tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34584506509343422782024-02-19T11:05:45.833-05:00I have the wandersSawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.comBlogger403125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-10573371045875965292020-09-15T15:24:00.003-05:002020-09-15T15:24:39.762-05:00Photo Essay - Mongolia <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjNIfHk288LqLwcyoLiWEYoRF-amYkf0tAbGKGjqJmfkbLCiOzWKpwnOHqOySvDlaw0BZqLDnxCdtrOLTPQfWTAS9oJXTX9Rj6v-eo8ubDqDOOiYSS6BtauKFg0Kt4RzjmkVya3yBSzY/s2560/P1180519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Mongolian Sunset" border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjNIfHk288LqLwcyoLiWEYoRF-amYkf0tAbGKGjqJmfkbLCiOzWKpwnOHqOySvDlaw0BZqLDnxCdtrOLTPQfWTAS9oJXTX9Rj6v-eo8ubDqDOOiYSS6BtauKFg0Kt4RzjmkVya3yBSzY/w640-h480/P1180519.JPG" title="Mongolian Sunset" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset over Mongolian Gers</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Last week I couldn't get Mongolia out of my head. Just typing that amuses me. I kept trying to figure it out and I realized that while it was on my mind was the anniversary of when I was there in 2014. Funny how that happens. It also made me realize I've never really shared much about my time there. Though it was some time ago, and a lot of it is lost to time, the photos remain. Here are some of my favorite shots from 3 weeks in Mongolia, (2 weeks of it without internet roaming the countryside). </span></p><p><br /></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Op1oJpa3LHTS7CqIlLMgg61mTFSRnL2WztdADzpaargkfk7VPSsfPbyLlaL31H7YWF1cBbkpBhx0WtO7WwRhDAtrL31JW2a12n8IbppGpXh6VL6RwA3p-undPWIy5iEvqMNMwYp_gDA/s2048/IMG_4823.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1530" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Op1oJpa3LHTS7CqIlLMgg61mTFSRnL2WztdADzpaargkfk7VPSsfPbyLlaL31H7YWF1cBbkpBhx0WtO7WwRhDAtrL31JW2a12n8IbppGpXh6VL6RwA3p-undPWIy5iEvqMNMwYp_gDA/w478-h640/IMG_4823.JPG" width="478" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />My first views as I touched down in Ulaanbaatar.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKr8OHcONn1NYHUQQDD7P2rd5_JjM_knM6_KFg4aM9FTvLaWUej7_YdcikS8qQ9P3BGr0hc9dNEhZWelWmogq8wSZhcEedtzAyDtSZONtGaNK0tZeWmZF0fihfGvA2M2dXxEfPHPW0e8/s2048/IMG_4831.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1530" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKr8OHcONn1NYHUQQDD7P2rd5_JjM_knM6_KFg4aM9FTvLaWUej7_YdcikS8qQ9P3BGr0hc9dNEhZWelWmogq8wSZhcEedtzAyDtSZONtGaNK0tZeWmZF0fihfGvA2M2dXxEfPHPW0e8/w478-h640/IMG_4831.JPG" width="478" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;">The entry to my hostel...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRkuqP16tfUFdsGJ7IgAozUzOoK4YS4FPjJ55SO-syExQolAd3_gVm7c8QYOOew9b8mzRJ9xIUPo44mEErLMjOaINIVftcfTTMF13k1JcF5gtd9yt1sNawkUhVC6jYKq8-EJWDyROMoY/s2048/IMG_4837.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="2048" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRkuqP16tfUFdsGJ7IgAozUzOoK4YS4FPjJ55SO-syExQolAd3_gVm7c8QYOOew9b8mzRJ9xIUPo44mEErLMjOaINIVftcfTTMF13k1JcF5gtd9yt1sNawkUhVC6jYKq8-EJWDyROMoY/w640-h478/IMG_4837.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />My hostel room and lessons on "don't judge a book by it's cover." The entry might have seem a little shady but this place was so clean, comfortable and well thought out. I had a great stay. <br /></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zuD_jgxasmvMfnVv3zQtnziE1bq6unXPuerdklVH6je0IJXYiFNYrK2YBheJEJhQfDbY-bwjipz_TIHQtfnZQmwcdGIyCgAXvIipGUK3VSkS6K-Mr6yUBLBbdzitvKLvN8IaLVpwRfE/s2048/IMG_4827.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1530" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zuD_jgxasmvMfnVv3zQtnziE1bq6unXPuerdklVH6je0IJXYiFNYrK2YBheJEJhQfDbY-bwjipz_TIHQtfnZQmwcdGIyCgAXvIipGUK3VSkS6K-Mr6yUBLBbdzitvKLvN8IaLVpwRfE/w478-h640/IMG_4827.JPG" width="478" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Coming off several weeks in China, I did the most American thing and ate a sandwich shortly after I arrived. This cafe was around the corner from my hostel and it became a mainstay of my first week while I explored the capital city. I wrote there, I skyped there, I ate there, I drank ALL of the coffees there, I people watched there and most interestingly, I watched a movie being filmed inside as I sat just off to the side. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMGglfl6CRw2SNPHtu0QS8qtY6ZUokdi7qXceDzd0eeU7WCn8BSfSCIQlK_VQ8vFDgvR6K5WCL0Guy5725OXJRbThnm_lm6h3COFZl89Z_6z_0xRO6-JKocvuvg8B0AWuPT_AZF_oeMI/s2048/IMG_4960.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="2048" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMGglfl6CRw2SNPHtu0QS8qtY6ZUokdi7qXceDzd0eeU7WCn8BSfSCIQlK_VQ8vFDgvR6K5WCL0Guy5725OXJRbThnm_lm6h3COFZl89Z_6z_0xRO6-JKocvuvg8B0AWuPT_AZF_oeMI/w640-h478/IMG_4960.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The capital city Ulaanbaatar in 2014 was a study in contradictions. <br />Old and new, played side by side, as yet unsure of which would win. New malls sat next to ancient squares, a power plant once far away from the city, now encased by buildings. <br />Everywhere I looked, paradox. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzeS0_nOfT9-KCNeCOLFdn26fZyZwKLoj9rb045P1Bx1UinvYSVsQxUWCDkQdOkbDg2OkcVA-GBNwng3sqpfHk8kGpkXVjnXXkTbbpmedHd_a5Iz2RiBM47I1UUy8X06fGq4QwPcm7F8/s4592/P1010753.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzeS0_nOfT9-KCNeCOLFdn26fZyZwKLoj9rb045P1Bx1UinvYSVsQxUWCDkQdOkbDg2OkcVA-GBNwng3sqpfHk8kGpkXVjnXXkTbbpmedHd_a5Iz2RiBM47I1UUy8X06fGq4QwPcm7F8/w640-h480/P1010753.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />Traditional stood next to the new. Gers and high rises. <br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESL4DYPsMKGxbSTNRnyPIKIYF6aOZKQJw_4Gck6_BTbKxRmSqCyYLaGW9PdCI1uwIlowATUZV4M_leyJ0F-a-_kt8zYNSqxCiLozm8CTZE71u0pIYXn6TZ46K5PRzdWtL60fJcR14F0A/s4896/P1180092.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="4896" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESL4DYPsMKGxbSTNRnyPIKIYF6aOZKQJw_4Gck6_BTbKxRmSqCyYLaGW9PdCI1uwIlowATUZV4M_leyJ0F-a-_kt8zYNSqxCiLozm8CTZE71u0pIYXn6TZ46K5PRzdWtL60fJcR14F0A/w640-h480/P1180092.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br />Old temple next to modern glass buildings. <br /><br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4wsIPvs-G6wlvHD4oRYTepwJA23oItB0NwATQKS65t-VtjcANV9xcjhii-oAv_hRbRqPKPCXdysCfvr7ySKrEPyac3_ZvMTNh2JG9WzrPVAOfAAH1_noCpp8heO_DXt7YmK_WgCJ6Xs/s2560/P1180121.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4wsIPvs-G6wlvHD4oRYTepwJA23oItB0NwATQKS65t-VtjcANV9xcjhii-oAv_hRbRqPKPCXdysCfvr7ySKrEPyac3_ZvMTNh2JG9WzrPVAOfAAH1_noCpp8heO_DXt7YmK_WgCJ6Xs/w640-h480/P1180121.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Smog, high rises and gers dotting the hills around the city. <br /><br />---------------------------------<br /><br />After a week in the city, it was time to head to the countryside. <br /></span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMA_AKvlxMfydDFmo699-QeubB6nz02Y-oGRBpHTQqbon7pNQ7llAsI66n3QiL2_lXCnd-UAN5JsNG1PeRgec4ju-Po_ojwc4ZwywWA3deQqwPINK37N14eEmXDQNZOF6t5ydnKrU6_c/s2048/IMG_4979.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="2048" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMA_AKvlxMfydDFmo699-QeubB6nz02Y-oGRBpHTQqbon7pNQ7llAsI66n3QiL2_lXCnd-UAN5JsNG1PeRgec4ju-Po_ojwc4ZwywWA3deQqwPINK37N14eEmXDQNZOF6t5ydnKrU6_c/w640-h478/IMG_4979.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The moment I realized the next two weeks of my life were going to be unlike any other. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldkbvKg7Xk5gXguX1kQYBinHFBFvJh82UmrxYkFg8Em7jzcb7Y9nRFx9W-QNkL5uErb45oWXQmYZuzVdd8O0C1yhujh70j9nxp5qx2m2f9JE7v9YmOXk_-3qhg1HeyCRhxWbravMJy0A/s2048/IMG_4985.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1530" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldkbvKg7Xk5gXguX1kQYBinHFBFvJh82UmrxYkFg8Em7jzcb7Y9nRFx9W-QNkL5uErb45oWXQmYZuzVdd8O0C1yhujh70j9nxp5qx2m2f9JE7v9YmOXk_-3qhg1HeyCRhxWbravMJy0A/w478-h640/IMG_4985.JPG" width="478" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">My face here is saying, "I'm so excited," </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">my brain was saying, "Am I going to live through this one?"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnC5F6NVG1JOQJL5qe7ZhyphenhyphenBxk28L7M8Ut5SepXSZcA87eETwvJjLeLshtesJC-pcsIsmPrIBEK2XOO6HeWjuy5I74AHM35D47Zu-mum_7bT_N3v7rF5231koRlhUAUOcKcYvCfDy7kGI/s4592/P1020671.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnC5F6NVG1JOQJL5qe7ZhyphenhyphenBxk28L7M8Ut5SepXSZcA87eETwvJjLeLshtesJC-pcsIsmPrIBEK2XOO6HeWjuy5I74AHM35D47Zu-mum_7bT_N3v7rF5231koRlhUAUOcKcYvCfDy7kGI/w640-h480/P1020671.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">What roads? So much of the journey through the country was stunning with no discernible landmarks. I often wondered how it was exactly that our guides knew where they were going and then I remembered that Mongolia has been a nomadic society for thousands of years, and still is for the most part. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQXUlf9ZPEiV0TnBHBf_EqsEHr1zzpmNdk6V9pKqemQpV789NKTy7NcI_kBmkzuXChXVzNrbDGZwlzKWTnPiMuZgaVVrWkrbydAfqdBsp4D677PSkcjoEl2CgSY4yRSnLMZ8-_h6zRuQ/s2048/IMG_4993.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1530" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQXUlf9ZPEiV0TnBHBf_EqsEHr1zzpmNdk6V9pKqemQpV789NKTy7NcI_kBmkzuXChXVzNrbDGZwlzKWTnPiMuZgaVVrWkrbydAfqdBsp4D677PSkcjoEl2CgSY4yRSnLMZ8-_h6zRuQ/w478-h640/IMG_4993.JPG" width="478" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Play "find the route we came in on," in this picture.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDsiJkulavWW4cVAhgTyedqKmdfJBTODUjtacWK9G6AmxQn3DOmweT6_nzRBUQigaQJncCJvBlkdHrTxLsNDMLus7ZQhO4kfScnP4SCstqil7xMz_YHKm1w83OO0n780hpJMjMQ0gqXM/s2048/IMG_5077.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1530" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDsiJkulavWW4cVAhgTyedqKmdfJBTODUjtacWK9G6AmxQn3DOmweT6_nzRBUQigaQJncCJvBlkdHrTxLsNDMLus7ZQhO4kfScnP4SCstqil7xMz_YHKm1w83OO0n780hpJMjMQ0gqXM/w478-h640/IMG_5077.JPG" width="478" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;">I spent a lot of time during the trip like this. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I am so grateful that I bought this purple vest in Ulaanbaatar before heading out to the wilderness. I really ended up needing it. (I am wearing basically my whole backpack worth of clothes in this picture.) Since previous to this I was in steaming hot China and after this I was in Australia, I didn't have warm enough clothes for the Mongolia part of the trip. It was a rarity for me to be unprepared like that, but now I have a lovely warm purple vest that I still wear to this day. </div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VvOB5YqMks5XLTF_byX_0pYmDgy7HZqKpSfRbxRlv2G9oqoYqGlbaqEd4DsG-BL7GhSbxd4JHhvy4a3YARSYGz-Bi1JvqcyY4o-dwjL2fysKG3tHwhdJxyGRUG6R4Lm6JUIvc9fzRQo/s2048/IMG_4995.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="2048" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VvOB5YqMks5XLTF_byX_0pYmDgy7HZqKpSfRbxRlv2G9oqoYqGlbaqEd4DsG-BL7GhSbxd4JHhvy4a3YARSYGz-Bi1JvqcyY4o-dwjL2fysKG3tHwhdJxyGRUG6R4Lm6JUIvc9fzRQo/w640-h478/IMG_4995.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">First night in a ger!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WzKSLyM7U_wOtdSrCMQ0FzpZiGfDC1zWuhPzX3PpYry3aXvKvl4mWaqZ2l8AE6nf8gTRUWqd7SO_ueJWFBSAc46OhH-6-czS6NLUJj8cQv0gxkPW18n9QcBJXZQcLu_FRxumzyHrfzA/s2560/P1180294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WzKSLyM7U_wOtdSrCMQ0FzpZiGfDC1zWuhPzX3PpYry3aXvKvl4mWaqZ2l8AE6nf8gTRUWqd7SO_ueJWFBSAc46OhH-6-czS6NLUJj8cQv0gxkPW18n9QcBJXZQcLu_FRxumzyHrfzA/w640-h480/P1180294.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our first night in the countryside a stunning</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> full moon greeted us with this beautiful rise. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7J38c8W2EBmYnn_md9eOiLb3YbrAi75QZ1ZOfh1P6Y9ktd3AeliHiZx-RRwn8Xb8vGOL0kjkaSc3wGtc2NPrFZkfxXx98OJtyoT0LBz76jqcbTbkkjUZWSQvH-mMSfH4ncCWW0bjulE8/s2560/P1180280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7J38c8W2EBmYnn_md9eOiLb3YbrAi75QZ1ZOfh1P6Y9ktd3AeliHiZx-RRwn8Xb8vGOL0kjkaSc3wGtc2NPrFZkfxXx98OJtyoT0LBz76jqcbTbkkjUZWSQvH-mMSfH4ncCWW0bjulE8/w640-h480/P1180280.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqxV_neNrHvqHb1Krf5_i_a4ACZjrBui5NJ_7WHNFTe0bLi7uNxorBsGw3bw_JWG5uEdCDs9QCTfGGfZZTBiCqA1o7DxXi-yf2-PeC6x_iMF68goXiTXJA46KLJ79TSxVTwqdaUWSqJ0/s4896/P1180343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="4896" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqxV_neNrHvqHb1Krf5_i_a4ACZjrBui5NJ_7WHNFTe0bLi7uNxorBsGw3bw_JWG5uEdCDs9QCTfGGfZZTBiCqA1o7DxXi-yf2-PeC6x_iMF68goXiTXJA46KLJ79TSxVTwqdaUWSqJ0/w640-h480/P1180343.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The sunrise was just as beautiful the next morning. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jaAujoUOf1ByRCwm5kAiSfrpxuVW0x3BrlFizDZgu9sooutgOTFPpreERKJsMm6mhTaKhULh5GAJ80-hnID2GGA3RyL-UO6drBsmWoVRzAm7M8wJV6JgII0_T-CazGJ2-pMdJZtXpx0/s4896/P1180339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4896" data-original-width="3672" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jaAujoUOf1ByRCwm5kAiSfrpxuVW0x3BrlFizDZgu9sooutgOTFPpreERKJsMm6mhTaKhULh5GAJ80-hnID2GGA3RyL-UO6drBsmWoVRzAm7M8wJV6JgII0_T-CazGJ2-pMdJZtXpx0/w480-h640/P1180339.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxzgZWdofgaFx2TZ_Za8cOmPNBeiCAZac_vpmjdzg9tY199Qa5O7XH74mCxwO0YQzfMhj8bobvVvbJ-5Xc4GOL886fRRxXsuvy2JdFEEAzjSeYBxOMcpB1il7KRErfs6Pf54pFLh-1Ms/s2560/P1180251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxzgZWdofgaFx2TZ_Za8cOmPNBeiCAZac_vpmjdzg9tY199Qa5O7XH74mCxwO0YQzfMhj8bobvVvbJ-5Xc4GOL886fRRxXsuvy2JdFEEAzjSeYBxOMcpB1il7KRErfs6Pf54pFLh-1Ms/w640-h480/P1180251.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtc8ny1clmVbIFhC-Bb-g-mL-I5GMcrpbQhNxconfml9cPm3N1MfrnsWu2rLurXGRyXD6yw_o-aY5Rk1ZOXZbm7ue0aEmblA2V9013pf3PXrZieMnsMxUfdBEd2khv7HgxIojhgvaSfs/s2560/P1180357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtc8ny1clmVbIFhC-Bb-g-mL-I5GMcrpbQhNxconfml9cPm3N1MfrnsWu2rLurXGRyXD6yw_o-aY5Rk1ZOXZbm7ue0aEmblA2V9013pf3PXrZieMnsMxUfdBEd2khv7HgxIojhgvaSfs/w640-h480/P1180357.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I got up before dawn that next day and wandered around with a flashlight clipped to my shirt until the sun came up. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySsfWp0xgcVQoopsty-CeMeqkFTsGQrD7auwplu6K-CuqWkx95SCFnRUlYMJ2OgEzheRFjp9kg8qrPlH9FreP0u4MGRZQM4_N6Vu020g_L7vY7-5VU23_5gN3V5q1Wodf-99P4z4A06c/s4592/P1010835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4592" data-original-width="3448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySsfWp0xgcVQoopsty-CeMeqkFTsGQrD7auwplu6K-CuqWkx95SCFnRUlYMJ2OgEzheRFjp9kg8qrPlH9FreP0u4MGRZQM4_N6Vu020g_L7vY7-5VU23_5gN3V5q1Wodf-99P4z4A06c/w480-h640/P1010835.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Somehow in the middle of nowhere a ger that was a house of worship would show up or a random ancient temple. You never could tell what was over the next hill or mountain for that matter. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7YhyphenhyphenygqUnRPq12RfiWZIleUNlLUy78ssYTPEnzJbP1ldX-DdvGfJTNQiQousFTURv4tYo-XTdIPqIEHhdGCSaWAI60GTDMrQO1vQNouNUALyT8RvQkzkCd3c1s_ZoyeFAghvyar0nFQ/s4592/P1010863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7YhyphenhyphenygqUnRPq12RfiWZIleUNlLUy78ssYTPEnzJbP1ldX-DdvGfJTNQiQousFTURv4tYo-XTdIPqIEHhdGCSaWAI60GTDMrQO1vQNouNUALyT8RvQkzkCd3c1s_ZoyeFAghvyar0nFQ/w640-h480/P1010863.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">This guy was so animated and told us informative </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">stories on culture and religion. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDgpEaxFChDfAiM9Vk9VOXkk8fb3Hc2w-sAiw9yEAx_hVZXXmH1sm6fGKBl1NC0_3e6_NKPZRSprEbvXjjZDMr0WjQOhPSVeIVvFfq1prUX2HfvP6NyUWY9WAiuQ0Wv64EiM64CjW2Go/s4592/P1020252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDgpEaxFChDfAiM9Vk9VOXkk8fb3Hc2w-sAiw9yEAx_hVZXXmH1sm6fGKBl1NC0_3e6_NKPZRSprEbvXjjZDMr0WjQOhPSVeIVvFfq1prUX2HfvP6NyUWY9WAiuQ0Wv64EiM64CjW2Go/w640-h480/P1020252.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Obligatory size for scale picture. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8trH5Uu133rT0PaQpZ-5CNzjDLAsxeL7FSDLREApAlBY2o7cES0ba2UOOQNJobFZbgLtPyfSixyBjhTGOPt-8NxxjOtF87XCrBhG7ZeNakJH3uJ-R1EtHaRqM7F4z1RoL5buPNFxp5E/s2048/IMG_5149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="2048" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8trH5Uu133rT0PaQpZ-5CNzjDLAsxeL7FSDLREApAlBY2o7cES0ba2UOOQNJobFZbgLtPyfSixyBjhTGOPt-8NxxjOtF87XCrBhG7ZeNakJH3uJ-R1EtHaRqM7F4z1RoL5buPNFxp5E/w640-h478/IMG_5149.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'll be honest, when I heard we were going to some dunes, this is not at all what I expected. I mean I knew about the Gobi Desert, but they popped up seemingly out of nowhere as we came around a hill. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ysvjlEbC_uDB1IwJdpWRIq2XUcEw5j2ejEy4N2TZtxAE0Y-83s_DhRjv2hPxcwf6QT4WSJHMkdueDRHy3mPFsILOdLfxwUxTg-tan_0Wx8nVF1EyVhovl1wzkG-rOQ1hyh5d5K7_1b8/s2048/IMG_5154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="2048" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ysvjlEbC_uDB1IwJdpWRIq2XUcEw5j2ejEy4N2TZtxAE0Y-83s_DhRjv2hPxcwf6QT4WSJHMkdueDRHy3mPFsILOdLfxwUxTg-tan_0Wx8nVF1EyVhovl1wzkG-rOQ1hyh5d5K7_1b8/w640-h478/IMG_5154.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">It was a leisurely walk to the top. I took about 9 million pictures. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2o0JLQ6roUYlYC6AgtgndVvN2St0JTnzI1TVR6UsclSKvM8qrZbtRil_WOBvemBLy-4giBwvNYzkZAbS3C4Grqf2bFhmI7SgRpoEwiT5zXHeUyohCCraIeUrMvxc-g_lCh6AcVTooN0/s2048/IMG_5163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1530" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2o0JLQ6roUYlYC6AgtgndVvN2St0JTnzI1TVR6UsclSKvM8qrZbtRil_WOBvemBLy-4giBwvNYzkZAbS3C4Grqf2bFhmI7SgRpoEwiT5zXHeUyohCCraIeUrMvxc-g_lCh6AcVTooN0/w478-h640/IMG_5163.JPG" width="478" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'd found myself in desert sand dunes before, but this time I was barefoot and it was a completely different experience. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjS4jNkmuoTV5DTVNhgq1BzPKI727_iVPSnuNtx4wBU9JFNFWvRGTEzn2iwZ1tHcwLoIXzCRxNtzBHHu8OgxmbHr47oHp_XcO6-UWXzdTShu-c8XgahAFoOwK_E4nqijApnPbOQnkz5sQ/s2048/IMG_5178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="2048" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjS4jNkmuoTV5DTVNhgq1BzPKI727_iVPSnuNtx4wBU9JFNFWvRGTEzn2iwZ1tHcwLoIXzCRxNtzBHHu8OgxmbHr47oHp_XcO6-UWXzdTShu-c8XgahAFoOwK_E4nqijApnPbOQnkz5sQ/w640-h478/IMG_5178.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Khongoryn Els are also known as the singing dunes or singing sands. While I don't think I got the full effect, if you glide down the dune there is a particular sound that happens. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGenmzZ8A1MxC-sIFTMfA6HDzTAs6nKSo3Q9SwhivK7T_2cxeDF7NAv2icTt-w3eeThZrikOHCxwAXm3YYdaNZTiEVCIPQSXJyYn4JKDv14Sa0hn3mojm1F63EVlx1dnzDgP8q3R2_Lg/s2048/IMG_5288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="2048" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGenmzZ8A1MxC-sIFTMfA6HDzTAs6nKSo3Q9SwhivK7T_2cxeDF7NAv2icTt-w3eeThZrikOHCxwAXm3YYdaNZTiEVCIPQSXJyYn4JKDv14Sa0hn3mojm1F63EVlx1dnzDgP8q3R2_Lg/w640-h478/IMG_5288.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">We would drive for hours and see nothing but landscape, and then randomly on the horizon there would be a building that signified a town. These towns were refueling and supply spots for us. For the kids, it was a chance to play with strangers. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqmzbkfbV16qhpV0OBFtqV2Sl7LgYcgQC5O5pgPyYZfu7nn6Tq3PtCjFI9n0INmsgh8Thu0VDDylOxv-LLbIpsEVIEu8awk2E7a2MCTdaHiKjvyM8yz3YrUb5CnGMPwE3bTIoMNE5xQs/s2048/IMG_5300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="2048" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqmzbkfbV16qhpV0OBFtqV2Sl7LgYcgQC5O5pgPyYZfu7nn6Tq3PtCjFI9n0INmsgh8Thu0VDDylOxv-LLbIpsEVIEu8awk2E7a2MCTdaHiKjvyM8yz3YrUb5CnGMPwE3bTIoMNE5xQs/w640-h478/IMG_5300.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our guide watching on and encouraging the kids in their traditional wrestling practice. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2hm8m8L3FkwJ8fq7JT8V_A29S5d9wRZ2bJwdpVM55XUM5ELV_Cxk-moPlftt0SwbV0v8gXrP0rlt_6_TzTx-63SogocQ9oub7x7uMSCvN8EmlNYWM7i31dvhPEVyF5WJZ07YO2Ty0hM/s4592/P1020196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4592" data-original-width="3448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2hm8m8L3FkwJ8fq7JT8V_A29S5d9wRZ2bJwdpVM55XUM5ELV_Cxk-moPlftt0SwbV0v8gXrP0rlt_6_TzTx-63SogocQ9oub7x7uMSCvN8EmlNYWM7i31dvhPEVyF5WJZ07YO2Ty0hM/w480-h640/P1020196.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yolyn Am, a deep narrow gorge where we took a stroll. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMIrW6svHn6kqCL61FupkoWBZ787IXQNM2M0veg3SaorDQ08m3hIrANG6r-r_2xZm9XhnddIasNR7Y6U3tzoO_qwIP_rJP__Jwikmvmp6usZ4CtJrkvzkoqh9VL7inr8_kJhJXXkypx8/s4592/P1020201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMIrW6svHn6kqCL61FupkoWBZ787IXQNM2M0veg3SaorDQ08m3hIrANG6r-r_2xZm9XhnddIasNR7Y6U3tzoO_qwIP_rJP__Jwikmvmp6usZ4CtJrkvzkoqh9VL7inr8_kJhJXXkypx8/w640-h480/P1020201.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvHgyif-AfHSuhBi7JIeUzFO8sA6v45vwEOyyzuDR8dVeCa_RozSNCmpCjVForKX3rZdNK9ZCCxjoSXPAXRfeoixKseYNGF29jYMu4YslDg6UCeriOIKXAKmyMJ0hPZRfqJEa3azIR_Zw/s4896/P1180466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4896" data-original-width="3672" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvHgyif-AfHSuhBi7JIeUzFO8sA6v45vwEOyyzuDR8dVeCa_RozSNCmpCjVForKX3rZdNK9ZCCxjoSXPAXRfeoixKseYNGF29jYMu4YslDg6UCeriOIKXAKmyMJ0hPZRfqJEa3azIR_Zw/w480-h640/P1180466.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">They let us out of the vehicle for the transit. It was only because it was they thought it made a great picture. The other times we just went through actual rivers without getting out. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">These vehicles were beasts. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Vsp_xXsSkOBXR7l_exslgPJhKwhu70nhTLHBYzlpYInxwzTRVmrYNrsJn878lzGz7a1KOND4N8Gwu-d-phyphenhyphenHpQjdHpmf6n-IzvJyVejfF5oUvfhP7oguF3wYb2bh_Q8RShuYcTHJfQU/s4592/P1020285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Vsp_xXsSkOBXR7l_exslgPJhKwhu70nhTLHBYzlpYInxwzTRVmrYNrsJn878lzGz7a1KOND4N8Gwu-d-phyphenhyphenHpQjdHpmf6n-IzvJyVejfF5oUvfhP7oguF3wYb2bh_Q8RShuYcTHJfQU/w640-h480/P1020285.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1o2vWcF7aNPsgXSaXlSGifncyQ5u5x1PnU5gf-Nmonoe3jgJwZxk1okbPfvAGPIy_YQOFKjWiNmQWxN4n1SVUGv5vjLyuGY3kiyTxeFNqbvMovbO5WxIsZQllJXBiL_fNDst3DG_tdT0/s4592/P1020291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4592" data-original-width="3448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1o2vWcF7aNPsgXSaXlSGifncyQ5u5x1PnU5gf-Nmonoe3jgJwZxk1okbPfvAGPIy_YQOFKjWiNmQWxN4n1SVUGv5vjLyuGY3kiyTxeFNqbvMovbO5WxIsZQllJXBiL_fNDst3DG_tdT0/w480-h640/P1020291.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">This was the fanciest ger we had during through our time. This door brought a smile to my face. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1r5tB9JPbJaLIVwx8OLNIvxlObjURu_V9_YK8rjrJgYOSrTJm7WACDlQp8X_-4mfep0XMGopLIxvql5Vdil4vl7h9jxD_V7gAEVKPvvElMFpYSoTE2UV7zyKfvVM61L-yZpzYEUZsjps/s4592/P1020309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1r5tB9JPbJaLIVwx8OLNIvxlObjURu_V9_YK8rjrJgYOSrTJm7WACDlQp8X_-4mfep0XMGopLIxvql5Vdil4vl7h9jxD_V7gAEVKPvvElMFpYSoTE2UV7zyKfvVM61L-yZpzYEUZsjps/w640-h480/P1020309.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">My natural habitat. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HMxdtAHNWTz4_Z4koTocyCIt7VtmsfaHXUdiF5T_higT16aga8xZZ7BzsrO9UOXnhR5HTg838VqwsTr-s-Dt0aAyGv2R0lP82dSlx8gnXq2gIMHKqO8jrNXqhed-WkWm1YX5spGgNy0/s2048/IMG_5330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="2048" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HMxdtAHNWTz4_Z4koTocyCIt7VtmsfaHXUdiF5T_higT16aga8xZZ7BzsrO9UOXnhR5HTg838VqwsTr-s-Dt0aAyGv2R0lP82dSlx8gnXq2gIMHKqO8jrNXqhed-WkWm1YX5spGgNy0/w640-h478/IMG_5330.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Miscellaneous somewhere. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKELBRM-snMmL1HwmOO4e96OMabQqHhSrhu7pYdxYExJtdAO6510NdxCk_DqAZUtyiA-4B4lAyauSZOTWN2j2Z_SqIb9gv0Bixns5vIUyaxMnbqr_o29N5NIqGbnTwy5FjWDL0vW7ZH4/s4592/P1020678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKELBRM-snMmL1HwmOO4e96OMabQqHhSrhu7pYdxYExJtdAO6510NdxCk_DqAZUtyiA-4B4lAyauSZOTWN2j2Z_SqIb9gv0Bixns5vIUyaxMnbqr_o29N5NIqGbnTwy5FjWDL0vW7ZH4/w640-h480/P1020678.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once we got to the grasslands, we visited a family and partook (or didn't in my case) in some traditional yak's milk. This picture is of both of our drivers and our guide (the younger one). (A note here, I'm being vague here because I don't know if they would want their names on my blog or not.) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgP_wqwINOsWZ369Z3KCap-1pL3fXRERBVz7j9ug1INI9wK1HgypSbKHZsH6NnLUNY_i7lgoUKhhSf82GxcunXhQpZKygcPHiHOYv4eCEiVViCt74MhN5vh0ik834Dvgk0tjzuim4OCJA/s4592/P1020698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4592" data-original-width="3448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgP_wqwINOsWZ369Z3KCap-1pL3fXRERBVz7j9ug1INI9wK1HgypSbKHZsH6NnLUNY_i7lgoUKhhSf82GxcunXhQpZKygcPHiHOYv4eCEiVViCt74MhN5vh0ik834Dvgk0tjzuim4OCJA/w480-h640/P1020698.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNt_z1KRTy4zyTHLZX-qiQWWdcPwwVDOyTC3fTpFPhH_S9wDuVHXrSO_4qVw-1mNPLgZ2beO4IW2-KMD0E8fJ9lbUXtgggeMmiZYNQRM4rZTyzI7ixjT3_WtQl8Sea8jc4RpuzRKn8x8/s4592/P1020693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4592" data-original-width="3448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNt_z1KRTy4zyTHLZX-qiQWWdcPwwVDOyTC3fTpFPhH_S9wDuVHXrSO_4qVw-1mNPLgZ2beO4IW2-KMD0E8fJ9lbUXtgggeMmiZYNQRM4rZTyzI7ixjT3_WtQl8Sea8jc4RpuzRKn8x8/w480-h640/P1020693.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is the wife in the family we visited. Part way through the visit, she walked over towards the door, reached up into the fabric of ger and pulled down her cellphone to check her messages. Nomadic they may be, but they are in the same century that's for sure. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHYffrwxjwKAKynDO2N22-E5koSVO-fMmBOXgJjWvYJvlDf0MAQlf3iVQ1_PgtCMYTBV-c37qkjNPNUyGcXNFWxAt7R2yXg0dNESKlFB2RRnv6iKg-QOOkuOKITwWQFXGI7RyZRbdv7g/s4592/P1020705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHYffrwxjwKAKynDO2N22-E5koSVO-fMmBOXgJjWvYJvlDf0MAQlf3iVQ1_PgtCMYTBV-c37qkjNPNUyGcXNFWxAt7R2yXg0dNESKlFB2RRnv6iKg-QOOkuOKITwWQFXGI7RyZRbdv7g/w640-h480/P1020705.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Solar panel and a satellite dish. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Who says being nomadic has to be low tech? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMvB2eSlHIJXXz5VqYdnmHzDAygcbNsiKxNKF-DLQtw2cbikAXO07V5IjLksO3GeaCEYJ3RuJA-SUOsj6qDB-qxUPXRH-KW7kijrsibsAvV6Wz8h-fQFkZPgr1e0f56N_altMWFNNmC9g/s2048/IMG_5336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="2048" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMvB2eSlHIJXXz5VqYdnmHzDAygcbNsiKxNKF-DLQtw2cbikAXO07V5IjLksO3GeaCEYJ3RuJA-SUOsj6qDB-qxUPXRH-KW7kijrsibsAvV6Wz8h-fQFkZPgr1e0f56N_altMWFNNmC9g/w640-h478/IMG_5336.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">After we visited the family, we camped nearby protected by the hills. The starts that night were some of the most incredible I have ever seen. There was no light for a thousand miles. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hSqKUBcEsPf9Hp99Ve_iH6iiwYj36NOoURkW-AiYQUuFaEQ_35uC1wDCG8kFSNmFk5okkmUeoL7S_E9pFGgrAXUQEfMegnPlPhPg5qoZBdUuzcq3852zYj4HD2ieNBryw4ViyyV_Jcg/s4592/P1020754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hSqKUBcEsPf9Hp99Ve_iH6iiwYj36NOoURkW-AiYQUuFaEQ_35uC1wDCG8kFSNmFk5okkmUeoL7S_E9pFGgrAXUQEfMegnPlPhPg5qoZBdUuzcq3852zYj4HD2ieNBryw4ViyyV_Jcg/w640-h480/P1020754.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Dinner at the camp out. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagmVWZIuW5Z4BXrr06AU1HolPHsLJBKLS-wdZsdZGNYL_7-r8cfJ06IZdG8OBFh3d6sY4HMVNUh0o_t39FfApUwtr5UrQ9IXYKrpnu4W4abnRkuImjdUSXfsFYSx2JYzgJv5E7aE1T7c/s2048/IMG_5316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1530" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagmVWZIuW5Z4BXrr06AU1HolPHsLJBKLS-wdZsdZGNYL_7-r8cfJ06IZdG8OBFh3d6sY4HMVNUh0o_t39FfApUwtr5UrQ9IXYKrpnu4W4abnRkuImjdUSXfsFYSx2JYzgJv5E7aE1T7c/w478-h640/IMG_5316.JPG" width="478" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I've always loved this picture because it looks like you can see the curve of the earth as the second vehicle in our party races by us. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31xZwnkgq4F96t1QY5yL0cBxmBidMj98mn09uGT4MHUxOZwDH7Xf4802TjmDOGhaNpuG8GzSeFsW2ED3X_x8eSfkdYRtpe2Q8gPz48FfaGuuQ70BfoqysRCN98nD4c9po_pW0M-iVaKY/s4592/P1020443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31xZwnkgq4F96t1QY5yL0cBxmBidMj98mn09uGT4MHUxOZwDH7Xf4802TjmDOGhaNpuG8GzSeFsW2ED3X_x8eSfkdYRtpe2Q8gPz48FfaGuuQ70BfoqysRCN98nD4c9po_pW0M-iVaKY/w640-h480/P1020443.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6XGkxo3hlWIzTVgnROFPFZM45Z6M4gtdmt-0wNZiCcM5o571wjcnhuapBUUq3XxZHzAqANddTenwH2rH3uJp2hWBFsmCuVT4T2kI_nDnDpOTZRAIM5hjshNczIu5XrUbmeHNCwWcB5o/s4592/P1020493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6XGkxo3hlWIzTVgnROFPFZM45Z6M4gtdmt-0wNZiCcM5o571wjcnhuapBUUq3XxZHzAqANddTenwH2rH3uJp2hWBFsmCuVT4T2kI_nDnDpOTZRAIM5hjshNczIu5XrUbmeHNCwWcB5o/w640-h480/P1020493.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcWU4HcYF0uPj82hKZU6wXicsQiLHRqgeQ23yFWHTN3btK1LuQ-oQBRgWXm6a6W4mdkMkznnqgATxeWGlxpntMBesHgNtaH6hH7OH0JWGXGE5HntFlhKh67c9o4JVXZIfCuyzT1a0Lhk/s4592/P1020545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcWU4HcYF0uPj82hKZU6wXicsQiLHRqgeQ23yFWHTN3btK1LuQ-oQBRgWXm6a6W4mdkMkznnqgATxeWGlxpntMBesHgNtaH6hH7OH0JWGXGE5HntFlhKh67c9o4JVXZIfCuyzT1a0Lhk/w640-h480/P1020545.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The "flaming cliffs" (Bayanzag) not so on firey this day. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBUHPw0zAwo-GLjUF2mxXoGXK34b9zHCmPt4NzYVbCXhvnNLmHHfX7BKBIQo0MRoXj2nRZwjpNUvUuV25s-v4mzEAWOMOeQEs4o8pfXdBf7hY-K5qiQMK0h37N35aIAi10KI0TWoYHWu8/s4592/P1020626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBUHPw0zAwo-GLjUF2mxXoGXK34b9zHCmPt4NzYVbCXhvnNLmHHfX7BKBIQo0MRoXj2nRZwjpNUvUuV25s-v4mzEAWOMOeQEs4o8pfXdBf7hY-K5qiQMK0h37N35aIAi10KI0TWoYHWu8/w640-h480/P1020626.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgDZOLnqFvHwPzXEONjA1zEw0RAJ1NIngbJ7PMO315_HzBWQIXiUwo7iJuCYihDtGLX4LbEHex1H3zcWhZTu2t16aX4QDHdiKRYM1Maf2J1HBq_l2cSfZY78eKimP2x4HZ2rQxOyq5JE/s4592/P1020628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgDZOLnqFvHwPzXEONjA1zEw0RAJ1NIngbJ7PMO315_HzBWQIXiUwo7iJuCYihDtGLX4LbEHex1H3zcWhZTu2t16aX4QDHdiKRYM1Maf2J1HBq_l2cSfZY78eKimP2x4HZ2rQxOyq5JE/w640-h480/P1020628.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">This was where we stayed right after we ran into a baby snake while visiting a temple, and our guide mentioned he had been bitten by a snake when he was younger (he was 22 during our adventure). Needless to say, though this spot was beautiful, I didn't sleep at all. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdOnOmid7-uygo_KOYPfKFhDIDQvRLYCOi-sStvvQTzOrrw5X9ry9rvZpMnCYsjaKlRcBzHiAJn_bm9DPcei1EY8nms0hkQXX8slrIEEDTPdMSu2CUEtWS6s81QaRGd4ZoYaMiQOtyYc/s4896/P1180789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="4896" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdOnOmid7-uygo_KOYPfKFhDIDQvRLYCOi-sStvvQTzOrrw5X9ry9rvZpMnCYsjaKlRcBzHiAJn_bm9DPcei1EY8nms0hkQXX8slrIEEDTPdMSu2CUEtWS6s81QaRGd4ZoYaMiQOtyYc/w640-h480/P1180789.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was a little concerned about this swirling cloud. The way the weather whipped across the plains was something to behold. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_SB0rC29Cg2WABmz8nPXZCcYah46EX-6vBiHMQ5vr7AKi6PgXDh3zklWpzRHmx_7lQzhpYkiL1UxA1AMKqnvGxe1Z9Qi8-QjPwurZoV3SqjkD6uS_NRi7Z34B-dtYtYUOCH9zz6hJ7Q/s4592/P1020798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4592" data-original-width="3448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_SB0rC29Cg2WABmz8nPXZCcYah46EX-6vBiHMQ5vr7AKi6PgXDh3zklWpzRHmx_7lQzhpYkiL1UxA1AMKqnvGxe1Z9Qi8-QjPwurZoV3SqjkD6uS_NRi7Z34B-dtYtYUOCH9zz6hJ7Q/w480-h640/P1020798.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mongolia has a long history of shamanism, which every so often you'd catch a glimpse of. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKTltqf4KFicN93jn1YY4iUk83pUwpvsKYPrkdr2KUjPY353blmTTv4nIciN94ofRrQDgD_W9FU1E6ClTRXUICgIX2LF8nuadFESTqceCQlBvYsAzoOCL7SOR97OH0MLmPDI0HWcZkZE/s4592/P1020794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKTltqf4KFicN93jn1YY4iUk83pUwpvsKYPrkdr2KUjPY353blmTTv4nIciN94ofRrQDgD_W9FU1E6ClTRXUICgIX2LF8nuadFESTqceCQlBvYsAzoOCL7SOR97OH0MLmPDI0HWcZkZE/w640-h480/P1020794.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPpAfvXzQX8n4fe9h46fSGknQBnK2IwnLqAi5qYVLNEnST8F__vV0qdL3hSKOpOOsrVsqufXM6opPIJoKKDCZr3g3eqGi8UNX3CkFK8lpmGAwEB-SmyVakW0IFqVdC1zDhezdNBAddEY/s4592/P1020961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPpAfvXzQX8n4fe9h46fSGknQBnK2IwnLqAi5qYVLNEnST8F__vV0qdL3hSKOpOOsrVsqufXM6opPIJoKKDCZr3g3eqGi8UNX3CkFK8lpmGAwEB-SmyVakW0IFqVdC1zDhezdNBAddEY/w640-h480/P1020961.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Karakorum, the old capital from the 1200s.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPvKfVRUZ7VNuA9MV46PqvRh2XcqLJywzNOzHuZLuNGTWDihaQsauT5zWEoGZOCHI0fZOnZVjL5W9j-9qx62DFRCDQE386XjaOk33icMPfdu6nXmlWSNWnNIqL_JeYrYus5CCixjcJ_E/s4592/P1020986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPvKfVRUZ7VNuA9MV46PqvRh2XcqLJywzNOzHuZLuNGTWDihaQsauT5zWEoGZOCHI0fZOnZVjL5W9j-9qx62DFRCDQE386XjaOk33icMPfdu6nXmlWSNWnNIqL_JeYrYus5CCixjcJ_E/w640-h480/P1020986.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Karakorum</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjyz0vv-hpjQZRznt5AUMYdnFDkm4JiwIokTuIGUxE83ruUvLbyIa14TrDx_Wt72w4r9JbwINMN6vOGCUYu4-JY3ih1_QY0xl5hyphenhyphenZrmuHxvQAmPX_LKvAI4G5g-Hcm0dytOfNXpjRBus/s4592/P1030013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjyz0vv-hpjQZRznt5AUMYdnFDkm4JiwIokTuIGUxE83ruUvLbyIa14TrDx_Wt72w4r9JbwINMN6vOGCUYu4-JY3ih1_QY0xl5hyphenhyphenZrmuHxvQAmPX_LKvAI4G5g-Hcm0dytOfNXpjRBus/w640-h480/P1030013.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Look! An actual paved road! Our last stop before going back to the city, Khustai National Park. It amused me when we would "enter" a national park because basically the entire countryside, with its varying landscape looks like one big national park. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XDxWkFSJ-jTKSeUguGfNiEYw-Z2bNUoHo9XCOeUrjFg-cON_K5pGkvhlA2efr2fE52DC2rWEJTkcdKXC_lty89Evaw7cmtiWOgdkVZSIn_CoLuLNmfJZunE2u9xQhOSdFW-RctM9XOE/s4592/P1030042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3448" data-original-width="4592" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XDxWkFSJ-jTKSeUguGfNiEYw-Z2bNUoHo9XCOeUrjFg-cON_K5pGkvhlA2efr2fE52DC2rWEJTkcdKXC_lty89Evaw7cmtiWOgdkVZSIn_CoLuLNmfJZunE2u9xQhOSdFW-RctM9XOE/w640-h480/P1030042.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">As always, there is so much more to share, remember, and learn about these locations than I can put into one post. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for taking this journey down memory lane into the Mongolian countryside! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-55165704817442006522020-08-10T15:15:00.001-05:002020-09-15T09:01:13.151-05:00New Website!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmxDGi84ml8NKFFVbKpBbfgKVSiwx5Cb1f13BbkiD4b1sX0-SJvJg3Xx2B45D2kwzJasnoX7Ac5OcBHgA2oW-AYnFEjzNptQLRpUQhezt7zJrUcI50jY2yTIoRvZVED-Rjfb9k8kxNpA/s1600/Wadi+Rum+Sunset.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmxDGi84ml8NKFFVbKpBbfgKVSiwx5Cb1f13BbkiD4b1sX0-SJvJg3Xx2B45D2kwzJasnoX7Ac5OcBHgA2oW-AYnFEjzNptQLRpUQhezt7zJrUcI50jY2yTIoRvZVED-Rjfb9k8kxNpA/s640/Wadi+Rum+Sunset.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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All my things are finally in one place!<br />
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My new site www.saw-rah.com, has links to all of the best on this blog organized by continent, opportunities to work with me, and all things yoga, meditation, courses and other offerings. Head on over and join my newsletter and give me a shout! When you subscribe you'll receive a free guided meditation on the heart.<br />
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This blog will stay as it is for now, and travel will still be posted here. All other things including blogs about non-travel related items will be housed over on the new site.<br />
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All my social media is the same for now. I hope you'll join me!</div>
Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-56567437235812242202020-04-21T08:00:00.000-05:002020-08-02T11:17:46.781-05:00Story-time Request #1 - Willka T'ika, Peru <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMBsc5_SWeFR-KFPgkSivWrhwuATKAKtmGqBHxUfAvw0DcW21y2CToI_WEmbSB9I9z6IMeWJPbnJ2rk9M410EWkLVkUXjFYjMTwSIGcyjFoL0SVLlQss4UPCRG5j3XCOi7M3AdIrdaDk/s1600/P1130516.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMBsc5_SWeFR-KFPgkSivWrhwuATKAKtmGqBHxUfAvw0DcW21y2CToI_WEmbSB9I9z6IMeWJPbnJ2rk9M410EWkLVkUXjFYjMTwSIGcyjFoL0SVLlQss4UPCRG5j3XCOi7M3AdIrdaDk/s640/P1130516.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<i>This is the first installment of my “story-time request series.” I asked readers to pick a country from my visited country list and agreed to share a story and pictures from that country that I have never shared before. </i><br />
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I’ll admit, I am daunted by this story-time challenge I have set for myself with your help. Many of the countries on my list were visited literal decades ago. The idea of reaching into the mental archives to try to find the interesting stories has felt a little out of reach, which is why I decided to start with this one.<br />
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Visiting Peru, now a decade ago (this week is the 10 year anniversary of the trip), is always closer to the top of my brain file and within reach than other locations. You can read the few posts I have on Peru<b> <a href="https://www.ihavethewanders.com/search/label/Peru">here</a></b>. I’ve never written much about the Peru and Bolivia trip because it was so deep, so transformative and just so much. I mean this in the best of ways, but it was so much to process and I am still not sure it has all processed a decade later.<br />
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This wasn’t just the case for me. Just about everyone who took this group trip organized by a yoga studio in New Jersey, returned home and found themselves immeasurably changed. I’m not trying to be trite, but this trip was a blow the doors open of your life trip. People came home and their whole lives shifted in an instant. Jobs were changed or lost, businesses changed, people moved across the country and to the other side of the world, diets were up-ended, a surgeon discovered a side of himself that believed in UFOs, marriages changed, every life change that could happen did. Each month after the trip, I heard through the grapevine of another drastic change in our wider group and they got more surprising as time went along.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1T_TOrAc8Sr1pjsnZGEcQmKfLeqAxrsXhNY3bDHQ3vmVmpF2pWfNynK6mtB6ILmmcxwyRzPLTLSgPFbuSQyNLOeRQ45zf43-7umGva3_ODI68aKv5lkQ1fpOOgLDqM37R4EkYHEVSns/s1600/P1130467.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1T_TOrAc8Sr1pjsnZGEcQmKfLeqAxrsXhNY3bDHQ3vmVmpF2pWfNynK6mtB6ILmmcxwyRzPLTLSgPFbuSQyNLOeRQ45zf43-7umGva3_ODI68aKv5lkQ1fpOOgLDqM37R4EkYHEVSns/s640/P1130467.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
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Oddly enough, over New Year’s this year, I went on a journal reading spree and my Peru and Bolivia journal was one of the ones I read from cover to cover. Even though this trip is often top of mind and heart, this reread (something I don’t do often or really at all) reminded me of little actions and events that I had forgotten about. It specifically reminded me of ceremonies I had been a part of but forgotten. It was truly amazing to look at those events through my real time writing and emotions back then and visit them with my present awareness and a further decade of knowledge of myself. There were things there that never made sense before that clicked reading them again. (This is why I don’t burn journals.)<br />
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This preface is all to share that the base of this trip, our strong foundation was <a href="https://willkatika.com/">Willka T'ika</a>, a garden of the gods in the sacred valley near Urubamba, Peru. Though we didn’t know it at the time, or at least I didn’t, it was a sort of famous place, and that has only increased with time. It’s not the first place I’ve visited that I didn’t realize was “a thing” and I am sure it won’t be the last. (And I am sure it has changed a lot in the decade since I was there.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDliJJxPGEodauQkeTEmY3eg1-1WDWZpQPAGiHmsVnuMn294rmogQL1fVdLezJdUZV9Oc1fLk5fKUAObU1uiHbL70RYAWp6yWjFopQE-LoShFdop8h2dzGB2oRFs2HN17YX8ZVvJnIvs/s1600/DSC_0065.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDliJJxPGEodauQkeTEmY3eg1-1WDWZpQPAGiHmsVnuMn294rmogQL1fVdLezJdUZV9Oc1fLk5fKUAObU1uiHbL70RYAWp6yWjFopQE-LoShFdop8h2dzGB2oRFs2HN17YX8ZVvJnIvs/s640/DSC_0065.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Not only is the property lush and stunning with gorgeous accommodations, the place has an interesting journey of its own. From what I recall, the owner was on a trip with her husband from New Zealand where they lived (I think). They came upon this property, I’m not even sure if it was for sale at the time, but it had this sick Lucuma tree on it. The tree is thought to be nearly one thousand years old. The person showing them the area said the tree would die and nothing could be done about it. Something about that challenge, the earth beneath her feet and the energy of the place propelled this woman to upend her life and stay. As she told it to us, she told her husband that this exact place was where she was supposed to be and that she was staying. She left the choice up to him whether or not he would stay, he didn’t, and she created a magical garden retreat with the help of the community and a staff that is like family to her now. Willka T'ika does a lot of work in the community with the schools and specifically with the children of the staff and creating opportunities. These works once confined to their local area, have expanded to include charitable operations in other places around the world. They also now run their own retreat trips to various spiritual places around the world.<br />
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If I recall correctly, we arrived to Willka T'ika at night. I remember a “tea station,” as a greeting. This tea station had hot water, and a basket of herbs for you to make your own tea. I fell in love at that moment and went straight for the mint. The mugs were a brown red clay, painted with different scenes and shapes on them. These mugs would become an anchor point for my friend and I (who was my roommate during the trip, who I am still close friends with, waves HI) during the trip but also after when we went home.. We both still have our mugs to this present day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of KMD</td></tr>
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Mugs from - <a href="http://www.ceramicaseminario.com/en/">Ceramicas Seminario</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpmHZCneQ90yjagVfQP1EbjpRA_WHFnxh_CA6xHjZaQizJEbli4_Ay6Z-F1d0Bv4rnV8TKA_GcfoUPJtDe0AH_A6r32Q3qBUdc7ZHEKc5XeXIUCV0NKW7F9-k3gP0fFXO88VH64mJiWE/s1600/P1130440.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpmHZCneQ90yjagVfQP1EbjpRA_WHFnxh_CA6xHjZaQizJEbli4_Ay6Z-F1d0Bv4rnV8TKA_GcfoUPJtDe0AH_A6r32Q3qBUdc7ZHEKc5XeXIUCV0NKW7F9-k3gP0fFXO88VH64mJiWE/s640/P1130440.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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By some fluke, my friend (who I had known since college and was a part of the yoga studio running the trip) and I ended up with one of the nicest rooms in the place. I have no idea how this happened since we were the youngest two people on the trip by two and half decades. We walked into this huge open space with high ceilings, a shamanic looking painting on the wall and three beds ( a running theme for us in our rooms through the trip). It was also one of the rooms farthest away from the entrance and the dining area (I could do a whole post on the food at Willka T'ika, so so good). It was all the way through the gardens and out by the Lucuma tree (which incidentally the owner saved and now flourishes).<br />
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I now know that this was no accident. We were meant to be in that specific area to support both of our experiences through our time in the Sacred Valley. We each went through something huge in that space, though I am not sure each of us would have had the language for it at the time. I know I personally had so much emotion and so much unexplained energy that I couldn’t express it, and a lot of times, I got real quiet in order not to spontaneously combust.<br />
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Willka T'ika had a yoga space that dreams are made of. Very close to where we were staying, next door if I remember correctly. The space felt like a womb. This warm, inviting cavern for growth to happen...and it did. I had been teaching yoga for about a year at that point, and practicing six or seven years personally. Practicing yoga during this trip with the many different teachers that were taking and/or leading the trip, was eye opening. Up until then my yoga experience had been mostly confined to a few places and two particular styles. These teachers weaved in a thread of spirituality and philosophy that landed differently for me than it ever had. It opened up a whole new world for me. Maybe it was the place, or maybe the time was simply right for me to hear it and really HEAR.<br />
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Beyond being a sanctuary for all of us, Willka T'ika also offered some interesting experiences you could sign up for. A chakra garden tour with the owner (we were the only group there and we got a lot of one on one interaction with the owner which was awesome), a crystal bed, healing treatments and the one I find most memorable, a steaming hot herbal bath under the stars.<br />
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Peru was my first time in the Southern Hemisphere which gave me an opportunity to see stars I had never seen before. The “Southern Cross” was a constellation that followed us on our trip and was referenced a lot by various guides. It wasn’t until we scampered cautiously over to the two stone baths in the ground with steaming water and shut off our flashlights as we slid into our individual tubs, that I got a really good view of the constellation.<br />
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This herbal bath under the stars was a reach for me, wildly out of my comfort zone. Though I knew the baths had just been filled, while we were standing there, and I could see the bottom of the tub with my flashlight, I was still terrified something was going to get into the tub with me, mainly slithering animals that I have trouble with. Donning our robes, we each sat on the side of our tubs, took some pictures and then through hysterical giggles somehow gained the courage to get rid of all light, drop the robes and hop in.<br />
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It was one of those surreal experiences that in the moment you can’t believe is happening and you’re almost out of your body observing yourself having the experience. The herbs kept brushing my body and made me jump every time. The stone baths were sloped like a pool that gets deeper at one end. What I remember most though, is the brilliance of the stars without light pollution and giggling so much that my stomach hurt. It was terrifying and so joyful. It was a moment in time that is etched in my heart, just like Willka T'ika.<br />
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I<i>f you'd like to make a story-time request, visit my <a href="https://www.ihavethewanders.com/p/countries.html"><b>country page</b></a>, and email (sawrah@ihavethewanders.com) or FB or Insta me the country you want to hear about. </i><br />
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-13525383731158942702020-04-15T15:23:00.001-05:002020-08-02T11:18:15.681-05:00The Azores Recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise, Pedras Do Mar</td></tr>
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<i>I went to the Azores and the most common question I got was, Where is that? </i><br />
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Before our current (COVID-19) situation ramped up, I snuck away for 9 nights for my first vacation without email in a year and given where we are now, I am so grateful I did. “Planning” my trip just 10 days before I got on the plane shows the ease with which this type of trip can be planned and how accessible this set of 9 islands really is.<br />
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The Azores are a part of Portugal and rest roughly 1,000 miles off the Portuguese coast. (Don’t worry, I didn’t know where it was either until about 4 years ago). Just a 4 hour flight from Boston (which I was shocked about), this archipelago is often referred to as “Hawaii of the Atlantic.” I’ve never been to Hawaii, so I don’t know if that comparison holds true, but I can see why some might think that. Now that I’ve visited, I can say that I see it more akin to a cross between Ireland (seriously, the green fields had me doing a double take), Iceland, New Zealand and Portugal, which is pretty phenomenal in my book.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I mean it could be Ireland if you didn't know better, right?</td></tr>
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I visited just one island this time, but I already know I would go back and try to see others next time. São Miguel Island, the most populated of the islands, also hosts the Azorean capital, Ponta Delagada. Normally I’d run around and try to do everything, but this time, I really wanted to vacation and to absorb into the island. I approached this trip differently than I have any other trip in my life, with a distinct non-attachment and ease. I made no plans, and I let the weather, which is highly changeable, and my intuition guide me. As we often reference in yoga, I was completely “in flow.”<br />
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Flights with SATA Azores Airlines are direct from Boston. Other flights can be found, including ones that connect in Lisbon, but this direct Boston to Ponta Delgada link is owed to the diaspora in Massachusetts of Azorean people of all ages. Although I was delayed through an odd turn of events, and we left Logan at 3:00 am (I didn’t even know Logan allowed flights that early), the flight couldn’t have been easier. I had a row to myself and slept most of the short 4 hour flight. Considering how and where you cross the Atlantic to get to the Azores, it was a little bumpy, but manageable.<br />
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Waking up to a sunny morning buffered by a wall of clouds being kept barely at bay, the island came into view and my emotion couldn’t be contained. There are only a few places on earth, during my many travels that I have gotten emotional upon entering the air space and landing, and this was one of them. No one could have been more surprised about that than me. I knew next to nothing about this particular island, and yet, a trickle of salt water ran down my face. I was so happy to be there.<br />
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The airport was a classic small island airport even though it is an international airport. People filed into the two immigration lines and I was into the main lobby of the airport before I blinked. I grabbed a coffee and then stepped up to the rental car desk and was grateful I didn’t use my normal company because their line was the longest. It was like my whole plane had rented a car from them.<br />
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Since I had reserved in advance and I am experienced with the questions and coverage and such, it was a breeze. The staff were kind and gave me the best piece of advice I received while on the island. They said to go to <a href="http://www.spotazores.com/">www.spotazores.com</a> . This simple site has one purpose, to show you the weather around the various islands via webcam. I can’t understate how useful this was to me during my entire trip. The site is organized by island and then by town/ or popular geological location. Since you can have all four seasons in one day on the islands, it was invaluable. I soon found that you could be in a sunny spot and the place you want to go is completely encased in fog. One spot that I visited only cleared one day during the entire nine days I was there. For a small island, it was amazing to watch the weather in this way. I didn’t let it rule me, but I did let it inform me, especially for that one particular spot, Lagoa do Fogo (Lake of Fire). Windy.com was also recommended and works based on your location and can be helpful for the higher elevations.<br />
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Most people base themselves out of Ponta Delgada and do day trips because nothing is really more than an hour or so drive away. I’ve never been most people, so I headed to the central north coast instead and based myself directly on the ocean for five days. A choice I would come to be grateful for every single morning and every single night.<br />
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I visited in the off season (February) and it makes a huge difference for everything I will share in the posts about this trip. First, I was able to stay in much nicer places than I normally would. Meaning I stayed in three separate hotels instead of getting an airbnb with a kitchen like I often do. The hotels were highly discounted and mostly empty. However, that is not the case from May - October, their high season. The average temperature at the beginning of February was 62F. I found the east of the island to be consistently warmer than that but not by too much. And of course, when you get into some of these craters or up on the higher hills, it changes accordingly, but as a New Englander in the middle of winter, it was the perfect temperature for me.<br />
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So what exactly is there to do on this island besides relax and go with the flow? Many, many things. There are insta famous places that you can go to for the gram if that is your speed. There is every type of nature you can imagine if that is your thing. Hiking, walking, beaching, hot spring sitting, volcanic rock climbing, waterfall gazing, tea plantation visiting, pineapple farm perusing, little towns for wandering, there is something for everyone.<br />
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Here are a few of my favorites. I’ll do longer posts on a few of these, but for now a summary.<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Miradouro da Ponta do Escalvado</span></i></b><br />
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This was my first stop on the island once I was on my way after accidentally getting stuck in the small streets of Ponta Delgada right after I got off the plane. This viewpoint is pretty nondescript from the road, and I didn’t know anything about it, I was mostly stopping for a break when I found it. But it is stunning, especially on a clear day. It is right on the edge of a high cliff and you can see both the Atlantic and the coast for quite a distance in both directions. It’s a quick stop but worth every second. I’d say you could picnic here, but the wind was fierce all the times I stopped there.<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Sete Cidades </span></i></b><br />
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Probably the most popular place on the island, but the good news is that it is huge, and you can visit it from many different points. This was also one of my favorite places on the island. I visited a number of times over the course of the week, in all different types of weather. While the viewpoints are what tend to be most famous, going down into the town and sitting by the lakes was what I loved most. There was a stillness to this place that felt like the void or a womb. Things were being created there, seemingly almost from nothing. It was protected by old volcanic walls and covered in trees, and the sea was just on the other side.<br />
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The two lakes that make up this area and the whole 3 mile cauldron area, are the result of a massive volcanic eruption in the 15th century. One lake reflects blue while the other connected lake reflects green. On a clear day with the sun just right, it is out of this world. No power place would be complete without a little folklore which this area has in spades. Lovers and tears and creating the color of the lakes, oh my. I’ll do a separate post on this area with the viewpoints and best spots, soon, there’s a lot to share.<br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Boca Do Inferno</span></b></i><br />
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While Sete Cidades is the most popular place on the island, this is the most popular viewpoint and the most used viewpoint to advertise the Azores. If you’ve seen anything about the Azores, you’ve probably seen a picture of this place. While I had intended to visit this spot at some point, I came upon it by accident and the timing could not have been more perfect. It is VERY hard to get this spot alone, but somehow I did and it was magic.<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Parque Natural da Ribeira dos Caldeirões</span></i></b><br />
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Another place that I happened upon by “accident.” Or I should say, I didn’t know what was at the end of the road, I knew that lots of waterfalls existed on the island. But this was one of those times when I gasped when I saw where I had been led. One of the confusing things, for my brain at least, is the myriad types of vegetation on São Miguel. There are plants next to each other that shouldn’t be able to exist in the same environment. This fairy land of wildness and waterfalls, was one such place that had me scratching my head. The headline waterfall is impressive enough, but if you walk up the trail, the flora and fauna are crazy. It’s part rainforest, part pine forest, part Lord of the Rings. I stayed here for way too long taking way too many pictures and it was worth every second. It was only after I had gotten my fill of the largest waterfall that I ventured across the road to the lower park area. It was also very beautiful, had a shop and facilities and areas to walk. But beware, all those paths are VERY slippery. I caught myself from falling more than once and I was wearing hiking boots.<br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Lagoa do Fogo</span></b></i><br />
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Ah yes, we come to the unicorn of the island. This area is, well, shy. It only comes out to play once and awhile, aka once in nine days. After the second day of my trip when a visit to this area was thwarted by the fact that all I saw was white on the webcam, it became a ritual for me to check the webcam of Lagoa do Fogo before I decided what to do with my day. On the fifth day of my trip, I woke up with the sun and saw how clear it was out. 10 minutes later it occurred to me to check the webcam. I left my room ten minutes after that and got on the road. After this particular day and visit, the area didn’t clear again while I was on the island. The moral of the story is, if this place clears, scrap whatever day you have planned and get there.<br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Lagoa das Furnas </span></b></i><br />
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Furnas is famous for hot springs, steam sprouting from the ground, cooking stew in volcanic steam vents and the Terra Nostra Garden, but I liked it because of the lake. Said stew is cooked right next to the lake, the local restaurants each have a labeled area where they cook their stew daily. People gather around to see them take their pots out of the ground, but I found it anticlimactic to be honest. The best part of this area for me was the lake and the viewpoints of the lake high above. By the lake there is also a “forest park” called Park Grená. For some reason this park is 10 Euro to get into when every other natural area on the island is free, including the path that runs along the actual lake. No great surprise, I walked along the lake instead and it was amazing. It was a well manicured trail akin to a “rail trail” here in the states. The trees were massive, the water kept changing color, and I didn’t see anyone else along the way while Park Grená was very busy. This walk along the edge also gave me a distinct view of the unusual bright green mossy substance that covers this lake in areas. More on that later.<br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Nordeste</span></b></i><br />
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About as far east as you can go, this little picturesque town stole my heart. I’m not exactly sure why, but maybe it was the unique arched bridge that lands in a charming town square, or the fact that they had a halfway decent free public bathroom, kidding (kidding that this is why, not that they have free open bathrooms), or maybe it was the fact that I was there on a Sunday when basically the whole town was closed except for people doing their everyday chores. It reminded me a little bit of Spain and Portugal on the mainland. It had that feel to it, except that just beyond the town square, you could see the ocean. From this spot you can travel further south along the coast and come upon a few other great spots too, and it is worth the drive. I recommend the Northern route to get there instead of the Southern, unless you are feeling mighty adventurous and confident in your driving. More on this later.<br />
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What I’ve listed here are mostly natural spots, but there is so much more to this little island. If churches are your thing, you will be in heaven (pun intended). The whitewashed churches are framed with black detailing in contrast to the blue and green island background. They stand out in every town as the highest building. Hot springs are not for me, but you can find them all over the island. They even have a natural thermal pool IN the ocean at Ponta da Ferraria. You have to time this place right with the tides though so you don’t either freeze or boil and /or drown. As one can imagine, it’s not exactly a place I went as a solo traveler, but people seem to like it.<br />
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I’ll write a little about Ponta Delgada and some other towns as well in another post, so stay tuned. And of course there is the Gorreana Tea Plantation, purported to be the only tea plantation “in Europe.” I visited on a pretty cloudy, dreary day, but I bet in season on a sunny day the place sparkles. Tours only run in the high season, so I took a self guided tour up into the tea fields which was interesting to look at. There is also a trail on this property that will take you on a multi hour walk with a waterfall somewhere in the middle. Part of this trail was closed while I was there due to mud and rain, but it is supposed to be a lovely walk, though fair warning, a lot of it is straight uphill.<br />
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There is much more to post and write, but what I will share is that it is extremely easy to get around as long as you rent a car. Their bus system is not so reliable and because of the weather, I think renting a scooter is a tough way to go. Another option is to base yourself in Ponta Delgada and book day trips. There are many tour companies to choose from. Tripadvisor has great notes for Azorean tour companies. If you can part with the money, renting a car is the way to go in my opinion. I found so many amazing spots simply by driving and randomly seeing them. This island is perfect for road trips. The views white driving alone are worth the four hour flight into the middle of the Atlantic.<br />
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-91058568903470195222020-04-06T12:50:00.000-05:002020-08-02T11:18:42.608-05:00An unknown Irish cairn and a tiny house<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><b><i><br />I rescued this post from my drafts, added to it and thought, why not post it? We can all use a little mental travel and story time right now. </i></b></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />In the middle of January 2019, I stole away for a self-retreat to Ireland. I needed a place to set down and take a real vacation where I wouldn’t feel my internal pressure to see and do everything like I do when I visit a new place. My first visit to Ireland was in 2007 and I’ve been lucky to visit Ireland every year since 2013, (some years more than once). It has a certain sense of a second home to me. I have a few friends there, I can travel the country without a map and I love to drive on the left side of the road. <br /><br /><br />Through an odd turn of events I stayed at a converted barn that I had seen on a tiny house blog. (Turns out they do their booking through airbnb) I saw it and knew I had to stay there. It was in the center of a village in the garden of an old house. The owner was very nice and easy to work with and I felt at home from the moment I stepped in. <br /><br /><br /></span><br />
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<br /><br />I didn’t plan much of the trip in advance, only the flight, car and the tiny house. My plan was to be social media free, and let the trip guide me. It’s not something I am terribly good at, but my intention was to chill out for once. The social media part was easy for me. I’ve been pulling away for the last couple of years. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br />On the way to the cottage, in the middle of a crossroads between hedge lined fields, I saw a brown heritage sign for a site I had never heard of called “Fourknocks.” I thought it was a translation error, but I immediately looked it up once I got to the cottage. Turns out it's an estimated 5,000 year old Neolithic burial mound/passage tomb off the beaten trail. It was excavated between 1950 and 1952, at which time a cement roof was added to preserve it further, then the mound was grassed over to preserve its original look. It is thought to have had an animal hide covering originally due to the post hold found in the center of the structure. Fourknocks rests in a field in County Meath, five miles from The Hill of Tara and is said to be in direct line with Newgrange (the most famous passage tomb in Ireland)...and I just so happened to stay down the street. <br /><br /><br />When I say off the beaten path, I really mean it. My friends who live just over the county line, less than 20 minutes away, and have lived in Ireland their whole lives had never heard of it. I could say this was a surprise to me, but it wasn’t. I regularly find and go to places in the country that residents have never heard of before. These places find me, draw me in and beg me to visit. It’s happened in other countries too, but for me and Ireland this is a much more regularly occurring theme. <br /><br /><br />I intended to visit this cairn many times during my 10 day trip, but the trip took me to other places and Fourknocks ended up being one of the last things I did before Ieft. It was a magical send off and a story that could only happen in Ireland. <br /><br /><br />Even though Fourknocks was “down the lane,” it took me a while to find it. Sometimes farm roads all look the same, and you just shrug and have to say, “I’ll get there eventually.” It was a moody Irish day, the kind where it’s a second from raining the whole day long, aka everyday. I finally found the place, pulled over to the side of the road, caught the opening in the wall and read the sign. It told me to get the key from Mr. White down the lane and gave directions. Thankfully I took a picture of the sign because I really needed the directions after I got lost and almost went to the wrong house. But thankfully, my brain started to say, “Sawrah, this is wrong, go back,” and I actually listened. Back at the start, the White’s house was much closer than I had originally driven, but not exactly close if you know what I mean. It’s at least a mile or so from the site. </span><br />
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<br /><br /><br />Thankfully they have a sign out front with their name on it. I rang the bell of this stranger’s house (as I would only ever do in this country), and was greeted by a kind little old lady. She gave me the key in exchange for a 20 euro deposit that I would get back when I gave the key back. (Yes, this really happened.) <br /><br /></span><br />
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<br /><br />I drove back up the road, parked in my side of the road parking spot again, and then walked up the lane between a high hedge and a fence. I felt the site before I saw it. It had an intensity to it, and then I rounded the corner and actually saw it. It wasn’t terribly different visually from other passage tombs I’ve seen or been in, but I also wasn’t alone in the middle of a field with the key to the site those other times. Looking at the heavy steel door and the skeleton key in my hand, I wasn’t entirely sure I was going to be able to open the door. I started to freak out, all the while trying to manage the overwhelming energy presence of the site. I decided to circumnavigate the site to ground myself and get myself to a space where I could enter the site and to see if that was even a good and welcome idea.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />I walked around it three times, and then decided to go for it...mildly terrified. As I went to put the key in the lock, I realized I had forgotten the flashlight at the tiny house that the owner had recommended I bring to the site. I resolved to use my phone’s flashlight (it was not bright enough). I took a deep breath, turned the key and then cautiously opened the door. I was frozen in place. I was able to see in and also see how dark it was. A few “light tubes” in the ceiling let natural light in, but, you know, it’s Ireland, light is hard to come by. I seriously considered again if I was going to be able to walk in. It was a rounded “room” and empty in the middle. Stone laced the floor and the entire interior. <br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />Then I realized I had to go in. How could I get this far and NOT go in. I opened the black steel door as wide as I could to let as much light in from the outside as possible. I tried to find a rock to wedge it open, I did not want to get stuck inside, who knows what cell service is like inside a tomb? It’s times like these that I realize why I never became an archaeologist, they have to go into so many dark tunnels and tombs like this. I never would have made it, no matter how much I like this stuff and history. (As an aside, when I go inside places like this I am consistently reminded of entering burial chambers and tombs in Egypt in the Valley of the Kings, and being so uncomfortable with being that far underground no matter how beautiful and enchanting they were.) <br /><br /><br />With the door shoved open as far as possible, I took a step forward, standing in the doorway. I stood immobile looking inside, my body breaking out into a shiver. For the next 15 minutes or so, I took baby steps inside, pausing each time to get my bearings. I was overwhelmed by the presence in the place. Though the tomb had long since been cleared out after it was rediscovered (remains of about 60 people were found), the energy had not changed. It was a very neutral energy, but it could be felt. <br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />Looking up and to my right, my eyes were met with a huge curbstone with deep etchings on it. It was remarkably well preserved, some of the best I have seen in Ireland. Stepping further inside, at the edge of the short “passage” part of the tomb, I found myself at the edge of a domed circular enclosure. From the entrance point where I still hovered, barely breathing, I could see three small caverns or chambers cut out of rock making a cross with the entrance. The one directly ahead had a curbstone above it, again ornately etched and well preserved. The two on either side were cloaked more deeply in shadow, one had a stone above the other did not. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />I gathered myself enough to start to examine things more closely. Aware of every breath and movement I made, I decided to walk clockwise to my left. I hugged the edge of the circle, examining the stones, feeling deeply the energy of the space. I walked up to what I will call the western cavern, had a look around and then tried to walk towards what I’ll call the northern cavern that was directly across from the entrance. Something stopped me. I could not cross the middle threshold of this place from that point. I physically couldn’t do it. Instead, I had to walk back the way I came, cross the southern entrance, visit the “eastern” cavern and then I was able to go to the northern one only from that side. It was truly unusual, in an hour of already bizarre and incomprehensible things. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><br /><br />I’d like to say I got more and more comfortable the longer I stayed in there, but that just isn’t true. I was freaked out the whole time, but I was guided to keep going. I spent some more time in each of the areas, just breathing, taking some pictures, and experiencing a connection to the place. <br /><br /><br />Eventually it was time for me to leave. I closed my time there, and headed for the door. I took out my skeleton key, and tried to lock the big black hulking metal door...and it wouldn’t lock. I tried and tried and tried. After 10 minutes or so I began to ask myself, what does one do when they can’t lock a tomb that they had to let themselves into. What is the protocol for this? Do I go back to the White family and tell them, and leave the tomb open while I drive back down the lane? I tried slamming my body into the door to get it shut enough that the lock would engage, to no avail. I examined it further, after many more tries, and realized that the door and metal frame were warped. It became apparent to me that I had to heave the door in the opposite direction of the lock in order to get the door back in the frame so that the lock could engage. It was a challenge, and I nearly did a party dance when I heard the lock engage. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />Feeling victorious, I stashed the skeleton key in my pocket, circled the tomb once more on the outside, let my gaze drift across the rolling green fields behind it, and then headed back down the lane to return the key. <br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />Upon returning, Mrs. White greeted me again, this time taking more of an interest in me, engaging me about my experience. Then as if she hasn’t realized it before, she asked, “Are you on your own?” I laughed and said yes. Her reply, “Well aren’t you brave,” took me aback and made me realize that they don’t get a lot of solo wandering American women checking out their tomb, but it made me smile nonetheless. I chatted with her for a bit, and then said my goodbyes to her and the tomb, feeling like I had conquered a marginal bit of fear that day, and I was happy for it. Travel never ceases to challenge my edge, and gently coax me to dance with it with more vigor. <br /><br /><br /><b>Notes on this site </b>- Have 20 euros with you for key deposit. Bring a flashlight. You can't see the mound from the road, look for the signs for the site. You have to be really looking for this site to find it. </span></div>
