New Zealand

This is the time of the year that I should be staying put in Arizona.  The weather is finally cooling off and I can enjoy the beautiful outdoors in Phoenix.  Since coming back in July, I've been wondering if I can squeeze in one more trip before the end of the year.  I was thinking of going to Ireland but by the time I start making up my mind, the weather in Ireland was getting colder and the days shorter.
New Zealand has been on the top of my list of places to visit and when I found a reasonable airfare, that was it.  I am leaving the US on October 25th and returning on December 2nd.  This gives me about a month of travel in New Zealand.  Since I am traveling alone, instead of renting a car and spending a lot of time finding my way around, I decided to sign up with a group called Stray Travel.  It caters mostly to those in their 20s' and 30s', which is where I belong (at least mentally).  Here is their website, if you want to read more about them:  http://www.straytravel.com
Basically, depending on the Pass that you sign up for, they take you to most of the interesting places in NZ.  You have time to enjoy each place but if you want to stay longer, you can.  You let them know and then take the next bus that comes along.  It's a hop-on hop-off bus and it gives you a lot of flexibility on where you want to spend more time.  They even book your accommodation for you.  The drivers also act as tour guides and know where all the best places to go and do.  Below is the itinerary for the Short Max Pass trip that I signed up for.
Hopefully, I will be able to update this blog as often as possible and share pictures and stories with you.  Lastly, if you have any questions or comments, please let me know.  I love to hear from you!

Itinerary:

 

Auckland to Raglan

Depart from Auckland at 7am. We head south travelling towards the mighty Waikato. Pick up your free cultural experience (kumara) to keep or have for dinner. We head on to the world-renowned Raglan surf beach, with cow spotting and a walk to the majestic Bridal Veil Falls on the way. Chill out or go hard in this funky surf and arts town.

Raglan (via Waitomo) to Maketu

Depart 8am. Head to the rural town of Waitomo, with time to explore its famous caves and glowworms. We then head across to Maketu for our unique and special cultural stopover. We have a modern ‘Hangi’ meal and learn about Maori traditions and contemporary Maori culture complete with an interactive haka and poi lesson.

Maketu (via Rotorua) to Taupo

Depart 8am and head into Rotorua for a morning free to discover its smell (geothermal areas), culture and adventure. We do hostel pickups, then head south to Taupo and its great lake (the world’s largest crater lake), via Huka Falls. This afternoon, you can take part in one of our most popular activities - skydiving.

Taupo to National Park

We depart at 6.30am (bad weather, depart 10am) and head to the active volcanoes and dual World Heritage of 'Tongariro National Park'. Today you get a chance to do what is rated as one of the world’s best one day walks - the Tongariro Alpine Crossing; or you can carve it up at NZ’s largest ski area, Mt Ruapehu. In the evening, reward yourself at the bar or just relax in the spa where we stay.

National Park to Whakahoro

We depart at 10:30am and head to the most remote part of the North Island. Our destination is Blue Duck Lodge, a 9,000 acre high country farm that is both a working station and an environmental conservation leader. Once you arrive, there are plenty of activities for you in to partake in. Spend the evening sitting around, listening to tales from this unique region.

Whakahoro to Wellington

Depart 7.30am. We head to Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city via Ohakune, Taihape and Bulls. You have the afternoon to cruise or explore.

Wellington to Marahau (Abel Tasman)
 

We catch the 8am Bluebridge ferry (check in 7am) across to the South Island where we meet the Stray bus, we then cruise through the famous Marlborough vineyard area and the coastal town of Nelson, before heading onto Motueka and to our amazing night stop of Marahau, right on the edge of the Abel Tasman National Park.

Non Travel Day: Marahau (Abel Tasman)

You have the day at leisure to explore this stunning, coastal National Park.

Marahau (Abel Tasman) to Punakaiki

Depart at 8:30am. We head for the ‘wild’ West Coast passing through the Buller Gorge before stopping off at Cape Foulwind to see the seal colony. We head on to our Stray exclusive stop, nestled amongst the native bush in Paparoa National Park. The sunset is a must if the weather is clear!

