Spring has Sprung

[Tosh]

but then they might say they invented the language so I guess we can't argue.

We didn't really. If you listen to old English or Middle English (there's stuff on youtube); it really is a different language. Everyone who invaded us, like the Angles, the Saxons, the Vikings, the Romans, and the Normans (French) all imported a bunch of words with them. Bill Bryson (a 'Merican) wrote a great book on the subject called Mother Tongue; it's very entertaining.

[Tosh]

Cologne is beautiful! The most colorful and open minded city in Germany actually! But not LITTLE!

Koln; ahem. I was kicked out of a pub in Koln for behaving badly when I was returning to Bielfeld after waking up in Belgium and continuing on to go AWOL to France (Lille) to join the French Foreign Legion. I got 28 days jail for that. I swear that is true.

[Lali]

Noels, I believe it was you that said you would like to go to Peru. I went to Lima, Peru, with a friend who had been born there and her family. The city was very loud because of the traffic and there was a lot of pollution. The architecture there, however, was beautiful. Shopping was fun; you could negotiate the price most places. I was only one of two blondes that I saw the entire week I was there so I turned a lot of heads. What an ego booster! Ha ha. Surprisingly (to me) the food there was mostly bland. I remember that rather than raising cars up to work on them, mechanics would actually work in a hole with the cars at ground level. There were a lot of people begging for money, mostly children. We saw the ruins which was interesting. I had a bad stomach attack when I was there so I found that the pharmacy had ALL drugs available without a prescription. Water was being rationed at that time so my friend didn't wash her hair all week. When she got home the shower was filled with black water. One of the few Spanish words I knew was the greeting, "Hola". So everytime we would visit their relatives I would say hola when we arrived, listen patiently during the entire visit, then say hola when we left. My friend and her family thought that was hysterical! Cab drivers would up the price if they knew a person was a tourist so her family would line up in front of me while waiting for a cab and I would bend down behind them pretending to tie my shoe. But the funniest thing to me was when we got 8 people, including the driver, in a Volkswagen bug!! All in all, it was a fun trip!

[Feeya]

Cologne is beautiful! The most colorful and open minded city in Germany actually! But not LITTLE!

Koln; ahem. I was kicked out of a pub in Koln for behaving badly when I was returning to Bielfeld after waking up in Belgium and continuing on to go AWOL to France (Lille) to join the French Foreign Legion. I got 28 days jail for that. I swear that is true.

Holy sh*t

[Feeya]

I go to cologne for pride each year... So my memories of the city are quite colorful and bright!

[positrac]

Seriously? You are the only person I've ever met who visited the island. I knew many of the island folk as they worked on Diego Garcia (BIOT). Yes I miss the sun because it was so strong just 3 degrees off the equator. I lived on BIOT for 27 months and it was a really nice place that had not been totally trashed by man and his greed.
Oh Mauritius is beautiful and the locals absolutely wonderful. The only thing I didn't like was there were so many skinny dogs roaming the streets and there was a particular small island (you probably know this) they actually called it "Dog Island" was so many strays and unwanted dogs. We would take a trip down each time to feed the dogs (probably not all of them as there were so many) and was very happy to hear that there was apparently a local man who specifically went to the island every day to put food for the dogs. The last time we were there, however, we were told he passed away so I don't even want to think about the doggies on that particular island. I have never seen ocean like in Mauritius. The colour of the water is spectacular. Its not blue and not green. And some areas is a very light shade of green, then some almost emerald, another part a deep blue ..... There's different colours. Oh no, those who haven't been to Mauritius must definitely go.! Its a holiday they'll never forget. (that's why we went back so many times ) Very wise suggestion to those who still drink - Stay away from the rum offered on the boats and catamaran. That stuff turn blood into pure liquor. One glass and its man down. Alcoholic or normal drinker. Not a good idea.

I was sober while I was out in the Indian Ocean and so the island I lived on was all about getting tight and so I have to wonder how I never fell into the drink while I lived on the island. I spent 9 months of the year in the water snorkeling (june-sept) was the winter months and so the water was really churned up even though it was green and pretty the waves did a number on visibility. I rode my bike most everyday except during the season changes and rainy season. Season changes brought deluge rains as did the rainy season. I rode over 5,000 miles on my push bike and so I kept active and away from the booze hounds. Funny thing is my adventures were over twenty two years ago.....

[Noels]

I go to cologne for pride each year

I have no idea what that is

I believe it was you that said you would like to go to Peru

yes it was me but I wanted to go for the spiritual side of it. If its noisy and smoky and not so good food .... Years ago I read an article on a place called Mongolia. It sounded at that time that THAT would still be quite a down to earth experience. Is anyone on the site from Mongolia or familiar with it at all?

Season changes brought deluge rains as did the rainy season

this we also experienced on one of our trips. Golly .... it rained for about 8 days - not stop and when you go with the specific idea to lie in the sun and play on the beach ..... by the 5th day I could take it no more. Yes my positive attitude also have its limits so my sister in law and i was lying ON the beach IN the rain drinking all different kinds of stuff. We were adamant to get our beach time Thank goodness it started clearing occasionally the next day and by day 8 or 9 the rain stopped.

[Feeya]

I go to cologne for pride each year

I have no idea what that is

Let me tell you, dear Noels : Pride is the time of the year where all the gay and lesbian and bisexual and transgender and queer people leave their rooms to come together and celebrate love! And to remind straight folks of our rights (and the fact that we exist)
It is beautiful, especially if you enjoy the colors of the rainbow (and especially when you live in a country where your existence is not illegal)
Cologne has the biggest pride parade in Germany

[Noels]

Thanks Feeya good for Cologne for standing up and hosting a Pride event and good for you for attending (thumbs up). You never ever need to hide who you are and those who don't understand or at least accept you as you are is not worth having in your life. I have a few male and lady friends who are gay and they are the most beautiful, loyal people I have ever met. In fact they are (apart from 1 other friend and my family) the only people who is still with me through drinking and still now that I'm sober. We all have different DNA and out of 7.2 billion people not 1 person's fingerprint is exactly the same. If we were all supposed to be exactly the same our DNA and fingerprints would not have been unique. You go girl! And my spirit will be walking next to you on Pride day