Matt and I have been doing quite a bit of travelling lately... breaking in the new car as fast as we can, I suppose. :)

About two weeks ago we made the trip out to Kirriemuir, Alberta to go pick up some photos we had ordered from Sean McCormick. We could have had them mailed, but what fun would that be?

We started out a little late (something that's becoming a habit for us), but were on the road by about 9ish, a little earlier maybe. It's so nice to see so much of the province... it's amazing the variety of landscapes we have so close to Calgary. We went down into the river valley north of Drumheller, and that was so different from the prairies above, which was also different from the region close to Kirriemuir, which actually reminded me quite a bit of the Foothills. Unfortunately, I put the camera away for some reason after the big valley by Drumheller, and didn't take it out again until... Drumheller, which we passed through on the way back. D'oh! So if you look at the pictures, it mostly looks like we went to Drumheller. But Sean has proof we were there!

Getting to meet him, his wife Jennifer and his daughter Ashlyn was pretty cool. It's strange how well you can just fall into conversation with people you only know from the internet, because you already know a bit about their lives. We chatted about cameras and the problems facing small-town schools and parenting and family and all kinds of things. I also (accidentally!) taught their dog some bad manners... Sean had warned me beforehand that the dog liked to bark at new people. After we got there and sat down, I held my hand out to the dog, who had been eyeing us warily from the entryway. The dog came over, sniffed my hand, and settled in for a good ear scratching. Only the dog's not allowed in the living room. D'oh! Hopefully my breech of dog training hasn't had any lasting effects.

The McCormicks fed us lunch while we were there (mmm... that pineapple was delicious), and took the photo linked to above. Sean also had some nice things to say about us on his blog (aww, thanks!)... it was really nice getting to meet you guys as well! If you're ever in Calgary and have some time to kill, we'll return the favour and make you guys some lunch and have another visit.

On the way home, we ran into a huge storm by Hanna. It started off as rain... and then heavier rain... and then an absolute downpour. I was sitting in the car praying that it didn't turn into hail, because it sure looked like it could have and wouldn't that suck, banging our brand new car up less than two weeks after we got it? It didn't (thank God!), and we made it through. It kind of looks like the storm kept going east behind us, because Sean has some awesome photos of a nasty looking storm that came to their area later that day. I should have taken some photos myself but mostly I was staring at everything hitting our windshield and trying not to flinch.

We stopped in Drumheller on the way back to take a few quick snapshots of the touristy stuff. (Do you know they have dinosaurs? Because they do. Lot of them. All over. Dinosaurs!) It was baking hot down in that valley though and I quickly fled back to the air-conditioned comfort of our car. We also got tailed by a Ferrari on the way back, and Matt wanted a picture of that, so it's in the gallery linked to above (click on the photo at the beginning to get there).

All in all, a pretty good trip!

So that was Kirriemuir... next up (once I get my photos sorted): West Cove, Alberta! :)

Look what we found!

Yesterday was pretty much a TV-tourism day - we found the Lost wreckage (sadly, it has been moved off the beach and put into storage, but still, HOW FREAKING COOL IS THIS?), saw the waves at the North Shore (which are in many surf movies), poked around Kualoa Ranch (where parts of Jurassic Park, Godzilla, Windtalkers, and Lost were/are shot), and went to the Puu Ualakaa Park lookout featured on The Amazing Race. You may all think I'm a total geek, but damn, those Hollywood producers know what they are doing when they pick out gorgeous locations. The Puu Ualakaa lookout gave us a gorgeous view of Diamond Head and the Punchbowl. Also, when we were poking around for the Lost site, another couple asked us if we knew where it was, so we're not the only geeks out here.

We are going back to Kualoa Ranch today, as I hadn't realized you need a reservation to get on the movie set tour. Also up this afternoon - Halona blowhole, Pali lookout, and who knows what else.

