Hanging on Fishermans Wharf

View of the Golden Gate Bridge

The city of Beijing was as hurried and cluttered as one could imagine, yet held affluence in culture and pride that neither Chris nor I would have predicted. With each similarly unending business day, the Chinese would dash through the busy streets determined to shortcut to their next destination. Every aspect of life in Beijing was fast-paced. From the Silk Market, where one sale seemed more like you were bartering in an underground auction, to a common noodle house where food was ingested as though it might disappear, there was little desire for locals slow down. Chris and I are still amused when we recall the hundreds of locals with their surgical masks riding half-hazard down the congested streets resembling a herd of lemmings. Needless to say, our relaxed demeanor and clear physical difference brought us a constant stream of attention.

Olympic Birds Nest

Although appearing as a busy and chaotic metropolis, many aspects of Beijing were awe-inspiring. Our visit to the Forbidden City humbled us with its enormity. With over 9,000 rooms, one was easily lost and overwhelmed. Enclosed by its grand moat and surrounding walls, the massive structures were detailed to perfection and painted with the most elaborate of colors. Similarly, the Summer Palace also captured our attention. With over 75% surrounded by water, it was no wonder that it served as such a tranquil setting for regal families over the hot summer months. Dozens of small shrines, gazebos, temples and serene buildings lay strewn throughout the hilly enclosure of the Palace. Its setting easily put even the most overwrought visitor into a state of relaxed euphoria.

Guarding the Forbidden City

Stoffe in the Forbidden City

Forbidden City Detailing

View from Summer Palace

Tiananmen Square

Further, no tour to China would be complete without a visit to the Great Wall. Although limited to how much we could explore because of lack of restoration, that which we could was nothing less than amazing. There, lain between mountainous peaks, was the structure that we had only read about in books. With each section of the wall at least 10ft high, it is no wonder that it is one of the Great Wonders of the World. Although all aspects resembled those from the history books, what my education failed to mention was the modern and INGENIOUS way to get down. I mean, what Great Wall wouldn’t be complete without a LUGE SLED to transport tourists back to reality. Hilarious!

The Great Wall

The LUGE!

So apart from the sights, the food was also certainly a highlight. With my Aunt Fiona (who currently lives in Beijing) as our guide, we sampled all the food that China had to offer. My favorite experience of course was when Fi’s chef, Chef Wong, came to visit and spoiled us with a traditional Chinese FEAST. It was the perfect sendoff to a perfect week and certainly energized us for the next leg of our journey.

mmm...pekking duck!

Thailand here we come!

Being in what Darwin himself has deemed the "origin" of the Origin of Species has been an experience that is nothing more than a dream come true. Our three week stint in the Galapagos has been absolutely everything I had believed it to be. The truly unique and distinct environment was in all areas as enchanting as those who have visited before have relayed. I can´t think of a similar environment so enriched and diversified and so intoxicatingly captivating.

We started out our island hopping on the Eastern Island of San Cristobal. With only 6,000 inhabitants it had seemed that we were truly at the end of the earth. The streets were eerily bare although an abundance of sea lions and marine iguanas littered the sidewalks and surrounding beaches. The combination of the hot equadorian sun, the emerald sea and seemingly prehistoric landscape gave you a feeling of being transported back in time. Although extraordinarily beautiful from our modern perspective, it is no wonder that the first explorers had deemed this barren land ¨the gateway to hell¨.

Marine Iguana on the beach

A tough life...

After a couple of days basking on the beaches and relaxing on our seaside patio, we left San Cristobal to head West to the much more tourist oriented island of Santa Cruz. For me, stepping foot on the island was a dream come true as the first place we visited was the Charles Darwin Research Center. There, surrounded by copious amounts of evolutionary evidence and information, I finally got to see what I had read about throughout all my years at Uni. We saw finches, tortoises, land iguanas and of course, the legendary Lonesome George, the last known living tortoise from the Island of Pinta. WOW! And the greatest treat for me was the rumour that George had infact helped in producing the first batch of Pinta\Wolfe eggs with one of the female Wolfe tortoises in his enclosure. It looks like Lonesome George may not be so lonesome anymore!! =) I know it may not be so relevant to many of you, but for me it was the perfect accompaniment to an already fabulous experience.

Not so lonesome George..

