Magical Mandalay to the Post-Apocalyptic Capital

by kinsay20December 27, 2016February 12, 2017

The remainder of our slow boat ride from Bagan to Mandalay was nice and we just relaxed on the top deck. The southeast Asia sun definitely burned me and Conner!

As we disembarked the boat in Mandalay we were surrounded with cab drivers begging for our business. We found one who seemed nice and had a good price. He drove us the 15 minute ride to our hotels. Jess and Christopher were staying down the street from our hotel Yadanarbon.

As we entered the nice lobby we were greeted with a welcome drink and nice cloths to wash our hands ( pretty customary in Asia). After settling into our room Conner and I went to the nice rooftop for sunset.

We were given a complimentary cocktail and ordered 2 orders of spring rolls appetizer. When they arrived we realized we could split an order-they were huge- each had 10 spring rolls. They were very good and the sunset was beautiful. They informed us a traditional show with singing, marionettes, musicians and dancing would begin at 7:30. We messaged Jess and Christopher to come and join for dinner and the show. We had a pretty good dinner and I really enjoyed the show! The costumes were really pretty and performers very talented.

After the show we went to bed, again planning to get up early to explore the city of Mandalay. The next morning we quickly realized Mandalay was very different from both Bagan and Yangon. Mandalay had the hustle and bustle city feel of Yangon, but not quite as hectic. Most roads in Mandalay are dirt roads, much like in Siem Reap, Cambodia. As walked near our hotel we walked through a crazy street market. We have seen many of these throughout southeast Asia. At times you question the cleanliness, and we reminded ourselves that all the restaurants we eat in likely get their produce from these markets.

I’ll never forget the time Conner tasted durian fruit in Vietnam from a woman on the street who looked like she hadn’t showered in weeks and was cutting the fruit with a knife that has probably never been cleaned. I thought he was nuts! Jessica is pretty liberal with her street food tastings. I like to consider myself adventurous- there was the time I ate a bowl of snails from s street vendor in Morroco, and I’m pretty sure we never really knew what exactly we were eating in Beijing half the time.

Many street vendors in Myanmar have women selling these fried looking patty things that are filled with different things- beans, shrimp, vegetables. I kind of wanted to try one, justifying it was probably safe considering I just saw the woman remove some from the hot fryer. Christopher changed my mind though when told me about “ gutter oil”. Apparently it is a thing in China, not sure about other asian countries. It is literally oil from the gutters. Yup, I’m good. Not that hungry.

We set out to find a camera repair shop (1 of only 3 in the city) for Jessica’s sunscreen damaged camera. We found the shop down a side road. The repair man was very nice and told us to come back in 3 hours (at least thats what we thought he was saying). He told us he wouldn’t charge her any money if he couldn’t fix it. We prayed he would be able to!
We continued on to find the Royal palace. Passing a public exercise area on the way, they decided to try it out. These types of things are common in Vietnam as well.

Once we arrived at a palace entrance locals tried to tell us we couldn’t go in that way. As we got closer we realized they were right- tourists could not enter from that point. The entry point we could use was about a 45 minute walk. A guy offered us motor bikes but I refused. I have heard from too many people about tourist injuries , especially in the cities with busy traffic.

We couldn’t find a cab so after some time the motor bike guy waved down a pickup truck looking vehicle with benches in the back. We have seen locals transported this way but we hadn’t done it. It was actually a cool experience.

A man with betel but red-stained teeth sat in the back next to me trying to make conversation. I was distracted by his teeth, but he seemed nice.

As we arrived near the palace we noticed a parade lining up along the street. We asked to get off the truck so we could check it out! It was so fun to see! All the beautiful multi colored costumes, hundreds of horses and carriages, elephants and cows. It was quite a parade!

On our walk to the palace we find little public workout exercise area. These are common in Asia also. So fun! LOL

We made our way through the palace. As we walked through I tried to imagine what it would have been like to live there thousands of years ago.

After the palace we walked up a hill to a pagoda surrounded by white structures. After taking off our shoes and socks we were allowed to walk all around. It was really a beautiful place! We were definitely hot though at the peak sun time of the day!

We found a nice taxi driver outside the pagoda to take us to the camera repair shop. He called himself “ Mr Very Nice guy” and tried to sell us on letting him be our driver the following day. We had planned to venture to a few area outside Mandalay to see some sites. We got his card and told him we would call him.

Back at the camera repair shop we arrived to find it closed. Oh no! Didnt he tell us to come back at this time? We were confused and concerned until an elderly man approached us telling us the repair man was at lunch and would be back. He even called him for us to let him know we were there. The man was so cute. He kept insisting we sit down in his nephews shop next door. He told us he was a retired teacher and was receiving a pension.

When the repair man returned, we were bummed to find out he wasn’t able to fix the camera. Jessica was pretty sad, and we all felt badly. We continued on to a hillside pagoda for sunset. It was really pretty. We all agreed we had never seen a sun set quite that way. The sun itself appeared to be 5 different colors at one point. Magnificent!

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Conner found a good rated Italian restaurant on trip advisor for dinner. We were all excited to have something different! Mangia, a cute, clean Italian restraint was only about 1/2 mile from out hotels. The overwhelmingly strong smell of garlic was refreshing as we entered!

I ordered a beef pasta with red sauce, while the others ordered the cream bacon sauce pasta special. I was hoping I could have a glass of red wine to go with my pasta, but learned the didnt have any. They only served Myanmar beer. The waitress explained that to sell anything other than Myanmar beer required a special license. No wine for me!
We found a taxi driver who offered to be our driver the following day for almost half of what Mr very nice guy had offered. We agreed and he said he would arrive at 8:30am to pick us up.

Our following day began with a local pagoda we hadn’t been to.

Check out the boys in their skirts 😉

We then drive 1.5 hours to an outside town. Jess got a little car sick. It was a pretty bumpy ride on dirt roads. She had some motion sickness medicine back at the hotel but didnt want to take it because it makes her drowsy. After we were out of the car she felt better.

We explored the interesting , unique sites and walked around. Mingun.

Looks like an elephant behind–

Ancient Mingun bell

Christopher bought some bamboo wallets and we checked out the old Mingun bell. After finding our driver we asked him if we could stop for lunch. He took us to another amazing pagoda area –amazing!!!

Conner cleaning his yucky feet for the 20th time that day 😉 ( we carry wipes in our bags)

And then to a village area and pulled up to a local place telling us it was good to eat. The place seemed to be the stop all drivers bright tourists too. The drivers ate in one side of the place, and the tourists on the other. Me, Jessica and Conner ordered a chicken curry dish, and Christopher a fried rice and meat dish. Our food was way less than appetizing. I ate the rice and some of the chicken just because I was hungry. We all prayed we wouldn’t get sick. It just didn’t seem like the most hygienic place. Again, when you travel to other countries, these are just things you will come across, and learn to deal with.

After lunch we were led down to the surrounding river area where we were told to board a small motor boat to take us across the water way to the island village. I was a little afraid the boat may tip over, but we made it across. As we pulled up I noticed a group of 10 local girls pointing to the boat and I knew just what they were doing. They were each calling dibs on which tourist they wanted. We had learned previously in Myanmar that this was common practice. They do not want to “compete” with each other so they each pick their designated tourist to attempt to sell to.

They are sweet and although somewhat pushy, they are just trying to make a living. They all have the same English lines- “hello, you look so pretty. Look at my necklaces. You should get for Christmas present.” and “ You will be my first customer of the day which means lucky money- you will be lucky if you buy from me!” Haha and my favorite- “it is so cheap it is almost free”.

I politely tell the girl that I have already bought things and have no room left in my bag. We start walking through the island where there are about 50 horses and carriages. The carriage drivers started aggressively harassing us “ carriage ride to monastery- you must ride, walk too long”. They kept saying the walk would be 2 hours, some even said 5 hours. Conner’s trust GPS map confirmed that it was indeed not that far- maybe a 20 minute walk. We kept refusing the carriages but they followed us. It got a little annoying after a few minutes. We kept walking passing many local villagers, pigs, banana trees everywhere.

We arrived to a cool pagoda to climb. The stairs were a bit sketchy and not sturdy, but we made to to the top.

View from the top-

rice fields everywhere!

locals playing volleyball type game

with 2 of my fave guys!!

We walked around some more and saw some local girls staring up to a tree. I asked what they saw. They explained that a burmese python lived in the tree. “She comes out in the morning”, the young teenager told me, “ I see her when I pass by on my way to work. She is sleeping now”. They kept staring up as though it may come out. We looked for awhile but never saw anything. That would be crazy to have seen a wild python! The girls said it was 6 feet long and very wide.

We got back on the little boat with the bottom floor made of 2 inch width boards, water seeping through some. We made it back to shore and found our driver waiting for us. I desperately needed to use the bathroom. Conner and Christopher had warned us about the lunch restaurant’s bathroom, but it was our only option. It was an outhouse type bathroom. I waited outside while Jessica went in first. I heard commotion and chatter from behind the fence. I peaked around to see a group of men gambling and playing cards. I snapped the photo below and the laughed saying “ five dollars’. I knew they were kidding. They immediately dispersed after that though. Jessica came out and said the bathroom wasn’t “the absolute worst she had seen”. Ugh. I went in holding my breath as long as I could. I wanted to get in and out as fast as possible. It was a squatter, meaning no seat- just a hole. It smelled so incredibly bad that I started gagging. Needless to say I made record time getting out.

The “outhouse”– yuck!!!!!

locals I caught gambling — busted!

We carry hand sanitizer everywhere. I used a lot all over my hands and arms. Our driver then drove us to our last destination for the day- U bein bridge. This very popular bridge on many postcards is a photographers dream. Surrounded by beautiful scenery and water, it is quite pretty. We walked across the bridge. It definitely did not seem sturdy or extremely safe but many people were walking across. The wood panels have many gaps between them and my foot slipped through a few times. We were getting restless and although it was pretty, we didnt want to wait another hour for the sunset. We know the pictures would have been amazing but we still had an hour drive back to the city.

locals playing games

Arriving back in Mandalay we decided to have dinner at a Korean restaurant. We were led to a second floor where 3 young people tried to take our order. I noticed the one girl spoke very good English and seemed to be helping the others. Conner ordered korean BBQ chicken wings, while I got a bibimbap dish. Christopher and Jessica have been to South Korea so they ordered some unique things that we got to try. One thing was kind of like a fried sushi roll without fish , just veggies. It was pretty tasty. Our meals were all good!

We started talking with the young girl who spoke good English, As it turns out, she is a 21 year old student at University of Mandalay. She is not employed by the restaurant but her sister is a cook. She told us the owners are Korean and introduced us to their daughter. We learned her Myanmar name was Chow, chow, (meaning beautiful, beautiful), and her English name was Madison. Apparently, many students are given an English name by their teacher. She already had completed a degree and language and was now working towards a second degree in diplomatic studies. Chaw chaw was 1 of 5 children, to a mother who sells chicken in the street market, and a father who helps her. All 5 kids attended university. Amazing!

Jessica and I loved talking to her. We learned so much. She is christian and hopes to marry a Christian man. She was sweet and smart! The boys were tired and had to pull us away from chatting to go back to our hotels. We said goodbye and took a picture. Jessica got her email information to stay in touch.

The next morning we were taking a bus from Mandalay to the capital city Napitaw. This is the “new” capitol in a country with a long-term political divide. This article posted in Time this week explains in detail—- fascinating article–

http://time.com/4597920/myanmar-peace/

Originally Christopher and jessica were not sure if they were going to stay in Mandalay an extra day or come with us to the capitol. We had to all make it back to Yangon to fly out to Laos two days later. Conner had found that the capitol city had 1 of only 2 Hiltons in the entire country. He figured we could break up the 8 hour journey back to Yangon by staying overnight at the Hilton.

