Day 185, 180 Days around the World Comes Full Circle
Last night I overheard Zylus say "It's gonna go down as the best 6 months of my life, ever!" Now whether or not that is true remains to be seen, but his words filled me up with joy....what a testament to our 180! We have stepped back into our beautiful life on the river, yet a new chapter begins. The future is Unknown, just as it always was and is. We bring with us treasure after treasure of an epic journey: 3 hearts, one love, an abundant adventure!!!!!!!
Day 177
We arrived at Dave's family's home in Forked River New Jersey to huge hugs and lots of interesting questions. Dave's mom and sister had saved gifts and treats for Zylus from every holiday he had missed while over seas. They called it "Van-Pats-Eas-Birth-4th" and it was magnificent, birthday cake and ice cream part of the celebration. Zy was so touched, moved and said he could REALLY feel the love. We all could.
Day 175
Getting back into the United States had a few hiccups which were firsts during this trip. Our flight from Rome to JFK was delayed by 4 hours with no indication from American Airlines as to why. Customs in New York was a bit of a sad, disorganized embarrassment experienced no where else. It took 2 hours and 20 minutes from flight touch down to meeting our cousins at passenger pickup. In between, customs officials played with their smart phones while confusion reigned with passengers trying to figure out which line was theirs. The enormous line moved at a snail's pace. Dave's passport was flagged with an X on his reentry print out, which sent us to a separate line. After another ridiculous wait, he was interrogated in a private office, as it turned out, for landing in Egypt, where we never even crossed customs. The passport control officer brought him back to where Zy and I waited joking about needing to arrest him. Pathetic,. After the fact I realized how scary having him separated from us would have been in any other country. Welcome back!
Day 174
Yesterday we threw coins and made wishes for our return, at Trevi Fountain as we basked in just a few of the wonders of Roma, still 104 degrees when we ventured out at 4 pm. E again toured us through highlights of the Roman historic center which of course concluded with Tiramisu, Cappucino and Gelato. We fly to New York early tomorrow morning....feeling a very sweet, acute nostalgia already for 180, truly the adventure of a lifetime for all three of us. What arises yet again is immense gratitude for all of the juxtaposed forces which have come together to make this not only possible, but exceptional, beyond wild imagination. Three hearts, one love as we turn, with maybe a few quiet tears, toward home..
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Day 171
We arrived braced for the sweltering 104 degree predicted weather in Rome, venturing out in the early evening to catch glimpses of the colosseum within the Roman centro storico. E navigated and brought us to the Church of St. Peter in Chains. Off to the side of the chapel, beneath a soft and changing light was a Michelanglo rendering of Moses with horns. I had the chance to observe Moses' intent and penetrating marble gaze, taking me out of time and into illuminated interior landscapes. I recalled the first time I travelled alone at 18 years old, meeting someone for whom I was the first Jewish person they had ever met. She asked me innocently "Can I see your horns?"
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Day 169
We visited both the synagogue and cathedral today, which really drove home the contrasting place each religion held in medieval Siena. We shared a belated birthday dinner with E in a ristorante serving their interpretataion of a medieval menu. If you listened closely, you could hear 700 years of candlelit secrets echoing from the arched brick interior...
Day 168
We are 4 once again having picked up E at the aeroporto in Firenze. We drove to Siena and walked through the archway into yet another beautiful, intact ancient city. We delighted in a sumptuous Italian desert on the open, oval shaped campo. A medieval drum and flag procession arrived, as though on cue, signifying that we are still having flickers of 180 magic...
Day 167
Tried to visit Villa de Medici at Carregi, home of Ficino, but gates were closed, no answer on the telephono...instead we spent the afternoon and evening in Firenze. The street views of the duomo look surreal, exuding majesty. Zy Guy LOVED the interactive Di Vinci Museum. We walked up to the 450 steps to the top of the bell tower for an early evening bird's eye of the whole city. Magnifico! Ended the evening at the Magnum Ice Cream Shoppe - now this was truly a 180 Miracle! Zy has tracked this particular kind of ice cream pop around the world. Florence has a shop where you can build your own and it is sublime. We each created and savoured one, mine was milk chocolate, hazelnut, teensie m-n-m and coconut. Zy believed we had reached the absolute pinnacle of world travel here., just for him...was almost a religious experience from the look upon his countenance.
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Day 166
Ferrari and Ducati Museum day. Need I say more after nearly 27 years with a Motörhead?
Day 164
Montepulciano! Just another gorgeous hilltop stone village where Zy fell in love with the swings in the playground, pumping as high as he could fly. Toured the deep cavern winery of Talosa with an Etruscan tomb and then tasted their Vino Noble Di Montepulciano Riserva, which can sit and wait for 20 years. We sent a case of vino home and Zy specifically requested that we save one commerative 180 bottle to drink with him when he turns 21!
Day 165
Pompeii today, reminded Zy of his least favorite 180 day in the Forbidden City of Beijing. At first it's incredible, seeing Mt. Vesuvius and the unearthed ruins, even the famed amphitheater where Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii was filmed, without an audience. As the day wore in, it was hot, exposed and no stretch imagining the hot flowing lava right there on the not-very-level streets with roofless buildings. We donned names for ourselves to honor the Roman in us....I'm Cleosnacktra, Dave is Headicus Baldicus and Zy, Stink Butticus. Classy!
Day 162
Buongiorno! Here's a typical day in Conca deli Marini: arise at 9 am, run, coffee on the veranda with views of the luminescent blue of the Mediterannean, swim in the salty sea and toss an airy green ball with the boy, pizza in the shade of Room Carmen, yoga, swim again, evening walk or hike with a thousand views of the water to places with names such as "'The Path of God", pizza and pasta, maybe some red wine, gelato, perhaps swim once again, float on a fluffy cloud into sleep....pray for another perfecto day.
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Day 159
All three of us are smiling upon the Amalfi Coast and in awe at Room Carmen, our Air bnb accommodations for the next several nights. Our room, 250 steps down from the road, overlooks the mountains, a castle, a cave and calm, now soothing green,, now brilliant blue of the Mediterranean Sea. We took a boat taxi to the town of Amalfi, dined in the square and sat in for a few moments of evening mass, the fragrance of holiness in the air. At midnight, from our room, we were treated to "super awesomazing unexpectarific" FIREWORKS over the water in nearby Amalfi. We toasted to this stellar display which seemed like it was just for us, commemorating the glorious moments of this epic adventure.
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Day 158
We spent the evening in Carpineto village, built in 1075. One can feel the medieval-ness of this town and it is transporting to a very different place and time. Stone structures with narrow, sometimes steep walkways and a quite beautiful square. We slept in the hearth of town, where others have slept for nearly a thousand years. My sleep was deep with the toning of the early morning church bells a sunrise lullaby. Amazing to have so many places we have loved to stay and loathe to leave.
Day 157
We transited to Italy via Madrid Spain and did YOGA IN THE AIRPORT! We arrived late in Fiumuicino, Italy and just before he fell asleep Zy said :"It would just be so good to keep traveling. I mean, this is the adventure of a lifetime and it's almost over." Both Dave and I were struck by this comment, because of late he's been really feeling the pull of home. We all have big plans to thoroughly enjoy the grand finale of 180.
Day 152
Several days ago Zy coined a phrase that keeps running through my head. It was in response to the seeming endless persistence of the vendors selling every imaginable kind of ware. Specifically in response to someone following us while carrying shirts and jewelry, and my attempting to gently just say no...Zy turned to me and said "That "sweetie" voice just isn't gonna cut it!:" Who knew I even had a sweetie voice? I'm usually the one who is curt and doesn't get mobbed like Dave....
Day 150
The Marrakech Medina does not disappoint, engaging all of the senses and then some. It is a place of heavy-handed beauty, an alchemical furnace,with the scorching-as-promised 114 degree high today. With 4 nights here, we lay low mid day and venture out into the souks late morning and evening. Our riad evokes a thousand Moroccan flavors and is a haven with a cool dipping pool and an air conditioner in the dark wood, dimly lit two tiered room. I visited the synagogue in the Mellah and opened my eyes to a bit of Jewish history in Morocco. When I entered my eyes and heart welled up.. Photos depicting Berber Jewish women in traditional robes and head dress gave me the strong sensation that this is my tribe.
