSojZ6W3TyCN9aqKK2SedCo/s1600/DSC02415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVz2NKiAgAM-lINlm3poeczKLUTzsUbsmSNDAD2FiDdcyvPDBDX8OvvzTxVJ7PG4YzK8rLIOX4AptlyqjdX7xsMz1kYYUZyCjj7IscPaATLXkSancC1dFcfSojZ6W3TyCN9aqKK2SedCo/s400/DSC02415.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Herd of Elephants<br /></td></tr>
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Then as nature’s birthday treat, I spotted a huge rhino lying on the ground under a tree sleeping. The rhino is also park of the Big 5, now we had seen 3 out of 5 we only needed 2 more, the lion and the leopard. Apparently, Caleb had read that being able to see all 5 of the “Big Five” in one trip to KNP is truly a rare experience. We watched the rhino sleep and while doing so, a group of birds landed on him and started to eat the bugs off of him. The kids thought it was funny. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUfHmJSySlHjdkkNZHw9wVe38cbB9f6d_cpYwWfBpnjnjbIbyAmUlhq6J70V3In4Uk88rZ1v0gabgHoHTbA8Q1gMP54NB8MT0FMfpNiWB3NqT7UHx9cEvobyBJNtWJh-ccZzsRgwlSnw/s1600/DSC02376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUfHmJSySlHjdkkNZHw9wVe38cbB9f6d_cpYwWfBpnjnjbIbyAmUlhq6J70V3In4Uk88rZ1v0gabgHoHTbA8Q1gMP54NB8MT0FMfpNiWB3NqT7UHx9cEvobyBJNtWJh-ccZzsRgwlSnw/s400/DSC02376.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Rhino taking a nap<br /></td></tr>
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After having watched the rhino for some time, we stopped at the rest stop at the Lower Sabie to stretch our legs and get a snack. We all got frappes/shakes with a muffin as a birthday treat. Afterwards, we headed out for a drive towards Tsokwane and loop back toward the Sabie River. It was interesting to see the diversity in vegetation, again, going from greener surroundings to an arid savanna. We are here near the end of the dry season, so things are just starting to liven up. A lot of the watering holes are dry so we noticed that most of the animals stick closer to the river. Along the drive, we encountered more elephants, zebras, impala, sable, and then 4 lionesses sleeping in the grass. I thought it was very curious that they were lying on their backs with their feet in the air. (Another of the Big 5) It seemed like a rather vulnerable position, but then again other than man, they are on the top of the food chain. They were impressive to see, since we were only about 40 ft away. At one point one of the lions sat up and looked at everyone watching her, as if trying to figure out what all the fuss is about. Then she laid back down and continued to nap. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVn-9SXCNHEzcSWWLhnRZYw_4frWOuuW7stU6slsJuOOBNmuy-k9U-D1G9aWU7Ir_UrQ2ku8w-SCYk1U63dPYrLr1U98CYn8FYlo9UtNUfUJx8NW5it3dVAaQ4sEPdgeY3XaYI8oHe4Hg/s1600/DSC02427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVn-9SXCNHEzcSWWLhnRZYw_4frWOuuW7stU6slsJuOOBNmuy-k9U-D1G9aWU7Ir_UrQ2ku8w-SCYk1U63dPYrLr1U98CYn8FYlo9UtNUfUJx8NW5it3dVAaQ4sEPdgeY3XaYI8oHe4Hg/s400/DSC02427.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">If you look close you can see a few lions lying on their backs. (Click on photo to enlarge)<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCWLEstvt6Us6RlsHgukYOd_bHBRF65uOgvebFrTH4FtEaWYEOEEeWETqhx6c4f20QqG661mab6cS9x9wUkNAE9pRaKEHjUufaXOgeTWB0wWL4bcj-j85dK8UQxiMLAkoO78aomt0fN8/s1600/DSC02437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCWLEstvt6Us6RlsHgukYOd_bHBRF65uOgvebFrTH4FtEaWYEOEEeWETqhx6c4f20QqG661mab6cS9x9wUkNAE9pRaKEHjUufaXOgeTWB0wWL4bcj-j85dK8UQxiMLAkoO78aomt0fN8/s400/DSC02437.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">One of the lions got up to check her surroundings<br /></td></tr>
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We drove back towards the Lower Sabie to grab a late lunch, along the way we saw tons of baboons and vervet monkeys with lots of little babies. They have quite a nice restaurant at the Lower Sabie and it was a fun place to celebrate. At a nearby table the restaurant staff sung "Happy Birthday" to a patron in Swazi. The tune was infectious and fun to watch (see the video below). I was very happy that I could experience it without being the center of attention.</div>
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<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx84Y5j21UArwNv6neI7yyaZc3qKYSMTI83IWiDgz8GK7FT-FW9buqiHI3AQ1WUVMedRwee_05S5Hug16Coew' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLKG8pCBjogXTc9iTorQuVR0P4qnsm4zak1iWUMKc8_SguEYXm1uMH6pEK7eqbXdHhOppI7mgPYjXNKp0FmAFKr-OMubGkZVJm4VJW9wRKcgR5FZNeeeI_Hyc21EFE8Pg-9bq7wNKZ_Q/s1600/IMG_1517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLKG8pCBjogXTc9iTorQuVR0P4qnsm4zak1iWUMKc8_SguEYXm1uMH6pEK7eqbXdHhOppI7mgPYjXNKp0FmAFKr-OMubGkZVJm4VJW9wRKcgR5FZNeeeI_Hyc21EFE8Pg-9bq7wNKZ_Q/s400/IMG_1517.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Birthday lunch overlooking the Sabie River<br /></td></tr>
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After lunch we headed towards the crocodile bridge exit. We crossed over a bridge and saw a couple of larger crocodiles, one in the water and one on the sand. We had such a wonderful time and I had a great day. We got to see 4 of the Big Five and I felt incredibly lucky!</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_k8GVW_5bkKlGWUmIkr60vnys-Kshlz4U32fRQF-31xpg86-ST8Fm79-hzsjz_iKwv8oO2YaBgiVLgZtmYfrAK2oCv5ofvQRqQRh8_abCSoZlh1pfqSLWKms0wNstVSPEwnjGXiJXzHs/s1600/DSC02391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_k8GVW_5bkKlGWUmIkr60vnys-Kshlz4U32fRQF-31xpg86-ST8Fm79-hzsjz_iKwv8oO2YaBgiVLgZtmYfrAK2oCv5ofvQRqQRh8_abCSoZlh1pfqSLWKms0wNstVSPEwnjGXiJXzHs/s400/DSC02391.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Nile Crocodile</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2nX-arsbzsCsOlQVhfEUaF3c1S6VbGFBvh2hoxXdzXk3Lj3rSiAGY4wzFL_-4faAFMis34_95E0LfOFfiZ4TsL-o3hg6Vvc-NaiLPNsTuBRCChwh3gLmOVatplCRjLEQZYl0iABF0DA/s1600/DSC02473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2nX-arsbzsCsOlQVhfEUaF3c1S6VbGFBvh2hoxXdzXk3Lj3rSiAGY4wzFL_-4faAFMis34_95E0LfOFfiZ4TsL-o3hg6Vvc-NaiLPNsTuBRCChwh3gLmOVatplCRjLEQZYl0iABF0DA/s400/DSC02473.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Another Croc!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8vtoSXqiWsPgIrVeLgOFVtoS_S5GV8Y_uFgEwu93RBFkc-fHJb0Zo3KV2mfmFKijvsqSAtwOE4oH-TRhI4I4BfAp8r2xvyk4gA_QH-CbKlc3V9zp9FRK2Q4pDph27ZlBfeDRctt3Oyk/s1600/DSC02373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8vtoSXqiWsPgIrVeLgOFVtoS_S5GV8Y_uFgEwu93RBFkc-fHJb0Zo3KV2mfmFKijvsqSAtwOE4oH-TRhI4I4BfAp8r2xvyk4gA_QH-CbKlc3V9zp9FRK2Q4pDph27ZlBfeDRctt3Oyk/s400/DSC02373.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Southern Ground Hornbill</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4M07uy26WZ1rV7AQkysonbwgVQjL4toa1li2lATlwpLekavTEWdpl_UKnW10bvXzMVcUit4CqctSLB6Sk3eQn2abT80DwJhA7L1MpqGU5d4nrZoC5fwRbBZEoZVzc86EoFiqpB-WcxOQ/s1600/DSC02388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4M07uy26WZ1rV7AQkysonbwgVQjL4toa1li2lATlwpLekavTEWdpl_UKnW10bvXzMVcUit4CqctSLB6Sk3eQn2abT80DwJhA7L1MpqGU5d4nrZoC5fwRbBZEoZVzc86EoFiqpB-WcxOQ/s400/DSC02388.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starling bird. His blue color was amazing!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTlyjg4oxAmpiBWS2zGJ08xbBCBhPXwqb4eWsDHov_FpAztbCmm25wL8PvnDfKhdWUmWR3PHQsnpPHp78Jte9Vyy0HgWksWEWj-frGItx9MPm4oxpHQnoHLUxU_dp8BeQszOf6otAzss/s1600/DSC02393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTlyjg4oxAmpiBWS2zGJ08xbBCBhPXwqb4eWsDHov_FpAztbCmm25wL8PvnDfKhdWUmWR3PHQsnpPHp78Jte9Vyy0HgWksWEWj-frGItx9MPm4oxpHQnoHLUxU_dp8BeQszOf6otAzss/s400/DSC02393.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hippos</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Wg_sBkUpKyipHQSBJD1KKENisymSYiT6f104_CJcYsYuxmB4iYIPtXi69266ffxuSemddix-zKeCiYh5OlxstRe9ptg-vdR0HgHRlfS2doHQqbNpTf6FbnTuhZvHJZv7VXV3yxH8DpY/s1600/DSC02422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Wg_sBkUpKyipHQSBJD1KKENisymSYiT6f104_CJcYsYuxmB4iYIPtXi69266ffxuSemddix-zKeCiYh5OlxstRe9ptg-vdR0HgHRlfS2doHQqbNpTf6FbnTuhZvHJZv7VXV3yxH8DpY/s400/DSC02422.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kudu</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcETF3cHB7AZhHCxAYQRRXeAldYe-sfPotTGosWX1CxkB83IShuIefTFDmN2jRLhmhs37BCUI8Di5e3rrGc4sbHpD3tsXoW9Gkit4UOS_MXxrJfq7G0z6NFBI9tFOgVM6CVJ4NvjhBQ4c/s1600/DSC02476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcETF3cHB7AZhHCxAYQRRXeAldYe-sfPotTGosWX1CxkB83IShuIefTFDmN2jRLhmhs37BCUI8Di5e3rrGc4sbHpD3tsXoW9Gkit4UOS_MXxrJfq7G0z6NFBI9tFOgVM6CVJ4NvjhBQ4c/s400/DSC02476.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Birthday to Caroline!</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-76462825192471876372015-11-07T10:10:00.000-08:002015-11-07T10:10:55.717-08:00Africa, Part 1<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-S5V3dvsqpO_Q7SzclMf-Q0I1tIyof94d6_WRYFkyXvylHryXbH8m8ZCe3EMOo3ZbWZlPiL58l3S7laeKkUEJP6On5-I5MzRJ_4JAAZiJCJjym3ECQDA7KcBLYg4IzIuF1TtbFWcWbo/s1600/DSC02100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-S5V3dvsqpO_Q7SzclMf-Q0I1tIyof94d6_WRYFkyXvylHryXbH8m8ZCe3EMOo3ZbWZlPiL58l3S7laeKkUEJP6On5-I5MzRJ_4JAAZiJCJjym3ECQDA7KcBLYg4IzIuF1TtbFWcWbo/s320/DSC02100.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving on the right side of the car and left side of the road</td></tr>
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WOW!! I love Africa! We arrived in Johannesburg Saturday evening and picked up our rental car. From there we left the airport to head towards a hotel we had booked for the night called the Birchwood. Since they drive on the left side of the road, this was going to be an experience in itself. Justin and I came up with a plan that I would drive first and he would be my constant reminder of what lane to be in or aim for. So off we went on our first 10 km drive. Thank goodness I had Justin because as we were exciting the garage I approached one of those spiral ramps to go up or down. I instinctively wanted to turn right and head up, even though the sign was pointing left and down. Justin told me to turn left. Once out of the garage I merged onto the freeway, the road forked and we picked one since the GPS had not plotted our position accurately from being in the garage. I picked the wrong one, so I needed to get off the freeway and back on in the opposite direction. I got off ok and needed to take a right. Again, Justin reminded me right is the far lane not the ones nearest me. It was uncomfortably strange to be on the “wrong” side of the road, sitting on the “wrong” side of the car. Also, every time I tried to signal I turned on the windshield wipers. By the way, I should mention that the car we have has a manual transmission, so I am shifting with my left hand, although thankfully the gear box is identical to what I am used to. With a few more twists and turns we arrived at the Birchwood. This complex was ginormous, at least 1 square kilometer with probably 50 separate buildings. We headed straight to bed. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GDid7DcKXmTADtSUAs8KYhH_7U5IJfQFcMl5WyjLn9JDfdOzmfykzw5KtGtoJGb19budhpMo0ctA5iH3fcmcGSrfIWzHr3vILO-sHHM2sjDfuOXQUxrO68m1BYvbbjK2CG2T8RrdoUk/s1600/Apartheid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GDid7DcKXmTADtSUAs8KYhH_7U5IJfQFcMl5WyjLn9JDfdOzmfykzw5KtGtoJGb19budhpMo0ctA5iH3fcmcGSrfIWzHr3vILO-sHHM2sjDfuOXQUxrO68m1BYvbbjK2CG2T8RrdoUk/s320/Apartheid.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live<br /> in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others"<br />- Nelson Mandela quote at Apartheid Museum</td></tr>
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The following morning we went to the neighboring McDonalds for breakfast. The kids were delighted to see that they had regular maple syrup like in the States. In Italy their syrup was chocolate, caramel and honey, the same as for the sundaes. After breakfast we headed over to the apartheid museum in Johannesburg. I was surprised to see that Johannesburg reminded me of any large city in the United States. The 30 minute drive from the hotel to the museum was oddly familiar feeling. The streets were clean, the buildings newer or well maintained, the roads were very nice, and had lots of skyscrapers. Once at the museum we had a very sobering experience. I had not known that apartheid was abolished in only 1994, a mere 21 years ago. Once entering into the museum, they have you enter one of two entrances, based on your ticket, you are randomly assigned “white” or “non-white”. We could still see each other, but we were separated by metal cages. Each cage contained the government identity cards of different individuals, depicting their name, gender, photo, and race. It was interesting to learn that when apartheid became a law in 1948, peoples race changed to fit into different groups based off of the opinion of the official’s judgment, who had absolutely no training. Sometimes, family members were split apart. Throughout the journey in the museum we learned about the rise and eventual fall of apartheid. In one room we read the “manner of death” of 17 men who had been detained by police because of their suspected alliance with the movement to abolish apartheid. The excuses became more and more ridiculous as you read the list. The first excuse was that the detainee tripped and fell, then further down some “fell” from the 9th floor, to someone slipped on a bar of soap, to finally a detainee slipped on a bar of soap and hung himself on the soaps rope. Reading the list made me feel sick to my stomach that people had the audacity to come up with these flimsy excuses of the horrific beating and death of another human being. As the museum progressed we learned about the final vote and abolishment of apartheid in 1994. It is still such a young accomplishment. We grabbed a drink at the museum snack bar and had a lengthy discussion with the kids about what they thought and how they felt. I was happy to hear how appalled, offended they were and that such a thing could have existed. I was happy to know that our children are growing up in a place that such laws don’t exist. Once back in the car we started our 4 ½ hour drive to Marloth Park. On the outskirts of town we did drive past a couple of shanty towns of “houses” built with old, forgotten wood, metal and fabric. At the end of some of the rows was a port-a-potty. I looked at these and was taken aback by the conditions of these “houses”, and wept for the people that must call this home. The conditions are deplorable, and yet what other choice do they have? Although parts of Johannesburg reminded me of the USA, this smacked you in the face reminding us that we are not in the USA. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginq6tHe59kAbpExRPxAsvBl27MBnJufcUETwSqAo-vFJsr1FOvr5TL_06F3MGq9eBjXT6Qp21WLraLch_BLnscSYVR4tbnBSctHQ6Xx-XtbxLx7ZRv6to_BhY46hp3MRsitkC04rq0hI/s1600/Shanty2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginq6tHe59kAbpExRPxAsvBl27MBnJufcUETwSqAo-vFJsr1FOvr5TL_06F3MGq9eBjXT6Qp21WLraLch_BLnscSYVR4tbnBSctHQ6Xx-XtbxLx7ZRv6to_BhY46hp3MRsitkC04rq0hI/s400/Shanty2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shanties on the outskirts of Johannesburg</td></tr>
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A couple of hours outside the city we stopped at a rest stop along the freeway. We all went in to use the restroom and as I was entering the women’s room I noticed some animals outside the picture window. I called everyone over and we noticed rhinos, buffalo, and emu. We were all excited. After the restroom we headed outside towards the animals enclosure, where we also noticed zebra and ostrich. We decided to grab a bite to eat and sit at one of the tables outside about 50 feet from the enclosure. I was in heaven. I couldn’t believe that I was in Africa, eating lunch, overlooking these animals. I think by now everyone is sick of me saying, “I can’t believe we’re in South Africa,” or “I love South Africa!” </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfq1LUo17xxVGwv8P87y10GdzpKnc6Bc2NSsP6OAdzzosO-hGXXLEMhR02jFlFaojJ30dTJndoOkI29Ji1FEBwQQhZlcfC3P1NpKOjKQ5MZj-ZvkOlYP2Om5e7NYPVaGSMDD1pgK4ClQ/s1600/Rhino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfq1LUo17xxVGwv8P87y10GdzpKnc6Bc2NSsP6OAdzzosO-hGXXLEMhR02jFlFaojJ30dTJndoOkI29Ji1FEBwQQhZlcfC3P1NpKOjKQ5MZj-ZvkOlYP2Om5e7NYPVaGSMDD1pgK4ClQ/s320/Rhino.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhinos at the highway rest stop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHVi_VV0lvIJyCZoPzCINiuBmLQC4kg2hi5Dtxmgr6L4_OHHKSTsxub9vBasqhfEI2dn0oTubxnk2OZ_jMhUAxLTPzNly34Sb5GN0AubHqg7hO7f6eTDRtWyqxZKK1_HEdEiAert9YQM/s1600/DSC02246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHVi_VV0lvIJyCZoPzCINiuBmLQC4kg2hi5Dtxmgr6L4_OHHKSTsxub9vBasqhfEI2dn0oTubxnk2OZ_jMhUAxLTPzNly34Sb5GN0AubHqg7hO7f6eTDRtWyqxZKK1_HEdEiAert9YQM/s200/DSC02246.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roadside flowers on the<br />way to Kruger National Park</td></tr>
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After lunch we continued to Marloth Park, which is a rural, gated housing community with animals roaming freely, located just south to Kruger National Park (KNP). Along the drive the scenery went from farm land with red earth to lush vegetation with trees that had gorgeous purple flowers. It went from a flat straight road to a mountainous winding road. Lucky for me I got the first driving shift of flat and straight and Justin got the second part of twisting, winding hills. By the way, I was still turning on the wipers every time I needed to switch lanes. Oops. Once in Marloth we spotted, warthogs and impalas. We even had a warthog take a dip in the watering hole outside our front door. Although this is a housing community, we are not able to see any neighbors, you feel completely secluded. The following day we decided to head to one of the entrances into KNP to purchase our “Go Wild” membership. When we got into the car Eden asked to play minecraft on my phone (ugh). I told her that we were not playing with electronics, but instead look outside and look for animals. We pulled out of the driveway and headed towards the main road. Our unpaved driveway is about 500m from the main road on another unpaved road. All of a sudden Eden says, “I saw a giraffe it was tall and big, big, big.” Justin stopped the car and we started to discuss if she saw it, no one else did. I did say that Eden does know what a giraffe looks like. I turned my head towards the side of the car and out the window I saw 3 large Kudus. We ohhhed and ahhhed and then Justin reversed the car to see if Eden was right. Sure enough just 5 feet from the side of the road was a giraffe eating leaves from a tree. We could not believe that 1) the giraffe was so close, 2) Eden was right and 3) none of us had noticed it at all. I told Eden how clever and smart she was to find the giraffe, she beamed with pride. We sat and watched the giraffe for some time. Once we got to the main road Joel noticed something along the side of the road. We went over, and lo and behold, there were several zebras by the side of the road. We also ended up seeing impalas and warthogs again. We couldn’t believe it, we hadn’t even left Marloth, what was KNP going to be like!! We picked up our membership then headed to Komatopoort, a small town south of KNP, to pick up some groceries. We headed back to the house and settled in. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLT_R62_HpGc9fuI9GqRpe3MRxraMlM-8RRxX1cKZsoEIQnMwALYmQoGVwPuGtJ0WFdYKt-mC33Rh618DYSDtr2MngQKcovyZhqyw8w9dAZ6gLstp8Ij0KTYPTSwvTjDUAf7j1JWH8vk/s1600/DSC02107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLT_R62_HpGc9fuI9GqRpe3MRxraMlM-8RRxX1cKZsoEIQnMwALYmQoGVwPuGtJ0WFdYKt-mC33Rh618DYSDtr2MngQKcovyZhqyw8w9dAZ6gLstp8Ij0KTYPTSwvTjDUAf7j1JWH8vk/s400/DSC02107.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warthog in the watering hole by the front door of our bush hut.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc90PZ-TMS06XzOEHNuX8o4l5wVMvwkigvVkyPiC956jR0fg1Qa-seCsdAidCRIYqTFoYsp-BCsmYsQf7OlU-2_cZBpoupIa56pJgMtXsd-DdkAVDcuRqYtQlIFqEhRMGcspPz7r51dqA/s1600/Giraffe+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc90PZ-TMS06XzOEHNuX8o4l5wVMvwkigvVkyPiC956jR0fg1Qa-seCsdAidCRIYqTFoYsp-BCsmYsQf7OlU-2_cZBpoupIa56pJgMtXsd-DdkAVDcuRqYtQlIFqEhRMGcspPz7r51dqA/s400/Giraffe+%25281%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first giraffe spotted by Eden</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxlqnmuVfvv5Eh87zu3JeEF6N0p4bTMk1tAA9-hjIgvwQvr9dKlOP5u-UboGSLho_SWI2p1kc7opZ1XCqZp4ZabMyx56lmMTlRQTegNoylI4T0Mg4h7Qg_aHU0nKcnAAqYT3W4rhxRjc/s1600/DSC02138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxlqnmuVfvv5Eh87zu3JeEF6N0p4bTMk1tAA9-hjIgvwQvr9dKlOP5u-UboGSLho_SWI2p1kc7opZ1XCqZp4ZabMyx56lmMTlRQTegNoylI4T0Mg4h7Qg_aHU0nKcnAAqYT3W4rhxRjc/s400/DSC02138.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zebras near the house</td></tr>
