Irene & Chris' Travel

2012-01-22T23:24:00.000-08:00

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

January, 2012

After an excellent flight on Korean Air from Vancouver we landed at the magnificent Incheon Airport. This airport was the finest in the world until Hong Kong became #1 and now it is #2. Our hotel for 2 nights was near the airport and had shuttle service. We stayed at the Airtel Hotel which is in an area where there are a number of shops, grocery stores and small restaurants. We ate our meals at the local eatery and bought some interesting sweets off the street. It was a very interesting stopover for 2 nights and we were pleased that we included this stop. The Hotel staff arranged for a city tour for us. We were 45 minutes driving time from Seoul and this involved a long ride over a causeway. It was a very quick tour of downtown,the Imperial Palace, market area and a good lunch.

The weather was cool to cold at +2'c and cloudy. There was not much wind so the wind chill was not much. We were dressed for it with hat and mitts although holding cameras and binoculars our fingers were cold.

While waiting for our flight to Chiang Mai, Thailand the airport had loads of quality shopping, entertainment by the Cultural Group of Korea – dressed in their traditionally finery.. The Group also had a number of activity centers where they were teaching anyone who was interested in their traditional crafts. We had never seen that in an airport before. Air Korea was the best airline we have flown. The food, service, video was all excellent and the seats were about 3” wider than normal. Everything worked comparing to American Airlines where the seats were broken and so was the video and the earphone connections.

Enjoy the pictures we captured of our visit:

At Vancouver Airport waiting for our Korean Air Flight

Flying over Kamchetka, Russia

Downtown Seoul

t
The entrance gate to the Imperial Palace

Ice on the pond

Beautiful and intricate decoration

Sweets from the street vendor

Fish in local market

Street scene near our hotel

Our Hotel and transfer van

Teaching tradional crafts to passengers at airport

Tradional Costumes

2011-03-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

COSTA RICA

Jan. 5 – March 5, 2011

This is the land of volcanoes, rugged country, cloud forests, and miles of beaches on two oceans, narrow paved roads, an autopista, and 4x4 gravel roads, no street signs and directions given by landmarks. This is a land of contrasts.

We made some day trip and one 4 day trip to Monteverde Cloud Forest and Santa Elena. The cloud forest and area was very interesting. To get there one drives about 20 km on a very rough gravel road. The village of Santa Elena is paved but travel of 10 km to the Cloud Forest was again gravel. The Cloud Forest lived up to its reputation of rain, fog and wind. The trails were very well marked and maintained so we had an easy day of walking. We did not see the Quetzal (we were certainly looking for it). Non birders showed us pictures of the ones that they saw.

One day trip was to Poas Volcano and we lucked in and had a perfectly clear day. We met people who had gone several times and it was shrouded in fog. It was a highlight as we had never seen one like this. Another day we went to the nearby waterfalls – La Paz. There used to be 5 waterfalls but after the 2009 earthquake it has been reduced to 3. The grounds, zoo and attractions were extremely well done and quite spectacular in their own right.

We made 2 trips to the Pacific coast – one to Puntarenas and another to Jaco and Manuel Antonio. Puntarenas is a dying town since the cruise traffic has relocated down the coast. The sand is black and the area is very popular with the locals. Whereas the sand is light colored in Jaco and Manuel Antonio but this area is loaded with international tourists. We were glad we made these trips.

We took buses, taxis and received rides with friends as we did not rent a car for the 2 months. We would not have been happy driving the roads as Costa Rica is known for their high accident rate.

Costa Rica is not cheap. Groceries are the same price or more than in Canada. We found the fruit and vegetable were of a poor quality. Maybe they export the best quality, but oranges, limes and bananas were not juicy or were bruised. We did not see citrus fruit trees in people yards so locals have to buy if they wish to have them. The mangos and papaya were good.

The town of Atenas has wonderful climate with cooler evenings and warm afternoons. We stayed about 10 km out of Atenas and had a private cottage. There were 3 cottages and the owners on the property. We thoroughly enjoyed eating our meals on the patio and watching the birds coming and going. Since we had done a lot of travelling we thought we would enjoy just taking life easy and see if we could stay in one place for 2 months. We knew they did not have internet or tv so we did a lot of reading. The owners were very nice and accommodating but there were some issues. Following this blog entry is a review of the accommodations.

2011-03-13T16:57:00.000-07:00

Review of : APARTAMENTO RIO GRANDE, GUANACASTE, PAN DE AZUCAR

near ATENAS, COSTA RICA

We were booked into their Cabin #1 for 2 months – Jan and Feb 2011. Attracted by the Website and the information we made the booking. Upon arrival we found the claims misleading. The property is lovely and the cabins are attractive and kept very clean with fresh bedding twice a week.

We have travelled with our own vehicle extensively in Mexico for 17 years, and Guatemala, Belize, Panama and all South American countries except Bolivia and Paraguay. We are very familiar with 3rd world busses ( very modern to small collectivos) and roads of all descriptions. The busses in Costa Rica ran on schedule as they gave us a printed time table.

The following are some of the issues we encountered:

1. Dogs. The owner Teresa (in her 70's) and her son and family own at least 11 dogs on the small property. These dogs bark at any time of the day and night and especially early morning. The dogs range in size from 2 large Mastiff to a Chihuahua and others in between.

2. Pool. The pool is not cleaned sufficiently and is mainly murky with leaves and debris on the surface and the bottom was slimy. Some female guests were hesitant about going into the pool.

3. Location. The Website claims a hourly bus service outside the gate – not so. (We did not rent a car for the 2 months.) You walk 200 meters down a steep hill on very rough gravel road to the main road and wait for the bus that passes at 7:45, 9:45 and 11:30 am and takes about 45 minutes to town as it goes into 2 other villages and has many stops in between. A car would take 10-15min as it is not 5 km from town but 10-12km on a mountain road.

4. Internet. We knew there was no internet connection for guests, but because of the inconvenience of the buses it took at least ½ day to go into Atenas to check your e-mail etc. On one occasion we requested to use their private internet.

5. A small annoyance – the brooms are only available in the laundry hut. Calling someone from the door bell does not work and we were very hesitant about entering their yard because of the large dogs. On one occasion we witnessed the gardener's young helper leap the fence to avoid the attack of the huge Mastiff.

6. Contents of fridge on arrival: The term well stocked fridg is an exaggeration. It contained 2 bottles of water, jam -300g, cream cheese – 300g, milk - ¼ litre, baguette of bread. We asked for enough coffee for the next morning as we arrived too late to go shopping. The owner accommodated us with a bottle of wine which we resupplied him the next day.

Surprising the owners did not inform us or other guests of the bus schedule or that there was an English radio station.

2010-12-18T11:17:00.000-08:00

SOUTH AMERICA CRUISE

Oct. 9 – Nov. 21, 2010

This trip was a 34 day cruise plus additional 6 days in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

To start our adventure we were serenaded by a taxi driver in New York, who sang Mexican Ranchero songs (which we really like) and had a Karaoke machine which he played. This was a delightful drive from the airport to the Pier!

We had hot sun and beach weather to cold icy winds off the Antarctic and snow in Ushuaia. We also had very smooth seas except for the very south of South America – in fact from the Falkland Islands to Montevideo, Uruguay it felt as if we were not even moving. It was a very interesting cruise as the places visited ranged from beach, primitive Indian village to very Spanish style European cities, to German settlement villages in Chile, to the historic Strait of Magellan, Darwin Channel and Cape Horn. When transiting Cape Horn we had 50 knot winds, 20' waves and 300' between swells. The weather just added to the ambiance of rounding the tempestuous seas of Cape Horn.

We had 23 city visits including highlight viewing of Glaciers and the Cape. This was a trip that would be impossible to do except on a cruise ship. To get a glimpse into the 10 countries, transit the complete Panama Canal, and scenery that we visited in that time period would be impossible. We took only 3 organized and expensive excursions and the rest of the city visits we did on our own or joined another couple using local transportation or taxis.

We had beach sand, desert sand of the Aticama Desert, the cool to coldness of the Humboldt Current and the large number of Pelagic birds flying and feeding in the rich Humboldt. I stood for hours on the deck with my scope watching the birds flying and trying to identify the species. We also had a hundred plus sea birds land on the ship one night. They were confused with the lights. We saved almost all of them and the next night the Captain reduced the brightness of the lights and we didn't have any more visitors.

