tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81105694431291205332024-03-19T01:15:05.347-07:00The Comings and Goings of The 2nd BrotherLoganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-9894145448693222792014-02-09T13:44:00.002-08:002014-02-09T13:48:30.694-08:00Sand Hollow<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Another awesome thing that I have been craving for several years is scuba diving. BYU offers a class through Dive Utah that enables you to become open water scuba certified within six weeks. The best part is that it was $270 that I didn’t have to pay. I received three scholarships and a government Pell grant this final semester at BYU. So I had all my tuition paid for, all of my text books paid for including extracurricular classes with $2000 dollars back into my pocket. What a huge blessing!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">The class consisted of textbook course work, which really was just reading about scuba safety, equipment and practices. Then we had four weekly sessions of getting in the local public pool at the Provo Rec Center and practiced using the equipment on top of and under the water. Then we had two final sessions called open water dives at The Crater in Midway Utah. It is an underground hot spring inside a small hill of earth with a whole at the peak. Imagine a mini volcano in the middle of Utah with hot water instead of hot lava. That is basically what it was. It was such a relief to swim in warm water! At the rec center we practiced in the competition pool which is always a little too cold for comfort!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Prov Rec Center</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The crater </span>wasn't<span style="font-size: x-small;"> super exciting though. They had put in some under water lights and a few platforms to stand on under water and look around. The walls were all made of rock that </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">wasn't</span><span style="font-size: small;"> too exciting, but we got to dive down to just over 30 feet deep and be able to experience the pressurization effects going down and up. It was actually pretty difficult for me to figure out the buoyancy and becoming the same as the water around me so that I </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: small;">wouldn't</span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-small;"> float to the top or continue sinking to the bottom. But I got scuba certified!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;">About two weeks later, my roommate and a girl from my scuba class and I went down to Hurricane,Utah just outside of St. George and scubadived at a reservoir called Sand Hollow. It was gorgeous! The red rock formations surrounding the water and jutting out of it here and there, the sparkling water and beautiful blue sky. It was a perfect day for diving. Dive Utah has had several donors place things in the water for the divers to seek out and find on an orienteering course. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Me under water with my Gear</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Under water shot of the sun</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Roomate Taylor and myself</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taylor, Carol Lee, Me</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVcSiBTd7Aa0Pxi6pi3e2UOivwY4hi40KLAIzdYIaXvL81jogLeJZX2cKyMOSHp4IPNPUihI8qshQ622ww43F2IRJmMtKabwbQjjR4TFiRC77ayi36ymwUSXYiDf_BweYEEX1aN2Z/s1600/IMGP0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We set out and ended up finding the airplane about twenty or so feet below the surface and, a toilet, and a Volkswagon bus in other places. Pretty interesting to see an airplane down there. It reminded me of the book <i>Hachet</i> by Gary Paulsen, where the bush plane pilot was trapped in the airplane in the lake. I was relieved to find the cockpit empty though. It’s too bad that there weren’t very many fish in the reservoir. It would have been fun to interact with them. Anyway, pretty fun stuff. One of my bucket list items is to scuba in a temperate place and visit a reef. That would be awesome. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Airplane Nose</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Cesna Double Prop</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The Volkswagon Bus</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On The Beach after our dive</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Muscle Men!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My goal is now to scuba dive in a tropical reef! that would be soo fantastic! It would also be very cool to scuba dive in an under water cave, with a guide of course! </span></div>
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Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-89419547580920423222014-01-03T12:33:00.001-08:002014-01-03T12:39:24.906-08:00Golden Birthday<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">I had my 25th and golden birthday!</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I turned 25 on the 25</span><sup style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">of October 2013! </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Man I am getting old! </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But not old in spirit! </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My mother has started a little catch phrase that she insists refers to me… “Logan Loves to Live.” </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On my golden birthday this year I had already schemed for several months to go skydiving, one of my bucket list items. </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My mother had wanted to visit my younger brother Brandon and I sometime this past semester and it ended up that she came to celebrate my birthday with me this year! </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We had fun swimming at her hotel and playing cards and going out to dinner. </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Then on Saturday morning we got up early and drove the three hours down to Moab Utah so that I could go skydiving! </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I chose Moab because it is in southern Utah where all of the beautiful red rock and incredible arches and towers are situated. Arches national park was only a few miles away from the airport that I started at. We got there and had trouble unlocking the gate to get in! You had to enter the code and push immediately afterwards to open the gate. But every time we tried the gate wouldn’t open. But after a few attempts we figured out that we needed to push immediately and it was fine. Inside the gate there were several hangers but only two of which were open. Skydive Moab was the first, and the other was another skydiving company. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Once there they handed me what seemed like a bundle of paper work. They sat me down in front of a TV and played a short video about skydiving and the risks involved. Then I basically had to sign my life away that I would not sue the company if something went wrong. My mom didn’t like all of that but I didn’t really care. Ever since getting sick, I feel like I have this attitude that even if something did go wrong nothing is as bad as what I’ve been through, so it doesn’t bother me at all to sign all of the paperwork, because I truly believe that nothing bad will happen. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Then I suited up in this heavy duty blue jump suit.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Remember that this is late October in Utah.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Air temperatures were continually dropping in preparation for winter.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Though I think that the air temperature that day was about 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Not cold but not warm either, at least for skydiving.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">I honestly was a little disappointed with the tandem jumper I was assigned to.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">I went up with another girl who was jumping and her tandem partner was even weirder.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">They both seemed a little off, just strange, and made lots of weird comments and stuff.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Plus in the video I had them make of the jump they all made weird hand signs and faces too.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">But I guess that is what you get in a remote area.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So we got into the tiny single prop airplane and basically sat in the lap of our tandem jumper. Once in the air the tandem guy hooked my harness to his so that we would jump together. It is a pretty small airplane and climbing to 14,000 feet (10,000 feet above the ground) was no small feat for the little plane. It probably took us fifteen to twenty minutes to get to the right altitude. Then I was told to open the side door! It was actually pretty hard to get it open with all of the wind pressure. But I got it open and stepped awkwardly onto the step under the wind attached to the side of the plane. I was still attached to my tandem jumper. The wind was pretty strong! Then my jumper counted to three and we fell out of the plane!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We did two or three flips and then leveled out, but I told him I wanted more so we started spinning around and around horizontal to the earth! The view was fabulous! Red stone for as far as the eye could see! The distant Colorado Rockies standing tall and impenetrable miles and miles away, with the Colorado River underneath me winding and weaving through the low country of south eastern corner of Utah. It was fabulous! And I was moving so fast! They say we were moving about 120 mph! We free falled for about thirty seconds and then he opened the chute. Then I got to float for another two and a half minutes or so. He let me steer the parachute and I spun us around so that we were almost horizontal we were spinning so fast! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">It was great! When we landed I had to pull my legs up so that we could land on our bottoms into the dirt. I felt like it was too fast! I needed more time! We should have gone up higher! Think about how cool it would be to skydive with a squirrel suit! But I went up and landed without problems! </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcultOvaUFA&feature=em-upload_owner">Skydive
Moab Video</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">After
my little adventure mom, Brandon, Christine and I all drove down the road and
went to arches national park. It is
literally just up the road. We didn’t have tons of time cause we had a three
hour drive back to Provo and I needed to be there to host a birthday party for
myself. But we drove through the park in
wonder and awe for the incredible rock structures all around us. They are huge! And the craziest part is how they tower over
you in an arch that really looks like it was meant to be there! We went on a few hikes and stuff, and it was
incredible! But pictures speak better than words! It was a fabulous birthday!</span></div>
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<br />Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-60092568356526634422013-06-20T12:36:00.002-07:002013-06-20T12:38:52.794-07:00The Dominican RepublicIn accordance with my craving for Spanish immersion and language experience I looked into a program offered by my Civil Engineering Department called "Latin America Study Abroad in Water Resources." It is a semester long class worth four credits that also counts as my senior design project that is required for graduation. I love killing two or more birds with one stone! So the scope of the class was to corroborate with Hydrologic Engineers from the Dominican Republic government entity call INDRHI, visit the desired site for construction and then spend the rest of the semester designing a dam with the desired characteristics to be built at the desired location.<br />
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<a href="http://dominicanoshoy.com/uploads/pics/indrhi_01.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://dominicanoshoy.com/uploads/pics/indrhi_01.gif" /></a></div>
Much of the infrastructure of the Dominican Republic is about fifty years behind that of the United States, and thus our limited skills were still very suitable for the task. Our class was split up into four groups each with different dam sites scattered throughout the country. My team was assigned El Rio Guayabal, located on the south eastern border of the country and near the border of Haiti.<br />
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The desired characteristics of our dam included producing 3 MW of electricity, and using the flows for irrigation and drinking. While we were in the DR we were able to collect precipitation data, and river flow data, and then begin to normalize the data. Each day while we were there in the DR we went to the office of INDRHI and collected our data and began compiling it and then creating preliminary assessments. Below is a picture of the desired site location of the dam. with an existing, "sudo" dam already in place for irrigation.<br />
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Working and touring in the DR was an awesome experience! The Spanish was much easier for me to understand due to its more Latino base, though many of the people born and raised out of the cities tended to slur and jumble most of their conversation and that took a lot of getting used to. The traffic in the cities was unbelievable! No one uses lanes! Cars cris cross and drive within inches of each other and follow the path of least resistance basically! Many of the cars and trucks had twice as many people as seat belts!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PE-AisH3C33l_9da6pITFmDrZKC947rHmUya5eDfttmsy1NHsECaEA9NlGpbrrMCyvwNC4esSi9voDcC0j8hS5cvqRYND9qBgxDV0WV9h-42o3a7_OAF-j4i4iMrEP79V1MRWepW/s1600/P1010001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PE-AisH3C33l_9da6pITFmDrZKC947rHmUya5eDfttmsy1NHsECaEA9NlGpbrrMCyvwNC4esSi9voDcC0j8hS5cvqRYND9qBgxDV0WV9h-42o3a7_OAF-j4i4iMrEP79V1MRWepW/s320/P1010001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Airport</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBYaxTzBDZ7pv2Gyp9ews65AwWPaMFz30aHTsMa5IfglAzp5CamqVQLY2jjYq5ZIgQ9ZADSvh6UMH7wIqhKzb5csteRkXJdWYUG-9weEGLoRDGICnjg40wmCqRcz32f1Q3Hq8TQ5K/s1600/IMG_0038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBYaxTzBDZ7pv2Gyp9ews65AwWPaMFz30aHTsMa5IfglAzp5CamqVQLY2jjYq5ZIgQ9ZADSvh6UMH7wIqhKzb5csteRkXJdWYUG-9weEGLoRDGICnjg40wmCqRcz32f1Q3Hq8TQ5K/s320/IMG_0038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKXMcJJ6AARx1J0fUbBYPwgVkPdEmURw856xLrvStwAheNx_icVt6BG4-mmyaVhzvELktSQyCHSQFLYyD5tNNWqgfrQX1jSWxNOIGRSwttz69iIrBoVvxi74ofY6XGPZvnRfAqCh-/s1600/IMG_0080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKXMcJJ6AARx1J0fUbBYPwgVkPdEmURw856xLrvStwAheNx_icVt6BG4-mmyaVhzvELktSQyCHSQFLYyD5tNNWqgfrQX1jSWxNOIGRSwttz69iIrBoVvxi74ofY6XGPZvnRfAqCh-/s320/IMG_0080.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Chelsea Kimble</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDXIavBaOHw4GZG0-HXRYETfvBQQOWQRmFLP_Q886J9auyvsSLaKJJOFLBeerAp-C-NxkHiBWB1mxA2oKxIYOOFWfTLtRpcMDFq8HBkke2nC1Nrg5ewR626Hnos5hPoPNscYCxWXb/s1600/IMG_0081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDXIavBaOHw4GZG0-HXRYETfvBQQOWQRmFLP_Q886J9auyvsSLaKJJOFLBeerAp-C-NxkHiBWB1mxA2oKxIYOOFWfTLtRpcMDFq8HBkke2nC1Nrg5ewR626Hnos5hPoPNscYCxWXb/s320/IMG_0081.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Dam Professor, Dr. Nelson </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgpzXUNktZ1RMw85I1Mnp8HIOvf2r_39p8_nbukG8QITCF0IqYu42ojQBeelkCximS_b3TPzP5bKd2kfGXeOTquBMdU9S3TbYRV8GoNIbeKaQDaJfXeFHwgsq8JwMtbATuQgfbfSS/s1600/20130206_162446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgpzXUNktZ1RMw85I1Mnp8HIOvf2r_39p8_nbukG8QITCF0IqYu42ojQBeelkCximS_b3TPzP5bKd2kfGXeOTquBMdU9S3TbYRV8GoNIbeKaQDaJfXeFHwgsq8JwMtbATuQgfbfSS/s320/20130206_162446.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy was out side our building. Look close becasue he is holding a shotgun! Many hotels and banks had many people like this outside.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKapM3-2LU0bNuU0tk0USn_e-FueYyae8C4WLfp6QmwtjuoFnNzK1kxurhD4RYRiUeTzHlYB44VuQfLkeMsumgfjTsSuFC7XD5UjI1KKhbnbUfqgiPaz-EmXF2e3Re7gZbY3xczcz/s1600/IMG_0153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKapM3-2LU0bNuU0tk0USn_e-FueYyae8C4WLfp6QmwtjuoFnNzK1kxurhD4RYRiUeTzHlYB44VuQfLkeMsumgfjTsSuFC7XD5UjI1KKhbnbUfqgiPaz-EmXF2e3Re7gZbY3xczcz/s320/IMG_0153.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgENLSDn_UltKGM-noJyjC7w214GiQ7C_9uwB_aEle6eBGWjNKj2Gx3RqGqPIQcM_W6rm5TblwR7YFiEfg3ZWnQlv6OTJSQQFZ-TeyvKU30XR30cO8wruIG0i_1SxGjAZfY_x1q5CR/s1600/P1010023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgENLSDn_UltKGM-noJyjC7w214GiQ7C_9uwB_aEle6eBGWjNKj2Gx3RqGqPIQcM_W6rm5TblwR7YFiEfg3ZWnQlv6OTJSQQFZ-TeyvKU30XR30cO8wruIG0i_1SxGjAZfY_x1q5CR/s320/P1010023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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During the evening times I ended up playing a lot of card games with classmates and walking around to see the city. The LDS temple there in Santiago was very beautiful. The members of the church were very friendly and curious of our visit. There seemed to be some very beautiful parks and the beach was all along the city. It was mostly rocky but still very pretty. I went for a few runs throughout the city with classmates for early morning exercise. Let me tell you that if running wasn't great before I ran along the beach it sure became incredible afterwards! Seeing the sun rise thousands of miles away on the edge of the ocean was amazing! I wish that I had taken my camera on all of my runs.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYapTGnCr2nq-TDfozmstMlvcZS48nKXW6mXjAvgrfXAOlkvTDjMIUKTYcHXF3yTDrvDznddM2QPw5DdXYiJCRJ7uoUXaqRQN7QHoE9lNF9tVCdU9zQi9iGDDszzBucA86dtfoJXa/s1600/DSCN5790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYapTGnCr2nq-TDfozmstMlvcZS48nKXW6mXjAvgrfXAOlkvTDjMIUKTYcHXF3yTDrvDznddM2QPw5DdXYiJCRJ7uoUXaqRQN7QHoE9lNF9tVCdU9zQi9iGDDszzBucA86dtfoJXa/s320/DSCN5790.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LDS Temple in the DR</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8liMpMqTMYLzv1Sa3namzHIzQrF80GTvPYKHtoEe9_96X9GOTrZt-8fm1CkLbJ-_WfEzCes2AT8HxnZK89zUSBncollbYbnRPjqR1UGE2QJgfYi1y35XSYjM6G5icddkwGmsa6UsX/s1600/DSCN2761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8liMpMqTMYLzv1Sa3namzHIzQrF80GTvPYKHtoEe9_96X9GOTrZt-8fm1CkLbJ-_WfEzCes2AT8HxnZK89zUSBncollbYbnRPjqR1UGE2QJgfYi1y35XSYjM6G5icddkwGmsa6UsX/s320/DSCN2761.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">City life</td></tr>
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While in the city we met with the director of all water resources for the country, which may not sound important in the United States, but in the DR this guy had butler like servants, wore a very expensive suit and walked elegantly kind of like royalty. It was a pretty interesting experience. On top of that, it was so strange to me how grateful every one we talked to was for our service to them. I kept feeling like what we were doing was simple and insignificant, but it was a huge deal to these people.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10eqHqTthRHWQtSxnWSzO59oRnPBS6A7wDR6lxW1DRPDjnyjIpgH0RBexHPMfvFRfrto_b0reNWAgT9flRYGo8OdcJ9i487EEq_wNx0uaeGUz7f8wjZpIaBp2S4aMBN8MPIvu770R/s1600/DSCN0393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10eqHqTthRHWQtSxnWSzO59oRnPBS6A7wDR6lxW1DRPDjnyjIpgH0RBexHPMfvFRfrto_b0reNWAgT9flRYGo8OdcJ9i487EEq_wNx0uaeGUz7f8wjZpIaBp2S4aMBN8MPIvu770R/s320/DSCN0393.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Class and The INDRHI Engineers</td></tr>
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Everyday we got to eat authentic and incredible Dominican food for lunch. In the middle of the week we each traveled to our actual dam sites and took pictures and assessed the area to get a feel for the area which we were studying. It was funny to me, but the Dominicans thought that it was a good opportunity to show off there country and stopped many times to buy us fresh fruit, or chilled coconuts, or show us landmarks. we ended up going out on El Lago Enriquillo, a salt water lake that is a left over of an ocean pass that had since been cut off by the raising mountains. There we saw native iguanas, herrings, crab, cactus, and lots of other unique wildlife for the island. We took a boat ride across the lake to the island in the middle of the lake where there was a weather station. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfb-sDKwFZqfmeudlwQvSnoiaRY0_sF4KxjZwX0MtHVJGn6gJs4zcti_YQIkWQeQKjkAru1q8Uk2gAnWEShVQuFLVM4ImE01XxtY2Y_AFiy0tz2-pVlMf5ncNTmYEpimlVXi-ck2n/s1600/20130206_180851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfb-sDKwFZqfmeudlwQvSnoiaRY0_sF4KxjZwX0MtHVJGn6gJs4zcti_YQIkWQeQKjkAru1q8Uk2gAnWEShVQuFLVM4ImE01XxtY2Y_AFiy0tz2-pVlMf5ncNTmYEpimlVXi-ck2n/s320/20130206_180851.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Fresh chilled Coconut! (Chelsea, David)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszLPFmcINWfNH6MB_w8w4_YGcZJcChaTvQpRVKMQRu-vYi3kYjb9QyjVRDUdsxzo9ZtVMEmKLtXJbtzjP4dUtSX_TzwUSCMv7V7TzZLsmMCdGvQPRMVV5Tnvj0MOzbNlnFPOyIKHZ/s1600/20130206_180939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszLPFmcINWfNH6MB_w8w4_YGcZJcChaTvQpRVKMQRu-vYi3kYjb9QyjVRDUdsxzo9ZtVMEmKLtXJbtzjP4dUtSX_TzwUSCMv7V7TzZLsmMCdGvQPRMVV5Tnvj0MOzbNlnFPOyIKHZ/s320/20130206_180939.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikPBpGdKFcPLQ_aazD6O2F35pGmpfGIv1bpSZyEiEREOtF5gteoXLwChcETqccvoev3Rdb1Nmrc-v_b6VamvNFp6sPcLP0GlbuNJSfv-KR8bij4575iog9cMmxyPGETKZHCL_8QET0/s1600/IMG_0094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikPBpGdKFcPLQ_aazD6O2F35pGmpfGIv1bpSZyEiEREOtF5gteoXLwChcETqccvoev3Rdb1Nmrc-v_b6VamvNFp6sPcLP0GlbuNJSfv-KR8bij4575iog9cMmxyPGETKZHCL_8QET0/s320/IMG_0094.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Native Iguanas with Three horns like a triceratops!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBwMBZbbsJdEmHYYp3uWd7jTDAFgo3-YxEaUNrVb6uKASY5x4GyEF7XW0S8o2kYLlS3WPyeTUl2adGM_95csdIRzvIbTyBzToTKD1Qjkvyjq4ucj51h0zRZWXZChxkS6gb234e_AD/s1600/DSCN0456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBwMBZbbsJdEmHYYp3uWd7jTDAFgo3-YxEaUNrVb6uKASY5x4GyEF7XW0S8o2kYLlS3WPyeTUl2adGM_95csdIRzvIbTyBzToTKD1Qjkvyjq4ucj51h0zRZWXZChxkS6gb234e_AD/s320/DSCN0456.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3p-lNELCpgWy5WW-3-WQ9tDCGsLX5hfm61z7A0uTU93UkcqolkpjSzH2fyPuDuyyS-EP7R4vf8t7HkK3gD4jqTktmaTFk2SFZCttaLixbFPob5mUu1tR06F3ET3vz10oNBBX3Tkj/s1600/DSCN0459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3p-lNELCpgWy5WW-3-WQ9tDCGsLX5hfm61z7A0uTU93UkcqolkpjSzH2fyPuDuyyS-EP7R4vf8t7HkK3gD4jqTktmaTFk2SFZCttaLixbFPob5mUu1tR06F3ET3vz10oNBBX3Tkj/s320/DSCN0459.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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At the end of our stay in Santiago we presented all of our findings to the board of water resources for the country in a really big conference room. I was the only one that spoke Spanish in my immediate group and had to translate and basically give all of the presentation in Spanish. It is intimidating to give a semi-technical presentation in a second language in front of a large group of native, older professionals. But practice makes perfect right!? I love Spanish and cherish the time I had in the DR to continue to immerse myself in yet another Spanish speaking culture. </div>
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After giving our presentations, the same night we went to an authentic and loved restaurant by the native with music and dancers. It was very cool to see the native dances and music. We were at dinnner with the director again and supposedly it was a really big deal again. They gave each of us a gift for our services and it was a nice get together. At one point they got all of us "Americans" to go and dance with the dancers. The link to that video is below. </div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbj1Rbtrchk" target="_blank">BYU Merengue Dance</a></div>
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The next day we headed out on a bus to tour a bit of the country. We stopped at a place called 27 Charcos, which is an indigenous word for waterfalls. We put on helmets and life vests and hiked up to the first water fall and began by jumping off a rock into a water fall and the pool beneath it! We proceeded to jump and slide down many more water falls along the river until we had done all 27! An incredibly invigorating experience! One of my class mates Jaren had a Go Flex camera going the whole time and edited it down to a pretty cool video. The link for the video is below.</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af2g3Tay00M&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">27 Charcos</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiDsWa1Eu7-IGHZhWg5OVhChwLDg9mWACONaveEfhGNBa6bAdRtS1JyrmOQxWk7zMvs4dpIZllN9atiEM6tRlo-jEAXD2nbJg2y-g59FRU5h-SK78X9FJA9Q63lZ5iDG7uPH2Y7-q/s1600/IMGP0916C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiDsWa1Eu7-IGHZhWg5OVhChwLDg9mWACONaveEfhGNBa6bAdRtS1JyrmOQxWk7zMvs4dpIZllN9atiEM6tRlo-jEAXD2nbJg2y-g59FRU5h-SK78X9FJA9Q63lZ5iDG7uPH2Y7-q/s320/IMGP0916C.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We stayed in a really nice resort right on the beach in Puerto Plata. Lots of incredible food, fruit smoothies all day, warm beautiful beaches. It was great! One morning I ran on the beach with my professor and classmate to catch the sunrise. We did and it was incredible! My background photo on facebook is one of the many amazing photos I took of the sunrise across the water and island. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWchotNgRZepXu0Oyd5AKEoi2nmkOLI-3jKMAzblqPuc8tNVhJ4gk4eY9Y8vb-6uWc4n78kvr6HbroC4-AVSUj3sC17LnV_vsHLRR_uxq-g9VO1gZP4I68ECb-xow5eQDXO35PT3KD/s1600/20130208_181731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWchotNgRZepXu0Oyd5AKEoi2nmkOLI-3jKMAzblqPuc8tNVhJ4gk4eY9Y8vb-6uWc4n78kvr6HbroC4-AVSUj3sC17LnV_vsHLRR_uxq-g9VO1gZP4I68ECb-xow5eQDXO35PT3KD/s320/20130208_181731.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The resort</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWlxZFfZHApSMVGYXj2QsuE2tDFFXovTJI9ruNOSnqAP8qIlh2jD6JsmvRCHCEM3yITGmDZOjQKyv0XJ8GZiK_spQWfsELcMFGgTQEVu3H0Fj3qx04ieS572tLPW87XGPvughGrFc/s1600/20130209_092209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWlxZFfZHApSMVGYXj2QsuE2tDFFXovTJI9ruNOSnqAP8qIlh2jD6JsmvRCHCEM3yITGmDZOjQKyv0XJ8GZiK_spQWfsELcMFGgTQEVu3H0Fj3qx04ieS572tLPW87XGPvughGrFc/s320/20130209_092209.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Leading to the beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_hWKg-dbt-HR3kbGnZDc3tyvW1Uu_jClAp2c5OqLXeIL-lCqF1T4Ia69-Pvg7iK6XJi_80JOJCghaG8PhXBaovphyphenhyphenHQ-ZlyWMlqDTt4p_qjbKyIEV-Vn7CL2xQldYySUzu5Ehj3c/s1600/20130209_072520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_hWKg-dbt-HR3kbGnZDc3tyvW1Uu_jClAp2c5OqLXeIL-lCqF1T4Ia69-Pvg7iK6XJi_80JOJCghaG8PhXBaovphyphenhyphenHQ-ZlyWMlqDTt4p_qjbKyIEV-Vn7CL2xQldYySUzu5Ehj3c/s320/20130209_072520.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reflection in The Morning</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Overall it was incredible and life changing experience for me, and I can't wait to visit more Spanish speaking places to further my understanding and abilities.Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-37061469449258960882013-02-18T09:05:00.000-08:002013-02-18T09:08:51.831-08:00Christmas with the Family - All of Them!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This Christmas, Brandon, Keaton and I all drove all the way
back to Chicago. Friday night after Keaton
got off work we drove up to bountiful and stayed at our Uncle Lon’s house. Brandon got to go to a play with Uncle Lon
because he had one extra ticket. He said
that he enjoyed that a lot. Keaton and I
stayed at home and made a puzzle with Aunt Ellen. We slept and then got up very early to try to
beat the snow storm that the valley was expecting. But I guess it wasn't early enough. There was a lot of snow for the first two or three
hours of our trek. We had to go extra
slow because of it. We saw many semi-tractor
trailers rolled off the side of the road as well and that was a little scary. But we drove and drove and drove. It is about a twenty hour drive and because
of our delay we did it in about twenty two hours. On the drive we listened to Ender’s game
which was also a phenomenal book written by Orson Scott Card. </div>
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When we finally got to Naperville area, I missed our turn on
the highway and didn’t realize it until far too late and had to take a
different way home which did not add to the speed at which we arrived home. But we got home and slept several hours
before being awoken the next morning. For
several days while the youngest siblings were still in school we each went
shopping with mom and to Dallin’s basketball games. We all just relaxed; after all we had all
just finished finals! We enjoyed Christmas
traditions with the family like drinking lots of egg-nog and orange juice and
mixtures of the two (orange-nog), and baking good Christmas treats, and making homemade
caramels. Christmas eve we had some
family friends over and re-enacted the nativity as we do every year.<br />
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Christmas morning we got up at perhaps 7:30 and sorted
presents and ate a delicious breakfast, then spent about three hours going
around one at a time and enjoying opening presents. I appreciated my new shoes which I desperately
needed as well as some new Sunday shirts.<br />
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That night we packed up and loaded the van. We left early the day after Christmas headed
for North Carolina. It ended up snowing
quite a bit through Ohio and it was slow going for a while. Then all the sudden it became very difficult
for dad to drive and we found out that we had two popped tires! Both on the same side of the van! We couldn’t figure it out! Because we must have ran over a board with
nails in it or something cause it was extremely strange. We waited for the tow truck and watched a
movie in the van for a while then walked to the nearby Wendy’s off of the
highway. The tow truck took forever and
then tried to fix the tires then and there.
A mistake! We just wanted to go
to the shop to get them fixed! Plus because
it was so crazy out all of the shops were closing up! One man said he would stay open for us
though. An answer to prayer! Dad ended up having to pay for four new tires
because you can’t just replace two or it is uneven or something. Kind of expensive!<br />
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We did end up getting to North Carolina though late that
night and Justin came to the hotel and picked Brandon and I up. We bunked at his place on an air mattress and
the couch while the rest of the family stayed at the hotel. Nathan had thrown up a few hours before we
got there and that night Keaton was doing the same at the hotel. Kind of a rough ride out to North Carolina. <o:p></o:p><br />
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Brandon and I were awakened by our two little nephews Andrew
and Isaac. They are the best ever! Two years old, talking, walking and running,
opening doors, playing with cars and airplanes and trains. It is just so fun to be with them. Mom and dad got them the magic school bus
series for Christmas and they absolutely love it! Brandon and I had previously recorded some
clips of loaders in action and cranes and other trucks, and the boys were just
glued to the videos! They loved them so
much!<o:p></o:p></div>
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While there we had some authentic southern food with fried kiesh and fried chicken, pork and beans.
We went to the hotel pool and swam with the twins and they had a blast. We went to the North Carolina Basketball
museum and say all of Michael Jordan’s stuff amongst many other incredible
players and coaches. The older family
members went to the Raleigh temple one morning.
On the drive there we got to see the beautiful country and small homes
on large properties. It was good to
spend time with Justin and Melissa and their boys. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma and grandpa building trains with the twins</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isaac tries really hard to smile when we are taking pictures of him!</td></tr>
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We drove back to Chicago and picked up Brandon’s girlfriend Christine
from the airport. While she was here we
ate out at Portillos, our favorite Chicago still restaurant as well as
Giordanos, our favorite deep dish pizza place.
I love their food! It was a great
Christmas break; lots of rest and lots of time with family. I love my family!<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christine, Brandon, Me, Dallin, Keaton, Nathan</td></tr>
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Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-11616826151727189062013-02-17T20:11:00.000-08:002013-02-17T20:15:52.014-08:00Thanksgiving BreakThis year at BYU I have two other brothers for a
change. Since getting home from my
mission I have been all alone in my studies here and it is nice to have some of
my loved ones around. Keaton, Brandon
and I loaded up on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and made our annual trip
down to see our grandparents in Arizona.
It is about a ten hour drive if you do it right. It was kind of funny to me because on the way
down we do a lot of up and downs on the highways due to the mountainous
terrain. Our little Mazda is a stick
shift and on one such stretch of ups and downs Keaton was driving and having a
lot of trouble down shifting into fourth gear.
The poor guy. We ended up going
super slow up some of those hills and other cars were getting mad at us because
of our delay. Ha! A fun experience to remember!<br />
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On the way down we listened to Ender’s Shadow, by Orson Scott
Card. If you haven’t read any of his
books, REPENT! So far all of the books I
have read that he has authored have been phenomenal! Course I love the sci-fi futuristic kind of
plots so keep that in mind if you want to read them. </div>
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We stayed at Grandma Willis’ house while we were there. Wednesday morning all three of us got up and
went to the Mesa temple and met Grandpa Joe and Grandma Karen (my father’s
parents). Brandon and I did a session
there and Keaton did homework. Then after
wards we followed them over to great aunt Sheila’s place and ate lunch with
them and other extended family. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We locked our keys in the car and grandma is trying to get her arm in and unlock the car for us!</td></tr>
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While at Grandma Willis’ we helped he to hang up a lot of
her Christmas stuff. She loves to
decorate and has loads of Christmas decorations! But we love helping her out and especially
because there were three of us it went much faster. We found an old slide projector and old family
slides and pulled them all out and projected them onto the wall. It was really fun to have our grandma explain
some family history to us. She has been
through a lot with her family and it was good to see those slides and talk with
her about the many experiences that she has had in her life. We also found a lot of grandma’s old records
and played many of her favorite ones on her record player. That was really cool too. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9kZZ1yIqjvg_bOyaBcnpqGjhyyPAzft1mVWCiMgWXPQSDMLJhBekAn1BZJdh2nSXR5pEXRPYZ-5usmPs3yR6sSBPEKWDdq_UCRJC-vI1HFRtYHRJUyIcFpcXQMzQPa-ACeNu9llL/s1600/Arizona+Trip+2012+118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9kZZ1yIqjvg_bOyaBcnpqGjhyyPAzft1mVWCiMgWXPQSDMLJhBekAn1BZJdh2nSXR5pEXRPYZ-5usmPs3yR6sSBPEKWDdq_UCRJC-vI1HFRtYHRJUyIcFpcXQMzQPa-ACeNu9llL/s320/Arizona+Trip+2012+118.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keaton running the slide projector</td></tr>
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Grandma loves to play dominoes and we played several games
with her and really enjoyed her company and her stories. One night while there, we went to the temple
again to see all of the beautiful Christmas lights and admire the beauty of the
temple. On our way home Keaton was
driving and while leaving the temple parking lot turned left and cut off a
cop! The cop turned on his lights and
pulled us over. Came up to the window
and said “You know why I pulled you over?” Keaton had a conversation with him
and then all the sudden our car was light up by a police helicopter in the
area. The cop said “Shoot! Now we got
the Ghetto Bird on us.” He radioed to
them that the situation was all fine and let Keaton off with a warning. We all got such a big kick out of the whole
thing! The “Ghetto Bird!” Crazy! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZS_vCRMP4o3Z-Bf7-kzbip3Y2BvoaXeu6g4Kp5PJr6RIRJMRXgOyXETJjrZwYlwdVc9zrXeqwuhBARxNedA94fAU8-KILzUsQqUkMQxBvNEaXxCHs6uBXtf24ufHzE3hCV3U5ZnYF/s1600/Arizona+Trip+2012+133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZS_vCRMP4o3Z-Bf7-kzbip3Y2BvoaXeu6g4Kp5PJr6RIRJMRXgOyXETJjrZwYlwdVc9zrXeqwuhBARxNedA94fAU8-KILzUsQqUkMQxBvNEaXxCHs6uBXtf24ufHzE3hCV3U5ZnYF/s320/Arizona+Trip+2012+133.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mesa Temple </td></tr>
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We also had a hilarious time with our mentally handicapped
aunt Cheryl. She is usually pretty happy
but for some reason we all had a really fun time making her laugh and say funny
things. Grandma made us fantastic food
while we were there and we watched lots of movies with her. She really likes to watch Hallmarks. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAG4IS_LCkrBIIenQfI4I2dbqFZQCb0wu2Q0ZQMjEEIWc2v5lxR13JOxRvEiMlRx-tzzrIem-XKzzzEDW7B4djjSqWL09ky1EY_itERb9Yq7DmUwdI7XIHM_X9S2Qt-kktF6wAHVvZ/s1600/Arizona+Trip+2012+053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAG4IS_LCkrBIIenQfI4I2dbqFZQCb0wu2Q0ZQMjEEIWc2v5lxR13JOxRvEiMlRx-tzzrIem-XKzzzEDW7B4djjSqWL09ky1EY_itERb9Yq7DmUwdI7XIHM_X9S2Qt-kktF6wAHVvZ/s320/Arizona+Trip+2012+053.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aunt Cheryl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjnL9a_N_9iMIz4UK2T1wU8DIFvpAimIPjL2Yg0B5iOrPmrvITqJ7mb8Qms3aqzgLp1bugYvAKpV4CzfmszRVeU5flII7-YHizU-MIrS4beUluumr7V2efHLM-HpLqgbmSIdv2_bC/s1600/Arizona+Trip+2012+170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjnL9a_N_9iMIz4UK2T1wU8DIFvpAimIPjL2Yg0B5iOrPmrvITqJ7mb8Qms3aqzgLp1bugYvAKpV4CzfmszRVeU5flII7-YHizU-MIrS4beUluumr7V2efHLM-HpLqgbmSIdv2_bC/s320/Arizona+Trip+2012+170.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being silly for Cheryl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_lLiEY119eg5c7UyPYxp-wWfSwf_YYLPBkpYiokqLWhwqBWShWvh945tAtOO0fYqN_2SgVcb3ktL4jjT723um59GmSGtWLiQ9XLO-OvCM5ziricz10wERzWMRT9tg3v3WUHEwJAd/s1600/IMG_20121124_094848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_lLiEY119eg5c7UyPYxp-wWfSwf_YYLPBkpYiokqLWhwqBWShWvh945tAtOO0fYqN_2SgVcb3ktL4jjT723um59GmSGtWLiQ9XLO-OvCM5ziricz10wERzWMRT9tg3v3WUHEwJAd/s320/IMG_20121124_094848.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Aunt Julia and Grandma Karen helped me with a history
project while there. I made clay pipes
from scratch to try and match those found in ancient Rome and other second century
pipe uses. Keaton, Brandon and I all
went to hike Thunderbird mountain, a family tradition that goes back decade
now. It seems like the mountain has
shrunk a little because it didn’t take as long as I remember to hike to the
top! We all ended up jogging up any way. On our way to the hike we passed so many
wonderful and beautiful Arizona mansion homes.
