The Amazing Adventures of Kelley and Anthony

Top Ten Things That Will Make You Feel Better in 2009!

2008-12-22T18:29:00.001-08:00

1. Compost! Reduce how much garbage you generate. Give your food scraps to a gardening neighbor or local farmer, buy your own compost bin or vermicomposter (i heart worms)whatever you do, please do not throw food scraps into the trash! That is so 1980s!

2. Buy less! You're broke anyway right? Well even if you aren't you can at least leave the bag and put it in your own reusable bag. And if there is excess packaging on your purchase call the company and tell them they are wasting precious resources in packaging - they can save money and make products more affordable in the process!

3. Walk or Bike! I know, exercise sucks, but hey we all have a few extra pounds that we could do without and it is more fun to walk. You see more and it actually improves your mood instead of turning you into a road raging driver. You will be amazed how close everything really is. Really. Just try it.

4. Eat less...meat! I hate to say it because I love bacon, but really we don't need a lot of meat. You don't need to cut it out completely but make it more of a side rather than the main part of the meal. Eat a good, healthy protein rich breakfast (not a bunch of toast or a scone, but like eggs or lox or peanut butter on apples) and you won't get as hungry throughout the day.

5. Drink lots of water! not the bottled version, filtered tap water is just fine. But drink lots of it. When you think you are hungry, drink water. When you dream of cheeseburgers, drink water. When you are bored, drink water.

6. Laugh! Just for the heck of it. It will make you feel better and it is not only good for you, but it is contagious and good for other people.

7. Practice forgiveness! All of those grudges you are holding are not only giving you gray hair, wrinkles and a bad attitude, but it is aging you in life threatening ways. Write a letter to someone that you need to ask for forgiveness and then read it to them in person.

8. Be grateful! For what you have, who you know, what you do, for your family and friends and the trees and the wind and the air and everything you can think of. Instead of focusing on the negative, focus on all that is good in the world. Every night think of five things you are grateful for. Write a letter of gratitude to someone that you love. Then read it out loud.

9. Volunteer! Doing something for others for a change. Even if you are feeling martyrish, maybe especially if you are feeling martyrish, or woe is me, work at a homeless shelter, help children with special needs, go to a hospice training, plant trees at a restoration site, help the elderly, help children, whatever you do, do something for someone else.

10. Buy local. Okay, i know you have heard this until you are blue in the face, but it is true that buying locally helps your friends and neighbors. Looking for a website designer in Portland Oregon, try Joe and Mike Lepis at Alpha Multi-Media Solutions http://www.alpha-multimedia.com/, want a great strategic planning, community development and organizational consultant in the Pacific Northwest (i.e. big picture thinker and guru) try Charles Kingsley chazkingsley@hotmail.com, want to eat local food - go the farmers market, want to buy a gift for someone, go to your nearest main street...you get the picture. Plug your friends and colleagues and do what you know is right - buy local.

Okay folks, that's it. No pictures but lots of opining.
All the best to you and yours for a happy and healthy 2009!
Cheers
Kelley

Snow Storm 2008

2008-12-20T12:11:00.000-08:00

I was not expecting to see snow on Vashon - but here it is! All 4-5 inches of it and more is on the way! The ferries ran throughout the storm, which at times was like a blizzard. Gusting winds swirled enormous flakes in all directions. We ventured out, saucers in hand, to conquer Cowan Road. Two young children were already there with their parents. They were starting about 1/4 of the way up the hill. We headed to the top. Our first run was a fit of stops and starts. The first blast was fast and totally out of control and Anthony ended up plowing through our neighbors garbage and recycling which had not been picked up by the garbage man. He relaunched and quickly ended up on the other side of the road, heading for a mailbox. It reminded me of my bowling game. Each turn the mighty ball thrown with the best of intentions: a fast swoosh down the middle of the lane in hopes of scoring a perfect strike. But inevitably we veered towards one side or the other - yet another gutter ball. I had not saucered in a long time and I am so glad we did it. Totally out of control, screaming and laughing the whole way down, we had so much fun. Back inside we brewed up some super chocolaty hot cocoa complete with extra large marshmallows and sat by the fire - ahhh.

Barack the Vote on November 4!

2008-09-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

Anthony and I have had a chance to see Barack Obama many times over the past year and a half. Anthony went to the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem fairly soon after we got to New York and then volunteered at a rally in Washington Square Park. When we were in Portland we had a chance to see him at the convention center. We headed up to New Hampshire to go door to door before the New Hampshire primaries and after listening to polls that said he was going to win by 10 points we decided we had jinxed him (and that many people may still be harboring racist feelings) and are sticking to donations and voter registration. Anthony volunteered at a fundraising event and shook his hand. I went to a Women for Obama breakfast event at the Hilton in midtown Manhattan. I was probably about 50 feet away from the stage but was not able to get a good photo with my iPhone because of the bright lights. I had a chance to hear Hillary Clinton urge women to vote for Barack and sat next to a young woman whose sister is Barack's scheduler! I cannot imagine why anyone would not vote for Barack especially now after all of the republican free market, deregulation policies have fallen on their face at the expense of taxpayers who are losing their jobs and their homes. It is an outrage that we are even considering privatizing profits and socializing debt. I think the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. After 28 years of republican rule i think insanity is an understatement for where our country is from a psychological perspective. The rest of the world is watching and probably wondering "what did they think would happen?" Barack warned us almost a year ago and continues to be proven right on many of the big issues our country is facing right now. Vote Barack in November!

Chinatown: every morning!

2008-09-23T14:34:00.001-07:00

Anthony has the pleasure of emerging from the subway every morning to the sights, sounds and smells of Chinatown. Ahhh! Take a deep breath as the smell of garbage merges with fish and rotting vegetables. Chinatown is where you go to get cheap food that is on the verge of going bad. Venture down to Columbus Park and watch people play majong and cards and listen to traditional chinese music while people do Tai Chi. This is one of the great things about New York - you can be transported to another part of the world simply by walking down the street. Across from the park on Mulberry Street grab some dim sum for $5 and sit at the park to people watch.

NY Tourist

2008-09-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

We have had a great time playing tourist since we landed in New York. With concerts and rickshaw rides in Central Park, a circle line tour around the island of Manhattan, a tennis exhibition match between Federer and Sampras, to a Pink Martini concert at the Lincoln Center, we have not even scraped the surface of all there is to do...but we have two more weeks and my list has been honed and prioritized!

Scenes from Brooklyn

2008-09-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

We live in such a beautiful part of Brooklyn - Fort Greene/Clinton Hill. With stunning brownstone buildings on tree lined streets and bustling commercial main streets packed with amazing restaurants, Brooklyn is an urban planners dream of utopia (sans 20' high piles of garbage, noisy trucks and car service horns). Our favorite main street is Dekalb Avenue where across the street from NY's only South African restaurant Madiba, you can watch a mean game of hoops. We live about a mile away from Prospect Park, which is probably Olmstead's best work. We met after work for a picnic dinner and concert in the park.

Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge

2008-09-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

The Brooklyn Bridge is so beautiful and on a gorgeous sunny July day, Anthony and I set off from our place on Myrtle Avenue to walk across it along with locals and tourists. It is truly an awe inspiring architectural and engineering masterpiece and if you ever get a chance to walk across it you should.

A Year of Being Bicoastal 2007-2008

2008-09-18T09:48:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to play catch up, here are some photos from this past year....
1. Christmas in NY 2007 with the family.
2. All we do is eat. Our recent neighborhood favorite is James- check out the food blog I am doing with my sister for more www.theperfectpairing.blogspot.com
3. We go back and forth between NY and DC quite often. We decided to take one of the Chinese buses because they are so cheap - my sister coined the term Chinese Chicken Bus because of all of the reviews she read about how crazy they are. It was not bad, but I prefer the train. Why sit in traffic on a bus on our crumbling interstate system when you can ride a train on our ancient train system where Amtrak has to give priority to freight traffic! Our country is going down the tubes.
4. We went to Easton quite a few times too, including a visit to the Plein Air Festival in July and the Log Canoe Races in August.
5. Our trip to some of the local farms in the Hudson River Valley. Pigs are too cute to eat!
6. Our local hangout is a place called Rope- this is their pet penguin.
7. March - May 2008 Portland. We have so much more appreciation for our home in Portland after a year in New York. I took some time away during negotiations on the sale of Get Fresh including a couple of trips to the beautiful Oregon Coast.

So long New York!

2008-09-18T09:01:00.001-07:00

It has been a little over one year since we first landed in New York and now we are off to Seattle! Anthony is going to open an office for his company, YRG Sustainability (http://yrgconsultants.com/). Early on there was talk about opening an office in Singapore, Hong Kong or Shanghai but first things first. Seattle will give them better proximity to the Asian market while allowing them to take advantage of all of the demand in the Pacific Northwest.
I sold the building in Portland, sold my business in Brooklyn and am working on expanding Sassafras Green Building Development and Consulting. In addition to working on my own development projects, I am consulting to the private and public sector on strategic visioning and implementation of sustainability projects and programs.
So back we go! To the amazingly beautiful clean, green and serene Pacific Northwest. We will be living on Vashon Island in a lovely mid century modern home with fantastic views of the Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains. We are looking forward to kayaking, hiking, camping and sailing our way through the San Juan Islands, Olympic Peninsula and Cascade Range. And of course, hosting friends and family in our cozy new home.
We have a couple of more weeks here in New York so we are trying to see and do as much as we can before we go. Check back for running commentary and photos!

Landing in New York

2007-09-13T21:27:00.001-07:00

A few more of Chicago...and..finally...NYC!

2007-08-12T15:20:00.000-07:00

We caught a Cubbies game before we left town. They built stadium seating on top of the surrounding buildings! The Cubbies won by one against the Phillies.

We made it! More pictures of Brooklyn and our apartment to come.

We hope you enjoyed our cross country adventures. Stay posted for more photos of New York. We are thinking of changing the name of our blog to embracing our inner manalo blahnik! doesn't have quite the same ring, but we are in NYC so flip flops just won't do.

Chicago (it's a big city!) Part 4

2007-08-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

Chicago Part 3

2007-08-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

Chicago Part 2

2007-08-12T14:57:00.000-07:00

Chicago, Illinois!

2007-08-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

From Minneapolis we headed straigt to Chicago to meet mom and dad (donna and george) for my 35th birthday! It was a grand time. We ate at Charlie Trotters which was incredibly yummy, went on an architectural boat tour and walked through the sculpture garden at Millennium Park, which is an even greater example (than Minneapolis) of a city investing in public art. The video streaming water towers draw people from all over the city, especially kids, as do the nearby Kidney Bean and Frank Gehry's outdoor auditorium. I am not fond of Gehry's other work - Experience Music Project in Seattle and the Disney Performing Arts Center in LA - but i like this organic metal shape for an outdoor venue. It actually works really well and is the centerpiece of Millennium Park.

Mayor Daley seems to be doing a lot of things right - between investements in public art and ecological building he is putting Chicago on the map as a truly great city. It is giving Portland a run for its money. No more resting on the laurels of years past and Portland really needs to beef up its public art investments. I hope Mayor Bloomberg puts his money where his mouth is with all of his talk about greening New York City. but enough political banter....the pictures speak for themselves (i hope).

More from Minneapolis

2007-08-12T14:33:00.001-07:00

did i mention the the lamb scottadito at the 112 eatery....yummmmy.

More from Minneapolis

2007-08-12T14:33:00.000-07:00

Minneapolis

2007-08-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

When we landed in Minneapolis on Sunday afternoon it felt like a ghost town - "where are all of the people?" asks Anthony. So we decided to walk around, but right before we left the phone rang....it was Charles and Anna! perfect! Charles lived in Minneapolis for 12 years so his timing was right on. We mapped out our route based on his recommendations and were on our way to the warehouse district, Loring Park, the sculpture garden and then back to the warehouse district for dinner.

Some photos from along the way and if you are ever in Minneapolis and are looking for a great restaurant try the 112 eatery. it was absolutely yummy! www.112eatery.com/

We were very impressed with all of the public art in Minneapolis. And it feels like their downtown in slowly revitalizing. I think in 5 years this place is going to be hopping.

leaving yellowstone....to Cody...and the Corn Palace!

2007-08-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

As we were leaving Yellowstone Park we got caught in a traffic jam caused by this big ol' lazy moose. I think he must be the park rangers pet cause i swear i saw him tethered to a nearby tree. There was a little baby moose too but i was not fast enough to snap a photo of it because i was driving and trying to navigate through the swarms of people outside of their cars taking pictures. Kinda reminded us of our tiger tracking experience in India. These poor animals must get sick of us gawking at them.

We continued on to Cody Wyoming where there just happened to be a rodeo going on. Imagine that! And guess what. We were not the only "tourists" there. This is a nightly attraction in Cody meant for tourists, but it was still fun. We used it as an opportunity to eat dinner, which I must say, was not very appetizing. I found it very difficult to eat a hamburger surrounded by cows. And it smelled like a barnyard so between that and the dirty looks we were getting from our bovine friends we ditched our burgers and got a pretzel and some water.

After Cody we had a long drive to a very small town where we stayed at the beautiful and luxurious Super 8. I am not sure why they call them non smoking rooms when they reek of cigarettes covered up by nasty air freshener. Yuck. So we got up early and headed towards South Dakota.

I cannot find the pictures we took in the Black Hills and the Badlands both places were amazing! I will try to find them and post them.

A must see if ever in Mitchell South Dakota - The Corn Palace. It is the Taj Mahal of corn. It seemed apropos since Corn seems to be King in the great ol' U.S. of A. right now. Pretty soon everything will be made of corn. Don't get me started on the politics of corn......

a few more...and a buffalo!

