August 30th - Paris, France

August 30, 2006
Paris, France

Bon Jour bloggers! Today was a long, intense day! Let me start by saying:

To the Louvre!

We got up this morning at 7:45 to make it to the museum by 9:00 (when they open). After showering we went down to eat our free hostel breakfast…The croissant was good but the baguette and the cereal were less than desirable. At least this place had orange juice!

We took the metro to the bottom entrance of the museum. We got there just as the doors were opening and only had to wait in line for a few minutes. I thought it was kind of funny that the Louvre now has Da Vinci Code Tours. We decided to go about the museum ourselves. Our first destination was none other than the Mona Lisa. The painting is hung behind several layers of glass and pictures are no longer allowed (sorry bloggers). After spending some time in the front of the world’s most famous piece of art we decided to move on.

We remembered from the Da Vinci Code that “Madonna of the Rocks” was very close to the Mona Lisa. We found it without looking too hard. Interestingly, it was almost identical to “Virgin of the Rocks” (which we saw at the National Gallery in London). Then we went and saw the Venus de Milo. We stayed in the Louvre until we were hungry for lunch. My other favorite of the museum was the crown jewels of King Louis XV. They were incredible. I have never seen so many diamonds or such big diamonds in my life (If you get a chance look up a picture of them). They were immaculate!


For lunch we had a very Parisian moment. We ate sandwiches (on baguettes) on lawn of the Louvre, while looking at the Eiffel Tower. We met some older Americans from D.C and then headed toward the Arch de Triumph. We used our museum pass to get to the top. We climbed a LOT of stairs! In the end, it was well worth it as the view was perfect. It is amazing how all of the roads in Paris seem to lead directly to the Arch.

After our time there, B and Peter were very tired and needed a nap. I was still ready to go so I headed for the La Grande Arch (the modern looking one). On the way I discovered that my metro pass did not cover that far out. I had to sneak my way on and off the stop for the La Defense area. The entire plaza was very futuristic. All the buildings had a lot of glass and there was a lot of modern art. There was even a statue of a giant thumb!

I met back up with the Baston’s at the Hotel de Invalides (where Napoleons Tomb is located). His tomb was ridiculously large! It was in the very center of the room and made of a shinny wood. I have never seen a more elaborate burial ground.

Next, we decided it was time for dinner. We got pork sandwiches from a small vendor and took them to the grass under the Eiffel Tower. It was a surreal experience. But it made me miss my dearest Jackie even more because it was such a romantic location. It seemed as though couples were making out (or more?) all over the place! After finishing our meal we took an elevator to the top of the tower. We stayed at the top for over an hour. We watched the sunset and took enough photos to fill several albums. The view was amazing and it was really cool to watch the lights of the city come on.

We did not get back to our hostel until about 11:00. It was probably the longest day of the trip so far. I have more pictures than I know what to do with.

Thanks for reading it all! I probably forgot some stuff too…Our long day has really tired me out.

August 29th - Paris, France

August 29, 2006
Paris, France

First of all: Happy Birthday Liam! You are a super cool little brother and I hope you have an awesome day. Sorry I can’t be there buddy…I’ll try to call later if I can figure out how to use the phone card.

Well bloggers, today we got up a little bit late. This hostel is darker than the others we have visited and we all slept in until 11:00! When we finally got outside we were saddened to see that it was a rainy, cold day. We decided we would cruise the city and become acquainted with everything. Just as in London, we used the subway system (the metro) to get around.

Our first stop was Hotel De Ville (I think that means city center?). It was a wide-open square with some cool buildings surrounding it. From there it was only a short walk to Notre Dame. It is an old, cool looking building that I want to revisit when the weather improves. The area around the structure is also neat. There are thousands of small birds that will come eat bread out of your hand.

By the time we left Ile De La Cite (where Notre Dame is located) we were ready to sample some of Paris’s world famous cafes. The food was exquisite. It was our first meal in France and we immediately recognized the improved quality in the food (compared to London – You would like it more here Stu ;)).

