Jen & Dan Summer Tour 2008

And we're back

2008-08-26T09:13:00.002-05:00

We made it home safe and sound late yesterday afternoon. It was a long flight back, though we got back before we left, thanks to the international date line. We actually managed to sleep OK last night, though we were up and about with coffee going by 4:30 AM, so I think it will take a few days to firmly readjust.

While I hope that this blog has been enjoyable to those of you who have kept up with our adventures this summer we have been inspired to try to leave something more here than simply a record of our journey. About the only thing that we consistently did in each country (besides butchering the local language) was fervently search for Mexican food in any form. If an establishment had tacos or even nachos on the menu Jen and I would be drawn in and would, in the name of international relations, try the food. I mean you would expect a country to be good at making their local food (which was really some of the best we had wherever we went), but the true measure of the gastronomic skills of a population should be measured using a consistent barometer. Therefore, I humbly submit for your review:

Jen and Dan’s Guide to the Quality of Mexican Food in Several Foreign Countries, Abridged

Bali (Indonesia) – While we had to search down several alleys to find TJ’s Mexican Restaurant we were rewarded for our diligence. The salsa had a mango-y taste to it, but the cheese was authentic and the vegetables in the fajitas were cooked just right. Grade: A-
Botswana – We were actually fed several times a day (like eight), while on safari so we never felt the grumbling in our stomachs that drove us to search out a restaurante. Grade: N/A
Cambodia – We were excited to find a Mexican joint on the main Pub street and made it our first stop. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it past the chips and salsa. The good news is that I think the chips were authentic, as in actually made in Mexico. The bad news is I think they were sent to Cambodia by slow boat, possibly under sail. Grade: C-
China – We were about one week without salsa when we first spotted nachos on a menu, so I would have expected our analysis to be more biased. While they got good marks on the quality of the salsa, the pollo tasted a little more like gato, so we said, “no mas” and skipped the burritos. Grade: C-
England – While at this point we had been salsa-less for nearly three weeks the little taco shop we found in Cambridge really wasn’t very good no matter how much we sat there and tried to pretend otherwise. The owners had obviously visited a Chipotle in the U.S. and got points for trying to recreate the magic on the other side of the pond, but really the food was terrible. At least the chips were really chips and not french fries. Grade: C
Hong Kong – Like New York, you really can get anything here, so it was of little surprise when we found a fantastic Mexican food joint in the heart of the city. The chips and guac were outstanding and the tacos had some of the best chicken we had tasted in quite some time. The margaritas were sweet and juicy and combined with the good selection of Mexican beer were enough to fuel a hangover the next morning, which, though possibly unfair to the establishment, influenced the judge’s scoring decision. Grade: B-
Japan – We did not find or try Mexican food while in Japan. It could have been because we were only a few days away from our known haunts back in Chicago or because we enjoyed the local food so much, but regardless, we fell down on our duties in this country, and we apologize. Grade: N/A
Macau – Surprisingly we were in this Special Administrative Region of China for an entire three hours and didn’t seek out a Mexican restaurant. Perhaps we were becoming seasoned travelers by this point in the trip. Grade: N/A
South Africa – I imagine that there has to be some nachos somewhere in this country, but we failed to find it. To be fair we were at the start of our trip so we were a little less inspired (read: the cold sweats of withdrawals had yet to start). Grade: N/A
Thailand – On a drive to the city from the airport Jen saw a sign for Sunrise Tacos from a cab going 60 MPH in the driving rain – such is our dedication (or obsession) Making a note of the tall buildings in the area we commenced our search the next day to find the advertised eatery. We were rewarded by the best Mexican food in all of Asia. Run by an American ex-pat from Florida, Greg Barnes, Sunrise boasted real guacamole, a fresh salsa bar, and tortilla chips made on sight. As a portly gentleman, Mr. Barnes had to squeeze to fit through the door and I knew that if anyone could appreciate how to get an enchilada just right it would be him. Yes, we ate there twice in one day. Grade: A
Vietnam – While I am usually leery of restaurants that advertise “The Best Mexican Food in the World” next to a sign that says “The Best Italian Food in the World,” Al Fresco’s Restaurant in Hanoi was a welcome relief of chipotle goodness. The Fajitas came on an authentic looking skillet and were even sizzling at the table. We were so impressed that we sought out the sister property in Ho Chi Min City to test if the magic could cross the former DMZ zone. The chain was consistent, though the margaritas left something to be desired, tasting more like sprite and rubbing alcohol mixed together then spiked with green food coloring. Of course, we finished the whole pitcher. Grade: B
Zimbabwe – The only non-local fare was to be found at the British-run Victoria Hotel which, shockingly, had menu absent of anything tasting good, I mean, tasting like Mexican food. Grade: N/A

Touchdown Tokyo

2008-08-24T05:26:00.003-05:00

Crisis averted – we made it safe and sound to our hotel in Japan thanks to an extensive amount of signage in English and the extreme patience of many Japanese citizens who helped direct Jen and I as we barreled through trains and escalators with baggage in tow. Japan is a beautifully clean and organized country. After being in so many countries where things like sidewalks are a work-in-progress it seems almost shocking. Every visible surface whether a car, road, building, billboard, etc. is dirt free, polished and manicured.

The people have been among the kindest and most considerate that we have come across in Asia. On the train to Kyoto the other day I received a small brush on my shoulder and found a note being passed to me. I looked back to find the smiling face of an elderly lady nodding at me. The note said (in English), “Sorry, Mt. Fuji is hidden in cloudy, right-hand side,” and included a hand drawn picture of the famous Japanese landmark with its top masked in clouds. I think she must have been working on the note quite a while as after thanking her it became apparent that her English was not conversational. It was very sweet and the note has been safely saved for posterity.

