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Still enjoying Oz

30/1/2016

Greetings again from Western Australia. We're 10 days into our fortnight visit, and still having a great time. As I've said before, Australia is a bizarre combination of the very familiar and the very different. After spending several months in non-English speaking countries, it's nice and easy to communicate with everyone here. We're driving around and the towns are similar to what we've seen in North America - many places remind us of Texas or California or Florida. On the other hand, it's still a surprise to look out the car window and see a kangaroo hopping across a field.

It's been pleasant summer weather here, not the unliveable heat they sometimes experience. Yesterday was about 31C, so we used the the air conditioning in our unit for the first time. Today we're back to the high 20's, so it's open windows again. I also wore long pants today to visit a local cave - it's only about the 5th time I've had on long pants since September. I don't imagine I'll need them again in Singapore or Malaysia, but I guess I'll have to get ready for some chilly weather when we arrive in Seoul in less than 3 weeks.

This morning I participated in a weekly community event here - a 5k run. There were about 60 runners, and I was pleased to finish in 25:32. That puts me only a minute and a half off my old PB, so I feel like I'm progressing nicely back into form. I also managed to finish ahead of the two 10 year olds in the race, so that was an added bonus!

Tonight we're barbecuing burgers Aussie style, with a fried egg and slice of pineapple. Sounds strange, but it's actually really good. Anyway, that's all for now. Hope everyone is enjoying the wintery wonderland.

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Australia Day, then back to the beach

29/1/2016

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Showing off the bling we won on Australia Day at the Bruce Rock pool.

Busselton is a beautiful beach community - what Wasaga Beach could be if they blew everything up and started over.

We had a great Australia Day in Bruce Rock, a small farming community in the middle of the Western Australian wheatbelt. The municipal campground and community pool are co-located, so we didn't have to travel anywhere to participate in the local festivities. George won the "bomber" (a.k.a. cannon ball) competition, Molly won the thong (a.k.a. flip flop) skipping competition, and I won the adult door price. All in all, now we have lots of Aussie swag. Tres cool.

Yesterday we drove back to the coast, and checked into our "cabin in a campground", right on the beach. The ocean is about 50 metres from our door. We got lots of groceries, so we're not going anywhere in the car.

I've had a great day so far. Got up about 6:30. Had a coffee and cereal. Went for a beautiful 10 km run along the coastal running/cycling path that goes right past our door (sub 58 minutes). Came back, and went to the pool to swim with the kids. Had lunch, then had a nice nap. Got up, went to the beach with Ursula and the kids. Just got back to the cabin. It's 3 pm. Enjoying my first beer of the day, and writing this blog post. So far; so good.

We're here for 5 nights, so we're not in a hurry to do anything. There are lots of fun touristy things to do here, and the Margaret River wineries are only a few kilometres away. I got a little sunburnt on Tuesday, so I have to be careful on the beach. That's my biggest challenge this week.

Hope all is well with all of you. Yesterday I learned that one of my host moms from Holland passed away last week after a 6 month fight with cancer. Sad she's gone, but glad we got to see her and her husband at their farm in September. Life lesson: enjoy the time you have with loved ones.

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Our visit to the Outback.

26/1/2016

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Well, after 3 days in Perth on the coast, we drove inland 600 km on Saturday to Kalgoorlie, an active gold mining town and biggest city in the entire outback (about 30,000 people). In terms of the economy, this is like visiting a northern city in Canada like Sudbury or Timmins or Fort McMurray. There are lots of industrial vehicles and buildings around, and the general prosperity that comes with well-paid resource industry jobs. Lots of RV's and off road vehicles too. This might sound like an odd comment, but I always enjoy visiting places where there are almost no tourists.

Our cabin in a little a-frame place. We feel like we're sleeping in a bunkie outside someone's cottage in Haliburton. Most of the people staying here seem to be contractors working in the mining industry. The four wheel drive trucks outnumber cars - also kind of like Haliburton!

Today we drive halfway back to Perth, to an even smaller place, Bruce Rock, in the wheatbelt. It's supposed to rain this afternoon, so we're having a leisurely morning here before getting on the road after lunch. Molly seems to have a bit of a summer cold, so she's in low gear today. The rest of us are also glad to take it easy. I had a nice run this morning. It's flat here, and there are trails all through the city for walking, biking or running. It's obvious that land is cheap here, as everything is very spread out and every house has about a quarter acre lot.

