Need Some Air Conditioning? Try Bangkok’s Sky Train

Lindsay and I chose to visit Thailand right in the middle of the “hot season.” The benefits of doing this is that you almost completely avoid the tourist crowds and there are numerous low season discounts on hotels to take advantage of. However, they don’t call it the “hot season” for no reason…it is extremely hot. To make matters worse Bangkok is a sprawling urban jungle and the concrete and asphalt trap this heat making it even hotter in the city (this phenomenon is called the urban heat island effect). Despite the heat Lindsay and I were running around the city of Bangkok trying to take in as many sights as possible. On one particularly hot afternoon we found ourselves exhausted but wanting to see more of the city. We decided to take a ride on Bangkok's Sky Train. This amazing train is part of Bangkok's mass transit system and glides gracefully on elevated tracks (very high off the ground) over central Bangkok. We got on the train near the National Stadium station with plans to simply ride a few stops. However, when we stepped into the train we couldn’t believe the air conditioning. It was pumping full blast and the train care literally felt like a refrigerator. We ended up riding the train over and over on the same loop until finally getting off to continue exploring. Not only was the air conditioning amazing but the view you get of the parks and buildings of Bangkok is spectacular. Were were sitting in air conditioning gliding along on a smooth train over central Bangkok…life couldn’t have been better. Eventually we got off the train and continued to explore. We were both totally rejuvenated and we owe it all to the wonderful air conditioning of Bangkok’s Sky Train.

A Unique Stroll Through Moscow, Russia

It was a beautiful summer day and Lindsay and I found ourselves wanting to wander through the magnificent city of Moscow, Russia. We had already been there for a few days and had seen the main sights like Red Square, The Kremlin, Etc. We picked up our Lonely Planet guidebook and decided to follow its recommended “city walk” as this is one of our favorite things to do when traveling. We started the walk by crossing over the Moscow River on a beautiful pedestrian bridge in front of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. We then continued walking along the river enjoying the beautiful old architecture of the surrounding buildings (including some very cool architectural relics from the communist days). We then passed the HUGE statue called “Peter The Great.” This gigantic statue looks like something you would see at Disneyland and it actually seemed quite out of place in Moscow. At over 300 ft tall it is one of the tallest statues in the world and has Peter The Great standing proud amongst a ship. It sits right in the river and is so prominent that it can be seen from numerous locations in Moscow. After staring curiously at this statue we then continued on to one of the most unique places we have ever been called “Fallen Monument Park.” This old park in the heart of Moscow received numerous statues of communist leaders such as Stalin and Lenin when the Soviet Union fell. Many of these statues were removed or vandalized from numerous locations around the city and were dumped off at this park. The result are some magnificent statues of Iconic Soviet leaders and symbols standing eerily amongst the trees and walkways of a quite park. The entire area had a really unique feel and Lindsay and I loved the unique statues we were seeing. On some of the statues you could still see the vandalism that had taken place during the demonstrations leading up to the fall of the soviet union. My favorite statue was a huge iron hammer and sickle (the famous Soviet symbol) that looked like it had been taken off of a building. There were also numerous statues of Lenin and Stalin that we just loved. After relaxing and enjoying this park we continued on through the city. Our feet started killing us so we hoped on the Metro to go to Sparrow Hills which is an urban park situated on a high hill just outside the city. Most of the Metro stations in Moscow are very old (which is part of their charm) but the Vorobyovy Gory metro station we exited was very cool. It was located in the middle of a bridge that spans the Moscow River. The walls of the station are completely made of glass and when you leave you are immediately in an urban forest (Sparrow Hills Park). We wandered through this beautiful park eventually trying to make our way up to the top so that we could see the beautiful panoramic view of Moscow (we had read about this). After about an hour of climbing through the park we made our way to the top and were blown away by the view of Moscow. The hills are right above the river and you could see almost all of the major Moscow sights. I especially enjoyed the view because you could almost see all of the “seven sisters” buildings which are beautiful, and huge, Gothic style buildings that were built by the communist to intimidate. You could also see the very vertical “downtown” area of the city which had numerous skyscrapers and looked very American. The viewpoint had numerous vendors selling souvenirs as well as numerous locals enjoying the view. We just sat on the ledge and enjoyed the view of this incredible city in late evening. Directly across the street (looking the other direction) from the viewpoint was the magnificent Moscow State University which has one of the largest “seven sisters” building. We eventually made our way out of the park and back into the city via the Metro but we will never forget our unique stroll through the incredible city of Moscow, Russia.