As mentioned we took a side trip to Kyoto. This stunning former capital of Japan is the home of many gardens, temples and brick lined streets that look straight out of a movie set. After walking through the serene gardens and poking our noses into the meticulously kept yards and private gardens, we began the serious business of Geisha hunting. We had heard that these performers could still be found in Kyoto slipping through the alleys in full garb on their way to tea houses, so we decided to put all the skills at tracking that we had learned in Africa to the test. With no guidebook (still too cheap) we had to rely solely on our instincts. Our African guides would have been proud. About an hour into the hunt we were walking down an alley just wide enough for a bicycle when we heard a small bell ringing behind us. We turned around just in time to see a white faced young woman scurry past us in broad daylight! Unfortunately I was slow on the draw with my camera and we were only able to get a picture of the back of her head as she rounded the corner. This thrilling sighting gave us energy for many more hours of the hunt and in total we saw eight more confirmed Geishas and one lady that was either a Geisha or just hadn’t seen the sun in a while and was wearing a brightly colored bathrobe.

The sighting of the Geisha’s in their natural habitat has caused us to try to come up with a list of “big five” sights in Asia based on our experience. This is unofficial and probably politically incorrect and we welcome the nomination of other sights or just comments in general.

The Great Wall of China
The Forbidden City in Beijing
Angkor Wat in Cambodia
Geishas in Japan
We were undecided between Ha Long Bay in Vietnam or the working women that line the streets in Bangkok – its really quite shocking

This morning we headed back to Tokyo via a train. Today and tomorrow morning we will we will see the sights of the big city before getting ready to board a plan tomorrow and fly back to Chicago. This trip has been amazing, and Jen and I feel so fortunate to have had this opportunity. After being on the road for so many weeks we are excited to return to see our friends and family and even to get back to work.

The elusive Geisha escapes as I fumble with the camera. Despite only moving each foot about 3 inches when she walked she moved quite fast...

Here is a street scene from Tokyo in all its glory.

Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, etc.

2008-08-20T07:54:00.005-05:00

This post finds us back in Shanghai China after a whirlwind four countries in as many days. A few days ago we left Bangkok for Hong Kong, made a side trip to Macau (technically a separate country) and flew this morning to Shanghai. Tomorrow we head to Tokyo for a short stay in Japan on our way back home. Somehow this schedule all seemed like a good idea back when we booked it.

Hong Kong is spectacular and we instantly fell in love. It has all the charm and energy of other cities we have found in Asia while having many more trappings of home, including tap water we can drink and many, many English speakers. I have heard it described as New York on steroids and I think I would agree. It is amazing how many huge buildings are packed tightly together on such a small piece of land. Thankfully some of the terrain is too steep for humans to safely live on, which gives the island a decent amount of greenery as well. We had a blast wandering through the streets, riding the train to the top of Victoria Peak, and enjoying good (albeit expensive) food. When the happy hour prices are about $6 a beer you know you're in trouble.

Perhaps this picture (of about 1% of buildings in Hong Kong) will give an idea of the sheer size of the city.

We decided to take a side trip by ferry over to Macau about an hour away. We were expecting to find a Las Vegas on steroids. What we found was more like a Reno that took too many steroids in the 60's and is now suffering the consequences. Actually, it seemed very quaint and nice but we really didn't have enough time to give a full, fair exploration. We did go to the Wynn Casino, which is nearly identical to the Vegas property.

We got into Shanghai early enough today to spend some quality time in the city. Let me translate - we made one more mad dash to the market for stuff we couldn't live without and had to buy a bigger suitcase to bring it all home. I wish I was kidding. We were able to get to the river's edge for our last meal of Chinese food in China. At night the sides of the buildings in this area are utilized as giant electronic billboards, which we tried to capture with this picture.

Jen and I got cheap a few weeks ago and decided to forgo purchasing a travel book for Japan since we are only going to be there for four days. I have now spent the last two hours trying to figure out the Japanese subway system from information online so that we can get to our hotel tomorrow. I am so confused as I am not even confident that our hotel is even in Japan. Consider this fair warning that my next post could be very angry and full of expletives...

Briefly Back in Bangkok

2008-08-16T08:24:00.003-05:00

Jen and I are back in Bangkok for about 36 hours in route between Bali and Hong Kong. We have had a much more enjoyable experience this time and have found the city quite charming. Third time's a charm, I guess.

Today we went to an aquarium here that rivals the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. It has a huge tank with about 50 sharks swimming around (along with about 200K small other fish swimming much faster) and featured large glass walkways where you could walk underneath the swimming beasts. Plus, we found the best mexican food we have had in all of Asia at a mall in a food court. Don't worry, we ate there for two meals. I think we can make it till we get home now.

We spent the rest of the day running errands, which mainly consisted of picking up the clothes that we ordered from a tailor last week. I say "we" with a slight reluctance, since although I would love to say that it was Jen who bought all the clothes, it turns out they were all mine. Which really means that the most exciting and challenging adventure of our relationship will be when we get home. It will be called, "will Jen cede closet space to Dan for all the new clothes he bought in Asia?" We're gonna sell tickets and popcorn to that one.

As we were flying from Bali to Kuala Lumpur yesterday we saw this volcano erupting somewhere in the South Pacific/Indian Ocean (not sure which).

More from Bali

2008-08-13T04:12:00.007-05:00

I thought that we should write a few more words about Krabi as most people consider it a beautiful place. Looking at the picture below, you can easily see why.

