tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627505797038420092024-02-06T20:32:16.875-08:00The Long Trail Home: New Adventures EditionWhat started as a slightly incomplete account of a glorious trip around the world in 50 days will now shift to an account of new adventures. DW will attempt 40 challenges before he turns 40 while Em will try doing 30 new things before her 30th birthday. Follow along!Emily Forsyth Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04215568660118904217noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362750579703842009.post-91262344690561437022015-01-13T12:41:00.000-08:002015-01-13T12:43:12.638-08:00Repurposing the Blog<hr><b>Prose Version</b><hr>As you can see in the header, Em and I are changing our use for this blog. If you are looking at it today, as I type this, you'll see a new but incomplete list containing a selection of Emily's 30 Before 30 plans. You'll see my 40 Before 40 list is entirely absent. That will all change ... eventually!<br />
<hr><b>Poem Version</b><hr><b><em>This is Just to Say</em></b><br />
<br />
I haven't finished<br />
the list<br />
that was in<br />
the sidebar<br />
<br />
and which<br />
you were probably<br />
planning<br />
to browse through<br />
<br />
Forgive me<br />
it was just too much<br />
so stressful<br />
and so hard<br />
<br />
-DW<br />
<br />
<b><em>Incomple</em></b><br />
Right, that's how it is<br />
Meant to finish or change it<br />
But didn't get there<br />
<br />
-FQDavid Duckworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17200580252079307881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362750579703842009.post-21638442006582387752013-01-07T08:19:00.001-08:002013-01-07T08:19:10.835-08:00And then there was BANGKOK!Many apologies for the long hiatus in posting - we do realize that although the trip is over we've only posted about...2 of our 10 or so stops... But now we're fairly settled back in and ready to complete the journey on the blog (and I get to do so with nice, fast America internets!).<br />
<br />
So, Thailand! Well, Bangkok, really.<br />
<br />
We spent just a weekend in this wonderful city and it was enough for me to fall in love with it. I'm pretty sure I will be back and living here at some point in the future. I'll try to describe some of the reasons I so loved it (in no particular order):<br />
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<u>1. The Food</u><br />
<br />
We all know Thai food is great. Spicy and great. And I had a concept before I went of how this food could be found just by walking down the street for very cheap prices. But, I was still surprised by just how cheap and just how available and just how delicious and just how safe to eat almost* all this Thai street food was. There were little markets everywhere with beautiful veggies and fruits (half of which I couldn't identify) and little stands and restaurants everywhere that smelled delicious and had wonderful Thai food like it was no big deal. <br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We didn't really</span> know what we were doing when ordering this food, neither of us being able to speak or read Thai. And, yes, we did have an experience or two of misinterpretation: like when we sat down in a small restaurant and they handed us a slip of paper that looked vaguely like a long version of this:<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> __ 1. </span></span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="th"><span class="hps">อาหารที่ดี <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">30 baht __ 3. </span></span> </span></span><span class="" id="result_box" lang="th"><span class="hps"><span class="" id="result_box" lang="th"><span class="hps">คุณ</span><span class="">ควรลองนี้ <span style="font-size: small;">20 baht</span></span></span></span><span class=""></span><span class="hps"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="" id="result_box" lang="th"><span class="hps"><span style="font-size: small;"> __ 2.</span> สิ่ง</span><span class="">อร่อย 40 baht __ 4.</span><span class="hps"> สิ่งที่คุณ</span><span class="">ไม่ควรสั่ง 5 baht</span></span></div>
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Which prompted us to look at each other and say: "...okay. What's your favorite number??" The meal turned out...good. A little bizarre, but yummy and filling. And we're pretty sure they crossed out one of our orders because it made absolutely no sense, like ordering 2 banana splits with 3 packets of mayonnaise.<br />
<br />
Another of our attempts at ordering things without knowing the language included the more sure-fire approach of pointing at things that looked good. We wound up getting something vaguely like local eggplant that one could find in Burkina! *Unfortunately, everything was already wrapped up in plastic bags so we couldn't smell how "different" one of the things we ordered was, and DW's attempt to power through and eat all of this mystery food did not end very well..<br />
<br />
In any case, these were by far the iffy-est of our food experiences, and even they turned out 90% delicious. Each meal was a wonderful adventure and everything was so so cheap!<br />
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Plus, there was stuff like this around!<br />
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The only identifiable things on this table (by us, at least) are those small squid and the delicious spicy sauces it can be dipped in (back right). The only delicious things on this table were probably everything.<br />
<u><br /></u>
<u>2. Easy/fun transportation</u><br />
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This part of our experience might have been due in part to the primo location of our guest house, which was right near both a station of the super easy and navigable subway system and a stop on the cheap and fun water taxi line. The water taxi went right into the heart of where a lot of the main tourist destinations live and the subway went right to Lumpini Park (described below) and a lot of shopping areas. It was really well set up and allowed us to dodge using tuk-tuk drivers, who are purportedly deft at ripping off Bangkok tourists. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome bridge, right?</td></tr>
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<u>3. The temples</u><br />
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I couldn't get over how down seemingly every little street there were these brightly colored, intricately designed, and downright gorgeous temples. I kept comparing them in my mind to the religious building's I've seen in other parts of the world (Notre Dame, Mosques in Burkina, etc.) and I have to admit that the colors and details and vastness made them win every time in my book. Here are just a few we saw in passing: <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A family just playing badminton in front of this temple!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidb1fN1vwlWQQn23fqdtw8bXHemzOcgczR9WRHQYzyxqBVDF4Pb1-YkSusm7OBmX7pkdXm5WN5FJUMtBe0tb6PgQxA4iARR-6Mza7ezK57lau2ORDHGg1Z8A5jK5icb2jCaKjl5l6ust9C/s1600/IMG_1431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidb1fN1vwlWQQn23fqdtw8bXHemzOcgczR9WRHQYzyxqBVDF4Pb1-YkSusm7OBmX7pkdXm5WN5FJUMtBe0tb6PgQxA4iARR-6Mza7ezK57lau2ORDHGg1Z8A5jK5icb2jCaKjl5l6ust9C/s1600/IMG_1431.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This small shrine is in front of a car dealership!</td></tr>
