Today I share a blog from the past as I am still in transit. Next week we will have a new blog about our travels to Guernsey and Jersey.
Malpais Costa Rica
Guam
For the past two weeks, the nightly show the sun has put on here in Malpais has been nothing less than astounding. Each evening we watch breathless as it dips into the blue
Hawks Bay New Zealand
ocean dressed in a beautiful pink and orange gown. Some nights the show actually gets better after sunset – as the sky extends the celebration with a spectacular rainbow of hues of pink, purple, orange, yellow and indigo across the western sky.
AntiParos Greece
Huraa Maldives
Watching the sun each night from Malpais Costa Rica has been a glorious part of our day. A reminder each evening of how lucky
Hikkaduwa Sri Lanka
we are. A romantic interlude of breathtaking beauty, mixed with awe for our planet. A planet that loves to share the most romantic sunsets around the world.
Exmouth Australia
Cairo-Giza Egypt
As we celebrate this annual week of love I thought what could be more romantic than watching a sunset on Valentine’s Day? Or how about on any day? Watching a sunset with the one you love.
Nile River Egypt
Our travels have presented many sunset opportunities to us, some better than others, but many very memorable. So in honor of
Praslin Seychelles
Valentines week, I give you our most romantic sunsets around the world – memorable moments of the Grand Adventure.
Note – double-click on any photo in this blog for a larger view
Seabeck Washington USA
Etosha National Park Namibia
Mekong River Laos
Sydney Austalia
Wishing you and all those you love a Happy Valentines Day! I love you all!
Yes this book is about a horse. In fact a real historical horse. But it is about so very much more. At the heart of this book, it is a story about racism in America past and present. I really loved it. Here is my book review Horse by Geraldine Brooks.
Personally I am not a horse person, and the horse portrayed in this book called Lexington is not an animal I was familiar with. But if you are a horse person you might be aware of the historical lineage of Lexington. That in itself was a fascinating part of this book, but not the most fascinating to me.
This beautiful novel follows three different storylines all connected to the Horse. First we meet Jarret in 1850 Kentucky. A Negro slave who becomes the groom to a bay foal. This relationship will form the base of the novel and follow Lexington and Jarrett and their owners through record-setting races, unimaginable profits and into the US Civil War.
Next we meet Martha Jackson a New York City art gallery owner whose mother was an accomplished equestrian but died after a mishap on a horse. Martha becomes enamored with a painting that seems so familiar and yet how could it be?
Finally, Washington DC 2019. Pre-pandemic and we meet Nigerian born Theo an art historian and Jess an Australian born scientist at the Smithsonian. Jess and Theo are unexpectedly thrown together when Theo finds a piece of artwork in a rubbish pile.
I really enjoyed Brooks’ ability to connect multiple story lines to Horse – Lexington – both through amazing historical research as well as brilliant fictional development to build the plot. Throughout the book you will find both real life historical figures entwined with fictional ones, both human and equine.
Using a thoroughbred horse to teach us lessons in racism is a brilliant play by Geraldine Brooks. I loved it. And learned a lot. Thank you for reading my book review Horse by Geraldine Brooks.
It’s been a weird and wonderful first week in French Polynesia (our 111th country!) where we will be living on the island of Mo’orea for two months. Getting here was no simple task…with ever changing PanDamit rules, overnight flights, weather woes etc., we were filled with gratitude on arrival. Here is our story – Mo’orea Musings – French Polynesia Week One.
The first picture I took in Mo’orea
PanDamit Hurdles
As our departure date loomed and Omicron exploded we found ourselves checking the French Polynesia entry requirements incessantly. We didn’t honestly know if we would actually go. But as we have said before, we are approaching travel in the brave new world like a poker game…some skill, some luck, and some divine intervention. Living the gamble and a few prayers for good measure.
In November FP changed it’s entry requirements to a 24 hour test from time of departure. Our embarkation point was San Francisco so we had to base our 24 hour test on an 11pm departure from San Francisco. This meant testing in the morning before departing out of Seattle. No easy task. We pinpointed three Rapid Antigen sites and headed to the first one in Port Orchard Washington at 8:30am where we found a three hour wait (outdoors). Ugh. Moving on to Tacoma we lucked out at a site that took us in about 15 min. Only 30 minutes later we had our negative results. Hallelujah.