What really turned us off to Krabi and the Phi Phi islands was the shear number of people. It seems that everyone in the world that can travel has discovered this paradise. We took a speedboat out to the Phi Phi islands one day and were jumped from cove to cove and beach to beach at break neck speed. When we got to the enchanting cove where the Leo DiCaprio film The Beach was filmed a few years ago (about a supposed Utopia), they told us to quickly jump off the back of the boat for our 35 minutes on shore. We scrambled off to find a beach about 200 feet long with something like 500 other tourists who came in on similar speed boats. The water was too dirty to swim (besides you would have to try to dodge the incoming boats dropping people off) and it was hilarious to see everyone standing around with the same confused, lost look on their face. Even some teenage Italians who were on their third beer of the day before we boarded the boat were saying, "what-a are-a we-a doing-a here-a?"

So, Krabi didn't have much magic for us, but Bali does! Yesterday we took a tour of the interior of the island up into the mountains. We were picked up in a Land Cruiser, which I figured was mainly so tourists like us could feel a little rugged. In fact we very much needed the four-wheel drive as we climbed up the jeep trails into the interior of island on the side of a volcano. We visited a quarry where the locals were cutting bricks for the building of temples and houses, and saw the beautiful rice terraces that seem to make up the building blocks of the island as it stacks toward the sky.

Here a man cuts the bricks out of the rock face with an axe.

This is his wife, carrying the bricks out of the quarry to sell in the market.

This is a view of some of the rice terraces as they march up the side of the mountain.

Bali is by far the cleanest place in Asia that we have been. There is some garbage on the side of the road in the city, but the whole countryside seems well manicured and maintained.

Bali Ha'i

2008-08-11T05:50:00.002-05:00

We arrived in Bali last night after a quick stopover through Kuala Lumpur. This place is every bit the paradise I have imagined it to be. Luckily, we have the entire week to explore and enjoy.

Our second stay in Bangkok did not change our impression of the city that much. It seems that every transaction is a negotiation, even when the price has already been agreed upon. For example, there may be a sign that displays the cab fare to a particular destination, such as 600 bhot. You tell a cab driver that you want to go to this place as you get in the cab and he says, "800 bhot." You explain that you are paying 600 because you just saw the sign, and after some complaining it seems agreed upon. You then get to the destination and the driver says, "OK, 800." It's like they want to see if you are paying attention or have the mental capacity of an armchair.

Furthermore, it seems to be common to make it an emotional spectacle. In trying to pay for a dinner where I found we were overcharged the owner tried to explain it was for ambiance. Hmmm, that wasn't on the menu. After explaining that we are not paying the extra fee he leaves his perch behind the counter to circle around and start shouting things at me. So I have what appears to be a very pissed of restaurant owner who is on his tip toes trying to reach the height of my chin and all I can think is some bad Kung Fu movie that was on TV the night before and how much this guy looks like the lead character (the one who won). Little did he know that we are packing a secret weapon when it comes to negotiation...Jen. By the end of the "negotiation" we paid less than our bill should have been, had a few free coupons and nearly had a free ride back to our hotel. Well, not quite, but we made it out with all my teeth, which I enjoyed.

Still Trekking

2008-08-07T10:01:00.011-05:00

Sorry for the delay in posting and to those of you who have reached out to wonder if we are still around. We are clicking along on our Asia adventure, making our way though Vietnam, Cambodia and into Thailand.

From Hanoi we took an overnight train down the coast of Vietnam to Hue, just a few miles south of the old DMZ. We thought that would be a lovely way to see the Vietnamese countryside. What we didn’t count on was getting a first hand experience in the finest luxury a communist country had to offer. From the moment we got to our “deluxe” sleeper we knew we would be in for a treat. We first noticed was that the A/C we upgraded for consisted of an oscillating fan stuck to the ceiling and sounding like it had last been greased when people were using whale oil. We then proceeded to kill all the cockroaches in the berth before greeting our new sleeper mates from Singapore. The beds were arranged in a bunk style, with Jen taking the top bunk and me on the bottom. It was very cozy as I could (if I would have wanted) reach out across the small isle to tuck in the other person sleeping on the bottom bunk. About the time the train was to start from the station we heard a rumor that there might not be a meal car, so I ran of the train to by overpriced Oreo’s and beer from an opportunistic vendor. I guess the market economy is starting to take hold after all.

The train was off and after a couple of beers and a few card games we were ready to settle in for the night. I got to sleep around midnight, about the time we made a stop at a station. I awoke around four to find the train also at a stop, learning later that it was the same one. Thus began our 24 hour experience on what Jen lovingly calls the “prison train.” There were bars on the windows, we couldn’t get off whenever the train did start moving and came to stops, and though there was a kitchen it had a menu with one item on it for each meal – usually something meant to represent meat.

Here is a picture of a not-so-happy Jen in captivity.

Those travails aside we made it to Hue to find a lovely little beach side town, though we didn’t get to stay there long. We decided that we were done with the Vietnam trains, so we opted for a bus to our next destination. The bus was large, greyhound style, new looking, full of other western travelers, but, of course the A/C consisted of a few gerbils blowing at us from behind a vent screen. Luckily this trip was only three hours and most of our other trip mates had showered fairly recently. We arrived in Hoi An, which to date has been our favorite part of Asia. It is a quaint place, and we were able to fill up our suitcase with souvenirs and I found a tailor that found it very easy to get money out of my pocket for hand made items. There was one incident that occurred after we had two bottles of wine (supporting Chile this time), though I won’t go into details I think I might be getting a few more shirts in the mail when I get home…we’ll see.

