LEGOLAND!

After a week of me working at LAX, I detoured through Oceanside where I met Bethany and the kids for a day of fun and trick or treating at Legoland. I didn't know what to expect... but I can safely say I like it much more than Disneyland or Knott's Berry Farm. All rides are designed so that the adults can sit with the kids... matter of fact, it's pretty much required. I loved it... and got to enjoy riding on Daniel and Analisa's first real rollercoaster experience WITH them. We had a blast! I would definitely go back. Then, when the day was done and we had our share of fun, we dressed the kids up and went back in for an after hours trick or treat Halloween theme time. It drizzled on us for most of the evening, but what a blast! They set up a bunch of booths that looked like little houses and the employees handed out treats and candy to the kids. Well done Legoland... well done!

The Apprentice

The dark apprentice, Darth Daniel, learns at the hand of his master!

I always knew he was TROUBLE!

Ummmmm.... What the Heck?!

Alright.... If I thought Daniel was trouble....

I have got to get this little girl OUT of Vegas!

God help me!

Ready for Takeoff!

Mommy and Nanners getting ready to see how high up a giant Lego airplane can go. Hope it stays up longer than the ones we build at home and Daniel throws across the room!

Hey! This looks familiar!

DUDE!!!!! Awesome display! Just about every casino in Vegas was here made of Legos! Here's the Treasure Island... right down to the pirate ships that actually shoot at each other and the masts fall just like in the real show!

So... you travel 300 miles and end up finding the same place you began at?!!! What the Heck?!?!?!?!

It's like the pilgrims! They took off from Plymouth and... Landed in Plymouth?!!! What a lucky break!

Get Ready... Set... Go!

One of the cool things in the park...

Analisa drives a fire truck in this family event. 4 families jump into different fire trucks the kids drive across a stretch while the parents pump handles to power the trucks. When you reach the other side, you all jump out, the parents pump a fire hydrant and the kids aim water sprays at a building's windows to put out the fires. First one to put them out WINS!

What a blast!

Zippin' Along in Isla Roatan, Honduras

Pay no attention to the smile.... this is no happy camper. I'd never met anyone so not interested in going zip lining until this day. WHATEVER!!! You know it was cool. Say what you will... zipping along 300 ft stretches... 100 feet above the Honduran jungle floor... peeking out over the jungle canopy is FRIGGIN' COOL!!!!! Even for someone afraid of heights like me. Plus I loved seeing the wife all sporty'd out like this.

My Chezzz Hurss and I Can't Breeezzzz!!!

Bethany thinks I need a translation for the title... so fine! My chest hurts and I can't breathe...

Don't look at me like I'm not in shape or something! Round is a perfectly good shape! No seriously, you have no idea the humidity here!!! In the upper canopy... the air is comprised of 99.9% water and 0.0001% air.... the other 0.0009% is "other". I had a GREAT time though!!!!! I would seriously recommend this type of activity to anyone.

Xunantunich, Belize

Formerly known as British Honduras... Belize is one of the lushest... most beautiful countries I've ever seen.... but also perhaps the poorest.

Above is a pic I snapped of "El Castillo"... the 130 ft tall pyramid at the far end of the ancient Mayan site seen just as we walked into the plaza. All Mayan structures were made of quarried limestone. Because they didn't want to heft millions of tons of limestone around to get to their building sites, the Mayans always had a town geologist. The geologist's job was to find a location with all the limestone they would ever need to construct their city and then build the city in the middle of that spot. INGENIOUS! Duh! Even the floors are made of solid limestone. The Belizian government has chosen to leave the floors covered by the overgrown grass in order to keep down the erosion. There are some exposed areas though... what beautiful stone floors!!!!! I'm jealous!

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Xunantunich pronounced shoo-NAHN-too-nich with an accent on the NAHN, means "Stone Woman"

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Americans think its pronounced... tuna sandwich... LOL

Homes of the Times

Here is a good example of their homes. The spaces in between the vertical walls were individual houses. Tiny huh? When a house leader died, they would burry the person under the floor of the house and no one would live in there again. A new level would be added to the home.... so you get a pyramidal shape over the years. This is why they've found many remains in the center of each home. It's amazing how well these structures have held up.

