Our travel to Hawaii was unique and parts of it were experiences we hope not to repeat. Do not be alarmed, we loved our time in Hawaii, however there were some “situations”.

In order to fly to Hawaii, we arrived at the airport in good time with Doug dropping us off. Check-in was a breeze as was US customs. While we were waiting for our flight, we visited the lounge and enjoyed their hospitality until it was time to board the aircraft, a WestJet Boeing 737 – Max 8. 

An “issue” on a Boeing 737 – not a warm feeling

Once we were settled in, they announced we would be delayed for “an issue”. The update that followed informed us there was a loose panel on the door and maintenance had fixed it. Reading about all the issues with Boeing aircraft recently, that was not the most comforting pre-flight announcement I had heard. 

All seemed well and we took off, Meg was enjoying the view out the window until about 3,000’ when we entered clouds. Around 30 minutes later, Meg decided to test the quality of the motion sickness bag. We are pleased to let you know they do not leak. It was the first time she has ever been sick on a plane. Our thoughts were it was something she ate at the lounge. The good news is she slept for most of the flight and felt fine in the morning.

Once we arrived in Honolulu, we got our luggage and then I looked at booking an Uber to take us to the hotel. The Uber app indicated it would $89 and said the price was high due to high demand. We headed to the taxi line and when we got there, there were no taxis about. Meg looked at a sign that said to call a number to order a taxi and the sign also listed fees. To drop the flag, it was $40. Other taxes et al raised that to $50, before you even left the airport. Time to check Uber again. 

Hailing an Uber, a game of guessing the price?

I’m not sure how the Uber algorithm works, however the price was now $75. We headed back in the terminal to try to find the Uber pick up point. It took us about 10 minutes of wandering around and going up elevators to find the right location. I then went to order an Uber. The price was now $59. I locked it in and we headed off to our hotel. 

By the time we checked in and took our bags up to the room, it was 11PM Hawaiian time, or 2AM Vancouver time. We were hungry and wandered out to find a snack. Most restaurants closed at 9 or 10. The ABC stores all closed at 11. We did manage to find a food truck and had a light meal and then back to our hotel. 

Enjoying Hawaii from the get go

The bed was comfortable and the hotel, although dated, was spotlessly clean. We both slept well and the morning saw us head out for a light breakfast, then a walk along the beach. When we got back to the hotel, we cashed in our “drink” tokens and had a swim in the beautiful pool.

As we checked out of our hotel, there was a group of seniors in the lobby who were also checking out and going to the ship. Their tour guide had a great deal of patience with the repetitive questions about going to the ship. From the conversations I overheard (the tour guide was often yelling to hard of hearing people), I gathered the guide was also going to be on the cruise. I thought to myself ‘I could do that job and get free travel’. Then I thought ‘tour guides are not allowed to throw clients overboard, even if they deserve it’. I guess that is not the best business model for me. 

Heading to our cruise ship

We decided to get to the ship ahead of them. A short Uber ride got us to the terminal at noon where we checked into our home for the next 11 days. Even though we beat the group at our hotel to the ship, there were others we saw who caused me to pause and ask myself ‘who ties your shoes for you in the morning?’

After lunch on the ship, we headed ashore and toured the Royal Palace, the only one in the United States. While there we read some signs and learned about the history of how Hawaii came to be part of the United States. From what I read it can be summed up in one word. Invasion. Rather distressing actually.

Starting our tour of Hawaiian Brew Pubs

The grounds of the Palace were lovely and after a rest under a magnificent tree, we headed to a brew pub. Honolulu Beerworks was around the corner and a perfect stop. The brewery is an open air affair, as are many places in Hawaii and we stood outside reading the menu. A server came up to us and let us know it was “Happy Hour”, all pints were $2 off. It didn’t take much convincing after that. The cold adult beverages were delightful.

Heading back to the ship, we had our dinner in the Main Dining Room and then wandered around the ship before the evening show. A gifted pianist played amazingly well with only a few band members as back up. After the show, we called it a day and headed back to our room.

Today we took the ferry from Vancouver Island to the Mainland. We will spend one night in Surrey with my Mom and then fly to Hawaii from Vancouver. We were originally planning to leave on the 24^th, but then we had an idea. “Let’s re-do the kitchen”. What a great idea (no sarcasm intended). 

In regards to our kitchen reno, we met with some contractors, got some quotes and looked at everything we wanted to do. Figuring out what we thought we would like in a 70-year-old house can be a challenge as there are “surprises” behind every wall. In the end we decided on a local company who have good reviews and were competitive on pricing. The timing actually worked really well. They need full access to the kitchen for two weeks and during that time we would only have limited access. Well, if we’re not here, then that is not an issue, right?

Enter a Hawaiian vacation/cruise.

The contractor was gracious enough to move a few jobs around and fit our job in while we were away. In discussions with the contractor, they went over what they needed, which included all cupboards being empty. Now, I truly hate packing. I’ve been known to be stuffing a suitcase on the way to the airport because I just tossed everything into a bag 15 minutes before we had to leave. Then I tried to pack it into a suitcase on the way to the airport. Hey, it works for me. This time I have a fully bonified reason not to pack. I have to empty the kitchen. 

We had everything emptied by 9:00 AM and were off to the ferry shortly after.  We had originally planned to walk-on; however, we need to take a number of things over and lugging bags on a BC Ferry is not really anyone’s idea of fun. So, we made a reservation for our car. 

Our Plans for Hawaii

We have learned that trying to micromanage the perfect vacation is always a disaster. That leads to terrible times. Let’s face it, no plan survives first contact with the airport/customs/airline/taxi…. However, while plans are useless, planning is essential.

We’ll get in to Oahu late at night, so other than checking in to our hotel, there won’t be much to do or see.

