It was a wonderful opportunity for us to be able to travel to so many parts of the world to see and experience first hand how people of other countries live. Having spent my entire life in the US my knowledge of many of these countries was accumulated from newspaper and television coverage over many years. In addition, my definition of "normal" was built on what I encountered growing up in the US. What I learned is what might be normal for me is not normal for most of the world. Admittedly, having the refuge of a cruise ship to retreat to each night, for most of our travels, probably does not provide the most accurate picture of any country. With that disclaimer here are some reflections and observations.
First, is became abundantly clear that we in the US are so fortunate to have the intrinsic assets that we take for granted and to a certain extent assume all countries provide their citizens. Specifically, what I am referring to are the following: Infrastructure including roads, water, sewer, communications, electricity and hospitals. Rule of law so that everybody is treated evenly and fairly and has access to protection they can trust. Protection of property rights and ownership. A society that encourages ambition and innovation and rewards those who are successful. Public education that prepares people to work productively in the 21st century.
Having seen people who live in homes without electricity or running water is not uncommon. Watching people work at a menial job 10 hours a day just to survive for another day without hope for a future that is any different, is a way of life for many. Seeing countries trying to build a 21st century economy with roads that are undersized, and choked with all type of vehicles from bicycles, motor scooters, cars, trucks and in some cases animals, is their only way forward.
One of the common things I found was that many of these economies are dominated by millions of small family run and staffed businesses. These businesses serve as their store front and home. Most of these businesses focus on one type of commodity such as pipes or cement or bricks etc. Their scope of influence is restricted to within a few miles as their business is replicated by another family a few miles down the road. They get their food either by growing it or from small one room stores that sell basic necessities or open air markets. There are no refrigerated food cases to keep perishable items from spoiling. Most grocery shopping seems to be done on a daily basis both because there is no way to keep the food fresh and because they can't afford to purchase much more than a day or two in advance.
I was surprised to find, what I consider to be American music, in so many places even where they did not speak English. What an impact we have on the world. Religion is a very strong element in the Asian countries as well as superstitions. It is hard to distinguish where religion stops and superstition starts.
There was a very wide divergence in the work ethic I was able observe. In the island countries, especially the Marquises Islands, the work ethic is not very evident. In Cambodia, Viet Nam, Thailand and China there was a strong work ethic that was very evident. It appears that the people I came in contact with in the cities had ambition to get ahead and improve their individual situation. The people I came in contact with in the rural areas seemed to work hard but their objective was to have something to eat at the end of the day as opposed to looking to change or improve their situation in the long run.
With the above comments in mind it is clear that in all of the countries we visited I observed that the people were generally happy. Each society seemed to be comfortable with their situation and the people were able to find happiness no matter what their economic or social situation was. This is a lesson that I took away from the experience. People can find happiness in any situation, it does not require all of the trappings that we as Americans think we need to be happy. Clearly, our quality of life is far superior to many if not all of the places we visited. The opportunities available to us, in the US, to determine what we want to do with our lives is one of the largest differences between our society and many others. So many we came in contact with have no knowledge of what the world has to offer. Many are born into situations that dictate what they will do for the rest of their lives.
I would recommend to any young unmotivated person that they spend time in Viet Nam or Cambodia or Thailand and they will come back to the US and understand what opportunity really means.
I am proud to be an American but more so I feel so fortunate to have been born an American. It is simply that I was born in the United States to parents that provided the basic education available to all that allowed me to find success in my chosen field. This opportunity is not available to so many through out the world.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Reflections on our Experiences
Friday, May 21, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Day 103 to Back Home
We are back home having landed in Los Angles on May 10. Sorry it has taken some time to get to this post but once back in the US there was so much to catch up on and take care of that I am just now back on line.
The last two weeks of our trip was spent aboard the Aranui 3, part container ship and part cruise ship, sailing among the Marquesas Islands. During this time we had very limited access to the internet and when we were able to get on line it was painfully slow. What blogs we were able to do were made more difficult since we had to use computers set up in the post offices of some of the islands. These computers had French keyboards which rearrange the letters from what we are used to, making typing even that much more difficult. Enough of the excuses.
