Budapest then Home 10/26/08

                           Budapest




Budapessssssssssssh...................................... as in Buuuuuuuuuusssssshed!
Budapest marks the official end of the trip for most of the gang. The Hinch's and Kuri's are here for two extra days, were here for 5more and the rest of the gang heads home on the 22nd and are now home. Budapest is another great city. Very large. but easy to get around on via the underground. We pulled into the city in the early afternoon and headed straight for the "Covered Market" The gals did some shopping. Here the spice of the day was Paprika, so everyone rushed out to buy some. Considering the fact I have yet to go thru an entire can in our marriage, I feel we definetly over bought. While sipping a beer on the upper level. I heard some commotion, turned and saw this guy run by with what I later determined was a purse. And he was followed by 10 irate women. He managed to escape out of the building and thru the construction going on in the street. A bit of excitement!
After lunch at the covered market we were off for a little sightseeing. I have enjoyed the orientation but the historical facts we are deluged with is becoming a bit overwhelming. Once again, history paints a bleak picture for these Hungarians. First we have the Turks followed several years later by the Nazis and then the communists. Their one bright spot was in 1956 when they had the communists on the ropes for a short period of time. But it was much more than any other Easter European nations were able to do. The events of 1956 were commemorated all over the city a few days later on October 23rd when peaceful demonstrations were held all over the city. Even tho they were deemed "peaceful" we were advised not to go back into the main part of the city after dark.
Prior to the demonstrations and the departure of the Cole's, Gaughran's and Wite's we had a free day to explore the city. The weather has continued to cooperate but it is getting a bit cooler. No rain, so the strolls about the city have been wonderful. Susan and I along with the Hinch's set out to explore the city and got quite good at the underground and navigating ourselves about the city
Back at the Astoria Hotel we got the cocktail party going before heading out to our to our "farewell dinner" which proved to be quite an emotional event to end the trip on. Marta had selected a restaurant with an over-bearing, "squeaky" violin player. The dinner was marginal but the setting with our friends made it a memorable evening. We presented Marta and our driver with their "tip" envelopes as our thank you to them and the wonderful job they had done. It was back to the Hotel Astoria a few hugs and kisses and promises to get together with Marta in California or invite her if and when we return to Europe. Her job security is somewhat tenuous as our trave group OATs has cancelled their involvement in these trips to eastern Europe. Which means that Marta is back to free lancing without any steady income. Lousy break for a great gal..........
Hugs and kisses to all those leaving in the morning and for the rest of us tomorrow is moving day up to Castle Hill and the Burg Hotel which we had seen quite by accident a few days earlier as we toured the "Buda" side of the city. Before moving, we took in the covered market again, and the National Museum. The move up to Castle Hill while on the one hand is a move into a very "touristy" during the day, proves to be quiet relaxing place during the evening. With little traffic and spectacular views of the city, its a great place to begin winding down and getting ready for the trip home.
The Kuri's and Hinch's left us after two days, so once we were rid of them we decided to take a train trip to the southeast to a small town called Eger. Eger is in the heart of the Hungarian wine district and is about a two hour train ride. We got off to a rather shaky start as we had some difficulty locating the train station we were to leave from. Not a whole lot of English being spoken here in Budapest but we did manage to find the station, and purchase the tickets with more than a few minutes to spare. The trains were old and smelled as though they had housed stray cats for the last several years. We headed to Eger with the windows down and no reservations for the night. Our buddy Rick Steve's had recommended two hotels that sounded great but what we had failed to account for was the fact that this was a 4 day holiday, one of the last before winter sets in and the entire country was on holiday.
As our cab driver pulled into town from the train station, we knew immediately that we were in trouble as we were confronted with the hordes of people basking in the sun and in the square. A few inquiries confirmed that there was "no room" at the Inn anywhere so Don and I planted the girls in a quaint restaurant and set off on the hunt. We cornered a cab driver who took us to a very large hotel (remember The Park ?) They had rooms available but we weren't quite sure the gals would approve. They had sent us out in search of "quaint" and we returned with "modern" and "slick". But that was the best we could do as the town was continuing to fill up. Got settled into the hotel which really wasn't all that bad then headed back into town for dinner. Had dinner at a Scottish restaurant owned by a charming lad named "McDonald" it was quite good and very reasonable.
Hikes about town and up to the castle filled the next day and then it was back on the train to Budapest. We did much better retracing our footsteps and returned home to the Burg which held all of our luggage just as the sun set and the evening began to really cool off. Winter is coming and its time for us to go home.
Before the White's left, Mike had a conversation with a young man who recommended we see St Andrews......SanAndraes.... but after a little search we determined the town to be Szentendre (oh sure Mike!) but it does mean St. Andrews. So that's how we spent our last day. Another train trip along the Danube for about an hour and then a walk thru the lovely town of St Andrews. A few more beers........more goolaush a gyro for me and another train ride back into Budapest and we are about to end this journey.
I think, all had a good time with some memorable times. With the exception of Marta, the language barriers prevented us from really meeting or making new friends. It was a great time of the year to be traveling here in this part of the world, all bundled up with winter really in the air. Tomorrow we fly, and we'll see some of you in the next few days.
Budapessssssssssshed...............................................................gb

