Across Australia

We've left the comfort of Damian's home, where we were spoilt rotten and taken everywhere by car, to fly to Adelaide where I'm now reporting from a backpackers hostel. It would be Ok except that it's been in the 40's since we arrived and our room is too hot for comfort! Late this afternoon we took the tram to the coast where I promptly lay down on the hot sand and slept for a good hour. Rich had to wake me as the sun was going down!

Tomorrow we're back on the road again in a small campervan, to explore this South east corner of the continent. We have a good two weeks and I believe the coastline is quite spectacular. Also Rich wants to venture to some mountainous regions to do some climbing. We'll leave the camper at Sydney, where we'll both fly off in different directions; Rich to go home and me to meet Julie in Christchurch, NZ. This is quite a trip and I hope I haven't taken on too much! Anyway its been fantastic so far. More news when I can.

The Aussie Life

The backyard

Rich showing the kids how to do it

This is the life... cool nights and early mornings to get active... retreat from the midday heat to Air Conditioned indoors... then dinner on the patio in the cool evening air. I has been particularly hot while we've been here; a midsummer heat-wave up to 45' C. I'm told that in the winter it can get quite cold, but in between the temperature is just about perfect!

So where's the fly in the ointment? Not so much flies, which can be a pest, but spiders of all sizes, although I've only seen smallish ones so far. Because all the doors and windows have sliding mesh fly-screens, not much gets into the house although Rich caught a huntsman spider, the size of his palm, and took it outside before I saw it! However, that's not a dangerous one; the ones to fear are really small! 

Another danger when it's so hot and dry in this forested area are bush fires. There was a fire just a week before we arrived, but it was quickly dealt with.  Part of the natural cycle of these forests is to burn, which generates new growth and the seeds of some trees only germinate after fire.  People who choose to live here accept the danger, taking whatever precautions they can, but people do die occasionally! 

We decided to go snorkeling this afternoon, but after a trip to the Perth Aquarium, which was really good, we were having second thoughts about descending into such dangerous waters that contain things sharp and poisonous, and that's not counting the sharks!!  However, we did go to the beach, but as this part of the coast was rather rocky and the waves were pretty fierce, Sandra and I didn't join the boys snorkeling. 

Waking as the sun dawns to the strange calls of unfamiliar birds, the piney scent of surrounding forest permeating the cool air coming through my fly-screened open window, is a wonderful experience. I could get used to that! No wonder the family love it here. They love the outdoor life and there are so many opportunities for sports, with off-road cycling right here and swimming less than an hour away. Beats Milton Keynes!

Some pics of our day out. Rachel tackling a monster thing! 

At the Aquarium we were conveyed underwater through the plexiglass tunnel with huge turtles, big sharks and massive manta rays gliding past and overhead. The commentary on what we were seeing then mentioned that the curved plexiglass has the effect of making them appear 30% smaller, when I would have expected it to be the opposite, making them appear bigger than they really are.  That's impressive!!

   

Down Under with my Aussie Family

What a joy it is to be here with Richard visiting his twin brother Damian and his family who emigrated four years ago.  We've been hearing about the ups and downs of starting a new life here, but they've done well and now have their own spacious house in the hills above Perth. 

The house is on a slope and faces East (very Feng Shui) with 5 bedrooms, one each for the four kids, and 2 bathrooms. Sandra's Mum has the West end of the house; her own living room/ kitchenette, bedroom, bathroom and loo, where we're housed. There are three communal rooms for the family, one of which is dedicated to music with piano, drum kit and recording mixer computer. They all play instruments and Rachel has a good singing voice. What talent! My grandchildren are great and don't seem to be contaminated by the usual teenage angst, frustrations and rebelliousness, but then they have wonderful parents and what's more, the best Dad I've ever seen.  Maybe he's compensating for the lack of a good father in his life, but whatever, he's doing great! 

Jonathan at 20 is the eldest; the spitting image of his Mum, while Samuel, 18, is the clone of his Dad. Rachel at 15 has just graduated from High School and Phoebe is 10.  They are all so talented and more importantly, have every opportunity to show what they can do.  They do appear to be the perfect family; a somewhere between the Waltons, Osmonds and The Partridge family. Maybe when we leave they'll all breathe a sigh of relief and revert to their normal selves!! (Just kidding.) 

