1998 Iberian Tour

3-20-1998 Madrid, Spain
I'm baa-aaack!

I should mention that after leaving Bucharest in '95, I visited Vienna, Paris and Madrid for three days each. Now I'm back! Mandi is in the shower and I'm just waiting for my turn. The first thing we did when we got into our room is cuddle. We cuddle every morning we're together and this morning we missed because of the plane flight over. You couldn't really cuddle on a plane. Damon Yauney is with us as part of our tour group. Oops... my turn to shower.

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3-22-98 12:45 AM, Somewhere in Spain
Palacio Real, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Museo Soifa Reina, Museo del Prado, Hard Rock Cafe, throw in some shopping and a couple of huge meals and you have the last two days. We've seen Picasso, El Greco, Dali, Rubens, Goya, Bosch, etc. We came, we saw, we conquered. Last night we went to bed early, hoping to adjust tot he time zone, but at midnight and 12:20AM Mandi and I were awakened by people dialing the wrong numbers. At 1:00AM there was a group of roudy kids running and yelling up and down the hall. At 2:00AM our upstairs neighbors decided to have a party and began moving the furniture in their room. At that point I got out of bed and went down to the front desk, head messy, shirt inside-out, shorts undone, shoes untied, no socks. I drew quite a few looks from the throng of people in the lobby, however, the manager, upon hearing of my plight, fixed the problem quickly. At 7:30 the next morning I turned up the TV knowing the neighbors would be asleep and was gratified to hear someone pound on the floor above a couple minutes later. Tonite, it is silent in the halls.

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3-23-98 Costa del Sol, Spain
I have to say that the group from North Carolina that is part of our tour. [?] They have two teachers and no guidance whatsoever. The teachers have been both incredibly annoying and a great source of humour for the rest of us. One of them needs slapped and the other we're hoping to get a good price for in Tangiers.

First, there's 'Blondie'; young, bitchy, an aspiring Tammy Faye Baker. She wears enough make-up in a day to keep the industry alive all by herself. Yesterday I made a joke about Washington Irving and his role in World War II. Janet Lueck caught the Catch-22 reference and we laughed pretty good. Blondie (AKA "The Bitchy One" by some) corrected me by pointing out that Washington Irving was long dead by WWII. Great catch, Bimbo! You teach, or so I'm told, but can you read? Anyway, all this happened after a long bus ride in which I tried to lean my seat back (the bus has airplane-like seats) only to be told by the Bi...imbo that it would force her to reposition her legs and not to di it. Did I mention that I haven't slept for 6 hours in one night since before we got to Portland? She's lucky I didn't break her legs! Anyway, I'll get back to her later. Her partner is just as interesting, if less annoying.

The 'Froo-froo' Lady wears just as much make-up, a lot of gaudy jewelry and clothes and is at least 50. Like her partner, she tends to look down her nose at the rest of us. So far today she pitched at least two fits that I've seen, but I have reliable sources who tell me that there were others.

The first one happened in the hotel lobby just after we arrived. We're all waiting in the lobby for our keys, along with 2 other tour groups, when she storms to the front desk and demands a porter for her luggage or she'll leave this hotel. Our poor tour guideis still passing out keys and now has 'Froo-froo' to deal with. I wonder where she thought she was going; to leave the hotel would be to leave the tourgroup and, therefore, her students, behind. We all kind of hoped the guide would call her bluff.

The second snit she had was when we were all lined up for the courtesy van to the beach. We all started finling on board and Froo-froo was last with her friend (who is truly patient for putting up w/Ff). As it turned out, there was only room for one of them. They both stayed, but as the bus pulled away, I could see them and our tour guide (Nerea) deep in meaningful conversation...

One thing both Blondie and Froo-froo have in common is their total lack of supervision over their kids. Damon and I have seen them break a number of rules and even video-taped them drinking at the bar. At least twice B & Ff have gone off to do their own thing and left their charges completely unattended. We laugh now, but would I let my kids go on one of these? Not with B & Ff, that's for sure!

