Hayyy!!!!
Today I am writing to you all from Arusha, Tanzania!!! Let me catch you all up with what has been happening in our world!!
ztztz...last I left you we were about to leave Egypt. I was ready forthat..thats for sure. We arrove in Zurich, Switzerland I was instantly in love. The cobblestone streets and fairy tale architecture melted me immediatly. The city is so impecably clean, and everyone was so civilized...I was allowed to dress the way I want, and there were resturants on every street that I could actually eat at!!! All this was obviously a welcome change.
Jonathans Mom helped us figure out where to stay when were were planning this leg of the trip, and she could not have done any better {thank you Cathy}!! It was the chicest guesthouse with a cool neighborhood bar as the first floor and entrance. Mind you San Franciscan, it was not Trax :{...but non the less a cleaner calmer spot, perfect for after a flight. We hung out there and had the best dinner of spinach, ricotta, pine nuts, and carmalized oinon crepe {Jonathans was a different combo} and the best glass of cold white wine...ahhhhh...I could not have been happier at that moment. The guy who was working that evening was also super cool, totally laid back and someone that if we had time would definatley be our friend. The room was spotless anf had 2 puffy white down comforters awaitung us!! I am telling you, after lumpy pillows and and all that lame bread and cheese I mentioned before this was heavan!
We wandered all over Zurich, amongst all the tall blonde people{who actually look good with blond hair because its nautual}and I only wished we had more time and money to be there. Everything was so expensive, but worth the interlude. The river that runs though Zurich is absolutley stunning. It is crystal clear and emerald green. At one point there is a a part of the canal thet people were swimming in, and I instantly regretted not having my bathing suit on me. Oh well...next time...and there certinley will be a next time!!
Lil side note of hysteria...I saw a thugish boy rocking huge pearl earings as opposed to diamonds, and I just though it was the funniest thing..he looked more like an old woman than a tough guy!!!
Ok...we left Zurich sadly at 6 am to catch our flight to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. This was a long and boring flight..10 hours actully!! Everytime we borad I flight I just don't understand why they make all the suckers without enough money walk through the luxory part of the plane with seats that lie flat and people already drinking champange!! I mean come on..by the time we get to our cramped lil seats wich my long legs will inevtably be stifled in I am thoughrly upset at the airlins, and all the rich people!!!!
We arrove in Dar laet and went stright to our guesthouse there. We ate and passed out to wake nice and early..6am again to take a bus to Arusha..
aaaahahhaahha....we have to go this second to our safari...sorry to leave you all hanging and sorry for spelling and grammer drams....more later..
xooxoxoox Alicia Claire

Bread and cheese!!!!!!

Hello!!!
Ok..its our last day in Cario, about to leave for the airport in an hour. I have to say I am glad to have experienced this stange place, but I am also glad to carry on. Overall I enjoyed Cairo better thatn Alexandria. The hotel we have stayed at here {the Mayfair} has been perfect, and everyone has been so nice, wherein, as Jonathan already mentioned, the people at the Hotel Delta in Alex were quite pushy and stange about everything. Well, I guess you win some and lose some. We have already done some research for food in Zurich...I think we will have Thai....something comletely different from my bread and cheese diet I have had here in Egypt!! Seriously!! Bread and cheese!!!!! Ummm...
ok...xoxoxoxox
Alicia Claire

Small Bills!

Our waiter at our crappy and over priced hotel breakfast complained today that his tip was too small. Classic behavior for the place we've been staying. The room was great and comfy but everyone there is super weird and hovers over us waiting for loot. We are happy to be getting on the road again today.

We are currently killing time and avoiding the sun before we head for the train back to Cairo. The trains here are crazy cheap - the cost of the train ride back to Cairo is only double what we will pay in taxi fare to get us to and from our hotels.

Tomorrow we are off to Zurich, for one day and two nights. Top on our list of activities are to get some books, good food, and a super quick tour of the city. We'll be in Tanzania the day after that! Then a long bus ride from Dar to Arusha and then on safari for about five days!

Socks and Cigarettes

We've been spending a good deal of our time in Alexandria in outside cafes on the main waterfront area known (I think) as the Corniche). The view is of the old harbor, with an ancient fort at the end of the 3km walkway. There are many boats in part of the harbor and right in front is an absurdly busy street with hoards of mini-bus cabs and the general honking traffic. We are often offered a variety of goods from mangos to a bizarre combination of socks and cigarettes. There is also a man who keeps wanting to polish my Teva sandles.