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Day 147
Yesterday we laid low, all trying to recover from the food poisoning in a near 100 degree desert wind. We cancelled our trip further into the mountains deciding iit was prudent to remain in this Kasbah haven for a couple extra days. Today we headed into a fertile river valley toward a waterfall. This is a tourist route (Moroccan and foreign) unlike anything I've ever encountered. We followed the road up the creek where all along the way were restaurants with tables set up RIGHT IN THE WATER! When we arrived at the "trailhead" to the "cascade" a gentleman directed us into a parking lot. Quickly it became apparent that he would be our guide. When he stepped away for a few minutes, another gentleman came over and suggested that this guy was not trustworthy and would lead us to endless shopping. We decided to hop back in our car and continue up the road. The same second gentleman followed us after we parked a second time and insisted that he wasn't a guide. It got a bit uncomfortable with him following and standing with us.. I was able to be direct with him and say that we preferred to walk alone and that his behavior was a source of confusion and discomfort. He departed and I was grateful. The entire "trail" was packed with vendors, restaurants and what seemed like thousands of people. On our way back to the Kasbah we stopped in a quieter spot along the creek and occupied a table in the water. That was really something. On the unpaved road leading "home" a few kids were playing soccer on the road and Zy was glad to hop out and join them. A lady who was mom to one of the children came out and though she had no English, conveyed that she worked as a cook at the Kasbah. She invited us in and offered us a sample of the extraordinary Moroccan hospitality, pouring us fresh mint tea with a flair, watermelon, bread and olive oil and some of their home made goat yogurt. She pulled out her smartphone and showed us video of her daughter's wedding. We were delighted all around as the day was an amazing reentry after all that yucky sickness.
Day 146
I forgot to mention that the fortune teller told Dave that he also was sick and that he was "explosive." It is difficult to tell with this type of readinig whether the seer is looking at something immediate or global in your life. However, at 2 am, I awoke to the extremely rare sound of Dave vomiting in the bathroom. Thus commenced the realization of food poisoning which all three of us experienced to varying degrees. We were able to point to the particular meal and refrigerated leftovers we shared. Ugh! This morning Dave agreed to let me drive us to our planned stay at Kasbah Bab Ourika, a 4 hour drive away. It was rough for him, but we did arrive to the most splendid oasis we've ever seen....Open courtyards full of greenery, olive, pomegranate and citrus trees, immaculate grounds, cooling pool, views of the high Atlas Mountains and red clay canyons.
Day 145 (Fortune or Misfortune?)
I am running along the ocean at 9 am and once again it seems that everyone is out and about. Runners galore, some in shorts and t-shirts like me, others dressed for a winter jog. Soccer tournaments fill the beach along with a thousand beach chairs and umbrellas. It is overcast and breezy and there are hundreds of people of all ages swimming, some in jelabas, In the afternoon we drive to the medina and enter tentatively, seemingly the only visitors around. We follow our instincts and make contact with several locals who smile and make us feel that we are welcome here. We meet Adnon who is about Zy's age and he has no English but high five's us, requests a picture with Zy and then comes along, directing us down the winding narrow streets. Dave has his head shaved and the owner plays us a tune on his lute and offers the fretless 8 stringed instrument to me. We find the open air market full of leather goods and western style clothes, sneakers and cheap sunglasses. We eat a delicious lamb and potato dish on the street and take in all of the contrasts palpable in the life of the medina. In the evening we head out to a shrine across a bridge out on the ocean. We have our fortune read in melted lead and the reading is translated by a man who lives nearby. The fortune teller says to me "You are sick and are looking for a home. You have trouble sleeping and you don't eat much. Everything will be okay." She insists on reading Dave's fortune gratis and then insists on payment for it. We leave feeling a little creeped out and head onto the beach for mint tea and to take a listen to the local musicians playing captivating, rhythmic Arabic melodies. On the way "home" Zy says "The fortune teller must have known that I am home sick and that you are thinking about me." The entire experience seems to synthesize with his epiphany. Wow!
Day 144
I am being seduced by Morocco. We have been told several times that Casablanca is a western city, but this place feels like a vortex of east meets west like Istanbul. We are staying beside the sea and the street is alive with all kinds of Moroccans....women in head scarves and burka or mini skirts, men in jelabas or jeans. Everyone speaks French and Arabic. We arrive a bit worn out after 28 hours in transit and head to bed early, just as the street is really waking up. At 1:30 am an electric Arabic band is playing full throttle across the street in an open air restaurant and the kids play place across the street is jamming with young children. If ya can't beat em....we do join the mayhem, get dressed and enter the festivities. At 3 am things slow down and we go back to bed...my dreams are a potpourri of delicious, fragrant, mystical smells upon an ocean of ancient soaring sounds.
Day 141
Feeling a bit sad and nostalgic to leave sub-Saharan Africa...that in itself is quite weird. Spent the afternoon on the Zim side of the falls with lots of rainbows. Late dinner outside at the colonial Victoria Falls Hotel with expansive lawn, warthog guest appearances. Again, we play frisbee and Zy says things like "I've got my groove on" and "Now I'm in a rage." He catches nearly every viable throw and DIVES!!!! This is definitely enough to make the heart of an Ultimate Frisbee mama sing. We fly back to Harare tomorrow and leave the next day for Casablanca. Africa has rocked my world. I hold the seed of a hope to someday return and experience the mythical Okavango.
Day 139 (Gonna Be Rustic!)
Rough night of sleep near the road on cots that keep trying to collapse. We awoke and found a more remote tent camp to move to for our second night. We shouldn't be surprised, but still are, when we turn off the main road onto unpaved, and then turn off of that onto a sand road. Since we are back in the Corolla, this road is ill advised, but Dave tries any way and we coin the term "Gonna be rustic!" We're laughing, filled with the spirit of adventure, but deadly afraid that we'll get stuck and thus will commence some real trouble. Dave gets about 1 k down this "road" and has to back all the way out, because there's no way we can make it. We continue down the first unpaved road and again see signs for our camp....and the road is passable so we make it there. We arrive at our tent which is anything but rustic - with a skin rug, high ceiling, fridge and hot pot....We take a family vote and decide to take another 3 pm river safari ride and we're blown away x2. This time we get to see the nearly fabled-by-now river crossing by the elephants. Zy takes photos with Dave's small camera and starts talking shop with Dave about photo composition and such. We all glow in the orange and purple of a perfect sunset over Namibia.. (Here the Chobe River demarcates the border with Botswana.)
Day 138 (Our 180 Miracle!)
Gleefully heard lions outside our tent during the night and awoke at 6 am to begin a long travel to Botswana and Chobe National Park. We had our hearts set on a sunset boat ride down the Chobe departing at 3 pm, but our timing appeared to make it impossible. We stopped in at our camp for guidance and sprinted back out at 2:50 pm, as we kicked up a trail of dust with our vehicle. No way to make this happen, but we MUST TRY!!! We've been going nearly non stop for 8 hours to this point. We screech in at a fancy lodge along the Chobe river at 3:05 and they make the miracle happen! Next thing you know we're whisked off in an open air truck, down the bumpy road, into the park, to the boat dock where a boat is RETURNING TO LAND so that we can hop on. Now that's a level up from the 180 magic we've been experiencing throughout this entire trip. We express extreme gratitude, I'm handed a gin and tonic and immediately we begin encountering tons of wildlife up close - crockadiles, monitor lizards, water buffalo, a lone giraffe, enormous eagles, young male elephants play fighting, locking tusks for a few moments, then turning around to take on the next guy! We're blown away and end the evening at a restaurant that has both pizza and Indian food - a bit of heaven for all of us.