Yesterday they took us to an animal sanctuary to see Koala bears, (that are not native to this part of the continent) fallow deer (not sure if they're native at all) and wallabies. We didn't see any kangas as they'd be asleep in the heat of the midday sun that only crazy tourists go out in. We fed parrots and cockatoos in cages, all vying for our attention with cries of "hello"and "how yer doing?" while we fed them popcorn. (Not sweetened, you'll be glad to know.) Poor birds. Contrary to popular kids books, Koalas are not affectionate or sociable. According to their keeper, all they do is sleep and eat, seeming not even to notice each other and even sitting on each others heads. Not much grey matter there. 

Early this morning Rich went off with Damian and the older ones to go surfing, leaving Sandra, Phoebe and I to take it more leisurely. I helped Sandra water all the plants in pots on the patios and their one little patch of grass before we left for the beach. It took about 40 minutes to reach the Secret Harbour beach and there was no view of the sea until we were actually there. Then... WOW... miles of perfect sand and crystal blue sea with white crested waves to satisfy young surfers.  We had a great time frolicking in the sea although I couldn't help recalling that a middle aged Bank manager was eaten by a Great White just a few weeks ago while snorkeling with his son. (But not at this location.)

Most of all I was struck by the clean orderliness of everywhere; no litter, no broken glass, no hawkers, no beggars, in fact nothing to disturb the innocent pleasures of these British/ European settlers. Place names like Welshpool and Bunbury are familiar, although there are some aboriginal names in the roads.

Where are the original inhabitants anyway? I've seen no sign of any so far.  There are three aboriginal families in the local congregation but they don't live here in this white suburb. I get a slightly disturbed feeling thinking that not so long ago these house plots and back gardens were roamed freely by local tribes. 

As it was so hot this afternoon we all went to an indoor climbing wall, where Rich showed them how to do it! They were all doing pretty well!

So here are a few pics of our time here so far!

Reflections

    

Relaxing here in comfort for the first time, I find myself reflecting back on the four months spent in Viet Nam and the many good people I met there. They may be out of sight but definitely not out of mind! All the staff and teachers at KTV, from Mr Thom, (sorry I didn't get to say goodbye in person), and his efficiently smart partner Ms Khan, Ms Ha in her lovely Ai Dao, to the teachers in particular that I worked with; the ever-busy Ms Yen, beautifully elegant Ms Lam, brightly intelligent Ms Gaio, lovely young Sophia (above in Orange T-shirt), quiet Ms Tien, beaming Mr Ha and the irrepressible Mr Duc, ever-smiling little Michael, who's really not little at all but it differentiates him from Louisiana Michael, my Big Buddy who I miss as much as I do Mark, my lovely big son.  I really enjoyed teaching at KTV and I miss you all already, including those not named!  (Top pic; me with the two Michaels.)  And how could I forget dear Judy who gave both me and Mark such help and support and so often brought tasty food for our lunch.  

Then there are all the students; in particular Lai and her friends Jasmine and Daisy, who along with others studying Tourism at their college took me along for a day trip to the Cat Tien National Park.  Keep practicing English and you'll all do very well.  Not to mention 'The Evil Ones' class... Lam, Joe, Justin, David, Andy and others are etched into my memory even if I don't recall all their names.  Mr Siu-Siu (a mature student) in one pic, who owns the best cake making company in Bien Hoa and provided the most elaborate cakes for Teachers Day as well as every other occasion.

The family at 'the Ranch', Co Mai and Mr Phuong with their two sons Uy and Ti (who spray-paints graffiti in the night and does this free-running acrobatic stuff!) and young daughter Tina, together with Thim who works so hard and Duan who biked me to and from school for the month I lived there.  Thank you all so much for your generosity, especially lovely Thim who made me a beautiful pair of silk trousers, which will always remind me of her. I didn't get to see her before I left and I'm just sorry I couldn't have more time talking with her. 

There are so many more, including Mark's private students, Brad Pitt and Jojo (not their real names!) who presented me with two beautiful trouser suits, made by their aunt especially for me, just before I left! Thank you so much... they're wonderful! (I'm wearing one of them in this pic at lunch with Co Mai and Mr Phuong.) 

Another thank you to Mr Wing (Nguyen) and his team of Easy riders in Da Lat for a never to be forgotten trip through the highlands. Is there anyone I've forgotten?  I will always remember the beautiful people of Viet Nam and it was a wonderful experience teaching in Bien Hoa, in spite of the heat, which caused me to drip sweat constantly for three months and the mosquitoes; the scars on my legs testifying to their feasting night and day!  I hope some of you will keep in touch; an occasional email or comment made on my blog will always be welcome.

