Feb27 transit to Mumbai

Waiting at Narita airport and helping Tammy sew on crests on her jacket.

Feb. 26 - Tokyo free day

Today Feb 26, is a free day. I am bored my companion has a blister on her toe and isn't doing much walking today. Tried triangular rice balls for lunch, and getting ready for another 24+ hour travel day to Delhi and onto Mumbai,  the most populous city in India. Can you find Mumbai on a map?

Feb. 25 - Tour of Tokyo p2

More pictures

Feb. 25 - Tour of Tokyo pt 1

WOW! Yesterday (Feb 25), We took a guided bus tour. It was very organized and punctual. We saw lots. Here are is a small sample of some things. I'm checking out the skyline from the Tokyo Tower, taller and similar to the Eiffel Tower, at the entrance to the Meiji Shrine,  the beginning of a Shinto wedding procession at the Shrine, imperial gardens - coy fish ( notice my foot for size comparison), on the river the sail and vessel we hoped we are going on to (t was not), musicians advertising a store. We abandoned the tour since it was going to take 2 hrs to get to the hotel and tried navigating the subway. We were back to the hotel and had dinner by the time the bus riders returned, and had a new adventure and learned how to make use of the subway!

Feb 23-24: Thurs-Friday

I am in the Hotel Metropolitan in Tokyo, Japan. It is almost 10 p.m. local time. I can't begin to guess what body time it is. This has be a travel day.  We left Ticalli at 2:30 a.m. Mexico City time. Had a 5-1/2 hr flight to Vancouver. A 3 hour layover. Then it was 13-1/2 hr from take off until we reached our hotel. It has been a long day with limited picture opportunities especially since I did not have a window seat. There were about 450 passsengers on the wide body high density jet across the Pacific.

We crossed the International Dateline so it is now Friday, the 24th for me.

Time to sleep. We have to meet at tour at 7:40 in the morning

Feb 23 traveling to Japan

We left Ticalli at 2:30 a.m. Our flight was 5 1/2 hours to get to the airport. Here in Vancouver two new friends joined us. The view of the mountains is impressive. Hope our plane to Tokyo doesn't slip any later. It has slipped twice. So for now, we are leaving an hour later than planned.

Feb 21 - The Pyramid of the Sun

Those are full sized adults climbing up and down the pyramid of the Sun, I told you about. It is enormous! There is a smaller pyramid of the Moon and the other end of the plaza. It is smaller than that of the Sun, but I understand the archeologist say the tops were at the same height because of the difference in the ground level where they started. Both are BIG!

FEB. 22 - HAPPY THINKING DAY

Wishing you a happy day for exploring our world and scouting and guiding girls from Ticalli, the home base of Guias de Mexico, and hostel for Girl Scouts & Girl Guides.

At the International Festival at Our Cabana, I saw a pin with an orange background I did not recognize. So I asked a Guider (Adult Guide) what it meant. She connected me with an English speaking Guider. It stands for the Western Region of WAGGGS. Who knew?

WAGGGS IS BIG IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE!

The WAGGGS Western Hemisphere Region supports 35 national Girl Guide and Girl Scout organizations in 35 countries and reaches more than 3 million young people.

( WAGGGS - Western Hemisphere Region  ) (note you will leave this site and different privacy rules will apply)

WAGGGS - Western Hemisphere Region The WAGGGS Europe Region supports 35 national Girl Guide and Girl Scout organizations in 35 countries and reaches more than 3 million young people

There is a pin with a different color background for each area. Guess what I am going to try to collect on the trip?

Feb. 21 - Mexico City, Pyramids, Lady of Guadalupe

Boy it was a busy day! No pictures to speak of on my phone to share. Plenty on my SD card from the big camera, but can share those easily.

We saw many murals telling the history of Mexico by Diego Rivera in the Palace. They have so much to tell. I hope to have a book with pictures to share back home.

Then we went way out of the city to the Pyramids at Teotihuacan. We saw the Moon and Sun Pyramids. I was tired as you can see below. I sat with my friends in the shade while a few other claimed the Sun Pyramid. Both Pyramids were impressive as was the whole ceremonial center they are a part of.

