Our Tao Wedding Album

January 7^th, 2012

Last night Jim and I had our Tao wedding ceremony. I was very hesitant to go through with this since I take marriage so seriously and the Tao…not so much. As soon as I got fitted for my wedding costume I started to change my attitude. First, because I was realizing how much expense and effort Master Chia, Vue, and all of his staff were putting into the event and second, because I love to dress up! Okay, dressing up might have come first, but anyway…..;-)

 

Jim gets fitted for the wedding

The outfits were a mix of traditions between China and India. These dressings are used in the region where China and India share a border. It was pretty much a whole lot of fabric that was wrapped around me and some ornamental jewelry. It was the details that gave me the ‘wow factor’. The intricate patterns on the fabric were woven with gold thread. The accessories were covered in tiny ‘gemstones’ that would catch the light in a very impressive manner.

Chloe gets ready with some assistance.

Staff members at Master Chia's house enjoy helping Chloe get ready.

The ceremony hall was decorated with several floral arrangements. Some were small while others were very large. Some were so big that the vases that housed them were as tall as Chloe.

The aisle view of the wedding hall

 

The room itself was the shape of an octagon. In the center of the room was a carpet with the Pa-kua on it. (For more information about the Pa-kua visit: http://www.pakua.org/symbol/symbol.htm) Chairs were set up along all the walls so we were in the center surrounded by our guests.

When it was time to start the ceremony, Jim and I made our way from the entrance down a small aisle lined with flower arrangements. We took our places on the Pa-kua carpet and Chloe sat on the carpet too.

Jim, Myself and Chloe sit during the ceremony.

 

Jim and I each lit four candles to total eight…one on each side of the Pa-kua. Then Jim lit a candle inside a specially shaped vase. After he lit the candle, I placed a bowl of water over the flame in the vase. After a few minutes the fire and water make steam.

Jim & I light candles around the Pa-kua.

A closer look as I light the candles.

 

Master Chia spoke a lot about being united in the Tao. He invited all the guests to stand and surround us more closely. The guests then the guests walked together in circles around us while chanting and ‘sending’ us their warm blessings.  I could actually, physically feel this part. Their energy pulsed and I could FEEL it. Afterwards, Jim told me he felt the pulsing energy as well.

Energy pulses around us as guests pray for our best life together.

For the finale, Master Chia preformed a sword demonstration around the Pa-kua to seal our marriage.

A sword demonstration by Master Chia.

 

At last! We were married! Again. J

Me, Asher, Jim & Chloe pose after the ceremony.

After the ceremony, there was a big feast in the dining hall. We also had music and even a wedding cake!

When we retired to our room there was a huge heart on our bed made out of rose petals.

It’s amazing that we are lucky enough to have someone who would do all of this for us!

Master Chia and Tao Garden have given us a lot of very precious memories.

After some very early morning good-byes, we are off to Bali.

My butt is HUGE is Asia!

January 4^th, 2012

Yesterday was a VERY BUSY day!

First, we went to the elephant camp. Right away, we hopped on some elephants and went for a ride. It was a good thing we were able to get right on. Otherwise, I’m not sure Chloe would have gone for it. But, there were no lines so we were on in the blink of an eye and Chloe was very relaxed. Throughout the entire ride she kept saying “This is so fun!” and “That’s a nice elephant!”

After the ride we watched the show. The elephants kicked soccer balls INTO nets! They played harmonicas, danced and did other tricks.

My favorite part was when they painted. The elephant in front of our section of the audience was doing so well that we decided that we wanted to buy the painting. Master Chia went to ask them about it and before the elephant was even finished he made them an offer. They accepted and before the paint even dried there were disappointed audience members. They wanted the painting too. But, it was ours! Some of these elephants can paint better than me!!!!

Original Elephant Artwork!

We got to feed and play with the elephants after the show. I loved this part but Chloe had some serious reservations. She would not give bananas or money directly to the elephants. Instead, she would set the items on the ground in front of them. At least she tried to be a good sport. She showed interest and she did not cry once!

 

Next stop was Tiger Kingdom. You buy tickets for the size tiger you want to pet. The options were smallest, small, medium and “Big”. You could also pay extra to get a photographer to capture your experience. Master Chia, Vue and their kids as well as Jim, Myself and our kids all went into the “smallest” tiger cage. The cage itself was not small at all…but the little kittens inside were not too big. They were sooooo cute!!!! The kids got to pet them and lay down and cuddle them and hold their paws! We adults could not resist a turn with the cubs and we got the photographer to catch all the cuddly photo-ops. I’m so glad we did! The pictures are incredible!

