Trip to Colorado [part 1/3]

Heading to Denver

Slava and I left at 830am from Lincoln, Nebraska. Slava started to login the address of the hotel at Denver in the GPS pathfinder. It is very helpful as a guide for us. I think I should buy one if I want to go travel around USA for next time, perhaps. Along the journey to Denver, Colorado, we were sharing of our interest, hometown and our hobby. We talked about history he knows better than me about Empayar of Uthman at Turkey and at the South of Ukraine: the country he belongs. I open up our sharing when I told him that I am practicing as a Muslim. ‘I am a Muslim when I was born’. He knew that Muslim must pray for 5 times a day, Muhammad saw if our prophet, and some historical about Islam in Europe country i.e. Turkey, Ukraine, and Egypt. Slava is very good person, and very polite. He kinda classical people who comes from classical country which is Ukraine to the high tech of United States, the country that he got position as a lecturer about 8 years ago. He’s religions is Christian Orthodox: old Christian religion, during the Prophet of Musa a.s perhaps.

[GPS is very helpful while tracking the location. But make sure the address is correct! If not she will bring you unexpected location]

He knew that Allah send 5 holly books to the 5 different prophet which is for Ibrahim a.s, Musa a.s (Thaurat) , Isa a.s (zhabur) Daud a.s (Injil) and then lastly Muhammad s.a.w (Quran) and another one called suhuf’. And I told him that those entire book was mentioned in Quran and there is another book called suhuf’ for the other prophet too. He added, that he said he doesn’t know the content of the Quran. Another interesting about the food, he did not eat pork meat, drink alcohol, nor does smoking neither go for night club. While driving he replied ‘I am old guy’. I made a conscious smile. After a few minutes he wants to hear some explanations on the book, from the tape that he got in the internet. Tape was discussed about German scientist in Ukraine language; initiate the microbiology research in Anthrax. Kind of very good ideas perhaps sometimes got boring driving along the West Highways 80, heading to the Denver, Colorado.

Then he told me about the war between the Poland and Ukraine, how the Ukraine got independent from the Poland’s King just because of different religion: Orthodox in Ukraine and Catholic in Poland. They got independent on 1918. I pretty sure! Then he continued to play nice Ukrainian song. Very nice song and seems its very gentle and classic song. I told him that I like that song. That song that was singing by old guy in Ukraine language; kind of M. Nasir or Jamal Abdillah in Malaysia, though. “Ok, now I know what song you like. I like this song too” he replied spontaneously.

After 4 hours drove, we stop by at the Runza to get our lunch. I just had fish burger and a French fries. At coincidently we drop by at the Sod House Museum which is more to history of Native American located beside the highway. It is very nice stop actually. I went inside the ‘soil house’ and I saw they had a bad made from the cotton, small dining table and also the kitchen (they bake corn as their main food). This house was made from the layer of the clay soil. They put the soil as the roof and as wall too and make the temperature inside the house is pretty cold compare to the outside.

[View from outside of the museum]

[House made from clay soil]

Then we continue our journey. After one hour, we stop by at Cabela’s Store. They got sale for the summer stuff. We will take a rest, to relive back paint! (Huhuhu sempat lagi nak bershopping). I bought very nice, soft black jacket with really reasonable price and it has the deer head at the top right. Then, we continue driving and as a co-pilot I just need to entertain Slava, so that we are so boring while heading to Denver for 8hrs! (release stress hehe)

[Inside Cabela’s: Very nice theme for the fishing, hunting and outdoor gears. They sell most common famous outfits]

After 30minutes, he makes a call to his master student: Dwight Estherly as well as friend of me. We drop by to see the new machine for wheat combine harvester with new type of header that he used. It was very exciting moment. I got a chance to get on the combine and get some experience to harvest the wheat. As usual, the farm in US was so huge and at that times it so hot. I never know before how the wheat looks like! Then I take a chance to get there. I pared the whole wheat from the stalk and try to get the seed. It was brown, hard and crunchy (I tasted it). Its look like almost same with rice but it is on brown and little bit bigger that rice. It was wonderful moment and we again continue our trips.

[This is how the wheat looks like]

[Me and huge wheat farm]

[My advisor start to test this combine with Dwight ]

At last, we arrived at 7pm and I have to change the time. At this time, I prayed jamak ta'khir in the hotel. It tooks almost 9 hours journey from Lincoln. The time different between Lincoln and Colorado is one hour early in Colorado. We had a dinner at the hotel and go to the bed early since we are already tired. We plan to go to some places tomorrow morning at Colorado Spring and at the evening we have to come back to register for the conference.

[Train is the main transportation to bring all the agricultural product between the states]

[We are almost close to Denver]