26
January
2008
Jackie and I are in Lisbon now, on the last day of the mainland Europe leg of our trip. Tomorrow we head to England to catch up with some friends and relatives before heading to California.
I’ll keep this blog short since it hasn’t been long since the last one, and Vikkee, I know how you don’t read the long ones anyway. 
From Marrakesh where we last posted, we made the journey back to Seville where we spent a night before continuing on to Portugal. Our first stop was the Algarve beach town of Lagos, where we were planning on just stopping through for one night since we figured it would be cold like the south of Spain. To our surprise and pleasure however, upon arrival we discovered it to be relatively warm and very sunny, and decided to extend our stay to 2 nights. Lagos is a small town that is packed in summer, but quiet in the winter, so we had the beaches almost to ourselves whilst we caught a little sun and even went for a quick dip! We also spent an evening at the local pub, Three Monkeys, where we chatted to the barman and his girlfriend and had a lot of free alcohol – including a cocktail called the ‘the Slugger’ that Jackie (and then me) had to skull through a straw. 
From Lagos, we got the bus up to Lisbon where we have spent the last 2 nights. It’s quite a small city – in fact, surprisingly small for a capital. We’ve wandered around, relaxed a little, and tried out the famous Portuguese Pasties de Nata (custard pasties) in the suburb of Belem (Bethlehem) which are apparently the best in Portugal. Where we are staying is right in the center of town, but still a short walk from the Castle (Castelo de Sao Jorge), where we headed on our first afternoon for a look around, and amazing views over the city. It turns out that Lisbon has a copy of the Golden Gate Bridge called the Iron Gate (although I’m not sure who copied who!) so don’t get confused by the photos of that.
I’ll leave this blog at that to keep all of you with short attention spans happy!
Have a great Australia day to all of you back in Sydney.
Ben and Jackie
Posted: Travel
19
January
2008
It’s been quite a while since we’ve updated the blog and since then we’ve experienced six different cities, two countries, and two continents! I’m writing now from our gorgeous Moroccan hotel in Marrakesh. Yes, I said Morocco. We’d allocated nearly 2 and a half weeks for Spain and Portugal and since Ben and I tend to move quite quickly we decided to spare a few days for a spontaneous trip to Africa!
So where we’ve been:
Our visit in Barcelona wouldn’t have been nearly as enjoyable without our traditional Spanish lunch with Joan, a Catalonian artist who the Buchanans are family friends with. He took us to “the 7 doors” which has Barcelona’s best paella according to Joan and honestly it was the best paella, tapas, and iberico jamon we’d ever tasted. Joan even gave me a gorgeous tan leather handbag as an early birthday present that is perfect for traveling (you can see Ben and I carrying it in all the photos now!). It was very special to have Joan’s perspective on the city we’d reveled in and more importantly to have his company for the day. We said our goodbyes and Ben and I hopped on a train to Spain’s capital city.
We arrived in Madrid late that night, found Tom’s apartment (Keiren’s friend with whom we stayed), and headed out to catch a late night Flamenco show. The smokey bar was packed and the energy of the dancers was incredible. Their feet were on fire and it was the perfect introduction to Madrid. The next day Tom had class so Ben and I set off for a day of sight seeing and walked the entire city in one day. Madrid is famous for their art museums so we checked out the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia which boasts housing Picasso’s legendary Guernica. It was definitely our favorite museum because of its extensive Dali collection. We also visited the palace (very Buckingham-esque!), the cathedral, and many other remarkable buildings. Madrid is a grand city with gorgeous architecture everywhere you look – so although it isn’t known for one landmark in particular, walking the whole of the city exposes many unexpected delights. That night we headed to El Tigre, a bar Tom frequents for the free tapas with every cañas (glass of beer) and since it is off the tourist beat. We had a yum dinner of tapas and a wonderful night out in Madrid ! The next day Ben and I headed to the Prado before spontaneously deciding to go to Toledo, an ancient city about 75 minutes south of Madrid. We loved wandering around the winding cobblestone streets that time had forgotten before heading back to Madrid for our last night with Tom. That night we had a delicious tapas dinner and since it was so cold and we had an early morning bus to Granada to catch we decided to head home after dinner. Tom was an excellent host and showed us an awesome time in Madrid. We can’t thank him enough for the three nights and wonderful memories and all the Don Simon !
The next morning we caught a bus to Granada. Five hours later we arrived in the gorgeous Andalucian city where we’d decided to spend my birthday! Mom and Dad surprised me with a special and thoughtful gift they’d given to Ben when they visited in November so it felt like they were there with us celebrating. (Thanks again you made my birthday incredible!) We stayed in a wonderful hotel in Plaza Nueva with a view of the Alhambra! That night we went to Kasbah, a tea and hookah bar before going out to an arabic dinner for my Australian birthday. The next morning (my actual birthday) we walked the entire city and explored the Albaicin (the old Jewish quarter) and then spent the afternoon at the Alhambra. It was a present in itself just to be in Granada let alone to walk around the majestic Alhambra. Ben and Siena were quite the conspirators while in India and he surprised me with this Hermes shawl I’d fallen in love with that Siena played off as a gift for a friend. That night we had a delicious tapas dinner. It will definitely be a birthday I remember forever.
