Agra

The Red Fort and the Taj Mahal!



Today we woke up eventually and took a self guided tour of Agra's Red Fort!
It was as hot as it was cool. I mean the fort was cool, but Agra was wicked hot. At the fort we saw tombs of Mughal rulers, and we found a hallway infested with bats. BIG ones!!!




Then we went over the river to the baby Taj.
It was so hot out that we melted, and went home to change into a dry shirt.
Then we went to the BIG Taj Mahal. It cost 1500 rupees to get in.
They searched our bag at security, and confiscated ELMO!! This is a true story, we think they thought he was an idol. (or a terrorist?) anyway they kept him safe under a metal can and returned him when we left the Taj.


We fought our way past the professional "photographers" and got some great shots!






Some Indian tourists wanted to take pictures with Kaitlin at the Taj. She must have looked famous!





We then took a cab home

We were hungry so we ordered room service.

Incredible India

Namaste!
I can't believe how we are only a few short flights away from Israel. India feels like a world away. We took a 45 min flight to Amman Jordan, and Kaitlin was frightened because the plane kept slowing down and it felt like we were standing still in the sky. We saw our first Starbucks in the airport in Jordan! I had my first frappachino in awhile. It was great. I went to a money changer and bought 15 dollars worth of Jordanian Dinars just to add to my money collection. They look cool. They had the king on them. There were some fellows in the airport with the ray bans and full robes and headdresses who looked like oil sheiks from a 1980's sitcom. They seemed nice enough. The people in the airport were friendly. The flight to India was good except we couldn't put our chairs back so we only slept about 25 minutes out of the 5 hour overnight flight. They were playing episodes of friends on the plane so that was fun. I had forgotten that Rachel almost dated Joey! Oh, and there were thunder showers on the last leg of the flight. We saw the lighting exploding far below us in the darkness of the Indian countryside.

We made it to India early yesterday morning. We got a prepaid taxi from the airport desk, which helped us not have to haggle with cab drivers outside. We had to still figure out which black and yellow cab to take. It was 6am and they were all full...so we wandered around until we found a decent boarding spot. A guy helped put out bags in the passenger side of the cab *the left side, as they drive on the right, because the trunk was stuck closed and he wanted a tip. I told him we could have loaded the bags ourselves, I didn't want to mention that I only had 500 rupee notes on me... and no small bills.

When we got to the Taj Mahal Hotel in Delhi, three security guards jumped out to let us in the gate and check the car for bombs? Then another three security guards checked our bags and a series of doormen and desk clerks tended to our every need. The lobby was immaculate marble with beautifully carved desks and soft chairs and two fountains. They wanted to charge us for another day because we were checking in so early. However, we talked them out of it.

We set up a guided tour for 2pm. There was a protest in Delhi yesterday so we were unable to go on a tour of the old city as we had planned. Also, all of the sites including Gandhi's house were closed on Monday. So we hired a tour guide to take us to a few historical sites in the new city. We saw the government buildings, the presidents house and the senate building, and many Mugal tombs. The guide was so friendly and knowledgeable. It was a great way to see Delhi.

We had a superbly well crafted and craftily priced meal. Our first meal in India was delicious, and we took all the appropriate cautions. I feel like we might be overly so... but we have to stay healthy for the next month on the road.







The train ride to Agra this morning was a tad bit more on the "realistic" side of India. The Delhi train station was a muddy mess. The morning rain had unearthed the usually subtle aroma of India. It is a good thing we had purchased our tickets ahead of time because the ticket lines were very long at 6am. There were people sleeping and sitting all over the station, on every spare square tile. Out Shabati express train number 2002 was not on the flashing board, so we were afraid we had missed it or had the wrong station. We found no one in the station managers office, and then I found our names on a typed up list of passengers tacked to the wall. The print out was made on a dot matrix printer. It had the letters E1 on the top. I figured that was our train car. We wove our rolling suitcases in and out of the crowds and families until we realized we were heading in the wrong direction. We saw a few westerners/tourists waiting on the E1 platform so we figured we had found the right spot.

