A Day of History - Washington D.C.

I am embarrassed to admit in all of the 20+ years that I've lived in DMV (District Maryland Virginia), and in all the time I've spent in D.C, I have never been to the top of the Washington Monument.

And, get this, its free!

Yea, how awesome is that! Actually, there are insane amounts of cool things to do and see in D.C that are completely free.

So after the earthquake damage was repaired and the Monument, which I used to refer to as "the pencil" when I was younger, reopened back in May, I knew that, once I came home from Paraguay, I had to finally make the trek to the top.

Fun fact of the day - the Washington Monument is the tallest building in D.C. due to the Height of Buildings Act of 1910 which made it impossible for other buildings to be taller.

Our next stop was the Lincoln Memorial, one of my favorite memorials in D.C. You get a great view of the Washington Monument but, Lincoln himself is pretty awesome. Every time I go there he is much bigger and grander than I remember.

Our final stop of the day was the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. I have been there several times, but its always fun to go to a place you have been before and see it through someone else's eyes, and Jose was like a kid in a candy shop, amazed by everything he saw.

It was a long, long day, and by the end of it, I was dead and so were my feet.

Have you eve been to Washington D.C.? Is there a place close to where you live and have always wanted to visit, but never got the chance?

Historic Downtown Annapolis

Growing up in a suburb of Annapolis, the capital of Maryland, I have been to the downtown historic district more times than I can even remember; field trips in elementary school, birthday dinners with family, New Years and 4th of July celebrations and bar hopping with friends after I turned 21. 

After our cruise on the Harbour Queen, we had an action packed warm autumn afternoon, wandering around, sightseeing.

There is something for everyone. Join in on the waterfront activities around the city dock, go shopping on main street, try the infamous Maryland blue crab at one of the numerous seafood restaurants or if your a history buff this is the place for you.

         You can't visit Annapolis without eating something with crab meat in it, the unofficial dish of Maryland. 

The Maryland State House in Annapolis is the oldest state capital building in continuous use. It dates all the way back to 1772. 

  We ended the night at one of my favorite Annapolis restaurants, Pusser's. If you're lucky you can get a table right on the dock. 

Have you ever been to Annapolis?

Jack the Ripper Walking Tour : London, England

When you hear the name Jack the Ripper what comes to mind? Victorian London, dark, foggy, rainy nights and a serial killer, that was never identified, that still captivates the mind of numerous people over 150 years later?

When I visited London in college, I had to chance to go on a Jack the Ripper walking tour one night. The tour I took boasts to be the original Jack the Ripper tour. It was a gloomy and rainy night that set the perfect scene to travel back in time and visit the most infamous sights of the 12-week reign of terror that Jack the Ripper held over East London. 

The Whitechapel area of East London where most of the murders took place was a seriously impoverished district in the late 1800's and all of the Ripper's victims were prostitutes who lived and worked in the slums. The media treatment of the Ripper case is largely seen as one of the reasons it is so infamous. Considerable newspaper coverage at the time provided widespread and continuing international fame for the Ripper. Another reason this case likely remains so popular is the fact that no one was ever identified as the culprit. The unknown possibilities still captivate peoples minds with new suspects coming to light even today. 

The Jack the Ripper tour starts right in the heart of  it all and follows a chronological route that introduces you to several historical Jack the Ripper sites and offers you a genuine feel of the atmosphere of London in 1888. 

The tour is only 9£ which is roughly $15. The whole tour will take you about 2 hours in total where you will be accompanied by your guide who, in my experience, will be incredibly knowledgeable on the subject and can answer any questions you may have. 

So, if you are interested in Jack the Ripper history, Victorian era London history, or are in the mood for something eerie and spooky then I highly recommend this tour.

Have you taken any interesting or unique tours over the years? Tell me about them.

Paraguayan Legends and Myths

When I was a child I could not sleep with my foot or hand hanging off the side of the bed, I couldn't sleep with my closet door open and I couldn't, I’m embarrassed to admit, sleep without a night light. Why you ask? All for one reason, the boogey man!