Since the experiences we had on all of the islands were similar I will recount the itinerary and then give an overview of island life and our experiences.
We boarded the ship in Papeete, Tahiti and sailed toward the Marquesas Islands. Before arriving in the Marquesas we stopped on the atoll of Fakarava which is a lovely spot with nice beaches and a beautiful lagoon. This island is part of the Tuamotu chain. The entire atoll is only about 200 yards wide.
After a sea day we landed in the Marquesas on the island of Nuka Hiva. This is one of the larger islands in the chain. From there we sailed to Ua Poa. Then we were off to Hiva Oa another one of the larger islands. This is a beautiful tropical most noted because this is where the famous painter Paul Gauguin took up residence and painted many pictures. He is burried on the island and his grave is a tourist site. Next to him in the cemetary is the grave of the famous Belgian song writer and poet who asked to be buried here. Next was Fatu Hiva which is a very representative island in this chain. It is made up mostly of the rim and cauldera of an extinct volcano, which is now covered with lush vegetation. The next day we sailed to Hiva Oa for the second time visiting the opposite side of the island this time. Tahuata was the next island which has a lovely Catholic church. The next island was Ua Huka which has a botanical garden and some large Tikis (stone carvings statues). The next day was split between Nuka Hiva for the second time and Ua Pou. On leaving the Marquesas Islands on our way back toward Tahiti we stopped at another island in the Tuamotu chain, Rangiroa. This is an atoll much like Fakarava which was our first stop. Then another day at sea before arriving back in Papeete where we left the ship t catch our flight home to Los Angles.
Overall Impressions of the Marquesas Islands.
All of the islands we visited were remnants of volcanic eruptions. This created very dramatic landscapes featuring sharp ridges and stunning sea coast that for the most part are studded with rocks and hostile shores making the harbors the only safe way of landing ashore. The vegetation is dotted with coconut palm trees, a few other trees and a lot of underbrush. From a distance these islands appear to be paradise but as you get closer you see just how rugged they are. There is almost no indigenous wild life except for a few birds. The animals that you see are either domesticated were once domesticated. These include chickens (in large numbers), goats, pigs, a few dogs and some horses. This was disappointing if you were looking to observe tropical animal life.
The people are French citizens and are supported significantly by the French government. They have little to offer by way of exports. The only thing we saw loaded on to our boat was copra (dried coconut) which is used to get coconut oil. There is no wealth on the islands and no poverty. Everybody lives within a very low income society. There is no ambition and maybe no reason to have any, for what is there to hope for? We did see quite a few little children and babies. They get more money from the government for each child. Health care is free and to give birth the mother and the entire immediate family are flown to Tahiti for the last two months of the pregnancy at the governments expense.
The people are very friendly and are eager to show how proud they are of their heritage. On most of the islands we stopped on the natives would dance of put on some type of performance just for us. Every stop had some place where they were selling their handicrafts. These consisted mostly of jewelery which used shells and native beads, wood carvings, art printed on a paper made from pounding the inner bark of one of the trees, and bone carvings. They would not bargain much on price at all and were quite ambivalent whether or not they made a sale.
Their local foods were quite different from what we are accustomed to. Due to some warnings from doctors as well as a warning posted by the cruise line who suggested to avoid gastric problems we should take a Maalox before each meal, we were careful of what we ate. There is little refrigeration which made us leery of the uncooked items. The cruise line also told us that the fish caught around the islands was not good to eat unless it was a large fish. So we avoided the raw fish, the purple banana pudding with coconut milk and the salads with mayonnaise. We would eat the cooked pork, chicken and fish and any fruit we could peel ourselves. Just out of general concern we avoided the cooked goat.
