That's Interesting…

Our company participated at HP Software Universe, so we got to go to Barcelona 35 hours upon coming back from Singapore.

Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia that after over 100 years of construction still remains unfinished…it was, however, dedicated by the Pope last week because the church decided that the inside is at least complete.

This is a random building across from the conference center that David and I became fascinated with.

We spent Thanksgiving in Singapore eating Italian pasta. How wrong is that??!! Next year, I am throwing a major Thanksgiving feast with at least 2 turkeys to make up for this.

Singapore is a maze of skyscrapers and is the hub of Southeast Asia for business, telecommunication, shipping…everything really.  The national sport is shopping. You can buy anything is Singapore.

Yours truly and my henna tattoo. Living on the edge!

Night safari!

Sim Lin Square… 6 floors of anything electronic made in China. It is a like a giant husband day care center. And yes, David had his play date.

Random trivia about Singapore…

If you are convicted of littering three times, you will have to clean the streets on Sundays with a bib on saying, “I am a litterer” (in addition to fines of USD 2,000 )

Failure to flush a public toilet after use may result in very hefty fines (USD 500)

As it is considered pornographic, you may not walk around your home nude.

Pornography is illegal.

Homosexuals are not allowed to live in the country.

The sale of gum is prohibited.

The death penalty is mandatory for those convicted of trafficking, manufacturing, importing or exporting more than 15g of heroin, 30g of morphine, 30g of cocaine, 500g of cannabis, 200g of cannabis resin and 1.2kg of opium. Possessing these quantities is deemed as prima facie evidence of trafficking. In other words, if you possess these quantities (and possession means you had control of them), you are deemed to be a trafficker and therefore subject to the death penalty.

Kuala Lumpur

We started our Malaysian adventure in Kuala Lumpur.  I have always been fascinated by the Petronas Towers, a sentiment that the movie Entrapment with Sean Connery did little to discourage.

Unfortunately, they only issue only 1300 tickets a day for the sky bridge which are gone about 2 minutes after the office opens. However, after an Oscar-worthy performance and a big fat lie, I was able to get us in. Don’t ask….There was simply no way I was letting anything come between  me and Sean Connery. The view from the sky bridge is stunning and the towers while massive are mesmerizingly elegant. 

Afterwards, we explored Independence Square which features the world’s tallest flag pole and hiked through the jungle at the Forrest Research Institute Park. The jungle is fascinating; there is always something making a loud sound from parrots to crickets to who knows what and the variety of plants just takes your breath away. Of course, there is also the heat and humidity. You know when you see Asians sweat that there will be no happy ending for the pasty whitey you. Indeed, thirty seconds into our hike we turned into two portable sweat showers.

Finally, at sunset we went to Batu Caves which is a holy Hindu site in an enormous cave accessible by ascending 270 stairs. No European cathedral can even come close to that kind of a spiritual edifice.  

Penang.

Penang is an island in Northern Malaysia and is renowned for  its cuisine. Unfortunately, our stomachs are not trained to process all those delicacies, so we had to be really careful about what we eat.

Penang was settled by the British. As the island was covered by a thick jungle, the British commander loaded a cannon with silver coins and then shot it into the jungle to motivate the hired labour to clear the forest faster in hopes of finding some coins. How very British!

We hired a taxi to take us around the island. The historical center is full of Buddhist, Hindu, and Chinese temples. This is us at the Snake Temple. I was OK with the giant python but when they put the green snake on my head and it immediately positioned itself right next to my eye, I simply stopped breathing.

We went to a butterfly farm which was a place out of a Disney movie. Hundreds of butterflies everywhere. Huge and small. Colorful and plain. They also had an extensive collection of giant millipedes (over 10 inches), scorpions, tarantulas, and geckos.

For lunch we went to an organic tropical fruit farm where they took us on a tour of the farm and then fed us the fruits of their labor. Haha. FYI, the British introduced rubber trees to Malaysia which soon became the number one cash crop for 200 years. However, lately rubber plantations are being replaced with palms. Coconut oil is the number one agricultural export.  This is a picture of Jackfruit which can weight up to 80 pounds!!!

This is us with some monkeys. Turns out that that monkeys are mean jerks and I hope to never see another one. And then us on a riksha ride.

About 50% of the population of Malaysia is Malay. To be Malay means to be Muslim. The rest is Chinese and Indian. While Malays are dominant in politics, it is really the Chinese who run the economy. The country is enormously diverse. The amazing thing about being in a Muslim country is being woken up every morning by the call to prayer and having stickers pointing to Mecca on every hotel room ceiling. Anyway, we  visited a beautiful mosque in Penang and received over an hour-long lecture about Islam.

