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Travelog for: BineHH

Alexandria, Virginia, United States - 16th April 2011

By: tarepanda

Tonight we have dinner at the hotel for the BookCrossing convention. 

We have the organizers explaining what the future plans are, and an author as guest speaker.  Then some members from Ireland come on stage to tell us about next year's convention in Dublin.  Wish I could be there.

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We take a picture with Orange and Wolle, whom we met yesterday.  Orange decides to come with us to visit Florida.  We are so excited! 

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u314/azuki726/toy%20voyagers/2011/SDC12591.jpg

* Posted May 21, 2011, 8:43 pm [Quote] [View just this post] Go to the top of the page


Washington DC, United States - 17th April 2011

By: tarepanda

Today we go to the National Zoo.

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We get to see the Giant Panda.  It's kind of hiding behind the trees, but we are still very excited.

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We release a book about Giant Panda here.

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There are lots of pandas here in the gift shop! 

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We check out the small mammals.  This one is a monkey with a funny face.

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Can you spot the tiger in the cave?  We release a tiger book here too.

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We say hi to a whole family of lions.  Lenny is especially excited.

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Here's a cheetah, the fastest animal on earth!

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This is a praire dog, although it doesn't look a bit like a dog to me. 

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We release a book at this Praire Dog statue.  The book is titled The Blue Fox, but since that part of the exhibit is closed we release it here.  It has been caught!!

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* Posted May 24, 2011, 12:58 am Last edited May 24, 2011, 2:29 am by tarepanda [Quote] [View just this post] Go to the top of the page


Georgetown, D.C., United States - 18th April 2011

By: tarepanda

Such busy days going around sight seeing, it's time to take a break.  Let's sit down for a cup of tea!

We find this tea shop in Georgetown.  Founded in 1751, the city of Georgetown is much older than the establishment of the city of Washington.

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We enter the shop. 

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The decoration is very traditional Chinese.  I don't feel like I am in America at all!

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The shop sells a lot of tea and paraphernalia, like teapots, magazines and more.

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On the shelf are many jars of tea with different names: Dragon Well, Jade Cloud, Golden Needle, Monkey King, Oriental Beauty, Silver Needle, Hairy Crab, Chrysanthemum Oolong... What interesting names!!

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Wow look at all the different tea pots!!  They are made with a special clay from China.

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Let's find a place to sit!

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We read the menu to select our tea.

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Now we wait for the water to boil!

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We ordered a tea called Floating Lantern.  I don't see how it looks like a lantern, but my host tells me to be patient.

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Look!  After a few minutes, the bud blossoms.  How beautiful it is! And it tastes very good too!

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* Posted May 28, 2011, 5:56 am Last edited May 28, 2011, 6:03 am by tarepanda [Quote] [View just this post] Go to the top of the page


Georgetown, D.C., United States - 18th April 2011

By: tarepanda

Now on to more sight seeing!

The Old Stone House is the oldest standing building in Washington, D.C. and the last Pre-Revolutionary Colonial building on its original foundation.  The lot was purchased in 1764 for one pound, ten shillings.

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The original house was only one story high but later owner added two more floors.

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The hearth in the kitchen is large enough to heat the whole house.

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The family dined in the dining room on the second floor.  The clock was built in the early 19th century by the owner of the house then. There was a dumbwaiter to transport food from the first floor kitchen to the dining room here.

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On the same floor is the master bedroom.

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We climb up the narrow stairs and reach the third floor, where the children's bedroom is.

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* Posted May 30, 2011, 5:57 pm [Quote] [View just this post] Go to the top of the page


Georgetown, D.C., United States - 18th April 2011

By: tarepanda

Next we visit Georgetown University.  It's a very famous university.  Found in 1791, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States.  Among its alumni are Bill Clinton, King Abdullah II of Jordan, as well as many royalties and head of government from other countries. 

The main campus is just over 104 acres (0.4 km2).  Healy Hall, built in Flemish Romanesque style from 1877 to 1879, is the architectural gem of Georgetown's campus, and is a National Historic Landmark.

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In the center of the campus is a bronze statue of John Carroll.  He was appointed by Pope Pius VI as the first head of the Roman Catholic Church in America, and is the founder of the university.

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The cherry blossoms on campus are blooming beautifully.

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Completed in 1933, the White-Gravenor Building houses several classrooms, the Georgetown College Dean's Office, The Office of the Undergraduate Admissions and the university registrar.