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And then there were the gorgeous details inside of the complexes we explored:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gold and blue tiles EVERYWHERE!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8topJCZ6dxUxn0JhygR-80pLLoaaR2Ww2AzY6NJ3gNO4k17HfEIk7kKj_WaevnldICdJfdxNWTaeOAPij87e9NXG1mPnPguuAFgppKnXB2yUmXVGuLczDpRfVG333kjv3h0jFfnhNr1C/s1600/IMG_1553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8topJCZ6dxUxn0JhygR-80pLLoaaR2Ww2AzY6NJ3gNO4k17HfEIk7kKj_WaevnldICdJfdxNWTaeOAPij87e9NXG1mPnPguuAFgppKnXB2yUmXVGuLczDpRfVG333kjv3h0jFfnhNr1C/s1600/IMG_1553.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DW in awe of the HUGE, gold, reclining Buddha</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mother of Pearl inlay on the soles of the reclining Buddha's feet</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love all these temple guards</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3T0FNSKhE3nWLOslHHTmyOCj8wLlAI1MuO3X33IfjsqAA2iqcO2Pn9Hc7DOzTCI9sHc8IEd6vc8m9SRpQaUX6GfP6QhHepWyb96LoUTs3Fd5XWEhkj2jF8CkWdmLraXoWFMZ1FySiTax/s1600/IMG_1530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3T0FNSKhE3nWLOslHHTmyOCj8wLlAI1MuO3X33IfjsqAA2iqcO2Pn9Hc7DOzTCI9sHc8IEd6vc8m9SRpQaUX6GfP6QhHepWyb96LoUTs3Fd5XWEhkj2jF8CkWdmLraXoWFMZ1FySiTax/s1600/IMG_1530.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There must have been over a hundred Buddha statues at this temple alone</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[And respect for the sacred spaces was demanded.]</td></tr>
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To me, it just felt like there was an endless supply of beauty in this city. The temples had a lot to do with that. As did:<br />
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<u>4. Lumpini Park</u><br />
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This park was described to us as similar to Central Park, but safer [the whole city was actually very very safe, even late at night, according to all of our sources]. It was set up in a very exercise-friendly park with beautiful surroundings. There was a small track that skirted the park on which many powerwalkers and joggers were intently doing their thing as well as a few group classes of Tai Chi and such with loudspeakers pumping music and the intense voices of the instructors. Surrounding all these areas were beautiful lakes and bridges and trees and grass - along with big old monitor lizards (supposedly..we never saw any). It seemed like the perfect city getaway with so many opportunities to "recharge". It made me fantasize about leaving work and going straight to a sunset class of some variety of martial art, being the only foreigner in the back of the class, kickboxing monitor lizards, and trying to cluelessly copy my classmates motions while laughing at myself.<br />
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So, have I convinced you yet? Let's all move to BANGKOK!! Emily Forsyth Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04215568660118904217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362750579703842009.post-88617959549897685392012-11-14T11:10:00.000-08:002012-11-14T11:14:24.505-08:00No piranhas!As our loyal readers (we have those, right? Right? Guys?) may remember from the comments section of <a href="http://aroundtheworldin50days.blogspot.com/2012/10/packed-and-ready-to-rock.html" target="_blank">our very first post to this blog</a>, my friend Casey recommended foot leeches. Ew.<br />
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Well, as we were preparing to leave Kandy for Galle in Sri Lanka (see <a href="http://aroundtheworldin50days.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-second-half-of-our-sri-lanka-stay.html" target="_blank">Emily's most recent post</a>), we realized that the name of the place she'd found us on <a href="http://www.airbnb.com/" target="_blank">AirBnB</a> was the Leynbaan Villa and Fish Spa. We wondered, could this "Fish Spa" be the very same bizarre tradition my friend had encouraged us to partake in? Upon arrival, our suspicions (fears?) were confirmed:<br />
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That was that. OBVIOUSLY we were going to do this crazy thing if it was happening in the very lobby of our own guest house. We even got a discount!</div>
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But what IS a fish spa? Are they leeches? No, not exactly [citation needed]:</div>
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(Shoutout to <a href="http://citationneeded.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Josh</a> on this one)</div>
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I was actually pretty excited about this. Emily was ... not, but did it anyway, making the same face for the whole thirty minutes:</div>
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Then it was my turn. And you know what? I really, really liked it.</div>
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It's a weird feeling, to be sure. Hundreds of tiny sucker fish constantly moving around your feet and hands - and more, if you find the right establishment, but Emily was very firm on that point: extremities only.</div>
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So if you're ever in Sri Lanka, check it out! I wanted to do it in Bangkok, too (where it was even more inexpensive), but the "No piranhas" sign was a dealbreaker for Emily. I tried to convince her that the sign was a good thing, but she felt very strongly that the very fact that it needed to be explicitly mentioned meant that somewhere a piranha HAD made it into the water. So I can't give a firsthand recommendation for fish spas there ... yet.</div>
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Oh, by the way, Em's Flickr feed has more pictures! So if you want to see everything we've been able to upload, don't forget to check out her <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/89442595@N07">photostream</a>. If you're particularly interested in Bangkok, she even set up a separate <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/89442595@N07/sets/72157632010038606/">photoset</a>.</div>
David Duckworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17200580252079307881noreply@blogger.com2Galle, Sri Lanka6.0334009 80.2183846.0018194000000005 80.178902 6.0649824 80.257866tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362750579703842009.post-54636717299645532782012-11-14T09:40:00.000-08:002012-11-14T09:40:50.563-08:00The second half of our Sri Lanka stayWe are definitely behind on blogging. We're about to hit up our last country in southeast asia (the Philippines - our flight's tonight!) and we're still finishing up telling stories about our first stop.. I blame the slow internet connections (which make photos hard to upload) as well as the fascinating places we haven't been able to tear ourselves away from (Bangkok, Battambang, and Angkor Wat's temples...).<br />
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[update - we're actually already in Seattle: I wrote this post awhile ago but wanted to put photos in it before posting...phew!]<br />
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So here's some catch-up (Did someone say ketchup?? Bad joke. But really. I want some fries.):</div>
