We have spent the last ten days in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. In our minds, we saved the best for last, as Sydney is one of the most beautiful and livable cities we have ever been. But, Melbourne is fantastic, quirky, has great neighborhoods and is a manageable size. And Adelaide may have a bit of a bad rap compared to the super-sized and more well known East Coast cities but we really enjoyed it, too.
Australia is great. People are friendly and we can speak to them! We have had really good and funny conversations with many locals. We met a girl at the bus stop in Adelaide who invited us out for drinks with her friends. We have talked Obama-loving politics with many an Aussie. And we have never seen as many good natured lovers of country as we did in Melbourne on Australia Day. Even more people celebrate Australia day than Americans do the 4th of July. Almost everyone had an Australian flag draped around their bodies, or Australian flag tatoos, or both. All Australians over 16 was drinking a whole lot on Australia and there were events and concerts and fairs and sports competitions and parades chock-a-block throughout the city. I don't know how the government paid for all the festivities in the midst of an economic downturn, I just imagine that Australians would not take news of a toned down Australia Day very well.
Another treat we have had in Sydney is that we have hung out with groups of Australians that we have connections to from other places. We went to a barbecue at Leanne Matthews' (the sister of my uncle Peter) house the other night and last night we went out with a bunch of young lawyers, one of whom we had met traveling in Africa 6 months ago. Oh yeah, and the tennis: Joe has been addicted to the Australian Open. It's been really fun to watch, especially when an Australian has been involved.
We have just a few days more of exploring Sydney, going for walks, visiting some of the many beautiful beaches that abound in this city, and watching the finals of the Australian Open before setting off to New Zealand.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Western OZ
In Ozzieland, now. It is very hot and dry here: mid-summer. We spent the last week in Western Australia, which is the country's largest state. It is absolutely massive (more than 5 times as large as Texas), mostly desert-like outback, and its capital city, Perth, is the most isolated large city on Earth. It is close to nothing! We liked Perth. It reminded us of cities in California: palm trees, plenty of sun, cool at night, not very densely developed, many pedestrian malls and pretty parks. We have been having a hard time adjusting to Australian prices, especially after spending more than 3 months in Asia. We are finding the prices to be similar to those in NYC! Two beers in a no-name pub costs between $15-18 Australian, which is about $10-$12 U.S. Needless to say, we haven't visited many pubs! But we have visited some vineyards; Australia is chock full of em'.
After spending two days in Perth, we rented a car and headed south. The country was gorgeous and we spent our first night in a posh town in the best Western Australian wine region, called Margaret River. It was like the Napa of Western Oz. The owner of our hotel recommended we go to a place called Wino's down the road for a drink and dinner and we were waited on by an American. She was in Australia for a year, bar-tending at Wino's, and her boyfriend was working as a chef there. He had previously been a chef at the renowned Acqua restaurant in San Francisco, so we knew we were in for a treat. The coast from Perth down to Margaret River is absolutely gorgeous. The water is light, clear Carribean blue in the shallows and deep, Pacific blue in the breakers. And surfers and surfbreaks are everywhere, despite the fact that shark attacks on Australian surfers is on the rise.
From Margaret River, we drove south-east to the region around Pemberton, where we stayed for two nights. There are many National Parks in the area, which are home to Australia's biggest trees: giant eucalpytus species that reach more than 200 feet. We visited three national parks, took a couple of great walks, and Joe climbed some giant trees, which had been fitted with narrow foot pedestals up to the canopy, nearly 200 feet above us. I skipped that activity! (I got up to about 20 feet, looked down, examined my unreliable flip-flops, and retraced my steps). During a hike on the second day, on a trail where we saw no one for hours, we came across a big patch of red, guey, liquid-type stuff. And both of us freaked out and thought: blood! We had just seen a picture of a missing person (a backpacker from England) at the hostel we were staying and jumped to conclusions. We took pictures of "the scene," picked up giant sticks to be used as weapons and started to hot-foot it out of there. About 30 minutes later, we saw another red liquid patch on the trail and saw that it was sap, leaking from the giant trees. Overactive imaginations!
We returned our car in Perth and the next day got on a two day train ride through southern Western Australia, some of the most desolate country imaginable. The land is flat, there is sparse vegetation, and nearly no animal or human life for vast stretches. The sunsets and sunrises were amazing. The train stopped twice during the journey and at the first stop, we got out and wandered around in the mining town (we went to a karaoke bar with some fellow train passengers and they tore the place up- such good singers!) of Kalgoorlie. The second stop, Cook, was 500 further miles from Kalgoorlie (and Kalgoorlie was the closest town to it). It had a population of 4 people, and its main function is to service the trains that stop there. It was perhaps the hottest place I'd ever been, about 118 degrees at noon. And there were so many flies! It was mind-boggling to imagine living there- a stranger existence than perhaps any other I have ever witnessed.
