Oh The Places You’ll Go….The World Travels of Jude Anthony Duncan

When Lindsay and I were first married we heard numerous people give us one piece of advice…travel as much as you can before you have kids. We took this advice to heart and in the first 5 years of our marriage we visited 20+ countries that spanned 5 continents. However, we were always planning on starting a family and in the spring of 2010 we learned that we were about to have our first child…a little boy named Jude Anthony Duncan. We were absolutely elated to find out we were pregnant and the first thing we did was plan a couple of trips before he came. :) In fact, the way we told my family we were pregnant was when we were sitting around the dinner table and we said “this summer we are going to Russia/China and then next fall we are going to a place we have never been….parenthood”. We were a bit worried about what international travel might do to Lindsay’s pregnancy but after a talk with the doctor we planned 3 major adventures with Jude in Lindsay’s belly. We were going to the Dominican Republic (Lindsay was doing humanitarian work), Russia and China. When Lindsay went to the Dominican Republic she was only a few weeks pregnant and was not even starting to show. However, this was Jude’s first international travel experience and Lindsay even bought him a little souvenir wooden elephant. While she was in the Dominican Republic she was working with numerous children that didn’t have much and as an expecting mother this had a profound impact on her. Within a few months of her coming back from the Dominican Republic we were getting on a flight to go halfway around the world to Moscow Russia. By this time Lindsay was starting to show just a little. We took Jude all over Moscow and St. Petersburg and in almost every picture of Lindsay she is holding her belly as if to day “Jude is here too!” After a week in Russia we were on our way to China and this is where Lindsay’s little belly really started to show. In fact, one of the first people to ever ask Lindsay if she was pregnant was a Chinese man working at a slide (think alpine slide) near the Great Wall of China. Lindsay was about to get on the slide and he pointed at her stomach and said “Baby?.....NO!.” This meant Lindsay had to ride the chairlift down the mountain while I cruised on the slide. :) By the time we made it to the futuristic city of Shanghai Lindsay had a cute little belly and was rubbing it all day long. While walking one day through Shanghai we found an entire wall made out of beautiful flowers. The bright white and red flowers were against the sunny blue sky background and it was beautiful. Lindsay had an umbrella with her (to protect from the sun) and we took a picture of her next to these flowers that is still today one of my most favorite pictures of Lindsay. You can clearly see her belly and it was almost as if Jude was there with us in Shanghai. Despite being almost 4 months pregnant when we backpacked through Russia and China Lindsay was a total trooper. She had her backpack on her back and Jude in her belly upfront and it was so cute to see her trucking around like she always does. After our trip to Russia/China we decided to take it easy for a while. We did a quick trip to Vegas where we saw the musical “Love” and Jude was kicking during the “Hey Jude” song. We were trying to plan a quick trip to NYC or Seattle about 2 months before the due date but just never felt right about it. We would later learn that this was meant to be as Lindsay had Jude 2 months early. If we would have gone on the trip she would have had Jude while traveling and that could have been scary for a number of different reasons. All-in-all our little boy Jude visited 3 countries on 3 different continents while he was in the womb. He is extremely blessed as that is more that many people get to see in an entire lifetime. Jude will obviously not remember these trips at all but it is our hope that a little bit of our international travel passion worked its way into Jude while he was in the womb (this might be why he came early as he was so excited to see more of the world). Lindsay and I are strong believers that traveling the world is one of the absolute best things a human being can do. When you are exposed to a diversity of cultures and ways of life it opens your mind, grows your heart and helps you develop into a more well-rounded person. Travel has been a part of Jude since before he was born (literally) and we can’t help but wonder how this will affect him as he grows. It makes us think back to the famous Dr. Suess book….”Oh the places you’ll go.” Lindsay and I would not trade our travel experiences for anything in the world and we are anxious to continue this tradition with Jude now that he is out of the womb. Oh the places you will go Jude.