They have such a unique design and style and I love it so much!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I tried to activate my new Samsung Galaxy SIII while down
there but had some complications with the dumb phone company receptionists that
couldn’t speak English! I wouldn’t have
minded if they had spoken to me in Spanish but they didn’t know that
either! I spent over an hour trying to
get this woman to figure out that I wanted to activate my phone with my
previous phone number! It was
unbelievable! It is okay, I have it all
figures out now and I love my phone!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEL6S26jBzaJ-lTqx8DM2T51h7gohCDrYHT4fwiC95Gjh4rTqgb7p5RPFA8y_kTBMx2kfG6V3fKzZbX74urqnZV9MDjkS9x5ZexK-19QAmhX4vdNEjOfYZdzsHeqqPc6Y_uBJZe0TR/s1600/Arizona+Trip+2012+092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEL6S26jBzaJ-lTqx8DM2T51h7gohCDrYHT4fwiC95Gjh4rTqgb7p5RPFA8y_kTBMx2kfG6V3fKzZbX74urqnZV9MDjkS9x5ZexK-19QAmhX4vdNEjOfYZdzsHeqqPc6Y_uBJZe0TR/s320/Arizona+Trip+2012+092.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clay pipes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhwMODcuLV2FV0L41z1YnlJq2rRoGhW7XojhXIYy7DmBPDIv2lGUW1MVt0-VhZWBKJwi4Qzp97TZ-DTy9IGBJZ7_maDL8QHoNE3Ut-wNNHWbAanMOErzMxqqNfLsCmNcJnZeOAsOr/s1600/Arizona+Trip+2012+141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhwMODcuLV2FV0L41z1YnlJq2rRoGhW7XojhXIYy7DmBPDIv2lGUW1MVt0-VhZWBKJwi4Qzp97TZ-DTy9IGBJZ7_maDL8QHoNE3Ut-wNNHWbAanMOErzMxqqNfLsCmNcJnZeOAsOr/s320/Arizona+Trip+2012+141.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On T-Bird</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUdIO3jhr85NcpsRo3Njdb5gSNbOyZtFVKlI9V631kiJ0TGxG4fv0rg1tqZR8e3RPTY6QufA5kdxx45Bdab4pK8eGsKQDdINfxYzFMfjaDmF96CrfEjPhaKk7E4ydKb3_NPrZoM0k/s1600/Arizona+Trip+2012+158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUdIO3jhr85NcpsRo3Njdb5gSNbOyZtFVKlI9V631kiJ0TGxG4fv0rg1tqZR8e3RPTY6QufA5kdxx45Bdab4pK8eGsKQDdINfxYzFMfjaDmF96CrfEjPhaKk7E4ydKb3_NPrZoM0k/s320/Arizona+Trip+2012+158.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arizona Mansions</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPik_THGq7lE8C3Gwgcv1-r03Cckb57IfvbDs2DsS8wEuF2Wn4ZGu0rxJUY6oYqF8iJqQVpKNnbiqRcjs6OdDpj7yxVIbdpKxe6tJMnp_JbY-YtDFovuWUCoqEuP3rvs7ZqPo06gL6/s1600/Arizona+Trip+2012+147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPik_THGq7lE8C3Gwgcv1-r03Cckb57IfvbDs2DsS8wEuF2Wn4ZGu0rxJUY6oYqF8iJqQVpKNnbiqRcjs6OdDpj7yxVIbdpKxe6tJMnp_JbY-YtDFovuWUCoqEuP3rvs7ZqPo06gL6/s320/Arizona+Trip+2012+147.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite Arizona Plants!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Awesome Phone!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Grandma sent us home with tons of food for us and we are so
grateful to her for how much she takes care of us. She really is an incredibly compassionate
person. On our drive back to school we
were going over the hoover dam on a bridge and saw a sign that said “Dam Bridge”
and got a kick out of that. But it was especially
funny because at the time we were passing a car going the same direction as us
that had a license plate that read “Big A.”
Forgive me for not being entirely appropriate but it was just so funny
to us clean Mormons that we were on the “Dam Bridge” passing a car with a “Big
A” license plate!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anyway, it was a fantastic trip! We love our family!<o:p></o:p></div>
Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-92075757850428448422013-02-17T20:10:00.003-08:002013-02-17T20:10:50.736-08:00Summer in Provo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So before I had left for Spain this past summer, I
interviewed at Geosys Design, a private geotechnical engineering firm. The owner named Brian Garrett had been given
to me as a contact form his brother in-law that had been my professor that
semester prior. So I had emailed Brian
with my interest and a resume and cover letter.
A few weeks later Brian came and spoke at a seminar for all civil
engineers at BYU and after his presentation, I approached him and introduced
myself to him and he seemed very pleased to have met me in person and invited
me to check in with him again before the summer came to see if he had any job
openings. I did so and ended up
interviewing with him only two days before I left for Spain. I explained to him
my study abroad opportunity and he said that he thought it was great and it
worked out just fine because they weren’t going to start having a lot of work
until June or July anyway. So I
corresponded with him in Spain a few times and it ended up that he offered me a
job though I didn’t begin until a few weeks after coming home from Spain. Those three weeks were some of the hardest
ever! But I learned a great deal in the internship that helped me along in school
and provided me with some fundage for the coming school year.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Right after getting back from Alaska in August, I went to
Solvay Chemicals with my Uncle Lon to help him do maintenance on the fire
extinguishers there. I got to go down
into the mine with his assistant Alex. Pretty
cool down there. Driving through all of
the tunnels in jeeps and seeing all of the big machinery. We would drive from site to site with a guide
to service all of the extinguishers. Often
times we would have one ready and grab that one that needed to be serviced and
drive to the next site while I in the back took it apart and serviced it on the
bumpy road there. We wore hard hats with
the miner lights on them and got some nice gloves from the facility to use. At one point we serviced extinguishers on a
machine they called the snake, a long conveyor/grinder combination. And going along the bumpy road in the back of
a jeep and bouncing around it seemed totally like the ride at Disney land
called Indiana Jones! It felt the
same! Just darker and quieter for the
most part.</div>
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I was awarded a Pell Grant this school year! What a tremendous blessing! On top of that I was awarded my textbook
scholarship again, as well as a half tuition scholarship from my
department! I am richly blessed by the Lord! I need not worry much about funding for school
this year due to these rich blessings! Which
was an even greater blessing than I knew at the beginning of the semester,
because I ended up having to stop working because of how incredibly heavy my
school work load was. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As life progresses I continually gain new and life changing
experiences! I love to live and am
extremely blessed here on this earth.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-54559106263501766002012-09-16T22:11:00.007-07:002012-09-16T22:11:56.051-07:00Alaska<b>Thursday</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well my brother Brandon got off of his mission in St. George
Utah on Wednesday August first and we all got to see and talk to him! Keaton and I couldn’t see him yet because we
were still in Utah. But on Thursday
Keaton finished his final early and we got to leave and go up to bountiful and
get chipotle burritos before going to our uncle Byde’s house! He drove us to the airport and there was like
no security, so we got like right through everything. We flew to Seattle and Keaton took a nap on the way but
I had a real nice lady next to me that really liked to talk. So I pretty much chatted with her the whole
flight! Crazy!<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcNAHLSZ4ZuzpubQMkhvGwEvb1jD-G1bUC_Vxo_YIswL0Hd1kyIezjdtrXOG8ncG6TpKqArfMX0zDTrRSZ2GHKsBz1lwJMwZaAAPRyD0fCchW8Rt1yrq8f3hSt5FbVVM9K1tMjomF/s1600/DSCN5286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcNAHLSZ4ZuzpubQMkhvGwEvb1jD-G1bUC_Vxo_YIswL0Hd1kyIezjdtrXOG8ncG6TpKqArfMX0zDTrRSZ2GHKsBz1lwJMwZaAAPRyD0fCchW8Rt1yrq8f3hSt5FbVVM9K1tMjomF/s320/DSCN5286.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plane we took across the bay to Vancouver</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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Once we got into Seattle we had to get our boarding passes,
and then wait for like two hours before we got onto our next short flight to
Vancouver just across the bay. We ate
some snacks and watched airplanes come and go in rocking chairs in the huge
food court and atrium of the Seattle airport.
Then finally boarded our small double prop plane that only held like
sixty people! I think it was a Q400
model. The flight was only thirty-eight
minutes long, and when we got into the Vancouver airport the border control
lady was not happy at all! She spoke to
me in French then English and I thought I responded politely that I only spoke
English and she was just having a fit the whole time she was asking me
questions and stamped my passport and I got away as fast as I could! Weird!
We waited in the lounge for the rest of the family to come in, and saw
some strange people in there waiting as well.
The worst of which was a middle aged woman nursing her baby girl and
wasn’t covering herself up! Just out in
the open, not caring about privacy or modesty! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAhwd4wALUTgqxy4a-sE2GnCiR8rDXDWcvVhUmxhR1AS5EKglt0WhMCsz-qLmJzXweyFvdJQRG59zu7m9-buCk34jH7PRkKSxxz9wfvY-4RUC5ilmoKbU5lQ4-AWvozjFPb8MQUm-/s1600/DSCN5287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAhwd4wALUTgqxy4a-sE2GnCiR8rDXDWcvVhUmxhR1AS5EKglt0WhMCsz-qLmJzXweyFvdJQRG59zu7m9-buCk34jH7PRkKSxxz9wfvY-4RUC5ilmoKbU5lQ4-AWvozjFPb8MQUm-/s320/DSCN5287.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seattle airport, waiting for our tiny plane to Vancouver</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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Finally the family came in and we all regrouped and said our
first hellos to Brandon then got our stuff and went out to catch our shuttle to
the hotel. We crammed all of our luggage
into a twelve passenger van with the back bench taken out and then all nine of
us plus the driver when there were only seven seat belts! A little crazy! That night I was the only one that got into
the hot tub. Everyone else was tired and
I guess didn’t want to move anywhere but to bed. </div>
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<b>Friday</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friday morning is when the real fun began. Brandon talked me into lifting weights with
him at seven in the morning. After that
we went to the continental breakfast which was actually pretty decent. Then we all got Sunday clothes on and helped
ordain Keaton to the office of elder with a stake representative that came to
the hotel. Kind of a cool experience
because all of the older brothers got to participate because President Peterson
from our home ward planned it all out for us.
Very cool experience.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then all the boys minus Justin went down to the pool and hot
tub for about an hour. We went back and
watched some of the Olympics; I think it was women’s one hundred meter dash
qualifications. Then two van taxis came
to take us to our boat. My driver was
from the Philippines and had studied to become a priest! That was kind of interesting. Then we got there and saw our boat! It is huge!
We waited in security lines and got weird looks from so many people
because we were such a large group. When
we got onto the boat we walked around outside on the decks to explore a little
and then started watching little bush planes take off and land on the
water. Brandon really enjoyed that. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQfeexTPwDQCjTGiuPuUCVl710O6ZRBQo3SkqAEPEMC0KWfRrctl5wU5GjIyAFUp0KYwvqsDEXXwPKzxTRA1JSRM11vwPiw4P815ZkIRLjo9ak__sQ_oKiv0KA4DfinWxqSwbZH82/s1600/DSCN5298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQfeexTPwDQCjTGiuPuUCVl710O6ZRBQo3SkqAEPEMC0KWfRrctl5wU5GjIyAFUp0KYwvqsDEXXwPKzxTRA1JSRM11vwPiw4P815ZkIRLjo9ak__sQ_oKiv0KA4DfinWxqSwbZH82/s320/DSCN5298.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Unloading at the cruise ship</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhip0KyT3sYNtdPgmrATuq03wRrG8L4pWXKQtr-dVMs_hC7CBnE-Eh1GNlLxQJZkQc2mDGvnVV7DYV2TmS4fTkG1sPeZRGpuZiefyp4KKOdWhAorZkTdUILemAAzZaD77UPvU_9-XFx/s1600/DSCN5302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhip0KyT3sYNtdPgmrATuq03wRrG8L4pWXKQtr-dVMs_hC7CBnE-Eh1GNlLxQJZkQc2mDGvnVV7DYV2TmS4fTkG1sPeZRGpuZiefyp4KKOdWhAorZkTdUILemAAzZaD77UPvU_9-XFx/s320/DSCN5302.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Moving luggage to the ship</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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The boat really is huge!
Thirteen decks, several restaurants, a nice gym/workout area, indoor and
outdoor pools, two outdoor Jacuzzis, and one indoor. A movie theater and a performance theater
mini golf, rock climbing wall, two self-leveling billiards tables supposedly
worth eighty thousand dollars each, an incredible atrium with balconies from
deck two to deck thirteen, and our rooms were cool! A full bathroom, with a couch, TV, two twin
beds plus a drop down bunk from the ceiling.
We were pretty happy with our stay on board. One of the best things for me was that our
room was on the inside of the boat so when you turn the lights out it really is
dark! It made it easy to sleep.<o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZFOghu0GW6XVN_P6VHWntAdFpJprhW5fBLsKOBFrBDy6AG3BAaU1DC657-NvycGodAk8C9bdG5jmNeMRSjz-NzCFECzzOvXblyCh_U0KjW41kH2QvYlRMObL0mUqW4xV_AwuIxl6/s1600/DSCN5312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZFOghu0GW6XVN_P6VHWntAdFpJprhW5fBLsKOBFrBDy6AG3BAaU1DC657-NvycGodAk8C9bdG5jmNeMRSjz-NzCFECzzOvXblyCh_U0KjW41kH2QvYlRMObL0mUqW4xV_AwuIxl6/s320/DSCN5312.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1I4Il1bsP8BG3plJoDW8wiKrmfMmcSnqRQsR8Ye6Z0Yz-FzMujI7ii9M1Zsj2rkTXUh7aCYgci6gcyvLNuwX2hkieqLMaF0y0lhnDfPOvNSsMZrRqiAQAKNc6sVR9OHwmZpzIgrC/s1600/DSCN5303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1I4Il1bsP8BG3plJoDW8wiKrmfMmcSnqRQsR8Ye6Z0Yz-FzMujI7ii9M1Zsj2rkTXUh7aCYgci6gcyvLNuwX2hkieqLMaF0y0lhnDfPOvNSsMZrRqiAQAKNc6sVR9OHwmZpzIgrC/s320/DSCN5303.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Atrium</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-XYcTr7a9RMSusQJ0c7LdL0LF5dnHReNqWUbZwfHArxQEa3ZytleIUGvtDWkgH5LNd3RXol_hsa9JvFjA-b_UyOjqZX6p0OGU4_dM-84X9bSonX9R9JtxIRkINKks8Y3CuYiXpqN8/s1600/DSCN5313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-XYcTr7a9RMSusQJ0c7LdL0LF5dnHReNqWUbZwfHArxQEa3ZytleIUGvtDWkgH5LNd3RXol_hsa9JvFjA-b_UyOjqZX6p0OGU4_dM-84X9bSonX9R9JtxIRkINKks8Y3CuYiXpqN8/s320/DSCN5313.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outdoor pool deck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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The first day they delivered our luggage to us and what a
blessing that was because it would have been a night mare to try to find our
rooms the first day while dragging around all of our luggage! Especially with two thousand other people
trying to do the same thing! When we
finally departed we went under a bridge that crossed the bay, and we were
literally like two foot away from hitting the bridge! Kinda crazy because the bridge has to be well
over one hundred feet above the water, probably even two hundred feet!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We ate lunch at the Wind Jammer Café which is like all you
can eat buffet. All the boys went and
played mini golf. Then we swam and got in the amazing Jacuzzis! And let me tell you they really were
amazing! The best that I have ever been
in! Perfect amount of bubbles and a
fantastic temperature! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdg99ao43la4_g12-M8TlGSEH12NCsU-IkjzIM5BJPHMbZsN8K8iOxUBJIItQJeoIS38YrZFqHyrfJafEaZR43v4ipH8b6NV5hc55GkXyAZMwZGFTKjhv_OUCCGf0DcotiwfzFFVIj/s1600/DSCN5308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdg99ao43la4_g12-M8TlGSEH12NCsU-IkjzIM5BJPHMbZsN8K8iOxUBJIItQJeoIS38YrZFqHyrfJafEaZR43v4ipH8b6NV5hc55GkXyAZMwZGFTKjhv_OUCCGf0DcotiwfzFFVIj/s320/DSCN5308.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wind Jammer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDZM92GVAq82VISlZQpQkdFYyDyvSyWWtSWCnFq6PZpNiIgADfUB54CK4Ty9Pk5Q2EGBPEsBQDFTkKTjw4P_h9_Kb9bLZhTgqzluNZutkqY9uVFhezLN25tE6mjY6Vs4KWyJwOq0Y/s1600/DSCN5319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDZM92GVAq82VISlZQpQkdFYyDyvSyWWtSWCnFq6PZpNiIgADfUB54CK4Ty9Pk5Q2EGBPEsBQDFTkKTjw4P_h9_Kb9bLZhTgqzluNZutkqY9uVFhezLN25tE6mjY6Vs4KWyJwOq0Y/s320/DSCN5319.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Under the bridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We traveled up what is called the inside passage. It is a passage between the mountains and
islands that border Canada and Alaska that are very near the shore. So we basically cruise in an ocean filled
valley off of the coast of Canada and Alaska!
For the majority of our trip we could see beautiful lush mountains on
either side of us. It was very impressive.
And the water was so calm and beautiful!
It was like glass!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNw22oesvIP45eBGEJdjLK7SzFbDJLVngdE6-YezgItW0nBiCdTHzIzhKVtnpMx3YrNSxnAdS0-2ObaNPsHXnSw6ZTqBG3Hmi4zxSyaLXC2eqFc5Y6T__U7C4Es49JdDo16xxLDn-8/s1600/DSCN5336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNw22oesvIP45eBGEJdjLK7SzFbDJLVngdE6-YezgItW0nBiCdTHzIzhKVtnpMx3YrNSxnAdS0-2ObaNPsHXnSw6ZTqBG3Hmi4zxSyaLXC2eqFc5Y6T__U7C4Es49JdDo16xxLDn-8/s320/DSCN5336.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The inside passage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgO7MhKhob6XRAvP-9ogZ0sam8CToJD2XSOvc44l7Ff7Z9okomA8hDqsmGpQRtYCnpwUBf1IS8abXNFFXrVkAIfQRLgl9xSOm5m5nufphhruW9S85Hg-TEA4O6GqwmTZXBsF6Ml9g/s1600/DSCN5340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgO7MhKhob6XRAvP-9ogZ0sam8CToJD2XSOvc44l7Ff7Z9okomA8hDqsmGpQRtYCnpwUBf1IS8abXNFFXrVkAIfQRLgl9xSOm5m5nufphhruW9S85Hg-TEA4O6GqwmTZXBsF6Ml9g/s320/DSCN5340.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Me, Brandon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That late afternoon we performed a safety drill, just to go
over what to do if we had to evacuate to the safety rafts. That
night we had a formal dinner, and I had a Black Angus steak! It was very delicious! After dinner there was an opening show with
singing and dancing and a standup comedian that was pretty funny. And afterwards the brothers and I went
swimming again! Talked to a guy that
worked on Ohio class submarines which was pretty cool. Then we got some pizza at the snack bar while
Nathan went to a teen thing. It was a
pretty fun first day!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvDt3glSf9yU-ukdvzQTrvjtZi_xDEXcNmhbmjABMbBT_I5SMKy2ix0fBBqivq3lJPu52UMyyNBM4M7DQ9drUg0tzdL41LBsIDnOruV3fhn7OpnUIvDaUrB4p4OorewucmItxhlgl/s1600/DSCN5357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvDt3glSf9yU-ukdvzQTrvjtZi_xDEXcNmhbmjABMbBT_I5SMKy2ix0fBBqivq3lJPu52UMyyNBM4M7DQ9drUg0tzdL41LBsIDnOruV3fhn7OpnUIvDaUrB4p4OorewucmItxhlgl/s320/DSCN5357.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Our room server Norm, was very creative!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Saturday</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I woke up at like 7:30 to work out with Brandon only to find
that he had already gone up without me! So
I go up there and meet him and we work out for a bit, change cloths and then go
down to the formal dining hall to try out breakfast. Surprisingly we didn’t get very good service
and had a forgetful waiter and the food took forever to come out. It was really frustrating especially for my
mom. But I did end up eating herring and
an omelet for breakfast. Got to try new
things you know and I continued to do so throughout the trip! After breakfast we all went outside to the
rock climbing wall and mom, dad, Keaton and I all tried the wall out. Brandon did
the best, which surprised me actually.
Brandon and I kept talking while Keaton and Dallin played basketball
with other kids from the boat. Then
Brandon and I played shuffle board then knockout (with basketballs). Just good relaxing times on the boat! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3C8xgh-2Z4jCUGVfMaSwKDSzyW0Cc8AzLR7vlKgqIussro1biiddZ6IobQA-Pj2EsdTiJCTez1C0mw2NWojG0YIhku8iKBAHRFdSNtPRAtZJqaZfp-sU4dvFDx15zqYLs2K6Bdxy8/s1600/DSCN5352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3C8xgh-2Z4jCUGVfMaSwKDSzyW0Cc8AzLR7vlKgqIussro1biiddZ6IobQA-Pj2EsdTiJCTez1C0mw2NWojG0YIhku8iKBAHRFdSNtPRAtZJqaZfp-sU4dvFDx15zqYLs2K6Bdxy8/s320/DSCN5352.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About to Rock Climb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We ate lunch and played mini golf for a bit. Then in the late afternoon we had dad’s
fiftieth state presentation. It was
pretty cool, because he reviewed basically all of the family vacations we have
had and talked about what states we visited each trip and how we finally got to
Alaska our fiftieth state! i missed like four or five while i was on my mission, but close enough! That evening we got in the
Jacuzzis again and watched Grease Lightning on the outdoor big screen. At the
formal dinner that night I had duck scallops with berry mousse and pineapple
papaya soup! It was fantastic. </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBoiE313O1eSu7mOS_xT0ovzeFNzjkiJTRvyoxPSdc5mxT2A2YfpzHsJ_CPX7tgcB1xExR9B6fHDieON8euSCh8KGms3Ub4G56qh8T7rwer9Mrs5Z2_oMMI2Ku9RUWY4_WQNpDlhwQ/s1600/DSCN5355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBoiE313O1eSu7mOS_xT0ovzeFNzjkiJTRvyoxPSdc5mxT2A2YfpzHsJ_CPX7tgcB1xExR9B6fHDieON8euSCh8KGms3Ub4G56qh8T7rwer9Mrs5Z2_oMMI2Ku9RUWY4_WQNpDlhwQ/s320/DSCN5355.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
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That night we went to see the show called The Piano Man,
where the onboard singers and dancers sang and danced to classic piano artists
compositions. Composers like Elton John,
Billy Joel, and Styx for example. They
did a pretty good job. I was glad that I
knew all of the songs that they performed.
After that, Keaton, Brandon and I all went up to the café and got pizza
and tried to spy on Nathan at one of his teen dances. But we were tired and went to bed shortly
after.</div>
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<b>Sunday</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We got to Ketchikan during the night and when we got up we
could see the port. Initially Justin and
Melissa went off on shore to call the babies (my twin nephews Andrew and Isaac
staying with her parents). We went
through shops in Ketchikan just to look around.
Ketchikan is a city that can only be accessed by boat or plane. There are no roads that lead there, which
also means that all of the cars have to be imported. <o:p></o:p></div>
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After shopping we hiked up above the city and went on a
trail in the Alaskan rainforest!
Typically when I say rainforest one would think of like the jungle in
South America, but I am not kidding when I say that this was a rainforest
too! Huge green trees, tons of moss,
water running everywhere, and huge trees!
It was wonderful! </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEzgzKZkA0nEmNWhmAaWOPLC_tg03DuVIjuI4akGyuQdoCUbqgeJml_skjfM43wTL-nh2eHTuUmH2EzY1mfhQ7A63okv1cHep_zLaPYRDKib4i0EQFhBtJAVhorvGrcIM8_fVbFaF/s1600/DSCN5365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEzgzKZkA0nEmNWhmAaWOPLC_tg03DuVIjuI4akGyuQdoCUbqgeJml_skjfM43wTL-nh2eHTuUmH2EzY1mfhQ7A63okv1cHep_zLaPYRDKib4i0EQFhBtJAVhorvGrcIM8_fVbFaF/s320/DSCN5365.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking up the road</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0a1fy2OD8b7hk7dLjPSIJEWH7LwuAl4OQQnycVOM4SiwZoKRNnqy5fouyBQeow_n9QEY2YzQ-5TmPXC7AZqRktouQbeIDVlfYAKFmrsw_d4uzeowr3EwLQOLhux4bWnCN_L1dC0XD/s1600/DSCN5372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0a1fy2OD8b7hk7dLjPSIJEWH7LwuAl4OQQnycVOM4SiwZoKRNnqy5fouyBQeow_n9QEY2YzQ-5TmPXC7AZqRktouQbeIDVlfYAKFmrsw_d4uzeowr3EwLQOLhux4bWnCN_L1dC0XD/s320/DSCN5372.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking up the trail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFOCaJkCMj9YH57SLGz8a1-r2jAKOBKJb5yAKPwgLSFJlv9-sTjgm1srPzpMQSSxDxD3EMDVFyq5N0On6TfBjSFEpGgSc4rVYFaks06QGuNig88LP37Om9azm4Dcx2Hhjz8ulnW-D/s1600/DSCN5375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFOCaJkCMj9YH57SLGz8a1-r2jAKOBKJb5yAKPwgLSFJlv9-sTjgm1srPzpMQSSxDxD3EMDVFyq5N0On6TfBjSFEpGgSc4rVYFaks06QGuNig88LP37Om9azm4Dcx2Hhjz8ulnW-D/s320/DSCN5375.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous forest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYT07Fjbu6cHDW0UI6P6NKkZrbag7za9VudFkEFOlYNCmKOJou6u-3-BeT14xaJxr8d0N_hywMDHCnQfKmoevsiDDpcXwrYvoZmLszHQm3GYDBcaqnrs-99zL0HNs5F9RRpMygY244/s1600/DSCN5376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYT07Fjbu6cHDW0UI6P6NKkZrbag7za9VudFkEFOlYNCmKOJou6u-3-BeT14xaJxr8d0N_hywMDHCnQfKmoevsiDDpcXwrYvoZmLszHQm3GYDBcaqnrs-99zL0HNs5F9RRpMygY244/s320/DSCN5376.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBA-0wnwysZ02_yO7qiHXlSwdMJOuuMRYYQqhBcFzT8iVjGFnQdLl03vKHtVX6QNuTZDnDl1mfXXVN4vM0f12Itd6FhGqNGwEVHyIvJ-JNxP-UasGI8db2SAy1xyXTQ34Cc4R7-_sB/s1600/DSCN5379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBA-0wnwysZ02_yO7qiHXlSwdMJOuuMRYYQqhBcFzT8iVjGFnQdLl03vKHtVX6QNuTZDnDl1mfXXVN4vM0f12Itd6FhGqNGwEVHyIvJ-JNxP-UasGI8db2SAy1xyXTQ34Cc4R7-_sB/s320/DSCN5379.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crazy branches in the trees!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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We eventually got back to the boat for lunch, and then went
back on shore for another nature hike at the other end of town. We saw many very big red salmon and many
different totem poles too. We through
some small shops in town and had a lot of fun with some walkie talkie
games. You see, each boy in the family
has a nickname for something stupid or memorable they have done in their
childhood. Mine, for example, is “cactus
butt” because when I was three or four years old I accidently sat down on a
small cactus when playing in the mountains on a camping trip. So on the walkie talkies we would only refer
to each other by our “nicknames” and it was really fun. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfr8jFkNkaFy1fDshd5c_aGg_Cz68DMElrZ3vHOJJbU4SgQJKcxZmBe86tGsYZrDIkOuIXu-pe7VDqXQ3TLbc8Opz01kRke_Toc2xKE3xfePLqgsT9Oiziu0XPaFyap3Kaf26pZ06/s1600/DSCN5388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfr8jFkNkaFy1fDshd5c_aGg_Cz68DMElrZ3vHOJJbU4SgQJKcxZmBe86tGsYZrDIkOuIXu-pe7VDqXQ3TLbc8Opz01kRke_Toc2xKE3xfePLqgsT9Oiziu0XPaFyap3Kaf26pZ06/s320/DSCN5388.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brandon, Melissa, Justin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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Once back on the boat we all took a good nap before
dinner. That night was business casual,
and we all looked really good. I ate a
ton of food that night, the highlights being Cranberry Mango Soup, Jalapeno
Potato Soup, and Banana Bread. That
night we had a short little Family Home Evening or Fireside about Brandon’s
mission. It was good for him to talk to us
all about it. The whole time we could
see the gorgeous country of the inside strait outside mom and dad’s balcony
door. <o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWb0Gz7iojG3W643Bf6P-SKTkjfieqK0JKYYfFeCZKui3LX5z74DtvnDBXd7zSo4zs_qleKYROfe9GPJXMIE4EUWyD3F1DNihHrk6TlCDfh2WWtABzDb9t12jKUGshMe5u3sFtzGPW/s1600/DSCN5393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWb0Gz7iojG3W643Bf6P-SKTkjfieqK0JKYYfFeCZKui3LX5z74DtvnDBXd7zSo4zs_qleKYROfe9GPJXMIE4EUWyD3F1DNihHrk6TlCDfh2WWtABzDb9t12jKUGshMe5u3sFtzGPW/s320/DSCN5393.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dallin was exhausted</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wB8Ow8KA7jyxPfQvFdS7XG3iFMQVuvOcbEnALC9VrlMCqlZAOluJe5ofPJi_tOYu2ibJSZUDdaEBrT_eWhWwJCcX4Gi19c_6lpui1NdSS5Qpmp9NEb22TUIskHr9yM4EnFYmh5zX/s1600/DSCN5361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wB8Ow8KA7jyxPfQvFdS7XG3iFMQVuvOcbEnALC9VrlMCqlZAOluJe5ofPJi_tOYu2ibJSZUDdaEBrT_eWhWwJCcX4Gi19c_6lpui1NdSS5Qpmp9NEb22TUIskHr9yM4EnFYmh5zX/s320/DSCN5361.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dallin, Keaton, Nathan on the board walks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgaTKqt_U-g5SmCFVINMGtJVxj2r_a3H2AqRwO_In2YvrenEyDOhicSBvg8ybkAJhFw41BovUO7ZETQ5fvM4stUa4OZENmIbO43OF_RC4fvqk-UVYRasGUr1WnJOhnd3ylEM0SGrB/s1600/DSCN5391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgaTKqt_U-g5SmCFVINMGtJVxj2r_a3H2AqRwO_In2YvrenEyDOhicSBvg8ybkAJhFw41BovUO7ZETQ5fvM4stUa4OZENmIbO43OF_RC4fvqk-UVYRasGUr1WnJOhnd3ylEM0SGrB/s320/DSCN5391.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At dinner, mom ordered "nothing" for dessert and this is what they brought her!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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Near dusk the boat moved into a wall of fog. The moon started to come out on the water’s edge
and it looked a lot like the light of Captain Nemo’s ship the Nautilus
preparing to charge us! Kind of creepy
to think about.</div>
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<span id="goog_535434108"></span></div>
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<b>Monday</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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By morning we had arrived at the tiny town of Hoonah, often
called the Icy Point Strait. There was
not anything nearly as our boat in the entire little town. The dock didn’t even reach out to our
boat. We took little rescue boats called
tenders to the shore. Tenders are small
round submarine looking boats that can hold up to one hundred and twenty
people. They are stored on deck five and
have little crane devices to lift them up and into the boat or set them down
into the water. That was cool to see for
me. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLH-vHLNu3CRInjzuxgpfFsGQU3XIzAYos8bRtQa7xN6DDjqqEY9oyOb0WYd31nk7lJ70jzb-4q8VsjZYg_-J4HQOiD7b3_SV_FoFlqsQwKIGDvcHFmk6_4vAIDURFH29R85UoBLk/s1600/DSCN5403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLH-vHLNu3CRInjzuxgpfFsGQU3XIzAYos8bRtQa7xN6DDjqqEY9oyOb0WYd31nk7lJ70jzb-4q8VsjZYg_-J4HQOiD7b3_SV_FoFlqsQwKIGDvcHFmk6_4vAIDURFH29R85UoBLk/s320/DSCN5403.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tenders</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGTUJriGBemw44m6esYb2FFDkYT0MYOBF5AVrJ5dGFeTlGc30TCPVHWcyDcG6FwNBdq5ebhB0P3FpI4emk80LqEcjKkdj-DrMLVyaQ67xtPqFrdWeN3Nry8lkXT0fns4bNggWm-cJ/s1600/DSCN5432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGTUJriGBemw44m6esYb2FFDkYT0MYOBF5AVrJ5dGFeTlGc30TCPVHWcyDcG6FwNBdq5ebhB0P3FpI4emk80LqEcjKkdj-DrMLVyaQ67xtPqFrdWeN3Nry8lkXT0fns4bNggWm-cJ/s320/DSCN5432.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little water falls everywhere!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIR77UWsKLG5l2FX22KDxpuLtj74DAZCWLSm7dacJb1GthAmOEIiYDjfcQAE9kfWMbu8X__q0UB9yYzdby7WNLf0Gs5pM4PPSDSZqcg_fLZ3JVwfI0e7EJD-cxgkhJnUTdkKGTJzT/s1600/DSCN5440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIR77UWsKLG5l2FX22KDxpuLtj74DAZCWLSm7dacJb1GthAmOEIiYDjfcQAE9kfWMbu8X__q0UB9yYzdby7WNLf0Gs5pM4PPSDSZqcg_fLZ3JVwfI0e7EJD-cxgkhJnUTdkKGTJzT/s320/DSCN5440.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Dad!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bLxsqg4GXiKLEC0iQMW0Gs6nSrNaiyYwjvdIKREKDHpYZEoakOk473CQvLFBC98-KVfCMNwwg7ZFchXorfJ4UpNrBErFD5FS22cR9Ox-0p2bx0QRIoWYCsHQbPUcR2WMd_d-Sp0h/s1600/DSCN5445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bLxsqg4GXiKLEC0iQMW0Gs6nSrNaiyYwjvdIKREKDHpYZEoakOk473CQvLFBC98-KVfCMNwwg7ZFchXorfJ4UpNrBErFD5FS22cR9Ox-0p2bx0QRIoWYCsHQbPUcR2WMd_d-Sp0h/s320/DSCN5445.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another awesome towel creation from our room service man!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, the main tourist attraction there was this really
long zip line. They created a store out
of an old salmon packing house that still had the packing machinery and
such. We signed our waivers and got on
our bus that took us up the mountain to ride our zip line! We drove into the
clouds and were above them for several hundred feet. Just as in Ketchikan the rainforest was so
dense and beautiful! We watched ten or
so people go before us, so we had mentally prepared sufficiently before taking
off! The zip line is five thousand three
hundred thirty feet long, and has an elevation drop of over thirteen hundred
feet with a maximum speed of sixty miles per hour! Don’t worry!
I videotaped the whole thing so that you could experience it too!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was an awesome view on the way down! When we start they ordered us from lightest
to heaviest for some reason. And once
our harnesses came back up the lines we went and got strapped in. We had to put our feet on our gate door. And
then they said one, two, three and the gates opened and we were falling! We didn’t get out of the clouds for several
seconds before we could start seeing the country. And we got going fast! The wind was blasting us and twisting us in
our harnesses! Finally at the end there
are like twenty feet of springs at the end of your line that slow you down and
catch you in a pretty abrupt stop! It is
really fun! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpQE4Uvg7JFw8Aucfm10qmKdcq6LLBT8L8112vK9wvWOTX-KN-6R1KeK0lWfI-k5wapOrkLJovcwkpp3CAsvMqzrCTDVzKFhbtbK-RnNKswck4TbJufZQmPIGS275ZBIe70ylO8cq/s1600/DSCN5406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpQE4Uvg7JFw8Aucfm10qmKdcq6LLBT8L8112vK9wvWOTX-KN-6R1KeK0lWfI-k5wapOrkLJovcwkpp3CAsvMqzrCTDVzKFhbtbK-RnNKswck4TbJufZQmPIGS275ZBIe70ylO8cq/s320/DSCN5406.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Bus up to the top of the mountain for the zip line!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSchYjchFzMNJU-ETffeCPskboa-Tf1zhxHs2Jk0fcmsAa1__Lbedd0abO2uo2GCSEywrLR39k23LEbaZIXrhnn0lB4DqC3ed5N9bnJSrS2cDCVQcsM3EYTYkQzw6k_HElJYNVMsJ/s1600/DSCN5407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSchYjchFzMNJU-ETffeCPskboa-Tf1zhxHs2Jk0fcmsAa1__Lbedd0abO2uo2GCSEywrLR39k23LEbaZIXrhnn0lB4DqC3ed5N9bnJSrS2cDCVQcsM3EYTYkQzw6k_HElJYNVMsJ/s320/DSCN5407.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">We are in the clouds!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1FtTp7GwrKeoZt8f4ixY6fluI0Z3EdP0zWhoTizrFR8XImCwAEWNsQejxx9Z-TWDTOKgKiNSTT7doa7_8wI0MFVl3OGfb7D5V_p8DeMmomQ2Sc_Qp-nH2xfp2u7VZDUrdy_QLECo/s1600/DSCN5412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1FtTp7GwrKeoZt8f4ixY6fluI0Z3EdP0zWhoTizrFR8XImCwAEWNsQejxx9Z-TWDTOKgKiNSTT7doa7_8wI0MFVl3OGfb7D5V_p8DeMmomQ2Sc_Qp-nH2xfp2u7VZDUrdy_QLECo/s320/DSCN5412.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Dallin, Justin, and I</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVK6_zHAj8fla8sFpECEMZYt-W72OyEd3gCm1zFKT2_E3jO2qL9xqriBiTSUPp0TmKhGfAhTo418FjvwGs1EM_UDXxPU2hKlegKQ-Qs4t5X83BbGkUolzph71nHj0msgc50PqCMdC/s1600/DSCN5413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVK6_zHAj8fla8sFpECEMZYt-W72OyEd3gCm1zFKT2_E3jO2qL9xqriBiTSUPp0TmKhGfAhTo418FjvwGs1EM_UDXxPU2hKlegKQ-Qs4t5X83BbGkUolzph71nHj0msgc50PqCMdC/s320/DSCN5413.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The Clouds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the next group came down, (only six at a time go), we
walked around the bay and to the town.
