TravelStream™ news feed for member duke_schewe on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/duke_schewe en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 29 May 2005 17:33:27 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1116340800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1116340800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1116340800/tpod.html Sun, 29 May 2005 17:33:27 -0400 The Incredibles - The family with NO Superpowers takes on the world!!

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Istanbul, Turkey

May 11th - 20th, 2005She Said: Turkey... "What a Delight!!" I must admit Turkey has never been high on my places to visit for whatever preconceived notions I held and after our experiences in Egypt we were a bit trepidatious about another sojourn into a Muslim country. I have been absolutely blown away by this country on so many fronts - the people are amazing, it is unbelievably clean and there are so many diverse things to see. I am really sad to be leaving....I feel like we just touched the tip of the iceberg on exploring the country and getting to know the people. We have been treated so well here. THX Christian, for talking us into adding this to our itinerary!!!!So what'd we do....landed in Kusadasi from the Greek Island of Samos. Considering that no one in Greece seems to have any information on getting to Turkey, I was beginning to wonder if there were any boat services to this country. It turns out there's plenty, but just don't ask anyone from Greece to help you....there is NO love lost between these countries and apparently the newfound popularity of Turkey has hurt Greek tourism so everyone in Greece seems to be ensuring they are not contributing to that statistic. We were immediately struck with the incredible cleanliness everywhere...what a welcome change after months of "litterati" (my new word for the horrendous garbage situation in much of the world). Everyone was bending over backwards to help us and unlike "TippyMe" (our name for Egypt) no one expects a tip, in fact a number of times we were blatantly refused when we offered money for things. What a switch. We stayed at a wonderful place, Club Caravanserai. It was literally an old Caravanserai which dates back to the old days of the Silk Road, where camel caravans used to conduct trade missions between China and Europe. The Caravanserai was the stopping points erected by the sultan to provide safe lodging and commerce to the travelers. This one had been beautifully restored and again the service here was second to none. When we asked about bus tickets to Cappadocia and found we were too early in the season to have a direct route, the owner sent his man out to get us tickets for all legs and then drove us there in his car to ensure we had no difficulty. We also attended a Turkish Nite there which included some wonderful food and entertainment for hours....every form of dance from belly dancing to many different traditional Turkish dances. Close by Kusadasi is Ephesus which is the home some amazing ancient ruins. Outside of Egypt, these are the most well preserved ruins we have seen and it was wonderful to see the different facets of the town including the beautiful old roads including one of marble, the library, homes, toilets &amp; baths (they had plumbing) and most amazing to me - the huge amphitheatre which seated 25,000 for entertainment including gladiator contests. Our next destination was Cappadocia which I had read a lot about and was my must do for Turkey. However the 12 hours bus ride to get there was a bit daunting. That said by all accounts the bus systems in Turkey were outstanding and tho' a 12 hour overnite bus trip wasn't something I was looking forward to, we bit the bullet and jumped aboard the overnight bus to Cappadocia. Clearly this is the transportation of choice for most travelers and locals alike, it is a very well run system - even downright civilized. They have a steward that brings drinks and a snack. The odd phenomenon is that these buses have no toilets (huh....12 hrs and no loo?!) but they do stage regular 'Pee &amp; Tea' stops, which make it nice to stretch your legs a bit. A further testament to the cleanliness of the culture - the buses are fully hosed down and washed at every stop - you ain't never seen cleaner vehicles!You meet some interesting people of every type on these trips and we met a real life version of Mike Myers's Wayne from Wayne's World "Duuude, these inflatable pillows are like cheeese, maaan" (does anyone remember this drug-addled duo from the 80's movie?) I was disappointed when they fell asleep as eavesdropping on their colorful discourse was thoroughly amusing!Cappadocia lived up to it's billing and more! An absolutely mystical world with odd formations (slightly hoodoo-like) they call Fairy Chimneys, created out of eroded volcanic ash. To further add to the charm, caves have been carved into the rock everywhere, creating homes, churches and even full underground cities. It was fascinating and so very interesting to learn about the history and culture of the area. We did a lot of hiking and climbing while exploring this unusual landscape with so many mysteries of yore. The wildflowers were coming out and the cool air made for some beautiful, refreshing springtime treks.An absolute highlight was our sunrise balloon ride with Kappadocia Balloons ( http://www.kappadociaballons.com). I must admit I was truly questioning my sanity on signing us up for this $800+ extravaganza, as I tried to rouse the troops at 4:30 in the morning. Luckily, no one regretted the lack of sleep by the end! Lars, one of the owners was a wonderful pilot dropping us down into canyons and up close to caves carved into the fairly chimneys - all the time regaling us with interesting and humorous stories of life and history of the area. He is famous for being able to actually pluck peaches out of the trees from the balloon, but being that it wasn't peach season, he did one better and actually brought the balloon close enough to the ground to allow one of his staff to present Kayla with a bouquet of beautiful wildflowers before swooping back into the sky. Truly magical. Not to leave Tyler out of it, he made the most aerodynamically advanced paper airplanes I have ever seen complete with flaps that rode along the currents with us for ages - he definately went into Tyler's idol book!!Traveling with children is definitely the great equalizer in meeting new cultures, and most countries loved meeting Kayla and Tyler. However, once again Turkey took this to whole new levels. The Turkish school year was just ending, so we ran into a lot of children on year end field trips - these kids were absolutely fascinated by us. In particular, the busloads from neighboring Turkish countries (Kzakhastan et al) had clearly never had much exposure to westerners and would all want to know our names and where we were from and would we mind if they got their picture with us. At first this seemed very reminiscent of TippyMe-Egypt tactics, where they'd all rush to get their picture taken with you and then demand payment. Upon realizing this was genuine fascination with <i>us we were shocked - "you want your picture with US???" One young girl was particularly taken with Kayla and seemingly dropped out of her group to follow us around eventually presenting Kayla with a special bracelet she had been wearing herself. After an hour or so of this, our moment of celebrity was enough and we escaped the hordes for a quiet hike thru the valley. Imagine, our very own paparazzi :-) We'd been warned by some people that Istanbul was all about fighting off the touts. We again braced ourselves for the 'unpleasant' side of Turkey...we never experienced it. Sure lots of people selling you their stuff, but I never found it to be in an offensive way. Many times, these people would willingly just help us out with directions or give something free to the children (or us) and always offer a cup of Apple Tea for your time. Even in the Grand Baazar, the GrandDaddy of all shopping extravaganzas (&gt;4000 shops under one roof) we found most people to be great. Of course, you must keep in mind that I LOVE to shop and this is the Mecca of shopping. I was once again able to hone my bartering skills in the acquisition of a new beautiful hand woven carpet, leather, cashmere and sooooo much more. It just seemed so civilized to do it with a cup of tea and so extravagant to buying things for Billions of Lira. Of course, 1,000,000 lira isn't even 1 Cdn dollar but hey, when was the last time you spent a billion of anything :-) Actually, there were obviously getting to be too many zeros in the transactions, so they rationalized the currency where 1 M Old Lira = 1 New Lira, but the old ones won't be phased out for a couple of years. We kept a few million just for keepsakes...how decadent. The children have even got into the bartering game....when someone tries to sell us something, Tyler will quip in "too much, too much". It's so cute, I'm sure it doesn't hurt my bartering efforts to have him along! The kids even barter among themselves and have created a whole market system often pretending to 'sell' us anything they think might interest us. "Mommy, would you like to buy this apple? Only 20 bucks" We'll have to caution them against these tactics on the playground! :-)We took in the usual Istanbul tourist affairs and found them all very beautiful with wonderful rich history. I personally just enjoyed the relaxation of taking a boat ride down the Bosphorus and really admiring what a nice city it is from the river. Lots of greenery, beautiful homes and palaces along the river. After some of the rivers we've been on, it was a pleasure to see actual blue water not full garbage and pollution. I could give you tons of recommendations, but we found the most amazing website that has it all. Tom is a former writer for the Turkey editions of both Lonely Planet &amp; Frommers and we found it very useful. www.Turkeytravelplanner.com Loved his new book, too. So if you're looking for an inexpensive, interesting, diverse holiday with amazing people....get your butts to Turkey! Tally ho, we're off to London.Highlights:1. Balloon Ride over Cappadocia - even ranking as a trip highlight!2. Hiking the Ilhara Gorge &amp; lunch along the river. Sheer rock walls with the amazing carved homes &amp; cave churches all throughout. In the bottom, the river provides such a lush environ to hike thru the valley - it is totally gorgeous. 3. The underground city of Derinkuyu or Kaymakli(none of us can remeber which one...but it was the largest). Initially built by the Hitites over 3000 years ago and continually expanded over the centuries, these cities are an amazing architectural achievement going 7 stories underground with facilities for entire villages of 1500 to live for 6-8 months at a time. The air shaft also combined as well shaft to a deep underground spring, as well as an 'elevator' shaft for transporting goods between floors - amazing. These people had thought of everything - kitchens, storage, nursery, churches, mill, they even had a winery for what society can exist for any length of time without wine!!! Perhaps even I could have survived in these times :)4. Shopping - loved the products, the prices and the people. Bought WAAAAY too much, but hey think of how much money I saved :). (The more she buys the more she saves... -Mark) And they do have something for everyone here from beautiful, high quality products to kitschy items like "genuine Turkish Viagra"...funny.5. The people ... the warmest, friendliest people. The fellow travelers we met here were awesome, too (the most Canadians of any other country we visited). A family from Edmonton was staying at the same place, Kose Pension in Cappadocia...really great people and Kayla loved having a new playmate. Every demographic was represented - young, old, families, backpackers, 5 Stars and everything in between. ..awesome!Lowlights: 1. Having to leave too soon2. Visited Topkapi Palace on a national holiday - it was WAY too packed. He Said:Highlights:1. The Turkish People2. The ancient city of Ephesus3. The History - Turkey is steeped in history throughout the ages4. The Biblical History - Turkey was once a hot bed for Christianity5. Cappadocia - this area's landscape makes it seem like you've landed on an alien planet6. Balloon Ride over Cappadocia7. Bosphorus Cruise8. Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia (Church of the Holy Wisdom) the Turks call it "Ayasofya"9. Running along the Sea Wall in Istanbul10.Starbucks in Istanbul, just continuing the theme :-) Lowlights:1. Extending my Backgammon losing streak to Tyler a.k.a 'The Big Shoootaa', the kid's a hot roller.2. Having to leave to soon, we definitely have to go back.Well I must say that Turkey was an amazing and complete surprise!!! After our Egypt experience I must confess to feeling very anxious as we boarded our boat in Samos to make the short 3 or 5 km trip over to Kusadaci, Turkey. After Egypt I had, in my mind, broad brushed all Islamic nations in a very negative tone. As such I was more than a little apprehensive about Turkey. Upon arriving I soon realized I could not have been more wrong and my anxiety could not have been more unfounded. Turkey and the Turkish people were amazing. The country is rich in history and sights and the people as friendly as any people we have ever encountered. Shannon and I debated back and forth and we finally both concluded that overall the Turkish people were indeed the friendliest people we have encountered in our travels. They unseated the Balinese to win that distinction and let me assure you that is no small feat. It was also good for me to experience another nation that was predominantly Muslim and to have such a different experience. It helped me realize that Islam is not the problem it is the people behind it that turn, twist and exploit it. And before anyone pounces on me I have realized that Christianity, my faith, has just as much blood on it's hands if not more than any other religion we have encountered on this trip. I mean let's take a look at such shining moments in Christian history like the Crusades or the Inquisition. Hardly models to hold up to show the love and grace of God. What is it about religious leaders who twist God's love and grace to such a point that they believe forced conversion is what God wants for his people. Of all things in our lives should not our relationship with God be a personal choice. Is that not why we were given free will? It certainly has forced me to pause and take a hard look at my faith, my beliefs and what spirituality means to me. It is also a clear reminder to me why Step 3 in the A.A. Big Book says "Made a decision to turn our will and our life over to the care of God as we understand him". That statement is inclusive and removes the issue of religion, far from the exclusiveness of many of the other religions in the world or, should I say more accurately, man's implementation of them. For me my faith has gotten really simple and really clear, it is about my personal relationship with God, period. For me, organized religion, and by that I mean the Legalism and Dogma that man has wrapped around his relationship with God, has become dry cracked soil where faith has difficulty taking root vs. the fertile soil it should be. Legalism and Dogma, in my opinion, are the greatest barriers to spiritual growth. God has become lost in all the rules, rituals, fear and judgment that so many of our religious institutions adhere to. What a shame that something so simple, a personal relationship with God, has become so complicated. I used the term religious institutions on purpose because it is an all encompassing statement and does not point the finger at one religion or another. In my experience most, if not all, are guilty at some level of handicapping true spiritual growth in this manner. I think at the end of the day what matters to God is what is in each of our hearts. And for me all the rules, dogma, fear, judgment and force in the end cannot change what is in my heart. What is in my heart is a matter of personal choice. And isn't that the way it is supposed to be?Ok, I admit that was a heavy start to Turkey, but then again Turkey was a heavy experience for me. The difference between Turkey and Egypt forced me to take a hard look at my biases, my beliefs and my spirituality. And quite frankly those are never light matters!So, now on to lighter matters, our 10 wonderful days in Turkey. Upon arrival there was an entry visa fee, all which must be paid in cash and then the normal customs line. Here at customs was the first sign that Turkey was going to be a much different experience than I had feared it would be. There were some fellow Canadians on the boat who arrived in Kusadasi without 1 cent of cash. Now here they were facing arrival and visa fees payable only in cash and you could tell they feared the worst. But alas, nothing to fear here, they let him walk into to town to the nearest ATM to get the cash while his wife waited behind. I can only imagine the trouble this poor couple would have had if they had showed up somewhere else in this predicament but luckily they tried it in Turkey - land of the friendliest people we have met so far.I think that pretty much sums up our experience with the people in Turkey they are amazingly friendly and they seem to go out of there way to ensure that visitors to their wonderful country have a great time. I could spend this whole post just writing about the great experiences we had with the people of Turkey, but I won't. What I will say is if you get a chance plan a trip to Turkey, you won't regret it!Besides the people the history and sights are spectacular. We spent our first couple nights at the Hotel Caravanserai which is right across from the Port. Kusadasi provides a great base from which to explore a number of sights, which we in Whirling Dervish fashion packed into a single very action packed day. We got an early start and jumped on one of the mini-buses that run between Kusadasi and Selcuk (prounounced Selchook). Just before you get to Selcuk are the ruins of the city of Ephesus. And in the same area is Mary House, the house where the Virgin Mary reportedly lived out her life after the death of her son. I think that is one of things that I found so amazing during our time in this part of the world. Between, Egypt, Greece and Turkey the area is ripe with both ancient and religious history. It really helps bring history to life to come and experience these places. I mean this was the city of the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul wrote one of his letters to the Ephesians. I mean logically I knew it existed but now I was walking through what remains of this magnificent ancient city. It was very cool and the ruins are amazing especially for me the Amphitheatre and the façade of the library. After Ephesus and Mary's house it was into Selcuk to see the museum (where they have a cool gladiator exhibit) and the church, or at least the remains of the church where the Apostle John's tomb is. After that it was back to Hotel Caravanserai for the Turkish Night which was highly entertaining and well worth it. How's that for a whirlwind day of touring!After Kusadasi it was time for our first of two adventures on the overnight bus. This leg was a 12 hour journey from Izmir to Goreme. Now I know most people's initial response to the thought of an overnight bus for 12 hours is not "O'Boy, when can I go". I know mine wasn't. But, as it turned out it is not a bad way to travel and the buses in Turkey are amazingly clean and efficient with regular stops along the way. That said, 12 hours on a bus twice in a week was enough to last me for a while. I won't be booking any Greyhound trips to Vancouver or Winnipeg when I get home that's for sure. This area of Turkey is amazing. I swear you could easily spend a week or 2 just wondering down the various valleys checking out caves houses and the chimney fairies. It was a runner's paradise with endless dirt trails and roads running through out the area. Overall though the two biggest highlights were the Underground City and our balloon ride with Kappadocia Balloons.Shannon has provided most of the relevant details on the underground city, suffice to say it was every bit as amazing as she describes it. It really boggles your mind as you are wandering from one level to next by bedrooms, cooking areas, etc. just how amazing a feat these underground cities are. And the fact that the air is so fresh, even 4 or 5 stories down is quite the engineering feat when you think about when these cities were created. They definitely get the "Too Cool" award.The balloon ride while definitely not a budget item was, in my opinion at least, worth every penny we paid. Partly because of the scenery below us, partly because there are no restrictions on how low you can fly and mostly because our Pilot Lars, was extremely capable and as such took full advantage of the first two points. It was unbelievable really the things that we got to see due to his skill. There were many times he'd have us drifting down a canyon or gorge with the wall rapidly approaching and with a few deft maneuvers we glide effortlessly over the wall with seemingly only inches to spare. It was exhilarating! The kids absolutely loved it and when Lars began constructing paper airplanes to launch from the balloon Tyler could not believe it. That said we were all astounded at the flight of two of the three planes. One went into a death spiral fairly early on but the last one probably stayed airborne for 15 or 20 minutes before gently landing in a farmer's field. It was very cool and Lars is very talented both with paper airplanes and with balloon flight. For me it is a must do if you are visiting, but @ $230 US pp it is not cheap.Our time in Cappadocia passed too quickly and before we knew it we were staring another overnight bus ride in the face. This time the destination was Istanbul. I must confess to again feeling a bit anxious, we had so far been in relatively small centers and as such I was again bracing myself. And again it was all for naught, Istanbul is a great city, very cosmopolitan, Starbucks is in the house :-), very rich in history and amazingly clean. Turkey as a whole is a very clean country. I don't know if this was always the case but we were blown away at how clean Turkey was and Istanbul in particular was a real surprise. I just expected a city that big would be a lot dirtier. We found accommodations in Sultanahmet which is old Istanbul. Here we walking distance to pretty much all the main sites the Blue Mosque, Ayasofya, The Grand Bizarre, Taskim and the Bosphorus. I had initially thought that we'd chill out after our all night bus ride but with no rooms available to check into that early we dropped our stuff and headed out. By early afternoon we had the Blue Mosque, Ayasofya and a stop at McDonalds all behind us. For me just wandering around Istanbul was the highlight. It is just alive and rich in history, so much to see and so much to do. The Blue Mosque was very cool, as was Ayasofya (originally a church converted to a mosque), the palace probably was very cool but it was so crowded the day we were there that I just blew it off and Tyler and I headed back to the hotel. It was just no fun to battle the crowds. Again if we had a few more days it would have been nice.Overall Turkey gets full marks as a place to visit. It really does have it all!Kid's Said:Highlights:Tyler - More backgammon wins (now 'backgamblin' in Tyler-ease), Flying paper airplanes from the balloonKayla - Cappadocia Balloon Ride and flying paper airplanes from the balloon, Hiking the Gorge and lunch in Gorge, the Underground city (I'm not afraid of being in deep caves anymore - Yay!), Fairy Chimneys, Club Caravanserai - the Turkish dance nite was great and the rooms were nice, getting a new leather coat, bartering, the Topkapi Palace, Agasofia, Blue Mosque, Ali (the local boy at Kose) was a highlight cuz it was fun to play with another kid and he got into the mud really bad and it was funny, Ashlin (the girl from Edmonton) was definitely a highlight, the Obelisk from Egypt in the Hippodrome, getting a new bracelet from my new friend. Lowlights:Tyler - When all the kids were trying to kiss me. (our paparazzi moment)Kayla - Ali was a lowlight because he sprayed water at us and he put sand in my eyes and mouth.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1114050780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1114050780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1114050780/tpod.html Sun, 15 May 2005 10:29:11 -0400 The Incredibles - The family with NO Superpowers takes on the world!!

