The Travels of Tom Woods
From the moment the money was there I traveled as far and to as many places as I could. Below are the years and the places to which I went.
South Africa, February, 2006
Dakar, Senegal
Since our 16-hour flight from New York to South Africa stopped in Dakar, Senegal after eight hours, Chris and I decided to spent two days there to take a look at another country. Unfortunately, the poverty in Senegal was so depressing that we decided to leave as soon as we could, that is very early the next morning.
We spent the night in the center of Dakar (below left) at Novotel Dakar hotel (below right).
Capetown, South Africa
We spent the first night in Johannesburg at the Sun Intercontinental Hotel (below left) and stayed in Sea Point, Capetown at the Ritz Hotel (below right).
The tour of Capetown we took went to Table Mountain, the Victoria and Albert Waterfront and the District Six Museum. District Six, the old, mixed race section of Capetown, was forcebly evacuated and leveled by the Apartheid government. Everyone was taken to the townships outside the city where their descendants still live, commuting for hours to jobs in Capetown.
The new government will resettle in District 6 anyone whose family came from there, but there have been few takers.
On the day after the tour, we walked to the waterfront and bought tickets to go to Robben Island where Mandela was imprisoned. The next day the number of people boarding the boat made us decide not to go and so we sold our tickets.
Instead, we walked around the South African Parliament Building and bought a copy of the new South African Constitution which protects the rights of every possible minority.
Although Capetown is beautiful, it was Johannesburg that really interested us.
Johannesburg, South Africa
We returned to the Sun Intercontinental Hotel where we had made reservations and had a guide coming.The next day the guide took us around Johannesburg and to Soweto.
In Johannesburg our first stop was the Constitutional Court and the museum on the site of a major Apartheid prison which is next to the court. The prison museum had photographs taken on the sly during Apartheid by a newsphotographer from a nearby highrise. One showed how guards debased the prisoners by stripping them and making them perform all sorts of antics in front of other prisoners. It was this picture that was really depressing because it showed many of the others laughing at the one being debased. When I showed this to the guide, he told me that probably if the others there had not laughed they would have received even worse treatment.
The Constitutional Court (see below: on the left the entrance, right the court in session).
The Court only meets when there are cases involving the rights outlined by the new Constitution or cases involving other constitutional conflicts.
Soweto, South Africa
Afterwards we drove to the "Beverly Hills" of Soweto, where, within a few blocks of each other are Nelson Madelas Johannesburg house, as wells as that of Winnie Mandela and Desmond Tutu (who now lives in Capetown because of his position in the Church of England).
Mandelas Soweto house street vendors in Soweto
Then the guide took us to Soweto's most famous restaurant, Wandies -- where typical South African Soweto food is served buffet style. Unfortunately, Soweto food owes much to the worst of British cooking. So, although the guide really enjoyed the 25 or so dishes he sampled, we found the food a little dull.
Entrance to Wandies
Leaving Soweto, the guide took freeways back to our hotel And, except for the right hand drive cars, we might easily have been in Southern California.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The next afternoon we flew back to New York -- and
this time made NO stop in Dakar, but stayed on
the plane for the entire hour we were at Dakar airport.
Brussels, Alsace, & Paris September, 2005
Belgium
We landed at Charles de Gaule airport, spent the night there and took the Thalys express the next day to Brussels. In Brussels we stayed at an apartment hotel (Citadinees Apart'otel, below left) in the St. Catherine District, which is noted for its seafood restaurants. The main square of Brussels is on the right.
Although we had intended ot see more of Belgium, we spent most of our stay in Brussels, walking around the city, taking a half-day-city-wide tour, and visiting a near-by castle (Kasteel Gaasbeek) by metro and bus.
The other city we visited was Antwerp, which, being castle lovers, we went to because of its castle, Het Steen (see below). Next to Het Steen is Antwerp's main square. The tour also visited diamond cutters, during which we walked around the shopping area nearby.
After four days in Belgium, we took the train through Luxemburg to Strasbourg.
Alsace
In Alsace, most of our time was spent on a packaged Wine Country tour that went to the most magnificient castle we have ever seen, Haut Koenigsbourg (on the left). The tour also took us to the town of Riquewihr where the others sampled wine while we explored. Since the tour left from Colmar, we took the train (thank you Eurail Pass) there and back to Strasbourg.
In Strasbourg we explored the old town on foot but did not get to see the new European Parliament or any other EU sites.
