the laanba blog

Souvenirs

I am very conscious of clutter and buying "stuff."  My family is notorious for collecting things and I fight the urge as much as I can.  Not to mention I have a small apartment and don't really have a place to put it.  I have always said that my photos are my main souvenirs from trips, but the organizations in Orlando had my number and I plunked down a pretty penny for "stuff."  And that's ok because I love it.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Good thing I went to Harry Potter first because I spent the most money here.  I just couldn't resist and of course the prices were sky high.  When I got there the only thing I knew I was going to get was a wand.  This is what I left with.

Maurder's Map:  As soon as I saw it I had to have it.  It unfolds several layers and it is wonderful to hold and to look at.  

Wand:  I didn't get to do the wand shop experience because the line was so long, but when I was in Dervish and Banges they had a wand selection.  They had a section that had all the wands of the characters, but then they had another section that had Ollivander's Originals.  They are wands not tied to any character but instead  tied to an astrological calendar.  I told the clerk my birthday and she gave me this wand.  Willow.  10 inches. 

Hufflepuff Hat, Pin and Key Chain:  I can't believe I didn't blog about this.  On JKRowling's official Pottermore site I was sorted into Hufflepuff in October.  I was shocked and in denial for a few days and I really didn't know what I would buy when I was at the theme park, but once there it was Hufflepuff all the way.  Badgers unite!

Deathly Hallows Keychain: The silver keychain is the Deathly Hallows symbol.  I have that on my keys now.  If I am out and about and anybody recognizes it then I will know they are a kindred Harry Potter spirit.

Pumpkin Juice Bottle and Butterbeer Mug:  The Pumpkin Juice bottle isn't really made to keep but I washed it out and I'm going to take it to work.  The kids will get a kick out of it.  The Butterbeer mug probably won't last much longer, but I had to have it.  The pumpkin juice really tasted like pumpkin juice but it was really sweet and I couldn't drink the whole thing.  Butterbeer on the other hand was heaven.  It was like cream soda with a buttery foam that stayed the whole time.  I absolutely loved it.  Mmm.... butterbeer.

Chocolate Frog:  Going into Honeydukes was just how I imagined it from the books.  Packed with people and candy and colors everywhere.  If you read the books you know I had to buy a chocolate frog.  I got the Godric Gryffindor card and that is one solid piece of chocolate.

   

Walt Disney World

I had some idea what I was going to get at Harry Potter but no plans for any souvenirs at other places.

R2D2 Ear: It wasn't until I was walking around Walt Disney World did I start thinking about the fact that I wanted some ears.  I watched a lot of Wonderful World of Disney growing up and it sounded like the perfect souvenir.  While standing in line for a 3D show I turned around and saw a little kid with the R2D2 ears.  I immediately asked his mom where he got them and that was my very next stop.  I got my name embroidered on the back and I wore them proudly the rest of the day.  I absolutely love them and they will go back with me next time I go to Disneylandworld.  

Earrings: Earrings are my de facto souvenir from trips.  I like getting earrings because I can use the item in my day to day life but they are always a reminder of my trip.  These are silver danglies and at the very bottom of each one is a little crystal mouse silhouette.  Perfect!

Sorcerer's Pin: I bought a pin at Harry Potter and I decided to buy one here.  At the time I was thinking that I was going to put them on my camera bag but now that I am home I think I'm going to find a way to display pins and buy them on my travels.  I wanted a pin that was definitely Disney but also unique.

1st Visit: This button makes me smile.  All you have to do is go to Disney City Hall and tell them it is your first time and they give it to you.  That is so fabulous and it really did make me feel special.

Kennedy Space Center

T-Shirts: I didn't plan on buying t-shirts anywhere but these are perfect.  I like the design of the brown Kenney Space Center and it is a typical "I went on vacation shirt."  The Apollo shirt is fabulous.  What you are looking at is the back of the shirt.  It has the patches from all the Apollo missions and it has a little logo on the front.