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Athens, Greece

The Greek Isles a.k.a. The Incredible's OdysseyWhich beg's the question what story is the Movie "O Brother Where Out Thou" based on?PS Dave wins the drink for the most comprehensive answer to our King Tut question!April 20 - May 10She Said: After our mis-adventures in Egypt it was with a huge sigh of relief when we hit European soil... after clearing customs to a smiling, friendly agent who didn't ask for $, I did my best Sally Field impression literally running down the airport clicking my heels together - "They like us, they really like us..." (only you Oscar watchers will remember her infamous acceptance speech of the same).We had noticed the last couple of times we used Mark's credit card in Egypt that it wasn't accepted...thinking it was just another unfriendly ploy to get cash we didn't pay too much attention. When it happened in Frankfurt, we decided to check it out and found out it was frozen. Not a great thing when you're spending money like a drunken sailor! :) Apparently some unscrupulous dude had run up >$5000 in charges in less than a day. Thank God MasterCard caught it or we could have been in serious trouble. The bizarre thing was here we have been traveling around the world since Oct and where is our card compromised....Quebec, Canada - HUH? How they got the number is a mystery, but alas we needed to establish a home base for a few days to enable MasterCard to courier out a new card. Athens it was, and it was a great place to just spend a few days cleaning up (haircuts, shopping etc) and getting some decent internet access. Not to mention get Kayla back into a regular schoolwork routine....her education in Africa was amazing but not tons of formalized 3R's. Athens itself is pretty much just a normal city of ~4M though the old quarter is really quite special. Plaka has fun shopping and amazing restaurants at every turn on their narrow cobblestone streets. It was wonderful to sit down to a quaint little restaurant (with great food - finally!) overlooking some ancient ruins. After seeing all the incredible wonders in Egypt, some of the magic of the Greek monuments was lost but nonetheless the Acropolis and various other architectural feats were amazing to see. Sadly a lot of it is under restoration right now, so most of it was admired thru scaffolding and work sites. The most difficult thing was deciding which of the 1400 Greek Islands to explore - we had originally allocated ~ 1 month to this phase of our journey but after meeting some 'trusted advisors', we added Turkey. Now we've got a dilemma (I'm sure you're all feeling really sorry for us :). Santorini was our first Greek Isle stop and what a great 1st choice! Just coming up to it on the ferry was so great...this huge volcanic island of barren black rock offset by the stark white architecture seemingly carved into the cliffs. Once on the island, you enter these magical little towns atop the caldera where the white buildings seem even more spectacular framed against the sapphire blue sky and deep blue sea. It was one of those postcard moments when we looked out from our deck - check out the pictures of this place, it's absolutely spectacular. It is apparently regarded by many as the most spectacular of the Greek Islands and I can see why...what a great start to our Greek Isle tour. We just relaxed on our amazing cliff top deck overlooking the sea, took a million pictures and ate wickedly good food. I had lost weight in Egypt - good thing, as I'm destined for the fat farm after this! The highlight of our Santorini leg was most definitely meeting 'Mama'...she was the whole family's fav so I'll leave the descriptions to them tho' I will add...."We LOVE you Mama, you sexy bum!"A definite benefit of being in Greece at this time was a) no crowds b) good prices and c) it's Easter. We had heard that Greek Orthodox Easter is something special and so asked Mama her advice on which island would be best to experience it on. She retorted "you no want no touristy thing - you stay at my sister Helen's in Kriti (Crete) ....you're a gonna looove her". I knew that if she was anything like Mama, her prediction would most definitely come true.So off we went to Crete and decided to tour the Palace of Knossos, ancient ruins from the Minoan culture, before heading off to Helen's. Now don't get me wrong, it was cool but the place is as notorious for the horrible restoration efforts from the early 1900's as for the incredible architecture of the Minoan people. I think it was even more marked for me in that we had just come from the most incredible preserved cultural monuments in Egypt with the pyramids, sphinx, tombs, temples etc. Egypt might have been a lot of things but they are VERY serious about preserving the integrity of these ancient monuments and to see how some of the stuff in Knossos had been 'recreated' based on this guys interpretation was almost laughable at times. I mean seriously, there was a couple of 'reproductions' that looked less authentic and aged than the antiquing in my ensuite bathroom. Kayla was particularly disgusted - quite amusing to see what a seasoned traveler/cultural analyst she has become at the ripe old age of 8. After that we set off for the now infamous Helens, not too sure what to expect for the whopping 25 Euro/nite price that Mama had 'negotiated' for us. To be honest, my expectations were not high. Imagine our surprise to pull up to this beautiful set of suites, overlooking the sea. And "Aunt Helen" (as she quickly became to the children) was every bit as fabulous as her sister....just another one of those amazing gifts we've received on this journey. She was so amazing to us, took us in as part of the family to celebrate Easter "the right way", toured us around, cooked for us, did our laundry, had toys and treats for the children, arranged things for us and was just generally unreal. Mark kept saying it was like being at Grandma's house. I'd have to agree...she instantly had taken the children into her house for treats, had long heart-to-heart talks to me about beating cancer, not giving up etc. and would completely hassle Mark about his propensity to sleep-in in the mornings. "Are you a gonna sleep all day?!" She couldn't relate at all....she'd have the laundry done, the house cleaned and food cooked all before 7 am, and she's 71 years old. I certainly couldn't keep up with her!Crete is the largest Greek island and offered us much variety to do. We went up to the Samaria Gorge and had an amazing hike and fabulous picnic in a huge tree. We went to some beaches and explored the amazing countryside. It really was a lot of fun to explore when we weren't just hangin' out in Aunt Helen's garden enjoying the beautiful views out over the water. Helen (and Mama) had lived in the US for years and we found out that her son had just published an amazing book on Greek philosophy, complete with all his own artwork and poetry. We were thrilled to be able to purchase one and even more amazed when she had him come over to share his views with us. What an engaging man....we could have talked with him for hours, but alas Aunt Helen decided his anti-western views were becoming too pronounced and 'ran him off. It never ceases to amaze me the incredible people we have met on this trip.Greek Easter really is something special... it is their most important festival of the year and they take it all very seriously. The gazillion churches are decorated so beautifully with fresh flowers and candles everywhere. Every place has different traditions, some starting with a Last Supper on Thursday night. On Good Friday in many areas they recreate the procession of the cross. On Saturday at midnight they hold a service to celebrate Christ's ressurection, complete with fireworks, candle processionals and partying until the wee hours of the morning. Sunday is the feast day, where everyone barbeques whole lambs. We took a drive thru the mountains that day and the smell of BBQing Lamb wafting through all the villages was amazing....and oh did it taste good! We really felt blessed to be here during this time.But alas it was time to move on and tho' our bus left @ 5:30 in the morning, Aunt Helen was up to send us off with hot coffee and "lectures" about not dressing the kids warm enough and eating more before we left etc. She really was special....the kids still are talking about how much they miss "Aunt Helen".Next stop, the most famous island - Mykonos. We were pretty convinced it would be over-hyped and be a letdown after our wonderful experiences on Santorini and Crete but we loved it, too. The same stark white architecture as Santorini with the infamous windmills thrown in and a Venice-like town perched over the water. In high season, apparently this place is absolutely bonkers but it was pretty magical this time of year. We enjoyed our time, mostly just hangin' out and exploring the maze of streets thru Mykonos Town. Toured the whole island one day (which took all of about 2 hours) and imagined how busy those beaches must be when over 100,000 partying fools descend upon them in the summer. We laughed that there would have been a time when that would be right up my alley, but gratefully I've outgrown the party-til-ya-puke days. For any of my old pals...the party atmosphere of this place reminded us of a warm 'Sunshine Ranch' with better beaches - those were the days!Patmos was a 'must stop' on Mark's list and though I admittedly had no expectations, was thrilled with our experience there. So laid back and quiet, just a beautiful contrast to the more commercialized islands. One of the coolest experiences for me was hiking up this old stone path to the town atop the hill where this castle-like monastery was built in 1088. As I walked the steep path, I thought of it as a Pilgrimage Path where many before me gone and I couldn't help but akin it to a metaphor for my own life. Steep and rocky at times, but when I stopped to look out the landscape around me was absolutely amazing. I'm really striving to do that - to focus not on the steep challenges of life but to take the time to just absorb the incredible beauty in my surroundings today, be it family, friends, adventures, all that is good in my life. Don't mean to get too philosophical, but I had a lot of really meaningful, spiritual experiences here. When we went to the Cave of the Apocolypse, I was completely moved. At first, I must admit I was a bit put off. Here is this amazing cave where God and the apostle John had some pretty serious chats about the future - after all it is where he wrote the Book of Revelations. But what do we find there, the cave is now filled with all these religious, ornate stuff - pictures, altars, cloths, books, etc everywhere. There are actually indentations in the rocks where John rested as he received the revelations and even those now have silver gilding around them....what's that all about? It completely reminded me of the difference to me between religion and spirituality...many times on this trip it's become so glaring to me how religiosity can really mess things up, even to the point of war. I am on my own quest to gain authentic spirituality without the trappings of religion gone awry. I seek my own revelations as to what I can do in this world to make a difference, to help others and not get caught up in self-seeking & materialism. I sat there a long time by myself in quiet prayer, contemplation and reflection....I left with no concrete answers but a sense of peace that there is much in store for me in my life.Highlights:1. Food...another theme in our posts. We will remember countries by the quality of their food!2. Each of the islands...Santorini - a magical, laid back island, Crete - diverse, beautiful island, Mykonos - something for everyone. Patmos - a quiet, spiritual island3. Meeting so many great people: Mama and her amazing friendliness and food; Aunt Helen - thank you for taking us under your wing; Clint & Gloria - our new friends from California that we serendipitously met up with; the owners at Petros Hotel in Patmos, the lovely family from Martha's Vineyard....and many more. 4. Hiking the Gorge, Kriti5. The views everywhere6. The Cave of the Apocolypse at Patmos and my own "Pilgramage Path"7. Shopping and a haircut in Athens....after a month in Africa, I was feeling very UNcivilized! 8. Agio Sofia Cave....very cool spelunking!Lowlights:1. SMOKING everywhere!!! Even in the non-smoking things (which were rare!!) like a bus we took, the bus driver simply opened his window and lit up. No such thing as a non-smoking section in restaurants and to compound the horror, they just throw their butts everywhere. Disgusting.2. Environmental nightmare - how can a progressive country be so lacidasical towards litter? The EU is even cracking down on their abuse. I set up some impromptu "Incredible Environment Days" where we would just pick up litter when we went on walks. After filling a bag in about 5 minutes, Kayla would so aptly lament "we could do this forever!" Sadly true, but at least we were trying to do our part. 3. Dog Doo - taking the littering to a whole new level, everyone has pets and no one cleans up after them. YUCK!SIDEBAR: As I reflect back on Africa, one of my greatest regrets is that we saw it pretty much from a 'tourist perspective'. One of the best parts of this journey has been exploring the people, the cultures and understanding what makes their community - spiritual, cultural, family values & issues. I don't feel like I experienced that in either Tanzania or Egypt. It is in Africa that I felt the strongest weight of human oppression - the AIDS pandemic, the poverty, the political issues, the dehumanization of females. It weighs heavy on my heart and is something I need to explore more to understand how I could possibly make a difference. I am also very aware that a there are limits of what you can subject a 4 and 7 year old too and think that we struck a good balance in terms of increasing cultural awareness without overwhelming with inappropriate traumas. I hope to make a trip back for more altruistic purposes in the near future. He Said:Highlights:1. The Acropolis and wandering through the Plaka area of Athens2. Greek Food3. The Islands, they have all been different and they have all been amazing4. The relatively reasonable prices and low crowds (being here prior to the busy summer season is a huge bonus.)5. Mama's Restaurant and Mama herself (her real name is Irene) on Santorini6. Auntie Helen (Mama's Sister) on Crete7. Running along the cliff's that form the edge of the Caldera on Santorini8. Wandering the virtually empty little streets of Chora on Patmos9. Finding a Starbuck's on Mykonos (Bonus: Wireless Hotspot!!!)10. Blue Ginger Thai Restaurant on Mykonos (you can only eat Greek food for so many days in a row, no matter how good it is.) 11. Patmos - my favorite island of all the one's we visited, that said they are all great.12. The Cave of the Apocalypse where John received the visions from God for the Book of Revelations - Amazing!!! 13. The Pelicans that walk the Streets in Mykonos Town - they are hilarious and are regular entertainment at Nikos Taverna14. The never ending postcard photo ops on each of the IslandsLowlights:1. Smoking everywhere! The Red Eye ferry to Patmos was probably the ultimate smoking lowlight as people could smoke everywhere, it was just plain gross.2. Lack of environmental awareness - littering is an epidemic in the Greek Islands or so it seems. The litter can will be two feet away and people will just toss their garbage on the ground or dump it on the side of the road or worse on Mykonos they seemed to be building a man made island along the old port by dumping truck load after truckload of soil into the sea. The only problem is that soil was not the only thing in some of the loads. Some had rotten wood, plastics of all sorts and who knows what else, much of which was then washing up on shore between the Old and New Ports. What the heck is that all about!!!!Well I don't know exactly how to start this section out. First off I must say that our arrival in Greece was followed by this huge exhaling of anxiety. It felt really good to be back in Europe and back to a place with good food . We spent a few days in Athens just getting caught up on email, web posts, and really just decompressing after our Egyptian experience. After that was all taken care of it was time to hit the Greek Islands - first stop Santorini. Now to be honest I had no idea what to expect of the Greek Islands. I had heard great things and had some idea of where I wanted to go based more on hearsay than any real research. As it turned out Santorini was a great Island to start with. Fira the main town is basically built into the cliffs overlooking the Aegean Sea and the huge volcanic caldera which collapsed and is now part of the sea. It is totally spectacular with over 600 stairs from the Old Port to the center of town, if you were so inclined to walk it. Today most people I assume take the Gondola up from the port or if you want in interesting experience you can take a donkey. I have highlighted my recommendations for eating but Mama's deserves some additional verbage - as soon as we walked into Mama's I knew we were in for something special. Mama, (her real name is Irene, pronounced I ree nee) is an amazing person and a character like none other. She was totally charming and absolutely hilarious and we all loved her but the kids even more so. And to top it off the food was fantastic. Her reputation is one of the Best American Breakfast in Greece. For me it was one of the best breakfasts, American or otherwise, I have had anywhere. It was just a total blast at Mama's.I would like to try and describe Mama but I probably won't do her justice. Suffice to say she is about 60 and has the energy of a 25 year old and she just never stops talking and everyone who walks into Mama's immediately feels like they are the most important customer she has ever had. It is truly amazing to watch and to listen to. She calls herself the "sexy bum" and feeds you free pancakes after you've finished your heaps of food "so that you can get fat and ugly so she can be the most beautiful person in the world"... and on it goes. Tyler was particularly taken with Mama, it probably had to do with the French Toast, tons of Syrup and the lollipops that were dished out after we were done eating. Anyway after breakfast at Mama's we were officially banned, by Tyler, from eating at any other restaurants on Santorini. So, we ate dinner at Mama's that night and it was again amazing food but sadly for us Mama only handles the breakfast and lunch crowds at least that was the case that day. But, Tyler not one to give up easily had us back there the next morning prior to catching the ferry to Crete for Breakfast. When we protested he put his hands on his hips and said sternly "when we go to the next island, we'll go to a different restaurant"...that settled it. On this return visit the kids even got an adhoc cooking lesson from Mama in her kitchen. It was so great!After Santorini we were off to Crete which Shannon covered pretty well so I won't duplicate the effort. I will say that I was less taken aback by the attempted re-creations at Knossos than both her and Kayla. For me it was interesting to contrast the current (well preserved) conditions of the ruins with what they may have looked like in their prime. Now some of the techniques used were clearly questionable but the attempts to show the glory of the Minoan Culture in its prime did not, in my opinion, take too much away from the experience. I guess that is the neat thing about the Egyptian ruins, there are sections that you can with, just a little imagination, see just how amazing they must have been in their prime. I will also second her comments related to Helen, she was an amazing host and we could not have been treated better and her recommendations be it for a rental car or a restaurant were fantastic. As previously mentioned Maria's in Stalos is worth at least a visit or two if you're in the area.Shannon also pretty much nailed Mykonos as well and I have filled in some comments in the food and accommodations section. The only other thing I'd add is that we had met a couple from California while in Knossos, Clint and Gloria, and had kind of hit it off with them. We knew they were following a similar plan and kind of hoped we might run into them again somewhere along the way. As fate would have it Tyler and I were heading up a little side street in Mykonos Town in search of Shan and Kayla and low and behold there they were walking straight towards us. I could see Clint had recognized Tyler and I had recognized them so we had a quick chat in the street and then wandered on chatting and looking for Kayla and Shannon. We finally hooked up with Shannon and after some additional discussions made arrangements to meet them for dinner the next night.Dinner was fantastic and the adult companionship was very much appreciated by both Shannon and I, although I think Kayla was a bit put off that she had to play second fiddle and was not as active in the conversations as she might have wanted to be. The conversation was lively and thought provoking, the food was fantastic and the company exceptional. Clint and Gloria if you read this we just want you to know how much we enjoyed meeting you both and hanging out with you. Thanks for dinner - we look forward to crossing paths again!Then it was off to Patmos. The only ferry ran on Fridays and on this Friday left at 11:50 pm. That was harsh enough but this particular ferry ride was made even more painful by the fact that everywhere you went people were smoking. It was so harsh and not the most enjoyable 4 hours we'd spent on a Greek ferry. The ferry arrived in Patmos around 4:30 am and by the time we tracked down a taxi and got to the hotel it was 5:30 am. From here on Patmos was all up hill, literally and figuratively. The folks at The Petra Hotel greeted us warmly at 5:30 am and got us settled quickly, skipping all check-in activity until after we had a chance to catch a few Z's. We awoke to a wonderful view of the Bay and the Sea outside our windows and our host and hostess at Petra were the best. There hotel is in Griko a little village 5 K from the hustle and bustle of the port town Skala. Which was just fine by me. I loved the fact that I could sit on the balcony at night and here the waves and the crickets and nothing else. The best part for me though was the fact that they are located a couple hundred meters from the old Byzantine path leading up to Chora and the Monastery. We hiked this trail up to Chora two days in a row and for me it was just so cool to be walking along this old path paved with stones that had served so many others over the centuries.The highlights of Patmos other than the paths and the peace and the tranquility are of course the Monastery and The Cave of the Apocalypse. It was so cool to wonder around the Monastery and to see the treasures that are on display. It made me also wonder what other treasures it holds that are not on display for the public. Maybe it has none but it sure was fun to imagine that they did.After grabbing lunch on a patio overlooking the valley and the port town Skala we set off down the Byzantine road again this time to The Cave of Apocalypse. I, like Shannon, was also taken aback by the religious trappings that adorned the Cave. It seemed to somehow take away from the place rather than add to it but that said the cave has been well taken care of and protected and once I got past what man had added I was able to just sit in awe of where I was. I was sitting in the Cave where John had some very serious conversations with God about the future of our world. The result of which was of course the last book in the bible, Revelations. I mean you could see where he had rested his head, the hand hold he had used to help himself get up. It was amazing to realize that in this cave, that I was sitting, sat a man who knew Christ and who was divinely inspired to right the Book of Revelations!!! I have never understood the pilgrimages people make to places like Jerusalem or Rome etc. but I now have an appreciation of how special a pilgrimage of this type can be if you just let yourself go with it. I don't know how else to put it, my words seem insufficient so I will stop here. Suffice to say it was one of the spiritual highlights of this trip for me.That seems like a fitting place to also leave Greece as our last island was Samos but all we did there was transit through on the way to Turkey. Greece and in particular the Greek Islands have been, for me, a very, very pleasant surprise!Must Do's, Places to Eat and Where to rest your head in the Greek Islands:Must Do's:· Santorini, Mykonos, Crete, Patmos - we recommend any and all of these places· Mama's Restaurant on Santorini - both a must do and a great place to eat breakfast and if you like dinner as well...· Walk along the roads (or run ) that run along the edge of the cliffs overlooking the Caldera on Santorini· Samaria Gorge on Crete· Visit the Monastery in Chora and The Cave of the Apocalypse on Patmos· Wander the Paths of Patmos (the old Byzantine roads) · Stay in a cliff side hotel on Santorini, but be prepared to get your daily Stairmaster workout in :)· Wander around all the narrow intertwined streets of Mykonos Town· Visit Knossos - sight of Crete's best and largest Minoan Ruins· Visit the beach at Elafonisi - the drive is great and so is the beach (too windy the day we went but worth the drive none the less)· Just walk about the various towns you encounter and drink them in, each island and each town has it's own personalityPlaces to Eat:Santorini· Mama's Restaurant!!!· Dionysus of AtlantisOr not- Nikolas - it seems like everyone will steer you towards Nikolas whether it is your hotel owner or Lonely Planet. So we went, and in our opinion it is over rated. The place was constantly busy, the service good, the food average and the owner in a word "crabby". Personal opinion, there are better places to eat on Santorini.Crete· Maria's in Stalos (just down the coast from Hania/Chania/Xania) I bet you can't eat here just once. Try Maria's own Cabernet from her own Vineyard, it is a winner. We had 4 Bottles in total, two over dinner and two we took away with us. · Ippokampos Ouzeri - right on the water in IraklioMykonos· Nikos Taverna great Greek and Seafood (the mixed seafood grill is delicious and huge)· Have a Crepe - the choices are endless but it seems to be the thing to eat on Mykonos· Blue Ginger Thai Restaurant sits above Mykonos Town - worth a walk or short drivePatmos· Jimmy's Balcony or the Balcony in Chora - just down from the Monastery great place for a drink or lunch with great views.· We stayed in Greko where the restaurant options are limited, but there are two on the way to Petra Beach we ate at the second one (the one closest to the beach) it was great, we also ate at one right on the harbor in Greko, it was average. Our hosts at the Petra Hotel also run a restaurant during high season and I can only imagine it would be a great choice.Places to Stay:Santorini · Sirocco Apartments - great views, great rooms, great location though the hospitality factor could be better Crete · if you're heading towards Hania and you're looking for a great place to stay with maximum hospitality stay in Stalos at Alector Rooms. The owner Helen is Mama's (of Mama's Restaurant fame) sister and every bit the character her sister is. She is a wonderful woman who goes out of her way to ensure you have a wonderful time. Our stay included a personal tour of the Village she grew up in, picking Oranges in her nephews Orchard, a trip to her brother's bakery and hook ups for travel agents, rental car and of course Maria's for dinners. It was all capped off with an invitation for Easter Dinner with her. Aunt Helen as the kids called her took hospitality to new heights. She can be reached at 0821 68755Mykonos· Cavo Tagoo - a great hotel just out of town between the old port and the new port, great rooms, great view, great staff. Location is a bit dicey as you have run the gauntlet of Tour buses, Taxis and Local Drivers on your walk to town and in places there is not a lot of room, recommend it none the less. A bonus was their breakfasts which were included with the room, the best breakfast buffet we encountered. Patmos· Petra Hotel in Griko. This was my (Mark) favorite hotel for a combination of reasons. They have a beautiful hotel, in a quiet, beautiful location. Rated as one of the top 50 Hotels to stay in Greece for a reason! It is built into a hillside overlooking the natural harbor and did I mention how quiet it was. The owners are magnificent people who's attention to detail made our stay special. Highly recommend the Petra Hotel to anyone visiting Patmos. It is also close to the trail head for the Byzantine path that you can take from Griko to Chora to visit the Monastery and Cave of the Apocalypse and if you so desire continue on down to the Port town of Skala. A cab ride back is only 5 Euro or if you feel up to it make the return journey via the paths as well. Kid's Said:Highlights:Tyler: Seeing the ocean · Meeting "Mama" and her yummy French toast and orange juice · Auntie Helen cuz she gave us treats and eggs and was so nice to us · Egg Cracking at Easter · seeing all the statues · hiking the Gorge and having the picnic · seeing all the cats everywhere · it was funny when Kayla fell into the water when she slipped on the rocks · I liked the pink pelican with red eyes in MickaMouse (how Tyler pronounces Mykonos) · buying Mommy a mother's day egg and she liked it really good · climbing Adventure Rock· not getting sea sick on any of the ferry rides· my '20 mile run' with Dad· winning Kayla in Backgammon while Mom & Dad did Interet· lighting candles in the churches· ...and everything....Kayla: · Acropolis & Ancient Agora · the history · Mama, especially her French Toast, freshly squeezed OJ and she let us cook in the kitchen for all of our breakfast · The Cave hotel suite in Santorini · Knossos was cool except for the bad restorations · Aunt Helen was the BEST in the West cuz she cooked us Easter dinner, made us Easter eggs to crack (and I won!!!), gave us treats ALL the time, let us cook with her cooking dough · Hiking the Gorge and our picnic in the tree · Falling in the ocean· Buying my new necklace with money I earned from massaging Mom and Dad· Meeting Clint and Gloria and having dinner with them· Hiking and "killing the poker-butts" (thornbushes)· Touring the Monastery and the Cave· Going on the super fast ferry· Getting ice cream· Meeting new friends - on a ferry ride and at a restaurant and other places· sleeping thru the earthquake on Crete...I'm not scared of earthquakes anymore cuz it didn't even wake me up (Editor Note: it was a 4.5 our last nite in Crete)· Girls Day with Mom, we did manicures, pedicures, makeup, hair and had special drinks...I loved it!Lowlights:Tyler: didn't get to ride the quads cuz mom and dad said it was too cold that dayKayla: · What I didn't like about Knossos was they didn't use real authentic stuff, they used cement and colored in all the paintings. Egypt was better for this.· losing to Tyler in Backgammon
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1112907480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1112907480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1112907480/tpod.html Sun, 24 Apr 2005 00:24:55 -0400 The Incredibles - The family with NO Superpowers takes on the world!!

