Absolut Icebar Stockholm

In honor of our last port call, I wanted to do something that would really make it memorable. I had read about an ice bar in Stockholm that was a popular tourist spot. The Absolut Icebar Stockholm was the world's first permanent ice bar that opened in 2001. Since then, it has become a global ice bar chain, and was one that I was dying to experience. So after our tour at the Vasa Museum, Debbie and I meandered through the streets of Stockholm and found our way at the Nordic Sea Hotel where the Absolut Icebar was located. 

At the icebar Debbie and I were issued hooded arctic coats and gloves, and told to follow a dimly lit passageway that would lead us to the bar's subzero temp room that opened by way of a sliding metal door. The bar was kept at -5 degrees F, and was made of solid ice within a backlight of neon blue lighting.

Behind the bar were assortments of alcohol, glasses made of ice, and a cash register.

The glasses were verrrry "cool."

This was the cocktail menu that was frozen in the bar stand.

We had to use our gloves when we were drinking because our fingers would have gotten frostbite.

Deb and I toasted several rounds of shots to a dream vacay that exceeded our wildest expectations.

And then, we made our farewell toast to Stockholm with bittersweet regards and hopeful promises of return, and made our way out of the subzero temp, and back to the "Costa Deliciosa" for the passage back to reality. It goes without saying that the icebar was our "coolest" experience ever!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

As midnight nears and Thanksgiving begins officially in the US, I give thanks for all my family and friends in my life, and the love and support they have always shown me. I may not always be home for Thanksgiving, but I always carry home in my heart when I am far, far away. Tomorrow at o'dark thirty I will be on my way to the "White Desert", the northwestern sahara of Egypt, on a camel trek led by Bedouins as I spend my Thanksgiving week-end camping and exploring this naturally aesthetic and desolate region of Egypt. The Bedouins have promised to cook us a turkey when we set up camp on Thanksgiving, so I will be able to get my turkey fix! Yippeee! Looking forward to getting some sun. Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Enjoy These Halloween Treats!

Every year I get invited to a Halloween Party. And every year I have to rack my noggin for a costume to wear. Too bad my trunk of costumes (yes, I actually have one as silly as it sounds) is in storage in the States. Grrrr. Who would have thought I'd be celebrating Halloween in BFE? I thought about going as Cleopatra, but she's a bit overplayed here. LoL. While I mull over my dilemma, I hope the cartoons below tickle your Halloween funny bone. It got ME in the mood for Halloween! I'm just waiting for "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" to air now. LoL.

I'd Rather Be In Pictures!

"Who sees the human face correctly: the photographer, the mirror, or the painter?"

~Pablo Picasso

Moscow "Circus On Ice" in Cairo

As a kid, did you ever fantasize about running away and joining the circus? Well, um... neither did I (LoL), but I always liked GOING to them as a kid. Does that count? Over the week-end, I went to the Moscow "Circus on Ice" Show. The Russian company was in town for 1 month, and was performing their gravity-defying ice skating show every week-end to sold out audiences. THE ICE SHOW WAS OVER THE TOP!!! I loved, loved, loved it! My ONLY complaint was that it ran so late. The show ran from 10:30 PM to 1:30 AM. Sheeeesh!





I was only able to take a coupla pics, before the Ring Master announced that no one was allowed to take pictures during the performances. Ugh! However, an online local paper had posted some pictures, which I um, conveniently "borrowed" below. LoL.

This act was amazing! These three lovely ice princesses were ice skating on stilted blades! Talk about MAJOR balancing act. Sheeesh!

Then there were trapeze acts on ice skates! One that I enjoyed, which I wish I had pictures of, was when a long red scarf came down from the circus top. A skater grabbed it and pulled himself up high in the air. He then performed a series of death-defying gymnastic feats, before he executed a round off in the air and landed gracefully on his ice skates. Zee Russian Vas Vunderbar!!!

I loved the costumes of the show. They were especially beautiful when skaters twirled and sped by in a blur of colors. Talk about lightning performances!

The Russian company used a variety of props in their show such as juggling pins, hula hoops, unicycles, jump ropes, floor length scarves, large acrobatic wheels, geometrical cages, frisbees, and flamed batons --- and all were performed on thinly bladed ice skates!

