DAYS NINE through TEN (UKSA)

DAYS NINE through TEN (UKSA)

It's odd, even though UKSA was one of my favorite parts, I took like a single picture. It must have been due to the fact that I was on water all the time, and I didn't want to lose my camera in the ocean. It happened to a poor girl while she was boarding a boat, and ever since that I was ever cautious.

I had a marvelous 5 hour sleep. I woke up surprisingly refreshed! We were now in England! We got off of our boat, hopped on a bus, and then walked to a dock where we waited for yet another boat to the Isle of Wight. We took some pictures.

Me feeling like Doctor Who.

It was cold near the water, so we made a barricade of suitcases and sat in it.

Nice and toasty?

Our small boat came shortly after that. It was half covered, and half uncovered. Everyone made a mad dash for the uncovered part...except me. I grabbed a seat under the covered part, and thus, by the end of the trip, I was among the few who were actually dry.

I love this girl with all her preparedness.

We arrived at UKSA an hour later. We were greeted warmly by the most handsome boating instructors to grace the ocean. With that serenade gone, we were leaded to the campus where we were shown around. I got a dorm that I shared with four or five other girls. Our dorm was also the only one that had a wi fi hotspot...joy to the world. People often crowded outside our room for wi fi.

We headed straight to our first adventure, raft building. Seperated into four teams of five, we were given two wooden logs, a barrel, two waterboards, lots of rope, and thirty minutes. Boy, those minutes went fast. Apparently I can't tie a knot because a friendly yet incredibly blunt (I think it's the English way) young man came up to me and said, "That's one shoddy knot!"

Yes, I loved these guys. Anyway, our raft turned out pretty well. The instructors said that they were the best they had seen yet, yay. We had series of races, which my team all lost. Whichever team I am on during the whole trip lost. At this point I am pretty sure I'm either really unlucky or highly unskilled! The people with the most points won something at the end, and my team got last place. We tied for first with our team cheer, though! We couldn't think of anything, so when our turn came, I led my team in an operatic song of triumph. It must have struck a sweet note, because afterwords a guy came up to me and said, "I didn't know you could sing opera!" My "moment" was brought up a lot after that.

We had the rest of the day off, thank goodness! I was really tired. The below freezing water and the five hours sleep got to me at last.

We hung around and just partied. I contacted home, and had a nice long chat with my family, which was wonderful. Dinner was really good! I retreated back to my dorm for some needed R and R.

The next morning we had a delicious breakfast! I think it was my first warm breakfast on the trip! I had ham, and hashbrowns, and oh, it was so good.

 We went kayaking. I had trouble finding my wetsuit, so I had to go ask for another. Luckily, it fit me. I got really scared for a second there though.

We went for our kayaking lessons! I was lucky enough to share a kayak with a good friend. We picked it up pretty fast, and soon we were off kayaking down the coast. It was so wonderful, and I did pretty well. Our kayak stayed consistently in second place. (We were behind two speed demons) We kayaked for two hours. We encountered a deserted boat, crabs, and fish. Our instructors, being adventurous lads, went crab hunting. One got his finger pinched! It was a wonderful experience. By the time we were done, my arms ached, but I felt great.

We had a bag lunch, and it was sandwiches. I enjoyed my chips, but egg and mayonaisse sandwiches just don't do it for me. Because of the uncertain water, sailing lessons were canceled. I am sad I missed the opportunity, but I was so tired at the time it didn't bother me so much. Because we had to use up the free time, the Is took us orienteering in the forests.

I didn't accomplish much there, and my team got last place. It was fun, though. And a good memory. One unfortunate guy, while running through a treacherous path down a hill side, tripped, fell into a series of thorn bushes, and then rolled into a patch of stinging nettle. OUCH.

Later that night we went for our recreational activity. We treked uphill through suburbia for fifteen minutes. My legs went numb, but when I saw the park in the distance I became very happy. I forgot my camera, unfortunately, but the image is still clear in my mind. It was a large green field, and the air was crisp and cool. We did relay races, lots and lots of them, until my legs felt like they were going to fall off. We got to choose between playing soccer and rounders, and I chose the latter.

Rounders is a lot like baseball, and it was so much fun to play! I really wanted to play more, but the others didn't feel like it. We sat and talked with Dan, one of our instructors, instead. He was a funny, quirky red-head, that didn't know a whole lot about America, I think. His eyes bugged out of his head when we told him America has frozen waffles. He had never heard of such a thing!

