Madeira

Madeira is an autonomous region of Portugal on the same latitude as Casablanca, Morocco, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. It was an unplanned destination, offering further proof that you cannot plan too far into the future because life has other ideas.  There are almost two dozen micro-climates on the island and so there are a lot of interesting and variable hikes, many of which follow a levada, or aqueduct.  We went on an amazing 11k hike where the drop-offs were scary but the views were incredible.

Steps at the end of the hike, under the clouds

Lisbon

In an effort to not be one of those people who says they love everywhere they’ve traveled I will admit that Lisbon is not for me.  One nice memory was seeing the Independence Day 2 movie on July 4. Nothing like being away from home to bring out latent nationalistic feelings.  I had just started Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (book 7) and so this life-sized cutout of Daniel Radcliffe was fun to see. (I won’t say what movie it’s from so as not to spoil the surprise!)

Depth perception is hard for humans

The Algarve

Southern Portugal, known as the Algarve region, is beautiful with rugged cliffs and strikingly blue water.  Unfortunately it is also eroding at a faster pace than nature intended.  There are also a lot of abandoned buildings.  Sometimes Portugal feels like it occupies a space between Europe and the developing world.

Spanish Loops

After a delightful, long stay in Sevilla we packed up our bags and hit the road for three weeks.  Destinations: Granada and Alicante before picking Nathan's parents up in Barcelona for a fun, whirlwind adventure through BCN, Figures, Cadaques, Ribes de Freser, Valencia, and Madrid.

View of Alhambra from AirBnB deck

Inside Alhambra courtyard

Sagrada Familia in BCN

Windy day in Cadaques in front of Dali's home

Talented sand castle builders in Valencia

Art exhibit in Madrid (Museo Reina Sofia) that could have been about Nathan

España: Sevilla

We’ve been in Sevilla, Spain for 2.5 weeks so far and every day I think, “This city is amazing.” It is so beautiful, laid back, and has phenomenal markets.  Every other day we shop for fresh olives, bread, cheese, vegetables, fruit, and eggs. One of my favorite Spanish dishes is the tortilla made with eggs, potatoes, onion, and olive oil.  I remember my friend Chris talking about this dish non-stop after his year in Palma de Mallorca, Spain and now I understand why. It’s best on crunchy bread as a bocadillo.

Bocadillo (tortilla on bread with pepper)

View from Las Setas

Flamenco show

Salad (mom's recipe)

Moon over Sevilla

The inflight magazine

Traveling from Thailand to Spain was a long haul. Our flight was delayed by hours and then in general it takes awhile to travel ½ way around the world [Bangkok-Oslo-Madrid]. But there were some fun things along the way. Most notably was an advertisement in the Norwegian Air inflight magazine. The “world’s largest tour company” for Route 66 in the U.S. is apparently owned and operated by a Norwegian who loves that part of the world.  Anyone who lives in the U.S. will likely find humor in this ad, as we know that a “real America” surely is elusive, however iconic these locations are. But this is also the case when a brochure screams, "See the real Spain!" We're seeking that balance of visiting “tourisy” sites (often because they are amazing) but also trying to “live” like the locals.

Seriously, read the whole quote.

Oslo Airport water was magical: clean, right out of a faucet!

It’s Too Hot

I love hot weather. Or I thought I did. Or it’s just too hot and should be called “scalding” instead. The weather folks tell us it feels like 111 degrees with humidity. 
We took a nice stroll around the air-conditioned mall (don’t judge, that’s where the movie theatre is). Usually we pass right on by U.S.-based chain restaurants (and Chinese-based chain restaurants for that matter) and head to the Thai food stalls where a delicious dinner is $3. But at this Dairy Queen (shout-out to my Dad for never missing a DQ) you can order a mango sticky-rice Blizzard. The small size (akin to a kiddie-size in U.S.) was less than $1. The Thais have portion sizes figured out. Anyway, Nathan says it was pretty good, not great. So the next day we headed to the night market for the real deal. Nothing beats eating mango sticky-rice at the night market. I almost didn’t notice how hot it was outside.

Seriously? Hua Hin newspaper clipping

Mango sticky-rice Blizzard at the Mall (see other photo for the WHY)

Favorite Signs So Far

I have been interested in funny signs ever since reading the “Sign Spotting” section of the Rocky Mountain News each Sunday in the 1990s.  To be certain: I am not making fun of anyone’s use of the English language. I am making fun of the English language.

