The Adventures of Mehnaz and John: Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro!
“Kilimanjaro is a snow-covered mountain 19,710 feet high, and is said to be the highest mountain in Africa. Its western summit is called the Masai ‘Ngaje Ngai’, the House of God.
Close to the western summit there is a dried and frozen carcas of a leopard. No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude.”
― Ernest Hemingway
Together, John and I have been to Greece (including Athens, Delphi, Sparta, Crete, Thessaloniki), China (including Xi’an, Kunming, Lijiang, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Beijing, Chengdu, Macau), Tibet (Lhasa), Russia (St. Petersburg and Moscow), and South America (Ecuador, the Amazon Rain Forest, and the Galapagos Islands).
After mulling, planning, and researching John and I have our international adventure for 2012.
We will be going to Africa and climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro!
I am very excited because with this, we will have gone to every continent together except the ones with the penguins on them. :D
Mt. Kilimanjaro or “Kili” is the tallest peak in Africa and a dormant volcano. We also hope to spend some days in Tanzania.
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I love the idea of this trip because not only do I get to take my wanderlust to a brand new continent, country, and city - but it’s a physical and mental challenge.
I am also grateful because of the opportunity to take amazing photographs and I can’t wait to see what’s my camera will capture!
I feel up for the physical part although the altitude is scary. I am looking forward to the test of my mental resolve because hey, everything worth doing in life is hard, right?
We are doing this in a small group - just ourselves and a guide - as we wanted to pick one of the harder trails and having done enough tours, it will be nice to be going as fast or as slow as we want.
John is picking the Shira route - one of the harder routes to trek and one which requires quicker acclimatization.
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You can follow our travel adventures here - I will be updating soon!
Beauty from the Russian Underground I
I am obsessed with the Russian metro. It is equal parts an art gallery, bomb shelter, and a subway system. My first station as seen in this post led me to ask John to take me to EACH train station so I could take photos and I am so glad I did because I got my most beautiful details in these stations, including the use marble, gold, copper, silver, chandeliers, tile, mother of pearl and designs that date back to the turn of the railway’s inception. Even the signs are beautiful!
The stations are haunting and cavernous - they are rarely as empty as this but when they are a child’s laughter or a woman’s giggle echoes off the walls surrounding you with the voice.
Follow our Russian Adventure!
Our Gorgeous Hotel, The Hotel National.
Walking around Moscow, our first night.
Our awesome July 4th celebration!
Seeing a Russia Bear.
The Kremlin Gardens
Guard Towers of the Kremlin, Black and White.
The Guard Towers and Cathedrals of the Kremlin.
Repairs to the Towers.
The Moscow Metro, Part I.
Tretyakov State Gallery,
Sculpture, Russia.
Lost in Thought, Tretyakov Gallery.
Dressing Like a Local.
Street Scene, Moscow, Russia.
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow, Russia.
Eating Fast Food in Moscow!
Moscow by Foot!
The Diamond Fund at the Kremlin.
Moscow by the Water, Black and White.
Inspiration Dior Exhibit!
White Dress in St. Petersburg!
The Hermitage, the most beautiful building I’ve ever seen!
Breakfast at the W St. Petersburg!
Breakfast at the W St. Petersburg
The W Hotel at St. Petersburg has only been open two months and it was one of the nicest hotels I had ever stayed in. It was tough finding healthy food in Russia and what we did find was quite expensive - but the breakfast at the W. St. Petersburg were a treat!
We enjoyed tvarog almost daily, a farmer’s cheese or Russian cottage cheese. It has a consistency that is richer and more thick than even full fat Greek yogurt - can you believe it? On our final day, I enjoyed a lighter bottle of plain yogurt and it wasn’t as delicious! The tvarog was topped with berry muesli or a tart fruit cocktail - paired with a perfect espresso, it was a perfect start to our day long walks around the city.
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BUILDING I’VE EVER SEEN
This week I wanted to share photos from our tour of the Hermitage Museum, one of the oldest and most grand museums in the world, located in St. Petersburg. It was built during the reign of Catherine the Great and opened its doors in 1852 - and we could have spent a month in there and barely made a dent in the collection.
