Prague

In January, my brother, David, and his wife, Sara, came to visit us in Vienna. They mustered up the courage to leave Taylor (my niece) at home, which allowed David and Sara (and us) to relax and enjoy a real vacation. I mean, can you imagine a 12 hour plane ride with a 2 yr old? There was really never a question as to whether or not they were bringing her. But still, the thought is a bit overwhelming. Thanks to Skype, they were able to talk to her each day (that is, when she was in the mood to talk to them), and the yellow duckie in some of the pictures were sent back to Taylor who had her own little duckie at home.


We spent the weekend in Prague, skied the Alps outside of Salzburg, and visited several places in Vienna (pictured above are the Opera House and the Sacher Hotel). It was miserably cold in Prague, but we managed to have a good time. We crammed QUITE a bit into the time they were here. Michael had other responsibilities for school, but I played 'tour guide' around the city. I think I saw more of the touristy attractions while they were here than I have seen on my own time. It's not as much fun to act like a tourist when you live in the city. Maybe it appeals to some people, but not me. However, I'm grateful they were enthusiastic about sight-seeing because it allowed me to become even more familiar with Vienna. Now, I'm better prepared for future visitors!

Adventures in Egypt

As you can see, we had a wonderful time visiting Ashley in Cairo. We laughed a lot and thoroughly enjoyed being with her and her friends. The language barrier takes on a whole new meaning when symbols are used, and you can't even begin to determine what the word is. Therefore, you rely heavily on pronunciation and pray that whomever it is you are speaking with will be able to understand you. We spent 10 days in Egypt, and, by the end of our trip, we felt comfortable enough to ride in a taxi without Ashley being with us. Just to clarify, she lives in Maadi, which is a suburb to Cairo. We knew our way around her neighborhood and how to get to church. So, when I say we took a taxi, I mean, we went within our familiar surroundings.


Description of pictures (starting top right): Mt. Sinai, Hiking up Mt. Sinai at 4 a.m., Giza pyramids, Floating on the Nile River in a felucca, Camel riding at Giza, Mt. Sinai, Me and Michael at Desert Fox-base camp at Sinai, Sunset picture on the way to Sinai, Man making alabaster, Alex-the camel, Panoramic view of Giza Pyramids.

Consider this an educational blog as well, since I will teach you the Arabic words we learned to love:

Right-Yimiin (ya-mean)
Left-Simaal (sha-mell)
Straight-alatool (a-la-tool)
Thank you-Sukran (show-chron)
Yes-Awya (Iowa)
No-La (la-ah)

Lastly, I leave you with this video of me and Michael riding Alex when we visited the pyramid. Ashley was kind enough to capture this moment for us, and she even provides some nice commentary to keep you entertained. Watching Michael "mount" the camel makes me laugh out loud; actually, we both laugh hysterically, and I'm so glad we were able to enjoy the trip together.