Bullfights, Medellin

At 7am when I arrived after my long bus ride, I entered the hostel filled with hundreds (Im pretty positive it was hundreds) of beer bottles and a group of guys still drinking!! When I came back to Casa Kiwi in Medellin, I was so happy to see that Michael and Jodi were still there. I saw Michael still drinking and I instantly started blurting out English to him because I was soo happy to finally speak English after 3 entire days of only speaking Spanish. I knew Goobs was still there and we were all planning on going to the bullfights.

I knew the bullfights would involve torturing the bull. But I thought it was more tormenting, and not KILLING. I seriously had no idea that they kill the bull at the end of the fight. Had I known, Im not sure if I would have paid 30,000 pesos (15USD) to see it. It definitely was my first and last bullfight. I think. BUT, I do realize that it was a cultural experience. When I get home, I plan on wikipeding these bullfights to find out more, because half of the time I was so confused. After one bullfight, they were all the same, and I became bored because I just wasnt that interested in watching the bull die. Although, I found myself wanting to watch just to see if the guy would get his ass beat. I didnt want anyone to die...I just wanted to see them squirm, lol. And the last fight, a bull nearly got the bullfighter and the crowd was on its toes. But of course, all his friends came out to help him and distract the bull. So machismo to try and conquer this bull who fights alone with no weapons, and yet you have your buddies waiting to help you out. Its definitely an unfair fight.

And they gave us flowers to throw at the bullfighter, but I thought it was much more amusing to the throw them at the heads of people in the lower section. haha.

The after party....well, lets just say that it was only sponsored by rum. There were no cervezas to be found. So rum and coke it was...for everyone. And I ate pigs ears...which is good meat, but really weird when you know what you are eating because you have to spit out the cartilidge. Basically they just served pork fat. Pork fat and rum. and rum. and rum. and rum....

Cali, Colombia

Before I left the states, I had talking to a coworker about my trip. She told me that she is from Cali, Colombia and that she still has family there. She insisted that I stay with them, which was completely fine with me. After a few days of being in Medellin, I took a 9 hour bus down to Cali during the morning and arrived around 6pm. Jose and his girlfriend Mari picked me up from the station. They were sooo nice!! On the way to the apartment, it started to rain and there was lightening. It was a very different setting from my arrival in Medellin.

Later that night Jose and Mari took me to this place were we just had a local beer and communicated in Spanish. I ended up speaking spanish for the next 3 days. I only spoke English for 2 minutes when I called my mom.

The next day, Mari really wanted to take me to the river, Rio Ponce. Apparently it is a huge spot for locals to hang out. We went during the week, so there was not as many people, but there were still a lot of family in the river and cooking lunch along the bend. That is what I enjoyed most about hanging out with Jose and Mari because they took me to places were there were only locals, no tourists. They were really excited to show me around to places they enjoy going to.

Mari and Jose were going to teach my how to salsa, since Cali is the salsa capital of Colombia. But I woke up from my nap to rain, thunder, and lightening. And the electricity had gone out all over the city. So we could not listen to salsa music and watch the video for my to learn the moves. We heard that a parking garage had become flooded at the supermarket, so we went to go check that out. The water was a few inches above the ground, so people had to walk in huge puddles to get to their cars.

The power stayed off for almost 24 hours. And I thought they would have hot water. But I thought wrong. So one day I couldn´t bare to wash my hair.

On friday, we went to the zoo. Going to the zoo was great because I got to practice my spanish for animals. Also, I saw some species of animals I have never seen before, but I forget some of their names. The zoo was quite big and well organized. And it wasn't that full with people. The weather started to get sunny, luckily it didnt rain that day.

Let me tell you that I was very well fed. I was living the poor life back in Medellin, and in Cali the family was treating me like a queen, plumping me up with so much food that my new first word I learned while there was llena, or "full." After my last dinner, Jose and Mari took me to the bus station to take a 10 hour ride back to Medellin.

I appreciate everything that Mari, Jose, and his parents did for me. They were so completely generous and open for me to stay with them in their a apartment. The people here are so loving and full of hospitality, despite what people may think.