After three nights in Strasbourg, we took the train for Paris early in the morning of
our fourth day.
Paris
After a long train ride from Strasbourg, we took a taxi from Paris East Train Station to La Defense where we would stay at another Citadines Apart'otel. La Defense is Paris newest business district, filled with high rise office and apartment buildings and centered on the La Defense Arch built on the anniversary of the French Revolution (see photos below).
Entering the Paris Metro Station in La Defense, the first thing we saw was that the Chateau de Vincennnes was at the end of the line. Given our interest in castles, our first ride took us there. Unfortunately the castle was closed for some sort of art exhibition, but we did get to wander around and inside the walls. Then we reentered the Metro for a ride to the Champs Elysee and the Arc d'Triomphe which looks down the road to the La Defense Arch.
Paris was the most interesting part of this trip. After roaming around the Ile de la Cite and Notre Dame, we took an open air double-decker bus around part of the city.
On our final day, we went to Montmarte and the Latin quarter on the same bus. And left the next morning, after an endless taxi ride to Charles de Gaule airport, through the Paris morning rush hour
Istanbul, and Troy, December, 2004
In early December, 2004, we finally went to Istanbul, something we had planned to do many times before, but which was always cancelled in favor of going somewhere else.
While we were in Istanbul, we took a one day tour to Troy which left at 7:30 in the morning and didn't get back to Istanbul until 9:00 at night. Most of this time was spent being driven to and from Troy via Gallipoli and crossing the Dardenalles Strait. In Troy we saw several of the nine levels and, of course, the enormous Trojan Horse erected by the Turks for Troy tourists.
Walls of one level of Troy Trojan Horse
For Tom the most interesting part of the trip was the visit to the Tekfur Sarayi, the remains of the palace of Constantine Porphyrogenitus, emperor and historian, the land walls of Theodosius, and the remains of the Byzantine Bucolon or Sea Palace, the only surviving section of the palace complex of the Eastern Roman Emperors.
Tekfur Sarayi Land Walls of Constantinople
For Chris the most interesting part
was the castle of Rumeli Hisari, which
was built at the narrowest point of the
Bosphorus in 139 days in 1453.
After sailing down the Bosphorus we went to the Spice Bazaar on
the Golden Horn and then were
taken back to the Hyatt Regency
for our last night there.
On Monday, after a short over night stay at the Airport Hotel within the transit area, we left Istanbul at 5:25 in the morning and spent some 20 hours of flights and waiting for flights before getting back to Sacramento at 7:02 on Monday evening.
Peru, Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu, September, 2004
Since Tom had wanted to see the site of Caral, the oldest city ever built in the Americas, we went to Peru in early September, 2004. In addition to Caral, we stayed in Lima, and also went to Cusco, and Machu Picchu.
Getting to Caral was a major adventure. The minivan had to travel over 25 kilometers of upaved, rutted dirt road to get there. But the site itself was so interesting that it was well worth the difficult trip.
Excavations at Caral ...................................
Lima with its eight million people was the next most interesting thing for us in Peru. We stayed at the Sheraton Hotel and Casino directly across the street from the Peruvian Supreme Court. We also took the Sheraton shuttle bus to the Larcomar Mall on the Pacific in Miraflores District.
Sheraton Lima Larcomar Mall Center of old Lima Machu Picchu
Panama City and San Jose, Costa Rica, June, 2004
At the end of Tom's final school year, we went to Panama City and San Jose, Costa Rica. Although we enjoyed our tour of the Miraflores Locks, we did not care much for Panama City except for the avenues along the Pacific Coast.
But Costa Rica was more interesting, because of the wildlife we saw and the river boat tour of the jungle. We saw so many different forms of wildlife including Jesus Christ lizards (so called because they can walk on the water), three-toed sloths, and poisonous frogs.
Avenida Balboa, Panama City
Jesus Christ Lizard Sarapiqui River through the Jungle Poison Arrow Frog Three-Toed Sloth
Honolulu, April, 2004
Since we had been thinking about the possibility
of moving to Hawaii, we decided to go see whether we would like it or not. 
And, despite the pictures you see here, we found Honolulu to be a dump -- even with the beauty of Waikiki.
