At Journey's End

While we were fortunate to pick up several souvenirs throughout our 8 month adventure, our most valuable treasures are the memories and friends we picked up along the way. Whenever possible, we tried to capture those moments and as a result, we wound up with approximately 20 000 photos. Here are 156 of our favorite.

Caught Up in Catalonia

We spent the remainder of our time on the road in the beautiful country of Spain, more specifically in the region of Catalonia, in the town of Moja. Friends who had previously lived at the home of Jono’s parents had invited us to stay with them for the duration of our time in Spain. We were picked up at the airport by Jordi, Carlos and Jessica, and were soon at the home of the Federico-Arnabats. We spent the first few days of our time in Spainish Catalonia at the house, just resting and enjoying the experience of “not living out of our backpacks”. We enjoyed delicious Spanish food as well as an extremely comfortable bed! A few days into our time in Spain, we took the train and made our way to the beautiful city of Barcelona. We, along with our friend Jordi, enjoyed a great day in the city. We saw some great sites, including the Ramblas, and we attended an interesting exhibit called “Bodies”. Here we were able to see real dead bodies, plasticisized, and cut open to view different parts of the human anatomy. Very interesting! Our next big outing in Spain was with Jordi’s parents, Nati and Carlos, who took us out of Moja to see the popular mountain range of Mount Serrat. Here we walked around a beautiful monastery and saw the famous virgin of Catalonia, La Moreneta. We were also lucky enough to see the former Presidents of Catalonia (Sr. Jordi Pujol). He was a President that the people love and he served in office for over 20 years! We made it up to the top of Mount Serrat, although we wimped out a bit and took the funicular up to the top (and back down again!). Our next trip was with Nati, and she took us to see Tarragona, an ancient city of Catalonia that is home to many things Romanesque, including the still intact Roman Aqueduct. We ended our tour of Tarragona early due to heavy rain, but we got to take a close look at the Mediterranean Sea and we really enjoyed the things we were able to see and do. The next day we were back in Barcelona, and with Nati once again. She was a wonderful tour guide, and even though she didn’t speak English and Amanda didn’t speak Spanish (or Catalan for that matter) they seemed to get on just fine together! We spent this day enjoying more of the sites of Barcelona, which included Barcelona’s most famous building, the Catholic Church called “La Sagrada Familia” (The Sacred Family). The Sagrada Familia is a church, designed by Antoni Gaudi, and has been in the works since 1882. It’s still not complete and might not be even before we die. It is extremely huge, and funded primarily by donations. Don’t miss it when in Barcelona! This day could have been called the “Gaudi Day”, as we spent the rest of the day touring around the city and seeing different buildings and creations that were all made by Gaudi. Some of the most impressive were the homes that he transformed, they are truly masterpieces!! We spent the rest of our days in Spain enjoying time with our friends. We spent one night in the beach city of Sitges, which would have been a paradise if it wasn’t December! (it still was pretty awesome though!). We spent more time in Moja, and some time touring the small city of Villa Franca. However, we didn’t have long to spend in Spain, and we soon found that our time had run out. On December 21, at 9 am, we boarded the first of three planes that would safely bring us back to Canadian soil. It had been an amazing trip, 8 months in total, but now it had come to an end. We were filled with mixed emotions as we boarded the plane and began to think about our adventure and what we would find ourselves into next!

Partying in Paris

After spending only a few short days on Spanish soil, we were once again in the air and heading towards the most romantic city in the world, Paris France. We arrived in Paris by noon, and were soon in the heart of the city at the quaint flat of our friends Celine and Guillaume. After a delicious helping of Ratatouille (excellently prepared from scratch by our friend Guillaume), we were out and about, exploring the City of Love. Our first stop was at the iconic Arc de Triomphe, a symbol of power and strength. From there we strolled down the street and caught our first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower, all lit up and glittering every now and then. We then made our way to the Louvre, one of the world's best and most elaborate museum. While inside we were able to see such masterpieces as the Mona Lisa (she wouldn't stop starring at us) and the ancient Greek statute, Venus de Milo. We spent a good few hours walking through the museum and still we weren't able to see it all. The neat thing about the Louvre was that the museum itself was almost as interesting as the pieces in it. It would take at least a week if you wanted to see all the exhibits! We left the museum and headed back to our friend's flat, and from there we headed for the evening. We spent the night celebrating Christmas, drinking French wine, eating French baguettes and pastries and just chatting with those around us. It was truly and authentic Parisian experience. The next day we were up early and out the door, heading toward the Eiffel Tower. We made it just in time to stand in line with all the other people, who thought that this clear sunny day would be the perfect day to go to the top. The line didn't last long, only about half an hour, and before we knew it, we were up at the very top of the Eiffel Tower (and freezing our mitts off!). The view from the very top was magnificent, as we could see all of Paris laid out before us. And because it was so clear, everything was so visible. We could see the Seine River, L'Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, as well as the Notre Dame Cathedral. It was a breathtaking sight, and we were glad that we did it. After taking many, many photos with the tower, we met up with our friends at Montmatre. We saw the Basilique du Sacre Coeur which is a famous church built on a hill overlooking Paris. We toured the church, and then headed out for a fabulous lunch together. On our way back from lunch we walked through the "shady" part of Paris, and we were able to see the Moulin Rouge (although we never saw Nicole Kidman or Ewan McGregor there). At this point we said goodbye to our friends and thanked them for a wonderful Parisian experience. We made our way to our last stop on our itinerary, the Notre Dame Cathedral, and were once again blown away by the beauty that was Notre Dame. From there we quickly hopped on the subway, a bus, and then on our plane back to Spain. Our weekend in Paris was a whirlwind, but we made the most of the time that we had, saw what we came to see, and made some new friendships along the way. Paris will always hold a special place in our hearts and we can't wait to return there once again someday!

