Finally Home!

After 54 days of packing, walking, taking pictures, and sweating, I can honestly say it's good to be back home. I landed in Kansas City on Wednesday around 6 and have already eaten bar-b-q 3 times. Nothing wrong with that.

Hopefully you all enjoyed looking at the blog and felt like you got a little taste of my trip. However, do realize that I took over 1000 pictures over the past 2 months. I am going to try and get everything organized before I start work on Sept. 5. I will send links to you all with pictures that you can view at your leisure. I will try to cut these photos down substantially. I am also thinking about starting up a blog that will cover the first few weeks of work that you all can enjoy looking at too! Wrong.

So as I was flying home from Madrid, I put together a few stats about the trip that I thought were fun to think about:

• Visited 7 countries
• 23 different cities and towns (10 Asian/13 European)
• Encountered 14 different languages
• Over 23,000 miles of flight time via 14 different flights
• 14 train rides
• An undisclosed, but substantial amount of money spent!!

Overall, this trip was one of the highlights of my life as I saw some amazing things and had the chance to meet some great people. A lot people have asked if I have changed much after the trip. While I don't think I have changed my thoughts or beliefs much, I definitely feel more in touch with the world community. For example, after being in Phuket and talking to a guy about how he avoided drowning in when the Tsunami hit 2 years ago, the event doesn't seem so far away. It's no longer a story that I read in the newspaper, but it's an event that affected a common guy that could've been me. More than anything, this trip has taught me to appreciate the US and all the opportunities were given. While the US does not have everything figured out like we often think, we are pretty lucky to be in a country where we have freedoms and opportunites that are simply not available to everyone around the globe. While it's important not to flaunt that, it's great to realize it.

For those of you that have stuck with me this long, thank you so much for the comments and notes and prayers that were sent my way while I was gone. It was great feeling that I had 40 people take this trip with me. While I was certainly excited to get back to American culture, I was most excited to get back and spend time with such a great group of friends and family. I am surely blessed to have you all.

-bw

Plaza De Toros

The bullfight is one of the most recognized and controversial symbols of Spanish culture. While matadors are worshipped by many for their courage and valor in a bullring, the bullfight is actually outlawed in parts of the country. While in Madrid, I had the chance to see 6 fights. Although their are a few different varieties of fights, the one I saw was between 1 matador, who is on a horse, along with 4 matadors on the ground that have the typicaly red capes vs. 1 bull. Overall, the fight is pretty unfair as all the matadors proceed to get the bull angry then stab the bull to death with a series of swords and dagger. While I have some other pictures of the actual fight, I figured this picture is a little less violent. Although it houses a pretty violent event, the plaza is beautiful.

Madrid

My last 3 days of the trip were spent in Spain's economic and political capital, Madrid. While Madrid is home to 2 of the most famous art museums (the Prado & Reina Sofia) in the world, I spent most of my time enjoying their amazing manicured parks. The picture is actually taken of the park behind the Prado. The parks are actually an ideal spot to do some great people watching, as this is a typical place where many workers will take their siestas. Typically a Spanish workday will begin at 9. They will then take their siesta from 1:30-4 pm. And they will then finish their workday at about 9 or 10 pm. This is actually typical for Italians as well, especially in the summertime. Obviously, their is a huge difference of attitude towards work in Europe vs. the US.

Having Some Fun Too

Although a lot of my time in Seville was siteseeing, I did take some time to have some fun. This is a group of Italian friends I met on the train to Sevilla. Meeting people randomly like this is definitley one of the highlights of travelling! Many of the people I met on the road were much like this group of Italians, enjoying the month long vacation that many Europeans take during August. Overall, Europeans have about 7 weeks of vacation per year. While this amount varies between countries, it is drastically different that anything we enjoy here in the states.

Sevilla

I had some trouble with my posting of my time in Sevilla, so this post is a little out of order from the rest. I actually went to Sevilla for 2 days after Barcelona and had a great time taking in the culture of this beautiful city.

Seville is the largest town in the Southern part of Spain. Much like Granada, it is influenced by a lot of Muslim influence. This picture is of one of the larger alcazars, or castles, in southern Spain. This one of the many palaces when Muslim leaders lived during their occupation of southern Spain in the middle ages.

