Home

That last line in the last post was all part of our plot to keep our parents clueless about our surprise arrival today! And clueless they were. Shocked, confused, and overjoyed. Brian, Kate, and Aria picked us up from the airport to take us home. It's a good and long-awaited day.

The travels have left us relishing memories and experiences. We are satisfied and ready to be home. So, thus ends the blog. Thanks for reading and keeping in touch.

Much love,

Andrew and Kristin

Trains

We woke up at 5 and took a shared jeep 3 hours to the train station.
It took about an hour for the jeep to fill and then we were off on the
beautiful drive down the mountain. Women waded through seas of green
as they furiously picked tea leaves. Everything looks so magically
beautiful with the striking contrast of green and sudden bursts of
bright colors flowing from women's saris. Even while breaking rocks
with sledge hammers (which is often seen on the road side) women wear
the saris and jewelry.

The train from Darjeeling to New Delhi would have been our longest
train experience yet, so we decided to pay a little more money and
travel on the express train. The Rajdhani Express makes less stops
and serves meals, tea, and snacks for free.

It was our nicest Indian train experience. The food was an Indian
version of airplane food, but it was filling and good. Plus free
water bottles! No steady procession of salemen and people asking for
food or money. Overall it was quieter and clean. The route took us
through rural areas with fields of rice and swollen tributaries. The
remoteness and hardships of rural Indian life is apparent even from a
window of a passing train. Terraced rice fields, banana tree
plantations, and green ponds reflecting clouds lined in water lilies.
Muscular buffalos. People farming and squatting. Always the beautiful
sari colors. The landscapes were rich in beauty.

We have a brief Delhi interlude before heading down south.

Last Day in Darjeeling

During the day it is usually foggy, making it a treat to glimpse the
mountains surrounding Darjeeling. But, we woke up early one morning
and the higher clouds were leaving the peaks in clear view. The
rising sun was a fiery orange throwing soft pinks against the
iridescent white of the Himalayas. This lasts some brief moments, but
it is breathtaking.

We've been going on little walks around the city often in the late
mornings after it warms up. One steep and long trail took us to a
gompa or a Buddist temple. The temple is perched on the edge of the
mountain surrounded by tall green trees and flower bushes. The
shifting fog added to the mystery. The temple is brightly painted as
if by set of 6 magic markers. Prayer wheels and sun-bleached and wind-
torn prayer flags surrounded the temple.

On our way back we tried a delicious new snack: chips made of smashed
chickpeas coated in salt, chili powder, and lime. It's soooo good!
We are surprised we can still find new foods and snacks and be so
impressed. Then we sat and watched a monkey family. They are so
entertaining to watch while jumping and hanging from everything. It's
wild how similar their faces and fingers are to ours. Maybe that is
why they never cease to capture our attention.

We found a place that sells "real coffee" as advertised. It's been a
familiar comfort and a regular stop in our days.

We've leave on an overnight train back to Delhi tomorrow.

Momos

We think we've mentioned momos a few times (only every post from
Darjeeling). Last night, we found the tastiest, most savory momos
around. We walked into a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, which looked
more like someone's house with a dining area connected to a kitchen.
We sat down in plastic chairs at the plastic table, covered in white
and red plastic tablecloth. And sat unnoticed. For about 10 minutes.
It wasn't busy. There were 3 Nepalese men sharing a small bottle of
whisky at the table next to us. It was them who alerted the owner of
our presence.

There were no momos, but the woman/cook offered to cook them up for
us, though it would take a while. We said yes but quickly wished we
hadn't. During the waiting time, a rat scurried in from outside and
made some hasty runs through the kitchen. Then a furry black dog
poked his snout through the door crack, opened the door, and walked
about the small room. We tried to remain distracted by our books. We
have been in these types of situations too many times in this trip.
There are 3 possible results (all extreme):

1. We eat (the food is ok) and wake up very sick.
2. The food tastes horrible.
3. The food tastes delicious.

We relished the momos (number 3) so much that we split seconds. The
dinner was tasty and cheap. We had a conversation with the Nepalese
men. Not really a conversation but there was some communication.

Darjeeling and the Zoo

Darjeeling is a great place to recover from the exhausting and
sometimes debilitating intensity of the other Indian cities we have
visited. It is quiet and some streets are pedestrian only. Believe
it. Pedestrian only. The weather cool which makes our long forgotten
fleeces (at bottom of our bags for almost 4 months) extremely
comfortable. There are lots of little shops and cafes to explore.
And we've been reading a lot. A sweet Nepalese family owns and
manages the hotel we are staying in. It has internet, a library, and
a restaurant, so we can easily just move around in our pyjamas
(pyjamas is a Hindi word by the way). We've decided to stay for about
a week here and just enjoy ourselves. Darjeeling is the first place
we have stayed more than 3 nights for the last 4 months.

Yesterday morning we woke to knocking on our door. The Nepalese man
wanted us to come to the rooftop to see "the mountain". Also, he has
been greetings us in the mornings saying "good morning balance" which,
we have gathered, is because he thinks we are a good balance unlike
other couples where one "talks talks talks" (hand signals included)
and the other just sits there (sad face).

It has been cloudy and misty and the views are often obstructed, but
for brief moments we gaze in wonder at the crisp snow-capped peaks of
some of the Himalaya's giants, including the third-highest mountain in
the world. The name is long and starts with a K.

Then we went to the zoo. It is small, but packed with Himalayan
fauna, such as, the Himalayan black bear, wolves, black and snow
leopards, red pandas, Indian tigers, and more. Next to the zoo is the
Everest Museum which showcases news articles and trekking gear from
famous climbers of Mt. Everest, including of course, Tenzing Norgay
and Sir Edmund Hillary. It's as close as we will ever come to Mt.
Everest. Never know. But probably.

On the way back we sampled some side stall savoury snacks served in a
newspaper cone. It was like Indian trail mix.

Varanasi to Darjeeling

Varanasi is a pilgrimmage site for Hindi people. One of the seven
sacred cities in the Hindu religion. People come to wash themselves
and throw offerings into the Ganges river. Our hotel overlooked one
of the ghats, which is a place where stairs enter the river for people
to bathe. Many throw colorful flowers into the water. Some ghats are
cremation ghats where bodies are cremated in public. We did not see
this. We only saw men in the water. And buffalo.

Varanasi is full of cafes, eateries, tailors, and shops selling music,
scarves, jewelry, and other souveneirs. These shops and cafes are
linked in a maze of narrow alleyways full of wandering cows, fighting
monkeys, lazy dogs, and people. We saw many people kissing their
hands and then touching the cows. Yesterday we took a 29 hour train to
NJP, a junction center in northern West Bengal. The train had a
constant procession of people selling
tea/coffee/snacks/toys/books/massagers/scarves/etc. Children in torn
dirty clothing would hop on the train and circulate asking for money.
Once a man without legs came through. So many sad and shocking sights.

Later...

Our train to Darjeeling was canceled, so we jumped on a land cruiser
and drove 2 1/2 hours along the switchbacks of mountain ridges and
through tea plantations at the base of foothills and multiple
waterfalls. It is gorgeous! So fiercely green and misty. As we
ascended we were driving through clouds. The car stopped along the
way for a snack break of delicious momos (Tibetan dumplings). Finally
the sun broke through and we were above the clouds in a hill station
town of Darjeeling. Darjeeling is above 2000 meters high. The air is
crisp and clean. It is quiet and beautiful. The city stretches over
the side of a mountain with tea plantations and the tallest of the
Himalayas in the horizon. Most people are Nepalese or Tibetan, which
means noodle and dumpling dishes. It is superbly relaxing.

To Varanasi

We enjoyed a relaxing few days in Jodhpur. We were the first
foreigners (and only) guests at a very very friendly guesthouse.
Friendly in the slightly irritating way. We got a lot of
attention...like calls on the phone at 7:00 am or 9:30 (asleep both
times) and knocks on the door sometimes just to say hello or to offer
us water every couple hours. All things considered the family and
helpers where incredibly sweet and helpful.

The day before yesterday we took a sleeper train to Varanasi. It was
a marathon 29 hours long (we gathered the delays were due to problems
with the brakes or "vacuum"). We slept in a 3-tier carriage with a/c.
There was also sleeper trains and chair class below us. The
airconditioning was nice but for 29 hours almost nothing would be
confortable. The room had 8 beds in it. It was clean, as was
the squatty toilet with the exception of a few small rogue cockroaches
The people around us were friendly and nice, and we had some good
discussions with them about Indian politics and culture. One man
bought us tea from the circulating tea-man. Part way through a young
girl and her husband joined our room. As the train pulled away she
had tears streaming down her face and her mother was running with the
window of our carriage until she couldn't anymore. We found out that
she was leaving her parental home after a visit. When a woman leaves
the parental home, she paints the tips of her fingers with henna. She
offered excitedly to paint Kristin's too. It was a fun and bonding
experience.

