Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Gethsemane
Gethsemane by Andrew Robert Allen
In 2015, I visited Israel and while on the trip, I had the opportunity to visit the Garden of Gethsemane. The group that I was with had a meaningful time of prayer and a session of worship that I got to lead. It was a beyond bucket list moment. To actually be in the place where Jesus prayed the night before he was crucified was deeply moving.
I wrote this classical guitar instrumental music a number of years ago and in the video, it is set to the text of the Garden of Gethsemane passage in Mark 14:32-41 where Jesus prays before undergoing the trials and crucifixion. Luke 22:44 documents when Jesus sweat drops of blood. As you listen to the song, meditate on the verses and what Jesus experienced in those moments.
The background photo from the video was taken in the Garden of Gethsemane at the bottom of the Mount of Olives.
In pursuit of His best,
Andrew
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
One Reason Southwest Airlines is Awesome
I regularly fly Southwest Airlines when it is an option. They usually have either the lowest fare or a very competitive one. In my experience they have better on time departure and arrival than other airlines. Some people prefer assigned seating but that really doesn't bother me. Their whole organization makes things fun and this can definitely be seen with their flight attendants. Check out this creative safety announcement. If only they had flights from Kansas City to Atlanta, I'd be sure to put them at the top of the list.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Cayman Islands
Last week, I went to the Cayman Islands for both work and play. While there I ran or walked on the beach at least once every day. The hotel was right next to 7 Mile Beach which is supposed to be one of the best beaches in the world. I had hoped to go to Stingray City to swim with stingrays but they did not go out on a trip due to weather that day.
Instead, I got to swim with some dophins which was a very cool experience. One of them pulled me while I held on to her dorsal fins then also pushed me from behind while I held on to a kick board. They are very powerful and I would estimate we went around 15 mph through the water.
I also went to a turtle farm where they raise turtles both for food as well as to release back into the wild. Since the 1980s they said they had released around 31,000 turtles into the wild. They also had some Riddley Kemp turtles which are one of the most endangered types in the world. When you pick the sea turtles up, they flap around trying to get away but if you rub under their neck they calm down. They had turtles all the way from about 5 months old to around 15 years old in tanks varying by age.
Also at the turtle farm, there was another section which had a tropical bird aviary as well as some iguanas both on display and roaming the park. They had a blue iguana which is indigenous to the island and is also endangered.
A unique spot I visited is called Hell. It is a limestone formation out in a field with scant vegetation, thus the name. They have a gift shop there and a guy running around in a devil costume saying "welcome to Hell." It's pretty funny. Interestingly, the Cayman Islands has a great deal of Christian influence and there was a church right down the street from it. I was reminded of the great C.T. Studd quote. "Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell." See below for a great juxtaposition picture of this.
The Cayman Islands are a British Territory but they govern themselves so I got a new passport stamp. They use their own currency which is tied to the US Dollar and equates to 1.25 US dollars per Caymanian dollar. There are actually more companies based in the Cayman Islands than there are residents with around 48,000 residents to 55,000 companies. This is based on the favorable tax treatment since they do not have any income tax. The main way that the government makes money is through tourism and fees charged for a company to set up business there. Each day there were tons of tourists who would come to shore from the cruise ships.
Being a British Territory, they also drive on the left side of the road so that was a bit of an adjustment for me. After about a day, I mostly had the hang of it. However, when I got back to my car at the airport, I had to mentally switch gears to reorient myself to the right side of the road.
If you got outside George Town, the main shopping district, the island has more of a small town feel to it. Going here during hurricane season is not recommended due to the Cayman Islands having more hurricane strikes than anywhere else in the world.
When it's not hurricane season, the weather is great. When I left Kansas City it was 24 degrees and upon arrival in the Caymans it was around 80 so that was a welcome change.
