tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291139212024-03-07T06:02:32.383-08:00Something Pretty CleverKarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.comBlogger553125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-42351234260506503942012-02-28T09:38:00.003-08:002012-02-28T09:38:56.117-08:00Attic<p><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislej8ZyMRTNjYXCkchlaAwm8fEK4Q9u88vzF0Bt740sRTW0_19169524eNBgujgStuQNaE4v9hf83DrNu4cOAafd4wvqZO-9E0fqKVRAYPXKBG4oP4-2V8RcOJwAfFtV-7iNDYQ/'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislej8ZyMRTNjYXCkchlaAwm8fEK4Q9u88vzF0Bt740sRTW0_19169524eNBgujgStuQNaE4v9hf83DrNu4cOAafd4wvqZO-9E0fqKVRAYPXKBG4oP4-2V8RcOJwAfFtV-7iNDYQ/s400/2012-02-28%25252009.21.44.jpg' /></a></p><div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8</div>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-38736345462449718352012-02-28T09:38:00.001-08:002012-02-28T09:38:28.768-08:00Attic<p><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvu6b4hyphenhyphenipdzzGP_u-C6-mWytIxhfKlbhSgRcJjdr9br7udLatG5rWt0S87Ivy7aSG9C2oXmN5lDrsedheLBf0V171cdPVjA-QllPpOLmmegs75Ska9YbPm_ttHUhhqO5kxC9Jw/'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvu6b4hyphenhyphenipdzzGP_u-C6-mWytIxhfKlbhSgRcJjdr9br7udLatG5rWt0S87Ivy7aSG9C2oXmN5lDrsedheLBf0V171cdPVjA-QllPpOLmmegs75Ska9YbPm_ttHUhhqO5kxC9Jw/s400/2012-02-28%25252009.20.59.jpg' /></a></p><div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8</div>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-55992802933069204242012-02-28T09:37:00.001-08:002012-02-28T09:37:55.516-08:00Attic<p><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5Sj_geCvt08XCvWE8gLZKe7HAr-iugZfVvon5Lj3W9F963iUaF8_pCd32_8_h3OPiquk3TaN1hwLpjI0c6WyDz4UzVJ8ayB3z402R1kt8OUV3GwT90qOGn0uXwW-w4KVvj2vCw/'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5Sj_geCvt08XCvWE8gLZKe7HAr-iugZfVvon5Lj3W9F963iUaF8_pCd32_8_h3OPiquk3TaN1hwLpjI0c6WyDz4UzVJ8ayB3z402R1kt8OUV3GwT90qOGn0uXwW-w4KVvj2vCw/s400/2012-02-28%25252009.20.44.jpg' /></a></p>What do we do with our bare wood? Paint it white or leave as is? Right now the floors are painted wood, walls and ceiling unfinished shiplap (?) <br/> <div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8</div>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-79935036942808539472011-11-01T20:58:00.000-07:002011-11-01T20:58:56.434-07:00Halloween<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjrDazn84ZLNsMi1X2pQH0uYLxw_rvrLCi4jpuazSlPwyPjbV0QwgCUN7yeQQ8fQXX9AqbZLY9Gt9Lr_nxHLpB200dS-W6GFEpxxBF7MeM9vXjeChgoUW1Z4jfy1K1LylwhPlgQ/s1600/DSC_0290.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjrDazn84ZLNsMi1X2pQH0uYLxw_rvrLCi4jpuazSlPwyPjbV0QwgCUN7yeQQ8fQXX9AqbZLY9Gt9Lr_nxHLpB200dS-W6GFEpxxBF7MeM9vXjeChgoUW1Z4jfy1K1LylwhPlgQ/s400/DSC_0290.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6I40Q5b9_YLdun5UFgo7iSnddoNQZ8KjMW9qyAHPKrtfgU4FJx0SY79hI4Aym2vF243d4mDGskS4Kzx2qfRt0uyK-NuukFM00oqoF7n7tx_U0JzrupUtuXUzRl-9JNxO1D8gcHA/s1600/DSC_0292.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6I40Q5b9_YLdun5UFgo7iSnddoNQZ8KjMW9qyAHPKrtfgU4FJx0SY79hI4Aym2vF243d4mDGskS4Kzx2qfRt0uyK-NuukFM00oqoF7n7tx_U0JzrupUtuXUzRl-9JNxO1D8gcHA/s400/DSC_0292.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuB93BA3thoqQQbMEyx_RacAftgwK6GrVJ6gI80lUk2ixl5f_Dje1UQrwsWKvCFYUIVVOoTvtp3_lTEhRwMyK0z7pJXfrGsIVxTSB1AE5VTDLICBymut4Vnz-qlff3uVoV1MDSww/s1600/DSC_0300.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuB93BA3thoqQQbMEyx_RacAftgwK6GrVJ6gI80lUk2ixl5f_Dje1UQrwsWKvCFYUIVVOoTvtp3_lTEhRwMyK0z7pJXfrGsIVxTSB1AE5VTDLICBymut4Vnz-qlff3uVoV1MDSww/s400/DSC_0300.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLL-8Q3sdQBt7PM_vRyloQITocQOQvfRZ2cMQGw_9Y2vxiF1LBDV8Th5WjHYW-cqjY4LltkUnm-wUeIxX1sncdMEzDs9qXacH8-nj-gTyvhqXQ9NVEEKbMn2tgA9OZXBaDBbSPqA/s1600/DSC_0302.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLL-8Q3sdQBt7PM_vRyloQITocQOQvfRZ2cMQGw_9Y2vxiF1LBDV8Th5WjHYW-cqjY4LltkUnm-wUeIxX1sncdMEzDs9qXacH8-nj-gTyvhqXQ9NVEEKbMn2tgA9OZXBaDBbSPqA/s400/DSC_0302.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0WHsRFUf2az45sSderza7mABG8DIdbl6J288tHEUFZHlHr3NMe_x27POfyISd-WVBqrW8ul9LoIzDYV68pWH2_VFQbu6H8lFjhbfr3p10ympna2evUgq8Pr7gLT9hPrYuVTBKg/s1600/DSC_0304.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0WHsRFUf2az45sSderza7mABG8DIdbl6J288tHEUFZHlHr3NMe_x27POfyISd-WVBqrW8ul9LoIzDYV68pWH2_VFQbu6H8lFjhbfr3p10ympna2evUgq8Pr7gLT9hPrYuVTBKg/s400/DSC_0304.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMSE51XUO9JGRxNGjanxu-mWV8T323pIC_mTXoBmiBYf22sKXMLN8XF5YJYVu6ti8rwzXJ36FZSM1UvG_tJGjaRAYBh_8rSV0CDAiabvHptBslYiYPpkG7xRKxo90bgLqZ8fOPQ/s1600/DSC_0306.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMSE51XUO9JGRxNGjanxu-mWV8T323pIC_mTXoBmiBYf22sKXMLN8XF5YJYVu6ti8rwzXJ36FZSM1UvG_tJGjaRAYBh_8rSV0CDAiabvHptBslYiYPpkG7xRKxo90bgLqZ8fOPQ/s400/DSC_0306.JPG" /></a> </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-40372688409079206102011-10-27T12:14:00.000-07:002011-10-27T12:26:41.307-07:00Best Cabin Ever<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><br /></div>A couple weeks ago, we took a family adventure to a cabin over in the hills near Winthrop. The <a href="http://www.rendezvoushuts.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Rendezvous</span> Huts</a> are somewhat well known as the ultimate cross country skiing experience in the winter - 5 huts with miles of ski trails between them. Just last year they decided to open them up for rental during the spring & fall. During the winter you have to ski to even reach them and your gear is carted up on a snowmobile. Lucky for us, everything is connected by forest service roads in the summer.<br /><br />When we got to the last turn off to our cabin, it was not marked in any way ("take the first right after the cattle guard") and the very primitive road seemed to go on forever to who knows where. Finally we spotted the hut, perched on a hill overlooking the M<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ethow</span> valley. No civilization in sight (the nearest cabin is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">aprox</span> 1 mile away and hills hide <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">winthrop</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">mazama</span>, etc)<br /><br />It was awesome. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Ok</span>, a little panicky at first because it was getting dark quickly and we had to figure out how to turn on the propane lights & stove so we could cook our dinner. Did I mention the hut has no running water, no refrigeration - but does have an outhouse, a wood stove stocked with firewood and a huge propane tank for a couple lights & the stove? Awesome. After dinner we sat outside and marveled at the stars & full moon. When we woke up the next morning, we were greeted with snow dusted peaks out the whole wall of windows opposite our beds.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0qUeHT0DOKoys06OnEGDsMXa-hl8jDpuGgavk1ovYkA32JW025WqcsPfdvAkJaopsvAmPW6dBom9qSAQcLxGgViUrV91OD6PM2yRw4ZrgawO0b2E13OkV9c63LPwdVicjXEbLg/s1600/DSC_0092.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0qUeHT0DOKoys06OnEGDsMXa-hl8jDpuGgavk1ovYkA32JW025WqcsPfdvAkJaopsvAmPW6dBom9qSAQcLxGgViUrV91OD6PM2yRw4ZrgawO0b2E13OkV9c63LPwdVicjXEbLg/s400/DSC_0092.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3nbxuW89NO-SHiudOswLIj1p5Hh70LdpaNcpqeWxhSmFnN_CuxaTt3auBNx02LX0G0H7iHRbXdTICEoO4udxgC9PZDcux43Dkd-fnz30elFdRXjevQGc2ceSXfxhixyJ8kymQA/s1600/DSC_0093.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3nbxuW89NO-SHiudOswLIj1p5Hh70LdpaNcpqeWxhSmFnN_CuxaTt3auBNx02LX0G0H7iHRbXdTICEoO4udxgC9PZDcux43Dkd-fnz30elFdRXjevQGc2ceSXfxhixyJ8kymQA/s400/DSC_0093.JPG" /></a> </div>So pretty. After a hearty breakfast we hiked from our hut down into the valley. Supposedly there are "miles of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">singletrack</span>" bike trails, but the one near us was sort of steep, so me & the kids left the bikes behind. There was also supposed to be a lot of wildlife in the area (bears, cougars, deer) but all we saw were lots of cows. The cabin is on leased <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">DNR</span> land and apparently they also lease the land to cattle farmers. We met some who were rounding up the cattle to bring them in for the winter (wearing cowboy hats & riding horses) and had a good chat about what happens to the meat. The cows are out there for about 6 months of their lives - spring till fall, then the calves get shipped to feed lots where they live for about a year before they are harvested. Sometimes the owners sell to Painted Hills - a high end producer in Idaho, but this year the cows were headed to a mega (dare I say "factory farm"?) place in Oklahoma. Crazy that it makes more (financial) sense to ship them that far then have them stay nearby. And crazy that these pasture raised cows were just going to a mega <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">packhouse</span> instead of being "high end". Anyways, I digress.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4btKn9QlLMixglXSVetpgZy1fVRw-jUTZbe2azykdbxcEK0InlTFU-uv6ZKNvSXjjS9iqAFNVvSRycw46w3jLrYhhfrbGztPPFJf6Q2ks_n3UDc4ixA3khPSSx4tELLd3FzrfFA/s1600/DSC_0100.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4btKn9QlLMixglXSVetpgZy1fVRw-jUTZbe2azykdbxcEK0InlTFU-uv6ZKNvSXjjS9iqAFNVvSRycw46w3jLrYhhfrbGztPPFJf6Q2ks_n3UDc4ixA3khPSSx4tELLd3FzrfFA/s400/DSC_0100.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmCSIuTVB-vDlUEN2nnIV9amNmfiYOYTtVtWBkMCta06OZmh_tD-ERlkpJS7G7Tk8NNK-7iAWna9krQjBoAxQE4wu7aptF52lPUFW6i28JkmbWroYEJqhRh4rtSaCkFpSoDpMy-w/s1600/DSC_0113.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmCSIuTVB-vDlUEN2nnIV9amNmfiYOYTtVtWBkMCta06OZmh_tD-ERlkpJS7G7Tk8NNK-7iAWna9krQjBoAxQE4wu7aptF52lPUFW6i28JkmbWroYEJqhRh4rtSaCkFpSoDpMy-w/s400/DSC_0113.JPG" /></a> </div>We spent our two days hiking, riding bikes and just hanging out. It was so relaxing & amazing. Winthrop was about 15 -20 minutes away, so we went their for lunch & ice cream one day too.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVb62CnByAyGqCss_qki8dUirBylHQWas5sKjhUYL_P4JRPG4fI_8c_uIy-t_DPb4JI4RfUk_2rXWYMjmjXvPYjUlAVLDvqeAI7T43WWEJZSac5OtSm2vKEEue5_0wyjO61kLKw/s1600/DSC_0160.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVb62CnByAyGqCss_qki8dUirBylHQWas5sKjhUYL_P4JRPG4fI_8c_uIy-t_DPb4JI4RfUk_2rXWYMjmjXvPYjUlAVLDvqeAI7T43WWEJZSac5OtSm2vKEEue5_0wyjO61kLKw/s400/DSC_0160.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN5iu9AJBR4DCLI85x0dcNE_vaNcIziaWwpTu8WsIjal4kqjV5xbOxhvp-NMVBt58T55F-1O1TDEHKQp7k9RKNGb25VMJC5-vZSWVu8e4MCyCWmxvNWEdTH4OuytuAzlrLPwOkzQ/s1600/DSC_0163.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN5iu9AJBR4DCLI85x0dcNE_vaNcIziaWwpTu8WsIjal4kqjV5xbOxhvp-NMVBt58T55F-1O1TDEHKQp7k9RKNGb25VMJC5-vZSWVu8e4MCyCWmxvNWEdTH4OuytuAzlrLPwOkzQ/s400/DSC_0163.JPG" /></a> </div>This adorable girl kept telling me all weekend that "I don't look pretty!" because I refused to pack her any skirts or dresses and she had to wear ugly purple velour sweat pants for riding her bike & hiking. Sigh. (did I mention she said it in tears, many times, often while screaming and kicking her legs on the floor every time I had her get dressed?)<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh02vcIr6CMzmNMbg4ewtWxunnYkL1ivmRRFQ7piim6fIhc0Ct3kDVi-_Mux8_23VrXYTl3fZTFQxsYEkBeF3iWHjPSv68B7FRXvPap4pt688u8PLz2yOFCEgxcIYSnoTCozykFcg/s1600/DSC_0166.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh02vcIr6CMzmNMbg4ewtWxunnYkL1ivmRRFQ7piim6fIhc0Ct3kDVi-_Mux8_23VrXYTl3fZTFQxsYEkBeF3iWHjPSv68B7FRXvPap4pt688u8PLz2yOFCEgxcIYSnoTCozykFcg/s400/DSC_0166.JPG" /></a> </div>My favorite time was when <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Saben</span> & I went off together to try and reach the top of this big hill behind our hut (seen below...kyle climbed & biked down it a few times). He has finally reached the age where he can do some real hiking. We went up and up the steep slope for 20 minutes, stopping for views and with me yelling silly things constantly to scare the bears away. I couldn't believe how far up he went and we never did reach the top since we hadn't really told kyle where we were going and I didn't want him to worry.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXnFEMkJrtRlPj2YW7BqAa0iSfy1GW7Rdg8mgSWcLrprNBdg1ZtQIDTXyHPYWTZrK_weQbXoq5h-2EZe2zZ1kqlNJM1rVOpNZnQz9ZdUIY_VcsAldInmSD2vyfQtooUzSGRHq2w/s1600/DSC_0184.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXnFEMkJrtRlPj2YW7BqAa0iSfy1GW7Rdg8mgSWcLrprNBdg1ZtQIDTXyHPYWTZrK_weQbXoq5h-2EZe2zZ1kqlNJM1rVOpNZnQz9ZdUIY_VcsAldInmSD2vyfQtooUzSGRHq2w/s400/DSC_0184.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_A1CFbncW7R7a9Mlve3Xx68AO8mEyTqkwP8RvJ2F6skJQUmeNXswGw5h4uSMgSm2eMr31nvLq2ovRi3-wDdlhV0HlmFtEsjVAq1UGldVzkpJm_fJT9n8rZLspnvpuCzV3zGxyWg/s1600/DSC_0187.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_A1CFbncW7R7a9Mlve3Xx68AO8mEyTqkwP8RvJ2F6skJQUmeNXswGw5h4uSMgSm2eMr31nvLq2ovRi3-wDdlhV0HlmFtEsjVAq1UGldVzkpJm_fJT9n8rZLspnvpuCzV3zGxyWg/s400/DSC_0187.JPG" /></a> </div>We had great weather - cold & crisp at night, which made the fireplace oh so cozy. Then sunny during the day and our last night a gorgeous rainstorm moved through right at sunset. I could have stared at the clouds & changing light for hours, but played a round of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Uno</span> with the family instead. I don't think you'd actually want to go in the heat of summer, much cozier in the fall or spring.<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYBs31fLKKWb6gGnETvgd3srMxwzGuseSfcIRuh0Hp2QWH1MOPjGMAZfDVneY4dqPxaAwazkSe26ZrJcB-ARy0P1gPnR7l4r_KzbhyphenhyphenEAnIgLKY7X2z4BCL79TABK2kkzo8EK_TQ/s1600/DSC_0214.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYBs31fLKKWb6gGnETvgd3srMxwzGuseSfcIRuh0Hp2QWH1MOPjGMAZfDVneY4dqPxaAwazkSe26ZrJcB-ARy0P1gPnR7l4r_KzbhyphenhyphenEAnIgLKY7X2z4BCL79TABK2kkzo8EK_TQ/s400/DSC_0214.JPG" /></a> </div>I also wouldn't take kids much younger than ours. It would be easy for a little one to roll down the hill outside next to the deck, plus you have the hot wood stove and lots of ladders to worry about. Our kid's ages were ideal - 4 & 6. There is also a sleeping loft that had some pads in it, so theoretically you could fit 7-10 people. But that is with people getting pretty cozy on some of the larger sleeping mats. And in the loft, there is no rail around the "stair hole" so youngsters could maybe slip through in their sleep. And its super hot up there when the fire is going.<div><br /></div><div>Basically the cabin is like camping without having to pack so much. And it is more isolated than any campground and even than a lot of backpacking locations. Its clean - but not spotless. Dead bugs were around, even in some of the dishes that hadn't been used in a while. But if you can handle that, the view & isolation more than make up for it.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjacbKS3DC4-wfI1yZTGmaq3b-rWdhFL9Fjr-qiT8tvfnYT4mL-Gxp9LdmlTVo11WyllX50733JeervS3qV11S0uHSJ1MIco3cdQBh9zeAeVHOojmHqZ4nh6bnKyIfLYAsxy6UXiw/s1600/DSC_0225.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjacbKS3DC4-wfI1yZTGmaq3b-rWdhFL9Fjr-qiT8tvfnYT4mL-Gxp9LdmlTVo11WyllX50733JeervS3qV11S0uHSJ1MIco3cdQBh9zeAeVHOojmHqZ4nh6bnKyIfLYAsxy6UXiw/s400/DSC_0225.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJU1NkW-Syg3fvhCs3mpkwZGYhpGQu0L_QQiO7_UZxux5BJLyinXnGt4e95CT9ZRa5sXswXvQrS4kzSVb8kS8BpNntbaIxCGGoTnE3mj5dg2nECzgYUdmjYBz8sQRF0mcPv_iSLA/s1600/DSC_0228.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJU1NkW-Syg3fvhCs3mpkwZGYhpGQu0L_QQiO7_UZxux5BJLyinXnGt4e95CT9ZRa5sXswXvQrS4kzSVb8kS8BpNntbaIxCGGoTnE3mj5dg2nECzgYUdmjYBz8sQRF0mcPv_iSLA/s400/DSC_0228.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOeI7gz44kPmziRc4Nepz51_FJtEojoDROGPMxBPOkMNRHluhOCG3N4hu8NCqDL_WdX62zDxg8mQdRruWdTR-lxEYvQ26YnjPZjxBaJSardtlSiFu6qhahM6_FRn01aYgkXcuSZQ/s1600/DSC_0233.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOeI7gz44kPmziRc4Nepz51_FJtEojoDROGPMxBPOkMNRHluhOCG3N4hu8NCqDL_WdX62zDxg8mQdRruWdTR-lxEYvQ26YnjPZjxBaJSardtlSiFu6qhahM6_FRn01aYgkXcuSZQ/s400/DSC_0233.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qxfBeGdpQFcS2LTwUti_Bn9mFszknUjdSc460MrjwKr5nZdFRkn2AJkEY5fo8OU5eJ_Nq94QDxQMXZLKJt7OtK0-YjOQ0IZSC84CrkSPGoa1Sb-VxaJxoLB_vbFpouDYsTKX4w/s1600/DSC_0241.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qxfBeGdpQFcS2LTwUti_Bn9mFszknUjdSc460MrjwKr5nZdFRkn2AJkEY5fo8OU5eJ_Nq94QDxQMXZLKJt7OtK0-YjOQ0IZSC84CrkSPGoa1Sb-VxaJxoLB_vbFpouDYsTKX4w/s400/DSC_0241.JPG" /></a> </div><div style="clear:both; text-align:CENTER"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div></div>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-49813811656546181422011-10-26T10:15:00.000-07:002011-10-26T10:20:49.712-07:00Annika in the Morning<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXaPO9LSNJYokrPUib6jQxibXy3x5rOYUIQYZwTCH8RAS6a1ofQSPqnSKdVPR76rP3qTF5IJ0sh5YYAlxKYkibVnMJadyWwzdGZflREAGtY-XyJy6n-9fmOj1Pw0owct0wrwPAw/s1600/2011-08-21+09.14.00.jpg"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXaPO9LSNJYokrPUib6jQxibXy3x5rOYUIQYZwTCH8RAS6a1ofQSPqnSKdVPR76rP3qTF5IJ0sh5YYAlxKYkibVnMJadyWwzdGZflREAGtY-XyJy6n-9fmOj1Pw0owct0wrwPAw/s400/2011-08-21+09.14.00.jpg" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZV8IfrZP2NnTEkTaZ-uaZBIPMtomny7VBij3fRtRp_eSWC9G0TG-xFHT9JzuHH4EJBFW2jE0bZgK8tVOk27Vb6omrD7RxoFW4TwUm8y9tt-DYF_l1pNfrum5tRhmxWdPUGPmieA/s1600/2011-08-21+09.14.28.jpg"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZV8IfrZP2NnTEkTaZ-uaZBIPMtomny7VBij3fRtRp_eSWC9G0TG-xFHT9JzuHH4EJBFW2jE0bZgK8tVOk27Vb6omrD7RxoFW4TwUm8y9tt-DYF_l1pNfrum5tRhmxWdPUGPmieA/s400/2011-08-21+09.14.28.jpg" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmskefJyM-6J8G7hewowMfE_-y9xnUddVgzk4mdt1ba1IAeQoHqR2Cxa_KbPMMscH2w-SnCDMdWWkTv0Bnv1JlALXAcZEsvbScIk8om3CU3bNh7Y2FevEaJEF6KuXX8XN3pVwZA/s1600/2011-09-06+08.45.31.jpg"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmskefJyM-6J8G7hewowMfE_-y9xnUddVgzk4mdt1ba1IAeQoHqR2Cxa_KbPMMscH2w-SnCDMdWWkTv0Bnv1JlALXAcZEsvbScIk8om3CU3bNh7Y2FevEaJEF6KuXX8XN3pVwZA/s400/2011-09-06+08.45.31.jpg" /></a> </div><div style="clear:both; text-align:CENTER">I have been living in the dark ages and just now finally taught myself how to use picasa. You don't even want to know the tedious things I was doing prior in order to publish pictures. For some reason I just didn't have it in me to learn new technology until now. I would open picasa, stare at it and then close it again. Then a couple nights ago I figured it out in just 5 minutes and felt like an idiot for wasting so much time.</div><div style="clear:both; text-align:CENTER"><br /></div><div style="clear:both; text-align:CENTER">But...it works now and it is so much easier to post pictures on my blog. Hopefully this means I'll be writing here more!</div>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-65890540010734778182011-06-30T20:04:00.000-07:002011-06-30T20:07:33.568-07:00Very very true storyMommy: Annika, tell daddy about the horsey you saw that you want for your birthday!<div>Annika: You mean the beautiful horsey with shiny wings and a horn and a button you push that makes it talk?</div><div>Daddy: It talks! What does it say?</div><div>Annika: I don't know!</div><div>Daddy: Well that's silly! You should push the button, what if it says something silly?</div><div>Saben: I remember what it says! It says "Hey devil woman, I am going to cut your poop in half!"</div><div><br /></div>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-59597018508955273822011-06-01T20:53:00.001-07:002011-06-01T21:01:56.273-07:00brief updateSaben:<div><br /></div><div>Has his first loose tooth, bottom front left. We noticed it about 3 weeks after his sixth birthday.</div><div>SIXTH!!!!</div><div><br /></div><div>Is reading like crazy. He can easily read those level two readers these days. It was slow at first, but once it clicked in his brain, he just took off. </div><div><br /></div><div>Is turning into a pest like his daddy. He is always poking, hitting, & trying to play little jokes on me. I always say "why don't you try doing the dishes for attention instead?" just like I used to tell Kyle. </div><div><br /></div><div>Wants to play the drums</div><div><br /></div><div>Is still obsessed with a capital "O" with star wars and legos. </div><div><br /></div><div>Loves collecting bugs outside</div><div><br /></div><div>Is quite nervous about his choir concert tomorrow night. It is so cute.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Annika</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Just graduated from her first year in preschool.</div><div><br /></div><div>Has her first dance recital in three weeks. She LOVES dance class. We will have to wait and see whether she actually manages to dance in the recital.....