Processing

I wish life had a pause button, so I could have ample time to reflect and process without missing anything new. I've yet to take the time to adequately formulate my thoughts on my time in Nicaragua. I know I'm glad I went, but I want to think through some things before I say much more than that. My grandfather (who was widowed a few weeks ago) has been in the hospital in Macon since last week and is in intensive care, and I returned to work today after being gone 15 days...and am contemplating heading south to see him. Life feels really busy...and full...and good. God is providing all around me, and I'm grateful that I see that.

On Friday each child received a Jolly Rancher, and the little girl in the photograph with me came running to find me--and handed her Jolly Rancher to me. That may not sound like a big deal, but in this community children never receive candy (or much of anything material). She was so glad to have something to share, and it made me wish that I had a heart of that sort of gratitude, rushing to share something I've received instead of holding it so closely--finding more joy in having something to give to others than in possessing something new.

This is the pastor of the local church and his wife Lorena; this is how they get to the closet town with a store. Their daughter often rides on the same bike with them.



p.s. I'm grateful for friends...friends who welcome me back so warmly, who want to hear about my experience, who take papers to the hospital for my grandfather when I can't, who ask me personal questions because they care and want to help my grow in my faith, who text me randomly, and who obviously love me.

One look at you and I can't disguise....

Child's Day was a lot of fun, and the children begged me to take their photographs. I was happy to oblige. They're beautiful, especially when dancing (and man, they can shake it) and hitting the pinata.

My teacher and I had my lesson in the afternoon and traveled by miserably hot public bus to Playa del Coco, which was so beautiful that I managed to get over the hour long ride. I must admit that I've wished I were home. I am pretty exhausted most of the time--probably from the constant heat and sweating. With that being said, I think coming a week early and learning about the culture, history, and language of Nicaragua was a good idea...for the most part, and now that I'm with my team I feel renewed. I'm sure my first shower with hot water in over a week helped...and bed with non-scratchy sheets and just being able to leave my valuables unlocked in my suitcase. I'm excited about meeting the folks in the village who we've been praying for and wanting to meet for months. Today we're visiting an orphanage, which is a first for me.

In case you're wondering, I'd recommend Nicaragua for an adventure but probably not for a vacation unless you want to shell out a good bit of money for American-priced hotels and transportation. Of course, if you're with other people, it's much easier to afford since you can split the costs, etc. It's definitely not for the faint of heart.

Happy domingo amigas!

Today's lyrics are courtesy of the Managua airport, which I sat in for about 6 hours yesterday waiting for various team member flights and readaing Blink.

p.s. I'm happy for huge waves, avocados almost as big as my head, chubby babies, and all the other beautiful things created by God.

"Honey came in & she caught me red-handed"

Tutoring began yesterday, and it was a lot of information! I am enjoying learning about Nicaraguan government, history, and culture. I spent two hours doing homework yesterday...only to learn this morning that I'd done my homework for the entire week! Oh well...fortunately I brought a great workbook.

Entonces yesterday I made a brilliant discovery! There's a really nice, expensive hotel here called Piedras & Ojos that stands in sharp contrast to my hotel--Hotel Joxi,which costs $15 a night and includes a private bathroom, bed with scratchy sheets, insects, and fan and a/c. Unlike my modest lodgings, Piedras & Ojos has a pool or three. So I climbed up the hill yesterday to check it out. I felt obliged to buy a Coca Cola Light and spent two hours at the pool. I headed back today for my first good meal since arriving here (most of the restaurants here are catering to cheap tourists and serve nachos, pizza, etc.) and spent almost four hours beside the infinity pool. It's clean, safe, and I don't have to worry about waking up to find a man standing above me, trying to sell me stuff. So yeah for relaxation!

Today's lyrics are from Marie's Bar where I had the worst nachos of my life. Marie's Soda, however,makes their tortillas on the spot, thus serving some super yummy nachos. I've yet to find my beloved plantains but vow to do so before leaving San Juan del Sur.

p.s.I am so grateful to have three hours a day with a Nicaraguan tutor. I can (and have) asked her all sorts of random questions. I learned today,for example, that the president's wife does not shave under her arms and has quite a bit of hair there--and that the machistos really like it. Tomorrow she's taking me to the local school to check it out, and I'm taking them the supplies my mom bought for me to share. Fun!

"Put your hand in my hand baby, don't ever look back"

Today's lyrics are brought to you compliments of a bus that is a slight step above a "chicken bus" in the Nicaragua transport system.

Nicaragua is bright, colorful, sticky, and relaxed. I´ve yet to bathe (correctly figuring there was no point) and am glad for all of the baby wipes my mom packed in my bag. I was so squished on the last bus I took that at one point that I thought I was going to get sick, then a guy groped my butt several times before I realized what he was doing. All of that being said, I am grateful I didn´t take the shuttle and soaked in all of the nuances of the culture here. I mean...who knows if the shuttle would have been playing Richard Marx, Roxette, Starship, and Lionel Richie? At some of the stops vendors would squish through those of us standing in the aisle, propping goods on their heads. If you order a drink, they pull out a plastic bag with ice in it and dump the bottled drink in the bag, tie the top of it, and insert a straw. I guess it´s a bit like the concept of a Capri Sun. They looked yummy, but I´d been warned about the water and feared the ice consumption.

I gave up that fear, however, to have a pina colada after I had a really scary experience near the beach in San Juan del Sur. I ventured out with my mom's very expensive, fabulous camera around my neck, which I will not do again, and as I neared the end of the main drag a white guy started screaming at me in English and Spanish. He called me a "puta" repeatedly, which is the Spanish word for "whore" and that was just the beginning of the nastiness. He told me how he'd rape me, etc. I ignored him completely, and he finally stopped walking.

