Change of blog address

We have really loved using this blog to share our earlier travels. Thanks for all of your great comments. They are awesome to get while we are away and thinking about what you are all up to back at home!!
Slight frustration ... the iPad does not enable us to upload and share photos or videos using many blogging sites... So we have decided to try a new travel blog provider so we can more easily share the colour and excitement through words, photos and video.
This will be the address that we use from now on (all things going to plan!!). You can still subscribe for email updates, comment on posts and follow our travels on the map; just as you can on this blog.
Click here to continue following our travels ...
Or go to this address ... http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog/fielderbeaumont/1/tpod.html

Cheers!!

Zoologico de Chapultepec

We raced through the zoo looking at every animal we passed. Admiring there beautiful home-like enclosers. A couple of years ago the zoo was rebuilt to show and teach us about the animals and enviromentel protection. It is now one of the most amazing zoos i the world.

The fisrt animals that we came to that really blew my mind were the hippos.  did you know that hippos are one of the most vicious in the sawapms and waterways, and are very protective of their terrritory.  They kill more humans in africa than any other animal.  They were slouching and rolling in the dust before they trudged into the water to cool down and wash off.

As we peered into the next enclosure, to our amazement we saw four long lankly legs.  we had come  to the giraffes.  We watched as they rolled out an enormous blue tongue to rip leaves off trees for food.  They have blue tongues to prevent sun burn!  I thought the giraffes were very gracious and regal animals.  

And finally, we strolled past the monkeys.  There are lots of different breeds of monkeys as they vary hugely in size and habitat requirements.  From the tiny little squirts to the bigger primates that peered out thru the glass, curious about what was going on around them.    By Amber

 We saw panda bears too.  They didn't do much.  It looked as though they had already eaten a big meal as there was lots of bamboo litter on the floor of there enclosure.   when we saw them they were both asleep - obviously sleeping off the effects of their big meal.  

A rare white rhino looked out at us and snorted.  He was a huge beast with a massive head and horn.  He ambled about his enclosure nibbling at the grass.  It was sad to think so many of these impressive animals were shot by poachers in their natural habitat for the sake of the horns.  The horns are sought after for use in Chinese medicine even though the horns are made of the same material as human finger nails and have no proven power to cure anything.  By Pete

Zocolo by Night - Mexico City

We stood mesmerised and  glossy eyed as we watched the incas dancing as they jigged around their animal toenails while wearing traditional ritual costumes like a turquoise feathers like they have a peacock on their heads.  Some had animal skulls on  their heads.

the animal toenails are sewn onto a piece of material rattle as they move backwards and forwards.  they dance around the Incan chief who stands in the middle, holding  ceremonial weapon, directing the dance.  His jaguar skull, looking ferocious on his head with it's canines jutting out.

As i'm listening to the rhythmic boom of the drum sticks pounding on the animal skin pulled taught across the wooden barrel shaped drum.

Transported back in time

As I walked down the Zocolo I was alerted by a crowd.  As i got closer i heard singing. i glanced forward and spotted three ican musicians playing traditional instruments and singing & chanting.  they were plying pan flutes, and flutes made out of bamboo.  Immediately i was captivated by the rhythmic sound.  I began to relax as i listened to the hypnotic and soothing sounds of the music which seemed to surround me. I soon began to imagine myself 5000 years ago in the mist of the Incan empire.  It was easy to imagine the Incan city, at the height of it power.  A city of 250,000 at a time when London was a mere 50000 inhabitants.  I imagined myself as a warrior reading for battle as the musician played.  The honk of a passing car quickly brought me back to reality as realised where i was and more importantly, what year it was.

I immediately began to bug mum and dad to buy a CD of the music so i could listen to the music again experience that same sense and transportation back to another time.  Soon they relented and the cd was ours.  

The interesting things people do for money ... Mexico City

The light turns red she sprints out as fast as her fat stomach can carry her.  She quickly throws down a piece of flattened cardboard and lays down on her back on it.  Immediately her daughter, a girl of about four or five runs up and dives on her mothers upturned body.  Her mother reacts by catching the child and at the same time pushing out her legs, throwing her skinny little child over her body.  The kid runs at her mother 4 or 5 times in the same way with the same result.  the pair are performing a basic acrobatic routine to entertain the cars stopped for traffic light.  With moments to spare,  the routine abruptly stops and the pair approch the waiting cars for payment before the light changes to green and the cars speed off.
By Zahn

Coyoacan-Mexico City-Amber

After about an hour of con-fuffle we managed to get out of the door. We caught the Metro bus to Eteopia and then from there we caugh the Metro train to Coyocan. Coyocan is the art centre of Mexico. The historical buildings were stupendous! They shone brightly in the morning's sun and glistened and gleamed with a twinkle.

In the main centre the was a garden made entirly out of box-hedging, and a few trees plonked here and there. It was like a mini maze weaving itself around.

As we were sitting on a park bench in the garden i noticed a little furry brown animal making it's way down the tree and trough the mini maze. "Mum, Dad, what's that?" I asked.
"Where?" Mum said.
"There!" I yelled pointing to the little creature.
"Oh, wow!" Dad said, "That's a little brown squirrel!"
"Get the camera," Mum replied fidgeting through her bag, "It will be a good memory to put into your diary!"
While she was looking through her bag, the little squirrel ran down the tree and picked up a crunchy yellow leaf and then scampered back up to his place. Click, click! Mum took the picture! "Oh, Mum!!" Zahn and I sighed!

By Amber!!

Mexico City - Day 1 - Zocolo

"I want to go here!"
 "No I want to go here," we said as we discussed where to go and what to do.
We were soon off without me having a clue where we were going! In the end we arrived at this amazing historic place.
 "Let's go into this church," we said. I walked to go in but I saw a sign saying no shorts and no jandals and annoyingly I was wearing both but the rest of my family were clear to go.
We walked in to the square and little did we know that there was a massive festival on! We recon that it was a children's festival.
We discussed what we were going to do Soon Amber rushed off to get her face painted but there was a massive line so she decided to come back later. My favourite thing was this metal bull that whizzed round this way and that almost as fast as a bike.  By Zahn

LA City

After bundling up our bags we climbed out of the aeroplane and hit the road. We caught a train into the city and strolled around the muesums, parks and shops. Each and every alley way a different buzz of excitement. Skyscrappers towered above you, new and old.

Down Town LA was not what I thought as the people weren't all dressed up in glamorous clothing and wearing sparkly dresses, in fact some of the people were the exact opposite, rummaging through the rubbish and sleeping on the streets! The rest of the people were just the same as every other city.

By Amber!!