Today is Monday, March 15 and we are at the Hilton Hotel in Narita, Japan outside of Tokyo. It is 7:00 AM (Mark is still asleep and snoring) and 3:00 PM on Sunday the 14th on the west coast of the U.S., 6:00 PM on the east coast. I think that includes the change to Daylight Savings Time that just occurred.
I haven’t kept up this blog as well as I would have liked (I’ve been focusing on uploading my photos onto our Picasa web site), but I promise to fill in the gaps after we’re back home and have had a chance to recover from our trip. I will now chat about these past few days.
We visited Singapore on Monday March 8 and it was the first time we had been there. Singapore is a blend of old and new and its skyline is very impressive with many, many tall and beautiful modern skyscrapers. It also has a magnificent Botanic Gardens which we visited for a short time with an emphasis on the Orchid Garden. It was extremely hot and humid as is all of South East Asia especially at this time of the year. This type of weather is very difficult for me. Mark seems to handle it better.
We actually saw relatively little of Singapore as we spent five hours visiting the worldwide headquarters of Amega Global, a company that produces a number of products that restore the natural healing abilities of the body by using a proprietary system based on Zero Point Energy. Mark and I met the leaders of the company and were very impressed. Our good friend and healer, Dr. Dan Gleeson, had only recently signed up as a distributor for Amega’s products. When he learned that we would be visiting Singapore on our cruise, he helped set up our visit to Amega’s headquarters. We were so impressed with what we experienced with the AMWand on our bodies, that we joined the company as distributors. We’ll let you know more about this significant opportunity as we move forward.
A shuttle bus hired by Princess Cruises took us back to our ship in the late afternoon. There were 19 shuttle buses hired by the company to offer free transport to and from the port to the city. Singapore is the third largest port in the world and we were absolutely amazed by the thousands of shipping containers stacked up and being moved over miles of port areas. I have photos of the port to give you an idea of how huge it is.
This is a good time to tell you about how we experience the various ports the ship stops at. Every cruise line offers its passengers tours at each of the ports it visits. The tours cost extra and can be quite expensive. As you might expect, Princess and the other cruise lines use local guides and drivers to take people to visit local sites of importance. Generally they use air conditioned Greyhound- type buses which are very comfortable and hold about 50 -60 people. The benefits include comfortable transportation to and from the ship to the places the guides take the passengers, knowledgeable guides from whom we learn a great deal, AND never missing the ship! A cruise ship will not leave its port until all the buses are back- IF it is a tour sponsored by the cruise line. Now for non-cruise line tours.
Many long time saavy cruisers hook up with other cruisers on web sites such as cruisecritic.com which offer a wealth of information about all kinds of topics related to cruising. One of the hot topics is learning about private tour companies from people who have already used them at the ports you will be visiting. These tour companies and guides are almost always much cheaper than similar tours offered by the cruise line. They have the additional advantage of using custom designed vans holding only 4-10 people which means greater personal service and the ability to ask lots of questions which Mark loves to do. For this cruise, we used private tour guides in Tauranga and Dunedin, New Zealand; Hobart, Tasmania; Adelaide, Australia; and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Other than Sydney, Australia where we went to the Opera House and Botannical Gardens with friends and went out on the bay on our own, we used Princess tours at the other ports of call. The only downside to private tours is that if you can’t get back to the ship before it is scheduled to depart, it won’t wait for you and you have to find your own way to the next port!
After leaving Singapore on the 8th, we had a day at sea. When I go on a long cruise I like to have a day at sea after each port to rest and recuperate. You might not think it but visiting a city or town can be very tiring as well as exhilarating. However, too many sea days are not our thing either. We are not sun worshippers so laying by the pool(s) turning brown does not appeal to us nor do we think it’s healthy for our skin.
On Wednesday, March 10th we arrived at Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam. Our private tour guide picked us up at the port for the two hour drive into Saigon. (He first had to drive two hours to get to the ship). Visiting this famous city was an experience. For those of you reading this blog who remember the Vietnam War, you will understand the importance this city (and country) has for the United States. Never was a war more disputed than the Vietnam War which most people felt should never have been entered into by our country. On our way into the city, we passed through rural villages which reminded us strongly of Ecuador. In fact, except for the signs in the Vietnamese language, it COULD HAVE BEEN ECUADOR! We came to the conclusion that developing countries all over the world have a lot in common including poverty and very basic conditions of life.
In Saigon, our guide first took us to a Buddhist Temple (see photos on my Picasa web site). It was filled with worshippers and reminded us of Buddhist temples that we have seen in Japan and China and South Korea. We then visited a factory where lovely lacquered pieces are made. Our guide then took us to the War Remembrance Museum. Here we saw very grim reminders of the war. Vietnam is a communist country now (albeit with a strong capitalist economy like China) and this museum’s photos of the horrors of the Vietnam War- many of which were seen in American newspapers at the time- were slanted towards what the American soldiers did to the Vietnamese soldiers and people. Very gruesome and very sad.
By the way, many former American soldiers who fought in the War have come back to this country to revisit and see the result of what they had fought for as well as put some old ghosts to rest. We did not see the exact building where that famous photo of the last helicopter taking off from the rooftop on April 30, 1975 was taken (the building had been dismantled) but we did see the grounds.
In Saigon we also visited the beautiful main Post Office, the five star Rex Hotel, and the Notre Dame Cathedral. We had lunch at a modest restaurant whose main claim to fame was that former President Bill Clinton had eaten there- complete with framed photo reminders! The food was delicious. After lunch, we had 45 minutes at the huge main market (we have many photos) which again, reminded Mark and me of the markets in both Cuenca and Quito, Ecuador.The market is huge occupying 4 acres and has about 1000 individual stalls.
Finally, our last stop took us to the Reunification Palace which was originally a Palace built in the early 20th century and then modernized when Vietnam reclaimed their independence from France. All in all, it was a very full day where we learned a great deal about this wonderful country. By the way, the capital of Vietnam is Hanoi which is in the northern part of the country but Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), in the south, is the largest and most prosperous city with 9 million people in the city and surrounding countryside. As you can imagine, when we returned to the ship after the two hour drive back, we were exhausted!
The next day, Thursday, March 11, we had a sea day and began our packing in preparation for our disembarkation on Saturday. A word about packing. As I mentioned earlier in this blog, Mark and I have made repeated vows about taking less “stuff” with us when we travel. These vows have come to naught! On this trip we took the following:
2 large suitcases 1 medium suitcase 1 duffle-type bag 2 wheeled carry-ons 1 large camera case 1 large laptop 1 carry-all over-the shoulder bag 1 backpack- 10 pieces in all. Insane you say? I agree. But we couldn’t seem to pare it down so that we would have everything we might need for our 6 week journey. Things like snorkeling gear including fins, a tripod for the camera, formal evening wear for those special nights, and lots of other clothing. To make it clear, we DID wear just about everything and I did laundry aboard the ship six or more times! However, other passengers packed much more lightly and I do admire them!
Back to the sea day. The Diamond Princess has some beautiful venues. On this last sea day, we visited those we hadn’t spent time at before. The three-level atrium is the heart of the ship and on the bottom level which is deck five, “Maurizio” plays a white piano and also has several synthesizers which make his playing sound like an entire band. We sat and heard him play and really enjoyed him. Have I mentioned that Mark and I risked our egos by dancing at Club Fusion and the Explorers Lounge on occasion? We need a lot more practice with Mark leading and me following the various ballroom dances we had learned but we’re on our way. When we do manage to dance in synch, it’s a lot of fun!
On Friday, the 12th we docked in Cambodia. We actually didn’t dock but instead tendered in to the port of Sihanoukville (pronounced shan-ook-ville named after the King of Cambodia, a constitutional monarchy). Tendering involves using the ship’s life boats as water craft to take the passengers ashore when the ship can’t dock for whatever reason. Each tender holds 150-160 people. We’ve used them before on other trips and they provide an easy way to get to shore provided the waves aren’t too high. This time it took 20 minutes to take us to shore.
