Going Bananas in Sri Lanka

While in Sri Lanka, we had our first experience with an organized tour and tour guide. It was not an entirely pleasant one. While our driver/guide was great, our tour company, Ceylon Tours, was entirely unhelpful and uncommunicative (once they had my money). The hotel they booked for us in Kandy was CRAZY (no kidding, Jesus on a cross was the only thing hanging in our bedroom and he was LIFE SIZE. Plus, no A/C or fan in a malarial endemic area. We went back into town to find another hotel.) and most of the rest weren't particularly nice either. Oh well, you live and you learn - from now on my control-freak self will book all of our own travel.

That said, Sri Lanka was beautiful and fascinating. Maybe not the best R&R out of Kabul - the chaos exhausted us - but I would easily consider living there someday. Yes, that's us, the "better to live there than visit" people when it comes to African and South Asian countries. People were friendly, there's lots to see and do, clean(ish) beaches, good surfing, delicious food, low malaria risk...see, we're not too hard to please!

And also, the fruit was delicious. I haven't had pineapple that good since Benin and the bananas were out of the world. Thanks to our driver, we had lots of opportunities to pull over to roadside fruit stands and try all kinds of different and yummy fruits. Best part? No food poisoning! More photos and stories to come, I just liked all these fruit pictures and am hungrily reminiscing from cold, gray, Kabul.

The Corn Palace - Mitchell, SD

I know, you're dying to hear about our visit to the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. Sadly, you won't get much from me. It was an impromptu stop made after the Palace had closed for the day. Thank goodness for our AAA guidebook though, otherwise we wouldn't have even known it was around.

The Corn Palace helped us reach three kitschy Americana landmarks (Roswell and Carhenge being the first two) during our road trip. Much to my husband's disappointment (he truly felt cheated), the entire building is not made of corn. The exterior is decorated yearly using all parts of corn and must be a better use of the plant then high fructose corn syrup.

As far as I can tell, the theme of this year's mural was to showcase the palace "throughout the ages". How a sailboat and pictures of man on a segway "show" the theme, I have no idea. It was pretty awesome though and I'm sure GOB Bluth would've been proud.

Badlands National Park

Our time back in the States has been really busy. Trying to cram in visits with friends and family, trips to the beach, checking out new restaurants, and preparing for Afghanistan has been very time-consuming! Stepping back and reviewing our vacation road trip helps to slow things down. It was only a few weeks ago but seems like ages sometimes!

Near the end of our trip, we headed from Mount Rushmore to Badlands National Park. Passing the Black Hills along the way, we realized that we definitely hadn't budgeted enough time for South Dakota and mentally added another park to our "must visit" list (which is getting pretty long). Badlands was pretty amazing though and well worth the trip. The terrain was a mixture of the prairie grass and rugged canyons, spires, and plateaus that house fossils tens of millions of years old.
Unlike Arches and Canyonlands, Badlands has more relaxed regulations regarding backcountry hiking and camping. From the site pictured above, we saw a family of three scurry right up one of the canyon walls without any specialized equipment. Far in the distance, you could see the Badlands Wall which local Native American tribes used as a scouting location - they had been hunting there for nearly 11,000 years.

Of course Badlands has had some controversy in its past due to the struggles between the Native Americans and incoming homesteaders. The Stronghold table was the site of the last Ghost Dance conducted by followers of the Lakota prophet Wovoka who believed that they would overcome the "white man". Of course, the massacre at Wounded Knee, 45 miles from the park, unfortunately said otherwise.

Wildlife is plentiful in the Badlands - bison and prairie dogs are most common. We didn't see any but the park's official literature and all the DANGER signs around the park tell me that rattlesnakes are also pretty common. Also unseen - bobcats, bighorn sheep, and coyotes. However, the most surprising threat was from the ubiquitous prairie dog (can you see it popping into the foreground in the above photo) who, as pictured below, have PLAGUE!

Mount Rushmore

I promise that we did tons more stuff after leaving Utah and Nebraska. Trouble is, I started back up in training last week and am having a very difficult time sitting down to write about it. As I sit in eight hours of powerpoint presentations, I try my hardest to focus on LEARNING ABOUT AFGHANISTAN and not drift off into daydreams of the Delicate Arch at sunset or Mount Rushmore lit up at night. It's tough.


My initial impression of Rushmore was "that's it??" as we drove up from the outside. That sounds pretty bad but it became quite a bit more impressive inside the park (it looked really tiny at the first view). An outdoor corridor was lined with the flags of all fifty states and we took the time to point out Texas, Ohio, and Virginia. In retrospect, I wish I'd checked if DC was there too. This was also the broadest view of the four presidents. We joined the crowds at the overlook, oohing and aahing for a few minutes. We then set out for the hike on the Presidential Trail that our guidebook mentioned.