Although hard to top, we left Santa Cruz to embark on another extrodinary 8 day experience aboard the yacht Golondrina. On Golondrina we were able to visit those islands not accessible without a guide or private certified yacht. Although not cheap, the cruise was necessary as without it we would have not seen the unforgettable flora and fauna of each islands perfectly preserved individual ecosystem. We saw so many mindblowing things that I am sure my words won´t be able to do them justice but here goes.

Our fearless vessel.

Diving\snorkeling--right here is why we came to the Galapagos. With four major currents colliding, we saw the most diverse array of species I have ever seen under water. We saw hundreds of species of fish, sally-lightfoot crabs, eagle rays, sting rays, manta rays, white tip sharks, black tip sharks, galapagos sharks, hammerhead sharks, sealions, turtles, octopus, moray eels and an abundance of other marine life. Now I know what most of you are thinking, Rebecca...you are terrified of sharks...well yes I am, but the comfort of knowing that there are so many more appealing objects to snack on down there had put me slightly more at ease...slightly.

Ready to battle the seas..

Turtle Power!

A playful sealion

Landscape\in the air--The landscape is ever changing throughout the islands of the Galapagos. Some of the elder islands display lush and rich forest while other ´teenage´ islands are barren for miles with only an abundance of volcanic debris. Likewise, those animals which inhabit the islands are equally as diverse since only those which can adapt to the environment can survive. We´ve seen so many species of birds that it´s hard to keep track of them all. We´ve seen blue-footed, red-footed and nazca boobies as well as dozens of species of Darwin´s finches, flamingos, mockingbirds, frigate birds, swallow-tailed gulls, red-beaked tropical birds, penguins (yes, I said penguins), owls, doves, gulls and of course, my favorite, the albatross. With a wingspan of nearly 7 feet it is truly a remarkable bird to observe.

Beach on Genovesa

Such is love...

Blue Footed Booby

Flamingo

Red Footed Booby

Cactus

Pelican

Land Animals--Other animals on the islands also show some truly unique characteristics. Although extremely abundant, both marine and land iguanas always seem to amaze us when we see them. In no way do they feel any sense of threat towards humans so they easily will approach you with little or no hesitation--remarkable! The tortoises´ have also been a highlight. Ranging in size from a few inches to two meters long, these graceful giants dominate the landscape with ease. Since they live up to 200 years, a sense of superior insight and profound wisdom is ever present when you gaze into their eyes. Seeing these animals in the wild is a remarkably humbling experience.

Land Iguana

Tortoise

Sally-Lightfooted Crab

And who said three´s a crowd =)

I´m sure, like I said before, my words don´t do justice to the amazing things we´ve seen. The cruise, which we´ve now left behind, allowed us to visit close to a dozen islands which we would have never seen or possibly even heard of. The diversity we observed has left us awestruck, dumbfounded and filled with modesty and respect for our surroundings that is worth more than we could have ever imagined.

And now, we sit on the last of our Galapagos islands called Isabela. The island which is the youngest we have seen so far has proven to be the most unique. We are surrounded by white sand beaches, palm trees, sunshine and beautiful sunsets. The island is also home to 2 active volcanoes and an abundance of trees and wildlife. Yesterday we spent the morning with flamingos in the lagoon, the afternoon with baby turtles at the breeding center and the evening with sleepy-eyed iguanas on the beach. This place is a paradise.

And now we are slowly about to embark on our journey home. We have a few days in Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Brazil before making our way back to Canada. I hope you all have enjoyed reading this blog as much as I have in writing it. Possibly it will encourage you all to come and experience for yourself this all that South America has to offer and perhaps offer me insight into those destinations that we still dream to visit.

After arriving back in Cusco with the rest of our trekking gang, we spent a few days in recovery mode to mend our aching muscles. Of course we, as many tour groups before us, celebrated our achievement with an epic night night out which contributed more so to our need for recovery...oops!

Rest assured though, once we regained our clarity Chris and I set off to battle the rapids on the Urubamba River. Although Chris is more skilled in the sport, I being a beginner rafter could not predict the adrenaline filled day we were about to have. The rapids were class three and certainly not for the faint of heart. I can recall numerous moments where I was bracing my feet against the boat, paddling like my life depended on it and pleading to the river to keep me out of the less-than-welcoming rapids. Fortunately, we made it down with all limbs attached although a few poor souls in the boat next to us lost not only pride but numerous pairs of sandals when their boat capsized after some poor maneuvering.

