Travels with Nelda

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Travels with Nelda

Panama Canal: A Continent Divided, Oceans Unlimited

August 9th, 2011 · No Comments · Panama

Question: Does the Panama Canal go east/west or north/south?

Couldn’t find a teacher travel opportunity this year, so I’m actually taking an adventure with John. We’re heading for Panama on Saturday, August 13. He’s traveled through Overseas  Adventure Travel before but this will be my first trip with them. It appeals to me because we get to visit schools and rural villages. This one trip won’t be too streneous since we’ll be on a small boat going through the Canal for three days. I’m excited to be able to visit a research facility for rainforest frogs

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Mark Spencer Hotel–Portland, Oregon

April 8th, 2011 · No Comments · Oregon, Spring 2011 Seattle

Our last Living Social coupon on the trip–at the Mark Spencer Hotel in the Pearl District in Portland OR. The one bedroom suites are very nice. And what’s to complain about the afternoon tea and cookies which is soon followed by wine and cheese! We’re off to find the University Club of which Dad has fond memories of his commissioning his Navy ship in WWII and then to Astoria for more WWII memories up the coast and back home.

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Skamania Lodge in the Columbia Gorge

April 8th, 2011 · No Comments · Spring 2011 Seattle, Washington State

Neither rain, snow, sunshine or wind could keep us from our next Living Social coupon destination-the Skamania Lodge in Stevenson WA on the Columbia Gorge. Rain in Seattle, nasty snow on Snoqualmie Pass. Sunshine from Ellensburg to the Columbia Gorge where wind was added to the rain.

Here are some great things to do while spending a rainy couple of days at Skamania Loge:

  • Have a cup of coffee while reading in a rocking chair in front of the fireplace.
  • Visit the Foresty Center in the Lodge. If you are lucky you’ll get a hug from the Forestry Center man when you leave.
  • Enjoy a great breakfast buffet in the dining room.
  • Play a rousing game of Mexican Train in in the library. Professor Plum and Colonel Mustard never showed up. Maybe that’s good news.

Be amazed when the sun finally shows up

  • Visit the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center below Skamania Lodge. They have a fine museum that traces the history of this area, and if you are lucky, the man who is going to be moving the 1921 Mack Logging Truck will be there to turn on the steam engine that powered a lumber mill. He did that for us,
  • Have a drink and some food at Walking Man Brewery in Stevenson.
  • Have a calzone at Andrew’s Pizza in Stevenson. It is one that is worth the calories.
  • Visit the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automotive Museum in Hood River OR. They’ve got a knowledgeable staff of volunteers who are filled with information and lvoe for these planes and vehicles that they have restored.

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Day 2 Living Social– classic wooden yacht cruise

April 5th, 2011 · No Comments · Spring 2011 Seattle, Washington State

Center for wooden Boats

On the dock of the Center for WOODEN BOATS.

Wow, was this a winner of a day! The heavy rain expected didn’t stop us. Heck, if it did, people in the nortwest would never leave their homes. I am GLAD that I’m not playing soccer or having to watch a child play soccer this spring. We went to the Center for Wooden Boats where we boarded the M/V Allure a classic wooden yacht built in 1928.  The wood stove kept us warm and the information the captain had kept our brains working. Even John who had been grousing about a 2.5 hour trip kept learning. Our captain (what a ditz Iam! I don’t even know his name, but he is the owner of Cedarwave Cruises so if you decide to go, he’ll be the one to get) has family going back to 1898 when his great grandma was born in Gig Harbor, and his family has been involved in the maritime industry since then, building boats and fishing.

 

 

 

 

Houseboat on Lake Union

Houseboat on Lake Union

 

Seattle’s movie claim-to-fame Sleepless in Seattle was filmed at one of the houseboats on Lake Union. (Seattle’s motto is: Drink your coffee, somebody’s sleeping in India.) Up Portage Bay to the heart of Seattle’s fishing industry, Ballard and the Ballard Locks. 28% of Seattle’s income comes from commercial fishing. Who’d a thunk! As we went along the captain was able to point out fishing boats that had come from the east coast because of the fishing slump back east. They have a different design. Most of the fishing boats on the TV show “Most Dangerous Catch are home-based or winter here in Seattle.