Day 134 (Zy Guy's Epic 8th Birthday Safari)
Last night Zy said "No thanks," to the offer of a morning safari drive. "I'd like to sleep in on my birthday!" Okay....Morning presents in bed on a chilly morning, stuffies, fidget spinner, a dung beetle preserved in glass. We laughed until we cried at interpretive readings of Dave's birthday card handwriting. Just happy on this special day, full of thanks to be on safari, together, knowing all around how special this is. Frisbee on the grass with elephants behind us and another up close view of the epic prehensile elephant penis. The evening game drive closed with birthday lions and then the singing of a Zimbabwe version of "Happy Birthday" by the staff accompanied by a real birthday cake!!! Zy said the best birthday ever....very glad that he could experience such a grand day without the presence of other children.
Day 133
Crossed back into Zim, passed by the airport to trade our Toyota Corolla for a 4x4 and headed toward safari and Hwange National Park. Dave convinced us to stop at a village along the road, offer some rice and cookies we had stocked. The villagers had caught our attention as we drove by as about 10 of them were working in a circle threshing millet with sticks by hand. Arrived at Ganda Lodge just in time to join in for an afternoon game drive where we had a very up close encounter with a beautiful pack of endangered Painted Dogs.. It took our breath away, knowing that there are only several thousand left on the continent. We had no hopes or expectations of seeing them, and thus began Zylus' birthday magic.
Day 132
Soaked in Victoria Falls from the Zambia side, one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. The locals refer to it as Mosi-a-Tunya, the Smoke that Thunders. Dave and Zy later ziplined across the Zambezi river onto the bridge that join Zimbabwe and Zambia - they were floating for quite a while after that. On the way back to camp we encountered a small herd of elephants just off the road. We had our first vivid experience of what we now refer to as the "prehensile penis (see Africa film on Zy's page.) Wow! A phallus (with a mind of it's own) beyond imagination...
Day 131
We filew to Victoria Falls and had to make an unexpected border crossing into Zambia with our rental car, having not realized our lodge was not in Zimbabwe. It was a bit of a high speed race to arrive at the border, realize we needed papers for the car, return to the airport....the gate opened for us in Zambia literally at the stroke of 10 pm, when the border closed. The two countries were once both part of Rhodesia and have been split since Independence nearly 40 years ago. We felt an immediate difference on many levels in Zambia....they immediately rejected our old "Zim" USAS (US $) saying that the bank would not take them!
Day 129
Awoke after yesterday's drive out of Mana at Chinoyi Caves National Park. The caves are extraordinary with a blue pool to rival the color of Crater Lake.. We are full to brimming with the incredible wildlife experience of Mana Pools. We stopped at a fairly bustling town and walked the market, spoke to the tailors working with their sewing machines on the street, had Dave's head shaved....Zy and I convinced him to have "180": shaved into the back, and although he was kind of reluctant, he played along. Stopped at a village near the main road on the way back and offered up colored pencils, notebooks and every last snack we had left in the car. The villagers thought we were funny and seemed entertained by us. They graciously gave us a tour of the village. Zy played "happy sack" with several village children.
Day 128
Got to ride along with a park ranger named Tonachi, rifle in hand. With him we found Zebra, went to the actual pools of Mana, Saw more crocs and hippos, baboons, water buck, ground hornbills, hyena poop (white because they crush and eat BONE,) The lions remain elusive, with a sighting near park HQ and we found the TRACKS! Blissful, fun day. Zy and I are playing tons of frisbee and he's getting really good!
Day 127
We are loving life with the hippos. Took a short hike down river and got a great view of some crocodiles sunning themselves beside the river in the winter sun. Later we do yoga down by the riverside and deep breathing has a whole new meaning. Zy is in love with the 4 resident "chameleon" frogs inhabiting our lodge. Several are white against the lodge paint, "hiding."
Day 126 (Mana Pools National Park and Living with Hippos)
Awoke at 4 am to drive the 7 hours to the remote Mana Pools National Park. Yesterday we gave Zy a few choices of what we'd do for our first out of town trip and he voted for Mana and the promise of WILD LIFE! Finally stopped at a dreaded police road block, but they saw that all was in order with our vehicle and they let us pass. I was the driver and totally adrenalized for quite a while after that. Passed the last fuel station without realizing it, 3/4 of a tank left, baboons on the road and then 74 K to head down the road to Mana with no services, unpaved. Wild elephant siting just after the turnoff and we're cheering and high-fiving like crazy! Huge national park lodge to ourselves on the Zambezi River and a resident colony of hippos greets us as we arrive. We see warthogs, impalas and settle in, happy to be off the grid!
Day 124
11 K hike we were invited to join with the local hiking group. Mostly ex-pats and a few Africans. They had no fear of snakes and bush whacked off trail right into the thorns. We had an enjoyable day, tired at the end Zy powered through like a champ! Near the end of the hike long after the group of 22 had already split off (which they apparently "never" do) we were in the back following and Zy got a thorn in his shoe. In the 3 minutes it took to extract we lost the group and reached a fork in the trail and had to guess which way to take. Instantly we were quite scared, realizing how we were absolutely in the middle of nowhere and extremely vulnerable. Luckily one of the village children who had been following along with us all day came by and pointed us in the right direction. Phew!
Day 123
Today we visited Wild is Life Sanctuary and got a taste for the animals we will see in the wild. Giraffe, Kudu, Sable, Elephants, Lions feeding, and a rare, rescued Pangalin (Aardvark.) Experienced a High Tea and Champagne reception there, taking in an up close view of the hold overs of colonialism, with black servers wearing black and white old school uniforms. We enjoyed the social part of this very much, with Africans, Chinese and even another American working for the embassy, but the whole gestalt of "High Tea" is not for me.
Day 122
We return to Domboshava today, seeking assistance to find the 10,000 year old cave paintings. We hire a guide to take us there and we are so surprised that he refuses to walk anywhere near the tall grass in the winter sun for fear of SNAKES! Hmmm....Our trip is taking shape, plans in the works for the long anticipated Zy Guy Birthday Safari.
Day 121
Went out for a run for which our host Naomi gave me directions - smiling African faces all along the way offering "Good morning, how are you's?" Apparently one of the first things that African school children learn to say in English. Couldn't find my turn and had to back track just as my 30 minutes were through. My quads are toast! We went renegade and rented our own car, realizing we'd feel trapped in suburbia relying on rides everywhere. Drove out of town to Domboshava past truly African villages (a little intimidating), police road blocks as promised, dirt roads and into what I imagined as a quintessential African landscape of rusts and yellows, balancing rocks, Acacia trees, and a peek-a-boo funnel spider. We bouldered up to the top and took in our first glorious sunset on the continent of Africa. Are feet are steadying!
Day 120
Regrouping and steadying our shaky legs, on the ground in Africa! Violet met us at the airport and helped us settle in, recommending that we use Gtaxi (like Uber) to see Harare and surrounding areas and avoid dealing with so many police road blocks. We arrive at our sweet cottage in fancy pants Harare suburbia with potholed roads and electric gated homes. Here we'll call home for 13 nights. Lovely hosts, beautiful grounds, huge excitable puppy called Barney. Working on our Zim game plan, one of the only legs of 180 with no real itinerary. Zy spent much of his day making art with pastels and during the evening we do a family art project and call it "Snuff, the Tougher Dragon." I am savoring the yummyness of collaborating on creative endeavors together.
Day 119
IIt's been 34 hours since we left our ger outside Ulan Bataan and the flight attendants are preparing the cabin for arrival in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe. Our layover in Adis Ababa, Ethiopia airport was an odd experience. Friendly African faces, exhorbitantly pricey goods...anticipating a month in Zim. For the first time on our trip we will be met at the airport by the face of a friend.
Day 118
6 am, glorious sunrise on the steppe, collecting dry Yak poop to be burned when the cold returns in September. Watched as the mama yaks were milked and then began our longest transit of 180 to Zimbabwe. Once again in total gratitude for a unique, divine experience. Our time in Mongolia is too short. I send out a prayer that we shall return someday!
Day 117
An amazing day on the lone prairie. Yoga in the wind, sun, clouds. Evening cultural performance in the city - just mind-blowing really - from the vibrant costumes to the resonant, earthy Mongolian Throat Song and tight, light ensemble playing the rhythm of the prairie, we are open mouthed speechless, never to be the same.