Kicking some Urubamba butt!

After such an insane experience you´d think that we would have taken it easy for a while but that certainly wasn´t the case. After leaving Cusco we made our way to Ica and stayed in a small little oasis of a town named Huacachina in the middle of the desert. Huacachina is known for it´s sand boarding and dune buggy riding so it wasn´t long before Chris and I signed up for another wild ride. According to our travel guidebook, dune buggy drivers are said to be somewhat adventurous but in my mind they were clinically INSANE! We were literally driving up 90 degree hills at speeds which I am convinced you can´t even reach on a roller coaster. I was certainly on the edge of my seat but Chris was loving the ride and was keen to drive and show him how we do 4X4ing in Canada. I was not so enthusiastic...

The sandboarding was equally as pressing on our nerves. Both of us made it out with an array of sand burn injuries as our technique certainly needed some improvement. We were given a makeshift piece of plywood, a candle (for wax) and dropped at the top of dunes that were at least a few hundred meters high and STEEP! The guide simply smiled at us and pointed downwards and we were left to fend for ourselves. By the end of the day my superior snowboard skills seemed to contribute in no way what-so-ever so I resorted to plain old sliding on my butt to get down. Whatever works right?

After Ica we headed down to Nazca to visit the famous Nazca Lines. These lines date back to between 200 BC and AD 700!! We took a small plane over the desert and saw dozens of individual images, the largest being over 200m across! Though there are different interpretations to explain why these images exist, a leading theory is that the Nazca people's motivations were religious, and that the images were constructed so that gods in the sky could see them. Although this theory sounds about right, I personally opt to believe the lines were designed as extraterrestrial landing sites. =)

Up, up and away!

Nazca Lines--Hummingbird

This one had E.T. written all over it...literally..

So now we´re off to Ecuador and our exploration of Peru has come to an end. It has certainly been a greater adventure than both of us could have ever hoped for. From the jungle to 15,000ft, to ancient ruins and refined cultures, all of which left a lasting impression and a revived sense of exploration and appreciation within us. Although 3 weeks was certainly not long enough, we are leaving with the knowledge and memories that will keep us dreaming of the beauty of Peru for years to come--an experience to not soon be forgotten!

We were led by our guide Jose through the Sacred Valley of the Inca and further along "Paccha Mama" or "Mother Earth" until we successfully conquered the Ipsay Qasa Pass which rose up to an astounding 15,000ft!! A height that I certainly had never seen before by foot. The trek was difficult but incredibly rewarding. As we passed through snow capped mountains, littered with llamas and alpacas it humbled both Chris and I with a new respect for those who lived there.

What a view!

Wrohan power shot.

A much deserved beer after a LONG day of trekking

Fortunately for us we were able to meet numerous locals dressed in their famous cultural dress, all woven by hand with exquisite colors and Andean iconography. One family even invited us into their home made of stone with thatched grass for the roof. There, we sat on llama skin and watched dozens of guinea pigs run around our feet. Yes, that's right...here guinea pig is considered a delicacy and families will raise them in their houses until they are old enough to eat...Chris and I have yet to try one since we both are flooded with memories of our precious childhood pets but rest assured, we will try one soon.

Chris giving a local girl some food and school supplies

After a few days of trekking we decended down to the town of Aguas Calientes where we spent the night and awaited our 4:30am wake up call to prepare for Machupicchu. The ancient city itself came to life over the few hours we were there. We arrived at 6am and saw the morning sun kiss the ruins of the "lost" city of the Incas. The view was simply breathtaking and the lush grass and intricate stone architecture certainly felt as though a power greater than we could imagine had constructed such beauty. I like to think that being there was as close to the gods as one could reach.

At long last we made it to Machupicchu!

So here we are now, sitting in a small internet cafe in Aguas Calientes baffled by the experience of the last four days. Leaving with only our memories I am undoubtedly sure that this trek has been the highlight of our journey so far. The fellow trekkers that we shared it with, the hiking and camping, the sights, smells and sounds have all contributed to memories that we won't soon forget.

After a shot stay in Santiago, Chile and then in Lima, Peru, we caught a flight to a small city called Iquitos which is one of the main ports on the Peruvian Amazon. The city itself is much like any other in Peru, quite poor but the people are very nice, quick to help and trustworthy. We did however have a bit of a run in at the airport when Chris´ rain jacket was stolen while we were in transit. He´s convinced it was stolen by an airport worker with a slick hand while I keep assuring him it was the clever monkeys of the jungle who we´ve learned can certainly not be trusted.