The 4 hour bus ride was fine. We slept most of it, and stopped halfway for breakfast. As we arrived in the Napitaw we saw many very large mansion homes and many nice hotels and government buildings. The town seemed like a ghost town though. Conner described it as “post-apocolyptic. It was obvious this city was built and designed specifically to host summits and foreign diplomats. The story goes that a high-up official was told by his astrologist or psychic, the capital of Yangon would get attacked and that a new capital had to be established elsewhere. The city of Naypyidaw ( different spellings), was built in secrecy. Government and military were apparently told without notice they had to moe there in a few days time.

Another article explaining so much-https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/mar/19/burmas-capital-naypyidaw-post-apocalypse-suburbia-highways-wifi

Getting off the bus we were again bombarded with about 20 taxi drivers begging for our business. I found one to take us for 4,000 kyat (about $3 USD).

The Hilton property was like an enormous compound. Arriving at the gate surrounded by police and security, our car was checked for bombs upon entry. Jessica and Christopher didnt have a room booked, but lucky for us, Conner was able to work some magic. With his diamond status we were able to get upgraded at no extra cost to a suite. It was a nice size suite and we were happy! We immediately changed to go out and enjoy the beautiful pool. The hotel was very scarce with occupants. There were many workers everywhere, but very few guests. The place was immaculate. We had lunch ordered at the pool and enjoyed the sunshine.

Back at the room it was discovered one of the bathrooms had a leak from the AC. Well, this worked in our favor! They upgraded us again to an even bigger and better suite. It was beautiful! Huge bathrooms, living room, bedroom. Very nice!

We got lounge access where we enjoyed complimentary wine, beer and appetizers. It was enough to fill us for dinner. We played monopoly in the lounge for a couple hours and chatted with a Canadian man who lives in the hotel. He is a teacher to the diplomats and military children. He has lived in different countries in Asia for 10 years teaching.

After our game (Jessica and Christopher tied), we headed to the lobby bar area where there was some live music. I was fading fast and tried to stay awake for the entertainment. I just couldn’t do it! Plus, I wanted some good sleep because we were heading back to Yangon the next day– and after that Laos!!!

kaunggsawnyapar ( goodnight in Burmese),

King

To Asia, with Love

by kinsay20December 12, 2016December 14, 2016

Two years ago I had the amazing opportunity to experience 5 Asian countries on my honeymoon. I had never been to Asia before and my experiences were beyond words! My husband and I both were enthralled with the vast differences of culture. We went to Japan, China, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. (www.connerhoneymoonadventure.com). So many asked “where did you like the best” – it is much too hard to answer that question. There are things I loved in all the places we have travelled- for different reasons. Each country so completely different, and within each county, each city or town was different. To me traveling is an incomparable way to learn – not only about others, but about yourself. Each travel experience has made me grow in different ways. I overcome fears each time I travel to a new place. I become more confident and more aware.With travel you find that as different as each culture may be, there are also so many universal similarities – a smile, ( as corny as this sounds) is indeed universal.

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My husband and I made a pact that each year we would travel to at least 2 new places. Last year we embarked on an awesome journey through Morocco and Spain. I documented our adventures on this blog along the way.

We had been dreaming of a return to Asia, so this year when we realized my brother and his wife would be traveling through Asia all year, we figured it was the perfect time to go back! We decided to meet them in 2 countries we have not been- Myanmar and Laos. We have seen specials/ documentaries on these countries and have been really interested to experience them for ourselves! They are both newer to western tourism, so they are not touristy and true history and culture remains. We wanted to see these places before they become tarnished and overrun with tourists.

Myanmar and Laos, both being in Southeast Asia, are not directly reachable from the United States. A layover in either Japan, Thailand, or China is most likely. Using our earned airline mile points, we were able to book our flights to Asia free of charge with a layover in Japan! We absolutely LOVED Japan during our honeymoon! Our 24 hour layover for this trip gave us just enough time to get our Tokyo fix! But before we get to Tokyo, lets back up a little—-

We research our destinations in the months prior and book hotels, transportation etc. ourselves. We have never used a travel agent , and find the researching ourselves to be part of the adventure! Using other travelers’ blogs and trip advisor, we feel pretty confident in our travel plans!

My husband has enlightened me that traveling lighter is better. When he first told me that I was only bringing a “pack” on our 2 month honeymoon, I thought he was joking. “What is he thinking? Does he not know I need heels, flats, dresses, pants, shirts, skirts …” I thought. I managed to do it though, and it makes travel so much easier. It is not practical to lug around a suitcase when moving from city to city , country to country. A traveler’s backpack can be carried on instead of checked (most of the time), so you are less likely to have lost luggage, and more likely to make connecting flights. You can also maneuver around crowded cities, airports and trains easier with your pack on instead of pulling a suitcase.

So this time I was mentally prepared to pack my “pack”. (Just when you think it is as full as it can be you can sneak one more thing in through a side zipper-in this case my international hair iron)

I felt excited and ready to go! I booked a last minute travel clinic appointment 3 days before we were departing to get a malaria pill prescription. My husband had already decided he would opt out of taking the pills and would just douse himself in insect repellant. Although I was not in agreement with this decision, I couldn’t force him to take the pills ( although I did consider hiding them in his food- shh!). I arrived at the travel clinic appointment and was shocked to hear the nurse practitioner tell me I was due for an updated Hep A and also was recommended to get a polio booster. Yes- polio. Although we are vaccinated as children in the US, in certain countries it is not eradicated and contagious.

As the nurse looked through the records she also realized my husband John ( I refer to him as Conner, so don’t get confused- same husband ;)), was due for a typhoid vaccination. I was so upset with myself for not being more proactive. I am usually very on top of these things. I knew we got the typhoid and Hep A for our honeymoon, so I did not think we were due again. I got mine and began frantically texting my husband. He was out of town for a work meeting and would be returning at 5pm the night before our trip. There was very little time for him to get vaccinated! I was so nervous and anxious! I found a CVS minute clinic that would stay open until 7:30pm. I convinced Conner to go and get his vaccines right after he landed. Talk about a last minute save! It was not easy to convince him, like many men he thinks he is invincible. I stressed that typhoid and Hep A are spread through water and food- not like malaria- you cant just put on some repellant. Whew! A huge weight lifted off my shoulders after he was vaccinated!

My brother Michael flew in town the night before we left. He offered to cat and condo-sit for us! Another huge weight lifted off my shoulders! He did this for us last year for a month, and the year prior my dad flew up for a good portion of the time, and great friends helped out the rest . How fortunate I am to have amazing family and friends to take care of my sweet kitties while we are gone!
A bright and super early Saturday AM, we set out on our adventure! Tokyo- here we come! We arrived to DCA airport with our pre-check tickets. The pre-check is nice and makes security much faster- usually. My bag got selected to get searched. They opened my bag and started taking things out. Ugh! They obviously had no idea how tough it was for me to get everything packed in there just right! The security inspected all my liquids which were in the regulated ziplock bag. Finally he cleared me to move on. We boarded our flight and Conner put our packs in the overhead compartment. The stewardess had trouble closing the compartment because of my bag. My bag was trouble all morning! Conner opened the top portion of my bag to remove something so that it would close. Stuff started falling out. I saw something fall on the head of the man sitting under the compartment. I jumped up “ I am so sorry!” I said. I soon realized it was my shaving razor that fell on the man. Of all things to fall out! Oops! I apologized 3 more times.

We had a short flight to Chicago with a quick layover, where we enjoyed lounge access. So, yeah, that’s another nice perk to earning airline points with one airline. Lounge access makes layovers quite comfy! Conner ran into an old friend he worked with years ago in FL in the lounge! Small world! We boarded our next flight- the big one- the 12+ hour trek to Japan! We were seated next to a biker looking guy with a braid and leather jacket. He looked rough and tough but we soon learned he was a sweet teddy bear man. Conner had sprained his ankle a few weeks earlier and as we settled in our seats we realized we forgot to get him some motrin. His ankle was swelling on flights and I knew he needed some motrin to calm down the swelling for the long flight. Our biker friend overheard our concerned conversation and said, “ I have a bunch of 800mg martin if you want some”. As it turned out he was a retired army veteran who lived in South Korea. He got his “vitamin M” as they call “motrin” in the military, from the VA,and was very willing to share. I did some visual inspection to confirm to was indeed motrin, and Conner accepted graciously.

Our new friend was very kind and interesting. He loves the US but also loves living in South Korea. We really enjoyed talking to him. I began the long flight with a movie- “The light between Oceans”- a really well -done movie. I cried quite a bit. Conner said he can never understand why I choose movies where I know I will cry. I just enjoy a good story and good character development. And hey, what’s wrong with a good cry? To me , it means the actors and writers did a great job of expressing their story. I followed that movie with another well- done tear jerker- “ The Hollars”, and yet another , “ Me Before You”. Yes, I watched 3 movies with meals provided in between, and 2 glasses of red wine. Then it was nap time. Who says a long flight has to be grueling? I thought it was fabulous for the most part. Very relaxing!

We arrived to Narita airport, which is an outside suburb city of Tokyo. Conner had a free night voucher for the Intercontinental in Tokyo, so we boarded the train for the hour or so ride. The train system in Tokyo is spectacular! It is clean, efficient, comfortable and effortless. The Japanese are so helpful and considerate. There are people whose job is literally to stand in the train stations looking for people who look lost or need help. They speak decent English and tell you exactly where to go, which is extremely helpful. While the trains are efficient, the stations are confusing and everything is mostly in Japanese.

The train rides are peaceful, like the people. The Japanese are quiet, polite, and keep to themselves. Hundreds of people on a train car and it is quiet. They are so respectful. You don’t hear people on cell phones. This is true even in the streets of Japan- hundreds of cars, no honking. Hundreds and hundreds of people in an area and no litter in the streets. It is absolutely fascinating!

We arrived at the beautiful Intercontinental and were impressed with the lobby and our suite!

With only 24 hours in Tokyo we had no time to waste! We headed out in the area of Roppongi ( a district in Tokyo) which we had not explored in our previous travels. A really cool area with many shops, restaurants and businesses. After some exploring we settled in at a restaurant highly recommended by our hotel concierge. It took us some time to find it since all the signs were in Japanese. SO glad we found it! The place was amazing!!! It was the Tokyo we remembered! The amazingly delicious , artistic food. The Japanese take food very seriously. Culinary art is a real thing – the chefs in Japan are artists and connoisseurs of their specialties. Each dish is prepared with passion and preciseness. I am not exaggerating one bit! They take it so seriously and it shows. We split a few dishes to include- decadent waygu beef, fresh mackeral, marinated cucumber. All delicious!

not sure what I am eating here….

We walked around a bit more after dinner but the jet lag hit us – and it hit us hard!

We slept well in a nice comfy bed and awoke with a few hours left to enjoy the lovely Tokyo. As we walked the streets, Conner and I kept saying to each other how much we would love to live in Tokyo. We have decided it may be in fact our favorite large city that we have been to in the world! Yes- it beats out NYC, San Fran, Miami, LA, Bangkok, DC, London…etc. There are just so many fabulous things about Tokyo! I highly recommend to anyone and everyone to travel there!

Conner had researched the top ramen places in the city, because we were determined to have another amazing Tokyo meal before our departure. The 2nd highest rated ramen restaurant in the entire city was located near our hotel! Perfect- but they didn’t open until 11. We stopped at a lovely cafe to have a coffee and get Conner an “appetizer”. He ordered an egg thing that looked good on the menu. You never really know what you are ordering in some Asian restaurants due to the language barrier. Pointing to pictures on a menu is often the way to choose. Conner chose well. His egg thing came with mashed potatoes and gravy. Sounds weird right? But oh, so delicious ( yes, he saved me a bite).

Our coffees were so good! They gave me some clear stuff to put in it- I later found out it was gum water- like a a sugar basically. After our coffees we enjoyed the best ramen we have ever had! I opted for a more spicier version. Served with gyoza dumplings , we thoroughly enjoyed our meal!