Shockingly, museums aren’t air-conditioned in Russia - I was so surprised not because of discomfort but I assumed antiquities would need to be kept at a certain temperature to be preserved. Little old ladies seem to have one job in Russia - servings as docents.
{Text from wiki: The gallery known as the Raphael Loggias, designed by Giacomo Quarenghi and painted by Cristopher Unterberger and his workshop in the 1780s as a replication of the loggia in the Apostolic Palacein Rome frescoed by Raphael, runs along the eastern facade.}
When I look at my photographs I think, did I really see that? Did I really stand there? Some things just take your breath away!
YOGA SCULPT + UPCOMING RACES
So today really was an adventure. I went to a 7pm yoga class right after my run expecting a C2 class. Apparently there has been a schedule change and it is now a Yoga Sculpt class - a vinyasa class with weights in a heated room. I tried to be a big girl and use 5 and 8 lbs weights through the class but stuck to the 3 lbs - I am hoping that if I can commit to Yoga Sculpt 3X a week, I will see some serious strength gains and then I can start a big girl strength program that concentrates on a particular area each day. I promise that isn’t grody sweat - I have to make my mat super wet to get it to stick!
Now onto more exciting adventures!
This is John. John really likes babies. And they like him, much more than me.
Here John was told to imitate Baby Eva’s expressions. And he obliged.
That’s why I love John. And maybe that’s why babies love him too.
John also likes races even more than I do. I don’t love races under 5 miles - John loves everything from 5K’s to 50 Milers. John wants to qualify for the Boston Marathon before he is 30, and he is about to celebrate his 28 birthday at the end of the month. John will be completing the 20 Miler race this weekend with me (after we go to a wedding and funeral and he flies in only eight hours before) and he wants to go and do another half-marathon before he runs his third marathon and I run my second marathon.
Now that’s an awesome thought. This would be our third half marathon this year and our fourth half marathon between the both of us. We would also have to get this done by October 15th so we can start carefully tapering for the marathon.
If you watch my races page, John and I have already planned on running the Men’s Health Urbanathalon, a 10 mile obstacle course sponsored by my favorite fitness magazine! I love the idea of completing an obstacle race this year as a prequel for races leading up to Tough Mudder in Toronto. Pray for me Tumblrettes, I am still at one chin-up. :D We are also running a Susan Komen 10K as part of our weekend long run at the end of the month.
We wanted an event that was a smaller regional race, a trail race, and had beautiful or interesting views - not just a flat urban surface where we could earn an easy personal best. We looked at a list of races we would love to do before the end the year and agreed on our next half marathon, The Towpath Half Marathon in Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio!
I love blogging - being able to share our joy of racing with others has added so much to this journey. I also can’t believe how far we’ve come - I could barely run a mile a year ago and when I did, it wasn’t really fast. Now, I’m on my fourth half marathon and I believe that I can one day run on in two hours!
Going to the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow
I’ve been bad with the photo-a-day posts and I’m so very behind on sharing the rest of our Russia adventures (and I’d really hoped to show you the awesomeness of the Galapagos and our China trip too!) Since I’m not one to track back, let’s move forward!
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John buying us tickets for the ballet - the ticketing booths looked like a little piece of a completely bygone era. I’m so glad I got this moment!
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Sadly, the main building for the Bolshoi Ballet was under construction - tours happened, but the shows were happening in smaller sister theatres next door.
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We saw a modern ballet that was pretty decent (I was shocked because I hate modern anything!) and it was such a treat to see the dancers - they were so small but so athletic looking!
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Are you a fan of the ballet? John loves the symphony and I live and die for opera but ballet is always so beautiful and intimidating!
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Follow our Adventures - they are still not over!
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Our Gorgeous Hotel, The Hotel National.
Walking around Moscow, our first night.
Our awesome July 4th celebration!
Seeing a Russia Bear.
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The Kremlin Gardens
Guard Towers of the Kremlin, Black and White.
The Guard Towers and Cathedrals of the Kremlin.
Repairs to the Towers.
The Moscow Metro, Part I.
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Tretyakov State Gallery,
Sculpture, Russia.
Lost in Thought, Tretyakov Gallery.
Dressing Like a Local.
Street Scene, Moscow, Russia.
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow, Russia.
Eating Fast Food in Moscow!
Moscow by Foot!