In this sync'd unicycles act, I was so scared someone would slip off! Fortunately, the performance was executed flawlessly. Clown acts, magic acts, and costumed animals on ice skates followed suit... but the grand finale was the Liger (lion n tiger) Taming Act... which I um, sheepishly missed. LoL. In my defense, it was almost 1 am, and the Ring Master had just prefaced our 3rd intermission with the announcement that we had 1 more act remaining. Some of the peeps I was with were struggling to remain awake, despite the show's excellent performances. And we had a 45 min drive home. Unfortunately, the days of partying till the wee hours of the morning were no longer the norm for my group. So, we regrettably made our exit. I heard back later that the final act was fantastic. Sigggh. Is it too late to runaway and join the circus? LoL.

My Big-Game Five Goal:

Leopard

Cape Buffalo

Rhinoceros

Elephant

Lion

Well, I've just gone through my safari checklist for the umpteenth time. Will be leaving on the red-eye tonight and will be waking and arriving at o'dark thirty tomorrow in Kenya. Whoo Hoo! Will go from a big plane to a puddle jumper, and then onto an open terrain vehicle as I jostle through the grasslands of the Masai Mara. My goal will be to see the "big-game 5" which African hunters coined for animals that were the most difficult to hunt by foot... but there'll be no hunting on this trip. No siree. Will be there solely as a spectator. The one with the biggest cheese eating grin, that is. LoL. So, off I go. Will catch ya on my return! Ta - Taaaaah!

I Shook Hands With President Obama!

OMG! Yesterday, I attended President Obama's visit at the Giza Pyramids! I'm DEFINITELY keeping my ticket for the scrapbook!

We rode to Giza on a convoy of buses escorted by Egyptian National Security. Security was sooooo tight!

Here's my posse from work. We were all so excited to go!

The wait time was long and tedious. Buses started loading at noon, 1.5 hours BEFORE departure time for the Giza Pyramids. We finally arrived around 2:30 pm.

The U.S. Embassy and Egyptian Government took every precaution for the President's safety. Everyone had to go through security screening before entering the speaking site.

We had a 3.5 hour wait time, since the President's schedule got pushed back to 6pm!

It wasn't too bad. The U.S. Embassy set up open tents for shade and served copious amounts of bottled water to the waiting assembly.

I took advantage of the wait time by taking pics of the speaking platform where President Obama was going to address the assembly. As you can see, "men in black" were everywhere ensuring the President's safety.

Close to the hour, crowds gathered to the speaking platform for better vantage point.

Wait time, however comma, was outdoors in the hot sun No one was complaining, because everyone was excited to see President Obama!

American kids were given front row viewing. I especially liked this little girl's patriotic Uncle Sam hat at front row and center.

I had a GREAT(!!!) spot on a raised platform up front and to the right of the podium! A friend loaned me her head scarf which protected my head from the sun's rays. Don't I look Egyptian?

And then we heard President Obama's arrival by the whirring sounds of his helicopter.

U.S. Ambassador Margaret Scobey introduced the President....

and then presented him with souvenir t-shirts for Sasha and Malia that read "My father visited the Pyramids in Cairo and all I got was this lousy t-shirt!".... LoL.

President Obama's speech was short since his true speaking engagement was at Cairo University earlier that day, but he was as gracious, charismatic, and handsome in person as everyone expected him to be.

And then he approached the crowd and started shaking hands. Do you see something white reflected on the upper right lens of his sunglasses? Well.....THAT'S ME!!! But on a side note, don't you find the pink nail-polished fingers holding a Sony camera creepy???

And then he moved closer to me----AND SHOOK MY HANDS!!!

Unfortunately I couldn't take pics of it. I was too busy shaking his hands! LoL. But OMG, it was exciting!!!

And as quickly as he came, he exited as quickly into a convoy of armored black Suburbans.

President Obama's visit to Egypt carried so "many firsts" ... it was my first U.S. President venue I ever attended ... my first handshake with a U.S. President ... he's America's first African American President ... first U.S. President with Islamic roots visiting a country predominantly Muslim ... marking his first official President's visit in Africa. The overall 6 hour wait time was well worth seeing this President of "many firsts"; a chapter cemented in the history books, and I was there!!! .... and to be rewarded with a handshake from President Obama himself, is something I'll cherish for the rest of my life. In fact, I'm still reeling from the experience. LoL.