Waikiki on the left
Downtown Honolulu
Japan, July, 2003
Osaka, Kyoto, Himeji Castle, and Hiroshima
Osaka
Although we had been in Japan in the transit lounge at Tokyo's Narita Airport a number of times, we had never seen Japan. In July we went, using Osaka as the center from which we made day trips to nearby cities. We stayed at the Osaka Hilton across from the main Osaka train station
The first day we took the JTB morning tour of Osaka Castle and boat ride through the city.
Himeji Castle
In the afternoon on our own, we visited Himeji Castle. Of all the castles in Japan, Himeji is the most famous because it has survived the centuries unscathed.
Also, the defenses are still very much intact: that is all the walls, moats, traps which were built in to many of the castles still survive in Himeji.
In Japanese it is called the White Crane because its donjon appears like a white crane from a distance.
Kyoto
Dakar, Senegal
Since our 16-hour flight from New York to South Africa stopped in Dakar, Senegal after eight hours, Chris and I decided to spent two days there to take a look at another country. Unfortunately, the poverty in Senegal was so depressing that we decided to leave as soon as we could, that is very early the next morning.
We spent the night in the center of Dakar (below left) at Novotel Dakar hotel (below right).
Capetown, South Africa
We spent the first night in Johannesburg at the Sun Intercontinental Hotel (below left) and stayed in Sea Point, Capetown at the Ritz Hotel (below right).
The tour of Capetown we took went to Table Mountain, the Victoria and Albert Waterfront and the District Six Museum. District Six, the old, mixed race section of Capetown, was forcebly evacuated and leveled by the Apartheid government. Everyone was taken to the townships outside the city where their descendants still live, commuting for hours to jobs in Capetown.
The new government will resettle in District 6 anyone whose family came from there, but there have been few takers.
On the day after the tour, we walked to the waterfront and bought tickets to go to Robben Island where Mandela was imprisoned. The next day the number of people boarding the boat made us decide not to go and so we sold our tickets.
Instead, we walked around the South African Parliament Building and bought a copy of the new South African Constitution which protects the rights of every possible minority.
Although Capetown is beautiful, it was Johannesburg that really interested us.
Johannesburg, South Africa
We returned to the Sun Intercontinental Hotel where we had made reservations and had a guide coming.The next day the guide took us around Johannesburg and to Soweto.
In Johannesburg our first stop was the Constitutional Court and the museum on the site of a major Apartheid prison which is next to the court. The prison museum had photographs taken on the sly during Apartheid by a newsphotographer from a nearby highrise. One showed how guards debased the prisoners by stripping them and making them perform all sorts of antics in front of other prisoners. It was this picture that was really depressing because it showed many of the others laughing at the one being debased. When I showed this to the guide, he told me that probably if the others there had not laughed they would have received even worse treatment.
The Constitutional Court (see below: on the left the entrance, right the court in session).
The Court only meets when there are cases involving the rights outlined by the new Constitution or cases involving other constitutional conflicts.
Soweto, South Africa
Afterwards we drove to the "Beverly Hills" of Soweto, where, within a few blocks of each other are Nelson Madelas Johannesburg house, as wells as that of Winnie Mandela and Desmond Tutu (who now lives in Capetown because of his position in the Church of England).
Mandelas Soweto house street vendors in Soweto
Then the guide took us to Soweto's most famous restaurant, Wandies -- where typical South African Soweto food is served buffet style. Unfortunately, Soweto food owes much to the worst of British cooking. So, although the guide really enjoyed the 25 or so dishes he sampled, we found the food a little dull.
Entrance to Wandies
Leaving Soweto, the guide took freeways back to our hotel And, except for the right hand drive cars, we might easily have been in Southern California.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The next afternoon we flew back to New York -- and
this time made NO stop in Dakar, but stayed on
the plane for the entire hour we were at Dakar airport.
Brussels, Alsace, & Paris September, 2005
Belgium
We landed at Charles de Gaule airport, spent the night there and took the Thalys express the next day to Brussels. In Brussels we stayed at an apartment hotel (Citadinees Apart'otel, below left) in the St. Catherine District, which is noted for its seafood restaurants. The main square of Brussels is on the right.
Although we had intended ot see more of Belgium, we spent most of our stay in Brussels, walking around the city, taking a half-day-city-wide tour, and visiting a near-by castle (Kasteel Gaasbeek) by metro and bus.
The other city we visited was Antwerp, which, being castle lovers, we went to because of its castle, Het Steen (see below). Next to Het Steen is Antwerp's main square. The tour also visited diamond cutters, during which we walked around the shopping area nearby.
