Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Greetings from the strictest city on Earth! I arrived and automatically put on an Abaya (a big robe that everyone who visits must wear.) I had read up online during my flight, and it turns out that if you stroll about Riyadh in normal clothing, you could get arrested. I also read that you can get arrested and pay a fine of over $70000 dollars just for hitting a camel on the road, depending on it's SIZE AND COLOR.

I have made the wise decision of staying in my nice, air-conditioned hotel. I have been told stories of people being found dead on desert roadsides with no water, cellphone, or gasoline in their car, and I am not about to take chances. I am going to stay at the hotel the whole entire trip. I do not really care about seeing the sights. Death and jail are things that I absolutely hate.

I decided that since I did NOT want to leave my room, I would email my sister and tell her about my trip. I would also ask how her trip was going. She got back to me within an hour and said that her trip was going fine, and that she was ahead of me (haha). She also made a point of saying that SHE had not been to any place as dangerous as where I had been traveling.

Finally! I am ready to depart from DANGEROUS Saudi Arabia and take my plane to Jerusalem, Israel. Maybe I can find peace, quiet, and less danger here.

Muscat, Governorate

Hello, Muskrat! Wait, WHAT!? I meant Muscat. The first place I am stopping is Ghalya's Museum of Modern Art. It was really nice, and had a lot of different things from the Omani culture. It's purpose is to show that Omani culture goes on forever without really changing, as it has something from every time period.

Next, I took the Omanta scuba diving lessons and tour. The guide was very helpful, and in no time, I was underwater having a great time. There was a diving shop right near to my hotel, and the drive was a short one. I had fun.

Muscat is a beachy, hot town. It has long, scorching summers and warm, terrible winters. It is bliss when it snows. What a horrible climate! It's a good thing I have shorts with me. For my souvenir, I collected some sand and shells and put it in a jar to take home with me. Man, my souvenir case is getting full!

Day 16: Kathmandu, Nepal

Hello, Katmandoo? Kathemanu? Oh, Kathmandu. As I got off my plane, I was almost knocked off of my feet my the smells, sounds, and sights. What a vibrant and moving city! As the biggest and most likely only city in Nepal, it had tons of people. There were slow parts of the city (Namely back alleys), and fast parts of the city. I was staying at an inn in the busy part of Kathmandu.

Hotel De L'annapurna

I decided that my first stop had to be Durbar Square. It was where the king would come to make announcements to his people. Of course, no king lives there now, and there isn't any castle either. The castle was moved to the north a long time ago, but it was still really cool to be there and see some of the stonework and carvings.

After going to Durbar Sq, I decided it was time to do a little souvenir shopping. I couldn't find much good shopping, so I gave up. As I was walking to the inn to go to bed, I saw a quaint little store on the corner of a street. It was still open, despite the time, so without even looking at the sign, I walked in.





I found myself in an adorable, old fashioned tea house! It smelled of fancy spices and tea (No surprise there, eh?) and an old woman sat behind a counter brewing the tea. I decided that I would buy a small box of tea and a mug for my souvenir. When I got to the inn, I brewed some, and it was DELICIOUS!

Lhasa, Tibet: Day 15

Tibetan Monk

Hello Tibet! Today I am spending the day at Heavenly Lake Namtso. It was voted one of the five most beautiful lakes in China/Tibet area.

 I can see why too- if you totally ignore the people in the picture to the right, and look at the beautiful background- it's actually beautiful. Since I am staying two days, today is a beach day. 

The lake was beautiful! The wind was blowing, the waves were crashing but were not to big, the water was clear blue like the sky, and was that perfect warm/cold temperature. 

THE NEXT DAY....

Hello again! I am still in Tibet, and today I am going Chakpori Hill! Chapkori stands 12221 feet high, and looks down on Lhasa. I went up on the hill, and boy, WHAT A SIGHT. Lhasa was a much more beautiful sight from above than from street level. 

Zhangye China, Day 14

Here I am in beautiful Zhangye China! Did I mention that even though it is beautiful, it is boring? There is nothing to do, no tourist attractions or anything. Just some boring old temples. Boring, boring, boring.

Well, since I am here, I suppose I might as well take the Buddha Temple tour. How bad could it be?
The tour went great! And guess what. When we went down into the lower levels, I saw some of the valuable gems that were getting taken out.

Next, I went on the Wooden Pagoda Temple Tour. It wasn't really interesting, as I had just been to a similar temple, but it did supply me with my souvenir. The souvenir was a piece of bamboo I snapped off of a tree on the way out. I figured that I had to have something to remind me of China, since the next place I go is Tibet. I must admit that it was pretty at night though.

Chengde, China, day 13

The temples

Hello China! It seems that in Chengde, everything is LARGE. There is a tourist attraction that I am going to visit right now. From what I have read about it online, it is the LARGEST royal garden in China. It sounds interesting. It is the Mountain Resort of Chengde. I went, and it was okay, I guess.