Well, less of a walk than a flat boardwalk going around (under) the presidents, the trail still afforded various viewpoints and info stations where we could learn more about why each president was selected for Mount Rushmore. Sculptor Gutzom Borglum chose each of the four. Washington represents the spirit of independence in the US and, as the first president, is featured first on the left. Incidentally, while this factoid was mentioned in a guide, we learned at the Mount Rushmore museum the Lincoln was originally supposed to be carved into Washington's right, placing GW between him and Roosevelt! However, when Borglum started dynamiting the surrounding rock, he found there wasn't enough work space on that side of Washington and shifted Lincoln to the other side.

Thomas Jefferson, my favorite president, was the second selected for the monument due to his statesmanship and inspiring vision (particularly during the drafting of the Declaration of Independence). Theodore Roosevelt is to the viewer's right of Jefferson and is a particularly appropriate choice due to his instrumental role in the creation of America's National Park system but also for leading the country away from prior isolationist policies. Roosevelt's selection was controversial at the time as he'd only been dead for eight years but is now a clear choice.


Finally, on the viewer's far right, is Abraham Lincoln. Borglum chose to depict the 16th president with the beard he grew in older age, despite portraying the others in younger days. The beard comes out so precise and lifelike, it's hard to imagine how difficult it must've been to carve it into the mountain. Lincoln represents unwavering determination - a typically American characteristic - essential during the Civil War and Emancipation Proclamation. Borglum's respect for Abraham Lincoln runs so deep that he ended up naming his son Lincoln.

Independence, visionary statesmanship, environmentalism, and determination. Four characteristics that all Americans should strive to live up to. I may have started out with low expectations but ended up leaving inspired by the four 60-foot faces carved into the Black Hills.

Carhenge

Part of our goal for this road trip was to see all kinds of quirky Americana along the way. Carhenge helped us to meet this goal en route between Denver (where we stayed with wonderful family and didn't sightsee) and South Dakota. It's famous enough to have been listed in the book "1000 Places to See in the USA Before You Die".


Carhenge is modeled after England's Stonehenge which neither of us have seen. However, thanks to this road side diversion in Alliance, Nebraska, I no longer think its necessary (wink). The 38 vehicles are all American-made and covered with grey spray paint. However, there's more than just this Stonehenge replica to the site. "Car art" including the pictured "Dino" sculpture is also present.

Canyonlands National Park

If Arches had been like walking around Mars, Canyonlands was the moon. Tall needle-shaped rock formations and canyons wider than the eye can see are a short drive away in Canyonlands National Park. If I'd spent the day before looking up to all the arches, I spent the next looking out into the wide horizon.


The park is made of three main districts: Island in the Sky, Needles, and the Mazes. We went with the former as our short introduction and were suitably impressed by the mesa plateau that we drove/hiked on, over 1000 miles above the rest of the terrain. The canyons were principally cut by running water (and receding seas) over millions of years and the layers in the rock formation are evident from certain views in the park - both the Colorado and Green rivers still run through the park.


We headed up to the Mesa Arch earlier in the day where my husband scrambled to the top of the arch for a photo opportunity, nearly giving me a heart attach 1500 feet above a canyon on a windy day. Sticking to the prescribed trail on the Island in the Sky, we didn't even scratch the surface of the magnificent 530 square miles of park land. We capped off the day with a "sound and light" canyonlands boat tour outside of Moab. Cruising down the Colorado, our guide pointed out shapes and figures in the surrounding cliffs until we turned around and bobbed back to Moab to accompanying music and dramatic lights.

Arches National Park

After a wonderful couple of days in Santa Fe, we climbed back into the car and headed to Moab, Utah. Moab is in a really special location, near to both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. We elected to go to Arches first during our three and a half day stay and it was a good thing as the weather just got windier and windier.


Located within the park's boundries are over 2000 natural sandstone arches along with quite a few other rock formations. It's in the "high desert" which means the altitude is high but not high enough to cause any sickness. The landscape was incredible - I've been to a lot of places but Arches might be the most beautiful in the world. We did the 32 mile drive through the park, stopping at overlooks for photos and pulling into the trailheads for various hikes. Balanced Rock (see below) was one of the easier ones - just a short trail around the base of the rock. Nearby were views of Park Avenue (called that due to the tall formations that appear like New York skyscrapers) and the Three Gossips. With a little imagination, you can easily pictures all kinds of other figures and shapes built into the canyons and out of rocks.

Our favorite hike was between the Sand Dune and Broken Arches. Sand Dune Arch was incredible, tucked inside quite a few other rocks and well-shaded, the sand beneath our feet was cool and fine. My shoes have mesh along the outside and was letting in quite a bit of sand so I ended up going barefoot as I walked around. The downside was that the wind had been picking up and with the shape of the rocks, really whipped the sand around. We headed to the Broken Arch from there. Usually a pretty each walk (it was under 2 miles), it became a bit tougher by the fact that we'd forgotten water and that the wind was blowing sand into our faces.

