Without intending to, it seems we had given up the first world for Lent. We were anxiously anticipating clean, modern and beautiful European cities when we arrived in Istanbul last week. And it delivered. We love the walkable cobblestone streets and sidewalk cafes, the beautiful parks and historic sites, the kind and friendly people. Istanbul is … Continue reading First World Problems
So honored to be published on Huffington Post! Suzanne Rutledge Writer, Mom and Adventurer Traveling out of the country with children can be fraught with concern, not just over logistics and jet lag, but wondering whether they’ll enjoy and remember the international experience. As a parent, I dream big with my expectations for our son. I … Continue reading Five Fun Ways to Immerse your Children in a Foreign Country
We decided to stop in Egypt to see the pyramids. We can see them from our hotel window. We had a private tour of the pyramids. First we saw the pyramids of Giza and got to ride camels. We named our camel Mike, after the Geico commercial. The pyramids were huge and the blocks to … Continue reading Walk Like an Egyptian
It seems ironic to think that one of our most joyful stops on our journey was in an orphanage, but it’s true. The boys and girls have come from backgrounds so difficult I can’t imagine, but at First Love they have found a wonderful life of security, education, joy and love. The hearts of the … Continue reading The Heart of Africa
We visited the Maasai Mara National Park in Kenya for our safari and stayed at a tented camp called Ilkeliani. A tented camp is glamping, with running water, real beds in the permanent tents and nice common rooms to hang out in. Our driver and guide Joseph picked us up in a Toyota Land Cruiser … Continue reading Hakuna Matata in the Maasai Mara
We arrived in Kenya battered and broken. India took it out of us and we had traveled 24 hours by train, taxi and plane by the time we arrived at First Love orphanage outside Nairobi. We were greeted with vibrant blue skies, green trees and warm, joyful smiles. All the smog from our last stop … Continue reading Smiles of Joy
We are leaving India tomorrow, and I want to tell you about a few of my favorite things. I really liked going to Ranthamboure National Park on safari. We saw tigers, a mama and two cubs. The cubs were really cute! We also saw antelope, deer, birds, peacocks, monkeys and jackals. The park used to … Continue reading Tigers in tuk tuks, Trains in the Taj and TaTa Trucks
Sometimes I just have to laugh at God’s obvious sense of humor. We’ve praised and thanked him for the friends and people we’ve met in Jaipur who made our trip memorable (and bearable). So, he decided we should stay an extra day, or two. I’m sure it hasn’t hit the U.S. news, but there have … Continue reading It’s the People, people
We debated just skipping over the India posts altogether. Maybe if we didn’t document it, it would be like it never happened. But it’s happening. So we must. However, I cannot in good conscious blog about Delhi, because it was an utter post-apocalyptic s*%!hole. There’s nothing better I can say. I’m sorry. We thought Jaipur … Continue reading Lost by Day, Saved by Night
Asia continues to impress me and I’m only sorry we haven’t come here sooner. The land that seemed so far away and foreign is actually warm and welcoming, and Hong Kong is yet another city to add to my list of those where I want to return. Chinese New Year added vibrance and energy to our … Continue reading Bright Lights, Big City of the East
