Florence and Venice

After Rome, we were both overflowing with historical info, but we decided to keep on trucking up north. The train ride from Rome to Florence was one of the most beautiful two hours of my life, but a little unsettling. When we booked our tickets, the reservation fee was the same for 1st and 2nd class, so we just booked 1st class. We then boarded the train, and we felt a little out of place. We were the only people carrying backpacks and everyone else was very nicely dressed. Immediately I began to worry that we would have to pay a load of fees to upgrade from our second class Eurail passes to our first class seats that we were sitting in. Long story short, we didn't have to pay anything extra (and I don't know why), so I was happy. I'm very cheap though and wouldn't relax the whole train ride, fearing having to spend more money on something neither one of us really cared much about, but in the end, this uneasiness paid off. I stayed awake throughout the entire trip and stared out the window, mouth wide open in awe. The scenery outside our windows was magnificent. The hills of rolling farm land and rows of olive plants (I think that's what they were) was picturesque. It was so spectacular, and all I kept thinking was how badly I wanted to hop on a bike and just ride off into the distance...forever. I really had no intention of getting off the train. I was way too happy looking out at the beautiful scenery. A trip across Europe by train is the way to go.

Florence: We got to Florence in the late morning and immediately headed out for a look around town. Florence is much smaller and more charming than Rome. The streets were much less crowded, and it felt like there was a much smaller tourist population (although the locals would strongly disagree). We wandered and saw tons of statues. Meaghan went into a museum to have a look at the staue, David, and reported that is was unbelievable. The day happened to be a holiday for the locals, so there was a regatta going on, and many of the stores were closed. We sat on a wall overlooking the river and ate some bread and Nutella for lunch. It was quite a European afternoon. We made our way up a very large hill, and found ourselves at a monestary overlooking the entire city. The view from there was beyond words. The city looked so amazing, very old with an enormous cathedral in the center, and all of this surrounded by small mountains. We headed back down and Meaghan was happy to find 1€ gellato. That night there were fireworks to celebrate the holiday, and it wrapped up our short but great stay in Florence.

Venice: The train ride to Venice was just as amazing, and once we got there we started our adventures immediately. Venice is even smaller than Florence and very different. It's an island with the infamous canals throughout. The edges of the island are extremely touristy, with shops and restaurants and men trying to get you to take goldole rides. Every single building is colorful and there are flowerboxes everywhere. It is a beautiful place, but it can get a bit crazy with all of the tourists. The trick is to head to the center of the island, and it becomes very quiet. We both enjoyed wandering around through the narrow streets taking pictures of everything. Just walking through Venice is more than enough. The colors of each building are different and the canals are so cool (but the water is really, really dirty). Prices were surprisingly reasonable on the island except for the hotels. The thing that caught my attention the most was how family orriented the locals were. Wandering into the center of the island, I saw a lot of families with many generations together, all hanging out. The grandparents playing with their grandkids and entire families enjoying time together. It seemed like a lot of the families have lived there forever, passing down their properties. The Venetians seemed very much attatched to their homes, and I don't blame them. It was a pretty neat place.

Thailand it is.

The decision has been made. As of October 20, I will be living in Thailand. After months of research, applications and waiting for a response, I have finally been accepted!

A little background info for those of you that don't know, I applied to a program through the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). With this program I will be teaching high school English for a year in Bangkok. I will get paid very little, but I will get paid! I have not yet been told exactly what school I will be placed in, but I should find out relatively soon. I requested a secondary school within Bangkok, but there is always the chance I will be placed somewhere completely different.

I will leave the US on October 20 for a week of orientation in Bangkok. After that I will be transferred to my apartment and begin teaching in November, the second semester of Thai schools. I will teach until March, enjoy summer break through May, and teach again at the end of May. In total I will be away for about a year, depending on the school schedule. The school I will be teaching for will take care of my housing and CIEE will take care of all of the logisitical things, such as my visa.

After hours of careful consideration, my decision has been made, and the placement is being finalized. I'm a little scared, but mostly excited. If anyone wants to visit, I would love to have you! The airport code for Bangkok is BKK when you look up the flights... hint, hint.

By the way, if you want to know any information about the program I will be a part of the website is: http://www.ciee.org/teach/thailand/index.html

We will update with more info about Italy soon! Get excited.