A New View of the World

An AMAZING view from the top of "El Castillo".

You can see into 3 countries from here.

Notice how I'm not kneeling that close to the edge... It was all I could do to get this close.

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The stuctures in the rear are one big plaza surrounded by little homes. The structures on the right are 3 pyramids, some still not excavated, that were homes for the upper class. The pyramid in the center is believed to be a temple. There are passages within it but are burried and packed with dirt. They tell us that they will not be excavated for fear of the structure collapsing.

Yes... we climbed these steps to the top of "El Castillo"!

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This Pyramid was built over 3 centuries in layers. It's got huges canals on multiple levels to collect the rain water and store it for the people.

We're On Top of the World!!!!!!

We finally made it to the very top!... Easy coming up.... yeah... try getting back down with no handrails!


So "El Castillo" was the center of all things religious for these people. The priests would come all the way up here and address the people.... so we asked.... how could they possibly hear this guy. His throat must have hurt something fierce by the next day!
Answer: The entire site was built in the form of an amphitheater. Standing from the top of the pyramid, a normal voice would carry and amplify by the time it got below. We didn't believe our guide sooooo.... see those people down there? We asked them if they could hear us using a fairly normal voice.... they instantly looked up and gave us a thumbs up! Unbelieveable!!!!!

Words Don't Describe!

If anyone is ever interested in Mayan ruins.... DON'T MISS XUNANTUNICH!!!!!

Words can't convey what I think of this place. To walk a partially excavated site... To see it partly how they found it and partly what it was like! To walk through and touch every part of it. To see and touch the freizes and the frescoes. To stand in a historical site like this and hold the rocks that were placed by hand almost 2000 years ago!

I would love to go back and do it again!

Tulum, Mexico

As per the Mexican government, having learned lessons from other countries and sites where people have ruined these ancient buildings, all attractions have been roped off and people are restricted from touching just about ANYHTING! I can understand this... but because of this, the site just didn't hold the same awe as the smaller Xunantunich in Belize. The whole place had a more theme parkish feel... especially since they opened up the beach below it and all kinds of people were walking around in bathing suits... dripping! They even have some stinkin' rule against professional camera equipment. So... they don't let you film... they even threatened to take away my little tripod when I set it up with my tiny little camera just so we could take a few pics together! I got one shot!!!!! All pics of Bethany and I together had to be taken with my palm sized camera sitting on a rock! Stupid government rules!


However... I found this city amazing in its design, architecture and size. It's layout is fantastic, bordered on 3 sides by a VERY thick jungle that is also swampy/marshy making it almost impassable. The city separates itself from the jungle with 18 ft thick walls that are anywhere from 9 to 15 ft tall and have lookout/watch towers on all corners. The fourth side of the city is butted up against a 39 ft cliff that leads to the ocean. Talk about well protected!... Now these people knew about desirable property locations!

Just south of Cancun, Tulum is probably the second largest Mayan tourist attraction next to the Chichen Itza. Tulum was the last of the great Mayan cities to survive. It was still active for 70 years after the Spanish began settling Mexico. First described by Spanish explorers in 1518 and then lost and not found again until 1843.

Our New Summer Home

We saw this beautiful home going up for forclosure auction and just had to have it. It's a little big and needs some homey touches but the location location location!... and the landscaping was GORGEOUS!
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Tulum was the last of the great Mayan cities to survive. It was still active for 70 years after the Spanish began settling in Mexico. First described by Spanish explorers in 1518 and then lost and not found again until 1843.

Hangin' on the Porch

Whoever the old Mayan owners of this old home entryway were... they had one heck of an ocean view! Wonder if property values have gone up since then?

The Main Event!

"El Betho" vs "El Pancreas Doloroso" (The painful pancreas)

A one night only event!

After a full week of sightseeing and tours we were at each other's throats!

just kidding

What do you get a six year old boy as a souvenir from Mexico that isn't a Mariachi hat?

A luchador (mexican wrestler) mask!!!!

Yeah... that's it!