Next some comments on the ship (Aranui 3) and observations about our travels in general.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Days 98 - 102 Wandering around the islands
Chris - Well Paul threw the blog entry over this morning for a hike, but I thought since I saw a post office that I would at least let you know that we are well and having a great time. I am typing on a French keyboard and have little time so bare with me. We have had no internet connection for the last 5 days as we have been busy on shore and the towns have been VERY small...like 50 people on the whole island or in the vicinity if where we dock. When we get back to the States we will have to update you on each island. For a very board overview I would say that many of the islands have more conviences than you would think. They all have some sort of cars and trucks and we never see an old one. They are usually new or newer and are nice pick ups or small or medium SUVs. We were told that it was bacause France heqvily subsudizes these islands and pays like 37 percent the cost of the cars. They pay for very little and live off their handicrafts, exported products like coconuts and fruit and the cost of living is like nothing. Usually an older son would go to Tahiti or somewhere to work for a few years and send the money home and after a few years he will return to help manage their resources at home having financed his family until his son goes off for a few years. France pays for almost everything. In the last two days we have seen the most quaint islands with very little population and really only a little market and post office for a town. Those islands have been green and lush with a beautiful variety of flowers. Yesterday we were on an island that had about 2,000 wild horses and we spent some time swimming in the warm ocean. We have seen many tiki statues and learned all about the native cultures. We are in Taiohae, Nuku Hiva now and it is actually the commercial center for the islands and thus has a computer. Tomorrow a day at sea and on Thursday we are at the largest atoll to swim. If I knew I was going to write I would have had the notes of what islands we have visited recently but we will have to do that lazter when we can share the fabulous sights with you.
In general the sunsets have been magnificent and the bays where we pull into incrediably beautiful. The only other tourist we have seen are three couples who have been sailing around the world on personal sailboats that would be anchored at a bay where we would be visiting and we would see them walking in the village. Now a little about life on board the container ship. It is fasinating to watch them load and unload supplies. They do not have a lot of containers on board but usually anything from crates to cars to cattle that they are bring to the islands. They unload onto platform boats that we have onboard and then take them into shore. Many times we are way too big to dock and all operations are done on a variety of boats that we carry with us. We have a deep sea fishing boat, two whaleboats that seat about 60 passengers that they ferry us to shore in, a number of smaller whaleboats that they take us sometimes but usually cargo and about 3 huge flatbed boats that they use to ferry cargo, just to name a few. Our routine is to spend the day ashorer doing all the activities they have designed for us and then return to the ship in late afternoon. Paul usually does the daily uphill hikes that range from 10 miles to 3 kilometers. I went once on a 6 kilometer one that was not the hardest but it was really steep for me. I settle for swimming everyday with Nancy in the pool onboard and sometimes in the ocean. After dinner we usually play cards all evening but lqst night was special as it was Polynesan night. They had dinner out by the pool that they had decorated and then they had a kind of talent night for passengers and the crew with lots of Polynesan dancing. They have their own small band made up of crew members that played until 1 am. It was a very entertaining night and it was no surprise that the crew was WAYYYY more talented than the passengers. Well sorry to have rambled on with different topics but we can not write often and I did want to share some of the sights and activites we have done. More when we get stateside and we can show you some of our pictures. We are great and really enjoying the Barretts. Happy Birthday Stephan on Thursday if we can not communicate with you on Thursday!!!!!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Day 97 Atuona, Hiva Oa, Marquises Islands April 29
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Day 92 thru 96
Well we are back!! We met up with the Barretts at the hotel late the night before we left. After breakfast at the hotel we were off to board our ship the Aranui 3 in Tahiti and set off for the island of Fakarava. We spent the rest of the first day acquainting ourselves with the ship and catching up with all the news from the Barretts.
Our first island, Fakarava, was a coral atoll which seemed to be over 20 miles in diameter. It looks like a necklace. It is only about 150 yards wide and has some islands in its very large lagoon. Of course the water was beautiful which we took advantage of to swim and wade. Chris swam and I waded. A very small town that is supplied by our ship. It was Sunday so we saw a church service which Nancy Barrett attended. Then back to the ship and on our way again.