The next day, we’ll explore the local area. We’re staying in Waikiki, about a five-minute walk to the beach. The cruise ship is open for check in at noon, so we will aim to be at the pier for noon. There’s a special lunch onboard for our loyalty status, and it’s usually pretty good. After we get settled in, we plan to head off the ship and explore the nearby park and beach.

A hike and captivating views

On day 2, we are hoping to hike the Diamond Head crater. We have park access reservations between 7:00 and 8:00 AM. Everything I’ve read says do the hike in the early morning to avoid the sun and crowds as much as possible. When we’ve finished the hike, we’ll get an Uber and either rest on Waikiki beach or try surfing, which we did last time we were in Waikiki. We might not try it though, the previous experience was humbling to say the least. There is always the other side of the island to snorkel. We will not have a car, but the bus system is pretty good. The only thing we have to watch for is the ship’s departure at 5:00 PM.

We will try to post from Waikiki, however we’ve opted not to take the internet plan on the ship. We may find some hot spots while we are sailing around the Hawaiian Islands, we will see.

Thanks for reading, please feel free to reach out with any comments or thoughts.

Cam and Meg

You can also follow us on Instagram at Roam Relax and Repeat

We’ve been back in Canada for almost three weeks now. The clean, fresh air and drinkable tap water are wonderful. Our diet has returned to a higher concentration of healthy foods and a lower level of carbs. We found it interesting that many of the vegetarian cultures do not eat a lot of vegetables. Lentils and flour make up most of the diet. Veggies, when you could find them, were often of dubious quality or highly inflated, at least for tourists. 

The weather in Victoria, despite being cooler, has been enjoyable. There’s only been one ‘wash-out’ day with heavy rain and wind. Even on that day we managed to get a walk in when the rain took a brief break. We have not, however, gone for walks in flip flops and shorts. BC has warmer weather than the rest of Canada, but it’s not that warm (yet).

When we planned our six-month trip, it was overwhelming. We’d never done anything like this before. Add to this, retirements, change of part time jobs and moving cities. It was a blur and while we had planned everything up to our arrival in Mauritius, nothing was really planned after that. Our original thought was to visit sites during the day and then in the evening, plan the next day/phase/leg. After all, when we were working, we would work during the day and plan activities at night. Sounds pretty simple.

Planning is the key to a successful trip

Not so fast. As we travelled and moved towards new places, we were either too tired at the end of the day to plan, or we wanted to be out exploring. Living in and for the moment was our goal. Planning two months down the road was not going to be as “fun”. For the most part, we just followed our plan until Mauritius. When we arrived in Mauritius towards the end of January, we started looking for things to do and places to stay in February and March.

Planning a list of things to do can be time consuming. We did not stay anywhere longer than a week and during that week we wanted to see and do everything. Our goal was always to create ideas that would allow us to see and try new things. Each country and city we visited were unique. There were always ‘must-see’ things and after that we were left with ‘what now’? 

Our last few stops were done at a much slower pace than the first stops. The original planning, done in Canada, held such anticipation. It was fun to plan and think of all the things we would be seeing and doing. The new foods we would be trying out as well as the things we would be learning. 

Heading to Hawaii

The anticipation of a trip, much like Christmas, is often as rewarding as the event itself. Ten days ago we moved back into anticipation mode. We found a re-positioning cruise from Honolulu to Vancouver at the end of April and it seemed too good to pass up. The ship will spend six days touring around the Hawaiian Islands and then make a five-day open ocean transit to Vancouver. It involves only one airfare and that is a one-way ticket from Vancouver to Honolulu. We’ll have a short hotel stay in Honolulu and then on to the cruise ship. 

We’re excited about this cruise and have been reviewing some cruise forums. We’ve now planned to hike up Diamond Head at sunrise. We won’t get to see the sunrise; the park opens at 06:00 and sunrise is 06:03 on the day we’ll be there. Despite having hiked in Nepal, we can’t cover the distance from the gate to the top in three minutes. I’m good, but I’m not as good as I was. Even so, we’ll go early to beat the crowds and heat. This is a popular outing and we’ve made reservations to ensure we can get in. Our entrance time is between 07:00 and 08:00. We’ve met up on-line with other cruisers and they will be joining us. 

Planning for Hilo and Kona

We’re now looking at things to do in Hilo and Kona. We’ve been to both places a few times before, so finding something new is a challenge. Renting a car and visiting beaches where the dolphins will likely be our default. Just walking around the warm Hawaiian air and sunshine is also a good bet. The cruise was supposed to stop in Maui, however due to the fires last year, they are not ready to host cruise ships. We’ll spend extra time in Hilo and Kona – definitely a first world problem. 

Thanks for reading.

If you have any suggestions of things you’ve done in either Kona or Hilo, let us know.

Cam and Meg

We returned home last week, our six-month journey having ended. It was a blast and we can’t believe how quickly time went by.  It seems only yesterday we left.

One thing we were able to see first-hand was how other countries and economies work in comparison to ours. We normally feel our way of doing things is superior, otherwise we wouldn’t do it that way – right? However, we witnessed firsthand how many other places match or exceed our way of doing things. Of course, there were places that were doing things in a manner we left behind years, if not decades ago.

We started exploring in Japan

Japan is known to be a world leader in technology and progress. Despite an economy that has stalled for the last number of years, they have a transport system that is efficient, affordable and simply amazing. Their culture is based on respect. They don’t invade your personal space. No one honks their horns, either in cars or on bikes.

I experienced this first hand as a tourist when I was walking on a road and unwittingly blocking traffic. I’m not sure how long I was doing this, however when I looked over my shoulder, there was a car that I was creeping along behind me. I’m not sure how long this poor fellow had been following me, patiently driving his car at 5 km/hr . I immediately moved over to the side and bowed deeply to apologise and show respect for blocking their way. The driver smiled, nodded and waved. He didn’t honk his horn as his actions might bother me. In North America, there would have been a short horn, which in our culture, would not be out of place. It would likely be a “hi there, you’re blocking me, can you move over?”. Of course, there are times when the horn could mean something else. 