Either way, after a quick stop in Iquitos and a new rain jacket in hand, we left by boat to a Jungle Lodge about 45min South of Iquitos called the Cumaceba Lodge. The lodge was amazing! As soon as we stepped off the boat we were bombarded with the mist and humid heat of the rainforest mixed with sweet tropical smells and rich animal song. The lush flora was everywhere and it truly was like being in a different world that was extremely foreign to both of us.

Sunset on the Amazon

Our lodging was also something to write about. We stayed in small huts made of local wood and palm leaves which stood on 4ft tall posts which protected us from the ever increasing levels of the amazon which can fluctuate exponentially with the intense rain downpours. We were caught in a few of them and got COMPLETELY soaked...I see now why they call it the rainforest =)

While at the lodge we took part in so many activities it´s hard to recall them all. We had an english speaking guide with us who took us exploring by boat and on foot and gave us a lot of information since he himself grew up in the jungle. We learned about the numerous plants and trees which are used for various medical purposes as well as got to meet some local indigenous people who still live in the jungle.

Chillin in the jungle.

Shooting a blow dart..no biggie!

My favorite part of the adventure however would have to be the wildlife. We saw birds, bats, spiders, monkeys, sloths, insects, crocodiles and of course snakes...I even held an ANACONDA! We also spent a fair amount of time on the Amazon where we fished, swam and watched local fish and dolphins swim about. Chris even managed to catch a piranha on one of our fishing trips which we ate for dinner that night.

Cooling off in the Amazon

Sloth

Can I take him home?

They look cute but can´t be trusted!!

A face only a mother could love.

Anteater

Chris´ piranah that we ate for dinner. YUM!

Nice jaguar...purrr...

The whole point of the expedition was certainly to get a sense of how one can truly be self-sufficient in the jungle. We had no electricity, hot water, imported food or any of the seemingly unnecessary frills of home. It was truly rustic but certainly eye-opening. We had numerous talks over how pollution, overharvesting of the waters and land, and general ignorance is destroying the delicate ecosystem which we stayed in. It gave both Chris and I an appreciation beyond anything we could have imagined.

We promise to post pictures as soon as we find a cheap and reliable internet connection. Hope all is well wherever you are...
Bex and Chris

While on our visit atop the mountain we also met up with a lovely couple from Texas who proved to be our partners in crime for the weekend. Together the four of us took on Rio as we Sambaed the night away under the influence of cheap beer and Caipirinhas. Although Chris and I seemed to have two left feet, we managed to fit in quite nicely after a few lessons from some locals who took pity on us.

The next day we took in a soccer game at the Maracana stadium which is the largest soccer stadium in the world. For the record, Brazilians are CRAZY when it comes to supporting their local team. We chanted and waved flags and sang songs and did pretty much anything we could think of to psych out the opposing supporters across the stadium. Luckily the end resulted in a tie so the chaotic riot at that followed didn´t last as long as it apparently could have. It was INSANE!

Cheering for Brazil!

So after such an intensely fun-filled weekend, Chris and I jetted off to Brazil´s third largest island called the Ilha Grande for a little R&R. The island was surrounded by crystal clear waters and our hostel on the beach provided the perfect setting to watch the sun set with a Capirinha in hand.

We did however manage to explore a bit of the island on a couple of occasions, with the most amazing being our all day SCUBA trip with a local dive instructor. He took us out to a ship wreck from the 70´s and then along the coast to check out some local marine life. The waters were filled with hundreds of fish and Chris and I even stumbled upon a lonely seahorse relaxing on the hull of the ship and welcoming us to his underwater palace--amazing!

All ready for our dive.

The island was breathtaking and my favorite memory would have to be trekking down the side of a hill after a local had taken us in for some espresso and good conversation and seeing the lush forest illuminate with hundreds of tiny fireflies who guided us back to our hostel. I don´t doubt it when they say the island is one of the hidden gems of Brazil...it took my breath away.

So now we have landed in Peru and are about to hit the town. I hope this message finds everyone happy and healthy and loving life.

Till the next adventure report...

Well we made it! It only took 24hrs of travel and some shady airplane food but we did in fact get here.