The next day we spent at sea. The ship we are on is reasonably stable and comfortable. Breakfast is a buffet so you eat when you arrive. Dinner and lunch are served to all passengers at the same time. We sit at tables of 4 or 8. The food is good but there is no choice. You get what is served, you do not order. We have had duck twice now which is not to Chris liking. The boat has a lounge and a bar which both are used consistently on our day at sea.
The next day we pulled into the harbor of Nuka Hiva, which is actually the first of the Marqueses Islands we will visit. Waiting for us at the dock were 40 jeeps to take us across the island to another harbor. Along the way we stopped to take pictures which unfortunately, we are un able to post due to the limited band width of the satelite internet connection. We had lunch on the other side of the island and then I went on a short hike to see a Tiki, which is the name for the carved figures like you see on Easter Island. Then back to the boat which was still unloading cargo; It was not until about 6 oclock that we were ready to leave for our next stop, but not before loading a few pens of cows to deliver to another island;
Today we are in Ua Poa which is another gem of an island.
Going forward there is no internet service on many of the stops we have so this blog will be silent from time to time.
Tomorrow Hiva Ova.
Chris - It is too bad that we can not put up our pictures as they are beautiful but we will try to put a highlight mix up when we can. We do not have nternet acess on the ship and in most ports, we are in the post office using it today. It is a French keyboard and quite different from ours. The q is where our a is for instance. But then I feel like I have been dropped in France as the main language on our ship is French but they also translate into English and German. Most of the passengers are French and we have met very few Americans. There seem to be quite a few Australians and we have met a few couples from Canada. The ship itself is basic but comfortable. There is a main desk, a large lounge, a coffee bar, a real bar, a dining room, a small swimming pool, a little store a laundry room, and a small gym. They do offer to do your laundry twice a week (but no underwear). Now let us talk food. They serve one menu for everyone. There is a lot of fish, duck, lamb, cabbage and some side dishes I have no idea what they are. Did I mention fish and duck? The food is very good if you happen to like what they are having. I hedge my bets and fix a ham and cheese sandwich every morning so I can have half at lunch and half at dinner if I don not like what they are serving for meat. I have no complaints with how good the food is, my complaint is WHERE the food is. They only have food at the three meals except for olives and peanuts. The only food you can even buy is candy and some cookies at the store. For me it is hard as I eat a lot of fruit and dried fruits and there are no dried fruits, like apricots, and actually surprisingly little fruit. Having said that I did find a small store yesterday in port with nuts and hope to find something today. Other than the need for a banana or raisins or anything healthy, the cruise is terrific. We are starting to make some friends onboard and the Barretts are a blast. We have fallen into the habit of playing cards everynight after dinner either on deck in the gorgeous, warm moonlight, helped with some overhead lighting or in the lounge. We play either Hearts or canasta and are easily the last to go to bed around 11:30. The islands are amazing and we are really enjoying ourselves. I seem to be able to get text messages in some ports if you need to get a non emergency message to us. All for now and hopefully another port where we can get internet.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Day 91 Auckland to Tahiti
Well today was interesting since we got to experience it twice. The day started in Paihia, NZ where we loaded everybody in the van and headed off to Auckland to catch our flights. Chris and I flew to Papeete, Tahiti and the kids flew to Los Angles. Since we crossed the international date line we automatically gained one day. So we left NZ on the 23rd and also spent the 23rd in Tahiti.
It was the final day of our adventure in NZ with the kids. I think we all were saddened to see our time together come to an end. The trip was a huge success as everybody had a great time together and tried to soak up as much family camaraderie as possible.
Our second opportunity to spend the day in Tahiti allowed Chris and I to visit the beautiful island of Moorea which is a 30 minute ferry ride away. My advice to anyone heading this direction is to make Moorea your base of operations. The beaches are much better and cleaner and you just get a little farther away from the dirty city of Papeete. We had lunch and then a swim in the ocean. It was wonderful. Then back to the ferry to Papeete and our hotel for relaxing and dinner. We are looking forward to seeing Dick & Nancy Barrett tonight, who will be joining us for our cruise through the Marquises Islands on the ship Aranui 3.
