tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14548257252573602022024-03-05T06:47:46.599-08:00Have Wife Will TravelCoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18118597983371023408noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-89008624172115741852017-04-24T13:01:00.001-07:002017-04-24T13:02:56.975-07:00London Bridge is...still standing!To finish off our great British adventure, we headed to London. We were in London together 4 years prior on our engagement trip, and so we were excited to revisit some favorite spots, and get in some experiences we had missed the last time.<br />
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First off, London is a tough cookie on a $100 per day budget, but we were up to the challenge! We found a private room with shared bath in a hotel in Bayswater, just north of Hyde Park for $69 per night. Sure, it was a little dusty, and sure, the shared bathroom was so small you could barely turn around in it, and sure, you had to go to the hotel lobby next door for wifi, but it was warm, safe, well-located, and CHEAP! To keep transit inexpensive, we got a week's pass for the Boris Bikes and spent most of our trips in the city biking.<br />
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Our first night in London happened to also be Thanksgiving stateside, and we felt happy and honored to be invited to our good (American) friend, Lara, to her Thanksgiving feast (incidentally, my mom was celebrating with her parents back in California!). If you have never enjoyed Thanksgiving with 20 Brits who have never celebrated, you should know it's quite a treat. We sometimes fail to use the big dinner as an avenue to talk about our blessings and those things for which we are thankful, and it was a blessing to be reminded about the joyful purpose of Thanksgiving.<br />
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We spent the rest of our week sightseeing around town, with the following special highlights:<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/">The British Museum</a>: We visited the British Museum on our last trip to London, but after spending so much time in Turkey, it was a whole new animal this time. We downloaded Rick Steves' excellent (and free!) <a href="http://podcasts.ricksteves.com/walkingtours/TheBritishMuseum.mp3">audio guide</a> to the museum and made our way through, learning about the Elgin Marbles, the Rosetta Stone, and numerous other rooms full of artifacts and history from lands we had just visited. Plus, there was a fabulous exhibit about Japanese erotic art (technically called Shunga). It was a riveting (and exhausting) afternoon!</li>
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<li><a href="http://boroughmarket.org.uk/">The Borough Market</a>: We missed this stop on our last trip, so it was at the top of our list this time. We showed up on a rainy, chilly London morning, and spent a few hours just meandering between stalls selling cheese, meats, bread, vegetables and other goodies. It was like a farmer's market on the best kind of steroids. After much meandering and much debate, we opted to lunch on a warm bowl of Indian food, escaping the drizzle under the protection of the bridge. It may have been the most memorable farmer's market lunch I've had...</li>
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Cost Breakdown:</div>
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We were in London for 6 days and spent a total of $973, for a daily average cost of $162. The daily averages were: Housing: $71; Transit: $19; Food: $64; Other: $8.<br />
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(This post was written in 2014 after we returned from our trip, but we didn't get around to publishing it until 2017...oops!)</div>
Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-30746897953449324162015-01-04T18:54:00.001-08:002015-01-05T11:12:54.659-08:00FAQ of Long-Term TravelSo we've done our trip, returned home, gotten jobs, settled in completely, and not finished writing our blog. We know, it's just tough to finish once life in the home world starts up again. Seems creative writing has a bit less convenient place in this life!<br />
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But, we have had various friends contact us to ask about long trips they want to do, and the nuggets of advice or wisdom we may be able to offer. So here's our answers, in your basic FAQ format. And if you are going on a trip like ours, and want some advice, just ask (and we'll update this post)! We love to share our hard-earned knowledge (well, only some of it was hard-earned. Some of it we got from other travelers who went before!).<br />
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<b>What did you wish you had brought that you didn't? What do you have that is indispensable? What do you wish you had? </b><b>What do you wish you left behind?</b><br />
We wrote a P<a href="http://www.havewifewilltravel.com/2013/07/the-first-100-days.html">acking List</a> after our first 100 days of travel that, in retrospect, is still quite accurate. Pepto bismol pills and a scarf/pashmina/wrap are still indespensible. There is nothing I wish I had and couldn't buy (and for considerably less money than I could have bought it in the states - the only caveats here are the pepto pills, neosporin, and tech gadgets). The other caveat is if you are going straight to the outback...otherwise, you can buy things you need anywhere there is a concentration of local people!<br />
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For leaving behind, we sent a lot of stuff home (or left it for hotel cleaning staff and other locals who might want it), including makeup, a travel hair dryer, Cory's sleep sack, beach clothes once we hit Europe in the fall, and my point-and-shoot camera (we kept one iphone and one fancy camera).<br />
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<b>What location was the best surprise?</b><br />
China, hands down. Cory wanted to hike the <a href="http://www.havewifewilltravel.com/2013/08/tigers-leaping-legs-hurting-jaws.html">Tiger Leaping Gorge</a> and I had no interest in what I assumed would be a smoggy, unappealing country. Boy was I wrong! There is so much to see and do across the country, China is filled with incredibly friendly people who want to practice English, share their food and heritage and were very welcoming to us (in addition to often being in awe that we were able to travel without speaking Mandarin). And the west side of the country is budget friendly. So if you feel as I did, lower your guard, open our eyes, skip the big bus tour and explore China on your own...oh, and climb their holy mountains. Puts the awe back in awesome :)<br />
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<b>Did you get burned out with long term travel? If so, how did you remedy that?</b><br />
Yes, definitely. Many days are not glorious, filled with long bouts of travel (because on a super budget, if a short flight is $100 but a 15 hour bus is $5, you're going to need to learn to love the bus). And you need to take the time to plan your next stops, which can be especially difficult when you're new to the area. But you'll get a lot of time you didn't anticipate because you don't have to go to work or commute, which gives back more time than we thought we'd have.<br />
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Our remedy for burnout was to get out of whatever city we were in for a "weekend" (which could be any few days of a week really) in the countryside, or to allow ourselves to be in an incredible place and spend the day watching netflix inside. It helps to give yourself permission not to be "on" all the time, for months.<br />
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<b>How much did your trip cost overall and how did you save the money?</b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">All in, we spent $35,500 for 8 months of travel (including everything we purchased in preparation, not including the value of family and friends who put us up along the way), which comes down to just under $3,000 per month. As it happens, that's a lot less than our life in San Diego cost us before we left. Sure, we had to save all those dollars ahead of time because we weren't bringing any in while we were gone, but there was no rent, utility bills, gas and car expenses, and all the other expenses that go along with life at home. Our year was much less expensive than if we had stayed home!</span><br />
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How we saved was another question all together! Our savings started in October of 2011 and we left April of 2013. When we started saving, we had two well paying jobs and no consumer debt. We were living in a less expensive apartment than we could "afford", we had two paid-off cars over 10 years old, and every time we went to buy something non-essential, we would say "would I rather have this or a day in Vietnam?". Vietnam usually won :) And when we left, we had an influx of money by cashing out our excess vacation time when we left our jobs, we sold one of our cars and many of our belongings (and to support us, many of our generous friends and family purchased our things or gave us gifts as they could). Of course, once we got home, we only had one car and had already spent the money from selling the other one, but after a year of travel, we find we don't need as much stuff, and in fact we don't need two cars living in San Francisco. So now we're a one car, one scooter family, and happier for it. But it's not likely we would have made that decision without the trip to help us.<br />
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Lastly, and on a technical level, we tracked our spending and saving ahead of the trip using <a href="http://www.mint.com/">Mint</a>, and cannot recommend it highly enough! Once on the trip, we became a cash based economy and used a really fabulous excel spreadsheet I made to track all our purchases daily, and keep track of how much money we had left. If you send me an email, I'm happy to send you the template.<br />
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<b>How did you access your cash as you traveled?</b><br />
Most of the world had pretty easy ATM access, with some specifics. Some countries (Vietnam) don't allow you to take much money out each day so you stop frequently, some countries (Cambodia) only give out $100 bills even though you can't easily spend that much money in that country, and some (China) had a lot of ATMs we couldn't access (every time we passed a Bank of China ATM, we withdrew some more!). And when you get to Turkey, make sure you have $25 cash US each, or they won't let you in until they decide to walk you through customs to visit the ATM. You figure it out as you go via trial and error.<br />
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The biggest issue here was having a bank account with free ATM withdrawals globally. Our credit union, the <a href="http://www.sffcu.org/">San Francisco Firefighter Credit Union</a> gives us free ATM withdrawals, and pays us back for whatever the ATM/local bank charges, and I've heard Charles Schwab has a similar deal. SFFCU also gave us a credit card with no international transaction fees (most cards cost 3% per transaction!) which was a life/budget saver.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Do you ever wish you had a local phone (or do you have one?) </b></span><b> Did you use email primarily to keep up with family, or Skype, or something else? </b><b style="font-family: inherit;">Can you find the information you need and do the planning you need online through the iPad? Is it hard to find wifi?</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Skype is great - we brought a computer and iPad on our trip, both of which can Skype to either communicate with family and friends or be able to buy Skype credit and for 8 cents per minute you can call any phone in the world (Skype to Skype is free). The only caveat is that you need wifi, which we found plentiful around Asia certainly. We had a local phone in Thailand for the first week and not at all for the following 6 months, and it was just fine. You learn to be somewhere when you say you will, because you can’t just call your partner to change plans. If you agree to meet in front of a building at 3:00 you need to be there because you can't call your partner to change plans last minute. I think this is probably a good return to basic respect, from before we all had cell phones and could change plans on people to suit your own convenience. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">I would happily go without a phone again (and this is coming from someone who was an iPhone junkie before the trip!)</span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255925565888838071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-52447736645390421822014-09-26T19:14:00.000-07:002014-09-26T19:14:09.623-07:00Our Incredible Irish Adventure, Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After bidding a bittersweet adieu to Maire and Carl, it was time to head out on our own, with no real plan except to end up in Dublin for our flight to Birmingham in 3 days. We got our rental car in Shannon and started south. I had heard of the Ring of Kerry (who hasn't?!) due to it's incredible views of the water, steep cliffs and windy one way roads. But we'd also heard that it was packed with tour buses and people, and quite frankly, a pretty long day in the car. So we elected instead to enjoy the Ring of Dingle (or "Ringle" as we came to call it), which is a bit shorter, with fewer people and no tour buses, but also insanely beautiful.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from our morning departure in Shannon</td></tr>
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We spent the night in Dingle, a ridiculously charming summer town (and yes, we were there in November) with cobblestone streets and cozy pubs, right on the water. We stayed in a B&B we found in an old stable on the waterfront (the charming Quayside B&B), run by a fabulous (and tiny) man who introduced himself as a leprechaun. And he really did look like one! Because we arrived a little late (due to many stops on the incredibly gorgeous drive from Shannon that morning), we didn't get on to drive the 30 mile loop of the Dingle Peninsula until about 2pm. And by then it was kinda stormy and getting dark, but we didn't go to Ireland in November for sunshine and butterflies!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gallarus Oratory</td></tr>
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We took Rick Steve's <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ricksteves/dingle-peninsula-loop-trip-20272095/?no-ist">guide of the peninsula</a> with us, so we would know where to stop and learn things, but either our odometer was off, or his directions were, so we mostly ended up just stopping where we wanted to. And it seems each time we stopped, the sky would open up, dump a bucket of hail down, and then 3 minutes later, the sun would come out, and we would explore. The two highlights of the pensinsula were the pastures of sheep (I just couldn't get over all those cute sheep!) and the church at the end: the Gallarus Oratory. We almost didn't make it in time to see it in the light, but it was a special place. Built 1300 years ago, it is one of the earliest Christian churches preserved in Ireland today, and well worth the visit. After our amazing (and cold) day, we spent the evening in a pub, playing dominoes by the fire, drinking hot wine and enjoying some live music. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfzBmpUDcEu-3btdRjD96NQaYg7a0B-wzOCOUi51sp__iq_s1fHbbl9VHNJeTFyiyeKfRvr6TjmVY02rMfZRZYsZFwQMcq9JKAlXsgu6KyIjlIjoe_h76J_gtVud_5Ruo8B11lliMrFs/s1600/ringle+diptic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfzBmpUDcEu-3btdRjD96NQaYg7a0B-wzOCOUi51sp__iq_s1fHbbl9VHNJeTFyiyeKfRvr6TjmVY02rMfZRZYsZFwQMcq9JKAlXsgu6KyIjlIjoe_h76J_gtVud_5Ruo8B11lliMrFs/s1600/ringle+diptic.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scenes from the Ring of Dingle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local haberdashery in Dingle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMDnqoEsr-JIsttzOI7HpbQhB5NKhE8gH_wTJZHVr3A5HZWZGvhlCvzaTmn0jvEtt6meTZOrkFjDxWTXDEDFrfCtmuBATIIzByULna9UPoKMf9910MnY4KGHV3Hq9FQkTcIfzNIhjCEY/s1600/PB190190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMDnqoEsr-JIsttzOI7HpbQhB5NKhE8gH_wTJZHVr3A5HZWZGvhlCvzaTmn0jvEtt6meTZOrkFjDxWTXDEDFrfCtmuBATIIzByULna9UPoKMf9910MnY4KGHV3Hq9FQkTcIfzNIhjCEY/s1600/PB190190.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The aftermat<span style="font-family: inherit;">h of my hike t</span>hrough a pond</td></tr>
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The next day we drove east, with the goal of reaching Kilkenny, but didn't make it very far out of Dingle before a castle-type structure by the water caught Cory's eye and we decided to go find it. We drove down some local roads between pastures, which ended at a gate with a path into a pasture that said, "public path." So it was on foot from there. We started up the path into the pasture, following the general direction where we thought we'd seen the castle. Seriously, we were just traipsing across someone's sheep pasture, sheep and all! The path went through a bit of a muddy section, so I figured I would go above the mud, uphill. But it turned out uphill was a muddy pool, and I was soaked up the knees. Once Cory picked himself up from all the laughter, we decided a little freezing water in my socks wouldn't kill me and we should really press on and find the castle (and I'd like to take a moment here to applaud my <a href="http://www.balega.com/">Balega</a> socks...because I went hiking in November in Ireland with soaking wet socks and shoes and I hardly noticed!). After the sheep pasture, we climbed a fence to get to into a cow pasture, and then another fence to the castle! And it was...ok. The hike there in my wet shoes was so much better :)<br />
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We continued east, meandering through little Irish towns, stopped in Waterford for dinner (where Waterford Crystal comes from) and found an incredible little Polish restaurant, <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g186638-d2013409-Reviews-Koliba-Waterford_County_Waterford.html">Koliba</a>. We were the only ones there and when the Polish owner found out we had been there a few months earlier, I'm pretty sure she brought us a bit of everything they serve. It was a truly delicious and incredibly memorable meal. But enough stops! There's still a few hours to Kilkenny and we don't yet have a bed for the night. <br />
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We drove down the main street in Kilkenny (a charming medieval town) and saw a sign in a pub window saying "accomodations" so I stopped in to ask. For a mere $20 US we could have a charming private room above the empty pub. Yes please! And by charming, I mean the walls and ceiling were peeling and the heat was broken, but it was ours and it was cheap!<br />
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After a cold sleep, we had a few hours to see the town before we needed to be in Dublin for our flight, so we went straight for the biggest draw in town: the Round Tower at St. Canice's Cathedral. Although it was windy and positively freezing outside, the nice church lady opened the tower up for us and we made our bone-chilling way to the top, up the wooden staircase that ladders across the inside of the tower. The view from the top was excellent, until my nose froze and it was time to come down. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Is0mfH6VXggmpjI8HXfi_5R4chhmg2YO6bPQ_zVUdWtwNoQ1NPZAGENXIX8BKnbOhJ4R_HjTJdshb5paL2i9cpXhot_QBT_LvFEbsCBK3zhbJwegSqqbrfsTn2Ogms2utAwD_Pipmew/s1600/tower+diptic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Is0mfH6VXggmpjI8HXfi_5R4chhmg2YO6bPQ_zVUdWtwNoQ1NPZAGENXIX8BKnbOhJ4R_HjTJdshb5paL2i9cpXhot_QBT_LvFEbsCBK3zhbJwegSqqbrfsTn2Ogms2utAwD_Pipmew/s1600/tower+diptic.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">The Round Tower at St. Canice's Cathedral</span></span></td></tr>
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Back to Dublin, our amazing adventures on the Emerald Isle were over, though I know now without a doubt that we'll be back again. It is an incredible country, filled with friendly people, beautiful vistas, toe-tapping music, charming towns, fascinating history, and invigorating weather. Until next time, Ireland!<br />
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<strong>Overall Costs:</strong> The costs for our Irish adventure aren't really accurate, because our friends were so incredibly generous with us. These costs are only for the 4 days on our own, where we stayed in hotels and rented a car (again, Ireland has some expensive gas, but we saw so much of the countryside, we would absolutely do it again!). Average daily cost was $160, split between housing ($59 for two small inns, a night in Dublin, and a night in a hostel above a bar in Kilkenny), food (usually cold cut sandwiches from the supermarket) ($55), transit ($56) and other expenses ($5). Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01255925565888838071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-81341968963392974852014-09-25T10:20:00.000-07:002014-09-25T11:17:41.828-07:00Our Incredible Adventure on the Emerald Isle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">I have wanted to go to Ireland since I was a little girl. My stepdad is Irish and spent many years singing me “little ditties” and telling me fantastical stories about the Emerald Isle. So when we decided to go to Ireland on our big trip, I was very concerned that the Ireland of today would be modern and devoid of the culture, history and music I had always imagined. Thankfully, the expectation of my childhood visions was more than exceeded!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">We arrived in Dublin and after dropping our bags at our hotel, we went around the corner to the pub in search of a bite. We walked in and it was like every Irish pub in the US, only REAL! We sat down with pints of Guinness, sausages and sang along joyfully with the live band.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><span style="background-color: white;">The next morning, we got up early and made our way to the Guinness factory (our 3</span><sup style="background-color: white;">rd</sup><span style="background-color: white;"> brewery tour so far!) and were quite pleased. Although the tour is pretty expensive, and more shiny museum than working brewery, the exhibits were excellent. We got to take a Guinness tasting class, a Guinness pouring class and learn about (and taste) some Guinness/food pairings. By the time we finished, after several tastings and the leftovers of the nice old ladies we met at the final bar, we were feeling quite Irish. But alas it was only noon o'clock!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">That afternoon, it was time for our Big Authentic Irish Weekend. We met a lovely Irish couple, Carl and </span><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Maire</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">, on their engagement night in <a href="http://www.havewifewilltravel.com/2013/08/sapa-or-bullshit-and-other-oddities.html">Vietnam</a> six months earlier, and they invited us to come stay should we ever come to Ireland. At that time, we had no plans to, so boy were they surprised when they got an email from us 6 months later asking if they wanted to meet for a drink. And boy were we surprised when their response came back, “yes, we'd love to have a drink. But how about with that drink, you come and spend the weekend with us out in the countryside at our family home and we'll take you on a big adventure?" It didn't take long to agree to that offer wholeheartedly!</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carl bought me a cookie. I knew I liked him!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">We met up with our new favorite Irish people and headed south to his family's home in Wexford. My dear readers, here is where you may think I'm exaggerating my story, but I promise you, this is what happened next. As an aside, I should share that Cory has a dream of his own about Ireland. He dreams that it's like those movies where a small village has a problem of some kind, they come together to work it out and their town becomes better in the process (see Calendar Girls, Waking Ned Devine, The Englishman who went up a hill and came down a mountain). Now back to our story. In the car on the way, Carl had called his mom to "put the kettle on" so there was hot tea awaiting us when we arrived at their lovely home in the tiny villag</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">e of K</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">ilineran</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">. His dad wasn't home yet because he was at the neighbor's house planning a dance in the village to raise money</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"> for the school. Yep, we were in a little village and they were coming together to solve a problem! Heaven :)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">We settled in with our tea and introductions, but the fire started to get low. The solution? Throw some more peat bricks on it! Ah yes, we were in an Irish village, drinking tea, watching rugby, and warming our toes by a peat fire. After dinner, we all took a walk into the center of the village, to go to the pub. And by pub, I mean village living room slash gas station store. All in one. The only other non-houses in town were the school and the church. We had a couple of pints with the locals and headed home to rest up for another big day.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">The next day, we hit up the beach (it was a little different than the beaches we're used to in San Diego. I was freezing), got lost in the countryside trying to find a beautiful waterfall (we found it) and enjoyed a gorgeous sunset walk to a lake. We made it home in time for a roast dinner courtesy of Carl's mom, and we contributed a slice of Americana...homemade chocolate chip cookies (recipe at the bottom, in case you'd like to thank your own Irish hosts!). And they were the best ones I've ever made. Probably something about the Irish Kerrygold butter, and the act of dipping them in fresh Irish milk. Another successful day!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Irish church and graveyard (including sheep!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matching cutesie mittens!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">By day 3 it was Carl's weekend, so we opted to head west and see Kerry, on </span><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Maire</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">'s family farm. We drove a few hours and took a break in Galway, to enjoy a rugby game in the pub, a couple of pints and a photo shoot on the Blackrock Tower, re-enacting the ending scene from The Guard (without the guns, of course). Plus, Carl took us to bet on the dog races at the bookies. It was very Irish :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">At the Blackrock Tower, we saw the below guy going for his afternoon swim, and thought he was absolutely crazy. And then we returned to San Francisco, and Cory started swimming in the SF Bay. Without a wetsuit. In December. Cory is now this crazy old man... :)</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reinacting the Guard</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">A short while later, we arrived in Kerry, in another delightfully small village, Tarbert. </span><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Maire </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">had warned us that we might not understand her family - apparently the challenge is due to heavy Irish accent mixed with a sprinkling of Irish words. And she was right! Even speaking slowly for our benefit, the conversation was a particularly delightful challenge. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what it looks like when you put your hand in a cow's mouth</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifa4stxE11Ag0OqckQ4XOAFPVVYEdJzElPoOuTXa1Ea3cEkLnZ-fsBHrVHXpX_SJPvNt3HoiaSZWodYv5bToQpwgLAxS4__YQzZAxwE8mBx80UOfZrsJMLoLp0O5lpNIJUG-uFvGphWR8/s1600/PB172065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifa4stxE11Ag0OqckQ4XOAFPVVYEdJzElPoOuTXa1Ea3cEkLnZ-fsBHrVHXpX_SJPvNt3HoiaSZWodYv5bToQpwgLAxS4__YQzZAxwE8mBx80UOfZrsJMLoLp0O5lpNIJUG-uFvGphWR8/s1600/PB172065.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cory driving an Irish tractor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvY5zwEN-vy_Xih-GfQ2YYCM8T0BaqQzYTQfindm6XDpylDAR5isg7UJO1QUzL_PjwJKuNrdeDEEVkh_JkZa93PA-ooI84HGbK-kwCbFfGFj3EpNOyOOzIFH0TWnPtD7fAzZgTWpun0g/s1600/PB172026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvY5zwEN-vy_Xih-GfQ2YYCM8T0BaqQzYTQfindm6XDpylDAR5isg7UJO1QUzL_PjwJKuNrdeDEEVkh_JkZa93PA-ooI84HGbK-kwCbFfGFj3EpNOyOOzIFH0TWnPtD7fAzZgTWpun0g/s1600/PB172026.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maire's Dad, the Irish Farmer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUp8FyrtDNHsUPMM_wGlD2L6OgeTe77gcvHZgPe2OZ_6rhSEhEg4NZFFm2Xgq_y6nYU6l9EWHtvUZm6OtJQlCOzx8BRqDZc7dRuiZgCGZbfKMp4L0DxC-IHXeWQL6aQ2Bp8lQv9l4ipk/s1600/PB172133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUp8FyrtDNHsUPMM_wGlD2L6OgeTe77gcvHZgPe2OZ_6rhSEhEg4NZFFm2Xgq_y6nYU6l9EWHtvUZm6OtJQlCOzx8BRqDZc7dRuiZgCGZbfKMp4L0DxC-IHXeWQL6aQ2Bp8lQv9l4ipk/s1600/PB172133.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">We spent the next days on the farm with </span><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Maire</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">'s family, learning about the cows and the coursing dogs their family trains. And now when we are home and buy some Kerrygold butter, we say a little thanks to her family's cows. Sunday afternoon brought a special treat when we went to the village pub (also owned by her family), The Swanky for Sunday roast dinner. As I was parked between the fire and the local priest, munching happily on my roast lamb with mint jelly and all the accompanying sides, I looked out the window to see a whole herd of men and women on horseback, returning from the morning's hunt. Seriously. Just trotting down the street through the center of town, as though we are accustomed to seeing things like this in California!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymfW4dIj0otXYX7SX21ZrI3ov3JvyMJfBOYXQ32yYULjx9DHFb9Z9q_d7nJsAqkF1ZqTm9euUGWizLTG6SZC-u0ujMU-giY5N70A4TkG6wGKdm5oBcPQcruA6xvQkeGyti82UWwyVocE/s1600/PB172128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymfW4dIj0otXYX7SX21ZrI3ov3JvyMJfBOYXQ32yYULjx9DHFb9Z9q_d7nJsAqkF1ZqTm9euUGWizLTG6SZC-u0ujMU-giY5N70A4TkG6wGKdm5oBcPQcruA6xvQkeGyti82UWwyVocE/s1600/PB172128.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">It was hard to believe, after these wonderful days, how we would fare on our own in the Irish countryside for the next few days. I think we did a pretty good job, but that's another story...</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9Jfcy3vcMvK0uiGAaR5XsD-n1OLDCbuwHRKFMoghoRbRu4CswKEwBSPyODN3di5-73DetOeBTNRgJjcaBWZpFEJE8gOoKhpg7z2-lSbJbVz8iv2ChH6-dmm48Y42afLnc2Jo7dq2yww/s1600/PB172076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9Jfcy3vcMvK0uiGAaR5XsD-n1OLDCbuwHRKFMoghoRbRu4CswKEwBSPyODN3di5-73DetOeBTNRgJjcaBWZpFEJE8gOoKhpg7z2-lSbJbVz8iv2ChH6-dmm48Y42afLnc2Jo7dq2yww/s1600/PB172076.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0JRXwEihraCUVqZwGD8bA63W9MtKhyphenhyphen3JjBkOKxcJiGi5TcfZitEsx5n17YalKDl9kHxpiCBuSy5xqC9rOQVLeJZ0cBBVFJq1q5swIKHX9R1EczUrwe65fjtkuexf0aPxE1rql59MHGo/s1600/PB151946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0JRXwEihraCUVqZwGD8bA63W9MtKhyphenhyphen3JjBkOKxcJiGi5TcfZitEsx5n17YalKDl9kHxpiCBuSy5xqC9rOQVLeJZ0cBBVFJq1q5swIKHX9R1EczUrwe65fjtkuexf0aPxE1rql59MHGo/s1600/PB151946.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><b>Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><i>(adapted from America's Test Kitchen)</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (10 5/8 oz) unbleached flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 teaspoon baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">12 tablespoons salted Kerrygold Irish Butter, melted and cooled until just warm</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 cup packed (7 oz) light or dark brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) granulated sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 overflowing Tablespoons vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 bag semisweet chocolate chips</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A couple handfuls of toasted pecans or walnuts, if desired</span><br />
<div data-mce-style="margin: 12px 0px; padding: 0px; color: #666666; line-height: 1.5em;" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-top: 12px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. </span></div>
<div data-mce-style="margin: 12px 0px; padding: 0px; color: #666666; line-height: 1.5em;" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-top: 12px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix both sugars and the butter. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low until just combined. Stir in the chips and nuts. </span></span></div>
<div data-mce-style="margin: 12px 0px; padding: 0px; color: #666666; line-height: 1.5em;" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-top: 12px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.5em;">3. Taste dough liberally to make sure it's not poisoned.</span></div>
<div data-mce-style="margin: 12px 0px; padding: 0px; color: #666666; line-height: 1.5em;" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-top: 12px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.5em;">4. With a cookie scoop or two spoons, scoop cookies onto cookie sheets, 2-3 inches apart.</span></div>
<div data-mce-style="margin: 12px 0px; padding: 0px; color: #666666; line-height: 1.5em;" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-top: 12px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.5em;">5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until they are golden brown and the edges are dry, but not so long that the middles lose all their moisture. Cool on the baking sheets.</span></div>
<div data-mce-style="margin: 12px 0px; padding: 0px; color: #666666; line-height: 1.5em;" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-top: 12px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.5em;">6. Serve in piles alonside a jug of fresh Irish milk. Yum!</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowuyZaY5G0WBvQ_nnGgYdX6CbzkkiII1XeeMVf_nJ9tFZXZiwlcris4JM143dC91-SyxMCxhTJSYtnMHCdjsULlw6SBZTTY-6DXzrXOwhMZe6VP5N4Q-PSw-XXNIp5Qf19CSQsihUyk8/s1600/IMG_4162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowuyZaY5G0WBvQ_nnGgYdX6CbzkkiII1XeeMVf_nJ9tFZXZiwlcris4JM143dC91-SyxMCxhTJSYtnMHCdjsULlw6SBZTTY-6DXzrXOwhMZe6VP5N4Q-PSw-XXNIp5Qf19CSQsihUyk8/s1600/IMG_4162.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-23535370763443745052014-09-02T12:29:00.000-07:002014-09-02T12:29:39.232-07:00Istanbul: where East meets West<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDrZKxg5BpmD9jA6NMef0Nj232f38WfUOwljx9w8fpMreBEr04PG7y2aHWhPN81ooR1eCxC3UZTbcdQjNabHqYfeCIY6WJGx4n2gxP1yn9Vi8OY0V0OxrM3kpqp-aCHZnfvYWoWHb71c/s1600/roof+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDrZKxg5BpmD9jA6NMef0Nj232f38WfUOwljx9w8fpMreBEr04PG7y2aHWhPN81ooR1eCxC3UZTbcdQjNabHqYfeCIY6WJGx4n2gxP1yn9Vi8OY0V0OxrM3kpqp-aCHZnfvYWoWHb71c/s1600/roof+view.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">After 2 weeks traveling
around the Turkish countryside, it was time we made our way to Istanbul, to see what all
the fuss is about. In comparison to the more rural areas of Turkey, Istanbul
seemed very European, and lacked the mysterious Eastern flair we were expecting,
but we did very much enjoy our week there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinIRwdfy66hzphyYUryQpnHwm7IKQT7eia1P8qj7A-SboQlEXcMXA1hciKYB0EHpTOlhHXmpv-LWYNpG-EQgnVdtojEK-kFR-ry0kzi45oMxPqbZEwyZeupWob4steuUT0O5ZjRr0i77w/s1600/evening+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinIRwdfy66hzphyYUryQpnHwm7IKQT7eia1P8qj7A-SboQlEXcMXA1hciKYB0EHpTOlhHXmpv-LWYNpG-EQgnVdtojEK-kFR-ry0kzi45oMxPqbZEwyZeupWob4steuUT0O5ZjRr0i77w/s1600/evening+view.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We stayed in an apartment
hotel just outside the old city, and spent most of our days sleeping in a
little, visiting one or two tourist sites and then making our way home by
sunset for drinks and dominoes on our rooftop terrace (along with the
hauntingly beautiful sunset Call to Prayer from no fewer than 5 Mosques
surrounding us), followed by cooking a Turkish dinner in our little apartment
kitchen.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">And then there's the kitties.
