Halloween in the city cont...

Here we are in costume...if you need a little help think of Flipper! Roger was not into the idea of wearing a costume but since we were going to a costume party we had to do something. We ended up going as a Dolphin Trainer and a Dolphin...double meaning, which was a big hit here in Miami:)

Halloween in the city

Since this is Roger's first Halloween in the USA, I thought he should experience the tradition of pumpkin carving. Surprisingly enough, we spotted a makeshift "pumpkin patch" just a few blocks away and were able to go pick out our very own overpriced pumpkin in the middle of the city! Roger was in charge of cleaning out the pumpkin - he did a great job! You never would have known it was his first time. I was in charge of the design - I guess it's not the most original jack-o-lantern ever, but he sure does make you want to smile:) We aren't allowed to have any decorations outside our apartment so Jack is going to hang out on our coffee table until Halloween - hopefully he doesn't get too stinky before then because we're planning on breaking the rules for one night and putting Jack out with a cute little sign that leads our neighbors to come trick-or-treat at our place (an effort to make some new friends, something that we are finding a bit challenging in the city). We wish you all a safe and happy Halloween!

50 Things to do before you die

An adventure-loving friend of mine lead me to this article on TravelersNotebook.com - I have done 12 (#s 4, 6, 13, 15, 16, 7, 21, 29, 30, 32, 41, 43)....38 more to go! Looks like Europe would be a great place to go next to cross a few more off the list. How are you all doing???

50 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE
1. Set foot on each of the seven continents. Antarctica might be a tough one, but once you’ve reached all seven you can truly call yourself a world traveler.

2. Cross a country on a bicycle. A bicycle tour takes some planning, but it beats being separated from a country though a passenger-side window.

3. Ride something bigger than a horse. Trekking through the
jungle on the back of a two story tall elephant will surely be something you remember forever.

4. Live like a local for a month. The experience of visiting native peoples will give you way more insight into another way of life than two years hopping from one backpacker ghetto to the next.

5. Visit a “real” blues bar in Chicago. What better way to leave music’s commercialism behind and find the soul of the blues?

6. Learn another language. This is definitely a weighty and time-consuming proposition, but there are plenty of resources out there to ease the process.

7. Go heli-skiing. The access to snow and terrain via heli is different (read: better) that anything else you’ll ever experience.

8. Travel India by train. With its extensive rail network, this mode of transport is the best way to see one of the world’s most colorful and diverse countries.

9. Climb one of the world’s Seven Summits. Climbing mountains is not for the faint-hearted, but everyone has had a dream of standing atop one.

10. Dive with a whale shark. Swimming with these gentle giants is among the most powerful wilderness experiences in the world.

11. Participate in a Carnival parade in Brazil. You haven’t had a good night out until you’ve been to the biggest party in a nation of big parties.

12. Dance Tango in Argentina.

13. Surf. It’s not about being a ripper but just catching waves.

14. SCUBA in the Great Barrier Reef. The largest coral reef in the world is a must for dive enthusiasts. It is the world’s most unique aquatic environment.

15. Publish an article about your travels. Part of traveling is sharing your experiences with others. Plus, getting published might be easier than you think.

16. Volunteer abroad for a month.

17. Follow in the footsteps of your favorite travel book. What better guide than a book that inspired you to travel in the first place?

18. Take a bush plane ride into Africa’s interior. These lightly visited regions are filled with unique cultures and diverse wildlife.

19. Cross a glacier on foot. Traversing these fast-disappearing natural wonders is an adventure that future generations might not be able to experience.

20. Visit the source of one of the world’s great rivers. Great rivers, like the Nile, have humble beginnings.

21. Climb an active volcano.

22. Buy a boat and learn to sail. Before the Brothers Wright, everyone traveled by wind power. It’s still the most sustainable way to travel there is.

23. Follow your food from field to table. Most people in the world still eat what they have picked with their own hands. Why not get back to these basics?

24. Bathe in the Ganges. What better way to experience the spiritual heart of India?

25. Travel around the world. Sure, you could do this without ever setting foot outside of planes and airports, but few people ever truly traverse the entire globe. Round the world tickets are great for budget-minded wanderers.

26. Photograph an endangered species. Aside from an image you can keep for a lifetime, it will remind you, and others, how fragile life can be.

27. Participate in Burning Man . As they say: “Trying to explain Burning Man to someone who has never been is like trying to explain color to a blind person.”

28. Spend 24 hours alone in the jungle.

29. Learn how to make a national dish. What is the one and only thing that everyone has in common? Eating.

30. Teach English in a foreign country. Sure, it’s a way to fund your travels, but also the experience of a lifetime.

31. Attend a music festival in another country.

32. Cross a country using only public transportation. See a country the way most of its people do: from the window of a bus, train, or ferry.

