The End?!?

All good things must come to an end?

It's May 16, and we're almost home. Chris has taken a temporary school position in Seattle that lasts through the rest of the school year. The kids and I are on Day 86 at La Casa de Los Abeulos in Bend, Oregon. The plan is for all of us to be in Seattle by June 1 at the latest. Our house probably won't be available until June 15, so we will test the limits of friendship by staying with the Ritscher family for a few weeks.

For closure's sake, here are some of the happenings of the last month or two:

* The chickens have grown! They were barely an ounce when we brought them home in March, and now they're pushing two pounds. They are currently living with the big girls in Grandma's coop, and get to roam the yard most every day. City living will be a big change.

Little Dixie (March).Charlie Horse talks to the chickens.
Big Dixie (May)!

* Company. Since our last blog, we have enjoyed visits from our cousins - Doug, Kim, Zachary, and Mara Drape. We snowboarded, rode horses, hiked Pilot Butte, and ate at all our favorite haunts.

We were also visited by our Seattle roomie, Stephanie Hill. We ran/walked in a 5K, hiked Pilot Butte, and ate at all our favorite haunts.

* Snow. Last week, on May 9, the boys snowboarded one last time. Today, May 16, it is over 90 degrees. That's Central Oregon for ya. We took advantage of the Mt. Bachelor spring passes, and figure we were at the mountain at least 15 times this spring. Probably more than the whole of our lives up to this point.

May 9, 2008

* Soccer. Matt has spent the spring playing soccer for the Hot Spurs of Bend Rush, with his cousin, Caleb. Andy got to practice every week with a competitive team, and see what life is like in the select soccer realm. Chrissie and Jeannie (her sister) logged many miles walking laps around the practice fields.

* Iowa. Chris managed to sneak back to Iowa to help with the spring planting. This time, he took his wedding ring off BEFORE operating heavy machinery, so he came home with all his fingers intact.

*Miscellany: Yes, we've remembered to do some home-schooling, although not quite to the extent that we had planned / hoped / dreamed. It's much harder than it sounds, so hats off to people who do it "for real". It's much more fun to ski and snowboard, feed the chickens, talk to the horses, and play with the cousins.

Not sure if we are done blogging, or not. We still haven't adequately answered the questions, "What did you learn on your trip?" and, "How are you going to be different?" We've journaled, but haven't compiled our answers into any meaningful form yet. So stay tuned... or not...

Travel Index - The Trip In Numbers

Drape Family Travel Index: The Trip in Numbers
(details below)

12 Airlines we flew on
30 Actual flights / legs
42,904 Air miles flown
13 Countries we visited
3 Countries we landed in but didn’t see
23 Modes of transportation we used
7 Languages we learned to say “thank you” in
6 Large bodies of water (oceans, seas) we saw
9,448 Highest elevation of the trip (in feet)
-1,208 Lowest elevation of the trip (in feet)
15.8 Most miles walked in one day
4 Schools the boys attended
33 Museums visited (don't tell the kids!)
12 Currencies used
5 Monkey encounters
2 Broadway-style shows seen
70 Biggest one-day temperature swing (in degrees Fahrenheit)
1.5 Longest church service attended (in hours)
2,584 Oldest site visited (in years)
2 Official visits to a doctor
11 Churches attended
128 Nights spent on the road
4 Nights in a tent
6 Nights on an airplane
2 Nights on a train
116 Nights in a bed
12 New skills learned while traveling (that we’ve thought of so far)
10 Number of times we inflated / deflated our soccer ball

DETAILS:
Airlines Flown – 12
United, Thai, El Al, Southwest, Singapore, Hawaiian, ATA, Precision Air, Swiss Air, Nippon (ANA), Kingfisher, South African

Actual Flights/Legs – 30
Redmond to Portland to Chicago to Washington DC to London to Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth to Cape Town to Johannesburg to Dar es Salaam to Arusha to Dar es Salaam to Nairobi to Zurich to Frankfurt to Amman-Tel Aviv to Bangkok to Phnom Penh to Bangkok to Singapore to Delhi-Udaipur to Mumbai to Bangalore to Singapore to Hong Kong to Tokyo to Honolulu to Maui to Honolulu to San Francisco to Portland

