Author: DawnO

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Killin’ KL

The votes have been tallied. It’s official. Our team name is Rock-Awn!

After more than 30 hours of travel Rocky B and I arrived in Kuala Lumpur. It was 6 am in Malaysia so we knew we had a long day ahead of us.

We headed to the Batu Caves, a complex of huge limestone caves that houses Hindu temples.

On a long walk to find the entrance of KL Forest Eco Park, a large park in the city, we stumbled upon our first taste of Malaysia: a super busy local lunch spot of different food stalls. Yum!

We explored the park’s canopy walkway, then made our way to our Air BnB accommodation to have a (much needed) soak in the rooftop infinity pool.

Yep, it’s as awesome as it sounds (and looks).

We managed to soldier through the first day until collapsing into bed just before 8pm.
We woke up feeling much fresher today and crushed the city sites on foot. We started in Little India, exploring fabrics and Chai, then headed to Chinatown. RobO had challenged me to taste durian, so I checked it off of the ‘food bucket list’.  (Un)fortunately it isn’t in season, so I found some (way too expensive) puréed durian, which I think made it much more palatable because there was less olfactory engagement.

We toured Masjid Jamek, a beautiful central mosque along the river. You’ll notice we’re wearing robes to cover our obviously sleazy attire.

We toured some street art and in a moment of exhaustion sat in a cool market area getting a fish pedicure. These fish were much more aggressive than those we had experienced before, which led to one of us nearly hyperventilating and the other flapping her hands rapidly like a child with autism. Any guesses on who’s who? My silky smooth feet are thanking me for calming down and persevering after the initial reaction.

After another soak in the infinity pool we fuelled up with Indian food and headed out for some shots of the Petronas towers at night. There are fountains outside similar to the Belaggio ones in Vegas. After all of today’s walking Rocky turned to me and said “my dawgs are barkin'”. Me too.

Tomorrow we’re flying again. Just a short hop over to the Eastern Island of Sarawak.

 

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The Birds and the Bees and the Lions

We had the opportunity to visit a Maasai village, which turned out to be one giant family, 125 strong. The village leader, his 10 wives, and all of their children live in mud huts and subsist on only blood, milk, and meat, with occasional wheat and lentils. We were greeted by a welcome dance, which RobO got to participate in.

 

We then explored the inside of a mud hut, where the Maasai sleep on cow hides and cook on a campfire.

 

Our tour ended in the kindergarten, where the children ages 3-7 learn basic English and counting before they start walking 10 kilometres to school every day.

The Maasai rely on tourist dollars to be able to pay for essentials like water. It looks like they live a harsh life, but they were very proud of their culture.

After a night at the Rhino Lodge, we started today before sunrise to maximize our last day of safari. I had been most looking forward to the Ngorongo Crater, a volcanic crater that contains 4 different ecosystems. 

 

 

We were counting on seeing a rhino here to complete our ‘Big 5’ and though we saw one, it was very far away. I guess it’s good to leave us wanting more!

 

We continued to see many other animals and were lucky enough to see babies of almost every species.

 

In the Serengeti we had so many amazing lion sightings that I wasn’t sure we were going to top them. That is, until we happened upon the very rare mating time. We saw 3 different sets of lion couples, then witnessed the main event. Here’s how it went:
The lioness started walking with the male following.

 

The cue seemed to be that he would bite her tail.

 

Then… action.

It lasted about 30 seconds.

 

She would roll over and he would smoke a cigarette.

 

About 5-20 minutes later the whole thing would start again.
 
In the end I think we saw 5 or 6 encounters, which started to feel a bit pervy. Our excuse is that at the time Gerald was on the lookout for the elusive rhino.
 

Make no mistake about it, being on safari is not always glamorous. The large majority of our 5 days was spent sitting or standing in the jeep, driving over bone rattling gravel roads (Gerald called this an ‘African massage’). It’s hot, dusty, and tiring, and sometimes there are long breaks between wildlife sightings. But it is absolutely worth it!

 

Tomorrow we’re flying to Zanzibar for some recharge beach time.

 

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Jambo (‘Hello’)

On the highway leading to Tarangire National Park our safari guide, Gerald, was driving slower than most of the rest of the traffic. Safari jeeps filled with excited looking tourists kept passing us. When Gerald sauntered into the building to get our park permits, I could feel my toes impatiently wanting to start tapping. But I soon learned that Gerald’s calm and patience are ideal attributes in a safari guide. Several times we would be looking at animals amongst a group of safari jeeps. The others would drive off looking for the next animal sighting, while we would wait and keep watching. The majority of the time, this paid off, allowing us to see things that were likely missed by the others.