 

 

 

 

Some of the many fishing boats in Ballard

Some of the many fishing boats in Ballard

These aren’t the halibut boats we saw, but…if you have a daughter you want to marry into a rich fishing family, look for a halibut fisherman. There are a limited number of halibut licenses issued and these have been controlled by the same families for years….and many of the boats are 100 years old—of course that might mean everything but the hull has been replaced in this hundred years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fishing boats in BallardWe went up to the Ballard Locks, where all vessels have to go in order to get the salt water of the Puget Sound. Right now we’re on fresh water lakes. We turned around, and putt-putted back to Lake Union and across it to the Montlake Cut, University of Washington, and into Lake Washington and here the trip got real personal.We learned that the houseboats on the Lake Washington side of the Montlake cut were at one time the the red light district….but alas, no longer that fun is availabe.Dad at the helmChecking the navigation mapsA great time!

Houseboat or boat

Houseboat or boat

Houseboat or boat       Permission to build this houseboat was never gotten so every year they have to prove that they are not a houseboat to Seattle authorities. They’ve got 3 outboard motors on the back and on a calm day they move it out a couple of hundred yards into Lake Union and then back!Here comes the Duck!Here’s the next fun tour I want to do–the water-land tour on a WWII amphibious vehicle the DUCK. I guess the tour is a lot of fun, complete with duck whistles so you can quack like a duck the whole way.Chinook, overlooking the fishing boats in Ballard

Here comes the Duck!

Here comes the Duck!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chinook, overlooking the fishing boats in Ballard

Chinook, overlooking the fishing boats in Ballard

We were to use a Living Social Coupon for our dinner but after seeing the fishing industry and Ballard Fisherman Terminal from the water, we needed to see it from the Chinook Restaurant in the terminal.  They’ve really got good fish and chips although there’s a debate whether its worth the extra $2.00 for the ling cod instead of the true cod!

I love halibut but halbut?????

I love halibut but halbut?????

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Spring rains and coupons

April 4th, 2011 · No Comments · Spring 2011 Seattle

Snoqualmie FallsWhile many are abandoning the rainy northwest for warmer (and drier) climates, we’re madly digging for our umbrellas and Gore-Tex and staying. Dad and Esther flew out to join us for spring break. After picking them up at the airport, we drove out to Snoqualmie Falls. Dad and Esther quickly learned that rain around here can be quite different than rain in Colorado. Dad’s joke about when it rained 40 days and 40 nights all they got was a quarter inch changes here to a quarter inch in the first five minutes!

 

 

 

 

 Yesterday, Sunday, the first Living Social.com Alkai Beachevente was used. Dad’s 90th birthday is coming up in November. Esther is celebrating her birthday while they are here so after a detour to West Seattle for the view of downtown Seattle,

 

 

 

 

 

we were off to Northwest Helicopters by Boeing Field for their 2011 birthday present- a helicopter tour of downtown Seattle.Boeing 747-8 Tanker and helicopter  They waited quite a while for clearance to take off because the new Boeing 747-8 tanker was using the runway. Ballard LocksAmong the things they saw was Ballard Locks.

 

 Living Social vacation 2011 085Downtown Seattle 

 

 

Then back to Snoqualmie to the Woodman Lodge for another Living Social Coupon–our dinner. WoodmanLodge2 Yes, they do have silverware there…and the onion was really good!

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t you steal my Dungeness Mac and Cheese.

Woodman Lodge2

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apply for US-Japan Teacher exchange

December 25th, 2009 · No Comments · teacher travel

The Japan-U.S. Teacher Exchange Program for ESD will provide up to 48 U.S. K-12 teachers and administrators with the opportunity to travel to Japan in 2010 on this fully-funded program to learn about ESD efforts and strengthen ESD curricula in both countries. ESD is “a vision of education that seeks to balance human and economic well-being with cultural traditions and respect for the earth’s natural resources,” according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).Up to 48 educators from Japan will travel to the U.S. in late April, and up to 48 educators from the U.S. will travel to Japan in June. At the end of the program in each country, all 96 educators will gather for a few days of joint collaboration. For more information about the program, or to access the online application, please visit our website at www.iie.org/ESDteacher.