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Cairo, Egypt

April 6 - 19, 2005It has been brought to my attention that there may have been a time stamping issue on the submissions for "Name that Song" in our Phuket post. So in a spirit of fairness, drinks go to both Nancy AND Cheryl. Cheers and thanks to all of you that played...it's nice to know people are actually reading this stuff :-) She Said:Let's be honest, up to this point this trip has really been pretty much idyllic so I guess we were due for a bit of a shocker...we were so unprepared! We should have known based on our welcome to Cairo when we were transiting thru to Tanzania. Here we were systematically removed of our tickets, luggage and passports with the suggested requirement of a little 'gift' to help expedite things thru. We arrived from Tanzania all rosy-faced and ebullient, fresh from one of the most amazing experiences of our lives. The contrast was shocking to say the least! Cairo - $17M people packed into a noisy, dirty, ugly city...a far cry from night sounds of lions roaring and buffalo munching outside our tent. All nite long, even on the 10th floor I heard traffic noise...that is until 4:30 am when the Mosque next door blared the call to prayer on their loud speakers...talk about Conversion Tactics :) It really is the weirdest city - so much traffic vying for road supremacy with seemingly no road rules and then on the very same busy streets are donkeys pulling carts of vegetables and camels sauntering along. Surreal. All I can say is we made the right decision in deciding to hire a driver and guide for this portion of our travels - I cannot imagine what a trip this would have been without them! From the minute we landed at the airport, we had a representative at our side whisking us thru "The Gauntlet". After our transit experience, I have no doubt in my mind that a significant amount of 'gift' money would have been required to get us thru the 4 different stations we had to pass thru just to get our luggage. Bribery is just a part of the game here and certainly not a game I understand at all. I have never seen so many men with machine guns in one place in my life, and I kept trying to comfort myself that they represented protection vs intimidation. It became very clear from the onset that this was not a friendly country. I have never been in a country where you are despised simply because of the color of your skin. You knew it, you felt it, even as you walked down the street. It became very clear how serious the extremists are in their demented hatred when the first day we arrived in Cairo a suicide bomber blew himself up in a popular shopping bazaar in Cairo, killing 3 people and injuring 18 others. We had spent that whole day exploring Cairo and I had full intentions of shopping there too, but luckily we decided our schedule was already too full. A sobering start to this leg to say the least. Anyway, enough horror stories (for now)...if there were no redeeming factors we would have left right then, but after much prayer and analysis the decision was made to continue our exploration of this country. It really is a fascinating place from a history perspective - where else do you see things over 5000 years old, still intact. Some of the things we explored were:·The Egyptian Museum is an amazing place showcasing incredible displays of Mummies, Tombs and Palace artifacts - it was amazing to see the remains of King Tut's tomb. These people really believed they needed to send <i>everything with them to the afterlife.·Old Cairo was totally cool, especially seeing where three religions meet, Islamic Mosques, Coptic Churches and Jewish Synagogues. The El Movallaqa Church is believed to be a place where Jesus and his family stayed here while traveling thru Egypt - bizarre to actually sit in a place where Jesus once stood. The synagogue was presumably built on the place where Moses was found by the Pharaoh's daughter floating down the Nile, after all the male babies were sentenced to be killed - so rich in history, it's mind blowing. But hey, imagine the security in a location flanked by a Christian Church and a Jewish Synagogue, I've never experienced anything like it.·Of course the Pyramids and the famous Sphinx, were a highlight. ·Overnight on board Sleeper Train to Aswan. This was a totally cool experience for the whole family - we all loved it. We even had adjoining sleepers so it was like a big pajama party. When I awoke and looked out the window we were now in village areas...I looked in the fields and everyone was in robes, riding donkeys...I felt like I had been transported back into Biblical times...it was incredible. ·Aswan in itself was ok, tho' the Temple of Philae was special. When they built the dam to harness the Nile it had to be dismantled and re-assembled on higher ground. What an undertaking! We took a pass on the 6 hour drive to Abu Simbel and opted instead for a quiet day with a felucca (sailboat) ride down the Nile and a boat trip to a Nubian Village to explore the local way of life. We went to a school, visited someone's home and spent some baby crocodiles. This combined with a bumpy Camel ride was a highlight for the children. ·Luxor is a really beautiful old town with some amazing temples and the Avenue of the Sphinxes. In it's time there was miles of road joining the temples lined on either side with huge sphinxes....unbelievable to see even the little bit that has been unearthed. ·After it was decided that pyramids were a bit of an obvious landmark for grave robbers the ancient Egyptians tried a new strategy of elaborate underground tombs. These were found at the Valley of the Kings and Queens which were really interesting to explore.Well we were toured-out at this point and starting to get strung out from the open hostility so it was a welcome change as we set off on our second leg in Egypt - diving and beaches of the Red Sea. Of course to get there we had to join up with a military convoy to go across the Eastern Desert. I don't know about you, but it struck me as odd that we would be such a target that it was beneficial to herd us all together in one place. It really is a sad commentary that I comforted myself with the idea that if anything were to happen they would go for the big tour buses first rather than our little van with only 4. It's amazing how sick your thinking gets and obviously we got across safely. The majority of the time was completely uneventful tho' there were sections when you could see our driver obviously stressed out. Do these guys get Danger Pay? Destination: Hurghada which was basically built over the past 10 years as a tourist destination for Europeans. It feels less hostile as it's only purpose is tourism, but here most everyone at our resort was either from Germany or Russia. When it was determined that we were English, a whole new wave of discrimination started. The general consensus seems to be that everyone from North America are war-mongers and anti-Muslim. The only thing any of them seem to know about Canada was Canada Dry, a drink apparently no longer imported since 9/11. I eventually started 'speaking' French (Bonjour, Merci, etc) just to avoid hassle which for any of you that know me is a TOTAL joke...I speak about as much French as George Bush. However, the locals didn't know that and as long as they thought we were from Europe we seemed to fare better. The kids thought I was completely insane and initially would blow my cover - "why are you saying that mom?" I had difficulty explaining.We took it pretty easy and had some good times. Kayla and I participated in Environment Day, where we went snorkeling and cleaned garbage out of the ocean. They made a contest out of it and we ended up taking 3rd prize which won us a snorkeling trip out on a Glass Bottom boat. The children loved the Kid's Club and frankly, so did we (adult time - yay!). The hotel had entertainment every evening and one nite put on the production of "Cats". They got the children from Kids Club to participate so it was great fun to see our children in their theatrical debut in a German production of Kayla's favorite show. Imagine our surprise when she actually came on as Mr. Mistopholes, one of our favorite characters in the show. It was getting pretty late for the Ty-Guy and he ended up falling asleep on stage...too funny. He obviously didn't have stage fright and came home singing "Jello Cat" (his version of the signature "Jelico Cat" song).We took in some diving one day which was beautiful, but I realized what pampered divers we have become. The German company that ran the dive company was extremely efficient but clearly expected you to do everything yourself...sadly I haven't rigged up my own dive gear in over 5 years and felt pretty helpless trying to remember all the stuff. We realized later that it's a safety precaution as the Egyptian assistants really aren't to be trusted, but I felt quite unprepared at the time. Most of the time you just felt like you had to be on guard. People seemed to be trying to stiff you at every turn. We know that we were hugely cushioned by our guide - as long as we were with him people pretty much left us alone. However, the couple of times were ventured out on our own we were instantly "bothered". Mark goes to buy a newspaper - a seemingly innocuous task and the guy takes his money and then claims Mark didn't pay enough. Mark objects and suddenly four guys surround him. They win. And then there's the tipping...an Egyptian colloquialism for bribery and harassment. They expect to be tipped for freaking EVERYTHING. Again, we were cushioned to some degree by our guide but it was still horrendous. We heard stories of people being severely hassled for not 'tipping' someone who had pointed out a rock to them at the temple. At one of the tombs where guides weren't allowed, we went in and one of the guards would stand in front of you, wave a piece of cardboard in your face and then not let you by until you tipped him for fanning you. I'm serious...I'm laughing at the absurdity as I write this, but let me tell you at the time I had reached my limit. It wouldn't be so bad except most things are done with some element of hostility....you really don't know to what level they will go to. An undercurrent of animosity at all times, you could almost feel it in the air...and this is a moderate Muslim country. I can NOT imagine what it must be like in the more fundamentalist Muslim countries like Iran or what is was like in Afghanistan under the Taliban. Soooo, I loved the history lesson, the amazing archeological wonders found in the pyramids, tombs and temples from BC but hey, let's face it - there is a lot of hostility here. I would say the tourism industry survives here in spite of the culture. That said, we did meet some really good people and the government is clearly trying to do their part ... there are more Tourism and Artifact Police than you can imagine. Security everywhere. The convoys to escort the tourists. Egyptians are not even allowed into the hotels. They're doing there best, but frankly I don't see an end of these cultural wars any time soon.Highlights ·Our guide and tour company...they really went out of their way to ensure our safety and comfort at every level. I can not say enough about how well they treated us. ·Sleeper Train Pajama Party·The Art and History ·Environment Day with Kayla·The Red Sea·Kids Club at Le Pacha ResortLowlights·The suicide bombing in Cairo·The animosity towards westerners. A woman in her full Burka (Moslem dress covering head/body) actually spat on the street when we walked by. ·The tipping nightmares &amp; feeling like people are out to get you ·The food - we complained in Germany but we had NO idea! We went from food purgatory to Food Hell!·I'm not even going to start with my treatment of women section, tho' I got significant fodder while getting a massage from an Egyptian Muslim woman who married a German. Horrible stuff.He Said:Highlights:1.The sheer magnitude of the history going back 5000 years...2.The Pyramids of Giza3.Visiting the hanging church &amp; another church where the Holy family stayed in Old Cairo4.The Valley of the Kings5.The Temples of Karnak and Luxor6.The Egyptian Museum in Cairo7.The Citadel8.Our guide who was awesome in steering us along and providing a ton of history9.Our Tour company - this leg would have been a complete disaster without them10.Kids Club at La Pacha in Hirghada11.Kayla's stage debut as Mister Mistopholes in the German Production of Cats at La Pacha :)12.Tyler participating in the Cats Production13.Diving in the Red SeaLowlights:1.The general disdain/contempt for English speaking Westerners. 2.The bombing in Old Cairo after our first full day in Cairo. This is just a little too close to the action for me.3.Being in pretty much a constant state of anxiety, always on edge and never really feeling like I could relax.4.Blowing my safety stop during my dive in the Red Sea. You'd think I had never dove before... it just punctuated how tightly wound I was while in Egypt.5.The never ending supply of people who seem to have their hand out looking for a tip. It is absolutely insane and completely annoying. They have contempt for you on one hand but they sure want to get some of your money.6.Culture Shock/Home Sick - I have never felt so stretched while traveling.Well I am writing this with a couple days left in our Egyptian adventure but really we're done. We have 6 hour ride across the desert in a convoy/caravan with full military escort back to Cairo and then the next day we head to the airport to catch our plane back to Frankfurt. I can honestly say that I will never have been so happy to get on a plane in all my life as I will be on Tuesday. Now before I just start ranting I am going to do my best to provide a balanced and as objective view of our time in Egypt as I can. That said, I can honestly say that if Tanzania was the high point of our trip, Egypt is the hands down winner of the low point of our trip. I'd even go so far as to say Egypt is the low point of my travel career, which is a pretty sad indictment.Now before I go off and bash Egypt to badly, it is not without its highlights. Egypt is clearly a place steeped in history. 5000 years of it to be exact. And visiting the various icons of this amazing past like the Pyramids of Gyza, The Valley of the Kings, Old Cairo, the Temples of Luxor and Karnak all bring home just how amazing the accomplishments of the Ancient Egyptians really were. This was an advanced society, a learned society and a very talented society when it came to things like the arts. The fact that anything left is a testament to them, the fact that some of what is left is so well preserved defies belief. Their stonework and carvings are stunning. They actually carved the rock off to form their carvings giving the feeling that the images were coming out of the stone rather than carving the images into the stone. This contrast was clearly visible in the temple at Luxor where you had ancient carvings done by the Egyptians, side by side with some done later on by the Greeks. All in all this aspect of our Egyptian Odyssey was totally amazing.This part of our Egyptian experience was made even better by our tour guide who will remain nameless. He was awesome and he was a Christian. That in itself was a total blessing, and being as I don't believe in these kinds of coincidences I'll just chalk that one up to one of those small miracles that people so easily dismiss in their day to day lives. The fact that at least one of our drivers, the one that drove us across the desert to Hirghada, was also a Christian put an exclamation mark on that little miracle. I'm not sure what the odds of getting a Christian guide in a country of 70 million that is &gt; 90% Muslim are but I'm pretty sure they are not bet the farm odds. And after the bombing in Old Cairo, which we had visited earlier that day, having a Christian guide in a Muslim country was very comforting indeed. The thing that struck me the most about our guide was the pride with which he told us he was a Christian. In fact many of the Christians in Egypt have a small cross tattooed on the inside of one of their wrists and they are clearly plugged into other Christians throughout Egypt as we came into contact with several other Christians via our guide along the way. It was both amazing and shocking for me being from Canada that Christians would need to be so cautious. That said, that honor/pride in the face of what I'm sure is some fairly serious persecution is a testament to their faith. It made me wonder how my own faith would stand up if I faced this same level of pressure. I can only speculate what it must be like to be a Christian in a predominantly Muslim country as our guide was, probably for all the right reasons, not really willing to engage in a lot of forthright discussions about it. Anyway, our first few days in Egypt were a flurry of activity the first full day spent heading out to the Egyptian Museum complete with the Treasures of King Tut's tomb which were very cool and some great lessons in history from our guide who took us through the various times of Ancient Egypt from Old Kingdom thru to New Kingdom. It was amazing to hear about all the different machinations these kingdoms went through over time and the accomplishments and religions that flourished and died over a 3000 year period. It struck me that most of the history that I have focused on is Western History sort of post Jesus. Anything prior to that I must confess I never really paid much attention to and even most of what came after that I never paid much mind to. This trip has changed that as I have learned a lot about history from the various places we have visited and mind myself intrigued by human history and the history of our planet more so than ever before. So, this part of the Egyptian leg was fascinating.After the museum we visited the Citadel and the Mohammed Ali Mosque which is huge and then over to Old Cairo where there is some amazing Christian Heritage, the hanging church and another ancient Christian Church that is said to have been one of the places of refuge for the Holy Family when the fled to Egypt. To visit a place that Jesus himself may have actually stayed was very powerful, it kind of puts a whole new reality on the biblical stories. The places in the bible are real, Egypt, the Red Sea, Mount Sianai etc. it just concretized things for me, made it more real. It also has me looking forward to eager anticipation my visit to Greece and Turkey which also have rich Christian Histories related to the Apostles John and Paul. Apparently it was the apostle Mark that was instrumental in the conversion of Egypt to Christianity. I did not know that. :) So much I don't know.That first night as we were lounging in our Hotel we saw the news story about the Suicide Bombing in Old Cairo. That was indeed a bit of wake up call to say the least. I mean we have done our very best to stay away from areas that could be perceived as overly dangerous and quite frankly have been very blessed on this trip so far. So, the news that a bomb had gone off somewhere in the vicinity of an area we had visited earlier in the day was completely surreal for me. I just kind of laid on the bed in shock not really knowing what to say or do. Do we just get the heck out of Dodge or what? Anyway we talked it through, prayed about and made the decision to stay, it was probably the right decision but by the time we arrived in Hirghada I was thinking we should have pulled the plug and what was I thinking extending our stay in Egypt an extra few days. I think by then the combination of the bombing, feeling like I always needed to be on guard, the incessant and never ending expectations of a tip for smallest of things and the general lack of warmth and at times down right contempt from the people had just worn me down. I was done, I wanted to go home and for the first time on the trip I experienced some very real home sickness. It was no fun and it took a couple of days to get myself out of the funk but as with most things it eventually passed. That said I could not wait to get out Egypt. Now after we spent the next day checking out the Pyramids and The Sphinx etc. we caught the night train to Aswan which for me was totally awesome. We had not done the sleeper train thing yet and this turned out to be a blast for all of us. It is a twelve hour ride and I personally would do it again. As far as Aswan itself goes I could take it or leave it but the unfinished Obelisk is pretty cool and going for a boat cruise on the Nile was a highlight. We also did a carriage ride around Aswan and got to see some areas off the tourist trail if you will. These people don't have much so on one hand I found myself very judgmental of the general attitude of the people etc. but at the same time I realized I live in a completely different world than they do. Different in pretty much every way possible, so it is probably unfair to be so hard on the people. I do not have to walk in their shoes. That said, I don't believe the living conditions tell the whole story as we have visited other countries where the people are just as poor and I never felt the level of discomfort and at times fear that I felt in Egypt. There is more to the story but I don't feel I have any true grasp of what that is so I'm not even going to speculate. Luxor was a highlight with the Temples of Karnak and Luxor and the Avenue of the Sphinx and the Hotel in Luxor was great. Luxor is also where we parted company with our amazing guide. I was sad to see him go as I knew he had been our shield and protector and I must confess to being a bit worried about not having him with us going forward. That said our driver in Luxor, also a Christian, was going to be the driver to take us in the Military Escorted Convoy across the desert to Hirghada. Now, if there was a slim chance that you had not felt uneasy so far, the knowledge that you and a whole bunch of other tour and mini-buses required a Military Escort, for your safety, to cross the desert surely would have put an end to that. :)Happily the journey to Hurghada was a non-event with the highlight being the various mini-bus drivers who, I'm sure out of shear boredom, spent much of the trip passing each other and jockeying for position as if we were in some desert rally race. It was quite amusing and all in good fun, most of the time anyway.Hurghada is destination place for Europeans looking for some place cheap to go that is warm with great diving. From what we gathered it is mostly Germans and eastern Europeans who now frequent Hirghada. 10-12 years ago there was nothing in Hirghada except desert and a few hotels and this amazing asset called the Red Sea. Today there are numerous hotels along the coast and seemingly everywhere you look construction going on. We were booked in at La Pacha Resort which was a recommendation from a fellow we met in Bali while diving. It turned out to be an "All Inclusive" resort which seems to cater primarily to Germans and Russians. And was quite frankly a great refuge for me anyway. I didn't have to leave the hotel if I didn't want to and the kids were happy as they had a pool and a Kids Club which fortunately for us the coordinator spoke English as well as German. I must confess it was nice to have them go off to Kid's club for a few hours, it gave me some downtime and some time to work through my homesickness. The highlight for me was one night the evenings activity was a performance of the Musical Cats, in German, by the Tour Staff who were lip-synching each of the songs. What made if fun was that the kids who had been in Kids Club, Kayla and Tyler included, were also participants in the production and had had their faces all made up for the show. As it turned out, Kayla got to take center stage during one song as "The Magical Mister Mistopholes" which was so great and Tyler the little shy boy that left Canada 6 months ago was up there as well having a blast. It was really cool and a lot of fun even if it was in German. We have both seen Cats several times and have the CD so we knew all the words and just sang along with them in English. Now the reason we came to Hirghada in the first place was to Dive in the Red Sea. We have heard for years from numerous people that the Diving in the Red Sea is amazing. And one of the reasons we chose La Pacha is that there is a reputable dive company, Orca, located right at the Hotel. So, Shannon and I signed up for a day of diving and they were kind enough to let us bring the kids along for no charge. So with eager anticipation we boarded the dive boat for what I hoped would be an awesome day. In the end it turned to be my best day in Egypt but likely my worst dive experience since I got certified, all by my own hand I might add. First of all I was probably a bit cocky after some great dives recently and the comfort that I had felt on those dives. What I was not prepared for was how pampered we have been diving recently. All the equipment prepped for you etc. all you have to do is put it on, make sure the air is working and get in the water. Not so with Orca, these guys (girls actually) run a serious diver operation for serious divers and serious divers take care of there own stuff. Including getting the BCD's and Regulators rigged up and onto the tanks etc. which we have done numerous times on past dives but not for a few years. Combine that with fact that I was already on edge and well you'd think I had never dove before. I/We fumbled around looking completely like fish out of water in comparison to all the other divers on the boat which only added to my feelings of humiliation. Anyway we finally got rigged up and into the water and from there until it was time to surface things went pretty smoothly, I got my neutral buoyancy figured out and away we went. That said, I can't tell you much of what I saw as I never really relaxed, like I said you'd think I had never dove before and at the end I just completely blew my safety stop. It was brutal, I was ashamed and embarrassed which was only punctuated by the Dive Master who upon returning to the boat looked at me and said with his wonderful German accent "Vat the hell vas dat Mark" , I could have just crawled under a bunch of tanks and died, actually I just slunk to the front of the boat and had a little pity party for myself. I mean he was right, I have no idea what I was thinking, I just wanted to get out so I did. Anyway, we ended up having a good chat with him later and I apologized for my actions and he was totally cool about it. That said, I had lost my desire to dive anymore that day and just skipped the second dive and instead chose to just relax in the sun on the deck of the boat. It was a great choice as felt the tension drain from me as the sun warmed me. It was good self care in hindsight. The old me would have been driven to do the second dive just to prove myself worthy. Instead I admitted my mistake, made amends and moved on, not without some drama I admit but not nearly the amount of drama there would have once been! :)The other thing that occurred while on the dive boat was funny in those funny because it is not happening to me kind of ways. While we were finishing lunch we spotted this diver from another boat who gotten separated from his buddy and was way off the dive plan and several hundred yards out into the sea from where the boats were. He was clearly not in a good way as the current was pushing him out and he was fighting to stay even let alone make his way back in. Yet nobody from his boat was paying any attention. My favorite German dive master then had some very colorful comments which I will not include but the gist of which was "I know those guys, they could give a shit if that guy died". It just was a further reinforcement of how different life is valued or not valued in this case compared with Western values. In this case the story has a happy ending another dive boat actually moved out and picked the guy up and took him to his boat. Sadly, this same boat, a week or so prior had the misfortune of finding a couple of divers who had not been so fortunate, all I could think of were his comments... "they could give a shit..." That pretty much summed up the sentiment I/We felt when we were out and about in the masses and sadly it is probably true. It is also the reason I will never return to Egypt or for that a matter likely anywhere in the middle-east. I just don't need that kind of stuff in my life. It is too bad because in many ways Egypt has much to offer the tourist and traveller but what you have to put up with is just not worth it for me. Like I said though, the Germans and Russians seemed to have a much easier time of it and seemed to be really enjoying their time in Hurghada. Am I being to hard on Egypt? Maybe but as good old Joe Sports likes to say "Those are my thoughts not yours..."Kid's Said:Highlights:Kayla - The pyramids, the amazing 5000 year old culture, Kid's Club, Environment Day, being in "Cats", riding a camelTyler: - "same as Kayla" (she hates it when he 'copies' her but such is life...we'll get him to answer first next time)Lowlights: Tyler: When Daddy was mad at me for not saying thank you &amp; good bye to the teacher at Kid's ClubKayla: Missing the Kid's Club Day at the Aqua Fun Park
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1111950000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1111950000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1111950000/tpod.html Sat, 23 Apr 2005 21:59:45 -0400 The Incredibles - The family with NO Superpowers takes on the world!!