2007-07-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

We could not get enough of the landscape around Old Faithful so we went a little crazy with the pictures. Then as we were driving out of the park we saw a buffalo! just walking on the side of the road. I could of sworn he was wearing a bell around his neck.

Old Faithful and Geyser Valley

2007-07-29T22:16:00.000-07:00

We waited 30 minutes to watch Old Faithful blow - it was less of a sudden explosion and more of a slow leak. We went for a walk around Geyser Valley and checked out all of the other types of geysers - cones, fountains, mud pots, fumaroles....

Yellowstone

2007-07-29T22:07:00.000-07:00

I think it all burned down 5 years ago. When was that fire? Holy guacamole. Matchsticks everywhere. We made a quick trip to Old Faithful which reminded us of being in Iceland. Gorgeous and surreal.

Morning Hike in Jackson

2007-07-29T22:01:00.000-07:00

The public square in Jackson is very cool. These antler arches adorn each corner. We stayed at the wagon wheel where every animal seemed to end up mounted on the wall. A Buffalo and a bison are the same creature by the way....we went for a nice hike the next morning with Rachel's dog Otter. He is so cute! and stinky! we realized how much we miss our dogs.

Destination Jackson Wyo

2007-07-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

It is a beautiful drive from Idaho to Jackson on Rt 26. We rolled into town just in time to see Rachel for a few minutes before she raced away to her music gigs. For those of you who don't know Rachel she is a very talented trumpetiste and all around great gal. Rachel and I became best buddies back in 8th grade when she moved to Clifton from Mountain View CA. The rest is history. An incredibly funny history...and the fun continued during a short visit in Jackson.

Blow Out

2007-07-29T21:41:00.000-07:00

I was getting a little more comfortable with driving the truck and everything was so flat in eastern Idaho. So i was tooling along at 75 mph, passing an 18 wheeler, when BOOM! I thought the truck clipped me, but Anthony reassured me that one of us had blown a tire. I was in control of the truck so i thought it was the truck, but NO - it was us! luckily we called the 1800 24 hour emergency number and a nice young man from the local service station came and changed the tire. Within 1 hour we were back on the road! Hertz rocks!

Scenes from the road

2007-07-29T21:37:00.000-07:00

Columbia Gorge into Eastern Oregon

2007-07-29T21:31:00.000-07:00

The Columbia Gorge is stunning and as you leave the Gorge and enter the drylands of Eastern Oregon you go through a town called Alexandria where I think Portland dumps all of its trash, or used to. Our goal was to make it to Boise, 6 hours away, so we put the pedal to the metal and didn't stop to sight see. I really wanted to go through Pendleton, but alas we are on a tight schedule.

Off we go!

2007-07-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

Back in Stumptown and more!

2007-05-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

So we made it back to Portland after a couple of visits back east to visit family and friends. It is amazing how many of our loved ones were born in April - there must be something about July. Our new place is on the edge of the Pearl District. We have a lovely view of the west hills, the sound of the ocean (interstate 405) in the background and the best part of all is our in home theatre - an in focus machine hooked up to a dvd player and projected on the wall - look at how big Penelope Cruz is (volver is a great movie by the way). It is great to be so close to everything. We have an office at the coffee shop down the street - urban grind - a farmers market a mere two blocks away at the ecotrust building and we are a short walk to the waterfront (willamette river) where we can ride our bikes/walk/jog and take in the beauty that is Portland. However, the beauty is overwhelming and we have decided to move to Brooklyn NY! Wait! What! Where did that come from? Well, Anthony and I have been mulling it over for the last 3 months and we are going to go for it. My friend Caroll and I are going to start a seasonal, local, organic meal assembly business in the heart of Park Slope and Anthony and Sam (Caroll's husband) are going to jump into the real estate world by starting a green building company. These issues are no brainers for people in Portland, so we are takin' it to Brooklyn where there is increasing demand and very little expertise (so far). Our move is planned for October/November 2007 so we are in overdrive getting everything ready for a smooth move across the great U S of A. If you want to get in touch with us our contact information in Portland is:
1400 NW Irving St #423 Portland Oregon 97209.
Anthony's phone 503-516-8961
Kelley's phone 503-998-3978.
Anthony's email anthmroy@yahoo.com
Kelley's email sassafrasllc@yahoo.com
joint email kroyaroy@yahoo.com

We look forward to catching up with all of you!
Love K and A

Amsterdam

2007-03-16T06:47:00.000-07:00

So we decided to take a quick side trip to Amsterdam to prepare for our return to portland. Two full days of walking around looking for inspiration for our next project. Unfortunately our camera battery died early on in the tour but here is just a little taste of what we found. The old part of Amsterdam is amazing with all of the canals and narrow, vertical townhomes. Bikes rule in Amsterdam and it really creates a nice quiet urban environment. The newer developments on Java and Borneo island are bold! Young architects commissioned to create townhome designs that are then mixed in with larger scale apartment blocks and open space. All connected by streetcar and bike networks - cars are still secondary even though you are outside the old city. It does not have quite the vibrancy of the old town, but it was only completed in 2005. I will try to post more photos from our other camera when i get back to portland.

And now our blog evolves.....what's next? stay tuned as we plan to use this blog as a way to stay in touch with all of our friends and family....lots of love to you all and thanks for joining us on our big adventure to S. Africa, India and Amsterdam!
Kelley and Anthony

Udaipur

2007-02-27T10:36:00.001-08:00

Udaipur is gorgeous! Beautiful hills surround a 25 foot lake that acts as the city's drinking water supply. Only a few years ago the lake was completely empty. But the monsoons were good last year and the lake is now full again. This was great news for us because our hotel was in the middle of the lake. In addition to the main palace and hindu temple, Udaipur is known for their miniature paintings. A nice evening cruise on the lake was the perfect way to take in this very Italian feeling Indian city.

Jodhpur

2007-02-27T10:26:00.000-08:00

We toured around Jodhpur - the Blue City - and then went to visit a couple of rural villages. The Bishnois who have 29 principles of living sustainably (www.bishnoi.org). They are not Hindus but worship nature and do not kill anything including trees. We then went to a village to see an opium ceremony. My mom took the last photograph. Can you guess what I am doing in the final photo?

Jodhpur, the second largest city of Rajasthan, at the edge of the Thar desert was once the capital of the Marwar state. It was founded in 1459 A.D. by Rao Jodha-chief of the Rathore clan of Rajputs who claimed to be descendants of Rama - hero of the epic 'Ramayana'. The city dominated by the massive Mehrangarh fort on a rocky hill is charming with its wealth of historic attractions and colourful markets which specialises in antiques. It is still one of the leading centres of wool, cattle, camels and salt.

Mehrangarh Fort: The Mehrangarh Fort lies at the outskirts of Jodhpur city and is located atop a 125 m high hill. The magnificent Mehrangarh Fort (Jodhpur ka kila) is the most majestic and one of the largest forts in India. It was originally started (c.1459) by Rao Jodha, founder of Jodhpur. However, most of the extant fort dates from the period of Jaswant Singh (1638-78). The walls of the fort are up to 36 m high and 21 m wide; they enclose some exquisite structures.