Back to bed with us! It was a great day, one of my favorites. I worked long and hard, and made some new friends too. One of my favorite moments in all the trip.

DAY 8

DAY 8

Today would go down as the most emotional day of the trip -- at least for me. I can't speak for my other delegation members, of course.

I woke up sleepy because we had to get up at 5:15 or so in order to get ready in time for breakfast. There was another delegation coming to eat right after us, so we had to eat and clear out. Breakfast was almost warm, with slices of ham and fresh milk and scrambled eggs. I had a really bad experience with scrambled eggs somewhere along Europe, and after that they all tasted nasty, so I avoided them like anyone would avoid a toxic egg. I had a ham sandwich, but had to scarf it down too quickly because I had to go upstairs and grab my suitcase. Since we weren't allowed to use the elevator, I dragged down my suitcase five flights. Better than the drag upstairs yesterday!

We hopped on the bus. I was excited, for today, but also wary. Today was going to focus on D-Day, and so I knew I was going to weep.

 Grey clouds knit closely together, and rain began to sprinkle us as we stepped off of our bus. I am glad that I took precautions and brought my rain gear, or my fun would have been "dampened". (HAHAAHAHAA) We walked to a cliff side where Germans had been encamped on D-Day, about twenty miles from Omaha beach. Destroyed and ruined bunkers littered the area, along with ones that were still in fine condition. We saw turrets and fox holes and a stand where a massive gun would have stood, being able to shoot over 5 miles if I rememeber correctly.

The spike in the center is where a giant gun would have been.

We toured a bunker, which was quite interesting indeed. We learned that bunkers were practically invicible structures, and the only way to destroy them was to blow them up from the inside. An example of this stood not far away, where a massive stone more than ten feet tall stood many, many yards where it was originally before the bunker it was a part of blew up.

A bunker intact.

A destroyed bunker.

We also saw the cliffs that American soldiers scaled on their way to capture the German base.

We went to Omaha beach shortly after that, where I filled a bag (that was previously filled with delicious fruit snacks) with sand. We didn't stay long, since a delegation was coming for a ceremony.

We went to the Normandy American Memorial Cemetery next. It was a great experience, but I really don't want to tap into the emotions that require me to write about it. It's just too sad. I'll just be weak and take it from my journal.

The rain was pouring by the time we got on the bus, and it still was as we arrived at the cemetery. I think it's kind of symbolic that it was raining. I didn't know beforehand, but we were doing a memorial service for our fallen troops. We stood in a line and recited the national anthem. Some were chosen to place a wreath on the monument that stood overlooking the graves. When I stood there singing, I was pummelled with sadness, but with pride, too.  The tears didn't hit until we walked the cemetery. I just wanted to sit in the rain and cry my eyes out.

I remember that my voice was strained when I sang, and afterwords I just stayed silent. If I talked I would have burst into tears. It is truly something to stand before those who have given their lives for you, indirectly or not.

We went to Caen's memorial museum after that. It was fantastically informative! And of course, I cried here too, but not as badly. I wish I could have stayed in each exhibit longer, but my fellow delegates blazed through each room so fast I could barely keep up! It was like that with all the museums I went to, but at least I got a taste of them.

Standing in the Caen's memorial museum

We set off for our ferry to England! While we were at the building where the bus picked us up for the ferry, I had time to relax. I played some games with my friends and had a really good time. Then we boarded our pick-up bus to the ferry. It was HUGE! Massive, gigantic.

We had a quick orientation about the place, and then were sent to our rooms. Because we were welcome guests, the ferry was going to hold a private disco just of us. I'm sure it would have been fun, but I decided not to go. We were only going to get five hours sleep, and if I had gone it would have been cut down to four. Instead, I went to my room. One of my friends stayed behind too, so I wasn't alone. I put on my PJs and let the ocean lull me to sleep.

Getting ready for sleep!

DAY SIX through SEVEN

(Can't upload many pics, sorry)

DAY SIX

Today was the first day of exploring Paris. Exciting, right? I looked forward to visiting Ireland most, but the city I looked forward to most was Paris. From our trip from Belgium, we stayed at a French hotel called Relais de Chartreux, which, without traffic, is about one hour from Paris. But there is always traffic in Paris, so it's more like two and a half!