Train stations are another world. A sort of purgatory. Young boys
walk around reparing zippers or shining shoes for money. Young girls
and old men and women
walk around begging for money, often making gestures to their
mouththat they are hungry. People sleep on the floors, and often we
find ourselves weaving through them to walk. Have they been there for
days? Weeks? Mangy dogs roam around eating trash and pooping
everywhere. It smells bad and flies are everywhere. It's all in your
face, and crazy. Once you get on the right train, and it begins to
move, a weight is lifted off you. The experience for locals we
imagine is much different.

We arrived to Varanasi yesterday. After a wild trip on a rickshaw, we
arrived to our guesthouse on the Ganges River.

Today we have explored some of the back-alleys. The alleys are too
small for cars, which is great, so it is quieter and less intense.
Still enough room for cows, and motorcycles and bicycles
unfortunately.

The shopkeepers are not as aggressive. It is one of the more mellow
places we have been in India. Smells are fragrent and pleasant at
times, and the calm but massive river adds to the peacefulness. Maybe
we are starting to understand the peace travelers talk about when
coming to India. Maybe?

Jodphur

Still in Rajasthan but we are now in the "Blue City", Jodphur. Today
we visited the huge hilltop fort and palace of Meherangarh, which gave
us a little insight into the opluence and splendor of the lives of
maharajas. One of the best parts of visiting these places is seeing
the many rural Indians coming to see their national sights. They seem
very curious of us and eager to smile or shake our hands. Women wear
loads of bangles on their arms, gold and gemmed nose rings, earrings,
toe rings, etc. They wear anklets that jingle as they walk around.
Some have huge loops of gold in their noses. Women and some young
girls have the part of their hair painted red to match the red dot on
their forehead signifying marriage. Men wear colorful turbans and
have crazy big beards and massive mouse-like fuzzy mustashes. Andrew
decided to shave his thick beard because too often he was called "Ali
Baba" and we recieved more attention than we wanted.

We also tried some Rajasthani specials today: the creamy saffron
laced lassi is a favorite. And the big green chili rolled in batter
and deep fried was delicious. We stood with others using old
newspaper for a plate while we savored the spicy food. A man worked
behind us stirring an enormous vat of dough. Then after covering the
chili pepper in dough he plopped it into a huge vat of hot oil. It
was fun to watch.

One more day in Johdpur then a long train journey to Varanasi.

Agra to Jaipur

The next day in Agra, we saw the beautiful tomb, Itimad-ud-Daulah. It
was not as striking as the Taj, but maybe more beautiful in its
delicate and feminine details.

Then we drove to Jaipur. Adding to the list of animals on the street
are buffalo, camels, rats, and elephants. The drive went through
rural areas and beautiful farmlands.

Jaipur is known as the Pink City because its Old City has buildings
that are pinkish in color. We saw a beautiful hilltop Amber palace, a
palace on the water, the City Palace (inside the old city), and the
Palace of Winds. The Palace of Winds felt like we were in Alice in
Wonderland because of its 'toy house-like' design has a wall of over
300 tiny windows (about the size of a head) looking out to the street.
We also saw Jawa Mantar, a courtyard filled with huge structures
designed to tell time. One massive 28 meter high sundial claims
accuracy to 2 seconds.

We wandered through textile bazaars of silk scarfs, tie-dye and block
print fabrics (both famous in Jaipur), and colorful saris. One place
showed us how they make the block prints. We also saw how they cut
and polish beautiful gems. Jaipur is known for its semi-precious
stones. Both the real and the fake kind.

The streets are crowded with people, animals, trash, and many modes of
transport. People are often shouting at you, stepping in front of you
to try and make you come to their shop or take their rickshaw. In the
midst of the chaos, Kristin was bucked by the horn or a cow while
simultaniously getting clipped by a rickshaw. Thankfully all it left
was a bruise.

The food, drink and sweets are all delicious. We have yet to have
average Indian food. A milky-sugared and spiced chai or mango lassi
makes up for a crazy day. There is a fudge-like milk based sweet
called 'barfi' that tastes amazing. We usually have samosas from the
street for at least one meal a day. It is served with a tart or sweet
sauce. No GI problems yet! If we buy something on the street we make
sure and see them cooking it. Food from the street is served on a
flimsy small paper plate, and either on steel or plastic trays in
restaurants.

Tonight we head to Jodphur.

Agra

Crossing from Delhi into Uttar Pradesh state, we had to stop at the
border for the driver to show papers. A transgender individual (we
were told later but guessed first) dressed in a flashy turquoise sari
with an eight o'clock shadow approached the Nepalese driver, Bhuwan,
asking for money. We were surprised when he handed over some rupees.
Bhuwan told us that people believe the trangendered persons have the
power to curse or bless you, and that he threatened a car wreck if he
didn't give money. Bhuwan made it sound as if this is a common
exchange and normal to give money. After this interaction the car
wouldn't start. We can only assume that this aforementioned individual
did not receive adequate payment. So, after being pushed by men
dragging along trick monkeys on leashes, beating the battery with a
stick (literally), and long discussions between the monkey men,
driver, and passers-by, the car started and we were off. It is now
clear to us that on the road between Delhi and Agra there is a worm-
hole to an alternate reality.

We made it to Agra midday and walked around and in the white-marbled
Taj Mahal. Most visitors were Indian. It started to rain at one
point and everyone ran for cover. Some yelled and laughed as they
ran. We first sought shelter under a tree. Then we joined a line of
people flat against a red sandstone wall under a small awning.

The Taj Mahal story adds to its romantism and beauty. Absolutely
worth seeing. At the Taj we were approached way too many times by
people asking to take our picture. Usually we said no. But the
little kids and sometimes women were harder to say no to than than the
boys in tight jeans and aviator glasses. One girl kissed Kristin for
a picture. We continually had to move around to avoid being
bombarded. One tourist totally lost it, and she reamed a guy out
using a string of explatives. After that, a groundsmen hit the guy
over the head. We have been stared at here (even for prolonged
periods of time without shame) more than any other country we have
been to.

We tried some delicous traditional Indian sweets tonight. One has an
edible foil covering that is made from pounded silver.

Leaving for Rajasthan tomorrow.

Full Day in Delhi

We saw loads of Delhi today, but a highlight was Humayun's Tomb. The
beautiful red sandstone and white marble amongst lushious greens
gardens and palms was spectacular. It had a mystical elegance as the
rain brought out vivid hues against a grayish sky. We also enjoyed
Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum and Gandhi Memorial. The Gandhi
Memorial was especially moving. Both are at the sites where each was
assasinated. The women are striking as they walk in colorful, flowing
saris. Bright pinks, reds, yellows, turquiose. It is a huge contrast
to the muddy grays and browns of the street below.

The food here is consistently delicious. We had high expectations and
so far they have been met. The flavors and combinations are so tasty
and wonderful. We ate Southern Indian food for lunch. At the end we
were given little sugar mint crystals and dried fenugreek seeds, which
they eat to aid in digestion.

Delhi is flooded, it would seem. The Yamuna river hasn't been this
flooded since 1978. The farmlands along the river have been flooded
and the people were forced to move their homes. So along a major
highway, families have set up make-shift tents and cots to live in.
We could see right in, and it looked cramped and dirty and very wet.
We stopped on the bridge to people watch. At the water's edge, people
gathered with an idol of a Hindu god (the Elephant god), prayed and
then sent it away down the river. This ritual is part of preparation
for an upcoming festival in October. A moment later a group of people
covered in red powder-paint were dancing and drumming and singing down
the street carrying another idol. They stopped, surrounded us, and
proceeded to beat drums, yell, and dance. For a second we thought
maybe we would become the offering. :)

New Delhi is nicer than Old Delhi as the name would suggest. The
roads are wider with defined lanes, more spacious, and cleaner though
that is not saying much.

Tomorrow we head for Agra.

Delhi

We arrived early this morning in Delhi (September 11 at 4 am). The
flight from Amman was smooth except for Andrew's brief period of
fainting and landing in a random man's lap as a result of dehydration.
No worries, though. His color came back quickly enough, and we both
had a good laugh. The muggy, oppressive heat in Delhi is a huge
contrast to the dry heat in Jordan. The urban poverty is immediately
in your face; the smells are often nauseating. People wandering
through trash, tents for homes set up on streets. On the way from the
airport we saw two people defecating by the road. Families bathed in
muddy water. Muddy describes the roads here. We are sure that there
are many different sides to Delhi, but this was our first impression.