Mehrangarh Fort & Jaswant ThadaThe fort museum houses an exquisite collection of palanquins, howdahs, royal cradles, miniatures, musical instruments, costumes and furniture. The ramparts of Mehrangarh Fort provide not only excellently preserved cannons but also a breath-taking view of the city.

Jaipur

2007-02-27T04:11:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Jaipur after a 5 hour bus ride. Unlike previous bus rides and Anthony and I have taken, this was pure luxury. A huge Volvo cruiser complete with AC and a bathroom and only the 12 people that are on our tour. We stopped for a quick lunch and then hit the road to head for the Pink City. Not because of its thriving gay population but because they covered the old city pink stucco. It is actually more of a salmon color but none the less it is required that shop keepers and building owners keep their buildings painted this god awful color.

Jaipur is considered by many urbanists to be one of the best planned cities. Almost all Northern Indian towns of that period presented a chaotic picture of narrow twisting lanes, a confusion of run-down forts/temples/palaces and temporary shacks that bore no resemblance at all to the principles set out in Hindu architectural manuals, which calls for strict geometric planning. Thus, for Sawai Jai Singh II and the Bengali Guru Vidyadhar (who was a'Shaspati' - Hindu Priest Architect), the founding of Jaipur was also a ritual and a golden opportunity to plan a whole town according to the principles of Hindu architectural theory. The town of Jaipur is in fact, built in the form of a nine-part Mandala known as the 'Pithapada'.

We visted the Amber Palace where we rode an elephant to the top of the hill it is situated on and then onto the Jantar Mantar astronomy park, a sophisticated collection of early 18th century structures designed to measure the movements of the stars, sun and planets.

We were entertained by the a member of the royal family - Mr Singh and his daughter- dancers, camel rides, village artisans and a delicious dinner. A tremendous send off complete with fireworks that you can't even buy in Mexico.

Agra and the Taj

2007-02-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

Onto Agra and the amazingly beautiful Taj Mahal. The Mughal Emperor Shāh Jahān commissioned it as a mausoleum for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Construction began in 1632 and was completed in 1648. Once construction was completed the Emperor was told that it would take 6 more months to clear the construction materials (scaffolding, etc) away from the site. This was not acceptable. So a very bright woman told the Emperor that he should announce to the common people that there is free construction material available and miraculously the site was completely cleared within 2 weeks! Ingenious and a great political move.

No photograph can do justice to the beauty that is the Taj. Once you get up close you see the incredible detail work. Precious and semi-precious stones are inlaid into the white marble creating very colorful motifs.

We are staying at The Oberoi which overlooks the Taj Mahal - literally we have an uninterrupted view of the monument of love and devotion! George has decided to build a similar monument to Donna but unfortunately she has to have about 12 more children and then die so i am not encouraging this to happen. Anyway, Agra is beautiful - or at least The Oberoi hotel and the Taj Mahal are beautiful. There is actually no civic pride in Agra and the city is very dirty and poorly maintained. Given that this is the number one tourist attraction in India and maybe even the world, they are not making too much of an effort to improve roadways, public transport, waste management and other important infrastructure.

Train to Tiger Country

2007-02-26T09:56:00.000-08:00

A few hours after the train bombing North of New Delhi that killed 165 people, we boarded a train heading south towards Ranthambore National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary. Situated in Eastern Rajasthan, where the Aravali Hill ranges and the Vindhyan plateau meet, the Ranthambhore National Park was once the hunting preserve of the Maharajas of Jaipur. The rivers Chambal in the South and Banas in the North bound the Ranthambore National Park.

Six man made lakes are the central focus of the park and many perennial streams criss-cross the entire park. The Ranthambore National Park has internal drainage and has no link up with any river system, even though two rivers bound the Park in it’s north and south side.

We rode a tiger and went looking for elephants in Rathambore - no wait, i got that wrong - we rode an elephant and went looking for tigers. Here is a riddle for you - if you want to get the height of an elephant you measure the circumference of its foot and multiply by a factor - what is that factor?

We actually saw a tiger! It was towards the end of the day so we were lined up with about 20 other jeeps and once it came into sight all of the drivers and guides started to freak out to try to get the best position for taking photos. All of the commotion did not seem to bother the tiger until people started to use flash. Then it scrambled up the hill. It did not take long for it to amble down back towards us looking for a place to cross the road. We decided to remove ourselves from the great hunt and returned to our tents for a little r&r.

New Delhi - Feb 17th

2007-02-26T09:12:00.000-08:00

Our tour started today in the morning - we visited India Gate, Humayan's Tomb (built by the Mughals in the 16th century), Quitb Minar and Jama Masjid (The Masjid-i-Jahan Numa, commonly known as Jama Masjid of Delhi is the principal mosque of Old Delhi in India. Commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and completed in the year 1656 AD, it is the largest and best known mosque in India. The Mughals had a tremendous influence in India. Under the Mughals, India was the heart of a great Islamic empire and a prolific center of Islamic culture and learning. According to historian Gavin Hambly, the Mughals provided the setting for a brilliant court and a vigorous cultural life which was equal to Isfahan under the Safavid Shahs or Istanbul under the Ottoman Sultans. The Mughals lived and reigned in India from 1526 to 1858 AD. Their dynasty was the greatest, richest and longest-lasting Muslim dynasty to rule India. This dynasty produced the finest and most elegant arts and architecture in the history of Muslim dynasties

We then took a bicycle rickshaw around Old Delhi which was a blast! Old Delhi is the exact opposite of New Delhi. It is very unplanned - much more vibrant and active - filled with "the people" vs "the diplomats". It is really nice to experience both. You get a nice sense of cultural and architectural history along with a feel for daily living of those that are struggling to survive in the big city. Unlike the wide boulevards of New Delhi, Old Delhi has winding chaotic streets with lots of people milling about buying fruits and vegetables, chickens, clothing and other goods.

We met up with Susie in the afternoon and were able to tap into her 14 years of living in India to find some of the best shopping areas. After over two months of traveling, Anthony and I were in much need of some clean clothes, so we hit the local markets to update our wardrobes. The shopping in India is amazing! Incredible fabrics, lots of gold sparklies and color! We did some damage - thanks to Susie we did not get ripped off and were able to find some great items at very very very reasonable prices. By the end of the day we needed to buy another suitcase - we probably paid more for that than all of the stuff we bought. I don't mean to sound like a shallow consumerist - and fortunately things don't really work that way in India. So many people, generally local artisans who receive their training from previous generations are employed - there are very few machines in India besides airplanes and computers. All of goods are at a very small local scale.

Of course the caste system is alive and well and although at first i really felt a bit uneasy about the whole thing - it seems to provide a structure that allows everyone to feel valued for their various skills. Of course this could be heavily debated - and IS heavily debated - it is an important part of Indian culture.

