Christchurch hit by another earthquake

All,

Just a quick post to update you.  Christchurch, a visit during our recent trip, was hit again today by a 6.3 earthquake.  According to the pictures I have seen, much more damage has been sustained than during the earthquake in September of last year.  Last year's earthquake was centered in the Canterbury region.  Today's quake is much closer to Christchurch.

I have included a picture of the Cathedral in Cathedral Square that we took during our visit.  If you watch the attached videa, you can see the damage.  It is towards the end of the video.

Our prayers go out to those affected by the quake.  Current death toll is at 65 but expectations are that the actual numbers may be higher.

Best Regards,

Pat and Chris Glenn

Back in the USA!

Well, here we are, sitting in yet another airport….this one on American soil. Pat and I have spent 32 days in countries where they drive on the wrong side of the road and don’t speak our language. Technically, the Aussies and Kiwis do but they can be difficult to understand…..for example, the Kiwis have an inflection on words with an “e’ in the middle…..replace that with an “I” sound and you got it. “peck” is pronounced like “pick.” When watching TV in New Zealand, imagine how I reacted to a commercial for a home store when the television announcer was pitching furniture for your “deck.”


We had a great trip and a “one of a kind” experience. We learned a few things along the way….

1. 32 days is beyond our personal limit. It is all too easy to get disconnected from family and friends. The whole idea of vacation is to “disconnect,” but this was too much. Three weeks is my personal limit.

2. It’s great living in the USA! We take for granted lots of little things like finding a public restroom that is not just a hole in the floor. Our country gets criticized a lot overseas but everyone wants to come here……there are reasons well beyond just finding sanitary “accommodations!”

3. Again, we packed too much stuff. We did not need near as much as we brought and ended up suffering for it. I would suggest to anyone that starting with a list then paring that list back by 30% is the way to go. Make sure you stay under baggage weight limitations so that you can bring back all of those cool souvenirs that you just can’t live without! Baggage charges can really stack up. We learned our lesson from the trip we took to China last year but still overpacked.

4. Unless you like wasting money, I highly recommend that you bring supplies of instant coffee, granola bars etc and save the room service for special occasions. Internationally, most rooms do not come with these amenities….anything you may save on a great rate will be spent on room service. Our in-laws are masters of this practice.

5. Use public transportation when possible visiting a new city. Not only does this save money over taxi fare but is a great way to learn the geography of a new place. Most subway systems we have been on are easy to figure out no matter what language you speak. Also, most subway / trains are designed to stop near landmarks so you end up having just a short walk to an attraction that was already on your list. I have found it a great way to get some of the local “feel” of a place.

6. When you do feel compelled to use a cab, ask the cab driver for suggestions on pubs and restaurants….generally, they can steer you to places that have better food for less money. It’s a bit more risky but, ultimately, more rewarding for the experience.

7. Bring a calculator and know your exchange rates. Merchants in other countries can often beat you on a deal if you pay for your purchase in a different currency….know how to convert currencies…..for example, when I purchased some items in Bangkok, I asked the merchant to price it in both dollars and baht and made my decision accordingly. Never change currency at the airport except when absolutely necessary. Most places we visited, we were able to locate a money changer that charged one or two percent….airport kiosks will often get you for 10% plus a flat fee.

For those that followed the blog and commented, we really appreciated it. It was a great trip but exhausting. I really loved the spots we visited and would do it again….just probably wouldn’t go for as long.

I plan to post a couple of videos to the blog once I have a chance to edit out the stupid or embarrassing parts.  I am throwing in a few more photos of the Grand Palace in Bangkok.....Truly amazing!

Great stance and form!

Pat and I in front of the Golden Buddha

Will this thing fit in my garden?

Had to include this.....a Kiwi sense of humor in Christchurch, New Zealand
What a name for a Sewer contractor!

Our second trip starts second week of March. We are going on a cruise in the Caribbean and then cross the Atlantic by sea to Portugal and Spain ending with a week in Barcelona.



Thanks again for letting us share!!


Pat and Chris Glenn

Bangkok….Dangerous!