Also, the bus system in Colombia is a HUNDRED times better than the nasty Greyhound Bus in the states. Ew. And it cost me $13 for a 9 hour ride compared to $60 in the states.

A special thank you to Lucy.

Paragliding in Colombia

Medellin, Colombia is quite known for its paragliding because of the mountains and wind. I had really wanted to go, so I found someone who wanted to go as well, and we sought out a mission to go paragliding. And Jodi and Michael (from London) came with us as well for the adventure and moral support. We walked about 20 minutes to the metro then took that for about 15 min to a bus station where we took a red funky school bus for about an hour up the mountain. It was awesome being at the top and overlooking the city. Morty and I got strapped it to do a tandom paraglide. I wasnt scared at first becuase they literally strap you in and tell you 3 sentences in spanish then start running and you are immediately in the air. The very first thought I had was "these strings are gonna fuckin break" pardon the language, lol, but thats what I was thinking! But after about 5 minutes I was ok. I was in the air, about 3000 feet in the air. It was a great feeling once I started to relax. I was surprised how spontaneous this once and that I was not nervous at all. Thanks to Morty, I was able to do something I have been wanting to do for a long time. But at a MUCH cheaper price!

Pics up later.

Estoy en Colombia!

Finally made it. It was an adventure not having a plan once i got off the airplane. after 40 minutes of a police officer helping me out and then an american airlines steward, i decided it would be best to just take a taxi even tho it cost $28. but i didnt realize it was an hour long taxi ride, so it was worth it. the best drive ever!!! went all the way up a mountain and then down the other side. SF has got nothing on these hills! and i noticed the taxi driver was driving stick. i would have never been able to do it. Medellin is located deep in a valley surrounded by tons of lush green mountains. it was absolutely gorgeous. and the little candy stores in the small mountain communities were like in the dominican. the taxi driver was soooo nice, he pulled over a few times to point things out to me and tell me abut the country, all in spanish of course. but i understood most of it.

the hostel has like 5 bunkbeds all in one room, so u make friends right away. after i took a shower (finally) the guy i was talking to earlierwas going to meet a friend of his from when he was in panama. his friend lives here now teaching. so we had dinner and he told us about Medellin and we just got to know each other. They were from Denmark and Canada. And they said congratulations with your new president. they knew more about our politics then i do!

anyways...i should go to bed now. im sooo wiped out from the plane rides and no sleep the nights before.

glad i made it alive!! haha

Why I am going to South America

Many of you have been asking.....and NO, it is NOT because I am rich or some other crazy assumption. Trust me, if anything, I have gone into debt over this trip....and Im not even there yet! So why go?


1. My main objective was because I wanted to volunteer again. I absolutely LOVED my experience in the Dominican Republic. I loved working with the kids, trying to communicate through broken spanish/english, teaching them new things such as songs and dances, and honestly...I just loved their enthusiasm and joy to teach ME things they knew. Little kids are much more excited and willing to teach you things, they are more adventurous, with (for the most part) innocent minds and hearts. It sounds ironic, but you can really learn more from a child than from an adult.
>> I will be volunteering in Ecuador for three weeks. Check out the program: http://www.ifrevolunteers.org/ecuador/street_children.php

2. I was supposed to study abroad in Ecuador, but the program got canceled. Once I set my mind on something, it is hard to try and change it. Therefore, I was set on traveling to Ecuador. I chose Ecuador (for both the study abroad and volunteer programs) because of cost and it happened to hit on the dot the type of programs I was interested in. There was an option to volunteer in Peru, but I liked the program better in Ecuador.

3. Machu Picchu. Since my spanish project of Peru in the 11th grade, this archeological landmark has been number 1 on my list of places to visit. Which is why I wanted to volunteer (or study) in Peru or somewhere close (such as Ecuador) so I would be able to cost-efficiently arrive at the steps of Machu Picchu.