The Malaga Feria

The Malaga Feria
Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

This is Brian having some fun with a few of our new Spanish friends we met at the Feria in Malaga. Picture combining a county fair with Mardi Gras. The party lasts pretty much all day and night..... if you want it to. It takes place in 2 locations: the downtown area during the day, which is filled with parades and revelry, then at night everyone goes to the fairgrounds, which is about 10 minutes from downtown. The fairground is filled with lights, tents, food stands, fair rides, and discos. I have never seen anything like it, and I'm not sure I have the energy too.

Alhambra

Alhambra
Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

After seeing Shinto Shrines in Japan, Buddhist Temples in Thailand, and Cathedrals in Rome, I have finally wondered upon one of the most impressive Muslim palaces ever built, the Alhambra. This was a palace used during the Morish occupation of Spain during the midddle ages and consists of a military base, palace, and royal gardens all on a small mountain overlooking the city of Granada. FYI...the water is green because they still use the ancient aqueducts used in the middle ages. Pretty impressive considering considering the source river is about a half mile from the palace.

Barcelona Relaxation

Barcelona Relaxation
Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

After my run through Paris, arriving to Barcelona and sitting on the beach for 3 days was awesome. Although its a major Spanish city, Barcelona´s beaches were quite clean and full of energy. Barcelona was also great because I was finally able to speak the same language as everyone. This made ordering food and finding the bathroom so much easier. Although it has been 8 years since I have spoken much Spanish, a lot it came back quickly and I was able to converse with most people.

Brian and I were also able to meet up with a classmate of ours, Danny Martinez, who met an espanola caliente while studying abroad and decided to move to Barcelona permanently. After meeting his new girlfriend and seeing the city, I think he made a good decision.

French Flurry

French Flurry
Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

So I was able to make it to Paris and I actually got to see everything I wanted to in 2 days. Although, I don´t recommend doing this as I was exhausted afterwards. Although I didn´t have much time, it was great to take in the Eiffel Tower, The Arc de Triumph, Notre Dame, The Louvre, and Notre Dame. This is definitley a city I will see again and will make sure to sit back and enjoy as everything in this city is beautiful.

Vogel and Me at the Spanish Steps

Vogel and Me at the Spanish Steps
Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

I got to spend the last couple days of my time in Rome with my good friend from undergrad, Emily Vogel. She happened to be in town for a conference and had a couple free days after it was finished. It was awesome sharing such a cool city with an old friend.

St. Peter's Basillica

St. Peter's Basillica
Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

I also spent a couple hours walking around the basillica and even attended a service. Since it was a Sunday when I visited, the church had about 12 masses throughout the course of the day.

St. Peter's Square

St. Peter's Square
Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

My 1st day in Rome was spent touring the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basillica and Square. Without a doubt, this was my favorite day of the trip so far and is something I will not forget. Some of the highlights included the Sistine Chapel and climbing to the cupola of the Basillica (which is where this picture was taken). However, the highlight for me was seeing the tomb of St. Peter which was in the Catacombs underneath the Basillica. While it was not extremely impressive visually, it was amazing to think and reflect on who he was and what he meant to the faith.

Cinqueterra

Cinqueterra
Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Cinqueterra is a protected piece of coastline along the Italian Riviera in Northern Italy. It is made up on 5 small towns that are nearby each other and all border the Mediterranean. They are connected by a series of hiking trails that give spectacular vistas of the coastline. Although, I was only here a day, it was one of the highlights of the trip.

Ponte Vecchio in Florence

Ponte Vecchio in Florence
Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

After Positano, I went onto to Florence, which was home to the Italian Renaissance. I visited a bunch of museums and got to see the David. Overall, Florence was a great little town that really felt Italian. However, after a couple days of culture, i figured it was time to head back to the beach in Cinqueterra.

Oh yeah, this is a picture of the Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence. It was the only bridge that wasn't bombed in Florence during WWII. It is home to a bunch of small jewelery boutiques.

Lynch and me at Vesuvius

Lynch and me at Vesuvius
Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

I had the pleasure of spending the 1st part of my trip in Italy with a buddy from business school, Bryan Lynch. He will be working with me at Deloitte and is studying Spanish in Spain right now. He made it over to Italy for a week and is then going to meet up with me in Spain in Barcelona and Malaga.

This picture was taken at the Vesuvius Volcano, which become famous when it erupted and covered Pompeii, a small town next to the volcano.