After four days in Belgium, we took the train through Luxemburg to Strasbourg.
Alsace
In Alsace, most of our time was spent on a packaged Wine Country tour that went to the most magnificient castle we have ever seen, Haut Koenigsbourg (on the left). The tour also took us to the town of Riquewihr where the others sampled wine while we explored. Since the tour left from Colmar, we took the train (thank you Eurail Pass) there and back to Strasbourg.
In Strasbourg we explored the old town on foot but did not get to see the new European Parliament or any other EU sites.
After three nights in Strasbourg, we took the train for Paris early in the morning of
our fourth day.
Paris
After a long train ride from Strasbourg, we took a taxi from Paris East Train Station to La Defense where we would stay at another Citadines Apart'otel. La Defense is Paris newest business district, filled with high rise office and apartment buildings and centered on the La Defense Arch built on the anniversary of the French Revolution (see photos below).
Entering the Paris Metro Station in La Defense, the first thing we saw was that the Chateau de Vincennnes was at the end of the line. Given our interest in castles, our first ride took us there. Unfortunately the castle was closed for some sort of art exhibition, but we did get to wander around and inside the walls. Then we reentered the Metro for a ride to the Champs Elysee and the Arc d'Triomphe which looks down the road to the La Defense Arch.
Paris was the most interesting part of this trip. After roaming around the Ile de la Cite and Notre Dame, we took an open air double-decker bus around part of the city.
On our final day, we went to Montmarte and the Latin quarter on the same bus. And left the next morning, after an endless taxi ride to Charles de Gaule airport, through the Paris morning rush hour
Istanbul, and Troy, December, 2004
In early December, 2004, we finally went to Istanbul, something we had planned to do many times before, but which was always cancelled in favor of going somewhere else.
While we were in Istanbul, we took a one day tour to Troy which left at 7:30 in the morning and didn't get back to Istanbul until 9:00 at night. Most of this time was spent being driven to and from Troy via Gallipoli and crossing the Dardenalles Strait. In Troy we saw several of the nine levels and, of course, the enormous Trojan Horse erected by the Turks for Troy tourists.
Walls of one level of Troy Trojan Horse
For Tom the most interesting part of the trip was the visit to the Tekfur Sarayi, the remains of the palace of Constantine Porphyrogenitus, emperor and historian, the land walls of Theodosius, and the remains of the Byzantine Bucolon or Sea Palace, the only surviving section of the palace complex of the Eastern Roman Emperors.
Tekfur Sarayi Land Walls of Constantinople
For Chris the most interesting part
was the castle of Rumeli Hisari, which
was built at the narrowest point of the
Bosphorus in 139 days in 1453.
After sailing down the Bosphorus we went to the Spice Bazaar on
the Golden Horn and then were
taken back to the Hyatt Regency
for our last night there.
On Monday, after a short over night stay at the Airport Hotel within the transit area, we left Istanbul at 5:25 in the morning and spent some 20 hours of flights and waiting for flights before getting back to Sacramento at 7:02 on Monday evening.
Peru, Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu, September, 2004
Since Tom had wanted to see the site of Caral, the oldest city ever built in the Americas, we went to Peru in early September, 2004. In addition to Caral, we stayed in Lima, and also went to Cusco, and Machu Picchu.
Getting to Caral was a major adventure. The minivan had to travel over 25 kilometers of upaved, rutted dirt road to get there. But the site itself was so interesting that it was well worth the difficult trip.
Excavations at Caral ...................................
Lima with its eight million people was the next most interesting thing for us in Peru. We stayed at the Sheraton Hotel and Casino directly across the street from the Peruvian Supreme Court. We also took the Sheraton shuttle bus to the Larcomar Mall on the Pacific in Miraflores District.
Sheraton Lima Larcomar Mall Center of old Lima Machu Picchu
Panama City and San Jose, Costa Rica, June, 2004
At the end of Tom's final school year, we went to Panama City and San Jose, Costa Rica. Although we enjoyed our tour of the Miraflores Locks, we did not care much for Panama City except for the avenues along the Pacific Coast.
But Costa Rica was more interesting, because of the wildlife we saw and the river boat tour of the jungle. We saw so many different forms of wildlife including Jesus Christ lizards (so called because they can walk on the water), three-toed sloths, and poisonous frogs.
