We arrived in Cairo & 2 hours later went on a great Food Tour – Bellies Enroute.

Then next morning played pb with players from Amman & Cairo. Fun!

Shared an amazing traditional meal – such a treat.

Oh yea / probably want to mention the Nile – wow! Beautiful. Architecture is lovely – tho the beating desert winds have been punishing. 20 million in this fair city.

We enjoyed 6 fun days in Amman.

Walking Food Tour – giving us an intro to fun cafes & neighborhoods.

Exploring Petra& seeing the barren desert of Jordan.

Greg made new pickleball buddies & had a blast playing & learning more about the country.

Dead Sea.

Bustling markets.

Citadel & Roman Theater

1 hour from Amman CBD is the Dead Sea. Lowest spot on earth. Water is a bit sketchy. So buoyant it is tricky / cannot stand up.

The mud treatment did not sound enticing – tho we changed our minds on this as our hair & skin loved it. The photos of us – not glamour shots are quite frightening. All in good fun!

The world is a pretty big place with a lot of cool places, so for a spot to be one of the seven natural wonders of the world….you got to wonder….

It did not disappoint- the photos will never do it justice and usually you only see photos of the Treasury…there is so much more. The huge carvings in the sandstone rocks of this canyon are majestic & wondrous. The canyon itself / impressive. We walked 7 miles and only saw part of the area.

The area around Petra is interesting. One drives for miles through a barren desert …think barren – no really nothing! Then you get to Petra where there is a change of topography and the beautiful area is hidden in a gorgeous canyon. …see for yourselves..

The Middle East was not on the top of our bucket list and it sneaked its way onto our schedule after a number of fascinating conversations with recent travelers. We have been here one day and it has been great. Food – interesting and excellent. Perhaps the most interesting & varied brekkie – ever. Lots of Jordanian specialties loaded with fresh fruits & veggies- prepared so well.

We walked to the national mosque& historic sites & on our 3 mile journey – encountered a lot of everyday life in Amman. Shops. Shopkeepers. Parks. Roman ruins. Fascinating.

Then while Greg played pickleball with a group of Jordanians, I took a fascinating walking tour to street food vendors, galleries, markets, historical sites. Best of all the leader is interesting and the two women – one a physician & other accountant were interesting FUN!

Very nice citizens. Lovely city! We are very fortunate.

We flew from Phoenix to Amman Jordan and needed to get to airport in Phoenix. We saw these great Waymo vehicles buzzing around & had to try it. Love it! Prompt clean timely reasonably priced. A very fun way to start our adventure.

Our son Jack recently moved to Tampa for a new position. He loves it & we love it. Exploring neighborhoods & beaches has been fun. Greg has been refereeing pickleball tournaments – lots of fun. Between tournaments we have been exploring. We reconnected with my college roommate Jean Ann & her husband Doug at The Villages – fun conversations, music, pickleball, dining. Next St Augustine- our friends Heather & Mark showed us the fine points – harbor, holiday lights, charming historic old town. We caught a glimpse of Miami driving through the beachside communities of numerous high rises & so many cruise ships crazy! Spent a day wandering Coral Gables and its fun cafes, scrollable — so much fun. Next we wind our way south through stunning beachside communities of Miami. Heading towards Biscayne Bay National Park. Our national park rangers led a fabulous walk explaining the ecosystems of this treasure of an underwater park. The ribbon of a highway takes us to the Keys. Stunning natural beauty when you look past the commercial development. Sunsets spectacular. Snorkeling reefs -love it! Up close to the barracuda-exciting. Colorful fish everywhere.

If you are like many of our friends …you ask – Oaxaca?? You are returning to Oaxaca for the third time… for two weeks?? When you could go many other interesting places? Why

For Greg & I it is not – so much – about the fascinating places, mountains or beaches – it is about the people & experiences. We stay at Las Mariposas & every morning share breakfast & ideas with fascinating people. We have wonderful conversations.

We go to fabulous local concerts either incredibly skilled musicians. We hike and meet fascinating people like Pedro – who has chosen to return to his community of 80 people at 10,000ft – because it is home. They live off the land. We visit the incredibly talented craftspeople who make alebrijes. We tour fascinating museums & learn more about the ancestors of this area. We go to the market & buy cheese & vegetables from our fav vendors. Really…home grown tomatoes for $0.10 / of course I tip! We enjoy amazing Oaxacan cuisine at local cafes. We embrace & support the vibrant community. …and don’t get me started on Llanos park…just the way a community park should be.

An old knee injury reappeared-Dr Breccia – worked her magic on my muscles & I am back in action. She saw me with 2 hours notice.

Oaxaca fills my heart & I look forward to my return.

Oaxaca Lending Library has books, lectures, guided hikes, & cultural excursions into the pueblos around Oaxaca. Greg & I enjoyed the waterfall hike & I signed up for a trip to a Fresco school & print making studio. Fascinating. We learned so much about the very complicated process of frescoes.

Our next stop was to a print making studio. Beautiful coloring techniques. Prints carved into stone, marble, wood, metal.

There is a pup who lives at the studio who could be Jinx’s cousin and prints were made of her. Love it!

Sites of a vibrant city

Music is a huge part of our Oaxaca fun!