Sunday, November 29, 2009
What They Wore... To Church
While visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, we asked this elegant elderly gentleman if he would be so kind as to allow us to take a quick snap. He kindly obliged. We loved the way he casually sat on a wooden bench while throngs of tourists passed by. His Circassia-like hat, gold rimmed glasses, cane and rosary beads complimented his elegant suit.
Breakfast at Versavee Cafe, Old City of Jerusalem
We went for a late breakfast at Versavee Cafe situated right inside the Jaffa Gate at the Imperial Hotel. Even though the food was simple and tad mild (we ordered a Jerusalem breakfast of hummus, labane cheese and salad- nothing to write home about) it was good enough. The Arab coffee and atmosphere, genuinely 'Old Jerusalem', were just what we needed to start our day. We will return for coffee or an afternoon beer.
Carving the Turkey
Ever wanted to know how to carve a turkey? We followed this great New York Times video and succeeded in carving our first turkey! Carving the turkey in advance has two advantages: you can get more meat from the bird and you get to secretly nibble in the kitchen.
Hard Times Come Again No More
Our yearly tradition of Thanksgiving dinner at the Z's is never complete without singing American folk songs.
Thanksgiving Tables
It's Thanksgiving and we are thankful for a safe return, soft mattresses and clean toilets. We were lucky enough to take part in two consecutive Thanksgiving celebrations with turkeys pumpkin pies, singing, family and friends. Here are some of the tables we sat down to. We especially liked the freshly picked rosemary around the tea lights.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
And we landed home at last
Kebabs, camels, wild flowers, mouths filled with gold teeth, stone carved churches, Tibetian monasteries, Tibetan jewelery, horse back riding, lachman and plov, hiking through the forest, Chacha, chicha, snow and desert, angry donkeys, floating villages, Silk factories, Chinese pollution, shoe shine scams, baguettes, beaching euro-trash, fly like a woman and JLTV, Georgian hospitality, pineapple shakes, powdered sand, shopping for a mini in Tbilisi, evil Kyrgyz embassy guards, many hard mattresses, Father Asbed, cold oily meat soup for breakfast, the Golden Apricot Film Festival, Tashkent duty free, boy-band haircuts, dingy hospitals, Uzbek ankles, 7-11, tropical rain forests, sinking into sand dunes, Cambodian rice fields, leg waxing on the beach, animal market, sulfur baths in the snow, Roman baths in the rain, fried eggplants, traditional messages, nomadic tribes, beggar children, the mosques of Istanbul.
After 6.5 months on the road which culminated in a major Bangkok shopping spree, we finally managed to drain our allocated trip funds. Broke, we returned home.
FEAR NOT! The blog will go on! we will continue to explore as exciting things DO happen everywhere.
Love,
The Royals
Connection at Tashkent Airport on a gloomy day.
Home-made breakfast.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Our Highway Accident
All tanned up we returned one day to the mainland, hopping on a VIP bus to Bangkok. Half way there: BANG! We were caught in a three car pileup involving rolling logs.
It all began when the pickup in front of our bus started loosing its cargo (logs were rolling). The driver pushed down the breaks, lost control over the truck and flipped over on the road. It was right then when our innocent tourist V-I-P bus happened to crash into the pickup, breaking its window and dashboard.
Luckily, we were all fine and in one piece so we helped clear up the road and tanned for another hour until we were transferred to a replacement bus.
Tourists clearing logs.
The Accident.
Puzzled tourists.
It all began when the pickup in front of our bus started loosing its cargo (logs were rolling). The driver pushed down the breaks, lost control over the truck and flipped over on the road. It was right then when our innocent tourist V-I-P bus happened to crash into the pickup, breaking its window and dashboard.
Luckily, we were all fine and in one piece so we helped clear up the road and tanned for another hour until we were transferred to a replacement bus.
Tourists clearing logs.
The Accident.
Puzzled tourists.
Beaching, beaching... Ko Chang
It was back to the 80's for us and *Europe's bestest*. All Malibu and Mai - tais.
Bang Bao Village, Ko Chang, Thailand
A few days ago we decided to return to Thailand and continue our "active" beaching on the island of Ko Chang. Searching for a quiet place to stay, we found Bang Bao - a fisherman's village on the southern tip of the island. The village is just one small street on a pier with a few accommodations and some excellent seafood restaurants.
Our guesthouse on the water
The view from our window
A fisherman in action
Our guesthouse on the water
The view from our window
A fisherman in action
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Beaching in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
Hold your breath... the Royals are beaching. Off came the hiking boots and on came the speedos. We traveled south for some well-deserved reading and cocktails.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Details of... The Temples of Angkor
Even more inspiring were the stone carvings and bas-reliefs decorating the walls of the temples.
The Harem and its guards.
Dancers.
Elephants at war.
Holding lotus buds.
Apsaras: Heavenly nymphs
The Harem and its guards.
Dancers.
Elephants at war.
Holding lotus buds.
Apsaras: Heavenly nymphs
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