4. Why am I going to Colombia, most of you ask? Why not? Because its dangerous? So is Salinas or East LA, yet no one asks me why I would go there. I know, I know, its different. I figured, since I was in the area....it would be a perfect time to see Colombia (it is right above Ecuador). I actually know several people who live there or have family there...(much more so than Ecuador or Peru), so I have gotten a lot of insight about the Country. And I will be staying with a coworkers family for more than half my stay in Colombia.

5. I want to improve my spanish!!! The only way for me to do that is to get out there and be forced to speak it!

6. Maybe I wont always have hot water, or internet access, or clean clothes...but I will be enjoying some of the best AUTHENTIC food, with some of the most lively and friendly cultures there are! No offense, but Im tired of the RUDE and inconsiderate public I work with. I hope not to offend our American culture...but it feels good to get out in the world and experience other forms of living.

7. I need something adventurous to do. I need to get out in the world on my own. Becoming an adult is scary, so at least let me start with something that Im passionate about.


Believe me when I say that I am NOT made of money just deciding to blow all that cash on this trip. I have been planning this for over a year (so I was able to use AA miles on the round trip flight - saved A LOT of money). I'm just coming to a point in my life where I need to start a professional career, and like...become responsible, and I see this trip as a transition between where I am now, and where I want to be in the future. I know Im in the financial hole and I dont care. I will be crossing off my number one place in this world I want to see. Passion and dedication are inevitably strong forces toward happiness.

You CAN do what you want. <3

Santa Cruz/Mt. Madonna

Adventures with Tomas Pt. 1

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
I had talked to Tomas a few days ago and we decided that we wanted to go hiking or something. Yesterday I had to go to Cabrillo to pick up transcripts, so I figure we might as well go to Mt. Madonna since its on the way back from Santa Cruz (going toward Gilroy). When we were at Cabrillo, we decided to go to the boardwalk since we were so close anyways. I hadn't been to the boardwalk in a few years. And I actually have never gone when the rides are closed. Tomas was hungry and craving greasy food. I think there was just one food place open. I really wanted dip 'n dots, but they were closed.

The boardwalk was completely empty except for a few kids. We walked along the boardwalk then went on the beach. You would think it would be cold, considering its early January. But it was a perfect day. I had a sweater and long pants on, but the weather was just perfect - not too hot or too cold. California weather is pretty much summer time already in January. (Kinda makes me sad because I want to go snowboarding). It looks like they have a new ride on the boardwalk, a drop-zone type of ride. Tomas looked like a bum with his beanie on, so we just pretended we were bums. We wanted a more realistic Santa Cruz experience, lol.

Mt. Madonna
Next, we drove to Mt. Madonna (between Gilroy and Watsonville). I realized that some of us Hollister folk like to pick on Watsonville, calling it ghetto and all. Truth of the matter is, just by driving down TWO streets, I saw more stuff to do there than Hollister has to offer. Typical.

So we get to Mt. Madonna and finally find somewhere to park. Tomas, being the bum that he was, for some reason I found him looking in the trash. Then he stuck his hand in the trash can (I thought he was taking the bum thing too far) and pulled out some bum nudie treasure!!! He found some cards with naked women on them, haha.

We hiked on the "Spring Lake Trail" because Tomas thought it would lead us to a Lake. I don't understand his logic since we were hiking UP and not down. But I guess we will never know if there is really a lake or spring there or not, because we never finished the trail. We came across a lot of mushrooms along the way. I'm not sure how many miles we hiked, but the climb up was pretty intense. I could feel my quads and calves burning. We stopped to eat several times because we needed to take a rest (we are amateur hikers). We had fruit and trail mix. At least we were healthy.

It was a good feeling to get out in the open air and hike. If I'm not working, I just stay at home and watch TV on my computer (theres nothing else to do here...sometimes I go to Target, lol). It's no ones fault but my own...but at the same time, I'm not gonna go hiking by myself. I knew Tomas would be up for the adventure with me. I wanted to do more hiking because I know I will have some major trekking to do in Machu Picchu. I love hiking and outdoorsy stuff, so it was fun to actually get out and do something!

