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Thursday, June 30, 2005


Drifter's Memoirs - Amsterdam, Holland

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Can you believe I found myself in Amsterdam, Holland at the age of 20 years old in 1982? Who would have ever thought that the girl from Richmond, California would find herself in Holland?

This was a big time party place. At times, Holland was a little frightening. Thank goodness we always were in a group of six or more people whenever we traveled abroad.

We went to a place called the Flora Palace and danced like we had lost our minds. This is one place we had to be very careful. Drugs were legal and used in public places.

Can you imagine dancing in a night club and finding yourself around drugs? This wasn't cool. We ran out of a night club when we discovered that there were drugs around us. You won't believe what type of club we ended up in that evening.

For the first time in Europe, we heard Reggae music coming out of this spectacular night club. We walked in and discovered that it was a Rastafarian Night Club. Would you believe that this was the one club where we didn't see or smell drugs? The people were extremely friendly and gave us free drinks when they found out we were Americans. We danced to Reggae music until almost daylight. We had a ball.

The next day, we took the traditional trip on our tour bus to downtown Amsterdam. We saw the Red Light District and visited every shop we could find.

We stopped by one store and everything in it was red and black. Black pants, red pants, black tops, red tops, you get the message. The store next door only had black and white clothes. We so much fun and we all left looking like the bopsie twins. Madonna was really big during this time (1982) and everything we bought was made out of lace.

Holland was a beautiful place. The canals and tulips is what I enjoyed the most. For some reason, I can't remember all of the attractions I saw there. Too much time has passed and we were only there for a short period of time. The below pictures will give you an idea of the type of sights I saw while I was there. Just remember, we had a great time and the Dutch really knew how to party.



Illuminated Canal And Houses., Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands




Illuminated Canal And Houses., Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

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Canal At Night, Amsterdam, Holland




Canal At Night, Amsterdam, Holland

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Exterior Of Royal Palace,   Amsterdam, Netherlands




Exterior Of Royal Palace, Amsterdam, Netherlands

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Tulips, Amsterdam, Netherlands




Tulips, Amsterdam, Netherlands

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Isn't this a beautiful picture of Germany? I couldn't resist.
Neuschwanstein Castle
Neuschwanstein Castle
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Drifter's Memoirs

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Sunday, June 26, 2005


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Tuesday, June 21, 2005


Las Vegas Nevada - Sin City

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Can you believe that the military sent me to Las Vegas as my first duty station in the Air Force? The Air Force was definitely good to me.

At the ripe age of 18 years old, I was stationed in luminous Las Vegas. The city never slept. Where else could a person get Steak and Eggs for as little as 99 cents? We casino hopped every other weekend. I couldn't believe how such a place existed. I actually fell in love with the bright lights.

While stationed in Las Vegas, I began my singing hobby. Before I knew it, I was singing with bands. Talking about getting out of a comfort zone, I was terribly shy.

A lot has changed in Las Vegas since 1981. Every time I go to Las Vegas, I get lost. The streets have changed dramatically.

My life in Las Vegas was exciting. I felt like an adventurer and in constant flux. It's one thing to visit Las Vegas, it's another to actually live there. You see, I had an overload of the senses. We were constantly on the go.

Below is how Las Vegas would look on a typical evening.

Las Vegas




Las Vegas

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The only thing I regret is that I didn't go to the shows on the Strip. Many people know that Las Vegas is known for their shows. Lets face it, the King of Rock and Roll performed in Las Vegas regularly. Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Junior, Dean Martin, Wayne Newton, and many others performed at the casinos in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, Elvis had already passed away by the time I arrived in Las Vegas.

King of Rock and Roll - Elvis Presley

Elvis in Vegas




Elvis in Vegas

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As I mentioned before, Las Vegas has really changed. Below is a casino that really caught my mind's eye.

Luxor Casino

Luxor Casino, Las Vegas, NV




Luxor Casino, Las Vegas, NV

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The Luxor Casino is exquisite and the concept came from the Temple of Luxor in Egypt. Below are actual pictures of the Temple of Luxor in Egypt.