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The following day we went into KNP via Crocodile Bridge Gate. Again, while leaving Marloth we spotted 2 giraffes and a herd of zebras. While crossing the actual bridge over Crocodile River, Caleb spotted a very large crocodile with his mouth gaping open. We passed through the gate and let the adventure begin. Within the first 11km we saw lots of impala, warthog, zebra, vervet monkeys and a large bird that I haven’t figured out the name of yet. At about this point Eden announced that she needed to pee “badly.” Now, this is not a stop and pee on the side of the road kind of place, since there are wild animals everywhere. So not knowing what to do we tried to put her off. She complained loudly that she would not be able to wait. So I got the idea to hang her hiney out of the car window and let her go. We had paper for her to use so we decided to give it a try. We waited until we came to a less vegetated spot so that we would be able to see better if an animal might be approaching. Took her pants off, rolled the window down, sat her on the door frame and told her to go, she did NOT hesitant! And man did she have a lot. While she was in the midst of releasing herself, ahead of the car about 150ft, a buffalo came out of the bushes on the opposite side of the road. Justin asked, “Do you think he smells Eden’s pee?” I kind of chuckled and said no, but honestly I didn’t want to find out. She finished just as the Buffalo got to the front of the car. I pulled her in and rolled up the window. The buffalo kept on walking along the driver’s side of the car, passing within several feet from the vehicle. Wow. I have to say that, that IS the most unique experience I have had when one of our children has needed to have an emergency potty break. We got Eden dressed and buckled her up and off we went again. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRqy4SwJ5-EiIRhfcRhbyc3wLaWOhQSQrUHeVRFI8VrFBTSt0dQtZPCYTfzzymwgi8tUJxE-VlBvNJv7lJtIBHeaxekLHUfPd9EgRuTNCv4s9dsx4q7qgEnOwvjLHbbT65qELAGRHe5o/s1600/DSC02173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRqy4SwJ5-EiIRhfcRhbyc3wLaWOhQSQrUHeVRFI8VrFBTSt0dQtZPCYTfzzymwgi8tUJxE-VlBvNJv7lJtIBHeaxekLHUfPd9EgRuTNCv4s9dsx4q7qgEnOwvjLHbbT65qELAGRHe5o/s400/DSC02173.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">African Cape Buffalo taking a stroll down the road<br /></td></tr>
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Not much farther down the road, we came around a corner and Justin said, “Oh my God.” Right there on my side of the car was a huge elephant eating grass. He was only 5ft away. It was incredible. He just kept on eating and every once in a while stopped to watch us. At one point he decided to also releive himself, and let that part of him all come out. Danielle was quite appaled and the boys just started laughing. Then the elephant started to shake his groove thing and Joel announced, “It looks like its wiggling.” Wait it gets better. Once completely out it was touching the ground, Justin was like, “I can’t believe it is touching the ground.” Then, wait for it, it touched his tummy with it, and Joel exploded in laughter saying, “Mine can’t do that!” We all started to laugh, well except for the elephant. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Male Elephant</td></tr>
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We continued along amazed at the animals we had seen thus far. We came upon a herd of giraffes and then saw a mother, baby and juvenile elephant cross the street in front of our car! I just kept saying, “I can’t believe it” and “I am having the best time.” We had heard from another driver that a leopard had been spotted in a tree at a place called Dukes Watering Hole, so we decided to head over to that place and have our picnic lunch in the car. We got there and unfortunately did not see the leopard, but we did see his fresh kill of impala that he had dragged up into the tree. We had our lunch but no animals came around. Later in the day, we ran into the same person that had originally told us about the leopard and she showed us a picture they had taken of the leopard in the tree with its kill right below him on a lower branch. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtp5GFUy3HeSXcx5nCPAm_cZiIv2EUdJgbGS1WmQ5NhI8ECc08jVbkSmfLLymkgKO6vlCI5diqgHuNnppDSnhLqDxhBRtXkmkrWpz_CdgtqGZTZZq-E5NEpOxhIm3u-7Ua_rAiYhyphenhyphenv0U/s1600/DSC02215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtp5GFUy3HeSXcx5nCPAm_cZiIv2EUdJgbGS1WmQ5NhI8ECc08jVbkSmfLLymkgKO6vlCI5diqgHuNnppDSnhLqDxhBRtXkmkrWpz_CdgtqGZTZZq-E5NEpOxhIm3u-7Ua_rAiYhyphenhyphenv0U/s400/DSC02215.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The impala killed by a leopard and drug up a tree<br /></td></tr>
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We continued towards the Lower Sabie rest camp, by this point I , myself really needed to go and I was not about to stick my hiney out the car window. Along the way we saw elephants and tons of hippos. Man those guys are gigantic! Once at the rest camp, we took a little leg stretching break and got some ice cream. The rest camps here are fantastic, very fancy, I would not call it rustic. They are, by the way, surrounded by a very high electric fence, we even drove across a 12ft section of the road that had electrified wires running across it. Once back on the road, we spotted more hippos in Sunset Lake, just outside of the rest camp. Closer to the car I noticed 2 lumps in the water and asked, “Do you think those are hippos or rocks.” Then all of a sudden my question was answered when first the head of one hippo emerged to take a breath, and then the head of another. We sat and watched then for a while and then moved on. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4Gj7VaNVSfJxtXAS4eIYYKBooX1vetiM2COLdOASC5o7lnhc3GY2KejhdQ7Pyc2YKXhpaUk1VFAYLlKjzSgV2m3bgHNiACvIXDE3m0fOa_BiBzjwksSCpaVEecmRc-7PifALw4gGyEA/s1600/DSC02220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4Gj7VaNVSfJxtXAS4eIYYKBooX1vetiM2COLdOASC5o7lnhc3GY2KejhdQ7Pyc2YKXhpaUk1VFAYLlKjzSgV2m3bgHNiACvIXDE3m0fOa_BiBzjwksSCpaVEecmRc-7PifALw4gGyEA/s400/DSC02220.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Hippos sunning by the river<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7F-SFscTTltE-BQD8mgVjPohn08ibbjxyMDfjowbVQc2-NQKrRGGzeu1MWSSo4-_xZ2n2_1Vw9nxD5o9gPqRmfzga2As9hvf7CgfU1h5A_DUo-88VxYVVX-nxS3ZriTAliYEZ2MADQ50/s1600/DSC02235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7F-SFscTTltE-BQD8mgVjPohn08ibbjxyMDfjowbVQc2-NQKrRGGzeu1MWSSo4-_xZ2n2_1Vw9nxD5o9gPqRmfzga2As9hvf7CgfU1h5A_DUo-88VxYVVX-nxS3ZriTAliYEZ2MADQ50/s400/DSC02235.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Hippos in and near the river<br /></td></tr>
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Not much farther, a large group of baboons were crossing the street and continued down the road in the opposite direction of where we were going. There were huge males, juveniles, and mother’s holding their babies either on their backs or cradled on their chest. It was adorable. Again these guys passed withi two feet of the car. The kids were ecstatic. There was even a large male who sat down on the side of the road that waited until everyone crossed the road, checked to make sure no one was left behind and then followed the group. Huh, very interesting. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A crew of baboons walking down the road<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBLK_TSpLch_WUcQ2wrG2JHRHk1rbOEIxSgfZtjZVyXQGBoobyQCLRd79wmfqCi_ZC_kMVRRBame2L1shP6D1sh-7GSCmHu2NjucDjqg-Bvk8hgIcZ9zf4N5UT4WQ9UrZ4k_juRMXsWw/s1600/DSC02233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBLK_TSpLch_WUcQ2wrG2JHRHk1rbOEIxSgfZtjZVyXQGBoobyQCLRd79wmfqCi_ZC_kMVRRBame2L1shP6D1sh-7GSCmHu2NjucDjqg-Bvk8hgIcZ9zf4N5UT4WQ9UrZ4k_juRMXsWw/s400/DSC02233.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Monkey with baby nursing<br /></td></tr>
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A couple of kilometers later we turned the car around and headed back towards the gate we entered. We kept seeing giraffes, hippos, elephants, zebras, warthogs, kudus, and of course impalas. Then we saw 4 cars stopped on the side of the road and looked to see what they had spotted. A LION. A male lion with a full mane lying in the grass. Sitting 10ft from the side of the road. Holy cow! The kids squealed in delight and we reminded them to stay quiet. We watched as the lion got up walked about 20ft into the brush and lay back down again. Truly amazing. I really have no words to describe what we had just experienced. In one day we had already seen so much. We saw 3 of the big five, elephant, buffalo, lion, now we just need leopard and rhino. Can’t wait for tomorrow. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmP6YhOh8cgL4dDuun42tByTJF1BKhi0KrU2LeR5wHYnpn183l9PZ290UVifsTpHABXtBeyw1KYawseuGD1Uf2rrWow3eLYcnV-OCbqGBwWyRTO9-xSmr9nF42WunnHKTXSV52i6FNG5c/s1600/DSC02241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmP6YhOh8cgL4dDuun42tByTJF1BKhi0KrU2LeR5wHYnpn183l9PZ290UVifsTpHABXtBeyw1KYawseuGD1Uf2rrWow3eLYcnV-OCbqGBwWyRTO9-xSmr9nF42WunnHKTXSV52i6FNG5c/s640/DSC02241.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Lion!<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KS7hQwmmO7D8Gjvcv3aR5ykTVDdkChaPhuPf8js10EULozq8UoM93nMsIGAnnUEFuumyRSkcOUxgwweVK7ycdABxioNhXTlO1ClFhc0XwiC1-T-pj_xiKJyu5fdjMqL-ZDcZLZYslzo/s1600/DSC02165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KS7hQwmmO7D8Gjvcv3aR5ykTVDdkChaPhuPf8js10EULozq8UoM93nMsIGAnnUEFuumyRSkcOUxgwweVK7ycdABxioNhXTlO1ClFhc0XwiC1-T-pj_xiKJyu5fdjMqL-ZDcZLZYslzo/s400/DSC02165.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of Impalas!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCWiCkCYSipfwm4SAChN36R2JvHz8czu5Hu7oKqrQlfL3Ds6_43_RMEtvlIZQlIZAf294h-UIq_6N4uYRGtMB27_Fb-Mz57MwfXmh2-w7yTCMxhXsAmwT37HisyMz4trCelsiqP8qHcQ/s1600/DSC02205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCWiCkCYSipfwm4SAChN36R2JvHz8czu5Hu7oKqrQlfL3Ds6_43_RMEtvlIZQlIZAf294h-UIq_6N4uYRGtMB27_Fb-Mz57MwfXmh2-w7yTCMxhXsAmwT37HisyMz4trCelsiqP8qHcQ/s400/DSC02205.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A giraffe posing for a photo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-cv5f96fm8xI32Vnk1-RSrNIJHs1c8eoaKnxAPr7fZYgD_qwpP5UOjla7uhiiEL9cyuhMR0aMVrkct6koVdLgC4SoJadQrS8Enjq878TA03q73jjHroFH1gzm9z3MDgIuZ8tklpUoVpg/s1600/DSC02211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-cv5f96fm8xI32Vnk1-RSrNIJHs1c8eoaKnxAPr7fZYgD_qwpP5UOjla7uhiiEL9cyuhMR0aMVrkct6koVdLgC4SoJadQrS8Enjq878TA03q73jjHroFH1gzm9z3MDgIuZ8tklpUoVpg/s400/DSC02211.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A couple giraffes walking by</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYajKcGfzDWOlv89eNBeK1S_B_U76JxL8n-dtEw-WPPR3SmMv6KRtYkBmYmRDuqfLtgd_A0bJRC59I88fjL0QIpwEHgYwaOvGRYA3YZw7sq1M4IrxfLv-pW2Itj-GON0dIetbOqiSu4w/s1600/DSC02238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYajKcGfzDWOlv89eNBeK1S_B_U76JxL8n-dtEw-WPPR3SmMv6KRtYkBmYmRDuqfLtgd_A0bJRC59I88fjL0QIpwEHgYwaOvGRYA3YZw7sq1M4IrxfLv-pW2Itj-GON0dIetbOqiSu4w/s400/DSC02238.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warthogs - The little ones get on their knees to have their mouths reach the ground</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Taking a dip in the splash pool to cool off</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-2057579682849142582015-10-30T11:27:00.000-07:002015-10-30T11:27:56.105-07:00Mauritius, Part 2<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgC_vJKpXj-Zar_eEBXwG5Dl4qgIYm-lpOW41gwZfTXvGkIXUkG6DvCFavB6eY8VksBzGou04t6TUADL9oARZV0ypevXXu3Pvkc9PwjuiFzTdMPT035O9fCGQmT72ylG4imY4QoBjI3HU/s1600/IMG_1390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgC_vJKpXj-Zar_eEBXwG5Dl4qgIYm-lpOW41gwZfTXvGkIXUkG6DvCFavB6eY8VksBzGou04t6TUADL9oARZV0ypevXXu3Pvkc9PwjuiFzTdMPT035O9fCGQmT72ylG4imY4QoBjI3HU/s320/IMG_1390.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Beautiful Mauritius Waters</td></tr>
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So for the most part our time in Mauritius quickly fell into an easy routine. We would go to the beach in the morning to midafternoon, every other day and have the kids do their school work in the afternoons and evenings, or do school work in the mornings, head to the pool for a break, then finish up school work while Eden got a nap. Life is pretty good. We did venture to other places once in a while but mainly to grab a bite to eat somewhere or pick up some groceries. On one of the days, Justin, Danielle, Eden and I headed over to a large shopping mall not too far from where we were staying. I had wanted to go there because finding a park in Mauritius is quite difficult and this mall had a park and a couple of grocery stores. Also, this mall touted their park to be the only one in Mauritius that complied with HIC (Head injury Criterion), good luck at any other park. We are pretty lucky that in the United States parks must comply with very strict safety guidelines. Walking into the mall you would think that you were someplace in the USA, it is not different from any mall there. We walked around a little and then brought the girls to the park. Needless to say, Eden was thrilled! She had not been to a park since Venice, 15 whole days, and the kid was in complete withdrawal, what with jumping off of furniture, trying to swing from the counter, jumping on the bed. We needed to do something and something quick. Luckily the solution was not very difficult to get to. She squealed with delight and off they played for about an hour. The mall contained a grocery store that would be the equivalent to Whole Foods, called Food Lovers Market. They had great produce and we even picked up some Nem and Samosas that I could fry up at the apartment. They were delicious. Another thing we discovered were these frozen pizzas that are made in Mauritius. The flavors are unique, like chicken Thai curry, and there savory twist of bologna pizza. Even the Margarita pizza had a different spin. These were great to have in the freezer for a very easy meal. A few days later, I took Danielle out for a special treat. Since we had arrived she had noticed women and girls that had henna designs on their hands or feet. She had asked on several occasions if we could get it done and had even noticed a boutique that did it. Once we got off the shuttle I told her what we would be doing. She jumped for joy and gave me a big hug. The lady handed Danielle a book of different designs and poor Danielle had a very hard time trying to pick one. In the end, she picked a pretty and intricate design with several flowers and swirls. I told the girl she could do any design she wanted for me. Watching her pipe the henna on with such ease is amazing, she was done in under 10 minutes. It truly is a work of art on your hand. She told us to let it dry for at least 30 minutes being very careful not to bump it, she also said the longer the better. Well, Danielle was determined to keep it untouched for as long as humanly possible. It was so cute watching her walk around holding her hand in an awkward position making sure no one could even come close to bumping her, saying “its sooo pretty,” every few minutes. After about an hour in a half she finally admitted to me that she urgently needed to go to the bathroom, but didn’t want to mess up her hand. I giggled and told her that she could go and if some of the henna came off it would be fine since it was very dry. She looked so relieved. When we got home the boys dutifully ohhhed and ahhhed. Both boys stated that they would like to try it also. A few days later I picked up a couple of tubes of henna to do on them myself. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Danielle getting Henna on her hand<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All done!</td></tr>
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Justin and I had wanted to do an excursion to Ile aux Cerfs. This is a small island off of the eastern coast of Mauritius, and the pictures that I had seen of the island were stunning. We found a tour company that did the excursion on a catamaran. Since we all like to sail we thought this was a great combination. The price even included the ground transportation to the dock, which was a good hour away from where we are staying. The morning of the excursion the weather was fantastic. We went out to the front gate of the complex to wait for the shuttle that would be picking us up at 8:30am. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9zUWU8ZPd8PcpyiYJgohAf1xIbcVmGzutzcJOuCXk7eN2mxyTfoENuJJL3mFyZl1m1bA2Qhz4_hDt9ZQGaCn96SDziUwarv200ID35SFYaR5cCO9J1_ZmwQD5sfeeC66ORL2TQKC5s-U/s1600/IMG_3171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9zUWU8ZPd8PcpyiYJgohAf1xIbcVmGzutzcJOuCXk7eN2mxyTfoENuJJL3mFyZl1m1bA2Qhz4_hDt9ZQGaCn96SDziUwarv200ID35SFYaR5cCO9J1_ZmwQD5sfeeC66ORL2TQKC5s-U/s200/IMG_3171.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Caleb enjoying the snorkling</td></tr>
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We waited and waited. Finally, Justin called the tour office and asked where the driver was. She stated that he would be there in 5 minutes. Well, we have learned that 5 minutes Mauritius time is about 25 minutes regular time. Finally he arrived and off we went. Just to add another layer to our day we unfortunately got the crazy driver. We zoomed down the road weaving and bobbing our way, at times suddenly slamming the brakes on. About 30 minutes into it I was car sick. I never get carsick. In fact, the only time I ever did get car sick I was pregnant with Caleb. And NO I am not pregnant. I was so thankful to get out of the van until the driver looked at us and said, “I will be waiting for you right here when you get off the boat.” Oh great, something to look forward to. We quickly boarded a speed boat to take us to the catamaran. The harbor is too shallow for the catamaran so they ferry people to it via speed boat. Once on board we settled in and enjoyed the ride. The water was smooth and once the sails were up the boat glided gracefully across the water. Midway to the island we took a small detour and loaded another speed boat to take a look at a pretty waterfall. Along the way, I spotted some monkeys in the trees and we also saw these huge bats flying around. Danielle later discovered that these are called Flying Foxes and they are not nocturnal, they are also considered to be the biggest bats around. Eughh! Back on the catamaran we ventured out a little farther and stopped for some great snorkeling. Once we were finished, lunch was served. They had chicken, fish, curry rice pilaf, salad and flambéed bananas for dessert. Also, they had unlimited drinks. I quickly realized that the rum and coke that the lady made was a 50/50 proportion, and the one the man made was 20/80, 80 being the coke. I would get mine from the lady. Once lunch was done we shortly arrived at Ile aux Cerfs. I was not disappointed. It was just as stunning as the pictures and I had to pinch myself to realize that I was not dreaming. We walked a little further away from the crowd and headed towards the eastern shore. There were not many people on this side and we felt like we had the island to ourselves. One of our favorite things to do is to collect shells and this beach had plenty to offer. We found sea urchin shells in green, purple and red, and Joel even found a pristine sand dollar. We swam for a while and then boarded the catamaran for our journey back. What a wonderful day we had. Even the van ride back wasn’t as terrible, probably because I had quite a few rum and cokes from the lady, so it numbed my senses a bit. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterfall on East side of island</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you look close there are many huge bats (called flying foxes) in this tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Ile aux Cerfs<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLix0HexK9jWArBgVUP4tTNpD49uuGbJKxwPvFPNYsJn2tR3qcUkr3zg7chv5Dojaj0mTiR2nQZUemEKTPUd_hS8rYJ1GXZ8AjKUJMT2oRl83ZnktQW1Fu-v9OU-KcYXF01jdRacaEtY/s1600/CC_water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLix0HexK9jWArBgVUP4tTNpD49uuGbJKxwPvFPNYsJn2tR3qcUkr3zg7chv5Dojaj0mTiR2nQZUemEKTPUd_hS8rYJ1GXZ8AjKUJMT2oRl83ZnktQW1Fu-v9OU-KcYXF01jdRacaEtY/s400/CC_water.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caroline on the catamaran</td></tr>