Rome

Since my sister is good at giving everyone the overview, I like to give the behind the scenes. Rome is very nice, but being here has really showed me that 6 weeks is nowhere near enough time to go around Europe. After sleeping on a ferry one night and a train the next (two nights sleeping vertical is horrible) all we wanted to do was sleep, but we knew our time was limited. We ventured out, like my sister said, and took a tour. It was spectacular to see everything, but I feel like we didn't truly experience everything. We spent a couple hours in the Vatican Museum. It's the second largest museum in the world so two hours is not enough time. We saw what we could...the Sistine Chapel, and ran through other parts. It was so much amazing artwork and history. I could've spent ages in there, but Meaghan didn't seem to take much interest in the whole Vatican experience. Now we're headed off to Florence and then Venice and then finally Vienna. Both Italian cities will be brief stays where we just get a taste of what they have to offer. I don't like leaving stones left unturned, but I don't think you could fully experience Rome in 10 years. There's just too much. Hopefully once we get staying with people, we will slow down our trip and get deeper into the culture. I'd have no problem skipping out on the touristy things and just doing and seeing the things that I will get the most out of. Seeing the Colliseum today was cool, but seeing these giant structures almost gets repetative, and Macchu Pichu beats them all. I'd rather meet some cool people and take in the landscape and culture rather than ride on a tourist bus seeing monuments I've seen many times in pictures. All in all, our Europe trip has been very great, just rushed and a bit too touristy (yes, we are tourists, it's inevitable).

C is for Rome.

Well, the alphabet game didn't last very long!

This city is incredible. For one, I feel 100 times safer than I did in Athens. I am at a loss for words. Garvey and I spent the day on a city tour, and it was moving. There is something about this city that is magical. Even with the tour busses, the whizzing scooters and the thousands of people on the sidewalks, it felt like a dream. From the Trevi fountain to the Sistine Chapel to the Vatican to the Pantheon, everything was perfect!

The most amazing thing about the city is how welcoming it is. All of the restuarants and cafes spill into the streets. Everything is small and cozy. Each building is covered with rooftop gardens and window boxes. The shutters here are actually used! People really open and close their shutters!

Even in the most touristy places in the city, it would only take a few minutes to find a quiet street, a shaded bench to sit on, or a gelateria with tons of flavors. And let me tell you, the gelato is delicious. The pizza is even better. The paninis are right up there as well. Forget working on our chaco tan lines, the theme of this trip should just be food. And Italy is definitely winning.

B is for beautiful Bari.

After leaving Athens Garvey and I chose to take the ferry to Italy. We saw it as another night that we didn't have to pay for a hostel, and it sounded perfect. The trip was a total of 15 1/2 hours, and relatively painless! When we arrived in Bari, Italy the next morning, we weren't smelling too wonderful, but we did have a wonderful time.

The city was everything I could have imagined Italy to be. The small streets were lined with open cafes and gelaterias. As we walked throughout the city laundry was hanging to dry above us. The men gathered in groups in the park to play cards, while the women gossiped on the benches nearby.

Garvey and I spent the day exploring before catching the midnight train to Rome. It was a quiet Sunday in the city, and most shops were closed. It was wonderful to people watch and relax for the day. When we decided to eat lunch it began to rain. We were sitting outside under an umbrella, staying dry and thinking it might be fun to watch the storm. Within minutes the drizzle became a downpour and thunderstorm! It didn't take long for us to decide to watch the rain from inside the restaurant.

The rain soon passed and we continued to wander. We spent time in the Burger King recharging our gadgets and watching the Italy vs. Brazil game. We left the city at midnight, excited for the rest of Italy.

A is for awesome Athens.

Within moments of getting our luggage, a nice woman from South Africa was showing us exactly what bus to take to get to our hostel. She told us that while she lives in South Africa, she is "living there in exile." She said her heart is in Athens. I couldnt wait to explore!

While our hostel wasnt in the best area, we were still able to have delicious gyros just around the corner. And while we sat, devouring our first greek meal, Garvey was offered cocaine, and 3 prostitutes paced the block.

The next morning we took a walking tour of the city. Our tour guide was a guy named Walter from South Carolina. He happened to fall in love with a Greek woman, and as he put it, he got stuck. The tour was beautiful. We saw all of the major sites of the city and then had another delicious meal with our tour group. It is fascinating to hear everyones different stories. I love learning about the people traveling, the places they are going, why they have chosen certain cities, and their advice for us. When talking to Walter about our travel plans, or lack thereof, he told us that we had basically done all of Athens. Hmm... so were we just supposed to leave?

While we didnt have the time to travel the islands extensively, we chose a one day cruise. The cruise went to Hydra, Poros and Aegina. Each island was unique and breathtaking. If there is one thing I have put on my list of things to do, it is cruise the Greek islands. Each one is so different and absolutely beautiful. The day was everything I could have dreamed, and more.

Thank goodness Athens was so interesting, because it was a little scary. While the prostitutes and drug dealers hung around our hostel, the junkies werent too far away. Two men that we met on our cruise told us that there were people laying in front of the doors to their hotel with needles stuck in their arms. Well, thank goodness we didnt stay at the Best Western! Oh, and the day after we left, there was a huge murder/ drug bust that happened in Omonia Square, one block from our hostel! Breathe, Mom. You know we are still safe!

Desert Safari Time!