Many people from home who we talked to about Istanbul and their experiences
didn't notice that there were cats EVERYWHERE. Maybe we were just missing our
own kitties at home, but this is a city for cat lovers, as there are cute,
friendly, clean kitties all over the city! The shop keepers and residents feed
them and care for them, but somehow the city isn't covered in their waste. Our
two favorite run-ins were a cat meandering into the hair salon where Cory was
getting a cut and hopped right into my lap for some lovies while I waited. And
another cat crawled into my lap and fell asleep during a visit to Hagia Sofia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxRZxd3z7XuPE7gqmQHiOP_ePgTZ3gjSrz6h6yNI8N__2FQ-4o_t_U3KbeaZp8HY-I8kA7uD3l1r8oxMMG2QWur9mJsnpyULXwez51LdAAdddJ-nNxkV9dDx8j5llXb6qsfR8LRpAwkQ/s1600/hagia+sofia+kitty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxRZxd3z7XuPE7gqmQHiOP_ePgTZ3gjSrz6h6yNI8N__2FQ-4o_t_U3KbeaZp8HY-I8kA7uD3l1r8oxMMG2QWur9mJsnpyULXwez51LdAAdddJ-nNxkV9dDx8j5llXb6qsfR8LRpAwkQ/s1600/hagia+sofia+kitty.jpg" height="640" unselectable="on" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxRZxd3z7XuPE7gqmQHiOP_ePgTZ3gjSrz6h6yNI8N__2FQ-4o_t_U3KbeaZp8HY-I8kA7uD3l1r8oxMMG2QWur9mJsnpyULXwez51LdAAdddJ-nNxkV9dDx8j5llXb6qsfR8LRpAwkQ/s1600/hagia+sofia+kitty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In lieu of giving a
play-by-play of our 5 days in Istanbul, here's a run down of our favorite spots
and experiences (other than the kitties of course!!):<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Basilica Cistern:</em> My favorite spot in Istanbul
for sure! Previously on the trip, we had both read Dan Brown’s book Inferno,
which has its grand climactic ending in the humid, dark, and moody cistern. We
also watched James Bond navigate the cistern in From Russia With Love. So by
the time we showed up, we had plenty of things to look at down below (though
sadly it was devoid of men in tuxes drinking martinis). <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4C6E5DsCOCfv8uXqXTmSU7iqqnEGigqYgC8jkx5XoJcOLba8LHu30WxbZe29rx_BAY9dE2aO9dBrvCeCTWz3CmeEuoXCZAiCZCbCj-LztJ2BgnhG6KTjnurFAE01mChFiHY3HLhhyTE/s1600/cistern+diptic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4C6E5DsCOCfv8uXqXTmSU7iqqnEGigqYgC8jkx5XoJcOLba8LHu30WxbZe29rx_BAY9dE2aO9dBrvCeCTWz3CmeEuoXCZAiCZCbCj-LztJ2BgnhG6KTjnurFAE01mChFiHY3HLhhyTE/s1600/cistern+diptic+2.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Egin Tekstil in the Grand Bazaar</em>: although the
bazaar itself is a bit overwhelming, this shop was a delight! We meandered in
because there was a kitten sitting on a shelf in the front door (are you
sensing a theme yet?!) and stayed to shop because the owner was incredibly
friendly and had beautiful Turkish towels, soaps and things. We bought a bunch
of things for ourselves and as gifts, and upon leaving found out that this is
the famous shop described in our Rick Steves book! We would absolutely return
and definitely recommend it!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQnRW5bGvAqhpF-AwposQv9wreCExSZIDArk2hd-iTG27xwDtiI3r7Z5k1muK4JpN9evaVP97XJPDOM_SZRLoj7gT39Fz0FL9FzHhF6Y1_P8_4BA-QAcO5FrTFd2V2x1ZgLeZs9fHWgXU/s1600/market+ceiling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQnRW5bGvAqhpF-AwposQv9wreCExSZIDArk2hd-iTG27xwDtiI3r7Z5k1muK4JpN9evaVP97XJPDOM_SZRLoj7gT39Fz0FL9FzHhF6Y1_P8_4BA-QAcO5FrTFd2V2x1ZgLeZs9fHWgXU/s1600/market+ceiling.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Market Hall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjW-9d1pG1B1Pi7byzlUcgRQleTyoI7c3KrG7FtXpzvk5Sq8dC-9P-I8s081kZAF1p5C_OnGO5oSAtxousiRAzJsiOC4Dg8VTd4iRQ6bY8fFYQXKRc4rFvLqoozQ_uRgiKVloWnOxZacM/s1600/shop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjW-9d1pG1B1Pi7byzlUcgRQleTyoI7c3KrG7FtXpzvk5Sq8dC-9P-I8s081kZAF1p5C_OnGO5oSAtxousiRAzJsiOC4Dg8VTd4iRQ6bY8fFYQXKRc4rFvLqoozQ_uRgiKVloWnOxZacM/s1600/shop.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shopping at Egin Tekstil</td></tr>
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<em style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Topkapi Palace</em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">: Beautiful gardens, colorful
tiled rooms and a beautiful view of the Bosphorus once you get to the back of
the palace. We paid extra to go through the Harem Section and thought it was
absolutely worth it. We got a really good understanding of the culture of the
harem and the lives of the women (and eunichs) who lived there: the Sultan’s
mother and all his concubines and their children.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a section where you definitely want a
book or an audio guide to give you some context and history, or you’ll just be
walking through rooms of pretty tiles!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Taksim</i>: this is the new side of Istanbul (you may have heard of it from the protests in 2013), which I found physically overwhelming and culturally underwhelming, and which Cory found to be a spirited and vibrant treat. The main street is packed with people and lots of internationally--known stores, but the side streets meander through independent art shops and galleries (ok, that part was really cool). Certainly a different side of Istanbul from the old town.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall, our trip to Istanbul was a relaxing way
to end our 3 weeks in Turkey. Sightseeing by day, taking in incredible sunsets
over tea and the calls to prayer in the evenings was a fantastic end to our
southern adventures. And now it was time for a change…off to Ireland we go!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE67KmLmjuZoCtPALH0tB-7NsdWiUz0Uvp5Zb4qKCxSB6Aq5jSBirM7zK-ip31MKqGWJazo7yz7pkcnEvZ2wryrKBPLZE1n8oP9ak0JrUGppVlLpWGMBG3u8JMMXY6WJfxQ1hd_UCK9Ko/s1600/taksim+train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE67KmLmjuZoCtPALH0tB-7NsdWiUz0Uvp5Zb4qKCxSB6Aq5jSBirM7zK-ip31MKqGWJazo7yz7pkcnEvZ2wryrKBPLZE1n8oP9ak0JrUGppVlLpWGMBG3u8JMMXY6WJfxQ1hd_UCK9Ko/s1600/taksim+train.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catching the train through Taksim</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rlAcr09iYoNAYN0KcRAuZd8bsqhDM88fZs5lnhRsP8B4Tym-lWA4SWRpSUYp35I2rmMiAI8R53L1wVaYxJXXNUuRv68SYEwU0Z74NdWGAp0X-Xvj6w27GJ1h777L6TwhRhOhimY98P8/s1600/kitties+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rlAcr09iYoNAYN0KcRAuZd8bsqhDM88fZs5lnhRsP8B4Tym-lWA4SWRpSUYp35I2rmMiAI8R53L1wVaYxJXXNUuRv68SYEwU0Z74NdWGAp0X-Xvj6w27GJ1h777L6TwhRhOhimY98P8/s1600/kitties+2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the local wildlife</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Where we stayed:</b> </span><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g293974-d2176310-Reviews-A_la_House-Istanbul.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A'la House Aparthotel</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16.12px;">Binbirdirek Mh., Katip Sinan Cami Sk No:13, 34200 Estambul, Turkey. The proprieter was incredibly friendly and we would absolutely recommend this place for a relaxing and central stay in Istanbul!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Overall Costs:</strong> For 23 days total in Turkey, we spent $2583, for a daily average of $112. Our biggest cost putting us over $100 per day was renting a car (turns out Turkey has some of the most expensive gas in the world!). Our daily averages were housing ($36), transit ($29), food ($28) and other expenses ($20).</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We arrived in Safranbolu after a terrible 8 hour bus ride stopping to change buses first in Nevshehir and then in Ankara. Terrible part aside, the Ankara bus terminal was really interesting and looked more like an airport than any bus station we have ever seen, with one level for arrivals, one for departures and another for washing and refueling buses. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Unfortunately, the bus station in Safranbolu is almost 3 km outside of town, and even though it was only </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1454825725257360202"></a><a href="x-apple-data-detectors://0/" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true"><span style="font-family: inherit;">6pm</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> it was already quite dark. But to save a few lira on a taxi, we opted to walk to our hotel. Only got really scary when we almost got attacked and eaten by a big dog in a dark alley, but then we arrived safely at our hotel, the Yildiz Konak Pension, and the day immediately got much, much better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The entire town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, because it is a very well-preserved Ottoman town, with amazing buildings from the 1300's on. The town was named for its importance in the Saffron trade from the 13th century to the 20th century, but once the rail system in Turkey got up and running, it became a side note. Sort of like the Route 66 of Turkey!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1b2o8izEerJxAPVC_k34Zxp_5UDDPWVHoFqoIZTZekSwwqWKCiaEuOkY0NZrDdvDK6WIXVnQYwC1bTG26Ff3UyanffbY5SJMReWQ7mbF4M9lb4PVwUuJKIbwVaS7-sSbM5dFB9b37bs/s1600/IMG_4047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1b2o8izEerJxAPVC_k34Zxp_5UDDPWVHoFqoIZTZekSwwqWKCiaEuOkY0NZrDdvDK6WIXVnQYwC1bTG26Ff3UyanffbY5SJMReWQ7mbF4M9lb4PVwUuJKIbwVaS7-sSbM5dFB9b37bs/s1600/IMG_4047.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fatima and her generous dinner offering</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We were welcomed in to our pension by Fatima, the delightful and welcoming Turkish owner, who spoke almost no English. She sat us down and shared her dinner <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">with us: a pan of fried mini fishes, a loaf of bread and some fresh herbs. And tea of course. We "talked" and ate and then watched a Turkish gameshow, while she presumably gave us the play by play on what was happening (in Turkish). Then we started to wonder if we would ever see a room. An hour went by and I really needed a shower, but how to get there communication-wise? Turns our we just needed to stop accepting her offers for more tea! She took us to our room and we had a nice 3 days as the only guests in the hotel.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhF6c65QKpKw4_idZPgnrLmyAqFhwWnmBbH20BhkWd0OjslWMjeHTBu9vchBpUvQnL4_CD4tDAlVpqK-9u5Vdn3VXHz82Rgx7wqJD7YvXf2_PsRczXDjrC_hISWH8OfS2IdnqV8urhe6c/s1600/IMG_4054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhF6c65QKpKw4_idZPgnrLmyAqFhwWnmBbH20BhkWd0OjslWMjeHTBu9vchBpUvQnL4_CD4tDAlVpqK-9u5Vdn3VXHz82Rgx7wqJD7YvXf2_PsRczXDjrC_hISWH8OfS2IdnqV8urhe6c/s1600/IMG_4054.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cory gets help with dominoes</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125); font-family: inherit;">Safranbolu does not have a wide variety of tourist activities, but what we found were some of our best, local Turkish experiences. One shop owner stopped to ask where we were from and showed us how he is famous, as there is a photo of him in a Japanese tour guide from 20 years ago. Another afternoon, we were playing dominoes over lunch outside a cafe and a local man came up, brought us some chestnuts to try and "helped" us play. I use the term "help" lightly, as he was instructing our plays (in Turkish) in playing a completely different game of dominoes. But we did enjoy the chestnuts, which we're pretty sure he just stole from the bin outside the shop next door. But the experience was nothing if not incredibly welcoming.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125); font-family: inherit;">Dinner in the off season involves walking into a restaurant (which may double as someone's home), asking if they have dinner and sitting down in the kitchen to feast. One night we ate at a great little place called Eyvan Yore Mutfagi, where we were seated in the kitchen, the owner pointed to his wife and proudly exclaimed that she was a wonderful cook! We asked if he had children and he told us all about his 3 daughters: career women in Ankara. It was such a treat to be invited into his (wife's) kitchen and family. Plus, the meal was great too!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74dKPmkzoPhIPvl4yW7uryXF2BlLcxJjKOurfCx_UYZg0cYGkfAs2ZmAzosA-xWg-Q0eEzmcRdZWXFoM0Bjj2P0GxCGs_dA1OxpCwrB8No-Rhbqo5rjSIZ15a5uxbVFcaOCvRI8wid1A/s1600/IMG_4062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74dKPmkzoPhIPvl4yW7uryXF2BlLcxJjKOurfCx_UYZg0cYGkfAs2ZmAzosA-xWg-Q0eEzmcRdZWXFoM0Bjj2P0GxCGs_dA1OxpCwrB8No-Rhbqo5rjSIZ15a5uxbVFcaOCvRI8wid1A/s1600/IMG_4062.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caci Hamami</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125); font-family: inherit;">Our last other local experience involved a trip to the Caci Hamami, a Turkish bath built in 1645, and which we were free and welcome to enjoy. I had read different stories about tourist focused baths in Istanbul having men only to do the massage and soaping, and I didn't think I was quite up for that. This hamam was very traditional and so I got the joy of being soaped up by a big Turkish woman in her lacy underwear instead. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">I walked into the Hamami, not knowing what to expect at all, and was so happy to be welcomed in, language barrier aside. The attendant motioned for me to strip down completely and tie a towel (known as a peshtemal) around me to go into the bath room. I followed her into the most beautiful, domed marble room, where she led me into an alcove next to small sinks of water lining the walls. She motioned for me to sit on the marble bench (by motioned, I do mean "pushed") and then threw a bucket of warm water on me, to indicate I was to do the same for myself. Then she left. After I got over the feeling of, "I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing, and there's no one in here to watch for cues! I'm so nervous!" I just enjoyed the beauty of the room and the tranquility of only the echoey sound of water pouring into the basin next to me. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">After about 15 or 20 minutes, she came back in her underwear and motioned for me to follow her into another alcove, with a long marble table in the middle. Being used to western notions of privacy and modesty with strangers, I was a little taken aback when she whipped off my towel and laid it on the slab. Then she nicely pushed my naked little self over the slab and motioned for me to lie down. And then I became the human car at the carwash I had read so much about. She poured water over me and scrubbed and polished like I've never experienced, even down to the backs of my ears. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">After all this, I rinsed off, enjoyed the main room a bit more, got dressed, and then sloshed out of the bath house, cleaner than I have ever been in my life! What to do after such a great experience? Get the best Turkish Coffee of the trip, right down the cobblestone street outside. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYUD2bTKwSIYXbmun6In7CkERenFuOrNrfjqf0XhYDIstC5StRa7knLadKjVnQ31CqExcQ9da1iFgn3ad9bLlw5ZGhyphenhyphenM8_-_-D6Sfkac4hnclMRmF4KfDgFqL7ZiyEF4avRlGI-0j6yd0/s1600/turkish+coffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYUD2bTKwSIYXbmun6In7CkERenFuOrNrfjqf0XhYDIstC5StRa7knLadKjVnQ31CqExcQ9da1iFgn3ad9bLlw5ZGhyphenhyphenM8_-_-D6Sfkac4hnclMRmF4KfDgFqL7ZiyEF4avRlGI-0j6yd0/s1600/turkish+coffee.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);">After our few wonderfully local days in Safranbolu, it was time to hit the big time...ISTANBUL! But that's an adventure for another bus ride and another day...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.0078125);"><br /></span></span>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-61601048483180910892014-02-05T09:55:00.000-08:002014-02-05T09:55:54.511-08:00Hiking Cappadocia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQTcA6uJXm5TpKOnab2cqlemqn78420CH3Vxp0tzFgA0kfbuwb1Hmm3HQAMZIFi2Teb_aq8hlIfFWo7xwZLVKcitNEmFe8z-05xrfrXjHBaaX7sIKOVChuo9Vaostgx7mLZr8Ud97i7a4/s1600/Cap2+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQTcA6uJXm5TpKOnab2cqlemqn78420CH3Vxp0tzFgA0kfbuwb1Hmm3HQAMZIFi2Teb_aq8hlIfFWo7xwZLVKcitNEmFe8z-05xrfrXjHBaaX7sIKOVChuo9Vaostgx7mLZr8Ud97i7a4/s1600/Cap2+4.jpg" height="306" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">After our first week and driving adventure on the western coast of Turkey, we thought it was about time to change things up a little and flew to Cappadocia, a purported wonderland right in the middle of the country. And a wonderland it was...w</span><span style="text-align: center;">e came to Cappadocia for 3 nights and stayed for 7!</span></div>
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Here's our play by play:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7kPU-eL5wtBmP1DauzppMZr8VyVqGGt5Rt92bHAJdahgDch_bhFNayaGrstTEmE22A-HB6z3Fxcno0vNFKwcl04J4aF54mD6Kj3nO39aAYoKC0_IA1KdBN73iYD1QzoGk1QO_6lav_zj/s1600/Cap2+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7kPU-eL5wtBmP1DauzppMZr8VyVqGGt5Rt92bHAJdahgDch_bhFNayaGrstTEmE22A-HB6z3Fxcno0vNFKwcl04J4aF54mD6Kj3nO39aAYoKC0_IA1KdBN73iYD1QzoGk1QO_6lav_zj/s1600/Cap2+2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Ladder" over the canyon wall</td></tr>
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Day 1: we went to breakfast intending to have an easy day, maybe stroll through town and make a plan for the week. At breakfast, we met Thomasz and Olga, a fun couple from Poland. They invited us for a hike, and we said "yes! to life" Hiked through Rose Valley, an easy start to seeing the area. Rose Valley is a long, somewhat dusty, valley that rises up on each side with some caves (some of them cave churches), and lots of little trails that meander into the hills.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUQi9HBv_6EDzLWJomqVZAk-pa1jnW-U1xKuCewjuQXV51hhuHU1orosXMuNZHhPrgHU6mHz1dqsp8lpJ-9Ub45JAsx71VbILn2FGkzyPW0O5tu-54MxYL6NMpeRlJfqQ724p6Yz0jP2-/s1600/Cap2+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUQi9HBv_6EDzLWJomqVZAk-pa1jnW-U1xKuCewjuQXV51hhuHU1orosXMuNZHhPrgHU6mHz1dqsp8lpJ-9Ub45JAsx71VbILn2FGkzyPW0O5tu-54MxYL6NMpeRlJfqQ724p6Yz0jP2-/s1600/Cap2+6.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New friends Olga and Thomasz</td></tr>
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Day 2: we got nicely lost making our way to Uchisar castle, which is the highest point in the valley and makes for a great way to see the valley from above. The castle is not really a "castle" per se, but a tall rock tower that has been carved out with little rooms and a few passages. At the top, you can get a lovely and very reasonably priced cup of tea for a super civilized way to get warmed up while enjoying the sunset views. We hiked back to Goreme through Pigeon Valley (top photo), which turned out to be our favorite close-by hike from Goreme. The valley was filled with lots of lush trees, interesting rock formations, local farms and some incredibly colored sunset skies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5ulj93jtimz0SpEJMuwHlbuXHUeJD1mHfgbADccwZPjlqtgxbPv9VM_jQn6ox9LjQc35haHD4eR2ycgc-IjxBdyj-dfbnVVxzDiQ1VHp_qX9RZeGbE3VQGahh0qOOC7da6kJVoK1y3Gi/s1600/Cap2+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5ulj93jtimz0SpEJMuwHlbuXHUeJD1mHfgbADccwZPjlqtgxbPv9VM_jQn6ox9LjQc35haHD4eR2ycgc-IjxBdyj-dfbnVVxzDiQ1VHp_qX9RZeGbE3VQGahh0qOOC7da6kJVoK1y3Gi/s1600/Cap2+3.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpzHrPM6Wd7JNhe_B3pmKQD2o_1zrRkiUQs5CNeoHDW4Fweb2TMElEwW-Wy4nYwBtl2iFtGp9VGGjIdTnUa2bOv42Gedc6nRV-AF-Thq6mjWdHHxH-Y4dlw-GqsmWUxqLzcnH3zWYza8Y/s1600/Cap2+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpzHrPM6Wd7JNhe_B3pmKQD2o_1zrRkiUQs5CNeoHDW4Fweb2TMElEwW-Wy4nYwBtl2iFtGp9VGGjIdTnUa2bOv42Gedc6nRV-AF-Thq6mjWdHHxH-Y4dlw-GqsmWUxqLzcnH3zWYza8Y/s1600/Cap2+15.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Day 3: we went to Goreme Open Air Museum with Thomasz and Olga. It was ok, but quite expensive. If you're physically prepared for all the hiking the valley has to offer, you can get lots of cave church visits for free, and without all the tour bus crowds. The museum caves are nice because they're well-preserved, but at 24 TL ($12) each, you have to decide if it's worth it for you.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxOn49Kc_SpjELanO24SrOJFaxVKDTYSNCEUZKbHrnRBXC4CEQctvU-9lk_8nzdOksscXTqkiy4SyFul6csZEDoFmW3zHEiSssUM9soi_ke7j3aYl-yIfgX5vHX3I0u7ODr-gf4s7Wo1q/s1600/Cap2+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxOn49Kc_SpjELanO24SrOJFaxVKDTYSNCEUZKbHrnRBXC4CEQctvU-9lk_8nzdOksscXTqkiy4SyFul6csZEDoFmW3zHEiSssUM9soi_ke7j3aYl-yIfgX5vHX3I0u7ODr-gf4s7Wo1q/s1600/Cap2+7.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cave church frescoes</td></tr>
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Day 4: we rented a car with Thomasz and Olga and drove to the Ihlara Valley, a beautiful and very lush valley about an hour and a half from Goreme. The entrance fee of 8 TL ($4 US) gets you a nicely maintained canyon hike along a river with scenery uncharacteristic of the surrounding area. We hiked from the southernmost entrance out the north end (about 11km). To get to the dolmus (little public bus) back to your car, turn left at the beautiful old stone bridge and walk north into the town. The stop is across the street from a cave church tourist stop, and cost us 1TL each to get back to Ihlara.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsiG9fkPt9uNUGwPiilDvkpyJUtqfICxthOE6dtFQmYD-lZJ26L1eX_O_q-U9pyFWbzgQMLZbqtPs2uP0eQFEH2BhqrekdOwF5g0U5E97_zefDMx-Z_GEQi4p6Zhobw_Qy3lZlYveubTd/s1600/cap+dipt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsiG9fkPt9uNUGwPiilDvkpyJUtqfICxthOE6dtFQmYD-lZJ26L1eX_O_q-U9pyFWbzgQMLZbqtPs2uP0eQFEH2BhqrekdOwF5g0U5E97_zefDMx-Z_GEQi4p6Zhobw_Qy3lZlYveubTd/s1600/cap+dipt.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overlooking the Ihlara Valley; Lunch on a trestle bridge; Tea houses over the river; Old stone bridge </td></tr>
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Day 5: took a day off, did some blogging, took naps and hung out at the hotel. We were lazy and it was awesome.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8-apSRu1y3yCxnFBmgrEOLYFFdt_LCt3-o2Xo3VBaLq9TQiVq8TZmpzpZNp62nG2v9_bEkVDyvPdB9Y8rCkGN-158rNk-5ifz7EeWtQe83G7EEgFX-Q-mOhfcPi6XCMlpeuVRCg5jX1_/s1600/Cap2+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8-apSRu1y3yCxnFBmgrEOLYFFdt_LCt3-o2Xo3VBaLq9TQiVq8TZmpzpZNp62nG2v9_bEkVDyvPdB9Y8rCkGN-158rNk-5ifz7EeWtQe83G7EEgFX-Q-mOhfcPi6XCMlpeuVRCg5jX1_/s1600/Cap2+1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gomeda Valley</td></tr>
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Day 6: we rented a scooter and drove to Gomeda Valley, a really cool, lightly maintained lush valley about 20 minutes drive from Goreme. The first huge rock you see is shaped like a dinosaur, so we were IN! At the top of the road is a cave church where you can see what happens when frescoes are not preserved and protected. Just under the road is a really cool underground city with views of the valley (so I'm told...you might have to be 6'5" to see them!). We hiked down into the valley (more of a canyon really) and followed the almost-overgrown path over questionably sound stream bridges, under natural rock arches, past chirping birds and forgotten (but still growing) grapevines. After about 45 minutes the path ended in a river and it was time to head back for our well-deserved lunch picnic.</div>
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On our way home, we stopped in Love Valley, so-called because it looks like it's filled with penis shaped rocks. Seriously, my head isn't the only one in the gutter...they named it that! Despite (or maybe because of?) the phallic rocks, it was another lovely spot for a hike.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPg_97UeKxIiuq1jxPfvmiYMLgRIrF03ndgfiR4uRR8jHTI1kzIsu6Vk5tfNj3Te89HMbEkB8zhG5zhICsOOdFjjHLd0MgcdKkX1o8O7frMqW3CPMTDyV0fS3ya-lbr8Vmtl5iasIfPOd/s1600/penises.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPg_97UeKxIiuq1jxPfvmiYMLgRIrF03ndgfiR4uRR8jHTI1kzIsu6Vk5tfNj3Te89HMbEkB8zhG5zhICsOOdFjjHLd0MgcdKkX1o8O7frMqW3CPMTDyV0fS3ya-lbr8Vmtl5iasIfPOd/s1600/penises.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was our absolute favorite hike of the week, but unfortunately our camera turned out to be broken! So, we made a cool video from the day instead:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GlPUBpYiPb0?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br />
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Going to Goreme? Here are our suggestions:<br />
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We stayed in a little hotel, <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g297983-d1105835-Reviews-Coco_Cave_Hotel_Pension-Goreme_Cappadocia.html" target="_blank">Coco Caves</a>, in the central town of Goreme, which turned out to be a great place to take little half day or full day hiking trips. The owner was pretty weird, but the room was really nice and very inexpensive! In the evenings, we found 2 favorite spots to eat. The first, the <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g297983-d4688366-Reviews-Omurca_Art_Cave_Cafe-Goreme_Cappadocia.html" target="_blank">Omurca Art Cave Cafe</a>, is run by a local guy who has an entire colony of cats he cares for outside (clearly a winner for us!). He's an artist who has carved out his home into a cave and has a great little one-choice restaurant in the very atmospheric cave. The second restaurant is fancier and with more choices, called <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g297983-d2183700-Reviews-Topdeck_Cave_Restaurant-Goreme_Cappadocia.html" target="_blank">Topdeck</a>, in an underground cave (with fireplace!). Both were incredibly charming and memorable!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIqC54tQM756F7N6yHEBjFnQvs5gRiFqN_7-VsnUL4aYAMj7Odw7r9VLuqAKRoOPuVF1oAvdYXnjbdQEW_HitzVfsn55AatxN2PJwZtVVRZ4Z8rxfrV0bOnyq3fTQ4E4OoIZQp0bkYtK5/s1600/Cap2+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIqC54tQM756F7N6yHEBjFnQvs5gRiFqN_7-VsnUL4aYAMj7Odw7r9VLuqAKRoOPuVF1oAvdYXnjbdQEW_HitzVfsn55AatxN2PJwZtVVRZ4Z8rxfrV0bOnyq3fTQ4E4OoIZQp0bkYtK5/s1600/Cap2+14.jpg" height="272" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sunrise view from breakfast each morning</td></tr>
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More photos from our adventure in Cappadocia:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292347995/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA291280"><img alt="PA291280" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7358/12292347995_46efc28d86_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292346415/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA291279"><img alt="PA291279" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7401/12292346415_0d64588897_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292776934/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA291289"><img alt="PA291289" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2835/12292776934_888ea22102_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292778664/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA291298"><img alt="PA291298" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2887/12292778664_270f300d6a_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292913016/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA291299"><img alt="PA291299" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7298/12292913016_f53e87c834_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292914696/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="PA291307"><img alt="PA291307" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3769/12292914696_9c19376478_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292916296/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA291309"><img alt="PA291309" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7358/12292916296_c62bc12504_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292918086/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA291310"><img alt="PA291310" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2843/12292918086_8e1c3f71e6_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292919926/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA291316"><img alt="PA291316" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7431/12292919926_8fc4071444_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292789584/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA291322"><img alt="PA291322" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2828/12292789584_04dec260ab_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292792914/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA291350"><img alt="PA291350" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7424/12292792914_da13cf3705_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292369065/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="PA301357"><img alt="PA301357" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3684/12292369065_5b650c0de7_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292930226/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA301369"><img alt="PA301369" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5481/12292930226_c744582412_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292933776/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA301372"><img alt="PA301372" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3796/12292933776_d801812626_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292803934/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA301373"><img alt="PA301373" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3670/12292803934_30298a3bab_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292939296/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA301374"><img alt="PA301374" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7396/12292939296_33c0bbb78e_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292808174/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA301375"><img alt="PA301375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7448/12292808174_967c895479_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292943476/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="PA301376"><img alt="PA301376" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3678/12292943476_2dff726d73_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292548673/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA301378"><img alt="PA301378" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2851/12292548673_bbdd5b48c4_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292948156/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA301380"><img alt="PA301380" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3678/12292948156_943ec3b481_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292951016/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA311387"><img alt="PA311387" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3725/12292951016_98323113ba_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292952796/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA311388"><img alt="PA311388" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3824/12292952796_d999ac69fe_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292395275/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA311415"><img alt="PA311415" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7387/12292395275_55c79f52f1_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/12292397235/in/set-72157640471939873/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="PA311425"><img alt="PA311425" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5511/12292397235_95144f062c_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/sets/72157640471939873/">Cappadocia</a></div>