And now we are in Adelaide, capital of the state of South Australia. It's a pretty city and feels more urban and established than Perth. There is wine-country and beaches close-by here, too, which we plan on hitting up in the next couple of days before heading to Melbourne.
After spending two days in Perth, we rented a car and headed south. The country was gorgeous and we spent our first night in a posh town in the best Western Australian wine region, called Margaret River. It was like the Napa of Western Oz. The owner of our hotel recommended we go to a place called Wino's down the road for a drink and dinner and we were waited on by an American. She was in Australia for a year, bar-tending at Wino's, and her boyfriend was working as a chef there. He had previously been a chef at the renowned Acqua restaurant in San Francisco, so we knew we were in for a treat. The coast from Perth down to Margaret River is absolutely gorgeous. The water is light, clear Carribean blue in the shallows and deep, Pacific blue in the breakers. And surfers and surfbreaks are everywhere, despite the fact that shark attacks on Australian surfers is on the rise.
From Margaret River, we drove south-east to the region around Pemberton, where we stayed for two nights. There are many National Parks in the area, which are home to Australia's biggest trees: giant eucalpytus species that reach more than 200 feet. We visited three national parks, took a couple of great walks, and Joe climbed some giant trees, which had been fitted with narrow foot pedestals up to the canopy, nearly 200 feet above us. I skipped that activity! (I got up to about 20 feet, looked down, examined my unreliable flip-flops, and retraced my steps). During a hike on the second day, on a trail where we saw no one for hours, we came across a big patch of red, guey, liquid-type stuff. And both of us freaked out and thought: blood! We had just seen a picture of a missing person (a backpacker from England) at the hostel we were staying and jumped to conclusions. We took pictures of "the scene," picked up giant sticks to be used as weapons and started to hot-foot it out of there. About 30 minutes later, we saw another red liquid patch on the trail and saw that it was sap, leaking from the giant trees. Overactive imaginations!
We returned our car in Perth and the next day got on a two day train ride through southern Western Australia, some of the most desolate country imaginable. The land is flat, there is sparse vegetation, and nearly no animal or human life for vast stretches. The sunsets and sunrises were amazing. The train stopped twice during the journey and at the first stop, we got out and wandered around in the mining town (we went to a karaoke bar with some fellow train passengers and they tore the place up- such good singers!) of Kalgoorlie. The second stop, Cook, was 500 further miles from Kalgoorlie (and Kalgoorlie was the closest town to it). It had a population of 4 people, and its main function is to service the trains that stop there. It was perhaps the hottest place I'd ever been, about 118 degrees at noon. And there were so many flies! It was mind-boggling to imagine living there- a stranger existence than perhaps any other I have ever witnessed.
And now we are in Adelaide, capital of the state of South Australia. It's a pretty city and feels more urban and established than Perth. There is wine-country and beaches close-by here, too, which we plan on hitting up in the next couple of days before heading to Melbourne.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
As we leave Asia...
We are sitting in the Singapore Airport now. Our flight to Australia leaves in 2 hours. We just spent our last days in Asia in this pristine, Asian city-state, staying with the Whites (friends of my parents'). Its a beautiful city, mixing some of the best aspects of Asia and Europe (like London in the Asian tropics).
We are wrapping up 3.5 months in Asia and about 6.5 months of traveling in all and have been having fun remembering and comparing the different places we have been.
During this time, we have visited 16 countries (we are including the U.S. here- is that cheating?), stayed in 70 different locations within those countries and each read more than 30 books.
Here are some of the highlights (and lowlights) of the places visited in Africa and Asia these last 6.5 months:
Most Physically Beautiful Country- South Africa
Most Physically Beautiful People- Senegalese (Wolof)
Most Spiritually Beautiful People (kindest, calmest, most peaceful)- Thai
Most Beautiful Cities – Cape Town, South Africa and Luang Prabang, Laos
Most Interesting (Fascinating is a better adjective) Country- India
Best Music- Mali
(Worst Music- Vietnam)
Best Bang for the Buck (good quality for lowest prices)- Vietnam
City We'd Most Like to Return to on a High-Dollar Budget for a Long Weekend- Hanoi, Vietnam
Best Beer- Angkor Beer, Cambodia
Best Wine- Shakalaka, South Africa
Best Airline- Thai Airways
Most Interesting Airport- Kuwait City
Top Food Experiences:
Sofitel Metropole, Hanoi (weekday buffet lunch- oh my God!)
Teej, Calcutta (Punjabi thali)
Swagath, Delhi (amazing, relatively upscale Northern Indian)
Alpine Sherpa Inn, Nagarkot, Nepal (sweet, family-owned, spicy Tibetan food with an incredible view)
Food Court Bazaar at the Night Market, Chiang Rai, Thailand- our unbeatable introduction to the Thai food court
Smokin' Pot and White Rose, Battambang, Cambodia- two neighboring, super high quality, low-price restaurants. Fish amok , spicy papaya salad and 50 different kinds of fruit shakes.