Punakaiki to Franz Josef

You have the morning free for activities, then at midday we head into the heart of the West Coast - where time almost stands still. We do pick ups at Greymouth, make a stop in Hokitika then head to Franz Josef, a town squashed between the Tasman Sea and the mighty Franz Josef glacier.

Non Travel Day: Franz Josef

A free day to explore the glacier.
 

Franz Josef to Wanaka

Depart at 9am. We head to Lake Matheson for the amazing mirror lake; stop at Fox Glacier for pickups then travel through to the mountainous Haast pass and Makarora. We pass by the beautiful lake Hawea and arrive in Wanaka with an afternoon to enjoy this picturesque lakeside town.

Wanaka to Queenstown

Depart 11.30am. This morning you have the opportunity to check out amazing views of the lake either by skydiving or walking up Mt Iron! We depart at 11.30am. We cruise into Queenstown with a stop at the famous A.J. Hackett bungy site and then head to the ‘Adventure Capital of the World’! Queenstown offers an optional big (make that huge) night out with excellent restaurants, pubs and live music.
 

Non Travel Day: Queenstown
 

Today is yours to explore. Obviously you can break your journey in Queenstown for as long as you want. If you’re not doing the ‘Burt’, look at doing a one day trip to Milford Sound before you go. Speak to your driver or hostel travel desk for Dunedin connection options.

 Queenstown to Aoraki/Mt Cook

Depart 8:40am. We head over the Lindis Pass through the beautiful Mackenzie Country and Lake Pukaki, then head north to our amazing stop at the base of New Zealand’s highest mountain Aoraki/ Mt Cook, arriving in the early afternoon. If you want to hop off the bus for a few days there are some incredible longer walks (we'd recommend leaving actually climbing Mt Cook to the mountaineers though).

Mt Cook to Rangitata

Depart 10am. We make our way to the ‘Lord of the Rings’ landscape of Rangitata. We head around the turquoise Lake Tekapo, where we stop for ice-skating or a swim at the hot springs. We arrive early afternoon in Geraldine, and then head through to spend the night at Rangitata Rafts in Peel Forest (39.1km from Rangitata).

Rangitata (via Christchurch) to Kaikoura

Depart 7.30am. It is an express haul across the Canterbury plains to Christchurch. We depart Christchurch at 9.45am and have a beautiful drive up the coast to Kaikoura. You have the afternoon free for activities.
 

Kaikoura to Picton or Wellington

Depart 8.30am. We wind our way up the rugged coastal roads with stops for photos and a seal colony. Those not heading north to Wellington on the ferry will stay in the port town of Picton for the night.

 

Wellington to Auckland

Depart 8:40am. This is an express day via National Park to Auckland. You can hop off anywhere along the way.

Dean

This post is for friends of Dean Bishop.  I am in Portland, OR, to visit Dean and has visited him twice.  I've taken some pictures and a video of Dean saying hello to you all.  Because of the number and size of the pictures and the video, this blog is the best way for me to share with all his friends.  Otherwise, I'd have to send several emails to all of you and put the video on YouTube, which I really don't want to do.  If you are not a friend of Dean, this post will be meaningless to you.
Dean is staying at the Gracelen Terrace, where he is recovering from his falls at St. Andrews'.  If you want to know more about Gracelen, here is its website:  http://www.gracelenterrace.com/
You can talk to Dean by calling Gracelen's phone number:  1-503-760-1727.  Be prepared to wait, as it takes them time to find Dean and bring him to the phone.  You can also write to him directly at the address:  10948 SE Boise Street, Portland, OR 97266, USA.
The facility is not very big but it appears to be very well run.  There appears to be adequate staff members to take care of the patients.  The afternoon that Jack and I first went there, they were getting ready for a jam session with some percussion instruments.  Dean said he just watch and listen.
We sat outside in the courtyard and had a nice conversation with Dean.  I was surprised to find him in good spirit and was his jovial self.  He seems to accept his situation very well and is aware that he is having some medical and mental issues.  On my second visit, I asked him if he knew what happened to him, he said he had a stroke.  I brought up a lot of conversations and situations that he and I had and he had no trouble remembering them.  I asked him about a couple of hotels that he used to stay in Singapore (Tai Ho) and Penang (Swiss Hotel) and he remembers them very well.  However, when I asked him if he knows my name, he drew a blank.  And I've known Dean for more than 40 years!
I asked him if he would like to go back to Thailand, he lit up and said yes.  I asked him why and he said that's because he has lived there for a long time.  I told him that he may not be able to get the kind of care that he is getting in the US, he didn't seen to be able discern the difference.