Hate to plaigiarize a mediocre movie (sorry if you saw it!) but fitting in this case. Dangerous? You bet. Guard your wallet….not because of pickpockets but because you will find plenty to spend your money on! I am not a shopper! In fact, sentence me to a day of shopping and my mind wanders to other, lesser tortures like waterboarding or dental work without anesthesia. I was surprised by the amount of shopping that is done by everyone here. It seems as if either everyone is shopping or supporting other’s habits of shopping. I found plenty to shop on myself. The bargains are really something else. Leather, clothing, electronics and plenty of unique items are available for a song. I had a couple of suits made ….won’t bore you with the details but they would probably cost at least $1500 in the states for which I paid about $250 for. Pat will post an entry later with more details. Ken and Barb were a big help here knowing the ins and outs of bargaining with the locals.


On to more “worthy” stuff about Bangkok….it really helps to have a local guide here. I briefly mentioned our friend and guide Noppadon who has driven us this week. Ken and Barb have known and been using Noppadon for about 13 years….he is consistently on time, polite and knowledgeable about the entire area. His contact information is below. We would absolutely use Noppandon again. Should you plan to visit Bangkok, contact Noppandon through the e-mail address below.

As with Pattaya, Bangkok is not for everyone…..it is noisy, crowded and no holds barred. It also has a tremendous energy which I found exciting….this is one of the major reasons that our relatives continue to visit every year….Barb really enjoys the energy. Like Pattaya, the people are extraordinarily friendly and helpful. I would certainly return

During our time here and between shopping trips, we visited lot of really terrific sights such as the reclining Buddha (best guess over 200 feet long and entirely covered in gold guilt), the solid gold Buddha, and the Grand Palace. Pat got to touch more animals including an 84 year old elephant…I got to drive an elephant (not really…..I mostly held on for dear life!).

What a ride!

Ken and Barb on the left

Pat....petting more animals.  The Elephant is 84!

The Golden Buddha of Sukhothai Traimit is more than 700 years old and is the largest in the world. It measures almost 16 feet tall and weighs 5 tons. It was re-discovered somewhat by accident. The Buddha was concealed by a plaster coat to hide it from invading armies. It was moved to it’s present site in 1955…..beautiful grounds and building.

5 Tons of Gold

Reclining Buddha.....largest in Thailand

Pat in front of scale model of Angkor Wat....at the Grand Palace

"Beaked Warrior" statue (I think he can take me!)

Much more to post but no time to do it complete justice right now. We have a nice fast connection so I will use less words and more pictures….BTW, here is Noppadon’s contact info:

Noppandon Tempsinpadung
Home # : 02-4167457
Mobile # : 061-4881648
Email: mameawja13@hotmail.com

Back to Hong Kong and then Home!

Though we have spent a few days in Hong Kong, we will be returning there in a week and I will post our Hong Kong experiences then. So far, it has been a mad rush of traveling. We flew first class on Thai air ways (great service and not expensive….try it if you can) to Bangkok and we met by our driver , Nobadan, who loaded the Griswolds up for our dash to Pattaya which is about 2 hours from Bangkok airport. We are here with Pat’s brother, Ken and his wife Barb. They have been coming to Thailand for about 15 years and are our local guides. More on Nobadan later…….we highly recommend a local guide and Nobadan is one of the best.



Our Driver and Guide, Nobadan



A few words about Thailand. First, this is not a destination for everybody. Pattaya, as with most of Thailand engages in legal sex trade. While this is very foreign to us, this is accepted in Thailand and is considered a profession. Some may think that this activity originated during the Vietnam War when service men spent their R+R here…..not so. It’s been around for hundreds of years. As a side note, it’s really humorous to see a 65 year old man with a bottle of Viagra clutched in his hand and a young girl on each arm.

The Thai seem to have two pre-occupations….shopping and eating…both of which you can do 24 hours a day. The free market system is alive and well in Thailand. If shopping is your game and you are willing to brave the crowds and know what you are looking for you can pick up some great bargains. Barb, our sister in law who is with us on this trip is an expert with a keen eye for quality and a tough negotiating style (she could whip a Turkish Carpet Merchant)…..we have already made some good purchases here.