33. Spend the night in a storied/historic hotel. You might not even have to leave town to experience a night of classic atmosphere.

34. Attend the Olympics. Whatever you say about the commercialism of the Olympic Games, they are one of the biggest events on the planet.

35. Meet your favorite (living) travel writer. They’ve inspired you; now thank them for it.

36. Travel to Germany to experience Love Parade. It’s one of the biggest festivals, attendance-wise, on the planet.

37. Partake in a Japanese Tea Ceremony. This timeless tradition is at the heart of Japanese culture.

38. Join a caravan in the Sahara. See how people can thrive in one of the world’s harshest environments.

39. Go to Oktoberfest. The meeting of over 6 million beer afficionados and drinking song singers is one of the biggest parties in Europe.

40. Stand at the North or South Pole.

41. Be in the stands when two rival South American club teams play each other in soccer. Soccer (sorry, football) is a passion for most of the world’s population.

42. Visit the birthplace or gravesite of a cultural icon. Could be Che Guevara or Picasso or Levi Strauss or the guy who invented widgets; anyone you think is important.

43. Find your version of “The Beach.” One of the best travel books ever inspired a generation of backpackers. Why not find your own version of untouched paradise?

44. Enjoy a freshly rolled cigar in Cuba. Taste a hand rolled specialty close to its source.

45. Visit every capital city in Europe. The crowded continent is full of beautiful architecture and diverse cultures.

46. Watch an orchestral performance in Vienna.

47. Skydive. It is the ultimate thrill, unless you add a wingsuit, and actually fly.

48. Bike the Pacific Coast Highway.

49. Shake hands with someone who has truly changed a country.

50. Participate in the world’s biggest water fight during Thailand’s New Year’s festivities (Songkran)

The Great Grove Bed Race

Our new neighborhood is famous for 2 annual events: The Arts Festival and The Great Grove Bed Race. We have been anxiously waiting for the Bed Race and today we finally got to see what it is all about. In this case, a picture is really worth a thousand words - I will also include the race rules since they pretty much explain it all.

Rules:
1) Each team must have 5 people to a team (4 runners, 1 rider)
2) Rider must wear helmet
3) Race course and all info will be given at the Captain’s Meeting.
4) Two beds will race at once for a time trial. Top 8 times go head to head drag racing for the championship.
5) All beds must be decorated (keep in mind there is a contest for best decorated)
6) Anyone may design and decorate the beds, not just team members.
7) Any size wheels are permitted
8) No breaking devices allowed
9) No steering devices allowed
10) Pushing the bed only during the race, no pulling
11) All 5 team members must pass finish line in order to win
12) Judges decision is final on race times and on bed construction, which must adhere to all rules and regulations
stated below under bed construction. All beds will be inspected by judges prior to the races. The judges have
final word in all matters pertaining to the race and reserve the right to disqualify or penalize a team at any time.

Bed construction:
1) Twin bed size only. Mattress must be part of design and design must mimic a bed with headboard and footboard
Headboard should be 4’ w x 2’ h.
2) Beds must have minimum of four wheels one in each corner, all must touch the ground, wheels can be any size
3) Beds can be decorated in any way but must have a headboard and footboard as part of the design – be creative!
4) Bed can not have any means of propulsion other than the team pushing it. No motors. No steering mechanism.
Human power only. No breaks.
5) Bed may have push bars not exceeding the width of the bed. Nothing may stick out on sides.
6) Any violations in bed design will have penalties (team starts 3 seconds late per violation). Beds that are not
constructed according to the rules will be required to be modified to adhere to the rules.
7) Participants are encouraged to dress along with the bed theme decoration to win prizes
8) No sharp items, glass or obscene items on beds. Beds will be disqualified for any of these violations.









We're putting a team together for next year - anyone interested???

Life in Miami

I am finally posting the photos I have been promising of our new Miami apartment! Roger and I have both started work and are looking forward to our 1st pay day on Monday! I really enjoy my school and had a great first week with all my chemistry students. I have also been asked to help coach the dance team which should be fun - we're having tryouts this week and our first football game is just a few weeks away. Roger started working construction with his brothers in Ft Lauderdale last week - it is hard work, especially in the Florida humidity, and a long commute, but he enjoys the work and the time with family so I guess it balances out. All-in-all we're doing great and we are excited about our new life in the USA - it has been a big change for both of us and we thank all of you for the love and support you have shown us throughout our transition. All our love and prayers!






Nicole was our first dinner guest - she was one of my best friends in the Peace Corps and now we only live about an hour away!

