Why Did the Penguin Cross the Tracks?

To get to the other side of course, but really it's because he had to pick up another stone to build his nest. Poor little birds- its so cute how they waddle down the hill just to get a rock for their homes. The nests are mounds of stone which they sit on for days and in order to build that they have to trudge down hills picking up one stone which they carry up the entire hill so that they can repeat this process again.

On our first day at land, we were greeted by thousands of penguins who would just walk around, fighting and picking at eachother, and an occasional slapping here and there with their wings.
Sometimes the penguins would waddle up pretty close to you, but most of the time these flightless birds were too scared.

During the course of our trip to Antarctica, we encountered five species of penguins. The Adele penguins, whose eyes are like perfect circles one inside the other, and are the color of sapphire blue. The second ones were the chinstrap penguins, because they looked as if they had a black chinstrap. Then there were the Gentoo penguins, whose beaks were orange. The other two had black beaks. We also encountered two Macaronni penguins, whose name comes from the yellow feathers sticking out of their heads. And last, we saw one lonely lost emperor penguin sitting all alone on an iceberg.

At every stop we made, hoards of penguins surrounded the land, and these cute little creatures became the symbol of my entire Antarctic experience.

Seven Meter Swells

Thank God I don't get sea sick! On our journey to Antarctica, the boat took 2 days to reach land- and those two days were filled with upset stomachs and sleepless nights for some. This period of no land was called the Drake Passage- where the waves just go crazy.

During the first few hours of the boat trip, the waters were calm and peaceful- which served for a lovely dinner and a good nights rest. However that did not last long.

As we woke up the next morning, the boat was rocking side to side, back and forwards making it almost impossible to stand up without holding on to the table or bed or pole. It was fun for me because I love when the boat rocks- to me it feels like I am riding the waves like a courageous captain. (although many others did not quite feel that way)

As I stepped out of my room to the main hall, I saw a creative layout for the given circumstances. The crew had lined the hall banister with throw-up bags in case you just had to right on the spot. How clever!
As I went out onto the deck, the boat had rocked so much that the floor was completely soaked. The strong cold wind blew in my face and the waves (about seven meters (21 feet) at some points) crashed onto the sides and in some cases onto the boat. It was crazy.

A grand total of ten people out of the 60 guests showed up for meals during those two days. Soup was not even an option to be served- for fear that it might do the same as the waves- and slosh everywhere. I was the only one of my family who ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Thankfully, the Drake Passage, that dreadful gap between the penninsula of Argentina and Antarctica, only lasted for two days.

Finally, after much waiting, we spotted something in the distance- the gray fuzzy strip was what we had all been waiting for. Land Ho!

Bottom of the World... Almost

At the tip of all tips, the southernmost city of the World, is the little town of Argentina, called Ushuaia. This fully functional city is the place where I stayed right before my family and I boarded the ship to Antarctica.

Although it was a small town, it was quite bustling with small cafes and restaurants, hotels, little souvenir shops, post offices, houses, and the best icecream parlor in the world! Argentina is known for its Dulce De Leche, or caramel.

The national park in Ushuaia had been preserved quite well, and from the surroundings were so surreal. Snowcapped peaks, but at the same time there was greenery with little rabbits digging up the grass. And the rocky coast of the southern waters. It was amazing.

The little town had so much character, and our one day stay just got better as we boarded the ship on our way to Antartica.

We waved goodbye to Ushuaia as we anticipated the arrival of ice, snow, glaciers, and ocean.

Baklava, Dervish Dancers and Turkish Delight

Let's just say our flight landed at 1 AM and even after we drove to our hotel and got settled, there was enough action out on the street where we could sit down for a nice "dinner." The trip to Turkey, along with our Europe summer trip, was memorable.
Every morning, as we sat on the terrace of our hotel for breakfast, we had a great view of the entire city- including the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the rest of the city. I always love visiting places with tons of history- and Turkey was one of those places. With the museums, the ruins, and the culture- and don't forget the food!
The Grand Bazaar- with over 4000 shops inside, kept us occupied for hours: hopping from store to store, we searched for a Turkish rug and other souvenirs. With each welcome from the different shopkeepers, we were greeted with hot Persian tea and some very tasty Turkish delight. And even after the hundreds of stores, the food just got better.
Not only were our appetites filled with the scrumptious Turkish delight, but each evening, after we finished our large and filling dinner, we would stop by the Baklava bakery where they would serve us each a freshly made warm piece of Baklava. The honey was dripping from this phylo dough and Pistachio pastry, and I tried to fit it in my mouth in a single bite. It was absolutely delicious!
After a couple of days touring the city, we decided to take a trip to Ephesus via a small plane trip taking less than an hour. There we walked through ruins of columns and large amphitheatres used by the Greeks. We also visited the Temple of Artemis where we saw several Greek statues of the gods. I felt like I was living in history- surrounded by pillars thousands of years old.
After that, we went to Pamukkale, the calcium springs, where you are literally walking on Calcium deposits. And there were also hot springs where we got to swim in water with pieces of ancient pillars at the bottom- imagine sitting on a thousand year old column in the water. It was truly an experience

On the way back to the city, we stopped by a small pottery store- I actually got to make a peice of pottery (something like vase). It was pretty cool shaping the rotating clay into a bowl. And the painters on the side with their finely tipped brushes making intricate strokes.

