True stories of our world-wide journeys interspersed with bits of my real life journey, retired now in Silicon Valley
Oh yes, of course we loved Sydney, Australia, but the North American Sydney is worth seeing too. We visited Canada's Sydney (Cape Breton, Nova Scotia), as a port stop on Holland America's St. Lawrence cruise from Montreal to Boston––a short visit that made us want to go back. We disembarked from the ship and our … Continue reading Another Sydney
I love waterfalls. Doesn't everyone? Rating the three grand falls we've seen, I have to say Iguazu is the most impressive. Super powerful. Of course it might depend on the season. In a heavy rain year, flooding of the lower area can cause the falls to be less impressive. Walkways on both the Brazil side … Continue reading Three Falls To See
Australia hosts many dangerous things, but the closest we come is snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef. Jellyfish found in the southern oceans are deadly, like the well-known box jelly and a small (thumbnail-sized), venomous relative, the irukandji. Both are found in seas of northern Australia, October to May. We visit in early May, on a quest to … Continue reading Dangers in Queensland
Stay left! Traveling to Australia, we worried about driving on the left, but Brother-in-Law Bob was up to the task. The other three of us just yelled. "Stay left!" Most unnerving was the almost-constant beeping from our rental car. Took us a half-hour to figure it out: the lane-departure warning. In his effort to stay left, … Continue reading Stay Left!
On our flight to Sydney from Cairns ("just say Cans"), I sat next to a nice couple from Queensland––"hobby farmers" they called themselves. I didn't catch their names and didn't even think to ask what they farm, but it could be sugar cane. I usually ignore my seat mates on a plane, but this time we … Continue reading Tips For a Visit to Sydney
Just like our 2015 visit to Buenos Aires, we walk on the pedestrian bridge under its soaring cantilever spar before going to a nearby restaurant for our last dinner in the city. This time, though, the tour guide mentions the bridge's designer––Calatrava––who, he says proudly, is "a native Argentinian." We recognize the name. No, we … Continue reading Beautiful Bridges
We have only three days in New Zealand, time for just one place. We choose Rotorua on the North Island because, well, for no other reason than there's a timeshare resort there. We resign ourselves to visiting the "island that's not so pretty" and going to an area that people say "stinks," and promise ourselves … Continue reading Rotorua
Bula! A smiling man named Peter meets our car and extends his hand in greeting. “Bula,” we repeat as we introduce ourselves to this muscular guy in a bright turquoise blue and black shirt. A black sarong covers his thighs, similar to the brown ones worn by the male employees at the resort. We’re on … Continue reading Fiji Village Lunch
Fiji! The last few days of our trip "down under." Brother-in-law Bob heads for the money exchange desk at Nadi airport, and comes back with––a $7 bill? We laugh. "They have a seven-dollar bill in Fiji? Who knew?" A couple of days later, buying a $1 coconut trinket at a shop on Denarau Island, Bob … Continue reading Lucky Sevens
We're recently back from Australia, where a trip would not be complete without seeing the Sydney Opera House. From the outside, that is. This structure is perhaps the most photographed in the world, and justifiably so. It is beautiful. On the outside. We did our share of picturing––from viewpoints, from the bridge, from the ferry. … Continue reading Two Opera Houses