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The Serengeti, Tanzania

April 6, 2005DISCLAIMER: Serious Bloat Blog ahead, but hey we just can't stop talking about it :-) Also, kudos to Cheryl for naming "Closing TIme" as the song Mark asked to be identified in our last post. Sorry, no prizes for naming the artist of our theme song for this leg...bet you can all sing along though..."...looking for adventure in whatever comes my way. Like a true nature's child, I was born to be wild...." I'm imagining you all singing along now so get into the spirit :-) She Said:"Jambo" from Tanzania and WOW!!! The beauty of this trip has been the incredible diversity of experience and our Safari just took everything to a whole new dimension. I feel a bit like Alice in Wonderland that just fell down the hole into a whole new mind-blowing world. It just doesn't get much better than this!First the people....we met up with our friends Ron &amp; Nancy who had organized this for the group ...and what an amazing time we had! It was so good to see old friends and I just realized how much I have missed intimate discussions and authentic talk. Our group of 14 all just meshed so well, it really made for constant great times. Combine that with our fearless leaders from Robin Hurt Safaris and I couldn't imagine a better team! It was really good for our whole family to have new points of interaction, everyone including the children clearly enjoyed the sharing. Kayla just loved all her 'girl talk' times with everyone and talked everyone's ear off. For anyone that knows Tyler, he's always been our shy little guy. Just to illustrate how much he has changed on this trip, one nite at dinner he actually got up and regaled the whole group with one of his original rap songs. What a hoot! Animals:It was like the safari gods were watching over us - we saw more animals than I ever imagined...all of the Big 5 - Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Leopard, Lion, Rhino. Add to that the amazing Hippos, Cheetahs, Rhinos....But hey we didn't just see animals - we were on a part of the Serengeti that seemed cordoned off just for us, as we never saw another group the entire time we were there. We were able to get so close to the animals it was unreal...I will venture to share a few of my magical moments from the trip:- Every day we would start the trip with what our 'wishes' for the day were. We got a little cocky in our requests...it wasn't enough to see all these amazing animals - we wanted to see a birth, a hunt, a kill and the children wanted to see them all in miniature ...baby everything. We were so spoiled, as we were rarely disappointed. I must admit the babies were a special treat - 5 lion cubs, 3 baby cheetahs, a little elephant learning how to use his trunk, baby hippos, rhino, giraffes, zebras. We even saw a wildebeest calf that had just been born. It was still wet, could barely walk and the placenta was still hanging from the mom. It was unbelievable to see nature's incredible instincts at work right from the first moments. I was in awe most of the time.- A big bull elephant seemingly so nonchalant suddenly charging one of the vehicles complete with a loud trumpeting. National Geographic eat your heart out!!!- A cheetah hunting warthogs and the mommy pumba deciding to take her on...what a sight. A seemingly uneven match but that maternal instinct so strong that mother warthog would clearly give her life for her babies. It was pretty tough to decide who to cheer for - the beautiful, graceful cheetah in need of meal or the feisty mommy warthog. It was quite a show, complete with a Disney happy ending - nobody got hurt :)- The lion kills - we met a male lion guarding the last of his wildebeest kill from a pack of nasty hyenas. The next day we went back to see how he had fared and found him a short distance away with a fresh zebra kill. Incredible stuff!- The Wildebeest Migration - words can not describe what it's like to sit in the middle of a herd of wildebeest and in every direction, as far as the eye could see the animals. They estimated there were over a MILLION wildebeest - it was wild! And to see them on the move is a sight to behold.- The baboons scrapping amongst themselves. This one mama had a very little baby holding onto her back during the whole fight.- Giraffes gracefully loping along seemingly running in slow motion.- A leopard sunning herself in a tree.- Cheetah cubs playing like little kittens right in front of us...like a scene right out of Lion King - "pinned ya". At times you almost forget these are dangerous beasts they were so nonchalant to our presence.- The bird life was something I hadn't even thought about but with over 1000 recorded species, apparently East Africa is one for the world's richest regions for birds. It was shocking to see such an amazing variety of incredible birds - huge birds, colorful birds, song birds...something for everyone. Some family favs were the Secretary Bird, Crowned Crane, Kori Bustard and Flamingos in flight.- The gazelles silhouetted against the sunset - many times I honestly felt like pinching myself it was so beautiful. CultureThe Maasai people are striking - a beautiful people with jet black skin set off with their bright red clothing and elaborate jewellery. I was disappointed there was little opportunity to explore their culture more but I bought a book and between that and the Hurt's I was able to glean some information on their history and customs. Unfortunately, what stuck out for me the most was the obvious mistreatment of women. Female circumcism is still practiced - such a barbaric, senseless act that will have life long impact on a woman's life. Women clearly just aren't valued in this culture. In fact, only the week before we arrived a battle broke out between two different tribes where both people and cattle were killed. Finally, the chiefs got together to reach resolution before any more blood was shed. It was decided that a compensation plan would be enacted: for every man killed $100,000 Shillings would be given, 75,000 Shillings for every cow lost and 50,000 for every woman. How absolutely appalling - right there in black and white it is identified that a woman's life is worth ½ that of a man's and less than a cows!!!! I don't know what lessons I am supposed to be learning thru all this, but something in my heart and soul has definitely been stirred - I just find it all so shocking that this can really be happening in our 'modern' world. (It seems like "He Said" doesn't have an exclusive on SoapBox time...this is becoming a bit of a theme in my posts :-( AccomodationOK lets be honest, I was a little nervous about sleeping in a tent in the middle of the Serengeti. Let's just say Girl Scouts didn't prepare me for camping like this -surrounded by lions and other man-eating creatures. Well, I needn't have worried...these tents were luxury all the way - raised platforms with lovely decks...comfy beds with a full ensuite including hot showers, toilets, the works. This is my kind of camping! And the food was gourmet all the way, "picnic lunches" complete with tables, chairs, linens and china. Then we headed for the Ngorongoro Crater, one of the Natural Wonders of the World. Is it not enough that all of the animals live in this caldera, so easy to see it's like they were placed there for our amusement? Well, when we walked into our "huts" overlooking the crater, it was clear they were ensuring there was NOTHING missing. This place was truly palatial - imagine crystal chandeliers over the tub. And of course, you'd need your own butler to ensure that the fire was crackling when you came back from dinner, the bath complete with bubbles and rose petals was drawn for your arrival after a hard day of animal spotting, and coffee and hot chocolate to wake you up in the right frame of mind in the morning. COME ON...is this really real??!!! I can honestly say my wildest fantasy of the ultimate safari in the world would not have been as good as this one has been. I could go on forever about this adventure, but much of Mark's post simply echoes my own sentiments. Soooo, I'll sign off simply sharing my feelings of tremendous gratitude. I am in awe of the goodness in my life. I am surrounded by the most amazing family and friends at every turn. The richness of the experiences in my life are truly mind-boggling. My dreams and prayers are answered at every turn. I am so very blessed and grateful.Highlights:· Hanging out with my buddies!!!· The sheer numbers and diversity of the animals seen· Robin Hurt's team (www.robinhurt.com) - I cannot say enough about what an amazing group of people they are!!! Thank you Robin, Pauline, Roger, Derek &amp; Gerard!· The accommodation &amp; food - Five * Freddy's in heaven &amp; so am I!!! Crater Lodge www.ccafrica.com and Camp Kusini· Sitting in the tub of bubbles and rose petals watching the sunrise over the crater.· The stars over Kusini - listening to the lion roar and buffalo munch outside your tent at nite· Mark and I riding in the safari truck with our heads sticking out the top, wind blowing in our hair singing "Born to be Wild" - Kayla, Tyler and our inner children all in our glory!Lowlights· Having to say good-bye to everyone· No free time - after 6 month's of no agendas, it was tough to have no downtime to really process the magnitude of what was happening to us. I've come to really enjoy my P&amp;M time on this trip.· Malaria Pills Suck! including the side effects of feeling completely wired and not being able to sleep. I'm amazed at how well the kid's adapt to these things, tho' they were a bit more edgy in the safari truck the day's they took them. He Said:Highlights:1. Seeing Kilimanjaro on the flight in from Nairobi - a great first impression!!!2. Meeting up with everyone at The Coffee Lodge3. The Twin Otter flight to the Serengeti4. Camp Kusini - taking camping to another level, there is nothing like sleeping in a tent in the Serengeti!!!5. Robin, Roger, Derek, Gerard, Jay and Pauline from Robin Hurt Safaris6. The stars at night at Camp Kusini - it was amazing7. The Serengeti Plains8. The Wildlife - we saw everything we could have wished for9. The Wildebeest (Gnu) Migration - seeing a million Wildebeest on the Serengeti plains is a sight that is indescribable.10. The Big Cats... we seen all kinds, males, females and cubs 11. The Giraffes - watching them run is completely captivating12. Seeing a Bull Elephant Charge one of our Safari Cars13. The Ngorongoro Crater - natures own zoo14. Crater Lodge - absolutely amazing and the best views from a bathtub I've ever seen :)15. Riding with the tops off the Safari trucks across the Serengeti16. Picnics on the plains - not your average box lunch17. Watching a Cheetah stalk and go after some Pumbas (Warthogs) and then eventually get chased off by the mother warthog18. Seeing it all throught the eyes of Kayla and Tyler as well19. The feeling of being very in "The Now" and present to my wife and kidsLowlights:1. All good things must come to an end... :(2. Having to say goodbye to everyone. It was so great to spend 10 days with such an amazing group of people.3. Not being able to get closer to the Rhinos at Ngorongoro... such is life.Well I'm sitting in the Transit lounge in the Nairobi Airport on a long (8 hour) layover between Kilimanjaro and Cairo. To say that the Safari in Tanzania was amazing would not do it justice but I will say it anyway, it was TOTALLY AMAZING!!! I cannot imagine how it could have been any better. From the time we landed in Kilimanjaro and were whisked away by Brahm from Robin Hurt Safaris until we boarded the plane to Nairobi it was pretty much perfect. We arrived from Frankfurt totally exhausted after flying all night and headed straight to the Coffee Plantation Lodge, our hotel in Arusha. The rest of the folks we were on Safari with had arrived the night before and were off at Tangirie National Park getting a warm-up to what lay ahead. We took the opportunity to have some lunch and get some much needed rest. We hooked up with the rest of the group Ron &amp; Nancy (the organizers), we can't thank them enough, Billy (we know you were R &amp; N's right hand man in getting this Safari started), Robin and Kay, Dan and Connie, Audrey and Paul and Katie later that evening for a few drinks and dinner. It was a wonderful dinner and we got the logistics for the rest of the Safari sorted out with Jay from Robin Hurt.After a good night's sleep we were off to the Arusha Airport where we hopped aboard a Twin Otter for our flight out to the Serengeti. It was so great, everyone was so excited and I know I personally felt like a little kid, I just couldn't wait to get there and get out on Safari. This was for me the fulfillment of a dream I had had since I was a little boy watching Tarzan on TV. The flight was about an hour or so and we were all chatting and looking out the window trying to figure out what the various white or black specs were below us. As we neared our destination the pilot buzzed the landing strip to clear any animals that might be lingering, safety first, and as we zipped along map of the earth level she made a hard climbing turn that left all of our stomachs behind and the kids and the kids within squealing with delight. We found out later she does that whether or not there are actually any animals there or not just because she loves to do it... :)After circling around she put us down on a grass runway a few clicks away from Camp Kusini. Let the odyssey begin. After disembarking and being introduced to the Robin Hurt Safaris team we split up into the 4 Safari trucks and did some viewing on the way to Camp Kusini. We saw some Zebras, Giraffes a few Buffalo, some Baboons all in the first half an hour. What a way to start. We then made our way over to Camp Kusini to get settled in and have some lunch.It seems none of us was quite sure what to expect at Camp Kusini. I know for Shannon and I we were expecting Tents on the ground with outhouses and communal showers with the water provided by solar heated bags. Well to say that Camp Kusini exceeded those expectations would be an understatement. It was amazing! It was situated in amongst a group of Kopjes (rock outcrops) and the tents all are situated on wooden platforms with little verandas. Inside is deluxe with two single beds (the boys shared one tent and the girls the other) and a divider that separates the sleeping area from the bathroom, toilet and shower area. After a long day out and about in the Serengeti we'd head back to Kusini for happy hour up on the big kopje beside the main dining tent. It was great they had a little bar set up on the kopje and some pillows to lounge on and snacks where we could share the day's stories and watch the sunset. It was pure magic.After sunset most people would either head down to the fire for a few more drinks and socializing or head to their tent for a quick shower before dinner. By dinner time the stars were fully out and it was an amazing spectacle. I thought we had clear nights at our Cabin but the nights at Kusini were out other worldly. The Milky Way was totally visible across the sky and with the telescope they have at Kusisni we all got a chance to check out the rings of Saturn. It was so cool!!! Dinner along with all the other meals at Kusini was always spectacular and the conversations and stories around the table were completely captivating. It was just an amazing time in an amazing place with a group of amazing people. Wow, all that and we have not even talked about the animals. I don't even know where to begin or how to describe the feelings of excitement that I had riding, actually standing most of the time with my upper body sticking out of the top of the Safari truck, around all day looking for animals. It was intense, exhilarating and physically exhausting. From the time you left camp until you returned you never new what you'd see behind the next tree, over the next hill or on top of the next Kopje. In the 4 days we spent in the Serengeti we pretty much saw everything we wanted to see except for Hippos and Rhinos. We saw Zebras and Wildebeest galore and caught the full migration on the way to Ngorongoro. 1 Million+ animals spread across the Serengeti Plains for as far as your eyes could see in every direction. Words cannot do justice to that kind of sight, it literally takes your breath away and brings you intensely into the moment. Gazelle at almost every turn both Thompson and Roberts on the plains, Warthogs, Cape Buffalo (these guys are big and mean and were always right around our tents at night munching away), Eland, Impala, Hartebeest, Waterbucks, Jackals, Bat Eared Fox, the Bull Elephant that charged Robin's Vehicle. Now that was exciting seeing a Bull Elephant get all excited and trumpet as he suddenly charged towards their vehicle. Add in Vervet Monkeys, Baboons, a Male Lion with a Wildebeest kill, Hyenas (spotted one's) all over the place, 5 lion cubs, the same male lion the next day with a fresh Zebra kill, a Leopard lounging in a tree and a Cheetah stalking a mother warthog and her 3 babies. Eventually making it's move only to be run off by the mother warthog. She was not going to let that cheetah have one of her babies on this day and the cheetah wanted no part of mommy warthogs tusks. A mother cheetah and her 3 cubs, and an animal that completely captivated us in the wild, the Giraffes, they are so amazing to watch when they run. It is like they are in slow motion with their long legs striding effortlessly across the ground. A striped hyena around the camp fire at Kusini and so it went every day. Now what made it even more special is that in this part of the Serengeti you are free to drive anywhere you want. As such we could and did literally drive right up to these animals. It is one thing to see a Cheetah or a Lion through some binoculars a few hundred meters away, it is quite another to be able to stop your car 10 or 20 meters away and be able to take pictures of the animals face that fill the entire frame. It did not dawn on us just how special that was until we got to Ngorongoro where you have to stay on the roads and you are sharing those roads with many other safari groups. While at Kusini we never saw anyone else pretty much the whole time we were there and we certainly did not have to compete with any other safari groups for prime viewing locations. We had the entire area to our selves. IT WAS THE MOST AMAZING EXPERIENCE!!!The whole experience was enhanced by the fact that we had the kids along which added a completely different dimension and excitement level to the day's events. They were completely captivated by the animals and I'm sure ruined for any future outings to the local zoo. Kayla was amazing as she quickly picked up the names of all the animals and over time the subtle differences in the Gazelles and being able to name many of the different bird species that we saw. Tanzania apparently has one of the most extensive bird populations in Africa and that was very evident, so much so I won't even begin to try and name them all. A couple, however, do stand out the Secretary Bird, the Ostriches, the Kori Bustard (the world's heaviest flying bird) and the Crowned Crane. Tyler while not quite as keen as Kayla was totally engaged and was by the end able to name many of the animals upon sighting them. He could also get very set in his ways and was completely disgusted that upon seeing Hippo tracks along the waters edge we did not just follow them to the Hippo. He wanted to see a hippo and to him it seemed only logical that if we found the tracks we should just follow them until we found the hippo. It was very cute! Now having said all this about the animals, this experience would not have been possible without the amazing group of folks we had guiding us from Robin Hurt Safaris. We were fortunate enough to have Robin Hurt himself, along with his sons Derek and Roger, and one of their best guides Gerard as our hosts. They were simply amazing! They get much of the credit for making our time in the Serengeti so magical. Their understanding of the animals, the area and their ability to spot animals was truly impressive. I think the fact that they also run Hunting Safaris was totally an asset to those of us out on a Photo Safari. These guys know the animals and they know how to find them, it is as simple as that. Not only that but they tirelessly answered our questions, pointed out birds and in our case made the trip a learning exercise for the kids. Roger, who took us out the most, was amazing with Kayla, while Tyler loved Derek. The evenings were always entertaining as they shared some of their more interesting experiences from the many Safaris they have been apart of over the years. These guys are first class individuals who run a first class operation with a first class team behind the scenes headed by Jay and Pauline (Robin's wife). I can't say enough good things about them and highly recommend them if you're thinking a Safari is something you'd like to do in the future. That said, they are booking 2 years out right now, so don't delay. :)While talking about Robin Hurt Safaris I'd also like to put in a plug for The Cullman &amp; Hurt Community Wildlife Project which is an organization that works to ensure conservation efforts continue to grow in the areas where they operate. They are truly making a difference and they truly understand the value of conservation and the fact that conservation needs to benefit the local villages and people for it too succeed. The animals of Africa and in this case of Tanzania are a valuable renewable resource if properly managed. And in order for conservation and anti-poaching efforts to be successful and sustainable there needs to be a benefit to the local people. Robin Hurt Safaris is spearheading these kinds of efforts through Cullman &amp; Hurt and is working with the local villages where they operate to share the wealth that these resources can bring to the area. I cannot do their efforts justice so if you are interested please visit http://www.cullmanandhurt.org/ for additional information. For me Hunting and Photo Safaris both have a place in these plans and in fact are vital to generating revenue to ensure these conservation efforts continue and that the local people continue to benefit directly from the natural resources on their lands, in this case the wildlife. Well I guess I'll get off my soap box now... :)After our time at Kusini was up were off to Ngorongoro Crater. We took the better part of a day getting there from Kusini but it was an awesome day as on the way we came into the middle of the main body of the Migration. We had thought we had hit it as good as we possibly could the day before alas fortune once again smiled on us and we ended up passing right through the middle of the over one million animals mostly Wildebeest with a healthy smattering of Zebras and Gazelle and assorted others. As I said before words cannot adequately describe what it is like to be able to see no end to the animals for as far as your eye can see in any direction. The plains were alive and in motion. It was visually stunning and it made me wonder what it must have been like to see the Buffalo migrate across the plains of North America before we white folks arrived and greedily slaughtered them on mass. What a tragedy and what a loss. Just another example of how poorly we have stewarded this planet that God gave us dominion over. It seems that we do not learn from the past and as such are destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over. Be it fisheries, forests, global warming etc. we just don't seem to get that we are living in the Garden of Eden. We are blinded by greed and consumption and the Garden called Earth is paying the price and at some point if we are not careful the price will become too high and at that point it may be our turn to pay the piper and sadly our wallets are likely to be empty. As usual my belief is that balance is the key. You can't just stop doing what we're doing on a dime and suddenly reverse course. The Genie is out of the bottle so to speak but we can if we choose to begin to slowly turn this ship around. My fear is that we will not start the turn until it is much to late. I hope not but history is not on my side. Hmmmm.... Seems like I got off on a bit of a tangent there, oh well. Anyway back to Ngorongoro...Ngorongoro Crater is Mother Nature's Zoo. It is as if Noah's Ark hit ground here and unloaded. You can easily do a trip around the Crater Floor in a day and during that day you are likely to see pretty much every animal you'd want to see. We saw the Big 5 (Lion, Leopard, Cape Buffalo, Elephant and Rhino) Big 6 if you include Hippos all in one day on the Crater Floor. Throw in the host of usual suspects like Thompson's Gazelle and Grants, Zebra, Wildebeest, huge flocks of Flamingos, some Eland and a Cheetah and you have the makings of a couple of pretty special days. For me the crater highlights the Large Bull Elephants, there were a couple with Huge Tusks, the Rhinos, which we had not seen in the Serengeti and the Maasai.The Maasai are an amazing tribe of people who live their lives today much as they ever have and by all accounts don't really have much desire to change. They are a proud people and continue to live somewhat nomadic lives as herders of Sheep, Goats and Cattle. They live very traditionally and are usually very colorfully dressed. Their traditional colors are red and as such they stand out in the fields from quite a ways away. It would have been cool to spend some time exploring this aspect of Africa but that will have to wait for another time.Last but certainly not least I need to say something about Crater Lodge. This is without a doubt the finest accommodations I have ever stayed in. And that is saying quite a bit as I have had the privilege of staying in some very nice Hotels in some amazing locations over the years both as a business man and as a traveler. But, Crater Lodge is the hands down winner in the Best Accommodations category. Not only are the rooms huge, with Fire Place, King Size Bed and a huge ensuite bathroom but they are perched right on the Crater's Edge so you have these absolutely stunning panoramic views of pretty much the entire crater floor. But wait there is more, the ensuites have these amazing tubs facing a set of French Doors that you can open and have that same crater view from your tub. Which by the way is filled and waiting for you upon your return to the Lodge at the end of your day. Even the toilet has stunning views! :)After dinner when you return to your room the Fireplace has been lit and there is a decanter of Sherry sitting fireside for you to sip on as you relax in one of the big chairs cozily positions in front of the fire. You can slip into one of the comfortable robes they supply, and just relax as you reminisce about the day's spottings and what tomorrow might bring. Then as the sandman calls out to you, you can crawl into your bed, preheated with electric blankets, open the curtains and drift off to sleep staring out at the crater below and those amazing views of the stars that are like no others I have ever seen. This is indeed a very special place in a very special location!So there you have it, our African story, it is almost to good to be true and had I not experienced it personally I'd probably be hard pressed to believe a trip could be this special. But it was every bit this special and more! We/I cannot thank Ron and Nancy enough for organizing this, it was a true gift to be able to experience Africa in this way with such an amazing group of people. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you.... Kid's Said:Highlights:Tyler: Seeing the cheetah &amp; lions &amp; hippos &amp; rhinos &amp; zebras &amp; giraffes &amp;&amp;&amp;... All the babies. Watching the Dung Beetle. All of my new friends.Kayla: Pretty much EVERYTHING!!! All of the animals, especially the babies and hanging out with everyone.Lowlights: Leaving!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1111415280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1111415280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1111415280/tpod.html Thu, 21 Apr 2005 03:14:05 -0400 The Incredibles - The family with NO Superpowers takes on the world!!