The largest local gold mine is scheduled to close in 2021, so the community is already in the process of figuring out how they'll survive if that happens. It appears they've spent quite a bit of money fixing up the downtown Victorian shopping district. It's quite lovely - and make one imagine what downtown Lindsay could look like if a big coordinated investment was made. Maybe the new MP could look after that...

When we arrived, Molly and I both commented that we thought it would be drier and more desolate here. Truth is, there are millions of big gumtrees in this area, and we've seen some rain every day. There goes another stereotype.

Last night, while Ursula and George were watching some superhero movie on TV, Molly and I watched "Crocodile Dundee" on iTunes. I haven't seen it in years, but enjoyed watching it while we are in the Outback ourselves. Both of us thought they ruined a good action story with too much of the mushy stuff...

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I've come to a land down under...

23/1/2016

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After almost a month in Vietnam, we departed southeast Asia Wednesday. Our one day stopover in Kuala Lumpur was relaxing. We were at a very nice hotel in the middle of nowhere (surrounded by a golf course), so we hung out at the pool (George and I got a little too much sun) and went to a big modern mall for dinner and some recreational shopping in the evening.

The flight to Australia was uneventful, although we discovered at the airport that Canadians need visas to enter Australia (which we did online while standing in the check-in line). We flew AirAsia, the biggest low-cost carrier in Asia. I must say that everything went well; quite a bargain for less than C$200 each for a 5.5 hour flight. We picked up our Mitsubishi Outlander (same size as a Ford Escape) and headed off to a suburban mall for groceries and some other odds and ends. We were really curious to see if prices here are as bad as feared. Conclusion: groceries and Kmart stuff is the same price as Canada, which was a welcome surprise. Even beer (by the case) isn't much more than Canada.

We're staying at an apartment/hotel downtown for C$117 a night. (The best deal I found for out two week stay.) We have a smallish 2 bedroom place that feels like a college dorm. The good news is there's a real kitchen and laundry. There's also a good TV with lots of English channels! For the first time since we were with the Brandons in Hoi An, we're not in a hotel room, which is delightful.

Yesterday was cool (25C) and breezy. A cold front went thru here on Tuesday after weeks of heat, but the forecast is for the temperature to climb back to their "summer normal" (low 30's) by tomorrow. For us, it was nice to be in less humidity after Malaysia and Vietnam. Tomorrow we head to the Outback, so I expect it will be even drier there.

On our first day, we drove around town and visited a few of the beautiful beaches in this area. For the first time in a long time, it's really nice to be somewhere that isn't crowded. Perth is about 2 million people with a handful of big corporate buildings, but outside the core, it feels about the same scale as London Ontario. There are sprawling suburbs with comfortable looking homes on spacious lots. There are lots of parks and the general setting is quite impressive. Overall, the place looks quite prosperous and comfortable.

Having said that, for the vast majority of Australians who live 4,000 km away, Perth is an outpost, far from everything important to them. Given that we have never been to the east coast, we don't feel like that. For us, Perth seems like a lovely place offering a great quality of life surrounded by natural beauty.

In terms of infamous Australian high prices, we did see that cafes and restaurants are probably 50-100 percent more expensive than Canada (which is about 400% more than Vietnam!). As you might expect, this reinforces our plan to buy most of our food in grocery stores rather than eating out. I also noticed that gas is about $1.20 a litre, so that's not outrageous.

Anyway, so far; so good. We're off to a private animal sanctuary this morning to see some local animals up-close. Should have some good photos later.

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Helmet law in Vietnam

17/1/2016

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Apparently, 10 years ago most people in Vietnam rode bicycles. Today, the most popular mode of transportation is clearly a small (less than 150 cc) motorbike/moped/scooter. They are literally everywhere.

I haven't read the statutes, but there must be a law saying adults have to wear helmets, and the vast majority seem to obey. Having said that, I'm not sure if there's any reference in the law to children as passengers. It seems not. People being people, Vietnamese parents do what they are required to, and no more. Check out the photos. Make we got it backwards in Ontario.

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Drifting along.

16/1/2016

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Today was our last day in Hue. Tomorrow morning we take the train to Danang, and fly out from there to Kuala Lumpur the next morning. As such, our month in Vietnam is almost complete.

In some ways, I think we got our schedule here backwards. It would have been better if we'd gone to a bunch of other places first, before landing in Hoi An (which we think is the nicest place in the country). As it turns out, we started in the best place, with our friends for Christmas, and nothing since has measured up. It's not that other places in Vietnam aren't nice, it's more that we'd all rather be back in Hoi An. I think we also went through a bit of an emotional letdown when the Brandons left. (The kids feel we're living in exile.)