The next morning we left Granada in the rain and took a bus to Cordoba for a few hours exploration on our way to our final destination of Sevilla. The sun was shinning and we visited its famous Mesquita – a Cathedral built on the ruins of a Mosque. Cordoba was a delightful town with the same white washed homes characteristic of Andulacia and we enjoyed walking around soaking up the sun before heading to Sevilla. That night we had dinner and strolled the streets of Sevilla. The next day we spent visiting the Alcazar, its famous Cathedral, Columbus’ tomb, the Giralda, and getting lost in the streets of the Barrio. After a full day we spent the evening strolling the streets through all the shops just like the locals, before having a wonderful tapas dinner. We’ve really been enjoying our time together exploring these cities.
So where we are now:
After two wonderful nights in Sevilla, we jumped on a bus to Tarifa, walked through town with an American couple we’d met doing the same thing, and boarded the 35 minute ferry (actually more like an hour with the weather) to Tanger. We arrived and walked the entire city, rocked the Kasbah, and sat down to a delicious lunch and our first Moroccan Mint Tea (divine!) at an outdoor cafe perfect for people watching and being people watched. This cafe was also accommodating to women and I didn’t feel uncomfortable there whereas all of the other cafes along the main drag were occupied by nearly 100% men. We’d decided to search for a recommendation from our Lonely Planet Guide book for dinner which ending up taking us 2 hours to find because of the lack of road signs! We then headed to the train station for our overnight trip to Marrakesh.
We woke up not very refreshed but excited nonetheless (poor Ben was up reading at about 2:30 in the morning since he couldn’t sleep) and caught a cab to Djema-el-fna square where our adorable hostel is. It has a gorgeous courtyard, wonderful staff, and a colorful room. I’m also really loving speaking French everywhere! We then spent the day walking around Ville Nouvelle, or the new city, then the Medina (which is where we are staying), checked out their famous Koutoubia Mosque, and relaxed before heading to the night markets for a cheap local dinner. It’s amazing how many stalls they set up for the night markets and how wonderful the whole area smells around 5:30 in the evening. It really comes alive with all the locals and tourists. We had free mint tea with our Tajine and chatted to a friendly French traveller next to us. There was even a total blackout during dinner and the square went completely dark. Don’t worry we didn’t skip out on the bill or anything like that…they brought out some generators and then power was restored about 30 minutes later while we were drinking the most extraordinary cinnamon tea for dessert while chatting to a Casablancan native. The tea is seriously to die for and they even give you this interesting (hard to describe) very moist, chocolate, coffee, spice cake meets grainy pudding. Check out the photos when we get them up. Everyone here is really friendly and welcoming – the man we chatted to over dessert insisted on treating us even when we’d already offered a dessert and tea to a little child.
Today we spent strolling the endless winding roads of the markets, visited a tannery and did a bit of souvenir shopping. Tonight we’ll head to the night markets again for a cheap and yum dinner (with cups of cinnamon tea) and a taste of the local delicacy – SHEEP’S HEAD! They burn the hair off and then boil it. Apparently the locals eat the entire head except for the eyes. We’ll let you know how it tastes…well maybe Ben will let you know how it tastes !
Sorry for the long post and we’ll get the photos up next time we have wireless – which to be honest might not be until we get home to LA.
Hope all is well and send us your news!
Au Revoir et un gros bisous! (Goodbye and a Big Kiss)
Posted: Travel
9
January
2008
We arrived here in Barcelona yesterday after a slight hiccup en route – Our flight out of Delhi was delayed slightly, so upon arriving in Frankfurt we were escorted through immigration to try to make our connection, but alas, it was all for nothing and we missed the connection and had to wait 3 hours for the next flight to Barcelona! Our hostel here is great though – we´re in a room that sleeps about 12 people, but have our own little 2 person section, and more importantly we´re right in the middle of town near las ramblas and placa catalunya. Yesterday we wondered around town all afternoon doing a little bit of shopping and introducing me to some Gaudi buildings which are actually very unusual and impressive! Jackie is being a very good tour guide since she has been here before Last night we had a very American dinner at Hard Rock Cafe to get some much needed western food – it was my first burger in ages! Today we´ve spent the day wandering around town. We started with the Sagrada Familia which is another amazing Gaudi building – it´s a huge temple/church which is hard to explain, but you´ll all see it when we put the photos up. We then went to Parc Guell – another Gaudi site, before heading back into town to buy some salami, bread and cheese for lunch at the Boqueria Market, which we then took down to the water to eat – Yum Yum! Barcelona is a beautiful city, and I can imagine how crowded the beach must get in summer.