Jdeydeh Christian Quarter – Aleppo, Syria

As I have stated before Aleppo, Syria is probably our favorite place in the world. This ancient city is home to incredible history, beautiful architecture and amazingly hospitable people. Lindsay and I instantly feel in love with the city the minute we arrived. There are numerous notable areas of the city but we spent most of our time in the “Ancient City” which is broken up by two distinct areas known as “Old City” and “Jdeydeh Christian Quarter.” The later is probably our favorite neighborhood of any city in the world. This very old part of the city is made up of narrow stone alleyways that wind their way through covered archways, beautiful old buildings, markets, churches, etc, etc. The buildings are mostly made of stone but many have wooden windows and rooms. As you wonder through the alleyways you will see these old wooden rooms and windows built right into the side of the amazing stone structures. Lindsay and I stayed in this part of the city and one of our favorite things to do was to simply wander and get lost. Both day and night we would wander through the alleyways enjoying every moment of our exploration. I remember one night in particular we were wondering through a light up alleyway right behind two Muslim women that had black burkas that covered them from head to toe. It was such a culture shock to see these women in their religious clothing as we wandered through an ancient Middle Eastern city. One night during our wondering we came up to a beautiful old church/square in the heart of the Christian Quarter called Saint Elias Cathedral. This amazing church was built in the the 1800’s and is surrounded by the old alleyways of the Christian Quarter but has a beautiful little square right in front of it. Lindsay and I sat on the steps of this church for hours just admiring the scene around us. There were little kids playing, shop owners welcoming customers, locals strolling, etc, etc. It was a beautiful Syrian night and the lights of the church and the surrounding scene truly gave us a travel high. As we walked around this church I took an amazing picture of Lindsay. She is walking through one of the many alleyways in the Christan Quarter with her head covered (out of respect for Muslims) and in the picture you can see two young boys coming by on bikes and the lights of Saint Elias Cathedral in the background. This picture sums up well the truly magical experience that it was to wander through the Christian Quarter of Aleppo. During our many explorations in this part of the city we also got to experience the wonderful hospitality of the local people. On one occasion we passed a local man carrying a basket of bread. He stopped us just as we were passing by and gave us some bread with a big smile. It was his way of saying “welcome to Syria.” On another occasion we were sitting on a stone ledge at the intersection of a beautiful old alleyway that had vines growing overhead. A local store owner saw us sitting there and brought out to chairs for us to sit on and gave us a big smile. We couldn’t believe his hospitality and thanked him over and over. There were numerous other random acts of kindness that we experiences while exploring Jdeydeh (Christan Quarter) and other areas of Aleppo. The Jdeydeh Christian Quarter of Aleppo is truly one of the most special places on earth. We both hope that we are fortunate enough to visit again some day.

The Calgary Pit Stop on our Canadian Road Trip

I have written many times about our road trip adventure to Canada in 2007 but I wanted to expand on one particular part of it…our Calgary pit stop. After coming out of the Glacier/Waterton Peace Park we were anxious to work our way north towards Calgary and the Canadian Rockies. We continued through Alberta passing through Cardston and admiring the unique LDS temple there. Eventually we were getting close to Calgary just as the afternoon was turning into evening. Earlier that day we had frantically been calling hotels/motels in Calgary to find one that allowed dogs. We finally found one and booked a room so that we could get a good nights sleep (the previous night was spent at a rest stop). As we pulled into Calgary we admired the beautiful skyline and cityscape of downtown. We eventually found our hotel, checked-in and immediately took off to find some food. As a kid my family took a trip to Canada where we found an incredible restaurant called “Earls.” Lindsay and I were lucky enough to stumble on one of these not far from our hotel (it is a chain). We left Sundance in the car and ate one of the best meals we have ever eaten. As we came out of Earls there was a storm coming into the city and the rain and thunder were going crazy. As we made it back to the hotel we all (me, Lindsay and Sundance) cuddled up on the hotel bed for a good night sleep. The next morning we woke up and headed off towards the Canadian Rockies. As we pulled out of Calgary we passed their “China Town” district which was fascinating. After only a few minutes outside the city we began to see the magnificent mountains in the distance. Just seeing these mountains appear, and get closer, through the windshield is an experience in itself. Eventually we found ourselves right in the middle of them and were blown away by the beauty. We continued on that day and visited Banff, Lake Louis, etc. Our short little pit stop in Calgary was the perfect break to a wonderful road trip through the US and Canada.