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Ignatius of Loyola was s Spanish knight and the founder of  the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).

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There is a little pond next to it with some kois inside.

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Let's sit down and play some chess!

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* Posted May 31, 2011, 1:46 am [Quote] [View just this post] Go to the top of the page


Washington DC, United States - 18th April 2011

By: tarepanda

We continue on to walk around town. 

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The cherry blossoms are so beautiful.

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We walk along Pennsylvania Ave. 

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We reach Washington Circle, where you can see a statue of, who else, Washington on a horse.

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This is Renwick Gallery, another Smithsonian art museum.

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This is LaFayette Park, in the center is a statue is President Andrew Jackson.

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In the four corners are statues of foreign Revolutionary War heroes, from France, Poland, and Prussia.

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This is the White House Press Center.

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Look here's some white cherry blossoms!

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This tree looks interesting, like it's growing flowers on the branches!

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Across from Lafayette Square, on the other side of Pennsylvania Ave, lives a very important person...

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Yes, ... the President of United States!!  Hello Obama!!

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Hmm, I guess the secret agents are everywhere.

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This is the U.S.Treasury Department. 

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And here's the headquarters of the National Geographic Society.

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The Democratic donkey and Republican elephant.  These two animals are used to represent the two parties in U.S. government.

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We see this beautiful building but now cannot remember what it is!

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* Posted Jun 7, 2011, 4:57 am [Quote] [View just this post] Go to the top of the page


Washington DC, United States - 19th April 2011

By: tarepanda

On the last day of our visit, we go to the National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum. 

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It's across the street from the International Spy Museum, which sounds very exciting!  Maybe we will visit next time. 

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This cute trolley goes around town.

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Downtown Heritage Trail is composed of 21 poster-sized signs that gives interesting facts which link the history of the city to the history of the nation. According to this sign, Abraham Lincoln walked right where we are standing now!  The museum used to be the Grand Hall of the Patent Office, where Lincoln’s second inaugural ball was held, and the Office was used as a hospital during civil war.

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The first section we visit has American folk arts. 

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The giraffe is made with bottle caps. 

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Next we visit the protrait museum where different styles of protraits, paintings and sculptures are displayed. 

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They are very famous American writers: Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and.. mmm... we remember it as Poe but can't say for sure. 

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Now this one I recognize! It's Joan of Arc!

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And these two also!  Previous Presidents Clinton and Bush!

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* Posted Jun 14, 2011, 5:01 pm [Quote] [View just this post] Go to the top of the page


Washington DC, United States - 19th April 2011

By: tarepanda

After the museum we all feel hungry.  Chinatown is just a few minutes' walk away. 

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At this restaurant, a lady is making dumplings.  She is breaking the dough into small pieces which she then roll flat to use as skin for wrapping the stuffing in. 

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We go in and order pork dumpling, BBQ with rice, and beef noodle, with a glass of soy milk. 

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Mocha brags that he has tasted better ones in Hong Kong but for me they are pretty good.

Afterwards, we have to head to the airport.  I don't want to leave yet, but I am sure more adventure awaits me in Florida! 

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* Posted Jun 14, 2011, 5:12 pm [Quote] [View just this post] Go to the top of the page


Key West, Florida, United States - 14th May 2011

By: tarepanda

Yippy!!  We are travelling again!  This time we are heading south, to a place called Key West.  The word Key actually comes from Spanish Cayo, which means a small island.  At the southern tip of Florida, there is an archipelago of 4500 islands, and Key West is the westernmost of the inhabited islands.

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We drive along the Seven Mile Bridge.  You can see another bridge to our side.  That's the old bridge built in 1909-1912 and destroyed by a hurricane in 1935.  This bridge has been filmed in movies like  True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious and the James Bond film Licence to Kill, as well as in the car show Top Gear.

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After 3 hours of driving, we arrive at Key West!

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We are here for a event called Key West Paddle Board Classic.  We will paddle 12 miles to circle around the island.

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A lot of people have gathered at the starting point at Smathers Beach already.

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Everybody looks very fit and sun tanned.  This is the third beach I've visited!

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This is a shop for renting stand up paddleboards.

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There are many different types of boats.  These two are kayak and outrigger canoe.

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Here are surf ski, kayak, stand up paddle board and stand up kayaks.

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This one is kind of like your regular rowboat, called a dory.  It's open at the end so any water entering the boat can drain away easily, and waves can go through without capsizing the boat.

