vacation – Page 13 – Destination NOW

New Zealand

Time to hit the road again! For years, Mike and I have wanted to visit New Zealand, but we knew that a twenty hour plane ride could only be justified by a loooong stay. So, visiting that wonderful corner of the world had to wait until my retirement. Although I had been able to get away for three weeks while working, SIX weeks didn’t seem do-able.

Mike and I were so lucky to meet Davina and Norman on a river cruise in 2008. Our fellow cruisers were were almost evenly divided into thirds, from the USA, Canada and Australia, with Davina and Norman being the sole Kiwis. It was during a presidential election year, which made dinner discussions VERY interesting.

I’m amazed at how well informed other citizens of Planet Earth are! Makes me want to listen to the BBC more frequently, so I don’t embarrass myself with my ignorance of events outside our borders. Of course, Ted Cruz has done a good job of making me embarrassed by what has happened INSIDE our borders!

And yes, there actually IS a reason for that digression. Mike and I will be staying with Davina and Norman in Auckland for several days before our Road Scholar trip commences. I’m excited about spending time with them again, and have been blown away by their gracious hospitality. Davina offered to pick us up at the airport at the ungodly hour of 6 AM! And she has planned several days of sightseeing for us.

Getting maps into WordPress is a multi step process, easier done from my computer than iPad, so I figured I’d get it completed before we head to the airport.
First a map of the ground we will be covering during our Road Scholar trip.

At the end of that trip, Mike heads back to the USA and I start a three week project with Global Volunteers in the Cook Islands. So, where ARE the Cook Islands, you ask?

Because I will be crossing the date line, I’ll be arriving before I leave. Given that I have always been calendar challenged, this will not be a problem for me.

If you look at a map of the world, the Cook Islands show up as fifteen tiny dots, so here’s a close up of “my” island.

I’ll be staying in Rarotonga, the largest of the islands, which has a population of around 9,000. That’s about twice as many people as my home town.

I found this description of Rarotonga on the internet:
“The island is one of the most beautiful in the South Pacific making it popular with around 90,000 visitors each year. The volcanic peaks and white sandy beaches with overhanging palm trees, inside a coral reef make Rarotonga a paradise island.”
Pretty tough duty, wouldn’t you say?

So, over the coming weeks, Mike and I will be hanging out in gloriously beautiful places, and I will be doing my best to capture all that fantastic beauty for your viewing pleasure. Who knows…maybe a contest down the road?

Come on along! And feel free to comment, so I stay connected with everyone!

Off to The Grand Canyon

Colin Fletcher called the Grand Canyon a “huge natural museum of the earth’s history”. Okay, so I didn’t know who Colin Fletcher was either, until I signed us up for this Road Scholar trip. Now that I am a retiree (excuse me, “lifestyle manager”), I have time to actually READ the suggested background materials.

Colin Fletcher wrote “The Man who Walked Through Time: The Story of the First Trip Afoot Through The Grand Canyon”. Given that the canyon was inhabited by Native Americans for about 10,000 years before the first Europeans arrived, it isn’t hard to imagine that one or two of them might have sauntered from one end of the canyon to the other before he did, but then again, THEY never published their adventures and thoughts. I shouldn’t be too hard on Mr. Fletcher, though. After all, his book was written in the early 1900’s; half a century later, when I was in school, we still were being taught that Columbus “discovered” America, as if it were completely devoid of human inhabitants when he arrived.

So, now that I’ve gotten beyond the title, what did I learn from his book? Other than that I would never, ever even CONSIDER hiking through the canyon, I learned that you can tell the age of the rocks from their colors. I created this little chart so I’d know what I was looking at when we get there, starting from the rim and moving on down to the bottom:

Rock	Color	Thickness	Age
Limestone	White	400 feet	225 million years
Sandstone	Pale brown	350 feet	250 million years
Shale and Sandstone	Red	1,000 feet	275 million years
“The Esplanade”, Limestone	Blue gray, stained red	800 feet	450 million years
Bright Angel Shale	Layered greenish gray and purple	600 feet	475 million years
“Tonto Platform”Tapeats Sandstone	Brown	225 feet	500 million years
Schists	Dark gray with granite	Depth is unknown	Almost 2 billion years

Okay, so I have no concept of what 400 feet (or any of the other number of feet, for that matter) looks like–but when I get there, and take photos, and post them, well, then we’ll ALL know. And we’ll also know how long those bloody rocks have been plopped there.