When we made it to the Broken Arch, we crawled up the rocks to hit the other side (my hiking partner is pictured below) and made our way through the last part of the trail. This is when the need for water really kicked in but we hit the local campground (and water fountain) right in town. The wind started to pick up again as we left but we weren't quite ready to call it quits yet.

We drove around the park, trying to decide where to return to for sunset. We'd picked up some sandwiches in town and were planning on a picnic. Since we'd decided to do Delicate Arch the last day, we headed back to the Double Arch you see below. You can't really tell from that photo but you can actually climb all up and down the rocks between the arches quite easily and find the perfect spot to watch the sun set.

When we returned to Arches two days later, the wind was worse than ever. The sky in Moab was red and sandy when we woke up and the sand gusts were painfully strong. With our sunglasses, baseball caps, and jackets zipped up to our chin, we looked like celebrities dodging paparazzi! We made it out to Landscape Arch (below) where, in 1991, a chunk 60 feet long feel from the top. No need to dodge debris that day, just the sand. Unfortunately, it was a little to tough to make the longer hike to Delicate Arch. We vowed to make it back sometime soon - no light promise since the three and a half days we spent wasn't nearly enough.

Santa Fe

Our time in Santa Fe went much too quickly. Thanks to recommendations from friends and the internet, we ate amazing food and visited unique and creative shops. On our first (late) afternoon, we headed downtown to the Plaza to become acquainted with the area. We wandered into shops and my new obsession with New Mexican retablos was born. Since we'd had a late lunch in Roswell, we took a long late walk, unsuccessfully trying to work up an appetite for the green chili burritos at the Shed (a travesty that we never managed it) and took in all the interesting street art and local characters as we planned for the next day.

Bright and early, I woke up with a massive hangover. I thought that was odd as I'd only shared one beer the night before. I felt so sleepy with a headache that wouldn't quit but it wasn't until a local shopkeeper "diagnosed" me that I realized the answer - altitude sickness! At least it meant I wasn't a total lightweight and by the end of the day, my body was already adjusting to the 7000 extra feet above sea level.

We first visited the New Mexico Museum of Art, touring the Georgia O'Keefe collection and an exhibit on Southwestern art through the years. The standout of the visit, however, was a special exhibition entitled "Sole Mates: Cowboy Boots and the Arts". The large space was filled with intricately designed cowboy boots and examples of how the footwear has been represented in the arts (everything from photography to film to music). The museum is housed in a Pueblo-Revival style building built in 1917 and was worth looking at on its own with the bell tower on top calling back to the Spanish mission churches.


After a wonderful lunch at Cafe Pasquals (I had the green chili and avocado soup!), we headed back to the Plaza to enjoy the beautiful weather and people-watch for a bit. Southwestern friendliness was the order of the day but we were very amused to watch two separate dirty-looking met approach the girl in the bench very near to us. Like in a movie, another bystander (a single guy) swooped in for the "Hey Honey/Pretend Boyfriend" move to save her from the second persistent conversationalist. If this were a movie, they'd fall madly in love and we'd be invited to the wedding. Since it was real life, we left them still chatting (hey, maybe they'll go out) and made our way to the Palace of the Governors.

The adobo building on the Plaza was once the Governor's residence but is now home to the New Mexico History Museum. The original palace was built in 1610 and the structure is evident when you tour through the current museum. A program with local Native American tribes brings vendors to show their beautiful jewlery and other items in front of the palace.

We wrapped up the day with a bit of shopping. I found and purchased my own retablo of Saint Christopher (patron saint of travelers) and worked very hard to restrain myself from filling up our rental car with the amazing pottery and garden items (I don't have a yard but wasn't going to let that stop me). I fell in love with Santa Fe and vowed to come back so I'll have to finish my shopping then...

Roswell, New Mexico

While we overnighted in west Texas, the first real stop on our road trip was an unplanned detour. And if you're going to go off course, why not to Roswell, New Mexico?

It only took us about an hour out of our way and once we calculated that we'd be spending close to 60 hours in the car over the course of this trip, one measly hour didn't seem like much. And it was worth it!


Now, mind you, I wouldn't make any special trips to Roswell unless you have a lot of time on your hand already but it was a kitschy and amusing start to the trip. It's impossible to mistake Roswell for any other town; nearly every shop and restaurant was capitalizing on the UFO phenomenon, including chains like Whattaburger and Walmart. Our main stop was the UFO museum on Main Street. Surrounding by tourist shops and located in a converted theater, the museum absolutely lived up to our expectations.