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Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-43089883804543155792013-12-20T09:56:00.000-08:002013-12-20T09:57:34.274-08:00Road Trippin' - Turkey Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We were planning on traveling overland from Budapest through Vienna, Croatia, Bosnia, and Bulgaria before arriving for a week in Istanbul. Then we put out a call to friends for suggestions, which came back overwhelmingly in favor of more time and more Turkey. Then we found a sweet flight from Vienna to Izmir 2 days later and thought, let's throw out our whole plan and go to Turkey! We had a great 24 hours in Vienna and then it was off to Izmir. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast on the terrace</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We landed in Izmir and </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">drove one hour south to Selcuk, the nearest town to the ruins of Ephesus. We found a little inn, Hotel Rilican, overlooking the valley and castle. We enjoyed the next two evenings with the innkeeper, Iksan, and his family, eating and drinking wonderful Turkish food on an outdoor terrace overlooking the beautiful view. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our first full day in Turkey, we went to see Ephesus, an ancient city filled with history. St. Paul traveled through Ephesus several times in his life, and the Virgin Mary and St Luke may or may not be buried there. On the way, we learned a bit of history listening to a Rick Steve's podcast in the car, and got a Rick Steve's audio podcast guide for the site itself. The area was amazing, and very much gave the feeling of stepping back in time (there is an additional option to see some terrace houses which are being restored currently, and they were fabulous...see them!)! The mosaic floors in every room were just like we would use area rugs today...beautiful colors and detail.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The next morning we got up early and drove 4 hours east to Pamukkale and the ancient ruins of Hieropolis. As you drive into the town of </span>Pamukkale<span style="font-family: inherit;"> (which we're pretty sure only exists to service the tourists), the hillside looks like a man-made ski hill in the middle of summer in the desert. In fact, the area has hot springs with high mineral concentrations, which leave calcium deposit terraces called travertines. And it's essentially a grown-up, natural water park! You leave your shoes behind and walk up the calcium deposits as warm water cascades down your feet, stopping along the way for a dip in the pools, some quite warm, some refreshingly cool. At the top, we popped our sandals back on and explored the ancient city of Hieropolis. It was such a delight after a month in the very cold to go for a long walk through ancient ruins in my bikini!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We spent the night in the village at a near-empty little hotel and hit the road early the next morning. Our destination was Oludeniz, a little town billed as a lovely watering hole along the turquoise waters of the blue lagoon. It disappointed, but the drive there didn't!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZ1vZQpNsYqBkHajZsMOv54C8LQKS1I_tq99x-fu3TURkTdWqGpFiFSriWO89v4b_f6ltIgBWfZehVOWdr8Aad5qtxMmyXhmhzFFjNHgSRuqK78NrVuBduC3UN8btMQxOeAujHXFmQ-4/s1600/PA241141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZ1vZQpNsYqBkHajZsMOv54C8LQKS1I_tq99x-fu3TURkTdWqGpFiFSriWO89v4b_f6ltIgBWfZehVOWdr8Aad5qtxMmyXhmhzFFjNHgSRuqK78NrVuBduC3UN8btMQxOeAujHXFmQ-4/s320/PA241141.jpg" width="238" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">We failed to procure a paper map, and our iPad swallowed the directions after we left the wifi area, so we followed the signs to Fethiye (the biggest town north of Oludeniz). The Turkish road signs led us differently than google maps and we are so glad we followed! We drove over a beautiful series of mountains, through little villages, complete with Turkish men and women tending their family fields. Each house had peppers growing in front and strings of the peppers drying off the eaves. At lunchtime, we stopped in a small town called Cameli and found ourselves a feast at a local place called Yayla Restoran. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They welcomed us in with open arms to a buffet of bubbling pots, where a delightfully fat Turkish man acted out the dishes for us (my favorite was arm flapping to show the chicken dishes). We picked several few plates, feasted, had some post-lunch tea, paid our 18TL ($9) bill and we were on our way. So far, this was Cory's meal highlight of Turkey.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Back in the car, we drove the final hour or so to Oludeniz. Remember that quaint town we were expecting? What we found was a British version of spring break Cancun, off season. Block after block sold fish and chips, advertised in pounds sterling. And when we tried to order Turkish tea, they only had English breakfast. And when we arrived to our hotel, which we had reserved online, it was closed. Empty. For the season. After a bit of scrambling, we found a cheaper, better place around the corner, just behind the Churchill Bar (seriously...we're not sure where all the Brits came from!). We had a nice hike, saw the disappointingly not-turquoise blue lagoon and continued north.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at Oludeniz</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When we rented a car, my picture was to get out and really see the countryside and be able to stop along the way. On our way north from the disappointment that was Oludeniz, my picture was made complete! Cory pulled over at a fruit stand (knowing I'd been craving one) and I got out to investigate. I asked the owner how much for a pomegranate juice and he responded 3 lira. $1.50 seemed a bit steep for a juice on the side of the road in turkey, but as I'm not really in the business of negotiating 50 cents out of a Turkish farmer and his wife, I agreed. All the sudden, he pulled up two chairs into the shade for us, cracked open a pomegranate and a tangerine for us to eat while his wife made the juice. A couple of sips of homemade pomegranate molasses and it was time for her fabulous fresh juice. As we made our way back to the car, he came running after us with a big glass of his apple tea (to make us strong, as he motioned) and handshakes and hugs. Best 3 lira ever spent!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We arrived a couple of hours later in Bodrum, a larger tourist town on the water, with a castle right on the central pier. We were worried about another touristy harbor town, but we loved Bodrum! It reminded me of what I imagine a Greek island to be like, with white buildings and cobbled streets coming down the hill right to the water, with a harbor full of gorgeous wood hulled boats, and tons of bouganvilla. Heaven! We found a super budget, yet delightful hotel (Sevin Pension, for $16 per night, including breakfast and free parking!) and spent the next day meandering about town. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Bodrum Castle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple of Apollo at Didim</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bodrum is known for a few things. First, in ancient years it was known as Halicanarsus, and was home to Heroditus, the "father of history." Second, in about 350 BC the king of the area, King Mausolus had a tomb built for his impending death, the Tomb of Mausolus. You may recognize that as one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, or as the derivation for the term Mausoleum. Neat, huh? Third, there is the Castle of Bodrum, on the pier in the center of the harbor. It now houses a really great underwater archaeology museum, but was once the conquering of Alexander the Great.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We started north on our last day on the west coast, with several hours until our flight from Izmir. We stopped in Didim to see the Temple of Apollo, and it was amazing! First of all, google maps led us to the town of Didim down the most swoopy, twisty two lane road, through fields of fluffy cotton, past tractors pulling carts of locals from town to town. Didim itself is not particularly charming, but when you get to the temple on the way out of the town, it is amazing. With incredibly tall columns, where just the foot of the column is chest height, you very much get a humbled feeling, like you're trespassing in a home of the gods. You can only imagine what it felt like go be there when the temple was standing! And at a super bargain price of 5TL each, it was easily the biggest bang for our ruin buck so far.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Priene Temple of Athena</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We had heard before this trip that turkey is covered with isolated ruins, out in the countryside, but we hadn't really seen that yet. As we drove north to Izmir, we got it. North of Didim, we continued on the smallest roads we could find and before long showed up at Miletus. We didn't go in, but took some photos from outside before continuing on. We drove across a flat plain of farmland (which we later found out used to be the Aegean Sea!) and came to Priene, a former ancient city on top of a hill, built for Athena. It was good that we had seen (and been guided through) Ephesus first because we understood much more of what we were seeing: a smaller city, but with all the same elements...theater, temple, agora, etc.).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Back to the road it was time to blast to Izmir, meet our rental car guy at the gas station (a little worrisome, but worked out in the end!), and make our flight to Kayseri, to begin our Cappadocian adventure!</span></span></div>
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For more pictures of our Aegean adventures, check out our <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/sets/" target="_blank">Flickr page</a>!</div>
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</span>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-20271000866731893742013-12-08T04:17:00.001-08:002013-12-08T04:17:13.453-08:00Vienna in 24 hours!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvt4me6skwu1_TJT2fXrfiEjsWJlmiNa_jLrHjDUDlmnrlqWhEsqFyT0B7rfYMTZVXnIOm_jyOxlHQqy9h-SCakKIRwS3IV5z51yiOkWoRgIXE3tNPiOimgtCFW9dF0RLlm-dqZlJZIZBS/s1600/Vienna+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvt4me6skwu1_TJT2fXrfiEjsWJlmiNa_jLrHjDUDlmnrlqWhEsqFyT0B7rfYMTZVXnIOm_jyOxlHQqy9h-SCakKIRwS3IV5z51yiOkWoRgIXE3tNPiOimgtCFW9dF0RLlm-dqZlJZIZBS/s640/Vienna+009.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We went to Vienna partly because it had always been in our plans, and partly because we found a cheap flight to Turkey from there. We arrived on the train from Budapest at 2pm and needed to leave for the airport at 2pm the next day. In our 24 hours in Vienna, we saw much much more than our 9 days in Budapest!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMYbkEH6MUugLwvqqaPjcaoXgLmra39aGGEtyEgIgEkv2mnPgbq3yU7V2AAyLISfqq_jJdc3vE8T-eabzFKkXNDrcUJWcaYVK-bxJDY0kJ-IoS_m0FNXpI9RZ6U7tFyvHdCQ_glsBAoyfq/s1600/Vienna+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMYbkEH6MUugLwvqqaPjcaoXgLmra39aGGEtyEgIgEkv2mnPgbq3yU7V2AAyLISfqq_jJdc3vE8T-eabzFKkXNDrcUJWcaYVK-bxJDY0kJ-IoS_m0FNXpI9RZ6U7tFyvHdCQ_glsBAoyfq/s320/Vienna+015.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wienerschintzel at Flugmuller</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Going in on such short time constraints, we made a list of why we wanted to go to Vienna and, oddly enough, those reasons all revolved around food. Specifically, foods with “Vienna” in the name: Wienerschnitzel, Viennese Coffee, Viennese Chocolate, Wieners... We had our work cut out for us!<br />
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We started with lunch at Flugmuller, a spot that’s been serving up huge schnitzels since 1906. As we were now in a Euro country (not such a good exchange rate for us!), we shared one (gigantic!) wienerschnitzel, one side of salad and a small carafe of white wine for $44 (!!). But it was delicious!<br />
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Next up, Viennese hot chocolate, Viennese coffee and apfelstrudel at Cafe Sacher, started by the inventor of the Sacher Torte. Sitting in a cosy window of the cafe sipping the most delicious hot chocolate as the sun went down and the lights came on over the opera house was a lovely way to spend one of our 24 hours. We were planning on going to the Opera, but when we got there, it turned out it was the same opera we saw 2 nights earlier in Budapest!<br />
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We meandered a bit more and found ourselves at the Crown Jewels, at the Treasury in the Hofburg Palace. It was a lovely (though pricey!) exhibit, with highlights including Napoleon’s baby's basinette, an 8 foot unicorn horn, a chunk of the cross Jesus was crucified on (nail hole and all), John the Baptist’s tooth, a piece of the Last Supper tablecloth, a shred of Jesus' loincloth, and a piece of wood from his manger. Quite the Christian artifacts!</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZEEnm3Au0N7qlNHvulAuyrQZ286udezQsmQhENuz7_nuafbtkYCnU83z_wWFTJdgdQMpccsMDasXpDPjLJTad2pFDWRfyK0ay98h5WZp2Yob54WeVINlvrx5ymSXjoERlvuJyBVCmBOt/s1600/crown+jewels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZEEnm3Au0N7qlNHvulAuyrQZ286udezQsmQhENuz7_nuafbtkYCnU83z_wWFTJdgdQMpccsMDasXpDPjLJTad2pFDWRfyK0ay98h5WZp2Yob54WeVINlvrx5ymSXjoERlvuJyBVCmBOt/s640/crown+jewels.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">CW fm left: Napoleon's baby's basinette, a piece of the True Cross, John the Baptist's tooth in a fancy gold box, a super sparkly sceptre, and Austria's crown.</span></td></tr>
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We spent the rest of the afternoon walking through the palace grounds and parks, marveling at how grand Vienna is. You can absolutely see that this city was the center of a major empire.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1BC119OcgXUxFiwLlKdcA_7JzqhjfltDTZOyqZeD720jelSA0GIVdCC-doZvAfqrKUOyEVDU16T3wqAKQwFwUPGN9llq5ndTfBya86U8Zgjx1fQryZNrnudjcSw40__3s3kSwUFiGT6Ws/s1600/Vienna+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1BC119OcgXUxFiwLlKdcA_7JzqhjfltDTZOyqZeD720jelSA0GIVdCC-doZvAfqrKUOyEVDU16T3wqAKQwFwUPGN9llq5ndTfBya86U8Zgjx1fQryZNrnudjcSw40__3s3kSwUFiGT6Ws/s320/Vienna+010.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIk4DxSz8yzaieONJRZgCxb3D-gi9qNHUeEw13FJSqCE0VlNvlz71H4Ly2MkZR3PXyBs33azIclm2d6xnpxO8N66mTHkYBsykGFgO3lWedyWYo0vSSt2Q0nTqu3BvHX3v0N0fKkpAh2EI8/s1600/Vienna+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIk4DxSz8yzaieONJRZgCxb3D-gi9qNHUeEw13FJSqCE0VlNvlz71H4Ly2MkZR3PXyBs33azIclm2d6xnpxO8N66mTHkYBsykGFgO3lWedyWYo0vSSt2Q0nTqu3BvHX3v0N0fKkpAh2EI8/s320/Vienna+011.jpg" width="240" /></a></span><br />
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That evening, while walking across Stephansplatz, we heard music and saw people going into the St Stephens Cathedral. We enjoyed some time in the back of the beautiful cathedral during the evening mass. Amazing how much we prefer to see churches when they are in use, with music, life and purpose.</span><br />
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Before heading to the airport the next day, we shared a lunch of wieners and little sandwiches with mini beer (another Viennese specialty!). What an incredible and memorable Viennese day!<br />
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Tips for your 24 hour trip to Vienna:</b><br />
- If you are truly in town for exactly 24 hours, you can save a ton of money on a 24 hour transit pass. It will save your walking legs and we were able to get to the airport on just a 2 euro supplement to our passes.<br />
- Being Sunday, many shops and museums were closed. If you can avoid being there on a Sunday, do so!
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<b>More photos of our day in Vienna:</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10982022606/in/set-72157637913725915/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA200895"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="PA200895" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7430/10982022606_473e886fca_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></span></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10982152443/in/set-72157637913725915/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA200896"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="PA200896" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7372/10982152443_21ac01c425_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></span></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10982155603/in/set-72157637913725915/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA200901"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="PA200901" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7438/10982155603_8803db01a8_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></span></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10982031896/in/set-72157637913725915/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA200904"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="PA200904" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3782/10982031896_1715750690_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></span></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10982129244/in/set-72157637913725915/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA200905"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="PA200905" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2871/10982129244_5923ea8c44_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></span></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10981943975/in/set-72157637913725915/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="PA200913"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="PA200913" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2805/10981943975_c678bfb325_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10982135164/in/set-72157637913725915/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA200920"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="PA200920" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5475/10982135164_edf9f94ddf_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></span></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10981950985/in/set-72157637913725915/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA200933"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="PA200933" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3731/10981950985_895d56ac57_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></span></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10982142314/in/set-72157637913725915/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA200940"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="PA200940" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2813/10982142314_f22ee0d66b_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></span></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10982145184/in/set-72157637913725915/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="IMG_3912"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="IMG_3912" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2883/10982145184_16ab178382_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/sets/72157637913725915/">Vienna</a>, a set on Flickr.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-18177886770284590042013-12-06T03:07:00.003-08:002013-12-06T03:09:32.287-08:00A Relaxing Week in Budapest<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-64UPq1ZLQz4dm9tZt7ovmacCTDr08DPfv6l55bVb6s2zpWhE-uRZuNP07RfkyeXA5hJFOjutHkBnelgDI-HsmMQlyPkYr_8i31v6HLzQIEppycYmobdzYIwrCR_9lqHmg-4DtKCVdPu/s1600/Budapest+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-64UPq1ZLQz4dm9tZt7ovmacCTDr08DPfv6l55bVb6s2zpWhE-uRZuNP07RfkyeXA5hJFOjutHkBnelgDI-HsmMQlyPkYr_8i31v6HLzQIEppycYmobdzYIwrCR_9lqHmg-4DtKCVdPu/s640/Budapest+018.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We arrived in Budapest for 9 days of touristing, and in the end, we did a lot of relaxing! We rented a great little apartment in Pest (until arriving, we had no idea that the city is made up of Buda on the west side of the river and Pest on the east side) near the Margit Bridge and nested a bit. </span><br />
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Here's a sampling of our favorite sights and activities in Budapest:<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFagnDfWUm7PWJUgpuxolBF9-o2C0LAQOJQHeqL_jPF1mVravY-qucjGVKJIFF1BObQLH9J8asPo0kDguCTohkdsI6kiKMH5ZD48dhfFN54Rg2uGqeOGXqGUhjSgbr_cIijebmsdTFK3p/s1600/budapest-thermal-baths_7607_600x450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFagnDfWUm7PWJUgpuxolBF9-o2C0LAQOJQHeqL_jPF1mVravY-qucjGVKJIFF1BObQLH9J8asPo0kDguCTohkdsI6kiKMH5ZD48dhfFN54Rg2uGqeOGXqGUhjSgbr_cIijebmsdTFK3p/s320/budapest-thermal-baths_7607_600x450.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">- <a href="http://www.budapest.com/city_guide/sights/baths/szechenyi_bath.en.html" target="_blank">Szechenyi Baths</a>: Spending a few hours at the thermal baths is a delightful tradition in Budapest, enjoyed by a wide variety of locals (and as tourists we were quite welcome, though a bit </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">confused at first!). Although there are lots of bath complexes to choose from, we went to one of the oldest (built in 1913) and most fun (they had a whirly gig pool that was a giggly delight!). </span><br />
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- <a href="http://www.terrorhaza.hu/en/index_2.html" target="_blank">House of Terror</a>: A moving and interesting museum about the Nazi and Communist occupations in Budapest. Part conceptual art museum, part educational history museum, and part memorial to those who were killed, the museum was just great. The educational part was a bit thorough (imagine a double sided, small print page of info for each room of the 3 story museum, to be read in a standing only room with loud music and strobe lights). But there's a tank in the atrium, a really cool exhibit on show trials and a 3 minute elevator ride in which you watch a video about their torture practices.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kIFGkZNhItJANtpoVAU6pqHhNBCpBdiRM1dGS_Y4FE5-qZzSN6lxOeggqQmPCRY9LZ0WB3BDfL6mCAmuv7ya_PDgASPSnRc_wxXIE_DWboZ0GEqLO36TfxdwnzHn9jeBi0YkLg9dU5uU/s1600/Budapest+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kIFGkZNhItJANtpoVAU6pqHhNBCpBdiRM1dGS_Y4FE5-qZzSN6lxOeggqQmPCRY9LZ0WB3BDfL6mCAmuv7ya_PDgASPSnRc_wxXIE_DWboZ0GEqLO36TfxdwnzHn9jeBi0YkLg9dU5uU/s320/Budapest+020.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the cheap seats :)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />- <a href="http://www.opera.hu/en" target="_blank">Opera</a>: After our fabulous experience at the Opera in Prague, we decided to go again in Budapest, and saw "Der Rosenkavalier" in the beautiful opera house. They sell super budget friendly tickets in the nosebleeds (I had to sit on Cory's lap to see the whole stage) but for $5 US you get the whole opera experience! The music was beautiful and the opera house was lovely. The only catch is that the opera was in German and the super titles were in Hungarian. So, we read the synopsis ahead of time and treated the experience like the old days when they didn't have super titles. Lovely!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Island" target="_blank">Margit Island</a>: </span>A beautiful island in the middle of the Danube River that's a runner's (and players) paradise. There's a squishy jogging path that circles the island, several sports and aquatic centers, and the ruins of an ancient cathedral, which you can climb on!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuLWM23u4VFJJq3S_0oynPh6DUUxzRCnEym7RkfDNAnuy-Xj-3nYAbMexjunTRYDlOjhyphenhyphenTc-atudeL0b2RHs0jEpGcCIdU24e-9Um8BudR5tIkGpaIjDuzLWXiILId84UclJmB2avNXNC/s1600/Budapest+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuLWM23u4VFJJq3S_0oynPh6DUUxzRCnEym7RkfDNAnuy-Xj-3nYAbMexjunTRYDlOjhyphenhyphenTc-atudeL0b2RHs0jEpGcCIdU24e-9Um8BudR5tIkGpaIjDuzLWXiILId84UclJmB2avNXNC/s640/Budapest+017.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An autumn run on Margit Island</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- <a href="http://www.szimpla.hu/szimpla-market" target="_blank">Sunday Market at Szimpla</a>: </span>This is a really local farmers market in an old building and courtyard that's a bar come night time. Bustling with cheeses, breads, yogurts, pickled vegetable stalls and meats, there's also a stall that makes a big soup or stew at the back to feed those on a super budget (payment is on a donation basis). The bar is open for coffee, lattes and stronger drinks, and its just a really great weekly market!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXlGn3wWS6bsGtc9aM-iJdWAe_-xJ6rkF9BIdVI2-KGPVDoH9yn142KzLUTeNSPtjVPIGB5KFvaV_xWDDoY9VhvQUHF8ZpCUb1B2CF5vh9_UQMddqrbngjCbHLF3LG6gRQCrdBzAnCcus/s1600/Szimpla+diptic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXlGn3wWS6bsGtc9aM-iJdWAe_-xJ6rkF9BIdVI2-KGPVDoH9yn142KzLUTeNSPtjVPIGB5KFvaV_xWDDoY9VhvQUHF8ZpCUb1B2CF5vh9_UQMddqrbngjCbHLF3LG6gRQCrdBzAnCcus/s640/Szimpla+diptic.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Szimpla Market</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Total Costs for 8 days in Budapest:</b> $899.00 US ($112.49 per day)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Housing (cute apartment on AirBnB): $46 per night</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Transit (mostly tram rides...very easy system!): $6 per day</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Food (some casual easting out, mostly drinking and dinners at home): $35 per day</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Other (museum tickets): $24 per day</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>More pictures of our week in Budapest:</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10981967164/in/set-72157637913767546/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="IMG_3845"><img alt="IMG_3845" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5535/10981967164_da7dc79e98_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10982004273/in/set-72157637913767546/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="IMG_3851"><img alt="IMG_3851" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3690/10982004273_93f70b5013_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10981973374/in/set-72157637913767546/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="IMG_3854"><img alt="IMG_3854" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3769/10981973374_58e369079f_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10981791375/in/set-72157637913767546/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA130826"><img alt="PA130826" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3764/10981791375_18f30a6d1e_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10981794855/in/set-72157637913767546/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA130828"><img alt="PA130828" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3776/10981794855_b8f115867b_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10981982414/in/set-72157637913767546/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="PA130829"><img alt="PA130829" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2830/10981982414_de3f5ed842_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10981924916/in/set-72157637913767546/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA170866"><img alt="PA170866" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3791/10981924916_0af6e4c35f_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10982054173/in/set-72157637913767546/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA170868"><img alt="PA170868" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3782/10982054173_ca35f53101_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10981930516/in/set-72157637913767546/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="IMG_3896"><img alt="IMG_3896" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3727/10981930516_b7e698dbbe_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10982059873/in/set-72157637913767546/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="IMG_3899"><img alt="IMG_3899" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5496/10982059873_aa795d662e_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10982029824/in/set-72157637913767546/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="IMG_3901"><img alt="IMG_3901" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7358/10982029824_7bb6a79728_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/sets/72157637913767546/">Budapest</a>, a set on Flickr.</div>
Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-90397964781898663772013-11-25T02:51:00.000-08:002013-11-25T02:52:45.383-08:00Auschwitz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiez1VB5WkytTAU7fZhT0c2e3v3WtOAwr1MbwqxBy_3IOWEbKOULBJkfPZPr1MxSp-I7yvNjoRczcQmOGnlvd3BWhaCx1qwApyg2ifSiL72WBvgdHnipbXG5cNiCYj3KSDU5piGugW-l3J7/s1600/Auschwitz+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiez1VB5WkytTAU7fZhT0c2e3v3WtOAwr1MbwqxBy_3IOWEbKOULBJkfPZPr1MxSp-I7yvNjoRczcQmOGnlvd3BWhaCx1qwApyg2ifSiL72WBvgdHnipbXG5cNiCYj3KSDU5piGugW-l3J7/s640/Auschwitz+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">To continue our trend of using this trip to learn about atrocities people have committed against each other over time (Cambodia's killing field and S-21 prison, Beijing's Tiananmen square), we chose to take a day trip from Krakow to see Auschwitz. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlEmrD22aEnfFmthnhxiEnD6KbL61WxXfMJbRUHsLx800kZTiM9za_zeO_fc4UJLQGRJy3K1_4LQZobkTonHhaP7yPVV6zfoYRDnNr7Wi6vpNs1qL3j1P3SOFp_3n-B8exDdrCTVXvJkO/s1600/Auschwitz+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlEmrD22aEnfFmthnhxiEnD6KbL61WxXfMJbRUHsLx800kZTiM9za_zeO_fc4UJLQGRJy3K1_4LQZobkTonHhaP7yPVV6zfoYRDnNr7Wi6vpNs1qL3j1P3SOFp_3n-B8exDdrCTVXvJkO/s320/Auschwitz+003.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The camp is about 1.5 hours by bus from Krakow, in the town of Oswicim (Auschwitz is the German word for this village), and is made up of 3 separate sites (Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II - Birkenau, and Monowice), but only 2 survived WWII. Although it is free to see the sites and remember those who died there, it is required that everyone pay for a guided tour, which turned out to be a really good thing. The tour started by walking thought the famous Arbei Macht Frei ("Work Will Set You Free") gates and onto the grounds. We visited at perhaps the worst time of year, on a gorgeous fall day. With the sun shining and the leaves changing colors, it looked more like a college campus than a memorial to a horrific time in history. And it was especially challenging to imagine what it was like for the millions who were sent here in the middle of a bitter winter, with only a thin pair of pajamas to keep warm. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">We toured through the Auschwitz I camp, which now stands as a memorial to the millions of Jews and others who were killed here, and is described as the worlds largest cemetery, as the ashes of the bodies burned here were spread all over the grounds. We saw piles (which as a word doesn't begin to describe the sheer amount) of suitcases, shoes, eyeglasses, prosthetic limbs, and hair. Photos of the inmates line the hallway walls, with the name, arrival dates and date of death. Inmates who arrived in spring and summer sometimes stayed a few months before death, but those who arrived in the middle of winter rarely made it more than a night or two. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18psCZK619mC7eqlFdNGdhmKoddUqZg5unYD5SiZ7naACAxvEbyLj88_V6ihKgiTo2-IjKh5EqgW8HgGMYa1gdvQinKBT0x9NdNHMsWH268dUnj7nV8ehSf8CcQYg8_QBZIJoEhVco41h/s1600/auschwitz+diptic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18psCZK619mC7eqlFdNGdhmKoddUqZg5unYD5SiZ7naACAxvEbyLj88_V6ihKgiTo2-IjKh5EqgW8HgGMYa1gdvQinKBT0x9NdNHMsWH268dUnj7nV8ehSf8CcQYg8_QBZIJoEhVco41h/s640/auschwitz+diptic.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2NjAzI6vvpRnn8ZWs6CG6SkeQTnGKwPAaA3ujTuUaGrCNlv0AhFOaIy7JhpXc3CMatlm_J9IrCc0VyOVwzetD6ZOG_m-3yHHI-cZu8iHpYFJcRZEQcSJKS16DUkJ83rDkQeEZOImzTGt/s1600/Auschwitz+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2NjAzI6vvpRnn8ZWs6CG6SkeQTnGKwPAaA3ujTuUaGrCNlv0AhFOaIy7JhpXc3CMatlm_J9IrCc0VyOVwzetD6ZOG_m-3yHHI-cZu8iHpYFJcRZEQcSJKS16DUkJ83rDkQeEZOImzTGt/s320/Auschwitz+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">We then took a shuttle to Birkenau, the much larger camp that was built to overcome the technical limitations the Nazis had regarding the ability to kill as many people as possible. We had seen the movie Schindler's List, where you see the prisoners taken off the trains onto the platform where a doctor assesses whether they are fit to work or if they would just go straight to the gas chamber. Despite already seeing photos and film of this camp, we found the sheer size to be staggering. On either size of the train platform, there are rows of bunkhouses stretching as far as the eye can see. Even in early fall, the bunkhouses were freezing, and though there was a fireplace in the center of each, we were told those were only for show in case inspectors came through and needed to see humane conditions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">It is overwhelming to imagine how many people perished here because of hate and fear. Our tour guide has been giving tours for almost 20 years and she said it sometimes made her sad but mostly reminded her of the need to be joyful and grateful of life while we have it. Although this wasn't an uplifting day, it was a very important trip to make to see the horrors that can transpire from fear of others and fear of the unknown, as a reminder not to fear people we just don't know enough about.</span><br />