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We only had a short time before we had to head back to the airport to board our next flight. Oh, let’s back up – when we awoke in the morning in Tokyo we were surprised to see our flight time had changed. It had been pushed back about 45 minutes. We were super nervous, thinking there was no way we could catch our connecting flight in Hong Kong to Myanmar. Our stress was relieved when the airline emailed us offering us another flight at a closer airport that would get us there in time. Thank goodness! I must say American Airlines, being part of the Oneworld alliance does take good care of us sometimes. It is nice to have international airlines who recognize that you are an American airlines rewards member.

We took the train to Haneda airport (about a 30 minute ride). We checked in without much trouble and enjoyed another lounge access. They had an awesome selection of Japanese treats and my favorite – sake!

John (aka Conner) accidentally spilled a beer on the nice lounge carpet. We felt so bad! A poor woman was on her hands and knees trying to scrub the carpet. We apologized many times and offered to help clean it.

Our flight to Hong Kong was uneventful, and we slept most of the time. We arrived to Hong Kong, and having only a 30 minute layover we had to hustle to make our connecting flight. Our connecting gate was a satellite location, so we ran (with our packs on) and caught the shuttle. We made it, and felt like we were on “Amazing race”. We have had this feeling many times before, and often joke that we should apply to be on the show. With Conner’s navigation skills and my patience, and ability to communicate with people who don’t speak English, we feel like we could dominate that show! Maybe , next year 🙂

The flight from Hong Kong to Myanmar was about 5 hours or so on DragonAir. They fed us a couple of times and I watched a movie, “The Edge of Winter”, as well as a couple “Sex and the City” episodes. The woman sitting next to me was from Colorado. She is a lawyer and was on her way to Myanmar to do some volunteer work. She had never been to Southeast Asia before, let alone Asia. She was only there for 2 days! Crazy to travel so far for such a short stay!

Our long travels were over- we had made it to Myanmar!! Our first impressions were a bit disconcerting- stay tuned as the Conners meet the Coopers in Myanmar for more adventures!

Stay Tuned-

Kinz

Ringing in the New Year in Barcelona!

by kinsay20January 9, 2016

On our second to last day of 2015, we woke up ready to see more of Madrid and Real Madrid! We set out early to explore Buen Retiro Park, which up until the early 19th century belonged to the Spanish Monastery. The park was really beautiful- hence it’s translated meaning “Park of the pleasant retreat”.

The park has a really cool crystal palace with huge fossils inside!

After a few hours at the park we had to start heading towards the Real Madrid soccer stadium. We were all ready with our new fan shirts and scarves!

The Santiago Bernabeu Stadium is spectacular and seats over 81,000. Security at the stadium was very tight- they searched everyone’s bag prior to entering. We had amazing seats near the field! We were so close to Christiano Ronaldo–sigh! 😉

We had so much fun at the game! I can honestly say this may have been the first sporting event that I have been to where I watched every play!

We really enjoyed our time in Madrid! Such an awesome city, and often referred to as “the most passionate city in Europe”.

New Years Eve we travelled to Barcelona- our last stop on this amazing trip! The high speed train got us there in less than 3 hours!

Barcelona was originally founded as a Roman city in the middle ages. Barcelona was part of the ancient territory of Catalonia, and many people still speak Catalan and follow the traditions.

We arrived at the Hilton Barcelona where we were upgraded thanks to my hubs Hilton honors. We had booked NYE celebration tickets for a place called Shoko, on the beach, where we would meet our new friend from the Madrid tapas tour- Mark. Gianna and Dave (from the tapas tour) were also in Barcelona, and were going to meet us as well, but Dave unfortunately got food poisoning!

We had just enough time before the celebration to do some shopping- and lucky for us the Hilton is in the shopping district! John found a great deal on some designer jeans he has been wanting, and I got a new purse and coat!

Our New Years party began at 10, so around 9:15 we set out to find taxi, which was not easy. Eventually we were able to get one and arrived at the busy beach area where many nightclubs and restaurants were hopping!

We were greeted at the entrance with roses by girls dressed as geishas, and led into a beautiful lounge area. There was so much sushi and wine everywhere- 2 of my favorite things!

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We found our friend Mark and had a blast ringing in 2016! There were amazing dancers and performers throughout the night!

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Lots of wine later we ended up spending half of New Years day in bed. We have learned in our 30’s, we definitely feel late nights way more than we did in our 20’s. It was nice to relax and sleep in though!

That afternoon we headed to check out Casa Batllo, a modernist house designed by the famous Gaudi. We would be seeing lots of Gaudi architecture throughout Barcelona. He is known as the “architect for God”. We both love his work and were mesmerized by our first encounter at the Casa Batllo. It was like being in a giant fun house!

The roof was really amazing and had fabulous views!

After a couple hours of enjoying the Casa , we set out to explore more of Barcelona and had a great Tapas dinner!

The next day we had tickets to see the famous Park Guell, another amazing place designed by Gaudi. Before the park we hiked up a very, very steep hill for the best views of Barcelona. The hike up the hill was literally straight up for 25 minutes. Imagine putting a treadmill on the highest incline possible- not easy, but oh so worth it!

Turo de la Rovira

After enjoying the beautiful views, we journeyed to the fascinating Park Guell! Guadi designed this park for a man named Guell, with the intentions of it being a high-end area with estates for wealthy families. The park was built between 1900-1914 and is a UNESCO world heritage site.

I really love Gaudi’s use of vibrant colors and non-traditional shapes. He often recycled glass and other materials to form the tiles he used throughout his work.

We had the most delicious paella for lunch! I have never had a paella this yummy!

We rested a bit and later that night met Scott and Kelly (more new friends from Madrid tapas tour) for dinner! We had a great time chatting and eating pintxos.

In northern Spain you often won’t find “tapas” but instead “pintxos” which are bread with different things on top. Tapas, traditionally are small servings of food, not on bread. John and I were getting a little tired of all the bread, so we would eat the stuff off and leave the bread. Many pinxto bars in Barcelona are set up to where you just grab the dishes you want, and keep the toothpick in each dish to keep track of how many you ate. At the end you are charged based on your number of toothpicks, so it is kind of an honor system in a way.

Sagardi Pinxtos

Even after dinner we stood outside chatting for awhile with Scott and Kelly. Such nice people! They live in Philly and we promised to stay in touch!

The next day we had booked tickets for renowned Sagrada Familia, a huge Roman catholic church, designed by -guess who? Yep- Gaudi! The remarkable place is another UNESCO world heritage site. Tickets book out, so it is definitely advisable to order tickets in advance. As we arrived for our scheduled ticket time, we were given audio guides and maps. A couple hours is definitely needed to fully embrace the Sagrada Familia.

The gorgeous stained glass windows create the most beautiful monochromatic color schemes.

Coincidently, Mark was also doing the tour that morning and we ran into him!

The church is made of 3 grand facades- the nativity facade, the passion facade, and the glory facade. The nativity facade is dedicated to the birth of Jesus, and the passion facade dedicated to the crucifixion. Guadi was unable to complete the entire church, and the glory facade is still under construction. It represents the road to God- judgement, death, glory. The entire church is so intricately detailed. The roof is outrageous! I couldn’t get a good picture but here is one I found-

Guadi’s tomb in the church

We had a set time where we could go up in the glorious towers of the Sagrada. It was really cool climbing through the towers – and of course the views were amazing!

We really loved the Sagrada Familia experience. That afternoon we were on a hunt to find the best churros with chocolate. This is one of those things they say one must do in Barcelona. We looked up one of the best rated places and found it in the Gothic quarter. There was a line to get in but it moved pretty quickly. John and I each ordered churros and a swiss chocolate and spanish chocolate to share. Yum! You dip the churros in the chocolate and cream and it is delish!

We walked around some more exploring the fun Gothic quarter, where there are many shops and cafes.

Casa Mila- also by Guadi

We had a drink at a cute cafe and people watched. John googled the best restaurants in Barcelona and decided on Viana. The small restaurant was pretty full but we were able to grab 2 of the last seats at the bar. The bartender was a funny Polish guy. He was really friendly and fun to chat with. We had an absolutely delicious dinner of octopus tempura, prawns and veggie rolls with chili sauce and beef cheeks. We were too full for dessert, but the bartender gave us complimentary sweet liquor drinks that tasted like baileys.

Beef cheeks

After dinner Mark invited us to meet him at a sports bar to watch American football. We had a fun time and made some more new friends! Sophie is a doll, and from London. She lives in Spain and does bridal makeup most months of the year, and then spends a few months each year in Vietnam. Her boyfriend Adam is one of the owners of a popular club in Ibiza. He works during peak season and then off season travels and has fun.

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After another fun night in Barcelona, we needed another morning to sleep in. It was our last day of our amazing trip and both John and I were feeling really sad. We were so happy to have had the adventures, but it is always depressing when a trip comes to an end. The anticipation and planning is part of the fun!

We spent our last afternoon walking along Barcelona beach area.

That night as we sadly packed up our stuff, we decided we had to start planning our next trip- Greece and ??? — Peru, India and Australia are also tops on our list- as is Myanmar and the Philipines- oh and South Africa! Ok, I guess we really want to go everywhere!

We had a pretty long 20 hour travel day back home. We flew from Spain to London, and then had a layover and delay for 6 hours, before our 8 hour flight home. I watched 4 movies in a row. Something I have never done- “Ricki & the Flash”, “The Intern”, “Hector” and “Paper Towns”. I was trying to not sleep so that I would be able to sleep through the night when we got home.

Arriving in Baltimore, we were pretty tired. The customs officer grilled us on what we did during our time in Morocco. John said, ” take lots of pictures” and he smiled. She didn’t think that was funny and sternly said, “I need more specifics”. I replied, “rode camels, toured the cities, ate good food”. She wanted more and more information. Then we got sent to agriculture check because I had a sandwich for John from the plane in my bag. The police dog sniffed it so we were searched. We shared a taxi home with another girl. It was nice to sleep in our own bed and see our sweet kitties. We had missed them so very much!

A wonderful adventure comes to end, but the memories last a lifetime!

In summary, it was really neat to venture through two completely different countries, with two completely different cultures.

Morocco has such a distinct culture with amazing food, traditions, beautiful scenery and very faithful people. The Moroccans are hard workers. The many hagglers annoyed us at times, but as I mentioned in a previous post, this is common in many other countries. The Sahara desert experience was definitely one of the coolest things we have ever done! Morocco is very affordable. There is delicious mint tea everywhere, but wine/beer is hard to find, especially in the medinas. Parts of Morocco make you feel as though you have gone back in time. There is the lovely smell of argan oils everywhere (unless you’re in a tannery where it smells like pigeon poop). Speaking of pigeons- that was the best new thing we ate in Morocco! The mosques are amazing, but since we aren’t Muslim, we weren’t allowed to enter. Many Moroccans speak multiple languages- French, English, Arabic, Spanish and some Berber.We never felt like we would be physically harmed in Morocco. The Moroccan government and military are very prevalent. Cats are also prevalent. They are literally everywhere in Morocco! Moroccans love pastries and different breads. Tajine is the most popular dish in Moroccan, as it is served everywhere.

Spain, also a country with rich culture and history. The Spaniards are not overly hard workers. Now yes, I am generalizing. Of course there are some very hard workers in Spain, but as a whole the people are more lax. They seem like a very happy, social society. Walk down any street in Spain and people are sitting at the outside cafes. They are laughing, drinking wine, singing, holding hands, kissing. Other places where we noticed the same type of general “happiness”were on the islands of Thailand, and Siem Reap- yes Cambodia. The poorest country in Asia, but the happiest people.

Spaniards do everything later. They wake up later, eat meals later. They take 3 hour siestas in the afternoon. The Spain diet has a lot of bread, wine and meat. Not a lot of green veggies from what we saw. Both Morocco and Spain have olives everywhere! Unlike the Muslim Mosques, the Spanish Catholic churches let everyone enter, even during mass. Many Spaniards know little to no English. Spain is also very affordable compared to US prices. Both Morocco and Spain have beautiful landscape and scenery throughout! Both countries have very good train systems, which make it easy to get from city to city. Both Spaniards and Moroccans seem vested in their families and religions. Muslims make up 99% of the Moroccan population, and Catholics are close to 70% of the Spanish population. There is no haggling in Spain. There are many homeless asking for handouts, but not hagglers like in Morocco.