Not "Largest Royal Garden In China" quality. But I guess that since many generations of families worked on it (87 years to build people. 87 YEARS!), it was okay.

An old map of the mountain resort

Finally, I went to the Eight Outer Temples, which were exactly that. The world's largest Chinese collection of islands that are to the East and North of the Mountain Resort.

Many temples are on these islands, many beautifully carved ones, each designed by different styles of Chinese... It was magical.

Khabarovsk, Russia, Day 12

What I thought it would be...

Hello, Khabarovsk Russia! I was researching online, and I found the perfect place to stop, right away. The Arboretum! Founded in 1896 as an experimental lab, it was turned into a beautiful botanical garden in the 1930's. It was beautiful! Over 800 species, all from different continents, are growing there. There are even some rare healing plants! Unfortunately, it wasn't as quiet and tranquil as I expected.




The Arboretum was amazing. Feeling the need for more nature, I decided to go to the Vsevolod Sysoyev Far Eastern Zoo. It was a small zoo with only 40 different species, mainly bear, tiger, and leopard. Still, for a small town, it was wonderful and exotic. It was named after the local nature of winter.


To end my perfect day, I decided to do what every common person does- go to church. But not just any church- THIS church. The Cathederal of the Transfiguration, to be exact. It is beautiful outside. It has a gold dome and lights that change colors at night, making this gorgeous church even more spectacular. However, inside is just a modern church, not even good stained glass. I guess that's just life for you.... Beautiful on the outside and horrible on the inside.

The beautiful church. (Third tallest in Russia, you know.)

What it was.. a tourist trap.

Day 11: Yakutsk, Russia

Yakutsk

Diamond!

Gold!

Hello Yakutsk! I have only just settled into a snug little inn and I already feel at home here. I am heading out to see the sights a little later.

Right now, I am going to post some photos of Yakutsk. I have found the perfect thing to do today! I am going to visit the Gold and Diamond museum!


It was really cool. I learned a lot about gold and diamonds, and about Yakutsk itself. I never would have guessed that Yakutsk was the main supplier of diamonds! I am now heading back to the hotel with PLENTY of info on gold and diamond. Like did you know that diamond can cut through anything?

Oh my gosh! It is so cold in Yakutsk! It was unbelievable. I went online and checked the climate, and get this! Yakutsk has the coldest climate of any CITY, though not of any uninhabited place on Earth. Pretty cool, huh? Get it, "COOL"? The highest temperature they have had for any given year is a terribly HOT 101 degrees Fahrenheit.

Anadyr Russia, Day 10

Anadyr

I got to Anadyr and was highly disappointed. It was a small, dumpy mess. It was a port town. As of 2009, it had only 12000 people living there. And THAT was of 2009. The only thing I got to do was fish! Now don't get me wrong, I love fishing, but PLEASE! Anadyr is the Eastern-most town in Russian, so it is right near the sea.

Among FISHING, Anadyr also features the delightful sports of REINDEER BREEDING and HUNTING. I would hate to be the person who mucks out the reindeer stall! Another thing I hated about Anadyr was that as soon as I got on ship, my documents were checked and I was questioned as to where I was staying and all. What was this, jail or something?!

If you ARE planning a trip to dreadful Anadyr, I advise you take these steps:

2,4,6,8, what village do we really hate? AN-A-DYR!!!!

1. Get your Russian pass before you start your trip.
2. Book a hotel in advance. You will be asked to specify where you are staying.
3. Make sure all your paperwork looks good. It will be checked. 
4. You need a permit to enter Anadyr. Make SURE you have one with you.
5. Get ready for the WORST EVER TIME OF YOUR LIFE. GOOD LUCK.

Good night journal,
Madison Nef

Anchorage, day 9

Bears

I have this thing for bears! I had just gotten to Anchorage Alaska and I AUTOMATICALLY signed myself up for bear watching. AGAIN. Did you know that Alaska is the only state that features three different bear species? Anyway, I went on the tour, and saw a few bears. They are such beautiful animals!!!

I next went on a glacier and wild life tour. I went up through the glaciers with my tour guide and hiked in the mountains and learned about the mountains. Then, to end my tour, I went dog sledding. It is super fun and super weird, to have dogs pull you. And to sled standing up ...

Anchorage Flowers

Next, I headed to the Alaska Veterans Museum. I got to see some war artifacts and read some stories about the people who served in the war from Alaska. Mostly it was monuments. They had some medals and war outfits and weapons, but nothing I was TOO TOO interested in.

As I was leaving Anchorage, I saw many beautiful flower gardens. It turns out that a tourist attraction in Anchorage is it's wonderful flowers.

Good night Journal.
Madison Nef

Juneau, Day 8

Hello, cold wintery land! That's right journal, I am now in Alaska! I am once again only staying one night only, and I plan on seeing TONS of sights before departing. I think I want to not go to a museum this time- I am getting bored of them. Maybe I can go to an indoor ice skating rink!

This is what I looked like.... for an HOUR!!!

