"The Lost Girls" the book

After Amanda, Holly, and Jennifer got back to the states they got together and wrote a book. This book is called The Lost Girls and had great descriptions. I could "see" all the places they went to and "hear" the honking of cars and the yell of many people. The book The Lost Girls was a good read and helped me understand the real way to travel.

Book Response Questions

1. How did you experience the book? It's not always helpful to talk about whether or not you liked the book, but rather how you felt as you were reading it? Were you pulled effortlessly into the book...or did you have difficulty getting into it? Why?              

• During the book I felt that I was "sucked" into the book. There were a lot of descriptions and it explained a lot about the places they were in.

2. Were you happy about your book choice? Why or why not?

• I was happy about my book choice because it had a lot of information and it was very descriptive.

3. Which place discussed in the book did you find the most intriguing? Why do you think that was the case?

•  I think that the most intriguing part about the book is when Holly, Amanda, and Jennifer went through the Amazon Jungle because I have never in a jungle before and the way that the book described it made me want to go there. 

4. What central ideas might the author be exploring-the novel's themes? Consider ideas about the nature of love, the requirements of goodness, the meaning of justice, the burden of the past...basic human issues that are at stake in the book.

•                  I think that the author's theme was about adventure and finding yourself.

5. What do you feel you learned from this project? Please consider the book, the technology involved with producing the project, or any other aspect regarding the project.

• I learned how to make a blog and how it works. I also learned a lot about different places to go if I were to ever go on an adventure like the three woman in the book.

6. What was the most enjoyable part of the project? Please explain why you felt this way.

• The most enjoyable part of the project was looking for pictures of the places because when I read it in the book I didn't really know what it looked like but when I saw the pictures I actually saw the beauty of the places they went to.

7. What was the most difficult part of the project? Please explain why you felt this way.

•   I think the most difficult part of the project was reading the book because the book I picked was really long and it was hard to read.

Works Cited

Works Cited

Baggett, Jennifer. The Lost Girls: Three Friends, Four Continents, One Unconventional Detour around the World. New York: HarperCollins, 2010. Print.

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Pressner, By  Amanda. The Lost Girls - Lost Girls World. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. <http://www.lostgirlsworld.com/>.

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Trevino, By Harmony. "Sister Freda's Kenyan Hospital :: Giving Children Hope." Home :: Giving Children Hope. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. <http://www.gchope.org/sister-fredas-hospital.html>.

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"YouTube - Balinese Gamelan Music." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRS13e5R8GI&feature=player_embedded>.

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"YouTube - Nevis Highwire Bungy - Queenstown, New Zealand." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WU02fZ1piw&feature=player_embedded>.

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"YouTube - Wrecked Van." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOha9Y7uqek&feature=player_embedded>. 

THE LAST STOP!! AUSTRALIA

The three girls have made it to their last stop. They have made it to Australia. They are still sane, still the best of friends. While they are in Australia they are lent a huge van/bus that is supplied to them by a company as a bonus because of the year and a half long travel they have been going through. The girls go through New South Wales and Byron Bay. They also go to the Sydney Opera House which is, as you may know, the center of fine arts in Australia. They also go to the two beaches Bondi and Bronte and go to to Echo Point, a viewing platform perched several thousand feet above the feet above the floor of the Jamison Valley. Also when they head back to their hostel from a great hot air balloon trip the van they are driving is too tall so they crash and fix the top of the van (which has a large hole in it) with ducttape.  They also go to Hunter Valley to go to a wine tour. Lastly, they learn to surf and as they sit on the beach they contemplate about the year long trip they were on and feel very sad that they are about to end their huge adventure. The adventure of three girls who set out in the world to find out who they are and find the great mysteries and adventures of the world. Though they know that they will have so many more adventures after this.

