There's No Place Like Home

Well after 24 days and 33,592 miles we are back in the US of A!  We arrived in Orlando yesterday 27 Feb 2011 at around 5pm.  After a 45 minute drive to the airport Hilton we showered, ordered pizza from room services and curled up to the Oscar's.  We were both asleep long before the best picture was announced.  We managed to sleep until about 5am and then we were up and ready to go for our 7:30 am flight.  We changed planes in Atlanta and we are now on our second flight to San Antonio full of screaming children so it looks there will be no naps!  Tomorrow we will make the drive back to Kansas.  The trip was amazing!  More than we ever could have imagined.  While most of our travel companions were finishing up their bucket lists Daniel and I were creating ours.  His favorite stop was Cambodia and he is already figuring out when we can go back.  After seeing all of the amazing wildlife in the Tanzania I think a hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti is a must!  We both loved Australia and would go back in a heart beat.  All of our stops had their own charm and there isn't one we wouldn't recommend!  Being back in the states feels great!  We have made friends we are sure to keep for a life time and memories that will last that long and provide entertaining stories for years to come!  Thanks to all of you who made this trip possible!  We couldn't have done it without you and we can't wait to share the rest of our pictures and stories of our adventures! Until we meet again...

La Mamounia

Greetings from Morocco!  This morning we were taken on tours of The Bahia Palace, Medrassa Ben Youssef (a former Saadiene School), and The Koutoubia Mosque.  They were all beautiful!  The mosque is the largest in Marrakech with approximately 12,000 people.  The minaret is the highest point in the city and will remain that way due to laws preventing the building of anything higher.  The call to prayer from this minaret occurs 5 times a day.  It is spoken by a man into the microphone which can be heard anywhere in the city.  The call to prayer uses the same words each time except for in the morning when a line added stating something simiar to 'praying is better than sleeping'.  We were also taken on a tour of the Souks (local shops) and are returning there this afternoon as our morning tour didn't allow shopping!  Our farewell dinner is this evening before we board our flight home tomorrow.  We will be in Orlando tomorrow night before catching our flight to Dan's parents in San Antonio on Monday!  We look forward to catching up with everyone and sharing all of the pictures from our amazing adventure!

The Koutoubia Mosque

minaret

Local bakery.... everyone brings their dough here.  He bakes it and then delivers the baked bread at the end of the day

rugs hanging from a roof

This former school was beautiful!  The weird part is the outside was VERY plain!

ceiling

outside of Medrassa Ben Youssef

Inside the palace door and ceiling.  No two ceilings in the whole palace are the same!

ceiling

cat door

ceiling

hakuna matata

Jambo (Hello)!  We have left India, traveled all around Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and we are now in Jordan.  Upon our arrival in Kilominjaro, Dan was detained by the health department.  On his yellow fever vaccination record the date was written 1/3/11 meaning January 3, 2011.  The health department was convinced that we had forged it and had goofed writing March 1, 2011!  After about 30 minutes of confusion, a very detailed explanation of how it should be done correctly in the future, and threats of not allowing Dan in the country they finally decided to let us go on our way. We then boarded the SMALLEST PLANE EVER and flew about an hour into Serengeti National Park.  We were able to go on a game drive upon arrival and then all the next day.  We say some amazing animals in their natural habitat and get a flat tire all at the same time!  While watching a heard of elephants I asked our safari driver if the animals have become less impressive after seeing them daily.  He said simply, "Always amazing." 

cracker-jack box

ostrich - the black one is male and the rest are female

giraffe

zebra

Zebra as far as the eye can see

hippos - this one's for you Will!

monkeys

eating lunch while watching a heard of zebra!

elephants

baboon

giraffe with our hotel in the background

water buffalo

After another flight in the cracker-jack box they called a plane and a five hour flight on the jet we arrived in Jordan.  We finished our evening with a two hour bus ride to Petra.  We  spent the morning touring Perta and it was an amazing.  We did not see Indiana Jones but Dan was on the lookout! After lunch and the center of Petra I walked back to the hotel with another guest on the trip while Dan and her husband hiked the 1,000 steps to the monestary!

the grooves to the right were used as stairs or grooves for scaffolding

got any floss?

Taj Mahal

Wow!  The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan for his third wife who died during the birth of their 14th child.  It took 22 years to build.  There is a story that Shah Jahan and his wife met at a jewelry market.  She presented him with a diamond for purchase.  When he inquired as to the cost she quoted an astronomical price.  He quickly paid in gold coin.  When she told him he was mistaken and it was a sugar crystal he simply replied that she was the one who was mistaken and he was very clear as to what was a diamond and what was a sugar crystal.  The Finial located at the top of the Taj Mahal was originally made of 300kg of gold and stands 10m high.  It was later replaced with brass.  The Taj Mahal clean about every three years.  It is cleaned in small sections so that tourists are disappointed by the scaffolding around the building. The clean it very simply using soap and water!  Daniel told me today that when I kick the bucket he plans to build me a similar tomb! :)  I am not sure if he knows what he is getting himself into!

Puppies playing at the Taj Mahal.... why not!

Dan and I at the Taj Mahal.

The Finial... now made of brass.

The Taj Mahal is made of marble and precious stones.  The colors seen here (and all through the Taj) are not painted.  They are inlaid by hand.

Taj Mahal

The hooks seen here are used for cleaning the Taj Mahal.  They clean the building every three years using....
SOAP and WATER!!

Taj Mahal at Sunrise

Taj Mahal at sunrise.... yes I was awake at sunrise! More to come later today!

Chengdu China and Tibet

Hello all!  We have just arrived in Agra, India after spending an amazing two days in China.  Our first stop in China was to the Panda research center in Chengdu.  The next morning was an early one as we headed to the airport to catch our flight to Tibet.  While in Tibet we were able to visit the Portala Palace.  Portala Palace was the chief residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959.  We then visited the Sera Monastery, the second largest in Tibet.  There we were able to witness the Buddhist Monks debating philosophy.  One of the surprising aspects of Tibet was the lack of humidity. The humidity in Tibet was only 6%.  Even in Las Vegas in June the average humidity low is 11%.  We had a great time and are very excited for our trip to the Taj Mahal tomorrow!

Tibetan child.  The mark on her nose is a blessing.

Philosophy debate.

More debating.  There are three different claps performed.  This one is to slap away ignorance.

Panda chewing on brother  :)

Woman on her pilgrimage to Portala Palace.

Pilgrims from Portala Palace

Dan and I outside Portala Palace

Portala Palace.