[In fact, Janet was an outstanding example of what a good, caring teacher can do. She not only organized this trip, but kept her charges in line like a mother hen, and she included a number of parents on the trip as well, thus providing not only additional supervision, but family bonding as well. Janet Lueck is as quality a person as you're likely to find outside of heaven.]

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3-24-98 Tangier, Morocco
Quote of the Day, "What's a cavity search?" Dad and mom got the wrong stamp in their passportson the ferry over here and had to spend an extra ten minutes waiting for it to be corrected before they set foot here in Africa. [Dad hollered the cavity line down the gangplank while waiting for the Morrocan officials to correct their mistake. I was somewhat surprised he didn't actually get one after such a prank.]

Today was pretty full. We saw the Casbah and went for a camel ride. This place reminds me of Korea in that it is so foreign that you can't even read a coke bottle. It is beautiful though, not a desert at all, in fact, the only people who ride camels are tourists, everyone else has a car. There aren't very many trucks at all, and only a few sport-utes. Something that Spain and Morocco both have in common is their prolific use of tile. They make streetsigns out of tile, they paint mosaics and murals on tile, and they use colored tiles for decoration. I'm inspired, I'll use some back at Frog's Leap. [We used to live on Frog's Leap Lane in Eugene, OR.]

One thing to watch out for are the plethora of street vendors. They harass and harangue and try their best to rip you off. They lurk like vultures just outside the hotel door. [Although we were perfectly safe, the girls were a little freaked out by the way these guys would pressure you all the way down the street. they would literally wait for just outside the hotel and even sought to make eye contact with you before you even got out of the lobby.]

1997 Oklahoma Marriage, Cook Islands Honeymoon

1-6-97 Eastern Oregon
3.5 Weeks left 'til I lose my bachelorhood. Mandi and I are driving to Oklahoma. This may be the last time I get to see this part of Oregon, and if so, I'll miss it. I really like it here. Rimrock and sagebrush for miles with mountains on every horizon. I could get used to this. It's just beautiful.

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1-23-97 Miami, Oklahoma
Well, Mandi's grandmother (Iona [Bell] Trask) died yesterday morning. I can only be reminded of last spring when Gramma Smith [Helen] passed away. Of course, it's difficult for everyone, but it also gives everyone a chance to be together before the wedding. Someone even pointed out that this is the only way she could see out wedding. Last nighi we went and saw the body. It was hard because Mandi and I had not been communicating well all day. She thinks she has to be strong for everyone else and so I got pretty much shut out of her emotional life all day. Of course, I wasn't about to get hurt like I did with Emily, so I shut Mandi out as well. We made up before we went to the funeral home, so we were okay, but Jack cried like a baby. That was the first time Mandi ever saw her dad cry. [Impressive considering all he's been through over the years.] He's had lunch with his mom every day for 25 years. I'd cry too.

Oh yeah, also last night I called Angie "Sis" and she said, "How's it going Bubba." Bubba stuck with the family and that's my new nickname. [In fact, Mandi's uncle Rod, Jack's brother, hollered out, "WAY TO GO BUBBA!" as we kissed at the alter during the wedding. Not everyone uses the monicker all the time, but Bubba I am to this day...]

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1-24-97 Miami, Oklahoma
Today was the funeral for Mandi's grandmother and it was anything but normal.
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2-8-1997 Cook Islands (Rarotonga, South Pacific)
I've been married now for a week. The wedding went smoothly, the only real problems were that I was supposed to have a white vest for my tuxedo instead of a cumberbun and we were missing my bootenier, but we swiped one from a singer and no one knew about it anyway.

So far the honeymoon is a success. We're both happy with the physical part of the relationship, we're on an island in the South Pacific, we caught tuna, saw a traditional Rarotongan dinner and dancing show, and we're both happy with the physical part of the relationship. Of course there are snags; Mandi burned herself to a crisp in the boat today, and our hotel room at the Rarotongan Resort Hotel doesn't have air-conditioning. Still, things are going great.

