tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51652578392263399642024-03-04T20:53:52.158-08:00Scuttlebutt FuzzRangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.comBlogger347125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-30650558814518966132011-01-27T19:06:00.000-08:002011-01-27T20:04:06.641-08:00Carmagedon 2011Queue the theme song to Gilligan's Island.<br /><br />Seriously.<br /><br />I set out thinking my commute home would be over 2 hours, 2.5 hours at the most. Never in my wildest imagination did I think I would be stuck with thousands of other DC Metro residents in the worst rush hour ever. I've heard it called "Commute from Hell" and "Carmagedon", whatever you call it...it truly sucked.<br /><br />My commute time took me 9 hours and I was home a little after 3 a.m.. While pretty horrible, I gotta say it wasn't as bad as others. My neighbor who left Tyson's corner at 3:30 made it home at 2 a.m....almost about 10.5 hours. There were people who got stuck on GW Parkway for 14 hours. My mom told me she couldn't imagine how terrible it was and she said she felt bad that I was all by myself. I told her I was thankful I was all by myself. While my situation was bad, I can't imagine being in the shoes of a parent trying to pick up a child at day care...or a parent who was able to get the kids only to get stuck in the traffic with no food, water or bathrooms.<br /><br />Five hours into Carmagedon<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xzQ-ePlMiyg?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xzQ-ePlMiyg?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Lets just say, I had a lot of time on my hands to think about things. The big questions this morning in the DC area was "How could this have been avoided?" Did OPM screw up allowing the federal government to close 2 hours early...essentially releasing the hounds all at the same time? Could public safety done a better job? Could radio and news outlets have done a better job?<br /><br />Six hours into Carmagedon<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0oMHiYY0iuI?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0oMHiYY0iuI?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />This storm had been forecast since last week. For at least 3 days we'd been hearing about it. My first question, they kept saying it would hit during evening rush hour. There is kind of a big window there....is that 3 p.m.? 5 p.m? 7 p.m.? I would have liked to have had a better idea of when they thought we'd get hit with the storm. While it was chilly and rainy all day, it really didn't seem like it was going to be that bad at noon, or even at 2:30 p.m. But an hour later, the snow was coming down. If it looked like it was going to hit us hard early into the commute, maybe an earlier release was in order.<br /><br />6+ Hours of Carmagedon<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/blLM7BeHDZo?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/blLM7BeHDZo?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />What I'd have liked to have known was just how bad the roads really were at 6 p.m. when I finally left the building.<br /><br />O.k. let me back up a bit. Why did I wait until 6 p.m. First, I'll be honest, it was Yankee bravado "This isn't going to be that bad...everyone here in DC are wimps" Second, cars were backed up in the parking lot for an hour. My co-workers watched one car for 45 minutes before it was out of the lot and then stuck in traffic on the road. My reasoning...if I leave at 6, most people will be home and the roads won't be so bad. That reasoning has worked for me in the past.<br /><br />7 hours into Carmagedon<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/T--8YA6GZ3g?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/T--8YA6GZ3g?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Even when told that visibility was a quarter of a mile and the snow was falling at a rate of an inch or two and hour...I thought, well, they've known about this and have been pre-treating the roads and they have plows out...the roads should be drivable. This is when my Yankee-ness should have kicked in and said, "This is DC, Virginia and Maryland, not Buffalo or Northern Ohio."<br /><br />I think the weather service should have sent out a "shelter in place" command for everyone who hadn't gotten on the roads yet....kind of like they do when a tornado has been sited and is heading your way.<br /><br />The next thing I found lacking for this rush hour...traffic reporters weren't telling us what was going on. I was stuck for 2 hours on the toll road, listening to the radio and there was no mention of the two buses and three trucks and numerous cars that wiped out two exits ahead of me. That would have been valuable information.<br /><br />In the case of the toll road, there is the airport access road that is accessible from the toll road. There should have been an announcement for people to bail onto the access road. Police should have prevented people from entering onto blocked roads and directed them to alternate routes.<br /><br />Preparation, or lack there of for DC Metro area drivers. We had warning, days of warning. I made sure to fill my gas tank on Tuesday night and fill my windshield wiper fluid. They were telling us it was going to be bad for our evening commute, so why risk running out of gas?<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jqtxwVB9V4U?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jqtxwVB9V4U?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Common sense, or lack there of for DC Metro area drivers. Don't abandon your car in a travel lane. Come on people! If you find you are running out of gas, why not get over to the shoulder as quickly as you can BEFORE running out...or at least be in the right lane so you could chug onto the shoulder on gas vapors. And all of you cool, wealthy people with those snazzy, rear wheel drive, low to the ground sports cars...why drive those to work when they are calling for 5 inches of snow during evening rush. Or, why didn't you leave before it started snowing? Those cars can't hand a dusting of snow, let alone 5 inches. I saw so many sports cars parked on the shoulders of the roads or in ditches off exit ramps when going home.<br /><br />Courtesy, or lack there of from DC Metro area drivers. So....the light is about to turn red as indicated by the Yellow light that always precedes it and there is no room for you to make it across the intersection....don't go through and block the intersection for the people on the cross road. Oh...and when everyone has to go right or left to get around one of the abandoned cars in the center travel lane, do the zipper thing, don't be a jerk and not let people in...they are going back into the center lane as soon as they get around the abandoned car. I'll confess, I flipped a beyotch off who wouldn't let me "zip" in.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CDRtmMM5EC4?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CDRtmMM5EC4?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />My take away. Even though I live in the DC metro area, from now on, I am going to prepare a winter emergency kit. If they ever forecast five inches of snow during evening rush, I'm packing a blanket and pillow and plan on staying at work.<br /><br />Things I'm extremely grateful for are: my Subaru Forester, it handled so well in the weather conditions from 4 inches of snow, to ice; my Eton emergency radio - - so nice when the power was out; my smart phone and the ability to post updates to FB last night; my friends who stuck with me on FB until I got home; and my wood burning fireplace.RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-4939545089997873082011-01-24T17:34:00.000-08:002011-01-24T18:14:14.361-08:00Things That Make Me MadThis weekend, I attended a little get together of divorced women. I have confirmed a couple things about myself.<br /><br />1) I get really upset listening to other's stories.<br />2) It makes me angry when women make a bunch of excuses as to why they are overweight and blame their weight for the demise of their marriage.<br /><br />One woman commented that her husband left her after she had gained weight. She turned to emotional eating while going through the divorce and gained even more weight. She said it really upset her that men weren't interested in her. Oh, they would talk to her at church, but as far as dating, they just weren't attracted to her. She said she decided she was not going to lose any of the weight she had gained until she met "the one" because she knew he would like her for "her".<br /><br />My opinion on that....Bullshit. I know strong words. I wanted to say that. What kind of crap are you talking about? You're hiding, hiding behind the weight. You want a reason for men to not like you...its not my personality...its my weight. The sucky truth of it is, if a man had a room full of women to choose from, he'd pick the woman that he found most attractive. She might not be the skinniest woman in the room, she might not even be the prettiest or the woman with the best personality...he's going to pick the woman he finds attractive. Period.<br /><br />Why make an effort to make yourself unattractive? Why?<br /><br />I say that as someone who has gained 40 pounds over the past five or so years. Yes, 40 pounds. I'm not happy about it and my mom so kindly pointed out that the reasons I may not be getting any dates is because "you're not as young, thin and pretty as you used to be".<br /><br />Bottom line, when I was young, thin and pretty, I really didn't get very many dates either. I got more than I do now, but that has something to do with the fact there are fewer single men at my age...and even fewer quality men.<br /><br />Another woman complained that she had also gained weight due to an accident, being too busy with work and a PhD program and an illness. She was upset that men seemed to think she was invisible. I started to get angry and spoke up. Hey, I've gained 40 pounds the past 5 years. I used to be very athletic. I looked fabulous...but yes, my issue was I just got busy with work and didn't fit in fitness when I should have. But I realized, I'm killing myself. Seriously, I was. I decided the weight gain had to stop.<br /><br />Not because men weren't paying attention to me. Who really cares?<br /><br />There are so many things that I want to do in life. My life is active. I love being outdoors and traveling. There is a lot of walking involved with that. I can't enjoy that if I have to sit down every 20 feet or am huffing and puffing. I want to be in shape for me. I want to be the best I can be at my current age and be good to the gift of this body that God created for me. Now is a perfect time to start something and it shouldn't be about looking hot for a guy or losing weight. It should be about becoming healthier.<br /><br />Of course both women had excuses. "I don't have time with work and school". Why not. Do you have 5 minutes...do one exercise a day for 5 minutes. "The guy I'm dating says I don't have to lose weight, he likes me the way I am and says I should only do it for myself." Well why not? You are slowly killing yourselves (yes, I said that). Clogging arteries, increasing your chance of diabetes, increasing your chances of a weight related injury....come on! Aren't you worth a healthy body and lifestyle? Don't you value yourself?<br /><br />I'll be honest, I might not have valued myself as much as I should have. I put work and other activities before myself. I'm claiming my value again. No more excuses. None.<br /><br />These women made me so mad that they don't value their lives enough to get healthy or make an effort to get healthy. How can they expect a man to value them? How? I feel motivated to whip myself into the best shape I can get in so I can ...I don't know...be the best me I can be. Why don't people want to be the best they can be? And its not about weight, people.<br /><br />FYI. I am working through the 100 push-up challenge from <a href="http://hundredpushups.com/">hundredpushups.com</a>. I've also got a good full body circuit going. I'm improving on my strength weekly and I'm on target to do pull-ups of my own body weight sometime this summer. And after 6 months and a set-back of actually gaining 10 pounds at my December weigh-in, I lost 4 pounds my last weigh-in, January 17th. My next weigh-in is Feb 14th.RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-46821403622087357622011-01-17T15:33:00.000-08:002011-01-17T16:40:45.261-08:00Holy Smokes! Its the Middle of January Already!When adults said time moves faster the older you get...they weren't kidding!<br /><br />Well, its almost three weeks into 2011 and I have not posted my New Years Resolutions. I like posting these as its fun to look back and see what was actually accomplished.<br /><br />So, first intention for 2011 is to blog/journal a little more. The whole reason I started blogging was to get my thoughts, frustrations, experiences...whatever down, with the intention of using it as a source to scrapbook. Uh, ya, well, I haven't <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">scrapbooked</span> in like, um, 5 years. My <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">intentions</span> are to scrapbook my Bali trip at some point this year. I need to do that too. I was just talking to a friend of mine and his wife...both from Indonesia about my Bali trip and I couldn't remember the names of the places I had visited, and it hasn't even been a year yet. UGH!<br /><br />Resolutions, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">intentions</span>, goals, whatever I want to call them, the things I want to focus on in 2011 are divided into four areas: Fitness/Health, Personal Growth/Relationships, Financial, and Travel.<br /><br />Fitness/Health<br /><br />I'll be honest with you all, I was not happy with how I looked in ANY of my Bali pictures. I was on my dream vacation but who I saw, wasn't me...or wasn't the me I wanted to see. The nails in the coffin were a hike in June at Sky Meadow State Park with two friends....I could barely make it and had to stop and take a rest half way up the darn hill. Huffing and puffing with calves burning and sweat pouring into my eyes, I realized I was REALLY, REALLY out of shape and things needed to change. At least at my annual exam in 2010, I hadn't gained any significant weight from the previous year...not the 15 pounds in 6 months like the year before that alarmed my doctor. However, after making a commitment to eat a little better and to start working out a little bit here and there...I had still gained 2 pounds. We had my thyroid checked, my blood sugar...everything and it all came back normal. I was as health as an ox, and in my opinion starting to get as big as one too. Well, after that hike, I decided things needed to change.<br /><br />I had been subscribing to Oxygen Magazine, in my opinion, the best women's fitness magazine out there. I read it from cover to cover, every month, but was not applying it to my life. Yes, I was book smart. What good is book smart if you don't use the knowledge. I went through all my back issues and cut out the workouts and healthy recipes and made a plan. That plan was, I was going to go work out everyday at lunch time, for an hour. I had been avoiding that because I am a girl who sweats, a lot. If I worked out at lunch, there would be no time to shower, I'd be a stinking sweaty mess the rest of the day. Well, I decided that yes, I would be a stinking sweaty mess the rest of the day. That beats being an overweight, tired, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">pre</span>-diabetic, heart attack waiting to happen. I choose lunch time because, everyday, I had that time slot open. I also knew I couldn't drag myself out of bed at 5 a.m. to make it to the gym. After work was constantly a challenge as things would constantly come up or I'd just be to tired at the end of the day. The sweat part....well, it can't be avoided, I decided to wipe down with baby wipes afterward and pull my hair back into a pony tail. So far, no one has complained about me smelling bad. I might not look the greatest with my hair in a pony and faded make-up, but I'm getting healthier. I also found I was more energized for the second half of my day. I really think the lunch work out has made me a more focused, clear minded employee who gets a lot more done.<br /><br />The other big thing that happened in Bali was I kicked my Coca-Cola habit. Seriously, I'd drink about 2 - 20 oz cokes a day to wake up and to stay awake. That is like 500 or more wasted calories I have kicked out of my day.<br /><br />My fitness goals in the gym were healthier than they had been in the past. I decided to not focus on weight loss, even though I'd like that as a result, that wasn't the goal in 2010. The goal was to form a new habit and get <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">consistent</span>, get stronger. I did see those results, except for the weight loss. I'll be honest, I was shocked in December when I weighed myself for the first time in six months and had gained 10 pounds. What the heck!<br /><br />I was discouraged, yes, very much so. But that hadn't been my goal. Had I gotten <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">consistent</span>? Yes. Had I gotten stronger? Yes. Was I healthier? I think so. I was at least on my way and off the path of slowly killing myself.<br /><br />Deciding not to sweat it during the holiday season, I used the time to continue with my work outs and make my new plan of attack. Which I'll outline in a future blog. My bench marks for 2011 are: <br /><ol><li>Remain <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">consistent</span> with my workouts</li><li>Be able to do one pull-up of my own body weight by this summer (June/July)</li><li>Eat Healthier</li><li>Complete the 100 push-up challenge</li><li>Complete the 200 sit-up challenge</li><li>Lose 40 pounds.</li></ol><p>I'll come clean with you all. December 15<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>, when I weighed myself I was 180 pounds. Horrifying for me, a former three sport varsity athlete. I have been determined that the scale will, and I mean, WILL go in the other direction this year.