I am fascinated by different cultures and societies. While there are so many differences, there are also many similarities across all. People for the most part are kind. I love the below quote-

“Repetition does not make memories; new experiences make memories”.

I think travel truly does make one richer- more tolerant and understanding of others, more patient and more knowledgable about the world. Travel does not have to be to another country or even another city. Travel to see a new park near where you live. Travel does not have to be expensive. With research and points programs it can be affordable for most! If there is somewhere you want to go, make it happen! Make a plan and do it! YOLO!!!

Tapas, Taverns, History and Wine- Adventures through Spain

by kinsay20January 5, 2016January 5, 2016

We left beautiful Granada and headed via train to our next city in Spain- Cordoba. Our hotel was another really pretty place! I must say- my husband sure knows how to pick them!

We try to use our earned hotel points whenever possible, but when there aren’t any Hiltons or Intercontinental, we search Trip advisor for the best reviews and prices.

As soon as we checked in we dropped of our stuff and quickly headed to see the famous “Cathedral of Cordoba” AKA ” The great mosque of Cordoba”. Yes- a Muslim mosque and a Christian cathedral in the same place! This Catholic cathedral was divided into Christian and Muslim halves in the year 711, when the Muslims conquered Spain. The split lasted until 784, when a muslim king gained the entire property and had it demolished. He then built a grand mosque. It wasn’t until the year 1236, when Christians regained rule of Cordoba, and it became a Catholic church. Muslims have been campaigning to gain access for prayer in the property since 2000, but have been denied by the Vatican. I found the history of this place to be haunting and so incredibly interesting!

We walked all along the streets of Cordoba exploring the beautiful, small town.We stumbled upon a fabulous restaurant and had an amazing dinner! I had veal and John had a delicious steak!

The next morning we saw the ancient Roman ruins! They date back to 40 AD!

But that doesn’t even compare to the ancient Roman bridge of Cordoba, which dates back to 1st century BC! Yes, BC! How crazy is that?!

We loved our time in Cordoba but had to continue on to our next city- Toledo (pronounced Toe- lay- doe)-

We again took the fabulous train system to Toledo. We arrived after dark, but were mesmerized by the beauty of this city as we rode in via cab to our hotel. We instantly wished we had more then 2 days here!

Our hotel was so nice , and they gave us wine and chocolates at arrival.

We had a great dinner at a local place recommend by our hotel concierge. John had suckling pig and I had fish.

The next day we had another 15 mile hike day through the town and surrounding areas.

Camino de Santiago, is one of the most well known hikes worldwide. It takes most people between 4-6 weeks to complete the entire almost 500 mile pilgrimage hike. It is known as a very spiritual hike, as it follow the path of St. James. We walked a portion of it and really enjoyed every minute! During this hike John and I decided to add Machu Picchu to our bucket list for the near future.

After a wonderful time in Toledo, we were ready for our next stop- Madrid! After 4 cities in Spain I had already started noticing many trends, which continued on throughout our next stops.

Very common things seen throughout Spain:

1- People smoking cigarettes

2- People drinking wine/ beer at every meal and all hours of the day

3- Smiling/ laughing/ happy people- they sing, dance and seem to love having a good time

4- Adorable outside cafes are EVERYWHERE

5- Dog poop (cities in Spain are pretty clean minus the dog poop- we had to be on constant alert to not step on it)

6- Affectionate couples- Spaniards seem like a very romantic group of people- always kissing, hugging, holding hands anywhere and everywhere

7- Places closed at random times in the day. Many places close for a few hours in the afternoon for their “siesta time”- but it is not uncommon to see businesses closed at other times that you would think they would be open. John and I wondered how some places stayed in business with their lack of open hours.

8- When they are open, many places seem short staffed. We noticed this trend at many different restaurants and shops. Since they don’t tip in Spain ( socialist government), they are paid more per hour, thus having less staff on duty at a time. Many times the 1 bartender/ server on staff would be running around like crazy, completely overwhelmed. Spaniards don’t seem to mind waiting though. In the US I think we expect quick and good service since we tip.

There are other trends I may touch on later, but now moving on to Madrid!

A few hours train ride and we were there! We stayed at the beautiful Intercontinental.

We had only a short time to rest and get ready before we had a Tapas, Taverns, and History tour. My parents and brother had been in Madrid a few weeks earlier and loved the tour! My mom offered to buy it for us as a Christmas gift. It turned out to be a great gift! Our tour guide, Shaun was an Irish- Spaniard, with a very strong Irish accent. The tour met outside a Costa coffee shop. As soon as we heard American accents we began chatting with the the two other couples. One couple Scott and Kelly, are from Philly, and the other Gianna and Dave from Delray Beach. Another guy, from Japan, seemed very reserved, but nice. We waited a few minutes for two others who were supposed to be joining us. Shaun said he would give them 2 more minutes and then we would have to leave. We started walking and just happened to run into both of them. Casey, who lives in South beach, and Mark from Chicago.

Shaun took us to our first tavern, where we had Iberian ham and vermouth. He explained that unlike other European countries, Spain never really went through the industrial revolution. Spain never had a “great depression”to the extremes of other nations, therefore (according to Shaun),they never had to develop cheap ways to eat. He said the Spaniards take great pride in preparing and enjoying good food. The Iberian ham is a great example. The ham (jamon) comes from a specific breed of black pigs who graze special fields only eating a diet of acorns. They live to about 4 months before they are sacrificed. The Spaniards use all parts of the animal and spend a very long time curing the meats. It is cut very, very thin and definitely has a good flavor. I can’t eat more than a bite or two of it- but many Spanish eat it daily. Can you imagine a diet of wine and red meat? Yet, they have good life expectancy.

Speaking of wine, Shaun mentioned that, although Spaniards drink wine/ beer/ vermouth often, you will never see them “rowdy” or “over do it”. He says that culturally, even as young children, they are taught to enjoy their spirits in moderation.

Our tour continued on as Shaun pointed out different buildings and statues. He gave us some history and one of our stops was the oldest tavern/ restaurant in the world- “Botin”. We had different tapas with wine or beer at each stop. We had delicious garlic shrimp, anchovies, and even pig ears!

Shaun really stressed his love for Spain, and made it very clear that he found the Spaniards to be a superior culture to other European countries. We discussed the random business closings, and shortage of staff. He said ” Spaniards can be productive- key word- can be”. Interestingly, Spain has a very high unemployment rate currently. At over 22%, that is more than double the rate of Italy and France. Amongst younger people the rate is even higher.

Below-On way to the tour ( wearing my amazing Younique Lipstain that stays on even with sipping wine)

Our fun Group

Pig Ears

We really had a blast on the tour and made some new friends! We exchanged info with Gianna and Mark, and went out for an “after tour” drink with Scott and Kelly. (Haha, love our faces in this pic)

The next morning John and I found a place to do laundry. Scott and Kelly emailed me and said they were going to the Real Madrid Soccer game the next day. John was so excited when I told him. He had looked a few weeks ago for tickets but couldn’t find any good seats for a good price. He immediately went online and found us some great seats! The whole afternoon John was like a little kid before Christmas. It was so cute how excited he was!

We spent the afternoon and evening walking all around Madrid. We even found the official Real Madrid store, so we got some fan gear for the game!

Changing of the guard

Amazing mimes and performers in Madrid

Beautiful holiday lights everywhere

That night we were ready for something other than tapas for a change. We decided on sushi, and found an amazing place near our hotel.

Loving Madrid- we were so excited to explore some more and see Ronaldo play the next day!!

Manténgase en sintonía (stay tuned) <3,

Kinz

Eat, Drink and Be Merry! Christmas in Spain!

by kinsay20January 1, 2016

(Pictured above- we signed in at the American legation in Morocco- see previous post)

When we awoke on our last morning in Morocco, we were ready to begin our journey to Spain via ferry. The previous day we had walked to the port and made sure we knew where our ferry would be departing from. We arrived early to the port and were approached by a man anxiously saying “port closed, all ferry cancelled.”. We take statements like this with a grain of salt. You see, in many other countries there are scams where locals tell you things are closed, only to get you to go in their taxi or let them guide you somewhere else for money. We kept walking and the man kept following us saying “closed, closed”. He didn’t look official, so we continued on. As we approached the port gates another man, who actually looked official, said “sorry all ferries canceled due to wind and weather”. Huh? He could tell we looked flustered so he called over his co-worker who spoke English. The man nicely explained that we could go to the other port on the other side of the city and catch a ferry at 11am if we hurried. He said our tickets would be honored since ours was cancelled. “You must hurry!” he said, “get taxi and hurry.” We had used all of our Moroccan dirham (money), so now John had to run and find an ATM to pay the taxi. He returned after getting cash and asked where the ferry tickets were. “I gave them to you!” He said. “No, no, you didnt”. I replied. This was one of those tense travel moments. I knew I didnt have them. John eventually replied he had put them in his pocket. Whew!

We took the 30 minute taxi ride to the other side of the city and made it in time for the ferry. We now would be arriving in Algercias, Spain, instead of our original planned destination of Tarifa. Luckily we would be able to catch the same bus we would have taken in Tarifa- to our destination of Seville. Our ferry ride took us through the strait of Gibraltar, a very beautiful and windy ride.

John and I noticed 3 Spanish men on the ferry who no joke each smoked 6 cigarettes within the first 30 minutes, and didnt stop there. We had never seen anything like it. They were just sucking them down.

We arrived in Spain and were able to walk to the bus station. We had 30 minutes before our bus and were pretty hungry. The bus ride would be 3 hours so we had to get something. We ordered personal pizzas from a restaurant in the bus station. 25 minutes later they still weren’t ready. The lady said “Cinco minutes”. John told me to run and save seats on the bus. With my bag underneath the driver began to pull the bus away. “ Please sir, my husband is coming”. The annoyed driver looked at me and said something in Spanish, which I didnt understand. It was still 2 minutes before departure time. ‘Uno minute please”, I said. Just as I was about to get off the bus there was John running towards it with 2 huge pizzas wrapped in foil, his big pack on his back. It was quite funny looking back on it. As he got on the bus and sat down breathing sighs of relief the bus took off. We barely made it! And now we had 2 huge “personal pizzas” with grease dripping out of the bottom- our first meal in Spain. They were not the “personal” size we were expecting, that’s for sure. The toppings also were not what we thought we ordered. My pizza had tuna on it, and John’s some strange meat and sharp cheese. Whatever- we were hungry and relieved.

A group of about 5 men boarded our bus at one of the first stops. They looked a little ragged and had bottles of wine and beers. They had obviously been drinking (a lot) and were not planning on stopping. They sat near the back of the bus and began singing songs in Spanish. It was quite funny. I would guess these men were in their 50’s. John and I had quite the first impression of Spain riding with these guys.

The landscape on the ride was really pretty! We really enjoyed the scenery , and watched a movie downloaded on my computer- “Winter’s Bone” with Jennifer Lawrence. The bus stopped at one point and all the drunk men got out to pee on the side of the road. Was this a rest stop? John really had to pee also. With no bathroom to be found and no clue where the bus driver went, John copied the other men to relieve himself. Well, I hope he doesn’t get arrested in a foreign country for public urination. That would really stink- I thought.

He didn’t, and our ride with singing Spanish drunk songs continued. Once in Seville we grabbed a taxi since our hotel was too far to walk. Using Hilton points, we had booked our free stay with Hilton Garden Inn. It was a bit out of the way from the city center, but hey- it was free! The town of Seville (sometimes referred to as Sevilla) was so lovely, all decorated for Christmas! After we checked in the concierge referred us to a Spanish tapas place for dinner. We were excited to see what this tapas thing was all about. The restaurant had no other customers when we arrived and it appeared they were just setting up and opening for the night (at 8 pm).