We took our surf lessons this morning, and that is hard work! The surfing part isn't that bad, but the paddling yourself out to where the waves are is pretty tough. No wonder surfers have such great arms! Matt did a great job, he figured out how to get up pretty quickly and looked pretty good doing it. I wasn't so hot (I ran into a couple other people!) but I had a really great time and even got up on my board two or three times. There is a company that goes out and takes pictures of you during the lessons, so we're going to swing by there tonight and see if any turned out. I probably have a terrified look on my face, since I think the one time I got up really well and the photographer was there, I was about to run into a girl who didn't get out of the way fast enough (people surfing, rather than paddling out, have the right-of-way).

I am having such a great time!

...go to the Kimo Bean Coffee Company and enjoy the FREE high speed wireless internet access. We only found that out last night after days of me meaning to come here to get a blended coffee. I could have been checking my email this whole time!

The coffee's pretty damn good, too.

Aloha from beautiful Hawaii!

Matt's last day of conference is today, and then we're on vacation for the next few days. We're going to rent a car and drive around Oahu to see what there is to see (Bonzai Beach!)

It is gorgeous here! The flowers are blooming and the sun is shining. We went snorkeling at Hanauma Bay yesterday, which was really cool, and we should have some good underwater pictures. I've been wandering around downtown Honolulu, seeing the Iolani Palace and Chinatown and all kinds of things. We're going to take surfing lessons this weekend.

I'm rather enjoying the Mai Tais and Blue Hawaiis. It really is paradise!

I still cannot believe I am going to FREAKING HAWAII!

I've made a gallery of favorite photos from Cuba, for those who don't want to go through all 500 shots.

I am not yet convinced of the benefits of using Gallery over iPhoto, but I'll give it a shot.

Well, it's a weekend.

My cold's just about gone; at least, it's to the point where I actually felt like having myself a Cuba Libre tonight, which I am enjoying as I'm writing (except I've substituted some rather nice Havana Club Añejo Especial for "light rum"). Cuba taught me to really love rum as I never have before; I think it's the fact they have very, very good rum. I mean, I've had rum and Cokes before but never really enjoyed them. Upon arriving in Cuba, I did much the same as my mother: a rum punch on the bus to the hotel, a Brisas del Caribe in the check-in line, and a pina colada while waiting for my room to be ready (I did manage to skip "losing" my purse and having a bit of a freak-out in the lobby). Matt is incorrect about the North American drink equivalent of a Brisas del Caribe, I should mention; it's much closer to a Blue Monkey than an Electric Popsicle.

Anyways. Rum - very good, and also poured very generously if you didn't stop the bartender. I guess it's probably the cheapest ingredient in Cuba, given the overabundance of sugar cane. Another thing I learned to love was cigars (which we also brought back and have barely touched thus far due to our colds). That really surprised me; I never quite got the hang (or the point) of smoking cigarettes, so I thought I'd have a lot of trouble with cigars too. I guess not having to inhale makes it much easier to learn! The first one I had was a Cohiba. It was alright, and had an interesting taste, but I wasn't too sold on the cigars based on that one. The next night, I had a Montecristo and OH MY GOD, was it good. It had an actual flavour that wasn't just "tobacco". It tasted like coffee and chocolate to me. After that I was fairly enthusiastically trying as many different kinds as I could. We had more Montecristos and some Romeo Y Juliettas (the Churchills were fantastic - nice and mild) and even one other Cohiba, a special request from my friend Stephen. He had given me $25 and asked me to bring back as many Cohiba Corona Especiales as I could buy with that. Well, they turned out to be pretty expensive (though much cheaper than in Canada) and I could only find a five pack in Varadero, so I had one myself and enjoyed it a lot more than the first Cohiba I had. I think part of that was experience, part was that it was a higher-quality, more expensive cigar and part was the fact that the first one had apparently been one of the black-market ones my uncle bought (I later learned). The black market ones, while quite a bit cheaper, were never quite as good as the ones from the government cigar shops. We ended up buying a few from one of the bartenders before we really found this out. I guess there's a reason the government rejected those cigars!