Further south to Taiwan

During our time in Taiwan, which is also a very high-tech area, we saw some great things. We were served by robots at a local diner, technology is used to assist day-to-day living. At the restaurant we were at, a human waiter took our order and, a few minutes later, a robot came out with our food. It was similar to a giant iRobot vacuum cleaner that had shelves on it. The robot was programmed with a table number and then weaved around the other tables to bring you your food. Once you had your meal, you tapped the robot’s hat and it went back to the kitchen to repeat. Taiwan is hugely important to the world for technology. The computer chips that are powering the device you are reading this on were likely made in Taiwan. They make more computer chips than any other country.

Singapore was old vs new, however cleanliness was probably better than anywhere else we saw on our trip. The subway was air conditioned which was much needed for a country only one degree from the equator. 

Sri Lanka – a very interesting place and worth another visit

Our few days in Sri Lanka showed us a country that is not quite where we are in many areas, however everyone seemed happy. There was thriving commerce, shops were open, local people were dining in cafés, and there was traffic coming and going. The infrastructure, however did look as if it could use improvements. A year ago, there were news stories of protests and when I asked our guide about those he shrugged. He said there were some people unhappy, however most people simply went about their business.

India – exotic, enchanting, and polluted

India was another story. A complete juxtaposition of wealth and poverty. Efficiency and inefficiency worked in harmony beside each other. An example would be a world class subway system in Delhi that moved the masses. As you exited the subway station, you could see people digging a foundation for a new building. Amazingly, this digging was being done with a shovel by hand. Fill was removed one pail at a time by a person on a bike. Who knows where they took it.

That India can feed 1.6 billion people every day is impressive, although not everyone eats a full meal. That they can survive with the wretched pollution, is a wonder. We were worried about the pollution in Mumbai when we were there as it was in the 300 parts per million (PPM). Then we got to Delhi. On some of the days we were in Delhi the pollution was just below 500 PPM. With the exception of Goa, which is on the ocean, there was always air pollution to worry about. 

Many towns we visited in India had “good” air with readings between 50 and 100 PPM. At home, when the numbers cross 25 PPM, people go crazy and lock themselves inside. We both developed coughs in Delhi. I guess it could have been COVID, however we wrote it off to pollution and breathing the continual bad air.

Nepal – magical

Travelling to Nepal from India didn’t help the cough. In fact we both developed full-fledged “smokers cough”. Hacking at all times day and night. Kathmandu was the worst, followed by Pokhara. Open fires, for warmth, would burn in common areas of restaurants and other buildings, trapping in smoke. Even if you were outside, with everyone having a fire, you smelled like a campfire. There was no getting away from it. We would look out from our hotel balcony in the morning and evening to see the countless plumes of smoke drifting up. All of which was trapped in the valley, reducing the view of the Himalaya mountains. Even when we were hiking in the Himalaya’s, unless we were between outposts, the smell of smoke was hanging. 

Mauritius was a charming place. Located 20 degrees south of the equator, the weather there is likely as close to perfect as you can get, other than the odd cyclone. There are trade winds that keep the air moving and as it is an island, 50 miles from the other nearest island, the incoming air is always clean.

Malaysia is an up-and-coming place. The prices are reasonable. The weather is a bit on the hot side with a lot of humidity. Most places are air conditioned unless they are open air venues such as hawker stalls. Malls are modern affairs with all the usual stores, Lululemon, Bata shoes, etc. Western goods are priced similar to North America, unless you buy knock-offs at the stalls. The one thing that we enjoyed in Malaysia was losing our “cough”. We arrived there from three weeks in India/Nepal and our lungs cleared up. Well at least our coughs went away.

Bali – a magical island, but maybe not for everyone

Bali is where we ended our journey. It’s not a place that we will rush back to. There seems to be two camps on Bali, love it or hate it. I would not say we hated it, but the issues we saw there made us think we would go back to Thailand before Bali. To be clear, Balinese people, for the most part, are wonderful. They are kind, welcoming and truly wish you to be happy in their home country. Some of the “annoyances” included a mafia run taxi service that serves only to rip-off tourists. The overrun tourist spots, where you wait for hours to take a picture make the experience less than enjoyable. Of course, the masses of tourists who overtax the system didn’t help.

We did many things: here are some of our numbers:

• Length of trip:                                                  182 days
• Number of countries visited                           15
• Number of hotels/AirBnB’s/Homestays        40

Cruises are a great way to travel

• Number of cruises 3
• Number of days on cruise ships 45

Air travel is necessary

• Number of flights:                                           11
• Number of “red-eye” flights                           3
• Number of airports travelled through:       15
• Nicest airport:                                                 Singapore (sorry YVR, Singapore has you beat)
• Sketchiest airport:                                           Kathmandu

It’s all about the food!

• Number of different restaurants dined in (many more than once)     157
• Best meal – tie                                             Takayama Japan and steakhouse in Khatmandu
• Best street food Chole Bhature – New Delhi
• Number of times we ate street food – Waaaaaayyyyy to many to count
• Number of times we were sick from street food – Nil – (we used a lot of hand sanitizer)

The still frames in our minds – I hope they will always be there

• Number of tours / activities                           14
• Number of cars rented                                   2 (both were right hand drive!)
• Number of trips to Disneyland                       2
• Best memory                                                  Overnight hike in the Himalayas
• Worst memory                                                Meg having to go to the hospital in Japan  

Arriving back in Vancouver – and much cooler temperatures

When we arrived back in Vancouver, we were picked up by my Mom and Doug. One of the first questions they asked is “would you do it again?”. I answered “absolutely” and at the exact same time Meg said “yes”. The trip was not a vacation. We started out in vacation mode, likely reinforced by the 16-day trans-pacific crossing on a luxury cruise ship.