Rome-ing Through Italy

We arrived in Rome, Italy, after a quick evening flight from Nairobi. Upon arrival at the airport, we were greeted by our Italian friend, Federico, who would be showing us around Rome, as well as a few other places in the country. Our first stop after immigration was to the centre of Rome, to Federico's apartment so that we could drop off our bags. From there we made our way into the heart of the "Eternal City" and began to look around. We spent the day on foot, and we were able to visit many piazzas, squares and churches. We had lunch at a great little restaurant, and were able to try some authentic Italian pasta (which Federico claimed would be the best pasta of our life)! We continued to wander around the streets of Rome, taking in the sights, and smells (yum!). We called it early that day, as we were exhausted from the previous night flight.The next morning we were up and out the door early, on our way to see the Vatican City. We arrived early and beat the line to climb up to the Cupola and were able to catch a fantastic view of the city. From there we made our way through the immense St. Peter's Basilica, and then down to the basement to see the tombs of the previous popes (including the newly renovated tomb of Pope John Paul II). After lunch we wandered around the city some more, until it was at last, time for dinner. We made our way to the ¨funny¨ part of the city (as our friend calls it) and ate the most delicious authentic Italian pizza.The next morning we were up early again, this time with a purpose. We made our way back to the Vatican city, just in time to hear the benediction from the pope. He addressed the crowd in many languages, including Italian, French, Spanish, English, German, Portuguese, (and I think... Polish) and wished us all a merry Christmas and a great 2008. Our final day in Rome was spent in the Vatican museums, where we saw some of the most amazing artwork, including the Sistine Chapel, that is host to the painting "Creation" by Michelangelo, fantastic!! That night we headed out of Rome by train, to the Tuscan city of Florence. Upon arriving we found a place to drop our bags, and then grabbed some grub! In the morning we were out and about on a walking tour of the city. This specific tour was a historical walking tour, and our guide was very good at pointing out many of the important sites and explaining their significances. We saw the Medici home (the most important family in Florence at the time) the academia of art (where many of the great masters of art studied and taught), and the impressive cathedral which is located in the centre of town. After the tour we went to the academia of art, to see one of the most famous sculptures ever to be made; Michelangelo's "David". We learned just how important Florence was as we went to the Uffizi Gallery and saw statues of some of the greatest names in art, literature, and even science. We were lucky to be in Italy at this time of year, as we never had to wait in lines anywhere. We were in and out without any problem. During our stay in Florence, we decided to take a short day trip (only about an hour by train) to the city of Pisa. There wasn't much to see there, except the famous leaning tower. We snapped our photos, snagged some lunch, and then we were out of there, and back to Florence for a final evening. We left Florence by train, and made our way to the fashion capital of Italy; Milan. Here we met once again with our friend Federico, who had been studying for exams, and crashed for the night in his apartment. The next day we saw the sights of Milan, including the Duomo (which is the largest Gothic church in the world), as well as a great Christmas market and what might be the most expensive street in the world, Via Monte Napoleone. We spent a second night with Federico and his family, and had a great time in Milan. Early the next morning we were up and on our final Italian train. We traveled three hours to the famous floating city of Venice. Although the weather wasn´t as great as we had hoped for (like in previous cities in Italy) we still had a wonderful and romantic time in Venice. We got lost over and over (how can you not?) but always found something to interest us. From carnival masks to gondola boats, Venice was an amazing city to see. We saw the famous sights, which included Piazza San Marco and many churches, and enjoyed the feeling that comes with being on the streets of Venice. Our time in Italy was amazing, but like all good things it had to come to an end at some point. So, after 11 days, with our packs on our backs, we once again found ourselves in an airport. This time we were´t heading far our next European destination was just around the corner.