(Many Thais have a decent grasp of the English language. Light years ahead of my Thai language skills. And Japanese for that matter.  Is the U.S. the only country in the world where a large part of the population insists on actively convincing ourselves we don’t need to know other languages?) Anyway, enjoy …

At AirBnB (Osaka, Japan)

Legit endorsement? (Every corner, Japan)

Plastic toy, movie theatre (Osaka, Japan)

Egg salad? Mall food court (Osaka, Japan)

Amazing! (Kyoto, Japan)

Narcissists beware (Osaka Station, Japan)

Steamed crap, yum (Koh Samui, Thailand)

Angthong Marine Park

Working at the local mall during high school, I spent many lunch breaks thumbing through the CDs at the CD store (remember those?). I was introduced to the musical artist Moby through a movie and its soundtrack.  As a teenager who already wanted to travel, the scenery of The Beach featuring some groovy new music made me want to jump on a plane. I forgot about that until we were here in Thailand and read that islands nearby had inspired the movie.  We were planning to travel to Angthong Marine Park anyway, so this was a bonus.

We kayaked around the coves, swam in the water, and hiked to a (once) hidden lagoon. I rowed hard during the kayaking portion, which Nathan said he was hoping I would do since we went out in a paddle boat years ago and I pretended to paddle but didn’t (learned it from Dad)! There were plants that looked exactly like cactuses - and maybe they were but I haven’t found out yet. They grew out of the cracks in the rocky cliffs. The whole day was beautiful.

Lots of fishes in that water

View from hike

Lagoon

Songthaew (Thai, lit. “Two Rows”)

A few weeks ago the actual feeling of “traveling around the world” really struck me … riding in a group taxi (songthaew), holding on to the handlebars, wind whipping through. It reminded me of riding public transportation during study abroad. Sometimes on vehicles allowed by the program and sometimes not. Here’s looking at you, education abroad friends. : )

Choeng Mon Beach

We visited one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. It was a nice half-moon of yellow, soft sand. The water was warm and calm. You could rent a beach chair and umbrella all day for 100 Baht ($3). 10 minutes into a lazy float, Nathan said “Have you been stung yet?”, which of course piqued my interest away from gazing at the islands on the horizon. Only 20 seconds later I felt the first sting, which was like a bee sting, but sharper. And within a few minutes I had been stung several more times. Even though it didn’t seem like the stings were doing any damage, I got out and sat on the sand.  Nathan stayed in the ocean, getting bit repeatedly. He tolerates pain better than I do. Those islands on the horizon looked just as good from the beach. (Don’t worry moms, we’re fine!)

Post-stings

Things that Remind me of Boulder

-An entire wall displayed with Crocs at the sporting goods store. And people wearing Crocs. And Crocs advertised on flyers.

-A really nice British woman I met was curious and maybe a tad envious of our trip around the world. She lives on a tropical island in the middle of the Sea of Thailand. She turned to her friend with a wishful expression. The friend said, “It’s the kids that make it so my wife and I can’t travel right now.” And Marie disagreed, saying that for her family, “It’s not the kids, it’s the dogs!”

Lamai Beach

Welcome to Thailand

The embarrassing news is that I am showering with shower shoes. The bad news is that I unknowingly showered with a cockroach in my shower shoe. The good news is that it was dead.

Cockroach

Hiroshima

We weren’t planning to visit Hiroshima but at the last minute we decided to do so.  We saw the bomb dome, the memorial gardens and pond, the peace flame (to burn until all nuclear weapons are destroyed worldwide), and the arch where the victim’s names are buried.  The museum was gruesome and powerful. [During a visit to Los Alamos, New Mexico (also an unplanned side trip while in Sante Fe/Taos) we saw a ‘scientific’ take on the atomic bombing. While we learned a lot at Los Alamos, it was completely void of feeling, of responsibility. Not surprising, but unfortunate.]

The part that most affected me was the story of the little girl who died from leukemia. She was two years old when the bomb hit Hiroshima.  She grew up, seemingly healthy, but then got sick at age 11.  She believed that if she folded 1,000 paper cranes she would survive. She tried to fold these in the hospital but died before she could finish. Her classmates folded the rest.  Someone wrote a book about it and then children around the world (including myself, including you?) read the book, folded more cranes, and sent them to Japan.  Kids still do this from all over the world.  Now they take the cranes and recycle many of them, turning them into postcards to go back out into the world.

Bomb dome, flame, arch with names

Children's Memorial

Osaka

The 3rd Largest City in Japan

We’re staying in an Osaka district that seems like every store is comic books, video games, other card games like Magic and Pokemon, and electronics.  It reminds me of Lima, Peru where literally dozens of the same exact shop - like eyeglasses - were side by side. An entire district of optical stores.  Sometimes what you see doesn’t match the economics you studied.