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One of the things we wanted to do was to eat at an Indian restaurant. There is a large Indian influence here and on Trip Advisor Justin had found a place, Happy Rajah, that everyone raved about and lucky for us was only a shuttle ride away. We headed over one day for lunch and we were not disappointed. The food came out on these large metal trays. Everyone loved the food. It was so flavorful and tasty, the spices popped in your mouth. We had these dips for the naan and I dipped mine in one of two that the waiter said was spicy. He did not lie or over exaggerate. Caleb was just about to try the other spicy one when I stopped him and told him to let daddy test it first. Justin tried it and it was not very spicy at all. Justin tried the one I had and agreed with me that it was very spicy. We basically ate everything in sight. It was so delicious. I think my favorite thing was this amazingly flavorful squash. Who knew squash could taste like that. I need that recipe. Honestly, I could not pick out anything that I didn’t like, even the really spicy dip was good. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Caleb enjoying the Indian cuisine<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4oQAgOOQEWXxy1ua7Gz2KFNV832dDhCi3OKlf6IYNOIc7kyT-4AtWx-tEGtHfWVBxaL-_LXujec7zn2sM4-tGi8FhcgG2fAE2yJwWPFiOFk6AiBrRNmrH4NDcNLuszPqVHMT0CHkz1J8/s1600/IMG_3215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4oQAgOOQEWXxy1ua7Gz2KFNV832dDhCi3OKlf6IYNOIc7kyT-4AtWx-tEGtHfWVBxaL-_LXujec7zn2sM4-tGi8FhcgG2fAE2yJwWPFiOFk6AiBrRNmrH4NDcNLuszPqVHMT0CHkz1J8/s400/IMG_3215.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joel and Justin at Happy Rajah</td></tr>
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Since we had such a wonderful time Justin and I decided to book another catamaran ride to Ile Gabriel. This one goes out of Grand Baie, which is a short cab ride away. We scheduled it for Thursday before we left. The night before our excursion I had slept horribly. I had awoken and could not fall back to sleep because I kept having this overwhelming feeling of anxiety. Weird I never feel this way. I ended up getting out of bed at 6am and it was pouring rain. Well, hopefully it will clear up, and lucky for us there was a break in the clouds. We got ready and headed over to the dock. Once we boarded the catamaran we settled in and off we went. The sea was not nearly as calm as the previous trip and the wind was blowing rather hard. During the safety briefing they mentioned that if you needed to get sick don’t use the restroom, but grab a plastic bag instead. Weird, they never mentioned that on our previous trip. The more we ventured the rougher the seas got. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Justin and Eden on the catamaran</td></tr>
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Justin took the kids towards the front of the boat but not out on the deck, still in the seating area. I decided to stand next to this man on the deck, but against the roof of the seating area. We had been getting tossed around for about an hour and at one point, we went over a wave and the catamaran pitched forward down the back of the wave about 15 feet. This happened 2 more times. Ummm, this was when I decided to get back into the seating area. Justin, the kids and I headed back to our spot at the back of the boat. I looked around and lots of people were using the bags. I have been on my fair share of boats and this was the roughest seas I have ever sailed on, and it was getting worse. I decided to stand about 12 feet away from Justin and the kids because the smell of vomit was starting to get to me. About 30 seconds later the nose of the boat went down the back of a wave and under the next one. The wave went right over my head and luckily I had been holding on because I nearly knocked over. The wave was so big that Justin and the kids were also drenched and everything was floating around. I went over and sat next to Danielle because she had started to cry and say she was scared. Honestly I was terrified, but very calm. I think I might have had a premonition or gut feeling, call it what you want, but my anxiety was all used up and I did not freak out. After the big wave one of the crew members asked everyone on board, in French, if they would like to continue the 29km journey to the island or turn around. I did not wait for anyone to respond and said “Demi tour!!” (Turn around). Everyone agreed. In all honesty I was somewhat surprised that they felt that they needed to ask. The captain carefully turned the boat around and we headed back to Mauritius. Once the boat was turned the crew unanimously took a sigh relief, even they were scared. I took Danielle and Joel into the sun to dry off and try to warm up and Caleb cared for Justin and Eden. Eden seemed oblivious to what had happened, but Justin was very seasick trying desperately to keep his breakfast down. I can proudly share that all of the Coppin’s kept their breakfast in. Thankfully, the closer we got to the mainland the calmer the water became. The crew headed to a beach and prepared lunch. Honestly I couldn’t eat because I was feeling so overwhelmed. I could not believe how many people were eating. I had personally witnessed about half of these people puking, but that didn’t slow anyone down. During this whole escapade there was this fluffy Frenchman that kept on drinking and by the time we had lunch he was dancing around the boat in his speedo, thrusting and bouncing around. Justin announced “Now I really need to throw up.” And Caleb stated, “He is making me blind.” After lunch they ferried us over to the beach and we swam and had our pictures taken by the boat photographer. He had not taken any pictures during the rough seas, I guess that one will need to be a mental memory only. I did purchase the flash drive with the pictures because I had not really taken any and I wanted one with our whole family in it. Once back to the apartment I took a shower and cried, relieved and grateful that we were all safe and sound. Tomorrow we leave Mauritius and head to South Africa. I am leaving this island with so much appreciation for so many things. This placed has struck me in a way that I had not expected. And as one final goodbye showed me how easily everything could have changed. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Heading towards Ile Gabriel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eden photobombing us</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group photo at Pereybere after boating scare</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eden is always ready for swimming</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-6976886238138617092015-10-11T11:27:00.002-07:002015-10-11T11:32:10.674-07:00Mauritius<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Eden trying out her tube</td></tr>
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After 14 hours of flying with a 2 hour layover in South Africa, we arrived in Mauritius rather tired and cranky. We were picked up by a driver and driven to the apartment we rented for the month in Flic en Flac. We were greeted by our host, Annabelle, who was very nice. As she was showing us around the 3 story, 4 bedroom apartment, I really just wanted to get to bed, so was trying to rush things along. There were bars and “expanders” on each window and door. She explained to us that it was for our security and that we should keep them closed. Once we got back downstairs we were all surprised to see close to a thousand ants coming out of a crack in the floor and baseboard. Needless to say I was pretty grossed out. I am one some might call a neat freak and don’t really like bugs. Annabelle gasped and grabbed a broom and a dustpan to sweep the LIVE ants up. I asked if she had bug spray to kill them first. I wasn’t really sure how you could sweep up that many live ants, or got the point of not killing them. She got the spray and killed them and then swept them up. She acted very surprised about this and said that with the change of season the ants do come out. Having grown up in Hawaii, which has a similar climate I had never heard of that, but okay. Once she left we went straight to bed. In the light of day we got a much clearer look at the apartment. It was big but it needed a good cleaning. The night before Anabelle had told us that a cleaning lady would be coming by twice a week to clean the apartment and linens. Looking around I thought, “What the heck does the cleaning lady do!” Justin and I debated on whether or not to leave right there and then. We decided to go walk around the neighborhood to see how it was before we make a decision. Let me give you a slight side note: On our drive from the airport we drove through some neighborhoods that I would call depressed. The buildings were dilapidated, and in the empty lots between there was tons of debris and trash. So while walking around we were not surprised to see the same things, but just to a milder degree. There was even spikes and barbed wire around the top of the wall of the apartment complex where the apartment was located. The apartment is located about a block and a half from the beach. Once we got to the beach we walked around and I thought it was pretty nice. We headed back and went to the grocery store along the way. In the store Justin and I had a private conversation, and by that I mean away from our kiddos, about if we should stay or not. I felt like I should buck up and try to make it work. I told Justin that I would buy some cleaning products, bug killer and rubber gloves and try to make the place better. Once back at the apartment with rubber gloves in position, I proceeded to spray every threshold and baseboard down with bug killer, and then spent 5 hours cleaning the entire place. Once done I looked around and thought, “Ok, this could work.” I went to take a shower and when I was done Justin told me that Annabelle and her husband were here. I went down to talk to her and decided not to be shy about the place. I told her very bluntly that I had sprayed and cleaned the whole place and to my surprise she said, “Yeah I can tell, the place looks so nice.” WHAT!!! If you can tell I cleaned then you have a big problem. I told her that I did not want the cleaning lady to come because as far as I could tell all she did was sit around for a few hours while the laundry was getting done, because cleaning she was not. They apologized profusely. By the way, they had stopped by to drop off more bug killer and dinner. The food was pretty good but I can’t remember the name of it to save my life. It consisted of these tortilla like items that had crushed beans between the layers and had 3 different sauces to put on them. One of the sauces had potatoes and beans and tasted very much like curry, I really liked that one. The kids liked the tomato one that I thought was less flavorful and Justin really liked the spicy one. After dinner we went to bed bug free. Well, the freedom from bugs didn’t last long because when I got up the next morning I noticed some bugs on the kitchen counter and on the baseboards in the stairs. Poop!! I had hoped they were gone. So I sprayed and cleaned those areas again. It was raining on and off that day but the kids still managed to go swimming in the pool and went to play tennis at the courts in the complex. While Justin and I headed up to bed we noticed a 2 inch long cockroach on the wall. I grew some cahones and killed the roach but before the final death blow it decided to crawl over my hand. YUCK, YUCK, YUCK!! The following day I made eggs benedict from scratch to try to lighten everyone’s mood, mine included, and have some fun. Caleb decided to help me. When we had arrived Anabelle had told me to clean the dishes before using them because as she said it “the maid cleaned them and I don’t know how that is.” Weird, but once I had cleaned the apartment I had understood the comment. So I pulled out the pots, pans, and utensils to clean first. Much to my horror a couple of roaches came out of the cabinets too. I tried to hide the fact from Caleb and killed them. I scoured the dishes and got to work. Oddly enough breakfast turned out pretty well and everyone loved it. Since the weather wasn’t great we just stayed at the apartment and swam in the pool. We watched a movie and the electricity went out. Once I got the candle lit, the electricity came back on. I went into the kitchen and found more ants on the counter. This was it, with what I had found and killed all day, I lost it. I found Justin and had a complete meltdown. Crying I told him I couldn’t take it anymore, that I had killed so many ants and roaches that I was so repulsed. And being literally behind bars was more than I could take. I would not do well in prison, luckily I am a rule follower. Justin said he felt the same and we decided to see if we had other options available. We found three and emailed each of them. After looking at the responses we decided that the best thing to do to actually enjoy Mauritius and have a nice comfortable time we needed to change apartments. Justin found a great option and they were able to have us move in the next day. We took it. The following morning we packed up and left under the eagle eye of yet another mega roach. We also contacted Annabelle and told her our plans. She did not seem surprised to say the least. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Joel and Caleb lining up the snails for a race</td></tr>
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About a 1 hour drive later we arrived at Domaine des Alizees in Grand Baie. We had made an arrangement with Bryan, the property manager, to look at the place first before booking. Burned once, ok, but we learned from that. I walked in and it was as if the heavens parted and started to sing. The place was immaculate. There are no bars in sight. We walked around the whole place taking our time to open cabinets and drawers. It seemed rather nice and definitely more upscale then where we had come from. There was even a splash pool on our deck. We decided to stay and “signed on the dotted line”. I unpacked everything and then off we went to the pool. The following morning everyone was in a great mood. It is amazing what a night of sleeping soundly really does. We decided to go to the beach. Now although this place is gorgeous and clean, we are still about 4 km from the beach, but lucky for us this place comes with a free shuttle ride to the resorts private beach club, very swanky. So off we went. When we arrived I was blown away by the beach. Now, having grown up in Hawaii, I am very picky about the beach. Justin even calls me a beach snob. This beach would rank in my top 3. The water is a beautiful, light blue and the sand is soft, fine and white, absolutely stunning. We situated ourselves in a couple of lounge chairs under an umbrella and enjoyed the day. I couldn’t wait and headed straight for the water. I was completely content swimming around and floating in the Indian Ocean. I couldn’t believe that I was actually IN the Indian Ocean. I have always dreamed of coming to an island here and it was a great feeling to have that dream realized. Justin and the kids followed and Justin was totally amazed at how easily he could float, I was too for that matter. Justin is what I consider a sinker. As much as I have tried I just could not get him to float, until now, and boy was he enjoying that. He finally understood what all the fuss is about. Also, Joel and Danielle, my mini sinkers can float too! We all went snorkeling and</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Danielle can float!! (she usually sinks)</td></tr>
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saw lots of fish, tons of sea urchins in purples, yellows, blues and browns, some sea cucumbers, and even an eel. I had a great time listening to the kids get excited about what they were looking at. I had mentioned to the kids that I had wanted them to pick an animal, indigenous to Mauritius, that they were interested in and that they would research it, write a paper and do a presentation about. Well, the kids immediately started to discuss what they wanted to do their project on. Earlier in the day I had noticed a guy going in the water with a spear gun. I figured this might be interesting to watch him come out of the water and see if he had caught anything. Luckily for us he had. I went over and started to talk to him and asked if the kids could come over to see his catch. His name is Billy and he is so nice. He explained to the kids what each fish was, a parrot fish, a captain, a fallen maiden and a barracuda, he also showed them how to scale and gut each fish. He told us that he can only get the big fish like that on the other side of the barrier. The kids were very intrigued and asked him a ton of questions. We had some snacks and a light lunch and ended up staying until the last shuttle ride back to our place. By the time we got home the kids were pleasantly exhausted. <br />
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The following day we headed out to explore the closest shopping center to us. We walked 1.6 km to the center and decided to continue the 2 extra blocks to the sea. The area we are at is called Grand Baie. Once we arrived at the ocean we understood why the city is called Grand Baie. The bay is so pretty, again with that magnificent light blue color. The entire island of Mauritius is surrounded by a large coral barrier and the area between the coral and the shore is considered a lagoon. The waves break at the coral barrier, so the water from there to the shore is completely still. The water is so clear that you can see straight to the bottom without any problems, which the kids had discovered the day before when it was very obvious if you decided to pee in the ocean, let’s just say it’s NOT a secret. We looked around a couple of shops then picked up some groceries and headed home. We have decided to go to the beach every other day and stay put or explore the days in between. We returned to the beach and Justin rented a paddle board. It was so easy to do since the water is so calm. We each took a turn, even Eden rode on the front of it while I paddled around. It was a great way to view the sea life without needing to stick your face in the water. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Paddle Boarding</td></tr>
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Today we ended up staying at the apartment and going to the great pool. The resort has a walkway that is over one big shallow pool. As you walk along it, it is dotted with small pavilions that have </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Walkway to the apartment pool</td></tr>
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tables and chairs for the restaurant. Then off to one side is the pool area that contains one large, rectangular pool well suited for laps and another curvy pool that has 3 different levels and a long bench. I did need to explain to Eden that she could only go into the 2 pools here not the ones around the walkway. The response I got from her was “Awww, why not.” Well because that is technically not a pool, just a water feature. Today there was literally no one around, it felt like it was our own private pool. We decided to go out for dinner and try a restaurant that Billy and his wife Romaine had recommended to us. We hired a taxi because after driving from the airport to Flic en Flac we made the choice to not rent a car. They drive on the left and somewhat erratically. Unfortunately, the place was closed but our driver recommended another restaurant called La Rougaille Creole. It was magnificent. Their specialty is rougaille (a tomato based creole sauce) and lobster. I got the shrimp rougaille, Justin got the lobster, Joel got the braised lamb, Caleb the shrimp curry and the girls got pasta chicken. All of it was so good. And to top things off there was live music. They finish the meal by offering you a shot of house made rum, absolutely delicious. We all had a wonderful time eating, listening to music and watching Eden dance. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Seafood dinner at La Rougaille Creole. Yum!</td></tr>