I talked Garvey into it! He thought it would be silly, but I convinced him otherwise. Well, I also called to make a reservation while he was in the other room, but that is beside the point. We went on a desert safari! At around 3 in the afternoon we were picked up in a nicely air conditioned Toyota Land Cruiser (the kind of car the women in my neighborhood drive) by our driver, Mohamed, and two other people he had in the car. We picked up another couple at the apartments nearby and we were off. At first we were quiet, but an hour into the drive we began to chat. After about an hour and a half into the boring highway drive we made it to a souvenir shop! We all used the bathroom and were attacked with trinkets while Mohamed let some air out of our tires. We were about to get serious. When we piled back into the SUV we drove for about 10 more minutes before hitting the sand. It was awesome! We cruised over the sand dunes. Mohamed drove us up down and around. Plenty of times, when the dunes were steep enough, we would attempt to go up, but slide in the sand back down. I was nervous that we would flip, but once again, I laughed for the majority of the ride. The woman next to Garvey, Debs, had a much different experience. While her husband sat shotgun, she held onto Garvey for dear life. At one point she was so scared she bit him! This strange woman literally sunk her teeth into Garvey's arm! Her husband couldn't have laughed harder. Mohamed just continued to drive and turned his radio up. The radio was blasting Britney Spears. I was loving it! We took several breaks during the dune drive to visit camels and to take pictures, but the ride never stopped being fun and frightening. There were plenty of times throughout our drive that we couldn't see out of the car! The entire SUV was covered in the sand that we were kicking up! I took a video of part of the trip, and my mom will be able to post it soon. After the crazy driving was over we arrived at our Arabian Nights Camp Site with the other 10 or so SUVs from our tour group. The center of the site was a large stage surrounded by tables. The site had a falcon to take pictures with, sheesha, a full bar, henna tattoos, snacks and a place to dress up in traditional outfits. Everything was included, and Garvey was psyched! He could drink all of the Fanta he wanted for free! Before it became too dark I tried sand boarding! I also forced Garvey to ride a camel with me! Riding a camel was very similar to riding an elephant at the circus. It's pretty pointless, but you have to do it. I still remember the one time I rode an elephant at the circus with Uncle Tom and Garvey. It wasn't especially awesome, and I'm sure it cost Uncle Tom a near fortune, but I will always remember it! Once the sun set, the entertainment began! We had a real live belly dancer! She was good, and it was fun to watch, but she looked so angry! She had the meanest look on her face! She had different men come on stage with her to try belly dancing, and it was hilarious. Then she pulled me on stage... it was far less funny. I just pulled out Aunt Jane's signature move and the running man. It worked for me! Angry Belly Dancer finished her performance, and the food was served! The barbecue was delicious. And it was a buffet! I think I saw Garvey smiling by the end of the night! By about 9 pm the festivities ended and our stomachs were full, it was time to leave. We piled back into the car, pumped up Lady Gaga, and headed back to Dubai. Mohamed had filled the tires again, and he cruised along the highway. All in all it was a great day! The drive was awesome, the food was delicious, and Garvey was happy in Dubai. It was a success.

Garvey On Dubai: Part II

I'm back with a second round on Dubai from my perspective. Dubai does have some positives which I have just started to realize. After a long run tonight, I decided to go to the end of the one of the jetties and do yoga. It was a wonderful experience. It was difficult to find a focal spot where there wasn't massive buildings with bright lights, but once I was situated looking out over the Gulf, I was very content with where I was. I appreciated what Dubai had to offer instead of focusing on what it had that made me mad. At night, long after the sun has gone down, it is a very warm temperature, but a nice breeze made the air a bit more refreshing. After a great yoga session, I walked along the beach and then hopped into the ocean. The water was still very warm, but the air being cooler made it a bit more enjoyable. Being out on the beach at night is one example of a positive thing about Dubai. In Rio, we were told one rule, do NOT go on the beach at night. It just isn't safe, but here in Dubai, I have seen less than a handful of cops the entire time. There is no need to have police here because it is so safe. Dubai has almost no crime which is truly a nice thing when traveling to a foreign place. Another positive of Dubai is that all of this building and spending has created many jobs for native UAE residents who live in neighboring emirates. In this sense, having maids and building a lot is good. It puts money out into the hands of people who really need it instead of that money sitting in the bank and just gaining interest. So I guess Dubai isn't as horrible as I made it out to be in my last post. I still don't love it, but the few positives have lessened my dislike of Dubai.

I am my mother.

I have always known that I am a lot like my mom. We have the same voice, we like to walk the dogs, we have similar skin, it is harder for either of us to cry than it is for my dad, we like chick flicks, and we both usually fall asleep somewhere in the middle of them. But at Wild Wadi water park, I realized that I have become my mother. When we lived in Connecticut there were a very few times that my mom took me to Mt. Tom in the summer. It had water slides, and we absolutely loved them. My mom loved them the most. The second her tube started down a slide she giggled the entire time. She laughed until she was submerged and choking on the water in the pool at the end. She would then grab her tube and smile as she walked back up the stairs to the start of the slide. This went on all day long. My friends and I were slightly embarrassed of her, but would laugh and run away to a different slide. My mom could not have been happier.