</p><p>Personal Growth/Relationships</p><p>What activities are important to me and who are the important people in my life? Hands down, my personal relationship with Jesus has blossomed the past two years. That has been helped along by a wonderful bunch of women in my small group Bible study and the wonderful community in the singles ministry at Fuel. In addition to that though, I really miss the friendships at my smaller church and the solid teaching there. If only I could clone myself! Photography continues to be a passion of mine, however, I find that my work seems a bit stale. I need to do something to freshen my skills and hone my 'eye'. Intellectually, I love to learn, there is so much to learn and so many opportunities here in the DC area. One of the things holding me back both in the Personal Growth and the Fitness area is the chaos of things in my life. I need organization.</p><p>The areas of focus for 2011 will be:</p><ol><li>Take classes to grow in theological knowledge and spiritually</li><li>Take a photography course</li><li>Make more time to do things with my friends</li><li>Attend more events and lectures at area museums</li><li>Get organized.</li></ol><p>Maybe getting organized should be a the top of the list. Because with out that, I won't be able to keep things straight, nor will I be able to feel rested or have time to do things if I'm constantly looking at the mess on the dining room table...or looking for my keys in the mess on my dining room table.</p><p>Financial</p><p>My big goal has been to get my credit card paid off and to keep it paid off, I think every year since becoming single again 14 years ago. I get so close, even get it paid off...only to have something happen to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">de</span>-rail the plan. Well, the plan may get <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">de</span>-railed again, who knows. But, my goal again is to get the credit card paid. In addition to that, I will be getting my finances organized in such a way that I am saving monthly for things that need to be maintained (house, car) and things I'd like to do (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">vacation</span>).</p><ol><li>Pay off the credit card</li><li>Set-up savings accounts for house maintenance, car maintenance, vacation, emergencies.</li></ol><p>Travel</p><p>I love to travel. Bali was such an amazing trip and there is <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">SOOOOOO</span> much of the world I want to see. While I may not be able to afford an overseas trip every year, I am committed to taking trips, even short day or weekend jaunts in the local area.</p><ol><li>Make vacation reservations for this year</li><li>Make a 5-year vacation plan</li><li>Set aside a weekend each month to explore locally.</li></ol><p>So that is the plan. You and I both will have to keep checking back to see how it progresses.</p>RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-34961230939822469732010-12-31T17:54:00.001-08:002010-12-31T18:18:07.983-08:002010 in Review<span style="font-size:130%;">Well, I considered naming this entry 2010: The Good, The Bad and The ugly....but I don't have many bad things or ugly things to recall. Sure 2010 had its moments....like Ranger getting all matted with his own poop that he had to be shaved...right before snowmagedon. I mean Ranger was pretty ugly and he smelled bad...but he was really cute in that lion cut.<br /><br />I looked back on my January 1, 2010 entry...the resolution blog to see if I had accomplished anything I had set out to accomplish in 2010. Surprisingly, I really did.<br /><br />In 2010, my big focus areas were: Relationships, Personal Growth, Financial and Travel:<br /><br />Relationships: I really wanted to get myself more inline with God's will for me. So often we are swimming against the current because the darn current is taking us where we didn't want to go. Its exhausting...and when we finally let go and float, not drown, but lay our heads back, rest and float...the current takes us for an interesting ride. We start to see that the places the current is taking us aren't too bad. This was the year I finally embraced my singleness. Not sure how God is using it but I'm feeling very blessed in the freedom it provides me. Oh, and peace...I am feeling more at peace. Maybe I'm seeing how God is working everything out and I'm learning to trust Him more. I'm liking the ride and look forward to how I'm going to be shaped and what things I'm going to learn in 2011.<br /><br />Getting to know the women in my small group better...while I haven't felt closer to a group of women, than I do with the women in my small group, I think this is still an area I can work on in 2011.<br /><br />Getting to know my co-workers better...also another area I need to work on. I'll be honest, I don't walk around and socialize much...I sit down and work. I'd like to get to know folks better as they are all pretty cool.<br /><br />Personal Growth: The big goal was to get into better shape and be healthier, maybe lose a few pounds. I haven't lost any weight, yet. However, I have been working out regularly since June and have seen strength improvements. While I have seen results, not as impactful as I had hoped so for 2011, I'll be changing some things up to improve on what I've done in 2010.<br /><br />I wanted to take dance classes, photography classes and maybe an improv class. I took dance classes and really learned I like rumba and cha-cha. While I have taken the past six months off, I have signed up for rumba and cha-cha classes in January and I hope to stick with them for the next year. Dancing with the Stars...here I come! Didn't take the photog or the improv class...but hey I have 365 days in 2011.<br /><br />Financial goal: Pay off the darn Credit Card. Oh I was so close! But Snowmagedon took its toll on my 10 year old Honda and the transmission started to go at the end of February. Half the money I was going to use to pay off the credit card went as a down payment on a new car. I'm really happy with my new car, a Subaru Forester. So nice to not be dropping $1000 every other month to get something fixed. So the Credit Card was not paid off...but, if all goes as planned, which it most likely won't because nothing ever goes as planned, it should be paid off this March.<br /><br />Travel Goal: Do more travel, internationally and locally. So one word here: Bali.<br /><br />Yes, I went to Bali at the beginning of the summer. I also checked out a few more places locally, not as many as I would have liked. There are plans for 2011 so stay tuned!</span>RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-88577420191371930452010-11-07T06:20:00.000-08:002010-11-11T17:44:17.752-08:00Baltimore Adventure #3: Fort McHenry<a title="DSC_0916 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5150177008/"><img alt="DSC_0916" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1129/5150177008_8745051324_z.jpg" width="640" height="428" /></a><br /><br />Above, Fort McHenry around 9 a.m. in the morning.<br /><br />This is a statue of Orpheus and it was erected to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the writing of the Star Spangled Banner. A little boy walking to the visitor's center with his family caught sight of Orpheus and started to scream "Its a naked man!Completely naked!" And he burst out laughing.<br /><br /><br /><a title="DSC_0918 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5150177672/"><img alt="DSC_0918" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1251/5150177672_5857cf18b1_z.jpg" width="428" height="640" /></a><br /><br />Orpheus isn't exactly naked. He does have a leaf covering his private parts...barely. Interestingly, according to park lit, many people think this is a statue of Francis Scott Keys, the author of our National Anthem. Ha! Would Keys have objected?<br /><br />Below, detail of the stone foundation of the statue, its face, foot and lyre.<br /><br /><a title="DSC_0929 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5150181022/"><img alt="DSC_0929" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1188/5150181022_5bda810b47_z.jpg" width="428" height="640" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSC_0931 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5149572229/"><img alt="DSC_0931" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/5149572229_c3d248abb2_z.jpg" width="640" height="428" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSC_0932 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5149572507/"><img alt="DSC_0932" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/5149572507_6bf50f3058_z.jpg" width="640" height="428" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSC_0933 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5149572813/"><img alt="DSC_0933" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1339/5149572813_5dd5e51b04_z.jpg" width="428" height="640" /></a>RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-48733344051257055102010-10-29T17:52:00.000-07:002010-10-29T18:48:04.919-07:00Baltimore Adventure #2: The American Visionary Art Museum<p align="center"><a title="DSC_0831 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124377213/"><img alt="DSC_0831" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1211/5124377213_bcb3f5cef6.jpg" width="334" height="500" /></a></p><p align="left">From the top of Federal Hill, you can see a lot. The American Visionary Art Museum was right next to the hill. Like when I say next to it...it was at the foot of the hill. I could have rolled down the hill and onto the museum's grounds.</p><p align="left">What caught my eye was the amazing mozaic, glittering in the sun.</p><p align="left"></p><br /><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0810 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124977464/"><img alt="DSC_0810" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1391/5124977464_6bc2a6bf80.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a></p><p align="left">I am attracted to sparkly things and bright colors...I had to get a closer look. Was this a restaurant or a museum or both?</p><p align="left"></p><p align="left"></p><p><br /></p><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0816 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124979402/"><img alt="DSC_0816" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/5124979402_be12f3cc44.jpg" width="334" height="500" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>Well, as it turned out, it is an art museum with a cafe on the top level. One of these days I will have to make a return visit and check out the cool things inside and eat up at the cafe.</p><p>I didn't have a lot of time so decided to check out what was outside. Admission to the museum is $15.95 for adults, a very reasonable price. However, I'd want to get my full $15.95 out of my visit and really get a chance to linger at their exhibits....if they are as cool as what is outside, I think I could spend several hours there. They are open Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.</p><p>So here is what I did see:<br /><br /></p><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0828 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124983372/"><img alt="DSC_0828" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1339/5124983372_1d4fd94c65.jpg" width="334" height="500" /></a></p><p align="left">Is this not a fantasy garden? That "play house/tree house" is so cool. If I were a kid, I'd embarass my parents and immediately take up house and start playing pretend. I just imagine tree nymphs and faeries all over this garden.<br /></p><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0826 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124982748/"><img alt="DSC_0826" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1376/5124982748_ec843412d5.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a></p><p>The detail of the house is just amazing a true work of functional art.<br /></p><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0827 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124375991/"><img alt="DSC_0827" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1353/5124375991_c6b23e615b.jpg" width="334" height="500" /></a></p><p>Some of the magical critters, a pink donkey, I think. Much of what I saw outside was fresh and childlike. I mean childlike in the best of ways. The things I saw were right out of a young imagination that hadn't been stuffied up by what grown-ups consider art or beauty or a technique or the fact that in reality donkeys aren't pink (well why not?)<br /></p><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0825 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124982422/"><img alt="DSC_0825" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/5124982422_58693b8cbd.jpg" width="334" height="500" /></a></p><p>Now I just loved, loved, loved this sculpture! A bird and her nest. Talk about an industrial size bird...and a musical one at that.</p><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0823 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124374631/"><img alt="DSC_0823" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1240/5124374631_d34a406fed.jpg" width="334" height="500" /></a></p><p>Here is her beautiful egg. I love these glass mosaics. It reminds me of a place near my home. Maybe some of my homies may remember the house on Hayes Avenue up by Speigal Grove where they had these towers of cement with pieces of beautiful glassware, plates and mirrors pressed into them. I'm sure many adults may have thought the elderly couple's "glass and cement garden" an eye sore but I thought it was the lovliest thing. I always wanted my mom to stop to let us look through the chainlink fence at the sparkling, colorful rocks. The elderly man's works were no comparison to this egg or the mosaics around the museum buildings.<br /></p><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0824 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124374955/"><img alt="DSC_0824" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1314/5124374955_746bff102b.jpg" width="334" height="500" /></a></p><p>So back to the mosaic that caught my eye...oh, the balcony above is the restaurant.</p><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0821 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124373931/"><img alt="DSC_0821" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1258/5124373931_67f1d8f77a.jpg" width="334" height="500" /></a></p><p><br /><br /></p><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0819 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124373289/"><img alt="DSC_0819" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1123/5124373289_c7a2af6f04.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a></p><p>Now is that a school bus or is that a school bus?! Below, close-up of the outer wall mosaic.<br /></p><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0820 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124980738/"><img alt="DSC_0820" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1148/5124980738_7c8f8bcbdd.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a></p><p>Biker chick is right over the entrance, you can't miss her.<br /><br /></p><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0822 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124981444/"><img alt="DSC_0822" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/5124981444_00a855d486.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a></p><p>This glittery mirror tree is right in front of the main building. I can't imagine how cool this must look if it gets hit directly with sunlight. It certainly sounded pretty, tinkling in the soft breeze that afternoon.</p><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0833 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124377909/"><img alt="DSC_0833" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1340/5124377909_5421d91738.jpg" width="334" height="500" /></a></p><p>This is a close-up of some of the glass and mirror leaves on the tree. </p><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0835 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124985822/"><img alt="DSC_0835" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1373/5124985822_e5af94f643.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a></p>Now, if something can be judged by its 'cover', I have to think the stuff on the inside is pretty cool. The welcome mat for the museum was made out of brightly colored tooth brushes, so who knows what other fun, imaginative, out-of-the-box stuff is inside. If you are in Baltimore, visit the <a href="http://www.avam.org/">American Visionary Art Museum</a>...if you go, take me with you.RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-43307199113885891742010-10-28T18:48:00.000-07:002010-10-28T19:30:49.886-07:00Balitmore Adventure: Freedom HillCan I just tell you I hate driving in a city. It was almost a disaster for me as I almost got in a car accident trying to find my hotel. I was in the wrong lane so at the last minute I attempted to change lanes (often done in city, right). Since it was the weekend, there wasn't a lot of traffic so people were driving much faster than the speed limit. Before I committed to my lane change, I checked my rearview mirror to see a VW coming up at high speed. I stopped where I was. Lots of room for her to get by on my right but she still layed on the horn and screached to an almost stop and shot me a snotty look. So that's how it started.<br /><br />After locating my hotel, but it being too early to check-in, I headed to the Inner Harbor. I went to check out Federal Hill which is on the other side of the Harbor, a view I've not really seen before.<br /><br />What is Federal Hill?<br /><br /><a title="DSC_0801 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124367891/"><img alt="DSC_0801" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1240/5124367891_9caaf36164_z.jpg" width="640" height="428" /></a><br /><br />Federal Hill was discovered by Captain John Smith in 1608 on his first exploration of the Chesapeake Bay. It earned its name in 1788, when thousands of Baltimoreans marched from Fells Point to the hill in celebration of the Maryland General Assembly's ratification of the Constitution. (Residents of the neighborhood reenacted the parade 200 years later.) Subsequently it was the scene of other civic celebrations. Shortly after Independence, an observatory was erected on the hill so merchants could get advance warning of the arrival of their vessels. The hill gained notoriety during the Civil War. Federal troops occupied the hill and trained their cannon on the city, whose loyalty to the North was in some doubt.