Thumbs up for a negative Covid test
Both our flights were pretty full and we were happy to have our newly acquired N95 masks which feel much more secure and more comfortable than what we have been using (KN95 and regular surgical mask). We dozed but didn’t really sleep very well on the nine hour flight from SF to Tahiti so we were pretty dazed on arrival.
Arrival
Despite all our research we weren’t really sure what to expect on arrival. One thing we were grateful for was that we had printed all of our Covid documents, entry documents as well as an email we had with correspondence from the French Polynesian President’s office. Although we had all this on our phones it was quick and easy to show the printed documents as we proceeded through the three step process on arrival;
Step One – showing our documents from our negative Antigen test 24 hours before departure.
Step Two – Anyone who had Antigen tests (even if negative) had to have a Rapid PCR on arrival. We knew this and got in that line next. There were about a dozen testers and it went really fast. We expected to pay for this but it was free.
Step Three – Our research had given us the impression we would need to quarantine for up to three days as we waited for the PCR. But instead, step three was to go through to passport control and into baggage, get the bags and then wait 25 minutes. A sticker on our passport said the time when we would be clear to leave the airport. So after 25 minutes and no red flag positive Covid results we were free to leave.
Sofitel Hotel near our Bungalow
From landing to taxi was about one hour and 45 minutes. It was well organized and everyone was nice and helpful. So off we went to Mo’orea Musings – French Polynesia Week One.
On to Mo’orea
It was POURING down rain. We grabbed a cab for the short ride to the ferry terminal to leave the island of Tahiti and head to Mo’orea. We made the 8:10am ferry but got absolutely drenched running from the terminal to the vessel. The stormy weather gave us rocky seas and I was really nervous given my motion sickness history. But, with mama’s little pill, and staring out at the horizon for the thirty minute crossing I made it. Maeva Mo’orea!
Arriving at the Mo’orea Ferry Terminal
Avis Rent a Car right at the Mo’orea Ferry Terminal was convenient and very helpful. So we were in a car within minutes. Then we had two hours to kill before we could check in to our Airbnb. Super jet-lagged driving seemed dangerous. But since the weather was crappy there was really no where to go so we ended up stopping for groceries and then driving all the way around the island.
Mo’orea by the Numbers
Bigger than Praslin in the Seychelles and smaller than Maui, Mo’orea is about the same size as Orcas Island in Washington State. About ten miles by 7 miles. The ring road is about 61 km (38 miles) and encircles the island. A few roads go inland off the ring road but it is the main road for most of the traffic. The area is 134 square kilometers and the population is around 18,000. The highest point is Mont Tohi’e’a is 1207 m (3960 feet). It’s very mountainous!
Mo’orea has six communes (villages) scattered around the island. We are in the commune of Teavaro, home to about 2000 people.
French Polynesia is 60% vaccinated and a mask mandate is in effect for indoors, although many people where masks outdoors as well. FP had a huge Covid spike in August which dropped off to zero for early winter, but began a gradual climb again over the holidays. But nowhere near what it was in August. Mo’orea has one hospital and several clinics that service the population, which currently is very light with tourists. We feel quit alone in the tourist category. We feel safer from Covid here than we do at home.
The island rises right up out of the sea
Parlez Vous Francais?
Francais
French is the official language but most people speak excellent English as well as the local Polynesian language Tahitian. Our Airbnb host, who lives on Tahiti but is here one day a week, speaks excellent English. I know bits and pieces of French but not enough to carry on an intelligent conversation. Of course through all our travels we have learned to use Google translate to read information on packages and signs. Even with Google it took us 20 minutes to figure out how to turn on the washing machine. Oh la la.
Our bungalow in Teavaro
Meanwhile our darling little bungalow in the village known as Teavaro is a fabulous space, with a kitchen, large covered porch, tiny pool and beach front. Less than a mile to grocery and restaurants and large public beaches. We feel very comfortable here and our host is wonderful. Merci!
Tsunamis and Celebrations
We arrived on January 13th and I celebrated my birthday on January 14th. Still incredibly jet-lagged we enjoyed a quiet birthday at the bungalow, and watched it rain nearly two inches in 24 hours (more on that below). It was an uneventful but nice birthday. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to us, 1200 miles West a giant volcanic explosion near the island of Tonga created tsunami warnings all around the Pacific. We didn’t learn about this until nearly 12 hours later when we awoke on the 15th and read it in the news.