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-68831039775465835172020-04-02T07:53:00.002-05:002020-08-02T11:19:04.364-05:00The Great Pause is the Departure Point <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Author’s Note - This might be triggering. Take what is useful here and leave the rest. Not everything will resonate with you, but that doesn’t devalue what does. </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve started to refer to the time we are in as “The Great Pause.” A lot of us are at home and getting reacquainted with our home, our environment and loved ones in new ways that we haven’t in ages or perhaps ever. We are getting to know ourselves better than we ever have before. For some that means listening to our innermost self and for others that might mean projecting and living in fear (and everywhere in between). We are learning what makes us tick, what habits support us and those that don’t, how to work from home (many while homeschooling children), and we are learning where and how we truly need connection in our lives. It is a unique time in all of our lives and I have welcomed it with open arms (for the most part...I’m only human). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">How can you welcome such a tragic time with open arms, you might be asking. I do not relish in the pain that is here or that is coming, but I do see this time as a once in a lifetime opportunity. Yes,it sucks. Yes, it’s annoying and in a lot of cases life threatening. Yes, we are all experiencing fear. Yes, it’s a change and change is hard. But it’s where we are, it’s happening. Spending time wishing it wasn’t happening is energy you can put to caring for someone, or yourself or create an idea or learn a new skill. Everyone will experience this time differently depending on what your path is (as always), but I think the key to this time is acceptance of whatever that is in your life for you. “Resistance against” is where we get tripped up and create undue suffering for ourselves. Wanting it to be different than it is, prevents us from using it as an opportunity. Feel your feelings always, but know that each emotion we experience, we choose what to do with it after we’re through the initial swell and intensity. Will you cling to the pain and suffering, or will you experience it, let it move through you (in due time), integrate, and open you up to what is new? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I keep hearing phrases like “when things get back to normal,” “when things calm down,” etc. Spoiler alert, that’s not going to happen and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. THIS IS THE DEPARTURE POINT. There are a few events in my short life, so far, that have been like this. Moments in time and history where there is a “before the event” and an “after the event,” a line in the sand. These points have changed the world, for better or worse, and “the great pause” already has and will continue to. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">This Great Pause, however, is different. These other points didn’t have us all at home, unable to do anything in the outside world, many of us out of work, an entire society essentially closed down. Some of us have more time than we have ever had and some of us have much much less. Whatever the case is for you, find the space to ask yourself questions and listen for the answers. Whatever your practice is, meditation, mindfulness, yoga, running, Qi Gong, long walks, playing that same game for the 100th time with your kids, washing all those dishes created from working from home, etc, let these questions rise up. Get real with yourself, and let yourself be bored and quiet, don’t fill every moment (ehm social media), let the brain breathe. The best ideas can come out of boredom. The mind needs that space to create. Innovation can come out of silence and boredom, or that recurring loop walk you do everyday because you can’t go anywhere else while in isolation. The big and small ideas that will change our world (or maybe just your world) going forward can come from anywhere and anyone if we are only willing to listen. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Can you believe how fast so many people and companies got staffed up to work from home? Sure not everyone can do this, including my mother who is a nurse (and any number of other people with essential jobs), but those that can, wow, that was fast. I have whiplash from how fast that happened. What is it they say, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” - here we are, innovating in real time, an entire country, the entire world. This alone will change the fabric of the known work life for millions of people across the world. And my hope is that this shift alone will help us bring more affordable and accessible internet and technology to a wider population of the world, including here in the US. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The veils are coming off. We’re seeing what’s working, what isn’t, what needs to be changed, not only in ourselves and our lives, but in the wider society. The cracks are more visible than ever. We can no longer ignore them. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">New things will be born. Humans of course because we are resilient but also new businesses, new podcasts, new thought processes, new ways of doing things, likely new elements of the economy or maybe the whole economy, a new paradigm and things we can’t even dream of yet. We are living in a once in a century historic event that will change the shape of the entire world. It’s going to be messy and uncomfortable for a while, but most transitions are, it’s how we learn what is essential and important. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Let yourself pause (if you can), let yourself be bored, let yourself experience your emotions, let yourself be with your families. Take this unique time and be still, reclaim what is truly important to you, so that when the time comes to create again, you can. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We are back in the womb, infants waiting to be reborn again back out into the world with other humans. What will that world look like? How do you want it to look? How will you help create it?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>I firmly believe that we don’t ask ourselves enough questions, so these are the questions I am asking myself right now (and so many more) and I hope you will too. And if your kids are old enough, I hope you’ll ask them too, their wisdom is not yet bound by the structures of society humans before them have created. They are some of the best out of the box thinkers. </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">How can I be of service? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Where are my skills and unique talents most useful? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What new world are we creating right now? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What’s really important in this new world? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">How is this new world powered? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">How can I dream and then take action to bring this world into being in my own small way? In my community or wider? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What wants to be birthed through me? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">How do we connect in this new world?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">What is the future of work? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">How can we redefine what it means to be social?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>May you be healthy and be guided by your inner wisdom as we create a new world. </i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>(As a note, this is also a post for me because I have worked the last 16 days in a row. I haven’t been great at pausing yet, but I know how important it is, and I am looking forward to it.)</i></span></span><br />
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-35689924852234352092020-03-30T15:34:00.004-05:002020-08-02T11:19:17.655-05:00Work From Home Guide <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve worked from home or remotely off and on for about 15 years or so for three different companies, in two different industries, and in that time, I’ve learned a LOT. I’ve learned what works for me and what doesn’t, how to make myself more productive and the holes where I always lose time. Since a lot of you are now doing it for the first time, I thought I’d share some of what I’ve picked up along the way and what works for me. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't end up like this :)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>1. Working from home is a highly individualized experience.</i></b></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What works for me might not work for you and personality plays a huge role here. My best advice overall is to experiment. If something is not working, don’t try to stubbornly make it work, try something else even if it is a small tweak. Working from home is a lot about habits and a small tweak with behavior can help to create a new habit. Don’t overthink or over complicate if you can, sometimes the simplest answer is the best. Experiment, test, use new variables, assess and make changes as necessary. What works one month and for one project might not work for the next. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>2. </i></b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Create a routine.</i> </span></span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know not everyone wants to hear this one, especially those who are routine averse, but it is a time and efficiency saver. Set some hours for yourself if possible. Otherwise you will find yourself doing less over the course of more hours and working into the wee evening hours. No one wants to be doing email at 11:00 pm if it can be helped. When I was travel blogging a lot and on the road more regularly, I initially thought it was the most liberating thing ever. But then I couldn’t get anything done. I still have blog posts that are five years old in my drafts because of this. I learned really fast that I need a container. It doesn’t have to be a strict one, but I need to make parameters for myself even if I let them be porous. I’m a Virgo rising (schedule and detail happy) and the Virgo helps keep my meandering Pisces daydreaming sun at bay. If I didn’t set a schedule for myself with blocks of time, I would find myself creative writing all day long or dreaming about creative writing in a cottage in the middle of the Scottish Highlands on my latest book idea (not that I speak from experience or anything). Some might think that not being in a structured work environment like an office should be about doing whatever you want, whenever you want and for some of you that will work. For the vast majority, it won’t. Most people need a container. The good thing is that when you don’t commute you have a little more time, choice and control over that (within the confines of what is possible for your job and life of course).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A subset of this is, </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>take a shower and get dressed every morning</i></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. This might sound silly, but for me it makes a huge difference. Working in my pajamas or even my yoga pants (and I’m a yoga teacher part of the time) doesn’t work for me. Not only is this part of my routine from number 2, I just think better when I’m dressed and not wearing what I wore to bed. It’s like you used to have school clothes and home clothes, and you would have to change after school before you could play. (This wasn’t something we did, but I hear people did.) Basically the same concept. This is work time, this is not work time. A theme you’ll see through a lot of these. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is where a lot of people fall down. I mitigate this by always having water at my desk or wherever I am working. If I stay hydrated enough, I am less likely to snack. Especially stress snack. This is highly individualized based on your metabolism and eating style, but give this some thought and set a plan into place so it’s not willy nilly and you can stay healthy in your new working environment. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is by far the hardest one for me. When you work from home, it’s possible to work ALL of the time. Number two above will help with this, but a part of this is also knowing what your jobs expectations are of you. Are you expected and required to be on all the time, or is that something you are putting on it yourself? When you find out the new expectations, it makes it easier to set boundaries on your side and not allow work-leak into the rest of your life. Boundaries also include things you normally do and have in the physical office. Some of this might need to be adjusted, but be aware when you start to feel overly drained because a boundary has crumbled. This is sneaky in life and in work, especially when you are doing both from the same place. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><b>5. Have a dedicated space (if possible).</b></i></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This will help you keep number 1 and 4 on track. Even if you don’t have a dedicated office or room in your dwelling, try to use the same desk, or same table or whatever it is. It sets a boundary for you. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><b>6. Don’t forget to take breaks</b></i></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Another one I struggle with. I can get hyper focused (hello Virgo), and lose all sense of time when I am working hard on something. It is not uncommon for me to go an entire day without getting up from my seat if I have a project that needs to get done. I won't notice that I haven’t eaten. This is likely not the case for most people, but if you are someone who tends to overwork, has experienced burnout or is a perfectionist, this is my flag for you. Get up and stretch your legs, or even better take a walk outside. (Walk and talk calls are my favorite.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><b>7. Create new habits by changing something in your physical environment</b></i></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you find yourself struggling with a very specific part of your work from home life, change something in your physical environment to trigger your brain to create a new habit or pattern. For example, I found that I was slouching because I couldn’t reach the floor with my feet (this was the case with all chairs I tried) This was creating tension and stress when I was doing actual work and my productivity dropped. I created a new habit by placing a yoga block at my work space, so my feet would always have a place to land. Not only did this improve my posture overall, it also improved my focus because my physical body wasn’t nagging my attention due to discomfort.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>8. Create a start the day and end the day ritual for yourself</i></b></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This can be really simple. A dedicated inhale and exhale, lighting a candle and then blowing it out, playing a specific song at the beginning and end of the day or really anything you choose. This is helpful for the brain to delineate work time and not work time. </span><br /><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>9.Don’t bring your work laptop or work device into the bedroom if you can at all help it.</i></b></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It signals to your brain that is time to work instead of sleep. It signals that that space is also for work. Keeping it out of the room helps the brain separate work and sleep time, and will help in the long run with your sleep habits. (My phone has a bedtime too, but that is another discussion.) </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><b>10. Get tech conscious</b></i></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At various times through these many years, I would feel so busy, but my billable hours were actually low. When this happens, I self-study. I look at all my habits, see how I was really spending my time. The results and information have often shocked me. When I see the data, I make changes. Moment, the app was helpful for me when I first delved into conscious tech about 4 years ago. What’s worked for me is deleting apps specifically social media, keeping my desktop clean, closing browser windows I’m not actively using, scheduling blocks of work and keeping the distractions as limited as I can. I’m one of these people that had to clean their room before they could focus on their homework as a kid, so take that for what it's worth. Your physical space also makes a difference in how you work and that can include your tech. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist, says that there are two types of workers, those who integrate their life and work completely, and those that keep them in very separate compartments. Knowing which you are will help with the above process and knowing what is right for you. One is not better than the other, but it is a tool to help you create your own methodology for work from home. I’m the former (someone who integrates), but I keep trying to be the latter, some of the above helps me keep a better balance of the two. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everyone will have different situations, small children, elderly relatives, pets, an empty house, the gamut, but little adjustments can be found in every situation to make things be more easeful for you. Take the time to ask the right questions of yourself and be a little mindful. And, as I always say in my yoga classes, do what works for you, and </span><b><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">experiment a lot.</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></b></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Note - If you all are interested, I'd be happy to delve into conscious tech more in a different post. Let me know at sawrah@ihavethewanders.com </span></i></div>
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-74853873808365241212018-08-10T14:02:00.000-05:002020-08-02T11:19:47.572-05:00How to Get There - Lewis and Harris <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">After an already long day and stunning day on the NC 500 after my Orkney crossing, I arrived to a shining Ullapool. The flowering
trees were in full bloom, the sun glistened off each white building in town and
the mountains showed themselves gently reaching toward the sky. I visited
Ullapool last fall on a shorter visit to the NC 500 and it was a dreary extra
Scottish day and Ullapool barely made a dent in my memory, but this time, it
was a completely different place. It felt so much more alive. Probably not
least because there were actually people around and things were open this time
in addition to the incredible weather. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">From Ullapool the ferry ride clocks in around 2.5 hours to
Stornoway via the <a href="https://www.calmac.co.uk/">CalMac</a> ferries. I was surprised to find that this car ferry
had a hanging second floor for some cars. The person driving on in front of me
clearly did not want to be on that level and could be heard giving the ferry
gentleman a hard time as we drove on, eventually they relented and drove up.
(Pro-tip - get all your things together that you will want for the crossing
before you drive onto the boat. They squeeze you in there and it will be hard
to be opening the truck/boot and doors, especially on this second level. I saw
so many people scrambling while I simply grabbed my prepared bag, locked my
car and went up to the decks to find a seat. You have plenty of time to prepare
yourself between checking your car in and waiting to drive onto the vessel.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The journey was beautiful because the weather was so good.
You could see the entire coast of the Northwest Highlands as we pulled away across
the straits. It was breathtaking. The ferry was fully equipped with food and
lots of seating options. Make sure you look around before camping out. It is
also not uncommon to see people sleeping on seats and benches all around, there
is so much seating. For part of the crossing you can’t see land so it is a good
time to catch some zzz’s or reading or some other quiet activity. Most people
seemed to use the journey as a quiet time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The ferry lets you right off in the center of Stornoway and
disembarking took a while since I was on the second car level but it is all
incredibly well run and pretty efficient. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The journey back to Ullapool was very much the same except
I was on the main level with my vehicle and there were less people on the early
(7AM) ferry. (In early May there are only two crossings a day but it does
increase slightly in the summer months) It did hail in the middle of the
crossing on the way back which amused me more than it probably should have. It
was a clear sunny day by the time I arrived back in Ullapool harbor but by the
time I stopped in to grab some snacks and Tesco and left town it was
torrentially down pouring. Gotta love that Scottish weather. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Tips</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Book in advance if at all possible, especially
if traveling with a vehicle. It will make your life 100 percent easier. They
have a list there with names on it and it works smoothly if you do a bit of
pre-planning. And honestly, if you are making the effort to get to this area of
the country, chances are it isn’t on a whim, so pre-book, especially in the
summer months. Even if you only pre-book getting to the island it is worth it,
you can always leave the return open ended.</span></li>
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<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">You can also travel to Lewis & Harris from
the Isle of Skye if you happen to be down that way instead of Ullapool. The
ferry ride is shorter but it drops you off in South Harris instead of East
Lewis. Both routes are traveled by <a href="https://www.calmac.co.uk/">CalMac</a>.</span></li>
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<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Book directly with the ferry companies and not
a booking agent, you will save money</span></li>
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<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Even if you book a return date, the tickets are
dated for a year from then just in case you change your mind. But double check
when you check your car in if your plans have changed since they keep a list of
names for each crossing.</span></li>
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<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">If you are prone to motion sickness, the best
place to hang out is the center of the boat behind the ship desk/office.</span></li>
</ul>
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<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">If traveling with a car, the car deck will be
locked during the whole journey. Pack what you will need from your car for the
ferry ride in advance.</span></li>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ferry Costs
– CalMac (May 2018)</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Adult – £19.00 (Roundtrip – “Return”)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Car (Small Size) - £101.90 (Roundtrip – “Return”)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.ihavethewanders.com/2018/08/isle-of-lewis-harris-36-hours-visit.html">Read More About Lewis and Harris </a></span></span></div>
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-73207822534816433742018-08-10T13:51:00.001-05:002018-08-10T14:03:43.156-05:00Isle of Lewis & Harris - 36 Hours Visit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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To Learn about travel to Lewis & Harris, <a href="http://www.ihavethewanders.com/2018/08/how-to-get-there-lewis-and-harris.html">read this blog.</a><br />
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I know, this title sounds insane, it’s way too fast to see and do anything of consequence, but it can be done! I was able to squeeze this little journey into the end of my Scottish road trip and while quick it was absolutely worth the extra effort.<br />
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So you’ve arrived, now what? Well if you are me, you go to your Airbnb as fast as humanly possible to “check in” and then get back in the car to try to catch the sunset at the Callanish Stones. Yes my day was insane, from Orkney all the way to Lewis in one day, (2 ferry crossings, and 150 plus miles through the mountains on the NC500) but it was worth every mile to me.<br />
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One of the best things about traveling to Scotland in May is that there are a ton of daylight hours. As a solo traveler, I often gage and plan my day by daylight hours. I don’t love driving after dark anymore and I’m usually exhausted by then anyways and you know, safety. So it was awesome to have twilight start at 4 am, the sun rise by 5 and sunset 930 pm and after with additional twilight until close to 11 pm by the time it was truly dark. It was awesome. Where I am from that is longer than even our longest summer day, and it was only May. I relished the daylight, although after my long dark New England winter it was a little disorienting (which is kind of confusing because I’ve seen midnight sun in Iceland. I digress.)<br />
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Cut back to me racing across this island I just landed on to find a Neolithic monument to ogle at sunset. As I drove across Lewis, I was surprised at how much nothing there was. I mean I knew the Outer Hebrides had some sparse population, but wow. I kept looking at the time and the distance I had driven thinking I have to be close now. Then as I came over this little hill I got this pulse through my body, there’s no other way to describe it and I thought I must be near. Sure enough, as I came down the next hill I could see Callanish I up on the hill. The light was just starting to change as the sun dipped behind the clouds at the horizon.<br />
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There are two ways to enter the site and I wished after I had chosen the first one, that I had chosen the alternate one. As you drive in there is a right hand turn up a hill that sends you up the hill to a very small little parking area and a pull off area. There is a gate you can enter from there. It gets you very close. I did not choose that one. I went to the parking area next to the visitor center and then walked up and around a small hill and over to the site.<br />
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There was a gentle calm and silence over the whole area. There were so many stones, it has to be one of the most complete sites like this that I have ever seen. Even the processional route remains intact. I was in awe. Not surprisingly at that hour, 9:30 pm, it was me and 5 or 6 other photographers clicking away. The light was gorgeous, a deep blue hue had settled over the whole area with little wisps of pink and orange scattered about. I was so happy I decided to make the 40 minute journey to be there at that moment. It felt right and I was excited to be there during the golden hour.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMbruJVWPsp7n1NobuPx-Mn4PoxFgfYagPpDbqtusFfiO9sk3nRg8rC3XEnuEGTMBZZbN5K_hRgmHMqVMIwRhhS3RaCZprF-a_sBbbtXKHwvOb5Xijegluz4pQsO49A_HlgizbGnNmZw/s1600/IMG_3727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Callanish Stones at Sunset" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMbruJVWPsp7n1NobuPx-Mn4PoxFgfYagPpDbqtusFfiO9sk3nRg8rC3XEnuEGTMBZZbN5K_hRgmHMqVMIwRhhS3RaCZprF-a_sBbbtXKHwvOb5Xijegluz4pQsO49A_HlgizbGnNmZw/s640/IMG_3727.JPG" title="Callanish Stones at Sunset" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Callanish I at sunset</td></tr>
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After I had had my fill, I hopped in my car and pledged to come back the next morning for sunrise, ya that did not happen, the weather was horrible. But driving back up the road I noticed a very small sign that said Callanish III. As my eyes followed the direction of the sign, I was just able to make out another circle in the darkness up a tiny hill. I put that on my list as the first stop of the following day.<br />
I woke up to a rather gray, windy landscape the next morning. My super nice Airbnb host tried to drown me in food before I left for the day. She literally laid out a spread for 4 people, it was overwhelming. I took a doggie bag for my day, which I was very happy about later.<br />
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I didn’t realize how bad the wind was until I was once again crossing through the center of Lewis. It was raining off and on, spitting more like, but then also going sideways because of the wind. I had worn extra clothes because I knew I would be outside and left some dry clothes in the car for the likely necessary midday change. (One of the benefits of having a car with you, you can carry extra stuff for the day). Callanish III crept up faster, now that I knew the route. I pulled over on the side of the road and tried to get out of my car only to be slapped back by the wind. I decided to go anyways. I walked over to the sign and then found out that there was also a Callanish II in the next field, which I could just barely see from where I was standing. I rolled up my trousers and prepared for the muddy mess that awaited me as I trudged up the small hill trying not to get blown over by the wind. I had to turn around many times so that I could take a break and have the wind at my back instead of in my face.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARjygUReHhX2QEQgQDBHdmcB4ESW7xqZbodFXrn1hHs8XMl5SxSOj0iZ8fX5UTeP6rBpJ4rGGdgXl5ZMOIGTV8HAvMAN-yz76mxnfL4eSxBg-tllZ1E8Ft9A7An_OLeQmwI_z3E1EriA/s1600/IMG_3006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARjygUReHhX2QEQgQDBHdmcB4ESW7xqZbodFXrn1hHs8XMl5SxSOj0iZ8fX5UTeP6rBpJ4rGGdgXl5ZMOIGTV8HAvMAN-yz76mxnfL4eSxBg-tllZ1E8Ft9A7An_OLeQmwI_z3E1EriA/s640/IMG_3006.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who's idea was this? Oh right, mine. Soaked, freezing and wind knocking me over. Worth it. </td></tr>
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Callanish III is significantly smaller than the main site at Callanish I which can be seen clearly across the hill, and Callanish II is even smaller than that but they all seem to line up in a way and each have their own energy to them even though they are clearly linked in some way. It turns out that sites like these can be found all across the Outer Hebrides and that they are still finding and excavating them. It remind me in a way of Peru in that sense, there are so many sites that not all of them are getting excavating because there isn’t enough person power or money to work on them all.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9GL1Z5JD7OWZpG8ROduk9_BIaic68wqACHfjk1kQiGQAKt7KDB51m8Di3lmTZGLWZymM0YqjbGGchLklgmIVAL53P9GWlA7aIjXSdAdfYVEuGehkmEBfK6Mpd3WmH8YqeuPI7DhGm00/s1600/P1130090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Callanish Stones III" border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9GL1Z5JD7OWZpG8ROduk9_BIaic68wqACHfjk1kQiGQAKt7KDB51m8Di3lmTZGLWZymM0YqjbGGchLklgmIVAL53P9GWlA7aIjXSdAdfYVEuGehkmEBfK6Mpd3WmH8YqeuPI7DhGm00/s640/P1130090.JPG" title="Callanish Stones III" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Callanish III</td></tr>
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The walk down and over to Callanish II was boggy, muddy and a bit treacherous because of the wind. There were these mini boardwalk sections of wood planks with chicken wire over them to, I assume, help with the most boggy areas but sometimes it was better to just walk through the mud because so many of the planks were broken and dangerously sharp. By the time I got down there, probably a five minute walk in normal weather, I had to stand behind some of the stones to get out of the wind for a break. Standing against and behind one of the stones, in hiding, I seriously considered what my next course of action would need to be in order to get me safely back to my car. Going back the same way seemed rather risky at that point. As I surveyed the area, I soon realized there was an alternate route. I saw little gate not that far from me at what appeared to be an abandoned property. The yard was so much easier to walk through and then I was able to hit the pavement driveway and get back on the street to walk to my car, making a loop instead of backtracking. The wind was still horrid but I made it and then meditated in my car for 10 minutes with the heat blaring before I moved on.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04OymKAJGwjSBGWemq1JAv9-0CC_pSVZpJ_jpEyrbFQRcFLanllxPXEgI-whKta1_jbOmyiOl-oAYUhNVhUwVjkNt0I9C3rU53ruwaUnXySHMUnt-AWOYkRYQ26_akwGD4TeCUXKHfXM/s1600/IMG_3015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04OymKAJGwjSBGWemq1JAv9-0CC_pSVZpJ_jpEyrbFQRcFLanllxPXEgI-whKta1_jbOmyiOl-oAYUhNVhUwVjkNt0I9C3rU53ruwaUnXySHMUnt-AWOYkRYQ26_akwGD4TeCUXKHfXM/s640/IMG_3015.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Route to Callanish II</td></tr>
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I visited Callanish I again and actually went in the visitor center this time, had a hot chocolate in their lovely little café and looked at their little exhibit which I thoroughly enjoyed even though it had its cheesy parts. The vibe was so different in the full cloudy daylight as opposed to the night before but it still retained its utter mystery of purpose. I walked the whole site before I dipped in to take some more pictures. By the time I left the place was packed. I didn’t even know that many people visited Lewis! And there weren’t even any buses, it was just intrepid travelers who made it to this unique outpost.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxsWEF8QcMTwRe8aIZKdGYMBYcqgVuAo5alU0Muy1xPRfiyvYZ9yOwC8cOPGQfHegdr_ednD8M6arSPJ8VRDEJcPsIqWzhyphenhyphenorn6eSVsYagjNgIRHLUvfjRw8TJBCrUIVv3Ry7QUKF48rU/s1600/P1130183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Callanish Stones" border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxsWEF8QcMTwRe8aIZKdGYMBYcqgVuAo5alU0Muy1xPRfiyvYZ9yOwC8cOPGQfHegdr_ednD8M6arSPJ8VRDEJcPsIqWzhyphenhyphenorn6eSVsYagjNgIRHLUvfjRw8TJBCrUIVv3Ry7QUKF48rU/s640/P1130183.JPG" title="Callanish Stones" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Callanish I</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2iLVc6iHTtAB21cwuamma5cTOgkqusEUWeN-F1ENk_hJqlRCC44eRiHf2Rr5N5LQVaoQhshebVvPseaDoP6FRnu2RwPOfvEYmGDZOmEmaG68LsYApItCOfycs96lemT1kxxSI24VBJw/s1600/P1130134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Callanish Stones" border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2iLVc6iHTtAB21cwuamma5cTOgkqusEUWeN-F1ENk_hJqlRCC44eRiHf2Rr5N5LQVaoQhshebVvPseaDoP6FRnu2RwPOfvEYmGDZOmEmaG68LsYApItCOfycs96lemT1kxxSI24VBJw/s640/P1130134.JPG" title="Callanish Stones" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Callanish I</td></tr>