It is post-monsoon season, but there was still a brief downpour on our
way to the hotel. Everyone ran for cover. After getting settled in,
we headed out to explore. The roads are crowded with rickshaws,
people on bikes, trash, cows, dogs, cars....The speeds of cars may be
slower than Cairo, but it seems just as chaotic and intimidating. We
met a helpful Indian man who tried to help us understand how the train
system works. We've ate some really spicy Indian foods, sweating from
the spiciness and the heat. But so delicious! Tomorrow we will see
some Delhi sites.

Jordan

A couple of days ago we took a ferry across the Gulf of Aqaba from
Nuweba in Egypt to Aqaba, Jordan. During the traveling, we met a nice
Belgian couple from Gent who thought it was ridiculous that we had
been to Maldegem (where we worked on the farm in Belgium). Apparently
Maldegem has a reputation for crazy country folk. We also befriended
a very friendly and helpful Egyptian man who works in Jordan. He
guided us through the process of getting ourselves and our bags to
Jordan and finding a hotel and bargained for us to make sure we paid
fair prices. It was incredible the way he would explain things to us
along the way just so we wouldn't worry. Together with the Belgians,
he joined us for dinner that night.

Early the next morning we took a bus to Wadi Rum. A Bedouin, named
Mujahad, with mostly false teeth and a very basic understanding of
English drove us through the desert. He had to hot wire the car (an
early 80s landcruiser?) to start it everytime we stopped. After
licking the tape on the casette a number of times halfway through our
drive there was a sudden 'pop' noise and then smoke came out of the
casette player. Later after hitting the casette tape over and over
against the steering wheel we had music again. Mujahad was a master at
making things work.

It wasn't as hot as expected. In the shade and even in the car with
the windows open it was perfect. We drove through huge sandstone
cliffs often seeing three or four camels resting in the sun. Besides
the camels the only signs of life were lizzard tracks ands lonely bird
perched on the sand or dotted shrubs. We saw an old Naabeten temple,
hiked up to a cool spring which had a beautiful view over the desert
and Wadi Rum village, and saw odd rock formations. A high rock bridge
and a giant rock with "legs" were the highlights. In the late
afternoon Majahad found a place in the shade of a rose-colored
sandstone cliff where he laid out a blanket and made tea. We stayed
for a while, and it was relaxing and peaceful. Only the noise of the
wind. At times the silence rings in your ears. Then he took us to a
beautiful red sand dune (the desert had white and red sand). The sand
looked so soft and so pure. Footprints quickly disappearing with the
shifting sand. He drove up ahead of us and let us walk for a little
bit. By late afternoon we were at the Bedouin camp where we'd spend
the night in a little tent in the middle of the desert. Other
tourists were there also from Italy, France, Spain and Japan. A
Sudanese chef cooked us dinner and breakfast, and we drank copious
amounts of sugared tea. Mujahad must have been the talented one
because after the sunset and the stars were out, he played a guitar-
like instrument and sang beautiful Bedouin songs around the fire. We
sat and listened for a long time as the scent of apple from his argile
(waterpipe) and fire filled the air. It was an almost out-of-body
experience the way the sounds and smells came together. At night it
didn't get so cold, but we did need fleeces.

The next day we took a bus to Petra. We walked about a mile through
the Siq, a huge and high sandstone mountain cut in half leaving a
turning and windswept passageway, which led to the impressive
Treasury, a beautiful and delicate tomb cut into the rose mountain.
Petra is an old city that has been cut into the mountainsides. Some
rooms are particulary beautiful in color with natural waves of blues,
whites, reds, pinks, yellow, and black. It looks like a painting all
over the walls and ceilings. We climbed to the top of a mountain,
called the High Place of Sacrifice that overlooks the city, and then
to other sites until our feet could take no more.

Jordanian people have been extraordinarily kind and generous. At
dinner the waiter brought us out desert and tea for free. At a sweet
shop, the owner gave us large samples to taste and charged us almost
nothing. Then we went to buy water and the grocery keeper gave us
sweets. Besides gifts people have gone out of their way to help make
us feel welcome and safe.

Keffiyahs are popular both with the tourists and Jordanians alike. The
keffiyah is a square head covering that is folded into a triangle and
rolled on the sides to stay on the head (sometimes with a thick black
band in on top). Traditionally Bedouins wear the red and white
keffiyeh, and we have heard Palestinians wear the black and white.
We're sure that other colors and patterns have other significance.
Most dress in long white or black robes. Some have pinstripes. Many
women in Jordan are either fully or mostly covered in black with only
a slit for the eyes. We've had barely any interaction with women.

Ramadan is finishing today or tomorrow. We are excited to see Eid.
We are heading to Amman today.

Dahab

In Dahab we can see Saudia Arabia across the Gulf of Aqaba.  Popular for diving, Dahab has quite a few travelers who stay a week or longer to get their diving certificates. It is also popular with Russian tourists, even many of the restaurants and tour operators posting signs in Russian.

After a 2 hour minibus ride at 1 am yesterday, we started a 3-hour hike up Mt. Sinai.  The dark night sky and the herds of camels (and that it was 1 in the morning!) made it the hike seem surreal.  Throughout the hike Bedouin men would ask "Camel? Camel?" over and over. We must have heard this 100 times.  The further up and more tired our bodies, the more tempting the camel became. But we perserved. Moses didn't need a camel so why would we?  Every so often a little shop sold tea, coffee, hot chocolate, snacks and blankets for super-inflated prices.  We were sweating on the hike up, but when we'd stop the elevation and wind made it very cold.  We made it to the top at first light and found a safe cranny on the edge, and huddled together out of the wind watching the sun rise.  It was beautiful.  The light illuminated all that was around us and colors gradually came back to the earth after a night of greys and blacks. We hiked down a different route taking 3750 steps (we were told, we did not count) laid by a monk as a form of penance long ago.  The steps were sometimes hard to see, but the sights through granite cliffs and valleys was beautiful.  After a quick tour of St. Catherine's Monastery, where some claim the burning bush was, we headed back to the hotel to catch up on sleep.

Due to overbooking we were switched to an apartment-style room with air conditioning for the same price (15$). We really lucked out.  Last night we had dinner with some nice French guys we met on the hike.

Today we were driven by truck along the dramatic Dahab coast between rugged mountains and the brilliant blue and turquoise ocean.  The drive was short, but we could have driven happily for hours. After mask and fin fitting and some quick tips, we headed off towards the entry point. The reef had so many odd shapes and colors. The coral ended abruptly where deep ocean around 100 meters or deeper contined as far out and down as we could see.  Everything was so clear.  We saw fish big and small. Striped, polka-dotted, fluorescent purples and rainbow-colored.  Black and white.  And camoflaged.  Schools swam all around us and into the coral.  Underwater was perfectly quiet against vivid colors. It is another world.

We made our way along the reef and over the "table" to a huge drop in water depth.  There were free divers and scuba divers beneath us.  It was fun swimming through their tiny bubbles from 30 meters below.

Afterwards we rode camels along the rugged dramtic coastline.  At one point they started "trotting" which was hilarious.  On a side note riding a camel was not as comfortable for Andrew.

It was one of our favorite days of the trip.

Tomorrow we travel to Jordan.

to Dahab

Over 2 very long bus transports (though they were clean and had a/c!),
a short taxi, a wait at a bus station and 28 hours later, we are in
Dahab! and it is worth it! the drive through the Sinai was
beautiful: long stretches of white dessert and blue waters, through
deserted resort towns, a fiery sunset, multiple checkpoints requiring
showing our passports and police with guns on-board. We are staying
in a little bay area, reading by blue waters. Tomorrow, predawn, we
will hike Mt. Sinai to see the sunrise from the peak.

Luxor

In Luxor, the Nile is bordered by palms and lushious green farmlands.  People are growing corn, ochre, onions, garlic and wheat.  

The first day we explored some of the city and walked by the Luxor Temple, which is in the city center across the street from McDonalds.  Many pharoahs contributed to it's structure over various dynasties. In comparison Ronald seems to erect his structures overnight.