Able the Monkeynaut: I am always on the lookout for a "photo friend."  There are several photographers who take fabulous photos with toys and I have been looking for years for the perfect friend to go with me.  I really think Able might be the one.  First I got her in a tiny museum on Patrick Air Force base as part of the Cape Canaveral tour.  Second she is adorable and unique.  And she has magnets in her hands and feet which will help me position her.  The very first photo friend I ever saw on Flickr had magnets in their hands and feet and it was great.  So expect to see Able a lot more.

Pin and Magnet: Since I got pins at my other two locations I had to get one here and settled on the one with the Space Shuttle on it.  And while standing in checkout I reached for my last souvenir of this souvenir filled trip, a manget with the VAB on it.

So there you have it.  Most of the sounvenirs are small and/or useful (i.e. clothes or earrings) but some are just plain outrageous and that's fine with me.  I had a great trip and I was happy to buy momentos to remind me.

Kennedy

The one thing that I always wanted to do when I made it to Florida was go to Kennedy Space Center. If you read this blog on a regular basis, then you know that I am a space nut. I love living in Houston, partly because it is Space City USA.

Today I finally made it out to Kennedy. I didn't get to do everything that I wanted, but by the end of the day I felt good about my visit. When we got there the tour that I really wanted to take to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) was already sold out, and the other tour only had two seats left. We grabbed those two seats even though there were three of us in my party. After a quick bite to eat and a walk to the Memorial Wall my cousin's wife and I got on the bus for the tour. My cousin decided to be the odd man out today.

The tour I took was called Cape Canaveral: Then and Now. We actually went on to Patrick Air Force Base and because of that everyone who went on this tour had to submit state identification or passports. The tour made several stops including the block house where they launched the first US rocket into space, the block house and landing pad where Alan Shepard became the first American into space, and a landing pad where a fire claimed the astronauts of Apollo 1. For someone who loves early American manned space history as much as I do this was a great tour.

On the way back to the visitor center we drove by the VAB and thankfully I was on the right side of the bus to get some good photos. We went to the Saturn V facility and it was fun to share that experience with my cousin's wife who had never seen a Saturn V rocket before.

Once we were back on the main complex site we went to a shuttle simulation "ride" which was very well done. I say "ride" because it mostly shook us around but since I have always heard a shuttle launch described that way I enjoyed it. Then it was a quick spin to the gift shop and my day at Kennedy Space Center was done.

Next summer Space Shuttle Atlantis will be on display at KSC, and even though I am still upset that Houston did not get a space shuttle, I would dearly love to see one so I will be back. There is so much that I didn't get to see and do and I could spend all day at anything flight or space related.

Thus ends my epic three days in Orlando Florida. Tomorrow I head back to Houston. It was a fun spring break.

Disney Child

Today turned out to be surprisingly emotional. I wasn't expecting it and when I don't expect it, it is harder to control. Today we went to Walt Disney World.

I am a Disney child. I grew up watching the Wonderful World of Disney, I listened to Disney records as my music growing up, I watched all the movies. Growing up I remember watching scenes from Disneyland on TV and wishing that I could go there, and knowing in my heart I never would. And today even though I didn't go to Disneyland I had the Disney experience and it was fantastic.

I did so many things that I saw as a child. Sitting in the Country Bear Jamboree was the first time that all of the emotions and memories came flooding back. After that the dam was open. We rode Pirates of the Caribbean, the Jungle Cruise and It's a Small World After All and I felt like a kid on each one. We saw a 3-D short movie featuring Disney music and I teared up because this music is in my soul. That may sound melodramatic but it's true. I got to see actors bust into song on Main Street, a show at the castle steps complete with Mickey and Minnie Mouse and the Disney princesses, and even part of a parade down Main Street.

I bought my very own pair of mouse ears and got my name stitched on the back. I wore them proudly the whole rest of the day without being embarrassed or shy like I normally am. I even got a button that said first visit. I felt like a kid the whole time in the most delightful way.