Day 116 (Life with a Nomadic Family)
Our stay with a nomadic family began with unforeseen twists and turns. We follow their car down a "road," crossing the creek, through a herd of sheep...jarring grinding and bumping noises as the underbelly of our rental car hits the very uneven ground, OMG, where are we going and why? As we finally arrive and our host Oyuna shows us to our ger, a combo dust/rain storm sweeps toward us and we are commanded to get the door closed. Withhin mere moments the storm is upon us, before we can even get the door closed. The storm passes as quickly as it arrived and we are out on the plains, in the dry wind, drinking in this awesome land. The herd of yaks arrives at 8:30 pm and it is unbelievable, watching the herdsman, his wife and our host's sister drive the herd into the pen, separate out the babies and then set the adults free to graze for the evening at home. Wow! Just the moan-song and sheer mass of the yaks is an amazement. The open grassland, Mongolian wind, warm for a few brief days of summer, the brittle dry air, slightly sour tang of yak yogurt - a taste of this nomadic life.
Day 115
In our beautiful ger (yurt) in Tamir Camp, Gorlechi-Terelj National Park in Outer Mongolia. The landscape is stunning with melty looking rock formations, crystal clear blue skies, breeze, trails everywhere - each one leading to a spectacular easy-to-reach view. We hike, sit to snack and then share the images we see in the rocks - a camel, a turtle, Batman...The camp staff come and light a fire in the coolness of evening and again in the morning and the ger becomes warm and cozy within minutes. Cuckoo bird sings outside as the sun goes down. WE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE, boo hoo!
Day 113
Got on board the Transmongolian Railway to Outer Mongolia for a 33-hour epic ride. We fell immediately in love with our cabin accommodating viewing, eating and sleep. The stellar views began within the hour as mountains arose out of the flatlands. Later the desert began as we watched in awe as a fiery sun set amidst a sudden downpour. About 10 pm we stopped at the border for the long awaited wheel changeover. The track size in Mongolia is different than China, and so for 3 hours a crew works to swap out the wheels. Zy didn't show much interest and Dave out loud recalled the story of Puff the Magic Dragon and how little boys lose interest in things like trains... I tried to sleep, which was quite impossible with the train lurching as the cars were separated in preparation for the operation. During all of this Zy began to weep in Dave's arms saying that he was crying about Puff and how 180 was making him grow up too fast and he needed to get back to his toys and stuffed animals at home. We gave him lots of love and assurances, then next thing you know, the train is being jacked up and the one across the tracks is being let down and something about the whole scene just struck my funny bone. I started laughing, then we all started in with the hysterical laughter and it turned into a party culminating with a midnight coco crunch cereal social.
Day 111
Last day of school on the bullet train back to Beijing, the swan song of our China Expedition, and it was a bigger deal for Dave and I than Zy. He said "Well, we have adventure every day on 180, anyway." For us, recognition that we survived as his teachers, and hopefully prepared him for the 3rd grade. Sat at dinner crying with laughter at what probably was a verbatim translation of a Chinese menu - Let's try "griddle cooked, hot smelly Mandarin fish," or how about "shark fin and fish maw?" No, I'd prefer the "oil splashing noodles, tofu of You County and the sautéed lily."
Day 110
Upon waking we saw that the mountain has clouded, winds are high, rain is coming - all punctuating the perfection of yesterday. Explored temples, ate freshly made noodles we saw in their creation before our ride down the west side cable car, just as it started to drizzle. The ride was breathtaking, this car was made almost entirely of glass and you could see just how ridiculous it is that anyone thought to build trails here on these sheer cliffs!
Day 109
Slept in to regroup after yesterday's uber touring. Early afternoon we headed up the majestic Mt. Huashan in sparkling sunshine and azure blue skies, by gondola. Steep, rocky, stepped "sky ladders," trails in all directions. Up on this mountain you can feel that it is mystical place, nearly unfathomable how the trails have been carved at all, but there they are, testament to an unwavering faith in the possible. As though in reverence to the achievements of the Chinese, ZyGuy learned to eat with chopsticks tonight and fed me some eggplant! We spent the night giddily at 6,000 feet in what we termed a "space pod," a hotel whose interior was super mod, exterior made of ancient stone.
Day 108
Day began at sunrise with a bullet train ride in the 6 o'clock hour, top speed over 300 kilometers an hour, to Xi'an; six hours felt like two. Arrived, searched and missed the free shuttle to the famous Terra Cotta Warriors (See film on China on Zy's page to learn more) but passed the shuttle in our taxi. Lots of high fives over that one. After, headed to our Air BnB stay with a Chinese family near to Mt. Huashan. Zy immediately bonded with the one year old baby and proceeded to entertain her for some time. Later he said "I like the baby but I really like the stuffed animals, they remind me of home."
Day 107
Woke up at sunrise on the wall - birds, peaceful, then a loud speaker in the valley went on and on - funny Chinese! Steep but quick walk down to breakie. Whisked away by our ride to the section of wall where we could toboggan down! We were warned that this was a crazy and crowded place, but got very lucky, the day after a long Chinese holiday and the masses were gone. No lines! We returned to Beijing happy and fulfilled after an epic, perfect adventure. Images of the mountainous countryside and endless wall moving through me.
Day 106 (Backpacking and Camping on the Great Wall)
Huge, awesome, long awaited adventure hiking a fairly quiet part of the Great Wall, morning rain led to afternoon sunshine. The climb was steep, scenic, amazing. After a yummy lunch we headed across the dam, up to a tower to sleep. Zy Guy rocked the whole thing from beginning to end...what a beautiful and grand experience. We saw two Chinese brides-to=be doing photo shoots in a brilliant flame of red gowns on the wall. Green mountains in the distance rolling, with the wall unfurling.
Day 105
Another bizarre interface with Chinese culture. We were yelled at by a taxi driver who wanted the equivalent of $40 for a 20 minute ride to the Olympic Complex, but eventually made it there for $10. At the famous water park there, we were told by the ticket agent that it was closed so purchased tickets to the Olympic pool. Got inside and found the water park open. Ticket sales were apparently supposed to close at 4 pm, but the agent had decided that 3:45 pm was too late. We made some noise about this, as our Chinese cohorts seem to do and within about 20 minutes, were inside. The adult slides were the most fantastic part of the park, and Dave convinced me to ride a couple of them. Was quite an adrenaline zing...Took the subway back to our hotel and started to feel like we were getting a sense of the city.
Day 104 (Wild Tuk-Tuk Ride)
Today we got up early to go to the Forbidden City. To me, it felt like a fairly soulless palace, this long time home of the Chinese Emperors. It was a very hot and sunny day, Zy and I crashed and burned after less than 2 hours. We parted from Dave and moved through throngs and bottle necks of mostly Chinese tourists, though to the exit of this 80 acre complex. Out on the busy avenue, very tough to find and hail a taxi. After 15 minutes we crossed the mayhem of the avenue, down a slightly smaller avenue. Zy noticed an open air tuk-tuk across the street, going in the other direction. Zy made the needed eye contact with the driver and hailed him down. He made a very illegal turn to scoop us up, standing right behind a parked police vehicle. Zy and I both heard a fare of 30 yen (roughly $4) and hopped in. The driver made yet another illegal turn, the cop leapt out of his vehicle, but the driver made a speedy get-a-way. He was CRAZY, and commenced racing around head on traffic, cutting off bicyclists, cars and pedestrians. Zy began praying with hands in prayer position. I asked him "What religion?" He said "Zyism." After 5 harrowing minutes during which I was hooting and laughing and Zy was terrified for his life, we arrived at our hotel. The driver then demanded 10 times the fare we thought we'd agreed upon . I argued, then handed him the original price, then WE made OUR get-a-way. Zy said he was adrenalized and scared. I thought it was my absolute favorite experience thus far in China.
Day 103
The culture of China, in Beijing at least, is somewhat unearthing. The traffic continues even during a green pedestrian light. I've been cut in line more times than I can count. A smile is rare, and there seems to be a fair amount of yelling. Wondering about the psychological makeup of the Chinese people, now in the full throes of modernization after so many years of isolated communism. The city seems to embody contrast, with big buildings on the avenue and hutong (old villages) on the side streets where a much more rudimentary life is being lived.