In Puerto Montt, Chile we took the local bus to Fruitillar and a guitar playing and singing busker joined the bus. We really never had any security problems except in Buenos Aires on the first day a “lady” sprayed Chris with green gunk and wanted to help us clean it off and then possibly rob us. It is an old tactic for robbery and when we refused to follow her she quickly disappeared.

We were very impressed with Montevideo and Buenes Aires. In Montevideo we viewed the range finder of the Graf Spee. This was one of the most famous German Naval Ships of WWII, which was scuttled by the Captain in the Bay of Montevideo in order to save his crew. Check Wikipedia for this most historical event.

We stayed 6 extra days in Buenos Aires. Our Hotel was located in the old downtown and we walked the pedestrian zones, looked at beautiful expensive shops and shopping mall and huge historical and impressive buildings, vendors in the middle of the wide walking zone, walked to the very large city park (Costanera Sur) within the city for birding and met some very interesting local people who were birders and/or photographers. We also visited with friends we met on the ship who rented an apartment about 3 blocks from us and will stay there until March. They will then take another cruise back to the USA.

Our Air Canada flight from Buenos Aires (with a stop in Santiago, Chile) to Toronto was uneventful except for a little turbulence over the Andes. We arrived in Winnipeg to snow and cold weather and planes being de-icing on the tarmac.

The following are a few pictures of our trip:

New York
Carribbean Sunset
San Blas Islands, Panama
Handicrafts - San Blas Islands, Panama
A portion of the Panama Canal
Panama City from the Panama Canal
Fish Market, Manta, Ecuador
Guayaquil, Ecuador
Chan Chan Historical Ruins, Peru
Lima, Peru (historical private home)
Changing of the Guards, Lima, Peru
Arica, Chile

Coquimbo, Chile
Valparaiso, Chile
Our bus entertainment, Puerto Montt, Chile
Frutillar, Chile
Two Volcanos, Puerto Montt, Chile
Amalia Glacier
Ushuaia, Argentina

Rounding Cape Horn
Cape Horn

Whale bones, Falkland Islands
Montevideo, Uruguay
One of many elegant buildings, Buenos Aires, Argentina
District where the Tango was born

2010-01-30T07:55:00.001-08:00

ARCHIVES - LIST OF

as of January 2010

The following list may help in identifying the location of our travel destinations. Please click on the link in the lower right column.

July 2006
Australia
Japan
South Africa

October 2006
Our Home
Portugal

November 2006
Arizona

December 2006
Alamos, Mexico

April 2007
Panama

May 2007
China

July 2007
Newfoundland

October 2007
Winnipeg
Ontario

March 2008
Ecuador

May 2008
Asia Pacific Cruise

October 2008
Black Sea Cruise

April 2009
New Zealand
Hong Kong

September 2009
Seattle, Washington

November 2009
Fall in USA

December 2009
Tamiami Hwy, Florida

January 2010
Amazon Cruise

2010-01-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

AMAZON CRUISE

(on the Oceania Regatta)

Nov. 28 - Dec. 23, 2009

a party on the Regatta

This will be a pictorial blog of our 24 day trip with 8 days cruising the Amazon River. We had a very good trip with good weather and no sea sickness. We tried to find as many birds as possible while sightseeing at the numerous stops, but this was difficult as we had lots to see. Our only shore excursion was to the Asa Wright Nature Centre in Trinidad and it was cut short by a refueling problem in Trinidad and we were late arriving in port.

Our major criticism was with the Brazilian Visa. It was outrageously expensive because of an extreme overbilling by the cruise line. If any of you are travelling to Brazil be sure to get your own Visa and not allow the Cruise Co. to bill you for it.

The Oceania Cruise Company overcharged us for the Visa and we are pursuing a refund. We were charged the USA price and our Canadian charge is 50% of that which would be about a $300 overcharge. We have contacted the Cruise Co. many times and they do not even reply. There were numerous people on the cruise that had similar complaints about Oceania.

The Brazilian also took their time in clearing the ship and this had to be done in every port in Brazil.

The trip was enjoyable and we certainly went to destinations that were much easier to reach by ship. All in all we had a great trip!

Our Cruise Itinerary (in nautical miles):

FROM THE SHIP'S LOG:

From MIAMI, U.S.A. to

FREDERIKSTED (St. Croix) U.S. Virgin Islands 1,050 nautical miles

GUSTAVIA, (St. Barts) 125

CASTRIES, St. Lucia 272

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad 236

SANTAREM, Brazil 1,397

BOCA da VALERIA 139

MANAUS, Brazil 270

PARINTINS, Brazil 249

DEVIL'S ISLAND, French Guyana 961

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados 633

ROSEAU, Dominica 173

SPANISH TOWN, British Virgin Islands 260

CAYO LEVENTADO, Dominican Republic 281

GRAND TURK, Turk & Caicos 225

MIAMI, U.S.A. 669

TOTAL 6,940 nautical miles

or 12,500 km

Miami, USA

Frederiksted, St. Croix

Frederiksted, St. Croix

Gustavia, St. Barts

Island of Saba, Netherlands Antilles

Castries, St. Lucia
Pitons, St. Lucia

Port of Spain, Trinidad

Port of Spain, Trinidad

The Meeting of the Waters, Brazil

Santarem, Brazil
Santarem, Brazil
Boca da Valeria, Brazil

Ships visitor (many different moths landed on our ship)

Manaus, Brazil

Manaus, Brazil

Opera House, Manaus. Brazil

Sunset Manaus, Brazil

Parintins, Brazil

Sunset on the Amazon

I'ile Royale, Devil's Island, French Guyana

Devil's Island, French Guyana

Roseau, Dominica

Roseau, Dominica

Roseau, Dominica

The Baths, Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda

Irene relaxing on deck

Chris relaxing on the top deck
Cayo Leventado, Dominican Republic

Christmas Decorations on board the Ship

Grand Turk, Turk and Caicos

Return to Miami, USA

In conclusion - we had a great time, met very nice people, very good food and excellent service. We are very pleased we took this trip.

2009-12-30T10:20:00.000-08:00

Tamiami Highway

Florida

November 23, 2009

We are parked on the shore of Monument Lake in the Florida Everglades, This is a State campground on the Tamiami Trail (Highway 41). The most southern road between Naples and Miami.

You see two warning signs by the water “Fish at your own risk and don't harass the alligators”.

There are only about half dozen campers stationed at various parts of the shore.

We are about 60 meters from a motorhome with a group of 4 adults. Their generator is humming and some are watching TV. One fellow is fishing with a rod. Suddenly he catches a fish and everyone is cheering with excitement. He starts reeling in the fish, when like out of nowhere an alligator torpedos toward the fish and tries to catch up to it until they both get to shore. The people start throwing rocks and wood at the reptile. A woman shouts “Honey get your gun!” Finally a loud crack is heard as a rock hits the alligator on the head. Cheering, applause and high-fives by the group for a job well done.

If the alligator had caught the fish the fellow would have had him on the line also.

Roasting alligator on the barbeque for dinner might be tasty but illegal, of course.

2009-11-14T08:12:00.000-08:00

FALL IN THE USA
Winnipeg to Alabama

Fred Harrington and Joyce Held, Mena, Arkansas

A few years ago we were parked in our
camper in a park in Uruapan, Mexico under a nice shady tree. Being
sound asleep we were awoken by hearing bangs like from baseballs
hitting on our roof. It turned out it was green avocados. We did
not realize it was an avocado tree

This week we are in Alabama at the
Pecan Point Park a few miles north of the Gulf of Mexico at Dothan,
Alabama. Hurricane Ida is on a direct approach and surprise we are
parked under a pecan nut tree. Machine gun like bullets were hitting
our roof. We did not take long to move to a safer location in the
park. Almost forgot to lift our jacks!

What can I say - if it is not avocados
it is pecans. Both delicious.

It is a good thing that you cannot park
under a pumpkin patch.

2009-09-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

SEATTLE, Washington

August 11-29, 2009

Really enjoyed Seattle and the Richard Wagner's "The Ring of the Nibelungen". We left Winnipeg on August 11 and travelled through North Dakota, Montana, Idaho into Washington State. Our GPS got us right to our hotel in Seattle after 6 days of travelling.

Our mornings were spent sightseeing on foot exploring this beautiful city for 6 days.

Seattle Art Museum (SAM) has many interesting displays. We particularly enjoyed the Porcelain Display and the Andrew Wyeth painting exhibit.

