With my expected end date of July 1st, we thought ahead and planned a month traveling around Germany, Netherlands, and Czech Republic. Unfortunately/Fortunately, I was extended through to 2020... meaning, we would be cutting our Europe trip a couple weeks short. Two and a half weeks is still not a bad vacation. And honestly, I don't think the kid could have lasted much longer. He was exhausted. Putting my mind to something other than what was going on at work, I planned what I wanted to see in each city/town/country... within a reasonable distance. Planned the number of days per location, and then narrowed it down to 10 (sadly only 10) attractions per main city... with of course, the expectation that Rehan would do his best to sabotage "the plan". FrankfurtOne day layover, with enough time to find the pizza we had over 10 years ago. It was still there and looked exactly the same. AmsterdamThe plan was to visit 10 attractions within each city, in a particular order and the least amount of walking, totaling ~3 hours on foot if we didn't include the time at each location. First thing in Amsterdam, get tickets for Anne Frank House. This is not easy. Online only, and everyday you need to log onto their site starting at 9am and refresh every hour until tickets appear (thats if you didn't get tickets one month in advance). Day 1, no tickets so we started through my checklist of places to see and they had to listen to me recite the fun facts of history I read about each location. Day 2: after a couple hours I finally scored 3 tickets for the afternoon. Yes, it was during the world cup soccer match between USA and Netherlands... Whoops! That would have been something to see. Americans in Netherlands, during a major sporting event against each other. Instead, we were walking through Anne Frank house experiencing a completely different vibe. The checklist for Amsterdam went a little easier than expected. Especially with our legs still fresh, no back pain, and feeling "alright", we took a train to Leiden to visit a friend we met last year in Peru. BerlinBy this point, Rehan was starting to get antsy. He wanted to stray away from "the plan". Berlin got broken up into two days. One day in the order I was suggesting. Day two, what we didn't see on day one, and in reverse order because Rehan has a hard time following instruction. Again, both of them listening to me recite historical facts as we approach, walk through, and leave each of the attractions (their personal tour guide). PragueHere's where the list became a struggle to complete, with a few alterations and figuring out times each would be open/closed. The kid was exhausted, Rehan was against the list, and the city had so much to see. In addition, we fit in a side trip to Kutna Hora to see the Sedlec Ossuary (bone church) and St. Barbara's Cathedral... unplanned and forcing me to do extra historical research on a town not on my planned path. Still, reciting facts as we approached, walked through, and walked away. Even after walking up a steep hill and out of breath... "okay, this is St. Barbara's bridge resembling St. Charles bridge in Prague and...." MunichThe list is now shot. We used as a general guideline, but the two travel mates have gone rogue. We somehow still finished most everything, barely, but they were against following "the path". I guess after two weeks of 30-40k steps per day might have been a little much. Maybe next time I won't share the plan with them.
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Don't taunt the weather at home (forecast of snow), especially before heading to Toronto for work in the middle of February. Never been so cold in my life. Adjusting to the news of layoffs and managing through various other stresses, why not a last minute trip to one of our favorite vacation spots... Cabo. This time he left his mark to always remember himself by.