Our hotel known as the Beijing Prime has an enormous marble floored lobby where Zy glides on his wheelies looking something like a figure skater....We walked the famous Wangfujing Street and were amazed to see not-yet-cooked scorpions on display, on a stick, still wiggling. This certainly one-upped the scorpion eating experience we lived in Bangkok!
Our hotel known as the Beijing Prime has an enormous marble floored lobby where Zy glides on his wheelies looking something like a figure skater....We walked the famous Wangfujing Street and were amazed to see not-yet-cooked scorpions on display, on a stick, still wiggling. This certainly one-upped the scorpion eating experience we lived in Bangkok!
Day 101
We crossed customs in the Guangzhou Airport in China, and in contrast with Nepal, we may as well have been in outer space. We encountered a machine that made fresh squeezed juice and which then popped out in a sealed container. A free filtered water machine where you could choose cold, warm or hot water! There were mobile units that looked like walkers which required first a passport scan, then would guide and accompany you electronically through the airport. You could even select a movie. Nope, not in Kathmandu any longer. Arrived in our Beijing hotel which felt ridiculously luxurious with king size bed, refrigeration and a pool! Zy danced around the room at 1 am for 45 minutes riveted with all of the amenities the room had to offer. The contrast from where we've come is mind boggling.
Day 100
Awoke at sunrise and ran the ancient city of Bhaktapur, where are are staying in our final days of Nepal. The city was fully alive, few vehicles, fruit, legumes, flowers for offerings all for sale amidst what felt like a calm morning bustle. Dave took us on an abbreviated tour after school - wood carving museum, the famed Peackock Window carved by hand, the art shop where painters are working their craft all day long. We had a beautiful rooftop dinner with wine, while the local musicians played in the candle lit square below. Farewell to the raw beauty of Nepal.
Day 99 (When Taxi Drivers Collide)
The most traumatic moment of 180 happened in transit from Pokhara to Kathmandu...a 200 kilometer drive. We decided to take a taxi after the reverse trip had taken 9 hours by bus early in our Nepal trip. Just to give perspective, this is a two lane, mostly rough road where our driver Tapa frequently moved into head on traffic, honking loudly, to pass trucks and busses, uphill, around blind curves. In the beginning it's white knuckle all the way, but you kind of get used to it after a while. 4 hours or so into the trip our driver said he was feeling very sick. He got us about 30 minutes into Kathmandu, through an unpaved, insanely dusty part of the road, windows open to save petrol...we had to breathe through our t-shirts so as not to gag! Then he alerted us to the fact that he needed to turn back and would put us in another taxi. This was alarming, but we remained calm and decided to simply resolve ourselves to additional costs. We knew our guest house in the historic village of Bhaktapur was still a good hour away through dense traffic.
Tapa stopped at a giant bustling taxi hub and began negotiating with drivers. Most wanted what he felt was too much money. We said it was fine and sent one driver off to retrieve his car. In the meantime, Tapa began negotiating with another driver who wanted only half of the first driver's fee. He was then sent off to retrieve his car. Our instincts told us this was sketchy, but we were slow to process the whole thing. The second driver arrived and our bags were put into his car. Then the first driver returned, pissed! Tapa quickly got into his car and made a getaway. Several other drivers got into the drama, and a brutal brawl began. Zy, nearly crying said "It started as a cat fight and ended as a doggie pile!" Dave says "Many headshots, kicks, man on the ground, shirt torn and nearly off, all in two minutes." We were stunned and tried to break it up, but quickly realized that no one was paying any mind to us at all. Dave moved into swift action and before we knew it, we were whisked away in yet a different taxi. It was mildly terrifying, adrenalizing....and then relief swept over all three of us. Just barely averting disaster.
Quick reflection had us realize our own part in this minor disaster. Desperate men fighting over fare was an indication of a rough life post earthquake in hot, dusty, crowded Kathmandu. We were shaken, but okay, eyes wide open, taking on the sacrament of failure, many lessons learned immediately.
Our sense of wonder returned as we entered the ancient city of Bhaktapur, grateful on so many levels to be safe and incrementally wizened.
Tapa stopped at a giant bustling taxi hub and began negotiating with drivers. Most wanted what he felt was too much money. We said it was fine and sent one driver off to retrieve his car. In the meantime, Tapa began negotiating with another driver who wanted only half of the first driver's fee. He was then sent off to retrieve his car. Our instincts told us this was sketchy, but we were slow to process the whole thing. The second driver arrived and our bags were put into his car. Then the first driver returned, pissed! Tapa quickly got into his car and made a getaway. Several other drivers got into the drama, and a brutal brawl began. Zy, nearly crying said "It started as a cat fight and ended as a doggie pile!" Dave says "Many headshots, kicks, man on the ground, shirt torn and nearly off, all in two minutes." We were stunned and tried to break it up, but quickly realized that no one was paying any mind to us at all. Dave moved into swift action and before we knew it, we were whisked away in yet a different taxi. It was mildly terrifying, adrenalizing....and then relief swept over all three of us. Just barely averting disaster.
Quick reflection had us realize our own part in this minor disaster. Desperate men fighting over fare was an indication of a rough life post earthquake in hot, dusty, crowded Kathmandu. We were shaken, but okay, eyes wide open, taking on the sacrament of failure, many lessons learned immediately.
Our sense of wonder returned as we entered the ancient city of Bhaktapur, grateful on so many levels to be safe and incrementally wizened.
Day 97
I love the simplicity of life on the Tea House Trek. Not much gear, hike, eat, school, observe, learn, soak in remote village life. Another breathtaking sunrise, clear skies, feeling like I can just reach out and touch the high mountains. Village kids, led by a 13 year old "guide" took us on a 4 hour trek beyond the village. Taught us many things, including how to dig up fern bulbs when you're thirsty. Zy said it was the best hike of his life! On the return trip, Dave fulfilled a promise he'd made earlier in the day to some village kids and gave them a few rupees. They immediately went to the local shop and bought treats for a whole crew. They even shared with us! Zy got to try on a traditional Nepali "backpack" strung around the forehead. It was nearly impossible for him to balance and offered a great insight into what it takes to carry a load like that. (See on Zy;s page - Where in the World Are the Kelleranos? Trek to Dhampus, Nepal, Annapurna Range for our film on this trek)
Day 96
Walked deeper into the village and early monsoon began. We took shelter, and the winds whipped up. Finally we donned our rain ponchos and made our way back to our lodge -soaked, freezing and laughing.
Day 95
We have trekked down to Dhampus and have collectively fallen in love with this village....ancient and beautiful, traditional Garung structures, villagers are warm and welcoming. We watched the crystal clear sunrise, the snow capped Annapurna range rising to meet us. Unbelievable! We have found high speed internet and decided to extend our trip for two more nights because we can do FaceTime with the class from here. Zy made friends with local village kids who came out and joined in while Dave and I did yoga. This was quite the comical scene, accompanied by giggles.
Day 94 (Birthday Gift of the High Himalaya)
My 47th birthday today, and I cannot imagine a place I'd rather be. Awoke in the tent to Dave saying, from outside - "Welcome to cafe Kellerano." I was greeted to a glorious cup of coffee and cards and a gift of my favorite Tom;'s cinnamon toothpaste courriered from the US by Normi from my sis. Morning fog gave way to early afternoon view of the snow caps, so close now. That is birthday magic!
Birthday on 180 and time for reflection...I feel that in some ways I have grown too rigid. Dave and Zy often call me "militant mama." Dave called me a "train conductor" the other day and I am feeling the need to find a way to soften. I sure do know how to get things done, but am wondering, at what cost. I experience immense beauty, but am ready for gentle radiance. Just like the first colors at sunrise, a radiant undulation that spills into day.
Birthday on 180 and time for reflection...I feel that in some ways I have grown too rigid. Dave and Zy often call me "militant mama." Dave called me a "train conductor" the other day and I am feeling the need to find a way to soften. I sure do know how to get things done, but am wondering, at what cost. I experience immense beauty, but am ready for gentle radiance. Just like the first colors at sunrise, a radiant undulation that spills into day.