A well developed Promenade runs along the shore with parks and art displays. A pedestrian sidewalk along side a special bike lane insures safety. One day there were 3 cruise ships docked along the odd freighter and pleasure boats. Mount Rainier looms in the distance.

The Space Needle Centre is a 2 block area with parks and many attractions for adults and children, It also houses McCaw Hall, the Opera House, Ballet and Theatre venues and many other places of entertainment and eating.

Our hotel was only 3 blocks away which made it very convenient to walk to the Centre for the four performances that started as early as 6 pm.

We met several people who had visited Seattle as many as 7 times to see and hear the world famous Ring performances. They came from as far away as New Zealand.

The Ring Cycle is performed in very few cities around the world and if you have never seen this opera about Gold, Gods, Dwarfs. Giants, Love, Murder and Incest - this event is for you. Wagners music has many well known melodies and scores and is incomparably awesome.

We stopped in Vancouver for 2 1/2 days to visit Chris' mother and siblings and had an overnight stop in Cranbrook to visit Irene's sister. Both visits were most enjoyable but we had to be back for Dr. and Dentist appointments in Winnipeg by Monday, August 31.

For more information about "The Ring" please write us. weimagca@yahoo.ca

2009-04-26T18:54:00.000-07:00

NEW ZEALAND

January 14 - April 13, 2009

A Critical look at a very lovely country

We spent a total of 3 months in New Zealand. One week was enjoyed in Auckland before renting our campervan. We stayed next to the Domain Park at Domain Lodge. A very quiet, very clean and comfortable accommodation and bus stops just outside. We toured the Museum, took a ferry to Rangitoto Island, to NZ Open Tennis tournament, to their great Museum, to Victoria Park market and visited the downtown and Newmarket area a number of times. Auckland is a very clean and beautiful city and has an excellent bus system.

SCENERY
A little of everything - mountains, glaciers, hot pools, lakes and farming land. This is a smaller version of Western Canada. They have millions of more sheep, and lots of cattle also. Spectacular sceneries along the ocean, especially on the South Island and every shade of green on hill and valleys. A number of attractive towns with well preserved old buildings.

BIRDING
We missed seeing the Kiwi in the wild due to heavy rain in the area. There were entrance fees of NZ$25-$35 to see them being fed in a habitat where day and night was reversed so they would eat during the day for the tourists - as they are only nocturnal.

We lucked into a personal visit to a Kiwi Nursery by the Keeper at Napier (a beautiful town). It really was exceptional what he did for us as we were allowed to hold a 13 day old chick, a 34 year old mother and view the 50+ year old father incubating the egg.

Species numbers are low unless you pay to go to a predator free island for viewing. The numbers are high for the imported species - House Sparrow, Magpie, European Starling, Common Myna - all from Britain. We did manage to see over 100 species on our own without paying. New Zealand is known for their pelagics and I scoped a number from shore.

ROAD SIGNS
If you think you are on a major street there will be no name placard. but only side street. The street name also changes every few blocks. Signage for tourists is confusing as they will state one name like "Harbours" and the next sign will have a name. When you come to a T in the road and the road goes both directions which shall you take to the Lighthouse. A 50% chance and we chose the wrong one.

An interesting fact is that the Country does not require you to have car insurance - it is not compulsory, therefore the majority do not have insurance.

They have very good notices about speeding, driving tired and driving drunk.

INTERNET
Very expensive! It ranges from $6-$8 per hour. The main Library in Whangerei charges $7.50 per hour if you bring your own computer. Some libraries are free. We only had two campgrounds where the internet was included.

NEW ZEALANDERS

On the whole - very friendly and helpful. Many either had visited Canada, knew quite a lot about the country and would like to visit. We spent a few days with friends that we met a few years ago in Mexico - it was great to renew our friendship. We were introduced to a family in Christchurch by a mutual friend in Winnipeg. They took us on a tour of their city and invited for a family dinner. These visits were one of the highlights.

When they get behind the wheel - some become indignant about slower campervans even if we try to go over and let them pass. They probably are just tired of tourists, but that is their main industry. There is more crime than we expected as NZ has a reputation for being very safe.

ATTITUDE TO CLIENTS
If you buy an article it often cannot be returned.

We complained to a Campground manager at Punakaiki Beach Camp about the thick black coal smoke that wafted over the camp. It was a lovely camp but we had to leave with all the smoke. The manager became very defensive about her camp and the coal heater for hot water was just fine she said. They were not in the least bit concerned about pollution in the campground. We also left another camp on the west coast because of the coal smoke.

WEATHER
It is the land of the long white cloud. The weather is very changeable since it is an island and maritime weather. In the South Island we had about 1/4 of the days with some sun and the rest was rain, wind and cold. There were days where we had on two jacket and gloves and still were cold. On the North Island the weather was more stable but we were surprised how cold it was at night. We used our electric heater just about every evening and morning for the 3 months we were there (which was their summer). It was interesting that when standing in the sun you were warm to hot as it was intense, but moving into the shade it would be quite cool especially when there is a breeze.

WILD ANIMALS
There are none to speak of. We were seeing rabbits and road kill (opossums and hedgehogs). There really are only domestic animals - sheep and cattle and horses. I really missed seeing animals in the wild. It all seemed a little sterile.

TOURIST PACKAGES AND CHARGES
Almost all entrance fees were $25 and up with few exceptions. Entrances in current "Moon" book stated free but when you arrived they now charged. Wherever we turned it was charges here and there.
We did not pay them (except Rotorua) as we felt the tourist was being gouged and we became negative about paying any.

GENERAL - GOOD ITEMS
New Zealand have gotten rid of the penny and the nickel which is very sensible - Canada should do the same. Just about everyone takes Credit Cards (only 2 campgrounds did not).

The roads are in excellent condition - I think we only experienced one pothole - Imagine!

"Round-abouts" are great as traffic flows through intersections. They are widely used and traffic lights are only in the centre of the cities.

CAMPING
All campgrounds have lots of facilities ranging from basic to excellent. They all have full kitchens with stoves, ovens, microwaves, stainless steel counter tops and many sinks for dish washing. Some also have pots, pans, dishes and cutlery.

Besides the campground you can rent a cabin with only beds to full bathroom facilities.

IN CONCLUSION

We have finally visited New Zealand and enjoyed the experience. We were busy every day and the time went by quite fast. We only drove to our next destination in the morning and spent the afternoon enjoying the area - we then decided if we wanted to stay another day. We spent extra time in the major cities and used the local bus system to travel to the city centre. We drove both North and South Islands but naturally there is still a lot to be seen and places we missed as it is larger than one imagines.

2009-04-26T16:40:00.000-07:00

HONG KONG

January 6 - 13, 2009

This is nothing but spectacular!

We spent one week in and around the city. We walked miles, took the ferry a number of times to the Island (seniors ride free) and then buses and funicular to Victoria Peak, Aberdeen and just sightseeing around the Convention Centre. We were staying in Kowloon at the Imperial Hotel only 2 blocks from the ferries and Promenade. At night we could see part of the lazer show from our hotel although we went to the Promenade a couple of times to see it in its entirety. This show was a nightly spectacle.

We found it very clean and organized. Dogs were not allowed in the parks or downtown area and "No Smoking" in parks and many public outside areas. Sleeping on benches also was not allowed and we witness 2 security guards telling a backpacker to sit up and not lie down.

We visited parks, took the subway system to Mai Po marsh area about 50km out of town. walked through a huge multi-level indoor upscale shopping malls, sat and people watched, ate at noodle places and local eateries, bargained at the market and just enjoyed yourselves. Our hotel was very clean, small rooms, angled windows to view street level, pleasant staff and reasonably priced.

On our return from New Zealand we spent one night in Hong Kong to catch our flight the next day and we stayed at the nearby luxurious Novotel Citygate Hotel.

In the morning before leaving we walked the many connecting parkways and recreational areas lead ing out from the hotel and residential are a. This area was extremely clean with shrubs and tall trees bordering mini soccer fields, tennis courts, sitting areas and numerous children's play areas. We watched mothers with children, seniors doing Tai Chi, young people playing soccer and people fishing along the promenade.

Great place to visit! You would be awed and surprised.

2008-10-22T14:57:00.001-07:00

EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN
and
BLACK SEA CRUISE

Sept. 17 - Oct. 3, 2008

Sept. 17 We flew from Winnipeg via Toronto to Rome, Italy. Irene and Chris were joined by their friends Chris and Annelies Kaufmann, who like us live in the Fountain House in Winnipeg.

