What follows is a transcription of the hand-written journal I kept when I went on my first overseas trip in 9th grade with my History/English class to London. An incredibly formative experience that set the tone for my travel-bug proclivities that remain a big part of me two decades later. Many cringeworthy and LOL moments in here.
Though the great divestiture of all my paper-wrought memories and scrapbooks has been hard, I have been so grateful for the chance to relive some of these moments, sometimes decades in the distance. It's great to be able to measure what's changed and what's the same.
Day 2- Trafalgal Square
Spent the day being tired but it was cool seeing all the paintings from artists. We walked and got wet and took pictures at Trafalgar Square and Picadilly circus. There are lots of pigeons. People make you stand all the time. Cars and crossing the street are scary. We need sleep. At the gallery(ies) we saw Warhol, Titian, Constable, Boticelli, Turner, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Ruisdale and lots others. It was great and I felt so educated to be able to go around and point out certain works and look a thte paintings with an intellectual eye. Everything is so new and unexpected. I am getting used to this feeling but I am going to be unsure for a while.
Day 3- (April 2) Bus tour, St. Paul's, Guard Changing, Theatre
Bus tour was informative. Good gossip. Loved the details on St. Paul's. St. Paul's was beautiful, lighter and more romanesque than National Cathedral's gothic style. I liked it better. Seeing London and shopping and having a free afternoon was really cool. I got a cute jumper that's really classic and I'm glad I didn't think it was too expensive. I'm looking for an opportunity to use my french with all the international people here. I want to try a lot. I watched a scary French movie. Dinner was good at Dino's. Never had straight vinegar on a salad. I like it! Shopping was so fun. I felt very American the whole time. I was always conscious of my nationality. I'd feel dumb trying to use french but it's here and I have to "seize now and here the hour that is nor trust some later day" so that's a little bit my frame of mind. Today was good. I had a Provençette at Gigi's and it was really good. Sundried tomatoes, lettuce and mozzarella cheese all hot and melty and the bread was yummy too. I couldn't eat all of it. I made notes of places I wanted to go back to and I want to see Les Mis again here. The best part is, it's all within my reach. I actually can do it all. We saw Beauty and the Beast and it was good but corny. A little too Disney for my tastes. I sat next to Peter and we made fun of Geston.
Day 4 - April 3 Globe Theater, Tower of London, Picadilly/Oxford
The Globe was interesting when we were being talked to by the guide. But when we were just walking around and scouting for ourselves we just got kinda bored after the exhibition. The tower of London was cool when I saw the Scaffold Square and the Crown Jewels absolutely entranced me. They were so...Sparkly! I really enjoyed seeing them. The afternoon was fun. I got an outfit for my cousin's wedding and I had a really good dinner at Planet Hollywood. We were going to go see an IMAX movie but we didn't have time so we went to Oxford street only to discover that EVERYTHING closes at 6. I was so angry. London sounds like it should have as much of a nightlift as it does a day life but that's false. Me, Rachel and Emily found a disco but it wasn't open at 9:30pm on a Friday night! The cultural differences are hard to surmount but we do. I really felt like a Londoner today. I am the Tube Queen. I can get you anywhere/everywhere on those things. I can also find my way around pretty well. This experience of "nomad"ness for a night was slightly disheartening but it was good to know we could do it. Everyone was tired and touchy when we got back and no one really took the quizzes seriously except me and Brian. Rachel was getting really surly (to put it nicely) and we needed a break. My legs hurt, my feet are sore, I HATE STAIRS! But I feel strangely satisfied with the unsatisfactory evening. We got checked out all over the place by weirdos. And experienced a little of London's underground culture as in: music players in subway stations (buskers!), drunk people in subway stations, London nightlife (consisting of people walking around outside looking like they are going somewhere or to a club or what have you but really they are just walking around), and all together in general culture. I figured out that cars are irrelevant here and that they only cause problems. Taxis, buses, tubes, public transportation is the way to go. Everyone on the trip is great, especially the people I didn't really know that well before this. I never really met them but now we have this common bond and I enjoy their presence immensely. A refreshing change from everyday company. I love London. Spice Girls suck. I hate them. Thing about them is, if they know what they're doing and they're irritating and they know it, they're geniuses. That makes me even more steamed. Ah well. Oxford and Stratford tomorrow. Book land. No pop culture!
Day 5 - Stratford, Oxford, RSC
Stratford was great. A beautiful, quaint, country home that anyone would do well to stop and enjoy. Cool shopping in town, lots of stores, great meeting place in the fountain park. It was fun hangin' out there. Dinner wasn't that great. Oxford ant the college was cool. All the stories were true. I really liked the beauty and ease of it. It was just like Stratford in a way like the towns. But Christ Church & Oxford University were fun. Anne Hathaway's home and birthplace were beautiful. Her gardens made me jealous. The RSC performance of Merchant of Venice was wonderful. It was tough and everyone had to fight to stay awake. But in the end I really liked it. Portia was a great character though not acted very well. Shylock was terrific as was Portia's maid. Then, it was RSC so it HAD to be good. I was impressed and I had a good day but it was a little long and we were grumpy and tired by the end.
Day 6 - Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle
Westminster was all I expected it to be. When I got there this morning, I expected this spiritual experience when I first walked in, but there wasn't. The procession in was my favorite part. Being there on Palm Sunday was lucky. We all streamed into the church behind "The President" and the absolutely amazing choir. They read the passion which took about 25 minutes. That was bad, and we had to leave right after communion. But I am really happy I went. Windsor was beautiful. The state rooms left me speechless and in awe. The gold and wallpaper, detailed cabinets, portraits by Lawrence. Everything was breathtaking, however, the night is young. I spent the evening at the hotel, went to the exercise room and had a great workout. I'm exhausted and I know I'll have sweet dreams of Windsor's beautiful rooms and the Abbey music. Stonehenge tomorrow!
Day 7 - Bath, Stonehenge, Salisbury
Bath had great shopping, on the bus ride over, I kept myself awake with Everclear, Ben Folds Five, and Swingers soundtrack. When we got there I got the audio thing for Bath and went around learning about the Roman Bath, and the culture surrounding it. The audio tour I didn't like but it was fun to use. Seeing the actual Bath was the most interesting thing. I drank the water and it smelled like boiled eggs, but it tasted like warm bottled water. Not bad. And now, I can say I drank famous spa water. I didn't buy anything, but I looked at some sweaters. Now we're on our way to Salisbury. My lunch was retarded. We got McD's and I ate a little loaf of bread for 27 pennies. It was good! Then we went to Baskin Robbins and I couldn't eat anything because of Lent. Grrr. I'm excited about seeing Salisbury Cathedral. I'm going to look at it through the Bishop's Garden just like Constable did. Nat [our tour guide] told us to look at the difference between buttresses. I lied. We went to Stonehenge first. I got 2 good pictures. Constable clouds in the sky. Nice sunny day. Stonehenge was mysterious in the midst of its commercialization. If I were there alone at night, I'd cry. I don't like the audio tours at all. But nonetheless, it was cool. Salisbury Cathedral - tallest spire in England. It's out of proportion but it's still pretty. Constable here we come. I was tormented about clouds and the cathedral and Constable but only to the extent expected [by a bunch of nerdy 9th graders with nothing better to make fun of me for than my assigned artist!]. The cathedral was great. Magna Carta was so interesting. I couldn't believe it was abbreviated. Everyone was obnoxious at dinner. I heard there were some problems crossing the street. The whole prisoners of conscience window was intriguing. I really liked it a lot. The whole cathedral was great. Today was awesome.
Day 8 - Dover, Canterbury, "An Inspector Calls"
Getting to Canterbury was long but we made it. The cathedral was a little spooky and the more scary then the rest of them, but nonetheless, it had an element of sameness. I'm tired of Cathedrals. The shops were fun and I got a cheap, awesome tank top at a second hand store. I love it. On to Dover. Dover was beautiful and the water's clarity really surprised me. Me and Brian went exploring and I really had a lot of fun. By the way, as a sidenote Mr. H - Me and Brian ARE NOT TOGETHER in any way! We have been good friends since kindergarten. Okay just needed to clarify that. But Dover was fun. I loved that chalk. I wanted to do sidewalk drawings all over. Lunch at Canterbury was good too. Dinner at home was nice, good food. The theater was the highlight of the day, however. Everything about it was good. Everyone looked nice, everyone was on okay terms, some were tired but not many slept. And then the play itself was ab fab. I especially liked Madame Burnig (sp?). Her carriage and commanding confident presence made her character believable. The whole play was really well written and presented. I got it and even picked up some underlying symbolism. Nat helped with that though. I think it is really funny how everyone is obsessed with him. He is a GREAT courier. He has made this trip the fun that it's been. I don't know what we could have done with anyone else. Thanks Nat! That's all we did today. It was WAY fun.
Day 9 - Free Day and Skit night
First we (Emily, Rachel, Becca and me) went to the British Museum. We saw the Lindow Man, Elgin marbles, Rosetta Stone, and the mummies along with the Greek pots and some medieval stuff. I really enjoyed it. I bought a little scarab bead. Then we went to Covent Gardens and did some returning, exchanging and we watching this guy perform in the square. He was crazy. I got my jumper in the correct size and not it's a lot better. The whole day we had fun. After coven gardens we went to Kensington Market, that was place insane. It smelled like drugs and no one there had less than one piecing/tattoo/hair color. We had only eaten half a ham salad baguette and were getting hungry and tired. We went to this designer boutique. Nothing was less than 20 pounds and that was a little much for us. We got outta there. The clothes were great, however. I am really thankful we have three days to recover. Anyway, we had a mix-up getting to Abbey Road. We righted ourselves and finally got there. We did the whole sign the wall, take the picture walking across thing, and I got a license plate. It was fun. This whole trip has been full of things that will leave me with memories forever. After Abbey Road, we RAN to Madame Tussaud's. We had to go. We did and I loved it. I was scared around every corner. One of the guards got Rachel and Emily by pretending he was wax. And we couldn't tell because everything was so lifelike. I'll never forget it. I want to come back here sometime and work here and just have a little time to learn the culture really well so I can be an expert at this one thing. Skit night was great. A few were lame, but most of them were really funny. All these images are flying through my head of all these awesome things we did, some not-so-awesome things that happened, and everyone I met and the conversations we had. So many new experiences and so many parallels and perpendiculars were shown to me. I am SO glad I had this opportunity. I was scared about leaving the country before but now I am open to travel all over the world. I feel like I can hold my own and move on. This trip opened my eyes to a world of new possibilities. I want to see everything and go everywhere. Nat mentioned something about a bike trip across the pyrenees from France to Spain and immediately I wanted to do it. It just seems so adventurous and appealing to a girl who has so little of outside culture. Now I want more. Lots more. And I will get it. Americans are very selfish and different. Seeing as how we are so commanding and garish, people spot us a mile away. I want to be inconspicuous and polite like the English. I was SO happy when I was named "classy" spice. That's just what I wanted to be. I felt good about myself here. I felt blended except when I opened my mouth. I hope when I return I can use this trip and keep using it for a long time to come.
