AUSTRALIA

G'DAY MATES,

MELBOURNE has been an incredible place to visit. We hopped on the free tourist shuttle bus and explored the city --- stopping at the National Art Gallery (Art Deco Exhibit), Aquarium, war memorial / shrine, various Botanic Gardens, China Town (an Asian food festival was being celebrated), Queen Victoria Market, and Federation Square. We took a day trip to the Great Ocean Road and saw spectacular sights including the 12 Apostles, Koala Cove (where we hand-fed exotic birds like King Parrots), gorges and lochs, beaches, etc.

Next, we went on a day trip to see the "Penguin Parade" at Summerlands Beach, Phillip Island. This was an incredible site! Each night, hundreds of Ferry Penguins (~30 cm in height), return from their day at sea and waddle across the beach to reach their burrows for the night. When they 1st arrive at the shore, they band together in small group (~10-20) then start the treck across the sand. One penguin in the group may then get scared, turn and waddle back to the sea. This triggers the rest of the group to scurry back as well. The back and forth effort may happen a few times until they feel brave enough to go the distance which may be up to 2 k from the shore. It is an amazing sight to see them waddle past you. Unfortunately, or fortunately for the penguins!, it is prohibited to take their pictures so the best we can do is have you link to this site (http://www.penguins.org.au/) . The winter weather continues to be mild by our standards 8-10C.

We are enjoying some culinary treats in Australia: red wines galore, Greek food (did you know that Melbourne has the highest concentration of Greeks outside of Athens?), roasted pumpkin, fresh seafood and croccodile. We vow to try some Kangaroo etc. before we leave the country --- although this will be hard to do given that the cuties have graced us with their affection over the past days!

ALICE SPRINGS. This town is incredibly remote and set within an extremely dry dessert area. The Aboriginal presence is noteworthy and we enjoyed viewing their magnificent art work. Ann keeps searching for the perfect pictures for her home! While in Alice Springs, we signed up for a day trip to Ulura and Ayers Rock. One highlight was the sunset BBQ at Ayers Rock. The scenary was beyond compare. The peacefulness of the setting was therapeutic. The day was long (18 hours) but PERFECT!

DARWIN. What a shock to arrive to 33C and tons of humidity. Darwin is considered the youngest city in Australia. The average age of citizens is 31 years. The North Territory has a population of 215 000. Darwins houses 126 000 of them! We did a walking tour of the city and enjoyed the oceanside boardwalk 'education' we received at each featured attraction (war memorials, park dedicated to prominent women of the community, WWII oil storage tunnels, WWII survivors lookout etc). We stumbled upon a deckchair cinema too! That evening we enjoyed a movie about George Hogg --- British Journalist who assisted Chinese (male) children during the war. The cinema was located alongside the ocean / beach. It boasted deck chairs set up like a movie theatre. We were treated to a homecooked (Indian) meal, wine, a wonderful sunset and a fantastic movie under a starry sky. How civilized. It was one of the most memorable nights and we still talk about the feeling of sitting under the stars, feeling the breeze off the ocean and enjoying the company of many others who came to learn about the plight of the Chinese at that time. The next day, Debbie ventured to Kakadu National Park and enjoyed the day-long adventure. We continue to marvel at the significant Aboriginal heritage of this country.

CAIRNS. Cairns was great. The weather was more tolerable 21-25C. NO humidity. The youth hostel has 2 pools and is surrounded by palm trees etc. We enjoyed the peaceful hostel guests and setting. After arriving in town, we went exploring and grocery shopping. Surprisingly, we came upon a drive-through liquor store. We both laughed! What a great idea. The cars pull in, the store clerk walks over to take the order, goes into the store to gather the goods and delivers them to the driver. The driver simply pays and drives away! Ann took a cruise to the Great Barrier Reef and saw amazing underwater 'treasures' through the glass bottomed/sided (submergible) boat. Debbie took a different day trip and snorkelled. WOW. WOW. WOW. Ann also did a day trip to learn about how exotic fruits are cultivated, many of which she had never heard of let alone seen. All in all, a very tasty day!