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After all the cool things we packed into Kandy [see <a href="http://aroundtheworldin50days.blogspot.com/2012/10/elephants-galore.html" target="_blank">Elephants Galore</a> and <a href="http://aroundtheworldin50days.blogspot.com/2012/10/we-didn-just-ride-elephants.html" target="_blank">We didn't JUST ride elephants</a>], we took the train back thru the mountains early enough in the morning that the fog was still settling down into the valleys.<br />
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Our next stop was Galle, a fort town on the coast, but to get there by train we had to pass back through Colombo, which took quite a long time. The Colombo to Galle leg, however, passed right along the coast and at times we were maybe 10 feet from the ocean practically feeling the spray from the surf. So, overall, the views along the way made the early alarm and long travel worth it. </div>
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When we got into Galle, we made our way into the fort and settled into our <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g297896-d2302555-Reviews-Leynbaan_Villa_Fish_Spa-Galle_Galle_District_Southern_Province.html" target="_blank">nice little guest house</a> which was situated down one of the few small, picturesque (and very touristy) streets.<br />
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View from inside an adorable little cafe with pumpkin ginger soup!</div>
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We spent the first day doing what tourists do best - buying lots and lots of souvenirs. There was some really lovely stuff and it was just nice to get out and see the architecture around town since the fort was first built by Portugese colonizers around the 1600s, then extensively expanded by the Dutch about a century and a half later, then finally taken by the British at some point. Sorry for the fuzzy dates/history - we clearly learned a LOT in the tiny museum there....<br />
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For the architecture nerds:</div>
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Dutch style mosque?</div>
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The end of the first evening found us on the fort walls looking down into the ocean and marveling at the construction of the fort walls (at least 40ft tall all around the place). It was beautiful.<br />
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since that last one was pretty but gave no perspective on the height of these walls:</div>
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Lighthouse at the end of our street!</div>
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We then stopped for a drink as a ferocious looking storm rolled in (very Burkina) and we learned that Sri Lankan wine leaves much to be desired. As does its Irish beer. Go figure.<br />
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The next day I was really jonesin' for the ocean after that train ride, so we headed over to the bus station just outside the fort walls and took a quick, cheap bus to Unawatuna (tuk-tuk being unnecessarily pricey and us wanting to pretend to be locals or Peace Corps volunteers). </div>
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On our way out to the water, we stopped at a fruit stand and picked over jackfruit, soursop and durian before finally settling on a half kilo of lychees to take with us to the beach as a snack. The beach was lovely with clear blue water and very gentle waves. Life in and around Galle was really hard, guys. </div>
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[Next up: the Fish Spa experience...]</div>
Emily Forsyth Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04215568660118904217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362750579703842009.post-52033421496239602782012-11-08T00:58:00.001-08:002012-11-08T00:58:17.907-08:00We're abou to leave the Philippines! <div><p>Sorry for being offline, but we spent the whole time underwater, no internet there. More updates when we arrive in Hawaii tomorrow rwhich thanks to the international date line will still be today for us!).</p>
</div>David Duckworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17200580252079307881noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362750579703842009.post-56280042503176320762012-11-01T08:13:00.000-07:002012-11-01T08:14:43.920-07:00Even more photos!Hello readers! Emily has decided that she is way too much of a baller to settle for a free Flickr account like I did, so we now have 200 more photos up, and hopefully will be able to put up even more tomorrow! Isn't living in the future great? <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/89442595@N07/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/89442595@N07/</a>. Enjoy!<br />
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[Edit after publishing]Be advised that Flickr uploaded these photos in reverse order. The last in the set are actually from Emily's Peace Corps Close of Service ceremony.David Duckworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17200580252079307881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362750579703842009.post-20028324584476369032012-10-29T21:54:00.003-07:002012-10-29T21:55:18.181-07:00Pictures!Well, we still aren't having great luck with getting pictures uploaded. Google Photos just gives an uploading screen with no progress, no matter how long I let it sit. I was able to upload about 80 pictures from our elephant day to Flickr though. You can see them here: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/89394307@N04/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/89394307@N04/</a><br />
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We'll keep trying!David Duckworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17200580252079307881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362750579703842009.post-20031533962562518302012-10-27T20:41:00.001-07:002012-11-14T11:01:55.786-08:00We didn't JUST ride elephants<div>
These posts have gotten out of order because Em and I had been hoping we would be able to upload pictures. Unfortunately, we didn't have any luck at the internet cafe last night, so we're probably from here on out just going to do text posts until Hawaii or Seattle, since we know people there and hope to convince them to let us use their computers.<br />
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Our second day in Kandy, Sri Lanka, involved more than just the elephants (see Emily's post). We hired a tuk-tuk for the whole day, and while our driver, Suresh, spoke little English, he knew a lot of great spots. He showed us trees with branches heavy with bats, thousands of them, looking like seed pods except for the occasional lazy flight to check if anything tasty had happened by.<br />
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So many bats!</div>
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He showed us a porcupine vendor, selling needles he'd plucked, or the whole (live) animal if you wanted (we didn't). He bought us coconuts and red bananas, the former sourer than in West Africa, the latter sweeter. But that was just the little stuff.<br />