Birthday dinner fresh Ahi which is abundant and cheap on the island
Although Hawaii (due north of us 2600 miles) as well as the West Coast of the USA, Australia, New Zealand and even Japan all went into Tsunami alert, we heard absolutely nothing from the FP government or warning systems. What the heck?
There were no visible signs of anything unusual on our beach, which is only about 30 feet from our front porch. This experience however prompted us to take a good look around at what our evacuation options are. When we first started traveling we used to do this regularly, but I admit I have gotten a bit lax about it. I still am that girl on an airplane that pinpoints my nearest exit before settling into my seat…but tsunami evacuation route isn’t something I think about…until now.
The reality is, no matter where we are, or what disaster might present itself, we will be on our own to save ourselves. This is true at home or abroad. A little preparation goes a long way.
Monsoons and Mosquitoes
Well we are here in the rainy season. However, everyone we meet, including our host, says this sustained rain is extremely unusual. If you have any doubt about climate change spend a few years traveling around the world. Because EVERYWHERE we have gone over the past five years we have heard these words about the weather, “this is not normal”. Not normal is the new normal from what we can tell. And the incredible amount of rain we have seen since arriving on Mo’orea is not normal. Not much to do about it though, and so we are okay. Hopeful it will clear eventually.
Wet and rainy birthday
Meanwhile the rain and floods have brought out the mosquitoes in droves. Mosquitoes generally find me exceptionally tasty anyway, but at the end of week one I am covered in bites. C’est la vie!
Mo’orea Musings – French Polynesia Week One
After a week of pretty much doing nothing but reading, playing scrabble and watching it rain, we have some plans for the week ahead. We have a reservation to do both a street food tour and a Polynesian dinner and show. With improving weather we also plan to get out to some of the beaches and restaurants. But we have enjoyed a relaxing week and have been perfectly fine just hanging out and doing very little for our Mo’orea Musings – French Polynesia Week One. We may or may not blog each week…time will tell.
Warm and muggy
Thank you for joining us in this weird and wonderful week.
In our travels we have been blessed to visit a lot of gardens; botanical gardens, native gardens, home gardens, arboretums…even sculpture gardens. Fun and educational, I always look for these places in cities and countries as we travel. So today I will share with you My Favorite Gardens Around the World.
Singapore
I sat down and tried to remember all the gardens we have seen. Because I enjoy gardening back in my home state of Washington in the USA, I always want to check out gardens in other places. My husband also enjoys looking at gardens, especially ones with native species we may not be familiar with. Lately Arne and I have become amateur bird watchers, and my favorite gardens around the world are always a great place to see birds.
My Favorite Gardens Around the World
As I have been working on my own tiny garden this spring I’ve been dreaming of starting to travel again and some of the world’s most beautiful gardens have been floating through my head…and thus this idea to blog about them has bloomed. I don’t have photos of all my favorite gardens around the world, but I do hope in your own travels you can find your way to some of these enchanting locations….some big, some small, all beautiful.
In no particular order, here are my favorite gardens around the world.
United States
Palm Springs, California – I enjoyed our recent seven week visit to Palm Springs area where we particularly enjoyed learning about the flora of the desert at the tiny Moorten Botanical Gardens and Sunnylands. Sunnylands is one of my all time favorite gardens anywhere.
Phoenix, Arizona – the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix is not large but it is laid out beautifully and makes a beautiful and interesting garden to stroll through.
Palm Springs
Phoenix
Portland, Oregon – The Portland Japanese Gardens is one of the most unexpected gardens I have ever been to. A hidden gem right in the heart of beautiful Portland Oregon
Seattle, Washington – Volunteer Park Conservatory. I have only been here once, and it was on a blustery cold winter day, and stepping into this warm and alluring conservatory was a perfect activity for a winter day. I loved everything about this place and hope to return soon.
Spokane, Washington – Manito Park and Botanical Gardens is one of my most favorite things to do when visiting Spokane. The sprawling park offers so much plant beauty, including a Japanese Garden and a beautiful Rose Garden.