Prague to Cesky Krumlov 10/06/08

                 Prague to Cesky Krumlov
                                         10/06/08
Dear Friends and Family,

I trust that by now you have the economy back in shape and its safe to travel back home. We do get the world CNN coverage here each night when the markets close at ten so after several drinks the market reversals seem almost comical.....not quite!
It is interesting tho, to watch the world markets during the day and see their reaction to the US markets of the day before. Mike White had the unique experience of banking with Wachovia and had his monies in limbo for a few days while they merged with Wells Fargo....................I got an e-mail from the President of Wells Fargo and he said not to worry and its "business as usual" So we have decided to stay until our money and the kid's inheritance drys up.
The trip has been wonderful with many unexpected sites and experiences. It reminds me of traveling thru Europe in the 60's and 70's with the lack of freeways, high rises and all those McDonalds and KFC's. While the larger cities have the occasional fast food establishments we have managed to steer clear of them and concentrate on the potato pancakes and dumplings. Lots of soups, pork and bread so the Atkins Diet has taken quite a hit.
As some of you may already know we began our trip in Prague in the Czech Republic after stops in London for a few hours. The Gaughran's and White's came in two days ahead so they had Prague wired and the histories of the countries down to a tee. Fortunately, we were met at the airport by our guide, Marta and then proceeded to the Hotel Floor where our "travel routine began. While we have been here for almost 11 days our stays have been usually 2-3 nites at each hotel. Regardless of when we arrive, we have our welcome drink and then a brief orientation walk about the city. It really is a nice feature of the tour to get your bearings before heading out the next day.
Many of our meals are included in the tour price, all breakfasts, many lunches and some dinners. The food in Prague was quite inexpensive and of course the beer and wine were the best deals of all. What we are finding is how insufficient our knowledge really is of Eastern Europe. So it has been difficult for all of us to relate to anyone other than Charles IV and Adolph Hitler. Due to some considerations given the area by the Germans and the English most all of the building with their wonderful architecture still stands fully intact. Prague is a wonderful city. We were fortunate enough to stay in the older section which is now a pedestrian way so walking about the cobblestone promenades is quite the thing to do. A lot of trouble with the language as our hand signals and Czech leave much to be desired. We have also discovered that speaking in a loud voice doesn't help much either. Some of the museums are in English but thank got I'm not driving since the road signs with their hyphenated words would prove a real struggle to read. Fortunately I learned my lesson in Australia and am leaving the driving to a local (still can't pronounce his name, but I can recognize him by his made haircut and orange sweater).
After three nights in Prague we ventured out into the countryside via a few small cities (to be named later). One was Trebon, the other still escapes me but did have some wonderful tunnels to climb around in and hide from your enemies both centuries old ones and those of WWII. It seems as these people of eastern Europe were always fighting with someone until they finally rid themselves of the communists during the "Velvet Revolution" in the late 80"s.......what a life.
Our destination after Prague was Cesky Krumlov. Upon hearing the town's name for the first time I thought for sure it was some cream filled Bavarian pastry. Bob Gaughran had sent us a slide show prior to flying with a glimpse of the city. But in no way could the pictures do the town justice. We have all traveled to those picturesque cities that have those unforgettable roads and ally ways that scream out to be explored. Well Cesky Krumlov exceeds anything that I have ever seem before. After our welcome drink we did some exploration of the town only to be confronted at every turn in the road that was more spectacular than the last. I must have take 20 pictures of the castle tower that was painted to look like a wedding cake. From every angle and at every different time of the day the tower took on another appearance. A small river winds its way through the town with each section of the town connected by bridges.
Probably the most amazing aspect of the town was that as you approached a highlight to be photographed you were confronted by another, even more beautiful, as soon as you turned around. The city just brought a smile to your face each and every day that we were out and about. Our second day we went up stream of few kms then rafted down back thru the town. Of course its the fall over hear and the changing of the colors have been a spectacle unto themselves. Believe me when I say Bob Gaughran has personally photographed 90% of the trees in the Czech Republic. The weather has more than cooperated, with no rain, blue skies for the most part but at the same time you do bundle up during the days with even me in a scarf.
Have got to sign off for now, but I'll get back to you in a day or so

Welcome to Eastern Europe 10/04/08

                        Marta's Welcome

Dear Travelers,

My name is Marta Hosnedlova and I will be your Program Director on the Inside Eastern Europe program. I really look forward to our tour and showing you my very own Eastern Europe.