Food is also a bargain. Our dinner last night with drinks, tip and VAT for four people (multiple drinks….we are on vacation after all) was all of $71!

The Thai people are extremely friendly…you are always greeted with a smile and a blessing.

As far as a vacation spot, don’t come expecting to meet a lot of Americans. This is off the beaten path for most from the US. Thailand tracks it’s tourism numbers….the largest increase was in Russians who are up 110% over last year. You will mostly run into Eastern Europeans, Russians, French and very few Brits or Americans. In most tourist areas you can usually make yourself understood but it can be difficult.

Anyway……we have had some fun here. As I mentioned in previous blogs, Pat is on a “touch every animal you can,” tour so we had to go to the Sriracha Tiger Zoo. We saw a tiger show, Pat fed a baby tiger ( she said it was a ball of muscle), baby deer, really disgusting camels and a lazy crocodile with a fishing pole contraption. Getting up close to animals like these is a treat that you just can’t find anywhere else.


Pat.....In Heaven



Pat....feeding something again (Donkey and Minature Horse)


Yesterday, we took a ferry out to one of the nearby islands. What you do is rent a chair in the shade (about 3 bucks for the day) and roving waiters will bring you beer and food while you watch the scenery….some of which you wished you missed. What is it about older European men and speedo bathing suits? Those don’t look good on anyone…especially a 70 year old with a huge gut. Just because he had a 32 inch waist in high school doesn’t mean he can still squeeze into a 32 now!

Getting back on the ferry was another challenge….think “the last lifeboat on the Titanic!” I had to block out a couple of Muslim women so that Pat could climb aboard….Pat’s pretty tough when she get’s her blood up! Another great example of how, as travelers, we need to fit into other countries cultures….not the other way around.

Anyway, here are few pictures…..internet is still a little spotty here…more to come as we have time. Next stop, Bangkok for yet more shopping (Yeah!.....not!)

Every Man for Themselves!

Typical Pattaya Beach.....Bring more Beer!

Christchurch, Tauranga and Auckland…..I miss you already!

Hello from seat 30G on Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong! It’s another flight and another stop on our adventure. I wanted to bring you up to date….it just seems that Pat and I have been so busy being tourists we haven’t had time to actually share some of the great things we have seen on our trip. I can never sleep on aircraft but I have 11 hours with nothing to do but listen to the baby in seat 30H hit a high C…man has that kid got some lungs on him!


Anyway, great trip so far. Hats off to Princess Cruises! They really did a great job getting us around to terrific destinations all while feeding us 24 hours a day and refilling my bottomless diet coke cup (which I bought…boy did they lose money on that deal!). The staff was pleasant and helpful, the ship was well equipped and clean. Most of all, we met dozens of people from all over the world and truly enjoyed their company. If you are a social person, cruising can be a great way to see many different places without having to move in and out of hotel rooms each night…Pat and I highly recommend this route.

Anyway….on to the cities visited since last post.

Christchurch:

Billed as the most “English city outside England,” Christchurch is the second largest city on the South Island with a population of around 300,000. The certainly intend to live up to that reputation as the welcoming committee was complete in colonial dress with signal bells greeting the ship. A very vibrant and comfortable city with a fantastic arts and theater scene, Christchurch had a lot to see. The annual “Buskers Festival” was going on (Buskers are apparently street performers of all types including acrobats, Mimes etc.) all over the city. Both impromptu and more permanent stages were set up all over town….it’s pretty much a street performers free- for- all with acts trying to compete with each other to be the loudest and most energetic.

Pat and I took several scenic routes around town. As we often do, we try to use public transportation and our own two feet to see these new areas. Generally, we happen upon things we might not take if we stuck to an organized tour. What was obvious from the first moment was the severe blow dealt to many historic building during the recent Canterbury Quake (September last year…..magnitude over 7, I think). Scaffolding and support beams were evident all over town. Many of the photos we have the great old buildings are certainly not like the guidebooks but seems like the locals are intent on saving as many of these structures as they can.