Tomorrow the Aranui 3 and the final leg of our journey.
Chris - We weren't able to blog last night due to our flight. On our way back yesterday from Paihia to Auckland we stopped for lunch and last minute shopping in the cute town of Parnell, definitely worth a stop if you're ever around Auckland. It was really hard to say goodbye to the kids and to our terrific guide, William yesterday. William was EXTREMELY knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. He fit right in with the family and I'm sure it's a bond we'll carry with us. His only flaw was he gave us a 20 question quiz yesterday about New Zealand...and hard questions. He said he was going to, but I thought he was kidding...right up to the point he passed out paper and pens!! To no one's surprise, Patrick had the highest score and was awarded a stuffed kiwi for his efforts. It actually turned out to be fun. We will certainly miss William, although he and his wife hope to visit us in Montana sometime in the near future. I hope he gives me time to learn about all the flowers, trees, animals and mountains in Montana so I can do at least half the job he did. He wasn't even born in New Zealand, he's originally from England. As for the experience with the kids, it will be treasured forever. I always have trouble saying goodbye to them and yesterday was no different. I look forward to seeing them all in about 3 weeks, however. Today in Tahiti was fun, despite a light rain most of the day. We swam at in the ocean at the Sofitel Hotel in Moorea, which had white sand, palm trees and crystal clear water. The colorful fish swam around us as we enjoyed the very warm water. :) We may not have internet this next leg so we'll see what, if at all, we can blog. GOOD chance we can't and probably not the power to put up pictures....we'll see.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Day 90 Piahia Russell, NZ
Today was our final full day on our trip as a family. We capped off the two weeks with a day on the water. We sailed this morning on the boat "Lion New Zealand" which is a boat constructed to compete in the Whitbread race, which is a ocean crossing race. The boat was commissioned by Sir Peter Blake after previously competing on another boat that broke some critical components a few years earlier. He was determined that that would not happen again so this boat was built extra strong. Unfortunately, the extra strength meant extra weight so the boat has not been able to win any significant races. It has competed well especially in around the world type races.
We enjoyed the boat and were able to have Patrick, Tracy and Chris swing from the mast in a mesh chair. Patrick was dunked a few times for extra fun.
It was a full day on the boat but we enjoyed the entire experience.
Tomorrow Auckland to catch our flight to Papetee, Tahiti while the kids fly back to the states.
Chris - The sailboat today was a ton of fun with helping to put up and take down the sails, driving the boat, kayaking, hiking up some significant hills to enjoy some gorgeous overlooks, riding out over the ocean on a mesh chair and enjoying our last full day together in New Zealand. We also have enjoyed our last two days here in a two bedroom suite at the Paihia Beach Resort Spa io the Bay of Islands. It has an enormous porch overlooking the beach with two sets of tables and chairs and a huge living room...dining room...kitchen, which has been wonderful for playing cards and hanging out. It's been a perfect location for our last days in New Zealand because we can all be together. A highlight for me isn't the 5 pools, although I sure enjoyed them, but the washer and dryer I have in the suite. Paul and I will get on our container ship cruise on Saturday and it was VERY helpful to get a chance to wash our clothes, not to mention some of the kids clothes as well. Sharing New Zealand with the kids has obviously been the best part of our trip. It's a dream come true to be able to get them all for two weeks and watch them enjoy each other as much as the magical adventures we've had around New Zealand.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Day 89 Auckland to Piahia (Russell)
Today we left Auckland and drove north. Last night we spent some precious minutes shopping just as the stores were closing then had a nice dinner on the waterfront. It did occur to me that we have had little time to shop or lounge around since we are trying to make the most out of the time we have in New Zealand.
One our way north we got a rare treat as we were able to see and even touch a Kiwi. These small flightless birds are about the size of a chicken. The most amazing thing about them is the size of the egg they lay. You will see in the picture how much of the body cavity the egg takes up. These cute little birds have very strong claws and dig burrows that they live in. They are endangered due to the loss of habitat and the predators that have been introduced to this island. Probably 95% of New Zealanders have never seen a live Kiwi much less touched one.