We spent over an hour at the café before heading toward the Eiffel Tower. On our way we stopped at an interesting building that has something to do with St-Michel (a little help here, anyone?). The Eiffel Tower was super cool! We are planning on going to the top when the weather improves (which it is supposed to do tomorrow). After taking many more pictures than were necessary and hanging out for a good amount of time, we started looking for a metro station. On our way we stumbled across the Hotel de Invalides. It had a golden dome that caught our eye so we decided to go inside. We learned that the building houses Napoleons Tomb. Inside we purchased a 2-day museum pass, which will allow us to visit all of the famous artwork in the city for fairly cheap. This means that tomorrow we will have to get up early and start the museum tour.


Our next stop was the Arch de Triumph. We only stayed for a short time because the rain had picked up. We decided to call it a day and head back to our hostel. For the rest of the night we are going to plan out which museums to visit over the next few days.

My legs are tired and my stomach is hungry. Tomorrow is a big day so I will talk to you later bloggers!

August 28th - London/Paris

August 28th
London – Paris (via Chunnel)

Last night we headed for the carnival at around 10:00. On our way we noticed that most people were headed in the opposite direction. We found out that in the UK people do all of their partying early! (Almost all of the bars/pubs close at around 10:00. The carnival was over by the time we reached the area. Even so, there were still a lot of people in the area. We found our way to a street party outside of a closing bar. We spent about an hour hanging out and watching people dance around. Strangely, it was mostly guys dancing with guys (no it was not a gay bar…). We then headed back to our hostel. We were excited to find that many people were hanging out at the hostel’s bar. We decided to stay up a bit longer and chill with some fellow travelers. I mostly hung out with several Americans. There were a couple of guys from Philadelphia who told us how much they enjoyed Spain. There was also a 6’4’’ girl (who’s cousin is in the NBA – Monty Williams) who goes to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Lastly, there was an old man who happened to have a box of sandwiches. After explaining telling me how he had traveled Europe his entire life (this was his 28th trip to the area) he offered me a sandwich. I have already realized that if there is one rule in traveling the world it is this: never turn down free food!

This morning we slept in. It was just after noon by the time we left the hostel. After grabbing some food we headed to Westminster to hang out until it was time get on the Chunnel. We relaxed in the grassy area between Big Ben and Westminster Abby.



I am writing this from my seat on the train known as the chunnel. I am excited because we just went underground. The next time we see the sun we will be in France! The train is surprisingly nice. I like the seats a lot because they face one another and each group of passengers has their own table. B and I watched a few episodes of entourage as we cruised under the sea...




Au revoir!

PS - I just did the post for yesterday also...check it out too!

August 27 - London

August 27, 2006
London, England

This morning we got up at around 9:00 and went down to breakfast. As with every morning so far we have eaten cornflakes and toast. I hope hostels in other countries offer something a little bit better, or at least different. After completing breakfast we had to move rooms. We were kicked out of the executive sweet and put in a small room with four bunk beds.

Our first order of business for the day was to head to the apple store and make sure our computers were all tuned up for the rest of the trip. We also spent some time walking around Oxford circus again. For the rest of the day we split up. Peter wanted to go back the museum and I wanted to go see some of the other sites that we had not visited. B decided to accompany me. We decided we would all meet up between 5:30 and 6:00 at Tower Bridge.

We decided to make our way to Covent Garden. It was a very cool and very crowded shopping district. There was no shortage of street performers in the area. We watched a small man juggle a chainsaw, hatchet, and apple at the same time. He then ate the apple while juggling! I would say that it is a lot like Venice Beach, Ca but in an old city.



Our next stop was St. Paul’s Cathedral, which is enormous. The grounds surrounding the cathedral were very green and made for a good walk. As we circled around the building and made our way to the front we were disappointed to find that much of the cathedral is undergoing renovations. Furthermore, we could not enter the cathedral because it was Sunday and locals were using it to worship. Still, the steps made a nice place to take a rest.