<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0802 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124975086/"><img alt="DSC_0802" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1401/5124975086_f26797e7e1.jpg" width="334" height="500" /></a></p><br /><br />The city government acquired the hill in 1875 and made it a park. The marine observatory was discontinued in 1899. For much of the 19th century the Federal Hill shore shared with Fells Point the city's thriving shipping trade and related industries. Federal Hill itself was mined for sand for a nearby glassworks, leaving behind some caverns which exist to this day and are a favorite subject of legends.<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0814 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124978712/"><img alt="DSC_0814" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1048/5124978712_c4e6b9dbdb_z.jpg" width="428" height="640" /></a></p><br /><br />Modern Federal Hill was born around 1960, when a few hardy pioneers bought and began renovating homes in what had become a dowdy neighborhood. But the existence of the neighborhood was threatened in the mid-60's by a plan to plow through it with an interstate highway, part of a complex of connecting freeways that would have demolished the Inner Harbor and Fells Point. The residents rebelled, joined hands across the harbor, and eventually defeated the plan. The rebuilding of the Inner Harbor area in the late 70s and early 80s greatly increased interest in Federal Hill as an enclave of intimate residential streets within minutes of the city's business and entertainment heart.<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0815 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124371917/"><img alt="DSC_0815" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1086/5124371917_d3c900256c.jpg" width="334" height="500" /></a></p>Below are some views of the Inner Harbor from the hill.<br /><br /><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0808 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124369789/"><img alt="DSC_0808" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1334/5124369789_c16d8db56b.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a></p><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0807 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124369501/"><img alt="DSC_0807" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1231/5124369501_f086ddd037.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a></p><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0806 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5124369259/"><img alt="DSC_0806" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/5124369259_c0a4b0717b.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a></p>RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-44377636766274210652010-10-18T18:52:00.000-07:002010-10-18T19:06:59.597-07:00Holy Muscle Failure, Batman!Just when my muscles were getting used to the killer <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">tri</span>/chest/abs workout my co-worker created two months ago, we switched it up with one I put together. What was I thinking?!?<br /><br />Well, I was thinking muscle failure actually. The creation of this three part circuit was intended to cause failure for a particular muscle area. I was not expecting it to feel like this. My arms were jiggly at the end of the first set and the skull crushers almost became true to their name.<br /><br />Here is the workout. It is a circuit, so each exercise should be done right after the other with minimal rest. Rest for a couple minutes at the end of the set. We have been able to make it <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">through</span> the circuit two times in 40 minutes. If you have more time, you could do this 3 times. However, I can tell you that your arms will want to fall off after the second set.<br /><br />Standard push-ups (as many as you can do)<br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Supinating</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">dumbbell</span> chest <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">flye</span> (10-15)<br />Skull crusher back and cross alternating (total of 30 or 15 of each)<br />Bench press (10-15)<br /><br />Knee tucks (as many as you can do)<br />Military push-ups (as many as you can do)<br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Triceps</span> push-downs (10-15)<br /><br />Plank (1min)<br />Wide push-ups<br />Side Plank (30- 60 sec on each side)<br />jumping jacks (30)<br />Repeat.<br /><br />After doing our other killer workout for two months, I was not expecting this to be that hard. Just doing the push-ups in a different order from our other workout made a BIG difference. I'm a little afraid of my Bi/Back/Abs workout...I hope that one doesn't make me want to throw-up.RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-61096395845067113302010-10-16T18:57:00.001-07:002010-10-16T19:09:53.076-07:00Skyline Drive Mid October 2010Where the heck are the fall colors?<br /><br /><a title="DSC_0839 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5088224718/"><img alt="DSC_0839" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4132/5088224718_be920fc56f.jpg" width="334" height="500" /></a><br />Yes, I do know this is a pine tree and it should remail green all year long. Look at the surrounding mountains and hills, green. <br /><br />Only when you get to the higher elevations are the rusts showing. They don't think we'll have a very bright fall this year because of the drought at the end of the summer.<br /><br /><a title="DSC_0846 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5087628007/"><img alt="DSC_0846" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4147/5087628007_0cd4300885.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a><br /><br />This milkweed pod is my favorite photo of the day. There was a whole field of milkweed all bursting with their fluffy seeds. The field was backlit by the sun so the white fluff sparkled like monster size, silky, snowflakes. I wonder how this got the name milkweed and not snowweed?<br /><a title="DSC_0844 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5087627231/"><img alt="DSC_0844" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/5087627231_f62a1976f5.jpg" width="334" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Here are some red leaves backlit by the setting sun, maybe a sampling of what is yet to come?<br /><br /><a title="DSC_0854 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5088229918/"><img alt="DSC_0854" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4111/5088229918_f1c3c9f6de.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a><br /><br />A lonely bench. This was at one of the first visitor's centers at the northern most part of Skyline Drive. The bench is facing a clearing in the mountain that overlooks the Shenandoah valley, its the perfect place to sit to watch the sun set. Maybe I'll make a return trip later in the month and I'll see not only a red tree but a beautiful sunset.<br /><br /><a title="DSC_0852 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5088229294/"><img alt="DSC_0852" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4092/5088229294_07a15e0cd1.jpg" width="334" height="500" /></a>RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-62586762527641675682010-09-20T19:11:00.000-07:002010-09-20T19:22:51.359-07:00Some of my favorite photos from the Frontline retreat<p align="center"><a title="DSC_0801 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5010479002/"><img alt="DSC_0801" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4146/5010479002_7005ae1fbb.jpg" width="334" height="500" /></a></p><p align="center">Jesus is my Lifeguard.</p><p align="left">It was a beautiful morning, crisp and cool but not chilly. Lots of people, mostly women, out and about doing their quiet time. I really liked the photo below.<br /></p><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0794 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5009872513/"><img alt="DSC_0794" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4113/5009872513_a1c938eb84.jpg" width="334" height="500" /></a></p>For the sports pictures, I was pretty excited about this "catch". I think I took over 200 photographs.<br /><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0955 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5009805091/"><img alt="DSC_0955" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/5009805091_c4218369dd.jpg" width="391" height="500" /></a></p>I liked this one because the intensity on the face of the guy rusing the quarterback was pretty intense. To see the rest of the photos in this set, follow this link to the album <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/sets/72157624869027293/">Frontline Retreat </a>2010.<br /><p align="center"><a title="DSC_0977 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/5006586077/"><img alt="DSC_0977" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4111/5006586077_ec74b1a157.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a></p>RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-4110856059820269002010-09-20T18:49:00.000-07:002010-09-20T19:11:21.456-07:00Matthew 13:22"...all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life."'<br /><br />Wow!<br /><br />This verse is from the parable of the man sowing seeds and refers to the seed thrown into the thorns. How fitting for this to be the key verse in my morning devotional, this morning, the day after the church retreat.<br /><br />Am I going to let me to-do list crowd out what I learned, what I still need to reflect on and unpack? Oh, but only if there were not cares in this world.<br /><br />What were my take-a-ways from the weekend?<br /><ul><li>Be a servant like the Lord (I GET to serve because I am a Christian)</li><li>Love others but most importantly, love those in the church</li><li>I was put here, now, for a reason</li><li>God has put me in difficult situations so I could work through things.</li><li>Holy discontent should lead us to action, it may be what God intends for us to change about our church.</li><li>Am I serving where I can make the biggest impact for Christ?</li></ul><p>Am I going to find myself lost in the weeds?</p><p>I will admit, I am already struggling with the first bullet point...being a Christ-like servant.</p><p>What things has God wanted me to work through? Entitlement, envy, jealousy, worldly expectations, dealing with mean people, boundaries, trust, understanding men better, realizing my worth, finances, life balance...this list could go on and on.</p><p>Reflecting, since hind sight is always 20/20, I can see how God was working on me. I have struggled, stumbled, wrestled with many of these things, Maybe some of them I've worked out maybe others (most of them) I'm still working through.</p><p>God put me here, at this time and place for a reason and he put the people in my life for a reason. I think I struggle with this statement the most because I often feel like I should have been born at a different time. Sometimes I have even doubted if I should have been born at all. The Purpose Driven Life helped me to realize that God doesn't make mistakes.</p><p>Where is my Holy discontent. I'm not sure. Right now, I'm feeling pretty content. I don't like hypocracy, for instance, people in the church acting all righteous about things. We are all sinners. All sin has the same concequence with God...death. One thing I was convicted of was my friendliness toward new people. I want to feel welcome in my church, but do I make people feel welcome? I really think I need to engage more with people outside of small group or Sunday. </p><p>Am I serving where God wants me to serve? I think there are a couple things I need to pull back from and I have made the decision to do so. I really feel called to do a mission trip but I can't do that with my commitments to work, fitness, the museum, being a small group leader, church and animal rescue stuff. Like the weeds...all of these activities have "pretty flowers" but they can become over grown and take over.</p>RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-42010804479372555502010-09-01T05:39:00.000-07:002010-09-01T05:43:15.520-07:00Fallen Off the Face of the Earth?No. I have not fallen off the face of the earth.<br /><br />It feels that way sometimes.<br /><br />I can not believe that today is September 1st already! Where has the time gone. I commented on my Facebook that it seemed like the older you get the faster time flies but the slower your metabolism gets. Hardly seems fair.<br /><br />I also can't believe I have not blogged since June. Much to catch up on before my memory goes the way of my metabolism.<br /><br />It has been a busy summer and I will admit that my once vibrant and regular blogging has turned into quick two second status updates on FB and that is about it.<br /><br />Stay tuned...if all goes well, I'll blog tonight.RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-59183416536605183782010-06-21T15:52:00.000-07:002010-06-21T17:33:29.204-07:00Bali Day 7: Bali Beach Club Dinner, New Friends, and Over the Rainbow<a title="DSCN0755 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652128975/"><img alt="DSCN0755" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4652128975_94bb6c4196.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />For our final night in Bali, we headed down to the Bali Beach Club (BBC). Above is a photo of one of the hosteses. Hundreds of tables line the beach. Not all of these tables belonged to BBC, every restaurant on the beach had tables in the sand. Amazingly, there weren't any bugs. At least I don't remember bugs. There were jumping fish and that was quite interesting to watch later in the evening.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0756 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652543034/"><img alt="DSCN0756" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4652543034_c0c9be96dd.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Strolling the beach was a band of musicians. Our tour leader told us that most of the singers probably learned the songs by listening to them on the radio. The first song they came over to sing for us was Johnny Be Good. Its interesting to hear that song in a Balinese accent. Very fun.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0764 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652589916/"><img alt="DSCN0764" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4652589916_4d02c4071e.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Here, they perform Hotel California for us.<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kLxjJ_e4uiQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kLxjJ_e4uiQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />This was my dinner. I had to consult this picture on my camera as I ate because it was so dark, I had a hard time seeing what was on the plate. I accidently ate too far up on the fish and got a nice mouth full of ribs....so glad I didn't get the gills and eyeballs. We also didn't get any utensils to crack the crab legs...so we were all improvising and adapting by crushing the legs with spoons. That could occassionaly send pieces of crab meat shooting across the table or into one's own lap. The squid patay was very good.<br /><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0766 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651984825/"><img alt="DSCN0766" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4651984825_f28c57bc54.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Below, a self portrait of myself. Behind me is a stage at a neighboring restaurant where child dancers were performing traditional Balinese dances.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0774 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652627446/"><img alt="DSCN0774" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4652627446_59712d1581.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />J from Hong Kong and D from Florida purchase freshwater pearls from a vendor strolling the beach. To authenicate that the pearls were real, he held them in a flame so they could see that they didn't melt. I didn't have enough Balinese money left at this point or I may have purchased a necklace...I love pearls.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0776 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652019971/"><img alt="DSCN0776" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4652019971_b8490c9253.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Now for last photos with my new friends. In keeping with my blog policy of not publishing names, unless people are public figures or business operators, I'll mostly be providing first initials.<br /><br />Below, I am with our tour leader Halle from <a href="http://www.spiritquesttours.com/">Spirit Quest Tours</a>. She did a great job and was very helpful. I loved listening to her stories and she taught me a technique to help me when I have problems sleeping. I would go on another tour operated by Spirit Quest in the future and recommend them to my blog readers and to my friends.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0779 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652649940/"><img alt="DSCN0779" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4652649940_3d5fdec1dd.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />This was the first vacation that I have taken with a tour group. They have probably spoiled me and I'll expect any future tour groups I go on vacation with to be much like them. Halle and her partner Greg were fabulous in how they interacted with us...like they had known us all for years and were just bringing a group of their friends along on a vacation. I can't say enough good things about my experience.