A word about Cambodia. Cambodia is a very poor country, perhaps one of the poorest in the world outside of Africa due to the many wars they’ve suffered over the past 50 years. The latest war was an internal war which occurred after the Vietnam War in 1975. The Khmer Rouge, wanted the country to be Communist following Mao Tse Tung’s policies in China. As a result of their viciousness, 2 million Cambpodians were exterminated. This was a mass genocide of horrific proportions. Cambodia is just in the beginning stages of rebuilding their country.
The weather the day we were there was very hot and humid. Once again, as we rode through the countryside, it reminded us so much of Ecuador (but not the weather) where we had lived for almost 3 years. But poorer. Our first stop was a visit to a private house where a family of twenty or so people lived. Very basic. The family was very friendly and although they had agreed to have our guide bring people to see their way of life, it must have been overwhelming to see a busload (actually several busloads) of people coming into their house. They were very sweet and gracious however. Our photos show their home.
The next place we visited was a rural school. I had been looking forward to this since before we began our trip. I had read on the cruisecritic.com web site that previous cruisers had brought school supplies in anticipation of visiting the school. (This was a ship’s tour so we knew what to expect). I had brought with me many different kinds of supplies such as pens and pencils, pads of paper, scissors, glue sticks and pencil sharpeners, colored pencils, etc. I was very happy to pass these out to the students. The children crowded around me during this distribution and the teachers patiently allowed this time away from their studies. A highlight of my trip.
We then went to the main local market that had only very basic and cheap things for sale. This was a big contrast to the market in Saigon which had at least five times the amount of things for sale and much higher quality. However, the Cambodian market only served a population of 250,000 people as compared to Saigon’s population of 7-9 million. A big difference.
The next stop brought us to the other end of the Cambodian economic spectrum. This was the Sokha Beach Resort, a five star hotel- see photos. As you can see from the photos, the grounds were very beautiful and the hotel was right on the South China Sea. I dipped my feet in the Sea which was the warmest ocean water I’ve ever been in. We tried some Cambodian food at the resort which was delicious. Four skewers of grilled meat and chicken with rice was two dollars!
Our final stop in Cambodia was a visit to the main Buddhist Temple in Sihanoukville- Wat Po. As the photos show, statues abound, all of them beautiful. Take note of the large pagodas in the cemetery built to honor the dead. We were told that after a person is cremated, a Buddhist custom, a small portion of their ashes is poured into a chamber in the pagoda protected by a small removal stone. All the family member’s ashes are poured into the same hole. There were many children begging for money there and when we gave money to one, many more materialized!
After arriving back to the place where we were to board the tender, we had to stand in line with many hundreds of other passengers also waiting - in the scorching sun- until we could get under the tent which had been set up. Then once again, and for the last time, we went on board the Diamond.
Next, Bangkok.
We arrived in Bangkok at 7:00 AM on Saturday, March 13. It was another hot, humid Southeast Asia day. Our friends, Al and Karreen, had arranged for a private van with tour guide to meet us at the ship (with all the luggage for the four of us) and drive us the two hours into Bangkok. A note here. The weekend of our arrival, a massive demonstration was scheduled by the Red Shirts who are supporters of the ousted Prime Minister whom they feel was illegally removed from office two years ago by a military and judicial coup. They feel the current Prime Minister, who was educated at Oxford in England, represents the rich Thai families and their business interests and not the rural farmers and other laborers.
We had had some concern about whether there would be road blockages but we had no troubles at all. In the late afternoon on Saturday we did see the beginning of the large gathering of Red Shirts scheduled for Sunday and I took some photos of them.
We had been in Bangkok In December 1989 and January 1990 (when we celebrated Marks 50th birthday in Ko Samui, a resort city on the Gulf of Thailand). At that time, we were on a 19 day tour that took us to all parts of the country, riding elephants for two days, sleeping with tribes people, etc. This trip was very different and so was Bangkok. We saw freeways, tall skyscrapers, lavish hotels and an infrastructure in place that was typical of Asian cities like Hong Kong, Shanghei, Singapore and Beijing. It was a new Bangkok for us.
When we arrived in the city, it was about 11:00 AM and we checked into the Millennium Hilton to freshen up and eat lunch before our afternoon tours. The Millennium is THE MOST BEAUTIUL HOTEL we’ve ever stayed in. I will post photos soon. It is very modern and spectacular in its furnishings and ambiance. After a delicious Thai lunch, our van picked the four of us up and we spent the afternoon touring temples and Buddha statues.
One of the temples, Wat Pho, is mainly famous for the huge Reclining Buddha statue it houses. At 20 acres large, it is the largest Wat in Bangkok, and is technically the oldest too, as it was built around 200 years before Bangkok became Thailand's capital. However, today the Wat bears virtually no resemblance to that originally constructed, as it was almost entirely rebuilt by Rama I when the capital was moved to Bangkok. It holds the dual honors of having both Thailand's largest reclining Buddha image and the most number of Buddha images in Thailand.
The highly impressive gold plated reclining Buddha is 46 meters long(150 ft.) and 15 meters high, and is designed to illustrate the passing of the Buddha into nirvana. The feet and the eyes are engraved with mother-of-pearl decoration, and the feet also show the 108 auspicious characteristics of the true Buddha.
Mark and I had seen these temples 20 years ago but they were no less impressive the second time around. However, the heat and humidity was wilting so it was wonderful to get back to our hotel. The Millennium is right on Bangkok’s main river, the Chao Phraya, and since our room was on the 20th floor, we were able to have a spectacular view. The hotel provides a water taxi to the other side where we had an unimpressive dinner. All in all, we could have spent another two days in Bangkok, a very special city.
On Sunday, we flew to Tokyo Narita airport, a 5 hour flight, arriving at 4:00 PM Tokyo time. We checked into the Narita Hilton which was older and no where as plush as the Millennium but certainly adequate. We had room service dinner. Tokyo has a well deserved reputation as being one of the most expensive cities in the world. Although Narita is about 65 miles from Tokyo, the prices were as high. As an example, Mark and I shared a club sandwich with French fries with two small bottles of water and the bill came to $36.00! This was offset by the amazing buffet breakfast we had the next morning which was included in the price of our room (which was dirt cheap by Tokyo standards). The buffet was spread over several sections of the huge open dining area and included both western and oriental foods. W felt like we were back on the ship!
The hotel’s shuttle took us back to the airport- a 15 minute drive- and we boarded our final international flight to Los Angeles which took 9 hours and was uneventful- a word that you really want to use when you fly! After clearing Customs at LAX airport, our final flight took us home to SeaTac airport. HOME AT LAST!
In a few days I will post some final comments about our trip.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Sydney to Adelaide
Today is Monday, March 1. It is Sunday, Feb 28 in the USA. This is our second sea day after leaving Adelaide, Australia and we are on our way towards the port of Fremantle, Australia and its city of Perth where we will arrive tomorrow, March 2.
My last post had us arriving in Sydney on Sunday Feb 21, the last day of our first cruise segment. We left the ship with our friends, Karreen and Al, whom as you may remember, we met in Olympia before going on this cruise. They had been to Sydney before, so we relied on them to give us a heads up as to where to go and what to do. When we docked in Sydney, we were right in town. I had previously read about our beautiful ship docking right across from the famous Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge which it indeed did. Our cabin is on the starboard (right) side of the ship so we were able to watch her dock from our balcony, a fantastic vantage point…of course we took lots of pictures.
We left the ship very early ahead of all the passengers who were disembarking and we walked over to the Opera House. If you don’t know what the Sydney Opera House looks like, our photos of both the inside and outside will give you a good overview. We signed up for a one hour tour and all I can say, is that it is a phenomenal building which has, just recently, been placed on the World Heritage Site of buildings from around the world. We took photos at sunrise, daytime and evening as well as the inside.
By the time we left the Opera House it was 10:15 AM and very sunny, hot and HUMID. I don’t do well in humidity. We then walked through the Botanical Gardens where we saw unusual trees, birds and fruit bats, which are apparently are rarely seen during the daytime. We also strolled through the pyramid shaped arboretum housing an exotic collection of tropical vines, flowers and plants. Very humid but lovely.