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After the elephants, we went to a tea plantation. At the factory, they show you the whole process to make the various teas. (I'd always assumed green and black teas were from different species, but they're both made from the same tea plant, the difference is in the preparation.) Then you get a complimentary cup of tea, which is very good marketing because it tastes so good that you can't help but want to buy some. Which we did. Then Suresh drove up into the plantation itself, acres and acres of tea bushes.<br />
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Here's Suresh!</div>
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From there, we wanted to go to the Botanical Gardens, but a rainstorm was looming so Suresh brought us first to a gem museum. Sri Lanka has over 140 precious and semi-precious stones found in its mines, and all the mining is done by Sri Lankan companies, no outside interests. After the tour and video, you have the chance to buy them, loose or set in jewelry. Em really liked it; they treat you like an important jewel trader, sitting at a private table with the stones on a viewing tray while you discuss cut and color and clarity...even if you're just buying some cheap aquamarines or opals.<br />
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The rain had come and gone by the time we'd had our fill of discussing the finer points of turquoise, so we headed to the Botanical Gardens. Just beautiful. The cactus house was closed, but we saw some great orchids, a vast expanse of grass, an avenue lined with hundreds of palm trees, a tree kind of like a great oak in that branches might dip back to the ground (but very different in that when they did so, they dropped roots and became trees in their own right), and groves of giant bamboo!<br />
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We ended the trip by traveling up the mountain to a Buudhist temple with an 88-foot tall statue on top, the second tallest Buddha in the country. They let you take the stairs about halfway up the back of the statue, where you get a stunning view of the valley Kandy is nestled in.<br />
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See why we wanted to wait for pictures??<br />
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Before saying goodbye to Suresh, we gave him a small cake and a Buddhist talisman for prosperity that we'd bought at the temple, because it was his birthday! And because he was great. If you ever plan a trip to Kandy, we highly recommend him. Drop him a line at kandyblackboy@yahoo.com, and tell him we said "hi"!</div>
David Duckworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17200580252079307881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362750579703842009.post-40495080953089654622012-10-25T10:14:00.001-07:002012-10-25T10:37:30.309-07:00A pictureless post ...<div><p>Ok, ok, we've had pictureless posts already because of technical difficulties, but this one is about some things we've done where we didn't take photos anyway.</p>
<p><i>Last night in Paris</i><br>
Saturday night we went to an underground art show. Not so much underground in the sense of illegal, though it probably was technically breaking some zoning codes since it was held in a residential building, more underground in the sense that the artists were all more or less complete unknowns. The "gallery" was the staircase and hallways (and one room) of a cheap apartment building. Mostly photography, some"site-specific" installations, and one participatory show  (which we missed). Very avant-garde, very pretentious artists (that's not just my opinion either, Nico's Parisian girlfriend who is studying art history at the Louvre said the same thing), and a painfully earnest curator, and I don't pretend to have understood any of it, but it was certainly an interesting experience and I'm glad the world is big enough to have such things in it.</p>
<p>Since we started out the night doing something so very, very Parisian, we saw no need to quit while we were ahead, so after dinner we went to a little hole-in-the-wall bar that serves absinthe the traditional way: a slotted spoon is placed over a glass, and a sugar cube is put on it. The absinthe is poured into the glass, with enough poured over the sugar to coat it. Then the cube is lit on fire and the sugar allowed to melt into the drink. Once the flame has gone out, water from a small spigot is poured in, dissolving the remaining sugar and diluting the drink to something a bit more palatable. I asked Nico if he'd ever seen the green fairy. He said, "No, but she's around."</p>
<p><u><i>Temples</i></u><br>
After an evening of watching traditional dancing (for which Em has composed a post with pictures and video...but unfortunately that's one of the technical difficulties mentioned above, so look for it soon!) in Kandy, we decided to go to the Temple of the Buddha's Tooth, which is right on the lake. The reason for no pictures of such a place? Confusion, mostly. The sign at the ticket Booth listed an additional fee for cameras, which seemed neither exorbitant nor extraordinary, so when Em asked for two tickets, I said "and a camera". To which the ticket agent simply responded "No cameras." Which I assumed was because we were there during one of the twice daily prayer times, when they open the chamber with the reliquary for viewing (not the relic itself, they only open the reliquary to display the tooth once a year). However, there certainly WERE any number of people taking pictures, and one sign even asked visitors not to take pictures of people (presumably implying that pictures of the statues, art, and architecture were a-ok), but by that point Em and I had already decided to err on the side of respect, and I let my camera be. Best guess is the ticket agent was just cutting us a break, but I'm happy with the outcome anyway; it was nice to look around and read the plaques and absorb the atmosphere without always looking for the next great shot. And it turns out the ticket came with a mini-DVD, so anyone dying to see what we saw need only fly out to Burkina to watch it with me; no need to go all the way to Sri Lanka!</p></div>David Duckworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17200580252079307881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362750579703842009.post-26784302262974532942012-10-25T09:06:00.001-07:002012-11-04T03:48:37.156-08:00Elephants galoreWe're finishing off our last night in Sri Lanka with some hookah at a cute little cafe inside the fort near Gallery, Sri Lanka. It's called Crepe-ology and is "rated no. 1 by trip advisor". We recommend the rose and red berry mix..<br />
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We've packed a lot into our short stay, but I'll start by talking about one of the most incredible experiences in my opinion: <br />
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Cavorting with ELEPHANTS<br />
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The first place we went was an elephant orphanage where we watched baby elephants getting bottle-fed milk. Some were only 3 months old and about the size of fat great danes and others were a bit older with legs about the size of...me. Tourists paid to feed the bigger ones - they'd go thru a liter bottle in less than 20 seconds.<br />
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Baby elephants!!</div>
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Older baby elephant. We don't know this lady.</div>