On the way we saw gray whales, eagles and jelly fish! We followed the whales for a while because
they were going up and down, back and forth along the shore! Once to the town, it was a little… small, to
say the least. We ended up coming
straight back and got back on the boat, and took a nap before dinner. At dinner, I ended up getting the Rigatoni
dish and Strawberry Bisque. All the boys
played basketball, then some mini golf, watched a bit of T.V. and went to bed.<o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicA9YaHKW9wSV7sV_MAtPs3kwEEQHBpSPu4VK3mzfMcckgEiutErENflxHFppdDvfMbTa0XF94hJJpjF16l3LjHHmTUUpfGJncxkm3LexoowQzkrolcnR1LApDOVo_pw5ZQdNptehQ/s1600/DSCN5424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicA9YaHKW9wSV7sV_MAtPs3kwEEQHBpSPu4VK3mzfMcckgEiutErENflxHFppdDvfMbTa0XF94hJJpjF16l3LjHHmTUUpfGJncxkm3LexoowQzkrolcnR1LApDOVo_pw5ZQdNptehQ/s320/DSCN5424.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Humpback hales!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xXSY5LgR63TGo3v6cfBK43YL48zuhHGDYDc8bosM5FjiBH2ENwVwLEsfYA6Ccj1mjzTizR-N2AARAZ4BcW2jOBAgmufOE_XLcQdD0Cii86Y2pF7_ptTAhdSwk1L93r6hobDivyMS/s1600/DSCN5444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xXSY5LgR63TGo3v6cfBK43YL48zuhHGDYDc8bosM5FjiBH2ENwVwLEsfYA6Ccj1mjzTizR-N2AARAZ4BcW2jOBAgmufOE_XLcQdD0Cii86Y2pF7_ptTAhdSwk1L93r6hobDivyMS/s320/DSCN5444.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Warm Chocolate cake with chocolate sauce on the inside, and Strawberry Bisque!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgC_VtCD8YUCQdV-ccYKoaBfP-RzI3Y4UXJYR84r1xfDEc5Hpa3a9YtfBZGmwRA9dVMwMXijR1TGqFG_oXG9p1z0JPQwnKdSesYn8aYuOdum0CGFJD_o3Fe8I4_9TY7HhpDYIp4Br7/s1600/DSCN5441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgC_VtCD8YUCQdV-ccYKoaBfP-RzI3Y4UXJYR84r1xfDEc5Hpa3a9YtfBZGmwRA9dVMwMXijR1TGqFG_oXG9p1z0JPQwnKdSesYn8aYuOdum0CGFJD_o3Fe8I4_9TY7HhpDYIp4Br7/s320/DSCN5441.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Rigatoni!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGDjGuIA26HAN6Uh8FRP8BEy9fGPgGyBCdFVv7V6DdO3P4RM5PCOQ4PBuP-A9sZmei0clVgYvtFbNFBL5UXiSRK0M663X2Fmh0c0QxdHqGRY4vU4y0SGguprNQ3OwWAPc4eLd7xGUQ/s1600/DSCN5443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGDjGuIA26HAN6Uh8FRP8BEy9fGPgGyBCdFVv7V6DdO3P4RM5PCOQ4PBuP-A9sZmei0clVgYvtFbNFBL5UXiSRK0M663X2Fmh0c0QxdHqGRY4vU4y0SGguprNQ3OwWAPc4eLd7xGUQ/s320/DSCN5443.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Brandon's steak</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQ47Di5QlEy_sK7YLWcgqTZb9hlBpaP0d3wndOY039TJrzfTL9wz51ubLnm4iD3GK7qv2tDO7wGN7I01psCTv79sS6YWsekQaDdS_XDNb7DRBRLDn3punzVvppavf_R2PFRoZISJA/s1600/DSCN5451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQ47Di5QlEy_sK7YLWcgqTZb9hlBpaP0d3wndOY039TJrzfTL9wz51ubLnm4iD3GK7qv2tDO7wGN7I01psCTv79sS6YWsekQaDdS_XDNb7DRBRLDn3punzVvppavf_R2PFRoZISJA/s320/DSCN5451.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Keaton ballin'!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvhVJLwJhJujjBZiAinngb6KC0sBaem0AosblDXePERqF_el83WA4awvvF_YOKytc43wbhh5ma6jxHdVz3IYWqKpgSpn7q4wj3mkE2BW1HU4n5hIpW3s88IDjq67EGckz0fpt8bDu/s1600/DSCN5460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvhVJLwJhJujjBZiAinngb6KC0sBaem0AosblDXePERqF_el83WA4awvvF_YOKytc43wbhh5ma6jxHdVz3IYWqKpgSpn7q4wj3mkE2BW1HU4n5hIpW3s88IDjq67EGckz0fpt8bDu/s320/DSCN5460.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Brandon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZdTd-7Q8JwU17MoVVPZM9DhyphenhypheneevWJWwgnteFQZLCCtM1vqI8YTmsATykh35lDnH3SuX6TiUZIopajqBpfmUZi6JUdMZEiZu4F0g-mEXBtXxhL_mNB36qW58MVvF87h7lIwr_Qh73/s1600/DSCN5470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZdTd-7Q8JwU17MoVVPZM9DhyphenhypheneevWJWwgnteFQZLCCtM1vqI8YTmsATykh35lDnH3SuX6TiUZIopajqBpfmUZi6JUdMZEiZu4F0g-mEXBtXxhL_mNB36qW58MVvF87h7lIwr_Qh73/s320/DSCN5470.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Justin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Tuesday</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We arrived at Juneau
during the night and were excited to see another new place! We got some bus tickets and went up to see
the Mendenhall Glacier. It is a huge
wall of blue ice that appears to be falling out of the valley into a melted
lake. It is accompanied by a rather
large water fall created by natural springs and snow melt. There is a beautiful
nature trail that we walked that takes you much closer to the water fall and
glacier and though it was raining a little, it really was just
magnificent. Also there at the p[ark
was some raised board walks where you
could walk through more nature stuff and look for animals. Recently, they said, many different bears had
been spotted. Well we got really lucky and
saw a small black bear! He got close to
the board walk and the ranger told him to go another way and the bear listened! He ended up eating one of the super abundant
red salmon’s that were everywhere in the river and on the banks. We also saw an eagle perched and then take
flight too!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAIbCSQKmx3gz8bt2gOH-ePzaDhWnG6JWt-LqTkGvJTED2umOwSTSLRy5bPECho_kz9ryf00L48vJVAJPSpk0mRg6kIeRs9Rsh7cUhSzXTDTvOTYNnwKpbDe_Yl1asd0I8V3UFPW6/s1600/DSCN5482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAIbCSQKmx3gz8bt2gOH-ePzaDhWnG6JWt-LqTkGvJTED2umOwSTSLRy5bPECho_kz9ryf00L48vJVAJPSpk0mRg6kIeRs9Rsh7cUhSzXTDTvOTYNnwKpbDe_Yl1asd0I8V3UFPW6/s320/DSCN5482.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6wivhtrqumB1VJOThSchHtPDfG_1vmyuTM3ui9iMdWHX-xW5T14GxuYnawade7WLTVLX8YPFMQ076yhDb22a7js3DVMS9F-Qf9FN6w2MSa6FiIQjVXirUMwHI0scOqwBqC7VoQJ3/s1600/DSCN5489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6wivhtrqumB1VJOThSchHtPDfG_1vmyuTM3ui9iMdWHX-xW5T14GxuYnawade7WLTVLX8YPFMQ076yhDb22a7js3DVMS9F-Qf9FN6w2MSa6FiIQjVXirUMwHI0scOqwBqC7VoQJ3/s320/DSCN5489.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4UBfUlluk52DbB3xDReFZuEoiVT8Nq46CIVLT7D0iaOPjeNYHo85QVi7rv15jnBQhfjwDyZxCDS6t2pA2mDxRGHNVkuDvhMplhHKMRiJFLBWqYjIFZopoS1tcPxJpeCqnRyRXsI8/s1600/DSCN5495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4UBfUlluk52DbB3xDReFZuEoiVT8Nq46CIVLT7D0iaOPjeNYHo85QVi7rv15jnBQhfjwDyZxCDS6t2pA2mDxRGHNVkuDvhMplhHKMRiJFLBWqYjIFZopoS1tcPxJpeCqnRyRXsI8/s320/DSCN5495.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Touching a piece of the glacier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we had had our fill, we went back to the boat and ate
lunch, then went back into the city to look through stores. This city had one major strip of stores that
you could walk up and down basically. I found
a great coupon with which I bought myself and ULU knife with cutting board and
bear claw salad scoops! And I only paid
ten bucks! I will attach a picture so
you can visualize what they are. But the
cutting board is cool too because it has a bowl like indentation in the center
so you can chop and dice with the ULU and it will fit the blade better and keep
whatever you chopping from getting pushed away! So an ULU is a native knife to Alaska,
picture an axe head and take the blade off of that axe head and put a handle across
the back of it. That is an ULU, using a rotational
cutting action it is razor sharp and easy to chop and dice like I said! So far I have used it many times and I love
it!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.overstockmarketplace.com/product_images/y/117/Ulu_Knife_Bowl_Combo__73641_zoom.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Similar to My ULU, I use it for everything!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.alaska-gift-shop.com/catalog/04766.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My claws are cooler than these but you get the basic idea.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That night the whole family got into the Jacuzzi. At dinner I ate Indian food. Afterwards we all got together to play Wits
and Wages. It is a game where there is a
question with a fact answer, and we all make a guess and put the guesses on the
table. Then put some of our chips on the
guess that we think is right and if ours is, then we get a certain amount of
chips back on top of the ones we bet. It
was sort of fun, but got really frustrating after a bit, because we thought the
answers were off and others thing like that.
So to blow some steam, the boys all got hot chocolate and went and
played mini golf while drinking it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Wednesday</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today was Skagway, our last port before the end of the trip! Brandon, Keaton, and I ordered room service
for breakfast and it was good, but not as good as the options upstairs at the
buffet. Skagway is a tiny town,
basically run off of tourism. We walked
into town and rented two Buicks and then proceeded to drive them into the
valley. We took Highway 2 from Alaska to
British Columbia and the Yukon Territory and it was an absolutely gorgeous
drive! The mountains are so immense and
beautiful, with crystal lakes at their bases.
It was so clear you could see reflection of the mountains above them in
the water! We saw places where
avalanches had occurred and also a place where tourists had built their own
little rock towers with loose rocks by the road that had been left by glaciers.
So we of course had to do the same.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERer8_Ep4tnBffHjGDGhSJWfv5k8fXWvpDylE30hV-JyRUI1S7TEGxKit7hsahHA-H5uV24xPLaG79n-rjy6tZC4x-7p-RmaOEk54lYH0MmBhKcd0gGCEjqyczDjldyhLNg21yiUb/s1600/549_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERer8_Ep4tnBffHjGDGhSJWfv5k8fXWvpDylE30hV-JyRUI1S7TEGxKit7hsahHA-H5uV24xPLaG79n-rjy6tZC4x-7p-RmaOEk54lYH0MmBhKcd0gGCEjqyczDjldyhLNg21yiUb/s320/549_edited-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLt7wCeIWSKc9livw9CEyw7afL4WiEyx3N_KJRNV8QmtrRx8IqB2O_mt0pkyv6LeAhT-g_sZGagR492aeAQcUOLvIK2Ot8NlhXt1631WWbU0BG4DLzoKILVGU9C7AxijnA42ruQTkm/s1600/DSCN5506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLt7wCeIWSKc9livw9CEyw7afL4WiEyx3N_KJRNV8QmtrRx8IqB2O_mt0pkyv6LeAhT-g_sZGagR492aeAQcUOLvIK2Ot8NlhXt1631WWbU0BG4DLzoKILVGU9C7AxijnA42ruQTkm/s320/DSCN5506.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pQ92BdO0r0csyP9n_IBCd4V2LskErY0CnrUGnd7v4sq7WOfjgliFeQBp1WpjJsNDfcHMuGspuyBiK5Mun6hO5MFWmZBcZ0sS7-h0ttvWUXglwPXO8d_GLtAhCBmee5YysV07iamK/s1600/DSCN5509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pQ92BdO0r0csyP9n_IBCd4V2LskErY0CnrUGnd7v4sq7WOfjgliFeQBp1WpjJsNDfcHMuGspuyBiK5Mun6hO5MFWmZBcZ0sS7-h0ttvWUXglwPXO8d_GLtAhCBmee5YysV07iamK/s320/DSCN5509.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock Towers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin73HYkIMzwvUJEbGfZyHMyHcUJVoDYqCy9kPD9mBE-MhBBnNhgWikOlezkSQRbsOWyffxp4zxMAzBD84Q3aO14R0sntMXSx4cDHq3Pm5WIof2uoqLA02_qqTaQaUxeU0F7-jVEhcP/s1600/DSCN5514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin73HYkIMzwvUJEbGfZyHMyHcUJVoDYqCy9kPD9mBE-MhBBnNhgWikOlezkSQRbsOWyffxp4zxMAzBD84Q3aO14R0sntMXSx4cDHq3Pm5WIof2uoqLA02_qqTaQaUxeU0F7-jVEhcP/s320/DSCN5514.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keaton is a dog</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0EEtY83IQlBT9cRmEf1Ue692xfpxVgGHz0N9_LoZVIxPN2wYP-ZAOCi5lmXKBNBydVrI3GiIziBJ5B2QaI9i-t8iunwCagcxN3BPzWXXZ0i0_UzzDJRfE4uqVgoAjIxxVWWMXw-W9/s1600/DSCN5515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0EEtY83IQlBT9cRmEf1Ue692xfpxVgGHz0N9_LoZVIxPN2wYP-ZAOCi5lmXKBNBydVrI3GiIziBJ5B2QaI9i-t8iunwCagcxN3BPzWXXZ0i0_UzzDJRfE4uqVgoAjIxxVWWMXw-W9/s320/DSCN5515.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFy5XKFCXCgKPt0ZqUa0BZzASgXNyTwV33wps7g1GlqN7l-lIHjIoR218LKWCW9cd9JrEfzOEWy1xFwnE4K2LLkesQeP-LYHEOEnQIfJru6G8bEJA4x09-a9sxcseCcEj6vXqxnfC3/s1600/DSCN5522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFy5XKFCXCgKPt0ZqUa0BZzASgXNyTwV33wps7g1GlqN7l-lIHjIoR218LKWCW9cd9JrEfzOEWy1xFwnE4K2LLkesQeP-LYHEOEnQIfJru6G8bEJA4x09-a9sxcseCcEj6vXqxnfC3/s320/DSCN5522.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this picture so much and it only capture a fraction of what it truly looks like!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgY-11SJSPB2uyZR_d9isvfee6tJXx1tzLR5Cfp8hGpoeYxQV-tGiGHs2I42I1590RRq6cAFKaeN5rb338a52Y1wHh-1QZmDvVvCtj1Ms6kevao0X3iiZTc47sV8_TpAdG3llZTYp/s1600/DSCN5523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgY-11SJSPB2uyZR_d9isvfee6tJXx1tzLR5Cfp8hGpoeYxQV-tGiGHs2I42I1590RRq6cAFKaeN5rb338a52Y1wHh-1QZmDvVvCtj1Ms6kevao0X3iiZTc47sV8_TpAdG3llZTYp/s320/DSCN5523.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tired and weird brothers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The wild flowers were very pretty, and we got to see a moose
also! At one point we tried to move this
huge rock into the lake, but it was just too heavy and big, plus we had to go
on. Perhaps if we had had more time we
would have gotten it into the lake! That
night when we got back it was formal dinner time again. All dressed up we ate in the dining hall and I
got some Thai chicken. We looked so good
that mom wanted to take some fun pictures of us riding in the glass elevators. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zuEGpZjUmTD5aGi5iwArmKHsdF7YUHRCAOZk-j_OGr0yv8jaiwriAGEQ056y5ElhjIVDLz2_UvXK6qYAgZCMzxhsinlhripIXojyDpN91XhsXjuYOkRtNsRVb6DWQQ7c1VpCaV1x/s1600/DSCN5526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zuEGpZjUmTD5aGi5iwArmKHsdF7YUHRCAOZk-j_OGr0yv8jaiwriAGEQ056y5ElhjIVDLz2_UvXK6qYAgZCMzxhsinlhripIXojyDpN91XhsXjuYOkRtNsRVb6DWQQ7c1VpCaV1x/s320/DSCN5526.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc38TazxDafQ6MgJqCHcncw2hFVZiyWyHM9mmw3DTNJRJtOVjoD8NrRqfNqS_BmjDWj0BszZEmFvgi1o7HzPrQIBw4Ro2jJMfUMzPD-SROnk_Or2OzaW9OVZyf0AolA985CQuM7hAM/s1600/DSCN5535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc38TazxDafQ6MgJqCHcncw2hFVZiyWyHM9mmw3DTNJRJtOVjoD8NrRqfNqS_BmjDWj0BszZEmFvgi1o7HzPrQIBw4Ro2jJMfUMzPD-SROnk_Or2OzaW9OVZyf0AolA985CQuM7hAM/s320/DSCN5535.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avalanche detectors</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnURijz5FNhzucRi7dNxeO6CarJ3oyCV2hv1M9E52yoMJz80NPT_UHaOY4qshsCLvvXagaJwXnXbP_jRZ2UndDo1nDfZPBzy9axva4-Ws7Ty8AAWBKIT7j9NQVEqMkDsqDtIP_9T5t/s1600/DSCN5543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnURijz5FNhzucRi7dNxeO6CarJ3oyCV2hv1M9E52yoMJz80NPT_UHaOY4qshsCLvvXagaJwXnXbP_jRZ2UndDo1nDfZPBzy9axva4-Ws7Ty8AAWBKIT7j9NQVEqMkDsqDtIP_9T5t/s320/DSCN5543.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA6-g7jgKAy68PoSTwWwtu_N-Vct6WhAyOzAE8Z1_1f4dLV17vM8cdL0UZwgUPbcbseLbuv0u103bQxqTW1NZtD9lz_-ZtUG5q2ERi-yYjsORkao8yd8ryVdPrGxZaL1dXf-LQLqwx/s1600/DSCN5544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA6-g7jgKAy68PoSTwWwtu_N-Vct6WhAyOzAE8Z1_1f4dLV17vM8cdL0UZwgUPbcbseLbuv0u103bQxqTW1NZtD9lz_-ZtUG5q2ERi-yYjsORkao8yd8ryVdPrGxZaL1dXf-LQLqwx/s320/DSCN5544.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A towel bat!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsnEP_iLfCg36XMPXQxxt1wrahhrqymOJPqhsV3ehQbhXgBSDPfl4kVf9rvUGrl3Ye9CoVyXU9E5TpBP2OmBUj3QA1vjaoBant43t8gUudUKscHsd9vgupK5XYWIYp2LQ8G2NuPJv/s1600/DSCN5551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsnEP_iLfCg36XMPXQxxt1wrahhrqymOJPqhsV3ehQbhXgBSDPfl4kVf9rvUGrl3Ye9CoVyXU9E5TpBP2OmBUj3QA1vjaoBant43t8gUudUKscHsd9vgupK5XYWIYp2LQ8G2NuPJv/s320/DSCN5551.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self leveling pool table</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2cWAiuDu8RiKGHJKAYQTehWFRMJKnjSOnp46idJjXRcUCdy9iDkBMZ1wg1O6MfslmfD66YJ58Js9pgM-2HMMm28q4uERtzPPOnqOQj4TijSVhpeqa-z02Pw7wVpTR0UicJn4Jws5/s1600/DSCN5554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2cWAiuDu8RiKGHJKAYQTehWFRMJKnjSOnp46idJjXRcUCdy9iDkBMZ1wg1O6MfslmfD66YJ58Js9pgM-2HMMm28q4uERtzPPOnqOQj4TijSVhpeqa-z02Pw7wVpTR0UicJn4Jws5/s320/DSCN5554.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Thursday</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bright an early in the morning we were supposed to arrive at
the Hubbard glacier. Brandon and I got
up at 6:30 to be some of the first to see it.
That should be easy for us, but after six days on a cruise be treated
like royalty, it was immensely difficult!
But the worst was that we hadn’t gotten to the glacier yet! We were a
little late I guess. But after a half
hour we saw ice chunks in the water. Then
in another twenty minutes or so we arrived at the glacier. It was ginormous! At least four times as big as the Mendenhall
glacier! They said that three hundred
feet of it was above the water and over eleven hundred feet underwater! And that is was like three miles wide! The whole thing is estimated to have a
surface area of one thousand acres! That
is a huge piece of ice! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nP-h50Y84FQgLqLJ9w1dZRE6umUWeQBgTsxKQEx_cfCR-Qxhj7rUjiF_M03f_fn-DKX99SlvPfUjwUaWYRUFjgdmX31nWFxBWPHCYZqbARCXwmoWdCfd4CTRp-wg61NyXVDZAwtv/s1600/DSCN5556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nP-h50Y84FQgLqLJ9w1dZRE6umUWeQBgTsxKQEx_cfCR-Qxhj7rUjiF_M03f_fn-DKX99SlvPfUjwUaWYRUFjgdmX31nWFxBWPHCYZqbARCXwmoWdCfd4CTRp-wg61NyXVDZAwtv/s320/DSCN5556.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early, icy cold morning</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-LNqYPGdoULYfzreBAte3-T1Wnn_iGFT5vp5KwR2V7rhAsLnPKA-sOQ9pogB3zLLr08s0_0Bwp5Ip9jCz9rKBrvCeQrewmPgJSw3z9nP9DuS4i6f7DDV4uwVdydd5HicNZS_oDc4/s1600/DSCN5567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-LNqYPGdoULYfzreBAte3-T1Wnn_iGFT5vp5KwR2V7rhAsLnPKA-sOQ9pogB3zLLr08s0_0Bwp5Ip9jCz9rKBrvCeQrewmPgJSw3z9nP9DuS4i6f7DDV4uwVdydd5HicNZS_oDc4/s320/DSCN5567.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycypZeU7-uqMLF-Al4-1IilCSZIoIpvi7twOOQuA7d2xwahh1u7jB-TtdOJ_rdO0HNwJ2aGeboVmsJMg24BNrKDXgUyFHSvNFhX2B7quOy9pxV2YUg0MUlEdKbsb9qvHmYlqZ-gNz/s1600/DSCN5569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycypZeU7-uqMLF-Al4-1IilCSZIoIpvi7twOOQuA7d2xwahh1u7jB-TtdOJ_rdO0HNwJ2aGeboVmsJMg24BNrKDXgUyFHSvNFhX2B7quOy9pxV2YUg0MUlEdKbsb9qvHmYlqZ-gNz/s320/DSCN5569.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">When ice chunks fall off of the glacier they call it calving. Basically, it is silent everywhere because we
are in between two mountains, floating in the water with all the engines and
stuff turned off. Then you hear these
crystal clear and loud cracks in the ice and a few seconds after that these
huge sheets of ice fall into the water! It is really cool to experience! One piece that fell off was large enough that
it went under the water and bobbed back up out of the water several feet like a
miniature iceberg! We were able to catch
one of these calving’s on video too! We were
so interested in the glacier that every single one of us had been up in the buffet
for breakfast but had brought many things back to mom and dad’s room because
they had a balcony.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-G7ub3pfoDF7HmwzasH_EgE62pWpGqxCH0RTFartkDqaX-1I8UQqAUtZom278XKTHIgP6SBPVxtraaZHE3XN6faN9I_Si6qQe6fKVVXs9jQfWHEHYADKW5umGxwCsym8pnhT3jwV/s1600/P1035580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-G7ub3pfoDF7HmwzasH_EgE62pWpGqxCH0RTFartkDqaX-1I8UQqAUtZom278XKTHIgP6SBPVxtraaZHE3XN6faN9I_Si6qQe6fKVVXs9jQfWHEHYADKW5umGxwCsym8pnhT3jwV/s320/P1035580.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih92dDq2mn3HzDJD_eTO6aaUydD1WzWwJAWa58AY5VNf0w-jGscZ86JMaNpW_sXiMJvLDN5iRM9buKMz_ROnu9-UPC8peagQdCmci1BuVPYbngTwJ0EHCPpOg8JAwBHqSvfRzryMwO/s1600/P1035585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih92dDq2mn3HzDJD_eTO6aaUydD1WzWwJAWa58AY5VNf0w-jGscZ86JMaNpW_sXiMJvLDN5iRM9buKMz_ROnu9-UPC8peagQdCmci1BuVPYbngTwJ0EHCPpOg8JAwBHqSvfRzryMwO/s320/P1035585.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The boat had a glacier expert on board and he kept getting
on the intercom and explaining he glacier and why it formed and stuff. At one point he got the entire boat to yell
at the glacier while the boat blasted the fog horn to see if we could get any
bigger pieces to fall. I thought that
that was interesting that they would encourage that. After that we were back on the ocean and it
was cold, we were a lot further north now.
So we played phase ten, and mini golf with hot chocolate. That night the finale show had a really good
juggling act that we all enjoyed a ton! He
could get six pins going too! While he
was eating and apple! That night we got
packed up for the morning departure.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQ1hs2lbKPEDCtDfxzNB_JacLkAEdt3ESuaIFN1yxDA2DtJyX0GEYIvFbkVtWbFdanNNge0-Vxk7tMIVdcLIO-ey6WEeQSu6ql4J3zq7FrbtKY96NZnf5y3IE_D8Ib-vYltBhbeI8/s1600/DSCN5577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQ1hs2lbKPEDCtDfxzNB_JacLkAEdt3ESuaIFN1yxDA2DtJyX0GEYIvFbkVtWbFdanNNge0-Vxk7tMIVdcLIO-ey6WEeQSu6ql4J3zq7FrbtKY96NZnf5y3IE_D8Ib-vYltBhbeI8/s320/DSCN5577.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMaIRv4JE0XN8EycDmh79GEiTQXLp-nTwiXmlqUggklkaYnuauwfZLO4ijs4zTouxH1mhe2oGS9mXKTq97HzOY3MTrr4G2g8B_KE_52PHgj6c6SV9LJARrfhHDzIZpCF3-4FTDhsV/s1600/P1035581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHMaIRv4JE0XN8EycDmh79GEiTQXLp-nTwiXmlqUggklkaYnuauwfZLO4ijs4zTouxH1mhe2oGS9mXKTq97HzOY3MTrr4G2g8B_KE_52PHgj6c6SV9LJARrfhHDzIZpCF3-4FTDhsV/s320/P1035581.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom and Dad like theatrics!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Friday</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had an early breakfast and then de-boarded the ship. We were in Seward which is about two hours
outside Anchorage. We rented one car,
and our good friend Claudia Ashton drove down from anchorage to get us as
well. We shopped a little and threw the Frisbee. Then went and saw the Exit Glacier. It is receding a foot a day. They had signs along the road, measuring
where the glacier had been in years past and it used to be enormous! It was a nice hike up there. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOfO6J_5dfd4Y4Dk1A_f-bUBlOWgYj7RliYFs_mxIWJtvl7mtecwzGo3mg6_iQuFo3gyNHyxcbuH1qAxD2JPrDBa_FGYxNcFq88591bJS-TSnsNm6FjXXcrZPrXG8XJleurZRkUXO/s1600/DSCN5593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOfO6J_5dfd4Y4Dk1A_f-bUBlOWgYj7RliYFs_mxIWJtvl7mtecwzGo3mg6_iQuFo3gyNHyxcbuH1qAxD2JPrDBa_FGYxNcFq88591bJS-TSnsNm6FjXXcrZPrXG8XJleurZRkUXO/s320/DSCN5593.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just outside anchorage we got to a wildlife
conservation zoo. It was actually really
cool. Big grizzly bears that were semi
trained! They sat up and clapped hands,
and laid on their back in the water just like Baloo in the Jungle Book! There were also caribou and elk and bison and
moose! It was very cool! Most we saw had full racks and everything!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdB6MsrRHrqAQ6M6n0KInOUOlRiXPDSytGsna9TWbihiTyUfJzrrvLVHmbXXX-BuWm2NkYdfHpF1ABZQsIowATgzBrcSW6opNTdleL34uY_dUOcPkveIVxJcvCdsKseQ0OFRs2bXdf/s1600/DSCN5611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdB6MsrRHrqAQ6M6n0KInOUOlRiXPDSytGsna9TWbihiTyUfJzrrvLVHmbXXX-BuWm2NkYdfHpF1ABZQsIowATgzBrcSW6opNTdleL34uY_dUOcPkveIVxJcvCdsKseQ0OFRs2bXdf/s320/DSCN5611.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the way back mom bought us some bakery goods that were
each huge and rather expensive in my opinion.
We ate dinner at a delicious burger place by the river in anchorage. Then mom dad and Brandon and I went to the
anchorage temple for a session. Claudia was
so great to us! She really is
wonderful! I ended up flying out that
night to get back to salt lake the next day.
I was really tired, but The Avengers was on the screen so I stayed up
and watched that and then still got a few hours of sleep. All in all a fantastic vacation! Thanks mom and dad!<o:p></o:p><br />
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Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-38006018129934294782012-07-20T17:36:00.002-07:002012-07-20T17:36:13.121-07:00The Fourth<span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Since being home from Spain, my life, I admit, has been a
bit boring for my taste.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">I have done a
lot of sleeping, at least initially, watching movies, talking on the phone to
catch up with friends and family etc.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">I was
and still am desperate to work because that it what summer is for!</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">And all I have been doing all summer is
playing in Spain!</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">So I made at least
fifteen phones calls in the first few days of being home, trying to find
temporary work and landscaping jobs.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">I got
one; and so far no others.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">But the one
that I did get was for my former bishop, cleaning up his back yard that they
are planning on landscaping soon.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">So Keaton
and I worked a total of like twenty man hours cutting weeds and raking them up
and hauling them to the dump.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgRJO4DvII0miNFCEq721p6cwzFgfWTP8C8QZvKNmBHmaOxjlRFRjFZip966CgNZAeJPp9BwKW9i42-FAEuhrO8OBb38tm9dPieMeolM0E5Y9AnqYl8JPuBchzvWY4FnhO2fmZKZ6/s1600/DSCN5231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgRJO4DvII0miNFCEq721p6cwzFgfWTP8C8QZvKNmBHmaOxjlRFRjFZip966CgNZAeJPp9BwKW9i42-FAEuhrO8OBb38tm9dPieMeolM0E5Y9AnqYl8JPuBchzvWY4FnhO2fmZKZ6/s320/DSCN5231.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Keaton and
I both continued our job hunt, trying to find work. Out riding my bike one day, I saw Allen’s Food and Drug store and thought that perhaps they were hiring. So I walked in and asked for a manager and
got two applications, for Keaton and I after the manager said that indeed they
were hiring at that time! So we both
filled them out, and turned them in. A
few days later we both got called in for interviews. Keaton got called back and starts next Tuesday! Very exciting for him because he hasn’t been
able to have steady work for a long time! I felt a little over qualified for the work, but just wanted extra hours, however he has never called me back.</div>
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I went
to campus a few times to talk with work associates and other adults friends to
perhaps find a job somewhere. And talking
with the chief of security at the Museum of Art (I work in the museum shop
during the school year), he said that
they were still hiring for extra security at the Stadium of Fire. Stadium of Fire is an annual concert and fireworks show hosted at the BYU football stadium. He called right in for me there and we spoke
with the head police event scheduler for BYU and he hired me on! So on July third I worked ten hours guarding
the antique cars that were brought in to the dress rehearsal for the show. Then on the fourth I started at 6 a.m. and
went all day until 12 a.m. midnight. I had
a very easy job, I was like the jack of all trades for security guards. I went and opened gates, swapped positions
with people that needed a quick break, ran errands for the officers, and
delivered lunches and dinners. The best
part was that I ended up getting two more free meals after the show, I got to
see the whole show basically, including the fireworks and got paid time and a half
for 18 straight hours!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1WPpMzwVoMA4oyOs0zljunlgLF9ak2Hz5DkOUnVprIk9J0HJGf1vXof-pgyIzf0GJKzvxjMXqaNAMqJWSDOlEQ_jp-taExTaYncVuF1ajFdYlej5nne7iq_qooOV7LJ5I_N0vtedv/s1600/DSCN5239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1WPpMzwVoMA4oyOs0zljunlgLF9ak2Hz5DkOUnVprIk9J0HJGf1vXof-pgyIzf0GJKzvxjMXqaNAMqJWSDOlEQ_jp-taExTaYncVuF1ajFdYlej5nne7iq_qooOV7LJ5I_N0vtedv/s320/DSCN5239.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The show featured Scottie McCrary and The Beach Boys! The Beach Boys were so cool! Not moving very fast and not hitting every
note perfectly but still fantastic! When
the Beach Boys came out they drove out six antique cars and I should have gotten
a picture! There was a 1960's Cobra, 1963 Chevy Impala 409, 1933 Dragster, classic
1953 White Thunderbird, Ford 1967 GTO, and a VW bus from the 60’s. All very cool. The fireworks
were good and there were just so many of them!
But I feel like I have seen better variety in other shows. Though most of them had loud explosions
which I love! The finale of the show was
a whole bunch of canon ball explosion fireworks that sent sound waves riveting
through your body! I loved that! Earlier
in the show when the Star Spangled Banner was sung, right as it finished four F-18
fighter planes flew right over the stadium!
That was very cool too!</div>
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I have
had better success at being consistent with running and exercising, and a
friend of mine invited me to run a half marathon with him last Saturday. It was the Hobbler Creek Half that started at
the top of Hobble Creek Canyon, and ended in the middle of Springville where
the canyon ends. It felt fantastic! We got up right before 4 a.m. to get to Spingville,
take the marathon bus up to the top of the canyon, and wait for the race to
start at 6:30 a.m. Originally I was just
going to try for less than two hours, just jog and go my own pace all the way
because it was my first half marathon. But
once the race started I found myself running with the one hour and fifty minutes
pacer. So I stayed with him for the
first few miles. Eventually he started
talking to me because I was the only one that was still keeping with him then. He
asked me if I had raced before because I wasn’t breathing very hard. I told him that this was my first one. And then very shocked apparently he asked me
if I had trained a lot for it and I replied that it was on a whim and I had
only signed up two days before the race.
He was shocked and started asking about my running career and I told him
a bit about it and all. After talking
for a mile, he checked his watch and said that we were going too fast to stay
on pace and that he needed to slow down.
I didn’t really care so I slowed down with him, but after another mile
he said that we needed to slow down again, and then after another half mile he
said he still needed to slow down, and that we were ahead. At that point I felt like I could handle
myself just fine so I took off.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.active.com/images/upimages/Hobbler12Logowhite1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlgkRwUP7TFpxzSoIs0SeGPhxx2v6KH9-_I1GYP1TSZS8YjIzJU_roY3Ki2Zv7jM-p4dYU-JkLNuNUmCcRrLFjllSs4OP7qtl4f_QpYoxPImostfk4K31flxXYZyLBy6PaR8CRLKl/s1600/DSCN5252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlgkRwUP7TFpxzSoIs0SeGPhxx2v6KH9-_I1GYP1TSZS8YjIzJU_roY3Ki2Zv7jM-p4dYU-JkLNuNUmCcRrLFjllSs4OP7qtl4f_QpYoxPImostfk4K31flxXYZyLBy6PaR8CRLKl/s320/DSCN5252.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lori, Isaac, Me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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That was
at mile sixish. To finish thirteen and a
tenth miles in an hour and fifty minutes you have to run and 8:23 mile thirteen
times in a row. I ran ahead and felt
really fantastic for the next four miles but once I got to mile eleven and
twelve, they felt soo long! The finish
line was also around a few bends and curves in the road, so it was also hard to
judge when I needed to kick in my final boost of energy to get through the
finish. But I ended up catching the one
hour and forty five minute pacer and passed her about two hundred yards before
the finish. She was a little behind apparently
so I finished right at 1:45.13! Awesome!