Luxor, Luxor Temple, Egypt




Luxor, Luxor Temple, Egypt

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Statue In Luxor Museum, Luxor, Egypt




Statue In Luxor Museum, Luxor, Egypt

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Luxor Temple, Egypt




Luxor Temple, Egypt

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Relief Carvings On  Luxor Temple., Luxor, Egypt




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Colossi To Thutmose II At Temple Of Luxor, Luxor, Egypt




Colossi To Thutmose II At Temple Of Luxor, Luxor, Egypt

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My desire to visit Santorini Greece matches with my fascination to see Egypt. One can only see why Las Vegas designed a casino from the Great Temple of Luxor.


Below are newer Las Vegas casinos. The one below looks like something out of a fairy tale.


Casino And Hotel Complex, Las Vegas, U.S.A.




Casino And Hotel Complex, Las Vegas, U.S.A.

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Here's a breath taking photo. Be sure to visit the Mirage Casino in Las Vegas.


Mirage Hotel waterfalls, Las Vegas, Nevada




Mirage Hotel waterfalls, Las Vegas, Nevada

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Check out our LA/Las Vegas Tours link on our blog. Take a trip to Las Vegas and see the awesome hotels and casinos. Some will take your breath away.


Our Travel Links:

Los Angeles and Las Vegas Tours

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Yours Truly,

Johnetta Matthews









Sunday, June 19, 2005


Have A Jammin Week!

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The Travel Banter Blog would like to wish all visitors a jammin week!

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Playtime
Playtime
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Please tell me it's not Monday already!

Portrait
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Friday, June 17, 2005


Alaska - Breath of Fresh Air

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Alaska is also one of my favorites. During the summer months, when it never got dark outside, we would party at a night club until 2 am and immediately change into our fishing clothes. We would combat fish for salmon until 6 am almost every weekend. You may be wondering what's combat fishing?

Combat fishing is when everyone on the bank stands 12" apart and consistently cast out for the salmon. Once a person catches a salmon and begins to walk upstream, everyone yells "Fish On". This is when everyone without a fish moves away from the edge of the bank to allow the person to reel in their fish. It's combat fishing because everyone is trying to catch a fish at the same time and are standing really close to one another.

Talking about being spooked out. A baby bear cub was found in our dumpster at my apartment building. Have you ever been in the near vicinity of a bear?? Bears have a very distinct smell. It's a very sour and disgusting smell. Just to think they are still capable of being able to smell someone else. :o)

Another time, a couple of friends and I were hiking in Alaska, and guess what? We smelled that sour smell and I swore that I would never go hiking again. I just didn't want to see us have a scene from one of the horror movies where the dummies go out in the woods asking for trouble. You know the types. The ones that think they can out run a bear. Anyway, here's a lovely picture of a momma and her baby cub. They're real cute on a poster, glad I didn't see them in person. I guess you figured we didn't fish that day.


Brown Bear Carrying Cub, Alaska




Brown Bear Carrying Cub, Alaska

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Below is a realistic picture of Alaska. I've heard all sorts of rumors about the Northern Lights. Yet, when you see them, they're breath taking.

Northern Lights




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Just remember, if you move to Alaska, it doesn't get dark in the summer. So, if you have plans of leaving your girlfriend's house at 4 am., someone will be certain to see you. Remember how the group TLC sang about Creepin? No one Creeps in Alaska. :o) And you're definitely going to smell a bear if it's nearby. :o)


In closing, here's a picture for your thoughts from Alaska.




Contemplation


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Contemplation
"If today was perfect there would be no need for tomorrow."




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Monday, June 06, 2005


Drifter's Fantasies - Star Wars

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Now I know I have to go see Star Wars. There's so much I used to love about Star Wars as a kid. Here are some posters in honor of our Star Wars Fans. There's a search box to find the ones you want. Have fun! See below.






Drifter's Memoirs
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Take a look below for posters for recent movies:



Posters will rotate. Come back and see a different poster everytime!