She's home!

Rachel got home from her Amigos summer in Honduras today. She taught children classes about hygiene, clean water, gardening, vegetable, and handwashing. She helped them make murals, and helped to initiate a community based project of forming a school band. There are a lot of percussion instruments in it, and the community is excited. Rachel seems to have enjoyed her experience. Thanks to all of you who helped to make it happen!

Happy Birthday, Neil

So we went from Cancun to Merida last Saturday. There is a lot to be said, but I will just have to do that when I have some decent internet access. A quick summary:
Sunday we spent at church with our ward friends, and at one of their homes after. They put together a potluck for us with all of our dearest friends. Everyone was the same, but only 10 years older.
Monday: We visited the Ruta Puuc and tied our record of seeing 5 ruins in one day. IT IS HOT HERE! At Uxmal, the biggest ruin, we trudged across the grass and ruins, everyone was without energy. Things were better later in the day when it dropped a few degrees. Everyone was asleep by 9 30 pm.
Today, Tuesday. Neils Birthday. He turned 22, and like 6 out of 7 of the last birthdays, he was out of the country. To recount those countries: Nicaragua, Brazil, Home, Honduras, Paraguay, Paraguay, and here in Mexico. Perhaps we should say FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS instead. So what did we do¿ We went to Dzibichaltun, a ruin close to Merida. Neil, with renewed energy from yesterday, climbed everything, and swam with all of the fish, including us, in the cenote there. After that, we went into Merida. We visited the governors palace with the pictoral history of the Mayas, and went to the cathedral which was built with Merida starting in 1542. Then, we went into the Mercado, doing what only Neil would find the greatest joy in doing: looking for unusual fruit! We found only a few pitihayas, our favorite fruit from here in the Yucatan, but Neil found sapotes, chirimoyas, rambutans, avocados, nances, and mamoncillos. Then to top off a really good day already, we stopped by the zocalo and got paletas, which translated, are the best ice cream bars in the whole entire world. Sam and I got coconut, and Ruth, Annie, and Neil got Guanabana. Neil got a second, because it was his birthday. He got mamey, a fruit that tastes, according to Neil, like a combination of a peach, watermelon, and a sweet potato. For those of you who know Neil, it was a good birthday!

Pictures will come when we have a decent internet connection.

Cancun

Annie and I flew from Belgium to Chicago to Miami on Sunday. We overnighted in Miami, then flew to Cancun on Monday. I have a nursing conference here this week, so Annie came along--an extension of her "Senior trip".
As we walked off of the plane, heat, humidity, smells, and Spanish greeted us--all familiar and good memories. We are back in the Yucatan! Europe was really nice, it is true, but they don't smile a lot there, except Michele and her mom. It is hard not understanding the language, although a good experience. And while I am not fluent in Spanish, I certainly am more familiar with it than French. Plus, after living here for almost half a year, it seems like coming home.
Until we got to the hotel, that is. It is a ridiculously nice hotel, the nicest Annie says she has ever stayed in, and is nothing like the Mexico we experienced when living here. It is an all inclusive resort, about 25 minutes from Cancun. It is a compound, sequestered away from the road, from everything, really. Food and some entertainment are provided.
My main purpose is to go to the nursing conference, so I have been going to that. Annie has been hanging out at the pool enough to get burned even with sunscreen, and I have gotten to be there a little bit, but not enough to even get a little burned WITHOUT sunscreen. We have had some good food, although I am bummed to not be able to get Mexican food at a Mexican resort. We have gotten to eat a lot of flan. Oh yeah!
Annie's favorite thing about this resort, though is the huge jacuzzi tub sitting on one side of our room, as large as one of our beds. Bubble bath is provided, and with the jets, well, look at the pictures of happy Annie in the tub:

Annie is loving that tub. Tonight she got the bubbles a couple of feet high, and then played for a while sending handfuls of bubbles into the air.
I don't have any other pictures yet, partly because I don't want a bunch of pictures of the swimming pool. The ocean water is murky, and there is some sort of weed growing there so no white sand. Basically everyone stays in the pool, and a few people at most have been out in the ocean. Not to worry--we plan on spending some time on the north side of the Yucatan Peninsula--hopefully the water will be better there.
I do have a funny story. Our rooms are very clean, and are beautifully furnished. Today after I returned from a conference session I was waiting in the room for Annie. A medium sized spider ran across the floor, and not wanting it here, I lobbed one of my flip flops at it and killed it. Later, I was telling Annie about my amazing spider-killing skills as we walked back to our room. Just as we started across the grass and I was telling her about this, an iguana popped up. Both of us jumped a couple of feet and let out very loud screams, then realizing it was just an iguana, had a very long laugh at ourselves!