I guess it’s a lot like life. If we rushed through, checking off animal sightings like items on a grocery list, we would have seen lots of animals and birds, but missed the rich experiences: two impala males rutting, the 7 day old baby elephant hiding under the legs of it’s mom, the baby warthogs playing in the mud, and the 2 lionesses in the tall grass.

On a scale of ‘0 to Birthday’, RobO scored day one a solid 40/40. Tired and dusty, we settled into our impressive lodge for the night. We enjoyed a refreshing dip in the pool, an outdoor shower with views of the park, and Maasai men accompanying us to our room after dark to ensure we were not a lion’s next meal.

This morning we watched the sunrise from our patio in the company of 2 dik diks, which are very tiny deer that are a surprisingly strong contender for my fave animal. Next up: Serengeti!

 

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Sin City

RobO’s surprise getaway for me was (drum roll) Vegas! He booked the Cirque de Soleil show ‘O’ which has been on the list for a while. It was excellent.
We spent the majority of our time enjoying good food, watching the Bellagio fountains, people watching, and walking for miles. A shout out to Wahlburgers – we went there twice because RobO loved the GF burger so much.

We visited downtown’s Fremont street and did the 1700 foot ‘superman’ zip line down the length of it. It was as cool as it sounds.

We enjoyed a performance by a ‘king’, and I was lucky enough to catch one of his cheap scarves!

Look who we managed to find! My parents also happened to be there following a drive down the Oregon coast!

On our last night we got tickets to the Michael Jackson Cirque de Soleil show ‘One’. When we arrived we got upgraded from the cheap bleeders to some lower bowl center seats! This was actually my fave Cirque of all the ones we’ve been to. I loved the dancing, effects, and I felt like I learned a lot about MJ.

Of course no trip to Vegas is complete without a few shenanigans…
All in all, we’re not really ‘Vegas people’, but it’s a pretty great place to spend a couple of days once in a while.
Next blog plan: RobO’s 40th birthday trip in Feb!

 

 

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Little Spitler

I thought this blog was going to be 2 days worth of adventure, but we had such a long and full first day that’s all you get (for now)!

We started the day by biking to the Center of Berlin and taking a free walking tour.

First stop: the TV tower.  This was built by the Russians on the East side of the wall and is the highest building in the EU.  Modelled after the first satellite they put into space, I guess it was to show West Berlin how powerful and intelligent the communists could be.  As our tour guide said, “it was kind of like a big middle finger to the West”.  Ironically, the reflection of the sun in the sphere creates a cross, so the West Berliners (who supported the church and democratic government) nicknamed it ‘the Pope’s revenge’.

 

On the first day that Hitler came to power there was a group of student supporters who burned over 20,000 books (written by Jews or about ‘inappropriate ideas’) in a central square.  This was one of my favorite spots on the tour because of 3 memorials.  The first is an actual book market.  Second, there is a very subtle square of glass on the ground where underneath you can see empty book shelves, enough to hold 20,000 books.
Finally, there is this plaque:
It is a quote by a Jewish author who, about 100 years BEFORE Hitler came to power, wrote “First they will burn the books, then they will burn the people”.  Freaky.
Our tour also went to Hitler’s bunker, which is also where he killed himself.  We have no photos of this spot, because there (fittingly) is really no fanfare about it.  The bunker was filled in by cement and it is just a normal parking lot with a small sign.  Having spent the majority of this holiday learning WWII history and horrors, when we were walking along the lot I spat onto the ground.  It felt like the right thing to do.  Since then, RobO has been calling me ‘little spitler’.
Not by coincidence, the Memorial to the Victims of the Holocaust is nearby.  This interactive installation is worth visiting for sure.
We ended the tour at the Brandenburg Gate.

 

After the tour, we wanted to see Berlin from above so took a trip on a tethered hot air balloon.  It took me a while to get over my ‘white knuckles’ on the railing.

Finally, at the end of this marathon day, we visited the Reichstag, which is the German parliament building.  It has an architectural genius glass dome (maybe symbolizing government transparency?) that is free to tour, it just has to be booked in advance.  RobO is so smart that he picked the 7:45pm slot, giving us prime sun for photos, as well as night views.

This is the actual parliamentary chamber down below.