Asher plays with a baby tiger

Master Chia and Vue’s nephew Max also went with us for the adventure. Even though he is a small 10 year old, he was very brave and went with the men to pose with the “Big” tiger!

After the tigers it was time for the crocodile farm. At this point, Asher had decided that he had enough fun. So, I waited in the van with my baby boy as he napped while everyone else went to see the crocs. I didn’t mind. I wasn’t really interested in the crocodile show anyway. When the rest of our group joined Asher and I in the van they told me that Chloe sat on the back of a crocodile!!! Um, they are lucky I was in the van!!!

Chloe gets on the croc!

 

After such an exciting day it was time to go home, have dinner and get to bed!

Today, Jim and I spent our first day alone together. Funny really, since this IS our honeymoon.

I got to choose the activity so naturally, we went shopping and had ice cream. The kids stayed behind at Tao Garden with Master Chia’s housekeepers/Nannies. Jim and I visited the market a Starbucks and the mall.

It had been a long time since my last Starbucks!

 

I was able to get some clothes at the mall. At home, I am pretty steady large top and medium to large bottom. Here in Thailand, I range from XL to XXXL in pretty much everything! And they don’t carry shoes large enough to fit me in ANY of the stores we went to. This issue did not phase me. I’m a shopper! So, I shopped! And I had a blast!!!

Posing with a friendly shopkeeper!

Happy New Year & Bloody Oxygen!

December 30, 2011

A nice young girl from Tao Garden met us at the airport in Chiang Mai. Her name was Pern and she loves kids. Good thing too! Because we just so happened to bring a couple of them with us.

She and the driver loaded all of our luggage into the Tao Garden van and we drove to the wellness resort.

The owner is Mantek Chia. Since he is a master instructor in the Tao he is often referred to as Master Chia.  We are guests in his home during this visit. His house rests on the “back side” of the resort property.  When Master Chia and his girlfriend Vue visit Oregon, we host them so Master Chia wanted to reciprocate.

Tao Garden has grown so much since I was here four years ago. There’s new buildings, a new pool and plenty of guests to use it all. As we were driving to the resort I noticed that the city of Chiang Mai has also grown a lot. There’s a new freeway, shopping malls (huge ones) and of course, they were all busy with tons of people.

The staff at Tao Garden has helped make our stay so far extremely pleasant. Pern has made it her personal mission to make sure things go smoothly for us. She took the kids during some mealtimes so that Jim and I could eat….gasp!...while sitting down! She watched them while Jim and I had our consultations at the health center. The staff at Master Chia’s house has been doing our laundry every single day. There were fresh flowers in our room. They deliver fresh fruit to our room every morning.

Even if we weren’t guests of the owner, Tao Garden is still a great place to visit. It’s clean, quiet and the meals are included. Most of the food in the dining hall is grown organically here on the property. They don’t use msg in anything and you always have the option to drink alkaline water with your meals.

The health center takes a natural, holistic approach to keeping people well. In western medicine, when you get your blood drawn, it sits in a vile and gets shipped off somewhere for examination. Or it might at least sit in the office for a while until someone “qualified” has a moment to “look” at it. At Tao Garden, they prick your finger and smear a tiny drop of blood onto a slide. Then they put the slide under the microscope right then and there! The blood is still alive when they look at it so they can actually study its “behavior”. In the U.S. clinical workers are investigating your dead cells.

After your live blood analysis, urinalysis and vitals, you’re given a treatment plan. This plan might be to resolve issues or it could be maintenance. That’s the basic exam but they also have tools to analyze what’s going on inside your brain as well other more intense options.

Tao Garden has a physical therapist, a spa, doctors, colon hydrotherapy, classes on Tai Chi as well as other “Tao” subjects. They host cooking classes and various workshops. Did I mention you can get dental work done here?

The property is full of walkways, gardens, water features and art. It really is a relaxing place to be.

Master Chia’s own children came today and they got along very well with Chloe and Asher but especially Chloe. Asher spends most of his time riding in the Ergo attached to me so it makes playtime with other children a little less frequent. Mantek (Jr.) is four and Ming Ming is seven. Ming has been Chloe’s sidekick all day. We went shopping and the girls got matching fairy wing and wand sets. They were so cute “fluttering” around between the shops together.

Before this visit, I had a hard time appreciating and connecting with Master Chia (and even Vue) but today has helped me with that. Seeing someone interact with their children can tell you a lot about them.