I wrapped up the day by indulging in a message. Asian massages are the stuff of legends and I could not wait for my back-pain-free Nirvana.

Now,  I am no prude but OMG…the show got to good start as my masseur aloofly watched me strip down. Indeed, she did not leave the room or at least pretend to be organizing her oils…no she just stood there while I was frantically sucking in my stomach and willing my cellulite to disappear so hard I nearly passed out. I continued to be completely and utterly stark naked for the rest of the experience. I must admit that there came several points where I was not totally sure what kind of massage I paid for. My butt crack being kneaded was definitely one of them. But I do have to say that I came out of there absolutely pain free and with 3 new muscles for good measure. As for my ego…let’s hope that what happens in Penang, stays in Penang.

Langkawi

Langkawi is a resort island by the Thai border. For the first time this whole year, David and I did absolutely nothing…which means that David read the whole time and I either in the pool or the ocean hoping to turn into a mermaid. It was the most wonderful time of our life.

As always, love you all and thank you so much for all your support.

D&S

PS: This is the water monitor that the Langkawi resort management leaves chicken for every day on the edge of the National Forrest Park.

I fulfilled my dream of petting a Koala bear at a Sydney wildlife park. Koalas sleep 16 hours a day and are the cuddliest creatures! They so very much remind me of Sumo, my canine favourite. Additionally, I was cornered by 2 emus that freely roam the park and who were in the mood of eating my cone full of kangaroo food. I decided that I was in no position to refuse them. Two parrots said Hello to me but the moment I turned the camera on they pretended not to speak English at all. There were also wombats, a python devouring a rat, a Tasmanian devil crushing a rabbit’s skull for bfast. Australia is really amazing!!!  I am so very grateful we got the chance to visit and I cannot wait to return.

All,
We have been in Australia for over a week now and it is high time for me to update you on this latest adventure.
1. We went to the Sydney Opera House for a performance of Pirates of Penzance. I bought the tix as a surprise for David as he was in the BYU production when we met. I cannot even begin to tell you how hard it was not to say anything. Finally, I blurted out right before we landed in Singapore.
Anyway, much to my shock the outside of the Opera House is not white but really cream and features an intricate geometric pattern. The inside is then what I can only describe as concrete vaulted ceilings. It is very unique. Most importantly we got all dressed up and had a fabulous evening. David looks so good in a suit!
2. Blue Mountains National Park is about 2 hrs west of Sydney and that is where the crazy picture of David at Hanging Rock that I sent a few days ago was taken. The hike through the bush was great fun as we armed ourselves with sticks not knowing exactly what wild animals were out there ready to eat us or at least bite us.
3. We go on mini excursions every day after David comes back from the office. The highlights are eating kangaroo steaks and visiting the botanical gardens with dozens and dozens of bats that come out at sundown!
4. This weekend was simply amazing. We checked out of the hotel, bought a tent and 2 sleeping bags, and drove 4 hrs south of Sydney to Marramang National Park. We had only 1 goal in mind…see a kangaroo. We saw a whole bunch as drove at night but nothing could prepare us for the next morning as we poked our heads out of our tent…we were surrounded by dozens of kangaroos. They were everywhere. I was more giddy than at Halloween! Now, FYI, it is not recommended to drive in certain parts of Australia at night because if you hit a kangaroo, your car will be totalled. Though they may look all cuddly, they are wild and so no petting or feeding. Yes, they are capable of skipping but they really prefer to be sprawled and enjoy fat happy time…ideally in the middle of the road. The trees were filled with all kinds of parrots which, while beautiful, are extremely loud.
After some kangaroo sightseeing around our camp, we went on a walk along the beach and then Bateman’s bay for bfast. In the afternoon, we went kayaking. Now, this adventure started off leisurely as we let the current take us; however, paddling back against the current and the wind was extremely hard work. I seriously thought I was not going to make it back. I reached the shore completely exhausted. For dinner, we had a real Ozzie BBQ. David built a fire and I made potatoes, onions, carrots, and corn with peppered steak. It was SO good. It was raining/sprinkling a little. But honestly I could not care less. I was just so happy to be camping in the bush in Australia, cooking, and just enjoying being with my Honey…I really could not have been happier.
Next day we crossed the entire Durras beach and then continued to climb half a mile of boulders and then cliffs to get to the neighboring beach. This hike is only possible at low tide. While absolutely incredible (tide pools with octopus, waves crashing, stunning cliffs), we definitely sped up towards the end as the tide started to come up. We hiked through the bush to get back.
David surfed in the afternoon as I admired him from the hot beach. The fact is that though it is extremely hot outside, the water is 1 degree away from turning into an iceberg. David came out looking like a penguin but he did pull of some amazing moves.
Well, we still have a week here and then we are off to Singapore and more.
We love you.
David and Sandy

http://www.redbubble.com/people/bluegumbill/art/6238554-1-brave-dave-conquers-hanging-rock
I won’t pretend that I wasn’t totally and utterly mad at him.
Anyway, apart from that we had an absolutely fantastic time hiking through the bush.
Love,
Sandy