Other than him and the groper on the bus, I've met some lovely people. I chatted with a sweet Nicaraguan lady on my first bus. At a middle of nowhere sort of bus stop, I met Alberto while I waited. He was a blessing because he fought off all the taxi drivers. Alberto is an aspiring English speaker, so we had about 20 minutes to practice our respective second languages with each other. On my last leg of the journey I invited a couple to join me in my cab. Turns out the girl was recently in a new friend's wedding! Yep, the husband sat next to me at game night on Friday, and 48 hours later I'm setting next to one of the bridesmaids from his wedding in a cab in Nicaragua. It's a small world.

p.s. I'm grateful that I had so many opportunities to use my Spanish today, had some beach time, and have had much desired reading time.

"It was all that I wanted, now I'm living without"

It is 5:20 a.m. and already daylight here in Managua. I arrived around 9 p.m. last night after uneventful travel, although I did feel really anxious on the way to the airport. I ended up bringing a bit of work with me and being reminded several times over the past few days of what I hate about litigation. So much of it is unpredictable, and of course, it and deadlines stop for no one. But my anxiety seemed more related to visiting somewhere new--alone. I guess some of what I have read about the frequency of thefts here and the importance of being hyper-vigilant combined with my lack of preparedness and really just the adventure of a trip like this when traveling and planning alone rendered me a bit nervous on the drive to the airport.

Thankfully I arranged a shuttle from my hostel before arriving in Nicaragua, so I was greeted by a young boy holding a sign with my name after grabbing my bags (note I had to check 2 bags simply to avoid exceeding the 50 pound weight limit...oh well at least now they are combined into one). The shuttle was $15 and well worth it, especially since it was dark when I arrived. My private single room (without a restroom unfortunately) at Managua Backpackers Inn is perfectly adequate (with free internet and a fan in my room that made it cool enough), and Michael here has been very helpful. He arranged a cab to pick me up in a few hours to travel to the microbus station where I will arrange transportation to San Juan del Sur. I am generally not a taxi taking sort of person, but everything I have read about Managua has convinced me not to walk or take the bus.

Recognize the lyric? It´s what the shuttle driver was listening to on our ride.

p.s. I am glad my anxiety was fleeting and that I have enough adventurous spirit to do things like this. I realized last night what a gift it is to experience so many new things in just a few hours.

Ducks Are Not in a Row

I leave for Nicaragua in about 36 hours and am pretty much unprepared, unpacked, and overwhelmed. I have a zillion things to do before I leave the office today and am operating on about four hours of sleep. Isn't it nice to know that, one way or another, things will work out? And that despite a long to-do list I will somehow make it to game night tonight because lets face it I'd rather give up sleep than game night with friends. Plus this is Clay's opportunity to see my obnoxious competitive game night side.

Speaking of which, I think last night was date #11. He cooked for the third time per my request, and it was great (and my very first time eating a fish taco). I'm still surprised by how much I like Clay and enjoy being with him. He's just really easy, fun company and being with him is exciting and comfortable at the same time. I don't think I've written much about him, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask. He's very bright & well read, a great conversationalist, disciplined and focused (including with his relatively new Christian faith and fitness), thoughtful (gave me a "happy day" gift--Lonely Planet's guide for Nicaragua), a fantastic communicator (I know how he feels and where he stands), is funny, and an easy date (he's come to two get-togethers with me and requires no attention--mingling with my friends with ease). He also has a mullet wig and great taste in music (and can sit and listen with me for hours instead of watching a movie).

We'll see if distance makes the heart grow fonder as I'll be in Nicaragua for two weeks, then he leaves a day after I get back for a week. Then we're both going to be out of town for a long weekend. So I guess we'll catch up with each other in July :)

I arrive in Nica on Saturday night, and on Sunday morning I'll travel to San Juan del Sur by bus (saving about $37 by not taking a shuttle) and start daily meeting with a Spanish tutor on Monday. Hoping that my Spanish comes back with a vengeance and that I learn new vocabulary rapidly, so that I won't need to use a translator the next week (during the mission trip in a small village with a group from my church).

p.s. I'm grateful for your encouraging words and prayers over the last week. My family is doing as well as can be expected, but now that the funeral and arrangements are behind us, I imagine my grandfather, mom, and aunts' grief will really kick in.

Relieved to Be at The Beach

So the four day trip to D.C. with Carter has left me in need of a vacation. Thankfully a trip to the beach was already planned with a stay with my favorite friends from law school (with Carter is staying about 20 miles away with friends).

Long story short--the trip was disappointing to us both, and it's left me with some things to think about. While I hate that only one of the four days together in D.C. was fun, I guess I am glad to be aware of what some of our potential issues are sooner rather than later. Right now I'm thinking about whether these are issues I want to deal with or not. I'm wondering when you cut your losses and acknowledge that a square peg won't fit into a round hole as opposed to when you dig in and try, recognizing that you're not perfect and that relationships are work. I'm reflecting on how I "should" feel about someone after dating for six months, curious if an absence of that "in love" feeling is my answer or if it's a product of a more mature, balanced and less physically intimate relationship.

Have I mentioned lately that I hate dating? If not, please be assured that I do. I don't mind being single; I want to one day be married; but I hate dating.

Random details of our trip:

The drive to the airport included an argument about whether or not easy fit tapered leg jeans were in style five years ago. You can guess which side I was on:)

We missed our flight but were fortunate to pay only $50/each to be on a flight that left only one hour later.

For the very first time I met a blogger in person, and it was fantastic. Jeff and I met via Kimberly's blog over two years ago. Jeff and his wife had two extra tickets (and excellent seats) to the Baltimore Orioles v. the D.C. Nationals baseball game on Saturday night, so we met up with them at the stadium for a fun game. Then they showed us around the harbor and were kind enough to give us a ride back into town. This was a definite highlight of the trip.

Attended a very cool church service at Capitol Hill Baptist on Sunday night in which various members of the congregations (probably more than 15) prayed for different members, organizations, etc. in the course of one prayer. It was obvious that this church family was open, honest, and faithfully praying for one another and others throughout the world.

We got our hotel rooms in a great location at a 4 star hotel for only $80/night through Priceline ("name your own price"). I'm addicted to this website now; it's a bit like gambling. Carter booked me a room at a Doubletree (yummy hot cookies) in Atlanta not long ago for $50/night, and Carter has gotten me a room at the Grand Hyatt for $75.

p.s. I'm grateful that I have no plans tomorrow and am spending the day alone at the beach. Given how much not fun the last few days have been, the prospect is especially delightful.