Thursday, September 6, 2018
10th Grade Me Goes Abroad Again
This time, another school trip but with my choir, and over the summer. We did a singing tour in France, Austria and Switzerland. Brackets denote observations from modern-day Karla.
July 6, 1999
Day 1 - Plane riding, arrival in Vienna, Central Cemetary, Center City Vienna
The plane ride was long and hard but as always, the destination is welcome. It's hot here in Vienna, about 85 degrees, but it's better than 115 back home. It took us a while to get the coaches loaded and ourselves out of the airport but we finally did. Our first stop was Vienna Central Cemetery, home of Johann Strauss' family, Ludwig von Beethoven, Mozart's memorial, and Franz Schubert. After the cemetery we were dropped off in Center City Vienna. We ate dinner at the Cafe Rosenberg and enjoyed real food. Then we all explored the main streets and shops in town. Now we're back at the hotel getting some needed rest.
July 7
Tour of the City, Schonbrunn Palace, Dinner at Gosser-brau and Gardens, Concert at Reformierte Stadkirche
After an especially delightful run with Ann Springer to start the day, I had a "continental" breakfast consisting of rolls and orange juice. They were good. We kicked off the day with a city tour and I saw some great places I'd like to explore. Museums and a place called Hero's Square. We had lunch and went on a mission to find this famed ice-cream place ("Gelatinerie" here) called Zannoni and Zannoni. The stories were true. It was so creamy and good. MMmmm... then we headed back to the hotel. I started musing over how almost everything in Vienna revolves around music. Everyone loves it. It's a huge part of culture. Beepers all play classical music. Also, coffeehouses are a city-wide staple. We then left and are dinner at Gasser-brau where things were good. I just couldn't eat. The waitstaff was odd, a hispanic man was very blunt when guessing people's country of origin. Also he accosted Becca and Sam Dixon. It made for a fun evening, especially my dinner companions. All mothers save Kelly Forte and Becca. What a night. We went to our concert and sang quite well. Now, time to sleep.
July 8
The day started off dreary. Ann and I found a beautiful lake trail and ran around it even though it was raining. However, we got to the end of the trail and found ourselves nowhere near the hotel. After a couple of failed attempts at finding our own way, and many backtrackings, we asked people on the street and finally got back after almost an hour and a half of running. We were soaked and tired but had many memories.
"Guten morgen, hotel bosei??"
"this looks right, I remember the church"
"I think we're still in Vienna"
"Gutel, gutel"
I grabbed breakfast and hurried to get ready for the day ahead. We kicked off the rainy, cool day at Ludwig van Beethoven's apartment. Nothing special about it but it was cool to see his manuscripts and learn he did one opera. Then, a trek through some beautiful gardens and Hoffberg Palace Courtyards. Lots of majestic statues and gold detail. We saw the Spanish Riding School and the Lipizzaner stables but not the real horses. They're on "wacation" as Gabby, our guide, says. Then we visited St. Stephan's the landmark of Vienna. Yet another beautiful dark gothic church. Hoffburg had a small gothic chapel in it where all the Hapsburgs are married, fully restored. I was reminded of all the cathedrals I saw in London when I went last spring. Mozart's home was just like Beethoven's, nothing special because no trace of the artist was left. You couldn't feel the presence you could at Schonbrunn because there were no furnishings.
Since it was raining, we drove to a huge shopping center and ate and shopped for about 2 hours. I didn't get anything but I have decided that I'm buying chocolate for everyone. Yeah. We met up with the other choir at this ripoff restaurant and they were very nice. They were too tired though and they couldn't do much in the way of lively conversation because they had not slept in 28 hours. Been there. Now we're gearing up for a dance party in the hotel and hopefully it'll be fun. We were supposed to go to Danube Island to hang out and do the rides and such. But the rain killed our plans. We are planning on having a talent show at some point. Becca and I will be performing backstreet boys with Lauren and whoever else she can rope in. It should be fun. Tomorrow we head to Salzburg. Bye bye Vienna! I hope it stops raining. It would probably have been a more enriching experience if the opera house had been open and we had heard some concerts and gone to museums and the Danube Island. We didn't have enough time for all of it of course, but a little would have been nice and the city would have been more real. I didn't experience enough culturel to really enjoy it. The rain didn't help either.
July 9 - Day 4
Morning run was short but good. Anne and I said goodbye to Vienna. Then got on the bus. After we fixed the door problems, we were on our way to Melk Abbey/Stift Melk. It was beautiful. The church itself was gilded everywhere in complete baroque style. The library and abbey had a rich history behind it. Some side alters in the church had skeletons that gave me the chills. The frescoed ceiling perspective illusions amazed everyone. After that visit it was back on the bus. We ate, then drove straight to Salzburg. Before Melk we pass a 1000 year old fortress where Richard the Lionheart was held captive for disrespective the King of Austria. Duringratz/Straum or something. That was a sight. [Note: It's actually called Dürnstein Castle, in a tiny village on the Danube in Wachau Valley]
Upon arrival in Salzburg we met Lauren's Dad and had a nice chat. Then a good dinner and berry soup for dessert. Pretty good but too syrupy to eat too much. Then off to the Marionette Theater to see "The Magic Flute". It was funny but most all of it save three words were lost on me due to my lack of German knowledge. Looking forward to sightseeing and running in a new town tomorrow. Hope we don't get lost!
July 10 - Day 5
Vienna and Salzburg are very different cities indeed. Salzburg prised itself in actual history and age whereas Vienna prides its musical heritage and capital city status. Salzburg is small and not quiet. Everyone walks everywhere and the shops are very cute, not low rent. The Mirabell gardens (Sound of Music fame) were lovely but small and not entirely impressive. Walking around and up to the fortress by cable car was fun. E Jay and I scoped out all the cool medieval arrow towers, turrets and rooms along with some "toys" in other rooms. After that we had free time downtown during a festival and it was alive! Drum corps beating barefoot down a street. Lauren, Mr. Feliz, Emily Saunders and I all are at Thomaselli's café where Mozart ate and drank as well. We had some good pastry and fabulous coffee. We shopped around. Cultural Note: I was standing outside a shop trying to get Lauren to buy Lederhosen and these kids started mimicking me badly, making fun of my Americanism. That was my first culture shock of the trip. Then we left, changed for our concert and headed out.
We stopped at the Cathedral where the wedding in The Sound of Music was filmed. Not impressed, but it was pretty. I had more fun listening to Sugar Hill Gang on the way over. We got to our destination and watched the Alps loom in foggy majesty over a clear river. The rain had stopped and the sun was out just for our concert. We ate at Baumgaertner. [How did I now write more about the fact that this is my mother's maiden name? Oh well.] Yum. We sang pretty well for all the distractions. I was impressed. Not by any means our best concert, however. It was a fun night in a beautiful place. Observations about life over here:
July 11 - Day 6
Had a great run through Salzburg today. No rain and warmer too. Breakfast included croissants which was nice for a change. We all got to Salzburg Dom and my feet were killing me. My chorus shoes are much too small. We sang beautifully, lots of people stayed after the service to listen. Going to a Catholic church service in all German was something I'll remember. It was fun though. I remember taking communion and attending Palm Sunday service at Westminster Abbey. That was fabulous. This was a little harder because of the language.
Bus ride to Innsbruck was uneventful. I fell asleep. It started to rain and that really bummed me out. We got to Innsbruck and found our concert was cancelled. We went on an hour long walking tour and saw Hofkirche, famed home of Maximillian I, with all it's bromze statues and ornate gold and silver altar. Vienna Salzburg and Innsbruck all pride themselves in having old claims in history. Innsbruck is the site of 2 Olympic games, and an old bridge. Lots of Hapsburg stuff. The rain was not pleasant. Dinner was meatloaf and mashed potatoes with nutmeg. Strange combination. I called my family. Wow do I miss them. After dinner we went to a show called "Tiroler Alpenbühne". It was a blast: Yodeling, saw-singing, dancing, yelling, accordions, a fat drummer who guzzled beer (my fave), a man who pretty much was talented in everything--guitar, xylophone, sousaphone, yodeling, languages, dancing, rhythm. He had it all. It was a fun night. To think the rain actually benefitted us for once. We would have missed it had it been nice.
July 12 - Day 7
Nice run this morning through the tiny cobblestone streets of Innsbruck, little parks alongside a rushing river, and next to the busy streets. Then we packed up and went shopping at about 8am. Emily Saunders and I went to a grocery store accross the river. I bought tons of chocolate and gummy bears. I stopped at the Svarovski crystal shop and bought the crystal ornament for my mom. I found a good gift for Matt. I got him this CD that looks like hard rock yodelling. It's really too bad I never made it to that Porsche dealer. But who knows what Switzerland and Paris hold? We'll be eating lunch in Lichtenstein around 1pm. The countryside is absolutely stunning. The green and snowspotted could topped Alps are rising straight up on either side. Everything is so green and non-developed. These unbelievable winding mountain roads right off a postcard. Speaking of postcards, I picked up a few today. I figure I'll just write them now and send them when I get to the states to relatives.
Our concert in Jesuitenkirche was not as good as Salzburger Dom but it went over well with the crowd. It was sunny and warm when we arrived in Lucerne but by the time we left the church it was raining again. It has stopped since and we are all once again praying our days might be rainless for once. I am really looking forward to tomorrow in Lucerne. We have a whole free day for like 7 hours. I am hopeful that the weather will hold and I'll find some cool stuff to buy. I need to take more pictures. I don't think I took any in Innsbruck except the saw player and I still need Alps pictures. Gotta come home with a couple of those. Our hotel is extremely Americanized but with obvious foreign bases of course. It's amusing. People are starting to get strung out and tired. Emotions are going haywire but that's to be expected. 2 weeks with the same people is never fun. Especially in such constant saturation of tour after tour, long days/crazy buses/walks/people. You can only take so much. People are still managing fun though. Seems as if Rob Webb and Katie Guccione are hooking up. I don't know what it is about these long trips. Last year it was London and Forest. Now it's Austria/Switzerland/Paris and Robb. Love is in the air. We're not even in Paris yet.