Today was tombs and temples. The West bank is full of tombs of ancient kings and queens.  We were driven through police checkpoints to the dry and dusty Valley of the Kings, where we explored three of the many tombs (known as the royal necropolis) cut into limestone mountains.  This is where King Tut's tomb and treasures were discovered in the 1920s.  We went in the deepest tomb, the longest, and then the one with the most vivid color remaining. The long tunnels descending underground are lined with etched and painted pictographs in blue, yellow, red, black from around 1500 - 1000 BC. We followed the long tunnel to the burial chamber where the tomb was kept.  Pharoahs spent their lives preparing for the afterlife by building their tombs and temples for gods, which were more important investments than their own houses.  Then we visited the Funerary Temple of Hatshepsut, where our guide had been part of an excavation team.  It is also cut into the side of a mountain, but the original is mostly ruins after being destroyed by her stepson when he became ruler.  80 percent of the temple we saw has been restored. In 1997 58 people were killed in an attack by the Muslim Brotherhood at this site.  Afterwards we saw the Colossi of Memnon, two gigantic stautes 18 meters high.  And lastly, we went to the Temples of Karnak, which is claimed to be the largest religious building ever built.  The entrance is lined by sphinxes but  the most incredible part was the huge open-air hall,  filled with massive pillars covered in hyrogliphics and paintings of gods.  Karnak was built over a period of 1500 years by the pharoahs for their gods.  

It is a bit hot so we spent the afternoon by the pool (yaaaa!) before our long overland journey to Dahab on the Sinai peninsula.  We should arrive tomorrow.   

Alexandria

Alexandria stretches over 20 km on the Mediterranean. It's main
street hugs the coast and is lined with palms. Old, stylish cafes with
delicious pastries are scattered throughout. Egypt's second biggest
city, Alexandria seems quite small in comparison to Cairo.

The Alexandria Library with the modern architecture, high ceilings,
and students buried in books was a refreshing stop. It contains a
very respectable number of books and resources as well as (modern)
Egyptian paintings and sculptures. The cool and quiet peace of a
library was thoroughly enjoyable as an escape from the heat and noise
of traffic. We also saw an exhibit on Palestine which documented
Palestinian individuals' stories from 1948, when they were removed
from their land, to their lives now in refugee camps or elsewhere.
Then, just as we were leaving, we wandered into an exhibit on the
former President Anwar Sadat who was assasinated in 1981 in Cairo. He
was one of the first from the Arab countries to initiate peace with
Israel and is admired by most all Egyptians. There were personal
letters handwritten by Jimmy Carter on the White House stationary.
Also a peace pipe from a tribe of Native Americans in Colorado was
given to Sadat commending his efforts for world peace. He seems to
have been loved by his country and honored internationally.

We spent the night strolling the coastline. The sandy beaches were
littered with plastic tables and chairs and full of families eating
together. Children played in the dark water at night. Some men went
in the water. We saw one woman in up to her knees, still covered head-
to-toe including her face. Men were out fishing at night in boats and
from the shore. Some used nets and tried to catch anything left in
the tidal pools.

Last night we took the sleeping train south to Luxor. We had our own
little double cabin. After dinner the attendent helped us turn the
cabin into a bedroom. It was odd to wake up in the middle of the
night and realize we were moving on a train. It was not the smoothest
train either. The attendent woke us in the morning an hour before the
arrival. We looked out the window to see people working in fields of
corn and palm trees.

Exploring Luxor today and tomorrow.

Cairo

The enormity of the city (+20 million) is immediately apparent. After
passing through immigration, asking many people how to get to our
hotel, and refusing the many offers for tours and taxis, we were
pointed towards a shuttle bus that would connect us to a public bus
that was supposed to take us to our hotel. We were at the mercy of
those who spoke English as most everything is written in Arabic.

Thankfully we met a man at the bus terminal who was very nice. He was
going on our bus and even insisted to pay for our bus fare to welcome
us to Egypt. We saw pictures of his wife and two boys (one two days
old) and his engineering projects on a slide show on his phone. He
was a completely innocent and kind though we were suspicious until we
said goodbye. His stop was before ours and we still weren't quite
clear where to get off. But an hour later with the help of a couple
others, we made it to the last stop across a frightening street of
traffic from the hotel. We'd had time to observe Cairo traffic, and
it's laughably crazy. No lanes, often no lights. Continous honking
and buzzing of cars. Pedestrians holding tight to each other to
cross. Motorcycles zooming through cars without any rules. So to
cross the street (5 cars wide) we used more confident people as human
shields. We are much more comfortable now with the roads, though
every time we feel our bodies respond with a sort of "fight-or-flight"
response. The later it gets the streets are jam packed of honking
cars. We even saw a horse-drawn carriage galloping on a major street
with cars following close behind and all around. The horse was
frantically running being chased by buses and cars. Quite funny.
Many of the electronic walking men signs on crosswalks have the man
running. Cairo city planners must have a since of humor.

It's very hot here. Lots of pollution brings a haze over the city.
At night the Nile is filled with light beams, florescent neon light-
decorated cruise boats and feluccas (small sail boats). We often see
individual men or groups of men on the streets praying towards Mecca.
At sunset we walk pass groups of people gathered to break fast
together or iftar. It is a communal activity here like in Istanbul.

Most all women here wear the headscarves and dresses that cover their
arms and legs. Men wear pants, if not the long robes. Almost eveyone
has been very friendly and welcoming. Though we are often approached
by someone who "loves Americans" and "is not a tour guide" and just
wants to give us their business card or address in America, but to do
his we would need to follow them down streets, so we exercise patience
and endurance till we can break away. One man even said, "say yes, or
I will kill myself". They often yell anything just to get you to pause.

We've tried lots of delicious Egyptian foods - felafel sandwiches,
fava bean paste sandwiches, swarma, and a noodle, rice, and lentil
dish. We've found a place where we can both eat for about a dollar
together. The people who work here are starting to recognize us.

The Egyptian Museum was really cool, though it is really more of a
massive warehouse without air conditioning. We weren't allowed to
take the camera inside. It is overflowing with ancient and priceless
treasures. So much that many are without labels or behind something
in a corner. The oldest statue was from the 4th dynasty, around 2500
BC. The most jaw-dropping treasures were from King Tut's tomb. Over
1500 treasures were found in the tomb of the young king, from jewels,
to thrones and boats and leopard-skin shields and golden claw-footed
beds all of which he would use in the afterlife. The ancient Egyptians
were fascinated with the afterlife. We saw King Tut's famous golden
mask. The face looks just like him because it helps the gods to
recognize him amongst others.

Day two - the pyramids and sphinx of Giza. We are unable to describe
the feeling of being there. As we drove through the city, the point
of a pyramid began to poke through the crowded housing and buildings.
The city seems to stop abruptly, and all of a sudden we were standing
in desert gazing up at the magnificent pyramids. We crouched down
through a very narrow slanted pathway into the tomb and burial chamber
of one of the pyramids. Still have the dust of the pyramids on our
sandals. Then we saw the papyrus institute, where we learned about
the process of paper-making from papyrus reeds. We had an interesting
conversation about women in Egypt with the guide of the tour who was
an Egyptian woman.

On the tour we met a friendly Singaporian who was working in Israel.
He is an executive member of the Marriott collection and invited us to
the executive lounge for dinner and dessert and then breakfast. Then
we spent our last day with him seeing Islamic Cairo, Old and Coptic
Cairo.

In Alexandria now.

Modern Istanbul, Ramadan Celebrations and a Hamam

We are getting caught up on updates. Free wifi has been difficult to
find in Cairo.

So... This is about our last two days in Istanbul.

There was a fascinating (and free) exhibit near the Aya Sofya. It
opened our eyes to the Muslim peoples' contributions to modern
science, math, astronomy, and virtually all others areas. Not only
did it give a sense of hope and inspiration but also showed us how
much we didn't learn in school. Huge contributions to modern surgery
and timekeeping, for instance, came from the Ottoman Empire during the
(not so) "Dark Ages.". It was really interesting.

Then we visited the Grand Bazaar which was more like a mall. But
nearly 700 years old! We expected something more like the chaos of
the medinas in Morocco. We were on our guard for hassling, but got
none. There was even a sign warning people not to hassle tourists.
It is gigantic with over 4000 shops and 66 connecting streets selling
Turkish carpets, jewelry, ceramics, leathers, sweets, and much much
more.

We also visited modern Istanbul in the district of Beyoglu. We napped
in the breezy tree-lined Taksim Park then walked down the popular
Istiklal Caddesi, which is basically an outdoor mall with many
recognizable Western stores intermixed with Turkish restaurants and
the occasional Turkish shop. We saw Whole Foods grocery bags for
sale, the ones that say, "the better bag" on the side. A lost
shipping container maybe? Off the main street we found many
fashionable boutiques filled with Turkish designed clothing and
jewelry. Creative and energetic young people are everywhere.