Fixing the van... with duct tape

New Zealand

The three girls Amanda, Holly, and Jennifer have arrived at one of their last stops, New Zealand. Every morning in New Zealand they jog out at Judge's Bay while watching the beautiful scenery at the same time. The first thing they do in New Zealand is go to Aukland to stay there for four days. There are numerous things there incuding rain forests, redwood forests, deciduous forests, glaciers, limestone karst, large mountains, active volcanoes, fjords, sulfur pools, beautful beaches, and clear blue waters. One thing they do is go to the Aukland Sky tower. This tower is 471 feet taller than the Seattle Space needle which is 605 feet tall. At this twoer you can relax, eat, look at the beautiful view and bungee jump of the tower. Another thing they do is go to the Aukland Museum and look at the many galleries and artwork there. They go to Viaduct Harbour which is a first class residential, commercial, and entertainment center. They also go to Queen Street market and, of course, shop. Queen Street market is the main shopping street in Aukland, with arcades and many shopping centers that runs for a couple of blocks. They also listen to some of the local artist's including Brooke Fraser and Fat Freddy's drop. They also go to Mission Bay, a beachfront strip of trendy restaurants and cafes. They also go to Rotorua. This city is located on a volcanic plateau and has many geysers, steaming fumaroles, gooey mud pools, boiling waterfalls, and bubbling hot sprirngs. They soar over the world's highest navigable waterfall in a river raft and go to Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forest which is a  700 acre stretch of biking trails and breathtaking views. They go to Abel Tasman National Park and get stuck in a storm when it's high tide. They also slid down the steep volcanic slopes of Mount Tongariro and hiked the legendary Franz Josef Glacier. Finally, they went to Kawarau Bridge that has the world's first and most famous bungee jumping sites. the first is only 43 meters (about 141 ft.) The second jump was a lot more exciting. This jump is called the Nevis HIghwire Bungy. The Nevis is so high that it requires the person to board a special pod that carries you across a vast canyon sliding along cable wires to a suspended platform in the center which is about 440 feet in the air. The three girls have a great time doing all these exciting and fun things and finally get on a plane to fly to their last stop, Australia.





Brooke Fraser




Nevis Highwire Bungy

Bali, Indonesia

The three girls Holly, Amanda, and Jennifer have arrived in Bali and go to many different places. One of the places they go to is the temple, Pura Luhur Uluwatu. This is one of Bali's most holy temples. The temple was dedicated to the spirits of the sea. It is on a high cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean. On the way there the girls encounter monkeys that steal things, looking for food. They also see the beautiful scene from the viewing point. They also go to Kuta Beach, an eight mile stretch of sand with markets and massage parlors. They listen to Balinese gamelan music and find out about the canang sari that line the streets. The canang sari are offereings to guard against the evil spirits and bring luck from the good spirits. The three girls have a great time and a very excited about their next leg of their trip New Zealand and Australia. Though, they are sad that this trip will be their last.




Balinese Gamelan Music

Bangkok, Thailand

Jennifer, Holly, and Amanda have started on another adventure and stop at Bangkok, Thailand. There are many great sites to see in Bangkok, Thailand. They jogged in the morning at Lumpini Park. This park is a big open space with playgrounds, a public library, and a dance hall. They also shop at the Siam Center where there's a lot of clothes and small cafes. They also go to Wat Pho, the largest and oldest temple in the city that houses the Reclining Buddha. This famous forty-six meter long and 15 meter high statue is designed to represent the passage of the Buddha to Nirvana. Nirvana is the belief of being free of suffering. This statue is decorated entirely with gold plating and mother-of-pearl engravings on his eyes and soles of his feet. The three girls go to the great flower market where there are a lot of stands with flower traders from all over the world. The three great friends have a great time in Bangkok and can't believe the time that has passed by.

Phnom Penh killing fields

Amanda, Holly, and Jennifer have arrived in Cambodia's capital of Phnom Penh and start their adventure by biking around the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat. Phnom Penh was a grusome sitte for mass murder in 1975 because of the genocide. In Phnom Penh you can find depressing killing fields. The killing fields was a place where more than 17,000 civilians were killed and buried in mass graves. This place is a chilling reminder of the terrible things that happened during the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime. Also, in the center of this museum is a seventeen story glass case that holds 8000 skulls from the mass graves. At this museum you can also visit where they had the mass graves and you can still find remains, including bones and teeth. This place is very interesting and a very historical.