Positano

Positano
Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

The first part of my European leg was spent in Positano, a resort town along the Medditeranean coast in Italy. I have never been to a town so beautiful. This picture was taken from the porch of our apartment. We had a lot of beach time here and enjoyed the many other travellers who were in town. One of the more memorable parts of Positano happened at a local club when we had a Denzel Washington siting. Unfortunately, he wouldn't pose for the blog so i don't have proof.

Taipei 101

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

My last few days in Asia were spent with Shawn's family in Taipei, Taiwan. This picture was taken at the top of the tallest building in the world, Taipei 101.

Shawn did a great job hosting me in Taiwan as well as being our tour guide around Asia. From here I flew onto Rome to begin the European leg of my trip. The flight was pretty cool as I had an hour layover in Doha, Qatar, which borders Saudia Arabia. I have honestly never seen so much sand in my life.

2007 SI Swimsuit Cover

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Although it rained for a few days, Phuket and its beaches were a lot of fun....and very cheap. We're talking like .25 for a pint of beer...as you can tell in the pic, I may have had 1 or 2.

Mostly, we did a lot of sitting around and recovered from the previous weeks travels. We also rented scooters and did a day trip to some of the uninhabited islands around Phuket.

Guards of the Gates

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

2 statues at the Grand Palace. I had nightmares about these guys for 3 nights!

Unforunately, my camera ran out of batteries while i was in Bangkok so I didn't take any pictures of the biggest reclining buddha in the world. Again, it was amazing. Take a look at this website for more info. It's in Thai, but the scrolling pictures at the top are pretty good.

http://www.watpho.com/

Grand Palace in Bangkok

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

I had a 9 hour layover in Bangkok during my flight from Hong Kong to Phuket. Although I was working on little sleep, I decided to hire a guy to drive me around the city for a few hours. What a great decision! Touring 2 of Bangkok's most famous Buddhist temples was wild. It was the 1st time during my trip that I genuinely felt like I was in a foreign. The temples were extremely ellaborate made of glass, jewells, and gold. I have never seen anything similar to this anywhere.

Alive and Well.....

Hey everyone,

Sorry it has been so long since i have posted anything. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind and i have not had much time to use a computer. Sadley enough, i am 3 countries behind. As of right now, I am getting ready to take a night train from Rome to Paris and have some down time. Hopefully you will enjoy the new additions.

Overall, Italy was pretty amazing. Besides some of the culutural "nuances" i had to get used to, it has been a great last 10 days. My itinerary has also changed a little, as you may of noticed. I was able to hit Florence for a couple days and also ended up going to Cinqueterra for a night (a small protected area of 5 time along the Italian Riviera). Also, I am going to hit Paris for a couple days, which i did not originally plan for. And finally, i am going to stay in spain for 3 extra days and go to a feria in Malaga, a small town along Spains mediterranean coast. Ferias are a lot like a county fair in the states, except they are cool for all ages, not just children and people that like demolition derbys. Supposedly, Malaga has the best ferias in the country. I will report back later and let you know.

Ciao.

Hong Kong's version of 6th Street

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Hong Kong was also a great city to go out in. We spent a couple nights dancing to an Western music cover band. HK also marked the end of Megan's travels as she headed back to Houston. We'll miss you Meg!

Big Buddha

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

We took a daytrip to one of the many island surrounding Hong Kong. While there, we could tell we entered into the more Buddhist parts of Asia. This is a picture of the largest sitting buddha statue in the world. It was built about 7 years ago and sits about 30 feet high.

Hong Kong

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Hong Kong was a very dense city packed onto a mountaineous island. This picture was taken from Victoria Peak which is in the middle of the island behind the downtown skyline. The area across the river is Kowloon, which is the more Chinese part of this very western city.

Picture Problems

Hey Everyone,

I noticed that some of my pictures haven't posted to the blog so all you see is a blank box. Some of you may have figured this out, but just click on the blank box and that will direct you to the picture on my Flickr account. Let me know if that doesn't help and I'll see what else I can do.

-bw

Shanghai

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

As opposed to Beijing & Xi'an, Shanghai is a very Western city. The background is Pudong, which is the commercial center for much of China.

Terracotta Warriors

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

We took a day trip to Xi'an to see the famed Terracotta Warriors. Xi'an is the site of the 1st Emperioral Palace in China. The 1st emperor burried himself with over 500 statues, which were meant to protect him in the afterlife.