The Road Less Traveled

(Yes, Today's post is long but I think it's worth the read...ENJOY!!!)

Roger and I celebrated our 1 Year Wedding Anniversary last week!

As many of you know, we actually got to celebrate our anniversary in Nicaragua as we joined my parents on a mission trip with their church. This is the second year my parents have done the mission trip with their church and they are already looking forward to doing it again next year (see blogs from July 2008 for stories and pictures from last year). You may remember from last year that the mission is twofold - part of the team works to put on dental and eye clinics in the rural communities around Somoto, while the other part of the team builds houses for families in extreme need. Again, Mom and I worked on the medical team - mom brushed all the kiddos' teeth with fluoride and I took medical histories for the 500+ patients we saw throughout the week. This year, Roger joined Dad on the building crew and they worked on 3 cement block houses. The trip was a great success and touched each of our hearts in a unique way - God's love is so BIG...and shines so bright in the humble lives of the Nicarguan people we visited!

However, the most memorable Nicaraguan experience of this trip came after the mission. Mom, Dad, Roger and I stayed for an extra 6 days so that Roger and I could show my parents some of our favorite places in Nicaragua - I guess you could say we were the tour guides. We have also started talking about the possibility of buying some beach property in Nicaragua sometime in the future so we wanted to show my parents a few of the potential sites and get their opinion...if we had time. We started our tour with an incredible 2-night, 3-day stay at Hotel Vistamar. We had a private beachfront bungalow with incredible views of the vast Pacific Ocean. We relaxed by the pools drinking Pina Coladas and Macuas and took long walks on the beach. When we got hungry, we ordered delicious meals that were served right to our patio with panoramic ocean views. It was paradise! From there, we were going to head to Managua and stay at the Hilton Princess Hotel and hit up a few more of our favorite spots. As we were driving from our ocean paradise to Managua, I noticed a sign I had never seen before; a sign that went to La Boquita, one of the potential sites for beach properties. Even though we should have known better than to assume that "a sign = a DRIVABLE road", we decided to turn and take the shortcut to our new beach property.

And that's where the adventure on the "road less traveled" begins! The frist few kilometers of the road were paved and we all felt like we were headed in the right direction. After that, the road turned to gravel but we were still feeling good. Then it changed to dirt and started to get quite hilly - which means that there were HUGE ruts on every hill caused by the extremely heavy tropical rains. I was driving and took the first hill with caution...too much caution! In order to stay out of the ruts I pulled off into the weeds and drove right into a hidden tree trunk. Flat tire!!! Roger changed the tire in record time and decided to take the wheel since he has much more experience driving on dirt roads. He drove the next 5 or 6 hills like a pro and we were all hopeful again - especially since we had been told that the road was only 8km and we had already driven 12! At which point we reached a hill that our little Suzuki just couldn't handle - Roger tried 2 or 3 times to make it up the hill but every time the front wheels would just spin out! After about 30 minutes of strategizing and waiting for someone to pass by - the only living thing that passed was the lost calf in the pictures below - Roger and Dad decided to hike ahead and look for the town that we were supposed to get to -4Km ago. However, before getting to the town they happened upon a young man on a bicycle who knew of a farm with a tractor!!! Roger hiked back to the farm and convinced one of the workers to come help us out. The worker knew exactly where our car was stuck - the locals call that specific hill "La Subida de La Muerte", spanish for The Hill of Death! Check out these pictures to see how the story ends:

8:00 am - Breakfast on our private patio with panoramic ocean views

Check out those waffles!

10:00 am - Relaxing at the pool

11:30 am - Saying "Goodbye" to our beachfront bungalow

1:00 pm - Stranded at the bottom of the Hill of Death

1:30 pm - The curious calf is wondering why we have THAT car on THIS road???

2:00 pm - Rescue team arrives on scene

2:10 pm- At the top of the hill:)

7:00 pm - Celebrating our rescue with Margaritas at Tequilas!


Actually, that's not the whole story - I left out the parts about trying to switch 2 tires with one jack, managing to somehow bend the front axle and mess up the alignment so that when we finally got to the highway we drove for 20km with an extremely loud screeching sound, fixing all the above mentioned parts for a total of $9 and so on...but I think that should give you a pretty good picture of our adventure! And now we know, that there is a reason why that road is less often traveled!

We made it!!!

4 days, 2,400 miles, and 8 states - we FINALLY made it to Florida!!!

All packed up and ready to go (yes, we have the surf board, bike, and a luggage carrier on the Saturn Vue)

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Tourists in New Orleans

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POR FIN!

Dad and Roger got right to work...

...while Mom and I went shopping:)



Pictures of our CO wedding celebration and our new apartment coming soon!!!