We then took a taxi to a glass domed indoor mall in the heart of Sydney, called the Victoria Mall. Many beautiful stores and shops with high end merchandise. We had lunch there and then we left Al and Karreen and took the monorail to the harbor where we boarded a ferry that took us back to where our ship was docked. Although it was only 2:30, we were hot, sticky and tired so we went back to our cabin, showered, changed clothes, had some lunch and then went back off the ship. We then took a ferry to the far end of Sydney Bay to Manly Beach which took about a half hour. The photos we took of the Bay really don’t do it justice and it’s easy to understand why Sydney, a city of 4 million people, is such a tourist mecca for people from all over the world. By the time we re-boarded the Diamond at 6:30 PM, the next shipload of passengers had boarded and we felt like the old-timers. Sail-away was at 9:00 PM and while I stayed in our cabin, Mark went to Decks 15 and 16 to shot some night shots. Take a look at our web album for those photos.
I came back from Sydney with the beginnings of a cold which developed nicely over the next few days and unfortunately, Mark also picked it up. Neither Mark nor I could remember the last time he had a cold. However, we had brought some homeopathic drops with us and along with Vitamins C and D3 and plenty of rest, we were over the worst of it within 4 days.
After a sea day, we arrived back in Melbourne on Feb 23. We had had our first Melbourne port of call on the 19th where we had visited an animal park, a winery and Puffing Billy, the steam engine train. This time we took a tour that took us in a different direction out of the city to the You Yangs National Park and the Serendip Preserve where, for the first time, we saw koalas, kangaroos and emus in the wild. This was an extraordinary experience and quite different from seeing the animals in a Sanctuary where they are still in zoo-like enclosures. In the You Yang Park we saw a male and female koala up in different trees. In the Serendip we saw many kangaroos and father emus with their chicks. This tour lasted from 9:30 to 2:30 and was excellent. It was another absolutely gorgeous day but not humid like Sydney.
After another sea day, we visited Hobart, Tasmania for the second time on the 25th of February. The first time (Feb 17) we and our friends took a hop on-hop off double decker bus for a 3 hour drive around the city and then ate lunch at the Hogs Breath Inn. There is a restaurant of the same name in Carmel, California which was owned by Clint Eastwood so we just had to eat there. Food was ho-hum and expensive. However we were very taken with Hobart, a beautiful town that would be easy to live in!
However on this second Hobart visit, I had arranged a private tour with Judy Livingston of EyeSee Tours for a group of six of us. She had been highly recommended by previous cruisers and she was great. She drove us outside the city to the Bonorong Preserve. For the first time we were able to pet the koalas and feed the kangaroos. We were the first to arrive before the tour buses and when you see our photos, you will see how happy we were! What is it about touching and feeding these amazing creatures that is absolutely joyful?
Then we went to a park for tea which Judy provided, and after this refreshment, went to Mt. Field National Park. This was a beautiful Reserve with huge trees and ferns, waterfalls and pristine streams. It felt very much like the area where we lived in Mill Valley, California. My son and daughter will remember how that felt and the unique smells of the forest that surrounded us.
We then had a lovely lunch which Judy had prepared with many veggies and preserves from her garden. After, we drove to the very top of Mt. Wellington which at 3000 ft. or so, is Tasmania’s highest mountain. It’s hard to describe in words what the vistas were like from this elevation but you can get an idea from our photos. We then were driven back to the ship and felt we had established a special connection with Judy who had gone out of her way for us.
It’s always nice to have a sea day after a port day because it gives us a chance to relax and get caught up with things like laundry, etc. The cruise staff always has fun and silly things for the passengers to do. That evening, there was a comedian and juggler act in the Explorer Lounge. Karreen, Al, Mark and me happened to be sitting up front and the guy asked for volunteers from the audience. So I “volunteered” Karreen. Karreen wound up on the comedian’s back while he was doing handstands! She’s in super good shape! THEN, later on he asked for another volunteer and (turn about’s fair play) and Karreen volunteered me! Not good.
At first it was easy stuff….I had to hand cuff him and he was able to get them off and he had a male volunteer do some acrobatic things with him. I figured I was ‘home free’ when he handed me his three juggler pins, smoothly hoisted me unto his shoulders (!), grabbed his unicycle and rode with me on his shoulders around the stage. He asked me to juggle the pins for a laugh and then proceeded to do so himself. Now, I’m no light weight and yes, he only rode with me for a very short time but still……….!!!!!!!! I don’t mind telling you that I was VERY anxious but I’m still in one piece!
Julian, this was MY zip line experience!!
On Saturday, Feb 27 we arrived in Adelaide where nine of us had a private tour with Paul of “Bums on Seats”. He took us through this city of 1 million people on the south coast of Australia and then out to Mt. Lofty, again the highest point of this area. We had been told it would be in the low eighties but it wasn’t. Rather it was windy and very cool and since we had just gotten over our colds and I hadn’t brought a sweater or jacket, AND it was still foggy this early in the morning, we stayed only a short time and then went on to Cleland Wildlife Park which was nearby. This was yet another animal experience for us and the highlights were more koala petting, the first up close experience with dingos (see photos) which are the wolf-like dogs of Australia AND observing for the first time, the many venomous (poisonous) reptiles of Australia in their enclosures. We had been wanting to see snakes and were excited that we were able to do so.
Then we went to two wineries- Foggo and Shingleback. Many of you may know that Australian wines are highly regarded throughout the world. At Shingleback, we met an Australian congressman who just happened to be accompanying Australia’s Prime Minister who was with the winemaker who was just outside touring the winery when we arrived. It was fun for Mark to talk to the Assistant Wine Maker because he was both familiar with and had a very high regard for McCrea Cellar wines! He had experienced them when he had been in Seattle. Small world story! Mark found the Shingleback high end Syrah to be exceptional.
After these visits, we went to Hahndorf Village, a touristy German vilage, very charming with lots of cute shops and delicious foods. After buying some bakery treats and having a German sausage, we headed off to Adelaide’s south shore which has a lot of similarity to South Beach, Miami.
We stopped at an opal jewelry shop and ogled the stones. By the way, Australia mines 85% of all the world’s opals and some of them are absolutely exquisite.
So, for now I will say adios as we continue to enjoy the second sea day between Adelaide and Fremantle/Perth. Mark and I hope that all is well with you and that you remain happy and healthy.
P.S. By the way, we are very aware of the 8.8 Chilean earthquake and watched some of the photos and the tsunami warnings in Hawaii as well. Mother Earth is very active!
My last post had us arriving in Sydney on Sunday Feb 21, the last day of our first cruise segment. We left the ship with our friends, Karreen and Al, whom as you may remember, we met in Olympia before going on this cruise. They had been to Sydney before, so we relied on them to give us a heads up as to where to go and what to do. When we docked in Sydney, we were right in town. I had previously read about our beautiful ship docking right across from the famous Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge which it indeed did. Our cabin is on the starboard (right) side of the ship so we were able to watch her dock from our balcony, a fantastic vantage point…of course we took lots of pictures.
We left the ship very early ahead of all the passengers who were disembarking and we walked over to the Opera House. If you don’t know what the Sydney Opera House looks like, our photos of both the inside and outside will give you a good overview. We signed up for a one hour tour and all I can say, is that it is a phenomenal building which has, just recently, been placed on the World Heritage Site of buildings from around the world. We took photos at sunrise, daytime and evening as well as the inside.
By the time we left the Opera House it was 10:15 AM and very sunny, hot and HUMID. I don’t do well in humidity. We then walked through the Botanical Gardens where we saw unusual trees, birds and fruit bats, which are apparently are rarely seen during the daytime. We also strolled through the pyramid shaped arboretum housing an exotic collection of tropical vines, flowers and plants. Very humid but lovely.