Don’t worry, this is our little secret.
We didn’t tell anybody at all.
We’ll be here in Sydney for two weeks on business, and then they will send us to either Singapore or Malaysia for another week.
Love,
David and Sandy Litster

Dear Reader,

Random ramblings about our 9-day trip to Ireland…

The trip got to an extremely unillustrious start when I had to drive the manual transmission rental car off the lot. I drove a manual only once before and it ended with flames coming out of my nostrils; but since I rented the car under my name, I had to be the one to drive it away. If I were on TV, it would have been something like this: Interesting. Oh, OK. I get it. Hmm. Oooops. NOW, I get it. Beep. Beep. Beeeep. Beeeeep. Beeeeeep. Beeeeep. BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP. By the time I killed the car for the eighth time without having moved out of the parking spot, I moved onto Czech… which signals the beginning of an Armageddon. What can I say? It wasn’t pretty.

Over the course of our trip, I am proud to say that I became, according to David, a shifting ninja . However, getting the car moving from first gear without inflicting deadly hiccup seizures on it remained a challenge. Thus, anyone who had the audacity of making me come to a stop was doomed by my evil twin to a future of boils, cavities, and some serious diarrhea.

Say what you want about Marge, Marge was an automatic.

Belfast

Due to the Catholic v. Protestant conflict, Belfast is divided up by about two dozen forty-five-foot tall walls that separate the two groups. Some of the walls have gates to allow flow of traffic during the day but they all get closed at night. Residential areas are strictly religiously segregated and most of them are controlled by paramilitary groups.

There are Catholic doctors, Catholic car dealers, Catholic pet shops, Catholic barbers, etc. and similar shops for Protestants. While the unrest began because the Protestants wanted Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK and the Catholics wanted to join the Republic of Ireland, now the conflict now is simply religious. The irony is that apparently hardly anyone actively attends church. You are simply born Protestant or Catholic and you spend the rest of your life hating the other. The two groups don’t interact unless completely necessary and most go through life without ever having spoken to a member of the other group. It is absolutely insane.

That aside, we also toured the dock where Titanic was built and that was amazing.

Giant’s Causeway

Giant’s Causeway is a natural wonder of thousands of interlocking hexagonal basalt columns and the birthplace of David’s mom’s grandmother’s grandmother’s grandmother. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. The grass is so green it is blinding. The combination of the black basalt, green grass, blue ocean, and white clouds makes you feel like walked into a postcard.

Carrick-a-rede Bridge

This rope bridge connects the Ireland mainland with a small island offshore that happens to be smack in the way of migrating salmon. So, every year local fisherman put it up to get to this magical bounty and stupid tourists pay 4 euro to pee their pants crossing it. I am starting to seriously doubt my intellect because I keep on spending a lot of money to climb an obscene number of stairs and stand at unpleasant heights. I must admit that David had to come back for me and help me cross. The swaying was … not good. At least, I did not require a boat to come get me because I was unable to cross back–as apparently many do.

Bru Na Boinne

Bru Na Boinne is a Neolithic site of passage tomb monuments that was built over 5,000 years ago–several hundred years even before the famous pyramids at Giza. The passage is very small compared with the size of the monument but it engineering is awe-inspiring. The roof of the tomb chamber is a dome and at the winter solstice the sun enters it for only a moment to bring promise of life and bounty for the next year.

Dublin

Dublin was a little disappointing because its main attraction–pubs on every corner–we simply could not appreciate. Sections of the riverfront are charming though. Anyway, we both agreed that we prefer Cork.

Glendalough

Glendalough is a national park about 20 miles south of Dublin. The name means a valley with 2 lakes. We went on a three-hour hike that took us around the larger of the lakes along the very ridge of the surrounding hills. It was stunningly rugged and breathtakingly beautiful. We walked around hundreds of sheep and wild goats and even came across several herds of deer. Since some of the deer were male deer with serious antlers, we armed ourselves–I carried two big rocks and David had his camera tripod. We were laughing at ourselves the whole way. We had a grand time.