New Delhi - Feb 16th

2007-02-26T08:54:00.000-08:00

Our first day in Delhi we had a nice car tour of the city. It is sprawling and feels very planned. The British planned New Delhi with lots of roundabouts, wide boulevards and buildings that are kind of Neoclassical meets Moghul. It reminded us a lot of Washington DC which makes sense because it is the capital city of India. We stopped at a Hindu temple - Birla Temple - to give our "puja" to Lakshmi the goddess of wealth and prosperity. It was a much more modern temple and because there was a big Shiva festival going on there were many Hindus out and about. One interesting architectural element is the Swastika - an ancient symbol for good fortune that was reversed, usurped and misused by Hitler and his cohorts.

After giving thanks to the goddess of prosperity we went to Kahn Market to scout out the shopping scene. Everything is hidden away up a dark set of stairs in alleyways that are filled with merchants. Once you ascend the stairways there are amazing boutiques with vibrant fabrics that are used to create more modern cut skirts, shirts and pants. We knew we were meeting up with Susie the next day so we kept our rupees in our pocket and headed back to the hotel. Then off to dinner at a nice Thai restaurant - The Spice Route - in the Imperial Hotel - as our nephew Will likes to say about his chocolate ice cream...yummmmyyy.

Greetings to Mamaji and Pataji

2007-02-26T08:29:00.000-08:00

So we met up with Donna and George in New Delhi. After a few snafaus with our airport transfer we decided to go out to the airport to greet them - Indian Style! Complete with garlands of marigolds, roses and jasmine and a sparkly bindi for Donna. We almost missed them because they were waiting inside the baggage claim area and we were waiting outside with a hundred other greeters with signs. They finally emerged and we jumped out to surprise them. A long drive back to the hotel for a little late night snack, then off to bed to rest up for our big day with Susie (Anthony's mother who lives in Delhi).

Trivandrum

2007-02-09T05:16:00.002-08:00

Before heading to Bangalore and Mysore, we are spending a couple days in the southern-most city in Kerala, Trivandrum.

om shanthi, darn it!

2007-02-09T05:16:00.001-08:00

so from the beach madness, we decided to enroll ourselves in yoga prison...er camp. This is a place where you are requisitioned blankets and pillows and escorted to your slender plank of a bed with its flimsy mosquito netting and two inch thick mattress. A bell rings at 5am to get you out of bed (which you're actually thankful for because of the soreness in your back and neck thanks to the wispy mattress), you spend the morning and afternoon doing excercises, and work between excercise sessions by sweeping floors, cleaning toilets and cooking food. You also attend instruction on how you can reform yourself to become a better citizen in the world. Pretty much the same thing as your run-of-mill rehabilitation institution...except in this case you get the honor of paying them for the experience.

And best of all...it was worth every penny. The Sivananda Ashram is actually a wonderful place that both of us enjoyed and benefited from (and would recommend) Sure we dreamed of cheeseburgers and HBO, but we haven't felt this good for a long time. The asana classes (2 hours twice a day) were just what we needed, both physically and mentally. We're not cut out for long term ashram life, but for a short spell it is a great way for us to gain a healthier perspective on living, and learn what you can do to remain healthy when we get back to the world of work and Tivo.

Varkala

2007-02-09T05:16:00.000-08:00

From Kumily we made our way to the coast again to a town called Varkala. We settled into a beach resort type hotel and decided to take a walk down the beach. The contrasts were amazing. At the entrance to the southern beach (where we were staying) there is a place where Indians come to pay respect and give blessings to their deceased relatives. There are swamis (priests) set up under dried palm fronds where they go about attracting business like a typical shopkeeper; gesticulating wildly and calling out to carloads of family's arriving to pay respects to their family member. Since there are five or six swami operations, competition can become a bit fearce (but friendly and seemingly fair). Locals sit with their chosen swami, say prayers, perform rituals at the swami's direction, and prepare an offering on a banana leaf. The offering is set aflame and then carried out by the family to either the crows or to the sea. In the last picture you can see the contrast of westerners sunning themselves in revealing bikini's while locals are making their blessings. An interesting lack of awareness of what is happening around them. That said, here we are photographing the whole experience from our hotel! As we walked farther down the beach it got whiter and whiter (and nakeder and nakeder...can I make that a word?). The end of the beach is 100% westerners. The beach is at the base of a steep cliff which is being eroded away.On the cliff top, the Tibetans and Kashmiris refugees sell their goods, desperately trying to lure in customers. The clifftop consists of about 300 meters of what we refered to as a "hippie strip mall". No offense to hippies. But it was wacky to see shop after shop catering to consumer spirituality. Westerners doing yoga on the beach and then hiking up the cliff for a beer, fresh sea food and some good old fashioned clothes and trinket shopping, chakra adjusting.... reaching enlightenment through massage and the right look. It is a weird western bastardization of India and it's spiritual traditions...and is quite the scene. We ventured back to the seclusion of our beach hotel swimming pool and finishing off some great short stories by Vikram Chandra. We enjoyed ourselves - a little r and r - but we're looking forward to getting reconnected to a more authentic India.

Auntie KoKo and Uncle Anthony

2007-01-30T07:15:00.000-08:00

At Kaits homestay near Alleppey we spent our evenings with Thomas, little Thomas, Angitha, Rose, Anthony and Appu. They tought us some local songs and we shared "you are my sunshine" with them. Angitha practiced her dance routine that she will be performing along with her classmates soon and we tought all of them "gimme five, up high, down low, you're too slow!" We had so much fun and as we were leaving they all waved goodbye saying "bye auntie!" I was in tears....

Alleppey

2007-01-30T06:56:00.000-08:00

We landed at Kaits Home - a great family homestay on the backwaters near Alleppey. Jossy and his family welcomed us along with his extended family of brothers, uncles, children, neices and nephews! It was an extended holiday for everyone as there was a bus strike (unions are very strong in Kerala and a strike shuts everything down including schools and shops - "together united, we'll never be divided!"). Kerala's government alternates every 5 years - communist party, then democratic congress. It makes it very difficult for investors and public works projects, but they have a 100% literacy rate which is pretty impressive. This seems to be mainly because of the presence of Christians which is the pervasive religion here - they invest alot in education. The backwaters are gorgeous, with houseboats floating up and down the peaceful tributaries. Everyone uses the water for everything - laundry, bathing, swimming, fishing, and the occassional waste receptacle, but it seems surprisingly clean compared to other water bodies we have encountered so far. We took a 3 hour boat tour to Alleppey where we disembarked our mighty vessel, had some lunch, a massage and then returned to Kaits for another delicious traditional Keralan meal. We are definitely getting a chance to eat locally and plentifully.

Kumily - Periyar National Park

2007-01-30T06:38:00.000-08:00

shhhh....we're hunting wabbits.
Went for a night trek in a National Park known for its tigers and elephants(accompanied by a few rangers, including the one pictured with (literally)an elephant gun.) We didn't see any elephants, nor any tigers, but spotted a few wild boar, deer, a porcupine, a bunny rabbit, bats and something that we suspect was a domestic cat. The flying monkey is from our hotel balcony and the picture of Anthony is at the hotel Wildernest. A quick visit and onto Alleppey for backwater adventures....