We saw a lot of rural India in the short 3 hour ride. I had forgotten that the train tacks serve as the public facilities for many rural folks so we saw a lot of people doing their morning business. Agra station was a bit less muddy. I just remembered why people don't bring rolling suitcases to India. Our Agra cab driver had a "guide" with and they were nice today and they offered us tours of Agra. They drove really slowly so they could get to know us on the ride to the hotel. We graciously declined but tipped them for helping us take video of a passing camel and cart. All of the cabs have been "Ambassadors" Indian made cars with designs from the 1940's? Classic. You'd recognize them.

We didn't explore Agra today, we just relaxed and took it easy. We have been watching World Cup re-runs all day, we played chess in the lobby, and we have a view of the TAJ MAHAL from our room. The Gateway Hotel is a five star, and it is very nice. We had our 2nd meal in India and our tummies are ok so far! so far so good!



We have seen cows donkeys and camels in the streets, and pigs goats and monkeys beside the train tracks. We are seeing the red fort and the Taj tomorrow!

This is quite a place! We'll keep you posted. Love Kabe

Kabelin's road trip adventure!

Abe standing on the tip of Herod's northern palace on Masada.

I'd like to give the world a coke in perfect harmony...

The Dead Sea is a well known vacation spot for small fuzzy fictional puppets.


Floating in the Dead Sea is like swimming with a life jacket on.


Some giant planter on the sidewalk jumped out and hit my rental car, don't worry the damage looks worse in person.

Renting a camel to take us to China...

Masada fortress with the

Dead Sea in the background

Jerusalem and Bethlehem!

Shalom!
We have been traveling around the old city of Jerusalem the past few days and also went on a tour to Bethlehem which was a unique experience. We have seen SO much -- we'll try to keep it brief!

The first day we wandered around the Jewish quarter and ended up stumbling across a great view of the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock from the rooftop of a building. We took some great pictures! Later that night we met up with Abe's friend Talia's sister Amalia and her boyfriend Sam. They currently are students here in Jerusalem and were kind enough to meet up with us at Jaffa Gate and take us around the old city. We had dinner in the Christian quarter on the rooftop of a restaurant. In the middle of dinner the call to prayer began. Here we were in the Christian quarter overlooking the Dome of the Rock, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and surrounded by 3 mosques! It was such a cool experience!! The three quarters are incredibly close to each other.

The next morning we woke up early for our tour to Bethlehem. Abe had booked the tour through City Discovery and we were specifically told we'd be picked up at a hotel in the new city. So we walked out of the old city and into to the new to the hotel. We arrived on time and waited and waited to be picked up. Finally, an older gentleman picked us up and we drove off with him in his taxi. He also picked up a Swedish mother and daughter (who lived in Newton for a year. Small world!). He then asked us where we were going.......We all looked at each other in disbelief and said..."Bethlehem? On a tour? Where's the tour bus?!?" We were all very worried!! To make a long story short, we were brought to the border of Bethlehem and Jerusalem and had to be escorted by Palestinians through a check point and through the wall that Israel has built between Israel and Palestinian territories. It was a a little bit of a nerve-racking experience. Bethlehem was such a special place to visit but we were very happy to return to Jerusalem after the tour!!!

We saw all of the holy sites in Bethlehem such as the Church of the Nativity. Under the Greek Orthodox side of the church we saw where Jesus was born (picture to the left) and underneath the Catholic side of the church we saw the inn where Mary and Joseph stayed. We also saw the fields where the Shepherds saw the star as well as the caves they lived in! When we returned from the tour of Bethlehem we went on a 4 hour tour of the City of David...we saw so many archaeological ruins including David's palace, the ancient Canaanite City (1000 BC -- before David conquered it), and Hezekial's Tunnel (picture below) -- which was built to bring water from a spring into the city walls for sustenance during a siege. We also saw a recently excavated Roman road leading to the pool of Siloam. When the Romans burned the city they found the Jews hiding in the sewers. And the marble road is broken open just as the bible is written!!