A Sunny Summer Day Stroll Through the Tverskoy District in Moscow Russia

It was a beautiful sunny June day in 2010 when Lindsay and I arrived back in Moscow (we had been there a few days earlier) after taking a night train from St Petersburg. We had an entire day to spend in the city before catching a late afternoon flight to Beijing China. The first thing we did was take the metro to the Belorussky Train Station (one of many in Moscow) to drop off our luggage. We would be catching a train later that afternoon from this train station to Sheremetyevo Airport and wanted to leave our luggage there. We eventually found a dark small room in the basement of the station which was the official “luggage hold room.” The attendant was an extremely nice Russian man but with the language barrier we were not able to tell how much it was or how long it would stay open. For about 30 minutes we tried all sorts of signing and pointing but were never quite able to figure it out. Luckily a couple of young Russians came along and were able to help us translate. After dropping off the bags we took the metro again to the Tverskoy District of the city, known for its beautiful architecture and rich history, which we were anxious to explore. As we started to walk through its streets we stumbled upon Vysokopetrovsky Monastery with its beautiful collection of old/small churches and courtyards. We simply strolled around the gardens and courtyards and eventually found a little bench where we spent the next 45 minutes admiring a beautiful little (it was tiny) red brick church called St Peters Cathedral which stood right in front of us. There were numerous art students around painting and it really was a beautiful scene. From there we worked our way down Tverskaya Street which is one of the main streets of Moscow and full of beautiful old buildings (many have been made into hotels) all with incredible architecture. This street contains many of the high end hotels of Moscow and Lindsay and I always love to stop by their lobby’s to use their plush bathrooms and relax in their air conditioning for a bit. :) As we continued to explore the Tverskoy District we eventually stumbled upon the most posh shopping district we have ever seen. It was the absolute “Beverly Hills equivalent” of Moscow and was absolutely stunning. There were cobblestone streets that winded through beautiful old buildings full of top notch shopping. Lindsay and I were in our typical “backpackers threads” and stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the Moscow elite who where decked out to the hill. We paused and took a few pictures and admired this beautiful little district. Eventually we made our way to a park were we decided to relax for an hour or so before heading back to the railway station to catch our train. However, before we made it to the park we passed a few old Soviet Era government buildings that were very cool and extremely intimidating. This particular day was sunny and beautiful and the local Muscovites were out enjoying the weather. When we settled on a nice shady piece of grass in the park to spend the remainder of our afternoon we were surrounded by thousands of other locals doing the exact same thing. We sat there for at least an hour or so just taking in the scene around us and soaking up the beautiful weather. Moscow is truly one of the most gorgeous cities on earth and on that sunny summer day in 2009 Lindsay and I explored one of her most beautiful districts...Tverskoy.

Al Hadiqa Al `Amma Park – Aleppo Syria

Aleppo Syria is Lindsay and I’s favorite city on earth. The architecture, markets, people and overall feel mix together to create one of the most amazing cities on earth. Nestled in the heart of the city is a large and beautiful park called Al Hadiqa Al `Amma. Lindsay and I first discovered this park when were going to find the Railway Station so that we would no were to go when we needed to catch our night train to Damascus. We were waking through some beautiful neighborhoods of Aleppo when we all of the sudden stumbled upon this expansive park full of numerous trees, fountains, walkways, gardens, etc. We admired the park quickly but then continued on with the task of finding the railway station. After about an hour we realized that we were lost and were not going to be able to find the station. We sopped and asked some locals and one of them, a small somewhat crippled man, simply waived us on to follow him. For the next 30 minutes we followed him as he slowly walked us to the train station limping the entire time because of his handicap but making sure to look back every few minutes with a big smile. Eventually he led us right to the train station and when we tried to pay him (as he took a good 45 minutes out of his evening to help us) he simply smiled and politely waived his hand and said “no.” He was one of the sweetest people we have ever meet and this was one of our first experiences with “Syrian hospitality” and it really endured us to the people of Syria for the rest of our lives. Now that we had found the railway station we decided to head back to the park to relax and spend the rest of our evening. The park had numerous walking paths that all had numerous benches to sit. We wandered around for a good while and then found a bench to sit on and spent the next hour or so just sitting, reading, talking, laughing and enjoying the beautiful summer evening with the rest of the locals. There were young couples, families with kids, old men all out there with us enjoying the evening. I remember vividly listening to the water fountains in the background, the birds chirping and the locals talking and having a total “travelers high.” It really was a perfect evening and as Lindsay and I sat there we began to realize how much we really loved Aleppo and Syria. The park was not frequented by westerners so the locals were all quite amused by us but were always extremely friendly. It is not everyday you get to sit and people watch in a beautiful park in the heart of Aleppo Syria and it was an experience that Lindsay and I will never forget.