It was so nice to sit out on the deck in the evenings, enjoying a cigar and some Bailey's (very, very good together) and just talking and visiting and playing cards with my family. I'm actually really, really glad we went in such a big group; you could always find someone else who wanted to do the same thing you did on any given day. Plus, it was such a good chance to reconnect with some of my family who I hadn't really seen in years because I've been stuck in Victoria (especially my sister and new brother-in-law, whose wedding was the whole point of the trip).

Matt has already written up so much of the trip, so I'm just going to share some of my favorite memories. There's some overlap, of course, but if you've read this far, you obviously don't mind me rattling on and on.

The first full day there, I woke up at 5:00 a.m., as I always seem to do when I am travelling. Fortunately for me, Matt woke up as well and we set off to find coffee and explore the resort. The resort had a 24-hour coffee bar which made decent espresso and a pretty darn good cafe con leche. It was kind of weird wandering around the resort in the dark, because you couldn't really grasp what everything was that you were peering at and it was interesting to compare with what you could see in full daylight later. It was also pretty cool, since we had the beach completely to ourselves for awhile and we could wander around and listen to the waves and just relax and absorb the fact that we were actually on a real vacation.

Obviously the wedding was another high point. Despite some problems beforehand (which I will talk about in another post), everything during the wedding day went really well. The ceremony was short and sweet (and in Spanish!), and then there was a reception with cake and champagne. The hotel has a Cuban band that played for the processional and recessional and during the reception, who were pretty good. Unfortunately for Shane, the wedding coordinator had a serious thing about making everyone dance, and Shane is not big on the dancing. Haha, I should have gotten that wedding coordinator to come to Canada for Matt's and my wedding! Alana and Shane had pictures taken after that, and we had dinner at one of the resort's a la carte restaurants that night. We apparently lucked out and they were able to buy enough lobster for our whole group, so we got half a lobster with our dinner as well. I guess that's not something they tell you about ahead of time, since they can't always get the lobster. My mom was in heaven. She had a whole lobsters - hers, and someone else who didn't want theirs. I think the best part of the day was seeing how Shane, my new brother-in-law, looked at my sister. He is smitten, and she looks at him the same way. You can tell how happy they are together.

Being there for two weeks is just about right if you're going to a wedding; it gives you time to focus on and help out the couple, if they need it, but also lots of time for your own vacation.

One of my favorite days was the day we went on the catamaran trip. I was, at first, highly unconvinced that it would be worth my money - I was never much of a boat person, having little experience growing up in Alberta, and the brochure really didn't adequately describe it. On the catamaran trip, we got to snorkel, we chilled out at a gorgeous beach, we had a dance party and we got to swim with the dolphins. The snorkeling was a really cool experience. My uncle said that it was better last year, and the hurricane probably damaged the coral, but to me, it was still pretty damn cool. I had never been snorkeling before, and I got to see lots of different fish and brain coral and we got to use our underwater camera actually underwater, not just near water like we normally do. Swimming with the dolphins was an amazing experience. It was actually a little frigthening, too, because you're not really aware until you get in the water with them just how pathetic a swimmer you are. I initially resisted this trip because you didn't get to swim with the dolphins for very long as compared to a different excursion, but after my ten minutes was up, I was pretty tired anyway! The dolphins seemed like they really didn't mind their life in the sea-pen; when our boat pulled up, they all came over to the side closest to check us out. The edges of the net were certainly low enough they could have jumped them easily, if they wanted to, but I think they get fed pretty well when they are swimming with the tourists. After every pass through the crowd, they go back to their trainer for another treat.

When we were in the pen with the dolphins, they seemed like big puppies. Giant, slippery puppies, to be sure, but they seemed like they were having a really good time with all the people. They went around and "kissed" all the swimmers and swam close so you didn't have to reach far to touch them and rolled over in the water. They are mischeivious, too; at one point, one of them dove between Travis's legs and goosed him a little bit. They also made a sandwich out of me. It really gets the adrenaline going to see two grey heads coming straight towards you, only to split to either side at the last second. It was an amazing experience I'm fairly certain I won't have again anytime soon, and I'm really glad I did it.