The weather here is much nicer (though still very hot) than in Cario. The air is also fresh from the Sea, which is most wonderful as the terrible pollution in Cairo was taking its toll on Alicia's lungs (and current cold). The buildings alternate from ugly concrete blobs to decrepit French-style buildings from the early 1900's.

Everywhere we go people are unbelievably friendly. "Welcome to Alex!", they shout from passing cars or as we walk past on the sidewalk. Our three word Arabic vocabulary (hello, goodbye, and thank you) prompts many smiles and my hair seems to be the strangest thing anyone has ever seen. "Hey Bob Marley! Come into my shop!". They also seem excited that we are from the US, though we are often assumed to be either Spanish or Italian. I don't think too many Americans end up walking down random streets in Egypt. Everyone we've spoken with who speaks English well has told us that people here love Americans, but that they (like us) think that our President is . We've not yet had a single bad reaction to either our nationality or our utter lack of Arabic.

The many restrictions on women here are difficult to handle and we can't figure out how the women here cope with them. It will be interesting to see how things are on the Tanzanian coast. That area is > 95% Muslim, but in some ways (so we hear) a bit more relaxed.

--- Some thoughts on our day at the Pyramids ---

As many of you know we had a day with a guide scheduled via a friend Alicia's Uncle Tom who lived in Cairo for many years doing Agriculture development work. We spent the day with an a semi-retired Australian named Colin, and his native to Cario driver, Waile (I know I'm spelling this wrong). Both were the most wonderful people we could have hoped to spent the day with. We started out at the oldest Pyramid, the "Step Pyramid" and then made our way to the "Bent Pyramid" and the "Red Pyramid" (the one Alicia spoke about going inside). The day ended anti-climatically with the massive Pyramids at Giza. I could go on an on about the day, but a few highlights:

* The lush, incredibly green fields of endless corn on our drive. We also saw beautiful fields of both Palm trees and other crops below. The output of the soil here looks to be incredible, and even more so when you realize that there is very little mechanized agriculture here.

* Horse/Donkey/Mule drawn carts on the roads

* Our best stop as at the Bent and Red Pyramids, where there was virtually know one around. We moved around the site in such a way that we had both pyramids to ourselves! This was apparently beyond lucky.

* Colin and our driver, Waile, brought iced 1.5L water bottles to the poor guards who were sitting in the shade of the pyramids, in the middle of nowhere, bored out of their minds, in uniform, and of course (like every other policeman here) carrying a huge rifle. The looks on their faces at the water was great.

We leave for Zurich in a few days and it is going to be bizarre to change from the hecticness of Egypt to the very organized and German-speaking section of Switzerland that we are off to.

Running out of time, so please forgive the spelling errors!

-Jonathan

Cairo madness!!!!

Wow...
Ok..The best word to describe Cairo Egypt is Wild. Just Wild. Here are just some of my thoughts and words about it:
Hot!!! Out of control, busy, honking, compassionate, welcoming, dirty, hectic, conservative, honking, prayers over speakers throughout the city, breezy nile, walking chaos, driving mayhem, honking, loud, wonderful, magical, historic, mind blowing,ancient, the pyramids...oh the wonder. oppresive to women for the most part. Frustratinginly slow, honking!!! insightful, beautiful....
my list could go on and on,and it will when I have more time.
Today we leave on a train for Alexandria. I am excited to just relax. Our time here has been jam packed. The pyramids were fantastical whimsical, and I was taken aback all day. Jonathan and I climbed down into the Red Pyramid, and we luckily we were the only ones there!! We had that experience all to ourselves. The climb was astronomically tough, one of the most hectic experences I have ever had!! Literally!! It was so steep and dark, and we had to hunch the entire way down and up. The scent was of mild old urine and sweat. I myself was dreanched. The color was a musty orange let in from the one and only entrance above. The feelings I had in there of time past,of death, of transgressing...were stunning,and hurt my brain a little. My legs are still unbelievanbly sour 2 days later...sore in a way that makes you appreciate your functioning body, but also in a way that makes you cringe with every step and stair!!!
ok...off we go again...more later...this is just the tip of the iceberg on Cairo
I am thinking of you all, and miss everyone!!
xoxoxoxoxxx
Alicia Claire