The next day we took the cheap ferry across the Bosphorous to Asia.
Still in Istanbul though. The view from the ferry was very nice with
barges and other ferries criss-crossing with the city as the
backdrop. The Asian side brings less tourists (and less English) but
we enjoyed walking around.

After we went to the spice market which was full of all the Turkish
delight and bahklava we could ever eat, peaks of colorful spices, and
Turkish decor. We then crossed the Galata bridge, passing lines of men
fishing in the Bosporous. This bridge connects the old city to the
modern.

Ramadan has been great time to visit allowing us to observe
behaviors. There have been many outdoor concerts of beautiful
Turkish instrumental music and random western favorites including a
strange rendition of Summer Lovin' from Grease. Families gather in
the parks to picnic, bringing bags of homemade kabobs and drinks ready
for Iftar. Restaurants have been busy preparing for the feast, and
every surface is covered with ready-to-eat plates. People sit
languidly at the table not touching their bread. We try to hide in
the park and eat dinner before sundown not wanting to make their wait
even more difficult. Then the call echos from various minarets around
the city and eating commences. Smiles reappear. Life returns to the
streets. Musicians throw down their instruments and run for food.
Celebrations continue late into the night. The area feels very
carnivalesque, with a man walking on stilts through crowds, whirling
dervish performances (we saw a man spin for over two minutes
continuously, pause for about 45 seconds, and start again), stands of
calligraphy painters, weavers, glass-blowing, and more, and lots of
sweets (popcorn, ice cream, cotton candy). We tried a delicious soft
lollipop that the man makes and swirls right in front of you.

The last night in Istanbul Kristin tried the Hamam experience - a
Turkish bath. It was a women only hamam. So here is her story:

I was taken down some steps to a room with individual changing rooms.
Then woman attendant whistled and motioned with her hands that I
should remove everything and wrap a towel around me. Then she took me
to the bath room. It was a rectangular room with gray marble flooring
and a large raised marble square in the middle. There were six low
marble sinks spaced three on each side of the square. The sink was my
basin. (I had thought a basin meant a bathtub and was caught off-guard
when I realized I would be bathing in the nude not partly hiding in a
tub, because as you probably know, I am modest). So, she pulled off
my towel and told me to sit next to the basin/sink. It was constanlty
running warm water. I was told to douse myself with the water for ten
minutes, then she would be back for the massage. I was the only one
in there and started to think maybe it'd be a little more interesting
if someone else was in there. Before I knew it, the woman came back
in only in white undies followed by three tourists in bikinis. What?
She told me to get naked! Now I wished I could escape the
awkwardness. Being alone wasn't so bad. As the others found their
sinks and starting dousing themselves (in their bathing suits), she
caught my attention and patted the marble slab indicating it was time
for my massage up on the slab in the middle of the room. I tried to
appear fine with being the only naked one in the room as I briskly
walked to the middle. She puts on a scrubbing mitt, and following her
broken commands, I laid on my stomach, then back, then sat up to be
wholly exfoliated. Then back to the basin for a rinse. Now soap and
massage. The scene repeats, only this time instead of a mitt, it's a
huge soapy loofah. I am covered in suds and get a little massage.
Turning over is a challenge because soap and marble are a slippery
combination. It ended with her shutting her eyes tight to indicate
that I should follow. As soon as my eyes were shut, the huge loofah
was exfoliating my face almost too well. Then a bucket of water
rinsed enough soap off for me to make my way back to my sink and
finish the rinse. Then she comes and sits behind me for a shampoo.
At this point, though very awkward, I am feeling very nice and clean.
Then a rinse and off to the sauna before the final cool-off rinse. I
am clean and refreshed. It was a totally awkward though great
experience.

Ephesus

Today we saw ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus (Efes is Turkish).
Bonus info: Efes is also the name of the most widely available beer.
Besides Pompeii, Ephesus is the largest, best preserved ancient site
by the Mediteranean. What we saw today is from roughly 300 BC to 200
AD, but the city was founded by Grecians in 1000 BC. Most
recognizable was the huge theater, the beautiful two-storey library,
and stadium. Ferral cats roam through the ruined marble walkways,
Roman columns, and scattered statues. The detailing is truly
beautiful and ornamental. Mostly ruins now, we walked through
bathhouses, arcades, a brothel, and a temple. Paul, of course, made
Ephesus famous but did not arrive until around 50 AD. Imagining the
busy city of Ephesus with thousands of people walking the marble
street everyday makes Paul's letter seem more vivid. The ruins are
surrounded by a picturesque hilly countryside near the sea. Even the
bus loads of tourists could not take away the mystique and beauty of
this place.

Taking the night bus to Istanbul for a couple of days before Egypt.

Kas

Kas (in Turkish there is a squiggle under the s which makes the pronounciation "kash") is a fashionable harbor town on the Mediterranean.  And it's really hot, so we spend most of our time next to or in the sea.   The town is surrounded by mountains with scattered ruins and a harbor with various types of boats docked and paragliders sailing overhead.  The hostel is family run with a panoramic view on the rooftop terrace.  

Kas seems to be a local Turkish destination with the occasional European traveler.  It is so nice to see so many local travelers.  We can blend in completely if we keep our mouths closed. There's an old city center that's alive into the night with restaurants and cafes, little boutiques, and sidewalk stalls selling antiques and jewelry.  We took some halva (helva in Turkish) and drinks to an open square by the harbor one night, and other days we grabbed a chicken or lamb pide. The square turned out to be a fun people-watching location as families and children had gathered to play.  We were run over by speedy tricycles and scooters.  One kid even had a velocipede.  We had such a relaxing time in Kas.  

We are headed to Selcuk (pronounced Selchuk), which is near Ephesus.  

As a side note traveling in Turkey has been super easy.  Also it is one of the safest feeling places we have been.  Turkey transport has been awesome - really easy and straightforward and cheaper than Swaziland, when we'd travel crammed between people and bags of maize meal.  (It is odd because - we were told - Turkey's petrol is the most expensive in the world at 1.8 Euro/L which is about 8.7 USD/gallon).  We are in a super nice and roomy bus with individual tv screens for free movies (though Turkish), music, and wifi, reclining chairs, a/c with individual fans, and bus stewards who bring free drinks and snacks.  That is right, wifi.  Traveling in Turkey must be more pleasant than traveling even in the US.  The route we are currently taking is spectacular, winding along the coast  between the turquoise Mediterranean and mountains.  We've passed hidden coves and isolated beaches along the way.  This six hour bus ride is actually exciting!   

Olympus

Olympus is a really beautiful turquoise cove and pebbly beach against
a backdrop of cliffs and pine-forested mountains and ancient ruins.
Our hostel is in an orange grove, which gives the accomadation the
nickname of treehouses. We looked like ghosts sunbathing and swimming
because our sunscreen won't rub in or off (even in the shower)!
Andrew's beard looks grayish. It makes our already white skin almost
freakish.

No burned skin though. Beach bums for the next couple days.

Underground City

We toured an ancient underground city in the village of Derinkuyu full
of smoke-blackened kitchens, bedrooms, living rooms, dining areas,
wells, chimneys, a church, a winery and a horse stable linked through
horizontal and sloping tunnels. The city protected the people during
invasions, and the design was ingenious! It has 15 floors to a depth
of 80 meters. Because of flooding we were only able to crouch our way
through tunnels down to the 8th floor. It's very cold (50 - 60 F).
There were places that we barely fit through! Clostrophobics would
not do well.

Then we hiked along a stream through Ihlara Valley full of butterflies
and rock monasteries.

After, we explored the rooms and tunnels of the extravagant Castle
Monastery built high into rock peaks. The breeze up high through rock
openings and along with the spectacular view was a special moment.

Tonight we take an overnight bus south to the Mediterranean through
Anatalya ending in Olympus.

Churches and Chimneys

We had an amazing day! We joined a tour of the northern Cappadocia
region.

The Goreme Open-Air Museum was a valley full of tiny rock-hewn early Christian churches and houses connected with narrow tunnels. Some still had remnants of frescoes and geometric patterns depicting or representing various Biblical stories. This was from the 9th to 11th century. The colors came from red orchre or different plants. The faces or eyes were, well, defaced, and our guide explained that when the Ottaman Muslims came they removed the paint with rocks as it is unholy to paint a prophets face. And Jesus and others are prophets in Islam.

We explored a couple different rock-hewn villages and valleys seeing
fairy chimneys and a rock castle in Uchisar. Sometimes we had to climb ladders to get into these places, which, for the record, would never be allowed in the States without some handrails and 'watch your step' signs.