I'm not sure what was worse, the hike up or the hike down. Yes, the hike up was more strenuous on my lungs and upper legs, but the way down hurt my feet and ankles just as much. At times, we even ran down because it was easier on the feet/legs. I would like to start running again, but I know that probably won't happen. But it felt nice to run down the trail, I'd rather do that type of running.

Picture taken by self-timer :)

Maybe a hike at the Pinnacles next??

Today, I woke up sore as hell :|
I definitely need to exercise more.

Lovefest 2008!

Thursday night I visited Cathry in San Francisco and had a super fab time as she has the hook ups in the nightlife :) I was asked about Lovefest and if I would be coming back up for it. What is this Lovefest you speak of? Come to find out its a huge Rave style festival. I didn't really know what else to expect, except that I knew it would be in San Francisco...and well, that kinda helps you put the pieces together.

SO anyways, I knew that my cousin would be going to it, she lives in Berkeley. So I drove to Berkeley first and got ready with the cousins - Kelly and Katie. They were so cute and so themed out. I am a little shy when it comes to themed outfits (altho...anything goes at Lovefest - crazy colors, patterns, peace signs, costumes, glitter, bracelets, nudity...) I stuck with my uber cute Pink! sweater with a peace sign on the back. I put on long fake eyelashes with glitter - I thought they were cute :) Throughout the day I also accumulated some raver bracelets.

After, we walked to catch a ride on the BART to where the party was going down in Union Square, San Francisco. We caught the last of the parade, which was coo l because we thought it would be over by the time we got there.

Finally, after getting food, we made it to the Festival of LOVE. When we first got there, it was not as packed, but as the hours went by, more and more people were attending Lovefest. All of the floats were spread out and each had their own DJ- all playing Rave and House music. I really enjoyed it because I've been getting into this kind of music after traveling this summer in Europe and Australia - they love the house music.

The best part of the day was laughing with Katie about the ridiculousness of some of the outfits, or lack there of, people were sporting. Some things made sense according to the theme, others...not so much. And the nudity...wow. We saw a tour bus go by and I just thought of how crazy it might be for these tourists to see all of this, when I'm sure some of them had no idea what they were in for that day! It reminds me of the time my mom and I drove thru San Fran coming back home. I was young, and some of the things I saw...my eyes were wide open. Later that night, I caught the news, only to find out that the Gay Pride Parade was being held earlier that day in SF. It ALL made sense... I thought that was what SF was like... Imagine what strangers would think of this day called Lovefest.

Later that day I hooked up with Cathry and her friends. We made several stops at this bar on the corner right outside of the perimeters of Lovefest. Night settled in, and most people were dancing. Cathry TORE IT UP!!! Yes, you did Cathry! She started a "circle" where she busted out some sick moves! Some THIZZ moves! Hella Hyphy style! Basically, she was on fire and loving it.

I haven't been to a concert or festival in a long time, so it was a perfect time to be staying in Norcal. Lovefest was exciting, strange, and not to mention a random adventure considering I found out about it two days before.

PEACE && LOVE <33

LOVEFEST WEBSITE

The Netherlands

Before entering the ever-so-anticipated Amsterdam, our group stopped off in Edam, Holland. But before I begin, as some of you may be confused like I was.... Holland vs. The Netherlands?? Why the two different names?

So I wiki'd it: The Netherlands is often called Holland which is formally incorrect as North and South Holland are merely two of its twelve provinces. I continued to read on wiki. The Netherlands vs. Holland is similar to United Kingdom vs. England. I also thought that was confusing. Now it all makes sense! Thank you wikipedia!

The Netherlands is known for its traditional windmills, cheese, clogs, bikes, and...drugs and prostitution. And yes, just by going to two cities...I was emerged in all that culture!

Edam, Noord-Holland
As we crossed the Dutch border, we stopped at the lovely town of Edam. Now, heres a town I could definitely live in. I don't know how close it is to the next major city, but I wouldn't mind. We walked about 10 minutes through the town to the Bike a Dijk (pronounced Dyke, lol. Apparently many though that was funny). The canals were amazing. I thought Venice was awesome, but looking back at my pictures, Edam was definitely more photogenic.

