Teddy Bears Around the World

Hello,  I just got back from a terrific cruise with Krysta on her birthday.  We went to Key West, Florida and Nassau in the Bahamas.  I found out many interesting things on my trip and had a really great time.

We started our trip aboard the Carnival Fascination in Jacksonville, FL.  The ship is 70,367 tons and can hold up to 2052 passengers.

Krysta and I learned all about ship safety and what to do in case of emergency. 

Our first stop was in Key West, FL.  Key West is the southernmost point of Florida.  Krysta took me to the Butterfly and Nature conservatory where we saw all kinds of butterflies.  We saw Longwings and Blue Morphos from Costa Rica, Rice Papers and Tailed Jays from Malaysia, and even the Julia from Florida. 

Next, we headed East to Nassau, Bahamas. 

While we were there, we visited Fort Charlotte.  I found out that this fort has a well that is 60 feet deep and was once believed to be more than 100 feet deep. 

The soldiers here had to dispose of large amounts of gunpowder for their cannons because it was ruined by the moist air. 

I really enjoyed my trip and can’t wait for my next adventure!

Miriam and Jose at Byblos Lebanon

Miriam and Jose at Byblos , the city is at least 7000 years old  and it is the oldest continuously inhabited city.  Around 1200 BC the scribes of Byblos developed an Alphabet phonetic script, the precursor ot our modern alphabet.

Cathey  , Miriam and Jose at our home in Lebanon , with the beautiful sunset on the mediterranean in the background

Jose at Our Lady Of Lebanon ( Mary the mother of Jesus), that looks over  the Mediterranian and Protects Lebanon.

Miriam and Jose at our home town Hammana Lebanon . with the Shagour Mountains in the background altitude about 3000 feet. The shagour mountains are the source of drinking water for the town of Hammana and surrounding villages.

Here I am in Machu Picchu. They also call it City in the Clouds. Can you tell why?

I met so many beautiful llamas. They were very soft

My new friend live on the floating islands of the Urus on the Lake Titicaca

Don’t yoou love all the beautiful colors on the market.

Hi Oscar, 

Hope you are ready for the race for life…get your running shoes on.

Claire

Sam Bear was going on a very special holiday. He was going on holiday with Hannah and her family. Their holiday was sponsored by ‘Make a Wish’, a foundation that provides holidays for sick children and their families.

Sam and the family flew to Christchurch which is in the South Island of New Zealand. Then they drove around the beautiful South Island in a camper van. Here they are inside the camper van, Sam is meeting a new friend, one of Hannah’s teddies. Hannah has her colourful jersey on as it is getting cold in New Zealand now.

It was autumn and all the trees were beautiful colours.

On the west Coast Sam went on a helicopter ride to visit the Tasman Glacier. It was very scary, but the glacier was very beautiful.

In Kaikoura on the east coast, Sam went Whale watching with Hannah’s Dad and her big brother Campbell. The boat was very fast. He wasn’t keen to swim with the dolphins though as he doesn’t like getting his fur wet.

You can see Sam enjoyed whale spotting, but he decided to stay safely on the boat as they were very, very big.

Unfortuately this was to be Sam’s last holiday with Hannah as his special friend Hannah died on May 12, just a week short of her sixth birthday.

Sam and all Hannah’s classmates and friends at Elm Park School will miss her.

Sam Bear went in the car to Lake Taupo with Caleb.

He went fishing in the lake.

He caught five huge trout.

He ate the trout for dinner.

Then he went to Rotorua.

Rotorua was smelly.

He saw lots of boiling, bubbling mud pools and lots of steam.

He also went Ten Pin Bowling.

It was great fun, but he thought the bowling balls were so huge!!