By far the coolest trip we took off the resort was to Havana. Even with the beggars and the hustlers, this is something you should absolutely NOT MISS if you're going to Cuba and you're within travelling distance. Havana is gorgeous; the old colonial architecture takes my breath away. I had such a good time in Old Havana just soaking up the atmosphere and the history. We did not get to spend nearly enough time there! Between our group of ten, we came up with quite a few things we wanted to see, and I think we hit some really cool stuff, like the Napoleon Museum and the Christopher Columbus Cemetary. Rod is already planning for the next trip, when he will stay in the National Hotel for two or three nights and give Havana a proper going over. Sounds like a great idea to me! I would almost go back to Cuba for Havana alone.

My favorite part of the day was the Tropicana. Yeah, it made for a late night and we got a wee bit rained on, but for someone like me who had had so much dance and musical theatre training, it was just awesome. The show was so energetic and everyone on stage seemed to be having a great time. The music was infectious, even though I couldn't understand any of the words. I definitely enjoyed it more than my husband, and there were women in the show with pasties and g-strings! (I'm glad we didn't get the expensive seats, right close to the stage. Some of those high kicks would have been, erm, "interesting".)

The music in Cuba was phenomenal. Everywhere we went, there was a little homegrown band ready to entertain us. For a fan of Buena Vista Social Club and Afro-Cuban All-Stars like me, it was heaven. I guess they've all heard the Buena Vista CD, since everyone I asked could play my favorite song from it, El Cuarto de Tula (it was the only song I knew how to ask for, embarrassingly). We heard some interesting non-traditional music as well - apparently there is a big Cuban rap scene these days. On the catamaran trip, we also heard some electronic/dance on the boat. My parents bought the CD, and while I made fun of them at the time, I ripped it to the Mac and have been listening to it nearly constantly. I mean, how can you not love a dance song about Commandante, Che Guevera?

Going to Cuba was really nice. I loved the people I met (especially Oliva and Larissa who showed us the real Matanzas and invited us into their home), the new sights and sounds, the downtime to relax on the beach and do some reading that wasn't related to my thesis. The cars! The rum. The cigars. The time with family. And really, how can you not love the coconut cabs?

Well, Matt and I made it safely to Cuba and we're having a hell of a time here. Of course, that can't stop me from checking my email and updating my blog because I am, of course, addicted as all get-out.

We went on a catamaran tour yesterday; we got to go snorkeling and swimming with the dolphins. It was amazing. Lots of other neat stuff around here.

I am actually writing this from the next hotel over; the internet is broken or something at ours. Thankfully the people at Arenas Dorades are nice and let us come here.

So, not much for now as the internet is slow as all heck, but we are safe and happy and having fun. Going to Havana tomorrow! Hope you are all having fun in the frozen wasteland that we hear Canada is right now. ;)

Matt and I are just finishing our last minute re-packing and we're heading in to Calgary tonight. Since our flight leaves at 6:10 in the morning and we want to be there early enough to get seats together on the plane, we're staying at my grandmother's house so we can get to the airport early, early, early.

Probably no blogging for the next two weeks, since internet access will probably be sketchy and/or expensive. We'll see how desperate I get for email, though.

It is 25 degrees Celsius in Cuba today. It is about -25 Celsius in Calgary. I have a new bathing suit and lots of film and I get to spend time with my sister and brother and parents and my aunts and uncles. Yippee!

Matt and I spent the weekend in Vancouver. It was pretty fantastic - like a little mini-vacation right when I needed it. We got to visit with a cousin I hadn't seen for quite awhile and finally meet her fiance, and see a good friend that moved to Vancouver to pursue her research. It was really nice.

