Author: Troy Knight

We departed Houston this morning and are now in the Paris waiting for a flight to Casablanca. Uneventful so far just many lines and gates. Air France is a great airline. On to the next adventure. Paris is 7 hours ahead of Houston so it is 10 in Paris and 3 am in Houston.

We received a text message yesterday stating that our transatlantic cruise had been canceled, no explanation, Hope this was not an inconvenience. Well it was but we will press on with the remainder of the trip. More info later.

Now is the time for a new adventure. We are preparing for a trip to Morocco then Spain then a transatlantic cruise from Barcelona to Miami. Join us on our trip.

This city was worth exploring. The zocola is the heart of the city and is always full of people shopping, dancing, playing their musical instruments and selling their wares. In the evening Troy and I found the best seats of the house were on a restaurant balcony enjoying good food and watching the evening show. Equally as much fun, but calmer is the area around Santo Domingo de Guzman Temple. It was first a Spanish Church with all of the gold trappings and glorious altar. Then it became a military station and finally it is a beautiful cultural center. Behind the church is an ethnobiological garden that has specimen of the plants that represent the various biocultural areas of the state of Oaxaca. One of the most interesting are the rows of maize that show the changes over the centuries. Maize and so many of the other plants have evolved to meet the needs of the people. The restaurants of the city feature many of the food that were eaten centuries ago. Our lunch that day was a maize tamal and a squash blossom salad. Art is everywhere in the city. IN museums, in galleries and painted on the walls. There is nothing subtle about the pieces that we saw. Bold colors, and shapes frightening dreams and wildly clad individuals. There is no holding back. Although these were the last days of Lent there was nothing quiet about the city. Even during an outdoor Mass children played with their balloons and pan flute music blocked out any attempt the choir made to sing. Saturday was more exploration and Sunday we will take a trip to Mitla and visit some of the smaller towns and churches.

We left Oaxaca City for Monte Alban one of the first planned urban areas in the Americas. The drove out of the city was a riot of color. Purple jackaranda trees competed with the beautiful orange of the Poinciana and the bubenbilla to use the Spanish spelling. We would never think of putting those colors so close together in our yard, but they work beautifully here. Monte Alban was a large complex with temples; residences, an observatory and all that was required of a bustling civilization. There is evidence of trading with far away places and the walls tell the story of battles and conquests. Smaller carving show people suffering from various diseases and it is believed that these were used as medical texts. It is easy to imagine this place full of life, waiting for life or death messages from the priests. Scholars studying the skies for the next eclipse or comet. I shared this site previously with my granddaughter, Laura and got to share it finally with Troy. Just when I think I do not want to see another ancient ruin I realize that there is always something new to learn. Returning to the city we had lunch and

watched the country folk walking around the zocola or standing in their stalls selling products to helps ends meet. There are beautiful dresses and shawls, shirts and bags most hand made We were tempted by small carved spoons for serving dips and salsas. Tonight we will go back for more adventures around the zocola.

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Sally and Troy

Our next trip will be a Christmas trip to Mexico City. We look forward to a beautiful celebration in Mexico City over the Christmas Holidays.

This last day was a lazy one. We slept late, sunned by the pool, had a hamburger lunch and packed out bags. Now we are waiting for the time to arrive so that we can check out. This has been a wonderful journey full of wonderful memories and in some cases great physical accomplishments on our part. It seemed we climbed half way to Laos to enter Paradise Cave, that we clamored aboard dubious boats to cruse down rivers, that we walked miles and miles in the footsteps of the last King of Vietnam and that we withstood the blazing sun to see Cham temples. Neither of us would trade a minute of this journey. Traveling to the wonderful places makes us appreciate what we have in America and draws us closer together as we share these adventures. Thank you Troy Knight for this Far Eastern Odyssey.

A water buffalo wearing a bright red bow being ridden by her ower

Tai Chi about our cruise ship on HaLong Bay.

Beautiful baby girls wearing pink dresses and gold ankle bracelets.

Beautiful baby boys wearing comfortable pajamas and silver ankle bracelets.

The Water Puppets.

Ladies in their traditional dress and hats.

Bicycles laden with everything you would ever think of needing to live your life.

Being escorted to a massage by the bell boy. The trip was a 90 second walk and he never left go of my hand until he put it in the hand of the therapist.

Son and his driver Hi who treated us like royalty.

Being bumped up to the pent house in Hanoi.

Red Brahma cattle roaming freely along the road and in the city.

Chickens and ducks and rice paddies with family cemeteries in the middle of them.

Entire families on a scooter.

Open trucks used as school busses.

Each meal a picture. Each day a history lesson, and every person a sweet spirit.

and lastly the Ghost of Uncle Ho still hovering over Vietnam.