Cathedral Square - Christchurch

Cathedral Square

Pat at the Botanic Garden. - Christchurch

Chris...taking a rest

Common sight...scaffolding on buildings damaged by the earthquake

Tauranga:

Can you say “California Beach Town?” What a beautiful and picturesque place and it certainly does remind us of a beach town. Tauranga actually is made up of two cities, Tauranga, with a population of around 120,000 is the fastest growing city in New Zealand tripling in size in the last 20 years and Mt. Maunganui, with a population of around 75,000. We made port and Mt. Maunganui and were greated by our first truly warm temperatures of the entire cruise (mid 80’s). Mt. Maunganui is a 350 meter (roughly 1150 feet) Mountain right at the end of the city. Maori legend has it that the Mountain was spurned by its (His? Her?....does a mountain have a gender?) Lover and was being towed out to sea. Alas, the mountain was late; the sun rose and froze the mountain in place forever. Such is the lore of the area. As a side note, unlike some residual hard feelings in Australia regarding the Aboriginal peoples, Kiwi’s seem to embrace the Maori and there appears to be fairly good relations between those of European and Maori descent.

Pat and I took a bus around town to see the sight had a great lunch in Mt. Maunganui. Pat went shopping and I decided to climb to the top of the mountain. This is a very steep climb that can cause anyone to break a sweat. It was certainly worth it and I was rewarded with truly stunning views.

Pat outside of Elms Mission

View from Mt. Maunganui

Daimond Princess from Mt. Maunganui

Town of Mt. Maunganui

Auckland:

It’s a short distance to Auckland from Tauranga. We arrived early to a very busy port and a busy day. Disembarkation went quickly and we checked into our hotel, dropped our bags and went walking. Our hotel was right at the base of the Sky Tower which is New Zealand’s tallest structure and tops a similar building in Sydney. Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city with roughly 1.4 million people. This is a very cosmopolitan city with every nationality represented. Our hotel catered to Chinese tourists and was gearing up for the New Year’s celebration. Dining was truly great….lots of variety. I may have mentioned, Pat and I have found terrific Thai food (one of our favorites) in several areas of New Zealand and we found another good one. (Mai Tai on Victoria street downtown in case you visit)

We did our customary bus / walking tour and visited the Auckland museum. Great exhibits were everywhere but the real highlight was the Maori cultural show. It was informative and not too patronizing (think Don Ho and “tiny bubbles”).

We did lunch in Parnell Village which is a very charming neighborhood. Apparently this is Bill Clinton’s favorite since he has visited twice which drew a quip from Pat… “The food here has to be good if Clinton visited more than once,”

To sum up our trip, both Australia and New Zealand have a tremendous amount to offer the tourist. It takes a “decision” to get here. It’s not easy, both countries are somewhat isolated but that’s okay with the Aussies and the Kiwis. In fact it is that difference that both countries seem to enjoy and promote. Of the two, both of us prefer New Zealand. The Kiwis have an interesting work/life balance. They admire business and personal success but don’t favor success at all costs. They believe in how you made the journey to get there, not just that you got there. Sir Edmund Hillary is a good example of the prototypical success story. After being the first to climb Mt. Everest, he worked towards better conditions for the Sherpa people for most of the rest of his life.

Sky Tower from our Hotel

Maori House at the Auckland Museum

Maori War Canoe....over 30 Meters long!

Uh oh…The baby in seat 30H is gearing up for another chorus. Though it’s tempting to continue, time to end this and turn on something loud!

That’s all for now!!!

Fiordland National Park…..Dunedin…….Pat’s Musings

Hello everyone! Sorry we haven’t posted more frequently, but the internet service here on the ship is atrocious. I don’t think the network has been this slow since Al Gore invented the damn thing…. Anyway, I have a couple posts. First is Fiordland National Park which was absolutely stunning. Second is the City of Dunedin….settled by Scots (felt right at home there) and some musings and thoughts from Pat. She would probably write more often if she could get near a computer. Something I pledged to her as we continue our trip.