I had teared up at various points throughout the day but getting ready to leave the tears really started coming (thank goodness for sunglasses). I still haven't figured out why I reacted that way, and I will be thinking about it for weeks to come, but I think that some of it has to be that for one pure moment in time I was free to just be happy with no inhibitions. I don't get that very often.

Today was a magical day. I am happy to reconnect with that Disney child and she will definitely be going back to the land where dreams come true.

Hoggy, Warty, Hogwarts

Every time I want to write one of these travelogues, I always imagine that it will be a brief overview of my day. Instead they turn into long, overly wordy essays that only the most dedicated readers would slog through. I will try my best not to overdo it here.

Today I rode a broomstick, drank pumpkin juice and butterbeer, shopped in Hogsmeade and got my very own wand. In other words I went to Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Florida.

I do not go to theme parks in general, and never imagined that I would be at Harry Potter when I saw the stories of this theme park on the news. But I was there today walking the streets of Hogsmeade and I was in heaven.

We spent the morning in Harry Potter land in Hogwarts castle and looking in all the shop windows and drinking pumpkin juice. Then we ventured out of the park to eat lunch and ended up riding a little train through the Dr. Seuss theme area. After that we wandered around and ended up at Jurassic Park where we would rode that ride and got soaking wet. Then we wandered back to Hogsmeade, had a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks, and I spent a lot of money in the shops.

It was a great day at Universal and I want to live in the world of Harry Potter even more than I did this morning when I woke up. Tomorrow we go to the Magic Kingdom.

Video Trio

Three videos from the rainforest.  The first video was taken on my last morning from my hotel room balcony.  As I said in my last Panama post I will never tire of the sounds of the rainforest.  The second video was taken the second evening of our visit when my aunt and I were sitting on the balcony watching the rain come in.  The video is grainy because the camera was compensating for the fact that it was actually deep dusk.  The third video was taken on the Panama Canal on the way back to the hotel after our Monkey Island trip.

 

A Panamanian Thanksgiving Day 3

I hadn't planned on getting up each morning at sunrise (this was my vacation after all) but the day before was so fulfilling that I did it again.  I loved walking around the grounds of the hotel as the morning broke, the birds sang, and the sun rose over the mountains. It was very calming and a surprise for me since I am most definitely not an early riser.

After breakfast we were scheduled to go on the ariel tram tour but my aunt wasn't feeling well so I went down to the hotel desk and did some rescheduling. This gave us a few extra hours before what would now be the Monkey Island tour.  I sat on the balcony, looked and listened to the birds and enjoyed the view while I read my book. The extra tours are really great but I think I could go to that hotel and be happy just sitting on the balcony listening to the sounds of the rain forest.

We got underway on our first tour of the day to Monkey Island. Monkey Island is located at Gatun Lake  in an area off of the Panama Canal.  We went down to the marina and met up with our same tour guide from the orchids the day before. At the marina we boarded a speedboat that held about 12 people. This time we headed away from the Chagres river and towards the Panama Canal.  Did I mention that I like boats? I love them. The speedboat went whooshing through the waters of the canal. We passed several of the big  cargo ships on their way through the canal and it was so much fun to whiz by them.

The boat made several little side stops along the way to the main destination.  We saw a crocodile sunning himself, that is until he decided to get into the water and swim toward us.  Another stop along the way brought us face to face with our first monkey.  The monkeys we encountered on this trip were White-Faced Capuchin Monkeys.  At this island there was just one that came out when our boat passed.  It climbed out onto the branch and watched us.  An autistic boy on the boat  happened to bring bananas (the captain and guides didn't bring any) and the boat captain cut one and tossed it in the air to the monkey.  The monkey missed to the sounds of disappointment from everyone in the boat. But the boat captain tried again and sure enough the monkey grabbed the banana piece out of the air. And then he bared his teeth at us and ran back over the branch with his prize.  One more animal we saw on the way to the official destination was a toucan.  I don't know how the guide could see the bird in the trees, but they slowed the boat and tried to point it out to people.  In the middle of the hand waving and exclamations of "over there" the bird took flight and we could all see its colorful snout as it flew in front of the boat.  That was just flat out cool.