When we got to the Relais the day before DAY SIX, we had a few surprises. First, there was another delegation sharing the hotel, which was something I wasn't expecting! It was a middle school delegation. We met a lot of middle school delegations on the trip. Second, was the hotel itself. It looked like a fancy hotel from the 80s that looks okay superficially, but it was actually kind of run-down. One set of girls had their room completely flooded, and my hotel room had a lamp that was supposed to be screwed in the wall, but was hanging by a few wires. At first, I thought it was some artistic choice, but when I saw the wires, I checked for other suspicious things that weren't quite right. Good thing I didn't find any! I shared my room with two other girls.

My hotel room. My bed is the blue thing on the right.

After spending the night, we set off for our tour. It took a long time to get there, so I occupied my time by taking pictures of graffiti on the highway, ha! Too bad I didn't get to watch the beautiful French country side. It's the third prettiest country side I've seen, yup!

We finally got to Paris. On our way to our meeting point, we saw amazing places like the modern art museum. It looked like it was constructed of pipes!


And we got to see the Eiffel tower in the distance. It is easily spotted from lots of places in Paris. We arrived to our tour over and hour late, but our tour guide didn't seem to mind. I'm sure it happens to a lot of tour guides who live in Paris! Our meeting spot was just outside the Arc de Triomphe, and it was beautiful. The Arc is truly an amazing monument, and it struck a chord with me for some reason, so I took a lot of pictures.

Preeeetty.

We got in a little bit of trouble, actually. Our bus parked right in front of a vantage point for the Arc and some photographers got really mad when our massive vehicle pulled into their shot. An Indian man waved his arms animatedly just like the man at the Amsterdam Burger King. It was actually kind of funny. Our tour guide was a young woman with a very soft voice. She was very polite, and ended most of her sentences with a soft, "Okay?". She was adorable. Some people fell asleep to the peaceful tone of her voice, not that she was uninteresting.


After that, we had lunch. It was flam, which is like a very thin, and very soft pizza. (Thanks to my delegation leader who told me what it was!) The pizzas were about a foot by foot long, but we still ate like four of them. One friend ate a whole pizza by himself.

Said friend with his amazing hitch-hiker's thumb.

Said flam.

During lunch, our delegations were separated into teams that would tour the Louvre later on. It would be kind of like a scavenger hunt for famous pieces of art.

We had a short drive to the Louvre, which is the largest museum in the world, and it's impossible not to tell. The whole place is massive, and you couldn't fit the whole thing in a picture unless you took it from high in the sky.

We started underground, meeting at the famous glass pyramid that you see in the pictures. It serves to refract light throughout a lot of the underground area. After being warned about pickpockets, we were slapped on the back and set off on our journey.

It was great! We only got to spend one hour there, but it was one of the best parts of the trip. To spend such little time there was torture. I would have been fine staying there all day, and then coming back the next. I was looking forward to the Louvre more than anything (except cutting peat, duh) and so I was a little disappointed on how little I got to see.

We set off to find the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Venus de Milo, and many other classics. And we found them!

I have tons more where that came from, but I can't upload them all on here so...hurray.

When we were done, a good friend of mine came up to me and announced she had been pick pocketed. 10 euro gone! I'm glad I kept my money around my neck. I got a few things for my loved ones, and then we departed.

We went to Montemartre next. It's famous for being an art district, and being on a very high hill. Somehow I managed to keep my pep for the ten minute wall up-hill, and skipped up the stairs occasionally and hummed.

Me at the top of the hill!

I lost my pep during shopping time. . .I had already used up all my Paris money and couldn't afford anything else. Basically, I just wallowed around. I tried not to complain too much, but my frustration came through every now and then. My friends were really good about it though. Painters completely filled the square, and everyone except me and two others got their portrait done. I remember a moment where I was walking by, and I was approached by a painter. His eyes glittered upon seeing me, as if I was a long lost relative. Opening his arms, he said,

"You there, miss! What is your name?" He grabbed my lanyard and flipped it over to the name side. His eyes flickered across the name before focusing on me again. "Ah, Esther! I like you already! Would you like your picture?" He proceeded to tell me the costs for different sizes, all completely out of my price range, but he said it with so much boisterous energy that it was hard for me to tell him no. I said I couldn't afford it, and he frowned. Then his eyes lit up as had an idea, and then he grabbed a pastel and drew 20 on his hand. He motioned me closer and he held his hand to my face, pointing to the number drawn on it. "How about for 20? Hmm? 20 for you." I started to feel uncomfortable, and though I wanted my portrait done a little, I realized I should save my money for emergencies. I spun around without a word and started to walk away. I looked back, and the glitter in his eyes was gone. He drew back a moment, put his pastel back, and looked around. When he saw another woman he drew out his arms and grinned. "You there, miss! What is your name?"

