Swimsuits and Santa..... Christmas OZ style

The thought of "Santa in a swimsuit" does not really paint a very pretty picture, but when you are celebrating Christmas in Australia swimsuits and Santa are the mix of the season.
It has been a very different feeling to walk into the shops and see the displays of beach wear, swimming pools, sand toys, sunscreen next to the Christmas trees, ornaments and mistletoe!
The Christmas decorations are still "snowflakes, pine trees, sleighs and jingle bells" but there are very few "fireplaces" for Santa to come down around here!
The up side to having a summer Christmas is that you can walk the neighborhood and look at the snow flakes, the Santa sleigh's and sing about "dashing through the snow"....  all in your flip flops and shorts!
You can have the Christmas dinner at a park and then go swimming.
Christmas afternoon can be sunbathing or going to the beach.
Yes there is an "up side" (At least for this sun loving gal!)

We recently celebrated a family Christmas with a sail around Sydney Harbour, so definitely a fun side of an OZ Christmas!

I did realize though that it does not matter what the "season" is when you celebrate Christmas, it is still Christmas and is all about family, friends and yes "Peace on Earth"

I may not get to see Santa in a swimsuit but I will definitely enjoy this Summer Christmas in OZ and be forever thankful for the wonderful friends and family that have made it a very special season for me this year.

travel on!

BULA ~ learning to live on "island time"

Bula!  The Fiji island greeting that is said over and over again.  Meaning "hello, greetings, good morning, good evening... etc"

A chance to go to Fiji and visit this wonderful place was something I was able to do recently.  I have wanted to go to Fiji for a long time so it was a definite "on my bucket list" of places to see.
Upon arrival I was greeted by a hearty "BULA"  something I would hear over and over again.
The island of Fiji is awash in poverty and the people there work hard for a meager existence.  But never have I found a more happy, hearty, lovely group of people.  Always smiling always greeting you with a smile and a hearty "bula"
These people could be digging a ditch, sweeping up leaves, washing dishes and yet they are always smiling, always happy, usually singing or whistling!  What a wonderful outlook on life!
There is "no hurry" to get anything done or a "rush" to get from place to place, it is "island time"  tomorrow is going to be the same as today so why hurry?
A point made clear by the fact that 6 people were replacing an underground pipe when we got to the resort on Wed, they worked at it every day and when we left on Monday they were still "replacing the underground pipe!"  Island Time.

The resort "Sheraton Fiji" was awesome, everything you could want in a resort, from endless pools to cool off in to a swim up bar with "fruity island drinks" to 5 star restaurants and a plush lobby, and amazing rooms.  Truly a great resort.  The spirit is laid back and definitely "island time"  With  no rush to accomplish anything in the day and yet busy making people happy.   The people are friendly and attentive and will take time to sit and just chat with you if you desire.

A trip into Nadi was interesting in the fact that you are immediately asked to "please come in and shop at my shop"  at the same time you may be asked by a local to "please come with me and shop local "Fiji" not the main shops which are "Indian owned"  So you are definitely pulled in both directions your entire time in town.  And have no fear you are "watched" and "marked" as you stand out among the crowd, a "local" insisted that we go to his "local Fiji" shop (something they are very proud of and work to protect) so as we followed him down an alley and up a staircase (yes we are suckers what can I say) we were asked to partake in a "Kava" Ceremony  something that the Fijian people do.  Having been "warned" about such a ceremony beforehand I was happy to sit and watch but drew the line (even if it meant upsetting the locals) on partaking of the "Kava" a root grown in Fiji, dried then pounded into a powder and mixed into a "drink" upon partaking of it you feel "relaxed" (so they say)  it is a "cure for cancer" (although they could not say which cancer) cures "depression, high blood pressure, anxiety, sleeplessness, menopause, headaches and a million other things"  BUT it is "all natural my friend!"   Uhhhh no thanks, but interesting!
The "shop" had "true" Fijian arts and crafts but don't look too close I think it says "made in china"  Ha.
After our little shopping venture (yes I bought some stuff)  the shop owners were happy to accompany us to a local restaurant and join us for lunch!  So happy in fact that they fully expected you to pay for said lunch, because they were your "best friends"  Interesting to say the least.
It truly is a network of people working the town because as soon as lunch was over they wanted to continue to accompany us on our shopping venture taking us to the "approved stores" and then insisted that we "book a table at the restaurant for everyone for the evening of fire dancers, live music and entertainment"  And yes please they would be happy to join us!   "New best friends and all you see"
We finally told them we were happy to continue shopping on our own and did so, eventually making our way back to the restaurant (because it was a good place to eat) having an early dinner and then skipping out on said meeting and evening festival.
As we spent a few minutes in a shop and were ready to head back to the resort a taxi driver that had asked us a few hours early if we "needed a taxi" magically appeared to take us and our bags back to the hotel...
Yes you are definitely "watched"
But a fun experience all together.  No Kava though :)