We finally arrived at Monkey Island which is basically just an island like any of the others that have tourist friendly monkeys. I know more than just the hotel we were at brings tour groups there.  The captain and the guide commented that maybe the early-morning tours for the monkeys had fed them too much and they didn't want to come out. We circled the island and then again with the captain calling and calling but no monkeys were appearing. We circled one last time and then there they were, high up on the branches of the trees over the boats. They slowly worked their way down to the boat and then the captain cut up some more bananas and sprinkled them on the hood of the boat.  The monkeys came right onto the boat to eat the bananas.  There were probably about five different monkeys that got on the boat to collect their bananas. It was a really neat experience to be that close to the monkeys.  After we were out of bananas we slowly pulled away from the island and began our way back to the hotel.  My favorite part was flying back through the Panama Canal on the boat [video] with the wind in my hair,  the sound of the waves on the water, the engine humming and passing by the large ships. I loved it. 

We got back to the hotel and grabbed something to eat at the hotel bar. The bar has a wonderful balcony that looks over the hotel pool with the river and mountains beyond. I've said it a lot but I'll say it again: the scenery and the atmosphere of the place was wonderful. Since we rescheduled we didn't have as much time in between tours so after lunch it was time to head out on our last adventure of the trip, the aerial tram tour.

As I was looking at the photos of the aerial tram in the hotel I wasn't sure how well I was going to handle it. I am not a fan of heights. When we got to the tram location the tourists were broken up into groups and each assigned a tour guide.  We were once again greeted by Arial who had been with us on the orchid tour and monkey island.  Each group loaded the gondolas and rode up the mountain.  We were the last group to board.  I surprised myself by not being scared at all. It was very smooth, peaceful and quiet all the way up the mountain.  Once we were at the top we walked a small path to the observation tower. The observation tower was quite a climb. It was a series of ramps so the incline wasn't bad but it was 10 levels of ramps and there were four ramps per level.  We were going around and around and around and around. It started getting tedious and I know that my aunt suffered towards the end of it and my fear of heights really kicked in about halfway through.  It got harder and harder for me to go up each level and my grip on the railing tightened with each quarter of a ramp, but boy was the view worth it once we reached the top.

We were above the treetops and could see the Chagres River, the hotel and its grounds, the Embera Village we visited the day before and a section of the Panama Canal complete with ships moving through.  I was fascinated by a tree called the "suicide tree" that blooms only once in its lifetime and then dies. It was actually fun to be above the trees for once looking down on the suicide trees, the mimosas and the palms.  Eventually we made our way down the observation tower back down the path for our ride down the mountain. The gondola ride back down was lovely and we even saw some iguanas sunning in a tree. I was sad to say goodbye to Arial. He was a great guide for us.

Then it was back to the hotel. I had time before dinner so I went swimming in the resort pool.  That is something that I told myself I was going to do when I saw pictures of the hotel.  I'm not great at relaxing and I was determined to do that since I love to swim.  There were only a few others at the pool because the horde of sunbathers leave after the hottest part of the day. I had the pool mostly to myself and I loved it.  After a while a few people came and then it started getting cloudy and thunder was rumbling in the distance. I still stayed a little after that.  I love swimming and I knew it would be a long time before it was warm enough back in Texas to swim comfortably.  Then it was time to shower, grab our last dinner and pack. We were leaving the next day for the city. At this point I can say I love, love, love being in the rain forest and I was sad to leave it.

A Panamanian Thanksgiving Day 2

First I have to describe the night before I describe the day. The night was so black it was exceptional. There were no lights anywhere on the mountains in front of us except for one lone security light across the way.  