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Frankfurt, Germany

March 24, 2005Germany from food heaven to food purgatory...She Said: After months of gorgeous hot weather, beautiful beaches and amazing food, I was not particularly enthusiastic about the prospect of cold (did someone mention snow - ahk) and greasy chow. Happily, our 5 day stop turned out to be a wonderful breath of fresh air (literally after Bangkok!). It felt like a spring day in Calgary, complete with the patches of crocus and daffodils. Quite refreshing, really.The utter contrast of medieval towns and old castles was an awesome change to everything else we've experienced so far - from rain forest to beaches to temples and animals, it was really neat to spend some time in old Europe. It's amazing how everything has turned out so beautifully considering the incredible lack of planning that went into this journey - but then again, maybe that's what's made it so magical. No expectations or preplanned agendas - just letting the spirit take us where it will and wait on the gifts of the Now. So amazing. Armed with Karen Brown's Guide to Germany (for any of you that haven't ventured into her recommendations, she is the best in my books!) we decided to take a little journey down the Romantic Road and into the Black Forest. It was awesome. Wurzburg was a great stop, particularly the Episcopal Princes' Residenz, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the finest baroque palaces in Europe. It truly is a beautiful vestige of it's time in the 1700's - gorgeous and completely over-the-top ornate baroque architecture. The frescoes were particularly intriguing here, as they were often combined with plaster to create interesting 3-D imagery. The head &amp; torso of a man would be painted, but his legs would be made with plaster to create the illusion of actually coming out of the ceiling. Some of the cloth would be ½ painted and then real fabric would be billow out. It was absolutely incredible. The whole thing is even more spectacular considering almost the whole town was bombed at the end of WWII and has now been restored - what a testament to resiliency and retaining cultural heritage. Rothenburg turned out to be even better, a totally cool old medieval town that was invaded in the 1700's and then ran out of money so was never modernized - what a lucky break for us in the 21st century to be able to experience this world of yore. We stayed right in the heart of this stone-walled town, and as we tucked into our quaint room with a 4 poster bed and cozy duvets, I felt like I had been transported back in time. The kids were equally thrilled as their special little room under the gables had minature stairs up to the bunk bed. We all loved it. This town has become a major tourist attraction and has tons of museums - even a place showcasing instruments of torture, ranging from the absurd to the macabre. Sheesh, I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of the law back in those days - if the loaf of bread didn't weigh the exact right amount they would use a wooden cage to dunk the baker into the river until he'd learned his lesson. And those iron chastity belts looked down-right painful!The family highlight was definitely the Night Watchman Tour, so I'll leave that for Mark &amp; the children to describe. My personal highlight of this stop was Good Friday service in the most amazing old Medieval Church - St. Jakobs. Apart from the incredible stone architecture, stained glass and intricately carved woodwork, the acoustics in this place were out of this world - a full concert series is performed on a regular basis here. Having toured the building the day before, I was excited to be in such an amazing place celebrating the most important spiritual day on the Christian calendar. Obviously the whole service was in German so I couldn't understand a word anyone said but spirituality transcends language and was just an incredible opportunity to just reflect on the amazing gift of Easter and my tremendous gratitude for my life, my salvation, my freedom and the wonderful gifts I have been given. As a choir performed some age-old Gregorian Chant, the beautiful voices resonating thru this age-old structure I could physically feel the presence of God penetrating thru my very soul.Baden Baden was a neat stop - formerly the hangout of the rich and famous in the 19th century, it is still definitely a haven for the well-heeled. I can probably safely say we were the worst dressed in the whole city, but then again I'm sadly getting used to that. Famous for their thermal pools, we decided to check out Caracalla Therme. When we saw there was a childcare option, Mark and I fantasized about a romantic soak - just the two of us. But alas, with Easter they had cancelled the children's programs so it turned out to be a family swim. Once again - romance takes a backseat...we'll be scheduling a honeymoon break shortly upon our return home! Anyone interested in two lovely children for a weekend? :-)So in the end, Germany turned out to be a great little sidebar introducing the children to their heritage and a quick look at some European culture. Highlights · Night watchmen tour - Rothenburg· Good Friday Service - St. Jakobs· A little shopping stopLowlights· The food - heavy and fatty UGH...especially after the amazing food of Thailand. Though I must admit I never did get used to the idea of rice &amp; noodles for breakfast and the Asian idea of a western breakfast is a rubbery overcooked (or conversely slimy undercooked) egg, gross white over processed bread and some kind of mystery meat...they even served hot dog wieners at one place...yikes! · Kayla (already processing the horrors of the tsunami and the unpredictability of natural disasters) now faced with the history of WW II devastation. She just couldn't grasp how human beings could do this to each other and really had to work thru a lot of things. Tough stuff.He Said:Highlights: 1. The refreshingly cool, clear and crisp air of spring in the northern hemisphere 2. Wurzburg - The Residenz and Marionberg Fortress3. A morning run along the Main River4. Rothenburg - as Karen Brown put it "...there is history in every stone."5. Staying at a hotel within the old medieval part of Rothenburg (Gasthof Hotel Kloster-Stueble http://www.klosterstueble.de/ ) a Karen Brown Recommendation was excellent as usual.6. The Night Watchman Tour in Rothenburg7. An evening run around the walls of the Medieval section of Rothenburg.8. Baden-Baden - a beautiful setting in the Black Forest9. A night run on the lit trail along the Oosbach River in Baden Baden10. A little stop at the Outlet Mall on the way to Wurzburg - it felt good to pick up a few new duds...Lowlights: 1. The food... after SE Asia the food in Germany just can't cut it. I know it is my heritage but food is clearly not something to brag about if you're of German descent. 2. Being in Baden-Baden on Good Friday - meant the Casino which is one of the recommended highlights was closed3. Not enough time, 2 or 3 more days to finish off the tour of the Black Forest would have been niceWell we left Phuket first thing in the morning and it was already wonderfully hot and muggy and we flew for over 12 hours arriving in Frankfurt via Bangkok later that evening. As we collected our luggage and headed outside to catch our shuttle the first thing that struck me was how fresh the cool, crisp spring air felt. It was so refreshing to just breathe in cool, fresh air. I'm not sure if the rest of the family felt that way but for me it was awesome. So much so that once we got settled in our hotel I went for a nice walk down to the store to get some water etc. it felt just like home and maybe that is what resonated so strongly with me. I had a similar experience later in our German odyssey after my run around the walls of the Medieval town of Rothenburg. There standing along the wall, overlooking the valley below with the church bells ringing and the cool, fresh air washing over me I had a real sense of my heritage, my identity if you will. It took me back to my childhood in a small town in Manitoba that was mostly settled by people from Germany, The Ukraine and Poland. There I see now they recreated some of what they left behind in Europe and also why they felt so at home in Canada; Germany in the spring feels and looks very much like Canada in the spring. It was one of those moments in life where your soul is truly at rest. It was a very powerful and very comforting moment for me - a moment where I got to glimpse my roots beyond their relatively short history in Canada back to their much longer and deeper roots in Germany. The power of the moment caught me completely off guard and I was happy to just relish in its warm comfort which contrasted against the cool refreshing twilight air. The rest of the spin down the Romantic Road and over to the Black Forest was not quite as personally powerful but it was surprisingly enjoyable. It is a testament to not having any expectations and when it came to Germany I had none and we really had no plan when we landed in Frankfurt. We just purchased and downloaded Karen Brown's Itineraries for The Romantic Road and The Black Forest and headed off to the closest town on the list which was Wurzburg. Wurzburg is a wonderful German town which as we learned was completely bombed out by the Allies towards the end of WWII. Touring the completely restored Residenz was a great little lesson in history. The fact that this Residenz is here at all is a testament to the will of the German people to keep their history and heritage alive. The Residenz along with most of Rothenburg suffered extensive damage from Allied Bombing at the end of WWII. They have a great model of the town showing what it looked like after the bombings. It was not in good shape. Today, you'd never know it and as I said the restoration of the Residenz and to a lesser extend the Marionberg Fortress are a testament to the German people. It was wonderful to walk through the streets of Wurzburg, to go for a run along the Main River and to tour the Reszidenz and the Fortress. We also had our dining highlight of Germany in Wurzburg at one of several Mexican Restaurants located just a block or so over from our hotel. It seems like, at least in Wurzburg, Mexican food is all the rage. :)After Wurzburg we were off to Rothenburg again armed with nothing more than Karen Brown's recommended itinerary and her list of recommended accommodations. As we drove Shannon jumped on the cell phone and arranged for us to get the family room at the Gasthof Hotel Kloster-Stuble inside the Medieval walls of the old section of Rothenburg. Rothenburg as it turns out is a wonderfully intact Medieval city that did not suffer the ravages of Allied Bombings in WWII and as such is probably the coolest Medieval city I have visited in Europe to date. Rivaling the hilltop towns we visited in Tuscany last year which is saying quite a bit. Our accommodations were wonderful and we were enjoying it so much we decided to stick around for an extra night. It appeared that the folks running Hotel Kloster-Stueble were just about ready to open some new rooms and a new restaurant which will give them added capacity. We definitely would recommend a stay here. I think the highlight for all of us beyond the old town itself was the Night Watchman Tour. This guy has a good thing going. Every evening, starting just before Easter and continuing until the end of December he runs two tours nightly, one in English and one in German. It is a wonderful combination of history, humor and shameless self promotion and marketing. Put together so wonderfully that you can't help but get drawn into his tales of the past and almost feel like you are walking along the streets of Rothenburg as they would have been before Columbus had even set sail to discover "The New World". It was totally enchanting. Local rumor has it he makes a killing $ and spends his winters in Florida... based on the attendance of the two tours the night were there which is hardly high season I have no problems believing that. I've already written about my run around the town walls so all I will add is that it just fills one with awe to be able to walk and to actually drive your car along streets that have remained much as they are for hundreds of years. As Karen Brown so eloquently put it, "...there is history in every stone." We left Rothenburg on Good Friday and hit the road to Baden-Baden at the tip of the Black Forest. A town with a renowned history and a gathering place for anybody who was anybody in 19th Century Europe. And you can see that continues right up until today. This is definitely a mecca for the well heeled traveler looking to get away be it for a weekend or a week. The Casino, one of the recommended highlights was closed with it being Good Friday but you could see as you walked around Baden-Baden that this was not a budget travelers paradise. As I went for a run that night along the Oosbach River you could see the signs of "Old Money" all along the river be it in the wonderfully palatial hotels or the equally impressive residences that were smattered along both sides of the river.We found a very reasonably priced (reasonable for Baden-Baden, down right exorbitant after SE Asia) accommodation overlooking the town square and park. A former sanitarium for the rich, this place with a little reinvestment could be down right amazing but even as it is it was wonderfully eclectic with huge, beautiful rooms and that key ingredient - location, location, location. In the morning we headed over to the Terme (hot pools) that Baden-Baden is renowned for with, at least on my part, some expectation of ditching the kids for a couple hours and having some quality time with Shannon relaxing and frolicking in the pools. Alas, it was not be and just as well as even had we ditched the kids this was not the place for quiet, relaxing quality time. The pools were packed with people and far from relaxing and after our experience with the Tabacon Hot Springs in Costa Rica somewhat disappointing. That is more a statement of how spectacular Tabacon is vs. a negative indictment of the Terme at Baden-Baden. After a couple hours at the Terme it was back to Frankfurt to prepare for our African leg. Kid's Said:Highlights Tyler and Kayla:· Touring Rothenburg with the Night Watchman· Sleeping in our little bunkbeds with the special stairs· Swimming in the hot pools at Baden Baden· Exploring the Marienburg Fortress &amp; PalaceLowlights: Tyler- NoneKayla: Seeing the pictures of Wurzburg bombing
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1110546780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1110546780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1110546780/tpod.html Sun, 27 Mar 2005 03:40:29 -0500 The Incredibles - The family with NO Superpowers takes on the world!!

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Phuket, Thailand

Thailand: Phuket - After the TsunamiMarch 24, 2005She Said: After confirming safety conditions in Phuket, we set off committed to doing our part in assisting with the relief effort. As we flew in, I read an article in the paper that anyone doing any type of volunteer work now had to obtain a temporary work visa. Apparently some ex-pats are taking advantage of the situation raising funds for tsunami aid and then using them to rebuild their businesses. Not cool to be touting pics of orphans and widows and then use the cash to build a new dive shop! I wasn't sure where that left us but we were sure we'd figure out some way to help out, we just had to keep an open mind....Having watched CNN coverage like the rest of the world, I was prepared for the worst. Imagine my surprise, to be greeted by the most fabulous, clean, pristine beaches. These people are very industrious and the main areas have been cleaned up beautifully. Everyone says things are back to the bygone beauty of 20 years ago, before the droves of tourists arrived. It truly is breathtaking beauty - long strips of silky white sand beaches overlooking islands of majestic, limestone cliffs, crystal clear blue water. Words cannot describe.That said, there is clearly evidence of the horror created by this tsunami...anything beachfront is pretty much gone where the force of the water took out entire buildings. Most are currently in various stages of reconstruction, discreetly fenced off as they work feverishly to get back in business. To what business though? - sadly, this place has become a victim of the media. No one is here and despite the horror of what they've been thru - losing loved ones and homes, it is now compounded with the difficulty of even making a living without tourists. It's heartbreaking. And for those who are venturing to this area of Thailand, there are deals everywhere, sometimes up to 75% off accommodation! By far the best conditions are for returning guests, customer loyalty campaigns everywhere. We were first-timers here, so couldn't take advantage of that and had decided to move around and explore much of the area. Well, the first time we went to check out, we instantly became 'loyal guests' and were given a smokin' deal to stay (this after the already 50% Off normal rates we had already rec'd just for coming). When we did leave and come back, we not only got the smokin' deal, but upgrades as well. An amazing time to be here.Warning....into the minds of the Duke-Schewes....feel free to skip this "transparency moment". Meet our latest alter-egos....Frugal Freda and Five Star Freddy. Mark &amp; I are finding more about ourselves and our dynamics all the time. I, Freda, admittedly have some spending issues - love to shop, but it's all about the deal, baby. Freddy on the other hand, is becoming more in touch with his up-market leanings - Five Star all the way. So think of the interesting dynamics between those two heading into a land where both deals and luxury abound. I saw it as a major opportunity to lower our seriously over-budget per diem...Mark on the other hand saw the chance for staying at the best-of-the-best for a very reasonable price. In the end, we all won but it's been an amazing opportunity to really look at ourselves, our character defects, our positive attributes and expend the energy to figure out how to work together...happily we still love ourselves and each other :-)Soooo....what were some of our highlights. Welcome to the James Bond Zero Zero Seven Tour ... that's how our Thai Guide showcased it, not Double-O 7. I couldn't help but laugh every time he said it (which was lots!)o Exploring Phuket Island &amp; Phang Nga including some areas hit very hard by the tsunamio Long Boat out to islands (loud but fast....is that really a car engine on that boat?! :)o Kayaking thru Sea Caves - VERY cool! Some of the rock entrances were so low you had to lie down and the rocks would pass right above your nose. Occasionally, the kayak would actually scrape, then you would enter these magical 'tubes' of massive limestone, open to the sky. UNBELIEVABLE!o James Bond Rock is beautiful but totally over-marketed. This beautiful strip of beach literally jammed with vendors selling stuff that frankly should have been left in the sea!o Lunch at the floating Muslim Village. Great seafood and a very cool environment. Beautiful restaurants, unbelievable mosque and decrepit homes - interesting priorities. o Monkey Temple - they spent a great deal of time warning us about the monkeys....obviously they've never been to Bali. These guys were down-right polite. Actually a parallel to the cultural selling strategies of the respective countries, too - Thai people are more laid back whereas the Balinese are way more aggressive. There was a gorgeous cave with a huge gold Buddha lying on his side. We did a little spelunking and Kayla, formerly freaked by caves was leading the troupes on our exploration mission. o Gem Gallery - this was not on the published itinerary but was conveniently where all the buses met us to take us back to our hotels. Conveniently, none of the shuttles were there when we arrived so we were taken inside for a complimentary drink and sales job - nice set up! Actually the gems were beautiful and cheap, but it had been a long day and we just weren't in the mood to buy. As I look at the prices in Germany, I'm kicking myself now!!!!! Freda hates missing a deal!The magic of Phi Phil Village...see Five Star Freddy for more detail.- Beauty &amp; solitude- Diving - Kayla's 1st dive- Service - 160 staff for 12 guests...that's a 13:1 ratio...for our family of four (1/3 of the guests) that meant &gt; 50 staff at our beck and call. They would even come around with golf carts to take you around the resort.- Private Cooking classes - amazing food and what a blast for the whole family. Kayla had the kid's version where she made Fried Rice and a dessert while Mark &amp; I 'toiled' over a more comprehensive menu. Ty, was the ever helpful personal assistant. We had so much food, we ate for lunch and dinner. Yummy.- Spa - aaaaah, heaven on earth. Gorgeous facilities, amazing service, incredible treatments .... and yes, I had the entire spa to myself.Helping out...Sadly, it became clear that for many reasons (bureaucracy, corruption, politics, timeliness) many of the people that really need the help aren't getting it. I felt it was important to try to find a local agency to support. I eventually found this church, Phuket Christian Assembly that is doing some absolutely incredible work - rebuilding homes, raising funds to rebuild a school and starting up an orphanage for the children who lost their parents (they already have 74 children signed up and haven't even broke ground yet - so sad). In less than 2 months, they have raised over 18Million Baht and the pastor was presenting the cheque to the King the day we left. Here's a little group of 120 people doing truly amazing things. Even more bizarre as Christians represent less than 1% of the Thai population - it's hard to even find a church, let alone one that is so highly mobilized. It felt so great to walk into this non-descript building off a little side street and see genuine people focused on helping those in need and truly making a difference. No religious clubs here! So in the end we didn't end up helping to clean the beach or anything physically tangible - we simply donated some clothes and money to the cause as it became obvious that the greatest need really is directed funds. So aside from coming and spending money to get the economy back up and running, donations in the right hands is paramount. If you feel led, I feel confident that this is a place where the money really will get to the people. http://www.phuketchristiancentre.com/All in all, loved the experience. It is a beautiful place and a magical time to be there. I hate the sex trade and the eco-terrorism aspect of what commercialization has brought to this country - but then again, it's hard for us in the western world to understand what real poverty is like and the lengths you could go to, to simply survive.Highlights:1. Phi Phil Island Village - everything about this place. An awesome experience in every way!!2. Kayla's 8th Birthday. I can't believe my beautiful, little munchkin is 8. As I journalled on her birthday, I reflected on what incredible gift I have in my children and what unbelievable joy they bring to my life. I pray I get to share many more birthdays with her. She 'fessed up that she was initially worried that this would be a bummer of a birthday - no party with her friends or family, few presents etc, but it turned out to be one of the best ever. We did party all month with her with our elephant extravaganza in Chiang Mai and then added Scuba Diving, her special Cooking Class and celebrated at a big Thai Dinner &amp; Show at our hotel. I think she was feeling pretty special when they stopped all the proceedings to bring out a special cake for her and then the whole restaurant and performers all serenaded her. That said, she did experience some homesickness on this leg so I'm grateful to all of you that took the time to drop her emails/e-cards etc.3. Sea Kayaking thru the Limestone caves Lowlights:1. Ty getting a hold of the scissors and giving himself a chop-job. Worse, he got a hold of Kayla's beloved horse collection and trimmed a few manes and tails. Not a happy time!2. The pillows in SE Asia SUCK - big, horrible foam things! I'm so glad we have our own along as our luxury item. If you're at all attached to proper sleep, I'd definitely throw one in - a little feather pillow compresses great in a stuff sack. 3. Road weariness - this was really the first time on the trip we experienced some real 'family tension' (not implying that we don't all have our moments...but generally it's been pretty easy). Everyone had different reasons - K homesick, 5 months on the road, the plight of these people was really overwhelming at times - poverty, sex trade, tsunami horrors. For Mark &amp; I, it was another reminder of how diverse we are in dealing with situations (I leap into action, where Mark is more reserved). It was an important time for us to revisit acceptance of others differences and just work thru stuff - yep, this is real life. 4. A heavy heart from messages of cancer struggles and death back home. These are always a crushing reminder of my reality, too.He Said:Highlights:1. Phi Phi Island Village (http://www.ppisland.com) I can't say enough....2. Our Family Cooking Class at Phi Phi village conducted by the Executive Chef!3. The Beaches4. The Spirit of the Thai people5. The Deals (Five * Freddy loves them too, but for different reasons)6. Scuba Diving around Phi Phi highlights: - Kayla's first scuba dive (after a couple sessions in the pool) - Our Dive Masters/Instructors at Phi Phi Village Mr. Linus and Carrie - Cuttle Fish, Hawksbill Turtles, Schools of Snapper, Lion Fish and Eels - - Some amazing Coral,Anemones as well complete with Clown Fish and Anemone Fish - The video of Kayla's first dive put together by Carrie (Five * Freddy wants an Underwater Casing for his video camera now - that might be a great purchase for the Red Sea Diving experience, Freda :))7. The Food continues to be a highlight, I'm sure this will become even more glaring as we move to Food Purgatory in Germany. 8. Our day exploring Ao Phang-Nga which included: - Paddling through limestone caves and around various limestone islands - Ko Phing Kan a.k.a James Bond Island re: "The Man with the Golden Gun" - A Long Boat Ride through the the largest remaining Mangrove forest in Thailand) - Ko Panyi home of a traditional Muslim Fishing Village 9. The Best Thai Massage I've had in Thailand10. Oh and by the way there is indeed a Starbucks in Patong. It has a great beach front location and was completely destroyed by the Tsunami. But, they are back up and running and you'd never know anything happened.11. Getting in a couple rounds of Golf, complete with Caddie and some decent sticks.12. Running on Patong Beach - probably the best beach I have ever ran on, loved it!!!Lowlights:1. Having to leave SE Asia 2. The lack of tourists and the amount of misinformation floating around - Phuket and Phi Phi for that matter are open for business and if there was ever a time to come it is now as the crowds will eventually return!3. Wishing I/We could do more...4. Just being a bit off as per Shannon's comments!Well our last couple weeks in Thailand have come to an end and it is off to Germany for a few days before heading off to Tanzania and Egypt. I must say that I am sad to be leaving SE Asia and were it not for our Safari's I'm pretty sure we'd have just hung around here for another month or so. It is just a great place to be!We spent the last couple of weeks of our Thailand leg in the south of Thailand on the Islands Phuket and Phi Phi. Both were hit pretty hard by the Tsunami but we were surprised to see how quickly things are rebounding. The only thing missing is the tourists. We spent our time on Phuket at Patong Beach and while along the beach front street there is a still a lot of rebuilding and going it really had no impact on us. All the services, food etc. that you need are all readily available and once you get back from the beach front you'd never know a Tsunami had hit this area. The beach at Patong is awesome but I can only imagine how crowded it must be when it really busy. Prior to the Tsunami they were putting out 6000 beach lounge chair and half that many umbrellas along a 3 km stretch of beach. At the time we were there, only a small portion was being put out and many were empty but as I said above that won't last as there really is no reason not to come to Phuket. When we come back we'll likely stay a little further south at either Karon or Kata Beach - when it gets busy again it'll be better as they are definitely quieter and a little more family oriented. Yet the beaches are just as spectacular. We'd have likely gone down that direction on this trip except for the fact that we couldn't beat the deal we were getting from Deevana Patong Resort &amp; Spa. After our first few nights they dropped our rate to 1300 Baht/Night including breakfast, which is about $42 Cdn for a really nice deluxe room overlooking the pool. Like I said there are some great deals to be had right now and they definitely won't last.<i>Phi Phi - Paradise Found!!!!In the middle of our stay in Phuket we took off for Phi Phi for a few days. We had talked with a fellow who had just come back and he said it was a must do. He could not have been more right about that as this was the highlight of our Southern Thailand trip for me. We booked in at Phi Phi Island Village which had a special offer which netted out for us to be about $165 Cdn/Night including Breakfast for all us. Now this rate is a bit more than our budget allocation but it was worth every penny. If things had been normal we'd have been paying at least double that amount plus extra for the kids. This was winner for both Freda and Freddy! :)Phi Phi was without a doubt the most magical places I have ever stayed. The service was amazing, the resort was pretty much empty, it was running at between 12 and 16 guests during our time there with a staff of 165. You do the math and you get a ridiculous staff to guest ratio which I'm sure accounted for the most amazing service. That said I'm sure you get awesome service even when this resort is full. I think they have 80 or maybe 100 Beach Bungalows of which maybe 6 or 8 were being used. We literally had the place to ourselves for 4 days. At any point in time you could wonder down to the beach and have the entire beach to yourself and was about 800 Meters of white sand in a quiet little bay. Talk about Paradise, it just doesn't get any better than this. As I said we had the whole place pretty much to ourselves so when we decided to do something like take a cooking class or go scuba diving it was always just our family and the assigned staff. The personalized service was the best. For our family cooking class, they even had a special kids class and we had the Executive Chef for the resort and the manager of the restaurant and some supporting staff providing the instruction and assistance. You can't really beat that level of service!Scuba diving was also amazing, they offered up some free try scuba offerings everyday in the pool and Kayla was all over that our first day at the resort. It was like she was meant to dive, she just jumped in with Carrie and Linus the dive instructors and geared up and went under. It was very cool. But the best was yet to come!PADI now offers a "Bubblers" program for kids 8-10 that allows them to actually dive in the ocean with a depth limit of 2 meters. We figured what an awesome birthday present it would be for Kayla to take her out with us when we went diving. So we booked the whole family for a morning of diving. Tyler came along on the boat and just hung out while we went diving. It was so cool to see her in the water with us. We cruised around with her for a bit and then we left her in the capable hands of Linus and headed off for some deeper water. Imagine our surprise when returned to the boat 40 minutes later and she was still cruising around with Linus, she had stayed under as long as we had and had actually ventured down to 3 meters at one point to check out an eel. She's just so at home in the water. As a bonus Carrie was shooting underwater video and put together a whole video for us of Kayla's first dive. A nice little keepsake and Carrie did a great job of editing it and putting it to music. A big thanks to both Mr. Linus and Ms. Carrie as they were so great to us and so awesome with Kayla.All in all Phi Phi was so amazing for us but it was also sad to see how empty the resort was. It is a credit to the owners that they have kept most of the staff on and in doing so are taking the long term view that tourists will return and they will need good staff. That said it must be very hard because there is just nobody coming right now and their "busy" season is rapidly coming to an end. It could therefore be a very tough 2005 for those who depend on the tourism business in Phuket and Phi Phi and the other areas affected by the Tsunami. There is also a lot of confusion around aid money, where people will be allowed to rebuild, if at all on certain parts of Phi Phi and on and on it goes. So, while the people are willing there are hurdles to be overcome not the least of which is convincing people to come back. So, I will encourage anyone who is looking for a great place for a vacation to consider Phuket, Phi Phi, or Krabi. You'll love the beaches, the people and the food and your tourist dollar will go a long way to help this area get back on its feet. It is definitely a win-win.Kid's Said:Highlights:Tyler: · Chicken Satays and Fried Chicken from the street vendors - his favorite snack along with fresh pineapple from the vendors for desert· Swimming every dayKayla:· Birthday fun! Diving and parties and presents!· My new digital camera, so I can take my own pictures· Scuba Diving was amazing!· Kho Phi Phi Island (even though I think the name is funny)Lowlights: Tyler: · People wouldn't leave him alone - the Thai people couldn't get enough of him and were always talking to him and touching him. They couldn't grasp the translation of his name and would usually call him "Ty-land". They couldn't believe we would name our son after their country :)Kayla:· Seeing the results of the tsunami
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1109873700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1109873700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1109873700/tpod.html Mon, 14 Mar 2005 11:16:12 -0500 The Incredibles - The family with NO Superpowers takes on the world!!

