When we arrived at the hotel on South Island, the first thing we thought was: “is this the right place?” It was a beautiful stretch of land covering 2400 acres, and the only man made thing we could see (besides cars and roads) was a big yellow house. We rang the doorbell and were greeted […]
There are lots of volcanoes in New Zealand. This is the largest active volcano. It is a cone volcano. Can you guess which small island it is on? (Not North Island or South Island those are the two major islands of New Zealand). P.S. I am so sorry! I am really behind on the Piggy […]
We had a red-eye flight into Hong Kong that proved easier than expected, due to the kindness of a Kingfisher employee who saw the kids and decided to upgrade our seats! Thank goodness for a decent night’s rest. The goals for Hong Kong were simple: first, to rest and rejuvenate after a couple of weeks of intense […]
Can you guess where Piggy is spending the night? Send your guess to me by email to katherine@365saturdays.org P.S. Can you also guess what animal year is about to start here?
When we were in France, I fell in love with the castle Chenonceau. In India, I fell in love with The Lake Palace. The Lake Palace was the summer residence of the Maharana of Udaipur. Maharana means warrior king and is a title distinct from Maharaja. The current ruling dynasty in Udaipur has stood for […]
The cuisine of India is rich in history, dazzling in color, and overwhelming in variety. Countless legumes, vegetables, and spices are combined to create everything from street snacks to five-star entrees. I did a lot of eating and a bit of cooking while here and my first introduction to both came under the expert guidance […]
We swerve to the left around a herd of cows, not too far because there is a grey horse lumbering just beside us, straining to pull a metal-wheeled cart stacked eight feet high with cow dung patties. No matter that there is just one lane going our direction – the cows, the horse and our […]
The Indians are fantastic martial inventors. They invented many hundreds of things, but I have chosen the top invention of each main category that we saw. GATE DEFENSES A fort’s gate is its weak link, the easiest place to smash in and take control. In India there are bristly, natural, and gray battering rams know […]
All over India we have seen many different kinds of animals. From parakeets to water buffalos, India is full of life. The first animals we noticed were the monkeys. They run around eating bananas, banging on things, scratching themselves, grunting, and other equally un-useful things. They are however, very cute. They have tangerine fur and […]
To break up a long drive from Agra to Jaipur, we stopped first outside of Agra at Fatehpur Sikri, which was briefly the Mughal capital (long story) and contains an impressive palace complex. Further along, we visited Chand Baori – a step well. Step wells are massive excavated stone cisterns that could store rain water, […]
Here is a true story: when the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan was a prince, he visited a market at the palace grounds. There he spied a beautiful girl, Mumtaz Mahal, who was working at a bangle booth. She was the daughter of one of the court accountants. He was so entranced that he proposed on […]
This one is easy but we had to post Piggy here! Can you guess where she is? Bonus question: What was this place built for? Email your answer to me at katherine@365saturdays.org
Glossary Roti——-Nan-like bread. Flat and circular. To end our first day in India our guide, Majeet, brought us to a Sikh Temple. Before entering the complex, we had to take off our shoes and socks and cover our hair. My mom and sister already had scarves, and Majeet had a turban, but my dad and […]
The classic touring trip to India is called the Golden Triangle, which is exactly what we signed up to do for our first exposure to the country. It all takes place in Northwest India, right around the capital city and then to the immediate south in a desert area called Rajasthan. You fly into New […]
The final stopping point for our Nile boat trip was Luxor – home of multiple ancient Egypt sights including the Valley of the Kings that Gina describes. The last day here we stayed in the city and saw the massive temple of Karnak and the temple of Luxor as well as the Luxor Museum. All […]
Although our hotel was out by the pyramids, we crossed the Nile and plunged into Cairo several times. It is an astonishing city. Cairo has 17 million residents and swells by another 3 million commuters every day. (Some people say the actual numbers are far higher than the official statistics). The commute times to go […]
We didn’t really know much about the Valley of the Kings and so went in with modest expectations. After all, two days prior we had descended into the pyramids themselves like modern-day tomb raiders. What could top that? Our interest was piqued when we were informed that no photography of any sort was allowed in […]
Can you guess where Piggy is sight-seeing today? Email your answer to me at katherine@365saturdays.org
Before us towered Edfu temple, one of the best preserved temples in all of Egypt. Dedicated to the god Horus, Edfu temple is 118 feet high and a fantastic but small sized memory of the Egyptian builders and engineers. The temple’s gate is lower than the pylons to its left and right. Symbolizing the Nile […]
By far the most interesting pyramid to visit is outside Cairo at Saqqara. Here is the oldest of the pyramids, designed by Imhotep. At the time the pharaohs were buried deep in shafts – not 6 feet under but 600 feet under, the depth representing the importance of the pharaoh. This first pyramid was designed […]
The great Pyramids of Giza are the last standing wonder of the ancient world. They were built with stone knifes and watery sand for glue. They are towering structures built for one purpose and one purpose only: to hold a body. They were amazing! Why go to so much trouble to bury a single body? […]
Piggy enjoyed a quiet evening here. Can you guess the name of the town she was in? Remember to email your guesses to me at katherine@365saturdays.org!
[Russ] We saw historical sites from different time periods in Jordan: Castle Aljoun is a mammoth 12th century hilltop fortress that dominates multiple valleys in Northern Jordan. It was a successful defense against Crusader invasions. We enjoyed finding clay pots with holes for wicks, most likely an early form of hand grenade. The Citadel of […]
In America, we all turn our televisions on and switch to our favorite news station, be it CNN or Fox News, or 7 News. Sometimes we hear bad things about the Middle East, and how there are extremist terrorists around every corner. Clips of fighting and barren towns, soldiers running and patrolling occupy your […]
To be entirely honest, I was a bit apprehensive about visiting Jordan. The country is, after all, situated in the heart of the Middle East, a place I had never been and had only heard about in the news. I was extremely conscious of being an American in a region where I imagined Americans were […]
We came to Jordan to see the ruins of ancient civilizations, but we left enthusiastic about the modern country as a destination. This is a fascinating place to visit – a Muslim Arab place where Americans are nonetheless welcomed as a people if not for their foreign policy – and a place where Americans can […]
We drove to a local Jordanian family’s house for a delicious dinner. It was a cool evening and thunder was coming from our bellies. As soon as we got there we quickly unbuckled and met our host. A smiling gray-haired man met us at the door and ushered us in to meet his wife. The […]
We had a great time in Jordan. This is at one of the highlights. Can you guess the location of this building?
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