Day 93
We left today on our grand finale Dhampus trek. The trail was gorgeous stone steps up, up, up to Australian camp for our first night. We got to sleep in a tent! We're just happy and glowing to be out here and up here. Giddy joy climbing into the tent tonight.
Day 92
Hugged and kissed my mom goodbye and headed off on a solo adventure today. Rented my own scooter, found the "scenic trail" toward the World Peace Stupa, crossed the suspension bridge and headed up. A would be guide told me I'd never find my way there, but I said. "Tande Bat" and hiked on alone. Encountered a posse of children who also wanted to be my guides. They told me that the trail had monkeys, tigers, snakes and leeches. I told them "Mmmm...I love to eat leeches," and they recoiled. I laughed, offered them cookies and said bye. I did pass the monkeys and was also adopted by a dog. I tried to share my lunch with him and he rejected it. Found the stupa without much difficulty. The little journey was a nice way to hit the "reset button." Left the trail sweaty and satisfied.
Day 90
Half way though our journey now...spent the day at a Tibetan Village/Monastery. Touched in with the sacredness of Tibetan Buddhism, a living and vibrant practice palpable in the chanting of the monks, the tolling of the bells on the enormous prayer wheel and weathered, open faces of the villagers.. After decades of taking refuge in Nepal, they have made a permanent home here, and the village bears little resemblance to my imagination of a "refugee camp."
Day 88
A clear morning, rarer than emeralds. The snow capped view from our room so stupendous, the mountains so high seem to be arching back towards us. Reunited with Normi for a few days before she heads back toward home. She is filled with yogic bliss after 8 days of retreat. Saw some native Nepali music and dance in town, and one long haired dancer who was radiant and seemed to become the dance.
Day 86 (Wherever you go, there you are!)
Came face to face with my own warped vanity today...caught in a debacle trying to get my hair colored. Trying to bridge cultural, linguistic and artistic crevasses with a father and son pair of hairdressers who claimed to be able to do the job, tried, but really could not and failed miserably. I was just getting quite angry, at myself and the situation, when Zy and Dave showed up on the scooter to check on me. I explained the situation in the middle of the street (Zy and Dave later said my head looked like it was coated with a decorative band of cool ranch dressing.) I was in a bit of a tizzy with onlookers and as Dave listened with great compassion to my saga, Zy said "Mama, you look like a mad scientist!" I went back inside, but shortly after left in a huff...marching down the street, hair unfinished and turbaned in a black cloth. After a few minutes I saw myself as though from the outside, starring in my own personal Theatre of the Absurd and just started laughing out loud. Humbled and reminded of what an old, old friend used to say - "Where ever you go, there you are!"
Day 85
We slept another night out on the rooftop, had breakfast just as the morning monsoon began and then hiked back to town. We seemed to be collectively floating on a cloud, inspired by villagers, views and rare world class paragliders who can "top land" Sarangkot. Return to our simple hotel in Pokhara suddenly felt like the lap of luxury with thick mattresses and hot water. Enjoying the contrast of village mountain life against city amenities. Glad to be satisfied and comfortable living each experience in turn, left wanting nothing, soaking in the fleeting moments on this magic carpet ride we call "180."
Day 84
It's the weekend and we did our first overnight trek up Sarangkot (see Zy's page for Report #12 Film.) Gorgeous, ancient stone staircase trail. I had an actual accidental head butt with a male goat. Zylus was a trekking trooper, carrying his own pack and just truckin' up that 2000 foot vertical climb. We met an old village lady at a false summit and she got right up close to Zy, pinched his cheeks and swooped in for a kiss. Life on this hillside seems to be full of labor, not easy by any means, but the people are sweet natured and kind. We slept out on a covered roof top and awoke at sunrise with a glimpse of the rugged snowy peaks.
Day 82
We moved to Hotel Romantica, where on a clear morning we'll have a view of the snow caps. Real high speed internet, almost impossible to find in Nepal, for Friday FaceTime with Zy's class. Life is simple, what's important is flushed out very quickly and our school connection has a gravitational pull, here in view of the highest mountain tops. Zy has a great place to skate - the lobby!
Day 80
Postponed school and scootered out to a crazy Nepali suspension bridge and then around and down to the river to bathe with the sacred cows. We're in training for bigger treks! The waters were surprisingly warm...locals at the riverbank doing laundry and washing their scooters.
Day 79
We crossed Phewa Lake by row boat ferry and trekked up to the World Peace Pagoda...Zy Guy was a champ, happy to climb, driven by the promise of ice cream at the top. We all smiled, just to be here and hiking, envisioning upcoming overnight treks in the Himalayas!
Day 77
Dave, Zy and I walked into Pokhara this afternoon, back down to the lake. The people were friendly and engaging. Zy encountered a boy with a half deflated soccer ball and kicked it around with him for a bit. At first it seemed like bringing a pump by would be beneficial, but then we realized that a fully inflated ball would roll away and down the steep road quickly. Sometimes not interfering is the best way to help. In search of a scooter we crossed town through the afternoon monsoon. Every time we'd ask someone they'd point and say "Just that way." Finally as dark approached, a taxi driver took us to an unlabeled rental place and we hopped on and headed "home." The "jumping road" proved treacherous for Dave alone on the scooter, thought the locals ride it daily.
Day 76
We took a very bumpy nine hour bus ride 200 kilometers from Kathmandu to Pokhara, the gateway to the high Himalayas and the famed Annapurna Circuit. Apparently monsoon season has come early and about an hour before arrival, the real rains began. Rains eased as we pulled into the bus station. None of the taxi drivers seemed to want to take us to the Hidden Paradise Guesthhouse and we couldn't imagine why until we finally turned up the so called "jumping road" where the paragliders land. Unlike any road we have ever travelled, it was spine jarring and STEEP! Normi found assistance with a passerby to move her luggage up the mountain side, but she was in shock...how would she get down? Nepal is rugged and raw compared to anywhere we have been so far. It's part of the majesty of this place, truly.
Day 74 (Dave is beautiful at 50 and The Ice Cream Thief)
Celebrated Dave's 50th birthday today. The highlight of the day was climbing what seemed like more than a thousand steps up to the Monkey Temple. Extraordinary view of the city at sunset in the haze, a cooling breeze and a mischievous monkey who came up from behind stole Normi's ice cone right out of her hand. Smiling inside to be here as Dave turns a half-century. Grateful to be together, here, in this time and place.
Day 73
Spent the night in a transit hotel in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Indonesia. Strange and fun to peer outside the window of our room and see huge airplanes right there. Zy had had a dream of Santa getting him "Wheelies" for his LED sneakers, and then they appeared in the toy store in the airport. Spent a ridiculous hour with him crying, trying to learn how to use them, and then BAM! He's like a pro!!! Arrived in Nepal, heading in the taxi toward our guesthouse in Thames, we saw and scooped up my mom walking on the street...would know that world travelin' gal from front or back, anywhere. The sights, sounds and dust of Kathmandu are a barrage to the senses. We're surely not in Thailand anymore.
Day 68
Sea kayaking in the late afternoon, through a cave and around a steeply walled cavernous island. When we returned to the beach Zy made some Israeli friends and played soccer right there for hours. Super fun FaceTime with the class where we learned that the Camas-Washougal Post record had an article about our trip and Zy's connection with the class. (See link on Zy's page.)
Day 66
Dave is much, much better! Afternoon adventure out to Phranang Beach, perhaps the most beautiful beach I've visited. Saw Langur Monkeys along the way. They are stunning, eyes rimmed in white which makes them look other-worldly. There's a cave with a fertility shrine at the head of the beach absolutely filled with wood carved lingam. Fisherman visit to pray for bounty, women visit to pray for babies. The sunset was magnificent and although Dave's camera had "died" he managed to bring it back to life for a single shot during the apex of color. That's 180 magic!
Day 64
Dave seems to have a parasite or some such thing. He's down for the count. Zy and I went to the local clinic seeking advice and came home with a prescription they called "charcoal" which has belladonna in it. In the evening Zylus and I went down to the beach and dug in. Time went away, and there was just sand, waves and our simple creative gestures.