After lunch we toured a family-run 6th generation pottery making store. It is underground to help with the cooling process. The pieces are all handmade, hand-painted and absolutely gorgeous. And very pricey. A man demonstrated a couple of pieces, and then Kristin volunteered to try. She made a bowl. She shows some promise but needs some practice.

Deverent Valley (Imagination Valley) is a collection of the fairy chimneys where people go and create shapes (like we do with clouds).
We saw a very large camel, kissing ducks, a penquin, and a hand.

After wine-tasting Turkish wine from the region, we saw three fairy chimneys that our guide said wouldn't last more than 50 years. Because these bizarre formations are always exposed to the elements of erosion, overtime they disappear.

Walking around the village we were asked to sit and chat with some
very old Turkish men with thick graying beards and eyebrows of inch long hair. They really loved Andrew's thick beard and said he looks like Muhammad, which is funny because he is often told he looks like Jesus in Christian countries. Never have we seen a picture of Muhammad but it must be a complement.

Göreme

After an 11 hour overnight bus, we made it to the village of Göreme in
Cappadocia. The bus travel was comfortable with reclining seats
(believe it) and soda and a chocolate cake snack served early in the
ride. There was even a bus steward who raised arm rests and lowered
seat backs. However, the lead-up to leaving Istanbul was frighteningly
disorganized. Couples shuffled around each other in a sort of musical
seats without logic or rationale and more confusion resulted from
multiple double-booked seats! We arrived the next morning getting
decent sleep with our ear plugs and eye masks.

Background on the ancient village: Göreme's landscape seems straight
from a sci-fi film or fantasy land. Volcanic eruptions millions of
years ago provided soft stone of compressed ash and centuries of wind
have created eerie dry, dusty cone-shaped peaks (curiously called
fairy chimneys) and valleys. Early Christians carved ancient chambers
and vaults into the weird landscape to serve as churches, stables and
homes. Some people still live as cave dwellers in Göreme. Our hostel
is built into a rock cave. We were supposed to be in dorms, but when
taken to our room they had put us in a private room with 2 Italians
(Stefano and Silvia) and pulled 2 twins into the living area. We ate
lunch and dinner with the Italianos. They are very nice. Stefano lived
in China for many years speaking fluent Chinese and Silvia studied art
in Venice and now designs wine bottle art. Very cool. We now have a
private bath and a double bed!

Topkapi Palace

We spent the majority of the day in the grounds of the Topkapi Palace, the residence of the sultans. Now a museum, the structures and courtyards are extravagant. We went through the harem (in Turkey this refers to a residence) which was largely decorated with the blue tilework so prevalent here. Then saw beards cut off in golden boxes, an arm and a skull of some prophets. The pavillions overlook the Bosphorous and Sea of Marmara towards the Asian side of Istanbul. The Treasury rooms were full of extravagantly and intricately decorated swords, pendants, armor, thrones and loot from conquests in Iran, India, and China. Of course the items were of gold and other valuable metals decorated often with emeralds, red rubies, mother-of-pearl and diamonds. Sometimes jade. The sultans lived every detail of life as an expression of their wealth and power in unimaginable extravagance. There were even gold and diamond coffee cup holders, gold and precious gem encrusted water jugs, a gold and gem-plated cradle for little princes, and the 5th largest diamond in the world. This 86 carat diamond surrounded by over 40 brilliant cut diamonds was once a ring and then a pendant for a turban. The legend says that the center diamond was found in a rubbish heap by a peddlar, sold for 3 spoons, discovered to be diamond, and bought. Too bad for the peddlar. As we exited the last room of the Treasury, the alarm sounded. Fortunately we avoided capture by moving quickly and stealthily through the crowds of people pulling off our disguises only when were out of the palace. Maybe we'll give it to the first street peddler we see.

Istanbul

Istanbul so far: very friendly and helpful people, delicious food, very old and impressive architecture, so much history, and free wifi everywhere! It's easy to see why Istanbul is the 2010 European capital of Culture.

After a delayed flight from Amsterdam yesterday, we landed the Istanbul airport on the Asian side at 1:30 am. So we (Kristin having more success) tried to sleep in the baggage claim until things started moving. Around 7:00 am (still in the airport) we had a sesame seed and Turkish cheese sandwich and hopped on a bus (45 minutes) to the ferry, which in maybe 20 minutes whisked us across the Bosphorous Strait to the European side of Istanbul. From here we walked about 15 minutes to Sultanahmet, the old city of Istanbul right next to the Aya Sofya and Blue Mosque to where our hostel is. The roof terrace has marmelous views of the Sea of Marmara.

We ate a Turkish lunch and a deliciously super sweet dessert - baked shredded wheat saturated in honey. Saw a woman weaving a small Turkish carpet with silk and a loom. Kristin helped her make two stitches in "double knot" form. Then spent some restful time in the parks and the cool breezy gardens of the sultans (Gulhane Parki).

Later we found a movie theater and a massive 6 floor mall (they say the biggest in Europe). Saw Inception, which played in English with Turkish subtitles. Halfway through the movie during the absolute pinacle of climax, the movie jolted to a stop and everyone stood up and started walking out. We were confused. Apparently movies have intermission? 15 minutes later we returned to the scene, the car chase/gun fight continues seemlessly into the second act. It was interesting to see the mall and surrounding neighborhood of Beyoglu. It could be anywhere in the US.

Today we've seen some amazing sights. The Aya Sofya (Church of Divine Wisdom) was impressive with it's marble and mosaic walls, golden domes, and Byzantine architecture. We sat fascinated for a while contemplating the history of this place, built originally in the 400s as a Christian center for the Byzantine Empire, then turned mosque with the Ottomans and now secularized into a museum. Turkey, more specifically Istanbul, was a valuable point of interest in history, with a foot in Asia and the other in Europe, and it's location on water for trade. Upon leaving we passed through two huge brass doors from the 2nd century BC. Way old. Then we had some delicous lokum (Turkish delight) - pitashio crusted pieces and traditional rose. We lounged eating lokum with our Turkish coffee and cappachino waterpipe. Then we saw the tombs of other sultans and family before entering the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii) built in the 1600s to rival the Aya Sofya in grandeur. It is called the Blue Mosque for its decorative blue tiles. We were surprised that we were able to enter with today being the start of Ramadan. Afterwards we explored the underground Basilica Cistern (Yerebatab Sarnnici or "Sunken Palace"). The huge source of water to the old city was built in the 4th century and enlarged a couple centuries later with over 300 marble columns and fish swimming in it. It became disused after the Ottoman conquest but was restored in 1987 with walkways. There are two hugely carved Medusa heads (one upside down and the other on its side) at the base of two of the columns. Entering the cistern was like entering a underground city. The cool and darkness was a beautiful contrast to the hear and motion of world above.

Amsterdam

Chaos. Neon lights, bikes (motor and leg powered) dominate walking space, loads of people (high tourist season + gay pride canal weekend parades) make for a busy city. Gentle rain, canals and beautiful narrow pointed houses have a calming effect.

We've hit the tourist highlights and predicably managed to get turned around in the cobweb of canals and narrow streets and alleys. We found the Red Light District. Predictably shocking. Coffee shops are everywhere. Enjoyed learning about the progression of Vincent Van Gogh (Gogh is pronounced "hoff") as an artist at the Van Gogh Museum. It is full of masterpieces. The museum houses the Dutch artist's largest collection of his work in the world. Starry Night is in NYC, but favorties here included Sunflowers, Almond Blossoms, Twilight in the City, & The Bedroom (which was unfortunately under restoration). Also saw the Anne Frank House (now museum), where the eight-year-old wrote in her diary for almost two years in hiding. Only the outside. The line was outrageous.

Spent some time in a beautiful park and along the canals. Sunday and Monday were perfectly beautiful, cool and sunny.

Leaving for Turkey this evening.

Antwerp

Antwerp's Central Train Station is massive and beautiful. The many
floors are packed with shops and restaurants. If that is not enough
for a short layover, there's a zoo practically attached to it.

Next - MOMU, the fashion museum. The exhibits are always changing but
the current one was the color black: Masters of Black in Fashion &
Costume. The exhibition explained the evolution of black in fashion
throughout history, including clothing from paintings, historic
costumes, and contemporary fashion. The most famous attitude toward
black wardrobe being Chanel's Little Black Dress, introduced in 1926.
Somehow we both wore black today. Coincidence? We think not. Anyway,
it was fun and maybe inspiring to see the variety and creativity of
textures and materials used.