The Monuments of Washington DC at Night

I was already in the DC/Baltimore area for business when Lindsay meet me out there to start our 2009 adventure on the east coast. By the time we took the train from Baltimore to DC and checked in to our awesome hotel near the Capitol Building it was turning into late evening. We immediately headed up towards the “Dupont Circle” area to get some dinner at an amazing Italian restaurant my business associate had shown me a few days earlier. After dinner we walked down to the National Mall (central area of the city) to enjoy the beautiful monuments at night. Our first stop was the White House. We stood outside the gates and admired this amazing structure and marveled at the office of The President of the United States. We then worked our way West admiring the light up Washington Monument. Earlier in the week I was shown a very cool statue of Albert Einstein that is tucked away off of the National Mall. We went and found this again and Lindsay loved the unique statue of this amazing man. We ended our stroll at the incredible, almost holy, Lincoln Memorial. The way the statue of Lincoln is light up at night is nothing less than inspiring. We stood in front of the statue of Lincoln for probably 15 minutes just admiring and pondering the great acts of this incredible man. We then worked our way outside to the steps of the Memorial to admire the distant Washington Monument that was light up with a bright red light on the top. We wandered around this monument for probably another 45minutes before eventually making our way back to our hotel (catching a taxi as our feet hurt from walking so much). Washington DC is an incredible city and admiring some of its most important landmarks at night was a special experience for Lindsay and I.

The Magnificent Red Fort – Delhi, India

Delhi India is a huge city full of many different districts, neighborhoods and landmarks. However, one of its most prominent landmarks is the beautiful old Red Fort in the heart of the city. Our first morning in Delhi we caught a rickshaw and the first place we wanted to go was this fort. After winding our way through the chaotic streets of Old Delhi in the rickshaw we finally saw the beautiful and grand red fort standing in front of us. We spent a few moments just admiring the outer walls as they are made from very large, and very red, pieces of stone. We eventually made our way inside and marveled at all of the interior courtyards and structures that were built. The Red Fort is almost entirely surrounded by the hustle and bustle of Old Delhi but being inside its walls, and wandering through the gardens and palaces, you can’t hear any of the chaos outside and it truly feels like an oasis. The fort was built in the 17th century by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (who also built the Taj Mahal) and he spared no expense while doing it. The palaces and structures on the interior of the fort are mostly red but a few were built with white stone which was an incredible contrast to the green grass and red stone of the other buildings in the complex. We wandered the entire area for hours and found one particular palace that we just loved. It was made of dark red stone and the interior ceiling was adorned with amazing stonework. There were numerous pillars being held up by arches and the whole thing just was just the epitome of Indian architecture (or maybe more specifically Mughal architecture). We sat in this particular palace for probably an hour just admiring the gardens around us and enjoying the shade as it was a very hot day in Delhi. We eventually left the palace to continue exploring Delhi and the minute we hit the busy streets of the city we were already missing the quite and calm oasis that is The Red Fort.