7 Mile Beach
Sunset
Table at restaurant where we ate right at the water's edge. Very nice restaurant
Iguana
Swimming with a dolphin
I decided not to swim with this fella
Blue igauna
Parrot
Iguana
Caiman (similar to an alligator but smaller)
Holding a baby sea turtle
Chickens, they roam the island and show up in random places
Waves that were crashing against the rocks
Palm tree
Hell, Grand Cayman Island
This seems like the perfect quote for this picture. "Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell." -- C.T. Studd
More chickens/rooster
Instead, I got to swim with some dophins which was a very cool experience. One of them pulled me while I held on to her dorsal fins then also pushed me from behind while I held on to a kick board. They are very powerful and I would estimate we went around 15 mph through the water.
I also went to a turtle farm where they raise turtles both for food as well as to release back into the wild. Since the 1980s they said they had released around 31,000 turtles into the wild. They also had some Riddley Kemp turtles which are one of the most endangered types in the world. When you pick the sea turtles up, they flap around trying to get away but if you rub under their neck they calm down. They had turtles all the way from about 5 months old to around 15 years old in tanks varying by age.
Also at the turtle farm, there was another section which had a tropical bird aviary as well as some iguanas both on display and roaming the park. They had a blue iguana which is indigenous to the island and is also endangered.
A unique spot I visited is called Hell. It is a limestone formation out in a field with scant vegetation, thus the name. They have a gift shop there and a guy running around in a devil costume saying "welcome to Hell." It's pretty funny. Interestingly, the Cayman Islands has a great deal of Christian influence and there was a church right down the street from it. I was reminded of the great C.T. Studd quote. "Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell." See below for a great juxtaposition picture of this.
The Cayman Islands are a British Territory but they govern themselves so I got a new passport stamp. They use their own currency which is tied to the US Dollar and equates to 1.25 US dollars per Caymanian dollar. There are actually more companies based in the Cayman Islands than there are residents with around 48,000 residents to 55,000 companies. This is based on the favorable tax treatment since they do not have any income tax. The main way that the government makes money is through tourism and fees charged for a company to set up business there. Each day there were tons of tourists who would come to shore from the cruise ships.
Being a British Territory, they also drive on the left side of the road so that was a bit of an adjustment for me. After about a day, I mostly had the hang of it. However, when I got back to my car at the airport, I had to mentally switch gears to reorient myself to the right side of the road.
If you got outside George Town, the main shopping district, the island has more of a small town feel to it. Going here during hurricane season is not recommended due to the Cayman Islands having more hurricane strikes than anywhere else in the world.
When it's not hurricane season, the weather is great. When I left Kansas City it was 24 degrees and upon arrival in the Caymans it was around 80 so that was a welcome change.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
La Jolla and Sunset Cliffs
On a recent trip to Southern California, I had the opportunity to check out some very nice scenery at La Jolla beach (pronounced la hoiya) and Sunset Cliffs in San Diego. Both were very beautiful and a part of the country I wouldn't mind spending a bit more time enjoying. While at La Jolla, I got to see some seals barking, playing in the water, and sunning themselves on the rocks. There were also a ton of Seagulls, Pelicans, and some black birds that made a sound like a straw going up and down in a cup. Since it was on Halloween, there was a random pumpkin on the lawn which a seagull was investigating and nibbling on. Not something you see every day.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Joshua Tree National Park
Last week I was in the Los Angeles area for work and while there I took a quick trip out to Joshua Tree National Park. Due to the sun going down earlier these days, it was almost dark when I arrived. Joshua Trees are very unique looking and a bit of a cross between a palm tree and cactus. They're suited for desert dwelling and the accompanying low quantity of rain.
I first became aware of the existence of Joshua Trees from the music album "The Joshua Tree" by the band U2.
On the way to Joshua Tree National Park, I saw a windmill farm with thousands of windmills. Due to the geography in that particular area, wind is funneled through the mountains and so the wind power is harnessed in using these windmills.
I first became aware of the existence of Joshua Trees from the music album "The Joshua Tree" by the band U2.
On the way to Joshua Tree National Park, I saw a windmill farm with thousands of windmills. Due to the geography in that particular area, wind is funneled through the mountains and so the wind power is harnessed in using these windmills.
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