I decided to get up for sunrise photos because I happened to see one on Flickr and hoped to recreate it. Sunrise was at 6:15  so I got up at 5:45. Some vacation! It was overcast so I didn't really get the sunrise photos I was looking for but it was a wonderful morning. I walked around the hotel and listened to and watched the birds as the sky got lighter.   I loved having the time to myself and the experience of sunrise. I was at peace (something rare for me) listening to the world wake up.  I should get up at sunrise more often.

The Gamboa Rainforest Resort has add on trips that  you can sign up for and the first one we did was a trip to an Embera Village.  We went down to the hotel's marina, donned lifejackets and then got in our ride. In this case our ride was a wooden canoe!  There were a total of eight people in the canoe: five tourists, two guides from the hotel and our indigenous guide, complete in skimpy dress.  The canoe started backing up and then brrrrr.......the start of the motor. Yes, a motorized canoe. I have mentioned here many times that I love boats. I love boats. There is nothing so freeing for me as being on the water. I don't know where it comes from but it is something obviously deeply ingrained in me. I was in heaven as we sped across the Chagres River. 

After about 15 minutes on the water we pulled up to the shore of the rainforest and went for a walk in the forest. We were on the Camino de Cruses trail which was used by the Spaniards in the 1500s to transport goods across Panama.  We even climbed some of the same stone steps that they put in place all that time ago.   I really felt like I was walking through history with the trees over my head, the sounds of the jungle and the steam and mud.  I could practically see the explorers of old before my eyes picking their way through the jungle.  This was not the main focus of our tour and because it was so muddy we didn't go very far but it was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

After about 30 minutes in the forest we got back in the boat and continued to the indigenous village. This village is a model that is on the property of the hotel.  It had a performance area and some example huts. The name of the village was Cameratu.  Members of a nearby Embera tribe come and do presentations at the village. There was music, a presentation on the customs of the Embera including their native dress (very little!), their traditions, their handcrafts and their history.  The village was established by a guy who helped do survival training for the NASA astronauts in the 1950s.  They passed around old worn photos of tribe members with fresh faced young Americans.  After the presentation they had music, dancing and even lunch for us.  I am not a fan of fish especially when the fish still has its head or tail but I ate it up (go me!).  After lunch we were free to walk around the village, take pictures and buy their handcrafts. No worries if you didn't have cash because of course they took credit cards.  

Even though I know that the village was mainly set up for tourists it was a really wonderful experience. Since it is in what is now a protected part of the rainforest (designation added in the 80s) they aren't able to cut down any trees or make any major changes to the location.  Their main source of income is tourist money and I'm fine with that because they definitely make the crafts by hand.  Then it was time to get back in the boat and have another glorious ride across the water (video below).  This trip is the longest they offer (about three hours total) and definitely worth the money.  

After cleaning up and resting at the hotel, we went on our second tour that afternoon.  This one was much more low key.  It was basically a walk between four adjacent areas they have on property. The first was a building that had some fish tanks and crocodiles.  Nothing too exciting but I did enjoy watching a school of mackerel zip around their tank.  Next up was the butterfly house. Houston has a great butterfly house and while this one was smaller, it was enjoyable nonethless. This structure was covered in netting so you could hear the thunder rumbling in the distance and feel the steam. It was a lovely place to walk through.  I wish I could have stayed there longer, but the tour must go on.  The next stop was a snake house.  I hate snakes.  I can't even look at them on TV or in pictures.  I tried, I really did, but after looking at one snake I had to turnaround and wait outside. I hate snakes.