I will do my best to make the tour going smoothly and that is why I decided to contact you in advance. Our first meeting as the whole group is the "welcome drink" on 9 October 2008. I have the transfer info about 8 members of our BROWN GROUP (I will pick you up at the airport and depending on flight information we should be in Floor hotel at approx. 7:30 p.m.) but I don't know anything about our "Land Only" part of our "Team".

Would you be so kind and let me know if you are coming with the same flight or the different one or maybe you are coming even some days earlier? Thank you in advance for your information :o)

See you soon!

Marta

 

The Home Stretch 3/29/08

                        Cairns, Australia

                                  on the Home Stretch

 Mar 29, 2008 9:38 PM

Thirty three hundred kms down and a mere 10 kms to go on our way to the airport. It's Sunday and we fly tomorrow from Cairns. Its been a wonderful trip with few regrets.

When we last spoke we were in the Whitsunday Islands on our way back to the mainland and continuing our journey up the coast for the final push. I'm sure most of the places I mention have little or no meaning as we are learning about them as we go along. This trip would have been impossible to pre-book so we just make it up as we go. As I mentioned we have given up our search for the quaint B&B's and have settled into booking the available self contained motel rooms as we come upon them. Most have run $100-$125/nite and all include a kitchen and usually a separate living room and bedroom. As they are quite nice, the remind us of a Motel 6 for over $100/nite.
Our favorite time of the day has been the 5pm with the local bird population. The birds have been amazing a seem to come alive every evening just about 5pm. Loud, my god they are loud. Most are a variation on the parrot world, some small and some large all wonderfully colored with extremely loud cries. The noise and the racket does die down in a few hours but they certainly let their presence known.
After a night at Horsehoe bay with the parrots, wild turkeys and peacocks we moved north to a place called Townsville. On our way out of town, we had an engine malfunction light appear and so decided to call the rental agency. They dispatched their version of the AAA and after some diagnosis over the phone it was decided that a butterfly/bug had fouled one of the engine sensors and that was the cause......"it happens all the time" . While I'm sure it does, I still wanted it noted in my record should the butterfly decide to blow up the engine. We proceeded onto Townsville where my new best friend Steve gave us a new car while upgrading us at the same time.
We headed out to the coast again in search of the perfect beach that has been yet to be found. The problem that we have been experiencing for the last several hundred mile of beach is that swimming is restricted to an area inside the "Stinger Nets". These nets are similar to shark nets but attempt to keep out the jelly fish which in the area require hospitalization if you are stung. If you choose to swim outside of the enclosures its best you wear your "stinger suit", a nylon full body wetsuit that seems to be more effort than it is really worth.

In addition to our search for the perfect stretch of beach, we are also in search of a dinner under $30 an entrée. I just don't see how the people do it. The restaurants are busy and packed with both tourists and locals. Our only solution has been to drink alot at cocktail hour and forget about dinner since dinners always turn into $75 + after all is said and done. Still not sure as to the tipping protocol and to what is expected. I guess, when in doubt don't tip.....works for me!

TV, continues to be an adventure. Usually we are given a choice of 4-6 channels 2 of which are re-runs of the "Simpsons", 1 cricket match......still don't understand that one and either a soccer or football match. We have caught some of the swimming trials with world records being broken in every event. Speculation is that the new "swimsuits" are in large part responsible for the over the top performances. Some world records are being broken by 2 and 3 seconds.
With our new, small Ford we finally made our way into Cairns having pissed off just a handful of Australian motorists. Have gotten more and more comfortable driving on the wrong side and its been quite a few days that I have attempted to signal a lane change with my windshield washer lever. Susan, however continues to want to enter "her" side of the car even tho it has a steering wheel in front of her. She has yet to drive, but has been a great navigator for all of the trip.
As one of Australia's larger city, it is quite small by comparison. We had heard both good and bad about the city but in the end we found it to be quite manageable. For the most part it is a collection of low rise buildings with a number of pedestrian only streets. Quite by accident we ended up at the InnCairns, a great motel right in the center of town. Had a great Italian meal (naturally for $29.95) plus a bottle of wine then it was off to the Casino. I managed to quit winners but while waiting for Susan to have "just a bit more fun", gave most all of it back in short order. My only salvation was that while playing 21 I began to play the "perfect pairs" bet line. Once you have made your bet (minimum $15) you can make your perfect pairs bet. A perfect pair on your first two cards is a same suited pair paying 30 to 1 then same colored pair paying 20 to 1 and then a off color pair paying 10 to 1. I hit two seven of hearts for $150 but managed to loose the hand in the end. My big win for the evening.
The next morning, on the advice of the Gaughran's we headed north to Port Douglas via Kuranda. Kuranda as described was a very touristy town with one genuine attraction which were its Falls and were they ever spectacular. It was about 1.5 km walk to the Falls above an elevated walkway that was spectacular in itself. Took far too many pictures of the Falls then headed back thru the manufactured tourist attractions of the town and proceeded out the back way to Port Douglas. We had pre-booked our two nites in Port Douglas at the Villa Palms (thanks, Bob and Barbara)