So the bike ride was pretty much one of my favorite things. As you know, I love, love, love! to ride bikes. And these "granny" bikes as they call them are not your average mountain bike. They are sort of like beach cruisers. The seats were different because my butt kept slipping forward. It wasn't noticeable if you rode the bike using the force of your hands on the handlebars to keep you on the seat, however, I like to ride with no hands. So I had to strategically place my butt on the very back edge of the seat. Our bike instructor was impressed that I was able to ride long periods without any hands. She said not most people can do that on those bikes. I felt accomplished that I finally found a true talent. I may not be able to play an instrument or act, or cook, or anything else cool...but...I can ride my bike with no handlebars :)

Next, we visited a cheese and clog factory. Its pretty crazy how cheese is made. You can make several different cheeses and types just by the temperature. The best cheese I have ever had was called Old Amsterdam. I'm kicking myself for not buying a big chunk. Note to self: ALWAYS buy things that you love, especially if the price is reasonable (the price of the cheese was reasonable, I was just being tight). But I think you can buy that cheese here too. As for the clog making, its pretty crazy. They just get a piece of wood, and drill a hole in in, basically. And you can blow the hole and water will drip out. The guy let me demonstrate the blow in front of everyone. How embarrassing. Later during the trip, I had everyone sign the unfinished wooden shoe, and I graciously thanked Ollie and Hans on everyone's behalf, and handed them the wooden shoe. Lol, I doubt customs would have let me bring it back in the states. It totally could have been contaminated ;)

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland
Ooh, Amsterdam. The Nation's lively and eccentric (in the eyes of Americans) capital. Where prostitution is legal. I watched a documentary in my criminology class on the prostitution in Amsterdam. Prostitutes can get tested for free, and even given free needles (even though the government does not condone drugs (besides weed obviously) they realize that in this profession, drugs will probably be used. So might as well be safe than sorry. The Dutch are known for being very liberal.

We arrived in Amsterdam in the later afternoon. Later that night we headed to the Red Light District. And I saw prostitutes in the windows. We were advised to not dare take pictures of them. Yes, we DID go to a LIVE sex show. It was....actually...really artistic. I found nothing vulgar or raunchy about it. But then again, I am very open-minded to different stuff. Don't get me wrong, my jaw dropped a few times, but its only natural...being American and all, haha. The show was actually artistic and theatrical. It was a SHOW, not a porn shooting. I've seen worse in Disney movies. I was just experiencing the culture... And Peter ate a banana from a vagina!!! ahahahhahaaha. And yes, there was many coffee shops around. After the sex show, we all went out to dance and party.

omg, side note. This was the night Pete practically yelled at me because I didn't understand what the hell "chook" (pronounced something like "chalk") meant. He refered to me as a "baby choke" and I was like, what the hell, Im not a piece of chalk!! He spelled it out for me, and I replied, "Ooh you mean Chooook?" Lol, that upset him. It took about 10 minutes for us to come to any sort of understanding. Haha, you know I don't speak Australian!!

The next day, a few of us went on a paddle boat excursion. We ate the yummy dutch cookies: stroopwafels (THE BEST EVER!) and passed by Anne Frank's house. I forget why we decided not to go inside the house, maybe it was the cost or time? I still would like to read her diary; I never read it for class. Picture: This is the house were Anne Frank was in hiding during the genocide.

After, we had several hours to wander the streets before dinner. And of course the one day I didn't wear a hood or bring an umbrella...it started raining. So we ran into stores and under cover. We ended up at a mall. Actually, that's all I really remember from walking around...was going into a million different retail stores. OH and trying to find a damn bathroom that didn't charge. I was afraid I would pay money...then get stage freight, haha.

That night, we had our last meal as a group. We ate at a Chinese restaurant that is a replica of a floating restaurant in Hong Kong. But apparently, they had to decrease the number of people allowed in the restaurant, because it started to sink when filled to original capacity. The restaurant in Hong Kong floats on salt water, which allows for more buoyancy. The food was delishhhhh. And we introduced the "In Bed" ending for a fortune cookie statement to a fellow Aussie mate who was unfamiliar with the concept.