Munnar - Tea Plantations

2007-01-30T06:23:00.000-08:00

A couple days spent in the Western Ghats on the Kerala - Tamil Nadu border. The large Indian company Tata (cars, telecommunications etc) own most of the tea plantatations in the area, which were originally planted by the British.

More Madurai

2007-01-20T07:28:00.000-08:00

and here the story from the previous post unfolds......we miss you all and look forward to hearing from you! Love Kelley and Anthony

Mayhem in Madurai

2007-01-20T07:14:00.000-08:00

and then....and then...and then we met SHANNON! That's right. After a couple of emails we tracked her down and we took a rickshaw down to the temple. We were all having a nice time strolling around the temple admiring the various chambers dedicated to Siva, Ganesha and Vishnu when this nice lady came up to us and told us there was a procession coming. We followed her and the throng of people pushing and shoving to see the entrance of the goddess being pulled on a cart wrapped in lights powered by a diesel generator being pulled behind it. Very beautiful! Then we noticed Ganesha. Live in person. He was an older elephant of 45 years with a broken leg and some festering wounds on his feet and sides, but looking stunning non the less. Shannon and I (Kelley) each put 5 ruppees in his trunk and he tapped us on the head as a blessing! Very cool. As Ganesha hobbled away he decided it was time for a little bathroom break and proceded to relieve himself in massive gushing fluids that maybe should have been solids. We stepped away quickly and noticed that everyone else moved towards the fluid and rubbed their feet in it! With a look of shock and awe on our faces we were told by the kind lady (still with us) that this was good luck. Once we turned our focus back to this nice lady we were covered in flowers, bangles, bindis and ankletbangles - all gifts that only cost 1000 ruppees (about 25 us dollars)! Aha - the old indian way of giving. We decided that we only needed a few of her gifts and settled on 400 ruppees. Still way too much but she was very kind and Shannon has a theory about always overpaying in India so there you go.

Madurai

2007-01-20T07:07:00.000-08:00

Madurai is a cleaner more prosperous city with a very beautiful temple complex as the main focal point. There is a market all around the temple selling textiles, food, and everythingunderthesun! We walked around the temple to admire the intricate details and beautiful colors.

More Trichy

2007-01-20T07:01:00.000-08:00

Pronounced trichee (not tricky as Kelley was saying the whole time we were there!). We did not warm up to Trichy but did enjoy the Rockfort temple which is carved into this massive rock outcropping in the middle of town. We hiked to the top to get some nice views across the city and give our respects to Ganesha. Oops and we just realized Guru Gates is in this post (see previous post for funny description of this encounter). After a couple days here we boarded the Guruvayur Express to Madurai where we had planned to meet up with Ms. Shannon Jones from Portland Oregon. Did we find her? See the next post to find out......

Bumpy road to Trichy

2007-01-20T06:48:00.000-08:00

After a quick stop in Tiruvannumalai we hired a car to drive us down to Trichy. After 5 hours of potholed national highways and state roads we were ready to do some walking around. First we checked our email to check in on things with all of you (please email us. tell us how you are!) and at the internet place we noticed that in the place of the usual indian swami or guru (or political figure, see photo of cool looking chap with the shades) there was a poster of Guru Gates. Being Mac people we did not make any offerings to the "great guru" and continued on our way. We wondered around through the markets where they were selling spices, dye, sugar cane, coconuts, and many fruits and vegetables. The cow seen in the photo is dining on a little street rubbish near the market and we thought to ourselves - is that the cow that produced our delicous sweet lassi? It is best not to think of the food chain just like in the US, but it is local and probably organic (aside from a few lingering pesticides). No big Combined Animal Feeding Operations here in India - cow and pig are sacred to the Hindus and Muslims respectively, so strict vegetarianism is generally the Indian way - fine by us as the food is amazingly yummy.

Pondy to Tiruvannumalai

2007-01-20T06:28:00.000-08:00

Hello everybody! The first photo is an artistic shot by Anthony of the best use of the often discarded and sometimes illegally reused plastic bottle - recycled art - very Portland eh? We hired an ambassador (a very diplomatic automobile that goes about 30 mph top speed) to take us from Pondicherry to Tiruvannumalai where there is an elaborate temple and the Sri Ramana Maharshi Ashram. Inside the temple many prayers were made to Ganesha, remover of obstacles, as we had not made any further reservations and were finding it more and more difficult to find rooms available once we spontaneously arrived in town. Kelley tried to get a direct blessing from the "live" version of Ganesha but something went awry and she ended up stepping in the "holy shit" instead. We quickly headed back to the room for a nice foot scrubbing to prevent any infection. The next day we decided to go inside the Sri Ramana Maharshi Ashram which was completely peaceful and tranquil amongst the chaos of Tiruvannumalai. Sri Ramana Maharshi preached (mostly through his presence not through his words or actions) the power of silence as the way to realize pure Self. He said it was very simple - you just keep asking yourself "who is asking" whenever there is judgement, suffering, etc. He called this self enquiry and the point is to decrease the power of the ego by constantly questioning where one's thoughts are coming from. The only "reality" is the non ego, pure Self of which we all are...as one entity....without form. Okay we are only beginning to try to grasp his teachings but his presence can be felt at the ashram 50 years after his death. The other photos are taken along the way and highlight the beauty, ancient history and color of Southern India.

Pondicherry

2007-01-12T08:17:00.000-08:00

So here we are in beautiful and quaint Pondy. The "French Quarter" is so drastically different than any other place we have visited so far. Just over the canal- i.e. wastewaterway that smells so horribly rank that our gag reflexes are triggered - is the India Quarter which looks and feels much more like the India we have experienced thus far. Needless to say we really enjoy the quiet walks on the cobbled streets of the French Quarter, the yummy restaurants - even though they are serving "french" food we are savoring the lovely spices of the various indian dishes along with a nice sweet lassi - we are in food heaven! These photos are from scenes around Pondy - me (Kelley) waiting for the bus to Pondy; a little streetside laundry service; the "no horn blowing sign" which NOBODY abides by; the sacred cow napping on the sidewalk (which people don't use, so good thing it is being used by someone!); and last but not least, let us introduce, the ubiquitous MG, aka Mahatama Ghandi...word up!

South to Mahabalipuram

2007-01-09T07:40:00.000-08:00

We woke up early this morning to take a bus to Mhabalipuram which is 2 hours - 10 miles (hahaha) south of Chennai. Parts of the coastline was hit by the 2004 tsunami and is still being rebuilt by various NGOs. This shore temple pictured is from 700AD and is slowly being eroded away by the salty sea. There are many other temples here including the 5 rathas which are carved out of big huge rock formations. Pretty impressive. The stone carvers are chisling away at granite all day long creating those trinkets you find in World Market. Not major craftsmanship but amazing dedication on a very tough stone. It is definitely more chill here but we are onto Pondicherry for a bit of yoga and french influenced architecture (and maybe coffee too!). Hope you are all doing well and that your 2007 is starting off with a bang! Lots of love to all of you - Kelley and Anthony

Onto India!