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So here are a couple of observations. Eden has a lot of people talk to her. Everyone is intrigued by her eyes. She has even had several photos taken with her. People stop and ask to pose with Eden. Most of the time she is fine with it but sometimes she gets very timid. The other thing is, I have had a huge eye opener coming to Mauritius. I was not ready for the poverty that is here. It has really stuck me at how absolutely lucky I am to have had a wonderful upbringing, a great education, a job I wanted to do, 5 gorgeous and kind children, a great husband who not only loves us tremendously but has provided us with everything we could need and want and had this to do in a country that allows people so much opportunity. By far, Mauritius has impacted me more than anyplace we have visited thus far, in so many ways. </div>
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We have discovered that we had been mispronouncing Mauritius when we saw a sign that read “Mauritius, it’s so delicious”. Ohhhh, it rhymes with delicious. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eden loves the beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We finally found a Coke with Caroline's name on it</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making music by banging on logs. Caleb calls it logarithms</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trou aux Biches beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying some raspberries on the beach</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-39116796092915804732015-10-10T12:51:00.002-07:002015-10-11T10:59:10.779-07:00Austria & Bavaria<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eden in Innsbruck</td></tr>
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We drove over Brenner pass into Austria from Italy and descended into the town of Innsbruck. The increased elevation definitely made it cooler but we found a restaurant near the old town that had outdoor seating in the sunshine. After a few minutes in the sun, we actually got quite hot. The Weissbeer was refreshing, and we have really enjoyed the wheat beers in Europe with Edelweiss being our favorite. Enjoying a beer with the backdrop of the surrounding mountains was relaxing. It reminded me of some of the larger mountain towns in Colorado. After lunch we wandered around the old town and got gelato which ended up being the least expensive so far, only 1.30 euros per cone. Speaking of cost, Innsbruck had a similar feel to some of the cities in Switzerland and also with the fantastic Alps mountain views, but everything was definitely much less expensive here. We explored the city a bit more and then headed to Bichlbach which is where we were stayed for a few nights. Bichlbach is a small town which is likely more active in the winter when the local ski area is open but since we were here in the summer it was very quiet and serene with the beautiful greenery. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Innsbruck Street</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountain view from old town Innsbruck</td></tr>
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We took a short 30 minute drive across the border into Germany to the town of Hohenschwangau to visit the famous Neuschwanstein Castle. I knew it would be busy with tourists, but I was hoping that it wouldn’t be too bad given that we were in the middle of the week and at the end of September. Turns out that it was still extremely busy. We waited in line for a bit more than an hour to buy tickets for a tour that wouldn’t start for another 5 hours. Luckily, Caroline was able to get us tickets to an earlier tour when she saw one open up after a tour bus canceled. We needed to take a bus up the hill to the Castle and the line for this was longer than what we now had time for, given our new tickets to the castle. Caroline was able to talk the bus driver into letting us bypass the line and we made it in time. The area surrounding the castle was beautifully green with a few lakes nearby. It was very interesting to learn about the castle on the tour and to see the inside. My favorite room was the grotto near the King's bedroom which had colored lights. How many places have a grotto?? King Ludwig II was quite an interesting and eccentric person who supposedly identified with many different people and apparently tried to be someone he wasn't. He wanted to make the castle feel as though he was living in medieval times although it was being constructed in the late 1800s. King Ludwig II was removed from the castle by the government as they claimed he was insane. He died shortly after, although he was only 40 years old. They say the reason of his death is unknown but I’d guess that he committed suicide.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Castle Neuschwanstein</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interior courtyard of the castle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the steps at the Castle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Castle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Hohenschwangau Castle in the distance</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of surrounding region and lake from the castle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first selfie (and no I didn't use a stick, just my long arm.)</td></tr>
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We drove back into Austria for dinner and went to a place called Landgasthof Krone. We tried the Weiner Schnitzel and something called Feurtoast. The Feurtoast was amazing and was basically some pork steaks on top of toast with a fire sauce. It really wasn’t that spicy. In the menu the pork steaks were called Schweineruckensteaks. It’s crazy how long some of the Germanic words get. At any rate, this is one that we will try and re-create ourselves when we get back home.</div>
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We left Austria and headed back into Germany towards Munich as that is where our flight out of Europe departed from. Our first stop was in Garmisch-Partenkirchen which is a nice town at the base of the Zugspitze (highest mountain peak in Germany). Garmisch-Partenkirchen is also where the 1936 Winter Olympics were held. We next stopped at the southern outskirts of Munich at one of the larger Biergartens in the city called Waldwirtschaft. We were here right before the Oktoberfest celebration and during lunch hour so it was quite empty versus the thousands that would soon fill the place. We got some wurst and pretzels. I’ve had plenty of pretzels before, but none as good as these. They were warm, soft on the inside and they came with a house honey mustard to dip in. They were great! No tour to Bavaria would be complete without a visit to the Bavarian Motor Works factory, also known as BMW Welt (World). We took a look at all the cars on display as well as the exhibits. The kids liked the exhibits that were effectively glorified video games where you got to drive a car. I liked sitting in the new BMWs.</div>
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We finally headed to the airport in Munich to drop off our Renault Grand Scenic. 12857 km in the last 90 days. It worked out great for us and after we had finished dropping it off, Caroline and I said that we were both surprised that we didn’t get in an accident or have any dings given the somewhat chaotic driving. </div>
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Now, we are off to the island of Mauritius.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garmisch-Partenkirchen with obscured view of Zugspitze in the background</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waldwirtschaft Biergarten in Munich</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sitting in an M3 at BMW Welt in Munich.</td></tr>
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<br />Justin Coppinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14326525639169006698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-91978524857273393242015-10-07T23:44:00.001-07:002015-10-07T23:44:12.801-07:00Bologna, Venice<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Boys in front of Ferrari Museum</td></tr>
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On our way up to Northern Italy from Umbria we took a pit stop for 1 day into Bologna. The reason being twofold and a bit frivolous. The first was to visit the Ferrari factory, and the second was to find a really good Lasagna Bolognese. The Ferrari factory is a little bit out of Bologna in a rural town called Maranello. I learned that Enzo Ferrari, the founder, was from this area (Modena specifically) and built his company here where every Ferrari is made from the street cars to the F1 race cars. We visited the museum and got a good look at their history of cars. My favorite part was seeing the one off cars that they experimented with and sometimes sold to special clients such as Eric Clapton. When we left the museum there were several different companies nearby offering tourists the opportunity to drive a Ferrari for a hefty price. I wasn’t planning on doing this but after hearing someone fire up a Ferarri 458 Italia, I folded and paid for a 10 minute test drive. I figured I wasn’t going to have many opportunities to drive a $250,000 car with almost 600 horsepower. I’m a bit of a car nut, so although expensive, the drive was worth it. It was very quick and the exhaust sound was awesome. There is a switch which bypasses the mufflers and makes sure the only thing you hear is the engine which on this car was fantastic. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFRf94IrAu_0Z58hyphenhyphennq_QCR5HPu014YIPChezScJjBJeolhFq4ulGMMMXnOQoz9fuTiUJ1zn9DijT5oxXHYrxprs_x667c_6jhks1OyAdHm6CCsu-s_s1OLFPfXurzl7SnHmuQIi8p0uc/s1600/DSC01928+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFRf94IrAu_0Z58hyphenhyphennq_QCR5HPu014YIPChezScJjBJeolhFq4ulGMMMXnOQoz9fuTiUJ1zn9DijT5oxXHYrxprs_x667c_6jhks1OyAdHm6CCsu-s_s1OLFPfXurzl7SnHmuQIi8p0uc/s400/DSC01928+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A Formula 1 concept from 2009</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0p5yATJFRVvyiewzYjcj6vx44u5UDsVXSpqmO30OYHafbRMNjgObHCqJlYrt1jgyx_2aBHxjYN2NRfD3Hh3U8LUVd_TBZ_783HgIrlHeW6O5rL5DqXxWJiCQ45jAFFu6tTgzfAqIxgwY/s1600/DSC01930+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0p5yATJFRVvyiewzYjcj6vx44u5UDsVXSpqmO30OYHafbRMNjgObHCqJlYrt1jgyx_2aBHxjYN2NRfD3Hh3U8LUVd_TBZ_783HgIrlHeW6O5rL5DqXxWJiCQ45jAFFu6tTgzfAqIxgwY/s400/DSC01930+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Danielle in front of a 2006 Formula 1 car<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6OjePknF3bNLxzd4UB6fUyI7w0HnPMRDp7ctDPmw9Majd3Y309uvjmCn3931hvP2T2zP2Rw6k8EwUvYSLNkZGWiEOe0XjEI_tGZikPpYC4kWjVaOUgaWqIj2OgfFiUbNgkwSQwrO-WY/s1600/DSC01946+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6OjePknF3bNLxzd4UB6fUyI7w0HnPMRDp7ctDPmw9Majd3Y309uvjmCn3931hvP2T2zP2Rw6k8EwUvYSLNkZGWiEOe0XjEI_tGZikPpYC4kWjVaOUgaWqIj2OgfFiUbNgkwSQwrO-WY/s400/DSC01946+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Some of the older Ferraris<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbI9JZOn3QK6DA9MS0Eo_n_3YrUz6ahkoUwHHR3kYAZ4YWLde0uCpRDe1jI_I2pe-ul5f9yz-E6sOwOq9lzvu7uVQHp791621ANZSZJucXmxAp3_bpqG2mYuoXb3TCN6W2zjUsAfkPvM/s1600/DSC01950+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbI9JZOn3QK6DA9MS0Eo_n_3YrUz6ahkoUwHHR3kYAZ4YWLde0uCpRDe1jI_I2pe-ul5f9yz-E6sOwOq9lzvu7uVQHp791621ANZSZJucXmxAp3_bpqG2mYuoXb3TCN6W2zjUsAfkPvM/s400/DSC01950+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">I really liked this Sypder that wasn't mass produced<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoyxxRUnkzI9MWlTj0WEdLF8Wvp69ZuQbFTUt8GNzsLF0kGO4sOsUTvS6JLdLHLcdmjZP6fJcG4817781C44AqXleU0jxsN2iTtm21OApO4OkR1h-39PSaYspkALuxhS1oRGR-vW6ti3g/s1600/DSC01961+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoyxxRUnkzI9MWlTj0WEdLF8Wvp69ZuQbFTUt8GNzsLF0kGO4sOsUTvS6JLdLHLcdmjZP6fJcG4817781C44AqXleU0jxsN2iTtm21OApO4OkR1h-39PSaYspkALuxhS1oRGR-vW6ti3g/s400/DSC01961+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Eden said she liked this one<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9UaQhlpyZIbJFqppbRfGIIVGLby3jWma9DeMvXb0ywnO4Dy0hGrSDFe7DXV-E-jW3mE4e46mmY_nWMAmBH1ou9vAcf8Kirm0m7q4wfwo_-VBB6B70eTQFMKfWFvDrKC3gzPvaKRqHOw/s1600/DSC01966+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9UaQhlpyZIbJFqppbRfGIIVGLby3jWma9DeMvXb0ywnO4Dy0hGrSDFe7DXV-E-jW3mE4e46mmY_nWMAmBH1ou9vAcf8Kirm0m7q4wfwo_-VBB6B70eTQFMKfWFvDrKC3gzPvaKRqHOw/s400/DSC01966+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Taking a joy ride in a 458 Italia<br /></td></tr>
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On the way to our hotel in Bologna, we stopped by the Lamborghini Factory which was only about 30 minutes from the Ferrari Factory. Pagani Supercars also has their factory nearby. I guess this area is sort of the Detroit of Italy but specializing in fast, expensive cars. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_R7wHW_huThK6L3PRtfNyBxYfKz7v0Wq3hEpyWOg6UbkO_32ujZG7PpShE0FOQN7mUU1GesTNV6AbrAE074HCQfVIqc3pZen9RdX4Q85Frqnt3VStDoJLPARVGG0l9uHKYBtEmmGn8c/s1600/DSC01978+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_R7wHW_huThK6L3PRtfNyBxYfKz7v0Wq3hEpyWOg6UbkO_32ujZG7PpShE0FOQN7mUU1GesTNV6AbrAE074HCQfVIqc3pZen9RdX4Q85Frqnt3VStDoJLPARVGG0l9uHKYBtEmmGn8c/s400/DSC01978+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Joel in front of the Lamborghini Factory<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWSKoKZgoSY7SdULKvR24doIFHI71uTyL5uYxtVSYIs7vBRMlaGNLwg9hRHS2aZswFnnQfaL3dfO_hW7BiroHU5S0R1zuX3W66RYy0gOxOC5f7qGMdImb9g54Qxlj0_EVYVpjjawKpvQ/s1600/DSC01975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWSKoKZgoSY7SdULKvR24doIFHI71uTyL5uYxtVSYIs7vBRMlaGNLwg9hRHS2aZswFnnQfaL3dfO_hW7BiroHU5S0R1zuX3W66RYy0gOxOC5f7qGMdImb9g54Qxlj0_EVYVpjjawKpvQ/s400/DSC01975.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Huracan in front of the Lamborghini Factory<br /></td></tr>
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We were able to check the second item off our Bologna to-do list when we found Restaurant Cosmo by our hotel and had a very good lasagna which by my judgment was the best we had in Italy. We also had a dessert like Tiramisu but they called it Beerimisu because I guess it had beer in it. Nonetheless, it was good too.</div>
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We drove about an hour and a half the next morning to Venice. We parked the car at the campground we stayed at for the next two nights. We didn’t actually camp per se, but Caroline took a page out of her Dad’s playbook finding this campground. (She would frequently stay at campgrounds when travelling in Europe with her Dad). We had a hard time finding an apartment or hotel in Venice at a reasonable price. Some of the hotels on the island were going for 400 euros per night per room and we need two rooms. So the campground was a great alternative as they had “bungalows” available in addition to the more traditional RV and tent spaces. The bungalow was in a small trailer and had a small bedroom and a bathroom. It kind of reminded me of a cruise ship cabin. The bedroom had 2 single beds down on the floor and then one single bed up high like a bunk bed. We got 2 of these bungalows and they were only 44 euros per night per bungalow so it turned out to be a much more frugal option than the hotels. It worked out great and was only 2 bus stops away from Venice proper.</div>
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Caroline had been to Venice before, but this was my first time. I knew that there were no cars and just canals, but after walking around for a while it really sunk in how unique this city is. Amsterdam had a lot of canals but without cars Venice has a totally different feel. There are many walkways that are just wide enough for one person to get through and they wind around in every direction. You could take days exploring and finding new hidden plazas. We had the boys read the novel “The Thief Lord” before we arrived because the story takes place in Venice and it was neat for them to see many of the landmarks discussed in the book. We visited St Mark’s square and cathedral in addition to Doge’s palace and the Bridge of Sighs. The bridge connects Doge’s palace to the prison. It got its name because this was the last view of Venice someone convicted in Doge’s palace would see as they were escorted into the prison.</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8z7tNqr7bRf-j5hOhY2lnnTkkVKRcPtXge66WnG2gU6BdFcwKk6I_GMXmaZ-dvfRsK3jIwtFeXTkaBoFKsgdapRbsraL9uBjdlRad4q1uCiLpzc6JFqNvvEHw5xVAeynT9BUvewlDBvQ/s1600/DSC02018+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8z7tNqr7bRf-j5hOhY2lnnTkkVKRcPtXge66WnG2gU6BdFcwKk6I_GMXmaZ-dvfRsK3jIwtFeXTkaBoFKsgdapRbsraL9uBjdlRad4q1uCiLpzc6JFqNvvEHw5xVAeynT9BUvewlDBvQ/s400/DSC02018+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">St. Mark's Cathedral<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3afbS3tCaO7MBkljSBkLqq4n87zJT4TXOaqWEqrv4XRazIPhVKQZrAdPQvkmKSkAPy3Opfp7NzK3pYXpWByqoAgKc8tc_PoNbsl9KhqnkujOmyMuZ96WGTqUF14vufDvoiS4zeVtHvHs/s1600/DSC02021+%2528852x1280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3afbS3tCaO7MBkljSBkLqq4n87zJT4TXOaqWEqrv4XRazIPhVKQZrAdPQvkmKSkAPy3Opfp7NzK3pYXpWByqoAgKc8tc_PoNbsl9KhqnkujOmyMuZ96WGTqUF14vufDvoiS4zeVtHvHs/s400/DSC02021+%2528852x1280%2529.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">St. Mark's square<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnC2oZlU1SvxNBh4zM0CxO6fevZxL_d42c3ScXK2OpKdXvjtz25DxOZbIIQAsWTjz5J3-9Ddf6D0mGBBZPcOCp_c23lr_2lRfrP-rWW8-ryp76PVRrr6OjlGAdsdU0UhGlZZCDcerv9E/s1600/DSC02024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnC2oZlU1SvxNBh4zM0CxO6fevZxL_d42c3ScXK2OpKdXvjtz25DxOZbIIQAsWTjz5J3-9Ddf6D0mGBBZPcOCp_c23lr_2lRfrP-rWW8-ryp76PVRrr6OjlGAdsdU0UhGlZZCDcerv9E/s400/DSC02024.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Bridge of Sighs in the background<br /></td></tr>
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The gondola rides in Venice are famous and surely splendid but since they were about 80 euros for a ride we decided to try an alternative. A traghetto is a gondola that ferries you across the Grand Canal, since there are only a couple of places that you can cross on foot (the Rialto bridge being the most famous). The traghetto only costs 2 euros for tourists (and is significantly less for locals) and is effectively the same gondola boat but just not as fancy. After we got in, the gondolier got us about half way across the grand canal and then we heard the sirens of an ambulance. In the distance we saw an ambulance boat blazing down the canal with its lights flashing. The gondolier was in a bit of a panic to try and get us out of the way. Luckily, the ambulance turned into a canal before it reached us. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYwy-hl3b6LLaPmFZtgDQaiKDQvly8TTCYy0AotEEzu2bLVrHkp7orTC7rtXuypkTLp190QMFnT8JFWmfxZnYxazmwZjy-D4eZ8H-VYAFtQF-r0Xiss-VI4_zkzsZMdN8ye-LMSprZ_g/s1600/DSC02009+%2528852x1280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYwy-hl3b6LLaPmFZtgDQaiKDQvly8TTCYy0AotEEzu2bLVrHkp7orTC7rtXuypkTLp190QMFnT8JFWmfxZnYxazmwZjy-D4eZ8H-VYAFtQF-r0Xiss-VI4_zkzsZMdN8ye-LMSprZ_g/s400/DSC02009+%2528852x1280%2529.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A gondola heading down the canal<br /></td></tr>