Some of us wanted to hang out more and go to the grass hopper. We pretty much just sat around a few tables, ordered some beers, and just talked, reminisced, and laughed. It was such a simple and pleasurable time, hanging out with new friends whom we would soon be saying good-bye to. It was team America vs. team Australia. We taught each other a thing or two, and tried to understand some common sayings. That night, George and I had a random late night snack of Turkish pizza/burrito?? Im not really sure what we were eating, but it was goooooooood!!!

The Netherlands was soo much fun, and definitely exceeded my expectations. I would just own a bike and paddle boat and be completely happy.

Germany

Munich, Germany
We arrived to the center of downtown Munich at the Glockenspiel with the clock. I was starving! Liz went to get some money, and I went to find some food. I bought a piece of bread or something random, lol. We didn't really have much time here, but we checked out H&M. Its weird cause there are like 5 of them down the same street. Can you imagine going to the mall with Gap around every corner. Thats what its like.

Now, let the beerfest in Germany begin! Our whole group went to a Beer Hall, filled with dancing, yodeling, and well...drinking! Dinner was delish! I ate everything on my plate, and helped Sheilah out with hers! German food is yummy! (I used to also work at a German restaurant). Our beersteins of beer were HUGE! And I was the first to finish my beerstein at my table, impressive, I know! A few steins later, and it was time to hit the night scene in Munich. Whatever that was.

I went out with some people from our group, and we took the metro somewhere, we just followed our tour guide. I dont really know where we were, but we were trying to find some bars or clubs. We ended up going to a bar/club with no cover. There were these Spanish guys somewhere along the way, and apparently, I started speaking "fluent" Spanish, haha. So we followed them to the bar. After this random adventure to the dance floor, we headed back to the hostel. There, I ran into Peter and Sami. Sami informed me that there was a "Maccas" (McDonalds) down the street. We had been having conversations about going on a Maccas run, so we decided to go. Across the street was a gas station or quickie mart or something. Sami was video taping our adventure to Maccas, while walking backwards. All of a sudden, I heard some pottery break....and I took off RUNNING!!! Sami ran into something at the quickie mart while wlkaing backwards. I kept running down the street/alley and I heard people running behind me. We were out of breath by the time we got to Maccas. There, we met up with more people from our group. Im guessing it was pretty late, maybe after 2am. Everyone had the munchies for a tasty burger. That McChicken may have cost me 6 Euros (ouch!) but it was daaaaamn good!!! The Maccas Run is pretty much my favorite random memory of this Eurotrip.


St. Goar, Germany
If you have been to San Juan, CA...then this is what this place reminded me of. Super small town with one main road. There was a pizza parlor, a bar, a church, a bank, and a small market. Actually, Im not sure if this was St. Goar, or just a really small neighboring town. Im pretty sure the place we visited on the way here was St. Goar, but maybe its all the same place? Anyways, the place where we were staying was in a really small little town. So, I dont know what it was called where we were staying at. It wasnt a hotel or a hostel. It was like a big house. The rooms were downstairs, and they were like rooms in a normal house. An old house. They had a garage with some weird ass stuff, like mannequins, bikes, etc. And there was an eliptical in the hallway, random! Well, if you walked behind the house, past the railroad tracks, there was a river. And in the distance you could see a castle that was on top of a hill (Thats the cool thing about Europe, lots of castles!). We hung out by the river for awhile, skipping rocks, then decided to walk down the main street to see what else was in the town. It was quiet, and Im pretty sure our group were the only people walking around. And because of Chantel, that night I slept in fear of bed bugs! And our bed broke, haha.


Dachau, Germany
Also, on the way to St. Goar, we had stopped at the Concentration Camp in Dachau. It was the same one I went to last year. This time, I did a lot more reading of the information that was around the camp. Last year I felt really glooomy, because I had just read the book Because of Romek, so I kind of just walked around instead of reading stuff. The information just soaks you in! It gives you a whole different perspective on life.