Avenida Balboa, Panama City
Jesus Christ Lizard Sarapiqui River through the Jungle Poison Arrow Frog Three-Toed Sloth
Honolulu, April, 2004
Since we had been thinking about the possibility
of moving to Hawaii, we decided to go see whether we would like it or not. And, despite the pictures you see here, we found Honolulu to be a dump -- even with the beauty of Waikiki.
Waikiki on the left
Downtown Honolulu
Japan, July, 2003
Osaka, Kyoto, Himeji Castle, and Hiroshima
Osaka
Although we had been in Japan in the transit lounge at Tokyo's Narita Airport a number of times, we had never seen Japan. In July we went, using Osaka as the center from which we made day trips to nearby cities. We stayed at the Osaka Hilton across from the main Osaka train station
The first day we took the JTB morning tour of Osaka Castle and boat ride through the city.
Himeji Castle
In the afternoon on our own, we visited Himeji Castle. Of all the castles in Japan, Himeji is the most famous because it has survived the centuries unscathed.
Also, the defenses are still very much intact: that is all the walls, moats, traps which were built in to many of the castles still survive in Himeji.
In Japanese it is called the White Crane because its donjon appears like a white crane from a distance.
Kyoto
The tour of Capetown we took went to Table Mountain, the Victoria and Albert Waterfront and the District Six Museum. District Six, the old, mixed race section of Capetown, was forcebly evacuated and leveled by the Apartheid government. Everyone was taken to the townships outside the city where their descendants still live, commuting for hours to jobs in Capetown.
The new government will resettle in District 6 anyone whose family came from there, but there have been few takers.
On the day after the tour, we walked to the waterfront and bought tickets to go to Robben Island where Mandela was imprisoned. The next day the number of people boarding the boat made us decide not to go and so we sold our tickets.
Instead, we walked around the South African Parliament Building and bought a copy of the new South African Constitution which protects the rights of every possible minority.
Although Capetown is beautiful, it was Johannesburg that really interested us.
Johannesburg, South Africa
We returned to the Sun Intercontinental Hotel where we had made reservations and had a guide coming.The next day the guide took us around Johannesburg and to Soweto.
In Johannesburg our first stop was the Constitutional Court and the museum on the site of a major Apartheid prison which is next to the court. The prison museum had photographs taken on the sly during Apartheid by a newsphotographer from a nearby highrise. One showed how guards debased the prisoners by stripping them and making them perform all sorts of antics in front of other prisoners. It was this picture that was really depressing because it showed many of the others laughing at the one being debased. When I showed this to the guide, he told me that probably if the others there had not laughed they would have received even worse treatment.
The Constitutional Court (see below: on the left the entrance, right the court in session).
The Court only meets when there are cases involving the rights outlined by the new Constitution or cases involving other constitutional conflicts.
Soweto, South Africa
Afterwards we drove to the "Beverly Hills" of Soweto, where, within a few blocks of each other are Nelson Madelas Johannesburg house, as wells as that of Winnie Mandela and Desmond Tutu (who now lives in Capetown because of his position in the Church of England).
Mandelas Soweto house street vendors in Soweto
Then the guide took us to Soweto's most famous restaurant, Wandies -- where typical South African Soweto food is served buffet style. Unfortunately, Soweto food owes much to the worst of British cooking. So, although the guide really enjoyed the 25 or so dishes he sampled, we found the food a little dull.
Entrance to Wandies
Leaving Soweto, the guide took freeways back to our hotel And, except for the right hand drive cars, we might easily have been in Southern California.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The next afternoon we flew back to New York -- and
this time made NO stop in Dakar, but stayed on
the plane for the entire hour we were at Dakar airport.
Brussels, Alsace, & Paris September, 2005
Belgium
In Johannesburg our first stop was the Constitutional Court and the museum on the site of a major Apartheid prison which is next to the court. The prison museum had photographs taken on the sly during Apartheid by a newsphotographer from a nearby highrise. One showed how guards debased the prisoners by stripping them and making them perform all sorts of antics in front of other prisoners. It was this picture that was really depressing because it showed many of the others laughing at the one being debased. When I showed this to the guide, he told me that probably if the others there had not laughed they would have received even worse treatment.
The Constitutional Court (see below: on the left the entrance, right the court in session).
The Court only meets when there are cases involving the rights outlined by the new Constitution or cases involving other constitutional conflicts.
Soweto, South Africa
Afterwards we drove to the "Beverly Hills" of Soweto, where, within a few blocks of each other are Nelson Madelas Johannesburg house, as wells as that of Winnie Mandela and Desmond Tutu (who now lives in Capetown because of his position in the Church of England).