July 13 - Day 8
What a great day! By far the best of the whole trip. The run was long and lovely, over the blue green waters of Switzerland's lakes. We went into Lucerne and had a nice tour of the city. Saw marketplaces, lots of fun things and landmarks. The lovely covered bridge has 112 paintings in it and 80% of it was destroyed in a fire. Some of the paintings are original and valuable. The city itself is well over 800 years old. It has old towers and cobblestone walkways. Swans litter the river running through it. It's a busy, small town. Today was the first day it didn't rain. The sun came out and warmed everything up nicely. Directly after the guided tour we headed off to the tourist bureau, and then to Mt. Pilatus, highest mountain in the area with a 7000 ft elevation. We (Becca, Katie, Rob and I) all climbed all over it out of breath from lack of oxygen. I was in the lead and absolutely couldn't get enough of the view. We went to 2 different peaks, took bunches of pictures and I yelled at the top of my lungs. It felt SO good! I can't wait for the pictures. Shopping later, I got two shirts for 9 bucks, had some ice cream and a good salad. Shopping around was fabulous. I was still in such a good mood after the climb. The cable ride was so fun. Just what I wanted to do. I was in the Alps, I wanted to experience one. Climb one, be on top of one. I was. It made my trip. It was the turning point. Before I really wanted home, now I'll be sad when I leave. Paris/Bastille day tomorrow. Oh wow! I can't wait. That bus ride will be rough though. It will all be worth it. Swimming in the hotel pool topped off the day. Definitely the best one yet.
July 14 - Day 9
Bus ride was long. So was the run though. I miss Switzerland. The drive was pretty through sunny rolling sunflower/wildflower filled countryside. I am sore from bouncing all over that mountain all day yesterday. I can't believe it was only yesterday. Pilatus forever! We saw a little of Paris. It's beautiful in that glamorous, fashionable way. But parts of it are dirty, crowded, and not how the videos show them. A little disappointing. I hope the sun stays out. tomorrow we do the inevitable tour and then a couple hours of crucial shopping time. I have to get the girls all a matching gift and some other things between tomorrow's shopping, Friday and Saturday. Paris will be fun, but I can't be so excited about it. I would go crazy. Probably the best thing about it will be finally getting a chance to use my french a little. I hope we get to see Versailles. It's not on the itinerary but it's definitely a must-see.
Our hotel is small and not the one originally planned. I am disappointed about that as well. Maybe breakfast will make up for it. Dinner wasn't good at all. At least I didn't like it. Oh well. Maybe it was just the long trip. Tomorrow will set the tune. All day, in Paris, then at night, the Seine River cruise. Oh wow. I'll be back in it.
July 15 - Day 10
The bus tour was expected. Nothing special. The run was boring save getting whistled and beeped at a lot, and probably the funniest incident I've ever had while running: some guy was washing his car, Anne was ahead of me and he started making noises like Squints and Yeah-Yeah from the Sandlot. Then he squirted us and we laughed and kept running. It was hilarious. I got some nice pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower and some architectural ones of the Palais de Luxembourg, Pantheon, and some others. What fun. Then Rob, Emily, Lauren and I all tried to go shopping. I came back empty-handed except for finishing off gift-shopping. The Seine river cruise was too touristy to enjoy and it wasn't dark enough. Too many people. Looks like I probably won't make it to Versailles. That's okay. I'd like to have a reason to come back. Cafés are everywhere. I can't even describe how many there are. I had a chicken club for lunch today and put that hot parisian Dijon mustard on it. Boy, was that good [decades later, I still remember that sandwich perfectly. And I remember that the waiter who served it to us. He HATED having to serve American high schoolers. Openly hated it. Very memorable lunch. I will never forget the look of disdain on his face and the way he spoke to us.] Ice cream later, of course it was heavenly. I'm enjoying Paris but it's not as charming as the other cities such as Salzburg, Innsbruck and Lucerne. Vienna and Paris are just too commercialized. But it's still a joy to finally use the language I've been learning. That's my favorite part of being in France. We'll see how our concert tomorrow at Chateau de Neuf goes. I stopped in Notre Dame today and was really in awe that we would be singing there. I'm praying for it big time.
July 16 - Day 11
Run was longer and less crowded. I can't say I like doing it in Paris. If I could run around the actual city I'd like it better. We headed off to the Musée d'Orsay. That was absolutely fabulous. I've developed such appreciation for good art. I used to go to museums all the time when I was younger, but they were totally over my head. Now when I see Degas' famous dancer sculpture, Renoir's dancing peopole, Van Gogh's room and self-portrait, Monet's cathedrals, Cézanne's stark depictions of poverty; everything I saw I had just the deepest respect for. It was so beautiful. We went to the Champs Elysees and shopped. It was a blast. I got a shirt at Zara. Now I'm overlooking Paris from the steps of Montmartre. It's beautiful.
The weather is beautiful and everything should be fine, but I'm homesick and tired. This go-go lifestyle is taking it's toll on me. That and mal-nutrition. Oh well. Tomorrow's the last day "à Paris" and of the tour. We finish at notre Dame however. Some Vietnamese immigrant was selling cold drinks outside the chapel. He gave one to her and when she went to pay him he ran away and had to hide from the police. That was an episode. Montmartre is situated atop the red light district of Paris, all the sex shops and the Moulin Rouge. We're in bumper-to-bumper traffic on our way to Chateauneuf. Not fun.
Well we finally got there and had a great, fun concert. They loved us and gave us a great reception. Dinner was fabulous. We had this trifle for dessert with chocolate rum filling. Yum. The day, besides the drive, was good.
July 17 - Day 12
The Louvre was wonderful. So was the last run in Europe. But our walk through the Tuileries Garden up to the Louvre was beautiful, sunny, and hot. The museum itself is chock-full of history. It was a fortress, a castle for many kings and queens: Henry II, Charles V, and Louis XIV notably. I learned and did some review on greek and roman art and architecture. More recent --more movement. I saw the Venus de Milo and, of course, the Mona Lisa. That painting is truly amazing. It actually does change expressions from right to left, from happy to worried, respectively. Our guide said Leonardo da Vinci took three years to paint it, an incredible amount of time for such a small portrait. Frederic said it is rumored to reflect both Leonardo as a woman (he was homosexual) and maybe the beauty of all women everywhere in one. Among those two works I saw Delacroix, Titian, Ingres, and lots of David including the Coronation of Napoleon. Frederic told us about the mistakes in it. (Napoleon's nose, pink dress, title, pope). I learned so much but I felt I missed a lot too. One more excuse to come back.
After the Louvre, we walked down the Seine to Sainte Chapelle built by that most pious of monarchs, Louis II. A home for relics. Almost floor to ceiling windows and all painted gold and red vaults with the beautiful stories and wooden sculptures of the apostles supporting the vaults. Un bijoux, c'est vrai. Then I went to eat at a close greek restaurant where they served wine as a starter. I had a greek salad, chicken kebabs, and fruit for dessert. Boy was it good. Some guy smashed a plate and yelled "opa! to get us to go to his restaurant. I found he cool little corner of Paris, the part of the Latin Quarter that's really nice. Lots of ethnic foods. Some woman hut us up for money but I honestly didn't have any. Then we went to our meeting place, watched people get portraits, bought postcards, then went into Notre Dame to sing. We rehearsed, changed and then gave the concert. We were fabulous. A really nice American priest came up afterwards and thanked us.
After that we were supposed to eat but Wolfgang dropped us off in the wrong place so that delayed us an hour. Then we got to our place and dinner was not very good and service was crap. But it was funny. Ivana and Anita sang to us. What a way to end the trip. I swear Katie Guccione never stopped complaining. Phil finally just said "Just eat the damn pork!". Oh man, that was classic. The chocolate mousse was good. Mr. Ehrlich definitely was affected by our concert. He was crying and he couldn't even talk to us. How sweet. I'm glad to know it paid off, all that frickin' practice I mean. That drove me crazy, but it was all worth it. Singing at Notre Dame Saturday night mass was an experience I will not soon forget. I was looking at the organ and the rose window the whole time. I must say it was a marathon mass, however. Still, the lighting, the dissonant and at times very frightening organ music, the place, the windows, the reverence, our singing, wow. It was a great way to end the trip.
All in all, I feel I've come away from this knowing a lot more in general. I'm becoming a better traveler, just lots of new things I've experienced. It certainly was a mixture of work and play as opposed to London (all play), but there was a lot of fun and bonding involved. Our hotel here is crappy, I'm sick of bread but I can't think of a better way to have spent the last two weeks of my summer. I met some new people, got to know others better, made some enemies, and had a lot of fun. But I miss home, I want my family, my bed, real food, Matt, and rest. Tomorrow I'm home. What a trip.
July 6, 1999
Day 1 - Plane riding, arrival in Vienna, Central Cemetary, Center City Vienna
The plane ride was long and hard but as always, the destination is welcome. It's hot here in Vienna, about 85 degrees, but it's better than 115 back home. It took us a while to get the coaches loaded and ourselves out of the airport but we finally did. Our first stop was Vienna Central Cemetery, home of Johann Strauss' family, Ludwig von Beethoven, Mozart's memorial, and Franz Schubert. After the cemetery we were dropped off in Center City Vienna. We ate dinner at the Cafe Rosenberg and enjoyed real food. Then we all explored the main streets and shops in town. Now we're back at the hotel getting some needed rest.
July 7
Tour of the City, Schonbrunn Palace, Dinner at Gosser-brau and Gardens, Concert at Reformierte Stadkirche
After an especially delightful run with Ann Springer to start the day, I had a "continental" breakfast consisting of rolls and orange juice. They were good. We kicked off the day with a city tour and I saw some great places I'd like to explore. Museums and a place called Hero's Square. We had lunch and went on a mission to find this famed ice-cream place ("Gelatinerie" here) called Zannoni and Zannoni. The stories were true. It was so creamy and good. MMmmm... then we headed back to the hotel. I started musing over how almost everything in Vienna revolves around music. Everyone loves it. It's a huge part of culture. Beepers all play classical music. Also, coffeehouses are a city-wide staple. We then left and are dinner at Gasser-brau where things were good. I just couldn't eat. The waitstaff was odd, a hispanic man was very blunt when guessing people's country of origin. Also he accosted Becca and Sam Dixon. It made for a fun evening, especially my dinner companions. All mothers save Kelly Forte and Becca. What a night. We went to our concert and sang quite well. Now, time to sleep.
July 8
The day started off dreary. Ann and I found a beautiful lake trail and ran around it even though it was raining. However, we got to the end of the trail and found ourselves nowhere near the hotel. After a couple of failed attempts at finding our own way, and many backtrackings, we asked people on the street and finally got back after almost an hour and a half of running. We were soaked and tired but had many memories.
