Home Sweet Home

So I have officially been home, back in Texas, for a few days now.
Although you all know I am enamored with the travel life, I do have to say there is nothing as beautiful as sleeping in my own amazing bed (Hey- and no drunks stumbling around my room at the wee hours!) and taking a hot shower with nice water pressure and having free internet access and having my own transport....Oh, I could go on!

It's the little things in life, right?

Anyways, this is the end of this travel blog, but I promise there will be more trips soon. (No, that trip did not "get it out of my system"...Quite the opposite, in fact! I have new ideas!)

Thanks for reading!

Until next time.......

Life inside a Postcard

Life inside a Postcard, originally uploaded by La_vida_magenta.

I could barely handle the quaintness! Too cute! Czechy Krumov in Czech Republic

Travelmates

Travelmates, originally uploaded by La_vida_magenta.

Joanne (from SF, CA) with Josie and Heather in Czechy Krumlov, Czech Republic

Czechy Krumlov

Czechy Krumlov, originally uploaded by La_vida_magenta.

Mmm weird Czech Food!

Mmm weird Czech Food!, originally uploaded by La_vida_magenta.

But it was delish, I have to say!

Those guys!

Those guys!, originally uploaded by La_vida_magenta.

...were sooooo into shopping in Berlin!

Deutschland!

So my dad and my younger brother Brett had a "Dad and Lad" trip to Germany planned for a while and then the traveling daughter/sister decided to crash their trip! Yeehaw!
Actually, they had a good few days of male/bonding over liters of Pilsner beers that flow like the rivers there. And then I crashed it!

We had a great time seeing the sites like the lazy American tourists we are!
We spent most of our time together in Berlin and spent most of that time rollin the streets with our phat beach-cruiser bikes. The most perfect way to see the city, truly!
We all had enough history lessons of Germany to last us a lifetime! But so interesting- from the near-total destruction of the city after WWII to the Berlin Wall separating a city into 2 completely different cities, one under communist rule, to JFK declaring that he too is a jelly donut. We even saw the window of the hotel that Michael Jackson dangled that baby out of! (Highlight of trip for sure!)

We drank lots of beer, bought ridiculous souvenirs (my dad's Russian military hat that airport security made him wear for fun), ate sausages and soft pretzels and sauerkraut and other real German treats and even got fully cussed out by a German woman in her car (not effective- just made us laugh uncontrollably.)

Anyways, we had lots of fun and laughed a whole lot (mostly at the Germans.) It was so great to be back with family. And in out motherland too!

Thank you Germany for the good times!

Oh, Germany!

Oh, Germany!, originally uploaded by La_vida_magenta.

Heehee that says fart!

Dad and Daughter

Dad and Lass, originally uploaded by La_vida_magenta.

In Berlin at the big gate (arrived by our beloved bikes of course!)

Just a typical East Berlin Communist Family

Just a typical East Berlin Communist Family, originally uploaded by La_vida_magenta.

We were at a cool hands-on museum that recreates an E. Berlin home. There were Communist books on the shelves, censored TV stations that they were only allowed to watch, and even a person talking to me on the phone in some crazy German.

Biking Berlin

Biking Berlin, originally uploaded by La_vida_magenta.

The best way to do it- on a pink pimped-out beach cruiser!

Brett and I at the Berlin Wall

Brett and I at the Berlin Wall, originally uploaded by La_vida_magenta.

This city has some crazy history...

Highlights from Morocco

-What a first impression! I arrived into town at night and hopped a city bus to the center of town with 2 American kids I met from the plane. We were dropped off at Plaza Jema’ el Fna, which the guidebook says is “the busiest plaza in all of Africa.” Busy is an understatement! We walked into the most bustling, interesting places I’ve ever seen. (and was a Wednesday night!) We saw over a hundred food stalls spewing smoke from their grills, veiled ladies trying to grab my hand to paint a henna design on it, real snake charmers (complete with turbaned men and a dancing rattlesnake), storytellers and singers surrounded by an entranced audience. It was something else that’s for sure.

-I don’t usually experience intense culture shock when I travel, but I was in awe of everything I saw at first. Morocco was the first Muslim/African/desert place I’ve ever been to. I really did see women that were covered completely head to toe, even gloved hands, all I could see was the whites of their eyes. The men of Morocco were very interested in a single American girl traveling solo; it was not my favorite to get some many blatant reactions to me, yelling after me down the street, I had to pretend I didn’t hear them.

-So needless to say, I was very grateful to meet up with some people I know (friends from Texas including our burly 6 footer friend Jim (the catcalls decreased substantially when he escorted us girls!) We headed to Essaouira, a beach town that hosts an annual music festival we went to. It was great fun, dancing in the crowds to the music outside. And although it is a beach town, it was wicked cold at times, mostly due to the wind “The Windy City” is what they call the town.

-The hotels to stay at in Morocco are called “riads” and they generally cost around $25-$30 a person and they are nothing short of amazing! Most of them are arranged around an open square (often with a fountain) in the middle, and the majority (all?) of them have these ultra-plush lounges on the top terrace. There are lovely couches and pillows and a tent for shade and tables and umbrellas, they are made for lounging. Beautiful!

-The food was an adventure! I took a lot of risks (a few too many says my stomach) and ate lots of street stall food because it looked so good (and for the most part tasted good too.) I ate snails in broth and kebabs and lots of fesh squeezed OJ for 30 cents and I think I must’ve drank 30 glasses of Moroccan tea (a sweet mint tea they drink at all hrs) I only got sick once, which is lucky, considering.

-All in all, I loved the country, and the people were super friendly (a little too friendly at times!) I know that 5 days in an exotic land is not nearly enough! I’d love to go back, loaded with thousands of dollars to spend on all the lovely trinkets and jewelry and shoes and bags (etc.) and accompanied by 5 burly intimidating bodyguards on all sides of me. I can dream, can't I?