Boston’s North End

Although it is difficult to pick an absolute “favorite city” in the United States I think Boston would probably be at the top of both Lindsay and I’s list. This incredible city is one of the only “medieval cities” in America. This doesn’t mean it has been around that long but it means that the street pattern and urban design resembles that of medieval European cities. There is no grid pattern and the streets are narrow and sporadic. Although this can cause havoc for navigation it makes for incredible urban design. Lindsay and I spent about 3 days in this city during the summer of 2009 and of all the neighborhoods we explored the North End is one of our favorites. This area of the city has continually had inhabitants since the 1630’s which makes it the oldest neighborhood in the city. It is also known as Boston's “Little Italy” as it has a large Italian American community. Lindsay and I first experienced this neighborhood while strolling along the “freedom path” history walk. There is a large park right before you enter the North End which used to be a Freeway. We both couldn’t help but think of how many cool neighborhoods were destroyed to build a freeway…what a travesty. Once you are in the North End the small streets and beautiful old red brick buildings really give the area a cool feel. The first place we stopped was the home of Paul Revere. This beautiful old wooden home now seems out of place amongst the red brick buildings that surround it but it has been beautifully preserved. Immediately adjacent to the Paul Revere house is the beautiful old North Square Park. This tiny little square/park is an urban paradise. There are cobblestone streets that surround a beautiful little park with bright flowers, trees, etc. The entire square is surrounded on all sides by old red brick homes/restaurants most with bay windows. As an urban design major in college I was in love with this area and to this day think it is one of the most beautiful urban places in the U.S. We sat at this park for quite awhile just taking pictures and admiring the scene around us. We then continued on to the beautiful Old North Church which is the central landmark of the neighborhood. This church is famous for the role it played during the Revolutionary War (lanterns hung in the steeple to signal if the British were coming by land or by sea). Right before you get to the church you wander through a beautiful park with large trees, fountains and a beautiful statue of Paul Revere. We took our time as we wandered through this area taking pictures of the old brick walls of the church, the fountains, etc. After briefly exploring the interior of the church we continue on through the North End before eventually making our way across the river to the Charlestown neighborhood. We ended up coming back to the North End later that night for some fantastic Italian food at one of the hundreds of restaurants in the neighborhood. The North End is not only one of the most beautiful and unique neighborhoods in Boston; but in all of the United States as well.

Crawford Market – Mumbai, India

One our favorite things to do when traveling is look for local “markets.” These are by far some of the most exciting areas in any city and a great way to get a feel for the local community. While traveling in Mumbai India we visited a fascinating, and extremely busy, market called “Crawford Market.” This is one of Mumbai's oldest markets as it has been around since the 1800’s. The Market itself is actually housed in a beautiful old building built during British rule so it looks very European. Lindsay and I caught on of the thousands of black and yellow cabs to the market and after a short and exciting drive through the streets of Mumbai we saw the beautiful building of Crawford Market come into view. When we first stepped into the market we were both floored by how busy and active it was. There were thousands of people wandering through row after row of fruit stands. Most of what we saw were produce stands with every kind of fruit or vegetable you could imagine. However, towards one end of the market there were animals of every kind being sold (think of an exotic pet store). There were birds, puppies, etc in hundreds of cages spread out amongst numerous little vendor stalls. Mumbai in general is a crazy city and this market just added to the overwhelming sights, sounds, and smells of this amazing city. After only a short while of wandering we were exhausted and left Crawford Market to continue exploring the city. If you ever find yourself in Mumbai India make sure to check out fascinating, and busy, Crawford Market.

An Evening in Valdese, North Carolina

During our 2007 trip to North Carolina we stopped at one of my favorite little towns from my mission called Valdese. I had spent about 6 months in this area and fell in love with it. Valdese sits at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and was settled in the late 1800’s by the Waldenses which was a religious group that had immigrated to the United States from Northern Italy. The town of Valdese is very small (only 5,000 people) but it has a lot of character. We had spent the day traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway and had just come down from “the mountains” after visiting the beautiful Linveille Falls. We pulled into Valdese in the late evening and the first place we went was the beautiful McGalliard Falls which is a large waterfall that sits right in the middle of town. After enjoying this area we went and had dinner at the cute little “Myras Little Italy” restaurant in the center of town. After getting stuffed we walked across the street to “Myras” which is owned by the same family but serves ice cream, etc (I had frequented this spot during my mission). We got a shake to share and then walked up the cute little main street just as the sun was starting to go down. We eventually made our way to the beautiful Waldensian Presbyterian Church which sits right in the middle of town. This old church has beautiful surroundings including a little park with a fountain. Lindsay and I sat at this park to finish our shake and to watch the sun go down on this cute little southern town. Eventually the day came to an end and we headed back to our hotel in Morganton, NC. However, strolling through Valdese on that warm summer evening is something we will never forget.