I do better with visuals. So here’s a picture of where we will be for the week, starting and ending in Phoenix.

This trip will have an added element of adventure. The original plan was that this trip would be my father’s day present to my dad. He and Mike were going to room together, and I would be rooming with my “childhood” friend, Augusta. My dad’s knee became uncooperative, causing him to have to cancel out. Well, I notified Road Scholar and told them to change my roommate to Mike. I then learned that doing so would mean that Augusta might be assigned a female roommate, which wasn’t quite what she’d had in mind. So, Mike being an all around wonderful guy, decided to ‘take one for the team’ and agreed he’d be the solo traveler. No, that doesn’t mean HE gets the female roommate. He will only be matched up if there is another solo male traveler. The adventure part? We won’t know how this will shake out till we arrive tomorrow night.

Just think of the possibilities… Mike’s assigned roommate is a Sean Connery look alike, who gazes upon the lovely Augusta and is immediately smitten, causing us to swap roommates faster than your average college freshman. Beautiful sunsets, the canyon as a backdrop..could this be a made for TV movie, or what? Lifetime channel, perhaps?

More likely, Mike will be roommate-less. Hmmm. Maybe we shouldn’t mention that we’ve been married for 37 years. That way, if I am spotted doing the “walk of shame” out of his room some morning, it might liven up breakfast discussions.

So, which part of the blog did YOU find more interesting– rock colors and ages or the possibility of “seniors gone wild”?

Home Town Hero

Every town should have its very own super hero. Henry Huttleston Rogers was Fairhaven’s. If you’ve never heard of him, that’s an indication that you don’t live in Fairhaven and you probably took I-195 from Providence to Cape Cod, instead of the more scenic Route 6. Sure, I-195 will get you to the beach faster, but what you miss is a chance to see the impact one of Standard Oil’s “robber barons” can have on a sweet little town.

Henry Huttleston Rogers Memorial on Huttleston Avenue

After you clear the bridge from New Bedford, the highway’s name changes to Huttleston Avenue, and if you look to your left, you’ll see one of the many reasons the town has chosen to honor its home town hero.

The gorgeous Elizabethan stone structure, completed in 1906, is actually Fairhaven High School, Henry Huttleston Rogers’ last gift to the town before his death in 1909. I have never been inside–I attended a regional high school–but my sister Sue (the source of all my inside information) tells me the school has marble floors, wood paneling, and carved gargoyles in the auditorium. The adolescent version of me probably wouldn’t have noticed these grand architectural features anyway. I would have been too busy hoping one of the other auditorium “creatures” would ask me out after the assembly ended.

I DID pass many afternoons during my teen years as a volunteer at Our Lady’s Haven.

Completed in 1905, the building was originally known as the Tabitha Inn. Designed to resemble a Shakespearian era Inn, it was described as the grandest hotel outside of New York and Boston. Samuel Clements, better known as Mark Twain, was one of its frequent guests. It became a home for “the elderly and infirm” after it was purchased by the Catholic Diocese in 1944.

I stopped in to say hello and to take a look around the lobby. Back in my day, it was run by the Carmelite nuns, but today only one nun remains. Lovely Sr. Eileen from Ireland is now running the show, making sure Fairhaven’s senior citizens receive tender loving care.

Next to the Tabitha Inn is a red brick schoolhouse, another gift from Rogers. The school’s last class graduated this year, and the building is now closed, so all future students will be studying in a more modern building.

Rogers Elementary School, closed in 2013

From June through September, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Fairhaven office of tourism offers 90 minute guided tours, starting at 10 AM from the town hall — and yes, Rogers donated that too. Click on this link for more information about the tour and the town.

I wasn’t crass enough to photograph the interior of Our Lady’s Haven, (not everyone enjoys getting their image blasted into cyberspace) but the interior architecture of the town hall is very similar…so you get the idea of how lovely both places are.

Town Hall Interior--grand staircase, with arches and carved wooden railings — Town Hall Interior–grand staircase, with arches and carved wooden railings

My very special childhood place is across the street from the town hall. The Millicent Library was built in 1890 as a memorial to one of Rogers’ daughter’s, who was 17 when she died.

