The Plan B Adventure

Over the last two weeks we have been travelling through the Western Cape province of South Africa. This specific area, in and around Cape Town, is not only where South Africa started but is infamously known as the birthplace of Apartheid. In our efforts to creatively compose this blog we have decided to craft this entry in the same vein as the political prisoners of the time. Each political prisoner (depending on his ranking) was allowed one 500 word letter every six months. Keep in mind as you read this entry that this period of time is only two weeks, not SIX months!

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We could barely contain our excitement even as we went by passenger bus from Nairobi airport to Arusha, Tanzania which would serve as the origination point for our East African safari. Actually one of those reasons for the premature excitement was our viewing of giraffes and zebras even before getting to Arusha and Becca’s screams of glee as she finally laid eyes on the long awaited prize of safari animals. Over the next five days that glee and excitement wouldn’t leave either of us as our heads were on a constant swivel and knees acting as shock-absorbers as we awaited the next exciting animal around the corner.

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Our trip down (remember South to North) the Nile continued courtesy of a giant cruise boat, The Miss World. It was us two, Craig (our new travelling buddy) and about a hundred of our closest Russian friends. Unknown to us the Russians love to travel during the off-times and don’t mind enduring the heat as they have some of the most creative outfits we have seen worldwide. Well, the Miss World took us along the Nile riverbanks which allowed us to view the locals at work and play. We also docked at a few stops along the way in order to view some of the temples located along the shore and, more importantly, restock our supply of Stella (not Artois) beer as it cost over 6 times more on the boat! Although the scenery is beautiful as you coast down the Nile refreshments make the time much more interesting as Craig taught us…just kidding buddy!

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We are absolutely amazed with the contest submissions and still laughing days later from the classic K-1 Bloggers ideas. Thank you everyone for having as much fun with this as we had reading your entries. As we expected the competition was tight and extremely competitive…

In the interest of being completely fair we decided to provide some of our own thinking on the submissions that didn’t quite make the cut……

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Wow…the Sinai Peninsula is fantastic. After traveling through Jordan, spending a night in the desert, and visiting multiple sights we decided to treat ourselves to a well-deserved, do-nothing beach vacation. We crossed from the southern Jordan port city of Aqaba to the lonely Egyptian port city of Nuweiba via the fast ferry. This is one ferry that you wanna pay up for as the slow ferry is an 8-10 hour adventure according to who you run into on the road. Not only was it a good choice for speed but we also got the opportunity to meet a new Italian friend, Valerio whom convinced us that Dahab should be our destination for rest and relaxation. Perfect recommendation!!

The beaches of Dahab are almost non-existent (a few a bike ride away) but the town itself is set up in order to take advantage of the beautiful Red Sea. Almost the entire city sits along a reef….just off the water are the restaurants and pubs, then a small Boardwalk-type of street that runs along the entire waterfront, then all hotels and guesthouses that bracket the Boardwalk. Very well done in our opinion. Well, we were there to DO NOTHING! So unless you’d like to hear about how much tanning lotion we went through, mind-numbing books we read, or 40-cent falafels we consumed there is not much to write about. One thing we would be remiss in relating to you all is one of the only physical activities we took part in besides flipping from back to front on our lounge chair…..the snorkeling. Dahab is well known in certain circles as one of the best places to scuba and snorkel. After two days, Valerio convinced us to finally drag our lazy bums off the lounge chairs where we found an unbelievable underwater world just steps away. If the sheer numbers and size of the fish (giant snapper and cow-looking fish) don’t amaze you, the colors of the huge schools and dense coral will almost cause you to swallow the Red Sea as you scream in delight! This is a must-do activity in Dahab and although packed with people make sure not to miss out on the Lighthouse reef spot which offers some of the most visible fish, eels, sponges, and anemones around!

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Hello from Egypt…..we have been laying on the beach along the Red Sea for a little under a week. Not much of a story there except for the amazing snorkeling over and around the reefs of Dahab. Thought we would have a little interactive fun with you….our readers….before our next adventurous post!!

That means Quiz Time!!! As we have travelled the world the multitude of people that we have met have asked us a simple yet sometimes puzzling question:

“What is traditional American food!!”

Well, we think we’ve come up with some pretty good answers but we want to hear from the masses…..what constitutes American food (remember steak and fries are French)??? Be very creative!!!

We want to hear everyone’s ideas and the winner (picked judiciously) will receive a surprise gift from our journey around the world….DON’T MISS OUT!! Post your submission TODAY!!!

Imagine you are a Roman soldier in A.D. 106 venturing into what looks to be some unassuming desert mountains and all of a sudden you find yourself winding your way through a naturally formed crevass of sheer sandstone cliffs. Still in awe from the rock formations that nature itself created you are awe-struck as you round the last tall corner and run smack dab into the Ancient Nabatean kingdom of Petra.