Plus, the shopping. My God, the shopping! There is no MEC at all in Victoria, which is very, very sad. No Ikea either, which is even sadder. Well, our apartment being pretty much packed, we didn't hit Ikea this time, but we did go to MEC. Twice.

The first time, we grabbed tons of bike gear. We got racks and panniers for bike trips, I got a new jersey,bike shorts, and my new personal favorite, a bike skirt (for those times you don't want to go out in public in your tighty-tight shorts). Also, a front light, water bottle and holder, and a cheapie bike computer, which is totally neat. Matt got a really fancy bike computer when he got his; but all I'm really interested in is how fast I'm going and how far I've been.

The second time (the next day) we had some time and were kicking around Broadway (we were waiting for a bike shop to open so Matt could ask about bike parts), and I felt like I hadn't really had a chance to browse through MEC, so we went back. I got a new fleece sweater, which I love love love already. It's so soft! And just the right weight for cooler spring days and summer evenings.

We also got a chance to go to the Vancouver Aquarium, which was pretty darn cool. Matt knows a lot more about the camera than I do, but he was willing to set it up so I could take some pictures too. Click the beluga for some of the best ones.

Boy, did I have an adventure getting over here.

My flights were actually really good. I found my way around Vancouver and Frankfurt airports really easily. The Lufthansa staff were awesome; why can't Air Canada employees be that pleasant? (Actually, I did have one AC employee at check-in in Victoria who surprised me with how nice she was. Yay for you, AC girl!) I actually enjoyed my dinner on the plane last night... some kind of beef stir-fry thing with peppers in it.

It was a bit like the cattle car where I was sitting; lots of little kids, which was a bit weird. Isn't it really expensive to fly your entire family to Europe? Anyway, the kids were quite a bit wound up. The girls were giggling and the boys were running around, and I can't really blame them. I remember how excited I was to fly at that age. I didn't get nearly as much sleep as I was accustomed to, but I saw a gorgeous sunrise from the plane that kind of made up for it.

When I got to Geneva, things started to fall apart.

The bank machines won't accept my card. This really, really surprised me, as others had told me it would be no problem at all. So I tried my Visa. No dice. Eep.

I knew some of my research group was going to be at CERN already, so I decided to just go grab a cab, head out to CERN, and see if I could find someone to borrow money from. Ha. My French is OK if the person I'm talking to speaks nice and slowly, and in children's language. Trying to ask cab drivers if they took Visa was a nightmare. They kept asking me stuff and I have no idea what it was. Yikes. Finally a very nice lady cab driver who spoke English helped me out. She knew enough about that wild, fight-or-flight look in my eyes to speak slowly and repeat herself in English. She got me to CERN alright, filled out my cab chit, and let me sign it. Actually, I'm kind of bummed she did fill it out because I wanted to give her a big tip, but still having no cash at that point and the total already filled out, I couldn't.

On the way into CERN, I had to stop and get my hostel keys at security (since hostel reception is closed on the weekends). They really don't speak any English there either. Getting my keys was complicated further by the fact I had (stupidly) made my reservation in my married name, and my CERN ID was still in my maiden name. Got to get that changed on Monday! Oh, and also: I was listed asMr. Tamara Hughes.

Once I got my keys, and got my stuff up to my room, I decided to head over to building 40 so I could check my email and try to find someone here to loan me some money. The main door was stuck (apparently a common occurence) but I didn't know this; I thought it was locked (after being told that the building was always open!) I had to ask someone how to get in, and they told me, "Use that door."That door being not the main entrance, but having a giant"Closed, use main entrance" sign on it. It was unlocked anyway and I got in.

Once I found the ATLAS Canada space, I had yet another fun setback, as I couldn't remember my password for the computers. Thankfully there was someone else there who logged in for me and let me use their account.

I am not travelling alone again. Or if I do, I will go with my gut instinct to micro-manage the trip and get some cash before I go, and not trust crazy foreign bank machines. I think if the cash thing had gone OK, I wouldn't be nearly this frazzled now. And this is even after a nap, a loan, a shower, and some dinner.