At the end an exhibit displays the work of a graduate from the Royal
Academy. Her themes were hard to follow but fun. Sea shell hats,
anyone?

The rest of the day we explored the city's streets and plazas,
beautifully ornate Gothic architecture, enjoying the cafe culture,
sitting by the river and resting our feet.

Tomorrow morning we are taking the two hour train to Amsterdam.

Brussels

We spent the morning in Brussels at the Belgian Center of Comic Strips.  We learned about the creation process and the many stages in the development.  The expressionless Tintin who sees a lot of the world was a favorite. And the Smurfs (or Schumpfe) before they made it to American cartoons were fun mostly because they are familiar. Turns out the Smurfs are Belgian.

The Galeries St Hubert, which opened in 1847, have a mix of high end shopping and cafes.   Wandering through the old arcades, we were drawn to the beautiful displays of stacked chocolates through the glass window of a fancy chocolatier.  Belgians call the chocolates prailenes.  Of course we bought a few to sample.  The lady seemed surprised when we said that was all we were buying. The truffle was especially delicious.

After wandering down narrow side alleys, we found ourselves standing in the center of a magnificent square, the Grand Place.  It's Gothic style hotel (previously town hall) built orginally in the late 1400s and richly-colored antique guildhalls lining the square were enchanting.  It seems like Neuhaus must be paying a fortune for the rental of their slice of space.

Then we followed the signs to see the infamous Manneken Pis fountain, a little boy cheerfully peeing into a pool.  It was surprising to find crowds and flashing cameras gathered around the surprisingly small and, to us, insignificant statue.

We couldn't leave Brussels without admiring a showpiece example of Art Nouveau architecture, which we found at the Museum of Musical Instruments in the Old England building. The dark colors and iron work are classic Art Nouveau.

Just as we entered the Parc de Bruxelles, the threatening dark sky started to drizzle.  And then rain.  We hid under a large tree, but when it wouldn't let up decided to keep on.  We knew it would stop later, and there would be time to dry.  (which happened, luckily).

We then visited the EU parliament, with flags of member countries and men and women in black suits.

Lastly before catching the train to Antwerp, we toured a unique working brewery called Musee Bruxellois de la Gueze.  It is interesting because it uses a similar fermentation process as wine (think 2-3 years and wooden barrels).  There is an aerated bacteria that exists only in and around Brussels (we were told) that allows the fermentation process to happen spontaneously.  It is the only brewery in the world producing beer by this method (also we were told), which gives the beer the sour taste.  They also produce fruit-flavored beers, though more sour than sweet.  We tasted the orginal Gueze and a raspberry beer blend.

Then we caught a train to Antwerp...

A Jazz Bar, State Rooms, and a Museum

Last night we found a cozy underground jazz bar/pub. It was an
intimate stone vaulted cellar with dim lighting, candelight and jazz
music. A perfect escape from the cold night air.

Wednesday we went back to Wawel Castle to tour the State Rooms, which
were full of French and Flemish tapestries, detailed and heavy Italian
wooden chests and tables, portaits and scuptures, and Persian
carpets. Items dated from the 13th - 19th centuries. The State Rooms
are on the second floor of the castle complex surrounding a central
courtyard.

Grabbed some street food for lunch - a zapiekanka to share - which is
basically a pizza baguette topped with a roasted ketchup sauce. It's
supposedly the quintessential street food of the Jewish quarter. We
ate it on a bench in the main square where children (and adults) fed
thousands of pigeons!

We arrived back to Brussels late yesterday evening.

...and we made it. Yay! In Brussels seeing the sights.

Auschwitz-Birkenau

No words can describe or do justice to the haunting, shocking and chilling evil done against the Jews, Roma, political prisioners, Soviet POWs and many others during the halocaust. The organization of it all. The unimaginable crimes and evil against humanity and methodical torture, and murder is truly disturbing. Experiments such as injecting leprosy into victims were performed. Upon arrival doctors decided the fate of millions of men and women, young and old, children - to die by work or straight to the gas chambers. Doctors that should be giving life were deciding death for at least 1 million at the Auschwitz camps alone.

On the bus ride through dense evergreen forest to Auschwitz, we watched a documentary of the sobering footage and commentary from a Soviet journalist who covered the liberation of Auschwitz. He captured the shock of exposure to skeletons, the dead and barely living, the fear and distrust in the blank eyes of victims. The recovering of evidence that the Nazis tried to destroy.

Auschwitz is located in a remote and quiet area with the intentions of hiding the horror there. The tour took us through the gate with the words "Arbeit Macht Frei" or "Work Sets You Free" overhead, giving the newly arrived a false sense of hope. Then we walked over train tracks and through the camp grounds and roll-call areas and into bunkrooms and prison cells and finally underground through the area where victims were stripped, gassed and then cremated. We also saw the Wall of Death, where thousands were lined up and shot. The most shocking exhibits tend to be ones that portay lost individual lives, such as personal photos, luggage, brushes, clothes, shoes. Probably the most horrifying exhibit was a room filled with thousands of pounds of human
hair, which were sold to make cloth and blankets. A blanket was displayed made from the women's hair still with traces of poison used to murder them. About 1.5 million people (1.1 milion Jews) were murdered in Auschwitz.

Afterwards we went to the grounds of the Birkenau camp, where most of
the mass killings took place. Its enormous size gives a sense of the
extent of the crimes, though much of it was destroyed by the Nazis
during retreat in an attempt to destroy the evidence. We were able to
tour a wooden barrack that housed some laborers, but mostly brick
chimneys dotting the landscape along with a central train track was
all that was left. As we were leaving a group of Israeli soldiers
stood at attention in silence in front of the barbed wire outside the
camp.

We will contemplate and process what we saw today for a very long time.

Later on we had a Polish lunch at a milk bar (bar mleczny). During
the communist era they were established as a cheap, self-service
cafeteria to provide wholesome meals to the poorest citizens. The
menu used to largely reflect dairy products. Now they are a more
modern cafeteria serving traditional Polish dishes cheaply. We had
tomato soup, borshe, and pierogi, a Polish ravioli with cream cheese
and potato filling.

Krakow

Sunday night we arrived to Krakow. Our hostel is in a great location in the heart of the old town in the Rynek Glowny, a huge medieval market square. Summer months mean the square is full of outdoor seating, musicians (from a quartet of accordians to a a flute-guitar- drum combo) and entertainers (most notably a flame-thrower). The lights reflected beautifully against the walls of buildings around the square.

Monday morning we strolled around the grounds of a hilltop castle overlooking a river. The medieval Wavel Castle was the residence of kings and queens for over 5 centuries and is surrounded by walls and complete with a tower and dragon's lair, which supposedly housed the
legendary fire-breathing Wavel dragon (Smok not Puff). We also toured the Wavel Cathedral with it's Gothic spires, built in 1364, and full tombs and chapels.

After wandering around the old town (there are many piano statues in various squares), we made our way to the Jewish quarter, Kazimierz, which at one point was a center of Jewish culture in Poland, and still holds an annual Jewish festival. Almost overnight during a mass deportation the past cultural vibrancy disappeared. Today the population is small. We saw the old synagogue, which is he oldest Jewish house of worship in Poland from the 15th century. Much of Shindler's List was filmed here. Then we explored Podgorze, where thousands of Jews were herded. It became a Jewish ghetto. There is a memorial to he victims at Plac Bohaterow Getta, located a the departure point for trains to various camps. The open square has empty chairs throughout representing discarded possessions and remnants of deportees. It is impossible to not feel a weight in your chest while standing in the plaza. Then we walked to Shindler's Factory, which is being made into a museum. This previous enamelware factory was where the German Oskar Schindler employed thousands of Jewish prisoners, saving many lives.

Today we go to see Auschwitz.

Gent

Saturday morning we left the farm and headed to Gent for a day and a night. We've been here before briefly but it was crowded for a festival and we wanted to see it minus festival madness. It's really pretty with lots of medieval architecture and cobbled streets, similar to Bruges, but with a more subdued and calm vibe.

We saw the beautiful Sint-Baafs Cathedral which was built in the 1100s with a blend of Romanesque, high and late Gothic influence. High ceilings, large sculptures, lots of detailing and stained glass windows. The stained glass windows were explained as the "poor man's Bible," telling Bible stories to the poor and illerate. The cathedral holds one of the earliest-known oil paintings, the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. Completed in 1432, it was done with attention to minute details of beards and jewelry.

There was a short drizzle, which seemed to fit with the style of the town. We tried a Belgian waffle, walked through shops, and sat on benches watching Belgians on bikes and walking dogs.

