Reflections on the Terrorist Attacks At first it was hard to believe that the pictures of the World Trade Center burning were on the news, not just scenes from another action-thriller movie that typically plays on the televisions at every bar, restaurant and hotel on Phi Phi Island to attract tourists. But on the evening [...]
Palau: Our Pacific Paradise Palau, a group of islands in Micronesia, is not a typical stop for independent travelers. Just getting there requires some effort; for us it took four layovers and six days due to our circuitous route and missed flight (see previous entry). Because of its isolation from nearest neighbors (about 800 miles [...]
Layovers: The Philippines, Guam, Brunei What day is it? Where are we going next? What country are we in? How long are we staying? Frequently I ask Andrea these questions, as she has become our travel organizer. With palm pilot in hand, she popped up the stored information, rattled off the answers, and gave me [...]
Sailing the Whitsundays “The weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was tossed. If it wasn’t for the courage of the fearless crew, Bojangles would be lost…” Captain Dale yelled, “Hang on!” Our stomachs dropped as we plunged down the backside of the swell. Swallowed in its trough, we looked up at the next approaching [...]
Harley Highways Andrea dwarfed by a redwood Feeling the rumble of our Harley while riding down the Pacific Coast Highway from Oregon to LA was the perfect way to relax and wind down. With no particular deadline or destination each day, it was excellent preparation for our 14 month journey. For the first leg of [...]
The Red Center No air-conditioning, no tinted windows, no radio or tape player, and no shocks. Sunshine, our faded-yellow ’83 Subaru wagon, labored down the outback highway fairing just slightly better than us in the oppressive heat. We drove 12 hours a day for three days, from Townsville on the Queensland coast to Alice Springs [...]
Subie, Sand, Sun, Surfing, & SippingEnjoying Australia’s most popular pastimes FOR SALE: 1983 Subaru 4 WD Wagon, 4 speed manual, good condition, road worthy certificate, registration ’til Jan 2002, new tyres. $2,050.00 Sunshine, our Subie Our plan was simple enough. Fly into Melbourne (pronounced ‘Melbin’ by Aussies), find a place to stay, and search the [...]
Adrenalin Activities Seven adrenalin activities near Queenstown, listed in order of increasing adrenalin rush: 1. Shotover jet boat, white water rafting, & helicopter triple combo package Shotover Jet Boat Unfortunately, high winds cancelled the helicopter portion, so instead we took an adventurous bus ride through Skipper’s Canyon. This old miners road was so treacherous that [...]
Milford Sound Kayaking Milford Sound An early morning kayak was a beautiful way to experience the Milford fiord. We were fortunate to see dolphins, seals, and rainbows. To give perspective on how large this area is, the boat in the background of the photo below was a huge cruise ship. On our second day in [...]
The Abel Tasman Trail What began as a beautiful trek transformed into a gruelling endeavour. Our plan was to take a two-hour jet boat tour to the end of the Abel Tasman trail and leisurely walk back to our car. The guidebook said the 22 mile trek included only 500 feet elevation change and could [...]