</div><div><br /></div><div>Loves to help me cook dinner. I need to do better at finding her jobs.</div><div><br /></div><div>Has already ridden saben's big race bike. She got a flat on her little 12" beginner bike, so Kyle took her out on the big one. She prefers the handbrakes and got pretty good at it, but it scares mommy to death when she gets going fast, so she got the 12" bike fixed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Still adores her buddy Riley, but has managed to make a couple other good friends this year too.</div><div><br /></div><div>Still throws fits a lot for no apparent reason. : ) </div><div><br /></div><div>Loves to sing to herself and make songs up.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-34442441061313957432011-06-01T20:45:00.000-07:002011-06-02T08:59:48.472-07:00recipes<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ok</span>, I know its been forever and I have completely slacked off on my blog. We even passed my five year blogging anniversary without note. I have just been feeling so busy and completely fulfilled with not writing the blog. Its only those adorable amazing moments in my kids life that I worry about not jotting down. Maybe that post will come tomorrow night.....<div><br /></div><div>But for today, I put some new recipes that I have been LOVING lately over on my blog - Rice Bowls. These have been revolutionary for me & the way we use leftovers in our family. I love them once a week for dinner and often have them for lunch now. And I have never been happier eating my raw veggies. Check it out!<br /><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://karirecipes.blogspot.com/">http://karirecipes.blogspot.com/</a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>p.s. All credit for the "rice bowls" idea goes to my friend Adriana. I have no idea why it never <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">occurred</span> to me to make something like these before, but I am so grateful she taught me such a simple idea.</div>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-6969824536266420352011-03-29T11:29:00.000-07:002011-03-29T12:36:31.966-07:00Growing Edibles - What to grow, Early Spring<div>I am going to go over the very first things you can stick in your garden each spring. These things all love the cool rainy weather and can handle early spring frosts. In a warmer year, you might be able to put seedlings of these in your garden by the first week of march.</div><div><br /></div><div>The biggest thing I factor into my early spring garden is pests and how to avoid them.</div><br /><div>First though, a caveat. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Everyone's</span></span></span> garden is different and every year is different. To some extent you have to just experiment to see what things you are able to grow in your own garden.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>Just because I get horrible nasty aphids on my Kale, does not mean you will. I have LOTS of pests in my neighborhood & in my garden. Way more than I ever had in Seattle. So take all my advice with a grain of salt. If you love something, give it a try,and don't be discouraged if it doesn't work for you the first time. There are so many tricks that can overcome problems in your garden.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Spring planting - beat the offenders (eat it before they do)</b></div><br /><div>Slugs, aphids, white fly, cabbage worm, carrot rust fly and beetle root maggots are my worst offenders. Right now, there are virtually no pests in my garden except slugs, because of the cold weather. In a month or so all the little buggers will get much more active and start to find my veggies. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>I try to plant my pest vulnerable plants as early as possible so that I can harvest them early before pests get the upper hand and I am forced to toss them in the compost heap. The nice thing is that by the time pests get all crazy, it is time to plant your summer crops - tomatoes, basil, zucchini - so it is never too sad to get rid of the spring green goodies.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>In general, pests do not bother strong flavored veggies as much as sweet tender ones. That is why herbs, arugula, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">mustard</span></span></span>, garlic & onions are easier to grow. Everything on the following lists can be planted now (mid to late march) - either by starts or by seeds. Seeds are a bit riskier - if we get a stretch of cold rainy weather with no sunny days, they might not sprout, but you are pretty safe by April.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>I am happy to report that my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Mizuna</span></span></span> sprouted last week, first seeds of the season!</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>Most of the things on these lists can take some light frost & cold nights. Our official "last day of frost" isn't until the beginning of May, but all these plants should do fine regardless.</div><br /><div><strong></strong> </div><br /><div><strong>Easiest (no pests, high yield)</strong></div><br /><div>Snap Peas (or any peas) </div><br /><div>Garlic</div><br /><div>Onions</div><br /><div>Parsley</div><br /><div>Cilantro*</div><br /><div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Mizuna</span></span></span> (salad green)</div><br /><div>Arugula*</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><br /><div><strong>Medium (not too hard to grow, might get worms in them)</strong></div><br /><div>Carrots</div><br /><div>Beets</div><br /><div>Radish</div><br /><div>Potatoes</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div><strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Pesty</span></span></span> (but still worth planting!)</strong></div><br /><div>Lettuce</div><br /><div>Spinach</div><br /><div>Kale</div><div><br /></div>Other salad greens like radicchio, amaranth, corn salad (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">mache</span></span></span>), etc.<div><br /></div><div>Artichoke starts<br /><div> </div><br /><div><strong>Almost not worth bothering</strong></div><br /><div>Broccoli, cabbage, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">brussel</span></span></span> sprouts, cauliflower (Along with Kale, they all belong to the "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">brassica</span></span></span>" family and have the same pest problems - aphids, white fly, cabbage worms)</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div><strong>Things I have never grown</strong></div><div>Collards</div><div>Chard</div><div>kohlrabi</div><div>celeriac </div><div>and TONS of other things</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><br /><div>* These are a bit more difficult because they go to seed quickly and you have to replant them every 3-4 weeks to have a continuous yield</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>EASIEST</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>If you want the highest chance of success, start with herbs & snap peas. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div><b>Snap peas</b></div><div><b></b>These are the fat juicy ones where you eat the whole thing, pod & all. It is hard to get really good snap peas at the grocery stores, so they are top of my veggie garden list for being easy & worth the work. </div><div><br /></div><div>My snap peas usually produce peas from about June - mid July and then they get a virus and die. Which is fine. When the plants turn yellow, just pull them out to make room for something new. </div><br /><div>It is also nice to plant snap peas a couple different times in the spring to spread the harvest out longer. So if you are buying starts, plant one pot now, then plant another one in late April or so. With any luck you'll get a couple extra weeks of harvest. </div><br /><div> </div><b>Herbs</b></div><div><b></b>Herbs are one of the easiest things to grow pest free, are expensive at the grocery stores and add amazing depth to anything you make. I secretly think eating lots of them makes me super healthy. I am convinced they will be the new "blueberries" (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">superfoods</span></span></span>) of the future. I love herbs so much, I will do an entire post soon, devoted just to them. </div><div><br /></div><div>For now, the best early spring ones to stick in your veggie beds:<br /><div><br /></div><div><b>Parsley</b></div><div><b></b>This is easy to grow from seed, or just buy a start of it. You really just need one clump of 2-3 plants, whenever I use seed, I get way too many plants and have to pull most of the babies out and toss them in my salads. </div><div><br /></div><div>Parsley I planted in late summer in Seattle often survived all winter and I could eat it from fall until summer when it went to seed. If you plant it in spring, it will go to seed in the summer. I prefer the taste and texture of flat Italian leaf parsley. </div><br /><div> </div><div><b>Cilantro & Arugula</b> </div><div>Both of these are generally pest free, but need to be planted about every 3-4 weeks if you want to be able to keep eating them for an extended time. Both of them only stay tasty for a few weeks before they go to seed. (cilantro is tasty while flowering, but dies back once seed is made. Arugula is horrible when it grows up to flower) Definitely buy seeds for both of these. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div><b><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Mizuna</span></span></span></b> </div><div>I highly recommend seeding this in, it is so easy and delicious. Less peppery than Arugula, but with a more assertive flavor than sweet lettuce. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div><b>Onions</b> </div><div>I would buy a pot of seeded onion starts or perhaps sets. I grew them once from seed too and that worked pretty well. You can harvest them young for green onions, or let them grow all summer and bulb. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Garlic</b></div><div>Super duper easy, except that you have to hang it to dry if you want it to store all winter. Never get pests except for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">occasional</span></span> earwig hiding amongst the cloves. However, I do not recommend planting it now unless you are trying to grow "green garlic" (like green onions). It really needs to get in the ground by January. </div><div><br /></div><div>Also, don't bother planting starts of garlic. And entire head at the farmers market (a good place to find varieties that grow well in your area) will cost a buck or so and will yield 6-10 garlic heads next year. (one head per clove)</div><div><br /></div><div>I suggest finding a couple interesting varieties at the farmers market, then in October, plant all the biggest cloves. They will grow all winter and you harvest them in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">aprox</span></span>. July. Garlic probably needs its own separate tutorial actually, but it is very foolproof once you get the hang of it. </div><div><br /></div><div>RISKY ROOT VEGGIES</div><div><br /></div><div>I put all the root vegetables in the medium category because they often get wormy. If you catch the worms (they are teeny and leave an obvious dark path through the veggie) early enough, you can just cut off the portions with the worm holes and eat the rest. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not going to go through each root vegetable, but a few tips</div><div><ul><li>Eat root veggies small - the longer they are in the ground the wormier they will get. Baby <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">carrots</span></span> are delicious!</li><li>Radishes are one of the fastest growing veggies around, good for avoiding worms and fun for kids to get quick gratification from planting seeds</li><li>I don't get nearly as many worms in my potatoes (compared to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">carrots</span></span>), but I know some people have problems with it. </li><li>I've never actually grown beets, I'm just guessing they are a lot like carrots.</li></ul><div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">PESTY</span></span> BUT WORTH IT</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b>All the sweet salad greens</b></div><div>Two tips for getting the best harvest from your salad greens</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>1. Plant early, eat them young</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>2. Go on bug/slug patrol</div><div><br /></div><div>You can start eating lettuce leaves when they are only a couple inches long. Harvest 1-2 leaves per plant and it should keep producing more leaves until it gets super hot & dry. I like to space my lettuces apart so they can actually grow to head size eventually (love the tender inner leaves), but some people just plant them densely and cut them to the ground when they are only 3 inches high for "baby salad mix". That works too and they should regrow 2-3 times using this method.</div><div><br /></div><div>The best prevention I have found for pests is picking them off (slugs) or picking off infected leaves. As soon as I spot a leaf with aphids or white fly, I pick it off and throw it away. You can also spray the aphids off with a stream of water sometimes. The key is spotting the buggers before they proliferate to plague <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">proportions</span>. Once aphids get the upper hand, it is worth it to just pull the plant out so they don't spread to other plants. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Artichokes</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>This time of year you will see artichoke starts at the nursery. They are easy to grow, but take up a lot of room. Luckily, they look pretty cool as an ornamental plant and being related to the wild thistle, they don't require the same pampering as many other veggies. </div><div><br /></div><div>Artichokes need a 3 ft sq space at least and will eventually get 6 feet tall then they are flowering. The part you eat is actually a flower bud, but if it gets buggy, as mine sometimes do, you can just let it go to flower and it is gorgeous. </div><div><br /></div><div>Each plant will produce for 3-5 years, so pick a permanent spot in your yard for them.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div> </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div> </div></div>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-60592564225524395342011-03-23T09:21:00.001-07:002011-03-23T09:30:55.192-07:00My GirlMy girl rides like the wind....<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDghtP4Mx2X0acH3LzL4SQzBpzJgMa4OcbbPvXSSxiJG6x0cQfPDB_SdsvTJymsxHQYBvW404QwVQ7Rf0b_2adWRGCshapoNG1LBx_0rQWM5VdvWkqLP62Ow24cabsjrWKRZXXA/s1600/DSC_0083.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587311440389342162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDghtP4Mx2X0acH3LzL4SQzBpzJgMa4OcbbPvXSSxiJG6x0cQfPDB_SdsvTJymsxHQYBvW404QwVQ7Rf0b_2adWRGCshapoNG1LBx_0rQWM5VdvWkqLP62Ow24cabsjrWKRZXXA/s400/DSC_0083.jpg" /></a> <em><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Annika's</span> first bike riding, 3 years 8 months</em></div><em></em><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7xu_-hcohka0W85pz-Tkr0h6e-P_deYtEtHfJKsAzku9T_dkPvASgjA7x5n7tPB-WO4S0UN5xuAHy0hqwCDpU6qgfofFxhxVoYBt7Y4BbZWpAR7eknGBlPg2Dc-3tqTn9lDO_A/s1600/DSC_0084.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587311433395770978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7xu_-hcohka0W85pz-Tkr0h6e-P_deYtEtHfJKsAzku9T_dkPvASgjA7x5n7tPB-WO4S0UN5xuAHy0hqwCDpU6qgfofFxhxVoYBt7Y4BbZWpAR7eknGBlPg2Dc-3tqTn9lDO_A/s400/DSC_0084.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92zYPHe2h6wNrL0_5szBhHHVmBXo02GF0xIBhHkBPMVG6eHQENXN_1AtwQksexLigyYFsdxn0jQhL69aYu_HkiyQvHnR_rM9PFaJR_llJZ2EiMmnxl7PCjxjoCoFVq946xW6MiA/s1600/DSC_0086.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587311429476189730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92zYPHe2h6wNrL0_5szBhHHVmBXo02GF0xIBhHkBPMVG6eHQENXN_1AtwQksexLigyYFsdxn0jQhL69aYu_HkiyQvHnR_rM9PFaJR_llJZ2EiMmnxl7PCjxjoCoFVq946xW6MiA/s400/DSC_0086.jpg" /></a><br />And I am so proud of her!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">And terrified. I took these last week when she was still puttering along. The last few nights we've gone out and she is bound and determined to keep up with her brother. Last night she rode off a curb into the street when she tried to stop. No cars coming thankfully, but did I mention she didn't even crash as she jumped off the curb and completely landed it?<br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">When <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Saben</span> learned, he was in complete control, all the time. We have to encourage and push him to try new daring things. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Annika</span> just sort of goes for it. We did have to go around the block quite a few times holding her shoulders, but once she figured out she could do it herself, she screams "I can do it myself!!!" whenever we try to help her. She doesn't stop very well and spends about 50% of the time looking like a crash is <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">immanent</span>. But she doesn't crash and actually has phenomenal balance. And goes way to fast, trying to keep up with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Saben</span> & Daddy when they ride together.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div></div>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-30562290587976403362011-03-17T12:40:00.000-07:002011-03-17T16:51:12.730-07:00Growing Edibles - Seeds vs. SeedlingsSo now you have your gorgeous raised beds and they are begging to be filled. You might start ogling seed packet racks at <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Lowes</span></span></span> or drool over a huge seed catalog you got in the mail. I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">recommend</span> staying far away from both of them if you are a new gardener.<br /><br />ONLY READ CATALOGS AND LOOK AT SEEDS THAT GROW WELL IN OUR CLIMATE<br /><br />If you are growing in the Pacific Northwest, I want you to go to <a href="http://www.territorialseed.com/?r=JWGOOGB&gclid=CKKanZWu1qcCFQxvbAodqSSN9A">Territorial Seed Company</a> right now and order a catalog from them. The information that is printed about growing each variety will be super helpful to you, even if you never order seed from them.<br /><br />Territorial is located in southern Oregon and specializes in seeds for gardeners in our climate. By "our climate" I mean a cool growing season. Yes, we get a couple hot months, and thankfully our evenings stay relatively warm compared to mountain regions, but we just don't get enough sunlight, even in summer, to easily grow many heat loving veggies. So right now, please cross these veggies off your list: Eggplant, most peppers, melons, okra<br /><br />Someday, you might want to experiment with these and that is fine. But not for your first couple years and not if you are tight on space. In fact, if you have small raised beds, also cross winter squash and pumpkins off your list, they are huge plants that will fill your entire bed with only a few fruits per plant.<br /><br />Now that your list is shorter, you can peruse the catalog and read whatever you like. But don't order anything yet.<br /><br />BUY SEEDLINGS WHENEVER YOU CAN<br /><br />For the new gardener, it is much easier to buy vegetable seedlings if you can find a source for cheap, good quality ones. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bellingham</span></span> is blessed in this regard. <a href="http://www.joesgardens.com/Welcome.html">Joe's Gardens</a> has an incredible selection of seedlings. Not only that, they only put out ones that are appropriate for the season and they generally only sell ones that perform well here. The staff is super friendly and knowledgeable and all this is for only $1.39 per pot - which is usually 6 plants or up to 20 for onions & peas.<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Joe's</span> starts are also sold at <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Haggens</span></span> and the Food Co-op, but if you go directly to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Joe's</span>, they are usually a tad cheaper. They are grown without pesticides but <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Joe's</span> does use a chemical fertilizer on all their plants.