Valencia, Spain

What a perfect food day....I stumbled across the most perfect tapas restaurant early this afternoon and found myself in food heaven. Usually the tapas here are sort of unfresh looking and just sitting in a few metal containers underneath a glass. They are often uninspiring meatballs, chicken, and the like and are the same in most restaurants. But Taverna de la Reina's bar had a two tier lengthy display case of creative tapas all on slices of french bread. I ended up having six tapas, and each was wonderful. One had cream smeared on it with roasted apples, walnuts, and a drizzle of honey. Another tapa was simple with just cheese and a meat that reminded me of pepperoni (could it be salami?). A businessman recommended I try another, which had a red sauce on one side and some sort of creamy like cheese on the other. And another had a slab of a different sort of soft cheese, a pinneaple wedge, raisins, and maybe some honey. It was the perfect lunch. Oh, I almost forgot...the waitress was pleasant (still not good service by American standards but not rude), and unfortunately that is the exception and not the rule here.

Afterwards I wondered around the old city of Valencia, and it was so hot that ice cream seemed appropriate. And the spot I found to have it allowed me to do the two flavors in one scoop thing, which is always extra fun, so I tried white chocolate and dulce de leche. Delicious.


When I returned to the guesthouse the owner was cooking up a storm. He had said he was making paella, but I had gotten the idea it was for dinner. Alas, it was for our 3:30 feeding....or lunch. The paella was delicious with rice, odd beans, rabbit, and chicken. He served it in the pan he cooked it in, which is the largest pan I have ever seen in someone's home. The pan sat in the center of the table, and we were instructed to just dig in. So no plates. Communal eating, I suppose. I sat beside an older Irish guy who swore at least once in every sentence. It was so....tacky. The words sort of lost their effect when he used the "f word" every other sentence. I used to swear a lot, and it made me wonder if I sounded that class-less when I did so. Regardless it was interesting to hear about his life and his plans to move here because of the economic boom and construction going on in Ireland. After paella, Miguel served slices of pinneaple and coffee (I still cannot believe I am drinking coffee even if it is more milk that actual coffee...I feel so grown up!).

This morning I took a long walk to the famous museum sort of complex here. The stroll there was through a gorgeous park with a bike trail. Once I got to the museum I realized I was not in the mood to go in, but the outside of the place was worth the walk. Plus no one could figure out how to enter this place. Several people asked me, and I could tell a lot more were trying to find an entrance. Weird.


One odd thing about Valencia is that I have never seen so many flies in my life. And these flies are sort of domesticated or something, meaning you can jerk and they will not fly away. One just sat on my water bottle last night until I finally killed it. Weird. Tomorrow I am on to Madrid where I can hopefully do some shopping and find some fun gifts for people since I have only bought one thing to date!

p.s. I am grateful for having so much to look forward to.

Granada and the Alhambra

I had planned to skip Granada since I was tired of hopping around every few days and doing the touristy stuff, but it ended up sort of being a necessary stop between Tarifa and Alicante. I arrived and was fortunate to get into the Alhambra (a Moorish fortress and palace) despite not having an advance ticket--my understanding is that only a set number of people are permitted in each day. The Alhambra lived up to what I had read about it. The gardens were full of beautiful rose bushes and other plants I cannot name, and there were fountains and streams of water everywhere. The interior of the buildings were ornate and gorgeous. I cannot imagine how much work went into building such a place. Unfortunately I was tired, hungry, and grouchy from a morning of early travel and just general annoyance (you know it is about time to come home when you start having the sort of internal dialogue that I am having), so I sort of rushed through it and did not soak it up like I should have. I am sort of over the "should see" stuff and am sticking to the beach now, which is convenient since my next stop after Granada was Alicante.


Otherwise Granada was a very pretty city with a striking cathedral, lots of doner kebab restaurants and pastries, and with nice places to walk and relax. On a scary note, I was awoken by a thud and loud voices in the room below me around 5:30 a.m. I thought a drunk had just returned to the hostel since people here routinely stay out until 6 a.m., but I later learned someone had crawled into a first floor window and stolen a girl's backpack with all of her money and important documents. The thief had used a car as a prop to scale the wall and then jumped and ran. Scary.

Yesterday was a most lovely day. I slept until I woke up, went to an outdoor cafe and had cafe con leche and toast, wondered in some shops and took in some sights, and then I headed to Playa San Juan, which is about 6 kilometers from where I was staying in Alicante. It is a huge, peaceful beach with enough sand that you are not too close to anyone. The Mediterranean was warm enough that I actually enjoyed being it the ocean for once, and I read a good book I got at a swap and pay sort of cafe in Tarifa. The book is called This Book Will Save Your Life, and while it is a bit ridiculous at times it reminds me of what Americans can easily become if we are not careful. And it reminded me of the sort of book I think Ozzy would enjoy.

Speaking of Americans, it is interesting to see what others' perceptions are of our nation. I have gotten several comments of surprise that I speak Spanish--as if no Americans are bilingual. Note: Australians do not seem to be bilingual very much either (and unlike college prep students in Georgia are not required to take a foreign language at all), but I do not hear people ragging on them....perhaps the cool accent helps. Some people seem shocked that I learned Spanish in an American school. Several people have commented on how so many Americans are obese and our fast food consumption, but I have pointed out to them that eating healthily in America is easier than it is here if someone wants to do so. They look at me like I am crazy, but then I explain all of the options we have. For example, the only salads I have seen here are iceberg. Skim milk is hard to come by. Wheat bread is rarely an option in restaurants. But they always come back to how Americans are so overweight, and of course, they are right. Although I must say that I have noticed many more overweight people in Spain on this trip than I did ten years ago. Of course, that could be southern Spain versus central Spain where I was before.

This afternoon I arrived in Valencia, and the owner of the guesthouse where I am staying gave me a ride to the beach. He swam and then wanted to discuss Al Gore with me, explaining how important he was in Europe. He also offered to make paella for dinner tomorrow night, so I am excited about that. I hope everyone has a super weekend!

p.s. I am thankful that I get to see my nieces next week.