We then took a taxi to a glass domed indoor mall in the heart of Sydney, called the Victoria Mall. Many beautiful stores and shops with high end merchandise. We had lunch there and then we left Al and Karreen and took the monorail to the harbor where we boarded a ferry that took us back to where our ship was docked. Although it was only 2:30, we were hot, sticky and tired so we went back to our cabin, showered, changed clothes, had some lunch and then went back off the ship. We then took a ferry to the far end of Sydney Bay to Manly Beach which took about a half hour. The photos we took of the Bay really don’t do it justice and it’s easy to understand why Sydney, a city of 4 million people, is such a tourist mecca for people from all over the world. By the time we re-boarded the Diamond at 6:30 PM, the next shipload of passengers had boarded and we felt like the old-timers. Sail-away was at 9:00 PM and while I stayed in our cabin, Mark went to Decks 15 and 16 to shot some night shots. Take a look at our web album for those photos.
I came back from Sydney with the beginnings of a cold which developed nicely over the next few days and unfortunately, Mark also picked it up. Neither Mark nor I could remember the last time he had a cold. However, we had brought some homeopathic drops with us and along with Vitamins C and D3 and plenty of rest, we were over the worst of it within 4 days.
After a sea day, we arrived back in Melbourne on Feb 23. We had had our first Melbourne port of call on the 19th where we had visited an animal park, a winery and Puffing Billy, the steam engine train. This time we took a tour that took us in a different direction out of the city to the You Yangs National Park and the Serendip Preserve where, for the first time, we saw koalas, kangaroos and emus in the wild. This was an extraordinary experience and quite different from seeing the animals in a Sanctuary where they are still in zoo-like enclosures. In the You Yang Park we saw a male and female koala up in different trees. In the Serendip we saw many kangaroos and father emus with their chicks. This tour lasted from 9:30 to 2:30 and was excellent. It was another absolutely gorgeous day but not humid like Sydney.
After another sea day, we visited Hobart, Tasmania for the second time on the 25th of February. The first time (Feb 17) we and our friends took a hop on-hop off double decker bus for a 3 hour drive around the city and then ate lunch at the Hogs Breath Inn. There is a restaurant of the same name in Carmel, California which was owned by Clint Eastwood so we just had to eat there. Food was ho-hum and expensive. However we were very taken with Hobart, a beautiful town that would be easy to live in!
However on this second Hobart visit, I had arranged a private tour with Judy Livingston of EyeSee Tours for a group of six of us. She had been highly recommended by previous cruisers and she was great. She drove us outside the city to the Bonorong Preserve. For the first time we were able to pet the koalas and feed the kangaroos. We were the first to arrive before the tour buses and when you see our photos, you will see how happy we were! What is it about touching and feeding these amazing creatures that is absolutely joyful?
Then we went to a park for tea which Judy provided, and after this refreshment, went to Mt. Field National Park. This was a beautiful Reserve with huge trees and ferns, waterfalls and pristine streams. It felt very much like the area where we lived in Mill Valley, California. My son and daughter will remember how that felt and the unique smells of the forest that surrounded us.
We then had a lovely lunch which Judy had prepared with many veggies and preserves from her garden. After, we drove to the very top of Mt. Wellington which at 3000 ft. or so, is Tasmania’s highest mountain. It’s hard to describe in words what the vistas were like from this elevation but you can get an idea from our photos. We then were driven back to the ship and felt we had established a special connection with Judy who had gone out of her way for us.
It’s always nice to have a sea day after a port day because it gives us a chance to relax and get caught up with things like laundry, etc. The cruise staff always has fun and silly things for the passengers to do. That evening, there was a comedian and juggler act in the Explorer Lounge. Karreen, Al, Mark and me happened to be sitting up front and the guy asked for volunteers from the audience. So I “volunteered” Karreen. Karreen wound up on the comedian’s back while he was doing handstands! She’s in super good shape! THEN, later on he asked for another volunteer and (turn about’s fair play) and Karreen volunteered me! Not good.
At first it was easy stuff….I had to hand cuff him and he was able to get them off and he had a male volunteer do some acrobatic things with him. I figured I was ‘home free’ when he handed me his three juggler pins, smoothly hoisted me unto his shoulders (!), grabbed his unicycle and rode with me on his shoulders around the stage. He asked me to juggle the pins for a laugh and then proceeded to do so himself. Now, I’m no light weight and yes, he only rode with me for a very short time but still……….!!!!!!!! I don’t mind telling you that I was VERY anxious but I’m still in one piece!
Julian, this was MY zip line experience!!
On Saturday, Feb 27 we arrived in Adelaide where nine of us had a private tour with Paul of “Bums on Seats”. He took us through this city of 1 million people on the south coast of Australia and then out to Mt. Lofty, again the highest point of this area. We had been told it would be in the low eighties but it wasn’t. Rather it was windy and very cool and since we had just gotten over our colds and I hadn’t brought a sweater or jacket, AND it was still foggy this early in the morning, we stayed only a short time and then went on to Cleland Wildlife Park which was nearby. This was yet another animal experience for us and the highlights were more koala petting, the first up close experience with dingos (see photos) which are the wolf-like dogs of Australia AND observing for the first time, the many venomous (poisonous) reptiles of Australia in their enclosures. We had been wanting to see snakes and were excited that we were able to do so.
Then we went to two wineries- Foggo and Shingleback. Many of you may know that Australian wines are highly regarded throughout the world. At Shingleback, we met an Australian congressman who just happened to be accompanying Australia’s Prime Minister who was with the winemaker who was just outside touring the winery when we arrived. It was fun for Mark to talk to the Assistant Wine Maker because he was both familiar with and had a very high regard for McCrea Cellar wines! He had experienced them when he had been in Seattle. Small world story! Mark found the Shingleback high end Syrah to be exceptional.
After these visits, we went to Hahndorf Village, a touristy German vilage, very charming with lots of cute shops and delicious foods. After buying some bakery treats and having a German sausage, we headed off to Adelaide’s south shore which has a lot of similarity to South Beach, Miami.
We stopped at an opal jewelry shop and ogled the stones. By the way, Australia mines 85% of all the world’s opals and some of them are absolutely exquisite.
So, for now I will say adios as we continue to enjoy the second sea day between Adelaide and Fremantle/Perth. Mark and I hope that all is well with you and that you remain happy and healthy.
P.S. By the way, we are very aware of the 8.8 Chilean earthquake and watched some of the photos and the tsunami warnings in Hawaii as well. Mother Earth is very active!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Thoughts to Share
It’s Saturday, Feb 20 as we head towards Sydney, Australia. It’s Friday in the United States.
Tomorrow is the last day of this 12 day cruise from Auckland, NZ to Sydney, Australia. Mark and I are two of the only 142 of 2700 Diamond Princess passengers who will not be disembarking in Sydney. Instead, we are doing another segment of 20 days which will take us to Bangkok, Thailand. This itinerary will take us back for a day each in Melbourne and Hobart and then up the southern and western coasts of Australia to Adelaide, Perth and Geraldton. After four days at sea, we will reach Singapore where we will spend a day and then one day each in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam; Sihanoukville, Cambodia; and then Bangkok. We will stay overnight in Bangkok, fly to Tokyo, Japan and stay overnight there and then will fly from Tokyo to Los Angeles and on to Seattle on March 15.
Some thoughts in no particular order. Every single Australian and New Zealander we’ve met both on and off the ship have been unfailingly friendly, warm and open. I’ve concluded that “down under” is a great part of the world and I’m so happy to have experienced some of it.
The weather has been warm and sunny and the seas have been calm and slight for the most part.
I’ve won $24 in the casino.
Mark and I have taken more dance lessons from the very funny dance teacher on board, Tyson. In addition to the private lessons we took before leaving home, we’ve learned the meringue, rhumba, waltz, cha-cha (again) and the New York swing…all of which are ballroom dances. I’m so pleased that Mark has enthusiastically participated both before and during the cruise even when it’s been frustrating for him. We’ve been wanting to do this for a long time…or at least said we waned to and we finally did it!
One of the best parts of travelling is learning from the people you meet and this cruise has been no exception. We learn about the politics of other countries, how others see America, how they live their lives and in general, we become less insulated and more tolerant.
Mark and I love seeing the countryside of the places we visit. We so enjoy the unique animals and birds that are found only in this part of the world such as the kangaroo, koala, emu, albatross, platypus, wallaby, yellow-eyed penguin and many others. I love sending you photos of these animals.
We didn’t do any ceramics on this trip as we have done quite a bit during 2009.
