Well, it was wonderful to have some time to spend with my family, even with my brother Arthur. My mother Mrs. Lambchop cooked me so many delicious meals while I was at home that I was afraid that I'd lose my flat 2D shape! But here I am again, so excited to be heading across the Atlantic Ocean to visit with Sofia's family. Can't wait to get my passport stamped!
My first stop was Italy, the boot shaped country in the southern section of the European continent.
Next, we traveled to Slovenia, another European country.
Finally, our tour wrapped up with a visit to the central European city of Budapest, Hungary. Of course you know that when I learned I was in Hungary, I was once again hungry! I had heard of Hungarian goulash, which is a spicy beef stew made famous centuries ago by local shepherds who cooked it over their campfires, but had never tried it. Yum! It was delicious!
After our meal, we hopped on this tour bus and viewed the city. One of the famous sites in Hungary is the Danube River. What a sight it was!
Here I am posing in front of the river. Did you know that the Danube is Europe's second longest river? The Volga is its longest. The Danube originates in Germany and flows east for 1776 miles until emptying into the Black Sea. (http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/) I was glad that I had a chance to see it. Some of you pianists may recognize the title as a famous waltz written by Strauss over 100 years ago. With your parents' permission, click here to listen to it. I'm guessing that it will sound familiar to you.
Soon it was time to say goodbye to my hosts, and head for a new adventure in South America with Chris' family. Due to the long trans-Atlantic flight ahead of me, I knew that I would be catching up on a lot of sleep!
Changes in Latitude, Changes In Attitude
Not only did I cross Europe and much of the Americas while I napped, I awoke to see another ocean, the Pacific, glistening below me. As the airplane circled high above the South American coastline, I listened to the stewardess tell us about the Country of Ecuador, my new destination. Here is a picture of this country:
I had never been this close to the Equator, and was looking forward to some hot weather. As soon as I landed, I was met by Chris' cousin, Billy, who greeted me like a long lost friend.
Next, Billy took me to his school, The American School in Guayaquil, where he told his friends all about me and my adventures. Can you see me in the second row? Chris' mom once was a student here, too.
After school, Billy took me to the famous Column of the Heroes monument that was built almost 200 years ago to celebrate the independence of the province of Guayaquil from the Spanish empire.
Last but not least, Billy and I visited a park to see some locally famous animals, the Galapagos tortoises. Check them out in the picture below. I love those flat but curved shells! Since we both knew that they are vegetarians, it was ok for us to get this close to them for the photo. I think we woke them up!
Did you know that the volcanic Galapagos Islands of Ecuador are a famous habitat for rare native animal species? They are now a part of a national park that was created to protect endangered wildlife, especially the tortoise. If it's ok with your parents, click on the link below to read more about the tortoise.
Well, that was an experience of a lifetime! I thanked Billy for being such a great host, and he dropped me off at the nearest airport for my journey home. This time, it's the other America, North America, that is my destination. Check back soon to hear about more adventures!
Your globe-trotting friend,
Stanley Lambchop