The server approached asking us something- he didnt speak English at all. “Wine please”, I said. “Sorry no”, he replied. What? Wasn’t I in Spain? Not Morocco? There was wine , why was he telling me no? He misunderstood me and when I pointed to a wine bottle he understood eventually. John picked out about 7 tapas for us to share. We weren’t really sure what we would be getting- this would become a common trend throughout our time in Spain. They brought them over one by one periodically and we savored every bite! Everything was delicious! I love cheese so I pretty much devoured a goat cheese tapa by myself.So good! We noticed by 10pm the restaurant was really getting busy. We would soon discover this was the time most Spaniards eat dinner. They tend to have all meals later than any other European country. Breakfast around 9-10am, lunch around 3pm, tapas / snack 6pm and then dinner at 10pm.

We thoroughly enjoyed our first “real” meal in Spain. The next morning we set out knowing we had a busy day. We only had this whole day to explore Seville, and wanted to make the most of it! We didnt realize when we left at 9am, that we wouldn’t be back to the hotel for 16 hours.

Seville has a very nice and convenient city bus that easily got us to the city center. We first explored a beautiful park, Plaza de Espana, then the Royal palace/Alcazar and gardens. We spent a great deal of time exploring, as it was all beautiful!

Plaza de Espana

Alcazar Garden

lost in the Maze Garden Alcazar

The Renaissance-Moorish Architecture of the Alcazar was really cool

We loved walking around the pretty city of Seville, and exploring the gorgeous cathedral!

We needed SIM cards for our phones, since the ones from Morocco would no longer work in Spain. We found a vodaphone store and bought some. For some reason they weren’t as easy to set up in our phones, as the SIMs in Morocco. The customer service representative at the store spoke zero English and had no idea how to help us. She tried, and tried, and tried some more. She called vodaphone customer service with no success. After wasting about 40 minutes, we finally left. We knew if we could find wiFi we could google how to do it and figure it out ourselves. We passed by cafe, after cafe, after cafe, all busy with customers drinking wine and eating delicious looking meals- but none had WiFI. OK – so we left Morocco, where there was no alcohol or wine anywhere but wiFI everywhere, and now we were in a country with the opposite situation.

We finally found a place with good food and WIFI! I had a delicious salmon salad and John a huge sandwich. He was able to figure out the SIM card without issue!

After lunch we walked around some more, finding a lively square with people sitting outside along multiple cafes/ bodegas. We decided to have some wine and people watch. Everyone seemed so happy! There were women dancing in the street, groups sitting around playing music and singing. It was so fun! After awhile we walked some more to get a change of scenery. John wanted to go to another videophone store to buy us a back up phone charger. I said I’d wait for him at yet another outside cafe. While he was gone I tried to order a glass of wine but they wouldn’t accept credit cards- only euro. Two guys saw my dilemma and offered to pay for me. ‘Oh, no thats ok.” I replied. “No please, we don’t mind”, they insisted. I told them my husband would be back any minute with cash and reimburse them. They were nice guys, telling me all about Seville and how they had both been to the US. When John returned I introduced them to my new friends. He bought them each cervasa (beer), and we continued chatting. Other friends joined our new buddies so now we had quite a group. Everyone was really nice !

John and I left them around 9pm to eat dinner, but promised to find them again afterwards. John googled the best tapa restaurant in the area and we had another absolutely amazing dinner! The croquettes are so good in Spain! They can be filled different ingredients- some have ham, some cheese, other fish or mushrooms.

We found our buddies after dinner at a really neat beer garden. What do you know- more wine! We had a really great time! I debated American politics with one guy, and helped another plan out his proposal to his girlfriend. We eventually realized it was time to go home- as my dad says nothing good happens after midnight 🙂

The next morning we both felt a little rough. We were definitely not used to that much wine in one evening! We had a great time though! We set out that afternoon for our next city- Granada!

We had been told back in Morocco by a fellow American traveler that the Alhambra in Granada, was not to be missed! We had heard this from others and were really excited! He warned us that it often sells out and to book tickets ahead of time. We had been unable to reserve tickets online previously and called our hotel in Granada for assistance. They told us we could arrive early when it opened and try to get tickets, as the “pre online” tickets were sold out. Bummer! As we waited to board our train to Granada, we checked one more time and suddenly there was tickets available! Yay! All booked for the day after Christmas!

We arrived in Granada on Christmas Eve via train. The Spain train system is super convenient and reasonably priced! Granada sits in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains with a population a little over 200,000. Our charming hotel was set up much like a riad, with a courtyard in the middle and cave like walls.

The concierge was very friendly and gave us many tips and suggestions. He told us that since it was Christmas Eve , many things would be closed early. We walked around the very hilly, and beautiful city. We ended up eating fast food Moroccan food (yes, in spain) for dinner, as everything else was closed.

Christmas morning we set out on a 15 mile hike all through the town. Gorgeous views at every turn!

Guard Kitty– seriously it was guarding this house

We went to the viewpoint St. Nicolas (very appropriate for Christmas), and a lovely cathedral.

We had a great lunch of iberian ham (their speciliaty) and croquettes with monkfish.

Our concierge, Wilford, had booked us tickets to what he called the “best” flamenco show for Christmas evening, who even entertained the Obamas on their trip to Granada.

We saw a sign earlier near our hotel advertising “10 tapas and sangria for only 18 euros”. Sounded like great deal! We went there before the Flamenco show. The place was packed and only 1 girl was working. Our tapas were not very good and we both were disappointed seeing as it was Christmas. We reminded ourselves though of the fabulous lunch we had earlier and were content.

We walked about a mile up the steep hill to our Flamenco show. We arrived earlier thinking we would just have a drink and relax. We were greeted by a very rude man, “reservations” as he looked at us unwelcoming. “yes, we have tickets”. He grabbed our tickets and looked at them confused. “Names”, he asked. ‘john, kinsay”, we replied. He scribbled on a pad “Hon and Kensi”. then walked away. He returned a few minutes later “ nueve”! He said “ yes, we know, Drink please while we wait.”. He looked at us like we were crazy “nine, nine”. he said rudely. Jeez. A man arrived and asked what was going on. He apparently was the owner. He was much nicer than the other guy and told us we could relax and have wine while we wait. We sat down and the rude man quickly directed us to sit somewhere else”these seats for family only”. Ok—- we watched as the performers arrived, scarfing down food and drinks before their performance. A large group of about 30 Korean tourists arrived and we were directed to the cave sitting area with them. Flamenco shows are traditionally held in a small cave setting where everyone has a front row view. As we sat waiting for the performance the begin, the rude man came in asking us to step outside. What now? “ticket!” He said. John replied, “we gave them to you.”. He acted as if he didnt know what we were talking about. “ where are your tickets?” he asked again. “ We gave them to you and you wrote our names on your pad!”, John answered. This was getting ridiculous. We had felt very unwelcome since the minute we walked into this place. We were really close to leaving, and would have asked our hotel to get us a refund. The owner appeared and asked us for our tickets. We told him once again, we had given them to the other guy. The owner apologized and said not to worry. He told us to just please enjoy the show. I was really annoyed by this time. I has really been excited for this show, but my excitement had dwindled with all the negative vibes the jerk was giving us.

The show began, and my excitement returned! Every performer was amazing! They moved their feet in such a fast, precise manner. Every step was mesmerizing! The dancers keep a very stern, serious expression throughout the performance. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it! One of the male dancers even pulled me up at the end to dance.

After the show we headed back to our hotel where I face timed my family and wished them Merry Christmas! I definitely missed them a lot, but was happy to be spending the holiday with John in Spain.

Excited to see the Alhambra, we arrived the next morning as soon as the gates opened. We were surprised to already see there was a huge line to get in! We had to leave by noon to catch our bus to Cordoba, so we had a time limit. We knew we needed a good couple hours to explore this enormous and amazing place! Everyone in the long line seemed fine with just waiting for what could be hours. With no instructions or people to ask for help, my assertive husband told me to wait in line while he assessed the situation. He came back 10 minutes later after figuring out there were kiosks that we could print our tickets from and enter without waiting in the long line. Nobody else seemed to know about this. Good thing he was so assertive!

We were able to spend a few hours walking around the entire property.

The Alhambra is an ancient fortress and palace complex, originally constructed in 889. In the 13th century it was a Muslim/ Moorish establishment and then later in 1492 became the palace for Christian rulers of Spain. For many centuries it was unoccupied and left to despair. It was rediscovered in the 19th century and now a world UNESCO heritage site, due to its vast array of both historical Islamic architecture and Christian architecture intertwined.

cats of the Alhambra

We had such an amazing time in beautiful Granada! Next stop Cordoba…

Hasta la Vista-

<3, Kinz

A-MAZE-ing Race- Team Conner

by kinsay20December 26, 2015December 26, 2015

Traveling through so many cities without any guides is not an easy task. This is especially true in Morocco with the maze-like streets of the medinas- where even a decent map provides little accuracy or reference. Thank goodness my husband is a pretty good navigator! He has the sense of direction which I lack. However, I like to think my good company and positive attitude (most of the time) makes up for that. Hence the title of this post. I think John and I may be great contestants for the,”Amazing race” show. I have gotten pretty good at walking fast through crowded streets, even with my big pack on. I have learned to go more for comfort then for fashion. My Toms and Nikes may not be so cute with certain outfits, but I can out walk anyone in them.

Many had said they loved Fes, so we were excited! As we boarded the crowded train we realized people were in our seats. We tried to explain to them and show them our tickets but nobody was moving. We had our heavy packs on and were sweating by this point. We asked a man who worked on the train to help us but he wasn’t much help. A young guy who spoke English, French and Arabic helped us. He explained that the woman, who was in one of our seats, was from Tunisia and on the wrong train. She spoke French and he told her she was in our seat and on the wrong train. She just smiled at us and pretended as if she didn’t know. She didn’t get up. Another guy realized ( or admitted) he was in the wrong car and moved. Finally we could sit, although not in the seats we paid for. Tunisia lady got off an hour later with her 3 huge suitcases. Good riddance lady! We were not fooled by your smile and faking like you didn’t know you were in our seat!

The rest of the train ride we slept, played dice games, and enjoyed the scenery. There is such a strong French presence all through Morocco. Even on the trains they mostly announce in French.

Arriving in Fes we grabbed a taxi to our riad which was located in the middle of the medina. We had been warned that the Fes medina was very, very confusing and maze- like with thousands of winding streets so narrow that cars can’t get down.

Fes is made up of 3 completely different sections: the medina , or old city dating back 1500 years, the new city 150 years, and the modern city 100 years old. The old city in the medina functions like a city did a thousand years ago in all aspects, except they have television, electricity and cell phones. Other than that, everything is transported by donkeys down the narrow streets. There are craftsman who make copper, tanneries for leather, small bakeries, shops and seamstresses. You do feel as though you are transported back in time.

Once outside of the medina walls the new town still has a different and traditional feel but not as “old”. The modern area of Fes has bigger buildings, cars, bars, movie theaters- resembling most modern cities.

Our riad in Fes , Riad Le Calife, was another gorgeous place! We got the “blue” room!

The French owner greeted us with mint tea and cookies. He told us how he met his Moroccan wife a decade ago in Paris. He saw her dancing on a table at a bar and knew she was the one, haha. He explained that his father- in -law also owned hotels and businesses in Fes, so it was convenient for them to live there. He was very passionate about his love for the city and gave us some tips and suggestions. Fatima, the concierge also greeted us and gave us many ideas of what to see and do. We enjoyed a delicious dinner at the riad that night, talking with another couple from the US. We were served a huge assortment of “salads” first to include- pumpkin, peppers, carrots, lentils, cabbage and raisins- all so delicious! That could have been enough for me , but next came the main course of chicken with a very thin type of egg noodle. The dessert was the best- a pastry thing with ice cream in between.

