On the plane again…Stop 2 Part 2

 General, Meanderings Abroad  No Responses »
Jan 182010
 
~ Hawaii – Oahu ~
In Japan, I used to attend a Hope Chapel chain of churches. The Hope Chapel group started in Kaneohe, Hawaii on Oahu. So, over the years I’ve made a few friends and though I’ve lost touch with a few, with the wonders of Facebook, I’ve reconnected with some. One of my friends from way back when, invited me to stop in Oahu since I was going to be in the area. πŸ˜€ Though time was short, I was able to visit for a day.
Some of the photos here:
Sam greeted me in Hawaiian style with a lei (too bad I can’t take it with me…)

A visit to Oahu wouldn’t be complete without seeing Pearl Harbor. It was a small area, but worth a visit.
Pearl Harbor – USS Bowfin Sub
Pearl Harbor – Memorial
Pearl Harbor – Flag waving on USS Arizona Memorial

After our stop at Pearl Harbor, we drove through the city a bit and headed up for a view. We discussed doing a short hike on Diamond head to get a view coming the other direction, but after an early start to my day, my energy was running low. So, the drive to this point was good enough. πŸ˜€
View of Honolulu from Tantalus Point (Diamond Head on left)
Waikiki Beach

Oahu definitely has more of the Hawaiian feel for me. We drove around the city of Honolulu a bit during the day so I was able to see the neighborhoods (saw Obama’s haunts) and enjoy some of the flora that I was expecting to see. In the afternoon, I took a rest, but hit the sands of Waikiki for a swim and sunbathe before resting up for dinner. Though time was too short, I had a great visit and shout out a THANK YOU to Sam, my tour guide for the day. πŸ˜€
I definitely hope to visit again. Hawaii is a great vacation destination!
More travels to come…
-T

On the plane again…Stop 2 Part 1

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Jan 182010
 

~ Hawaii – Kailua Kona ~

It was family vacation time for the past week in Kailua Kona on the Big Island! We haven’t all been together like this in years – perhaps longer than my memory serves. So, it was so great to hang out with my brother and catch up with my parents. Since I don’t live closeby, these moments are more precious whenever they are had.

My parents rented a house off of Ali’i road just a bit outside of the main downtown area. We had a Jeep Rubicon as our wheels to get around. Throughout the week, we snorkeled, surfed, boogie-boarded, tanned, and explored the island a bit.

When I first arrived, I was a bit surprised at the scenery as I had imagined Hawaii to be lush with flora all over. However, due to the volcanic activity on the Big Island, there is more lava to be seen. It’s interesting and makes for different views of this tropical paradise. However, the beaches were still great, the water still warm and much fun still had.

I’ll post a few pics here, but more will come on my main blog site when I return home. Enjoy!

The lava scenery
Sunset on the first night
The parents enjoying the beach life!
Green sands beach – yes the sand is green!
South Point – southern most point in the US and so much water.
Sunset from the house – each night we waited for the green flash…., but the margaritas didn’t help. πŸ˜€
Cheers! for my family!!!
Next stop coming up…
-T

On the plane again…Stop 1 Part 2

 General, Meanderings Abroad  1 Response »
Jan 112010
 

A visit to Japan is never complete unless I have seen my BFF, godson and friend (same family). Since my godson, Ethan, just had a birthday last week turning the ripe ol’ age of 4, I wanted to be sure to celebrate and give him a present. Also, I’m not sure when I’m going to see all of them again (hopefully back home in the summer…).

Since Ethan had a free meal and dessert coming to him at Outback Steakhouse, we met there to catch up. Though a quiet meal, we still had fun.

The Suzuki family

The birthday boy spacing off….
A look of disappointment when waiting for his birthday ice cream…(they sang for someone else first…)
At last, it has arrived!!
“Not gonna let a single bite go…even if it makes me sick!!”
The whole gang – Happy Birthday, Ethan!