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Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-18929860726413521332013-11-22T00:44:00.001-08:002013-11-25T02:52:51.292-08:00Krakow: Polish Paradise!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidxJcTJIBg5bSQcGALb-XsZfGkRoBK8cZ2UQFyw5cXoYPOZpww0pprsp-rHj3x-oSFnWIyATWs4Iqts0H3xM8fKTxGEatFDmKG5Uw-tQdhx6V2hVuXYB5Z6WeJ7IE0GEcpvCWvfAv8jQg/s1600/Dingle+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidxJcTJIBg5bSQcGALb-XsZfGkRoBK8cZ2UQFyw5cXoYPOZpww0pprsp-rHj3x-oSFnWIyATWs4Iqts0H3xM8fKTxGEatFDmKG5Uw-tQdhx6V2hVuXYB5Z6WeJ7IE0GEcpvCWvfAv8jQg/s640/Dingle+002.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After a great week in Prague, it was time to move on to a country I have always wanted to go to (largely because of the food!): Poland. We boarded another great night train headed for Krakow, in the southwest of Poland. Although Warsaw is the capital, Krakow is known for being the cultural center of the country, and we certainly found that!<br />
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When the Nazis came into Poland in WWII, Krakow became the headquarters for their government in Poland. It became a showpiece, and was largely spared by war, where Warsaw was leveled. As a result, it is a city filled with beautiful architecture and a very compact and delightful old center.<br />
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Although we did not heed this advice completely ourselves, Krakow has really great budget options for activities and food that make it a great budgeteer travel destination. The city is full of "Milk Bars", low cost cafeteria style restaurants, and several of the museums have free days. With a little work, it would be easy to go super low budget and have a great time.<br />
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Here were our favorite sights and activities in Krakow:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFteuTTDUK8cYRDnrFXc-cJUvqWSilS1DKVOJfgvX_WrtN5CjAO6MVxxveQLbqv9_c75BRUzE47UX0l9B6-7wEWLrhZKxFGOyNcD5YFoWfySDkLYRSN4xgferwFcHpDFScvQI7p5BXPS7t/s1600/Dingle+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFteuTTDUK8cYRDnrFXc-cJUvqWSilS1DKVOJfgvX_WrtN5CjAO6MVxxveQLbqv9_c75BRUzE47UX0l9B6-7wEWLrhZKxFGOyNcD5YFoWfySDkLYRSN4xgferwFcHpDFScvQI7p5BXPS7t/s320/Dingle+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Schindler's Holocaust Museum</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- <a href="http://www.mhk.pl/exhibitions/krakow-under-nazi-occupation-1939-1945" target="_blank">Schindler's Holocaust Museum</a>: For those of you who saw Schindler's List and didn't realize it was a true story, it was. And it took place largely in Krakow. Oskar Schindler was a Nazi business man who ended up saving hundreds of his Jewish factory workers from near certain death during the Holocaust, and his factory has been converted to a really great museum. It is free on Mondays, but only open until 2pm (give yourself at least 2 hours, preferably 3 hours).</span><br />
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- <a href="http://www.cracow-concerts.com/Chopin-concerts" target="_blank">Chopin concert</a>: My favorite composer is Frederik Chopin, and what a treat to find out that he's Polish and that its super easy to find a plethora of concerts to hear his music in Krakow. We chose a concert in a historic building on the Main Square and had a great evening, as the youngest listeners in the room by at least 30 years (other than the fantastic 24 year old pianist!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOGhiUPQVuP2HOk2W6UWu2u36cTsUH0-MIeiCvc_xleVzbvrLybgGYNM-vavh-1TOQRLgWayfE6liQswJmkl0lwT9gO7yFfuPE2QHFldZRXtjeS928aWfjShVJROfShL9Afc6Qj60SDGd/s1600/IMG_2094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOGhiUPQVuP2HOk2W6UWu2u36cTsUH0-MIeiCvc_xleVzbvrLybgGYNM-vavh-1TOQRLgWayfE6liQswJmkl0lwT9gO7yFfuPE2QHFldZRXtjeS928aWfjShVJROfShL9Afc6Qj60SDGd/s320/IMG_2094.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sipping mulled wine on the Square</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- Main Square: A great place to people watch, admire the beautifully dressed horses (with carriages), and have a mulled wine. There is a museum in the middle of the square, upstairs from the Cloth Hall, which has some great Polish art for 20 minutes or so of looking. Visit on their free day, and then spend the money you saved on a reasonably priced (for the view) drink overlooking the square and St. Mary’s Basilica. Plus, every hour, on the hour, a trumpeter plays from the top of the tower (he's actually a firefighter, and that tower is a fire lookout). </span><br />
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- <a href="http://en.mocak.pl/" target="_blank">Contemporary Art Museum</a>: Next to Schindler's Holocaust Museum is the Museum of Contemporary Art, located in another of Schindler's factory buildings. We're not big contemporary art fans, and much of the art here is super weird, but visit on their free day to get another dose of culture. We were hoping for more art addressing the history of the Nazis and then Soviets in Poland, but it was not to be. I recommend the museum if you're a big contemporary art lover, or if you go on Tuesdays, when its free.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZBIWCJLUykIa7gWy0hyphenhyphen-J-O2WDhClU_4BdGV_W8qbSCO_HXrJvLbn34JBBP9JEMWyEbGPPPyJQQ56mUlYfsNr9tKxMu_w-kiiTD0szrewvpWDJ2xtBkFUC0SmKER1r8KxqSaCmh82OJx/s1600/IMG_2103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZBIWCJLUykIa7gWy0hyphenhyphen-J-O2WDhClU_4BdGV_W8qbSCO_HXrJvLbn34JBBP9JEMWyEbGPPPyJQQ56mUlYfsNr9tKxMu_w-kiiTD0szrewvpWDJ2xtBkFUC0SmKER1r8KxqSaCmh82OJx/s320/IMG_2103.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perogi shop</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">
- Milk Bars: so-called because milk was subsidized in soviet times in Poland, these cafeteria style restaurants make good food at excellent prices. Our favorite was just next to the tram stop closest to the Holocaust museum and MOCAK. We spent the week eating perogis, borscht, potato pancakes and rye flour soup at Milk Bars. Yum!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bona-ksi%C4%85%C5%BCka-i-kawa/199124681307" target="_blank">Bona Cafe and Bookstore</a>: our favorite square-side cafe in Krakow, in the shadow of two beautiful churches, in the ambiance of classical music buskers, with delicious cappuccinos at great prices. The perfect spot for a sunny afternoon!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnCGg7rfYJtWRLQRV-X1rbBVF3tJIzAYdynscrWW50dWDRuHXw-ZGrsrTbFCurdvD19i_irhUGu6sCWlVbfeez6C7hnETuxMV4oePtE4CmY2Ed6bQyQ0xFml6XbRLhTox2paSIjEumULW/s1600/bona+diptic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnCGg7rfYJtWRLQRV-X1rbBVF3tJIzAYdynscrWW50dWDRuHXw-ZGrsrTbFCurdvD19i_irhUGu6sCWlVbfeez6C7hnETuxMV4oePtE4CmY2Ed6bQyQ0xFml6XbRLhTox2paSIjEumULW/s640/bona+diptic.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a cappuccino at Bona Cafe</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We found Krakow to be a very welcoming, easy to navigate city. That being said, do what you can to arrive in town with small zloty bills or coins. We arrived at 7am after an overnight train, and although we were easily able to find an ATM and withdraw zlotys, we were not able to get change small enough to spend. We spent an hour with our equivalent $18 bills, unable to get them changed (or spend them) at large hotels, a money changer, a corner shop or serval cafes. So, we walked to our apartment instead of taking the recommended tram, and learned our lesson! Even when we bought a $10 hat at a completely packed H&M with an $18 bill, they asked for smaller change. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuZhVMCpg053Se6qkfOEw3mThsPbNeFvPY3PX3u8ZffLif_gNOhyxR6sXcz3BVSFtlRojJsOvXCHL8wKY006bWyFYGmTUM_ouaQpm0FbAphjT6udVFkf6LEMAjrvVS3Sd9VlPLPrGiBef/s1600/Dingle+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuZhVMCpg053Se6qkfOEw3mThsPbNeFvPY3PX3u8ZffLif_gNOhyxR6sXcz3BVSFtlRojJsOvXCHL8wKY006bWyFYGmTUM_ouaQpm0FbAphjT6udVFkf6LEMAjrvVS3Sd9VlPLPrGiBef/s640/Dingle+010.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main Square</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<b>Final Costs for Poland:</b> $841 for 8 days (average per day: $105)<br />
Accommodations: $51 per night (in a beautiful apartment)<br />
Transit: $4 per day<br />
Food: $33 per day<br />
Other: $18 per day<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For more photos of our week in Krakow, see our Flickr set:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10980576114/in/set-72157637910583965/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA110820"><img alt="PA110820" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3775/10980576114_329cf99f3f_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10980578614/in/set-72157637910583965/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="PA110825"><img alt="PA110825" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7448/10980578614_fc8cd19ec8_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10980392545/in/set-72157637910583965/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="IMG_3843"><img alt="IMG_3843" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2882/10980392545_9dd7a9813a_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/sets/72157637910583965/">Krakow</a></div>
Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-18376529466550284242013-11-12T01:16:00.002-08:002014-06-18T12:40:53.863-07:00Prague-toberfest!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AoMHrf-YAlyy4UNudgsMya60sF9Px9ruCWSKd6b2JuhLtwiYfKxauL3MN0VXc_6yd4Vq4imp1Rk3f-NkRfG_fXiBllCKjLWzAyGgYlQEi4HRSmcSlGihDvIyrRS71wIGqnqgdFjpxJ-Q/s1600/P9270632+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AoMHrf-YAlyy4UNudgsMya60sF9Px9ruCWSKd6b2JuhLtwiYfKxauL3MN0VXc_6yd4Vq4imp1Rk3f-NkRfG_fXiBllCKjLWzAyGgYlQEi4HRSmcSlGihDvIyrRS71wIGqnqgdFjpxJ-Q/s640/P9270632+%25281%2529.jpg" height="392" width="640" /></a></div>
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We took night night train from Copenhagen to Prague and it was LOVELY!! Splurging for a private cabin in Europe is a very nice change from our other Asian train trips (and we got a butler who was the spitting image of James Lipton, of Inside the Actors Studio fame). Plus, the European trains are really cool because different train cars go to different places, so you wake up in the middle of the night to the crashing noise of cars being uncoupled and new ones being added on.<br />
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We arrived in Prague just a couple of hours before our friends, Beth and Tom, who flew all the way from San Francisco to enjoy a bit of our world trip with us (thanks guys!). We had planned on meeting up in Munich for Oktoberfest, but when we found out how craze balls expensive that would be, we set out sights on Prague for "Praguetoberfest!" Our week was spent catching up, meandering the cobblestone streets, exploring the local beers and sightseeing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznhL-CwCqBbqvIDhxnKuFACVceQEZERjXvD4XYyfm223RNMZ8fRYmyXS8NQ3GJu0evjzQRwGDsYOppELj3JKi8QbisK7nY0HkirA9nzwAthFQL91Hqek_znyYk6iwjy5OxieqSi-Rg83b/s1600/Prague+diptic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznhL-CwCqBbqvIDhxnKuFACVceQEZERjXvD4XYyfm223RNMZ8fRYmyXS8NQ3GJu0evjzQRwGDsYOppELj3JKi8QbisK7nY0HkirA9nzwAthFQL91Hqek_znyYk6iwjy5OxieqSi-Rg83b/s640/Prague+diptic.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJn77qdM_dr_gWjUQJnaQgXHmHBCee2ZVW9IKhyphenhyphen08aJgDeYFa5haMaW0M9YIvmpngMa6Ih22zfdpXfjbvo_8rO_-myQ9iVanYvyGuCnXrzmqtbM81ids-1qCz-pQMb4qOhK3ZxqFQPKq1W/s1600/IMG_3784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJn77qdM_dr_gWjUQJnaQgXHmHBCee2ZVW9IKhyphenhyphen08aJgDeYFa5haMaW0M9YIvmpngMa6Ih22zfdpXfjbvo_8rO_-myQ9iVanYvyGuCnXrzmqtbM81ids-1qCz-pQMb4qOhK3ZxqFQPKq1W/s320/IMG_3784.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>Here were our favorites:<br />
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- Opera at the National Theater: To help celebrate my birthday, Beth and Tom treated us to a fabulous evening at the opera, in fancy box seats with champagne and everything! The opera, Jacobim, was great (despite some pretty weird set decorations of giant chairs), and the opera house is absolutely stunning.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFXAV-cO_vZUG-8s4MkolI_onNwJr4RYwPWA6B_mOO3_o-58_OcXVq2LaXOMnaXIxMTCCBL6nrcbNe8sgsj5ht8R4C9153L-3r-gb81X4Z8mGSbf-eLTMhGVdIQcEsQXuPeZTG6YTiNaE/s1600/IMG_3786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFXAV-cO_vZUG-8s4MkolI_onNwJr4RYwPWA6B_mOO3_o-58_OcXVq2LaXOMnaXIxMTCCBL6nrcbNe8sgsj5ht8R4C9153L-3r-gb81X4Z8mGSbf-eLTMhGVdIQcEsQXuPeZTG6YTiNaE/s320/IMG_3786.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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- <a href="http://www.mucha.cz/index.phtml?S=home&Lang=EN" target="_blank">Muccha Museum</a> and the <a href="http://www.ngprague.cz/en/1069/0/0/sekce/homepage/" target="_blank">Slav Epic</a>: The Muccha Museum was nice, but unless you're really crazy about Alfons Muccha, it's probably not worth the money (although there are some nice chairs in the video room at the end of the exhibit where one can get a really nice nap in!) but the Slav Epic is FANTASTIC!! As in, don't miss it!! It is Muccha's series of HUGE paintings depicting a wide swath of Slavic history. And the little booklet they sell in the exhibit is essential to get any of the symbolism and stories out of the works. We were there for an hour at the Epic and then another couple of hours walking through the rest of the museum (part of which is super weird Contemporary art, part is great Modern and Impressionist art, with some works by Klimt, Picasso, Degas, Muccha, Monet, and others). Seriously a must see!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfVB1rawKs6bTf1Z3kZ0CXpX1ZjqvBBplvrGfxesrozP1mLh0jFU_rTKgVDiDLGVxbX9BL7bPK0JWV7NhX8uBNcbSXXzA8REtYqi8bsJ4I5GTQiRprXYYxd-bPIe0jw4Af91rzt9_7ct5s/s1600/IMG_3754+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfVB1rawKs6bTf1Z3kZ0CXpX1ZjqvBBplvrGfxesrozP1mLh0jFU_rTKgVDiDLGVxbX9BL7bPK0JWV7NhX8uBNcbSXXzA8REtYqi8bsJ4I5GTQiRprXYYxd-bPIe0jw4Af91rzt9_7ct5s/s640/IMG_3754+%25281%2529.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The final piece in the Slav Epic</td></tr>
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- <a href="http://www.hrad.cz/en/prague-castle/prague-castle-tourist-information/visit-of-prague-castle.shtml" target="_blank">Prague Castle</a>: A lovely hill top area, including palace grounds and St. Vitus Cathedral. The Rick Steves book on Prague (or Eastern Europe) has a great walking tour to get all the details. My favorite part was the very cool Muccha window in the cathedral.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyRpwjp8e91CeCpz2aa35OmP3GYXTgz6iWvvm8YRXvPsjkX1iwBUIVkZu7la0yjCiOSkulSxsdzsTXcpa6s8mC5JRWAJGsITVO7jmHterNDMqHBJ7jEojZ9oAL6WtOKd5rDvnP3Ar6cvzp/s1600/P9300676.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyRpwjp8e91CeCpz2aa35OmP3GYXTgz6iWvvm8YRXvPsjkX1iwBUIVkZu7la0yjCiOSkulSxsdzsTXcpa6s8mC5JRWAJGsITVO7jmHterNDMqHBJ7jEojZ9oAL6WtOKd5rDvnP3Ar6cvzp/s320/P9300676.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photobombing Tom while he tries to learn something</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEite1EA8jBmFEP65K-tjE6483nzZFgj3zTW9ka5PCb0nI6mYrCSJP6C_UKzsrrdnjOqFtvSouiWwtkSF3HLI_D43DXV8UH9Y3aDMEER5k8UoA0oTuT02-JfI4Y933RlQIXHbTK-GJoUwgkQ/s1600/IMG_3809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEite1EA8jBmFEP65K-tjE6483nzZFgj3zTW9ka5PCb0nI6mYrCSJP6C_UKzsrrdnjOqFtvSouiWwtkSF3HLI_D43DXV8UH9Y3aDMEER5k8UoA0oTuT02-JfI4Y933RlQIXHbTK-GJoUwgkQ/s320/IMG_3809.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday wine on the Charles Bridge</td></tr>
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- Charles Bridge: At first, I didn't really get what all the fuss was about. Sure, it's got some statues, and it was included in the walk royals made on coronation day from the castle to the main square. But it's also covered in tourists and souvenir stands all the time. Not exactly charming. And then Cory took me there on the afternoon of my birthday, and we got cups of mulled wine and enjoyed the sunset from the bridge while listening to a local jazzy quartet. So, I've totally changed my mind!<br />
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- Beer and other liquid delights: The Czechs make some great beer, served up in plenty of beer halls around the city, for incredibly low prices! They also serve up traditional Absinthe in perfectly snooty bars (we had a great table at Hemingway Bar, right next to a "champagne button"). We enjoyed the week doing as much tasting as possible :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgdwg4Vt7L_zcMaUIOdpV6l8M-qPQCLeMIBF0MruCxnMgdo68aJo_OquVDaBuj1NOVjpm3bY3KCc4sYiE8RArrVup59GtRHPUReHuNtaCOaSOpunYTWpNnge_tKfZ9K4P_lPvwKXxqSDw/s1600/IMG_3771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgdwg4Vt7L_zcMaUIOdpV6l8M-qPQCLeMIBF0MruCxnMgdo68aJo_OquVDaBuj1NOVjpm3bY3KCc4sYiE8RArrVup59GtRHPUReHuNtaCOaSOpunYTWpNnge_tKfZ9K4P_lPvwKXxqSDw/s320/IMG_3771.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toasting Tom's birthday</td></tr>
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- Walking/Running: there are tons of spots to walk or run in Prague! We enjoyed two runs: one up the hill east of the main tourist area (with a very cool statue on top) and one along the Vltava River, which has a pretty (and safe) jogging/cycling path.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcylnz9YOzH7bfpq3ke2s-E1OJ5zrkK4tvW3sJiUBGpS9Oc8IHVsLjL7va0pNi1Dry8FBt3wHzC1uN2YAimAVsNq8QEJ_2P6_wtamxFlBYf1H4hAj2_Kw3zzlN0XVxbe5uRB1YG08ckLaL/s1600/P9300710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcylnz9YOzH7bfpq3ke2s-E1OJ5zrkK4tvW3sJiUBGpS9Oc8IHVsLjL7va0pNi1Dry8FBt3wHzC1uN2YAimAVsNq8QEJ_2P6_wtamxFlBYf1H4hAj2_Kw3zzlN0XVxbe5uRB1YG08ckLaL/s640/P9300710.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks for a great week, friends!!!</td></tr>
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<b>Final Costs for Prague:</b> $854 for 8 days (average per day: $107)<br />
Accommodations: $55 per night (as part of a 2 bedroom apartment)<br />
Transit: $3.34 per day<br />
Food: $42 per day (we could have spent less money here with some effort but had lots of enjoyable meals with our friends!)<br />
Other: $18 per day<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRLn9-Xmwm-ujJe2ezZ0Na0gNZ81p6fBBrxYm-Uvr4U1XaBInAolU0oLiVcW3wSSHSEemC740Ip593vtROh9ZpLlLEXLsDN98Bt9YbOVHl08wuU20qH8IGHh8KMLaWtMHzHWKJesF2Ziv/s1600/IMG_3782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRLn9-Xmwm-ujJe2ezZ0Na0gNZ81p6fBBrxYm-Uvr4U1XaBInAolU0oLiVcW3wSSHSEemC740Ip593vtROh9ZpLlLEXLsDN98Bt9YbOVHl08wuU20qH8IGHh8KMLaWtMHzHWKJesF2Ziv/s320/IMG_3782.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My silly new kitten mittens!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">More photos from our trip to Prague:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815511594/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9270563"><img alt="P9270563" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7335/10815511594_a2c5af35d0_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815513114/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9270566"><img alt="P9270566" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5531/10815513114_eb8870d2c5_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815514624/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9270575"><img alt="P9270575" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5472/10815514624_b724f9043f_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815643163/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9270580"><img alt="P9270580" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3819/10815643163_5bdd685643_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815382665/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9270585"><img alt="P9270585" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2833/10815382665_e8655af3fa_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815519854/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9270593"><img alt="P9270593" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2829/10815519854_08167579d0_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815647783/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9270600"><img alt="P9270600" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2859/10815647783_9e7b2a81ed_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815387435/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9270611"><img alt="P9270611" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5472/10815387435_c52726ccb0_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815388915/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9270618"><img alt="P9270618" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7365/10815388915_8536f821a4_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815526524/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9270632"><img alt="P9270632" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3802/10815526524_c8138a492a_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815529604/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9270639"><img alt="P9270639" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7448/10815529604_8b1e590eb0_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815394645/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9270650"><img alt="P9270650" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5475/10815394645_c223a3ca82_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815532094/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9270654"><img alt="P9270654" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7328/10815532094_3289816f9a_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815397475/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9270656"><img alt="P9270656" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5527/10815397475_989466e39a_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815406706/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9280659"><img alt="P9280659" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3694/10815406706_2e757cb886_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815408966/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9280665"><img alt="P9280665" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5477/10815408966_acdae706e5_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815665513/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9300668"><img alt="P9300668" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5485/10815665513_c70efe112f_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815405525/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9300674"><img alt="P9300674" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5532/10815405525_241177e3ee_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815669653/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9300676"><img alt="P9300676" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3744/10815669653_2927799e46_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815408455/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9300678"><img alt="P9300678" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5497/10815408455_c6993cfce1_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815673943/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9300683"><img alt="P9300683" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7452/10815673943_6defca315d_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815675253/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9300693"><img alt="P9300693" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3700/10815675253_742c1cc1f6_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815420976/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9300703"><img alt="P9300703" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3787/10815420976_d8d22491b0_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10815551284/in/set-72157637587464453/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9300710"><img alt="P9300710" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3704/10815551284_f40c38f541_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/sets/72157637587464453/">Prague</a> </div>
Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-84073875639183517212013-11-09T05:07:00.001-08:002013-11-09T21:22:55.195-08:00Road Trippin' down Memory Lane: Jacobsen Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaZLKHeTJSLinF4kX-rljIMmsJRwgkbxeO_Y3nLzwX3zw-hvP4DMBrmlSP3CFiW1KkqnVb_bUcqFM1DWmuIPognHbYU5ylb_hEkk6FIx_ab6MsAnZFjH5gDCkFvgvReoDQwlB-Tp1cpgf/s1600/Dk+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaZLKHeTJSLinF4kX-rljIMmsJRwgkbxeO_Y3nLzwX3zw-hvP4DMBrmlSP3CFiW1KkqnVb_bUcqFM1DWmuIPognHbYU5ylb_hEkk6FIx_ab6MsAnZFjH5gDCkFvgvReoDQwlB-Tp1cpgf/s640/Dk+map.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JVAwNzf84ZZcQYmR-kB4JODcBenqEnh9j1y_9T_mlBvPaxBAjEU5Q-P2W9AjKqmcGvE3Jgu1ExiplksPX_48W9YD0Ks3ipco_6Y9tqfN5laaj7ODxCxCWaKzkst4G9pc4UyxvHRSdnSy/s1600/IMG_3686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JVAwNzf84ZZcQYmR-kB4JODcBenqEnh9j1y_9T_mlBvPaxBAjEU5Q-P2W9AjKqmcGvE3Jgu1ExiplksPX_48W9YD0Ks3ipco_6Y9tqfN5laaj7ODxCxCWaKzkst4G9pc4UyxvHRSdnSy/s320/IMG_3686.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; text-align: center;">Swedish sunrise</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We woke at the crack of dawn (no, well before the dawn cracked) and hopped into our sweet rental Volvo to drive 3 hours north in time for our 9am ferry to Denmark. Aside from the simply awesome fact that it was Cory's first car ferry (and he got to drive!), the ferry was great, and filled with people in line for coffee the second we left harbor. Oh, wait, they were in line for beer. At 9am. On a car ferry. I waited until 10 to join the crowds (I am on vacation, after all!). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Three </span><span style="text-align: center;">hours later, we arrived in Skagen, a resort town at the very northern tip of Jutland, the main section of Denmark (the part attached to the rest of Europe by land). We stopped in the old harbor area of Skagen for lunch, and enjoyed a Toyota forklift competition/sales demo between dock hands. It was cold and fishy, with happy Danes and waving flags. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After lunch, we dove north and stopped for some cold, windy (read: local) photos at Rabjerg Mile sand dunes. It was very sandy, but very beautiful!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYnUf_0FTyYWqUA2IgBowChwfGz0DDcS_UZ1eacU6I7tm36c93vquENPLt_XNuTvfd0w9n7UzLOQ23WpivDF1WpaB-8I4RSDU3Ovy-SF5ne7RyXSgSWSewnc64kfYQGdVlf-C9UfhGQu9/s1600/P9210443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYnUf_0FTyYWqUA2IgBowChwfGz0DDcS_UZ1eacU6I7tm36c93vquENPLt_XNuTvfd0w9n7UzLOQ23WpivDF1WpaB-8I4RSDU3Ovy-SF5ne7RyXSgSWSewnc64kfYQGdVlf-C9UfhGQu9/s640/P9210443.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_45hjuu0QyiZKUI6RkyPDlG3X96koWqYFox18KR94Y4sFKsjJ4j74NHbz53r7Di2irzAjGNxshxvjKUztCXcQW_9w46Rsj1jKkiwwDDvLb9FsYgLYgeixe7FlGRvOv3pkUmmuK3ytyKFN/s1600/IMG_3701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_45hjuu0QyiZKUI6RkyPDlG3X96koWqYFox18KR94Y4sFKsjJ4j74NHbz53r7Di2irzAjGNxshxvjKUztCXcQW_9w46Rsj1jKkiwwDDvLb9FsYgLYgeixe7FlGRvOv3pkUmmuK3ytyKFN/s200/IMG_3701.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; text-align: center;">Polse dinner!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We checked into our hostel, the Danhostel and made preparations to make dinner. We were off season in a resort town, so the restaurants were quite empty but still expensive. Cory made us a wonderful dinner in our hostel kitchen, and we feasted before sleeping off a great first day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The next morning, we got up bright and early for an experience we had been promising Cory for months (and one I hadn't done in about 20 years): standing with your feet in 2 seas, the North Sea and the Kattegat Sea. Good thing we woke up to a cold, rainy, blustery day to put our feet in freezing cold water. But we didn't come all this way to keep our feet warm and dry! Best start with a trip to the bakery to bolster our spirits :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjywHaZsxKdqAxe3100Ov6NYZm9KzScubB_djnOEnEjqEPctBOr0JCkVMEOmCYujHkHepa8U88GvTNuj_YZ35xRXD8r2P5hVgCVeUBXfgcZBGzDmWjJq9bXF6yDIGEz05N_I5Unw5c2zJnX/s1600/P9220465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjywHaZsxKdqAxe3100Ov6NYZm9KzScubB_djnOEnEjqEPctBOr0JCkVMEOmCYujHkHepa8U88GvTNuj_YZ35xRXD8r2P5hVgCVeUBXfgcZBGzDmWjJq9bXF6yDIGEz05N_I5Unw5c2zJnX/s640/P9220465.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />We got to the beach and bundled into all the rain gear we had for a little walk out to the end of the country. We got over the sand dunes of the parking lot and realized we were looking at an almost mile long walk in the thank-god-at-least-its-not-raining weather to the end. There is a tractor pulling a bus (called "the worm") to take more fragile people out to the end, but we have legs (and it was parked at the other end already) so we got going. We got to the end and took off our socks and shoes as onlookers in galoshes and winter coats seriously questioned our sanity. And it was awesome. Welcome to the family, Cory :)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5a9aV0g73a8eELB3u2f7ARaiiE3wc8YSTCrZ75uRQ6lwT1cNcabvCCVaxUzpNxEXaJT8qOV-AQ1q6OygC1U2jQH9ELnvUa3Sbj1fq3pp_pJSpD-ry0oo7O4ltggsMfO1lqIVQ4_RiIf8/s1600/P9220480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5a9aV0g73a8eELB3u2f7ARaiiE3wc8YSTCrZ75uRQ6lwT1cNcabvCCVaxUzpNxEXaJT8qOV-AQ1q6OygC1U2jQH9ELnvUa3Sbj1fq3pp_pJSpD-ry0oo7O4ltggsMfO1lqIVQ4_RiIf8/s640/P9220480.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Standing with our feet in 2 seas!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Time to head the mile back to the car. Oh goody, now it's raining! Hard! On a beach with no shelter! So basically a day at the beach in Denmark :)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />We drove south for time with relatives just outside of Aarhus. Mama reconnected with long lost relatives last year and it was time for me to get to meet them. Winnie and Lars welcomed us in and we ate wienerbrod (because in Denmark, one always brings wienerbrod to visit with...I don't know how Danes are not all fatter!) and drank coffee. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPp_5dD62kc8e1NBsg9GrU_kepkzwhuCIeHXfoYxia41wNw6cLlkIssXZLNZR4b0QGDrEVML7C8YfHzuIe4DbPRETH4Fdr7vWfhY33uZnVQ5-KbpD7nYuhYJ972MLmdj5vcNCx0tJqn7Uz/s1600/P9220490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPp_5dD62kc8e1NBsg9GrU_kepkzwhuCIeHXfoYxia41wNw6cLlkIssXZLNZR4b0QGDrEVML7C8YfHzuIe4DbPRETH4Fdr7vWfhY33uZnVQ5-KbpD7nYuhYJ972MLmdj5vcNCx0tJqn7Uz/s320/P9220490.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; text-align: center;">Winnie, Mama B and Lars</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Over the next couple of days, Winnie and Lars expertly wined and dined us, and we got to know our relatives! We also learned some more Danish, our favorites being the word, "knive" and "knibe" the first meaning "knife" and the second meaning "pinch." So now we could ask for a knife to cut off a slice of wienerbrod, and then pinch our growing muffin tops. We also practiced the place names "Malmo" (properly said by us sounds like a sad manatee mourning his lost love) and Landskrona (said grandly with arms flapping, Mama says we're a little over dramatic on this one). Essentially, we could move to Denmark tomorrow and get by easily (mainly because all Danes speak such great English...).<br /><br />Lars took us out the next day for a trip to see the local sights, first the Castle of Kalo ruins, built in 1313, out on a beautiful (if windy) peninsula in the Kattegat Sea. Then we drove a little further south to the Fregatten Jylland, a ship (and now museum) where you can see life on a war ship from the late 1800's, then into the town to meander the windy, cobblestone streets. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Castle of Kalo ruins</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The next day it was time for us to head home to Aunt Kirsten. We packed up the car, bid adieu to Winnie and Lars and drove south east, back to Sweden through Copenhagen. On the way, we stopped in Roskilde to see the Viking Ship Museum and visit my Mormor and Morfar in the church yard. It's not ideal to introduce your husband to your grandparents this way, but I wanted them to meet, and life is not always ideal. Plus, they're buried next to a very beautiful country church.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbx_StcCcdm__5Z0uW7TYY_fqzOoT7UzJZ-JaMfabSz1IEaUlS3zdXTL9j26wPX-kKroNch61Bi7I8Uk82IA4ip8npCsu15uP0usGV2JU-pXxYRLPTJYQmAIWyThSNsKDC68OtEAL4HeFN/s1600/P9240559+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbx_StcCcdm__5Z0uW7TYY_fqzOoT7UzJZ-JaMfabSz1IEaUlS3zdXTL9j26wPX-kKroNch61Bi7I8Uk82IA4ip8npCsu15uP0usGV2JU-pXxYRLPTJYQmAIWyThSNsKDC68OtEAL4HeFN/s320/P9240559+-+Version+2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWAfibByUVYU3yHRfmE9zdAykUc-l-5JunN0cRifS6Bdb2p-tOn1njPFOdJBMU6r4hLjDtaWkGZEMr_p3m7qtuw_1DlUKO1XXE1Tvz1uEI_GDwEE9Mi1CCA5wHfm9-m1oiyZJsQAVxlP7/s1600/P9240561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWAfibByUVYU3yHRfmE9zdAykUc-l-5JunN0cRifS6Bdb2p-tOn1njPFOdJBMU6r4hLjDtaWkGZEMr_p3m7qtuw_1DlUKO1XXE1Tvz1uEI_GDwEE9Mi1CCA5wHfm9-m1oiyZJsQAVxlP7/s320/P9240561.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">We crossed over the bridge connecting Denmark and Sweden, and marveled at its almost $60 price tag (take that, Golden Gate!), and we were home and ready to...celebrate my birthday (albeit early)!! As many of you know, this is my absolute favorite holiday and celebrating Danish style was excellent. The Danes absolutely love their flag, so it comes out in force on all special occasions (birthdays included).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxziZnk1v4yS6bh1yd4TIVbckZBENqVw9dQhLEDotdQpE06OhlTMUsPkZItb8Tdd8VzcwLi82Z4Bv6mJDwjbcEAvQ4wL2uKpgLZs44GMV-k7b5h7nosA_k3magzCuBENdW-34JDQn30YIL/s1600/IMG_0045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxziZnk1v4yS6bh1yd4TIVbckZBENqVw9dQhLEDotdQpE06OhlTMUsPkZItb8Tdd8VzcwLi82Z4Bv6mJDwjbcEAvQ4wL2uKpgLZs44GMV-k7b5h7nosA_k3magzCuBENdW-34JDQn30YIL/s320/IMG_0045.jpg" width="320" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOPJax1p7sBwbWGQY9Gk8SzSfrDt-mrl0p-evDIZ7ncKIucJJNOHKyUqj-p8m8Qgm2s_8JgCCUrYFnF61cBLR2A-2cUbZhhtT6enhpJJyxSjlRHDEMVubzWF6P5s_VUMJ33JBheEz_BHpO/s1600/IMG_3712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOPJax1p7sBwbWGQY9Gk8SzSfrDt-mrl0p-evDIZ7ncKIucJJNOHKyUqj-p8m8Qgm2s_8JgCCUrYFnF61cBLR2A-2cUbZhhtT6enhpJJyxSjlRHDEMVubzWF6P5s_VUMJ33JBheEz_BHpO/s320/IMG_3712.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />The next morning, we hopped back onto the train for our week in Prague. Overall, we had a wonderful time in Scandanavia, and felt so well nurtured by Mama Birgit and Aunt Kirsten. Thank you!!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Our lovely hosts with a bottle of special mermaid brew :)</td></tr>
