A Few Years......A Few Changes

Here, There, Everywhere

Some of you may have noticed some minor changes to the look of my blog over the past few weeks. After 3 years I think I have finally figured this blogging thing out. Yeah, that's right, it has been 3 years to the day that I started this blog. These last three years have brought a whole lot of memories. Here are few reminders of where the last few years have taken me:

July 2008 - Remember when I hated wearing dresses and had a buzz cut? Yeah I hardly do either.

1.) I have posted over 250 posts on this blog with well over 600 pictures.

Jan. 2009 - Explains why I spend so much time in front of my computer.

2.) I have managed to live in 5 US states but only 2 Canadian Provinces (I know that doesn't seem right but hey, it's my life). In case you have forgotten that's Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Virginia (twice in fact), Maryland and New York. And yes, I also lived in Vermont but that was before this blog so it doesn't really count. And no I never lived in DC, I just worked there......plus it isn't a state.

3.) I have set my feet on the soil of 12 different countries. Canada and The US are a given but you also have to count the Cayman Islands, England, Egypt, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland and France.

4.) I have stood in the centre of a pyramid. A life long dream. A life long dream now fulfilled.

Sept. 2008 - What do you do when you've accomplished a life long dream?

5.) I have stood in the Temple of Zeus at Ancient Olympia. Another life long dream, also fulfilled.

Nov. 2008 - You head to another country and accomplish another one.

6.) I have stood beneath the Sistine Chapel. Still takes my breath away to think about it.

7.) I went whale watching in Nova Scotia.....and I actually saw a whale.

June 2007 - Yeah it might be June but it was really cold in the Bay of Fundy.

8.) I have stood a top the CN Tower, the Empire State Building, The Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Eiffel Tower. I got vertigo on them all.

Feb. 2007 - How I thought it was a good idea to visit the Empire State Building at night in February is beyond me. It was cold.

10.) I have felt my heart break in a foreign country and got over it by getting on a plane and heading to another one.

11.) I was sworn in as President of the United States......ok maybe not but how else do you explain this picture.

Oct 2006 - I guess the fact that this was in Philly should give it away.

12.) I have visited every Smithsonian Museum and the Louvre and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Yeah.....that's a lot of museums.

Dec. 2008 - Outside the Louvre....in Paris. What a great day.

13.) I went skiing in Austria......and I didn't break anything.

14.) I went swimming with a bunch of sting rays in the Cayman Islands.

April 2008 - Yeah I chased the sting ray. It didn't like me.

15.) I have climbed a mountain in Greece...ok there were stairs but there were a lot of them.

Nov. 2008 - Still one of my favourite places on earth. So glad I made the climb.

16.)I took my daddy to a ball game at Wrigley Field.

Aug. 2008 - Best ball game ever!!!!

17.) I have met a whole lot of strangers, some of whom I can now call friends.

Nov. 2008 - Me, Paul, Eva, Reshmi, Monica and Winston in Istanbul. What a great group. What a great city.

18.) And although sometimes they seem like strangers, no matter how far I go my friends always seem to be there when I do make it home.

Sept. 17, 2008 - Yeah this is my 28th birthday....and the beginning of what has turned out to be an amazing year.

Although I tried, it would be impossible for me to summarize the last 3 years in one little post (hence the reason why there are 250 of them). I have come so far, yet I still seem to be so far from whatever it is I'm heading towards.

But don't worry.....I'll get there eventually and I will continue to take you along for the ride.

Julie

A couple Cayman leftovers

April 23rd - 30th, 2008

Here are a few leftover pics from my trip to the Caymans.

Some important flags (Caymans, Breat Britain and USA)

One of Deb and mine's favourite road names. I think the Caymanians are more creative than the rest of us.

An old cannon.

Some roosters. They are EVERYWHERE and they are not very quiet!!!! Just ask Deb.

This is where you get the Buy one, get one jerk.

What a fun banner.

A random anchor. Makes sense I guess.

Hanging out in Georgetown. (Funny that I was in Georgetown, Grand Cayman and now I work in Georgetown, Washington, DC.)

With the cannon on the pirate ship.

Just down the street from Deb's old place on the way to the beach.

Funny eh?

The bird out at Pedro Castle.

Debi taming a blue iguana.

Imagine giving up your swiffer for this!!! This was one of the examples of past Cayman life in the Botanic Gardens.

Julie

Cayman Adventure Day Eight

April 30th, 2008

Warning: This posting is rated M for a mature audience.

Well day eight saw me heading back to reality.....but not before a great breakfast and one last trip to Georgetown. We had to go visit Big Black Dick before I left the country. Big Black Dick was a pirate and a pirate legend at that.

It is believed that Big Black Dick was born to Royal African parentage. He was kidnapped by french slave traders who gave him the name Richard Le Noir (Richard The Black). After his captors could not subdue his repeated attempts to gain his freedom, they threw him overboard close to a small Caribbean island believed to be Grand Cayman.