"Guten morgen, hotel bosei??"
"this looks right, I remember the church"
"I think we're still in Vienna"
"Gutel, gutel"
I grabbed breakfast and hurried to get ready for the day ahead. We kicked off the rainy, cool day at Ludwig van Beethoven's apartment. Nothing special about it but it was cool to see his manuscripts and learn he did one opera. Then, a trek through some beautiful gardens and Hoffberg Palace Courtyards. Lots of majestic statues and gold detail. We saw the Spanish Riding School and the Lipizzaner stables but not the real horses. They're on "wacation" as Gabby, our guide, says. Then we visited St. Stephan's the landmark of Vienna. Yet another beautiful dark gothic church. Hoffburg had a small gothic chapel in it where all the Hapsburgs are married, fully restored. I was reminded of all the cathedrals I saw in London when I went last spring. Mozart's home was just like Beethoven's, nothing special because no trace of the artist was left. You couldn't feel the presence you could at Schonbrunn because there were no furnishings.
Since it was raining, we drove to a huge shopping center and ate and shopped for about 2 hours. I didn't get anything but I have decided that I'm buying chocolate for everyone. Yeah. We met up with the other choir at this ripoff restaurant and they were very nice. They were too tired though and they couldn't do much in the way of lively conversation because they had not slept in 28 hours. Been there. Now we're gearing up for a dance party in the hotel and hopefully it'll be fun. We were supposed to go to Danube Island to hang out and do the rides and such. But the rain killed our plans. We are planning on having a talent show at some point. Becca and I will be performing backstreet boys with Lauren and whoever else she can rope in. It should be fun. Tomorrow we head to Salzburg. Bye bye Vienna! I hope it stops raining. It would probably have been a more enriching experience if the opera house had been open and we had heard some concerts and gone to museums and the Danube Island. We didn't have enough time for all of it of course, but a little would have been nice and the city would have been more real. I didn't experience enough culturel to really enjoy it. The rain didn't help either.
July 9 - Day 4
Morning run was short but good. Anne and I said goodbye to Vienna. Then got on the bus. After we fixed the door problems, we were on our way to Melk Abbey/Stift Melk. It was beautiful. The church itself was gilded everywhere in complete baroque style. The library and abbey had a rich history behind it. Some side alters in the church had skeletons that gave me the chills. The frescoed ceiling perspective illusions amazed everyone. After that visit it was back on the bus. We ate, then drove straight to Salzburg. Before Melk we pass a 1000 year old fortress where Richard the Lionheart was held captive for disrespective the King of Austria. Duringratz/Straum or something. That was a sight. [Note: It's actually called Dürnstein Castle, in a tiny village on the Danube in Wachau Valley]
Upon arrival in Salzburg we met Lauren's Dad and had a nice chat. Then a good dinner and berry soup for dessert. Pretty good but too syrupy to eat too much. Then off to the Marionette Theater to see "The Magic Flute". It was funny but most all of it save three words were lost on me due to my lack of German knowledge. Looking forward to sightseeing and running in a new town tomorrow. Hope we don't get lost!
July 10 - Day 5
Vienna and Salzburg are very different cities indeed. Salzburg prised itself in actual history and age whereas Vienna prides its musical heritage and capital city status. Salzburg is small and not quiet. Everyone walks everywhere and the shops are very cute, not low rent. The Mirabell gardens (Sound of Music fame) were lovely but small and not entirely impressive. Walking around and up to the fortress by cable car was fun. E Jay and I scoped out all the cool medieval arrow towers, turrets and rooms along with some "toys" in other rooms. After that we had free time downtown during a festival and it was alive! Drum corps beating barefoot down a street. Lauren, Mr. Feliz, Emily Saunders and I all are at Thomaselli's café where Mozart ate and drank as well. We had some good pastry and fabulous coffee. We shopped around. Cultural Note: I was standing outside a shop trying to get Lauren to buy Lederhosen and these kids started mimicking me badly, making fun of my Americanism. That was my first culture shock of the trip. Then we left, changed for our concert and headed out.
We stopped at the Cathedral where the wedding in The Sound of Music was filmed. Not impressed, but it was pretty. I had more fun listening to Sugar Hill Gang on the way over. We got to our destination and watched the Alps loom in foggy majesty over a clear river. The rain had stopped and the sun was out just for our concert. We ate at Baumgaertner. [How did I now write more about the fact that this is my mother's maiden name? Oh well.] Yum. We sang pretty well for all the distractions. I was impressed. Not by any means our best concert, however. It was a fun night in a beautiful place. Observations about life over here:
- People dress very well
- Coffee is key
- cars are small
- Americans are obvious
- Baroque is the style
- Buildings are all the same
- streets are narrow
- bread is a staple (not sandwich bread), another key to life
- ice cream is treasured
- chocolate is ubiquitous
- American language is politely accepted but not respected
July 11 - Day 6
Had a great run through Salzburg today. No rain and warmer too. Breakfast included croissants which was nice for a change. We all got to Salzburg Dom and my feet were killing me. My chorus shoes are much too small. We sang beautifully, lots of people stayed after the service to listen. Going to a Catholic church service in all German was something I'll remember. It was fun though. I remember taking communion and attending Palm Sunday service at Westminster Abbey. That was fabulous. This was a little harder because of the language.
Bus ride to Innsbruck was uneventful. I fell asleep. It started to rain and that really bummed me out. We got to Innsbruck and found our concert was cancelled. We went on an hour long walking tour and saw Hofkirche, famed home of Maximillian I, with all it's bromze statues and ornate gold and silver altar. Vienna Salzburg and Innsbruck all pride themselves in having old claims in history. Innsbruck is the site of 2 Olympic games, and an old bridge. Lots of Hapsburg stuff. The rain was not pleasant. Dinner was meatloaf and mashed potatoes with nutmeg. Strange combination. I called my family. Wow do I miss them. After dinner we went to a show called "Tiroler Alpenbühne". It was a blast: Yodeling, saw-singing, dancing, yelling, accordions, a fat drummer who guzzled beer (my fave), a man who pretty much was talented in everything--guitar, xylophone, sousaphone, yodeling, languages, dancing, rhythm. He had it all. It was a fun night. To think the rain actually benefitted us for once. We would have missed it had it been nice.
July 12 - Day 7
Nice run this morning through the tiny cobblestone streets of Innsbruck, little parks alongside a rushing river, and next to the busy streets. Then we packed up and went shopping at about 8am. Emily Saunders and I went to a grocery store accross the river. I bought tons of chocolate and gummy bears. I stopped at the Svarovski crystal shop and bought the crystal ornament for my mom. I found a good gift for Matt. I got him this CD that looks like hard rock yodelling. It's really too bad I never made it to that Porsche dealer. But who knows what Switzerland and Paris hold? We'll be eating lunch in Lichtenstein around 1pm. The countryside is absolutely stunning. The green and snowspotted could topped Alps are rising straight up on either side. Everything is so green and non-developed. These unbelievable winding mountain roads right off a postcard. Speaking of postcards, I picked up a few today. I figure I'll just write them now and send them when I get to the states to relatives.
Our concert in Jesuitenkirche was not as good as Salzburger Dom but it went over well with the crowd. It was sunny and warm when we arrived in Lucerne but by the time we left the church it was raining again. It has stopped since and we are all once again praying our days might be rainless for once. I am really looking forward to tomorrow in Lucerne. We have a whole free day for like 7 hours. I am hopeful that the weather will hold and I'll find some cool stuff to buy. I need to take more pictures. I don't think I took any in Innsbruck except the saw player and I still need Alps pictures. Gotta come home with a couple of those. Our hotel is extremely Americanized but with obvious foreign bases of course. It's amusing. People are starting to get strung out and tired. Emotions are going haywire but that's to be expected. 2 weeks with the same people is never fun. Especially in such constant saturation of tour after tour, long days/crazy buses/walks/people. You can only take so much. People are still managing fun though. Seems as if Rob Webb and Katie Guccione are hooking up. I don't know what it is about these long trips. Last year it was London and Forest. Now it's Austria/Switzerland/Paris and Robb. Love is in the air. We're not even in Paris yet.
July 13 - Day 8
What a great day! By far the best of the whole trip. The run was long and lovely, over the blue green waters of Switzerland's lakes. We went into Lucerne and had a nice tour of the city. Saw marketplaces, lots of fun things and landmarks. The lovely covered bridge has 112 paintings in it and 80% of it was destroyed in a fire. Some of the paintings are original and valuable. The city itself is well over 800 years old. It has old towers and cobblestone walkways. Swans litter the river running through it. It's a busy, small town. Today was the first day it didn't rain. The sun came out and warmed everything up nicely. Directly after the guided tour we headed off to the tourist bureau, and then to Mt. Pilatus, highest mountain in the area with a 7000 ft elevation. We (Becca, Katie, Rob and I) all climbed all over it out of breath from lack of oxygen. I was in the lead and absolutely couldn't get enough of the view. We went to 2 different peaks, took bunches of pictures and I yelled at the top of my lungs. It felt SO good! I can't wait for the pictures. Shopping later, I got two shirts for 9 bucks, had some ice cream and a good salad. Shopping around was fabulous. I was still in such a good mood after the climb. The cable ride was so fun. Just what I wanted to do. I was in the Alps, I wanted to experience one. Climb one, be on top of one. I was. It made my trip. It was the turning point. Before I really wanted home, now I'll be sad when I leave. Paris/Bastille day tomorrow. Oh wow! I can't wait. That bus ride will be rough though. It will all be worth it. Swimming in the hotel pool topped off the day. Definitely the best one yet.
July 14 - Day 9
Bus ride was long. So was the run though. I miss Switzerland. The drive was pretty through sunny rolling sunflower/wildflower filled countryside. I am sore from bouncing all over that mountain all day yesterday. I can't believe it was only yesterday. Pilatus forever! We saw a little of Paris. It's beautiful in that glamorous, fashionable way. But parts of it are dirty, crowded, and not how the videos show them. A little disappointing. I hope the sun stays out. tomorrow we do the inevitable tour and then a couple hours of crucial shopping time. I have to get the girls all a matching gift and some other things between tomorrow's shopping, Friday and Saturday. Paris will be fun, but I can't be so excited about it. I would go crazy. Probably the best thing about it will be finally getting a chance to use my french a little. I hope we get to see Versailles. It's not on the itinerary but it's definitely a must-see.
Our hotel is small and not the one originally planned. I am disappointed about that as well. Maybe breakfast will make up for it. Dinner wasn't good at all. At least I didn't like it. Oh well. Maybe it was just the long trip. Tomorrow will set the tune. All day, in Paris, then at night, the Seine River cruise. Oh wow. I'll be back in it.
