Traveling Tarounsack

Out of California

2008-11-17T09:36:00.005+13:00

Saying goodbye to so many things I hold dear in California was difficult to say the least but it was not a sad thing. I hope to return to the sunshine state someday...for now I prepare to another "C" location....China. Since September I have been working and living in Denmark which has been an interesting experience in itself. The weather is getting colder and the days are shorter which makes one miss the sunshines of California but there are plenty of pleasant things in Denmark to distract me. Now its fall and the ctiy of Kobenhavn is preparing for the jule (xmas) holidays. Its a very nice time to be here...

Inside Tivoli Garden where beautiful ligths adorn every corner.

Nephew's Cali adventures

2008-07-24T15:14:00.006+12:00

Its a week into their vacation in sunny california and here are some images and moments....

Walking up and down the Lyon street stairs...288steps total....a breathtaking view of the bay.

Making their way down the second set of stairs.

Austin..."I need a moment"

Austin and Noy taking a few minutes to recover.

And...they made it up to the top!!

Strolling cannery row in Monterey Bay.

Riding the cable car in San Fransisco.

Enjoying the pool.

Rock climbing at Planet Granite.

Visits of "The Three Monkeys"

2008-07-18T07:52:00.004+12:00

My nephews (A.K.A. the three monkeys as we lovingly call them) are visiting for 10 days and I'm so excited to see them and take them around california. My sister Noy and brother-in-law Nelson of course will also be here so it will be so much fun this week. Of all things, they are most excited about seeing the crookest street (Lombard street) so that will be the first destination once I pick them up today. More interesting updates and pictures to come...

CT bon voyage party

2008-07-07T20:02:00.002+12:00

My stop over in Connecticut marked the 10th destination of the RTW trip. In the short week, I crammed in lots of activities, family + friend visits. My visit ended on a very high note with a bon voyage party as I prepare to take-off abroad (first to Denmark then to China for the next few years). It was so great to have friends and family there but there were moments of bitter sweet as I reconnected with some old friends which I can only hope will not dissolve with the increased distance. It was a very hot and humid day and threaten with thunderstorm throughout the day. At the end we got a few sprinkles, not enough to spoil the fun.

the blessing ceremony called "Sou Kwan"

Chocolate fountain

A pool of libations

my sisters and brother

RTW (Done!)....now checking out Cali...

2008-07-03T20:23:00.003+12:00

As of this past sunday I've have successfully made a complete circle around the world in 60 days! You would think I'd be exhausted but funny enough I'm not...this week I am wearing two hats as a tour guide and a tourist as I travel down to southern California with my mom+aunt+cousin. Since I will be leaving the area soon, they are the first wave of family visit to be followed by my sister + family later in the month which should be a fun and interesting trip since this will be the first time my nephews have ever taken a plane. I'm very excited to have my nephews experience California.

So far this week we've covered parts of the bay area, some SF (will be doing more sightseeing on friday), Napa, Sonoma, Highway 1 coastal drive, LA, San Diego. Our drive down Highway 1 was shorten due to road closer around the forest fires...safety first.

Tomorrow we head back up to see families in Modesto + Turlock before stopping back home to Fremont. Once again I have to admit that I don't find driving long, long hours (8+) much fun especially with the outrageous gas prices but the company is well worth it. I will upload pictures soon.

Sun, sand, and fun by the seaside

2008-06-26T16:02:00.010+12:00

Here I am with my sisters and nephews.

Today we headed to an old, old hangout...Bridgeport's Seaside Park for a few hours of relaxation by the beach. I know what you are thinking...all you've heard and see me do is relax but do you blame me when I'm still on vacation. This is THE hangout for any Bridgeport natives...young and old. I was pleasantly surprise by the state of the park as its so nice now as compared to my experience in my younger years. I only remember it as a very dumpy park...literally it use to be a landfill!! Well, today's visit did not remind me of the dumpy days so I leave pretty happy. The weather was perfect....sunny with absolutely no clouds and lots of nice breeze. We enjoyed a nice spanish lunch (arroz con pollo, bacalua fritas, platanos, y papas)...very yummy.

Brandon is silly happy at the beach.

My nephews wrote "Help mom" and "I love mom"

The boys in a very rare moment of peace and not bugging or hitting each other.

this is along the coastal drive of the park.

Enjoy the rest of the pictures on Picasa (click above). The best parts about summer...hanging by the beach.

Berry, berry, strawberries!

2008-06-25T14:48:00.005+12:00

Our annual family tradition of picking strawberries is still worth it. This year we changed location (from Bishop's to Jones's farm, a closer location) and our clan has grown as well. The berries were red like gemstones and ooh so sweet. The berry picking crew (above) were given "strict" orders to eat only a few berries while picking...needless to say they filled both their bellies and bucket!! Once we got home, the berries were further enhance with a dip in dark melted chocolate ;-))

I've uploaded more berry picking pictures on Picasa....enjoy and don't drool!

Sunrise in Copenhagen

2008-06-25T12:12:00.003+12:00

It was 4:05am when I decided to take this picture. For some reason I couldn't sleep so I watched the sunrise instead. Typically, I'm a sunset girl but this sunrise was just as magical especially in the backdrop of an old city like Copenhagen. For this stop of my trip, I did not take too many pictures (since I have made a few visits before work) so hope you enjoy the ones I did take.

Back in the USA

2008-06-20T11:43:00.005+12:00

As Jack would say "I'm baacccck"! Just a week or so left for the complete circle around the globe. For now, its so good to see my family again. This has to be one of the best parts of traveling...coming home to see families. Its like a warm hug.

My east coast plans will consists of eating (big surprise!) my mom's home cooked meals, do some hiking, pick strawberries and try indoor rock climbing with my nephews, and see friends. Not much sightseeing at this stop but just checking out the local hangouts and hopefully enjoy some old fashion summer festivals.

My fashion violations

2008-06-17T21:41:00.042+12:00

If the fashion police was on my case there would be plenty of citations handed out...thought I take a review of the different types of outfits (from head to toe) I've worn over the duration of this trip. I've made some fashion sacrifices in the name of exploration and adventure. Some outfits are not so bad while others I have no words to decribe it so its best to let the pictures speak for themselves...just try not to laugh so hard!

Australia: Sidney Bridge Climb..."star trek" outfit.

Australia: Pigtails and bushwalking in the Blue Mountains.

New Zealand: hang gliding "apron" look.

New Zealand: bungy jumping, "towel" tide around my feet.

New Zealand: glacial hike, 1st outfit "red fanny".

New Zealand: glacial hike, 2nd outfit is the "spiked boots" with axe.

New Zealand: Waitomo caving, a cross between "a mine worker and a blue smurfette".

Malaysia: Visiting a mosque, I call this the "pepto bismo" look, at least I match the dome.

Taiwan: In my cousin's maternity shirt I may qualify to weigh and look like the wind damer!