Oh and one downside to traveling alone is being at the whim of others for decent photos...hence these less than perfect photographs. Oh, check out my third new pair of sunglasses (which are huge). I keep dropping them.

Tangier, Morocco and Tarifa, Spain

I arrived in Tarifa, Spain early on Saturday morning, checked in to my hostel, and went to talk to the tourist agency about a day trip to Morocco. I ended up heading out two hours later after my hot chocolate and reading (Mere Christianity at the moment, which is something I should have read years ago--like when I was an agnostic). The ferry there only took 40 minutes or so, and it was full of not-that-fun looking people with the red FRS stickers stuck on their tops identifying them as fellow tour group members.

We arrived, boarded a bus, and had a "panoramic tour" of Tangier, never stopping to take photos until we arrived at a dusty dirt spot on the side of the road where we were heavily pressured to ride a camel for a photo op for the bargain price of one euro. So of course being the photo snapper that I am, I obliged. Poor camel didn´t seem too happy.

Afterwards we were shown a few homes belonging to government officials but were told that photos were forbidden. We then walked through some streets and were harassed to death over the next few hours to buy things no one would want. It was really exhausting, and it all seemed worse because it seems the company and guide (FRS) were almost undoubtedly in cahoots with the whole deal. For example, we were escorted to stores that were clearly marked up sky high and forced to sit through what amounted to an informercial on rugs. At another store we had to sit through a 20 minute demonstration on various herbs and creams that supposedly accomplish everything from curing acne to stopping snoring. Who knew?

The only real highlight besides knowing that I was on a continent I had never visited before was lunch. Yes, trust me to find the food redeeming. The restaurant was beautiful with tapestries, pillows, music, and sort of what you would picture a a Moroccan restaurant to look like(whether or not it was even remotely authentic I do not know). The first dish was a soup loaded with yummy smelling cinnamon, followed by beef on skewers, and a main dish of chicken in fluffy couscous. I love all of the spices plus they smell so good. And of course, we had plenty of bread and dessert--a Moroccan version of baklava. Afterwards we were trotted through streets so we could be harassed some more by what were probably FRS´s employees. Most of us were very glad to get back on the ferry.

Even though the tour was a joke, I am glad I went. You can see Africa from the beaches here in Tarifa, and it would have driven me crazy not to at least go check it out for 8 hours and a tour group was the only safe way to do it. On the bright side, Tarifa is a great beach town full of kites, Quicksilver, and quirky restaurants. It´s nicknamed the Hawaii of Spain. I have spent the day with a neat girl from Toronto who is working in Switzerland for the next year.

And I am still surprised by the diet here which seems to include no fiber....so what is the solution?? Fiber cookies! Seriously, they are everywhere from gas stations to kiosks. And they only contain like 2 grams of fiber as if that is a big deal, and naturally many of them are covered in chocolate. I hardly ever notice anything like that in our grocery stores (although admittedly I am usually just a perimeter type shopper with maybe one aisle), so it just seems funny to me. I have also found that no restaurants have anything other than whole milk--and that enough of it mixed with coffee and sugar is pretty good stuff, which is saying a lot since I have never like coffee...I guess cafe con leche just sounds exciting enough to try it. Several of the town I have visited have candy stands on what seems like almost every block. Each one has drawers and drawers of candy with lots of gummy type stuff, marshmallows, and stuff like that. I imagine children love it especially thrown in with the fact an ice cream stand is on any corner that does not have the candy stands or pastry shops.

As much fun as I am having, I am excited about spending the rest of the summer with family and friends. I leave in five days!



p.s. I am thankful for the sunscreen that makes it possible for me to enjoy the beaches for hours. And I am thankful for tapas, which allow me to try lots of things for less money.

Cadiz, Spain

Cadiz is on the southern coast of Spain on a peninsula and is thought to be the oldest inhabited city in Europe. Years ago I got it in my head that I would love Cadiz, so I am glad to finally have visited it. I arrived by bus and as we drove through Cadiz I was disappointed by how modern (as in USA in the 1970s sort of modern way) it appeared. To my relief, a few miles later I was greeted by the charming buildings that I associate with Spain. There´s a beautiful cathedral, and of course the ocean breeze is a constant in this laid-back sort of feeling port city.

For the first time I arrived in a city without a hostel reservation. All of the online booking sites showed no availability except for pretty expensive places. Even the first hostel I walked to from the bus terminal wanted about $47 for a room (and with a hallway bath). Note: I am sure I could have gotten a dorm-type room much cheaper, but I was weary of dorms at the time. So I pulled out my cell phone (99 cents a minute here in Spain) and called a place recommended by Let´s Go and found a single room with a balcony (but hall bath of course) for about $25. Afterwards I wondered around, got my bearings, and took a nice stroll along the paseo along the water. Of course I had my daily pastry...this time it was some sort of cream with honey and cinnamon sandwiched between what appeared to be two graham crackers but was actually much softer and pastry like.

On day 2 in Cadiz I enjoyed hot chocolate in a cafe. Of course, all they have is whole milk; sometimes they just give you the packet of hot chocolate mix to the steamed milk yourself; and it is always accompanied by a big packet of sugar. After exploring some more, I enjoyed the afternoon on the widest beach I have ever been to, I think. After school let out about 30 boys had two soccer games going on between the ocean and me. Seems like a fun after-school activity.

And if you´re ever in Spain in February, Cadiz is evidently off the hook. My guidebook says that Carnaval insanity there is legendary and that week-long frenzy "makes New Orlean´s Mardi Gras look like Thursday night bingo at the old folks´ home."

Yesterday I thought a lot about answered prayers and blessings, and I must say that I feel quite overwhelmed with gratitude for the experiences I´ve been having...everything from seeing new places and meeting new people to just waking up when I wake up, wearing skirts and flip flops every day, and what feels like freedom from so many of the chores of life for a bit. After what ended up being years of prayer about what I should do next, I am so grateful for both receiving an answer and the answer itself--and of course, for a faithful God.

p.s. I´m grateful for my One Year Bible, which fits conveniently and easily in my backpack (I am almost finished...finally!).

