"A Whole New World....."

"A hundred thousand things to see..." Yes, Disney's Aladdin theme song was in my head the entire time I was touring India and the Gulf. And how could it not be? Camels, turbans, temples, mosques, and the desert. I felt like I was Prince Ali myself, staying in some of the nicest hotels the cities had to offer. But, it was a work trip for Baylor, so I didn't have too much time to lavish in luxury or even see that many tourist sites. It was all about hitting the high spots, capturing a few photos and then moving on to the next location. The two week tour was planned by an organization called International Student Network (ISN) that organizes fairs in various cities around the world. My supervisor at Baylor asked me to attend this trip to India and the Gulf and, of course, I jumped at the chance to see this new part of the world.

In India, there were 15 other universities on the tour, and in the Gulf, there was a group of about 30 universities represented. It was very exciting to feel oh-so-professional again, and to be able to break out my work clothes that have been sitting in the attic. It was a wonderful networking opportunity to meet others in the field of international recruitment and I'm so excited about the opportunities ahead for Baylor.

The adventure began on February 2nd when I flew from Frankfurt to Mumbai (formerly Bombay) with a four hour layover in Bahrain. Stepping off the plane in this Arabic kingdom was quite a shock as I was not expecting to see so many people wearing the Arabic-style dress with long robes and head scarves. It was the young, old, male and female who were walking around in the traditional dress, yet shopping for the latest trends in the Duty Free or talking on their cell phone.

After the layover, it was off to India where I was in store for some more shock. I was surprised at how dingy and out-dated the international airport was in Mumbai for being one of the largest cities in India. I later realized that they are in the process of renovating it, and have already updated the very nice domestic airport that we used when flying out of Mumbai. All the taxis in Mumbai are old-school style Fiats (from the 60s), and I was surprised that they drive on the right side of the road, but I should have figured that with it formerly being a British colony.

The drive from the airport was truly shocking, as it was through miles and miles of the "ghetto" where thousands of people live in shacks and tents with trash everywhere. I was amazed at how long this area of poverty stretched and yet people seemed to go about their daily business of carrying water, buying fruit, etc., as if it were the most normal neighborhood in the world.

Before I knew it, we emerged from the devastating landscape to see beautiful, yet decaying, architecture of Mumbai and the harbour with the Gateway to India and the Taj Mahal hotel nearby.

A few minutes later we arrived at my hotel, which was absolutely beautiful, however on the streets below, was the trash that seems to be everywhere throughout the city. I quickly learned that this is a country of extremes where poverty and opulence dwell together.

We were in Mumbai for three days, and on the second day, we had an opportunity to do a little sight-seeing after our morning school visits. The next three pictures are of me at the Hare Krishna temple. We were not able to tour the inside of the temple, but were able to look around the courtyard area.



Posing with the President/Caretaker of the temple.

After the temple, we had a special treat in store for us - access to a Bollywood film shooting! We went to an apartment building where they were filming the scene, and got to see the actors in action. The movie will premier this May and is titled, "Let's Dance." Before getting back on the bus, a few of us wanted to take a quick pic in front of this taxi. On the streets of Mumbai old-school taxis and rickshaws (as pictured here) rule.

In the middle of the city is a huge area dedicated to people who wash clothes for a living. They each have their square of water where they do the laundry and hang it to dry. This area is so expansive and it's one of the many examples of India's fusion of development and despair living side by side.

The Central Train Station in Mumbai where thousands of passengers commute each day for work in the city. I desperately wanted a pic of the trains with no doors and people hanging off the sides, but didn't manage to get one. It truly is a sight to behold, though!

The next stop on our India express train was Chennai (formerly Madras) on the southern east coast. Unfortunately, I have no pictures of this destination and truly didn't get to see much of the city, as we arrived in the evening, had a full day of work the following day, and left bright and early the next morning. I DID enjoy my favorite hotel of the trip and a wonderful hour by the pool in the 90 degree weather here.

Our last destination in India was Ahmedabad, a city in the northern desert region of India. Although I did see some cows on the side of the road in Mumbai, in Ahemedabad, they are free to go as they please and don't have to be tied up, so it was quite bizarre to see them roaming down the middle of the road.

I also got to see plenty of camels too, which are used in this region to pull carts, etc.

The night we arrived, our entire group went to an amazing dinner at an outdoor restaurant that is adjacent to a temple.

When we entered the restaurant, we were all given red dots on our foreheads, and then proceeded to sit on the ground at a long table.