He somehow managed to reach shore, where for years he laboured in the sugar cane fields. It was here that he learned the secrets for turning sugar cane into rum. He also learned to cultivate tobacco and learned how to hand craft cigars. In the early 1700's his hard work earned him his freedom. As a freeman and skilled seaman, he dropped his french name and thus became known as Big Black Dick. He was Captain of the Caymanus which had 20 cannons and a crew of 200 men. His crew and his ship were known as the the best in the Caribbean. Big Black Dick was also rumoured to possess certain physical attributes unequaled by any other man (the legend does not go into details but I am guessing that Big Black Dick was not just a clever name).

Eventually Big Black Dick retired from the sea and made the best rum and the finest hand made cigars in the caribbean.



Julie

Cayman Adventure Day Seven

April 29, 2008

Debi had all of tuesday off so we planned to spend the day shopping and swimming. I did of course have to buy a few things before I left the island and Georgetown did the trick. I also found out that I could get lost on a very small island........ in the most populated part of that small island. I was suppose to meet Deb at the Dairy Queen but couldn't find it again (I totally thought it was next to the Hard Rock Cafe but it turns out it was not even close, so I wandered the streets because no one could direct me too it until Deb finally found me.) It was a little upsetting but then we went swimming so it was ok......and hey if you are going to get lost, it doesn't suck to get lost on a Caribbean Island.....it's not like it was the Bermuda Triangle or something.

We borrowed some snorkle gear from Scotty and headed out to Eden Rock, which is the most recommended snorkle spot. I was very happy because instantly I saw some bright blue fish and I my underwater cameras were about to pay off. Not sure how long we spent out there but did get to see some totally awesome fish. The sargeant majors are very cute but I learned a little later in the day that they are not always that friendly.

From there we headed to Cemetary Beach because Deb likes to hang out and then we realized that there is lots of snorkling there too so I headed back into the water with all my gear on. I could not believe how many little fish there were surrounding me. For a while they followed me and then I was following them and then one little guy got very brave and decided to bite me. Yes the pretty little sargeant major bit me. They eat the corral so have very sharp little teeth and I actually bled. Of course now that I was surrounded by what I would have originally said was 20 fish, but now that one bit me would have to say they looked more like 50 strong, I got a little nervous. I had images of pirranhas in my head and was thinking "oh my, I am about to get eaten alive by a bunch of little reef fish". It was at that moment that I decided I had had enough snorkling for one day and headed back to shore.

The pathway to the beach.

Some of the underwater sights.

Looking down the beach.

Deb and I learned later that night that people tend to feed the little fish and that is why they follow you around.....and yes the sargeant majors can be mean little bastards. That is information I would have liked to have known a few hours earlier.

This is what sargeant majors look like....when they're about to eat you alive. Seriously not so cute anymore!!!!

That night he headed back to Calico Jacks. This time it was for Jam Night. Basically anyone who has a guitar and wants to sing on the open mike can. It was quite fun. Deb says there is a Jam Night almost every night at one little bar or another. It was very entertaining and a great way to spend my last night on the Island.

Hanging out at Calico's for the last time.

This is Debi's friend Carlos on the open mic. He is also one of the member of a band called Charlie Goes Electric who I did not get to see this trip but maybe next time.

Julie

Cayman Adventure Day Six

April, 28th, 2008

Monday came and saw Debi having to head to work again but she only worked until 1:30pm so we had plans to head out to the Sand Bar to go swimming with the rays that afternoon. Of course at first we thought we were heading to Stingray City but later learned that Stingray city is actually at a different location with a lot deeper water where people dive. Sand Bar is actually where most people go to see them. The water is only a couple feet deep so you can actually walk around and have the little (and really big) sting rays swim around with you.

One of the big rays.

One of the little rays.

Wandering around in the water. The shadows in the water are rays.

Of course Debi knowing people once again came in handy becauase instead of having to go out on one of the tourist boats it turns out she knows someone who has a little boat and was willing to take us out for a few hours for only a tank of gas and a case of beer (trust me much cheaper). This is when I first learned that you can buy Alexander Keiths in the Caymans which makes sense considering the number of Canadians who live there (in case my American friends have forgotten Alexander Keiths is the best beer ever, but happens to be Canadian and you cannot buy it in the USA....boooo!!!). We were worried that the water would be a little choppy but it turned out the ride was great and we got to have some fun in the water.

Debi with our host for the day.

I was not sure how I would react to the sting rays (especially the really big ones...which happen to be the girls), but it turns out they are really gentle and it was really neat. We happened to be out there the sametime as the tourist catamarans so we had lots of professional help and info while we were there (all the perks without the cost). Don't worry, people very very rarely get stung when they are out they. The rays are really use to people and like I said are very gentle. I guess a few weeks back one lady did get stung but is was only because she stepped on it and that is when the rays will flip up thier tails and sting something (or someone) to protect themselves.

Holding the big ray.....one of the girls

Debi holding one of the smaller rays......the boys.

I chased this one for a little while but it didn't like me doing that but Deb did manage to get this picture before it got too far away.

When we were done on the water we headed back to Calico Jacks (are you seeing the pattern) for a few drinks and to visit some people. Then we headed back to Deb's place where she cooked me dinner. It was very excellent and nice to just relax at home and watch a movie. We had another full day ahead of us on tuesday so a good night's sleep was certainly nice.

Julie