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We then went over to the adult elephants and watched one get fed plates and plates of bananas, papayas, pineapple, and watermelon. The elephant would stuff its mouth as each piece was put on its tongue one after another, pick up any dropped pieces with its trunk, then chew and swallow the whole lot.<br />
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Om nom nom (we don't know this lady either)</div>
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Next we wandered over to a field full of families of elephants, were coaxed into nervously standing next to and petting one (little did we know we would later be getting much more intimate with a much larger elephant), and saw a large blind guy eating leaves.<br />
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From there, we stopped into a small artisan factory with a sign outside saying "Poo paper sold here!" We learned that this was referring to paper made from elephant dung, which hardly smells at all as it is mostly comprised of fiber. We would have bought bunches of things from there as gifts that freaked people out had everything not been so expensive..<br />
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We left the shop just in time to see the whole herd tramp by on the way to the river to bathe.<br />
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It was super cool to see the younger, fiestier ones splash around and play in the water with one another.<br />
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After all this, we were feeling like we'd had our elephant fill and could move on to one of the other 100 things planned for the day. Good thing I thought twice and told our driver to turn his tuk-tuk (motorized rickshaw) around after passing an "elephant safari".<br />
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No, we will not be bringing home ivory jewelry...it was a spot where one could ride elephants. So DW and I clambered onto the back of Siita, a speckled older lady elephant and trekked off to the jungle..by way of a two-lane road. It felt so badass to be looking way over the tops of buses that were swerving to avoid us.<br />
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DW especially liked it when we rounded a corner and some guys were like "Siita! How's it goin!" and fed her some of the wood they were chopping. My favorite part was feeling her massive shoulders swivel under my legs as she walked. It had the same one-with-the-animal feel as horseback riding, only it was an elephant.<br />
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We then went into a river for an "elephant shower" where Siita, on command, sucked water into her trunk, pointed it back at us, and drenched us repeatedly. After getting thoroughly soaked, she sat down, leaned to the side, and let us slide off of her to stand in the river. Then she laid all the way down on her side and we were given coconut shells to scrub her down. Finally, we were told to come around to the other side of her and sit on her shoulder. As we got up to get out of the river, DW tripped on her leg but she was very chill about it and just moved it away. I suppose for her it was about like a dog brushing past your leg. <br />
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(We're both like "What's she doing? Is she sitting down? What's happening?!?!")</div>
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We like to think Siita's smiling too</div>
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I never imagined I would ever be so up close and personal with such giant creatures and I could never have guessed it would be so relaxed and fun. We have tons more pics <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/89442595@N07/sets/72157631924007145/" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/89394307@N04/" target="_blank">here</a>. Wish us safe and easy travels on to Thailand (tomorrow)!<br />
<br />Emily Forsyth Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04215568660118904217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362750579703842009.post-77039969837230189922012-10-20T10:27:00.002-07:002012-10-20T16:25:46.921-07:00Surprise!<div><p>I mentioned in an earlier post (and sorry for the deluge of posts, by the way, but Emily and I are both playing catch up) that Emily prepared a surprise for me.</p><p>My hair had been getting pretty long before we left, so much so that our friend Lorena begged me to let her cut it. But I told her I was holding out for a real Paris do. We looked around the part of Montmartre we're staying in, and found a couple salons, but we agreed (so I thought!) that I could just walk in Saturday morning or even Sunday, no need to rush.</p><p>But Emily was quietly scheming all the while. She had not only found a barbershop for me, she'd found one that offers shaves with a straight razor! I've been a safety razor user for years - you have to be more careful than with the modern stuff, but when you do it right it's a closer and gentler shave - but I'd never used a straight razor. Always wanted to though, I'd heard it's farther down the same path - closer and gentler if done right, but with a higher price if you mess up. And actually, I really WAS in need of a shave by Friday, when the surprise took place. (I knew in advance there would be one, but I had no inkling what it might be. The one word I'd thought I'd overheard was "hurricane.") It turns out that was in part because Emily had hidden my razor so I wouldn't think about it.</p><p>Emily got me the works - a cut and a shave. And it. was. AMAZING. The place itself, <a href="http://www.lesmauvaisgarcons.fr/">Les Mauvais Garçons</a>, has an old school feel (for example, there's an advert on the wall for toothpast made with the "Curie formula" of thorium and radium so those pearly whites REALLY shine), but despite that feel they serve a younger, more chic crowd.<br />
<img src="http://www.lesmauvaisgarcons.fr/images/stories/salon1.jpg" width="600"><br>(Not pictured: The giant Mac monitor right next to the cash register.)</p>My haircut looks great! Here's the before and after:<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr> <td><br />
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</table></p>It was too late for date night (see Emily's post), but it's pretty nice how often she's been looking at me and smiling at her handiwork (and/or at how good I look?). Also, the straight razor shave felt great. It was like a face massage! It is a pretty weird feeling to be tickled by a razor - that's how light a touch the guy had - but overall I definitely rate the experience as a highlight of the trip so far. And a day later I still look like I just shaved.<br />
</div>David Duckworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17200580252079307881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362750579703842009.post-68451568370411839552012-10-20T09:13:00.000-07:002012-10-20T09:14:29.434-07:00The Essence of Paris: Romance and Food<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ah, Paris....wining and dining and wining some more....<br />
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We've definitely taken advantage of the beautiful atmosphere of this city and all the good eats it contains.<br />
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One of the quintessential ways we did so was to go on a lovely prix fixe dinner date at a small french restaurant. Nico recommended a place called "La Baignoire", which as the name ("The Bathtub") may indicate, was actually quite relaxed and un-intimidating for a prix fixe Parisian restaurant.<br />
