http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/MissAllissa/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from MissAllissa en-us Fri, 05 Dec 2008 07:11:12 UTC Fri, 05 Dec 2008 07:11:12 UTC Hey All So I made it back the the good ole US of A on April 22nd and man is it good to be back ... even if I still have been bouncing around the states a bit. My first reaquaintance with American soil was Hawaii for a family vacation with 13 fellow Corrows. Lots of swiming surfing diving drinking and the usual Corrow shenanigans. I have to say it was quite the shock going from the land of http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Minnesota/The-North-Woods/blog-288654.html Hard to believe I've been away 3 months already with only a month to go First I want to say thanks SO MUCH to all of you for sending messages and emails... they really keep me going. It's nice to know I haven't been forgotten Next for those who haven't heard I've changed my itinerary a bit. Here's the latest planI've nixed the Nepal part of my trip partly due to time constraints partly http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Saranath/blog-261932.html Still in India... in Varanasi now. Its a pretty cool place. Lots of life.. and death. The sacred river Ganges flows through the city and draws people from all over the country... if not the world. It is believed that if you die here you are freed from the cycle of death and rebirth and immediately achieve nirvana. I'm not sure the exact 'rules' involved but cremation at the river is also supposed http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-261626.html Since March 10th the news in India has been closely following the protestsriots in Tibet. The Dalai Lama the religious and political leader of the region is in exile in Dharamsala India as he has been since 1959. During his rare appearance on television a few days ago he says he feels the tension is just as bad now as it was then. He is asking for true autonomy for the Tibetan people not a se http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Tibet/blog-261603.html The last few weeks I've been able to get out to the western most state of Gujarat. Its a bit off the tourist track and a welcomed break for a weary traveler. I've slowed down a lot and started spending a week or so in each place instead of simply a few days. It helps me get a better feel for the place people and minimize the trainbus misery. Today while lounging in the sun I made a list of gene http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/India/Gujarat/blog-257300.html Just left the home of the Dalai Lama Mcleod Ganj a small mountain town in the Himalayas. Tiny streets crowded with Tibetan refuges selling there wares Buddhist monks from around the world and a few western tourists. Due to such high demand H.H the Dalai Lama is rarely in India and I was lucky to catch him at a time when he was home and giving teachings.. and right after my meditation course http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/India/Himachal-Pradesh/Mcleod-Ganj/blog-250536.html The Taj Mahal... it really is true that words and pictures can't even attempt to do this place justice. However it's also a place that I can't possibly leave out. A truly spectacular site the majestic structure itself the detailed stone and jewel inlays marble carvings but also for the crowd it draws. This is not your average tourist site... the symbol of everlasting love and the most famous http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-245077.html India is full of people wanting to help me... or so they say. They all know the best place and have the best price for everything I could ever need. So goes my Delhi exodus plansI initially tried to get up to Dharamsala a snowy little town in the north and home of the Dalai Lama. I was told he's giving talks from the 1218th of Feb and wanted to see him for some precourse motivation. I checked http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-245072.html Hey all another traveler info entry My experiences with Israel bordersI crossed into Israel on Jan. 11 2008 from Jordan via the King HusseinAllenby bridge... and did not get an exit stamp from Jordan standard procedure at this crossing. On arrival I asked that they not stamp my passport. When asked why and I made up plans to go to Damascus Syria. I had no ticket or any documentation and http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Israel/blog-244189.html India. wow. I made it to Dehli today a crazy place. almost a mix between cairo and thailand.. crazy rickshaw drivers everyone is a tout or travel agent and you can't walk down the street wo getting approached multiple times... even with my mean face on So far I haven't ventured too far out of the tourist district so maybe that will change....Hoping to arrange my train bus or something out o http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/India/National-Capital-Territory/New-Delhi/blog-244176.html Mt Sinai back to Cairo Giza lots of pyramidsbent red great weird things I saw along the way.... enjoy http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Egypt/Lower-Egypt/Cairo/blog-244169.html This is for all the travelers looking for recent info about getting a indian visa for a US passport in Cairo.The indian consulate I went to was at 37 talaat harb street in downtown cairo... found on most tourist maps and right across the street from McDonalds. Its on the 3rd floor consulate hours are 830am to 1130 sunday through thursday. I filled out my applicaiton on Monday Feb 4th and paid http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Egypt/Lower-Egypt/Cairo/blog-243508.html Dahab... it used to be the low key beach hang out where the diving was spectacular and the intoxicants abundant.... Now in 2008 the commercialism is in full swing the hotel and waitstaff are out for blood and the trashbags blow into the ocean. But if you can find a quiet haven it can be a relaxing and beautiful time... and you can trick yourself into thinking its 1968.I crossed the border f http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Egypt/Sinai/blog-242338.html I've been in Israel for just over 2 weeks and this is what I've seen Jerusalem Tel Aviv Zfat Qazrin Menahamya Eilat... Lots of old buildings religous sites and very friendly people... haven't paid for a place to sleep yetand...normal people eating hummus for a main course... with NO MEAT a 6 yr old and an 80yr old talking on their mobilescell phones everyone has one and no coin http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Israel/South-District/Eilat/blog-239986.html My first day in Israel was an eventful one. After lots of trouble with closed borders on the 10th we backtracked from Aqaba in the far south of Jordan to Amman in the north. Figuring out the bus situation was another ordeal but we finally arranged three tickets on the 7am bus to the King Hussien Bridge border crossing. I had no trouble crossing and even managed to get my stamp on a piece of http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Israel/Tel-Aviv-District/Tel-Aviv/blog-235842.html Great day in Petra today checking out all the ruins. Lots of great pics. Going with the girls to a Turkish bath house tonight for a 20 massage soak scrub and scrape...whatever that means. Tomorrrow we check out and head to the desert for the Wadi Rum Bedoin tour.. first by camel then by jeep and sleeping in a tent in the desert should be cool too I'm keeping an eye out for those infamous c http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Jordan/South/Petra/blog-234065.html Back on land after a fabulous week diving in the Red Sea. Over the course of 7 days I completed 19 dives and an Advanced certification course. The course taught me skills for deep wreck night and drift dives as well as underwater navigation. The night dive training was especially useful for the New Years Eve dive.... an old british military cargo ship called the Thistlegorm. It was definitely http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Egypt/Lower-Egypt/Cairo/blog-232881.html Well I made it First to Amsterdam yesterday and today to Egypt. I got into AMS just in time to catch up with another guy from the trip and our new friend Steve the Rabbi in training. I was Aron's first time in the freeland so we did the usual Red Light district stroll... girls in windows dodgy dudes in the shadows even at 10am and the ubiquitous smell the city is know for... good ole Ma http://www.travelblog.org//Africa/Egypt/Red-Sea/Hurghada/blog-231007.html So here it is after much consideration and hesitation I decided to go ahead and start a travel blog for this upcoming trip. In the past many of you have suffered through the group emails and while I still think blogs are a little pretentious I'd rather give you all the freedom to unsubscribe at any time. So please exercise that freedom if you want to. It won't hurt my feelings. I probably wo http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Minnesota/Elk-River/blog-229189.html