Tomorrow we´re meeting an old family friend, Joan, for paella for Lunch, and then tomorrow afternoon we head off to madrid! Just a short stay here but we´re keeping busy and there are still many more cities to see
Now, on to our last couple of days in India which were great fun too. From Jaipur we headed to Ranthambhore National Park/Tiger Reserve, where unfortunately we didnt see any tigers 
We still had a great time playing cricket at the hotel, and seeing other wildlife on the safaris – even though the morning safari was freezing, and despite us wearing everything we had and a blanket, it was still the coldest we´ve ever been in the open air jeep! After Ranthambhore, it was off to Agra which was our final stop, and home of the Taj Mahal. We saw the Taj at sunrise and it blew us away – it was more amazing than any of us thought it would be and certainly deserves it´s fame. We also went to learn about Agra´s specialty handicraft of inlaying semi precious stones in marble which is incredibly impressive and time consuming since each stone is cut and inlayed by hand and some are almost as thin as a piece of hair. We also saw an exhibit of amazing embroidery that was 3D and unlike anything we had seen before. Jackie also got to dress up in emerald jewelry that was literally worth millions of dollars! From Agra, the following morning we drove to Delhi, dropped the rest of my family at the airport, and then Jackie and I spent 6 hours at the airport Radisson having a delicious dinner and cocktails to pass the time until our flight at 3 am.
That about sums up what we´ve been up to since the last blog. We´ll put up our barcelona photos when I next have internet on my computer.
Hope everyone is well. Un beso (Best Wishes)
Ben and Jackie
Posted: Travel
2
January
2008
We’ve had quite an exciting trip since our last post and as you can see from the above photo from today’s paper, the Indian paparazzi were out in full force for our VIP appearance at the Sheraton Rajputana’s New Years Eve Gala in Jaipur where we are now! Keiren, TK, Ben and I were even out numbered on the dance floor by these guys trying to snap photos – definitely got a taste of the celeb life! Thanks Dad for the hair…it’s been quite an attraction here in Rajasthan! Last night was a lot of fun and it was wonderful to ring in the New Year in another new city with all of us dancing the night away. Upon arriving at the Sheraton here in Jaipur yesterday we found that we had prepaid for the New Year’s Eve Party so decided we might as well go along. It started off slow – We were about the first to arrive despite being almost 30 minutes late, however as the night progressed it got busier and we had a lot of fun. Ben, TK, Keiren and I spent most of the night on the dance floor, winning lots of prizes and generally having a great time.
Back to what we’ve been up to since the last blog: After we left the luxurious Devi Garh we began our journey to Deogarh Mahal with a must see stop at the Jain temple in Ranakpur. Siena arranged for us to receive a blessing, known as a Puja, from the High Priest there. The blessing was powerful with his amazing voice and the most piercing eyes that I swear saw straight into your soul. The temple had 1,441 marble pillars – none of which were carved the same. It was truly extraordinary and you’ll have to see the photos to really understand the ancient awe-inspiring carvings. We hit the road to Deogarh – another renovated palace. Passed on through the family for generations, the palace was opened 11 years ago as a hotel. Each room had its own special touches and we lucked out with an amazing double room with a sitting room and gorgeous marble pillars. It reminded me of a Mexican inspired ranch house inside of an antique palace.
After a special night there we all jumped in the van and headed to Osian for our camel safari. The camp was built amongst the sand dunes and couldn’t be seen from the road but our permanent tents were much more luxurious than we’d expected. We headed straight out for our sunset camel ride. It was so much fun! We had dinner, watched traditional dancing, and then headed back to the ‘lodge’ with the owners for a bit of indian ‘old monk’ whiskey! Quite the experience.
Jodhpur was our next stop and we relaxed our first day with massages, sunning, and Siena and I had our hands “Henna’d.” That night we met up with Ben’s storm parents, John and Shirley, for dinner which was wonderful. The next morning after a sunrise yoga class we headed to the Mehrangarh Fort, and then the clock tower markets to preview some ‘Hermes’ shawls.
Our 7 hour journey the next day to Jaipur breezed by allowing time for us to check out the silver and semi precious gemstones Jaipur is known for. After meandering our way through numerous streets, alley ways that seemed only to lead to other alley ways, and literally thousands of people we made it to the store recommended to us by some friends. After a few purchases we began the adventure back to our car. It was at times overwhelming but the ultimately exciting energy took over and I really experienced the life of the city and the rich culture of these people.
Today was an early start after a late night. We headed out to the Amber fort, City Palace, and the ancient observatory. Tomorrow we’re off to Ranthambore to stay on a Tiger Reserve…and well…see some tigers!
Wishing you good luck, best wishes, and love for the New Year,
Jackie and Ben
Posted: Travel