<br /><br />If you live somewhere else, try nurseries, farm supply stores or farmers markets. Remember these guidelines and ask the people working at the store if you are unsure about their plant quality:<br /><br />1) Plants need to be "hardened off" which means they have been outside, overnight in your locale, not lounging about in a greenhouse. The shock of going from warm greenhouse to cold raised bed will stunt their growth or even kill them.<br /><br />2) Plants for most things should be young and stocky NOT outgrowing their pots or looking spindly. For spring plants, they should all be tiny. Summer plants like tomatoes & peppers can be larger, but should be in a large pot.<br /><br />3) Choose a place that cares about your success and does not carry plants that don't grow where you live.<br /><br />The benefits of seedlings are these:<br /><br />1) You can plant earlier in spring. Seeds don't germinate well in the cold wet spring, but if you put in seedlings, they will start growing roots and will take off as soon as the weather warms even slightly. Planting & harvesting early is vital to avoiding pests that come out in swarms late spring/early summer.<br /><br />2) In the summer, you don't have to remember to water your seed bed everyday to keep it moist for germination. (I can't tell you how many times I've screwed this one up)<br /><br />3) You don't have to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">over seed</span> and then thin out your plants, you just plant exactly how many you want, spaced out how you want and are done with it.<br /><br />Cons<br />1) you don't get to pick the exact variety you want - less choice<br /><br />2) Overall cost is a bit more<br /><br />Most seedling trays come with more than one plant. Be sure to tease each plant apart and plant them spaced out appropriately. Don't worry if you break a few roots, this should only take a couple minutes. If spacing info is not on the tag, this would be a good time to get out your Territorial catalog and read the correct spacing for whatever you are planting.<br /><br />WHEN TO BUY SEEDS<br /><br />You can not buy starts for everything, some things - i.e. root crops - do not like to be transplanted. Also, for things that are small, that you need a lot of - i.e. arugula plants - seeds will be much cheaper.<br /><br />So for those of you crying about not getting to pick out gorgeous seed packs, there is hope! Even better, for most root crops, you can buy any brand and any variety you want. Go crazy! Rainbow hued carrots? French breakfast radishes? Golden beets? Go for it.<br /><br />But whatever you do, you must PROMISE me, do NOT start any seeds in those cute magical <a href="http://www.parkseed.com/gardening/PD/9093/">jiffy pellets</a> indoors. (or in any pot indoors) Someday, yes, you might want to try it. But starting seeds indoors is really hard. You must have a grow light of some sort. Sunny windows will not cut it. Worse, you must gradually introduce them to living outside which means days of moving them in and out, in and out of the house. Seed starting is not for busy moms who are just starting to garden.<br /><br />IF YOU CAN'T FIND SEEDLINGS....<br /><br />If you really truly can not find a reputable and cheap source for seedlings, go ahead and start your spring crops from seeds, sown directly into your garden bed. Some good easy bets for this are lettuces, snap peas, herbs, green beans, kale, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">zucchini</span>, etc. Plus all the common root vegetables. The only ones to stay away from are the ones I already crossed off your list, plus tomatoes. You must buy tomato plants to have any hope of getting ripe ones in our climate.<br /><br />Don't worry, I will go through the pros & cons of a bunch of common vegetables in a future post and tell you when to plant them (very important) and what to watch out for when picking the varieties. <br /><br />Again, I recommend purchasing from Territorial Seed, but there are many good brands at nurseries. You won't be able to start your garden quite as early using seeds, but since you get so many in a packet, it is fine to experiment. Plant a little batch and see if they sprout. After a few years you will get a good sense for how warm it needs to be for them to germinate. <br /><br />Really, planting seeds is not hard at all, just read the packet and stick them in according to the directions. Pay careful attention to spacing and do not ever plant the whole pack of seeds. Most seed packets are huge and last me at least 3 years. Seeds do go bad and stop sprouting, so don't keep them more than three years.<br /><br />Seeds need to stay moist to germinate. In the spring, I rely almost exclusively on rain to do this for me unless we get a surprise warm dry spell. In the summer, they need to be sprinkled almost daily, especially if they are planted shallow.Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-16552726549704672692011-03-16T20:52:00.001-07:002011-03-17T16:52:54.800-07:00Growing Edibles - Winter & Early Spring<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_RoBCNhaEzZliKodZe4cAXlGWiaayPIJKbCitHdVlceU3S3sn6nGW7yPpjyEBMVMnyFNh43RjkqyiFrCRJhgC7W9k8DBoj89_jupESglEREbl31RO9-8AmNn-7rdIDlikpZXZA/s1600/1.2.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584892488729184322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_RoBCNhaEzZliKodZe4cAXlGWiaayPIJKbCitHdVlceU3S3sn6nGW7yPpjyEBMVMnyFNh43RjkqyiFrCRJhgC7W9k8DBoj89_jupESglEREbl31RO9-8AmNn-7rdIDlikpZXZA/s400/1.2.JPG" /></a> <em>A picture of my raised beds so you get an idea of what I explained yesterday</em></div><br /><br /><p><em></em></p>I am going to do two types of posts for my garden guide - ones that tell & show you what I am doing right now in my garden, and ones that delve into specific topics, like what to grow & when to grow it, exactly how to fertilize, etc. So don't despair if all the details you want are not here.<br /><br /><p></p><p>THE WINTER AND EARLY SPRING GARDEN TASKS</p><p>First, I'm going to back track and start our growing season calendar in October, (or <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">November</span>...or even <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">December</span> when I am super late) with the first (and some in my family might say most important) task of the year - planting garlic.<br /><br />Each fall, I clean out the tomato bed (they die early) and stick garlic cloves in an entire bed. They poke their tips out of the ground during the winter and as soon as it starts to warm up, they are off and running.<br /><br />I don't touch my garden again until about February. In February, on one of those lovely rare warm days, I spend an hour cleaning out anything left that is dead and picking out weed seedlings. The kids then help me spread "<a href="http://www.scotts.com/smg/catalog/productTemplate.jsp?proId=prod70432&itemId=cat50126">all purpose organic Whitney Farms fertilizer</a>" (found at Fred Meyers) over all the beds. (they list how much to use & instructions on the back of the box). We sprinkle it around and then rake it in. I spray it with some water if we're not expecting rain.<br /><br />I like to do this early so the fertilizer gets a chance to start breaking down & releasing nutrients as soon as it gets warm. Organic fertilizers take longer to start releasing nutrients compared to chemical ones. This provides a nice even base of nutrients for anything I plant in March.<br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGeTmonBVlqpSViQeGhXJtTG-bMOwW7FHN187UUSUN18zbqwZzokgl0OWafO8yuAU3nrYj3VojAdeb2RLtKGl3cQZcTi7YH_0q5P9jb7AkhF6Z-g5CZRo92hIBiu2mUt3UKT7LEQ/s1600/1.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584892483389235730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGeTmonBVlqpSViQeGhXJtTG-bMOwW7FHN187UUSUN18zbqwZzokgl0OWafO8yuAU3nrYj3VojAdeb2RLtKGl3cQZcTi7YH_0q5P9jb7AkhF6Z-g5CZRo92hIBiu2mUt3UKT7LEQ/s400/1.JPG" /></a> In March, as soon as we get a few warm days, I go buy some veggie seedlings from <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Joe's</span> Gardens. My seedlings might not grow very fast until it warms up, but they are there, waiting, growing nice roots and are ready to go at the first sign of sun. </p><br /><p>For early spring this year, I chose snap peas, kale, romaine lettuce and broccoli. For about $6, I was able to almost fill two beds with seedlings. </p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNU4CJx9PuGsOpvPBmzHqg-6UuIvcSd46O_aNYMMPS7sxWFPTBcd0t7xTG-OwsuFQuKlO6IcKvUs1XhBEC8wEEbmBxUc-1wKQEcSLcCHszJ_OzgFhsY1XczGOzD44t788hpVywJA/s1600/2+%25282%2529.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584892357065655026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNU4CJx9PuGsOpvPBmzHqg-6UuIvcSd46O_aNYMMPS7sxWFPTBcd0t7xTG-OwsuFQuKlO6IcKvUs1XhBEC8wEEbmBxUc-1wKQEcSLcCHszJ_OzgFhsY1XczGOzD44t788hpVywJA/s400/2+%25282%2529.JPG" /></a> <em>Pea seeds are notorious for rotting instead of sprouting. This is about 1/10th of the pot I bought.</em></p><p>Spacing your plants can be hard until you get to know how big your plants will get. I screw it up all the time, especially if I buy more than what I have space for. The nice part is that if things get too crowded, you can just eat a head of baby lettuce so there is more room for the others. In fact, I often squeeze them purposefully so I don't feel bad harvesting a few things early. Baby veggies are delightful.<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcqC0MPwGYDkjSvBo7AbpGMFf1jIV2I_Y9lzNzu6hGLxPyV_E6njIUTgju7IGFnjNn8CIO6V8_-pRHaNLEc0OjA3Ec1UsZXC1qknMZHsDJ7UMSxawU8JtlJNA-ndm5nMBx97NiA/s1600/3.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584892353023434930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcqC0MPwGYDkjSvBo7AbpGMFf1jIV2I_Y9lzNzu6hGLxPyV_E6njIUTgju7IGFnjNn8CIO6V8_-pRHaNLEc0OjA3Ec1UsZXC1qknMZHsDJ7UMSxawU8JtlJNA-ndm5nMBx97NiA/s400/3.JPG" /></a> I also have quite a few things in my beds that either live there full time (chives) or self seeded from the year before (parsley, cilantro, sorrel, chervil). <p>There is one plant I grow from seed that does extremely well in the cold spring - <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Mizuna</span>. You may not have heard of it, but it is common in baby salad mixes. It is actually a type of mustard, but if you harvest it young, it is mild, delicious, prolific, easy to harvest (clean) and I didn't see a single bug on it last year. Much easier for salads than mud splattered lettuces that get plagued by slugs & aphids.<br /></p><p>Here is my first bed that I planted yesterday:</p><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584892347121414466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6tPuA4_7qCBErO1hvQi6eUjaezDzEgtwf1mW2GtXzc-nWthkKcACOVyyOUI39Pbt1lUunDaN7AXKCowRBUv9s82HT2u7_lA_t40BQu12BOFwBxe0iqxtRfsfqjtGIuSnc9D5AQ/s400/4.JPG" />First, notice that I put the tall snap peas in the back. (the north side of the bed) They are actually a "bush" variety which means they will be shorter and don't need tall poles to grow up. Always plant tall things in the back (north) so they won't shade short things. Kale gets quite large, but I harvest mine as baby leaves for salads, they will get covered in aphids by the time they get huge. I just rip them out when that happens. </p><br /><p>The garlic on the right was just planted in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">February</span> and is densely packed. It will be for a spring treat called "green garlic". You harvest it before it bulbs and treat it just like green onions. I generally throw mine on the grill whole or chop up some leaves and toss them in a salad like chives. We can most likely start eating it by mid April. </p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO32Dftt2WO2vg7y2Lc-E2zgnGGC3YFFVLFV8LsseDhzqwSX83d8kcq3snkwQrxsr5E8sJU2K8K0WjCBTpurSJ3V9cMTm7wAXZGZNVq1SIUGqPkv2wne440uqqFNL_WjJU6kHIlw/s1600/5.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584892346372810226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO32Dftt2WO2vg7y2Lc-E2zgnGGC3YFFVLFV8LsseDhzqwSX83d8kcq3snkwQrxsr5E8sJU2K8K0WjCBTpurSJ3V9cMTm7wAXZGZNVq1SIUGqPkv2wne440uqqFNL_WjJU6kHIlw/s400/5.JPG" /></a> In this bed there are more self seeded herbs and another patch of snap peas. I always plant my leftover pea plants in a special spot and harvest the tender pea shoot tips & tendrils to toss in salads. They are so yummy! You just pinch off the softest new growth, leaves, tendrils & all. Even blossoms sometimes! Generally they will never grow big enough to produce peas if I keep on top of harvesting the shoots. This little patch should give me enough sprouts to toss into salads for weeks and are soooo easy.<br /><br />I am not sure if I should have planted that broccoli. It gets covered in aphids so easily, but I grew some last fall once it cooled off and had a couple delicious bug free heads. So it is an experiment to see if I can get heads before the bugs go crazy. I will let you know how it goes.<br /><br />I planted red romaine and have some more lettuce varieties I will plant seeds for in a couple weeks. The seeds are leftover from last year, but I think from now on I will just buy starts and not mess with seeds.<br /><br />The sorrel is sort of a silly thing I grow - each spring I make a batch of <a href="http://nymag.com/restaurants/recipes/inseason/17127/">sorrel soup</a>, just for fun. I also toss a few leaves in salads, but they are quite lemony flavored and strong. Chervil is a french herb that I also like to toss in salads. I let some go to seed last year and a ton of it sprouted and survived the winter. The flowers are also pretty & delicious in salads.<br /><br />I told you, I adore my spring salads, and what I really love is having all sorts of wonderful, unique things to throw in them. Herbs, flowers, lettuces, other greens....I just pick a few leaves of each thing and toss them all together. This way, I slow the growth of my lettuces by plucking baby leaves and then still get a head at the end when it gets really warm and they get huge quickly.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24KyizZbRwtxg1L9x29hL1kdsghkbllDbyDQ7X0eKBKfSKFvcWPI8HMZPhpmf5C5d7eJIVriNpDsGi0yKppNC4SniTgwOUS4W33CoxHEKh5xDq4tcA3I8NqJfu7isY9Ccfd91Yg/s1600/6.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584892190363294178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24KyizZbRwtxg1L9x29hL1kdsghkbllDbyDQ7X0eKBKfSKFvcWPI8HMZPhpmf5C5d7eJIVriNpDsGi0yKppNC4SniTgwOUS4W33CoxHEKh5xDq4tcA3I8NqJfu7isY9Ccfd91Yg/s400/6.JPG" /></a> Lastly, my huge bed of garlic. We are still eating last years harvest. The chive plant is a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">perennial</span> which means it doesn't die. It dies back each winter, but <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">re-sprouts</span> in spring and lives in that corner permanently. I love chives & chive flowers in my spring salads.<br /><br /><br />I should also be planting potatoes right now, but I sort of forgot and then realized my beds were full. I am supposed to be getting another bed (or 3) this spring, but we can't agree on where to put it (or them).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmkMhb3jh00-WGz93IsLHlhSe_J-v0h0O3hraQxLuzTJJdAnkavA3FhnhW-6DBvmuu8AUasO2bz4MPqxx5B8nsHBmkfwN1dg3qm6BZcwyJxNkekHv0sV0tX0SckaHV_fOtCQuCA/s1600/7.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584892190064458354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmkMhb3jh00-WGz93IsLHlhSe_J-v0h0O3hraQxLuzTJJdAnkavA3FhnhW-6DBvmuu8AUasO2bz4MPqxx5B8nsHBmkfwN1dg3qm6BZcwyJxNkekHv0sV0tX0SckaHV_fOtCQuCA/s400/7.JPG" /></a> These are my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Nitrile-Gardening-Gloves-Green/dp/B001B4G968/ref=sr_1_5?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1300394857&sr=1-5">favorite gardening gloves</a>. They are so soft, its like you are not even wearing gloves at all. They are only $8 or so (find them at <a href="http://www.garden-spot.com/">Garden Spot</a> and lots of other places) and keep your hands clean. I love getting my bare hands in the dirt, but when your kids come running up with a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">poopy</span> diaper, it is nice to not have to scrub your hands before you touch them.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwdoaOblBU2mztp-622gvzcTwE2TpjYtEJvq8-eJaHxBwk9Gf9xI2PL1Ee00iYJZV71fQze0827ZiT_PTbj8uDuOmhHtTzd8rJdbvMIiMBH3eaQm4JCy6PyoB3WKvrpau3I_NxPQ/s1600/8.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584892186653056162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwdoaOblBU2mztp-622gvzcTwE2TpjYtEJvq8-eJaHxBwk9Gf9xI2PL1Ee00iYJZV71fQze0827ZiT_PTbj8uDuOmhHtTzd8rJdbvMIiMBH3eaQm4JCy6PyoB3WKvrpau3I_NxPQ/s400/8.JPG" /></a> For leafy crops like kale, broccoli and lettuce, I sprinkle around a high nitrogen fertilizer. Yes, it is made from blood and no, my plants don't turn into vampires. It sort of stinks if it blows on your clothes and animals sometimes dig in my beds after I use it. Once my dog ate a bunch. But it works great. I will go more into fertilizers in another post.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5wM5gKPeI3vo1LWt4fbPSiP12ZYUYUepeVb0yAOOEabJCSz6PyeIjrHgR_WynQ8820f1-2VcK3Fxe2jyN5RNRDPJMvXt7SKKSI80pe7mEfLCD7zIdOFjv5GAj8jeq4QjHbloTg/s1600/10.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 268px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584892181403062770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5wM5gKPeI3vo1LWt4fbPSiP12ZYUYUepeVb0yAOOEabJCSz6PyeIjrHgR_WynQ8820f1-2VcK3Fxe2jyN5RNRDPJMvXt7SKKSI80pe7mEfLCD7zIdOFjv5GAj8jeq4QjHbloTg/s400/10.JPG" /></a> While I got all this done (about 40 minutes of work) <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Saben</span> built a swimming pool and beach for ants. (really. that is what he told me it was)Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-92057698509036246702011-03-16T08:43:00.000-07:002011-03-17T11:59:44.818-07:00Growing Edibles - Garden BedsI am going to write a post (or two or more?) about my approach to vegetable gardening. People ask me all the time for gardening book recommendations and I have yet to find one that is <div><br /></div><div>a) not completely overwhelming for someone who wants to grow veggies for the first time</div><div>AND</div><div>b) appropriate for our climate</div><div>AND</div><div>c) appropriate for small urban lots</div><div><br /></div><div>Plus, the added benefit of my guide is that it is perfect for moms who are short on time and also want to delight the kiddos.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Tender Babies</b></div><div>One thing I think most people don't realize at first is that veggies are the weird mutant weaklings of the plant world. Most of the seeds you will buy would never survive out in the wild alone. We humans have created them and they need our loving care to flourish. </div><div><br /></div><div>When you plant a native grass, a dogwood tree, or even daisies - these are tough plants only a few generations removed from their wild siblings - they need very little care. </div><div><br /></div><div>Vegetables on the other hand have been bred for years & years to create freakishly huge reproductive organs for us to eat in a relatively short period of time. On the one hand this helps them because we keep growing them, but they are completely reliant on us and need lots of help to grow into what we expect them to be. (shiny, huge and perfect like the pictures on seed packets)</div><div><br /></div><div><b>But the babies (like most babies) are worth it</b></div><div>So don't go into it thinking you can just sprinkle seeds & let them be. Veggies take work, but as a busy mom, I love that I can go out in the sunshine for even half an hour, putter around in my raised beds and still feel like I was being very productive. (on a sunny spring day, would you rather plant seeds or vacuum?)</div><div><br /></div><div>I really only spend maybe on average an hour a week from spring to fall in the veggie garden. Usually it is ten minutes picking slugs & aphid leaves off of plants before I head to the grocery store. Then 20 minutes on another day pulling a few weeds, fertilizing, or thinning seedlings. Then a couple times a month I will spend an hour transplanting tomatoes and pulling out the snap peas that are done. </div><div><br /></div><div>My kids enjoy helping pull weeds, planting seeds and picking the most bizarre carrot colors to grow. And playing with the worms. I love not having to buy salad greens for most of the spring and being able to make a salad whenever I want AND having it be the most delicious one I've ever had. In the summer I always have fresh onions, tomatoes and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">zucchini</span> to throw on the grill with no trips to the store. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>The most important things</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>There are four things that are most important for veggie success </div><div>1) Soil - is it fluffy (not compacted), have some compost/organic matter in it, well draining?</div><div>2) Nutrients - Are you regularly adding fertilizers to feed your veggies </div><div>3) Sun - Are your beds getting full sun everyday in the spring/summer/fall?</div><div>4) Water - Pretty obvious</div><div><br /></div><div><b>1st Step - Your Garden Beds</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>This is a big initial investment, both in money & time. But getting raised beds in place will make everything that follows easier for you - for years to come. No one will walk in your beds, your soil will be awesome, weeds will be few & easy to pull out and they will be ready for plants earlier in the season than just digging into the ground. </div><div><br /></div><div>BUILD RAISED BEDS</div><div><br /></div><div>For small urban lots, I recommend raised beds. They are neat, tidy and will make things super easy because you will have amazing fabulous soil from the get go.</div><div><br /></div><div>Build a frame out of 12"x2" wood and fill it with a truckload of gardening "3 - way" mix from <a href="http://www.pacifictopsoils.com/">Pacific <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Topsoils</span></a> or <a href="http://www.growsource.com/">Grow Source</a> or your local nursery. Get the best gardening blend they have. It will pay off later. Don't even think of using 1 cu ft. bags. Borrow a truck, you will need lots of dirt. (<a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_5782512_calculate-raised-bed-planter-box.html">find a website to help you calculate how much</a>)</div><div><br /></div><div>Make sure your beds are no more than 4 foot wide - the width most people can comfortably reach is about 2 feet, so as long as you can access it from both sides you will be able to reach the middle. (NEVER walk in your raised beds) </div><div><br /></div><div><div>I grow my veggies in 3 raised beds that are each 4'x6' and about 12" deep. They are made of pressure treated wood, but many people prefer natural cedar or redwood. I've seen people cut salvaged doors in half lengthwise and use those (it is cute) but be sure there is no lead paint. </div><div><br /></div><div>You need to do your own research and make your choice, but pressure treated is much cheaper than natural rot resistant woods like cedar. (and contains toxic chemicals that may....or may not enter your food) Kyle used metal brackets in the corners to attach them together and built them in about 2 hours. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>FIND THE SUN</div><div><br /></div><div>The most important thing in placing your beds is SUN. You want your beds in the hottest, sunniest spot you can find, especially in the Pacific Northwest. My beds are all lined up against the south wall of our house. Be sure to line them up east - west so each one gets as much sun from the south as possible. </div><div> </div><div>Ideally, your beds should be in the sunshine from sunrise to sunset during the summer. Don't forget that shadows are longer in winter - my beds are in almost full shade from our fence in the winter. In the summer, the fence shadows don't even come close to the beds. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sun matters less for things like lettuces, herbs, peas, carrots and matters a ton for hot weather veggies like tomatoes, peppers, squash, etc. </div><div><br /></div><div>It is also important to note whether there are any large trees nearby that might send roots into your beds. This is not a good thing, but may not be able to be helped. If your beds are near a large tree and only get sun for 1/2 the day in the summer - don't give up, but be aware that these will hinder your efforts. (And now you have something to blame failures on! Good for you!)</div><div><br /></div><div>Lastly, before you fill your beds, make sure your lawn mower can fit between them. (assuming they are on grass like mine are) Two feet apart is nice I think. Put the frames where you want them and if it is on top of grass you have two options - dig it out, or cover it with wet cardboard/newspaper and bury it. I did the latter and it worked fabulously. I would use the wet cardboard method on weedy dirt areas too. </div><div><br /></div><div>Lastly, lastly, if you ever see deer in your yard, build a cage over your beds. Look on the internet for ideas and have fun with that. I hate deer.</div><div><br /></div><div>That's it for today, next I will talk about the fun stuff - what you can do & plant in your garden right now! </div>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-86683423477243480502011-02-24T10:11:00.000-08:002011-02-24T10:24:57.809-08:00TidbitsSaben: "You know what mom, I want to be a ninja when I grow up" (does some ninja kicks & punches in the air)<div><br /></div><div>Annika: "And I want to be an ORACORN!"</div><div>(Annika says "ORACORN" instead of Unicorn. It is adorable.</div><div><br /></div><div>*******************</div><div>This week Annika and I went in to volunteer with Saben's class during an art project. It is the first time I've taken her in with me to volunteer and I was nervous. She did great though. The best part was when we walked with the class to the art room, Saben held her hand the whole way. </div><div><br /></div><div>I just love how unpretentious he is still. I treasure every hug he gives me in front of his friends and love how excited he is to tell everyone "That's my mom and sister!!" when we show up. </div><div><br /></div><div>I also LOVE kindergardeners. They are just adorable and I love getting to know the kids in Saben's class. Ok, some of them are ridiculously annoying too - one boy is so stubborn and won't listen to anyone including me, but then gets mad when his projects don't turn out. </div><div><br /></div><div>Let's put it this way - I am glad I am not their teacher every day, but still, I love being in the classroom. So cute. (actually, I occasionally do get the urge to be their teacher, but I tend to think almost every job looks fun at some point or another. Ask Kyle about how I think it would be fun to work at Transition Bikes. ha!)</div><div><br /></div><div>***************</div><div><br /></div><div>Annika does not like boys. She told me this herself when I asked if she had any friends who were boys in her preschool class. I have tried asking why, but she has no answer. She just doesn't like them "But I do like Saben mom, just not other boys". </div><div><br /></div><div>She is so much more aware of sex differences than Saben ever was. Not sure if its a second child thing - she grows up knowing her brother is a boy and has someone to compare herself to. Or if its a girl thing - are girls just snotty brats about it and boys don't care as much? Or if its just her....after all, she's always shown a preference for women ever since she was a baby. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then again, she's not really had many little boy friends either, while Saben grew up with both boy & girl friends. She's spent some time with Maverick, but that's it really. hmmm....need to find her some boys to play with that are her age. Get on it mom.</div>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-53849999227933350512011-02-21T21:32:00.000-08:002011-02-21T21:56:30.063-08:00The best winter<div>You should hate me. I deserve to be hated. Because really....I have had the best winter ever. First off, December. I didn't write much (anything actually) about Christmas, but it went off without a hitch. Better than without a hitch. It was busy...but for the first time since Annika was born, I felt like we got it all timed right. I finished shopping early enough, worked HARD and made sure there was lots of time to chill and love on the family. I was stressed...but not too stressed to enjoy it. </div><div><br /></div><div>This was no easy feat - it took 3 years of Christmas turmoil to figure it out and honestly, I probably didn't figure anything out at all, our kids just got old enough and we got lucky enough to pull it off. We even spent an amazing weekend in early December up at a cabin in the snow with friends, something we hope to do every year. I completely loved Christmas this year. </div><div><br /></div><div>On top of all that, Kyle got me a new 4runner for Christmas. He was going to surprise me with it and took great pains to pick it up on Christmas eve, even taping the garage windows with plastic so I couldn't see it hidden inside. Unfortunately I suspected everything. When he asked to go on a Christmas eve "bike ride", I said yes, only because I secretly hoped he was going to pick up my car. I even peeked out the window to see if there was a bike on his car when he left and sure enough....no bike. I was so excited, but even more excited when I drove past him in my new car as the kids & I headed out to do some chores. So much for the surprise.</div><div><br /></div><div>About the second week of December, Kyle bought the tickets to Vietnam. (we left Jan 3rd). So off an an amazing trip for that. About the same time, Shauna, Kyle's sis, started bugging us about going to Hawaii with them in early february. At first we thought it was dumb to go so soon after vietnam, but the plane tickets went down in $, Kyle's brother agreed to go, and we realized we had enough miles on our credit card to pay for all the tickets. Sweet. </div><div><br /></div><div> So two weeks after we got back from Vietnam, we went to Hawaii with the kids and Kyle's siblings. And Pete.</div><div><br /></div><div>But before we look at those pictures, I have to mention what we did BETWEEN Vietnam & Hawaii. We bought ski gear for the whole family and went skiing for the first time. (Kyle had a good hook up for gear, plus Annika's friend Riley had been going and her Dad talked us into it) </div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21mo2NjEgHnU2H1NLegG2_ml4veB-FmCmGlb2gIlxdjwL6yBo4opqllcOSHPkEo9PX3ewNvOXb7eK7mgUvGUD7ZlrGIMYjObKDreXGvUc3vXhypyI6ACZYQ31JlTmhL8kv2NfJw/s1600/1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21mo2NjEgHnU2H1NLegG2_ml4veB-FmCmGlb2gIlxdjwL6yBo4opqllcOSHPkEo9PX3ewNvOXb7eK7mgUvGUD7ZlrGIMYjObKDreXGvUc3vXhypyI6ACZYQ31JlTmhL8kv2NfJw/s400/1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576383765851425634" /></a>Ta-Da! Our first ski day, one day before we flew to Hawaii!<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjblrwZ1BUV45xLtDubV_KSbMz_Lbb5Yb92Mf_ZMsQObt1PF68SFby9pecui89eXgir-JXUEYMBqfeF5LzhFo9gb0RfwYIGYCdOOLRWvHBEvXO7UDydaxpp8Iof-m9R7b3MP0BL6g/s1600/2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjblrwZ1BUV45xLtDubV_KSbMz_Lbb5Yb92Mf_ZMsQObt1PF68SFby9pecui89eXgir-JXUEYMBqfeF5LzhFo9gb0RfwYIGYCdOOLRWvHBEvXO7UDydaxpp8Iof-m9R7b3MP0BL6g/s400/2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576383764020819186" /></a>Saben has been doing AWESOME. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWE-nWnocOkP1WrYilSTg9UHOBrgvoKkmOp7aKmjPsWHcuYV5YKh2wIlSMoJ37doFoekuBhmUgC1V-crlUR0l3NbqsDAUbGjl_HB6n8YxCPbAjxsQRL0GkoES1NzD8WJpuUdIFqQ/s1600/3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWE-nWnocOkP1WrYilSTg9UHOBrgvoKkmOp7aKmjPsWHcuYV5YKh2wIlSMoJ37doFoekuBhmUgC1V-crlUR0l3NbqsDAUbGjl_HB6n8YxCPbAjxsQRL0GkoES1NzD8WJpuUdIFqQ/s400/3.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576383760379829522" /></a>But we did spend a lot of time in this position helping the kids up.</div><div><br /></div><div>Skiing Saturday, hotel in Seatac on Sunday, fly to Hawaii on monday. To join up with these folks. Can you tell which one doesn't belong? I mean...isn't a sibling?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ezvXHNFfdk0LyiW9RhupCdtD0Ol2UTnUBs39gSrTPxsrbii1I7SppUUA77M951he3WK7atebTJdpmuZlER5EdcSyAFXM7S3wx8D_LsB4APIq2aj_Alej6GcWVdlYkDy-DwYSGg/s1600/4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ezvXHNFfdk0LyiW9RhupCdtD0Ol2UTnUBs39gSrTPxsrbii1I7SppUUA77M951he3WK7atebTJdpmuZlER5EdcSyAFXM7S3wx8D_LsB4APIq2aj_Alej6GcWVdlYkDy-DwYSGg/s400/4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576383672648355202" /></a>We had the best time. Our condo was a bit grotty, and stunk of stale cigarettes, but we loved Maui and it was so relaxing. We pretty much went to the beach every day, took turns watching the kids, swam, snorkeled and played in the sand. One day, Kyle went biking with some guys from one of his shops. I missed him, so I made myself a replacement.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAF-5baxNIa7YCPfkqhOL37E4hgrwt9cG1oPGut9DcAwnCy6eWOIo0DvWLisMec2-T6XJeb0UPVe6tM2UviqZESTQ9IqsIt7-hYTt61eHofOVj9-XbInPQwdH2ELaOtP_5tfgOg/s1600/5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAF-5baxNIa7YCPfkqhOL37E4hgrwt9cG1oPGut9DcAwnCy6eWOIo0DvWLisMec2-T6XJeb0UPVe6tM2UviqZESTQ9IqsIt7-hYTt61eHofOVj9-XbInPQwdH2ELaOtP_5tfgOg/s400/5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576383665670666850" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqnpIB0PaFHPe5MCFgRSivv_5lc8eE-2yc1Ooi7mUYvZR6SR4ucfcMQMBna2zY56aJZKe_QCtROAq1wJlR41mhh-A0uPg6UxCJlGWFhHEyY30qO50LxI_AREL3px5H3jNh-nbag/s1600/6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqnpIB0PaFHPe5MCFgRSivv_5lc8eE-2yc1Ooi7mUYvZR6SR4ucfcMQMBna2zY56aJZKe_QCtROAq1wJlR41mhh-A0uPg6UxCJlGWFhHEyY30qO50LxI_AREL3px5H3jNh-nbag/s400/6.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576383669044109682" /></a>Beach art, seriously the most fun ever, even though it took me 2 hours to make this guy who was far from perfect. The kids were scared of the waves at first, but over time they got used to them. Annika was the queen of getting sand absolutely everywhere on her body. The kids had so much fun playing with cousin Hailey, especially Annika. Cousin Charlotte spent most of her time snoozing on the beach since she is only um...4 months old? Sigh, I can't even keep track anymore.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQ_0uj2CXCI-ouT4lOGzpG2opaq7nZqbD_V5lWamaYpKnMj7JexmtTb8wx5Xa3BtG7YJFLaVOaTeHAB-vN2lcsFE5hf_EOjXNhrw6HAqlAQ6Zfz4t-KCFA8cOIUj2IIRLIlIKoQ/s1600/7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQ_0uj2CXCI-ouT4lOGzpG2opaq7nZqbD_V5lWamaYpKnMj7JexmtTb8wx5Xa3BtG7YJFLaVOaTeHAB-vN2lcsFE5hf_EOjXNhrw6HAqlAQ6Zfz4t-KCFA8cOIUj2IIRLIlIKoQ/s400/7.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576383661253129586" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vB6au5LL9ZYcDT4rFpGlK5Nzk5S3Hz5IydtvAkk2VvLfv1NRH3z_LUOkfNQ1v1He0RAeLrseL1zDgQ8TxsUuR-HHK9bZk6FafWF9ZZUxXtXyxGIFVFSxWsp0mqaxOft2ku56Pg/s1600/8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vB6au5LL9ZYcDT4rFpGlK5Nzk5S3Hz5IydtvAkk2VvLfv1NRH3z_LUOkfNQ1v1He0RAeLrseL1zDgQ8TxsUuR-HHK9bZk6FafWF9ZZUxXtXyxGIFVFSxWsp0mqaxOft2ku56Pg/s400/8.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576383402759595890" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLtkdGiSul6F8-BRRBGIpQeCNqC-8CTS0csaij9hIfcHl7KD0OpNqnc4QIMCvYLidcvrpxb5bFA6jZ2b1KBFp2uGNHZHzxhlr_MrtjVTePtK5YennqVF9S5e72crBOjiOjyTGEQ/s1600/9.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLtkdGiSul6F8-BRRBGIpQeCNqC-8CTS0csaij9hIfcHl7KD0OpNqnc4QIMCvYLidcvrpxb5bFA6jZ2b1KBFp2uGNHZHzxhlr_MrtjVTePtK5YennqVF9S5e72crBOjiOjyTGEQ/s400/9.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576383397031173042" /></a>Saben loved building in the sand. Except the structures you see were actually built by Jason & Pete. He liked digging deep holes and was working on a cave in this picture.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXhFwDaNn5APtLfcjmYlVn2C-Jnq_mJBO_Stks8gEVMMtl9KZWXeDbhkfxwiELimLUXZg0cCOKafI83xpzoKarzYCPaWZanjG7HJYH_PugxxYuTkslZrpGYDTZmquh0uoSAHsEw/s1600/10.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 287px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXhFwDaNn5APtLfcjmYlVn2C-Jnq_mJBO_Stks8gEVMMtl9KZWXeDbhkfxwiELimLUXZg0cCOKafI83xpzoKarzYCPaWZanjG7HJYH_PugxxYuTkslZrpGYDTZmquh0uoSAHsEw/s400/10.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576383394283984946" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTU-XLqGbXI3bJGNL4kMxJgxopER3Pxs5xoEnzx5LgjPUaEjl_za1gBfv3hzuaKFCTYzef6i8Wa7IxN6zj6wrG1czqYbfq9spjEjA7v6UCpcr8g3sUmi2xRsufoQ8qLLLPfEGDiQ/s1600/11.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTU-XLqGbXI3bJGNL4kMxJgxopER3Pxs5xoEnzx5LgjPUaEjl_za1gBfv3hzuaKFCTYzef6i8Wa7IxN6zj6wrG1czqYbfq9spjEjA7v6UCpcr8g3sUmi2xRsufoQ8qLLLPfEGDiQ/s400/11.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576383381791324946" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-yGHU6k1oCtvlanDLxXWsTmF78Q3D4RwxS4GGwSSC8ZrbnBk3BAbJTPygcQyFo2uMjWgN_3wK13v-BBFMRS7xVP-kVmUtpq2EwZi6Xbx-aih0Z-xfHC8r-yXiVn-lKMnH2zx9Q/s1600/12.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 292px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-yGHU6k1oCtvlanDLxXWsTmF78Q3D4RwxS4GGwSSC8ZrbnBk3BAbJTPygcQyFo2uMjWgN_3wK13v-BBFMRS7xVP-kVmUtpq2EwZi6Xbx-aih0Z-xfHC8r-yXiVn-lKMnH2zx9Q/s400/12.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576383380958673122" /></a>It was a lovely time and I am one lucky, spoiled rotten girl. <br /><br /></div>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-4721990038938444442011-02-09T11:24:00.000-08:002011-02-09T12:46:22.942-08:00Phu Quoc Days 6 - 9 (planning is awesome & wrap up)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5VuCM1cDFPscAqOd8pKw7hNREd13z2gf0oRteN5EZ6y7cvd3IN_CIiDne4VpFcMC_i6NsVI1bJ-RqM-exMcup0XhpZqL9LvVBxLRSwEFZBu96nA8ir1tOWZwqhyxzUmWWn6wQw/s1600/1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 309px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571774843035384770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5VuCM1cDFPscAqOd8pKw7hNREd13z2gf0oRteN5EZ6y7cvd3IN_CIiDne4VpFcMC_i6NsVI1bJ-RqM-exMcup0XhpZqL9LvVBxLRSwEFZBu96nA8ir1tOWZwqhyxzUmWWn6wQw/s400/1.jpg" /></a> Day six, we caught a taxi to the airport in the morning. The taxi driver immediately turned on some techno beats to "wake us up" and we hit rush hour traffic with the throbbing music pumping. It was the perfect <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">accompaniment</span> to the orchestrated chaos outside and made for a very memorable drive. I made one last attempt to capture the scooter madness on film. Or digital disk.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vsD-rFY0GZ93KWp-5R0BlGSA7g_Hr-IauWRKpHJSJ-m7McJP7TlmIeXALx6thUO3spDgHxYeuda2bcJRmY0rlLpO4NA7rtUufn8fRf7fpo-0YZeycMmfmYDNzUc60fjWxmlNiQ/s1600/2.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571774835781586802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vsD-rFY0GZ93KWp-5R0BlGSA7g_Hr-IauWRKpHJSJ-m7McJP7TlmIeXALx6thUO3spDgHxYeuda2bcJRmY0rlLpO4NA7rtUufn8fRf7fpo-0YZeycMmfmYDNzUc60fjWxmlNiQ/s400/2.JPG" /></a> Our flight was only an hour and soon we disembarked, ready for some tropical island bliss. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Phu</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Quoc</span> had been hailed as one of the best, most unspoiled tropical islands in the area. People were especially fond of it because it hadn't yet been taken over by big touristy resorts. It's had huge growth in the last 5 years, but there is still a notable absence of mega resorts or chains, the biggest and nicest place in the area probably only had 50 rooms or so.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>I had wanted to book a beach bungalow on Phu Quoc before we left, but certain male members of our party insisted they didn't want to be tied down to a specific itinerary. I had spent four hours just to find that one place open, almost everything was booked when I was looking a couple weeks prior to our trip. When the guys balked, I just gave up on going to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">PhuQuoc</span> altogether, but somehow once we were in Ho Chi <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Minh</span>, it seemed like a good idea to everyone. (in face, we followed the EXACT itinerary in Vietnam I had sketched out that the "non-planners" originally rejected) And of course now EVERYTHING was booked solid, but a travel agent found us rooms at this place:<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRi1rt_djtLGstUHGCPZXdJHaaOzKfHOU4oaAr6l2_JMhJYuslUQJrNGkR1KS0dmwpGVWYxCaxoDZRpVKF59TaojC97FHejcVugghqPoi9GOtorITqqQvJ81V6JAMaWYRPO3TT7A/s1600/3.1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 384px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571774833675806402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRi1rt_djtLGstUHGCPZXdJHaaOzKfHOU4oaAr6l2_JMhJYuslUQJrNGkR1KS0dmwpGVWYxCaxoDZRpVKF59TaojC97FHejcVugghqPoi9GOtorITqqQvJ81V6JAMaWYRPO3TT7A/s400/3.1.jpg" /></a> Please note the woman holding the snake. And the lovely beach, umbrella shelters and recliners. None of these things were present and the lack of a python was especially <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">devastating</span>. There were no chairs, no umbrellas, and even worse, no beach at all because they had expanded their property to the waters edge and added a seawall. And planted nasty leaf dropping small shrubby trees along the seawall that you didn't want to sit under. But thankfully, they had added some other charms not even found on their brochure!