If you've read Ursula's latest posting, you'll know we're all feeling a bit unsettled and unsatisfied. Skiers know how you feel when you're having a great day on the slopes, then go into the chalet for a while in the afternoon, and then can't get back into it when you go back on the slopes for the last hour. (Especially if you've been skiing for 15 days straight!) That's about how we feel.

I also think that a month in hotel rooms with no cooking facilities has taken it's toll. The food here is good and cheap, and there are non-Vietnamese options if we want a change of pace, but we all miss home-cooking. We have 3 more nights of hotels and restaurants before we get to Australia, where we'll have 14 nights in apartments with cooking facilities. Travelling by car for 2 weeks also means we will be able to buy a cooler, and stock up on a better variety of groceries and fresh foods. I can't tell you what I'd pay for a bowl of Shreddies and milk or granola and yogurt.

Anyway, these are our first world problems. The good news is that I'm excited about getting to Korea in a month. We'll turn our apartment into a comfortable home, and start to build a network of friends. That's what I'm looking forward to.

I've posted a few photos below from the bike ride Ursula and I took around town today. It was a misty, muggy day. After wearing my raincoat for a while, I decided I'd rather get wet than sweat it out in a long sleeve coat. It was only about 25 degrees, but the humidity here is intense.

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I'm running again.

13/1/2016

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No, not in an election. After falling off the running bandwagon about 3 years ago, I've begun to find my stride again. I'm still middle-aged, and pudgy, and slow, but I'm back on the road.

After struggling with leg issues for a couple of years, in November I began to take baby-steps back to being a runner. Using my Garmin GPS watch, I began with 250m sections. Run one, walk one. After a few days, I met my first goal - to run 1 km nonstop in the middle of a longer run/walk outing. That happened in Essaouira, Morocco on November 9. Then, I added 250m to my nonstop portion each time I ran. In Barcelona, I ran 2 km nonstop. In Jerusalem, I hit 3 km. In Istanbul, 4 km. At Kruger, 5 km. On our last day in South Africa two weeks later, I was supposed to run 8 km, but felt so great I slowed down and completed 10 km nonstop. That felt like a real accomplishment.

I'm now trying to build in a little speed, but not overdo it. While in Hoi An a couple of weeks ago, I ran intervals through the rice paddies. On another day, George was with me (on a bike) while I ran my first sub 30 minute 5 km in about 3 years. Monday in Hanoi, I did 10 km through the heat and humidity. When I was finished, I looked like I'd been swimming. That was 6 laps around a little lake near our hotel, Ho Hoan Kiem. (Ursula took the photo below just before I began.)

Today, I ran a leisurely 6 km around the Imperial City here in Hue. It felt great, even though it was warm (25C) and very humid. I'm not sure where all this will go, but I'm really happy to be back on the road again.

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Plans for Australia are set

12/1/2016

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After many hours online trying to figure out how we can see what we want to see in Western Australia without completely blowing up the budget, I've got the route figured out. I also found a deal on an SUV rental. Our roadtrip of 1600 km will include city, outback and coast. We'll spend:

3 nts in Perth at the City Stay Apartment hotel
(drive 595 km)
2 nts in Kalgoorlie at the Discovery Holiday Park (mining town in the Outback)
(drive 382 km)
2 nts in Bruce Rock at their Caravan Park (middle of Wheatbelt - there for Australia Day)
(drive 419 km)
5 nts in Busselton at the Ambling Holiday Park (on the beach and near Margaret River wineries)
(drive 157 km)
2 nts in Mandurah at Silver Sands Resort (cabin near the beach; on the way back to Perth airport)
(drive 76 km)

At three of the five locations, we're renting a cabin in a campground. These ought to be good, as they provide housekeeping and recreational facilities, and should have some kids around. Even with my best bargain hunting, the daily cost will still average C$164 (ouch). Now, if I can only figure out a way to keep cold beer and good coffee in the budget...

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Musings from Vietnam

11/1/2016

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Ursula and the kids seem to be keeping everyone up to speed on our daily activities, so I guess that means I can pontificate about what I'm thinking.

I should start by saying we continue to see new and interesting things each day. Every country has been fascinating in it's own way, and we haven't felt that any destination should not have been on the agenda. Some places remind us of others. Some days I have to stop for a minute to remember where we are. (Modern malls are particularly disorienting.)