Sept. 18 Arrived at Rome Airport and were transferred by bus to the beautiful Prinsendam, Holland America Lines small cruise ship carrying 700 passengers and 400 crew. We had life boat drill, good dinner and smooth seas when we sailed.

Sept. 19 We were up early to be awed by the ever spewing and smoking Volcano Stomboli. We had excellent viewing starting before dawn till after sunrise and cruising about 1/2 mile off shore.

Through the Straits of Messina that separate Italy and Sicily. This is a very narrow channel and a Pilot came on board.

Sept. 20 Sailing overnight to Dubrovnik, Croatia. The ancient city looking as beautiful as before the Yugoslavia conflict. We spent the day walking the old historical streets and enjoying the atmosphere of the city.

Sept. 21 A day visit to Sarande, Albania, which will hopefully become a holiday destination and tourist resort judging by the hundreds of buildings going up and only partially finished.

Sept. 22 Agostoli, a Greek Island which was totally destroyed in the '50's by an earthquake and has been rebuilt. This is a popular tourist resort.

Sept. 23 At Sea

Sept. 24 Visiting the beautiful and exciting ancient city of Istanbul, Turkey. Awesome Churches and Mosques, Grand Bazaar and a bustling harbour.

Sept. 25 At Sea

Sept. 26 Trabzon in Eastern Turkey, south of Georgia. A traditional old city with hundreds of Minarets and Mosques. Most women were in Islam attire. Masses of men stop in squares or streets to pray when the call for prayer is heard. They us cardboard or carpets to kneel on and traffic slowly passes them.

Sept. 27 We were safely docked in downtown Sochi, Russia. A popular sea resort for the Russian people and it is the largest resort in the Russian Republic. We saw people swimming in the Black Sea very close to where we were docked. Sochi will host the Olympic games in 2014.

Sept. 28 Sevastopol, Ukraine. This site was chosen by Catherine II of Russia to establish her naval harbour in the Crimea. We visited a Muslim Khan Palace and Harem, which was very well maintained and exhibited. We then went on to a Monastery which was carved out of rock (about 50km out of the city). This is a pilgrimage destination.

Sept. 29 Nessebur, Bulgaria. This is an very ancient town. We did not take a tour but enjoyed walking the old streets of the island, followed the pathway around the island, visited St. Stefan Church where frescoes from the 16th century adorn the walls, and stopped for refreshments at a restaurant overlooking the small harbour.

Sept. 30 At Sea and slowly crossing through the Bosporus, by Istanbul, the Sea of Marmara, and then the Dardanelles. A spectacular all day trip with commentary from the Cruise lecturer about the history and the sights. This is one highlight of the trip.

Oct 1 Docked in Kusadasi, Turkey. This is the seaport for the ancient City of Ephesus, which is mentioned in the Bible. The excavated buildings and streets date back 2000 years. A sight that reminds one of Pompeii

Oct 2 Our last stop of Athens, Greece where we visited the Acropolis and the shopping district - the Plaka. Our hotel for night was right in the Plaka and we could walk to the historical sites and park. After our journey home we woke up from our unreal dreams of having travelled to such an ancient culture

.

2008-05-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

CRUISE

Osaka

JAPAN, EASTERN RUSSIA and ALASKA

April 20 -

May 10, 2008

Tokyo

From Vancouver we flew to Osaka, Japan to board the Holland America cruise ship the Statendam. This was a repositioning cruise and our final destination was Vancouver. This was Irene's first cruise and her sister, Lorraine, accompanied us.

We took shore excursions in Tokyo, Hakodate, Japan, Petropavlosk, Russia (Kamchatka Peninsula) and day stops in Kodiak, Alaska, Homer and Sitka with cruise up Glacier Bay National Park.

Petropavlosk, Russia

We started out with very rough seas from Osaka (Kobe) to Tokyo, but the ship was very stable. We had high wind in Petropavlosk where we were forced back to the dock and required 2 tug boats to manoeuvre it out to sea. There was some scrapes along the side of the ship which were repainted in Homer.

This was a trip of contrasts. Japan being very clean, modern and progressive, Russia - poor roads, housing and buildings not maintained. This is a forgotten part of Russia. The harbour is very protected with surreal scenery with volcanoes surrounding it.

We then went on to Kodiak, Homer and Sitka
- all surrounded by wild nature and mountains. Glacier Bay NP was unbelievable!! We had a clear, sunny and windless day where we could see for miles. We could hear and see the glaciers calving and sea birds flying in the long narrow fjord.

We dressed in layers as this was not a Caribbean cruise. Most days we had toques, mitts and hoods up to walk the deck, to stand on the bow and just to watch the world go by.

Sitka

2008-03-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

ECUADOR

February 8 - 28, 2008

What a rugged country!

We just returned from 3 weeks in the north east and west portions of Ecuador.

We went from the Amazon lowlands to 4400 meters at Papallacta Pass where we had snow and ice. We stayed at 4 different lodges located in different habitats.

We left our camper at La Laguna Sta Maria del Oro at our friends home in Nayarit, Mexico and travelled by bus with Ben Wassink to Mexico City where we caught a flight to Quito.

The next morning we took a short domestic flight to Coca where we were met by the Sacha Lodge staff.

We took a fast motor boat ride down the huge Napo River for 2 1/2 hours, walked a kilometer to a canoe landing where we were paddled across a small lake to the hidden lodge. The next 5 days were spent birding, canoeing to different locations, climbing a tower wound around a huge Kapok tree, climbing a metal tower and walking the swing bridge above the jungle canopy. The swinging cable bridge was very stable but still was a challenge for Irene as she is not that great on moveable structures.

Another day was spent travelling to where the Parrots gather to eat clay to aid their digestion - this was quite spectacular. Here we saw many species of birds, monkeys, many varieties of trees.

After our flight back to Quito we were met the next morning by our driver (Nestor and his new large van) and guide (Galo). They were with us for the next two weeks as we travelled to our other locations. Galo was very nice, hard working and very knowledgeable and Nestor was very friendly and an excellent driver. We enjoyed both of them.

We spent time at Yanacocha, Paramo, Papallacta Pass area, Tandayapa area, Antisana Reserve at Guacamayos, Loreto Road and around the trails of the Lodges. Needless to say we got lots of exercise and sometimes it was not easy as the altitude ranged from 2200 to 4400m. Some days the rain did not make it easy and the trails became muddy and slippery. We then would move to walking
the roads.

We did have a lot of rain and there were many small slides along the roads and waterfalls appeared where there had not been any the day before. Since we were at a higher altitude the temperatures were cool and we only went without jackets at Napo River and Loreto Road area as these were at lower elevations.

The scenery was stunning, rugged and all shades of green. We saw snow covered
mountains, heavy rain clouds and some sun (not as much as we would have liked)

The Lodges that we stayed at after Sacha were Tandayapa Bird Lodge, Guango Lodge and San Isidro Lodge.

The only Lodge that we do not recommend is Tandayapa Bird Lodge, near Mindo and Bellavista. The lodge is only accessible by a 60-70m (77 steps) climb from the parking lot, since it is about 2300m the climb is not easy and you have to stop to get your breath. This is the worst arrangement we have seen for accommodation.

The lodge was also cold and they kept all doors and windows open. We did close them once and we noticed it was warmer but the volunteers (not Ecuadorians but Canadians) opened them again.

The fireplace was not usable and the humidity was 100%.

The Lodge is known for their hummingbird feeders. The feeders were extremely busy but we also noticed the owners had not planted any flowering plants only leafy green ones and the birds were totally dependent on the feeders for their sugar. The food here was good but the best was their soups.

Guango and San Isidro are sister lodges. The Guango lodge was at a higher altitude on the east slope and small and cosy, also cold and the dishes and cutlery were ice cold. Chris ate with his gloves on once. They did try to light a fire in the fireplace but they were not too proficient at it. The wood was stored in a damp place so there was a lot of smoke. They did try to warm it up. A river was near the Lodge where we got to see a family of Torrent Ducks. The many trails were nicely groomed.

At the San Isidro lodge we had cabins with two suites each.

It was also about 100% humidity as nothing dried. It is a very pretty setting with easy access to the road for walking and trails around the area. At this Lodge we had gourmet meals - just excellent and presented with much care and explanation of each dish.