I found a quaint little rink in Juneau and rented some skates. I was a terrible skater! I spent about an hour on my butt before I discovered the rink had crates for people to hold onto. I gladly took one and began teaching myself. I got better, but was too shy to let go of the crates. I soon got cold and decided I wanted to look for a nice antique shop.

Polar Bear!

After this, before I went souvenir shopping, I took a polar bear watching tour. I only saw 3, since it was summer, but it was worth it. Polar bears are so beautiful! I think they have become my favorite animal after that tour.

The official Alaska gemstone

I didn't find an antique shop, but I did find a jade shop. Jade is the gemstone of Alaska, and the Jade Store offers many varieties of jade. Jade will be the perfect souvenir. I picked up a piece and carry it in my suitcase with the rest of my souvenirs.

Before I go home, I want to stop and eat somewhere. I asked a few people in the jade shop, and was told that B's Bakery and Bistro was the place to go. I went, and it actually had some really good food for what you'd expect in Juneau.
Good night Journal.
Madison Nef

Vancouver Day 7

Hello Vancouver! My boat has finally landed, and I am overjoyed! I have already passed the noisy Canada line, and am now settled into a Vancouver hotel. Good night, journal. I must rest before a day of sight-seeing tomorrow. 

The strange museum/nightclub is currently looking for a new location!

WOW! You will not believe what I just visited! An art museum/nightclub! During the day, the art museum is open for group tours and viewing, but at night, adults only come to the nightclub and dance to some records while admiring art. What a strange combination! 

Orcas!

Now I am going whale watching before it gets too dark. I am only staying 1 night, so I want to get a lot of things done. I took a whale watching boat and learned that during this part of the year, orcas come to Vancouver to feed on salmon. I got to see a good few of them. I had always wanted to go whale watching but never got the chance. Guess I came at the perfect time of year. Up came the salmon, and a half a second later, up came the orca! It was really fun. 

To top off my wonderful day, I went for awesome Italian food at AL PORTO RISTORANTE. When I said awesome food, I forgot to add this: THE ABSOLUTE BEST PIZZA I HAVE EVER TASTED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!!!! It topped off my awesome day in Vancouver. It also put me sound asleep and settled me in for my long trip tomorrow. I don't know where I am going yet. I will sleep on it.

Good night Journal.

Madison Nef

San Francisco, Day 6

Al Capone's Jail Cell

Hello journal! Today I write to you from the land of train cars and double-decker buses- San Francisco! From Sacramento, I have decided to head for the sea, and what better place to start then from San Francisco. Today, I took a cruise ship out to Alcatraz, an island famous for the prison that held many fierce criminals, including Al Capone. It was wonderful, and the prison, which has been converted into a small museum, was terrifying. I even got to look into a few of the cells, including that of Al Capone.

The Golden Gate Bridge magnificent sunset

Later that evening, I took a stroll down the footpath on the Golden Gate Bridge. I have never seen a longer bridge in my LIFE! But it had a gorgeous sunset view, which I appreciated. I can't believe that it's my sixth day away from home and I have made it this far! Tomorrow I pack up bags and head out onto the ocean for the first time in my life.... where will I go?

I have packed up my bags and I am off to my first foreign country- Canada! I will be taking the cruise ship THE GOLDEN PRINCESS to Vancouver and staying for about a day. THE GOLDEN PRINCESS is a typical cruise ship, and I am now about 1000 miles away from Vancouver. It is now nighttime, so I must kill the lights.

Good bye Journal.
Madison Nef

Sacramento CA, Day 5

The Automobile Museum

I'm back! Journal, you would never guess in a million years where I am now. In California! And not just any place. I am in Sacramento. The capital city in California! On the first day of my visit here, I am not going to be doing much. I have found what appears to be a laid-back tourist attraction, funny as it sounds. I will be going to the California Automobile Museum! I loved the tour! Here are my reasons:
#1- Free parking
#2- As I was saying, not busy.
#3- The place was HUGE!!! So many old fashioned cars, and so much to learn about them! Like did you know the Chevy Nova had a hard time selling in Mexico because is the Spanish word for doesn't go. Good night journal.

50 foot drop- NOT FOR ME!!!

Today I wanted to go someplace with a little more kick to it. I went to Six Flags! Now, for those of you that don't know what Six Flags is, it is an amusement park that is famous for making you pee your pants on drops of usually over 100 feet. I, naturally, did NOT go on any of those rides. I stuck to the safe ones, such as the carousel or the teacups. But wait a minute! What carousel? What teacups? There were none! Just thrill packed, poop your pants roller coasters. This wasn't fun at all! I went home and took a nap before going out on an educational tour of Sacramento.

Sacramento has history in gold- which is why it became so populated in the first place. When a Switz named John Sutter came to town, he struck it rich on a heap of gold. Thinking that they were going to have just as good of luck, many others flooded the area. That is how such population came to Sacramento.

Goodbye Journal.

Madison Nef