Rio De Janeiro is everything we thought it would be. Although the city smells (in my opinion) and the drivers are mad men, the beaches, friendly people and beautiful sights make up for it.
Chris and I have been spending the last few days lounging at a leisurely pace. Poor Chris thought it would be a good idea to introduce me to Caipirinhas (tequila shots on steroids -- look it up and replicate it..trust me, you won't be disappointed), so we've spent the majority of our time soaking up the rays in a half drunken state on Copacabana beach.

Copacabana beach

We did however drag our beach bums up to Sugar Loaf hill today, which is an amazing mountain you access by cable car from the town below. Some of you may know this landmark from Moonraker, the 1979 James Bond film where Bond battles Jaws on top of the cable car. The thought of attempting to re-enact the scene with Stoffe was tempting but in the end, the scenery thankfully negated that thought. The view was unreal and as the locals would say, "it's so beautiful, even God himself comes down to have breakfast with you".

The food has also been amazing. We've been surrounded by fresh fruit and delicious bbq which is to die for. Rio apparently is also known for its sinful deserts...this place is a diabetics hell! =)

Anyway, off to dinner and then out on the town and back to the room. I'm making Christoffe catch up on his beauty sleep as tomorrow we have Samba lessons and I need him in top Swedish form.

Hope all is well wherever you are.

Xoxo,
Bex

From Botticelli to Michelangelo we managed to sneak in much of the breathtaking art that have made the city the primo destination for many like ourselves...and yes, there were many. At one point we managed to wait in line for two and a half hours listening to frustrated groans and snarky remarks from all those around us.

Of course it was worth it though. Being a true art lover and somewhat of a rebel, the long waits only inspired me to boldly take my camera where no camera has gone before. With shots of the hunky David and sexy Venus I got what I like to refer to as "the money shot" on more than one occasion. But the life of a criminal doesn't come without repercusions, I may have had a few fingers waved at me and some slight yelling...seems they didn't appreciate my love for art.

And then with photos in hand we were off to Rome. The city was just as amazing as I remembered it. Much like the hundreds of tourists around us we gingerly checked off the sights as we strolled our way through the city. Colosseum...check! Roman Forum...check! Trevi Fountain...check! Vatican/Sistine Chapel...check, check! Spanish Steps...check! and so on.. Did I mention we were only there for one day?! You'd better believe we celebrated that evening with a bottle of wine...or two...an amazing day in an amazing city..we couldn't have asked for more!

Along the Italian coastline, The Cinque Terra is comprised of five towns all situated within a 12km radius that were designed to take your breath away. With views of infinite blue seas and white sand beaches, we once again got to experience paradise.

Monterrosso

Our stay in the town of Monterrosso was short but oh so sweet. In true Bex/Jess fashion we managed to stumble on the town just in time for the cowboy/idian party on the beach. Boys and girls of all ages gathered on the sand for awesome beats, dancing and random shots of booze which were sprayed in our mouths with little plastic water guns. I blame our behavior on the full moon or maybe the spirit of the Cinque Terra, but whatever it was, we wish we had more!

I'd like to tell you we did more in this fabulous little town but I'd be somewhat lost for words. We had a small hike along the cliffe side one morning and the rest of our days were spent on the beach with the occassional dip into the restaurants for a glass of champagne.

Lunch by the sea

Champagne at 2pm...it's 5 o'clock somewhere right?

Never fear though, our backpacking spirit is slowly being revived with our Eurail trips through Italy. We've developed a new distaste for running down rail stations with 30lb bags, getting sufficiently lost on side streets, and being (here's some new ones) sniffed at, slurped at and chased by male drivers standing up in their cars...ya, don't ask...

Will update more stories from Florence and Rome.

PS-Happy Canada Day EH!

Representing "TEAM CANADA" at Camping Fusina Bar

Pretty girls!

For Jess (and me also) the arrival in Venice was received with childish grins and rapid clapping gestures (no we hadn't been drinking...surprisingly). Venice, complemented with Venetian jewels and stripped-shirted Italians singing their sweet songs filled the air. The overwhelming feeling of Venice was felt through St. Marcs Square, the Rialto Bridge and the Bridge of Sighs (just a minority of the beautiful sights we saw).

Pigeon attack!!