We saw a new species of owl and in total we saw 369 species of birds and other wildlife including Red Howler Monkeys, Pygmy Marmaset Monkeys and Chris saw an Ocelot. We did not see any snakes.

We had a great time, but we were tired when we arrived back in La Laguna after an 11 hours bus trip from Mexico City and an hour taxi ride from Tepic.

2007-10-30T13:51:00.001-07:00

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA

Our home for many years! Winnipeg is a beautiful prairie city, which has all the amenities that a large city offers - Symphony, Concerts, Ballet, Sports, Parks, Zoo etc.

The one thing it does not have is long time consuming drives to any destination. It still is easy to commute from one side of the city to another in about ½ hour and a little longer during the evening rush hour. Since we are retired the rush hour does not bother us anymore.

Chris used to walk to work and we still
walk downtown to the Library and anywhere else we wish. We live within blocks of many restaurants, banks, grocery and drug stores.

The city is vibrant with so many activities - the new MTS Centre hosts visiting Celebrity Concerts, Hockey and Horse Shows. The Symphony, Ballet and Chamber Orchestras have a full schedule which includes visiting some of the other cities in Manitoba.

We have two Universities and one College – The University of Winnipeg was just named one of the top 3 schools in Canada. The University of Manitoba has a large campus on the south side of the city. Red River Community College has greatly expanded its campus to many downtown

locations in redeveloped historic buildings.

The Forks location is at the forks of the Assiniboine and Red Rivers. This is one of the smallest National Parks in Canada and is a historical meeting place.

The CN yards have moved and it is now
developed into a gathering spot for outdoor concerts, world class skate-board park, hotel, pubs and market. In winter a skating rink is under the huge umbrella.

Inside the city Assiniboine Park and Forest encompasses about ¾ section. Many deer live in the forest, and the pond
is home to ducks and many bird species. Winnipeg is lucky to be on the Mississippi and the Central flyway and we are treated to a bird list of about 370 species.

We have travelled to many cities in the world and Winnipeg is still our home of choice.

2007-10-30T13:17:00.001-07:00

ORILLIA, ORANGEVILLE AND LONDON

Summer 2007

It is a long drive from Winnipeg to Orillia – 24 hours. The north route goes on the north side of the Great Lakes. It is very scenic but one is always on the lookout for moose on the road and the speed limit is about 80 kph. We never even saw a moose but then we did not drive early morning or late at night when they are most active.

It was great to visit with my son, Grant and his family, Angel and the 3 boys, Tyler, Mitchell & Jarrett.

They have recently moved into their new home

and enjoying all the remodelling and decorating. The boys are very tall, thin and active.

It was a surprise to also visit with Chris' mother and sister from Vancouver in Orangeville. They were visiting Holly (Chris' niece) who is an equestrian trainer. This is picturesque farm and horse country.

We had one more stop - to visit with former Winnipeg friends in London, Maris and Derek
Smith. We always enjoy their hospitality. We took one drive to an artsy town and to the Winter Wheat Gallery. It was most unusual lawn and decorating shop.

Our return to Winnipeg was via the south route (through the USA). The weather was very good and since this is a flat route it takes less time. Entry into the US was smooth with only ½ hr wait, but then the Customs Officer wanted to know what we were doing in Ontario, which was weird as we are Canadians maybe he got mixed

up.

We had hoped to visit friends in Wisconsin but they had gone fishing (literally).

Our two week trip went by very fast.

2007-07-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

NEWFOUNDLAND
JUNE, 2007

This was our first visit to this Province and we thought it was about time that we went to see "The Rock". The Maritime climate was what we expected, but did have more cloudy days than we would have liked. The fog rolled in, the rains came down in buckets, the sun came out and the scenery was spectacular.

We spent a sunny day walking the streets of St. John's with visits to the downtown and on to Signal Hill. Here we had our first view of icebergs floating past the entrance to the Harbour. This was the first year in the

past 3 years that icebergs were seen around the island and we were to see many more as we toured the coast line on the Atlantic side. From Signal Hill the view of the city and harbour is quite spectacular. A very historical area!

The downtown is very colorful with the "jelly bean" painted houses. It is a very old city and some buildings have been replaced with high rises which cuts off the view from the houses behind the modern buildings. This was a disappointment as the Harbour is not visible from a couple of streets away. They do have a very open Promenade along the harbour front. While walking along this area we met a crew from a Cruise boat, Cruise North, that was leaving the next day for the north and on to Churchill via Labrador, Baffin Island and Nunavut. Very interesting itineraries according to their brochure.

Cape Spear is the most Easterly Point in North America.

We rented a car for the 2 weeks and drove almost 3500km. It is a larger island than one imagines. The roads were good (except for the gravel road to Cape Race). One was always on the look out for Moose as they have really populated the Province and we spotted them any time of the day - not just in the early morning and late at night. The Gov't posts signs on the Highway state how many accidents have occurred.

We had some unbelievable birding experiences at Cape St. Mary's where the Northern Gannet, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Common Murres, Thick-billed Murres and Razorbills are nesting. It was quite fascinating to watch the action of 1000's of birds and the cacophony of sound is something else. We visited this area twice as the first time it was so fogged in we could only see a few feet and the next time was a beautiful sunny day. We just had to go back to hopefully
have a better view of the birds.

We had another unusual birding experience at Bonavista where the Atlantic Puffins nest in their burrows on the side of a rock island. They arrive quietly in the evening, gather together on the water, start their flying formations around the rock, drop down to their burrows and stand around for a short time and on some silent signal they all instantly disappear into their burrows for the night.

Our tour took us to Gros Morne National Park where we took a boat trip up the Western Brook Pond. This was another beautiful day of sunshine. To get to the Pond one has to walk 3 km on a good trail to the boats. This area is locked in and the two boats were brought in by helicopter or on sleds in winter and are only used for tours down the fjord. Quite rugged, spectacular scenery.

Our next boat ride was taking the Ferry from St. Barbe across the Strait of Belle Isle (Gulf of St. Lawrence) to Quebec/Labrador. Many icebergs were seen, a few pelagic birds (not as many as expected) and one whale. The trip was uneventful except having to purchase return tickets in Quebec. We thought we had purchased round trip tickets but Quebec wants to sell their portion there. It was a fair little walk to the ticket agent as they do not have them right on the dock - we were not too happy about this inefficiency.

We passed Daniel's Harbour where the houses have slid into the ocean and many more may find this fate as the ground is unstable. The area was roped off with Security Guards at either end of the area. There was really nothing to see from the street side, but only visible from the ocean as we have seen the pictures on TV about the disaster.

L'Anse aux Meadows was very interesting. The Vikings had lived there in the year 1000 - travelling to and from Greenland. When they lived there the temperature was believed to be warmer by 5' Celius as grapes were growing and they called it Vinland. (Wineland) It was very foggy on this northerly point but it added to the character of the visit. We saw our first Common Eider on the rocks.

We stayed in small motel units which were very common - like many motels one can hear your neighbor next door and it would be nicer if there was more sound proofing in the walls. We did not reserve rooms anywhere (except for St. John's) and had no problem except we got the last room in Deer Lake. This town has an airport that services the east of the island - so there are many people coming and going.

We were fortunate to be leaving the day planned as on the previous day planes were not taking off due to fog. The air portion of the trip from Winnipeg takes longer than going to Europe. We had at least a 4 hour wait in Toronto and a stop in Halifax.

It was a very good trip and we had a good look at our 10th Province and it certainly is unique.

2007-05-02T17:49:00.000-07:00

CHINA

MAY, 2006

We forgot to post our trip to China. We wonder how this could have happened but making movies and slide shows got in the way.

We recently returned from a memorable trip to China. Without a doubt this was an experience beyond expectations.

Our 15 day trip was remarkably reasonable. An incredible value for the money.

We visited Beijing, The Great Wall, the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xian, in Guilin we enjoyed a day cruise on the beautiful Li River, a 3 day cruise down the Yangtze River leaving from Chongqing, to Wuhan and a flight to Shanghai.

Pacific Rim Travel did an outstanding job on this well planned itinerary. Our reliable guide, Peter, accompanied our group of 7 people from arrival in Beijing until our departure. A job well done. To see the detailed itinerary go to www.pacificrimtravel.com and check tour called Guilin and Yangtze River Explorer. Take the trip! You would be amazed by this remarkable country.