When Garvey and I went to Wild Wadi, we got into our first tube and the jets sent us flying UP the slide! I started laughing hysterically. We were in one of the really large rafts built for 6 people, but with only two, we were sliding everywhere. I didn't stop laughing. We were then deposited into a lazy river-esque pool and floated to the start of the slide, and I giggled all the way back down. Garvey looked at me like I was crazy. For the rest of the day we rode in separate tubes.

All of the slides in the park are interconnected. You get on a tube in the middle of the lazy river and take a series of up and down slides around the park. The slides are connected by short lazy rivers where lifeguards guide your tube. The entire route takes about 20 minutes and is never quite the same. For those 20 minutes I never stopped laughing. I loved every second of it. So I went again. And again. And again. Garvey soon got bored and went on to bigger and better things. He tried the wave machines, the wave pool and other attractions. I never left my water slides. And the lifeguards knew me. They laughed as my tube shot by, or as they pushed me along to the next slide. One guy loved to high five me every time I went by. This involved him stopping the other tubers so he could jump down from his lookout post, and reach his hand across the slide for mine. As I went around for the tenth time the lifeguards became more comfortable and began to ask me questions. They wanted to know my name, where I was from, how old I was, and why I was always so happy. Khaled seemed to be most interested in me and often kept me hostage wherever he was posted. And let me tell you, it isn't easy for one to escape when being held hostage in a tube!

By the end of the day he had a place for us to meet later that night and had given me his phone number. Yes, I was asked on a date by a Wild Wadi lifeguard. He was very attractive, but Garvey refused to be my chaperone as my parents required, so I had to call him and tell him I couldn't make it. My mom said I had to call him to ensure that the US didn't get a bad name for the American girl that stood up Khaled.

Moral of the story: if you ever happen to be in Dubai, go to Wild Wadi! The water slides are awesome and the lifeguards aren't half bad. And, if you ever go to a water park with me, or my mother, be prepared for a lot of laughing.

Dubai from Garvey's Point of View

So I read Meaghan's post and she said a lot about Dubai, but I have a lot to say as well. I was on the phone with my mom telling her what I'm about to say below, and she told me this is the sort of stuff I should be posting. Meaghan and I can work as a team for this blog. Meaghan writes the happy positive stuff, and I give the dirt and the true review.

Dubai is like Disneyworld, like Meaghan said, and as a matter of fact, Dubai has started to build Dubailand. This amusement park will take 20 years to build and will be the biggest in the world with countless hotels, rides, and stores to buy overpriced stuff. Dubai just has to the be the "best" at everything. They make their own islands, they have the tallest building, they will have the largest amusement park, they have the only 7 star hotel, and they have the highest water consumption rate in the world. Their idea of the best is not my idea of the best. We took a bus tour and they talked about how Dubai is a desert, yet it looks so green because of all water they use. They use 500 liters per person per day. This is almost double most other developed countries. The UAE is also the leader in bottled water consumption. Wow, congrats! Mine as well find something else to spend your money on. Now it would be one thing if this water plentiful like their oil, but it's not. They desalinize all of their water. In case you don't know what that means, that is taking sea water and turning it into drinkable water. We have a water crisis on our hands in this world even though most of the earth is covered in water. This is because most water is way too costly and energy intensive to make it realistically become drinkable, but Dubai likes to hold themselves to a different standard. Desalinizing water takes enormous amounts of energy, but Dubai has no issues with consuming crazy amounts of energy to water massive front lawns. It's pointless though. You can't ever play on the grass because it's always being watered. It's just so pointless. My sister just brushes it off, but it really angers me. These people think they can do whatever they want because they have the money to at this moment, but with all of the emissions being produced by them desalinating their water, global warming will make the desert called Dubai too hot to live in. But then they'll just run into their million meter tall building and pump them with air conditioning. Well, the day will come when it will just be too hot for living things to survive in Dubai and they can blame it on people needing to have grass in the desert.

Dubai is not very pretty either. It is always hazy because of the heat and the are construction sites everywhere you go. Even if you stare straight up, all you see is giant cranes. If you manage to make it to the beach without melting first, you see a extremely polluted shoreline. Not only do these people drink a lot of bottled water, but they use the ocean as the trash bin (I hope you all would recycle your bottles...if you use them at all). Because you're so hot, of course you'd want to hop right into the ocean to cool off. No, not in Dubai. The water has got to be 95 degrees. It's rather disgusting. It's like swimming through the warm spot where the kid just peed in the pool, but this time, you can't escape it and the heat doesn't go away. After 20 minutes of death, you decide to get back inside. Then you ask yourself, what is the attraction to living here?

People who like malls and designer clothes and expensive cars and staying inside may like it here, but so far on this trip, I'm a huge fan of third world countries. Dubai can show their wealth, but in my opinion they are just abusing it. Their consumption is disgusting and it is going to effect them the least (global warming is most intense at the poles and less intense towards the equator, fyi). I guess I just don't understand what Dubai is trying to achieve.