In my opinion, Dean is very well taken care of at Gracelen and I believe, at St. Andrews' as well.  He realizes that he is having some issues but he is having a positive attitude about it.  I know some of you think that Dean would be happiest in Thailand and I would agree with you.  However, Dean is not the same Dean that we've all known and love for a long time.  Even if he is medically fit today, he may not be 100% mentally able to take care of himself.  Here in Portland, at both Gracelen and St. Andrews', he is constantly monitored by the facility staff.  In Thailand, he'd have to be constantly monitored by someone.  Another issue that all of us have to consider is the financials.  In the US, he is taken care of by the VA (Veterans Administration) and Medicaid.  Would these assistance be transferrable when he is in Thailand?  If not, how is he going to pay for his medical bills and long-term care?
I am hoping to see Dean one more time before I return to Phoenix next week.  I am sure he'd like to hear from you, either by telephone or regular mail.

Dean and Jack

Meng, Dean and Jack

Dean

Dean's bed and room

Gracelen Terrace

Singapore By Night

The Central Business District in Singapore has a very impressive skyline.  Most of these buildings were built in the last 30-40 years.  Singapore also reclaimed a big chunk of land from the sea and built an area called Marina Bay.  The signature building in this area is the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) Hotel, with its 3-building hotel topped by a roof that looks like a ship.  At night the buildings in this area is all lit up as you can see from the pictures below.

Central Business District (CBD)

Another View of the CBD

Marina Bay Sands (MBS) Hotel

The Fullerton Hotel, which used to be the General Post Office

L-R: Art Science Museum, Singapore Flyer, MBS Hotel and Casino

Hawker Center, where local food are sold

Sunset View of Singapore Flyer

Promenade with Double-Helix Bridge

Sunset View of CBD

Malay Dancers Performing at the Esplanade

Laser Show in front of the Promenade

Big Band and Dancers Performing at the Promenade

Spoils of the War

Americans call it the Vietnam War. Vietnamese call it the American War. Whatever you call it, it was an ugly war. However, when you ask an American about the Vietnam War, they think of the number of GIs' dead, protests, the Vietnam War Memorial, Agent Orange, refugees, Saigon, etc. When you ask a Vietnamese about the American War, they don't like to talk about it. They have move on. Sometimes you come across pictures of Hanoi being bombed during the war and the sacrifices they have to make. But, in general, they look to the future. When I was living in Hanoi, the taxi would take me pass the Defense Ministry every morning on my way to the office. At the corner of Nguyen Tri Phuong and Dien Bien Phu Streets, across the street from Lenin Park, you can see relics from the war. I've never tried to go inside to see the Army Museum but on this trip, I thought I will go in and see what is on display. By the way, Dien Bien Phu reminds one of another famous Vietnamese war - the Revolutionary War against the French. This area is also very French - wide avenues with shaded trees and French villas. Regardless, the Vietnamese are very proud of their victories. You see that in the Revolutionary Palace in Ho Chi Minh City and here in Hanoi, on display, are the American weapons they captured from the war.