My footwear of choice in Athens (got these in Taiwan of all places) and super comfortable.

Barcelona: Got these in Athens the day I left, these only saw the pavements of Barcelona.

Denmark: viking museum, this outfit was begging to be worn...its missing a sword or something.

That's all I have. Who knows what else I might have worn if given more time on the road.

Sweet dumplings and Rainbows

2008-06-15T21:31:00.020+12:00

Its Friday morning, my last full day in Prague and I woke up to a gray, rainy, and cold day. Not the best of conditions for outdoor activities but as you’ll see it turned out to be one of the most charming and sweet days of my RTW trip. The evening before we got home at 1am from Prague so I didn’t get to bed until 3:30am and shamelessly slept til noon. I woke up feeling exhausted, my body and feet were slightly aching (like after a good hard long run) from the three full days of walking and sightseeing. I start to think twice about the plans Alena and I had made the night before given how I felt, getting up so late, and the weather! We had made three rough plans for today…plan A was a 3 hour bus ride to the countryside to more castles…plan B was a 1 hour bus ride to the outskirts of Prague…finally plan C was to hike the hills around the village area. The endpoint of any of these plans was to be home by 5pm to make sweet dumplings for dinner with her cousin Kafta. At the end of the day, we only managed to lounge around the house, check emails, pick-up grocery for dinner, walk the dog and make the sweet dumplings. We head out to the supermarket called Albert which is about 15 minutes drive outside of the village of Lhota. If I haven’t admit this to all of you, here is my confession….I love, love perusing through the market aisles in any destinations I visit. So much so that it is mentally written into my sightseeing list along with the tallest buildings and/or castles. I realize that it borders on the wacky side but I think it’s one of the best ways to experience the culture and life of the local people no matter the location. For my last supper in Prague I was bound and determined to have more tasting of Czech food, so we picked up many varieties of bread, meats, sausage, and beer (for tonight it’s the label “Gammbrinus” pilsner).

Once home, Kafta and Alena immediately put on their aprons and prepared the kitchen for making sweet dumpling. Dumplings rule, it is the bread, rice, and carb of choice in this region and typically on the savory side. In contrast, the sweet dumplings are so called sweet because the dumplings are filled with the season’s fresh fruits (this happens to be strawberry season) and serve with sugar and cheese. The strawberries were picked from the backyard, some slightly tart and some sweet...with the additional toppings it didn't matter if it was tart.

Alena and Kafta introduced me to the concept of having “sweet dumplings” for dinner…its like having dessert for dinner. It is a new concept to me but very Czech. Our first course was a leek soup which was also yummy. Our night ended even sweeter when we looked outside and saw two rainbows...it was the first time I've seen a rainbow from end to end (check out the video). After my shameless consumption of 8 dumplings I decided to join Alena to walk the dog and hopefully walk off the dumplings. Unfortunately this also worked up my appetite, so we return to enjoy wine, beer, sausages, and salami.

Don't be shock but it really is me in the kitchen making sweet dumpling as taught by Alena and her cousin Kafta. I'm putting the fresh strawberry in the middle of the dough then it gets shaped into a round ball.

The dumplings then go into a pot of boiling water for 4-5mins.

The cooked sweet dumplings are then topped with hard fresh cheese, sour cream, melted butter, and finally granulated sugar. Breaking the dumpling open reveals the sweet strawberry center. It is a very rich but ooh so good ;-) and not to be eaten all the time!

After a copious consumption of sweet dumplings, we got this fantastic view of two rainbows end to end. It was amazing to see the complete semi-circle (check out the video).

Taking the family dog "Dick" for a walk after dinner through the forest.

Roses are just more beautiful after the rain.

Wild poppies grow along the rye wheat fields. Its really a sight to see the sprinkling of red flowers along the perimeter of the fields.

A field of rye wheat at sunset looking into the next village.

This day turned out to be as sweet as the dumpling ;-)

Prague...a glimpse

2008-06-12T21:39:00.005+12:00

I arrived to a very hot day in Prague and to the warm and smiling face of my friend Alena. For accomodations, I am staying at her cousins house in a village 30min by bus outside of Prague called Lhota. Its a village of only 100 houses, based on her cousinś house it is no means a cottage. Its beautiful and with a backdróp of the forest and open land...absolutely wonderful. Its strawberry season so they pick strawberries in the backyard for breakfast...how wonderful. I always say I´m a city girl but places like these make me think twice that I love the countryside just as much.

The things that rule here in Prague at least based on my one day introduction and personal tour guide "Alena"....Pilsner beer, dumplings, meat, castle, classical composers, Franz Kafta, great architectures, and gorgeous views from the river. There are lots of great pictures as usual and here I have some examples.

Sunset....this is the view from the garden by my bedroom...its gorgeous. I love the countryside.

A view of yours truely with the backdrop of the town from the Prague castle.

View from the Prague Castle of the roof tops and a restaurant called "The Cowboys".

Many irresistible narrow streets and stairways, this one is at the base of the Prague Castle.

Franz Kafka fans....this is his house along the Golden Lane.

Siesta - Barcelona style

2008-06-10T06:46:00.002+12:00

Here I am doing as the locals do....siesta on the beach! Its sunday afternoon and I found out that most Barceloneans do not work today and prefer to spend most of their sunday enjoying the sun and sand. This btw was a top optional beach....I didn't know that ;-)

Tapas, tapas, and more tapas! Oh, how I miss thee..

2008-06-09T12:34:00.004+12:00

Its crazy but I woke up the day after leaving Barcelona missing the rituals of tapas....terribly. Its the whole process of going to the La Boqueria market sitting by the bar stool and ordering a just about as many plates as I can see and washed all down with a glass of wine or beer. Its not my normal routine to have vino or cerveza with my afternoon meals but this is Barcelona so I order away. My agenda in Barcelona has been simplified to the following; wakeup, eat tapas, walk off the food, do some sightseeing, take a siesta, walk to find the next tapas eatery, eat tapas, walk off the food, sleep....and do it all over again the next day. I love it here, the food is just fantastic for food lovers especially meat lovers. Of all the places thus far, I was able to converse comfortably in spanish...its not perfect but my ability is better than I thought. Spanish words rolled out of my mouth as if I´ve been taking lessons, I don´t even know where it comes from but it sure came in handy as we navigated through the streets and menus. For those who enjoy taking photos, Barcelona has fantastic architectures and lightings for you and your camera to get lost in. Most notable architect is Antoni Gaudi...check out the videos...once I upload them in the meantime you can tantalize your eyes with the wonderful images.

A Roman detour...

2008-06-08T20:25:00.006+12:00

Friday 06.06 - On my way to Barcelona I had a four hour layover in Rome so I decided to take the train to Rome city center to visit the coliseum (along with a bro+sis team on the same flight from Athens who were on their way to Brazil). With the transit time, we had exactly a 30min. window to see the coliseum, take some pictures and get back to the airport. Luckily we had enough time to enjoy some gelati. A worthwhile detour...