The website said that my overall average
for the race was 8:02 minute miles which means that those last five or six
miles on my own I had to be going under eight minute miles to pull my average
down by twenty three seconds! So overall
I am very pleased! And was very exhausted! They handed out popsicles and water. And one guy had a 32 oz V8 Fusion which I also sought out and obtained, drinking it in its entirety! We got free massages for our legs afterwards, and I went
home and slept on the couch for four hours!
My legs were pretty stiff for a few days but I got over it on Tuesday and
was running regularly again. Now I want to do a ten mile time trial! I have a goal to run it in under seventy-five
minutes, and during the marathon I did it in around eighty minutes! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSiK_cznvF9TsaHifT-CWkY-57gcy0FbRl4AzaTBBNYh8298Lc30MniMZNt39bW3pK9udBZMrM6iwOOiCfoBc5dVKw39nA-VPgRYUhsWRogDSPonZK4gkDylHgCSQ27qghvBXVJ2w/s1600/DSCN5256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSiK_cznvF9TsaHifT-CWkY-57gcy0FbRl4AzaTBBNYh8298Lc30MniMZNt39bW3pK9udBZMrM6iwOOiCfoBc5dVKw39nA-VPgRYUhsWRogDSPonZK4gkDylHgCSQ27qghvBXVJ2w/s320/DSCN5256.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lori, Isaac, Me, Tatiana</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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I started
working at Geosys Design finally. It is a Geotechnical engineering consulting company based out of Bluffdale Utah. I had
one day of training two weeks ago and this week I have worked four full days. My job is primarily to perform testing for
soil nails (retaining wall anchors) being installed, but I also observe at construction sites and input
data into spread sheets. So far I really
enjoy it, but wish I could get more hours.
It pays well so I am still doing good.
Just shy of forty hours this week at Geosys, I made almost exactly as
much as a month’s worth of pay working at the Museum of Art part-time. So if I can do that steadily for a month I will
at least be ready for school expenses in the next year. Hopefully I can get some more random jobs
like landscaping to supplement that. But it is a really good experience that i am glad that I will be able to put on my resume! Perhaps in my
next blog entry I will describe more in depth what I do for the testing. It really fascinates me, which is a good sign,
since I am planning on emphasizing in geotechnical engineering in my post
graduate studies.<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"> Yesterday I was able to have some fun playing frisbee golf
with some friends that I go to church with and then hike for three hours!</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">It was a pretty decent hike.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">I went with my police officer friend Wayne
Beck and we hiked to the top of Y mountain.</span><span style="background-color: white;">
</span><span style="background-color: white;">(BYU has a really big concrete Y on the mountain next to campus, but the
Y is only three quarters of a mile up)</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Over
all it took about three and a half hours.</span><span style="background-color: white;">
</span><span style="background-color: white;">We climbed from 5100 feet to almost 8500 feet, with a total distance of
6.6 miles.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">It was so fantastic!</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">The view was incredible! And on the way up we
got rained on pretty good, and so the rest of the way, even though is stopped raining,
we got soaked but the dense trail lined with brush on either side and many
times above us too!</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">When we got to the
top, there was another mountain peak about three miles away and we started
yelling weird noises to get echoes back!</span><span style="background-color: white;">
</span><span style="background-color: white;">It was incredible how far our yells went!</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Over all it was a fantastic way to spend my
afternoon!</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVqQjU3r1c78LSvZB7Gc79BXQwWezS-T8QgksaBuG5XCMDXl5gLTFntM0afKbQyz4k2Vx2mMr9sYrXI1H0MB-sRW0RjbC95LW_UhYSzMkEjGRlB_hTXlj4slnJowadeg5kXvtu1IB/s1600/DSCN5258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVqQjU3r1c78LSvZB7Gc79BXQwWezS-T8QgksaBuG5XCMDXl5gLTFntM0afKbQyz4k2Vx2mMr9sYrXI1H0MB-sRW0RjbC95LW_UhYSzMkEjGRlB_hTXlj4slnJowadeg5kXvtu1IB/s320/DSCN5258.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Utah Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdOThoCrqiVtE3VkoVaFThTZfVKWrrxZ-QyZ4Thi23o6nLRJ1RIDdqEababTXz8XQNm9owlpHL6kmJvSre7TDq9mcR-kFh21tHLT69dUceINxPA0iWLgeI-xMVRd0D-hbjJd6wOrY/s1600/DSCN5261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdOThoCrqiVtE3VkoVaFThTZfVKWrrxZ-QyZ4Thi23o6nLRJ1RIDdqEababTXz8XQNm9owlpHL6kmJvSre7TDq9mcR-kFh21tHLT69dUceINxPA0iWLgeI-xMVRd0D-hbjJd6wOrY/s320/DSCN5261.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the top!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZG_iLLhgLWhyphenhyphenBMDsljNVJqNEnAnKxhjpTrh6EAn_S-xOdWBP4kmKFwfBddGX2Gcp7Jm5zJzHcv2F8qfP7XJFXwkOiMWQVhe8jGl576bJOMI1kfb8Sz5Fd5GJ3BnFgWwwQUTyjHW3/s1600/DSCN5264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZG_iLLhgLWhyphenhyphenBMDsljNVJqNEnAnKxhjpTrh6EAn_S-xOdWBP4kmKFwfBddGX2Gcp7Jm5zJzHcv2F8qfP7XJFXwkOiMWQVhe8jGl576bJOMI1kfb8Sz5Fd5GJ3BnFgWwwQUTyjHW3/s320/DSCN5264.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The echoing mountains!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUu1Qfof5SDTFXs1MHzFULx4ecLbYtMMjbQAM1GIe3WniJXAw1XoOQTWfn9fR5as01OcBp15_sFwQjJ3L_PRn0fgQs8vVHWBoOO3bwD221gUYymyFuWxw-cRlMWQXipOPDqPBqZWc/s1600/DSCN5269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUu1Qfof5SDTFXs1MHzFULx4ecLbYtMMjbQAM1GIe3WniJXAw1XoOQTWfn9fR5as01OcBp15_sFwQjJ3L_PRn0fgQs8vVHWBoOO3bwD221gUYymyFuWxw-cRlMWQXipOPDqPBqZWc/s320/DSCN5269.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The is the trail at the 2nd meadow, the only place you could see the trail well enough for a picture!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white;"> Life goes
on. I am relatively happy, and trying my
best to work with what I have. Sometimes
it is hard to stay busy, which bothers me, but it will all work out. I know Heavenly Father has plans for me to
accomplish great things; I just have to learn how to do them first.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-23345551123712381602012-06-24T16:21:00.003-07:002012-06-24T16:28:13.988-07:00Sevilla y Granada<br />
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The afternoon of the same day that we saw the great mosque
in Córdoba
we got to Sevilla and were given free time, which means instead of doing group
things we go exploring on our own. So
first thing I did was go to the tourist information office and got a real
map. The hotels always give us maps but
if I have learned anything in Spain at all, I have learned that hotels give out
crappy maps and that I need a real one if I truly want to enjoy the cities I
stay in. So we did that and talked to the person behind
the desk a little bit and then found a few things we wanted to see. We headed to La Plaza de España. Very beautiful plaza in a park built
primarily to entertain. In the olden
days you could sit on benches that were named after famous cities in Spain and
read material left on shelves there that talked about those cities. Now it is a prime weekend spot to bring
inflatables for kids, set up basketball tournaments, and go row boating on the
little mote/river thing that surrounds the plaza. Lots of bridges, columns, red brick and tiles
everywhere; we ended up renting row boats for thirty-five minutes and just
enjoyed talking and seeing the plaza. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-y6YNkxPvxjDqfEQMZUc2Ddsv6KKcUHPmoSNoTLW8M1VmYlKjKcJNH3HqCVu9eV8YbS6-sfxNuCg3J5BJEmGYNgzAVoZZE2ZqdR9wOVmPo8rveUETKZ5ph1igqL-pK1NPKe7UrnTI/s1600/DSCN5090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-y6YNkxPvxjDqfEQMZUc2Ddsv6KKcUHPmoSNoTLW8M1VmYlKjKcJNH3HqCVu9eV8YbS6-sfxNuCg3J5BJEmGYNgzAVoZZE2ZqdR9wOVmPo8rveUETKZ5ph1igqL-pK1NPKe7UrnTI/s320/DSCN5090.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main fountain in the center of the plaza</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2QWe7NFAM1oduAjoU30AHp_FSabRL619UE9b5nVb7_EJ6pw7fytM7Ggo_HTkCw3k3QBz_IJsH2oUWgdWabL6vFEFQveFykpwU4sEdQwsw6F5M3KgLAGN6ds2FOkjW6Q4UGc-Z_42/s1600/DSCN5104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2QWe7NFAM1oduAjoU30AHp_FSabRL619UE9b5nVb7_EJ6pw7fytM7Ggo_HTkCw3k3QBz_IJsH2oUWgdWabL6vFEFQveFykpwU4sEdQwsw6F5M3KgLAGN6ds2FOkjW6Q4UGc-Z_42/s320/DSCN5104.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Benches with reading material shelves</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After
we were done we walked back towards downtown looking for food. We decided that it would be fantastic to
par-core everything on the way… so we did!
(Par-core: a modern term for jump kicking a wall or tree or whatever)
Always fun to be with friends! One of my
jump kicks I spun off the wall into almost a 720 degree spin! I suppose I still enjoy
things that I enjoyed as a youth. Using
some directions that one of our teachers from the University of Alcalá had given us, we looked for some restaurants, but
they only served fish and the whole group wasn’t willing to only eat fish. So we found a bar that looked pretty promising
and it was! We had a great server that
folded up paper for the girls and made them stuff and had good conversation
with us. Plus the food was good and
there was a lot of it. Therefore I was
full and content while entertained by the company of my friends and the art of
our server. After food we found good ice
cream and I shared a gofre with my friend Julia. A gofre is a sweet waffle with ice cream and
topping on top and the combination really is absolutely fantastic! We all must
have had a lot of energy because for no apparent reason I decided that I needed
to walk down the street backwards to the ice cream shop. I probably went a good five hundred feet! But
I wouldn’t have made it without the help of my friends telling where to
go! I think I may be a little crazy! <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUyt-jmIdA6hyphenhyphenfZBaHgscLkCpDffMpkyukg_du9MMrhy3IDCPJKukyjL6H7iMS3YTmmJyFi7H8R8RW61oeKQjspsBfUqDNNwcV5MWTtWKtR_4jxYNtks6VTsI_J3ySVSHvH1oiex7/s1600/DSCN5092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUyt-jmIdA6hyphenhyphenfZBaHgscLkCpDffMpkyukg_du9MMrhy3IDCPJKukyjL6H7iMS3YTmmJyFi7H8R8RW61oeKQjspsBfUqDNNwcV5MWTtWKtR_4jxYNtks6VTsI_J3ySVSHvH1oiex7/s320/DSCN5092.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the bar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr7alcS44ghPLmMxN66Dh2dFj4cq4BiCCgj2ZYTE_FQmcz0GvY-rCH3JicefhZCZ0i3C72kLdE5C6Dg8jBAMbOp-COhuVn25P5iHJRbV2Br6iKNA9Fw5zIHPyNn7E6zH1CsFJS0Q1L/s1600/DSCN5093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr7alcS44ghPLmMxN66Dh2dFj4cq4BiCCgj2ZYTE_FQmcz0GvY-rCH3JicefhZCZ0i3C72kLdE5C6Dg8jBAMbOp-COhuVn25P5iHJRbV2Br6iKNA9Fw5zIHPyNn7E6zH1CsFJS0Q1L/s320/DSCN5093.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paper boats made by our server (Claire Hague)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00wUpd3jfte34VxQMc8B6Hp2v562x31eY6SFA1bOuSbz5QcBMAT_FsmhUB_09NlE523vghKMlp5kt6M8_ojfyNAp506YxH_GH6oijABwN-qmO49mjr17Yg-nXZs27bTZkvpuMyOR0/s1600/DSCN5094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00wUpd3jfte34VxQMc8B6Hp2v562x31eY6SFA1bOuSbz5QcBMAT_FsmhUB_09NlE523vghKMlp5kt6M8_ojfyNAp506YxH_GH6oijABwN-qmO49mjr17Yg-nXZs27bTZkvpuMyOR0/s320/DSCN5094.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julia, the gofre, Me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The
next day the entire group did tour of the city on the bus with our tour
guide. He talked a lot about the world
fair that was held in Sevilla years ago, and showed us the Olympic stadium that
they built there before they were awarded having the Olympics there and the
stadium was never used. How embarrassing! And what a waste! We also stopped at the Basilica of the
Macarena Virgin. Being a shrine to the virgin, it was decorated extremely
exquisitely, and was really weird to me.
Just look at the pictures.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKSBfkpqgPRZkiveCyYz8M9O1mAlHFHmY_5QDFYev0DqYNChPCwSDMr22OmYfz0XgrYP_TmnyyQB36swKNrqzZfRquwk56osXfMo05TKLiaG_sjWaWDFZxYXUvWk61YiYcObOYwDz/s1600/DSCN5100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKSBfkpqgPRZkiveCyYz8M9O1mAlHFHmY_5QDFYev0DqYNChPCwSDMr22OmYfz0XgrYP_TmnyyQB36swKNrqzZfRquwk56osXfMo05TKLiaG_sjWaWDFZxYXUvWk61YiYcObOYwDz/s320/DSCN5100.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmS_GIBmm5N7pAg_b2xJuNbQMb0vgGE685KTC3hatf68ADom6GH_ioHFonLCOdD8dKtYmTl2USEJ8odU-t3_NYlpkBJ7gZAxZDdMQnl1SsTDVSiq4Ki_BIykOIOziZp4GkxhkuIBc1/s1600/DSCN5101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmS_GIBmm5N7pAg_b2xJuNbQMb0vgGE685KTC3hatf68ADom6GH_ioHFonLCOdD8dKtYmTl2USEJ8odU-t3_NYlpkBJ7gZAxZDdMQnl1SsTDVSiq4Ki_BIykOIOziZp4GkxhkuIBc1/s320/DSCN5101.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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After
that the guide took us back to the Plaza de España, and gave us a lot more
details on it, that I shared with you earlier.
When we were walking out there were three Native American men, or in
this case really Indian is the correct word, were playing the reed pipes and it
was really cool! Then we were on our way
to the Alcázar. Originally it was
Moorish fort, and became a palace and is still in use for the royal family
today. In the entrance there were some very peculiar trees they called
“drunken,” because the trees soak up extra water when it is prevalent and store
it in their trunks for when the water is more scarce. It looks just like a beer belly, and it kind
a funny to see on a tree. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUd5DIsAkPLfWRSr9ZfaHyYtr_-thO-tbg2h0W0u9cbTjryV1DdvkL7g4wFSS-z_tnIVBDYJkFXxPh5PavVkVEO4eurIqHkShzqPgII5YfqQJQtgu_xE29TFrjhCCqtpsQMCq-14p/s1600/DSCN5105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUd5DIsAkPLfWRSr9ZfaHyYtr_-thO-tbg2h0W0u9cbTjryV1DdvkL7g4wFSS-z_tnIVBDYJkFXxPh5PavVkVEO4eurIqHkShzqPgII5YfqQJQtgu_xE29TFrjhCCqtpsQMCq-14p/s320/DSCN5105.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHYlP6i_8gUovazQxVgCpzBreE2yTeK8aGNpiZqZqrrmIhN81jWX3fzNGkclMwUE3d7RGJ3If73UXc3Mf67lzmzINH_iNaOkeYSF6i_iXoYxUZvXpykjwFkHdCruXs-XJK0EWpyrm/s1600/DSCN5109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHYlP6i_8gUovazQxVgCpzBreE2yTeK8aGNpiZqZqrrmIhN81jWX3fzNGkclMwUE3d7RGJ3If73UXc3Mf67lzmzINH_iNaOkeYSF6i_iXoYxUZvXpykjwFkHdCruXs-XJK0EWpyrm/s320/DSCN5109.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drunken Trees</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The
palace was very Muslim with a lot of geometric shames and architecture, tiles
and the very characteristic “horse shoe” archways (also called key hole
archways). Beautiful gardens were on the
palace grounds. Then we went to the
Catedral de Sevilla. It is the largest Gothic
cathedral in the world, and the largest cathedral in Spain. Like others we had visited its columns are so
impressive! Something that we learned
there is that all cathedrals (at least gothic) have hollow columns, and that
these columns are what hold up the cathedral, not the exterior walls. Also, the vaulted ceilings are split into
four section that each come together in the center where one rock called la
clave (key stone) is placed to hold them together! Our guide said that if they were to take the
walls away from the cathedral that it would still be standing. It is also the reason that they chose to
incorporate so much stained glass in the walls.
Normally this would weaken the walls significantly, but in this case it
didn’t really matter. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="http://www.absolutsevilla.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/catedral-de-sevilla.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catedral de Seviilla</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="267" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Sevilla_cathedral_-_vault.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Incredible vaulted ceilings</td></tr>
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There
is a bell tower at the cathedral that we got to go up and get a fantastic view
of the city! But it was high up! And all
ramps not stairs! So we went in circles
up this tower for fifteen minutes before we reached the top! I got some fruit from una frutería
for lunch and then we were on the bus again headed to Granada!</div>
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Our
director let us loose again in Granada it was a city where exploring is really
easy. We went to a lot of shops and saw
a public puppet show for kids, as well as a public senior’s dance (older
folks). Really cool. A lot of people, especially the women and
girls, were dressed up in the traditional flamenco clothing. The little girls were very cute. Below is an example. Granada is really close to the Mediterranean
and it isn’t far at all to get to Morocco in North Africa. Thus, most of the stores had Moroccan
clothing and souvenirs. The girls bought
some cool tortilla plates off of street vendors and of course we had to get ice
cream as well. We found dinner at a
smaller Italian bar and the food ended up being pretty good.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.hamptonroadsdailyphoto.com/norfolk/festive-spanish-dresses-back.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spanish dresses</td></tr>
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That
night we walked up to the highest point in the city to the mirador (look out or
view spot). Granada is famous for La
Alhambra, the ancient palace of Carlos V.
Well this mirador has a perfect and unobstructed view of La Alhambra all
lit up at night. It was actually very
cool, though it was a little crazy to get all the way up there. The streets are narrow and twist and turn
regularly and for a lot of the time we thought we were lost. But we did get there despite all of the drunk
people on the way. On the way home
Michael had one of his extremely strange, funny moments. I can’t really describe what I
witnessed. If you ask me in person I
can, but you might not like what I describe to you. Those present would all agree I think,
especially Katie Willis. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<img height="252" src="http://blog.rtve.es/.a/6a014e6089cbd5970c01538dde09e5970b-pi" width="640" /></div>
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The
next day,<span style="background-color: white;"> we went straight to the Alhambra. Our guides wore microphones and we
each were given a remote ear piece so that we could listen.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Kind of cool to have the earpiece, but also a
little annoying.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">First because the
earpiece didn’t want to stay in sometimes, and second because sometimes our
guide would point to something and say look at this and you had no idea what
she was talking about cause you couldn’t hear the distance of her voice and
find where she was pointing very quickly.</span><span style="background-color: white;">
</span><span style="background-color: white;">I ended up starting to translate for Profe Hague’s wife who was our
“adult supervisor” if you will.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">We were
too big of a group so we had to have two different guides with an adult teacher
in each group.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">It was actually very
difficult to translate everything.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Going
from English to Spanish is super easy, the other way is MUCH harder, especially
when it is all about a history that I know practically nothing about.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">We got through it though and she was grateful
that I did that because she cannot understand any Spanish.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SR2jCgXzMNTJIte20dGpxIihjCQeQ-mJUcG816i_RSJ1KW_FPfO7YDz2dqUpNPxp2msE8AoriYMRr4097VSZaKGQ-HUtFCyvp0zULcAjq5k96hE1-B3MyY-k3wt2ZC6Qhhy56wEp/s1600/DSCN5121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SR2jCgXzMNTJIte20dGpxIihjCQeQ-mJUcG816i_RSJ1KW_FPfO7YDz2dqUpNPxp2msE8AoriYMRr4097VSZaKGQ-HUtFCyvp0zULcAjq5k96hE1-B3MyY-k3wt2ZC6Qhhy56wEp/s320/DSCN5121.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ear pieces</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All of
the Alhambra is of Muslim design, huge and was pretty impressive. But I will admit that I lost interest just
because I have seen so many palaces and such.
It was definitely unique though.
Lots of flowers and very cool masaics and tile works. Something that the Alhambra is famous for is
the fountain held up by twelve hand carved lions that represent the twelve
tribes of Israel. Water comes out of
their mouths. All the running water in
the Alhambra including spraying fountains is all done by natural gravity. They did nothing to pressurize the water
other than send it to where it needed to go.
I thought that that was pretty amazing.
We finished our tour and got on the bus for home, a six hour ride! We stopped for lunch though and had a little
sacrament meeting minus the sacrament. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I
got home I wanted to see mass in a cathedral so I went to the one in Alcalá,
and forgot that it was still the weekend of Corpus Cristi and I was able to
watch the procession starting in the cathedral!
Very different than the other and the organ played and the whole
congregation sang too! There was a
marching band playing music also at certain parts. At one
point a man in priest’s clothes came near and was shaking people’s hands. After he left I asked a man who he was and he
looked at me a little strangely, realized I was American and replied “Es el Señor
Obispo” in a respectful tone. That
translates to “He is the Bishop.” I was
a little bit shocked, here was a religious leader of another faith, very close
to me and I didn’t even know it. I was
glad that I got to go to that Corpus Cristi.
It was very different and more, actually, how I thought that the other
would have been like. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next
day I met Julia McArthur and Katie Fancher to go to the zoo. It was cool, they had a lot of animals, but I
felt like we paid way too much. The seal
show and the dolphin show was pretty cool though. Tuesday evening as a group we went to a
concert in Madrid for an artist named Andrew Bird. His style is not necessarily my type, but he
is definitely a very talented musician. His
music was a mix of easy listening stuff to more like rock. He used a violin a lot and did a lot of
mixing in his songs with a mixing pedal.
On a mixing pedal you can play something and record it and then play it back
while you play something different. He used
the pedal a lot. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTx4jaGGUN94A7zHgvsx1e2-IHZZwoL4AyPZv64OVUdsVx-kE7_iqoDQxkyyBglrVMlR4Q-DaE4gmGNtKRFtOfXbU0gFrz1a2U6FR9c41ahFiLrj1GI7L-p06Ad5PvZknh9GeNtPpS/s1600/DSCN5166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTx4jaGGUN94A7zHgvsx1e2-IHZZwoL4AyPZv64OVUdsVx-kE7_iqoDQxkyyBglrVMlR4Q-DaE4gmGNtKRFtOfXbU0gFrz1a2U6FR9c41ahFiLrj1GI7L-p06Ad5PvZknh9GeNtPpS/s320/DSCN5166.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katie Fancher, Me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfdEqOzIhOP7vu-HlOy3WE94GxCLnflHNNObJUUSBHPZyXMfOEjcySFoU6E2d47MhMkxfR7EK1fqI9wVk6Ir138-cgoenU7s6vVVgJHdyriddyXISekScUFSBz6dArwOqYMAXmfgs/s1600/DSCN5195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfdEqOzIhOP7vu-HlOy3WE94GxCLnflHNNObJUUSBHPZyXMfOEjcySFoU6E2d47MhMkxfR7EK1fqI9wVk6Ir138-cgoenU7s6vVVgJHdyriddyXISekScUFSBz6dArwOqYMAXmfgs/s320/DSCN5195.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That bear was only like 15 feet away and kept pacing back and forth!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
We had
some really fantastic crepes in Madrid. I
put Nutella and bananas on mine, and it was superb! Wednesday of my last week I went to the naval
museum in Madrid, that had many many weapons on display, and models of the
different kinds of ships that have been used in Spain from sail boats to modern
styles. Pretty interesting. We had a group dinner at a nice sit down restaurant. Paella was the main dish, which is one of the
most common and unique dishes in Spain. Michael
and I had our last Spanish ice cream in Madrid the day before we left. It was
really good gelato, and I mixed raspberry and banana. The banana was amazing! </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_j4GXHykIgTBhepeYwOD03JOaVEYYxvjOWv_vJpAYeRTznwp_rJacUdDYIOorKiKJo170DJqkzBc1H2RDYvFYWh79vAcFbMngVYlOTLi9yOSBH8TIrYjcrGFZcQGJM_pvKzmnIY9/s1600/DSCN5215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_j4GXHykIgTBhepeYwOD03JOaVEYYxvjOWv_vJpAYeRTznwp_rJacUdDYIOorKiKJo170DJqkzBc1H2RDYvFYWh79vAcFbMngVYlOTLi9yOSBH8TIrYjcrGFZcQGJM_pvKzmnIY9/s640/DSCN5215.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before the concert</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfAgwIfwep_GzOqN2Wo65kxjO0a44n020pjjy2EbnxETyRyl8mvmYfdDHQi5Y_28DAHiL2Udrh_mAfhWL3ZXvYkTwIOulKt_u432cjN4kBS3m__SiZmPQkr_nMZ5I4F3XtL_ka-KW/s1600/DSCN5217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfAgwIfwep_GzOqN2Wo65kxjO0a44n020pjjy2EbnxETyRyl8mvmYfdDHQi5Y_28DAHiL2Udrh_mAfhWL3ZXvYkTwIOulKt_u432cjN4kBS3m__SiZmPQkr_nMZ5I4F3XtL_ka-KW/s320/DSCN5217.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew Bird on the violin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had
very easy finals. One took me forty five
minutes because I had to write three essays, and the other one, for y history
class was like a copy of the review sheet with fewer questions, and I finished
that in like twenty minutes. We had kind
of a goofy graduation ceremony that I thought was pointless. We each got a certificate, and took pictures
afterwards. Our last day, our host mom Teresa
made all of our favorite foods! She made
patatas a la riojana and pimientas rellenas!
Then she gave me a very nice recipe book with lots of Spanish recipes
and more particularly from the vasque region of the Spain, where she is
from! She wrote me a note inside and it
was very cool!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next
day we bussed to the airport and flew all day!
Randomly I met my best friend Jeremy Butz’ mother in the Charolette
airport! Crazy! The world is clearly too
small! Her gate was right next to mine. But that was my Spain experience!<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8110569443129120533" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></div>Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-41053563346293356442012-06-19T12:29:00.002-07:002012-06-19T13:29:36.759-07:00Córdoba<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES"> </span>We had another awesome week of activities in
our program! A group of us on Saturday
went to Xanadu a huge mall with an indoor ski hill! The hill wasn´t very impressive, but it was
cool that it was indoor. The mall was so
huge! Therefore I got bored after about
an hour. Oh well. It was cool, but too many clothes
stores. That really dominated my day. That night a small group of us traveled just
two stops down the train to a town called Torrejon. They have a park called Parque Europa, and it
has small replicas of major land marks in Europe such as the Eifel Tower, a few
famous castles, and other similar things.
Well during the summer they put on a twenty minute water light
show. We went and saw that and it was
really cool! They shot the water up in many
different forms and then light up the water with light from behind and some
parts were like movie clips and other parts just fancy lights. It was all done with music too! It was really cool!</div>
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I want to insert another couple interesting facts about Alcal<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">á</span> de Henares. Before I showed you the dumpsters they use in the city, but I didn't tell you that some of the those dumpsters are put underground, and so a dump truck with a crane on it comes and lifts the dumpsters out and dumps it into the truck. kind of inefficient system, but cool nonetheless. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbC49MhbaZecum-mMeCM1_RWiw4HhIJzKEvMVkAzYenUKD6fY_JKmmnudDsIYAyp4GM5O1pmVsczGzjaKcOn4MgPPZkLlXEZjS6tvjbqMwOmA3a7R1uPbe1zskyF0y-tTHkPrAYWs/s1600/DSCN4945.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbC49MhbaZecum-mMeCM1_RWiw4HhIJzKEvMVkAzYenUKD6fY_JKmmnudDsIYAyp4GM5O1pmVsczGzjaKcOn4MgPPZkLlXEZjS6tvjbqMwOmA3a7R1uPbe1zskyF0y-tTHkPrAYWs/s320/DSCN4945.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dump truck crane</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-ccC0OFCvSNr1nAmIZktrFwKEtzt248pG5bljq0DoVGOqGa7iRZbmHdqvBsBhnALDFg__os_fuTa1qPDmAPeEDtuS_6qu9KygqBenEbYzo7s16MNGPuB3YmfG46sIuLOhV7C-kOh/s1600/DSCN4939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-ccC0OFCvSNr1nAmIZktrFwKEtzt248pG5bljq0DoVGOqGa7iRZbmHdqvBsBhnALDFg__os_fuTa1qPDmAPeEDtuS_6qu9KygqBenEbYzo7s16MNGPuB3YmfG46sIuLOhV7C-kOh/s320/DSCN4939.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A modern rendition of Quijote and Sancho Pansa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Sunday evening there was a
charity fútbol game at the Real Madrid stadium.
I got to go and see a game in the
stadium watching many retired Real Madrid players play! It was very cool! Them being older now, and it being a charity
event, the game wasn’t very intense but still cool to be there. Monday I took a group of people to go see
some abandoned tunnels and ruins left from the crusades. Not really the crusades but close enough; it
was the Muslims fighting the Christians outside of Madrid. Kind of cool pieces of history, right in my
back yard in Alcalá de Henares! To get there we had
to take our shoes off and cross the river and it is a fun hike out there. The ruins are falling apart but both the
tunnels and ruins were used to station soldiers preparing for attacks on the
city. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQX5AWwDXVSPHEspZ9Tl04zVvej7NyebzqeR_Mg2yxknEfRKivNBzcFuV_JA5sp_vhkwtJF1D0pVY4NyGEnvwRJ281eTefs9zEDoplaKahEOb-jVFq1qr06dpl97nDFBWSBOIllikn/s1600/DSCN4943.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQX5AWwDXVSPHEspZ9Tl04zVvej7NyebzqeR_Mg2yxknEfRKivNBzcFuV_JA5sp_vhkwtJF1D0pVY4NyGEnvwRJ281eTefs9zEDoplaKahEOb-jVFq1qr06dpl97nDFBWSBOIllikn/s320/DSCN4943.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the ruins</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Tuesday, our entire group did a
tour of the Real Madrid stadium and learned a lot about how trophies are
awarded and got to see the inside of the locker rooms, press rooms, and got to
sit in the dug out area! Pretty cool
stadium. Built to hold about eighty-five
thousand people.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1k8DLL6HdzTlFh7k3HO6Awp-2qJdUH5KvNrPGYrwV8gY2-aa1dm_koW8RHMlizhrRD1MULdUsf8VOKrUuRO-eq7Kz-VZFqjecxHE44rg5YXDEsR9EsO0yR60Hu5SEfbmxJIu_HWI1/s1600/DSCN4953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1k8DLL6HdzTlFh7k3HO6Awp-2qJdUH5KvNrPGYrwV8gY2-aa1dm_koW8RHMlizhrRD1MULdUsf8VOKrUuRO-eq7Kz-VZFqjecxHE44rg5YXDEsR9EsO0yR60Hu5SEfbmxJIu_HWI1/s320/DSCN4953.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Different types of trophies, the shoe is the greatest player in spain, the ball is greatest player in Europe, and the square one is greatest player in the world</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Thursday morning we headed out
early on our way to Córdoba. On
the way there we stopped in a small town called Camuñas. They celebrate the Corpus Cristi on Thursday every
year and so we got to stop and see the celebration. Very strange and actually we all got a little
board of it after the first half an hour.
It is a procession that starts from the chapel, and the performers all
wear masks and there is dancing and music in the form of a skit or play. It consists of the seven vices or sins, and
seven virtues. All of the vices wear strange evilish masks, and the virtues all
are dressed in a very recognizable ways that reflect gifts or righteous
acts. At one point in the procession,
each of the vices run at the the front where the bishop is standing and where
the Crustodia is, while screaming. Pretty
strange but has a lot of symbolism I believe.
The purpose is to remember the resurrection of Christ and all of the pass
over. </div>
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The city was all decorated for
the celebrations. The sidewalks were painted, rugs were hung on everything, the
children participated in the procession, and they all had tambourines. Interesting view into the culture. When we were leaving, some cars had parked in
front of our bus and made it impossible to leave going forward, so the bus
driver backed up several hundred feet through the narrow streets with cars
parked on the sides! I swear the bus
drivers are crazy here!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj96HOV3z1VCVy4YJjEEbXHrOdFVSBSPw9j_7bKB6PJXe7-qPV8LSqhg0gxSrFzOn2HXNKMZQfIPkmPa6tbRAMoJpqs9vaH0f7G7uFc-gLoLxULUitGo7G7YuIAqcY2pOXKHbSdAK9/s1600/DSCN4976.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj96HOV3z1VCVy4YJjEEbXHrOdFVSBSPw9j_7bKB6PJXe7-qPV8LSqhg0gxSrFzOn2HXNKMZQfIPkmPa6tbRAMoJpqs9vaH0f7G7uFc-gLoLxULUitGo7G7YuIAqcY2pOXKHbSdAK9/s320/DSCN4976.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The red mask is a common theme for the dancers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYlQzStJ2Jo8GqIeRKCrTtW0xk2wz5ArdN-CDRJ3cTOi0unUu-f_heDM2YfkO3qev1J4td3woo6Qe2XTPGYJocYgbyrVHWs_QK_EqHy_WeStXX_u39aRC7JSE0ANZbVp-eWrdIVSNl/s1600/DSCN4978.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYlQzStJ2Jo8GqIeRKCrTtW0xk2wz5ArdN-CDRJ3cTOi0unUu-f_heDM2YfkO3qev1J4td3woo6Qe2XTPGYJocYgbyrVHWs_QK_EqHy_WeStXX_u39aRC7JSE0ANZbVp-eWrdIVSNl/s320/DSCN4978.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banners</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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After that we stopped at a town
called consuegra to have lunch and then we got to see the famous molinos de Quijote,
or the Quijote windmills. They are the
windmills that were written about in the adventures of Don Quijote when he
attacked them cause he thought that they were giants. We read that chapter out of the book don
quijote underneath one of the windmills.
There was a lot of wind! No wonder they put so many windmills up there!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0yMYR14F-vkokv1HD4K4t9nfqGiuDQFhAZcOd4RBOAuecho-tYfo2I_iYG88bF8rDBhCDlHCkPPBl_OjomXWdRzjlmdDni4qhdPfdEyI_abqz2e_GZGXAyffcGjacgY2I5jSkytp/s1600/DSCN4987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0yMYR14F-vkokv1HD4K4t9nfqGiuDQFhAZcOd4RBOAuecho-tYfo2I_iYG88bF8rDBhCDlHCkPPBl_OjomXWdRzjlmdDni4qhdPfdEyI_abqz2e_GZGXAyffcGjacgY2I5jSkytp/s320/DSCN4987.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Neil (profe's son)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We got to Córdoba that afternoon. It is<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8110569443129120533" name="_GoBack"></a> a beautiful and
ancient city. The streets are very
narrow, with flowers hanging from the buildings on either side of the street. We got to see an ancient roman temple. All that is left are the columns and other
stone ruins that have fallen down. It was
very cool, and they are trying to restore it piece by piece. The ruins are from the first century! Holy cow
they are old! We had a buffet dinner
that night which was pretty good, lots of Italian food which was a nice
change. After dinner, a group of us went
and explored some more and saw one of the main plazas of Córdoba all lit up at night
with a beautiful fountain in the center.
At the hotel before bed we all
played a few games of monopoly deal. And
that was very fun and relaxing.</div>
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The next day we saw the jewish synagogue
built in 1350 A.D. and saw a statue of
Ben Maimonides. Known as a figure of
wisdom, theology, philosophy and medicine.
They say that if you rub the shoe of the statue that his wisdom will rub
off onto you, so of course we rubbed the shoe!