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Chiang Mai, Thailand

March 14, 2005She Said: Chiang Mai was a nice change from Bangkok, but in reading the literature (cultural capital, laid back, beautiful ancient city...) my expectations were skewed - I admit I was hoping for a quaint little city like Ubud. Not so much - lots of the same problems as Bangkok, albeit on a smaller scale. That said, it was also a much more enjoyable experience. The inner city is completely surrounded by a moat and some of the stone walls/gates still remain - definitely more atmosphere than the capital.We were totally sold on the whole serviced apartment concept, so found another one that had just opened. It was beautiful and in fact, we were the first people to have stayed in our particular 'home'. The staff were unbelievable, the girls would teach the children new Thai words everyday, or sneak them some ice-cream cake and just regale us with greetings every time we walked in the door. The other thing that totally rocked was it was not in any touristy area at all, so we got to experience more authentic Thai life. We were right next door to a food market and I don't think I ever saw another white person in there the whole time we were there. It meant we had to take transport pretty much everywhere, but that turned out to be a highlight. The Tuk Tuks (don't embarrass yourself like we did and say tuck tuck - I read it's a standing joke among them listening to us illiterates...it's actually a Touque Touque) are basically a covered seat on the back of a lawnmower engine. We would all pile in and have a blast. Kayla's fav was the truck taxis, which had two benches down the sides of a truck-box - she would always try to sit as close to the back as she could, like some Indiana Jones risk taker. How will we ever get these two back into seatbelts after this country!Miss Kayla turns 8 this month, and her request was for Tom Yum Soup and an elephant ride. We know we'll be in Thailand on her birthday, so the Tom Yum is a no-brainer, but we weren't sure we'd be in an elephant area. So, we surprised her one day with a trip to an Elephant Camp. We not only got to go on an elephant ride, but watched them bath and learned how they work, got a ride on an ox-cart and ended off with a bamboo rafting trip. The children had an absolute blast! I must admit, the bleeding heart in me struggled for a good part of the day ... I despise animal cruelty or exploitation and tho' clearly these animals were treated very well, part of me wasn't comfortable with the whole riding for enjoyment thing. I worked thru some stuff and rationalized that we see nothing wrong with taming horses and using them for working activities. I have been doing some reading on it and am trying to keep a balanced approach in my thinking.As mentioned in Bali post, I LOVE to barter so the Night Market was a total blast. Gazillions of vendors with something for everyone. Definitely a buyer-beware thing, as I experienced my first low-quality purchase here - looks great until you wash it kinda deal. There is a lot of beautiful stuff and many of the vendors are from the Hilltribes sporting some rather unique handicrafts. Mark was entirely caught up in the moment one evening, and when I found him he was surrounded by these 3 Ahka women chattering up a storm. He decided to buy one of their hats, which are quite a sight with bells, shells, yarn and beads....we'll have to share a picture of that one One of the few things we had preplanned on this trip (including Galapagos, Amazon Eco-lodge and African Safaris) was visiting our sponsored children in Thailand. What an AMAZING experience - absolutely heart-wrenching and heart-lifting all at the same time! I can't say enough about Compassion Canada's assistance in prepping this meet for us, or the Compassion Thai folks. Our guide/translator was such a beautiful woman and filled us in on so much information on the realities of life in Thailand.We had selected our children based on the fact that they be the same age and sex as Kayla and Tyler. What an absolute shocker to meet them and find that they are also cross-cultural twins. Tyler and Teerachi are two shy little boys, completely uninterested in all this hoopla until the mints came out of Teerachi's gift backpack. Then they were fast friends  I wish I had a picture of them shortly after we all met, walking down the dirt path to Teerachi's home, one on each side of the road completely oblivious to all around them, in their own little world's kicking rocks almost simultaneously. Kayla and Kalsuda, were the polar opposite of the boys and so much like each other - two very polite, outgoing pre-teenish girls interested in fashion and art. They were both obviously very excited to meet each other. It was so cool to see.Now one of the most advertised, popular things to do in the north is visit the Hilltribes. As part of my cultural quest, I was torn about this activity as I really wanted to meet the real Thailand but didn't want to be involved in some exploitive tourist photo-op. As yet another gift of this trip, I was amazed to find that Teerachi was a member of the Lihu Hilltribe. When we pulled into their remote village, my heart was in my throat. It was like some royalty had arrived...school was clearly an after-thought as all of the children poured out of the doors to see us and we were literally followed down the streets/lanes by everyone so curious and honored by our visit. Everyone was clearly dressed in their best and this one little girl, so incredibly adorable with her huge eyes, pigtails and fake pearls won our hearts as every time we turned around she was right behind us giggling and smiling. I just wanted to sweep her up and hug her. The poverty is so apparent but it's clear that Compassion has made a significant difference for this village - out of 150 families in the area, over 100 children are sponsored. For the first time, the reality of the difference $1/day can make in someone's life was so glaring. $1 is loose change to us, we don't even think about it and yet in these countries $30/month is sometimes more than the family would earn. Meeting Teerachi and his father, seeing all the children, touring the village - all of it so powerful, but being asked into Teerachi's home for dinner was the topper. This is rudimentary living - these people really have nothing, but you could see they had pulled out all the stops for us. All the dirt paths swept, the floors in the shack laid with woven mats and when they served us the delicious food we could only imagine how many meals they had sacrificed for this. When we saw the 'kitchen' which was simply an open fire in a separate shack, I could not imagine how they could prepare such amazing food under those conditions. Our translator informed us that one of the dishes was made from the 'black chicken', which is served as a meal for honored guests and to provide good luck for us. We, of course felt honored but didn't realize until reading an article later that it wasn't simply a chicken with black feathers, but apparently is a special bird that was used to feed the Emperor and actually has black organs and other interesting anomalies. Sadly, the mother of the house had to stand outside the whole time, as tho' she had prepared all the food and had clearly done all the prep work for our visit, she wasn't allowed to eat with us or even be in the house. She and other village women just stood outside and watched all the proceedings...it broke my heart.We presented Teerachi with a backpack full of gifts, both practical and fun and they in turn presented the children with some handmade gifts, a bag for Ty and a crown-like hat for Kayla. We had also purchased a laundry basket full of household gifts, food, pots and pans, a wok etc. When I gave it to the mother, she was so moved she almost started crying. She kept apologizing (thru the translator) for having nothing for Mark and I...how could we ever explain the gifts that they had given us just by allowing us into their lives for a few hours.Our visit with Kalsuda was equally as rewarding, tho' in different ways - with Teerachi, it was more of a family/village experience whereas here Kalsuda definitely took centre stage. The poverty also did not seem so stark, which was a relief and Kalsuda was such an engaging little girl that it was just a joy to visit with her. Kayla and her were like cross-cultural sisters and (with the help of the translator) taught each other some basic things like how to count to 10 and say "I love you" in each other's languages. We have been corresponding with her for years and it felt so special to see what a beautiful little girl she really is. Words cannot express the magnitude of experiences like that in your life...this is another important component of what this trip is about for me. Trying to get out of our myopic western bubble and truly understand what is happening in this world. In some small way, try to make a difference...for we have so very much and the majority of the rest of the world is often barely surviving. What if I'd simply been born here instead of in Canada...how different my life would be.Highlights:1. Visits to Teerachi and Kalsuda - one of life's special moments.2. Night Baazar - shop til ya drop!3. Kayla's birthday extravaganza - elephant ride, bamboo rafting, mini-golf......the kids had so much fun it was a joy to watch! Ty's already planning his 'party' - look out Ireland.Lowlights:1. The treatment of women - I shouldn't get started on this topic or I may not stop. I don't feel it is my mission in the world to disseminate women's lib ideals, particularly as there are such strong cultural differences that I have no realistic comprehension of what is even appropriate. I however, do feel very strongly when women are in abusive situations. In these countries, women just don't rate...and people have no problem telling you that. It's obvious even by the way they treat Tyler - he is a male and that's what's important. Girl children are nothing - often sold to pay off debts or to work as prostitutes or are even killed for the sins of a male in the family. My heart cries out for some of these women - what an incredible tragedy they are born into. That said, we read an article one day reviewing the status of women in Asia...Thai came out of top. I guess this looks pretty good to some of the fundamentalist Muslim nations where they can't do anything or countries where barbaric acts like female circumcism is carried out or wives are burned when there husbands get sick of them etc. Tragic.2. The squatter toilet facilities - YIKES, what a nightmare with kids. Kayla's familiar "this is disgusting' coming out from behind the door and Tyler often suffering from a bout of performance anxiety. There are western toilets in most places, but a whole day with the sponsored kids and lots of water meant many trips to the squatter...and these were the MOST basic facilities.He Said:Highlights:1. Food, Food, Food2. Running around the moat of the old city of Chiang Mai3. Visiting the children we sponsor and their families in their villages.4. Photography course5. The Night Bazaar in Chiang Mai6. Riding the Tuk Tuks (pronounced touque touque)7. Elephant Park (the best thing with kids)8. Viangbua Mansion (did I mention serviced apartments rock? Oh yeah I did)9. The staff at Viangbua Mansion10. The People - Thai's are very friendly peopleLowlights:1. The smog that never clears out - at least not at this time of year2. The crazy one way roads3. The train ride from Bangkok to Chiang MaiWell after a few days in Bangkok we were definitely ready for a change. Being the travelers we are, we never really book much ahead. So, when we decided to head to Chiang Mai we figured we'd just pick up the phone and book the night train, bada bing, bada boom. Well as it turns out the First Class sleeper cars are not so easily booked. It turns out you actually need to book a bit in advance as whole tour groups will book entire cars. Next we discovered you can't book over the phone you just head to the station and buy your ticket. So, we were up bright and early on Friday morning and off to the train station. We got our 2nd class tickets and we were ready to go.Now I don't know about anyone else but I had this romantic image of travel by train. This was further enhanced by our very positive train experience in New Zealand. Thus, while we knew the train ride was long, approx. 12 hours, we figured that by going during the day we'd get to see the scenery, play some games etc. Well our romanticized view of train travel was very quickly shattered. The 2nd class seat, there is no first class on the day trains, were anything but luxurious. In fact they were down right dirty, the airplane style seats and tables had not been well cleaned for a while. The food made Air Canada food look like 5 star and that view of the country side we looked so forward two were nonexistent. The reason for that being the windows were all screened to allow the entire side of the car to be used for advertising. So, while the kids flagged it as a highlight, for Shannon and I it was definitely a low light. Thus, for our return trip we booked a Thai Airways flight for just over $200 for all of us. As it turned out, not much more than we'd have paid for one way on the sleeper train. The train was quickly forgotten once we arrived in Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is Thailand's second largest city and a very lively and active city, especially after dark. We were thrilled with our accommodations which as Shannon mentioned were brand new and complete with Free Wireless Internet Access in our room. As with the train I had an overly romanticized image of Chiang Mai. I, for some reason expected a city located in the lush jungle of northern Thailand. As it turns out, at least at this time of year, it is anything but lush and green. It was actually very dry and suffers, at this time of year, from weather inversions which keeps all the smog, smoke etc. from being cleared out. Thus, you don't even realize that Chiang Mai is located in a Mountain Basin as you can't see the mountains for the smog. During the rainy season however, the smog is cleared out and the area is lush and green. I don't want to duplicate Shannon's efforts so I will just second her statements about visiting the children we sponsor and their families. It had me on the brink of tears on numerous occasions and I had to swallow real hard a couple times as the lump in my throat grew. It was so good to see that what you are doing is actually making a difference. Because I know prior to this, I wondered how much difference $1 a day can make. I mean I tip the barista's at Starbucks that much some days. (And yes there is a Starbucks in Chian Mai :) )But, as Shannon pointed out, in a developing country like Thailand that $30 month can go a long ways. As with the Amazon trip, to actually be in the Hill Tribe village and to be able to walk around and visit a few families and artisans was a true blessing for us and for the kids. There are also some really interesting contrasts in that while these people live as they have for a very long time in simple traditional homes with a separate cooking building where they cook over an open fire you will also see them walking around with Cell Phones and the odd home with a Satellite Dish attached to the side. On one hand they are living very primitively while on the other hand some very modern technology is finding its way to these villages. One minute they are whipping up some chicken over the fire, the next they are taking an order for traditional, handmade, hill tribe bags over there cell phone. :0Shannon pretty much covered off the rest of the highlights, the elephant park, the night bazaar, the Tuk Tuks etc. The only thing I'd add which were Mark specific were my runs around the moat that surrounds the old city of Chiang Mai and the one day photography course I took. Running is such a great way to see things I would not otherwise see and to scope out things. The photography course was very clearly a highlight for me. It was a very full day of one-on-one instruction with this ex-pat American fellow who was great. I have been taking pictures since I was a boy probably Kayla's or a bit older. In all that time I have never taken even an hour of formal instruction. The course involved a morning of theory which was great and then the afternoon was spent out in the field taking pictures. It was so great to formalize a bunch of things I thought I knew and to correct some things that I wrongly thought I knew. At the end of the day it was just great to use another part of my brain. I hope we can come back to Chiang Mai in a few years and see the children and their families again. If you every wondered if these organizations like Compassion or World Vision are making a difference, they are!Kid's Said:Highlights:Tyler: - Going on the train- Going to Teerachi and Kalsuda's house- Riding on the elephants and watching them bath and play soccer- Mini-golfingKayla: - Meeting kalsuda and Teerachi and seeing how they live. I loved the picture Kalsuda drew for us and she even wrote "I love you" in English.- The elephant riding and the baby elephants.- Mini-golfing- When I was allowed to steer the bamboo raft down the river.- The train ride- The truck taxi and Tuk Tuk rides, I even learned to barter for a price.- The Night MarketLowlights: - None
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1110046380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1110046380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1110046380/tpod.html Thu, 10 Mar 2005 22:56:28 -0500 The Incredibles - The family with NO Superpowers takes on the world!!