Spokane
Boston, Massachusetts – Boston Public Gardens is the oldest botanical gardens in the USA and offers 24 acres of beauty to stroll through in any season. One of my favorite Boston sites in a town full of amazing sites.
Kula Hawaii
Kula
Kula, Maui, Hawaii – Kula Botanic Gardens is a hidden gem on the slopes of Haleakala. I visited this privately owned garden for the first time this past year and it was such a pleasant surprise. Don’t miss this hidden gem when you visit Maui
Bainbridge Island, Washington – practically in my own back yard, Bloedel Reserve is a 150 acre historic property and gardens whose mission is to enrich people’s lives through a premier public garden of natural and designed Pacific Northwest landscapes. Timed entrance tickets available online.
Bloedel Reserve
San Marino, California – The Huntington Botanical Gardens is so much more than just spectacular gardens. This historic site is home to an Art Museum, Library, events and lectures…and of course one of the most beautiful gardens in the USA.
Huntington
Canada
Victoria British Columbia – The Butchart Gardens is one of the most outstanding gardens anywhere in the world. No matter the season, it is a jaw dropping and magnificent 55 acres to behold.
Butchart Gardens
Montreal Quebec – Jardin Botanique de Montreal was not on our radar when we set out to visit beautiful Montreal, we fortunately just stumbled upon it. We were there in the fall and it was truly first class, one of my favorite gardens ever.
Montreal
Australia
Sydney – Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney we only had four days to explore the beautiful city of Sydney and we made the most of our time from beach to hiking, performance and food. But one of our favorite discoveries was these phenomenal gardens, home to both flora, fauna and feathers.
Sydney
Singapore
Singapore – Gardens by the Bay. Amazing. I could have spent a week in this place, an astonishing futuristic garden in one of the most astonishing cities in the world. The super tree structures and skywalk were incredible (especially at night) but my favorite was the cloud forest and flower dome. Worth a trip to Singapore just to see this.
Singapore
Mauritius
Pamplemousses – Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Gardens. Often referred to as the SSR Botanical Gardens, this beautiful garden is named for Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, Mauritius’ first Prime Minister and a leader in Mauritius independence. The gardens were begun in the late 1700’s during the French occupation and today incorporates fruits, flowers and trees from all over the world in its 33 hectare site.
Mauritius
Sri Lanka
Kandy – Royal Botanical Gardens. Our visit to Sri Lanka was so wonderful and this country remains one of our favorites. The Royal Botanical Gardens in Kandy is one of three botanical gardens in the country – each unique. This garden was beautiful, very large and home to a great many species of trees, flowering plants, orchids, birds and bats.
Kandy
China
Shanghai – Shanghai Botanical Gardens is the largest botanical garden in all of China. It encompasses more than 81 hectares and includes beautiful strolling paths and water features as well as thousands of trees, flowers, shrubs and more. Shanghai is a beautiful city, so different from Beijing.
Shanghai
Israel
Haifa – Baha’i Hanging Gardens this was a surprising place in the heart of Haifa. These gardens aren’t actually “hanging” but the crawl up the hill and present a spectacular site for many vantage points. The gardens are the home to the shrines where the founders of the Baha’i faith are buried. A site to see.
Touring gardens when you travel provides a peek into local culture and customs, while also enriching with beauty and education. I encourage you to support these beautiful places everywhere you go.
I’ve been reading some really amazing, but pretty depressing books lately. I recommend all of them, but indeed they were intense. So when I stumbled upon The Rosie Project I was gleeful. Here is my book review The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.
This book has been around for a few years, published in 2013 it has come in and out of my consciousness but for some reason I never read it. Until now. And I’m so glad I did.
This is the uplifting story of Don Tillman, an Australian Professor who has extreme difficulty with social interaction, because of his own autism. Don is a genetics professor, and leads his life with a very rigid schedule he doesn’t like to deviate from.
Don has never had a serious relationship, and thinks his good job, intelligence and even financial status should make him an attractive mate. He believes the problem is with the women. So he embarks on the Wife Project, creating a list of criteria for the perfect women.
This of course leads to a hilarious set of events, women and activities. Don finally meets Rosie, who defies all his criteria. But he enjoys her company. Of course you can imagine how things unfold.
It’s a delightful book. Laugh out loud and sweet. An easy read. I’m so glad I found it.