I did ask at the front desk if I could tour the "Presidential Suite" as I "might" have clients interested.... thus began a complete tour of all the room categories at the resort and the "royal treatment" because I was an "American travel agent!"  The Presidential Suite is gorgeous and I was told the "Prince Charles once stayed there"  something they are very proud of.   It runs a mere $1,100 a night (Fijian money so really not THAT bad!)

A torch lighting ceremony every night with torches lit from one resort to another along the ocean pathway makes for a beautiful evening walk "in Paradise"

If you stay at the Sheraton or the Westin you then have access to three resorts, including all their pools, restaurants, shops, etc.  So basically you have access to a multitude of facilities close by.  Something that is pretty nice!

Include breakfast in your stay if you ever go as it is well worth the price.  A spread of 5 stations of food with everything from omelets to cooked to order eggs, pancakes, fresh fruit, meats, pizza (yes pizza) and every type of pastry or bread you can imagine!  (no diets here!)  The fresh fruit is amazing with Mango's being grown in Fiji and in season when I was there.... unbelievable.

All in all a fantastic experience of laid back "island time" living and friendly happy people.
Worth the time and money to visit!

BULA!
travel on!

Nadi downtown

Presidential Suite

Kava Ceremony

Jack's Store Downtown Nadi

Presidential Suite

Presidential Suite

Presidential Suite

From "desert rat" to "beach bum" ~ Beaches, the Ocean and me

I love the beach and the ocean.

But how I got to be a "beach bum" and an "ocean lover" I have no idea because I was raised in the DESERT of Eastern Washington State in the good ole USA, miles and miles from the ocean and any beach.
My parents were not all that keen on "beach vacations" and "summer's at the beach" were unheard of, we lived on a farm and summers were way to busy to go to the beach.

But my love of the ocean and the beach has always been there I think.  It just took the painful journey of divorce and a move across the entire US to figure out just how much I loved the ocean, how peaceful it is, how the sounds of the waves can take a day from "I can't do this" to "life is so good"
I found that just looking out over a stretch of ocean (any ocean) makes me feel very very small, and makes me realize the power that is far greater than I and it makes even my "biggest" problems feel very very tiny in comparison to the vastness of an ocean.  Walking the beach in Florida I found that it was my "think time" where the cares of the world could float away on the waves, where simple pleasures such as walking barefoot in the surf or finding a jelly fish (and carefully avoiding stepping on it) made my day.
It was watching kids fly a kite, or build a sand castle.  It was the fishermen patiently waiting for the pole to jerk or the family that had packed half the house to set up for a "beach day"   There was always something interesting "on the beach"

There is just something magical about the ocean and a beach and I have been lucky enough to get to visit a few beaches in my travels.  Maybe because I try to book a "beach destination" anytime I can?  From the white sands and the brilliant blues waters of the Caribbean, to the Beaches of Normandy, to the Black Sand beaches in Hawaii and beautiful Waikiki, both coasts of Mexico, all along the Pacific Coast of the US from Washington to the border of Mexico, Biloxi Mississippi in the Gulf of Mexico, North Padre Island Texas,  the San Juan islands, Alaska (more glaciers then beaches but still an ocean!), Victoria British Columbia and now.... Australia!

My next adventure will be the beaches in Fiji for 6 magical wonderful days.....  ahhhh beach.

I am lucky enough to have friends here who seem to understand my "need" for a "beach fix" every so often and are kind enough to "whisk" me away so I can walk the sand and smell the ocean and "let it all go"

I find it amazing that as I stand here a world away from the tiny little farm town in Eastern Washington and I gaze out over the Pacific Ocean I realize that even this far away we are connected by the very same ocean , so far away yet so connected and it makes me feel very very small.

And so yes, I am firmly now a Beach Bum, long gone is the Desert Rat!

travel on!

Planes, trains, buses and ferries.... public transport and me...

Upon arriving in Australia I quickly learned that not having a car meant learning how to get around via public transportation.  Thankfully Sydney and surrounding areas have a wonderful bus, train, ferry system to get me from point A to point B, sometimes through C,D and E, but I still get there!