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For more photos of our awesome road trip:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755412143/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="IMG_3686"><img alt="IMG_3686" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2823/10755412143_814edc2099_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755197596/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9210442"><img alt="P9210442" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7437/10755197596_2d3bf707a3_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755210974/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9210443"><img alt="P9210443" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5498/10755210974_2e4d888e5f_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755118585/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9210449"><img alt="P9210449" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5519/10755118585_3036f08bac_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755202306/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9210452"><img alt="P9210452" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5504/10755202306_a9b22e9517_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755122215/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9220465"><img alt="P9220465" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7433/10755122215_3f86e49411_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755217304/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9220476"><img alt="P9220476" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3805/10755217304_ab41138979_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755218644/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9220480"><img alt="P9220480" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3827/10755218644_8eb0a55392_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755424493/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="IMG_3703"><img alt="IMG_3703" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5548/10755424493_d59247a29c_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755127745/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9220490"><img alt="P9220490" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3677/10755127745_50b5d8890e_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755129985/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9220510"><img alt="P9220510" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2873/10755129985_d89fcbf34c_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755224424/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9230517"><img alt="P9230517" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5508/10755224424_caa6cf3897_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755429663/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9230521"><img alt="P9230521" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5483/10755429663_804eac4a42_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755430833/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9230531"><img alt="P9230531" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3790/10755430833_68c0f7bf9a_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755432333/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9230542"><img alt="P9230542" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2878/10755432333_af5968be5b_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755433823/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9240557"><img alt="P9240557" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7298/10755433823_22e09be36c_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755218656/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9240558"><img alt="P9240558" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3694/10755218656_010d5409aa_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755220096/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9240559"><img alt="P9240559" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2874/10755220096_ab7658099b_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755140915/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9240560"><img alt="P9240560" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7451/10755140915_21475e87c2_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10755142005/in/set-72157637469953946/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9240561"><img alt="P9240561" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3764/10755142005_d02cb82563_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/sets/72157637469953946/">Road Trip Through Denmark</a>, a set on Flickr.</div>
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Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-45956642993690140632013-11-07T09:13:00.001-08:002013-11-07T21:49:15.882-08:00Danish Day Trips<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">After a lovely (but expensive) week in Copenhagen, Mama Birgit came to meet us and and we went straight to Landskrona, Sweden, to mooch off my generous Aunt Kirsten for the next couple of weeks. About 1 hour by train from Copenhagen, Landskrona is a beautiful but sleepy town just north of Malmo, on the coast, centered around a cool old citadel and green park. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOfK0B8iVqMoVP7U56gH8tUZUtHtOCXCfH6ATegppkj-ZiwKoMchksFoYcbTSVzKoMxaMDcOwK_GcUk8xlfTSqnLgxcHkjPGrtJGzhOM_KrUz5tYHJCfRpiy5Qh3_r555iFqGuyePZlF7/s1600/IMG_3653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOfK0B8iVqMoVP7U56gH8tUZUtHtOCXCfH6ATegppkj-ZiwKoMchksFoYcbTSVzKoMxaMDcOwK_GcUk8xlfTSqnLgxcHkjPGrtJGzhOM_KrUz5tYHJCfRpiy5Qh3_r555iFqGuyePZlF7/s320/IMG_3653.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grocery shopping with Aunt Kirsten</td></tr>
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It was a great break from our traveling ways to spend a week doing normal family stuff (drinking tea, grocery shopping, doing laundry, getting hair cut by Mama, cooking dinners and telling stories). We got to experience firsthand the awesomeness that is Swedish grocery shopping, too! The Swedes are so trustworthy that they pick up a scanner gun at the beginning of the store, scan all the items as they pack them in their bags, then just plug in the scanner gun at the end and pay the total. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">In addition to the normal family stuff, we had some great day trips, all of which are easy from Malmo or Copenhagen, on public transit.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYht_0kHfltWa85fY4BwpWQI46O1krSKPXmiXeXWq22PTR9krYqMISDAY8Hxa_fi31nLdqxk741ifbc-PMDI7nay4AeQllnwB72rB6fYuUqgwy_gR6CZKShNoNSRZTPEgWnOS0lCpGiTnU/s1600/P9190271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYht_0kHfltWa85fY4BwpWQI46O1krSKPXmiXeXWq22PTR9krYqMISDAY8Hxa_fi31nLdqxk741ifbc-PMDI7nay4AeQllnwB72rB6fYuUqgwy_gR6CZKShNoNSRZTPEgWnOS0lCpGiTnU/s400/P9190271.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the ferry to Helsingor, DK</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">- <a href="http://www.kronborg.dk/english/" target="_blank">Kronborg Slot</a> (Castle): this is the fictional home of Hamlet, and boy does it feel like it! We took the ferry across the Oresund Sound from Helsingborg (Sweden) to Helsingor (Denmark) and walked to the castle (after stopping for weinerbrod on the way of course!). </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT7G7qU93OEpgc0jLuocUz5XuOBFbnvduLw92cHwNMutABab2KRSNydWr2W2RDQn-8Yt94NI1eq2Cdr8KKk5PdoJDc0O1a2pUPZvQ_sSZRpkgd70vHm5aN1laFUy9eJaMwLOQ60HL6Zq2D/s1600/IMG_0030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT7G7qU93OEpgc0jLuocUz5XuOBFbnvduLw92cHwNMutABab2KRSNydWr2W2RDQn-8Yt94NI1eq2Cdr8KKk5PdoJDc0O1a2pUPZvQ_sSZRpkgd70vHm5aN1laFUy9eJaMwLOQ60HL6Zq2D/s320/IMG_0030.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First castle sighting from the ferry</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNj3ouDcbrSQpAAcnEdmrNvKMtur6CqGolk1DwBtWYQFrMlJ_NxBb5bEIWFVsjlFhIAHZ-lUg9SqHPzAsRf12SAe70yAN5nPiskDrkJwhH0DAqMelNnF0UegdLM61mfJiWeDcDz0hawbH/s1600/P9190324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_p0Eb4DXv_J-W4JyyJxJg20neFqNRcbH5nApKEC1qJ49rI1rh10j9nhbo9rDs2K_SzI3FJ5VgUWAps-O-5gbkW8GreEO1A-9r3-iSlifmbFAHaMBJvAvX3Zy3ZnLUqtJuJOp2ZguUEn4g/s1600/P9190368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_p0Eb4DXv_J-W4JyyJxJg20neFqNRcbH5nApKEC1qJ49rI1rh10j9nhbo9rDs2K_SzI3FJ5VgUWAps-O-5gbkW8GreEO1A-9r3-iSlifmbFAHaMBJvAvX3Zy3ZnLUqtJuJOp2ZguUEn4g/s400/P9190368.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The security at Kronborg is a little questionable...</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfl793wQ6HU_Z-dvwKqJcBCzgVp6i9x_DrxaN_e7Yzk7iVYfOJdbrNqLy0pF7XSkB8r6PJJdhV0hiDsEMSqaEJWasfR4ZnwsR2Q6nxVjIsvUXVxoK8Yb3gH6FxojaZNk-V0n0DHS1Iu_FJ/s1600/P9190321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfl793wQ6HU_Z-dvwKqJcBCzgVp6i9x_DrxaN_e7Yzk7iVYfOJdbrNqLy0pF7XSkB8r6PJJdhV0hiDsEMSqaEJWasfR4ZnwsR2Q6nxVjIsvUXVxoK8Yb3gH6FxojaZNk-V0n0DHS1Iu_FJ/s320/P9190321.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNj3ouDcbrSQpAAcnEdmrNvKMtur6CqGolk1DwBtWYQFrMlJ_NxBb5bEIWFVsjlFhIAHZ-lUg9SqHPzAsRf12SAe70yAN5nPiskDrkJwhH0DAqMelNnF0UegdLM61mfJiWeDcDz0hawbH/s1600/P9190324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNj3ouDcbrSQpAAcnEdmrNvKMtur6CqGolk1DwBtWYQFrMlJ_NxBb5bEIWFVsjlFhIAHZ-lUg9SqHPzAsRf12SAe70yAN5nPiskDrkJwhH0DAqMelNnF0UegdLM61mfJiWeDcDz0hawbH/s1600/P9190324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
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Kronborg was built in 1574 and feels very "castle-y" on a hook of land jutting out into the sound, with an extensive underground, including one very special surprise. Under the castle is a statue of Holger Danske, the spirit of Denmark, who is poised to come alive and save the country in its time of need. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1jFjFqGUphyphenhyphenfKj_hU2jm5amc4ql0mnYR-74T51UIEXNMon_y4TSsZyhF50YCpcGRTHu7FfSwQkuM10hzSpughNyEvlY9o7QKGEPtpy-Hxqh35__PPVB3CT4rCYe7Y1uQf8XRRXcgg8Bi/s1600/HD+diptic+fix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="633" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1jFjFqGUphyphenhyphenfKj_hU2jm5amc4ql0mnYR-74T51UIEXNMon_y4TSsZyhF50YCpcGRTHu7FfSwQkuM10hzSpughNyEvlY9o7QKGEPtpy-Hxqh35__PPVB3CT4rCYe7Y1uQf8XRRXcgg8Bi/s640/HD+diptic+fix.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After a delightful morning at the castle, it was time for lunch! We meandered down into town to a great kebab shop, where the owner was truly pissed (seriously, he almost kicked me out!) for not wanting onions on my kebab. I finally relented and he won. And even though I lost the great onion fight of 2013, lunch was great! After lunch, Mama took us for ice cream cones at the shop her mom used to take her...and it was DELICIOUS! Nothing like having to take your winter gloves off to chow down on ice cream :)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmBGE4XwSEFsVxGKT03UtwQcIUznUfweekXKxlhyphenhyphenqbhADBV1WZHzzVTbBIomGFFfXGenVtQfpe3OhMGG2G_mde-aZc8hAUpDSjkEjiqR01Ws32jP0rjy4VXRN56ElySpM9fQqgXclfrup/s1600/P9190379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmBGE4XwSEFsVxGKT03UtwQcIUznUfweekXKxlhyphenhyphenqbhADBV1WZHzzVTbBIomGFFfXGenVtQfpe3OhMGG2G_mde-aZc8hAUpDSjkEjiqR01Ws32jP0rjy4VXRN56ElySpM9fQqgXclfrup/s320/P9190379.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice cream at Brostraede Flode Ice</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- <a href="http://natmus.dk/en/frilandsmuseet/frilandsmuseet/" target="_blank">Frilandsmuseet</a>: Also known as the Open Air Museum, this is a great spot of land in the suburbs north of Copenhagen, where they have brought together historic farmhouses from all over Denmark and opened them for one's viewing pleasure. A train ride, followed by a nice walk, gets you to this huge outdoor museum, filled with homes, and some animals (horses, sheep, ducks, etc) to really make you feel like you've stepped out into the country and back into time. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Blacksmith's house, complete with geese</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We got some additional learning done on the walk between farmhouses, while my Mama taught us some essential Danish words. It had recently rained, so we learned the word "vandpyt" (puddle) as well as the phrase "pas paa" (watch out!), but had a tougher time with "udgang" (exit) and ended up looking like a couple of crazy people as we walked around this big park saying "exit...exit...exit..." Never did quite get the hang of that one, but we won't be stepping in any puddles anytime soon!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3X8wyxz6TXCVYWdiAEMWryL_pt1CjKKiccvlZubYzbLcUINyZGmgwI1VSAJdCn_RX59ZpE37YZourgKtFZ_gMHnPIWuHG0lcdeZkrrjfOnIEs_uiQ2hyxyPeXLEhdbkpmqAqkvItWp5y/s1600/FM+Diptic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3X8wyxz6TXCVYWdiAEMWryL_pt1CjKKiccvlZubYzbLcUINyZGmgwI1VSAJdCn_RX59ZpE37YZourgKtFZ_gMHnPIWuHG0lcdeZkrrjfOnIEs_uiQ2hyxyPeXLEhdbkpmqAqkvItWp5y/s640/FM+Diptic.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- <a href="http://www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk/en/" target="_blank">Viking Ship Museum</a> in Roskilde: this was an expensive museum, but a great complement to the Viking exhibit in Copenhagen, because they show you how the Vikings built their ships. Again, there's a ton of interactive sections (such as getting to build your own boat out of paper, and try on Viking clothes on a replica boat). </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Building replica Viking ships</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNj3ouDcbrSQpAAcnEdmrNvKMtur6CqGolk1DwBtWYQFrMlJ_NxBb5bEIWFVsjlFhIAHZ-lUg9SqHPzAsRf12SAe70yAN5nPiskDrkJwhH0DAqMelNnF0UegdLM61mfJiWeDcDz0hawbH/s1600/P9190324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNj3ouDcbrSQpAAcnEdmrNvKMtur6CqGolk1DwBtWYQFrMlJ_NxBb5bEIWFVsjlFhIAHZ-lUg9SqHPzAsRf12SAe70yAN5nPiskDrkJwhH0DAqMelNnF0UegdLM61mfJiWeDcDz0hawbH/s320/P9190324.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A great day out!!</td></tr>
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For more photos of our Danish Day Trips:</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711437436/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="On the Ferry to Helsingør"><img alt="On the Ferry to Helsingør" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3677/10711437436_42be3654d9_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711619143/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="On the Ferry to Helsingør"><img alt="On the Ferry to Helsingør" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5500/10711619143_09bbe1b3d5_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711442296/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="Castle Kronborg"><img alt="Castle Kronborg" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5547/10711442296_653454b283_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711445636/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="Hamlet"><img alt="Hamlet" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2843/10711445636_5a809cf299_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711434134/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="Wienerbrød"><img alt="Wienerbrød" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5527/10711434134_4c8306a2f6_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711631963/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="Morning Coffee and Wienerbrød"><img alt="Morning Coffee and Wienerbrød" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5518/10711631963_62cf6cb248_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711454326/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="St Olaf's Church"><img alt="St Olaf's Church" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3707/10711454326_63db686c79_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711363125/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="St Olaf's Church"><img alt="St Olaf's Church" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5508/10711363125_5793586b4c_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711640333/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="Clouds in Town"><img alt="Clouds in Town" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2875/10711640333_2426701a0e_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711447104/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="Bicycle in Town"><img alt="Bicycle in Town" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3761/10711447104_1aed455fc8_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711646203/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="The Gate"><img alt="The Gate" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7412/10711646203_e2eeef8921_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711466856/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="Castle Kronburg"><img alt="Castle Kronburg" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5521/10711466856_b58079729d_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711375515/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="Pretty Ladies on Castle Grounds"><img alt="Pretty Ladies on Castle Grounds" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7322/10711375515_a6d31d4ddc_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711652733/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="Fresco in Castle Apartments"><img alt="Fresco in Castle Apartments" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3763/10711652733_2df8006b1a_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711380115/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="Holger Danske"><img alt="Holger Danske" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3823/10711380115_0811bf514c_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711382655/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="Holger Danske's Shield"><img alt="Holger Danske's Shield" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3819/10711382655_75a5145ed1_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711659613/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="Holger Danske"><img alt="Holger Danske" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7334/10711659613_2e13151aaa_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711480536/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="The belly of the Castle"><img alt="The belly of the Castle" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5488/10711480536_ac68ce231c_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711389705/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="Cannons"><img alt="Cannons" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7289/10711389705_1696c1afa8_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711391555/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="In the Guard booth"><img alt="In the Guard booth" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7373/10711391555_bbcdbd6813_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711394855/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="Castle on a Cloud"><img alt="Castle on a Cloud" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7307/10711394855_f16011d5c5_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711671383/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="At the Cannons"><img alt="At the Cannons" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5479/10711671383_676e908774_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711480054/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="Ice Cream at Brostræde Fløde-Is"><img alt="Ice Cream at Brostræde Fløde-Is" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3717/10711480054_4ed53c4e38_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10711676793/in/set-72157637385174433/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="Cool Fencing"><img alt="Cool Fencing" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3717/10711676793_02e711faaa_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/sets/72157637385174433/">Denmark Day Trips</a>, a set on Flickr.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span>Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-39767254830117531202013-11-01T11:15:00.000-07:002013-11-01T11:15:28.372-07:00Fat, Danish, and Happy!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKBygfPYyc42reP_9c4fEoxYemhls4JXZFJcnGxIKFoTjSwt0eUUrAd6rq6UeJiwuBqCMJjWrZy8i-0nYLxvFC6H1KnmMZq8uoZ8TyWSxTOIkF5CxDcVZANRa0VLYGzTBql5N2lLGtftQ/s1600/P9240557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKBygfPYyc42reP_9c4fEoxYemhls4JXZFJcnGxIKFoTjSwt0eUUrAd6rq6UeJiwuBqCMJjWrZy8i-0nYLxvFC6H1KnmMZq8uoZ8TyWSxTOIkF5CxDcVZANRa0VLYGzTBql5N2lLGtftQ/s640/P9240557.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After an adventurous, usually noisy, and often-surprising 5 months in Asia, it was time to head west for quieter, more expensive pastures. Copenhagen it is! I am half Danish by blood, and Cory is half Danish by marriage (as if you didn't already know...the Danes are such a fiercely proud national people I can't imagine meeting a Dane and not knowing it!). I spent quite a bit of summer time in my childhood in Denmark, and it was time to take a few weeks to take Cory on a walk down the memory lane of my childhood. As that lane was paved with pastries, beer and blond women, he was quick to oblige :)
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cycling like a Dane</td></tr>
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We spent the first 5 days in Copenhagen, until my Mama came to join us for a week of family time (but that's a story for another time). If you haven't already realized, we are on a pretty strict budget of $100 per day, for both of us. And that doesn't even cover our nightly housing in central Copenhagen. So we made the most of our money and rented a <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1250674" target="_blank">5th floor flat</a> in the up-and-coming Vesterbro neighborhood.<br />
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Most of our days went as follows: wake up, start tea kettle, enjoy the schoolyard full of little blond children outside while tea boils, put out breakfast of fresh bakery bread, butter, cheese, marmalade and yogurt (and tea, of course!). See San Diegan friends on facebook hanging out at the beach, bundle up for the very brisk mid-september weather, and head out for the day. Fetch our rented bicycles from the yard and join the hordes of Danes bicycling off to their respective destinations. See one of the below spots, then stop for lunch (either at a polse stand, kebab shop, or find a spot to eat our homemade sandwiches). It's just way too expensive to eat out at night, or even have more than one beer in a bar, so evenings were either early in for dinner sandwiches and cheap wine, or strolling the city (until I felt like a little half Danish icicle, that is!). And somewhere along the day was at least one stop for pastries, of course.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first Danish grocery trip!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cory's first polse</td></tr>
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Eating pastries in Denmark is truly an art form. You know how in the US a pastry is called a "danish?" Yeah, there's a really good reason for that. Imagine a really really good "danish" with icing, custardy filling and fluffy, buttery crust. Now multiply the goodness by 1,000 and you have the entire category of danish pastries called Wienebrod (translates to Vienna bread): flaky, buttery, lightly sweet, and unbearably delicious! We of course took it upon ourselves to taste test various wienerbrod across the country, easily done by simply walking down the street and looking for a Kringle sign (the traditional wienerbrod shape), the sign that hangs outside every worthwhile Danish bakery.<br />
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<b>Our favorite destinations in Copenhagen:</b><br />
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- <a href="http://www.visitcarlsberg.dk/Pages/front.aspx" target="_blank">Carlsberg factory tour</a>: this is a tour I used to do with my brothers when we were little, as our grandparent's apartment was across the street from the factory (nothing like sending your kids to the beer factory for free babysitting!). Good self guided tour, with 2 free beers and if you're me, a super long time in the Clydesdale stables!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying my free beer in the lounge :)</td></tr>
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- <a href="http://www.tivoli.dk/en/" target="_blank">Tivoli Gardens</a>: an expensive outing (thanks for sponsoring our visit, Mama!), but quite fabulous. Reasonably priced entry to just go in an stroll the gardens, stop in cafes for tea and cake with Copenhagen's elderly crowd, and attend the free concerts. Add the more expensive ride ticket for a thrill seeking day of roller coasters, carousel rides, trips to the fun house, Europe's oldest still running coaster, competitive bumper cars (I smoked cory!), and a nap-inducing but very lovely ride through Hans Christian Andersen's stories. And if you stay in the park until nightfall, the lights are just gorgeous!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6MX6Q4Q2CXAn2WqWmx5tfw5drFQCtmfV-k33UhzAXUgPXLqzEm2-9_vQJnamkMxg_AvlpsZ9shKJx02_CJ2_jaZirZMdTbhyphenhyphennvBab10TcjChLWoN1HIeFqKnqBcsfV9UqaOoh3S1a9XRY/s1600/tivoli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6MX6Q4Q2CXAn2WqWmx5tfw5drFQCtmfV-k33UhzAXUgPXLqzEm2-9_vQJnamkMxg_AvlpsZ9shKJx02_CJ2_jaZirZMdTbhyphenhyphennvBab10TcjChLWoN1HIeFqKnqBcsfV9UqaOoh3S1a9XRY/s640/tivoli.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiFSfn87sHMKBg0HN5GZXxGov_4oVT28sQVFXlGBfIOThwGqAN1vOpAi5fi_t2h96MUlFpfQ1KOgjol_25lXGyOQOV9MBcFkfUzvscGpWXkliRvGS1qTCvJtNH1JigY7C3cYvzk69JdDR/s1600/P9150217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiFSfn87sHMKBg0HN5GZXxGov_4oVT28sQVFXlGBfIOThwGqAN1vOpAi5fi_t2h96MUlFpfQ1KOgjol_25lXGyOQOV9MBcFkfUzvscGpWXkliRvGS1qTCvJtNH1JigY7C3cYvzk69JdDR/s320/P9150217.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cory the Viking</td></tr>
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- <a href="http://natmus.dk/en/the-national-museum-of-denmark/exhibitions/temporary-exhibitions/viking-2013/" target="_blank">Viking Exhibit at the National Museum</a>: really wonderful (and FREE!) exhibit, showing the culture and history of the vikings. The exhibit was really engaging, in a way museums sometimes forget to be. Included a game (for grownups and kids alike) that was like playing Oregon Trail, Viking Edition. As a viking on your own expedition, you had to collect your items, make trades, prepare sacrifices for the gods and then either trade with or attack various European ports. Cory went the trade route and lost the game (I'm pretty sure if we were in the US, it would not have been possible to lose the educational museum game and have it tell you that you'll never be a good viking and your father will be disappointed in you. It was a little harsh, but not unheard of if you're familiar with the original ending of the Little Mermaid). Plus, Cory got to dress up as a Viking, chain mail and all! After the exhibit, we found the free lunch room, a bright, friendly space with visitors of all ages enjoying their home made lunches.<br />
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- <a href="http://www.rundetaarn.dk/en/" target="_blank">Round Tower</a>: built in 1642, with a wide enough ramp that the king could go up in his carriage, the Round Tower gives you great views over Copenhagen, as well as a little exercise making your way up the round ramp to the top (presuming you walk and leave your horse-drawn carriage outside).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCvlJA-8oHkE3TjkI9jWZ3-pNQzTeYKWqdI6Ds2sTiVV5UnUIhMAjqpJFT3PYg-j1JDl7W0vssDDSuik3F3AE3_zMQ6OtmTHe1tV5Js6N3W_1XawiEmS9ir8MIfiT9p8GzUNq52ZGymyD/s1600/P9150230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCvlJA-8oHkE3TjkI9jWZ3-pNQzTeYKWqdI6Ds2sTiVV5UnUIhMAjqpJFT3PYg-j1JDl7W0vssDDSuik3F3AE3_zMQ6OtmTHe1tV5Js6N3W_1XawiEmS9ir8MIfiT9p8GzUNq52ZGymyD/s640/P9150230.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Round Tower Ramp</td></tr>
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<b>Overall Costs for Copenhagen: </b>Total spent: $918 for 5 days (average of $184 per day)<br />
Housing: $108 per night for an apartment close to the center of town<br />
Transit: $10.62 per day (including a 3 day bicycle rental)<br />
Food: $41 per day<br />
Other: $18 per day<br />