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There are a lot of masks that are crafted in Venice and we got Joel, Danielle, and Eden one. Eden really got into having the mask on and started belting out a song she made up on the fly while walking down a street. I was able to capture a video of the end of it. The performance had quite a few onlookers. Maybe she has a future in theatre. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Masks from Venice<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlC0eUq-PJ5TRdmSfKRhvKayfTYfgrD2ZluTnO_YxL0uozZzOof9rHF-ANtRdRZFtV_PSPI-h1VdGnrIqJUBpU3Xk_hu7t1opgCyK1of3GXYeHlrOAkkvH1t8YCija3Ph6pYbzQRXe3c/s1600/DSC01987+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlC0eUq-PJ5TRdmSfKRhvKayfTYfgrD2ZluTnO_YxL0uozZzOof9rHF-ANtRdRZFtV_PSPI-h1VdGnrIqJUBpU3Xk_hu7t1opgCyK1of3GXYeHlrOAkkvH1t8YCija3Ph6pYbzQRXe3c/s400/DSC01987+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Typical Venice street<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichOWMyu_NkcnN5iixG2wR5JYT0FrN8KV3UGoQpQRXTZLLEQLaHGVE_C0M9CsKtYFCG1_dEVAsssZddzL5GKLLIB7uliAII1jT9h6w57VoVILzES80JviJLIYBoSKWeN4opwAdUYTG1e8/s1600/DSC02002+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichOWMyu_NkcnN5iixG2wR5JYT0FrN8KV3UGoQpQRXTZLLEQLaHGVE_C0M9CsKtYFCG1_dEVAsssZddzL5GKLLIB7uliAII1jT9h6w57VoVILzES80JviJLIYBoSKWeN4opwAdUYTG1e8/s400/DSC02002+%25281280x852%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Danielle on a bridge in Venice<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNtrhJNjkM1OVyBQ4vCw7s2YWUwoUH2-KAWC6nu1d6EoWmVgRmsNK-m-w7OgrFkXFyUarbHtP9Vpm9v9etz3ZJTkyRBsIgSNl5vUIQ3VFIsFR7oePdhd6rxcF8ZuqjlHXEehXn5mPsnM/s1600/IMG_1152+%2528960x1280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNtrhJNjkM1OVyBQ4vCw7s2YWUwoUH2-KAWC6nu1d6EoWmVgRmsNK-m-w7OgrFkXFyUarbHtP9Vpm9v9etz3ZJTkyRBsIgSNl5vUIQ3VFIsFR7oePdhd6rxcF8ZuqjlHXEehXn5mPsnM/s400/IMG_1152+%2528960x1280%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">One of the many winged lions in Venice<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4bv55Ke4pcSWVzZYN-nJpsJeBAPhPCX_Z11Nt9lPqCjvu9tHIgZGEt9GqJITE0z49tJjpO7biCATFp5D-3cXN9632whsmK2hHIxSAAFt2wcDng6IFRD0J4wWbr7clVOgOVBybFfdNZBw/s1600/DSC02030+%2528852x1280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4bv55Ke4pcSWVzZYN-nJpsJeBAPhPCX_Z11Nt9lPqCjvu9tHIgZGEt9GqJITE0z49tJjpO7biCATFp5D-3cXN9632whsmK2hHIxSAAFt2wcDng6IFRD0J4wWbr7clVOgOVBybFfdNZBw/s400/DSC02030+%2528852x1280%2529.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">This tower was leaning about as much as the one in Pisa<br /></td></tr>
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The next day we went to the island of Murano. We took a vaparetto which is a set of public transportation boats that have many routes in and around Venice. Murano is the home to many glass shops. We saw one craftsman at his trade in front of the furnace create a horse and a tiger out of glass. I was amazed how realistic they looked from a few delicate actions on the glowing hot piece of glass. This is one trade that I don’t see machine automation taking over anytime soon. Each piece is really a unique work of art. We saw another man making some pendant light shades by blowing down the tube into the glass. All of the stores had a plethora of glass items that included just about anything you could think of. The styles and finishes were very diverse. There were many things I would have liked but I didn’t think it was wise to try and get some glass pieces home in one piece and shipping would have been too expensive. We took the vaparetto back to Venice and rode it up the Grand Canal to get in some more sightseeing. We ended our time in Venice with, you guessed it, another gelato.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Glass sculpture in Murano<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuYWJXUbF-HmnLQbs1l2aXVwHy-aU8tSofpxstiPTEhYiXp_eTwA0YSzGMFO6UVu4nNl_eRdIJyOKEUGp0s53r7s4RTGBVmzK7YGIZf-8MF53s4pPN20HaMAl7NVgYASeBnUENmbOL2k/s1600/IMG_1184+%25281280x960%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuYWJXUbF-HmnLQbs1l2aXVwHy-aU8tSofpxstiPTEhYiXp_eTwA0YSzGMFO6UVu4nNl_eRdIJyOKEUGp0s53r7s4RTGBVmzK7YGIZf-8MF53s4pPN20HaMAl7NVgYASeBnUENmbOL2k/s400/IMG_1184+%25281280x960%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Over Murano's grand canal<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfFLgNfQPlHpZG4R_bPMmB20AtwpoiMXDjkeqc1M4YjyiUrA2pyUzJF2cEBT6uXfqHT3GkGV0qfIKWEfk7X74iimL65nynOd3pUA9dk-ZSjzD4vfDyx_9GhCXf_Fr7uVNg3XU0Eirrhc/s1600/IMG_1186+%25281280x960%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfFLgNfQPlHpZG4R_bPMmB20AtwpoiMXDjkeqc1M4YjyiUrA2pyUzJF2cEBT6uXfqHT3GkGV0qfIKWEfk7X74iimL65nynOd3pUA9dk-ZSjzD4vfDyx_9GhCXf_Fr7uVNg3XU0Eirrhc/s400/IMG_1186+%25281280x960%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A craftsman pulls a piece out glass out of the furnace<br /></td></tr>
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Our time in Italy is now over, but I thought I would share something a bit different from what we may see in the US. Below is the nutrition label from a bag of potato chips we bought in Italy. In addition to all of the numeric data, they add the picture to the right which suggests that kids should eat these in moderation. That is all fine and good advice but then they add a drawing of a large child on a teeter totter that is apparently heavier than 2 smaller kids on the other side. I guess they figure they can use it as motivation to eat healthier. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Nutrition label on bag of potato chips<br /></td></tr>
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Next stop; Austria.<br />
<br />Justin Coppinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14326525639169006698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-8316682597984663392015-10-07T12:28:00.000-07:002015-10-07T12:28:21.214-07:00Sienna, San Gimignano, Florence<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqJvRgCyk_tozLsvy-2CfZyUOhPvCl27SpAd_fEsZmLco47w-3OukI4OdIWWWotU931sQSY_mVD5ULaVwGur9fuboDYYnY_FXrt5MeH3h0KmhQ4v85ju6rxyhFXo8DgeJeUZREuguCvk/s1600/IMG_1734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqJvRgCyk_tozLsvy-2CfZyUOhPvCl27SpAd_fEsZmLco47w-3OukI4OdIWWWotU931sQSY_mVD5ULaVwGur9fuboDYYnY_FXrt5MeH3h0KmhQ4v85ju6rxyhFXo8DgeJeUZREuguCvk/s200/IMG_1734.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sienna Cathedral</td></tr>
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We woke up a Wednesday morning and got ready to start school when we realized that the internet was out. So much to the kids delight, Justin and I decided we would go do a field trip to Sienna and San Gimignano. We headed to Sienna first. Caleb had read up on Sienna and told us that each district within the city has its own mascot. Once a year they pick a rider to race around the campo (Main Square) on a horse, bareback, that does not belong to them. I thought this was crazy, but then Caleb further explained that the race is 3 laps long and in order to “protect” the rider they place mattresses against the wall of the most dangerous corner. Also, if the rider falls off during the race and the horse crosses the finish line first the rider still wins. Once we arrived in Sienna we had a great time looking at all the different flags for each district. We all tried to decide which district we would want to live in based on its mascot. Caleb chose the phoenix, Joel selected the eagle, Danielle chose the unicorn of course and Eden picked the hedgehog. We got to the campo and walked around trying to imagine this crazy horse race. Luckily, we came across the tourist center that had a video of the current year’s race that we were able to watch. It was even more insane then I imagined. These riders are brave, and by the way, the mattresses come in handy. We walked over to the cathedral then found a pizza place to eat at. We ordered a few delicious pizzas and I asked the waiter what this fancy, orange drink that I had been seeing everyone drinking. He told me that it was called an Aperol Spritz, so I ordered one. I was not disappointed. It was tangy, orange flavored with a slight tartness. After our great lunch we continued to explore Sienna. The city itself is very pretty and the streets are quaint. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sienna Campo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl00UQprbEph_CWxE65pTqymbccSZnfPi_MTIMfCGeeD_auoT9tf7sH8sJshLzeOlquTh1zS5td9opftQ9ivE6egf7t2Nq3iH6DTMc7ZQN2IaMpAk3s8q8wumeXxqzzCEF3nweihosfec/s1600/IMG_1752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl00UQprbEph_CWxE65pTqymbccSZnfPi_MTIMfCGeeD_auoT9tf7sH8sJshLzeOlquTh1zS5td9opftQ9ivE6egf7t2Nq3iH6DTMc7ZQN2IaMpAk3s8q8wumeXxqzzCEF3nweihosfec/s400/IMG_1752.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caroline enjoying Aperol Spritz</td></tr>
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We eventually headed back to the car and Justin asked me to drive to San Gimignano. Once we got back on the highway there was literally no one in sight, so I decided to drive like an Italian. I went from one lane to the next, then back to the other a second later. I straddled the lane marker, because one lane just isn’t enough, while speeding up and slowing down for no reason. Let me tell you the kids were quite amused and I think Justin was rethinking asking me to drive. At some point I might “blent” (blog vent—Caleb came up with that one) about Italian drivers. In San Gimignano we got lucky with the parking because there were no spots left but true to my parking karma someone pulled out just as we were coming in. We walked all around San Gimignano and came across a small shop that had some really pretty water colors of Tuscany. Justin and I chose a couple and the shop keeper told us he was the artist of these particular pieces and that his brother did the others. I was excited to buy something I loved and be able to meet the actual artist. We walked over to the Piazza del Duomo and I inquired in the tourist office about climbing up one of the towers that surround the city. We decided against it since the cost was a little more than we had hoped and neither one of us really want to haul Eden up all those stairs. We continued on our way and by this time Eden started to remind us that it was time for our daily gelato. We ended up at Gelateria Dondoli, which won the award for “World’s Best Gelato”. It did not disappoint and was mighty good. I have decided that if my careers as puzzle picture photographer or Lego builder don’t work out then I would like to be a gelato quality control taster. Who knows this could be something. We walked over to the old city wall and took in the view. The landscape is composed of rolling hills, such a lush green, and dotted with vineyards and beautiful Tuscan homes. We stood there for a while just taking it all in. We continued to explore the city and lucky for Eden found a park. Give that girl an ice cream and a park and she is in heaven. Afterwards, we headed back up to the topmost spot in San Gimignano and found the Rocca de Montestaffoli (fortress). We took in the view and snapped a few photos. A nice gentleman came over and asked if he could take a picture of all of us. We said yes and then he asked where we were from. We told him Colorado and he laughed and said that he and his wife were from Silverthorne. This is the second couple that we have encountered from Colorado. We talked to them for some time and told them about our adventure. They thought it was amazing and told the kids to take it all in and remember as much as they can. We slowly strolled back towards the car to head home to Ficulle. On the drive home we noticed a McDonalds and since Eden yells French fries every time we see a Mickey D’s sign we decided to surprise her and stop for a quick dinner. Well, during our meal the song Gangsta’s Paradise by Coolio came on and it totally felt like we were back in the States eating a burger and shake, instead of the middle of Italy where we should have been eating a great lasagna or carbonara. By the way, I have never heard this song while sitting in a McDonalds in the Fort or any other McDonalds, for that matter. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">San Gimignano (We bought art here from artist in background)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from high point of San Gimignano</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKA1uCOSVojNyvQMtQ-v8USInfPTcaxnDtrw8FFcFZshH4XzBGgASdp3rhdBunyDhxE5566mAqZOEtlxIIg_SqR6Jbdy828w55AQbqyk6UEiAH1yRlfje6tymEWK91a38F8N1yB3z9B-4/s1600/DSC01862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKA1uCOSVojNyvQMtQ-v8USInfPTcaxnDtrw8FFcFZshH4XzBGgASdp3rhdBunyDhxE5566mAqZOEtlxIIg_SqR6Jbdy828w55AQbqyk6UEiAH1yRlfje6tymEWK91a38F8N1yB3z9B-4/s320/DSC01862.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street artist in Florence painting for Caleb</td></tr>
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A few days later we headed north to Florence. I have always loved this city, just walking around it has a great vibe. We stopped at the post office and Justin realized that he had forgotten his wallet so I drove, which I didn’t mind, until we got into Florence itself. I got off the freeway and luckily stayed to the right. There were no lines on the road to let us know how many lanes there were, but much to my surprise a car was coming towards us head on. He moved to his right and we both realized that this was a two direction road. Come on where are the lines! It got worse from here. The traffic was crazy and my GPS was acting like Daniel again. He sent me down a road that is only for residents. Once we figured out where the parking garage was it was closed due to construction. I headed towards a different garage and ended up parking at the Mercato Centrale. The parking garages in Italy are tight to say the least. We headed into the Mercato Centrale and had a delicious lunch of eggplant parmesan, pizza, fries with mayo, chicken, beer and wine, all of which was amazing. I love going to places like this because it is along the line of a gourmet food court, so it is easy to try a little bit of everything. We headed out of the Mercato Centrale and into a street market of goods, lots of leather. Just at the end of the market we encountered a spray paint artist. We had been seeing this type of artist in various cities and I am very impressed and what they are creating in about 10 to 15 minutes. Caleb is very intrigued by it and we had him request a piece and 15 minutes later we walked away with Caleb’s masterpiece. We headed over to the Duomo, the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower with Brunelleschi dome. The dome is the largest in Italy. We visited the interior and stood beneath the enormous dome. The dome is intricately painted with colorful frescos. We then headed to the Piazza della Signora and saw the Fountain of Neptune, and the statues of Perseus with the head of Medusa, the Rape of Sabine, and the copy of David, to name a few. The original was moved into the Accademia Gallery and replaced with a copy. Even the copy was incredible. Eden commented that “I see a lot of peepees and everyone is looking at them”. I chuckled, I guess to a 3 year old art should be more clothed. Even Danielle blushed a few times. She commented that she “never wanted to see those again”. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the piazza and the art. We headed towards the Ponte Vecchio and stopped for a gelato along the way. Once on the bridge we walked across it and had fun browsing at the shop windows. The shops are mainly jewelry shops and Danielle and I ooohed and aaahed a lot. We headed towards the Piazza Republica and then to the Basilica de Santa Maria Novella. It was neat to see the ornate façade and surprising to see that the sides and back were, well, pretty ugly. The façade is made of black, white, pink and greenish stone in some very intricate patterns. By this time in the day we had walked about 7 miles and we were all tired so we headed back to Ficulle. We had a pretty amazing day seeing the sights and enjoying the food. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1-ClAXcovNnBBBtJfohV2rILzMNi6S6Y9WFaChUmG0qoVsd5SndxBP93nBdsM4b16h6hHmxe3TalkmFoQmMH9yccEjxUW1oxZNrhACtxzVd0eYq4b0L36Na0aFSik2HUqhIqAfTUNWQ/s1600/DSC01867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1-ClAXcovNnBBBtJfohV2rILzMNi6S6Y9WFaChUmG0qoVsd5SndxBP93nBdsM4b16h6hHmxe3TalkmFoQmMH9yccEjxUW1oxZNrhACtxzVd0eYq4b0L36Na0aFSik2HUqhIqAfTUNWQ/s400/DSC01867.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Florence Duomo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcHgqcLmyLT2rEGH4ZT14hOKuXNDCv23olvZqHH7Lg0J-Ppc9SYOkrsic_vRGLpEKPMCxx9rDceNL3PCqbIFc0JKlcjJcKX0rHZreDuAAWrgwTC7IC20-Qx268uBAJaEMbxMRlgakFYw/s1600/DSC01876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcHgqcLmyLT2rEGH4ZT14hOKuXNDCv23olvZqHH7Lg0J-Ppc9SYOkrsic_vRGLpEKPMCxx9rDceNL3PCqbIFc0JKlcjJcKX0rHZreDuAAWrgwTC7IC20-Qx268uBAJaEMbxMRlgakFYw/s400/DSC01876.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frescos painted in the dome of the Florence Duomo<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYP4qyRa-RPRQv8j0seSPtTt4xIQkkm1w8P9hGOiN5ttLsC9xSOXtNRerQw47ef3WFjMJLyVjWSwj6NjDZ1jmXtd8mcGcL1q4PoXrXT6pqkb0eDhKfh8_dDY5rCRjgWkraEzU1tAvMs8s/s1600/DSC01884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYP4qyRa-RPRQv8j0seSPtTt4xIQkkm1w8P9hGOiN5ttLsC9xSOXtNRerQw47ef3WFjMJLyVjWSwj6NjDZ1jmXtd8mcGcL1q4PoXrXT6pqkb0eDhKfh8_dDY5rCRjgWkraEzU1tAvMs8s/s320/DSC01884.JPG" width="203" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joel with David (or a replica at least)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Obj8aIOfNThXN9V7NmMMk-f8ygbUTVXlSq5eqrAzNpdIONlSwvsracXgjHQ1zWQWsS_TmiiggFwaHlAQtJSu9q0cJqqXDDMo1DzoCPUfpZwgOr9V8LA2WzxwBnP_ZE1JVLNrxyyE9z4/s1600/DSC01901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Obj8aIOfNThXN9V7NmMMk-f8ygbUTVXlSq5eqrAzNpdIONlSwvsracXgjHQ1zWQWsS_TmiiggFwaHlAQtJSu9q0cJqqXDDMo1DzoCPUfpZwgOr9V8LA2WzxwBnP_ZE1JVLNrxyyE9z4/s400/DSC01901.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ponte Vecchio in background</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDWMwACXCisP2RNjS3r6NUYooDftKGj6v65FjGBZwkhi6sKeH6BM-zoSeIdNjqLKZesNLWUUoGKi6ARMMikffUR887-3jh7tdsYeQTzvZtgQ0lE0j0lYvXKBwmLe7He8N-Z4iVIgDhQs/s1600/IMG_1113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDWMwACXCisP2RNjS3r6NUYooDftKGj6v65FjGBZwkhi6sKeH6BM-zoSeIdNjqLKZesNLWUUoGKi6ARMMikffUR887-3jh7tdsYeQTzvZtgQ0lE0j0lYvXKBwmLe7He8N-Z4iVIgDhQs/s400/IMG_1113.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On Ponte Vecchio with Arno River below</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg064pymumyvLSfNKuBRFn-oqc7Kcihe3mv7hPD1zkmVsq9W6jmwkCNsvmW5n2bBHfSADsIN6MxMaNI6dFmYw1VST9_OiukgEUvWH-fkfs9JeKWEPc4wPJAyzRXXC9LYKuSKKRzODKx9rk/s1600/DSC01902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg064pymumyvLSfNKuBRFn-oqc7Kcihe3mv7hPD1zkmVsq9W6jmwkCNsvmW5n2bBHfSADsIN6MxMaNI6dFmYw1VST9_OiukgEUvWH-fkfs9JeKWEPc4wPJAyzRXXC9LYKuSKKRzODKx9rk/s400/DSC01902.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basilica de Santa Maria Novella</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-35547363209206244362015-09-30T14:12:00.003-07:002015-10-07T12:29:47.704-07:00Pompeii<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOXoCoaXq9MLGJb_awTNmz_qhc3Nop9Brr7fIqoJZRGm4W9XuQN-S3ek63IPVWXQvawUYHEDlDTvxlXC-fpt9Fdt3xKBvclzSqhKetwUtVcRCAEbvNs7mUao9k1GEtPuiCQEsnq53t60/s1600/DSC01796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOXoCoaXq9MLGJb_awTNmz_qhc3Nop9Brr7fIqoJZRGm4W9XuQN-S3ek63IPVWXQvawUYHEDlDTvxlXC-fpt9Fdt3xKBvclzSqhKetwUtVcRCAEbvNs7mUao9k1GEtPuiCQEsnq53t60/s320/DSC01796.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of Mt. Vesuvius</td></tr>