  For more information, or to access the online application, please visit our website at www.iie.org/ESDteacher. Please do not hesitate to contact us at esdteacher@iie.org or 888-527-2636 if you have any questions. 

 

Kind regards,
Susan Gundersen
Senior Program Officer
Institute of International Education

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Feliz Navidad

December 25th, 2009 · No Comments · Christmas in Oaxaca

While the midwest is stuck in a blizzard, we’re basking in temperatures in the high 70s here in Oaxaca. We’re down to our last day, Christmas. There’s not the commercial hype down here. There are decorations up, but they aren’t large. The Night of the Radishes wouldn’t have made the news in the US. The decorated radishes (see attached picture) were a hit here. It looked like NY Times Square on New Years Eve without the crazyness. Everyone was happy and patient while getting into the long line to see the carved radishes. I finally gave up trying to make it through the crowds as the radishes extended around all four sides of the zocalo. I could seen them from outside the fence. Last night all the posadas from the various churches met in a parade in the zocalo. That was a diffferent story. What fun. Not only were all the Nativity scenes on floats with kids playing the parts of the nativity scene, each float was a little different. Each group had a large brass band, dancers, huge paper mache people. I don’t know how the people in this huge costumes managed to keep up dancing all the way. There was even Homer and Bart Simpson. And the fireworks, wow! Men who led the groups had a special fireworks stand that they would light fireworks. One lady dancer had fireworks that shot out of her basket on top of her head. and there was a dancing bull that men would wear on their shoulders as they energetically danced around with fireworks shooting from it. Quite festive and people in the crowd were dancing with the bands. And the best part was I was one of the taller people. Not often that i get to see over the heads of men.

 

We pass a family begging,on our way to the zocalo with dad playing the accordian for handouts.We must pass them two to four times a day on our way back and forth to the hotel. The preschool children are always entertaining themselves. Once the little boy had his shoe off and he was pushing it around like a car. We never see any children throwing temper tantrums. The only baby we’ve seen crying looked like he might be teething! Families are having fun in the zocalo with not much of anything. Is there a lesson for us there? Be happy with what you have instead of wanting more?  Most people in Oaxaca makeabout 45 cents an hour.

Today will be a quiet day, a peaceful culmination to our trip. We’ve enjoyed meeting people from many places. We took a cooking class with a famiy from New Zealand. There’s a nice Norwegian family at our hotel. The patio is a great place to sit and talk with other hotel guests. One lady was born in La Junta, Colorado and lived for five years before she started school in Hotchkiss, a small town 9 miles from where I grew up in Paonia Colorado…..and now she lives in Kirkland, about 12 miles from where John and I live.

Enjoy your Christmas and learn a lesson from the Mexicans…friends and family are as important as possessions. Appreciate the fact that our children have a better future and won’t be quitting school at the end of 6th grade and our daughters won’t be seeing marriage at age 14 or 15. Realize that our wealthy do care about others. Philanthropy is not seen here. There are no foundations set up to help others. And yet people are happy because of family and friends.

Peace and love to you from Mexico!

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Night of the Radishes

December 24th, 2009 · No Comments · Christmas in Oaxaca, Uncategorized

Thanks to the Norwegian family staying at the Hostel de la Noria, I finally got connected to the Internet with my netbook. Not that I could figure out how to read Norwegian but by punching keys I finally found the advance settings. So now I can be a totally lazy person sitting in the hotel patio drinking limeades and living in the 21st century with the Internet at my fingers. Sadly the Night of the Radishes wasn’t the highlight of our day. The zocalo was like NY Times Square on New Years Eve. I gave up trying to find the end of the line to see the Radish carvings up close. They were interesting. Police were carrying no-nonsense rifles and were all over the place. Guess they thought someone would show up with a salt shaker.http://www.weirdomatic.com/wp-content/pictures/annualfestival/Night_of_the_Radishes.jpg Here’s a picture of the radishes

