Bus Trip through the Andes

We boarded a bus in Santiago, Chile this morning and spent the next seven hours making our way to Mendoza, Argentina. The scenery going through the Andes was amazing, the bus was very comfortable, and the border stop was fairly quick and easy. We have not traveled much by bus, but we definitely consider it a viable option for future travel after this wonderful experience. We did have a little snag when we got to the bus station in Mendoza because we were unable to withdraw cash from the ATM and the taxis didn't take credit cards. But, ultimately we worked everything out with the help of our landlord and finally arrived at our home for the month, which is a huge and wonderful place, in a very nice neighborhood, in the heart of Mendoza. We have been having so much fun fast traveling the last couple of weeks, and we are still sort of amazed by all we have seen and done, but we are ready to slow down and settle in for a while. Jeff will be taking a Spanish class while we are here, and the rest of us have various projects and activities to work on.

Beautiful Chile

Beginning to wind through the Andes

Snowy mountains

So much color and texture

Potrerillos Lake

A long, winding road

The vineyards in Mendoza are massive and beautiful.
We may or may not drink some wine while we're here!

Our lovely courtyard at our home for the month

December Fun

Yesterday morning we had the opportunity to go to the UIL 2A high school state football playoff game to support Iraan (that town you've been hearing about in the news because their cheerleader bus was hit by a semi a couple of weeks ago on the way home from the quarter-final game and one of the sponsors was killed). This is the hometown of Jeff's parents and his entire extended family. And, even though Iraan didn't come away with the victory, it was so fun to be with family to cheer the team on and rally behind this small town that has endured so much heartache recently.

Supporting the Iraan Braves at the state playoffs at AT&T Stadium

After the game, we got together with family and friends for Mexican food at Mariano's. And, then our boys hopped in the car with Mimi and Grandpa and headed off for a ranch adventure.

Lunch at Mariano's

The rest of our immediate family spent the afternoon running a few errands and resting before heading over to the Gaylord Texan hotel in Grapevine to catch up with Jeff's cousin and her family, who were in town for the game and who we definitely don't get to spend enough time with. Our time with them was precious, and we also had a wonderful dinner at Old Hickory's Steakhouse and enjoyed gawking at the spectacularly decorated resort.

While running our errands, we came across a few bottles of Republic Tequila,
signed by my MIL's cousin's husband, who is one of the co-founder's of the company.
This bottle is from their very first barrel. Very cool.

Some of the beautiful and unique Christmas trees at the Gaylord

Mt. Buninyong Winery

We spent the afternoon at the Mt. Buninyong Winery, a wacky, laid-back, kid-friendly place, in a beautiful location, specializing in port-style wines and wood-fired pizzas. We got there in time for lunch, and when the owner showed us to our table, he dropped off several metal disentanglement puzzles to keep us occupied. There were also other games, toys, and books scattered about for us to enjoy. Eventually, we turned our attention to food and ordered up a bread-and-dip appetizer and several pizzas. When we had consumed everything in sight, Jeff and I moved to the bar for a unique and extensive port tasting, while the kids remained happily at the table with games and desserts. The kids weren't ready to leave when it was time to go, but when we finally got them out the door, we stopped for a peek at the vines and found a handful of kangaroos hanging out, which was the perfect end to the day.

Quirky outdoor decor

A laid-back winery

Vats

Indoor decor

Appetizer

Wood-fired pizza

Kangaroos in the vines

Mount Buninyong Winery

Whirlwind Travel Days

When I looked at the date of my last post, I couldn't believe it was only three days ago. So much has happened since then. And, a whole lot of ground has been covered. Literally. On Sunday, we flew from Xi'an to Hong Kong, where we made every effort to maximize our short overnight visit. We had our first experience with dim sum, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Afterwards, we took in the famous Hong Kong light show down at the harbor. The following day, after a quick breakfast at a chain-y coffee shop (because the kids rejected a local place after reading "Pig Blood Curd" on the menu), and after stashing our bags at the designated area in the airport, we made the long bus ride out to see the Big Buddha (Tian Tan Buddha), which sits on the property of the Po Lin Monastery. At 112 ft. tall, we felt he was appropriately named. Clay was absolutely thrilled to see such a large statue up close, and we all enjoyed the experience of being at the lovely monastery, up in the mountains. After climbing up the 268 steps to the base of the statue and giving it a good looking over, we headed back down for a vegetarian meal at the monastery. For most of our group, it was the first opportunity to try tofu, which was met with mixed reviews. Overall, the meal, which was served family-style, was good, and we all found things we enjoyed.

From there, we headed back to the airport to catch our flight to Bangkok. It was our first time flying Sri Lankan Air, but we are all hoping it won't be our last. It was so nice and had so many amenities, a couple of the kids thought we had mistakenly entered the first class compartment, rather than coach. We all had our own screens, each equipped with a wide variety of movies and games, so the flight passed quickly. (By the way, I chose to watch Bridge of Spies, with Tom Hanks, and I just want say that if you haven't seen it, you absolutely must. Admittedly, I don't watch a lot of movies, but I'm a sucker for movies inspired by true events. It is the best movie I have seen in some time, and it has left me with a great many things to think deeper on.) By the time we made it to our apartment, it was late, and we were all ready to call it a day. Unfortunately, around 11:30 pm, the landlord contacted us to let us know that we would have to vacate before 8:00 in the morning, because she had an exterminator coming, and she couldn't reschedule. She apologized profusely for the inconvenience and even refunded the money we paid for the night, so it wasn't all bad.