The first 4 months built slowly to a climax in South Africa, and then Hoi An with the Brandons. Since then, we seem to be a little unfocused and less "into" the things we're doing than before. Unlike the Alan Jackson song that says "too much of a good thing is a good thing", I think we're all saturated with seeing new sights, eating new foods and experiencing new things.

About a week ago Ursula and I discussed what to do this month. We had already decided on Singapore and Kuala Lumpur for the first two weeks of February, but weren't sure about January. One option was to hunker down somewhere in Vietnam and save some money. While that was financially appealing, the more we thought about it, the more we felt like that would simply be marking time for a few weeks, waiting for the next thing.

Another option was to fly to Bangkok, then travel by train through southern Thailand and Malaysia. That would have been a new adventure, but neither of us could get really excited about it for some reason (we've also been to Thailand before).

And then, I found a great deal on tickets to Australia. Rather than napping through January, we decided to figuratively chug a Red Bull by throwing a couple thousand more dollars into the pot, and making a big trip down under. That decision has definitely breathed some new life into January for us. We're all looking forward to the beaches and outback, and I'm looking forward to another driving tour (like Europe and South Africa).

In many ways, I'm actually itching to get to Korea and get back to work. After 5 months of leisure, I am keen to dive into some substance and start something new. It will also be fun to set up a new home, and let the kids decorate their rooms.

As some of you may know, my parents are coming to see us in April, so that gives us something else to look forward to. I will find an apartment-hotel for them near us (we don't really have room for company). They also plan to go to Japan for 5-7 days in the middle of their visit as a break from/for us, and visit a Japanese couple they met in Haliburton last year through Friendship Force.

Finally, we've booked our tickets to Ontario for the summer. Ursula and the kids arrive in Ottawa on June 23, and I follow 5 days later. We plan to be in Haliburton from June 30 until August 23, except when we make a trip to see Linda and Johnny in Nova Scotia in early August.

Anyway, there's still lots on the agenda. Ursula's Aunt Peg periodically reminds me of a promise I made to Ursula at our wedding. I said "I can't promise you fame, fortune, or stability. But I can promise it will never be boring." Peg, I continue to work hard to keep that promise!

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And the surprise destination on the trip will be...

7/1/2016

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As you know (if you've been reading the blog), we have less than 6 weeks left in our adventure. The first will be in Hanoi (starting today), and the final two will be in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. This leaves weeks 2 and 3 and 4 up for grabs. I think we've decided to stay in Vietnam for week 2. We aren't sure yet where we'll go, but have a few ideas. I'll keep you posted.

As for weeks 3 and 4 (drum roll please), I found a pretty unbelievable deal, so we're going to be headed "down under" to Perth in Western Australia. We're all excited and looking forward to a fortnight in the Margaret River region south of Perth. Ursula and I have warned the kids we'll be back on our "Europe budget" for Australia and Singapore - that means sandwiches and fruit from the backpack, and no lattes or lagers in the cafe for mom and dad.

We depart Kuala Lumpur on January 20 (Ursula's birthday) and return to Singapore on February 3. (I guess this gets me off the hook for buying a present too!) We will rent a car and stay mostly at "holiday camps" - which are basically campgrounds with a few rental cabins. They aren't fancy, but have good cooking facilities, recreation facilities, and lots of other kids for George and Molly to play with. I'm also looking at a couple of farm-stay options. That would be fun too.

Anyway, that's my big news for today. Australia has been on our family travel "bucket list" since we starting planning this big adventure, and I have been concerned we weren't going to make it. This resolves that issue. As for visiting Western Australia instead of the more populous east coast, I'm okay with that too. We will get to see some of the big open spaces, some great beaches, and a popular wine producing region. In term of missing the big cities, I guess it's like spending a couple of weeks driving around Nova Scotia or Alberta rather than visiting Toronto or Vancouver. Who wouldn't love that?

BTW - the total, total cost for tickets was C$1552. That's Kuala Lumpur to Perth (a 5.5 hour flight) for C$201 each, and Perth back to Singapore for C$187. I should do this for a living!

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<<Previous

Still enjoying Oz

Australia Day, then back to the beach

Our visit to the Outback.

I've come to a land down under...

Helmet law in Vietnam

Drifting along.

I'm running again.

Plans for Australia are set

Musings from Vietnam

And the surprise destination on the trip will be...

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