Before each port, an on board lecturer gives a presentation of the city and where we can go and what to see. It’s very informative.
Although we have fixed seating at 6:00 PM with a set group of table mates, we don’t always go. Instead we will sometimes eat with friends at one of the other dining venues or go up to the Horizon Court buffet. No matter where we eat, the food is always terrific.
The shows at night in the two floor Princess Theater are excellent. The singers and dancers are all professional caliber and a joy to watch. There are also a number of other clubs and lounges where there are bands, comedians and any number of programs going on all the time. There is also a well stocked library, internet café and board games room, etc. You can do all or none of these activities as you desire.
In our cabin, there is wireless internet where I do all my blogging and uploading of photos which I have e-mailed you the link to. I hope you’ve enjoyed looking at the pictures half as much as I’ve enjoyed taking and sending them to you.
Another great part of cruising is buying gifts and souvenirs for family and friends and this time has been no exception. And the buying is not over yet!
I really look forward to hearing from you all. As you can see, I like to keep in touch and I hope you will do so with Mark and me.
Best way is to e-mail me at: jkarla@fairpoint.net
Tomorrow is the last day of this 12 day cruise from Auckland, NZ to Sydney, Australia. Mark and I are two of the only 142 of 2700 Diamond Princess passengers who will not be disembarking in Sydney. Instead, we are doing another segment of 20 days which will take us to Bangkok, Thailand. This itinerary will take us back for a day each in Melbourne and Hobart and then up the southern and western coasts of Australia to Adelaide, Perth and Geraldton. After four days at sea, we will reach Singapore where we will spend a day and then one day each in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam; Sihanoukville, Cambodia; and then Bangkok. We will stay overnight in Bangkok, fly to Tokyo, Japan and stay overnight there and then will fly from Tokyo to Los Angeles and on to Seattle on March 15.
Some thoughts in no particular order. Every single Australian and New Zealander we’ve met both on and off the ship have been unfailingly friendly, warm and open. I’ve concluded that “down under” is a great part of the world and I’m so happy to have experienced some of it.
The weather has been warm and sunny and the seas have been calm and slight for the most part.
I’ve won $24 in the casino.
Mark and I have taken more dance lessons from the very funny dance teacher on board, Tyson. In addition to the private lessons we took before leaving home, we’ve learned the meringue, rhumba, waltz, cha-cha (again) and the New York swing…all of which are ballroom dances. I’m so pleased that Mark has enthusiastically participated both before and during the cruise even when it’s been frustrating for him. We’ve been wanting to do this for a long time…or at least said we waned to and we finally did it!
One of the best parts of travelling is learning from the people you meet and this cruise has been no exception. We learn about the politics of other countries, how others see America, how they live their lives and in general, we become less insulated and more tolerant.
Mark and I love seeing the countryside of the places we visit. We so enjoy the unique animals and birds that are found only in this part of the world such as the kangaroo, koala, emu, albatross, platypus, wallaby, yellow-eyed penguin and many others. I love sending you photos of these animals.
We didn’t do any ceramics on this trip as we have done quite a bit during 2009.
Before each port, an on board lecturer gives a presentation of the city and where we can go and what to see. It’s very informative.
Although we have fixed seating at 6:00 PM with a set group of table mates, we don’t always go. Instead we will sometimes eat with friends at one of the other dining venues or go up to the Horizon Court buffet. No matter where we eat, the food is always terrific.
The shows at night in the two floor Princess Theater are excellent. The singers and dancers are all professional caliber and a joy to watch. There are also a number of other clubs and lounges where there are bands, comedians and any number of programs going on all the time. There is also a well stocked library, internet café and board games room, etc. You can do all or none of these activities as you desire.
In our cabin, there is wireless internet where I do all my blogging and uploading of photos which I have e-mailed you the link to. I hope you’ve enjoyed looking at the pictures half as much as I’ve enjoyed taking and sending them to you.
Another great part of cruising is buying gifts and souvenirs for family and friends and this time has been no exception. And the buying is not over yet!
I really look forward to hearing from you all. As you can see, I like to keep in touch and I hope you will do so with Mark and me.
Best way is to e-mail me at: jkarla@fairpoint.net
Monday, February 15, 2010
Boarding the ship and New Zealand Ports
Today is Monday, Feb 15, 2010 and here on the Diamond Princess it is 1:30 PM. On the west coast of the U.S. it is Sunday, Feb 14 (Lori Noelle’s 41st birthday) and it is 5:30 PM in Seattle and 8:30 PM in Florida. These time differences give new meaning to the term “all time is relative”.
I sent a lengthy e-mail to family and friends recounting our trip from when we left Seattle on Feb 2 to arriving in Auckland, NZ on Feb 4 until we boarded our ship, the Diamond Princess on Feb 9. It was also posted on my blog which, for those of you who may not know about my blog, can be found at www.markandjofanniestripdownunder.blogspot.com. If you are reading this on the blog then obviously you have found it!
It is always exciting for us when we come on board a cruise ship. The many months of anticipation are over and the reality is now being experienced. The Diamond is the sister ship and exact duplicate of the Sapphire Princess which we were on in 2006 so she was familiar to us. This time we boarded with another couple, Karreen and Al from Lacey, WA which was a first for us. The Diamond holds 2600 passengers and is considered a premium class ship. She is very lovely.
After getting something to eat (it was lunchtime when we boarded), we went up on the 15th deck and saw another ship berthed right along side of us. She was Norwegian Cruise Line’s “Rhapsody of the Seas”. What made this rather extraordinary was that of the hundreds of cruise ships in existence, the Rhapsody was the one we took two of our grandchildren (Julian and Claire Dayton) on to Alaska this past September! And here she was right next to the Diamond! When you get a chance to see my photos, you will see pictures of the two ships together…the Diamond is one third again as big.
After unpacking our luggage, which took some time, we got reacquainted with the ship and then had dinner. For the first time, we had been assigned “traditional” or fixed seating which means we were given a particular table in one of the several dining rooms with 3 other couples. Of the five dining rooms ours is the Vivaldi. The other couples at our table are quite congenial. This would be the time to comment about the food. We’ve sailed on Princess ships before and the food has been very good but this time it is excellent! As a matter of fact, Mark commented to the maitre’d one evening as we were leaving the Vivaldi that the only criticism he had was that the food was too good! There is also a buffet type of dining area on the 14th deck, the Horizon Court, where you can get equally good food in a more informal atmosphere. (Note to Julian and Claire- the food on the Diamond is way better than on the Rhapsody of the Seas).
We embarked from Auckland on Tuesday, Feb 9 and our first port on the 10th was Tauranga, a lovely town on New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty. It is NZ’s busiest port and a productive agricultural and timber center. More than 1.5 billion kiwi fruits are exported from here each year. Tauranga is also the gateway to one of the South Pacific’s finest attractions, Rotorua which is located in the middle of the most intense thermal activity as the region sits atop underground water, which, superheated by lava, bubbles up all around in geysers, mud pools and steam boors.
We did not see this unique attraction but rather had chosen to book a trip on the South Sea Vagabond, a large catamaran which took ten of us out into the Bay of Plenty to find and swim with dolphins. We did indeed find loads of dolphins but they were not in a playing mood and just surrounded the boat and went off on their own. However we did shoot lots of pictures of them. The day was very sunny but breezy and the water a bit cold. So Karreen and I kayaked instead and had loads of fun. Although I’ve kayaked many times before, this was the first open ocean kayaking I’d done. Mark did swim in the ocean but didn’t stay in for very long due to the water temperature. It was a great day but if I had to do it again and knew more about the cold water and lack of dolphin swimming, I would have gone to the bubbling lava of Rotorua and seen a Maori tribal village instead.
The next day, Thursday the 11th, was an “at sea” day. There are always many many activities you can do on the ship on an at sea day. For instance, Mark and I took a “meringue” dance lesson. We listened to a destination lecture about Christchurch and Dunedin, our two next ports and we also went to a Broadway production number in the Princess theatre. It was also a “formal night” where everybody gets dressed up and looks elegant.