I don’t think this is a statue of Millicent. Pretty racy for a small town in the 1900’s, wouldn’t you say?

My summer days were spent in the children’s reading room, where I discovered that “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” was only the first in an entire series L Frank Baum wrote about the magical land of Oz. Those books kept the 9 year old me entertained for an entire summer!

As I was leaving the library, one of the friendly residents (did I mention that Fairhaven people are VERY friendly?) asked whether I had noticed Dante atop the library. I never had before–but here he is, for your viewing pleasure.

So, who was Henry Huttleston Rogers–and how did he amass such a huge fortune? Rogers got his start in Pennsylvania, where, in 1861, he and a partner started a small business refining oil. By 1885, he had joined with John D Rockefeller, eventually becoming one of the three key men of Standard Oil. Known as “the Brains of Standard Oil Trust” and “Hell Hound Rogers”, he was a captain of industry.

He was also a generous man who befriended Booker T Washington and paid for Helen Keller’s Radcliffe education.

The “giving” tradition continued with Rogers’ granddaughter, (official name when she died: Mary Millicent Abigail Rogers von Salm-Hoogstraeten de Peralta-Ramos Balcom, but she went by Millicent Rogers–and who can blame her?) who founded the Millicent Rogers museum in Taos, New Mexico to house native American art. The daughter of Rogers’ only son, she was quite a fascinating character–but that’s a subject for another time.

Visitors to Fairhaven should stop at Margaret’s or Elizabeth’s for a great meal. The restaurants are side by side, near the waterfront. If you are lucky, you might get lovely Kristen for your server, and Kevin may be your chef!

The Citadel

As befitting the one time capital of Vietnam, Hue has a citadel, complete with a couple of moats, cannons and majestic gates with names like Gate of Everlasting Happiness.

If this isn't the Gate of Everlasting Happiness, it SHOULD be. — If this isn’t the Gate of Everlasting Happiness, it SHOULD be.

Gate detail. The Vietnamese are descendants of dragons and fairies — Gate detail. According to legend, the Vietnamese are descendants of dragons and fairies

We’ve all seen cannons, so you don’t need to see the whole thing, but I’ll bet you’ve never seen cannons as fancy as the ones at Hue.

The Vietnamese are incredible craftsmen. This is one of the "four seasons" guns. — The Vietnamese are incredible craftsmen. This is one of the “four seasons” guns.

The emperor lived in the Forbidden Purple City with his wives, concubines, daughters, young sons and female servants. If any male, other than the emperor, (or one of the eunuchs) attempted to enter the Purple City, he was put to death. I was quite excited about wandering thru the forbidden city, but unfortunately it was flattened during the Tet offensive or America’s response. Nothing remains of the emperor’s residence.

You'll just have to use your imagination to conjure up the Forbidden City. Here is where it stood. — You’ll just have to use your imagination to conjure up the Forbidden City. Here is where it stood.

These galleries of Hue’s citadel have been restored and give you an idea of the glorious days of old.

Our tour guide had gone to college in Hue, so he was full of great restaurant and bar restaurants. Instead Mike and I opted to have a wonderful dinner on the rooftop restaurant of our hotel, enjoying the perfect weather and the beautiful view.

The view of the Perfume River from our room

Speaking of our room, I’m not sure why the Mercure Hotel thinks showering is a spectator sport. Both of the Mercure Hotels had a “viewing” option. See what I mean?

This might have been a good idea 30 years ago... — This might have been a good idea 30 years ago…

One more day of our private tour, a day in Hanoi, then I’ll be telling you all about my Global Volunteers experience.

And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for–the answers to the last contest’s questions
1. We visited Halong Bay on this trip. Although Angkor Wat IS indeed a wonder of the world, it is man made, not a natural wonder.
2. Early in the morning, in Luang Prabang, the monks beg for their food.
3. The best way to tour Hanoi’s old quarter is a matter of opinion. Both Cyclo and on foot are correct, and yes, Lis, this was a trick question!
4. This question was specially for Kristy because of her fondness for the dong. The answer is Vietnam.
5. I lost my glasses once, but was able to retrieve them, because I remembered where I had left them–but Mike and his hat have parted ways for good.
6. The GI’s called the beach at DaNang “China Beach” because of all the porcelain they found there.