Athens

2008-06-06T17:32:00.007+12:00

Visiting Athens in the early June is the perfect time, the weather is just right with lots of sunshine and not too much humidity, the tourist season has just started so the number of tour buses can still be counted in one hand (this is the best its going to be). I have two very strong recommendations if you plan to visit Athens, use the metro system and avoid group tours…this is a city you can discover more on your own. Most destinations are in bilingual thanks to the Olympic so no need to bring your Greek dictionary. I fully embraced the metro system, its convenient and much cheaper so save your Euros for the food and souvenirs, you’ll need with the weak USD. As for coping with the different tour groups, I have developed a simple strategy and have successfully employed it. I have learned that if I wait patiently, usually no more than 10 minutes for the each tourist group to get their fill of photo snapping then I was left with a nice window of time (~10 minutes) to enjoy the view all to myself before the next group shows up. With the exception of a few, most tour groups are on a set agenda so they only come for the that one picture of the monument and rarely linger the grounds…something I LOVE, LOVE to do until no stones are left unturned.

Walking through the streets of Athens I am in the midst of my avorite pastime activity, “people watching” when I noticed a few different groups of women, some young and some older in their summer dresses or their barely their tops with a dip or size too small that begs anyone to have a look at their beautifully tan skin…I find myself secretly smiling inside. Here’s where I’m coming from…Greecian women are volumptuous, their hair full and wild tendrils and they are not shy about their Athenian curves. It must be the weather but their skin looks amazing in the sundresses and the strappy sandals. I feel more at home walking through the streets of Athens compare to Singapore or Taipei where I constantly felt “extra” plump and my hair too curly and wild...just my POV!

After the drama with the flight into Athens, you’d be happy to hear that the remainder of my stay here has been drama free. My transit to the hotel was via the metro and absolutely stress free…got help from a young lady (Valentina) who is just returning home from the university to see and work at her family’s restaurant on an island for the summer (very cool). We commiserate a few minutes about the flight from hell and twenty minutes later I was at my stop (Mexahourglio). I arrived at my hotel at 10pm absolutely famished. Luckily the hotel café closes at 11pm so I decided to order the "mousaka", it was like coming home and reminded me of the days working at "Souvlaki Hut" with Valvas family learning the in's + out's of greek cuisine. My hotel was called Hotel Rio, family run and very basic in its amendities. Its abit away from the heavy tourist areas of Plaka (old neighborhoods) and Syntagma but it will do for the price. My room had an abismal view of the back of the building so it was kept closed the entire 3 days stay. How lucky was I that the building construction next door started promptly at 8am!!! Whether I wanted to or not I was up. My biggest complaint was of course the intenet access...I paid I rediculously price of 5.00 eros for 1hr so I only used it in extreme cases. One of the reasons I booked this place for the internet access but hadn't realized the cost. I later found out that at the city center its was 10o% free wi-fi...oh well, you live and learn.

The following day, I start my day at the hotel cafe with a good breakfast before heading out. I began at Syntagma and Plaka before taking out Acropolis. Walking down towards Plaka amongst all the shops I am overtaken by the rows of shoe stores...l Love shoes so my first views of Athenien life wgoas not of Acropolis but of the shoe stores. Finally I make it to the grounds of Acropolis and began my exploration from the bottom up starting with the Roman Angora, the thearter of Dyonisis, the south and east slope before climbing the marvel steps to the top of Acropolis. Walking around the area its easy to be in awe in the design, layout, and architecture of the area and buildings. Once I reached the bottom of the steps of Acropolis, I quickly noticed the number of tours ahead of me so I patiently allowed them to pass. I just came to accept that taking pictures o f tourist is a natural part of vacation at hotspots.

Taipei Part 1 pictures ready for your viewing.

2008-06-05T20:19:00.002+12:00

Part 2 still to come, expect more eating, buildings, and cheesy tourist poses!

My Odyssey to Athens..the Greek gods are at work!

2008-06-04T19:24:00.006+12:00

Have a nice big cup of coffee or tea before reading this...

My journey to the Athens according to the itinerary was to take 18 hours of flying time covering over 9,000 miles, these are the conditions I've come to terms with to spend my day in transit and the only sightseeing to look forward to were the advertisements and duty free stores at the airport. I was to get into Athens at 1:45pm, early enough to enjoy the afternoon and walk around the city. If not for the jetlag, flying from Taipei actually works out well as it gains me 6 hours. My flight from Taipei to Bangkok to Amsterdam was a non-event, we arrived at Amsteram’s Schipol airport at 5:30am which is way too early if you are in the middle of deep REM state sleeping so I immediately seek out coffee. With approximately 3 hours before my next flight to Athens I jumped online and did some light shopping. As 8:30am rolls around, I headed for the gate and here is where the all DRAMA begins or I like to think it was an "Odyssey".....keep reading and let me know what you think.

The first delay was by 25 mins. followed by another which pushed us back to 11:30am due to the unavailability of the incoming plane...so far I can deal with these types of delays. Than as the 11am approaches, we were told to switch gates (btw its 1 mile away and if you’ve been to Schipol airport you’ll sympathize) nonetheless we dutifully proceed to new gate. Once there, we didn’t board until 12pm...there goes the 11:30am departure. I am starving at this point, I made a mad dash to the nearest café to grab a sandwich, a decision that proved to be a such a foresight to my survival on board as the drama unfolds. It took at least 45mins to complete the boarding process…it might be the prelude to “the Mediterranean time” but dripping molasses would be faster!

The clock keeps ticking away, its now 1pm at which point the captain announces that one passenger can't be accounted for (luggage on board but not the person) and crew is unable to reconcile by the computer system so we were all asked to produce our tickets to verify against the passenger list...what a hassle! At 2pm, the MIA passenger is finally accounted for and boarded our plane (you can't help but feel bad for her as everyone stares her down for delaying the take-off). Thinking we are all set for take-off, we clapped and smiled but our moment of celebration quickly disperses when the captain makes another announcement that “a passenger” (never saw who it was) was very sick and therefore he has decided to return immediately to the gate to avoid any medical risk while in flight. I think all of us at this point were willing to wait this out however the next announcement quickly shaved away our patience. The captain makes the BIGGEST announcement of them all that “due to the compounded delays he will not be able to fly us to Athens as he is approaching his maximum 12hrs shift work schedule and is required by law to not exceed that limit”. All I can say is that everyone was in an uproar and if there were fresh tomatoes on board there would be a bloody mess!