Well, without having to lug around all the soldier garb (well, we did lug our picnic falafel lunch) this is exactly what we felt like as we took our initial voyage into the lost city of Petra. Awestruck! Lost is a very appropriate moniker for this city, not only due to it being the filming spot for Indiana Jones but also simply due to its ceased existence for over 1200 years after the Romans left. As we rounded the final corner of towering cliffs in front of us stood the amazing Treasury in all it’s glory. What an introduction to this magical city!! Surprisingly, the massive amounts of tourists we expected to see were non-existent and while a few others were there it was very quiet except for the random bellowing of the local camels.

Just a quick side note on sounds of the world as we hit our sixth or seventh Muslim country. While infrequent camel bellowing might be quite funny, something that isn’t as funny is consistently being awakened at 4-5AM by the lovely ‘Call to Prayer’. Ok…lovely is quite a stretch! In fact, picture arising from a dead REM sleep to what sounds like a pre-pubescent teenage boy singing (We use that loosely) in Arabic in order to remind the Muslim world within earshot that it is time to get out of bed and pray. Man, what a dedication! In order to make light of the situation we have begun to rate ‘Call to Prayer’ nominees and many of the most talented would give Taylor (on American Idol) a run for his money.

Ok back to Petra…..after spending quite a chunk of time in awe of the Treasury and discussing how such an ancient accomplishment could still be standing we were off to explore the rest of the ruins. As we wandered down the inner sanctum we felt like our necks would break with the voracious turns at the amazing sights around every corner. What you don’t realize when you just read about Petra is the overall enormity and architecture undertaking that the ancient Nabateans proceeded in creating out of the side of a mountain. The painstaking detail, otherworldly colors and sheer number of relics are something that can only be experienced in person. Over the next few hours we ducked into many an ancient tombs, climbed the stairs of the theatre and polished off our falafel lunch (must bring lunch….tourist food prices are outrageous) in anticipation of our next big adventure…..the Monastery. After a 30 minute hike (ride a donkey up if over 60 years of age or consult your local physician) we arrived at our favorite sight in Petra. The famous, high-perched Monastery sits all by itself atop 800 stairs and is thought to have been used as an ancient temple as well as sacred tomb. As you hit the 800th step and glance right you have trouble comprehending it’s giant size. Instead the best views are from far aback as you walk up to another lookout that gives you sweeping views of the Monastery in front and mountains and valleys to the rear.

As we ended our day in Petra we took one last walk by the Treasury. Everyone visiting Petra should take the time to experience the monuments at different points of the day. This is especially true of the Treasury which sits opposite a towering red cliff which when hit by the late day sun changes everything. Wandering up the narrow mountain entryway the intense day of sightseeing hit us as we were taking the long walk back and we ran into what the locals would term an ‘Oasis’…..we call it Amstel on Tap. Ahhhh!! That really hits the spot after a long day walking and over two hundred intense photographic moments. In an effort to wind down even further we met up with Joe and Heather (previously mentioned NW travelmates) for a local cooking class at the famous Petra Kitchen. We are so glad that they invited us along as this (our first class since Vietnam) class introduced us to an entirely new cuisine which we have now almost become addicted. The class consisted of just us four as well as Head Chef Hussein and some other prep cook helpers. These experts taught us the finer points of creating a six course Jordanian meal which we subsequently sat down and devoured Jordanian-style…..with your hands. Of course, it’s tastier that way!

Our second day at Petra was done in the interest of relaxing as we planned to head south to an extend our fascinating Jordan experience with a day and night in the desert. But before we left Petra we packed a shwarma lunch and did a few hikes to see the city from above. Don’t miss these types of treks if you go to Petra, they give you a completely different perspective of the ancient city. After our few days in Petra we were off to the southern desert community of Wadi Rum as we make our way to the southern tip of Petra and then into Egypt.