The boogey man is an example of a myth. A myth is typically a traditional story that deals with supernatural beings, heroes or ancestors that is used to explain how natural wonders or social customs came to be, or to teach a lesson. In most cases the boogey man is used as a tool to keep kids in line, if you don’t follow the rules to boogeyman will get you.

Paraguay has so many cultural myths and legends it would take 10 blog posts to tell you about them all so I’ll just tell you about my favorites.

Many of the myths stem from the marriage of Kerana and Tau. Tau was the personification of the evil spirit and he captured Kerana and together they had seven cursed children, all but one were born monsters. These seven children account for a majority of Guarani myths.

Teju Jagua – He is a large lizard with seven heads of a dog. He only feeds on fruit and honey (given to him by his brother Jasy Jarete) and is the protector of caves. He is considered harmless, but many children fear him because of his monstrous appearance.

Mbói Tu’ĩ – He is an enormous snake with the head of a parrot. He has a terrifying gaze that scares anyone that has the misfortune to come upon him. He lets out a loud squawk that can be heard for miles and instills terror into those who hear it.

Moñái – He is a large serpent with two horns on his head. He is the protector of thieves and robbers because he himself is responsible for the mysterious disappearances of people’s belongings.

Jasy Jatere- The only son not to be born a monster. Jasy Jatere appears as a small man or child with long golden hair and light eyes. He is considered the lord of the siesta, he wanders the town at siesta time looking for children who are out playing instead of napping. He is generally considered to be invisible except to the children who are not taking their siesta, he then lures them into the forest. Parents use Jasy Jatere as a way to get children to take their nap.

Kurupi – He is considered the lord of fertility and when you see a picture of him you see why. He is a short, ugly, hairy man who has a large penis that wraps around his body (like a belt) several times. Kurupi is often blamed for unwanted and unexpected pregnancies. He is also used to warn women to not leave the house unaccompanied.

Ao Ao – He is often portrayed as a ravenous sheep-like creature with massive fangs. He is considered to be a cannibal that will chase his victims through the woods and the only way to escape him is to climb a palm tree.

Luisón—He is called the lord of night and death. He appears vaguely human, but is horrendously ugly and smells of death. He is similar to the legend of the werewolf.

Another Paraguayan myth, and arguably the most popular or well known (there is even a popular song about him) is the Pombero. The Pombero also known as Karai Pyhare which means the man of the night in Guarani, is considered to be an ugly, short man with long hair. He is generally described as a mischief maker whose favorite activities are setting cattle loose, stealing chicken eggs or scaring horses. He is usually blamed for bad things that happen in the night. He is said to whistle before he appears but, he can be swayed from wreaking havoc if you leave him gifts of caña (sugar cane whiskey), tobacco or honey. (I have witnessed people doing this)

                                                                                                                 *Thanks Bree

What are some of your favorite myths and legends? Have you learned about any legends from other cultures or countries?

Republica o Muerte!

That is the first line of the chorus in the National Anthem of Paraguay, in honor of today and yesterday ... the celebration of 201 years of Independence from its colonial rulers.

Let me give you a little background:

Paraguay was ruled by Spain, but in the early 1800's Spain had a lot of other stuff on its plate and pretty much neglected Paraguay. Over in Argentina the Viceroy of Spain had been overthrown and the "Administration" in Buenos Aires vowed to rule in the name of the Spanish king, and tried to assert their power over Paraguay. Lets just say this did not go over well in Paraguay which eventually led to a blood-less revolution on the 14th and 15th of May, 1811.

To celebrate Independence Day, I went with my family into Coronel Oviedo, the closet city to my site. There was going to be a parade with all the schools from around Oviedo and both of my host brothers were participating. 

My little brother's class were assigned to dress like "professionals" - he's the one with the puppy because he is a vet.

Paraguayan Flag

Parade

Traditional Women's Dress

Traditional Men's Dress (my host brother is the one looking at the camera)