Mandelas Soweto house street vendors in Soweto
Then the guide took us to Soweto's most famous restaurant, Wandies -- where typical South African Soweto food is served buffet style. Unfortunately, Soweto food owes much to the worst of British cooking. So, although the guide really enjoyed the 25 or so dishes he sampled, we found the food a little dull.
Entrance to Wandies
Mandelas Soweto house street vendors in Soweto
Then the guide took us to Soweto's most famous restaurant, Wandies -- where typical South African Soweto food is served buffet style. Unfortunately, Soweto food owes much to the worst of British cooking. So, although the guide really enjoyed the 25 or so dishes he sampled, we found the food a little dull.
Entrance to Wandies
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The next afternoon we flew back to New York -- and
this time made NO stop in Dakar, but stayed on
the plane for the entire hour we were at Dakar airport.
Brussels, Alsace, & Paris September, 2005
this time made NO stop in Dakar, but stayed on
the plane for the entire hour we were at Dakar airport.
Brussels, Alsace, & Paris September, 2005
We landed at Charles de Gaule airport, spent the night there and took the Thalys express the next day to Brussels. In Brussels we stayed at an apartment hotel (Citadinees Apart'otel, below left) in the St. Catherine District, which is noted for its seafood restaurants. The main square of Brussels is on the right.
Although we had intended ot see more of Belgium, we spent most of our stay in Brussels, walking around the city, taking a half-day-city-wide tour, and visiting a near-by castle (Kasteel Gaasbeek) by metro and bus.
The other city we visited was Antwerp, which, being castle lovers, we went to because of its castle, Het Steen (see below). Next to Het Steen is Antwerp's main square. The tour also visited diamond cutters, during which we walked around the shopping area nearby.
After four days in Belgium, we took the train through Luxemburg to Strasbourg.
Alsace
In Alsace, most of our time was spent on a packaged Wine Country tour that went to the most magnificient castle we have ever seen, Haut Koenigsbourg (on the left). The tour also took us to the town of Riquewihr where the others sampled wine while we explored. Since the tour left from Colmar, we took the train (thank you Eurail Pass) there and back to Strasbourg.In Strasbourg we explored the old town on foot but did not get to see the new European Parliament or any other EU sites.
After three nights in Strasbourg, we took the train for Paris early in the morning of our fourth day.
Paris
Entering the Paris Metro Station in La Defense, the first thing we saw was that the Chateau de Vincennnes was at the end of the line. Given our interest in castles, our first ride took us there. Unfortunately the castle was closed for some sort of art exhibition, but we did get to wander around and inside the walls. Then we reentered the Metro for a ride to the Champs Elysee and the Arc d'Triomphe which looks down the road to the La Defense Arch.
Paris was the most interesting part of this trip. After roaming around the Ile de la Cite and Notre Dame, we took an open air double-decker bus around part of the city.
On our final day, we went to Montmarte and the Latin quarter on the same bus. And left the next morning, after an endless taxi ride to Charles de Gaule airport, through the Paris morning rush hour
Istanbul, and Troy, December, 2004
Walls of one level of Troy Trojan Horse
For Tom the most interesting part of the trip was the visit to the Tekfur Sarayi, the remains of the palace of Constantine Porphyrogenitus, emperor and historian, the land walls of Theodosius, and the remains of the Byzantine Bucolon or Sea Palace, the only surviving section of the palace complex of the Eastern Roman Emperors.
Tekfur Sarayi Land Walls of Constantinople
For Chris the most interesting part
was the castle of Rumeli Hisari, which
was built at the narrowest point of the
Bosphorus in 139 days in 1453.
After sailing down the Bosphorus we went to the Spice Bazaar on
the Golden Horn and then were
taken back to the Hyatt Regency
for our last night there.
On Monday, after a short over night stay at the Airport Hotel within the transit area, we left Istanbul at 5:25 in the morning and spent some 20 hours of flights and waiting for flights before getting back to Sacramento at 7:02 on Monday evening.
Peru, Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu, September, 2004
Since Tom had wanted to see the site of Caral, the oldest city ever built in the Americas, we went to Peru in early September, 2004. In addition to Caral, we stayed in Lima, and also went to Cusco, and Machu Picchu.