Everyone frantically pulls out their cell phones to connect with friends and families. The two ladies next to me asked to use my phone and then wants to pay for the calls…it was so cute but I don’t think I would even know how much the call was. As we reach our 4th hour waiting and sitting we unwillingly begin to accept that we may not see Athens until tomorrow. The captain has called a replacement crew to take us to Athens in the meantime we were to wait in the plane for one and a half hour....$$###!!!!! are the words and sentiment out of everyone's mouth. With no other choices, we can only wait and wait. At 3pm (that’s 2 hours on the plane) we were served water, well except that the flight attendant forgot to give me mine and I’m dying of thirst (for some reason I got the smallest bottle which I finished with my sandwich). Then we were served some snacks of yogurt, cheese, and a candy bar which unfortunately I couldn’t eat because of my lactose intolerant and I wouldn’t dare take any ounce of dairy in the absence of my lactaid pills which would be an internal drama I don’t want to deal with certainly not on this flight. I resorted to my own food supply….nuts and a lunar bar. The two flight attendants does their best to appease everyone but all is not happy. A lady next to me was asked how she was doing and she replied only in a way an old Greek lady can mustard up, “Don’t Ask Me!”….it was perfect and I loved it! The flight attendants then proceeds to pass out a feedback card for KLM regarding this flight and ask if anyone wants one, even the two Greek ladies in my row who didn’t speak English (someone interpreted for them) took the cards and handed it directly to me and egged me to send the feedback. I whipped out my laptop and feverishly typed my lethal feedback to KLM. At 4pm the new crew showed up, we finally took off at 4:30pm…no clapping or cheering was to be heard but only the whisper of relief that we would reach Athens tonight. Everyone quietly fell asleep. If you’ve lost count, we were delayed for approximately 5hrs getting into Athens at 8:30pm versus the original 1:45pm arrival time! The Greek gods must have finally fallen asleep as we reached Athens safe and sound ending our Odyssey. The End.

Singapore and Malaysia pictures posted

2008-06-04T19:20:00.002+12:00

The pictures are finally up and ready for your enjoyment. The problem with being a shutterbug...way to many pictures so I try to only post the ones that best capture the spirit of the places. Well there's also the 500 limit Picasa web gallery puts on me. Anyhow, enjoy these. Still filtering the ones from Taipei.

Taipei, the "Food + Building" tour

2008-06-02T22:57:00.011+12:00

I leave Taipei with a (very) full stomach and a warm heart. Unlike my previous destinations, I approached Taipei with no set agenda other than to spend time with Anna and Tommy. Taipei being the midpoint of my RTW itinerary, I selfishly used it as a base to recalibrate myself, do some laundry, and reconnect with people (online that is) before heading out to the next leg of my trip...glad Anna and Tommy was OK with my plan. Taipei was coming into its autumn/rainy season as such the forecast of mist and rain dictated my sightseeing plans which I was ok with. The umbrella was to be our constant companion along with plan B (incase of rain).

Due to my rigid itinerary in the previous destinations, the one thing missing from my agenda was the enjoyment of the local cuisine (not counting the cow party which was special onto itself). Taipei turned out to be the culinary tour that I’d hoped for but denied of due to my time limitations. I completely lucked out that my family loves to eat be the local guide. Anna, Tommy, and Tommy’s Dad (William a native Taiwanese) has some serious knowledge and connections when it comes to the “secret” places to eat. Here are some yummy, tentalizing food pictures. You can find more pictures in the slideshow link.

My visit to Taipei was sweet, very sweet! I will need to come back to visit the family and the food especially the fried rice. Next time I'd like to see and hike the mountains.

The best fried rice I've ever eaten, perfect balance of flavors and texture...yummy!

"Mango Bing (ice)", I'm deliriously happy to eat this given the hot + humid day.

Sea urchin on rice, reluctant at first but I liked it after the first bite.

huge prawns with glass noodle in a simple broth.

Earthquake hits Taipei...yikes!

2008-06-02T22:51:00.002+12:00

My last night in Taipei was rocked by an earthquake at approx. 12:10am the entire building shook for about 10 seconds. It was an earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale has rocked northern Taiwan. We were all quitely in bed, the shake made us all jumped out of bed. There was no damage and no one got hurt but it sure made our hearts skipped for a moment!

Taipei here I come - stop 5

2008-05-29T17:30:00.003+12:00

My very quick fly-by Singapore and Malaysia is complete...today I head out to Taipei. I'm actually looking forward to it since I'll be there longer than 24hrs and have a chance to do laundry and I update my blog (I have tons of pictures to share with you from Singapore and Malaysia). Yeh, not so fun traveling with sweaty + dirty clothes, after awhile even the best perfume can't mask the funk. All for now.

4th stop - Kula Lumpur, Malaysia

2008-05-28T13:55:00.002+12:00

Made it to my 4th stop via a land this time. I took an overnight 5hr train from Singapore to downtown KL which left at 9pm (1hr delay) arriving in KL 7am this morning. Just stopping by my hotel momentarily to drop off my bags (checkin is not until 2pm), grab breakfast, and head out for the day. I have dinner with an old friend tonight....looking forward to seeing her, its been close to 6 years since I'v seen her in Italy. All for now, just wanted to update you that I got in fine.

A day in Singapore - too short but very sweet!

2008-05-28T13:23:00.002+12:00

I knew that my one night in Singapore would be too short but it was oh so sweet. Singapore is a city that is very easy to navigate, the transit system (MRT) is user friendly and after one trip you get the gist of the layout. I had forgotten that flying from New Zealand to Singapore was back tracking which meant that my sleep pattern was 5 hours ahead...so was extremely jetlagged by 11pm. I had such a goodnight sleep on the comfy bed, so was very reluctant to get out of bed. Checkout time at the Scarlet was at noon so it giving me some time to gather my things, agenda, and breakfast. I grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel restaurant named Desire (the decor is as rich and sexy as the rest of the hotel so its aptly named). I ordered two eggs along to compliment the continental buffet which erred on the european influence with its selection of smoked fishes (e.g. salmon) and nice variety of breads and pastries. The fruit selections were also very yummy....dragon fruit, papaya, kiwi, strawberries, etc.

After checking out, I left my bags at the hotel and headed out for my daytrip through the streets of Singapore. The MRT Chinatown stop luckily was just 10mins. away, within the the short walk there was this pattern of rain and sunshine that came on an off, this is to be the weather pattern for the rest of the day. Since I hadn't checked the weather before leaving the hotel, I proceeded with no umbrella and had to find shelter during the heavy down pour in the shops and/or rolls of hawkers stands. My plan was to hit the neighborhoods of Little India, Little Malay, City Hall, Clarke Quay, Raffles hotel (where the Singapore Sling was first created and where the aurther Joseph Conrad stayed), head back to Chinatown for the heritage center, and meet my highschool friend Margaret's brother Christian for dinner.