*Something, something (can't remember)* Street Food Restaurant, Hoi An, Vietnam- up-scale street food dishes in beautiful setting
Sri Avanda Bagwan, Penang, Malaysia- best Indian restaurant in the world!
Most Perfect food items:
momos- vegetarian dumplings served with curry dipping sauce throughout Nepal
deep-fried catfish with wasabit spring rolls- Highway 4 Restaurant, Hanoi
bright red chili hot sauce, served in a jar at waterfront restaurant in Les Almadies, Dakar, Senegal
pad thai at husband and wife sidewalk restaurant in Thewet (corner of Krung Kasem and Samsen Streets), Bangkok
curry mee- curry noodle soup with tofu, fresh herbs, red onion and chili available at sidewalk stalls in Penang, Malaysia
black pepper crabs- the sauce is everything and the crab are big at Chinese hawker stalls in Singapore
Best Hotel Experiences:
Relax Beach Resort- Ko Phi Phi, Thailand (best staff in the world!!!)
Zebrabar- just south of St. Louis, Senegal
Trung Tam II- Hanoi, Vietnam (most modern, least expensive room we stayed in- great staff)
Champagne Castle Resort – Drakensburg, South Africa (a splurge with an incredible view)
Cozy Cottage- Scarborough, South Africa (little cottage in a beautiful small town with gorgeous ocean sunsets)
Dream House, Udaipur, India ($6 room for an arabian nights type, ancient Indian room with stained glass windows looking out on the city)
Jungle Inn- Bukit Lawang (honeymoon suite in the jungle! monkeys on our private wrap-around porch)
Dorney, Oxshott, Surrey (Heather and Ian's house: great food, amazing liquor cabinet, wonderful company)
We are wrapping up 3.5 months in Asia and about 6.5 months of traveling in all and have been having fun remembering and comparing the different places we have been.
During this time, we have visited 16 countries (we are including the U.S. here- is that cheating?), stayed in 70 different locations within those countries and each read more than 30 books.
Here are some of the highlights (and lowlights) of the places visited in Africa and Asia these last 6.5 months:
Most Physically Beautiful Country- South Africa
Most Physically Beautiful People- Senegalese (Wolof)
Most Spiritually Beautiful People (kindest, calmest, most peaceful)- Thai
Most Beautiful Cities – Cape Town, South Africa and Luang Prabang, Laos
Most Interesting (Fascinating is a better adjective) Country- India
Best Music- Mali
(Worst Music- Vietnam)
Best Bang for the Buck (good quality for lowest prices)- Vietnam
City We'd Most Like to Return to on a High-Dollar Budget for a Long Weekend- Hanoi, Vietnam
Best Beer- Angkor Beer, Cambodia
Best Wine- Shakalaka, South Africa
Best Airline- Thai Airways
Most Interesting Airport- Kuwait City
Top Food Experiences:
Sofitel Metropole, Hanoi (weekday buffet lunch- oh my God!)
Teej, Calcutta (Punjabi thali)
Swagath, Delhi (amazing, relatively upscale Northern Indian)
Alpine Sherpa Inn, Nagarkot, Nepal (sweet, family-owned, spicy Tibetan food with an incredible view)
Food Court Bazaar at the Night Market, Chiang Rai, Thailand- our unbeatable introduction to the Thai food court
Smokin' Pot and White Rose, Battambang, Cambodia- two neighboring, super high quality, low-price restaurants. Fish amok , spicy papaya salad and 50 different kinds of fruit shakes.
*Something, something (can't remember)* Street Food Restaurant, Hoi An, Vietnam- up-scale street food dishes in beautiful setting
Sri Avanda Bagwan, Penang, Malaysia- best Indian restaurant in the world!
Most Perfect food items:
momos- vegetarian dumplings served with curry dipping sauce throughout Nepal
deep-fried catfish with wasabit spring rolls- Highway 4 Restaurant, Hanoi
bright red chili hot sauce, served in a jar at waterfront restaurant in Les Almadies, Dakar, Senegal
pad thai at husband and wife sidewalk restaurant in Thewet (corner of Krung Kasem and Samsen Streets), Bangkok
curry mee- curry noodle soup with tofu, fresh herbs, red onion and chili available at sidewalk stalls in Penang, Malaysia
black pepper crabs- the sauce is everything and the crab are big at Chinese hawker stalls in Singapore
Best Hotel Experiences:
Relax Beach Resort- Ko Phi Phi, Thailand (best staff in the world!!!)