Getting to Caral was a major adventure. The minivan had to travel over 25 kilometers of upaved, rutted dirt road to get there. But the site itself was so interesting that it was well worth the difficult trip.
Excavations at Caral ...................................
Lima with its eight million people was the next most interesting thing for us in Peru. We stayed at the Sheraton Hotel and Casino directly across the street from the Peruvian Supreme Court. We also took the Sheraton shuttle bus to the Larcomar Mall on the Pacific in Miraflores District.
Sheraton Lima Larcomar Mall Center of old Lima Machu Picchu
Panama City and San Jose, Costa Rica, June, 2004
At the end of Tom's final school year, we went to Panama City and San Jose, Costa Rica. Although we enjoyed our tour of the Miraflores Locks, we did not care much for Panama City except for the avenues along the Pacific Coast.
But Costa Rica was more interesting, because of the wildlife we saw and the river boat tour of the jungle. We saw so many different forms of wildlife including Jesus Christ lizards (so called because they can walk on the water), three-toed sloths, and poisonous frogs.
Avenida Balboa, Panama City
Jesus Christ Lizard Sarapiqui River through the Jungle Poison Arrow Frog Three-Toed Sloth
Honolulu, April, 2004
Since we had been thinking about the possibility
of moving to Hawaii, we decided to go see whether we would like it or not. And, despite the pictures you see here, we found Honolulu to be a dump -- even with the beauty of Waikiki.
Waikiki on the left
Downtown Honolulu
Japan, July, 2003
Osaka, Kyoto, Himeji Castle, and Hiroshima
Getting to Caral was a major adventure. The minivan had to travel over 25 kilometers of upaved, rutted dirt road to get there. But the site itself was so interesting that it was well worth the difficult trip.
Excavations at Caral ...................................
Lima with its eight million people was the next most interesting thing for us in Peru. We stayed at the Sheraton Hotel and Casino directly across the street from the Peruvian Supreme Court. We also took the Sheraton shuttle bus to the Larcomar Mall on the Pacific in Miraflores District.
Sheraton Lima Larcomar Mall Center of old Lima Machu Picchu
Panama City and San Jose, Costa Rica, June, 2004
At the end of Tom's final school year, we went to Panama City and San Jose, Costa Rica. Although we enjoyed our tour of the Miraflores Locks, we did not care much for Panama City except for the avenues along the Pacific Coast.
But Costa Rica was more interesting, because of the wildlife we saw and the river boat tour of the jungle. We saw so many different forms of wildlife including Jesus Christ lizards (so called because they can walk on the water), three-toed sloths, and poisonous frogs.
Avenida Balboa, Panama City
Jesus Christ Lizard Sarapiqui River through the Jungle Poison Arrow Frog Three-Toed Sloth
Honolulu, April, 2004
Since we had been thinking about the possibility
of moving to Hawaii, we decided to go see whether we would like it or not. And, despite the pictures you see here, we found Honolulu to be a dump -- even with the beauty of Waikiki.
Waikiki on the left
Downtown Honolulu
Japan, July, 2003
Osaka, Kyoto, Himeji Castle, and Hiroshima
At the end of Tom's final school year, we went to Panama City and San Jose, Costa Rica. Although we enjoyed our tour of the Miraflores Locks, we did not care much for Panama City except for the avenues along the Pacific Coast.
But Costa Rica was more interesting, because of the wildlife we saw and the river boat tour of the jungle. We saw so many different forms of wildlife including Jesus Christ lizards (so called because they can walk on the water), three-toed sloths, and poisonous frogs.
Avenida Balboa, Panama City
Jesus Christ Lizard Sarapiqui River through the Jungle Poison Arrow Frog Three-Toed Sloth
Honolulu, April, 2004
Since we had been thinking about the possibility
of moving to Hawaii, we decided to go see whether we would like it or not. And, despite the pictures you see here, we found Honolulu to be a dump -- even with the beauty of Waikiki.
Waikiki on the left
Downtown Honolulu
Japan, July, 2003
Osaka, Kyoto, Himeji Castle, and Hiroshima
of moving to Hawaii, we decided to go see whether we would like it or not. And, despite the pictures you see here, we found Honolulu to be a dump -- even with the beauty of Waikiki.Waikiki on the left
Downtown Honolulu
Japan, July, 2003
Osaka, Kyoto, Himeji Castle, and Hiroshima
Osaka
The first day we took the JTB morning tour of Osaka Castle and boat ride through the city.