Feb 20. Our Cabana Session ends and back to Ticalli

It has been a busy few days. Meeting Guides from many parts of the world. Some of the Program Staff came from Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Tanzania, and England. I met Guides, (USA is one of the few organizations where girls are called Scouts),from New Zealand, England, many Guias de Mexico, & USA (Maine), as well as my traveling companions from Canada, and Croatia. Quite a variety of countries.

We learned about Our Cabana, World Thinking Day (DMP2017 Mexican abbreviation for this year.) Earned a WTD patch. Played games, made a Mexican Craft, (see beaded plaque) ,played with Guias de Mexico and shared and International Festival, a good ole campfire with singing and s'mores, played with some local disadvantaged children, had a pool party, and a candlelight closing ceremony. Off course there was lots of talking and sharing between groups. Some it was easy because we shared a common language, some was challenging with limited shared words and hand signs, but lots of smiles and hugs.

We had to pack and leave Our Cabana today. Then we boarded the van for the 2 hr. drive to Mexico City. Here is a Canadian Friend from Vancouver, B.C.

There are pictures of the last few days on the Facebook page of Nuestra Cabana. It starts with our group picture. I'm not sure if I am in the back row, but My Traveling companion is.

The last picture are the gates that greet us on our arrival at Ticalli, in Mexico City.

Feb 19 Closing Ceremony

Tonight we had a candle light ceremony to close our session. Among tears and songs and pictures, I received my Our Cabana, Nuestra Cabana pin. It is the 60th Anniversary version.
Tomorrow, we leave at 10 a.m. to return to Ticalli and Mexico City for a couple of days before our long journey to Tokyo.

Feb 19 Late afternoon

We relaxed around the pool. with a pool party. This is a friend and dorm mate from England. She is helping me stay dry near the pool.

Feb 19 Service Project

Spent time this morning playing with local children. Our group did songs, hockey, & jump rope. Jump rope seemed really popular. Other Guide groups ran other stations including snacks, crafts, balloon creations, and other things.

Sunday morning volcano search

Somebody's alarm woke me early. So I am out wandering the compound in my pajamas trying to see the volcano that is only visible at sunrise. Haven't found it yet. 


Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

Saturday breakfast

These are my new Guias de Mexico friends I met at breakfast. They rode 12 hours on a bus to get here.

Friday after lunch

After lunch enjoying a sculpture celebrating girls around the world near the entrance of Our Cabana.

Friday rest time

Taking a break and celebrating girls around the world.

Friday Morning

Today we started planning for our service project. Then we moved to crafts. My friend Rachel from the UK is beading. We are doing a craft inspired by Mexican tradition.

Our Cabana/ Nuestra Cabana

We arrived! Settling in. There are many Guiders from England here too. The young women running the program are Guides from all over: Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Tanzania & England. There are two other Girl Scout leader from Maine here for the program too.

Wednesday Lunch

We had a ride on this type of boat in the Floating Gardens. Our lunch was prepared an a boat that joined us and tied on. The waitress brought us our food. The strong men polled our boat. They were our motor. When we returned to the starting point, he had to work hard because of a stiff headwind.

Boats at the Floating Gardens

These are the types of boat we rode, and the other shows the floating kitchen.

Touring Mexico City

Feb 15: We toured The Anthropology Museum we spent most of our time focusing on early History. Then we rode and rode through the city to the floating gardens where we had lunch on a boat where a floating kitchen joined us and cooked our lunch. After that we rode to the Casa Azul, the home of the artists, Diego Rivera, and Frida Kahlo. Our guide for the day was Francisco who is helping me into the bus.

Settling in at Ticalli

Here is my bed. I am so tired from the long day. We were out for a Mexican dinner. On the way back we found a bakery and ice cream shop NEXT DOOR. We enjoyed some ice cream together.

My plane on the ground.

It is really hard to see the plane you fly on at these big airports. I can see the pilot from this window, and some of the plane from another.

View from the airplane

I could not see anything since I had a aisle seat. A nice man at the window took these for me. In one you can see Mexico below us.

The other, is that a volcano? There is a plume of white clouds at the top of a mountain and streaming with the wind.

Flight path to Mexico City

Boarded

On first airplane of journey. I have not even seen what it looks like from the outside! By this afternoon I will be in Mexico City!

Ordering breakfast

Wow! Ordering on an iPad. No wait person!