An American F-6 Fighter Jet

Chinook Helicopter

An Army Tank

An Army Aircraft

Helicopter

Armored Personnel Carrier

Heaps of Weapons

Bragging Rights from the French and American Wars

Tam Dao

Vietnamese are some of the most hospitable people in the world.  When my friends heard that I was coming to visit, they planned activities for me while I am here.  They take turns making sure that someone is taking me out to meals or I have something to do.   They were planning on a weekend trip to the beach but that did not work out.  So we settled for an overnight stay at a mountain resort area called Tam Dao, about 3 hours away from Hanoi.
There were 12 of us in the group.  We rented a passenger van, which picked us up at the IBM Office at 8 am on Saturday.  On the way to Tam Dao, we stopped for breakfast and picked up a friend who lives nearby.  After a bowl of pho, we were on our way up the winding road towards the mountain resort area.  Getting away from the heat in Hanoi is itself worth the trip.  I think most people come here to just get away from the city.  There is also a golf course nearby, where I've played a couple of times.  There is not much else to do here - just buying stuff from the street vendors, eat, and at night, get a massage or do karaoke.  One thing you noticed when you drive into town is the number of locals selling a certain kind of bananas and a vegetable.  The bananas are called king bananas because they were the favorites of one of the Vietnamese kings.  The locals sell them in a bunch for about US$2.  Yes, that's right.  There's about 50 bananas in a bunch for US$2 and they really taste good.  The vegetable that they sell resembles a little like spinach, although a little lighter green.  They just braised it and add some garlic to it.  It'd taster better if they put a little oyster sauce on it, just like Chinese restaurants adding oyster sauce to "kai lan" or chinese broccoli.
This area somewhat resembles Sapa, a mountainous area close to the Chinese border.  However, Sapa is a much bigger and expansive area with wonderful views of the mountains and rice paddies.  Sapa is also populated by minority ethnic groups.  The bad part about Sapa is that it's about 10 hours by train away.

King's bananas - each bunch costs around US2

Vegetables popular in this area

Purple Sweet Potatoes - they are very good

Sticky rice cooked in a bamboo

Catholic Church in town

A view of the town

Vendor selling food

Town Market

Hot Humid Hanoi

I picked a wrong time to come to Hanoi.  This is the hottest time of the year.  On top of that the humidity makes Hanoi unbearable during the day.  I enjoy walking around the Old Quarter of Hanoi because this is where you get a true perspective of what Vietnam is.  However, after walking for just 1 hour, my shirt would be all soaked.  Fortunately, my hotel is quite comfortable and after a short walk, I'd come back to the hotel, take a shower and cool off.  I feel bad for the local vendors who have to work outside or without air-conditioning.  But, that is life here.
I remember coming to Hanoi about 2 years ago in July.  It was also hot and humid but I still enjoyed walking all over Hanoi, even though I'd get soaked in sweat.  Now that the sights are not so new to me anymore, maybe that's why I am feeling the heat and humidity more.

A Lotus Bloom

Lotus Pods in the background

Lotus seed with the tiny green stem that makes it bitter

Young couple taking pictures

This is the lotus blooming season.  Some friends took me to West Lake where there are a lot of lotus plants.  It's quite a popular thing to do as evidenced by the number of people by the lake.  People come to admire the beauty of the flower as well as to take pictures.  I've eaten a lot of lotus seeds in soup, dessert or pastries but I've never known how or where they come from.  Now I know seeds are taken from a pod, then cracked open and the lotus seed (meaty party) is taken out.  Inside the seed there is a green stem which makes it bitter so that is usually taken out too.

Lunch Buffet at Sumo BBQ

I took a walk one morning around Truc Bach Lake where I used to live.  I have a fondness for this lake because it's a small lake and life around the lake is a microcosm of Vietnam.  I used to run around the lake in the morning and marvel at the lives of the Vietnamese.  They don't have much compare to what we Americans have but they try their best to make a living.  Even the old do their part.  You don't see people going around begging.
When John McCain's plane was shot down during the Vietnam war, he fell into this lake.  There is a memorial marking the incident somewhere on the side of the lake.