We also saw el Mesquita, or the Great Mosque that Córdoba is famous for. The site was first used for a Christian chapel,
but when the muslims took over they built there huge mosque where the chapel
was. Then when the Christians conquered
again, they decided to remodel part of the mosque into a cathedral. This is an
amazing piece of history because most of the time when the Christians reconquered
they destroyed anything muslim! It is
the only mosque-cathedral in existence today! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Each of these archways is a double arch, you see it better below</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing architecture </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The whole mosque is a huge open room with columns and double arches
supporting the roof. Some of the muslim
sacred prayer rooms are still in side on the outskirts of the building, and in
the center of the mosque is were the cathedral has been built. They had to take out many columns and arches
and then build up with a vaulted ceiling all in the typical shape of the cross
that the catherals are built. A most
impressive construction marvel! Every columns
in the mosque is unique with the capitols (top of the columns) each having
different designs. It was very very
impressive. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sacred prayer room for Muslim faith</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Vaulted ceiling of the cathedral in the mosque</td></tr>
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To get into the city you have to cross a beautiful roman bridge, with
huge towers on either shore and archways all along it to cross the river. We left Córdoba en rumba a Sevilla, (in route to Sevilla)
and stopped at one more place on the way called Madinat Al-Zahra. It is a small city-state/palace were the caliph
(Islamic viceroy sort of) lived. Ruins are
all that are left today. The city was
built in 900 A.D. and only lasted for 80 years. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The roman bridge with the mosque in the background</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJ_XnuaLc5WRcLmfLR6JDNMpYRojB5XUVOjylT_TG72TiFcUmGNdZbzrETdslMhaElD2cUByxNgOhpmUlGOqyNi1LkZ0oyO5NNIL39QLTqPN9-TaTTTOOrG0WLu7-ANVOu4tL5t9s/s1600/DSCN5080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJ_XnuaLc5WRcLmfLR6JDNMpYRojB5XUVOjylT_TG72TiFcUmGNdZbzrETdslMhaElD2cUByxNgOhpmUlGOqyNi1LkZ0oyO5NNIL39QLTqPN9-TaTTTOOrG0WLu7-ANVOu4tL5t9s/s320/DSCN5080.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruins of ancient Madinat Al-Zahra</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We went ot Sevilla next and I am going to put that and Granada in
another post!</div>Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-84029131810483984662012-06-12T04:22:00.003-07:002012-06-12T04:22:25.290-07:00Toledo<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
We started the week off with some incredible group
activities! Tuesday we all dressed up a
little and went and saw Carmen, which is a French Opera, that they have turned
into a Flamenco! Very cool costumes and
absolutely incredible dancing! It was
very impressive and we all enjoyed it exquisetly! On Wednesday, my friends and I went to La
Biblioteca Nacional, which is the biggest library in Spain. Right now they had an exibition with the
original cuaderno (notebook) of Leonardo Davinci! And we got to see that and
alot of his notes and drawings and learned a lot about his life! He painted and wrote at the same time! Supposedly the art side of your brain is
completely separate from the writing one or something so he could do it! He also wrote backwards and upside down!
Bizar and incredible! After we visited
the library, we met up with our program at the Nuevo Apolo theater and saw “La Ratonera.” An English play called "Mousetrap." It was absolutely fantastic and very
entertaining! It is a murder mystery and
was acted out very well. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0amEJy1yG8JQcGv8h83FciiLIIzawIVKdLfIFa9vUz6hxVcUzGHWILeHWEwpAA-WIwFk1B7KFW-U_SSHbrGIE1n_ZWxhjf9p6aGhx0bH7T4wQyJYKeNnndgsKHqQmCiqzbT_rvkL/s1600/DSCN4863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0amEJy1yG8JQcGv8h83FciiLIIzawIVKdLfIFa9vUz6hxVcUzGHWILeHWEwpAA-WIwFk1B7KFW-U_SSHbrGIE1n_ZWxhjf9p6aGhx0bH7T4wQyJYKeNnndgsKHqQmCiqzbT_rvkL/s640/DSCN4863.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just read it and you will smile like I did! :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBUY4Nma6EkugC3_8ZPakWswVUrrfoKF74M49aFMmJJIzLAUgLC28YDkRegLUeFTDPoLSFV2NCcdwgcPJK7bSu8NUiJWGZnV_U-wXkTv19_z6uQrtyTf5ZhMEnA6uP2tDk_ej5nqtd/s1600/DSCN4864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBUY4Nma6EkugC3_8ZPakWswVUrrfoKF74M49aFMmJJIzLAUgLC28YDkRegLUeFTDPoLSFV2NCcdwgcPJK7bSu8NUiJWGZnV_U-wXkTv19_z6uQrtyTf5ZhMEnA6uP2tDk_ej5nqtd/s320/DSCN4864.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biblioteca Nacional De España</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MKKqI5OWfJBBPy-cAgv56YxFfruWdqMSL4AYddEBfZDmrZ8GLQSpJXF7Ayzi0niU4RvcQJs9YhBZthvDBsuEafWGyNIgXReR3X9_Gy-v96ZsRhzM6YdGyoXXfAUATL68CNIBCxuH/s1600/DSCN4866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MKKqI5OWfJBBPy-cAgv56YxFfruWdqMSL4AYddEBfZDmrZ8GLQSpJXF7Ayzi0niU4RvcQJs9YhBZthvDBsuEafWGyNIgXReR3X9_Gy-v96ZsRhzM6YdGyoXXfAUATL68CNIBCxuH/s320/DSCN4866.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating a Napolitano, basically a sweet crosant filled with chocolate!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbD78ScIhabclY8COt_Y3KmHkmBNiHYAF5LISm93GvOGxuVw6Ac5kNBqk1zl92HNS6Rohg-G1jgCNHG-j1RZtYyFOIOgvkNVX_dKIOC2423tHpmBpAPykjxwe4gGS0BekRi4wl_mU_/s1600/IMG_4861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbD78ScIhabclY8COt_Y3KmHkmBNiHYAF5LISm93GvOGxuVw6Ac5kNBqk1zl92HNS6Rohg-G1jgCNHG-j1RZtYyFOIOgvkNVX_dKIOC2423tHpmBpAPykjxwe4gGS0BekRi4wl_mU_/s640/IMG_4861.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Andrea, Katie W, Katie F, Julia, Dottie, Brittany, Michael</td></tr>
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We went to Toledo on Friday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The city is well known for it´s cathedral, and for all of the metal work
shops in the city, especially for swords.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When we got there we took a bus tour around the outside of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Toledo was built pretty much on an island in
the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The city is surrounded on
three sides by the river, and it is elevated, so it really looks like a city on
a hill, and you can´t get to it except at the entrance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very cool.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyYpdICbypRkjWO20uH0p5QPIhqM4slyWUw67mYUq-zfLN4tCpMzLQJQR7_5UjEk4MPgXXKByB0569voSyaaRKMYrBix5vlt2oEf38JLtc8AawRH5il7bLBtgQZslfDqdGTYrV4JO/s1600/DSCN4867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyYpdICbypRkjWO20uH0p5QPIhqM4slyWUw67mYUq-zfLN4tCpMzLQJQR7_5UjEk4MPgXXKByB0569voSyaaRKMYrBix5vlt2oEf38JLtc8AawRH5il7bLBtgQZslfDqdGTYrV4JO/s320/DSCN4867.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjem-m58MsPX-lD5C8wDGyO_KT3FjCAenGsOpw7zljxAYEh2mQvIQfRKh2rLRNDxX2NLuEgEcDlaCPS98Veo81poh_vGOg32u74xKdMGAMKjXEh-z53AyfugysTokJXJNy7Mvune-5k/s1600/DSCN4869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjem-m58MsPX-lD5C8wDGyO_KT3FjCAenGsOpw7zljxAYEh2mQvIQfRKh2rLRNDxX2NLuEgEcDlaCPS98Veo81poh_vGOg32u74xKdMGAMKjXEh-z53AyfugysTokJXJNy7Mvune-5k/s320/DSCN4869.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture is to the right of the previous picture</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The city
is older and less modern, many of the streets are and arms width apart!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of the major streets were covered with
telas (cloth tarps) that were attached to the walls of the buildings to provide
shade for those in the streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
only done annually for Christmas, Easter, and Corpus Cristi which is latin for
Body of Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Corpus Cristi happens
every first to second week of June and they were preparing for that and had many
banners and other decorations also that were for that commemoration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the trip we did not see the commemoration
but next week we will and I will talk about it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhBizx1XdW7qPCOzXgbbo38jWCguJ6K6dU_oYhTDcwBtsu5OBmoncJSdlUwjWm7ajBmZSLz_AFeuZJ7PT2oI27v3IfQKK5KZryI-uLfVt9mZCTQYYUbCWrNVFd7JxTRgCNXc25REW/s1600/DSCN4874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhBizx1XdW7qPCOzXgbbo38jWCguJ6K6dU_oYhTDcwBtsu5OBmoncJSdlUwjWm7ajBmZSLz_AFeuZJ7PT2oI27v3IfQKK5KZryI-uLfVt9mZCTQYYUbCWrNVFd7JxTRgCNXc25REW/s320/DSCN4874.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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First, in city we went straight to the cathedral.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing that sets this cathedral apart from
others is a stone scene behind the Altar Mayor, or the alter nearest the
principal representation of Christ at the front of the chapel, and were the
preist perform the ceremonies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Behind this,
there was an incredible scene carved out of stone and plated with gold, that
was lit up by a whole in the ceiling that was cut out after construction
because the artist wanted his work to be lit up by natural lighting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is pretty impressive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also all of the wood carvings for the coro
(choral area, and were the priests sit) was all mahogony wood! There was a lot
of famous artwork in the cathedral as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I didn´t recognize any of them cause I am not an art or history buff,
but it was very intersting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnUxhykW9nmnUYY7ZzHsKSjCZyFsEWnWkwlpkzYiinyB567E0KGsJJoaYmoIoklL8RE4uPvCpXREicX9eUoaY1Xf7uGfC7V1gbZj-1yrFxasB7nkUSnVCDTf0ac_dBRU6rp-72Lqo/s1600/DSCN4916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnUxhykW9nmnUYY7ZzHsKSjCZyFsEWnWkwlpkzYiinyB567E0KGsJJoaYmoIoklL8RE4uPvCpXREicX9eUoaY1Xf7uGfC7V1gbZj-1yrFxasB7nkUSnVCDTf0ac_dBRU6rp-72Lqo/s320/DSCN4916.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzuDrZpQ3Z8mDhQsKKAJbJvhTfz0zJrfNEqR4pOVClNZNnzmZFHF-R_DL8CsredknNuFXir2i85Be-51W4VkgHlJiDtvGdwbANz5UiF5Dw9GyxBjBouMtYMRPHRAskM39BdLut8yj/s1600/DSCN4911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzuDrZpQ3Z8mDhQsKKAJbJvhTfz0zJrfNEqR4pOVClNZNnzmZFHF-R_DL8CsredknNuFXir2i85Be-51W4VkgHlJiDtvGdwbANz5UiF5Dw9GyxBjBouMtYMRPHRAskM39BdLut8yj/s320/DSCN4911.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hole cut out to let natural light in</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_UcBTXvI2OAmQTNV0tjaS-prlQ8qFUVSKq8kFWXthqr6m0tfDU3NpkiTsHmS1rf-z0uf_BrO1nhwFrXqnkMk4oTDBeHQmJy8Y-6OjBC_cok9dS7zGcqPlqoOM7hjrTxWpLaCz9MOv/s1600/DSCN4912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_UcBTXvI2OAmQTNV0tjaS-prlQ8qFUVSKq8kFWXthqr6m0tfDU3NpkiTsHmS1rf-z0uf_BrO1nhwFrXqnkMk4oTDBeHQmJy8Y-6OjBC_cok9dS7zGcqPlqoOM7hjrTxWpLaCz9MOv/s320/DSCN4912.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry that the lamp is in the way, but it is incredible!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We went
to another small chapel and saw the orignial “Greco.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, didn´t mean too much to me because of
my lack of interest, but nonetheless a learning experience. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we were free to explore the city for a
few hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went to a sword shop and
looked at all of the swords, daggers and knifes that this man had made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also got to see so many other handmade metal
crafts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Esmaltes, which are enameled
pieces i believe in english are so cool!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So many done by hand and are just so beautiful!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plates with gold etchings of pretty much any kind
of scene, earings, bracelets, necklaces, rings, cups, bowls, figurines
etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very impressive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also found a real leather shop and i got a
real nice new belt of darker brown leather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some of the girls got some really nice purses made of real leather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKevmDtPndT7HZX1tgCrCMQVIAQ4H1CQF2UE3-D_4vfsRXaLyo52_VcWxsNSEmVufh1nB1zjSx6qxEEanwMn0RAeWXS35HiHtIsyJ47ISuX0i6iZVmuLLcdQt1KYxt_AnO2YqtBReU/s1600/IMG_4923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKevmDtPndT7HZX1tgCrCMQVIAQ4H1CQF2UE3-D_4vfsRXaLyo52_VcWxsNSEmVufh1nB1zjSx6qxEEanwMn0RAeWXS35HiHtIsyJ47ISuX0i6iZVmuLLcdQt1KYxt_AnO2YqtBReU/s320/IMG_4923.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skinny streets! Some cars actually drove on some of these! They are nuts!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was
just a day trip, but it was very fun and awesome to learn and experience Toledo!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
</div>Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-73193222040098134242012-05-31T02:47:00.001-07:002012-05-31T02:50:28.821-07:00Ávila y Salamanca<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Last
week we did several more Madrid walks.
The big one that we did took two afternoons to finish because there was
so much! It is caled the Gran Vía. A really long street with important buildings
for commerce, turism, and with historical significance. Similar to the Magnificent Mile in Chicago
there are lots of shops, theaters, movie theaters, retail stores, plazas
etc. Pretty cool street. We learned about the architecture and
historical significance of most of the buildings and it is so impressive and
intersting to learn why a building is designed the way it is! We also visited a park with a ropes course
and had a bit of fun! While in the city
last week there were several protests with picket signs, loud speakers,
whistles and shirts and THOUSANDS of people.
The biggest one was about the education in Spain. I guess the government
wants to increase class sizes and decrease how many teachers are needed to cut
down on bugets. The poeple are not very
happy about it. It was interesting to be
with a group of girls and going through a crowd like that. I don´t know why but my instinct is to just
stay away from bigs riots and stuff, but here are all these girls stopping and
video taping and taking pictures and saying they want to join and stuff. To me this just didn´t feel good at all. We were all fine though, and the girls can do
whatever they want, I just found my reaction so different compared to them. I wonder why I felt so different about it
than all the girls. At the time we
didn´t know what the protest was about and I guess my instinct is not to join
anything that you don´t already know what it´s for. And big crowds usually have more theft and
higher chances of getting injured or something.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-YQhnBXk64VBbcfw4OkiiBsnJc_JDqWMHY9RyadOZxBeXKkeSLbvVz1IIHglgISpnxqDgWH-g5s1YYu_0jvlqKr4vfetiND0da4P92hcTGmKCGpePXdyMLu7W92pkWy-zok-ntcC/s1600/DSCN4701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-YQhnBXk64VBbcfw4OkiiBsnJc_JDqWMHY9RyadOZxBeXKkeSLbvVz1IIHglgISpnxqDgWH-g5s1YYu_0jvlqKr4vfetiND0da4P92hcTGmKCGpePXdyMLu7W92pkWy-zok-ntcC/s320/DSCN4701.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The protest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKRM0RCrbuiyVANl-F0ZT1EEQTCmba_E2TXHBJYS03YtcjfZuuW7U9K4on0iRdvmgCM0xiv1EdgZwELzEl9wL_4GIG3sz9iwXaxuvZobVB0Qysw19fZ8WaTrUinaXmwFZbF0ilTcv/s1600/DSCN4704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKRM0RCrbuiyVANl-F0ZT1EEQTCmba_E2TXHBJYS03YtcjfZuuW7U9K4on0iRdvmgCM0xiv1EdgZwELzEl9wL_4GIG3sz9iwXaxuvZobVB0Qysw19fZ8WaTrUinaXmwFZbF0ilTcv/s320/DSCN4704.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gran Vía</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYTgMduVJvENdmQvg1YjpeQAyyhdB0MteZiIhJqbqMUp2P9GpeSirsARjUa4Q02dgAApPJrUj2odXSlD-2TyX1l2BHyWxoiVMEkrHV13TfZMunB_N_Us6AcCQE4pSSoGbPkn-MIsj/s1600/DSCN4706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYTgMduVJvENdmQvg1YjpeQAyyhdB0MteZiIhJqbqMUp2P9GpeSirsARjUa4Q02dgAApPJrUj2odXSlD-2TyX1l2BHyWxoiVMEkrHV13TfZMunB_N_Us6AcCQE4pSSoGbPkn-MIsj/s320/DSCN4706.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gran Vía</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFkW7ZAYibSIyXwGrShJ4E-iLmZauZNqKJVxJXMGCEr1Hj7n134GMJVq9AvfM2ZwkzcYeRL9_8MG-GNaAxZ1kZsT23Zqtb-E8y97WbzbRIt9hmJmFphGoZjucc5D1bYPd8XlK6C1R/s1600/DSCN4695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFkW7ZAYibSIyXwGrShJ4E-iLmZauZNqKJVxJXMGCEr1Hj7n134GMJVq9AvfM2ZwkzcYeRL9_8MG-GNaAxZ1kZsT23Zqtb-E8y97WbzbRIt9hmJmFphGoZjucc5D1bYPd8XlK6C1R/s320/DSCN4695.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puerta de La Vicotria</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21bDhao8izVdaLS0T0-tm4bNBMWImnLrcXlo3lwS73M1AYoEENXAsNolKicVdimfHwKSpKcUhtGWPKASla0cgPYz63r07R2KAivjOPI9soE5c-7mbZEfUbPVX2nnvaVJETEzvsNgI/s1600/DSCN4719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21bDhao8izVdaLS0T0-tm4bNBMWImnLrcXlo3lwS73M1AYoEENXAsNolKicVdimfHwKSpKcUhtGWPKASla0cgPYz63r07R2KAivjOPI9soE5c-7mbZEfUbPVX2nnvaVJETEzvsNgI/s320/DSCN4719.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puerta de España</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The bear eating out of the Madroño tree is a symbol of Madrid, (part of the coat of arms).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJpe2hbryqq5-MDjfTiNWZQGu7UsF9BSw1JiC9gaTkcxuwxrXyXlPLoH0q6Uu1Mo6jbgM3dlrfCNY7oAyofBmaNSKJdA6wpJUxI4wkuTQBcUOsLsteGBiKCIg8GsKTLkSc7JJBGpc/s1600/DSCN4727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJpe2hbryqq5-MDjfTiNWZQGu7UsF9BSw1JiC9gaTkcxuwxrXyXlPLoH0q6Uu1Mo6jbgM3dlrfCNY7oAyofBmaNSKJdA6wpJUxI4wkuTQBcUOsLsteGBiKCIg8GsKTLkSc7JJBGpc/s320/DSCN4727.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puerta Del Sol</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoY27kVOxT0clUxkiXW8DDduGlKKQVRzUEGP3L6YTbf5fDUk1WJsD-oxHSU63oRzGYVSw5FXQPITM63RMS5dMJa_OuewbrBvmG39_72CGtAlPjL_QPawB17ACH-zcjnv8BqL5GK6Qg/s1600/DSCN4732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoY27kVOxT0clUxkiXW8DDduGlKKQVRzUEGP3L6YTbf5fDUk1WJsD-oxHSU63oRzGYVSw5FXQPITM63RMS5dMJa_OuewbrBvmG39_72CGtAlPjL_QPawB17ACH-zcjnv8BqL5GK6Qg/s640/DSCN4732.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More statues of Don Quijote and Sancho Pansa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuNkt264wYxT9MBa-I-U8hV5nESrQyVo5oGUIzszUiAMj-cqR9-lu2oq2lUATlqv20gyrpXwT4ebj2QOemVsZfoQVBZa1MuHm_wEbhIW97afPjqdNg761vOWg9NvoJ2S-cxOFtgWz/s1600/DSCN4734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuNkt264wYxT9MBa-I-U8hV5nESrQyVo5oGUIzszUiAMj-cqR9-lu2oq2lUATlqv20gyrpXwT4ebj2QOemVsZfoQVBZa1MuHm_wEbhIW97afPjqdNg761vOWg9NvoJ2S-cxOFtgWz/s320/DSCN4734.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just cool!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The main train station that we go into from Alcalá de Henares is called Atocha. It is a very large station and has lots of shops and a large indoor courtyard with ponds and plants and stuff. Over the years people have thrown their pets turtles in the ponds and they have grown and multiplied! Kind of cool!</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7-jasikLOA7kgvrmwuUtoh_msP0VDWLnwZAl7ebJmLm6lPsJk4W55QULS2RDyrTEhUuE-OaRMo5v3B4OSIofnM6d9t__ZibjUKI6abYtuVXIwW1gfzodwDlmEOAIhUjpZSyi_VPB/s1600/DSCN4696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7-jasikLOA7kgvrmwuUtoh_msP0VDWLnwZAl7ebJmLm6lPsJk4W55QULS2RDyrTEhUuE-OaRMo5v3B4OSIofnM6d9t__ZibjUKI6abYtuVXIwW1gfzodwDlmEOAIhUjpZSyi_VPB/s320/DSCN4696.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> One day we stopped at a frozen yogurt place called Llao Llao
(pronounced <i>yow yow)</i>. Super delicious! One of their dishes is called a Sanum, and
they put yogurt at the bottom, put a layer of granola, or carmalized cookies or
some other grain of your choice, then three types of fresh fruit, like
watermelon, pineapple, kiwi, mango, strawberry etc. After this they put another
layer a grain of your choice, and then more forzen yogurt on top. To top it off you can have a fruity syrup of
your choice dumped on top of it all. It
was fantastic!!!</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjES1pUaJ-5S6DfBXNWO-5UhUTaWa1aqwoTzFAMN_IHjIaS89q9kEGbCC9FEPHki5KYb3QlffvnTeV5kpv2nrRChCSiqFKg8Vr6cckpPtKBtMixkD7G06tZjI1tg9wguq5BqoXRRRTQ/s1600/IMG_4857.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjES1pUaJ-5S6DfBXNWO-5UhUTaWa1aqwoTzFAMN_IHjIaS89q9kEGbCC9FEPHki5KYb3QlffvnTeV5kpv2nrRChCSiqFKg8Vr6cckpPtKBtMixkD7G06tZjI1tg9wguq5BqoXRRRTQ/s320/IMG_4857.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sanum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> On one
of our walks, the girls really wanted to shop in H&M (a retail store) and
they shopped for about forty five minutes and my room mate Michael asked them
if they could help him pick out a few shirts / outfits for his Teach For
America position this summer. So they
started and decided that I should be included as well, so the girls picked out
some clothes they thought would look good for us Michael and I needed to
showcase the clothes for them! I wasn´t
super comfortable with it to start but it turned out really good. I really appreciated the girls doing that
actually cause they said they really liked one of the shirts and a pair of
pants that I tried on. Since the price
was very reasonable, I ended up getting them.
But shopping was so much better with the girls giving us real opinions
on how we looked. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> Friday
we started our trip an hour earlier than usual so that we could get to Ávila
and then Salamanca with enough time.
Ávila is a pretty city set on a hill, out in the middle of the “rolling
plains” you could say. What was so
immpressive about Ávila is that it has wall or “muralla” (pronounced <i>mur-aya) </i>surrounding it. There are only nine entrances commonly called
“puertas” to the city and eighty-eight towers.
The city was never conquered. The
city is also known for the Basilica de San Vicente. Very roman style. We also visited the convent where Santa
Teresa became a nun and where she saw Jesus Christ appear to her. An interesting piece of Spanish history and
culture. Ávila is famous for their
“yemas” which are sweeted egg yolks.
They were okay. I have definitely eaten worse things in my life. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioeABp5xlkOhVP6MW_H1WSHv9afvhtxGFPY1aTBwROVP5D7uch6TDUyiqOvYpiAY3JvC9mewkUv8mVwai4wRWV5Pgu93kSAbbA1ss0kxMYTSARk5TC85ODIr9t6puPI4Br-qxM2bSx/s1600/DSCN4738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioeABp5xlkOhVP6MW_H1WSHv9afvhtxGFPY1aTBwROVP5D7uch6TDUyiqOvYpiAY3JvC9mewkUv8mVwai4wRWV5Pgu93kSAbbA1ss0kxMYTSARk5TC85ODIr9t6puPI4Br-qxM2bSx/s320/DSCN4738.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Convent where Santa Teresa saw Jesus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrDUp-56We7U34N4SA0nafci-aVXc9nZZytLBrfBfcwRe7rlJ-pNZyz7slPankKsrFiToCsl427G1LlskXER7DA3Rrtp6rdNFv6cZW-SoQnD1__bNMeWNLk1ATE6ekMIoX8JDrevi/s1600/DSCN4770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrDUp-56We7U34N4SA0nafci-aVXc9nZZytLBrfBfcwRe7rlJ-pNZyz7slPankKsrFiToCsl427G1LlskXER7DA3Rrtp6rdNFv6cZW-SoQnD1__bNMeWNLk1ATE6ekMIoX8JDrevi/s320/DSCN4770.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">City wall of Ávila</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGvuHon1pofFs_5FWVrFhyWnvBbMBqk0b3u_gvZxrwZ2ufOD1ZjZS7l3zDe8Hd0U86MMQBrWyZwfUj88FtzvCp5jDKt1Y2EHlHDrMfB7qxYoCRPJxW0WcOa92K_tnXVbU8Q0TW9h-V/s1600/DSCN4773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGvuHon1pofFs_5FWVrFhyWnvBbMBqk0b3u_gvZxrwZ2ufOD1ZjZS7l3zDe8Hd0U86MMQBrWyZwfUj88FtzvCp5jDKt1Y2EHlHDrMfB7qxYoCRPJxW0WcOa92K_tnXVbU8Q0TW9h-V/s320/DSCN4773.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basilica de San Vicente</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQoNTnYQg2iM8v2-9GS9jrDAkNeRyGbO1eemIV1s9QK1zz1G3tHYl5KfI0XzCzck4NpZCVlmn435VVDZfkPY2jUzPjlw42bBFqbL8he00YTkXSsxotXYDhVrhP35SjhQeuTVFAFqc/s1600/DSCN4776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQoNTnYQg2iM8v2-9GS9jrDAkNeRyGbO1eemIV1s9QK1zz1G3tHYl5KfI0XzCzck4NpZCVlmn435VVDZfkPY2jUzPjlw42bBFqbL8he00YTkXSsxotXYDhVrhP35SjhQeuTVFAFqc/s400/DSCN4776.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ávila</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> When we
got to Salamanca we got quite a tour.
Our guide was like a walking textbook and was very long winded. But we sure learned a lot, before we all
tuned out a bit. We saw the plaza mayor,
and the linguistics university similar to the one we have in Alcalá de
Henares. In the facade they hid a frog
and told students that if they could find the frog, they would do well on the
final exams because they had patience, were observant and determined. It took
me a while but I did find it too. Just a
tiny little frog amidst a beautiful facade of stone carvings. When the students graduated they got to write
there name in bull´s blood on one of the exterior walls, and you can still see
them! </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8XNs7zjyZo2EK5_1l-h0Vo7Mv-2cLgQXOQgfgLnV_4WNw-x3nd5O9FzTig0ZCfQ0_xy073h1ZtK6OLPOr8CNKsQfOjdDRAZSTbWXhdZTTGjZEihLIRjFwdl5WXSp-L1gNvtVB7Vh/s1600/DSCN4783.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8XNs7zjyZo2EK5_1l-h0Vo7Mv-2cLgQXOQgfgLnV_4WNw-x3nd5O9FzTig0ZCfQ0_xy073h1ZtK6OLPOr8CNKsQfOjdDRAZSTbWXhdZTTGjZEihLIRjFwdl5WXSp-L1gNvtVB7Vh/s320/DSCN4783.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to the Linguistics University, try finding the frog!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKFLkDSGuom1e42BJlwXKX2M6_o2wKVz4Mvh8KfEH7s7veAq-f6Zlimn__mOfpn1h5CxIh5Ujt39WPEXeSVBEDWEAws_VY6VRun52o-2sNaMv6QuNNaIKN_oVZyfXH6S7U0YKXeXm/s1600/DSCN4777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKFLkDSGuom1e42BJlwXKX2M6_o2wKVz4Mvh8KfEH7s7veAq-f6Zlimn__mOfpn1h5CxIh5Ujt39WPEXeSVBEDWEAws_VY6VRun52o-2sNaMv6QuNNaIKN_oVZyfXH6S7U0YKXeXm/s320/DSCN4777.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaza Mayor in Salamanca</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMIHoVdMNKd4mDiEeLBoJxfYiy4GyaHUlhZvvoWgfazvpzK8zBrczqe0lDsc90agTd9RPUmC2oducqMIMvxKsP84Q7cSdpRlUYXLZKw8tROdES_yG3nFMzx_ZCZz8riBsBIhGqmCb/s1600/DSCN4815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMIHoVdMNKd4mDiEeLBoJxfYiy4GyaHUlhZvvoWgfazvpzK8zBrczqe0lDsc90agTd9RPUmC2oducqMIMvxKsP84Q7cSdpRlUYXLZKw8tROdES_yG3nFMzx_ZCZz8riBsBIhGqmCb/s320/DSCN4815.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaza Mayor at night</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4b_7m1uCKe7bll7kEO6jL9BKHRSwHr_rZ1Hu4txq5USgZsvW2JqFD4gRH88h4o3Mt94yz6VUSsR7V-RK_hoGL6aLS7ojIOI9oEIVnjXmomTTfjXhSOX3f1_n-picjjnHoMOOzNXzy/s1600/IMG_4837.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4b_7m1uCKe7bll7kEO6jL9BKHRSwHr_rZ1Hu4txq5USgZsvW2JqFD4gRH88h4o3Mt94yz6VUSsR7V-RK_hoGL6aLS7ojIOI9oEIVnjXmomTTfjXhSOX3f1_n-picjjnHoMOOzNXzy/s320/IMG_4837.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mis Amigos! Scott, Michael, Katie W, Amanda, Chantelle, Julia, Katie F</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> We go
to go on top of the La Vieja Catedral de Salamanca that had huge flying
butresses with circle cut into
the structure. It was very impressive to
me. We walked on a balcony inside of the
Catedral about eighty feet off of the ground! Pretty cool. When we were outside we could hear acordian
music and could see all the roof tops and we felt so much like we were in
Europe! Just like the movies! That night we ate chinese buffet, which was
really good. A few of us walked around
after that and saw this street performer that called himself the flaming
flamenco. He was definitely gay and kept
approaching several men in the crowd, including Michael! So weird! But he was
pretty fantastic with yo-yos and unicycles.
After that I went to bed cause of exaustion. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiq_Jy8f35Y-BhTtHX9eUCRkYjNCFrRjP0e5NA9GbGnesbWxYgwUXlXyeBisjdSgHqD-Kn_vWxRrgelVKHfNxytFjHjyupp8rhyphenhyphenSKyl4wLNM1YQZeb2q0VTtXjylP2VtM6ADZRXJ-O/s1600/DSCN4791.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiq_Jy8f35Y-BhTtHX9eUCRkYjNCFrRjP0e5NA9GbGnesbWxYgwUXlXyeBisjdSgHqD-Kn_vWxRrgelVKHfNxytFjHjyupp8rhyphenhyphenSKyl4wLNM1YQZeb2q0VTtXjylP2VtM6ADZRXJ-O/s320/DSCN4791.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the roof of La Vieja Catedral de Salamanca!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;">
<tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZZnp7GFwPkxfwjxOl1bHl1O5tnPJn7ddbyWUB6ihLtmppZEoEO4msQumGEHz6P97CNVQjtsfXpwEVEVjBIgNpdUp33y1ZK0Oph1ca8yOxA7IOjGAMxXCVfuVGwQgX8DKsg8JFHYIf/s1600/DSCN4799.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZZnp7GFwPkxfwjxOl1bHl1O5tnPJn7ddbyWUB6ihLtmppZEoEO4msQumGEHz6P97CNVQjtsfXpwEVEVjBIgNpdUp33y1ZK0Oph1ca8yOxA7IOjGAMxXCVfuVGwQgX8DKsg8JFHYIf/s320/DSCN4799.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flying butresses</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;">
<tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuIbRkYu20OAcXLG_R-pwhSU-ONV-En8VpI9q_ysP28ItMf3kV5BRLHHP7uvxwI4WBQu2cKT0fc1UJihYJdIyukSFMfeyQHjvrZKxNfzauCVQTAlX-jSwMgGRINhcmRzNQhc-02xAo/s1600/DSCN4789.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuIbRkYu20OAcXLG_R-pwhSU-ONV-En8VpI9q_ysP28ItMf3kV5BRLHHP7uvxwI4WBQu2cKT0fc1UJihYJdIyukSFMfeyQHjvrZKxNfzauCVQTAlX-jSwMgGRINhcmRzNQhc-02xAo/s320/DSCN4789.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">80 feet up!</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdUAjceQeGTzTe8U3GDe1NBXYXRA_RzWIlM3FsQX0uNd1tQgmCC3dQfIuGRKJDvbC9XWsfFZtGaGd4Sps99F56wWu9bEopC43Q4WtIMki242jhjGy1q8OGX-XF2AlI1s7GStyAgqy/s1600/DSCN4813.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdUAjceQeGTzTe8U3GDe1NBXYXRA_RzWIlM3FsQX0uNd1tQgmCC3dQfIuGRKJDvbC9XWsfFZtGaGd4Sps99F56wWu9bEopC43Q4WtIMki242jhjGy1q8OGX-XF2AlI1s7GStyAgqy/s320/DSCN4813.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinese food</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2tc8MRoFTIdPM9Ex2lplX58ejIHh-ux6EUgAZ4W0j0Bq4_bTdxBpzjD36K73JPrZD93XCvXvHxjKNV0c-gu04cZh9nQtkDfyGGDBrBiVOfFdmv-9dUgQ9UmNLGsVl45sacZD2Czu/s1600/IMG_4841.JPG"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2tc8MRoFTIdPM9Ex2lplX58ejIHh-ux6EUgAZ4W0j0Bq4_bTdxBpzjD36K73JPrZD93XCvXvHxjKNV0c-gu04cZh9nQtkDfyGGDBrBiVOfFdmv-9dUgQ9UmNLGsVl45sacZD2Czu/s320/IMG_4841.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> The
next day, Michael and I wore our new clothes the girls picked out for us, and
both got complimented many times. We
went to a small town called Toro. We only saw a cathedral there called La
Catedral de Santa Maria la Mayor. A
famous painting of the virgin was there that has a fly painted on her
knee. There was also a two foot Cristus
made completely from “marfil” (ivory).
Very impressive. We ate lunch
there and that was it.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswSr-5przJ4W6RjXUwt6cs2WHa6jQ-f8iefDPmkre-f1JFsqZk8-CmI7BY9niS8jBk97HBCLhmwdybnLvH0iVnmZDA4ESyjOJfHJoo5-cmGiH4GMaLTnMkF2ISEc6bPGruoqqWMrH/s1600/DSCN4822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOQIGfWzTu9wp2X5gSIvr5bfYzykPqtLTOs3UfUXx4uHWOQ19XiJIYIluwFh2wdWl-lY_V6kBHO3b9y08iXAL5tLgLKWXU7iLpHuez1iWT4PhddQvT0r7NLrKhf9R8ud09iX5ZDnF/s1600/IMG_4838.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOQIGfWzTu9wp2X5gSIvr5bfYzykPqtLTOs3UfUXx4uHWOQ19XiJIYIluwFh2wdWl-lY_V6kBHO3b9y08iXAL5tLgLKWXU7iLpHuez1iWT4PhddQvT0r7NLrKhf9R8ud09iX5ZDnF/s320/IMG_4838.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the left is a bull, on the right is a lion</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="goog_1062191257"></span><span id="goog_1062191258"></span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqAd9x3IQezrDUGpqZCyFVxkmvM1Bu8aqGdMkJv8nCKdLNe6Dk9USaZFZpXBDpgvhjUL3U68uneuyPccEc2NtS33w93KsuD_auVPhcdzn8Cs9k2p0kLW-JUvAzzatUjmMH3GY9mV8R/s1600/DSCN4823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqAd9x3IQezrDUGpqZCyFVxkmvM1Bu8aqGdMkJv8nCKdLNe6Dk9USaZFZpXBDpgvhjUL3U68uneuyPccEc2NtS33w93KsuD_auVPhcdzn8Cs9k2p0kLW-JUvAzzatUjmMH3GY9mV8R/s320/DSCN4823.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswSr-5przJ4W6RjXUwt6cs2WHa6jQ-f8iefDPmkre-f1JFsqZk8-CmI7BY9niS8jBk97HBCLhmwdybnLvH0iVnmZDA4ESyjOJfHJoo5-cmGiH4GMaLTnMkF2ISEc6bPGruoqqWMrH/s1600/DSCN4822.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswSr-5przJ4W6RjXUwt6cs2WHa6jQ-f8iefDPmkre-f1JFsqZk8-CmI7BY9niS8jBk97HBCLhmwdybnLvH0iVnmZDA4ESyjOJfHJoo5-cmGiH4GMaLTnMkF2ISEc6bPGruoqqWMrH/s320/DSCN4822.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the edge of the city, love it!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4J4QYKmb6gabtFwQtY8H1ScBW-36VreGyFjnJ-gpTcI_uB-oq7sFPCIje0se1G9pk55s5oeY_O0rbZHAAG3jhpW7f2X0jUagIBFdLaa2JDOeirEx7QleR0rB4y71nHok7sQBBke0/s1600/DSCN4825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4J4QYKmb6gabtFwQtY8H1ScBW-36VreGyFjnJ-gpTcI_uB-oq7sFPCIje0se1G9pk55s5oeY_O0rbZHAAG3jhpW7f2X0jUagIBFdLaa2JDOeirEx7QleR0rB4y71nHok7sQBBke0/s320/DSCN4825.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Catedral de Santa Maria La Mayor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1pI0sguRs_VcXcRl3YoL4xIeFeWF2xdRRWDboQ6JHoYT-PHruBMaSGp_PFKAuP4tVBlNXKBqs6fb5VuJL7Ge1Z04RwxUAkbX-olMmkUo6xi-gQbbirSV7LjjD0O4U6sGucAuFb2R/s1600/DSCN4831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1pI0sguRs_VcXcRl3YoL4xIeFeWF2xdRRWDboQ6JHoYT-PHruBMaSGp_PFKAuP4tVBlNXKBqs6fb5VuJL7Ge1Z04RwxUAkbX-olMmkUo6xi-gQbbirSV7LjjD0O4U6sGucAuFb2R/s640/DSCN4831.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Entrance to Toro</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"> We also
stopped at Tordecillas and saw where Juana La Loca we locked up for the
remainder of her life. She was queen of
Spain and was so crazy about her husband Felipe El Hermoso, that when he died
they had to lock her up cause she was uncontrolable. She lived a long life and even out lived her
son Carlos I. Intersting but a little
uneventful. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> That
night when we got home, Michael, Dottie, and I went and saw a Spanish produced
film. There is definitely a reason that
all of the movies Spaniards watch are American.