Shopping, Shopping, Shopping!

There are malls within malls here. So many shops. I read that by 2030 the largest middle class will be in Asia.  It seems like it already has risen! We walked down a 3.0 kilometer street where you could seemingly buy ANYTHING.

So many people shopping & eating

Life-sized food (but no veggie potstickers to be found)

Past & Present Museum

This was a small yet charming museum with a life-sized replica of an Edo-period Osaka neighborhood.  There was a drug store, a ‘curios’ store, the town hall, homes, outhouses, etc. The hilarious audio guide said things like, “The town gates shut at 10 pm so that people could go neither in nor out.  This prevented teenagers from carousing about like they do today.”

Outhouse replica complete with special shoes (more cleanliness appreciation)

Kinosaki-Onsen

Hot springs that don’t stink like rotten eggs are the best kind of relaxation. We spent two nights in Kinosaki-Onsen, a very small town built around seven hot springs.  It was delightfully relaxing. The tradition is to wear yukata (summer/light cotton kimono) and clop around town in Japanese wooden shoes. The shoes were not big enough but we did it anyway. We elicited a few giggles, which were as polite as giggles at others can be.  An equivalent might be a Japanese tourist walking around Vail with chaps, a cowboy hat, and stirrups (normal but not in 2016).  The onsen were beautiful and the water was h-o-t. Meals are served in the hotel room. The tempura vegetables, fried tofu, pickled veggies, salads, soups, and Japanese beer combined to make a delicious meal.  We rode a cable car to the top of the mountain where we could see the Sea of Japan, north just over the rolling mountains.

We "met" a robot designed to greet people at the visitor's center. Unorunately it did not speak English but it did dance. Since music and dance are theoretically universal, I decided to dance with it. I can't get the video working right now but here is a photo.

Welcoming robot

Sea of Japan in distance

One of seven onsen in town 

View of onsen garden obscured by steam

Koyasan: Buddhist Retreat

We traveled via bullet train, loop train, regular train, and cable car for many hours to reach Koyasan. Koyasan is a beautiful small mountain town surrounded by 7 peaks.  It feels like we’re at the top of the world but it’s only 800 m / 2500 ft.

Koyasan is the birthplace of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism. We are staying in a temple - shukubo. We woke at sunrise to observe the morning prayer which was hypnotic chanting and gong-ringing. Although absolutely freezing, it was a great experience.  Although I respect the very little I know of it, we’re not here for the religion.

So what are in Koyasan for? We’re here for the food. It’s probably time to admit that this is a food stop-over. Not a foodie-vacation, but a food-cation.  We're not snobby eaters, we are wide-eyed and wonderous eaters. Seeking new, different, sometimes confusing foods is a hobby. Perhaps my favorite hobby.  The monks prepare multi-dish vegan meals. This is a delightful chance to eat things I cannot identify yet know I can eat.  Who knew you could cook tofu into a little bag with a bow made of tofu and then put more food inside the bag-with-a-bow? Or pickle horseradish? Or make amazing tempura? Well, that one is obvious - fried anything is a yes.

We also explored the cemetery.  It was absolutely stunning with Japanese Cedar trees reaching 150+ feet into the air, green dripping moss, and light shining through the trees.  Some of the headstones were almost 900 years old.  The whole thing is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Which made it that more confusing when we came upon headstones (sponsored? recognizing?) corporations like Nissan, OCC Coffee, and more.  So even an ancient cemetery can be commercialized.  We wondered if perhaps the patriarch (and likely a woman too who didn’t get any credit) of that company was buried there and so it wasn’t exactly as bad as could be? I’m usually down to ask any number of questions of whomever will engage in conversation but this one seemed like one we’ll just let be.

Things I appreciate about Japanese standards of cleanliness

• Clear instructions
• Hand wipes before every meal
• Face masks worn when sick ... and apparently taking selfies with a face mask on .. no big deal

Packing

Theoretically I am a packing expert.  I studied abroad twice, have traveled to almost 30 countries on on five continents, and was once told by a TSA agent, “This bag looks like it was packed by an engineer.” It was, perhaps, one of my favorite compliments.  However, a few mistakes have already been made.  Which is mostly bad for Nathan since he’s carrying both big bags, at least for now. He’s a champ!  The lesson? Take 1/2 the stuff and double the money like the old saying goes ... even if you're traveling for almost a year! Another tip: don’t leave a gifted Japanese phrasebook on the plane (sorry Kim K).