SUNSHINE COAST: We flew from Cairns to Hamilton Island and took a ferry to Airlie Beach. What a great little town along the sunshine coast. Next, we took an overnight train to Hervey Bay; this was an experience in itself as we booked into sleeper cars that stacked 3 people, like sardines, basically on top of each other. We each shared different rooms with some very interesting Aussie characters!

BRISBANE: We arrived in Brisbane on time for the Riverfest. We enjoyed an evening of "Canada-Day-like" fireworks and fighter jets soaring over the crowds to celebrate the River! Like Melbourne, Brisbane is a world class city. It was BEAUTIFUL: clean, modern and full of life. We treated ourselves to a stay at a hotel (versus youth hostel) and throroughly enjoyed the TV and amenities of home (kitchen in the room, outdoor patio etc). We have been missing these comforts. While in Brisbane, we took part in a day trip along the GOLD COAST: aptly named. The beaches were spectacular and so were the multi, multi million dollar homes that line the coast for miles and miles on end! We can't remember seeing such obscene wealth in one place and Ann has lived in Miami so knows the luxuries that can come with money! One of the homes was a 30M shack owned by the real estate agent that sells homes in the area (that should give you a sense of the scale of the wealth); another 20M+ home located virtually next door boasted a titanium roof! All had massive yaughts parked outside --- that could be navigated to the local shopping center that had boat docks stations as well as car parks.

SYDNEY: Population 4.6 million. Again, the city is world class. What incredible scenery, resources, and possibilities for fun within an urban setting. On arrival, we toured Darling Harbour and saw live (music) shows from the Malaysian Festival. We explored Paddy's Market and marvelled at the Asian (shops, restaurants, markets) presence in Sydney. On Day # 2 (first day of Spring), we ventured to Blue Mountains and were treated to spectacular views and a lovely cruise along the river --- into Sydney Harbour. On Day # 3, we did a tour of the Opera House and walked ... and walked ... and walked through the streets admiring this lively city.

BONDI BEACH: On our last full day in Australia, we spent several hours doing the Royal National Park's Costal Walk, enjoying the sounds of the waves crashing against rocks, and just appreciating the beauty of the white sandy beaches, and of the few brave souls out trying to surf the waves. Temperature was alittle on the cold side so other than the surfers there was no one in the water and only a few people on the beach. One can only imagine just how busy these beaches would be in the summer.

As we prepare to leave for China, we have been reflecting on our experiences thus far. We are in awe of the wonder of this planet. We feel fortunate to have met so many interesting travel companions during our tours. People from all walks of life and from every part of this planet are taking advantage of the privilege to see the world from another perspective. We particularly admire the youth who are working hard to make ends meet to be able to travel. Ann and I are grateful for this gift: to have been granted (from CHEO and TOH!) time off work to travel, to have the support of family and friends, to embrace this wonder-FULL life we share. We think of you often and hope you are well. Take good care of yourselves. We will keep in touch!

Debbie and Ann

NEW ZEALAND - SOUTH ISLAND

Leaving Wellington, we spent 3 hours crossing very rough waters to Picton via the Interisland Ferry. Thank god for the "anti" drugs --- which Ann eagerly gulped. The ferry itself was quite impressive with its several desks, two full-feature movie theatres, games rooms, restaurants, lounges etc.

Highlights on route from Picton to Nelson: Havelock (green shelled mussel captial of the world) and village where the atom-splitter guy went to school. We've stayed in Kaikoura, Napier, Christchurch, Franz Joseph and Queenstown. In Christchurch we spent an evening of fun and laughs with a delightful "kiwi" couple (Brian and Kay), whom Brenda T. and I met on a previous trip to Prague, Budapest and Vienna.