On the last day, we stopped by the Baklava cafe to eat our last piece of honey filled pastries from Turkey. Even though we spent an entire week there, I didn't want to leave- it was one of those places that I could keep coming back to because the culture, food, and history kept me wanting more.

Sometimes You Don't Have To Travel Far...

During Spring break last year, a few of my friends and I ventured out to Catalina Island. Not only was the vacation fun, I enjoyed it most because I got to spend it with the people whom I love to be around. The city, well more of a town, was filled with small street cafes, little souvenir shops, and beaches all around.
Though we were there for a few days in this small town, the options kept us occupied. On the first day, we headed out to the beach of course and went kayaking. Although my rowing skills aren't quite at the highest level, we managed to go out pretty far- with much help from the backseat rower.
There was also a nice hike- a couple of miles, to the top of a peak where we could see the entire view of the sea and city. It was beyond fantastic. But it wasn't the only experience I had where I could see the view from a high point. On the second day, we went parasailing. By then, my fear of heights had subsided and I was able to enjoy the experience. Up, Up, Up and away we went- it must have quite a few feet up in the air we were, attached to this giant parachute flapping in the wind. It was great fun.
On the last day, we were all sad to leave the beautiful port and go back to school. But we managed to detach ourselves as we headed back on the boat to LA, awaiting the long six hour ride home.
I found out after this trip that not all vacations require miles of extensive driving or flying- sometimes its the local, or So-cal, trips that are just as fun.

Mind the Gap

Double decker buses, tea time, and the tube. All classic signs of London. That trip during the summer of 2005 was one of the most enjoyable and fun excursions.

I had always wanted to go to London because it seemed like a city with much history, fashion, shopping, theatre, and food, and after I went there- it definitely lived up to my standards. For five days in the city, I was able to visit many landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London, Shakespeare's home in Stratford upon Avon, and the famous 22 B Baker Street where dwelled the fictional character, Sherlock Holmes.

Madame Tussaud's, the famous London wax museum, was amazing- and the statues looked close to real- as if it were taxidermy (which they were not thankfully) I was able to see the changing of the famous London Guards, whose job it is to not laugh no matter what is in their sight. We also visited the prestigious Oxford University, and saw the room where the Harry Potter Great Hall was filmed. Apart from the landmarks, there was much more to the British atmosphere which made the trip fun.
The food was delicious. Indian food is a major part of London cuisine, and I must say that it may have surpassed the taste of even the Indian food in India! And of course there are the traditional pub lunches- the famous fish and chips. The only downside of the restaurants was that it was quite expensive, but every place that we dined served us a scrumptious meal.

The theatres in the city are fabulous- and like New York, there are many shows to catch. I happened to see the Producers- and it was funny beyond funny. I was laughing non-stop and the actors and actresses were phenomenal.

During the week that I spent in England, I can genuinely say that I enjoyed every moment of it. And when I return, I will always be sure to mind the gap.

Ziplines, Volcanoes, and Monkeys

Imagine yourself 600 feet above the ground hanging from a rope and looking down into a deep abyss of rainforest trees, and just thinking that it would not be a good idea to let go right about now. That's how high up I was when I went ziplining in Costa Rica. Although my fear of heights started to kick in at the top, I must admit that the view was gorgeous from there.
Apart from ziplining, the rainforest offered a huge variety of fauna and flora. I went into a butterfly sanctuary where there were thousands of butterflies just flying around, and they sit on you and flap in your face. I was unfortunately not a huge fan of these creatures (and still am not).
There were also the monkeys, which reminded me of little children playing and fighting. One of them came and climbed up me and sat on my head, grabbing my nose, and sliding down my arm. It was quite adorable.
Of course Costa Rica is known for it's beaches and the sparkling water of the Caribbean, and our home was overlooking the water with a splendid view. However, the one thing that bothered me about this tropical destination were the insects and other various crawling creatures. Especially in the night, when we turned on the lights in our home, all the bugs got attracted to it so there would be moths, and other species that were unidentified. And one day even a praying mantis!
Nonetheless, a trip to any Caribbean location is always worth it- just to get away from the stress and relax.