thru Texas we go to New Mexico

With 900 miles across, things really are bigger in Texas! Although we heard the countryside was flat and boring, we found the state to be quite the opposite - with rolling hills, mountains, and beautiful terrain. We did have to sweat out a few intense thunderstorms. While driving into the black clouds with terrential rainfall, we felt like storm chasers. Fortunately, Johnny slept through them while John was gripping the wheel white-knuckled and wishing the windshield wipers had an extra speed.

The Alamo

The Big Easy

After staying in Ocean City, Mississippi (a town that was heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina), we made our way to New Orleans. Since we've never been to there, we couldn't tell if it had changed since the hurricane struck. The architecture and the streets really made you feel like you were in an European city.



Apparently what didn't change, though, were the multitude of strip and gentlemen's clubs throughout the French Quarter. Scantily-clad ladies were strategically placed in front of the clubs to invite patrons to the "show". Also, the entrances were covered with pictures of what goes on inside...leaving little to the imagination. Here is Johnny covering his eyes near one of these clubs.







...a stroll down Bourbon street.

In one of the souvenir shops, the owner gave Johnny a spider man/duck mardi gras necklace. In this case, skin didn't win!

We asked around for a restaurant and the people recommended Oceana. How could we leave New Orleans without having Jambalaya and Gumbo? Johnny of course opted for the food made famous by the town's French founders.....the French fries. Maybe one of the days he'll appreciate better food!

Disney World

Before leaving Florida, how could we not make a pit-stop at Disney World?? Here is Johnny with the stars of the show. You probably can't see it, but Johnny has his Indiana Jones figure in his hand.

"Where is my super suit!" Frozone from The Incredibles wasn't exactly the most popular character to pose with there - actually, no one was in line to meet him. So, Johnny showed up for a sympathy pose.

We caught up with Mickey Mouse at Universal Studios. Sure, it's really a guy making $4.25 an hour under that suit, but to Johnny it was the equivalent to the second coming.

Johnny with Mr. and Mrs. Incredible - one of his favorite movies.

Our package also included Disney Quest. John and Johnny played video games until they kicked us out. This was the true Disneyland to John, since they had all of the classic video games from the 80's - Battle Zone, Jungle Hunt, Donkey Kong, Zaxxon, and about 100 others.

You can't tell from this picture, but it felt like it was 150 degrees this afternoon.

Miami Beach-June 21, 2008

Miami =Caliente!

Tampa Sea Aquarium

We were able to visit Tampa and met up with our friend Bobby. We went from Naples to Tampa, it is about a two and a half hour drive. If you haven't driven to Tampa one of the ways to get there is via the Sunshine bridge. And you do feel like you are going to reach the sun, the bridge is obnoxiously tall.

Johnny had a great time seeing all the sea life. It is not as big as the Shedd Aquarium and doesn't have as many exhibits but it had a lot of unique sea life. Johnny got to pet the sea rays.

We also got to go to a Rays game in their stadium dome. Johnny saw most of the game, mid way through the game he fell asleep and woke up in the ninth inning. The stadium is really nice because it is air conditioned, that Florida sun is hot.

Florida

Since our Peru trip we have been in Florida enjoying the great weather.
Unfortunately, our time here is ending and we are heading out west. We have been seeing the sites in Florida. And there are a lot of things to see in Florida. Our first trip was to the Naples zoo.
This is a great zoo, there are many animal exhibitions. We were able to see "feed the lions" and "feed the alligators". You can also go on a boat and see all the primates they have up close. They have eight different little islands with different types of species.

The lion was hungry and had a tendency to spray the audience. We kept our distance. There were a few people that got hit with the spray.

The alligators were huge. There were about twenty alligators and the biggest one was fifteen feet. We had a great time at this zoo and if you are in Naples you should check it out.

El Hipodromo- Horse track

We couldn't leave Peru without going to the horse track. The horse track is beautifully located in the town of Monterico.

You can sit in the stands or go to the lower section and see the horses up close. There is also a restaurant that is not expensive and the food is good.

John and mama Julia (or Mama Who-Who to Johnny) always seem to have the best luck. Mama Julia won money on the first few horses. John bet 20 soles on the last horse to win. The odds were pretty low. This was the horse's first race, "extreno". Number 8, and wouldn't you know it, number 8 came in first. Making John's bet of $8 worth $120.

We headed back home to finish packing. Unfortunately, I got ill and we couldn't fly out the next day. We left the following Wednesday. We had a great time in Peru. It was fun hanging out with the family and seeing the relatives.

Our visit to Lima, Peru

One sunny afternoon we decided to visit Lima. The center of city is home to the capital building and its many government buildings. Make sure when you enter the city to observe the buildings with beautiful Spanish balconies. Many were torn down over the years, and recently the government realized this action was destroying a significant portion of Peru's history and beauty. Therefore, they recently began restoration projects to bring the architecture back to its original incarnation.

Safety precautions are a necessity before you visit the city. Do not wear fancy jewelery even if it is fake. Thieves have been known to rip earrings and necklaces off unsuspecting women. One Peruvian woman, after noticing John and his western look, told us we should get off the street by sundown. We listened! If possible, place your wallet in your front pocket or a kangaroo pouch. Just take the basics: one form of i.d., one credit card (no Discover), and cash. Before you set off, exchange your dollar for some Peruvian soles.

Downtown Lima sells anything and everything you can think of. We bought extra pairs of eyeglasses for $20 with and without tint. We picked up painting supplies for John and Johnny for less than $5 (this included paint brushes, acrylic paints, and canvasas).

You can also find many restaurants with lunch specials. We ate at a restaurant that offered lunch for $3.00. We had an appetizer (Papa la huacaina, causa, soup or ceviche), an entree (arroz con pollo, pesto noodles with roasted chicken, Lomito or carne asada), and dessert (jello). The special also included salad, bread, and a tall glass of Chicha (Incan beverage made with fermented corn).