HoiAn, a beautiful little town

Mike and I thoroughly enjoyed our unstructured time in HoiAn. Our Road Scholar trip was action packed, with lots of sightseeing, cultural and educational experiences, starting early in the morning till early evening, so we were ready for some “down time”.

It was nice to linger over breakfast, which we did every morning, for about two hours, chatting with another American couple, enjoying the hotel gardens and the wonderful warm weather. And what breakfasts they were…just about everything imaginable…Asian style food (more like what we would eat for dinner), crepes, omelettes, croissants, and the juiciest, freshest fruits I have ever tasted. I think I have a mango addiction.

HoiAn is a delightful city, with the central section full of little shops, restaurants and cafes. It was closed off to motorbikes and cars, so it is a pleasure walking there. Mike and I did some of the usual tourist things, but mainly we walked around, ate and drank. Good thing everything I brought with me had an elastic waistband!

I couldn’t resist shopping for my three “shared” grandchildren–there were such cute purses and backpacks. I also succumbed to one of HoiAn’s many tailor shops. I think I would have fared better if I had had my fashion consultants with me, but hey, it was an experience and entertainment. (Isn’t that what the gamblers say after being in Atlantic City?). There will be a fashion show when I get home–you all can be the judges as to whether I am “in or owwwwwttt”.

Me and super saleswoman Lou, while waiting for my new duds to be finished.

The temple was packed the day we visited, with the locals stopping by to purchase long red coils of incense that will slowly burn for several months. The yellow tags hanging from the incense have the family members’ names printed on them. I said a special prayer in front of this painting, asking the Sea Goddess to always keep Steve and Andrew safe.

Painting of the sea goddess, under the incense coils and behind the vase. — Painting of the sea goddess, rescuing the ship in distress. I so wanted to move that vase.

I have no idea what this is all about...I just liked it! — I have no idea what this is all about…I just liked it!

Sitting by the river, watching the boats roll on by

We took a day trip out to the Cham sanctuary, My Son. A significant portion of the sanctuary was destroyed by bombing. I climbed into one of the craters to give an idea of the depth of the hole, but that photo is on Mike’s camera.

Not this crater--there was water in the bottom. — Not this crater–there was water in the bottom.

The area was beautiful, and so peaceful.

Our guide was a photo enthusiast, who enjoyed using our cameras to take photos of us.

At night, the bridges and streets are all lit up, and young children sell candles that you float on the river. If you buy one, “your family be very happy”. (So, family, are you? You better be, cuz I bought one! That photo is also on Mike’s camera, but here’s a daytime shot of one of the bridges.)

It’s about time for a few questions, don’t you think?
1. Which of the seven new natural wonders of the world did we visit on this trip?
2. Early in the morning, in Luang Prabang, what can you watch the monks doing?
3. The best way to tour Hanoi’s old quarter is
A. By watching a travel video
B. By bus
C. On a cyclo
D. On foot
4. In which country is the currency known as a dong?
5. Who do you think PERMANENTLY lost an object?
A. Mike lost his hat
B. Shelley lost her glasses?
6. Why did the GI’s call the beach at DaNang “China Beach”?

Next stop, HoiAn

After our Road Scholar trip ended, Mike and I started Part Three of our Asian Adventure, this time just the two of us, traveling through Central Vietnam with a guide and driver, arranged by Ann Tours.

We flew from Hanoi to DaNang, where our guide Ahn met us. Although the buses were comfortable, and air conditioned, it still felt rather luxurious to have a Mercedes all to ourselves.

What remains of the former US airbase at DaNang

Modern DaNang, with its new bright yellow serpent bridges.

The Cham Museum contains sculptures from My Son, a religious sanctuary dating back to the 4th century. When an area was conquered, the invaders cut off the heads and hands of the religious statues to decrease their power.

Lakshmi's hands were originally holding a lotus blossom — Lakshmi’s hands were originally holding a lotus blossom

But more interesting to me was this frieze, showing the art of massage dated back more than 1600 years in Central Vietnam.