PlanningPacked and Ready!11/25: Our Osprey backpacks packed with only the essentials, no suitcases, we're traveling light. But of course, this is where the morning stopped going smooth and it got a bit rough. Why would it not? Forgot my Apple watch at home and our flight leaving for SFO was delayed by 2 hours. With a 10-hour layover in San Francisco we headed to Costco. I wanted my steps on this trip to count, got a temporary Apple watch [which we returned after we got back at end of trip]. Then walking around until we needed to be back at airport. 11/26: London airport. 5-hour layover. Regretting my choice of shoes for this long of a trip, which was also not a plan to walk in them as much as we did in San Francisco. Angry little footsies. Israel11/27: Finally! We arrived in Tel Aviv. I'm in Israel! Immigration was a breeze. The expectation of Rehan being detained for many hours, and his lubricant ready in his pocket, we were barely questioned. I guess this time he had the token white chick, so his normal greeting was cut short. This seemed way too easy of a start. Luggage. Waiting. Still waiting. Our backpacks are nowhere to be seen. Shit! Almost everything we had was in those packs. Tail between our legs, frustrated with how "important" it was to baggage claim staff, the lack of caring was amazing. We headed to our AirBnB. It was nice, overlooked the sea and city, but being unable to freshen up after traveling was uncomfortable. 11/28: Still no luggage and still in the same clothes, we were making the best of the situation. Rented bikes to ride to Jaffa to see the old port and most of all, hummus! Not just any hummus, the most amazing hummus I have ever tried. Abu Hassan! 11/29: Let's just say, still no luggage and this is our last day in Tel Aviv. Checking status of our claim online, trying to stay positive, but I was having a hard time with it. With a fresh change of underwear, but same clothes being worn now for 4 days, we drove to Caesarea and Haifa. 11/30-12/1: Jerusalem! Such a beautiful, history filled, and one of the oldest cities in the world. Sadly though, still no luggage... ugh. Starting to give up hope and feeling like it was time to wash clothe(s). Walking through the narrow streets, brick walls, cobble stone, and surrounded by three of the major religions of the world; Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. 12/2: Took the wrong road out of Jerusalem and here we were accidentally driving through West Bank on our way to the Dead Sea. Ha! We can check that off our bucket list. Night float in the Dead Sea. It was weird. I had this feeling of peace. The one body of water that I felt totally at ease. No living creatures, no rocks, nothing could nibble on my toes. It was my equivalent of a clean room. Just a nice float in a thick baby oil like sea. My skin felt so soft...and oily. Jordan12/3: Crossed the border from Israel to Jordan on foot. Border control took a little more time for Rehan, but we were granted permission to enter. Quick lunch, rented car, then off to Wadi Rum to sleep in a yurt and camp in the sand. I must say. Out of all the places I have been in the world, Wadi Rum might be one of the most picturesque, eye pleasing, beautiful locations. We arrived at night, but looking up at the stars... no light polution and a large galaxy above us. Breathtaking. 12/4: Walk across the dessert, jeep ride, and sunset camel ride. One full day of seclusion, serenity, at peace. No words can describe this place. 12/5: Off to Petra. Long awaited, my final modern wonder of the world. Excitement is brewing! Of course, after we pickup a hitchhiker who was also leaving Wadi Rum and heading our direction. Probably not always the safest idea to pickup random strangers, but... he looked fairly safe. We made a friend :) OMG! We finally arrived. Dropped off our newly founded companion, checked into the hotel, and wasted no time walking over to the park. Petra! Not exactly how I envisioned it in my head, but still a gasping view to unfold. Once you're able to ignore all the Captain Jacks running around trying to sell you something, its quite a remarkable view. 12/6: I woke up early to a text from a coworker asking "how are you doing". Odd. Not somebody that normally asks that. Then as I'm fumbling through Facebook around 2am I see another coworker posted, "had a talk with the Bob's". Now I'm curious so I checked my work email. I've been laid off. The whole office is being closed and we've been given our papers. I swing over and hit Rehan, I'm crying, and hand him my phone. Shit! What am I going to do. Walking around Petra. Dark cloud overhead, metaphorically, not much talking... just hiking, walking, wondering the trails and seeing the various archaeological sites. Rehan trying to have words of wisdom to help me feel better, occasionally saying something that is "too soon", but extremely comforting and appreciative that he acknowledged how I must be feeling. I thank him for this. Egypt12/7: Attended a call for the office