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We had decided that it would be a fun mini trip to go south and visit Pompeii and the Amalfi coast. Caleb, Joel and Danielle had learned about Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii at school and we thought it would be a fun, full circle learning experience for them to be able to visit the sites that they learned about. We headed to Naples and started our drive up to Mt Vesuvius. Justin noticed some smoke coming from the mount and said he thought the volcano itself was sending out the smoke. I started laughing and said it was just a factory or something like that. The road was pretty sketchy, rather narrow and full of trash. I kept asking Justin if this was correct and he kept telling me it was. Eventually we saw several tour buses, so we knew we were on the right track. I was surprised at how many homes and buildings along the way were completely abandoned and vandalized. We got to the parking and started heading up to the top. The walk up is said to be 800 meters, which didn't seem too bad. It is 800 meters but up a very steep and gravel slope. The day itself was quite hot and combined with the hike we were all sweating and drinking lots of water. I carried Eden on my shoulders for about 1/3 of the way up and Justin carried her the other 2/3. When he put her down she started telling us all to hurry up and come on. Once we got to the top we took in the enormous crater and the kids contemplated the ash and rocks shooting into the sky down to Pompeii below. We continued to walk along the rim and again noticed smoke. We then noticed a plane heading towards the smoke and dumped tons of water on it. We walked over to look towards the hillside and saw that there was indeed a fire and that it was about 1km below where we were standing. We proceeded to watch the plane fill his water tank in the sea and come back to dump the water on the fire. We watched this for about 30 minutes. I was completely surprised that they had allowed all these tourists, us included, hike up the mountain while there was a good size wildfire going on. Apparently, concerns about smoke inhalation or the fact that the fire could move faster than expected was not on the minds of any governing agency. Justin was right Mt. Vesuvius was smoking. After watching the plane and fire, we continued around the rim and then headed back down the mountain. You would think down would be easier but, wrong, wrong, wrong. The gravel is very slippery and if you are not careful about where you step you can easily fall.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPabzOQPnUrzI-rQFhCfiQl9qMYSF7pmJaHSxDbSxoyhHS8W1jLaFBhNfI19gDT0HRKetDdXt52zDKPeFcU6SXdeBgTsfZSJ7sHlU5kuqepEiGVpgFTybieULmkDB93QKoOmDuroBAig/s1600/DSC01785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPabzOQPnUrzI-rQFhCfiQl9qMYSF7pmJaHSxDbSxoyhHS8W1jLaFBhNfI19gDT0HRKetDdXt52zDKPeFcU6SXdeBgTsfZSJ7sHlU5kuqepEiGVpgFTybieULmkDB93QKoOmDuroBAig/s400/DSC01785.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking into the crater at Mt. Vesuvius</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDlA7k3bn-hDn469UvnkU0aU3swfVjDgzBMRHW1q82_gxtYs6_eUDY3zuIUkWWRs5V19pjRSNFOv4ZNyn35H_1GAJPQkYUYq3K1tSULhi6F3XqfYUVxyRDUfYmLeJReFeprTG3UbKqp0/s1600/IMG_1081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDlA7k3bn-hDn469UvnkU0aU3swfVjDgzBMRHW1q82_gxtYs6_eUDY3zuIUkWWRs5V19pjRSNFOv4ZNyn35H_1GAJPQkYUYq3K1tSULhi6F3XqfYUVxyRDUfYmLeJReFeprTG3UbKqp0/s400/IMG_1081.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildfire on Vesuvius with plane making a pass to dump water on a hot spot</td></tr>
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Once back at the car we proceeded down the sketchy hill to visit Pompeii. On our way there we saw several people throw trash out their car window. Maybe this is what is contributing to the garbage issue? We got into the city of Pompeii and started to walk around, and it really is amazing at how well the ash had preserved all of the structures and provided a very important view into the lives of the people living here in 79AD when Mt. Vesuvius erupted. The first place we encountered was their colosseum, where they had a special exhibit set up. Once inside the exhibit you got to see some of the casts of the people in the positions they were when they died. It was quite a sobering site. We continued on our exploration and encountered a very nice guide, Giovanni, that proceeded to give us a private tour of some of the highlights of Pompeii. We visited the home of a merchant, and oil producer, the baths, large amphitheater and small amphitheater. We were impressed to see so many frescos that had been preserved under the ash and even the shopkeepers cases covered in marble tiles were perfectly intact. He also brought us to a newly discovered area where they had found the bodies of 7 adults and 3 children trying to flee the city. The bodies had been discovered in what would have been the garden of the home. They had not made it very far because Giovanni explained to us that the toxic gases would have asphyxiated them in an instant. He also explained to us that the ash that was falling was about 700 degrees Fahrenheit. Giovanni explained also that once a body was discovered they made a hole in the skull cavity and filled it with a plastic that took 2 weeks to harden. Once hard they then finished excavating the body. If they did not do this process the entire body would crumble because there was nothing left inside the case except for some of the larger bones. This process ensures that the person is preserved. They also use DNA testing to find out if the people found together are related. The 10 newly discovered people were 2 different families. We had a fantastic time visiting Pompeii and the kids loved being able to see firsthand a place that they had learned about in school. Once we had finished we walked over to a gelateria and had gelato for dinner. It was still so hot that no one was very hungry. The man at the gelateria was so nice he gave Eden hers for free and kept calling her "bella, bella". At this point we needed to find our apartment that we rented just for the night. We put the address in our GPS Daniel and I started to drive over. Let me tell you driving in Italy is one thing, driving in Naples is something completely different. The roads are very narrow and there are absolutely no "rules". It's do what you want, and let me tell you they do exactly what they want. My favorite is honking when the traffic is not moving, like honking would somehow miraculously make the traffic start moving again. Keep honking and maybe all the cars will disappear and the road will be perfectly clear. I weaved my way around cars, garbage and people and we finally made it to the apartment. The neighborhood was scary at best. We met the husband, Aniello, who seemed nice enough and he let us into the courtyard to park. Once we crossed the gate it was totally different. It was a nicely lighted, pretty garden. Aniello and his wife Adele and their 2 1/2 year old son Luigi, let us into the apartment. Eden and Luigi hit it off and started to play, they sat in the 2 large chairs and I made the comment that they looked like the king and queen. Well, the kids liked that and were all smiles. Adele and I took pictures of the kids. We had a wonderful stay at the apartment and it even came with a great breakfast that Adele prepared for us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Casts of some of the bodies buried in the ashes and later discovered</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serpent fresco</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyydk-ENZvLmxpGYvnCIsnKGe6vHbUJuvz7sq4kkX6-HyXAg2_IlzB3A4sUXs1LrrNtAMZ0BH_ZrkNHcqVeK_aUPqDlxl2vpzY6rfroXBQaxDxx4219_88CjdgBlqKD-VgSfzI_vRMF1A/s1600/DSC01845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyydk-ENZvLmxpGYvnCIsnKGe6vHbUJuvz7sq4kkX6-HyXAg2_IlzB3A4sUXs1LrrNtAMZ0BH_ZrkNHcqVeK_aUPqDlxl2vpzY6rfroXBQaxDxx4219_88CjdgBlqKD-VgSfzI_vRMF1A/s400/DSC01845.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the bath house</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqPyZ5KqZc0cZySKfQt56prWestZxYbXsGtk1WxJxABbKu55PH0skuqIoI6yfbuuh_XhoWGsXmTmmeUhzuf_pvipMId_xXCiAb6jsebvkNN86nd8LgWK-UmiX_VzgzeqbYf5C__7oq6Y/s1600/DSC01853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqPyZ5KqZc0cZySKfQt56prWestZxYbXsGtk1WxJxABbKu55PH0skuqIoI6yfbuuh_XhoWGsXmTmmeUhzuf_pvipMId_xXCiAb6jsebvkNN86nd8LgWK-UmiX_VzgzeqbYf5C__7oq6Y/s400/DSC01853.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Performing Arts Amphitheater</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfOKwuEieJtzsiihCiunxN5EKB11E4ZHDrV6bH-rJth-BMkrBn2QmJdF9TkKM6Nu8ps_Tda8OHJA6waC3DO5nuBthkFoDQXFNrPm-5uB80x-AgwzyhKSp2H33BcYBb0xsIBdt2Hdsxmo/s1600/DSC01852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfOKwuEieJtzsiihCiunxN5EKB11E4ZHDrV6bH-rJth-BMkrBn2QmJdF9TkKM6Nu8ps_Tda8OHJA6waC3DO5nuBthkFoDQXFNrPm-5uB80x-AgwzyhKSp2H33BcYBb0xsIBdt2Hdsxmo/s400/DSC01852.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Sitting in Amphitheater<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arcade in Pompeii with a great name!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIXvKGHOmVhgM6MDP5N00vEqvIb1bOUCsLVRenypy-bJ4_HUSIg21nvbfkqiLjirwI2uJYZWDynfgdmL7OZMaD4QR0nfV29nm5wkL6K-073JN-s_8imTRSU5kUY0fN7I5t5pq7cT6dfwM/s1600/IMG_1089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIXvKGHOmVhgM6MDP5N00vEqvIb1bOUCsLVRenypy-bJ4_HUSIg21nvbfkqiLjirwI2uJYZWDynfgdmL7OZMaD4QR0nfV29nm5wkL6K-073JN-s_8imTRSU5kUY0fN7I5t5pq7cT6dfwM/s400/IMG_1089.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eden with new Italian friend Luigi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rr5GmoL_bvkRnsW2sgEbiyJeZw7aYBC-VTuEzNrNCzoMufVzHDzY9kUv__O2h7C9zQmfRAktrC314Hkr977i9JAc9Z9CXJyrniIGJ2KLUQInTpdDljJ-RGpDGdr8HGVkRQ0F7TOhAko/s1600/IMG_1826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rr5GmoL_bvkRnsW2sgEbiyJeZw7aYBC-VTuEzNrNCzoMufVzHDzY9kUv__O2h7C9zQmfRAktrC314Hkr977i9JAc9Z9CXJyrniIGJ2KLUQInTpdDljJ-RGpDGdr8HGVkRQ0F7TOhAko/s320/IMG_1826.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tunnel from parking to Amalfi city center</td></tr>
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After breakfast we were on our way to the Amalfi coast. We decided to drive along the coast to get to the city of Amalfi itself. Well, we encountered yet another fire, but this time it was burning on the hillside along the road. everyone just kept on driving. We literally drive over some smoldering wood. I was astounded! There was no police, no firefighters, nothing. By all appearances there wasn't even anyone trying to put out the fire. So here we are on a cliff-side, narrow road with fires, talk about crazy. This was something neither Justin nor I have ever experienced, and to be honest once is enough. Although it was worth the risk because the sights and views were fantastic. So by the time we reached the city of Amalfi we encountered about 4 more fires within close proximity to the road. Once in Amalfi Justin drove into the first parking garage we saw. I was not happy because it looked like you had to walk along this crazy road to get to the city. I told Justin that I was not walking along that road. Once we went past the gate a parking attendant told us that everyone except the driver had to get out. Odd. So we all got out and they sent us down a long hall to wait for Justin. While waiting I noticed a sign pointing towards Amalfi center. They have a whole system of tunnels that take you into the city versus walking along the sketchy road. I must not be the first wife and mother that refused to walk along that hazard way. The kids were quite amused by the tunnels saying this was totally James Bond. They even figured that an Aston Martin could fit for a pretty cool chase scene. Just a suggestion United Artists. Once in the city we had a great time walking around the safer routes and taking in the amazing views. The water is such a spectacular deep blue. We walked all along the coastline and on to a pier. On the way back we stopped for a gelato. Then we headed back to get the car. Again, only Justin was allowed to get the car. We never really figured out why that was. Justin said the garage was bigger then some and the cars were parked just fine. Still a mystery. We decided to take the up and over route instead of continuing along the coast. At one point we headed into a national park. I was disturbed to see the mounds of trash everywhere. It kind of threw me that there seemed to be no regard for the environment, or even pride of where you lived. They seem to treat it like one big garbage can. Also, I noticed that the neighborhoods and homes are not maintained at all. It was really unfortunate because it is a very pretty place if you can look past the shabbiness and trash. On our way back north to Ficulle you really could see the place where the trash ends along the freeway. You could see a very apparent line of where the next region began because it was beautifully maintained. Once back in Ficulle we got to talk to Shana our host about some of our observations, fires and trash. She said that the fires were probably set by cigarettes being thrown out and that no one reacts because it is so common. She said that Neapolitans are almost in a country of their own, they don't go south and definitely not north. She also said that is what happens when mobsters run the city. She had a very interesting perspective. Although Naples had its quirks we had a great time and it made all of us appreciate when people care for where they live. The kids loved being able to see Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii and we all had a great time seeing someplace so different.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5bf6cBxyOMiqEeUdV-zpRAw-AFcaR-2c3vJTpKmWZwz1tJc_OpcqYgx27t25oYbfX91SOQrJnzq6iApO_EhxpBpXlAf1XIjeSP6pwmaEMJVS6zLTAGv3y2sbiHjjxFzbhFVLCNSZNjE/s1600/IMG_1094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5bf6cBxyOMiqEeUdV-zpRAw-AFcaR-2c3vJTpKmWZwz1tJc_OpcqYgx27t25oYbfX91SOQrJnzq6iApO_EhxpBpXlAf1XIjeSP6pwmaEMJVS6zLTAGv3y2sbiHjjxFzbhFVLCNSZNjE/s400/IMG_1094.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amalfi Coast</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjctRRGi5TD3-lRwJEg3o55RxzwwDIUdR2NSa557IGK8woj2Ldx3O9Vu4OMsBX8NLX7PwK_RQVxo625MJ49JyhRhSflqPJLqLFtVeweNkN-wEJWjxF9TgRre6Dy7kWJ4EEhrh0X8AIu50/s1600/IMG_1096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjctRRGi5TD3-lRwJEg3o55RxzwwDIUdR2NSa557IGK8woj2Ldx3O9Vu4OMsBX8NLX7PwK_RQVxo625MJ49JyhRhSflqPJLqLFtVeweNkN-wEJWjxF9TgRre6Dy7kWJ4EEhrh0X8AIu50/s400/IMG_1096.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amalfi Duomo</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-47856493481807507082015-09-23T12:37:00.000-07:002015-09-23T12:37:10.072-07:00Rome<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAcOtZnIfgjeEmEAJkubDNqca02YWAHN3vxrtKH-BSjt5s9zkDhJ2nSH5-gWVtPl6D1Yr6IY4-l_YFvfRq-IGonoNVaD0SZD-KGJfTiFNIWqC9WgQWaG5swmgudycPbWkPRsJN5jgRkg/s1600/IMG_1657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAcOtZnIfgjeEmEAJkubDNqca02YWAHN3vxrtKH-BSjt5s9zkDhJ2nSH5-gWVtPl6D1Yr6IY4-l_YFvfRq-IGonoNVaD0SZD-KGJfTiFNIWqC9WgQWaG5swmgudycPbWkPRsJN5jgRkg/s320/IMG_1657.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joel and Caleb at the Colosseum</td></tr>
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We decided that our next city to visit would be Rome. We had the kids figure the difference between driving and taking the train. They compared cost and time, also taking into account parking and ease of travel. The overall conclusion was to take the train, so that's what we did. We also decided to book a place for a couple of nights in Rome, so that we could visit for a few days. Everyone was excited to take the train. The journey itself was only 1 hour and 45 minutes and it was quite pleasant. We arrived in Rome and dropped our bags off at the apartment and headed towards the Colosseum. Once there the kids were amazed about the size and also surprised to see how much was still intact. We wandered around the Colosseum for over and hour looking at each of the different areas and had a few discussions about what it would have been like to be a spectator, merchant, or gladiator. It was interesting and cute to hear each kid's perspective on what it might be like. At one point, I placed Eden on a pillar and asked her to growl like a gladiator. She totally got into it and soon had gathered a crowd who egged her on and took a few pictures. Everyone was tickled by her show. Also, quick interesting fact, merchants in the Colosseum sold seat cushions to spectators. We all thought that was funny that even back then seat cushions could be purchased at a stadium. After the Colosseum, we headed towards the Arch of Constantine, it was built to commemorate the victories of Constantine I over Maxentius. We were approached by a group of middle eastern men that asked if they could take pictures of themselves posing with Eden. So a few of them got around her stroller with one holding her hand and click, off went the cameras. The kids thought this was hilarious. I explained that they probably don't see many blue-eyed, blondes in the middle east so for them is it a novelty. After Eden's photo shoot, we headed over to visit the ruins of the forums around the Colosseum. Some were recognizable and some had disintegrated into almost nothing. We had a guide book that contained drawings of each of the areas and is was very interesting to see what each structure would have looked like back in the time. I was astounded by the shear size of each of the stones, how they had been cut and placed without the use of modern machinery. It is truly amazing to see and I am again impressed by the ingenuity of people. We continued our visit and headed to the Piazza del Campidoglio, which was designed by Michelangelo. We headed down the grand stairs and around to Piazza Venezia, to see the Vittorio Emmanuele II Monument. This immense building was built to celebrate the unification of Italy, and also holds the monument for the unknown solider. It is so incredibly huge and gleaming white, that it is astounding to see. We wandered from here and found a gelateria and got some gelato. Now for those of you not familiar with Italy it is very easy to "find" a gelateria, so lucky for us we can always "find" one. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMi_xGb6W3MCyQdeaOrJ85Fg_trpgnoNHG83oK3U_KK6cuKbSizemzrTZ4p2SzVEsAOiANQg56t5eJ_ayJbbasjxpHqNdUmUSRiuqG2vJoPJmhYevAR7n-PkLuZrK2jy7r31FFjX0ls0/s1600/DSC01538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMi_xGb6W3MCyQdeaOrJ85Fg_trpgnoNHG83oK3U_KK6cuKbSizemzrTZ4p2SzVEsAOiANQg56t5eJ_ayJbbasjxpHqNdUmUSRiuqG2vJoPJmhYevAR7n-PkLuZrK2jy7r31FFjX0ls0/s400/DSC01538.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eden posing on a pillar like a gladiator</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIvDPE2sFm9WvWesVSSpUayEQ5SnK7N4cpPpT0GPIdAk4pwe1sxcJX3YVDl124Rs7bgGXL3YaAulP3Ho6_RNl09zX4br306uBgk0c69ueQX4a9kiXm5tusyLL8GdDJKeY0ROfLZxm2ec/s1600/IMG_1063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIvDPE2sFm9WvWesVSSpUayEQ5SnK7N4cpPpT0GPIdAk4pwe1sxcJX3YVDl124Rs7bgGXL3YaAulP3Ho6_RNl09zX4br306uBgk0c69ueQX4a9kiXm5tusyLL8GdDJKeY0ROfLZxm2ec/s640/IMG_1063.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colosseum Panoramic</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnfBhybXrHwim73CV06qSUYzUCybaQjKJl4cYKsEz6uU9YUCMft-XwnDcxcl39KUJ8HQNxT5OaINuGInpC-5Hxca7kifzl2t92UdUxO46YBcEoDkBWowT6xtSGCx6dcSnF8H87qx77vs/s1600/IMG_1065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnfBhybXrHwim73CV06qSUYzUCybaQjKJl4cYKsEz6uU9YUCMft-XwnDcxcl39KUJ8HQNxT5OaINuGInpC-5Hxca7kifzl2t92UdUxO46YBcEoDkBWowT6xtSGCx6dcSnF8H87qx77vs/s400/IMG_1065.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arch of Constantine</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNnpY5C6ZxVS_mUnXDeQ0nXzucndtXJs2-S2o4wiU2iVXhdmexkedNs89K6R1DfNtawA_qZvG93NENdObdPgOXISNh5ibuxYduYqhg0aTwatlxlvjVBce88GYsKkvaSo0W-V_53BP15U/s1600/DSC01583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNnpY5C6ZxVS_mUnXDeQ0nXzucndtXJs2-S2o4wiU2iVXhdmexkedNs89K6R1DfNtawA_qZvG93NENdObdPgOXISNh5ibuxYduYqhg0aTwatlxlvjVBce88GYsKkvaSo0W-V_53BP15U/s400/DSC01583.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forum</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNobdI0ODI5vlUkHJ3r8WtvWAWj0e1E_AbuqBjKdlsRNnrW7zWnHJmxIFfXJVsujIHnnEmXOWiSSBKgcPLtr42uahdOTXmXq5cJ3_LBmCrVORAjh5B-svfxV5ebOLTpjfgeZ3qGE86UU/s1600/DSC01589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNobdI0ODI5vlUkHJ3r8WtvWAWj0e1E_AbuqBjKdlsRNnrW7zWnHJmxIFfXJVsujIHnnEmXOWiSSBKgcPLtr42uahdOTXmXq5cJ3_LBmCrVORAjh5B-svfxV5ebOLTpjfgeZ3qGE86UU/s400/DSC01589.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vittorio Emmanuele II Monument<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11CuYqFE8xDnSvQunt_grIwrmTfP_tb6ZlPbJUqAJ-KEeZWLvlPShDWNlHOVEGYq2by4ejDHf2U1zZdc4kxpeAgUEPfYKkQt8sPJw9EnI9Fsgugs7lzLnsl-Y7ZKdM7Ja4aIH50GyOYo/s1600/DSC01608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11CuYqFE8xDnSvQunt_grIwrmTfP_tb6ZlPbJUqAJ-KEeZWLvlPShDWNlHOVEGYq2by4ejDHf2U1zZdc4kxpeAgUEPfYKkQt8sPJw9EnI9Fsgugs7lzLnsl-Y7ZKdM7Ja4aIH50GyOYo/s320/DSC01608.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pantheon</td></tr>
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We headed over to the Pantheon and walked through it. One thing the kids noticed was that </div>