Fiordland National Park

Pat and I got up early to begin our day of Cruising through Fiordland National Park. The park is the largest in New Zealand and occupies a good chunk of the southwest portion of the South Island. This beautiful area is very remote and cruising through it is one of the best ways of seeing it. If you are claustrophobic, get a good grip because it is a tight squeeze for a large ship such as ours. Our first Fiord of the three we visited today is Milford Sound. The opening is very narrow…only 600 yards wide at its narrowest point. It’s so well hidden that the ubiquitous Captain Cook missed the opening entirely on his first survey of the area. As you can see from the pictures, we were really tucked into the sound. I commend the ship’s pilot….he can really turn this craft on a dime. Somehow, he spun the ship around each time and we motored back out of the sound. We hit (not literally…) Milford, Thompson’s and Dusky Sound today.

Fiordland National Park is approximately 3.4 million acres large and represents 5% of New Zealand’s land mass. It was declared a World Heritage area in 1986. The scenery is spectacular to say the least. Peter Jackson used some of Milford Sound as the location for the Lord of the Rings trilogy…..I swear I recognize some of the sights.

Like the Norwegian version, these Fiords are very steep. Some of the mountains top 8,000 feet above sea level and the water depth is 1,000 feet much of the way up the sounds…..running aground was not a concern, scraping some paint on the side of the boat was…kind of like trying to park a Hummer in too small a garage!

As we made our way out of the sounds and towards our next port of call, Port Chalmers, we passed Invercargill. For those who saw it….a terrific movie was filmed there titled “The World’s Fastest Indian” which starred Anthony Hopkins. It told an amazing story of a backyard mechanic named Bert Munro who modified an Indian motorcycle in his garage and set the land speed record with it at the Bonneville Salt Flats ….a record that still stands!

Milford Sound

Milford Sound....port side

Thompson's Sound - Mid day

Dunedin

Rightly proud of their heritage, Dunedin is a terrific little town (129,000) on the Otago coast of New Zealand. Settled by Scots in the early 1800’s, Dunedin has several notable first for a city of this size. Home to Otago University with almost 25,000 students and one of the largest in New Zealand, Dunedin also has the first Cadbury Chocolate Factory outside of England and the only one left that actually gives tours. It is his home to the worlds steepest street, Baldwin Street ( Look it up in the Guiness Book of World Records) and geographically speaking is the 5th largest city in the World!

Architecturally interesting….many of the buildings look like something I would find in England. The Train station was particulary beautiful and well restored. I don’t have a picture of it here, but the City and University have combined to build an entirely covered Rugby stadium (200MM project). Not sure how they afford the number of building and restoration projects that seem to be going on but the results are a great town and Pat’s favorite….she is ready to move here!

Dunedin Train Station

Cadbury Chocolate Factory - Near Train Station

Steepest Street in the World!

Pat’s Entry

Bonarong Wildlife Sanctuary was really wonderful , a highlight for me…the kangaroos and wallabys were very friendly and loved to be scratched on the chest! We saw several species only native to Tasmania, and endangered as well… wombats look like giant roly-poly guinea pigs, cute as can be. The Tasmanian devils are just adorable and quite funny to watch We were talking to one of the keepers and upon hearing her voice, the tazzie came right around to the fence sniffing the air for her. They don’t see very well but have a great sense of smell! Many become quite attached to the staff, partly because all of the ones here at the sanctuary are orphans., Tazzies are very much in danger..a terrible form of cancer has developed which kills them within six months and is passed on by their natural aggressive actions to each other, yelling and mouthing each other and biting. More than 80% have died since 1996. No cure yet in sight, though the experts are working hard for one. The ones in the sanctuary are free of the disease and doing well. What a tragedy it would be to lose them, they are truly a treasure.

Hobart, Tasmania was a real surprise! I’m not sure what I expected, but not such a sophisticated little town. Great restaurants, shopping, wonderful history. This is a place one could retire, and evidently many Australians do. I absolutely ,loved it!

So far I have acquired a stuffed kangaroo, a stuffed Tazzie and two stuffed koalas! Chris is not thrilled.



That’s all for now….Next Stop Taranga!