We ate off of plates made of leaves sewn together, and I had the most amazing food. I have no idea what I was eating, but it was delicious, spicy and so full of flavor. It actually reminded me a lot of Tex-Mex.

Afterward, we had some entertainment with musical drums and a puppet show, and also the opportunity to smoke some delicious shisha (flavored tobacco). Hey, when in Rome.

The next day after our school visits in the morning, we were able to see both Muhatma Ghandi's house along the river and the beautiful Golden Temple. Unfortunately, they wouldn't let us have cameras at the temple, but it was absolutely breath-taking and the gardens surrounding the temple were an oasis in the middle of this desert region.

END OF INDIA TOUR - BEGINNING OF GULF EXTRAVAGANZA

Arriving in Dubai was quite a different contrast from the poverty-stricken and dirty India. First, the airport was so incredibly nice, roads were new and actually had lanes, and there was no trash to be seen. Dubai is absolutely out of this world, and the entire city is drenched in opulence.

The first night there, I had an opportunity to experience the city with a local, Sarah Stem, whose family are friends of ours from Texas. I had never met Sarah before, but had an amazing time with her and her friends that night. We met at the Mall of the Emiratis and had delicious Moroccan food for dinner and later toured the indoor ski resort.

Afterward, we went to a roof-top bar on the 22nd floor of a building that had amazing views of the famous 7-star hotel, Burj Al Arab, and the lights of Dubai at night. We ended the night with a trip to a very hip car called, Budah, that is appropriately decked out in Asian decor. Although this city is run by rich Arabs with more money than they know what to do with, it is a melting pot of cultures with workers from the Philippines, India and other southeast Asian countries as well as plenty of Brits, Aussies, and some Americans. Every day there are new developments and I'm told that the landscape of the city changes drastically yearly.

The next day I had an opportunity to see the Burj Al Arab in daylight as we were having a luncheon at a resort adjacent to this hotel. It is situated on an island that is connected by a small pathway. You have to have reservations or be on a list in order to pass through the gate, so this was as close as I could get.

We had an amazing lunch at the Madinat Jumeirah resort in Dubai, that consists of a series of hotels and residences. The cheapest accommodation is $1,000 a night with most expensive around $10,000. I may not be staying there anytime soon, but at least I got to have lunch there!

We had lunch on the patio pictured above overlooking this beautiful lagoon, with views of the Burj Al Arab hotel.

After lunch, we got to take a boat, or abra, ride around the canals of the resort.

We took a day trip to Abu Dhabi for an expo, and we saw miles and miles of sand, with the occasional mosque.

At the hotel in Abu Dhabi where our expo was held. We so wanted to be laying out on the beautiful green grass overlooking the lagoon, but hey, at least we got to visit.

After three days in the UAE, our next destination was Kuwait. This was a very quick trip, so there wasn't a lot of time to sight see (not that there is a lot to see anyway), but we did get to visit the Kuwait Towers.

After being in the land of no alcohol, crazy custom officials, a long 4-hour delay in the airport, getting booted from our hotel, etc., we were ready to get the heck outta Kuwait and head to Bahrain. It proved to be a welcome sight for sore eyes, and I very much enjoyed my stay in this kingdom.

After our school visit, we were once again able to view a little of the city and visited a camel farm, the Grand Mosque, and the causeway (border) between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

I also had a free day my final day there before flying out and was able to do some shopping in the souhk, or bazaar, which has alleys and alleys of stalls and vendors selling souvenirs, spices, Arabic and Indian garments, rugs, etc.

It was a whirlwind of a trip and although I never thought I'd say it, I was ready to go home again after this adventure. I would certinaly never pass up an incredible opportunity like this again, but did realize that traveling for work may not be as glamorous as it seems. The reality of waiting in airports, having little free time, and a strict agenda to follow defintely set it, but it was still totally worth it to experience a whole new world and I can't wait to return.

MUNICH! Its' a Fact!

MUNICH- LOST CHAPTER!

Yes! This Just Happened-Munich '08 mit los cousins!

Now if that wacky amalgam of languages hasn't thrown you off, this is the undisputed recount of West meets East. If you don't like it-we'll fight you. The Jim and April Vaughn- live in Munich, Germany, alive in our hemisphere for one day and night only!


So there we were-your favorite ex-patriot couple a marchin' down the ancient walkplatz(an area only reserved for pedisdetian traffic), there in there heart of beer in the universe-proceeding to converge with family from the new world. Which is wacky later on in this telling, I digress. Up to the hotel, into the lobby there is the beaming(seriously, you can see this smile a continent away) smile of April "Flossie" Vaughn. Crazy excited to see Cat and I, hugs of ancestrial proportion ensued. Serious bear-Dora-Mae-Clough hugs!