Air Miles Flown – 42,904
Redmond to Portland (116) to Chicago (1,736) to Washington DC (611) to London (3,677) to Johannesburg (5,620) to Port Elizabeth (563) to Cape Town (402) to Johannesburg (789) to Dar es Salaam (1,509) to Arusha (238) to Dar (238) to Nairobi (415) to Zurich (3,780) to Frankfurt (177) to Amman (1,880) -Tel Aviv to Bangkok (4,304) to Phnom Penh (329) to Bangkok (329) to Singapore (898) to Delhi (2,583) - Udaipur to Mumbai (387) to Bangalore (530) to Singapore (1,971) to Hong Kong (1,603) to Tokyo (1,265) to Honolulu (3,818) to Maui (100) to Honolulu (100) to San Francisco (2,398) to Portland (550)

Countries We Spent More Than 12 Hour In – 13
USA, England, South Africa, Tanzania, Germany, Jordan, Israel, Palestinian Territories, Thailand, Cambodia, India, Hong Kong, Japan

Countries We Landed in But Didn’t See – 3
Kenya, Switzerland, Singapore

Modes of Transportation Taken– 23
Taxi, Tuk-Tuk, Moto, Autorickshaw, Bicycle rickshaw, Airplane, Open-top Bus, Jeep, Minibus, Double-decker Bus, Tour Bus, Ferry, Train, Subway/Metro, Electric Bikes, Bikes, Gondola, Tram, Longboat, Foot, Car, Van, Trolley

Languages We Can Say “Thank You” In – 7
English (Cheers!), Afrikaans (dankie), Swahili (asante), Maasai (ashe), German (danke), Thai (kawp kun ka), Khmer (awkun)

Bodies of Water (Seas and Oceans) Encountered – 6
Atlantic Ocean (USA, South Africa), Pacific Ocean (Hawaii), Indian Ocean (South Africa, Tanzania, India), Mediterranean Sea (Tel Aviv, Israel), South China Sea (Hong Kong, Cambodia), Sea of Galilee (Israel).
Plus some big rivers… Thames (Londond, England), Mekong (Phnom Penh, Cambodia), Tonle Sap (Phnom Penh, Cambodia), Chao Phraya (Bangkok, Thailand)

Highest Elevation – 9448 feet on our second day of the trek (our 26km day), in between Olmati and Empakai Craters.
Lowest Elevation – -1208 feet at the Allenby Bridge crossing of the Jordan river between Jordan and Israel.

Most Miles Covered By Foot in One Day – 15.8 on our first day of the trek.

Schools The Boys Attended – 4
Sapphire Road Primary (Port Elizabeth, South Africa)
Charles Duna Primary (Port Elizabeth)
Canadian International (Bangalore, India)
Mastery International (Bangalore)

Museums Visited – 33
Air and Space – DC, Mt. Vernon, National Gallery – DC, Holocaust Museum – DC, Arlington National Cemetery, National Gallery – London, Tower of London, British Museum – London, Trinity College – Cambridge, British Library – London, Red Location Museum – Port Elizabeth, District Six Museum – Cape Town, Robben Island – Cape Town, Mandela’s House – Soweto, Hector Petersen – Soweto, Apartheid Museum – Johannesburg, Tanzania National Museum – Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar Slave Market, The Citadel – Jordan, Garden Tomb – Jerusalem, Wat Pho – Bangkok, Ancient City – Bangkok, Wat Phnom – Phnom Penh, Cheung Ek (Killing Fields) – Outside Phnom Penh, Tuol Sleung – Phnom Penh, National Museum – Phnom Penh, Royal Palace – Phnom Penh, Angkor Wat – Siem Reap, Ghandi Memorial – Delhi, National Museum – Delhi, Bundi Palace, Udaipur Old Palace, Pearl Harbor - Hawaii

Currencies Used – 12
US $, Pounds – England, Rand – South Africa, Tanzanian Schilling, Euro – Germany, Dinar – Jordan (“JD’s”), Shekel – Israel / Palestinian Territories, Baht – Thailand, Riel – Cambodia, Rupee – India, Hong Kong $, Yen – Japan

Monkey Encounters – 5
Monkeyland – Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Pet at Paradise – Zanzibar
Jozani Forest (Red Colobus) – Zanzibar
Bundi Palace (Rhesus Macaque) – Rajasthan, India
Bannerghatta Zoo – Bangalore, India

Shows Seen – 2
Mary Poppins – London, The Lion King – Johannesburg

Biggest Temperature Swing in Shortest Time – 70-degree drop: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (95 degrees) directly to Frankfurt, Germany (20 degrees).