Friday, the 12th, we docked at the port of Lyttelton which is the port for Christchurch. Christchurch is in New Zealand’s South Island. You don’t have to go to England to punt down the Avon River, see colorful cottage gardens, bowling lawns or tour past stately Gothic cathedrals on a red double-decker bus. It’s all in Christchurch, affectionately known as New Zealand’s most English city.
Christchurch faces inland to the Canterbury Plains, which is a very fertile agricultural area and also to the snowy Southern Alps. In the morning we took a shuttle into town and explored the city on our own and bought gifts and souvenirs. Then in the afternoon we took a tour where we went punting on the Avon River which is like a gondola in Venice, Italy. The weather couldn’t have been more beautiful (after all, this is summer in the southern hemisphere). The Avon gently meanders through lush gardens and gracefully arching trees. We also got the chance to stroll among the Botanical Gardens which are the third largest such gardens in the world behind Central Park and the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, Canada.
We then had a true English tea on board a tram which took us along the Christchurch streets as we ate tea sandwiches, scones and pastries and drank Earl Grey and Darjeeling tea. Ah…. All in all, Christchurch appears to be a wonderful place to live.
On Saturday, Feb 13th, we docked in Dunedin (pronounced Do-‘knee-dun). I had organized this private tour for a group of 8 of us with a company called Arthur’s Tours. We started at 8 in the morning and didn’t arrive back to the ship until 5:15 so it was a very long day but we saw and did so much! First, we were taken up and down the world’s steepest street- Baldwin Street. We even got certificates attesting to this feat! Then we stopped at the University of Dunedin that has students attending from all over the world. It is especially well known for its programs in medicine, dentistry, business administration and physical education. We then went to the Railway Station because of its architecture. It was indeed special. Next, we visited the first church built in Dunedin..very impressive.
After a half hour drive, we visited the long awaited Penguin Colony. By this time, it was gusting and blowing and after we left our van we had to hike up this peninsula to get to where the penguin colony was. We then walked through camouflaged covered blinds (viewing areas) to see the yellow-eyed penguins. These special penguins are only found on the south coast of NZ’s South Island and only two other places in the world. (Make sure you check out the photos I took).
Next, we went to the Albatross Centre about 10 minutes away. After hearing a lecture at the colony about these birds we went and saw them. These are the largest albatrosses in the world with a wingspan of 10 feet. We were lucky in that there were three adult pairs sitting on three week old chicks to keep them warm. There are only 2,000 Royal Albatrosses in the world, mostly on Chatham Island near Antarctica. The adult pairs swap places with one another as one goes to sea to find food and the other sits on the chick who needs the warmth of its parent’s body at this vulnerable stage. We also were fortunate to see two adolescents flying in the air after being gone for five years. Albatrosses leave the colony as juveniles and do not land for five years except on the water to get food. After five years, they come back to the colony for courting and mating purposes. There is only a 40-50% survival rate for these birds outside the colony and a 70% rate inside the colony. The colonies change location after 1,000 years or so!
By this time we were all ravenously hungry and were happy to get to Lanarch Castle where we had a late lunch. Lanarch Castle is the only castle in all of New Zealand. It is perched in one of the most beautiful locations in the world with 270 degree vistas overlooking the Bay of Dunedin. It had been built over a period of 10 years in the 1880’s and there were plenty of family feuds as well as the occasional murder to keep things interesting! After exploring the castle grounds (the sun having come out again), our driver took us back into Dunedin and drove us by some beautiful homes with spectacular views. We also stopped at a supermarket where we bought two bottles of wine and the others also did some shopping. It was a very full day but well worth every minute!
The next day was Valentines Day and Mark had a gorgeous bouquet delivered to our cabin. I was thrilled and touched. This day was spent cruising the Fiordland National Park which is the largest national park in NZ. It has been recognized as one of the world’s foremost natural landscapes. Since we are fortunate to have a balcony cabin we were able to take many photos from the comfort of our balcony. Fiordland National Park stands apart as a region of distinct character made up mainly of hard crystalline rocks formed 500 million years ago. Today, hundreds of lakes dot the landscape- among them the deepest in NZ, Lake Hauroko, at 462 metres (1300 feet). This was a very special opportunity that reminded us of the fiords in Norway and Glacier Bay in Alaska.
Today, Monday the 15th, we are sailing towards Hobart, Tasmania which is an Australian state but its own separate island. More to come!
I sent a lengthy e-mail to family and friends recounting our trip from when we left Seattle on Feb 2 to arriving in Auckland, NZ on Feb 4 until we boarded our ship, the Diamond Princess on Feb 9. It was also posted on my blog which, for those of you who may not know about my blog, can be found at www.markandjofanniestripdownunder.blogspot.com. If you are reading this on the blog then obviously you have found it!
It is always exciting for us when we come on board a cruise ship. The many months of anticipation are over and the reality is now being experienced. The Diamond is the sister ship and exact duplicate of the Sapphire Princess which we were on in 2006 so she was familiar to us. This time we boarded with another couple, Karreen and Al from Lacey, WA which was a first for us. The Diamond holds 2600 passengers and is considered a premium class ship. She is very lovely.
After getting something to eat (it was lunchtime when we boarded), we went up on the 15th deck and saw another ship berthed right along side of us. She was Norwegian Cruise Line’s “Rhapsody of the Seas”. What made this rather extraordinary was that of the hundreds of cruise ships in existence, the Rhapsody was the one we took two of our grandchildren (Julian and Claire Dayton) on to Alaska this past September! And here she was right next to the Diamond! When you get a chance to see my photos, you will see pictures of the two ships together…the Diamond is one third again as big.
After unpacking our luggage, which took some time, we got reacquainted with the ship and then had dinner. For the first time, we had been assigned “traditional” or fixed seating which means we were given a particular table in one of the several dining rooms with 3 other couples. Of the five dining rooms ours is the Vivaldi. The other couples at our table are quite congenial. This would be the time to comment about the food. We’ve sailed on Princess ships before and the food has been very good but this time it is excellent! As a matter of fact, Mark commented to the maitre’d one evening as we were leaving the Vivaldi that the only criticism he had was that the food was too good! There is also a buffet type of dining area on the 14th deck, the Horizon Court, where you can get equally good food in a more informal atmosphere. (Note to Julian and Claire- the food on the Diamond is way better than on the Rhapsody of the Seas).
We embarked from Auckland on Tuesday, Feb 9 and our first port on the 10th was Tauranga, a lovely town on New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty. It is NZ’s busiest port and a productive agricultural and timber center. More than 1.5 billion kiwi fruits are exported from here each year. Tauranga is also the gateway to one of the South Pacific’s finest attractions, Rotorua which is located in the middle of the most intense thermal activity as the region sits atop underground water, which, superheated by lava, bubbles up all around in geysers, mud pools and steam boors.
We did not see this unique attraction but rather had chosen to book a trip on the South Sea Vagabond, a large catamaran which took ten of us out into the Bay of Plenty to find and swim with dolphins. We did indeed find loads of dolphins but they were not in a playing mood and just surrounded the boat and went off on their own. However we did shoot lots of pictures of them. The day was very sunny but breezy and the water a bit cold. So Karreen and I kayaked instead and had loads of fun. Although I’ve kayaked many times before, this was the first open ocean kayaking I’d done. Mark did swim in the ocean but didn’t stay in for very long due to the water temperature. It was a great day but if I had to do it again and knew more about the cold water and lack of dolphin swimming, I would have gone to the bubbling lava of Rotorua and seen a Maori tribal village instead.
The next day, Thursday the 11th, was an “at sea” day. There are always many many activities you can do on the ship on an at sea day. For instance, Mark and I took a “meringue” dance lesson. We listened to a destination lecture about Christchurch and Dunedin, our two next ports and we also went to a Broadway production number in the Princess theatre. It was also a “formal night” where everybody gets dressed up and looks elegant.
Friday, the 12th, we docked at the port of Lyttelton which is the port for Christchurch. Christchurch is in New Zealand’s South Island. You don’t have to go to England to punt down the Avon River, see colorful cottage gardens, bowling lawns or tour past stately Gothic cathedrals on a red double-decker bus. It’s all in Christchurch, affectionately known as New Zealand’s most English city.