<br /><br />Oh, and apparently, I was looking a lot like the real Elizabeth Gilbert (except I probably weigh 30 pounds more than she does)...kind of weird that I would be 'channeling' the author of the book our tour was based upon. Halle and Greg told me that a couple times (they've met Gilbert in person) and I didn't know what to say to that...Gilbert's obvioulsy a pretty lady (hahaha!), no I didn't say that. I'd actually never seen any pictures of Gilbert, until I came home and googled her...and yes, I look like a meatier version of her.<br /><br />Below is my awesome roommate J from New Zealand. Such a nice lady and she put up with me locking her out of the room the first night. Whooops! I really enjoyed chatting with her and hearing about her life in New Zealand, her sons and grandchildren. She is an avid photographer (did Spirit Quest do a good job matching us up or what?) and I loved seeing some of her picutres she had taken. (I fell asleep while watching her edit photos one night so I have been enjoying looking at them in detail on her facebook). <br /><br /><a title="DSCN0781 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652037707/"><img alt="DSCN0781" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4652037707_af51b12f30.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Below is my new friend A from Australia. She decided to come on the trip at the last minute. I also enjoyed listening to her stories. She's a midwife and she quit her job to go on this vacation because the hospital she worked for wouldn't let her have the time off. What a gutsy lady!<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0784 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652074315/"><img alt="DSCN0784" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4652074315_ed4331d9ee.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Below is K from the US. She is a mystical healer and counselor who helps people who are making big transformations in their lives find themselves and their calling. I really enjoyed chatting with her on our car ride back from the Elephant Park. She told me about her life raising her family, at one time living in a tent when they were part of a co-op and were waiting to build their house. She was so excited on our visit to the Artist Colony because she found a beautiful painting of a Hindu goddess she just loved....I can't wait until she shares photos on facebook of the painting in her office!<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0787 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652704248/"><img alt="DSCN0787" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4652704248_d03d020e88.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Next, this is my fellow Washingtonian and talk about a small world, she used to also attend the same church I currently attend. She is a massage therapist and has her own spa in the Washington DC area. She was such a great person to chat with. One thing she learned a few years ago during a career/personal coaching seminar, was how to find your strong suits...the characteristics about you that you eminate. She was telling me that knowing our strong suits can help us find the types of careers we should be in or understand how we ended up in our careers as well as understand how people relate to us. On the flight back to DC, she interviewed me and helped me make a list of some of my strong suits and boy was that enlightening. I hope to stay in touch with her as she is in the DC area and she was such a nice person.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0788 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652103713/"><img alt="DSCN0788" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4652103713_1011bcb692.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />This is G, also from the US. She once worked in Marketing and sold her firm a few years ago and now raises horses.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0789 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652700358/"><img alt="DSCN0789" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4652700358_abb5b5dc4e.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Below is L from Australia and D from the US. L has a daughter the same age as I who has had similar bad luck experiences with men and relationships. D was one of the first people on the tour that I met. She and I have a lot of shared experiences on this trip ...from the long line to go through immigration in Bali, the elephant ride, and the temple visits. <br /><br /><a title="DSCN0791 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652117129/"><img alt="DSCN0791" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4652117129_6732336749.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />This is J from Hong Kong. I didn't get much of chance to hang out with J on the tour. She and D really hit it off. D, J, M and I spent time hanging out in the Denpensar airport with J helping us by-pass the really long line to check-in. Once at the Hong Kong airport, she gave us some tips for spending our time before our next flight.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0792 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652120257/"><img alt="DSCN0792" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4652120257_e557345118.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />This is another J from the US. I also enjoyed learing about her life experiences. She was one of the ladies on the Elephant Park trip as well as to Tanah Lot temple.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0794 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652736208/"><img alt="DSCN0794" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4652736208_99de6bc5bd.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />So many strong, independent, beautiful women on this trip, exactly what/who I needed to experience in my life. Everyone of them is a person I'd love to get to know better. Before I went on this trip my friends and I prayed knowing that God had selected each person for this trip and that all of us would have a wonderful time being touched by each other. While I know not everyone on this trip were Christian, I know that we are all God's children and my faith has been strengthened so much by this experience. Seeing how much He loves us that he put the right mix of people together so that we could enjoy His beautiful creation was just incredible.<br /><br />The final morning before we boarded the bus to head to the airport, the sun illuminated the Hindu temple on the hillside across the valley from our resort.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0795 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652119627/"><img alt="DSCN0795" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4652119627_7dea4cff82.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />About half an hour later, I heard gasps. When I looked up, I saw this huge rainbow ending over the temple. What a great ending memory of this trip.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0796 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652541970/"><img alt="DSCN0796" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4652541970_40a77b9784.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />One of my take-a-ways from this trip was wanting to celebrate more. Celebrate all that God has given me. Almost everyday we were passing through a village and the entire village was out in a parade celebrating and giving offerings to their gods. One thing that really stood out to D and I at Tanah Lot was all of the families that were coming together to worship...how different the US would be if our families and towns came together to worship and celebrate what God has given us. The Balinese have so little in material things compared to us in the US, yet they celebrate and give offerings with open hearts of what they have. We in the US complain way too much and ruin what we do have. At Tanah Lot temple, I actually was overwhelmed with a feeling of saddness. God just put it on my heart that I needed to celebrate and praise Him for what I've been given...and it has been a lot.<br /><br />Celebration...that is my theme for the rest of the year...and hopefully, celebration becomes a habit and I learn to celebrate all of my life's blessings everyday.RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-22045157693306888212010-06-13T16:08:00.000-07:002010-06-13T16:08:00.253-07:00Bali Day 7: Lunch at Gulingan Village<a title="DSCN0630 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652749388/"><img alt="DSCN0630" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4652749388_ee890b7fc6.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Our day started at lunch time on my final full day in Bali. We went to Gulingan Village for a pig roast.<br /><br />Really, it was a Babi Guling roast. Babi Guling is Balinese for suckling pig and is a famous delicacy. It also sounds a lot like it should be the name of a Vegas Lounge singer.<br /><br />Again, to get to lunch, we had to walk through the village. Below is the equivalent to the corner store in small town America...or the 7-Eleven in bigger cities.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0631 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652543528/"><img alt="DSCN0631" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4652543528_32e744fbe4.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br />When we arrived at the location of the lunch, we were directed to walk across a bridge over a pond. It was breath taking!<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0639 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652588350/"><img alt="DSCN0639" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4652588350_1ee263ec3b.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Once across the bridge, we found ourselves in a beautiful garden, our places already set at a beautiful table. The hats on our glasses were also practicle in that they kept the bugs out of our drinks, clever, clever!<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0638 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651967609/"><img alt="DSCN0638" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4032/4651967609_4209343f53_b.jpg" width="768" height="1024" /></a><br /><br />Again, we were pretty much eating at someone's house. Most rural Balinese are farmers. The house was surrounded by beautiful rice paddies. Of course, we all had to take a walk out in them for pictures.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0644 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652610890/"><img alt="DSCN0644" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4042/4652610890_f56753b506.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0645 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652613144/"><img alt="DSCN0645" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4652613144_a97cdfabec.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />There were several thoughts I had as we walked out into the rice paddy. I was thinking about Vietnam Veterans and how they described going on patrols through the paddies. I also thought about how hard a day's work this would be to plant and harvest the rice. We did see both going on in various fields as we drove to our different destinations.<br /><br />The fields were hot. The sun is very intense. I got sun burnt in just 20 minutes.<br /><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0647 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4665390418/"><img alt="DSCN0647" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4665390418_cf857bbc56.jpg" width="346" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0648 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652016331/"><img alt="DSCN0648" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4652016331_f9c309212a.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Ahhh!<br /><br />Back to the cool shade of the family compound.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0651 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652018237/"><img alt="DSCN0651" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4652018237_070832717f.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Such beautiful gardens all around.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0670 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652125775/"><img alt="DSCN0670" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4042/4652125775_a8cfda434d.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0676 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652552486/"><img alt="DSCN0676" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4652552486_f62b14c06e.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />One of the beautiful women who served us.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0678 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652558158/"><img alt="DSCN0678" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4652558158_70b1cd1a64.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />This is a palm. This is the one time the weird stuff my camera was doing to the images actually looked cool.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0682 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652591136/"><img alt="DSCN0682" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4652591136_41d8e2780e.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />This is the centerpiece on our table. It looks kind of like pointsettas, however I don't think that is what the pink and white leaves/petals are. Very beautiful.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0684 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652603796/"><img alt="DSCN0684" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4652603796_a358973d8c.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0685 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651988835/"><img alt="DSCN0685" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4651988835_47bb760444.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />My palm frond glass hat protecting my water, our first course of spicy chicken soup. By the way, all of the palm hats, centerpieces and placemats were made by hand by this family that hosted this lunch.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0686 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651150977/"><img alt="DSCN0686" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4651150977_3ce27e7ac6.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Meet our lunch.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0688 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652624330/"><img alt="DSCN0688" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4652624330_d30e304a57.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />That would be what is left of our Babi Guling after carving. They placed its head on a plate with its four hooves. If you would like to make authentic Babi Guling, I found a recipe for it: <a href="http://www.baliguide.com/balicooking/babi.html">Recipe for Babi Guling.</a><br /><br />This is my lunch plate. I just want to say that the chicken patay I have was the best patay I have ever had. At 5 o-clock, I have my pig portion. The brown squares on top are pieces of the crackling skin. This is consdered the delicacy of the suckling pig. It tasted like pork rinds meets bacon. It was good. The pork itself was extremely tender.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0689 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652007029/"><img alt="DSCN0689" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4652007029_7c12af7064.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />The family dog, complete with Grocho Marx eye brows.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0691 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652637432/"><img alt="DSCN0691" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4652637432_f4cd3f9328.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />After lunch, as we departed for the walk back to our bus, the hosteses handed us these, they are birds in a nest. Very pretty.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0694 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652023669/"><img alt="DSCN0694" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4652023669_4d2d2c35a5.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a>RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-87604760870222747222010-06-13T08:00:00.000-07:002010-06-13T08:00:01.165-07:00Bali Day 6: Visit to the Medicine Man<a title="DSCN0598 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4664725707/"><img alt="DSCN0598" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4664725707_ce835ea7a4.jpg" width="500" height="419" /></a><br /><br />Ketut Liyer is a key player in Elizabeth Gilberts' book <em><strong>Eat, Pray, Love</strong></em>. He is a traditional healer and has the ability to read palms. Again, I didn't have a reading done but did follow with the group and got to soak in the beautiful Liyer family compound.<br /><br />One of the things I really liked about this tour was we got to go outside of the normal 'tourist box'. Our tour bus couldn't fit down the narrow roads of Ketut's village so we disembarked on the main road and walked through the neighborhood to his house. Here are some neighborhood boys playing volleyball in the street. Who said you needed to have a net to play volley ball? At the other end of the street, another group of boys was playing soccer. I seriously considered asking one of the groups if I could play with them...I wonder what they would have thought? I should have done it.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0594 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651937393/"><img alt="DSCN0594" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4651937393_fa96109702.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />The 'Welcome mat" into the Liyer compound.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0618 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652689144/"><img alt="DSCN0618" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4652689144_20183602b5.