July 15 - Day 10
The bus tour was expected. Nothing special. The run was boring save getting whistled and beeped at a lot, and probably the funniest incident I've ever had while running: some guy was washing his car, Anne was ahead of me and he started making noises like Squints and Yeah-Yeah from the Sandlot. Then he squirted us and we laughed and kept running. It was hilarious. I got some nice pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower and some architectural ones of the Palais de Luxembourg, Pantheon, and some others. What fun. Then Rob, Emily, Lauren and I all tried to go shopping. I came back empty-handed except for finishing off gift-shopping. The Seine river cruise was too touristy to enjoy and it wasn't dark enough. Too many people. Looks like I probably won't make it to Versailles. That's okay. I'd like to have a reason to come back. Cafés are everywhere. I can't even describe how many there are. I had a chicken club for lunch today and put that hot parisian Dijon mustard on it. Boy, was that good [decades later, I still remember that sandwich perfectly. And I remember that the waiter who served it to us. He HATED having to serve American high schoolers. Openly hated it. Very memorable lunch. I will never forget the look of disdain on his face and the way he spoke to us.] Ice cream later, of course it was heavenly. I'm enjoying Paris but it's not as charming as the other cities such as Salzburg, Innsbruck and Lucerne. Vienna and Paris are just too commercialized. But it's still a joy to finally use the language I've been learning. That's my favorite part of being in France. We'll see how our concert tomorrow at Chateau de Neuf goes. I stopped in Notre Dame today and was really in awe that we would be singing there. I'm praying for it big time.
July 16 - Day 11
Run was longer and less crowded. I can't say I like doing it in Paris. If I could run around the actual city I'd like it better. We headed off to the Musée d'Orsay. That was absolutely fabulous. I've developed such appreciation for good art. I used to go to museums all the time when I was younger, but they were totally over my head. Now when I see Degas' famous dancer sculpture, Renoir's dancing peopole, Van Gogh's room and self-portrait, Monet's cathedrals, Cézanne's stark depictions of poverty; everything I saw I had just the deepest respect for. It was so beautiful. We went to the Champs Elysees and shopped. It was a blast. I got a shirt at Zara. Now I'm overlooking Paris from the steps of Montmartre. It's beautiful.
The weather is beautiful and everything should be fine, but I'm homesick and tired. This go-go lifestyle is taking it's toll on me. That and mal-nutrition. Oh well. Tomorrow's the last day "à Paris" and of the tour. We finish at notre Dame however. Some Vietnamese immigrant was selling cold drinks outside the chapel. He gave one to her and when she went to pay him he ran away and had to hide from the police. That was an episode. Montmartre is situated atop the red light district of Paris, all the sex shops and the Moulin Rouge. We're in bumper-to-bumper traffic on our way to Chateauneuf. Not fun.
Well we finally got there and had a great, fun concert. They loved us and gave us a great reception. Dinner was fabulous. We had this trifle for dessert with chocolate rum filling. Yum. The day, besides the drive, was good.
July 17 - Day 12
The Louvre was wonderful. So was the last run in Europe. But our walk through the Tuileries Garden up to the Louvre was beautiful, sunny, and hot. The museum itself is chock-full of history. It was a fortress, a castle for many kings and queens: Henry II, Charles V, and Louis XIV notably. I learned and did some review on greek and roman art and architecture. More recent --more movement. I saw the Venus de Milo and, of course, the Mona Lisa. That painting is truly amazing. It actually does change expressions from right to left, from happy to worried, respectively. Our guide said Leonardo da Vinci took three years to paint it, an incredible amount of time for such a small portrait. Frederic said it is rumored to reflect both Leonardo as a woman (he was homosexual) and maybe the beauty of all women everywhere in one. Among those two works I saw Delacroix, Titian, Ingres, and lots of David including the Coronation of Napoleon. Frederic told us about the mistakes in it. (Napoleon's nose, pink dress, title, pope). I learned so much but I felt I missed a lot too. One more excuse to come back.
After the Louvre, we walked down the Seine to Sainte Chapelle built by that most pious of monarchs, Louis II. A home for relics. Almost floor to ceiling windows and all painted gold and red vaults with the beautiful stories and wooden sculptures of the apostles supporting the vaults. Un bijoux, c'est vrai. Then I went to eat at a close greek restaurant where they served wine as a starter. I had a greek salad, chicken kebabs, and fruit for dessert. Boy was it good. Some guy smashed a plate and yelled "opa! to get us to go to his restaurant. I found he cool little corner of Paris, the part of the Latin Quarter that's really nice. Lots of ethnic foods. Some woman hut us up for money but I honestly didn't have any. Then we went to our meeting place, watched people get portraits, bought postcards, then went into Notre Dame to sing. We rehearsed, changed and then gave the concert. We were fabulous. A really nice American priest came up afterwards and thanked us.
After that we were supposed to eat but Wolfgang dropped us off in the wrong place so that delayed us an hour. Then we got to our place and dinner was not very good and service was crap. But it was funny. Ivana and Anita sang to us. What a way to end the trip. I swear Katie Guccione never stopped complaining. Phil finally just said "Just eat the damn pork!". Oh man, that was classic. The chocolate mousse was good. Mr. Ehrlich definitely was affected by our concert. He was crying and he couldn't even talk to us. How sweet. I'm glad to know it paid off, all that frickin' practice I mean. That drove me crazy, but it was all worth it. Singing at Notre Dame Saturday night mass was an experience I will not soon forget. I was looking at the organ and the rose window the whole time. I must say it was a marathon mass, however. Still, the lighting, the dissonant and at times very frightening organ music, the place, the windows, the reverence, our singing, wow. It was a great way to end the trip.
All in all, I feel I've come away from this knowing a lot more in general. I'm becoming a better traveler, just lots of new things I've experienced. It certainly was a mixture of work and play as opposed to London (all play), but there was a lot of fun and bonding involved. Our hotel here is crappy, I'm sick of bread but I can't think of a better way to have spent the last two weeks of my summer. I met some new people, got to know others better, made some enemies, and had a lot of fun. But I miss home, I want my family, my bed, real food, Matt, and rest. Tomorrow I'm home. What a trip.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Home
Originally posted June 16, 2004
Now that I am back in the states, people ask me if I am sad to be back after such an incredible year. No, I’m not sad to be back because returning to the point from where you started gives you perspective. I am in a position now where I can take these experiences and run with them. I am looking forward to W&M life in the fall, as mundane as it may be. Then after this year another chapter in my life will be closed: undergraduate studies. My dad asked me this morning at 6:20am before he took me to work, what I might be thinking about doing after college. He has the right to be the first to ask the question, but NOT at 6:20am.
I guess I want what every person who spends a year abroad wants: to go back and travel as freely as before. I want to go to India, China, Kenya, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, Nepal, Alaska, Russia and everywhere in between. I want to retire at 25 with a house in St. Malo on the beach, with another in Provence where I will paint and play piano until I get tired of it, then I will go and read in an olive tree grove with endless sunlight. Sure it’s slightly less than realistic, but a girl can dream can’t she?
I read back over previous journal entries and I wonder if I’m reading something that I actually lived. It seems very far away even though I’ve only been home for a short time. Both times I have returned from semesters, I have fallen so easily back into the regular pattern of life here that everything that happened over the past 8 months seems like a dream. But then I look at the pictures and remember the stories and I know it’s real.
Now that I am back in the states, people ask me if I am sad to be back after such an incredible year. No, I’m not sad to be back because returning to the point from where you started gives you perspective. I am in a position now where I can take these experiences and run with them. I am looking forward to W&M life in the fall, as mundane as it may be. Then after this year another chapter in my life will be closed: undergraduate studies. My dad asked me this morning at 6:20am before he took me to work, what I might be thinking about doing after college. He has the right to be the first to ask the question, but NOT at 6:20am.
I guess I want what every person who spends a year abroad wants: to go back and travel as freely as before. I want to go to India, China, Kenya, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, Nepal, Alaska, Russia and everywhere in between. I want to retire at 25 with a house in St. Malo on the beach, with another in Provence where I will paint and play piano until I get tired of it, then I will go and read in an olive tree grove with endless sunlight. Sure it’s slightly less than realistic, but a girl can dream can’t she?
I read back over previous journal entries and I wonder if I’m reading something that I actually lived. It seems very far away even though I’ve only been home for a short time. Both times I have returned from semesters, I have fallen so easily back into the regular pattern of life here that everything that happened over the past 8 months seems like a dream. But then I look at the pictures and remember the stories and I know it’s real.
I have been going over to old friend’s houses, trying new restaurants, putting my new navy blue room together, attending concerts, working a lot, and going out occasionally. Being 21 is nice now that I appreciate alcohol more. Clint has prom this Friday, I met his girlfriend (GASP!), and he graduates on the 16th. Someone else has been doing a little growing up, it seems. It’s hard to think of him going off to college, and my parents at home with no kids to look after.
He is yet another strong piece of evidence of the changes that take place in one’s absence. Home is never quite the same as I left it, every time I come back. Being here I have started to face some of the issues I left behind, and it’s hard. But I also see differences in how I’m handling them now and how they affect me. Maybe there’s hope for me yet. I think France taught me some incredible life lessons, and it was a milestone year in so many ways. So Mom and Dad, your girl has returned home a little older, a little wiser, with broader perspectives, and ready to face whatever comes her way.
Thanks for reading, everyone. To be able to share my experiences and reactions with you all and receive your own has been one of the most valuable and important components of this year. I have enjoyed writing about this journey so much I am almost bitter it's over. I don't feel like life here will supply much fodder for an interesting journal, but if something comes along and I'm inspired, perhaps I will update. Even if this is the last entry, I'd like to stay in touch with everyone, so please don't hesitate to write. I am pretty good about responding usually. So thanks again, I hope this finds you well, and I hope to hear from everyone soon.
He is yet another strong piece of evidence of the changes that take place in one’s absence. Home is never quite the same as I left it, every time I come back. Being here I have started to face some of the issues I left behind, and it’s hard. But I also see differences in how I’m handling them now and how they affect me. Maybe there’s hope for me yet. I think France taught me some incredible life lessons, and it was a milestone year in so many ways. So Mom and Dad, your girl has returned home a little older, a little wiser, with broader perspectives, and ready to face whatever comes her way.