Quick Fact: Oil only accounts for 7% of Dubai's GDP

Oh, Kelly!!

This one is for you, Kel. Get excited.

Just so you know, the day before we left for our trip there was a family get together on Long Island. Everyone had different questions, suggestions, and requests, but Kelly's stood out. She said, "You have to post the second you and Garvey have a fight. Because it WILL happen."

Well, Garvey and I haven't fought. He is too apathetic about everything. He doesn't care where we eat, where we go, when we go to the beach, if we go to the pool, if we never leave the apartment. He just doesn't care.

He did call me the b word last week, but I let it slide. I knew he was tired, so I let it go. But he won't make a decision. He won't pick what food he wants from the grocery store! And if he finally does decide he wants Nutella, he then decides it is too expensive. The only disagreements we have had deal with the fact he won't decide anything. So, I decide everything. Then he thinks I'm annoying and bossy. Hmmm... I think there is something he can do about that, but hopefully he will figure that out on his own.

The only other issue we have had is the temperature. We are currently in Dubai where the temperature reaches about 108 every single day. But if you check weather.com it always says something along the lines of, "feels like 120." Yes, it is hot. But Garvey gets super cranky in the heat. It's not pretty. Thank goodness we are in such a safe place with a very large apartment. We can take a break from each other without any fear.

So, Kelly, there it is... we haven't fought yet. Yes, he is driving me a little crazy right now, and he has called me a b*tch and bossy, but that's the extent of it. And, of course he is driving me nuts... we have been with each other constantly for the last 4 weeks! There are very few people that can spend every waking second together without getting under each other's skin.

We'll get through this week of "time apart" and move onto Athens next week. Hopefully we can get through the entire time without a fight. Fingers crossed. Sorry, Kelly!

Disney World!

Wait, I thought we were supposed to be in Dubai. This place sure does feel a lot like Downtown Disney. Strange.

Simply put, Dubai is surreal. Everything is brand new. Literally, sparkling and shining brand new. The buildings glimmer. The sidewalks are spotless. Even the streets are perfectly clean. If you have ever played the computer game Roller Coaster Tycoon, you know that you can hire handyman. When you hire a new handyman you carry them with these large claws by the shirt until you drop them in the desired place and they begin to sweep the sidewalks. Well, that is Dubai. There are people in uniform sweeping the streets. These people work 24 hours a day. They sweep the streets, sidewalks, even the beach paths, and put everything into a dustpan and then the trash.

After being in South America with history and culture, this feels like a large amusement park. It's very interesting, because I don't know if there is any place in the world quite like it. Even my little town of Saratoga has history! One of the oldest buildings in the area is being knocked down right now to build a new beach resort. The building was 8 years old. While taking the Big Bus City Tour yesterday we got a very good taste of the city. Basically, we toured all of the malls of the city. Yes, we stopped at a small museum and saw the gold souk, but that is where the history ends. Everything here is located in a mall or a hotel. Five star hotels are about as common as sea lions in the Galapagos. You can't get away from them. Dubai is also home to the very first 7 star hotel. Oh, and the tallest building, the tallest hotel, the tallest fountain, the largest water park outside of the US, and about one hundred more Guinness World Records. There is indoor skiing here! It is amazing to be here, just because I wouldn't have believed any of it without seeing it.

I have seen my share of rich people. I have seen expensive cars, fancy houses, and clothing, but I have never seen anything like the people in Dubai. The value of money means absolutely nothing. Forget Mercedes and Bimmers, the streets are filled with Ferraris, Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, Lamborghinis, and Maseratis. Even the cabs are all matching 2009 Toyota Camrys. My friend, Megan, who is putting us up in her apartment told us stories of people she works with. She told us that on more than one occasion, someone has driven super fast, crashed his car, and simply went out to buy a new one the next day. As we left a hotel lobby we saw a Range Rover with its back hatch open revealing shopping bags like I had never seen before. The back row of seats had been folded down, and the car was filled from top to bottom and front to back with matching maroon shopping bags. I now have a scrape on my chin from walking with my mouth hanging open. The craziest part is all of this is normal here. People don't bat an eye at the cars, the shopping bags, any of it.

Tomorrow Garvey and I are headed to Wild Wadi Water Park. That is what you do here! Everything costs money and everything is a tourist attraction. I think Garvey would be happy sitting by the pool and saving the money, but this is a fight worth fighting, I am going to that water park! Oh, and Megan has given us full access to her Entertainer book, so it is buy one, get one free at the park! Garvey hasn't let us eat anywhere without a coupon. Gotta love him!

the little things that stand out

While Macchu Picchu was beautiful, the strike was scary, and Rio was interesting, it has often been the smaller things that have caught my attention. Here are a few things that I have noticed throughout the past three and a half weeks.