So, bright and early, we strapped on our packs and headed out to explore Bangkok's breakfast offerings. We found a hotel not terribly far away offering a buffet breakfast that seemed perfect for our hungry group. Our train wasn't scheduled to leave the city until 7:30 pm, so our goal after breakfast was to find a way to keep the kids entertained without spending the day lugging our packs around in the heat and humidity, which, though very welcome to us after months and months of coldness, was not ideal for tramping around with heavy packs on our backs. We took a cab over to the Funarium, which was the best decision we could have made. Inside the large air conditioned building, we found a huge jungle gym, a bike track, a trampoline, a climbing wall, a ball pit, a sport court, a cafe, clean (and fully equipped) restrooms, and a couple of masseuses. Everyone was perfectly happy, and we had a wonderful day.

Eventually, we headed to the train station. So we could catch an overnight train, so we could catch a bus, so we could catch a ferry, so we could catch a taxi. So we could get to my happy place on Koh Samui. I have already declared my intentions to stay here indefinitely. If it weren't for the fact that there is still much of the world to be seen, I probably would, too! This place is amazing! Our house sits right on the beach and is huge and gorgeous. The sea breeze blows through our windows, and fragrant, beautiful flowers bloom all around. I can feel almost tangible changes in my body and my attitude (not that either was noticeably ill before). We walked down the beach and had a delicious lunch at a place with a sand floor and no walls. The younger boys played on the beach and in the water, and they found a coconut, which they worked on cracking. Eventually, Ruth helped them get into it, and they were all disappointed and disgusted to find it rotten, stinky, and full of worms. We found another fun beach restaurant to eat at for dinner, and were treated to a small fireworks show as we made our way back to our house. So far, everything about Koh Samui is absolute perfection. I am looking forward to spending the next couple of weeks here.

*I'll try to add pictures tomorrow.

More London Fun

Since we were all up and at 'em a little earlier this morning, and since we are now pros at using London's public transportation systems, we made it into the city a little earlier this morning than we did yesterday morning. We had hopes of joining a walking tour, using our hop-on, hop-off tour ticket, but at the last minute, we changed our plans and decided to stop at King's Cross station, instead of the one nearest the meeting place of the walking tour. There, we followed the signs for platforms 9 and 10, and found ourselves at Platform 9 3/4, where we saw Harry Potter's trolley, right outside the Harry Potter store. The kids were so thrilled with this stop, and we got them each a little souvenir. The older boys chose Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, which provided entertainment for most of the rest of the day. Clay chose a chocolate lollipop, and Ruth opted for a Gryffindor ink pen. (None of that will mean anything to you, though, if you haven't read the Harry Potter books or at least seen the movies, so I apologize if you have no idea what I'm talking about.)

After that fun stop, we hustled back on the train and headed to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guard. It was fun to see all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the ceremony. Plus, it was nice to get a good look at the palace, since commercial vehicles, like our tour bus, aren't allowed to drive in front of it.

From there, we walked through Green Park and Hyde Park, taking advantage, once again, of the surprisingly sunny weather. We decided to picnic in Hyde Park, next to The Serpentine Lake, where the swans, geese, and ducks entertained us while we ate. Our last act in the park was to visit Speaker's Corner, where, on Sundays, the public is invited to speak about whatever might be on its mind. The only caveat is that an individual who wishes to speak must be at least six inches off royal soil, so you need to bring your "soapbox," which is where, we were told, the saying "On your (my) soapbox" comes from.

We spent the rest of the afternoon aboard the hop-on, hop-off bus, seeing the interesting sights of the city and being thankful that we weren't seeing it on foot with the millions of other people wandering around. We are big fans of the hop-on, hop-off bus tour and will likely try it again sometime in another city.

We have thoroughly enjoyed our time in London, but we'll wrap it up tomorrow with a trip to Real Russia (the travel agency we are working with to book our Trans-Mongolian train trip), finalizing our visa applications for Russia and China, before heading to the coast for a few days, while they process everything.

Platform 9 3/4

A sweet treat for a sweet boy

Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans

Some of the flavors are truly disgusting,
but that is part of the appeal to boys, I think.

Buckingham Palace

The royal pipers during the Changing of the Guard

More Changing of the Guard pageantry

A walk in the royal park

Swan Love

A man on his "soapbox" in Speaker's Corner

Harrod's Department Store
(I personally think this building is prettier than Buckingham Palace!)

Piccadilly Circus:
London's answer to Times Square

You can't see it very well because of the fish decor,
but this is a conveyor belt sushi restaurant.
We were so tempted to hop off the bus and go it to try it,
but Jeff and Weston already had big plans to hit the sports bar
in our hotel to watch real American football.

It was a full, fun, and fatiguing day!