 

After the chaos of Cambodia, where I was relieved of my wallet (with only $10 in it) and, I just discovered, my cellphone, which I wasn't using, (how that happened I don't know; maybe while travelling by bus or even in a hotel), I move on now to discover the delights of the land of Oz, once we've recovered! Rich has really been in the wars since he arrived in the East and is still unwell! 

So I'll post a few memories of the last few months... 

Three flights to Oz!

What a relief to be here in Perth with Damian and his lovely family!  He and Sandra picked us up early this morning after I managed to get myself transferred to Richard's flight so we could travel together, which meant we had little or no sleep at all for the past 24+ hours.  We're using Sandra's mother's 'granny annex' while she's away visiting, so I was very grateful to sink into a warm bath before taking a nap. 

        

Even though I spent many hours in airports yesterday, first waiting 4 hours for my flight from Phnom Penh after Rich left, then 5 hours at Saigon waiting for the connection to Singapore and finally about 4 hours at Singapore with Rich, I was consumed by this book; 'First they killed my Father' by one survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime. Another example of 'man's inhumanity to man' to add to so many other atrocities and ethnic cleansing that makes me wonder about the future of humankind, except for the tenacity of the human spirit that can rise and survive.  Rich here with kids who live right next to the Killing Fields site and above a view of the local countryside. 

So now we're chilling out with the family in the cool of their lovely house on the outskirts of Perth while outside the temperature mounts to 35' and Richard sleeps. We've been made very welcome by  everyone and look forward to a great week here. 

 

GOODBYE CAMBODIA... HELLO VIETNAM AGAIN!

Right now I'm in Ho Chi Minh City Airport waiting for a connecting flight to Singapore. I left Phnom Penh earlier, after Rich left on his flight direct to Singapore, but for some reason known only to the Hotel Booking Agent in VietNam, I have to do this circuitous route, waiting here for 4 hours! So Rich will meet me at 8.20 tonight and then our flights are different again; Rich flying overnight and me tomorrow morning!  (Unless we can persuade Singapore Airlines to change one of our flights.)  I'm so glad I can get online here with Wi-Fi and I'm plugged into a convenient electric point. 

Cambodia was an exhausting experience, physically and emotionally. Their recent history has been so horrifyingly traumatic it impinges on everyone, natives and tourists alike. Wherever we went we were accosted by people selling; photocopied books, woven bracelets, Tuk-tuk and moto services, or just asking for money because the country is so poor. Rich got a book about one woman's struggle to survive as a child during Pol Pot's reign of terror, which I'm now reading; a horrifying story of what happened to so many people only 30 years ago. 

The only time we escaped from these uncomfortable pressures was on a day's boat trip to Bamboo Island, where there were no beggars.  That's off the coast at Sihouanouk, where we stayed for two nights.  (Check out those tasty sea monsters!) It was everything a paradise island should be, with great beaches and lovely to swim in the sea, although snorkeling off the boat was a bit scary, looking down onto incredible corals but afraid of touching the spiny sea anemones. Rich got 'stung' by something that left dark marks on his foot, but they don't seem to be too bad and hopefully won't give him any trouble. He's really been in the wars since coming out here!

Last night we sat at a bar playing Connect Four, a larger version of Noughts and Crosses, when children came in bothering everyone to buy books. They got engrossed with our game and joined in, finally taking it over and playing each other. Bright kids! However, these are not the scruffy street urchins who probably can't afford to buy books to sell; I noticed that these kids were clean and well dressed, maybe making money for their families or to pay for school.

Finally, we chanced on a troupe of Dragon Dancers practicing their daring acrobatic routine, which really impressed Rich! Difficult to get good pics though.

Well, I'll soon be able to check in for my flight so I'll just post some pics of the last few days.

Chilling out on the Beach

This is the place to be at New Year, well, the day after! Lovely beach, cool sea and enough bars to use a different one every day for some time. Actually its surreal. We've been sitting at a beach bar in the cool of the evening, drinking beer and enjoying barbequed tuna, with a crescent moon peering through clouds; magic!

Mixed with multi-national tourists are Cambodian families on holiday and local people just enjoying themselves; and then there are disabled men lacking hands or feet, victims of mines, who move around the tables seeking alms. (That awful pun was unintentional; really!) The children trying to sell bracelets and young women wanting to give a pedicure don't give up either. So paradise it ain't! In spite of that, we meet Europeans who say they've lived here for a couple of years or more. (Usually youmg men working in bars.)

So tomorrow, we'll brave the sun again on a boat trip to local islands. Rich is now well protected with sunscreen long trousers and long sleeved shirt.

Tell you more tomorrow... I'm getting bitten!