packing again

Ok...so we have only truly just started our travels, and I am already over living out of a bag!!!! Its inevitable that its a mess. So here we are on our last day of Barcelona, and I am just looking at the heap of our bags and not so fashionable travel clothes, and I am thinking about how many times I am actually going to have to pack and unpack that mess!!!! zttzzz....its all worth it, don´t get me wrong. I just secretly wish there was a neater way to deal with it.
Ok besides all that....EGYPT tomorrow!!!!! Our flight there leaves Barcelona at 4 in the morning....this is our one bad timed leg, so it will be bizarre to arrive all discombobled and realize where we are. I just checked the weather, and its 97 degrees there right now!!! ummmmmmmmm!!!!!!
The weather here in Barcelona has been surprisingly similar to San Francisco, so the heat is going to be a major change. I cannot wait though!!! I have a feeling I am going to have a mystical moment at the pyramids!!! It just might be a full moon the day we go to the pyramids...and for anyone who knows me, you will know that a full moon in itself is dramatic for me. In a good way of course, but I just might combust into wonder mystic magic dream dust if I am in the ancient and bizarre world of pyramid nonsense during a full moon!!!!!! ahahahahaaa!!!!!!!!!!!! Jonathan is already bracing himself for my kookiness!!!!
As is par for the course, I am not ready to leave Barcelona yet. I think that I am going to feel that way every time we have to leave. I have been openly talking about our vacation home that we will have here some day!!!! Jonathan is humouring me, and says he will not burst my bubble. I just believe that the more I talk about something, the more likely it can be real!!!! And don't worry, you are all invited to visit in our gorgeous Barcelona apt someday!!
ok...
xoxoxoxooxoxox Alicia Claire

Esto es la vida.

This is the life, in my bad (but somehow improving), Spanish. It is most wonderful to finally be out of the US and on the road. Our stay in Spain so far has been super relaxing. Our friend´s Sarah and Josh are wonderful hosts and have a beautiful house (and back garden!) that is so cozy.

We spent yesterday in the small, narrow streets of the Gothic section and ended up at a cute little bar where I got to have a real Cuba Libre´ (actual Havana Club).

All the relaxing aside, those who also wish to go 'on tour' should remember that real life tends to follow you wherever you go. A fair amount of my time has also been spent getting hotels figured out, accounting for the rather alarming amount of money travel in the Euro zone requires, and dealing with off all things, health insurance nonsense for our US policies. A word to anyone planning a long trip, or carrying individual health insurance (read: not through an employer) - start the application process long before you need it.

One more piece of advice if going on the road for a long time: plan on having an at-home support crew. A monster, massive thanks to my parents who have been helping keep 'real life' in touch and organized for us via dealing with our snail mail and helping with banks, phone calls, etc... I´m not sure how I´d be relaxing without their help!

All said, being on the road is a dream and finally feels real. We feel very lucky every day we are getting up late, drinking tasty Spanish cafe´ solos, and wandering these super beautiful streets. More soon, including photos...

-Jonathan

Barcelona

I have said it before, and I will say it again...If I were to ever live in europe, Barcelona would be it. My past notions of the city have been reconfirmed. Beauty in forms functioning for me. Cobblestone streets leading through mazes of castle like proportions. Medieval doors tall enough for giants made of wood and steel opening to gardens and live music. Gelato dripping off the lips of urban fashionistas featuring sneaks and fierce haircuts. Dreadlocked boys loungeing playa side sipping cervasas and looking too cool. Cafe after lunch(dinner) at 3, followed by siesta..who doesnt need a siesta?? My bare legs and jesus sandals have taken me all over the city, and I cannot get enough. till next time...
xxoxo
Alicia Claire

Delightful

Hey!!! OK... so we finished all the Family visits... we carried on in Rochester, NY and got to see all my wild Herlehy Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Grandparents. We then drove to Boston and kicked it with my immediate family. I got a new tattoo from my Dadio, and rallied the entire bunch to go to my fav family dinner restaurant, The Chateau. The toasted raviolis were to die for!!! It was amazing getting to chill with my Mom, Dadio, Sean, his girlfriend Erin, Carolyn, and her boyfriend David Krungle, but I have to tell you, I do not miss Boston, and its boring business style!!! I could not wait to get to NYC for a lil' fashion and fabulousness!!! Not to mention, after stuffing our faces with too good food for the last three weeks (thanks to all our amazing family chefs!!!) we were looking forward to all the walking and stairs in train stations we would be dealing with here in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
I am love love loving New York as I always do, and have dreams of being here longer. Jonathan is amazing and putting up with all the dance parties, makeup and fashion nonsense that we have been relishing in!! We had our Second wedding anniversary on the third, and we went out to a stunning dinner!! He is my dreamman, and I feel too luck!!

ok... we leave tomorrow for Barcelona, and then its truly official!!!!!!!!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Alicia Claire