Day 63
We transited to Railei Beach via ferry, and on the way Dave and I sat on deck in the warm breeze, holding hands. Not sure why, but the moment stands out, feeling quiet inside and grateful for all of it. Arrived at Railei to our hilltop hotel amidst the orange tinted rock faces - this place is peaceful. Glad to have a week to regroup before we head to Nepal.
Day 61
We awoke at 6 am to go on a snorkel adventure and experienced the immense beauty of the aqua waters and steeply cliffed islands. Our guide was Rebecca and she had us swimming with baby sharks and through a cave. On the way out of the cave Zy began to cry and said "The sea lice are stinging me!" The water was rough and it took 10 minutes to swim back to the boat. Zy was crying but trying very hard not to panic, still in a lot of pain. The captain helped him into the boat where he discovered a small crab had attached itself to his upper arm. He got crabbed in Krabi!!!!
Day 60
We transited to Phuket by plane and then took a ferry to the famous Phi Phi Island. It's the Thai New Year Celebration known as Songkran (transformation or passage.) The tradition is to throw water! Anywhere you go, you can expect to get very wet. When we arrived at our hotel, we were disappointed to find that there was no pool, as expected. Dave and I took off looking for other hotel options and Zy said to Danni "Why are my parents looking for a pool when the whole country is having a water fight?" We spent the evening joining in the water game and skipped the pool quest.
Day 58
Open air truck ride at 7 am to Erawan National Park and the travertine falls. Even though it's the dry season, the falls are beautiful, luminescent green. Every pool seemed to be filled with fish just waiting to nibble. It was no easy task to take the leap and jump in, but by pool 4, we hopped in Found out that the fish stay away if you just keep on moving.
Day 57
Back to school today and it was GREAT! It was 102 degrees, so in the afternoon we scootered to the water park and it was closed. Never saw 3 adults nearly cry over something like that before. Dave found us a resort pool to spend the afternoon at, because we were all melting in the heat.
Day 56
Today was the long anticipated day at Elehant Haven outside of Kanchanaburi. We fed, mud bathed, walked and swam with the gentle giants. Total delight. One of our guides was Winar, a Thai man trying to learn English. He encouraged everyone to get close to the elephants and has become famous at the refuge for saying "Okay, okay, okay....no danger!" They even made a t shirt with his slogan on it.
Day 53
Dave, Zy and I had a fantastic experience this afternoon riding Whandi, a well loved elephant at the Mon Village near our jungle raft hotel. In the last several years there have been many changes culturally in Southeast Asia regarding the treatment of elephants, all inspired by "Lek" and the inception of the Elephant Foundation. Overall, it seems that the elephants have benefitted, with many elepant sanctuaries opening to tourists. Many believe that riding elephants contributes to poor treatment, however, after several days of feeding Whandi, speaking with her Mahout, Alec, and simply observing, we believe that she is having a very good life and decided to try a ride.
Day 52
Today I asked ZyGuy "Have you changed at all now that you've been traveling the world for nearly 2 months? He paused in his usual contemplative manner and said "Yeah, I guess now I'm about 12." All 4 of us did a tree top adventure today - fun, challenging, bonding, super cool.
Day 51
Yesterday we transited by open air train to Kanchanaburi, a couple hours northwest of Bangkok. Today we arrived by boat at the River Kwai Jungle Raft Hotel. The river is deep and swift, the weather is WARM, pushing 100 degrees and humid. Great fun putting on a life jacket and heading to the uprivermost part of the raft, then jumping in and floating down to the last red flag and climbing out to do it again. Who knew you could walk miles on a jungle raft? The day closed with yoga on a moving dock undercover from a thunderstorm.
Day 49
Incredible day in Bangkok today. Now we are four with Danni. Just pure joy and amazement all around. We were the only caucasians in the local market. Danni got "slapped" for fondling mangoes, but then made friends with the lady vendor, working hard to explain in Thai. Canal ride with giant lizards and then in the courtyard of a 100 foot golden Buddha temple, Zy was invited to play "football" aka soccer with the community of Thai boys. We released a cageful of tiny birds "for luck" and came home with a tarantula to eat for breakfast.
Day 48
We at Scorpion on the Khosan Road in Bangkok, fulfilling part of our plan to try insects on 180. All three of us had a nibble, and we chose the smallest one. Mighty tasty, too! Kind of a salty, crunchy, Scorpio-chip.
Day 47
Bali released us today, but for a moment there, we were not sure., a narrow "escape." As we went through immigration it was discovered that we had overstayed our visa by 1 day - March 2nd through April 1st (April Fools, that was us.) After paying the 860,000 of the 900,000 Rupiah fine (which we just happened to have, hoping to convert to Thai Bhat) we boarded our Jetstar airplane to Thailand. "One Night in Bangkok" began running though my head.
Day 46
Emotions spanned the full spectrum today, including tears, as we all worked at trying to get through Zy's last day of school before spring break. Zy rebounded learning how to boogie board and stand up on a surf board. Afterward, he was floating on a cloud! We are now in Kuta, where the beautiful ocean is sadly teeming with garbage. Such a sad testament to tourism and modernization in Bali. Saw a group of volunteers cleaning up the beach at sunrise which gave me hope that things can return to balance here..
Day 45
Today Zy and I agreed that while the Nyepi eve celebration was one of our favorites, Nyepi Day of silence was one of our least favorite. Fasting for the adults mixed with quiet for the kids was a bit wobbly....I was actually relieved and happy to hear the roar of scooters at 6 am. Said farewell to Ben, Heather and Sky and visited the "Fish Spa" where hundreds of small fish nibble away the dead skin on your feet. Both Zylus and I were able to keep our feet in, but Dave dipped a few toes and said "No way!"
Day 44
Nyepi Day in Bali. Awakened early this morning to the clatter of monkeys running amok on the roof and patio. We are very close to the Sacred Monkey Forest in our guesthouse. Zylus awoke gesturing with a huge smile. We've been anticipating the day of silence for some time and he is onboard.
Day 41
This evening we got to experience the Balinese Celebration just before Nyepi, the Day of Silence. Many Ogo Ogo were paraded with dance and drumming from the palace to the "football" soccer field in Ubud. It was the blending of ancient and modern, as darkness fell, many were lit with LED lights, adding dramatically to the unusual blend of demonic and playful energy. The apex of the evening occurred when we followed the return procession back toward the palace. It was exciting and fun to blend into the crowd, but as we got closer and closer, the crowd grew more and more dense, to the point of being scary. Dave found us a side alley way escape. Phew! What a night to remember!!
Day 38
We headed out this morning for a Balinese rafting trip. On the way down the rice paddy path Zy said "I'd like to negotiate something with you." This little leap in language usage made me smile....perhaps a product of our journey, edging him along in his development. A huge part of today's adventure was just getting down to the river bank...a bumpy ride in an open air truck, a steeply stepped path of at least 600 vertical feet. The rafts were being lowered down by a winch. Our river guide spoke very little English, and another guide taught us the maneuvers. The river cut through precipitous ravines on either side and our float began with some class 4 rapids. It was exhilarating, even terrifying for a while there. The guide would yell 'Paddles up!" He referred to Zylus as "baby." We learned quickly that when he called out ":baby" he meant for Zy to grab onto the rope, so as not to fall into the river. Dave held him by the life jacket during these times. I was seated behind Zy and Dave was to his right. At certain points the rapids were such a steep drop that Zy and Dave were below me. The scenery was breathtaking, with entire walls of rock displaying intricate Balinese carvings. We were able to bath in a holy water spring on our climb out. Several prayers of thanks once again for the pairing of adventure and the return to safety!
Day 37
An earth quake shook 9 House early this morning. I was in the open air kitchen thinking "why is that airplane flying so low?" Dave and Zy ran out of the house and Imade sounded the house drum. Then all was still and well and the day continued. Imade said that this was the most significant earthquake he had witnessed here. He looked fairly shaken for a good long while.. A reminder, once again, of how you just don't know what is around the next bend...grateful for being safe and together.