The View from Sir Isaac’s Cathedral – St Petersburg Russia

Like most people Lindsay and I love a “good view” and we found one at the impressive Sir Issac’s Cathedral in St Petersburg, Russia. This dominating structure is the largest cathedral in St. Petersburg and a very commanding part of the cities skyline. During our first morning in the city Lindsay and I were simply wandering around the beautiful canals and streets (probably following a Lonely Planet walking tour). We stumbled upon this beautiful cathedral and were in awe of its beauty. There are large columns at the bottom supporting the gigantic gilded golden dome in the center of the structure. As we made our way up the stairs to start exploring we noticed that you could either pay to go inside the cathedral or to go on top of the roof. Being budget travelers we chose to simply go to the top to get a birds eye view of the city. After working our way up numerous stairs we eventually found ourselves on top of the cathedral. The view over St Petersburg was absolutely breathtaking. You could see numerous landmarks such as Palace Square, Peter & Paul Fortress, etc. It was also incredible to see all of the other church spires that were rising above the parks and buildings of this incredibly city. You could even see all the way out to the Baltic Sea. There was a cold breeze, even though it was early June, which helped remind us how far north we really were. We took it all in as best we could and eventually made our way back to the streets to continue to explorer. It was much easier navigating through the city after this experience as being that high up really helped us get our bearings. If you ever find yourself in St Petersburg Russia make sure to head to the top of Sir Isaac’s Cathedral for a one-of-a-kind view.

Riding The Rails In India

No trip to India is complete without experiencing its robust and busy train system. The process of arriving at a train station, finding your train, and boarding is an experience in itself. During our 2 week journey through India Lindsay and I were lucky enough to take 3 different trains each with its own memorable experiences:

Mumbai – Delhi on the Rajdhani Express
This 15 hour night train starts at the Mumbai Central railway station and ends in Delhi. This train was especially memorable as it was our first experience with an Indian train station. We both just couldn't believe the overall organized chaos that we experienced on arrival. The train is actually one of the fastest in India and the ride itself was very nice. We shared a 4 person cabin with a hilarious business man from Mumbai (actually worked for the train service) who was very chatty. He was telling us all about the country, its people, its trains, etc, etc. They kept bringing by food and it was hilarious, and a little sad, to hear him boss around the servers. Lindsay and I were busting up because he kept saying over and over “and that is the country which is called India” when he really wanted to make a point. In the early morning hours of the train we picked up another passenger which was a young Indian women working in the fashion industry. We really enjoyed chatting with her as she spoke perfect English and we were able to ask her a lot of questions about India. We both slept very well on this train despite Lindsay being cold and our businessman friend snoring. :) Our only compliant about this train is that the windows in our cabin were tinted which made it a little difficult to see the scenery out the window.

Delhi – Agra Round Trip
To get to the amazing Taj Mahal we took the quick and painless round trip train from Delhi to the city of Agra. We splurged for first class tickets and this train was extremely comfortable. We almost missed this train (we were running late) but were so glad that we made it. Heading out of Delhi in the morning was fascinating as we passed numerous “slum” neighborhoods. There were always numerous people going to the bathroom (squatting) on the tracks and it was really a culture shock to see this. Waiting for the train that night at the Agra station was also memorable as we were constantly asked for money by the poor children from the slums. They would walk up to you and stick our their hand and make a gesture towards their mouth (communicating that they were hungry). This was devastating to see but we had read that children begging at a station like this is usually a scam. However, it was extremely hard to think of this when a young teenager girl would come by with a screaming baby on her hip or a young man would come crawling up because his legs didn’t work…it was absolutely gut wrenching.