Trip highlights: Fiordland National Park --- the place where Lord of the Rings was filmed: rainforests, Southern Alps, crystal clear rivers and streams (which Debbie drank from), wildlife i.e. Kea bird - who climbed into the bus cargo hold trying to break into a box of Chardonnay! We did a cruise in Milford Sound and out into the Tasman Sea. The wildlife amazed us: dolphins swimming up to the boat, penguins and seal on the shore etc. We also trekked up Franz Joseph glacier and saw spectacular views of both western and eastern coastal scenery. Incredibly, neither of us needed med-evac from the ice formation --- although it was touch and go for a while. NEVER will we have the courage to repeat this athletic challenge.

Queenstown (named so because it was considered "...fit for Queen Victoria") is in full tourist mode with skiers and snowboarders visiting en masse. The town reminds us of Banff! We've been walking through the Botanical Garden and War Memorial pathways / trails.

As 44 and 50 year old backpackers our travel experience is unfolding quite differently than the way it is unfolding for the "youth" we are encountering. In view of the coordination required of this trip (8 flights between / within NZ and Australia, numerous destinations etc.) Ann has organized us in the most sophisticated way: colour coded Excel spread sheets outlining daily destinations, hotel accommodations, flight / bus information, expenses etc. She has produced a lamentated card outlining the currency exchange rates for each of the countries we will be visiting. Among her packsack contents, she has multi-coloured highlighters, gel pens, paper clips, calendars, etc. Essentially, we are a portable travel agency, office and e-bank. Oh, did I mention the memory stick to hold all the information? Ann adds / subtracts from the Excel sheet in 'real time' to ensure that all is in order! And what of the postcard checklists to ensure that friends receive updates on a regular basis?

We forgot to mention in our previous blog entry some other "survival" items in our packsacks: mess kit (cutlery, plastic food storage containers, coffee mug, wine glass (for the princess!), and the handy/dandy Swiss army knife), mosquito netting for our sejours in China, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos), micro fibre towels, and hostel bed sheets. Surprisingly, we managed to keep our carrying weight down to 12kg each!

New Zealand has been AMAZING. August 12 sees us off to Australia (Melbourne). We look forward to updating you about the next phase of our adventures.

NEW ZEALAND - NORTH ISLAND

Greetings from Down Under . . .
July 26/08 -We arrived safely in Auckland New Zealand . . . Ann's flying time - 19 hours - Ottawa - > Toronto -> San Fransico -> Auckland. THANK YOU Areoplan for the Executive Class Tickets! It made all the difference.





Debbie's flying time - 30 hours - Ottawa -> Vancouver - >Hong Kong -> Auckland. Debbie says THANKS to Cathay Pacific. She was randomly selected for an free upgrade to Executive Class on the 11 hour Hong Kong ->Auckland stage of the trip. Obviously, we are kicking off this phase of our adventure in style!

And speaking of style - I am sure you're all interested in knowing just what we brought along for our 5 month trip - we each are carrying one large packsack and one smaller day pack filled with (each) 3 pairs of pants that zip off into shorts, 3 short sleeved t-shirts, 2 long sleeved t-shirts, 1 fleece, 3 pairs of shoes (hikers, sandals and a pair of crocks) , a few changes of underwear, 50 sunblock blouse and hat, 1 rain jacket and being the princess that I am, I also brought along a pair of rain pants which I have been extremely thankful for given that since we've arrived, NZ has experienced its worse winter storm in decades, +150 k winds and torrential rains with ++ flooding in some areas. In addition, we each have a large zip lock bag holding the "anti" drugs . . . anti-nausea, anti-diarrhea, anti-malarial, anti-biotics etc. etc. etc.

Auckland is a beautiful . . . population 1.4 M, it is surrounded by 48 volcanic mountains, 50 islands, 21 parks and 50 vineyards! (no wonder is has been voted as one of the worlds most beautiful cities!). Auckland a.k.a the "City of Sails" has more boats per capita than any other city in the world.

This past week (as we make our way towards the south island) has been very busy, and FUN! We visited the Antartic Expedition Centre - artifacts from Cpt Scott's expedition to the Antartic (1910-1913), spent an hour or so watching the (tres cute) penguins doing their thing (basically just standing around), attended a Maori Cultural Show at the Auckland Museum, a Thai Flower and Food show, went on our 1st winery tour (3 different wineries), and caving at the Waitomo Caves (an amazing site to see with its hundreds of thousands of glow worms hanging from the rocks).