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />The Balinese live in extended family compounds. They generally have several generations living together. Our Balinese guide told us that the Liyer compound could be considered upper middle class. There are multiple buildings within the compound, I assume they accomodate different families. Many of the common areas were open on at least two if not three sides.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0600 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652601392/"><img alt="DSCN0600" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4652601392_1d452b0db5.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />This was a very ornate door on one of the living quarters within the compound.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0602 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652609168/"><img alt="DSCN0602" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4652609168_ab91e48532.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />This is a sitting area and I assume the drawings had been done by Mr. Liyer. <br /><br /><a title="DSCN0603 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652611434/"><img alt="DSCN0603" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4652611434_04dfe11d10.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />An old TV set sitting in the 'hallway'.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0604 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651994221/"><img alt="DSCN0604" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4651994221_2a6064b797.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0605 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652009057/"><img alt="DSCN0605" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4652009057_f0c9e8f353.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Within each family compound is the family temple where they family goes to make their offerings in the morning. Below, I am standing at the entrance to their family temple.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0606 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652631810/"><img alt="DSCN0606" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4652631810_878568b7c8.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Below, deeper into the compound are additional living quaters and a kitchen building. Also in this area, Mr. Liyer housed quite a few exotic birds. He had peacocks, a hawk which you can see in the photos, an owl that may have had only one wing and a couple other things that I can't remember.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0608 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652633030/"><img alt="DSCN0608" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4652633030_3a64534646.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />This building appears to be the family kitchen. I didn't want to venture too deeply into their compound as I felt like I was just walking around inside someone's house.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0612 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652025027/"><img alt="DSCN0612" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4652025027_8e238a5297.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />The front porch of one of the living quaters.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0617 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652658096/"><img alt="DSCN0617" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4652658096_c13e30e171.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a>RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-77867133619656424442010-06-13T04:34:00.000-07:002010-06-20T19:40:10.495-07:00Bali Day 7: Trip to Tanah Lot Temple<a title="DSCN0738 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652650540/"><img alt="DSCN0738" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4652650540_e82c7fc2a3.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br />This is the temple at Tanah Lot, it resides on the cliffs of the Indonesian Ocean. The inner temple, or the holiest part of the temple can only be reached at low tide. We could not go there, we did get to walk around the very beautiful grounds of the outer temples. But before we got there...<br /><br />After our babi gulang lunch, the group was given the option to either go for massages or to to the temple. About half of us really wanted to go to the temple. I liked that about this tour group, they were very flexible with us. On our way to the temple, we stopped in either Megnwi or Kediri because one of the women in the group needed to purchase a white blouse so we'd be in temple dress, the men also needed to purchase head covernings. This photo is the street outside the fabric store we ran into. We were the only westerners in the store. It reminded me of a memory from childhood, of Jo-Ann Fabrics in Fremont, Ohio...the orderly chaos of countless beautiful fabrics in a kalidascope of colors and patters on walls and floor racks. It wasn't white and brightly lit like fabric stores are now. So much of what we saw, I felt like I was transported back in time.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0695 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652644918/"><img alt="DSCN0695" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4652644918_243ed0545a.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Tanah Lot is one of the big tourist destinations. There was a parking lot, similar to parking lots for amusement parks here in the US and once in the gate, there was a HUGE open market all the way to the temple. When we got there, I realized I didn't have my sash...so again, we had to make a dash into a stall to find a sash.<br /><br />This was a neat experience. Our bus driver had tried to help one of the gals tie her sarong. When we walked into the first stall we saw that sold sarongs and sashes, the woman working started to laugh that D's sash was tied like a mans and offered to help her... Mine was also not tied correctly. These two Balinese woman whipped our sarongs off, right there in the open (luckily I was wearing shorts under mine). and then, zip, zip, zip! had us all wrapped up correctly. So I learned the absolute correct way to tie a sarong. We tipped the women for dressing us and began our walk to the temple.<br /><br />Along the way, we got stopped by a Balinese family who wanted their pictures taken with American's. They walked away thanking us and said, "Go Obama!"<br /><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0696 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652647986/"><img alt="DSCN0696" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4652647986_e165097591.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Yes, that is a Ralph Lauren shop on the way. As far as I could tell, it was the real deal and not a knock off store.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0697 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652032953/"><img alt="DSCN0697" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4652032953_21a310100d.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />This is me with the entrance to the temple in the background. We drew a lot of attention because we were dressed like the Balinese, not like western tourists (you see a couple in pink shirts behind me walking up the steps). Again, Balinese stopped our group to have pictures taken with us.<br /><br />We were also lucky when we arrived, there was a four day long religious holiday going on at the temple and people from all over the island were coming to worship.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0699 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652038739/"><img alt="DSCN0699" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4652038739_6d7f66b77e.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Worshippers in one of the temple areas.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0702 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652694338/"><img alt="DSCN0702" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4652694338_ea5752376a.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />We headed toward the water, I think we were hoping we could go into the holiest part of the temple, the part up on the cliff that could only be reached at low tide. The video below shows all of the worshippers heading to the tidal basin where they would do their offering.<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/krFuCnGl49I&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/krFuCnGl49I&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />This is me standing in the tidal basin with the holiest part of the temple behind me.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0710 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652124249/"><img alt="DSCN0710" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4652124249_8ccc1f3caf.jpg" width="486" height="500" /></a><br /><br />The photo below shows all of the worshippers sitting in the tidal basin doing their offering.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0712 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4654642982/"><img alt="DSCN0712" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4654642982_0a5e5faca5.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />I stood back by the cliffs/caves because I was not going to particpate in the worship. There were still many worshippers back here where I stood, because it was shaded and cool. The sun was very, very hot that day.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0713 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4654034765/"><img alt="DSCN0713" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4654034765_2cb5307330.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />One young woman saying her prayers and making an offering.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0713a by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4654868634/"><img alt="DSCN0713a" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4654868634_364c44e9fe.jpg" width="339" height="500" /></a><br /><br />The video below is the worship and offering ceremony that I filmed.<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cU06XjoysrM&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cU06XjoysrM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />As you could see from the video. The people got up as soon as they were blessed with holy water and then they were promptly replaced by another wave of 100s of worshipers. Below is a photo of the discarded offerings.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0715 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651927891/"><img alt="DSCN0715" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4651927891_76970658f3.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />This is a gamelan below. Gamelon is not a musical instrument, it is the ensemble. Mostly what I saw people playing were xylophones and some gong looking things and drums. The ornateness of the instruments was incredible.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0726 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651988353/"><img alt="DSCN0726" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4651988353_479a99e7fe.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Look at this...you would not want to run into that in the dark.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0729 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652008035/"><img alt="DSCN0729" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4652008035_4b8907c06c.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Next we went for a walk on the grounds. This temple has several large boa constrictor snakes about the grounds. We saw one and the handler told the group he'd feed it a duck so we could take pictures. We declined. The grounds are lovely.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0736 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652026317/"><img alt="DSCN0736" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4652026317_3fe282df01.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Our guilde took us to an overlook where we were able to get some stunning photos of the main temple.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0742 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652690450/"><img alt="DSCN0742" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4652690450_f6f4d70a9d.jpg" width="454" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0746 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652704742/"><img alt="DSCN0746" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4652704742_60c24ba716.jpg" width="309" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Below is another temple on another cliff. This one was much smaller. I was facinated by the narrow land bridge that looked like only one person could walk on it at a time.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0748 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652111099/"><img alt="DSCN0748" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4652111099_2ccab1a90d.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />I will leave you with a touched up version of the other temple. The light effects make it seem as if I took this at sun set.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0750a by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4654896684/"><img alt="DSCN0750a" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4654896684_a7b7291a5a.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Stand by for my final blog entry...Dinner at Bali Beach Club.RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-10613702313571491772010-06-12T19:40:00.000-07:002010-06-13T04:31:04.653-07:00Bali Day 6: The Best Pizza in Bali and Yude Andiko<a title="DSCN0552 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652441806/"><img alt="DSCN0552" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4032/4652441806_862ff7165b.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><br />So, in keeping with the theme of our trip, "Eat, Pray, Love", we headed into Ubud for pizza after the morning at the art gallery. According to our tour leader, Pizza Bagus has the best pizza in Bali. "Bagus" also means good in Balinese. It got its reputation as the best pizza joint in Bali from Australian surfers. My opinion of the pizza. It was o.k. It was California style pizza with the super thin crust. I love the big, thick, chewy crusts of Chicago style pizza (and the fact they are baked in a butter coated pan helps too). Pizza Bagus doesn't come close. However, pretty much everyone coming in to eat were westerners, so I suppose it was close enough to that comfort food.<br /><br /><br /><br />Joining us for lunch was Kitty Yancey, the travel writer from USAToday. That is her at the other end of the table. She was interviewing our tour leaders about our trip because she is writing a piece for when the movie "Eat, Pray, Love", staring Julia Roberts opens in August.<br /><br />This tour arranged by <a href="http://www.spiritquesttours.com/">Spirit Quest Tours</a>, is the only "Eat, Pray, Love" themed tour out there. We were actually the first group to go on it. It may become a popular tour after the movie is released this summer...and I can say I went on the inaugeral trip.<br /><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0553 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652445478/"><img alt="DSCN0553" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4652445478_86cdd22ee3.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />While at Pizza Bagus, we had a special visitor, Yude Andiko, one of the many people Elizabeth Gilbert met while in Bali.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0559 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652469326/"><img alt="DSCN0559" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4652469326_35e1210746.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />O.k. how wild is this. I went up stairs to get my borrowed copy of Eat, Pray, Love to leaf through so I could find the chapter on Yude, the book opened right up to the chapter! So, if you would like to consult the book for background info on Yude (in the book his name is spelled Yudhi - - either way, its pronounced You-Day) he is chapter 83.<br /><br />He is a really neat person. Very nice and personable and as you can tell from his huge smile, he's a happy person. He talked with me and my fellow Washingtonion for a good bit of time and told us about a contract he had just signed with a music lable in England and his upcoming album.<br /><br />Yude had spent several years in New York City until he was deported after 9-11, despite being married to an American, when the US clamped down on all immigrants from muslim countries, Indonesia is a muslim country. When he was in the US, he was part of the music scene in New York, this had been a childhood dream of his.<br /><br />Now, he performs at clubs in Bali.<br /><br />Listen to some of Yude's work from his album "<a href="http://www.myspace.com/yudeandiko">Searching</a>".<br /><br />He was so sweet when we bought copies of his album and we asked him to autograph them. "Why do you want my autograph? I'm not anyone important."<br /><br />We replied, "Not yet. And we can all say we met you before you became famous."RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-89386796418575562042010-06-07T06:45:00.000-07:002010-06-07T06:45:00.252-07:00Bali Day 6: The Art Colony, Wood Carving Studio and Silversmith<a title="DSCN0542 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652396572/"><img alt="DSCN0542" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3017/4652396572_ffd2dfd015_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" /></a><br /><br />Where is Waldo?<br /> My roommate on the tour said the above painting reminded her of those illustrations, and yes, it does look like a Where's Waldo print.<br /><br />Today, we went to the Artist colony, a wood carving studio and a silver smith. You all have been asking me on Facebook what I bought...so I'm going to show you.<br /><br />O.k., no, I didn't buy all of these paintings.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0538 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651847057/"><img alt="DSCN0538" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4651847057_048c2cb164.