Workout Area by Truc Bach Lake

On the Way to Vietnam

I am waiting at the Budget Terminal at the Singapore Changi Airport for my Tiger Airways flight to Hanoi.  It's a 3 1/2 hour flight.  One nice thing about being in Singapore is that there are a lot of cheap flights from here.  Over the last few years, quite a few budget airlines have sprung up.  They are mostly modeled after Southwest Airlines in the US - get you from Point A to B, and no frills.  You pay for your check-in luggage and even a bottle of water on the plane costs $3.  There are many budget airlines flying in Asia;  the most popular ones are Tiger Airways, Jetstar and Air Asia.  You can fly to many places in Asia for very cheap.  For example, my round-trip airfare to Hanoi is less than US$200.
I am looking forward to seeing my Vietnamese friends again.  Most of them are young - in their late 20s' or early 30s'.  They all speak good English.  Unfortunately, the system in Vietnam put them at a disadvantage.  Unless you have the right connections, you won't be going anywhere.  That's the fact of life in a communist system.
I will be staying at the Royal Palace Hotel, which is not far from the IBM Office and the Old Quarter.  This is the area that I am very comfortable with, having spent 9 months in Hanoi.  When I first got to Hanoi in 2010, I did not know a lot of people.  So, I spent most of my free time exploring the city, especially the Old Quarter.  To me, it was interesting and exciting.  A lot of things were new to me and whenever I come across something I don't understand, I'd ask my friends when I come back to the office.  I tried different kinds of food, although some of the food stands don't look too clean at all.  If you haven't had a chance to read my Vietnam blog, here it is:    http://menginvietnam.blogspot.com

I arrived at Hanoi's Noi Bai airport without any problems. The flight was quite full but it left on time and arrived on time. The flight attendants don't look the most professional but that's okay. All I want is to get to Hanoi. I bought a small meal of Japanese curry and rice for S$10. It's enough to tide me over until I get to Hanoi.
Upon arrival at the airport, first thing I did was to go to the "Visa-on-Arrival" Office.  In some countries (like Cambodia and Laos), you can just arrive at the airport and apply for the visa when you arrive.  The fee is usually around US$25.  But Vietnam is different.  You have to apply for the visa before you come to Vietnam.   You do it through any of the agencies that advertise when you search under "Vietnam Visa."  It costs around US$20 to have one of these agencies apply for you.  You then get an email a few days later, saying that your visa has been approved.  The email includes an attachment with your name and other applicants that have been approved on the same application.  At the airport I gave the attachment and a completed form plus $25 and "Viola!" I got my visa.  If you don't pre-apply, I heard that the Vietnamese authorities do not hesitate to send a traveler back to its last port of origination.

The Royal Palace Hotel on Quan Su Street

The hotel had a driver pick me up at the airport.  It's nice.  Otherwise, it costs around US$15 to take a taxi to town, which takes about an hour.  Arriving in Hanoi for the first time is quite an experience.  After leaving the airport you see rice paddies on both sides of the road.  The traffic here don't seem to have any rules and don't follow the lanes.  Pedestrians and motorbikes just cross the streets in front of the  cars.  It looks chaotic but you actually see very few accidents.  The drivers and pedestrians are quite alert.  Above you see a picture of the hotel, considered a 3-star.  An air-conditioned room with breakfast, costs me about US$27 a night.  Hotels are quite cheap in Hanoi.  You can get cheaper ones, even less than US$20.  You can also sleep in backpackers' hostel for US$5 a night.  One place I saw even offers free beer with your stay.  What a deal!
I already have my first meeting with some of my friends at Hoa Vien restaurant and brewery.  It has a micro-brewery in the restaurant and the beer is quite good.  Vietnamese are some of the most hospitable people.  It was nice seeing them.  Some of them have left IBM where I used to work when I was here.  I look forward to seeing them more the rest of the week.