Some of our co-travellers considered this the best trip they had taken.

2007-04-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

PANAMA
March, 2007

Our first venture on a birding trip and since Panama has some of the best birding we decided to stay at a unique hotel - The Canopy Towers , which is just outside of Panama City in Soberiana Park. This used to be a USA Radar installation and has been converted to a small hotel with guides, great meals and spectacular views over the jungle canopy to the Panama Canal.

The weather was very good , the guides were excellent. We made two birding tours a day. One in the morning (starting at 7 or 7:30) returning for lunch and siesta and off on another tour about 3 pm until 5:30.

Our next 3 days were spent at a sister site in the mountains 3 hours from Panama City near the town of El Valle. This is called Canopy Lodge and is only about 1 year old. The website for these great sites is www.canopytower.com or www.canopylodge.com

In six days we saw 215 species and Irene saw 122 lifers.

2006-12-24T10:24:00.000-08:00

ALAMOS, SONORA,

MEXICO

Season's Greetings Everyone!

Here we are again - in Mexico for Christmas. We send our Season's Greetings for Christmas and the New Year from the Colonial Village of Alamos, which is a days drive from Nogales.

We just returned from the Sunday Market which is held in the dry arroyo which is 1 block off the Alameda Plaza. We bought unblemished tender green beans, frozen shrimp and red snapper fillets, grapefruit and pastries. Chris normally has a fish taco but didn't this morning. This market is held every Sunday rain or shine and whether it is Christmas Day or not. The market stalls sell everything from fresh meat to jeans to shoes and hardware.

We did take a short walk to the Church Plaza but there was not much activity as yet. This evening will be busy and there is a Midnight Mass tonight. The Church is very historical and was started to be built in the 1600's. Since December is wedding month in Mexico we witnessed a beautiful wedding the other evening. The bridal couple left the church in a white carriage. They were from Hermosillo and wanted their wedding here.

Tomorrow we are invited to a potluck afternoon dinner held at the Melon's. They arrange this every year - someone supplies turkey, they supply a band and drinks and everyone brings something to add to this.

This town has a website www.alamosmexico.com

FELIZ NAVIDAD Y PROSPERO ANO NUEVO

Irene and Chris

2006-11-26T15:53:00.000-08:00

BENSON, ARIZONA

Migrating Sandhill Cranes,
Muleshoe WR, Texas

A lonely Monarch Butterfly migrating to Mexico,
Buffalo Lakes WR, Texas

Rockhound State Park, New Mexico

It is almost the end of November and we have only travelled as far as Benson. Benson is located about 50 miles east of Tucson on Interstate 10. We are camped south of town along one of the many arroyos (washes). These arroyos are great places for hiking into the hills beyond - you can stay away from the mesquite bushes (also known as "wait-a-minute"plants), cactus, and other thorny shrubs. Needless to say I am always on the look out for snakes. We have seen a Mojove Rattler once and that was enough.

Our travels south took us to Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Refuge, Kansas; Buffalo Lakes W.R., Texas; Muleshoe W.R., Texas; Alamogordo (for truck repairs), New Mexico; and Rockhound State Park, New Mexico, with a number of towns in between. Weather has been great and we left Winnipeg between ice and snow.

Evening light Buffalo Lakes WR, Texas

Our wheels will take us south into Mexico via Nogales in about 1 weeks time. We will have our first stop in Alamos.

Sunset, Rockhound State Park, New Mexico

Until next time,
Chris and Irene

2006-10-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

from our home

-- to our home on wheels

Yes, it is that time of year again when you receive a note from us saying that we will soon be

heading south. As you may have heard that Eastern Canada has had a winter blizzard already – we had a dusting of snow and very high winds. The camper is being loaded and the last minute details are being completed - such as driver license, vehicle insurance and all those important things.

Our route will take us to Arizona and then into Mexico via Nogales. We will spend some time in Bensen, Arizona before going further south. We may only travel as far as Teacapan, Villa Corona, and then towards the Texas border for the middle of March.

Currently I have had a very large project that will occupy some of my time south. I am converting all our analog videos to digital. After that is done the job of editing and converting them to DVD will take some time. It is rather exciting to look at the old footage and remember all the places and things we have done.

More will be added at a later date when we are on the road.

our prairie view from our living room

2006-10-08T18:35:00.000-07:00

PORTUGAL

September 2006

Walk down a dark deserted city street and suddenly run into a group of about a dozen

Asian looking folks looking for a Chinese Restaurant? Where are you? Northern Portugal of course! Coimbra, the old historical, hilly University town South of Porto. The Asians turned out to be Indonesian tourists.

If you want to get away from the average Tourist area go to Northern Portugal. Air Transat has non-stop flights from Toronto to Porto. An interesting old City and Culture with more than a dozen Port Wineries.

We rented a small Citroen car and spent 3 weeks driving through often spectacular countryside. Along the Douro River – full of Vineyards and Olive Tree farms and through some ancient villages dating back before the Romans and ending our trip in a coastal town.

We stayed in mostly small inexpensive accomodations called “Residencials” at an average cost of 50 Euros per night including breakfast.

Porto ----2 nights LargeHistorical Town

Pinhao ----1 night Small village on the Douro River

Gimonde----2 nights near Braganca – one of the many ancient and picturesque villages with 300 year old houses where the sheep and goats live on the main floor

Magodouro ---1 night ancient church and fort built on hill

Sabugal ----2 nights Rebuilt Castle on Hill top in centre of town

Monsanto ----2 nights Considered the most impressive ancient village in Portugal with a pre-Roman Fortress on steep rocky hilltop

Serra da Estrella ----1 night Mountainous ski region of Portugal. Hotel at about 800 meters overlooking the town of Covelha

Coimbra ----4 nights Lots of sites, narrow streets, magnificent buildings, University in former Palace

Luso---- 2 night Famous Spa and centre of “Luso” bottled water and the Bucaco Forest nearby

Ovar ----3 nights Small coastal town near many beaches and a Nature Reserve

Porto ----1 night at an airport Residencial

We drove less than 1400 km and had an interesting adventure. The bread, cheese and wine was memorable.

2006-07-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

AUSTRALIA

Fall 2004

Hello everyone

After spending almost two week travelling to Vancouver and visiting with relatives we are now in Sydney. Japan Airlines via Tokyo was smooth without any problems. Sydney is a beautiful city with many historical and modern buildings. It is exceptionally clean and the people are very friendly. We are staying in the downtown area and we are walking everywhere. We have taken the Monorail around the harbour area. Yesterday we took in the Opera "The Marriage of Figaro" at the Sydney Opera House. The building is quite spectacular! Tuesday we pick up our van camper only a few blocks from our hotel (Philip Street Travelodge). Our camper rate is $49.95/day with insurance and is almost 1/3 the price of some of the quotes we received on the Internet and Travel agents. With our sightseeing I have seen 16 new birds. Some quite brilliant and very different from ours. We are fine and so far jet lag has not been much of a problem. Bye for now Irene and Chris

............................

Sept 28, 2004 Hi Everyone The story goes that a man went to his travel agent to inquire about a driving trip to beautiful Australia - land of sunshine beaches and Kangaroos. "Very good choice" said the agent, "but they drive on the left". "Let me think about it" said the man, "I will call you tomorrow" The next day he called and cancelled the trip. He said "I tried this driving on the left and did not like it".

We picked up our camper - a Toyoto the size of a VW about a week ago - travelling north from Sydney. Driving on the left is one thing but why do they have the turn signal lever on the right and the one for the windshield wipers on the left? Every time you turn a corner you turn the wipers on. Should have a word with Toyota. We drove about 3 hours per day and usually stayed in National Parks overnight. A little bit of rain but mostly sunshine. Great changes in scenery from hilly country along rivers, lakes to rock formations. Good hiking, 90 new lifers (birds) for Irene so far. Parks do not allow pets of any kind, no picking of firewood off the ground . Firewood provided in some locations. Fees from $3 per person plus $3 for making a fire in primitive campsites. Met many friendly and helpful Aussies, some birders, but very few foreigners.