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />In this room at the gallery were paintings of flowers and of landscapes. I really liked the landscapes below and I did by a small version which is at my desk at work. I'll be honest, I probably paid WAY to much for the paintings that I purchased. But oh well, as my fellow Washingtonian pointed out to me, in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't matter, some where down the line I'll get a great deal on something.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0539 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651850731/"><img alt="DSCN0539" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4651850731_c3a2ca78ae.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />This room had what I call, more traditional paintings of the countries religious and mytholgical figures.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0540 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651854797/"><img alt="DSCN0540" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4651854797_4a21f9a573.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />I was considering buying one of these because I liked how it showed the stages of the illustration.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0541 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651770365/"><img alt="DSCN0541" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4651770365_ca7f0f8a74.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />This space displayed more modern type paintings.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0544 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652403370/"><img alt="DSCN0544" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4652403370_8ff359a88b.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />This is one of the paintings that I purchased and it is being held by its artist.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0546 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652410454/"><img alt="DSCN0546" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4652410454_c4d0dbd708.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />After lunch we headed to the wood carving studio. They showed us the different types of wood they used and told us what was native to Bali and what wasn't. We then headed into the showroom.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0562 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4665198152/"><img alt="DSCN0562" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4665198152_6458c52fa3.jpg" width="384" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Let me just tell you, the items in this show room were amazing. I know I've been using that word a lot to describe things. The showroom was like a museum in and of itself.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0568 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651789495/"><img alt="DSCN0568" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4651789495_73bffcb85f.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Look at the detail on this statue.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0569 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651792823/"><img alt="DSCN0569" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4651792823_0ab4375c2d.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />This statue had to have been 15 feet tall. I can't imagine how long it took to carve this.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0578 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652463542/"><img alt="DSCN0578" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4652463542_82e4f3fc68.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0581 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651754012/"><img alt="DSCN0581" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4651754012_0fa1e0de2d.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0584 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651145799/"><img alt="DSCN0584" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/4651145799_5a35fc8413.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0588 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652462574/"><img alt="DSCN0588" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4042/4652462574_3f0dd0608c.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Below are some of the sarong I purchased at the open air market. I love bright colors.<br /><br /><a title="DSC_0753 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4665290796/"><img alt="DSC_0753" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4062/4665290796_3a42e428f3.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a><br /><br />At the silver smith, I made the following purchases.<br /><br /><a title="DSC_0755 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4665253510/"><img alt="DSC_0755" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1303/4665253510_338abbde2f.jpg" width="500" height="461" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSC_0756 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4664629525/"><img alt="DSC_0756" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4664629525_2edf4740e8.jpg" width="500" height="335" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSC_0758 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4665253994/"><img alt="DSC_0758" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4665253994_c533e1b3f9.jpg" width="458" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a title="DSC_0761 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4665254504/"><img alt="DSC_0761" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4665254504_dd98d70f23.jpg" width="419" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSC_0762a by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4665260982/"><img alt="DSC_0762a" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1307/4665260982_8062985bda.jpg" width="500" height="411" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a title="DSC_0762b by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4664641827/"><img alt="DSC_0762b" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4664641827_3c703cb2fb_b.jpg" width="626" height="654" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSC_0760 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4664630011/"><img alt="DSC_0760" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4664630011_0893c846c9.jpg" width="500" height="335" /></a>RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-22615238462911745942010-06-06T12:32:00.000-07:002010-06-06T17:31:55.194-07:00Opening of the Museum's New Galleries<a title="DSC_0745 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4673341118/"><img alt="DSC_0745" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1282/4673341118_51878107c0.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a><br />The new galleries opened this weekend. The kick-off was the formal gala Friday evening. Above, General Ron Christmas, President of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation and Lin Ezell, the Director of the museum, greet guests as they enter.<br /><br />The keynote speaker was General Amos, the Assistant Commadant of the Marine Corps.<br /><br /><a title="DSC_0824 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4672727797/"><img alt="DSC_0824" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4672727797_733be86a12.jpg" width="334" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Prior to and after the ceremony and buffet dinner, guests got to check out the new galleries and re-visit the old.<br /><br />The tableau at the entrance of the World War I gallery depicting a German machine gunner and a US Marine locked in mortal, hand-to-hand combat, made its return. It had been part of the original opening of the museum, kind of marking the spot where the WW I gallery would be. However, it was removed from its glass case.<br /><br /><a title="DSC_0759 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4672719355/"><img alt="DSC_0759" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4672719355_c107311be4.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a><br /><br />Anything that could possibly be touched is a replica. However, that replica knife looks pretty deadly. The Chief of Exhibits told us that someone would have to really work to get that weapon, as well as the pistol the German is holding. Arms would have to be broken off the statues to get the weapons and of course someone would have to climb onto the tableau and then avoid the security cameras.<br /><br />Below is Skip, one of the volunteers in the Restoration Division and his wife. Skip and I worked together when I was also a volunteer in restoration. They are standing infront of the King Armor car, a vehicle the Marines tested but did not field.<br /><br /><a title="DSC_0762 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4673345436/"><img alt="DSC_0762" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4673345436_88295c9775.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a><br /><br /> In this same gallery, visitors examine many other artifacts from the early 1900s.<br /><br /><a title="DSC_0764 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4673346100/"><img alt="DSC_0764" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4673346100_498e55e053.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a><br /><br />The much anticipated gallery was the Belleau Wood immersion. Below, visitors sit among the trees behind a German machine gun position as Marines charge through the wheat fields toward them. Lying in the machine gun pit before them are the bodies of two dead German soldiers...which honestly, you don't really notice.<br /><br />The film is awesome. It was filmed last summer in a wheat field in Bealton, Virginia. Most of the actors were Marines stationed at Quantico with a smattering of professional actors. During production, directors found that the real Marines, with no acting experience, were doing a better job playing the part of Marines than the actors. All of the Marines in this film had seen combat in Iraq or Afghanistan, so even though the uniforms and weapons were reproductions of those and used almost 100 years ago, there are somethings that are no different today than they were then. <br /><br /><a title="DSC_0769 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4673347012/"><img alt="DSC_0769" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1283/4673347012_6743f57f76.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a><br /><br />This gentleman is the great-grandson of Major Maurice E. Shearer, 5th Marines, who on June 26th cabled, "Woods now U.S. Marine Corps Entirely."<br /><br />The younger Mr. Shearer had been in the Marine Corps back in the 1980s. What a legacy to carry on. He had just returned from France and Memorial Day celebrations there in the Wood, the previous weekend.<br /><br /><a title="DSC_0772 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4673347336/"><img alt="DSC_0772" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4673347336_14fdfb7cb7.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a><br /><br />Below, General Ron Christmas with Mrs. Madonna DeGrasse. Her late husband had been one of the first Marine Corps combat artists during World War II. He was later the Art Director for Leatherneck Magazine. One of his paintings is hanging in the entrance of the Revolution through Civil War gallery. BTW, General Christmas is a Navy Cross recipient for action in the battle of Hue City during the 1968 Tet Offensive.<br /><br /><a title="DSC_0856 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4672730849/"><img alt="DSC_0856" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4672730849_5dc8f3b248.jpg" width="334" height="500" /></a><br /><br />On Saturday, things were a bit chaotic. There were about 25 docents as well as Marines from the 5th Division here to commemorate the opening of the new galleries, especially that of the Belleau Wood/World War I gallery (today, June 6th is the 92nd anniversary of the Battle of Belleau Wood).<br /><br />Below, Col. Buhl, the current commanding officer of the 5th Marines, is interviewed by combat camera. [Side story, he was my X-boyfriend's commanding officer in Iraq. After Major A had gotten blown-up by an IED, he or someone had handed Col. Buhl part of the HUMVEE they had been able to pull out of Major A. Col. Buhl had carried this piece of bloody metal in one of his pockets for weeks (he had forgotten about it). Major A had wanted doctors to save parts of the fragments removed from his body so he could have a souvenir. The doctors had thrown them all out. Major A was very upset by this...but along comes Col Buhl with a blood stained piece of HUMVEE door on a visit months later.]<br /><br /><a title="DSC_0736 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4673541870/"><img alt="DSC_0736" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1293/4673541870_75202c4684.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a><br /><br />Below is the color guard from 5th Marines.<br /><br /><a title="DSC_0740 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4672918721/"><img alt="DSC_0740" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4672918721_298d5662fc.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a><br /><br />Many of our visitors on Saturday didn't know this was going to be the grand opening of the new galleries. It was quite a thrill for people to be part of the ceremony and then to see these new galleries. The big complaint we had heard before from visitors was they had not planned enough time to see everything. We'll be getting more of those complaints now that we have these three new galleries.<br /><br /><a title="DSC_0758 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4673548328/"><img alt="DSC_0758" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4673548328_6a7891008b.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSC_0762 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4672925255/"><img alt="DSC_0762" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1265/4672925255_1745b2964b.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSC_0766 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4673550872/"><img alt="DSC_0766" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4673550872_7ef4356fbc.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a><br /><br />In addition to the 5th Marines helping us dedicate the new galleries, the President's Own, the Marine Corps Band, is also featured in the new galleries. They performed in Leatherneck for our visitors, what a great concert it was! Below, I caught the Marine Corps Band taking pictures of...the Marine Corps Band.<br /><br /><a title="DSC_0774 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4673553520/"><img alt="DSC_0774" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4673553520_4d261d2029.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a><br /><br />General Christmas introducing the Marine Corps Band to museum visitors. What a great concert!<br /><br /><a title="DSC_0803 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4672939051/"><img alt="DSC_0803" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4672939051_c55ef8e16f.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSC_0839 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4672951677/"><img alt="DSC_0839" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4062/4672951677_d02a48bfa0.jpg" width="500" height="334" /></a><br /><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><p></p>RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-69280602633576948212010-06-03T16:37:00.000-07:002010-06-03T16:37:00.954-07:00Bali Day 5: Balinese Healing and lunch at Bali Buddha<a title="DSCN0444 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652408614/"><img alt="DSCN0444" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4652408614_a92c2c0555.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />The theme of this trip was Eat, Pray, Love - - all based upon the book by Elizabeth Gilbert of the same name. One of the people she writes about is Wayan the Healer. We stopped by Wayan's shop in Ubud. Below, Wayan the healer speaks with our tour leader.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0443 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651787613/"><img alt="DSCN0443" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4651787613_57b00b24d2.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />While half the group was getting healing services at Wayan's shop, the other half of us headed over to a cafe across the street called <a href="http://www.balibuddha.com/">Bali Buddha</a>. Bali Buddha had a great atmosphere, this is a cafe that could be transplanted in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia and fit in. Totally hip and relaxed...I loved the purple walls and the food was GREAT! If you are in Ubud, I recommend you stop here for lunch.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0442 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651784239/"><img alt="DSCN0442" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4062/4651784239_62c113cf45.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Two of the gals in our group along the outside wall looking out the window onto Jalan street.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0440 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652394560/"><img alt="DSCN0440" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4652394560_184b37163f.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Me and my fellow Washingtonian at one of the middle tables with the menu of healing drinks or meals on the chalk board behind us.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0439 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652392088/"><img alt="DSCN0439" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4652392088_96a1e3f005.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a>RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-11432781500258824752010-06-03T03:09:00.000-07:002010-06-03T03:09:00.588-07:00Bali Day 5: Meet My New Boyfriend<a title="DSCN0468 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651814887/"><img alt="DSCN0468" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4651814887_d944dee7d2.