We also visited a Geothermal Park in Rotorua, saw pools of boiling mud, cascading hot water and even examples of land coral. We topped this off with a couple of hours lounging in mud bath and sulfur water spa. It was then off to the Argodome for a very amusing Sheep Shearing show (45 seconds to shear a sheep) and the sheep shearer wasn't bad either! We also feasted on a Maori Hangi dinner (chicken, lamb, veggies baked under the earth) and a cultural show.

Today (Aug 2) we are planning to go to the Wellington Zoo before taking the ferry tomorrow to the south island.

Our impressions so far . . . NZ is a beautiful country. Though it is winter it is still very green (reminds us of Ireland) with sheep (45M) dotting the country side. The country and its people are totally tourist friendly!

Attached are some photos from our adventures in the North Island. Take care all, we'll be in touch soon.

PORTUGAL

Portugal (May 19 - June 10)

We began our trip in Faro (Algarve Region). The peaceful setting was magnificent and we enjoyed experiencing an authentic Portugese community. Our hotel was centrally located in the historic (older) section of the city. We were pleasantly surprised to be woken by the sound of church bells. Moreover, we chuckled at one of the neighbourhood dogs who howled along ‘in time’ to the bells! Storks nests were prominent in Faro. Every tower or church steeple housed one of the huge nests --- and storks diligently stood guard of their eggs.

We moved on to Albufeira where we rented a lovely condo ( http://www.vrbo.com/45775) for three weeks. This was an ideal situation. We did many day trips (Portimao, Fatima, Seville) and weekend excursions to the North (Porto, Coimbra) and Lisbon / Sintra. In between, we enjoyed long walks on the Algarve beaches and dunes / cliffs, reading novels and enjoying a relaxing ‘home life’. We sampled local Portugese wines, oranges, olives, etc. Each day, we heard CNN / BBC news about the increasing costs of fuel and food worldwide. Certainly, high prices were evident both inside and outside the tourist district. In Canadian dollars, we noted the following costs: white bread ($6.58), brown bread ($11.55), gas ($2.39 / litre), sangria ($2.88), wine ($4.95 / litre), fruit ($1.65 per piece) and beer ($2.45). Other highlights included: sampling franceszhima (traditional meal), viewing olive and orange groves (Seville has 40 000 orange trees within the city limits), rice fields, eucalyptus trees and oleander bushes, and attending a live Fado (traditional Portugese music / story telling) performance. We also enjoyed a visit to a Porto winery where we sampled Port! Did you know that Portugal recently won a court case giving them the exclusive rights (after 2012) to use the term PORT --- they are the only country that has authentic claim to that product?

Our final destination was Lisbon! Highlights: cloudless skies, warm weather, wonderful architecture etc. Oh, did we mention garbage / recycling collection at 0200am --- which resulted in very little sleep?! We returned home on June 10 and look forward to the next phase of our trip (July 23).

FLORENCE AND ROME

So, from Tuscany we moved on to Florence. We enjoyed the company of Patricia and Richard during the whirlwind trip. Highlights included: shopping at the Ponte de Vecchio and various other markets, touring Academia (Michael Angelo’s 'David'), visiting the Uffizi gallery and Duomo. Needless to say, our Gelato research continued with vigour and we tried new and wonderful flavours unique to Florence. Italian food and wines were also abundant and absolutely delicious! Pat suggested a venue (“13 Hunchbacks) featured in her Florence guide book and we enjoyed two incredible evenings of gourmet food and great company in a popular, fun restaurant.