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Our host is very excited about this outrigger canoe, because it looks like the one she has at home. 

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Some of her friends are on this 12-men outrigger canoe. 

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As for us, we are riding in this, a dragon boat!!  It can sit 20 people.  I am excited!!  I am going to take a boat trip, and in a very unusual type of boat too!

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Let's take a picture with the dragon!

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Wow, people are leaving the shore to go to the start line!!  How exciting!

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The trip around the island is a lot of fun.  We pass through waves and calm water, we see beaches, mangrove, and hotels.  Sadly we do not take too many photos though, because our host doesn't want to be taking pictures while other people are paddling hard.  We don't want to get thrown out of the boat. 

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You can see the finish line behind us.  People stand up there to cheer for the paddlers.  The fastest ones take a little two hours, the slower ones three or even four hours.

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Now we can sit on the beach and relax!!  I must say it's a beautiful day.  I am liking Florida!  Hey where is my margarita?

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* Posted Jun 22, 2011, 3:12 am Last edited Jun 22, 2011, 3:16 am by tarepanda [Quote] [View just this post] Go to the top of the page


Key West, Florida, United States - 15th May 2011

By: tarepanda

We do a quick tour about Key West before we head home.  Key West is known as the southernmost city in the Continental United States.  A little interesting fact: In 1860 wrecking (salvaging valuables from shipwrecks) made Key West the largest and richest city in Florida and the wealthiest town per capita in the U.S.

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We pass by the Southernmost Hotel.

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And the Southernmost House.

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I am here at the southernmost point of Continental U.S.!  This used to be a sign but it was stolen so often that they put this big, impossible to steal monument instead. 

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Here in Key West is the beginning of US Route 1.  It is a major north–south U.S. Highway that runs the length of the East Coast of the United States and runs 2,377 miles (3,825 km) from Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border all the way south to Key West, Florida.  If I drive along this road I will go all the way up to Canada, though it will take a long, long time.

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We cross the street, and what do we have?  The end of US 1, ha ha.

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One interesting thing tourist will find is that there are lots of chicken running around Key West.  This is because of a law that prohibits killing the birds on the island, established many years ago to ban voodoo practices.  As a result, nowadays you can see chicken crossing every street around town. 

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We also come by the house of Earnest Hemingway.  He is a very famous author who wrote Old Man and the Sea.  He wrote several of his novels here, including For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Snows of Kilimanjaro. 

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* Posted Jun 22, 2011, 5:38 am Last edited Jun 22, 2011, 5:41 am by tarepanda [Quote] [View just this post] Go to the top of the page


Ft Lauderalde, Florida, United States - 21st May 2011

By: tarepanda

It's not easy to say goodbye, but Snuff really need to go home now, even if he doesn't want to.  His mommy is missing him awfully, he has been gone for so long...  He has stayed here for a year and a half, and has gone to a lot of places.  Today we go out for a little farewell party.

We come to this Irish restaurant.

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It's very beautiful inside. 

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There are some old books to add a rustic look to it.  I like places with lots of books!

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We order some fish and chips. 

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This is an Irish dish called Bangers and Mash.  It has a funny name, I've never tried it before.  It's sausages with mashed potatoes.

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For dessert we have some bread pudding.

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Cheers to friendship!!  Travel home safely, our dear friend, we will miss you!  We hope to see you again!

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* Posted Jul 3, 2011, 12:27 am [Quote] [View just this post] Go to the top of the page


Miami, Florida, United States - 26th May 2011

By: tarepanda

Today we receive a package!!  Look at the pretty stamps!  I wonder what's inside?  I'd bet it's books for our host who loves to read!

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Sure enough, there's a book.  But there's something else too?  A rat?

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Turns out Genoveva is a BookCrossing toyvoyager too!    Orange and Mocha are very excited.  We give her a warm welcome.

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Very nice of her mommy to send us some wafers!  But I couldn't believe that rat ate half of it!!

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* Posted Jul 27, 2011, 3:44 pm [Quote] [View just this post] Go to the top of the page


Miami Beach, Florida, United States - 18th June 2011

By: tarepanda

Today we help our host release a book for the BookCrossing Monopoly game.  Her (and Genoveva's mom's) team landed on "Square", so they have to release a book by a square.  Mommy said that she knows of a very beautiful square for the book. 