Waterford

The famous Waterford crystal is made in SE Ireland. Neither of us had particular interest in touring the factory. However, we did peek inside the store that was filled with enormous chandeliers and exquisite glasses that I cant imagine anyone drinking out of.

Rock of Cashel

The Rock looks like a dark castle but it actually is a medieval abbey. It is a natural fortress, a limestone outcrop that stands above the surrounding countryside and gives clear views for miles around.

Legend has it that once upon a time St. Patrick was preaching to a sinful crowd and in his preaching vigor, he slammed his pole into the ground. Sadly, before getting to the ground, the pole went through the foot of a local king who stood next to St. Patrick. The king, thinking he was being cleansed by St. Patrick, did not even make a sound—not even a beep.

Blarney Stone

We kissed the fabled saliva-drenched rock that is perched on the top of a tower reached by a hundred life-unfriendly winding stairs. To kiss the stone, you lie down, bend completely backwards at 90 feet above ground, show everyone your underwear, and holding onto a safety grill you make out with thousands of strangers at once.This less than graceful act supposedly gives you the gift of gab–not to mention some juicy bacteria.

The Blarney Castle is located on extensive and gorgeous grounds which, among other things, feature a “poison garden”. This garden is designed to educate about poisons in traditional and some nontraditional garden plants. It was absolutely fascinating. I could have spent hours there but David did not think it wise. BTW, did you know that rhubarb leaves are poisonous?

Ring of Kerry

Ring of Kerry is a scenic drive around the Iveragh peninsula and a must for every tourist. The drive is about 200 miles long and takes you through picturesque towns like Kenmore along the rugged cliffs of western Ireland.

Killarney

As a surprise for David, I booked us a room in the Lake Hotel with a view overlooking an old castle ruin on shores of the lake. In the morning, we got up to admire the mist sprawling across the lake with the mountains towering in the back, the ruin sitting so peacefully on the shore…when suddenly a herd of deer came to drink from the lake. I will never forget that sight. I had to pinch myself to make sure I was not on a page of some fairy tale book.

Wow.

After breakfast, we took a carriage ride through Killarney National Park.

Dingle Peninsula

Dingle Peninsula cannot be described in words. All, I can say is that I want to move there, become a sheep farmer and live a utter life of happiness.

Limerick

Limerick is a large modern city with a medieval Castle. Good for shopping but not touristing really.

Cliffs of Moher and Galway

Cliffs of Moher are truly stunning but tourism has turned them into a circus with a parking lot that charges 6 Euro per person and shops that are after the rest of your money. So, we decided to trespass and admire the view from the neighboring fields along with some very confused cows.

It turns out that Cliffs of Moher are also a prime surfing location—there were about 20 surfers having the time of their life when we were there.

As always, love you all.

Sandy (author)

David (photographer)

Dear Readers,

Except when I am in Banana Republic (where I simply want everything), I tend to suffer severely from not knowing what I want. You might recall that about a week ago I was yearning for peace and sense of normalcy with every fiber of my being…however, here I am excitedly writing about yet another wild travel adventure.

We took Friday off and by 6 am were already zipping towards Torquay–the main resort of the “English Riviera”. Torquay, I am told, has a micro-climate which makes it warmer than the rest of the country. Right…when we got there it was cold and raining. I subscribe to denial religiously, but the way the British deceive themselves about the weather is quite concerning–even to me. The funny thing is that we did not mind the weather at all because Torquay is so quaint, you just want to pinch it–a harbor filled with sailboats and shops filled with tourists. There was a sailboat race while we were there and now David will never be happy again until he owns a small sailboat.

The best part of Torquay is Cockington–a village stuck in a time warp. Actually, it is like exactly like The Shire from Lord of the Rings. I honestly was expecting Frodo and Gandalf to pop out from round the corner any second. I kept on turning my wedding ring but nothing happened…except I think I now want a diamond band to go with it.

On our way to Plymouth we drove through the Dartmoor National Park which is miles and miles of bog and peat covered rolling hills. The fog got so thick you could slice it and serve it with jam. We stopped several times but did not venture out into the unknown. I am personally convinced that the Story of Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles is true and the hound relocated to the Dartmoor bog. It was a very eerie place!