Spoiler alert:

Day 2 was also great, so stay tuned for RobO’s next post!
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39 and feelin’ fine

Yesterday we got up early to tour Oskar Schindler’s factory.  No longer the enamel factory that it was during the war, it is now a museum depicting the history of the war: beginning, middle, and end, with a special focus on the workings of the Schindler factory and the countless other people who assisted the Poles and Jews.
I was naive to think that this would be a ‘pick me up’ after the horrors of the concentration camps the previous day.  In reality the people in the factory still lost their identities, freedoms, homes, friends, and families and had to suffer through horrible working conditions for no pay and almost no food.  The glimmer of hope that Oskar Schindler provided is that they weren’t starved, beaten, and tortured in the process.
We wandered the Jewish Getto where the Jews were forced to live during the war, then eventually evacuated to concentration camps.  There is a memorial in a main square.
We then crossed the river to the Jewish Quarter, where the Jews prospered prior to the war’s beginning. It’s now filled with neat little cafes and bars.

 

 

In the afternoon we took advantage of the cloud cover and rented bikes.  We cycled on trails along the river and, after about an hour, arrived at a monastery that has housed monks for over 900 years.  Over the years they have been perfecting the craft of beer brewing.

This morning I woke up to be 39 (and holding).  Don’t mention it to RobO, but it’s his official half birthday and 39.5 rounds up!
Our last day in Kraków was centered around food and drink!  I ran around the parks this morning, then we relaxed in a coffee shop.  As many of you Facebook followers know, I went ‘wodka tasting’ in the afternoon.  The breaks were filled with people watching, enjoying patios, and loving the culture of Old Town Kraków.
Tomorrow we’re looking forward to travelling to the center of Poland to visit my Camino brother Maciej.
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Dungeons and Dragons

Our favorite flight hack was successful on our flights to Poland, so we had 3 seats to share between 2 of us!  Of course no airplane sleep is ideal, so we arrived tired but have since used our ‘get-out-of-jetlag-*almost*-free’ card.  This true marriage test involves a vigilant spouse who can ensure that no naps are had in the first day and that we both stay awake until at least 9pm.  As you may imagine, the roles of good cop and bad cop shift between partners as required.

Our Air BnB is right on the edge of Old Town Cracow, so we’ve explored the beautiful area on foot.
At the top of the taller church tower a bugler plays a tune every 15 minutes throughout the day and night.  He stops abruptly, mid note, to represent a bugler who was alerting the city during the war and was shot in the throat.

The Center is surrounded by a park which we’ve enjoyed walking along to get some shade.  We brought the heat with us from home.  Today I saw a billboard that said it was 36.5 degrees.

We also visited the famous Wawel Castle.
What castle is complete without a fire breathing dragon below?
Today we beat the heat with a tour of the Wielizka Salt Mines.  We got as deep as 130 meters underground and explored the tunnels and monuments, almost all of which are made out of salt!  Check it out: huge caverns, salt gnomes, salt lick, a salty last supper, and a sweet but salty baby Jesus in the manger!

 

Here’s a Polish pierogi pic for Rocky B.  Delicious.

Tomorrow will be a heavy day as we’re headed to Aushwitz.  Stay tuned…

 

 

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A-maze-ing Fès

Fès is known for having one of the oldest and most confusing medinas in Morocco. Though I love the Lonely Planet guidebooks, their maps of Fez need some work. RobO and I wandered around trying to find the Royal Palace and luckily came across some self guided tour signs, which helped immensely.

When we reached the doors of the palace it was well worth it.

RobO kept making jokes about how many pictures I took of the knockers.
Our Next stop on our little tour was the Jewish Cemetery and Synagogue, followed by the refreshing Bou Jeloud Gardens.
Feeling confident with our route markers, we explored the winding medina, seeing workshops where they’re carving wood, clanging out copper bowls, and etching amazing decorative patterns into silver wares. Though it is busy and maze-like, we found it so much better to manoeuvre than the one in Marrakech.  We tried to barter for a few items (I say ‘tried’ because neither RobO nor I are very good at it). Here’s how it went:
Me (looking at 2 wooden carvings): How much for these?
Shop guy: 50 Dirhams each (about $5 US each)
Me: How about 80 Dirhams for both.
Shop guy: Now the price is 1000 Dirhams for both.
Me: (Completely bewildered. Like we’re not even on the same playing field anymore.) Ummm, never mind. (Then as I’m considering walking away) How about 100 Dirhams for both.
Shop guy: OK.
We pay, knowing that we actually didn’t barter at all.
I hoped to go to the oldest library in the world, but it’s currently undergoing a restoration, so we could only see the entrance.