As soon as we finished taking in the area we jumped on double-decker bus headed for Trafalgar Square. It was a totally amazing area that quickly became one of my favorite spots in London. It’s a gargantuan plaza that has a unique view no matter which way you look. In fact, from the square it is possible to sit on a giant lion statue while gazing at Big Ben and then head right into the National Gallery. The pieces of art in the National Gallery were awesome. We saw works by Leonardo, Michelangelo, Rafael, (No Donatello…), Monet, and Van Gogh. As we perused the art we realized that it was 5:15 and time to meet up with Peter.



Once we were reunited we decided it was time for some food. We hit up a local hot dog stand. The hot dog was horrendous! It was the worst thing I have eaten in quite some time. Nonetheless, it filled me up and we continued on our way to London Tower. Looking for a better photographic vantage point, we stumbled across a huge sundial (why they have a sun dial in London, I don’t know). The ring around the sundial was a visual timeline of significant events in the city’s history. We all thought the Gun Powder Plot was especially cool since we all currently fans of Guy Fox (Remember, remember the 5th of November…see the movie if you don’t know what I’m talking about).

As we made our way back to our hostel we stopped at a local deli for some dinner. We are currently resting before trying to go visit the Carnival that I talked about in yesterday’s blog. Today we heard someone say that they expect 2 million people to show up. I don’t really believe that number but I think it speaks to how big an event it is.

Until next time bloggers: Cheers! (be sure to say it with an accent!)

Delayed Post for August 26 - London

Last night we didn’t do too much because we got taken for a lot of money during dinner. As we were wondering around our part of town looking for a place to eat, we stumbled upon a cheap Indian restaurant. We sat down and ordered our food (which was bout 9 dollars a plate – not bad for London). As we were ordering, the waiter asked if we would like some bread and rice with our meal. It sounded like a good idea so we ordered it. After completing our meal (which included a visit from a crazy English girl who left without paying) we asked for the check. We were shocked when the total was $84 for the 3 of us! As it turns out, the rice and bread were each as much as the meal…it was a total scam and I like to blame Peter since he was the one who said to bring out the bread and rice (j/k).

After our dinner incident we decided to stay in and take it easy. We booked some hostels for down the road and chilled out at the Ashlee House. We met this guy named Jeremy who is a professional photographer and checked out a bunch of his photos (www.jervn.com if you are interested).

Today, we got up fairly early and packed our stuff up. We had to change hostels because ours was booked solid through the weekend. Apparently there is a Caribbean festival in town this weekend (London’s largest festival of the year). We were forced to book a hostel online but then found out that they were over booked and we could not stay there. This, however, was not such a bad thing because we got upgraded to an actual hotel in the same area and get to stay in a nice room! Even cooler, this hotel is right next to the park where the Caribbean festival will take place (Hyde Park).

Once again we traveled around today using the Underground. We left the Ashlee House from Kings Cross Station. We decided that we had better look for Platform 9 and ¾ (of Harry Potter fame) before leaving the area. Liam and Owen will be excited to hear that we found it!

After checking into our new place of residence and dropping off our packs we headed for Oxford Circus to check out some of the super cool shops. B and I went into the Mac store to take a picture. We didn’t visit many other shops because everything was ridiculously expensive. T-shirts at the Quiksilver store were 35 pounds (about $70!). Then it was on to the British Museum.



The British Museum is one of the largest museums I have ever been too. The guidebook says that it has the world’s largest collection of antiques. Still, the coolest thing I saw was the Rosetta Stone (which B likes to call the stone with all the shit on it). I had no idea it was in the museum and was super excited when I stumbled across it. Some of my other favorites were the discus man and the Egyptian cat. For all you art history buffs, sorry I don’t know more about this stuff. Still, I had a good time and thought it was cool! We spent most of the day at the museum and by the time we left it was time for our evening meal.