I have been learning about Master Chia fighting the “burning movement” in his area. (For more information on deforestation visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestation_in_Indonesia )  He donates to local charities and he is very generous with his employees. Most impressive of all, I got to see him as a doting dad. He loves his children very much! I honestly didn’t know that before. Now, I have no doubt.

Since Jim and I started dating, he has tried to pretty much force the Tao on me. Because of his tactics, I have had a hard time getting to know some of the people who have helped Jim with his practice. Time….as well as this particular trip to Tao Garden, have helped me give these people a “fair shake”. I’m so happy we came!

 

January 2^nd, 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

To celebrate New Year’s Eve, Tao Garden had a party in the dining hall. There were traditional Thai dancers performing and there were items on the buffet that were not usually available in the dining hall. Roast duck is one example. Oh!  And Chocolate cake!

Toward the end of the party they had everybody write a wish down on a sticky note. Then the staff lit several paper lanterns and the guests stuck all their wishes to them. The lanterns were much larger than I expected. They are made of heavy tissue paper. After everyone ‘stuck’ their wishes to the laterns they were realeased, one by one, into the night sky. They float very high and there’s a point where you could easily confuse a lantern for a star. It was so beautiful. Imagine! That for one night, you could add stars into your sky!

 

After the lanterns were all released there was dancing. The kids (Chloe, Asher, Mantek, Ming ming and a few other visiting children) all went wild dancing and popping balloons. It was a pretty eventful night for the little ones so we went to bed shortly after the last balloon popped.

 

The treatments at Tao Garden are ‘alternative’ to say the least. First, you stop by the wellness clinic to give blood and some urine. You must ‘fast’ the evening before you do this. They like the samples first thing in the morning. It takes just a tint drop of blood and they put it on a slide immediately while you are sitting right there watching. No mystery labs here! They want to see your blood cells while they are still alive. They took a few images of our (mine and Jim’s) blood cells. Armed with the results from our blood and urine analysis (they also take height, weight and vitals) we were ready for our consultations.

Jim’s cells looked good. They saw a little bit of plaque and his cholesterol was a little bit high (which we expected) but overall, he looked very healthy.

My blood, however, had issues. It was so stuck together that they couldn’t even see if there was any plaque or other issues. They said I need more water and that I need to improve my circulation.

This is the part where I really feel like I have been let down by Western medicine. First of all, I’m pretty sure my doctor has NEVER examined the BEHAVIOR of my blood. When Western doctors want blood they take a vile, not a tiny drop. Had a Western doctor examined me that day, I’m pretty sure they would have told me that I’m perfectly fine and I’m just tired all the time because I have two young kids. Ugh….I digress….let me tell you why, exactly I felt betrayed by Western medicine at that very moment…

I told my doctor (who I adore by the way) that I thought I had poor circulation. She said “why do you think that?” I said “I’m tired all the time, by limbs go numb slightly more often than I think is normal….and I just have this gut feeling that I need to improve my circulation.” Without any further examination she tells me not to worry. My circulation is fine. Why? Because I am too young for any circulation issues. Huh…..well that’s the answer then is it? I just think it’s funny that without mentioning anything about circulation to Tao Garden…..that’s what they find. Even though I am young. The exact thing I asked my doctor about.

In Western medicine, I think we focus on treating ailments of people who are already sick. Here at Tao Garden, they look for any root problems that could lead to illness and help you find natural solutions before they actually turn into illness. That is real preventative medicine.

The treatment plan they gave me at Tao Garden may sound a little freaky to some people but I am here to tell you, it only lasted a few days….and I am just fine.

The first thing I did is called ‘blood ozone’. Have you ever donated plasma? Well, if you have, you know that they take your blood out, remove the plasma and then give you your (now plasma-free) blood back. Well, for the blood ozone treatment, they remove some of your blood (MUCH less than the plasma people take) then they add a mixture of 95% O2 and 5% O3 to the bag with your blood in it. They mix it all up in the bag….and give it all back to you. The blood mixed with the gas is much lighter in color because it is oxygenated. The whole process, including the 10 minutes of rest, took about a half an hour.

My next treatment was Chi Nei Tsang. This is an abdominal massage. I have had them before. One was at Tao Garden a few years ago. This massage is especially helpful for women. Women have a tendency to carry stress in their abdomen. If you ever had stomach problems at a stressful time in your life, you know what I am talking about. When I get Chi Nei Tsang at Tao Garden I feel a tremendous emotional release. I walk out of the room smiling, with a new set of eyes.