Singapore is a wonderful city, they have got the perfect melange of old/new architectures and a united nations of the world living here. The three languages predominately spoken here are Malay, Chinese (mandarin), and English which is lucky for me. Since I stayed in Chinatown there were moments of challenges when the sales person didn't speak English so I reverted back to the more international language of animation and pointing to things (not so suave but it gets my point across). Hitting all the neighborhoods, I made it a point to try all the different kinds of food...you can say that I ate my way around the world in the Day in Singapore.

Little India was so colorful, the old colonial buildings, the wonderful shops selling anything from sari to jewelry, the smells of spice and curry. It 90% of the time during my walk through this neighborhood so I spent (unfortunately) some of my time under the covered shop awnings. My first stop was to the Sri Vat temple to check out the architecture and daily ceremony. Once I left the temple, it started to downpour so I headed straight to one of the food malls (or hawkers)...it was noon and just in time for lunch. I had the very famous and ideallic dish "chicken rice" which is rice that has been seasoned in a chicken broth served with the white meat chicke, cucumber, scallions, and a ginger/soy/sweet dipping sauce. My mom makes a version of this dish, Lao style and it happens to be one of my all time favorite comfort food dish where I have been known to eat 3-4 bowls of it at a time.

More to write and pictures will be updated later...

3rd stop…Singapore sling!

2008-05-27T04:45:00.003+12:00

Today marks the 23rd day since I’ve started my RTW trip and reluctantly I have left the two worlds down under for my first Asian location, Singapore. Australia and New Zealand have been nothing less than impressive and fulfilling. What an adventure it has been...I could have easily spent my entire two months down there if it weren’t for the fact that I wanted to see the rest of the lonely planet.
I've made it into Singapore this evening to a balmy (29 degree celcius = 87 degree Fahrenheit) and very humid weather. My hair is officially a mad house of tangles in this humidity! I forgot to change my jeans to something lighter, I paid the price later when my jeans feel like they were melting into me. I'm staying in the Chinatown district...its actually really cool with food stalls opened til 2am....my kind of town. My hotel is by the name of Scarlet, its a boutique hotel (http://www.thescarlethotel.com). It feels like I'm staying at an old french colonial hotel and everything is decorated in red and dark chocolate and has a very mysterious + sexy feel to it...I love and recommend it for the location, decor, good service, nice bath amenities, and great water pressure! Ok, enough about the hotel. Now I have just one day to explore the highlights of Singapore, meet up with friends for dinner, and head to Kula Lumpur, Malaysia. Will update later on the colors and sounds of Singapore.

"Lost Worlds of the Waitomo caves"

2008-05-27T04:23:00.005+12:00

With the disappointment of my missing bags, I headed out for the 2 hrs. drive to Waitomo village. I arrived at my lodge around 8pm alittle pooped from flying and driving all day. I stayed at a Bed & Breakfast called the “Waitomo Cave Guest Lodge”, long name but great accommodation. Driving in New Zealand countryside at night is not too much fun, the roads wined ever which way and NO lights to guide you. The one thing that striked me during the drive was how clear the sky was, the stars seemed really bright. I hadn’t seen that many stars having been mostly in the suburbs and city areas earlier Australia and NZ South Island which had been rainy the whole time.

The B&B was run by an English couple named Janet and Colin (and their dog Gypsey), they’ve been doing so for the last 4 years. Really sweet folks and Janet is an avid gardener so the place looks like a quaint English garden…very charming. This is the only B&B in Waitomo Village Center, Colin explained that the concept of B&B hasn’t caught on to the “kiwi” yet. I like staying at B&B, its great for a lone traveler because it feels very much like home. When I checked in my single room was not available but lucked out and got a double suite with a great view of the hills and a direct entrance to the breakfast patio. I went to grab a quick bite next door at Curley’s Bar, ordered a chicken burger to take away and was “warmly” informed by the “cashier/cook/waitress” that she “doesn’t like making a take away”…I thought “how rude” but gently replied with a smile “sorry, but that is my preference after a long drive”. At 11pm, my missing bag finally arrived…I am relieved and now can rest easily.

The following morning, I awoke at 6am which is on the early side for me but glad I did though because I caught a great view of the sunrise over the country side landscape. I headed for breakfast at 8am in the great room (right outside my patio…how cool was that). They were serving simple but very healthy choices and definitely my kind of breakfast (e.g. granola, yogurt, toast, fruits, homemade marmalade). I had breakfast with a nice family from Melbourne who were in Waitomo for a week and now heading back to Australia. They gave me some tips on hiking trails but unfortunately my time here is limited so I won’t be able to take advantage of it, next visit then. With my belly filled and an hour to kill, I walked around taking pictures and leisurely headed over to the Waitomo Adventure facility to start my tour which was right next door to the lodge…just 100meters through the garden.

The cave adventure I chose was the “Lost World 4 hour” tour which has a few parts to it, first is the abseiling (repelling) 100m down a cable line to the cave floor, explore the caves for two hours, watch the glow worms, and finally ascend a 30m ladder back to the surface. A twenty minutes drive from the town center brought us to the entrance of the caves. We were given uniform and abseiling gears to put on (e.g. blue overall, rain boots, harness, and lighted hard hats). After many safety guidelines and checks, we headed to the platform to begin our abseiling. We split up into separate groups (five person each). In my group was three “Americanos” guys (seniors at Minnesota State Univ), we were lead by Scott (a kiwi). We weren’t allowed to take our own camera, only the tour guide had one so I’m afraid the pictures from the cave adventures are limited. We abseiled down the cable as a team, very slowly while enjoying the view going down the 100m. It was breathtaking and frightening at the same time, there we were just hanging in the middle of the cave. Underneath us, was a flowing waterfall creeping out of cracks along the cave floor. Waitomo is a Maiori word meaning “water creeping from underground” thus describes the area of Waitomo caves. We took a break (just hanging in thin air) at the 50m point to take in the view and stalactites and stalagmites formation. After 45mins. of abseiling, we reached the cave floor where we started our journey through the caves. It was so cool to walk through the little cracks and holes while the water was flowing underneath us. The caves were really dark, the only lights were from our helmets and the glow worms or rather the “poo” from the glow worms. Yes, we sat staring at glowing poo’s. Glow worms are actually maggots that hang off the ceilings of caves and in order to rid of their waste, they burn it off which gives it a glow so we have “glowing poo”. Our ascend back to the surface meant climbing up a skinning metal ladder up 30m (just like rockclimbing but higher off the ground...just don’t look down). We continued trekking and eventually emerged on the opposite side of our entrance to a jungle like opening (reminded me of Tom Raiders). Another one for the books of cool adventures to take. This wraps up my last thrill ride in New Zealand and drove myself up to Auckland (3 hrs. away, at least the scenary and landscape was beautiful to keep me company) to prepare for my departure to Singapore...see you there.

I have my bag!

2008-05-26T06:42:00.002+12:00

Yippee...I have my bag now. It arrived very late....11pm on the same evening, glad I didn't wait for it at the airport. It was stuck at the transfer airport. NZ airline sent it over in a shuttle to my hotel, although it was marked express delivery I didn't get the back until 4 hours later. No matter, I have it now....phew! Now a happy traveler again.