To vacation for six-months is too hard, at least for us. When we readjusted our thought process to do one, maybe two “outings” per day we started to relax more. On a vacation you generally do not have to do chores. When you travel for six-months, there are chores. Laundry is a weekly chore. So is paying bills. Yes they do come in while you are away. Internet and online banking make it easier, however you need to log in, pay attention and keep on top of things. Of course, having your iPhone stolen, as happened to me in India, makes that a bit harder.

Travel to learn and where possible, give back

For us, the trip was not so much about a vacation, but about learning. We learned so much about the places we visited. There is history beyond Europe and Canada. Much of the history we saw in Asia and Africa was influenced by European cultures. In some cases, quite heavily. During the age of exploration, England, Portugal, Spain, France and others explored and claimed foreign lands as their own. This led to massive shifts in wealth for some and impoverishment for others. The spice and slave trades are prime examples of this. Zanzibar was one of the leading places for the slave trade and it flourished there into the 1900’s. 

Travel is, for us, about enrichment. We go to seek new and exciting things. Of course, there are days when we rest by the pool/beach to recharge. There are also days where we challenge ourselves with excitement such as white-water rafting and hiking. One of the things we learned is we don’t care for winter all that much. This new knowledge is leading us to consider a way forward, possibly with annual extended travel to warmer climes. As many before us have found out, retirement arbitrage is possible. 

Skip the time change – go for jet lag instead

Another thing we were fortunate enough to do was miss the time changes at both ends. The clocks went ahead an hour the weekend before we came back. This greatly benefited us as sunset in Victoria was now 7:30 PM, us 6:30 PM a week ago. We’ll try and make note of that on any future trip, if we still do time changes in the future.

Cam and Meg

Thanks for reading, feel free to leave any comments or suggestions.

Travelling from Nepal to Malaysia, there was a 25°C temperature shift, from 10°C to 35°C. There was also a huge improvement in air quality. In Nepal, they wood burning fires to cook and keep warm. This leads to always feeling like you are in a campfire. We both developed coughs from the pollution. This was amplified by our time in New Delhi, where the air quality index was hovering around 400. That did not help matters.

The first order of business was to wash our clothes once we arrived at our Air BnB. When we checked in, we unpacked our suitcases and it was as if we were standing around a campfire. Everything smelled like smoke and needed to be washed.

Red Eye flights are tough on the body…

On our arrival day, after the “red-eye” flight, we didn’t do much. The next day we took as a recovery day and simply walked around our neighbourhood, getting our bearings and trying some of Malaysia’s street food.

The street food is delicious. The price you pay for a meal here, is roughly the same as you would pay in Canada with one major difference. Prices here are in Malaysian Ringlets. There are 3.5 Ringlets to one $ CDN, so meals are effectively less than 1/3 of prices at home. Trust me when I say the food here packs a flavour punch. 

A bike tour in the country – we learned a lot!

On Saturday we went on a bike tour in the country. We were picked up at our hotel at 07:00, half an hour before sunrise. The heat becomes too much by midday and starting early is the only way to ensure safety. From our hotel we drove about 45 minutes to the west side of Penang Island. We were outfitted with bikes and then spent 2 ½ hours cycling around the country side learning and seeing and things we would have never seen had we just stayed in the city.

There were palm oil plantations. Malaysia is the world’s second largest producer of palm oil and these plantations have replaced almost all the rubber plantations. The reason is simple – labour. Once you plant a palm oil plantation, it will take three years to produce and then it will produce for 25 years. The only work you need to do is harvest the palm oil dates twice a year. Nothing else. No pruning, no fertilizer, no weeding. Rubber trees are very labour intensive. They need to be tapped every year, similar to maple trees.

Something interesting we learned was the social dynamic within Malaysia. On the west side of the Island, there were two types of communities. Malaysian (obviously) and Chinese. And never the two shall merge. Malay homes are spread out around a community and people come together at a common place to talk, socialize and work. Chinese homes are clustered together and they work, socialize and function as one harmonious unit. 

The decline of the rural population

Malaysia has an issue with the declining rural population. Currently there is a large exodus of middle-aged people to the cities and places like Singapore. These people will leave their children at home to be raised by the grandparents and only see their kids two or three times a year. When the children get to age, they too tend to leave the country for the city or abroad. This scenario has played out since time immemorial with every culture. The Industrial Revolution, the dust bowl years of the great depression, and many others. Progress has its costs and effects in ways we often do not consider. In the end everything will work out.

The British were here too…cannons guard the approaches

Penang was originally a British base and when the French declared war on all monarchies in 1793, Penang hill became a lookout for the Island. It provided a clear view of the straits of Malacca. The French, at that time, had a large naval presence in the area. By being able to see down the straits of Malacca, the British, at Fort Cornwallis below, would have ample notice of an impending attack. The hill is 712 meters above sea level and it is a steep grade. I feel bad for the men and animals that had to lug the cannons, such as this one, up to the top. The markings are from King George’s III reign. 

Today, Penang hill is a popular tourist attraction with a funicular to get you to the top in about five minutes. We spent a day there and appreciated the atmosphere. At the top we wandered through tropical forests, saw expansive views and enjoyed the afternoon. There was enough shade to “hide” from the hot equatorial sun.

The beaches are OK, the water is not clear

We headed to the beach one afternoon, however found it was not as nice as some we had been to. The beach we visited had powder white sand, however was a 30° slope, so not ideal for lounging on. There were places to sit in the shade on retaining walls, but these were not conducive to spending long hours. The biggest drawback was the water. It was not the clear blue that you hope to find on a tropical beach. It was more the murky colour of the Gulf coast. The water is part of the strait of Malacca and, despite being tidal, was not clear. There were only a few children playing in the water, not really anyone swimming.