We did a bit of an orientation walk about town just to get our bearings. Walked down to the Wharf to find our "dive boat" for the next day. We bit the $165 ea bullet so we could say we "snorkeld on the Great Barrier Reef". The day we booked, couldn't have been any prettier, the day we chose to go turned a bit stormy with brief rays of sunshine. We booked on a smaller boat with fewer people on board. I was a bit undecided as to whether or not I would dive or just snorkel. After an hour and a half ride out to the reef we all got in the water for our first snorkel. The sky was bright and the water clear. Not the best we've seen but very interesting and alive with fish and beautiful coral. The second spot was about the same and so I decided to dive the third. Unfortunately, the water turned a bit cloudy so visibility was not the best. I'm glad I did the dive as it was good to feel starved for oxygen again. As the dive was only in 50-60 feet of water we were down under for an eternity since you burn very little oxygen at those depths.
On the way back the boat ride turned really sloppy with a lot of "chumming" going on. They had photographers on board taking pictures at any chance...........$60 for a complete cd of all these pictures of you and all those people you'd never met, plus $26 in fuel and reef charges plus $40 extra for the dive and it turned into a real expensive little outing. Glad I get to check that off my list of "been there and done that".
We rationalized that day against our great dinner find of the nite before. Bob and Debbie had their nite out at the bowlers club and we had ours at the "Combined Service Club" restaurant. Drinks were $4-$5 and dinner $15.........we finally broke the $30 mark and it reminded us so much of the American Legion facility in Newport. This was also a good group of locals with good food situated right on the bay.
As I said earlier its Sunday the 30th and we are back in Cairns readying ourselves for the flight home. We leave bright and early Monday for an hour flight to Brisbane. Have short layover then on to LAX where we arrive Monday morning 7am. Don't expect to be greeted my many of you, but look forward to seeing you all and further boring you with the 400+ pictures we taken. We'll try to edit this down a bit.
Thanks to all of you for listening and reading. If I don't get these thoughts and places to paper in a timely manner I have no earthly idea where the hell I've been or what I've been doing for the past month.
Love to you all............................gary and susan

Guday from Long Island 3/24/08

                       Long Island, Australia


3/25/08
Just a quick update! We find ourselves on Long Island in the Whitsunday chain of Islands. We ended up here as an escape from the driving we have be doing for the past 5 days.......really needed a break!
We left Brisbane and the Marquis a few days back and began our trek north. I should have paid closer attention in my world geography class and listened a bit more carefully to Mildred Watson at SAHS as she attempted to describe just how big Australia really is. The last few days have been like criss-crossing Kansas (sorry Dick) for the umpteenth time.

After a visit to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo, we left the coast and spent the most of the next few days driving across sugar cane plantations and pineapple groves. Not quite Hawaii, but certainly better than the Kansas wheat fields. We visited such memorable towns as Maryborough, Hervey Bay, Rockhampton and Airlie Beach and finally to Long Island in the Whitsunday chain.
We did have a nice day trip from Hervey Bay out to Frazier Island, supposedly the largest sandy Island in the world. "They say that every grain of sand in Australia eventually ends up on Frazier Island. While we didn't see much of the sand dunes and coastal dunes it was a relaxing escape from the driving.

Today, Easter Tuesday, finds us on Long Island........a sort of Club Med for families. We did an overnight stay on the Island arriving here mid day yesterday. We leave this afternoon and begin our final assault on the east coast. Our timing seems to be ok as we spend the next few nights on the coast before we by pass Cairns to end our trip at Port Douglas to the north.
The time on the Island has been wonderful. You can choose from a number of activities, so we chose the hammocks and palapa sitting. The side trip was quite reasonable considering how expensive everything has been. We feel lucky to check into a Motel 6 for less than $100 and get up from a lunch for less than $30. Dinner is always good for $100. The people are great and should you decide to visit, bring a full ATM card and your driving gloves.
I'm still not sure how I would do the trip differently other than pace myself a bit better. We are looking forward to Port Douglas and a trip to the outer Great Barrier Reef. The Gaughran's have recommended a place to stay so we are booked for our last few days.