Sundays
Sundays are huge. Everywhere that we have been Sundays have been a day to celebrate. At home I felt I always dreaded Sunday. In high school it was the day I had to finish my homework after a weekend of racing. In college it was the day I had to finish my homework with a hangover after a weekend of racing. It was always the day before going back to work. The day before a test, the day before an early alarm clock, the day before another practice. If only I had lived in South America! Sunday is a day to celebrate. It is a day to spend with your family. On the Galapagos, the town has a trolley shaped like a caterpillar that snakes through the town, blaring music. All of the children ride with their parents and strut around in their best clothes. There are street vendors with balloons, ice cream, cotton candy and light up toys. And the holiday we are observing? Sunday! In Cuzco there was a similar feeling. There were amateur acting troupes performing throughout the plaza, and people swarming to watch. Children and parents walked hand in hand, smiling and waving to friends that passed. In Rio, half of the street is closed for the day! The road closest to Copacabana beach is completely closed to cars and filled with people. People run, walk, bike and stroll. There are little children zipping around in battery operated Barbie Jeeps and Tonka trucks that have been brought in by the truckload for the day. There are inflatables and trampolines in the middle of the road for children to jump. There are musicians everywhere and parade that lasted the majority of the day. The days are wonderful and I am jealous. I want my Sundays to have parades and ice cream and Barbie Jeeps! But more than that, I want Sundays with my family. No ballet, no rowing, no work, no nothing. When I get home, Sundays are family day. I can do without the Barbie Jeep, but ice cream will be necessary.

Dogs
I have always thought of a dog as a part of the family. They belong to the entire family, and are groomed, walked, housebroken and trained to come when called. Well, that isn't exactly the case in the rest of the world. In Ecuador, the dogs had owners, and a roof over their heads at night, but that was the end of it. Some of the little kids would chase after their dogs, but there were no leashes, no collars, no training. In Peru, people did not own dogs. The dogs ran free in the streets, picking someone to follow for a few blocks before wandering down an alley for food scraps in the trash. In Rio, the dogs are fashion statements. The smaller the dog, the better. The dogs must spend almost as much time in the groomer as their owners spend at the cabeleireiro, which is A LOT. The dogs all have coordinated harnesses and leads. They wear shirts, dresses, shoes, hats, sunglasses, or whatever other crazy article of clothing the owner can come up with. I felt like a dork putting a coat on Wilbur in the winter, thank goodness I didn't have him in Rio!

Toilet Paper
Oh, how South America loves scented toilet paper. No thank you. I don't need pictures of dogs, or flower scented paper, or quintuple ply! I just want my white, unscented, double ply toilet paper that we buy in Price Chopper, across from the Cool Whip.

Beautiful People
Well, Peru loses. Sorry, Peru, but you have some pretty stiff competition.

Ecuador is filled with beautiful people.

Brazil is known for its beautiful people. Brazil isn't known, however, for its less than beautiful people who wander the streets in barely there suits and clothing. Those people don't make the pictures and stereotypes, but they are the majority!

I say Ecuador wins. But based on the few Brazilian babes in bikinis we saw, I would say Garvey votes for Brazil. (I have a perfect picture that I will try to post very soon)

Rio de This Place Is Awesome!

Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I am back and posting. My apologies for the delay. I spoke to my mom for 8 minutes and 3 seconds on the phone this evening and for 7 minutes and 38 seconds she told me that I need to post again. She said that Hannah's party this weekend was wonderful, but everyone is reading the blog, and they are bored. So, my apologies. For the next week we will have constant internet access, so we may go a little posting crazy. Watch out!

Now to the good stuff... let's talk about Rio! First of all, many thanks to Cameron! He kindly lent us his apartment while he was out of town, only to come home after 2 1/2 weeks of traveling and entertain us all weekend long! We had an amazing time and he was a fabulous host.

We arrived in Rio at 4:50 in the morning and immediately jumped into a cab with a very chatty driver. The driver proceeded to tell us all of the places that we should absolutely not go to. He told us of the dangers of being on the beach at night, walking along the streets at night, walking the streets during the days, getting into the wrong taxi cabs, going anywhere near the favelas, etc. By the time we arrived to Cameron's apartment I was exhausted and scared. Being in a new city is always intimidating, but I was exceptionally nervous. I had heard Uncle Tom say that Rio was his favorite city, but he isn't a 21 year old blonde girl with a gringo brother with a red beard! Garvey and I napped until the afternoon when we finally ventured out. We went to a nearby grocery store, excited not to have to eat out for every single meal.