Cruising the National Mall – Washington D.C.

It was a beautiful late summer morning in 2009 when Lindsay and I woke up in the heart of Washington D.C ready to explore our nation’s capital. She had just meet me the night before after a week long business trip of mine and we had checked-in to a cute little boutique hotel in the heart of the city. We had only a couple days in D.C and we dedicated almost the entire first day to exploring the beautiful National Mall (a large national park in the middle of the city that has all the famous landmarks). We started by walking up to the Capitol Building to admire its grandeur and architecture. We got there fairly early in the morning so the crowds had not yet arrived and we felt like we had almost the entire place to ourselves. We then traveled on down to the amazing Washington Monument and admired its simplicity and beauty. The sun was just starting to come out at this time and the numerous American Flags that surround the monument (all flying at half staff to remember Senator Kennedy) were absolutely beautiful against the backdrop of the blue sky. We then traveled to the absolutely stunning World War II monument with its numerous fountains, statues, etc. We then hit up the Korean and Vietnam War memorials which were humbling and beautiful. We were really touched by both of these memorials and they are designed so beautiful and really do a great job of helping you reflect on the sacrifices of the great men & women who fought in those battles. It was then on to the National Museum of American History which we both loved. We were especially moved by the battered and torn American Flag that inspired the “Star Spangled Banner.” We had already explored the White House and Lincoln Memorial the night before so we ended the day by exploring the beautiful, and extremely humbling, Arlington Cemetery. We both LOVED the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier” and sat and watched the lonely march of the guarding soldier for probably about an hour. We then walked down to the famous Marine Memorial which depicts the Marines raising the flag together on Iwo Jima. It felt as if we had this entire monument to ourselves and we sat there marveling at it for probably another hour. The sun was just starting to set over the city and it was the perfect ending to a wonderful day exploring all of the treasures on the National Mall. Normally when Lindsay and I travel we are always rushing to explore as much as possible before we move on to the next destination. However, on this particular day we simply walked slowly holding each others hands and it was absolutely the perfect day. If you ever want to rekindle your love for the United States spend a day walking the National Mall in Washington D.C.

The Islands & Beaches of the San Blas – Panama (Extended Version)

I have already written about the Islands and beaches of the San Blas in Panama but I wanted to give the extended version as this place was so magical it really deserves more than just one blog post. When Lindsay and I picture Paradise the first place that comes to our mind is the San Blas. Picture a collection of small tropical islands, bright blue water and white sandy beaches for as far as the eye can see. I will concede that there are many places in the world that fit this description but very few are as far removed as the San Blas in Panama. Most of them are not even inhabited and the ones that are will simply have a few small wooden huts and a community of the Kuna Indians living on them. Lindsay and I were lucky to experience these islands with a local Kuna Indian named “Leo.” We were staying on a small Island called Yandup which has a few small bungalows and is run by a local Kuna family. Each day Leo would load us into a small wooden canoe and take us to a new island to explore. Numerous times you would pass other locals out in the water with their canoes. I remember one time in particular passing a small wooden canoe full of 3 small local boys who all gave us a big smile and wave as we passed. It seemed each island Leo took us to was better than the last and one time he even took us to explore a beautiful Mangrove forest/swamp near the mainland. The first island he ever took us too had a very small beach but was absolutely gorgeous. I remember vividly the numerous palm trees that had grown out over the water which offered the perfect amount of shade as we laid on the beach relaxing and listening to music. The next day we were taken to another island that was much bigger and Lindsay and I set off to explore. We found a small section of the island where two white sandy beaches came to a point and we set up camp (beach towels and snorkel gear) there. We spent the next 2-3 hours just swimming, snorkeling and lying around. We truly had almost the entire island to ourselves and it was the definition of paradise. The last island we were taken to (on our last day) was a very small island that had a bunch of beautiful tall palm trees, a large white sandy beach and an old colorful boat that had been abandoned on the beach. Our guide Leo just dropped us off on the beach and then hung out with us on the island (he mostly kept to himself) why we just laid around, swam and snorkeled. Because the San Blas are so remote the snorkeling and marine life is absolutely incredible (i.e. it has not been ruined by commercial tourism). It is not uncommon at all to find huge beautiful sea shells and thousands of fish while you are out snorkeling. Furthermore, there was literally a zero chance that you would run into anybody else and if you did it would simply be a local Kuna family. There are few places on this earth that have truly earned the title “paradise” but the islands that make up the San Blas in Panama certainly have. There is literally no place on earth like it.