Sevilla and Lagos

Before my five hour high speed ride on Friday from Santorini to Athens, I finally ran into my Canadian friends again. I had been unable to find the villa where they stayed, so it was nice to visit with them for an hour while we waited for our boats. Once I arrived in Athens, I met an older guy from Oregon, and he tagged along with me to find my hostel. We got buzzed into the building, found an non-functioning elevator, and then hauled our bags up five flights of stairs. While we climbed the electricity flickered several times, and I noticed some blankets on floors as if the homeless were seeking rest there. The oddness continued when I entered reception, which was dim and lit by just a lamp. The owner looked like a wizard and after spewing a ton of information at me, I finally asked for the bottom line. And that was that he did not have a room for me despite my reservation and paid deposit through www.hostelworld.com. He told me to check back at 7:00 and that he might have a bed then. Michael and I left our things there and went out to find better accommodations. We did, got checked in, and enjoyed a dinner of gyros together. Then I set out to explore Athens some more on foot and enjoyed a three hour plus walk.


The next morning I woke up before 6:00, took the metro (it took 1 hour and 40 minutes to get to the airport!!), and rested on my 3 hour flight to Madrid. In Madrid I caught the metro, switched trains, and arrived at the bus station right in time for a 5 hour bus to Sevilla. In Sevilla I was greeted by a parade for Jesus Christ. It was sort of funny, but also nice to see people so excited about Christ. And there were two really good bands in the parade, so it kept me entertained while I waited for my local bus. By 8:30 I was in my tiny four person room. I had forgotten how long daylight lasts in Spain. It is wonderful! And I love how people are out walking until midnight. So I walked around and could not believe all of the magnificent buildings, churches, and fountains right outside of my hostel. I had my favorite flavor ice cream--nata, which translates to "cream." Sunday ended up being just a day for me to wonder around and soak in all of the very old and pretty stuff and gardens. I bet I walked over ten miles.

Sevilla was really hot, so I decided it was time to head to the beach. On Monday morning I took an early bus to Lagos, and I am still here enjoying the sunny beaches. The six hour ride wasn´t too terrible, and it was fun to learn more about Australia from Arti, a woman I met in Sevilla. The owner of the guesthouse I am staying in picked me up from the bus terminal, and after I enjoyed a lunch at a nearby restaurant (fish of the day) I took a nap before exploring. Lagos is a laid-back beach town with plenty of beaches to explore and lots of shops. I am staying in a home with an elderly lady who reminds me of a Portugeuse version of my great-grandmother, so it is nice to have that sort of homey feel about accommodations.

As for Morocco, I am going to see what tour group options I have once I am in a city closer to the ferries to Tangier. If there is some sort of day trip with a group and guide, I might hop over. Otherwise, I will likely skip it. I have decided all of the hassle and worry of visiting there is not a vacation, but I could handle one day if I were with professionals! Thank you for all of the comments and e-mails, they have certainly helped. And Kathryn, I am emailing your buddy right now!

Tomorrow I will leave for Cadiz, which is on the Southern tip of Spain. For years I have wanted to visit there, so I hope it is as lovely as I have imagined.

Oh, check out the ridiculously good waffle I had for breakfast one morning in Santorini.


p.s. I am grateful for finding "pavo" (turkey) in the supermercado and not eating out for a few meals.

Decisions, Decisions

So yesterday I took a few hours and sat by the pool and planned out my itinerary for the next 20 or so days. I decided to pass on Lagos, Portugal and have a few days for Morrocco. I allotted three full days there plus two days of travel and hoped to hit Casablanca and possibly Rabat. Today on the high speed back to Athens from Santorini I chatted with some Americans who were strongly advised not to go to Morocco, so I checked out our government's website about travel warnings. Turns out there were terrorist bombings in Casablanca in March and April targeting American-related locations (i.e. American Learning Center and consulate).


Lost has already advised me to find someone to travel with while I was there and/or do a tour group/guided tour type deal, but now that I read about all of this and the following, I wonder if I should forgo it all together: "With indications that such groups still seek to carry out attacks in Morocco, it is important for American citizens to be keenly aware of their surroundings and adhere to prudent security practices such as avoiding predictable travel patterns and maintaining a low profile." The site goes on to detail demonstrations, crimes, etc. that I should be aware of before going.

Any thoughts? I hate to be so close to Morocco (I'll be able to see it on a clear day from spots in southern Spain/Gibraltar) and not go, but I'm starting to wonder if it's more trouble/worry than it's worth, especially since I'd have to do it with an annoying tour group (I much prefer solo-style) and am a blond woman and will have to be so "hyper-vigilant."

p.s. I'm grateful for the internet and all of the resources at my fingertips regardless of where I'm located.

Exploring Santorini

Yesterday morning I woke up early and set out to find some breakfast. While I ate a (really thick and sort of sour) yogurt with honey and walnuts I realized how much more of the island I could see if I just sucked it up and rented a scooter and ignored my fears about insurance, liability, and a bunch of other legal/financial stuff that I have a hard time forgetting about. I guess it's a side effect of doing insurance defense work and actually reading contracts. I ended up renting a 4-wheeler for 24 hours since I've driven them plenty of times, and the guy said they were safer (and more expensive, of course:).

One thing I didn't think about is how cold I'd be zipping around on the 4-wheeler. Thankfully I had a long-sleeve shirt with me, but I was too lazy to go back to my villa and change out my skirt for jeans. First I went to Perissa, which has black sand (not rocks--actual sand). It was neat to see the complete opposite of the beaches I'm used to, but unfortunately it was too windy and cold for me to lay out. Then I drove for a while to check out the red beach in Akotori. The views of the red beach were gorgeous, but it was still too chilly to lay out and I didn't really want to make the steep and rocky climb in my flip flops. So I set out for Kamari, which is the most resort like area of Santorini. I loved Kamari. There are tons of restaurants and shops on the beach, and I enjoyed a leisurely lunch of pizza with some of the best homemade crust I've ever eaten. The laid out on the black (back to pebbles though) beach for a while, and when I got up I noticed the side effect of laying on pebbles--it makes you look like you're covered in cellulite. While I was in Kamari, I made my first purchases of the entire trip that didn't constitute food, accommodations, or postcards (except for my camera). The jewelery here is very pretty, and I love picking up birthday gifts in neat places.