The first half dealt with the UFO "crash" in Roswell and how the "cover-up" was conducted by the US Air Force. I don't know about you, but just because a piece of paper has "affadavit" written at the top and is signed by a notary doesn't convice me of jack. And the exhibit was mostly paper narratives, many from people who were children at the time. It sure seems like something happened (hey, it was the Cold War) but seriously...little green men? The second half of the exhibit dealt with UFOs in general: how to report them, classification of phenomena (close encounters of the first through third kinds), and previously reported sightings and hoaxes. Learning how they disproved the hoaxes (especially in the days before digital photography) was pretty interesting but the presentation definitely lacked sophistication. I hate to hate on the people who work very hard on this stuff but really, there were literally printed emails pasted onto colored construction paper mounted onto a black poster board and framed. This was the serious stuff, see below. My tenth grade science project looked more professional (ahem, I did win a prize for it too).


Despite the overall ridiculous story and the lack of convincing "evidence" or story, Roswell was an amusing stop and we are glad that we can now say that we've survived our time without any alien abductions.

On the Road, Austin to Lubbock

On day one of our road trip, we packed up in Austin, picked up our rental car, and said good-bye to my parents and (sniff sniff) Cooper.

The good-byes were pretty difficult as we likely won't see the three of them for at least a year. Cooper tried to jump in the car, thinking he was coming with us, and that made us pretty sad. Since dogs aren't allowed in our Kabul housing and my parents were willing to take good care of him for the next year, this was the right decision. He is already in LOVE with their swimming pool - he played there for a solid hour the other day! After the goodbyes and cries, we were off. We came across a pretty nasty thunderstorm that conveniently struck when I had to get out of the car to fill up the tank. I got soak by the sideways rain. Otherwise, the ride was beautiful and uneventful as we took in the wide vistas and colorful Texas wildflowers.

Greek Road Trip

After our brief stay in Athens, we joined our friends on a weekend trip to Nafplio, a seaside town on the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece.

We drove from Athens (and back again), each time taking a different route that showed us the historic sights of Greece. Our first stop on Saturday morning was the Corinth Canal. A technological achievement of its time, the canal was built in 1893 to link the gulf of Corinth to the Saronic gulf of the Aegean Sea. While now it's mainly used for tourist ships, it originally saved 400 kilometers off the journey of trade ships. But to us, it was a cool sight. The blue was vivid and the bridge just rickety enough to make a fraidy-cat like me hold my breath.

Our next stop was the Theater at Epidaurus. The acoustics here are noted for being perfect. From the center of the stage, noise is audible even to the highest portion of the theater. Naturally, we tested the theory ourselves and found it to be pretty credible. That's my dear husband standing in the middle of the theater in the photo below. He pulled a coin from his pocket, dropped it on the dirt, and sure enough we could hear it from the top of the rows.

On Sunday morning, we got an earlier start on the trip back to Athens and visited a few more sights, exploring the Mycenaean world. The Treausry of Atreus was our first stop and we were doubly lucky that it was 1) free and 2) completely empty (at least, until our way out). The lintel stone above the doorway weighs over 120 pounds! Can you even imagine how that was lifted and used during the Bronze Age (around 1250BC)?! Mind-boggling. The interior is an underground dome that was richly decorated and served as a tomb.

After exploring the citadel of ancient Mycenae (the photo at the top of this post is from the height of the fort) and taking a cheesy group picture under the Lion's Gate, we hopped back into the car and headed for stadium at Nemea (below). This athletic facility may look like a field of dirt but the flat surface was run by many an athlete and is still used for reenactments these days. Around the corner is the 'changing room' facility where the athletes disrobed (they competed naked) before running into a tunnel that empties to the stadium. The NFL (and many colleges) have picked up on this tradition so clearly athletes have always loved a grand entrance. After a woman snuck in to view as a spectator, all visitors were also expected to disrobe and watch the competition in the nude. Thanks goodness this is an Olympic tradition that hasn't continued.

While on the road, it wasn't all about ancient sites and historic figures. It was, naturally, about wine as well. When we passed a vineyard that our friends were familiar with, we stopped for a brief tastings. Naturally a couple favorites from the Terra Leone vineyards in Greece made it into our suitcases. Thanks goodness we booked our return on Olympic Airlines - EasyJet doesn't allow for free bag checking! It wasn't all about the fancy wines, our friends stopped to get some unmarked bottles of the good (cheap) stuff at a roadside stand. We were highly tempted by the olive oil and amazing-looking citrus for sale but restrained ourselves, knowing it'd probably leak all over our suitcases!


Our last stop before heading direct to the Athens airport was Temple of Zeus at Nemea. The Nemean Games were founded here and were part of the Panhellenic games cycle in ancient Greece. With the blue skies and warm air, it was a perfect bookend to a fabulous long weekend in Greece. We're keeping our fingers crossed to return again someday (we still have quite a few islands to visit!).