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More photos from our adventures in Copenhagen:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612318455/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9140184"><img alt="P9140184" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5498/10612318455_fb1ebd760f_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612512203/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="IMG_3629"><img alt="IMG_3629" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5511/10612512203_ebafb37849_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612283966/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9130133"><img alt="P9130133" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5517/10612283966_d4cdc232ac_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612289324/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9130134"><img alt="P9130134" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7348/10612289324_b90ff1a0a0_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612292074/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9130138"><img alt="P9130138" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3688/10612292074_c8c89681a6_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612294866/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9130148"><img alt="P9130148" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2817/10612294866_753d9c7225_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612299354/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9130149"><img alt="P9130149" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7380/10612299354_3d22cb27c7_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612305644/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9130151"><img alt="P9130151" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3738/10612305644_66022613a3_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612309664/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9130152"><img alt="P9130152" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5472/10612309664_85fe5a5800_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612312944/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9130156"><img alt="P9130156" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7398/10612312944_efa3684c4e_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612316944/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9130164"><img alt="P9130164" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7388/10612316944_c1ab561a9d_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612552643/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9130169"><img alt="P9130169" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3751/10612552643_0368d17303_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612555603/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9130172"><img alt="P9130172" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5476/10612555603_ee08c53410_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612558593/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9140175"><img alt="P9140175" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2819/10612558593_31b6945c16_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612330744/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9140176"><img alt="P9140176" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7445/10612330744_c1b995720a_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612333906/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9140177"><img alt="P9140177" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3742/10612333906_30ee23f11a_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612310765/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9140178"><img alt="P9140178" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3769/10612310765_3b9c17b369_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612342324/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9140180"><img alt="P9140180" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2858/10612342324_2738652ac5_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612579483/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9140201"><img alt="P9140201" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5509/10612579483_78796a8795_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612324175/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="IMG_3638"><img alt="IMG_3638" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3771/10612324175_3d2c705cb6_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612586493/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9150205"><img alt="P9150205" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5540/10612586493_ffef60f27e_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612358826/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9150207"><img alt="P9150207" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5477/10612358826_16f9f933e7_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612335475/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9150217"><img alt="P9150217" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3822/10612335475_3486284cf0_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10612338355/in/set-72157637196533674/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="IMG_3640"><img alt="IMG_3640" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3724/10612338355_64bd25b966_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/sets/72157637196533674/">Copenhagen</a></div>
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Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-91594956243221216632013-10-31T12:13:00.000-07:002013-10-31T12:13:56.156-07:00Final Thoughts on China<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVB6wtxw_G6c-s690v7gpOdkmnzw9iHPWhwRDUyUWBP_M_q7x64BgslPbe_jmTV681kNY_Vij5RnOosy_ulCKZC5eZOx5j9W-vm8ItvNxEYyqgHMseIteq4gnycLyaUOjc0WBardL5sU/s1600/china+map+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVB6wtxw_G6c-s690v7gpOdkmnzw9iHPWhwRDUyUWBP_M_q7x64BgslPbe_jmTV681kNY_Vij5RnOosy_ulCKZC5eZOx5j9W-vm8ItvNxEYyqgHMseIteq4gnycLyaUOjc0WBardL5sU/s640/china+map+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our travels in China. Red lines are buses and trains. Blue lines are airplanes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
From the beginning, we intended to go into China for a few weeks, to the Yunnan Province (because of its moniker as "China Lite") and get out. We had heard that travel was incredibly difficult for non-Chinese speakers and that the Chinese were very closed off to outsiders. In the end, we spent almost 2 months traveling across China and both firmly believe it should be on everyone's travel bucket list!<br />
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Yes, it was challenging not to know the language. But it was a good challenge. And it was easily remedied by staying calm, taking a deep breath, taking a little extra time to accomplish things, and not being too particular about what we ate. For example, if a local tells us that we should be at the train station at 11am, we get there at 10:15 to have plenty of time to find our platform, train car, and seats (reading Chinese train tickets is a bit of a trick!). And being willing to go into a restaurant, look around at what people are eating, point to someone's dish and convey with body language, motions, eyes, and lots of smiling, that you would like to order that too. Learning "hello" ("ni-hao") and "thank you" ("xie xie") doesn't hurt either! And don't be afraid...dog, chicken feet and other things which you may find unappetizing, are delicacies in China, so you won't accidentally eat them if you order on a budget! You're much more likely to have more sauteed cabbage and rice than you know what to do with.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_TOhwwVHcVdqpvn2KJEgByV__oKgLo3pdImv-i89c9f5_jxczO-IaoTDpRWjPE-CEJ7ifqC_3Qb-teh9JmXl-A91B6Rr7YgSwy2VMk8R49QkIzj9MGpCHmHlm6LZMnwHqSMax14QgzCH/s1600/P9021829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_TOhwwVHcVdqpvn2KJEgByV__oKgLo3pdImv-i89c9f5_jxczO-IaoTDpRWjPE-CEJ7ifqC_3Qb-teh9JmXl-A91B6Rr7YgSwy2VMk8R49QkIzj9MGpCHmHlm6LZMnwHqSMax14QgzCH/s320/P9021829.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture with a Bunny Princess</td></tr>
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As for being closed off to outsiders, we didn't find that to be true at all! In fact, we were celebrities! Because all the advertising in China is of tall, white, mostly blond people, many Chinese acted as though they thought Cory was a famous basketball player and I was a supermodel or Disney princess. This actually happened. A little girl wearing a shirt with a blond princess on it saw me, looked at her shirt, looked at me, back at her shirt and then, jaw dropping pointed me out to her mom in disbelief. And then there's this little princess we met who wanted a picture with me (we're pretty sure the internet is now full of pictures of us, which we either took knowingly with locals, or were covertly taken of us as we walked by):<br />
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We really enjoyed the combination of big bustling cities and easily accessed trips to nature (<a href="http://www.havewifewilltravel.com/2013/08/tigers-leaping-legs-hurting-jaws.html" target="_blank">Tiger Leaping Gorge</a>, <a href="http://www.havewifewilltravel.com/2013/10/emeishan.html" target="_blank">Emeishan</a> and <a href="http://www.havewifewilltravel.com/2013/10/huashan-or-molly-walks-plank-matey.html" target="_blank">Huashan</a>), and by visiting different parts of the country we really got a sense of the cultural and food differences in different provinces.<br />
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<b>Final Costs for China: </b>Total spent: $4,879 for 47 days (average of $104 per day)<br />
<i>Housing:</i> $28 per night (in double rooms with private bath in local hostels; cheaper in Yunnan Province, more expensive in Beijing and the coast)<br />
<i>Transit:</i> $26 per day (mostly planes, long distance buses and trains...local buses in cities are very inexpensive. For 2Y (about $0.30 US) you can get anywhere in the huge city of Beijing!)<br />
<i>Food:</i> $37 per day (lots of small local restaurants and street dumplings and noodles...and a blow out brunch at the Ritz in Shanghai!)<br />
<i>Other: </i>$12 per day (mostly entry fees for mountains and museums)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdaUu05n3djBUOn2-Z9GqUcIPs_str3y87w1TVEFi7-nXKjT81g56rRFaJR723Pi3p_Kf5Qd3XtzwoiuEdWx8CT2ukvS_2SzEQOtjZmXHQy1CCLCZSGUbPAXDG3JZl5-ARoDhkKmyGBZE/s1600/P7271021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdaUu05n3djBUOn2-Z9GqUcIPs_str3y87w1TVEFi7-nXKjT81g56rRFaJR723Pi3p_Kf5Qd3XtzwoiuEdWx8CT2ukvS_2SzEQOtjZmXHQy1CCLCZSGUbPAXDG3JZl5-ARoDhkKmyGBZE/s640/P7271021.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Have Wife Will Travel gives China<br />
Two Thumbs up!</td></tr>
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<br />Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-36491119130914326382013-10-30T06:08:00.000-07:002013-10-30T06:08:23.266-07:00Journey to the Great Wall of China (by train!)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagKsB3LRHdW-rDDGEda4wQUly6y5VYRwV2CJPBKMBSrlIyhd_1RW-XdXK5gbU0vyfks91ncJvySpJyHZlUdzFTPAAg_38Lx1RyPgS80qc3VAaGJmMGN4PM7v3eve8RLdE7O3gWdlqE3M/s1600/P9100090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagKsB3LRHdW-rDDGEda4wQUly6y5VYRwV2CJPBKMBSrlIyhd_1RW-XdXK5gbU0vyfks91ncJvySpJyHZlUdzFTPAAg_38Lx1RyPgS80qc3VAaGJmMGN4PM7v3eve8RLdE7O3gWdlqE3M/s640/P9100090.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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For our last day in Beijing (and Asia in general), we thought it appropriate to go see the Great Wall. You can take tours (for too much money, and not get to move freely) or take a bus to get there. But we read that at the bus stations, scammers will try and confuse you by dressing in identical uniforms to bus station staff and lie about where the bus goes to get you to go with them. And the station personnel won't help you because the scammers pay them off. So basically a nightmare.<br />
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Then we read about the train. It costs 6¥ each (about $1 US) and goes to Badaling (unfortunately the most popular place on the wall) but requires no negotiating scammers. Sounded like a winner to us! The only problem is that there are no assigned seats and they sell more tickets than seats so unless you want to stand for the hour plus ride, you've got to get fully in the mix with the Chinese facing a scarcity problem. That means pushing to the front of the train line and then all out running down the train platform (and in a sadistic turn, they make sure the train is at the other end, leaving hundreds of people panting down the 300 meters to the seats). It is a true demonstration of survival of the fittest and was the perfect experience for our last day in China.<br />
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The wall itself shows itself in bits and pieces along the one hour ride, and everyone on the train gasps and runs to the windows to see. Quite an approach!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkDOjIyRnzXdCvz1yxRDGPb5bIgkiRbAceTSD-hcM82HnpYPa5UdC5VioP7Cimwo1202oXjiH28vUk1Z18EEiLWks1ywX_8ZdntStaaTrVLsZ3V1BY2FFMivrU0K2TTWkFHUoXNhyphenhyphenDv8/s1600/P9100113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkDOjIyRnzXdCvz1yxRDGPb5bIgkiRbAceTSD-hcM82HnpYPa5UdC5VioP7Cimwo1202oXjiH28vUk1Z18EEiLWks1ywX_8ZdntStaaTrVLsZ3V1BY2FFMivrU0K2TTWkFHUoXNhyphenhyphenDv8/s640/P9100113.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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We arrived and walked up the hill to the entrance about 1 km, and after navigating the gauntlet of tourist tat, we were able to get right up on the wall. We took a left turn onto the wall (away from the crowds and the cable car that gets you to the top without walking) and started up! It's not surprising that the wall follows the ridges and curves of the hills (it was a defensive device after all!), but I wasn't prepared for how natural and lovely it would make the wall. Winding and twisting its way across the ridges, it looks like it belongs completely.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4i2Dn1qRhh6RQ0648trLP0bgM1fkjxhfBlKIf2_cK47xIrn_VnLgGoVE7ZztoX8HBBYDs_gViz74FgwGe1zAO0GaRaJbM8e3UNDTXov5ReOcZK8ABAGVwhyYNNzZtXukayiKlkIZAsY0/s1600/P9090085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4i2Dn1qRhh6RQ0648trLP0bgM1fkjxhfBlKIf2_cK47xIrn_VnLgGoVE7ZztoX8HBBYDs_gViz74FgwGe1zAO0GaRaJbM8e3UNDTXov5ReOcZK8ABAGVwhyYNNzZtXukayiKlkIZAsY0/s320/P9090085.jpg" width="320" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNx2kzV_Gv75GAblzdE3Ty_fUG9wHg3N3fhB7hLqcbpfq5_f8wViCGqcQhu_vin3tbKUXxSIIugCxbjFmEHUo4AzzUlFK-OV4vHGkchF0pFh2uWw1Iz3PBNzwXg-GQQlI2g25lLm2VT1U/s1600/P9090080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNx2kzV_Gv75GAblzdE3Ty_fUG9wHg3N3fhB7hLqcbpfq5_f8wViCGqcQhu_vin3tbKUXxSIIugCxbjFmEHUo4AzzUlFK-OV4vHGkchF0pFh2uWw1Iz3PBNzwXg-GQQlI2g25lLm2VT1U/s320/P9090080.jpg" width="238" /></a><br />
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Although there were many people right at the entrance, walking just 15 minutes thinned out the crowd significantly, and another 15 minutes after that rendered us some of the only people up there. So although we had heard terrible stories about how many people there would be if we went to the section nearest Beijing, we found that we were able to see the wall, experience it fully, and not get mobbed by other tourists or souvenir sellers, all for less than we used to spend on a weeknight dinner in San Diego!<br />
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More photos from our trip to the Great Wall of China:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10553576903/in/set-72157637080265965/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9100090"><img alt="P9100090" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5494/10553576903_72ed97cbda_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10553376734/in/set-72157637080265965/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9090080"><img alt="P9090080" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7355/10553376734_7682d32f0a_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10553570743/in/set-72157637080265965/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9090081"><img alt="P9090081" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3705/10553570743_ba714434c8_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10553573293/in/set-72157637080265965/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9090085"><img alt="P9090085" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3820/10553573293_a5a0afe644_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10553575153/in/set-72157637080265965/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9090086"><img alt="P9090086" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2894/10553575153_4ef82e218a_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10553346696/in/set-72157637080265965/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9100102"><img alt="P9100102" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5536/10553346696_9e77fcac78_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10553583233/in/set-72157637080265965/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9100113"><img alt="P9100113" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7311/10553583233_07006f5ffe_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10553585233/in/set-72157637080265965/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9100120"><img alt="P9100120" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3698/10553585233_8a405fdb39_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10553354096/in/set-72157637080265965/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9100126"><img alt="P9100126" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5529/10553354096_01f6890c43_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10553588983/in/set-72157637080265965/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9100129"><img alt="P9100129" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2858/10553588983_6be0e383a6_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/sets/72157637080265965/">The Great Wall of China</a></div>
Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-25552790939703133052013-10-29T08:05:00.000-07:002013-10-29T08:05:29.574-07:00Taking Beijing by Storm!<div class="p1">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEiRiCMbp4_JEiUd1GYqCIMWmSztBaVcCsKq5sRwM9wH1XI7nKc_OoOCc_eu8JBkrTVX5Qx19JJ3lmA1LE6HzN3OC3pebhuEkhIXZQHKSyrsvMXKt-YXJDUk0GPtqz3XdDVoW3M7fgkEs/s1600/P9090056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEiRiCMbp4_JEiUd1GYqCIMWmSztBaVcCsKq5sRwM9wH1XI7nKc_OoOCc_eu8JBkrTVX5Qx19JJ3lmA1LE6HzN3OC3pebhuEkhIXZQHKSyrsvMXKt-YXJDUk0GPtqz3XdDVoW3M7fgkEs/s640/P9090056.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As we only had 4 days in Beijing, we really had to make them count. We weren't necessarily that excited about Beijing as we thought it would be a big polluted city devoid of much charm, but we found some great things and enjoyed it very much! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We hit the ground running on our first day, starting with a visit with Chairman Mao at Tiananmen Square (embalmed for our viewing pleasure, like Uncle Ho and Lenin). The viewing was far less serious and orderly than our experience in Vietnam, with our fellow viewers pushing as crowds of Chinese in Beijing do, and the unarmed guards smoking and joking around with each other. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fan from the Forbidden City exhibit</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After lunch at a great food court that highlighted the best of Chinese cuisine across the provinces (Oriental Plaza Food Republic on Wanfujing), we went to see the Forbidden City, the former center of the Chinese empire. We had heard mixed reviews, which we found to be accurate. The buildings, though impressively massive, do not have much variation, and are not well maintained. You haven't seen the Chinese at their pushiest until you give them a 3 foot wide window to look in a run down room with a dusty old throne. We won't suggest you go all the way to Beijing and not go to the Forbidden City, but there are certainly better ways to spend your money! That being said, the exhibits on the history of Chinese ceramics and fans was really wonderful!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After that full morning, we saw an ad in the subway for Oktoberfest Beijing and thought, "that seems incredible!" And it was. We arrived at the largest beer hall tents in the world (China goes as big as possible as a general rule) and were charmed by the names. We ordered our liters of beer and joined the locals singing and dancing along with the band. Turns out Tina Turner covers are a bit of a flop, but Michael Jackson goes over really well. And when the Chinese band came out to sing some local power ballads, I swear you could see panties being thrown on the stage. I don't have any other Oktoberfest to compare to, but the Chinese do it really well!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaYY-IDrVhgKLT7U057gpxABDV3INoPfK_AGaTRlty9gvGtsrXEcwqmvrgDgVNWleFjYS9aZ4z36MNucpfgVwm3Te5fuVQ2dfhG6k2uFnH40juV52Ew31JgkKonj04LAYwpOpowhbpH0/s1600/IMG_3587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaYY-IDrVhgKLT7U057gpxABDV3INoPfK_AGaTRlty9gvGtsrXEcwqmvrgDgVNWleFjYS9aZ4z36MNucpfgVwm3Te5fuVQ2dfhG6k2uFnH40juV52Ew31JgkKonj04LAYwpOpowhbpH0/s320/IMG_3587.jpg" width="238" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbV5uoUt4yURogAIxDsuv_d04OnpeOQVEScdpqtqVLjHTjvFOau9GAHQAUtppBhMRpD7T0aT5OdhddEtbqhzGBkkEeLnQLLT5vDZSujQcHJ8jdY80WBy_-zR5Soe4CRIvyEaeuI_CBEE/s1600/IMG_3588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbV5uoUt4yURogAIxDsuv_d04OnpeOQVEScdpqtqVLjHTjvFOau9GAHQAUtppBhMRpD7T0aT5OdhddEtbqhzGBkkEeLnQLLT5vDZSujQcHJ8jdY80WBy_-zR5Soe4CRIvyEaeuI_CBEE/s320/IMG_3588.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For our second day we had one goal. Cory wanted Peking Duck and we were going to get the best we could find. After researching a bit and asking everyone we met, we settled on Duck de Chine, a beautiful restaurant set in a sculpture garden. We ordered our duck and an order of BBQ pork buns (for good measure) and prepared to feast. We sipped our pot of tea and then the duck came rolling out on a cart, ready to be carved. We named him Charlie immediately and he looked amazing: crispy brown skin over succulent meat. We were set to go with homemade hoisin sauce mixed to order with sesame and peanut sauces, a plate of radish, green onion and cucumber, and pancakes. After a moment of deer in headlights we asked them to show us the proper method and we were off and running (er, eating). I'm going to go ahead and say right now that it was the best duck I've ever had and maybe ever will have. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9qT8KSCPjnp3_Hvqu7AAgqB92zlRwyEK1GcFkZF8U79Q1RvuabIIPPNmDH1fQAbHQq59o359rbTmcQhnD82AHqZqbEabbeoNB1afhGthdqfX0EIhiSbs1LN2nDv4f5IWRxxsS-9d_iE/s1600/duck+trip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9qT8KSCPjnp3_Hvqu7AAgqB92zlRwyEK1GcFkZF8U79Q1RvuabIIPPNmDH1fQAbHQq59o359rbTmcQhnD82AHqZqbEabbeoNB1afhGthdqfX0EIhiSbs1LN2nDv4f5IWRxxsS-9d_iE/s640/duck+trip.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After stuffing ourselves completely (for the shockingly low price of $50 US), we hopped on the metro bound for the 798 Art District, a series of galleries, shops and restaurants in northwest Beijing. We had met a Canadian artist, Andrew George, and his fiance, Ashley, on our Terracotta Warriors tour in Xi'an and he invited us to his art opening, a show of Inuit art (you can see his art here: </span><a href="http://www.dreamcatchercreations.ca/">www.dreamcatchercreations.ca</a>)<span style="font-family: inherit;">. The art was wonderful and afterwards we had a delightful evening with them and their friends over a Yunnanese dinner, which was a lovely way to wrap up our China trip, eating the cuisine we started with.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRhluUOoJpDRyWhfjaw1PmKzqWA62bDu5E3-8pORnRUBUxyhiHiCCjtGxQiw9neNS1Nm0vXtvHiCCQQ4QhsBN5fxZ1SQg8yGX9Eb3ltDSzOjWDUY-OV3tzSTDuCCcpOsbASIEOh3k1ts/s1600/P9080003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRhluUOoJpDRyWhfjaw1PmKzqWA62bDu5E3-8pORnRUBUxyhiHiCCjtGxQiw9neNS1Nm0vXtvHiCCQQ4QhsBN5fxZ1SQg8yGX9Eb3ltDSzOjWDUY-OV3tzSTDuCCcpOsbASIEOh3k1ts/s320/P9080003.jpg" width="238" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07Weigtmg2zQ556mPl29sBehYY5oi9xIsxjJCg59ABHkDF_W_v4X6Tgip-Cy9DewT5f8W13FctjVkkpzmcJawi8piLpTHkyBE0VlB4RpWcL-PubqP-3u6RpwrTNMY0uM9DMNHgrKfvUs/s1600/P9080005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07Weigtmg2zQ556mPl29sBehYY5oi9xIsxjJCg59ABHkDF_W_v4X6Tgip-Cy9DewT5f8W13FctjVkkpzmcJawi8piLpTHkyBE0VlB4RpWcL-PubqP-3u6RpwrTNMY0uM9DMNHgrKfvUs/s320/P9080005.jpg" width="238" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHWj6RMFo7Lg96xLw0k4oFa24ZWIrwBKmgNtjqDLSFJzAgYq_PmSByV3z4UNCp5MfRFBVBIpy91115pY8XEm4EK0NQCVvXSDDK7ZTD3YRYR14d0CUSLfRmQvyp5n-05U7E0we7vK5-i8/s1600/P9090047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHWj6RMFo7Lg96xLw0k4oFa24ZWIrwBKmgNtjqDLSFJzAgYq_PmSByV3z4UNCp5MfRFBVBIpy91115pY8XEm4EK0NQCVvXSDDK7ZTD3YRYR14d0CUSLfRmQvyp5n-05U7E0we7vK5-i8/s320/P9090047.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pagoda at the Summer Palace</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We got up the next morning planning to go to the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Great Wall, but we didn't get out of the house early enough and missed the early trains. So in true fashion of this trip we changed plans at the last minute and got back on the metro to the Summer Palace. We had heard wonderful things about it and were not disappointed...it was stunning! Though its a rather new complex (about 200 years old) of palace and temple buildings situated around a private lake, it makes for a lovely afternoon of meandering and exploring hidden corners. They sell a ticket for just the gardens (30¥) and you can pay as you go for the other areas but we thought it was totally worth it to buy the through ticket up front (60¥) and not feel like you're handing out money hand over fist. We spent about 3 hours but could have spent much longer if we weren't so spent ourselves!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEUOoJ63uMOrDf_m7nXVs156ypqMe2P9Yz8VKzmt9sbIlGEORcKFTa-lzcjfSYRbp4KKWaFHlXuFsP0Ovj58pbY9mgUwJw8gHPqvXkqkMZvRJ6Mc9kiV4bYtTQeHUpNYTC4igoHisCvQ/s1600/P9090014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEUOoJ63uMOrDf_m7nXVs156ypqMe2P9Yz8VKzmt9sbIlGEORcKFTa-lzcjfSYRbp4KKWaFHlXuFsP0Ovj58pbY9mgUwJw8gHPqvXkqkMZvRJ6Mc9kiV4bYtTQeHUpNYTC4igoHisCvQ/s640/P9090014.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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On our last day in China (and Asia) we finally made it to the Great Wall, an adventure we'll save for another post...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DeUzJb-HuFBbuHOitI_hylAkc9nFV7ByS6HV3RHw-9v5CArrWpb3ra5yflpaeYMqDfidBnRJS_wrUBik6rKpWeX0tI22tnbrOBPgCL_jVFnqfYf5vGgV6HFxw99gahbMFs5wOxMwbc8/s1600/P9090020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DeUzJb-HuFBbuHOitI_hylAkc9nFV7ByS6HV3RHw-9v5CArrWpb3ra5yflpaeYMqDfidBnRJS_wrUBik6rKpWeX0tI22tnbrOBPgCL_jVFnqfYf5vGgV6HFxw99gahbMFs5wOxMwbc8/s640/P9090020.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gardens at the Summer Palace</td></tr>
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More photos from our trip to Beijing:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552678855/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9072156"><img alt="P9072156" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7375/10552678855_76157943a6_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552942313/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9072157"><img alt="P9072157" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7380/10552942313_8a38509482_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552706226/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9072162"><img alt="P9072162" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5536/10552706226_fc6cb3aaec_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552709706/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9072164"><img alt="P9072164" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2838/10552709706_b1816c3953_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552713326/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9072169"><img alt="P9072169" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2890/10552713326_ce17ef191e_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552715916/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9072178"><img alt="P9072178" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2830/10552715916_f1d32775ca_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552762644/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9072181"><img alt="P9072181" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7319/10552762644_60fef15aea_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552698865/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9072183"><img alt="P9072183" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5508/10552698865_93f3f6ef46_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552960803/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9072186"><img alt="P9072186" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3681/10552960803_c3ba14af54_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552771764/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9080002"><img alt="P9080002" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3759/10552771764_d4f56856d3_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552731236/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9080003"><img alt="P9080003" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3670/10552731236_a7f4033cd1_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552973973/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9080004"><img alt="P9080004" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7408/10552973973_46e29d7e0a_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552738986/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9080005"><img alt="P9080005" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5500/10552738986_75702b59fc_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552980983/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9080006"><img alt="P9080006" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2833/10552980983_7aa14c2ca2_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552983873/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9090014"><img alt="P9090014" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3828/10552983873_88b8569206_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552986813/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9090020"><img alt="P9090020" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5503/10552986813_894b227653_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552991083/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9090031"><img alt="P9090031" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7366/10552991083_8469a71ae1_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552803094/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9090037"><img alt="P9090037" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7289/10552803094_777b70dc5a_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552762126/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9090040"><img alt="P9090040" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3768/10552762126_7c9aab01fb_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552743285/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9090047"><img alt="P9090047" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5538/10552743285_bb0025e9f3_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552767956/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9090056"><img alt="P9090056" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5472/10552767956_f972e04215_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10552771306/in/set-72157637080192783/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9090066"><img alt="P9090066" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3731/10552771306_1b3e9e9bd9_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/sets/72157637080192783/">Beijing</a></div>