Eden Project…features the world’s biggest greenhouse on a site of a former clay pit. Because of its size, it is not made of glass but hexagonal plastic film panels. It really is a modern marvel! The whole structure is self supporting–there are no columns to cloud your view. Google it. The mission of the Eden Project is to educate the unwashed masses about how to be one with Mother Earth…in other words, it wants to guilt-trip you for breathing and producing CO2. That aside;  the plants, the design, the activities are awe-inspiring and I really felt edified. My bliss surged further when I saw that the gift shop was offering samples of “apple cider”. I love apple cider. I grabbed the little shot glass and took a nice big gulp…and that is the story of my first binge. Yes, dear Readers, this apple cider was spiked and I had to make it all the way to Eden to freakin’ start boozing. Mama Mia! How come there were no signs that the apple cider was alcoholic, you ask? This is Europe, baby! Anything goes. I spend the entire time I stand in the grocery store line staring at ladies with boobies big enough to feed a band of hungry gorilla babies. If you learn about anatomy in a grocery store, you can learn about booze in a botanical garden. Anyway, the moral of the story is…be strong…for now…you can get sloshed when you get to Eden.

With his wife on the dark side, David turned to his ancestors for a sign of hope. Originally, the Mayflower Pilgrims set  out from Southampton when their ship was damaged during a storm, causing them to stop in Plymouth for repair. While in Plymouth, we were able to see the restaurant the pilgrims ate their last meal before setting out to sea and stand on the very steps on which they bid their goodbye to the motherland. That was really special. It is amazing to get to be at the same spot someone down the family tree stood centuries ago.



Now to a dream nearly fulfilled…it has always been my dream to visit St. Michelle in Normandy. I have not been able to do that yet but am planning on it for sure. In the meantime, we were able to visit its twin–St. Michael–in Cornwall. These rocky islands are about a half a mile away from the coast and are connected to the mainland by a natural land bridge that gets revealed during low tide. So, we were able to cross on dry land and then on our way back took off our shoes and waded through the water. It was SO awesome. The castle offered some stunning views of the water and the village on the coast but the crossing to and from was the highlight for me.
Near St. Michelle, we briefly visited Penzance because David once played a pirate hunk in BYU’s production of Pirates of Penzance.

Finally…Land’s End–the most westerly point of mainland England–a place of rugged cliffs, fierce winds, crashing waves, and ship wreck. We went on a walk along the edge of the cliffs and I must admit that it was one of the most magical moments of my life. I felt I could stay there forever and still never soak it all in. I was so overwhelmed and so happy.

Love you all.
Sandy

well, since we were able to catch a much earlier bus from Paracas, we got to Lima in the early afternoon. After dropping our stuff at the hotel, we were ready to explore.
Lima is a huge city. Population of over 8 million. There is a lot of pollution and absolutely everyone is honking at everybody else. It is really loud. Since it is apparently also a den of thieves, I carried our passports, cards, and money in my bra, which according to David gave a great a new look. The city is too big to be really able to walk anywhere, so we had to take taxis. In the evening we went to see two pyramids that are in the Miraflores and San Isidro quarters and then we had dinner in restaurant overlooking the ocean. I must say the view was spectacular. I could hardly focus on the food. The restaurant was on a cliff above the beach and we just watched the waves and sunset coming in.

The next morning we did finished up our souvenir shopping, went on a tour of the second pyramid we saw the day before and headed to the center of Lima. There was a huge podium and screen set up for the World Cup right by the presidential palace. These people live soccer. The highlight of the day was going to the bullfighting museum. There was nobody else there, so David was able to ask all the questions he ever had about bullfighting. They had tons of pictures, outfits, photographs, stuffed bull heads,etc. At the end we were able to go see future bullfighters practice. Bullfighting is really a dance. A very, very manly dance. A bull that fights once, never fights again. The reason is that the bull learns that the fighter always steps away and that he needs to go after the fighter and not the fabric. Meaning that a bull who has fought is too deadly to face a fighter again. So, the boys are not able to practice with a bull. Instead one of them puts on a pair of horns and chases the other one around the arena while their coaches yell at them that in real fight they would be already dead 10 times over. Very interesting. They also had a pair of horns attached to a one wheel bike–but unfortunately we did not get to see that contraption in action. The arena and the museum where in  a very sketchy neighborhood and I was more than happy to get back to the center.

We finished the tour with a few churches and Plaza San Martin. Lima overall is a quite unimpressive city but Plaza San Martin was stunning. In my mind it did not fit in Lima at all. I should be in Arequipa not in noisy, busy, huge Lima.
Afterwards headed to the hotel. Our plane was at midnight.

In summary, this was an incredible trip. It surpassed my expectations by miles. My favorite was definitely the trail which was and always will one of the most incredible and surreal experiences of my life. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat and I really hope I will be able to one day.