For dinner we went to a pub by our new hostel. We tried to be as British as possible. We all had a local beer to go with our fish and chips. The whole time we ate we watched the Manchester City vs. Arsenal match. Unfortunately, most of the pub was in a fowl mood because Man City was beating Arsenal (London team) despite being a big underdog.

Tonight we are planning to head to the Caribbean festival in Hyde Park. I have no idea what to expect. I do know that there will be a lot of people there, as all of the hostels in London are totally full because of this event! For now, I had better get going because B is dancing around the room and decided it was a good idea to squirt toothpaste all over my toiletries…

Additional note for my biologically inclined family and girlfriend: we got lost coming out of the underground early in the day and stumbled across the building where Sir Alexander Flemming discovered penicillin. Also, I still have no idea how to use my phone card but I’ll keep trying to figure it out.

UPDATE: We were unable to find the carnival. Apparently it isn’t until tomorrow night. Instead we hung out and went to a bar for several hours. It was really chill and now we are trying to figure out what we want to do tomorrow, our last full day in London. Unfortunately, our nice hotel does not have wireless Internet so this post may be a day or two late.

London Day 2

August 25, 2006
London, England

Well bloggers, I just wanted to say thanks for all the comments! And Stu, don't get fired....yet. Anyway, we just finished another action packed day here in London. We got up at around 9:30 (B and I would have slept longer but Pete was ready for some food) and went down to the free breakfast offered by the hostel. Hostel sleeping can be difficult at times as people come in/out at all hours of the night. Next, we purchased a pass for the London underground (the tube) and headed out. It was a surprisingly nice day and we even got some of the time. Our first stop was Buckingham Palace. We were lucky and got there just as they were changing the guard. There were an unbelievable number of people lined up outside the gates. Fortunately, we stumbled upon a very good spot and got close to some of the redcoats.

We then grabbed some lunch at a cheap sandwich shop and ate undera tree in front of Westminster Abby. It was a super cool area. Still, the entry fee was quite steep so we decided to move on.



Next, we headed to the London Eye (the worlds larges Ferris Wheel). . On our way we stopped at the Dali museum but agreed that the price was too high. Despite the long line, we were able to jump on the Eye fairly quickly. The view from the top was spectacular! It was a great way to get orientated and see where everything was. We even met some Australians who told us where to find cheap accommodations when we go there (they own a hostel).



After returning to ground level we headed for the Tate museum of modern art. It was a super cool building that also had an unbelievable bridge. The highlight of the whole place was a large room as you walk in. I did not understand most of the art that we encountered. Lots of it seemed like stuff I could put together in an afternoon. Still, some of the pieces were super cool!

Once we returned to the world I understand, we walked along the river toward Tower Bridge and London Tower. It was a long walk but well worth it. On the way we stopped in at the Shakespeare’s Globe Theater and walked by several torture/horror museums. The Tower Bridge/London Tower area was a perfect place to rest our weary legs. After taking in the view we headed back to our hostel.



The plan for the rest of the night is to grab some food at a local pub and then utilize our tube pass and see some more of London in the twilight hours…but for now I am super hungry and very tired.

NOTE: Yesterday we met this cool guy named Thomas who travels the world and told us about some cool things to do in Egypt. Most of the people in the hostel today do not speak English very well.



I thought this was a pretty cool effect for this photo!

Traveling to London and the First Day

We are currently on the plane to London. I’m having trouble sleeping so I thought I’d write a quick note. The plane was delayed from taking off for quite some time so we got a later start than anticipated. To make matters worse, the sound for the in-flight movies is not working and I can’t find the last piece of the tri-force in Legend of Zelda and have grown tired of looking. Since I just beat B in a game of chess (on the computer), I thought I would take a moment out to just think about all that has gone into this trip before trying to squeeze in a nap. It seems like forever ago that we went into the STA Travel office and purchased our tickets. The last two months have flown by. I have spent so much time getting ready for this trip that the people at REI (especially Paul) and STA (our lovely agent Danielle) have become friends. All the preparation is over (most of it anyway…) and it is time relax and enjoy the trip. Nonetheless, I am still a mixture of all kinds of emotions. It is probably the strangest feeling that I have ever had. London lies ahead!