The only shortwave signals in English that we have been able to receive so far are from the USA. "Voice of America" and a few American christian stations - the same type that we get in Mexico. We can get German and Dutch but no CBC. CBC broadcasts in a dozen languages all over the world but does not seem to be heard in Australia. We are halfway up to Brisbane inland above a gorge and waterfall in a wooded park with mostly eucalyptus type trees. Irene did some laundry today. We have a clothesline strund between two trees and over the campter. Have seen different species of Wallabys and Kangaroos, and one wild dog called a Dingo. I don't think they call female dogs Dinga. Here is a list of our overnight stops Myall River Camp Crowdy Bay National Park Dorrigo Cathedral Rocks National Park Oxley River National Park For all of you heading south - we wish you a safe trip.

G'day mates Chris and Irene

AUSTRALIA – DOWN UNDER BUT ALSO DIFFERENT!!

Observations:

There is virtually no graffiti – North American culture has not extended to this art form.
Toilets have full or half flush handle settings.
Sunrises in the east and at noon it goes north and sets in the west. Very disconcerting for orientation.
Wombats, Kangaroos, Wallabys, Koalas. Which of them make good sausages? You are correct it is Kangaroo. In the supermarkets meat department there is a section beside the other meats for Kanga meat. Very popular are the so called Kanga Bangers for frying or barbies.
Water swirls counter-clockwise.
No pennies exist – the smallest currency is 5 cents. We could learn from that.
Way south on Phillips Island there is this unbelievable phenomenon. At precisely 5 minutes after sunset on the storm swept really cold beach and very rough sea all of a sudden in groups of 15 or 20 or more of Little Penguins appear in front of you out of the water and slowly waddle past amazed spectators into the low brush to their burrows. Unafraid of humans they will come within less than a meter of the people. This scene takes place every day of the year. The penguins go to the sea in the morning, not one seems to be left behind (except when nesting) – they swim out up to 20 km to hunt and return when it becomes too dark.
Wilson's Promontory is the most southern of mainland Australia. It protrudes out quite a distance out into the sea and at one time was the connection with what is Tasmania. High green mountains, beautiful scenery, yellow sand beaches and rugged coastline

Here are some of the posted signs that we saw:

Traffic signs:

If you drink and drive you're a bloody idiot!
Don't sleep and drive.
Long time dead – so what's the hurry!
Yawning? A micro sleep can kill!
Drowsy drivers die

Numerous designated rest stops are located along all highways.

Sheilas and Blokes do not pee crap or spew around the trees only in the compost Loo or your own tent.

Other important signs:

No pet allowed of any kind in National Parks – no exceptions. (Also applies to many private campgrounds.)
Sign in grocery stores – Under 18 drinking - $500, using someone else's ID - $500

We went on a few hikes and saw two large snakes over a meter long. One was the infamous Tiger Snake, which can be very aggressive. One lady, who experiences an attack, described it as like a bicycle tire rolling towards her at amazing speed.

Australia has some wonderful little towns with well under 5,000 people that were founded around 1900. All well kept with street made into pedestrian malls, sidewalk cafes, restaurants and stores etc. Very English with little North American influence. Australia is a wonderful place to live and visit and in our opinion will become more attractive in the world while we believe the Americas are going the other way. The people were very friendly and helpful. They were willing to give loads of information of where to travel and what to enjoy in their country.

Two months driving through Australia gives you only a small taste of that large country. One of the most spectacular roads in the world is the Great Ocean Road along the coast west of Melbourne. Unbelievable, colorful, rugged rock formations fighting against an onslaught of wild wave action of blue and green water. Blow holes, white ocean spray 10 to 20 meters high, the noise of wind, gulls, cormorants and other birds. It it a 2 day trip for most people and a must if you are near Melbourne. There is a ferry service that connects the highways that lets you bypass Melbourne about 50 km south you avoid the heavy traffic which to use out weighed the attraction of the large city.

Our last few days were again spent in Sydney where we stayed at the Philip Street Travelodge. Our room was equipped with a small kitchen and this made it very convenient. We again enjoyed to see the historical and grand buildings of the downtown area. The hotel was close to the Botanical Gardens, the Opera House, the Quay and Darling Harbour.

We enjoyed the use of a campervan as it allowed us the freedom to stay in town and as well the natural surroundings of State Parks. The weather varied from hot in the Brisbane area to cold and windy on the south coast. We had rain and storms for only a few days and the rest were sunny. The 2 months of travel went by very fast. If we visit again we would like to see Western Australia.

Irene and Chris

2006-07-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

JAPAN

Nov. 15-22, 2004

Tokyo skyline from Tokyo Tower

Mt. Fuji

Our trip to Australia was on Japan Airlines and since we had a stop over in Tokyo we were excited to take advantage of this and plan for one week of sight-seeing in Japan.

After having a camping trip to Australia and seeing nature in the raw this would be the exact opposite. We arrived at the huge Tokyo airport in the evening and were met by Chris' friend, Tatjana, who lives there with her family. It was a long drive back to Tokyo and we did have some difficulty locating the Hotel in the Ginza district. Tatjana even had printed a map and a GPS, but with one-way streets and back lanes it was still difficult. Since she speaks Japanese a couple of taxi drivers were consulted.

At Temple in Kyoto

We checked into our comfortable room for our one night in Tokyo as we prepared for our tour to start the next morning at 8 am. A bus picked us up at our Hotel and took us to a central tourist bus station where we joined the tour for our 3 day trip to Mt. Fiji, Hakone, Kyoto and Nara. The land arrangements were handled by JTB (Japanese Travel Bureau) and every guide was there to meet and take us on every tour. It all worked like clockwork.

We saw Mt. Fuji in all its glory! Actually we saw it for 2 days and it was awesome. At the 5^th station (this is the end of the road and you must climb from there) the temperature was only 5'c with a wind. The trees reminded me of the northern Arctic. There are shops so it is commercialized. After a Japanese style lunch (delicious) and served in a covered lacquered box, we would experience the lake district and stay in a hotel in the hot springs area of Hakone. Almost all of the tourists at the Hotel were Japanese as foreigners make up only about 3% of the travelers. We were tired in the evening and decided to go to the local 24hour convenience store for some sandwiches and such. We also bought the makings for breakfast in our room as all hotels supply a hot pot to make tea and have a small fridge.

We now will experience our first bullet train to Kyoto – called the Shinkansen. We drove through rice paddies, one city after another, mountains, tunnels, bridges and another view of Mt. Fuji. One tunnel was 8km long which we went through in 3 minutes. The train was very quiet, smooth and very clean.

Kiyomizudera Temple, Kyoto

We had 2 nights in Kyoto with one day viewing the Shrines and historical buildings and the final day for a trip to Nara. Nara is a World Heritage
Site but our view was a little disappointing as we had a heavy downpour. There were dozens of buses there and one small group of uniformed school children approached us and spoke a few words of English. The teacher came and said they were studying English and they had never met a non-Japanese before. We were thrilled to talk to them and, of course, we took their picture.

On our own we did a walking tour of the Gion District where the Geisha girls and the Theatre of Japanese opera is performed daily.

We again boarded the Shinkansen for the return to Tokyo. It is 500 km with 3 stops and in 2hrs and 40 minutes. I could not focus on the birds that I saw passing by our window. We arrived at our original hotel again and left the next morning for Nikko. It was a full day of driving and touring the area. This again is another World Heritage Site. Very colorful Temples, Pagodas and carvings including the original “See no evil, Speak no evil and Hear no evil”. From there we proceeded up a very steep mountain with about 20 switchbacks each way. Tall
pines covered the mountains. At the top we again enjoyed the Japanese lunch by a large mountain lake. This is a recreational area. Many of the boats were colorfully made like ducks and swans. The lake flowed out at a high waterfall. We arrived back into Tokyo well after dark.

In our travels to the different Japan locations we passed through many areas of Tokyo – passed the river with shipping and tourist boats, dozens of baseball diamonds by the river banks, one skyscraper after another, beautiful shopping plazas, Emperors Palaces, Government offices and shoppers everywhere. Since we had a general view of the city, Tatjana took us to the world famous Fish Market, the Tokyo Tower and Art Gallery. The vista of 360' of Tokyo was breathtaking.

Our flight home was swift and took only 7 ½ hours instead of 9 hours due to tail winds. At one point we were cruising at

about 1250 kmh ground speed.

2006-07-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

SOUTH AFRICA

Fall 2005

South Africa is a huge country and we spent weeks in the planning. We had to plan our best route for birds and animals, with time for sightseeing.

Our six weeks in Africa involved lots of travelling (driving on the left), birdwatching, sightseeing and mainly watching for animals that Africa is so famous for.

