Arlo: Denver & Rocky Mountain National Park

Denver: America is officially awesome. We havent actually done anything yet in Denver but I still think it's the best place we have been for the whole trip (partly because everyone speaks English). We are staying with friends of ours, the Sawyers, who have awesome sons who like football and rugby. After a day resting we headed up to the Rockie Mountains where there was snow the height of a house piled on the sides of the roads. We also went to a mexican food place where every thing was drenched in tobasco sauce - hot !!! That's me and Robby demolishing some hot wings.

Rocky Mountain National Park: We went to the rockie mountains it was great. You see that thing behind Sacha that is an elk and they can grow up to 9 to 10 feet which is bigger than a horse wow!!!

This is me and robby firing some arrows at the archery activity at the ymca at the rockies which is where we stayed.

Below is a picture showing the result of the arts and crafts activity that me and Michael did together. We made an awesome necklace each.

On our way back to Denver we went up the Rocky Mountains to have a taste of the Colorado snow experience (for me literally). 

This is what the Americans call a 'face wash' - well I guess I shouldn't have taken on the whole Sawyer family in a snow fight).

ps. I'm going to get a stack of lollies before I go, so whats your favourite lolly?

Karel: Paris je t'aime

Another cool couple of days in Paris. First evening we strolled through the grounds of the Louvre soaking up a gorgeous Parisian spring evening. Lay down by the fountain next to the Pyramide and watched the vapor trails across the sky. Nice to stop and reflect on our adventure so far. So proud of the kids and their ability to go with all the change, different beds, languages, foods, people - just brilliant. Followed up with a play in the Tuilleries before Metroing it home to our hostel near the Place de Republique.

We explored the Jardin Des Plantes on the Tuesday only to find that most of the museums are closed on Tuesdays - a shame as we were all prepped to check out the museum of comparative anatomy (my bro really recommended this). So we wandered around the small Zoo in the gardens before enjoying lunch in a little cafe and a lovely time in Mont Martre at the Sacre Couer.

We are now in the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado with our friends Jim and Linda Sawyer and their boys Robbie and Michael. Spectacular scenery and heaps of activities for the kids in the YMCA park that we are staying in. Woke up to giant Elk on our front lawn this morning - no bears yet!

Sacha: Paris has Yummy Food

After Morocco we went back to Paris. We ate croissants and crepes and it was very yummy.

We went on an underground train that even goes under the river. We climbed up a big hill to get to the white church in a place called Mont Martre. Inside the church there were candles that I lit and then prayed a special thank you to Jesus for something and then put it in a place with lots of other candles. At the bottom of the steps below the church there were people pretending to be statues and they were very funny.

Arlo: Snakes and Weird Food

We didn't just see snakes we wrapped them around our necks and sat them on our heads it was freaky!!! But it was still really cool!!!

This is when it was on my head!!!

This is the deadly black cobra that we saw. Iit was just sitting there and hissing at tourists like us!!! (and totaly freaking them out)

Now for the weird food thing - Snails!!! They were completely sickening.  The grossest thing was when they slimed down the back of your throat but when you pop them in they don't actually taste that bad.

This was the charmer who was actually holding the snake only three inches away from his face it was really interesting to see the snake lunge at his face

In these photos we are in Paris - it is great! The food is fantastic. In the photo above we are standing in the Paris metro making fun of a guy with a beard and a chinese guy.

This is the famous cathedral called Sacre Cour (that's all I know about it)

ps. To Holly - hey, I like sparkling grape juice i like the way the grape gives it a little bit of tang but it still tastes sweet - its great. 

Karel: Snakes Alive!

We arrived in Marakesh (pronounced Maraksh by the locals) via a four hour ride through the Moroccan country side - sheep, goats, cactus plants, low flat-roofed houses, and a delicious roadside kebab (meat was cut off a side of sheep on the spot and then cooked over an open fire - excellent!).

Marakech is a huge contrast to Ouedzem with the hustling traffic (motorbikes everywhere) beautiful buildings, extra dose of heat, and tourist orientation. We experienced the extraordinary open air market with it's pushy vendors, fabulous fresh squeezed orange juice, every kind of dry fruit and nut imaginable, singers, dancers, musicians (and fair share of beggars). The Souks are amazing - a labyrinth of alleyways full of stores selling carpets, fabric, leatherwork, jewelry, football shirts, genuine fake watches, incredible lamp shades, sunglasses, and more food!

The snakes were a highlight but I think Arlo is going to blog about that so I'll leave it to him. Suffice to say I have never felt so personally connected to a cobra before!

Mary Ann: Arabic, Carpets, Saunas and Dancing

Well hard to capture the Morrocan experience, the photos just don't show the feel of the place. A very rich cultural experience for all. Great seeing Najat in her home country and with her family especially talking the bartering talk in the markets, she's fast and funny in English but even more amazing in arabic, highly entertaining even though I couldn't understand it! She got me great deals on carpets and so now we have 6 bags not 5!