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYbM6SlKwof7etwRu4gqVl0QK6rrjjBbk5VpUqpYFdKxhVdutb9hOtbDLixkMht-ooHU7WFj4LB6ch1FxJg_U6nHVybYUtI6uPfqEpNuey-q87XYIyebcys3mAyUPtLo5cB0X9w/s1600/3.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571774830931186818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYbM6SlKwof7etwRu4gqVl0QK6rrjjBbk5VpUqpYFdKxhVdutb9hOtbDLixkMht-ooHU7WFj4LB6ch1FxJg_U6nHVybYUtI6uPfqEpNuey-q87XYIyebcys3mAyUPtLo5cB0X9w/s400/3.JPG" /></a> Giant horse sculptures galloping down the road leading to the rooms! As our taxi drove down the driveway, I will never forget Kevin saying "This looks great!" and I'm sitting there, looking at these WACKO huge animal statues everywhere thinking "Oh man. This is NOT a good sign"</div><div></div><div><br /><br />Sure enough. Our rooms....yuck.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIMw2pTCFJy8ZER_LfkPU_TyHLOmYPP6cranNaJxS5CrwhvYXn1cTAgYQfeSQJCONRkiXh50TQ8yTwssKG7HQqY_N4q3LRYqqc_qSilRjJHgmr8RNhpQ3tFWkrDGEBec2yC16Yg/s1600/4.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571774648796518722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIMw2pTCFJy8ZER_LfkPU_TyHLOmYPP6cranNaJxS5CrwhvYXn1cTAgYQfeSQJCONRkiXh50TQ8yTwssKG7HQqY_N4q3LRYqqc_qSilRjJHgmr8RNhpQ3tFWkrDGEBec2yC16Yg/s400/4.JPG" /></a><br />Dirty walls that desperately needed paint, the most uncomfortable beds ever, nasty old furniture and the smell of mothballs permeating everything.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQDfXEwQAR_6qVx-76Vj9WGhhpIxfXwve76HVbxKhp90DCd-JLSuasEwVCd0RkYq_EpcKu4OA8sguLhMWLthvhe9sm0Vkcr79Qotc8Wg76izkTIGl8yiuD4WV9GQo_WFUfPKVww/s1600/4.5.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571774648327788306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQDfXEwQAR_6qVx-76Vj9WGhhpIxfXwve76HVbxKhp90DCd-JLSuasEwVCd0RkYq_EpcKu4OA8sguLhMWLthvhe9sm0Vkcr79Qotc8Wg76izkTIGl8yiuD4WV9GQo_WFUfPKVww/s400/4.5.JPG" /></a> Kevin & Kelley did get a nice big poster of a topless woman in their room, unfortunately their amenities also included a cockroach in Kelley's shoe the first morning. Oh, and did I mention the metal roofs with some sort of fruit tree overhanging them? And how the fruit would drop in the middle of the night with the most startling loud racket - so loud it sounded like a car had crashed outside or something had exploded in a trash can? I was seriously scared to death when it happened the first night, but after a couple more times that night, I figured it was nothing dangerous. Besides, there were obviously about 20 dogs outside barking to protect us, so I was sure everything was perfectly safe.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>Thank goodness the beauty of the island made up for our less than ideal lodging (at $30 a night it felt like a complete rip off). We had lunch on the beach, some of the best & cheapest food we'd had yet. Every restaurant had little charcoal grills going, with a selection of fresh prawns, calamari, fish, etc for insanely cheap. We had chili rubbed grilled squid, fried tofu w/ chili & lemongrass, Braised fish in caramel sauce and tons more food. I felt much better. We took a quick dip in the water after lunch, only to find a mysterious tingling that soon turned to strong stinging. Apparently that section of water had swarm of little clear stinging Jellyfish. Thus ended our afternoon swim.</div><div></div><div><br /><br />Our hotel had decent scooters to rent for cheap, so we decided to go explore a bit. Kevin and Kyle had been itching to drive a scooter since we'd arrived, but I was terrified. I have almost never ever driven a motorized two wheel vehicle in my life. (once I did a little loop on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">shauna's</span> dirt bike, and that is the only thing that gave me the confidence to do the scooters) But I pushed past the fear and figured it out. And had SO MUCH FUN. I loved it, really. And I loved going fast, even with a stupid ill fitting cheap-o helmet. It wasn't neccessarily the safest thing I've ever done, and as per usual, there was some crazy traffic as well as a quick jaunt through a super crowded street market. <br /><br /></div><div></div><div>We rode for 45 minutes and ended up at this gorgeous beach at sunset. Notice the complete lack of beach hotels or sunbathers? It was completely deserted. Amazing</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4sgJZQ18RaAFDAmYu27UF_QpNpGIvG_h4wnH0Df61mhdNr8ZN66W7H4ep1E_xj1LS1ysPIDDjsiZpeFpgqNDSgJcfBIn_DPisdrIBo11AVfonA-TKb4_5iQS5Xn7tZwPyiBdhw/s1600/5.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571774643754097266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4sgJZQ18RaAFDAmYu27UF_QpNpGIvG_h4wnH0Df61mhdNr8ZN66W7H4ep1E_xj1LS1ysPIDDjsiZpeFpgqNDSgJcfBIn_DPisdrIBo11AVfonA-TKb4_5iQS5Xn7tZwPyiBdhw/s400/5.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0BhOg-Q-0lV7urtdAYBaO8ZsnB7G6sjvzjQr5rVso_4WdRuqJPwSYruYU7h9gJZlgSmrfOogv9Db-krDVeN_4WrVw7JKoZQgQCCIaTBWXLROTaNmI8z08r-6e4Wv0cEZPmb03g/s1600/6.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571774629456157938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0BhOg-Q-0lV7urtdAYBaO8ZsnB7G6sjvzjQr5rVso_4WdRuqJPwSYruYU7h9gJZlgSmrfOogv9Db-krDVeN_4WrVw7JKoZQgQCCIaTBWXLROTaNmI8z08r-6e4Wv0cEZPmb03g/s400/6.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekMS9SwhZok-0WfNHOu4an9Ick39QnjUGcU_GhfQd6HZByM3SvINVJqW_UwzDuHrEfDhiIpy97MWPByszapPSRGgALe-pmc4_cftOIg4qun8UHXafAsWnIbqx754xlcbT4DMWhQ/s1600/7.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571774630342777090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekMS9SwhZok-0WfNHOu4an9Ick39QnjUGcU_GhfQd6HZByM3SvINVJqW_UwzDuHrEfDhiIpy97MWPByszapPSRGgALe-pmc4_cftOIg4qun8UHXafAsWnIbqx754xlcbT4DMWhQ/s400/7.JPG" /></a> The group with our rides. It was only after the sun set that we realized we had to ride back in the twilight with no goggles - on the way their our sunglasses protected our eyes, but now it was way to dark for even that. We got lost for a while in the main town, but finally found our way down to the beach about 1/2 a mile from our hotel and proceeded to gorge ourselves on fresh seafood and wine. We're talking four huge grilled prawns for about $3 - in fact everything we ordered cost $2-$4 dollars. It was amazing. The bill for four of us, including "several" bottles of (somewhat nasty) <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">vietnamese</span> wine was $50.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>Did I mention we were only 5 feet from the ocean, our toes curled in beach sand? LOVELY. </div><div></div><div><br /><br />The next morning we had a snorkeling tour, and I snapped some more great shots of our hotel sculptures while we waited for the bus to pick us up. Creepy.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GUiUwaaK-C_RSuglXSOgQ5gQCZ_cMvq3WP7mNNryRUBNB2dFXy8A9dJR8fFpcFM3wWBLtT8DYf4iLX_FcacRVHICg4kYmAAKfm1qu2YNN3ADXZ7sfVyYu9nuD-8L0F_brDtxvw/s1600/8.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571774372688960626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-GUiUwaaK-C_RSuglXSOgQ5gQCZ_cMvq3WP7mNNryRUBNB2dFXy8A9dJR8fFpcFM3wWBLtT8DYf4iLX_FcacRVHICg4kYmAAKfm1qu2YNN3ADXZ7sfVyYu9nuD-8L0F_brDtxvw/s400/8.JPG" /></a> The giant crab<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7BwrlP4jaSZ5ZihDpgKzhVG1i41xAgDYT8fWrEn36O1Mz29g9y66bPfIhoo2TJnPURPDORCH79jbCw8PXPgX6S3mMZa0gpYkZUkRV2lwW5vnAUMYSuYVHKuWK6mRGO0Rd3Gqew/s1600/9.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571774366737010626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7BwrlP4jaSZ5ZihDpgKzhVG1i41xAgDYT8fWrEn36O1Mz29g9y66bPfIhoo2TJnPURPDORCH79jbCw8PXPgX6S3mMZa0gpYkZUkRV2lwW5vnAUMYSuYVHKuWK6mRGO0Rd3Gqew/s400/9.JPG" /></a> "Monkeying" around<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9GWsjj6vKVMeLK5q6Peslg4khBkDEk-SQ_TvesquS0-8ziSA8A_j-2FphBQQLv4BTddv-05GKJf0OxVdQ1-C62GdM-YtxN9bYbMIEKUijG5yCWFHvU7qECTbeld5toMSd8YQgrg/s1600/10.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571774362430570658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9GWsjj6vKVMeLK5q6Peslg4khBkDEk-SQ_TvesquS0-8ziSA8A_j-2FphBQQLv4BTddv-05GKJf0OxVdQ1-C62GdM-YtxN9bYbMIEKUijG5yCWFHvU7qECTbeld5toMSd8YQgrg/s400/10.JPG" /></a> Seriously creepy<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWGop7JNK2B6Kv2zQfPQYNg45Mp40zb67bcYzlWtqZ2fB5odd5M6cfNERj6pZ8E4vqiwz9nFyyXQ2GcgluBouYvKuSjaKeK5qYmgGUzkTnisdIGsTcd9AVHy00CvJg516uSxovw/s1600/11.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571774359423224354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWGop7JNK2B6Kv2zQfPQYNg45Mp40zb67bcYzlWtqZ2fB5odd5M6cfNERj6pZ8E4vqiwz9nFyyXQ2GcgluBouYvKuSjaKeK5qYmgGUzkTnisdIGsTcd9AVHy00CvJg516uSxovw/s400/11.JPG" /></a> Evil goat wearing eye-liner<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0sYG2_dHSXHtm8-dVlc-_vJq6ynB6Lj6c4mDHQBLbgrF_EBhJvZUKCEFiX0fTUZ5ZOtebp3yZy4VT2rqIptftJlBlLubhI5zY4AJSPojRpFQ22c3dI9UYbUVKAe3WUVw6dKdJA/s1600/12.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571774355262351714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0sYG2_dHSXHtm8-dVlc-_vJq6ynB6Lj6c4mDHQBLbgrF_EBhJvZUKCEFiX0fTUZ5ZOtebp3yZy4VT2rqIptftJlBlLubhI5zY4AJSPojRpFQ22c3dI9UYbUVKAe3WUVw6dKdJA/s400/12.JPG" /></a> The best hotel slogan ever, especially for a crappy weird sculpture park hotel.</div><div></div><div><br /><br />Our bus ride to the south of the island was interesting...we were crammed into a hot, no air <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">conditioning</span> van (you know those 12 person ones with little jump seats?) and proceeded to drive 30+ minutes on dusty bumpy dirt roads. Apparently the little tourist zone where we stayed is pretty much the only paved part of the island.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht22jUd67Lq-SHspPdGJ8KIkFUwFjyxXOuGhpaOIKM7MaAtTq9P_UrdgGtrC3C9CICc60vmkbWhT4owR2iL4yaVmaUmiB0H1oNh3cnEPtOq4NVpnmQtvRiNXkTMFQag5Vr3AHVIQ/s1600/13.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571773887619117698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht22jUd67Lq-SHspPdGJ8KIkFUwFjyxXOuGhpaOIKM7MaAtTq9P_UrdgGtrC3C9CICc60vmkbWhT4owR2iL4yaVmaUmiB0H1oNh3cnEPtOq4NVpnmQtvRiNXkTMFQag5Vr3AHVIQ/s400/13.JPG" /></a> When I saw these beautiful squid fishing boats I freaked a bit - I get seasick easily and the bigger the boat the better - luckily they weren't for us, we were on a relatively large boat.<br /><br /></div><div></div><div>We did hit some rough waves, but I had taken a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">dramamine</span> so I was fine. After chugging slowly for an hour, we went into a group of islands and stopped to do some fishing. After about five minutes, I caught my first fish, the 2<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">nd</span> one caught on our boat. Two minutes later, I caught my second fish. 5 minutes after that, I caught my 3rd. Kyle didn't catch a single one, Kevin caught one, and Kelley finally caught one right as the boat started pulling away with her line still in the water.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizj0k0M_21BeKrFmEWE9tOQrxRCc3AtdpUVQTNqui8oFMnNvPsBz7BMJ94mOH0holyRGi2uAp2oXxMa7p0Wpjq9FOSAWE6bzpNF3ojxBI78yg9LiCZQ5Kx-_8qu1KwHp5fzBOCYg/s1600/14.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571773881339246386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizj0k0M_21BeKrFmEWE9tOQrxRCc3AtdpUVQTNqui8oFMnNvPsBz7BMJ94mOH0holyRGi2uAp2oXxMa7p0Wpjq9FOSAWE6bzpNF3ojxBI78yg9LiCZQ5Kx-_8qu1KwHp5fzBOCYg/s400/14.JPG" /></a> We snorkeled a bit and then had lunch - and yes, they served the fish I caught and yes, I ate one. Yum. And yes, it still had skin, bones and a head when I ate it. No problem. The snorkeling was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">ok</span>, quite a few fish, but pretty normal wear and tear on the coral, a lot of it was dead. Still fun though.</div><div></div><div><br /><br />After several hours of snorkeling, we headed back to land and the bus took us to a remote beach with the most beautiful sand I have ever seen. Super white and super fine. The guy below was selling ice cream bars to the Western tourists.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQaQ3nEAqjq_TI2GkN32x15bBxYuL75_L6grV2yjtAGM2K5JuumhoGK8kmyTR2A6kL4yI8-SDaGYrF7QUgdIoj9vyDyxXlHP-_1K26k9j6G0FHDtOEZ3ZdPGngIz1-8FB3Qbhkw/s1600/15.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571773880536888370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQaQ3nEAqjq_TI2GkN32x15bBxYuL75_L6grV2yjtAGM2K5JuumhoGK8kmyTR2A6kL4yI8-SDaGYrF7QUgdIoj9vyDyxXlHP-_1K26k9j6G0FHDtOEZ3ZdPGngIz1-8FB3Qbhkw/s400/15.JPG" /></a> The woman below was selling fresh creamy tofu with ginger sauce to the Asian tourists. I really wanted to try it, but <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">wussed</span> out, fearful of the safety of her homemade goods. And don't even get me started on the difference between asian & western beach snacks.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNauK7vlQ8xNxhbXPvwpSXz851v5n2lXSf_4ntAItrrQC7h4pjAFpeDGktmbyu2RP760XyMtY60QX1WoyQVZdUpcv_AXv4ug8jrMvUVgCHQxV7J8tywuCUNppbBc2kXB14DFTLA/s1600/16.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571773872422902258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNauK7vlQ8xNxhbXPvwpSXz851v5n2lXSf_4ntAItrrQC7h4pjAFpeDGktmbyu2RP760XyMtY60QX1WoyQVZdUpcv_AXv4ug8jrMvUVgCHQxV7J8tywuCUNppbBc2kXB14DFTLA/s400/16.JPG" /></a> On the way back to our hotel, the bus broke down for a few minutes and imagine my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">surprise</span> to find out the engine was nestled between the drivers seat and our seats.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoeLRfbgFJ-3TRPYDhy9JhQnFr0QGFXu50UlN7tFK3O_awhEV5FKPWlHUvjlo-tASuwirWzzviD2gKZ21PY9csGruR9KhETiahfjvbcJQs1uEytGN-TJdSPT16oU_uKHOnhVxtg/s1600/17.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571773873664639746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoeLRfbgFJ-3TRPYDhy9JhQnFr0QGFXu50UlN7tFK3O_awhEV5FKPWlHUvjlo-tASuwirWzzviD2gKZ21PY9csGruR9KhETiahfjvbcJQs1uEytGN-TJdSPT16oU_uKHOnhVxtg/s400/17.JPG" /></a> Thankfully they got it going relatively quickly and we were on our way, through the potholes, breathing red dust through the windows and over the rickety bridge we go!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfi-n0L_BGoWEJiAO2u6eS_s-omy0g_nwwafrkyXas4RfoN82VPdG4kPHq9N_MK9N7E8k9OeDlACZkX2obkhQ5VQiaRnt-XHVVyBe_0CXqGqUGnPYzFbL7pQ1C0nKH3mvEaib08Q/s1600/18.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571773572315728130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfi-n0L_BGoWEJiAO2u6eS_s-omy0g_nwwafrkyXas4RfoN82VPdG4kPHq9N_MK9N7E8k9OeDlACZkX2obkhQ5VQiaRnt-XHVVyBe_0CXqGqUGnPYzFbL7pQ1C0nKH3mvEaib08Q/s400/18.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaShVK2jsFm9c5qowpRyd3_MZQM-ubpO_nXQg4Iz62Jq5qNrGzVREiz7Dvz1c7q01kE6FxeXSy3Wq2ogqWdVTkByBsF8XFm2JQdk140vIn9Vh5Gn0re5vwS4MzDDe8dEG9PsavMg/s1600/19.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571773572454927282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaShVK2jsFm9c5qowpRyd3_MZQM-ubpO_nXQg4Iz62Jq5qNrGzVREiz7Dvz1c7q01kE6FxeXSy3Wq2ogqWdVTkByBsF8XFm2JQdk140vIn9Vh5Gn0re5vwS4MzDDe8dEG9PsavMg/s400/19.JPG" /></a> Oh, did I forget to mention the sculpture park on the beach side of our hotel? Completely separate from the entrance one? This was supposed to filled with water I think and each swan's head would be up to my shoulders almost. In the background, you can see they started reproducing some different famous structures around the world including the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">sydney</span> opera house and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Malaysia's</span> twin towers. And there was a guy on horseback. It was a jumbled psychotic mess. </div><div></div><div><br /><br />Thankfully cocktails on the beach were just a short walk away and they were only a buck or two each.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQ4HAoLvsHLhKR7hJF01iEWvRX1hAYHtdP6USdcuiiMRp80LarFC5Z2pCweeCgaY1gRCkYYyzYlx06B1Yj2R7Lud3GCMjgtReC4WLXddFjrhE3KQDHMpbmafr1oFnoytkRHnWTQ/s1600/20.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571773571366966258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQ4HAoLvsHLhKR7hJF01iEWvRX1hAYHtdP6USdcuiiMRp80LarFC5Z2pCweeCgaY1gRCkYYyzYlx06B1Yj2R7Lud3GCMjgtReC4WLXddFjrhE3KQDHMpbmafr1oFnoytkRHnWTQ/s400/20.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquzxdJvXpiYDcmEfGdLQTFQRf79Jdc0lFIPIfNEaRE495boCowvFbL1cNMWgGS8e41iLvEhmxjZrpXJFa8DSQ7NXmo7FHCinRDPq6kyAOcMbk2Bg4GfHYNWOU3dj1AVicAQiwpg/s1600/21.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571773564248217282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquzxdJvXpiYDcmEfGdLQTFQRf79Jdc0lFIPIfNEaRE495boCowvFbL1cNMWgGS8e41iLvEhmxjZrpXJFa8DSQ7NXmo7FHCinRDPq6kyAOcMbk2Bg4GfHYNWOU3dj1AVicAQiwpg/s400/21.JPG" /></a> We had another lovely dinner on the beach, here you can see how close we were to the lapping waves. One weird thing about the town is that supposedly every hotel was completely booked up because it was the peak of high season. But it was super quiet, tons of room on the beaches, restaurants were often empty. We kept wondering where all the guests were....even our resort was supposedly full, but we rarely saw more than 2 or 3 other couples at a time. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-dIWfdWWsdVaGV2tc3_OdEFS34GxIuHdHD6R9hXCQUyN_ykuVEb31VGbJxHeZ8z-lkTlUYIF8c5Q8Jrp-EaEHIrQBoug1vEInsfAFZRuE_mgoyvcep4sFPHTps2kd7_eRQ-EWg/s1600/22.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571773559779472114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-dIWfdWWsdVaGV2tc3_OdEFS34GxIuHdHD6R9hXCQUyN_ykuVEb31VGbJxHeZ8z-lkTlUYIF8c5Q8Jrp-EaEHIrQBoug1vEInsfAFZRuE_mgoyvcep4sFPHTps2kd7_eRQ-EWg/s400/22.JPG" /></a> The next day we laid on the beach all morning, took some jellyfish-free dips in the ocean and then flew back to Ho Chi <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Minh</span> after a final beach lunch. We had a rotten time in the evening trying to shop and find a new place to eat. We finally ended up back at the Temple Club we'd eaten at earlier in our trip, but it suddenly seemed very expensive compared to the beach places in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">Phu</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Quoc</span>. Kyle ordered a pineapple juice that arrived completely rotten and smelling like nasty sulfur. I tried it and confirmed it was disgusting. What is with last nights in a place being sort of lame??<br /><br />And then it got even lamer. Two hours after dinner, Kyle started throwing up. Two hours after that I joined him and we missed our taxi to the airport to fly home. We laid around all day recovering and were able to fly home the next day. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">Menards</span> were not so lucky, Kelley didn't get sick till she was on the plane to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hong</span> Kong. Yuck. Kevin felt ill but never actually puked. Lucky guy. Who knows what it was, I was sort of feeling off after lunch and all afternoon, but it didn't fully hit me till after dinner. </div><div></div><div><br /><br />Overall, Vietnam was hard, but awesome. I retain my firm belief that I would much rather plan a trip before we leave, rather than do all the leg work once we were there and have to settle for less than ideal accomodations. (although our lodging "find" in Ho Chi <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">Minh</span> did work out really nicely) </div><div></div><div><br /><br />Is it worth going to a country where you are almost guaranteed to get food poisoning at some point? I think so, in fact, I am almost getting used to it. When we first got home, I had a hard time showing a lot of enthusiasm for the trip because we got so sick at the end, but with time...memories fade and only the good remains. I love that. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-25487658849523886102011-01-25T20:45:00.000-08:002011-01-25T22:04:14.655-08:00Vietnam - Day 4 & 5 (Mekong)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaipR_vPb0aGl61nRA0r-5hvDeaNNcHuf4IYkqRmLfm0wKcqRMc-MaUAeSNCdqsq-9tt-hvxGyO3x8mzv-3f8hSDB_ZseddTtZDVYxnO5Fdr46PMXZPkhst2pO-j372Y6YT7jg8g/s1600/1.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566354841873976050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaipR_vPb0aGl61nRA0r-5hvDeaNNcHuf4IYkqRmLfm0wKcqRMc-MaUAeSNCdqsq-9tt-hvxGyO3x8mzv-3f8hSDB_ZseddTtZDVYxnO5Fdr46PMXZPkhst2pO-j372Y6YT7jg8g/s400/1.JPG" /></a> We woke up nice and early and met up with our tour guide for biking through the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Mekong</span>. The tour was not cheap at all, but....it was just the four of us, a private guide and everything we needed completely taken care of. It was awesome. (<a href="http://sinhbalo.com/cgi-bin/app.cgi">http://sinhbalo.com/cgi-bin/app.cgi</a>)<br /><br />It was about 3 hours to reach our destination - somewhere just outside of My Tho. We got out of our van, pulled the cheap bikes out, strapped on ill fitting, dented busted helmets and set off on the skinny paved road. It was heavenly after the chaos of Ho Chi <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Minh</span>. Cows, canals, green, rice farms, tropical fruit trees, scooters, school kids on bikes - not exactly supreme peace and quiet, but everything was fascinating and came at a much slower speed. Actually, it was far more urban feeling than I expected, but delightful anyways.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQlhNAjmmbfuGYSVTRpQaPLwVKvVZpel2rmMfi8ABb193I5qreRZ52h49gAldXJwbNjwNRRUPB0-N6kHKajxCbUcrQ9ccDpNTKNBrhJ8P-Q72rBrxDV1bmVGF0sAYC-6_EkFiOQ/s1600/2.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566354840530129186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQlhNAjmmbfuGYSVTRpQaPLwVKvVZpel2rmMfi8ABb193I5qreRZ52h49gAldXJwbNjwNRRUPB0-N6kHKajxCbUcrQ9ccDpNTKNBrhJ8P-Q72rBrxDV1bmVGF0sAYC-6_EkFiOQ/s400/2.JPG" /></a> Notice the awesome fit of my custom helmet. Did I mention it had a huge dent in it as if it'd already been in a wreck or two? After an hour of biking we stopped in at a factory where they made made some special local treats the old fashioned way - by hand, cooked over rice hull fires. (specifically for the tourist trade of course) We bought some delicious coconut candies and had a chance to sample the famous "snake wine" seen below:<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZHVrFnu_-rQ_8Cr5TeiOUpDa52kqk4AbuXOz7IykDecNjrOle2f_4b_pNA5VNkno4Bg2GKedM2hRHD31qEe_Z8NMFIqBneXOxZw4zgHE4n51egv8foOiF6vwt16HX71fIK4zgg/s1600/3.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566354836286908962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZHVrFnu_-rQ_8Cr5TeiOUpDa52kqk4AbuXOz7IykDecNjrOle2f_4b_pNA5VNkno4Bg2GKedM2hRHD31qEe_Z8NMFIqBneXOxZw4zgHE4n51egv8foOiF6vwt16HX71fIK4zgg/s400/3.JPG" /></a><br />Yes, that is a sun tea pitcher filled with dead snakes and moonshine. Or home distilled rice wine - and I do mean distilled, we saw the distiller. So wine is being generous. I took the teeniest sip, it tasted fine, but the idea of snake guts mixing around in there really grossed me out. Kyle and Kevin manned up and did full shots of the stuff.</div><div></div><div>After sampling and purchasing a bunch of the treats, we rode another mile or so to our boat. And we sailed off down the mighty Mekong.<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcY_j4g2g5T9tP64-_D0GfClZa4OUOwsMp4HD6LfQINs5yQsjkYbLMvMltQg_NcLfWZHx_INUMJMo6Eb0x7vMW-BBzPuoWneYFn9y4Hl1VHMptSsoJ1XcQXntdV4VyDaGHVQlXcw/s1600/4.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566354830970017378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcY_j4g2g5T9tP64-_D0GfClZa4OUOwsMp4HD6LfQINs5yQsjkYbLMvMltQg_NcLfWZHx_INUMJMo6Eb0x7vMW-BBzPuoWneYFn9y4Hl1VHMptSsoJ1XcQXntdV4VyDaGHVQlXcw/s400/4.JPG" /></a> I loved the boat paint jobs which were a mix of weathered wood and bright cheery colors. We had lunch & drinks on the boat and then sat back in our chairs for a couple hours to relax.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMHDrxeZ5h40hP-AlJlDM9c-jwrfA7bbLxANnwjTjq8gnXX-y3KpXAwsWxIECOD9lth1h1Be1P1uJzoMxF4oOXhdUo9DFVihzhliLZbSU8GtTQKfeIZfve1vTMfPu3tqossxJ9Q/s1600/5.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566354834365309826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMHDrxeZ5h40hP-AlJlDM9c-jwrfA7bbLxANnwjTjq8gnXX-y3KpXAwsWxIECOD9lth1h1Be1P1uJzoMxF4oOXhdUo9DFVihzhliLZbSU8GtTQKfeIZfve1vTMfPu3tqossxJ9Q/s400/5.JPG" /></a> It was gorgeous and perfect. Well ....Kevin & Kyle kept talking about how they needed to go on more sales trips, which is always a downer (for me anyways), but other than that, it was perfect!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1-2hyyWNwND0XIfBGRoYHMtt-e9W5SyQFFBpc2nqSHCMRnVJG_ypXoSvBQunKjWeNglvoEt9LhPVoryQoUMvCoO4vtF_0unnqg91OkkBwlSBQQj0OzIDDodBNN0CPqO5OFSEFg/s1600/6.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566354258942053890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1-2hyyWNwND0XIfBGRoYHMtt-e9W5SyQFFBpc2nqSHCMRnVJG_ypXoSvBQunKjWeNglvoEt9LhPVoryQoUMvCoO4vtF_0unnqg91OkkBwlSBQQj0OzIDDodBNN0CPqO5OFSEFg/s400/6.jpg" /></a><br />Eyes were painted on the boats to scare crocodiles. Or so our guide, Tao, told us. But he was often full of crap. I can't even tell you how many things he told us straight faced that turned out to be completely wrong. Apparently our gullibility amused him. </div><div></div><div>We docked in a completely non-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">descript</span> location that was an island in Ben <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Tre</span> province. Five minutes of biking and we were at our <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">homestay</span> where we would sleep and eat for the evening.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMt0y-Yz78-PSsdjttc8weGGtBvFE1JDp6Ra8oX7dBZ54T2yC_Oek3owCcN4negrWgx881fzrv2P7DI72utwea0ht36GOSwUd1bS5MRePpwSD9wZkNjHvVy5ZwNEFunm7WMvOUpQ/s1600/7.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566354251010271954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMt0y-Yz78-PSsdjttc8weGGtBvFE1JDp6Ra8oX7dBZ54T2yC_Oek3owCcN4negrWgx881fzrv2P7DI72utwea0ht36GOSwUd1bS5MRePpwSD9wZkNjHvVy5ZwNEFunm7WMvOUpQ/s400/7.jpg" /></a> It was called a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">homestay</span> but was really more like a family had added an outdoor sleeping area for up to 10 people, a few bathrooms and showers. Notice the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pomelo</span> tree over the chairs & tables.</div><div></div><div>Our guide had told us he'd slept here once before and rats chewing on the roofs had kept him awake all night. I only half believed him at that point, but when we saw our sleeping location, it seemed pretty likely he had told the truth.<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSATrGtQMEgHt9FaToiRK35X0nXAFjVcbXn5SwIWPADRr88WN44pZIE5XAtRzZL3dmgna58WXoJF8IBv1K8fS9gKxbAJqfDCJl-k_TwuKPK8MESNf5IppdBFmPFFNzGTSwSEHbgQ/s1600/8.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566354253795940322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSATrGtQMEgHt9FaToiRK35X0nXAFjVcbXn5SwIWPADRr88WN44pZIE5XAtRzZL3dmgna58WXoJF8IBv1K8fS9gKxbAJqfDCJl-k_TwuKPK8MESNf5IppdBFmPFFNzGTSwSEHbgQ/s400/8.JPG" /></a> Not exactly the privacy we expected, that is one large, not fully enclosed room with 10 cots in it. And mosquito nets. I was feeling sort of nervous. I mean, we were in the tropical jungle, weren't there all sorts of critters who might scurry around our "bedroom" at night? Like my arch enemy cockroaches? Ugh. Would mosquito nets really keep everything out?</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7vgXB5IbNTHpnH9HDRdS1kpjL42o25G7xV6vUjGzCF6m65Il0xj8vmOWoyAVFnx1MZbHGwbC8jXyG0PhCGTT8YA5hqakPj5MvCNI-TK-bI6tQmcl7h2pj3HDoMQpi2zynlXIOQ/s1600/9.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566354249934401602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7vgXB5IbNTHpnH9HDRdS1kpjL42o25G7xV6vUjGzCF6m65Il0xj8vmOWoyAVFnx1MZbHGwbC8jXyG0PhCGTT8YA5hqakPj5MvCNI-TK-bI6tQmcl7h2pj3HDoMQpi2zynlXIOQ/s400/9.JPG" /></a><br />We put our fears aside and talked our guide into taking us for another bike ride since it was only 2-3:00 (at this point, time & days of the week had completely lost <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">relevance</span>). We went on a brutal 1.5 hour ride down a super dusty, bumpy sandy road. My bum ached.<br /><br /><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfojKYJq9N2ZaX30H15qwImAMBajvtzmcd7jNrtf3Dml2fuw0UNTU3516Zq3tVKx_DpehEQQQu6Q7RW0iStLKEUf5v62ttoHO5xHpcDtrX8lbvMzSfed8z623KsjxagpGpJxqsQ/s1600/10.5.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566354245083549362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfojKYJq9N2ZaX30H15qwImAMBajvtzmcd7jNrtf3Dml2fuw0UNTU3516Zq3tVKx_DpehEQQQu6Q7RW0iStLKEUf5v62ttoHO5xHpcDtrX8lbvMzSfed8z623KsjxagpGpJxqsQ/s400/10.5.jpg" /></a> <em>See me in front of the lady with sticks? And Kyle in the green shirt?<br /></em>But...all the kids yelled friendly hellos as we went by and we saw fascinating things like wedding preparations:<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSxLf5hgPpRI64jmxbKAnAhsHrRTp3FLfdXq_wbjrUszlPAdr6R027htklK6bosUJs38EQAFw9G41QP-PerybDYPUw8vBDi2iGxS5fBq4MORwkpmukUR8EmfGts5vlHmuP9SiYg/s1600/10.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566353962344472018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSxLf5hgPpRI64jmxbKAnAhsHrRTp3FLfdXq_wbjrUszlPAdr6R027htklK6bosUJs38EQAFw9G41QP-PerybDYPUw8vBDi2iGxS5fBq4MORwkpmukUR8EmfGts5vlHmuP9SiYg/s400/10.jpg" /></a> And the shells of cocoa beans:<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzS7lYzvo3bbECEkrz3wb1dskrA7kS25f-Ycj32f80jUHqPks0YsWixAy1b4BCtz0WNaIWZR-csnl2QvzOCuEjTc0nDF-5cU-tHkFpKa4QO0X21m9zezo5Uylx7Bni4Dm4pkddA/s1600/11.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566353954682504210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzS7lYzvo3bbECEkrz3wb1dskrA7kS25f-Ycj32f80jUHqPks0YsWixAy1b4BCtz0WNaIWZR-csnl2QvzOCuEjTc0nDF-5cU-tHkFpKa4QO0X21m9zezo5Uylx7Bni4Dm4pkddA/s400/11.jpg" /></a> It was gorgeous. Even though by the end my bum really ached. Darn bikes. We had a wonderful meal back at our <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">homestay</span>. First we got to watch the grandma kill, scale and gut our fish, then we took cold showers and missed the rest of the dinner preparations. We had rice wraps for appetizers - the steamed fish, topped with pineapple, rice noodles, lettuce & basil, all wrapped in the those awesome chewy rice paper rolls. All the meals in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Mekong</span> ended with soup - in fact most meals people ordered for us ended in a soup. (when we ordered for ourselves, we tended to skip the soups) </div><div></div><div><br><br>By 9pm it was dark and there wasn't much to do, so we went to bed. Kyle and I saw our very first firefly ever. Prior to that, we saw a rat climbing around in the beams of our roof. I went to sleep very nervous, but relieved that so far I hadn't seen any bugs of alarming size and no cockroaches. </div><div></div><div><br><br>I slept very well. I woke up a couple times to dogs barking and a another time to a helicopter landing on our shelter - no, make that a boat motor - that thrummed loudly on and on. In the end I loved it. I slept well and loved waking up to fresh air, morning sunlight and twittering birds. Kyle and Kelley had the worst sleep ever. <br><br><br /><br />I would definitely recommend a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">homestay</span>, it was rustic and made me a bit nervous, but it turned out great and was one of the most memorable parts of the trip (in a good way).</div><div></div><div><br><br>The next morning, we were off on our bikes again. It was even more beautiful as we were on tiny single lane paved trails with gorgeous coconut groves and more traditional houses. I won't even mention how much my bum ached this time, but I promise to get more time in the saddle before I ever suggest a bike tour again. My leg muscles & stamina were fine, but man...its like riding a horse and getting saddle sore if you haven't done it in a long time.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_tTnJas7aneMuWoFwuBU2-qcqphjEdBvkl1N_hTUIjBw-pFghWyeBRXDjiHv8IT4ZvhvMaKyKJl7lA-ZVWzdVhINn6mWMOGQSJzaZPshymDSsyOOVA9wgdw2L1pEK15nRjYRBw/s1600/12.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566353950956717266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_tTnJas7aneMuWoFwuBU2-qcqphjEdBvkl1N_hTUIjBw-pFghWyeBRXDjiHv8IT4ZvhvMaKyKJl7lA-ZVWzdVhINn6mWMOGQSJzaZPshymDSsyOOVA9wgdw2L1pEK15nRjYRBw/s400/12.jpg" /></a> Gorgeous traditional houses were everywhere. We left the trails for a bit and hit our first main road. Wow. It was frightful but fun since none of us got run over. The traffic was no Ho Chi <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Minh</span>, but roads were narrow, and there were lots of trucks, many scooters, bikes and no real rules about how & when everyone tried to pass. Or what to do when the guide was way in front and you were stuck between some old guy going 5 miles an hour on his bike.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXG129nwPjjJn0y-ncHSLWjnfHB1qjr456ArFd9r3WxjNG9IEqWStfCkxnzROqjo-s3nhH1VmHI2Fh560U6Y5x54lHTerBILulVcATGrIqF04KcNcp6ma66EHrDKBMOwjRA5Hq4g/s1600/13.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 283px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566353952619173202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXG129nwPjjJn0y-ncHSLWjnfHB1qjr456ArFd9r3WxjNG9IEqWStfCkxnzROqjo-s3nhH1VmHI2Fh560U6Y5x54lHTerBILulVcATGrIqF04KcNcp6ma66EHrDKBMOwjRA5Hq4g/s400/13.jpg" /></a><br /></div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4SZ61waI7mb637nNJIYZnDui4fbOiRCSLJoOI9C9QYAbeJzdCcWgeSeTyZHE9u1Drixmlyn1Z8OqyJa9jD_8Uu-0LEKlTf5B6-GoEqSGDfxR1TQVMXDRMaeJEOYxUlIBFM0A5Fw/s1600/14.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566353648849063090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4SZ61waI7mb637nNJIYZnDui4fbOiRCSLJoOI9C9QYAbeJzdCcWgeSeTyZHE9u1Drixmlyn1Z8OqyJa9jD_8Uu-0LEKlTf5B6-GoEqSGDfxR1TQVMXDRMaeJEOYxUlIBFM0A5Fw/s400/14.jpg" /></a> We rode for a couple hours and our guide took us to the house he grew up in, where his parents still live. It was so beautiful - just maybe 500 sq feet and entirely made of natural local plant materials. The roof was woven of palm fronds and the walls were made of something similar with light filtering through. The floors were packed earth and swept immaculately. <br><br></div><div></div><div>His parents have a rice farm they tend and also grow cherries - or at least something he called "cherry" that looked like a cherry and tasted like a cherry, but had no pit & a different seed structure. We drank fresh coconut juice at their house because Ben <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Tre</span> is the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Napa</span> Valley of coconuts. Famous throughout <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">vietnam</span>. And they were indeed the best ones we drank through the whole trip.</div><div></div><div><br><br>More biking, but this time we hit an even bigger major city and had more spine tingling adventures with the traffic. The biggest rush was biking through a roundabout with the rest of traffic. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ay</span>-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">yah</span>! It felt so good to make it through alive! We were true <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">vietnamese</span> traffic veterans at this point.... and then we boarded another boat to take us to our lunch location. This boat was teeny and the canal we traversed was equally teeny. and muddy.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLcoFNjj6pOHE8h2zKQ9wA23IH9ZCxfUIjG-obCnstA9a-B7S40-MeBJv42R-imqcPuOcl8s0urtKR5glFCvaZQw1F-IHaROi0DN-mVHlHnVuJv_VLIrFE0apoipRusNBCIm9ng/s1600/15.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566353644794680450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLcoFNjj6pOHE8h2zKQ9wA23IH9ZCxfUIjG-obCnstA9a-B7S40-MeBJv42R-imqcPuOcl8s0urtKR5glFCvaZQw1F-IHaROi0DN-mVHlHnVuJv_VLIrFE0apoipRusNBCIm9ng/s400/15.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2z_9kldcp6US5TrhvNR2eiJn-iXI3x7S_ZFL2y_nIMl9z0M1gRijMjBSUJEsAiRQNzUZY16Bjcm_4Q8KE0hyphenhyphen_6M4e0iAIP8TkqEcTtZE5zqDr-TU8FzM6fZXKvD3xEig7mJU0w/s1600/16.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566353640223539874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2z_9kldcp6US5TrhvNR2eiJn-iXI3x7S_ZFL2y_nIMl9z0M1gRijMjBSUJEsAiRQNzUZY16Bjcm_4Q8KE0hyphenhyphen_6M4e0iAIP8TkqEcTtZE5zqDr-TU8FzM6fZXKvD3xEig7mJU0w/s400/16.jpg" /></a> Once again we got off at a non-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">descript</span> dock and found lunch waiting for us. First up - fried elephant fish, rolled once more in the delectable rice paper rolls. Yum. I keep forgetting what we ate for the rest of the meal, I loved the rice rolls the most. I know we always had some clear soup with greens, rice and some sort of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">stir fried</span> or stewed meat. It was all delicious though.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDCJBrclid2OIr_zqoN4STlWvE_r20BS0WOp24h62fI_vU_lO0ad1MJf1YMAk1shPoXV1uUUh5b61FVX0SOYWT_A7MwwJW26y390MobFag09qrBKXDD-3fZAhiGg3UFDM1rXdkg/s1600/17.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566353639090511314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDCJBrclid2OIr_zqoN4STlWvE_r20BS0WOp24h62fI_vU_lO0ad1MJf1YMAk1shPoXV1uUUh5b61FVX0SOYWT_A7MwwJW26y390MobFag09qrBKXDD-3fZAhiGg3UFDM1rXdkg/s400/17.jpg" /></a> That is a whole fried fish. With a special "fried fish stand" apparently. I want one. After lunch we had an hour to nap in hammocks. Delightful. Then we rode off, back to the big town and went through the same big <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">trafficky</span> round about (equally exciting the second time). </div><div></div><div><br><br>Actually i have to stop and explain what made biking in the traffic so great. It was frightening, things coming at you from all directions, with no seeming <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">organization</span>. But, observing the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">vietnamese</span>, you could see they were alert, but relaxed. No one made sudden movements and you realized your survival depended on doing the same. So I would purposefully relax, breathe deeply and try to not focus on any one thing but observe the movements all around me and in my peripheral. And flow with everyone else. The way it works is that you stay alert but act slowly, gracefully and try to be predictable to those around you. It was amazing to become a part of that and have it work. Like I said in Saigon, people would just walk into traffic, but do it slowly enough that everyone goes around them. That is the key to the chaos. Be predictable, alert, no sudden movements. It was fantastic.</div><div></div><div><br><br>Then we were back in our van, headed to Ho Chi <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">Minh</span>. Dinner that night was superb but once again...sort of a blur. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-58026198515773471832011-01-25T10:22:00.000-08:002011-01-25T10:28:36.482-08:00RatsAfter a year of indecision, Kyle and I finally bought a new 4runner to be "my car" and replace our old suburban. Kyle went ahead and arranged it all so I could get the car for Christmas - unfortunately when he was "sneaking" it home on Christmas eve, I left the house later than I expected and managed to pass him on the road driving it. So much for the surprise! <br /><br />I love my new car, but this morning a bunch of weird warning lights came on. Angry, I took it to the dealership and demanded they take a look. The technician nodded knowingly and I thought "oh great, its a known issue with 4runners! And there are only 800 miles on it, are you kidding me!!???" <br /><br />She popped the hood and peered inside...then screamed. "It's a RAT!" Apparently she knew it was most likely rat damage making the wires go crazy, and sure enough, he was still riding around inside. They backed the car out of the garage and he jumped down, ran back into the garage and scampered around while we women squealed. <br /><br />Seriously, why don't guys squeal?? I'm not even scared of rats, but something about the scampering made me do some hard core squealing. <br /><br />I think the rat climbed up inside someone elses car, but it sort of just disappeared so who knows. What I want to know is - do rats just like new cars? Because we've never had this problem before and I happen to know a rat was living in our garage a couple winters ago.....Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-46220980326670436032011-01-24T09:53:00.000-08:002011-01-24T09:55:31.689-08:00blog headerI can't believe this, the first time in 3 years I bothered creating my own blog header image and I do it the exact day people start reporting a bug that makes header images blurry on blogger. <br /><br />Sweet, I won't ever get that hour+ back that I spent trying to figure out what I was doing wrong....gotta love technology.<br /><br /><a href="http://knownissues.blogspot.com/2011/01/some-users-have-reported-that-header.html">http://knownissues.blogspot.com/2011/01/some-users-have-reported-that-header.html</a>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-50598940321989313182011-01-21T11:31:00.001-08:002011-01-21T11:35:16.475-08:00Must be getting rusty...anyone want to tell me why my header looks awesome as an jpg image saved to my computer but is garbage once it is uploaded to blogger??? It is about the right size I thought....1002 x 280 pixelsKarihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-35895917160203511362011-01-21T07:45:00.000-08:002011-01-21T08:15:38.025-08:00Vietnam - Day 3 (we recover)<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmB1jn34oUTlrHFLsab5GnDXtQ9G_86YzPFTkaNeLYzxK5iOdB84LQa4V2UdMCEWLz-XY4AuxC0iSLrgKiypMtTfHcB0ydmUzJZoZkLdcSgDChlrHhQ7N2ty7AfdHnrgG8ubEEGQ/s1600/7.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564667015227055794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmB1jn34oUTlrHFLsab5GnDXtQ9G_86YzPFTkaNeLYzxK5iOdB84LQa4V2UdMCEWLz-XY4AuxC0iSLrgKiypMtTfHcB0ydmUzJZoZkLdcSgDChlrHhQ7N2ty7AfdHnrgG8ubEEGQ/s400/7.JPG" /></a> <em>View from our "new" hotel window</em></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="left">We spent the morning slowly getting our energy back up after the day before. Kelley and I had a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">leisurely</span> breakfast in the hotel buffet while Kevin & Kyle scouted out cheap <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">pho</span> shops. (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">pho</span> is the traditional <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Vietnamese</span> breakfast) We moved all our stuff over to the new hotel and then talked about what to do after our bike trip to the Mekong. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Most of the morning was spent booking flights & a hotel to a beach destination - <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Phu</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Quoc</span> island. We ate at a cheap <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Thai</span> restaurant for lunch and finally left our little backpacker neighborhood to go do some shopping.<br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRX0xuAN892cQuC2mYNETFoP4RVJ12WadG39O0EAXqqvYBa3ANeRq26_k8kH3f8PYooyMKTfRznrBKVANY0Cf1RHvNs0ov0SMAAn98LaDwlzAMKVsnGthUNhIKBESr3xR4uedBoA/s1600/8.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564666720572169586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRX0xuAN892cQuC2mYNETFoP4RVJ12WadG39O0EAXqqvYBa3ANeRq26_k8kH3f8PYooyMKTfRznrBKVANY0Cf1RHvNs0ov0SMAAn98LaDwlzAMKVsnGthUNhIKBESr3xR4uedBoA/s400/8.JPG" /></a> <em>Vietnamese take Christmas decorations very seriously. </em></div><div align="center"><br /> </div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6iBQSwwAV4axTfwBOtu65hpHy0YDn3uq7uz7U7w97GNVRtOyuBTvYHaSDHxTY5_sBwTDTxwpH8qsV4YkSndo4En1guLTExMUfHLTmJE4GXidBY5np71UDaMywOhilbroYIwGMw/s1600/9.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564666715471670914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6iBQSwwAV4axTfwBOtu65hpHy0YDn3uq7uz7U7w97GNVRtOyuBTvYHaSDHxTY5_sBwTDTxwpH8qsV4YkSndo4En1guLTExMUfHLTmJE4GXidBY5np71UDaMywOhilbroYIwGMw/s400/9.JPG" /></a> <em>This little kitchen was literally open to the street</em><br /><br /><br /><em></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJ1BR_VX-EHZSXrkNU-NPgs-gCjRPBu7UOQnjBiVx3HPBjDX8RJ53YhtXqSidSTL5TNSCzkTJW0QRZsN-YU3U1lr3cdk4Fz69OnKHHUOMzHNcSgvouAqs0hBJu0TnYCqF2Z948A/s1600/10.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564666711727705458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJ1BR_VX-EHZSXrkNU-NPgs-gCjRPBu7UOQnjBiVx3HPBjDX8RJ53YhtXqSidSTL5TNSCzkTJW0QRZsN-YU3U1lr3cdk4Fz69OnKHHUOMzHNcSgvouAqs0hBJu0TnYCqF2Z948A/s400/10.JPG" /></a>The food in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Vietnam</span> was one of the best parts of the country. And the availability of it. I had gotten cautious after my stomach scare the night before, but everything looked and smelled delicious. So many tiny places on the streets that offered cheap, cheap amazing food. A bowl of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pho</span> costs less than a dollar for a local, maybe $1.50 - $2 for you & me. I was especially insanely jealous of the fruit vendors - I only wish people were wandering around my neighborhood selling tropical fruit. I love this sort of dense urban environment where everything you need is within a couple blocks.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_F3eoAhJE77zODCb7ChRLoHWriipHKB_xYMNc0TZfZ3XwGiH8u1ABRuVSMbFEcxBNXVdCB6_ceSuA2XQW5lTdYWUvtzHzbgLDt7v9C6KcFnJt-dGgS700yfU0EykzUQc8YmkLFQ/s1600/11.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564666403102258290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_F3eoAhJE77zODCb7ChRLoHWriipHKB_xYMNc0TZfZ3XwGiH8u1ABRuVSMbFEcxBNXVdCB6_ceSuA2XQW5lTdYWUvtzHzbgLDt7v9C6KcFnJt-dGgS700yfU0EykzUQc8YmkLFQ/s400/11.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxsEYHCwvz1Ub_X8D42XHf7LS3HH5V6T2V7f_nhohY0Qr9PcLpaWo2jtF9sehrAVb-mohjeK9YUW0cB9h8Vk0W7o795Qsd0GL2_IxIOadEs4zz7PmJaaNvKY3CSPUkjdAjXTn3g/s1600/12.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 252px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564666396727455570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxsEYHCwvz1Ub_X8D42XHf7LS3HH5V6T2V7f_nhohY0Qr9PcLpaWo2jtF9sehrAVb-mohjeK9YUW0cB9h8Vk0W7o795Qsd0GL2_IxIOadEs4zz7PmJaaNvKY3CSPUkjdAjXTn3g/s400/12.JPG" /></a> This is a picture of your traditional fruit vendor - an older woman with baskets of fruit balanced on a wooden stick over her shoulders. <br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hCKaVsj6-InyPHY7EzjNEq1w9x_Fvk7pUIB_Vle28eEIFw7mBxN5l-SKjYfuHeSCSJhRxsqZqIJTjWM25UNvZnxmDu02MJO02XlPP8BPean7sz5iKzhg09yP40y3RS0OrcolNw/s1600/13.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 261px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564666381448000834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hCKaVsj6-InyPHY7EzjNEq1w9x_Fvk7pUIB_Vle28eEIFw7mBxN5l-SKjYfuHeSCSJhRxsqZqIJTjWM25UNvZnxmDu02MJO02XlPP8BPean7sz5iKzhg09yP40y3RS0OrcolNw/s400/13.JPG" /></a> A hint of the insane power/phone lines. Some of them must have had a tangle of hundreds of lines going into one uh...transformer? Onto one telephone pole. Unfortunately we lost that photo with Kevin's camera and I forgot to take another.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTt2DtNdPQ6H3URs3CKAbqx_D2x__b3qf701L0776EcFET83gxU2WDXfXB6qfqKUFDelGBoANhFFQ8cJQYwj3h-rjGY0XDM8_ncL2x1RFKuuMUMBZWsUIJ3aM5eQ5PPt45hX0jDw/s1600/14.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 296px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564666377080230114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTt2DtNdPQ6H3URs3CKAbqx_D2x__b3qf701L0776EcFET83gxU2WDXfXB6qfqKUFDelGBoANhFFQ8cJQYwj3h-rjGY0XDM8_ncL2x1RFKuuMUMBZWsUIJ3aM5eQ5PPt45hX0jDw/s400/14.JPG" /></a> Sorry, but we couldn't help but laugh at some of the contrasts between tall foreigners and petite <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Vietnamese</span>. (did I mention they made me feel like a huge giantess?)<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESK4b8qaNgqcerUDduiwKol5pmIqMwHjg8EhkRlhAHQoMuz8IkCf_sBmRWwKHfp11MN_XZyAI8dGvSglDKVBDCgC4acSi_BL_aYi43ZGM2zloHsiU6w0hq7VtrsKrO2AAJvnr9A/s1600/15.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564666142265396178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESK4b8qaNgqcerUDduiwKol5pmIqMwHjg8EhkRlhAHQoMuz8IkCf_sBmRWwKHfp11MN_XZyAI8dGvSglDKVBDCgC4acSi_BL_aYi43ZGM2zloHsiU6w0hq7VtrsKrO2AAJvnr9A/s400/15.JPG" /></a> Ah yes, the scooters. First of all, why don't the kids wear helmets? Every adult was wearing a helmet and NONE of the kids were. It was so scary, especially when your taxi was weaving and swerving around and you were just sure a scooter with youngsters was about to go down. </div><div> </div><div>We crossed the street you see above, its like what....12 lanes of traffic? Yes, you wait for a break in the traffic, but ultimately cars are always turning and scooters just seem to be going every which way. They even zip down sidewalks during rush hour. Ho Chi Minh didn't really feel like a "walking town" - generally kyle and I love taking long walks in big cities, but the traffic was so scary and crossing the street so exhausting, we actually walked way less than normal. (not to mention the stress of worrying if someone was going to ride by and try to grab my purse)<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0MBdD99-UqJ2YB6sHuSYvDiOxFJ-B1_anFkK_3xSIosDiYvabUOo2mn9HIvcSYkgIGytRrhjKY0eJ3DAe-lc0ZpenfTGFKltPFqky5knf3O58l4lmlynLY_mwq9MPg9MWssTzA/s1600/16.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 259px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564666134594771890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0MBdD99-UqJ2YB6sHuSYvDiOxFJ-B1_anFkK_3xSIosDiYvabUOo2mn9HIvcSYkgIGytRrhjKY0eJ3DAe-lc0ZpenfTGFKltPFqky5knf3O58l4lmlynLY_mwq9MPg9MWssTzA/s400/16.JPG" /></a> Litchi seller<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxeBONZsUT0yI23F4xI-1Wwmt6FA_CjsEBixg03601h0BoXwUMJXKOzk09AA9twgfaA-NNrgow8p6Nt9yf5Pr7h2nleXjfPaeI_jhCdt5hh4QSfbgA0zHXAp84SWWQYKqQnT31w/s1600/17.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564666123774651234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxeBONZsUT0yI23F4xI-1Wwmt6FA_CjsEBixg03601h0BoXwUMJXKOzk09AA9twgfaA-NNrgow8p6Nt9yf5Pr7h2nleXjfPaeI_jhCdt5hh4QSfbgA0zHXAp84SWWQYKqQnT31w/s400/17.JPG" /></a> More traffic. There are <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">occasional</span> bikes, but most everyone has switched to scooters. We went to the main nearby market and did some <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">souvenir</span> shopping first. Somehow I forgot to take pictures - probably because everything is jam packed and hot and its not arranged artfully like other markets. Just too much stimulus to even think about a camera. </div><div> </div><div>After shopping, we wandered back to the central area where <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Kevin</span> had lost his camera. A girl who had been selling fruit when it happened was on the same corner and told us it had happened four times that day already. Crazy.</div><div> </div><div>After some healing minutes spent discussing plans in which we would dangle empty purses until they got stolen, then rip the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">thieves</span> off the bikes and beat them up, we headed up to the Sheraton rooftop bar for some drinks. It was a gorgeous view and we stayed till after sunset.<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzGi7CKVLreH6OPjCbm5bLS-XfbCeJ4Jbi8ryzV5tPAR2L3P-0Yx-KUWkY0ogkEvU1tBBQI141oUXv1TrpnZfsfQ9dVUw9IDkLeBymp3iSmgo9CM5WoYDnT4wGQ6AboNZ-mJrkw/s1600/18.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564666118201442210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzGi7CKVLreH6OPjCbm5bLS-XfbCeJ4Jbi8ryzV5tPAR2L3P-0Yx-KUWkY0ogkEvU1tBBQI141oUXv1TrpnZfsfQ9dVUw9IDkLeBymp3iSmgo9CM5WoYDnT4wGQ6AboNZ-mJrkw/s400/18.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXROJT-EXQKOoZyzEd8fYGhvbAwIGayc9lHLxIyHnOKeX9v9JkbLWYekD3YlX2_dO7efP7bQZRy6BP-yAAl-kQ4Dj1jCGCQ_5t75sCNNqWMzCR_nB0Cty647bfyfIDyp3tgfmO4g/s1600/19.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564666117161072066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXROJT-EXQKOoZyzEd8fYGhvbAwIGayc9lHLxIyHnOKeX9v9JkbLWYekD3YlX2_dO7efP7bQZRy6BP-yAAl-kQ4Dj1jCGCQ_5t75sCNNqWMzCR_nB0Cty647bfyfIDyp3tgfmO4g/s400/19.JPG" /></a> Seriously, did I mention how much they like <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Christmas</span> decorations? The lights were incredible, my kids would have gone nuts. Much better than anything I've ever seen in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">USA</span>. After our drinks, we walked to a nearby restaurant "Temple Club" for dinner. They were full so we sat on red velvet couches in the lounge for dinner. The food was amazing as usual. </div></div></div><br /></div>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-92187856050474670362011-01-20T20:54:00.000-08:002011-01-20T21:36:23.516-08:00Vietnam - Day 2 (Ho Chi Minh City takes her best shot)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hKjnOZM-0IuQVzVWGLPFaySxEjfwLdAYf4Fx4RmUCRIUvCjptNRoUcHZXt3wMzA5thyphenhyphenBsAFI_FeRNSnMte68seOPlME1ruxYRppZrt6G-hStRAbhFrRcObW0yjAuxIRWpCAv-Q/s1600/1.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564499378537086690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hKjnOZM-0IuQVzVWGLPFaySxEjfwLdAYf4Fx4RmUCRIUvCjptNRoUcHZXt3wMzA5thyphenhyphenBsAFI_FeRNSnMte68seOPlME1ruxYRppZrt6G-hStRAbhFrRcObW0yjAuxIRWpCAv-Q/s400/1.JPG" /></a> Day two we were scheduled to have a Ho Chi <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Minh</span> City tour with Samuel. Yes, we were shown around the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">capital</span> of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Vietnam</span> by a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Taiwanese</span> man, one who had lived there and done <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">business</span> for ten years and still hadn't learned a lick of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Vietnamese</span>.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRbeqUaKb9PkcES6H1e-KhPaYsQPc4XWMOXJaT9IXpiHSdAXEO90TwQ3voQ4-CnLlz13BheEl0EZpptPuRXnQ9SREfi1YZ3hl2AuufgXZAs7zN8NluSRb-bqEUn8oNPkx_SAWfA/s1600/2.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564499375243790642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRbeqUaKb9PkcES6H1e-KhPaYsQPc4XWMOXJaT9IXpiHSdAXEO90TwQ3voQ4-CnLlz13BheEl0EZpptPuRXnQ9SREfi1YZ3hl2AuufgXZAs7zN8NluSRb-bqEUn8oNPkx_SAWfA/s400/2.JPG" /></a> This is the view from our hotel room. <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9K49OYEpQ_OFIj8B2yKKQltfMSe4WCbzsd_QzrdUKGU8zLviTKsITTEUSsxigEsOh-eC2Us3kYZVRv46465TF0exqYOELZgSbF6bRWaS_yAQhESGNKQibpO8q8IeWNJrPtzPCaA/s1600/3.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564499369136902882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9K49OYEpQ_OFIj8B2yKKQltfMSe4WCbzsd_QzrdUKGU8zLviTKsITTEUSsxigEsOh-eC2Us3kYZVRv46465TF0exqYOELZgSbF6bRWaS_yAQhESGNKQibpO8q8IeWNJrPtzPCaA/s400/3.JPG" /></a> This is one of my very favorite pictures - the Asian Food Pyramid. My very favorite fact is that it was ONLY posted in English - in the hotel workout room. Apparently they think <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">English</span> speakers need some diet tips? Also notice red meat is monthly, at the very tip of the pyramid. So interesting...Personally, I found the fish to be the tastiest thing in the country, if I lived there, I would easily eat fresh fish every day. Yum. </div><div></div><div><br><br>We left our hotel at 10:30 and went to a travel agent to schedule a bike tour of the Mekong Delta. They <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">recommended</span> a $25 a night B&B type place next door, so we checked it out. It was immaculate & perfect. For $25 we got a huge room, air conditioning, quiet, cable and TWO free breakfasts. We LOVED it. So much better than the $130/night hotel. They even did all of our laundry for just $4. </div><div></div><div><br><br>Finally we were off to see an old church and post office. Very nice. Then we walked up to Reunification Palace, but it was closed for lunch. Seemed like the thing to do was go ahead and eat lunch, so we headed to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pho</span> 2000, quite famous because of its previous <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">clientele</span> as seen below:<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8r-wJ3ihyphenhyphenzzAf2alyft-rAKPAQyK4Y6pq7WTsgToZXyrFWSnWFXrOCNV-cc9N_kslE6BUsmGDPiHoSqZ5WBKoW_lVhCU-8Xc04lpkW82ha0vW2SGSS__xLUvatKX_HAsIdN-Rg/s1600/4.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564499369154223058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8r-wJ3ihyphenhyphenzzAf2alyft-rAKPAQyK4Y6pq7WTsgToZXyrFWSnWFXrOCNV-cc9N_kslE6BUsmGDPiHoSqZ5WBKoW_lVhCU-8Xc04lpkW82ha0vW2SGSS__xLUvatKX_HAsIdN-Rg/s400/4.JPG" /></a><br />There were pictures of Bill & <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chels</span> everywhere and guess who got to sit at the VERY SAME TABLE that they ate at? That's right, we snagged it. It even had a fancy maroon tablecloth, just so you knew how special it was. But seriously, I am very disappointed neither of them got beef <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">pho</span>. Who goes to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">pho</span> in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Vietnam</span> and gets the veggie & chicken versions? Suffice to say, I ordered the beef <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">pho</span>. Yum!! Unfortunately, I wasn't super hungry and couldn't even finish it.<br /></div><div><br><br>After lunch, we headed back to the palace. It was the seat of South Vietnam government during the war and when the North won, they broke down the gates with a tank and renamed it "reunification palace"<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7WstjtIig-nAR-dzT62dPOT3dMvDu5Q85SV7AAY__Q0RWx2rf_HxTerwBqPkasY-UP8q70aq1B7Jbou4jTVNQGScS1ICVm2q2T1VfeqAmgDtZ2a6i1PKDkcXaS7ZskGu_3cEOw/s1600/5.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564499209539936690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7WstjtIig-nAR-dzT62dPOT3dMvDu5Q85SV7AAY__Q0RWx2rf_HxTerwBqPkasY-UP8q70aq1B7Jbou4jTVNQGScS1ICVm2q2T1VfeqAmgDtZ2a6i1PKDkcXaS7ZskGu_3cEOw/s400/5.JPG" /></a> We had an hour guided tour that was mildly interesting. Let's just say that when Samuel told me he'd taken the tour over fifty times with guests, I shuddered in horror.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgxusRtpyAV3A60yO6pdgZ0UojswYdyOJmQmb_YO_6rZmVPflO3wxonOGpKZY0WH29WTBsrVrIkLczgV8dHD-VfPfWfqkj-YxNyDWbvMQceWmZUXI9GhRn1DPOud0stpdc7o9Qw/s1600/6.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564499203766301106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgxusRtpyAV3A60yO6pdgZ0UojswYdyOJmQmb_YO_6rZmVPflO3wxonOGpKZY0WH29WTBsrVrIkLczgV8dHD-VfPfWfqkj-YxNyDWbvMQceWmZUXI9GhRn1DPOud0stpdc7o9Qw/s400/6.JPG" /></a> The South orchestrated much of the war in the bunkers below the palace. Dad, this picture's for you. My favorite were the old maps and the list of soldiers from each country. USA clocked in about 500,000 soldiers while Canada sent...two. I think New Zealand sent nine. Awesome.</div><div></div><div><br><br>After the palace, we took a walk to the People's Committee building and that is where disaster struck. Actually, we were crossing the street right in front of the Opera house. You have to understand that every single time you cross the street, it felt like you were risking your life. Scooters and cars zip around everywhere and sometimes all you do is walk slow and trust no one is going to hit you. For the record, I think it was scarier than <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Egypt</span> - in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Egypt</span> the traffic is very similar, but its all big cars. The little scooters zipping around all over leaves you super edgy - even if it looks clear, you never know when one will appear out of no where.