The film was horrible! The music,
sound, actual filming, the story, the transtions, everything! It was just bad! We were three of the six occupants in the room, and on a saturday evening! Sunday evening we all went to our directors house and watched Disney´s "UP" in
Spanish. That was really fun. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> Next
Friday we go to Toledo, famous for their metal work (swords)!</span></div>Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-57312750355130673832012-05-27T14:44:00.002-07:002012-05-31T02:48:31.891-07:00El Escorial y El Valle de Los Caídos<br />
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<br /></div>
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So last week I was so busy! On Tuesday we went to Una
Corrida de los Toros (Bullfight), in Madrid!
Very interesting sport. To be
honest I did not really enjoy it but I
will explain how it works.
There are three toreros (bull fighters) sometimes called matadores (literally "killers"), two picadores (literally
translates to “pokers”) and several other toreros of lesser rank that serve a
different purpose. There are six rounds, each with a new bull. Each torero has two
rounds. To start off each round, they
let the bull go and the lesser toreros use their brightly colored capes to draw
the bull towards them, and all basically take turns, drawing the bulls
attention. After maybe ten minutes of
getting the bull's frustration up, the picadores come out on some pretty sturdy
looking horses. The horses wear a protective
armor and are blindfolded. The picadores
have basically a ten foot spear, and the toreros work together to draw the
bulls to the picadores so that they can poke the bull on the top of its
back. The crowd really likes it when the
bull charges the horses and the horse has to push back in a battle of
strength. While that is happening, the
picador is driving his spear deeper and deeper into the back of the bull. After about five minutes of this, the
picadores leave the arena. </div>
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7se6sy4h7t6gugJQZeW9GQ2fJYHOHJsjIH0ZKB0OHzJO3ZGY-GJllbWVQhyphenhyphenfFatwQXRyE_Mws_NwVKrGkMki8Mtv0g96CFUQQsi0LT6hggo_4OPtLC1Ck2q9VmXsuxQ7DFjkzueO/s1600/DSCN4636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7se6sy4h7t6gugJQZeW9GQ2fJYHOHJsjIH0ZKB0OHzJO3ZGY-GJllbWVQhyphenhyphenfFatwQXRyE_Mws_NwVKrGkMki8Mtv0g96CFUQQsi0LT6hggo_4OPtLC1Ck2q9VmXsuxQ7DFjkzueO/s400/DSCN4636.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Other Toreros</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJVAwt7nCCWrk1v0ZeLck_cDgficSGMUdP7OFEhyphenhyphenA77jpOHg2MlBDUJjwle077MSPFMpbNoybRuJLh-UjIY5tEJTX3RpuMX_z4NYhGOsXixGp_eeltPe_S1Da88y1ALVMF4fOBeuY/s1600/IMG_0045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJVAwt7nCCWrk1v0ZeLck_cDgficSGMUdP7OFEhyphenhyphenA77jpOHg2MlBDUJjwle077MSPFMpbNoybRuJLh-UjIY5tEJTX3RpuMX_z4NYhGOsXixGp_eeltPe_S1Da88y1ALVMF4fOBeuY/s320/IMG_0045.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Un Picador</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
The other toreros next take
turns, without capes, running at the bull and sticking it with a hook like
thing that then hangs on the bull.
Pretty dangerous, since the bull is enraged by now. they run at the bull then at the last moment possible dart to the side and hook the bull as it runs by. After the bull has been stuck four times, the
real torero comes out. The real toreros are
dressed in very traditional costumes with the weird hats and the glittery jackets
and tight pants with the long socks and dress shoes, all in very bright
colors. Their cape is red, and
smaller. They iniciate by going through
a whole bunch of exercises with their cape and the bull. Drawing the bull towards him while he stays
exactly where he is. The torero shows
the audience how he has complete control over the bull by making the bull
follow every move of his cape. Finally,
once he shows the audience that he can make the bull go anywhere he wants, and
shows how brave he is by bringing the bull within inches of goring him, and
many times the bull has even been close enough to rub its dripping blood on the
torero´s tunic. He then recieves a
sword, about two feet long, thin and flat bladed. Next, he is supposed to bring the bull to him
and strike the bull behind the head in the spine, killing it instantly. By this time the bull is significantly slower
due to loss of blood and exurtion, but remember this is an 900 to 1300 lb
horned beast running at you. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUL9rFXxh6GgiRMhqjuez1YN05orVOQao_z2WQyO7n5YLxPNi9Z2WVBQdLemWKvQPMtolpVIN0BFQbH0v7IzCC6NPQ5MqA-ZX7F_UB_DgXGT8oEI13w5upOKKOO2Yp6WkPdhAoD4t4/s1600/DSCN4639.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUL9rFXxh6GgiRMhqjuez1YN05orVOQao_z2WQyO7n5YLxPNi9Z2WVBQdLemWKvQPMtolpVIN0BFQbH0v7IzCC6NPQ5MqA-ZX7F_UB_DgXGT8oEI13w5upOKKOO2Yp6WkPdhAoD4t4/s320/DSCN4639.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dominating the bull</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
At our match one of the toreros
was somewhat horrible, and after six tries with the sword one of the lesser
toreros had to come help him kill the bull.
After the killing, three burly looking horses yoked together, came out
and dragged the bull out the arena. Our
other two toreros were much better, and killed the bull in one, or two
hits in their matches. Over all, very
culturally educating, but I probably won´t go see another one. Pretty gruesome.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTU1THku5i5ZMgV7CMo1915K2oN6hNTGNF4OVMHCa3_7NJrfBFRljAHRpyVmfjxPf4m5UF_Cqz1bupCA8wSE7-MmkC2YiYodiZeOwjeQ1nBRgxl26-GNEmquINr-_XV-OSL5CZNA-t/s1600/DSCN4641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTU1THku5i5ZMgV7CMo1915K2oN6hNTGNF4OVMHCa3_7NJrfBFRljAHRpyVmfjxPf4m5UF_Cqz1bupCA8wSE7-MmkC2YiYodiZeOwjeQ1nBRgxl26-GNEmquINr-_XV-OSL5CZNA-t/s320/DSCN4641.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Final Stab</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
On Wednesday,Thursday, and Friday
a group of us went and did Madrid walks, which are some walks that the BYU
international studies program put together for us so see certain sites in
Madrid. We went and saw The Basilica de
San Fransisco, La Catedral de Almudena, and La Chocolatería de San Gines established in 1894. In the United states, many people go out to get a snack or treat together and chat. Many times we go to a smoothie place like Jamba Juice. In Spain there are no smoothie shops. What
you get here in Spain is churros and hot chocolate. Super rich, thick, and
warmed chocolate that you dip your churros in! Way up my alley!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGls1qTUhDzQNV1WlV-mlJ7s10mD6pP4FFyod9y8DdaLZ5puDWjvgdodFO2pAMCWWxmArZ07JlY2PimJUrCREH74WiZsOxDQrX8jctli3YJsMxYWBpkwx5yjrax0uG5HIFx-YiY5qM/s1600/DSCN4650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGls1qTUhDzQNV1WlV-mlJ7s10mD6pP4FFyod9y8DdaLZ5puDWjvgdodFO2pAMCWWxmArZ07JlY2PimJUrCREH74WiZsOxDQrX8jctli3YJsMxYWBpkwx5yjrax0uG5HIFx-YiY5qM/s320/DSCN4650.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">La Catedral de Amudena</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgio0HI0XlgzU09oZcevF7w4X_zhtisWY8aQdpGunXv-cVnXCw-kFsTWvgwdWdTwUYE-4baKM248apNm6Kl43JVeQFV4ECK1C6dMYFnpp2qlb46aRuZY7v5NAkCW3I8BptdqeFmCoFd/s1600/DSCN4671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgio0HI0XlgzU09oZcevF7w4X_zhtisWY8aQdpGunXv-cVnXCw-kFsTWvgwdWdTwUYE-4baKM248apNm6Kl43JVeQFV4ECK1C6dMYFnpp2qlb46aRuZY7v5NAkCW3I8BptdqeFmCoFd/s320/DSCN4671.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Self Explanitory</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCs-qZPMimX98HbPADodmMKzGgifaEcOqdF-3Yntz5Skf2KYku9T9FTXi5wrwtHHzL9cmoBz-nZpe0CJJlu0LxCYhybq9kYVhbrTOLJWKOpUsP2WVIjOQggv2SKSn9qORjuWHaPEzR/s1600/DSCN4673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCs-qZPMimX98HbPADodmMKzGgifaEcOqdF-3Yntz5Skf2KYku9T9FTXi5wrwtHHzL9cmoBz-nZpe0CJJlu0LxCYhybq9kYVhbrTOLJWKOpUsP2WVIjOQggv2SKSn9qORjuWHaPEzR/s320/DSCN4673.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Haley, chocolate, churros, Me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
We also visited several parks and
enjoyed walking through all of the beautiful trees and flowers. We visited the Palacio Real and spent a whole
afternoon there! Huge! We did a tour
of the inside, which was similar to the other palacios that we have visited,
but the gem was being able to walk through the armory! Hundreds of full suits of armor both for
horses and men. Swords, spears, weird
cannon things, axes, pikes, bows, cross bows, lances and clubs. That was really
cool. It is eye opening to think that
real people really wore those suits of armor, and it was an honor and a
protection for them. It is amazing how much the times
have changed.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdzc8RpsG70JpqBqJ6RR1XJbBIghaUZ-cowYhwE2cWQWC4pHlNTQrX5aAe22yFjjcbV7eYo_QHE5OCcDTy48fnGAh5C_R95xLLaFkQUuuVKeB8KNb6LoZL2XRNo6FmHdWRIW07vZj0/s1600/DSCN4670.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdzc8RpsG70JpqBqJ6RR1XJbBIghaUZ-cowYhwE2cWQWC4pHlNTQrX5aAe22yFjjcbV7eYo_QHE5OCcDTy48fnGAh5C_R95xLLaFkQUuuVKeB8KNb6LoZL2XRNo6FmHdWRIW07vZj0/s400/DSCN4670.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Palacio Real
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="File:ArmeriaPalacioRealMadrid.JPG" height="240" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/ArmeriaPalacioRealMadrid.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Royal Armory</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Friday evening, we went to a
puppet show for children. An older
couple performed several acts using just their hands and their mouths. So they would put gloves on that hid certain
fingers and only use certain fingers or a mask that hid all the face except the
mouth and then put on eyeball glasses and stuff. Mostly it was strange, but some of it was
funny also. I think the art culture is
just different here. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have
run several times in the nature park behind my home this week and I have to share an experience that I had. The
Henares river is right behind my house, and there are several clay cliffs that
the river has carved out over time. So
on one of my runs, I had the desire to climb one of these clay cliffs. Good idea, right? Of course!
I loved it! So holding onto roots and grass blades mainly, I climbed
this clay formation, and slipped a few times, but always caught myself and
ended up at the top. So pretty! I was running near sunset and the sky was
gorgeous! And I was above the trees and the houses! On all sides but one was a thirty five or
forty foot drop! Invigorating! So then came the harder part of getting
down! I go back over to where I came up
and decided it would be a bad idea to go back down that way, as I could slip
much easier and possibly hurt myself. So
I move a little further on and see some sturdy branches near the top of a tree
and decided I should use the tree! So I
shimmy out on one of these branches and drop several feet and start getting a few
butterflys in the stomache, but I kept going down. I got to a junction in the branches that
didn´t have any branches below. Since I
was now only about fifteen feet off the ground I decided to grab a horizontal
branch, hang down, and then drop to the slightly sloped base of the mountain
cliff thing. When I was hanging there, I
thought to myself “hmmm, this is a little higher than I thought!” But I said a
quick prayer that I wouldn´t spain or break anything, and I let go. I have to say that free falling is one of my
most favorite feelings! I can´t wait to
go skydiving some day! I dropped down and landed fine.
The ground was somewhat soft because of the loose clay. I didn´t sprain anything, and had an awesome
adventure!<br />
<h4>
El Viaje </h4>
<h4>
</h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now
finally to the goods. On Saturday we
first went to El Escorial. El palacio
real built by El Rey Felipe II, and is where he is buried. I was very impressed by the library that had
books from many cultures and many ages. The basilica was soo impressive! I just felt like I was walking into the
“mines of morea” from the Lord of The Rings.
The pillars are so big! The palace is built to over look the valley and
the views are fenomenal! It only took
twenty-one years to build becasue El Rey Felipe II employed the three million
workers from nearby Madrid to work on it day and night! We had a really cool tour guide that really
helped us understand alot about the palace and the royal families. He even made some american jokes and was
pretty entertaining. There are over two
hundred crypts for the royal family
inder the palace. All of which
are done in marble! And the walls, the
floor, the ceiling, the casskets, everything! So much marble, and gold and
silver! I want marble and gold and silver in my home!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTqRxKlHRXYwSNcHOjGZkOHWOl99mx2ImYphpTir-dn9uISWn1Z" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Escorial</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTJVGJiUMNSc7yE_QFUxx8SfQuujA_vh990tX7aPTPhpBU56DHIVA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La biblioteca del Escorial</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQx1KDX1BTr3pYTXpg3ZU4tw3b-A_H5ba9jWYK83aTpIY-xQ9De" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="299" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Basilica</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdzc8RpsG70JpqBqJ6RR1XJbBIghaUZ-cowYhwE2cWQWC4pHlNTQrX5aAe22yFjjcbV7eYo_QHE5OCcDTy48fnGAh5C_R95xLLaFkQUuuVKeB8KNb6LoZL2XRNo6FmHdWRIW07vZj0/s1600/DSCN4670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/EscorialPanteo.jpg" height="240" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/EscorialPanteo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The royal crypts</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After El Escorial we went to El Valle de Los Caídos. A huge cross is erected on top of a mountain,
underneath which is a huge basilica. It
is a built into the mountain, and everthing inside it is on a x10 scale! It is husge!
The halls, the arches, the gargoyles, mosaics, statues, the organ. Walking down the hall to the main worship area,
there are maybe ten to fifteen tapestries each with some of the organ pipes on
either side of them, twenty to thrity foot gargoyles with swords and lances,
the whole main chamber is probably as wide as two of my familiy´s house in
Naperville, and at least two of them tall.
It is a huge dome, or cupela, all plated with one big mosaic. Again all of this is built under a mountain,
in the rock. Very impressive. Everything echoes in there. I can only imagine how amazing the organ and singing
would be in there! But on the negative
side, it was all built by the slaves and prisoners that Fransisco Franco, the
dictator in the early 1900´s, had forced to do so. All those that died while working on it are
buried there, as well as special graves for Franco and his right hand man José
Antonio. Franco built it more for a
memorial to him. Now it is called what
it is because of all that have fallen for Spain, including those who fell while
building it. The basilica overlooks the
whole valley, and it is beautiful.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVR_IzMygn0YJ2ioQyPfPshlzMPEVKeK-rm9RIfmojIst-glGiuzngvA0fm80HyYEytTb_i-b1LWjAvnkrxTaNUt-hVsXerEC7vYgnRjyR__GcsGv2V6XNJ5rONk9JivEEtJRK5-Uz/s1600/Titeres,+Escorial,+&+Principe+Pio+013.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVR_IzMygn0YJ2ioQyPfPshlzMPEVKeK-rm9RIfmojIst-glGiuzngvA0fm80HyYEytTb_i-b1LWjAvnkrxTaNUt-hVsXerEC7vYgnRjyR__GcsGv2V6XNJ5rONk9JivEEtJRK5-Uz/s320/Titeres,+Escorial,+&+Principe+Pio+013.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpm-N6fEGpNq-Bpc9RXfGN9j_ab8lMejIgnChqFrbe0oz9FNqpwSQP8e4gMGRyFnLAPoxUJBQr4caalVaQoW26_VkoK-bgv5DCG21O9CncHCpI6fuEL_7PYKXB3OiIB_PLgFGtPeDL/s1600/Titeres,+Escorial,+&+Principe+Pio+024.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpm-N6fEGpNq-Bpc9RXfGN9j_ab8lMejIgnChqFrbe0oz9FNqpwSQP8e4gMGRyFnLAPoxUJBQr4caalVaQoW26_VkoK-bgv5DCG21O9CncHCpI6fuEL_7PYKXB3OiIB_PLgFGtPeDL/s320/Titeres,+Escorial,+&+Principe+Pio+024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<img alt="File:ValleDeLosCaidos Crypt Central Nave.jpg" height="240" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dc/ValleDeLosCaidos_Crypt_Central_Nave.jpg/800px-ValleDeLosCaidos_Crypt_Central_Nave.jpg" width="320" /><br />
To finish
our Saturday excursion, we went to a small little castle called Manzanares El
Real. It has been restored completely,
and the inside has been turned into a museum to show what most Spanish castles
would be like in the era. It was
interesting, but no where near as big as some of the other castles that we have
visited. I did really like how the
inside of the castle was a courtyard with the three levels of the castle
surrounding it. I made me feal like I
was in a really nice home instead of a castle.
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZG8CGL7Gilao0A7NtgGkVooJpWnEVSk066EGOiV0asosLRJZ1r-dMpzhqbu5llQskZ9oO5AAGiC6RoGSazKayHY9M8FayiJPJuDcJHGpT9IS1inH48iy8N71D_-nnya1cCsCyBuaN/s1600/Titeres,+Escorial,+&+Principe+Pio+045.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZG8CGL7Gilao0A7NtgGkVooJpWnEVSk066EGOiV0asosLRJZ1r-dMpzhqbu5llQskZ9oO5AAGiC6RoGSazKayHY9M8FayiJPJuDcJHGpT9IS1inH48iy8N71D_-nnya1cCsCyBuaN/s320/Titeres,+Escorial,+&+Principe+Pio+045.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
What a
week! I only have a few weeks left! But we are making good use of our time! My next post will have more on my most recent
Madrid walks and our trip to Salamanca, and Avila! </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-63631619988799612182012-05-17T04:16:00.001-07:002012-05-23T01:04:18.132-07:00Aranjuez<span style="text-indent: 36pt;"> On our trip to Aranjuez we stopped at a little place
called Chinchón. Another tiny town, but
this time surrounded by olive trees. Interesting
facts: olive trees thrive in desert like environments, and in Spain instead of
saying “olivas” they say “aceitunas.” I love the brick and stone in Spain!
Chinchón represented Spain well cause there was stone and brick everywhere! We had only about an hour so we stuck to walking around town. There
was a ruined castle with a great view. We
went to a park very briefly. Just a short
and sweet stop.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVB3jBsRDnqQ8CsOZ3Ts6H8M1BZi2nOjuEXqEjNLfmmPbCm4va6CLg3WtA3qV38ipuoDO5bjBQtbX_040g7KgPFkU9m-uqDoQv82HWh64sLJNqrF-PKtIz_a9Of2wCWdGxOt90jzz/s1600/DSCN4565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVB3jBsRDnqQ8CsOZ3Ts6H8M1BZi2nOjuEXqEjNLfmmPbCm4va6CLg3WtA3qV38ipuoDO5bjBQtbX_040g7KgPFkU9m-uqDoQv82HWh64sLJNqrF-PKtIz_a9Of2wCWdGxOt90jzz/s320/DSCN4565.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSHzlBk7dRkYhrJ6vpz0Q50KnXH_WhyphenhyphenafUyeeq6WRHsLuPunpxAyi6A-EhnvEqdOk09uLm7VRd9wiJBFddgLymxNUYUlv7TXweTLCH3pf_eyXRJ9-zTlgcpxgIX7Qpi2m2907OLRM/s1600/DSCN4569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSHzlBk7dRkYhrJ6vpz0Q50KnXH_WhyphenhyphenafUyeeq6WRHsLuPunpxAyi6A-EhnvEqdOk09uLm7VRd9wiJBFddgLymxNUYUlv7TXweTLCH3pf_eyXRJ9-zTlgcpxgIX7Qpi2m2907OLRM/s320/DSCN4569.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those Are Olive Trees</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"> The main
feature of Aranjuez is El Palacio Real. One
of the royal palaces for La Familia Real Española, or the Royal Family of
Spain, which is also to say the current king and his family. We weren´t
allowed to take pictures inside but one room was decorated on all surfaces by porcelain
carvings all connected and intertwined like puzzle pieces! Another was designed
with outjuttings, and intricate moldings and shapes all made of plaster and
then all of which were hand painted. You have to understand that each piece was
really no bigger than a silver dollar. Extremely
talented craftsmen. There is just so much wealth in the palace.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Palacio_Real_de_Aranjuez.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="File:Palacio Real de Aranjuez.jpg" height="226" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Palacio_Real_de_Aranjuez.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: url(data:image/png; background-origin: initial; background-repeat: repeat repeat; border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; vertical-align: middle;" width="400" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Palacio_Real_de_Aranjuez_-_Interior_06.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to google images!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.turismoporespana.com.ar/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/aranjuez1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Porcelain Decorations</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The gardens
outside were also amazing. They just
seem to go on forever! So many ancient
trees, and fountains, flowers, pathways, streams and the works! I recorded how it sounded because I felt so
good there! listening to the breeze, the birds, and the fountains; for me it was just bliss. I tried to upload the sound file but blogger only recognizes movie and picture files.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgF5ro055W34aYAdcrvCYtmvKnVrbeDrwLPqcW8sx2QGb1vOIB1Cx6_fE8b35odB09vX8oz35ZWGiuB1fJ6qlP0Kx2Jh2aT1N0AqXNSbhCQUrBTjRfl5VKMRj6dHpibCIVSfRLqpX7/s1600/DSCN4578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgF5ro055W34aYAdcrvCYtmvKnVrbeDrwLPqcW8sx2QGb1vOIB1Cx6_fE8b35odB09vX8oz35ZWGiuB1fJ6qlP0Kx2Jh2aT1N0AqXNSbhCQUrBTjRfl5VKMRj6dHpibCIVSfRLqpX7/s320/DSCN4578.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6tScWjYgJhTmfz90UA8t7ouBhxscAgYQV9erms1bpdYfH7qfrhgGZwBMOAwp2z73I_RVVtyGaEhCpOUn5V2I5brmLVoNawAJb89RT0C0Uxz4S_JnQ7xeUZHlckopzh7zdYRhyiPZ/s1600/DSCN4580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6tScWjYgJhTmfz90UA8t7ouBhxscAgYQV9erms1bpdYfH7qfrhgGZwBMOAwp2z73I_RVVtyGaEhCpOUn5V2I5brmLVoNawAJb89RT0C0Uxz4S_JnQ7xeUZHlckopzh7zdYRhyiPZ/s320/DSCN4580.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous Flowers! I hope you appreciate this Mom!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ck3PygJjCAQ6GqKwptoLnsWhBf42j8st6qRR8fU8QPvS1D04mdGhcF2jqmkqYtQoPs_pEqeD-ufo32ZKlEwEHFM3Cgz8Kb3yf1YMtgSRpyZ6j9pwuGwjDGixL7SgX0uMVKaU1MOn/s1600/DSCN4582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ck3PygJjCAQ6GqKwptoLnsWhBf42j8st6qRR8fU8QPvS1D04mdGhcF2jqmkqYtQoPs_pEqeD-ufo32ZKlEwEHFM3Cgz8Kb3yf1YMtgSRpyZ6j9pwuGwjDGixL7SgX0uMVKaU1MOn/s320/DSCN4582.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSQq1zyIZ0MPrlL66gt64H0tn3RnMjG4NNG9m2myCOsPZx5qyUZdXrlM4mmnkHB1IAFe2PlvI19iC1UIyuo4FYgubVWqx11AjKjGYMKQVPwLy6p9uAB6_jzsohgOp_B4uNidIaBqB/s1600/DSCN4583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSQq1zyIZ0MPrlL66gt64H0tn3RnMjG4NNG9m2myCOsPZx5qyUZdXrlM4mmnkHB1IAFe2PlvI19iC1UIyuo4FYgubVWqx11AjKjGYMKQVPwLy6p9uAB6_jzsohgOp_B4uNidIaBqB/s320/DSCN4583.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: left;"> Afterwards
we ate strawberries and enjoyed the sunshine before we headed back to Alcalá! I am so glad we have such a fun group to hang out with all of the time!</span><br />
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjg4btyhHbY2qfDzKvPhBW5FSZefC0zIRFKvaUKQks88YkURgMqKFjMlJN51-wL3pDcYAyp1EAoGhMiO2eY5-rmbH0g2F6StQ97A3jX3yZ402ZG3JGze7MiXmGKrPPFXRUEISQX0TZ/s1600/DSCN4590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjg4btyhHbY2qfDzKvPhBW5FSZefC0zIRFKvaUKQks88YkURgMqKFjMlJN51-wL3pDcYAyp1EAoGhMiO2eY5-rmbH0g2F6StQ97A3jX3yZ402ZG3JGze7MiXmGKrPPFXRUEISQX0TZ/s320/DSCN4590.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julia, Me, Katie F, Michael</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">Saturday morning Katie W, Andrea, and I went
for a hike in the nature park near my host home in Alcalá. It is so wonderful. It reminds me a lot of Arizona. It is a dry climate, clay soil, pine like
trees with grasses and dry climate shrubs; very hilly and so fun to just walk
around in there. We think we are going
to try to catch the sunset/sunrise one of these days so I will keep you posted
(literally haha </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span lang="EN-US">). </span></div>
</div>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmRM-KkOAFr-4djwylchAhk2m4cvm5U9SLFlIIKsoPwX0JymP1knRqEle67oJFUQloOpm3u4U2yZyNPPFx6H_QWfg3yxfR7bpVlAxOuBizTzwzO-kRH4UWrTlyX8lvRtm_rR4f6Xk/s1600/DSCN4612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmRM-KkOAFr-4djwylchAhk2m4cvm5U9SLFlIIKsoPwX0JymP1knRqEle67oJFUQloOpm3u4U2yZyNPPFx6H_QWfg3yxfR7bpVlAxOuBizTzwzO-kRH4UWrTlyX8lvRtm_rR4f6Xk/s320/DSCN4612.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry I cut my self out!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAkd4mHFj2-nBsfmvIvwoy9zrBxMJj4Zx9loAgH3hnzdoS_VAYBEhyphenhyphenW86JSjJjQgKjKKWVfRqSiPfjNHVuMlKO1qxDo7sGbvijeK5Y9cap5mgTcrE8yYD2sYAuewxg2SiPSgdJzHg/s1600/DSCN4616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAkd4mHFj2-nBsfmvIvwoy9zrBxMJj4Zx9loAgH3hnzdoS_VAYBEhyphenhyphenW86JSjJjQgKjKKWVfRqSiPfjNHVuMlKO1qxDo7sGbvijeK5Y9cap5mgTcrE8yYD2sYAuewxg2SiPSgdJzHg/s320/DSCN4616.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">After the hike our entire group went to the
temple to do baptisms with the Alcalá Ward (congregation). Beautiful experience! And I had the opportunity to perform the last
40 or so baptisms! It was hard to
pronounce English names after speaking Spanish so much! Kind of interesting twist on my tongue! Later
Michael, Dottie, Andrea, Katie and I went and got Tapas again and that was
really fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ39KO1tgbm9LUyzVMeVTP9Z2livmzj9EVIfgXLoiIf-4mi40LCzh-ZPKeKkU2KE4MSIJUd0z23fH0eELbHnUFKDN48g4qGLJixy5moC8gRF0nSberYAqGcZJ5C7fnV2pAhukaKPqj/s1600/DSCN4610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ39KO1tgbm9LUyzVMeVTP9Z2livmzj9EVIfgXLoiIf-4mi40LCzh-ZPKeKkU2KE4MSIJUd0z23fH0eELbHnUFKDN48g4qGLJixy5moC8gRF0nSberYAqGcZJ5C7fnV2pAhukaKPqj/s320/DSCN4610.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael (very photgenic), Dottie, Andrea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5oR1DeVCAIDKNjoC7j1y7_Ip7pN6PY3XAk4LFmwr8RyIh31V5fN3MOvdnrNCWhohFQL7V_gOpq4MQsooN6_NamhyG9hHKXJhdzBjI6iTtPb8FQbOdNB0YG5kfrrt4Svbye7eAMsuo/s1600/DSCN4611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5oR1DeVCAIDKNjoC7j1y7_Ip7pN6PY3XAk4LFmwr8RyIh31V5fN3MOvdnrNCWhohFQL7V_gOpq4MQsooN6_NamhyG9hHKXJhdzBjI6iTtPb8FQbOdNB0YG5kfrrt4Svbye7eAMsuo/s320/DSCN4611.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katie W, Me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">This next week we will be visiting another
royal palace called Escorial as well as El Valle de Los Caidos! Get excited!</span></div>
</div>Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-74855907623528570522012-05-15T04:11:00.003-07:002012-05-15T04:11:52.107-07:00Cuenca<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My gosh the
time is flying here! Just over three
weeks left of my program and I am going to be sad to leave! Last week was amazing! Only three days of classes and then two day
trips! First, on Tuesday a group of us
and Jon, one of our native friends here, went to the temple to walk around. We initially wanted to go in and do temple
work, but we called too late and could not get an appointment for that
day. So we still went, cause we wanted
to see it, and it is a beautiful little temple!
It reminds me a lot of the temple in Fresno where I served my mission. Jon is a recent convert of a year, and he has
gone out with the missionaries many times and sometimes they have taken people
interested in learning about the Church to the temple and done tours around the
exterior. Jon took us on one of these
and it reminded me so much of the tours that we would do on my mission. Asking questions, reflecting, and teaching
true gospel principles, it is amazing how much symbolism there is even in the
exterior of our temples. It was a little
eye opening for me and I will pay much more attention to not only the interior
of the temple but also the exterior in the future. Jon
has his mission call right now to go to Romania, and when he took us on that
tour I truly felt that he already was on his mission! He did an excellent job! The temple site is
really cool because it is elevated and you can see a portion of the city, the Missionary Training Center is there and a chapel. Very cool.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UpidQOheg5DP7nyYujK0wUN8tFvnWZ7r-GpfE9TGpmTsSLzL_tonq5EJoKneM7785wiCfMSsOkIGIHPLeIIm39JDlzRaJQFpH6QXXK_geRKkVgiIu-TAaiyhm_At0Pr3NYCwy1mm/s1600/DSCN4461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UpidQOheg5DP7nyYujK0wUN8tFvnWZ7r-GpfE9TGpmTsSLzL_tonq5EJoKneM7785wiCfMSsOkIGIHPLeIIm39JDlzRaJQFpH6QXXK_geRKkVgiIu-TAaiyhm_At0Pr3NYCwy1mm/s320/DSCN4461.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madrid Temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
After visiting
the temple we walked around Madrid for a bit and got some Italian pizza. I honestly did not enjoy that pizza, but it
is good to try other types of foods. In Madrid
there is a huge park called Parque de Retiro.
I am going to venture to say that it is nearly as big as Central Park in
New York City. Paths everywhere,
fountains, playgrounds, waterfalls, a few ponds, a lake with row boats, and a
big amphitheater; it is pretty easy to get lost! There are some festivals going on in Madrid right
now and they had a fireworks show that we went to last night. I have seen quite a few fireworks shows in my
life and I love them. Saguaro Park in Arizona,
multiple parks in Naperville, Navy Pier in Chicago, Niagara Falls in Canada,
and all of those shows were less in comparison to this show! Twenty minutes straight, spinner ones, loud ones,
sparkling ones, multicolored ones, huge ones, little ones, screamer ones, and
the best part was that they launched them onto the lake in El Parque de Retiro and
they exploded on top of the lake water and some were very close to us! It was incredible!<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_1znVO0ej8mtpMW1eaBpz8oU_FzpqpF-J4kbt1Sl2tyR9zuLTy9pqkzcBca0jPh0JdKyf4LRjxloS7IEqil1IJsHPYHDep4cVphIcxGC6zYtlKo_zliX2-V_8gTZYbfkkHmQRyP3/s1600/DSCN4467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_1znVO0ej8mtpMW1eaBpz8oU_FzpqpF-J4kbt1Sl2tyR9zuLTy9pqkzcBca0jPh0JdKyf4LRjxloS7IEqil1IJsHPYHDep4cVphIcxGC6zYtlKo_zliX2-V_8gTZYbfkkHmQRyP3/s320/DSCN4467.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Puerta de Alcalá</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimaq11W1XRYFhjldXUDGRTc8XZgbwt3T7NF00r5ynWp_OA4BDvF1yDs_s-5Cw_BRBKXHVHSNpncaR_IbdCD0UqD8N-LajUPuVeNPWdUIEXfqiYFt9LGEEZuZVLD4xg2CWpRFAAfTJT/s1600/DSCN4472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimaq11W1XRYFhjldXUDGRTc8XZgbwt3T7NF00r5ynWp_OA4BDvF1yDs_s-5Cw_BRBKXHVHSNpncaR_IbdCD0UqD8N-LajUPuVeNPWdUIEXfqiYFt9LGEEZuZVLD4xg2CWpRFAAfTJT/s320/DSCN4472.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Italian Pizza, Katie W, Katie F, Jon, Julia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgno51eMMYX75eRUDSPR0bo9IQo2SO8GTGr-9esKYjtNCJKuPRlaBZBK70ykLG58Rrm0IxIPHHpVv0A_Anewi7Flg39_IT32V5z3LCtZHj_1dZ72ptgd8c5fuDYR3oyW-fbgMmoGjQs/s1600/DSCN4625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgno51eMMYX75eRUDSPR0bo9IQo2SO8GTGr-9esKYjtNCJKuPRlaBZBK70ykLG58Rrm0IxIPHHpVv0A_Anewi7Flg39_IT32V5z3LCtZHj_1dZ72ptgd8c5fuDYR3oyW-fbgMmoGjQs/s320/DSCN4625.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_NG16_liKAnoacCuy1wmqNO-Jih4ylxlYQ0VJtVsgAyePi3tOPOsCZpvVkxjehImLHfUGCrCitGunUBUeCyL0n5rn3Uim3BjXSEzXbCD65c4QYLdHpHljOvT1tSHWY_0Fm3r5Gxyh/s1600/DSCN4626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_NG16_liKAnoacCuy1wmqNO-Jih4ylxlYQ0VJtVsgAyePi3tOPOsCZpvVkxjehImLHfUGCrCitGunUBUeCyL0n5rn3Uim3BjXSEzXbCD65c4QYLdHpHljOvT1tSHWY_0Fm3r5Gxyh/s320/DSCN4626.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know these are foggy and they don´t really represent anything nearly as great as what we saw!</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> On Wednesday,
we played fútbol with the natives here at the church building. It was so fun! Just a small little basketball
court/soccer field. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQQ-vIoXodTBAK7pqOPApVOieD__w32yJrSvUhcrB-PojigDkAz2y-D93srb3GJYvx4Igca6NGvnG4kj3q2nVXSQXqFAKpaplJKFREaOXesLJWn5bNHUSJJhOiQnbWdGoj9HwWdv1/s1600/DSCN4493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQQ-vIoXodTBAK7pqOPApVOieD__w32yJrSvUhcrB-PojigDkAz2y-D93srb3GJYvx4Igca6NGvnG4kj3q2nVXSQXqFAKpaplJKFREaOXesLJWn5bNHUSJJhOiQnbWdGoj9HwWdv1/s320/DSCN4493.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eric, Michael, Alisha, Me, Josh</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-US"> Then on Thursday
we headed out on our excursion to Cuenca!