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I had so many things on my list from Callanish all the way up to the Butt of Lewis light house, essentially all along the west coast of Lewis, but owing to the weather and barely being able to walk, I decided to forgo most of that list and head down to Harris instead. I’m not entirely sure why but it felt like the right decision and it ended up being the best decision of the day.<br />
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Before I drove south I went to the Blackhouse Village just north of Callanish. It was kind of a pass for me unless you are going to do some walks in the area or are interested in croft life. I took a few pics and poked around the museum but my whole visit including getting a take away coffee was probably only 30 minutes.<br />
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As I drove further and further south, it got more mountainous and I breathed a sigh of relief. I’m not sure why but I did, ok yes, I love the mountains. The roads started to twist and turn as the road climbed higher and then sloped starkly down again. I love a good mountain drive. But again, very few villages or towns or people. One thing to note about this drive is that the sheep often free graze here. The sheep are fine, they mostly don’t get freaked out and run into the road but since it was lamb season, you have to be extra careful.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Tg7_uP3zF6FkXWun05sNTIt9UmA2txFqwSnvQyG7fcPiqMlqxatCj-IKQsi9Z8gRLM93lm6hMh-Gxr1_kfcpwOOpaBKFIdKSdz7FWeav4Wry6Zq7NUmnu90M8pREFV89GZTM3bOIgug/s1600/P1130230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Tg7_uP3zF6FkXWun05sNTIt9UmA2txFqwSnvQyG7fcPiqMlqxatCj-IKQsi9Z8gRLM93lm6hMh-Gxr1_kfcpwOOpaBKFIdKSdz7FWeav4Wry6Zq7NUmnu90M8pREFV89GZTM3bOIgug/s640/P1130230.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was driving down a hill and I literally saw what can only be described as a lamb committing suicide after being spooked. I was inching down the hill and I saw out of the corner of my left eye a swiftly moving lamb. It was really really running which was weird since lambs kind of jump and bounce and use their legs in such a different way. The car in front of me was far enough up the hill that it was able to slow almost to a stop as it ran across the road. The car coming in the other direction was no so lucky and did not have the vantage point we did. It had slowed but not enough and the lamb ran straight across the road into the front of the car, was lifted up in the air, flung around and plopped down on the other side of the road. Somehow, it got back up and ran off, probably in shock. One of the sheep then ran across the road in the opposite direction. It was a whole kerfuffle and the woman driving the car that hit the lamb pulled over obviously shaken. I pulled over down the road myself to take a beat, shed a tear, and reset my mode of driving for the rest of the day. It was something I had been warned about while in Orkney and this was reinforced it. When I drove back up island I saw no evidence of sheep or lambs in that spot. So strange.<br />
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The drive through Harris to Tarbert, one of the main towns was stunning and looked more like the West Highlands of the mainland than what I had seen on Lewis or on Mainland Orkney. I had a few items on my list for Harris, in case I made it there, it had been 50/50 in the morning when I left. Two were beaches and one was visiting Harris Tweed for my Mom. But I pulled into Tarbert and realized Harris Tweed basically shares a parking lot with the Harris Distillery so it quickly got added. Sadly the tours were all sold out for the rest of the afternoon, who knew it was a hot spot? But they have a nice café and gift shop so I just milled around and looked at everything and had a snack.<br />
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Harris Tweed was different than I expected and maybe I should have stopped at Carloway Mill when I passed it in Lewis because this was really just a shop and a fabric shop. It was cool to see all of the variations of the rolls of the fabric fiber but besides the old loom in the corner, there’s not much to see there. But I was able to get some tweed for my Mum. The coolest part was that they don’t cut it like normal fabric, they tear it and it tears in a straight line each time. I was more fascinated by this than should be normal. The guy goes to tear it and I was like wait what just happened. He said that people are always surprised by that but then he described that it works because of the nature of the natural fiber. Kind of cool.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRS7Ol1MJmjbg02m85kYhMe1zVsulBilvHocL-J46NhG5VKAPL_1CZPbCofbCd-EwGvETRpN96d87xP-mzLnrNxmH2k14inh-4g1kUFb0E6C43aSwVuY1n-uOtiHgsrbYahnTD1LHlNSk/s1600/IMG_3281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Harris Tweed" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRS7Ol1MJmjbg02m85kYhMe1zVsulBilvHocL-J46NhG5VKAPL_1CZPbCofbCd-EwGvETRpN96d87xP-mzLnrNxmH2k14inh-4g1kUFb0E6C43aSwVuY1n-uOtiHgsrbYahnTD1LHlNSk/s640/IMG_3281.JPG" title="Harris Tweed" width="480" /></a></div>
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The shop next door has every possible color scheme of tweed you could ever imagine and every possible item you could ever imagine, so if tweed is your thing, you should check it out.<br />
My day was book ended by my favorite activity of the day, the beaches! I drove over to Luskentyre which has an increasingly famous beach. It is famous because of the color of the water which one would think shouldn’t be found in Scotland but is actually found washing up on a number of the islands. It also has white sand. For me it was so much more than that though, it was the mountains at the edge of beach, the dunes, the way the waves met the beach, the shells, and the air. The whole area was out of this world for me. I meditated, walked, picked up shells, took a boat load of pictures and just enjoyed every breath.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpf6hB-sH9PhSvEoK0um9-0UHjECfX-duzWPsj2Uu9tmTGRRH9ZaKMLCdck-fPU5loEEz_8LeupyXZNMNj4vNO4FVo8MF4QCiQac_VJ3VjawGnWqSPO5xBY_ST5rJjqdZA4v0AZYNuEg/s1600/IMG_3519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Luskentyre Beach" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpf6hB-sH9PhSvEoK0um9-0UHjECfX-duzWPsj2Uu9tmTGRRH9ZaKMLCdck-fPU5loEEz_8LeupyXZNMNj4vNO4FVo8MF4QCiQac_VJ3VjawGnWqSPO5xBY_ST5rJjqdZA4v0AZYNuEg/s640/IMG_3519.JPG" title="Luskentyre Beach" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSmSEOz0QxivMZP8bUURcCUaKm-nxHfGhhhxyoZkFGl0vHle57yDjH0cL3V6FTRt2KSJgSUHybZQDOl8bZoASfNC-VIUpEW-l0iFAccHxzDFZI4o24iavGcwLfSWhwt2BP4r2t5Tu6Kno/s1600/P1130252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Luskentyre Beach" border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSmSEOz0QxivMZP8bUURcCUaKm-nxHfGhhhxyoZkFGl0vHle57yDjH0cL3V6FTRt2KSJgSUHybZQDOl8bZoASfNC-VIUpEW-l0iFAccHxzDFZI4o24iavGcwLfSWhwt2BP4r2t5Tu6Kno/s640/P1130252.JPG" title="Luskentyre Beach" width="640" /></a></div>
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A short drive across the bay is Seilebost beach which is also known for the dramatic water color. It is best seen from above on the hill just beyond it although it is good for walking too depending on the tides. This whole area which is really just minutes apart were really the highlight for me, especially since the sun decided to come out once I reached Tarbert and continue shinning for the rest of the day including my drive back to Stornoway. It was magnificent.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhim2_UbFf9t2_UI0NSetfViWq6brSxJdKym4-m-53AizaNmPN-HRoCXzAneav_AI64B-3lRVylP-aVv4WVl6HCN95ttG4-WRPAysZkfSe6Bw_YOrLVgATKbDNg1lc5UvS5PZx69gVDQ/s1600/P1130439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Seilebost Beach" border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhim2_UbFf9t2_UI0NSetfViWq6brSxJdKym4-m-53AizaNmPN-HRoCXzAneav_AI64B-3lRVylP-aVv4WVl6HCN95ttG4-WRPAysZkfSe6Bw_YOrLVgATKbDNg1lc5UvS5PZx69gVDQ/s640/P1130439.JPG" title="Seilebost Beach" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seilebost Beach</td></tr>
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The drive back to Stornoway was shorter than expected clocking in around 1.5 hours from Seilebost when driving direct. Which when you look at the map doesn’t seem possible. I headed to bed as soon as it was dark so that I could catch the early ferry in the morning and complete my mini adventure on Lewis and Harris.<br />
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There were many places that I didn’t get to visit during this quick dip in that were recommended to me like the castle in Stornoway, other distilleries and breweries, the eagle center, the butt of lewis, coastal drives and beaches. I wouldn’t hesitate to come back for a longer trip but I think I would try to come over via ferry from Skye next time for a different viewpoint.<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for reading! Enjoy the journey! </span></i></b><br />
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<b>Please note</b> - Some pictures with Lumix GX7, some with Iphone 6S<br />
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<iframe height="480" src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=153C0wBx_K8PVpG5qotGFdypTWXDu5Hqa" width="640"></iframe></div>
Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-42023318895026861592018-02-08T11:24:00.000-05:002018-02-08T11:24:28.895-05:00I don't know where to start. The importance of maps. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3SmZSTwQc-YZkSn2_usqUloRFow1b-v6FHHb8q_-D7rUioZnKx-tIO85dX2U9VKDTvocYX92prP6zQmuNIaD6yBWz7XOYwzslEqh4wH4WjAcux4341ISOIwmfFI-vA5C9l8F-BgN9sRQ/s1600/Map+Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3SmZSTwQc-YZkSn2_usqUloRFow1b-v6FHHb8q_-D7rUioZnKx-tIO85dX2U9VKDTvocYX92prP6zQmuNIaD6yBWz7XOYwzslEqh4wH4WjAcux4341ISOIwmfFI-vA5C9l8F-BgN9sRQ/s640/Map+Edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My actual map and route for my round the world trip. <br />Yes, this is an after view of it, but you get the idea. Look at the whole picture. </td></tr>
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"Sawrah, I don't know where to start planning my trip." I hear this a lot, so I figured I should let you know how I start to plan a trip. (Everyone does it a little differently of course.)<br />
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If you are a normal person, aka not me, you probably have a list of places and things you want to see if you a) had the vacation time and b) saved enough money. If you don't have one of these mental lists that's ok, I've never had one. (I want to go everywhere anyways and who needs a list for that :)).Trips tend to show up in my dreams at night and then I start seeing things related to them in my waking life, that's how I know it's time to go. True story.<br />
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Whether you have a list or not, you should always start by looking at the map. A map, what's that? If you don't have a world map/globe in your home, I think everyone should, head on over to google maps and take a look. If you have a specific country in mind, start to familiarize yourself with that map. If not, just start looking and see what jumps out at you, what you are drawn to.<br />
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For examples sake, let's say Ireland is at the top of your list (I'm using Ireland because it's one of my faves and it's a smaller country size wise). Familiarizing yourself with the map does a couple things for you, one, it shows you how big the country is, two, you can easily figure out what the major cities are, three, you can get a good idea of the terrain and four, it helps to have seen the map in case you get lost.<br />
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I know, I know what you are thinking, "who uses a map these days?" or "I won't get lost, I have GPS." This might be true but knowing where the major cities are and which direction they are located from each other and how far is very helpful once you are on the ground and in country. It creates confidence off the bat, helps you feel familiar with your surroundings even though you aren't and you can speak intelligently to local people when you are getting directions. People like to know you have taken an interest in learning about their country even if it is just the basic geography. It also helps a lot if you are driving or taking trains. And believe it or not, there are still places Google can't go. The Scottish highlands for one and Norway for another. In fact, while in Norway, I saw an ad campaign with that exact slogan. "Go where google can't." Brilliant!<br />
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This may seem like an outdated method, but time and again, it has proven useful for me from safety perspective as well as a trip enhancement perspective. When you are stressed and freaked out about being lost in place you have never been, it changes the tenor of the day and could change the trip. Your driving changes, and so does your awareness of space and place. Some light research ahead of time can quell some of this. If only to help jog your memory while driving down the road, "I've seen the name of that town before! It's near x, in the direction of y." I am a wanderer and I always find things I am not looking for because I don't use GPS, looking at the map ahead of time and then running with it has served me in so many adventures and creating unique experiences for myself.<br />
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Visiting the map ahead of time informs you culturally as well by zero-ing in on natural borders, different landscapes and showing you what is in the area. It is always my first step in planning travel and I recommend it is yours too!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Thanks for reading! Open the doors to exploration!</b></i></span><br />
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-28800354175366312822018-02-08T11:05:00.000-05:002020-08-02T11:20:21.560-05:00A bath in the woods? Yes, please. EcoYoga Retreat, Scotland <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In recent years, as I travel, I've been checking out yoga retreat venues. This casual project is related to something I am working on for the future and it's also just kind of fun to see these places and stay there for a night or two of respite.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ecoyoga.org/"><b>Ecoyoga</b> </a>is the old Inverliever Lodge site (I don't know much about the old place). It is tucked away in the woods of Ford, Argyll, Scotland. It is about a half hour from the nearest grocery shop. The directions are easier to follow than you might expect, which was a great surprise to me considering how deep in the countryside this place is located.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvXWVGJwmEad7S-TbOD1jYFXcarMSLC1G2hoscQ2sqcbI12gj-Sb9copiLDp3cdEPCDkK9GhNYJ5Cuif5J0aEx48sizb-F8hPF8_SHTuZEjuZN-NTfbJnQXfX3Njf9GYjaPOpB8NmrQs/s1600/IMG_4707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="EcoYoga Scotland - Inverliever Lodge" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvXWVGJwmEad7S-TbOD1jYFXcarMSLC1G2hoscQ2sqcbI12gj-Sb9copiLDp3cdEPCDkK9GhNYJ5Cuif5J0aEx48sizb-F8hPF8_SHTuZEjuZN-NTfbJnQXfX3Njf9GYjaPOpB8NmrQs/s640/IMG_4707.JPG" title="EcoYoga Scotland - Inverliever Lodge" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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Multiple well know publications have written articles about EcoYoga for one very particular reason, they have outdoor bathtubs next to a waterfall (and of course it is beautiful). It is a yoga retreat, and bathing paradise extraordinaire. I found it while researching retreat centers in Scotland in 2013/2014. Later there was an article published about it in the <b><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/jan/12/yoga-scotland-highlands-eco-lodge">Guardian</a> </b>that gave it some Facebook juice and it ended up in my news feed and subsequently friends have also sent the article to me. I knew I would have to include it on my route when I started to plan my Scotland trip.<br />
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It wasn't exactly on the way but I am queen of making routes work so that things I want to see and do can be included on trips. It usually involves me driving quite a distance extra but it has always been 100% worth it, every time.<br />
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From Glasgow it is just over two hours. I was able to bypass the city completely from the airport and head up by Loch Lomond. Passing through "Rest and Be Thankful" pass and eventually through to Inveraray. It was an incredibly enjoyable ride through the lochs and mountains and single track roads. The mists welcomed me to the country with wild sweeping wisps.<br />
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My check-in was a bit confused, solely because I wasn't expected. There was a miscommunication between the manager who I had spoken to and the staff that was present when I arrived. (The manager was at a wedding that day). But the staff welcomed me in anyways and were so kind to me. They even shared their dinner with me as I had not stopped at the food store because I thought I would run back out (not knowing it was a half hour back up the road from where I had come from). I was grateful for their kindness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_fvqRxhGA8hwwNyZFpb4YPfzvHTRHKdbb4O4JhbXr-RFFfInvreklKgF4Ab8jk2i5Ym6Rkq41Qwev7YO2Q0H6XsZqKIJaIdAcZhODuSh8SPgqyWe7XMOZyOzwHMRGFBHiLE66lyBA8Y/s1600/IMG_4731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="EcoYoga Scotland - Inverliever Lodge" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_fvqRxhGA8hwwNyZFpb4YPfzvHTRHKdbb4O4JhbXr-RFFfInvreklKgF4Ab8jk2i5Ym6Rkq41Qwev7YO2Q0H6XsZqKIJaIdAcZhODuSh8SPgqyWe7XMOZyOzwHMRGFBHiLE66lyBA8Y/s640/IMG_4731.JPG" title="EcoYoga Scotland - Inverliever Lodge" width="640" /></a></div>
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As I was the only guest on this random night (a big group had just left that day), I had full reign. One of my lovely hosts showed me around the whole property including two of the outdoor baths which I couldn't wait to get in. The yoga studio was lovely and situated right by the bubbling brook.<br />
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Once my tour was complete I made a plan to make the most of my time there. First, I went straight to the yoga studio, rolled out a mat and began to move. Between the flight across the Atlantic, the second flight to Glasgow and the driving, I had a lot of tension and stiffness in my body. The studio had a great vibe and looked right out onto the brook with almost a whole wall of windows. While the practice felt rejuvenating, I was dying to get in one of the tubs and did so immediately after I did my yoga practice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdVLlvuTHTXmDRIsxZqBp5aJ6O448L3RiYYejeRNPsQkKqFJ2fGAQlhLPJCHyTX-cLQIZT2Gr7RTQkbZGZBF69VQ5Glp0cXycqRBTB8euzAXJQi-VXmwR2JWBX9rr2MWoXd6lTxDM7js/s1600/IMG_4626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Yoga Studio - EcoYoga Scotland - Inverliever Lodge" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdVLlvuTHTXmDRIsxZqBp5aJ6O448L3RiYYejeRNPsQkKqFJ2fGAQlhLPJCHyTX-cLQIZT2Gr7RTQkbZGZBF69VQ5Glp0cXycqRBTB8euzAXJQi-VXmwR2JWBX9rr2MWoXd6lTxDM7js/s640/IMG_4626.JPG" title="Yoga Studio - EcoYoga Scotland - Inverliever Lodge" width="640" /></a></div>
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The lower gorge bath is a bit tricky to get to, but absolutely worth it. You walk down a steep hill holding onto a rope as you climb down dodging tree roots. I ended up having to go down backwards like I was walking down a ladder on a ship. I was rewarded with the tumbling falls (It had been raining hard for weeks) and a deep tub overlooking it. (Insert whatever sound unbridled joy is for you.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgg-uaV3gSa6bNNJm6an5XsYe-89JCLfmMZdLprLxLSjIM7UEKARzbcZestWRlv_fcQNs4g5UzXUIU0b1pJg2aS3LuoupPpMWUdGewevBE8e9lSmQYLDFSS8DRM8l_HsBq2so9csGbAc/s1600/IMG_4645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="EcoYoga Scotland - Inverliever Lodge - Lower Gorge Bath" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgg-uaV3gSa6bNNJm6an5XsYe-89JCLfmMZdLprLxLSjIM7UEKARzbcZestWRlv_fcQNs4g5UzXUIU0b1pJg2aS3LuoupPpMWUdGewevBE8e9lSmQYLDFSS8DRM8l_HsBq2so9csGbAc/s640/IMG_4645.JPG" title="EcoYoga Scotland - Inverliever Lodge - Lower Gorge Bath " width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTwXdyLRa1c9T3Yks9Tx7TLKgBXi_3g4dFtX6Pk-EnjQxEhDdRQDbVFaTE_Pz5neXYngiwGFsYb0WvtvmFQHHYB6pLcAycLUT93EBBSrA6qZd22GysZzJvgS5k54KjMFdUKBFB3T1sqQ/s1600/IMG_7552+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="EcoYoga Scotland - Inverliever Lodge - Lower Gorge Falls" border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTwXdyLRa1c9T3Yks9Tx7TLKgBXi_3g4dFtX6Pk-EnjQxEhDdRQDbVFaTE_Pz5neXYngiwGFsYb0WvtvmFQHHYB6pLcAycLUT93EBBSrA6qZd22GysZzJvgS5k54KjMFdUKBFB3T1sqQ/s640/IMG_7552+%25281%2529.JPG" title="EcoYoga Scotland - Inverliever Lodge - Lower Gorge Falls" width="640" /></a></div>
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While I was intent on bathing in this tub, it was not meant to be, I could not find the stopper for the bottom. There was a lever like thing that a lot of baths have to close off the drain, but I could not get it to work and finally realized that I was just wasting water. So I headed back up the hill and went to the upper gorge bath.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTi8er7a9wQC3txJisDJmXvRHyhRi1LdTbzmqcjZDjCQUj6jOoK8815QSYqu8wMwwLpQzo1Nli7SRCH2cUpvllX1t7KfRGwdizRnAVbK-Dl1sJg3u0q5n995UlgrXUPDCzp9KxGbHbq8/s1600/IMG_4666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="EcoYoga Scotland - Inverliever Lodge - Upper Gorge Bath" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTi8er7a9wQC3txJisDJmXvRHyhRi1LdTbzmqcjZDjCQUj6jOoK8815QSYqu8wMwwLpQzo1Nli7SRCH2cUpvllX1t7KfRGwdizRnAVbK-Dl1sJg3u0q5n995UlgrXUPDCzp9KxGbHbq8/s640/IMG_4666.JPG" title="EcoYoga Scotland - Inverliever Lodge - Upper Gorge Bath " width="480" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNCImaegOB6wSTGSM2PaF1O7ygYKTV73MmlWqHggEc_5SigKzj7ocM1WLyyAu-iUZ1lTQhzdxWuNhTUu819l0yJ3OC1AInxo5L8KgxgXiit_yNElFQIbdCcr0jZ_-_ZyPZTYMWkikqOY/s1600/IMG_4673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="EcoYoga Scotland - Inverliever Lodge - Upper Gorge Bath " border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNCImaegOB6wSTGSM2PaF1O7ygYKTV73MmlWqHggEc_5SigKzj7ocM1WLyyAu-iUZ1lTQhzdxWuNhTUu819l0yJ3OC1AInxo5L8KgxgXiit_yNElFQIbdCcr0jZ_-_ZyPZTYMWkikqOY/s640/IMG_4673.JPG" title="EcoYoga Scotland - Inverliever Lodge - Upper Gorge Bath " width="480" /></a></div>
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It turns out that I actually liked this bath better, it was secluded and built pretty much into the rock and ground and trees hung over me. I was in heaven. The water is piped in from the river after it is heated by solar panels. Let me just say that for a place that is pretty rainy, those solar panels do their job, the water was delightfully hot. I stayed in there for what felt like an eternity, in a good way, but eventually had to get out when the water got too cold. (I did top it off a few times with the hot water.)<br />
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Besides these two baths mentioned above, they also have a sauna that looks like it is straight out of Hobbit land. The domed "spa" includes a hot tub and shower, just outside is a plunge barrel so that you can alternate between the hot and the cold. The rooms are simple and lovely. There is a main lawn that I imagine if the weather was right you could do yoga on. The main building houses one accommodation ( usually for a teacher), the kitchen, lounge and a greenhouse lounge area. Further there is a "workshop" building which has a fireplace and lounge area and secondary kitchen for self-catering. The windows overlook the surrounding area including the nearby Loch Awe. It is a beautiful place for an in depth study yoga retreat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlPD2JgOPXOSR0rV7hMjBkud9Qa0-Jfm0XEOUnbWhPrD6mB1WGv5KAmOymA7JpvS2OtURlz3hAXUSeyYKWYjnj7jq-7L8IyAWzf6wDOaiJRUwGsEf344PRui1K02S3BGOkQOr20nBB_o/s1600/IMG_4621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="EcoYoga Scotland - Inverliever Lodge" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlPD2JgOPXOSR0rV7hMjBkud9Qa0-Jfm0XEOUnbWhPrD6mB1WGv5KAmOymA7JpvS2OtURlz3hAXUSeyYKWYjnj7jq-7L8IyAWzf6wDOaiJRUwGsEf344PRui1K02S3BGOkQOr20nBB_o/s640/IMG_4621.JPG" title="EcoYoga Scotland - Inverliever Lodge" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJWOc_iUWFTh9lz7rTmyjFK7Q4c19xKp9VTAtHdhbDUI1hNBRx2qO6PdTbii6RLrL3V4cn8uBSiB8JPvDmbRGRs-9clNE7j3yu2Vf5Nm8QBNwjSNRzEIjV6EYDGVpSgUKs0GMvTq2Xg8/s1600/IMG_4695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="EcoYoga Scotland - Inverliever Lodge" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJWOc_iUWFTh9lz7rTmyjFK7Q4c19xKp9VTAtHdhbDUI1hNBRx2qO6PdTbii6RLrL3V4cn8uBSiB8JPvDmbRGRs-9clNE7j3yu2Vf5Nm8QBNwjSNRzEIjV6EYDGVpSgUKs0GMvTq2Xg8/s640/IMG_4695.JPG" title="EcoYoga Scotland - Inverliever Lodge" width="640" /></a></div>
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So if you happen to be passing through Argyll, EcoYoga is worth it even for a night to experience those baths. Loch Awe also has some great sights if you aren't into yoga. I still can't believe this place exists in real life.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Thanks for reading! Travel on! </i></span><br />
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-61133972921622706152017-10-06T14:19:00.000-05:002017-10-06T14:19:00.808-05:00Scottish Highland Road Trip - Glasgow to Glasgow <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8XXrJBzi0I2fxbOtGnbBvcEoQa2S2fyQE2q-K5tgDdRpplNHkSwoUaEHQpJMozebu0K2VzNKbopSbJTsY5QqpkfnqnfKDbYodp8V4XEfcsvCfliFjF4H3jQTNFyOEpLtIahRkdMmLTk/s1600/Highland+Roadtrip+Pic+for+Blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Scottish Highland Road Trip Loop " border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8XXrJBzi0I2fxbOtGnbBvcEoQa2S2fyQE2q-K5tgDdRpplNHkSwoUaEHQpJMozebu0K2VzNKbopSbJTsY5QqpkfnqnfKDbYodp8V4XEfcsvCfliFjF4H3jQTNFyOEpLtIahRkdMmLTk/s640/Highland+Roadtrip+Pic+for+Blog.png" title="Scottish Highland Road Trip Loop" width="640" /></a></div>
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I don't know why but islands with mountains that meet the sea with a touch of green and slightly rainy weather have special pull for me, and not the tropical kind. I can never quite put my finger on it but it's part that I love striking scenery (I mean who doesn't really) and part that I love a little air of the mystical. They speak to me on a level I cannot explain, verbalize or even truly understand.<br />
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Scotland is the latest of this grouping to draw my attention. I first visited Scotland in 2011 driving from York up to Edinburgh. It was just a few days but I fell in love with it and knew (hoped) I would be back one day. While visiting Edinburgh, I heard a lot about the highlands and their singular beauty. People in my work circle at that time had a special relationship with the Scottish Highlands and spoke of it with a deep love and longing. My eventual return to Scotland seemed almost destined.<br />
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Between this trip in and my last, I took numerous other trips and did my RTW (Round the World). I almost visited Scotland during my RTW, going as far as to look at booking some<a href="https://www.airbnb.com/c/sawraha"> Airbnbs</a>, but it didn't come to pass until now. (Fun fact, I ended up staying in an <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/c/sawraha">Airbnb </a>I had looked at during my RTW on this trip to Scotland! It was so worth the wait!)<br />
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There is so much to say about this trip and I will in subsequent posts but today, I'm going to share a little bit about my route.<br />
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It is easy to look at a map of Scotland and think "oh it's not that big," especially if you are from the U.S. However, the distances in miles do not correspond to driving time in the way you might think. The distance markers do not account for the number of times you will stop to take pictures because something is too beautiful to pass up, or the times you will pull off to the side of a road to take a random hike for the afternoon, or even the single track roads which are infinitely more fun to drive and view than you can imagine.<br />
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I found the single track roads easier to drive than other places I have been with single track roads. The ones across the Scottish highlands are generally wider than a lot of other single track roads I have been on and have significantly more "passing places." In fact most of them can be seen from the one before it, a rarity in other places (if they have passing places at all, that is). <b>Reminder</b>: They drive on the left (And it's so fun! Check out my notes on driving on the left <a href="http://www.ihavethewanders.com/2013/10/thoughts-on-driving-abroad-on-left.html">HERE</a>)<br />
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I was looking for a more relaxed trip on this outing so I decided to base myself in mostly two places and then do day trips. It broke down into one night in Ford, three nights on <a href="http://www.ihavethewanders.com/2017/09/isle-of-skye-hot-spots.html">Skye</a>, and three nights in Inverness. Even though I still drove 1,575 miles, it was a great way to get equal part movement and stability. Often when I stay in a different place each night I get drained by the end of the trip since I am the sole driver.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnGw9lgw1f6qnSAoIGwSaLR6LYud7mnTPOTjA47p3t_H-bZ_Kzu9A9bINDtXxLol5xj4_fikx-1HsIxJR4R6PlfaPWG2fn1igXQMZddFS6vSaMcbrLo9JRzhFY4rYblanbwKzpc9UGsI/s1600/Scottish+Roadtrip.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Gateway to Isle of Skye " border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfnGw9lgw1f6qnSAoIGwSaLR6LYud7mnTPOTjA47p3t_H-bZ_Kzu9A9bINDtXxLol5xj4_fikx-1HsIxJR4R6PlfaPWG2fn1igXQMZddFS6vSaMcbrLo9JRzhFY4rYblanbwKzpc9UGsI/s640/Scottish+Roadtrip.png" title="Gateway to Isle of Skye" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gateway to Isle of Skye - Loch Duich </td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">What I Would Do Differently Next Time</span></b><br />
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First, I would suggest a shorter stay in Inverness. Although it makes a pretty good base for seeing the Northern Highlands if you are short on time, it is a small town. Technically it just got city status but by any common standards it's small. It has some good restaurants and sites but you can basically do it all in an afternoon.<br />
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Second, I would go for longer of course! In all seriousness, I wanted to get to more islands. I almost went to Orkney but I decided that 2.5 hours drive each way and a 90 minute ferry ride for only 6 hours on mainland Orkney was just too aggressive, not to mention the nearly $200.00 ferry price tag when bringing a car over there. It was stormy too so I decided to pass it up and save it for next time when I can go full force and do an island focused trip.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">What I Loved </span></b><br />
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3 Days and Nights on the <a href="http://www.ihavethewanders.com/2017/09/isle-of-skye-hot-spots.html">Isle of Skye</a> felt perfect to me. It's not a huge island but there is a ton to do. 3 Days gives you enough chance of at least a non-rainy few hours, and plenty of time to hike and site see. You can check out more in my <a href="http://www.ihavethewanders.com/2017/09/isle-of-skye-hot-spots.html">Isle of Skye Guide.</a><br />
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Eco-yoga retreat in Ford, Argylle - The place is really off the beaten path and a unique stop. Fancy taking a bath next to a waterfall? Full post here .<br />
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Really the whole darn country. There are so many different routes you can take, mine is just one option that I was really happy with. Things went really smoothly, probably more so than any other travel experience I have had. It's an easy country to travel around. And there are only so many roads, some are only one way in and one way out, so it's easy to find your way.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Top Tips</b> </span><br />
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-Write out directions on paper if you need them, mobile and gps signals are very spotty throughout the highlands.</div>
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<br />-Pick the top 5 things you want to see and do on your trip and plan everything else around them. For example, if you have always wanted to go to Isle of Skye, do that and then find out what you can see and do on the route to Skye. If you have to go see Nessie, do that and then visit the area surrounding it and find the gems for you. Outdoor adventure is all around you in Scotland, and it is easy to take full advantage of it.<br /><br />- Bring road trip snacks. Between hiking and isolated locations, it is always good to have provisions in your car, especially water. I always stop at the grocery store before I start a road trip, especially if know I am going to be in remote places.<br /><br />- I also make sure that even if I don't really need petrol, I stop and get it, so I never get stuck. I don't think I sent below a half tank this whole trip for that reason. It is often hours between stations in some of these areas. </div>
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(<b>Note</b> about the map below, google wouldn't let me put too many stops on the same route map, so it is all broken up, hence the duplicate letters, but this way you can also see shorter small loops you can do.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rest and Be Thankful Pass </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />Thanks for reading. Enjoy the road! </span><br />
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-73132100439859983852017-09-19T07:31:00.000-05:002017-09-19T07:31:39.063-05:00Isle of Skye Guide<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I won't make any bones about it, the Isle of Skye is very popular and there are a lot of tourists there. However, there is so much open space and random hiking in every corner of the island, that it is surprisingly easy to find solitude. In a lot of areas, you can pull off the side of the road and find a hiking trail that is well worn and easy to follow and just go for hours.<br />
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As always I recommend traveling in the shoulder seasons. Prices are cheaper, less people and the weather usually holds out for a bit. I found September to be a perfect time to visit Skye. My friend visited in May and also found great weather and lower crowds.<br />
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The beauty of Skye cannot be understated, hence its popularity. But I have to say that I found so many magical and beautiful places all around the highlands that I think part of its popularity is the ease of accessibility, mainly, that you can take a bridge to get there which makes it unique among a lot of the Scottish Isles which often require a ferry.<br />
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One of the best resources I found was <a href="https://www.isleofskye.com/">Isle of Skye</a>. This site goes so far as to catalog walks with extensive slide shows of the routes and trails. As a solo traveler I found this extremely helpful in planning my hikes and setting my expectations for the difficulty of a route. I highly recommend this site.<br />