Today we explored the Muslim and Christian quarters because that is where the stations of the cross took place. So we took out our maps and guides and walked from station to station taking pictures along the way. The last 4 stations are located inside the Holy Sepulchre Church. In the church we saw the tomb of Jesus (picture on the left), the rock he ascended from , the stone of unction (where they commemorate the wrapping of his body), and the location of the crucifixion called the rock of Golgotha (picture on the right)!!

After doing the stations we walked to Mt. Zion (which is next to the Armenian quarter) and saw the location of the Last Supper and where Mary lived and died after Jesus' death. It was all so amazing to see!!

Tomorrow we are renting a car and driving to Masada and stopping at Ein Gedi and Qumran on the way home. We will be seeing the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found and swimming in the Dead Sea! Our stay in Israel has been an amazing experience and we wish we could stay longer. But it is almost time to pack up and head to country #3, India. We fly on Sunday!!!

Happy 4th of July weekend everyone!

Kol Tuv!
Kabe

Travel Day(s)

Travel Day Captain's Log: Star Date 6/30/2010
7am wake up in Sorrento, Italy
8am breakfast walk to train station
9am Circumvesuvia train to Herculaneum
10-1pm explore Ancient Roman ruins buried by Mt. Vesuvius
1pm Circumvesuvia train to Naples
2:35pm AV Express train to Rome
4:30pm Leonardo Express to Rome airport
8:30pm flight to Athens, we flew over Amalfi Coast and waved to Jason, Jordanna, and Helen down below
2:15am flight to Tel Aviv - we were fed yummy eggs while half awake
5am crazy cab driver speeds us towards Jerusalem -delirious, we let him over charge us
6-10am nap in our hotel overlooking the city walls
10- 5pm explore the Jewish Quarter, the Burnt House, and the Tower of David.
6:30pm meet Amalia and Sam at Jaffa Gate and wander trying to find the Christian Quarter
8pm dinner on a rooftop overlooking the old city at Andres Cafe
10pm a visit to the Western Wall
It is such a beautiful city!!!

Vatican City, Pompei, and Sorrento!

Hello family and friends!
We've had 3 very busy, full days of sightseeing and walking. Our legs are sore and yesterday at this time they were about to fall off. No lie! 3 days ago we went to the Vatican and had a 6 hour tour. Our tour guide was a young graduate student by the name of Mario. Supposedly he is Dutch but looked very Italian and speaks English, French, Italian, Russian, and Dutch! He started out in acting but realized he'd never get a job!! So now he's finished up school and is doing tours. Abe and I have been to the Vatican before so it was our 2nd time visiting. We saw famous pieces of art such as the School of Athens, the Lacoon, the Transfiguration by Raphael, and La Pieta by Michaelangelo. We saw many tapestries and mosaics that emulated famous paintings but were far more difficult to produce than the originals. We also saw the Sistine Chapel! It is really amazing to think that Michaelangelo painted the entire chapel all by himself. Apparently he didn't take care of himself while painting the chapel -- the story is that when he finished the chapel and took his boots off some of his skin peeled off too! Apparently he didn't want to shower because he didn't want to take time away from his painting. Talk about dedication! Mario then took us to see St. Peter's and it was so incredible to see. To end our morning at Vatican City we ventured out beyond the city walls to a nice little restaurant that Kait's friend Courtney recommended. We had a nice light buffet lunch and then headed back to Rome.

The next morning we took a very early train to Pompei and visited the archaelogical site. If you ever go to Italy you must visit Pompei. It is unbelievable!!! On our way to Pompei we made a special stop in Naples to see the museum that famous artifacts from Pompei. We wanted to see famous mosaics but the wing was closed until February. We were so bummed!! But we saw some other great artifacts prior to our visit to the site. As we explored Pompei the crowds began to leave and we eventually had the place to ourselves. Pompei totally exceeded our expectations! We saw huddled molds made from victims that died during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius...one man was crouched over next to his mule trying to protect himself from the eruption. We saw a number of large homes that had beautiful open court yards with small pools to collect rain water. All of the shops and snack bars had counters intact with bowls to serve hungry customers. There was ancient graffiti and political advertisements on the old walls...and many temples, administrative buildings, and a Colosseum for gladiator fights!! The list goes on....It is an amazing sight. A must see in Italy. After resting on some stones, drinking four gatorades and munching on some pringles, we were able to muster up the energy to leave the site. We hopped back on the train and headed to Sorrento.