Jim and April were in Munich working a great scam I can't do justice describing here. Really, they own Whalebone Surfshops on the East Coast and Germans went nuts to have them represent American businesses for this expo.

Jim descends and we lite out for a little (revionist) history and some German brand wackiness!

The haziness in the picture below is the real deal people-Holy Spirit all around! St. Michaels Church, where the mad Bavarian King Ludwig(the guy who broke the bank building disneyland-style castles), the second in entombed.








Munich is all about walking and we hit the major sites, St. Michaels Church, the Glockenspeil, St. Peters, some good luck statues and the mandatory Hoffbrauhaus!



We dined on fine delicacies like Schweinbraten, pretzels and of course-beer; dunkel(dark), original(original) and weiss(refined clear wheat beer).


My cuz April and I, "are cut from the same bolt of cloth," says the wise, David Clough, aka: pop. It was here that I realized why we can party longer, stronger and way more badass than our friends. Essentially stated, "Its' the Spear in us!" Said April.

Right on, personally I've always contended that we were from Krypton/had rad superhuman party powers but this succintly stated geneological fact says BOOYAHH! Its science...



A great convergence it was, saw where WW2 jerks get their start, saw where beer in its modern form is best in the universe-Munich, a study in contrasts.

Ski Trip to the Bavarian Alps

This past weekend Jon and I attended the annual squadron ski trip to Garmisch, Germany. It was a true winter wonderland, Bavarian style, and we enjoyed two fantastic days of skiing on the tallest mountain in Germany - the Zugspitze.

We had a breath-taking view of the Alps from the mountain-top and although it had been five years since I had last skied, I picked it up in no time after a few runs.


The first day of skiing, we were accompanied by our friends, Jose and Ray. Jon was adventuresome as ever on skies, and we had a lot of fun taking videos of each other skiing down the mountain (see side bar to right for video clips).

The second day of skiing, Jon and I wanted to be the first on the mountain-top and we were able to enjoy a beautiful sunrise. For our mid-day break, we took the gondola to the tip-top of the mountain that provides an endless view of snow-peaked mountains in the distance. It was absolutely breath-taking. This area also serves as a border crossing with Austria, and half of the facility is located on the Austrian side. So, it was only fitting to have a morning beer in Germany and lunch in Austria.

After our second day, we went to a Bavarian restaurant in downtown Garmisch for dinner where Jon and his friend, Jason, enjoyed a 3-liter beer.

The dinner was complete with Bavarian sausages, pork, sauerkraut and even authentic dancing. It was the perfect ending for our fantastic weekend!

Jon and me posing in front of the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort where we stayed for the weekend. It was an awesome hotel with several restaurants, a huge fireplace in the lobby and a pool and enormous hot tub outside. We enjoyed simply hanging around the hot tub and hotel most nights and relaxing after our full days of skiing.

On our way back to Wiesbaden on our final day, we decided to take a detour to visit the most toured spot in Germany - King Ludwig's Neuschwanstein castle.

Built from 1869 - 1886, it is the epitome of a fairy-tale castle, and is actually the building that inspired Walt Disney for the model of the castle today at Disney World.

The view out the window of the throne room was incredible with the snow-covered Alps in the distance.

After touring the castle, we took a hike around the hillside to a bridge that provided a fantastic viewpoint of the entire castle. Another Germany tourist destination must to knock off our list.

Skiing, hot-tubbing, castle touring - it's just another weekend in the lives of the Captain and Frau Clough. This weekend? We're back on the road again (well, train this time) tomorrow morning to Munich to meet up with Jon's cousins, Jim and April Vaughan who will be there for a trade show. So, details soon of another Hofbrau House adventure. Have a fantastic weekend!

ALTENAHR -rrrrgh!

The most romantic village on the Ahr(rrrgh), River, Altenahr(rrrrgh), was one random flip in the Lonely Planet book away from our most recent weekend road trip. The Ahr(rrrgh) is smaller than its siblings, the Rhine and Moselle, sometimes no wider than 10 meters.



The sleepy town of Ahrtenal is nestled between the craggy peaks giving way to rolling hills and steep vineyards. Unlike the more popular Moselle and Rhine rivers, it is red wine that is produced in this region which makes the Ahr Valley unique. The quality is high, but the yield small, so very few wines ever make it beyond the valley.



To fully appreciate the landscape that surrounds Ahrtenal, we hiked one of the many steep trails that begin at the town's center.