After the beach I realized I probably smelled (at least I'm fitting in, right?), but as I drove, I realized I was on the road to Oia, which is famous for its sunset. So I forged ahead, but unfortunately I didn't realize how steep the drive to Oia was. The cliffs were steep; the curves had no guardrails; I had to share the road at times with huge tour buses; and I was really afraid (and freezing). It was so windy I thought I might just be blown off! Once I got to Oia I wondered around for a bit, had the best (and cheapest at about $2.25) gyro I've ever had, and decided to skip the sunset and head back while it was still daylight. At least on the way back I was on the interior and not the edge of the cliff.



Since I forgot to bring an extra pack of Trinessa, I checked out the pharmacy here and was amazed by the cheap prices and helpful pharmacists. I got a pack of Yasmin for about $9 (compared to over $30 in the U.S.). I bought some Zyrtec for less than 1/6 the price in the United States and got some cream for my skin that we can't get in the United States. While gas may be super expensive here, medication is not and I am taking full advantage.

Other random thoughts:

I'm not sure I'd ever grow accustomed to putting my toilet paper in a trashcan.

Being in Greece makes me feel almost hairless in comparison:)

There are some very good looking men here, but I sort of get the impression they know it.

The men can be very persistent.

Everyone here seems to be incredibly tourist-geared. Shopkeepers and restaurant owners will stop you as you walk by and ask if you need directions, etc.

Tomorrow I have about a 4 or 5 hour boat ride to Piraeus, the port in Athens. Although the rides are a bit of a drag and time suck, they're a good time to read, journal, and sit still (as if I have a choice). Have a super day!

p.s. I am grateful for the ease with which I was able to get the medication I forgot.

Santorini

I arrived in Santorini via high speed catamaran a few hours ago, and I must say that so far it is living up to my very very high expectations. Just the drive up from the port was breath-taking. This is probably the most beautiful place I've ever visited, and I've only seen about 1% of the island. I can't wait to explore tomorrow. This photo is my first and only photo so far of Santorini. As you can see, it's very windy along the caldera.

I am staying at a family-run villa for $33/night. The room has an ocean view and balcony, two twin beds, a bathroom, A/C, and there's a pool here; you can't beat the price for that! Kosmos, the son, picked me up from the port; gave me detailed instructions; and his mother and sister gave me a ride into town earlier. His mother will also do my laundry for about $6. The villa is about 400 meters from town too, so the location is nice.

Fortunately I woke up to sunny skies this morning and enjoyed a few hours on Paradise Beach in Mykonos before my boat arrived. No nudity or topless women though!! I've not been to a beach or pool yet where more than 5% of the women were topless. I know you all have been wondering....tomorrow I'm visiting Perissa Beach (a.k.a. the black beach). I'll also visit the red beach and maybe the white beach too, so I'll keep you posted on my sightings:) And yes, this is a rough life.

Before coming to Greece, I had eaten a few Greek foods and not enjoyed them at all. The feta cheese here is soooo much better. And baklava is totally different and a thousand times better. The meat, which I thought was disgusting at the Greek restaurant in Macon, is delicious. Everything is so fresh, and it makes such a difference. Tonight I had a Greek salad and saganaki (a hard cheese fried)...and of course, a crepe with Nutella and white chocolate.

Lucky for me, I'm here until Friday. On Friday I take a boat to Athens, spend the night, and catch a 9:00 a.m. flight to Madrid. From Madrid I will take a train or bus to Cordoba (is it worth a stop? Any thoughts?) or Seville. Hope everyone had a lovely three day weekend!

p.s. I'm grateful for Tim Keller. I have so much more free time now to listen to his sermons and soak them in. Every time I listen to one I learn a ton and how to articulate what I believe too.

Greece

After spending three relaxing days in Malta, we got up at 3:45 or so to make our way to the Malta airport and catch our 5:55 a.m. flight to Athens. From Athens we had a short one-hour flight to Rhodes, one of the Greek Islands. One thought that has occured to me several times is how different the beaches are when you're not suffering from the humidity found in Georgia and Florida. The air actually feels clean; you don't want to constantly shower; and it's just generally a thousand times more enjoyable.

Unfortunately our luggage did not make it to Rhodes at the same time we did, so after completing the necessary paperwork we had a ride with our first chatty cab driver. He told us about the island, his first wife who he lived with in Sweden(it wasn't his fault Swedish women are so gorgeous and that he cheated on her (at least) three times that she knew about), his second wife (crazy Greek woman; never marry a Greek), his Russian girlfriend (she's 25 and couldn't earn enough money to live in Russia), and a lot more, pointing out that if either of us were a writer, he'd just given us a wonderful book idea that we should use (for free).

The Hilton's grounds and views were beautiful, and as we looked at the ocean view, we noticed another land mass that seemed a swim away. Turns out it is Turkey! You'll notice it in the photo background. I wish we'd had time to visit it as well. Since we didn't have our clothes, we set out to walk to the Old Town of Rhodes to check out the historic stuff in blue jeans. It was pretty hot, and I had no sunscreen but the breeze made up for it. The Old Town was full of beautiful old monuments and whatnot and olive trees. I spent the rest of the day at the pool.

The next morning we caught a bus to Lindos, a beautiful village (whitewashed with the pretty crooked streets) that houses the acropolis on Rhodes. I also had the most delicious thing I've had in weeks....a crepe with one half white chocolate and one half Nutella. I'm pretty much hooked and had two yesterday. Afterwards I enjoyed another relaxing day at the pool and the beach. We walked to a little village near our hotel and enjoyed a very leisurely Greek dinner. So far I am enjoying the food, especially the pork gyros.