We also stopped along the way to see some of the native plants and trees. The Kauri tree is one of the native trees that was almost logged to extinction. These trees get to be very old and grow to be very large. You can see us with our arms around one of them. The one you see in the picture is over 800 years old.
Our destination today is Piahia which is a small resort town directly across the bay from one of the towns Chris and I liked so well, Russell. We immediately hopped aboard the ferry that took us across the bay to Russell. This is a quaint littls former whaling town that sits right on the water. It is only about two streets deep and three blocks long but is has a definite charm of its own. After a walk around we settled in on the large porch of the Duke of Marlborough Hotel and had some drinks and enjoyed the late afternoon sunshine.
Once again a great day for all involved.
Tomorrow we stay here in Piahia.
Stephan (guest blogger!) - Today was another gorgeous day in NZ with the family. There have been several constants on our journeys... sunny weather, lots of laughing with (and at) each other, card games (Euchre, Hearts, Nertz, Kings Corners, & 952), new hotels and restaurants, hours of driving, and me taking videos on my camera. There are several (who will remain unnamed) who haven't been a big fan of my documentary film making techniques... namely recording videos anytime one of us is doing something funny or embarrassing. Tonight I suffered a setback however, as the tables were turned as I was caught unaware making a complete fool of myself (much to my brother's amusement). Tomorrow will be fun, I'll be showing a bunch of my videos to the family as a NZ trip retrospective before we leave Friday.
As some of you may know, before and after this trip I'm traveling with my Theatre Company (Transcendence Theatre Company) across America in RVs and speaking with theatre leaders, educators, and artists as a part of the founding of our company (check out our website). When I left our group for New Zealand, we were in Detroit on day 38 of our travels, when I return to the states I'll be joining right back up with our group in Denver, and finishing out our RV trip through the west, up to Seattle and then down the coast back again to LA.
One of our group trademarks is our "thinker pose" which we have pictures of us doing with brilliant theatre people all across the country (check out our blog about it!). Today my family got our own thinker pose in honor of Transcendence, look for it in our pictures!
We're laughing so much and having such a joyous time together, it's going to be hard to leave on Friday.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Day 88 Taupo to Auckland
We started the day with a cruise on Lake Taupo, which is slightly larger than Flathead Lake. It was a lovely morning and we saw some Mauri carvings on the rocks around the lake. The captain also talked about the volcano that sits just off the lake which erupted about a decade ago. We were thinking of the Icelandic volcano that continues to spew ash over large parts of Europe.
We hopped back into the van and drove to Auckland. Along the way we stopped to see a waterfall. We hoped to get to Auckland in time to do some shopping.
It was another great day for family togetherness. We ate at a very nice waterfront restaurant and the back to the hotel to play some cards.
Tomorrow Russell, Bay of Islands.
Chris- Lake Taupo is a huge lake at 40 kilometers long and 30 kilometers wide and 186 metres at it's deepest point. There are many hot water areas that can be seen both at the southern and northern ends of the lake. A natural hot water beach runs along side the lakefront of the town of Taupo. These springs occur naturally as a result of the volcanic fault line, which forms part of the Pacific volcanic fault. The lake was formed by a volcanic eruption that occurred 1800 years ago. It was the largest volcanic eruption recorded by man. Both the Chinese and the Romans recorded the eruption as the "days of nights" when 1200 cubic kilometres of matter was sent 55 kilometers into the air causing global darkness for 3 days. Today the lake is a beautiful, crystal clear lake that is rimmed by mountains. It was a gorgeous, warm day to be cruising the lake. We're now in Auckland and at the Langford Hotel after some shopping and a lovely waterside dinner. The hotel is terrific with all the amenities you'd expect with the best boutique hotel in New Zealand. We had a terrific time tonight with all enjoying an exciting game of hearts.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Day 87 Napier to Taupo
This morning started off with a lovely breakfast and then we enjoyed the amenities of the hotel . Scott, Patrick and I played 9 holes of golf on the par three course on the grounds. It was only three holes, but we played it three times. Meanwhile, Chris was bike riding around the property, and Stephan and Tracy were enjoying the comforts of their rooms. When golf was over we adjourned to the grass tennis court and had a rousing game that included our guide William. It was my first time playing on a grass court so it was an interesting match. The bounces were much less predictable and the footing was challenging due to the dampness from the morning dew. Chris, Tracy and Stephan had massages which they thoroughly enjoyed. I relate these activities to give a sense of how nice the hotel was. It was located on about 20 acres surrounded by orchards and high hedge fences. We all had a great time.