After a few days supporting the Hoi An economy we took a flight to Saigon (we learned our lesson). We only had one night in Saigon, but we managed to make the most of it. After finding dinner we were wandering around in search of a Karaoke club as after almost three weeks in Asia Jen had not had her singing debut. Our search seemed to be in vain, until we noticed just underneath our hotel a sign advertising Karaoke, Slots and a Bar. Eureka! We went up stairs, told them we were looking for Karaoke and were quickly whisked down to the main lounge. I thought it was very strange at first that all the guys and girls in the bar upstairs were seated in opposite groups, but I figured it was a cultural thing. It looked like mainly business travelers (again 99% men) in the bar, which made sense considering we were downstairs from a Marriott. Before long we were a few beers in and Jen was singing a Neil Diamond (Sweet Caroline of course) duet with a businessman from Malaysia. Suddenly there was a group of attractive women surrounding a table across the bar from us. I’m thinking, “way to go guys, the ratio could use some help in here.” Several of the girls go sit with some of the guys, then the girls move on to the next group. An elderly woman walks to each guy, says a few words, points at a girl or two, then either points at another girl or moves on to the next gentlemen as the first girl goes and sits on his lap. Here is about how the conversation went between Jen and I:

Dan (tugging on Jen’s shirt tail): Jen, I think we’re in a brothel!

Jen: Sweet Carol….What?

Dan (slightly louder): I think we are in a brothel.

Jen: Good times never felt so…A what?

Dan (At the top of his lungs and out of tune): WE ARE IN A BROTHEL. LET’S GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE WE GET PROPOSITIONED!

Jen: I’ve been inclined…(dead silence)…really?

Dan: Do you think the 60 year old dude over there got those two girls to sit on his lap on charm alone?

Jen: Oh.

With that we paid our tab and left, laughing all the way at what idiot tourists we must have like to everyone else in the club. Our Asian experience is getting more and more full!

Here is the scene of the almost crime.

The next morning we were ready to put Vietnam behind us and head to Cambodia. We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare, only to find that the airline we booked several months before no longer flew out of Saigon. Needless to say, a slight panic ensued. The only number we had for the airline was in Thailand, but there was no place at the airport to buy an international phone card (Communist, remember). Luckily the guy who ran the mail counter was more than happy to let us use his phone to make an international call, for a fee of about $1 per minute, paid in cash of course (another example of the power of free markets!). Do you know how frustrating it is to listen to hold music in a foreign language when you are paying $1 per minute? After some exasperating phone conversations and a cab ride back to the downtown of Saigon we were on a flight several hours later, and finally landed in Siem Reap, home of Angkor Wat.

Our time in Cambodia was fantastic, though mild compared to Vietnam. We spent two days visiting the ruins of the ancient temples (from the 12th and 13th Century) and were able to take some amazing photos. We also were able to go to a local orphanage and play with the children for a few hours each day. On the first day we were there we played some games of duck-duck-goose and laughed with the kids, touched at how bright and smiling their faces were. We were so moved that the next day we went back, this time with paper, pencils, packets, fruit and other things we picked up at the market. The woman who ran place showed us the “feast” of curry and meat that the kids were having for lunch thanks to the small donation we made the day before. It was very heart wrenching. Thanks to Angelina Jolie Cambodia has very strict laws about foreigners adopting children because I don’t think I would have had the heart to tell Jen that she couldn’t bring one home.

Here we are outside of Ankor Wat a little after sunrise.

These trees are fighting with the rocks for space.

There were 44 children at the orphanage.

Maybe it would have been Jen that would have had to tell me, "No"

We left Cambodia and flew through Bangkok on our way to Krabi Island. After being in Vietnam and Cambodia the size of Bangkok was a little shocking to us. Krabi has been a blur of fun and sun, though we did manage to take a speed boat around some of the Phi Phi Islands. There are tons of people here, and though the water is beautiful it seems very dirty. It has been my turn to fight a stomach sickness, so that doesn’t help. Tomorrow we head back to Bangkok for a few days before going for a week’s stay in the supposed paradise of Bali. After all this traveling, we really need a vacation.

Good Afternoon Vietnam!

2008-07-27T01:54:00.003-05:00

Or good morning, or evening, or whatever time it happens to be for you. It is Sunday afternoon for us here in Hanoi, Vietnam.

We intended to spend our long layover in Guangzhou by taking a taxi into the city and having lunch. However, after reading a not-too-enticing description of the manufacturing city in our guide book we decided against it. Besides Jen had spent the evening before losing an intestinal kung-fu match with some kung pao chicken that we ate, so she was feeling less than adventurous. We instead spent the day wandering around the airport, which was without exaggeration larger than the town that I grew up in. It had many restaurants, a shopping mall, a 7-11, and absolutely no benches that were handle free and would allow one to stretch out for a nap. Some of the locals were able to contort themselves around the handles, but we don't bend that way. So we stayed awake by playing cards and talking to the many people who approached us and asked if they could practice their english with us.

It was a late night getting in to Hanoi and an early morning pickup the next day for a four hour drive to Ha Long bay in the north part of the Gulf of Tonkin. There we had a one night cruise around the bay, which is an area that seems straight out of a fairytale. The bay is littered with around 3,000 limestone islands each roughly the size of a couple of football fields. They shoot straight up out of the water with their shear white sides broken only by the most aggressive of plants. We're not able to post pictures now, but will soon.

On the boat we met a very nice couple from outside of London, Tim and Maria. We ended up having dinner with them upon returning to Hanoi. Fueled by the local Tiger beer, I think Tim and I were able to identify many of the world's problems the first evening and solve them the second. Alas, I awoke this morning to find that those solutions escaped my mind, only to be replaced by a sharp pain centered between my eyes. Oh well.

Jen and I are loving Vietnam. The people have been very friendly and the food is amazing. They drive like the Chinese, only on smaller streets that have even more mopeds. Did you know that a family four can fit on a motor bike complete with luggage and the family pet/dinner? It is pretty wild to think that the generation of American's that came to this country before us had a much different experience, and we feel very fortunate to be able to travel freely and safely here. If there is any resentment toward Americans left here we haven't found it, and it feels like the locals speak better English here than is spoken in some parts of the U.S.