Strolling Through Cairo’s Markets

The city of Cairo Egypt is big, busy and can be extremely exhausting to navigate. However, amidst the absolute chaos of her streets there are numerous gems worth exploring. Lindsay and I found ourselves with a free afternoon one day while staying in Cairo and decided to work our way over to the famous Khan el-Khalili markets. We decided to walk from our hotel to the markets and this alone was an exciting adventure as crossing the street and navigating through the madness of Cairo is a challenge. We eventually made it to the area surrounding Khan el-Khalili although to this day I am not sure if we actually made it into the official market. By the time we made it there we were extremely tired and every time we tried to ask a local for directions they began to hassle us to buy things, tell us the markets were closed, etc (not sure why we had such bad luck with people that day as we meet numerous Egyptians that were wonderful). Despite this Lindsay and I did manage to find ourselves in some beautiful open air markets that were perfect for a simple stroll on a sunny summer late afternoon. The colorful clothing and merchandise being sold was a beautiful contrast to the sand colored buildings and blue sky above. I remember vividly following Lindsay through these markets and having such a travelers high. The sounds of people talking and kids playing mixed with the smells of the local spices and food was intoxicating. The area surrounding these markets was fascinating as well and I remember vividly seeing two beautiful and tall minarets from a local Mosque towering over the narrow alleyways of the market. After about an hour of exploring the markets we stumbled on a beautiful little mosque and received a tour from an anxious tout who was waiting out front (we would have rather toured it on our own but it was impossible to get past him). :) Although our exploration into the markets of Cairo started out stressful (traffic, hassled by the locals, etc) it ended up being a wonderful experience and a great taste of the fascinating city that is Cairo, Egypt.

“London on Acid” – Colaba Area of Mumbai India

As I have stated before Mumbai India is an absolutely HUGE city. It sprawls out for miles and miles with numerous districts and neighborhoods which are probably all worthy of exploration. However, during our visit in 2009 Lindsay and I decided to make the Colaba area our home base. Colaba is considered the epicenter of Mumbai and is home to most of its landmarks and government buildings. It has been described as “London on acid” because many of the buildings were built by the British when they ruled the country so it looks somewhat similar to London but the streets and surrounding chaos are 100% Mumbai…thus the nickname. Lindsay and I were staying in a great little hotel in the heart of Colaba and I will never forget our first morning when we woke up and looked out our window. The architecture of Colaba is beautiful but it is almost intimidating to step out into its crazy streets. Lindsay and I just sat there staring out the window for probably 15 minutes before we just had to get out and start exploring. The first thing we did was walk one simple block to the famous “Gateway to India” which is a giant monument built on the water that served as the debarkation point to visitors arriving in Mumbai by boat. It is today still a very busy boat terminal and is a great place to simply sit and people watch as there are thousands of people coming/going. Immediately behind the Gateway to India sits the beautiful Hotel Taj Mahal Palace. This beautiful structure looks more like a castle then a hotel and is fascinating to look at. From here Lindsay and I spread out and continued to explore Colaba and were immediately impressed by how crazy and unique it is. Over the next few days we explored numerous landmarks in Mumbai and most of them were nearby the Colaba area. If we ever had an extra hour or so we would simply walk the streets in Colaba as we just loved the traffic, markets, sounds, smells, etc, etc. It is very difficult to explain this area so I am glad somebody else already has…Colaba is like “London on Acid.”