Longest Church Service Attended – 4.5 hours, Uniting Presbyterian Church, Alexandra, South Africa

Oldest Place Visited – 516 BC
Western (Wailing) Wall, Jerusalem.
Newest Place Visited –
Terminal 5 @ Heathrow (just now opened…)

Trips to the Doctor (official) – 2
Andy in Dar es Salaam (nasty wind/sunburn/rash on face)
All – Dentist in Bangalore

Churches Attended – 11
Church of the Resurrection – Washington DC
King’s College Chapel – Cambridge, England
St. Paul’s Catholic Church – Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Omega Revival Ministries – Port Elizabeth
Mt. Hope Worship Center – Mitchell’s Plain, Capetown
Uniting Presbyterian Church – Alexandra, Johannesburg
Nazareth Baptist Church – Nazareth, Israel
Maryknoll Mass at World Vision – Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Banaswadi Bible Church – Bangalore, India
City Harvest Assemblies of God – Bangalore, India
Island Evangelical Community Church – Hong Kong

Nights Slept in a… - 128
Tent (4)
Airplane (6)
Beds and Floors (116)
Train (2)

Skills Gained – 12
Yo-Yo (Capetown), Card Shuffling, Blowing Bubbles with gum, Going Potty Anywhere, Thank You and Hello in multiple languages, Card Games (crazy 8s - students at Sapphire Road, rummy - Katie T.), Cricket (Udaipur), Soccer Juggling (everywhere! see below), Shuttlecocking (Cambodia), Asking for bill anywhere, Passing Time, Being Resourceful

Number of Times the Soccer Ball was Inflated/deflated – 10
London, Port Elizabeth Capetown, Johannesburg, Dar Es Salaam, Jerusalem, Sihanoukeville, Bundi, Udaipur, Bangalore

Drape Family Travel Awards (some bests, worsts and things in between… in no particular order)

Best Chocolate – Swiss Air little chocolate bars (so good even the diabetic joined in the eating).
Best Overall Meal – Aimbrei restaurant: outside, on the water at night with views to the Lake Palace in Udaipur, India with Steffen and Grace.

Most Copious Public Urination (other than our own) – Delhi, India (especially in Old Delhi) - no picture for this, thankfully.

Best Burger – Amman, Jordan Marriott (a taste of home at the sports bar – while watching soccer – but with lots of smoke).

Best Pizza – Phnom Penh Mall, Cambodia. (Special thanks to Aunt Kathy Morefield!)
Worst Pizza – Bali Restaurant, Phnom Penh, Cambodia (and yes, the boys should know better than to order pizza in Cambodia at a Balinese restaurant).

Best Airplane Food – Singapore Air (mmm! And they even served the boys before all the other adults).
Worst Airplane Food – United Airlines, domestic (pay $5 for a little box of packaged processed foods?) .

Best Airport – Singapore (beautiful, lots of real plants – with a nice little old man caring for them all; free high-speed internet).
Worst Airport – Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (nice folks, but a time-consuming and highly sweaty place).

Best Things Packed – Dental floss and duct tape for repairs, baby wipes for bathing on the trek, and the soccer ball/pump for general recreation along the way.
Most Unnecessary Things Packed – Dad’s extra tube of shaving cream (he is STILL working his way through the first).
Things We (Mom) Wish We Had Packed – Fleece hat.

Most Significant Injury – Andy’s dog bites (followed closely by Andy’s chapped and blistered face).
Most Entertaining Injury – Dad’s stick to the head from Steffen.
Most Disgusting Injury – Mom’s sand-filled toe blisters (followed closely by Andy’s chapped and blistered face).


Top Three Guest Houses/Hotels –
1. Haveli on the Lake, Udaipur, India (even with the dog bite).
2. Ms. Van Rooyen’s, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
3. The house in London
4. Matt wants a number 4 with Fauzi Azar Guest House, Nazareth

Best Coffee – The Plunge pot at the Schilder’s in Mitchell’s Plain, South Africa
Worst Coffee – The Goldiana Hotel, Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Chris drank it for 7 days!, Chrissie drank tea)

Best Bacon – Home cooked bacon at Ms. Katie’s in Bangkok.
Worst Bacon – Once again, The Goldiana Hotel, Phnom Penh (it was hairy).

Best Tea – Two choices: Adnan’s, our new friend made in Bethlehem Christmas Eve, when he invited us into his shop and served us delicious mint tea; and Babu’s, our host in Udaipur who served us up some killer chai at his shop in town.