This evening we take an overnight train to Hue, then to Hoi An for a few days before heading to Ho Chi Min City (Saigon).

Heading south

2008-07-23T08:00:00.009-05:00

We finish most of our journey in China tomorrow, heading on to Vietnam. We fly down through Guangzhou and have about an 11 hour layover so we will get to see that city (in the south of China) for a few hours. From there we fly into Hanoi and board a boat for a cruise around Ha Long bay for a night. We are heading to Ho Chi Min City via train, though we will make up our itinerary as we go. I am not sure how much access we will have to the Internet at that time.

We got to experience something very interesting last night: Beijing live music. First, we went to an acrobatic show, something like Cirque Du Soliel. I didn’t know that people could fly and or bend in such ways. Then we found a restaurant with California wine on the menu (from the Rutherford valley no less). We figured that we should support U.S. exports so we had two bottles. Then we proceeded to go the main drag for nightlife where we were surprised to find that you could bargain for the price of beer with the doorman before entering an establishment! Luckily for them that we were a little off our negotiating game due to the haze of the wine or else they probably would have ended up paying us to drink there given Jen's skill. At each bar we found that live entertainment consists of a guitarist, a guy playing the keyboard and a cute girl doing interpretative dancing to the song lyrics with absolutely no expression on her face. Then, on the next song, the band would hit a button and sing obvious karaoke while playing air guitar, all while the same girl would sit on the stand on the stage with a bored look on her face. I didn’t understand it yet was fascinated.

Here is a picture of the above mentioned dancer. Notice how she is selling the drama of the ballad being belted by the singer!

This is another shot of the Great Wall where we saw it.

These lilies were huge, some standing as much as six feet in the air. There were many gardens and lakes at the summer resort, which was only open to the ruling family until about 50 years ago. It's good to be the king, or emperor, or whatever the big cheese is called.

Here is a shot of the very exotic haze which gives Beijing a Paris like feel of romanticism and intrigue. Actually, it is smog which sets on your skin like day old sunscreen and doesn't like to come off. In the background you can see a hill with a temple on top. This was a man made hill that was constructed of the dirt that came from the moat dug around the Forbidden City. This doesn't give the best perspective, but up close it is pretty impressive to think that it was built with wheelbarrows.
Here is one of the 3 million beautiful buildings that make up the Forbidden City.

This lion guards the right hand side of one of the doors to a separate part of the city. There is a similar one on the other side, but this is the male. You can tell because it has it's paw on a globe (representing the world) to show the obvious male dominance of the Emperor. I bet he could have gotten an even better deal on scarfs than we did.

Here we are in Tianamen Square. You can see a picture of Chairman Mao behind us. We refer to him as "Sir" as well.

More fun in China

2008-07-22T10:20:00.006-05:00

We are now a good week into our time in China and we can successfully say three phrases: hello (ne ha), thank you (xi xi ne) and beer (pisa). Needless to say, we are getting along just fine.

I said before that we are really enjoying the people and that truth is continuing. We have been constantly been met with smiles and helpful faces, especially when it is painfully obvious that we are lost beyond comprehension, which is an unfortunate common occurrence. There are some un-enjoyable aspects we have found, such as the difference in the definition of a toilet. Most public and restaurant toilets are holes cut into the ground, occasionally surrounded by porcelain. I won't go into details here, but I have NEVER been so happy to have a Y chromosome! I may not be able to remember birthdays or understand why flowers are special, but at least I can stand up to pee. Huge!

Our original itinerary called for a side trip to Xian, home of the Terracotta warriors. There are a few people who are doing a similar Asia tour a few weeks ahead of us and they seem to have given the place mixed reviews, so when our concierge told us that the train wasn't available we weren't too worried. Instead, we decided to book a three day trip to Chengede, which was the place where the Chinese Emperors went when they were tired of the Beijing heat. Jen and I figured, hey, if it is good for royalty it probably works for us. We tried to book a hotel that was featured in our guide book. After calling to make the booking, our concierge told us that it wasn't available but that it's sister hotel did have room. We took it. Going through the train station (where no one spoke English!!!!!) at 5:00 in the morning was something I will never forget, and I don't know exactly how we made it on board the locomotive that stopped in Chengde, but we did. When we got to the hotel to find that it seemed we were not only the only Western guests but the only guests, I began to suspect that what may have been lost in translation back with our concierge in Beijing was that this was not the sister hotel to the place we were trying to book, but HIS sister's hotel! I have to admit I was a little bit worried, but Jen was trooper and convinced me that all would work out.

Here is a picture of our very efficient room. As you can see, you can use the toilet, and take a shower, and watch TV (not pictured but behind the camera) all at once. The bed felt like a 2x12 covered with fabric.

Actually, it turned out to be a nice place. We ended up meeting some lovely young Chinese women who were studying to be nurses at a University in the town. They were working at the hotel for the summer and will go back in the fall to finish studying English for five months before taking an English test to determine if they can temporarily work in the U.S., Australia, or New Zealand. They were very excited to meet us and practice English that they agreed to meet us early one morning (6 AM) to hike up a local mountain (while it sounds crazy, you have to start early because most carbon based life forms start to melt around 9...). Jen and I got up early and went down at 5:40 to stretch before meeting them (we are not spring chickens and must coerce our muscles into doing work that early) only to find them already there, dressed in jeans, skirts and even high heels. We felt like total dweebs in our workout clothes, but we all marched up the hill.

Here we are at the top of the mountain with our wonderful friends from Chengde.

In Chengde we were down right oddities (being western) and we got many looks and more than one approach for pictures. I am happy to report that Jen did not hog all the attention as there were a few people who were mesmerized by me. I may not be blond but my rather thick arm hair caused quite a stir on a few occasions. Apparently there are not many people in China related to monkeys as closely as I am, and little kids found it funny to run up to me and pet my arm hair. I found this very amusing. I did not find it amusing when their middle aged fathers also tried to pet my arms. Some things I will not stand for in the name of cultural relations.