Day 36
Our friends Ben, Heather and Sky have joined us for a couple of weeks in Bali. Our host at 9 House, Imade, took us on a grand adventure today to his village way up in the mountains, where he has a home and workshop. Imade is an artist working in many mediums, a jack of all trades - he builds homes and furniture created with immense beauty and detail. It was heavenly to be in the cool, clean mountain air. We visited the botanical garden and Sky and Zy were able to climb up into the tree tops at Bali Adventure Park. Geared up in harnesses, they learned how to carabiner in safely, navigate incrementally more challenging courses, zip line and then climb up higher! It was exhilarating for all of us to witness their immense capacities. Zy leveled up near the end and hit a very difficult obstacle which he was barely tall enough to navigate. He "hit the wall" but persevered and made it to the other side. It was an incredible moment and learning about the reward for courage and determination. Our tour culminated in a visit to a mountain water temple - serene and beautiful in the late afternoon mist.
Day 32
Today's school domain was about none other than the infamous "Fire Fleas." They may forever forward be named as such. This evening we took a Balinese cooking class together. It was really cool and well done. Zy was a champ, cutting, grinding, cooking and tasting the SPICY foods...he commented on how it necessitated good team work. Starry night and on the walk home through the rice paddies we saw lots of those fire fleas! They fill me with a sense of the magic and the possible, just as they always have since I was a child.
Day 28
Return from Amed, back to the treetops and then the Bat Temple. Maybe one thousand bats live in this open cave which is the temple altar. Back "home" at 9 House...aahhh...Today marks one month since we left home. We all agree, it's going by quite fast. Getting used to the daily life in Bali. Walked the sunset rice paddy path toward Ubud. We had a magnificent dinner in an open air restaurant; breeze, pillows, joy. Dave asked our taxi driver on the way home about the lightning bugs which he referred to as "fire fleas." We all thought that was hilarious....
Day 25
We took a Balinese style fishing boat (a canoe with stabilizers on either side) to a coral garden for a snorkel in the clear, majestic waters. Spent the afternoon at a sweet pool overlooking the ocean. Appreciating...
Day 24
We launched on our first "weekend" away from 9 House and headed toward Amed. We visited the Lusaka "poo" Coffee Plantation, the most expensive coffee on the planet, as it turns out. The coffee is eaten by a Luwak (much like a weasel or raccoon) pooped out, cleaned and yum, cafe extraordinaire! We stopped at a tree top structure where we climbed up and up and up into the trees overlooking rice paddies. Zy Guy was in boy heaven! Arrived in Amed with enough time before dark to snorkel just off the beach. Gratitude for each and every day of 180. Also, no Skool, it's da weekend!
Day 21
We learned today that we can take a 40 minute walk into town through the rice paddies. We walked close to sunset, basking in the beauty seemingly around every bend. We went to an incredible polyrhythmic Balinese performance at a temple - chant, spectacle, culminating in a wild fire dance.
Day 19
Quite an experience at the Sacred Monkey Forest. How like them we are, but they are unpretentious in their nature; cute, aggressive, downright violent, caring, pickpocketing and copulting, all without apology. We even saw bloody handprints on the steps.
Day 18
We arrived at 9 House late, greeted by the giant Ganesh at the gate. Bali. Scooters, sweat and smiles as we explored Ubud. 954 Marigolds were placed around the house today, just for the sheer beauty. We came home from a day around town and Zy Guy counted them.
Day 17
Daydreaming of Bali, enroute. Reading the Painted Alphabet by Diana Darling. I can smell, taste and almost touch Bali.
Day 16
Full on magic in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. We hiked to Wentworth Falls, down, down, down. The nearly vertical staircase section of trail was repaired several years ago using stone from historic ruins that could not be rescued. I've never seen Zy hike like this! Full of excitement, energy and wonder. We worked together to realize our dream of seeing Kangaroos in the wild. Dave found the remote location, and we knew when we entered the National Park that the park closed at 7 pm. We had JUST ENOUGH time to drive down the dirt road, across the bridge where the water was flowing OVER and down to the campground. We walked and listened and there they were, just before dusk. We raced back, arriving at 6:59, got out of the car and at precisely 7:03 pm, the gates closed automatically. Lots of giddy high fives on that one!
Day 14
Last days in Fiji. Pondering privilege and the history of colonialism, seemingly everywhere. Listened to the singing of the Fijian choir on Sunday, chrisitanized, yet native, sublime.
Day 13
We visited a village waterfall on the coral coast and were able to experience a famed Cava Ceremony. Zy said "It made my gums numb!" 9 creek crossings to get to the glorious, cool water falls. Our guide was "Joe" but everyone called him "Cat." He was quite a character. Native Fijian, Seventh Day Adventist. He insisted on calling ZyGuy "Daniel" and was very interested to know if we were "creationists or evolutionists."
Day 10
We left the village a day early because of Zy's fever, but it broke this morning. He counted 92 insect bites on his own body, but both Dave and I were bite free. So grateful for having the opportunity to be here. I was choked up as we hugged our hostess Taima farewell. Back to the mainland where everything seems ridiculously luxurious.
Day 9
Spent the night feeling like I was spinning. Zy went to sleep with a 101.7 degree fever. Hmmm...quite an initiation. I was able to get a ride on the village boat and retrieve some Fijian money to pay for our stay. Phew!!! What next?
Day 8
Dave is pooping green liquid. Also, I didn't realize that I hadn't prepaid our village stay so $$$ must be acquired somehow from this remote isle. Praying for ATM rescue at the Blue Lagoon Resort 40 minutes by motor boat. We visited the village school. After a bit, they invited Zy to stay and Dav and I to go.
Day 7
It seems to have taken no time for us to slow to the pace of Island life. Navotua village at the top of the Yasawa chain; only the moving tide and sun with which to mark time
Day 6
The mud pools, where we slathered each other in mud, let it dry in the sun, then dipped in thermal pools. What a zany version of paradise!!
Day 5
The "chemist" had water purifying tablets. A miracle! Our village stay is saved. We went to the Hindu temple and thanked Ganesh for removing this obstacle.
Day 4
Last night I dropped our UV light water purifier on the tile floor, show over! The trials and tribulations begin. In two days time we head to Navotua Village in the remote Yasawa Islands where the water quality is queastionable. Today, we work on how to have drinkable H2O
Day 3
Bula! Super am Fiji with a smile...A kind breeze and blue sky. Vanaka universe, we are in the South Pacific!
Day 1
As we taxi down the runway, ready as we'll ever be to fluff up our wings and fly away, my heart is singing. We gathered up our courage and a few belongings, packed up our beautiful life on the river and now we launch into the Unknown. Three hearts, one love and the spirit of friendship and adventure as a guiding light. HERE WE GO!
Our Theme Song to the tune of Tom Chapin's
Around the World and Back Again
The South Pacific, our very first stop
the Fijian Isles, where you need no clocks
come on along we're going, around the world and back again.
Through Sydney Australia, down under the there
to Bali's surf running through our hair
come on along we're going around the world and back again.
We travel around the world and back again.
Then Thailand, out to the elephant refuge
the travertine falls, a tropical deluge
come on along we're going around the world and back again.
Nepal the majestic high Himalaya,
the Great Wall, the train to Outer Mongolia
come on along we're going around the world and back again.
We travel around the world and back again.
'
Zimbabwe into the African heart, on safari, we're heading back toward the start,
come on along we're going around the world and back again.
Morocco the sea breeze, the desert, the mosque,
then summer in Italy down by the rocks,
come on along we're gong around the world and back again.
We travel around the world, an d back again!
the Fijian Isles, where you need no clocks
come on along we're going, around the world and back again.
Through Sydney Australia, down under the there
to Bali's surf running through our hair
come on along we're going around the world and back again.
We travel around the world and back again.
Then Thailand, out to the elephant refuge
the travertine falls, a tropical deluge
come on along we're going around the world and back again.
Nepal the majestic high Himalaya,
the Great Wall, the train to Outer Mongolia
come on along we're going around the world and back again.
We travel around the world and back again.
'
Zimbabwe into the African heart, on safari, we're heading back toward the start,
come on along we're going around the world and back again.
Morocco the sea breeze, the desert, the mosque,
then summer in Italy down by the rocks,
come on along we're gong around the world and back again.
We travel around the world, an d back again!