The Diamond Fund at the Kremlin.
Moscow by the Water, Black and White.
Inspiration Dior Exhibit!
The Diamond Fund
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I’ve gotten a few messages and no, I’m not done sharing our photos from Russia! Sadly, like a lot of countries, Russia had a lot of sites we couldn’t photograph. (This honestly seems unique to me because I can’t name off the top of my head, sites in the U.S. which don’t allow photos). Lenin’s Tomb was one of them, and the Diamond Fund was the other. The Diamond Fund was breathtaking - it is a collection of gems and are a part of the Russia Treasury and was instituted in the time of Peter the Great. The exhibition if housed in the State Armory in the Moscow Kremlin. You can learn more about one of my favorite sites from Wiki or from a new site the Museum is trying to develop!
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Follow our Adventures! * Our Gorgeous Hotel, The Hotel National. Walking around Moscow, our first night. Our awesome July 4th celebration! Seeing a Russia Bear. The Kremlin Gardens Guard Towers of the Kremlin, Black and White. The Guard Towers and Cathedrals of the Kremlin. Repairs to the Towers. The Moscow Metro, Part I. Tretyakov State Gallery, Sculpture, Russia. Lost in Thought, Tretyakov Gallery. Dressing Like a Local. Street Scene, Moscow, Russia. Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow, Russia. Eating Fast Food in Moscow! Moscow by Foot!
Moscow by Foot
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{Architecture, Moscow, Russia}
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Follow our Adventures!
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Our Gorgeous Hotel, The Hotel National.
Walking around Moscow, our first night.
Our awesome July 4th celebration!
Seeing a Russia Bear.
The Kremlin Gardens
Guard Towers of the Kremlin, Black and White.
The Guard Towers and Cathedrals of the Kremlin.
Repairs to the Towers.
The Moscow Metro, Part I.
Tretyakov State Gallery,
Sculpture, Russia.
Lost in Thought, Tretyakov Gallery.
Dressing Like a Local. Street Scene, Moscow, Russia. Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow, Russia.
Eating like the Locals, or Fast Food in Russia!
Teramok is Russia’s answer to McDonald’s and our greatest sadness from our trip to Russia will be that we didn’t discover it the first day we landed. :) Teramok specializes in Russian blinis or crepes stuffed with savory fillings like caviar, ham, spinach, cheese and mushrooms, or sweet fillings like caramel apples, chocolate, banana, jams, and honey. If you can imagine the most delicious flavor you love, stuffed inside a soft, pillowy crepe, you have Teramok.
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This isn’t health food but the lines were out the door for this place whenever we spotted a Teramok stand or store. I knew I had to eat where the locals went and we weren’t disappointed. We got a mushrooms and cheese blini, a chocolate and banana blini, and a mixed berries blini.
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We also enjoyed a fresh salad on the side with a dollop of yummy yogurt - you know, for a touch of green! :)
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The chocolate-banana crepe was really decadent and with a whole banana, a bit obscene looking. Seriously, it was hilarious to see an entire banana buried in there. :)
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We were tired and exhausted from walking around all day in 90 degree weather and this totally hit the spot. We met two very friendly British girls and they convinced us to give the salted caramel apples blini a try:
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This is what heaven tastes like, and it was the best of the sweet crepes.
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This is how crazy I look when I’m hungry and I feel like my blinis are under attack. I’m also trying to prevent a nip slip because this dress has always been too loose for me. And yes, my arms are indeed that tiny and my bony shoulders are that wide - I get it from my grandma!
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John won this round as you can tell. :) If you are ever visiting Russia, Teramok is a fun stop for a Russian favorite and to people watch! I can’t wait to find Russian blinis in Chicago!
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour
{Fun Fact: The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is the world’s tallest Orthodox church. Moscow, Russia}
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Follow our Adventures!
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Our Gorgeous Hotel, The Hotel National. Walking around Moscow, our first night. Our awesome July 4th celebration! Seeing a Russia Bear. The Kremlin Gardens Guard Towers of the Kremlin, Black and White. The Guard Towers and Cathedrals of the Kremlin. Repairs to the Towers. The Moscow Metro, Part I. Tretyakov State Gallery, Sculpture, Russia. Dressing Like a Local. Street Scene, Moscow, Russia.