"No Show" baggage

2008-05-24T17:51:00.005+12:00

Its bound to happen even with my minimal baggage ;-(. I've arrived at Hamilton airport at 4pm on my way to Waitomo and behold my only piece of luggage is not here!!! Its a darn carry on but with the smaller plane I was forced to check in the bag!

Waitomo village is where I will be doing abseiling and cave tour called "The Lost World - 4 hour tour" tomorrow morning. I'm trying not to panic and hope its on its way with the later flight this evening (~10pm). I leave for Auckland tomorrow afternoon and that's my last day in NZ so lets pray that it will get here. With only the clothes on my back and my backpack, I'm a bit nervous if my bag would show up before I leave the country monday. Adding to my anxiety is that I still have another month of travel to go...yikes! Wish me luck.

Journey to the glaciers - Part 2

2008-05-24T17:16:00.011+12:00

The glacial hike was worth the hype! I love getting a good hike and being rewarded with an amazing view at the end, this certainly fills my needs for adventure and a good workout. This was a half day hike (9-2pm) which starts off walking through patches of rain forest to the valley floor where the Franz Josef glacier ends and flows to varies streams afterwards we climbed the glaciers themselves. A somewhat strenuous hike with a range of climate changes (rain forest to open valley to glaciers). It was very, very cool. I just have one minor complaint + suggestion to the Franz Josef glacial guide company...get smaller boots...I had to wear three pairs socks to fit into their boots which left me with a blister!

There's also a cool story behind the glaciers. It was named after Emperor
Franz Joseph I of Austria by the German explorer, Julius von Haast in 1865 (Haast wanted to get on the good side of the emporer, he did!). The Māori name for the glacier is Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere ('The tears of Hinehukatere'), arising from a local legend: Hinehukatere loved climbing in the mountains and persuaded her lover, Tawe, to climb with her. Tawe was a less experienced climber than Hinehukatere but loved to accompany her until an avalanche
swept Tawe from the peaks to his death. Hinehukatere was broken hearted and her many, many tears flowed down the mountain and froze to form the glacier. (Legend is taken strait form wikipedia...I didn't want to blotch the romantic legend).

I'm gathering that I must have my "Americano" radar on because of all the people I keep running into and chilling with are folks from the states. On this hike were a few boys from Ohio + South Carolina and a "super cool" woman from Utah (Kamie). There was a total of 28 people in the group hike, we got split up into two groups (one in front, more confident and 2nd group, less confident). Myself and Kamie decided to stay in the 2nd group after no one else volunteered, it turned out to be a good decision because the slower group gave us tons of ops to take pictures and record videos (which I can't wait to share with you guys). After spending a good six hours together through the hike together, I was able to persuade Kamie to join me in the ride back to Queenstown. A very selfish move to have company since its a 7+ hours drive over 400Km...it worked out for her as well...made us both happy.
For this hike, I've decided to start recording events but haven't figured out how to link to this blog yet. Once I do, you'll get to experience my journeys...live! For now, here are some pictures.

in the rainforest part of the hike, took this picture then I realized the direction on the sign...oops.

at valley floor, all geared up with clampers on my the boots (critical for walking on the ice)

the axe used to carve paths on the ice...I'm just posing...only the guide does it

I've just ascended through a very steep stairway of ice to get here...very cool

After the stairway, I crawled through a hole and here I emerged

Journey to the glaciers - Part 1

2008-05-22T19:30:00.003+12:00

I made it...so happy to have made it safely to my lodge tonight after a very, very long day of driving. Franz Josef is really far away from everything (I was forewarned but reality hurts), the drive took me up and around all sorts of twist and turns and once the sun was gone there were no street lights. It rained all day and will continue to tomorrow ;-( which doesn't make the drive fun.

I did have the good sense to pick up a CD last night (Australian artist named Gabriella Cimli...if you like Amy Winehouse you'll like her just without all the Amy nuthouse drama) because there was no radio reception after the first two hours out of Queenstown. Once it hit 6pm (that's 6 hours of driving) I was getting really discouraged with whether or not I would find this place. Adding to my angst was the lack of reception on my phone.

From Queenstown to Franz Josef (township where I will be doing the glacial hike) its about 404Km (~250miles) and it took me a solid 7hrs to get here (two pit stops + six photo ops). No major drama with the exception that I've managed to drop my camera (its okay) but the filter lens is broken and stuck to my 300mm long lens...bummer ;-(

This is a huge milestone for me, first driving long distance is not my preferred mode of transit (most I've driven in Cali is 5 hrs) and second got over my anxiety of driving on the left side after a shaky experience in Ireland two years ago. Normally I don't like driving this long (esp. alone) but the scenary was just just captivating, its probably what made the drive tolerable. Over the 400km the scenary was quite varied, every 75km you'll see anything from the Cali highway 1 to Yosemite, to Hawaii, or to seattle. I'll load up some photos later.

Franz Josef is really far from everything...I'm at the only internet cafe which closes at 8pm (its 7:45pm now). I'm staying at a family run lodge (family of four with two young ones) and their house is right across from my room. They left the light on for me and gave me a bottle of milk...good thing I have my lactate pills for my lactose intolerant.

That's all for today... I'm going to head out for some dinner now, get an enough rest for the early glacial hike tomorrow which I'm really looking forward to. After the half a day of hiking, I head back down to Queenstown...yep another 7+ hours of driving. So stay tune to Part 2...

Queenstown Hightlights (views + wines + bungy + hang gliding = 2 days of fun)

2008-05-21T14:18:00.013+12:00

I am in love with this charming, lakeside resort town. Right off the plane I was greeted with the majestic view of the Coronet mountains with its snow cap peaks. Picked up my car, its a cute Hyundai red Accent (NZ drives on the leftside) and drove into town enjoying the scenary. Yesterday, I took a lazy stroll through town. Imagine it like the perfect New England (Vermont) town by the lakeside during autumn with the leaves changing and the crisp air, tons of shops, restaurants, and cafes to sit and chill out over a nice conversation. Another great thing, there were many lone travelers like myself...thank goodness. I spent a few hours walking through all the nooks and crannies taking pictures....the lighting here just gets better and better with every passing hour (I will upload pictures soon, they are fantastic). I ended my day with a nice turkish dinner with a fellow american from Colorado (Katye) who I met at the "Turkish cuisine" eatery. We polished off the night at the "Old man's cafe" with some coffee and desserts by the fireplace.

steamboat returning to Queenstown

by lake Wakatipu catching the moon rising

Today is my second day in Queenstown, just finished the Queenstown Hightlights tour. A half day tour of the Kawari bridge where the bungy jumping first started (yes, I did it), wine tasting at the Gibbson winery, checked out one of the location where Lord of the Rings was shot at, stopped at Arrowtown (a historic town which boom during the NZ gold rush in the 1800's) also walked through the Arrowtown Chinese Settlement camp. Still plenty more for me to do, now I am off to do hang gliding...will report back.