By the next day things improved dramatically. We spent the day exploring the city. We went to Sugar Loaf and saw the picture perfect view of the city. The sky was crystal clear, the breeze was cool, and we were able to sit and watch the city for hours. After Sugar Loaf we ventured toward Ipanema where Garvey looked for a place to rent a surfboard. The next day was our beach day. By about 10 we had found just the right place to rent a surfboard, as not everyone rents to a beginner. Garvey found a beat up long board with duct tape and all, and we were off. Almost. Just as we were leaving the owner, who spoke little english, said very clearly, "don't break it." Well, Garvey's confidence dropped dramatically. A broken board would definitely put a financial burden on the penny pincher, and I could see it in his eyes. I decided to ignore his fear, and focused on buying myself a kanga, or a sarong, which are used instead of towels by the women on the beach. We found a nice spot on Ipanema and I started tanning. Garvey sat for a while, and observed. He eventually made his way to the water, and boy, he put forth quite an effort. I can't say that he was very successful, but he sure put up a good fight. He came away with a rash on his chest, a rented longboard in one piece, a very sore body, and a huge smile on his face. And better yet, the two of us had something new to talk about!

Cameron arrived back at his apartment later that evening and gave us an insider's look at the city. For the following few days we did a lot of eating. Garvey loved every second of it! We went to one restaurant that was all you can eat meat. When we walked in they gave us each a chip to put on the table by our plates. One side was green and the other was red. When the green side faced up, we were fair game. People constantly came to our table with piping hot skewers of meat that they sliced directly onto your plate. It was incredible. The craziest thing we tried was chicken hearts. The flavor was pretty good, but the texture was less than desirable. It wasn't my favorite of the night. Garvey, the boy who was a vegetarian until this trip began, ate until I thought he was going to explode. If there is one thing he loves to do, it is eat. He eats when he is hungry, when he is tired, when he is bored, when he is cranky, when he is full, when he has a sunburn, or when something smells good. He eats constantly. After he stuffed himself with the salad bar and meat he drank his beer and ordered dessert. By the time we walked the 6 blocks back to the apartment, Garvey ate a few cookies and a piece of bread with Nutella.

The next all you can eat stop was a pizza place. And once again, Garvey was impressive. He was bored in the airport yesterday and decided to add up all of the dessert pizza he had. Only counting the chocolate, strawberry and banana covered pizza, Garvey thinks he had 7 slices. Ridiculous.

As for the drinks, Rio has by far been the best. The caipirinhas were delicious and the beer was surprisingly good, and everything is delivered right to you! Whether on the beach, or in the restaurant, we didn't have to move a muscle.

Beyond the food, I can't speak more highly of Rio. While yes, crime is an issue, and something that I never forgot about, the overall feeling of the city is intoxicating. The way the city spills into the ocean is beautiful. As you walk the city streets there are people in speedos, people with surf boards and others with sandy butts. And as you walk along the beach there are people in business suits and high heels. The city life and beach life are intertwined, creating a very laid back feeling. All of the restaurants, bars and grocery stores spill onto the sidewalks. At night the restaurants and bars are filled and exploding with people all enjoying each other's company. Restaurants in the US are filled with families earlier in the evening and dominated by couples later on. In Rio, there is no way to tell how the groups are related, or even where one ends and another begins. There are friends, families, co workers, neighbors, strangers and lovers all laughing, smiling, eating and drinking. As Cameron said, "they just love to enjoy themselves." And I loved being part of it.

The Many Things I Can Now Check Off My List.

I have a list of things that I want to accomplish throughout my life. It is made up of about 75 things, some crazy, and some not so crazy. But this past week I have accomplished a lot of things... most of which were not on my list to begin with. So here goes.

1. Experience a foreign strike
Garvey already wrote about this, so I won't go into much detail. But to answer my mom's question, the taxi drivers, nurses, miners, and various other groups from the city were striking against the president's new decision dealing with water in the forests. That's about all I got out of it.

2. Go to a foreign police station
Yes, I went to the police station. In my own stupidity, I forgot my student id card in my wallet at home. Yes, I know I graduated in December, but it is valid until November and offers me all sorts of discounts around the world. Of course, I took advantage of the card and signed up for the student admission to the Inca Trail. Well, when I discovered I didn't have my card, we had an issue. A representative from the travel agency took me to the police station at about 930 pm the night before the hike to file a report. I had to lie and say that it was lost on a bus from the airport. The investigator had to look at my copy of the id, Garvey's id, my transcript, and my student file, all of which I had printed from the airport. They then fingerprinted me, and told me that to have a report would be impossible. It usually takes 24 hours. Well, we didn't have 24 hours. So we waited. And we bribed. And, voila! I had the paperwork.

3. Get denied admission to the Inca Trail
According to the travel agency, this type of thing happens all the time. With the police report and all of the other copies, and Garvey's id, they knew I would have no problem getting in. Well, they were wrong. I wasn't allowed onto the Inca Trail. We had no problem convincing the Policia Nacional that I lost my id, but Mr. Park Ranger was not letting me through. All he kept saying was that I needed one more piece of information. Of course, he wanted one more, he would always want one more. I went through everything. I even handed over my health insurance card to prove I was still a dependant! It came down to the fact that I would have to purchase a new ticket of admission at the adult price. Honestly, I was relieved that was all it would take. So I whipped out my cash, and I was ready to pay. But there was a catch. You can't purchase the ticket on the trail, it must be purchased back in Cuzco, two hours away! After many phone calls and transactions with the travel agency, my ticket was purchased. The rest of the group and one of the guides had left on the trail, and Garvey, Carolina and I booked it. We caught up to the group in time for lunch!