We left and drove to our next location at Lake Taupo. This lake is the largest lake in New Zealand and is a favorite holiday spot for many of the Kiwis. Our guide, William, dropped us off at the hot springs just out of town where we soaked for an hour before checking in to our hotel.
Once again the drive we had through the country side only reinforced the beauty of this island country. This area is green and full of vegetation as it gets considerably more rain than some of the other areas we visited in the south island. There are quite a few wineries in this region which was evident by the many vineyards we passed on our travels, but there was no time to stop.
Tomorrow Auckland.
Chris – Thanks to Patrick for writing in my stead yesterday. Today was a warm day full of exercise, relaxation and fun. We had the morning to enjoy the old homestead hotel where we were staying and Paul described the many activities we indulged in. The hotel called the Mangapapa Petit Hotel had beautifully maintained grounds and was surrounded by vineyards. It was nice for all of us to have some unscheduled time and just enjoy each other. Our rooms at this hotel were, once again, amazing. Large living rooms, 4 poster beds, one bed that lit up and had about 20 controls and a bathroom that was not only enormous but had two whole showers in one. Stephan and Patrick’s room even had what appeared to be a small dance floor…well at least the appropriate person got that room! The trip to Lake Taupo was about two hours long and was along a somewhat winding road and quite hilly. The vistas were of very green rolling large hills or small mountains with sheep and now and then a canyon. It was much hillier than most the landscape we saw in the South Island. When we started this trip our guide asked us what we’d like to do in NZ that wasn’t on the schedule. I mentioned that I’d always wanted to swim in a hot springs and had never done it. Well, today we did that. It was fun and quite hot and everyone supported my suggestion and participated…..you gotta love family! Tonight we’re staying right on the lake and I enjoyed swimming in their pool that was about 18 feet long and was about 100 degrees. It was outdoors so it was great that it was hot, but after 40 minutes I was pretty well cooked. Paul, Scott and Tracy took a walk along the lake and Stephan and Patrick worked out in the gym. A toast was given to all the participants in the golf and tennis matches and a delicious dinner was had by all at the lakeside restaurant in the hotel . Paul, Stephan, Patrick and I played a game of euchre after dinner, a game I learned yesterday on the three hour boat crossing. Careful, Mike and David, I might give you a run for your money! Scott watched rugby on TV and Tracy had a phone date with Jeremy and read afterwards. It was another great day!!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Day 86 Across the Cook Strait to Hawke's Bay, NZ
Today will not go down as one of the most interesting days on this trip for sights we saw. For me it was one of the best days of the trip because the kids were all engaged with each other having fun and enjoying each others company.
The day started out early so we could catch the ferry from Picton, on the south island, to Wellington, on the north island. This was about a three hour ride in very calm seas thru some beautiful scenery. Once off the ferry we spent the rest of the day in the van until we reached our hotel in Hawke's Bay. So far not overly interesting.
We arrived at our hotel, which is a gorgeous old building with a gate just off the road to keep the riff raff out. We have three rooms and it was a contest to see who's room outdid the other.
For me the real value of the day happened when we met for drinks and dinner. There we six were all together and had a great time joking and talking. I tried to savor every moment and appreciate what it is that we as a family enjoy about each other. I am sure for my readers thjs is not what you have come to expect from my travel blog, but to me it was the entire value of having the kids join us in New Zealand.