*****Five Stars for The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.
Today my husband and I are celebrating our 38th wedding anniversary. It was a dark rainy day when we married in November 1982. But it was still a glorious and happy day.
1980
We were young and our wedding was nothing special, certainly nothing like the huge and expensive weddings that take place today. I was naive and thought it was great. And that is how our life has gone. We have lived simply, worked hard and made a lot from a little. It’s the little things – 38 years of marriage.
Here’s our story;
1975
1975
I am fifteen when I realize Arne exists, even though in hindsight I know we have met several times before. He is nearly seventeen. We meet on a ski trip. My life is changed. Even at a young age, there was something there.
What is happening in 1975? Gerald Ford is President. The Vietnam War comes to an end. Captain and Tennille are singing Love Will Keep Us Together while we are standing in long lines to see the movie Jaws. Pet rocks, mood rings and Rubik’s Cubes are in our Christmas stockings.
Arne and I date for nearly a year. He is my first date ever. But then we stop dating. I am crushed. Him not so much. Life goes on and we manage a nice friendship for many years; it’s the little things.
1979
1979
Arne is away at college in Boston but the summer of ’79 we rekindle our relationship. My memories of that summer are of me dating different guys in my hometown, but then all of those guys seem to fall off my radar and there is Arne. It’s a summer of water skiing, drive in movies, concerts, taking the ferry to Seattle for dinner. It’s also the summer I am preparing to leave to go to Washington State University, after spending one year at the local community college. I am working three jobs. I have no idea how I’m going to pay for school. Until miraculously I receive a giant financial aid package.
What is happening in 1979? Margaret Thatcher becomes the first woman Prime Minister in Britain. Hostages are taken at the US Embassy in Iran. The Hood Canal bridge sinks. ESPN is launched. We are loving Candies heels and wearing overalls and tube tops. If you are lucky a walkman is in your Christmas stocking.
Arne returns to Boston for school and I head to WSU feeling like my life is beginning. We part knowing life is about to change. In the year ahead we both see other people, have some serious but short relationships but keep in touch.
1981 & 1982
1982
Arne has graduated from MIT and taken a job with Boeing to be close to those he loves…me! I’m still in school but we live together in the summer of ’81 in Seattle, but I return to WSU to finish my senior year. We are engaged in June of ’82 and married in November.
What is happening in 1981 and 82?. We are introduced to Aids. Anwar Sadat is assasinated. The Space Shuttle Columbia has its first flight. Post-it Notes are invented. Michael Jackson’s Thriller is released. Epcot opens. Hollywood is on a roll in ’82 with blockbuster films including E.T., Gandhi, Chariots of Fire and On Golden Pond. If you are lucky you might find a digital watch in your stocking this year. Pac Man is all the rage.
Arne and I live in a tiny little rental house in West Seattle and begin our married life.
1992
1992
Our first ten years of marriage has flown by. We built a house in Issaquah and added two beautiful sons to our family. Arne has now been at Boeing for twelve years. I have received my second degree, from the University of Washington, and began my career climb. I worked on a political campaign, then KIRO-TV, then the Issaquah Press and then become the Director of Salmon Days. But then we make a major decision to move to Virginia for Arne’s job and I become a stay at home mom with a five year old and a one year old.
What is happening in 1992? The first George Bush is President and Bill Clinton becomes a candidate for the office. Mall of America opens. Los Angeles is riotin after the Rodney King verdict. The first McDonald’s opens in Beijing. Barney is on our television and A Few Good Men and Unforgiven are on the big screen. Kids are finding Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in their stockings.
We will spend 18 months in Virginia absorbing the incredible history there and take our first cruise to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary.
2002
2002
Ten years later life is flying by. Our children are now 16 and 12. We have built a beautiful home in Gig Harbor, lived there 8 years and then sold it to move to a run down old house on the water. This house will be our little project for seven years. Arne is still at Boeing, celebrating 22 years. After being a stay at home mom for four years I return to television and work at KSTW TV and then take the position as Tourism Marketing Director for Gig Harbor. This will be my final job of my career.
What is happening in 2002? Americans are in shock from the 9-11 attacks. Terrorism is a constant word in our vocabulary. We are introduced to the No Child Left Behind Act. The winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City Utah. Lord of the Rings is on the big screen and Eminem is everywhere. If you are lucky, there will be a flip phone in your Christmas stocking.