Most good things come at a price. Chi Nei Tsang can be life changing but it can also be an extremely painful process. The first time I ever had Chi Nei Tsang, I cried….no…I blubbered and whimpered and bawled. But I let them finish the massage and I’m so glad I did! It changed my life!

This time around, Chi Nei Tsang was much easier than the first time, but it still wasn’t easy. And again, I felt great afterwards.

Other than emotional tension, Chi Nei Tsang can help get your bowels moving and it releases A LOT of toxins. You must drink plenty of water after Chi Nei Tsang so you can flush the released toxins out rather than re-absorbing them.

I also spent a half hour in an infrared sauna. This was supposed to be very beneficial to my circulation. I have to be honest. I didn’t really like this one. I can barely sit in a hot tub so I figured I had no business being in a sauna. But, what the heck! I tried it!

Finally, I got a couple colonics. I have had colon hydrotherapy before and I highly recommend it. I won’t go into detail about this one for obvious reasons. I do think that Tao Garden has much better follow up than other places. As soon as you are done, there is a tray waiting for you with broth, papaya, herbs, and water. When I get a colonic in Portland, all that’s waiting is the bill.

I had my blood re-checked this morning. It’s only been two and a half days and my blood looks completely different.

I hope that people, in general, start taking a more proactive approach to their health. I wish we had a Tao Garden in Portland but even if we did, it wouldn’t be the same because half the treatments would be illegal. My humble opinion…it’s illegal because it’s preventative medicine that works and doesn’t use expensive drugs.

Machine guns on Christmas

12-29-2011

Wow! I am so behind! It is hard to keep up with a journal while traveling with two babies. But, I think it will be worth it. Christmas was AMAZING! Being in Israel was a little tough when I’m used to being surrounded by decorated trees and carols. This is my favorite time of year and I really missed it. But again…trade-offs!
On Christmas Day the kids opened up their presents from their Aunt Bobbie and Grandma Jo-Anne. They also opened the gifts from Brother Timothy. After gifts and breakfast, we drove to Bethlehem.
Bethlehem is currently part of the West Bank (Palestine). It’s really interesting to be there as an American who is free to cross the border while the locals cannot. The city is surrounded by 26 foot walls to make sure that Israeli people don’t enter Palestine and Palestinians don’t enter Israel. But remember, the city is surrounded by Israel on all sides. These people are more or less trapped in their own city.
Right before you take the turn to enter Bethlehem there is a line of taxis and busses and cars on the side of the road. People were standing outside the vehicles shouting and smoking and waving their arms at each other. We wondered if something was going on that would prevent us from entering Bethlehem. I got out of the car and spoke to a taxi driver. “Is this Bethlehem? Can we go there” I asked as I pointed.

“Where are you from?”

“United States.”

“Yes, you can go but you can’t drive.” I was about to believe him until… “Why is that?”

“You don’t have the right insurance. But I can take you! I can give you a tour and everything!”

I got back in the car and told Jim to drive us to the checkpoint.

At the checkpoint a woman handed us two packages of candies and treats. There was one for each child. She greeted us with a smile and said “Merry Christmas!”

She was standing right next to soldiers with machine guns. You should have seen our faces. We must have looked so very confused. Nonetheless, confused as we were by all the commotion, we still felt very welcome as we entered the city walls.

The city of Bethlehem is crumbling. Many buildings are just piles of rubble. Some are still (barely) standing while others are literally a pile of rocks and rebar. Right next to some of these piles we found a sign that read “Welcome to Bethlehem!” Jim got out to take a picture of the sign and met another opportunist. This time, we went for it. He was to take us into the city and show us where we could buy rosaries to be blessed at the church of the nativity and then take us to that church. We followed his car through the town. Most roads were less than one lane and made of stones. They were more like large walkways than streets but the cars used them anyway.

The man had a parking spot saved for his next customer. This actually proved VERY handy! Bethlehem is very busy on Christmas.

As I try to describe this city and its failure to thrive, its tiny stone streets, its food carts, the shops….I think to myself “these are only words”. I don’t know how I could possibly help you “feel” Bethlehem. That’s what this place deserves. So I hope that anyone who can….will visit this place at least once in their lives so they can “feel” it for themselves.