4. Hike the Inca Trail
It was unreal. With every step we took, from Day 1, the views were breathtaking. I took over 2000 pictures, and I don't think I can delete a single one. As we walked along the trail, the local people walked by with their donkeys, mules and horses, transporting things to and from their homes. The women walked with huge packs on their backs, often containing small children who smiled and looked at the mountains aimlessly.

To give you a better picture of the trail, only 500 people are admitted every day. The 500 people include the tourists, guides and porters. Most people have to book the hike months in advance to secure a spot. Our group was 9 hikers, 2 guides, and 11 porters. Garvey and I carried all of our own clothing and things, but you can hire a porter to carry your things for you. The porters do everything! They each carry 25 kg of equipment and food and run ahead the hikers on the trail. By the time we arrive to our lunch spot or our campsite everything is done. Our tents are set up, and our sleeping pads are in place. The dining tent and cooking tent are assembled and the food is being prepared. Every morning the porters would wake us up with koka tea (for altitude sickness) and hot water to wash up with. Breakfast would be served and our tents were immediately taken down. Breakfast often consisted of toast, tea, juice and either omelets, pancakes or banana cake! We would then begin our hike, leaving the porters to take care of everything. Somewhere they would pass us along the trail to set up for lunch. Every meal was completely different and very delicious. Lunch and dinner both began with a huge serving of soup. We would then have rice, salad, pasta, some type of meat, delicious sauces and often dessert.

The porters were wonderful, and it has only been in the past few years that the hike has been this way. Before, anyone was allowed to hike, with or without a guide or porters. Now, it is required to have guides and porters, mostly because of the positive effect it has on Peru's economy.

As for the hike, everyone reading this needs to do it! The second day is known as the challenge day, and it definitely is. But every step provides a new view, a new landscape and something more amazing to look at than the step before. And as amazing as Macchu Picchu is, there are ruins all along the hike far more intriguing because they are hidden gems. There is no limit to the crazy number of people allowed into Macchu Picchu, which makes it seem like Disney World by 1030 am. Garvey and I were still speechless when we saw the city from the Sun Gate, and watched the sunrise over the ruins, but with the hundreds of thousands of people going through it in high heels, dresses and jeans, it somehow lost its charm.

That seems like a terrible note to end my blurb about the hike, but just wait until you see the pictures. We would watch the sun rise and set everyday. We watched the stars and could see the Milky Way galaxy. We ate delicious food and met really cool people. We saw a rainbow and could see it from the bottom of the valley and watch it arc over a snow capped mountain. It was a life changing experience, and something I would recommend to everyone.

5. Meet someone who gives Americans a bad name
In our group of 9 hikers, 8 were awesome. There were 4 friends from California in their mid 20s, a couple from Holland and a middle aged loser from Tallahassee. The girls from California were really outgoing and great to talk to and laugh with. The couple from Holland was absolutely hilarious... and we now have a place to stay in Rotterdam! And, the fellow from Florida, was awful. At 41 years old he was overweight, out of shape, whiny, demanding and just plain rude.

The hike wasn't easy, I'm not going to pretend it was, but he was not at all prepared. On the second day the hiking was supposed to take about 7 hours in total. The entire group did it in under 6, and Jerry did it in 10 and a half. Yes, good for him, it definitely took determination for him to not turn around, but he was completely ungrateful. He hired a porter to carry his things. Then, he had one guide carry his camera (and take pictures for him!), while the other guide was told to carry his camelback filled with water. The guides also carried an oxygen tank for him because they were so concerned. The porters had to wake up early so Jerry could start hours before the rest of us. He always required multiple wake up calls. His meals had to be prepared early, and the guides were forced to split up.

Honestly, all of these things could have been okay, but he never once said thank you. He didn't say "will you please carry my camera and take some pictures?" or "may I have my water please?" Instead he was constantly barking orders, expecting everything would be done for him.

Moral of the story: Thanks to Mom and Dad for teaching me to say please and thank you, and always being grateful for everything done for me.

6. Get food poisoning.
We arrived back to Cuzco last night after a very long day. We were up at 330 to see the sun rise over Macchu Picchu, and went to bed around 300 this morning after going our with our friends from the hike. When I heard someone stir outside my door at 7 am, it was all over. I spent from 9 am until 3 pm praying to the porcelain god, and sleeping in the bathroom stall. Garvey took wonderful care of me, but there wasn't much for him to do. I don't know for sure that I had food poisoning, but boy was it painful. At around 6 pm I woke up and I feel like a whole new person. I'm still not 100%, but I have ventured out of the bathroom and even managed to drink a Gatorade!


Hope all is well, and I will post again soon. Tomorrow we are off to Rio!