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br />Things went bad shortly after this photo was taken. In all honesty, I'm glad I couldn't see what was happening to me or I probably would have gotten upset. The horrified gasps of the other tourists was unsettling enough. While no one got video of this monkey attacking me, I thought I'd share a video I found on line of a monkey in Ubud monkey forest attacking another American.<br /><br /><object width="640" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oWv4yBZH2gc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oWv4yBZH2gc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="505"></embed></object><br /><br />When the monkey on my back decided to taste my hair and scalp, I can tell you I was not laughing...or smiling for that matter. Anyone who got near me got hissed at and I'm sure it bared its teeth. Note to self: Next visit to Monkey forest, don't shampoo with mint scented shampoo and conditioner.<br /><br />I'm not the only one who got jumped on, however, they usually jumped off right away.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0447 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651814393/"><img alt="DSCN0447" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4651814393_4a6643114c.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0446 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651815415/"><img alt="DSCN0446" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4651815415_12fec3feb0.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />There were quite a few moms and babies and they were very interesting to watch.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0449 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652439772/"><img alt="DSCN0449" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4652439772_4a196c56a3.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0459 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651779819/"><img alt="DSCN0459" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4651779819_e5197fa108.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Below, shot of the rainforest and the deep gully in the park.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0472 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652448704/"><img alt="DSCN0472" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4652448704_2a27e128bc.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Thhis was a temple in the park.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0476 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651846453/"><img alt="DSCN0476" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4651846453_b345054193.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br />This was the bridge we walked across to get to the temple side.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0477 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652384090/"><img alt="DSCN0477" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4652384090_589fd230aa.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />A monkey 'guarding' the bridge. Yes, that is blood on its chest. These are wild animals and I took this with the telephoto after having been attacked...this guy was not my attacker.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0478 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652384366/"><img alt="DSCN0478" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4030/4652384366_cdcabeed7b.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />It almost looks like this monkey is getting her child ready to head off to school, "Here, let me straighten that fur a little bit."<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0481 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651775481/"><img alt="DSCN0481" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4651775481_67dc12f346.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a>RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-73741853675428151322010-06-02T08:00:00.000-07:002010-06-02T08:00:06.501-07:00Bali Day 5: Besakih Temple<a title="DSCN0288 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652100310/"><img alt="DSCN0288" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4652100310_3376842203.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Besakih temple is the 4th most important temple in Bali. It is dedicated to the protector of the universe and is called "The Mother".<br /><br />The gate or doorway that you see in the middle, supposedly will shut should an evil spirit attempt to enter. Yes, in order to get into the temple, we had to walk up all of those steps.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0290 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652101218/"><img alt="DSCN0290" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4652101218_f12e04669d.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Looking down from the top of the steps, do you see the buildings all the way in the back right, that is where we parked the bus.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0293 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651495509/"><img alt="DSCN0293" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4651495509_12d87b5ca6.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />The doors and stone carvings are just incredible. Besakih temple is made up of 22 smaller temples that all lead up to the main spire Meru structure called Pura Penataran Agung. I'll be taking you up there. The view is amazing.<br /><br />This is one of the temples within the temple complex.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0295 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4657514625/"><img alt="DSCN0295" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4657514625_43c496b5f8.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Because it was pouring rain, all of the women in our group were ushered to a shelter in the courtyard from which we could perform the offering and worship ceremony. Notice all the little rug rats we aqcuired.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0328 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651464835/"><img alt="DSCN0328" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4651464835_11002fc843.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />The temple's priest was a woman. According to our Tour Leader, they have made many visits to this temple over the years and this was the first time that a woman presided over the offering/worship.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0304 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651523995/"><img alt="DSCN0304" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4651523995_b2a5798d43.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />This is what the offering plate looks like. Of course, due to the rain, everyone's incense stick went out. I passed my plate back to one of the others on my tour because I was not going to take part in the ceremony.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0306 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651528337/"><img alt="DSCN0306" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4030/4651528337_30fb609037.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />One of the other women on the tour, surrounded by the little children trying to sell her post cards. "One dollar, lady."<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0307 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651533027/"><img alt="DSCN0307" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4651533027_55ce97a1f5.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />During the offering/worship ceremony, two of the women on my tour hold the incense sticks and inhale the smoke. The smoke acts to purify, if I remember correctly.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0311 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652024426/"><img alt="DSCN0311" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4652024426_0bb55a6d67.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />The men in our group getting very wet going through their offering.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0313 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652031880/"><img alt="DSCN0313" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4652031880_a27336022a.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />This is how you hold up your flower offering.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0318 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651428799/"><img alt="DSCN0318" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4651428799_c4f552948a.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />After the offerings are made, the priest comes and sprinkles holy water on everyone and puts rice on their foreheads.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0327 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651462075/"><img alt="DSCN0327" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4651462075_ffa818a2a0.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />One of the three front doorways in to the temple. This one, if you were outside looking at the temple was to the right.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0330 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652094178/"><img alt="DSCN0330" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4652094178_9e0fb19c82.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0336 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651500637/"><img alt="DSCN0336" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4651500637_aa6006faec.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0342 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651516559/"><img alt="DSCN0342" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4651516559_79f131a17b.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />The temple complex was built in the 1300s (14th century) and was almost destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1963. The lava flow missed the temple by feet, however the initial erruption killed 1700 worshipers.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0348 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652149274/"><img alt="DSCN0348" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4652149274_3e86283c1f.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0354 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651413257/"><img alt="DSCN0354" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4651413257_0745bd11d5.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />One of the temple dogs. We saw a lot of dogs wandering around. No cats though. Animals are sacrificed in the temples. According to our local guide, the animals stand for a characteristic and by sacrificing the animal, it sets a person's foul free from that attachment. Only black and white puppies are sacrificed but only ever 10 or 15 years, I can't remember what the guide said. The word dog also translates to "no good", so by sacrificing the dog, the person sets their soul free from all the 'no good' in their soul. Other animals sacrificed are ducks, geese, cocks and pigs.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0359 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652044200/"><img alt="DSCN0359" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4652044200_98300f2c5d.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />A beautiful door on one of the temple buildings.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0362 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652059670/"><img alt="DSCN0362" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/4652059670_c954025920.jpg" width="296" height="500" /></a><br /><br />The next series of photos are of the smaller temple complexes we walked by as we ascended up to the Pura Penatarang Agung. I probably could have spent all day here photographing the different temples and buildings. Beautiful, intricate patterns.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0365 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651448457/"><img alt="DSCN0365" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4651448457_d0137e35f7.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0366 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652070546/"><img alt="DSCN0366" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3208/4652070546_4098824a1d.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0369 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651464361/"><img alt="DSCN0369" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3399/4651464361_6a6c5096e0.jpg" width="374" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0373 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652100758/"><img alt="DSCN0373" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4652100758_f83f56b96e.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Another temple dog. I'm not sure if these dogs belong to anyone or are strays that get by with eating garbage or hand outs. This one growled at me as I stopped to take a picture. Don't worry, I was keeping my distance.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0374 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651492277/"><img alt="DSCN0374" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4651492277_cfa2d40303.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />This is me, didn't mean to post such a large picture. Behind me are shops leading up to the main temple spire. Jesus would not have been happy with this. Even though I have never visited the Holy Land, seeing how these temples were set up gave me some new insite into how the temples must have been in the time of Jesus.<br /><a title="DSCN0375 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651494687/"><img alt="DSCN0375" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4651494687_33c61d66d8_b.jpg" width="768" height="1024" /></a><br />Some scary masks at one of the shops. I'll be honest, I considered getting one of these for my 8 year old nephew, however, I decided they were too scary looking. Heck, I'd freak out seeing one of these hanging from my wall during the day time.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0378 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652120886/"><img alt="DSCN0378" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4652120886_da87625fca.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Two of the ladies making the treck to Pura Penataran Agung.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0379 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652123148/"><img alt="DSCN0379" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4652123148_f896d1c681.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Here I am on the road with Pura Penataran Agung behind me. We are almost there.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0380 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652127340/"><img alt="DSCN0380" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4652127340_2ae09b357f.jpg" width="368" height="500" /></a><br /><br />I was so disappointed in my camera for doing this to this photo. One of the dragon/sea monster heads crowing the banister leading up the stairs into Pura Penataran Agung.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0383 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651516083/"><img alt="DSCN0383" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4651516083_a4d2c6c530.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />This is the detail of the floor infront of the stairs. I don't know what the circles symbolize. They made a very interesting pattern. Its wild to think these may have been here since the 1300s.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0384 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651518585/"><img alt="DSCN0384" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4651518585_4271f7ea6c.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Ascending the steps into the main spire. My camera lense got fogged up from all the rain and humidity.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0385 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652139880/"><img alt="DSCN0385" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4652139880_b59f9c1390.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />With the gray clouds, the gateway into Pura Penatarang Agung looks kind of scary.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0388 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651527525/"><img alt="DSCN0388" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4651527525_72a010fb5c.jpg" width="392" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Detail of the railing surrounding the temple.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0389 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652148908/"><img alt="DSCN0389" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4652148908_d28c792082.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0391 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651527135/"><img alt="DSCN0391" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3399/4651527135_2861b89191.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Throne for one of the temple gods.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0397 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651415603/"><img alt="DSCN0397" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4651415603_dd0492f734.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0399 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652041094/"><img alt="DSCN0399" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4652041094_1ff8423999.jpg" width="370" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0401 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652046572/"><img alt="DSCN0401" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4652046572_e994fbb2e3.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Detail of the door way. I increased the color saturation so that the details stand out more.