As we are back on the coast for awhile I'm once again looking forward to the rest of the drive north. We travel home the 31st and look forward to seeing some of you.
I will try to get off one more e-mail so as to try and wrap this up.



Love to you all..............................gb

Guday Mates 3/21/08

                                                                

                           Sydney, Australia

                                                          and Headed North

3/21/2008

Well, now its on to the more tame part of the trip. As I indicated in my last e-mail we all arrived safe and sound back in Sydney on the 11th after a 5 hour flight from Nadi in Fiji. The flight and the drive was rather uneventful, but it was interesting being thrown back in to a civilized world. Bob and I bought a couple of phones at the airport so as to stay in touch as well as assisting us in making reservations while heading up the coast.

Our B &B was located in a lovely ( I get over here and start talking "lovely" and "brilliant" just like the locals do) section of Sydney right in the heart of the "backpackers" and youth hostel area. While the kids were paying $20/nite we were living in the lap of luxury for $180. Actually, it was a fine spot, located just down the way from an underground stop. We got checked in and headed off for a look around Sydney Harbor. We walked down to the Harbor thru the park just opposite the Opera House and our first look at the Sydney Bridge. If you are willing and able they will "let" you for a charge now of $175.00 climb to the top of the bridge. Bob climbed it with his son for $50 just a few years ago. I was glad not to have had the extra money so I could easily opt out of the climb.

Turned out to be a gorgeous day for a walk about the city. We ended up at the Opera House for a beer and a snack before heading home on the underground. Did an excellent job of negotiating the rails with not a single hitch. We decided that tomorrow we would purchase an all-day ticket that would include discounts on some of the museums as well as unlimited underground and bus rides.......ferries were also included in the price.
That evening we ate at one of the local restaurants in the area and found the food to be quite good, but very expensive. That first nite set the tone for the rest of our trips.......regardless of where you were entrées were $29 per plate and a bottle of wine about the same. It didn't take us too long to get a bit tired of these $100/nite meals. Bob had difficulty not tipping but even he succumbed after a few too many of these hundred dollar meals. Tipping did seem to be limited to 5% or less but the overall costs began to put a damper on our exuberance to "feed" the local economy.

The 12th found us out and about after a breakfast that included Vegemite (I love Lucy) if we so desired. At days end we had become quite proficient at riding the underground and made good use of our ferry tickets that took us around the harbor as well as out to the famous Manley Beach. The museums that Susan and I seem to hit always seem to concentrate on the immigration side of life and the tales, pictures and accounts of all those who made the 5000 + mile journey from Europe. I marvel at those families who came by choice.....................the prisoners who ended up here didn't have much say in the matter. It would have been quite a step to uproot your family, travel that distance, and then step off the boat with out a place to stay or a job to support your family.

Dinner that nite consisted of a bargain plate of spaghetti. bread and wine down the street mingling with the kids. After several additional glasses of wine and dessert our cheap meal became rather expensive once again. The next day found us searching for a vodafone store as Bob's phone had died during the nite as well as looking for an electronics store to repair Susan's Nintendo game she had carried along. Both hunts proved quite a challenge and one of the reasons is that very few locals know there own city. They don't know streets as they do all of their traveling underground so that to them the city of Sydney is just one big "blue", "red" or "yellow" loop and they couldn't tell you what the next street over is to save their lives. The other difficulty is that the number system is not consistent from street to street. We could be standing in the 300 block of George Street, then go over one street and we would be in the 900 block of the street paralleling where we just were. After the repairs were completed.....Susan needed an adapter and Bob's phone need re-booting we were off again.
Bob was still up in the air as to whether to rent a car or travel by train. He finally overcame his hesitancy to drive on the wrong side an opted for a car. I'll admit the big cities are a bit uncomfortable even having Susan as my great navigator. Susan and I had decided to pick up our car on the 12th so as to get an early start of the 13th which seemed the right thing to do until we couldn't locate the rental car agency. Same problem with the numbering system, but did manage to locate the Europcar Agency in the base of the Mercure Hotel just as they were closing. They seemed a bit upset that we weren't there earlier, it was only 4pm and assumed they would be open till 5pm. Got the car and Susan planned our assault across town to the B&B just at the height of rush hour. At my age, I'm really not comfortable with my left and rights which adds an additional bit of excitement to the driving experience. We survived rush hour and nursed our rental car into the hotel's $20/nite parking spot.