Delhi – Varanasi by Night Train
This was probably our favorite train for a number of reasons. First of all we had a rare two person cabin that was completely private. Second, our windows were not nearly as tinted as our first train from Mumbai so we could really see the countryside from outside our window. This journey started at the chaotic Delhi station where we waited on the platform with numerous families who were all spread out on the floor (including their little babies). When the train arrived and we realized we had a 2 person cabin I was so excited I started to do a dance. :) It was night when the train left so all we did was eat a little rice and curry (bought for only cents from the train attendant) and then went to sleep. However, when the sun came up we were glued to the window. I remember I had my headphones on and was just watching the countryside go by from the train window…it was a travelers high. We were meet at the platform in Varanasi by a driver form our guesthouse and were rushed through the extremely chaotic Varanasi station to a waiting car.

Again, traveling by train in India is an experience in itself. While you are traveling in the train it is very peaceful and quite and you are simply watching the countryside go by out your window. However, the minute you step off the train the chaos begins and you find yourself working through thousands of other people to get to your destination. India is a fascinating country and experiencing it by train is a must!

Old Damascus – Syria

Modern Damascus is a large, dense, and very busy city. However, tucked away in the center of the city is its beautiful “old town” with its ancient buildings, souqs (markets) and alleyways. The architecture in this part of the city is truly unique with very old houses that were made of wood, cement, etc. At the center of this area is the beautiful and commanding Unayyad Mosque which is one of the largest in the world. Lindsay and I had about 3 days to spend in Damascus and we were constantly coming back to the Old Town to explore its alleyways, shops and to simply people watch. I remember one particular night we found a very busy frozen yogurt shop in the middle of the Souq so we figured it had to be good. I just worked my way into the very busy line, eventually finding myself surrounded by locals, and just pointed at what all the other people were ordering. :) I ended up coming out with two cones with incredibly frozen yogurt topped with pistachios. Needless to say it was amazing! On another night we just wandered the alleyways until we eventually found ourselves in a very busy roundabout intersection. We just sat in the middle of the intersection to take in the scene around us. On another day we actually worked our way into the Unayyad Mosque to experience its beauty. The funniest thing about going into a Mosque is what they make Lindsay wear. All I have to do is take off my shoes but she literally has to get in a full body zip up suite that looks like a giant robe. I wander around quite comfortably while she struggles to keep up in her full body robe. :) the interior of the mosque is absolutely breathtaking. The entire inner courtyard is made of beautiful marble and is surrounded by open air hallways with numerous pillars. While we were resting in the shad of one pillar we meet our Scottish buddies who were with us on our 36 hour eventful train ride from Turkey. We chatted with them for a few minutes before continuing to explorer. We eventually made our way into the main worship area where there is a shrine believed to contain the head of John the Baptist. Every day that we went to the Old Town it was a memorable experience. Even the nights were we would simply wander around the souqs, alleyways and little squares were absolutely memorable and special. Old Damascus is truly one of the most unique and beautiful areas in all the world.

Old Town Alexandria, Virginia

During our 2009 summer getaway to Washington DC Lindsay and I decided to explore beautiful Old Town Alexandria. This little gem of a city is very close to DC and extremely easy to get to. In the early afternoon we took the blue line on the Metro to the King Street Station. From there we took the trolley bus that runs along King Street and got off a few blocks before the waterfront. From there we simply wandered the old streets of Alexandria. This historic city has beautiful old homes along cobblestone streets lined with trees. There are numerous old churches, shops and restaurants and the entire area is perfect for wandering. One of our first stops was the historic old Christ's Church which was the frequent house of worship for such figures as George Washington and Robert E Lee. We wandered around its beautiful grounds before working our way back down King Street. Eventually we found ourselves at the waterfront and wandered out to the edge of the dock to take in the scene. It was a beautiful late summer evening and the sun was just setting over the Potomac River. We just sat there with our feet dangling off the dock enjoying the scene. After the sun went down we wandered back up King Street (stopping in at least one shop) before deciding on a cute little Thai restaurant for dinner. After dinner we made our way back to the King Street station and waited for the next blue line train while marveling at the beautiful Alexandria Masonic Temple (located adjacent to the station). It was a perfect evening and we will never forget wandering through beautiful Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.