Soooo. . . . . It's been a while. . . . .

Bali rice fields.

More than a while, really. More like 4 years and a lot has happened in four years. I've lost the equivalent of another person in weight, traveled the world to some bucket list destinations, continued my education and completed a doctoral program, and changed jobs (well, company changed, job stayed the same). 

I traveled to Bali in 2015 for a well desired couple of weeks of rest and relaxation. The most complex decision I made during my time in Bali was whether I wanted to spend the day at the beach or the pool. I did a bit of sightseeing while there as you can see in the picture to the right, with the famous rice fields of Bali behind me. The interior of the island was truly beautiful and worth a return trip. Maybe one day. . . 

La Paz, capital of Bolivia.

A few months after my Bali trip, I took a much-anticipated trip to South America where I visit Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador. Bolivia was the first stop and an amazing introduction into the ancient people of South America. Bolivia is rich in pre-Incan cultures. I also reached a milestone while in Bolivia, my highest altitude on land at of 13,000 feet. This elevation was reached at the international airport in La Paz, Bolivia. It sits on a high plateau above the main city which is shaped, roughly, like a natural amphitheater. I had a horrible headache for a day but it went away after I took some medication. Cocoa leaves are plentiful for a natural remedy. It was available in the form of tea, candy, or chewing on the leaves. Several of my traveling companions avowed the tea was a great way to combat an altitude headache. However, it was illegal in other South American countries so my traveling companions had to ensure they consumed their quantity before traveling to Peru.

Machu Picchu, Peru.

Peru was truly a bucket list item with Machu Picchu being the crown jewel of adventures. We visited many sacred Incan sites and I hiked to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu which was an ancient entrance to the lost city. We had varying weather with clouds coming and going and playing peekaboo with the surrounding mountains and the city itself. We hiked into the cloud layer but as we approached the gate the clouds moved over and the sun shown for a bit, enough time for us to get pictures. You can see me to the right with my DSLR camera around my neck (that was not fun) as well as my walking poles (invaluable!). The hike was not difficult, about 2 and a half hours long, not technical, and wide enough for both directions of traffic to pass with ease.

Sacsayhuaman ruins, Peru.

We also visited other sites such as the one to the left, Sacsayhuaman (pronounced "sexy-woman", no joke!😉). The sun was bright and the sky clear. We had amazing weather during our week in Peru. The food was amazing as well. I ate ceviche for the first time in Lima under a misty, cloudy sky overlooking the ocean. Apparently, Lima is known for fog covering the city most of the time.

Sea lion, San Cristobal, Galapagos.

And the final country I visited on my trip to South America was Ecuador. Ecuador was a total surprise to me. It is a small country that packs a big punching terms of culture and nature. Quito is a little bit of Europe in South America with a quaint European style city center. It also has a thriving tourism industry with coastal cities which cater to holiday makers. But, of course, we were there to go to the Galapagos archipelago. Ecuador tightly controls entrance to this nature reserve. You can only visit the islands with a guide.

On the boat in the Galapagos Islands.

We spent a week on a boat cruising the islands with our group. We had the boat to ourselves and were able to visit several of the best islands for viewing wildlife. We walked among the boobies, iguanas, and sea lions one of who paid any attention to us. We were also able to snorkel with sea turtles and black tip sharks! So much more amazing and less scary than I had ever imagined.

Tara Street Station, Dublin.

It was a couple of years before I took a trip where I visited somewhere I hadn’t been before. In 2017, I visited Ireland which had been on my list to visit for many years. Given the origin of my name and heritage its surprising I had not visited sooner. . . I was there only a short time but packed a lot into those days. I visited the Cliffs of Moher, the Aran islands (Inis Oirr, for those wondering), and attended the races in Galway! That was an amazing experience. It's much like our Kentucky Derby. The sightseeing was possible because of the reason I was actually in Ireland, to attend a conference in Dublin. Needless to say, there was time to see a bit of Dublin such as the obligatory Trinity College and the Book of

Inis Oirr, Aran Islands, Ireland.

Kells, an evening exploring Temple Bar with Irish friends (fun!), and finally, finding my name EVERYWHERE!!! 😊

Dressed for the Galway Races!

The next trip included a trip to the UK to see friends. We spent time in Edinburgh, Newcastle, York, and London. I love the UK! So rich in culture and easy to navigate. Only downside is the cost. It's expensive! But we had a great time reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones. It was a bit of a whistle stop trip, only 10 days, but we packed a lot into those days. That was in the summer 2017.

Christmas with the Hargetts!

Christmas 2017 was spent first touring European Christmas markets in Vienna, Prague, and Munich and then at home. I had an amazing Christmas with the Hargett’s!!! It was a special Christmas for me since I had not been to the USA for Christmas in several years. I

Vienna.

so enjoyed seeing my very dear friends and experience old and new traditions. We ate oyster stew on Christmas Eve which is an old tradition in my family and went to the movies on Christmas day which is a new Hargett family tradition. I was privileged to experience both.

My most recent travels have been short trips with only one bucket list trip, Egypt. A short 5-day trip to Cairo allowed us to visit the pyramids, Egyptian museum, Luxor Temple, Temples at Karnak, The Valley of the Kings, and Queen Hatshepsut's temple. Amazing journey! Despite being quick, we saw all the things we wanted to see.

Great Pyramids of Giza.

Prime Meridian, Greenwich, UK.

The Egypt trip was followed by a trip to London and Cambridge for another conference where we visited the Prime Meridian line which you can see behind me on the wall. It is the line from which time is measured around the world time zones. For example, where I live in Saudi Arabia, the time zone is Greenwich mean time (GMT) + 3 hours.

 

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