Zebrabar- just south of St. Louis, Senegal
Trung Tam II- Hanoi, Vietnam (most modern, least expensive room we stayed in- great staff)
Champagne Castle Resort – Drakensburg, South Africa (a splurge with an incredible view)
Cozy Cottage- Scarborough, South Africa (little cottage in a beautiful small town with gorgeous ocean sunsets)
Dream House, Udaipur, India ($6 room for an arabian nights type, ancient Indian room with stained glass windows looking out on the city)
Jungle Inn- Bukit Lawang (honeymoon suite in the jungle! monkeys on our private wrap-around porch)
Dorney, Oxshott, Surrey (Heather and Ian's house: great food, amazing liquor cabinet, wonderful company)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Orangutans and other Indonesian Adventures
Going to the Indonesian island of Sumatra to see an orangutan rescue and rehabilitation center (so they can live in the wild) has long been on Joe's agenda of things we should do in Southeast Asia. It was an easy trip by ferry from Malaysia and we planned on just zipping over for a few days, going to the jungle to see the orangutans and heading back to Malaysia.
We did go to the jungle and saw many orangutans (mostly female, with their babies- so cute!) really, really close up (a little too close at times! they are huge animals! and will bite, if threatened). And we did stay in the amazing honeymoon suite (with a private top-floor, wraparound porch with views of the river, waterfall and jungle in all directions- for $35!) at the Jungle Inn in Bukit Lawang across from the national park where the orangutans live. It was all so fantastic! As we were settling up our hotel bill and leaving, I happened to look across the river to see an orangutan loping up the steps of the national park office, just to be chased off by the park ranger with a broom. Two minutes later, she was back. This happened several times and it was really fun to see man and our nearest animal relative interact like that.
Unfortunately, in order to get to the jungle in Bukit Lawang, we had to spend a night in the relatively dismal Indonesian city of Medan, before and after. Indonesia appears much poorer than other Southeast Asian countries we've visited. And Medan, the country's 3rd largest city, displays the characteristics of a crowded, polluted and difficult urban area. When we arrived back in Medan after the jungle, we had a really negative altercation with a hotel owner when we complained about the air-conditioner not working in our room and told him we wanted another room or we were going to leave. We yelled at him and he yelled at us, then he brandished a wrench at us and we took off, adrenaline pumping and feeling pretty down on Indonesia. Twelve hours later, at a much nicer hotel, I succumbed to a miserable and violent stomach illness- intestinal parasites! Giardia! I was incapacitated to the point of making us miss our ferry back to Malaysia, which meant getting stuck another night in Medan! One of the "best" parts about a visit to Medan is that there are mosques everywhere and there is a very loud, extensive call to prayer from these mosques 5 times a day- starting at 4:30 a.m.! It actually sounded like there was a loudspeaker right inside our room! Luckily, we got out of Medan this morning, and are now in Kuala Lumpur (the very comfortable and modernistic capital of Malaysia), holed up in a nice hotel, medicating and recovering until we head to Singapore on Friday.
We did go to the jungle and saw many orangutans (mostly female, with their babies- so cute!) really, really close up (a little too close at times! they are huge animals! and will bite, if threatened). And we did stay in the amazing honeymoon suite (with a private top-floor, wraparound porch with views of the river, waterfall and jungle in all directions- for $35!) at the Jungle Inn in Bukit Lawang across from the national park where the orangutans live. It was all so fantastic! As we were settling up our hotel bill and leaving, I happened to look across the river to see an orangutan loping up the steps of the national park office, just to be chased off by the park ranger with a broom. Two minutes later, she was back. This happened several times and it was really fun to see man and our nearest animal relative interact like that.
Unfortunately, in order to get to the jungle in Bukit Lawang, we had to spend a night in the relatively dismal Indonesian city of Medan, before and after. Indonesia appears much poorer than other Southeast Asian countries we've visited. And Medan, the country's 3rd largest city, displays the characteristics of a crowded, polluted and difficult urban area. When we arrived back in Medan after the jungle, we had a really negative altercation with a hotel owner when we complained about the air-conditioner not working in our room and told him we wanted another room or we were going to leave. We yelled at him and he yelled at us, then he brandished a wrench at us and we took off, adrenaline pumping and feeling pretty down on Indonesia. Twelve hours later, at a much nicer hotel, I succumbed to a miserable and violent stomach illness- intestinal parasites! Giardia! I was incapacitated to the point of making us miss our ferry back to Malaysia, which meant getting stuck another night in Medan! One of the "best" parts about a visit to Medan is that there are mosques everywhere and there is a very loud, extensive call to prayer from these mosques 5 times a day- starting at 4:30 a.m.! It actually sounded like there was a loudspeaker right inside our room! Luckily, we got out of Medan this morning, and are now in Kuala Lumpur (the very comfortable and modernistic capital of Malaysia), holed up in a nice hotel, medicating and recovering until we head to Singapore on Friday.
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