I think I should have been a cultural anthropologist. I love seeing how different cultures actually live, not just what tourists see from the outside. This led me to try out going to a non tourist hammam, which was a culturally rich experience, to say the least! Women in Morocco are always very well covered in cloaks and head scarves, but it’s a different story in the hammam. Basically there are cavernous sauna like rooms filled with women wearing only panties who are washing themselves and each other while gossiping and occasionally yelling (I couldn’t figure out about what). I had to work up my courage to try this experience and overall my baby soft skin is glad that I did!

And, no, I did not take any pictures of any of those knockers.
We’ve continued our good eats; RobO having an average of 1.5 tagines per day, and me trying new stuff all the time.
Here’s a ‘splurge’ meal from a popular tourist Cafe. I had a plate of falafel, hummus, and tabouleh. RobO’s is a salad with capers, blue cheese, figs, and candied walnuts.
And this is pastille, which is a phyllo pastery stuffed with chicken, onion, and almonds. On top is a sprinkle of icing sugar and cinnamon. Sounds weird but it’s delicious!
We’re now in Amsterdam for 24 hours before our flight home. It’s so nice to catch up with our friend Jente and meet her growing family.
Next blog should be in the summertime when we plan to visit Poland and Berlin!

 

 

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White and Blue

After our few days in and around Marrakech we altered our travel plans to include a quick stop in Casablanca. As romantic as it sounds, Casa is actually off of the typical tourist circuit, which is a double edged sword. The positives are that we could be more anonymous, not constantly being harassed by people trying to get us to go somewhere or buy something. I also had a day of freedom from wearing the travel money belt (we lovingly refer to it as my ‘travel gunt’). The big con is that it didn’t have the tourist conveniences like restaurants or anywhere handy to buy a snack or drink. Our evaluation is when it comes to tourist infrastructure, ‘too much’ beats out ‘too little’.

Aside from having some downtime to do laundry, relax, and drink cafe nes nes (half coffee, half milk), we visited the main tourist attraction of the stunning Hassan II Mosque. It’s the 3rd largest mosque in the world, fitting 25,000 praying people inside and 80,000 outside.

Last night we took a train-bus combination to the blue city of Chefchouen. Everything in the medina (old town) is painted various shades of blue, making it appear like a beautiful version of the ‘bedrock’ area at Calaway Park. It’s cold and rainy here, so even my lips are matching the hues of the city.

In RobO’s last blog he was so busy describing me as a pink convertible that he failed to mention that he has transformed into a different loveable, funny, Canadian actor. During the goats in tree viewing, RobO got so excited that he clapped his hand to his mouth. His wedding ring hit his tooth at the perfect angle and velocity to give him a handsome Lloyd Christmas (from Dumb and Dumber) look.
Thankfully it is not painful (other than in aesthetics) so we’re not having to blog about his experiences with Moroccan emergency dentistry!
Tomorrow we will make our way to Fez, which is one of our last stops in our Moroccan adventure.
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“I will cooking tagine for you”

We’ve made a couple of rookie mistakes in our first couple of days in Africa, but nothing that hasn’t turned out to be a pretty good story in the end.

On our first night we settled into our Riad (Moroccan accommodation with rooms around a central courtyard). Our little courtyard is filled with orange and lemon trees, and we get a fresh squeezed OJ every morning with breakfast. We had our first tagine, and since then RobO has had tagines steady for every lunch and dinner!
Yesterday we wandered the narrow, windy streets, staying as close to the sides as possible to avoid bikes, scooters, donkeys, horse and carriages, food carts, and the occasional truck.

We got lost a couple of times, but only because we listened to the touts who say that “X (X=wherever you’re going) is closed”, or “The big square is this way” followed by pointing in the direction of the shop that they’re promoting. Because ‘X’ was closed, we were led by a ‘friendly’ young man right to the tanneries, where they clean and dye hides of leather. Interesting process, though it would have been nice to know we were taking a $20 tour prior to the end of the tour!

We really enjoyed seeing the tile work in the Bahia Palace and Ben Youssef historical site. I could have (and did) take and endless number of photos.
And, of course, we’ve spent a lot of our day and night time at Place Jemaa El Fna. This is a UNESCO cultural heritage site for good reason. I mean, where else can you hang out in a square filled with king cobra snake charmers, acrobats, banjo playing storytellers, henna painters, strange gambling games, rows of food stalls (that include sheep brains on display), and much much more. A lesson if you’re ever planning to go: every picture you take costs money, and the amount is likely more than the pocket change you were planning to give. And they’re determined. But you can always leave your little lady hostage with the snake charmers while you go to the bank machine across the street.
(This is RobO’s worst nightmare. I’m very surprised he was smiling. When asked, he said, “I didn’t want to make any sudden movements!”.)
Stay tuned. We have some pretty action packed days planned!