Heading to Krakow, Poland this evening.

Jams and a Greenhouse

Paulo and mamma Rabbit

One of the babies

Jams!

Rita, Paulo, Hugo, Darryl

The farm's been great! So many lovely things. Rhubarbs, fennel, blackberries, rabbits, goats, and sheep... The meals are large and delicious, always accompanied with endless bottles of homemade organic wine and Belgian beers. Ping pong, chess, and foosball continue to bring out the competitive side in each of us. Bike rides into town and soccer, not to mention the weeding, digging, planting, & chopping, help us work off the pounds that have accumulated with each meal. Nights have been hangin out with the other WWOOFers or the French family.

Andrew and the guys finished the greenhouse today. A much celebrated accomplishment. Kristin had fun in the kitchen making loads of raspberry-rhubarb jams. Played with baby rabbits and kittens.

We have found in our travels, especially here, a general (strong) dislike of Americans. It is not much of a surprise. Preconceived ideas and stereotyping of individuals of a certain race or from a certain country is not constructive. Darryl said we've been discriminated against, and it's even made him uncomfortable. But we try to take it with a smile and not personally. We are trying to break down the general negative views they have of Americans.

We had the afternoon off so the four of us rode to town and got a few beers at the pub.

In Bruges

We had so much fun in Bruges.  It's a small medieval town of cobbled streets lined with window-fronted shops opening into plazas with outdoor eateries and bridges over canals.  No new buildings are allowed to be built in Bruges and lots of signs are in Latin.  Lots of people on foot, bikes, and motorcycles.  Horse drawn carriages and speed boats too.  Every other shop was a chocolaterie or tea shop.  Of course here were multiple shops selling Belgium lace.  And pubs.  Darrell joined us, and we had a great time getting to know him better.  We all rode bikes to the bus station in Malegem and took the bus Bruges.

We wandered without a plan stopping through to see Michelangelo's Madonna and Child, past street musicians playing accordians and harps, to Markt, the big open area to eat lunch and up 366 tightly winding stairs to the top of the Belfry, Bruges' most famous structure.  Of course we had to have some Belgium chocolate, so we stopped in a little choclatier, each buying one piece.  Toasting the chocolate we ate it huddled up in the store.  Moving on we found a great pub on a side street next to the Tolkien Diner and The Hobbit restaurant.  The pub was famous for it's selection of over 250 types of beers.  The menu was laid out according to region.  The pub was cozy and dimly lit with Strauss playing in the background.  The tables are small wooden squares spaced closely together.  The boys drank by region starting from west Flanders moving east. Kristin stuck to the fruit beers, a cherry flavored beer, then peach and blackberry.

We met some interesting people there.  Micello, an old Italian in Bruges on business with bad eyes and lots of stories.  He sells antique books, sometimes
Illegally, he let slip, and some from the 11th century.  Then we met two cousins, a girl from Georgia (the state) and a Belgian from Bruges.  We learned a lot about Belgian politics.  For such a small country and to have the capital of the European Union, Belgium has a lot of interesting political conflict.

Then we played around Bruges as he sun was setting.  Bruges is really pretty at night with latern-lit streets and restaurants with flickering candles seen outside and through front windows.

Fieldwork, Greenhouse, and Red Currents, and Chard

Yesterday a dark sky threatened rain all morning, and finally a sudden, though short-lived downpour soaked the linens on the line, Kristin getting soaked in the process. The sun came back out and things were dry before night. At 20 km from the coast, the farm doesn't get much rain. Before that Kristin helped Rita with various guesthouse upkeep (this will be a regular part of Kristin's morning duties), picked red currents, and prepared them for Rita's cooking, while Andrew worked in the fields and planted brussel sprouts and winter cabbages in the late afternoon. Spent the night chatting and having a drink with a friendly French family who are guests here. Needed occasional help from "google translate". Technology bringing Americans and Frenchies together in Belgium.

Besides what has become the usual, today Kristin peeled potatoes, while Andrew planted cauliflower and broccoli in the greenhouse & helped construct the greenhouse roofing. It's about halfway done now. Together we prepared huge leafy green chards for dinner. We took some mint from the yard and made Moroccan mint tea (sans excessive sugar). The men played Risk (Dutch version) at night.

We don't have work on the weekends, which means we have a little weekend excursion planned. We are going to Brugges early tomorrow morning, will probably come back on the last bus, and go back on Sunday to save paying for a place to sleep. It's about a 15 minute ride.

some pics

trying to feed the rabbits...
he's holding a bucket of our...poo & pee. going to dump it somewhere. thanks for doing the dirty work hub!

red currents.

in the fields...

paulo & darrell. plus a very large zucchini.

and a post to follow.

Compost and Peas

For those that don't know, being a WWOOFer basically involves some type of set up where you volunteer to work for people, and they give you a place to sleep and feed you. The usual minimum length time is 2 weeks. For us, specifically, we work 5-6 hours a day, 5 days a week, sleep in a caravan, are on our own for breakfast and dinner (using their kitchen and food, often leftovers from the guest meals), eat lunch prepared for us and eaten together with all WWOOFers, Hugo, Rita, and their college-aged son. Drinks are free...beers, wine, coffee, tea, juices, etc. The limit is 2 beers per day (which means 4 for Andrew since Kristin doesn't like beer). There is a raspberry beer here that is sweet enough to enjoy, but not for everyday.

So a normal day goes something like this:

7:30 - 8:00 - wake up
8:00 - 9:00 - breakfast
9:00 - find out from Hugo and Rita what our job will be for the day
11:30 - everyone has coffee, tea, and cookies under the tree
12:00- back to work
1:30 - lunch, all together outside (or in the greenhouse of raining)
2:30 - back to work til finished
14:00 - 14:30 - relax
8:00 - clear and clean guests dinner (alternating days with Darrell
and Paulo)
8:30 - dinner

Today Kristin helped Rita in the house because some guests were leaving and new ones coming. Then after tea she picked some peas and prepared them for Rita to cook for dinner. Andrew spent most of the day using compost to prepare the old potato plot from yesterday for planting. We were on dinner clean-up duty tonight. Rita brought us the house wines to drink during cleanup.

Potatoes

Wilgenhof. That's the name of the farmhouse in Maldegem if you want to google it. We slept amazing last night. Yesterday was a bit awkward trying to understand instructions and work expectations from Rita and Hugo, but today we feel more comfortable with the routine and our role. It seems best to just go for it, and they will tell you when you are doing something wrong. Rita is very frank, which is nice because you know what she's thinking. After breakfast at 9:00, we all pulled some green beans. Then Kristin helped Rita clear and clean the table when the guests had finished eating while Andrew helped clear some nettles. Together we dug up potatoes until coffee and tea break with Rita, Hugo, Darrell, and Paulo. Potato digging is hard work, but it is so satisfying to be able to see progress and to work with your hands. Some cattle roamed behind the orchard by the garden. The garden is full of so many different berries, vegetables, and vines. Trying to learn much as possible. Today we learned that Hugo grows tobacco plants in the greenhouse to keep the flies away from the plants.

After we finished with the potatoes, we all ate lunch together, which Paulo prepared with lots of freshly picked vegetables. The zucchinis are about 18 inches long and 5 inches in diameter. Hugo and his friend make their own organic wine, which we learned a little about. Lunch was in the shade of a tree, and Hugo brought out a few of his rose and white bottles of wine.

After lunch at 1:30, we helped Paulo chop carrots, zucchini, green beans, fennel, and celery for dinner. The kitchen has lots of large pots, a 6-burner stove, and a big oven, making it seem professional.

Andrew and Hugo wheeled the potato yield away, which apparently wasn't much this season due to a late winter frost. Darrell spent the day working on the roofing to the greenhouse where the caravan is.

Hugo's friend who helps on Tuesdays made us an afternoon dessert called Sabayon. We think it originated in Italy. He used egg yolks, sugar, wine and port to make the sauce and put it over ice cream. Delicious.

Then we took the bikes to explore the town and neighboring farms. One farm had kangaroos and deer. Took a shower and are about to eat dinner. Our bodies are exhausted, in a good way.

our caravan in a greenhouse...home for a couple weeks.

trying to make friends with this cutie kitten

we found a heart potato.

we have posted a handful of pictures from the beginning of the trip on flickr.com under 2 different accounts. to find go to flickr.com. then put kstein2010 or andrewbs2010 in the search box. it wont find us. so then click on people above the search box. retype kstein2010 or andrewbs2010. shoud work. there is probably a better way. the accounts have different pics.