Vientiane, Laos

Amanda, Holly, and Jennifer are now starting their journey in Southeast Asia. Their first stop is Laos. They get great massages from a local forest temple called Wat Sok Pa Luang. They relax and meet the woman who works there, Noy. They get talking and soon they meet up with a couple of other tourists and eat out. After eating and talking to Noy Amanda wants to learn more about the how the spa was started so Noy invited Amanda to meet her aunt who started the spa. Her aunt Meekow lived at a Buddhist temple. Noy translated (since her aunt didn't speak or understand English) that when her Aunt was sixteen she was a nurse in the "big war" and had fallen in love with a soldier. Her family and the soldier's family didn't approve so, heartbroken, she decided to become a nun. After Meekow apprenticed under one of the monks, she learned about the medicinal properties of the plants growing in the monasteries' gardens. When the monk taught her all he knew she went off into the mountains and collected more plants with healing potential. These plants - lemon grass, eucalyptus, mint, rosemary, kaffir lime, and holy basil - were among the ones used to create the steam at the forest temple. After Amanda got all the information she needed on the healing elements of the plants she donated some money to the monastery because the nuns who live there only get the leftover food from the monks. After thanking Aunt Meekow she set off on a moder bike with her new Laos friend and set off to tell her friends all about she had just learned.

Goa, India

After a week of meditation and yoga, Amanda and Jennifer decide to go to Goa, a great beach site in India. In Goa they meet up with their friend and old co-worker, Sarah, and also meet some new British friends. They chill at the beach and have some fun. The two girls were surprised when they find out that they have to share the beach with cows, a sacred animal among the Indian people. Overall the group has fun relaxing, drinking, and playing volleyball. They love the environment of Goa, the people and the place in general. Where ever they go they can always find someone selling something. Some of the people selling things are as young as 7 years old. They sell things from handmade bracelets, silk saris, to even a piece of gum. The group is glad they just have time to relax and enjoy their last days in India.

Shraddha Ashram

Holly has been wanting to take the month long yoga teacher training class in India for a while so the three girls decide to go to Shraddha Ashram, one of the subcontinent's innumerable spiritual centers. Amanda and Jennifer are only staying for a week, while Holly on the other hand, is staying for the whole one month program. The day includes waking up at 5:30 every morning, at 6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. there is Satsung, which is a time for silent meditation and chanting. At 7:30 there is tea time and 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. they have an Asana (yoga) class. at 10 a.m. they have brunch and at 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. they have Karma yoga/selfless service. At 1:30 p.m. they have another tea time and from 2p.m. to 3:30 p.m. there is a lecture. from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. they have another asana class and from 6-7 p.m. they have dinner and from 8-9:30 p.m. the have another Satsung. Finally, at 10:20 p.m. it is time to go to sleep. This process is repeated every day. After a week, Amanda and Jennifer leave Shraddha Ashram to take another adventure while they wait for Holly to finish her month long training.

Welcome to India

Amanda, Holly, and Jennifer start their next adventure in India. They first arrive in New Delhi and are overwhelmed by the smells and sights of India. When I read about the smells they woke up too I could also smell the curry, car exhaust, and jasmine, and I could also hear the sound of the latest Bollywood star. The streets are crowded and the people in India don't seem to stick to different lanes on the road. Where ever the three girls went they would be bombarded with street vendors asking them to buy something. They were also very surprised to see the great poverty in the country. Small children would beg for food or ask the three girls to buy their postcards. Amanda, Holly, and Jennifer can't wait to go and see all the amazing sights in India. They get a tour guide, Sunil. They are soon going to see the great sights of India.

Kwaheri Kenya

The Lost Girls are about to leave again to their next big adventure. They contemplate the great times they had in Kenya, working as volunteers, becoming part of the Maasai, and taking pictures of the amazing animals in Kenya. They are excited but very sad because they have to leave their new friends and the fourteen girls they have been working with for about a month. They tearfully say goodbye to everyone and make their way to the next great adventure, India.

Becoming Maasai

When one of their friends from the Village Volunteer center said that people were coming over to his house for a special ceremony Holly, Amanda, and Jen never expected to be awoken by clanging pots, loud children, and a huge tribe coming over. The Maasai, a semi nomadic East African tribe that was one of the most colorful in that part of Kenya. Many people traveled from afar just to watch the Maasai's ceremony. The Maasai people had colorful jewelry and were full of energy. The three girls were pulled into the crowd of Maasai people, ceremoniously dancing. They sung and had a great time. They watched a morran warrior dance and danced with the Maasai group, swaying and clapping as the sun lit up the beads on their jewelry. The three girls were also unexpectedly initiated. As they danced and sang they became part of the group of wanderers, the Maasai.