2007-01-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

After an 8 hour flight from Joburg to Mumbai we had a 6 hour layover in the Mumbai domestic terminal! from midnight to 6 am! then we flew directly to Chennai (on the east coast of southern India in Tamil Nadu). Instead of my usual double cappucino i was jolted into consciousness by the crazy taxi ride from the Chennai airport to our hotel. Holy mother of god! I was not sure if we would get there alive or without running over the mass of cyclists, pedestrians, scooteristas, cows, goats, dogs, children or rikis that were all trying to use the same lane...did I say lane?...actually there is no such thing. There are some lines painted on the streets that you may think indicate lanes...not so, they are obviously just a decoration of some kind.
And those chickens hanging from the bicycle are alive (see picture)! not for long. We settled in for a walk to the beach, risking our lives but determined to walk so we could take in the sights and SMELLS (yipes) of the city. We stopped quickly at the lifestyle mall for some indian fast food and then onto the beach where everyone gathers for hot corn on the cob and some fun rides for the kiddies.

Scenes from the City

2007-01-03T07:19:00.000-08:00

So we thought it would be nice to share some photos we took just walking through the City. Long Street is the happening street with many bars, restaurants, shops and tourists from around the world. A couple of cool hotels to check out, Daddy Long Legs, Hippo and The Metropol. Things are sooo stylish here! All of the vibrant colors are from Bo Kaap a predominately Muslim neighborhood between the city center and de Waterkant. This is such an easy city to walk around in with non stop excitement!

Woodstock

2007-01-03T07:06:00.000-08:00

Woodstock is an up and coming neighborhood that is VERY diverse. The Old Biscuit Mill is this really cool mixed use development with shops, a market, and some offices. The main street is surrounded by small little cottages. This would be a great place to invest so i thought i would pass it along for those of you who are considering a move to Cape Town after viewing our blog over the past month or so. The City is still working towards 2010 but there are still many people expressing skepticism that it can be pulled off. Some of you may remember that S.Africa was pulled from all world sports, including the world cup, during apartheid. So it is really an amazing opportunity and one that will help S. Africa along its path towards equality and economic prosperity for all people.

Helderberg Hike

2007-01-03T06:58:00.000-08:00

So we are getting some fitness in thanks to Elbe, Jan and Susie. We got up and starting hiking at 6am (yes, Kelley got up at 6am - it's a miracle!). We ran into some baboons along the way and Kelley almost turned around because of the horrid noises they were making. Alas, Jan chased them away and Elbe and Susie led the way just in case they changed their minds. We made it up to the top in about 3 hours, ate lunch and then started back down. Overall it was about a 6 hour adventure. Boy were our dogs barkin when we got to the bottom. And a few days later our legs were rubber. But we experienced amazing views of Cape Town, Table Mountain and the winelands!

Townships

2006-12-20T05:18:00.000-08:00

When you arrive at the airport in Cape Town this is the first thing you see. Scattered throughout the suburbs of Cape Town are the townships where hundreds of people live. They have electricity but that is about it as far as infrastructure. There is a big problem with people moving from other African countries and this is where they land. There is a dirth of affordable housing in the city and very few jobs for those with no marketable skills. The city just codefied a Black Empowerment program that is intended to provide training and business development opportunities.

We were stuck in traffic after picking Susie up from the airport and witnessed this hilarious scene. These three rather large women were trying to cross the road - a 6 lane highway! - and were having a difficult time heaving their bottoms over the barricade. This is a common scene and you have to be very careful as people walk (stroll!) across the highway as if it is a typical street crossing.

Mossel Bay, Plett and Storms River

2006-12-20T05:01:00.000-08:00

We took a quick trip up the Garden Route on the east coast of the cape peninsula. Mossel Bay is a popular spot for vacationing farmers from inland provinces. They all camp out next to the beach creating quite a chaotic beach scene. We found this super fun swimming hole - the waves come crashing in, bash against these vertical rock faces and fill up the spaces in between. You time it so that when you jump in (they have diving boards built off the rocks) the current carries you down the shoot. When we first arrived these kids had climbed out onto the rocks and were jumping from the rocks - totally insane! A quick stop for lunch in Kynsna (nizna) and then onto to Victorias Bay. We were expecting a quiet beach scene but it was a bit crazy so we headed onto Plett - an upscale beach town that was quiet and pleasant. The next day we headed up to Storms River National Park. This is where the Storms River meets the Indian Ocean. We hiked to this suspension bridge to view what was supposed to be a tumultuous meeting of the two water bodies.....beautiful yes, tumultuous no. A quick swim, some lunch and an 8 hour drive back to Cape Town with an overnight stop in the Afrikaans town of Swellendam. We were expecting the garden route to be lush and pristine but the hillsides have been mostly stripped of trees (nice African yellow woods and other hard woods have been pitifully replaced with dinky pines) and the towns developed with second homes. We heard about the famous Oregon Pine that is a sought after material used for cabinetry - pretty wild considering most people have no idea where ORYGON is!

Somerset West, The Strand and Gordon's Bay

2006-12-20T04:54:00.000-08:00

Somerset West is a suburb to the east of Cape Town also in the winelands but closer to the coast. We had a nice visit with Elbe and Danie Hofmyer, their family, their great dane Rex, their two horses, 5 chickens, 2 cats, guinea fowl and geese.

Carols by Candelight in Kirstenbosch Gardens

2006-12-20T04:42:00.000-08:00

Singing and the story of baby jesus. We recorded some of the carols on our cell phone but the files are too big to send. You will just have to use your imagination! Kirstenbosch is a beautiful botanical garden on the back side of Table Mountain. The grounds are beautiful. Susie got into the Christmas spirit by purchasing a santa hat and a blinking santa necklace for each of us. We noticed they do not sing Frosty the Snowman - for obvious reasons.

Cape Winelands: Constantia

2006-12-20T04:25:00.001-08:00

Anthony's mom Susie arrived on the 13th. We celebrated her birthday on the 14th and then ventured out into the nearby Constantia Winelands. Only 15 minutes from downtown Cape Town these are the original wine farms in this region. This area was established by Simon van der Stel in 1685 and produces both white and red wines inlcuding Sauvignon Blancs, Semillon, Semillon/Sauv Blanc blend (yummy), Shiraz (yummy) and Cab Savs. We had a lovely Rose at Groot Constantia. For some reason we are enjoying pink wines - it must be the heat. Also try the Constantia Uitsig which makes a very nice Chardonnay in addition to Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Constantia is very lush compared to the coastal part of Cape Town where we are staying. The "table cloth" of clouds gets caught on Table Mountain and releases more moisture on the back side of the mountain.