Did you know that Eke is the New Zealand Maori word for octopus? I'm not sure how they prepare it here, but it sure beats the South Korean method.

The reef here goes completely around the island, so you're always near great snorkeling. We've been twice so far and the fish are amazing. Its just like being in an aquarium. Aitutaki is supposed to be even better, so we can't wait for Thursday when we fly over for even more water fun.

Kia Orana (Aloha)

"Bubba" update: at the wedding, Rod gave me a hat that says, "Bubba" on it.

More wedding: I was doing fine with everything until my family got lost on the way to the rehearsal. We were halfway through when I turned to Michael Andersen, my Best Man, and calmly informed him that my marbles were scattered all over and now would be a good time for him to take charge of me. He did a good job I guess because I calmed down in a few minutes and everything went fine from there on out.

For my bachelor's party I was made to dress as Darth Vader while we attended the 20th Anniversary re-release of Star Wars in Joplin, MO. What a great way to go! I mean that.

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2-11-97 Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Today we did nothing!

Yesterday we hiked all the way across the island. Our guide's name was Pa and he's really unique. He's a blond native (bleach?) with dreadlocks and he claims to know all the medicinal uses of the local jungle flora. His herb lore was impressive; he learned it all from his grandmother; and it was entirely an oral tradition. Anyway, he's being filmed bt the Discovery Channel for a series they're doing and Nike wants to use him for an ad or two. He's perfect for the part: he's built like a runner and waltzed through the green while I slid all over in hiking bookts. [In fact, I know I've seen him on the Discovery Channel, and I think Nike did indeed use him.]

Last night I went spearfishing in the lagoon with Teariki, a local, and one of the guys who works here in the restaurant. I shouldn't have left Mandi alone, but we didn't go out 'til eleven. We used flashlights with steel spears duct-taped with surgical tubing between them. I've never been before and was happy simply not to spear myself in the foot. In fact, I shot several parrot fish, our primary quarry. Of course, they outdid me about 40-1, but it was still a blast, and Mandi and I made up today. An even bigger blast!

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2-15-97 Aitutaki, Cook Islands
Here's an idea: A poker game using all the foreign monies I've collected over the years.

Well, the total population of Aitutaki is 2,700. It is almost all lagoon. I remember asking the travel agent to put me on the beach in the photos and brochures. Yesterday, Mandi and I were there. We fed the fish in the lagoon while we snorkeled and ate lunch on One Foot Island. Everywhere we turn there are palm trees and coral reef lagoons. Hermit crabs are more common than insects and you have to watch where you walk or you'll get whacked by a falling coconut.

The hotel manager warned us on arrival to be careful about the sun because on a clear day the burn time is 2.5 minutes. Yesterday Mandi burned clearly in about five minutes. We took a lagoon cruise and on the way out she roasted her back, but not too badly. The whole day was pretty amazing.

First, we stopped at some obscure island [motu] at the edge of the lagoon for a history lesson, then we dropped off the cook at One-Foot Island while we went snorkeling. The fish were as spectacular as anywhere else I've been. We saw Butterfly Fish, at least two kinds of Wrasse, Eels, and I don't know what else. There were a plethora of species. They just swarmed as we fed them, I mean, there were hundreds!

On the way back to One-Foot for lunch I noticed a sand bar sticking out of the water next to the boat. It seemed to go quite a ways and when I asked the skipper about it he told us we could get out and walk to the island which was still at least a quarter mile off. He also told us that the bar was where all the Cook Islands promotional photos were taken. I couldn't believe our luck!

Of course we got out and immediately took our own pictures. Then we found a nice shell and walked all the way to the island. Only a small portion of the bar stood above the water, and then only at low tide, or so we were told, so most of the trek was through knee deep water. Never have I seen beauty like that; only the majesty of Alaska could compare, but the two are so different they can't be judged on the same scale or merits.