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0404a by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4658256918/"><img alt="DSCN0404a" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1283/4658256918_a9818660ed.jpg" width="419" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Not sure what god this is over the doorway, but the detail is amazing. This part of the temple dates from around the 17th century (1600s).<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0405a by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4657642703/"><img alt="DSCN0405a" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4657642703_9a27ed159a.jpg" width="500" height="428" /></a><br /><br />The view from the door's threshold. Its almost like you can see the whole world from up here.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0406 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652066282/"><img alt="DSCN0406" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4652066282_e1c97a1113.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />More scary masks at a shop.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0410 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651742670/"><img alt="DSCN0410" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4651742670_01296b7ac5.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />From here on out, the photos are of the various temple complexes we walked past on our way down. I loved all the gardens.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0413 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651481477/"><img alt="DSCN0413" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4651481477_eaef7c27d0.jpg" width="380" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0417 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651496993/"><img alt="DSCN0417" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3244/4651496993_93190ce5a6.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0419 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651501909/"><img alt="DSCN0419" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4651501909_a3625f4073.jpg" width="500" height="417" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0420a by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4657680125/"><img alt="DSCN0420a" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1301/4657680125_f9d5f6cb2a.jpg" width="500" height="389" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0424 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652153102/"><img alt="DSCN0424" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4652153102_88cedb201e.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0425 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652016756/"><img alt="DSCN0425" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4652016756_40ed0b3e6c.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0426 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651401801/"><img alt="DSCN0426" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4651401801_a914d8c144.jpg" width="385" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0427 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652023404/"><img alt="DSCN0427" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/4652023404_054a02dd0f.jpg" width="331" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0431 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652028178/"><img alt="DSCN0431" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4652028178_c103c1405b.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0433 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652026706/"><img alt="DSCN0433" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4652026706_bb9e0ace60.jpg" width="397" height="500" /></a>RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-88781089616584483802010-06-01T17:09:00.000-07:002010-06-01T17:09:00.562-07:00Bali Day 5: "One Dollar! You buy only from me! You promised."<a title="DSCN0323 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651444649/"><img alt="DSCN0323" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4651444649_31b41f595d.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Let me just say, today, I came the closest I have ever come to wanting to backhand a little kid.<br /><br />Today we took a long drive up to one of the most important temples in Bali, Besakih. It was raining. When we got out of the bus, were were beseiged by 20 little girls holding umbrellas.<br /><br />"Umbrella lady?"<br /><br />The tour company had big golf sized umbrellas that we could double up under and some of the ladies had brought their own umbrellas (duh, what a good idea to bring when you are in a rain forest). The woman I shared an umbrella with mad the mistake of asking, "How much?"<br /><br />Holy rubber boots, Batman!<br /><br />I'm not kidding you, 20 umbrellas in a rainbow of colors were shoved up into our faces. We were surrounded. I think I grabbed the lady and pushed her and me through the throng of umbrella wielding waifs and repeated, "No, No, No!" quite firmly.<br /><br />Next, our group acquired the little girls pictured above. They were selling postcards. We said "No" I don't know how many times yet they kept following us.<br /><br />"You want postcards lady? One dollar."<br />"No."<br />"One dollar for two."<br />"No."<br />"Postcards lady, one dollar."<br /><br />Our tour leader told the little girls to go away (there were like 10-15 of them) but they stuck to us like flies to rotting meat. Our tour leader told them we'd buy post cards from them after the worship ceremony.<br /><br />"You promise?" one little girl asked.<br />"Yes, I promise. Now, be quiet and go away," the tour leader replied.<br />"You buy only from me?"<br />"Yes, we'll buy only from you."<br />"You promise?"<br />"Yes, I promise. Now go away."<br /><br />Despite other tourists entering the temple, the children did not go to them. Maybe we Americans were bleeding fish and these little girls were hungry sharks in some other cosmic dimension.<br /><br />After it was all over, a couple of the ladies bought post cards. That just caused more children to approach. The annoying thing was the really little kids, like the ones that looked like they were about 3 years old. When you told them "No", they started to cry and whine, "One dollar lady, you buy postcards from me. One dollar."<br /><br />Some where, I have become hardened. Maybe its the beggers on the streets here in DC who end up making $60-70,000 dollars a year pan handling. At least the professional pan handlers in DC dress the part. As you can see from the picture, these little girls are dressed quite well. They would blend into any 2nd or 3rd grade class in the US. They look well fed and clean. <br /><br />But they were sharks, I'm telling you.<br /><br />They wanted me to pay them money for the picture I took of them.<br /><br />"No, you pay me, I took the picture."RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-62474482981142503382010-06-01T07:26:00.000-07:002010-06-01T07:26:00.387-07:00Bali Day 4: Open Air Market in Ubud<a title="DSCN0262 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651522217/"><img alt="DSCN0262" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4651522217_5eb6cac236.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br />The open air market in Ubud is an experience, to say the least. <br /><br />Chaos, filth, beauty, junk treasures.<br /><br />If you are claustrophobic or suffer from PTSD, this is not the place for you.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0264 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651526679/"><img alt="DSCN0264" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4651526679_962d7111da.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Our assignment, buy a sarong for the temple. Our tour leader gave us a tutorial on bartering on the bus.<br />"Ask them how much. They will give you a price. Offer them a third to half of what they offered and go from there. If its still more than you want to pay, walk away, if they don't follow you with a lower price then you know you didn't go too low."<br /><br />I also remembered my experience in Mexico, years ago. Don't ask for a price unless you intend to buy something. Don't touch something unless you intend to buy it. I approached this shopping trip much like I shop in the states, I walked around and looked at all of the stalls first and then went back to where they had things I liked. I did o.k. and got a couple nice cotton sarongs for 65,000 rupia (about $7 US). I was told that was a really good price. <br /><br /><a title="DSCN0265 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4652149676/"><img alt="DSCN0265" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4652149676_d1fa86135b.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />The deeper you went into the market, the more of a dark, hot and sticky a labyrinth it became. I saw some very pretty silk dresses....if only I were as thin as I once was.RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5165257839226339964.post-71141983763318882802010-05-31T14:00:00.000-07:002010-05-31T14:00:02.242-07:00Bali Day 4: Elephant Park<a title="DSCN0185 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651346703/"><img alt="DSCN0185" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4651346703_461dbb4ee3.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />One of my fellow travelers, Denise, did some research on other things to do in the area and one of them was Elephant rides at the Elephant park. She suggested this the night before and three of us decided to take her up on it. Our tour leader arranged a van from Tour East to pick us up, wait for us and bring us back. This was a great experience and I am so glad that I did it.<br /><br />Getting there was half the fun. My observation of driving in Bali, its a never ending game of chicken. While some roads have line markers, it doesnt really matter as people tend to drive right down the middle and just get out of people's way at the last second. Motor bikes are constantly weaving in and out of traffic. Pedestrians - - you do not have the right of way and its up to you to get across the street alive and in one piece.<br /><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/F_cqQOkoyMg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/F_cqQOkoyMg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Can you imagine the road rage if people drove like this in DC?<br /><br />This next video shows one of the villages as we drove by. The house compounds are built right up to the side of the road. We even saw a woman doing her laundry in the irrigation ditch that run along the side of the road and in front of all of the houses.<br /><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CYOxVAPLy4Y&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CYOxVAPLy4Y&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Once we reached the village where the elephant park was located, we had to make a donation to enter the village. Yes, a toll to enter through the village gates. There was no set amount, whatever we had, a dollar each perhaps. I think that is what we each threw in.<br /><br />The Elephant Park also had a museum, hotel/resort, gift shops and restaurant. Below is a photo of a HUGE elephant skeleton. FYI, I apparently missed the "No Photography" sign posted near the entrance of this room, whoops. I had to laugh because we give people such a hard time when they flash photograph the Iwo Jima flag...how can they miss the signs. This room allowed no photography what-so-ever. I think they need to put the no photography sign right infront of this elephant.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0187 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651352229/"><img alt="DSCN0187" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4651352229_6c5893eed9.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br />The above elephant was so large that I could have walked under its belly without slouching.<br /><br />I think the artifact below was in an area of the museum where we could photograph. This is a wood carving with intricate, beautiful painting all over the elephant.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0189 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651975140/"><img alt="DSCN0189" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4651975140_ccd1cac643_b.jpg" width="768" height="1024" /></a><br /><br />We didn't spend much time in the museum as we needed to take our ride and get out of dodge to be back at the Alila to catch the bus to the Market. This is a photo of the park. It was very beautiful. We were greated by a park Ranger who hustled us over to the elephant rides.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0190 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651362623/"><img alt="DSCN0190" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4651362623_5d7887ae07.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />As we walked to 'loading dock', this little baby walked up to us. She wanted to be petted and to check us out.<br /><a title="DSCN0195 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651192897/"><img alt="DSCN0195" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4651192897_d6fbeb20f5.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Below is a blurry picture taken by the park ranger my group on the elephants.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0219 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651311131/"><img alt="DSCN0219" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4651311131_8720297684.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />This would have been a cool picture had my camera not done this strange break-up of the image. If anyone knows why this is happening, let me know. The name of the elephant I was on was Dina. She was a nice elephant. Our driver spoke english very well and we had a great conversation as we road through the trails.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0220 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651330377/"><img alt="DSCN0220" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4651330377_95c1867936.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0221 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651522647/"><img alt="DSCN0221" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4651522647_b56b6914f7.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Below is some video of our ride.<br /><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SIKx4XOW0j0&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SIKx4XOW0j0&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Right before I started to video tape this, Dina came to a dead stop in the trail, flapped her ears and made like she wanted to back way. We asked the driver what was wrong. You may be able to hear the gamelon music, at one point it was very loud, the village must have been walking by at the intersection at that time. Dina is afraid of the music. The driver turned her around so that we could take pictures of each other (the other two gals were right behind us on their elephant). Once the parade passed, Dina moved on.<br /><br />I'll be honest, the ride was not comfortable. The seats had a wooden bar across the back that hit you right below the small of your back. So as you lumbered from side to side, the wooden bar would hit your lower back in a very uncomfortable place. <br /><br />Along the path, we noticed Balinese standing at intersections taking our pictures. It wasn't until after and we were leaving did I fully understand. They probably could not afford to take the elephant ride (it was $58 US dollars a person which was 580,000 rupia) so they did the next best thing, they took pictures of the westerners riding the elephants. I'll be honest, this kind of made me sad.<br /><br />After our ride, we took in the elephant show.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0230 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651412201/"><img alt="DSCN0230" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4651412201_01375cc199.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0240 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651442921/"><img alt="DSCN0240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4651442921_cf669b82b8.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><a title="DSCN0246 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651248355/"><img alt="DSCN0246" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4651248355_80f15f4512.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />Here is some video of the elephant painting.<br /><br /><object width="640" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/f09DgR4nwvg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/f09DgR4nwvg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="505"></embed></object><br /><br />After the show we went to have our photos taken with the little elephant that had greeted us when we entered. Such a sweeet animal. I scratched her trunk and behind her ears.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0251 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651829342/"><img alt="DSCN0251" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4651829342_0b55719964.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />The skin on its face and trunk is very hard. Not even leathery. Its more like living stone, that is how hard it is. The skin behind their ears is quite soft, similar in texture as the skin on my arm.<br /><br />Our drive back to hotel was kind of long as we got stuck behind another religious festival parade.<br />The boxes on the women's heads contain the offering. Much of what is in the offering is actually the family's dinner. They will make the offering and get the meal blessed and eat together as a family on the grounds of the temple.<br /><br /><a title="DSCN0253 by RangersGirl, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rangersgirl/4651499285/"><img alt="DSCN0253" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4651499285_a0b881b2f6.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a>RangersGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07487459418685498824noreply@blogger.com0