After shopping hour was done, we went to dinner. We had escargot! It was delicious! It had the consistency of a gummy bear, but it just tasted like garlic and butter, and it was really good. The frog legs had too much bone, though. We had cod, as well, which was okay, and for dessert we had flan. I think I actually gained weight over the trip, ha!

And so Day Six was over. It was a good day. My favorite part was the Louvre. Which part seems the most interesting to you?

____

DAY SEVEN (yeah, there's more!)

I fondly look back at day seven. It was a full, but not exhausting day like the one before. I slept well in Relais de Chartreux, but I slept well pretty much everywhere! All of the beds seemed like heaven to me, so I didn't understand why girls complained of uncomfortable mattresses, because that never happened to me. They must all be princesses, and I must not be able to feel the pea that's under my own bed. Breakfast was cereal and bread. No meat at all. The bread was stale, and the milk was warm, so needless to say I am glad we left that particular hotel. All the others were just fine to great, though!

Traffic to Paris was bad yet again, but I actually don't mind too much. I enjoy long car rides. I made a note to myself: If I ever live in Paris, I'm going to own a bike.

We arrived at the amazing Notre Dame cathedral! It is simply the most beautiful building, and my favorite Parisian land mark, I believe. It was started in the 12th century, and took over 200 years to build! Can you imagine? There were workers that spent their entire lives building just one cathedral. The thought blows my mind.

It is so incredibly detailed, that pictures cannot do it justice. This is a picture of the arch over the entrance...

And inside was just as amazing. I liked the windows and the arches best.

We were told to meet outside in an hour. I was the last to leave, one, because Notre Dame is amazing, and two, shopping time was coming up. We walked around a bit. I didn't get anything, even though there were some really cheap items that were also cute.

Our lunch took place on a ferry tour. It was really nice. I got to sit next to a friend I got to know online, and she is really kind so I enjoyed myself. The tour was interesting. We had microwavable noodles for lunch, which were for some reason AMAZING. I wish I remembered the brand. I could eat them every day. My friend Josh bought me a crepe, which was delicious. Bless his little rich soul. We saw cool sites, like the world's thinnest building.

It's also a museum!

Next up, Eiffel tower! It's a really amazing structure. I wouldn't say that it is beautiful, but there is something about the way it's built that makes it stand out in a pleasant way. I said in my journal that it was "imposingly elegant".

We had free time, so we toured the park next to the tower. We saw ducks! I love ducks!  It was a really pretty place. Charlotte our DM (unintentional DnD reference) got our tickets, and we went up! The view was gorgeous, and that was only half way up!

It's a shame we couldn't reach the stop. There was a ticket mix up and ours didn't have the authority to allow us to go up to the top. A shame, but I still had a good time.

After that, we went to our hotel, Le Grand Hotel de l'Esperance. It was a very nice hotel. Our hotel rooms felt like actual rooms you'd find at home, only classier and not covered with posters of Hugh Jackman. Dinner was leg of lamb with roasted vegetables, with apple tarts for dessert. And that was the end of day seven!

Day Five

Okay, I get it! Being prolific is an area in which I fail terribly, and I understand that. It's half because I am busy, and half because it takes anywhere from 5 minutes to 20 for one picture to load on my computer, and I just don't like waiting for that. It's my internet connection, and it has a horrible upload speed. Therefore, to save me some time, I'm down sizing my days starting with day 6.

DAY FIVE:

Today I woke up after a somewhat restless night. Throughout the night, I kept thinking it was later than it actually was, so I kept on waking up at obscene hours, at one time actually waking up my roommate. She forgave me, but I still felt bad.