Yesterday we flew into Athens very early and visited the Olympic Stadium, Temple of Zeus, Acropolis, Parthenon, and a lot more very very old stuff. It was pretty amazing despite the thousands of tourists around us. We enjoyed lunch and dinner at outdoor cafes. Last night we made friends with two Canadian women, and I am meeting up with them this week in Santorini for sight-seeing. Plus one for being outgoing:)

I had another early start this morning, catching a subway to the port and then taking a highspeed catamaran to Mykonos. Unfortunately it's rained all day, so I'm wet and stuck inside an internet cafe right now. I met a guy from California this morning, and we've spent the day together wondering around Hora (the major city here). His story is pretty inspiring....he works half the year at a major accounting firm as a consultant, and the other half of the year he travels and works at camps for children.

p.s. I'm grateful for all of the interesting people I am meeting.

"A Simpler Place and Time"

"On that midnight train to Georgia...." This song was playing as I finished writing some postcards at a cafe over the Spinola Bay here in Malta. Every window and balcony is adorned with boxes full of bright flowers, and the bay in filled with colorful boats, reminding me of Venice. The cafe is called Papparazzi, and the menu is full of cutesy sort of names for meals including a "Comfort Zone" for entrees like cheeseburgers. We ate dinner there last night, and I had my very first Nutella pie. I headed back today for a peanut butter and cookie cake afternoon treat. It's the first time I have seen peanut butter mentioned since I've been here, which is saying a lot as I've visited at least 10 grocery stores thus far. I love walking through grocery stores in other countries. It's a fun way to see what they eat, how much it costs, and what is different/the same. It's also a good place to get a cheap meal or produce.


My waiter, an older gentleman, asked me how I liked Malta. I told him how much I enjoyed it, especially that it was always sunny. He replied "striptease." I said "excuse me?" And he said yes "striptease. I am single." I laughed, and he told me to come back if I change my mind. Hmm.

After doing some camera research, I learned that I basically have two viable options. Use disposable cameras and hope the photos turn out alright. These cameras are expensive here, and of course, quality is questionable. Or I could buy an Olympus that is just like mine or very similar, thus enabling me to use the same batteries and memory cards. Purchasing any other digital camera wouldn't work very well as I'd have to buy new memory cards and would have to use a converter back in the US to charge my batteries since it would come with a European type plug. Olympus is hard to find here, but after looking on the internet and making some calls, I found a place. I tried to haggle the price down, but the best I could get was 5% off for paying with cash. Of course, the camera costs $150 more than my mother paid for it on sale in the U.S. But after doing some thinking and chatting with my mom, I decided biting the bullet and buying the digital made the most sense. It stinks to be out almost $400 for a camera, but like my mom said, I'll be glad I have the quality photos and I need a digital camera regardless.



p.s. I am thankful for my mom and her advice....and not having to wear a suit or wash my hair:)

I Guess I Was Due....

for a little traveling bad luck. In all of my years of travel, I've never lost or had anything stolen. On our last day in Zurich as our tram pulled into the train station, I looked down to realize my camera wasn't in my small bag/purse-like thing. I panicked, glanced through my backpack, and told Sam I was going back across the city to our hotel. I was hoping that I'd left it beside the computer in the lobby. The last thing I did before we hoped on the tram was look in my gmail for my grandmother's address. I had pulled the postcard out of my bag, so I thought perhaps I had also put the camera on the counter. No such luck. Since I still had about three hours before our flight to Malta I decided to retrace our steps (with all of my luggage) but no luck. The upside of rapidly walking a few miles with my luggage is that the exercise sort of helped me calm down and come to terms with it. So in short I lost all of my photos of Switzerland and my brand new pretty camera.

Thankfully it's just a camera and not my passport and something else that would be a nightmare to replace. And thankfully at least Sam took some photos of the last two places I visited. I hate not having the photos of beautiful Luzern or any photos of myself but what can you do?

I have yet to find an Olympus camera here in Malta (since I already have extra batteries, etc. for Olympus I would rather replace it with one), and even the cheapest bottom-of-the-line no-name digital cameras are $300. So I may wait until Greece to replace it and just rely on Sam's photos for now.

On to more happy news: Despite my running around looking for my camera, I made it to my flight o.k. thanks to the efficient Swiss transportation system (which waits for no one which must be why it is so darn timely). We arrived at our hotel in Malta around 8:30. The front desk guy noted the contrast in what Sam and I chose to do upon arrival; Sam went to Hard Rock Cafe to have a beer, and I went to the "Synergie Gym" that is connected to our hotel. Then I wondered around and found a nice cafe. It was nice to work out; I always love checking out the unfamiliar machines, and this gym certainly has some. I did a stairmaster in which your legs stick out in the air in front of you. There's a rock climbing wall, and a cage that helps you stretch. Half of the cardio equipment uses the metric system, which I still totally do not know.

The next morning I woke up early enough to check out the free breakfast buffet and am now hooked on Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread...you can get it in the US, but I had never tried it). Otherwise the buffet was a lot of things that were not too yummy (to me at least) except for the watermelon and yogurt. I do not think Malta has many American tourists, so I think they are catering to other tastes.

I spent a few hours at our rooftop swimming pool, which has a pretty view of the bay. The weather is perfect--warm and sunny with a nice breeze. You know the type of hot that makes getting in the pool optional?

Later in the day Sam and I took a bus to Valletta, the capital of Malta. The lack of pedestrian crossings (you basically just run for your life), the old buses with wooden seats and no suspension systems and croaking clutches, and the cheap price of a ride stands in sharp contrast to the public transport in each of the Swiss cities I visited. Regardless we got to Valletta and enjoyed wondering around. The cathedral there is beautiful as well as all of the quaint side streets and a fountain with male mermaids...or is it mermen?

As we headed down the main thoroughfare of Valletta, a female voice boomed all around us. We quickly noticed a PA type system at the corner of each building. Atlhough we could not understand what was being said, it was evident (somehow) that it was religious. It was sort of creepy (not to mention incredibly loud and annoying), and it went on for at least an hour. Thankfully it did not brainwash me, although it sort of had that vibe. Yeah for living in a country where religion is not allowed to be broadcast over a PA system throughout our cities for hours at a time. After about half an hour we came upon a processional in which some men in robes were walking around. Later they came through carrying some female figure with about 200 people following them and holding roses. I asked a cop about it, and he didn't seem to know much but indicated it only happened once a year.