The next morning, after a wonderful few days and good weather in Sydney, Susan and I parted ways with Bob and Debbie to begin our adventures up the coast. Our goal was Cairns (Cans) and Bob and Debbie would go only as far as Brisbane (Brisbun). We were going another 1000miles but did have an extra 10 days. With nothing in mind we joined the rush hour traffic thru Sydney to hit the open roads to the north. It seems like it would be pretty straight forward since we were to follow Highway One 1700 miles straight up the coast for the next 20days. I had assumed since it was the coastal route we would in fact be on the coast...............not so as most of the traveling was quite a distance from the water such that any trip to the coast meant a sidetrip away from A1 and then finding our way back.

We made good headway our first day and after a few sidetrips ended up at Dutchie's Motel at Port Stevens in Nelson Bay. We made contact with Bob over cocktails and found them to be a ways behind us and overniting in a rather raggedy motel that Debbie was not to fond of. Our place built in the '50 was located on a quiet cove with a wonderful swimming beach and was just a short walk to town. Every nite about 5pm the parrots come alive with their screeching and flying about. I did get a "money shot" of two parrots sitting on stump that should make me some money and fame in the world of nature photography. Had a great meal in town.....................but again it was $29/entrée with a $2 per person corkage for a wine we had purchased down the street for $10.

The next day we made contact with Bob and Debbie and found them to be on a great beach front area overlooking the water at Port Macquarie. The place they were staying was a "time share" that took overnighters and the price was certainly right for what we got. Bob had lucked out and made amends for his motel selection the night before. The place was gorgeous and as he said right on the beach with a balcony offering up some great views. Some time spent on the beach then a walk into town for another prison story museum. It seems as every city had some connection to the penal industry.

The four of us departed ways the next morning with the Marquis' staying put for another day. A few hours to the north we found Emerald Bay at Coffs Harbor. Not a lot of accommodations so we thought we would try a "caravan park" sans caravan. For $90 they provided an airconditioned trailer complete with kitchen and living room right off the beach. By the time we had our walk on the beach both restaurants in town were closed and we were forced to drive up to the main highway and search for something. We settled in at a gas station with a mini mart and purchased two dried out sandwiches. Our selections were limited as there were no Adm's about and we were low on cash. Took our "meals" home and retired for the evening.

Our next stop was Byron Bay, another beachside resort catering to the young and the restless. Much to Susan's disappointment, we have given up searching for the perfect B&B and have contented ourselves with the cleanest motels that we can find trying to stay in the $90/nite range. In Byron Bay the motels were astronomical but we did find something that was suitable, well located and near the beach. Bob and Debbie would follow us into this same motel a few days later. There hasn't been a lot of must sees in this part of the trip. The roads have been good and for the most part divided. The weather could be better. The coastline when we see it, is spectacular.

Our next challenge for the trip is Brisbane to the north. We made the fatal mistake of not having reservations prior to our arrival in Brisbane. With horrendous traffic, one-way streets and virtually no parking we were at a real disadvantage searching out a place to stay. I dropped Susan off at what we thought was the Info Service and I managed to find the last parking place in all of Brisbane. After some confusion we made our way to the Info service and they booked us at what they claimed to be a reasonable and clean, well-located hotel ............................the George Williams............aka............the Y..........M...........C............A........! The "Y" at $125/nite was a bit much but it was clean and well located......small with one window so it was a bit claustraphobic.
We did two nights in Brisbane with the 2nd nite to celebrate our anniversary. The first day was out on the city bus tour and to the local attractions. Our favorite was the botanical gardens where Bob informed me that when they visited it saw a python on the loose in the gardens. Missed that guy! Then completed our bus tour of the city another prison museum and immigration museum then down to the river to tour by boat. The 19th we celebrated with a big night out. I found some long pants and we set out for the "Treasury Bld" in the center of town which just happens to be the largest casino in Brisbane. A gorgeous old building with private rooms for the high rollers and a stunning main gambling hall. We had a gourmet dinner at the Marco Polo restaurant then downstairs for some gaming. I managed to pay for dinner winning $200 + on the black jack tables and Susan "had fun".
I'll leave you there for now as that catches you pretty much up to date as we continue our assault on the Sunshine Coast on our way to Cairns.

Cheers, Mate(s)...........................................gb

The Sunsets on Voro Voro 3/14/08

3/14/08

Bula, Bula,
Since we have wrapped up Vorovoro, I'll wrap that part of the adventure of for all of you. We have all really come to adore the locals and all of the "kids" on the Island. Most of the kids who have ended up here are traveling from Europe/England on an around the world ticket and are just completing their travels. Many have come from China/Indonesia while others are up from Australia and New Zealand. As a group they are not from privilege and are traveling on very tight budgets and trying to see as much as they can before starting their careers, etc.