This period in our life is stressful. We are both working full-time, managing typical teenagers and their endless needs and activities, and remodeling an old house inch by inch.
2012
2012
We have now completed all the upgrades to our waterfront house and gotten our first son through college. Our second son is in his final year of Architecture school. Arne has now been at Boeing for 32 years. We spend a lot of time talking about retirement and how we would like that next phase of our life to look. We have done a lot of travel in the past decade, and know that we want travel to be a big part of our future. I am in my final year of work and will retire at a young 53 the following year.
What is happening in 2012? Americans have weathered the recession and things are looking up. We are all introduced to Facebook when it goes public and life will never be the same. We learn about Gangnam Style. America’s first black President Barack Obama is running for his second term. The Sandy Hook shooting kills 26. Taylor Swift is everywhere and The Hunger Games has us obsessed. The iphone 5, E-Readers and gift cards are what we want to find in our Christmas Stockings.
We celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary in this year and take stock of our blessings, and the little things. We are aware acutely of how short life is having said goodbye to many people too young and begin focus on what’s next.
2020
2020
Pandemic. It has taken over our lives. It has changed everything that we believed we had control of. But we are safe and healthy. When the pandemic hits we have now been traveling the world for four years, nearly full time, returning to the USA each summer. We have sold the waterfront home and purchased a small villa. Our kids are employed and healthy and we are free to move about the world. Until we are not. So we return to the USA to wait it out and see what will happen next. We are still in the USA seven months later when we celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary on November 27th.
What is happening in 2020? Donald Trump is President and he lacks the ability to deal with the Pandemic. On November 3rd America chooses Joe Biden to lead them. Wildfires plague many parts of the world including Australia and the USA due to the growing climate change crisis. Jeffrey Epstein, George Floyd and Kobe Bryant each in their own way create a shock factor in the news. IPad, Airpods, Bluetooth and anything to do with technology is on the Christmas list. Joke gifts in reference to quarantine are also popular such as toilet paper, flour, face masks and funny pandemic T-shirts.
2020
My husband and I celebrate our 38th Anniversary with a hopeful heart. Our married life has been a collection of little things that have combined to create a wonderful life together. We look to 2021 and our 39th year of marriage and hope to be healthy, travel, and see our sons successful. It’s not a lot to ask. Just the little things – 38 years of marriage.
Thanks for joining me on this little walk down memory lane. It’s the little things – 38 years of marriage.
Just under four years of nearly non-stop travel, as well as many adventures earlier in my life, has left me with an unbelievable collection of epic adventures around the world memories. Lucky me.
I’m not giving up on resuming our travel life…however I expect we will sit home for a year before we set out on anything too epic. And even if that never happens, what a life we have led.
In my living room I have a large book case that I call “The Museum”. Here I display my world treasures. There are not alot, given the fact that we travel light and I try not to do too much shopping as we travel, but I rarely leave any country without picking up something special. I love looking at “The Museum” and although I appreciate when guests look too, “The Museum” is really for me, a reminder of my blessed and adventurous life.
The Museum
As I wait to determine what my next chapter in my life is going to look like, I spend a lot of my brain cells reliving some of my life’s greatest epic adventures. Therefore it seemed like a perfect blog to pull together and share. My Epic Adventures Around the World. I hope you enjoy.
The Inca Trail and Machu Pichu – I don’t have a blog about this experience, it was before I began blogging about my travels. But it was a defining experience in my life, opening my eyes to my own physical capabilities. The five day hike on the Inca trail to Machu Pichu took every thing my body had to give, while also providing some of my all -time favorite zen moments. Life changing.
Galapagos Islands – Everything about the Galapagos Islands is unique and memorable – both on land and in the sea. One of our favorite trips of all time. The day we snorkeled in the Galapagos was the only time I have ever swam with seals who danced a playful ballet around us as we swam. We also encountered baby seals, beautiful turtles and small sharks. Just one remarkable event in a very remarkable place.
Weekend with the Monks South Korea – spending the weekend at a Korean Buddhist monastery was a unique and slightly painful experience. Living as a monk, mostly in silence, sleeping on the concrete, up before the sun and hours of meditative prayer was certainly memorable. But my favorite part was meeting the female monks at this monastery, hearing their story and gaining such an admiration for such a devout life.