Thanks for reading, everyone. To be able to share my experiences and reactions with you all and receive your own has been one of the most valuable and important components of this year. I have enjoyed writing about this journey so much I am almost bitter it's over. I don't feel like life here will supply much fodder for an interesting journal, but if something comes along and I'm inspired, perhaps I will update. Even if this is the last entry, I'd like to stay in touch with everyone, so please don't hesitate to write. I am pretty good about responding usually. So thanks again, I hope this finds you well, and I hope to hear from everyone soon.
Unda Da Sea
Originally posted June 1, 2004.
All our itinerary said on our last day was “free day at the beach” and we knew that we wanted to dive. I am already certified thanks to the W&M kinesiology credit requirement which I filled with a scuba class freshman year. Ben was looking forward to his first experience with open water diving.
We had already signed up for the course when we were at the hotel Sunday night, so things were all prepared; we just had to show up. I was doing a refresher course since I haven’t been diving since Spring Break 2002, and this was combined with my brother’s “Discover Scuba Diving Course”. We watched two movies, then Ben had to get checked out by a doctor because he had asthma ten years ago, then we went on our first dive. Our instructor, Frank, a stocky man from Holland who liked to tell jokes about blondes and women, was our instructor. We had to do some refresher skills and I was having problems establishing my buoyancy and remembering all the procedures. Ben did fine and was quickly in control of his equipment and his underwater movement.
The first dive was good for getting back into the swing of things and then towards the end when we got to the reef I had finally gotten neutral buoyancy in the water and really started looking around. It was so colorful and the reef was absolutely teeming with life. We saw a Lion fish, the poisonous kind, parrot fish, clown fish, an Eagle ray, a conch, and many other kinds of beautiful, tropical marine life. The 45 minutes were over so quickly, I felt like it had only been five when we finished.
We got back out of the water on the beach (the reef is only about 50 feet off shore, around 1pm. We rinsed off and then got lunch at the hotel restaurant. We had another dive from the beach that afternoon but this time we were allowed to do whatever we wanted. Frank guided us out to the reef again and then let us swim as we pleased. I had the underwater camera with us and we were exploring to our heart’s content. He showed us how to “moonwalk” underwater which is a pretty accurate description. You take off your fins and jump off the ocean floor and then you just kind of float weightlessly and then you exhale you come back down again. Since you are at neutral buoyancy, you just float in the water, rising and falling slowly when you inhale or exhale respectively. We were hovering over the reef and enjoying the wildlife and again time passed so quickly, the hour passed before we knew it. The water was so clear, much better than diving in Key Largo and even that was incredible. The colors of the coral were surreal. It was like we were in Finding Nemo.
After our last dive we sat on the beach relaxing and soaking in our last few moments by the Red Sea. We went back to the room, watched a movie, then went back to the Egyptian restaurant at our hotel, and feasted one last time for less than twenty dollars total. I had cinnamon tea to end my meal. It was only ground cinnamon in boiled water, but I added a little milk and sugar and it was amazing! We have eaten eastern food here everyday and I haven’t ever gotten sick of it. I could eat hommus and baba ganoush every day of my life.
The next morning we had until 12pm to enjoy the incredible breakfast buffet one last time, then we had to suffer through that awful bus ride again. The horn on this bus, I can’t even describe how loud it was. And Egyptian drivers use their horns incessantly: when passing, when behind, when slightly peeved, when saying hello, and even just for the heck of it when no one else is on the road. I had visions of getting a gun and shooting the knob for the horn off the handle. I was so fed up. On top of that we were subjected to even more awful Arabic movies and blaring eastern wailing on the stereo so basically it was 6 hours of constant grating noise. I was SO glad it was over. We then had about 6 more hours until our flight at 2am. We went to an internet café, then ate at a hotel near the airport, and then we slept until it was time to board the flight. We were so tired from our hard day of traveling; I am still in awe that we made it that far. We managed to get a little sleep on the flight.
We arrived in Paris around 6am, got off the plane, dragged ourselves to our hotel who thankfully let us check in super early, then I went for my “goodbye run part 1” to all my favorite sights in Paris: Parc Monceau, Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Boulevard Haussman, Opera Garnier, and some little streets in between. Then I went out to get a nice breakfast for us while Ben rested a little bit more. After we had recharged a little bit we went out to try and sell back my phone which turned out to be a fruitless 3-hour endeavor. Then we abandoned that idea and went to see the catacombs. The line was about 2 hours long so we bagged that, went out to La Defense to see the big Arch (of Real World Paris fame) and by then I was so tired and hungry that we went and found a sushi place at 6pm. This hour for dinner is absolutely unheard of in Paris and the guys who ran the place were staring and I apologized for coming in so early. They were cool about it though and served us. Then we went back to the hotel and I was asleep by 9pm. The next day I woke up early, completed the “goodbye run part 2” passing my favorites sites on the east side and left bank of Paris this time, and then went back to the hotel to get my stuff and head to the airport for my definitive departure from Europe.
I went with a heavy heart, but also with excitement at returning to everything I know. I got to the airport (on time!) checked my baggage, and walked to my gate. I heard American accents floating around the waiting area and I thought about the isolation from the French language I would soon be entering. Fortunately, I sat next to a young French chef on the way home and he and I kept up lively commentary on the in-flight movies. He amused me by trying to pronounce the names of towns in Pennsylvania and New York like Poughkeepsie. So I landed, got my bags, went through customs and they questioned me about the mustard I brought back and then I walked through those doors and into America. I was greeted by a towering blonde guy with a goatee who claimed he was my younger brother, and my parents. They whisked me off in our Volvo station wagon and back to the house where I live sometimes, into a room that wasn’t mine.
It’s good to be back here under the constant hum of the cicada infestation, with these gigantic trees and the familiarity of the roads. Everything is so easy when you come home, you adjust immediately and it’s hard to think you ever left. I was going through my pictures last night and I still find it unbelievable that I went some of the places that I did. The year seems kind of like a dream now that it is behind me, and I am looking forward to see how my experiences play out later in life. Until then I guess I’ll just have to keep discovering what’s around me. I’m sure there’s some interesting stuff in America somewhere.
All our itinerary said on our last day was “free day at the beach” and we knew that we wanted to dive. I am already certified thanks to the W&M kinesiology credit requirement which I filled with a scuba class freshman year. Ben was looking forward to his first experience with open water diving.
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| Submersion. |
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| Colorful reef. |
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| Bro and Sis diving. |
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| Nemo! |
After our last dive we sat on the beach relaxing and soaking in our last few moments by the Red Sea. We went back to the room, watched a movie, then went back to the Egyptian restaurant at our hotel, and feasted one last time for less than twenty dollars total. I had cinnamon tea to end my meal. It was only ground cinnamon in boiled water, but I added a little milk and sugar and it was amazing! We have eaten eastern food here everyday and I haven’t ever gotten sick of it. I could eat hommus and baba ganoush every day of my life.
 |
| Ray |
We arrived in Paris around 6am, got off the plane, dragged ourselves to our hotel who thankfully let us check in super early, then I went for my “goodbye run part 1” to all my favorite sights in Paris: Parc Monceau, Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Boulevard Haussman, Opera Garnier, and some little streets in between. Then I went out to get a nice breakfast for us while Ben rested a little bit more. After we had recharged a little bit we went out to try and sell back my phone which turned out to be a fruitless 3-hour endeavor. Then we abandoned that idea and went to see the catacombs. The line was about 2 hours long so we bagged that, went out to La Defense to see the big Arch (of Real World Paris fame) and by then I was so tired and hungry that we went and found a sushi place at 6pm. This hour for dinner is absolutely unheard of in Paris and the guys who ran the place were staring and I apologized for coming in so early. They were cool about it though and served us. Then we went back to the hotel and I was asleep by 9pm. The next day I woke up early, completed the “goodbye run part 2” passing my favorites sites on the east side and left bank of Paris this time, and then went back to the hotel to get my stuff and head to the airport for my definitive departure from Europe.
It’s good to be back here under the constant hum of the cicada infestation, with these gigantic trees and the familiarity of the roads. Everything is so easy when you come home, you adjust immediately and it’s hard to think you ever left. I was going through my pictures last night and I still find it unbelievable that I went some of the places that I did. The year seems kind of like a dream now that it is behind me, and I am looking forward to see how my experiences play out later in life. Until then I guess I’ll just have to keep discovering what’s around me. I’m sure there’s some interesting stuff in America somewhere.
Desert Silence
Originally posted May 24, 2004
On the 17th I woke up pretty early to go on my first run of the trip along a winding desert road. It was still cool but very, very dry. I enjoyed looking out in to the nothingness beyond the town. I got back to the room, packed an overnight bag for Sinai, went down to enjoy the most incredible breakfast buffet of all time, and then we set off into the desert.
We took a 4x4 to get there because part of the road (yes there is only one road) is being fixed. It wasn’t the most comfortable ride but driving through the desert was worth it. The emptiness of the landscape is incredible. As we neared St. Catherine’s, another town that survives on tourism, we saw the mountains surrounding the monastery and were explained why this is acknowledged as the area where Moses and the Israelites in Exodus got lost for 40 years, and the mountain is the one where Moses met God. We arrived at our hotel, not the nicest of our lodgings but still a good place to lay one's head, and got checked in. Then we acceded to our guide's suggestion of “cooking something” for lunch. So we drive to this Bedouin camp about 5 minutes from our hotel, bring groceries and give them to a Bedouin who then takes them into the kitchen and commenced cooking lunch. We sat around a very low table on cushions and rugs underneath a shelter of straw until it was ready, two hours later. We sipped tea and talked about movies and various other things to pass the time. When lunch was finally ready we were pretty hungry and everything smelled incredible. We started off with the classic salads: tahina, and marinated cucumbers, tomatoes and carrots. Then we had a light lentil soup which is also traditional, then they brought out the main course, a tray of beef roasted in spices and marinade with potatoes, carrots, zucchini, onions, and parsley, served with a bowl of basmati rice. It was delicious. The brown pita bread was also wonderful, served fresh from the oven.
We sat around on our cushions a little longer waiting for the food to digest before we started our trek up Mount Sinai. We arrived at the camp at 12:30pm and didn’t leave until 3:30pm. We had a great time just talking with our guide and getting to know him a little better. Then it was time to start climbing so we could watch the sun set on the mountain.