As I mentioned before, there are the tribe members, the staff and the locals all interacting on this very small island. The island has been a boon to the locals, while they don't make a lot of money it is certainly more than they and their families are accustomed too. From what we understand, there has been some problems most having to do with alcohol...................which we are probably contributing to by our very presence on the Island. One occurance of theft but that's been about it. The ladies who do our meal preparation are real sweethearts and given what they have to work with (wood fired stoves and limited resources) they keep us well fed.



Our days have settled into somewhat of a routine..................breakfast.................morning meeting.................a morning swim or snorkel...........tea........................hammock time............walks along the beach..........................back to the hammock..........................lunch...........................tea.........................................preparation for cocktail hour.....then dinner. On one of our walks Bob and I picked up some "seeds" about the size of bocci balls so that our cocktail hour has taken on an added dimension as we travel through the village cocktails in hand, and tossing out the balls from one area to the next. The fact that the "balls" are slightly out of round adds a new dimension to the game that's taken some getting used to.


                         Voro Voro
                                    Village Life
On Thursday (I think) the local Fijian Chief, Tui Marly, paid the village a visit. While the Chief is in the village everyone must wear his sulu (pareo). He arrived in the afternoon and we all headed straight for the kava ceremony. We had been briefed before as to how to behave around him....................you try to stay lower than he is (a real trick when he is sitting cross-legged on the floor and I'm on bad knees)............you can't walk behind him,ever...............you can't put yourself between him and the kava bowl..............you walk on your knees to meet him (ouch)........shake his hand with both of yours and quit talking and shaking when he releases yours. You'd think you were having an audience with the goddam queen. I survived the meeting but the kava ceremony drug on just a bit too long. We did excuse ourselves for dinner and then tried to make a run for it back to our bure. The problem being was that his back was to our bure and technically weren't allowed to pass behind him................................hopefully we were forgiven this minor indescretion and left the ceremonies a bit early.

Bob and I did a snorkling trip to the outer reef that proved quite exciting in the end. We had been in the water for about 45 minutes (80+degrees) and then headed back to the boat for the trip home. One of the villagers had been out spear fishing and was returning his catch to the boat when out of no where a tiger shark appeared and started after his catch which were still just floating on the service of the water........................5 10+pound trigger fish which would have fed both his village and our village were almost lost to the shark. All of us were in the boat but the village diver was still in the water with his catch as the shark made a move for his catch then headed under the boat and swam away. They estimated the shark to be about 3 meters, almost 10 feet, and 250+ lbs....................Of course, by the time we returned to the Island the shark got larger and the drama approached a near death experience for all of us on the water.
I am sure that the four of us will agree that one of our most enjoyable experiences was the nite we took our dinner to the local village down the way. The chief maintains a village there, complete with TV and a VCR purchased as a result of his new revenue stream ala Tribe Wanted. They served us our meal and entertained us the rest of the evening. A nice chance to sit and chat with the children and some of the teens that had come in from one of the other island villages. Earlier, Susan and Debbie had made the trip to a neighboring island to visit the school. We had been asked by the tribe to bring things for the school which we did and shared them with their teachers that day. Bob and I couldn't go due to space limitations on the boat. The girls were entertained by the students, enjoyed morning tea with students and faculty and then returned home confident in the fact they had done a little good for a group of kids that don't have too much and could use a lot more help.

The arrivals a departures on the Island are limited to three days a week so as to conserve fuel costs and man hours transporting people back and forth to the Island. We had become very familiar with the welcoming an farewell ceremonies that were really quite emotional. You spend a week with these people, getting to know some better than others and when it is their time to go it is quite a sad send-off. We greeted one young gal who was to be there for 4 months as a new staff member witnessed another tribe member extend her stay for several more weeks...............................................we all agreed that one week was just the right amount of time to spend. Bob could have spent more time on the island, but even he was looking forward to some creature comforts. For me, I was running out of fresh and new skin for the bugs to bite so it was most certainly time to move on.
We began packing on the 9th for our early departure on the the 10th. Much of the camping gear we took we left for current and future tribe members which lightened our load to some extent. We shared the few snacks we had left as well as our booze with the group at our "last supper" ......all were grateful for our generosity and genuinely sorry to see us leave. Jim our tribal chief for the month of March was especially glad to see Susan and I leave as we left him with our double inflatable mattress and a few disposable lights for the "Chief's Bure"
The morning of the 10th we were sung out to see just as we had been greeted to the Island. The local boys and gals with guitars and ukes as well as the res of the tribe gathered at the water's edge for our send off. Two lines are formed so you can say your personal farewells to all before you board the boat. Even though it was only a week, some good friendships were made and our departure truly was a rather emotional experience. The farewell song, the words to which I never learned, still gives me chills as I think about stepping into the boat and off the Island for the last time. The Island has reached the half-way point in its tenure with another 18 months left on the lease. According to some of the BBC shows were were able to see on the laptops, the Island has had many ups and downs with extreme financial worries in between. While they are confident that the Island will last the next 18 months, no one is quite sure if that will be the end of it and the Island and its improvements just turned back to the Fijians.
In any event we feel privileged to have been apart of the experiment and honestly feel that we have made some minor contribution to the cause After the boat ride back to Labasa, it was out to the airport for our flight back to Nadi where we were to spend the night prior to our flight to Syndey. Arrived to the airconditioned, bug-free comforts of the Mercure Hotel in Nadi................................woofed down a cheeseburger, and an ice cold beer and retired to the room for an insect free nap.
Currently we are all back together in Port Macquarie about 400 kms up the coast from Sydney. I fill in the particulars later, but we had an early flight on the 11th from Nadi to Sydney then three nights in Sydney before we would split up and head north. We left Sydney on the 14th in separate cars and thru the magic of cell-phones which we purchased over here, the Brown's and Marquis' have reunited in a lovely hotel overlooking the water in this wonderful beach town. We'll probably do two nights here and then try and lose each other again. As they are only going as far as Brisbane and we are trying to make Cairns with an extra week it is still going to be a push.