As we wound down our time in Malaysia, we took in a few more tourist sites learning of the history and culture. We were appreciative of the extensive bus network and the fact the buses were air conditioned. It made getting around easy and very economical. 

Malaysia Airlines – wonderful service and on time track record

Our trip to the airport and the entire airport experience were fine. The first flight was as domestic flight from Penang to KL. The domestic terminal was clean, modern and had a number of eateries. There were queues and order. Things moved smoothly. We would have never thought anything would be done differently had it not been for the complete cluster at Kathmandu. Even things moved more smoothly in India. The one thing we wanted to see was if our water bottles would go through half full. They did. One pleasant surprise when we checked in, the agent asked if we would be willing to sit in the emergency exit row. That was a nice upgrade .

Thanks for reading, we’ll post more later about street art from Georgetown as well as highlights from Bali.

Feel free to leave any comments or ask any questions.

Cam and Meg

Most people have heard of some of the challenging treks in Nepal. Mt. Everest is the most famous summit. Besides Mt. Everest, there are 1,000’s of treks, some difficult and technical with others being easy. We have just completed an overnight trek that, while classified on the ‘easy’ side, still had its challenges.  

Australia Camp

About an hour’s drive from Pokhara, is a small community called Kande. At an elevation of 1,770 meters, it is 950 meters above Pokhara. From Kande, it is approximately one and a half hours trek to Australia camp with a gain of 295 meter in elevation climbing to 2,065 meters, or 6,647 feet. This height is nowhere near the height of altitude sickness, however the sudden gain of 1,200 meters can be a shock to the system.

We left out hotel in Pokhara around 9:15 in a taxi with our guide, all of which were arranged by our hotel. While this trek did not require a guide, having never hiked in Nepal and staying overnight, a guide seemed like a good idea. We had packed overnight bags with warm clothes and basic essentials. As we did not have a porter, we kept things lights. At 10:00 we reached Kande and started out for Australian camp. Along the way we saw prayer flags, vegetable gardens, buffalos and of course amazing scenery. The day was overcast, so we were not treated to spectacular views of the Annapurna range, however what we saw was worth the effort.

Gaining 300 meters in a short time meant a lot of up-hill climbing. We took a number of breaks for hydration and well-being. 90 minutes after starting out, we reached our camp. It was the first real “flat” bit of terrain we encountered and we were relieved to arrive. Our guide checked us into the tea-house which would be our home the night. Resting, we enjoyed some tea and saw the mountains through some breaks in the clouds.

A Nepal mountain Tea-House

Wandering around the camp, we met and talked with other trekkers and then enjoyed a fabulous mountain lunch. Heading to our room, we noticed a few things that made us wonder how we would fare sleeping there. The most obvious issue was there was no heater. This was amplified by the HUGE gap between the door and the floor. While there was a shower, that came with warm water (a luxury in these parts), there were no towels. No one told us we needed towels! There was also no toilet paper, however we came prepared on that front!

Once we were settled in, our guide suggested/encouraged us to go on an afternoon hike to Pothana with an elevation of 1,890 meters. A drop of 175 meters from Australia camp, which would mean climbing up 175 meters to get back. As there was not much else to do, we headed out and started down the trail, literally, for Pothana. This is the jumping off point for the 8-day Annapurna base camp trek. Doing this also helped to adjust us to the higher elevation. 

Visiting Pothana

Pothana was very similar to Australian camp, a number of tea houses and restaurants and not much else. Looking around we headed back. There was not too much grumping when we had to climb the 175 meters that we descended to our neighbouring village. Despite working hard to climb, we were getting a bit cold. Heavy clouds rolled in, carrying a lot of dampness and they threatened rain.

It was now around 4:00 and our guide asked us what we wanted for dinner. He said you should order a few hours ahead of time to ensure you get your meal in a timely manner. Looking at the menu, Meg selected a chicken burger. Seeing that, I chose the cheeseburger, which was directly under the chicken burger. We headed to our room and read a bit. 

Dinner – never assume…

I was hungry and the burger was fine, although I was dreaming about a gourmet burger at home the entire time I ate my veggie surprise. We headed back to our ice cave and to get our iPads and then returned to the restaurant with its warm fire. I watched a movie while Meg read a book. Closing time was 8:30 and with that we returned to our room, but not before our guide recommended we get additional blankets. In all we had four down duvets which we used to pile on top of our bed. 

Hunkering down to survive the cold

After we got ready for bed, we jumped into our damp and cold bed and shifted the duvets around to keep us strategically warm. We were both wearing touques and, other than our noses, nothing stuck out. The night was long and cold, even colder when you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Just trust me on that. When morning came, we saw there was frost outside, so we knew just how cold it was.

A beautiful sunrise

The morning did bring a gift, clear skies. We were treated to seeing multiple mountains change colour from pink to white. Seeing the sun creep slowly across 8,000-meter-high snow-capped mountains was magical and worth all the effort. Once we finished our breakfast, we packed and headed out on an ‘alternate’ route our guide said would be worth it. The normal tourist track goes back to Pothana, then Dhampus and ends in Phedi. The new route was truly a trek less travelled. We did not encounter anyone on the trek for the first two hours and the scenery was amazing. Going from heavy forest, to open glades with stunning mountain views and back was what everyone hopes to see. 

Heading back down the mountain

The trek today was a fair bit easier as it was all downhill.  While on the trail, we made good time as it was a downward slope. Later, we encountered the “step” section. I’m not sure how many steps there were, however there were a lot, in the 1,000’s. These tried our endurance, even though we were heading down, the steps make a lot more impact than a gentle slope, at least to my knees. 