On the plane again…Stop 1 Part 1

 General, Meanderings Abroad  No Responses »
Jan 102010
 

Holidays are here again. It seems like I’m always on holiday, but one must always remind others that my last trip to Japan was indeed a business trip and not all business can be labeled as “holiday”… okay maybe it can!!! πŸ˜€

In any case, real holidays are here and I’m on the planes again to see what I can see.

First up – a stopover in Japan on my way to meet my family in Hawaii. Since I was a bit late in getting my tickets to Hawaii (sorry family…), I couldn’t get there until the 11th anyway. The flight route brought me to Japan anyway, so since my friend was getting married and having his wedding party on the 9th, I thought it was a great opportunity to squeeze it in!

Though I had hoped to stay in warmer climates for this trip, I figured I could endure the cold for a couple of days. So far, it’s been okay, but I’m definitely a warm-weather girl now.

Last night was the party – here’s a photo of the whole gang –

Ah, how I miss the crew. This is the end of everyone being in the same place as people have finished their contracts and are moving on to new ones down south or elsewhere. It’s a great bunch and I miss them all dearly. Still, I know we’ll keep in touch and I will always have a reason to come back for a visit!!!

More to come…

-T

~ Summer 2009 on Blogger ~

 General, Meanderings Abroad  No Responses »
Oct 102009
 

I should have posted this sooner, but all accounts of my summer travels from Spain to Oregon to Japan to Vietnam are on my blogger site. While I had visitors as well, I did not blogger it, but rather put it on my β€œGoing Mental” section. I’m still debating how best to use both of these venues for sharing my travels and thoughts. For now, this is the best method for me.

Check out the daily adventures from my trips on Blogger!!!

More trips to come,

-T

 Posted by at 18:07

Vietnam – Mui Ne: Days 15 – 17

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Aug 122009
 

The last of our trip was spent in Mui Ne. We went full out on the hotel for this part. It is a beach town and so we might as well stay at a nice place, right? Sailing Club Mui Ne was a lovely place to end our stay. Since the reviews said it was worth the extra dough to get the most expensive room, that’s what we did. I would say it was worth it.


Mui Ne is laid out rather differently than the other towns we visited. It’s just one long road of hotels on the beach side and restaurants on the other side. So, the first day we just explored a bit, used the pool and enjoyed our bungalow. The water was always pretty muddy and so we didn’t ever venture out in it sadly. But, we had a couple of walks on the beach and dinner on our last night on the sand.

On the second day, we rented a motorbike to get around to explore. It was my first time on a motorbike on the road as well (lots of firsts here!). It was great to feel the hot wind as we sped along the road. Plus, we got to see some of the regular life along the way.

We rode in to a neighboring town and then explored Mui Ne a little bit. In the afternoon, we relaxed back at the resort. I had a massage while Craig had some man-time. ;D

The next morning, we headed off to take a look at the sand dunes that are suppose to be the highlight in the area. We found the Red Dunes and had a walk up, but we never really did find the White Dunes. Still, it was great to ride around a bit. By afternoon, I was somehow quite tired and so I relaxed more by the pool to soak up the last of cool weather before heading back to the Dab.

All-in-all, I’d say Vietnam was a lovely country to visit. Of course, I had great company in Craig and Roman. The weather was great for us and we managed to get out of the big city, which is a must to fully enjoy what Vietnam has to offer.

Until the next update!

-T

PS Photos for the posts are coming and all other photos will be available on my main website, so check’em out!

Vietnam – Nha Trang: Days 12 – 14

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Aug 092009
 

The first of our six days on the beach began in Nha Trang. Since a bus would have been a long 11 to 12 hours, we opted for a flight from the Danang airport to Nha Trang. From the small airport, we caught a taxi in to our hotel for a fairly reasonable fee, about 100,000VND cheaper than the hotel was going to charge us for a pick-up. We stayed at the Asia Paradise Hotel, just a little bit away from the beachside and about 45-minutes from the airport. It’s a nice enough hotel, though we paid for a room with a view, we had a bit of an obstructed view of the sea. Overall though it was a good enough place to stay.