Only using the finest facilities

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

One of the many bizarre sites in China

Beijing 2008

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

This is the Olympic Stadium being built for the '08 Olympics. Overall, Beijing has a long way to go before this city is ready. During our 3 day visit, we didn't see the sun once since there is so much pollution. We're still coughing.

Now I Know Why It's Not the "Average" Wall

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Although it was cloudy during our visit, the Great Wall was spectacular. We climbed and hiked around a 2 mile section for an hour, then road a bobsled down to the bottom. This is definitely something I won't forget.

Bill

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

On the gondola ride up to the Great Wall of China we realized we were in good company, depending on who you ask.

Mao

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Shawn having some fun with the picture of Chairman Mao at the entrance of the Forbidden City (hopefully the government isn't scanning this!). The Forbidden City is where the Emperor's palaces were during the many ancient dynansties in China.

Mao

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Shawn having some fun with the picture of Chairman Mao at the entrance of the Forbidden City (hopefully the government isn't scanning this!). The Forbidden City is where the Emperor's palaces were during the many ancient dynansties in China.

Tianamen Square

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Here's a picture of the square made famous in '89. The museum for Chairman Mao is in the background.

Hiroshima

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

This is a picture of the peace park that memorializes the Atomic Bombing at Hiroshima. Both the museum and memorial was pretty graphic and really hit home on the severity of what happened. Most surprisingly, the memorial portrayed a pretty honest view of WWII. In the background you can see a picture of a building that still stood after the bombing.

Hey all....I just realized they post these in the opposite order. Start from the bottom and work your way up and some of the captions will make more sense.

-bw

Shawn and The Women

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Shawn takes some time to pose with a few ladies in downtown Tokyo. Nora, next to Shawn, is a friend from Austin and now works in Tokyo. She's been gracious enough to let us stay at her apartment and has been a great hostess!

We Can Oblige

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Megan gets her horns up with partygoers in Tokyo.

Just Following the Rules

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Japenese bars are very good about giving barhoppers precise instructions on the expected behavior.

Yum Yum

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Shawn, Megan and I lost our guide in Tokyo for a night and were forced to eat at a restaraunt ourselves. Unfortunatley the menu didn't have English or pictures so we let our waitress order for us and this is what she brought out........it ended up being vegetables and cow stomach.

Needless to say I at a lot of rice that night.

Cos kids

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Shawn and I take a pic with of the "cos" (short for costume) kids that dress up then come hang out in a random intersection. We're still not sure why they do this, but it's pretty bizarre.

Shinjuku Intersections

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

The intersections in Tokyo are crazy. A lot of people and a lot of lights.

Sleepy Time

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Naps are common during the day for workers all over Japan. This pic was taken at 2 pm at a Starbucks on a Monday. Definitely I habit I could pick up in a few months.

Bush Basher

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

We found a prayer from another Texan. It may take more than a Shinto priest to have this happen.

Prayer Cards

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

People from all over the world leave prayers at the Meiji Ju shrine. Each week, Shinto priests prayer over these cards then burn them.

Meiji Shrine

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Me and Megan purify our hands and mouth before entering the Meiji-Ju Shrine. This shrine honors the Emperor that opened up Japan's culture to Western influence.

I Won't Tell You What they Do with These

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Fish heads at the market.

Fish Anyone

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Tokyo's fish market is filled with energy on a daily basis. Here's a picture of one of the runners.

Old McDonald Would be Proud

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Japan even honors the animals that died in the war. This is a statue of a dog, horse and pigeon at the War Dead Shrine.

Shrine to the War Dead

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Here is a picture of a shrine honoring the Japanese dead from WWII. The Emperor's family still honors the many Japense that died in the war, including numerous war criminals. Obviously, this has caused some diplomatic tensions for Japan.

A Japanese Icon

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Megan and Shawn arriving in Tokyo's airport. Starbucks are pretty much everywhere, which helps our caffeine addictions.

For those that don't know, Shawn and Megan are both friends from business school.

Konichiwa, Sumimasen and Arrigato!

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Originally uploaded by bradley_b_wilson.

Hey everyone. I have arrived in Tokyo and have been having a blast over the past 3 days. I've even learned a little Japanese (Hello, Excuse Me, - which I use a ton, and Thank you).

So far, we've mostly been sightseeing and walking a lot. The following pics will highlight some of the more interesting things we've done so far.

Tomorrow, we'll take a train to Kyoto, the first capital of Japan, and Hiroshima. It should be an intereting next 3 days.