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Bangkok, Thailand

Sawadee Kha (Hello in Thai)She Said: I hate "Bloat Blogs" and the fact that we don't post for weeks leads to entries that go on for bloody-ever. Soooo, we're trying to turn over a new leaf and post short, concise logs more frequently. Now, let's see how well we actually do. :-)Ok, I must admit Bangkok met my expectations in the areas of pollution, over-population and just plain excess. What I was NOT prepared for was the sex trade in this city. Everywhere you went it was so blatant - men of every age, race and demographic with young Thai girls on their arms. So prevalent and so accepted - it made me sick to my stomach. Mark &amp; I have had numerous, heart-wrenching discussions on this topic and I don't feel compelled to share tons about this city so I'll just title this puppy and turn it over to Mark.Highlights:1. The food - Thai food has always been our fav ... just doesn't get any better than this!!2. Our exec serviced apt - so much room and in-room hi-speed internet, for a reasonable price. Heaven.3. The Grand Palace - a beautiful tribute to Thai culture and spiritualityLowlights:1. Pollution, overcrowding and sex-trade aka "Smog, sweat and tears!" Not a place I enjoyed hangin' in.2. Taking our hotels advice to just ship our stuff home from a cargo operator at the airport. We were shocked and appalled when they told us it would be $300 to ship our parcel Express. We don't care how long it takes to get there...we're not home for months. "Can't you send it by a slower, less expensive method?" Duh, it's an airport, of course they only send it plane. Another lesson learned - so much for all my hard bargaining :-(He Said:Highlights:1. The Food2. River Taxi to the Grand Palace3. Custom Tailored Suits4. Wandering through the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo5. Morning walk to and journaling session in the Starbucks at Nana Station6. The Grande President (Serviced Apartments rock in Thailand)7. The People - even in a city of 10 Million the Thai people are very friendly 8. A "GOOD" Thai Massage - our hit ratio was about 1 in 3 were goodLowlights:1. The crowds, the pollution, the noise 2. The Sex Tourism Trade3. The obvious poverty and lack of a social safety netWell I don't really know how to write about Bangkok without immediately just jumping up on my soap box, but I'll try.First of all after a month in Bali and 3 days in Singapore we were very ill prepared for Bangkok. Bangkok is 10 million strong with the noise, crowds, traffic and pollution to go with it. It is the most air-polluted city I have ever visited. LA has nothing on Bangkok. That said, I did not find Bangkok insufferable. There is plenty to see and do in the city and the train system is world class. We spent 5 days in Bangkok driven by the fact that we needed to get Egyptian Visas as we've decided to add Egypt as a destination rather than just a transit point. So while we took care of the Visas I decided to check into the tailoring industry that is very well represented in Bangkok. I did some research, talked to some folks and in the end rolled the dice and picked a tailor shop that was somewhere between the 2-suits-2-extra-pants-2-ties-and-2-shirts-for-$189-guys and the I'll-charge-you- more-than-your-tailor-at-home-guys. In the end I picked David Mann in the Ambassador Hotel on Sukhumvit, Soi 11 because I liked them, I liked their fabric and in the end I felt like I'd get a couple decent quality suits and accessories for a lot less than I'd pay at home. Time will tell whether or not I chose wisely. :)The food in Bangkok is as you might imagine excellent and if you look around also very cheap. You can pay almost North American level prices if you want to but if you look around you can find amazing food for a fraction of the cost. We could easily eat dinner for 4 with a cocktail each for 600 Baht or $20 Cdn. For snacks, fresh fruit or just the experience you can just walk down any of the side streets and grab something from one of the street vendors. It seems all it takes in Thailand is a food cart with mandatory fluorescent bulb, a couple of folding tables and some chairs and you have a restaurant. Now the ambiance is pure yellow air and car horn but the food is simple, good and inexpensive. Speaking of street vendors as with Bali there are people hawking their wares everywhere and as with Bali you can buy pretty much everything under the sun with a few new twists like Replica Handguns al la the movie "Snatch" and assorted martial arts weapons like throwing stars. Kayla thought we should buy a few stars and we could play games with them. I immediately imagined Tyler with a star stuck in his head, the result of a tragic throwing error. ;) So, upon hearing this we affirmed her creativity and imagination but declined to issue the Purchase Order on grounds of child safety. I must confess to almost caving in though as I have always wanted a few throwing stars myself. The little boy in me could see a whole host of trees at the cabin becoming surrogate targets as I raced around playing Ninja. Maybe another time, perhaps we could include a few stars as stocking stuffers next Christmas. Not likely to pass the Shannon-test! :)As I mentioned the Train system is world class so the day we went sight seeing we jumped on the sky train made one transfer and voila we were at the River. Now, for me I had some very romantic images and ideas of what a boat ride in Bangkok, The Venice of the Orient might be like. Those were quickly shattered as we boarded the cattle liner water taxi to head up or down the river to the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo. The River is dirty, really dirty which I knew but I didn't if you know what I mean. The river is lined with 5 star hotels which lie right next to a -5 Star set of shacks. It was really quite bizarre in that sense. The Wat and the Grand Palace were great. The Wat is the home of the Emerald Buddha, which is not really emerald but revered none the less. It was so cool just to wonder around and take in the architecture, sculptures and statues etc. within the Wat. On the way back, we missed the last water taxi/ferry so we were faced with riding the bus, that is a big negatory Big Ben, or paying for a Long Boat. We chose door #2 and while it was considerably more expensive, 400 Baht, than the water taxi, it was much more enjoyable. It was more like what I imagined a trip on the river to be like and the sun was setting etc. so it just made for a better memory. So, as I said all was not lost in Bangkok and besides we had a one bed room serviced apartment, serviced apartments rock, at the Grande President on Sukhumvit Soi 11. It was awesome we had our own bedroom, internet in the room for $6 a day and a full kitchen for breakfast and snacks all for under $100 a night. We got an extra night in Bangkok on our way back from Chiang Mai on the way to Phuket. The main purpose of that stop was just to pick up my suits. However, as fate would have it my friend Dave just happened to be coming to Bangkok on business at the same time as we were to be passing through. As usual it was awesome to see a friendly face from home. We met him for a few drinks in the Hotel Lobby and then we headed out for a nice dinner and some wine. It was a special evening and fun was had by all. We got caught up on all the happenings in Calgary and had some great chats about life and living in the moment. It was a great night! Cheers Dave and Thanks! The kids loved the choclate and so did we!NOW....I think I did a good job avoiding the soap box but alas the time has come for me to jump up and speak about the not so pleasant sides of Bangkok, "Oriental City where the streets are gold and the girls are pretty...". Pretty they are and from what I could see that beauty has become their curse. There are two things that ripped at my soul in different ways when I walked down Sukhumvit. One was the obvious lack of any kind of social safety net. Which I believe contributes to my other point but I'll get to that. I have traveled a lot and seen a lot of street people, runaways and lost souls. The people we as society have discarded. WE, the collective we, want to forget about them, pretend they don't exist and for the most part we do. In Bangkok however, I have seen things that I found shocking and absolutely heartbreaking. Young mothers with babies, filthy sitting on the street with child in hand and cup. Looking so sad, so lost, we saw some of that in Bali but for some reason it hit me harder here. Maybe because they just looked so much more desperate. I saw a young boy, probably Tyler's age, sitting on the street, struggling to stay awake again with a cup in his hands. It was farang (foreigner) prime time and so rather than being in bed like most little kids he was perched, back against a cement wall, in the middle of the packed sidewalk. I just about lost it, as a father I could not imagine but then again I don't think I can imagine what the circumstances of his or his family's existence are like either. I can't imagine not having food on the table each day, I can't imagine having to go hungry. I'm pretty sure this little boy doesn't have to try to imagine it, he and his family are living it.Lastly, the one image that seems to haunt me is of a young man, maybe in his mid-twenties who had lost a leg literally crawling, not on all fours but like a snake down the sidewalk. Now, it was so shocking to me that my first reaction was this guy is working a con, this can't be real. He's just working the maximum sympathy vote. But then I took a second look, as difficult as that was, and I looked at his face and into his eyes. There I did not see a con, I saw a very sad, desperate and lost soul. I learned something there. I realized at that moment that it is easy to just take what you see at face value. The Thai people are very friendly and they smile and laugh a lot and love the kids but as you walk along the street and catch a glimpse of some of them when they are just sitting, no one around to sell to or maybe eating a meal on their stool beside their cart. Then in that moment if you look into their eyes you see a sadness, a quiet look of desperation that says a whole lot more than words ever could. It says in the midst of this dirty, polluted, noisy, busy city of 10 million I'm doing the best I can, with what little I got, to get me through today. In the end, I felt sad for them and at the same time I felt so very blessed. It was again a very poignant reminder to me of how good I/we have it at home. I also admire these people because they don't give up and they are very kind but I dare you, look past the smile to see what is underneath. Smiles whether here or back home can hide a lot. They are the perfect mask!The second topic I need to write about is the whole sex trade/sex tourism thing that goes on here. I knew it existed, I've heard stories, watched TV shows about it but none of that prepared me for how blatantly out in the open and how prevalent it really is and not just in Bangkok. Now before anyone decides to jump on me for being pious or judgmental I just want to say one simple thing, "But for the Grace of God there go I!" That said, I would be incongruent were I too just gloss over this I have way to much energy about it to let it slide. As a father of a young girl and as someone who sponsors a young girl in northern Thailand it absolutely breaks my heart to see what goes on. To see how "PREDATORY" men can be and how they can then just discard these girls like they would a rental car at the end of their journey! It is wrong at every level, emotionally, physically and spiritually. And I'll debate anyone who cares to say it isn't!There is something seriously wrong with our world when men from all over the world can come to a poor, developing country, like Thailand and just exploit these girls and boys and use them as their own personal sex toys and then leave. They prey on the fact that these people are desperate, they are either doing it to put food on their family's table and/or ensure their brothers and sisters get to stay in school or worse they have been sold into this life by their family to pay off debts and are beaten if they don't generate enough revenue. It is a human tragedy and as a human being I am sad for our world. Sad for these girls and sad for their families and quite frankly sad for the countries where this goes on. And it happens all because they had the misfortune of being born in Thailand or Indonesia or another developing country rather than in North America. Not that this does not happen in NA or Europe, it does. We all know it does but like the street people we pretend it doesn't. And maybe that is the difference here in Thailand it is not under the radar and the fact that these men pay these girls basically nothing, by western standards, makes it that much more appalling. So not only are we outsourcing our factory jobs to developing, low paying nations, we are also outsourcing our sex trade.I don't know where I'm going with this but I just needed to put it out there. As I said I have a lot of energy around this and if even one person reads this and decides not to partake in this kind of activity I will have achieved something. I sit here and look at the sheer size of the global sex/porn industry and it is hard to feel like I can make any difference. Sex Addiction is out of control and running rampant around the globe. I used those words deliberately as I can think of no other way to describe it and to describe it any other way would be sugar coating it. If even one person reads this and seeks out help for his own struggles in this area a battle has been won and as we know wars are won one battle at a time.And btw, in a survey done recently that was published in a Thai paper women in Thailand have it better than most of the women in the SE Asia/Inida areas of the world. For me that's a pretty scary thought.Kid's Said:Highlights:Tyler:- Going on the Train- Loved the boat ride- Our hotel was so beautiful- Spring rolls are yummy- Fresh pineapple every day from the street vendorsKayla: - Going to the Grand Palace- Riding the Sky Train- Fresh pineapple every day from the street vendors- Seeing DaveLowlights:Kayla:- Pollution made the sky so cloudy- The River tour was disgusting cuz it was so polluted - there was garbage everywhereTyler - No Lowlights
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1107622800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1107622800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1107622800/tpod.html Fri, 04 Mar 2005 23:48:31 -0500 The Incredibles - The family with NO Superpowers takes on the world!!

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Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