On our way we stopped at El Monasterio de Santiago de Uclés. Situated basically on a cliff, it was the
meeting place of the templar knights, which were knights whose purpose was to protect
those performing pilgrimages on El Camino de Santiago, which is a famous hike across
Spain stopping at various cathedrals to worship. Now, the monastery is a seminary for high school aged
boys. While there we were introduced to
a donut type snack called Roquillas. They
a very dry donut type thing and it was really funny because our tour guide told
us that they come with frosting or without.
In Spanish he called it "pan listo" and "pan tonto" which literally
translates to "smart bread" and "stupid bread." I just got a huge kick out of that!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/20070415_-_Monasterio_de_Ucl%C3%A9s_-_Vista_desde_el_oeste_%282%29.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="File:20070415 - Monasterio de Uclés - Vista desde el oeste (2).jpg" height="213" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/20070415_-_Monasterio_de_Ucl%C3%A9s_-_Vista_desde_el_oeste_%282%29.jpg/800px-20070415_-_Monasterio_de_Ucl%C3%A9s_-_Vista_desde_el_oeste_%282%29.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: url(data:image/png; background-origin: initial; background-repeat: repeat repeat; border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; vertical-align: middle;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monasterio de Ulcés</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"> Afterwards we
arrived at Cuenca. It is literally a
city set on a hill and cannot be hid. It is nicknamed the impenetrable city. There is one way in and you have to climb the
mountain to get there. The city is
surrounded on all sides be sheer cliffs.
Because of this there is a very cool construction of the homes they call "casas colgadas" or "hanging homes." They
just sit there on the edge of the cliff just hanging, it is really kind of crazy. While there we walked out on a pedestrian
bridge several hundred feet in the air, we went to an abstract art museum, and
two girls and I took an amazing walk through the city and along the cliffs and
such! It was fantastic! Spain has such beautiful country! We also went into the basilica, which
interestingly enough was of English design.
Over all a very peaceful and beautiful place. By far one of my favorite excursions, just
because I loved the views and just how awesome the city is built on the cliffs!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7a0_PEAOqLFGkmGMktNhrn4fC4AH2VPcwKYAmcOKnHQyjMhfNKmrR5KWzCtJVZieOx4khSWSnh69snhU6fDG2w8E_slJv-f1vM0YUL-6CLBEbJuq2nExamvRHQ7YnlTd3mztUzD6/s1600/DSCN4522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7a0_PEAOqLFGkmGMktNhrn4fC4AH2VPcwKYAmcOKnHQyjMhfNKmrR5KWzCtJVZieOx4khSWSnh69snhU6fDG2w8E_slJv-f1vM0YUL-6CLBEbJuq2nExamvRHQ7YnlTd3mztUzD6/s320/DSCN4522.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJintf6edRRBRYYnTLKgZMNAqnizYW6XxuXv82lkpVirNcJa-j_T5y1yDFXKXHxunLS6v_ns6qQWMzkTUXByIpayQfvTsDfccrIQxo_xJ_erxA1f0bHrYyTLuakMI_OTAJMeQc3h7/s1600/DSCN4523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJintf6edRRBRYYnTLKgZMNAqnizYW6XxuXv82lkpVirNcJa-j_T5y1yDFXKXHxunLS6v_ns6qQWMzkTUXByIpayQfvTsDfccrIQxo_xJ_erxA1f0bHrYyTLuakMI_OTAJMeQc3h7/s320/DSCN4523.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging homes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtAwB2WU1HuimnDMjVvAOv_IwcRaa0ou9rZ9EU4OImmkQhtbPyujzdFByksh6Id-6L4XUfiuXPXB6JKJb6GdHrFLMYqr8swxRB5_2NnBwoWtwX9Hw-Z_AghA8hKzGxsjHniCkK9h95/s1600/DSCN4524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtAwB2WU1HuimnDMjVvAOv_IwcRaa0ou9rZ9EU4OImmkQhtbPyujzdFByksh6Id-6L4XUfiuXPXB6JKJb6GdHrFLMYqr8swxRB5_2NnBwoWtwX9Hw-Z_AghA8hKzGxsjHniCkK9h95/s320/DSCN4524.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5MGlQFWSIGkERXsiRx7i_CCDuI6WK6_Z25h4TnuGSbEH2VnZxithBzMC-kdXgANECytqwLBL3qjzNhOywKSlx00xYS9bv1fjbRegBdzJVYxCOEjYxDbphyphenhyphennSzmCCFbrKBF-1aeeB/s1600/IMG_4604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5MGlQFWSIGkERXsiRx7i_CCDuI6WK6_Z25h4TnuGSbEH2VnZxithBzMC-kdXgANECytqwLBL3qjzNhOywKSlx00xYS9bv1fjbRegBdzJVYxCOEjYxDbphyphenhyphennSzmCCFbrKBF-1aeeB/s320/IMG_4604.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haley, Me, Katie W</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSsewqJkglCyb74fwzzU5TuDgKnS6WnnsWOoaDZZikuuByjHlvaZnlEI-v7lkJ-hvYHzFeT6He-P_tMoES218u6fJ0uI2EQMVL_rEgzC6SXmoBeDmR_d9E5La8fTDhqqFVFM28wV0/s1600/DSCN4534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSsewqJkglCyb74fwzzU5TuDgKnS6WnnsWOoaDZZikuuByjHlvaZnlEI-v7lkJ-hvYHzFeT6He-P_tMoES218u6fJ0uI2EQMVL_rEgzC6SXmoBeDmR_d9E5La8fTDhqqFVFM28wV0/s320/DSCN4534.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9_WAqQ_YUiY-7WB_UhDBoQAp5yC4NKdL1tuR0Jno3tlDD_RkB2JVrFg5CprKu6Grdedj38eWUNcfjFYxOUFDQMyjLMGIg1CQolTIo3Zr_f7EujzkBgLKP6EGMykm1fG7RBspTCIn/s1600/DSCN4544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9_WAqQ_YUiY-7WB_UhDBoQAp5yC4NKdL1tuR0Jno3tlDD_RkB2JVrFg5CprKu6Grdedj38eWUNcfjFYxOUFDQMyjLMGIg1CQolTIo3Zr_f7EujzkBgLKP6EGMykm1fG7RBspTCIn/s320/DSCN4544.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Am I Falling? :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijf4uh94z4LyHNmjleAEHf9qet4NDLXSL8sisHwM7_Vm-eUAxCAPiQiYGF9DL_ykCUw_JxG2tlzwjEy_ctPCcb6ONrk_C4cEGyJ8dI25NPbx28zl1JQecwy1AMFyLrDbx6PT_wV1-A/s1600/IMG_4605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijf4uh94z4LyHNmjleAEHf9qet4NDLXSL8sisHwM7_Vm-eUAxCAPiQiYGF9DL_ykCUw_JxG2tlzwjEy_ctPCcb6ONrk_C4cEGyJ8dI25NPbx28zl1JQecwy1AMFyLrDbx6PT_wV1-A/s320/IMG_4605.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out 60 ft above!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEishDcioMjNj2ynAOPNieL9T1aN86lgyvo7uDdI_-r8G7lidcsYuR9saVs-bbvolFE7xrRT33NoNYL0n156eXe0MRpFEsvRByQLwu2xlLGooFQ8Ec-GSv3PN2-6q4zJQYGiNDVe353L/s1600/DSCN4547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEishDcioMjNj2ynAOPNieL9T1aN86lgyvo7uDdI_-r8G7lidcsYuR9saVs-bbvolFE7xrRT33NoNYL0n156eXe0MRpFEsvRByQLwu2xlLGooFQ8Ec-GSv3PN2-6q4zJQYGiNDVe353L/s320/DSCN4547.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuenca, city on a hill (cliff) I hiked that trail!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-US"> Spain is so great! If anyone needs an anniversary idea or something, go to Cuenca! It´s peaceful, quiet and gorgeous!</span></div>Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-68029422016821273172012-05-13T09:42:00.002-07:002012-08-25T22:27:17.734-07:00Barcelona<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> So
we got home from our trip to Burgos and Le</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">ó</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">n
at about 8 pm. Michael (my roommate) and
I got back to our host home and unpacked, ate dinner, and repacked. We went to the bus stop and waited for nearly
twenty minutes! We hadn’t planned on
that, and everyone was supposed to meet us at the train station at eleven and
by this time it was about 10:55! So we
race back to our host and luckily her son agreed to take us to the station in
their car. We got there in time to catch
the last train to Madrid, but everyone else was very stressed since Michael and
I were in charge of a lot of the plans and we were late and we had already been
traveling all day in Le</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">ó</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">n. But that isn’t the end either. One of the girls that was planning on coming
hadn’t purchased her bus fair yet! We
called our director and he was working online while we were waiting the last
two minutes for our train. Online it
said that no tickets were available but the girl decided to go to Madrid with
us and see if she could get a ticket at the office or something. Well, guess what happened. We did get there, all of us nervous, and time
running out, and the bus was full. It is
12:45 now and the girls were crying and everybody was frustrated and
tired. We couldn’t do anything for that
girl, and had to board our bus, so we had to leave her, and she ended up
getting a taxi and going back to Alcalá.
So frustrating!! But we made it, after an eight hour bus ride! </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdb2N6tC6qXqul8_cUMd-D1B4Yw6FXixTfadlKFX-ws82ZI9cD9BvfI8GFySp3DOp3u-IGaWcQuuEk-To4YxX6s3hNwNyEC5WGbV-GDqIRq13K7cl-EwMRPgjLRKbTPWukECjRNyd/s1600/DSCN4248.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdb2N6tC6qXqul8_cUMd-D1B4Yw6FXixTfadlKFX-ws82ZI9cD9BvfI8GFySp3DOp3u-IGaWcQuuEk-To4YxX6s3hNwNyEC5WGbV-GDqIRq13K7cl-EwMRPgjLRKbTPWukECjRNyd/s320/DSCN4248.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Bus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> Luckily
when we got there all agreed with me that we should only plan on going to the
beach and walking in shops and such! There is a
long strip of street venders, restaurants and shops in Barcelona called Las
Ramblas. We walked down Las Ramblas and
saw street performers and looked at the cool stuff the street vendors were
selling. We got to the bottom of the
Ramblas which ended at the bay to the Mediterranean Sea! Then we walked maybe a mile or so along the
bay until we got to a beach! It was all
so beautiful! Perfect temperature and a
slight breeze! It was gorgeous the whole
time! </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-f4ETxhrRicE3OhCSIA-us-iSTkwxY6qHJu979R6cEYA9U8LpD9o1mnWDs-yTOuQwLJ5eTqtXGl4gO9sCrsNQvPgG_HrXbXXsygaJYm009Xus3YNG9FbYdoB_oUXVeQsuGqEH-32/s1600/DSCN4252.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-f4ETxhrRicE3OhCSIA-us-iSTkwxY6qHJu979R6cEYA9U8LpD9o1mnWDs-yTOuQwLJ5eTqtXGl4gO9sCrsNQvPgG_HrXbXXsygaJYm009Xus3YNG9FbYdoB_oUXVeQsuGqEH-32/s320/DSCN4252.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start of Las Ramblas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5Cul_AoIiF3QMvPN9TMTgcdF69iBZNcJttERuL9leeMyKjvxAbYdFAAXkp7g0W6Yg_lca_Uk9HSow2U2FC4GHaPKluAD15xB61vFY7AKGJD-mIlACJP1GynEr24bxXJSBrGe3nDq/s1600/DSCN4254.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5Cul_AoIiF3QMvPN9TMTgcdF69iBZNcJttERuL9leeMyKjvxAbYdFAAXkp7g0W6Yg_lca_Uk9HSow2U2FC4GHaPKluAD15xB61vFY7AKGJD-mIlACJP1GynEr24bxXJSBrGe3nDq/s320/DSCN4254.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Las Ramblas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> So
we got into the water, and even built a little sand castle. When we were done, we went back to the
Ramblas and ate paella, a native Spanish dish that consisted of rice,
vegetables, and the form of meat that you chose. It has a rich flavor and is very satisfying
to eat. We were all so exhausted after
thirty-six hours of tourism and only a few hours of sleep we could get on the
bus, so we called it a night.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Rh5NIup86HvMcMN1QnZ4Kq5HfxoSp5_QAfyfQIY7ln-2jfZsZFlk3Adc0XN-TnhvpaBHD1sisBZsn_VcyMBSWIntvsKJm6ISd8V80LWub-ximqjWw5yYBiyQ1DUtgCRvLKUjDFdh/s1600/DSCN4263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Rh5NIup86HvMcMN1QnZ4Kq5HfxoSp5_QAfyfQIY7ln-2jfZsZFlk3Adc0XN-TnhvpaBHD1sisBZsn_VcyMBSWIntvsKJm6ISd8V80LWub-ximqjWw5yYBiyQ1DUtgCRvLKUjDFdh/s320/DSCN4263.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cIUzkB77s5F7duc1yNnoNDymFkzlMfzW7L582SOx9E2ToOHX710BAUO9EgnoVjyTaLWmDg1gwRt6PzgLcOKOOFFml4xMVUh4NFVwIqCzKo1aCZdrVzDSyphTVB3T8kjRpTb5S3av/s1600/DSCN4267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cIUzkB77s5F7duc1yNnoNDymFkzlMfzW7L582SOx9E2ToOHX710BAUO9EgnoVjyTaLWmDg1gwRt6PzgLcOKOOFFml4xMVUh4NFVwIqCzKo1aCZdrVzDSyphTVB3T8kjRpTb5S3av/s320/DSCN4267.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm in the Mediterranean Sea!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hVV0vsyH7259Zf9kfiJGKeLPRF27UvZCYON_7WsGQNCSaAvWvJqrqtW9mTww8Lnvo-vw-9-GgIjsJHSIYMte8E68Dpl1ReN3N80DPKiDVMoMQoxgGZoPCoPgkJFtptraQDOvVmx0/s1600/DSCN4274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hVV0vsyH7259Zf9kfiJGKeLPRF27UvZCYON_7WsGQNCSaAvWvJqrqtW9mTww8Lnvo-vw-9-GgIjsJHSIYMte8E68Dpl1ReN3N80DPKiDVMoMQoxgGZoPCoPgkJFtptraQDOvVmx0/s320/DSCN4274.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> The
next day, now Friday, we decided to go to the Picasso museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Picasso spent most of his youth right there
in Barcelona! This museum showed original artwork even from the time that
Picasso was thirteen years old until his death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All of his more famous artwork was not in this museum as they are
located in other museums throughout the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But it was very interesting to see how he progressed over the years and
how he changed a lot of his style based on events that had happened in his life
or in the era.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKOZ6NNzcfjPNE_3U-_3hVGMGZ93Kqx6pZFIutE7me-ELCtWR9cATZglSfmucDXT4luohDvjOXMcs5GOfV9Kx00Z2vcE7hWxDmlw8r-5Dj4fsar3hs4M4OVGK5nDrrqQyNBeZJxZf/s1600/DSCN4311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKOZ6NNzcfjPNE_3U-_3hVGMGZ93Kqx6pZFIutE7me-ELCtWR9cATZglSfmucDXT4luohDvjOXMcs5GOfV9Kx00Z2vcE7hWxDmlw8r-5Dj4fsar3hs4M4OVGK5nDrrqQyNBeZJxZf/s320/DSCN4311.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gang (Loren, Chantelle, Dottie, Katie F, Scott, Andrew, Eric, Michael)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1DAsICiFpZKosR7HTCuvkJJZh9-OCu2mQIZqlKsdZjC1wOboCnzYyyheZaScNMTl8No7F8l_HLyz4_-ClavkTpYknqVC0EB4-wxJ_VeC2X74oBfAvYHDuDV2W3irBhVoH3_ZGE26/s1600/DSCN4312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1DAsICiFpZKosR7HTCuvkJJZh9-OCu2mQIZqlKsdZjC1wOboCnzYyyheZaScNMTl8No7F8l_HLyz4_-ClavkTpYknqVC0EB4-wxJ_VeC2X74oBfAvYHDuDV2W3irBhVoH3_ZGE26/s320/DSCN4312.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arc de Triumf (on the way to the museum)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbKVpX8jlwoDIxNS4zF2Z1nEKzAxVCkA210AEUVrC4OuAS0-TkZamUpDEL0BVRp4IzrapAvqbN1srxOp7PcprAluim_PvdlaZDoTBJOJMECmdQycQ-QxMFpkP_RmSecwoHWW-wAEF/s1600/DSCN4317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbKVpX8jlwoDIxNS4zF2Z1nEKzAxVCkA210AEUVrC4OuAS0-TkZamUpDEL0BVRp4IzrapAvqbN1srxOp7PcprAluim_PvdlaZDoTBJOJMECmdQycQ-QxMFpkP_RmSecwoHWW-wAEF/s320/DSCN4317.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's really big!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiW7P45VIHwPA9NNnWS18WGoWQzjlN_VJ7gMTexDUqQnVxmC0S8o2HrxC8IpJh72d2Ndah1NkqdPJF43q_NdUwzciHj0xVQI2XuiP0gNQ4Z_3m9QNYB4zITR3jX-74k0E1Sj0BuU1G/s1600/DSCN4332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiW7P45VIHwPA9NNnWS18WGoWQzjlN_VJ7gMTexDUqQnVxmC0S8o2HrxC8IpJh72d2Ndah1NkqdPJF43q_NdUwzciHj0xVQI2XuiP0gNQ4Z_3m9QNYB4zITR3jX-74k0E1Sj0BuU1G/s320/DSCN4332.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving the Picasso Museum (Dottie, Katie F, Loren, Michael, Eric, Scott, Andrew)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
After we went to the museum we went
to the Sagrada Famila, a ginormous, modern cathedral designed by the famous
architect Antoni Gaud<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">í. I have a link here to a one minute clip of the dedication in
2010.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It shows a bit of the Catholic
culture as well as many good views of the cathedral. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1728936608"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></a></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbY-rUe7tKg"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbY-rUe7tKg" target="_blank">Sagrada Familia</a> It was
absolutely amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of his designs
are based on shapes that you find in nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The pillars inside are tree trunks with canopies way at the top, stained
glass everywhere, spiral staircases, very intricate stone carvings and
designs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It really is breathtaking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is still under construction and will be
until about 2025.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEwnSNgAC9IJfXRV5iBwm-WRjl31WQFwoGVrHY3UFiixAJFoGUPiw4abMZpcehJZJlyGCcscyCyNsrDHvwpQVw092s4S8IyMUyMRy9t9f60NY8XaDX7uVhSNGIFOMW93rjd943Nld/s1600/DSCN4338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEwnSNgAC9IJfXRV5iBwm-WRjl31WQFwoGVrHY3UFiixAJFoGUPiw4abMZpcehJZJlyGCcscyCyNsrDHvwpQVw092s4S8IyMUyMRy9t9f60NY8XaDX7uVhSNGIFOMW93rjd943Nld/s320/DSCN4338.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7ncvEcdRki0dQ5UVa-qI2GwToo7r-LjWN0bFLj5R4u8c5X35OwIS3CJJ6f2QobdZnSWcF1PCiFhC-MBdoIYhrg1RzNbrZRNT7-NbTKsDHzeLF6tExXjhFibnwCnH0ZZWUzZ_HmgD/s1600/DSCN4389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7ncvEcdRki0dQ5UVa-qI2GwToo7r-LjWN0bFLj5R4u8c5X35OwIS3CJJ6f2QobdZnSWcF1PCiFhC-MBdoIYhrg1RzNbrZRNT7-NbTKsDHzeLF6tExXjhFibnwCnH0ZZWUzZ_HmgD/s320/DSCN4389.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> We also
went to the Parque Güell, a park at the top of a hill, with hanging shelves,
columns, covered walk ways, a view of the city, balconies, and all kinds of
cool plants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we got back we watched
the movie “Enredados” (Tangled) in Spanish of course.</span> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKV_HiO8LOGVB2ZbYUBoxym3wdIYd8ANBggLcKJwDV4bYv5Anp9BzA7Dlif4iKOr3kdzU0ar_TjZgeSTMZ9fddIYn3OUTYRPZtyTob4znGkss7qrFPwZ99O4tGrokYBwcWfZUA6n2o/s1600/DSCN4398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKV_HiO8LOGVB2ZbYUBoxym3wdIYd8ANBggLcKJwDV4bYv5Anp9BzA7Dlif4iKOr3kdzU0ar_TjZgeSTMZ9fddIYn3OUTYRPZtyTob4znGkss7qrFPwZ99O4tGrokYBwcWfZUA6n2o/s320/DSCN4398.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parque G<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">üell</span></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We only
had a few hours Saturday morning and a few of us went to hike Mount Monjuic,
where the 1992 Olympics were held.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
you get to the top of the mountain there is a castle with an amazing view and
some pretty awesome modern cannons to attack ships in the bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Barcelona is so beautiful! We all had such a
great time! It is an interesting culture; a big city in the middle of Spain
where everyone speaks Spanish as a second language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The regional language is called Catalan, and
is easy enough to read, but sounds more like a mix of Italian, Portuguese and
French. Luckily everyone else did speak Spanish or we would have been in
trouble!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of the different
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62rMLp9hCbd9PZs7DKKuaHRt1bKTH6N3FAq3YXoHVsmms-PlMCyWJpSprvRMOA2SQhb-SWndeOv968Q2SKoksQLNzOgYJ8TY1vp9FokM6h4DFowXaABcy4Xu2baF5JMeWrHeWOmyz/s1600/DSCN4443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62rMLp9hCbd9PZs7DKKuaHRt1bKTH6N3FAq3YXoHVsmms-PlMCyWJpSprvRMOA2SQhb-SWndeOv968Q2SKoksQLNzOgYJ8TY1vp9FokM6h4DFowXaABcy4Xu2baF5JMeWrHeWOmyz/s320/DSCN4443.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modern cannon at Catillo Montjuic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLwO195zUqwo3bu3x9EA58OA5bYY-kRRGjcUUtm9TtiuNmZhuqoEtM2ghD4_U1IbIqgm4ErrbbgOQX2RTDrEriRawbwSyxbSMLbMnYJXw2958pFfpTbXvcOB83lTstRzQxWyZcCwv7/s1600/DSCN4447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLwO195zUqwo3bu3x9EA58OA5bYY-kRRGjcUUtm9TtiuNmZhuqoEtM2ghD4_U1IbIqgm4ErrbbgOQX2RTDrEriRawbwSyxbSMLbMnYJXw2958pFfpTbXvcOB83lTstRzQxWyZcCwv7/s320/DSCN4447.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDI3u96EprYSVeyCT3xU6dxSQFZAFlzzAWCPmvC-q5ODK_RJuTHzt3jKOs1gLXF7f0Gdxgj9Jd0J73qNsKRv3FU1KIZoY7_UFVtBTR2AxyurHhR9miXsQ1A4OST6aIYj3JD4lz3w4/s1600/DSCN4449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDI3u96EprYSVeyCT3xU6dxSQFZAFlzzAWCPmvC-q5ODK_RJuTHzt3jKOs1gLXF7f0Gdxgj9Jd0J73qNsKRv3FU1KIZoY7_UFVtBTR2AxyurHhR9miXsQ1A4OST6aIYj3JD4lz3w4/s320/DSCN4449.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1992 Olympic Stadium</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">If I was
to pick a favorite place that I had been while here in Spain so far, hands down
it would be Barcelona!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was absolutely
incredible!</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-f4ETxhrRicE3OhCSIA-us-iSTkwxY6qHJu979R6cEYA9U8LpD9o1mnWDs-yTOuQwLJ5eTqtXGl4gO9sCrsNQvPgG_HrXbXXsygaJYm009Xus3YNG9FbYdoB_oUXVeQsuGqEH-32/s1600/DSCN4252.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-87288625358987896062012-05-09T04:49:00.002-07:002012-05-12T01:55:20.590-07:00Burgos y León<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Alcalá de Henares the birthplace of the novel. Miguel de Cervantes was born and lived most
of his life in Alcalá de Henares and he is the author of Don Quijote, the first
novel in history. Hence, below I have a
picture of me outside of Cervantes’ house between the sculptures of Don Quijote
and his side kick Sancho Pansa.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76ip_yLcfwDIoCQx7MYk7gA1mmaBwJEzXpHTbq4tGQTpShf4TxpV-DisF6DGac5XoVs-9J_p86dSNyQ5zRv4vAFBGqDk5X90fIluiufmO7FbXYZmuJU7VfZZBYNjqIRDdtOxUuE1I/s1600/DSCN4027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76ip_yLcfwDIoCQx7MYk7gA1mmaBwJEzXpHTbq4tGQTpShf4TxpV-DisF6DGac5XoVs-9J_p86dSNyQ5zRv4vAFBGqDk5X90fIluiufmO7FbXYZmuJU7VfZZBYNjqIRDdtOxUuE1I/s320/DSCN4027.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sancho Pansa y Don Quijote</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistZKoKZ_ADjfh3jW1DzDVp91fL8aGrpdc_J87vfZ8Cpojt6bSeCqdxBa3r3xC7lcP_rOQ46UMvVvbkDOR9HwgS8ZtQh5Mbove_nXtgvkEWEnqM-CNemJQhj9xGxNOlf7UBj0iPIwz/s1600/DSCN4042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistZKoKZ_ADjfh3jW1DzDVp91fL8aGrpdc_J87vfZ8Cpojt6bSeCqdxBa3r3xC7lcP_rOQ46UMvVvbkDOR9HwgS8ZtQh5Mbove_nXtgvkEWEnqM-CNemJQhj9xGxNOlf7UBj0iPIwz/s320/DSCN4042.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spanish Version of Home Depot</td></tr>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> Last week Spain had a few holidays
celebrating a form of labor day similar to the one that we celebrate in the United States.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Therefore we did not have
any classes and had the amazing opportunity to go to Burgos and then León from
Monday to Wednesday.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">On our drive to
Burgos we stopped at a small castle called El Castillo de Pe</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">ñ</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">aranda
de Duero.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">It was simple and very old,
set up on a hill, similar to what we would think of a mansion or manor rather than a castle.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">It over looked the
tiniest and quietest little town.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">But we
enjoyed seeing it and exploring around like always!</span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPgczctZtxHNmQsHkh-gzyEr4laE4gypcyJ7AVzaqxujKUgw5sTG-1Y6-TpdHWPpW5a5iuB8LZNoDgdxPcahqBEvFcVPn4nBJuhIRhcjPAl1D3J8oxfPeijysNXSda6OrmUp7Dp6H/s1600/DSCN4049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPgczctZtxHNmQsHkh-gzyEr4laE4gypcyJ7AVzaqxujKUgw5sTG-1Y6-TpdHWPpW5a5iuB8LZNoDgdxPcahqBEvFcVPn4nBJuhIRhcjPAl1D3J8oxfPeijysNXSda6OrmUp7Dp6H/s320/DSCN4049.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QHJJI1g9ITYT4QGnIab3B_mox4oEBJ4GV5PboTgcE8ny0KEIW9Qiu0BhHFFpr9X_BMW3kj593fGzxBRyQbSSKVs-isQWWHyMlir7A8TO31l2JBHvQnlM0jJyl14eVDu-gSZD2l9d/s1600/DSCN4056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QHJJI1g9ITYT4QGnIab3B_mox4oEBJ4GV5PboTgcE8ny0KEIW9Qiu0BhHFFpr9X_BMW3kj593fGzxBRyQbSSKVs-isQWWHyMlir7A8TO31l2JBHvQnlM0jJyl14eVDu-gSZD2l9d/s320/DSCN4056.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The really is about the size of the town</td></tr>
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After we had our fill of the little
castle, we went down the road a little further to the town of Santo Domingo de
Silos. Another small, quiet, and
absolutely beautiful town! We ate lunch
and just enjoyed being out in the sunshine, though it was a little chilly and
windy. Then once lunch was over we went
into the La Iglesia Monástica San <span class="searchmatch">Sabastián</span> and
listened to the monks do Gregorian chants in Latin. It sounded very very good. It honestly reminded me of some of the Hebrew
hymns I have heard sung by the BYU Men’s Choir or similarly done by the Mormon
Tabernacle Choir. It is so impressive to
me, how well you can feel the spirit in these chapels and cathedrals. We should never think that just because other
churches may not have all of the truth that does not mean that they do not have
any truth. As a side note, these monks
recorded an album with their chants and it was a top seller for two years, so
we got the real deal being able to listen to them. After wards we did some walking around and
actually a little hiking near the city.
It was all so gorgeous!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4B12kl15PqZgmslTAY9K6fMTpim1R_VGMoiWX0YRaV7Eu1M5kMr4htZQtunnHTIgLmT69KyPVOGH0ekAjBCw1xZumRa5rH0lrb6oe-NmvcKlercpIHfcK0qc7zHmcHEGMqUuT4Ivm/s1600/DSCN4072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4B12kl15PqZgmslTAY9K6fMTpim1R_VGMoiWX0YRaV7Eu1M5kMr4htZQtunnHTIgLmT69KyPVOGH0ekAjBCw1xZumRa5rH0lrb6oe-NmvcKlercpIHfcK0qc7zHmcHEGMqUuT4Ivm/s320/DSCN4072.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La ciudad de Santo Domingo de Silos</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRdm9meQGx7UeeKJj8dPelD7F2ZIIXW8YC5ghfEtPoq25PTYIW-ZTxxNih2_NLOX8FWkkdfMgJAyrquIiiX8xWF3SWm_LVTTsPgNNYZIqWgIxOu14dRsu1hyphenhyphen3e9NWYMXRt2J3XCLYZ/s1600/DSCN4085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRdm9meQGx7UeeKJj8dPelD7F2ZIIXW8YC5ghfEtPoq25PTYIW-ZTxxNih2_NLOX8FWkkdfMgJAyrquIiiX8xWF3SWm_LVTTsPgNNYZIqWgIxOu14dRsu1hyphenhyphen3e9NWYMXRt2J3XCLYZ/s320/DSCN4085.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nature is awesome!</td></tr>
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Our last stop before actually
getting to Burgos was another small town called Covarrubias. There we got to go into an a cathedral that
had some amazing relics behind the chapel.
We went on a special tour and the tour guide, a giddy old man from
Burgos, explained to us all the amazing things we were seeing back there
including a gravestone almost perfectly preserved from the first century! You could read all of the writing and it was
very cool! He showed us all kinds of
books, paintings, dolls, old priest clothing, and the best were the nativities
and statues of Christ some dating back to the fourteenth century!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7GlOXZCpCKbK2kgC25LP4E55NVavu0aAsq44kl64PO67_9BW-wOyfDAEL-YnrYxex8yofGqjVJexKPCOpHlUK3OigG2cVD85pvgCW3dr0yHg3E16IjH8iMGDq2nhkLB6ckyKtUAG/s1600/DSCN4106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7GlOXZCpCKbK2kgC25LP4E55NVavu0aAsq44kl64PO67_9BW-wOyfDAEL-YnrYxex8yofGqjVJexKPCOpHlUK3OigG2cVD85pvgCW3dr0yHg3E16IjH8iMGDq2nhkLB6ckyKtUAG/s320/DSCN4106.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous Nativity!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdc8vAUF9qzc2gz5m-8AOm4qQf93TTKWN_-PCK4PVmv4iHsH5TYlSSErxNRBZIS1buxg0I_lkLfhnk4v18Y22DtMiztKuVKgTAnL9MKHpvlqZf2_Ilin1w_z177KaLSsQXd2VwAIz8/s1600/DSCN4093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdc8vAUF9qzc2gz5m-8AOm4qQf93TTKWN_-PCK4PVmv4iHsH5TYlSSErxNRBZIS1buxg0I_lkLfhnk4v18Y22DtMiztKuVKgTAnL9MKHpvlqZf2_Ilin1w_z177KaLSsQXd2VwAIz8/s320/DSCN4093.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My room mate Michael, Me, Katie W., Chantelle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> Well we finally got to Burgos, a
larger city with a river cutting it in two.
We checked in to a real fancy hotel, and split up into groups to go out
and eat dinner and explore. A few
friends and I went and got Kabab’s which are pretty much the equivalent of and
Arby’s roast beef sandwich except made with freshly roasted lamb or chicken. We stayed up and played Phase 10 for a few
hours and were all very exhausted by the time we went to bed. The next morning I got up early and went for
a run along the river and had the blessing of seeing the sun come up over the
mountains. Has to be on my “top ten best
things I have ever seen” list.
Incredible, and to think that Heavenly Father has the power to create
that again and again and again, “worlds without number.” I just love the connections that I find with
eternity. We had a fantastic
complimentary breakfast and we were off to go see the Burgos Cathedral
(Roman Catholic) built in a Gothic-style.
This cathedral is known for its vast size and incredible
architecture. So many columns and
vaulted ceilings and railings, and moldings and sculptures built into the
walls, turrets, stained glass windows, gold, silver, and star shapes, it was
just amazing. They had a series of
sculptures depicting the last days of Christ’s life that were so detailed they
could have been photographs carved into rock.
It was an incredible cathedral. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2paIkXwBR4eAvBStf8nLfFC24PrOciOSRQ9_2PRQc8fWscQRwujolXY59RDw0BxqwcOWcylTFH_Pt4Yd9XibUw1S7jARk7YLB0DzGqX3rzM5DTAUU5E1uVQ-Fhp9b_bRQ5mF_FZI/s1600/DSCN4107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2paIkXwBR4eAvBStf8nLfFC24PrOciOSRQ9_2PRQc8fWscQRwujolXY59RDw0BxqwcOWcylTFH_Pt4Yd9XibUw1S7jARk7YLB0DzGqX3rzM5DTAUU5E1uVQ-Fhp9b_bRQ5mF_FZI/s320/DSCN4107.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating Kababs, Jordan, Noel, Julia, Josh, Katie F</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Gothic Burgos Cathedral" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Catedral_de_Burgos-Fern%C3%A1n_Gonz%C3%A1lez.JPG/300px-Catedral_de_Burgos-Fern%C3%A1n_Gonz%C3%A1lez.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burgos Cathedral</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cqiKc6EJiSHB_IqlfgOgHXYjCKZksCSJP36owMrQyWIOEfhaOp4IULlW-hoVU4ZCMaqH1-9gItOJFonh5dwjYi7z8k3O4omjph2Saut9CqQ2LmpWdZOdbMudM6gPNzUIB1ajy7ev/s1600/DSCN4120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cqiKc6EJiSHB_IqlfgOgHXYjCKZksCSJP36owMrQyWIOEfhaOp4IULlW-hoVU4ZCMaqH1-9gItOJFonh5dwjYi7z8k3O4omjph2Saut9CqQ2LmpWdZOdbMudM6gPNzUIB1ajy7ev/s320/DSCN4120.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a vaulted ceiling!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIR3GDl4XSfjOB16-RgYNnMt08JVKbKiDmGgMgfhU9q1UHy9g4mRfnyOe1smfjxE85T9bc1IPuem7M3AxKso7lXtmf-kp3Uvzn4XTe2CJUN8rHQjsRbo3nfokcP6g-nm2UlQbXYgCd/s1600/DSCN4137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIR3GDl4XSfjOB16-RgYNnMt08JVKbKiDmGgMgfhU9q1UHy9g4mRfnyOe1smfjxE85T9bc1IPuem7M3AxKso7lXtmf-kp3Uvzn4XTe2CJUN8rHQjsRbo3nfokcP6g-nm2UlQbXYgCd/s320/DSCN4137.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wall carving of Christ carrying the cross</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
We were privileged to see some of
the true Spanish culture and architecture in Burgos. It was a bigger city, but still represented
the very basic culture of Spain in a way that I cannot describe well in
words. You just need to be there and see
it and feel it to know what I mean. The
colors, the stone roads and walkways, the people, and other little aspects that
just make this city so Spain. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqB3NBEWsqLV97hBGLmb7r0z2Utquatx5yh52sIpsPD-fa-KAqdHc7ewRL468lUdiXIcnpN6oZ2sm4KthrKy0y0lVPavqA0albOQ4FRz2Lt1EhBnz7Z8dwPdMnngRqcxRJJhxZj5ey/s1600/DSCN4165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqB3NBEWsqLV97hBGLmb7r0z2Utquatx5yh52sIpsPD-fa-KAqdHc7ewRL468lUdiXIcnpN6oZ2sm4KthrKy0y0lVPavqA0albOQ4FRz2Lt1EhBnz7Z8dwPdMnngRqcxRJJhxZj5ey/s320/DSCN4165.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> That
afternoon we were on our way again, this time to</span><b style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </b><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Le</span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">ón.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">We stopped at another small town to see
another type of cathedral.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> We
left and got to Le</span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">ón, another larger
city, and checked in, and went out to explore the city!</span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">It is a very pretty city and very busy.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">We walked up to the Cathedral of </span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Le</span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">ón, which has the largest amount of stained
glass per size of building in the world!</span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">And what was so amazing was how each pain of glass told a story and
explained gospel principles!</span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">It was so
interesting and incredible to even think how much time it had taken to create
them!</span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Carved into the rock on the
exterior of the cathedral they had the nativity scene and the birth of the
Virgin Mary as well as other famous bible stories.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">We stayed up late seeing the town and playing frisbee and went back that night to see the cathedral all lit up with the
beauty of the stained glass showing from the light within.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Very good experiences.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Light from within<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Before the end of the day we
traveled to a small town called Coca. We
visited a castle there that we also were able to take a tour of and learn of
why it was built and how it was used etc.