I have learned to have on hand a trusty "Travel 10" bus card, I have downloaded the app on my phone that gives me the times and schedules of the trains, buses and ferries.   I have figured out that bus M54 takes me to Epping, Carlingford and Paramatta,  And bus "292" takes me to the shopping centre.  I have learned which side of the street to stand on to catch the right bus going the right way.
I can "read" and understand! the train boards and know which platform to stand on so I catch the right train going the right way.
In the beginning I did get on the "right bus" on the "wrong side of the street"  but only once!
I also got on the "right train" going the "wrong way" but again, only once.
All a learning curve and all an adventure.

I know that most mornings at my bus stop I will see the little man who sings "opera" to the waiting people, belting it out at the loudest vocals he can and then will bow to the cars at the stop light, he also has very interesting conversations out loud with the other people that apparently reside inside his head, but it is cute and entertaining and he has no care as to what people think, he is living his life his way.

I have met another fellow traveler at the bus stop who immigrated here from Thailand, is finishing up Uni and working at a bank.  He questions me daily about life in the USA and what it is like and how I like it.

I had a "close" encounter with a fellow bus rider when the driver slammed on the brakes and the man behind me was thrown forward almost hitting the back of my head, after recovering he leaned forward and said "sorry sweetheart, if I kissed the back of your head it wasn't intentional!"

I have observed school children, young mothers, elderly people going for their daily grocery shop, visitors, travelers and business people.  Everyone going about life as they make their way through the journey of life.

Taking public transportation has taught me a lot, I get to observe people, watch the scenery go by, not having to concentrate on driving I am free to observe, watch, listen and see so much more!

I have enjoyed the train rides into the city, crossing the harbour bridge and looking at the beautiful sight of the Opera House glistening in the sun, the water bright blue and gorgeous, the boats and occasionally a cruise ship in the harbour.   I have arrived at Wynyard Station and been engulfed in the rush of people going from destination to destination.   I have taken the train to the airport, all by myself!  Finding that the start of a vacation can start the minute you walk out of the house as I make my way to the bus stop and then the train station, changing in the city to the train that will take me to the airport.....  something I would never have done in the USA.

I have had the pleasure of taking the ferry a few times and it is always a treat.  From Circular Quay you can take it to Manly Beach which is the most beautiful ferry ride ever, the views of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, the City are amazing.  On a sunny day this is an adventure I could do again and again and again.

The downside of "no car" is this.  Last Saturday I needed to get some groceries, so I loaded up my bags for the groceries, put on my walking shoes and headed to the bus stop, it was a hot and muggy day so I decided to take the bus to the shoppes instead of walking.  I get to the bus stop and check my phone only to discover that the bus comes once an hour on the weekend, not every 15 min.  I had just missed the bus so I had 56 minutes to wait in the heat and the sun for the next bus, or to walk the 3 plus k's to the shopping centre.  So yes there is a down side!  I opted to walk to a closer shop which is really just a "mini mart" and the prices are much higher and the selection limited....  I did get enough of the groceries I needed to survive and I didn't die of heat stroke so again it was an "adventure!"


My experience with "planes, trains, buses and ferries" has been one of the best adventures on this journey I have had.  I have loved being "forced" to figure out how to get where I want to go and enjoyed the adventure along the way.

Some of the views I have experienced on public transportation!

travel on!

Mary Poppins or Winnie the Pooh???

My day started with the very good intentions of making an "adventure" out of going to "Crows Nest" for a  much needed massage, I hurt my back over a week ago and have been struggling with back pain and headaches so a massage was on the agenda for the day.
Now I say "adventure" because everything I do these days is a "journey" and an "adventure"  I do not simply walk out my front door, grab the car and drive to where I want to go.  I must now take public transportation, ie:  buses, trains or walking (not sure walking qualifies but it is part of the adventure)
So I schedule my appointment for a two hour "Thai Massage" in Crows Nest, a mere 8 bus stops and 5 train stops away, not to mention the said walking, for 3pm.... plenty of time for me to make the "journey"
So at 1:30pm I start out, but notice that the sky is a bit "ugly looking" and that it looks like rain, not to mention a bit of "wind"........
So I grab the umbrella and head out the door (after all I am resourceful and do come prepared)
The minute I step outside I realize that IF I open the umbrella I will instantly become "Mary Poppins" and end up somewhere over Sydney or worse the Pacific Ocean, the wind is blowing a gale (later reports say 95k wind gusts, translate 45 mph winds)  Now I come from the great Pacific Northwest in the good ole USA and I KNOW wind gusts, so as any smart person would I do NOT put up the umbrella.
I walk the short distance to the bus, huddle under the shelter, wait for the bus, get on the right bus (yes there are more than a few buses to choose from) and ride to the train station, get off at the right stop (very important) and make my way to the train.... now mind you I have been to said massage parlor before but never via bus, train, walk......  I ride the train to "St Leonard's" and get off, walk through the train station, and take a "left" courtesy of my daughters instructions....  and walk and walk and walk.... sometimes taking three steps and only gaining one step.... yes the wind is bad, I am cold, I am hot... oh wait, that is hot flashes....  my hair is standing straight up (not sure what that means)  I walk and walk and walk.... bending into the wind, but finally find "Anna's Massage Parlor"  Now I think I need a three hour massage!!!