We paked the car in the space reserved for us and walked to a restaurant for some lunch. We ate chicken on a stick, salad, hummus and pita bread.  After lunch we went to the shop for the rosaries. Now we could walk to The Church of The Nativity. It’s actually more like three churches rather than one. The Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic all have use of the church. The Church of The Nativity is the oldest church still holding services. Most of the doorways from the outside going in are very small. This is so people must bend down or “bow” (in reverence) upon entering.

The entrance to the Church of The Nativity is small so you must bow in reverence.

The place of Jesus’ birth was part of the Greek Orthodox section. It’s funny because I always had this vision (I figure I’m not the only Westerner) that Jesus was born outside in a barn. It’s actually more like a cave. It’s warm and it’s dry too!

It was difficult to see everything in the cave because there were so many people. There were monks moving people through and they were not allowing photographs. The location of the birth is marked by a silver star on the floor. The star has 14 points and the slab of floor it sits on is marble. Above the star are several silver “lamps”.

Photo op in front of a display in the Church of The Nativity

The line to get into the cave was very long so after visiting the cave and later putting Holy water on our rosaries, our day was pretty much over. We headed back to Tel Aviv without any more attractions on Christmas Day.

The next day, we did a very minimal walk through of the old city of Jerusalem. The main attraction was The Western “wailing” Wall. We wrote our prayers out ahead of time according to the suggestions of other tourists we had met in our hotel.

Up close at the Western Wall

The men and women are separated at the wall. The women’s side is much smaller than the men’s and the women are asked to cover their heads. (Mostly for married women) It was difficult to get to the wall it was extremely crowded.  I finally secured a spot at the wall and put my prayers on a ledge of the wall. Since you are not supposed to turn your back on the wall, I carried Chloe and walked backwards most of the way back to mine and Jim’s meeting spot. Apparently he had been waiting a while since it was so much easier for the men to get up to their (much larger) portion of the wall.

The men are on the left and women to the right. The umbrellas show where it is divided. The men's side is actually so large it did not fit in the photo.

Our next stop in the old city was the Church of The Holy Sepulchre. This church claims to mark the place where Jesus died and also rose from the dead. It was a bit of a walk from the Western Wall. On the way we passed hundreds of shops, restaurants and carts. There were people everywhere. Some were smoking. I don’t know why I was so surprised by this but I was. There were also bars. We walked some of the same steps that Jesus did when he carried the cross to his death. After visiting the sacred locations within the old city of Jerusalem (other than the wall itself), I felt like the whole experience was much more historical than holy. There was no reverence whatsoever and that had a lot to do with how I felt about everything.

Unfortunately I don’t have enough time to fully describe everything we saw in Jerusalem. My highlight of Israel was definitely the manger. We actually paid the manger a second visit so that we could have more time and photos.

I think a person needs a good two weeks to really see Israel and Bethlehem. We only had five days and we spent the first two sleeping. It was Shabbat anyway when we got there so not much was open or going on. My biggest surprise in Israel….the wine!

Sometimes toddlers are just done walking...DONE!

The next leg of our journey included an eight hour layover in Paris. We left the airport to have lunch near the Eiffel Tower. It was pretty much the worst lunch ever! Not only was the food just “okay” but the kids just couldn’t handle the crowded restaurant and Mommy just couldn’t handle the kids! It was actually the “lunch from Hell”. Chloe kept pouring water everywhere (including another Patron’s leather jacket) and ended up breaking a glass. Paris was not meant for children! At least not my fun-loving, American “angels”. Oh wait! There was one exception! Across from the Eiffel Tower there was a carousel. Chloe rode it at least four times before we had to drag her away….screaming….literally.

Lame lunch in Paris!

Chloe in front of the Eiffel Tower

Eleven hours in the air took us to Bangkok where we switched planes to fly to Chiang Mai. Jim left his camera on the plane that took us from Paris. We had all kinds of irreplaceable pictures on that camera. We had a picture of Chloe kissing the silver star where Jesus was born…on that camera. It’s gone now. Oh well. At least we were there.

The drive from the Chiang Mai airport to Tao Garden was very interesting to me. I was here four years ago and this area has grown A LOT since then! Jim was just here a year or two ago and he says that there is a big difference from then too! Freeways, shopping malls, the works!

Tao Garden is off the beaten path. It’s such a breath of fresh air. Both figuratively and literally.

This lady was a raisin with white hair!

12-23-2011

Well, I have to sum up Greece before I fall too far behind in this journal. I just want to share my absolute favorite experience that I was lucky enough to take from Greece.

We visited during the off season so, especially on Santorini, there’s really not that much going on. It’s a small island too so, with a rental car, a lot can be covered in a day.