Sorrento is a small coastal town with gorgeous cliffs that overlook the Mediterranean Sea. It is full of tourists with lots of shops and restaurants near the water. We had a delicious dinner last night with Jason, Jordanna, and Helen. We shared raviolis and gnocchi with mozzarella and ricotta. We got up this morning for a day on the water at an Italian beach. Abe and Jason swam in the water while Kait and Jordanna hung out on the beach beds. The weather has been amazing...dry, in the 80's, with a nice breeze. We've really lucked out. Today was a gorgeous day in Sorrento!
We are now sitting outside at a pub on a small side street watching people walk by (and trying of stay out of the way of the mopeds!!). There are lots of Italian flags everywhere. They're crazy about the World Cup here! We are going to head down to the water in a bit to take some sunset pictures. It should be a great night for pictures. We are also planning our travels to Jerusalem. We fly to Israel tomorrow night and will be in Jerusalem early Wednesday morning. There is so much to see in 5 days...so we're prioritizing. We're excited to see all of the famous sites and and our day trips to Bethlehem and Masada. We're also looking forward to swimming in the Dead Sea!

We hope you are having fun following our travels...1 country down 6 to go!

Ciao,
Kabe

Roma Day 2!!

Bonjourno!
We heard there is a heat wave back home....well we've been very lucky because it's been gorgeous here in Italy. It was 80 degrees and dry today. A perfect day for a tour! We woke up this morning and were pleased to hear that our tour of the forum was still on. Whew! We were worried we'd miss out on a fantastic tour. And it was fantastic!! Our tour guide was a history professor from the local university. He teaches Roman History and Roman art/architecture and archaeology. The tour took 5 hours...we saw the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Colosseum...it was a long tour and by the end we were all covered in dirt and dust from the forum, but it was well worth it because we learned so much about Roman history.

Here are a few fun facts we learned!
Did you know....

1. It is a myth that the barbarians knocked all of the Roman temples down. When in fact after the empire collapsed the Christians took the Roman temples down or turned them into churches. One of the most famous temples that was saved is the Pantheon. It is now a Christian church and contains 3 tombs...the first king of Italy, his son, and the famous Renaissance artist Raphael!

2. The Roman Emperors wore purple togas and their statutes were made of deep red marble from Egypt...this red marble is 10 times more expensive than gold! (You can see one of the statutes in the picture).


3. The remaining Roman ruins that are still standing today are made of brick and some cement. But thousands of years ago the city of Rome was actually very colorful!

4. The rostra or stage where Marc Antony gave his famous speech to the people of Rome.... "Friends, Romans, countrymen...lend me your ears!" is still standing. (You can see the rostra in the picture)



5. The word "basilica" was originally a term for a Roman structure. The largest ever built was the Basilica of Constantine on the southeast end of the forum. 1/3rd of the basilica is still standing today.

6. The Circus Maximus is the largest stadium ever built in the world holding over 200,000 people!!!

7. Nero's golden palace is currently closed because there was a recent landslide. Yikes!

8. The Romans placed lead and iron brackets in the walls of the Colosseum to hold the blocks together in case there was an earthquake (Lead supposedly reacts well to earthquakes). During the Middle Ages the Church melted the lead out of the walls for their own use (that's why the walls of the Colosseum has small holes in them). And there were thousands of marble seats in the Colosseum that the Church used to build the Vatican. There is a famous quote that says... "If you want to see the rest of the Colosseum go to St. Peter's".
9. The orange marble columns in Domitian's house on Palatine Hill came from North Africa.

10. Caesar Augustus (1st Roman Emperor) built his house next to Romulus' house on Palatine Hill! He wanted to be seen as a descendant of Romulus (the founder of Rome). See the pictures!!