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there is a hole at the top of the dome. We asked a guide what happened when it rained and he said that the rain comes in but that there are 22 holes in the floor that collect the water and funnels it outside. We also found out that originally the dome was lined in bronze and that the bronze had been removed to be used at St. Peter's Basilica. We walked over to the Trevi Fountain and as luck would have it, it was not on and there was maintenance work happening. So for now I am 0 for 2 on the Trevi Fountain. The first time I saw it 25 years ago ( when I was 3, haha), half of the fountain was covered in scaffolding. At this point, we were all hungry and stopped at a restaurant for a bite to eat. All of it was delicious. It was really hard to pick so we got a few things and shared. Everyone got to try some of everything and we loved it all. We had pizza, seafood risotto, lasagna, and osso bucco. Yum. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3IQEc9ea-byZRqi4dr5hxL8N7Y9pJNUar5o8rmlOwqUJ7IVhWbGQ5oQIhnpejOltAI6RXbYshCuQogaqEq0q4mOfzQVSM8ajY6eF6_s4evSuqCZ1C85yZ1lf33vnRI5lQdyQh1cwtHw/s1600/DSC01593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3IQEc9ea-byZRqi4dr5hxL8N7Y9pJNUar5o8rmlOwqUJ7IVhWbGQ5oQIhnpejOltAI6RXbYshCuQogaqEq0q4mOfzQVSM8ajY6eF6_s4evSuqCZ1C85yZ1lf33vnRI5lQdyQh1cwtHw/s400/DSC01593.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to Pantheon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRHdwd-54KPoKUZ66HvXPYgzfVM19q6K15c5tkvEl8zXUGXfgbdxQkmOszfTFscNrXxfFG8ocQOzgvHpi6kyhpDegxmEoa7vIxAXE4DKgn53OubvggKKfv0WxWHs3jaZZaRBO9QXAVEU/s1600/DSC01610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRHdwd-54KPoKUZ66HvXPYgzfVM19q6K15c5tkvEl8zXUGXfgbdxQkmOszfTFscNrXxfFG8ocQOzgvHpi6kyhpDegxmEoa7vIxAXE4DKgn53OubvggKKfv0WxWHs3jaZZaRBO9QXAVEU/s400/DSC01610.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trevi Fountain - Under repairs</td></tr>
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The following day we had devoted to the Vatican City. We took the metro and walked towards St. Peter's Basilica. We were constantly bombarded by people telling us to get tickets to skip the line, or go to the Vatican museum first, because the wait was 3 hours long. We ignored them all and continued towards St Peter's. We got in line and waited a full 5 minutes to go through the security check and dropped the stroller off into stroller parking and walked right into the Basilica, no special ticket needed. Once inside we just all stood there for several minutes not moving, but just looking all around us at the immense size and beauty. Both Justin and I had been to St Peter's before, but it still took our breaths away. The kids took a hold of our camera and stated clicking away at what they thought was photo worthy. I think we have over a hundred pictures of just the inside. Danielle even commented that it was so pretty she couldn't decided what to look at first. We walked around and headed towards dome and looked up. It is so amazing to see the scale and grandeur of this dome. We all just stood there for some time looking up and were dazzled by the beauty. I was trying to imagine how each stone was placed with such accuracy. We stayed in the Basilica for about an hour walking around and enjoying its splendor. The last thing we saw before we left was Michelangelo's Pieta, the sculpture of Jesus' body on the lap of his mother Mary. This was a highlight for me. We ventured back outside into the piazza, took a few pictures, and took in the view. Then we headed towards the Vatican Museum. On our way we stopped for my mandatory gelato and I got my new favorite flavor cioccolato arancione (orange chocolate), man this is soooo good. We knew that with the 4 kids it would be impossible to be at the museum for an extended period of time, so we had decided to hit some of the major things to see. We headed first to the Sistine Chapel. Well, this is a much harder place to get to then we had expected. They wind you through room after room of the museum and with the massive amount of tours going on it is very difficult to navigate. I had Eden in her stroller and I was surprised at how many people jumped, bumped and pushed the stroller just to get themselves one inch forward. I finally lost my politeness and started to reprimand some of these rude people. Most looked sheepish and apologetic once I said something to them, but not all. Some people just blew past like it was normal. By the time we got to the Sistine Chapel we had seen a lot more of the museum then we had previously expected, which was very nice. Once inside we stood in the middle and looked at the paintings. Joel noticed his name one one of the paintings. He was very excited about that. Danielle found the name Daniel and that pleased her. We all had our favorite parts but by far we enjoyed "The Creation of Adam" the most. You see so many pictures of it and to be able to see the original piece, in its original setting it truly amazing and beautiful. We even saw a security guard approach a couple who had taken a photo, watch as he had them delete it, and then ask them to leave. After being in the chapel for some time, we headed back through the maze of the rooms and saw the rest of the items on our list. We ended with Bramante spiral staircase. I was told by security to take the elevator with Eden while the rest of the gang took this interesting staircase down. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Peter's Basilica</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JbxdWmJXPHdgmcaDVXXlEfp0qUcxL-PTYl6CBOZU-xqRMUuj6ljFBlVRMTKaG9IAgSIeHfaABsLilDsQy_42PX-kEs4xu_omPUaa90rRmguBmaK8AvTd1J1rj_7iVSM0-0VHSG7vIVQ/s1600/DSC01701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JbxdWmJXPHdgmcaDVXXlEfp0qUcxL-PTYl6CBOZU-xqRMUuj6ljFBlVRMTKaG9IAgSIeHfaABsLilDsQy_42PX-kEs4xu_omPUaa90rRmguBmaK8AvTd1J1rj_7iVSM0-0VHSG7vIVQ/s640/DSC01701.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Peter's</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ceiling in the Vatican Museum</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Custom Magnum Ice Cream</td></tr>
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The next day we headed to Piazza de Spagna and walked down the main corso towards the Castle Saint Angelo. It was quite hot, and along the way we found a Magnum store(as in the ice cream bars). They custom make your ice cream bar. Well, Justin is a huge Magnum bar fan, so we stopped and got him a custom ice cream bar. It was great and it was fun watching him eat this treat. We walked along the Tiber River and took in the sites. We headed over to the Piazza Navona and watched a few artist and street performers. We picked up a few souvenirs and walked towards the train station. Along the way we had some lunch and again stopped for gelato, orange chocolate, yum. Before getting to the train station we had one last stop at St. Maria Maggiore. This church is the 4th largest in Rome and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The entire ceiling of the church is gilded in gold. We were all surprised to see how ornate the church was. Not only is it gilded in gold but the artwork is all brightly colored. It was so beautiful. Once we finished our tour of the church we headed over to the train station to catch our train back to Ficulle. We had a truly amazing and wonderful time in Rome.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVWEBpHUIJbV3xkmkWb5QMaIu129PFHlGnmNDAvn1yJrPsUaFMw8O3Uw3x4TWiRNlugvM15MBKPbimDpfTpKhbk7xiJzY55pzNKz_DsMxnLsPMoZqCqOHAMr5ANFHH6NMsCc3SaW5MzE/s1600/DSC01743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVWEBpHUIJbV3xkmkWb5QMaIu129PFHlGnmNDAvn1yJrPsUaFMw8O3Uw3x4TWiRNlugvM15MBKPbimDpfTpKhbk7xiJzY55pzNKz_DsMxnLsPMoZqCqOHAMr5ANFHH6NMsCc3SaW5MzE/s400/DSC01743.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of the Spanish Steps</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXsZWwSRv-FSCnacu54wq7kJ_yG38MIyHRou5c_KZjM3ZSfqqcIBbm-AvMTkHo4-yg6OWz0Fq7Ij-YPiRZ4PMZB69DHO5pCCAxvYeA1xjk5Hzz9VWOPwApWUqvdjWHCOnbExZCHXjuEk/s1600/DSC01618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXsZWwSRv-FSCnacu54wq7kJ_yG38MIyHRou5c_KZjM3ZSfqqcIBbm-AvMTkHo4-yg6OWz0Fq7Ij-YPiRZ4PMZB69DHO5pCCAxvYeA1xjk5Hzz9VWOPwApWUqvdjWHCOnbExZCHXjuEk/s400/DSC01618.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fountain in the Piazza de Spagna</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynMTsjnEYxUm0oYK8T9Gb1It84yiw0lWgFU7yn2OBfed2p-Z2xcEH1swXO9qiobQiz_PFHMfb5YZVnUME2_eYa6hNLw1RlpOG0GjGXqjyIVtXOxUE0Fm5kn-T7r-5f3L5fV0G7_1nKlI/s1600/DSC01745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynMTsjnEYxUm0oYK8T9Gb1It84yiw0lWgFU7yn2OBfed2p-Z2xcEH1swXO9qiobQiz_PFHMfb5YZVnUME2_eYa6hNLw1RlpOG0GjGXqjyIVtXOxUE0Fm5kn-T7r-5f3L5fV0G7_1nKlI/s400/DSC01745.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street Performers signing Opera</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Castle Saint Angelo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJoEBC7hpoEceUCEV9f6lURyW4o-FiNdi2Soz6M8rVjHMmTjffYDgvTTc6b929zAG76oBPJnb3QtBwqktq4kTwQVov7H-ZiGgadlxRoWEDI6Evn0HfFyOcv6hl-R0VUBJTCrgPbyKmQk/s1600/DSC01769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJoEBC7hpoEceUCEV9f6lURyW4o-FiNdi2Soz6M8rVjHMmTjffYDgvTTc6b929zAG76oBPJnb3QtBwqktq4kTwQVov7H-ZiGgadlxRoWEDI6Evn0HfFyOcv6hl-R0VUBJTCrgPbyKmQk/s400/DSC01769.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piazza Navona</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNiYs-h8x-KetOwlaOgyp1sWg3b0P5WpHlFgttjrleZw_CaDMqo82gT3_-sKI6yHRdA3GFHJuRT4L_jV6UfEWHwH_s7_QuyhbX8j-4gtvlkl0u3ksnqnT3kHh3wA8uxkKRnZ3vBS9ASZI/s1600/DSC01778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNiYs-h8x-KetOwlaOgyp1sWg3b0P5WpHlFgttjrleZw_CaDMqo82gT3_-sKI6yHRdA3GFHJuRT4L_jV6UfEWHwH_s7_QuyhbX8j-4gtvlkl0u3ksnqnT3kHh3wA8uxkKRnZ3vBS9ASZI/s400/DSC01778.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">St. Maria Maggiore</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Couple of side notes: There are a lot of street vendors in Rome selling anything from selfie sticks to flowers to these gooey balls for kids. It is very annoying to be harassed every few steps. Anyway, why would I need a selfie stick, I am traveling with 4 kids that could take a picture of ME in front of anything.</span><br />
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Also, I have discovered a new European diet, eat as much croissants, pasta, pizza, gelato, paella you want and walk 30 miles a week and you too will lose weight. I have dropped an entire dress size and a few inches from my waist! Woo hoo!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch at Mami's enjoying pizza and calzones</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caleb next to his dream bike; the Ducati Monster</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-50408722504687069352015-09-14T07:44:00.000-07:002015-10-07T12:30:02.042-07:00Umbria, Italy<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3ogxqYpobxfPK-eyjnWDRAGvKzCqUBUqbMYLmiqJqHFSIet5uKUDDmFaVDWnuZdSFhb1NMPUb5wsYr9i-cQBTPkQWwH6gFxySIL110w-vCjbwAFhkedJsxG9fsVcO8doy1Trj3jib60/s1600/DSC01449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3ogxqYpobxfPK-eyjnWDRAGvKzCqUBUqbMYLmiqJqHFSIet5uKUDDmFaVDWnuZdSFhb1NMPUb5wsYr9i-cQBTPkQWwH6gFxySIL110w-vCjbwAFhkedJsxG9fsVcO8doy1Trj3jib60/s320/DSC01449.JPG" width="189" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Caleb making sure the leaning tower <br />
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We drove to Umbria, Italy on Eden's third birthday. Along the way we took a small detour to Pisa to visit the leaning tower. I tried looking up the tower on our beloved GPS, Daniel, as a point of interest. Well as luck would have it you need to know the Italian name, which I did not. Fortunately, while driving along the freeway into Pisa, I spotted it in the distance. I tried navigating Justin towards a rough direction of the tower and due to Caleb's stealth eyes he spotted a sign indicating the direction to go. We followed the sign until we encountered some street vendors who told us we could not park any closer, but showed us an open spot along the road. Once situated we walked over to the square and visited the tower. The kids were fascinated by the tilt. We took the required "holding up the tower" pictures and ventured back to the car to continue the drive to Umbria. Once we arrived the first thing Eden wanted to do was go swimming in the pool. We all did. We rented a place that is a few kilometers outside a very small town called Ficulle. It is a country house with a pool. In fact, the kitchen is located in a separate building. I thought this might be inconvenient, in actuality it is not. </div>
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For the next few days we took it easy and stayed at the house enjoying the beautiful weather and the pool. At first Eden was pretty hesitant about going in (remember the Antibes beach incident) and over the next few days she became bolder, to the point that now she jumps along the steps of the pool and dunks her face in saying, "Mommy, watch me swim!"</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danielle at the Pool</td></tr>
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Once settled into a routine, Justin and I started home schooling the kids. We have a great daily schedule that includes math, reading, writing, phys ed, coding, cooking, and will soon add science. The history part we have incorporated with the places we are visiting, having them read and learn about the different sites they have and will see. They are learning a lot in this regard, they seem to enjoy being able to experience it firsthand.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGqJoOtP4J-lQXjG_ZpS48bMOnoi7ew2ZDpn7O9zJwQ2H0gnpptLlqR93Iwxg5BxqPxosLR3D1J3QP_zGvJk7Jfkk0SC6UcyF_sOziE9TCtYxIDRWhCzgN2Ri5AVme9DHzFrvwQdX6dE/s1600/IMG_1011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGqJoOtP4J-lQXjG_ZpS48bMOnoi7ew2ZDpn7O9zJwQ2H0gnpptLlqR93Iwxg5BxqPxosLR3D1J3QP_zGvJk7Jfkk0SC6UcyF_sOziE9TCtYxIDRWhCzgN2Ri5AVme9DHzFrvwQdX6dE/s400/IMG_1011.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids doing school work on their Microsoft Surfaces</td></tr>
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Our first venture out was to visit the area closer to "home". Our host Shana told us that she was planning on going to the large weekly market in Chianciano. We followed her in our car and then explored the market. After the market we went to a great restaurant, that again Shana recommended, called Frattoria Pulcino. It has a fantastic view and the food was delicious. We had amazing pasta and polenta with a savory meat sauce and garlic sauce. Then we got some tiramisu and panna cotta. All with great wine from the region. Here is a tip that came from my dad and has been spot on everywhere; get the wine from that specific area it will always be awesome and affordable. Very true all over Europe. After our wonderful meal we headed towards Montepulciano, parked the car and wandered the streets after an encounter with the kids park. Everywhere we go Eden always asks to go to the park. Give the kid a slide or swing and she is on cloud 9 for the rest of the day. The quaint streets are lined with shops and restaurants. Of course, gelato was on the list of things to get and so we did. It was amazing. You can add this to Eden's cloud 9 list. Parks and ice cream what else can a three year old want. We visited a couple of churches and as we were walking back it started to rain. Once we got to the car it was a complete downpour. We had planned on continuing on to Pienza, again suggested by Shana, but decided to take a drive to Lago Trasimeno. We had a great drive. Justin braved the downpour to go out and look at the lake, the rest of us stayed dry in the car.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montepulciano</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_NrzSUpLF5aoY6qYrsv3rIYlr9lYQVynJDvhAsR0WRbW8p92nce3UyD43VJIL21u_qs-01QugOu_A_zUAW41ZHcfY98yisjGh-w3GJbte8ts31q-t80Br0QjXoqXfr9dPOm1LPme8rQ/s1600/IMG_1003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_NrzSUpLF5aoY6qYrsv3rIYlr9lYQVynJDvhAsR0WRbW8p92nce3UyD43VJIL21u_qs-01QugOu_A_zUAW41ZHcfY98yisjGh-w3GJbte8ts31q-t80Br0QjXoqXfr9dPOm1LPme8rQ/s400/IMG_1003.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Tuscan Hills from Montepulciano at the Frattoria Pulcino restaurant</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjBojlUGXHJgWiFLxZ8sMVjqHcW7H9P2M9ylV5_EZhhZ-xiD6Fle0dqRYW5CLyyFx7xPUuHbr5kBVbB0MsIKOgW9wC1qBnrdcc6WBwLH6XNfYvXrojDjylb-Y9rulLIn_IdkqtrMQUG8/s1600/Monte.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihjBojlUGXHJgWiFLxZ8sMVjqHcW7H9P2M9ylV5_EZhhZ-xiD6Fle0dqRYW5CLyyFx7xPUuHbr5kBVbB0MsIKOgW9wC1qBnrdcc6WBwLH6XNfYvXrojDjylb-Y9rulLIn_IdkqtrMQUG8/s400/Monte.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alley in Montepulciano</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPaHjPK1BBzjn7WDKvTobTU9M3tt0YywOaa9nqBvbs1KdMQzpUTYg0M03ryVS6eyp6t5jvg93TZ8VOkje5JlpLBEI0h05g9Ylzl900zaFB0zzNrcU7JpZIWrI3M0ZLgZK2lyb5YoLQqbM/s1600/IMG_1009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPaHjPK1BBzjn7WDKvTobTU9M3tt0YywOaa9nqBvbs1KdMQzpUTYg0M03ryVS6eyp6t5jvg93TZ8VOkje5JlpLBEI0h05g9Ylzl900zaFB0zzNrcU7JpZIWrI3M0ZLgZK2lyb5YoLQqbM/s400/IMG_1009.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chiesa Sant'Agostino Montepulciano</td></tr>
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A few days later we visited Orvieto. I had done some research and saw that they had a funicular that you could ride up instead of trying to park in the small city. Much to Eden's delight we rode it up and took the bus to the main square, Piazza Duomo. We grabbed a quick bit to eat at a restaurant called Al San Francesco. They had this beef and potato dish that was so savory and delicious. Caleb, Joel, Danielle and I all got an espresso to round out the meal. We took a tour of the underground caverns in Orvieto that had been constructed in 600 BC by the Etruscans. The tunnels and caverns were in use and expanded upon until World War II. We learned a few interesting facts and here are a few of the ones that the kids liked best. Danielle and Joel -- If you buy a house in old Orvieto, it comes with its own cave, maybe even a few. Caleb -- Some of the caves were used for raising pigeons, to eat not send messages. This practice was stopped by one of the popes because the pigeon feces had gotten so high outside of the windows that he wanted to stop merchants from climbing up the poop towers and smuggling in goods without paying taxes. Caleb wondered why they just didn't clean up the poop towers instead of stopping pigeon production? Good question. After the tour we headed over to the cathedral. This cathedral has been dubbed the "Golden Lily of Italy" since the facade is so ornate. After our visit we wandered around the city and walked along the charming streets. Found a park and had gelato, Eden was thrilled. It was a truly amazing day. I love the views of the countryside. This is a truly extraordinary place. The vegetation is lush, with rolling hills and stunning sunsets. It is absolutely perfect. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cave in Orvieto</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3Td5Q3CALuydItMJvfgRQ4bWAhCDApfmqXq1uvFB3czaG8r4QgtqR5UxSAooQCgl8r_FYede8R4IBRd-lDLMHN2Oia7xDMXp7MC3VcKEjHeNLsx1u6iQxcriX-scX9hJAqRzbeS2NW8/s1600/IMG_1594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3Td5Q3CALuydItMJvfgRQ4bWAhCDApfmqXq1uvFB3czaG8r4QgtqR5UxSAooQCgl8r_FYede8R4IBRd-lDLMHN2Oia7xDMXp7MC3VcKEjHeNLsx1u6iQxcriX-scX9hJAqRzbeS2NW8/s400/IMG_1594.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caleb and Joel in cave. Pigeon holes in the background</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuW-slQBvmwhcEeBU6IHeG1Wp5YDruBL97knrs4xXMWfgkwhl0YUJKo-HLxbiyQ4uF65TW-zeCxw2l7qZz20iU5LzE7NDOp2O45X9Ii4Ra-SXwAfgo5JhkI7iQ0cdFcIY6xE8k6d3HadI/s1600/IMG_1015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuW-slQBvmwhcEeBU6IHeG1Wp5YDruBL97knrs4xXMWfgkwhl0YUJKo-HLxbiyQ4uF65TW-zeCxw2l7qZz20iU5LzE7NDOp2O45X9Ii4Ra-SXwAfgo5JhkI7iQ0cdFcIY6xE8k6d3HadI/s400/IMG_1015.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orvieto Duomo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDp7p6UT1O79RfTHXeg0bNlVV-LnmSp-eQeNZufYDhV0N-RLAYxh5KVWUGq0XLg-oNVXwJeq2K2wERCYbbOqxQpq7qqT1elHvWIgWR5tB26yorHkr6gF3X-9q7OX99ZC5mnaxHJaG5ngY/s1600/IMG_1021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDp7p6UT1O79RfTHXeg0bNlVV-LnmSp-eQeNZufYDhV0N-RLAYxh5KVWUGq0XLg-oNVXwJeq2K2wERCYbbOqxQpq7qqT1elHvWIgWR5tB26yorHkr6gF3X-9q7OX99ZC5mnaxHJaG5ngY/s400/IMG_1021.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of surrounding area from Orvieto</td></tr>