Four hours after starting out, we arrived in Phedi and, after a light lunch, hopped into our taxi to head back to Pokhara. 

The overnight hike, completed with guide, teahouse stay and mountain lodge food, was everything we hoped for.

Thanks for reading, feel free to leave any comments or questions.

Cam and Meg

It is late on December 24^th here in India. Our readers in North America have a few hours left to buy those last-minute gifts, if they need to. As for us, we are in Coonoor, a hilltop tea plantation outpost. It was 26C today but with poor air quality. I miss Victoria’s pristine air. We are fully packed, and leave tomorrow at 09:00 for Munnar, another hilltop tea plantation town. It’s not that far, but the average speed you travel at is 30 km/hr. So 120 km takes about four hours of painful travel, with lots of horns, stops, bumps and cows on the road.

Christmas Eve Church Service

We will be getting up early tomorrow, not to exchange gifts. We decided the trip was our gift to each other and we simply didn’t have the space to lug gifts around for six months. Our church has a Christmas Eve candlelight service and they also do it by Zoom. I’ve sent the details out to family and if anyone is interested, please let me know and I’ll get you the details. It starts at 8AM December 25^th India time, 6:30 PM December 24^th Vancouver time.

Tonight we had Apple music playing a Christmas classic loop while we ate dinner. There are decorations around, trees, lights et al. It’s not the same. By participating in the service, which was not possible pre COVID, we can integrate with our family/community and fill the need within.

Traffic congestion in India

India is a unique country. Today for example, we were out sightseeing with our dedicated driver. There was also, what I felt, was half of India on the same road. As were leaving Lamb’s Rock in Coonoor, we were in gridlock. After over an hour, we had moved maybe 150 meters. At that point I said to Meg, “it’s 2.3 km to the restaurant we want to eat at, let’s walk.” Meg, always the trooper, was all in. 

We told our driver, who doesn’t speak the best English, we were going to walk. Then, hopping out of his car, we started walking and truly could not believe what we were seeing. The road, which could fit one car comfortable, was blocked both ways. There were buses that were trying to do three-point turns, more like a 103-point turns, on the narrow road. This of course blocked traffic even worse. Then some folks decided the traffic was too bad, so they got out of their cars and walked to the attraction. The problem was this: they left their car in the middle of the road, so now it is an alternating one way. Oh My…

Christmas Dinner – sort of…

We arrived at our restaurant after 30 minutes, ordered, and had lunch. Looking at the calendar, and having spoken to all three children within the past 24 hours, we were both feeling a bit lonely being away, so we agreed a pizza would be a good meal to cheer us up. It was as good as any thin crust pizza we have eaten. The meal picked us both up. Our next stop was the botanical gardens. We called our driver, who was still stuck in traffic and told him where we were and when to pick us up.

In the end, everything was alright. 

Reflecting on Christmas

Today, or when you read this, you will know that we took time to reflect on the gifts we have been given in 2023. To me, Christmas is not only for rejoicing but for reflecting. When we were young, Christmas was about anticipation. Now, as we are older and wiser, there is reflection to go with the anticipation. As I write this, I am anticipating a future Christmas, shared with our children, mothers and friends. I reflect on Christmas’s of yesteryear.

I also looked up at the cloudy skies this evening, but I didn’t see anything. The clouds were blocking everything, including the full moon.

May you never be too grown up to search the skies on Christmas Eve.

Where ever you are, whatever you are doing, may peace, joy, love, happiness and good health bless you and your clan today and always.

Cam and Meg

Here we are, on December 6^th, 2023. Last time I wrote, we were leaving Japan and I highlighted the cost of that trip. Since then, we have been to Taiwan, Singapore and then boarded a cruise ship. Internet is spotty, hence the delay in posting.

Where our cruise has gone so far

On the ship, we have visited Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka. After visiting these three, we are now sailing for India – we have our visa’s and we’ll see what awaits us as we embark on a three-week tour of the southern part of India. We have multiple hard copies of our visas and passport pages.

It was not too long ago that Sri Lanka, Ceylon before 1972, was in the midst of civil unrest, protesting against the government. Most Canadians will recall, not that long ago, a minority of Canadians were protesting against the government and making international headlines. Today, in Sri Lanka, everything seems fine on this lush tropical Island nation of 22 million people. They were very warm and welcoming and we intend to return here to explore more of the island and its food.

Tours in Sri Lanka

We took two tours in Sri Lanka, one in Hambantota and one in Colombo. Both times Tuk-Tuks were our method of transport. Our first Tuk-Tuk had a sun-roof, which is a rare thing here. We spent a lot of time standing up with our heads sticking out of the window. You can see a video of that on Instagram. The Tuk Tuks’ don’t travel that fast, maybe 60km flat out, and they are rather noisy, but are they ever an experience!

Hambantota – gateway to Yala National Park (and elephants!)

Our first trip, from Hambantota, had us in a Tuk Tuk for about 45 minutes, then transferred to a safari jeep. We then toured Yala national park in search for animals. We saw a number of birds and mammals and just as we exited the park gates at the end of our safari, we saw an elephant. 

This beautiful elephant, completely wild, was just hanging around at the side of the road, drinking from a stream and “shooting” water. It was like a scene from the movies. The elephant headed over our way and the guide gave him a melon, which he “crunched” in one bite. Then two bunches of bananas were passed and devoured, peels and all. It was awe inspiring to watch the elephant gracefully use his trunk to feed himself. Where there was no more food, the elephant got bored with us and headed back for some leaves. 

Asian vs African Elephants

Seeing this majestic animal, it is devastating to believe anyone could hunt these animals for their tusks. Our elephant, who had no tusks, was likely an Asian male elephant. Noting the broken branches on the road, the elephant was likely “marking” his territory, according to the guide. A small percentage of Asian male elephants do not have tusks. Female Asian elephants do not have tusks. Both male and female African elephants have tusks.

