Short update

I have been at home for a few days.

K had her 11th birthdayparty on Monday. I got her a Wii this year after having read Simone’s recommendations. I have been testing it out playing Zelda the last mornings while K has been off to school.

Today I have been on the net all morning. Talking to friends, reading up on blogs and reading other newschannels.

I wish I could find a new favourite newspage. I have a whole bunch of them in my favourites, but I am getting tired of their never changing layouts. Give me something new! With real news! Not Anna Nicole and who slept with Paris last Tuesday!

Oh, and the weather is good! Snow all gone! Hurray!

Pre-Flight Check List

Shakira in Oslo

We went to see Shakira in concert two weeks ago.

Wow - she was like a rubber fireball all over the place!

If you have the chance I recommend going to one of her concerts.
Try to get close to the stage as her hips and moves are best viewed close up! :-)


Taken with my cell - just enjoy the colors!

Music Video Codes By Music Jesus.com
Shakira - La Tortura Video


The same video with English subtitles - for Spanish impaired.

Ponderosa

Ponderosa - where we had most of our breakfasts while in Orlando.




Cici's - just to compare with Norwegian prices. (Try multiplying by five and you get closer to what we would pay in Norway)

Our hotel in Orlando: Radisson Resort Orlando-Celebration.



K in one of the pools at the hotel.

RV

This is the first time I've seen a RV towing a car.

Magic Kingdom

Angel I miss you

K and I

Re-Entry Tickets

Ghost

Liberty Belle

Magic Kingdom at sunset

Animal Kingdom

Monday: Animal Kingdom day

This female gorilla had got hold of a blanket. She dragged it along with her. Then she took it and lay it down on the ground before she sat herself on it. So human.

Churros

Below are some pictures from the "Kilimanjaro Safari". You drive around in busses on a "safari". It could have been a nice experience had it not been for the constantly talking driver, and the speed of the ride. It was like beating the clock - no time to watch the animals. Then the "Pangani Trail" is more agreeable - you can walk it at your own pace.

Lioness



Crocodile (or alligator - read all about the difference here)



Zebra

Three of life



"Carvings" in the Three of life.



K and a monkey carving

MGM Studios

Sunday was MGM Studios day.




Tower of Terror



K films the Indiana Jones show



K was asked to do som work in the park. Here she is holding
the line at the end of the parade.

Walt Disney World

On Saturday the weather was cloudy with light rain and we decided to go to Walt Disney World.


Our pick of the day was the Epcot Center.


The most fascinating is how they have camouflaged the logo so that you can see it from both sides without noticing the back of the other.


We got there early and got to do all the rides without having to wait in line at all. Perfect!

Funnel cake

At 11 am we were pretty much done with the rides and we ventured into the World Showcase. A very good friend of mine, as well as K’s uncle, have worked at the Norwegian pavilion so we did of course use some time there.











The best thing about Epcot was “The living seas”. Huge aquariums and fascinating fish and animals.

Nemoes



How to get Mickey Mouse ears on vegetables.

Roger



K

Everglades

We arrived at the park before they opened at 8 am.






We had a look at their visitor center and headquarters before we continued to the Royal Palm Visitor Center.

Just after entering the park I got this feeling of freedom. We were the only ones there and everything was quiet, except for the wind and the sound of birds.




Arriving at Royal Palm we walked the Anhinga Trail were we were told that the most wildlife would be.

During the winter season the swamps dry up a bit and the wildlife gathers at large water pounds. I was told that during the rainy season (summer) it would be much harder to see the animals as they spread over a much larger area.

I was really amazed over the number of animals we were able to see. They were everywhere!

Just look at the photo below. How many animals/bird/reptiles are you able to see in just this one photo?

K. We did a lot of filming. Hopefully I shall get the time to post some of them on Youtube.

Sleeping (?) alligator

Have you ever looked at an alligator’s legs and claws? They look just like dragons. Or I guess I should say it exactly the opposite way: Dragons, in drawing and films, have legs like alligators.


Alligator claws


We also walked the Gumbo Limbo trail in the jungle but we were only able to spot a few birds and insects there.

On our way from the Everglades we stopped in Miami for a few hours and walked along Miami Beach. The water was a bit cold so we did not go swimming.


K at Miami Beach.

We then drove on through Ft. Lauderdale and onto the Florida Turnpike towards Orlando where we had booked a hotel for the night.

Florida Vacation

At last I have time to post some of the photos from our vacation in Florida. It turned out to be a long travel to get there. We first tried to leave on Sunday a fortnight ago. Unfortunately our plane got overbooked and since we travel on standby tickets we had to postpone until the next day.

Then on Monday after having told the security personnel at the check in counter most of our life’s history, what was in our bags and how we had packed it we were informed that our flight was delayed 4 hours. The day before we got to know another pair that got stranded from the same flight. It was a Swedish American girl at Ks age and her father – an American.
We kept together on the wait and the flight over to Newark. Good company for the both of us.

Arriving in Newark, and using approximately 30 minutes in the immigration which took our photo and fingerprints, we checked in on a flight to Orlando, Florida. Then that flight got delayed too. We did not arrive in Florida until 1 am which is at 7 am European time. After using another two hours to get our bags and finding a hotel we were pretty tired.


The next morning we got up relatively early and decided to try a flight down to Key West.
Most things went smoothly except for security at the airport where they got to see my pilot ID. I was immediately taken over to the high security zone and sniffed for explosives. I now know that none of my travel property has been near any explosive materials.

We arrived at Key West at 11 am.



Just before landing at Key West.




K at the airport.




I at the airport.