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DW was a perfect gentleman and got me these roses on the way there<br />
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Once there, I had a meal full of the lightest things I could find on the menu (still recovering from some small stomach issues..): an avocado, crab, and granny smith apple appetizer, then crawfish "poêlée" and vegetable cannelloni, and for dessert an apple crumble with vanilla ice cream...<br />
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DW, on the other hand, opted for the frenchiest things he could find on the menu: foie gras with fig jam, beef with cognac sauce and potatoes au gratin, and a cheese plate for dessert.<br />
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Needless to say, it was DELICIOUS.<br />
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Afterwards, we met up with Nico to go out on the town for a bit... He took us to a small neighborhood bar called "Rendez-vous des amis" where we had some blonde(!) Pelforths (you know what I'm talkin bout Burkina folks).<br />
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Then we stopped into this fantastic place with the oldest pacman machine ever (so fun) and the BEST cocktails in Paris. The most notable one was a basil and mango mojito with a fizzy lollipop - and liquid nitrogen - on top. We'd heard some bad things about this practice in the states, but the bartender assured us those were silly Americans who just did it wrong; and voila! We survived!<br />
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[photos from Nico to come]<br />
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Another romantic evening we had was going to a Burlesque show in which a friend of Nico's was performing. We didn't actually get to see his friend perform (she was at the very end of the show), but we did see some other very good performances in the tiny little cellar:<br />
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And even with my uber-feminist leanings, it was really a nice, empowering show. Lovely!<br />
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The other (less racy) romantic things on this trip have come from simply strolling around town. The beautiful little houses (and urban vineyards?!) we've seen are just picture-perfect.<br />
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Overall, we're filling ourselves up on great food and loads of romance. C'est Paris! Ou bien?<br />
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<br />Emily Forsyth Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04215568660118904217noreply@blogger.com0Paris, France48.856614 2.352221948.773036 2.1942934 48.940192 2.5101504tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362750579703842009.post-56016809248895370142012-10-20T09:01:00.000-07:002012-10-20T09:03:55.324-07:00Museums and monuments!Good news / bad news /good news. I have photo uploading working on the Nook (though still only from the micro-SD card, not from web albums). Unfortunately, the blogger app is pretty under-powered, so I haven't found a sure way to insert pictures into the text in a way that allows for ongoing narrative; it's also a little unstable so when I first drafted this post, only two of the 25 or so pictures I had planned on putting up actually made it into the saved version. Happily, we have Nico's computer to work with, so <i>il n'y a meme pas de probleme</i>.<br />
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Emily was sick our first day in Paris, so I went out with her Aunt Jill to the Louvre. Emily did not spend ALL her time lying in bed, as it turns out - she also set up a lovely surprise for me later in the week - but that's a topic for a separate post.<br />
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The walk to the Louvre brought us through a very fancy pants arcade. We didn't have the money to shop, nor even really the interest to window shop, but it kept us out of the rain nicely.<br />
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Before entering the main room where you buy your tickets, you can get a pretty good view of some of the enclosed sculpture gardens.<br />
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Then you go into the main hall - the one with the glass pyramid Parisians love to hate.<br />
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Some random good stuff:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_68h7jkydzcqlh2YmlP3Zuybg1diXbnggAWqmt7t7_VNbMuApXBdgAcckEsWk10t0mxMd3zJeRoajKJafQ5_lJnA1YLLb_nCDqow0YfsY5JxrKfYBmBRIH2qxpbXsg_utcmXBbqrKGyc/s1600/IMG_0417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_68h7jkydzcqlh2YmlP3Zuybg1diXbnggAWqmt7t7_VNbMuApXBdgAcckEsWk10t0mxMd3zJeRoajKJafQ5_lJnA1YLLb_nCDqow0YfsY5JxrKfYBmBRIH2qxpbXsg_utcmXBbqrKGyc/s400/IMG_0417.JPG" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDm8yWrPkg6q0gLVTYO3WpNIoBtLV9hUyHbsECbmP3SvjOEeOKEaJOcd6EemQKSWuNSSCuZ5ck56RfZBC7OcTDhHiuXqXXS1jF0MIsVciOZmFw7ZeO6qA9frrYMT29b4Su9ZRTLyqjXZM/s1600/IMG_0414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDm8yWrPkg6q0gLVTYO3WpNIoBtLV9hUyHbsECbmP3SvjOEeOKEaJOcd6EemQKSWuNSSCuZ5ck56RfZBC7OcTDhHiuXqXXS1jF0MIsVciOZmFw7ZeO6qA9frrYMT29b4Su9ZRTLyqjXZM/s400/IMG_0414.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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One funny thing about the Louvre is that, having once been a palace, some rooms have themed collections that seem somewhat out of place with the frescoes and ornate gilding on the walls and ceilings. This was the ceiling of a room filled with Mesopotamiam antiquities:</div>
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This is the grand hall. I don't know how long it is, but if I had to estimate, I'd say it's somewhere between "hella" and "way too effing." Oh, and look, there's Jill right in the foreground! Hi, Jill!</div>
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I'm not going to include the pictures I took of the Mona Lisa. That's just downright trite, even if I did take some to remember I was there. Honestly, this picture, which hangs just opposite her, I found to be much more impressive, but maybe that's just the American in me - it's one of the two biggest paintings hanging in the Louvre. This is "The Wedding Feast at Cana," by Veronese, and it just blows my mind to think about how difficult it must be to keep your lines clean and your lighting realistic when painting such a huge work. The colors are great too, though sadly I couldn't get that very well - no flash photography at the Louvre!<br />
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Scene of a Flood, by Girodet de Roussy-Trioson is not about the biblical flood, rather a natural cataclysm. The man is trying in vain to save both the past (in the form of his aged father) and the future (his wife and children). [Rough translation from the plaque next to the painting]<br />
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This is the coronation of Josephine as Empress, and is the other of the two biggest paintings in the museum. It is by Louis David, who I think was my favorite artist in this section; he had a lot of great stuff.<br />