Easter Island Chile – Everything about Rapa Nui was stunning, but like most visitors I had my favorites. And like most visitors my two favorite sites were the Ranu Raraku quarry site and the Ahu Tongariki. Upon laying your eyes on these two sites for the first time you conjure a list of adjectives; breathtaking, fascinating, interesting, surprising, remarkable. At one point I had to just stop and breathe deep – and remind myself how remarkable it all was, and how remarkable it was that I was standing there.
Namibia – Arne and I both have Namibia on our top five list of one of the most beautiful countries and most incredible experiences ever. That is saying a lot in 110 countries. Unspoiled, incredibly diverse and still remarkably authentic, Namibia is astonishing. I have two excellent blogs about our experience there. The link above is the first one. Here is the second.
Sunny Namibia
Burkina Faso – who goes to Burkina Faso? Well apparently I do. I didn’t really want to go, but in hindsight spending three weeks there visiting our Peace Corps son was one of the most remarkable and eye-opening travel experiences of my life. And doing it with my grown sons made such fantastic family memories. I will never regret having gone.
Burkina Faso
Inle to Kalaw Hike Myanmar – I don’t have a blog about this experience, but it did win one of our 2019 Travel Awards for it’s uniqueness. This two day hike was longer and harder than I thought it would be (I should read the fine print) but the experience was amazing. Our guide was great, the food was surprisingly abundant and delicious and even sleeping on the floor in the home of a local Myanmar family with no electricity or running water was a memorable experience.
Camino de Santiago Spain – Hands down one of the best, most spiritual, most life affirming experiences of my life. Walking 500 miles across Spain – 40 days, thousands of memories, one incredible experience. I hold this memory very, very dear.
The Grand Adventure Spain
Gorilla Trek Uganda – a life-long dream for me to trek to see the elusive Mountain Gorilla, for me this has also become a marker for the Corona world-crisis. Doing this tour was the last “normal” thing we did, before the world spiraled out of control, and came to a screeching halt. I will be forever grateful that Covid-19 did not stop us from doing this experience, and I will remember these creatures fondly.
Tiki Tour in New Zealand– who knew living in 90 square feet could be so much fun? What a remarkable way to see one of my top favorite countries, New Zealand. I would do this again…and have also considered doing it in Australia. To really see all that is fabulous about New Zealand, a Tiki Tour is the way to go.
The Great Barrier Reef Australia – I had to really convince my husband that snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef off of the east coast of Australia was worth the money. But I wasn’t visiting Australia without seeing the reef, and despite a crappy weather day, our experience in the ocean was amazing. A pinch me moment, in a life of pinch me moments.
Alps Hike Switzerland – with total honesty and without hyperbole, this day hiking the Schilthorn was one of the best days of my life. The physical challenge of it was astonishing, the beauty of it was heavenly and the satisfation on a travel scale of 1-10 was a million. Blessed day.
Camel Trek in Morocco – incredibly painful, incredibly memorable. Our overnight camel trek in the dessert of Morocco was quirky and special, despite how uncomfortable riding a camel can be…who knew? But I’m so glad we did it; overnighting in the Bedouin camp, drinking wine around the camp fire in the chilly dessert night air, then rising again and clamoring back onto the beast for the trek back. I’ll never forget it.
Sunny Morocco
Bangladesh– we would have never gone to Bangladesh, except our friend Natalie was teaching there…so why not? A quick stop in this untouristed country to see what we can see. Wow. I would never imagined that we would have enjoyed it so much and have one of the most authentic travel experiences of our life.
Beautiful Bangladesh
Above it all – we paid a ridiculous amount of money to have two separate experiences in our travels – both taking us high above it all. It’s always hard to know if these things are worth the money, especially when we travel on a fairly strict budget. But for me, both of these experiences were worth every penny. Climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge in Sydney Australia and flying in a Hot Air Balloon over Bagan Myanmar. These both will go down in our travel life as phenomenal.
The Grand Adventure Australia
So the Grand Adventure is on sabbatical until further notice. I continue to hope we will travel again…but the brake is firmly set until further notice and we turn our attention to other inspiring adventures…stay tuned, and don’t give up.
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