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Our next adventure included Perugia, Assisi and Todi. First stop Perugia. I had Justin park the car in a specific place because I had read that you could take an escalator to the city while passing through an area called Rocca Paolino. After frustrating directions Justin successfully navagated us to the correct parking lot. I will say the first couple of escalators were rather disappointing and I was starting to lose hope until we got on the third escalotor and about midway through looked up and saw the underground city. This place was used as a defensive place for the city. It incorporated 4 churches 1 dungeon, and around 400 homes all connected by tunnels. The entire city is underground. Most of it was destroyed once the city united to become present day Perugia, but a small area still exists. We walked through the tunnels and got to visit a few of the remaining structures. It is incredible to see an entire city underground. Once we completed this area we took one last escalator to the city above. We walked over to the Piazza Republica and had lunch at Cafe Blu. We walked over to the main Piazza and saw the duomo. We wandered past over to an old aquaduct that has been turned into a walkway. We walked along towards the university. The views were great of the city itself. So this whole time we had been gradually going down and there was a particular street I wanted to go back up. Well, that street was closed due to road work. We ended up taking the street over which Justin had to push Eden in the stroller up the steep, winding road. Once at the top we celebrated his efforts with gelato. We walked over to the square that we started at and over to the whispering walls. I had read about this online and had kept this a secret too. So what you need to do is have one person stand in a corner and the other person stand in the opposite corner, look up slightly and while facing the wall whisper your message to the wall. The person on the opposite side should be able to hear the message clear as a bell. Well much to our amusement it worked. We all took turns trying it out. The legend says that you are supposed to whisper words of love and if the other hears the love will endure. Thank goodness Justin heard me. Whew!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Underground city Rocca Paolino</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the old aquaduct in Perugia</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPN5-OhTDdNXQqDQBGTsFWGzL3ijfzkkHYashwyMOKyrmoyS6_B-LKSzjO1QYJEYuF6kmXKiKrQLuvOPwTlHdj-MaWSIRvPKgYfExFK9REqfAhvPp8tiawNFKKel1lKON56EfutGtiwCo/s1600/DSC01504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPN5-OhTDdNXQqDQBGTsFWGzL3ijfzkkHYashwyMOKyrmoyS6_B-LKSzjO1QYJEYuF6kmXKiKrQLuvOPwTlHdj-MaWSIRvPKgYfExFK9REqfAhvPp8tiawNFKKel1lKON56EfutGtiwCo/s400/DSC01504.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from a high vantage point in Perugia</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eden enjoying a daily gelatto (always strawberry flavored) under the "Hotel Eden" sign in Perugia</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whispering wall in Perugia</td></tr>
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After we headed to Assisi since it is just a short car ride away. We walked through the town towards the Basilica San Francesco. We spent a good amount of time walking through the upper and lower church. We read the story of St Francis of Assisi to the kids and were all surprised to find out that Brother Elias and his posse took St. Francis' body during the funeral procession and laid him to rest in the lower church were he still lies. Brother Elias did this because he believed that St. Francis would not have liked the elaborate ceremony that had been planned saying that St. Francis gave everything of himself without ever wanting anything in return. On our way back through the city we took a turn onto Via Montecavallo and saw the most extraordinary thing. All along the street are white "sheets" hanging from lines, but these are not ordinary sheets. These "sheets" are canvasses with the faces of different people on them, We could not figure out what it was about even though we asked a few people, but it was one of the neatest things. We all contemplated what it was about and came up with a few theories. Thinking it was most likely one of two: either the faces of people that lived on the street, or the faces of people that had been important in the city. It was one of my favorite things.</div>
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Once back at the car we loaded up and headed to Todi. We got there later then expected and grabbed some of the last slices of pizza at one of the few places still open. The funny thing was that the husband of the couple who owned the restaurant had put a couple of margarita slices off to the side for his dinner and the wife was not happy about that because all that was left was potato and onion, which we were fine with. Well, once we were sitting outside to eat the wife brought us the margarita slices free of charge. I kind of chuckled because I could see that the husband was pretty upset about it. We told her we didn't need them but she insisted. All of the pizza was good and by the time we left Eden had charmed him and he was not upset anymore. We walked around just for a little and headed back home.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basilica San Francesco</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White sheets with portraits on them lining a small street in Assisi</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-33325294207890587332015-09-03T09:34:00.000-07:002015-09-03T09:34:27.070-07:00French Riviera<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fireworks in Antibes</td></tr>
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We left Barcelona and drove towards Antibes, France, arriving late in the evening. Antibes is nestled in the French Riviera between Nice and Cannes. We needed to wait about 30 minutes to get the key and luckily found a pizzeria very close to the apartment. So, we parked and had a couple of delicious pizzas for dinner. This restaurant in particular was located in a somewhat residential area and although they had a few tables and chairs I think it was set up more for waiting for your pizza then for staying and eating there. The owners were very nice and set us up giving Eden a plate and fork and knife so I could cut up her slice. Once finished we headed to the apartment and picked up the key. Justin, Caleb, Joel and Danielle walked towards the shore and got to watch a fireworks show that the pizzeria owners had told us about. We still have no idea why they had the fireworks, but they all had a great time. </div>
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The following day we were off to the beach. We drove down to the sea shore and started our hunt for parking. I seem to always get lucky so I told Justin to take the kids and set up at the beach and I would circle around for a spot. Now, I have quite a reputation with being able to get a "primo" spot very quickly, I think I have my mother's parking luck for sure. Well, the parking fates were with me because not only did I get a spot in under 5 minutes but the size of the stall (this was a parking lot without lines kind of place) was huge, and by huge I am talking American standards huge. It could have easily parked a normal size US SUV or 2 Fiats. Then after the former parking spot possessor pulled out and I pulled in (in one move, because of the stall size and my skills) the former driver got out of his car and handed me his parking stub. He told me that he had paid and still had 5 hours left on the stub so he gave it to me. So, not only did I get a HUGE spot in under 5 minutes it was free!! Oh, and did I mention that it was about 25 meters from the beach. Yes, the parking fates were again on my side, "primo". Once I finished sharing my good fortune with Justin, well ok, let's call it a little bit of bragging, we enjoyed a wonderful time at the beach. The water was nice and the sand was perfect for castles, so much so that the boys built a castle with a whole village and an observatory. For some reason Eden did not want to go in the water but we took her in anyway. She had quite the fit and after some crying and persuading we took her out of the water and she stopped crying. I really felt as though someone might have thought that we were hurting her as opposed to trying to get her to enjoy the lovely Mediterranean Sea.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eden is getting big, or the old Fiat 500 is small</td></tr>
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The following day we drove along the coast towards Grimaud. The drive was absolutely stunning. The color of the sea and the cliffs were magnificent. Grimaud is a little less known town just east of St. Tropez. We spent some time at the beach. Justin rented a paddleboard for the kids. I was extremely impressed with Caleb. He jumped right on and got up immediately. He paddled around for some time before switching off. Joel paddled around on his knees got up a few times and easily maneuvered around the bay. Danielle also gave it a shot but was a little more cautious. Justin and I tried also, but we were both unable to stand due to the board being sized better to suit the kids. During our time at the beach a vendor came by selling chocolate beignets and ice cream. We got some to snack on and it sure did hit the spot. After the beach we headed into St. Tropez to walk around and grab some dinner. We bought some sandwiches and drinks and had dinner sitting on a bench near the marina while a street performer made the biggest bubbles I have ever seem. These bubbles delighted the kids while they chased them and tried to pop each one. The man even sent some Eden's way so she had a chance to pop a few. After we ate we walked along the marina and looked at all of the luxurious yachts. I was surprised at how many there were. While there we even got to watch one of the yachts back into a rather slim slip flawlessly. Very impressive. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the beach in Grimaud</td></tr>
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The following day we decide to stay at the apartment and take a break from the sun. I took my boys to a local hairdresser and got their hair cut. Joel was the only one bold enough to sport a new style, cutting his hair rather short with the front getting spiked up. Very cool. Danielle and I headed to the store to pick up a cake for Eden's 3rd birthday. Justin went and picked up some pizzas for dinner and much to our surprise found out that George Clooney makes them. His picture is the face on the pizza guy on the box. Now we saw the owners of the pizzeria and by no means do either of them even resemble George Clooney in the least. We all had a great laugh over this. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pizza Box cover</td></tr>
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Although Eden was born on August 29th, we decided to celebrate her birthday a day earlier, because we would be driving all day on her birthday. Justin had found a place called Marineland online so we decided that it would be fun for Eden to have a day playing at the waterpark and then being able to watch the shows and the marine animals. Eden had the best time playing at each of the kid zones. She kept running over saying, "I love the baby dragon!" It was, by the way, an octopus. I guess we can use her 3's to work on recognizing animals and creatures. There were a few bigger slides that we could take her on, so we decided to try them out. We went on a ride called Soft. She and I rode down and Eden laughed and said she wanted to do it again. So later in the day we headed back to Soft with the rest of the kiddos. Justin decided he would ride down with Eden and the kids decided that the rest of us needed to race each other down. So not being one to back away from a challenge I said "you're on". Soft is a slide that you ride down on a tube. While in line I observed as others came down using different techniques and by far the faster ones came down lying on their stomachs on the tube. So of course I was going to try that. We all lined up and Justin gave us the signal to go. Off we went. I didn't even see how the kids can down because I was flying down the slide at such a fast pace that I started to lose my balance that my feet, knees and elbow touched the side of the Soft slide and ripped the skin right off. I did land in the pool of water first, but my victory was abandoned due to the searing pain I was feeling. I got out of the pool and looked down to see patches of skin missing on several locations. Now some of you might remember that before leaving Colorado Justin fell off the alpine slide and ripped the skin off of his knees, elbows legs, and ear. Well, as luck would have it this is what I had just done but to a much smaller degree than Justin. I walked over to the Med station and the first thing the guy said was "Soft?" He cleaned out my wounds and handed me a few lovely kiddie band aids for later. Needless to say, I was sidelined after that. Any time my wounds hit the water I had the worst burning sensation I have ever felt. Now when Justin had hurt himself I felt horrible for him because I could see how terrible it looked and how badly he was hurting. But after this I feel even worse because now I understand to a certain degree how horrible it really feels. (By the way, Justin still has one scab left from his injury) After the waterpark we headed over to the Marine park and watched a few shows and looked around at the marine animals. Once back at the apartment we had Eden's birthday cake, sang her happy birthday and opened her gifts. She got a hot pink dress up that she has worn everyday since. Justin and I even let her wear it for her entire birthday while we drove to Italy. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eden sliding down the "Baby Dragon"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eden at the water park.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goofing off at Marineland</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dolphin Show<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy 3rd Birthday Eden!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Princess Dress-Up</td></tr>
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During our drive to Italy we stopped in Monaco and drove the route of the Grand Prix track. It was amazing at how many supercars were driving around here. The Yachts in the harbor were very ritzy too. We stopped and got ice cream. Eden got quite a few comments and lots of giggles as she walked the streets of Monaco in her birthday dress up. She was tickled pink with the attention.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boys in front of a section of the Grand Prix route when a Ferrari 458 drives by</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A McLaren near the harbor in Monaco</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05835731877252915436noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167952068748194532.post-50701287296424637622015-08-23T13:40:00.001-07:002015-08-23T13:40:54.561-07:00Barcelona<br />
As mentioned in the last post, we decided to stay at a country house near Barcelona rather than in the city itself. The house is about an hour and a half from Barcelona and in a very quiet and wooded area. There is a river (Riera Merles) that runs adjacent to the property that provided many opportunities to swim in the natural pools and jump off the nearby rocks. There were cows with bells on their necks grazing in the pastures which created a very melodic jingling. In summary it was very peaceful and a good change of pace from the hustle and bustle of the city. The hosts at our house were a very nice couple, Marta and Climent. They live on the upper floor while we rented out the lower two levels of their house. It was a huge space and very comfortable. <br />
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One of our bucket list items for Spain was to eat paella. Personally, my intrigue with the dish started many years ago when it was mentioned in a Seinfeld episode. Jerry's parents were supposed to go have dinner at George's parents where Estelle was making paella. <br />
<br /><em><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"> GEORGE: You know my mother made all this Paella.<br /><br /> JERRY: What is that anyway?<br /><br /> GEORGE: It's a Spanish dish. It's a mélange of fish, an meat with rice. Very tasty.</span></em><br />
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Anyways, we lucked out in our pursuit of paella as our hostess Marta is a Michelin star chef and graciously agreed to make paella for us. She set up an enormous pan on a burner outside. She added mussels, clams, calamari, sausage, and pork spare ribs to go along with the rice and vegetables. It turned out fantastic. It was so delicious! This is definitely something we are going to need to try to make ourselves in the future.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joel checking out the paella</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the paella near the creek with Marta, Climent and their friends</td></tr>
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The highlight of our stay here for the kids was playing in the river. It was really cool how the river had many waterfalls and then pools underneath that made for a prime location to jump of the rocks and then swim. We stayed on many of the lower jumps but Climent showed us a spot where there was a 7 meter jump. It seemed pretty high as we watched Marta's daughters plunge into the water. None of us got the courage to try it. Out of curiosity, I looked up the record for the <a href="https://youtu.be/j5uXL4w90yU" target="_blank">highest jump</a> and found this guy did a 59 meter jump in Switzerland. Crazy!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danielle swimming in one of the many natural pool on the Riera de Merles</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joel's jump</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danielle's Jump</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caleb's Jump</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids catching fish and then watching them swim the pool they made for them</td></tr>
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We spent two days in Barcelona visiting the sights. I think the most remarkable thing for me was to see La Sagrada Familia church in it's very unique Gaudi style. The construction on the church started in 1882 and isn't planned to be completed until 2026 which will be 100 years after Gaudi's death. I bet that my brother (who is an architect who designs and builds homes) would be envious to have even one year let alone 144!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Sagrada Familia</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arc deTriomf (Paris isn't the only city with an Arc of Triumph)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblGtTP7qfGnystQNHyqiDrJeow8zNLJ5bUgcoKqWq0orlobtw59J5jNii8Ljx54-0z0BnUFt5-Nesg00491-ncwNYGw-jybDQpBZNQVX2_3t93LOpOPHv5mXnx3sX0tcDXt2M7BjGvrk/s1600/IMG_0891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPeffRTnoNKQnk89L5IkIGEYn_Ow3u12OQejsAuclENSqNAZcjK-DUyhhpC7mHExjiEjWoMJ4sgYntLtL10xaaTilMtCi-VD9HWSpRDZsjrMUMExAruKMSyceKMv9zNIMuw5UguQRdbYo/s1600/IMG_0894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPeffRTnoNKQnk89L5IkIGEYn_Ow3u12OQejsAuclENSqNAZcjK-DUyhhpC7mHExjiEjWoMJ4sgYntLtL10xaaTilMtCi-VD9HWSpRDZsjrMUMExAruKMSyceKMv9zNIMuw5UguQRdbYo/s400/IMG_0894.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Placa de Catalunya</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTonuC8eSg9ivvqR07OADD_hLvBsHqm8sKiZO-XSbGxiYgbvYondlBHbavWKbiq_H_zibaXoH8CGz2W3_5qcW8szBem7wDGjJ2tQaAk9lLm9KZw96tpwsw4p5ahE_qOd5QPurcRKjI_H8/s1600/IMG_0900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTonuC8eSg9ivvqR07OADD_hLvBsHqm8sKiZO-XSbGxiYgbvYondlBHbavWKbiq_H_zibaXoH8CGz2W3_5qcW8szBem7wDGjJ2tQaAk9lLm9KZw96tpwsw4p5ahE_qOd5QPurcRKjI_H8/s400/IMG_0900.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gaudi's Casa Batllo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizO-C1vaIc_XIqJZDhBaLh0DTO8NaItEjZyIvffqJNGTqGq_qelCwkHYGvG1LqlscPW4XNbk4OvEAnvAFn_oQGwXJPfcfmQ9jY0h3tqJduNYrbjGXsEsUd9sRdIyAuSYkqvWbLy9MiN1k/s1600/DSC01313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizO-C1vaIc_XIqJZDhBaLh0DTO8NaItEjZyIvffqJNGTqGq_qelCwkHYGvG1LqlscPW4XNbk4OvEAnvAFn_oQGwXJPfcfmQ9jY0h3tqJduNYrbjGXsEsUd9sRdIyAuSYkqvWbLy9MiN1k/s400/DSC01313.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoreline of Barcelona</td></tr>
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Justin Coppinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14326525639169006698noreply@blogger.com1