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For instance:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NXQ38pTfCm0ibkBYxDQioB6cJohMglzdx88W2X2POe3Qn9oFzLH_bK8YpHBT9z9ooPatE6C5Xi6gZidUnxkJhc_Js1w_g25Wg5jgjU5-f5GCYOH3kbokEzSDeUPJFLDoyPIDjnu3cyc/s1600/IMG_0437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NXQ38pTfCm0ibkBYxDQioB6cJohMglzdx88W2X2POe3Qn9oFzLH_bK8YpHBT9z9ooPatE6C5Xi6gZidUnxkJhc_Js1w_g25Wg5jgjU5-f5GCYOH3kbokEzSDeUPJFLDoyPIDjnu3cyc/s1600/IMG_0437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NXQ38pTfCm0ibkBYxDQioB6cJohMglzdx88W2X2POe3Qn9oFzLH_bK8YpHBT9z9ooPatE6C5Xi6gZidUnxkJhc_Js1w_g25Wg5jgjU5-f5GCYOH3kbokEzSDeUPJFLDoyPIDjnu3cyc/s400/IMG_0437.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Next up, Egyptian antiquities! These sculptures are notable to me and my Peace Corps friends for being made out of karite. That's the tree shea butter comes from for the rest of you.</div>
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There are all sorts of sculptures and bas-reliefs of scribes in this collection. But as best I could tell, this is the only one of all of them to sport a pedo-stache (Mom, just don't ask what that is. Trust me.). The guy on the right was the only one with fat rolls. I like him.</div>
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Giant slate sarcophagus. Wow, I wonder how much it weighs. To the right, the sort of thing that would go inside.<br />
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And at the display of what would go inside THAT, a couple children are introduced to the mummy that is about to eat them.<br />
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Out in the sculpture garden. This guy is one of four prisoners, each representing a different emotion and country. He's defiance I assume (the plaques don't say).</div>
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Pictures are not allowed in the Musee d'Orsay, but that didn't stop Em from taking, or me from posing. WHAT TIME IS IT THIS STUPID WATCH ARGH.</div>
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We also saw a few gems just walking around. Which is typical for Paris. Anyway, this statue commemorates what is apparently a famous story here about a man who could walk through walls - up until one day when halfway through, he found he couldn't anymore. We did our best to help him out, but eventually were forced to admit defeat and leave him to his fate.<br />
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Last but not least, we saw this on a random house on our walk and knew we had to have a picture of it. Shout out to Katie and Kelsey, whom we can't wait to see in Seattle!<br />
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David Duckworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17200580252079307881noreply@blogger.com1Paris, France48.856614 2.352221942.9899445 -7.7552001 54.7232835 12.4596439tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362750579703842009.post-14838111287460878112012-10-20T03:35:00.000-07:002012-10-20T09:11:52.644-07:00...Oh, but the view...We'd like to give you all an idea of the place we've been staying during our Paris leg of the trip.<br />
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Nico's apartment is up in hilly Montmartre, about a block from the cafe where much of Amelie was filmed: "Cafe des 2 Moulins"</div>
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(We just had to have coffee there one morning...so touristy)</div>
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DW swears Amelie was a stalker. I'd like to believe she was less sinister than that. But this lit up movie poster is hard to argue with... Amelie, why you lookin so creepy??<br />
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We could've gotten the Amelie special - a drink and a creme brulee...but had some spicy cappucinos instead.</div>
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And we're also just around the corner from the infamous Moulin Rouge </div>
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(you wouldn't believe the line outside of it on a Friday night - it made us wonder if there was actually something THAT worth seeing inside or if it was just the famous-factor that made it so popular...)</div>
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So, the location of the apartment is just grand - a super interesting part of town. But then, there are the stairs...<br />
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Seven flights of stairs. Over 200 steps. And on our tired out-of-shape legs and feet that are already trucking it all around Paris by day and night. Phew.<br />
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It's also definitely a small apartment (is there any other kind under the million dollar range in Paris??) up under the eaves...which can make bathing a bit of a challenge for the taller of the two of us<br />
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But, it's still a very charming place that has made DW say (about a million times a day) "I just want to live here!" "I love this apartment!!" etc.<br />
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And one other thing to love about the apartment are the views....oh, the views...<br />
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The Eiffel Tower out of one side of the apartment:<br />
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And Sacre Coeur on the other:<br />
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Oh, and then there's the 360 degree view that can be had from the rooftop (forgive us, Jill - it was beautiful!!):<br />
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Emily Forsyth Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04215568660118904217noreply@blogger.com166 Boulevard Barbès, 75018 Paris, France48.8885972 2.349842848.8781562 2.3301018 48.8990382 2.3695837999999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362750579703842009.post-80386049046090337612012-10-16T09:06:00.000-07:002012-10-16T09:06:13.416-07:00FLASHBACK YESTERDAY: Eight months' savings? That's one meal taken care of, then.We've actually already arrived in Paris, though I began this post yesterday with the plan to post it while we were still in Ouaga. The power and water then both went out all over the city all afternoon, and it didn't come back until we were almost out the door going to our last dinner before we left. Emily says it made it a bit easier to leave, emotionally at any rate (it certainly didn't make our last-minute packing any easier), but it also meant this post did not get put up in order. Sorry for that. Also, if anyone happens to know how to adjust the time stamping on these posts to accurately reflect where we are posting from, please feel free to let us know - we did not land at three in the morning, and Emily didn't write about our trip at eight (the times were actually closer to noon and five in the evening).<br />
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Emily has been preparing for this trip for quite some time. She got herself a pottery bank a while back (it's not actually a piggy, but it is Tcheriba-style pottery, which is pretty famous in the region) and has been saving in it ever since.<br />
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Trip day is here! To avoid having shards of clay all over my courtyard, we threw down - literally - into a laundry basket. The damage:<br />
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Wait, there's some missing at the bottom of that picture! I had to include it though, because Emily is displaying the exact smile that once prompted me to ask her, "What fresh new deviltry have you cooked up now?" Anyway, here's a picture showing all that broken pottery and beautiful, filthy lucre, if a slightly less mischievous Em:<br />