As we were driving around with no particular plan, Jim and I saw a large stone building on top of the highest point on the island. We wanted to know what it was so we drove up the mountain. I was impressed that we could point to a place in the distance and my husband Jim could find it.

It was a monastery! The Elias Monastery is like a fortress. Walls surround all sides. The only thing open when we first got there was a tiny chapel located on an exterior wall. Of course I had to climb the crumbling staircase and enter the tiny stone room to light a candle or two.

Outside the main gate there was a sign that said service was at 17:00 on Wednesdays and Fridays. It just so happened to be Wednesday afternoon so we decided that we would head back later to try and get inside the walls of the monastery.

When we returned to the monastery the gates were still shut. The area surrounding the monastery was dead silent. It was eerie. There was nobody around and no noise.  We couldn’t figure this place out. We came back at the right time but we could not find any openings to get inside the religious compound.

We got back into our car and started back down the hillside. Just as we rounded a corner we saw a woman driving an old, small, white car and she was headed up the mountain. This was the first sign of life we had seen on that mountain all day so we turned the car around and followed her.

This time when we got to the top, a small sliver of a doorway in the center of the gates was open. We saw the woman hurry through the tiny entrance as Jim put the car in park but we couldn’t see which way she went. After we slipped through the entrance ourselves we saw no sign of which direction she may have gone.

Inside the walls it was still quiet. We started trying doors on the building which the walls were designed to protect. We tried door after door with no luck. Finally, the second to last door opened to a small room. The small room was attached to a tiny hallway and that was attached to another room and so forth. After we passed through a second doorway, a tiny raisin of a woman welcomed us in Greek. She only spoke Greek as she led us across another courtyard. Now we could hear the chanting from the worshipers inside.

The woman was very old but had a lot of pep in her step! She moved swiftly. She smiled non-stop. As she kept motioning us to follow with her tiny wrinkled hands she continued to speak in Greek. Once in the smaller, internal courtyard she opened the door to the church. Ahh, finally.

The chapel was dimly lit with candles. Other “brothers” and “sisters” knelt down on the floor as the service was conducted. They remained there in a tiny area at the entrance to the chapel. We ventured to the adjoining room. It was larger and had ornate décor hanging from the ceiling. There were holy relics and pictures everywhere.

The children were mostly quiet while the monks recited their chants. Sometimes the worshipers would move around the room and every time a nun passed us she touched Asher and smiled. Again, the Greeks love babies!

At the tail end of the service, the tiny old raisin, lady took Chloe by the hand and showed her how to do the sign of the cross. She then led her around the room and showed her which relics and pictures to kiss.

The service was surreal. The whole experience was so moving I couldn’t help but get a little emotional. How lucky am I, that I get to witness and partake in such beautiful sites and rituals around the world!

Other than the monks and nuns, there were four adults taking part in the service that evening. Two of them were me and Jim.

After the service a younger nun spoke to us in Greek and we answered in English. She then smiled and said “follow me”. So we did!

It was now very dark outside as we followed the nun through the courtyard and a large walkway. We then went up some stairs and we were suddenly welcomed inside a very well-lit sitting room. This room was much larger than the fashion that we had seen in the rest of the monastery.

The brothers and sisters offered us dairy-free chocolate as we sat on the antique sofa and chairs. Brother Timothy was a (senior) monk there and he explained that they don’t eat dairy this time of year. He spoke pretty good English in a quiet and soothing voice. He came across as one of those guys with entirely too much patience to actually be human.

He told us that six monks live at the monastery and the nuns were from a nearby (dependant) building. He told us of their hopes to build a nearby museum to display some of their ancient artifacts. With a history worth preserving as enough reason for the museum, they also hoped that the revenue would help keep the monastery in operation.

I told him that we desired to learn more about the Orthodox religion and he gave us a book to read. Along with the book, he handed us two wrapped gifts. Christmas presents for the kids! He said they give all the children Christmas presents and he wanted to include Chloe and Asher.

Since it was so dark, Brother Timothy showed us to our car using a shortcut through a spare kitchen. The thing I remember most about the kitchen is the abundance of potatoes. I wondered if that’s mostly what they ate since it was so inexpensive. I still wonder…what’s with all the potatoes?

What an amazing experience! I wish I could describe the service better.

Overall, Greece has been one of my most pleasant travel experiences yet! They are the nicest people EVER! They LOVE babies! The men are the BEST looking! LOL!

Things worth noting: Gas was about $10 a gallon on Santorini. It is not uncommon to see donkeys used for travel and hauling freight. You can’t drink the water.