Starting at the beginning. Our flight originated in Toronto, changed to South African Airways in New York and stopped in Dakar, Senegal for refueling. Seventeen hours later we landed in Johannesburg where we were met by a representative of our van rental company and taken to a very nice Bed and Breakfast -Klip Els. The next day we outfitted our camper with supplies and headed out of town. Our next stops included Witbank (Dam Recreation Area) and Wakkerstroom (Weavers Rest B&B, and Die Oude Stasi).

On to Nature Reserves. Poponga and Mkuzi where we saw a variety of animals at the drying-up water hole. Birds were numerous and kept us busy identifying them. We had hoped to see elephants but because of lack of water they had moved out of the St. Lucia area to Charters Creek where we had just come from.

We left the Indian Ocean area and our camp that was infested with Ververt Monkeys and Mongooses. These were actually pests and broke into any camp that had food around wasn't locked up and stored properly. It actually was funny watching the attendant trying to chase them off and they only made a circle around him and went back to the camp. We have this circus captured on video tape.

Eschowe. This town has a beautifully built aerial skyway, great museum basket gallery and restaurant. We stayed a couple of nights in the Municipal Campground and walked along the river, which had a biking/walking trail. We needed some car repairs and this was promptly done while we went for lunch and did our Internet.

Leaving Eschowe for Lake Eland Game Ranch, Port Shepstone we gassed-up at Ultra City ( a full service mall along the freeway). This particular one had a number of handicraft shops with great items and very good prices. We bought a carved African chair, which now is in use in our Living room. We drove to Shepstone via the Oribi Gorge as we thought we could camp there, but the camp was closed and with inquiries we found the Game Ranch. We had rain in Eschowe and here we had a high wind, which was fine the second day. We found a spectacular coffee shop overlooking a deep river gorge. The Leopard Rock Coffee House – excellent food and coffee.

On to Underberg the popular starting point for trips up the steep and treacherous road to Lesotho. We had rented a used camper (the price was right), but after fixing the carburetor we now had work on the muffler as we could smell exhaust in the camper. The shop took it in right away and we were soon on our way again. The local Nature Reserve was closed for camping and ended up parking at Sani Tours B & B. This was very handy as we were travelling with them the next day. The road to Sani Pass can only be done in 4x4 as it is steep, extremely rough and spectacular. We had a gorgeous day for the trip with lots of picture opportunities. At the top 2900m (9500') it was quite barren with very little vegetation. The restaurant was operated by the local people and did a great job of serving everyone and the food was also very good. The setting was awesome overlooking the valley below. We had a tour and informative talk about the local people and their customs. We had some special bird sightings on this high elevation including small ice rats.

Leaving Underberg we stopped at Howick Falls (very touristy) and found the KZN Nature Conservation Park at Midmar. It was a dam and recreational center, but was quiet when we were there. We only stayed one night and the next day we drove through Ladysmith. It was market day and very busy and not inviting to stop. Just north of there is the location where Nelson Mandela was captured. It was rolling hills, green with lots of trees. Before arriving at Memel we drove a high pass area. Memel has a large wetlands – Seekoeivlei. We obtained the key to the gate at the Tourist Information Centre and spent the day driving the wetlands. We enjoyed 2 meals and beer at the local hotel. The food was excellent and the ambiance of the old hotel was most pleasant.

We left the scenic clean air of the Memel area and Dumel Caravan Park and on to Village Lodge & Campground, Laskop Dam. We drove through the coal mining area with huge double trucks transporting coal to the electric plants. Not pleasant! Loskop Dam was not too productive for animals except for monkeys and one giraffe. It was very dry and the gravel road was dusty. We camped beside a stream and it was good for birding. The large new bathroom only had bathtubs for the women and 1 shower and bathtubs for the men. We found every camp had one or more bathtubs and a shower and they were very clean and spacious.

Dinonyane Lodge, Nylvlei was our next stop. Again we saw the effects of the drought. The marshland was dry and there was only a little water left in the low area. We decided to treat ourselves to a stay in a lodge near the Reserve. The area was disappointing for birds and animals – due to the dryness.

We stayed 2 nights and on to the mountainous area in the Magoebaskloof area. This is a wooded mountain area with winding road. The road was excellent but curvy. We stayed at the lovely Ruskamp Lodge and Campground. Our drive took us through a dusty very poor area near Petersburg and by the huge razor wired area of Zion City (a religious group). There was a campground advertised in Tzaneen at the main hotel, but it was closed and we were directed out of town (had trouble finding the right road) to Camp David (through a farmers field) at Olcalaco. Birding was good in the campground.

We had 2 more stops before we get to Kruger National Park. First do Adventura Blyde Canyon. What a canyon area!. Huge sculptured rocks, deep canyons, rivers and waterfalls. As we travelled we stopped at all the viewpoints and rest stops. One stop was particularly interesting as a local fellow was watching and being the protector of a small Taita Falcon family. He was being sponsored by a birding group but was there to show us where it was nesting high on the cliff. The Falcon is endangered as it si in high demand by the Arab Princes for falconry. Each viewpoint was beautiful, and each had vendors selling tablecloths, animal carvings and all tourist souvenirs. We did buy a few small things especially the tablecloths. Had difficulty finding a campground in Hazyview. Here we encountered our first security problem. After grocery shopping in Hazyview we were putting things away inside the vehicle when a long arm reached in and had ahold of Irene's purse. She screamed and he let go of it. The security women were right there dealing with the young men. The women carry long hardwood sticks which they use to enforce the law.

Our last week is spent driving the length of Kruger National Park, which afforded many animal sightings. The weather started out very hot in the south 40'C every day but became more pleasant as we drove north. It was extremely dry and the water holes were starting to dry up. One large campground (Shingwedze) was on the verge of closing as the wells had run dry. We stayed at a different site every night, and in one case took a cabin. We had reserved and paid for all the campsites before leaving home via the Internet. We had heard of people not being able to get into Kruger as they were completely booked and we did not wish that to happen as this is a very special place. The camps we went to were Crocodile Bridge, Lower Sabie, Satara, Letaba, Shingwidzi and Punda Maria. All the campsites here were without any grass, dusty and poorly maintained. The bathrooms were very clean and well kept. We saw “the big 5” elephant, rhino, giraffe, hippo and lion. Our view of the lions was not great, but we did see them. The main road was excellent, but some of the side gravel roads were very rough.

From Punda Maria camp in the north we left for Ben Lavin Nature Reserve. The route took us by a “Homeland” settlement that went on for miles and miles. Our next day was a long drive to Mar-Leo Camp, Roodeplaat Dam. A pretty spot beside a lake, but the camp buildings were mediocre. We were just north of Johannesburg so our final days drive was not long. After dealing with all the traffic on the outskirts of the city and returning the vehicle we settled into the Klip-Els B & B for our last night in South Africa.

It had been a good trip, we saw lots of everything. We saw 340 species of birds and almost all of these were first time sightings. This was all quite exciting – the first was just as beautiful as the last one we saw. The roads and infrastructure of South Africa is excellent, and this includes the condition of the roads and the sign-age. We did buy bottled water for drinking but the water systems were good where ever we went. We are glad we made this trip before there are drastic changes in this country. There still is unrest and the insecurity about the future for the Afrikaners.

Our return flight was about 17 hours with a stop in Cape Verde for refuelling and then a plane change in Atlanta. Our advise is never do this – being in transit and having to land in the USA you are required to clear Customs as if you were staying and then go through security again to board your flight to Canada. You are asked what is the reason for your visit and it is only to catch the flight to Toronto. It is a long gruelling process and we have vowed NEVER to transit through the USA again.

2006-07-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

CHINA

July 20, 2006

Hello to all! We recently returned from a memorable trip to China. Without a doubt this was an experience beyond expectations. Our 15 day trip was remarkably reasonable. An incredible value for the money.

We visited Beijing, The Great Wall, the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xian, in Guilin we enjoyed a day cruise on the beautiful Li River, a 3 day cruise down the Yangtze River, to Wuhan and a flight to Shanghai. Pacific Rim Travel did an outstanding job on this well planned itinerary. Our reliable guide, Peter, accompanied our group of 7 people from arrival in Beijing until our departure. A job well done.

To see the detailed itinerary go to www.pacificrimtravel.com and check tour called Guilin and Yangtze River Explorer. Take the trip! You would be amazed by this remarkable country.

Some of our co-travellers considered this the best trip they had taken. Have a great summer! Chris and Irene