I can't let all those years of expertise go to waste. There will be a massage in my future! — I can’t let all those years of expertise go to waste. There will be a massage in my future!

We made a quick stop at DaNang’s beach, better known by the American soldiers as China Beach because of all the porcelain found buried in the sand. Here’s one of the few “G” rated photos from that stop.

Last stop before HoiAn was in the Marble Mountains. We climbed well over 100 steps that were carved into the mountain, all with different sized steps (steep, steeper, steepest).

The lady in blue decided I would make a dandy handrail, so she grabbed onto me as she climbed down

At the top of the first "staircase", smiling Buddha (happiness), with a fat belly (prosperity) and long ears (longevity) — At the top of the first “staircase”, smiling Buddha (happiness), with a fat belly (prosperity) and long ears (longevity)was waiting to welcome us.

As we climbed higher, the view got better.

But the most awe inspiring experience was when we entered the huge cave.

Sunlight from holes in the roof of the cave gave the interior a very spiritual feel

.
Our hotel was fantastic–my very favorite of the entire trip.

Welcome drink and fruit at the HaAn Hotel

Check out the shower. You can see the plants hanging on the back wall if you look in the mirror. And yes, there were flowers scattered at the bases of the shower and the toilet.

Stones in the shower. You stand on that white platform under the shower head.

Our tour company booked us here for three nights. Great choice!

Why I Love Road Scholar!

Mike and I are now traveling on our own, after our whirlwind tour with Road Scholar, through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. And what a tour it was!
My blog couldn’t keep pace with our activities and even now, this summary will only provide a taste of those incredible 20 days.
Here are a few of the many reasons I love Road Scholar.

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE
Road Scholar made contributions on our behalf to the two village schools and hospital we visited.

One nurse per 500 children at the outpatient clinic of this free hospital

Look who else visited the hospital--but not while we were there. — Look who else visited the hospital–but not while we were there.

While traveling in Cambodia a few years ago, the Spitlers asked their guide to suggest a worthwhile project. The end result was this village school.

Sarin, a Cambodian tour guide, and head of the Spitler School — Sarin, Cambodian tour guide, and head of the Spitler School

Prior to the Spitler School, children in this village had no opportunity for education.

JAW DROPPING EXPERIENCES

Mike, taking in the majesty of Angkor Wat

The demons guarding the bridge to Angkor Thom

One of the many faces of King Jayavarman 7

Good guys on the left, demons on the right, churning the sea of milk with Jayavarman 7 gazing down on it all

And of course, the many Buddha images in Laos and Thailand were unforgettable and impressive.

WONDERFUL LECTURES

Tony Zola, another former Peace Corp volunteer who settled in Asia, was a fascinating lecturer. He spoke to us in Thailand and Laos.

Tara (an American)and a local Lao woman created the Museum of Art and Ethnology.

We had an amazing lunch at Fabian's stilt home in a Laotian village, followed by a lecture. — We had an amazing lunch at Fabian’s stilt home in a Laotian village, followed by a lecture.

GREAT COMPANIONS
Fantastic experiences are even better when shared with like minded companions.

Showing off our Baci Ceremony stringe — Showing off our Baci Ceremony strings

CULTURAL IMMERSION

Ancient musical instruments. That IS an elephant carved on the end of that bow

One of the marriage stories in the museum of Art and Ethnology

From night markets... — From night markets…

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

INCREDIBLE FOOD

Judging from their rounded bellies, I think these apsaras just finished a Road Scholar trip!

I’ll give your eyeballs a rest, and stop with the photos.
You’ll just have to take my word for it, this trip was AMAZING!

Halong Bay

For this post, the pictures will (mainly) speak for themselves.
HaLong Bay is about 4 hours by bus north of Hanoi.

The surrounding area is starting to get built up, with lots of hotels across from the beach.

We, however, spent the night on the Emeraude.

Take a good look. Can you find the shower? What about the “closet”?

Great views from the top deck (and the middle and the lower decks)but the top deck has the bar!

I didn't expect penguins in Vietnam — I didn’t expect penguins in Vietnam

My sister Sue always wanted a pet monkey. I tried to convince this one to come home with me. Check out her facial expression for her answer.

We took a tender to the Surprise Cave. The third cave was enormous!

We climbed over 100 steps (I lost count) to an opening that gave us this wonderful vantage point.