The last stop was the orchid garden and the main reason I wanted to take the tour. It was a large area with two different tents and in each was rows and rows of orchids hanging from tree trunk slices. Even though the orchids were mostly not in bloom it was a beautiful area with plants hanging all around and the trees and mountain rising up behind the garden.  With the thunder constantly rumbling in the distance and the sky turning grey it made for a beautiful afternoon stroll.  After the tour was finished most of the people walked back to the hotel but I waited with my aunt for the hotel transportation and we had a chance to talk to the tour guide for quite a while.  His name was Arial and he was from the Caribbean side of Panama.  He grew up speaking Jamaican English (his term) and Spanish so getting in the tourist industry which needs English speakers was a natural for him.  Turns out he would end up being our tour guide on the rest of our trips. 

The next two hours were some of my very favorite of the trip. I sat on the balcony of our hotel room as the sun set.  I read my book and listened to the birds.   I felt the breeze and watched the clouds roll by.  The only way it could have been more perfect is if the hotel ever got their act together and got me the hammock that I was supposed to have on my balcony, but oh well.  Sitting and listening to the sounds of the rain forest was so peaceful.  My aunt joined me when deep dusk had fallen and we sat and talked and watched the rain move in.  Perfect moments.  

After that it was dinner at the hotel, a hot shower and a wrap on day two.  What a great day.

Video: On the Chagres River

Errr...

So this whole writing posts while I am here thing isn't going to work. I have realized on this trip that I need silence to wriet in (I always mute the TV at home)and I am sharing a room with someone who always has to have TV on.

More and more of my life is spent in silence and I love that. Today I sat on the balcony for two hours reading and listening to the sounds of the birds and the thunder and the wind. Not exactly silence, but certainly not the sounds of a TV. I am made for the quiet life.

Anyway I am taking detailed notes each night that I will use to write up my blog posts when I get back. I took detailed notes by hand on my first trip to Panama and I never wrote the posts but this time I am typing them quickly in the iPad and I will us Siri when I get home to help me go even faster.

Time for bed. Today was a good day. Tomorrow Monkey Island.

A Panama Thanksgiving Day 1

Hello from the rainforest. The real honest to goodness rainforest. Why does traveling make you so tired when the majority of what you are doing is sitting? I don't know but it does. It may have something to do with the fact that I woke up at 4:40 so that we could leave at 5:15.

The trip down went very smoothly. No upgrades to first class but we we're able to upgrade to more leg room and it sure made the trip nicer. When we got to Panama there were no lines at immigration or for the luggage. We got it of there way faster than I did in June. My dad and cousin met us at the airport. A hop, skip and a 30 minute car ride later and we were at our hotel, the Gamboa Rainforest Resort.

We dropped off our luggage and sat in The Monkey Bar (yes, The Monkey Bar) to chat and have some drinks and snacks. Then it was time for my family to go and my aunt and I went back to the room to settle in and rest before dinner. The light dropped quickly after sunset. I was standing on the balcony in the near dark when I noticed a flying, swooping thing. Then another. Bats. And that ended my standing on the balcony in the near dark. I also had a near collision with one on the way to dinner. Nature indeed.

I'm all unpacked and ready for tomorrow. Even though I loathe early mornings I want to get up to photograph the sunrise. Our day is going to consist of a trip to a native village and a trip to the hotel's orchid garden and butterfly house. The rest of the time I will be staring at the hills, looking at the greenery and listening to the rain.

Panama Links

If you've been reading my travelogue here are some links to different things I talked about.

Molas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mola_(art_form)

Panama Canal Tours: http://www.pmatours.net/pacific-queen/

El Nazareno: http://www.yourpanama.com/black-christ.html

Portobelo, Colon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portobelo,_Colón

Panama Viejo: http://www.panamatours.com/Culture/Old_Panama/oldpanama_frame.htm

Baha'i Temple: http://panamajama.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/bahai-hindu-temple-panama-city/

Casco Viejo: http://www.cascoviejo.org/content/?cid=10&cat1=29&cat2=0&cat3=0&level=1&id=29

The Golden Altar of the Church of San Jose: http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20060427223159815

Handcrafts: http://www.panamabusinessandtravel.com/handcrafts-in-panama.php