Having had a wonderful time in Chengede, Jen and I tried to get a train ticket back to Beijing only to find that the one train that went per day was sold out. We were told that we could only by return tickets while in Chengde (again by the lovely concierge in Beijing). So we ended up on a bus back to Beijing. While you at least know that a train is going in one direction, a bus can take many roads, and we got quite worried after we boarded the bus to find it driving all over the surrounding countryside to pick up apparent relatives of the bus driver. We also had the lovely experience of getting a shakedown by the Beijing Provence Police, who thoroughly searched our bags and almost confiscated Jen's bag of toiletries. I tried to explain to the officer that there was NO WAY I was going to survive if she didn't have her moisturizer and makeup, and it must have worked since he apparently decided we didn't look dangerous and let us take it all into the city.

We made it back yesterday and this morning went to see the Great Wall. It was 10 AM and 185 degrees (F) but we managed to hike for about two hours. In total, I think we covered about 0.000125% of the total area of the wall. Seriously, just the parts we could see are huge, not to mention the 5,997 miles we couldn't see from our vantage point. It is very impressive: a 20' high by 15' wide wall built on the peak ridge of some of the most rugged countryside I have ever seen. Below is a picture of the two of us with the wall snaking behind. If you look just above and to the left of my head is a tower that we climbed up to. It was probably a 500 foot elevation gain, nearly straight up.

Taking Beijing by storm

2008-07-17T18:47:00.003-05:00

We are in Beijing now and really having a blast. Both Jen and I have fallen in love with China, despite it's crazy drivers, endemic pollution and incomprehensible language. The people are very warm, friendly and seem genuinely happy. The food has been fantastic, despite the fact that we don't always know what we are getting.

Plus, we are being treated as if we are rock stars. People openly stare at us walking down the street, sometimes stopping to point and smile. Yesterday we had lunch in a small local restaurant and were seated at a table near a large open window. People walking by would stop when they saw us and just stare in. One guy left and then came back with his wife and son to share. While it is possible they are mezmerized by my absolute inability to use chop sticks (I really wasn't born with the right gene for that), but I think it has more to do with Jen's platinum blonde hair. As we were walking around the Forbidden City we were approached several times by young girls who wanted their picture taken with the blonde bombshell.

Here is Jen with one of her Beijing posse.

I want to share one other experience that I think many of you will enjoy. It happened yesterday evening at a market where Jen was buying a few pashminas. Below I recreate the negotiation to the best of my ability. Most of the time numbers are discussed by typing into a calculator rather than saying the number out loud, so that there is no confusion.

Jen: OK, how much for each?

Vendor: For you, RMB 350 (about $50).

Jen: That is much more than I wanted to spend. What if I want to buy five, can I get a better price?

Vendor: Yes, yes. You name price. How much you want to spend?

J: OK, how about five for 350?

V: Lady you crazy. You put me out of business! These are pure silk!

J: OK, thanks. Goodbye.

V: Wait, wait lady. OK, I make very special deal for you. Five for 800.

J: How about 350?

V: Lady, I can't run business like this. You put me out of business. 650.

J: 350.

V: You give me 600. I make you good deal.

J: How about 350.

V: Help me lady. Give me 450.

J: 350.

V: Meet me in middle. 400.

J: 350.

V: Lady, this deal for you only. No one else. I give you my lowest price. You give me 380, we have a deal.

J: 350.

V: OK, OK, 360.

J: 350.

V: Done.

She is really amazing. Meanwhile, I am peeing my pants as Jen just saved 38 cents per scarf.

On the road again

2008-07-15T01:53:00.002-05:00

We are back on the trail after a short stop (and a long hangover...thanks Scott) back home. I can't begin to tell how sophisticated I felt when we got on the flight today and said aloud to Jen (with just enough projection to let the rest of business class hear me), "I guess American Airlines doesn't change their movies that often; I've already watched all that they offer this month." I was very impressed with myself until I realized that it was completely true and I spent the 13 hour flight watching Batman Begins for the fourth, fifth and sixth time.

We are currently at the airport in Tokyo and fly to Shanghai tonight, then on to Beijing tomorrow. More to come when I have something more interesting to talk about than how I am keeping myself entertained.

As Promised 2

2008-07-11T08:42:00.009-05:00

Here a matriarch elephant leads her family across the Chobe river from Botswana towards Zambia. Apparently, they do not need to purchase visas.

We caught this baby and mother hippo and baby as they were waking up from their daytime sleep. We were on a river cruise on the Zambizi River about two miles above Victoria Falls.

The ever elusive leopard was finally found on our last evening in the Okavango Delta perched up high in a tree.

This was an adult bull elephant of about 21 years that Jen charmed into letting us get a picture with. Notice the matching khaki outfits!

We tracked (well, really our guide did all the work) this white rhino for about three hours one morning before we found him. They are very shy, very hard to find, and very much endangered.

This baby hyena cub was helping its mother clean off after a night of feeding.

Here a giraffe was hiding in the picture we took of our last sunset in the Delta.

As promised

2008-07-10T09:09:00.008-05:00

We are home! We even managed to sleep in this morning until about 10 past five. Jen is very relieved as I am much more recognizeable as a human being when not subjected to instant coffee!

Here is a picture of Jen with one of the aforementioned shark teeth.

This was taken underwater using my friend's underwater camera. Acutally, this is one of the only shots that came out well from underwater. Not because the camera was of poor quaility (it is actually really nice). Rather, it was because I was busy soiling my wetsuit every time a shark swam by and found myself rather inadequate at fighting back my flight reflex long enough to take a picture. Luckily they had a lid on the top of the cage preventing me from rocketing out of the water each time one of these guys came near.