Pat and I boarded our ship, The Diamond Princess, on Saturday. We have a great stateroom with a balcony ( which I thoroughly enjoy on a daily basis) on what is an enormous ship. The Diamond Princess is, by far, the largest ship that we have ever been on. Almost 300 meters in length and a gross tonnage of 115,000 tons makes it one of the largest cruise ships in the world. So here we are with 2,600 of our closest friends.

View of Sydney Opera House from our Stateroom

We find cruises to be a great value and an efficient way to see many different places in a short time period. If you shop, you can often book a cruise for $100 to $150 per day (that includes meals). If you figure the expense of traveling to a city, paying for hotels, meals, transportation and other incidentals, cruising really makes sense. Ideally, we will take a cruise to destinations that we have an interest in. If we particularly like the ports of call we visit we will generally try to travel there directly on a later trip to dig in a little deeper. Shore visits are like Cliff notes….you can probably pass the test but have missed the experience of truly learning the material :)

Melbourne

Melbourne was our first stop on the Cruise after a day at sea (warm and relaxing as well). Melbourne is Australia’s second largest city with a populations of about 3 MM people. While I considered Sydney “laid back,” Melbourne is even more so. Melbourne was initially a settlement that failed due to fresh water shortage and was later re-founded on a different location around 1830. Though it is the “second city” to Sydney, it is first in several categories. As a fashion center, Melbourne wins. As a sporting city, Melbourne wins. The day we arrived began the Australian Open which is a grandslam event. Sports are a big deal here…Melbourne was home to the 1956 Olympic games. Many of the venues are still in use by a variety of different groups. Rowing on the river is popular and Melbourne is also home to the “Fantastic Four” (couldn’t tell you their names) who won the last Olympic 4 man rowing Gold Medal.

Hobart

Hobart was really a treat. Hobart is on the southern edge of the island of Tasmania. Like most of Australia, Tasmania was mapped out by Dutch explorers (The Dutchman “Tasman” for whom Tasmania is named) and later was “rediscovered” by Captain Cook. As a side note, Captain Cook was well regarded as a diplomat and an explorer. Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand and the Hawaiian Islands were all discovered (or rediscovered by) Captain Cook. Apparently, he had a knack for calming down the indigenous locals by bringing trinkets and other gifts. For example, the Dutch discovered New Zealand and promptly left after losing a longboat and 4 crewmen to the Maoris. Cook later landed and made peace with the Maoris. Worked great for Cook until Hawaii when he was killed and, some say, eaten by the natives!

Nearby Port Arthur was the site of the second penal colony on Australia…highly emotional for the Australians since so many came through that penal colony and also the site of Australia’s largest massacre. 28 were gunned down by an armed man. This single incident changed firearms laws in Australia making it one of the most restrictive towards gun ownership in the world.

Tasmania has a population of just over half a million people half of those residing in Hobart or a couple of nearby cities. Having said that, Hobart feels very comfortable and worldly offering most of the conveniences we found in Sydney and Melbourne. Us “car guys” always home in on dealership row wherever we travel….how many towns of this size have a Porsche dealership in the US?

The highlight of our tour was a trip out to Bonarong wildlife preservation center. Pat is on a “touch every animal she can” mission and Bonarong offers just that experience. Tasmania is home to a number of unique and endangered species only found in Australia (Wombats, quolls) and some only found in Tasmania (the famous Tasmanian Devil). Pat will write her own post on Bonarong…..they do some good work here and are on a mission to save Tasmanian Devils in particular. In recent years, a very aggressive form of cancer has wiped out 80 percent of these animals in the wild.

Kangaroos at Bonarong

Pat doesn't feel fulfilled unless she is feeding something or someone!

A Wombat.....everything bites here BTW!



Tasmanian Devil - 6 times the bitng force of a domesticated canine


Finally, I have included very few pictures in this post since I am on the ship’s internet (more expensive than roaming cell phone minutes) and is so slow I cannot upload a lot of large content. Look for us to upload lots more including a video interview of a ranger with a couple of Tasmanian devils and also a video of a large pod of Dolphins that we jumping in the bow wake the ship created….both quite a site to see.

Next stop of for us is Port Chalmers which is alarmingly close to Antarctica. Did I mention that official sunset down here is not until 9:38PM tonight?