Masai Mara Memories

We spent the next three weeks in Kenya in the same fashion as the first. As such, we spent our days working at the Children´s Garden, helping out in the school as well as in the home. We also helped the children prepare for their exams, and we marked the exams when they were finished writing them. During our second week, we said goodbye to Diane and Alicia, who headed back to Canada after spending almost four weeks in Kenya at Children´s Garden. We were sad to see them go, but we were happy that we still had a longer time to enjoy with the children. At the end of our third week, it was time to party. Amanda was celebrating her 24th birthday, so Jono decided to treat her to something special. The two of us, along with our friend Thomas, another volunteer, and 4 older students from the home, headed out on another wildlife safari. This time we were heading 4 hours south, towards the Tanzanian border, to the Masai Mara. The Masai Mara, which is home to the Serengeti plains, is one of Kenya´s biggest game parks and is often heralded as the best place to spot wildlife in their natural habitat. The seven of us left early on Friday morning to see what adventures lay ahead. After the long and tiring safari car ride (which broke down several times along the way) we arrived at the Masai Mara game park. We stopped for a brief lunch at the side of the road (another breakdown) and we were soon joined by a troop of 3 Masai Warriors (spears in hand) who were amused and bewildered as they saw us eat packaged foods and other picnic-type snacks. After failing to get the car going again, a “Good Samaritan” towed us to the place where we would be camping for the next few days. Then after a quick rest we were able to get the engine up and running and we were off for an adventure in the park and looking for animals. It wasn’t long before we found what we were looking for. Out of van windows, we could see; zebras, buffalos, gazelles and impalas and before we knew it, we found ourselves eye to eye with the ultimate king of the jungle. A beautiful male lion was right next to our safari car. It was amazing to see and we couldn’t believe how incredibly close it was. As the windows were quite open, it could have easily climbed its way into the vehicle. It was excitement and anxiety all twirled together at once. After seeing a few more exciting animals, we called it quits for the evening. We headed back to our campsite (yes, we were camping in the game park!! But don´t worry, we were “protected” by a 7 foot fence on 3 sides of the campground. The next morning we were up early and back in the game park hunting for animals. We were lucky to see a whole pride of lions, wildebeests, zebras, ostriches, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, a few herds of elephants, and we were even lucky enough to catch a rare glimpse of lions mating! The day was successful, and Amanda had one of her best birthdays yet! Our fourth and final week at Children´s Garden was spent with the children and enjoying our last moments together. Since the children were finished their exams and had free time, we, along with Thomas, helped them practice for their Christmas Nativity play (which was even written by Thomas himself). We had a great time doing it, and only wished that we could stay longer to see it all at the final production. The day that we were set to leave was a sad one, as we had come to know and love so many of these children. Before we headed out we had a goodbye party, where the children sang and danced for us, and made us promise to come back and see them (and we really hope to do so again soon!). We even had a goat for dinner, and we all ate it together as a farewell dinner as we gave out our final hugs and goodbyes. At nine pm, the director, Moses, drove us back to the same airport that he had picked us up from one month earlier. We said our goodbyes and we were once again back on the road, headed for new places and new experiences.

Krazyness in Kenya

We arrived in Kenya at five am after a short and easy plane ride from Cairo. We were greeted at the airport by Jono's Aunt Diane and Moses Ndungu, the director of Children's Garden, the home and school that we would be living and working at for the next four weeks. After hugs and hellos, we were in the car, heading to the Kawangware slums, just outside of Nairobi. As soon as we arrived, even though it was so early, we were greeted by smiling children and some of the workers at the center. We wasted no time in getting to know the children, the workers and the teachers at Childrens Garden. Our first week there was spent learning the ropes. We had it easy though, because Jono's Aunt and our friend Alicia Labelle, had already been at Childrens Garden for the past 2 weeks. They gave us insight to what we should be doing. We spent our time with the children in school, teaching them songs and guitar, working in the house, reading together, and just hanging out. Also, during our first week we were lucky enough to go on Safari to Lake Nakuru, about three hours away from Nairobi. We went with Aunt Diane, Alicia, and five of the students from the home. We left for our safari early in the morning, and by ten am we were in the park looking for animals. We were able to see many animals, including a rare white rhino, before lunch time. At lunch, while eating our sandwiches, we were attacked by baboons, who were set on taking our well prepared lunch and eating it. As the baboon attacked, the nine of us screamed and ran back to the van. However, our driver, who thought this was hilarious, just sat there and laughed. We urged him to go, but he wouldn't budge, at least not until the largest one was in front of us and threatening us to jump into our van through the roof! Finally, our driver sped away, and we were back to looking for animals. That day, we saw flamingos, baboons, hyenas, giraffes, monkeys, gazelles and impalas. On the whole, it was a great safari. That week we also took a small trip just outside of Nairobi, to see the Bomas of Kenya. The Bomas is a show put on to showcase different dances from the different tribes of Kenya. We went with Alicia, and two students from the home. We enjoyed the dances, even though the atmosphere wasn't the greatest. After the dances, we were able to walk around the compound, and see how the different tribes lived and what life was like for them. We had no trouble settling in to what would be our new home for the next couple of weeks and we found that it was a place that we were surrounded by smiles and greeted with warm hearts. Meet the faces of Children's Garden.