Christchurch faces inland to the Canterbury Plains, which is a very fertile agricultural area and also to the snowy Southern Alps. In the morning we took a shuttle into town and explored the city on our own and bought gifts and souvenirs. Then in the afternoon we took a tour where we went punting on the Avon River which is like a gondola in Venice, Italy. The weather couldn’t have been more beautiful (after all, this is summer in the southern hemisphere). The Avon gently meanders through lush gardens and gracefully arching trees. We also got the chance to stroll among the Botanical Gardens which are the third largest such gardens in the world behind Central Park and the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, Canada.
We then had a true English tea on board a tram which took us along the Christchurch streets as we ate tea sandwiches, scones and pastries and drank Earl Grey and Darjeeling tea. Ah…. All in all, Christchurch appears to be a wonderful place to live.
On Saturday, Feb 13th, we docked in Dunedin (pronounced Do-‘knee-dun). I had organized this private tour for a group of 8 of us with a company called Arthur’s Tours. We started at 8 in the morning and didn’t arrive back to the ship until 5:15 so it was a very long day but we saw and did so much! First, we were taken up and down the world’s steepest street- Baldwin Street. We even got certificates attesting to this feat! Then we stopped at the University of Dunedin that has students attending from all over the world. It is especially well known for its programs in medicine, dentistry, business administration and physical education. We then went to the Railway Station because of its architecture. It was indeed special. Next, we visited the first church built in Dunedin..very impressive.
After a half hour drive, we visited the long awaited Penguin Colony. By this time, it was gusting and blowing and after we left our van we had to hike up this peninsula to get to where the penguin colony was. We then walked through camouflaged covered blinds (viewing areas) to see the yellow-eyed penguins. These special penguins are only found on the south coast of NZ’s South Island and only two other places in the world. (Make sure you check out the photos I took).
Next, we went to the Albatross Centre about 10 minutes away. After hearing a lecture at the colony about these birds we went and saw them. These are the largest albatrosses in the world with a wingspan of 10 feet. We were lucky in that there were three adult pairs sitting on three week old chicks to keep them warm. There are only 2,000 Royal Albatrosses in the world, mostly on Chatham Island near Antarctica. The adult pairs swap places with one another as one goes to sea to find food and the other sits on the chick who needs the warmth of its parent’s body at this vulnerable stage. We also were fortunate to see two adolescents flying in the air after being gone for five years. Albatrosses leave the colony as juveniles and do not land for five years except on the water to get food. After five years, they come back to the colony for courting and mating purposes. There is only a 40-50% survival rate for these birds outside the colony and a 70% rate inside the colony. The colonies change location after 1,000 years or so!
By this time we were all ravenously hungry and were happy to get to Lanarch Castle where we had a late lunch. Lanarch Castle is the only castle in all of New Zealand. It is perched in one of the most beautiful locations in the world with 270 degree vistas overlooking the Bay of Dunedin. It had been built over a period of 10 years in the 1880’s and there were plenty of family feuds as well as the occasional murder to keep things interesting! After exploring the castle grounds (the sun having come out again), our driver took us back into Dunedin and drove us by some beautiful homes with spectacular views. We also stopped at a supermarket where we bought two bottles of wine and the others also did some shopping. It was a very full day but well worth every minute!
The next day was Valentines Day and Mark had a gorgeous bouquet delivered to our cabin. I was thrilled and touched. This day was spent cruising the Fiordland National Park which is the largest national park in NZ. It has been recognized as one of the world’s foremost natural landscapes. Since we are fortunate to have a balcony cabin we were able to take many photos from the comfort of our balcony. Fiordland National Park stands apart as a region of distinct character made up mainly of hard crystalline rocks formed 500 million years ago. Today, hundreds of lakes dot the landscape- among them the deepest in NZ, Lake Hauroko, at 462 metres (1300 feet). This was a very special opportunity that reminded us of the fiords in Norway and Glacier Bay in Alaska.
Today, Monday the 15th, we are sailing towards Hobart, Tasmania which is an Australian state but its own separate island. More to come!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Our trip has begun! We left Seattle on Tuesday Feb 2, 2010 at 3:35 PM and arrived in Auckland at 9:15 AM on Thursday Feb 4. We lost Wednesday. Flying to New Zealand from the west coast of the U.S. is a lot easier on the body than flying from the east coast or the Midwest. The flight from LAX (Los Angeles) was 13.5 hours. I was fortunate in having an empty seat next to me which was really Mark’s seat but he had gotten an exit row seat. We both took sleeping pills which helped a lot.
Auckland is a beautiful city. We took a bus tour of the city on Thursday afternoon which was a good way to get a sense of how things were laid out. We went to the Auckland museum and saw some wonderful Maori artifacts and were taken to some great vantage spots where we could see 360 degrees around the city. We stayed at the Quadrant hotel.
On Friday, Feb 5, we rented a car. Now that sounds easy…you just rent a car. Well, Kiwis (New Zealanders) as well as Aussies (Australians) drive on the left side of the road. It takes some getting used to especially for a young 70 year old like Mark. But he was terrific. He and I just kept saying to one another “stay to the left, stay to the left, look to the right, look to the right”. Once we were on the road we just followed the other drivers but the tricky part was when Mark had to make a turn or merge into a travel circle. We had relatively few close calls(!) and Mark did great.
So on Friday we drove 3.5 hours north of Auckland to Russell in the Bay of Islands. New Zealand is a truly beautiful country but the Bay of Islands is spectacular. We stayed at a bed and breakfast called Papiroa Homestay hosted by Gary and Paula. They couldn’t have been nicer and the views from their place were as gorgeous as any place we have ever been to! On Saturday we took a boat tour out into the Bay. We were very lucky because it happened to be a national holiday and out on the Bay were “wakas”, Maori long boats. Close to the boat was the largest waka in NZ with 100 rowers. The Maoris were the original settlers of NZ descended from Polynesia. When the Englishman, James Cook, first came to NZ in the 1760’s he mapped the islands and brought trinkets to the Maoris. Then the first English settlers came in the 1830’s and there was conflict between the Maoris and the settlers. There have been five treaties since then and a lot of intermarriage.
We explored the lovely town of Russell and on Sunday, Feb 7 we drove back to Auckland. There we met up with our friends, Al and Karreen from Lacey, WA and had dinner with them. By the way, the weather this whole time has been glorious-sunny with temps in the high 70’s, low 80’s. This is summertime in the southern hemisphere and February is their August.
On Monday, Feb 8, we made a lifetime dream of Al’s come true and we drove 3 hours south out of Auckland to the Waitomo Glow Worm caves. We visited two of them. They are unique to this part of the world. In one of them we took a boat as well as walked and were amazed by the thousands of glowworms sparkling above and beside us. We were mesmerized by the spectacular ornate cave decorations and sculptures developed over thousands of years. In the second cave, distinctly different from the first, we entered through a spiral entrance and walked down 185 feet to the bottom, our way lit only by dim lights set into the walls of the cave. This cave was huge and we experienced the sheer majesty and intimacy of its corridors. Its crystal tapestries are truly other worldly.
We returned to Auckland feeling distinctly grateful for having been a part of this aspect of nature’s magnificence. More to come……
Auckland is a beautiful city. We took a bus tour of the city on Thursday afternoon which was a good way to get a sense of how things were laid out. We went to the Auckland museum and saw some wonderful Maori artifacts and were taken to some great vantage spots where we could see 360 degrees around the city. We stayed at the Quadrant hotel.
On Friday, Feb 5, we rented a car. Now that sounds easy…you just rent a car. Well, Kiwis (New Zealanders) as well as Aussies (Australians) drive on the left side of the road. It takes some getting used to especially for a young 70 year old like Mark. But he was terrific. He and I just kept saying to one another “stay to the left, stay to the left, look to the right, look to the right”. Once we were on the road we just followed the other drivers but the tricky part was when Mark had to make a turn or merge into a travel circle. We had relatively few close calls(!) and Mark did great.