Afterwards, I make my way back to the train station, then the bus, then the walk home...
Yes, people this life is an adventure and I love it.
But today I decided I was definitely NOT Mary Poppins, I think I am more Pooh... It was a blustery, windy day in the neighborhood :)
And I survived the adventure!

travel on!

Journeys and Adventures with a child

It seemed only right that I start this blog with the story of a little guy who has taken a big chunk of my heart this year.  A little man that has taught me more than any adult, any journey, any adventure ever will.
To see the world again through the eyes of a child has been an amazing thing.  It has taught me to slow down, to see the flowers, the airplanes, the birds and yes even the garbage bins and the garbage trucks in life.
I know my own children had the same "wide eyed wonder" at the simple things in life so very long ago but I also know that I was a young, busy mother too busy to take the time to just sit and watch them, to smell the flowers, walk the neighborhood and make sure every garbage bin is out, to sit in a sand box and build a sand castle (yes I did this) or to play "shops" with leaves as money and a "hello" as the sweetest greeting in the world. I have been told  "Tinny (his name for me) swing too! And told to "here sit" as he pats the floor next to him.  I feel like I have had a second chance at childhood!

So what makes an "adventure"  what makes a "journey"?  Is it traveling far away to a distant land where you experience breathtaking waterfalls, or important monuments?  Is it packing a bag and boarding an airplane or a cruise ship and being whisked off to some exotic destination?

I have learned this year, because of my wonderful two days a week spent with a very inquisitive, very observant, very active little guy, that a "journey" or an "adventure" can be a walk to the park, it can be a hose and a bucket, it can be a walk to the bakery for gingerbread men.  And along the way on each of those "adventures" there is great discoveries to be made,  a stop to pick dandelions, smell them and then hand them to me and say "pretty"  How many of you have stopped to smell a dandelion lately?  Or thought they were "pretty?"  It is watching a jet fly overhead and looking at it in amazement, a jet!  It is finding a dog at the park and rushing up to it only to stop just short and wave with a "hello"  then dash off to the swings.  Every day can be an adventure, every day can be a journey.

I need to learn to make every day an adventure, stop to smell the dandelions, watch the birds or say hello to a dog.  Be amazed at a jet overhead or the water in a fountain.  Learn to find joy in play dough and Curious George.  Learn to slow down and enjoy life and the journey that it is........

Thus my first post about adventure!

travel on!

You blog?

A few years ago no one knew what "blogging" even meant.  I for one was critical of the whole thing, "why would anyone want to blog?"
But here I am "blogging"

The journey of "blogging" for me started today after a series of "events"  happened. (if one can even call them events!)
A post on Facebook that mentioned that maybe Facebook should be divided into sections:  brag, whine, recipes, travel, etc.   It got me thinking.....  yes, I agree with that post, there are times when I get on Facebook and I think "oh dear not another post from so and so about their grandchild, or their dog, or their latest recipe.....  but then that is their choice, to post whatever they want, and as my daughter once pointed out, if I don't want to read it or look at it.... pass it by!
But what it got me thinking was this : "that is why people blog"  It is a way to write, post, brag, whine, share your thoughts at the time and only those people who WANT to read it can and will.
I think I am "getting" blogging.
Second thing that happened was someone ask me if I realized how lucky I was to travel and experience new places like I have and do.....  and I thought "yes definitely feel lucky"  and so maybe I should share those experiences, with people who want to read about them!
And last was just sitting here waiting for a website to reload so I can actually work and be profitable and I decided that I really really wanted to learn to blog.  Lame I know.

So here goes, a blog about my "Personal Journey and Travels"
I am not a very good person to share my "personal feelings" I find it difficult to open up to how I really am feeling inside.  I would like this to be a blog of "Eat Pray Love"  even though I have never watched the movie nor read the book, both of which I have been given and told to read/watch.  I think the end of that story is finding ones self and finding love, neither of which I feel like I have accomplished at this point in my life!
So it will be a blog about my journey and travels in finding "me" and finding my place in life and along the way I hope to share some interesting places and events with those who care to come along.

travel on!