Today it is actually a boarding school, and has been restored
extraordinarily well considering its age.
Something to note is that all of the spiral staircases were very
narrow. The castle was built for
defense, and so any one soldier at the top of the stairs could easily stop a
single file line of enemy troops trying to climb up. All they had to do was give a shove and they
all come dominoing down the stairs! They
had some smart engineers!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By the end of these three days and
two nights of excursions I was very exhausted!
I slept quite a bit on the bus ride home! But that isn’t the end of my week off of
school! We got home that night, ate
dinner, unpacked and repacked and headed back to Madrid by the eleven o’clock
train to catch our one o’clock bus ride to Barcelona! I will save the details of that trip for its
own page.</span></div>
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</div>Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-87214759494509365452012-04-29T16:19:00.000-07:002012-04-29T16:22:11.890-07:00Segovia Y La Granja<br />
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So I need to explain something very unique to the city that I
live in. In Alcalá de Henares,<b> </b>every bar that you go to serve something called
Tapas. In Spanish the word “tapa” means
a lid, top, or seal. The meaning of the
word is distorted a little in this context because whenever you buy any drink,
anything, they give you a small meal for free.
Between all the bars in town they compete for who can offer the best
tapas to the customers. It is a big
deal, and it is actually a great deal for us being the customers. So a group of us went and got tapas for our
first time. We each got a little soda,
and got to order something for dinner. I
ordered an ensalada de longosta or “lobster salad.” Very interesting, it tasted
just fine, and I drank my soda, and I got it all for €2,50 or a little more
than $3! Pretty cool. We did that on Thursday evening, then went to
the Young Single Adult Institute and studied the book of Esther in the Old Testament.
That was a little difficult to understand,
first because I haven’t studied Esther in several years, and second because our
teacher spoke very quickly and honestly was a little strange. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ensalada de Longosta</td></tr>
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Also, interesting to me, they collect garbage in a unique way here. They have these medium sized Dumpster bins on the streets everywhere and people just walk over and throw out the garbage. No individual trash bins, or alleys or even a dumpster for an apartment complex, just a whole bunch in the street.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trash bins in the street</td></tr>
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On Friday we had our first
excursion of the program. We went to a
smaller town called Segovia. Segovia is
about two hours away from Madrid in a more mountainous area. On our way up we went through several
tunnels, one of which lasted several minutes.
It was a really big deal because we all tried to hold our breath while
going through it and nobody could make it!
It was a very long tunnel! Segovia
has one of the famous roman aqueducts. It
is so huge and just looks so strong and sturdy!
No kind of concrete is used in the structure, all just stone cut and
locked together. The aqueduct was
actually still in use even until the 1930s!
There for it has been well cared for in the last several centuries and
is in great condition still.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting on the bus</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Aqueduct</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katie Willis and I at the top!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> The holes were made to be able to grasp the blocks with giant tweezers and lift them up</td></tr>
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The city was built on a hill and so everything inside the city leads up
to the castle. The city was so cool! Cobble
stone roads, beautiful architecture and extremely detailed designs in the
exterior of almost all of the buildings.
At the top of the hill, just before the castle there is a huge Roman
Catholic Cathedral. Like ginormous
cathedral of late gothic design, that was built bigger and bigger over three to
four hundred years. It was a cold day,
and we stopped and bought fresh baguettes from una panaderia “bakery” and they
were delicious!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4xZdA2dOgaqO0ISU0lKn3WNog4ZO3h6RoCO-miqoDqOxO0_2iz_FKTgZtzImm9LCEX7LYbTVRtwxTGo0O281WOR-brnsnVnD7Gb1USbZvOQHKgQFBbt12vbifcCwGriPrlIp-xa_/s1600/DSCN3903.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4xZdA2dOgaqO0ISU0lKn3WNog4ZO3h6RoCO-miqoDqOxO0_2iz_FKTgZtzImm9LCEX7LYbTVRtwxTGo0O281WOR-brnsnVnD7Gb1USbZvOQHKgQFBbt12vbifcCwGriPrlIp-xa_/s200/DSCN3903.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down on on the city</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSZPAFYj9AAI1v-RPP1SJckF-kNpzbctHNaOwX-FZJhAnOjXClVgZ1H4sbX8Z62fz-YLFj7M4alGvFJ6JP7t-PjArINCZSCnKclzHtbAEec5aC8w4OmR_60O-PIR9KErlmnjAqJEe/s1600/DSCN3908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSZPAFYj9AAI1v-RPP1SJckF-kNpzbctHNaOwX-FZJhAnOjXClVgZ1H4sbX8Z62fz-YLFj7M4alGvFJ6JP7t-PjArINCZSCnKclzHtbAEec5aC8w4OmR_60O-PIR9KErlmnjAqJEe/s320/DSCN3908.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Segovian seal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQeslEzyygTlUUKybXIJxwzORuNMzTgzvfxmgEa4r52X8p3aTKtUUTnplVRAI4CM_knr7MT_v7XTOb4QHJ81lR8Dzk4RwCy0ftcPVIyASdUHcL9FKV0oppq6EQUSfqh6cypvpnrFU/s1600/DSCN3910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQeslEzyygTlUUKybXIJxwzORuNMzTgzvfxmgEa4r52X8p3aTKtUUTnplVRAI4CM_knr7MT_v7XTOb4QHJ81lR8Dzk4RwCy0ftcPVIyASdUHcL9FKV0oppq6EQUSfqh6cypvpnrFU/s320/DSCN3910.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing exterior designs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkyFWXH6zWuA5K4rxw_cqih4CK4buddV3sM5SkPZIUbotSWhvvjdUkdOK0Uk_1tLcGYmyuhSiAVBQj2qTLfvVzVXSa-A8ssDCBz6JvUehO3YXIIdumVMdmdwyUSFDV865qXCkbgR3X/s1600/DSCN3924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkyFWXH6zWuA5K4rxw_cqih4CK4buddV3sM5SkPZIUbotSWhvvjdUkdOK0Uk_1tLcGYmyuhSiAVBQj2qTLfvVzVXSa-A8ssDCBz6JvUehO3YXIIdumVMdmdwyUSFDV865qXCkbgR3X/s320/DSCN3924.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cathedral of Segovia</td></tr>
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Next we were able take a short
tour of the castle. Built so that all
but one side is surrounded by cliffs, and the other side has a 100 ft deep mote
in front of it with a bridge. Pretty cool. There was so much gold in the castle! All the ceilings of the kings chambers and
his families chambers were done with very intricate designs all leafs with
gold. I show a picture below were one of the ceilings they used over 60 kg of
gold on the ceiling! In perspective that
is 132 lbs or 2112 oz and at $1600 an oz today, that ceiling is worth well over
$3 million! Holy Hannah! That is an expensive ceiling! But that is the thing, all the ceilings were
gold leafed! That is a lot of wealth! That
had some very cool displays of knights armor, and we got to up to the top of
the central tower where you can see for miles and miles around. It was a pretty cool escalera de caracol “spiral
staircase.”</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelSTrMolPykj4cWOOytLWkY_NCLic4zYrzRjRvBrKBtVMHSpdoL0cfrX2BBDGA7isisUOtfqnw2dgTLCn6luFqyROnbGAS1tYoP3BJTP_QinrX1a67npHSlNcqFKc1gat1gOKVSJl/s1600/DSCN3992.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelSTrMolPykj4cWOOytLWkY_NCLic4zYrzRjRvBrKBtVMHSpdoL0cfrX2BBDGA7isisUOtfqnw2dgTLCn6luFqyROnbGAS1tYoP3BJTP_QinrX1a67npHSlNcqFKc1gat1gOKVSJl/s320/DSCN3992.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Segovian Castle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFLZd7eEWHz8492a5j1DS8I2fptYfHBZYSb-tGY9fmhjZT8UrEhaEIUaoSBz03DXNKcgNw5MRvkKP9Nt3QwWl8HYGHXWTnPTxuZaOJ8D0SGNZQbk-7wfXsYVD5Xdltk50b9txXOuV/s1600/DSCN3949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFLZd7eEWHz8492a5j1DS8I2fptYfHBZYSb-tGY9fmhjZT8UrEhaEIUaoSBz03DXNKcgNw5MRvkKP9Nt3QwWl8HYGHXWTnPTxuZaOJ8D0SGNZQbk-7wfXsYVD5Xdltk50b9txXOuV/s320/DSCN3949.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside, some of the amazing crown moldings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEl3caxKaCM09-M3_I900-6sT-7CqxUgmYSFUgYxqKeHmhQPSrPqYkyzu-IPlcr3LZNhJB9OggH7-oGJBYzl8NhNivJljObcWzVJgwLC27LXM4CSeZv6tLKhopVT0evFg0Iosr9hbE/s1600/DSCN3962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEl3caxKaCM09-M3_I900-6sT-7CqxUgmYSFUgYxqKeHmhQPSrPqYkyzu-IPlcr3LZNhJB9OggH7-oGJBYzl8NhNivJljObcWzVJgwLC27LXM4CSeZv6tLKhopVT0evFg0Iosr9hbE/s320/DSCN3962.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqzvbXeBXdavjTh94F3LkmuDFMzPqVB8H7woVqILDrr7kwZj_Cnj8EWdBnSp35bG-FX2MwPvkVoRFbu5AFqw5ucMs3KQn48VCGwnWoxbFntI_JiOdZ0_85aX0bLbnpfgKM9Of__-z/s1600/DSCN3963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqzvbXeBXdavjTh94F3LkmuDFMzPqVB8H7woVqILDrr7kwZj_Cnj8EWdBnSp35bG-FX2MwPvkVoRFbu5AFqw5ucMs3KQn48VCGwnWoxbFntI_JiOdZ0_85aX0bLbnpfgKM9Of__-z/s320/DSCN3963.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gold ceilings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQJOhBA199Ez2HJVSYqjZDH4MoU6hAcwR4LxHUpGc42FLzkOdK04WqF1ZyMcQIKvafy6HfwO1C-usJ59yOPRCditSff5p8HCccsqyTPMqmFMZUu51uoZjVoFWabP-PdzpcpMur99t/s1600/DSCN3970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQJOhBA199Ez2HJVSYqjZDH4MoU6hAcwR4LxHUpGc42FLzkOdK04WqF1ZyMcQIKvafy6HfwO1C-usJ59yOPRCditSff5p8HCccsqyTPMqmFMZUu51uoZjVoFWabP-PdzpcpMur99t/s320/DSCN3970.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up to the tower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After leaving Segovia, we went
to La Granja, or The Royal
Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso. A summer
home/palace formerly used for the kings of Spain.<b> </b> I can’t begin to describe to you how intricately
designed and how big it is! There were so many rooms! And every single room had
vaulted ceiling with various different molding and murals on the ceilings, and
sculptures, tapestries, paintings and anything else that might be a priceless piece
of art in history. Some of the
tapestries there were 30 ft high and 60 feet long! And they were like paintings! So many details
and stories being told, they were just absolutely fantastic! Then the property outside in the back yard
was incredible! Over 1500 acres of land with intricate fountains and pools that
spread several hundred yards, gardens, trees, a maze, benches, and an orchard. It was incredible. It is too bad that we are in early spring or
my pictures would have much more color and beauty to them. Plus we got some pretty heavy rain as we were
leaving and we all got pretty wet! But it
was such a cool experience and an awesome start to all of our amazing
excursions! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivuSoqmtwo8CEMJDteeQv4IjkgqclBH0vqiZTFgGpwyiuTrZq_-lRp7eo-d9MKk2rFh8Jpzq2o1wNThLSRyFtjp44h0gnU4B-_4u1uJJf7-1R93DkLQ4NEhS2DXwYekVO0nfpjsO4K/s1600/la+granja+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivuSoqmtwo8CEMJDteeQv4IjkgqclBH0vqiZTFgGpwyiuTrZq_-lRp7eo-d9MKk2rFh8Jpzq2o1wNThLSRyFtjp44h0gnU4B-_4u1uJJf7-1R93DkLQ4NEhS2DXwYekVO0nfpjsO4K/s320/la+granja+2.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what it looks like in the spring</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcR3mnBKnaRmIXJWtfudfzHlaV4RfrpI3Dg7ZfjzVh_Qg1SpwYo8C28GmRAWOKu4PwHspRqOW1BOQ8yQ8qyDylBI08SA8CcWny33tWc6rCEuQP_gVtkYAvY0TU__J37w1-lVz3ftJv/s1600/DSCN4014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcR3mnBKnaRmIXJWtfudfzHlaV4RfrpI3Dg7ZfjzVh_Qg1SpwYo8C28GmRAWOKu4PwHspRqOW1BOQ8yQ8qyDylBI08SA8CcWny33tWc6rCEuQP_gVtkYAvY0TU__J37w1-lVz3ftJv/s320/DSCN4014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I Love Spain!<br />
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<br /></div>Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-45261189639464124172012-04-26T07:35:00.000-07:002012-04-26T07:48:52.412-07:00Alcalá de Henares<br />
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Well I have been here
for a little over three days now! There
is so much to see! Like I mentioned
before, it is a beautiful city but plagued by trash and graffiti. Our host family says that it should be
cleaned up and controlled, but the city gave up when they tried the first time
because whenever they cleaned, more would come.
So below I have included several pictures of graffiti. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghEuehelXGZ4C4V697Yz3H6Mht2YC2ZAVDKKe7Km9OHIf2MJ4-TXr_SDNtpLrh8vEELIDCNLbh2aOLSL4colzRg8bZ7J1pWILONP3tZwBHWQkDheXbC7e7w2uJMbgaeETnOp9tyyEX/s1600/DSCN3885.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghEuehelXGZ4C4V697Yz3H6Mht2YC2ZAVDKKe7Km9OHIf2MJ4-TXr_SDNtpLrh8vEELIDCNLbh2aOLSL4colzRg8bZ7J1pWILONP3tZwBHWQkDheXbC7e7w2uJMbgaeETnOp9tyyEX/s200/DSCN3885.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graffiti</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8IZbCyHKg_JuC6Pzt79bicLmsPKZibJgMsPIWl2dqHETi7A0WBjwoT9ZUP_N842u2fxL9FYmgZaN1XC6U4J22Z4VGMt3_w8jI1aA4RnXat8de5MHYJ7Cz4RWjXdgKZu9kbq1koso/s1600/DSCN0001.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8IZbCyHKg_JuC6Pzt79bicLmsPKZibJgMsPIWl2dqHETi7A0WBjwoT9ZUP_N842u2fxL9FYmgZaN1XC6U4J22Z4VGMt3_w8jI1aA4RnXat8de5MHYJ7Cz4RWjXdgKZu9kbq1koso/s200/DSCN0001.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graffiti</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6gxP7rfcwHpJuiXQuZ-3D9p3kgfeX3CvUnY9Na0lgSOWfyv62X89HeI7BNwJcWiXXs-n3-fsVvfU1pVbAC7NYq5ZoGY5Jw5kkxfhCPG0-iIZjr8pYa3ZZR80ZT1iXJWc4fiJ_GCd/s1600/DSCN3867.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6gxP7rfcwHpJuiXQuZ-3D9p3kgfeX3CvUnY9Na0lgSOWfyv62X89HeI7BNwJcWiXXs-n3-fsVvfU1pVbAC7NYq5ZoGY5Jw5kkxfhCPG0-iIZjr8pYa3ZZR80ZT1iXJWc4fiJ_GCd/s200/DSCN3867.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graffiti</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrckftEB51Sd6vwZI5hFpMerXkb5Jn7_3SRH_CZpo3YiZdftX7oeCVDXYf2wOk9DAGSre7kZRqsVSCc3CMamfRkaeWBgY81pXcAV_oCrf9rrQAY_XFHMDmZvwj9fW9v3eAQv79e2cv/s1600/DSCN3864.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrckftEB51Sd6vwZI5hFpMerXkb5Jn7_3SRH_CZpo3YiZdftX7oeCVDXYf2wOk9DAGSre7kZRqsVSCc3CMamfRkaeWBgY81pXcAV_oCrf9rrQAY_XFHMDmZvwj9fW9v3eAQv79e2cv/s200/DSCN3864.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graffiti</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So now I am going to
take you on a walk through town for a bit.
If anybody has ever visited Boston, try to imagine an even older
Europeanized Boston, only with fewer people and you can imagine something
similar to Alcalá de Henares, which
means "Citadel On The River Henares".
It is a town of 200,000 people, and has been built and rebuilt many
times since the first century BC! Its
and old city! It is located about 20 miles outside of Madrid, the capital of
Spain. While the center of the city,
where my university "Alcalinguas" is located, has been preserved in its
historic state, the outskirts of the town have been hap-hazardly expanded and
built with no sense of efficiency or order.
Hence, there are rotundas or roundabouts (however you call them), at
nearly every intersection. It is amazing
that there are so few accidents! At one
intersection that I saw, there were seven different directions of traffic and
they all seem to move right through the rotunda and still stop for
pedestrians! Most people do walk, and
actually, pedestrians really have the right of way everywhere. As long as you are semi polite in your
crossing, and it isn´t like a huge street, all the cars will stop for you
without getting angry, and without honking their horn either. Otherwise you wait for the cross walk symbols
and then cross at the designated time.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjET5jPUF0y8tjSfbzr2RZ0CF2usojF3fTs-i_xgTrLmGxSKqQIl9xviBD_583pCzmXT7UF0Ta3rwaAx7BL3I_wADS0RMdR7rRQ7zMbM8jKakFS344nkVzAonhau4IyhdQmCPV6_pud/s1600/DSCN0002.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjET5jPUF0y8tjSfbzr2RZ0CF2usojF3fTs-i_xgTrLmGxSKqQIl9xviBD_583pCzmXT7UF0Ta3rwaAx7BL3I_wADS0RMdR7rRQ7zMbM8jKakFS344nkVzAonhau4IyhdQmCPV6_pud/s320/DSCN0002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical Roundabout</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As I commented in my
previous blog, everything is made of brick and stone. All the buildings, side-walks, fences, park
walks, even some of the streets. Some of
the brick is newer but most of it looks like it is ancient, dating back well
over a hundred years even. Even at my
university, they have taken the old building and basically tacked up the
electrical cabling to the ceiling so that it could be modernized. The brick on the outside is very old and
worn.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1GFyrHSjO4Atp83Tk7haCSXR0AT5GorT7NrNc9oFttmlrpf8s1NfaPTSzTxUghZMttNIcRMWlG7CJYuUR2ygFzpbgW-_HSHSoJ1dCugoG9cztmKy5Sya8hGbnhqE-_xsh5159QPR/s1600/DSCN3880.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1GFyrHSjO4Atp83Tk7haCSXR0AT5GorT7NrNc9oFttmlrpf8s1NfaPTSzTxUghZMttNIcRMWlG7CJYuUR2ygFzpbgW-_HSHSoJ1dCugoG9cztmKy5Sya8hGbnhqE-_xsh5159QPR/s320/DSCN3880.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Walk Ways</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;">
<tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGScAvy3mYxXB3mm2Ft9VAcyZJAoDUUpt7DwxaAs-cZsSPt6a6Do5GKBbqh4CphdGm3aywnqGzQU6Ln6snKaVppxNQoCze0Qoc8MrvtGoF6x29YFsSpR4IkUllhzmokCvTAWlEEC3/s1600/DSCN3838.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGScAvy3mYxXB3mm2Ft9VAcyZJAoDUUpt7DwxaAs-cZsSPt6a6Do5GKBbqh4CphdGm3aywnqGzQU6Ln6snKaVppxNQoCze0Qoc8MrvtGoF6x29YFsSpR4IkUllhzmokCvTAWlEEC3/s320/DSCN3838.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brick Side walk</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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Most of the streets
are lined with trees, some newer and smaller, and others ancient and
ginormous ones. Many have even been pruned
and tied in such a way that the branches grow across the walkway and form a
canopy that provides shade in the summer time.
Most places around this part of town use an interesting
system for a drinking fountain. It’s a
double sided faucet that is lower to the ground with a pan to catch the
water. This can be used to fill up your
water bottle or to let your dog drink out of the pan.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNQrC4n5LzcotURrQ2EHOH6BW-J0eOUxLGPAoI6L9cAYGX8Ypx5t04dCWmGA5lYhdjU0IS3pY1GqEnnAVrW2GCY9kNAgJADru-dQGSxm5xvBwwgCyr_S6YF30qheHEbn0X98_9d9m/s1600/DSCN0001.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNQrC4n5LzcotURrQ2EHOH6BW-J0eOUxLGPAoI6L9cAYGX8Ypx5t04dCWmGA5lYhdjU0IS3pY1GqEnnAVrW2GCY9kNAgJADru-dQGSxm5xvBwwgCyr_S6YF30qheHEbn0X98_9d9m/s320/DSCN0001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Covered Walk Way In The Summer<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8KNqdjq_c7s-XVxzEch6r7K2wW1lCFzGwlqpWqsC7r50EfryYUYzGCbEmkJv7mKWhZR2f_hEz_-lnTjAorq-kNxY5S4B9fkVYW_Hj0I5nfuaN9N1tHB-bgmgTxdeUgucbfosHudY8/s1600/DSCN3846.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8KNqdjq_c7s-XVxzEch6r7K2wW1lCFzGwlqpWqsC7r50EfryYUYzGCbEmkJv7mKWhZR2f_hEz_-lnTjAorq-kNxY5S4B9fkVYW_Hj0I5nfuaN9N1tHB-bgmgTxdeUgucbfosHudY8/s320/DSCN3846.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water Fountain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are also so many
parks here! On my way to school I pass by at
least six and I only live fifteen minutes away!
I think because no one has a backyard really, and how they all seem to
have dogs, the parks are where they go to walk the dog and get outside. Most of the parks are well kept for the most
part, and there are always people there. But due to the relatively high
population of dogs in the area, and the apparent lack of yard space, there is
dog poop everywhere! You have to be
careful where you step! It is kind of
like the geese in Chicago! They just go where ever they want and no one wants to clean up after them! It seems like the people here really enjoy
just a simple life style. They are happy
and content with walking the dog, going to the park, walking to the store and
sitting and talking on a bench. The city
is so quiet. No airplanes, not a lot of
cars, not a ton of traffic, just the sounds of people, birds, and the crosswalk
signals. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTAuekS11eC70CT9YtF0ckQ1EULZVjxG8lFHzsqaccSybiztwunWgrc5dOrmVfHk32Kgb5PHU7w8-9lWN_7GCdyCVxwechiGTJxfKfx0mpHZDeH4wsyVGeRlNEjZT4NhhjD2kKd4e/s1600/DSCN3884.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTAuekS11eC70CT9YtF0ckQ1EULZVjxG8lFHzsqaccSybiztwunWgrc5dOrmVfHk32Kgb5PHU7w8-9lWN_7GCdyCVxwechiGTJxfKfx0mpHZDeH4wsyVGeRlNEjZT4NhhjD2kKd4e/s320/DSCN3884.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cities Attempt to Clean Up the Crap!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5lCnBe8Rn0-pqPJj7_e63xHxyRLTg_UCFfa88e_NwONb9Iubvet3EzydkZYGix55gT-biPxN3vR5uM-0d2hiUVdA05wKsL6WOT_Vl2OeewoZU5BvXY9BdLeZJcb_hPDWKBRz6ckL/s1600/DSCN3845.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5lCnBe8Rn0-pqPJj7_e63xHxyRLTg_UCFfa88e_NwONb9Iubvet3EzydkZYGix55gT-biPxN3vR5uM-0d2hiUVdA05wKsL6WOT_Vl2OeewoZU5BvXY9BdLeZJcb_hPDWKBRz6ckL/s320/DSCN3845.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaza de Cervantes Again</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2q4AZsYNHKqtyEWHLY5J-48wFn47vxLayf_smCTaQWzhuLxRkLCWy2ARz3Y6bLW8ToKQ-IL0wuDM7IQfHl59otcAoC7fnkTnzSLYQ9XQq5asDbWQgHVE0a6RjhHki2uCi4GZ5xhvn/s1600/DSCN0001.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2q4AZsYNHKqtyEWHLY5J-48wFn47vxLayf_smCTaQWzhuLxRkLCWy2ARz3Y6bLW8ToKQ-IL0wuDM7IQfHl59otcAoC7fnkTnzSLYQ9XQq5asDbWQgHVE0a6RjhHki2uCi4GZ5xhvn/s200/DSCN0001.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical Park</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnQQkpoRUkDwmXm1si1tu1WTkt7_MMGnf49JFx7XQHlJCqZrrTPM1iDUXwpX5wisyicYFYXyEPLKVc7WaLtmpeSrIhFppkOpGP1rgzLwSXMI2l6klduUkH9nUzV39j0WFJAhzK-D6/s1600/DSCN0002.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnQQkpoRUkDwmXm1si1tu1WTkt7_MMGnf49JFx7XQHlJCqZrrTPM1iDUXwpX5wisyicYFYXyEPLKVc7WaLtmpeSrIhFppkOpGP1rgzLwSXMI2l6klduUkH9nUzV39j0WFJAhzK-D6/s400/DSCN0002.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yesterday I walked
home from school a different way than I usually do. Lately I try to take a few different ways each day so that I can see more of the city.
It is not like I don’t have the time.
Anyway, on my way home I stumbled across this old, little, beat up, dirt
soccer field. I have included the
picture below, but I stopped and watched the kids play. They were probably eight or nine years old,
and every single one of them could handle the ball better than I could. They were using their chests and their heads
and their foot work with both the left and the right was marvelous! I just stood there and watched for like
fifteen minutes. Unbelievable, but I guess
a lot of kids in the united states can play football or baseball really well
before they turn ten years old. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0W5kJFobH6pR_cu_AAwnY2_bBzJhi7dYAbAOMCVkSmVgjgD7uwKt0Gby5XNs4c_FUNbQq5HmlDCDHfGVb0TaSgZdiJLvl77U12FNFe67wnpb3QuICWnUzF7Bvh-RUHhXuZ5kCDc3h/s1600/DSCN3882.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0W5kJFobH6pR_cu_AAwnY2_bBzJhi7dYAbAOMCVkSmVgjgD7uwKt0Gby5XNs4c_FUNbQq5HmlDCDHfGVb0TaSgZdiJLvl77U12FNFe67wnpb3QuICWnUzF7Bvh-RUHhXuZ5kCDc3h/s200/DSCN3882.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to Soccer Field</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNTyiynZz4SIi1YHhiqaCGfHbo4M27wBy516paFgCg7ybWMRr290IcKHNdByGosTL00BveG2aPgVSjdMxGIM-8zP-TAxJapVptMyjr1aJUI7dUnhPQ2Tvd51c-_rFeL5EErLx0ZyZ/s1600/DSCN3881.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNTyiynZz4SIi1YHhiqaCGfHbo4M27wBy516paFgCg7ybWMRr290IcKHNdByGosTL00BveG2aPgVSjdMxGIM-8zP-TAxJapVptMyjr1aJUI7dUnhPQ2Tvd51c-_rFeL5EErLx0ZyZ/s320/DSCN3881.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dirt Field</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 35.4pt;">
So a couple more random things: On Tuesday night we met up with the
young single adults here in Alcalá
and had FHE with them. That was pretty
fun, four of the five guys there had mission calls, with one RM and 2 of the
five girls had served missions and one has her mission call right now. Pretty cool. that was at the institute building located near the Plaza de Cervantes,
and went back again on Wednesday night to watch the Real Madrid-Bayer (Munich)
game with some of the single adults. Real
Madrid lost! After overtime and penalty shots!
Ridiculous! It was interesting
because they went into overtime but the score was 2 to 1, and so we asked why
they game kept going and it is because they use an interesting scoring system here,
where each goal counts as a certain amount of points for your team in the league,
and it is worth a different amount if the game is away or at home and
stuff. And so Bayer was tied with Real Madrid
even though the score was 2 to 1 in favor of Bayer. It was very interesting, especially because we
went into overtime and penalty shots too.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 35.4pt;">
At this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=F%C3%BAtbol&redirect=no" title="Fútbol"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">fútbol</span></a> game, our friends brought out potato chips and pizza. Guess what flavors? The chips were ham and
garlic flavored! Very strange but they tasted good. The pizza was creamy with white sauce. Again both tasted fine, just not what we are
accustomed too in the United States.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 35.4pt;">
<br />
We started class on Wednesday. I have one class a day Monday thru Thursday. Just two classes repeated twice a week. I don’t think that they will be very
difficult. At least that is my feeling
so far. It is really cool to be in class
and be taught by native Spanish speakers especially ones so educated. I am studying the introduction to Spanish Literature
and Iberian Civilization (History of Spain).
It is pretty interesting; I think I am going to have a great six more
weeks!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 35.4pt;">
Tomorrow we have a day trip to Segovia then Monday we go to Leon, then Wednesday
to Barcelona! (Next week is a
holiday) Its going to be a packed week and
it will be awesome! Expect some amazing
pictures!</div>Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-61457972177367628822012-04-24T04:31:00.001-07:002012-04-24T04:31:48.580-07:00Travel To Spain<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> No matter what I do, whenever
I have to catch a flight my alarm does not go off and I get behind. That
is what happened Sunday morning. I set my alarm Saturday night and was going to
get up and eat breakfast, but when uncle Byde came down fifteen minutes after I
was supposed to get up, I had no time!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Luckily it all worked out and I got to the airport with plenty of time
and got on my flight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even had an
apple in my backpack that I ate for breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know the Lord will always make things work out if I can just continue
in perseverance and diligence until the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I had an amazing start to my study
abroad that Sunday morning!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Going
through security, there was a latino woman in front of me going through the
radar things that scan for bombs and stuff, and after you walk though you have
to get padded down in the areas the machine says you might have a bomb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well the poor woman was being told by the
airport security that she needed to take off her belt and for the life of her
this woman could not figure out what she was talking about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I stepped in and asked the women if she
spoke Spanish, which she gratefully responded “Si!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Immediately the airport security asked me to
tell her that she needed to take off her belt and that they had to pat her down
where the screen said etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I was
explaining all these things to her and was humbled by how little airport
terminology I knew!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in the end both
women were very grateful that I had helped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It turned out that the latino woman was from Argentina and was a member
of the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had come to the
states to see one of her daughters get married.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pretty cool start to my Spanish immersion for this spring term.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was a long day for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I flew from Salt Lake to Denver then to
Philadelphia, then to Madrid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily I
slept during each flight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But each
lay-over was delayed a certain amount of time and each one was located a
terminal and several gates away! It can be a little nerve racking when you have
to catch an international flight!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
Philadelphia we actually boarded the plane and were stuck just sitting there
for an hour and a half while they fixed the air conditioning!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was very uncomfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But on the plus side, the vast majority of
the plane was full of Spanish residents that had all come to the states for a
work convention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was able to talk to
many and really be able to practice my Spanish and learn from them, even before
getting to Spain!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made some friends
that have told us to call them after we get settled in so that they can give us
some great activities to do in Madrid, and one woman that basically talked to
me the whole flight over, invited me and a few others over to dinner at some
point during our program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another man
said that he had a very good friend that is a practicing civil engineer and
that he would probably love to speak with me and answer any questions that I
had!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is just something incredible
about all Spanish speaking cultures that I have come to know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are all so kind, humble and
friendly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyone of these people would
have taken the coat off their back and given it to us if we had need of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What causes this mindset in these people?
There were probably 35 or 40 natives surrounding us that all seemed to know
each other and talk like they had been friends for a long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is just amazing to me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
I also had my third in flight meal ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was actually very satisfying given that all I had eaten was an apple
for breakfast and by the time that we left Philadelphia it was already
8:30pm!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I would have eaten
anything!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily the international
flight was not completely full and there was a little bit of extra space to
spread out a little and actually get some “decent” sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Our international plane - airbus
320<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
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</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When we finally got in, we had to
wait at the airport for another two hours because the last group of kids in our
program got lost in the airport and we could not find them!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But eventually, we got on our bus, and it
took us to Alcalá, a suburb to Madrid, and where our university Alcalinguas is
located.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There we met our host families
at the Plaza de Cervantes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Plaza de Cervantes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> My host is a single woman named
Teresa Escuderos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is pretty easy to
get along with, but definitely lives different that either me or my roommate
are used to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very small town house type
home, and everything spotless, and placed a specific way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has a lot of systems to get things done,
and set times for meals, and bedtime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not our bedtime, but hers and we must stay very quiet when she heads to
bed at about 10pm so we will have to learn to be careful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Waiting at the airport<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Getting on the bus<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Our Host's Home while we are in
Alcalá<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Neighborhood<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The sky here is so beautiful and
clean!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems so clear and pure!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is such gorgeous landscape and
sunshine!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there is also a lot of
graffiti and trash that doesn’t get cleaned up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I feel like everything is in slower motion here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people walk, drive, clean, read and do
everything very relaxed and unhurried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is a very interesting phenomenon that I will continue to look into
and learn of.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Downtown, Alcalá<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Besides the graffiti though I am
amazed at how many parks there are!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Every block seems to have another one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All with plants and benches, many with playgrounds, and some still with
fields for soccer and such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every
building you see has brick architecture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Every single one, different patterns and stones sometimes but always
bricks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the sidewalks are made of
bricks and stones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the streets
are paved with bricks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I would say
that over 60% of all the cars here are basically the same small coupe/sedan
style that can practically fit into any little gap between cars. It is
actually kind of funny to watch them parallel park cause they actually tap the
car behind them with their bumper and then pull forward, sometimes knocking the
car in front of them too! I'll try to get a video so I can show
you. It is kind of funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My roommate and I are jet lagged and
tired but we are going to have a fantastic time here! Orientation is
tomorrow and classes start Wednesday. Then we leave for Segovia on Friday
morning!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8110569443129120533.post-38008175232444898852012-04-20T19:03:00.001-07:002012-04-24T04:34:19.582-07:00The Motive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So I wanted to describe to you all a little bit of the motive and preparation for this marvelous study abroad, before I actually take off on Sunday. As you all know, I served my mission in Fresno California speaking Spanish. Spanish has always been a favorite for me, that was my one greatest desire for my mission, to be able to serve the Lord's children in the Spanish language. It was also a desire to go somewhere foreign and get a full immersion experience and really feel the language and culture interact. Well the Lord granted me my first wish and I absolutely loved serving and teaching the people of the Fresno area! I saw so many miracles! And through diligence in study, and a true desire to learn to speak like a native, I was able to come as close to fluent as any state side missionary could.</div>
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Coming home from my mission I took a Spanish class for return missionaries, mostly just so that I could get credit for all the Spanish I learned while on my mission. While in this class, I discovered that my mastery of the Spanish language was far from complete. I could communicate to the people on the streets,and I could read and write well enough, but not in an educated setting. Most of the people I communicated with during the mission were suffering immigrants that came to the United States for an opportunity to improve their lives. Most worked on farms, and had had no real education at all. When I discovered my lacking ability, I desired more, but knew that I did not have the time or desire to minor in Spanish.<br />
<br />
I was able to get a summer internship at the City of Naperville, at my home in Chicago, and was able to use my Spanish on a daily basis while on the job site, relaying orders and specifications to the mostly Hispanic construction crews that I supervised. It was wonderful! I was praised for it! But it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. I wanted real conversation, real Spanish without all of the English, slang and cuss words mixed in. I went back to school. I try really hard to stay in touch with my recent converts and friends from the mission, and call them frequently. Amongst these phone calls, many a time I was poked fun at for how much I had lost my accent and hadn't been practicing. This frustrated me immensely.<br />
<br />
One day I got the idea that I should look at the study abroad programs that BYU offers, and see if there was one that interested me. I found one to Mexico, and one in Spain that interested me. I looked into them and weighed the benefits and the costs, and decided that since I had never been out of the country really, why not got to the place where Spanish was born to fully immerse myself in it?! So I applied, and got in!! I was sooo excited!!! I will be there for just over seven weeks, and will be taking two Spanish classes. Each class counts as a University general credit, which moves me closer to graduation, and these two classes allow me to put a Spanish certificate on my diploma! Meaning I will have university recognition that I can speak Spanish fluently! It is soo wonderful!<br />
<a href="http://www.spanish-town-guides.com/photo/Map%20of%20Spain.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.spanish-town-guides.com/photo/Map%20of%20Spain.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
So I will fulfill my other wish that I had before my mission, to go to a foreign place and be fully immersed in Spanish, plus be closer to graduation, get certified by the university, and just have an incredible time! I leave on Sunday!<br />
<span id="goog_1464286030"></span><span id="goog_1464286031"></span>Loganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17728988142662647078noreply@blogger.com1