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Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-61052766890322356662013-10-23T12:34:00.004-07:002013-10-23T12:40:47.308-07:00Huashan (or Molly Walks the Plank, Matey!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQKpiFrrbxw96lTvNuoDX_2WJdvT0Jt6im6JJvS3iUdV42xJQRpK8vi_QUnwobHe597YS5ee2H1fk22KePAYfDqQP16CYV1GMCqVaD4xfrkoJD7qTQbfkDstg92EUQuosGqFHfIJkKTBC/s1600/P9032054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQKpiFrrbxw96lTvNuoDX_2WJdvT0Jt6im6JJvS3iUdV42xJQRpK8vi_QUnwobHe597YS5ee2H1fk22KePAYfDqQP16CYV1GMCqVaD4xfrkoJD7qTQbfkDstg92EUQuosGqFHfIJkKTBC/s640/P9032054.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This story starts a year ago when I showed Molly a video on Youtube titled "World Scariest most dangerous hike!!" She promptly told me that if I thought she was going to ever do a hike like that then I had probably married the wrong girl. Fast forward one year….</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Huashan (Mount Hua) is one of China's five Great Mountains, and is quite a bit shorter then our last climb of Emeishan (only 7,000 feet). While walking about the delightful city of Xi'an we realized that Huashan was only a thirty minute high speed train away, and as we had been having so much fun climbing China's mountains, we figured we would go for it!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOZkhEaBTB7NYfPO_ruJYUDY0oZpii39o3ySgmgvvtA2PNTh3T6iFE_kR4fC5CValwYWfCvxXzRZ7Wzi-a4zlzWegxErNd3_W_G9_nUUykhefrJCdVzvceM6XI0twYnFgfUeKZTRQKZat/s1600/IMG_3515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOZkhEaBTB7NYfPO_ruJYUDY0oZpii39o3ySgmgvvtA2PNTh3T6iFE_kR4fC5CValwYWfCvxXzRZ7Wzi-a4zlzWegxErNd3_W_G9_nUUykhefrJCdVzvceM6XI0twYnFgfUeKZTRQKZat/s200/IMG_3515.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We woke up early the first day of our climb and hopped the speed train for Huashan. We exited the station, hit the gauntlet of taxi drivers, and started looking for the minibus to take us to the base of the mountain. We had overly friendly taxi driver tell us that there was no minibus that day and we might as well hop in his Taxi to get to the base of the mountain, for a mere 20Y. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">After following us for about 5 minutes frantically explaining his story to us we finally arrived at the minibus stop where a bright green bus with the words "Huashan Tourist Bus" stood by waiting our arrival (for a budget friendly 1Y).</span></span><br />
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We got to the base of the mountain and got fairly confused. As the target tourist audience is Chinese (I'm pretty sure we were the only westerners we saw for 2 days on the mountain), there is very little English spoken and all maps are in Chinese only. We were rescued by a lovely gentleman, Sam, who downloaded an english map to our phone, made sure we had enough water so we didn't have to buy any on the mountain, and even shared his cookies with us on the bus! We took a free shuttle bus to the West entrance, where we were delighted to find that our hike would begin in a beautiful Taoist temple. </span><br />
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</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipre1sTTPDAltADKLZd5aCmo9009TXPtRCuiTIu1Ba9feJrugynxczAGSk6nwjVYGCU97iwRfs37jY1qi4sKoQkp23icoSeacqb1O_n6a2wL1x-J842Wg47M-9f9AcHlJIBsEnaI7UuT2u/s1600/P9031861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipre1sTTPDAltADKLZd5aCmo9009TXPtRCuiTIu1Ba9feJrugynxczAGSk6nwjVYGCU97iwRfs37jY1qi4sKoQkp23icoSeacqb1O_n6a2wL1x-J842Wg47M-9f9AcHlJIBsEnaI7UuT2u/s640/P9031861.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We started our walk up the mountain, which was lovely but quite smoggy. It was amazing how painful it is to be out of breath in heavy smog, and also amazing how polluted the air could be so far away from a big city! As we walked with Sam we learned about what's its like to be a single 30-something Chinese man in search of a lady friend. He said he wanted a woman who would hike and go on outdoor adventures with him, and be happy with his job as a sales manager for a major telecom company. Apparently that doesn't describe the Chinese women he knows. We recommended he go to California :)<br />
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After starting our hike at just after noon, we reached the North Peak (the lowest of the 5 peaks) a few hours later. Over those hours, we covered the most vertical sections of the mountain, on stairs so steep we had to use the iron chains provided to hoist ourselves up (with our snazzy new $1 gloves!). The North Peak is also where the first cable car lets out, so the mountain became clogged with non-hikers, in fancy dress and heels. We continued on in order to make it to the East Peak by dark.</span><br />
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</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCSYzArJN98UVJ2C_j4TjVS54yIHuHT5uO2sbV-3yRkD1XmiAEzJ4fOmLjbzGYR4x0b_sXKDBLa6TLjoO8Vc0ILLK0HoxZoxSas3x6EzDGD7_5q0my7QfIK48Yp5mIKiazOGMbDCD-SxH/s1600/P9031955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCSYzArJN98UVJ2C_j4TjVS54yIHuHT5uO2sbV-3yRkD1XmiAEzJ4fOmLjbzGYR4x0b_sXKDBLa6TLjoO8Vc0ILLK0HoxZoxSas3x6EzDGD7_5q0my7QfIK48Yp5mIKiazOGMbDCD-SxH/s320/P9031955.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqyg4Hiyko6YaLLeBoR9TtYNX6CvI-UCV2LJgHoE-OvPgen32yx1HSr-ci8S8-_jB0vh0mhZjbMZzcL_-HOGnELglaRIwzvQTZCCeDZBjwymQxmLieI3hrjXWmiEPA11zctCJpAEPZWEt/s1600/P9031953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqyg4Hiyko6YaLLeBoR9TtYNX6CvI-UCV2LJgHoE-OvPgen32yx1HSr-ci8S8-_jB0vh0mhZjbMZzcL_-HOGnELglaRIwzvQTZCCeDZBjwymQxmLieI3hrjXWmiEPA11zctCJpAEPZWEt/s320/P9031953.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We finished the day at the East Peak, so as to be in the best position for sunrise the next morning. While researching for this climb, we read that food and drink would be super expensive, so we brought 8 PB&J sandwiches for lunch, dinner, breakfast and lunch (with some yak jerky and hawthorn gummies in between) and Pocari Sweat powder to make our water work that much harder for us (and the food and drinks were INSANELY expensive, unlike the other mountains we've climbed!!). By the time we got to the night stop, and went to the dining room for yet another PB&J, we were invited to a table of Chinese and British travelers. They were enjoying the biggest, most overpriced, vat of hot ginger soup EVER, and did I mention how cold it was? Molly broke the rudeness ice with, "boy, that soup sure looks good. I can't imagine you'll be able to finish it all. Do you mind if I just go ahead and help myself?" And we feasted on their gifts.<br />
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We spent that night in the most expensive hotel night we've had in China ($50 US for 2 beds in a 10 person dorm, in which chatting full volume at 3am was acceptable) for the worst night of sleep. We should have realized what a bad deal it was when Chinese travelers on our budget were renting down coats for the night and sleeping on benches outside instead of in the rooms.<br />
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The next morning, we got up at 5am for the sunrise. We lined up at the chains (there is VERY little guarding to ensure you don't fall right off this mountain!) and waited for a seriously beautiful sunrise. And while we waited, we locked our love to the railing. We thought this would be a nice spot for our love to watch the sun come up each morning.<br />
</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5ThawLUQfv1BgE7_qFYmmQIJ4INERjHtYiT6tM-YZAWfwidxR0cf2FV49QKebxql6nZaNFOmbSOt5AuKP_-fi8b_OoB2q7dNx7t2iPcRJW1HrFqS0Ivxr86lD6Q_O3Mir5y1OOXdCiLx/s1600/P9031972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5ThawLUQfv1BgE7_qFYmmQIJ4INERjHtYiT6tM-YZAWfwidxR0cf2FV49QKebxql6nZaNFOmbSOt5AuKP_-fi8b_OoB2q7dNx7t2iPcRJW1HrFqS0Ivxr86lD6Q_O3Mir5y1OOXdCiLx/s640/P9031972.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJw4Onslo8DBdWIPMf08v4ctFG5vuFmudt7CsPXH3OLumYm6vBWkL8od-qXkY7Q7hdB_8OQSr-f4wBBxcHSfmOboFdy9I7nDTzWaMkm8cDWRFR_rrqPTrCx-HvJoY_iIpfJfxA1heDrWLC/s1600/Golden+Locks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJw4Onslo8DBdWIPMf08v4ctFG5vuFmudt7CsPXH3OLumYm6vBWkL8od-qXkY7Q7hdB_8OQSr-f4wBBxcHSfmOboFdy9I7nDTzWaMkm8cDWRFR_rrqPTrCx-HvJoY_iIpfJfxA1heDrWLC/s640/Golden+Locks.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After sunrise, I took the Hawk's Trail to a pagoda in the sky, complete with a chess board! You have to climb down an inverted cliff ladder (attached to a <strike>flimsy</strike> trusty safety harness…don't worry, Mom) and then meander along the ridge of a small mountain peninsula. At the end is a small pagoda with 2 stone stools and a chess board, and the view is fabulous. Molly stayed behind to take photos and potentially watch her husband plunge to his death. </span><br />
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</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQgxzQ1pZJiDkmnd-qAVkwf7Nao_jMvcN2y2Og_E96YW-uCuH4p4a7xE2mo-ITrY351bj_PyuV0A_Sp9nF83MlRyIGNET4DyOI5e7wvRs2fyTyblj8I-gXelyJfvTkPW78DiGKXUCWuRb/s1600/P9032025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQgxzQ1pZJiDkmnd-qAVkwf7Nao_jMvcN2y2Og_E96YW-uCuH4p4a7xE2mo-ITrY351bj_PyuV0A_Sp9nF83MlRyIGNET4DyOI5e7wvRs2fyTyblj8I-gXelyJfvTkPW78DiGKXUCWuRb/s640/P9032025.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFsIhVxJ3JO8wrpOYSD-T6y6JGzhbiFE1uvPFyzo9d3Crlk9-0K6fGXWwbLs4x22G80KZ9-IjlTKtj9qxLP_t2_gVEBqEfVjNCpkBOyZiTK1-NjgtqWk5k9ccyc00HWSYKtr75VRfAORRG/s1600/P9032046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFsIhVxJ3JO8wrpOYSD-T6y6JGzhbiFE1uvPFyzo9d3Crlk9-0K6fGXWwbLs4x22G80KZ9-IjlTKtj9qxLP_t2_gVEBqEfVjNCpkBOyZiTK1-NjgtqWk5k9ccyc00HWSYKtr75VRfAORRG/s320/P9032046.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rebar ladder down the cliff</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After that thrilling walk, it was time to walk the plank! Going in, I had no expectation of Molly doing the plank walk, and when we arrived, she said she wanted to do it too. She said she didn't come all way to China to not walk out over a flimsy set of boards, stapled to the side of a cliff by a few pieces of rebar. After giving each other one "last" kiss, we headed down the rebar ladder leading to the plank. At the bottom, it turns into foot sized grooves in the mountain ladder. Then you walk down the wooden planks around the side of the cliff (aptly named "Ear Hugging Cliff"), and there's a little temple on the end. All along the way, there are more iron chains to grip to (there's no way we'd want to rely on those trusty harnesses!). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then you have to come back. And the worst part is that people are going both directions, so if someone's coming, you have to decide between you who is going to hug the mountain and who has to be on the outside. Usually, girls make a pretty easy case for getting to be on the inside. But Molly ran into one guy and there was a little cut out of the cliff next to where we were going to pass, so she went to snuggle into it, and he dove in first, rolled up in a teeny ball, hugging the cliff. He was oddly more scared than she was!<br />
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Along the way, Molly made me take tons of photos to prove to her dad and brothers that she actually did this. And yes, rest of the day was spent making terrible pirate jokes!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmhCivE6mO6kMfsecBnZzRhlzwx8qhCav0Yd65DfYdk0b_0ollOiaKU2GPBleXmue43f0oDDzYk6a4QXxGZfX0Grxk7jLQbVV9Ip3jpsavNK81Oz9E6c0YfHyP8NygwFiA_cGmSGfBplv/s1600/IMG_3547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmhCivE6mO6kMfsecBnZzRhlzwx8qhCav0Yd65DfYdk0b_0ollOiaKU2GPBleXmue43f0oDDzYk6a4QXxGZfX0Grxk7jLQbVV9Ip3jpsavNK81Oz9E6c0YfHyP8NygwFiA_cGmSGfBplv/s400/IMG_3547.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIG834WGYPpmKiK_zTTKFQ4O9LwaZSAEbrOkeS2C6SD06DmhZGe7Ex8wMYFLg0ddkmCF3GzNx8X2t06dlNHI4lWMnreSvfnEXEK6I8Z-wyn6F7vXetZI4p_ue8PaKMVWzwciocENhbDrBb/s1600/P9032059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIG834WGYPpmKiK_zTTKFQ4O9LwaZSAEbrOkeS2C6SD06DmhZGe7Ex8wMYFLg0ddkmCF3GzNx8X2t06dlNHI4lWMnreSvfnEXEK6I8Z-wyn6F7vXetZI4p_ue8PaKMVWzwciocENhbDrBb/s400/P9032059.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheC1xOi_YctKS8yRkBdiVSuGXwBBA2mp9KHwBx1SZNe8BU86uyvBK3uYS5wqNfs6kHIS0t2h0gysXyR9fXFbRMAqTVbvVH-5-lDqpwy5G3Oo4JJ93BlVmu3BW9RHGAYC9egEyMMpGIlTsr/s1600/P9032088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheC1xOi_YctKS8yRkBdiVSuGXwBBA2mp9KHwBx1SZNe8BU86uyvBK3uYS5wqNfs6kHIS0t2h0gysXyR9fXFbRMAqTVbvVH-5-lDqpwy5G3Oo4JJ93BlVmu3BW9RHGAYC9egEyMMpGIlTsr/s640/P9032088.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You know this is no green screen when you see my forearm :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After the plank walk, we were suitably exhausted and ready to spend all the rest of our money to take the cable car to the bottom (and it was seriously a lot of money!). It was an incredibly hike, with super friendly travelers along the way, and we really recommend climbing your own Chinese mountain!</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6M30Oe1R3AkIAYe20llnEp6TM6dhjem8Vlqr2KyduWLX-Mt15PRZdOLnAi1DMoXQv5_06Mqovi6rfQC67_2dcDypiG_FfaN2suc0VEw-KplS6mRZGZUHZC36npa3Cls52FYW2cIQaOcjT/s1600/P9032091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6M30Oe1R3AkIAYe20llnEp6TM6dhjem8Vlqr2KyduWLX-Mt15PRZdOLnAi1DMoXQv5_06Mqovi6rfQC67_2dcDypiG_FfaN2suc0VEw-KplS6mRZGZUHZC36npa3Cls52FYW2cIQaOcjT/s640/P9032091.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WE DID IT!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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For more photos from our trip to Huashan:<br />
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<div style="margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; width: 500px;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10443154544/in/set-72157636873934654/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9031857"><img alt="P9031857" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2818/10443154544_b59d93818e_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10443151814/in/set-72157636873934654/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9031855"><img alt="P9031855" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2874/10443151814_2cd54401d6_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10443338323/in/set-72157636873934654/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9031859"><img alt="P9031859" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3780/10443338323_d839e9bef1_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10443159014/in/set-72157636873934654/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9031860"><img alt="P9031860" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2830/10443159014_c1de9f8dd7_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10443343563/in/set-72157636873934654/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9031864"><img alt="P9031864" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7415/10443343563_472fa43e91_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10443177456/in/set-72157636873934654/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9031869"><img alt="P9031869" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7432/10443177456_f5672b0876_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10443167024/in/set-72157636873934654/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="Apparently doing my Michael Jackson impression on Huashan"><img alt="Apparently doing my Michael Jackson impression on Huashan" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7304/10443167024_ccdfe60ef8_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10443182516/in/set-72157636873934654/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9031888"><img alt="P9031888" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2845/10443182516_d8042422ab_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10443172904/in/set-72157636873934654/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9031892"><img alt="P9031892" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5501/10443172904_4606a3a317_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10443358593/in/set-72157636873934654/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9031895"><img alt="P9031895" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3748/10443358593_8b42e74042_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10443363063/in/set-72157636873934654/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9031901"><img alt="P9031901" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3777/10443363063_2329d3feed_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10443195526/in/set-72157636873934654/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9031912"><img alt="P9031912" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7334/10443195526_539bed2f01_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10443186384/in/set-72157636873934654/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9031927"><img alt="P9031927" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7383/10443186384_5e008731c8_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10443371123/in/set-72157636873934654/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9031933"><img alt="P9031933" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3674/10443371123_9306a3b713_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10443203406/in/set-72157636873934654/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9031938"><img alt="P9031938" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2814/10443203406_c53a7fc92a_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10443231985/in/set-72157636873934654/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="Golden Locks"><img alt="Golden Locks" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5514/10443231985_907232f5e3_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10443378213/in/set-72157636873934654/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9031953"><img alt="P9031953" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7406/10443378213_2537846135_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10443199594/in/set-72157636873934654/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9031955"><img alt="P9031955" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3756/10443199594_6edcd3b844_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/sets/72157636873934654/">Huashan</a>, a set on Flickr.</div>
<br />Coryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18118597983371023408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-28859630653369382102013-10-22T11:22:00.001-07:002013-10-22T23:17:52.301-07:00Xi'an and the Terracotta Army<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdt4ZAYijLGaRyZ5QkwtO04kdz84jeCi0jpeVa7BYerOKR1KZGLA9F0UjnKgvM8jku2AcljIDEnV-HszFlNF1sh5-nKDYeZMVzkXGqBB_Qz_JFcnNc3mHMpdGhoLOdG2PM5kqtSqy7Wbz/s1600/Bell+tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdt4ZAYijLGaRyZ5QkwtO04kdz84jeCi0jpeVa7BYerOKR1KZGLA9F0UjnKgvM8jku2AcljIDEnV-HszFlNF1sh5-nKDYeZMVzkXGqBB_Qz_JFcnNc3mHMpdGhoLOdG2PM5kqtSqy7Wbz/s640/Bell+tower.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Arriving in Xi'an at night was quite an experience, the city was bubbling with life. We were dropped off a few blocks from the Bell Tower which is a massive and </span>impressively lit<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Pagoda set in the dead center of the city. Apon arriving in Xi'an we did not really know what to expect, other than a day trip out to see the Terracotta Army. We were met with the pleasant surprise of a walkable old walled city!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAtA-BIq80GhnF7tShAf-x6rjz8EcxKTgN5x4BQ5nSSWmWDca2_VaOgEnQ0E43h3K95JdaYHFgWrcTDAFLZLo8k4TpfV7i1Y_cLvSwe7uPqUpIeqxTxHFnSNlxivkppEYyHIEjEJcmYED/s1600/riding+the+wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAtA-BIq80GhnF7tShAf-x6rjz8EcxKTgN5x4BQ5nSSWmWDca2_VaOgEnQ0E43h3K95JdaYHFgWrcTDAFLZLo8k4TpfV7i1Y_cLvSwe7uPqUpIeqxTxHFnSNlxivkppEYyHIEjEJcmYED/s320/riding+the+wall.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The wall itself is about 40 feet thick (wide?) and 8 miles around. You can walk, or bike, along the top of the wall, a pricey activity which we obviously did. Word to the wise: before spending a whole days worth of sightseeing money to rent bicycles in a cobblestone situation, check to be sure they do not use the least comfortable cycling racing seats imaginable. It will not make for a comfortable ride. However, after bitching about our sore parts for a bit in the scorching sun, we remembered that we were cycling on a 600 year old wall in China, and then we were happy again!</span><br />
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That evening, we took in some of the sights around Xi'an: the Bell Tower and Drum Tower (gorgeous from the outside but beyond our budget to go in) and the nightly water show outside the Wild Goose Pagoda. We had heard that some travellers at our hostel were "not impressed" with the nightly water show, but if you can imagine enjoying the water show outside the Bellagio in Vegas, but bigger, closer, and in front of a 1300 year old pagoda, this free show is for you! Oh, and bring an umbrella. It gets a bit...misty.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xSwKdiMEdj1bi8O6w-Xhyphenhyphen8bCukiC9rx1hCq2plYfccd2oCYvqoMXsiFm29HxJ4jNoOnq4aLhVtcv_ZpCOLFjBEhtrnGXLyWvJARrdRRtRMgi4NoEM0tIl0feifkfuX1rpwVgDH7OELZ3/s1600/giant+goose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xSwKdiMEdj1bi8O6w-Xhyphenhyphen8bCukiC9rx1hCq2plYfccd2oCYvqoMXsiFm29HxJ4jNoOnq4aLhVtcv_ZpCOLFjBEhtrnGXLyWvJARrdRRtRMgi4NoEM0tIl0feifkfuX1rpwVgDH7OELZ3/s640/giant+goose.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nightly water show at the Giant Goose Pagoda</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKoJRaHiik9M2QgLrxG_X6IsqRJYhWvXxMIXiyHE1bEoMJk1yKl67fsIy1iVgcPfPHSQQeZ5L_uJMKYTQ1nvhFqovohDrM9U71GKo-2jNrAImVU95L3ppsYMyXNtoxBKEJFQG5_lBZCAr/s1600/stupid+pic+of+tomb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKoJRaHiik9M2QgLrxG_X6IsqRJYhWvXxMIXiyHE1bEoMJk1yKl67fsIy1iVgcPfPHSQQeZ5L_uJMKYTQ1nvhFqovohDrM9U71GKo-2jNrAImVU95L3ppsYMyXNtoxBKEJFQG5_lBZCAr/s320/stupid+pic+of+tomb.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obligatory Photo of Tomb. See? Totally not worth the visit.</td></tr>
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The next day, we joined a tour at our hostel to go out to see the Terracotta Army, built for the Emperor Qin Shi Huang in around 210 BC. The tour started with a trip to see the actual tomb mound where the emperor is buried. If you have to pay extra for the trip to see his tomb, don't bother! Our delightful tour guide kept saying, "there is nothing to see there. Don't get excited!" and then when we arrived at the side of a big green hill, she pointed to a tomb marker and said, "take your pictures and we'll go see the army!" Since we're rule followers, we took our obligatory picture...see?!<br />
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We got back into the van and made our way to see the army. We had read in guidebooks to do see the pits backwards (so that the most complete, impressive pit is saved for last) and it was the perfect way to do it. Our favorite things we learned along the way:<br />
- Of the thousands of soldiers and horses found in the 3 pits, only one has been found completely in tact, and has been thus named the Magic Archer.<br />
- We had heard that each soldier had a different face, but we were surprised at just how different all the figures were, from different pants, shoes, hairstyles, and faces. We were told many of the faces are modeled after the carvers, as they used each other for inspiration to carve. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">- I was impressed by how much you can decipher about each figure, based on the shape of his shoes (less powerful soldiers had flat toed shoes, whereas generals had toes that pointed up significantly), marital status (men who were married had nails carved in the bottoms of their shoes because their wives made the shoes for them), etc.<br />
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Here are a few of our favorite photos:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vN2z6rGF97xr29v3q2aef2TKdnNElddJ6NbFchr_SjA5Yj9Ewdk1ROt57Y3CUsxKKglokL9ERRH2P7DQwY3b_YtoP3IO7u0JLem_1NBhr9E0dUR2W1Uzc3K3aiZWR4Fv6G88BWRzA1CT/s1600/dude1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vN2z6rGF97xr29v3q2aef2TKdnNElddJ6NbFchr_SjA5Yj9Ewdk1ROt57Y3CUsxKKglokL9ERRH2P7DQwY3b_YtoP3IO7u0JLem_1NBhr9E0dUR2W1Uzc3K3aiZWR4Fv6G88BWRzA1CT/s400/dude1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LrT9tIitc2OQI5r_cAlZZyxVZNNXMxc2sSdBmvBtGGXeuYDoZooG0K0LH5LtALg2yV98ABD9tQg-pBLae3lRKrR26zrMp2dkAV7Psda8c1Kl3WNHuCq3pGn3CID_8M0-tySNj2gjg4S_/s1600/dude2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LrT9tIitc2OQI5r_cAlZZyxVZNNXMxc2sSdBmvBtGGXeuYDoZooG0K0LH5LtALg2yV98ABD9tQg-pBLae3lRKrR26zrMp2dkAV7Psda8c1Kl3WNHuCq3pGn3CID_8M0-tySNj2gjg4S_/s400/dude2.jpg" width="205" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkK_LWCiO5tquyzLwLjKUwvQ9GsrypmsZKtrEGCtJYO29760c2qFTq2l0BnrFrsM84jUFYT8CzoZ-p61G_QVBCzy0J6gBZawGfI3yKe8Ioi8nc_jaO1ib8Iq3rRKlMu7plkuRW1aS_g92r/s1600/Hanger2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkK_LWCiO5tquyzLwLjKUwvQ9GsrypmsZKtrEGCtJYO29760c2qFTq2l0BnrFrsM84jUFYT8CzoZ-p61G_QVBCzy0J6gBZawGfI3yKe8Ioi8nc_jaO1ib8Iq3rRKlMu7plkuRW1aS_g92r/s640/Hanger2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out the different outfits, hair styles, and shoe toe heights!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdWh5wj6ZxLFYrb2fwp5AzfbanS6D5SIkEInFlyFAaUP6X3yvVzlfaJhhvVyB4Pe_bZ-AjNaOWv3Lme2w_6QygS1JKZ9fbi0TbW54jg81_exJLtOtriHrfHMgrCrI2yaTXnzIa4aQMpd1G/s1600/Hanger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdWh5wj6ZxLFYrb2fwp5AzfbanS6D5SIkEInFlyFAaUP6X3yvVzlfaJhhvVyB4Pe_bZ-AjNaOWv3Lme2w_6QygS1JKZ9fbi0TbW54jg81_exJLtOtriHrfHMgrCrI2yaTXnzIa4aQMpd1G/s640/Hanger.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sheer number of figures was amazing!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVSEPlOk0Ui8zfDmiuAjxoSx-0Udg6z9XnfeREy47XOU0z2tKKLgWioXi_7UU5oRNDUbL_46luQh5p5FoH3x8ka0bVBKkor7ffXc0D9WGwYBU4PX8JTnO5Ud-0sM4I6JVtCg-btz96-YY/s1600/pasta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVSEPlOk0Ui8zfDmiuAjxoSx-0Udg6z9XnfeREy47XOU0z2tKKLgWioXi_7UU5oRNDUbL_46luQh5p5FoH3x8ka0bVBKkor7ffXc0D9WGwYBU4PX8JTnO5Ud-0sM4I6JVtCg-btz96-YY/s320/pasta.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hand cut noodles...yummy!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Other than the wall and the army, Xi'an has some really fun food! There is a significant Muslim population in Xi'an (and a really fun Muslim Quarter) and their food is a cross between Chinese and Middle Eastern food. One of the most common dishes in town is a hand-cut noodle dish topped with a variety of ground meats and vegetables, and finished with a pungent broth. Delicious!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Overall, we really enjoyed Xi'an. If you want to visit china and have a limited amount of time, Xi'an provides a unique, well-traveled, but very authentic experience with a lot of very well preserved high impact sights very close by (Terracotta Warriors, City Wall, Giant Goose Pagoda, and Huashan...post to come!). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">More photos from our trip to the Terracotta Warriors:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425695326/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="A meeting with a Bunny Princess"><img alt="A meeting with a Bunny Princess" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7311/10425695326_bcf7d58a79_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425791733/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9021740"><img alt="P9021740" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7333/10425791733_9d91e534db_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425797453/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9021759"><img alt="P9021759" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3677/10425797453_9d3006051f_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425680375/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9021770"><img alt="P9021770" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7415/10425680375_d81a7cae02_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425804733/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9021775"><img alt="P9021775" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5485/10425804733_6affb594b8_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425688005/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9021802"><img alt="P9021802" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2881/10425688005_22360b72d9_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425659254/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9021810"><img alt="P9021810" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7328/10425659254_aaa4a016e6_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425813753/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9021812"><img alt="P9021812" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3674/10425813753_9ebf619b73_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425664124/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9021818"><img alt="P9021818" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7323/10425664124_01b8a1146d_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425819523/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9021819"><img alt="P9021819" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5533/10425819523_d502e843f1_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425822543/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9021823"><img alt="P9021823" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7298/10425822543_e93d344c09_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425830413/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9021833"><img alt="P9021833" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5508/10425830413_4097d01ba6_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425713965/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9021835"><img alt="P9021835" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5478/10425713965_cdafca6150_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425837963/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9021836"><img alt="P9021836" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5526/10425837963_1489dbc244_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425708226/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9021840"><img alt="P9021840" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7343/10425708226_c2bd2e41ba_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425843983/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9021841"><img alt="P9021841" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5519/10425843983_cd2f188236_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425692584/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9021842"><img alt="P9021842" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2823/10425692584_69fe603df5_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425849103/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="P9021843"><img alt="P9021843" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7317/10425849103_08300036de_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425731325/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9021844"><img alt="P9021844" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5534/10425731325_49169c4fff_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425734215/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9021847"><img alt="P9021847" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7334/10425734215_4436907d54_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425705424/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9021850"><img alt="P9021850" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2846/10425705424_b148a52870_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10425708244/in/set-72157636840372134/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P9021852"><img alt="P9021852" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3798/10425708244_3e828c2f46_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/sets/72157636840372134/">Terracotta Warriors</a></div>
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Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-17427790662469775122013-10-11T11:42:00.000-07:002013-10-18T12:32:38.892-07:00Qingdao: China goes German for the weekend!<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">After some weeks of non-stop sightseeing, it was time for a break (yes, I'm aware we just had a nice weeklong break in Shanghai...but this is our life and sometimes we feel we've earned a little vacation time!). We headed to Qingdao, a seaside city between Shanghai and Beijing for a little rest. Qingdao is home to Tsingtao Beer, and was a German concession, so we figured we were heading into a little slice of easy European heaven as a break from China. We were not correct.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Gettin' boozy at the Tsingtao Brewery</td></tr>