Nha Trang doesn’t have much to offer in terms of sightseeing, though I think there are a couple of pagodas and perhaps a Buddha one could see. Since we were more interested in relaxing, we focused on the beach aspect of the city. Like in Spain, there were areas of the beach where you could pay for a cabina to rest on for the day and then go for a dip when the mood inspired it.

So, we had one day just walking around and not doing too much. Then, another day we just spent on the beach totally chilling out. The evenings were spent exploring the different restaurants and bars. I think my favorite place was Crazy Kim Bar. The owner is an advocate against pedophiles, which made taking advantage of the buy 1 get 2 cocktails happy hour more fun and meaningful than just getting very happy on the VERY STRONG drinks!

On our second night, we had a farewell dinner with Roman since he was moving on from traveling with us the next morning. We found a nice Vietnamese restaurant and though the food was cheap, it wasn’t great tasting. Roman made friends with one of the fish, though, so that was worth it! ;D

For our last day in Nha Trang, we decided to go on a boat trip since that is recommended in the area. Through the hotel we booked a trip with Nha Trang Tourist company and were guided by Funky Monkey to visit four islands. We made a first stop at an aquarium that was severely lacking as a tourist attraction. Then, we went off for a swim and some snorkeling. I tried snorkeling in real water for the first time ever! It was a bit scary at first and so Craig was sweet enough to hold my hand. Eventually I got brave enough to go on my own and was so amazed by the number of fish in the water below. I’m not sure if it creeps me out more to know they are there or to just not see them…but it was a cool sight to see and now I understand why people like snorkeling. πŸ˜€

After the swim, we had lunch, some entertainment and dancing, then happy hour out on the water. There was only one drink of choice for happy hour and it was a bit dodgy, so I had a couple of sips and just enjoyed floating on my dinghy in the water more than anything else.

Our final stop was at another island that we had to pay to go onto, but I didn’t really enjoy it as my leg was burned by a cigarette and I had to get it to stop hurting. We were both pretty tired by the end of the day. Overall, though it was a nice day to spend with other crazy tourists and a good time was had.

One more stop in Vietnam to go!

-T

Vietnam – Hoi An: Day 11

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Aug 082009
 

Perhaps the favorite city for all of us was Hoi An.

Our hotel – Ha An – arranged pick-up for us around mid-day for a rather large fee ($18) considering it was only about 15-minutes away. The hotel seemed fairly nice, though our rooms were right next to the lobby and our room opened up to the main entrance steps as a balcony. But, overall, it was a nice place to stay for our short visit in the city.

Hoi An is known of its tailors and so the boys were keen to get some workshirts made. So, our first mission was to take care of that to allow as much time as possible for fittings, sewing and adjustments. Craig had found some reviews for a few places and we ended up at B’lan, which proved to be a very good choice. The ladies were kind, personable and helpful with the process of measuring, deciding on fabrics and negotiating prices. Depending on the type of fabric and amount required, the prices ranged between $12 – $15 per shirt. Craig got 5 long-sleeve, double-cuff shirts and Roman ended up with 6 short-sleeve button-up shirts. The quality seemed pretty good considering they made up the shirts in a few hours, then adjustments in a couple hours after an initial fitting. Who knows how long they will last, but it’s a process worth undertaking if you have the time.

Once the tailoring was sorted, we walked around the town. It was the best for walking around as the old-city area was blocked off to motorbikes and it was easy to walk in the middle of the streets without fear of getting hit or honked at. The old town is a World Cultural Heritage site and has been well-preserved. There was French, Chinese and Japanese influences seen in the buildings and designs. The Japanese covered bridge was a highlight as well. We bought entrance tickets for 75,000VND that allowed us to visit one of the museums, old houses, assembly halls, workshops and the bridge or a temple. So, it was nice to have some options on what to see, but to also get some historical sightseeing in.