From the safari, we went to a restaurant for a very late lunch, 4:00 PM in fact. Conveniently, it was at the restaurant of a “friend” of our guide, and rather out of the way. While the food was good, it was not earth shattering. 

Colombo, Sir Lanka – a beautiful city.

This morning, we arrived in the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo. After leaving the ship, we went to the shuttle which took us to the entrance of the port. Not surprisingly, the touts were waiting for us, and our fellow passengers. The first tout wanted $50 for a three-hour tour but soon dropped that to $30. Considering his English was “pigeon” at best, we passed and decided to walk a bit.

Of course, other touts took the opportunity to entice us with various offers and prices. Eventually we settled on $20 for three hours with a fairly decent English speaking Tuk Tuk driver. This is still likely more than we need have paid, however considering the economic plight of the residents of this country and our blessings, I didn’t bargain too hard.

Buying Local

The tour was fine, not remarkable, but fine. Of course, it was about 20% of the cost of a similar one from the ship. One thing that was impressive about Colombo, was the number of green spaces and the friendliness of the local people. Naturally, half way through the tour, we were taken to a “tea factory”. After the requisite demonstration and samples came the “sales pitch”. We up and left as we are not going to lug stuff around India for another 3 ½ months. Our guide then took us to a “gem store” and we said “no”. “Oh Sir, you do not have to buy anything”.

It was at this point Meg said “that’s why we’re not going in, please drive away”. We know the drivers get a kick back, but we are really not interested in tea or gems. The tea was about $15 CDN for a small pouch, about double what you would pay at David’s tea. They also sold cinnamon, which I’m sure was laced with gold, considering the price. I had wanted to go into a grocery store to see if they had any cinnamon, just to compare prices, but we didn’t find the time.

Lunch on the tour

When we asked to go somewhere for lunch, we drove around for 10 minutes to a restaurant we were assured was “nice”. The sign read “Indian food”. We said “no, Sri Lankan food”. So, after another 10 minutes of driving, we were deposited at a buffet, where we had a decent meal for about $4.25 CDN each. We were not sure about any kickbacks here. There were a number of Uber eats vehicles outside the restaurant.

After lunch, we were dropped off at the port and then we walked a bit and found what was likely our highlight of Colombo. A bakery. The deserts were out of this world good and they were about $0.50 each. Yup, less than a buck CDN for two scrumptious pastries. 

From there we headed back to the ship, continually being asked by other Tuk Tuk drivers if we wanted a lift. Once onboard, we relaxed until sailing time.

Tomorrow will take us to India. We are so excited and a bit nervous. I’m really not aware of anyone who doesn’t say India is fantastic. Everyone also says it is a total assault on the senses. From that point, we are thankful we are starting in the south first. Of course, the visa thing is “out there”. Even though it is settled, who knows? Our visas were in place a week before the “storm”.

Our pending arrival in India

We’ll let you know how our travels in India go.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to leave any comments or suggestions for things to do/see in India.

Our tour of Japan was based on a few things. I (Cam) wanted to show Meg so many of the things I experienced during my six-month posting in 2021/22. There were also a number of things I did not get to do while I was here, I was working after all. My schedule had me working 11 days out of 14. I had Friday’s off and every second Saturday. 

Looking at commercial tours of Japan and seeing what there was, I crafted our itinerary and then went over it with Meg. I also thumbnailed a budget and, I’m happy to say, we came in under budget.

Transportation

A mix of transportation is how we got around in Japan. This included local, limited express and Shinkansen (Bullet) trains, buses, local subways and of course walking. The only trains you need reservations for are the Shinkansen and selected limited express trains. 

I have had a lot of success scheduling train travel in Japan by using Google Maps. Simply enter your start and end points and various routes will be offered, including prices. A note about train prices in Japan. The route you take to get from A to B will determine the cost. I’ve shown an example of travelling from Yokosuka-Chou Station to Nestay Inn Tokyo. 

The first option below uses the Keikyu line to the Oedo Line and then walking, costing ¥890 and takes 1 Hr and 31 Min. Option B would also leave at 6:36PM on the Keikyu line but transferring at Yokohama to the JO Yokosuka Line and then transferring again to the Shinjuku Line and walking. This travel would cost ¥1,170 or ¥280 more than the first option and it takes 11 minutes longer. Why would anyone do that? Well the JO line is operated by JR Rail, and if you had a JR Rail pass, you may want to use that line as part of the travel would be covered by the pass. Travel on the Keikyu and Oedo lines would not be covered. When you transfer trains you often have to “tap out” and “tap” back in again if the lines are operated by different companies.

Learning Japanese trains

I’m sure I spent way more money than I had to when I first arrived in Japan, simply because I didn’t understand the process. The first time my friend and I went to Tokyo in 2021, it cost us ¥2,000 and took 2 ½ hours. We spent over an hour in Yokohama station wandering around, we were so lost. Finally, a kind ex-pat took pity on us and pointed us in the right direction.

Our transportation costs for our time in Japan was $1,896 CDN for 49 days or $19.75/day/pp. This included four rides on the Shinkansen, all subways, local and limited express trains. Our travels took us as far north as Nikko and as far south as Hiroshima and criss-crossed the country seeing both coasts. We did not use a JR Rail pass as it would not be cost effective in our circumstance. Your mileage may vary.

FOOD!

We travel to eat. New taste and experiences are what make going to new places so fun. The food in Japan is amazing. Both of us starting feeling better after about a week and noted our diet took a turn for the worse in Taiwan.