This is the book we will release. The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u314/azuki726/toy%20voyagers/2011/SDC13052.jpg

We first visit the website to register the book.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u314/azuki726/toy%20voyagers/2011/SDC13051.jpg

Since weather has been somewhat rainy we put the book in a protective bag.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u314/azuki726/toy%20voyagers/2011/SDC13053.jpg

Off we go!  I thought we are going to a town square, but to my surprise we visit the Holocaust Memorial.

At the entrance there is a statue of a mother with two children.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u314/azuki726/toy%20voyagers/2011/SDC13102.jpg

Behind the statue is a quote from Anne Frank on the wall.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u314/azuki726/toy%20voyagers/2011/SDC13101.jpg

There is a pond and a statue of a big hand.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u314/azuki726/toy%20voyagers/2011/SDC13105.jpg

First we pass by a wall etched with pictures during the war.  It's horrible to look at the pictures and imagine the suffering.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u314/azuki726/toy%20voyagers/2011/SDC13115.jpg

The hand is reflected in the water where there are some lotuses.  It's very beautiful.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u314/azuki726/toy%20voyagers/2011/SDC13107.jpg

Oh here is the square our host talks about!!  There are slits in the wall so sunlight creates squares of light on the wall. 

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u314/azuki726/toy%20voyagers/2011/SDC13124.jpg

We leave the book in the tunnel.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u314/azuki726/toy%20voyagers/2011/SDC13133.jpg

We hope someone will find and enjoy this book.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u314/azuki726/toy%20voyagers/2011/SDC13132.jpg

The light also shines through an opening to throw a yellow star on the ground.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u314/azuki726/toy%20voyagers/2011/SDC13123.jpg

We walk through the tunnel. At the end, there is an opening where the big hand statue is.  Up close, we can see that it is formed by many human figures.  They all have very sad and tortured faces.  We feel very emotional looking at them. 

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u314/azuki726/toy%20voyagers/2011/SDC13119.jpg

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u314/azuki726/toy%20voyagers/2011/SDC13120.jpg

At the end of the memorial is a sculpture similar to the one we saw at the entrance.  Only in this one, the mother and children have died.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u314/azuki726/toy%20voyagers/2011/SDC13131.jpg

* Posted Jul 29, 2011, 4:08 am Last edited Jul 29, 2011, 4:09 am by tarepanda [Quote] [View just this post] Go to the top of the page


Grand Haven, MI, USA - 1st August 2011

By: kessalia

Hello mom!  I have arrived in the USA and Michigan just in time for the city's big festival!  I wanted you to know that I made the trip safely.  :)

We went to pick up Mel's nephew from the skate park.  there were a lot of children there playing!  And from the top of the hill there we could see the arrival of the big Coast Guard cutters.  They are in town for the week of the festival.  We may get to go tour them soon!



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* Posted Aug 2, 2011, 2:50 am [Quote] [View just this post] Go to the top of the page


Grand Haven, MI, USA - 14th August 2011

By: kessalia

Hello Mum!  This weekend Grand Haven hosted the Michigan Pirate Festival!  Mel dressed up and took us all!  :D

Saturday the highlight was the kids parade and costume contest!  Mel and Madison were in it.  Weren't the kids all so cute?  Mel took second place for adults - I will tell you a secret though, there were only three ladies competing. ;)

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a214/kessalia/august/DSCF1291.jpg

The festival was hosted by the library, so we went inside because Madison wanted some books, so I helped her find books about pirates and the ocean! 

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a214/kessalia/august/DSCF1295.jpg


The library was a nice place to rest after the fun of the festival.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a214/kessalia/august/DSCF1294.jpg

We sat and watched some shows!  These ladies danced with fire!  :o  I would never do that!

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a214/kessalia/august/DSCF1299.jpg

This man was a fun minstrel.  He had some good songs and also funny ones.  They were all about sailing and the ocean, so i felt at home. :)

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a214/kessalia/august/DSCF1308.jpg

Look at this funny pontoon pirate ship! 

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a214/kessalia/august/DSCF1314.jpg

Mel chatted with friends and shopped, she bought Raven a new eye patch since he lost his Saturday, and some yummy scurvy-fighting rootbeer!  These belly dancers were performing as we left.  They were very pretty!

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a214/kessalia/august/DSCF1319.jpg

Mel says summer is almost over here in Michigan, but there is still plenty of fun things for us to do.  Yippee! :)

* Posted Aug 14, 2011, 10:09 pm [Quote] [View just this post] Go to the top of the page


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