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Below I have shared a map with number of points of interest, viewpoints, some restaurants and my two awesome <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/c/sawraha">Airbnbs</a>. This is of course not an exhaustive list but it does give a good overview of my three days on the island. <b>Top tip - </b>go early, wherever you go. This allows for unusual morning mists, sunrises and above all solitude from other visitors (if you are looking for that sort of thing).<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><u><b>The Popular Tourist Trail</b></u></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Portree</b> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKvdMT2M3S4LAda-BEHT0uKSHVh4JN38SGMHxgFdg-f-LD5KRCFN7Ms6WsmdtGn7p2u0z9hKOX4iVvvyVOiqKm5ia_31JWO-KDq9rOLgMSmhiTcmdOTAPmmdGe6AXwXMTNcI1wwj-k-U/s1600/P1200333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Portree Harbor, Isle of Skye " border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKvdMT2M3S4LAda-BEHT0uKSHVh4JN38SGMHxgFdg-f-LD5KRCFN7Ms6WsmdtGn7p2u0z9hKOX4iVvvyVOiqKm5ia_31JWO-KDq9rOLgMSmhiTcmdOTAPmmdGe6AXwXMTNcI1wwj-k-U/s640/P1200333.JPG" title="Portree Harbor, Isle of Skye " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portree Harbor </td></tr>
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The most populous town on the island. Still only about 4 main streets. A lot of people use this as a base. There is a free parking lot (just outside the main square)and public toilets here for those just passing through. An almost full street of tourist shops, goodie shops and restaurants. Head down the hill for harbor views or up the hill to the left for harbor views and the iconic colored buildings by the bay.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Fairy Pools</b> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5n8AHbiy9Vuhq0l3EKBF-9RqrcZ9r62vF89mdyq03zkCvBvV41pqObF34uxhlUDEL39GDwtVxB3n4SD3RNehh1rY5dOZjcY5krwcF4zVqe2TQUz2jqmVVzN8js9wo7aunrHL9d3DMUIs/s1600/P1100395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fairy Pools Trail Isle of Skye" border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5n8AHbiy9Vuhq0l3EKBF-9RqrcZ9r62vF89mdyq03zkCvBvV41pqObF34uxhlUDEL39GDwtVxB3n4SD3RNehh1rY5dOZjcY5krwcF4zVqe2TQUz2jqmVVzN8js9wo7aunrHL9d3DMUIs/s640/P1100395.JPG" title="Fairy Pools Trail Isle of Skye" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fairy Pools Trail </td></tr>
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I was absolutely shocked at the amount of people I found in this remote area. Granted I knew I had started my day late but still, I saw almost no one on the road there (a windy, single track road on a hill) and it was because everyone was already there! It was so busy I just drove past the parking lot and decided to see where the road went. I made a second visit much earlier in the morning (there by 8am). On this second visit I found myself nearly alone there but was unable to pass over to the pools because the heavy rains overnight had made the river impassible. Rivers rise and fall very quickly in Scotland. Likely people were able to cross by the afternoon. Go early or go late is the key for this spot. Views are still fantastic even if you can't pass the river, as they are right at the foot of the Black Cuillin Mountains.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The Quiraing</span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMSyIo3vZq-68Xq-l6ClvoEPyyHzE4-0LR4-5yyo8t2y2nPxLTb69r5Pw6j2PCW8GbNDXS4P4CTZDpOZuUQq0CUjUNSLx0yr75f86OkIh_iL3W2S_K_M6RtCzBZPod5v4fPJRpQR8iDE/s1600/IMG_5453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Road to Quiraing, Isle of Skye, Scotland " border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMSyIo3vZq-68Xq-l6ClvoEPyyHzE4-0LR4-5yyo8t2y2nPxLTb69r5Pw6j2PCW8GbNDXS4P4CTZDpOZuUQq0CUjUNSLx0yr75f86OkIh_iL3W2S_K_M6RtCzBZPod5v4fPJRpQR8iDE/s640/IMG_5453.JPG" title="Road to Quiraing, Isle of Skye, Scotland " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road to Quiraing</td></tr>
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There are several ways to get to the Quiraing parking area. I chose to come in on the A855 and turn just before Staffin. However you can also take a small road from Uig across instead of around the peninsula. Alternately, you can also hike from Flodigarry. Since the weather was really iffy, I took the most direct route I could find. Park wherever you can find space at the top. Hike in either direction along the visible paths. You will get muddy on this hike, and likely since it is Scotland, you will also get wet and possibly sunburned. Dress appropriately for all weather since you often get all of it within the same hour. The path can be narrow, rocky, muddy and wet. Above all it is stunning. There will also likely be plenty of people around even on a "bad weather" day, so you if you are solo, you can feel comfortable with this hike. Depending on your route, plan to hike for around 2 or more hours.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Old Man of Storr</span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43GYD0rGH2W0YS4oQGpgpBPawqv-x1mrD1hrHDsqllZ3EqvOz9jBaTeionATWO46Ob8PfjYYm7iLBo_42kPKahVmdOlDuAsanyxOd9Q-VsPd7mkVO1Ig1jY0grC9rXkLYjYsu6nOgL0k/s1600/P1100585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43GYD0rGH2W0YS4oQGpgpBPawqv-x1mrD1hrHDsqllZ3EqvOz9jBaTeionATWO46Ob8PfjYYm7iLBo_42kPKahVmdOlDuAsanyxOd9Q-VsPd7mkVO1Ig1jY0grC9rXkLYjYsu6nOgL0k/s640/P1100585.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foggy view of Old Man of Storr</td></tr>
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Due to some pretty terrible weather I did not hike at the Storr. However, it is easy to find, there are cars parked in either direction at the entrance to the the trail. If you are not into doing the hike there are great viewpoints (I could kind of tell) all up and down the A855 near it. Check out above Skye website for more info on this one.<br />
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<i style="font-size: xx-large;"><u><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Lovely and Less Popular</span></b></u></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Sleat Peninusla </b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyd0V-5jyDz7VlzK9AQOjgomg-WR_bV_WkDn1yTxavhqHLOXMVISjCMoYQkoFib4cwF5o9z0aEVDSt6u0jsNMKssnI92jDyLDXL1ATN-V4309zSCyuONHv0l-IbwxN1tIK_frGE0IcaJ0/s1600/P1100705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Black Cuillins View from Sleat Peninsula" border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyd0V-5jyDz7VlzK9AQOjgomg-WR_bV_WkDn1yTxavhqHLOXMVISjCMoYQkoFib4cwF5o9z0aEVDSt6u0jsNMKssnI92jDyLDXL1ATN-V4309zSCyuONHv0l-IbwxN1tIK_frGE0IcaJ0/s640/P1100705.JPG" title="Black Cuillins View from Sleat Peninsula" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Cuillins View from Sleat Peninsula</td></tr>
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Pronounced slate, the southern most area of the Isle of Skye is often referred to as the Garden of Skye. It is significantly less busy than the rest of the island. I stayed a couple of nights on Sleat and I was so happy I did. While it is farther from other parts of the island (well not that far, the island is only so big), it had a much more local and less touristy feel to it. It was easy to find solitude in this area of the island. There are just as many beautiful hikes as the north and you can get an awesome view of the Black Cuillins from the west side of Sleat. (See map below). A lot of the roads on Sleat are single track except the main road along the east of the peninsula. Beautiful and secluded beaches can be found all around the peninsula.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Armdale Castle (Sleat Peninsula)</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijCLBC6BwtVVJo3jxGqD2ok4rjbsgZIJDH5xSpc_hqcfb2N6m92EDKrx0jnZz1VwrpNi1OD8YiIBdHrXMzA2MlaCIDqtqE1CRxbd5Cc8nEZpvkKvc-hE2fZsOPBjbuM_WRuIK5QcW6Hyo/s1600/P1100664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt=" Armdale Castle and Gardens (Sleat Peninsula)" border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijCLBC6BwtVVJo3jxGqD2ok4rjbsgZIJDH5xSpc_hqcfb2N6m92EDKrx0jnZz1VwrpNi1OD8YiIBdHrXMzA2MlaCIDqtqE1CRxbd5Cc8nEZpvkKvc-hE2fZsOPBjbuM_WRuIK5QcW6Hyo/s640/P1100664.JPG" title=" Armdale Castle and Gardens (Sleat Peninsula)" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Armdale Castle</td></tr>
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Ruins of Clan Donald Spiritual Home is how this place is described. I'm still not totally clear on what is meant by spiritual home but that's what they say. They have an informative museum here with a heavy focus on history. When I visited they also had some pretty amazing viking artifacts on loan. Take a gentle garden walk and take in views of the mainland across the water. I found the castle itself pretty eerie. The strange thing is that it was occupied well into the 20th century yet looked like it has been abandoned for hundreds of years. There are no windows or roof on the building and you can see straight through it to the other side. There were a few other visitors there during my visit but no hoards.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Glen Brittle Waterfalls</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiws0ij2NOk5V9i2s-EyoOXowcnQeCDLe-SwvNQ4HP4Q0-HZbDnAmv2NLQyHKjzm5tExuaDZtOqAsTXZSkJsvzjRGz0a8zOCr1QTuB13MYCFN5LFSUFY4K1hhFx4ZKfy211gjKrZj-26uA/s1600/IMG_5199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Glen Brittle Waterfalls" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiws0ij2NOk5V9i2s-EyoOXowcnQeCDLe-SwvNQ4HP4Q0-HZbDnAmv2NLQyHKjzm5tExuaDZtOqAsTXZSkJsvzjRGz0a8zOCr1QTuB13MYCFN5LFSUFY4K1hhFx4ZKfy211gjKrZj-26uA/s640/IMG_5199.JPG" title="Glen Brittle Waterfalls" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rain soaked by the lower falls. </td></tr>
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Because of my initial Fairy Pools fail I continued down the road and just kept going. I came across the only building for miles and realized it was a Youth Hostel. I happened to look left as I was driving across a little bridge and bam, I noticed a waterfall. I quickly pulled over after the bridge, donned all my rain gear and went for a hike. The path was easy to follow, although very rocky, muddy and wet. This trail continues deep into the hills with varying view points of the falls. I was completely alone here until a random guy out for a morning run zoomed past me and up the hill. Perhaps if it hadn't been a monsoon out there would have been other people there but it was a pretty isolated spot.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Dun Beag Broch</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPmvVDZ4DglexNl8GELU_io6L75b7iaHxwHkEdAi7d4znoNWkpYFnEV5wixirxGEHcE7YLRZasgBH-jCzNTaPzLWj-4KaiBhroZmeXIi_6fUGyovJdhd7CsotIAa8sP0vbBhr40XtquQ/s1600/P1100496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dun Beag Broch" border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPmvVDZ4DglexNl8GELU_io6L75b7iaHxwHkEdAi7d4znoNWkpYFnEV5wixirxGEHcE7YLRZasgBH-jCzNTaPzLWj-4KaiBhroZmeXIi_6fUGyovJdhd7CsotIAa8sP0vbBhr40XtquQ/s640/P1100496.JPG" title="Dun Beag Broch" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From inside the remains</td></tr>
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I found this spot while I was researching historical sites on the island. Since Skye is basically about being in nature, I got curious as to how long people had been doing that on the island. This site houses the remains of a small and large fort. The remains of the round tower are supposedly the best preserved on Skye. It is an easily accessible site with just a 10-15 minute walk up a sheep laden hill. Access is from the A863 just past Struan. There is even a small car park and sign across the street but you would miss it if you weren't looking for it. Views from the top on a clear day are spectacular and the tower remains are pretty neat. Estimated from a few hundred years BC but they are not certain. Learn more <a href="http://www.theskyeguide.com/see-and-do-mainmenu-35/47-ancient-monuments/76-dun-beag-and-dun-mor">HERE</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Happy Traveling Folks! </span><br />
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com0Skye, United Kingdom57.5359261 -6.2262725000000556.4396876 -8.80805950000005 58.632164599999996 -3.6444855000000502tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-87943859182985215532017-06-30T15:49:00.002-05:002023-09-18T10:41:01.393-05:00Travel Local, 3 Favorite Spots in Mass <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you might have noticed that I have been very quiet lately. I haven't been on the road much but I have been exploring nonetheless. When I am working and living my day to day life, I still find ways to keep curiosity engaged by traveling local. What does this mean? I explore my own backyard and you should too!<br />
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People don't often visit the amazing things in their own area until someone comes to visit them. Their tourist friend, relative, acquaintance, ask them about x place and the common response is, "hmm, I've never been there. " One of my consistent goals is to always be able to answer that question wherever I live. I love to get to know my surrounds and the amazing things they have to offer.<br />
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Enough babble, you get the idea. Here are some great things I've done in my state lately while I haven't been trespassing around the world.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.marybakereddylibrary.org/project/mapparium/" target="_blank"><b>The Mapparium </b></a></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OzmdaYFOiQMqv5pVNhu0Z262OZasuq65SkWKnIF7EpIgHHX2bUXS01mMols_oPH9qK4C2iZT6rlxLp55XrDmaW_b5msNig1XQVjo7GGKqjqJl4iMRP-2uPDU2YxspsMdtFegxdaTZx0/s1600/IMG_3037.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Christian Science Plaza, Boston" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OzmdaYFOiQMqv5pVNhu0Z262OZasuq65SkWKnIF7EpIgHHX2bUXS01mMols_oPH9qK4C2iZT6rlxLp55XrDmaW_b5msNig1XQVjo7GGKqjqJl4iMRP-2uPDU2YxspsMdtFegxdaTZx0/s400/IMG_3037.JPG" title="Christian Science Plaza, Boston" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christian Science Plaza, Boston </td></tr>
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I'll be honest here. I found out about The Mapparium on Instagram. Throughout my time as a Massachusetts resident, the existence of this exquisite place had somehow eluded me...or so I thought. After my visit, I was raving about it to my parents. My Dad, a well traveled explorer in his own right said he had never heard of it or been there either. Later, telling my Mom (also a seasoned traveler) about it's awesomeness, she tells me, "Oh ya we went there when you were kids, I think we even have a picture of you in it." I later brought this to my Father's attention and he claimed no recollection, even though my Mom told him he was the one who knew about it and brought all of us. I got a good giggle but the picture has not been found, so I am still a bit skeptical. I digress.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixP-vI6ie2UykhoBgY9ZA5jvi75ajq7uA00dfCjzLngnMCpz8TuSApxmhekW2K93q5nmsqF4NaV77Pqt0r5GTBkdEbUaHhQRw8NEmbEzfeShy3AX1lBPKYsAIHO_HdvucWEwPbS9-R5mo/s1600/image3.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mary Baker Eddy Library Lobby" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixP-vI6ie2UykhoBgY9ZA5jvi75ajq7uA00dfCjzLngnMCpz8TuSApxmhekW2K93q5nmsqF4NaV77Pqt0r5GTBkdEbUaHhQRw8NEmbEzfeShy3AX1lBPKYsAIHO_HdvucWEwPbS9-R5mo/s400/image3.JPG" title="Mary Baker Eddy Library Lobby" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Baker Eddy Library Lobby </td></tr>
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The Mapparium can be found IN the <a href="https://www.marybakereddylibrary.org/plan-your-visit/directions-parking/" target="_blank">Mary Baker Eddy Library,</a> in the Christian Scientist Plaza in Boston between Mass Ave and Huntington. I have passed this plaza a thousand times and always wondered what it was since the buildings are so architecturally different from everything else around it. I'm one of those people that makes sure to stop at places I've never been before, so I finally made a special trip just to this space.<br />
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The plaza is under construction right now and there was some annual meeting happening at the domed church-like building but they normally run tours. They kindly let me sneak in between sessions so I could check out the main sanctuary and gawk at the high ceilings and massive organ.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJfJt5bilAZUV3Ng4xexjLQ-FYYCmmjqGldVAvPU11jmNI2G-vCKJULY8VxzZ_A7Sv6TlFc8Ri217m5EAdyftpEFskfH-JhZTQWLd2n0R-CTPwYz-hdBojbhmC4lXuUn5xS4n-q_0CjA/s1600/image1.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mary Baker Eddy Library Lobby" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJfJt5bilAZUV3Ng4xexjLQ-FYYCmmjqGldVAvPU11jmNI2G-vCKJULY8VxzZ_A7Sv6TlFc8Ri217m5EAdyftpEFskfH-JhZTQWLd2n0R-CTPwYz-hdBojbhmC4lXuUn5xS4n-q_0CjA/s400/image1.JPG" title="Mary Baker Eddy Library Lobby" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Baker Eddy Library Lobby </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlb7YyrPjGiujWLjChAiWKlE7oz8w2Zio6Bh8lC3JqlncFNYOdERLLa3EceyIPjTXJvHsRxgIsncZAI_kgLWlrcmbGQ2M7NZYF-JhK0qS8xM8cuiN4hOAVuM0npfaQWzFZAUcOSLNdXI/s1600/image2.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlb7YyrPjGiujWLjChAiWKlE7oz8w2Zio6Bh8lC3JqlncFNYOdERLLa3EceyIPjTXJvHsRxgIsncZAI_kgLWlrcmbGQ2M7NZYF-JhK0qS8xM8cuiN4hOAVuM0npfaQWzFZAUcOSLNdXI/s1600/image2.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlb7YyrPjGiujWLjChAiWKlE7oz8w2Zio6Bh8lC3JqlncFNYOdERLLa3EceyIPjTXJvHsRxgIsncZAI_kgLWlrcmbGQ2M7NZYF-JhK0qS8xM8cuiN4hOAVuM0npfaQWzFZAUcOSLNdXI/s1600/image2.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlb7YyrPjGiujWLjChAiWKlE7oz8w2Zio6Bh8lC3JqlncFNYOdERLLa3EceyIPjTXJvHsRxgIsncZAI_kgLWlrcmbGQ2M7NZYF-JhK0qS8xM8cuiN4hOAVuM0npfaQWzFZAUcOSLNdXI/s1600/image2.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlb7YyrPjGiujWLjChAiWKlE7oz8w2Zio6Bh8lC3JqlncFNYOdERLLa3EceyIPjTXJvHsRxgIsncZAI_kgLWlrcmbGQ2M7NZYF-JhK0qS8xM8cuiN4hOAVuM0npfaQWzFZAUcOSLNdXI/s1600/image2.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlb7YyrPjGiujWLjChAiWKlE7oz8w2Zio6Bh8lC3JqlncFNYOdERLLa3EceyIPjTXJvHsRxgIsncZAI_kgLWlrcmbGQ2M7NZYF-JhK0qS8xM8cuiN4hOAVuM0npfaQWzFZAUcOSLNdXI/s1600/image2.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlb7YyrPjGiujWLjChAiWKlE7oz8w2Zio6Bh8lC3JqlncFNYOdERLLa3EceyIPjTXJvHsRxgIsncZAI_kgLWlrcmbGQ2M7NZYF-JhK0qS8xM8cuiN4hOAVuM0npfaQWzFZAUcOSLNdXI/s1600/image2.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlb7YyrPjGiujWLjChAiWKlE7oz8w2Zio6Bh8lC3JqlncFNYOdERLLa3EceyIPjTXJvHsRxgIsncZAI_kgLWlrcmbGQ2M7NZYF-JhK0qS8xM8cuiN4hOAVuM0npfaQWzFZAUcOSLNdXI/s1600/image2.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlb7YyrPjGiujWLjChAiWKlE7oz8w2Zio6Bh8lC3JqlncFNYOdERLLa3EceyIPjTXJvHsRxgIsncZAI_kgLWlrcmbGQ2M7NZYF-JhK0qS8xM8cuiN4hOAVuM0npfaQWzFZAUcOSLNdXI/s1600/image2.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>Before I walked over to the church, I went into the library, which unfortunately was also under renovations so the reading rooms were not open, but the Mapparium was. I grabbed a $6.00 ticket and caught the tour at the doors where the guide was giving the rules and regs. No pictures, which is why you don't see one here, even though plenty of people try to sneak them. It's not for the reason you think either, its the same as the Sistine Chapel, copyright issues, yuck.<br />
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She proceeded to tell us that, the map is frozen in time in 1935. I immediately got excited, what a unique opportunity. It's not often that you get to see how the lines of the world were drawn nearly 50 years before you were born, and in massive stained glass panels making an actual globe that you get to walk in! Think a planetarium with map panels of stained glass and a bridge running through it.<br />
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I had never seen anything like it! Countries that no longer exist were lit up in brilliant glass for all to see. Even though I'm a bit of a geography and history geek, I was still surprised to see how much had changed. It's one thing to read about it and hear about it, it's another to see it giant size in your face. They had originally intended to change the panels as borders changed but in the end they decided to preserve it like it was at inception because they hadn't anticipated how rapidly borders would continue to change. (This is a thinly veiled history lesson to us all).<br />
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Because of the unique structure of the Mapparium, sound travels differently. You can stand at one end of the bridge and whisper and the person on the other end can hear you. It was awesome but also a little creepy for some reason.<br />
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Needless to say, go to the <a href="https://www.marybakereddylibrary.org/project/mapparium/" target="_blank">Mapparium</a>. It is unique and wonderful and it only costs $6.00!<br />
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<b style="font-size: xx-large;"><a href="http://www.worcesterart.org/exhibitions/reusable-universes-shih-chieh-huang/" target="_blank">Worcester Art Museum </a></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgJ7Pzpv0lcSbXOjH-ux4Bdb6xY-hF10ttV9YlGdvaUlwBxPdzKcpCn7ZEOl6GLKK_ZcFNNYNnHY92tbO-RcDEcd-dmnM3exhaxQGGvodPC6ATEpX-BJSViOSvVxoYph2_Qu-BL-QL6c/s1600/IMG_0816.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Worcester Art Museum" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgJ7Pzpv0lcSbXOjH-ux4Bdb6xY-hF10ttV9YlGdvaUlwBxPdzKcpCn7ZEOl6GLKK_ZcFNNYNnHY92tbO-RcDEcd-dmnM3exhaxQGGvodPC6ATEpX-BJSViOSvVxoYph2_Qu-BL-QL6c/s640/IMG_0816.JPG" title="Worcester Art Museum" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WAM at Christmas</td></tr>
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A long time favorite of mine, I retain membership here as a sign of support and because I love to pop in when then they have new exhibits (and they have free wifi). I had the pleasure of visiting recently and checking out the latest installation.<br />
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<i>"<b>Reusable Universes: Shih Chieh Huang </b>features the work of Shih Chieh Huang, who combines his longstanding fascination with technology and the materials of modern life to transform mundane manufactured objects into novel and remarkably complex sculptural forms. "</i><br />
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I was absolutely mesmerized by this exhibit. I didn't take any pictures but you can follow the title link above to see some. The pieces all worked together, some because of motion detectors as you walk around the room, but some seemed set to just dance together at intervals. There are little fans on each of the pieces, and the variety of inflating, deflating and lights flashing, make them all seem as though they have a distinct personality. One, even looked like a person to me the longer I looked at it.<br />
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This exhibit runs until November, so if you find yourself in the area, check it out. There are always new exhibits coming in, so make sure to check back on their <a href="http://www.worcesterart.org/" target="_blank">website </a>often.<br />
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Admission is: <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Adults: $14<br />
Seniors 65 and over: $12<br />
College Students with ID: $12 / Free on the third Thursday of each month<br />
Ages 4-17: $6<br />
Ages 3 and under: FREE<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u><a href="http://www.yarmouth.ma.us/678/Bass-Hole-Grays-Beach" target="_blank">Gray's Beach - Cape Cod </a></u></b></span><br />
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I have had the great pleasure of visiting Cape Cod since I was a child, my grandparents moved there when I was around 4 years old. It was and continues to be a refuge for me that I am incredibly grateful for. One of my favorite places, which used to be more off the beaten path than it is now, is Gray's Beach Boardwalk. It is one of the only beaches in the area that is free, although, the beach has become VERY small in recent years due to winter storms and shifting lands. However it is a great place for putting in kayaks and boats, having a picnic, walking the boardwalk and watching sunset.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitO9b43zQqnsVHeraye7ISbOCyfrUzX14iPJ5B49rkrPvgR0rV6NxdXdT9ABUm_OzwyxjsWIQVn_SREnAuIwdPTrzK7fNHNTjJlTSXr0DD2uOD-CZTj-ucLG3LgiT0ujZoIWzOcAugFBc/s1600/IMG_4863.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Low Tide at Gray's Beach Boardwalk" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitO9b43zQqnsVHeraye7ISbOCyfrUzX14iPJ5B49rkrPvgR0rV6NxdXdT9ABUm_OzwyxjsWIQVn_SREnAuIwdPTrzK7fNHNTjJlTSXr0DD2uOD-CZTj-ucLG3LgiT0ujZoIWzOcAugFBc/s640/IMG_4863.JPG" title="Low Tide at Gray's Beach Boardwalk" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Low Tide at Gray's Beach Boardwalk </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hOry1XmXxQUULSEkuUkFTyo3lMKDmoz_n8cCLK9XlCc7VaRpEo2ZAqHsOK-vYvZm_q70NxpI7T0sBMDFlqY6Eju0eBUSxeXY3-9YMTFPvVV9moyfYz9jl9TY9os_igXhoMJdcWDEsME/s1600/IMG_3171.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sunset Gray's Beach" border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hOry1XmXxQUULSEkuUkFTyo3lMKDmoz_n8cCLK9XlCc7VaRpEo2ZAqHsOK-vYvZm_q70NxpI7T0sBMDFlqY6Eju0eBUSxeXY3-9YMTFPvVV9moyfYz9jl9TY9os_igXhoMJdcWDEsME/s640/IMG_3171.JPG" title="Sunset Gray's Beach" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset Gray's Beach</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06zJgc5A_xC09qS01tdamuSynqW1Fd7sntRHAkR-y4r3PSvX0l4j_PHCQqp71JpYdPpH1aafcyaqlDn2DjoY7BQUh_HM9ZaSUjICdaAzq6iEG6vLrMKUrS0j-7Zxilfi_69pj86zTzAs/s1600/IMG_0245.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="High Tide Gray's Beach" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06zJgc5A_xC09qS01tdamuSynqW1Fd7sntRHAkR-y4r3PSvX0l4j_PHCQqp71JpYdPpH1aafcyaqlDn2DjoY7BQUh_HM9ZaSUjICdaAzq6iEG6vLrMKUrS0j-7Zxilfi_69pj86zTzAs/s640/IMG_0245.JPG" title="High Tide at Gray's Beach" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes the marshes disappear completely at high tide! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigGSwmLwhzPtTitW5Iv6vmAlrz0jfiauxtZ_j_KU6urv9S26GxXKiHFh1nlkPCaCo2_O8AMVmw4R91wz5Z0LWa-4EXrhvTfPE0n7fWiMCcJXxKLWxB2uysmxZ2tXqFVpzUX8jNUYn4fM/s1600/IMG_2812.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sunset Gray's Beach" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigGSwmLwhzPtTitW5Iv6vmAlrz0jfiauxtZ_j_KU6urv9S26GxXKiHFh1nlkPCaCo2_O8AMVmw4R91wz5Z0LWa-4EXrhvTfPE0n7fWiMCcJXxKLWxB2uysmxZ2tXqFVpzUX8jNUYn4fM/s640/IMG_2812.JPG" title="Sunset Gray's Beach" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A different sunset at Gray's, lower tide. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-49287936113514631412017-05-26T12:41:00.001-05:002017-05-26T12:41:18.168-05:0010 Year Blogiversary!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-agD8BbSPNkV-kCSt3OsJZNtQ9zn1kpy2JTUXDbjSRGKN-HpUOapa33H7ZI5zpFjvQbl3XVdZnKnAOYMtS4jR12qBvilLtscewNR5_jVvspL_jDKe0803JgJs8BDN4plDJOOeHNPRG8c/s1600/10+Year+Blogiversary%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="10 Year Blogiversary Collage for I have the wanders" border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="945" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-agD8BbSPNkV-kCSt3OsJZNtQ9zn1kpy2JTUXDbjSRGKN-HpUOapa33H7ZI5zpFjvQbl3XVdZnKnAOYMtS4jR12qBvilLtscewNR5_jVvspL_jDKe0803JgJs8BDN4plDJOOeHNPRG8c/s640/10+Year+Blogiversary%2521.jpg" title="10 Year Blogiversary Collage for I have the wanders " width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
Can you believe it's my 10 year Blogiversary?! That's right, I have been blogging for exactly 10 years this week! Even though I am not the most consistent, I am still happy to celebrate this milestone.<br />
Here are some stats and some favorite pictures to celebrate.<br />
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<b>First Blog Post:</b> 5/24/07 - "Austria"<br />
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<b>Total Posts Published to Date</b>: 388<br />
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<b>Countries Visited to Date</b>: 45<br />
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<b>Favorite Places as of today:</b> Iceland, Ireland, Iran, New Zealand, Peru<br />
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<b>Platform</b>: Still on Blogger for some reason<br />
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<b>Blog Redesigns</b>: More than 10 full ones and still working on it<br />
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<b>Drafts, both complete and incomplete sitting in my draft box</b>: 12<br />
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<b>Majority of Traffic</b>: US, Brazil, Ireland, Thailand, UK<br />
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<b>Pictures taken</b>: More than 50,000<br />
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<b>Top Five Experiences so far: </b><br />
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1. <a href="http://www.ihavethewanders.com/2010/09/machu-picchu.html" target="_blank">Machu Picchu</a><br />
2. <a href="http://www.ihavethewanders.com/2013/05/nepal-in-pictures.html" target="_blank">Himalayan Trek in Nepal</a><br />
3.<a href="http://www.ihavethewanders.com/search?q=iran" target="_blank"> Iran</a><br />
4. <a href="http://www.ihavethewanders.com/2017/04/NorthernLightsTour.html" target="_blank">Northern Lights in Iceland</a><br />
5. <a href="http://www.ihavethewanders.com/search?q=egypt" target="_blank">Egypt </a><br />
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<b>Jobs held since blog started: </b>3<br />
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<b>Next planned trip: None</b><br />
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<b>Next dream trip: Patagonia </b><br />
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<b>Why do I still Blog? </b><br />
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I still blog so I can share what I see and experience so as to hopefully inspire people in my life to take up curiosity as a serious pursuit, in whatever form it takes. I also do it so I can remember. At this point, if I don't write it down, I start to forget unless the experience shifted my life in a big way. (Which is sad to say.) There are so many places, so many little details, I no longer have enough ram for all of my travel memories and all of my everyday memories to co-exist with my everyday functioning. I also like looking back at the reflections set in print in the archives of this blog. It helps me to see how I have changed and grown as a person but also how my perspectives shift on places as time goes by and the experiences become more digested.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>And now, some visual aids!</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNEceZNTlXNFrD_0aLcnp4JHeAfgM5I9rnxb-hLWztiJCOFttR_qM-nOwVayGuxSELJyBGmp_D0FM8jC-KngI6bSVYJy5sUFiztovzccPUun9UO_h5Ie4d9A42AnyHqpAwQ2ixkCCMmw/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Lost Gardens of Heligan, St. Austell, Cornwall Uk" border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNEceZNTlXNFrD_0aLcnp4JHeAfgM5I9rnxb-hLWztiJCOFttR_qM-nOwVayGuxSELJyBGmp_D0FM8jC-KngI6bSVYJy5sUFiztovzccPUun9UO_h5Ie4d9A42AnyHqpAwQ2ixkCCMmw/s640/DSC_0001.JPG" title="Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall, UK" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://heligan.com/" target="_blank">Lost Gardens of Heligan</a>, Cornwall, UK </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbVo1ioIjBIZhy9wkTlV4j-_s44ewHErGY5uZ700h2SA1Mi7mGyOzl-vmiCpsrMigw3yPslPh_IWH8OHMIX7qedce35JcP0Xe_AKN3qh6-NN0yuwj_5pY4AYq33BWE93z70NpL_-Kvp0/s1600/DSC_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Iceland Crossroads" border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbVo1ioIjBIZhy9wkTlV4j-_s44ewHErGY5uZ700h2SA1Mi7mGyOzl-vmiCpsrMigw3yPslPh_IWH8OHMIX7qedce35JcP0Xe_AKN3qh6-NN0yuwj_5pY4AYq33BWE93z70NpL_-Kvp0/s640/DSC_0018.JPG" title="Iceland Crossroads" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossroads in Iceland while jetlag driving at 6am</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHFWsVrp_qJaZzmsXvFN3XuJny-CUzBz0vXDjixCj6Zs94iPVFWiugNXEDwldidfKmYKR3_54m8tz1y5oewCCam4HdXtjjeG27ZiuRSwOxUrx0mYfv27OAqxA7BTAM_s4CBetnamyFEs/s1600/DSC_0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Eden Project, UK " border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHFWsVrp_qJaZzmsXvFN3XuJny-CUzBz0vXDjixCj6Zs94iPVFWiugNXEDwldidfKmYKR3_54m8tz1y5oewCCam4HdXtjjeG27ZiuRSwOxUrx0mYfv27OAqxA7BTAM_s4CBetnamyFEs/s640/DSC_0021.JPG" title="Eden, St. Austell, Cornwall UK " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Eden Project, St. Austell, UK </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgld-xzeeOSjb0b6qlpjXYnGsyQECdOAf5k2eJXjKJ8_J5WW0PEwIwQuOfiTHkG086cRRiL57e4eK_Cjq-8svqMT08_WsasRBCQmzIkUxcBIiktJAAlOVMrfrafMo3y1oleca9FacSsPSI/s1600/DSC_0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Arctic Fox Iceland " border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgld-xzeeOSjb0b6qlpjXYnGsyQECdOAf5k2eJXjKJ8_J5WW0PEwIwQuOfiTHkG086cRRiL57e4eK_Cjq-8svqMT08_WsasRBCQmzIkUxcBIiktJAAlOVMrfrafMo3y1oleca9FacSsPSI/s640/DSC_0030.JPG" title="Arctic Fox Iceland " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icelandic Friend </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIULAbPZ8tZ8ZeGea8DMn7T2_5nUYvwc27kmAJUEE_jj6UU4sfT5IFL5ONvAIz74wYl7TzPvB20jP1mjGj0pfshFdabRaIkThj-jTxoQduizGNtIqIzQlPa9Xzsbbo6sjGR1OvEv6IG4/s1600/DSC_0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Iceland Volcano" border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIULAbPZ8tZ8ZeGea8DMn7T2_5nUYvwc27kmAJUEE_jj6UU4sfT5IFL5ONvAIz74wYl7TzPvB20jP1mjGj0pfshFdabRaIkThj-jTxoQduizGNtIqIzQlPa9Xzsbbo6sjGR1OvEv6IG4/s640/DSC_0036.JPG" title="Iceland Volcano" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I went in this dormant volcano with<a href="https://insidethevolcano.com/" target="_blank"> Inside the Volcano! </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMD_sRz8u9kuhIXoHRWsrAQoKdtZzzSu80coKCbb9KMGpgHsWmpvoD5WL1iZelxFDaHyz20gSKJiymULtCzCtJ0cNdkH57MEI3lfnENW25KpZkbDsSi2ZH1dKkRXnkv_0jY5g0ZSuKJ8/s1600/DSC_0162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Inside the Volcano Iceland " border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMD_sRz8u9kuhIXoHRWsrAQoKdtZzzSu80coKCbb9KMGpgHsWmpvoD5WL1iZelxFDaHyz20gSKJiymULtCzCtJ0cNdkH57MEI3lfnENW25KpZkbDsSi2ZH1dKkRXnkv_0jY5g0ZSuKJ8/s640/DSC_0162.JPG" title="Inside the Volcano Iceland " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Volcano, looking up </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KPf181FFy8RN9z-Dkg1Tn1DdkpC5IJZzuETbQx05pmvs9DU0F0WJ2YZQgFsi-2OX7C_l9MgzKF4kfO4eqJPNgd8VU1BqsmLcmiVStdRbt720Rhh8LkNzlXeBw05T2JIX-zOo0hrYN1I/s1600/DSC_0058+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Jerash, Jordan " border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KPf181FFy8RN9z-Dkg1Tn1DdkpC5IJZzuETbQx05pmvs9DU0F0WJ2YZQgFsi-2OX7C_l9MgzKF4kfO4eqJPNgd8VU1BqsmLcmiVStdRbt720Rhh8LkNzlXeBw05T2JIX-zOo0hrYN1I/s640/DSC_0058+%25282%2529.JPG" title="Jerash, Jordan" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where old meets new, Jerash, Jordan </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1L-fcTSF1JNDgII5DaMXv7l3SmbwVyn1_KwKBYthggFytycM_RUfDTwwRgb2VAQ_1fP8XMHJ135sUnK2AVq-XD5jYrxwzUJGgaAgkUw9icGnobpWDKBVoKjT-NcFvyGBf1ZDFzi3aSs4/s1600/DSC_0064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Stonehenge at Sunrise " border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1L-fcTSF1JNDgII5DaMXv7l3SmbwVyn1_KwKBYthggFytycM_RUfDTwwRgb2VAQ_1fP8XMHJ135sUnK2AVq-XD5jYrxwzUJGgaAgkUw9icGnobpWDKBVoKjT-NcFvyGBf1ZDFzi3aSs4/s640/DSC_0064.JPG" title="Stonehenge at Surnise" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That time I got to go IN Stonehenge for surnise!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdMZ7cBPh8WeNEOt9kYpYBJXq7Hpm0wgszr6x4srfWqcB2Mt593zXC3_4nMd4ORspQKHonH3vLFxyzXvedPo5geHCLkk2BSUCa8QnRTBBNXmjHGmE_0oSQ07WAg94yfeZND8ypNNpip8/s1600/DSC_0084+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Stonehenge at Sunrse" border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdMZ7cBPh8WeNEOt9kYpYBJXq7Hpm0wgszr6x4srfWqcB2Mt593zXC3_4nMd4ORspQKHonH3vLFxyzXvedPo5geHCLkk2BSUCa8QnRTBBNXmjHGmE_0oSQ07WAg94yfeZND8ypNNpip8/s640/DSC_0084+%25282%2529.JPG" title="Stonehenge at Sunrise" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From inside Stonehenge at Sunrise</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmI1Cmpn-Vqyb7IVuslw8004mTKAbm6b2_tOLSf9mYEw_ToV6JkS-2wVoYTrEU6vWU-gsL31cXlzwfW2tyMes5rCOchpA5xiR_ftaNSM4gcgHZqEE0JFPjFTElW9V_BTHYTMU4gfFolT0/s1600/DSC_0070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Croagh Patrick, Ireland " border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmI1Cmpn-Vqyb7IVuslw8004mTKAbm6b2_tOLSf9mYEw_ToV6JkS-2wVoYTrEU6vWU-gsL31cXlzwfW2tyMes5rCOchpA5xiR_ftaNSM4gcgHZqEE0JFPjFTElW9V_BTHYTMU4gfFolT0/s640/DSC_0070.JPG" title="Croagh Patrick, Ireland " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Croagh Patrick, The Holy Mountain of Ireland which still eludes me. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-H8R1FrAMEAYy2ogmfm_iXocCn8bWu7RJRPNx8XtnvyKxUE1EPX3TIqArysNuQDVCSrqST7891q1twFq7XJWAi0QqEJ1mTHyNzuwzsuR7NkAENu_8nezly5ZlcVExnitMB0KL07fDX8/s1600/DSC_0128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Glastonbury UK in the sun " border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-H8R1FrAMEAYy2ogmfm_iXocCn8bWu7RJRPNx8XtnvyKxUE1EPX3TIqArysNuQDVCSrqST7891q1twFq7XJWAi0QqEJ1mTHyNzuwzsuR7NkAENu_8nezly5ZlcVExnitMB0KL07fDX8/s640/DSC_0128.JPG" title="Glastonbury UK in the sun " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glastonbury, UK </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-luiqYwy4SPudDBuMOPFs3SywdgrRQkp48dtliHtUZl57JUt1Hc0R3C5PAvY8XwfQpT0X_Os5Q67c-mpZWhAEBFx2WNi_Qtjn9vaHb3oHkyFs5qxWktWndR3HA_3PgX4gkGh_SUyYSds/s1600/DSC_0149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Glastonbury Tor in the sun, UK " border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-luiqYwy4SPudDBuMOPFs3SywdgrRQkp48dtliHtUZl57JUt1Hc0R3C5PAvY8XwfQpT0X_Os5Q67c-mpZWhAEBFx2WNi_Qtjn9vaHb3oHkyFs5qxWktWndR3HA_3PgX4gkGh_SUyYSds/s640/DSC_0149.JPG" title="Glastonbury Tor in the sun, UK" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glastonbury Tor - UK </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlC9Le4p-o8upN2u0clLmBoBa0lEsULVnd7f8ehpTrLeDoDMYfpwVPIdOhxjqlW6v8ocFWPEpArl2U8Ab58F8vqTUQSP2epBaLdiM6HMsYwuf-B4gJpinvmMQ8k5jsYgQeQNr5sEv54E/s1600/DSC_0241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bray Head, Ireland, Vikings Filming Location " border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlC9Le4p-o8upN2u0clLmBoBa0lEsULVnd7f8ehpTrLeDoDMYfpwVPIdOhxjqlW6v8ocFWPEpArl2U8Ab58F8vqTUQSP2epBaLdiM6HMsYwuf-B4gJpinvmMQ8k5jsYgQeQNr5sEv54E/s640/DSC_0241.JPG" title="Bray Head, Ireland " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bray, Ireland </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XQ8INUPjcK_a5Mn6FA9Ma9-R-0CqX_KvFB5arw-tmcgZnwx1eTIvjTZi24_7j4ntqlF_RwgOvHV5z15Ktx5f-eFRorC43CY9aKIy1CsRgI9BCwyRV6W2xH6q51YlnTpfDHjpNixuxDc/s1600/DSC_0323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Game of Thrones Filming Locations, The Dark Hedge, Northern Ireland, UK " border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XQ8INUPjcK_a5Mn6FA9Ma9-R-0CqX_KvFB5arw-tmcgZnwx1eTIvjTZi24_7j4ntqlF_RwgOvHV5z15Ktx5f-eFRorC43CY9aKIy1CsRgI9BCwyRV6W2xH6q51YlnTpfDHjpNixuxDc/s640/DSC_0323.JPG" title="The Dark Hedge, Northern Ireland, UK " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dark Hedge, Northern Ireland, UK</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5PAaxeFmxMx0YlXfMpEyJgjoqaDm69TeQeHelq8y2-mr8jtffmOYkiLNozJwjMfoFk6mtpbXW1PHrWd0P1i79TAQmQzZ6CZYIuERDLkrFgm05WnbASKTRs-OqkNXhgA8gSukTYSVcFo/s1600/DSC_0276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Treasury, Petra, Jordan through the rock " border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo5PAaxeFmxMx0YlXfMpEyJgjoqaDm69TeQeHelq8y2-mr8jtffmOYkiLNozJwjMfoFk6mtpbXW1PHrWd0P1i79TAQmQzZ6CZYIuERDLkrFgm05WnbASKTRs-OqkNXhgA8gSukTYSVcFo/s640/DSC_0276.JPG" title="The Treasury, Petra, Jordan" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Treasury Petra, Jordan </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO53yd3DXptCDu7TszuxmkHKPsBQO1iZlR22cRtlFDT37hl4sed0PlGXmW6dmzTlAnAGxBHTqTVEV4iUHer4TLP0riITbV7Lq-X_DYo8E2cInFKTFn35NGQ0rUedhYeyXCEjfj0pPQrIs/s1600/DSC_0453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Monastery, Petra, Jordan " border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO53yd3DXptCDu7TszuxmkHKPsBQO1iZlR22cRtlFDT37hl4sed0PlGXmW6dmzTlAnAGxBHTqTVEV4iUHer4TLP0riITbV7Lq-X_DYo8E2cInFKTFn35NGQ0rUedhYeyXCEjfj0pPQrIs/s640/DSC_0453.JPG" title="The Monastery, Petra, Jordan" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone knows The Treasury but The Monastery is just as spectacular. How did they build that?!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkQ44qxnpGWHqLLwVIDFuYx9Q6HnsLBjF6oVYSGRGVcQ2jXkMCFPy-thiwQoZ5oAoULcFpl99qgSIk_zuM5XsL3hxXzxAS90BVkh9nTBXLwUm0eaM3YwlJpdZSu1K8bw4KFiRIDh5deE/s1600/DSC_0599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wadi Rum Sunset, Jordan " border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkQ44qxnpGWHqLLwVIDFuYx9Q6HnsLBjF6oVYSGRGVcQ2jXkMCFPy-thiwQoZ5oAoULcFpl99qgSIk_zuM5XsL3hxXzxAS90BVkh9nTBXLwUm0eaM3YwlJpdZSu1K8bw4KFiRIDh5deE/s640/DSC_0599.JPG" title="Wadi Rum Sunset, Jordan" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unedited Sunset, Wadi Rum, Jordan </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZtjS5-RFkHdHqizg8-PsF6G5z8E_8a3-nkwKpg0A02bLmQsSsIt8uy96xpqP9lW3xwfOFnTI1RQzgmI8JfgyAha1Mi-ax326JHx8Dvpf3-bTDFEXUUJx-1CT4OQX4zOLsL7EBfVtzjU/s1600/P1150843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Arch, Wadi Rum, Jordan " border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZtjS5-RFkHdHqizg8-PsF6G5z8E_8a3-nkwKpg0A02bLmQsSsIt8uy96xpqP9lW3xwfOFnTI1RQzgmI8JfgyAha1Mi-ax326JHx8Dvpf3-bTDFEXUUJx-1CT4OQX4zOLsL7EBfVtzjU/s640/P1150843.JPG" title="The Arch, Wadi Rum, Jordan" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Arch, Wadi Rum, Jordan </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKqXXpQGhYLskybUCn34M6hYDWywx5DEWJ74YkCB-Ieb0qpLmiRF6pvTC_bvJqaM1Z8Y6NHw7YrOgyPkuFOEjsKxOWCTRfbkvcJKX6OrmBAzjr0xhV_hickNWprZt6_oFH5oQC3w35SE/s1600/DSC_0473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Nash Point natural rock formations, Wales, UK " border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKqXXpQGhYLskybUCn34M6hYDWywx5DEWJ74YkCB-Ieb0qpLmiRF6pvTC_bvJqaM1Z8Y6NHw7YrOgyPkuFOEjsKxOWCTRfbkvcJKX6OrmBAzjr0xhV_hickNWprZt6_oFH5oQC3w35SE/s640/DSC_0473.JPG" title="Nash Point, Wales, UK " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nash Point, Wales, UK</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOAx11Xeijbz1dpIFL6IqUWtv2ekCaK7mYfBwZamr_afpZO1u3kuf-nllru54QYLwCK7PWLF73xpu1fqxft_obDtjc9LENkhETuLCqlJ5BLa2EIyLFL8mSl_pxQ4c9meKmwLKaWwI1GA/s1600/DSC_0918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Glendalough, Co Wicklow, Ireland " border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOAx11Xeijbz1dpIFL6IqUWtv2ekCaK7mYfBwZamr_afpZO1u3kuf-nllru54QYLwCK7PWLF73xpu1fqxft_obDtjc9LENkhETuLCqlJ5BLa2EIyLFL8mSl_pxQ4c9meKmwLKaWwI1GA/s640/DSC_0918.JPG" title="Glendalough, Ireland " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glendalough, Co. Wicklow, Ireland </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdfQ9ghiY0bNLID6lSHrg-235pBIVfBwUmOzYt7gVadD1dmDX28Lqefo4MmkAdW4JI8uzGCYGMXbmmwsJ3jvpozQ7ZWxdjMqGUD4LbKvUgt-xUuDTznLMJk7OBOGZGqMFnlbeKcIPscQ/s1600/IMG_4758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Great Wall of China " border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdfQ9ghiY0bNLID6lSHrg-235pBIVfBwUmOzYt7gVadD1dmDX28Lqefo4MmkAdW4JI8uzGCYGMXbmmwsJ3jvpozQ7ZWxdjMqGUD4LbKvUgt-xUuDTznLMJk7OBOGZGqMFnlbeKcIPscQ/s640/IMG_4758.JPG" title="The Great Wall of China" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Great Wall of China </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4Ioiz2vpQbEjITkH70HtyXzBmtMfBf_vOLxzExI7OYpZ0WFuL96t7IQ8GqdASroMD2RWdzGMBe9bxApxBvaoCMdb6tC7kbkq5KTgxNnQ52y6MSJETrjh_KLfFiNwH-nbDnRs0TWLoZk/s1600/P1000011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Hong Kong Gardens and Buildings" border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4Ioiz2vpQbEjITkH70HtyXzBmtMfBf_vOLxzExI7OYpZ0WFuL96t7IQ8GqdASroMD2RWdzGMBe9bxApxBvaoCMdb6tC7kbkq5KTgxNnQ52y6MSJETrjh_KLfFiNwH-nbDnRs0TWLoZk/s640/P1000011.JPG" title="Hong Kong" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hong Kong </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtv91Ev8kKdDHRDxVhePcHcf66rdMd5vmkR_n4M_v8qC2h2DEhhn3c1V-ayZYqWlqbb8EjYUe4IlO41gyNm5jdPZ6N_r3ZGrreR-xoAxQofdguzJlkokjmoU9880q1osxWWtJ2mrh3EHY/s1600/P1000855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Shanghai China Lights at Night " border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtv91Ev8kKdDHRDxVhePcHcf66rdMd5vmkR_n4M_v8qC2h2DEhhn3c1V-ayZYqWlqbb8EjYUe4IlO41gyNm5jdPZ6N_r3ZGrreR-xoAxQofdguzJlkokjmoU9880q1osxWWtJ2mrh3EHY/s640/P1000855.JPG" title="Shanghai Lights at Night" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shanghai by Night</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDRdFckp5Z187MHDOLXcJhvIQX0Pz9AvG_7tN4eABCoP3EDk3Sa88TYONZcOA5PZVuIG0ezP6H60CRqUrct7JJAsCMwARHdqQ4SwBH7UNglsUbqpnWfFDEbWj7-1frbuMOmZpCVszdYT0/s1600/P1010057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="People sleeping in public China " border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDRdFckp5Z187MHDOLXcJhvIQX0Pz9AvG_7tN4eABCoP3EDk3Sa88TYONZcOA5PZVuIG0ezP6H60CRqUrct7JJAsCMwARHdqQ4SwBH7UNglsUbqpnWfFDEbWj7-1frbuMOmZpCVszdYT0/s640/P1010057.JPG" title="People sleeping in public China" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have a whole series of these from around the world - People asleep in public who clearly didn't mean to be asleep. - China </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOQL8r9_4vLAM-7b9rzqGCGFcvlJhDCU7E9SBpRPAzVP74hNjo_nW4kHUl8R8Z3655mLuDXHx0YJGl7ftRwtOMWgfKK17myHPqZlvuFV9VutGj5B16Rfz-DH15eZFUy9hdNf7OJMuuro/s1600/P1030594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sydney Opera House at Sunrise Australia " border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOQL8r9_4vLAM-7b9rzqGCGFcvlJhDCU7E9SBpRPAzVP74hNjo_nW4kHUl8R8Z3655mLuDXHx0YJGl7ftRwtOMWgfKK17myHPqZlvuFV9VutGj5B16Rfz-DH15eZFUy9hdNf7OJMuuro/s640/P1030594.JPG" title="Sydney Opera House at Sunrise - Australia " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sydney Opera House at Sunrise </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3yGVP7q6l5HcCAn4ypdn3AFG9YHEX2bi2yvo6BThLFDZLoXUb72Ixy5QbpaVnBpmjEEf9qestdP2ZzfJBI76ocWwau3LXmuUBBtWBL0q1B3VYe1N_U6WQ26BC6D-d87kfKpNHxJ7Fn4/s1600/P1030648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sunrise Sydney Australia Bay " border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3yGVP7q6l5HcCAn4ypdn3AFG9YHEX2bi2yvo6BThLFDZLoXUb72Ixy5QbpaVnBpmjEEf9qestdP2ZzfJBI76ocWwau3LXmuUBBtWBL0q1B3VYe1N_U6WQ26BC6D-d87kfKpNHxJ7Fn4/s640/P1030648.JPG" title="Sunrise Sydney Bay" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise - Sydney Bay, Australia<br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj64BshyphenhyphenutnIo7UIc0UMiF6De94NO-mD16cpI2hpY7p-4S0fIQBCsZb-OGyGwmA7Ih1eq0_46815J_59SiPZXXNQ0grUL6dWmEnQusZkhoLhCH7xnE2UOe2o1BK6BPGDbU2y5aCrsdKdMU/s1600/P1060282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Abu Simbel Temple, Aswan, Egypt" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj64BshyphenhyphenutnIo7UIc0UMiF6De94NO-mD16cpI2hpY7p-4S0fIQBCsZb-OGyGwmA7Ih1eq0_46815J_59SiPZXXNQ0grUL6dWmEnQusZkhoLhCH7xnE2UOe2o1BK6BPGDbU2y5aCrsdKdMU/s640/P1060282.JPG" title="Abu Simbel Temple, Aswan, Egypt" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abu Simbel Temple, Aswan, Egypt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnYV_I3RDgRLTAyTuftilwkfmfvkCyOw2cu0k24c8N9ZhA29xBMvwWkRT218CJSlU72YLf_cWjt2wvAVZ1Wjf_QixiGDX6Ytmodav_SmH_TMwiqEqWRQd7VyeJv-u_YgKcfJYhzJJBgM/s1600/P1050894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Great Pyramids of Giza & Sphinx " border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnYV_I3RDgRLTAyTuftilwkfmfvkCyOw2cu0k24c8N9ZhA29xBMvwWkRT218CJSlU72YLf_cWjt2wvAVZ1Wjf_QixiGDX6Ytmodav_SmH_TMwiqEqWRQd7VyeJv-u_YgKcfJYhzJJBgM/s640/P1050894.JPG" title="Great Pyramids of Giza & Sphinx " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Pyramids of Giza </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzYbwU_owOg0XvkwaN5868bns49skQ2o-GnERErb1RxJVrytm_5JrxP-XsmR7emNdnIphZi5gEV9xTaeR54PPSBh6N7h_k6yzryNuifyB_poZ7wY8SwgdpuVUGLODGgUbWAxV5a4c2vA/s1600/P1040258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Children Fishing with nets in Vang Vieng, Laos " border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzYbwU_owOg0XvkwaN5868bns49skQ2o-GnERErb1RxJVrytm_5JrxP-XsmR7emNdnIphZi5gEV9xTaeR54PPSBh6N7h_k6yzryNuifyB_poZ7wY8SwgdpuVUGLODGgUbWAxV5a4c2vA/s640/P1040258.JPG" title="Children fishing in Vang Vieng Laos" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning fishing, Vang Vieng, Laos</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OwMkmXcJ1_OD1ZjtScC9K9YTWbVYOxvE0BbScOhKfdXDBbBA_wIRmP4Xevpo-XEmtlfP-fjkDkQ9XOpgPMjBmP7zPorDU7Wt06bLHVtgx3RJE6G1Z1pLmoaekQxFLQWMSEhXUyMnpBg/s1600/P1040991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Baby being carried in Sapa Valley Vietnam " border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OwMkmXcJ1_OD1ZjtScC9K9YTWbVYOxvE0BbScOhKfdXDBbBA_wIRmP4Xevpo-XEmtlfP-fjkDkQ9XOpgPMjBmP7zPorDU7Wt06bLHVtgx3RJE6G1Z1pLmoaekQxFLQWMSEhXUyMnpBg/s640/P1040991.JPG" title="Baby being carried Sapa Valley Vietnam" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This cute baby was super interested in me for some reason and really kept his eye on me. Sapa Valley, Vietnam </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_UQ6P4E5lAsf8Fb_ImyHkcis68hqqP3XV51uLeApLCkG1-rlGnHuI16NFAjPG86q-tV3oTl6XzXggSWw7gP75-Yg7k6a5itYviebyyRCXV7JDZoFs3_zBndTI1R18yOQc_c0hTHnxLgA/s1600/P1080136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sunset through the clouds, Koh Rong Cambodia " border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_UQ6P4E5lAsf8Fb_ImyHkcis68hqqP3XV51uLeApLCkG1-rlGnHuI16NFAjPG86q-tV3oTl6XzXggSWw7gP75-Yg7k6a5itYviebyyRCXV7JDZoFs3_zBndTI1R18yOQc_c0hTHnxLgA/s640/P1080136.JPG" title="Sunset through the clouds, Koh Rong, Cambodia" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset over Koh Rong, Cambodia </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdMuqweGXtA3JbfIVwnu04I9KDodboao0TzIJfVhjRmRkZyuUEnuar67fECFDIQI9unbKDXYQcXlK9bjEMpMDJRx9z1xSyO7Nlsnu-ZjLLCvREn0hVbB-3RiHmlwgnz125sHSl5qlCz0/s1600/P1090074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ta Prohm Temple Tree, Cambodia, Angkor Wat Temple Complex " border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdMuqweGXtA3JbfIVwnu04I9KDodboao0TzIJfVhjRmRkZyuUEnuar67fECFDIQI9unbKDXYQcXlK9bjEMpMDJRx9z1xSyO7Nlsnu-ZjLLCvREn0hVbB-3RiHmlwgnz125sHSl5qlCz0/s640/P1090074.JPG" title="Ta Prohm Temple Tree, Cambodia " width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ta Prohm Temple, Cambodia </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBur9KM-JLo70s6CythtJSc85Cpk_XtvJAcbxHg7Upy5u-NySdlVvahD-zjVYCUGAKkbNKzCM6XtqsVCsi8cA2sRl60RebC8b9XtEkcz4fMkF18tkFwFeEXU7CQy_wDPcEUZjXEwM_Tk/s1600/P1110744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Boat at Maya Bay Phi Phi Island, Thailand, filming location of The Beach " border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBur9KM-JLo70s6CythtJSc85Cpk_XtvJAcbxHg7Upy5u-NySdlVvahD-zjVYCUGAKkbNKzCM6XtqsVCsi8cA2sRl60RebC8b9XtEkcz4fMkF18tkFwFeEXU7CQy_wDPcEUZjXEwM_Tk/s640/P1110744.JPG" title="Boat at Maya Bay Phi Phi Island, Thailand " width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The busiest bay I've ever seen, Maya Bay Phi Phi Island, Thailand </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduq2FQ60qHHPzwdsEzuM7ZrMgVUL_uGwiaQDH1TVmtbxRSEpTMd08PvCtkJOevNYngKzNj6uyjy-MegAZap_kn06JQiDQzaKApDcgQfCpWW4afTDVghRm-u-iYbkGMk9o3SvQ13LcImU/s1600/P1130999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Iran Handicraft Design Work at a Mosque, honeycombs " border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduq2FQ60qHHPzwdsEzuM7ZrMgVUL_uGwiaQDH1TVmtbxRSEpTMd08PvCtkJOevNYngKzNj6uyjy-MegAZap_kn06JQiDQzaKApDcgQfCpWW4afTDVghRm-u-iYbkGMk9o3SvQ13LcImU/s640/P1130999.JPG" title="Iran Design Work" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iran artist work </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWYYvA277b0cDeV1OLtWPBS44USoNpT-txRABr8mosA7a9TReSbg7CggOQeQ3cxs06IOLjqfaYv2giSgME5u_1bvzaOgBUmVpREJ-QsVB68xav2j1HNqo6FO8FbD7nYWO7Al8vp04VK8/s1600/P1190009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Kangaroo with Joey, Australia " border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWYYvA277b0cDeV1OLtWPBS44USoNpT-txRABr8mosA7a9TReSbg7CggOQeQ3cxs06IOLjqfaYv2giSgME5u_1bvzaOgBUmVpREJ-QsVB68xav2j1HNqo6FO8FbD7nYWO7Al8vp04VK8/s640/P1190009.JPG" title="Kangaroo with Joey, Australia " width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kangaroo friend with a joey, Australia </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcV_OD1scWJOEcponhVKMC3Ipd-LdzqRPbdk1W3o5kgGyF2As-l-uPXsYr6mXyJnexKZK614G4UCp5DjKPFvi1xN4fA0iZabKo9SvbRcHjiv61T-qE-HQwbQtBIgA8JU-W6nP5FaHQ5M/s1600/P1230505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sunset over the Alps, Austria " border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcV_OD1scWJOEcponhVKMC3Ipd-LdzqRPbdk1W3o5kgGyF2As-l-uPXsYr6mXyJnexKZK614G4UCp5DjKPFvi1xN4fA0iZabKo9SvbRcHjiv61T-qE-HQwbQtBIgA8JU-W6nP5FaHQ5M/s640/P1230505.JPG" title="Sunset over the Alps, Austria" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still one of the most incredible sunsets I've ever seen. Just outside of Innsbruck, Austria tucked into the Alps. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoa7HlyV1iPRXyVbFUHx2_Gbw74ENfy2AhyphenhyphenQTyt8RArKfWNOl3DXFI_IWghlHBWYtWLXb8BIlowSnrdpBZylTfE6lY_64ARv7GpbRP59mzNYwc7GzoBxZAk1n7k3IOvsZZV2ZX-laPSw/s1600/DSC_0058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Prayer Flags and Mountains in Bhutan " border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoa7HlyV1iPRXyVbFUHx2_Gbw74ENfy2AhyphenhyphenQTyt8RArKfWNOl3DXFI_IWghlHBWYtWLXb8BIlowSnrdpBZylTfE6lY_64ARv7GpbRP59mzNYwc7GzoBxZAk1n7k3IOvsZZV2ZX-laPSw/s640/DSC_0058.JPG" title="Prayer Flags in Bhutan" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">En route to the Tiger's Nest, Bhutan </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1vuaEgxtLmscntuhnbdRKnBAT6NpEsKRcaShlpanb5riNPY1S7-CnWBF3t7NCP2U5jYafHW3S4yK4TwCnuPyfhAiV84ctKeCwhC5tvxw0S2DnBQf8p06uF3LhEDRiwrcCuJT26CwWiWQ/s1600/DSC_0136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Tiger's Nest Bhutan " border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1vuaEgxtLmscntuhnbdRKnBAT6NpEsKRcaShlpanb5riNPY1S7-CnWBF3t7NCP2U5jYafHW3S4yK4TwCnuPyfhAiV84ctKeCwhC5tvxw0S2DnBQf8p06uF3LhEDRiwrcCuJT26CwWiWQ/s640/DSC_0136.JPG" title="Tiger's Nest Bhutan" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still too incredible for words. Tiger's Nest, Bhutan </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9SCsoMpgGxFcFnHd7XGjvzs_3HtmORQsQDpHUo3RtwlB31Rt_lVOyV9pl0aQ9zeStEJhy9xOjCZ9u-2HB33q7rSeOxErEVtfEDfDBT9g25ILFr8bO3M_oQ7wopXw7rxJV2TacE4xpiQ/s1600/DSC_0631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Himalayan Mountains Nepal " border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9SCsoMpgGxFcFnHd7XGjvzs_3HtmORQsQDpHUo3RtwlB31Rt_lVOyV9pl0aQ9zeStEJhy9xOjCZ9u-2HB33q7rSeOxErEVtfEDfDBT9g25ILFr8bO3M_oQ7wopXw7rxJV2TacE4xpiQ/s640/DSC_0631.JPG" title="Himalayan Mountains Nepal" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I lived. Nepal. Surnise. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Uznm77xNozJf_UIK53yRBeKv4_rcfW51OV1xQx4SBsfKMHcWHq5yER0rhtorxff1XhF6VqkmelAzL0PC9CM5DSYASt3q3VW5EkmvOxX5gThi-VmJ63fr2mlVwS6NWCgxeeiPNWPRscA/s1600/P1080722+-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Reykjavik Auroras Iceland " border="0" data-original-height="1211" data-original-width="1600" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Uznm77xNozJf_UIK53yRBeKv4_rcfW51OV1xQx4SBsfKMHcWHq5yER0rhtorxff1XhF6VqkmelAzL0PC9CM5DSYASt3q3VW5EkmvOxX5gThi-VmJ63fr2mlVwS6NWCgxeeiPNWPRscA/s640/P1080722+-1.jpg" title="Reykjavik Auroras Iceland " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Auroras out my window in Reykjavik! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWCuTJTzw81WrdIG95gpJpKuTuHE6Z2oyeBcqMh10M44woD5bo8_iG5Uz9fCuhpwUtwwT9d8VCummghNRR5ZWafkB5muAcuZG9V0BNUf8ly9Tcan43mJmdyOQ7OnnwyLuLKyOvj90Stlw/s1600/IMG_5022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mongolian Gers at Sunrise " border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWCuTJTzw81WrdIG95gpJpKuTuHE6Z2oyeBcqMh10M44woD5bo8_iG5Uz9fCuhpwUtwwT9d8VCummghNRR5ZWafkB5muAcuZG9V0BNUf8ly9Tcan43mJmdyOQ7OnnwyLuLKyOvj90Stlw/s640/IMG_5022.JPG" title="Mongolian Gers at Sunrise" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our gers, the moon and my shadow at sunrise, Mongolia </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ0uJRCloM1GIxeXj-n4i8DYg-DiUSAgIf_0hgQuK5vrIWeX3a4APbOxn70buw3T_GX6HfCHBpmChGRM7s4bAn7fwJXChVteH5ueT95jWak6u2eLRN9Gx0JnQFU8VLqL2tcnyC80vP3Ig/s1600/P1010977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mongolian Transportation " border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ0uJRCloM1GIxeXj-n4i8DYg-DiUSAgIf_0hgQuK5vrIWeX3a4APbOxn70buw3T_GX6HfCHBpmChGRM7s4bAn7fwJXChVteH5ueT95jWak6u2eLRN9Gx0JnQFU8VLqL2tcnyC80vP3Ig/s640/P1010977.JPG" title="Mongolian Transportation" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How and why we lived in Mongolia, our vehicle and our guides! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7-JqzPoq9nCSvrumTTZz-ol8ctrh6EZk2iyndiX_sY4mgmBJqzVr-Q6GHj2ThFkGIDGin-cdd-GVappu7ZYRTBlwYcwcIOfTyjjBbI3b_PNeBpdh88VHKgQ2Bs6HQ7Znee1zfqWbROk/s1600/P1180277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pink Moonrise Mongolia " border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7-JqzPoq9nCSvrumTTZz-ol8ctrh6EZk2iyndiX_sY4mgmBJqzVr-Q6GHj2ThFkGIDGin-cdd-GVappu7ZYRTBlwYcwcIOfTyjjBbI3b_PNeBpdh88VHKgQ2Bs6HQ7Znee1zfqWbROk/s640/P1180277.JPG" title="Pink Moonrise Mongolia" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moonrise Mongolia </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyv8IgCm-1EOjIJiswc78Ge8ojwpWiTCZdDPaY8cDWeC0UGyEmWCcWN8b4LZkhqljZQoREvGLnr5NGtuFBX2iUf-zivyDStdkzyuSahrzDanhMNpFFLwiOSEk00Wq-HL6IGXx9OrGSj8/s1600/P1180286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pink Moonrise Mongolia " border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyv8IgCm-1EOjIJiswc78Ge8ojwpWiTCZdDPaY8cDWeC0UGyEmWCcWN8b4LZkhqljZQoREvGLnr5NGtuFBX2iUf-zivyDStdkzyuSahrzDanhMNpFFLwiOSEk00Wq-HL6IGXx9OrGSj8/s640/P1180286.JPG" title="Pink Moonrise Mongolia" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mongolia Moonrise </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfY-vwP6WV9ImOpvydikOJv599S8rOKf9HfflDAiGC0BcJ4398I_8iuy5pAaPslpfIRomr-ZLZ-Ay-tKdAA4rIry30-4u0ugt5cSbHN7CPnukkG4SL8ponqeGFvZDLr33p8e2a6DTDCUQ/s1600/DSC_0199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Machu Picchu Peru " border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfY-vwP6WV9ImOpvydikOJv599S8rOKf9HfflDAiGC0BcJ4398I_8iuy5pAaPslpfIRomr-ZLZ-Ay-tKdAA4rIry30-4u0ugt5cSbHN7CPnukkG4SL8ponqeGFvZDLr33p8e2a6DTDCUQ/s640/DSC_0199.JPG" title="Machu Picchu, Peru " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Machu Picchu, Peru - Happy Sawrah </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxCK6V5pbgLn5Df_veNWRUm05yOjM9TaSft8iJnGm5AoySbU1zwKanOCCGoMP1kcelffLLtxJsWHnBCEfL4nU_tRMvXlx92MzKLlV7esd0dSopc004diF6SghW5l7zfYm3xfs3C0K7sY/s1600/DSC_0349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Machu Picchu, Peru " border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxCK6V5pbgLn5Df_veNWRUm05yOjM9TaSft8iJnGm5AoySbU1zwKanOCCGoMP1kcelffLLtxJsWHnBCEfL4nU_tRMvXlx92MzKLlV7esd0dSopc004diF6SghW5l7zfYm3xfs3C0K7sY/s640/DSC_0349.JPG" title="Machu Picchu, Peru " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Machu Picchu before dawn </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_f6OrR2XAHiijcjZNhZ0san5GjW7TU06fKe1DHbAKbVcdPaYs_O9GIeinm9ySwPFFGXFGdE0fr99k0pHv4rtKezxh96j26LcYKL3StX3FLNwgpBpZ2KJyUub39MBYuzSVXbWt68CKMgY/s1600/DSC_0334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Machu Picchu, Peru at Sunrise " border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_f6OrR2XAHiijcjZNhZ0san5GjW7TU06fKe1DHbAKbVcdPaYs_O9GIeinm9ySwPFFGXFGdE0fr99k0pHv4rtKezxh96j26LcYKL3StX3FLNwgpBpZ2KJyUub39MBYuzSVXbWt68CKMgY/s640/DSC_0334.JPG" title="Machu Picchu, Peru at Sunrise" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Machu Picchu at Sunrise </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Thanks for reading! </b></i></span></div>
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I am starting to do some itinerary planning and consulting so if you ever need help on a trip, don't hesitate to reach out :) sawrah@ihavethewanders.com<br />
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-90061692138911807862017-04-06T07:00:00.000-05:002017-05-26T10:15:13.595-05:00Northern Lights Tour Iceland - Time Tours <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtKPrYZrtUR8fns-sj94FzzE8ge-WPYtdRhj9fMPjgO_cyzbQTKg03kvJfPAH0FfbuV76mbWWQWT07rsOYehkQQg32wimX2DkHf1xp01Mr4wcah_ksyp0M9erOCjoVk-_VOcILSMKFyo/s1600/IMG_1339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="By Iceland Everywhere, Auroras Northern Lights, ihavethewanders" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtKPrYZrtUR8fns-sj94FzzE8ge-WPYtdRhj9fMPjgO_cyzbQTKg03kvJfPAH0FfbuV76mbWWQWT07rsOYehkQQg32wimX2DkHf1xp01Mr4wcah_ksyp0M9erOCjoVk-_VOcILSMKFyo/s640/IMG_1339.JPG" title="Northern Lights By Iceland Everywhere" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Our Guide: <a href="http://www.icelandeverywhere.is/" target="_blank">Iceland Everywhere</a></td></tr>
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If this post seems to be coming out of nowhere, head back over and read my previous post about my secret trip to Iceland to chase the Northern Lights.<br />
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After my arrival at 4:35 am Keflavík International, I hazily drove to Reykjavík, still scanning the sky for any lingering auroras. I didn't see any but I quickly saw how much snow they had received as I got closer and closer to the city. By some miracle, my vehicle did not get suck. There was so much snow on the roads. I was actually quite surprised. The road where my <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/c/sawraha" target="_blank">Airbnb</a> was located, looked as if they hadn't even tried to clear it, just let the cars mat it down. I had been assured street parking but the snow made it impossible. Luckily there was a parking lot at the edge of the road (I later got a ticket because I missed the meter time but the location was worth it. <i>Note: They are very serious about parking violations and very punctual. You will get a ticket if you go over your meter.</i> )<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREqWlNwH3j5rYdb4HprAqyKfcjx2w3cAIJ2vAAQN_M5MYOh5wCvIGUlB8lWAomZulGewVwmezDGressfCiVGeFyPGaiBsQfNq72MCUQPlKVNqV4_UjBoFTPuqT4i30q2t1g3DM-KYfwE/s1600/IMG_1282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="cars, Iceland cars, car size comparision" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREqWlNwH3j5rYdb4HprAqyKfcjx2w3cAIJ2vAAQN_M5MYOh5wCvIGUlB8lWAomZulGewVwmezDGressfCiVGeFyPGaiBsQfNq72MCUQPlKVNqV4_UjBoFTPuqT4i30q2t1g3DM-KYfwE/s640/IMG_1282.JPG" title="Car Comparison" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The car I was driving on the left, the car I wanted to be driving on the right. </td></tr>
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My <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/c/sawraha" target="_blank">Airbnb</a> apartment rental surpassed my wildest dreams and quickly shot ahead to my favorite on of all time...so far. (I keep my hosted <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/c/sawraha" target="_blank">Airbnb</a> and my rental Airbnb's in different categories.) I was elated. Then I fell into bed overcome by my jet lag and slept for three hours. This never happens to me. I can always power through. The excitement on the plane left me with no little to no sleep whereas I can usually get at least a decent amount. This was one of two naps I had to take when I arrived. Interrupted only by grocery shopping and preparing for my Northern Lights Tour.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZrPkVmnLoBy1FwMM7SeRfFjJIVbPf23rneh-eSvPSrXU-10AiTiFMlkgO0CLf2Dldcm7_B7a1uQ6rt-0SogLWZ_dwSTRgwB3tZoOP2i4JaA_q6inpsP_xq0hykGxUkT7eOG2c8YaN6M/s1600/IMG_1032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Northern Lights in Rekjavik " border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZrPkVmnLoBy1FwMM7SeRfFjJIVbPf23rneh-eSvPSrXU-10AiTiFMlkgO0CLf2Dldcm7_B7a1uQ6rt-0SogLWZ_dwSTRgwB3tZoOP2i4JaA_q6inpsP_xq0hykGxUkT7eOG2c8YaN6M/s400/IMG_1032.JPG" title="Northern Lights in Rekjavik" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seeing an Aurora while waiting for my<br />
Northern Lights Tour</td></tr>
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<a href="http://timetours.is/" target="_blank">Time Tours</a> was scheduled to pick me up between 20:30 and 21:00. They were very easy to deal with and will pick you up pretty much at your door. (Airbnb, Hotel, wherever). While I was outside waiting to be picked up, I had my eyes peeled to the sky, really more looking at the stars BUT then they appeared again! I was seeing Northern Lights on my way to see the Northern Lights! I didn't really have time to get out my tripod so I took a few more grainy pics on my phone.<br />
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Due to the demand that evening (a projected high Kp), Time Tours had contracted out to <a href="http://www.icelandeverywhere.is/" target="_blank">Iceland Everywhere Tours</a> for some help. Our lovely guide was their proprietor, and he looked and sounded like an extra from the show Vikings, but I sadly can't remember his name. We were in a bus/van/minibus vehicle. It had a few empty seat but the tour was well attended. We were accompanied by a second vehicle but we didn't stay together long.<br />
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Once everyone was picked up, our guide gave us the run down of the night, some Aurora basics and what we should expect. He mentioned that it should be a good night as the Kp index was high and he had seen people standing on the corners in the city looking up, which indicated that they were already seeing auroras. I started seeing auroras again pretty much as soon as we got on the road out of the city. We were still in the city when they started. As he drove, he gave the scientific background of the auroras, and then he started seeing them and saying ok, look in this direction. Then as soon as it got dark enough/ we were far enough from the city (really not that far), we stopped on a dark "road" with some wide open space next to it, surrounded by mountains. It ramped up right as we stopped. It was like he had turned them on. It was stunning<br />
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As I set up my tripod, I realized I was going to be cold even though I was wearing pretty much every article of clothing I brought to Iceland. My gloves were clearly not warm enough and my hat could have been warmer. I brought my <a href="http://amzn.to/2nM40rc" target="_blank">Panaxonic Lumix GX7</a>, <a href="http://amzn.to/2oLFJiA" target="_blank">Lumix DMC-ZS30</a> and my iPhone 6S. I thought about bringing my <a href="http://amzn.to/2ontgVw" target="_blank">Nikon D-90</a> but in the interest of weight I didn't. I also haven't used it since 2014. Both Lumix cameras have manual settings so I thought I would be alright. I didn't buy any extra camera equipment for this trip, I used a lens I already had, a tripod I had in the basement that I had honestly never used and kept it as simple as possible. I downloaded two apps, "Slow Shutter" and the aptly name "Northern Lights." I read a few articles on "how to shoot the northern lights" but in the end they were useless, because in my jet lag stupor, I forgot to take the filter off of my lens. I have a habit of just leaving it on there and I pretty much forgot it was there. I spent a good portion of the night mystified at my camera. I had it set correctly, my guide even double checked for me since I was having so much trouble, and yet there was nothing, even though the display was repeatedly brilliant. I mean seriously brilliant, even our guide was freaking out. So much so that when the sky seemed to open up overhead while we were driving he pulled off the road into a parking lot with tons of tourists and rental cars because it was too gorgeous to miss. He would later tell us, that the display we saw only happens maybe once or twice a year. He had seen some in October that were close but still nothing like what we saw. (He was just as excited as we were, so I wholeheartedly believed him.)<br />
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At a certain point, after multiple locations and multiple displays, I kind of gave up on my camera, freezing and frustrated, I just enjoyed the show and took pictures with my mind. I spent the remainder of the night in awe and gratitude. Luckily our guide was experienced and made sure to take pictures of all of us in front of the auroras. I know it looks fake but I promise it wasn't :)<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Pictures with the apps mentioned above - </span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">( I don't remember which is which app) </span></i></b></div>
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<i style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Pictures from our guide - <a href="http://www.icelandeverywhere.is/" target="_blank">@IcelandEverywhere</a> </span></span></b></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFREZQPiEtFsQQGhBwjDa5duRHtePnikzcLsYInVnUUkWO0dp4bvT4B3nhoMl_Ip29SwV5ADORF-HLjBmK1NHXAxf5qZK5GCXSe8gVL_csIpzna-29xebXE57nngvYjB9DCT0jzf6SmCU/s1600/IMG_1340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="By Iceland Everywhere, Auroras Northern Lights " border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFREZQPiEtFsQQGhBwjDa5duRHtePnikzcLsYInVnUUkWO0dp4bvT4B3nhoMl_Ip29SwV5ADORF-HLjBmK1NHXAxf5qZK5GCXSe8gVL_csIpzna-29xebXE57nngvYjB9DCT0jzf6SmCU/s640/IMG_1340.JPG" title="Auroras, Northern Lights by Iceland Everywhere" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo By: Iceland Everywhere </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm85OBXLBqXeYMb4mRDhyphenhyphen86a-onIyysL-0u5iKsYjF2CjBZjEsR38CrAhl4XM1BkR-l7FiwLdooGHLgnOuxHIhFBG-l738gjNmCXYOREIXxXY0wm27ISqun6LGpjPhWNbaixMXDNAH3GY/s1600/IMG_1336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="By Iceland Everywhere, Auroras Northern Lights, ihavethewanders" border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm85OBXLBqXeYMb4mRDhyphenhyphen86a-onIyysL-0u5iKsYjF2CjBZjEsR38CrAhl4XM1BkR-l7FiwLdooGHLgnOuxHIhFBG-l738gjNmCXYOREIXxXY0wm27ISqun6LGpjPhWNbaixMXDNAH3GY/s640/IMG_1336.JPG" title="Northern Lights, Auroras" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, wearing everything I brought to Iceland. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhroRpMArlBoIXxB0HMmGijX8Vxh6KfKILf4pBjX9NmOD4nalOY1FBqiuqw-3nFiFr0A4qh_K3-hjC41IsL2SRCeA_wQwHW8qoSzFig6op0JpS_BrOk2yuIV7ZFMZNYhrhWlijo9Op_26w/s1600/IMG_1337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="By Iceland Everywhere, Auroras Northern Lights " border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhroRpMArlBoIXxB0HMmGijX8Vxh6KfKILf4pBjX9NmOD4nalOY1FBqiuqw-3nFiFr0A4qh_K3-hjC41IsL2SRCeA_wQwHW8qoSzFig6op0JpS_BrOk2yuIV7ZFMZNYhrhWlijo9Op_26w/s640/IMG_1337.JPG" title="Auroras by Iceland Everywhere " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo By: Iceland Everywhere </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qeu06bddiGxSgCz7iZPFm_O_19Pp4neVHmhSCnxUquTyM4acTWcLUtDMpFQruDZvfOftsGLolzxay5gbffThyi1yphvs8oMi7XeF89t8Khjd48nsj-PiWPNrVB94EzWT5w4k0mgSXrc/s1600/IMG_1338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="By Iceland Everywhere, Auroras Northern Lights, ihavethewanders" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qeu06bddiGxSgCz7iZPFm_O_19Pp4neVHmhSCnxUquTyM4acTWcLUtDMpFQruDZvfOftsGLolzxay5gbffThyi1yphvs8oMi7XeF89t8Khjd48nsj-PiWPNrVB94EzWT5w4k0mgSXrc/s640/IMG_1338.JPG" title="Auroras by Iceland Everywhere" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo By: Iceland Everywhere </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuGtpjhzBysCHXdOs561HkkXGoRlfh62nXZ5Pm4cyysbs6j6Ghdbxbbzj5m1Di63TbGkRSINBS6T9u19Ix980VrOXkoIWmArUPN5QMS7Jk4AOe-EHhed9Okp86U2TS4j0xpWTU0DYspw/s1600/IMG_1341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="By Iceland Everywhere, Auroras Northern Lights, ihavethewanders" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuGtpjhzBysCHXdOs561HkkXGoRlfh62nXZ5Pm4cyysbs6j6Ghdbxbbzj5m1Di63TbGkRSINBS6T9u19Ix980VrOXkoIWmArUPN5QMS7Jk4AOe-EHhed9Okp86U2TS4j0xpWTU0DYspw/s640/IMG_1341.JPG" title="Northern Lights by Iceland Everywhere " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo By: Iceland Everywhere </td></tr>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Some more photo fails from me - </span></b></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_VEigpzlt68bZ4cn4eSOA26eOh-qFWyk5rSuvSqMKxvSYeEV40SPepc6i7poHJ9e28gK9hFwXA2tNTeETiYs-x0d28rIbwsd7FnX90hMvPW57Imot8RtgHDjjQVlpQAwgtefuz4kLTA/s1600/P1080187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Aurora Fails" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_VEigpzlt68bZ4cn4eSOA26eOh-qFWyk5rSuvSqMKxvSYeEV40SPepc6i7poHJ9e28gK9hFwXA2tNTeETiYs-x0d28rIbwsd7FnX90hMvPW57Imot8RtgHDjjQVlpQAwgtefuz4kLTA/s640/P1080187.JPG" title="Northern Lights Fails " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were actually auroras when I took this. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmd6JmCMYexyYWN3VnNczzEah0XHHy67nRSILmnvSyg_5-NVcy17HGebOY78_ApkHeBU2CnqaWBPZ7PXAJvISF2icSZVjqhIC1N0WlQ1IK6ZVKrJayAesy8DFIl7E7lZ9PrirMtXAWzo/s1600/P1200284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Northern Lights, Auroras, ihavethewanders, Aurora Fails, stars" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmd6JmCMYexyYWN3VnNczzEah0XHHy67nRSILmnvSyg_5-NVcy17HGebOY78_ApkHeBU2CnqaWBPZ7PXAJvISF2icSZVjqhIC1N0WlQ1IK6ZVKrJayAesy8DFIl7E7lZ9PrirMtXAWzo/s640/P1200284.jpg" title="Northern Lights" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's not dust on your screen, they're stars! At least the stars came out!<br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />And then, on my last night in Iceland, I was treated to a final show of glory! </span></b></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcGO9bRzTqChl1JbLVweq5KsCAmbEFzdoCJNEHv6omAZSxwI6nXGLlTcNQOEfUa1qHgo0316aKqAWq0-Vvb3jikjWBW4JJ-dBUeVCQ9PQH2srgHSdmqarwseXA5inVPJIDVzRzDOA3Bw8/s1600/P1080722+-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Auroras, Northern Lights, Reykjavik, Auroras from Airbnb" border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcGO9bRzTqChl1JbLVweq5KsCAmbEFzdoCJNEHv6omAZSxwI6nXGLlTcNQOEfUa1qHgo0316aKqAWq0-Vvb3jikjWBW4JJ-dBUeVCQ9PQH2srgHSdmqarwseXA5inVPJIDVzRzDOA3Bw8/s640/P1080722+-1.jpg" title="Northern Lights from my Reykjavik Airbnb" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From my Airbnb window!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2221c2PHCh6Or6z_DnALwZaVuju47qG9xdG4Kzhm69by7fVzBs7ZMtksE-S3_Jw0Ij7PGEG7CPDV69KN-xhizdfwHxazatjWV6SXJziEK_o1gJvUrDJuFXO8HJgNQuYcftLuBBpVuVM/s1600/P1080739+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Auroras, Northern Lights, Reykjavik, Auroras from Airbnb" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2221c2PHCh6Or6z_DnALwZaVuju47qG9xdG4Kzhm69by7fVzBs7ZMtksE-S3_Jw0Ij7PGEG7CPDV69KN-xhizdfwHxazatjWV6SXJziEK_o1gJvUrDJuFXO8HJgNQuYcftLuBBpVuVM/s640/P1080739+-+1.jpg" title="Northern Lights from My Airbnb" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScLg9b1MhYaQ8J22rwhfFR_9_5thU2wJlkg02Wo1y5rkjVposzZf7vHI4zD3PbNat0f8-zC5E3VuaY1RIQHrXurCjDW321NdyxedKiWutduvasoGK6ff7tBt3Nr2f13LIVO8H8MY8r0Q/s1600/P1080778-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Auroras, Northern Lights, Reykjavik, Auroras from Airbnb" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScLg9b1MhYaQ8J22rwhfFR_9_5thU2wJlkg02Wo1y5rkjVposzZf7vHI4zD3PbNat0f8-zC5E3VuaY1RIQHrXurCjDW321NdyxedKiWutduvasoGK6ff7tBt3Nr2f13LIVO8H8MY8r0Q/s640/P1080778-1.jpg" title="Auroras from Airbnb Reykjavik " width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I took the above 3 photos out the window of my Airbnb apartment in Reykjavík. I thought maybe just maybe it was clear enough out to catch a final glimpse before I left. I scoured my apps, decided it was going to happen and just started watching. <b>And then it showed up!</b> I ran from window to window to window, tripod in hand, <i style="font-weight: bold;">filter off</i>, and started shooting hoping something would come out. I could see the Auroras from two sides pretty well, the third side faced the brightest part of the city so almost nothing was visible there except the normal awesome view. I was so excited I was practically shaking. It took hours to finally fall asleep after seeing my <b>FOURTH </b>beautiful display. Nothing topped the views I got on the tour that first night, but wow, wow, wow! This whole experience, wow! Even now, writing about it months later, I can still FEEL it. </span></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">A few Aurora hunting items to note - </span></b></i><br />