Entering Into Egypt

We arrived in Egypt after a late night ferry trip across the Red Sea. From the ferry port, we taxied it down to the beautiful beach destination of Dahab. We spent our day in Dahab laying around the beach, as well as snorkeling in the Red Sea. We were able to see some incredible things while snorkeling, including lion fish, clown fish, stunning corals and anemones. That night, instead of catching up on some much needed sleep, we chose to drive two hours out of Dahab to the Mount Sinai (the biblical mountain where moses met God, heard from the burning bush, and received the Ten Commandments). We arrived there at 2 am and we started to make our way up the mountain. It was a cold and long journey up, but after a few hours we were at the top and we were able to see one of the most beautiful sunrises ever, over the distant range of mountains. On our way down, we stopped at St. Catharine's Monastery, where we saw a large bush which is believed to be the same type of bush that Moses would have encountered on the mountain (but no, it wasn't burning). We arrived back in Dahab by noon, and spent the rest of the day in the same fashion as the day before. We enjoyed the beach, and snorkeled until we couldn't snorkel any more. That evening, we caught the late night bus out of Dahab, heading towards the Egyptian capital of Cairo. It was a long way (about 10 hours), but we were so exhausted from the previous few nights without any sleep, that we slept through the entire bus ride! We arrived in Cairo early the next morning, and dropped our bags off at the train station. We picked up our tickets for the night train to Aswan and than headed out to explore Cairo. Our first stop was at the Egyptian Museum, where we were able to see the worlds largest display of Egyptian artifacts. The museum housed some truly amazing pieces, including mummies of various pharaohs (and their animals), burial urns, statues, ancient artifacts, jewelry, and, what we found to be most impressive, King Tut's burial mask. We spent a few hours in the museum, but as our time was limited, we had to move on. We hopped on the subway to get to our next stop, which was an area called Giza, to see the Sphinx and the Pyramids. As soon as we arrived we were blown away by the sights that were before us. The Sphinx and the Pyramids, being thousands of years old, were right next to us and we could even touch them! We got our photos, and Jono and Mike even made their way inside one of the Pyramids (and even into the stone burial pit). We hung around at a local restaurant overlooking the Pyramids to watch the sound and light show that is put on every night. It was a bit cheesy (it was also in German which didn't help) but the Pyramids looked great all lit up! It was back on the road for us that night, as we boarded the night 12 hour night train headed for Aswan, which is in the south of Egypt. We arrived by noon the next morning and were thrilled to have a place to lay our heads and drop our bags. We spent the day riding up and down the Nile on a felucca, as well as taking in the sights and tastes of Aswan. We headed to sleep early that night, only to be woken earlier than ever desired. At 3 am our hotel gave us our wake up call, and half an hour later we were in a mini bus, in a convoy, headed for the site of Abu Simbel. About three hours later we arrived at our destination (along with a thousand other people who were a part of our convoy!). We had made it to the ancient sight of Abu Simbel, a breathtaking temple made by Ramses, which was not far from the border of Egypt and Sudan. The temples were spectacular on the outside, and just as great on the inside. The hieroglyphs were well preserved, and the only downfall was that we couldn't take any photos inside. From Abu Simbel, we traveled back to Aswan, and spent the rest of the day resting and enjoying ourselves. That night we jumped on the train again, this time only for three hours, and made our way north to the city of Luxor. Here we spent the night, and the rest of the following day. Although we were short on time and didn't get to see everything (Luxor is home to both the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, where the kings and queens of the past were buried), we decided to explore Luxor's Eastern Bank. However, we were able to check out the impressive Temple of Karnak as well as the Luxor Temple. We were even able to see the Luxor Temple lit up at night before we headed back on the road. That night we took the night bus back to Cairo, as we all had to catch our flights out of Egypt the following evening. We arrived in Cairo and were so exhausted from the weeks adventures, that we rented a hotel room for the afternoon and caught up on a few hours of sleep!!! After we felt rested enough, we went out for a final dinner together, and than it was off to the airport. We parted ways here, as Mike was flying back to Canada, and we were flying further into the heart of Africa.

http://jonoandamanda-main.local/slideshow-jnawa-027-egypt/