That's me at one of the cabins at the Arrowtown Chinese settlement camp (its tiny inside).

Getting strapped in to the bungy cords, I just asked the guy if he's been certified "he laughs ...what does that mean?!...then assures me he's been doing this for 10 years."

Back from hang gliding. I thought bungy jumping was amazing well, hang gliding rocked! Its nothing like I've ever done. My pilot (Fernando from Argentina) has been in Queenstown hang gliding for the last 9 months...my life is this man's hand! Our launch pad is approx. 680m (~2000ft) up Mt. Remarkable. After we got strapped into the hardness, practiced some runs within minutes we were off flying like a bird. We took off around 4:30pm, nearing sunset. Its an incredible feeling up there, better then any amusement ride I've experienced. The view was just unbelievable, all my senses were in overdrive. I was feeling all sorts of emotions as the adrenaline rushed throughout my body and I'm thinking "I can't believe I'm flying up here". There was a camera and video strapped to the hang glider once I figure out how to upload the video you can see my flight action!

The take off was running down hill (he didn't tell me that!), a minute later we were flying high

From G'day to Kia Ora

2008-05-20T09:51:00.000+12:00

"Kia Ora" means hello or in NZ speak gidday.

Its Tuesday morning, May 20th and I'm at Auckland airport waiting for my flight (which is now delayed for two hours) to Queenstown in the south island. I will be spending most of my time in south island this week. I was just here twelve hours ago...missed my morning flight out of Sydney due to a major accident on the highways into Sydney airport. I learned something new about NZ immigration policy, they require that upon arriving at NZ I must have present a proof of a flight out of NZ (e.g. a boarding pass or flight schedules from the airline), so the e-copy of the itinerary will not do.

The later flight gave me more time to spend with my family but got me into the hotel really late...it sucked but don't feel too bad for me yet. I was alittle sad to leave my family (a bit teary eyed) as they've been so kind and generous with their time and home. After the goodbye's I headed to the New Zealand airline's lounge (a star alliance partner)...this is the first time I've ever used United Airlines' "red carpet club" lounge, it was so fancy and packed with yummy snacks, coffee/tea, wine, bear, free internet, lounge chairs, fax, phone, and they make personal announcements when its time for boarding. It really does pay to be in the club, I've been missing out all these years hanging out by the usual airport gate areas.

I was not looking forward to later arrival into Auckland but just my luck that on the same flight were the boys from the New Zealand Warriors (NZ rugby team). They were returning home from a competition in Australia...the flight over was very lively so shall we say it was not so bad after all. When I saw them boarding, I thought they were the NZ All Blacks team but not quite...anyhow you can check them out, http://www.warriors.co.nz/.

After taking the airbus we arrived at the hotel 40mins. later. Its smacked right in the middle of downtown however the block where the hotel was located seem really dark. Alittle discouraged, I enter the hotel and was pleasantly surprise to find the interior a stark contrast to the dark exterior. The decor was modern, open, clean lines...scandinavian influenced, and the staff was very pleasant. I asked one of the staff who helped me to my room how the neighborhood was and he informed me that its actually not "that safe"!!!! What!!....of the all the places I find the one hotel that is not in the best neighborhood. It didn't seem so bad when I came in last night (I saw a few homeless people). Anyhow, he recommended that I shouldn't hang around the area at night if its not necessary which I don't plan to so I should be ok. What's surprising was that there were plenty of people (e.g. backpackers, tourist, locals, students...etc) walking around so the place seems lively. The decor of my room is similiar to the lobby decor...clean, modern, and all new furnitures. The view was not so great...plain parking lot. Another surprise was that they broadcast a Thai channel which is a nice. I don't know about you but I can appreciate good water pressure for my showers and this place has got it right...makes me very happy ;-) So the hotels got its pro's and con's, for now its got my vote with the right amenities and price. I guess I won't cancel my reservation as I'm returning to the same hotel at the end of the week. Ok that's all for now as I head down to south island for lots of sightseeing, driving, and hiking.

2nd stop - New Zealand

2008-05-19T03:51:00.000+12:00

Monday (5.19) I head out to Auckland which marks the second stop on my RTW agenda. I am looking forward to the much talked about New Zealand. Everyone I've spoken to loves it there and highly recommends it. At this stop, I do not have any connections and surely no extended relatives to put me up ;-( but I am looking forward to the adventures. If by any chance anyone has some cool people you know in New Zealnd and are willing to introduce to me....please let me know.

I will only be in NZ for one week and have packed it tight with many outdoor activities and some cityscapes. A few things I will be doing...
-check out Auckland city
-fly to Queenstown in the south island for a couple of days
-drive to Franz Josef for a half day glacial hike
-head back to north island to either do the Waitomo cave or ride the Zorb ball at Rotorua.
-lots of driving alone but I think the scenary will more than make up for it

Sydney half marathon, I was "unofficially there"

2008-05-19T02:42:00.000+12:00

First, thank you for your vote to help me decide on running the half marathon. It was an overwelming 80% (yes, go for it) and 20% (no, you're on vacation). After I've put you thru the polls, I have to unfortunately report that I did not run it however was able to be there to see the race in an unexpected turn of events. Let me explain. I was all set to go, got my maps, train schedules, and gears all ready to go however I was dealing with a conundrum on how to be mentally and physically ready for the race given the evening before was my bon voyage party.

Saturday evening was the "whole cow" party that my family graciously hosted as a sendoff gift. As you can understand, being that the party was for me there was some mandatory eating, drinking, and karoake singing. All this happiness of course can only lead to a very, very, late night. After toiling back and forth on how much to eat and drink to make sure I get some decent sleep for the race. In the midst of all this, popped the opportunity to hit the town and experience Sydney nightlife, given that its my last night I reluctantly dropped the idea to run the race ;-(. Plus I knew that not having proper sleep, alcohol, and "not so proper" food can really affect the race.

So I headed out to the city for lots of fun and dancing which was much needed after all the eating at the party. We were out til sunrise and I thought this was the end of the night however the entourage I went with decided to go to a "day club" which opens at 6am and closes at 12pm. Yes, this is available in every major metropolitan and Sydney is no exception. The downside of carpooling sometimes. In my mind, I know that its going to be a very long day somehow I still had enough energy to continue dancing...crazy!

As 7:30am rolled around, I was also thinking about the race and how I secretly wish I was there. While waiting for everyone to prepare to leave the day club, my cousin tapped me on the shoulder to show me the reflections of the runners passing the club. I immediately felt envious of the runners hitting the pavement and wondered if I had made the right decision to. Well, after a few moments self guilt, I headed outside to encourage the runners and take some pictures of what could have been...next time.