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- Everything you read says to get away from the city lights and into complete darkness. This is true however, with a clear enough night and high enough Kp index, you can actually see auroras in the city. They won't be as bright but it is possible. (see last set of pictures)<br />
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- Wear even more layers than you think you will ever need, always.<br />
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- Bring a tripod if you want to take pictures. Self-timer is your friend.<br />
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- If you normally shoot with a filter on your lens, <u>make sure to take it off!</u>!! I can't express this enough, I forgot mine was on there and I got almost no visible pictures from the most impressive night of auroras I saw because of this.<br />
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- Bring snacks, water, possibly hot chocolate, maybe something stronger. You will be out there longer than you initially think, especially if it is a good night.<br />
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- There are a few decent apps out there that slow shutter speed if you want to take pictures with your phone, I would still advise a tripod though. (See above)<br />
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- Get an Aurora tracking app before your trip if you are heading out without a tour. There are many of them out there, so see which interface you like best. Kp index is really your most important feature, if it has Kp index by hour, even better. I didn't pay for any pro features, but I am sure those are good too.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Aurora Tours in Iceland </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
There are numerous choices and something for everyone. 4x4 tours, big bus tours, jeep tours, small bus tours and literally everything in between. I started my search on <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/" target="_blank">Trip Advisor</a> and chose <a href="http://timetours.is/" target="_blank">Time Tours </a>because of the good reviews, the small bus and the price. I was very happy with my choice. My tour cost was approximately $70.00 USD, for a small, guided, nearly 5 hour tour. Worth every penny.<br />
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(This is NOT a sponsored post but it does have affiliate links in it).<br />
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com3Iceland64.963051 -19.02083500000003457.997918999999996 -39.675132000000033 71.92818299999999 1.633461999999966tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-91291968752724811052017-04-04T07:00:00.000-05:002017-05-26T10:12:24.796-05:00My Secret Trip to Iceland - Aurora Chasing <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM7rQ_itDZ9NsN2sKn5SIpeJeYjzPE1s4Yni6cXjkWWaw7C93urgVnfkUnZk132xB4L6vh1wR9h-cu_9-x68uVYKRjPBOxA4vJZPO6lpuA26qPJOO1MjOwknrZ-80N9c75J3FF8wnuBl4/s1600/IMG_1090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Hallgrímskirkja Church, Reykjavík, Iceland " border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM7rQ_itDZ9NsN2sKn5SIpeJeYjzPE1s4Yni6cXjkWWaw7C93urgVnfkUnZk132xB4L6vh1wR9h-cu_9-x68uVYKRjPBOxA4vJZPO6lpuA26qPJOO1MjOwknrZ-80N9c75J3FF8wnuBl4/s640/IMG_1090.JPG" title="Hallgrímskirkja Sun Circle, Reykjavík, Iceland " width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun Circle at Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavík</td></tr>
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Earlier this year, I took a <i>secret trip</i> to Iceland to chase the Northern Lights. I tried to see them once before about 5 years ago and I have been casually obsessed off and on with experiencing this unique phenomenon. I have several tracking apps and every time the Kp Index jumps or the view line heads close to where I am I try to see them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtOWkptKcKS_7cFwE6N6x1Vdbvzx5g2ILj8UJhiJxj1dI3TcDSz1XmaALrZDx0yPAX1dVlWroicDTqnICuxfXj_nXHMG5ugTkE5-jTi-KAaXoCQU4mmx01X984yRwrRnkfEGFC5e-KH0/s1600/IMG_0822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="How to pack for Iceland, REI pack, REI Trail 40 " border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtOWkptKcKS_7cFwE6N6x1Vdbvzx5g2ILj8UJhiJxj1dI3TcDSz1XmaALrZDx0yPAX1dVlWroicDTqnICuxfXj_nXHMG5ugTkE5-jTi-KAaXoCQU4mmx01X984yRwrRnkfEGFC5e-KH0/s640/IMG_0822.JPG" title="How to pack" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like to pack light. :)</td></tr>
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<br />I went to Iceland to chase the Auroras, sure, but I also went because I love it there. I know Iceland is THE hot spot right now with stellar flight deals and lots of great press but I had no idea how much change I would find since the last time I visited. I visited in 2012, and then again in 2013 for a trip inside a volcano. From the first day of my first trip, my love of Iceland was already in full bloom.<br />
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This secret trip happened pretty last minute and I decided to keep it a secret for a number of reasons that I probably won't share. But I will say that it was part personal experiment. I wanted to see if I could do it, keep an international trip to myself in a world where sharing is currency. Suffice to say that it was an experience in this day and age to keep a trip secret and not share until now. No social media posting before or during the trip. No one asking about it while I was away or when I got back. No projections being heaped onto me. The external pressures were silent. I won't lie, it was bliss.<br />
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As with any unicorn experience, I knew there was a high likelihood that I wouldn't catch any auroras at all, just like last time. But I had hope. The yogi in me starting setting some non-attached intentions. I started tracking my apps on the daily to see the projected forecasts, the cloud cover over Iceland and future solar storms (the reason we end up with this beautiful phenomenon) and I also changed to laptop background to a stunning aurora picture (no joke).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfJeekf2WT7B737WZ9QlY8_GRNHcHioVl9TbqJ0GeTXmDw_q8DmGCcTD3d7JVP2n1BLzHFmO3mL9w3BzFeGZcD2YxKyaaYXCZsOcAV9ykNzjNjK2jkOyQsdHsaEmdA_6kJ0SCtKdUdAY/s1600/IMG_0810.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfJeekf2WT7B737WZ9QlY8_GRNHcHioVl9TbqJ0GeTXmDw_q8DmGCcTD3d7JVP2n1BLzHFmO3mL9w3BzFeGZcD2YxKyaaYXCZsOcAV9ykNzjNjK2jkOyQsdHsaEmdA_6kJ0SCtKdUdAY/s400/IMG_0810.PNG" width="247" /></a>The week before my trip, Reykjavik got slammed with snow and even had one of the highest snow falls on record two days before I arrived. But somehow, all of the days I would be there showed a nice little sun icon and I started to get excited. I tempered my excitement of course with non-attachment but I started to feel like it might happen. Then the Kp Index (aurora strength & visibility) started to rise. The highest spike being the day before I arrived and the day I would arrive. I could hardly contain myself but I still knew it was no guarantee.<br />
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As any aurora hunter will tell you, they are an unpredictable natural event. There are no guarantees, EVER. I decided to book a "Northern Lights Tour" for the night of the day I arrived (before I saw the Kp index had started to rise). I figured this would give me the best chance of seeing them because if I didn't see them that night, I could go out every other night of my trip. In fact, many tour companies that run northern lights tours suggest booking for your first night and offer a second night free if you don't see the lights. I've never seen a policy like this for any other type of tour across the world. It is kind of awesome. My arrival was at 4:35 am, so I figured I would have plenty of time to take a nap before my pickup between 8:30 and 9:00 pm that night.<br />
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For this particular trip I flew<a href="https://wowair.us/"> WOW Airlines,</a> the low cost Icelandic carrier. (Previous flights were on <a href="http://www.icelandair.us/">Icelandair</a>). My flight cost was under $300.00 USD, so I really couldn't pass it up when I saw it. I knew going in that it is a bare bones cheap airline and I was prepared for extra costs but I still paid less than 300. WOW charges for carry-on baggage and for checked baggage and the fees are high in comparison to other carriers. They even charge for water on the plane. Everything is extra. So be prepared. If you are prepared, read up and plan ahead you will have a good experience with them. Another thing to note is that they board their planes early!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVV8CoUFHExLX5ndjAkDupFfhN74TaZFR1wSwAi1406BdmSyzfpLsrbavvW_2I-W-TIs16DgcAnWWvnVV7IsG0CPglm2e5ANu7bCjo32_jPKIEA4LfVSp-kWi8ZEhOT9sBXXHwwj3_GYI/s1600/IMG_0834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="WOW Airlines, WOW, Iceland" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVV8CoUFHExLX5ndjAkDupFfhN74TaZFR1wSwAi1406BdmSyzfpLsrbavvW_2I-W-TIs16DgcAnWWvnVV7IsG0CPglm2e5ANu7bCjo32_jPKIEA4LfVSp-kWi8ZEhOT9sBXXHwwj3_GYI/s640/IMG_0834.JPG" title="Wow Airlines Wing" width="480" /></a></div>
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My experience on the plane could be it's own separate post but I'll share it here instead. I was seated at the window next to two upper middle aged women who got pretty boozy before the flight, brought their own alcohol on the plane and proceeded to get loud and hammered until they passed out. The flight from Boston Logan to Keflavík International is not long. 4.5 - 5 hours depending on the winds. Needless to say I didn't get much sleep even though I boarded and then immediately put my eye-cover on and earplugs in.<br />
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About two hours into the flight, about 1 hour into my very disturbed sleep, I was jolted awake. I had been dreaming about the northern lights, or at least I think I was. Since I was now randomly wide awake, I decided to start looking out the window. WOW kept the lights in the cabin on the whole flight and not just the ethereal dim lights, it seemed as though the cabin lights were full blast. This made my outside view a little difficult, as did the blinking light on the wing which I was conveniently seated over. I cupped my hands around my eyes and face like blinders and started scanning the sky. As I mentioned I had monitored the forecast pretty heavily in the preceding days and knew that if the conditions were right I had a pretty high likelihood of seeing them from the plane. So I stared out the window, eyes peeled like a child waiting for Disneyland to come into view.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Then it happened. </i></span></div>
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I saw a faint white looking cloud, but then it started to shift, I felt my heart skip, is that it? Is that it? I had no one to turn to to check in with, so I kept watching, thinking that my eyes were playing tricks on me. The conversation inside my head went something like this. <i>"I see something! No, that can't be it, is it? That cloud is definitely moving. No it isn't, your eyes are playing with you...are you even awake right now or is this a dream? Just keep watching maybe something will happen. Nothing is happening. I must look like an idiot with my nose pressed up against this window. I wonder why no one else is looking out the window... I see it, I see it! " </i><br />
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The faint clouds I saw a few minutes earlier, unmistakably started to move and change color. I couldn't believe it. I wanted to tell the whole plane but instead I crushed my nose further into the the window and tried to contain my excitement. The only way I can describe what I saw is that it looked like when you pick up sand on a windy day at the beach and release your hand and watch the sand spiral and fly away in a diagonal line down to the ground. It was sort of like that, except green and much more interesting. It truly was otherworldly.<br />
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About 20 minutes into my viewing, the captain came on the loudspeaker and announced it. If we had been on a boat, it would have capsized due to the movement to one side. They shut off the lights for about 15 minutes so people could get a view. Cameras came out, seats were leaned over, the excitement was palpable. I was so happy to have a window seat! Since my two seat mates were passed out, literally, I didn't have anyone looking over my shoulder which meant I could stay hands cupped around my eyes looking out for as long as I felt like it. I was so happy!<br />
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Even after the lights came back on and everyone settled down, I continued to watch and caught some really awesome views. I took a few pics with my phone but they are as you would expect, they barely came out (<b>below</b>). Once they seemed to drift off and stop, I still had a hard time looking away. The conversation in my head continued, elated, slightly in disbelief and a healthy dose of gratitude. Even if I didn't see them the rest of the trip I had still finally seen them!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">(See next post for more pictures!) </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDe3N34jG3P3PA36hu-87gptfVUHc2zyox3GDM94K6pPjKxbDsABr5hooNuO7UrBVbDhJgU-rLZsdJ84gu61CG9l2SkKgcq5EIWFEIsPv-ELN6Z-rCXpN2VQChRKQVEYGDmCh1FBhBEPI/s1600/IMG_0880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Northern Lights, Auroras, Plane Auroras" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDe3N34jG3P3PA36hu-87gptfVUHc2zyox3GDM94K6pPjKxbDsABr5hooNuO7UrBVbDhJgU-rLZsdJ84gu61CG9l2SkKgcq5EIWFEIsPv-ELN6Z-rCXpN2VQChRKQVEYGDmCh1FBhBEPI/s640/IMG_0880.JPG" title="Northern Lights from plane" width="480" /></a></div>
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-5314908819293197902017-03-20T08:49:00.000-05:002017-03-20T08:49:21.553-05:00Oldie but Goodie - My Favorite Day of the Year! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Norooz (Persian New Year)</h3>
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<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEe1TM1cqoIO9ddnFmhYTHBUdmWM3PfI4T_DioIWAS37u-xomzLgggyfqGUwCNnTuAvORXkPZccGZEnRDmv4bQWdUaB2M7Aa_Pk83VVwc67kJg7MnHP9Pe6byAWyk70x1oV8L6-y4cw4/s1600/Norooz+06-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #f09a75; letter-spacing: 0.02em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.3s ease;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEe1TM1cqoIO9ddnFmhYTHBUdmWM3PfI4T_DioIWAS37u-xomzLgggyfqGUwCNnTuAvORXkPZccGZEnRDmv4bQWdUaB2M7Aa_Pk83VVwc67kJg7MnHP9Pe6byAWyk70x1oV8L6-y4cw4/s1600/Norooz+06-1.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td class="tr-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px;">Sofreh e Haft-Sin (pronounced seen)</td></tr>
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Today is my favorite holiday of the year. What holiday is it, you might be asking, It's Persian New Year or Norooz. Or for that matter "Nouruz, Norouz, Norooz, Narooz, Nawru, Nauruz, Nawroz, Noruz, Nohrooz, Novruz, Nauroz, Navroz, Naw-Rúz, Nowroj, Navroj, Nevruz, Newroz, Navruz, Navrez, Nooruz, Nauryz, Nevruz, Nowrouz." (other ways of spelling or translating it based on a compilation of the internet by wikipedia)<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />So what is Persian New Year? It is the beginning of the Iranian calendar and it always starts on the vernal equinox, the first day of spring, at the exact moment of the equinox. It symbolizes the end and rebirth. It is celebrated in Iran and in pockets around the former Persian empire territories and of course by Iranians worldwide. According to custom it has been celebrated for more than 3,000 years and involves many different traditions, usually carried out over the course of three weeks or so. Norooz is said to have its roots in the Zorastrian religion but is today mostly celebrated as secular event. <br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />On the last Wednesday of the year called Chahar Shanbeh Suri, bonfires are lit in public places and people ritually jump over them. I have never witnessed nor partaken in this tradition but I intend to at some point in my life. The fires are suppose to light the very dark and "unlucky" night. As you jump over the fire, you are said to be cleansed and bring in wishes of happiness in the new year. <br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Sofreh-e-Haft-sin, is the table you see in the picture above. It is a ceremonial table with seven items that start with the Persian letter S or Sinn (again there are several spellings). Each item represents something positive for the new year. Some of the traditional items are live goldfish, apples, sweets, some sort of greens, vinegar, coins, nuts, an egg, and garlic. Each family does it a little bit differently depending on where they are from, but these are some of the most common items. Each item symbolizes something you want to bring into the new year with you. The haft-seen is set up after a deep cleaning and reorganization of the household, generally a few weeks or so before the new year. The table is not dismantled until the 13th day after the new year. The 13th day is called Seezdah Bedar during which the families go outside and relax at large picnics. Children play games and all enjoy a merry relaxing time on the last day of Norooz. <br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Growing up I always looked forward to Norooz. The day was filled with a large family gathering, wonderful food, new money and gifts. A note on the new money, during the celebration of Norooz children often receive Aid or Eid. It can come in a few different forms, usually gifts or money or if you are really lucky both. The tradition is that you give aid to those who are younger than you. In the case of money they must be fresh, crisp, new bills. When we were little and it was good year we would receive one dollar for each year of our life. Our uncles would sign one of the bills and if we brought it back next year it was said to garner extra bills (although I don't know if this ever worked). I would say the last time I received any of this type of aid was in college, when I have to admit it was especially welcome. Each Norooz also brought a new outfit to ring in the new year, new clothes were tradition, clean and new. It was a day of rebirth and renewal even though I didn't fully comprehend that part until I was in my teens. I always related to it in a way that can't be described, it felt like it was a part of me. It was also something that set me apart from my peers, we had a special day. Since I didn't know any other Persians growing up who weren't family, it seemed like this secret wonderful day that we celebrated all on our own. I mean, I knew they celebrated it in Iran but that was so far away and removed from my childhood existence in the States. <u style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></u><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />So today, take a few minutes today to see if there is anything you can shed, renew or start. Sometimes I like to think of it as New Year part two, a chance to re-evaluate and begin again, just like nature does each spring. <br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 4px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8TCT6uUp6ui5WyE2RvLUiAH0JORcqX1-7f2Ys9AVYX1UApPsDsBJPW_5hPo0fb1VaNGfSfj1OaRJTcOzb1-_n4oWIyKskzXqxecgL73LVsrkTgDT-dGNhA_lxShY06UQ4v2kjq7kuYc/s1600/Norooz+06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #f09a75; letter-spacing: 0.02em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.3s ease;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8TCT6uUp6ui5WyE2RvLUiAH0JORcqX1-7f2Ys9AVYX1UApPsDsBJPW_5hPo0fb1VaNGfSfj1OaRJTcOzb1-_n4oWIyKskzXqxecgL73LVsrkTgDT-dGNhA_lxShY06UQ4v2kjq7kuYc/s1600/Norooz+06.jpg" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td class="tr-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px;">A Norooz meal from several years ago. Yum!</td></tr>
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(Please note, this is from my experience with Norooz, all families do it a bit differently and this is by no means an all encompassing article on Norooz. If you wish to learn more there is a lot of other information available online.)<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 4px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPuze4LOScPwAjWVoHMd8tzWA8IiN66y6T7u9Sy7856I8Ytl57K_nDRgNaK6cTO6CNtAyhN5pe_abjrsYJ2HvuQ8jCpgiN3O8CU-fpp8NebAmWW2EBP2z1F9WkVTMu8uqPxS1bkSeuS4/s1600/norooz+13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; letter-spacing: 0.02em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; outline: none !important; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.3s ease;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPuze4LOScPwAjWVoHMd8tzWA8IiN66y6T7u9Sy7856I8Ytl57K_nDRgNaK6cTO6CNtAyhN5pe_abjrsYJ2HvuQ8jCpgiN3O8CU-fpp8NebAmWW2EBP2z1F9WkVTMu8uqPxS1bkSeuS4/s1600/norooz+13.JPG" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td class="tr-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px;">Here's one from this year. Yum!</td></tr>
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-76518088950843319592017-02-11T14:19:00.000-05:002017-02-11T14:20:21.027-05:00Meditation Moments<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Did you know I often meditate around the world in off the beaten path places?<br />
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In order to remember all of these wonderful singular moments, I started a photo series in 2007 to document these places I've sat, from the view of an observer.<br />
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During my re-entry from my RTW trip I had some time on my hands and put them into a book accompanied by travel quotes that I like and resonated with my memory of the particular place and moment. The pages of this book have now made their way onto a separate blog on <a href="https://meditationmoment.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a> and now also on instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meditationmoments/">@meditationmoments</a> - Check em out! <br />
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Sometime in the future, these may also make it via book to your coffee table!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHa1KapxIodnK43dSujRPnXL6r7zynfXG8sP47DyTzaPGvj3pJWPWfMIb0FkmlGS9YMIUreLocKMEkvmu6-WzVFPmU2PeMZLxotGRHpQ3COmjm2vgFcEsGjQiiu2XgwySozQqcPhPuxOc/s1600/DSC_0439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Meditation Moment, Nash Point, Wales, UK " border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHa1KapxIodnK43dSujRPnXL6r7zynfXG8sP47DyTzaPGvj3pJWPWfMIb0FkmlGS9YMIUreLocKMEkvmu6-WzVFPmU2PeMZLxotGRHpQ3COmjm2vgFcEsGjQiiu2XgwySozQqcPhPuxOc/s640/DSC_0439.JPG" title="Meditation Moment - Wales" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meditation Moment, Nash Point, Wales, UK 2014</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvySTQSEgV9WoOsjWk3ZXPd96HjQnGBz-7vK8J3CZCRh-npPXGpVGP-k-02mAjNdMkEzy1QnbVUQXuXiw9RGVwy3dxtkAWJviT1uodaAUQqTFzBMWZXMpb3hBhshlwec_v5_nqo5xrKk/s1600/DSC_0311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Petra, Jordan, Treasury, Meditation Moment" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvySTQSEgV9WoOsjWk3ZXPd96HjQnGBz-7vK8J3CZCRh-npPXGpVGP-k-02mAjNdMkEzy1QnbVUQXuXiw9RGVwy3dxtkAWJviT1uodaAUQqTFzBMWZXMpb3hBhshlwec_v5_nqo5xrKk/s640/DSC_0311.JPG" title="Meditation Moment - Petra, Jordan" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meditation Moment, Petra, Jordan 2014</td></tr>
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-80568282753310764542017-02-01T12:40:00.001-05:002017-02-11T14:20:36.058-05:00Burren Yoga and Meditation Centre<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In 2013, I came across the <a href="http://www.burrenyoga.com/" target="_blank">Burren Yoga and Meditation Centre</a> I was staying in an Airbnb in the town of Kinvarra (about 5 miles from Burren Yoga) and a fellow guest had just completed a week long retreat there. He had only good things to say about it. Since then, I have tried to make it there for a retreat. Even though I have been in Ireland several times since then, the timing never worked out.<br />
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This past September, it finally did. There was even an organized retreat running the weekend I had free. I immediately signed up. My goal was two fold, one to have a relaxing/learning weekend and two, to check the place out. In the back of my head, I was thinking if the place is comfortable and lovely then I would consider organizing a trip there. I kept this second goal under wraps of course and also tried to keep my yoga teacher status quiet. It helps me be a better student.<br />
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I visited my friend in Kinvara the night before the retreat, after an absence of nearly two years. It was as if no time passed, we picked up right where we left off, one of my favorite parts of my international friendships. I was able to mill around town visiting the farmers market, listening to music and hanging out by the harbor throughout the day before I headed over the retreat which started on Friday night.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRV1aR6z7OAIGTTf7QXuX-DcaYBzIL7g8QMFFuedJN1SQrV-vrW_IhgBSTf6OcMt_33U82OhWcfYSMffVGdJqeIaQJ59HqCsjEXB4A_d_8rQDs52tBj8C-Cf_zVQ_zqr58JM98a_ZKDk/s1600/IMG_6970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRV1aR6z7OAIGTTf7QXuX-DcaYBzIL7g8QMFFuedJN1SQrV-vrW_IhgBSTf6OcMt_33U82OhWcfYSMffVGdJqeIaQJ59HqCsjEXB4A_d_8rQDs52tBj8C-Cf_zVQ_zqr58JM98a_ZKDk/s640/IMG_6970.JPG" title="Burren Yoga Center" width="480" /></a></div>
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The weekend retreat ( Friday evening - Sunday midday), was called <i> "Mindfulness and Yoga with Eleanor Dawson." </i>When I saw it on the website, I thought it was the perfect fit for the middle of my trip. Eleanor is originally from the UK but has been in Ireland for nearly 30 years. She teaches "Viniyoga," a style that has an intense focus on the breathe and movement. It can also be considered the base of Vinyasa. Viniyoga was new to me, so I was thrilled when she gave her introduction. She was incredibly sweet and a thorough, compassionate teacher.<br />
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Upon arrival at the center, Dave, the Owner and Director met me at the door and showed me to my room. I was immediately thrilled. The room was filled with unique wooden bunks. There was ample storage space and the room seemed well thought out and made with care. Next was a quick tour - there is a library and sitting room upstairs, a beautiful kitchen and a yoga room with a fireplace that comfortably would fit between 15- 20 people. The upstairs is also home to several more private rooms, single and double rooms without bunks. A second building out back has further accommodation. I later found out that there is a planned expansion as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhppF7iUlO9i0-wHOeFtbKMDmwRgrxFTIxqh51JwLTCrpZRnd5PaHEypjV0GBNHWce95WquS9R1SJs1bfuQKLRM0lAicBUVDQFLFEBvsPZlxri_7CWYn712Gn6VxBtM8udZY_0IGWzHo0/s1600/IMG_6927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhppF7iUlO9i0-wHOeFtbKMDmwRgrxFTIxqh51JwLTCrpZRnd5PaHEypjV0GBNHWce95WquS9R1SJs1bfuQKLRM0lAicBUVDQFLFEBvsPZlxri_7CWYn712Gn6VxBtM8udZY_0IGWzHo0/s640/IMG_6927.JPG" title="Burren Yoga Centre Bunks" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our first order of business was dinner and a little briefing about rooms and regulations and the center in general. It is a cooperative space, so seva around the meals is an important part of that. Gerode, the chef is unbelievable. I can't say enough about how good the food was. It was vegetarian with some vegan items, completely fresh and very well prepared.<br />
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I had the pleasure of sitting next to Eleanor during the first meal and we got to talking about yoga, yoga styles and experience. It was very nice to connect with her on the first night. There were about 15 of us altogether with varied styles and experience of yoga between us. I find lately that my open hamstrings are the dead give away of my yoga experience and that night was no exception. There was one other student in the room who had recently completed teacher training but had not yet taught, and hers were the same, ha. You know you are conspicuously flexible when people come up to you after class and ask how long you have been doing yoga.<br />
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I slept great after that first class, the beds were comfortable, the sheets were clean and soft, and the temperature was just right. Our Saturday schedule was perfect in my view, exactly the way I like to see yoga retreat set up. Mediation, breakfast, yoga, a hike through the <a href="http://www.burrennationalpark.ie/" target="_blank">Burren</a>, lunch at a restaurant by the water, free time in the afternoon, yoga, dinner and restorative (if my memory serves). It was a really lovely day. The Burren hike was a little rushed because we were trying to beat the rain but it was still highly enjoyable. The yoga was full of intention and I loved the very specific breath work.<br />
All the while the weather shifted every five minutes and rainbows could be seen at intervals from the yoga room. I skipped the last session of the night because I was exhausted and felt just right. I reach a point with my body and yoga that I know is the edge, so I knew I should call it a night and introvert for a bit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxYW2oH47D5ZyJK5K50pxfAR-QrVGSTWOjtgVNOlfz8O1NcJitl9TkIudJkFcMCwGywoz0xH24BVHymYk9kOcLlRbsaWsFBaZWQuMSlUqlxmZDVL_fttTktDEAa4bfhaqxW_B1dp5Qt8/s1600/IMG_6974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxYW2oH47D5ZyJK5K50pxfAR-QrVGSTWOjtgVNOlfz8O1NcJitl9TkIudJkFcMCwGywoz0xH24BVHymYk9kOcLlRbsaWsFBaZWQuMSlUqlxmZDVL_fttTktDEAa4bfhaqxW_B1dp5Qt8/s640/IMG_6974.JPG" title="Irish Rainbow in the Burren " width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3L93pZeWIOKj7Aomms9sMpKcusL-dju4prQ_yGkVLY1ch2RXkk2vlE_NFGQ_3vhf7_n0PmzmvN_zSLnxvFKxtpXPbDsh2Pq-kBUkyFZxzs3pL5Mw4UCxLBk7HdgnueA-9mBxB1meiSg/s1600/IMG_6930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A view from the top" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3L93pZeWIOKj7Aomms9sMpKcusL-dju4prQ_yGkVLY1ch2RXkk2vlE_NFGQ_3vhf7_n0PmzmvN_zSLnxvFKxtpXPbDsh2Pq-kBUkyFZxzs3pL5Mw4UCxLBk7HdgnueA-9mBxB1meiSg/s640/IMG_6930.JPG" title="The Burren, Ireland " width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdyMD8OEcQDNABw0gIlwWyK-zBG44aaoevlO5tzaJkxKGPhJqpVI024Ccz-u8MAbnV_DNl9b6kE1G0xzTib0D8xoDWI_d9YdywRkAg7e5lMVyUjyaEqOA4T7MC5aVnkM2IaZeDbBTQ8g/s1600/IMG_6932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdyMD8OEcQDNABw0gIlwWyK-zBG44aaoevlO5tzaJkxKGPhJqpVI024Ccz-u8MAbnV_DNl9b6kE1G0xzTib0D8xoDWI_d9YdywRkAg7e5lMVyUjyaEqOA4T7MC5aVnkM2IaZeDbBTQ8g/s640/IMG_6932.JPG" title="Hiking in the Burren" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhPNG_GEkAanTTRnc5O9L9B6bRMLQqNVXZ6rTYtCIfbWQFbxFiEFM44vMLNySh5ZdhRI5kgAQGkmBsSDUeQTLFpEXMHp1bgY1JYE9vFcv_DUPhGtvXO6uhI6ET-hnwIZ3tmWEKBT1FxM/s1600/IMG_6947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="views from the Burren " border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhPNG_GEkAanTTRnc5O9L9B6bRMLQqNVXZ6rTYtCIfbWQFbxFiEFM44vMLNySh5ZdhRI5kgAQGkmBsSDUeQTLFpEXMHp1bgY1JYE9vFcv_DUPhGtvXO6uhI6ET-hnwIZ3tmWEKBT1FxM/s640/IMG_6947.JPG" title="The Burren, Ireland " width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabjhPHmGH9lfcLrWHMVz2wY0wr6TCUKhaox05Sn6rcIncZtzxzVuBtN7bChpDh_FvtXmwxc5EKLHJHTjIGNRajuBu3pQ57P_S1l4FsnY_uROSXXZ2zkMLzvQ4ou6kjXYCDn2hFSeCZ4Q/s1600/IMG_6956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Views from the Burren " border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabjhPHmGH9lfcLrWHMVz2wY0wr6TCUKhaox05Sn6rcIncZtzxzVuBtN7bChpDh_FvtXmwxc5EKLHJHTjIGNRajuBu3pQ57P_S1l4FsnY_uROSXXZ2zkMLzvQ4ou6kjXYCDn2hFSeCZ4Q/s640/IMG_6956.JPG" title="County Galway" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtLZIwrQPfYAEwYpLVBdtyhDxCarvL3A_34dtjqGJkr_jeXfvj_Q6_FA7DCY0R8wjJp9xUfSXHJsppRPnWLIgVuxgJmFOGGYy8obFSTnRAfx-pKsFsRkLqxA2-L_FU92YdFwiMaz30_s/s1600/IMG_6963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtLZIwrQPfYAEwYpLVBdtyhDxCarvL3A_34dtjqGJkr_jeXfvj_Q6_FA7DCY0R8wjJp9xUfSXHJsppRPnWLIgVuxgJmFOGGYy8obFSTnRAfx-pKsFsRkLqxA2-L_FU92YdFwiMaz30_s/s640/IMG_6963.JPG" title="The Burren " width="480" /></a></div>
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The Sunday schedule was again well planned with a mix of yoga, meditation and meals. I left a bit early because I had a long drive ahead and had to make a few stops but upon leaving I felt like I had 15 new friends. Many of us exchanged contact information and a number of people had offered me tips for the next place I was going, all of which I used. As the only person at the retreat not living in Ireland, there was a little confusion as to what I was doing there at the beginning, but by the end everyone could see my love of the country and deep connection to it. I truly cherished my weekend at the Burren Yoga Center and I would go back again and again.<br />
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<b><u>Notes on Burren Yoga </u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
- Little no cell service, no wifi - get ready to unplug!<br />
- Easier to find than you may first think, only 5 miles from Kinvarra<br />
- Follow the directions Dave sends you<br />
- Family owned and run<br />
- Phenomenal food<br />
- Comfortable lodging<br />
- Variety of programs available<br />