11. The word grotesque has Italian origins because when Nero's golden palace underground was found during the Renaissance, the artwork discovered came from grottos, holes in the ground. So that style of art was called grotesque!

12. The Colosseum had a collapsible roof tended by sailors. Recently British engineers were asked to re-create a roof in England and they failed. The Romans were way ahead of their time!

There is so much more to share but we really need to get to bed. We have to be up early for a 5 hour tour of the Vatican!!

We hope everyone is doing well back in the states!

Ciao,
Kabe :)

Buona Sera!
We made it safely to Rome this afternoon. What an amazing city!!! There is so much history to this place, it's really incredible. We wandered for a few hours with Jason and Jordanna and ended up taking the city tour bus around the entire city. We saw several fountains by Bernini and the church where Ignatius Loyola is buried. We saw the Pantheon (which is incredible!!), the island and the Tiber River that still has a hospital on it from the time of the plague...We drove by the forum, the Colosseum, and many other basilicas. The list goes on.......We are taking lots of pictures and taking some great footage of the sites!

We took a cab from the train station this afternoon and that was quite the experience. Being in Venice for 3 days we forgot how crazy the driving is in Italy! Our cab driver used a GPS to get us to our apartment...he was quite the character. Funny and charming -- he even offered us gum! Our apartment is quite small but quaint...we are in a great neighborhood of the city.


We just found out there's a National Strike tomorrow here in Italy. All public transportation and public historical sites will be closed. Thank goodness we left Venice today! We never would've made it here by train. We are scheduled to go on a 5 hour tour of the Roman Forum and the Colosseum tomorrow and we just received word that it might be cancelled. We are also scheduled to go on a tour of the Vatican on Saturday and we just heard that the priests are protesting?? We don't know how accurate this information is because we can't read Italian very well! Talk about bad timing!! Let's hope things clear up and we get to see the sites.

And by the way...we ran into one of Kait's Canton HS students in Venice the first day. What a small world!

We've uploaded a couple more photos. There's a special one for Micah and Marley :)
You can check them out at the blog...
walkingthesilkroad.blogspot.com



Enjoy!!
Lots of love....

Ciao!
Kabe

Enjoying Venice!!!

We made it safely to Italy two days ago and have been enjoying the beauty of Venice! We rode a whole day on the Vaparetto and saw the other islands such as San Giorgio and Dorsoduro. We took a Gondola ride from a man named Luca in his 50,000 euro mercedes gondola!! On our trip we saw Marco Polo's house, Casanova's house and the church used in Indiana Jones and the last Crusade (Abe was very excited). Today we explored the Basilica of San Marco and Doges Palace. Tomorrow morning we will take an inter-city train to Rome. We will spend 3 days there before we head to Pompeii. Jason and Jordanna have been wonderful unofficial guides. They have a really cool camera and speak a smattering of Italian. It's been fabulissimo to share this section of the trip with them!

We are learning so much I hope we don't forget it all!!

Surprisingly we've missed a lot of soccer...but we heard USA won!!!

Love,
Kabe

made it to the airport!

Ron told me to take care of the "priceless cargo" ... and i'm thinking "what did he put in my bags?" jk lol We got our boarding passes and made it through security in 26 minutes! bravo logan airport!

Kaitlin is not afraid to fly because we have a large green shamrock on our plane... and that means good luck!! I figure the 28 packs of Dramamine should do the trick. See you on the flip side! ps. i've heard our apartment in Venice doesn't have internet so the blog might be going dark for a few days. Love Kabe... or Abelin

ps. to go to the blog click here.... http://walkingthesilkroad.blogspot.com/

Fone and Flights

Hi Everybody! Thanks for all your encouraging words. We are very excited to fly away tomorrow!! We bought an international cell phone. Our cell phone number is 44-0-7850-506-782. It is about 2$ a minute to use so the best way to reach us is by individual email. We are going to post a link to our flights (flight info click here) somewhere on here as well. Warmly, Kabe!

We've added the Trip Itinerary to the bottom of this page!! Scroll down....