I couldn't resist posting two shots--one framed,one not. You get to choose which you prefer. — I couldn’t resist posting two shots–one framed,one not. You get to choose which you prefer.

These ladies were waiting for us to return to the ship so they could sell us some of their handmade goods.

How lucky were we, to see night fall on Halong Bay

And with an almost full moon.my photos don't do it justice. — And with an almost full moon. My photos don’t do it justice.

East coast girl, hanging out, enjoying the view.

We cruised for a while, enjoying the effect the changing light had on the seascape (bayscape?)

Time to return to Hanoi for our farewell dinner and the end of this phase of our Asian Adventure.

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride

The elephant ride in Thailand was tame, compared to our cyclo excursion through Hanoi’s old quarter. Imagine 22 of us oldies but goodies being pedaled through narrow crowded, crooked streets. Actually, you don’t have to imagine, because through the magic of digital photography, we captured this thrilling adventure for you.

One of my Pennsylvania buddies was right in front of me, so I was able to get a couple of shots of her, and she returned the favor.

Linda, relaxed and happy at the start of the ride.

Linda, after riding for a few minutes...check out the expression... — Linda, after riding for a few minutes…check out the expression…

I wasn’t looking behind me, so didn’t see how close the car and motorbike were to my fearless driver.

Photo by Linda. Please note. I am wearing the scarf I dyed, and the skirt I purchased at the night market in Laos

Mike was following close behind.

And mom always thinks he's got more sense than me! — And mom always thinks he’s got more sense than me!

It actually was a great way to see the city. I could check out the shops for later purchases. Hmmm, which sister or cousin will be getting something from the “Toxic Shop”? Or would a propaganda poster make a better “prize”?

One more shot to make sure you got the full effect of Hanoi streets, then we will move on to other highlights.

You can’t visit Hanoi without paying your respects to Ho Chi Minh.

Ho Chi Minh's embalmed body lies in this mausoleum. — Ho Chi Mihn’s embalmed body lies in this mausoleum.

This French colonial governor’s mansion was very briefly Ho Chi Minh’s home until he was able to settle into something more to his taste.

This house on stilts was where Ho Chi Minh preferred to live.

Ho Chi Minh's bedroom — Ho Chi Mihn’s bedroom. Personally, I prefer a sleep number bed.

On to the Temple of Literature, which was beautifully decorated for New Year. Like many Americans, they are not in a big rush to take down their decorations, giving the Temple an even more festive look.

The Vietnamese do amazing things with flowers and plants

Turtles are VERY important to the Vietnamese. Unfortunately, I was in the “happy” room when our guide was explaining the significance of these turtle sculptures, so I missed that part, but I know it had to do with education. Google it, if you want specifics–or you can just enjoy the photos.

We have an early morning tomorrow, so that’s all for today. Hugs to all and a big hello to all Sue’s co-workers. Glad you are following along!

One day you’re hot, and the next day you’re not.

We spent our last morning in Cambodia cruising to the Tonle Sap Lake. During the dry season, the tributaries leading to the lake drop to a depth between 3 and 5 feet, but during the rainy season, the area floods, with the water level rising to between 24 and 30 feet, which explains why the houses are on stilts.

The children were all very cute and friendly, waving from the banks.

These tykes were too close to the river for MY comfort level.

It was slow going, getting to the lake, because we were quite a bit larger than the average Cambodian (an understatement), weighing the boat down in the already shallow passageway. That gave us plenty of time to take in the sights.

As usual, our excellent guide took good care of us, bringing along more snacks than we could eat. I’ve developed a very strong attachment to mangosteens, which are rightfully known as “the queen of fruits”.

Tonle Sap Lake was quite beautiful. I particularly liked the floating restaurants.

On the way back, Man tossed fruit and snacks to the kids. This little boy was delighted with his catch.

Time to move — to another country and another climate. North Vietnam is quite a bit cooler than the other three countries we visited, as you might guess from our wardrobe.

"Well, east coast girls are hip, I really dig those styles they wear". -- the Beach Boys — “Well, east coast girls are hip, I really dig those styles they wear”. — the Beach Boys

And now a preview of coming attractions…tune in again for the Hanoi version of “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride”.

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