The other highlight of the town was the market. Craig and Roman were both looking at North Face backpacks, so they had some fun negotiating with the ladies on prices. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the shopping around even though I was sure I wasn’t going to shop again after Spain! πŸ˜€ In fact, my only souvenir from the whole country is a pair of Billabong board shorts. ha ha.

In the evening, we had drinks at Brother’s Cafe, which was in a very cool French-style building. The outdoor seating along the waterfront was quite lovely. However, it seemed reservations were needed to get those seats, so we had a quick expensive drink and then looked for somewhere else for dinner after picking up the boys’ workshirts. We headed further down the river and found Mango Rooms for dinner. It was a bit expensive, but the food was delicious!

Thus was our short visit. I think two days in Hoi An would have been just right for meeting tailoring and sightseeing needs, plus it’s just a lovely little town to spend some time in.

More to come…

-T

Vietnam – Danang: Day 10

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Aug 072009
 

Continuing our move down the coast, we were off in the morning to Danang. The bus from Hue to Danang is just three hours and about USD5. We were dropped off somewhere in the main part of the city and then grabbed a taxi to Sandy Beach Resort. Funnily enough, we passed our bus on the way!

Most of the time we were staying at reasonably low-priced hotels, but as the guidebooks showed that there wasn’t much to do in Danang, we booked up a resort to have somewhere to enjoy and relax for a day. Our room was called a villa with a view of the beach – China Beach. Though we could have gone in to the city, we spent the day taking a dip in the ocean, swimming in the pool and enjoying the resort.

Not much more to say for this day since we just relaxed. We really could have skipped visiting Danang as the city didn’t seem to offer much and it is so close to Hoi An, that we could have used more time there instead. Still, it was nice to have a day to chill and live a life of luxury!

More to come…

-T

Vietnam – Hue: Day 9

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Aug 062009
 

We really only had the afternoon to do our sightseeing in the city as we were set to leave the next morning for our next stop. So, after settling in to the Orchid Hotel and refreshing a bit, we went off to explore the sights.

Hue is a rather small city and truthfully much more than a day is not necessary. The main attraction in the city is the citadel. With a ticket purchase of 55,000VND, you can explore the grounds to your heart’s content.

In the citadel is the Forbidden Purple City. I’m not sure why it was forbidden nor did I see signs of purple, but I’m sure if I took the time to read up on the history these answers would be clear. Within the grounds there were many missing buildings with foundation rocks showing where the buildings would have been much like a number of castle grounds in Japan. The buildings that were still around had some really interesting carvings and designs on them.

 

On our way to the citadel, we stopped at the Dong Ba Market just across the river and had a quick look around. This area is apparently well-known for their cone-shaped hats with “poems” hidden on the inside that can be seen as shadows when in the proper lighting. It was pretty cool and I half considered buying one, but as I wasn’t really in the mood to negotiate, I passed it up. What would I do with a cone-shaped hat anyway?? This was perhaps the most interesting market for me to walk through. Perhaps it felt more like a place locals would go instead of tourists. It reminded me quite of the market in Cusco that I used to go to frequently.

We had a bit of a rest before dinner and since our hotel was in the main tourist area, there were plenty of restaurants to choose from. So, we decided on a place called Hot Tuna and had dinner on the roof. The waiter was pretty friendly and made me smile with his little laughs as he inquired about where we were from and how we liked Vietnam. He was studying in Hue to be a high school English teacher back in his hometown north of Hanoi. It was the only time we really had a decent conversation with a Vietnamese person, so that was pretty nice.

Afterwards, we had drinks at Brown Eyes for their long happy hour prices. It was a weirdly decorated bar, but the staff was nice and the drinks good.

Thus ended our day in Hue.

More to come…

-T

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