London Town

Soo....lets start off this European Highlights blog in London, England! Team 831 (I guess I might as well come up with a name to refer to us as....maybe Team California?) started the European trip in London. My past international travels have also been with other tour companies. Each one had airport pick-up, which made things easy. This trip, we had to get out of the airport ourselves. But it was EASY! We knew exactly which line of the tube to get from the airport and where to go. Then once we left the tube station...our hotel was 2 blocks away. Easy. Haha, but it was a fun and adventurous beginning for our little gang.

Got there early. Sat around for a bit. Checked in. Took showers and cleaned up. Met at 4:30pm to explore London Town. Got some information, hopped on the tube, and continued to jump on and off checking out different sites around London.

Highlights of London:

1. The tube experience itself. English is a good way to start the trip, and learning how to navigate public transportation. I LOVE public transportation (and NO that was NOT sarcastic, its true!) And with public transportation...always comes good stories. The tube doors would shut rather quickly, allowing maybe 30 seconds to hop on and off? We must have been on and off that thing at least 6 times with no problems. And sometimes the whole group would know where we were going, other times, some of us didnt. So on our way back to the hotel, the last ride of the day.... And the doors SHUT on 3 of us! Sheilah nearly lost her leg as the doors closed. I remember seeing Chantel's face inside the tube. Confused. What the heck! The doors SHUT on us. Peter, Sheilah, and I were left behind. Luckily it was a time when we knew where the whole group was going. I mean, I would have been horrified if it was just me that got left and I happened to not know where we were all going, right? That would have been painful. And later as I will mention, Ollie, our glorious tour guide, informed us that, "HURRY! THEY DONT FUCKING WAIT!" [about the doors closings]. No kidding. They DONT wait.


2. Places we stopped at/things we saw:

Big Ben right as we got off the first tube ride. Pretty cool to see that right away. We were all so pumped up and excited to ride the tube and figure out things to see! Picture clicking everywhere!
We saw the London Tower as we stood on the London Bridge (which most people confused the Tower for the bridge...London Bridge is just a regular bridge, nothing fancy).
Buckingham Palace. I didnt know this at the time, but if the flag is up, then the Queen is home. According to my pictures...the flag was up. And the guards told us where to go where you can take pictures with standing still guards. They are just there for show. I personally didnt find this to be fun and/or entertaining to take pictures with them. Its weird. Who does that? A lot of people!


3. Green Park. We walked through this park and it was so great! I found a squirrel friend. We kind of broke up as a group slowly. Some wanted ice cream, some wanted to sit down, etc. There were lounge chairs everywhere on the grass. I knew you were expected to pay for them. We all wanted to sit and just enjoy the fact that we were in LONDON! I mean, I dont really go to parks here in California. Its actually quite a shame. It felt perfect to just lay there and enjoy the day. Some people got kicked out of the chairs cause they didnt want to pay, I knew it! Here's a good video of Liz and her awesome commentary of the park:

4. Abbey Road. Before leaving the hotel, I made sure I talked to someone about how to get to Abbey Road. My mom would probably disown me if she knew I had a free day in London and didnt check this site out! For those who dont know...Abbey Road is the name of a Beatles album, and the cover in particular is iconic. They are walking across Abbey Road in London, apparently where their studio was located. But of course, the way tourist attractions mess up meaning, this new "Abbey Road" was moved because of traffic or something. London still wanted to make it a tourist attraction...so they moved it down the road I think, haha. Kinda lame. But still, this was my favorite time in London. Trying to capture the right pose with all the traffic was entertaining!


Its terribly hard to try and pick my "favorite" city. They are all unique and amazing in their own way. But if I had to pick....London just might take the bait. It was clean, you could tube it and walk everywhere, I already knew the language.....and London by far has the coolest music scene! If the pound didnt kill our dollar, I would love to visit London (as well as the rest of England) for a much longer period of time. And I already told Nathan to work me up an architectural drawing of my English brick house with brilliant (yeah I sait it) green trees all around. And I'll paint my own zebra crossing in front of it. Bloody brilliant! And the telephone booths. We had to.

PS....It got dark around 10pm. Talk about a looooong day!

Team 831. First group photo in London, England. Nothing but bliss.