Cape Winelands: Stellenbosch

2006-12-20T04:25:00.000-08:00

Cape Winelands: Franschhoek

2006-12-20T03:57:00.000-08:00

Wow! I was not expecting this when i thought of S. African winelands. Only 45 minutes from downtown Capetown, Franschhoek is nestled in these gorgeous mountains with vineyards creeping up the hillsides and charming Cape Dutch buildings dotting the landscape. We visted a larger vineyard first - Boschendal. They have been producing wine for over 300 years and have some unique offerings. In addition to sampling the Chenin Blancs and Sauvignon Blancs that this region is known for, we tried the refreshing Blanc de Noir, which was developed in the 80s and, just like fashion, have come back into style with much better results! They also produce a nice Shiraz.We also sampled a Pinot Noir at the Chamonix wine farm and although tasty it does not have the same je ne sais quoi as the Oregon pinots.

Settled by fleeing French Hugenots in 1685, Franschhoek (French Corner)is not only known for its wines but for its exceptional restaurants. We'll be going back to Franschhoek to sample some of those soon!

African Penguins

2006-12-07T04:42:00.000-08:00

Are they not the cutest creatures you have ever seen? Around the corner people are swimming with them at Boulders Beach. When they are basking in the sun they put their beaks in the air and make this funny noise. They are very docile and humorous to watch waddling from boulder to boulder. I will keep this post short and simple. Enjoy and please, please, send us some comments - what is happening in your neck of the woods? Love KandA

Cape Point and False Bay Route

2006-12-07T04:18:00.000-08:00

Wednesday December.....6? We're starting to lose track of time like good tourists. The inner flip flop is emerging! We hopped in our speedy little Fiat and headed down Chapmans Peak Road towards Simonstown, Boulders Beach, Cape Point and then back up towards Muizenberg where we watched the local surfers struggle with the rough and mighty Atlantic. More on Boulders Beach in the next post (i just couldn't bear to reduce the number of penguin photos so it must be a separate post). We entered the Table Mountain National Park (over 7000 hectares of wilderness including dramatic coastlines that mark the soutwestern most point in S. Africa) after escaping a potentially disasterous Baboon encounter. A family of five wiley baboons made there way across the road and then stopped on the side preparing to attack through my open window. I dropped the camera as i scurried to roll up the window after Anthony informed me that they can be aggressive. The only offense i received was a bad visual of baboon butt. Onward to Cape Point with busloads of tourists to hike up to almost the most southern point on the continent - the Lighthouse at Cape Point. This time, I wore the wrong shoes. A pair of stylish yet functional sandals but certainly not the appropriate gear for braving the steep climb. We could have taken the funicular (look it up) but we forgot our pass in the car and were up for a little exercise. Stunning views and the usual signpost stating distances to various locations in the world. NYC folks you are roughly 12000 km from the almost most southern point in Africa. The picture of Anthony with the wave in the background in the Cape of Good Hope. A lovely day with lots of sun. Onto the mighty Afican Penguins!

Table Mountain

2006-12-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely day on top of Table Mountain, which is a World Heritage Site because of its rich diversity of flora and fauna. The only fauna we actually saw were vibrantly colored lizards crawling on the craggly rocks. The views from Table Mountain are spectacular. The photos show dowtown Cape Town, Lions Head, Camps Bay Beach and the Visa sponsored cable car we hitched up the mountain (you can climb up the mountain but Anthony was wearing flip flops). It is definitely a big attraction as we were not the only tourists there. Once we defeated the Chinese tourists in securing a spot on the cable car we heard Italian, French, Russian, German, Afrikanns (local dutch dialect), Czech, Japanese, etc. Once we got off the main loop aka paved route we were able to take in the natural surroundings in peace. Breathtaking views and a nice warm sunny day! But alas, we forgot to secure a bottle of water and dehydration set in. Not having a map with us we took our chances that the trail we were on would make a loop around the entire Mountain and we were surely more than halfway. Not so! A nice hiker, also without a map but with well founded local knowledge, informed us that the trail went to the highest point and then down the other side into Rondebosch. We were up for a visit with Ouma but once again we were not prepared for such a hike so we turned around and headed for the safety of the Cable Car Restaurant for some refreshing water, guava juice and an icy cold Sprite! So we made it back down and onto more adventures the following day at Cape Point (see next post!) Lots of love to you all and hoping you are all happy and healthy. KandA

Room with a View

2006-12-07T03:45:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Suzanne and Leon (Anthony's aunt and uncle) we have the best accomodation in Seapoint (just west of Cape Town) complete with a stunning view (see photo). We have experienced many beautiful sunsets and moonsets (5am gorgeous full moon - too sleepy to take a picture). I took Anthony out to La Perla (a local Seapoint restaurant that Suzanne recommended and was absolutely devine!) for a belated birthday dinner since I was sick on his actual birthday on November 25 (he's 36!). To continue the celebration, we sampled some local wines at The Nose (their t-shirts say "thanks for picking Us" hahaha). We had a lovely Pinotage (see photo) after sampling a flight of local whites (Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Fume, Chardonnay). We are planning a trip up the garden route and then back through the wine country, but a few days of drizzle have delayed us.

First Week in Cape Town

2006-12-01T11:33:00.000-08:00

We've arrived! And were jet lagged beyond belief. For three days. Up all night. Sleeping all day. Feeling sick. Not good. That's what two straight red eye flights will do. Today, the fourth day of our stay in Cape Town, we have finally felt like ourselves....and enjoyed a sunny -though blustery- day in the Cape driving a stick shift on the left side of the road (Car courtesy of Anthony's Mom's friend Elbe's son's girlfriend Louise...phew!) We're wonderfully comfortable in Anthony's Aunt and Uncle's Sea Point flat. THANK YOU! Have not hit the beaches yet, but will soon. (Though we did take a drive down the coast and stopped to snap picture of Kelley on beach in Llandudno (SP?).) Had a wonderful few visits with Anthony's Ouma, who is 94 and reading stacks of books, journals, and magazines in numerous languages.
We're talking with whomever we can about the future of Cape Town and South Africa in general...and are learning all about the preparations for 2010 World Cup and will be looking for investors very soon so save your Holiday Ca$h. We miss you all! Let us know what's up in your lives (we hear it's snowing and icy in Portland! Ha! Just kidding;)
Love,
Anthony and Kelley

The Plan

2006-11-24T15:49:00.000-08:00

We thought we would start off with an overview of our trip. After months of preparation and a trip to the east coast to explore the Hudson River Valley and Brooklyn, NYC, we are off to Cape Town! We leave Sunday November 26 and arrive Tuesday morning after layovers in London and Frankfurt. We will be in Cape Town until December 28 when we leave for Mumbai. We will spend New Years in Mumbai and then head south and explore around southern india for a month and a half. Then up to northern india for a month. Back thru London and maybe a side trip to northern Europe.

The Happy Couple!

2006-09-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

As part of our vows, we promised to embrace our inner flip flop!

Our goal

2006-09-06T14:29:00.000-07:00

Embrace the inner flip flop!

Not that kind of flip flop