A whole cow for me!

2008-05-17T01:44:00.000+12:00

Warning to my Veggie + Vegan friends please skip reading this posting.

Earlier this week, my aussie family casually mentioned a send-off party for me this saturday which marks my last two days in Australia. I thought it was a very kind guesture and cool of them to go through the trouble. I think its completely unecessary but there was no stopping their plans. Yesterday, my uncle confirmed that he has ordered a "whole cow" to be delivered for the party. I pushed back slightly and insisted on a few slabs of steak and some shrimp on the barbie but my request was ignored! Those of you familiar with Lao food know that all parts of the cow will be prepared and eaten up (a meat lover's feast). Today, I heard the guest list...looks like I'll be partying with lots of people I don't know to help send me off and hopefully consume the "whole cow". There sure to be some interesting conversations and pictures to share with you later. Of course the conundrum I face is how hard to party tomorrow night if I'm still contemplating the half marathon sunday morning!!!

Bushwalking + Three Sisters + Thunderstorm in the Blue Mountains

2008-05-15T04:36:00.001+12:00

Off we headed towards the Blue Mountains, approx. 2 hours drive north of Sydney for some bushwalking (Aussie for hiking). Blue Mountains is famous for its abundant trails for bushwalking, incredible views, the Three Sisters, and indigenous plants to name a few. When left the house it was sunny but when we arrived at Echo Point (the starting point for most of bushwalking trails) it was cloudy, windy, and downright gray, blah day. Echo Point jets out into the Blue Mountains landscape like a sore thumb but provides a great vantage point and gives way to the spectacular view of the Blue Mountains (it really does look blue) and its local celebrities the "Three Sisters" (see photos above). The Three Sisters are rock structures that holds spiritual meanings to Australian's Aboriginal and the three were part of the seven sisters.

We collected our maps at the visitor center and saw the weather forcast of the very high chance of thunderstorm. Under normal conditions, I probably would not have chosen to do bushwalking considering a thunderstorm is headed our way but given that my days are numbered here in Australia so I only have one option to proceed with the plan. We definitely paid the price for our decision as you'll see later. The trail we chose should take one and half hour and is rated as moderate/hard. The trail starts behind the visitor center which loops us down to the walkway behind the Three Sisters then decends down the Giant Stairway (~900 steps from Echo Point to forest floor), at the forest floor starts the federal pass trail (full of zig zags but relatively level, passes Katoomba falls, and ends at the base of the where one can take the railway or cable car back up to Echo Point.

My cousin Ali and I went bushwalking while my aunt and uncle stayed behind to do some shopping in town. We proceeded to decend the 900+ steps of the Giant Stairways and every few hundred steps we heard the threat of thunder and lightning in the distance. We momentarily stopped, looked at each other and confirmed our committments to keep going. Finally we reached the forest floor, we walked forl ess then a 200meters and was immediately met by thunderstorm. To our complete surprise it was not rain, it was hail the size of peas...the experience was surreal and made us alittle nerous. Who would have thunk it hailed in the forest! We quickly and luckily found cover under a rock formation and waited out for the next 30mins. We had two options go forward or backwards (which meant climb back up the 900+ steps which was probably very wet at this point and the least safe path). The storm didn't appear to be stopping any time soon so we decided to go forward to the end and hope + pray we don't get sick the next day (we didn't). It was now 3pm and 2.5K to go and the last cable car up to the top was at 4:50pm. We quickly covered ourselves and booked it! It was difficult to enjoy the scenary while the rain and hail poured down constantly. As we approach the end, we were met with the wonderful sound of trickling water of Katoomba Falls...it was a beautiful sight. It also meant that we were only 500 meters from the end...yippee! We emerged from the trail one hour behind schedule but enough time to catch the last cablecar back up to the top. We were completely soaked (note to self: pack raincoat at all times for bushwalking), exhausted, but relieved to be done.

Climb of a Lifetime

2008-05-13T01:24:00.000+12:00

Today we took the three and half hours tour called the "Discovery Climb" to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge (see collage below). After a doning the proper "star trek" uniform, gears, and safety harness we made our way up to the start of the tour. Our tour guide was named "Ed" short for Edna. We lucked out with the weather (it was a gorgeous sunny day) and no one else booked our timeslot so there was only four of us (Ali, Sarah, myself, and Ed). The experience was really cool, it took us through, under, and over the entire bridge. This is not for the weak stomach as you walk some narrow paths of either steel or wooden planks overlooking the harbor...yikes! Just don't look down. Once at the summit of the bridge we got to enjoy a 360 panaromic view of Sydney Harbor in all its glory. We took some very necessary cheesy tourist pictures. The only thing missing was the cheese platter and champagne to celebrate the accomplishment. The bridge itself is set in one of the older neighborhood called "The Rocks" along Cumberland street. After the climb, we continued to a separate structure which is situated in the middle of the bridge called the Pylon Lookout. We climbed 200 steps to the top of the Pylon Lookout and got a few moments of to enjoy the sunset over the harbor. It was an exhausting but fun day.

Almost a smooth take off...G'day from Australia

2008-05-12T01:33:00.000+12:00

G'day mates...sorry for the slow update but just getting a chance to have access to the internet. One of the families live in the burbs so no easy internet access for a week but I survived with the occassional visits to the library. I have to say the library is still a very, very resourceful place to get all your info including wi-fi.

Its been one week since I took off from SFO and finally managing to kick the last sniffle and cough out of my system. It sucks being sick while traveling, on the bright side its better that it happened in beginning of the trip versus the end.

The start of my trip was an unfortunate blah...I was thrown a curve ball and got sick on the eve of my flight with a high 101.5F fever . It was a good thing the flight over was somewhat empty for me to monopolize an entire row to sleep it off. With enough drugs, I was knocked out for the next twelve hours of the flight. No bad considering the flight time was 14 + hours. On the downside (for me at least) it meant that I missed out on all the fine airplane cuisine with the exception of breakfast (stuff pancake with sausage, danish, and fruit salad). After my somewhat restful sleep, I peered out the window to catch the first glimpse of sunrise as we approach Sydney. Not a moment to lose, I grabbed my camera to captured the sunrise which btw never really equates to the real thing.

Munching through my breakfast, I am filled with excitement towards not only the RTW trip but to the meet my families in Australia for the first time. As I filled out the Australian immigration card, I was momentarily stumped because in all the excitment I forgot to take down my family's address and/or full contact information (critically important if I'm to stay with them). All I had was a nickname, a cell number, and lots of optimism that all will work out. Thank goodness, the immigration officer was extremely friendly and allowed me to pass as I informed her that my family would be waiting for me at the exit and they were with my name placard in hand which read "Tina Arousack" (they forgot a "n"). That's all for now folks, I have plenty more to update now that I've shaken the cold. Check back soon.