Rome was an experience we shall long remember! We toured the Vatican Gardens and Museum (Sistine Chapel), the Coliseum, St Peter’s square and Basilica, Tivoli fountain, Spanish Steps and etc. Ann and I experienced sensory overloaded in Rome. The noise and chaos of the city is indescribable. As they say, “when in Rome, do as the Romans”. Yes indeed. Consider the pedestrian challenge, for instance. In crossing the streets, we began as polite, hesitant Canadians and soon realized that we needed to become assertive and run for our lives to beat the traffic (mostly motorcycles!). We marvelled at the locals who seemed to enjoy the look of horror on our faces as we tried to dodge vehicles traveling at lightening speed through the downtown core! All is well that ends well and we breathed a sigh of relief when we boarded the plane for Portugal (May 19).

TUSCANY

Our walking tour of Tuscany is well underway and we are having a great time. We arrived in Italy on May 3 and stayed in Pisa overnight. The walking tour began on May 4. Our base hotel is situated in Bagni de Lucca (a collection of 25 small villages near the city of Lucca). This part of Tuscany, known as the Garfagnana, is surprisingly mountainous and contains two impressive chains of hills (Appenines and Apuane Alps). Walks are 3-5 hours long and take us through the scenic countryside: Terme, II Colle Hamlet, La Villa, Coreglia (Sergio Valley), Barga, Orecchiella Natural Park, Pruno Hamlet, Corfino. We will walk a total of 37.5 km with 8982 feet of ascent / descent. We've had a group tour day and visited Pisa and Lucca. Today is 'free' day. Debbie is attending the local spa to soak in the hot spring caves and to have a massage. Ann is re-visiting Lucca.

The tour group is extremely cohesive. Our volunteer guides (Tony and Andy) are interesting. Tony is a PhD prepared Marine Biologist! Andy is a retired school teacher. They are funny and engaging. Our fellow walkers are fascinating --- well travelled, educated, engaging. We are having an amazing time connecting with them over our 5 course meals each night. The manager of the hotel (Roberto) is also the chef and the food is beyond compare. We've been indulging in Tuscan wines too. Oh, did we mention the Gelato?! Pat and I have sampled 17 flavours!

The weather has been perfect! 20-25C and sunny during the day. Cool nights.

Spring flowers are in full bloom. The landscape is covered with brilliantly red poppies, wild orchids, violas, tassel hyacinths, roses, daisies, etc. The colours are magnificent.

We think of you all often and wish you were here to share this experience with us. We are grateful for the company of our Ottawa friends: Pam, Maureen and Pat. Willa, we've missed you!
Be well.

Debbie and Ann

SAN MIGUEL, MEXICO

I started my sabbatical on March 17, 2008. What a wonderful beginning to a year of reflection and discovery. Jennie joined me for the first two weeks and we had a great time exploring San Miguel and surrounding regions.

San Miguel has a population of 140 000. There are approximately 10 000 Americans / Canadians who live there permanently so it is well set up for snow birds! Every Friday, an English newspaper (Atencion) is published. The publication outlines events for the upcoming week(s). I had the opportunity to enjoy cooking classes, Flamenco shows, movies, theatre plays, house / garden tours, hacienda tours, New Earth lectures, city tours, walking tours, Buddhist meditation courses etc.

My studio apartment was located in centertown and I lived in a lovely community with engaging Mexican families. Evenings were especially fun in the courtyard. When I arrived home, I was always greeted by the children in my neighbourhood. They would squeal, run towards me (with arms extended to shake my hand) and yell "Hi-eeeeeeee". They loved involving me in their soccer games and I did my best to impress. Despite my very limited Spanish, we managed to communicate with each other and it brought a smile to my face every time I encountered the group. I frequented the local market and discovered my own personal vendors of a) fresh produce and b) incredibly yummy roasted chickens and c) magnificent floral arrangements! It was amazing to feel connected to the community within such a short period of time.

San Miguel tourists are extremely open to meeting others tourists. I developed special friendships and will cherish the memories of deep converstations over potluck dinners and cafe (or pub) encounters. Thank you to Margo (Eastern Townships), Tom (Houston), Joy and Bill (UK) Melissa and Sally (Sudbury) and Raymond (the wanderer with no fixed address) for your loving kindness. I will always remember the happy times we shared.

Debbie