Iceland

So, I'm waiting for my shuttle to take me to the airport and I notice the sign for the WC... (that's toilet or restroom for those of you not in the know...) and I just started cracking up... Subtle, don't you think?

Overall, while my stay here has been brief, I have had a good time.  Memories last a lifetime, so they say.  I enjoyed my geology class back at SJSU, and it definitely came in handy while I was here.

Iceland was basically created from the volcanos - there are vast areas that are just lava wastelands... and then of course there are the tectonic plates in action too...  The natural wonders that are then created from it, are amazing...  I totally recommend the sites of the Golden Circle to anyone that is visiting Iceland.  That would be Geysir, Gullfoss, & Pengviller.

The only thing I have to say that could be taken as negative is that everything is EXPENSIVE... it's understandable considering the population of the whole country is only 320,000... and they have to pretty much import most things... so the cost is just passed on down the line, but wowzers... $20 for a personal sized pizza...!!

I posted photos on Facebook, but here is a video I took at Geysir...

Anyway, next stop Ireland... via London to pick up Emily... Good times ahead, people... good times ahead.

World Trade Center - Ten Years On

So, I'm taking a break for lunch... and contemplation.. I just finished walking around Lower Manhattan, which included the former site of the twin towers and the construction of the new tower and memorial site. It made me think of when I visited the towers back in 1998.  Here are a couple of pics from that visit..

From the ground looking up

 And from the observation tower looking down

And then me on top... (before anyone comments & freaks out, it wasn't the edge... it just looks that way)

Today it's a very different site... the tower is supposed to be finished for 2013 (it's going to be 104 stories, and it's about halfway there in this pic), and the memorial is supposed to open in a couple of weeks (9/11). 

All up, I think this site makes you feel mixed emotions.  On one hand you think about what can make people do such crazy things? Then at the same time you feel wonder at the idea of all the people who were running away from the disaster, while there were some who were running in.  As the memorial states for the 343 lost firemen, "All gave some... some gave all..."  

Makes you appreciate life that little bit more... Much love to you all...

Adventures Begin

Well, I thought I would start a blog for my travels over the next few months... I hope to get on as much as I can to share some of the fun (and hopefully funny) stuff that happens... I will still post things on Facebook, but that doesn't enable me to tell the whole story... and we all know I love to talk... :)

I'm starting this blog in New York City... I'm on Fifth Avenue outside the Apple Store.  I was really looking forward to capturing a picture of the cube... of course, it wasn't possible.  They are deciding to replace the 90 panes of glass with 15 large ones... Typical....  Here's how it looks today...

Anyway, I guess I'll just have to return to the Big Apple if I want to see the glass cube...

And now I'm off to continue the people watching in Central Park...