So on Friday we drove 3.5 hours north of Auckland to Russell in the Bay of Islands. New Zealand is a truly beautiful country but the Bay of Islands is spectacular. We stayed at a bed and breakfast called Papiroa Homestay hosted by Gary and Paula. They couldn’t have been nicer and the views from their place were as gorgeous as any place we have ever been to! On Saturday we took a boat tour out into the Bay. We were very lucky because it happened to be a national holiday and out on the Bay were “wakas”, Maori long boats. Close to the boat was the largest waka in NZ with 100 rowers. The Maoris were the original settlers of NZ descended from Polynesia. When the Englishman, James Cook, first came to NZ in the 1760’s he mapped the islands and brought trinkets to the Maoris. Then the first English settlers came in the 1830’s and there was conflict between the Maoris and the settlers. There have been five treaties since then and a lot of intermarriage.
We explored the lovely town of Russell and on Sunday, Feb 7 we drove back to Auckland. There we met up with our friends, Al and Karreen from Lacey, WA and had dinner with them. By the way, the weather this whole time has been glorious-sunny with temps in the high 70’s, low 80’s. This is summertime in the southern hemisphere and February is their August.
On Monday, Feb 8, we made a lifetime dream of Al’s come true and we drove 3 hours south out of Auckland to the Waitomo Glow Worm caves. We visited two of them. They are unique to this part of the world. In one of them we took a boat as well as walked and were amazed by the thousands of glowworms sparkling above and beside us. We were mesmerized by the spectacular ornate cave decorations and sculptures developed over thousands of years. In the second cave, distinctly different from the first, we entered through a spiral entrance and walked down 185 feet to the bottom, our way lit only by dim lights set into the walls of the cave. This cave was huge and we experienced the sheer majesty and intimacy of its corridors. Its crystal tapestries are truly other worldly.
We returned to Auckland feeling distinctly grateful for having been a part of this aspect of nature’s magnificence. More to come……
Saturday, January 30, 2010
It's been some time since my last post. My dear daughter-in-law Jill Dayton, has asked for a next installment so here goes. Today is Janaury 30, 2010. It's hard to believe that a full month has gone by in the new year, new decade.
In preparation for our trip which is fast approaching, Mark and I have continued with our swim aerobics classes three times a week as well as challenging ourselves with hill climbs and weight work and land aerobics as well.
We've also tried valiantly to shed a few pounds of fat so our "love handles" are less loveable!
The real reason is so we can fit into our clothes on board the Diamond Princess so we can eat more food!
Let's be truthful here.
Today was packing day. We've had our open suitcases staring at us reproachfully for a week now. It was time. We'll be gone for over 40 days and we are notorious "good intention" packers-
you know the "This Time I'll Take Only What I Will Absolutely Wear and Everything Will Coordinate With Everything Else" type people. I'm in awe of these real life saints. They go on a year long trip with only a back pack over their shoulder. Of course, they don't have 'formal nights' where their shoes must coordinate with their dressy clothes nor do they usually need lounge wear and 'smart casual' outfits for those nights in the various dining venues when not posing for painfully expensive formal photos.
No, I am embarrased to admit the following to all of you who will no doubt be righteously smirking at our unseemly overpacking once again. So much for good intentions, my dear.
Since they say that confession is good for the soul, here goes:
Two large suitcases
One medium suitcase
One duffle bag (All of the above to be checked luggage)
I'm not finshed.
One wheeled carry-on
One large over the shouler tote bag (Both to be carried by Jofannie)
One smaller wheeled carry-on carrying a very large camera bag housing our new camera and related equipment)
Our rather large laptop (Both to be carried by the sherpa- Mark)
Yes, I am blushing
The strategy for carrying all this is as follows-
When we arrive in Auckland and retrieve our baggage, Mark grabs one of the large suitcases, places the duffle on top so both pieces can be wheeled with one hand. In his other hand, which hopefully is still attached to his arm, he wheels the medium suitcase with the camera-toting carry-on on top and firmly in his grasp and ACROSS HIS BODY is the laptop bag..with laptop inside.
I wheel the other large suitcase in one hand, my assigned carry-on with the other hand and the carry-all (really just a large tote) aross my chest....
Feel free to write back with all your comments. As an example- "OY VAY"!
Pray for porters...or not.
Actually, other than luggage, we are very excited to be on our way on Tuesday, Feb 2.
We'll be picked up at our door by an airporter service that takes us straight to SeaTac airport.
Then we fly to LAX via a short stop in San Jose, Ca. At 11:15 PM, we board our Qantas flight for a 12.5 hour flight to Auckland, NZ, arriving at 9:15 AM two days later on Feb 4 since we cross the International Date Line thereby losing a day (which we gain back when we fly home from Bangkok and Tokyo on March 14 and 15).
In preparation for our trip which is fast approaching, Mark and I have continued with our swim aerobics classes three times a week as well as challenging ourselves with hill climbs and weight work and land aerobics as well.
We've also tried valiantly to shed a few pounds of fat so our "love handles" are less loveable!
The real reason is so we can fit into our clothes on board the Diamond Princess so we can eat more food!
Let's be truthful here.
Today was packing day. We've had our open suitcases staring at us reproachfully for a week now. It was time. We'll be gone for over 40 days and we are notorious "good intention" packers-
you know the "This Time I'll Take Only What I Will Absolutely Wear and Everything Will Coordinate With Everything Else" type people. I'm in awe of these real life saints. They go on a year long trip with only a back pack over their shoulder. Of course, they don't have 'formal nights' where their shoes must coordinate with their dressy clothes nor do they usually need lounge wear and 'smart casual' outfits for those nights in the various dining venues when not posing for painfully expensive formal photos.
No, I am embarrased to admit the following to all of you who will no doubt be righteously smirking at our unseemly overpacking once again. So much for good intentions, my dear.
Since they say that confession is good for the soul, here goes:
Two large suitcases
One medium suitcase
One duffle bag (All of the above to be checked luggage)
I'm not finshed.
One wheeled carry-on
One large over the shouler tote bag (Both to be carried by Jofannie)
One smaller wheeled carry-on carrying a very large camera bag housing our new camera and related equipment)
Our rather large laptop (Both to be carried by the sherpa- Mark)
Yes, I am blushing
The strategy for carrying all this is as follows-
When we arrive in Auckland and retrieve our baggage, Mark grabs one of the large suitcases, places the duffle on top so both pieces can be wheeled with one hand. In his other hand, which hopefully is still attached to his arm, he wheels the medium suitcase with the camera-toting carry-on on top and firmly in his grasp and ACROSS HIS BODY is the laptop bag..with laptop inside.
I wheel the other large suitcase in one hand, my assigned carry-on with the other hand and the carry-all (really just a large tote) aross my chest....
Feel free to write back with all your comments. As an example- "OY VAY"!
Pray for porters...or not.
Actually, other than luggage, we are very excited to be on our way on Tuesday, Feb 2.
We'll be picked up at our door by an airporter service that takes us straight to SeaTac airport.
Then we fly to LAX via a short stop in San Jose, Ca. At 11:15 PM, we board our Qantas flight for a 12.5 hour flight to Auckland, NZ, arriving at 9:15 AM two days later on Feb 4 since we cross the International Date Line thereby losing a day (which we gain back when we fly home from Bangkok and Tokyo on March 14 and 15).
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Christmas 2009
Wow! It's been 12 days since I've posted and it's now 2010. New Year, New Decade, New Resolutions. Mark and I embrace each new year as an opportunity to enhance who we are and evolve into our most glorious selves. 2010 will be full of challenges on the world stage and for each of us personally. We focus each day on the words to that wonderful Beattles song, "All There Is Is Love dah da da da da".....We had a lovely and loving Christmas with that part of our family that lives in Washington state which includes son Christopher, daughter-in-law Jill, and grandchildren Julian (who became a teenager on Dec 27), Claire, Audrey and Ethan (now officially potty trained).
It was the first time they spent several days at our house over the Christmas holiday and much food, presents and merriment abided. No snow, but unusual and gorgeous clear skies and brisk weather. A true Godsend for our state this time of the year.
I am now starting the OFFICIAL countdown for our trip Down Under...thirty days and counting.
Mark and I wish you the most fantastic year ever so HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
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