Beautiful! You MUST go!

I wrote that excerpt while in Tel Aviv…here is the rest of the entry:

Today was our first official day in Israel. We checked into the Tel Aviv Hilton at about 2am this morning. We got some sleep and now the children are watching the Disney Channel in Hebrew as Jim and I plan the itinerary for our “Holy tour”.

Tel Aviv is a very modern city. Our hotel is right next to the ocean with plenty of pathways for us to walk around if we want. Perhaps later we will take the kids to a park next to the hotel.

Church anyone? (Santorini)

Please do not alter photos in any way. Please only borrow photos for PERSONAL use and please ALWAYS give Dana R. Atwood credit for the pictures you use. Thanks!

12-20-2011

Back in Athens we spent our last day hiking around the city and visiting the Olympieion.(for more information on the Olymieion visit: http://www.greece-athens.com/place.php?place_id=33)  It’s just crazy how old everything is around here! The kids slept though quite a bit of our self-guided tour as they rode on our backs.

Asher just woke up from his nap in a good mood!

 Olympic training! Go team Zeus!

Chloe is actually sleeping on my back in this picture.

At this point I had made a very random observation: No tattoos. I have not seen a single tattoo or tattoo shop while in Greece. I’m not sure why this is.

Overall the people of Greece seem to be very religious. We stopped at a local church where they chant every single day during the holiday season. While outside the church, I noticed that everyone who walked by did the sign of the cross. Even the passengers and drivers of taxis passing by did the sign of the cross. Typically the sign of the cross goes from the forehead to the chest and then left shoulder to right shoulder. The Orthodox, however, touch the right shoulder before the left.

It was a short 45 minute flight from Athens to Santorini. We rented a car and drove to Rocabella. This hotel would be our home while we are on Santorini.

If you crave a Big Mac or a Starbucks peppermint mocha, you would be out of luck on Santorini. The fast food chains simply don’t exist here. Instead you can dine on Greek salad, mousaka or wood oven pizza. Also, I have not seen any corn! The diet here probably explains why we have not seen many victims of obesity here either. The food is fresh, natural and delicious.

Once we got to the hotel I was able to find a Tinkerbelle movie on TV…in Greek! Chloe still watched it intensely. This gave me time to un-pack.

The next day was a Sunday so Jim took me to town so I could go to church. The Greek Orthodox start at 6am. Although I was actually up at this time, I was not aware of the start time so I attended a Catholic service instead. It started at 10am at the St. John Cathedral in Fira and it was beautiful! It had a bell-tower outside and very ornate decorations and murals in the inside. The painted ceilings were probably my favorite. The congregation had about 20 people in it. Even though I was a little late and the service was in Greek, I felt very welcome. After church I shook hand with everyone and set off to walk around the small city.

This gate is near the Catholic church.

St. John Cathedral

I tried some wine specific to Santorini called “vinsanto”. It was delightfully sweet but had an after taste that kept me from purchasing any.

I stopped by the local Orthodox Church to light a candle. It is typically our practice to participate in the local religion of the area we are visiting. We feel that un-like in America, to experience the culture you have to see about the religious practices too. In most countries there is a very predominant religion that may have much to do with other cultural practices. It’s also important to be able to respect deeply rooted customs.

On my way back to meet up with Jim, I met a shop owner named Maria. She sold art and souvenirs. She was very nice (typical here) and spoke with me for at least a half an hour. She told me that there were at least 400 churches on Santorini and less than 10,000 people. She also gave me two little pins with beads on them. She said to find a safe place on the beds of our babies to pin the décor onto and that it would protect the babies while they slept.

I informed Maria that out of all my travels so far, the Greeks were the nicest people ever! (Right up there with Bali.) She said that hospitality in deeply rooted into their culture. “There’s an obligation to be helpful and pleasant.”

I walked back to meet Jim and the kids. We then returned to our hotel for a while. The building is made of concrete. Our room is pretty much a concrete cave with amenities like a bathroom, TV and internet. It is actually a very nice place to spend our downtime. It has plenty of space and even a private hot tub right outside our door with magnificent views of the ocean and nearby towns.

Jim and the kids are enjoying the view from our hotel room.

Yesterday, we did a lot of walking around the town. We bought some wine and had a picnic at a nearby church. The churches here are not open. They are just holy structures and they are everywhere.

Jim is enjoying lunch.

Kids also enjoyed lunch.

Seconds please?