- Affordable retreats<br />
- Peaceful and Relaxing<br />
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If you are interested in taking a workshop with Eleanor, her schedule can be found <a href="http://www.burrenyoga.com/retreat-holidays/calendar-and-booking/" target="_blank">HERE </a>.<br />
She also teaches at <a href="http://www.clonleayogastudio.com/eleanor.html" target="_blank">Clonlea Yoga Studio</a> and can be found on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Yoga-body-breath-mind-704354142981179/" target="_blank">Facebook </a>.<br />
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Thanks for reading!<br />
<br />
(This is not a sponsored post, I just really enjoyed it :) ) </div>
Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-50340913343404585032017-01-10T08:00:00.000-05:002017-02-11T14:20:56.055-05:00Fjords Galore! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXvL7L4HcvwwG8ZBOmsR3sJG2atZGPsTL0jOqRX1h57semcjyPETPule8v3a2to5E4gfKKdGox-UYdwClp_jdin603L96iIHtZpeIfyZD4gbzKXsTAM0h7CFpelSrk0nTkWxlZAYvVVw/s1600/IMG_5940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Norway" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXvL7L4HcvwwG8ZBOmsR3sJG2atZGPsTL0jOqRX1h57semcjyPETPule8v3a2to5E4gfKKdGox-UYdwClp_jdin603L96iIHtZpeIfyZD4gbzKXsTAM0h7CFpelSrk0nTkWxlZAYvVVw/s640/IMG_5940.JPG" title="Bergen Harbor at Sunrise" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bergen Harbor at Sunrise</td></tr>
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If you search for Fjord tours in Norway way, the market is almost completely cornered by "<a href="https://www.norwaynutshell.com/?gclid=CNTCzKq-79ACFYiPswod8A4K9A" target="_blank">Norway in a Nutshell," by Fjord Tours</a>. This company boasts transportation to many different fjords and famous spots around Norway. Even though it seems like it is a "tour" it isn't in the traditional sense, there is no guide leading you, it is a self-guided experience. The company books the transportation for you in a package and the rest is up to you. However, there are also options to add overnights in different places along the way. They will also book hotels for these overnights if you desire that option. They claim to have negotiated the best prices at these hotels. I couldn't independently verify that though. The stops along the way are very small towns with few options for hotels, so it is good to keep that in mind.<br />
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I chose the route that ran Bergen to Bergen in one day and would visit Sognefjord, the longest fjord in Norway. My main objective was to take the tour that would give me the most time on the boat. I had no interest in the express boat option. I wanted to cruise through the fjord all day. I picked the right one.<br />
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The Bergen to Bergen Sognefjord route also included a return trip on <a href="https://www.visitflam.com/en/se-og-gjore/se/flamsbana-the-flam-railway/" target="_blank">The Flam Railway</a> and <a href="https://www.nsb.no/en/our-destinations/our-regional-railway-lines/bergenrailway" target="_blank">The Bergen Railway</a>. The train/boat combination was common to most of the trips, they only differed in what order you did them. I started with the boat since I wanted the longer ride. That meant that I had to catch the boat by 8:00 am. However, since this was a last minute trip, I hadn't yet picked up my tickets. So I had to leave my <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/c/sawraha" target="_blank">Airbnb</a> just as the sun was coming up, go to the train station to pick up my tickets (I arrived 15 min before they opened at 7:30 am) and then speed walk to the harbor to get on the boat by the time it left at 8:00 am. I made it but along the way I saw a curious thing, the town was trashed. It looked completely different than the day before, there was trash everywhere. I was quite confused. I later learned from my host that this was an every weekend occurrence. According to her people get belligerently drunk and trash the place.<br />
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Once aboard the <a href="https://www.fjordtours.com/" target="_blank">Fjord Tour</a> boat, I was treated to a colored sky and a brisk breeze. I went straight to the top deck. There was little to no seating, only one small bench that was clearly just a life jacket container. Almost all of the seating was inside downstairs. I thought this a bit odd for a sightseeing boat but I parked myself at the front and started to add layers. My backpack for the day contained a few snacks, my camera gear and three more layers. Once we got out of the beautiful harbor and into the open water, those three layers steadily came out one by one.<br />
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For the majority of the day, I was the only one on the top at the front because the wind was really intense. I loved it. It was cold, but I was prepared. Plus the best views were up there! I did travel around the boat quite a bit throughout the rest of the day but the front corner was where I spent most of my time. I did occasionally go inside for a warm up and a hot chocolate.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kT80JdPShuPThoAyU-IkOEu1l8FU3ZLgdBhl_v_pqITAWrIjXPDa9kkNIJ4iK2Aw5zNcNf-UFZlp9ZjLftWb0yNDwiuJdf6im9g1ErzufRD8Lrk9XgKl5TqIFaayvyvkEu8UGW6QgHM/s1600/IMG_5989+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Norway" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kT80JdPShuPThoAyU-IkOEu1l8FU3ZLgdBhl_v_pqITAWrIjXPDa9kkNIJ4iK2Aw5zNcNf-UFZlp9ZjLftWb0yNDwiuJdf6im9g1ErzufRD8Lrk9XgKl5TqIFaayvyvkEu8UGW6QgHM/s640/IMG_5989+-+Copy.JPG" title="Norway in a Nutshell Boat" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the boat.</td></tr>
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The seating area inside has almost floor to ceiling windows so you don't actually miss much while inside. However, people were very serious about their seats. Even if they weren't in them and there was no sign that anyone was sitting in them (a lingering jacket etc), someone would come back and say you were in their seat and ask you to move. I thought it was kind of strange and rude. So I ended up sitting in the middle section when I was inside.<u> </u><i><u>If having a window seat is important to you, go get one first thing when you get on the boat</u>. </i><u><i>There is always room outside.</i></u><br />
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The boat makes stops at various towns, almost like a bus or a ferry really. The captain did share a few facts on interesting rock formations and stopped the boat when we had some whale visitors (see pic below). But other than that there was no part of this that resembled a traditional tour and that was alright with me. I prefer to find my own way. The stops that the boat did make happened so fast, that if you weren't ready for them, you would miss them completely. The boat barely stops. It pulls into harbor, drops the front plank down just long enough so that people can hop on and then it pushes back. If I wasn't in the front of the boat watching, I would have thought no one could get on in such a short amount of time. I had never seen anything like it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRz2S8MGnAfOuKEZ5dlZMkoZoux9t9PqiHvYQEoJ4queCiso-YeOuG3tAla165zpGhJ6rhBpsfLHKiYTOBlWM4_tbbCF3SsGpZSqvBzrV9dj-3HdYpwCiS_BJk8zYuY0lykVG1kQ9Obww/s1600/IMG_6107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Norway" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRz2S8MGnAfOuKEZ5dlZMkoZoux9t9PqiHvYQEoJ4queCiso-YeOuG3tAla165zpGhJ6rhBpsfLHKiYTOBlWM4_tbbCF3SsGpZSqvBzrV9dj-3HdYpwCiS_BJk8zYuY0lykVG1kQ9Obww/s640/IMG_6107.JPG" title="Norway in a Nutshell stop" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stop along the way...less than 3 minutes. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rkMZu4nbGpVVBMWR0XoH-njFykD2qAGc57oPRzSWHlSFaZqoKrZmBWD3QA2EoF693VTx_s__Ho3KvzDwCpv5Lai0BBE6mJVoV0c_w6rLlgBOA-UrLabKI3YFySiA2BfwwDTM9QJWgM0/s1600/P1050999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Norway" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rkMZu4nbGpVVBMWR0XoH-njFykD2qAGc57oPRzSWHlSFaZqoKrZmBWD3QA2EoF693VTx_s__Ho3KvzDwCpv5Lai0BBE6mJVoV0c_w6rLlgBOA-UrLabKI3YFySiA2BfwwDTM9QJWgM0/s640/P1050999.JPG" title="Whales on Norway in a nutshell" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had some friends show up part way through the day. </td></tr>
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Depending on the season, it is worth exploring these stop overs and spending some time/ a night or two. There are incredible hiking and adventure activities all throughout this area for all seasons. You can add this stuff on through <a href="https://www.fjordtours.com/" target="_blank">Norway in a Nutshell</a> or do it on your own. But really they make it so easy with one stop shopping. Since my time was limited I stuck to the full day tour and I was happy with that. I left at dawn and got back at dusk.<br />
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The train from Flam to Myrdal was a lovely old railway like in the movies. Unfortunately, I dawdled during the one hour stop in Flam between the boat and train. I was looking for lunch but couldn't settle on anything even though there were a number of options including a small grocery store. So I got on the train a little bit closer to departure time than I had planned and ended up in car with a large tourist group. I had a window but the woman who was sitting next to me, kept trying to stick her DSLR out the window over my head every time we weren't in a tunnel. Then when the scenery moved to the other side, she invaded the space of the people across the row.<br />
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The train ride was beautiful and we stopped at a stunning waterfall for 10 minutes but I didn't even get out. I needed the 10 minutes to compose myself over the invasion of my space. The second train was more modern European type train. There was only one train that you could switch onto at Myrdal so it was not hard to switch, but you should still double check before getting on. <br />
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<b><u>General Information </u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b>Cost:</b> Approx $185.00 USD (obviously not a budget option but worth every penny)<br />
<b>Time: </b>8:00 am to about 5:30 pm<br />
<b>Transport: </b>Large boat, 2 trains<br />
<b>Route</b>: Bergen to Flam by Boat (8:00 - 13:30) → Flam to Myrdal by Train (14:50 - 15:38) → Myrdal to Bergen by Train (15:43 - 17:58)<br />
<b>Routes available:</b> More than 10<br />
<b>Top Tips: </b>If you want a window seat on the boat, claim that before you do anything else on the boat. I would recommend bringing snacks at the least, or even lunch. If you are doing a day trip, this will be easier than finding lunch in Flam because the town is small and the whole boat gets off there. Not to mention the numerous buses that are already there when you arrive. Bring lots of layers for the boat no matter the season.<br />
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The day I went, the weather was incredible. It alternated between picturesque clouds and bright blue sky. By the end of the day, all of the clouds had cleared. But why am I telling you when I can just show you?!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClttBqFIKoRZJ4KbF39QGhVicQXVYiWM-UVIzrafqV3rhi3XrTj-vF7oL0K2gyuzmeIfYLDR0iH5ZmxXRutYVB3C0zG9XEkadAuxBQYU2MRHrmg0o9iKD4gyip5P15jnS-AQ1hh4RFkE/s1600/IMG_5984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fjords" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClttBqFIKoRZJ4KbF39QGhVicQXVYiWM-UVIzrafqV3rhi3XrTj-vF7oL0K2gyuzmeIfYLDR0iH5ZmxXRutYVB3C0zG9XEkadAuxBQYU2MRHrmg0o9iKD4gyip5P15jnS-AQ1hh4RFkE/s640/IMG_5984.JPG" title="Norway in a Nutshell" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4IujOhKhATErS4F1ftc_JjcdLejk0mBu2EKfQ9QpqBmBnBej5UL7kxEBtq1YmMCM85UyNuZ_uzQyudK9HgRCiDBWtDoOv9QQ9MdjkBlVDsgFCUffFmI-9ttcVSSYwdLIrRpapc-sf5W4/s1600/IMG_6121+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4IujOhKhATErS4F1ftc_JjcdLejk0mBu2EKfQ9QpqBmBnBej5UL7kxEBtq1YmMCM85UyNuZ_uzQyudK9HgRCiDBWtDoOv9QQ9MdjkBlVDsgFCUffFmI-9ttcVSSYwdLIrRpapc-sf5W4/s640/IMG_6121+-+Copy.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So so so deep.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgl5pN0dk4eNWdW9b2cQGHChdOPtfVwhq7hycHZh7yYvfBzk5QS8e-4GXNatp1fNOgu5Xq_L-MtgqNFxrSqmZC8kC1Xlj7PC9u4hj0wlIOzwyes-U1YcyQVW6x_t9Q9n1IBi0FAIS_xF4/s1600/P1060109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgl5pN0dk4eNWdW9b2cQGHChdOPtfVwhq7hycHZh7yYvfBzk5QS8e-4GXNatp1fNOgu5Xq_L-MtgqNFxrSqmZC8kC1Xlj7PC9u4hj0wlIOzwyes-U1YcyQVW6x_t9Q9n1IBi0FAIS_xF4/s640/P1060109.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't worry, it's a fake owl, haha. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Thanks for reading! </span></div>
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-27985693655244657862017-01-06T12:02:00.001-05:002017-01-06T12:02:14.053-05:002016 Recap - Inventory <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't normally post year end re-caps but this year, in an effort to continue to connect to gratitude and growth, I've decided to give it a go. (Please note, this is an <i>abbreviated</i> list)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2016 feels like the longest short year on record of my life so far. By the end of the year I could barely recall specifically what happened this year... or was it last year (2015). I found myself grasping for my journals and my instagram (sad I know) to remind me. It was such a full and meandering year, I've had trouble keeping track of things. So here is an attempt to remind myself and of what came to be of 2016. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHoCs-TjV_g5DpYn0YdOgRUAaYsQl7Slr0r-ft0f-T-MHZ-enDHlDPOOFpRjhyxqcYdE3FIpPpdlvL2t_BbxY-Yt5qfvQgGTMVlYk6VN5AfjAh5rt0xy9DhoEqDSqSW42drpwGvTNqEA/s1600/IMG_5163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHoCs-TjV_g5DpYn0YdOgRUAaYsQl7Slr0r-ft0f-T-MHZ-enDHlDPOOFpRjhyxqcYdE3FIpPpdlvL2t_BbxY-Yt5qfvQgGTMVlYk6VN5AfjAh5rt0xy9DhoEqDSqSW42drpwGvTNqEA/s640/IMG_5163.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moment of Light, Trim Castle, Ireland (No Editing)</td></tr>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Places I Traveled (In No Particular Order) </span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><u>Domestic </u></i></b></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Colorado</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Connecticut</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pennsylvania</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maine</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New Hampshire</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New Jersey</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New York </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">North Carolina</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Texas </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><b><u>International </u></b></i></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Costa Rica</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ireland</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Northern Ireland </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Norway</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yoga Classes Taught</span> </u> - 96</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Interpersonal Relationships - </u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-Maintained and developed Core Relationships</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-Put more effort into seeing cousins and family - far and wide</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-Developed new friendships of depth and connection</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-Stopped gripping onto relationships that were not working </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-Allowed life to be life and focused time and effort where it was reciprocated and appreciated</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-Put an emphasis on balance throughout my interpersonal relationships, cultivated the depth of relationships that sustain me</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Big Moments of Gratitude </u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Participated in the wedding of one of my closest friends in a beautiful expression of devotion</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Watched my cousin get married in a foreign country surrounded by an incredible group of souls </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Every time I used my passport</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Meeting lots of new life</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Sharing New Years Eve at a cabin with family </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- The random extrovert phase I went through over the summer</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Everyday Gratitude </u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Time spent with family</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Breath </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Physical ability to try new activities - Barre, Aerial Yoga, ATV-ing, Snowshoeing, +</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Organizational Skills</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Health, myself, family and friends</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Attempt at a 40 day Kriya with a friend (we only made it part way) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Breath and meditation practice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Laughter and smiles with dear friends and picking up where we left off</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Moments of quiet</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Freedom of a flexible schedule </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Ability to understand process and teach myself new skills </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Support from friends and family </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Small decisions everyday that shape a year and a life </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Nights of good sleep</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Little notes from people I love</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Quality time in any form</span><br />
<span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">- Writing notes of gratitude by hand</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>2017 Room for Improvement </u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- More Blogging - Obviously - Haha</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Unreserved openness in close interpersonal relationships, more sharing</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- See the people I love as often as possible</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Implement strategies to curtail work-aholic tendencies </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Try at least three new athletic pursuits - TBD</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Consistently find time each day for 5 minutes of quiet (or more if possible)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Make choices around social media, the internet, email etc that allow me to be involved but decrease time and productivity loss</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Be more conscious about unconscious numbing practices</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Have more fun through shared experiences</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Cook More</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>2017 Projects </u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Picture/Video a day personal private archive</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Trip/Itinerary Planning for new travelers - Help more people travel </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Yoga/Spiritual Trip to an International Location (TBD) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Further monetization of this stie (I just started in December)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- 35th Birthday Adventure - Location TBD</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Try out the Bullet Journal System (The Basic Version)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Complete Ayurveda Course</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Take yoga workshops for CEs and personal enrichment</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Attend free lectures </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">What are you working on this year?</span><br />
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<br /></div>
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</div>
Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-36137390746551747992016-12-20T09:30:00.000-05:002017-02-11T14:21:32.730-05:00Bergen, Norway <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I chose Bergen as my second stop in Norway because of the proximity to Fjord Tours and its purported charming beauty. It didn't disappoint. I rented an <a href="http://www.airbnb.com/c/sawraha" target="_blank">Airbnb</a> in the University district of town, walked up a nice steep hill with my pack, met my host and then set off for a day of walking.<br />
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The walk from the University area to the center of town was about 10 minutes at most. Before long I was walking down Torgallmenningen, a pedestrian street with shops and restaurants in the center of town. (That day there was some sort of children's fair going on.) I walked through this area until I hit the water and the road turns into Torget. There is a so called famous Fish Market when you get to the marina but honestly it was nothing to speak of. It was a mere few stalls. It also seemed to be there for tourists. I didn't see many people selling much of anything. (This is included in a lot of people's must see/Top 5 lists but it shouldn't be. This is a less than 10 minute walk-by)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrULmk8ukRZx_1yJyrD_8xM9n30dychgE9MTh4c04_VciV8ub5OvHRfctFbdt_3sBbhIp7gHrPdnSCro9N_974McY5xY8tF8PZycdzIfwpIRmRt2QQ87D728vJPnEW2B_EZ0Qx1Hh1K0o/s1600/IMG_5805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrULmk8ukRZx_1yJyrD_8xM9n30dychgE9MTh4c04_VciV8ub5OvHRfctFbdt_3sBbhIp7gHrPdnSCro9N_974McY5xY8tF8PZycdzIfwpIRmRt2QQ87D728vJPnEW2B_EZ0Qx1Hh1K0o/s640/IMG_5805.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bergen Fist Market</td></tr>
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Less than a block from the fish market the road splits at Starbucks and Restaurant 1877 (yes Starbucks). Take a left to walk along the marina and towards the UNESCO old wharf area called <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/59" target="_blank">Bryggen</a>, more on that later. I took a right and started up a little hill towards Mount Fløyen and the Fløibanen funicular. I had a general idea of where it was using was and wasn't using a map so I just headed in the general direction of the hill. A three minute walk up the hill brought me to the entrance of the funicular. While I was deciding to walk up or not, I popped into a sandwich shop right at the crest of the hill. It was cute, made a good sandwich and was an excellent vantage point for watching the comings and goings. It turned out that there had been a survival type race at the top earlier in the day. People started walking by with medals on, similar t-shirts and mud, lots of people covered in mud. I later looked it up, it was the equivalent of a Spartan Race but Norwegian style. The race was for people of all ages too, so there were some much older people and some children who had participated as well. It looked like a great Saturday outing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIDSELoQzrT2q-qcra6m1xI3IN2wXIv-Gv4Fo3Ijr4SAKA0THhtVEoq-qbvPrxPM3YxaY5fpMABPGAkSPMGu24TCT5qo2DVP3Vwf6V2-fw-PZlMenEd-NTkWgC2Kdo9J5idQqhcC7uNdI/s1600/P1050681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIDSELoQzrT2q-qcra6m1xI3IN2wXIv-Gv4Fo3Ijr4SAKA0THhtVEoq-qbvPrxPM3YxaY5fpMABPGAkSPMGu24TCT5qo2DVP3Vwf6V2-fw-PZlMenEd-NTkWgC2Kdo9J5idQqhcC7uNdI/s640/P1050681.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fløibanen funicular</td></tr>
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I decided in the interest of time and daylight to take the funicular up and down. (They say it is a 30 - 45min walk up, it looked longer to me).It was a reasonable NOK 90,- for round trip (approx. $11.00 USD). Considering the pricing of some things in Norway, this was a steal. They really pack you in the car both on the way up and down. It is a quick ride, less than ten minutes and then voila you are at the top and step out to breathtaking views.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcX0S5QY0rIh0NIi0EIya6cFBQfvD7T8zivJNcFfNNJFWwIpEmTEYdiUUk6ZpGKwVG1nVWdhCtBvjyRWVmfI9o5aTkuxLKxBcF5w8IXDz5gM0KUo2629KyXWcnqC2PfAhyI-WebE4KmbI/s1600/IMG_5813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcX0S5QY0rIh0NIi0EIya6cFBQfvD7T8zivJNcFfNNJFWwIpEmTEYdiUUk6ZpGKwVG1nVWdhCtBvjyRWVmfI9o5aTkuxLKxBcF5w8IXDz5gM0KUo2629KyXWcnqC2PfAhyI-WebE4KmbI/s640/IMG_5813.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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There is a restaurant/cafe and a few shops at the top but the real gem is the forest. There are numerous walking and hiking trails all over the top of Mount Fløyen. They were well sign posted and easy to follow. I never felt lost. In the summer months there are guided hikes. The distance of each route is listed on the signs, so you won't end up doing a really long hike accidentally. In the winter, apparently some of these trails are open for sledding! I took a nice easy couple of kms walk, went to a little lake and circled back through the forest and ended up back at the funicular. It was a great way to spend the afternoon, especially if you like trees.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree with eyes. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Someone has a sense of humor. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Funicular on the way down. </td></tr>
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Once back at the bottom, the crowds were going left so I took an immediate right turn onto<br />
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Øvregaten . This brought me through a few closed shops, and eventually to the back side of the Bryggen UNESCO site. I figured I would enter through the front so I wound down by a church, Mariakirken (it was closed) and passed Kroken street which was very photogenic.<br />
I wandered to the Fort which was mostly under construction and general "skip it" for me, although it did give a good view of the harbor, shipyard and the cruise ships if you walked all the way through the gardens.<br />
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I walked back towards the harbor and eventually to Bryggen. It was late in the day so I skipped the museum and just walked through the old wooden houses and shops,it looked and felt like a movie set. It was a beautiful day, so the restaurants and patio seating was full. People were even lounging on the tops of their boats in the harbor having what can only be described as a very public happy hour. If you own a boat, flaunt it kind of thing. I felt like I was looking into and walking by people's living rooms. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous wooden houses of the wharf. </td></tr>
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En route back to my <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/c/sawraha" target="_blank">Airbnb</a>, I stopped off at a Japanese restaurant,<a href="http://sumorestaurant.no/no/" target="_blank"> Sumo Restaurant</a>, got some outdoor seating and had one of the best salmon meals of my life. The dainty sauce was flavorful but not overpowering and I wanted to ask the chef for the recipe. I know, not very Norwegian but it was on the way to my bed and with a early rise the next day it was the right choice. Sometimes you just need something that is on the way.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smartest allergy key I've seen. So easy. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Definitely not local. </td></tr>
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-17602287194446691132016-12-13T09:30:00.000-05:002017-02-11T14:21:48.171-05:00What is the Wild Atlantic Way?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Between 2013 and 2014 when I visited the West Coast of Ireland, there was a massive change. The coast road had been renamed and it set off a tourism boom. I know what you're thinking, Ireland has always been popular. But this was something different. An exercise in the power of branding.<br />
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Everywhere I looked there was a squiggly zigzag line and the letter N or S. I was so confused. I started to see travel bloggers tagging #wildatlanticway in posts pertaining to Ireland. So I started asking around and doing some research. My first thought was, I've been all up and down the West Coast, how could I not know what this is? But then I realized it hadn't existed before. They simply took the coastal route and renamed it, put in some new signs and started promoting the hell out of it.<br />
It was brilliant really. Take something that has always existed and change the name to garner publicity and tourism money.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdRYKdRQbOXX5TtL3eGO-RtUA92m7zzXfrrjKREIbPB1fiAvXCTGU6huCAungyGDo1f7d7cywQcSwvj0q_9Wn_N_cyD8awBf_n-6_scQBnHSwBHJx3-1Sv1PWB-2dYrGw4hkRmVJtU278/s1600/DSC_0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdRYKdRQbOXX5TtL3eGO-RtUA92m7zzXfrrjKREIbPB1fiAvXCTGU6huCAungyGDo1f7d7cywQcSwvj0q_9Wn_N_cyD8awBf_n-6_scQBnHSwBHJx3-1Sv1PWB-2dYrGw4hkRmVJtU278/s640/DSC_0046.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">County Donegal - Wild Atlantic Way Sign </td></tr>
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Since the TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange) conference was in Dublin in October 2013, there was a wealth of travel bloggers and travel industry insiders ready and willing to take on the challenge of spreading the word and spread the word they did. This single campaign has increased tourism to almost pre-crash rates. Tourism in 2014, 2015 and projected in 2016 was nearly double the population of Ireland.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUc52idCAr7AWYViOZZ97dXhR8dizA4pMyOe7ayOnG6PNOrJl8bOo-ks0lWCtZvG-A374QNIgwEz92BFx_llFDUqkvDJMvUodEcafGgP0soxPobJhC1GiuWLsB74ZhTQZrPRwBoNL12s/s1600/IMG_7609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUc52idCAr7AWYViOZZ97dXhR8dizA4pMyOe7ayOnG6PNOrJl8bOo-ks0lWCtZvG-A374QNIgwEz92BFx_llFDUqkvDJMvUodEcafGgP0soxPobJhC1GiuWLsB74ZhTQZrPRwBoNL12s/s640/IMG_7609.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doolough Valley, County Mayo - with Wild Atlantic Way Signpost</td></tr>
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Bus tours now run from Dublin to "do the <a href="http://www.wildatlanticway.com/home" target="_blank">Wild Atlantic Way</a>," in a day. For a route encompassing 2,500 km winding from Cork to Donegal, this is quite a stretch. Tourists can pick up a "passport" of the route and get stamps along the way like a theme park. I'll say it again, the scheme is brilliant but the reaction has been mixed. Sure everyone thinks it's great to have tourism dollars rolling in (nearly 4 billion Euro according to <a href="https://www.tourismireland.com/Press-Releases/2015/November/Tourism-Ireland-launches-2016-marketing-plans" target="_blank">Tourism Ireland</a>), but on the flip side many think the buses whipping across the country and up and down the coast leaves a lot to be desired. While speaking to a friend about this in September 2016, I said, "Well wasn't that always the way with the Cliffs of Moher anyways?" She said yes, there were always buses but not on the scale it is now. She further expressed that for the amount of increase in bus traffic, she is not sure the tourism money is actually making it into the small towns. As I traveled up the coast in 2016, I talked to each person I met about this, especially if they were in tourism. The comments were mixed as well, as with most changes, there seemed to be a love/hate relationship with it. Good for the economy overall but bad for traffic and overall busyness.<br />
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I always worry about places I love being irreparably changed or co-opted by too much tourism or branding that feels just a little bit disingenuous, I've seen it a lot in my travels. I have complicated relationship with branding<i>. </i>But the more I look at these campaigns, I realize they highlight some of the best parts of this small but spacious island. There are of course the cheesy touristy things but there are also activities and places that highlight a complicated religious, pagan and political past. They show that even though things change, there is still a fire of the ancient a-light in Ireland. <br />
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Due to the success of this scheme on the West Coast, the East Coast has been clamoring for something of their own. Enter "<a href="http://www.irelandsancienteast.com/" target="_blank">Ireland's Ancient East</a>" campaign. Using a similar concept here, re-naming something that has always been there, this 2016 campaign highlights sites like <a href="http://www.newgrange.com/" target="_blank">Newgrange</a>, <a href="http://powerscourt.com/" target="_blank">Powerscourt </a>and even <a href="https://hookpeninsula.com/" target="_blank">Hook Head </a>in Wexford. I started seeing these signs during my September 2016 trip. This route runs down the East Coast but also touches on some inland sights as well.<br />
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So why am I telling you all this? For one really good reason, don't go to Ireland to "do the Wild Atlantic Way," or "Ireland's Ancient East." Don't go to check off a box. Go because the scenery is stunning, the people are kind and loving, the earth feels alive and the history is incredible.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fEtbii6y0rLZC09Y8Sbpke3zxlCO_tsDgt2J0_v5iY17b6LESt_3X1laqaM6_cm4jq0_sxjeUnZC9OFAy-p1sqbLQHylb7R12cxiz3DRVyqWhxZqlNPGKBU15YzF_3ksFbeVnLZVlew/s1600/IMG_7591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fEtbii6y0rLZC09Y8Sbpke3zxlCO_tsDgt2J0_v5iY17b6LESt_3X1laqaM6_cm4jq0_sxjeUnZC9OFAy-p1sqbLQHylb7R12cxiz3DRVyqWhxZqlNPGKBU15YzF_3ksFbeVnLZVlew/s640/IMG_7591.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most of the stops have signs that are hard to miss. Luckily they are easy to cut out of pictures - see below.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Killarey Fjord, County Mayo, 2016 - This sheep really wanted to be in my picture. <br />
It waited until I was set up to casually stroll across my path. </td></tr>
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3458450650934342278.post-41780731915498731592016-12-11T14:29:00.003-05:002016-12-12T18:50:05.369-05:00Keeping it precious - Ireland <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In Ireland, the term precious can often mean coveting or negatively desiring and hiding. For example, "My Mom didn't let me have taytos when I was young, so I got precious about it when I could have them as an adult. " Basically, you cling to it and try to keep it all to yourself like a spoiled child. I guess it's not that different than what it means in the US, being of high value, dear or beloved, but the context is different.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Hiking in the Burren</td></tr>
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Why am I telling you this? I noticed that I do that with my Ireland trips, haha. Literally all of them. </div>
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Don't believe me? Click through the Ireland tag and see how little I have written about on of my favorite and most visited countries. There are some pictures, sure but nothing that reflects the thousands of miles I've driven there. I think this is because of the sacred affinity I feel to Ireland. Part of me wants to share it and part of me wants to keep all these awesome out of the way finds secret. It's silly, but it's a very backpacker-y thing to do in an age when sites are overrun due to publicity and and every blogger has a best of hack list to each country.<br />
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So I am going to work on this through the next few posts because I love it there and in the future I hope to be leading some trips there so more of you can fall in love with it!<br />
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Sawrah http://www.blogger.com/profile/04368411526539225173noreply@blogger.com2