I believe that breakfast was in a small restaurant upstairs. I had cereal, because there was no meat available, and an apple for the road. I regularly took apples from breakfast buffets to eat for later. Just getting my money's worth. As I was leaving to go downstairs, a French-speaking gentleman greeted me, and I greeted him back in French, and it is entirely possible that he never found out I was American, ha ha! Well, scratch that. The ever painfully obvious lanyard probably gave me away. But it was pleasant because he called me madame. Belgium is friendly, yet very professional, and I like it there.

We hopped on our bus to Bastogne. The trip would take about 2 hours, and I occupied myself by taking pictures through the bus-window, even though I didn't have a window seat.

Belgium-y area which I cannot identify.

A highway!

If these delightfully gray pictures fascinate you, the other ones I took during this particular journey will as well, because they all look the same as these two. It was a gray day in Belgium.

We arrived in Bastogne, now a pleasant and small town, but once the stage of the WWII Battle of the Bulge.We stopped by an oddly-shaped building that had glass walls at the bottom floor, and through the glass you could see staircases going down to a cafe like area. Our friendly tour-guide, who was also the oldest tour guide we would have, hopped on the bus and said hello.

"Hello!"

We didn't stay on our bus for long, however. Soon our tourguide had us out and to our first site -- a tank.

How cantankerious! ... The jokes need work, don't they?

This was a real tank used in the Battle of the Bulge, with its own battle scars...

After that, we hopped on the bus for a short ride to the General Patton memorial, where we discussed how Patton affected the war, and what he accomplished. Our tour guide was very interesting about it, and because he had experienced the battle himself you felt like you could take his word for what really happened. We took a few snapshots of the memorial, and then got on the bus for our next stop -- a church.

The church that we had visited had been a shelter during blitzkriegs and had been bombed multiple times. Since then, it has been rebuilt and stands proudly as a site of the town's bloody history. Our guide pointed out several interesting things about the church, such as an American flag that was painted on the ceiling when the church was built, out of gratitude for our help. I thought that was really neat.

We walked back to our bus.

Next stop was a large memorial that was a massive dedication to what American troops accomplished during WWII (With Bulge being particular) simply called Mardasson Hill. It was a giant five-pointed star engraved with each of the fifty states' names, and the top had a wonderful view of the country side.

Standing on the point with Indiana on it!

North Dakota delegation.

Walking here inspired a part of my journal entry later that day.

"I gained a whole new perspective on World War II, and how it affected everyone, and how those affects are still present in Bastogne. It almost seems like the city is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Battle of the Bulge, and what American troops did there in particular. I think that it's wonderful that the efforts of our country have not been forgotten."

We had a nice talk, but we couldn't stay long. Too many sites to see! This was the most enjoyable part of the tour, but the places I visited afterward held a lot more meaning to me.

Next we went to visit foxholes in a forest not too far from Mardasson Memorial. There, we learned about the typical life-style of a man who had to endure living in fox holes during the battle. Usually, there was one hole to two men, who would take shifts. One would try to sleep while the other looked for and fought off enemy soldiers. It's a terrible idea that was only considered mandatory back then. Some of the guys messed around and pretended they were soldiers. One guy grabbed a log and hoisted it like a bazooka.

I messed around too.

So yeah, it was a little fun, but it was sobering as well. Looking at those giant, mishapen holes in the ground brought so many images to my head that it was painful.

We headed for a German grave site next. . .It made me sad to the point of almost crying. I suppose this is the enemy we are talking about here, but let's face it, these were people. Literally most of them were young boys who had their lives cut short before they knew who they were, or what they even truly belived in. I don't have the right to pronounce who among the dead was evil, or had foul intentions, because for all I know, one of them could have wanted to be a doctor, or one was so caught up in the romance of war he didn't realize what he was into before it was too late.


After our tour we set off for Paris. The trip went rather quickly, until we got into Paris, where there is no such thing as a stop sign. Traffic was horrid. It took two hours to get to dinner, but I got a good view of the city along the way. In the distance I saw the Eiffel tower and got really excited. I was in the city of love and lights and really large art museums! So exciting.

Dinner was beef and potatoes at a cool little place called Auberge du Pere, and it was pretty good. Half way through dinner a good friend of mine accidentally spilled coke on me, and when I let out a startled yelp everyone in my delgation made sure to take the good time to turn around in their seats and "shhhh!" at me. . . It kind of hurt my feelings, since everyone else was being loud, but oh well I suppose.