Wadi Rum is definitely a different experience from anything we’ve had thus far. This is the middle of the desert…yes, the same one you think of when you think of Saudi Arabia. Local Bedouin (nomadic Arabs) people are the only ones allowed to inhabit these lands as their people have for thousands of years in the past. Most of these Bedouins are thought to have nomadically migrated from those parts of the Arabian desert before settling down in what is now Jordan on the banks of a long ago dried up river. As we began our adventure we got to experience the famous Bedouin hospitality. This includes being welcomed into their home, playing with their children, sharing their tea, and swatting at their flies (wow, there are a lot of them in the desert)!!! The Bedouin are famous for their hospitality to strangers because they believe in true reciprocity as nomads….so if you see this guy walking down YOUR street invite him in for a Coke or Steak or McDonalds or whatever American tradition you wish to share. Our tour through the Wadi Rum desert included a fascinating drive through and around the red sandstone cliffs; a few walks on some rock bridges and up some dunes; meeting some fantastic travelling partners (Roberta, Sean, and Jocelyn); and a picnic in the brief shade. After a full day exploring rocks, sands, and camels we settled into our camp just before sundown in order to catch the desert sunset extravaganza as well as fill our bellies with Bedouin home cooked meal. WOW on both fronts!! Watching the sun set over the hot desert and red rock mountains while perched atop one of those rocks yourself is one for the memory banks. The colors and vistas aren’t easily replicated with photos but we tried our best. After sunset we headed back for an amazing meal cooked entirely through the resources of Mother Nature (well, except for the oil drum!). The meal consisted of roasted chicken, potatoes, vegetables, and onions all buried for hours underneath the hot sands in an unused, oil drum (of course it was unused, Mom!) and then stoked with local wood to give it the most unusual yet tasty flavor. After filling our bellies we dragged our mats out into the open desert and laid down to experience the brightest galatical light show you could ever imagine while our Bedouin hosts treated us to their local music. What an adventure and something we never thought we would do in a million years!

After a fun-filled, ten-day jaunt through the wonderful country of Jordan we made our way to the southern port city of Aqaba as our exit point to a few days of rest and relaxation on the Red Sea. As we left the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan we looked back and realized that Jordan being where it’s located (in the middle of constant conflict) gets a bad rap with tourists. These people are some of the friendliest, well-intended, genuine people we have met along our world adventure. If you get the chance give them a chance and experience their amazing hospitality and beautiful history….Off to Egypt and the world of ancient (really, ancient) civilization!

Thank you to our K-1 Bloggers again, for your great questions! We decided to take your questions and answer them for everyone to read. We are so excited that you are following along on our adventure with us.

I liked the pictures of you with your new friends. – Amy

We have really enjoyed meeting kids from all around the world. They are just as curious as you all are about our travels.

Was it scary up on those rock bridges? – Connor

The rock bridge was VERY scary, Jeff did a good job of working on conquering his fear of heights. Connor, do you think you would walk all the way across?

What did it feel like sleeping on those mats at night and seeing all of the stars? – Joseph

The mats were very nice but the wind was blowing very hard and sand was getting in our faces. We loved seeing all of the stars and the planet Venus.

That was cool how you floated in the Dead Sea! – Karen

It was like having water wings all over your body. Very cool!

Were the stars pretty when you looked up? – Jordyn

The stars were very pretty and were VERY bright. You could see many shooting stars and satellites orbiting the earth. It truly was amazing……very memorable.

Did you see the big dipper? – David

We did see the big dipper David, and we saw the little dipper too!

Were you thirsty in the desert? – Kevin

We were very thirsty in the desert, we did not bring enough water. Next time we are in the desert we will bring MORE water. Although, we did have a lot of tea.

What was the tempertature in the desert? – Jillian

The temperature during the day in the desert was around 100 degrees, whew….that is hot. At night the temperature was close to 60 degrees….it changes alot from day to night.

Did you have fun riding the donkey, Becca? – Nathan

Becca had a lot of fun riding the donkey – it was very fun! She got to gallop and prance along side the horses.

Did any of the donkeys try to buck you off? – Nate

None of the donkeys tried to buck her off, although you have to hold on tight because they move pretty fast.

Was it ever cold for you in India? – Anderson

Never, we were sweating and hot for one whole week!

How is the food? – Catrina

The food is incredible worldwide but we still enjoy eating McDonald’s every once in a while. It reminds us of home.

We are excited to hear about your travels in Egypt! Will you see some mummies? Will you see some Egyptians?

We will see some mummies and we have met some very nice and funny Egyptians already. We will take pictures of some mummies for you.

We interrupt this travel blog for an important announcement.

Two of our closest friends in the world, Andrew and Emily Lamb, welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Asher, into the world on May 17th. We couldn’t be more excited for them both as they take the plunge into parenthood.

We’ve got pictures…he is so adorable he brought Becca to tears right in the middle of the internet cafe……Looks like Dad and Luke have a new Cubbies seasonticket holder!!

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Congratulations Andrew and Em!!!

After over a month on the road with everything from meals to transportation to accommodation being planned we are free again to do anything we like. It was a nice change of pace after travelling for the first three months self-sufficiently but it is also very draining. When you pay for a service you want to make sure you get everything out of it and the guides are always more than willing to make it very worth your while. We had a great time but realized one thing….these old bones need a restin’! As we get back to travelling on our own we are more apt to take mid-day breaks, settle in after an early dinner, and drag our lazy butts out of bed at 10AM. It’s our choice and we like having that option again.