Best Pets Visited – Tiger and Monkey (Katie Thorleifson’s cats in Bangkok), followed closely by Oreo (the Hanstad’s dog in Bangalore).
Worst Pet Visited – Alfy (Andy’s biter).

Funniest Small World Moment – Biking along the Sea of Galilee, being passed by a biker with an REI pack like ours. Dad yells, “What part of Seattle are you from?” The response, “Kent!”

Best Night’s Sleep – Amman, Jordan Marriott (love those down comforters).
Worst Night’s Sleep – First night at Paradise Beach Bungalows, Zanzibar (hot, humid, mosquitoes, and only a wimpy fan…)

Most Expensive Lodging – Oliver Plaza Hotel in London our very first night - $255
Least Expensive Lodging – Dad’s $5/night hotel in Ratanakiri, Cambodia (where he could have stayed for 51 nights for the cost of our London place).

Best Pool – Golden Palms, Bangalore, India.
Most Refreshing Pool – The Goldiana Hotel, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Worst Pool – Amman, Jordan Marriott (Mom says, how can you have a “bad” swimming pool?).

Smelliest Travel Companion – That white BO-ridden South African 14 year-old, on the flight to Tanzania.

Most Satisfying Bathing Experience – The waterfalls at the end of our trek.

Best Wildlife Moment – Cheetahs stalking the warthogs; Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania.
Worst Wildlife Moment – Monkey attack at the fort in Bundi, India (from Chrissie's journal: "Steffen screamed, Mom cussed, Matt cried").

Best Phrase Learned – “Izit” – South Africa (English); meaning anything from literally, “is it?” to “really?!” to “you’ve got to be kidding”….

Worst Phrase – “Don’t worry, Matt…” uttered by the mother on too many treacherous occasions.

bending along...

Now that we are back in the northwest, we'll try to keep a bi-monthly blog pace going here. Perhaps the most significant changes in these two weeks are taking place with our chickens - who more than doubled in size in their first week with us (our Monday weigh-ins are providing many practical and tangible Drape Academy math problems). They're growing feathers like mad, and we've already moved them into a larger home (that they can fly out of if they decide to). They've made fast friends with Grandma Fran's guinea hen from South Africa (that's Dixie in the picture - the name that has stuck for chick #4), but to her chagrin, Torah (the Wenndorf's boxer) has yet to be turned loose with the chicks.

Last weekend we celebrated Matt's 10th birthday and Easter all in one (the Easter celebration included a re-enactment of the Passion - with the birthday boy in the starring role). We spread the celebration out to two days with a killer (and frigid) game of golf (the putting course at Eagle Crest) on Monday. While she did not win outright, Aunt Jeannie did score the only hole-in-one of the day.

The boys are soccering along, though the snow we've had this week put a little cramp in the outdoor time. While the rest of the northwest may be ready for spring to spring, we're happy to be having some winter, since we missed most of it on our travels. Our big fun this past week was having our dear Seattle friends, the Ritschers (Mike, Lisa, Teresa and David) come and hang out with us for a few days. We adventured up to the mountain on a cold, sunny-snowy day for dad-snow-shoeing and mother-and-child skiing. Good times... good times....

I made a quick Seattle trip a week ago, joyfully reuniting with a few folk, and doing some work on finding work. There are a few leads, and I'll keep you posted (and you're welcome to keep me apprised of any good leads).

So that's the quick update. We'll be back in a few weeks to keep you up to speed.

Bend Adventures

We are well settled into the end of our second week here in Bend already, soaking in the joys of the Austin place - horses and chickens galore. Yesterday we went out and got 4 little chicks of our own. We'll raise them here this spring (under Grandma Fran's keen eye), then bring them home to Seattle with us. We've each taken "ownership" of one of the chicks: Matt's is "Tembo" - elephant in Swahili, the blondest of the bunch; Andy's is "Rosie", the brownish-reddish one; Chrissie's is "Shirley" the smaller of the two blacks ones; and mine, the other black one, has yet to be officially named. We're considering "Kuku" - Swahili for chicken - but we're taking suggestions. The big yellow one is still just Chicken.

We hit the slopes at Mt. Bachelor this past week, although I got to play Lodge-Dad support team. Since I'm now 43 years old, I've decided to regularly throw my back out so I don't have to hurt myself more actively in activities such as snow boarding.

Other things.... Andy and Matt are both connected to spring soccer teams here in town, and loving it, and we continue to live it up with the cousins with fierce card games, trampolines and climbing on lava. And we're also keeping up on our chores.