We arrived at the monastery and walked to the base of Mt. Sinai which is also a Bedouin camp. Our guide bargained with the camel owners for a few minutes and then Ben and I mounted up and started the trek. Riding a camel is very uneven. You have to learn to fall into their rhythm and sit correctly in the saddle. They were very obedient and docile though mine was a whiner and was always groaning. I enjoyed watching their feet because they are squishy and spread out into the sand, not like regular feet. The first thing that came to mind was those squish balls filled with silicon gel that were so popular a long time ago. This is what their feet looked like in the sand. It was nice to be able to sit and enjoy the scenery while the camels carried us 2/3rds of the way up. Mount Sinai just kept getting closer and closer. I couldn’t believe I was going to stand and walk where Moses walked. We rode camels up to the bottom of a 700-step staircase that leads to the top. The camels cannot go any further than this so we said goodbye and started the climb. It took about 25 minutes and we passed Elijah’s oasis (the spot where he hid when God walked by him) which was pretty incredible too. Prince of Egypt was on in our hotel room today and we were looking at the animated scenery thinking “yeah, that looks about right…”. We reached the top and looked out on the surrounding mountains. Sinai is different from all of them because it has a flat top and is encircled by the others so that it is hidden from view until you are right in front of it. The flat top has not been explained by scientists other than they say there must have been an extraordinary pressure exerted on it at one point in time to make it so different from all the rest. *
After we had looked around and rested a little, taken it all in, we started the climb back down the steps. In the waning light the mountains of red granite seemed to glow, casting their color into the atmosphere and tinting everything a hazy rose. We passed the bottom of the steps and continued on the foot path picking up rocks with plant fossils in them and enjoying the scenery, trying to imagine what it must have been like in Moses’ time.
I was glad we did the sunset because there were only 6 other people on the mountain, not including the Bedouins who try to sell you stuff every 50 meters. Apparently at sunrise there are many, many more people and it’s crowded. When we were there, if you stopped walking and crunching the rocks under your feet, all you could hear was the light breeze. That’s it. It was totally silent. I don’t know if I’ve ever been in a place so wholly without background noise. No wonder the Desert Fathers retreated into places like this. There is nothing to distract you.
We hiked back down the footpath and reached the bottom just as night fell. We were pretty tired and we walked back to the jeep, grateful for the short lift back to the hotel. We met a little later for dinner at the hotel, again with our guide, and then I retired for the night while Ben and Mohammed stayed up to shoot a little pool. I didn’t even hear him come back to the room later, I was out cold. In the course of the night I managed to gain precisely 23 new mosquito bites on my face, neck, and legs. I spent the whole next day yearning for a remedy to stop the itching but I didn’t get it until that night.
The next morning we woke up, got breakfast at a buffet that paled in comparison to the others we have had, and then headed to St. Catherine’s monastery to see the chapel that houses Moses’s burning bush and also one of the oldest working monasteries in the world. It has survived the crusades, numerous political and religious conquests and has gained the protection of many figures ranging from Napoleon to the prophet Mohammed. It houses and extensive collection of ancient icons, dating back to the 6th century. There is a room that you see from behind iron bars that holds the bones of all the monks and bishops that have ever lived and worked there; piles of skulls, arms, legs and ribs, in a storage room.
Obviously, viewing of the burning bush is not allowed, but there is a bush of the same type outside which you can look at. It is always green, year-round, even in the desert. It has been tested in other areas nearby but will only grow in this one spot. It was really interesting to see and hear about the history of the monastery too. They used to build a tower and stack every floor one on top of the other, then had the entrance above ground so as to protect from attackers. They built another tower to be able to get into the main one, with a drawbridge to be closed against enemies.
We wandered through the museums and around the monastery a little bit more, trying to comprehend the scope of its history and its importance, but really only succeeding in becoming more awestruck. After we left the monastery we drove a little while on asphalt, then we suddenly turned off the road and started plowing through sand.
We were headed towards the Rock of Inscriptions which is a rock where travelers have been leaving names, directions and their mark since the time of Moses. The earliest marks are from the people of the Exodus. It was amazing to see. The silence in that part of the desert was even deeper than in Sinai. There seemed to be no other life around for miles and miles. It was the deepest and most profound silence I think I have ever “heard”. When the wind picks up a little it seems to whisper of the past and the many travelers who have stood where I was standing.
We drove in the sand a little further to get a view of a real desert oasis, the El Wadi oasis. We were told that only the head of the Bedouin tribe may live at the Oasis and he controls it, passing it down to his eldest son when he dies. After the foray into the desert, we got back onto the asphalt and drove to Naweid, where we stopped at an open air restaurant directly on the beach and had a fantastic lunch listening to the ocean, watching the crystal blue waves lap at the shore, and camels pass by. We started the lunch off with a glass of fruit juice that had five different layers of color, each being a different fruit pulp. There was strawberry, peach, melon, mango and guava. It was as thick as a milkshake and tasted divine. I took a picture of the glass because it was so pretty. Lunch was a buffet with grilled chicken and fish and a salad bar to die for. We were very happy at the end of it and the owner told us to take our tea underneath the straw shelter on some cushions right on the ocean. It was an idyllic afternoon. We were sad to leave.
But leave we did. We headed back to Sharm El Sheik and I felt drowsy the whole time but never slept as it was very hot and very bumpy. We arrived at the hotel, went to get some cash, then crashed in our rooms to watch a movie. After a restorative two hours in air conditioning, we headed down to dinner at the Italian restaurant in our hotel, then met Mohammed who had promised to show me where to buy this specific cloth I had seen and liked very much. We went to about 4 places before I found the perfect design and bought a big square of it. It’s just blue and white but has an intricate woven-looking pattern in it and I think it will go quite well in my freshly painted navy blue room when I go home.
Our guide has gone above and beyond the call of duty numerous times here. When I lost my CDs he went to the bus station to look for them. He makes sure we find everything we want and negotiates fair prices for us. He picked us up in his own car on his own time to show us the markets where I wanted to buy some fabric. We met his wife and baby girl too. It is really amazing how personal this tour is.
Everything is tailor made for us. We only have two nights left. Tomorrow we are doing an all-day diving trip which I am really looking forward too. But it’s also our last full day in Egypt. Thursday night we leave, very very late at night. It’s hard to believe it’s all coming to a close and that I will be home on Saturday. I still have two days left to enjoy.
*God's presence?
On the 17th I woke up pretty early to go on my first run of the trip along a winding desert road. It was still cool but very, very dry. I enjoyed looking out in to the nothingness beyond the town. I got back to the room, packed an overnight bag for Sinai, went down to enjoy the most incredible breakfast buffet of all time, and then we set off into the desert.
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| Mt. Sinai |
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| Ben having a snooze at the Bedouin camp |
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| Sinai scenery |
We arrived at the monastery and walked to the base of Mt. Sinai which is also a Bedouin camp. Our guide bargained with the camel owners for a few minutes and then Ben and I mounted up and started the trek. Riding a camel is very uneven. You have to learn to fall into their rhythm and sit correctly in the saddle. They were very obedient and docile though mine was a whiner and was always groaning. I enjoyed watching their feet because they are squishy and spread out into the sand, not like regular feet. The first thing that came to mind was those squish balls filled with silicon gel that were so popular a long time ago. This is what their feet looked like in the sand. It was nice to be able to sit and enjoy the scenery while the camels carried us 2/3rds of the way up. Mount Sinai just kept getting closer and closer. I couldn’t believe I was going to stand and walk where Moses walked. We rode camels up to the bottom of a 700-step staircase that leads to the top. The camels cannot go any further than this so we said goodbye and started the climb. It took about 25 minutes and we passed Elijah’s oasis (the spot where he hid when God walked by him) which was pretty incredible too. Prince of Egypt was on in our hotel room today and we were looking at the animated scenery thinking “yeah, that looks about right…”. We reached the top and looked out on the surrounding mountains. Sinai is different from all of them because it has a flat top and is encircled by the others so that it is hidden from view until you are right in front of it. The flat top has not been explained by scientists other than they say there must have been an extraordinary pressure exerted on it at one point in time to make it so different from all the rest. *
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| Riding camels up the mountain |
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| My camel |
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| Climbing the stairs up to the top |
After we had looked around and rested a little, taken it all in, we started the climb back down the steps. In the waning light the mountains of red granite seemed to glow, casting their color into the atmosphere and tinting everything a hazy rose. We passed the bottom of the steps and continued on the foot path picking up rocks with plant fossils in them and enjoying the scenery, trying to imagine what it must have been like in Moses’ time.
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| Elijah's Oasis |
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| Sinai Sunset |
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| Narrow steps up - Red Granite Path |
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| Mohammad, Ben and I at the top of the mountain |
The next morning we woke up, got breakfast at a buffet that paled in comparison to the others we have had, and then headed to St. Catherine’s monastery to see the chapel that houses Moses’s burning bush and also one of the oldest working monasteries in the world. It has survived the crusades, numerous political and religious conquests and has gained the protection of many figures ranging from Napoleon to the prophet Mohammed. It houses and extensive collection of ancient icons, dating back to the 6th century. There is a room that you see from behind iron bars that holds the bones of all the monks and bishops that have ever lived and worked there; piles of skulls, arms, legs and ribs, in a storage room.
St. Catherine's Monastery
We wandered through the museums and around the monastery a little bit more, trying to comprehend the scope of its history and its importance, but really only succeeding in becoming more awestruck. After we left the monastery we drove a little while on asphalt, then we suddenly turned off the road and started plowing through sand.
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| Rock of Inscriptions |
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| Seaside dining |
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| Beautiful fruit juice. |
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| Chatting seaside with Mohammad. |
Everything is tailor made for us. We only have two nights left. Tomorrow we are doing an all-day diving trip which I am really looking forward too. But it’s also our last full day in Egypt. Thursday night we leave, very very late at night. It’s hard to believe it’s all coming to a close and that I will be home on Saturday. I still have two days left to enjoy.
*God's presence?
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Lap of Luxury : Sharm El Sheikh
Originally posted May 24, 2004
We arose before the sun had risen in Cairo and dragged ourselves down to breakfast where our faithful tour leader, Ahmed, was waiting for us. He encouraged our lethargic bodies to get into the van, got us on the bus headed for Sharm El Sheik, and waved goodbye. We won’t see him again until the last day of our tour.
We were on the bus for six hours, driving through the beautiful Sinai desert landscape bordered by the sapphire Gulf of Suez. To pass the time, we watched the driver’s selection of a bad movie that starred and Arabian pop idol who supposedly worked for an ad agency and then was discovered and hit it big. Then we watched possibly the worst American movie I have ever seen. It’s called "American Tigers” and it stars a handful of former Ultimate Fighting Champions. The whole movie is just ridiculous. Hell’s Angels and ex- soldiers on death row are given big guns and sent, under the command of your typical hard nosed, foul-mouthed, veteran Sergeant Major, to fight a renegade ex-officer who’s trying to start a militant revolution. Yeah, so the six hours passed pretty slowly. We were really glad to get off the bus.