Here is another one, just for fun.

Here is Jen in front of one of the larger planes we flew to the various camps in Botswana on. When making one landing, our pilot suddenly pulled us up, causing a several hundered foot difference between the alititude of my stomach and the rest of my body. The evasive manuever was performed in order to avoid the giraffe that wandered onto the runway during our approach.

This was the head of one of the first lion prides we saw, taking a nap under a few trees. We pulled up about 20 feet away and just sat there for about 25 minutes, watching them sleep and yawn and move.

I called him "Sir".

London stopover

2008-07-09T04:51:00.004-05:00

We are now in London, preparing to head out tonight for a four day stopover back home. The weather has been, well, very wet. Our clothes have an interesting mix of red-african dirt smell that is now layered with a soft hint of mildew. It is a romantic life we lead.

On the advice of a honeymooning couple we met in Botswana we yesterday went to Cambridge for the day. It is really a lovely little town, exactly what you would expect an English village that is 4 million years old to look like. It houses Cambridge University, which is one of the premiere Universities in the UK. The colleges that make up the University (it's a different system than in the U.S.) date back as far as the 14th century. The buildings are really beautiful, as was the train ride up there. Of course, being Americans, Jen and I found ourselves completely underdressed just walking around the town, and we had to leave as we were afraid someone was going to try to offer us money or a warm meal.

Things are altogether going well, though we are both excited to head home and see friends for a few days. I wasn't getting homesick until Jen slipped up the other day and said the M word...no not marraige (already jumped off that bridge). Worse. Mexican food. We have spent the last two days in London scouring the streets in search of a green sign and a sumbraro. Walking through the London neighborhoods we say, 'this looks like a GREAT place for a Mexican restaurant, let's search around every corner.' We have been fooled a few times by Spanish tapas joints, but it wasn't until yesterday that we found an authentic place offering chips, guacamole, burritos, etc. Actually, it wasn't very good, but it was a well won victory. Since then we have been planning out our 12 odd meals while in Chicago to make sure we have room for all our favorite mexican food joints. Our new taboo conversation topic is how on earth we are going to survive in Asia for six weeks without chips and salsa. I don't think I could handle wasabi flavored guacamole.

Overall we are enjoying our short time in London. The prices seem very reasonable, until you realize that our dollar is only worth 1/2 of a pound. Then you get this sick tightening in your chest and realize that the beer you just drank cost more than all the internal travel you did in Botswana and Zimbabewe combined.

We land late tonight (Wednesday) and leave again for part B (Asia) Monday afternoon. For those of you in Chicago, we look forward to connecting this weekend.

(Almost) Out of Africa

2008-07-06T04:14:00.003-05:00

We are on our last day in Africa, flying out tonight from Joburg to London. We had left some clothes in bags checked at the Joburg airport, and it was nice to be able dress in something other than khaki colors (there are strict weight restrictions on the internal flights in Botswana, so we were limited in the extent of our wardrobe while in the bush).

Two days ago we drove into Zimbabewe to see Victoria Falls. It is listed as one of the seven wonders of the world, and we felt that title was rightly earned. It is absolutely huge and boggles the mind to think about much water is making the 300 foot drop. The people of Zimbabewe were absolutely wonderful, so warm and happy. We were a little apprehensive of heading into the country given the recent tourmoil over the elections, but we experienced no problems whatsoever. In fact, we were most troubled to see how much the people of the country were suffering due to the agenda of one man who won't let go of power at the age of 84. With the confusion that has engulfed the country, teachers aren't going to work (because they aren't getting paid), tourists are coming, food is scarce, and inflation is ridiculous. I sincerely hope that the other leaders in the region persuade Mugabe to step down and that a transition can come without war.

While at Victoria Falls we went to a local craft market to buy goodies. We were two of the few tourists in the area and we made A LOT of new friends. Jen was in heaven, since no transaction was complete without a long hagle over price. She even managed to trade a shirt of mine for a hand carved bowl. Luckily, I was not in the shirt at the time of the trade.

Overall, Jen and I have been inspired by what we have found in Southern Africa, despite the situation in Zimbabewe. I feel like any time you turn on the National Geographic channel you are made to feel like the great expanses of the African wild are direly threatened. While it appears that poaching and urban expansion is still a threat in many areas, countries like Botswana have taken a very active role in preserving their natural heritage. The Okavanga Delta (where we were for 5 days) is set aside as a national preserve. This area is rich with wildlife, and the nomads that lived there for years were moved off to set the site aside for wildlife. One of our guides was born "somewhere in the delta" and he said that overall the people understood because they saw the need to protect the habitat. Botswana has decided to offer low volume, high cost safari trips to limit the number of tourists who venture into the area. While it is still possible to go, it is not overwhelmed with backpackers and hostels. From the animal perspective, I first expected that the animals would be quite bothered by the Land Cruisers running around on the dirt trails, but for the most part we seemed to be regarded as a very noisy, clumsy "animal" that bumbles through the bush. They seem to enjoy being able to walk through down the roads that cut through the brush. And no amount of driving off road can compete with the destruction done by elephants when they decided to push down a tree and eat it.

Still on Safari

2008-07-03T05:43:00.002-05:00

Jen and I are in our third and final Safari camp, this time on the Chobe River across from Namibia. Last night we took a boat ride to watch the elephants swim across the river to an island and convinced our guide to take us to the Namibia side of the river so we could check off another country from the list...it's the little things.