Parking lot

Rialto Bridge

Bridge of Sighs

And now to the good stuff...The food was next to none. On a lavish night on the town we treated ourself to a dinner of wine, cheese, pasta and yes...tiramisu...I have a sneaking suspicion that they may actually inject endorphines into the chocolate..and gelato..and wine..and all else we sampled. A favorite quote both Jess and I were fond of came from our waiter who stated, "Venice already has too much water, you must drink wine!" And so we did...=)

Jess loves her vino!

Mmm..Tiramisu!

The men of course were also a treat. With the sweet greeting of, "chow bella!" echoing through our ears we were also invited on private boat ridess and cocktails on the grand canal which we met with sheepish grins and agreement.

But our stay in Venice had to come to an end. Although we promised the second generation camp owner that we would return to dance on the tables, we couldn't help feel a tinge of sadness as we bid goodbye to our 117 islands of amore =)

Although the massive party stole a lot of our attention, we did manage to make it to the palace (or Jess's summer home as she put it) for a quick visit. We also had a strole through the Labyrinth (where we got lost and had to cheat our way out), followed by a lesson in struddle making and champagne on the Palace terrace...

Struddle lessons

The Palace

The blondes behind a waterfall in the Palace

On that note, I would like to share with you a question that I asked Jess over cocktails last night:

"Is it still considered backpacking if we jet-set to different cities, stay in resorts, drive around in Lexus cars and drink champagne while getting massages at spas?"

Her response:
"HELL YA! All you need is A backpack...The rest is just details =)"

-It's a hard life being a backpacker =)

To paint a mental picture for all suffering throught the rain and 'summer' in Canada, I should probably tell you that our first step on Croatian soil was met by a 27 degree breeze...did I mention it was 7:30...AM!!! The weather was absolutely amazing for our entire stay. Although it was hot on some days, our oceanview pool and poolside bar kept us content as we worked on our tans =)

The Pool..oh yeah!

But staying at our picturesque resort was not all we had on our agenda. A fabulous evening in Dubrovnik with some energenic Australian boys kepts us enteratained at night while cruises to the surrounding Islands kepts us occupied by day. Croatia is certainly a sailor's paradise!! It is not hard to see why yachts from around the world gather in the harbours...the beauty of Croatia is intoxicating!!

New Friends

Dubrovnik from the boat

The people were also just as lovely as the land. Although somewhat straightforward and bossy, many were eager to help and met you with a smile. The men of course were in a category of their own. With Jess and I sticking out like sore thumbs, we were often followed by little dark men in tiny Speedos with big grins. Needless to say, a quick smile or a wink would bring them to their knees...literally.

Now I don't mean to brag, but my increasingly white looking bum and I are in simultaneous agreement when we say that returning to this country is a must! All of those able to experience such a paradise would be a fool to give it up.

Croatia 2008 anyone?

Ok...so maybe we learned that lesson, but the end result was undoubtedly worth it. The city of Prague held an enchanting beauty unsurpassible by any city I have been to. From the gothic design of Prague Castle, to the fairytale reflections of Old Town Square, our entire stay was magical. The history within the city was apparent everywhere you turned...the architecture, the people, the whole atmosphere engulfed you by simply being within its presence.

Although the siteseeing in Prague took up the majority of our time, we were no strangers to sipping a few pints of local beer on occassion (how could you not when it's FAR cheaper than water). These decisions undoubtedly brung us good fortune as we managed to meet some amazing people, including *drumroll please* a member of the 80's hit band HEART!!!

Sending some love to a guard outside Prague Castle

Pretty Girls

View of Prague
With 80's tunes ringing in our ears and a city where night and day blended together in a drunken haze, our stay in the historic city was unbeatable. From our horse drawn carriage ride to our paddle boat adventure and foot massage, we couldn't have asked for more.

Chilling in our paddle boat

Jess in front of Charles Bridge

The city at night

On top of the Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower at night

Notre Dame

But honestly now, many of you know the real reason why you travel to France...the WINE!!! With a seemingly endless supply of Bordeaux at our side it is no wonder we felt it necessary to devour a small colony of escargot and sample dozens of fine French cheeses and pastries (or culinary orgasms as we were informed). I have to admit, even with our distaste for dirty French men, it was hard to ignore their fine palate. Now, if only they could learn to keep it shut!

Yum!

French men aside, the Parisian experience was better then ever. I think Jess summed it up best over a bottle of wine stating, "I've got wine, I've got cheese, I've got PARIS! What more could I ask for?"