closure before leaving for the airport, on our way to Egypt. Just to listen to what was going on since nobody would talk to me until I signed and acknowledged the details of my exit date. Small issue... I was in a dessert, no printer, no fax, and had to return the signed form by end of day today. Challenge accepted. [was able to print and return a picture of it from the hotel in Egypt, by end of day] Drove up to Amman to drop off the car and head to the airport. Only to finally have the pleasure of seeing the inside of an interrogation room. Rehan seemed relaxed. He's been through this song and dance before. We were released after a bit of questioning and we proceeded on our journey. And just in case you weren't sure, still no luggage. Day 11 without our bags. The shit show was piling up, but we weren't going to let it get to the better of us. We've arrived in Egypt. The view from our hotel room was amazing, The Great Pyramid of Giza. Standing right before us. 12/8: The last standing Ancient Wonder of the World, checklist completed. Besides how rude and aggressive the locals were with the sight of my fare skin and red hair and wanting to take my photo, once I covered up with a scarf it allowed me to look around. Absorb the grandness of being amongst the enormity of the pyramids. How the fk did they manage to build them. LUGGAGE ARRIVED12/8 (continued...):
Arrived at the hotel and just happened to look across the lobby and squealed in excitement! Last day of our trip and our bags FINALLY arrived! 10 days, purchasing necessities along the way, making do with what we had. I will put on and wear all my clothes on this final day! 20% - That was one of our goals when we booked the trip for Rio De Janeiro. We wanted to fall within the 20% of those that visit Brazil that don't get mugged. The other goal, Christ the Redeemer. This was going to be both of our sixth modern wonder of the world, and sadly our seventh wasn't the same. A lot more planning went into this trip. From safety, areas to absolutely avoid, places of interests, and most of all clothes that would conceal phones, cards, and necessities...again, to hopefully avoid being mugged. Rio De JaneiroFirst stop, of course, Concovado Mountain to see the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue. Knocking off another Modern Wonder from the bucket list. In addition to the statue, it also came with a breathtaking view of the city below. Seeing the different neighborhoods and favelas scattered around. A clear separation of wealth and poverty. Next, Parque Lage and Botanical Garden, a park at the base of Concovado Mountain. Immediately as we approached the atrium of the mansion I couldn't help but have Snoop Dogg and Pharrell playing in my head, "Beautiful". Seeing that video back in 2002, it was spot on. Everywhere I looked, I couldn't help but hum the tune. Was so catchy. Continuing with following in the footsteps of Snoop, Santa Teresa was the most logical to venture next. Walking through this quirky neighborhood of art, vibrant colors, and steep winding streets, it was almost easy to let our guard down and forget all the hype of Rio being a dangerous city. Was a cute, quant area. The Selaran Steps (Escadaria Selaran) was the main attraction. Arriving just before sun down, the crowds were minimal, leaving the steps almost just to ourselves. Church of our lady of the Candelaria was our last stop just before dark. Such a beautiful church, with a heavy history. After dark in Rio is not in a tourists best interests. Once the sun starts to go down, find a safe place and call an Uber back to the hotel. Why risk? Again, we're not looking to be one of the 80%. Copacabana - classic and famous beach. No, we weren't in Rio during the prime season, but still it did not disappoint. People working out on the sand, volleyball courts, and even with overcast sky the weather wasn't too hot but still a bit muggy (no pun intended). We had one more stop on the list before we headed to Sao Paulo to finish out our trip. Morro da Urca and Sugarloaf Mountain. We attempted to go up the day before, but the low clouds would have left visibility nil to nothing. Morro da Urca is the first stop of a cable car ride up to Sugarloaf Mountain. Allowing for more views overlooking the beautiful city of Rio. Sao PauloSao Paulo, the financial center of Brazil. Still with the plan to not get mugged (Yes! this was our main topic of the trip), suiting me up with hiding items in my "garments" and we headed out. A main stop was Mercado Municipal de Sao Paulo. Probably not making the smartest choice to walk through some sketch areas to get there. Rehan putting on his "mean" face and me nonchalantly, but confidently, making eye contact with those we passed and just kept on walking without any sense of hesitation. We arrived at the food hall. Rows and rows of stalls. Then upstairs filled with restaurants (I won't deny it, we ate most our meals here). Now, when most trip advisory sites rate a church one of the top 10 attractions