We went to our hotel, which was a two hour drive too, called Relais de Chartreux. I'll get on that in the next day!

Well, that's the end of day five! What do you think?

DAY FOUR:

It was my last moment in my first hotel, and it was a sad moment indeed. It had one of my favorite hotel rooms, though not the best. Not to say the hotels were bad, though. P2P provided almost all good hotels...almost.

I showered, and having near-control of the shower head, I managed to get "cleanish" without spraying water all over the bathroom floor. (Instead of a shower curtain, it had a minuscule glass door) Never underestimate the power of a shower curtain, my friends.

 I stayed behind for room checks while my roommate tugged our suitcases. That's generally how it works. In room checks, our delegation leaders check for broken beds, lamps, trash, dead bodies, etc. Almost all of our hotels didn't have anything wrong with them...almost.
Anyway, our room was clear, so I was free to eat food!

I had bread and ham!

Then we got on our bus!

We departed for Belgium. We probably stayed in Belgium for about 36 hours, so it was my shortest country stay, but I liked what I saw. On our two hour journey, while still in Holland, we saw windmills! That  got me excited, cause, you know, Holland and windmills is like peanut butter and garlic. They just go together.

The majestic windmill in its natural habitat.

Belgium was a 2-hour trip from Holland. When we arrived at a Belgish (no, I'm not saying Belgian) rest stop, everyone magically spoke French and Dutch, so now I had a better idea of what people were saying, since I take French.  I felt pressure to buy something, so I bought a Twix bar. It was the only snack I bought. Same with drinks. I recycled water bottles I got at my lunch by refilling them, so I didn't have to BUY water, no sir. I'm too cheap for that! 

We arrived in Brussels soon after that. I probably won't remember a lot of this day, because my camera ran out of battery by noon, and I didn't write much in my journal at night, but this was one of my favorite days. Brussels is kind of like an American city...maybe Indianapolis? Either way, it's a pretty blend of new and old, and I only wish I had more pictures to share.

The center of town! Surprisingly traffic-free!

First, we had a small tour of Brussels. It's quite a lovely city. We stopped by a shopping district which is like one giant, beautiful alley-way. We were walking, and then a giant hall opened to our left. It was awesome!

Isn't it pretty? We ate on the second level, right about in the middle.

We had lunch in a cool little place. It was a cozy, two story restaurant.

Our table.

Turkey with sweet gravy, boiled potatoes and asparagus, and bread.

Creme brulee -- yum!

We went to Grand Palace next! It's considered one of the most beautiful plazas in the world, and I completely agree. It's beautiful! I wish I managed to get more that one picture, but my battery died after I took it.

Entering Grand Palace. It gets prettier past the turn, I'm afraid.

We had some free time to go shopping, so we did. Two guys from the North Dakota delegation were really sneaky. They took an empty can, placed it near a bench, and then proceeded to lay on said bench. They got 10 euros in ten minutes by looking like homeless boys...or something. Maybe in Brussels if you see a can, you throw money in it. I bought a few things at the market place, and I found something  I really liked for my friend. I didn't get it at first, so I walked back to Grand Palace, and upon realizing that I really wanted to buy it, grabbed a friend and ran back. It was a lot of fun. My best shopping experience. I got WiFi sitting on the steps of a building, so I tried to chat with the people back home. No one was online... *tear*

Next we had the chocolate factory! It was full of chocolate and yummies of all shapes and sizes. We saw a chocolate chess board, chocolate shoes, chocolate letters, the works. Belgish (yup, still Belgish) We had a cool presentation about chocolate making. When the lady asked for volunteers, my hand shot up like a bullet. So I poured chocolate in a mold, shook it to get rid of bubbles, and put it aside. My shaking wasn't up to the lady's standards, so made me do it over.

I bought a few things afterward, but not much because Belgian (fine) is so expensive. It is, for the record, very good, though, so if you ever want some good chocolate, call Planet Chocolate!

We went to our hotel after that. I do not remember what my room looked like -- oh, yeah, I do. It was a pretty good room, small as it was. It had a shower with a curtain, so I can't complain! And beds are the best thing ever invented for human kind after a 16 our day on your feet.

And so that was day four! It was a lot of fun because at the point, everyone was making friends with each other. I liked the things I bought, and the city is beautiful. Until next time!