Well, Jordan is just the place to do that. This country is set up to be travelled easily on your own. From north to south is only six hours by car which is a welcomed change from some of the arduous bus rides we have undertaken. As we will find over the next two weeks Jordan contains just as rich a history as any of the other Middle Eastern countries and is populated by some of the friendliest people (they keep getting friendlier) we have encountered. Everyone yells “Welcome to Jordan” as you pass by or even from across the street!

We arrived at the Queen Alia Airport just south of Amman at 2AM via an easy flight from Istanbul. Due to the time of arrival we had to arrange for transportation to our hotel in advance. This is always a good choice at 2AM instead of the tiresome haggling of taxi fees with an unknown driver. Additionally, many of the budget hotels in Amman are either a bit too budgety or located in the noisy downtown area so we opted to stay outside Amman in a great little town called Madaba. This was a brilliant choice! The Miriam Hotel located on a quiet side street in Madaba provided transportation from the airport, breakfast, help with day-trip planning, and even has a swimming pool!! As we were looking to relax and take a load off for a few days this was the perfect place to do so. Wandering down the quiet streets; frequenting the abundant treat shops; sipping our new favorite sweet, mint tea; and exploring the historical mosaics of this ancient Biblical region was just what we needed to slow down. Well…we did leave out one thing and it was definitely the best and cheapest…..the falafel or shwarma sandwiches!!! Every meal in Madaba consisted of at least one as the sandwiches cost 40 cents and the flavor was unlike anything we’ve tasted in the States.

The next few days spent in Madaba consisted of day trips to some of the neighboring sights. A favorite had to be the ancient Roman city of Jerash. The modern town, itself, is not much but the ancient city and ruins deliver a perfect overview of the greatness this city use to hold. From its collonaded ‘Cardo Maximus’ street to the multiple theatres and Oval Forum meeting place, as soon as you step foot in this town you are transported back into time and feel like any minute Emporer Hadrian will come prancing through his arch. In order to make the experience even grander the local Jordanian Tourism Board employed the experts that helped film ‘Gladitor’ in order to put together true-to-life battle scenes, chariot races, and well-rounded education on Caesar’s famous Sixth Legion. It’s a fascinating experience and if you are young (looking) enough make sure to ask for the student discount as the prices are a bit steep!

In combination with Jerash we ventured into big city Jordan and it’s capital Amman. We had only a half a day but enjoyed some of the major sights which, again, had an overwhelming Roman influence. The next day we opted for a relaxation retreat to the Dead Sea, only a short drive from our home in Madaba. This is more of a ‘been there, done that’ type of experience yet we both really had a blast trying to sink ourselves and stay upright in this bouyant water. Wow….what a trip to try and stand and have your feet shoot up to the surface!! The beach (if you want to call it that) is not all that enticing so we recommend if you’d like to stay there longer than a daytrip to hit one of the multiple luxury resorts and also daytrip to Israel which is just a quick swim across the Sea!

A few days of relaxation in Madaba (and multiple falafel pitas) helped to kick us in the butt and get us back out there on the sightseeing trail. This kick pointed us in the direction of Petra, the 2000 year-old Red Rose City! We were very excited as we jumped on the bus down the King’s Highway as this city is one we have both been looking forward to seeing since we started planning this adventure almost a year ago. The one thing we didn’t figure into our planning a year ago was travelling on a Friday in a Muslim-dominated country. Well…everyone has to pray and our Muslim driver did so for an hour at the roadside Mosque along with almost our entire bus. That was fine with us as we want the holiest driver we can get as we fly down the highway. It also allowed us the opportunity to meet Joe and Heather, friends (more on them later) travelling together whom both originate from the Pacific Northwest.

We stepped off the bus smack dab in front of the Cleopetra Hotel….get it?…and were warmly welcomed by Mosleh and Abdul who live by the mantra…”Pleasure before business” as well as “Come as Guest, Leave as a Friend!”. This meant we were treated to two hours of tea and conversation before even seeing our room or unpacking our bags. This is really the way things should be done and it is clear that others like it as well by the amount of travellers staying at Cleopetra. If you end up staying at Cleopetra, insist that you get at least one of their “mom’s home cooked meals”….they are fantastic and cheap too!!

Being that the day was almost over we decided to wait and venture to the ancient city tomorrow and instead went down the street for some…..can you guess???!….Shwarma sandwiches. Man, these things are great!!! In our estimation ancient Petra is one of the most breath-taking cities of the old world so stay tuned….check on the photoblog for a sneak peek!