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We gathered all that money up, and...<br />
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Dollah dollah bills, y'all. Well, FCFA actually. Something north of 70,000 of them. Which works out to about $140 or 100 euro, which is what we changed it for at the airport. Our plan is to go out some time this week to a <i>prix fixe</i> place, like Chateaubriand.<br />
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Speaking of going out, we're off now to walk around Montmartre and enjoy the cool air while shopping for bread to go with all the cheese Emily's aunt just brought back. Gosh, Paris life is tough.<br />
<br />David Duckworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17200580252079307881noreply@blogger.com1Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso12.364637 -1.533863912.2405545 -1.6917924 12.4887195 -1.3759354000000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362750579703842009.post-26081844279631639582012-10-16T08:11:00.000-07:002012-10-16T08:11:26.747-07:00P- P- P- Paris!! We made it to our first stop safe and sound and with pretty much the most minimal hassle ever. It must be the little voodoo statue from Benin that I brought with me. I loved the Orly airport - fastest time through customs ever.<br />
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The flight(s) were very tiring between leaving Ouagadougou at 00h30, stopping an hour later in Niamey, stopping for a short layover (that we ran through) in Casablanca at 6h30, then arriving in Paris at 12h15 and at my cousin Nico's apartment after some trains and metros at around 14h20.<br />
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A total of ~13 hours of travel (w/time zone change) to traverse around 7,000km is pretty good!<br />
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We are tired, though:<br />
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I'm so happy to be staying here in my cousin's place and getting to hang out with him [well...he's not home from work yet, actually...but soon] and with my aunt Jill who came from Strasbourg to see us!! Plus, Nico's apartment is right around the corner from Moulin Rouge (ooh la la!) and is on the 7th floor such that on one side you can see la Tour Eiffel while on the other you can see the hill up to the peak of Montmartre...it's pretty spectacular (more photos to come). </div>
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Last thing, we ate our first Parisian meal; and let me tell you - it was fancy:</div>
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Just kidding. Some street food on the way 'cause we were starving. But street food in Paris means a chicken/cheese panini, prosciutto sandwich, and cherry cokes. So, we're happy.<br />
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Looking forward to some good home cooking with Jill and Nico tonight and maybe a foray into the neighborhood and/or on to the rooftop of this lovely apartment building...Emily Forsyth Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04215568660118904217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362750579703842009.post-42673631018590433662012-10-16T03:47:00.001-07:002012-10-16T08:37:13.276-07:00And so it begins...we've landed![Update: 16 Oct 17h35 Paris time] I posted this from the Orly airport, which offers a free 15 minute connection. Unfortunately, I discovered that my Nook does not quite work with the web interface of Blogger, and while I was able to put info in the title, I couldn't type anything in the body of the post. I will research that issue more tonight, but as of a few minutes ago you can see Emily's most recent post for thoughts on our trip in.David Duckworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17200580252079307881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362750579703842009.post-62612283489488798962012-10-15T02:23:00.000-07:002012-10-15T02:23:06.418-07:00Packed and Ready to RockIt's our last day in Burkina before we fly off on our 50 day escapade around the world...<br />
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We're packed (mostly) and I've gotten through a lot of goodbyes. For me, it's my last day in Burkina after being here nearly three and a half years. It's a good thing that DW* is coming back here after the trip because I don't think we could handle having the both of us scrambling through last-minute goodbyes and packing up for good. It's also a good thing that I have this grand trip to look forward to; it's making all the sad parts of leaving so much easier...<br />
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Back to packing! Here's what all of our combined(!) luggage looks like: <br />
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I think we did pretty well on the packing light principle. (Surprising, considering the amount of cheap sweaters I had to buy second-hand at the market before heading into frigid 55 degree weather! brrrr)<br />
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Now, for a little run-down of the trip to get everyone caught up:<br />
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We leave right after midnight tonight, so technically Oct 16th and we get to the Washington DC area - where I'll settle into my new life in Americaland - on Nov 28th. From there, DW will continue back to Burkina Faso after a short stay, arriving where he started on Dec 2nd. Which makes his trip 48 days. (Sorry, we rounded for the blog's URL.)<br />
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Along the way we'll be visiting...<br />
5 countries: France, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines<br />
and 5 US cities: Honolulu, Hawaii; Seattle, Washington; New Orleans, Louisiana; Baltimore, Maryland; and...well...Northern Virginia (can we please just say Washington DC??)<br />
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Now, here's a quiz for any of you who haven't seen our detailed itinerary and/or been in the parts of the world in which we're travelling. Here's an alphabetical list of all the cities we'll be visiting or travelling through on the non-US part of our trip. Guess which country each city is in (some are much easier than others); answer in the comment section; the first person to get them all right gets a photo of us spelling out their initials with our bodies in the city of their choice...<br />
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1. Bangkok<br />
2. Battambang<br />
3. Cebu<br />
4. Colombo<br />
5. Galle<br />
6. Kandy<br />
7. Manila<br />
8. Paris<br />
9. Siem Reap<br />
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And, to help you visualize, here's a rough Google map of our stops along the way - although not all our stops are pictured so don't count on it too much to help you through the quiz:<br />
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Good luck and enjoy our blog - we'll do our best to post as much as we can with as many pictures as possible!!<br />
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*note for future reference: this is what I call Mr. David DuckworthEmily Forsyth Queenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04215568660118904217noreply@blogger.com7