We burned off our dinner walking 12 miles the following day all throughout Fes- new and old. We started by dropping off some laundry at the corner place by our riad (recommended). We both had our dirty bags filled and were out of clean underwear. Our doorman walked with us and translated to us the prices. It would be $65 USD to for all our laundry. Whoa! Seriously? In China and Cambodia we did our laundry for $5. Relatively speaking, compared to other costs in Morocco, this seemed pretty high. For example, huge 1.5 liters of bottled water are 40 cents in Morocco. I got 2 long sleeve shirts in a souk for $3, so $65 for laundry was alot. Oh well. We needed clean clothes.

The medina was definitely no joke! It was a crazy maze with color signs that are supposed to help you figure out where you are. There were so many hagglers in Fes! We couldn’t walk anywhere without someone asking us if we wanted a guide or ,“where are you going”, or “madam, sir, wrong way”. It got a bit annoying. We tried to ignore them. The young boys would follow us. John did a pretty good job navigating, considering the circumstances. You see John is color blind. He thought he was on the “red” route but it was really “blue” or “brown”. I tried to help him out but it wasn’t easy.

We agreed to let a guide take us through a tannery- a one much larger than the one we toured in Marrakech. It was quite an operation! They use sheep, horse, camel, and goat hides. They had different sections for each color dye! They didn’t give us mint this time, and the smell was definitely not pleasant (see previous post in Marrakech- they use pigeon poop- you can think of me when you put on your leather coat or use your leather purse tomorrow) .. 🙂

These guys work really hard in very yucky conditions!!

At the top of the tannery was an amazing view of Fes, where we could see the ancient tombs and overlook the whole city.

After our tour, our guide took us to his “brother’s store” , of course. We politely went in and politely went out. John tipped our guide, who had been so nice, but now demanded more money. Come on, really? We walked to the Royal Palace, through the Jewish Quarter, and even saw the world’s oldest university, which is now a mosque.

Royal Palace

Jewish Quarter

When we couldn’t walk any further- 12 miles later, we caught a petit taxi back to our riad. Petit taxis are quite common in Moroccan cities. They are shared taxis. The concept is pretty clever and works in everyone’s favor. There was already someone in the front seat and we dropped her off on the way to our destination. She paid her fare, which then was subtracted from the total and our fare was lowered.

Since taxis can’t go into the medina, we were dropped off as close to our riad as possible. As we got out a man bombarded us, “ where are you going? Where do you want go? I’ll take you”. John had decided earlier to completely ignore these types of people. I politely said , “no thank you”. He very rudely said to us, “ you are just like the Jewish people! I don’t know how or why they let you in Morocco at the airport”. Ew – jerk! What did that even mean? We were really annoyed with his attitude and comments. (Side note- we have many Jewish friends- so being called Jewish is definitely not an insult- it was the context in which the man meant it).

We went to a terrace near our riad to watch the sunset and have a glass of wine and John a beer.

Back at our riad, Fatima asked how our day was. We vented to her about the hagglers/ hasslers and the rude man. We explained we enjoyed Fes, other that that. She apologized and offered to book us a reservation for dinner but we politely declined saying we would walk around and find something. We didn’t need another fancy multiple course dinner and wanted to try some local street food.

Up in our room as were resting before dinner, Fatima sent up some champagne which was nice.

John found a small street place on trip advisor with good reviews. “Thams”, it was called. We found it and Tham , the owner greeted us. His picture was posted around his establishment. “This is me, “ he said, “I am famous”. He was a funny guy. As we ate dinner (which was just ok), we watched as everyone who walked down the street seemed to know Tham.

We also saw some shady hand exchanges – if you know what I mean. We read there was a lot of hasish in Fes. It is illegal and the fine is 10 years imprisonment but we definitely smelled it a lot.

After dinner we went to a really cool, posh lounge outside the medina for a cocktail. They played really cool music and we just relaxed. Back at our lovely riad we relaxed and slept well in the beautiful cozy room. Since arriving to Morocco, I have been awakened each morning at 5:45am when the Muslim prayer calls are chanted. I am able to fall back asleep though for a bit.

The next morning we explored Fes some more, getting in a good 5 mile walk before noon. We went to see a 14th century school and water clock which was neat. We also enjoyed the winding medina shops- avoiding the hasslers. Some of the mean tried greeting me in multiple languages at once, unsure of what I spoke- “bonjour señorita”, they would say. John enjoyed watching the young local boys play soccer or “futbol” as they call it. These kids are really good! They even play well in sandals!

14th century water clock

local kids playing soccer

medina

confusing signs

so many variations of olives!

In the early afternoon we checked out of of Riad Le Calife and headed to our train for Tangier- our final destination in Morocco, where we will spend a couple nights before heading to Spain!

Tangier, another beautiful coastal city has a very international crowd, due to it’s location at the very North of Morocco. Many people take day trips from Spain to Tangier. When we arrived we hailed a taxi, or I should say- he hailed us. Many of the taxi drivers in Tangier get out of their cars to recruit passengers. Our driver was definitely the worst driver I have ever seen. I had white knuckles the entire ride. He almost hit probably 10 or more pedestrians, including a baby carriage, as well as multiple cats, dogs and other cars. Our riad was in the medina, so he drove us up 1 way, very narrowed roads. He went up the wrong road, so to get back down he backed up at a really fast speed about a mile. So scary! He let us out about a mile away from our riad, but I was just relieved to be out of his car.! As we were walking down the dark street I noticed a man following behind and he said something to me “psst, psst” as he got closer. “John!” I yelled and he turned around and yelled at the guy, “no!”. Oh gosh- where were we?

I was so relieved when we arrived at the riad- another owned by a French man and his wife. Dominick spoke very little English so his greeting was short. The doorman led us to our beautiful room and recommended a place for dinner. El Morocco club was an awesome place with posh couches, a DJ and lights. We both had really delicious risotto and wine.

We set out early again the next morning to explore and make the most of our time in Tangier! What a beautiful city!

We hired a driver to take us to the famous “Hercules cave”. This incredible place dates back to both Greek and Roman mythology. According to legend, Hercules used his incredible strength to create the “Strait of Gibraltar”. Pictures inside the cave were hard to get– but the place was really cool!

We also went to Cape Spartel- the most northern spot in Africa, where the Mediterranean sea meets the Atlantic ocean. Really pretty!

Next, we went on to see the American legation- the only American landmark abroad!

Tangier was a famous city in the 1960’s and 1970’s for artists all around the world. They would travel here for inspiration. Jack Kerouac, a renowned literally icon, wrote a lot in Tangier. Ironically, when John and I first started dating he recommended I read a book by Kerouac, “On the Road”. Paul Bowles is another who spent a great deal of time in Tangier.

We spent the afternoon walking along the gorgeous beach-

After such a fabulous day in Morocco, we were tired and ready to enjoy our last dinner. Michelle (french pronounced Me-shell), the wife of Dominick (our riad owner), referred us to a place. John looked at trip advisor and it had great reviews, so we gave it a go!

When we arrived we realized it was a house. We literally walked into a family’s living room. Two daughters were on the couch playing on their computers. The mother came from the kitchen, “welcome, welcome, please sit on any floor”. Huh? She showed us the limited menu and said she only took cash. While John went to find an ATM I awkwardly sat on the woman’s couch. Now, I would have been more weirded out if this was a few years ago. Since traveling to different countries we have encountered similar situations. Last year in Vietnam, a family welcomed us onto their porch where they peeled shrimp and basically put it in our mouths for us.

When John returned we ordered and sat quietly in her living room waiting.

Her son brought us the fish and paella we ordered. It was very delicious. We also ordered delicious empanadas and tea. All good! The woman was a very good cook! We could not figure out if she was Spanish, or Moroccan or Italian. All we know is- she was kind, her food was good, and we left happy.

That night we reflected on the amazing time we had in Morocco. What a beautiful, chaotic, and fascinating country! We learned so much about the Muslim religion. Prior to this trip, I found that even my own feelings towards Muslims had been jaded with the recent terror attacks. I found myself feeling slightly nervous when I saw people covered , only showing their eyes, getting on public transportation with me. The media jades us- it makes us judge an entire group of people over just a select few extremists. After just a few days in Morocco, surrounded by Muslims, I got over this irrational judgement. I learned what an amazing and dedicated group of people they are. Their religion and beliefs are very interesting, and the majority have deep values for family and life. I loved learning all about Morocco’s history! Another true testimony- that you learn so much more traveling to places than from a textbook! The architecture, the food, the people– ahh memories for an eternity!

We will miss you Morocco, and perhaps will return one day! But for now our amazing race continues, as we travel on to Spain!!

رجوك إعتن بنفسك حتى ذلك اليوم الذي نلتقي فيه مجدداً (Until we meet again),

Kinz

Here’s Looking at you Kid

by kinsay20December 21, 2015December 21, 2015

After our Sahara adventure and one more night in Marrakech, we were ready to move on to a new city- Casablanca. A coastal city, with one of the largest ports, Casablanca was originally founded by the Portugese and named “Casabranca” meaning “white house”. When the Spanish settled, they renamed it to “Casablanca”. It became world know after the famous Humprehy Bogart classic. Casablanca is the economic city of Morocco.

We took the short, hour long train ride from Marrakech to Casablanca. We paid an extra $2 for first class and window seats (total $14 each). When arriving to our assigned seats, a young man was sitting in one of them. After showing our tickets he moved over. He then said something to another guy in French or Arabic, but the only word I knew was “Americans”. I didn’t think he was happy that he had to move from the window seat. I thought for sure he wasn’t too fond of us until the end of the ride.

John had gone to walk around the train and use the bathroom. He was gone for a bit when the young man said to me in broken English, “ you get off Casablanca?”. “Yes,” I replied. He said, “1 minute next stop”. The trains don’t stop for very long and our bags were high up in compartments above our seats. Oh great, where was John?I walked down the train car halls looking for him. I knew he had his phone because he just played me in a dice game. I texted him through the game app, “where are you??”. No sign of him as the train approached the station. Grr— what to do? The young man tried to help me with our bags and he even looked for John. Finally he was there, right at the very last second. We barely got off in time. That would have been a 3-4 hour detour if we had continued on. I thanked the nice man who ended up really helping us out!

We took a cab from the train station to our hotel on the ocean. It was quite pretty!

We sat outside and lunch while enjoying a nice cold Casablanca beer.

After lunch we headed out to do some exploring. We went to the tallest religious structure in the world-Hassan II, a beautiful mosque overlooking the ocean. We spent at least an hour admiring its beauty and detail. There was a pretty mosque cat with its kitten.We walked all along the shoreline for hours, watching fishermen and surfers.

We joined so many other romantic couples outside the picturesque mosque and ocean

We then walked through the medina a bit. Much smaller than the medina in Marrakech and people didn’t hassle us. After a couple hours of walking we decided to find a bite to eat. John found a sushi place with good reviews on trip advisor. We eventually found it but the place was empty. John was really disappointed to find out they didn’t serve beer. As mentioned in a previous post, alcohol is not so easy to come by in Morocco, even in nice restaurants. The hotels and riads have it but it is much harder to find out in town since Muslims don’t drink. “I just want 1 beer with my dinner while on vacation”, John said. I kind of agreed, as I was wanting a glass of wine.

We walked a bit more not able to find a place that we wanted. We ended up back at our hotel and decided to eat at one of the restaurants connected to it. The manager was really nice and read the entire menu to us in English. John ordered steak medium, and I ordered scallops. Or so I thought. We had some nice wine and olives and then our dinner was served. John’s steak was rare, like bleeding rare, and there was some tough grilled chicken on plate. Chicken? I thought I ordered scallops? Ugh. I can honestly say in 7 years together, I can’t recall any time we sent food back. We felt really bad but we explained the situation to the manager. He cooked John’s steak some more and I told him I’d just have spaghetti.

There are many, many night clubs around the beach in Casablanca. More nightclubs in 1 area than we had ever seen. We were going to check out a place with a cabaret type show but it wasn’t open yet. These places open very late. We were tired and wanted to explore more the next morning before leaving for Rabat.