Tomorrow Taupo, NZ
Patrick - (Guest Blogger) Wow, for a long time reader but first time blogger this is exciting. We covered plenty of ground (and water) today but I worry that I'm beginning to take for granted the beauty of the New Zealand landscape, having spent the past week in the gorgeous south island. What's that? You want to see another range of majestic peaks with a patchwork of colorful fields and sunlit hills in the foreground? Sure, why not, knock yourself out, I'll just be over here watching this waterfall spill straight out of the clouds and be blown to feathers of mist before it reaches the sea. You know, whatever. Say, would you mind turning the starlight down, I'm trying to sleep.
In addition to the sublime surroundings, we've been enjoying some of the best food I have ever tasted. In the course of a single week I've had lamb twice, venison twice, hare, duck breast over walnut mashed potatoes (every bit as good as it sounds), steak, and hokey pokey. Hokey pokey, for those not in the know--that is, everyone who doesn't live in New Zealand--is vanilla ice cream studded with balls of butterscotch which not only tastes delicious but also sounds hilarious when pronounced with a Kiwi accent. Apparently it's a national favorite, and it's quickly becoming a Stubbins favorite.
The one food experience that most stands out for me came two days ago when we were staying in the tree house hotel. My appetizer came with a drizzle of red juice that was best described by Tracy, who called it "essence of skittle." The sugar content must have been astronomical but it tasted too good to exercise any restraint. I decided to refrain from asking exactly what it was lest I find out and become utterly addicted. All in all, there hasn't been one dud restaurant yet. At this point I'm more worried about food lag than jet lag when I get back home. It's been an amazing trip so far and I can't wait to see what the next week has in store for us.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Day 85 Kiakoura to Nelson,NZ
This morning we left our cozy tree house rooms and headed off on our whale watching adventure. We weren’t in the boat 10 minutes before our guide William spotted a whale on the surface of the water. The boat quickly turned so we could get a better view of it. Once close enough we could see that what we found was a Sperm Whale. This leviathan of the deep was actually sleeping and would exhale every 5 minutes or so. The captain estimated it to be about 18 meters long and 30 years old. They live to about the age of eighty and don’t start reproducing until they are at least twenty years old. It was a special experience to be able to get so close and observe such a large animal. Next we spotted some dolphins and enjoyed watching them swim around the boat as we continued to keep up our speed. Finally, we were able to return to the original whale and see it swim for a little while before it had enough of us and dove out of sight. We were back in the van for our drive north and stopped for lunch at the Allen Scott winery where we had a wine tasting followed by a delicious lunch. After lunch we drove across the street and had another wine tasting at the Cloudy Bay winery. Not a bad couple of hours. We then drove north to our hotel for this evening, the Monaco Apartments, in Nelson, NZ. This hotel looks like a quaint English set of row houses. Red brick covered with ivy with red tile roofs set around a cute little courtyard with flowers and an open green area. We will have to enjoy it quickly because we are up early tomorrow to catch our ferry to the north island. Chris – Today was a fun filled day as we enjoyed the whales and dolphins in Kaikoura. There are sperm whales here all year round, although there are only male whales as the water is too cold for the women…you got that right! We had a beautiful day that was pretty temperate and fairly calm. Yesterday it was so rough they didn’t even go out for their cruises. We weren’t able to get the fan of the entire tail of the whale but he allowed us to get a partial view as he slipped below the surface. There were about 20 or more dolphins that played along side the boat. They jumped out of the water and came very close to the side where we were standing. Today’s wine tasting and lunch was very satisfying, even for us non wine drinkers as it was a gorgeous setting. We lunched at Allan Scott Family Winemakers among the sculptured gardens and vine covered trellises. The setting was what you’d dream a winery would look like and the food just as special. It was a fun lunch. On our way to Nelson to our quaint cottage hotel we stopped at Tahunanui Beach for Tracy to look for shells and we all could get some fresh air. It was a wide sandy beach with a warm breeze and it was nice to be able to get out and walk along the shoreline.