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The Tsingtao is plentiful and delicious. But the German heritage is hardly present. Unless you count a "German Street" that is filled with dilapidated buildings the Germans built, and a few "German" restaurants that look oddly enough just like Chinese banquet halls (chopsticks and all). Once we gave up on the historic European seaside resort town idea, things improved considerably!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Exercising with the locals</td></tr>
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Turns out Qingdao was the home of the sailing events for the 2008 Olympics, so they have a lovely waterfront area where you can stroll, drink beer from a plastic bag, and enjoy the Olympic Rings. In the evenings, huge groups of locals do exercises in the shadow of the the May 4th Square statue (and we were happy to join them!). Unlike the rest of the city, the water front has lots of cute cafes, serving up fun desserts and frothy coffee beverages, and there is an oddly charming loudspeaker welcoming us (in English) to the "Qingdao Maritime Tourist Experience" (we're not sure why it was in English...I'm not sure there were any other English speakers in town!). </div>
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We stayed at a hilariously terrible hostel in the old town. The staff were friendly, but knew absolutely nothing about the (fairly small) town. When I asked what bus would take us to the waterfront, the response was, "many!" When I asked how to get to May 4th Square (the major monument of the entire town), she had no idea. When there were firecrackers being set off all over the city, and fireworks directly overhead of the hostel, I asked what the occasion was. The response? "Maybe someone is getting married?" When we asked for a map of the city, they said, "we already loaned out our map. We don't have any more." Arghghgh!!!!!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Beer in a bag (with the Olympic Torch behind!)</td></tr>
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After a not-so-restful week (though it certainly had its highlights), it was time to head for Xi'an!<br />
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More photos from our weekend in Qingdao:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10346894745/in/set-72157636689567216/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P8301718"><img alt="P8301718" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7338/10346894745_39d76800a6_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/10346886264/in/set-72157636689567216/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="P8301731"><img alt="P8301731" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7309/10346886264_947d8b8464_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/9612891095/in/set-72157636689567216/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="Our first pitcher of Tsingtao in Qingdao!"><img alt="Our first pitcher of Tsingtao in Qingdao!" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3735/9612891095_21103275de_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/9618574231/in/set-72157636689567216/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="May 4th Square Qingdao"><img alt="May 4th Square Qingdao" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7393/9618574231_dc7c7d0daa_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/9629527828/in/set-72157636689567216/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="Beer in a bag! #Tsingtao #Qingdao"><img alt="Beer in a bag! #Tsingtao #Qingdao" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7396/9629527828_8001f4a927_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/sets/72157636689567216/">Qingdao</a> Photos</div>
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Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-27050943535677180172013-10-11T00:02:00.000-07:002013-10-11T00:05:48.920-07:00China Signs: You are the Best!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
All across China, we often saw signage that was baffling, odd, or just plain cracked us up. And now we'd like to share some of those gems with you! And in case you're thinking of getting bored and giving up halfway through, I'll just warn you now that we saved the best for last. And as it involves the joys of peeing in the pool, you won't want to miss it!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0cyhHPjOaXAjIIRjwskWdP9Fy6cOGOxxJ_D6dMNTCwNCEprEn9YEfFLUN2wz4tcBaGGiIusNd6YvNx-9-1MS4H45XfZA2BBdV7phEk97EI_3v8WibPys2sOA7VzJRndjfq1Llh16JZaQ/s1600/IMG_3036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0cyhHPjOaXAjIIRjwskWdP9Fy6cOGOxxJ_D6dMNTCwNCEprEn9YEfFLUN2wz4tcBaGGiIusNd6YvNx-9-1MS4H45XfZA2BBdV7phEk97EI_3v8WibPys2sOA7VzJRndjfq1Llh16JZaQ/s640/IMG_3036.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sign from Lijiang, China. If I'm going to be buying Yak Meat Jerky (and I am...it's delicious!), I'm definitely picking the meat from the Fat Sister's shop!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-essbveZ6rJ4FzN_SbB11rvj8-xOGI8smMa-PVTMwrXptK13MDUtItMavH3OF0Boqd9C-wBvnutDwEcCHHJA2NsuGCZMN4IXQpHNu5bMkIjQhw1jV1QyzcyGQc8Y3v8uK8wAocWmz1I5z/s1600/IMG_3041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-essbveZ6rJ4FzN_SbB11rvj8-xOGI8smMa-PVTMwrXptK13MDUtItMavH3OF0Boqd9C-wBvnutDwEcCHHJA2NsuGCZMN4IXQpHNu5bMkIjQhw1jV1QyzcyGQc8Y3v8uK8wAocWmz1I5z/s640/IMG_3041.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oops, faulty translation!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPt3B2d-flNkicavQKQMVCDerdvMZvNupWQv6dQco4FdSYHp-hf_1U7KOlOd6DnMBCU0-LYUB7TY3kEXBh_JtkG35Rh1r3BYMnBKgFHP4SM88alrpm5MDZILts5rJ6afLEJwQUZLdFSaAU/s1600/IMG_3043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPt3B2d-flNkicavQKQMVCDerdvMZvNupWQv6dQco4FdSYHp-hf_1U7KOlOd6DnMBCU0-LYUB7TY3kEXBh_JtkG35Rh1r3BYMnBKgFHP4SM88alrpm5MDZILts5rJ6afLEJwQUZLdFSaAU/s400/IMG_3043.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They had these types of signs all over Lijiang to teach and remind tourists how to behave appropriately</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFS_sadZsjv63ImsEoaGgjtmdLPnF7n3cLaQPkPXklZIIo_fouMF_JXC4QtMQJLEc8trcb01ex3IgjaIkEJqRxex17UW6hwrwOIKgjkvqtclvyK6LX5xCcX_5dtSa34BsPnoyBfjdKjLc/s1600/IMG_3167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFS_sadZsjv63ImsEoaGgjtmdLPnF7n3cLaQPkPXklZIIo_fouMF_JXC4QtMQJLEc8trcb01ex3IgjaIkEJqRxex17UW6hwrwOIKgjkvqtclvyK6LX5xCcX_5dtSa34BsPnoyBfjdKjLc/s400/IMG_3167.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We found a cafe in Kunming that had some confusing, if great, translations. Our favorite? Strongly Recommended Poison.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgt3KPH6RZtYAAjoQUc0BQgeMFgUEbMw3n9yyJs32o1A9PqMXHA6XA3uPhREHAhxhwIepoFnoxEjHTXSL6uGM_DV_twGmK1LPLS9xF5_QQoW11jT70eWfSHvchdPkg1E8YP8oyN7J5-vU/s1600/IMG_3222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgt3KPH6RZtYAAjoQUc0BQgeMFgUEbMw3n9yyJs32o1A9PqMXHA6XA3uPhREHAhxhwIepoFnoxEjHTXSL6uGM_DV_twGmK1LPLS9xF5_QQoW11jT70eWfSHvchdPkg1E8YP8oyN7J5-vU/s400/IMG_3222.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was at the Panda Center in Chengdu, but given my dislike for noise (in China, no less!), the sign struck a chord :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9kOr5EnwwnfAMiM-RGvaaXk8DatlEMhF05GTLtXsmgnFn7-QEI5hBWU80xd0oUSyCLnubicDemTh6JC9huMrUfoM5yVFD4aJ7BKctw-ofRsgvkGpQqaRx05girgGTnPwkeEu4rUkmlbq/s1600/IMG_3275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9kOr5EnwwnfAMiM-RGvaaXk8DatlEMhF05GTLtXsmgnFn7-QEI5hBWU80xd0oUSyCLnubicDemTh6JC9huMrUfoM5yVFD4aJ7BKctw-ofRsgvkGpQqaRx05girgGTnPwkeEu4rUkmlbq/s640/IMG_3275.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These signs are located on the mountains in China so that hikers can be reminded while climbing up the mountain. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVliNwsLwg9FtQmqm1DB-zGqwB9GSyQqDHfapPPK9tsxKbeWQQPlDWLL5_5flN9GfbKuTjfWES5PXP6CEvGUEkMuqH_mm24CZgxKoV-ZWYm_TfT6LDWLgnYIT40vQ-54LYrjyM7xnVA-p/s1600/IMG_3296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVliNwsLwg9FtQmqm1DB-zGqwB9GSyQqDHfapPPK9tsxKbeWQQPlDWLL5_5flN9GfbKuTjfWES5PXP6CEvGUEkMuqH_mm24CZgxKoV-ZWYm_TfT6LDWLgnYIT40vQ-54LYrjyM7xnVA-p/s400/IMG_3296.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a pushy sign!! :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiod2XH2dGFuWF2w77v9ma_baqs512rh-coZBEDWnPvdNZpmhfcR4JsJx2EKvDgetpJXhyphenhyphengR7DJ4vCRksnOBUl9eJaiqWD-cB0r5EaApVr8BBgpButUfdd9Rnxf5LPEslJRN0Awk0uh8c_Q/s1600/IMG_3429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiod2XH2dGFuWF2w77v9ma_baqs512rh-coZBEDWnPvdNZpmhfcR4JsJx2EKvDgetpJXhyphenhyphengR7DJ4vCRksnOBUl9eJaiqWD-cB0r5EaApVr8BBgpButUfdd9Rnxf5LPEslJRN0Awk0uh8c_Q/s400/IMG_3429.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saw these in the Shanghai airport and just thought they were so cute and clever!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBaUNNv0phulzg4yxsWyBvIINx3dPtkBhnKdffnuBlts4RYnTiYCzolwkpuhRxnqypSHVUQPBJauMefbhvxzAilCj4_-9JF-p2jM9A0vf627LWViNkWJMOmeZ_yKfQFh0DXXxGqxvI20-/s1600/IMG_3519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBaUNNv0phulzg4yxsWyBvIINx3dPtkBhnKdffnuBlts4RYnTiYCzolwkpuhRxnqypSHVUQPBJauMefbhvxzAilCj4_-9JF-p2jM9A0vf627LWViNkWJMOmeZ_yKfQFh0DXXxGqxvI20-/s400/IMG_3519.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're not entirely sure what this means, but we did our best not to stride up the mountain!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68fJio7Dt9JcKAglK-Hpvsb4sbUhXObTCRjk3Bs4mdQU96BZUwtcBKVi-UNTa3lc8qFvlsXQi657GaQy-Mi68tVqJCDEVGmU9f1hfdFkwV4hMfEkgBbqic5B9WxcgBlaFKN2U3dWBo6Dl/s1600/IMG_3520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68fJio7Dt9JcKAglK-Hpvsb4sbUhXObTCRjk3Bs4mdQU96BZUwtcBKVi-UNTa3lc8qFvlsXQi657GaQy-Mi68tVqJCDEVGmU9f1hfdFkwV4hMfEkgBbqic5B9WxcgBlaFKN2U3dWBo6Dl/s400/IMG_3520.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really hope that after I die, people do not name my house Hairy Woman House after me...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaawESE9y5IzRzP_jj7y-So-mV1U8mxb5dOLvStmg1vcVJRtVp8mI2vLLvPVlanjgOexajJ1OBjZ2HqlXWKHnYUCUgiW4Zjy2sKnMM-eYCIf6uNsp1te9r-IRTJ1gT3HQyV2mgfh2wTwq_/s1600/IMG_3523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaawESE9y5IzRzP_jj7y-So-mV1U8mxb5dOLvStmg1vcVJRtVp8mI2vLLvPVlanjgOexajJ1OBjZ2HqlXWKHnYUCUgiW4Zjy2sKnMM-eYCIf6uNsp1te9r-IRTJ1gT3HQyV2mgfh2wTwq_/s400/IMG_3523.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe a slight translation error? :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDmsb_mVwx-zRrxKk9Sd4ZDhFHwojgw1unNRXODmdEOBIQHsdowBMDqM0TIDD3NppTlGNNCpOr9XWquorOw8RXAxTwDSsJLa9FUob7HovVd9A250PloYIBW-vQ8oldsfnEEErgpCHzthu/s1600/IMG_3554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDmsb_mVwx-zRrxKk9Sd4ZDhFHwojgw1unNRXODmdEOBIQHsdowBMDqM0TIDD3NppTlGNNCpOr9XWquorOw8RXAxTwDSsJLa9FUob7HovVd9A250PloYIBW-vQ8oldsfnEEErgpCHzthu/s400/IMG_3554.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sign on a hot water heater (China has free boiling water spigots all over). I especially love the use of the butterfly and child in bunny outfit. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWCCr6lgOqKUW1As1p2FcKLne17WTtZKGN24ZWtYIZT_n5I6X2M1l1iZjUm2573PLz6da6mqjNgHpvttRgihsthkFZVtjP_pOSgUdSNCJlqqH87JOHeBLHEnZCNxVgOa_Zk989vInTWBxz/s1600/IMG_3597.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWCCr6lgOqKUW1As1p2FcKLne17WTtZKGN24ZWtYIZT_n5I6X2M1l1iZjUm2573PLz6da6mqjNgHpvttRgihsthkFZVtjP_pOSgUdSNCJlqqH87JOHeBLHEnZCNxVgOa_Zk989vInTWBxz/s400/IMG_3597.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warning sign from an escalator. I'll be sure to start calling the elderly oldsters.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtY4BTi54ivqacExcGOQurFbfeVPHss8IH_jmDvsVN1O2jnNRHHsTDvVa_9QKFkaNElPnlc4MQ5Mc7Wk6hdl5RBUW3HeG1wh1k9-ePTCeEczg3KpuLEO-T1veUAD3lquCVJ2L_3aP0mvnE/s1600/menu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtY4BTi54ivqacExcGOQurFbfeVPHss8IH_jmDvsVN1O2jnNRHHsTDvVa_9QKFkaNElPnlc4MQ5Mc7Wk6hdl5RBUW3HeG1wh1k9-ePTCeEczg3KpuLEO-T1veUAD3lquCVJ2L_3aP0mvnE/s640/menu.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This illustrates the joy of ordering food in China from the translated menu. Notice that all 4 "Fried Needle Mushrooms with Leek" have different Chinese characters, and are different prices. We ordered the second one on the list. and I did not enjoy it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim81VPPqH9f59-xWNyJfWXF1k-H1BhmVhsr7T8EB7NrVTO42OpROH-bYXun1K3v28N5DpXsNw2f6HjQYxj5wFtljPTtPEKgKVm0Z51Zm6nhW4aHXHv1N1PH7fOkp6MwpcEYfsiVIfHLS_D/s1600/IMG_3571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim81VPPqH9f59-xWNyJfWXF1k-H1BhmVhsr7T8EB7NrVTO42OpROH-bYXun1K3v28N5DpXsNw2f6HjQYxj5wFtljPTtPEKgKVm0Z51Zm6nhW4aHXHv1N1PH7fOkp6MwpcEYfsiVIfHLS_D/s640/IMG_3571.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This sign was outside a public toilet in Beijing. This is what I've always wanted to talk to you: blog readers, you are the best!</td></tr>
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Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-82946521050752323802013-10-10T04:57:00.002-07:002014-06-18T12:46:00.376-07:00We get Shanghai'ed in Shanghai!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjtsMtPMYOhjE5xu32MnbRuns2Qlp5IxepzvzRd_ULl1LwVAR8jqxTrjEX3KMqX25X8WZtwc3-8PpdklZPYLQ835KSofePgmr2whCyp9qEtkzlPwqvreKzL_0s21yDkvJD7KDGKdWJK3e/s1600/Pudong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjtsMtPMYOhjE5xu32MnbRuns2Qlp5IxepzvzRd_ULl1LwVAR8jqxTrjEX3KMqX25X8WZtwc3-8PpdklZPYLQ835KSofePgmr2whCyp9qEtkzlPwqvreKzL_0s21yDkvJD7KDGKdWJK3e/s1600/Pudong.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Shanghai had not originally been on our list of places to go this trip. My impression (based on absolutely nothing of value) is that it would be your run-of-the-mill expensive international city. If you would like to see my naivity prove me wrong, please finish reading this post!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">When we met our friends Helena and Dave over the now infamous could-have-been-a-knife-fight in Kunming, they invited us to come stay with them in Shanghai. However, as this invitation was made at 2am, after plenty of drink, and with the understanding we would not be coming to Shanghai, we weren't sure it was more than polite British talk. So we called them up a week later, and, well-rested and sober they said, "come stay!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">We arrived in Shanghai a couple of weeks later and were very happily surprised. The first happy surprise is when you arrive at the airport and there are two options to get into the city center: the first is a local metro which takes about 50 minutes and is your basic local metro. The second option is a magnetic levitating train (MagLev) which zooms you to the city center at a whopping 300 km/hr, as you hover above the tracks. Yes please!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsV5QPYwiL6eNy7DXtquI2YhqzUqfQBu_n2e13niXiTtGBdEXXhe-GGASCiaIEm164ejtWNJI2xKXSeY0eYJ62yWKZzc85TatjAbvhOP-vbDkLnJfyU8KhwMGmiLq22DENhJWs6WByCdA/s1600/300kmph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsV5QPYwiL6eNy7DXtquI2YhqzUqfQBu_n2e13niXiTtGBdEXXhe-GGASCiaIEm164ejtWNJI2xKXSeY0eYJ62yWKZzc85TatjAbvhOP-vbDkLnJfyU8KhwMGmiLq22DENhJWs6WByCdA/s200/300kmph.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2otW8sisKJ50cQ9uRetHWj4kw-mOI0i5DP42ZDLvqA40rBqAXePkyMBtaGucnU2mFrCzBR-s1I1Tv3FsXuI4N1_kP5xgb2rbJz0a5X0xghJwcXv_NKts1b0DQlVeIC9imn1V0Md_MZ7t/s1600/Mollylev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2otW8sisKJ50cQ9uRetHWj4kw-mOI0i5DP42ZDLvqA40rBqAXePkyMBtaGucnU2mFrCzBR-s1I1Tv3FsXuI4N1_kP5xgb2rbJz0a5X0xghJwcXv_NKts1b0DQlVeIC9imn1V0Md_MZ7t/s320/Mollylev.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
The coolest thing about the MagLev is that as it hovers above the tracks, and then you bank for a turn, the entire train feels like its flying. We'd love to have these a home, but we realize it can't be done in a capitalist country. We paid $12 US for both of us to ride, on a not-full train that runs every 15 minutes (it has to run that frequently, in order to truly be faster than the local metro). It's a heavily subsidized train that is in place as a showpiece for Shanghai to show off to impress the rest of the world. And we were duly impressed!<br />
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We arrived at our friends' home, an old 4-story house in the beautiful French Concession. As a result of the first Opium War in 1842, the city handed over sections as settlements to the British, French and Germans, which remained as their territories until World War II. The French Concession is now a lovely neighborhood with tree lined boulevards and old manor houses, some of which have been converted to multi-family apartment buildings. You climb the dusty stairs to the apartment, over creaky stairs and past floors where several private rooms share the kitchen equipment in the open hall (and start to wonder about where you'll be spending the week!). Upon arrival to the top floor, however, we absolutely loved their beautiful apartment, and often threatened to lock the door when they were out, and just move in.<br />
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We spent the rest of the week enjoying Shanghai, playing games, hanging out, eating and drinking far too much, etc. So, we'll give a listed run down of our favorite spots, and the reasons we ended up loving Shanghai.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZghlBRG6lhlzS3JdEuXcjkrMMFFxvdlMlakOdHGO1SScAPUx49JX_MdURPbmbyDSNOsVAoQLYH8euHTNy-S1qo3U4pJskLJuysktfX7ikmCsGSu9wyM_xsaQBX0l-kp8GSQUP41LDXJ_/s1600/communistpropagandaposters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZghlBRG6lhlzS3JdEuXcjkrMMFFxvdlMlakOdHGO1SScAPUx49JX_MdURPbmbyDSNOsVAoQLYH8euHTNy-S1qo3U4pJskLJuysktfX7ikmCsGSu9wyM_xsaQBX0l-kp8GSQUP41LDXJ_/s320/communistpropagandaposters.jpg" height="219" width="320" /></a></div>
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- <a href="http://www.shanghaipropagandaart.com/" target="_blank">Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre</a>: Located in the basement of an unremarkable apartment block, this was a wonderful museum! Collected over years by the owner of the museum, and displayed chronologically, the collection shows Communist propaganda posters throughout the years (and into the late 1990's).<br />
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- The Bund: The waterfront in Shanghai demonstrates what I loved so much about the city. On the west side is the Bund, a collection of very old and very lovely buildings, most of which used to be banks. Imagine where Mr. Banks went to work in Mary Poppins, in his top hat and all. On the east side of the river is Pudong (which is incidentally not a nice thing to call your wife), with its futuristic skyscrapers, Pearl Tower, and the Bottle Opener (the world's 6th tallest building, next to which they are building what is prepped to be the 2nd tallest in the world, and looks just like a bottle). Shanghai has room to be both a city that evokes the romantic and mysterious Orient, and a futuristic powerhouse.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeT9_qsxOIMvMNCimJfu0XA1zG08g9Um2sbbM7hB6o5WTYIfYflElRC86n2DmQcP1thhqDkwfD84mSSPBCgx8QX2I7fItLA9g4kNd41UjxFrc1f7WFS2SohslqRdUhjmZrPygOrwTnn48P/s1600/Bottle+Opener.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeT9_qsxOIMvMNCimJfu0XA1zG08g9Um2sbbM7hB6o5WTYIfYflElRC86n2DmQcP1thhqDkwfD84mSSPBCgx8QX2I7fItLA9g4kNd41UjxFrc1f7WFS2SohslqRdUhjmZrPygOrwTnn48P/s1600/Bottle+Opener.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">View from the Bottle Opener</td></tr>
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- Happy Hour on the 91st floor of the Bottle Opener (aka Shanghai World Financial Center): just do it. Get there before dark, watch the sun set, and enjoy the lights coming up on the city. And for the true budgeteers out there, you buy your yummy happy hour drink and they will refill that bowl of wasabi peanuts all night :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjP3wPZm9AYnFaB4Qx8sAZPBkpBP9Yu45p_jnhlBnIFUIDkn5IXRhG1AkS26X39A_drHj4OE3p41frBlOcmIimUXmTyTfwtclgQeTICcCTtU3JzA111U2vm_C0RJDAbydJXjIU47_GvIE0/s1600/Dumplings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjP3wPZm9AYnFaB4Qx8sAZPBkpBP9Yu45p_jnhlBnIFUIDkn5IXRhG1AkS26X39A_drHj4OE3p41frBlOcmIimUXmTyTfwtclgQeTICcCTtU3JzA111U2vm_C0RJDAbydJXjIU47_GvIE0/s200/Dumplings.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; text-align: center;">Xiao Long Bao</td></tr>
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-Xiao Long Bao: otherwise known as soup dumplings, and a perfect budgeteer meal. Although you can get them across China, they are the specialty here, and delicious!! Saunter up to one of the many little stalls selling them, point to a steaming basket of 8 Bao, pay them $1.10 and sit down on a curb to enjoy! Dip bao in vinegar and pop it in your mouth whole (otherwise, you'll get the soupy center everywhere). Yum!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; text-align: center;">Brunch takes its toll...</td></tr>
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- Martini Brunch at the <a href="http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Shanghai/Dining/Tables/Default.htm" target="_blank">Ritz Carlton</a>: This is not a suggestion for fellow budgeteers, but boy was it a fabulous splurge!! You arrive at 11am, try as hard as you can to try all 13 martinis on the brunch menu by the time they cut you off at 2pm. In between getting "suitably sloshed" as Helena would say, you graze on lobster tails, crab legs (by the end of brunch, I'd had so many platters of crab legs, both my thumbs were all sliced up!), fois gras, sunday roast, and the biggest dessert island ever. We ate at home for the rest of the week, but boy was it worth it!!<br />
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Spoiler: we didn't actually get Shanghai'ed in Shanghai, because that doesn't make any historical sense, as we were already in Shanghai. It you want to know why, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghaiing" target="_blank">read this</a>. But it's fun to say, and it's a cute blog title :)<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdkOxi-Es-RIQ_Qf39md85-hVoKTjOEl28gTDFbn98HdvrJxxuuJhZ7wl_yDV_qOvK40bFNQEQd_XxT7sW2uyZ9xFbH0e2pXq2V_CcpGGK_HyDFrTorzJJcbukFkhoG2tmB8W1JlTZ4rZ/s1600/brunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdkOxi-Es-RIQ_Qf39md85-hVoKTjOEl28gTDFbn98HdvrJxxuuJhZ7wl_yDV_qOvK40bFNQEQd_XxT7sW2uyZ9xFbH0e2pXq2V_CcpGGK_HyDFrTorzJJcbukFkhoG2tmB8W1JlTZ4rZ/s1600/brunch.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Brunch with our Shanghai Friends Helena and Dave<br />
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Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02515118639083458254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1454825725257360202.post-26176319526687312422013-10-07T07:32:00.000-07:002013-10-10T04:31:22.740-07:00Hong Kong on a Budget<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWq3PFZEvEdboDtb2-RRs-Akxox_ixGWDRbjOAT4Ba23XyQ3eRUwCiZBqtZC-nVS-7I5l4JPQldhW5kKTm03Kl_b55q7TZVcTCuks7xnOTTlT4P8qMlFLqIUh-SejcsawjYweuB-xmRvQ/s1600/IMG_3315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWq3PFZEvEdboDtb2-RRs-Akxox_ixGWDRbjOAT4Ba23XyQ3eRUwCiZBqtZC-nVS-7I5l4JPQldhW5kKTm03Kl_b55q7TZVcTCuks7xnOTTlT4P8qMlFLqIUh-SejcsawjYweuB-xmRvQ/s640/IMG_3315.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We had not been planning on returning to Hong Kong, but bumping up against our first 30 day visa, but still wanting more time in China, we had a decision to make. We could either extend our visa (at a cost of anywhere between $30 and $180 - the process is regional, not national) or spend that money to fly to HK and spend a few more days with our favorite Asia-habiting siblings, Christian and Megan. The promise of a weekend slumber party with my big brother was the easy winner, and we were off to Hong Kong!</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Correction: we were off to Shenzhen, the mainland Chinese border town just a hop, skip, and 5 trains away from HK. On a side note, we were a bit sad to make this flight, as up to this point, we have only traveled by land since we arrived in Cambodia! On another note, its funny when you travel without planes for that long and then go through security (which in China doesn't include any of that fancy I-want-my-freedom-don't-pat-me-down-opposite-sex-man TSA stuff…it's all kinds of invasive - but you don't have to remove your shoes - go figure!), and they run your bag through and say, "we see a knife" and you say "of course you do! I'll just go ahead and find my $2 kiwi knife and you can go ahead and confiscate it" and everyone is wearing a totally non-sarcastic smile. I'd like to say for the record that I far prefer airport security in China to airport security in the US. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Back to the main story. Flying in and out of Shenzhen often saves a boatload of money from flying in and out of HK and if you have more time than you do money, it's totally worth it! We flew in to Shenzhen, hopped on the metro for one hour to the border, went through an insanely easy border crossing, everything turned to English the second we crossed the border, and then it was a cheap and relatively easy 4 more trains to get to central HK. Alternatively, there is a bus that goes straight from Shenzhen airport to central HK, but it costs $30 as opposed to $6 for the trains.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Our first impression of HK was after visiting Tokyo, and it felt lively but a bit dingy. Since that visit, we have spent 4 months visiting Bangkok, Cambodia, Vietnam and mainland China, and our second impression of HK? It is a sparkly, international/western, world-class wonderland! Our weekend proved to be a fun reminder of perspective, and how much our perspective colors our feelings about the places we're visiting.</span><br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DNV_E31K5zsjlRvIr11R0QyWwl3pvkdJ2wS0QBr6LtNmzHi3l9R_XQAkrpGVIuzRAmbMKhbNHkpCs-AwMgmaiyn0fn6t9Ri7kCxnVIBRAflzqxqdRzwjBfrTJSnzsnLWPFo2rTVRqrLY/s1600/IMG_3319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DNV_E31K5zsjlRvIr11R0QyWwl3pvkdJ2wS0QBr6LtNmzHi3l9R_XQAkrpGVIuzRAmbMKhbNHkpCs-AwMgmaiyn0fn6t9Ri7kCxnVIBRAflzqxqdRzwjBfrTJSnzsnLWPFo2rTVRqrLY/s200/IMG_3319.jpg" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our teeny room at Chungking Mansions</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We enjoyed a few days bunking in with Christian and Megan, but once their work week started, we figured we would get out of their hair and finish up our last couple days in HK enjoying a truly fabulous budget traveler experience. The hotel choices for budget travel in HK are very limited, and if you want something central, safe and private (as in not a hostel bed in a big room), you're looking upwards of $100 US per night (at the bare minimum). Or, you can stay at Chongking Mansions, a crumbly, dusty building block in Kowloon, just across Victoria Harbor from central HK. The first floor is a rabbit warren of Middle-Eastern, Indian and Chinese food and "stuff" stalls, and the upper floors have an abundance of guest houses, restaurants and some churches. The upper levels are separated so that there is only one elevator that goes to each section upstairs (and depending on the time of day, you may have to wait…and wait…and wait for your elevator!). The guest house rooms likely used to be broom closets (or perhaps offices with a single desk) so when it comes to picking a hotel, you're really just looking at price and cleanliness (because every room will be TINY!). We're happy to report that Canada Hotel (not Canadian Hostel, which reviewers said was dirty) was clean, safe, well-appointed, and a steal at $45 US per night. For a room with wall-to-wall bed, where you can touch both side walls at the same time, and where only one person can be standing at a time (the other person needs to be on the bed, in the bathroom, or in the hallway!). Sure, there's a line for the elevator. And sure, there are police outside the building every night to ensure people don't come in with prostitutes. And sure, there was a hotel staff sleeping in our hallway each morning. But, we would totally stay there again and encourage it as a great budget choice in HK! </span><br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork from Yuen Kee</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In retrospect, our first visit to HK, I couldn't imagine how you could do it for 2 people for less than $100 per day (because we stayed with Christian and Megan the whole time, saving on hotel), but this second visit demonstrated that it is absolutely possible to do it for less than $100 (or even $75 if you're really strict). Our tricks?</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">- Stay at Chongking Mansions for under $50 per night</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">- Pizza lunch at one of the Paisano's slice shops around town</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">- Plate of roast pork from Yuen Kee Restaurant by the Wan Chai wet market and sitting on a curb to eat</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">- Happy hour beer specials around town</span><div><font face="Arial">- Visit to the Chi Lin Nunnery, for a free taste of calm and culture!</font><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">- Super cheap transit (as long as you stay away from the taxis!), including the Star Ferry across the Harbor</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">- Lots of <a href="http://www.havewifewilltravel.com/2013/05/hiking-in-hong-kong.html" target="_blank">free hiking</a>, just a bus ride up the hill</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">- Wednesday night at the <a href="http://www.havewifewilltravel.com/2013/04/one-cheap-date.html" target="_blank">horse races</a> (in season)</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>More Photos from our adventures in Hong Kong:</b></span><br>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/8678118548/in/set-72157633314302279/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="View from the Peak - Hong Kong"><img alt="View from the Peak - Hong Kong" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8259/8678118548_a868ac151d_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;"></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/8674272354/in/set-72157633314302279/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="Bro and Sis"><img alt="Bro and Sis" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8523/8674272354_37d5f4c11d_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;"></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/8674270958/in/set-72157633314302279/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="At the Chi Lin Nunnery"><img alt="At the Chi Lin Nunnery" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8523/8674270958_728b608083_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;"></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/8674262702/in/set-72157633314302279/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="The Wet Market in Wan Chai"><img alt="The Wet Market in Wan Chai" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8255/8674262702_374b34c113_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;"></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/8673157341/in/set-72157633314302279/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 75px;" title="Meat Market"><img alt="Meat Market" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8524/8673157341_ae2aef35a8_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;"></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/8673161455/in/set-72157633314302279/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; width: 75px;" title="On the Streets on Hong Kong"><img alt="On the Streets on Hong Kong" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8673161455_c21b7bea24_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 75px;"></a><br>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coryandmolly/sets/72157633314302279/">Hong Kong</a></div>
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