We slept well and the next morning John was ready before me, so he went to take a walk. About 20 minutes later he came back in the hotel room huffing and puffing out of breath. “Oh my gosh Kins, I almost died!” What?? John explained that as he was walking he suddenly was being chased by guard dogs. He must have trespassed and the dogs were after him. He said he ran as fast as he could and contemplated jumping into the ocean to escape them. He managed to climb through a hole in a fence and the dogs stopped chasing him. Whew- well I was certainly glad he was ok, and glad I missed that experience.

We walked along the beach all morning, checking out the different beach clubs.

Did I mention there are cactus all over Morocco? SO neat seeing cactus next to Palm trees!

The Moroccan King and his family are very well liked and their pictures are everywhere

Love all the pretty kitties everywhere in Morocco!

It was a sunny 75 degrees, but not the “season” for the beach clubs. We couldn’t imagine what it would be like during season. Crazy I’m sure! The beach clubs were all really nice!

On our cab ride to the train station, our driver pointed out some large mansions and told us they belonged to the Moroccan mafia members.

We boarded our train to Rabat without issue and enjoyed the 3 hour ride. The trains are pretty clean with big,comfortable seats. The bathrooms are not so clean however. When traveling these are just things you learn to deal with. When you gotta go,you gotta go. We have learned to always carry tissue/ toilet paper with us, as it is common in other countries to have bathrooms without toiler paper. It is also common to come across squatter toilets. I hated these in China; I hated them in Japan and I still despise them in Morocco. Anatomical speaking it is not as easy for women to use squatters as it is for men. A man definitely invented these. There is often urine on the edges and they smell. I have “held it” many times, for extended lengths of time, due to really yucky squatters. I have an internal rating system for public bathrooms now. If I can manage I will wait until it is at least a 3-4/10. This means I don’t have to hold my breath and there is not visible urine etc around the squatter or toilet. I have gotten really pretty good at squatting though, I must say. If there is indeed a toilet seat, the bathroom gets a rating of 4 or above.

Besides bathrooms, there are other things one learns and must roll with when being a world traveler. You have to step out of your comfort zone. You have to realize things aren’t going to go the way planned and you must be patient. You must also be tolerant and can’t worry about germs. People cough- people sneeze. You can do your best to keep your hands clean with sanitizer ( we always have on us) and washing often, but you can’t avoid germs. It is a fact of life. We take probiotics daily and John takes vitamin c/ airborne each morning. I do think there is something to it. The nurse at the travel clinic before our Asia trip, told us that those who take probiotics are significantly less likely to pick up common colds/ sicknesses.

Another important thing when traveling, (especially for extended periods), choose you travel companion wisely. Just because you like someone does not mean they will be an ideal travel companion. Luckily for me my hubs and are very compatible in that way. It helps that we live together so we already know each others habits, moods etc. John and I are great travel companions. Traveling can be stressful at times, and trust me when I say, we both have our “moments”. Neither of us have “moments” that last too long and we are generally able to laugh it off. I’m definitely a little slower in the AM, so John has learned to go down and get breakfast or coffee, and not rush me. John on the other hand, gets “hangry” when his blood sugar is low. He typically needs to eat every couple hours, whereas I can go for awhile. I try to keep snacks on me so that I am prepared for his hangry moments.

We arrived in Rabat and decided we could walk to our riad.

As we exited the train station we immediately noticed protests in the near distance. Oh boy! We walked, avoiding the protest area ,and noted many military guards and riot gear/ busses. We also immediately noted the modern dress of many people in Rabat. Girls were wearing jeans and even some had heels. We made it to our beautiful riad Kalaa, and were greeted by the French manager. She said she lived in Morocco due to her husband’s job. She explained not to worry about the protests, as they go on all the time since Rabat is the political capital of Morocco. In each city of Morocco there is military and police presence. They always walk in 3’s- with 2 military officers in camouflage uniforms on either side of a man in a blue uniform,. I tried researching this, but had yet to find anything.

We unpacked and checked into our room and riad. Really beautiful place.

tea time!

We of course were given some tea and cookies. We went out to explore this coastal town. We walked all along the water and through the city.

More beautiful doors!! ( see previous post about Morocco doors)

We saw some beautiful government buildings and officials’ homes, as well as the palace where the tomb of Hassan II lays.

We enjoyed walking the medina here. Although it was not as traditional and chaotic as in Marrakech, it was refreshing to not be harassed by locals.

We walked and walked to get to the ancient Roman ruins, but as we arrived it was 5:30 and they were closing. We didn’t know they closed at that time and were kinda bummed, but decided we would return the next morning.

Thanks to a recommendation from our hotel, we found the most amazing place to have dinner that night. Not knowing what was behind the door, we knocked. It was so incredibly beautiful inside! I felt as though, once again we had gone back in time thousands of years.

the cool all red bathroom

The restaurant was not just Moroccan, but African. We had a delicious meal, starting with pastilla stuffed with pigeon. Yes- pigeon! My dad asked “ like NYC pigeons”? I replied, ‘no dad, Moroccan pigeons”…haha. This was our first time eating pigeon. It was so good! The pastilla is a pastry type dish with meat inside and powdered sugar and cinnamon on the outside.

For our main course we both had veal meatballs- so good!

The next morning we got up early and set out to see the ruins we had missed the day before. We loved walking around and taking pictures. Of course there were sweet kitties everywhere.

Before leaving Rabat we did some shopping in the medina. John and I both got some new clothes- 2 shirts for me for $3. They even made a little dressing room —

Market in Medina

That afternoon we set out for Fes- another huge city of Morocco.

John all packed and ready to go-

Stay tuned as we travel through Fes and the coastal city of Tangier–

As Humphrey Bogart would say- “Here’s looking at you kid”

<3, Kinz

Marrakech- Charming, Intimidating, and Fascinating! A new adventure begins….

by kinsay20December 17, 2015December 18, 2015

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard

Almost seven years ago I met my husband John (who I sometimes refer to as Conner- so don’t get confused-I have only one husband). I was smitten after our very first date and something told me we were going to be together forever. Little did I know that it would mean traveling the world together- going places I had only heard about or seen in movies.I had always loved seeing new places and meeting new people. Growing up my family took some amazing vacations, and although I never considered myself adventurous in any way, I had this idea: I thought, “I want to see every person on this Earth in my lifetime”. Impossible, yes- but a dream, a goal.

In our seven years together, John and I have been to some really amazing places and experienced things I never would have imagined! Last year we took a 2 month honeymoon through Asia. Yes, your read correctly, 2 months! Who does that? We do! It was unbelievable! We went to 5 countries and more than 14 cities.

I blogged throughout our adventures and you can explore those stories at https://connerhoneymoonadventure.wordpress.com

We knew as soon as our last trip was over that we would be taking another big adventure this year. We hope and plan to do one every year! We went back and forth on where we should explore next. We thought about South Africa, India, and were even tempted to do some new places in Southeast Asia again. We loved Asia so much we definitely will go back one day and plan to see Myanmar, Philippines, Malaysia and Laos. After much debate and indecisiveness I told John to surprise me. One random night he did surprise me and booked our flights- Morocco and Spain it is!

With saved hotel points and airline miles we started planning and booking! I should mention that is how we were able to take a 2 month honeymoon- lots of miles and points!

As the trip approached we got more and more excited! A few weeks before our trip the Paris terrorist attacks happened. I felt heart broken for the victims and their families- as with all such tragic events. With all the media and societal views some anxiety kicked in. Actually a lot of anxiety- but it lasted only briefly. To not travel the world because one is scared would be a tragedy in itself. I believe that most people are good natured and truly kind. I believe learning about others and their cultures is one of the best ways to try to understand the world. I believe the world is meant to be explored and I believe in prayer.

With that said I began packing- 4 days earlier. Like any typical woman, it takes some planning. But of me..a different kind of planning. My husband has taught me it is best to travel with a backpack rather than a suitcase for these types of trips. Last year I thought he was nuts! How could I possibly pack for 8 weeks in 1 pack? Well, needless to say I did it. And while I was sick of everything in that pack by mid trip, it still made travel way easier.It is much easier negotiating large crowds, airports, etc. without a rolling suitcase. Also, nice to not have to check bags at airports. And when you get tired of stuff or it gets worn out (like my Nikes last year) you just toss it and convince the husband to buy you something new.

So here is my pack and how I packed it.

This was interesting because I wanted to make sure I had super conservative, loose clothes for Morocco, and more fitted, modern clothes for Spain. I read blogs about being respectful in Morocco and not having form -fitted clothes. I made sure to pack flowing long skirts and long sleeved tops and scarves, as well as skinny jeans and halter tops/ crop jackets for Spain. Side note, my kitties were not happy to see me packing- they hate when I leave. However, I am so fortunate to have amazing family and friends who watch my kitties and apartment when we travel.

Well the day finally arrived- we were all packed and ready to begin our adventure. Morocco here we come!

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Our travel day was a bit crazy! Since we used points we went from DCA- LGA- JFK- Dusseldorf, Germany- Marrakech, Morocco. Our first flight was short and sweet. Once in NYC we took a NYC transporter bus to the next airport. We found Air berlin and checked in. We were really disappointed when they informed us that we had to check our bags. Huh? We have traveled multiple airlines on the other side of the world without having to check these. This was the reason we take backpacks, so we don’t have to check them. We debated with them for a bit but had no luck. They explained that due to recent threat awareness TSA and airlines were being stricter.John was a little upset, but we gave up and checked our bags. Security was quite intense. There were US army soldiers all around. I actually really liked that and felt very safe in their presence.

After through security we had lounge access which was really nice! Free wine for us:) Once aboard the long flight to Germany, aboard Air Berlin, we were treated pretty quickly with more wine and dinner. The seats were pretty small, but they had many media choices. Of course I picked a sappy, depressing drama called “Me, Earl and the dying girl”. It was listed under ” Romantic comedies”. Um– let’s just say there was nothing romantic or funny about this movie. I cried 8 times in 2 hours, while John watched an action movie. After that, since I was already semi – depressed, I figured why not watch one of my all time favorites, “The Notebook”. Thank goodness I fell asleep before it got super sappy.

We slept most of the remaining long flight. Once in Dusseldorf we followed the signs at the airport for passports. Everything was in German and there were no instructions. The German guards were so tall and slightly intimidating. After waiting in a long line we arrived to the passport desk only to be told in German ” no. no” and shoed away. ” Well where do we go? We saw another from our flight and we somehow figured out the right line to be in. At Dusseldorf airport we again enjoyed the lounge and some snacks. I tried some German liver pate and cheeses while John had bowls of some strange looking gummy bears.

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A couple hours later we boarded our flight to Marrakech. The plane was only 25% full so there was plenty of room. German stewardesses, much like on the Asian airlines, were very pretty and so ,”put together”. We had now been traveling over 15 hours so we were pretty exhausted. We both slept most of the flight and awoke to amazing views of dessert as we approached Morocco. I have never had such a beautiful landing view as this- it was absolutely breath taking. All you could see in the distance was desert and more desert. Pictures do not do it justice– 20151211_070356_resized

Arriving to Marrakech

We had no idea what to expect as we got off the plane. All we knew was an exciting, new adventure awaited! There were guards and soldiers everywhere but our flight was the only one arriving. There was nobody else in the entire airport besides those on our flight. Thank goodness our packs made it! We then set out to find our driver. We had booked our riad (hotel in Marrakech) months in advance. A riad is defined as “a traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior garden or courtyard. The word riad comes from the Arabian term for garden, “ryad”.

An English couple owns the Riad Hikaya, and we had been emailing back and forth since booking.We found it through reviews and trip advisor. The owners, John and Jane, fell in love with Morocco and decided to stay.Jane arranged for a driver to pick us up from the airport, and she helped us a book a 3 day Sahara desert tour. Yes, 3 days in the middle of the desert- sounds crazy right?! But adventurous none the less.