Then there was my trip with Najat and Sacha to a sauna in small town Ouedzem ( pronounced Watzim). Picture this: me and sach join Najat in our undies(don't picture that bit) into a dark concrete room filled with steam and naked ladies sitting on the floor scrubbing themselves with mits like sandpaper. Feeling obvious, exposed, starkers but by the end sach was standing in the middle beaming while she poured bucket after bucket full of cold water over her and I was sprawled out on the floor getting a serious sanding from the helpful local woman who had volunteered to sort me out!

And the dancing! Brave Sacha (as she has shown herself to be time and time again on this trip) took to the bellydancing well copying Najat and her sister till sweat poured off her.

Arlo: Big Change

Morocco is awesome! We,re staying in two story house with three different rooms and ten people. We played football on the streets. And the watermelons are massive.

PS. What's your favourite drink? I need to know!

Karel: First Moroccan Flavours

In an Internet shop in Oudezem, the boys playing games, while I sort out the technology! This is the home village of our friend Najat and we are spending a couple of days just hanging with her family before heading South to Marakech. It is not too hot yet (spring) but it is such a different cultural environment. Thank goodness we have Najat and her sons Yusef and Sami to guide us. Fabulous food - cous cous, freshly baked sardines on home-made bread, sweet delicious coffee and lots of yummy pastries - even snails! Very warm hospitality, everyone doing everything for us, although MaryAnn did manage to get her hands on the bread making process this morning. The architecture is totally different, and as Oudezem is a little rural, there are animals walking around everywhere (particularly goats) which is great for our in-house Doctor Dolittle, Sol. We are getting more opportunities to speak the universal language, football, which is excellent for Arlo and Sol (and me).   

Karel: I like Paris in the Springtime

After a lovely couple of days with our old family friend Harry Dijstelbergen in Essen, Belgium - including a Saturday market and look around the Cathedral in Antwerp, as well as samplings of Belgian beer and traditional dutch cooking (Harry excelled himself!) - we headed to Paris. Fed the sparrows outside Notre Dame, consumed Crepes, Baguettes and Croissants, climbed the 700 steps to the 2nd level of the Eifel Tower (as far as you can go by foot) and then elevatored ourselves to the top for the amazing Parisian panoramas. Then we caught the plane to Casablanca where we met our wonderful Nelson friend Najat Geddes and her two boys and drove to her parent,s home in Oudezem - about 3 hours north towards Rabat.

Arlo: No Internet and Roller Coasters.

Well the reason I haven't done any blogs is because their was no wifi in the awesome camping ground that I was staying in, which sucked, but as I said it was an awesome camping ground. We got a bungalow in the middle of the wood which was great and it had a awesome bouncy blob thingy, real cool play ground with a midievil theme to it and it had a massive pool with a slide in the middle.

We did all this awesome stuff! We biked through the Hooge Veluwe National Park to the Kroller Muller museum to see some amazing van Gogh paintings. Some were 1 centimeter thick with paint - some cool sculptures too. Went to an awesome Zoo called Burgers Zoo - favourite animal - Sumatran Tiger!

We went to the Efteling theme park as well. I waited until 6.00pm to go on the main roller coaster so that I didn't have to wait in the enormous line. So on the chime of 6 I raced over to the line to find that there wasn't one, so I raced over and jumped on. There were two loops and a corkscrew it was great!!! So I went on it 3 times in a row in a period of 5 minutes and managed to not throw up. Also there was a show with this bad dude in it - that's him and me in the picture.

I'm in Belgium now.

PS. Holly and Kylie both like chocolate - cool I approve. You guys would love Belgium - home of the Praline chocolates. And I love curry too Becks. Josh, it's a shame you broke your foot - again!!

PPS. Still liking sausage rolls!

Sol: My Holland Adventure

I have been in Holland. The other day I went biking in the big forest. Yesterday we all went to the Efteling. I liked the flying boat ride and the Bob Sled ride - it was really fast and went flying around the corners. I also liked the water-thingy ride - I got really wet but it was awesome. Arlo and Dad went on the big, big rollercoaster - they said it was really cool. They had arcade games where you shot balls into holes - I was pretty accurate and so I won a bunny rabbit and a bear. At our cottage in the woods there were lots of caterpillars (I mean hundreds) - I liked playing with them and even putting them down Arlos pants! Also there was an awesome adventure playground.

Sacha: I Went to the Efteling

At the Efteling we went to a show that was called the Raven Riders. The Raven Riders rode around on horses doing a story with a big bird monster. After it was over I got my picture taken with the girl Raven rider. Also, last week my tooth came out and there was lots of blood - I looked like a vampire. I can say some Dutch words now like, "Ik spreek Engels" (I speak English) and "Dank u well" (Thank you very much). My teddy Pinky has been on this adventure with me and she has got a new friend 'Browny' - Solly's teddy. At night Pinky and Browny go out and have fun in the woods, but I am asleep.