</div><div></div><div><br><br>Anyways, so we cross the street - a fairly tame crossing actually, because there was actually a stop light. Just as we reach the curb, a scooter darts in front of us. Kelley, Kyle and I immediately stepped back, scared it was going to run it over. (for the record kyle claims he immediately knew what was about to happen. I just thought it was going to hit us) Kevin was holding his $1800 camera by its body. The lady on the back of the scooter reaches down, grabs the strap and they are off before anyone really realized what was happening. Kevin chased them but in flip flops, he had no chance. </div><div></div><div><br><br>It was so lame, especially because kyle and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">kevin</span> both thought they could have grabbed them if they'd just reacted a split second sooner. Kevin was so mad. We all were. The worst part was that every single one of us - except <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">kevin</span> - had read about this happening and were being super careful. Apparently he didn't even know it was a possibility. </div><div></div><div><br><br>We sat down and I immediately felt sick. Sort of the "just before a sports game" queasy butterflies, but maybe something more. My heart was racing, I was sweating and I just felt like going home - pretty standard panic attack really. Kelley was doing the exact same thing. (something about our illusion of safety being shattered, it suddenly felt like everything was very dangerous) I finally decided I needed to go to the hotel instead of to our scheduled foot massage. I was so bummed but kept feeling awful and was worried I was going to vomit.</div><div></div><div><br><br>Finally, back at the hotel, I went ahead and took an anti-bacterial, because I felt so sick. Within an hour I was totally fine - but by that time everyone had already left to go to dinner with Samuel. My stomach was still pretty queasy until the next day, but I had no more problems.<br><br><br /></div><div>Around 10pm that night, music started playing. Not super loud...but you could tell it was live and definitely hear it. It kept going....and going....all night long. Turns out it was a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Buddhist</span> funeral procession and they played until 7am the next morning. serious.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvmNXj7mPpZDpN4ZVpNq0AKjsX4lZyq0WdLuVhyNk9HByQ5vDYwaluS6spx-osbd366iPZlGEX7SruB_H7cnrpUYYlpXelqa4b0vqmmtaPqLUAnZrDeeXiMqqlAaU_pQbZf6oqQ/s1600/7.JPG"></a> Thankfully I can sleep through about anything, but some in our group weren't so lucky. </div></div></div></div>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-31619663574360846292011-01-18T13:01:00.000-08:002011-01-18T14:05:24.268-08:00Vietnam - Day 1 (How Bikes are Made)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzh6sK0dQiPRfXFzPA5Ob-lLdkzD2atfytKHqGoDArdCmusgUHg6nRvDlhF5NzoFuOeg2shOTgtPE64GhsXhjxJUmuFSQH30ruAL7P58GYiY7ZB1ytrpvP99rSeDryqt3NMeuPA/s1600/1.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563634583367341042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzh6sK0dQiPRfXFzPA5Ob-lLdkzD2atfytKHqGoDArdCmusgUHg6nRvDlhF5NzoFuOeg2shOTgtPE64GhsXhjxJUmuFSQH30ruAL7P58GYiY7ZB1ytrpvP99rSeDryqt3NMeuPA/s400/1.JPG" /></a> Unless I've talked to you recently or you read my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">facebook</span> post, I am sure most of you are shocked to hear that we just returned from a trip to Vietnam. Vietnam has been at the top of my vacation destination list (along with Thailand & Indonesia) for a couple years now. I've been itching to go to Southeast Asia with Kyle, especially since he has gone to Taiwan and China so many times without me these last few years. <br /><br />Unfortunately, Kyle didn't really want to go for vacation because he hates the tropical heat. So we went to Spain last year instead. Just two months after that trip, Kyle found out a bike factory in Vietnam was finally "ready" for them to come visit. It is a branch of the company they work with in Taiwan - a new facility they opened to compete with the bike factories in China. <br /><br />As soon as they knew a trip to Vietnam was in the future, Kyle and Kevin promised to take me and Kelley with them. Midway through December, they realized that there was only a two week window the beginning of January that would work for everyone involved. So we bought tickets - three weeks before our Jan 3rd <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">departure</span>.<br /><br />We did minimal planning. We knew the company would take care of us the first few days, we had almost no time to plan, and plus Kevin....doesn't like having his trips planned out. That part was a stretch for me, there is so much I wanted to see and do, I just get excited and want to figure out how to squeeze it all in. We left with a rough idea of some things we could do, but really I spent very little time thinking about it.<br /><br />After 2 hours to San Fran, 13 hours to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hong</span> Kong and 2 more hours of flying to Vietnam, we were exhausted. Thankfully we arrived at 10pm and went straight to bed. We were in a pretty fancy hotel that the factory had recommended for us. Apparently it is where Bill Clinton stayed when he came, but I would rank it somewhere with the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Westin</span> in terms of quality and it was a whopping $130 a night. And only came with ONE free buffet breakfast per room.<br /><br />The guy who created & founded the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Vietnam</span> factory, Samuel, arrived at 8:30am to pick us up. After eating our way through the incredible breakfast buffet that included breakfast options from around the world (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">pho</span>, spring rolls, stir-fry noodles, deli meats, smoked fish, tropical fruits, pastries, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">omelet</span> bar, waffles) we walked out into the glorious, amazing, warm moist air and gasped. Is there anything lovelier than leaving winter for a couple weeks and basking in 80 degree sunshine? I think not.<br /><br />The factory was a fascinating one hour drive to the outskirts of Ho Chi <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Minh</span> City (Saigon). The first thing we did was tour the aluminum frame factory.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeibwte2v2z5kZpLWgnbLOxGJcDuj9iUYBAombNnsHAGJ2Ryn3AUByPDi-NYj4O4pFVL39BS7XTnlkDN_K79s5OA5LdOR-rvezvSXLaNyNe4Qxuamm4MwbFV5S3rGVO92PFDfHQ/s1600/2.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563634582800351170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeibwte2v2z5kZpLWgnbLOxGJcDuj9iUYBAombNnsHAGJ2Ryn3AUByPDi-NYj4O4pFVL39BS7XTnlkDN_K79s5OA5LdOR-rvezvSXLaNyNe4Qxuamm4MwbFV5S3rGVO92PFDfHQ/s400/2.JPG" /></a> Each frame is welded & made by hand. There are machines there, but they are all manual - you pull the lever so the machine will bend a metal tube to just the right angle for that particular bike.<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1AgIFptA_dyCs_e3buQK9izuXNuOhVbE3TV3D4jtnbrOpxLP_TAxi40UQGRhHAEB1pGqkzj__EH3488t06zX0A8WPS35raiYRHu57PmmXgndHUnLI5Xhevaeui0Q0KoAoA66NQ/s1600/3.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563634576288648834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1AgIFptA_dyCs_e3buQK9izuXNuOhVbE3TV3D4jtnbrOpxLP_TAxi40UQGRhHAEB1pGqkzj__EH3488t06zX0A8WPS35raiYRHu57PmmXgndHUnLI5Xhevaeui0Q0KoAoA66NQ/s400/3.JPG" /></a> <em>Bike Tubes</em></div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">It was fascinating, I'd seen Kyle's pictures before, but really amazing to see everything getting done in person.<br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYwmVhmReZ-OW-VLkJ4M3K6XZEoRm44bEAxzJQ3xG-fK-Uv1WkqxHUEabT511nRxPGFmyl4YzSW_WUaau46Ksbxp478VOr8G7D7KtBQPNIjzBxoVsl4NeohWjthK8awYKzr36bw/s1600/4.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563634567579731522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYwmVhmReZ-OW-VLkJ4M3K6XZEoRm44bEAxzJQ3xG-fK-Uv1WkqxHUEabT511nRxPGFmyl4YzSW_WUaau46Ksbxp478VOr8G7D7KtBQPNIjzBxoVsl4NeohWjthK8awYKzr36bw/s400/4.JPG" /></a>These guys were my favorite. Whenever a frame is finished, they stick it in this contraption that checks all the angles and makes sure the bike lies flat. And if it doesn't? Why, you hit it with a hammer till its correct of course! Serious!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjx4t8_xtDuGvBY5wUvQspIWCmmyCmc_8qSAiIImENbcBxCXyiGJztF6o3v9OrNW-FcxaRzIgGAIsD1F1QC3omm1xojFyCbbxr5TtNoF8D3gtE04wYq6Ttb_TSLJZa4A-uW2lew/s1600/5.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563634559061546210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjx4t8_xtDuGvBY5wUvQspIWCmmyCmc_8qSAiIImENbcBxCXyiGJztF6o3v9OrNW-FcxaRzIgGAIsD1F1QC3omm1xojFyCbbxr5TtNoF8D3gtE04wYq6Ttb_TSLJZa4A-uW2lew/s400/5.JPG" /></a> <em>Samuel, Kyle & Kevin</em></div><div> </div><div align="left">Samuel took us to lunch after we toured the factory and it was as amazing as I had dreamed. (yes, I do dream of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Vietnamese</span> food) We had the most delicious tea I have ever tasted in my life - unfortunately I have no idea what kind it is. I'm trying to decide if its appropriate to email Samuel and find out. Yes, he was super friendly and spent two whole days showing us around, but he is also the very busy CEO of the factory. Kelley and I talked with him quite a bit and it was fascinating to hear his life story. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Anyways, back to lunch...its hard to remember specific dishes, we ate pretty similar foods for most of trip. Fried thumb sized spring rolls, lemongrass grilled short ribs, rice steamed in a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">banana</span> leaf, crispy fish skewers...and for dessert, fresh mango and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">pomelo</span> dipped in chili salt. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">After lunch, we visited the carbon fiber frame factory, which blew my mind. Carbon fiber frames feel like they are made of plastic. But apparently they are super strong, strong enough to handle anything an aluminum welded frame can handle. First, we saw huge rolls of carbon fiber sheets. Each sheet is the thickness of say....a sticker and is comprised of thin wispy carbon threads, all running the same direction, that are held together with glue. Ripped with the grain of the fibers, it is super easy to tease them apart, but against the grain, they were cutting with huge metal blades. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Next we went into the room where they assemble pieces of the frame. Its basically just like playing with... stickers. They remove the backing from each <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">pre</span>-cut piece of carbon fiber and stick it onto plastic wrapped wooden dowels. It is EXACTLY like sticking stickers on a piece of wood. They do about 7 layers of stickers, carefully changing the angles of the fibers to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">each other</span> so that the finished product is strong. In the joints, etc, they put on many smaller stickers to reinforce those areas, on the long tube pieces, just a few larger stickers.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEm6erS8GatxUrmEUjvLxv2qnFINy6DFKnyJuoJ761P_vnS8GUd0QGAfg5OJD4gmJ86eNRGVb0qUewO8C_6YiJSnU1ytB0g-AFrxN99sE9Z-7Z2XYMcZl1PUcGZYkXHetfZadmpQ/s1600/6.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563634377008768818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEm6erS8GatxUrmEUjvLxv2qnFINy6DFKnyJuoJ761P_vnS8GUd0QGAfg5OJD4gmJ86eNRGVb0qUewO8C_6YiJSnU1ytB0g-AFrxN99sE9Z-7Z2XYMcZl1PUcGZYkXHetfZadmpQ/s400/6.JPG" /></a> The black piece you see above is finished, but if you pressed on it, it would crumple up relatively easily because the dowel has been taken out. Because its just made of stickers at this point.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqF2cRSsowFWJuEcpc6y7Ubod8hqPrU4jn2pc1cWBm6s4UnPyALZ2RNlgYPcz8jma028fbMSF8dKyiBc1ZUOUfEAAtCrPDU0iv3BSBBk1DEr7EuBqLSpex2lhhiNTQDMg6PL1gQ/s1600/7.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563634372834629426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqF2cRSsowFWJuEcpc6y7Ubod8hqPrU4jn2pc1cWBm6s4UnPyALZ2RNlgYPcz8jma028fbMSF8dKyiBc1ZUOUfEAAtCrPDU0iv3BSBBk1DEr7EuBqLSpex2lhhiNTQDMg6PL1gQ/s400/7.JPG" /></a><em> Detail of the stickers</em></div><div><em><br /></em> </div><div align="left">Each section of the bike is made, completely by hand. Its almost entirely women applying the stickers because apparently they have steadier hands and better attention to detail for the work. Each woman has one piece she works on and creates, over and over. All the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">precut</span> "stickers" are put in numbered boxes and she has a diagram showing how each one is to be applied. At the end they weigh the piece to make sure not a single sticker was missed.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">When the frame is finished, they put it in these metal molds to be fired. Plastic tubes are still inside where the dowels were and as the frame is cooked, they are filled with air which creates the smooth taut surface.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_mWARZuHuDcIJVUQsgGq6nTh_7MSiULO8JazWFf3eChyphenhyphenY7T8FimEauF_e2gULzEhPyYy5lHpzNhEz3eN-hoqZ4MXkCN0HCVs68n2yzETfjeqzX_kF-H10iEznaAAZc3Y0TjvZg/s1600/8.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563634371234822738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_mWARZuHuDcIJVUQsgGq6nTh_7MSiULO8JazWFf3eChyphenhyphenY7T8FimEauF_e2gULzEhPyYy5lHpzNhEz3eN-hoqZ4MXkCN0HCVs68n2yzETfjeqzX_kF-H10iEznaAAZc3Y0TjvZg/s400/8.JPG" /></a> <em>Cooked bike <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">frame</span> coming out of the molds. It now is just one solid, hard piece of plastic.</em></div><div> </div><div align="left">One of the most amazing parts of the process is the painting & decals. Each bike is hand masked for paint and decals are also applied by hand - no rulers, no measuring...somehow everything ends up relatively straight and perfect but I have no idea how they do it. Super crazy.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">After the factory tour, the guys had to work with their designer. Kelley and I read for an hour or so and then started to die of boredom. We walked around the big open area in front of the walled compound, took glamour shots of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">each other</span> and chased fish in the fountain. Finally we peeked into the meeting room and requested a basketball for the hoop we'd been wistfully eyeing. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Success! Samuel even came out to play HORSE with us and we both got whooped by a fifty year old <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Taiwanese</span> business executive. Sweet. Later when we were chatting, we asked him what he did in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Taiwanese</span> military services as a teen and his answer? "I played basketball". That eased the sting of our defeat somewhat. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Finally the guys were finished and we headed to dinner at a famous seafood restaurant. First course was sugarcane shrimp - my most favorite thing, although I adored every rice paper roll I ate. They mince up shrimp into a paste, maybe add some stuff to it (?) and then press it onto a piece of sugar cane before grilling it. To eat, you take a crispy piece of rice paper, add lettuce, the shrimp, pineapple, basil & some vermicelli noodles. Wrap (like a salad roll, except the wrapper is still chewy instead of soft) and dip in a mixture of fish sauce, lime, sugar, & chili....fabulous. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">We also had drunken shrimp, which involved them pouring cognac on live shrimp and then LIGHTING THEM ON FIRE at our table. Sick. But hilarious when a flaming shrimp tried to make an escape by jumping out of the bowl. Even more hilarious when we all yelled in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">surprise</span> and then cracked up loudly...and then realized the entire restaurant was quietly looking at us. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">But my very very favorite thing was the baked crab. They picked all the meat out of a crab, mixed it with....apples, butter, something pasty (breadcrumbs?) and sauteed onions and then put it in the empty shell, put cheese on top and broiled it. (bit of a french influenced dish I think) I think we had a seafood hot pot too, but the crab was by far the best. Samuel loves <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">pomelo</span>, so we had that again for dessert along with pineapple. I love tropical fruit for dessert. I could do that after every meal and never eat sweets again I think.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">The end of day 1. Phew. </div></div></div>Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29113921.post-17655668359772839872010-11-30T20:38:00.000-08:002010-11-30T20:55:14.739-08:00sleep<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ok</span>, I know, a month and a half absence probably deserves more explanation....Lately I just haven't been excited to write. The blog feels like a chore to accomplish and that isn't how I want it. Or maybe it just feels overwhelming, I'm not even sure. But <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">tonight</span> I am giving it a go, in hopes that I get into it again. I think the photo bit is especially frustrating because I have been feeling lazier and lazier each month about actually organizing and editing all our photos. So no photos <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">tonight</span> either. Sorry. <br /><br />So without further ado, here is how my children sleep.<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Annika</span>:<br />Always on her back, arms crossed behind her head, looking like a pristine princess. Her little lips pout a bit when she sleeps and she is so adorable, it is ridiculous. She doesn't move much and always has her blankets still on, unless she happened too get hot and kicked them off. In actuality, what I want to write about it how she wakes..... <br /><br />Anytime you wake up <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Annika</span>, she is nearly always, completely out of control. Since she was very young. She kicks, hits, cries, yells... Nothing I can do calms her once she gets like this. Randomly, she sometimes wakes up happy. I have no idea why. If I am really on top of things, I wake her up and immediately scoop her, plus a blanket, up into my arms. She really likes that and will generally not fuss too much, especially if I carry her upstairs and put her on the kitchen counter so she can pick her cereal.<br /><br />If <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Annika</span> wakes up on her own, for ages, she used to come to the bottom of the stairs and cry and cry. She would refuse to walk up the stairs and I'd have to go down and carry her up, otherwise she threw extremely prolonged tantrums. Lately she's been doing better waking up on her own and likes to climb into S<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">aben's</span> bed and look at books with him until one of them hears us moving around upstairs. Huge relief, because she's been doing the crying thing as long as I can remember. But again, sometimes she would be absolutely fine, like one morning a week. If only I knew the magic of that one morning....<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Saben</span>:<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Saben</span> is almost always on his belly, legs askance, hands behind his back, in all sorts of weird positions, just like Michael J Fox in "Back to the Future". His blankets are never on him, but I don't think its cause he's too hot, he just moves around a lot.<br /><br />When I wake <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Saben</span> up in the morning, it takes him about five seconds to wake and pop up with a huge, alert smile on his face. Seriously, you could not have two more opposite wake-up styles. He is NEVER grumpy, never cries, and he never was like annika at all, even when he was little. He starts chattering, makes jokes and is generally more alert than I am.<br /><br />When he wakes himself up, same thing. Just reads magazines in bed and then sneaks upstairs to see if we are awake. <br /><br />I love how different my two kids are, and even though Annika's grumpiness is tiring sometimes...there is something endearing about it...it is so "her".Karihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08691231147550824280noreply@blogger.com1