We ate out a total of 54 times. Breakfasts were always in our room, usually fruit, bread and yoghurt. Lunch and dinner were eaten in restaurants about half the time, with the other half being in our Air BnB, on a park bench in the sun, on the go, wherever. We never ate on local trains, but did eat on Shinkansen’s, as that is allowed, they even have food carts!

Sushi – two to three times a week

Sushi was our number one meal, we ate that 18 times in seven weeks. Indian restaurants were a close second with eleven visits. Food is generally cheaper in Japan, at least in the restaurants. You don’t tip in Japan, and while there is 10% consumption tax, it is normally included in the price of the meal. Our total for food and beverages, including alcohol, was $2,656 or $27.67/day each. This includes all restaurants, groceries, water from vending machines when hiking, the odd random ice cream cone. OK, maybe the ice cream cones were not that random.

The amount above provided for high quality meals. We were not on a university students budget. One of my yoga teachers previously said about buying food – “you can pay with your wallet or you can pay with your health.” There was a lot of fruit and veggies, mostly from the grocery store. Our most memorable meal was at a Spanish restaurant in Takayama.

Activities

Coming to Japan, or going anywhere really, is to do “things”. While there are a lot of free activities including hikes, walking around markets and neighbourhoods, some things do cost money. Many of the popular temples have entrance fees. Tourist attractions such as castles are user funded so you need to pay.

Admission fees did not prevent us from doing or seeing things that interested us. We dropped a bunch of money on Disney Tokyo, not once, but twice. It was totally worth it. Overall we spent $1,382 in total on activities or $14.40 per person per day on average. That includes every fee, admission, tour and row boat rental that we did.

Although we have a great home in Victoria, you still need a place to stay when travelling. Being away for as long as we are, a place that was a bit bigger where we could have some meals in while not sitting on the bed was important. A combination of Air BnB’s as well as hotels was our plan. We never booked anything that was dodgy but we didn’t book the Ritz either. In all, our digs were fine, except one Air BnB that was not up to standards and Air BnB is looking at deleting that listing.

For our time in Japan, we staying at eleven different accommodations, for a total of 48 nights. The total cost was $4,757 or $49.55/night per person. This did include approximately $500 of points for three free nights in Nikko. If that is factored in, the cost would rise slightly, however points are there for a reason. To use and enjoy. We do not like leaving anything on the table, so we use our points as soon as we can. I think most people had a surplus of points post COVID and are trying to burn through them.

Miscellaneous Items

Where do you put things that don’t go anywhere? We are placing them the miscellaneous category. Photocopies, document fees, gifts for friends. The hospital visit is also under misc, we’re still trying to recover from the insurance company so this amount may come down. Our purchase of two pairs of running shoes to also goes to misc.

We walked close to 600km in Japan and in doing so, both of us wore out our shoes. At the end of our second visit to Disney, our feet were achy and tired. We were at the park from 8:30 AM – 8:30 PM, 12 full hours. The longest break we took was to eat a light and overpriced lunch. The day after Disney we went out and bought new shoes are our feet were much happier :). We kept the old shoes and are taking them with us to hopefully gift them to someone in India.

The total of miscellaneous costs was $762 or $7.94/day per person.

Total trip costs

All together, we spent $11,455 for 49 days in Japan or $119/day/pp. That includes every snack, each bottle of water, tours, trains, gas for rental car, etc. This does not include the travel to get to Japan. Some people arrive by plane, others by ship. Some come from Korea, some from other places. Some may arrive by parachute. That is a separate expense. 

There was no way we could have afforded seven weeks in Japan had we booked a tour for the entire time. I checked on-line recently on tours of Japan. “Premier” tours can cost $1,800 US/per person/day. For that price, we could have taken a two-day tour. The hotel would have been nicer; however, our digs were fine. More mainstream tours run about $7,000 CDN PP for around 10 days. 

Obviously doing things yourself and arranging everything on your own has both advantages and challenges. It certainly saves money, but when things go wrong, there’s no-where to turn. It all comes down to attitude. On a trip, the difference between adventure and ordeal is attitude. We try and have a positive attitude and pull each other up when one of us is a bit down. 

That’s why I enjoy travelling with my best friend.

Thanks for reading, feel free to leave any comments.

For loyal readers of our website, you may recall a post from early October, where I commented on the size of Tokyo. In particular, it would take a city of Tokyo’s size to be able to support an Accordion club. Fast forward about seven weeks and we are in Taipei with a population of about 2.7 millioin. I was amazed to see this site while strolling back from a flower market.

Maybe it is a regional thing? Now to be clear, I was NOT looking for this shop, or this type of instrument. I’m not sure what the music craze here is, however, I don’t think it is this. For curiosity, I Googled the name. Sure enough, they offer lessons, including on line lessons. Wow.

Night Market

We’ve seen some other interesting things here in Taipei, including the famed night markets. The crowds were almost oppressive last night, a Saturday. Meg and I certainly brought the average age up. It was difficult to order food as there are very few signs in English and Goggle translate is often lacking. Case in point, at lunch earlier in the day, we ordered what translated to crispy sausage. We are not sure what we received, it was likely heart and it certainly wasn’t crispy. We both tried it and left the rest. 

At the night market, we were hungry as our walking tour had just ended. We did manage to order chicken, well I did. All I did was point and hand over some money and the clerk passed us a bag of fried chicken nugget like things. The signs all around this stall had pictures of chickens. Normally night markets are delicious, however we did not get half way through these nuggets before we threw them out. After that we were a bit gun-shy and, even though we walked around for another 45 minutes, we did not order anything.

Restaurant dinner

We returned to our hotel prior to going to a different night market close by. All the stalls were busy, however there was almost no English at any of them. There was a lot of food which looked as if it came from the parts of animals we, as North American’s, don’t normally eat. In the end, we chickened out and headed to a rather busy sit-down restaurant and had a delightful meal.