We climbed to the black cross to have a breathtaking view of the town, river and castle ruins in the distance.

We continued our ascent until we felt we were truly on top of the world (or at least as high as we could get).

On the opposite side of town, we climbed to the Burg Are, whose weather beaten tower stands guard over the valley.

We enjoyed two days of hiking, running and simply relaxing in this beautiful village where we were we truly were the only two tourists in the whole town.


On our drive back to Wiesbaden, we stopped in the larger Ahr River town of Ahrweiler for a few hours. This is a very unique town in that it is one of Germany's few walled towns that can only be entered in one of the four gates.

In the center of the town, is a beautiful bright yellow church decorated with floral frescoes from the 14th century and luminous stained glass windows.

Our trip to the Ahr Vally was a wonderful weekend getaway and a great opportunity to discover another jewel of Germany unknown to most tourists.


This weekend, we will be having quite a different experience as we will be going to a very well-traveled part of Germany - the Bavarian Alps - for a ski adventure at an American resort. Updates of our adventures will come next week. Aufwiedersehen!

Kölsch in Köln

Although I'm not a big beer drinker (unlike my dear husband), I've tried to enjoy the endless varieties available throughout this country and have have decided that my favorite beer here is Kölsch. This is a local beer speciality, brewed in Cologne (or Köln). It is a clear beer with a bright straw yellow hue, and it has a prominent, but not extreme, hoppiness. It is less bitter than the standard German lager beer, Pils. Here's some other interesting facts about my new fave beer; it is usually served in long, thin, cylindrical 0.2 liter glasses. This glass is known as a Stange (pole), but is often derisively called a Reagenzglas (test tube), or Fingerhut (thimble).

Why the sudden interest in this beer? This past Saturday, Jon and I visited Cologne with some friends and while there, we ate lunch at a brewery and of course had Kölsch beer and delicious schnitzels and sausages. It was a superb lunch and although they sell this beer everywhere, it was really cool to be able to have it in the city where it is brewed. Also, this beer can only be brewed in a brewery that has a direct line of sight of the Cologne cathedral. So, you couldn't set up a brewery just anywhere in the city.

We also visited the world famous Cologne cathedral. I have visited a lot of churches during my time in Europe and this really did blow them all away with the sheer size of it. It is enormous and each wall is lined with absolutely gorgeous stained glass windows. The church was begun in 1248 and took 300 years to finish. Beyond it's size, the church is significant due to the treasury filled with relics of the three magi.

It was a fantastic trip and the rest of this week has consisted of getting back in the routine of life (yes, very boring). But, we hope to take another trip this weekend to write about and the following week is our ski trip to the Bavarian Alps. Fun times ahead.

Have a fantastic week!

Ringing in 2008 with Explosions in the Sky

Happy New Year, friends and family! Jon and I returned from our two-week trip to Texas last Thursday and had a wonderful time hanging in BCS and the ranch. It was certainly wonderful to be home, see clear blue skies, and eat tons of Tex-Mex. After a weekend spent recovering from jet lag, we geared up for the New Year's celebration in Wiesbaden. We invited a few friends from Jon's work and our church for a pre-party at our place before meandering to the casino where the big extravaganza would take place at midnight.

In Germany, there are no rules for setting off fireworks within city limits, so you can imagine how crazy it can get with people setting off their own explosions every 10 feet downtown. Needless to say, you have to be careful about where you step and always be looking out for any stray bottle caps that may plummet your head. When we left for the casino, we were carrying a backpack of fireworks and champagne, and we were just one of the many that had this same idea. People were downing champagne and setting off fireworks constantly so that it really did almost resemble the sound of a war zone with the whistling of some fireworks and constant explosions and smoke in the sky.

We had a good time shooting off all our ours before midnight and then at midnight the entire sky was filled with beautiful colors. We didn't know which ones were the amateur fireworks and which ones were the city's, because they all looked so professional. Finally, at 12:15 the music came on (an orchestra from a German composer of course) and then the big boys were set off above the casino. It was absolutely beautiful! The Germans definitely take their celebrations and fireworks seriously. It was one of the most festive New Year's I'd ever experienced!

On New Year's day, Jon and I slept until the afternoon after staying up until 5:00 a.m. that morning, and then made a pot full of black eyed peas for good luck for the coming year. We had fun reflecting on the good things that 2007 brought us and are excited about what this year has in store for us as well; skiiing in the Alps, a trip to India and the Middle East, a trip to the States to see Jon's family, Jon's deployment and a summer for me in the States. We love you all very much and wish you all a very happy and healthy new year!