UPDATE: We just finished our first day out exploring London. We did so much today without sleeping yet. We walked from our hostel to Big Ben and also checked out the London eye. It was very long walk for our tired legs (about 5 miles) and we had to stop in at a pub for some fish and chips and a beer. We took tons of photos of Big Ben and got tickets to ride the Eye tomorrow. Big Ben and Parliament are totally awesome. And just in case you were wondering, whilst the name 'Big Ben' was officially given to the main bell, over time it has come to be associated with the entire clock tower, which is officially called St. Stephen's Tower. Anyway, It is very cool to be so close to such an famous location. Also, we found that almost all the must see things in London are long the river. Tomorrow should be packed adventure! Tonight we are going to take it easy and its time for bed (even though its only 7:45) since we have been up more than 24 hours.

I really do miss all of you. It has only been one day and I miss so many of my friends and family. And to all of my girlfriends, it is sad to not have someone to spoon with ;)...

COOL NOTE: For all you facebookers, Peter Baston is creating a photo album of some of our pictures.

Loose Ends and the Snake

Hey there Bloggers. We leave tomorrow morning for this is my last post of the United States of America. This post is mostly for Stu so that he has something to read while at work. Im all packed up and ready to leave. Good Bye Oregon! I also wanted to see if anyone would be interested in inheriting my ball python. Jackie's is currently taking care of it, though she isn't that into it. Get ahold of her if you are interested (541) 221-1126. Thanks!

PS - Happy Birthday Kitty!!

Comments and Spizzle Stix

Thanks to those of you who have read my blog before I even leave! One quick note: It would be really cool if when you leave a comment you also leave your name. I want to be sure I know whose sayin' what. Thanks!

And Spizz just purchased his plane ticket to come meet us in Thailand and complete the rest of the journey! How awesome is that?!

Just finished packing....i think

I just finished packing my stuff for the next 7 months. I had to fit everything into a backpacking pack. Deciding exactly what to pack was very difficult. It took almost all day to sort through what I had and pick out the items special enough to bring.

Here’s what I have:

5 pairs of underwear
4 t-shirts
3 pairs of shorts (1 cargo, 1 boardshort, 1 basketball short)
2 pairs of socks
Long sleeve shirt
Underarmor
Pair of jeans
Light jacket
Poncho
Sandals
Running shoes
Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, Listerine, Contact lens solution)
Antibacterial wash
Face wash
Sunscreen
Malaria pills
Diarrhea medication
Insect repellent
Mosquito net
Sleeping bag
Canon rebel xt
Mac Book Pro
iPod Nano
Flashlight
Headlamp
Pacsafe
Locks
Notebook
Passport
Tickets
Daypack
Water bottle
Money/credit cards

I don’t leave for a couple of days so let me know if I forgot anything!

One Week Left to Prepare

I leave on the around the world tour in one week! I thought it was time to post the schedule for the trip. Here it is. If anyone would like to join B and I on our adventure let us know! We would love to see you.

Europe (August 23rd to October 10th)

Dubai (October 10th – October 17th)

Nairobi, Kenya (October 17th – November 4th)

Cairo, Egypt (October November 4th – November 20th)

Bangkok, Thailand (November 20th – January 18th)

Sydney, Australia (January 18th – February 22nd)

Fiji (February 22nd – March 22nd)

Also, for those that have not yet heard, check out www.macworldtour.com. My Aunt Joyce was kind enough to set up this site for us so that we can try to get a sponsor for our trip!

Well thats all for now. I have to get some more stuff done so that I make my 11:30 am flight next wednesday!!