Sure enough our driver was waiting for us holding up a sign.He led us out to his car and upon stepping outside I immediately noticed the fresh, crisp air. It was a perfect 75 degrees and sunny with no humidity. We began our drive through Marrakech and into the medina. A medina meaning “old city” is a distinct section found in North African cities. It is clearly defined with big walls, reminding me of medieval fortresses. We chose to stay at a riad inside the medina to get the full, authentic experience. Our driver pointed out the King’s palace and some other interesting points along the way. Inside the medina you feel like you have gone back in time by thousands of years-(that is until a motor bike or 10 rush by).

Through curvy, maze- like narrow roads we passed by the amazing architecture, all mostly pinkish in color. The whole medina is a huge continuation of stone building all connected. It is really quite remarkable. Each place, whether a restaurant, riad, individual home- is only distinguishable by it’s door. The doors are absolutely amazing. I love that they are all different! I have decided to have photograph collection of doors from my time in Morocco.

We arrived at the door for our riad and were greeted by a lovely hostess who led us into a sitting room, where we were then greeted by the owner John. The detail in the sitting room was absolutely stunning! From the walls, to the furniture, to the teapot and carpets- and well everything in between. We were served the staple Moroccan mint tea (so delicious) and treats while John introduced himself and told us a lot about Marrakech. John, although British, had been living in Africa/ the middle east for over 20 years now. He had businesses throughout the years in many different countries but chose to settle in Morocco. He explained that the people are generally kind, and violent crimes were not an issue. We learned that Moroccans typically enjoy life more , and work just to work- but work is not a main priority. They indeed are hard workers, but family , pleasure comes first. He gave us some general tips and a map with “must see” things.

John then told us we could upgrade to a larger available room than the one we originally booked at no extra cost. The hostess gave us a tour, and we were mesmerized by the authentic feel and detail. John had everything in the Riad handmade- EVERYTHING! Robes, carpets, teapots, light fixtures, chairs- you name it! It took him 5 years to renovate the property to his liking. I felt like I was in Aladdin!

After some washing up we headed out to explore. We started by grabbing some lunch at a place John recommended called ” Clock”. Terraces are very popular in Marrakech and since the warm sun was calling to us we sat up on the terrace. Of course we had to try their famous Camel burger as our first meal. It was pretty tasty, similar to beef. During our lunch we heard the first muslim prayer throughout the city. At set times during the day many stop and pray. It was quite fascinating.

Once through with lunch we walked the winding streets, trying our best to follow the map were given. You see, although there are street names, nobody seems to know them or follow them. People go by landmarks rather than names.

We somehow made it to the very renowned “square” of the medina where there are snake charmers, story tellers, monkeys and acrobats. It can get very crowded and quite intense at times, but so interesting. We were warned of the women who would try to grab my hand and put henna without my asking. Apparently many have allergic reactions to the chemicals used. I stayed away from those ladies the best I could. I have nothing against henna and think it looks pretty neat, but I am not in favor of any skin reactions while on my trip.

As we walked the streets we definitely got a lot of stares. We got some in China and Vietnam- but nothing like this. The women didn’t seem to really notice us, but the men- oh boy, we got some looks! John admitted it was intimidating at times- and this is guy who is not intimidated easily. I stayed very close to him and felt I had to constantly watch my surroundings.

Through the hustle of Bangkok, Beijing, Tokyo, Saigon, we are pretty good at negotiating through large crowds, but this was new and different for us. As with any large city it takes some getting used to and feeling out. Many younger men and boys offered to help us to where we wanted to go – we had been warned of these scams and knew to politely deny. They often will lead tourists the wrong way or a long way then demand money. Many did not like or denial of their help and would follow us. After awhile we realized they assumed we were British or French, so we decided to pretend like we were spanish and say “gracias”. We quickly learned many Moroccans know multiple languages to include: English, Arabic, Berber, French, and yes even Spanish. Our ” gracias” did not deter them.

Determined to find our own way we got lost in the narrow mazes a couple times. I only got a bit nervous when it started getting dim outside. We went in a couple circles and some local boys laughed at us. We eventually found a rooftop terrace that the riad had recommended where we could watch the sunset and have a glass of wine. The view was nice and we enjoyed relaxing after walking almost 12 miles. Not many places in Marrakech serve alcohol – especially in the medina. Since it is almost all muslim population, they do not drink alcohol. The Moroccan wine was quite good though!

After our drink and sunset we wandered back out into town. A nice young guy grabbed our attention showing us his spices and minerals. He was quite a salesman and convinced us to buy some tea. He even gave me some clay poppyseed bowl that creates lipstick- sounds weird but it’s really pretty cool! He also gave us some authentic toothpicks and complimentary tea and clay mask for my hands. He then said his “brother” would show us a good spot for dinner. We did not have to pay him, he would just take us their since we were now his ” friends”. Right– John at the riad had told us that while the locals were nice and good hearted , they also all wanted to make money. They all had stories- he told us “trust no one”.

Well we followed the “brother” who led us to a very beautiful restaurant. Absolutely stunning and posh- and also empty! The only other customers in the 2 level huge place were 2 british girls. They seemed to be enjoying their food. We looked at the menu and prices and decided to just have another glass of wine and venture out again for food.

I guess that 2nd glass of wine had us feeling pretty adventurous. We decided on street food. Now the Kinsay 3 years ago would probably not have been so inclined to delve into trying street food so quickly- or at all. But found in southeast Asia, some of the best things were from vendors on the street. Don’t think NYC hotdog stands. In other countries street food is how locals eat. The recipes are handed down from generations. If you watch Anthony Bordain, you would see the appeal of these street foods I speak of.

We chose a random little spot with chairs and tables and sat next to a couple local families. Their food looked tasty, so I asked what it was and ordered the same. Tanjine- it was really good! We then decided to try another street booth and went for snail soup! A bowl of snails with broth! Yum! Pretty good if you can get past their eyes and antennas as you bite into it.

We walked around some more and eventually decided to walk back to our riad and get some rest. We really had only slept a few hours in the last 2 days. As we were walking we passed another food stand with a guy selling sausages. My hubby loves sausage so he wanted to try some. As the guy cooked our little sausage and pita he wanted us to taste his fish too. He literally peeled the fish meat with his bare fingers off the bone and offered it to us. “Please try,try”. With his fingernails obviously filled with dirt, John accepted and took his offering. I didnt want to be rude so I did too. We went through this in Thailand and survived so I guess we were trying to be polite. In other cultures it is customary to take food when someone offers you in such a way.

The whole walk home I prayed we weren’t going to get sick. Back at the riad we took an extra probiotic. Luckily we didn’t get sick but John’s stomach made some very loud grumbling noises all night long.

After a great night’s sleep we awoke feeling rested and ready to explore Marrakech some more. We were served a lovely breakfast on the riad terrace and met a nice couple from the Netherlands. Moroccan coffee is quite tasty and Morocco has some of the best fresh squeezed orange juice I have ever had! It may even give Florida orange juice a run for it’s money.

After breakfast we headed out and made our way through the maze streets of the medina once again.

John was eager to find a SIM card that would work in his phone and iPad so we set out to find one. We found a legit cell phone store- (when I say legit I mean it had a door and displayed 4 phones). John asked for some SIM cards that would work and they guy said he needed a passport. Apparently it is a law to scan passports and keep records of anyone buying SIMs/ data. This is part of security to keep track of what people are doing while in Morocco. Not a bad idea but I still felt weird handing over my passport to this stranger. You see John didn’t have his on him, so I had to give mine. I watched as this man made copies of my passport. Awesome. Then John realized he didn’t have enough cash to pay the guy. The man pointed and said “ ATM” down the street. John told me to wait in the store while he went to get more cash. So I waited. And waited. And waited some more. It seemed like an eternity. I started thinking, “what if he doesn’t come back? Do I know how to get back to the hotel? What if something happened to him? Would I call the embassy?”. You think all these irrational thoughts when you are in a place where you know nobody and have no idea where you are.

He eventually returned and after another 30 minutes the guy was able to get the SIM working in his phone. Now we could really begin our day.

We explored a museum that is an old Jewish school. In Morocco up until the 1950’s, Muslims and Jews lived in neighboring communities, even intertwined communities without any problem. Even with such differing beliefs, they could co-exist and be friends. With World War 2, and much uncertainty for the future, the Jewish feld to Israel. The Jewish quarter of Marrakech was left abandoned for many years. In the 1980’s the king of Morocco sent out international public notices to encourage the Jewish to return to their homes. Many of them did return to Marrakech and other large cities, although the rural areas of Morocco never were resettled by the Jewish and are now mostly (if not all) Muslim.

After the museum we took a tour of the tanneries. It was crazy to see how leather is made and how much time and hard work goes into it. Pigeon poop is used to soften the leather, whether it is goat, sheep, cow or snake. Talk about one of the dirtiest jobs in the world! The tannery workers stand in chest -deep pigeon poop for hours on end. As we explored the tannery they gave us mint to hold under our nose so we could tolerate the smell.

After our tour we were guided to a 3 level store with beautiful handmade leather products from the tannery. There were the most beautiful couches, leather jackets, suitcases. John had mentioned earlier that he wanted a leather jacket, so he tried on a few. The owner of the store was so welcoming and friendly as we explored his store and tried things on. He wanted $300 for the jacket John liked, but we knew we could negotiate. John told the guy he would think about it and we would come back. That’s when the owner’s whole demeanor changed. He got very uptight and aggressive insisting the store was closing for the season and today was the last day (we knew this wasn’t true). John said, “ I need to go back to the hotel and check my accounts/ money”. The owner then said very sternly “oh please, don’t lie to me. You are lying. You know what money you have. You know -“ and he went on and on. I was thinking “great, we are on the 3rd floor of some mean man’s store in a foreign county with nobody else around. “ I felt very uncomfortable and threatened. We quickly got out of the store and walked as fast as we could away. I kept looking behind to see if anyone was following us.

We made it to the crazy medina square again where John got groped by monkeys without his consent. We had a nice terrace lunch where we had some cat company. There are cats everywhere in Morocco. Many of them are neighborhood/ community cats. They are fed by everyone and just live all around. They are very friendly and definitely used to people. When I finished my lunch I insisted the waiter give out remaining food to the kitties. I am a cat person after all.

We walked outside the medina to see the commercial hotels – one where “Sex and the City” was filmed. These hotels were Western standard 5 star and very glamorous. I am still glad we chose the riad for Marrakech. We got a much more authentic, Moroccan experience. We travel to explore other cultures and staying in Westernized hotels would not have provided the same experience.

That night we had a delicious dinner at a restaurant in the medina near our hotel. I had sea bass perfectly complimented with Moroccan red wine.

Following dinner we walked around the crazy, chaotic streets of Marrakech some more.Words can’t describe the feeling and energy you get walking through this town. John had to use the bathroom so we stopped at a decent looking restaurant and bought some water. As I waited for John a young man who worked at the restaurant offered me an almond. “No thank you,” I said. “No, please have”, he replied. Since we had been in Marrakech I had learned it was customary for people to offer you nuts, tea and/or cookies when you enter their establishment. I didn’t want to be rude so I ate the single almond. The guy then said something to his co-workers/ buddies in Arabic with a laugh and all I could understand was “haha hotel California”. What did that mean? After John returned and we set off down the street I told him about my nut offering and “hotel California”. John was convinced that maybe my almond was drugged or something. He didn’t understand why I would accept it. Umm, because we had been accepting nuts, tea and treats from everyone who offered us since we had arrived. Great- well too late now. He kept a close eye on me. I felt fine and made it through the night without an issue.

After some more exploring and craziness we headed back to our riad to get a good night’s sleep. We had to be up early the next morning to begin our 3 days Sahara desert tour! Stay tuned for our Sahara adventures- definitely a check on my bucket list. One of the coolest thing we have ever done- but not all 3 days was paradise!

wadaeaan al'an (goodbye for now),
 Kinz

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