Au Revoir: "Senses" of Belgium"

Today we are leaving Belgium, "Au Revoir". Here are some of our experiences here, through the "senses"
Taste: CHOCOLATE! Panini, Michele's mom's wonderful cooking, Belgian Waffles, "French" fries (which Michele says were really invented in Belgium,crepes:

This particular dessert is a cheesecake with red and black currents, Ligonberries, and blackberries.

Dinner with Kaoma. A few of the tasty things we got to eat included tomato salad with basil and vinagrette dressing, whipped carrots with potatoes, fish cooked in cream sauce, and chocolate mousse.

Sounds: French (of course), cars, bells ringing, the beeping of the crosswalk.

Smells: Cigarettes, chocolate, body odor (what is it about people that use public transportation, keep their arms up to hang on, and never shower?), lotions in The Body Shop, flowers.

Touch: The hand grip on the tram, the feel of lips on the cheek during a Belgian "Hello", rain on our cheeks, grass underneath Annie's and Michele's handstands, plus their non-stop friendly bantering/squabbling/wrestling

Sight: Amazing architecture everywhere! Crazy Michele hairdos, the Belgian public transportation melancholy, beautiful greenery and flowers, blue skies with billowing white clouds, stained-glass windows, windmills, bicycles, cathedrals...

Merci beaucoup, Michele and her mom! Au Revoir, Belgium!

Happy Birthday, Mike!

Okay, so we might still be in Belgium, but I want to be the first to wish Mike a Happy Birthday!

This is a "cake" we saw of gummi candies in a shop window. Almost as good as the Marzipan fruit here:

Happy Birthday Mike!

Köln, (Cologne) Germany

Today we took the train to Germany, specifically to Köln, the fourth largest city in Germany. The main sight to see is the large cathedral the Dom, one of the only structures that didn't get leveled by bombs in WWII. Take a look:

The last picture is from the "Treasure of the Dom" exhibit, showing treasures amassed for centuries by the Catholic leadership at the Dom. In this picture are things discovered in a tomb of a boy from a prominent Frank family, whom they estimated was buried in 537 A.D. Talk about OLD. We saw other relics, the supposed remains of the Three Kings, and some of the chains holding of of the apostles. We saw a coin from the Holy Roman Empire, minted in 408 A. D. Talk about OLD. We saw an excavation of a Jewish settlement with rocks from 100 A. D.

Another thing we got to see was the Lindt Chocolate Museum/Factory, which looked like it was right out of the Willie Wonka movie

Finally, a view of the Rhine

Our "taste" of Germany was as good as the chocolate!

Paris

Yesterday Michele's mom drove us from Brussels to Paris. We spent the day walking, walking, and even more walking! I have hives from walking so much (Really!). The last time I walked so much was when I went to Paris with Mike back in 1997. We thought Paris was beautiful, along with the hoards of other people there seeing Paris. We didn't have time to see the works in the museums; Annie will have to go some other time. Nor did we have time to visit the catacombs, although we did navigate the catacombs of underground parking. We left Paris before it got dark, which doesn't happen here until about 10pm, so we could see our way out of the city. We got back here to Brussels about 1:20 am. Needless to say, we haven't done a lot today. Here are some of the sights from our trip.

Of course, Annie and Michele added their own spark to Paris. Even with all of the walking they had energy for jumping and doing cartwheels by the Louvre.

As you can see, Paris is SO much more fun with Michele and Annie along. Can you imagine what the eyes of Notre Dame thought of those two?

Au revoir, Paris! Hopefully Annie will have as much energy next time!

Jump! in Brugge/Bruges

Today we went to Bruges, in Flanders, close to the Netherlands. We thought Ghent was beautiful, and so was Bruges, if not more so. It is hard to say.
So what are we doing here every day? Basically, it is walking the cobblestone streets around very old cities in Belgium, looking into the very old churches, at paintings, carvings, and architecture. It is enjoying the amazing brick buildings and other architecture. It is hard to describe how beautiful it is. We have been walking and walking, and enjoying every step.

Also, to make today a little different than another day in another breathtaking Belgium City, it was "Jump Day". Annie and Michele did jumping pictures in front of incredible scenery. Watch as they perfect their jumping skills:

Finally, they jumped together, airborne like the blades of the windmills behind them. We didn't take any more jumping pictures after that!

Another amazing day in Belgium.