The highlight of our day was the great tour we had with Tony Sobel. Her husband is a Zapotec–and can still speak Zapotec and he served as our driver. It was like going out with two wonderful friends. We visited Ocotlan and muralist Rudolfo Moreles Casa de Culura and his home with the most amazing hummingbird pinata and kitchen. I planned to upload pictures but my wireless connection is too slow. I liked it better than Frieda Kala’s Casa Azul in Mexico City. Even the flower market on the street surrounding the market was pretty.  Then to lunch at a great restaurant where I had a delecious pumpkin blossom stuff ed with cheese and covered with a tomatillo sauce. I got to try the traditional Christmas dessert–bunuelos. This is a big sweet torilla that is broken up and a sweet sauce poured over it. Of course, the kitchen was in a separte building that I could watch while I ate. Then on to a alebrije workshop to see incredible wooden figures being made.

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A nice lazy day

December 23rd, 2009 · No Comments · Uncategorized

If they ever decide to start a basketball team down here I could be come their center assuming all they cared about was height. At 5 foot 2 inches, I am one of the taller women around here. I got to the market and wished I could buy some meat and cook it right there and eat it. Lots to see and do. I got my fried grasshoppers to bring back to the US and plenty of chocolate. We put the chocolate that was made for at the small maket that was a lot more fun than this big market, in the cupboard. Let me tell you it smells delicious. We hung out around the zocalo a lot. Tons of people, including kids and babies–heard only one baby cry and one child shriek. Everyone was having fun–not a single temper tantrum. As we´d go up the street to our hotel and back, there was a man, wife, baby and young child. He was playing an accordian, they were waiting patiently.At night mom and baby had gone home, but the boy was still with dad. When we came back to the hotel at 10pm, the boy was asleep.  How could I not put something in their collection dish!! We sat at an upstairs restaurant and watch clowns, vendors, and a woman painting the tables for the Radish festival tonight. We were hoping a dumb American would sit on it and we´d have video for America´s Funniest Videos, but it didn´t happen. Kids can entertain themselves with big long balloons outside the Cathedral. Not many Americans here. We´ve met Danes,Norwegians and many Canadians, though.

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Great cooking class

December 21st, 2009 · No Comments · Christmas in Oaxaca

We had breakfast at the zocalo and walked about 8 blocks to Casa Cresp0 for our cooking class. Got there early so went in for a cup of coffe at a tiny restaurant. Hot milk with Nescafe and a sweet roll cost about 15 cents US. The cooking class was great. We walked from the Casa Crespo bed and breakfast to a small market where we were able to take picktures and bought the ingredients for our meal. THere were 10 of us. A family from New Zealand, a family from California (with a  daughter in grad school at the University of Washington. We made a delicious passion fruit salsa, tortillas regular and appetizer with squash blossoms and Oaxacan cheese mixed in, mashed plantain with cheese in the middle that was fried, guacamole with persimmon seeds, a fiesta mole (moLay) with chocolate, almonds, raisins, spices, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and of course chile. Chilewent in everything. I had no idea there were so many different kinds of chile. We had cheese that was wrapped in some type of leave (very herbal tasting) that was fried and a squash blossem soup with zichinni, mushrooms and cream as well as an ice cream of Oaxacan chocolate and cream that was darn near the consistancy of butter. It was a fun 5 hours. John didn´t feel so good so he came back to the hotel. I wandered my way back. Its a lovely day today. Perfect weather.  I did find that bureaus of change don´t like to exchange US currency that is torn. I was turned down at three places. Oh well. I really enjoy Oaxaca city. The people are friendly and the vendors ask you to buy but if you say ¨Nö¨they move on. Tomorrow we have nothing scheduled. We may head to another square to try traditional local breakfasts, or stay at the hotel where John can have pancakes if he still has an upset stomach. If I´m stuck watching people at the zocalo all day I guess I can suffer through it. I´m continually amazed at the variety of textiles here in Oaxaca. You can tell where women are from by the clothes they wear.

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