Today was cold and windy so we drove around the island to see what we could find from the comfort of our car. We drove past vineyards but none were open. The grapes here grow low to the ground and they are trained to grow in circles. It looks like a bunch of wreaths made of grapes vines are laying all over the ground. These techniques help protect the vines from harsh winds and ease the difficulty for the plant to get water.

Vines growing in a circle on the ground.

After a quick stop at a food stand in Fira, we ate some Gyros in the car and returned to our cave to retire early for the day.

Typical small church on Santorini.

View from a walkway in Fira.

Please do not alter photos in any way. Please only borrow photos for PERSONAL use and please ALWAYS give Dana R. Atwood credit for the pictures you use. Thanks!

It's all Greek to me!

So, just a reminder, if you have been reading this blog then you have been informed about my adventures when I met Jim four years ago. Now I am going to slowly bring people up to speed on our most recent adventure....our honeymoon.

Jim and I got married December 10th, 2011 in Portland Oregon. It was the greatest day in my life! I was finally Mrs. Atwood! Our friends and family were all there to share in the celebration. We danced and drank champagne and enjoyed the photo booth!

On December 13th, Jim and I left for our honeymoon with two babies in tow. Four years later and we are still crazy. I don't think we will ever be cured. So, enjoy reading about our strange behavior!

December 15^th, 2011

Wow! Traveling with two babies is a lot of work! But, so far, well worth the effort.

We left Portland, Oregon at 1:25pm on December 13^th and landed in Amsterdam 9 ½ hours later. Because of the time change it was about 8 or 9am. We still had another flight to take after our 3 ½ hour layover.

Finally, at 3pm on December 14^th we landed in Athens. This was our first destination of several. This sort of travel, of course, leads to exhaustion so at 6pm we all went to bed.

The breakfast at our hotel, Divani Palace Acropolis, is actually pretty good. The eggs here are not like ours in America. If you ever travel outside the U.S. try the eggs. My favorite part of breakfast was the Greek coffee. It had a very distinct and bitter flavor that, for some reason unknown to me, was very addicting.

This morning we headed to the Parthenon at about 9am. A brisk 20 minute walk from our hotel and we were already entering the park. The kids have actually been traveling exceptionally well and continued this at the Parthenon. We walked around the ancient ruins and took lots of pictures together. We saw the acropolis and the world’s first ever theater.

World's First Theater

Jim and Asher at the Parthenon

Once we made our way back down the hill, on which these attractions live, the kids made some friends with some local children. They had a little bit more energy in them and they used it up playing tag with their new small, Greek friends. It turns out tag is a universal language. The children gave Chloe and Asher a parting gift of one balloon each and we all said our good-byes.

I love a good Greek salad, so we were definitely in the right place for satisfying lunch! When we get home I think I will start using the techniques I learned at what became our favorite lunch spot in Athens. The tomatoes, cucumbers and even cheese are not thinly sliced like I see often in Portland. Instead, they are torn into big chunks. Also, there was no vinegar. There was just olive oil and herbs. Very fresh and delicious! For my entrée I had chicken crepes. Everything was so yummy! Jim had mousaka and also spoke highly of his food. The staff entertained the children with complimentary fries and playful gestures. What a fabulous lunch!

Everyone LOVES babies here! They just grab your kid and give them hugs and kisses. Then, they yell to their friends to come over and play with your kids as well. It’s very different. In the U.S. we don’t even speak to our neighbor’s dog without permission but here, any small child is fair game for some genuine affection!

We returned to our hotel room ready for a nap. We must have been tired because we all slept for five hours!

It was a small hike to get dinner. It should have only taken 10 to 15 minutes to walk to the restaurant but it’s easy to lose your way in a city with so many tiny streets. In the U.S. I think we would call them alley-ways; but here in Athens you can find many shops and restaurants along the tiniest of walkways. Just watch out for cars and motorbikes. They go wherever they please.

Finally at the restaurant!

The restaurant food was overpriced but that was probably so they could pay for the entertainment. There was a lot of singing and dancing! Asher was ready to party! He rushed the stage several times! I think his favorite was the belly dancer. The large peaks on her front side probably screamed one word to him….MILK!

Chloe called all of the dancers princesses!

Dancing the night away!

Back at the hotel the kids finally fell asleep at close to midnight. I hope they rest up because it should be another exciting day tomorrow.

Please do not alter photos in any way. Please only borrow photos for PERSONAL use and please ALWAYS give Dana R. Atwood credit for the pictures you use. Thanks!