She Said:Imagine if you will, waking up in an antique 4 poster bed of the most intricately carved wood. You walk out onto your huge marble veranda, ornately decorated with stone and wood carvings. You settle onto your comfy leather chaise overlooking the garden and mystical rice paddies. The nature sounds are like a symphony. Soon someone will bring breakfast for you and you family. Does this sound amazing? Oh ya, did I mention cost per day - $35 Cdn.Imagine if you will, sitting by the pool. A smiling woman comes by balancing a basket of steaming fresh food on her head. You pick out a treasure of rice, chicken and noodles all so deliciously seasoned in a wrapper....40 cents Cdn. Many other little bags of local goodies are also tucked away - turmeric peanuts, shrimp crackers, soups and so many tempting, fresh pockets of local fare that I'm not even familiar with....7 cents each. Everything is absolutely delicious. The kind woman moves on with her basket, but not before taking the time to teach the children the art of carrying things on their heads. They are absolutely fascinated by the immense loads these women carry - everything from a load of bricks (truly) to a room service meal with a hot plate, hot coffee &amp; juice....unreal.But back to my fantasy land....you finish your 40 cent meal, stretch out and decide it's really too hot to do much so you call for a massage and depending on the treatment will cost you between $3 and $10/hr.Doesn't this sound a little bit like I've had too much sun? Actually, it's Balinese paradise at it's finest...beautiful, friendly and out-of-this-world cheap!!! I have found my utopia. My girlfriend, Val, said before we left "Once you hit Bali, you'll never want to leave" - I now understand what she meant! Maybe that's why they only allow 30 day visas, to force people like us to move on! :) Of course, it's not without it's problems - on the streets you will be inundated with people offering their wares. In Ubud, the cultural capital, people are peddling their many beautiful crafts - wood carvings, stone, silver, paintings and there are the ever present calls of "Transport, Transport" offering to take you to the many temples or performances or anywhere you'd like.On the beaches they are more creative, offering services of hair braiding, manicures, pedicures, massage, boat rides, newspapers....anything really. Before we learned that you don't engage at all unless you're interested, a lady came up to Mark as he was finishing a run along the beach "Pedicure?" "No, thank you." Apparently she looked at his hand and saw he wasn't wearing rings...'"You like I put a ring on this finger?" How flexible - a pedicure or a wife ...your choice. ;)The driving is outrageous - it only took us about a second to decide if we would rent a car. NOT! Our travel guide indicated that the theory is, in the event of an accident it is automatically the foreigners fault, because it you hadn't been there in the first place it never would have happened. Sooooo, add that to the fact that there are seemingly NO road rules that we could understand, we decided to simply take advantage of the cheap transport offered everywhere.That aside, you could live like absolute royalty here... for a few rupiah a day you could have a driver, a chef, a cleaner and a nanny to meet your every need. It is so cheap to live here and yet such a warm and inviting country. I am absolutely taken with the people, the culture, the countryside, everything - the first week I was here I had read three books on the Balinese culture and people. There is just a magical feel to this place. It is spiritual in such a unique way - every part of their lives is dominated by their religion. I despise legalism and religiosity, but am so enriched by a culture that embraces ritual and spirituality as a foundation for better living. What an amazing, beautiful place.I must say, I am overwhelmed writing about my experiences in Bali....I loved it and can rarely think of a day where I wasn't in a state of absolute serenity. Everywhere I went I experienced synchronicity and epiphany, joy and revelation, happiness and peace. I will try to summarize some of the things we did tho' I know I am incapable of capturing the essence of what made it so magical...The PeopleI'm not sure I've ever been anywhere where the people are warmer and friendlier - you rarely see anyone without a smile on their face. Particularly in Ubud, we felt like we were treasured family members. Dewa, our assigned 'houseboy' at Oka Wati, our first hotel in Ubud, was unreal - so kind and efficient. The children loved him too and Tyler and him were particularly good buddies. Ty &amp; I were always the first ones up, so he would come around and discuss with Ty what to bring us for breakfast and when the appropriate time would be to bring it to us. It was so cute. He even came in on his day off to get us breakfast and make up our room - it was like he didn't trust our welfare to anyone else. When I inquired when he would get a day off in lieu (after all he'd only been married two weeks and could only imagine that he would be thinking of nothing else but his 1 day off in 8) he just smiled and shrugged "no problem, I get a day off next week". It wasn't only Balinese people we met in Ubud, but we used to joke that anything we ever needed would show up in our pool. Within the first couple days there, we were sitting by the pool and met Maxine - a beautiful woman from Canmore that lives in Bali 6 months a year. She told us ALL the ins and outs of life in Ubud and was an amazing resource for anything we needed. She became a great friend too, teaching the children tile rummy and going with me to yet another dance, when Mark had had it with too much cultural stuff. She also taught us that despite that fact that we thought we'd died and gone to heaven at $35/nite for a hotel and $7/hr for a massage - she was paying $5/day and $3/hr for massage. AMAZING! She also introduced us to so many wonderful ex-pats and locals, particularly Jean (Cdn) and Charles (Danish) who looked after the children when we went to a cooking class.The pool was also where we met Jake, a Calgary importer and her boyfriend Glenn, as well as Mac &amp; Peggy - the bro/sis Cdn duo staying upstairs from us and many other friendly, interesting sorts. Food...ahhh the food!The food was SO great and SO cheap. In Ubud, I can not think of even one marginal experience - everywhere we went, whether it was the local .30 cent lunches or the high end restaurants, the food was delicious. We have always been Asian food aficionados; particularly Thai food which this is similar too, so decided to take a Cooking Class one day. It was so fun and our creations were magnificent, if I do say so myself. See Mark for details. In Legian, as long as you stayed with the local fare it was awesome and cheap - the hotel and tourist strip of beach restaurants was sometimes a bit dodgy, especially after Ubud. Sanur and Tulamben were mostly good experiences.The DancesParticularly in Ubud, culture and dance are a big part of life there. We went to a dance the first night here and I could have easily went to a different one every night thereafter - Mark not so much. I did end up going to around 10 different performances. The music is this weird, almost a cacophony of sound on an instrument called the gamelan (a xylophone like instrument). The corresponding dancing is equally 'weird' by western standards....slow and jerky, deliberate and mystical. Every movement has significance, from the angle of the fingers right down to the eyes which seem almost eerie as they dart back and forth. For a westerner, it initially seems just plain strange, but I found myself fascinated by it, the costumes so vibrant and bright and the make-up very ornate - almost geisha-like for the women. There are intricate stories to every dance though they are often difficult to interpret. Apart from the performances done purely for our tourist pleasure - the core dances are an important part of their spiritual story-telling. Of the many dances we went to, the family highlights included:· the Kecak and Fire Dance where a man walked on burning coconut husks (looking at his feet after, it's definitely not the best gig in town!) · the Barong (where two men simulate a fun-loving tiger)· the Kris (where men go into a 'trance' and take a sword [kris] to their chests)Tyler was particularly mesmerized by the Kris dance and did it for us on many occasions. We ended up buying him a ceremonial sword, as it was just too cute to watch his enthusiasm. The Frog Dance was a great dance for the children (a very simple allegory similar to our western Frog-turns-into-a-Prince-when-kissed-by-a-Princess theme). One of our special pool-friends, Mac, decided to go to pick up a rare Balinese instrument there and took Tyler for his second experience. It was a very special night for Tyler as it was his first "Boys Night Out" and he had the BEST time. Mac was one floor above us at our hotel and for at least an hour before they were to go, Tyler stood under his deck (just to be sure he wouldn't leave without him). He was SO excited to go and it turned out Mac spoiled him terribly as he came home with his very own frog mask and stories of chocolate cake and fun times. My personal favorite experience was attending a Legong one night with Maxine. We arrived at the temple and were escorted to the side as all the front row seating was now replaced with beautifully decorated round tables, with crisp linens, flowers, candles and lovely china. They were also setting up 4 different food pavilions around the area with heaps of food. As the show was about to start, a man in very formal, traditional wear came up and told us that they were very privileged to be hosting some VIP Dignitaries from Jakarata and would be pleased if we would join them for the dinner performance. So for $7, not only were the dancers the best-of-the-best and costumes spectacular, but absolutely gourmet food in a fabulous setting. Maxine later told me, that the man at the table beside us was the King so it was a pretty special nite rubbing shoulders with royalty.ShoppingThe shopping was nothing short of spectacular. The artisans in Bali are renowned for their incredible handiwork ranging from silver to wood carving to stonework to leather to furniture and art. Add that to the fact that they are consummate entrepreneurs monopolizing on ANYTHING that will sell and you have quite an assortment to choose from. In Legian, we found lots of knock offs - " Lady, You like Prada, Louis Bitton (love that translation), Gucci or Chanel (pronounced so earnestly as Channel)" how could you not just love these people. When I joked with them about the fact that it wasn't the real thing, they seemed so shocked...." Oh no, it's not used!" They thought I was inferring that it was second-hand. :) Bartering is the order of the day and I LOVED it! I love a deal and it was great fun to spar with the masters...I don't know who enjoyed it more, them or me as it's quite a game. They would often congratulate me after 'the match' and I them.We were very grateful to have met Jake at our pool - she's a Bali importer from Calgary who offered to let us ship some stuff back in her next container arriving in Calgary in June. We took her up on her most generous offer and decided to get a few pieces of furniture to remind us of this special place. Plus, we rationalized, what a great welcome home present!MonkeysWe thought we'd had the ultimate monkey experience in Costa Rica, but had yet to meet the 'extortionist monkeys' of Bali. In CR, at least some attempt has been made to retain their natural habitat with no feeding allowed - au contraire here. Not only do they feed their holy monkeys, but stands are set up outside the temples with food for sale for them. These little creatures are very smart, VERY cheeky and have become full-scale extortionists. At Uluwatu in particular, if you wear anything that they have learned is valuable (glasses, jewelry, hats etc) they will jump on you and take them off you. Of course they return them, but only after they are given food in exchange...it's quite a gig they've got going. The ones in the Monkey Forest are less brazen, tho' I did have one crawl up on my shoulders and head to investigate if I had any bananas in my bag. Kayla was also 'befriended' as she had a water bottle in her fanny pack and the monkey jumped up and grabbed her around the waist, sucking on her water bottle. He finally pulled it out and took off with it. I record this very matter-of-factly but rest assured it's actually quite a bizarre experience to have a monkey wrap itself around your 7 year old's waist. She was so amazingly calm, I couldn't believe it. It's a good thing it was her and not Tyler (his eyes were like huge, fearful saucers observing all this action), as we learned that if you panic and try to push them away they think you are attacking them and will bite. Otherwise, they're really quite harmless but in listening to the newcomer screeches, it's obvious that many had not adopted Kayla's calm demeanor. Our guide, Rai warned us that the Uluwatu monkeys might take a liking to the beads in her hair. We completed the temple tour and dance with nary a problem and then as we were walking to the car, a big alpha male went racing towards her and jumped up on her. I looked in horror wondering what would happen, imagining him ripping the beads off her braids. As it turned out, he was solely interested in the chip bag she was carrying and scurried away. We were speechless - how would she react to this 'attack'...she just looked at us and laughed "I thought I was done for, but I sure got the last laugh with him ... that chip bag was empty". We went back a few times to the Monkey Forest as they really are quite fascinating and many of them had newborns/young ones with them so it was a total blast to watch. Kayla would always regale everyone with her version of the "Monkey Rules" 1. Stay Calm - no screaming, pushing or slapping them away 2. Don't bring any bags/water bottles with you 3. Have fun and enjoy them. She keeps claiming she wants to be a Biologist when she grows up - I wouldn't be surprised.Batik classKayla and I decided we needed a Girls Day Out, so took a Batik class for a couple of days - we had a blast and made some lovely works of art. We met a great family from California with children the same age as ours (also travelling for a year) who joined us and some wonderful designs were created. Certainly gives you a whole new appreciation for the effort put into this art.Bill &amp; DiHaving Di and Bill arrive for ½ of our time in Bali was a real treat. I had a much-needed shopping buddy, the kids loved the change of faces (and Uncle Bill &amp; Auntie Di are SO much fun), Mark got to surf again and all-in-all it was just great to spend time with family members. Di and I became the "Bintang Babies" and challenged the men to our nightly crib tourneys - can't say for sure who came out victorious in the end, but a good time was had by all.TemplesThere are so many temples to see, it's crazy. Our favorite was Uluwatu which is built perched out over a cliff. Amazingly spectacular view. This is also the home of the extortionist monkeys I talked about and a beautiful Kecak &amp; Fire Dance done over sunset. Unfortunately, the nite we went our sunset was replaced with a torrential downpour, but they performed the dance anyway with big smiles on their faces. We finished up our nite with a seafood dinner on the beach at Jimbaran Bay. Highly recommended combo.DivingWe ended the trip by touring across the island for a few days of diving at Tulamben. What a wonderful diverse way to see Bali, completely quiet and we stayed at a Dive Resort (Tauch Terminal) so met another entirely different group of travelers. Christian, a French man living in Morocco was particularly informative - he decided like us, that he needed to embrace his passion and 'drop out' for a while to travel. He had been doing it for 4 years...what an inspiration! He was obviously a wealth of information on travel suggestions and I was so grateful to be able to pick his brain for hours. We're actually adjusting our itinerary in a few places based based on his recommendations.All in all, I can't say enough about Bali except....Love this place! We ran into this ex-pat man on the street and he started chatting with us - "Where are you from?, How long are you here? etc etc"...when we said we were traveling around the world for 9 months his jaw dropped and he looked at the children and then looked around "WHAT? - Are you on one of those reality programs or what?" We laughed at the time, but you know this truly is the kind of reality program that we should all be on instead of sick viewing with people eating gross bugs or back-stabbing in unhealthy situations. What a difference it would be if the focus was instead on something positive - making memories with the most important people in your life, truly experiencing the world, it's cultures and amazing gifts it has to offer. Not a perfect world, but so amazing. I feel so blessed.Highlights:1. Di &amp; Bill's visit - how fun to share one of our fav countries with family. It was a great treat for everyone!2. The Balinese people - warm, friendly people of character with such a strong sense of spirituality.3. Massages every couple of days - HEAVEN!!!! and for ave $5/hr - come on....does it get any better than this!!4. Ubud - loved everything about it.5. Diving at Tulamben, especially the Liberty Wreck. 6. The rice fields - SO beautiful.7. The deals - bartering and buying.8. Our cooking class.9. Cultural experiences - dances, temples, Balinese rituals...Lowlights: 1. Leaving my purse in the van that picked us up at the airport...I of course expected the worst, but was so wonderfully surprised when it came back with everything 100% intact! What an amazing introduction to this country.2. The driving - pedestrians have NO rights in Bali. I often felt like I was taking some big risks just crossing the street!3. The volcano tour - we had heard such wonderful things about the active volcano and of course had to check it out. Imagine our dismay, after a long drive to arrive at ..... a mountain. Come on, we come from the Rockies! And we've been to Costa Rica and the Big Island of Hawaii where active means hot red lava pouring down the side! Beautiful views aside, the volcano piece was completely overrated.He Said:Highlights:1. Ubud, Ubud, Ubud2. $3/hour for a full body massage3. Feeding the family for $84. The People of Bali5. Living very large for $100/day and loving it6. Sacred Monkey Forest7. Running on the Beaches in Legian and Sanur8. Did I mention Ubud...9. Diving in Tulamben - the Liberty Wreck Dive is Awesome!10. Shopping, Knock-Offs and Teak Furniture11. Our man Rai, Rai was our tour guide extraordinaire. If you go to Bali we highly recommend him. (Contact info: ) 12. Bill and Di being here for two weeks13. The Food, The People, The Island and it is an Island in Indonesia, not a country - I was corrected very directly on that by a non-Bali native from Java. 14. Running through the Rice Fields and back roads around Ubud. Bloody hot and humid though!!!Lowlights:1. The hour or so the first morning on Bali when Shannon's purse was lost and we weren't sure if we'd get it back or not. 2. Only being able to stay here for 30 days :(.3. Having to say "No" constantly to the hawkers, the transport drivers, the shop owners etc. That said they are all very friendly and the "hassle factor" is not that bad. You just get used to it.4. Bali Belly at the end of our first stay in Ubud - I was laid flat out for over 36 hours.5. Tyler's face plant on the steps at Tauche Terminal - that had to hurt6. The traffic in Bali, I'm not sure if it is the traffic or just the general chaos of being on and around the roads in Bali. I would not, unless absolutely necessary, drive there. Having Rai and our driver Tan was the best thing we could have done with regards to getting around. We'd just plan a day ahead or so and off we'd go. If it was just Shannon and I, I could go for a scooter especially up in Ubud as you could get around to the other little villages etc. a lot easier. But not with the kids.Bali - "The Morning of the world"We spent our first 3 days in Bali just getting acclimatized etc. in Legian one of Beach areas in South Bali. It was a great place just to get our bearings and put together a plan for the next week or so until Bill and Di arrive. We chilled out at the pool, experienced torrential downpours like I have never seen before, explored a bit and had some $10 massages. All in all it was a great start to the trip. We found a great little restaurant down the road from the Hotel where we ate dinner one night, a good dinner at that, for $57,000 INR or about $8 CDN. We are paying $46 USD/Night for our Hotel including Breakfast and some free drinks. It is hard for my mind to comprehend just how inexpensive it is here. Especially after spending the last 2 months in the Cook Islands, New Zealand and Australia which are by no means budget destinations.After we got settled in Bali we decided to head up to Ubud. Now everyone and every book says Ubud is nothing like it was and for me I can't fathom that because even though there are tons of galleries, stores, restaurants and Spas it does not seem they have lost it's soul to the gods of commercialism and greed. It is my hope they never do because that would be a true tragedy. That said I'm sure to many who were here 5 or 10 or more years ago, that is exactly what has already happened.For me however, it is pure paradise. A very warm and humid paradise but paradise none the less. We can easily live comfortably, very comfortably, including daily massages for less than $100 CDN/day. I mean you can eat a big lunch for 4 including Sodas and Beer for $100,000 INR or approx. $14 CDN. Or if you want to get some serious value pick up some Padang food - we had lunch the other day for 16,000 INR or $2.25 CDN. I mean seriously.Quite frankly if we could I would be more than happy to just stay here for a couple months. I can't imagine it gets much better than this. And I have not even talked about the spirituality, the ceremonies and the dancing yet. And seeing as Shannon has covered those areas in detail in the She Said section I will not duplicate her efforts here.The only downer so far has been my case of "Bali Belly" which laid me out for the better part of 2 days and had me completely laid out for a solid 36 hours. I never left the bed except to go to the bathroom. Not a particularly enjoyable experience and one that, for the first time on this trip, had me wishing I was back home in our house and in our bed. The good news is the Chinese medicine we got from Dennis and Dana worked wonders on getting the diarrhea under control and some of the homeopathy from Dr. D's travel pack broke my fever within an hour or so of me taking it. It was truly miraculous and if I had any doubts about Homeopathy lingering about they were totally erased after that. The Sacred Monkey Forest was a blast, and to say that these monkey's are cheeky would be putting it mildly. We were foolish enough to buy some bananas on the way in and before we even got in the gates one monkey was upon us, oddly they don't bother the women selling bananas 10 feet outside the gate but once inside you're fair game and we were. See Shannon's post for details. We also decided to take in a Balinese Cooking School while in Ubud. There are several around but we chose Casa Luna as Shannon read the book by the ex-pat Aussie Woman who runs it (Janet de Neuf sp??), the Honeymoon Guest House and Indus (another restaurant). As part of it we got a tour of the local market which was as I said above an experience for the senses, sometimes pleasantly so, other times not so much. That said it was great to have a guide if you will take us through, describe the key ingredients for Balinese cooking, the chili's, the different gingers, spices etc. plus how much you should be paying for these various ingredients among other things in the market. Because as you might imagine in a bartering market you could easily overpay. After our Market experience where we saw everything from fresh fruit and spices to seafood and fresh meat (not that nice to see really as you have to eat later and you know all the things you eat were probably laying on the various slabs at the market) we headed to the Honeymoon Guest House where the actual cooking class was held. The host for the class was the right hand man from Casa Luna and he was awesome. He explained the ins and outs of Balinese cooking, took us through making our own curry from scratch including grinding it all into a curry paste with a mortar and pestle. He explained the various dishes we were going to make and we got at it. It was a lot of fun and the best part was we got to eat the end result which was delicious. He kept reminding us the secret ingredient to Balinese cooking was Palm Sugar which of course will be hard to find at home so we purchase some at the market. What we'll do with it until July I have no idea :). Palm Sugar update: we forgot to send it home with Bill and Di thus our driver Tan was the recipient of a Kg of Palm Sugar on our way to the Airport. I guess brown sugar will have to do but it won't be the same. :(Exploring Ubud is something you could do for weeks, just wandering in and out of the little craft stores or maybe wandering over to some of the other villages near by. The crafts range from woodworking to furniture, from painting to silver and goldsmithing and everything in between. Some of it is wonderful and quite frankly some of it is very tacky, the most outrageous item being the penis bottle openers. Does it get much tackier than that? Wonderful or tacky, the prices are amazing from a North American perspective. One of the couples we met at our cooking class was over buying a bunch of stuff ranging from furniture to tiles for their home back in California, and why not even with shipping and duty you're still way, way ahead of the game. So, shop we did and all the small stuff like silver, knock-off accessories, DVD's etc. went home with Bill and Di. Our larger purchases furniture items, art, leather coat are going to Canada in Jake's container and should arrive in Calgary right around the same time we do. You just can't beat the prices and the craftsmanship can be very good if you take the time to look around. Most of our large purchases we sourced out of Ubud and the villages near by. The leather we bought in Sanur. All in all we're very excited and can't wait to get home and get all of new purchases uncrated. Uncle Bill and Auntie Di:After Ubud we headed back down to Legian to meet up with Shannon's sister Diane and her husband Bill. It was awesome to see them and it was a great change of pace for the Duke/Schewe's. It was so awesome to have some folks we know and love around for a couple weeks and the kids were totally thrilled to have some one else other than us to hang with. Tyler is particularly happy whenever Uncle Bill is around as he knows treats are never far away. Thus, he was running regular recon missions to their room during their time in Bali.Bill is a big surfer and with the waves not amounting to much at Legian we moved locations over to Sanur in hopes of some better waves and quite frankly a change from the whole Kuta/Legian scene. Sanur was much more laid back, the hotels are right on the beach and the hawkers are far less prominent, at least in front of the hotels. As luck would have it we only headed out surfing twice as the sea was generally pretty flat. That combined with a lack of a good Long Board rental, I'm not ready for a short board made the surfing experience less than stellar. I felt bad for Bill who had hauled a board at additional expense all the way from Canada. That said it was fun to get out with him and while I did not get up a lot I did enjoy being out there with him and have developed a real liking for the sport. Sanur also has this amazing laid brick walkway all along the beach which allows you to wander along the beach in search of a new restaurant, shop, or in my case go for a run, which I did regularly both at Legian and Sanur. The walkway is so nice as you can stroll along a world away from the noisy streets in front of the hotel and when your fancy strikes you pull in for a cold drink or some great food. As with Ubud we were never disappointed with the food anywhere in Sanur. That said the Ubud restaurant scene is, in my opinion, the source of the best food on Bali. The two weeks with Bill and Di were a lot of fun and while Shannon refused to make a call on the Crib matches I am confident that in the end the Boys came out on top by a narrow margin. :)Diving at Tulamben:After saying farewell to Bill and Di we headed up the coast a couple of hours to Tulamben for some diving. We had not gotten any diving in so far on this trip and it was looking like it was not going to happen on Bali either. Then Shannon had a very fortuitous encounter with woman from Singapore in one of the leather shops in Sanur. As it turned out she was from Singapore and was in Bali gathering information for a book on shopping in Bali. Her husband and her run a Dive Centre in Singapore and she said Tulamben and specifically the Liberty Wreck Dive there were a must do on Bali. Our friend Michael had recently been to Bali and had also said great things about Tulamben. So based on that double barrel recommendation we made last minute arrangements to go diving in Tulamben. We were not disappointed!We stayed at a Dive oriented hotel named Tauche Terminal. It is a partnership between a German and a Balinese and it is excellent. Located right on the bay you just wake up in the morning, get on your wet suit and walk down the beach to your entry point and go diving. This is made even better by the fact that you don't have to carry your own gear. There are porters, in our case women who stack 2-3 sets of gear on their heads and haul it down the beach for you. I was totally amazed by this feat. The beach is just black sand and black volcanic rock. Not easy to just casually walk on let alone with 2-3 sets of tanks etc. on your head and flip flops on your feet. I was stunned and in awe as I watched them head down the beach fully loaded several times a day. We did two dives - the Liberty Wreck and the Drop Off. Both were very nice dives with an amazing Fan Coral at the turn around point of the drop-off. That said the Liberty Wreck was the highlight. It was my/our first wreck dive and it was spectacular. The sea life was amazing, and the colors spectacular. Definitely a must do for any divers who venture to Bali.Soap Box Corner:After Tulamben we finished up in Ubud and spent a couple days finalizing our larger purchases, shipping arrangements etc. All in all, Bali was amazing. The rest of this post is just me on my soap box. Reader beware! :)Well we have two more sleeps here in Bali and while I'm excited to be moving on to the next phase of our adventure I am also very sad to be leaving. We ran into a couple up here in Ubud who is staying here for 6 months and I must say I am very envious. I could easily do 3 months in Bali, maybe on an annual basis ;). This island has so much to offer and so much to do and see. We will definitely be back. It is also a place that a person should look into from an investment perspective. Sooner or later the world at large will discover "The morning of the world!" and there in lies the challenge. To keep Bali, Bali and not see the spectacle that is Kuta spread to the rest of Bali. It would truly be a loss, some would say much has already been lost, if Kuta is what Bali becomes. Even with all the changes that we have heard about over the past decade or so Bali is still enchanting. The people, the culture, the history are all very rich and all very alive, yet many here are do not have much by western standards. They get by, some barely, while others I believe do ok. Yet in many ways they are richer than many of us in the west could ever hope to be. Their faith and their families run through the very fabric of life and are still very important pieces of day to day life on Bali.My hope for the Balinese people is that they can retain that rich culture and family life while improving their financial prospects and their quality of life when it comes to things like health care, education and opportunity. That means that over time Bali will not be the inexpensive travelers paradise that it is today but hopefully it will never become an over-priced and over-rated resort destination either. That I believe would be to high a price to pay and way too much would be lost in the process.If you want to witness what the dark side of tourism has done to Bali just wander the streets of Kuta for a day or two. There you don't experience the richness of Bali, there you experience the exported greed of western consumerism. And don't get me wrong, I don't begrudge or judge the Balinese for this. They are purely responding to the selfish desires of western tourists, in this case generally Australians. But in other parts of the world it is Americans, Canadians, Japanese or maybe Europeans although I sense that the Europeans are more into experience than consumption. I could be wrong but that is the sense I get.The fear I have is that consumerism like a bad flu is very contagious. It spreads from those who have it to those who do not creating in those exposed to it an insatiable desire to have. Based on my experience in Bali the consumer flu is limited primarily, but not exclusively to Kuta. As you move away from Kuta even just over to Sanur it has a much different and much more laid back and relaxed feel. By the time we hit Ubud we felt like we were a million miles from the franticness of Kuta and Legian. It is a completely different world. Not unchanged by tourism but seemingly keeping its soul in the face of progress, change and increased exposure to tourists. We/I also found that you meet a very different type of traveler in Ubud that you meet in Kuta/Legian. Even in Sanur the people that we met were after something other than the Kuta experience. That difference is even more pronounced once you head up to Ubud and beyond. Here we met people who were interested in just being in the now. People wanting to experience the richness of Balinese culture, food, craftsmanship, artistry and hospitality. People just as apt to go to a Yoga class as go shopping both of which can be easily be done in Ubud. The people here seem to have found a balance, imperfect as it may be, between meeting the needs of the throngs of travelers and yet retaining the richness and the spirit that makes Bali and the Balinese so attractive. In Ubud you can experience some of the best food I have ever tasted, shop for silver, art, furniture, wood carvings etc. visit a temple and take in a dance all in a matter of a few hours. You can wander the lively market, you can pause for a gelato and a cappuccino or grab an amazingly tasty lunch at one of the many Warungs. Some of the best can be found on the narrow side roads that run parallel to the main roads. These are indeed a treat. And when your body has had enough find a spa and have a wonderful massage, sign up for a meditation class or track down a yoga class to refresh body, mind and spirit. What more could you ask for really. Well how about doing all this for well under $100 Canadian a day for a family of 4. With that I rest my case as to why Bali and in particular Ubud gets my vote for place I'm most likely to return to as soon as I can. In reality my words cannot do it justice. If you're past the party and night club scene and looking for someplace real, some place to renew yourself then Ubud just might be the place for you. Who knows you may never leave! I sure wish didn't have to. :(Kid's Said:Highlights:Tyler:- Auntie Di and Uncle Bill meeting us, especially treats and playing with them @ the pool- Swimming everyday (not quite everyday but pretty darn close)- Having Special Drinks (Sprite with a splash of Grenadine) forget the $10 Shirley Temples at the Long Bar. (See our Singapore Post for more on that)- The food - Dewa's French Toast and Fish and Chips (made with fresh fish - what fish and chips are supposed to be like)- The Barong Dance especially the part where the men are in a trance and have these long squiggly knives called kris and doing this almost hari kari. Tyler has been imitating it for weeks. We even had to buy a kris, it went home with Bill and Di.- Boys night out with Mac (Tyler's friend from our stay at Oka Wati's in Ubud) Mac took Tyler to the Frog dance, got him a hand carved frog mask and bought him chocolate cake. Mac is his buddy for life after that!- The Monkey Forest - Maxine- Dewa, Tyler's other buddy from Oka Wati's. Dewa took care of us during our stay and took quite a liking to Tyler and Tyler to him. Dewa totally exemplified the spirit of the Balinese people. Kayla:- Seeing Auntie Di and Uncle Bill- Swimming every day- Balinese Dances, favorites were the Barong and Kecak Fire Dance- Taking a Batik making class with Mom and making her own Batiks- Sacred Monkey 'Forest- Snorkeling with Mom at Tulamben- Kayla's first 'spa' experience including Massage, Hair Braiding and Manicure- The Elephant Cave Temple- Reading Tolkien's "The Hobbit" Lowlights:Tyler: - wiping out face first into some stone steps at Tauche Terminal where we went diving. Ouch!!! That had to hurt.- Uncle Bill and Auntie Di leaving to go homeKayla: - Uncle Bill and Auntie Di leaving
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1108904400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1108904400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/duke_schewe/vision_quest/1108904400/tpod.html Sun, 27 Feb 2005 13:05:57 -0500 The Incredibles - The family with NO Superpowers takes on the world!!

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Singapore, Singapore

Sinagapore - Chasing the Dragon, No wait Chasing the Rooster (Chinese New Year)February 17 - 20, 2005 Singapore was a short stop of only 3 nights, but certainly enough time to get a feel for this small country/island/city combo. First impressions seem that they put together the parameters for an 'ideal' city & this is the model...super clean, friendly without being 'in your face', strong economics, great shopping, solid infrastructure, lots of green space, strong multiculturalism, great food etc. It's quite bizarre really - it's almost too perfect to be real. We laughed as we passed an empty lot - even it was perfectly groomed. The airport is considered the #1 in the world - it's like walking thru a high end mall - designer stores, movies playing, free internet, restaurants. No hardship in having a layover here!The kids were a bit shocked when we were discussing the 'country rules' prior to landing - our entry visa form indicated prohibited imports included weapons, illegal drugs and gum. I think they thought we had finally lost our minds taking them to such a severe police state where littering and possession of gum were serious offences! Mark had decided to take advantage of the Microsoft affiliation once again to fulfill his desire to stay at one of the preeminent hotels in the world - Raffles. The comparative rate was great, but still a shocker after what we've been paying in Bali - "Frugal Freda" here was having a bit of a bird, but I'm learning to let go. Let's just say 3 nites at Raffles was more than we would have paid for 3 weeks in Ubud but I must admit it was luxurious. We compensated by doing our laundry in the tub - oh aren't we so thrifty (definitely didn't see a lot of other laundry hanging from the Raffles balconies! :)) As you can see, some days we're lousy at budget travel and other days we do great. We were so thrilled to see our daily spend rate drop so dramatically in Bali, I guess we just had to celebrate. It was right in the middle of the Chinese New Year's celebration and we loved checking out all the decorated stores and streets in Chinatown. We were lucky enough to be there during the biggest parade in Asia the Chingay...it was really great. Every float had an entertainment component to it, dancers, music etc...very well done and we had a blast with the kids. Prior to the actual parade they had a bunch of street entertainment. Most of it was groups from local schools. These kids did everything from Percussion to Dance to Cheerleading (Complete with Acrobatics), it was amazing. The Arts programs in Singapore Schools get thumbs-up from us based on what we saw. Mark here ... I think the thing that struck me the most about Singapore was the multicultural theme of the city which was highlighted in the various float themes. It is so awesome to see so many different cultural and religious groups living together in peace and harmony. They make it look so easy it makes you wonder why the rest of the world can't pull it off better. Maybe it's because they focus on what they have in common rather than their differences. Maybe they've figured out they are collectively better off if they strive to get along. I don't really know why but if they could bottle it I think the rest of us might be lining up to take a long refreshing drink from that bottle. All in all, a relaxing, luxurious few days. Off to Thailand - I'm not sure how crazy Bangkok will look after this utopian city...stay tuned.Collective Highlights:1. The parade2. The Raffles bed & bathroom reminded us of ours back home - sooooo comfy and great.3. The civilized traffic - I hadn't realized how numbed out I'd become to the horrendous driving in Bali until I grabbed the children's hands at every intersection and braced myself to run for it. How nice to actually have some rights as a pedestrian.4. Coming upon our first McDonald's in a while, Tyler looked up and said "I'd rather have sushi than McD's" YES!!! Oh how I hate fast food!!! The children's palates are ever-expanding on our journey - TyGuy has even ceased carrying the trusty ketchup with him at all times.5. Starbucks right next door - LOL (Mark's addition, of course!)6. The city, as nice a city as I have ever scene, clean, safe, not polluted and not super congested yet cosmopolitan all the way. Everything you'd ever want from a city is never far away. Lowlights:1. Going for a Singapore Sling where they were invented in the Long Bar at Raffles and paying $60 for 2 drinks and 2 Shirley Temples. UGH - I hate feeling ripped off! :(2. Missing my $5 massages - Raffles started @ >$100. Becoming very spoiled!Kid's Said:Highlights:Tyler - The dancers and floats in the parade, swimming at the hotelKayla - The parade, The fountains, Our hotel, Chinatown, swimming with my new friend Andreas
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