in a city but one of the most dangerous for tourists to visit, we had to debate our odds. So far we were on the winning side of safety. Maybe tempt it a little more? Rehan putting on his best stank face, we made the walk for Catedral da se de Sao Paulo (Sao Paulo Cathedral). The cathedral was beautiful. A sort of typical Roman Catholic, gothic revival mix. Inside was stunning, outside structure itself even more breathtaking, turning around and facing the park that it adjoins to... terrifying, but strangely familiar. We laughed. It felt like home. Walking past drug addicts and homeless, all of which was no different than walking through downtown Portland. Of course, keeping our phones hidden, limited photo's, and not being an irresponsible unknowing tourist, we were good. Our trip was sadly coming to an end. I was going to miss shoving three phones in my bra, along with cash and cards hidden in a secret pocket inside my pants... we had one more stop. Liberdade. Home to the world's largest ethnic Japanese community outside of Japan. Also, one of the most prone areas to be pick pocketed. Its game time. Bumped into, shoved, and pushing our way through crowds, all items still tucked snug and safe in their hiding spots on my body. We are 20%! Final weekend of my friends one month West Coast visit, we took a short flight down to San Francisco. Of course, we nearly missed the flight from Portland. Arrived at the gate just before the door closed. I still can't believe we made it. Checked into the hotel, then immediately left the hotel to walk around before it got too late and everything was closed. The next couple days involved a lot of walking, staring at google maps, and besides a few cranky moments of disagreement there were still a lot of laughs, fun, and long conversations. Saturday: Union Square, Trolly, lombard Street, Alcatraz (from a distance), Golden Gate Bridge (from a distance), Ghiradelli Square, Pier 39, Fishermans Wharf, Sea Lions Sunday: Union Square, City Bus, Street Car, Chinatown, Coit Tower, Transamerica Pyramid, In-N-Out burger Monday: Union Square, Macys, watched a labor day protest, took the Bart to airport I saw quite a bit over the last 30 days. Things even I have never seen or experienced, and I've lived here for 38+ years. Due to weather, temperature, air quality (smoke from the fires), and overall exhausting the poor guy and needing to give him an occasional nap break... there was quite a bit I excluded from my original plan. Even I was starting to struggle to keep up with myself. Whether it was Seattle, Oregon, or in San Francisco... what we did cover is still quite impressive. Seeing more than many people see in a lifetime. Photo Credits: Kat Wilson & Santhosh Nemmaluri
Keep Portland Weird, City of Roses, Bridge City, Stumptown, Bridgetown.... along with many others. All being names for Portland. A city I will always just call "home". For months I had planned my friends visit. Adding in as many of my favorite places, and ones I haven't yet been. Figuring out which were feasible after work vs needed to be grouped together for a weekend. Then the smoke from the fires in Canada rolled in. All that planning was destroyed. Pushing us to stay indoors until it cleared, but still fitting in as much as possible:
I will admit, I was sensitive over Portland. Showing it off like a prized cow. Wanting and hoping my friend would go back and tell all our coworkers how amazing of a city it was. But honestly, it didn't matter. I love this city. Its my home, my city, and I get to enjoy it every day regardless what anyone else thinks of it. On the same note, he taught me a few things. Stop rushing. Slow down. Yes, I can enjoy the things around me but when was the last time I stopped and looked at something closer? I need to take more time for the things I really enjoy.... or for the things I don't know I enjoy yet, because I don't give myself time to figure it out. Photo Credits: Kat Wilson & Santhosh Nemmaluri
After a long weekend in Newport and heading up highway 101 to Tillamook, there was still time before the sun was due to set and for us to make a small detour before heading back to Beaverton... plus, it had finally stopped raining. Driving down highway 26 you can't help but notice a sign that is nothing less than begging for visitors, "It's Down Here to Vernonia" with an arrow pointing. About a half hour through windy roads, you will finally arrive upon a small quant town. A single road, small businesses, restaurants, and repair shops on either side. I stumbled upon this town a few years back while searching for unique points of interest to photograph. In Venonia's case there is a gem hidden on the edge of the lake just outside of the main town, an abandoned mill building turned into a grafitti park. Now, anyone that knows me knows my heart will skip a beat and flutter at the sight of well done street art. This place does that. Photo Credits: Kat Wilson & Santhosh Nemmaluri
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