I'll fill in the voids later, All is Well and having a great time.
Brown's and Marquis'

Voro Voro 3/11/08

                         Voro Voro, Fiji
                                                              Bula Bula
                                            3/11/08


Its me again, apparently the last page didn't send and was lost in a little internet cafe in downtown Sydney.......We..................................................................is where I left off as we were about to arrive on the Island. As I was going to say, we were met by the 15 or so tribe members as well as our tribal chief and various other leaders, plus an assortment of the locals who seranaded us as we departed the boat.

What a lovely welcoming! After a few hugs and kisses we were given a brief tour of what would be our village for the next week. As luck would have it , there really is something good about getting old as we were assigned the "Family Bure" complete with double bed and two bunk beds. The hut is a typical Jijian bure, vaulted thatched ceilings and sidings. Our floor is sand which makes Susan's decision to put a mat at the front door seem a bit odd.
Susan and I were most fortunate as we had brought down a double inflatable mattress while the Marquis' brought two singles which left the decision as to who slept where already decided. We did our best to hang a few mosquito nets and adjust the ones already in place while unpacking and trying to settle in for our week ahead.
As we were just an hour or so away from dinner, cocktails seem to be in order. As they had taken some flack in the media about the "drinking" and carousing going on we tried to keep "it" under control. We didn't break out the hors d ouvres as Susan had some of it confiscated at the airport upon our arrival.
As we would learn later meal times were Breakfast 6:30am.......Morning Tea.......10:30......lunch 1:30...More tea.........3:30............then dinner at 6:30. Our meals are simple and prepared by a lovely group of ladies from the local village. They do all of our meals and Teas with the exception of Sunday and then we are left to fend for ourselves. Lunch and Dinners are usually a fish dish dish either in a soup or fried......a bit of rice and juice. Breakfast consists of fruit, porridge, coffee/tea and sometimes toast. You'd think we'd have lost some weight on this diet, but with the carb overload and cocktails in the evening we are all maintaining our pounds rather nicely.

Our first evening meal was followed by our first kava session. We gathered on the mats outside of the great bure......the kava gets prepared......... a little business is discussed and the drinking begins. We all lasted a few rounds then headed off to bed to do battle with the heat and stillness of the nite. The critters immediately located the holes in our defenses and began their assaults which would continue on a nightly basis. We would find the nites to be the most difficult as the air is so very still and the skeeters and the no-see-ums so plentiful.

As the signs around the village remind us "real men pee in the sea".................or if no ones looking behind the nearest bush. You really don't want to visit the bio-toilets at nite unless you really have to. At times the tide is so far out that it really is quicker and easier to visit the island toilets......which are located high in the air......................you hike the stairs.........................do your business..............then sprinkle your offerings with a handful of sawdust. The system works quite well unless you visit the facility at nite which rivals a National Geographic episode.............scary creatures, the likes of which I've never seen before.
After breakfast each morning, we have a little meeting to discuss the days work schedule. Again we luck out and find that we have arrived in between projects so that the work load is very light. As they say you can do as little or as much as you like. Bob and I have taken on clearing and weeding our sand pathway in front of our bure that leads to the chief's hut and the kitchen. Our work usually is done prior to cocktail hour as the heat of the day is no time to be standing on the end of a shovel.
The mornings are calm but in the after noon a breeze usually comes up. A waterfall shower down the beach is also a welcome treat. Its rainning but not too strong as there hasn't been much rain this past week. We hung some hammocks that we brought and will donate to the village when we leave. We have constructed a nice rec area at the water's edge complete with our colorful Mexican hammocks.

...............to be continued