We were met by our tour organizer for this leg and he took us the most impressive hotel yet. With something like 6 on-site restaurants, two pools, a private beach, a spa, a dive center, and the best movie channel offerings ever, the Ghazala hotel is number one for the trip in my book. But we’ll see how the breakfast buffet compares.
We checked in, put away our stuff, our guide oriented us a little around the hotel because it’s so big you really need one to find your way around. Then we went upstairs, changed and hit the beach. The water is crystal clear and it seems like there is no point where you cannot see the bottom. There are lots of jellyfish but they don’t sting. Ben got an hour long massage while I just laid out on the comfortable beach chairs a little longer, then retreated inside when the sun went down. We met back up in the room before dinner where I discovered that my CDs had been left on the bus. We called our tour guy to see if there was anything he could do, but to no avail. They were swiped and I’m out 25 of my favorite CDs. It’s like there’s a hole in my heart.
There’s too much left to do and see to let it get me down though. Many of them can be replaced. We had a fantastic dinner at the Eastern restaurant at the hotel and then we walked along the lively boardwalk enjoying the perfect weather. The only weird thing was that everyone kept assuming we were married. And then when we quickly told them the real situation, they jokingly asked Ben how many camels he would want in exchange for me. Verrrry funny. Sharm El Sheik only exists because it has great diving and great beaches. It’s a total resort town and therefore is more expensive than some other places, but we’re still enjoying getting pampered.
We arose before the sun had risen in Cairo and dragged ourselves down to breakfast where our faithful tour leader, Ahmed, was waiting for us. He encouraged our lethargic bodies to get into the van, got us on the bus headed for Sharm El Sheik, and waved goodbye. We won’t see him again until the last day of our tour.
We were on the bus for six hours, driving through the beautiful Sinai desert landscape bordered by the sapphire Gulf of Suez. To pass the time, we watched the driver’s selection of a bad movie that starred and Arabian pop idol who supposedly worked for an ad agency and then was discovered and hit it big. Then we watched possibly the worst American movie I have ever seen. It’s called "American Tigers” and it stars a handful of former Ultimate Fighting Champions. The whole movie is just ridiculous. Hell’s Angels and ex- soldiers on death row are given big guns and sent, under the command of your typical hard nosed, foul-mouthed, veteran Sergeant Major, to fight a renegade ex-officer who’s trying to start a militant revolution. Yeah, so the six hours passed pretty slowly. We were really glad to get off the bus.
We were met by our tour organizer for this leg and he took us the most impressive hotel yet. With something like 6 on-site restaurants, two pools, a private beach, a spa, a dive center, and the best movie channel offerings ever, the Ghazala hotel is number one for the trip in my book. But we’ll see how the breakfast buffet compares.
We checked in, put away our stuff, our guide oriented us a little around the hotel because it’s so big you really need one to find your way around. Then we went upstairs, changed and hit the beach. The water is crystal clear and it seems like there is no point where you cannot see the bottom. There are lots of jellyfish but they don’t sting. Ben got an hour long massage while I just laid out on the comfortable beach chairs a little longer, then retreated inside when the sun went down. We met back up in the room before dinner where I discovered that my CDs had been left on the bus. We called our tour guy to see if there was anything he could do, but to no avail. They were swiped and I’m out 25 of my favorite CDs. It’s like there’s a hole in my heart.
There’s too much left to do and see to let it get me down though. Many of them can be replaced. We had a fantastic dinner at the Eastern restaurant at the hotel and then we walked along the lively boardwalk enjoying the perfect weather. The only weird thing was that everyone kept assuming we were married. And then when we quickly told them the real situation, they jokingly asked Ben how many camels he would want in exchange for me. Verrrry funny. Sharm El Sheik only exists because it has great diving and great beaches. It’s a total resort town and therefore is more expensive than some other places, but we’re still enjoying getting pampered.
Monday, December 9, 2013
Alexandria: City on the Sea
We finished our tour in Luxor with a nice relaxing dip in the pool before our overnight train back to Cairo. I actually slept pretty well on the train and we arrived in Cairo around 6:15 am and got immediately back on the road in a van with Galal and our driver, headed for Alexandria. Three hours later we arrived in the beautiful, deliciously cool city on the Mediterranean Sea. The water shone with those surreal shades of blue that make you wonder if you’re in a postcard or not, and though the traffic was even more insane than in Cairo, I liked the feel of the place immediately.
Galal started us out at the Greco-Roman museum, because despite being a really cool, laid back guy, he is obsessed with museums. He got really excited when I told him we had visited the Nubian Museum in Aswan saying “Oh, this is how a museum should be; this is how it must be laid out; this is how an information label should look! You have seen a jewel among Egypt’s museums!” Then he led us through the museum skillfully illustrating the melding of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian culture in the time of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Ptolemy and Cleopatra with the mosaics, sculptures and artifacts held there. After we had again been inundated with dates and rulers and tangled love affairs and politics, we were taken to do the touristy sightseeing. We saw the Pillar of Pompeii which is said to have displayed General Pompeii’s head when it was cut off as a present for Julius Caesar. We saw the catacombs which were excellent manifestations of the Greek attempt to assimilate to Egyptian culture. The difference in architecture, symbolism, decoration and layout were very noticeable. (They were also quite different from the catacombs in Rome with much more space and wider passageways.)
Finally we drove back to the coast to get a view of the citadel from the boardwalk. The clear water hitting the cement walls against the ancient limestone structure made for a stunning panorama. Galal didn’t even look at the citadel. He gave us a few dates and then stared off into the horizon enjoying the view. He confessed later that he takes his tours there because he likes to go enjoy the smell of the water and the view; the citadel itself isn’t much to see. At this point we were kind of hungry and Galal had promised to take us to his favorite restaurant in Alexandria called Shaban Fish Restaurant.
For a little under 7 dollars per person, we again had a feast of 4 different kinds of salads, an entire fish freshly grilled on the fire in front of us after Galal had selected them from the bin, as well as piles of roasted shrimp, crab and steamed mussels. Oh it was good, it was really really good. Ben didn’t talk at all during the meal hardly, except to say “wow”. He was too busy trying to eat, murmuring “mmmm” after every bite, and stopping to catch his breath and smile with satisfaction. Galal was very pleased with his reaction. One of the best quotes of the trip was had at the meal when he stood up and looked at his crisp linen jacket, and said, “How did this fish get all over me? It was taking its revenge on me! It hated me…but God knows I loved her. (sighs with a smile) Women…” Ben died when he heard this. If you could see the gap-toothed grin of our guide, and hear his Arabic accent and the way he can’t say south, he says “thous”, you would laugh too.
After lunch we were feeling really satisfied and Galal took us out for the last two things to see in the city: the library and Montazah Palace. The library is just an amazing piece of architecture with the largest reading chamber in the world. It has a big dome and a modernistic slanted solar-panelled roof. We just drove by it and every time I tried to take a picture, a palm tree popped out of nowhere and got in the way.
The palace was breathtaking. Set on the low cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean, it stands in all its eastern glory with domed turrets on all four corners, beautiful tile designs on the outside, and landscaping incorporating interesting forms of cacti and other desert fauna into a sort of dry garden over looking the vast body of water before it. There are bridges made of palm trees and sandy paths that lead to the sea from it. There is even a gazebo where we ran across a Muslim couple smoochin’. It was funny to see the woman hastily fumble with her veil to restore it to its proper position, covering her blushing face.
After the visit to the palace, we drove along to coast again and headed back to Cairo. Three hours later we checked back into the Flamenco hotel and bedded down for the night. We had to be ready to go at 6:15am the next morning to catch our bus to Sharm El Sheik. Diver’s Paradise.
Galal started us out at the Greco-Roman museum, because despite being a really cool, laid back guy, he is obsessed with museums. He got really excited when I told him we had visited the Nubian Museum in Aswan saying “Oh, this is how a museum should be; this is how it must be laid out; this is how an information label should look! You have seen a jewel among Egypt’s museums!” Then he led us through the museum skillfully illustrating the melding of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian culture in the time of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Ptolemy and Cleopatra with the mosaics, sculptures and artifacts held there. After we had again been inundated with dates and rulers and tangled love affairs and politics, we were taken to do the touristy sightseeing. We saw the Pillar of Pompeii which is said to have displayed General Pompeii’s head when it was cut off as a present for Julius Caesar. We saw the catacombs which were excellent manifestations of the Greek attempt to assimilate to Egyptian culture. The difference in architecture, symbolism, decoration and layout were very noticeable. (They were also quite different from the catacombs in Rome with much more space and wider passageways.)
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| Pillar of Pompeii |
Finally we drove back to the coast to get a view of the citadel from the boardwalk. The clear water hitting the cement walls against the ancient limestone structure made for a stunning panorama. Galal didn’t even look at the citadel. He gave us a few dates and then stared off into the horizon enjoying the view. He confessed later that he takes his tours there because he likes to go enjoy the smell of the water and the view; the citadel itself isn’t much to see. At this point we were kind of hungry and Galal had promised to take us to his favorite restaurant in Alexandria called Shaban Fish Restaurant.
For a little under 7 dollars per person, we again had a feast of 4 different kinds of salads, an entire fish freshly grilled on the fire in front of us after Galal had selected them from the bin, as well as piles of roasted shrimp, crab and steamed mussels. Oh it was good, it was really really good. Ben didn’t talk at all during the meal hardly, except to say “wow”. He was too busy trying to eat, murmuring “mmmm” after every bite, and stopping to catch his breath and smile with satisfaction. Galal was very pleased with his reaction. One of the best quotes of the trip was had at the meal when he stood up and looked at his crisp linen jacket, and said, “How did this fish get all over me? It was taking its revenge on me! It hated me…but God knows I loved her. (sighs with a smile) Women…” Ben died when he heard this. If you could see the gap-toothed grin of our guide, and hear his Arabic accent and the way he can’t say south, he says “thous”, you would laugh too.
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| Galal and I |
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| Citadel of Qaitbay |
The palace was breathtaking. Set on the low cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean, it stands in all its eastern glory with domed turrets on all four corners, beautiful tile designs on the outside, and landscaping incorporating interesting forms of cacti and other desert fauna into a sort of dry garden over looking the vast body of water before it. There are bridges made of palm trees and sandy paths that lead to the sea from it. There is even a gazebo where we ran across a Muslim couple smoochin’. It was funny to see the woman hastily fumble with her veil to restore it to its proper position, covering her blushing face.
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| Montaza Palace |
After the visit to the palace, we drove along to coast again and headed back to Cairo. Three hours later we checked back into the Flamenco hotel and bedded down for the night. We had to be ready to go at 6:15am the next morning to catch our bus to Sharm El Sheik. Diver’s Paradise.
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