While we got the picture of the great white to post I have been unable to convince any computer to upload any other pictures. Once we get back next week we'll get some up on the site to share. We have been very fortunate and have gotten some great views of many animals. We were able to see all of the "big five" at the last camp we were at, though we had to hunt for the leopard for several days. Finally, on the last evening we were there our guide spotted a leopard high in a tree overlooking a pride of lions turn an impala into cat food. We also had a pretty close encounter with a lioness who we found just as she was finishing lunch one day. She walked right behind the land cruiser, immediately under where Jen and I were sitting. She stopped to stare up at the two of us (from about 6 feet away) and just as I was trying to figure out how to explain to her that some of the other people in our car would taste much better than the two of us, she decided that she would rather drink from the stagnant pond than mess with us.

Tomorrow we go to Victoria Falls and then make our way back to Chicago via Joburg and London. Thanks to all of you who have written us and checked in. More to come.

Some pictures

2008-06-30T11:24:00.002-05:00

Here is one of the sharks going after the bait.

From the bush

2008-06-30T11:17:00.002-05:00

We are now deep in the heart of the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana. Basically, it is us, a few guides, a few more guests and a ton of wildlife. The sights have been truly amazing. Last night, a female lioness killed a young giraffe about 200 feet from some of the cabins. We are escorted to our rooms each night by guards because you never know what is watching you. It is fantastic! At our last lodge a group of hippos walked right by our room each night as they headed back to the water. Jen yelled at me in the morning for snoring loud, and I have yet to tell her that I was wide awake as I want her to be able to sleep the rest of the trip. We were able to see a white rhino and a black rhino today, of which there are only about 20 in the entire country. Currently, Jen is tracking the leopard and the cheetah...the hunt continues. I could start to try to list all the things we have seen up close and personal but I think there is a word limit with this blog.

We made it, part II

2008-06-25T13:25:00.002-05:00

Mr Cheney, your daughter survived the sharks! Today Jen and I went cage diving with great white sharks off the South African Coast. I wish that I could post pictures now, but unfortunately it will have to wait till I get home. Let's just say that their teeth are as brutal as you would think them to be. Jen knows, as she has two that she is bringing home with her. I will let you guess how she got those (they were fresh from the beast's mouth!)

In all reality it did not seem as dangerous as I anticipated. The cage was very safe as was the crew we went with. And the sharks seemed as curious about us as we were about them. They really are majestic; they just lazily swam around the boat, sometimes going for the chum that was on a bait line, sometime ignoring it. When they really wanted the fish head, however, they would attack and take it so fast you could hardly make out what was happening. We were able to see a total of about 9 sharks, and the largest was probably about 11 feet long. One even breached and came clear out of the water chasing the bait. The water was very cold (low 60s), but once the sharks start coming at the cage you completely forget.

Cape Town overall is exceeding out expectations. The people here are so very warm and friendly. I have never seen more genuine smiles. Yesterday we were able to go to the top of table mountain, which overlooks the city. We also went to Robben Island, which is an Alcatraz type prison that housed Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners for many years. I expected your typical run-of-the-mill tour and was completely surprised to find that our guidewas a former inmate. He spent 5 years on Robben Island after being arrested at the age of 16 in the late 1970s for being a student protestor. The man was truly amazing. After describing some of the horrors he was subjected to (I will not go into detail) and losing all sense of hope he has learned to put aside his anger and forgive those who imprisoned him. By any normal measure he had all the reasons in the world to seek vengence, but he explained to us how he came to learn that in order to break the cylce of violence he had to forgive, else it would perpetuate indefinately. I hope that no one who reads these words ever has to learn to forgive someone for trespasses of such a degree, and I don't know that I ever could. Still, it is truly inspiring to see love and humanity triumph in the hearts of many of those who suffered under apartied. Our guide now runs a leadership institute aimed at helping troubled teens overcome their own anger and become functioning members of society.

Tomorrow we fly to Joburg to begin our safari. Hope all is well to our friends who are at home and to those who are travelling.

We made it!

2008-06-23T08:00:00.002-05:00

Well, Jen and I made it to the bottom of the world. The trip was long (one night to London, a few hours in London, then a night flight to Cape Town) and I don't even want to start adding up how many hours it was as I am trying to get myself adjusted to this time zone. The trip was overall pleasant, except for the fact that Jen seems to be coming down with a cold so she had a rough first night. A few interesting things I noticed: 1) the international service on American Airlines was much better than expected; 2) the food in London was surprisingly edible; and 3) no one seems to have told people from Eastern Europe that the mullet went out of style about the time the iron curtain fell.

South Africa is awesome so far. We have already been shopping twice (shocking, I know) and have bought a few really neat paintings and a few other gifts. The word ketchup seems to apply to something akin to sweet and sour sauce (much to Jen's dismay) so tonight we are going to go in search of sweet and sour sauce and hope that it resembles ketchup. We are now trying to stay up till after 6:00 so we can get a full night sleep, and will visit Robben Island and Table Mountain tomorrow before our shark dive on Wednesday.

in 24 hours....

2008-06-20T12:51:00.003-05:00

I'm writing this first post from the comfort of my desk on my last official work day before we depart on what is sure to be an amazing journey. I've thought a lot about what I'll miss while I'm away and it's made me realize just how blessed I am. I wake up everyday to a fiancé that I love and adore and can't wait to spend the rest of my life with. I have a family that I appreciate and love so much. I have the absolute best set of friends a girl could hope for! I work for a company that breads creativity and have colleagues that truly inspire me. And now I have an opportunity to see the world over the next three months. Stay tuned for our first update from the road...

2008-05-28T16:47:00.004-05:00

This is a test to see if I can get this picture we took in Mexico to post.

Planning Planning Planning

2008-05-28T16:42:00.002-05:00

This is to be the site of Jen and Dan's comments from our whirlwind tour of a good portion of the world this summer. We should be able to keep everyone up to speed on our adventures as well as post pictures from most of the places we go in real time. Stay tuned for (hopefully) some fun stuff!