The evening ended at a cafe; I had some chocolate pritiforoles (balls with cream in them and covered in a chocolate sauce) and Sam had a half bottle of wine. Now I am off to explore and be lazy by the pool, and Sam is scuba diving. We have one more full day here before our 5:55 a.m. flight on Friday to Athens. We have a short layover there before we catch a flight to Rhodes. I may get to check out a turkish bath there.

p.s. I'm grateful for the chance to check out a country I knew nothing about before March:) And in case you know nothing about Malta either, it is comprised of several islands. They aren't all that far from Sicily, Italy (which makes me think of Sofia from the Golden Girls). The currency is the Maltese Lira, and the official languages are English and Maltese.

Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein was....well it is evidently one of those countries people visit just so they can say they visited it. We traveled to its capital Vaduz and had a delicious lunch under some umbrellas while watching the patrons at the nearby flea market. There is a pretty castle on the mountain above, and the town is surrounded by gorgeous mountains. Sam was very impressed by the scenery on our one hour train ride, so that alone was worth the day trip.

Tomorrow we have half the day in Zurich before we catch our 5:40 flight to Malta. We are staying at an Intercontinental, so our hotel should be very nice. It is amazing how different the prices for the hotels are in Malta if you book it through the Air Malta website--much less expensive. I am pretty excited about there being a workout room too. I miss doing weights.

Sam and I sort of worked out a deal with this trip. He is much more of a spender than me, especially since I am staying here 33 days. If this was a one week vacation (and I still had a job:), I would likely be o.k. with $200ish hotels. But given the circumstances as they are, I would prefer less expensive places and tend to be game for getting cheap meals more often than not. Sam, on the other hand, prefers very nice hotels and wine, dessert, and appetizers with every meal. So we are staying in nice hotels every single night we are together, but he is using Hilton points to get three nights of our stay. So everyone is happy:) After taking a $60 cab ride to our hotel here in Zurich, he is relieved to do things my way tomorrow with a quick tram and train ride for the bargain cost of about $6 or so.

We also worked out a deal on me getting a few hours alone each day, and it seems to be going ok. At least I did not feel guilty when I declined his dinner invite tonight (I still had half my sandwich from lunch). Sometimes it stinks to be an introvert as I know he takes this "alone time" thing personally (since he has defensively told me that his other travel buddies say they enjoy being with him all the time on their trips), but I know that we are both better off if I insist on chilling out alone some even if I do not think I need it. One thing that is funny about the alone time thing is that I have found that when it comes to boyfriends I do not need nearly as much time away/alone to recharge or not feel irritated. I guess that is why they have been my boyfriends and not just friends?

I had a small world type run in last night in the elevator. A man asked me where I was from, and it turns out he lives in Atlanta and his in-laws live about a few miles from where I lived in Macon.

p.s. I am grateful for e-mail and friends. Even though I am here, I still feel so connected to my friends and family. Except my sister and father who have not written me...or commented (lurkers!). Sigh:)

Luzern and Zurich

I was happy to leave Geneva yesterday morning and catch a train to Luzern, which ended up being my next stop in part because a direct train traveled there from Geneva. One of the most fun things to do in Switzerland is just sit in the smooth-running trains and soak in the majestic moutains.

And majestic Luzern is. I spent hours walking and sitting by the lake and just soaking in the gorgeous scenery. Really other than a yummy cheese pretzel, some delicous chocolate, and the Lion Monument (which reminds of me of Aslan and is a monument for the Swiss soldiers who died in the French Revolution), I do not have much to report. I feel incredibly relaxed and am thoroughly enjoying not worrying about the details of routine life. It is quite remarkable how different I feel even after only being here 5 days. I have been so mindless--thinking a lot but not about the mundane details of life like returning phone calls, doing laundry, and the like. Even more than before, I believe that we need more than a week vacation once or twice a year to recharge, reflect, and just breathe. Of course, that type of vacation seems rather routine over here in Europe.

I had 5 roommates last night. Three very loud and rude girls evoked a midnight scream out of an older Parisian lady. And I made friends with a woman from Hong Kong named Maggie, who also quit her job and is traveling for about a month by herself. Like me, she is enthusiastically flying solo except she made some "friends" before coming over courtesy of the internet; friends that her long-time boyfriend do not know about. She invited me to a party with her friend and her and giddily showed off a photo of him on her digital camera. It was like watching a preteen with a crush.

Today I caught a train to Zurich and took a one hour stroll with my luggage thanks to bad directions. I finally caught a tram and found the hotel, which is a tremendous upgrade from a hostel (4 Points by Sheraton which seems nice so far). It was great to see Sam, and I have a feeling we will be closer than ever thanks to our modern hotel room which includes a shower that you enter directly from the bedroom and that has a clear door. And the bathroom has a semi-clear wall.

Sam accomplished his first vacation goal--buying a Tag Heur watch, and I stuck to the cheap life and only bought a smiley faced cookie, sausage, and a white chocolate and honey candy bar. I managed to get a lot of sun and enjoyed a lot of time today just sitting around outside in front of the mountains. No ipod, no book, no cell phone....just sitting there. The queen of multi-tasking is finally sort of focusing.

Tomorrow we are taking a day trip to a country I only recently learned of--Liechtenstein since it is only 90 minutes away.

Random Observations:

The diet here seems soooo fattening. Cheese, chocolate, more stuff with cheese, sausage, more chocolate, and pretzels with layers of butter and or cheese. Maybe American seems that way too with Cinnabon, Cookie Company, and the like.

Women love letting the bra strap show...who cares if the shirt is strapless? Just wear the same old bra.

Despite Switzerland being soooo clean, you have to go off the beaten track to escape the smoke. Btw, Aaron you definitely need to visit. You could explore it by motorcycle too:)

Happy Weekend!!

p.s. I am thankful for hot showers, clean and soft sheets, free internet, and comfy robes.